My rules for losing weight

Commercial technology refers to various technologies specifically used in the commodity circulation process, which cannot be converted into military advantages.

But China’s massive industrial clusters could translate into military advantages.

Let me give you a small example:

The profit margin of ammunition is very thin, but the usage is very large. American capitalists disdain low-profit industries and turn to high-profit industries.

The United States uses 2.4 billion bullets every year (including military and civilian), of which 1.4 billion are produced in the United States, and the other 1 billion are imported from China.

If a war breaks out between China and the United States and China stops exporting ammunition to the United States, China will gain 1 billion rounds of ammunition and the United States will lose 1 billion rounds of ammunition. In addition, the production capacity of China’s military factories will increase exponentially during wartime.

Trump Ready To ANNEX Canada!

China Cancels ALL **LNG** Purchases from USA – SEC to “De-List” China Companies from Stock markets

China has just CANCELED purchases of Liquified Natural Gas from the United States; opting instead to buy it from Australia.

In the past, the U.S. sold 4.16 Million Tons of LNG to China.

Now, all that gas is available for purchase here in the United States, which __should__ bring down prices to heat homes that use such gas.   (Note: My country home uses Propane because rural communities do not have Gas-main pipelines.)

MORE:

Also, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is reportedly moving to De-List about $800 Billion of Chinese Publicly-traded Companies from U.S. Stock Markets.

No word yet on precisely which such companies, but it may just be ALL of them.

It wasn’t an accident but it changed the way I looked at my father.

My oldest brother and I hadn’t been close growing up because he was several years older than me but we reconnected the year before he died of cancer. We shared a lot of good times just reminiscing and enjoying our time together. We both knew it wouldn’t be long enough. One day he looked over at me and said “Did you know I’m not really your brother?” I just shook my head in confusion. He told me that when he was going through our parents’ papers he found out he had a different father than the rest of the kids in our family. He then asked me how I felt about that. I told him the truth, that as far as I was concerned he was my brother and I hoped he felt the same way. He seemed relieved and glad he got that out in the open. He also said he had no interest in finding out who his “real” father was. The next spring he gave up his long fight with cancer.

It didn’t change the way I felt about him but it got me thinking. I knew that my parents were very young when they got married. My mother was 15 and my father was 18. I also knew that my mother was pregnant at the wedding (you could just do the math). What I didn’t know was that my father knew it wasn’t his child when they got married. He never said anything to anyone about it and I never saw him treat my brother any differently than any of his other children.

I had a new respect for my father after that.

Florentine Brunch Casserole

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5854003c469e5d94827761d7932741cb

Yield: 8 servings or 16 sample servings

Ingredients

  • 16 slices firm white bread
  • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
  • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup onion, chopped
  • 4 ounces baked ham, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 10 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided (1 cup)
  • 1 (5 ounce) bag fresh spinach leaves, washed and stemmed

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cut crusts off bread using Serrated Bread Knife; cube crusts and measure 2 cups. Arrange bread slices in an overlapping pattern against sides of Oval Baker; place bread cubes in bottom.
  3. Microwave 2 tablespoons of the butter in Small Micro-Cooker on HIGH 30 seconds or until melted; lightly brush over bread slices using Pastry Brush. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges of bread are golden brown.
  4. Meanwhile, in Small Batter Bowl, whisk soup, milk and black pepper until smooth using Stainless Steel Whisk.
  5. Finely chop onion using Food Chopper.
  6. Dice ham and bell pepper using Chef’s Knife. Melt remaining butter in Stir-Fry Skillet over medium heat; add onion and bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stir in ham.
  7. Whisk eggs in Classic Batter Bowl; add to Skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with Classic Scraper, until eggs are set but still moist.
  8. Stir in soup mixture; cook 1 minute or until hot.
  9. Using Deluxe Cheese Grater, grate cheese. Gently stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese. Fold spinach into egg mixture, half at a time. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring gently until spinach is wilted.
  10. Spoon egg mixture into center of Baker, mounding slightly in center. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
  11. Serve immediately using Nylon Spoon.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

American here; I was nearly killed in a multicar accident when I was 25. Guess how long I had to wait for an important surgery to repair my damaged leg?

One Year. I had to wait just over one year to get the surgery I needed, because I wanted an experienced surgeon to do it. It took one entire year to get on his surgical schedule, have my insurance agree to pay for it, etc. It was, at the time, a new corrective procedure and a lot of people wanted to have it done, but it isn’t performed that often now because it takes so much time for the patient to be rehabilitated (2+ years of physical therapy.)

So don’t tell me that there aren’t long waiting times to get treatment in the U.S. Because there definitely are.

Oh, and that doesn’t include the five months from the day I called that surgeon’s office until my first appointment with him. Or the six months of tests and x-rays/ MRIs, etc. before he agreed to perform the surgery.

When one of my doctors took an abrupt retirement and closed his practice, I had to find a replacent ASAP (along with all his other patients). Finding someone willing to see me was a nightmare (they had too many patients already or didn’t accept my insurance or whatever). It took me six months to get an initial consultation with a new doctor – time I spent with no one to prescribe the maintenance medications I took daily.

Thank God that I had/ have really, really good health insurance through my employer or I would still be in a wheelchair! But even then, dealing with the insurance was a nightmare.

But if I lived in a country with universal health care I would have been moved to the head of the line because my injuries were so bad.

So, “USA! USA!” I guess.

As China Orders Its Banks To Cancel USD Buying, Spain Makes A Dramatic Pivot To Beijing

Jesus H. Christ.

The bullshit out of Washington DC is so thick.  Bessent is such a tool.

What will America do about this?

Americans will talk about how they will start mining their own minerals or get the from somewhere else. They will say this as if they live in a Command and Conquer economy where if they press a button pay some money it will appear. This ignores the fact that it requires massive investment, time, skills to build such an industry.

Think about this. This is a 155mm artillery shell.

It’s comparatively simple. The US talked big about increasing production of 155mm shells. Guess what it didn’t happen! You see capitalism or the system pretending to be capitalism in the USA means that all factories run at maximum capacity at all times. It’s not just a case of running more shifts, if you were not running at 100% capacity then you’re not leveraging your Return on capital employed (RoCE).

Lets think of something even simpler!

You can make 1000 of those in an hour. Demand is 1200. To increase production by +200, you need more staff (not that difficult to train) and also need more grills. So you can just buy some more grills right? No, why not because in capitalism ALL industries run at 100% meaning the grill suppliers won’t be able to provide something immediately and they’ll have to wait.

So? Trump won’t be in power by 2030 and massive mega investment is needed, are you going to risk that?

On top of this China might decide to bankrupt you like the US and Europe bankrupts farmers. Huh?

Simpsons. Lisa and a partner spend millions on making an alternative Doll. Lisa Lionheart. Malibu Stacy simply decide to release a new doll with a new hat.

So China watches you build your new plant and machinery to mine rare earths. Oh hey here we’ll sell them for a low price again! Those US miners go bust and once that happens prices get jacked up again?

Evil? This is exactly what US food aid did. Cheap US grain bankrupted African farmers. Once they were no longer self sufficient? Prices were jacked up. Once African farmers started growing their own? The US grain prices were dropped to bankrupt those farmers.

So many I can’t count but 2 that come to mind in our factory.

The first; I walked up on an employee and saw that he was wearing cotton gloves while running a 40″, 5 hp standing disc sander.
The danger is that if the cloth gove touches the disc you hand will be gone in a millisecond!
You can only wear smooth leather gloves running that machine as those will not snag on the abrasive disc.
This despite our giving them demonstrations of what happens if a cloth glove touches the disc.

#2 Is somewhat similar.
I caught an employee running a lathe wearing loose fitting jacket that wasn’t even zipped up.
If that jacket caught on the spinning part in the lathe it will eat you in a heartbeat and spit out nothing but bits and pieces and there is no way you could hit the E-brake pedal before you were consumed by the machine.

We were once admonished by an inspection for our machine shop not being wheelchair and disabled friendly and not having a proper disabled bathroom in the machine shop area.
Sorry but there is no place for wheelchairs or disabled persons in a working machine shop.
That’s not prejudice, that’s common sense!
When bad things happen in machine shops they happen fast and machines don’t care what they cut or who is in the way.

~Other Worlds~

Submitted into Contest #283 in response to: Write a story that ends with a huge twist. view prompt

Jim Parker

~ Other Worlds ~

Wisty removed her prosthetic hand and placed it on the seat. She had it on for the last two days and it was wearing on her. Then turned to Shewuma and asked, “So. Chieftess?”

Wu hopped up next to her and sat cross-legged. “My father was chief, and my twin brother and I were his only children. But we had the sacred lineage and were turned. We both had to give it up.”

“Do you regret it?”

Wu thought about her life and smiled. “No, not at all. I had Enoch. Now I have Debbie and Jimmy and David E. and Tippycat and the rest of the family. And now I have you. Do you regret being a witch?”

Wisty sat up straight. “No. I can’t regret doing what I was born to do.”

“Bingo,” Shewuma responded.

“How did you meet Jimmy and Debbie?”

Wu grinned and patted Wisty’s arm. “You’re going to love this story. Then you can tell me all about how Jimmy and Debbie are on their way to save the world. I miss them so much.” The stolen school bus of Hopi Indian Spirit Warriors and Wisty the witch drove through the night followed by David E. and the Wolf in Wisty’s Dodge Dart, while Wisty and Wu got to know each other. Whew! What a day. What a year. They were on a long and treacherous road, but things were finally coming together. Today life was good. They only stopped once at a rest area as dawn was breaking so everyone could pee.

 

Luce parked the bus in Corrine’s driveway right behind David E. and Wolf in the dodge. She pulled the lever to open the side doors just as David E. walked up accompanied by Wolf.

“Wolf!” hollered Wu.

He stuck his head in. “Yes, Chieftess.”

“This forest is teeming with game. Go get us a deer or a feral hog. Be discreet. There’s a Trans Am by the barn. My bow is in the trunk. Spare keys inside the gas tank flap. Take one hind leg and give it to Daniel and Corrine the owners, and we’ll eat the rest. Luce.”

“Yes, Chieftess.”

“There are chickens out back. Gather the eggs. Find the kitchen and I’ll meet you there to make some food.” Then she stood up facing the back of the bus and addressed her crew of Hopi Kachinas. “The house is big inside and there’s a barn and a shed out back. The Eagle will help everyone get settled. We may be here for a few days. We’re near Choctaw land, so everyone be respectful. And when ….” Wu stopped talking and was peering through the windshield.

David E. stopped his doting on Wisty and looked to see what was up. Daniel was running across the yard toward the bus. His face was somber. Wu could already smell his anxiety. “Something’s wrong,” said Wu and ran out to meet him.

When she reached him, he said, “It’s Dermott.”

Wu cut him off. “Where?”

“The loft.” In a blur she was gone.

David E. and Wisty came up and asked Daniel what was wrong. They turned and hurried to the house. “It’s Dermott. We found him. He’s bad. It’s like he’s sick and he’s unconscious.”

Wisty broke into a trot. “Let’s hurry!” David E. brought up the rear, limping as fast as his cane would take him.

Wisty entered the loft and saw Dermott on the loveseat in a fetal position. He was pale, shaking, and unconscious. Shewuma hovered over him, checking his temperature and trying to bring him around.

Corrine stood by, hands clasped and lips moving. Wisty realized she was praying. She asked Corrine, “What happened?”

Corrine was clearly shaken as she related the events of the past hour. “Dermott had been remote viewing Jimmy and Debbie all morning, keeping an eye on them. I was in the kitchen when Dermott called my name. I said, ‘What?’ Then he screamed. It sounded excruciating. It made my skin crawl. Daniel and I ran up the stairs and he was on the floor squirming and rolling back and forth. He seemed in agony. Then he just curled up. We put him on the loveseat. Daniel has been trying to call you guys since it happened. I’ve been here with him the whole time. I was about to call 911.”

Shewuma said, “911 can’t help him.”

“Yes,” Wisty agreed. “I don’t think it’s physical either.”

Corrine choked up and lost her train of thought. Daniel put his arm around her and continued, “The dogs all started barking so I went outside and saw you guys driving up.”

Wu checked Dermott’s pulse. “How long ago did this happen?”

“About a half hour ago. Maybe more,” said Daniel.

Wisty pulled up his “Hitman” T-shirt and put two fingers on his third chakra near the solar plexus. As soon as Wisty touched his skin, she snatched her hand back as if receiving an electric shock. “Shewuma, he’s under psychic attack. There’s not much time.” Wisty spun the office chair around and sat down. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped down as if instantly falling asleep.

“Psychic attack?” asked Corrine.

Wu set her jaw. Her mind was racing as she explained. “Someone is trying to kill his soul.”

“Kill his soul,” Corrine softly repeated to herself.

Shewuma ran to the railing. “LUCE!”

Luce stepped out of the kitchen. “I’m here, Chieftess.”

“I need the Eagle. Now! Stay with Corrine and help her with this boy.”

“Yes, Chieftess,” and she ran to the back door.

Wu wanted the Eagle there. Besides his Kachina training, the Eagle was a gifted medicine man and had worked extensively with Mystic Devas in Northern Asia. He could be of great value in such a potentially dangerous situation. She turned to Daniel. “In my closet is a plastic trash can of different plants. Are you familiar with Mugwort?”

“No. What does it look like?”

“Never mind. Just bring it all. Spread it around him. Understand? Just spread it on the floor. GO!” And he went. Mugwort was used by witches for its protection and healing properties. In psychic warfare, any edge could mean the difference. “Corrine,” she said as she took her by the shoulders to get her full attention, “I need your nurse training now.”

Corrine shook out the cobwebs and steeled herself. “What? Anything.”

Shewuma wrapped her arms around herself, let out a deep breath, and said, “Don’t let him die.” Then she collapsed to the floor on her knees.

 

Wisty had never left her body so quickly and felt disoriented. But the globules of light dancing on her skin and the glistening hands flexing at the end of her arms told her she was in her etheric body. The twinkling astral landscape was empty. Somehow she was alone on this plane. She pictured Dermott in her mind and willed herself to his presence. But nothing happened. She spoke his name and said a spell to bring his soul to her. It too was unsuccessful. Even in otherworldly planes there was a natural order and rules of governance. There had to be powerful forces at work to suspend the natural law of her magiks. She wondered how she could find him. Then an idea came to her. Willing an opening of a portal to the physical world, she passed through it into the loft at Corrine’s house. In this state she would be invisible to them. But no matter. It was Dermott she wanted. On the floor sitting back on her heels, Shewuma was in a trance. There were stems and leaves scattered around the floor. It smelled familiar. Of course. Mugwort. Good thinking, Shewuma. Wisty felt its properties enhancing her psychic defenses. Then she saw Corrine and Luce performing CPR on Dermott’s now lifeless body. Time was short and she couldn’t afford to get rattled, so she buried her emotions and remained focused. There was one sure way to find him. She searched for the Sutratma, or life thread. It connected his physical body to his lifeforce in the astral world. Instead of a silvery gleaming cord flowing from his midsection, she found a black brittle fiber pulling violently at his abdomen and extending through a dark hole. That was her best chance. Wisty took hold of the corrupted lifeline and followed it into the blackness. Descending, always descending into the lowest depths of the astral planes. It was not safe this deep even for someone with her knowledge and experience. Many an astral traveler had ventured too far into the lowest realms only to be possessed, driven mad, or lost forever. There was a faint light in the distance. As she came closer, she could see it was Dermott. For the first time in all her considerable experience of astral projecting, Wisty was afraid. Dermott was being attacked by a group of what she called astral wildlife. Nasty creatures of the lower realms whose sole purpose was to savage or steal the life force of others. But this scenario was impossible. Astral vermin hated each other as much as they hated everything else. They would attack anything on sight, even their own kind. Yet these monsters were working together. Ugly, harpy beasts tore at his astral flesh and sucked at his soul while rat-like parasites had severed his life cord and gnawed at the remains that trailed from him. His physical body was dead now and his soul would soon be lost as well, floating through this accursed place until it was consumed entirely. She visualized herself surrounded by love and light, building a psychic shield, and went to him. The vermin seemed appalled by her presence, but they were not repelled by her defensive sphere as she expected. Dermott’s eyes were wild and pleading for help. She grabbed a harpy that had its claws sunk deep in Dermott’s shoulder. They were small but powerful beings. Finally wrenching it loose, she hurled it into the darkness, then wrapped her arms around Dermott’s neck and held on desperately. To let go would be the end of his existence. Kicking at the vermin had little effect and she didn’t know how else to fight them. Soon the harpies were attacking her as well, ripping at her astral flesh and stealing bits of her lifeforce. The rats left Dermott and moved on to her life thread. Her silver cord turned gray and began to splinter as the parasites viciously gnawed at it with their grating teeth. There was a chance, but it was a longshot and very dangerous. Besides, she needed her arms to do it and to let go of Dermott would be his end. She had grown weak and was losing focus. Thinking of David E., she called his name out loud.

Just as all seemed lost, one of the harpies screeched a hellish noise and his body burst into flames. Then it dissipated into nothing. Wisty looked up and in the distance like a glorious angel, Shewuma approached, shining with a golden sheen. In her left hand she held a bow of white light. She fired a rapid succession of blinding arrows until all the astral atrocities were ended. Wisty’s strength was spent, and her life thread was now a piece of frayed string.

“Hold on. I’m coming.” Shewuma said to her mind. But Shewuma wasn’t going to make it. They both heard it. A vociferous rumbling buzz rolled through the darkness, filling them with dread. Shewuma could see it now. A horde of evil astral beings. Thousands of negative entities approaching them like a demonic wave. They were called Negs in Kachina lore. Shewuma spent many years training to navigate other worldly realms, deal with spirit entities, defend herself psychically, and fight Negs in the astral world. But this was beyond anything she was ever taught. She knew she couldn’t possibly win. There were too many. But they would pay a heavy price. The bow in her left hand and the arrow in her right hand both became flaming swords. “Keep your faith,” she said out loud and spoke a Hopi prayer of bravery. Then a bubble of light came from above and into the horde. The Negs began to scatter and shift erratically. It moved through them like a shooting star heading straight for Shewuma. It was the Eagle. Shewuma could see him now. The Negs had reformed and were bearing down on them. The Eagle reached her side, but there was no time to make it to the floating remains of Wisty and Dermott. They turned and braced to face the black army together. Perhaps by some miracle they could slow them enough to allow Wisty to escape if she were still able. The two looked at each other. Speaking in their native tongue, Shewuma began the song of strength. “Spirits of the light and sky, hear us. I am Shewuma.”

“I am Nuuakhwahu.”

Then they spoke in unison. “We are Holy Warriors. We are Kachinas of the Hopi nation. We are Star Children of the Realm of Man. Help us die well.” Shewuma bowed her head to this noble warrior that she had called to his death.

With a wink and a hint of a smile, the Eagle said to her, “You’re going to love this, Chieftess. A little something I picked up in Tibet.” He began to grow. Ten times, a hundred times bigger.

Together they screamed the Hopi War Cry and met the horde.

Like jumping naked into the snow, the powerful War Cry brought Wisty to consciousness. She watched the Neg army envelop the brave Kachinas. They fought for her and Dermott, and they would die for her and Dermott. Shewuma battled ferociously but was disappearing under sheer numbers. Even with the massive death toll from the Eagle with his colossal size, he was steadily being ripped apart.

A voice deep inside told Wisty she had to do something. She wrapped her legs around Dermott’s waist and locked her feet. Then she held her arms out while visualizing an amethyst knife held by both hands pointing at her chest, and it was so. She had never done this spell before. It was said that none who tried had survived. “Oh well,” she thought. “Nothing ventured.” She spoke out loud with resolve:

Our life is spent, our time has come.

                    Back to the place that we are from.

                     I call upon the Powers That Be.                        

         This is my will                                                        So mote it be!

She plunged the knife into her chest.

 

There was a thunderous clap, and in that instant they all woke up back in the loft in their own bodies. Shewuma went to her feet unsteadily. The Eagle was on his knees trying to get his bearings. “Daniel, please help him,” said Shewuma. Corrine and Luce were doing CPR on Dermott’s body. Corrine looked worn out. Shewuma turned to Wisty and called her name. Wisty murmured something unintelligible. Wu slapped her across the face and yelled, “WISTY!”

Wisty opened her eyes, grateful to be alive. “Wu?” She tried to get up and Wu had to keep her from falling over.

“What about Dermott?”

Wisty patted her chest. “I have him here.”

Wu carried her over to the loveseat. “Let her in, guys. You did a hell of a job.” Corrine sat down on the floor exhausted while Luce went to help the Eagle. Ignoring decorum, Wisty pulled her dress up to her waist and straddled Dermott. She pressed against both of his temples while breathing in deeply. Glancing to her right she saw Shewuma watching her intently as she recited a Hopi prayer.

Wisty said, “Here goes.” Wu nodded encouragement. Wisty put her mouth on Dermott’s mouth and willed her soul to breathe. Dermott’s lips began to sparkle and color poured back into his face. His eyes opened. He lurched upward, arching his back and bucking Wisty off the loveseat. Wu caught her midair and sat her down. “Nice reflexes. Thanks.”

Wu pulled her in for a hug. “You did it.”

Holding onto Wu’s neck she said, “We did it, Shewuma. You two saved our lives. Thank you.”

Corrine lay back on the floor and smiled. She was pooped.

Luce leaned over Dermott, cocking her head. He was saying something to her. “Chieftess!” Luce called out in alarm.

“Everyone quiet,” ordered Wu, and she was at Dermott’s side. He grabbed Wu’s arm and struggled to tell her something. “Luce, get Dermott some water.” Wu said it calmly, but her eyes were smoldering. She stroked his head gently. “Tell me everything.”

His voice was raspy and faint. “Jimmy and Debbie. They’re going to die. It’s a trap.”

Nobody believes it

Including Trump!!

This is just spiel to fool the 70–80 Million MAGA crowd that good days are here and prevent them from turning on him when prices rise to the skies

In reality Trump will have to eat some of his tariffs and he will do it over time by declaring “Wins” in the coming days

For instance he may have a meeting with Cook and claim “Cook agreed to invest $ 300 Billion in USA and relocate all his businesses to US by 2030 so for the next 3 years, I will grant him an exemption on the Iphones”

He may actually demand an open bribe from Cook

The US is crumbling very fast and it’s resembling more of India as the days go by

Political favors sold for cash, Open Bribery and Corruption, One man running the show like a Dictator and the rest of the country , impotent to stop him

If Putin or Xi did 10% of what Trump is doing, they would have definitely been ousted from power long ago


So right now Trump is decimating the world

China has something to gain as every day the US is weaker and weaker without a shot being fired by China

Star Trek – Stuck on Earth

Personally, I think it’s exhausting.

When I was a child, I occasionally saw Japanese in China.

Me: Dad, Chinese is too much work. Japanese is better, it’s simple and easy to write! Dad: Wow! Chinese is beautiful. Let’s write beautiful Chinese.

Ever since I was a child, my parents have always taught and brainwashed me into thinking that I must write beautiful Chinese.

Mother: A man who can’t write beautiful Chinese isn’t a man!

Father: During summer vacation, let’s practice three pages of kanji every day.

When I became a junior high school student, I had to write an essay as part of the Japanese language test. Usually, I had to write more than 800 kanji characters. After the test, my hands would hurt.

The composition is like this↓ (Source:

)

However, traditional characters are more complicated than simplified characters, so I think people who use traditional characters will be more tired. When I see traditional characters, I want to see garbled characters.

For example, the traditional and simplified characters for “melancholy turtle” are as follows:

Traditional Chinese ⇒ Melancholic Turtle

Simplified Chinese ⇒ Melancholic Turtle

If the “gloomy turtles” appear in groups,

Traditional Chinese —– (I’m sure it will be tiring)

Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow

Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow

Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow

Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow

Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow

Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow, Melancholy Crow

Simplified Chinese —– (I think it’s pretty tiring)

The next door is the next door.

The next door is the next door.

The next door is the next door.

The next door is the next door.

The next door is the next door.

The next door is the next door.

Katakana——- (What’s this!? Easy)

UtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopia

UtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopia

UtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopia

UtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopia

UtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopia

UtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopiaUtopia

When I was a child, the characters I wanted to write the most were katakana-like characters. However, people today don’t write by hand as much, and instead use computers or smartphones to type, so I think the difference in fatigue disappears. For example, if you just type “yydwg” using the pinyin input method, you can quickly write the Chinese characters for “忧郁的乌龟”.

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Not me, my brother – when he was around 10 years in the police force. He came home one night after work trembling and wanting to say a prayer of thanks.

One night he was the lone police officer sent to watch over an isolated small town. He was called to a report of someone doing graffiti on shop signage. When he arrived the small town was quiet with no one around. While walking the street he felt something urge him to turn around, he briefly glanced back – nothing. A few seconds later, the same feeling – he looked over his shoulder. Still nothing. The third time he said “I called have sworn it was a real voice”. He spun around just as a man was taking an overhead swing at him with an axe. He said it was as if his hand was guided within a split second to pull his baton, raising it over his head and deflecting the axe to one side. He grabbed the assailant and cuffed him. A prayer of thanks was given by everyone in our household that night.

He retired from the police last month at the good age of 63 having served as a police officer since 21 years old.

INVASION

Submitted into Contest #283 in response to: Write a story that ends with a huge twist. view prompt

Charles Corkery

“How long have we been working together as a team, Val?”“Twelve years, five months, two weeks and three days. Do you want me to break it down into hours and minutes?”Paul Jones turned to his partner, an incredulous look upon his face.“Are you actually, frigging serious?’Val Thorens broke into a broad smile, his eyes never leaving the giant screen in front of him.“No, you muppet. I’m pulling your leg”.Paul, standing, strode across the small room to a filing cabinet and yanked open a drawer. Retrieving a brown, cardboard file, he opened it and perused its contents for several seconds. 

“July 2nd 2011. Almost twelve and a half years ago. Jeez! You’re right. How did you do that? Wait, if I check the actual time that you became my partner…”

 

“Paul, a child of four years could work out how long we’ve been together. Why are you making such a fuss about it?”

 

Replacing the file, Paul turned back to his partner.

 

I didn’t know. I mean I knew it was about ten, twelve years but you…you’re always so frigging precise. It’s uncanny”.

 

‘Hey, I might be a physicist and an astronomer but, above all else, I’m a mathematician. Numbers to me are like candy to someone like yourself”, Val glibly remarked, pointing at the almost empty, giant bag of M and Ms that lay on Paul’s work station without removing his eyes from the monitor in front of him that, to an untrained eye, appeared to display an impenetrable darkness.

 

“Horses for courses, my friend. How come you don’t like candy, anyhow?”

 

Paul resumed his seat and stared briefly at his screen, quickly becoming restless and bored.

 

“My parents didn’t allow it when I was younger and, as I grew older and saw the damage that sugar did to teeth, I just decided it wasn’t for me”.

 

“Man, I’d go crazy in this place if I didn’t have something to brighten up my shift”.

 

Paul looked around their work space eyeing the pristine environment that made up this lab-like habitat that was their “office”. The sterile stolidness, dominated by the two giant screens, the computerised telescopes that were their workstations and which covered the skies above the state of Delaware, only a coffee machine and the low humming refrigerator added a sense of domesticity though one of the earlier shifts had, half-heartedly, hung tinsel around the place in an effort to provide some festive cheer.

 

Grabbing a handful of chocolate treats, Paul leaned back in his ergonomic chair, staring idly at the ceiling, popping candy.

 

“Val, do you ever get bored with this job?”

 

“Sure. And, every time it happens, I think of the money we get paid, partner”.

 

Apart from the idle chitchat, the room’s silence was broken only by the incessant humming of the fridge and crackling of radio static; the latter being the communication airwaves that connected all other watch stations; one per state across the nation. Each employing two, highly trained scientists per shift in a constant, perpetual state of watchfulness upon the skies above and beyond.

 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, Val. We get paid way more than if I was actually working in a lab. But, I mean, don’t you ever think that we’re kind of wasting our skills? All the years it took to get our degrees. I majored in astrophysics, for God’s sake yet, here I am just…watching a frigging screen”.

 

“In actual fact, if you calculate the time you spend popping candy, making endless cups of coffee and staring at the ceiling, Paul, you probably spend a minimal amount of your working hours actually watching your screen”.

 

“And your eyes never leave your screen, amigo. I don’t know how you do it. No wonder you need those tinted glasses of yours”.

 

“Well, I figure this is what the government pays us to do so, for eight hours each day, it’s my duty to oblige. Plus, after so long, it would be extremely difficult for me to drop a hundred grand per year by taking a normal lab job”.

 

Suddenly, Val leaned urgently forward, his eyes having discerned something on his monitor.

 

“One o’ clock, Paul. Check it out”.

 

Startled, Paul crashed down in his tilted chair, eyes returning to his own screen, a duplicate of Val’s, his hand involuntarily releasing a cascade of candy, M and Ms rolling across the metallic floor.

 

Both screens simultaneously arrowed in on the object identified by Val, images expanding as Paul controlled the direction of the viewfinder on the space telescope that provided them with intimate coverage of the night sky. Within seconds, Paul, among his other accomplishments, a nanotechnologist and an expert in the structure of such things, relaxed.

 

“Just another boring meteorite. Iron-nickel. I can tell by the regmaglypts, the irregular shaped pits. No problem, unfortunately. That’s the way the cookie crumbles”.

 

Later, as their shift ended, the spotting of the meteorite and its subsequent passage to Earth recorded in the log, the two men exited their work environment, the outraged cries of their shift replacements echoing in their ears as they slipped and crunched on the candy strewn floor. They grinned at each other as they unlocked their cars in the parking lot, the weak, early morning sun dazzling Paul but not bothering Val behind his dark lenses. Paul lamented.

 

“Another cold, miserable morning. I can’t remember the last time we had a white Christmas”.

 

Immediately, Val shot back.

 

“December 25th, 2002. 1.3 inches fell in Wilmington”.

 

Paul looked askance at his work partner.

 

“Do you make this shit up? How could you remember that?”

 

Saying nothing, Val simply shrugged, pulling up his collar against the chilly wind.

 

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, you numbers freak”.

 

“Yes. Just two days ’til Santa comes”.

 

“Hey, Val, we need to organise a night out or something. Your wife and mine. Maybe in the New Year. What d’you say?”

 

“Yeah, definitely, we need to do that”.

 

As Paul climbed into his brand new Tesla, he, somehow, knew it would never happen. They had been talking about it… for twelve years, five months, two weeks and three days.

 

The alert came the following day: drones spotted over New Jersey. Reports varied: five, some said, six, others claimed; large, the size of cars according to a New Jersey police chief. Paul arrived for his shift in a heightened state of excitement though Val was his usual phlegmatic self.

 

The shift they were replacing seemed loath to leave though Delaware had, so far, not seen anything amiss. The unusual happenings in a neighbouring state were causing great excitement within the watchers’ community and the comms channels crackled with constant chatter.

 

“Can you believe it? Just east of us. Just our damn luck but we’ve been on full alert all day. Washington is saying they don’t know what they are. One eyewitness said they came out of the ocean”, a tired, wide-eyed watcher eagerly reported to the duo.

 

Alone again, the two settled in front of their screens.

 

“Val, d’you think this could be for real? D’you think…?”

 

‘Paul, I don’t believe we should take any notice of mere conjecture but, given the vicinity and its closeness to our own area of observation, I do think that we need to be extra vigilant”.

 

“Hey, don’t worry, pal. My eyes are never leaving my screen”.

 

As the night progressed, however, nothing was displayed on the monitors from the space telescope that hovered high over Delaware though, on the various frequencies that shattered the silence of their stations, they listened, enthralled, as word filtered through of several other sightings, maddeningly close to their own area of surveillance and, by shift’s end, the number of reported craft had increased steadily; Washington, despite stating that there was nothing to fear, still unable to identify their origin.

 

True to his word, Paul had remained watchful throughout the night, an unopened bag of Snickers testament to his attentiveness, and both men, too, were reluctant to leave their posts at the end of their shift, feeling that it was only a matter of time before Delaware, too, became embroiled in the mystery.

 

Fear, that normal human reaction to anything untoward that cannot be explained, spread swiftly over the ensuing hours. People who relied and depended on their government to reassure them were severely disappointed. Some brave citizens were taking ineffective pot shots at the unidentified craft as their numbers multiplied rapidly. These were not, as first reported, drones. That much was abundantly clear.

 

Panic followed fear and the roads were soon blocked by the vehicles of those fleeing from their homes, though where to, they did not know, but a mass exodus was taking place in New Jersey. Yet Washington did nothing to assuage concerns, either refusing to divulge the true identity of the spacecraft or simply unable to.

 

As Paul and Val reported for their shifts on Christmas Day, still, they learned, no sightings had been made over Delaware though New York State and Pennsylvania, both close neighbours, had now experienced numerous craft sightings. The incessant radio chatter confirmed the seriousness of the situation and the two observational physicists studied their screens intently; Paul, finally realising the importance of his chosen profession. Could the nation be under threat from space? The tension was palpable.

 

Then, an hour before their shift’s end, out of nowhere, an image appeared on their dual monitors; small and faint, at first, but, as it loomed closer, growing ever larger. Excitedly, Paul expertly guided the telescope remotely, zooming in, and gasping aloud as the magnification identified hundreds more craft coming into focus, following close behind the vanguard ship but only serving to accentuate the monstrous size of the lead craft.

 

“Holy Mother of God. Val, you see that? That’s a frigging mother ship!”

 

The static of the various frequencies suddenly ceased, all communication cut by some unknown, alien source. Paul, terrified, turned to his partner but Val seemed unperturbed, almost gleeful, pushing away from his work station and turning to Paul, slowly removing his glasses.

 

“It’s been…interesting, Paul. I’m sorry it has to end this way but, hey, that’s the way the cookie crumbles, right? Happy Christmas!”

Unable to move, Paul stared at the man he had worked alongside for so many years; a man who, after more than twelve years, he suddenly realised, he knew absolutely nothing about A man who, he registered far too late, was, in fact, not a man at all, his bulging, bright red eyes, exposed for the first time, now burning into his own, distorting his vision, the vicious heat melting his very flesh.

President Trump has not addressed any trade issues.

He has been reckless, spraying tariff bullets everywhere. In the case of China, he uses the bazooka.

Just to show his power. Instead he shows ignorance. His officials easily coned him that his reciprocal tariffs are derived from sophisticated calculations. He lost international stature and credibility.

Countries are confused. The American public as well. Maybe he himself is confused, hence the stops/goes, and pauses.

China refuses to let him run amok at its expense. It too has the bazooka, and it shot back. No trade issues to settle. This is China’s stance. If you want to trade with us, we are fine, we will trade with you. If you don’t want to trade with us, we are also fine. You ban us your high end chips, we ban you our rare earths minerals. An arm for an arm. China is prepared to decouple with the US.

It has already figure out the consequences. Exports to the US is worth 2.4% of GDP. On the decouple scenario, it may shed its growth by 1.5% points. Easily bearable, less than what it sacrificed when it self-triggered the real estate financial crisis. If necessary, it has plenty of fiscal and monetary space to cover the fall-out. No internal price pressures without imports from the US. It has alternative sources for the agriculture and energy goods. No technology supply pressures. It has overcome US sanctions and is self-reliant.

The US side may be less sanguine. Internal price pressures and shortages of goods may be mild for now, mitigated by the advanced orders to beat the tariffs. But they will start to bite going forward. The ban on rare earths has caused supply problems for the defence contractors, and the major tech companies, such as, Broadcom, Qualcomm, TSMC, Samsung, and Western Digital.

It is the financial markets that are worrying. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq crashed over 10%. Treasury Bond market is volatile, the 10-year benchmark jumped from below 4% in early April to 4.4% in the current. It had gone past 4.5%. The currency is under pressure, the dollar index fell from over 110 in early January to just over 100 in the current.

This is serious. US is a financialized economy. Values and valuations are determined by the financial markets. The turmoil could cause grave economic distresses, especially as there are worries about recession on top of the stubborn inflation, and the threat of stagflation.

The two countries are now in a full-blown trade war. Trump started it with a bang. No honeymoon period for him or anyone else. There will be no winner. China is calculative, and is is better prepared. Trump is reckless and full of hubris. US is unprepared.

  1. There are no usable toilets inside the White House USA

Taking a photo inside the White House (Personal Documentation)

I received an invitation from the United States government to visit the White House while I was an exchange student there.

The invitation I received was official, because it was given by the American government. For US residents, to get an invitation, they must ask for a recommendation from their respective State Senate. But for non-US residents, I don’t know how they can get the invitation.

Northeast Gate White House. Source: Personal Documentation

Five layers of security must be passed to enter the White House. Once inside, there are several rooms that can be visited, which contain various collections belonging to American presidents from generation to generation. The largest collection that I saw belonged to Barack Obama, George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln.

The rooms in the White House have different nuances. Like in the Red Room, all the walls, carpets, curtains, and lighting are red. So are the Blue Room and Green Room, which are blue and green.

Map of rooms in the White House. Source:

Historical Tour of the White House
This is historical material, “frozen in time.” The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work. Tours Presidents & First Ladies White House Events & Traditions Resources Military

Green Room White House. Source: Personal Documentation.

Blue Room White House. Source: Personal Documentation.

Red Room White House. Source: Personal Documentation

Not all rooms in the White House can be entered. Like the Library, there are barriers that limit the movement of visitors, so that they can only see from the outside. Likewise with the objects there, everything is far from reach, so it is difficult (and indeed not allowed) for visitors to hold.

Library White House. Source: Personal Documentation

Another interesting fact is, inside the White House there are no toilets that visitors can use. Yes, since outside it has been warned by the officers, even explained in the invitation email. So if you want to relieve yourself, you have to leave the White House, and you can’t go back in because the invitation can only be used once.

2. Emergency 911 in the USA really works fast and responsively.

Emergency room of a hospital in Sycamore, Illinois, USA. (Personal Documentation)

I was an exchange student at Northern Illinois University, located in DeKalb, Illinois. One midnight, I was walking to my dorm after a night of studying in the campus library. The temperature was zero degrees Celsius, and the wind was blowing very hard.

After arriving at the dorm and entering my room, I went straight to sleep. Two hours into my sleep, I woke up because of a stomachache. At first it was just a normal ache, but then my stomach felt like it was spinning and I winced while holding my stomach.

My roommate asked about my situation, and asked for help from my friends from the next room. When my friends arrived, they tried to contact the dorm head and the person in charge of my exchange program. But because it was already 2 am, no one responded.

Finally my friend called 911, and asked for medical help for my condition. I thought help would come about 20-30 minutes after the call, but two police officers came to my room three minutes later. Yes, that fast!

Two policewomen came to ask about my condition, asked for my passport and campus ID, and immediately helped me down. On the ground floor, there were also two medical personnel with an ambulance, and a firefighter with his car to deal with emergencies. I was really stunned in the midst of my illness, they came three minutes after the call with a complete formation like this!

After I got into the ambulance, the police and firefighters left the campus, and I was taken to the nearest hospital on the border with Sycamore City, a 20-minute drive away. When I arrived at the hospital, there were already 2 doctors waiting who immediately provided responsive treatment for me. I was then transferred to several rooms, to check the condition of my stomach.

The final result of my emergency examination that night was stomach cramps due to the cold weather (and also a cold, hehe). After a few hours of rest, I was finally allowed to go home that night. And what made me laugh out loud was, around 4 am, I farted quite a lot, and my stomach immediately felt better. HAHAHA. The only medicine for this is supposed to be warm tea and Tolak Angin in Indonesia!

Everything was done very quickly and precisely. And what really amazed me was, everything was well organized and coordinated. All state officials worked together to give their best. If I, a newcomer, was treated very well, of course the locals would also get the same treatment or even better.

Anyway, after I got out of the hospital, I looked at the total emergency bill and if converted to Rupiah it was around 22 million. Luckily everything was covered by insurance, and I could return to campus in peace without having to think about such a large cost just for a cold.

3. Meet the Former Vice President of Uganda

Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe with Rezki Achyana (Personal Documentation)

It was an honor for me to get to know Uganda’s first female Vice President, Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, closely and share stories. I met her in South Africa, when we both represented the Asia-Africa Forum 2018. She is a very humble person, and loves to share. We even had coffee together after the conference and shared stories. She told me a lot about her 10-year experience leading Uganda, empowering women in Uganda as the first president of the African Women’s Committee for Peace and Development of the African Union, and her story of becoming the UN Special Envoy for handling HIV/AIDS in the African continent.

I don’t think I need to share many stories about him, because you can google information about him directly on the internet. There are so many!

But the most important thing is, I am quite confident that African countries will improve a lot because at the 2018 Asia-Africa Forum I met many extraordinary African leaders like Mrs. Kazibwe.

Oh yes, I have a bonus photo with the former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano. I was not that close to him during the conference, but from his background and his role in the political world of Mozambique and the African Union, I am increasingly convinced that Africa will soon show its teeth.

A friend of mine told a story about how, 25-some years ago, when she was working tech sales with an Apple division, she was at a conference that Steve Jobs also attended. At the end of the day, everyone was going to a restaurant for dinner, and through a snafu she found herself left with Jobs and two other people, whose ride had left them behind.

None of them had a car, so she offered to drive. Problem was, she and her husband were fresh out of school, her husband had started law school and money was tight — she was driving her husband’s old beater car that day. The front passenger seat was a little wonky, in that it tended not to lock in place, and the seat would occasionally slide forward and backwards of its own accord. Of course, that’s where Jobs was sitting. 🙂 It was dark and rainy, she didn’t know the roads that well, and they came up to a toll booth. She didn’t have the exact change, so everyone in the car was scrambling to find the change to get through the toll gate. The defroster didn’t work too well, either, especially with a full car, and Jobs would obligingly wipe the windshield occasionally. They arrived safely, and she figured she had a funny cocktail party story for the rest of her life.

A couple of weeks later, she noticed an extra $300 in her paycheck. She went to her boss and said, “Hey, what happened? Did I get a raise?” He didn’t know, either, but he checked with payroll. He came back with a funny look on his face and told her “Steve said it’s to cover a payment for a new car.” “Steve who?” “Uhh . . . Jobs?”

Brilliant people are frequently difficult — the thing that makes them brilliant also makes them a little too different, sometimes, for social conventions.

UK

I slipped with a kitchen knife and left a superficial mark on my thumb.

It bled a little, and the knife had been used on raw meat, so I applied ethanol and a bandage. A few days later, I noticed a fair amount of redness around the wound.

I went to the doctor’s office about ten minutes away from my house. They told me the next appointment was in six hours, so I booked it, and went home to play Fallout 4.

Six hours later, I saw the doctor. Telling the story took about a minute, and inspecting the wound took another, and he was satisfied at that point that I should take some standard antibiotics, just in case it was, as I suspected, infected.

He wrote out the prescription, asked me if I had any other concerns, and I told him I did not.

With five minutes left in our ten minute appointment, and with little else to do, he figured he may as well take my blood pressure and heart rate. I agreed, and was told everything was good.

I left with the prescription, popped to the pharmacy next door, got my prescription, and that was the end of it.

I didn’t pay a single penny.

The average person, i.e. those that actually paid for this appointment, spend about £600–700 annually in taxes for this service, which covers everything from minor cuts to cancer treatment, and covers everyone from babies to old people.

Nobody is ever bankrupted by this system, nobody is ever left without treatment by this system, nobody is abandoned by this system.

Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake

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Ingredients

Cake and Filling

  • 2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
  • 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2-3 teaspoons milk

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Unroll crescent dough and arrange 12 of the triangles in a circle with wide ends toward the outside edge of the Large Round Stone – the points will not meet in the center. Lightly flour and roll out the seams making a 14 inch circle with a 3 inch hole in the center.
  3. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla and spread over dough. Top with pie filling.
  4. Cut each of the 4 remaining triangles into thirds (starting at the wide end opposite the point and cutting lengthwise to the point). Arrange over filling evenly in spoke-like pattern. Press ends to seal at center and outer edges.
  5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Cool slightly.
  7. Mix powdered sugar and milk until glaze consistency and drizzle over coffee cake.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

When Your Mama and Daddy Say “No” — Do It Anyway!

Wanna get Mama a ring? Daddy a brand-new Skil saw? DO IT!
Even if they say, “We don’t need anything.”
“We don’t want anything…”

Now, my Daddy’s long gone — Agent Orange got him. Retired at 55, and passed a few years later.
So now it’s just Mom… well, Mom and my little sister and me. And we deal with her the best we can. 😂

ME: “Mom? What do you want for your birthday?”
MOM: “Nothing! I don’t need anything! I’ve got everything!”

Her Birthday:
We got her puzzles. Word search books. A food basket. More chocolate (like she’s ever in danger of running out). And another grabby thingie with a flashlight. She loved it so much, she had me buy her another. She’s got three now.

Christmas:
More puzzles. More word search books. A snack basket. A food basket. “Warmy-Warmies” for the cold — blankets, PJs, cozy stuff. And yep… more chocolate.
Since I’m the only one that bakes, I brought homemade holiday cookies and “Chocolate Overload Brownies” so ooey-gooey the fudge literally goes every which way but… 🤤

Just Because:
We’ve gotten her all her favorites — cake, apple fritters, and I bring over hot, fresh cooking.
My little sister and her hubby #2 takes her out to eat.
Oh — and did I mention? She’s well over 90 now.

This Year – Easter:
MOM: “I don’t want anything. Don’t need an Easter dinner.”
ME: LOL okay, sure Mom.
I’m making her favorite: smoked turkey with all the fixings.
And a “ShishkaBoom” basket of Easter chocolates and cookies, labeled:
“To: [Her Name] — I couldn’t find your house! Love, the Easter Bunny.” 🐰
(Sissy’s still undecided, but she’s always slow – she’ll find something.)

Will Trump Deliver Peace? – Jeffrey Sachs, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

Its cold in them those Winter Steel Mills

All laptops are (one way or the other) made in China.

Most specifically, in the mega-city of Shenzhen and the Pearl River delta. Home of 138 million people. Compare that to the pathetic New York City with a mere 6 million people.

But I digress.

Those companies that “manufacture computers” in other nations, such as the United States are not really factories. They are assembly houses. They source parts and components from China, and then they assemble and test them in their home country. It’s a very common practice.

Now many people get confused by this.

They argue that they get their RAM from Korea, and their microprocessor from Taiwan, and their hard drive from a United States company. Which actually makes me chuckle.

All of which has components MADE INSIDE OF CHINA.

Actually, it’s one of the ways that I (personally) make money. I work with the owners, buyers and COOs of these foreign companies and arrange the manufacture to spec, and quality testing of the components that they will assemble into their products.

It’s pretty deceptive to someone to believe that they are having an American-made products, with American components when 90% of it is sourced one way or the other out of China. TRUTH.

The Best of: Jimmy O. Yang

I know what you’re thinking.

Submitted into Contest #207 in response to: A journalist has been granted permission to visit the premises of a lab carrying out top-secret work. They could never have anticipated what they’d find… view prompt

John Steckley

I Know What You’re Thinking“George, while you were in the bathroom, we received a call from the university for you.”“I hope that they don’t want to take my degree away after having a second look at the papers I wrote way back when.”“Very funny George. 
This is serious. 
Apparently there is a group of scientists at the university who have made what they called a great discovery. So far no outsiders know about this discovery, and they want you to interview them and observe the effectiveness of what they have invented.”“Wow. 
Well I did take a first year foundational course in science when I was there, and I got a good mark, the highest mark that year for me.”“No George, they were apparently quite impressed with the article you wrote about the strengths and weaknesses of electric cars and self-propelling lawnmowers.”“When do they want me?”“As soon as you can get there. 
They are quite eager to let the world know what they have discovered.”George grabbed his camera and his recording device, and sprinted out of the office, into his car, and sped down to the university. 
Although it had been years since he was last on the campus, he found his way to the science building easily enough.
He was greeted on the main floor by a university security officer, and told to take the elevator to the top floor.
George was surprised by what he saw when he arrived at his destination and the elevator door opened. There were two police officers standing there, one of whom asked him whether his name was George Stanley, and did he have ID on him to prove that he was who he said he was.  
He replied in the positive, took out his wallet and showed the officer his driver’s license. He was then escorted by the two officers into the room that apparently housed the experiment. Everyone in the room except for the officers, and, of course, himself, wore long white lab coats.
The one who seemed to be the leader approached him and said, “Before we explain what it is that we have discovered, we are going to demonstrate it to you, with you as the research subject.”George began to feel a little nervous at this point. The leader then reassured him that this experiment would be painless. 
“I am just going to expose you to some electro-magnetic waves, that will pair up with the waves created by your brain. 
What we are going to show you is our lie detector. I am pretty sure that you are about to tell me that such a device has already been developed, but it really has not. 
What was previously invented is what we call a psychophysiological detector of deceptions, and it is not infallible. 
It is more an intimidator that it is a detector – no intimidation, no detection.For our invention to work we have to influence a person’s brainwaves with the waves from our machine. 
Now stand still. What I want you to do after I send the waves your way is to have you say what colour comes into your mind. If it is the same one that we have programmed our wave machine to send your way, then the two of you are connected. And we will be able to catch you in a lie.
George was usually a big talker, with a sarcastic comment for every occasion. In this case he was more than a little stunned by the experience, and said nothing. When the device was turned on, he heard a kind of buzzing in his brain, that had lasted a few seconds, later to fade away. 
Then the scientist pointed the device at him again, and there was a different tone of buzzing, followed by the word ‘brown’ resounding in his head several times.“Okay, George, what was the colour?
”After a few seconds, in which George seriously contemplated giving a wrong answer, he said “brown.”“Right! Now George, we are going to ask you a question, to which you can lie or tell the truth. We will tell you which one it is. George, are you married?”
George said that he was, and the lead scientist correctly replied with “That’s a lie”. George just nodded his head in response.

“We are now going to explain to you how it works. Let us know if you don’t understand. It is highly technical of course.”

George then asked a question, “Are you not going to de-program me first?”

The reply hit him like a hammer blow.

“Oh, we cannot do that. We tried, but could not find a way to do that, so we ended that part of the research. We feel that it would be relatively harmless to keep people programmed, as we will have absolute control of the devices. There will be no misuse.”

George recorded the explanations of different aspects of the technology, so his complete attention was on what he was learning. He had the distinct impression that when he did not quite get what they were saying, they would repeat what they had said slowly and with more explanation.

When he was about to leave, the lead scientist asks him a peculiar question. “When are you going to be writing this piece?” He replied by telling the man that he always wrote his articles as soon as he arrived at work at nine o’clock in the morning, as he was a ‘morning person’.

He gave his standard joke about that saying, “I never wrote anything intelligent in the afternoon.”

After he had left and was driving back to the newspaper office, he wondered that the repetition of the explanations that he didn’t quite follow was the product of their ‘reading his mind’. He wondered how far he would have to go to be beyond their range. Or would there be no ‘beyond the range’.

He knew from his regular reading of scientific journals that electro-magnetic waves were used to travel far into space. Travelling on earth should not  then pose a significant challenge to their use.

When he got back to the newspaper office, he went straight away to talk to the editor to explain the problem he would have with writing an unbiased article on the research. The editor, whom George respected for his intelligence, particularly as it was demonstrated in his ability to write meaningful articles, presented him with a strategy that could resolve his problem.

He followed it to the letter. The next morning, at precisely nine o’clock, he first wrote an article that was solidly supportive of the research, and the researchers. Minutes after he was finished the draft copy of this piece, he received a phone call from the lead researcher, who stated that he was sure that whatever he wrote would be fine with them. He should not worry about “getting it right”.

Then, as the editor had suggested, he wrote what he truly felt, giving the article the title “Do you want to be programmed?” It had a powerful impact on the readers. The research ethics committee of the university soon declared that they would cut the funding of the project until such time as they found a way to deprogram those who were subjected to the waves.

The committee asked George whether he wanted to be a research subject, as he was one of the very few who had been programmed, the others being university students who had badly needed the money.

While he was apprehensive of the scientists ‘messing with my mind’, particularly after the critical article that he wrote, he agreed to participate as he wanted his brain purged of the effect of the waves.

When he made his return to their research room, his first words were “I know what you’re thinking.” There was an initial silence.

Then they laughed.

Let me tell you how the other night, a “person of color” pointed a gun at my entire family – my husband, myself, our 3 kids 8,9,11 and my brand new 4 month old baby. That white privilege didn’t kick in though. Despite having a literal video, a license plate, witnesses – the cops have done nothing. The detective told us they see things like this all of the time with these thugs and he’d “get to it when he gets to it. But the DA might not even prosecute”.

I was shocked, considering our white friend brandished his firearm in self defense a while back, despite legally having the right to – he was ripped out of his house and had his firearm taken from him “while they investigated”

I, like the idiot I must be, assumed they would certainly go grab this animal that threatened to kill my family, immediately. Considering he was not provoked nor threatened in any way. I now have seen firsthand the privilege cops and district attorneys are giving persons of color. All to avoid having to deal with the criminals that support BLM and risk the bad press and losing a vote in my liberal shit hole state.

Comix for fun

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The country that survives should be China.

The nuclear weapons of the United States and Russia are superior in quantity, and most of them are nuclear warheads produced during the Cold War 40 to 50 years ago. China’s nuclear weapons are superior in quality, and many of them are new nuclear warheads produced in the past decade.

Russia’s nuclear missiles are mainly deployed in fixed launch silos, which are not very mobile and it is difficult to ensure the second nuclear strike capability. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia’s finances were not abundant, and the nuclear weapon launch system was not updated much.

The United States’ nuclear missiles are mainly deployed on nuclear submarines; the United States’ nuclear missiles are mainly deployed on missile launch vehicles. Mobility means having a second nuclear strike capability.

Broadly speaking, there is no winner in nuclear war!

  • Who can build more underground projects to protect more people?
  • Who can regain control of the territory first?
  • Who can rebuild civilization in the territory of nuclear radiation?

Then, who is the winner of the third world war.

The one who can’t do it is the loser.

Considering China’s huge population size and their infrastructure capabilities, as well as its preparations for nuclear bombing since the 1960s, it goes without saying who is the winner. (China has been under nuclear threat since the 1960s and has always been prepared. China should be the country with the most underground fortifications in the world.)

Even after the nuclear bomb fell, the war never ended.

The birth of human civilization is accompanied by war, and the restarted human civilization will also be shrouded in the haze of war.

Welcome to our nightmare! The concern of having to take a shit, and forgetting one’s firearm in, say, a restaurant’s restroom is scary. I’ll explain the situation and provide a perfect solution.

Obviously, if you are a dude, and you’re taking a piss, it’s not a problem. It’s on your belt and it’s not going to be interfered with. If it’s on a duty belt and you go take a shit, it’s obviously on the belt and that’s a lot of crap, very visible and you generally hang that off the top of the stall or the bathroom door handle if it’s a single unit and odds are you have to contend with the vest as well, so that’s another reminder. (I don’t take shits wearing my vest.) The problem comes in when one has an IWB, inside the waist band type holster, which is a compact unit, which is removable from the belt, and when dropping one’s pants, it’s necessary to remove the firearm in holster from the belt. Many people simply put int on the toilet tank or counter near the sink (Most common but damn BAD PRACTICE), if there is one and sadly, some have left them there. The most publicly reported, INTERNATIONAL one was someone on some royal protection detail, left a firearm in a public bathroom, in the UK. The horror! It’s a gun! So not only are there potential legal, safety, and liability issues, it can be a career killer.

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While reading the comments about the aforementioned incident, one old cop had the simplest solution that should work well and it provides an example of WHY sometimes the best information is in the comments from readers on any subject. You put the gun, still in holster, in your underwear, which is at your ankle level. There’s absolutely no way that you’re going to miss it if you forget you have a pistol on you and thoughtlessly begin pulling up your briefs and trousers. It’s right there! It’s heavy, it’s noticeable and it’s where you have to do something and touch something to move on to the next step, as opposed to resting it on the counter near the sink, the floor, or the top of the toilet tank where you can get distracted or experience the “I gotta leave impulse we often have after taking a dump. So put it, in your IWB holster, in your briefs when you shit. This is a great solution for males and females. The simplicity matches the likely certainty of it, make it a habit and it should work out well.

A Snapchat Catfisher Is Trying To Con A Bro Out Of His Money, Let’s Help Him With A Dose Of Reality!

I’ve been catfished. Sad to say.

It happens to the best of us. Let this story be a lesson.

Take the *slaps*.

Learn.

Coconut Octopus

Submitted into Contest #207 in response to: A journalist has been granted permission to visit the premises of a lab carrying out top-secret work. They could never have anticipated what they’d find… view prompt

Khadija S. Mohammad

“Octopuses?” Thomas spluttered.The girl smiled. “Popular misconception. Logically, the plural is octopodes. Although publicly it’s still octopuses.” He rubbed the back of his head. Try to unearth the biggest scientific secret of the century, and all you end up with is a headache and a lesson in octopus plurals.“Come with me, our secret is in here.” She was laughing at him?He followed her through a wide door and into a glaring white chamber. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light he noticed boxes of blue and other bright colours dotting the room. Octopus tanks.The girl strode towards the farthest wall, avoiding the tanks and other obstacles with ease. Thomas was not so lucky; His natural clumsiness asserted itself, and by the time he stood next to her, three items were displaced, and one was broken. He was vaguely aware of a white figure glaring at his back as it cleaned up the mess.In front of them, a blank wall. The girl leaned into the wall and placed her eye in front of a hidden sensor. Slowly, the protective covering went up and what faced them was another octopus tank. “This is Hàixiū,” she said, putting her hand against the glass. Thomas spotted a small jellyfish-like shape in one corner. He pointed at it.“Yes, that’s her. Hàixiū is Chinese for ‘shy’.”A small squeak came from the corner of the room. Thomas turned and saw a silver-rimmed octopus tank with a young man standing in front of it, looking like something from a black-and-white movie. His skin was pale, almost white, and his clothes were black and grey. He squeaked at the octopus in front of him, and leant close to the tank, whispering like the breeze on a cold day. Thomas pointed at him and looked inquisitively at the girl.”Hàorán. He’s a little mad,” she explained, lowering her voice. “Ever since he came here he’s been whispering to Kuàisù, his octopus. He seems to think that Kuàisù can learn to talk.” Thomas glanced back at Hàorán and wondered…A man of about twenty walked in. “There you are Mimi. It’s time for Hàixiū’s injection.” 

“Just a moment, Hui. Our journalist needs something to write about. Is it okay if he stays?” Hui nodded.

 

They put on gloves and found equipment while Thomas watched, occasionally glancing back at the tank. Hàixiū didn’t move.

 

“Turn on the Mush,” said Mimi. Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Just watch, it will explain itself.” Hui pressed a button on another wall and Thomas waited for something to happen.

 

Mimi pulled her gloves above her elbows and stretched her arms towards the tank. Thomas stared. Mush. Her hands just sank through it, the glass melting and moulding around them. The octopus flew – right to the other end of the tank.

 

“Come back here, you little monster,” Mimi said playfully. Hàixiū refused to come nearer, waiting until Mimi was just close enough to touch an arm with her fingertips before jetting away, pointing her suckers at them. And that’s what you are, she seemed to say. Not so much shy as cheeky, Thomas thought.

 

Hui talked while Mimi chased the elusive Hàixiū around the tank. “We take them out every day and inject them with Systimosin. It’s a kind of stimulant.”

 

“Got you!” said Mimi, grabbing hold of an arm and struggling to hold her still. “Hurry up Hui, she’s really strong.”

 

“Coming, coming.” He passed her a syringe filled with a thick, colourless liquid. “It was developed for the first time in this lab a few weeks ago. It supplies new connections in the octopodes’ brain, making it smarter. We’re also expecting it to give them a longer life span.”

 

Mimi injected the liquid into Hàixiū’s arm, then let go of her. “She’s developing faster than the others. They’re all developing faster than I expected.” Hui laughed.

 

“If you have any questions, ask Mimi. She’s the biggest octopus expert around here. I’m just the assistant.” Something is his voice – in the words he spoke? The way he spoke? – hit Thomas like a wave. He’d always been sensitive to emotions. If you don’t talk, you get to listen longer. And words aren’t the only thing you can listen to.

 

He put up a hand, a Wait, please sign; He wanted to write. He hoped his face would say what his hands couldn’t. He’d never been the best at polite talk. Or impolite talk.

 

Somehow they understood. Hui left. Mimi waited, then began walking him round a tour again, stopping at each new tank to add a special comment about the octopus inside.

 

“Each octopus is different,” she explained, “They each have their own personalities. This is Yonggan,” as they neared another tank where an octopus was attached to the glass. “We joke that he’s Hàixiū’s soulmate, the two are exact opposites. Yonggan is very playful; He loves new people. We expected him to develop the fastest, but Nature never makes things easy.” Thomas nodded and bent over his notebook as they walked on. “They’re each named after their most prominent traits, it makes them easier to place and helps when we forget which name is attached to which octopus.” He nodded again.

 

They walked on, carefully avoiding Hàorán’s corner, where he continued whispering to Kuàisù, ignoring them completely, or just not seeing them.

 

“Remember, this is top-secret work. No leaks,” Mimi said. Thomas rolled his eyes. I’m a journalist. Whatever I see, the public sees. Suddenly he bent over his notebook, writing something and ripping it out to show her.

 

What if one of the scientists leak?” She read. “That’s simple; They wouldn’t. I would trust any one of my crew with my life. We all trust each other.” Thomas wasn’t satisfied, but he kept quiet as they moved to the next tank.

 

“And this is Xiaochou, the clown. You wouldn’t think that he was nocturnal, would you?” Xiaochou was currently doing octopus backflips, front flips, and side flips.

 

“We always use Amphioctopus marginatus, the Coconut or Veined octopus, for our experiments. We tried using other types, but Systimosin doesn’t create intelligence, it just increases what’s already there, so they either showed no signs of developing or died when we tried increasing the dose.”

 

Thomas was confused. Surely she was fond of the creatures after working with them for weeks, but he couldn’t detect any emotions from her when she talked of their deaths.

 

“The government decided that it was too damaging to risk too many tests, so they only granted permission for 10 octopodes, 5 tests each. It’s at the edge of our limit; If an octopus died now…” She shivered. “Well, hopefully all goes to – ”

 

“Hàixiū is out!” The steady thud of feet on the spotless white floor, squeaks, squeals and more shouting. Only Hàorán stayed where he was, a surprised but smug grin on his face. Why, Thomas wondered. Somehow, the alleged madman fascinated him.

 

He followed Mimi back to Hàixiū’s tank, notebook forgotten, where a group of teuthologists stood in a loose circle, talking. He caught a few words. “- before we expected.”

 

“She’s certainly developing fast,” Mimi commented, “She wasn’t scheduled to escape for a few weeks.” Nobody seemed panicked. In fact, nobody was even looking for Hàixiū. It was as if they all knew that she would be back soon, like she was a colleague who had just gone out for a coffee and would return in a few minutes. Thomas stood awkwardly behind the group, staring absent-mindedly into Hàixiū’s empty tank.

 

“Hui?” Mimi called. Hui walked in and looked at her expectantly. “She should be near the vent in the test room, could you bring her in please?” Hui nodded and left.

 

He returned a minute later with a frozen look of panic on his face. “She’s not there.”

 

No one knew what to do. The chances of her not doing what they expected were a thousand to one. They froze.

 

Suddenly everyone was moving, and Thomas watched with an amused smile. This is what happens when you become too logical, he thought. Resuming his watch on the tank, he let his mind roam, headlines and front-page news drifting in and out of his consciousness.

 

“Where could she be?” “What’s happened to her?” “What if she’s got out?” “Why didn’t we calculate correctly?” People zipping back and forth, searching the rooms, searching the vents, making more calculations and searching again.

 

Half an hour later, the panic was broken, the problem still unsolved. In place of blind frenzy came desperation for some, depression for others. Some were sitting cross-legged on the floor, crying, knowing that Hàixiū was already dead, some continued stubbornly searching. Thomas was still glued to the glass, trying to appear oblivious to his surroundings, overwhelmed with the emotions that flooded the lab. A single octopus meant so much to them. In the passageway, a man was on his knees, praying.

 

As Thomas stared through the tank, something caught his eye. “Mimi,” he shouted, realising he didn’t know her last name. His voice was scratchy and thick with disuse. She lifted her head from her hands and looked around, unsure of who was calling her. “She’s here.”

 

Everyone crowded around him, following his finger to the small jellyfish-like shape in the corner. Mimi squealed with relief. Hui and another man slapped each other on the back. Tears were forgotten, driven away by almost hysterical laughter.

 

Thomas was confused, alone in his thoughts. Hàixiū had always been there; She hadn’t moved from when he first entered the room. And throughout the commotion that had followed her ‘disappearance’, no one had admitted coming near the tank. ‘Hàixiū is out’…

 

Safe in his corner, Hàorán laughed. Kuàisù had proved his worth.

Ronny Chieng Explains Why Chinese People Love Money

How is China’s domination in lab-grown diamonds shaking up and destabilizing the traditional global diamond market?

You want to buy a Diamond ring

A 4 Carat cut and polished ring at Chow Sang Sang in Beijing retails at a whopping 320,000 Yuan

Same 4 Carat Synthetic Diamond ring can be purchased for 42,000 Yuan

No Amateur can tell the difference

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main qimg da0ced1b67ba3f2dfb642d92c4a020a6

Not even a Loupe can tell the difference these days

You need a Gemological Certificate & LIBS or Spectroscopy reports

Nirav Modi, the legend 😁😁😁😁😁

He claimed to spend $ 400 Million (₹ 2700 Crore) in buying Natural Diamonds but spent $ 46 Million in buying Synthetic Diamonds from China vide HK and likely (ALLEGEDLY) siphoned off $ 354 Million

The ED who confiscated his diamonds thought the value was ₹ 3,130 Crore found their value to be less than ₹350 Crore

So a Gemological certificate isn’t exactly iron clad evidence

Only the RETAILER is

Tiffanys, Cartiers etc who have a reputation sell absolutely doubt free Natural diamonds

China makes 77% of the World’s synthetic diamonds

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main qimg 5c37d498d3876d7dae1a095fc11565fe

India is a huge market and we import 24% of Synthetic Diamonds and also make 9% of Synthetic Diamonds

Why is the Global Market shaken up?

36% Diamond Buyers were those who scrimped and saved for years or took heavy credit card debts to buy Diamond Jewelry with Natural Diamonds

Today those buyers can easily pay 20% of the price and buy Synthetic Diamonds with 18K Gold Jewelry which can deceive 99% of the world as being authentic

So those customers will NEVER buy natural diamonds again

So value of diamonds is driven down drastically

Disadvantages of Synthetic Diamonds:-

They can’t be RESOLD or HOCKED easily

Pawnbrokers pay you 60% value of Natural Diamonds and you can resell them for 100% Value or even greater value in the same retail outlet at a later delate

They are easily convertible to cash

Meanwhile Synthetic Diamonds fetch less than 30% value at a Pawnbroker and reselling them means at least 50% discount

What is the best 5th generation fighter in the world? What are the criteria? These are the questions I have asked for sometime now.

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I will tackle this question.

I will evaluate it based on current fighters abilities not the SU-57M or Block 4 F-35. I also do not care about numbers in total built. I agree that in a real war that matters. However for this question it does not. This question is simple to me, if I could only have 1 of these fighters to protect my country which one would it be.

Lets start with the biggest question does the fighter have to have all the parameters that Lockheed Martin laid out when they developed the 5th generation brand? I would say no you do not, as those goal posts were moved by Lockheed themselves in order to get the F-35 to fit the as a 5th generation fighter title. Super maneuverability and Supercruise was removed with the reasoning being since there are no more dogfights( which will turn out to be incorrect) and speed is not important anymore. Consequently I will not be holding the fact that the SU-57 does not have serrated nozzles yet or the J-20 lacking supercruise ability. There will be one caveat to this discussion there is quite limited information J-20 just as the Chinese prefer it but this will make a comparison to other fighters more challenging but I will do my best.

Lets start by defining what I believe makes the best 5th gen aircraft. It would be the best all around aircraft that if you could only have one of these 5th generation fighters in your inventory, which one is best able to carry out A2A, A2G, standoff attacks and air superiority would it be. that the basis of the this discussion lets begin.

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BVR

The West has convinced the world that air battles will now be fought only from beyond visual range(BVR). In this scenario sensors are king, and how far your radar can pick up a target and create a firing solution is what matters. In this regard I will talk about the individual abilities of the fighters not a grouping of fighters working in unison. In the case of BVR other than the sensors the missiles are the most important weapon in the arsenal of these fighters. We should now look at how each fighter stacks up in these categories

F-35

The F-35 uses the APG-81 with 1000-1600 T/R modules and a range of 200km and 110km on 1sqm target the EOTS is a combination of IRST and FLIR that has shown range out to 90kms not sure what range it can create a firing solution from officially but it is believed to be around 50kms from what is in open sources.

The missiles for air-to-air are the AIM-120D which incorporates active seeker with a max range of 160km and a predicted NEZ of 70km in stealth configuration and when stealth is not required the AIM-9X for short range attacks. Both missiles can be shot off boresight even at targets in the rear hemisphere. Max air-to-air load out in stealth configuration is 4 AIM-120D. Both missile can receive datalink correction from F-35

F-22

The F-22 uses the APG-77 with 1500 -2200 T/R modules with a range of 400km on a 1sqm target it does not have any kind of optical tracking abilities as it was designed as a pure air superiority fighter and the US had rejected IRST as general rule in fighter aircraft at this time. It also has the AN/ALR 94 with passive sensors with a claimed range of 463kms to detect radar signals.

The missiles are very similar to the F-35, with AIM-120D as primary medium distance and the AIM-9X. The F-22 does not have the ability to shoot off boresight missiles but can carry 6 AIM-120D and 2 AIM-9X in stealth configuration.

J-20

The J-20 uses the Type 1475 with approximately 2000T/R modules which are rumored to Gallium nitride which would make for a very powerful radar. Before people say that cannot be possible, China makes 98% of the world production of Gallium. The only numbers to be found is a range of 200km. They also claim the J-20 has an IRST but again there is no real open source information specifications.

The missiles used by the J-20 are the PL-15 with an AESA radar seeker and 200km range and dual pulse motor. For short range it uses the PL-10 with an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker, thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzle, laser proximity fuse, and reportedly boasts a 90-degree off-boresight capability.

SU-57

The SU-57 is a bit different than all the others, it has 4 X-band radars that cover 360° The nose radar has 1514 T/R modules with a range of 400km on 1sqm targets and two side arrays with 414 T/R modules each with range of 110km+ there no numbers on T/R of the rear radar it may be RWR only or another full radar. The Felon also incorporates two L-band arrays in which many argue about their uses but I believe because they are part of the radar system. It also has probably the best IRST in current fighter with the quantum well technology(QWIP) with minimum range 130km. The OLS-50M and 101KS-V Infra-red Search And Track System ( IRST ) is designed to detect heat emissions from aircraft and missiles passively. IRST are essentially thermographic cameras that detect and track heat sources without emitting any radiation in the process ( passive ).

The SU-57 in stealth mode can carry the R-77M a medium distance dual pulse motor missile with a range of up to 193km with datalink the missile has a AESA seeker that when it picture is completed may have largest NEZ of any missile again that is opinion not a fact. The R-37M has a version called the Izdeliye 810 with folding wings. There are pictures of it being manufactured and information it would be included in the SU-57E so we will assume it is an option. The range is said to be 300km+. For short range internal bays the RVV-MD2 missiles is equipped with a combined guidance system, which includes inertial guidance plus a multi-element double-channel infrared seeker with increased resistance to interference, plus a radio correction receiving channel. The missile can independently determine its coordinates in space, regardless of external factors. The scanning area of the homing seeker in the forward hemisphere is 180°, which allows tracking all evasive maneuvers of the attacked enemy aircraft.

BVR Analysis

This will be a contentious topic as the Westerners have a very hard time with accepting anything but clear dominance and that is simply is not the case if you look at the open source available data. The fact is that the F-22 and the SU-57 are the standouts in this category. Yes the F-35 networking with multiple platforms is a great ability but we cannot look at things from that perspective. In a battle AWACS will be destroyed and communications disrupted. The individual abilities of the fighter to perform in a contested environment is the measuring stick. The SU-57 and F-22 radars outrange both the F-35 and J-20 along with longer range passive sensors. The SU-57 has upper hand in missile range and ability to fire totally passively. The AN/ALR-94 cannot create a firing solution without the use of its radar which will alert fighters to being targeted, especially the SU-57 with 4 X-band radars.

There is one more combat avionics system made especially for BVR that the SU-57 has, it is unique in the fighter aviation community. It is called BOSES-TU ‘Duel’ ,this is from one western sources in 2014 :

”This is the first time we have seen such a system anywhere. This system enables the aircraft to be programmed with the capabilities of its adversary, allowing for the aircraft to track its opponent and recommend optimized decisions to the pilot, creating a fine balance of man and machine. Such a system is only the tip of the iceberg with what can be done, it’s the first time we have seen the introduction of AI on a combat platform.”

Aircraft Operational Recommendation Expertise System of Tactical Level called ‘Duel’ for usage in BVR combat. Besides the Su-35S ,only the new Su-57 has this combat system. Something like this western fighters do not possess. What is the story about? Thanks to Russian Intel ,hundreds of flight and maneuvering performance data, combat potential and other details and data for all operational western 4th and 5te gen fighters are stored in two 6-processor/Elbrus-4S/ digital comps type Baget-53-31M. So this system helps pilot of Su-35/57 to take decisions and actions in BVR combat in all possible tactical/combat scenarios: 1vs1,1vs2,2vs1,2vs2,2vs4 or vice versa and in squadron level.

In conclusion the BVR battle will most like be won by the F-22 or SU-57.

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ksnip 20250105 075616

Stealth

Next we will cover the stealth of each aircraft,:

F-22 – Has a claimed RCS of 0.0001sqm. Whether this is correct or not it is the number most often quoted. While I have my doubts about the veracity of theses claims I will not cover that here and will just use the above number. This makes the F-22 the most stealthy fighter in the world.

F-35 – Has a claimed RCS of 0.001sqm. This would have it ranked as the second best stealth fighter in the world

J-20 – There are no official claimed numbers from the Chinese for the J-20. Therefore I choose to reputable modeler Dhimas Afihandarin who has estimated the J-20 to be around 0.2sqm which even he admits seems high but that is what the modeling says, therefore since we have nothing else to go by that is the number I have to be settled on.

SU-57 – There are many that try to use the patent as the basis for the SU-57 in which case the we should the ATF for the F-22 which called for the fighter to be 100x smaller than 10sqm F-15 which equals out to 0.1sqm. Lockheed has since revised that number to 0.0001sqm. Russia has said the actual number is classified. So again I turned to Dhimas Afihandarin who is one of the only modelers to take into account radar blockers and screens and carbon fiber skin. According to his modeling the SU-57 RCS is around 0.006sqm. Which would put the SU-57 firmly in third place in the stealth race.

Stealth Analysis

Stealth is a very interesting topic people obsess about having the lowest RCS number, and yes in certain situations that is most important factor. How the fighter will be used matters more though. If you plan for your plane to do deep penetration SEAD and DEAD mission that small RCS will be vital. What is vital is that the rapid speed at which radars are catching up with stealth. The US has admitted they believe the S-400 radar can track and target a F-35. According to Alastair Crooke a well know retired intel specialist on the middle east with deep deep inside information. The reason the planned 24hr operation of Israel to attack Iran only lasted a few hours was due to the fact that F-35’s that were supposed to lead the charge being locked and targeted by an unknown radar. This radar is believed to be the S-400 Russia brought in to support Iranian IAD. This is not even the best Russian radar, that honor would go to the new S-500 radar not to mention the multiple ground radars used by China and Russia in multiple bands that are linked together to create a picture for their respective IAD’s.

Within the WVR realm which contrary to popular belief still exists. The stealth of an aircraft becomes much less important and Kinematics and pilots become the main measuring sticks along with missiles. If you look for example at the the ranges at which a F-22 for example would see an SU-57 on radar you are looking at about 37kms and that does not take into account EW abilities. Against a none peer adversary like Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan etc, stealth doesn’t matter. If you plan to take a F-22 and F-35 into an IAD that will also have alert aircraft like MiG-31’s , SU-57’s, J-16’s and J-20 they will not survive. Many will argue that the F-22 on a radar is a blip on a radar but a blip traveling at 1200km per hour is still a red flag. The Russians, Iranians and Chinese have been building a radar blueprint for these planes for over 20 years.

The Russians and Chinese do not do SEAD and DEAD missions as a general rule they are more apt to use missiles to destroy air defences. Stealth is vital and against non peer opponents it can be deadly. However for those countries that still plan tp use modern air power as their main strategy, I would advise them to re-think that strategy going against a peer level IAD network.

In conclusion the Lockheed brother definitely win the stealth game. However that does not give them the edge it did 20 years ago when the F-22 took to the skies to be part of the US Air Force.

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main qimg 27c5f5d0afc8e6dac215e27cf0b7b25b

Air to Ground/Stand-off munitions

F-22– This where the F-22 really falls down it can really only carry 2 1000lbs GBU-32 PGM 445lbs of explosives with 15km range.

F-35 – The F-35 can carry internally 2 JSM range 275km+ or 8 SDB PGM with 105lbs of explosive each or it can carry a total of two GBU-32’s. Typical loadout for ground attack is 2 GBU-32’s PGM 445lbs of explosives and 2 AIM-120D.

J-20 – The J-20 is intended to carry internally the LS-6/50 PGM 110lbs of explosive and LS6/100 PGM 220lbs of explosive. Quantities unknown.

SU-57 – The Su-57 can carry internally D-30SN glide bomb 220lbs of explosive 90km range, KAB-250 PGM 365lbs of explosives KAB-500 PGM 990lbs of explosives, Kh-36 Grom-E2 Glide bomb range 50km 551lbs of explosive, Kh-59MK2 290km range 705lbs of explosives, Kh-69 400km range 683lbs of explosives. Kh-31 260km range 207lbs of explosives.(anti-ship/anti-radiation). Kh-35U 300km range 320lbs of explosive, Kh-58UShKe 260km range 328lbs of explosives.

In this category there is a clear winner, and that is the SU-57 it has by far the most variety and destructive firepower. On top of that unlike some of the air-to-air missiles all of these munitions have been used in either Syria or Ukraine or both. The SU-57 has the ability to dominate ground warfare without even entering the IAD envelope of all the Western IAD’s.

Another caveat is that the Russian create all missiles with belief they may have to carry a nuclear warhead one day. So missiles like Kh-69 or the smaller version of Kinzhal intended for the weapons bay of SU-57 or the new long range prototype cruise missile based on the Kh-555 with a range of 2,500km could possibly carry long range stand-off nuclear missiles.

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main qimg 4ff03677725c4240d2c49bf01d197896

Avionics/Sensor Fusion

This is a very interesting subject because sensor fusion is such a new term and function on the battlefield. The consensus is that the F-35 does it best and I can see why people say that. The way the US has chosen use fusion is very efficient and creative things like being able to see through the fighter and fusing the information from the radar and cameras to display on the helmet is very impressive feat of engineering. The F-22 does have sensor fusion but not to the level or in same way that the F-35 does but enough to give excellent awareness in the sky. There is literally nothing open source on China that I can find. The Russian definitely do sensor fusion integrating all the sensor to create a picture of the battle space along with what they call the second pilot AI system that manages many functions thus allowing pilot to concentrate on the fight.

People will speak about the avionics of F-22 and F-35 being superior to the SU-57 but factually the SU-57’s electronics and eternals are superior to block 3 F-35 let alone F-22. The F-35 current (Block 3) has a less powerful ICP than the Su-57’s compute module. The F-35 uses PowerPC MPC7448 chips vs Elbrus-4S (quad-core Elbrus) on the Su-57. The F-22 is even worse, it uses i960MX processors. This is supposed to change on F-35 when Block 4 comes out. On top of that the SU-57 uses NTC Module 1879VM8Ya (sixteen-core NeuroMatrix DSPs with five-core ARM controllers AI accelerators, and all the networking is done by fiber optics. The radar uses second generation gallium arsenide elements.

Who has the best sensor fusion? The realty is we do not know, yes the F-35 under ideal circumstances can interface with the most assets but the chance in a real WWIII type scenario that is going to available is probably zero. The question for me is who systems will allow their pilots to kill the most adversaries efficiently. It is great to be able to see through your fighter but is that better than side radars that can see from a fighter from over 100kms away. What picture does fusing Optical, L, and X-band together to create a firing solution vs the AN/ALR-94. The actual only way to tell whose system is the best is to have an actual war and have them battle it out. I am sure they will all have their strengths and weaknesses but trying to use red flag events as your proof of superiority is foolish. As far as I am concerned this is an immeasurable category.

Kinematics

F-35- F-135 engine with serrated nozzles 43,000lbs thrust with afterburners 28,000lbs without AB, T/W at normal takeoff weight of 1.07, wing loading 526 kg/m2, Mach 1.6. The F-35 cannot supercruise and is limited to about 10 min of supersonic flight unless there is an emergency. Range internal fuel 1400km. Climb rate 277m/s.

F-22 – F-119 engine with 2D flat nozzles 35,000lbs x 2=70,000lbs with afterburners 50,,000lbs without AB, T/W at normal take off weight 1.25 wing loading 377 kg/m2, top speed Mach 2.25. The F-22 can supercruise at Mach 1.8 and has a range without drop tanks 1000km. Climb rate 350m/s.

J-20 – WS-10C engine with serrated nozzles 32,000lbs x 2=64,000lbs with afterburners unknown dry thrust, T/W 0.95 wing loading 340 kg/m2 , top speed Mach 2.0. The J-20 cannot supercruise and has a range of 3500km. Climb rate 304m/s. Top Speed Mach 2.

SU-57 – AL-41F1 engine with 3D TVC 33,000lbs x2=66,000lbs with afterburners 39,600lbs without AB T/W at normal takeoff weight 1.15 wing loading 371 kg/m2, top speed Mach 2.0. The SU-57 can supercruise at Mach 1.3 and has a range of 3500km. Climb rate between 361–384m/s.

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main qimg 5b160e0bf2f379c4415c23745e12ebc5

Kinematics Analysis

This is the easiest to break down. The SU-57 is in a league of its own when it comes to the kinematic world. The design builds on Sukhoi’s knowledge from the flankers and adds LEVCONS, 3D TVC and the best aerodynamics of the 5th generations. The F-22 is no slouch here either with 2D TVC and lots of thrust. The J-20 for its size is very agile due to its canard delta wing setup. Lastly the F-35 might not be as bad as people claim but the numbers do not lie.

Command and Control

F-22– The F-22 was initially excluded from the Air Force’s data-sharing prototype, ABMS Capability Release 1, due to differences in communications design and development. However, the ACC Federal Laboratory has integrated combat apps onto the F-22 using an open software stack.

F-35 – MADL, when operated in conjunction with other F-35 sensors, can achieve the much sought-after goal of sharing threat data and helping the jet find and destroy enemy targets from ranges where it remains undetected. This ability, shown in several wargames in recent years, is something that F-35 pilots point to as a defining reason for its superiority.

J-20 – No open source information I can find.

SU-57 – The upgraded S-111 system uses AI based cognitive radio technology it enhances interference and intelligence immunity, helping it counter jamming and other electronic warfare techniques employed by adversaries. The equipment ensures data transmission validity by means of noiseless coding, message symbol interlacing, universal time synchronization for signal processing, simultaneous message transmission via parallel links, extending stable communication range, and using artificial intelligence technology. The system includes computers, interlacers and de-interlacers, high-frequency-band antenna tuners, digital signal processors, and noiseless encoders and decoders. This allows for seamless communication and battlefield management with all assets from the IAD, to ground forces to the control air battle space.

Again I prefer to look at how the fighters would perform independent of larger network but I am sure while AEW&C and AWACS will not survive the battle space the ability to work in coordination with other fighters will to some degree. The F-35 whole design is based on interoperability and the ability to pass on information to other fighters within the kill chain.

The F-22 is integrated but not to the degree that the F-35 is but is a lethal part of that chain.

The J-20 does have ability to link fighters together it has been spoken of but details are so sparse that it really impossible to say much of anything except do not underestimate the Chinese.

The SU-57 and the Russians have a very robust ability with the SU-30SM2, SU-35S, MiG-31 and SU-57 to communicate with the Russian networks. Many think Russia is far behind but it is actually not. Since the 80’s a group of four MiG-31s was capable of exchanging data in automatic mode regarding targets being tracked within 800km-wide sector with the ability to communicate to a distance of 2000km with ground command to target data to a ground or air-based targets. The SU-35S lead in 4 fighter group can target/pass information and even fire the missiles of the 3 other fighters while they fly passively. The SU-57 abilities are significantly more than these examples obviously.

In the end I would give F-35 the edge as this is its primary strength, however the other 3 fighters should not be underestimated.

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main qimg 122e25080aa6cd87b9c089d65492fe82 lq

Electronic Warfare

F-35 – In today’s signal-dense environments, the AN/ASQ-239 system provides long-range 360-degree, full-spectrum situational awareness and rapid-response capabilities. Its offensive and defensive capabilities include threat warning, radio-frequency and infrared countermeasures, and targeting support – allowing pilots to detect, analyze, and counter threats and reach well-defended targets.

F-22 – BAE Systems’ AN/ALR-94 digital electronic warfare system geolocates potential threats by detecting adversary radars at significant ranges, allowing the F-22 Raptor to limit its own radar emissions, enabling it to better conceal its location when operating in hostile territory. Data collected by the AN/ALR-94 system helps identify, monitor, analyze, and rapidly respond to threats by providing the pilot with maximum situational awareness. Advanced avionics and sensors provide a complete view of the battlespace, enabling pilot to take appropriate action and ensure mission success. The AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare system also is reliable and maintainable reducing long-term life cycle costs.

J-20 – I am sure there is one but again there is no information except about electronic warfare support drones

SU-57 – The L402 Himalayas system works on the principle of active jamming, which involves emitting powerful radio signals to disrupt and confuse enemy radar and communication systems. It also includes passive jamming, which involves analyzing and mimicking enemy signals to deceive their systems. Passive jamming involves detecting the radar signals emitted by the enemy radar system and then transmitting a signal that interferes with the radar’s ability to detect targets. This can be done without alerting the enemy to the presence of the jamming aircraft, allowing it to remain undetected and avoid being targeted by the enemy. Passive jamming is an effective countermeasure against radar-guided weapons and is an important component of modern air defense systems.

This again is a very hard again to gauge. EW is the biggest secret of all in fighter aircraft, the basics are known but details are never given. Personally I think they are all most likely excellent BAE has a great reputation and Russian EW is also very good. Knowing which one will do the best job is impossible. The only way to know is a war, without that it is all talk and speculation.

The Conclusion

After doing this review I am going to give the J-20 an incomplete grade as their is just not enough information in open sources to do a proper evaluation. I will try find more info and update this post.

After all this what have determined. When it comes to BVR the F-22 and SU-57 are the ones to beat especially against 4th generation platforms. The SU-57 has actually had a BVR kill with R-37M at 217km. WVR Again this will be the domain of the SU-57 and F-22 with SU-57 having the advantage in maneuverability and the fact it can shot off-boresight missiles. The ground attack game is all SU-57 the F-22 can drop a couple bombs well within any IAD of almost any country. The F-35 is designed to be a ground attack queen but the SU-57 has better variety, firepower and range on its munitions. Avionics all the fighters have elite avionics made to work within their fighting doctrine. The US leverages it worldwide network of allies and bases and ships to create an electronic picture. THE Russians design there fighters around being part of their IAD defence as mini AWACS to fill in the gaps in IAD and attack threats to IAD. In a electronically degraded environment with GPS and electronic communication limited it becomes a BVR and WVR fight which we have already covered. Electronic warfare again realistically all the fighters do very well, whose system works best we would only know in actual wartime scenario it is all chest thumping bravado right now. Stealth the US fighter win hands down, but the truth is that according to modeling the Su-57 will most likely be within visual range before the missiles start flying. Plus Russia and China plan to fight in their own backyards with IAD coverage, with the networking of radars it is highly doubtful even an F-22 or any fighter will go undetected.

So which on is the best all around I think everyone has an opinion. Most will say that if you do not pick one of the American fighters then you are crazy or you are Russian or Chinese bots. The lack of intellect behind those kind of statements is something I find amusing or just ignore.

The SU-57 is essentially an omni role stealth plane. With the most varied types of armaments’ tied for best range and has best kinematics overall of the 5th generation. It is also the only fighter to prove itself with BVR and WVR kills along with standoff destruction of infrastructure and IAD. There are individual abilities that other fighters do better but all around I think it is quite indisputable which fighter is the best overall .

As serious as it is for us.

Answers like that of Roland’s anger me because they’re very clearly propaganda designed to paper over real problems. What I and all the officers at USTRANSCOM saw were challenges that were unique to our situation, drawn by several factors:

  1. The GWOT went on for too long and we had become too specialized in COIN. This created a need for the force to unlearn and reorient, both of which were fraught with uncertainty because we did not have experience in whatever was going to be the war of the future (but we were certain it wasn’t going to be a repeat of the last 50 years).
  2. Adoption of new strategies and defenses against new cyberwarfare were fraught with talent issues. People like Roland do not spend their time asking how good the quality of nerds are at J6. Maybe he knows of some magical staffing fixes in the intervening time, but I am not holding my breath given how often Americans repeat to themselves myths like “I am not a math person.” This is especially true of the American nationalist who values loyalty over talent, which is why I have next to no confidence that the more loyalist posturing we exhibit the better our cyber is going to be. If anything this tends to be an inverse relationship.

The gap between theory and practice is insurmountable without fighting a war of its kind. Yes, we have our heads on straight figuring out what the next plan ought to be. That is not the hard part; most influential players today seem to be perfectly capable of this as well. The bottleneck for now is in the trial— there just aren’t many opportunities to test the theory out. The breakout of war will change that, but then we all will simply have the next bottlenecks exposed.

I don’t care that we are good at transporting goods. That’s the mantra to make people look away from the obvious factor that we transport goods over distances and the expected place where there will be a war is extremely far away from us compared to China, and that such a distance exists in more than one dimension (the complexity of the system grows geometrically, not linearly). Even if we presume we are able to surmount this challenge, the real issue is in replenishment. A lot of people have argued either from the historical perspective (arsenal of democracy) or from a spending perspective that we can easily scale up and replenish losses. Fundamentally, these people show a great amount of disrespect towards the needs of engineering. The fact of the matter is that we only have a strategic degree of civilian factories that we can convert into military production, particularly in shipbuilding, and we also have an intense lack of engineering workforce that can fill in the missing factory positions. Hell, it should already be bizarre that anyone proposes a scenario where we retain half of our ships or aircraft in a real shooting war with China. From where does this infinite confidence stem, in this day and age of Oreshnik missiles, Navy “mistakes,” and surprise 6th gen aircraft? And how long do people think we can afford to take with replenishment and logistics, given that Taiwan is right off the coast of China and halfway across the world from the vast majority of our industry? That alone will permit China a great many mistakes of inferiority, in a scenario where the US and China have in-kind experience fighting that kind of war (observation in Ukraine and elsewhere, training exercises, simulations, low intensity peacetime logistics). This was very aptly demonstrated the last time the US and China were in a direct, high intensity war!

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main qimg 2f595660502ee40878f645966c5b5d65 lq

If anything China was far more inferior to the US during the Korean War and it was still fought to a stalemate. Now that China is much less inferior relative to the US, we expect that somehow the US is going to win?

Slander never won us wars, and racist slander tends to lead to the greatest complacency. When someone insists that we should embrace such propaganda on account of feeding our fighting spirit, ask yourself how that went with the fascists of the past. I have never considered this rhetoric to be prudent, and neither should anyone here tolerate it as such. There is a nasty historical pattern in which the more this rhetoric is present, the more the institutions issuing such rhetoric believe in their own lies.

I truly hope the military has not succumbed to this hubris. For anyone who still has unreasonable confidence in the speed to which we can update our warfighting capacity (especially logistics), let me ask you: How long did it take for us to switch to MRAPs? And how long did it take for the USMC to do the same switch?

The addendum: How long did it take for the Ukranians and Russians to switch to anti-drone countermeasures? How long do you think it will take us?

How serious is the Chinese military’s lack of experience?

It’s not that serious and the people who are suggesting that it is here, are doing so without any proper arguments or evidence. China’s military certainly hasn’t fought a major war, but most of the world’s military forces hasn’t. I see people suggesting China would fail a fight with Taiwan because of this lack of experience, why? Taiwan has more military experience?

The Chinese has the largest navy in the world, and no naval combat experience, neither did Ukraine when it sank the Moskva.

Unlike fighting experience, logistical experience is something you can actually get in peace time. Rodra Hascaryo’s answer talks about logistics, but it is basically saying that the USA had great logistics in WW2, and China doesn’t because they haven’t fought. First of all, the USA had no major combat experience prior to WW2, so he has made the argument that isn’t necessary for great logistics, second of all he has not addressed a shred of knowledge that we have on Chinese logistics, despite the fact that the US War College have an update to date and open source book on the subject.[1]

Bartetzko’s answer is based entirely on ignorance and racism. An even better basis of course. Bartetzko opens with a quote from General Eric Smith of the US Marine Corps, who said that the last Chinese war was so long ago that it was captured on oil and canvas unlike American wars which are captured on iphones. Incredible that both Bartetzko and a General in charge of preparing war against China, are so ignorant of China that they think the Chinese didn’t have cameras in the 1950s when they fought, let me just check my notes here, the USA in Korea.

Bartetzko goes on to say that NATO has perfected the way to fight modern wars, this is why we win all of them, like Afghanistan which we won, and Vietnam which we also won, just like Libya, Syria and Iraq, which are all war zones which we won and turned out exactly how we wanted it, and let’s not forget Somalia, which we fixed.

Finally Bartetzko realize that the Chinese mind is actually the real problem for them, they just can’t use their brain as good as us. Because the key element to the Chinese brain is conformity, they are historically known as very unimaginative people you see. Bartetzko does not actually directly point to any evidence or cultural traits of China in this regard of course, probably because his primary source of information is a US general who doesn’t know the Korean war happened.

China lacks experience, as does any nation not currently in war. Experience can be gained at different levels and in different ways. Experience is also transferable. If experience was not transferable, then tactics would never progress beyond what a single person could learn in life, and schools wouldn’t make much sense. Experience in modern warfare is without a doubt being acquired by China right now. You do not think they have observers in Ukraine with the Russians? Of course they do, they are watching and learning as much as everyone else.

I am not an expert on everything Chinese, but it is stupid and dangerous to think that between 1.4 billion Chinese people they can’t find capable officers, logisticians and tacticians, because of racial traits and culture, or that they don’t know how to load equipment on ships and move them around.

China moves around more material everyday, than all of Europe and USA combined. China has actually fought wars, and I think the key thing from those wars we should learn is that when China was serious, they were able to fight the USA to a stand still to the point that US generals thought nuclear weapons against a non nuclear country was the only way to attain victory. That is China after a civil war at its lowest, with the USA at one of it’s most productive periods in history. Of course, if your generals are so ignorant they don’t know this happened at all in Korea, of course they will not learn anything. You could say that experience is lost.

Chicken Divan Pie

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Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
  • 4 eggs, divided
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup broccoli, cooked and chopped
  • 1 cup chicken or turkey, cooked and chopped
  • 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 dash ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In small bowl, combine rice and 1 of the eggs: mix well. Press rice mixture onto bottom and up side of lightly greased 9 inch pie plate.
  3. In large bowl, toss cheddar cheese with flour. Add remaining 3 eggs, milk, broccoli, chicken, onions, salt and pepper: mix well. Pour over rice crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until set in center.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Sully did not immediately turn back, because he did not immediately know that power was permanently lost in both engines, and he did not immediately know that LaGuardia was actually within reach. You’re much more likely to get into more trouble by taking immediate and irreversible action in an emergency without thought.

If Sully had immediately turned back, the plane would have disproportionately lost altitude in the turn, possibly eliminating other landing spots from consideration, and not being able to reach LaGuardia. The altitude lost in the turn is altitude you won’t get back.

Sully and his first officer, per the transcript, determined they were unable to reach LaGuardia within one minute, and briefly considered Teterboro. (“1” is Sully, “2” is the First Officer.)

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main qimg 55cf83f7af5b546ebf2f622f37f0484e

The flight attendants speculated they would return to LaGuardia, apparently, but they also did not know if LaGuardia was within reach, and if power could be restored to at least one engine.

15:26:37 HOT-1 uh what a view of the Hudson today.

15:26:42 HOT-2 yeah.

15:26:52 HOT-2 flaps up please, after takeoff checklist.

15:26:54 HOT-1 flaps up.

15:27:07 HOT-1 after takeoff checklist complete.

15:27:10.4 HOT-1 birds.

15:27:11 HOT-2 whoa.

15:27:11.4 CAM [sound of thump/thud(s) followed by shuddering sound]

15:27:12 HOT-2 oh #.

15:27:13 HOT-1 oh yeah.

15:27:13 CAM [sound similar to decrease in engine noise/frequency begins]

15:27:14 HOT-2 uh oh.

15:27:15 HOT-1 we got one rol- both of ’em rolling back.

15:27:18 CAM [rumbling sound begins and continues until approximately 15:28:08]

15:27:18.5 HOT-1 ignition, start.

15:27:21.3 HOT-1 I’m starting the APU.

15:27:22.4 FWC [sound of single chime]

15:27:23.2 HOT-1 my aircraft.

15:27:24 HOT-2 your aircraft.

15:27:24.4 FWC [sound of single chime]

15:27:25 CAM [sound similar to electrical noise from engine igniters begins]

15:27:26.5 FWC priority left. [auto callout from the FWC. this occurs when the sidestick priority button is activated on the Captain’s sidestick]

15:27:26.5 FWC [sound of single chime]

15:27:28 CAM [sound similar to electrical noise from engine igniters ends]

15:27:28 HOT-1 get the QRH… [Quick Reference Handbook] loss of thrust on both engines.

15:27:30 FWC [sound of single chime begins and repeats at approximately 5.7 second intervals until 15:27:59]

15:27:32.9 RDO-1 mayday mayday mayday. uh this is uh Cactus fifteen thirty nine hit birds, we’ve lost thrust (in/on) both engines we’re turning back towards LaGuardia.

15:27:42 DEP ok uh, you need to return to LaGuardia? turn left heading of uh two two zero.

15:27:43 CAM [sound similar to electrical noise from engine igniters begins]

15:27:44 FWC [sound of single chime, between the single chimes at 5.7 second intervals]

15:27:46 RDO-1 two two zero.

15:27:50 HOT-2 if fuel remaining, engine mode selector, ignition.* ignition.

15:27:54 HOT-1 ignition.

15:27:55 HOT-2 thrust levers confirm idle.

15:27:58 HOT-1 idle.

15:28:02 HOT-2 airspeed optimum relight. three hundred knots. we don’t have that.

15:28:03 FWC [sound of single chime]

15:28:05 HOT-1 we don’t.

15:28:05 DEP Cactus fifteen twenty nine, if we can get it for you do you want to try to land runway one three?

15:28:05 CAM-2 if three nineteen-

15:28:10.6 RDO-1 we’re unable. we may end up in the Hudson.

15:28:14 HOT-2 emergency electrical power… emergency generator not online.

15:28:18 CAM [sound similar to electrical noise from engine igniters ends]

15:28:19 HOT-1 (it’s/is) online.

15:28:21 HOT-2 ATC notify. squawk seventy seven hundred.

15:28:25 HOT-1 yeah. the left one’s coming back up a little bit.

15:28:30 HOT-2 distress message, transmit. we did.

15:28:31 DEP arright Cactus fifteen forty nine its gonna be left traffic for runway three one.

15:28:35 RDO-1 unable.

15:28:36 TCAS traffic traffic.

15:28:36 DEP okay, what do you need to land?

15:28:37 HOT-2 (he wants us) to come in and land on one three…for whatever.

15:28:45 PWS go around. windshear ahead.

15:28:45 HOT-2 FAC [Flight Augmentation Computer] one off, then on.

15:28:46 DEP Cactus fifteen (twenty) nine runway four’s available if you wanna make left traffic to runway four.

15:28:49.9 RDO-1 I’m not sure we can make any runway. uh what’s over to our right anything in New Jersey maybe Teterboro?

15:28:55 DEP ok yeah, off your right side is Teterboro airport.

15:28:59 TCAS monitor vertical speed.

15:29:00 HOT-2 no relight after thirty seconds, engine master one and two confirm-

15:29:02 DEP you wanna try and go to Teterboro?

15:29:03 RDO-1 yes.

15:29:05 TCAS clear of conflict.

15:29:07 HOT-2 -off.

15:29:07 HOT-1 off.

15:29:10 HOT-2 wait thirty seconds.

15:29:11 PA-1 this is the Captain brace for impact.

15:29:14.9 GPWS one thousand.

15:29:16 HOT-2 engine master two, back on.

15:29:18 HOT-1 back on.

15:29:19 HOT-2 on.

15:29:21 DEP Cactus fifteen twenty nine turn right two eight zero, you can land runway one at Teterboro.

15:29:21 CAM-2 is that all the power you got? * (wanna) number one? or we got power on number one.

15:29:25 RDO-1 we can’t do it.

15:29:26 HOT-1 go ahead, try number one.

15:29:27 DEP kay which runway would you like at Teterboro?

15:29:27 FWC [sound of continuous repetitive chime for 9.6 seconds ]

15:29:28 RDO-1 we’re gonna be in the Hudson.

15:29:33 DEP I’m sorry say again Cactus?

15:29:36 HOT-2 I put it back on.

15:29:37 FWC [sound of continuous repetitive chime for 37.4 seconds ]

15:29:37 HOT-1 ok put it back on… put it back on.

15:29:37 GPWS too low. terrain.

15:29:41 GPWS too low. terrain.

15:29:43 GPWS too low. terrain.

15:29:44 HOT-2 no relight.

15:29:45.4 HOT-1 ok lets go put the flaps out, put the flaps out.

15:29:45 EGPWS caution. terrain.

15:29:48 EGPWS caution terrain.

15:29:48 HOT-2 flaps out?

15:29:49 EGPWS terrain terrain. pull up. pull up.

15:29:51 DEP Cactus uh….

15:29:53 DEP Cactus fifteen forty nine radar contact is lost you also got Newark airport off your two o’clock in about seven miles.

15:29:55 EGPWS pull up. pull up. pull up. pull up. pull up. pull up.

15:30:01 HOT-2 got flaps out.

15:30:03 HOT-2 two hundred fifty feet in the air.

15:30:04 GPWS too low. terrain.

15:30:06 GPWS too low. gear.

15:30:06 CAM-2 hundred and seventy knots.

15:30:09 CAM-2 got no power on either one? try the other one.

15:30:09 4718 two one zero uh forty seven eighteen. I think he said he’s goin in the Hudson.

15:30:11 HOT-1 try the other one.

15:30:13 EGPWS caution terrain.

15:30:14 DEP Cactus fifteen twenty nine uh, you still on?

15:30:15 FWC [sound of continuous repetitive chime begins and continues to end of recording]

15:30:15 EGPWS caution terrain.

15:30:16 HOT-2 hundred and fifty knots.

15:30:17 HOT-2 got flaps two, you want more?

15:30:19 HOT-1 no lets stay at two.

15:30:21 HOT-1 got any ideas?

15:30:22 DEP Cactus fifteen twenty nine if you can uh….you got uh runway uh two nine available at Newark it’ll be two o’clock and seven miles.

15:30:23 EGPWS caution terrain.

15:30:23 CAM-2 actually not.

15:30:24 EGPWS terrain terrain. pull up. pull up. [“pull up” repeats until the end of the recording]

15:30:38 HOT-1 we’re gonna brace.

15:30:38 HOT-2 * * switch?

15:30:40 HOT-1 yes.

15:30:41.1 GPWS (fifty or thirty)

15:30:42 FWC retard.

15:30:43.7 [End of Recording]

15:30:43.7 [End of Transcript]

Me.
After my freshman year of college, which I was fortunate enough to do on scholarship, I was broke, my truck was broke, and my scholarship was only for the year. I really couldn’t afford to continue, and needed money to fix my truck, so I moved back home to my dad’s house in North Florida and went to work for his construction company. However, my father and I were butting heads. Even though I was 19, had been on my own for a year, attended college on scholarship, made Dean’s list, and now was paying rent to him for my room and board, he still insisted on treating me like I was 12, with a ridiculous curfew, controlling my social life, and even who I could and couldn’t date.

As Christmas approached, my mom invited me to go visit her in Orange County, California for a couple weeks of Christmas vacation. As I had stayed in school for summer session, I hadn’t been to see her as I usually would have in summer. She offered to fly me out and pay expenses, so I jumped at the chance. I really needed the break from my father and his drama.

I flew out, and got busy seeing the West Coast family for the holidays and such. Mom then suggested we go snow skiing for a few days. Having grown up in Florida, this was completely new to me, and I was worried whether I’d manage to have any fun as a rank beginner, but mom, an avid skier, assured me I’d be fine. As I’d always loved the mountains, I thought, what the heck, at least there will be pretty scenery, and for sure my first “White Christmas.” So off we went to Mammoth Lakes, CA.

I definitely didn’t become a great skier (or even a good one) in four days, but I absolutely loved it there. It was breathtaking and so different from everything I was used to. Then I ended up on a chairlift next to a mountain employee. Her name was Melanie, and she was a peach! (Melanie, if you read this, you should recognize yourself in this story, and thank you!) I asked her what it was like to work there. She said it was great, free ski pass, employee housing available across the street from the main lodge for a very reasonable rate, and decent pay, much better than my father was paying me. I thought to myself, “Self, if I’m taking a year off from school to make some money, wouldn’t it be a whole lot nicer doing it here?” And my Self replied, “I do believe you are right!”

I marched into the mountain human resources office and applied for a job. Since I had worked at a popular fast food restaurant in high school and college, they hired me on the spot for one of their cafeterias, which was halfway up the mountainside. I also took a room at the employee housing. I literally walked across the parking lot each morning, boarded a gondola, and whisked a thousand feet up the mountain to work as a cashier in a glass walled cafeteria with a view from 10,000 ft of altitude.

Even better, I worked half-days on weekdays, and we had ski lockers downstairs, with a backdoor that opened onto the slopes. I skied 150+ days per year for the next four years, and lived there 7 years, total. I skied, hiked, camped, rockclimbed, bicycled, windsurfed, tubed, and waterskied more than I have the entire rest of my life. I also began volunteer firefighting, which I have continued to do since. On the fire department I also met a certain lady.

My 4-day ski vacation turned into 7 years, plus a wife and two kids. I did move to Atlanta after that and finish college, but I’ll always cherish my ski vacation!

Edit:
Nearly 2k upvotes, thanks! I’m glad this story resonates with so many.
In answer to several commenters, I thought I’d add some “rest of the story” explanations.

Given that they’d had a very acrimonious divorce a dozen years earlier, and were still both very bitter at the other, my mother was of course delighted that I moved away from my father and more into her sphere of influence.

She was also glad to have an excuse to go to Mammoth more often, and of course she might as well ski while she’s there, no? My father harrumphed a bit but had surprisingly little to say about the whole thing, other than, “Well, if you aren’t prepared to live by *my* rules, perhaps it’s best if you stay there.” All I could think was, “Oh pleeeeeease don’t throw me in the briar patch, B’rer Bear!”

I did, as I mentioned, return to school and finish my degree, Nuclear Engineering at Georgia Tech. I am still married to the same great lady I met on the volunteer fire department 34 years ago. As I’ve moved, I’ve been on three different volunteer departments over the years, and have been Chief of my current one for over 10 years now.

I still keep touch with many friends from Mammoth, including several from the fire department. It really did become the center of my life the last few years I was there. I’ve been to visit a couple of times and been to a fire department “old-timers” reunion. And, living back in Florida, I torture myself by getting the ski reports from Mammoth Mountain, just to keep up on how much snow they’ve gotten (almost 60 feet last year!).

Perhaps it’ll be time for another ski vacation soon…..

The old coot shoots Fluffy

  1. Sudden loss of physical strength
  2. Less social interactions and communications with those who are still actively working or physically more distant
  3. More bodily pains and insecurities as related to one’s ability to protect oneself
  4. You wonder more whether people even care if you’re alive or not?
  5. Your diet changes
  6. Your sleeping hours shorten
  7. You medicine cabinet and the number of meds you take get bigger
  8. You either spend less and save more or you resources are not enough to cover your expenses
  9. You might delay or postpone travel during the busy travel seasons
  10. You make up or find excuses to stay home

But- it doesn’t have to be this way!

You can take another path and shy away from exactly some or most of these things I just listed.

Every person is unique and will decide.

Best wishes…

my bestie convinced me to mock his insecurities, his revenge destroyed both our lives

These people are … *sheech*.

https://youtu.be/eeuPq4KIqyk

On my mother’s side, my grandparents provided housing to various newly immigrated siblings and cousins for nearly 15 years. In turn, in their old age, my grandparents lived with my mother for about six years and with my aunt and uncle for about four years until their deaths.

On my father’s side, my grandmother and step-grandfather took in her ex-husband, my grandfather, for nearly a year during his final illness.

My father and uncle shared responsibility for my grandmother starting in her 80s. She lived with my father and stepmother for the last decade of her life; before that, while she lived with my uncle, my great-aunt and her husband lived out the last few years of their lives with my father and step-mother.

After my mother developed Alzheimer’s, she alternated living with my sister, with me, and then for nearly seven years with my father and step-mother.

My sister and her whole family (husband, three children, dog, bird and pet rat) all lived with me for the entire year during which my sister was being treated for cancer. (Well, the rat didn’t make it, but my sister did.)

A decade later, my again-ill sister and her youngest child (then 13) moved in with me and lived with me for eight years, after which my sister lived in turn with her two oldest children and their partners for several years until she was able to live on her own.

Another sister housed my stepmother (her mother) and my stepmother’s partner for more than 10 years.

So, we’re all following a family tradition of taking care of family, and although it definitely has its challenges, we’ve all had good role models to follow.

I’ll turn 80 this coming June. I’ve been a night-owl all my life, and since I retired at 68, I have been able to indulge that trait. I usually go to bed after midnight, and get up around 9 AM. I’ve “trained” my good wife to follow the same pattern, though she is not a natural night owl. In this we are quite out of step with practically everyone we know.

My (and our) typical daily pattern is to get up around 9 AM, have a leisurely breakfast while scanning various news sites on my tablet, do some stuff on my computer, then head off to the gym. We both work out at the gym 5-6 days a week. (In summer, for me only, two of those workout days are actually taken up with golf instead of gym). Often some food shopping follows the gym. We then return home for a light lunch. By then it’s around 2 PM. I then usually do “stuff” around the house, mostly outside. For example I spent 6 weeks in April and May re-building our steps down to the beach. This involved hauling 16-foot 2 x 12 boards down a steep bank, assembling them into steps by myself. That’s an extreme example; I hope I never have to tackle a job that tough again! (Pic shows the job about half done)

main qimg 8ccfafad822d8862254a7f9ca21f759c
main qimg 8ccfafad822d8862254a7f9ca21f759c

A more typical afternoon job involved, last week, sanding down and refinishing the two Adirondack chairs I built a few years ago. So, that sort of thing. I usually wrap up the outside work around 5:30 or 6, then spend an hour or two reading (books). Dinner (my wife is a superb cook) is around 7:45. I do the cleanup, after which we usually have 3 or more hours to read, or occasionally (rarely, for me, more often for my wife) watch something on Netflix or some other provider. Also, fire in the fireplace every night when it’s cool/cold (probably mid-October through end of April). Plus, we spend 10 weeks every winter in New Zealand. But our pattern there is pretty similar to here, including the daily gym visits.

80 year old answering – awake at 6 am. Cup if coffee in bed with morning news on. Shower, brush teeth, dress for day (work clothes or week-end gardening, house cleaning), go to kitchen to prepare breakfast. Check email. Eat, brush teeth, start activities or go to car to leave for work. (Yes, still work by choice, love what I do.) Eat lunch, work or do hobbies, knit, crochet, garden, bake, read. Prepare dinner, eat dinner, clean kitchen, read or watch TV. 8:30, to bedroom, personal hygiene, lights off at 9:00. Great life!

The Winking Man

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost. view prompt

Derrick M Domican

The smart-looking centrepiece of the Pink Bougainvillaea Resort rose high into the cloud-filled night beyond a tidy block of white stucco villas. It was a five-storey, hundred room building with, as its name implied, an embracing multitude of pink bougainvillaea vines clinging to its brilliant, white-washed walls.From where I crouched, hidden in the shadows at the edge of a glade of palm trees amongst short, spiky Aloe Vera shrubs, I could see over the terracotta-tiled rooftops of the villas to the upper-most stories of the complex, where lights glowed in windows and holidaymakers sat on balconies, drinking with family or friends.Good times, they were having. Fun times. With family or friends. Safe in their rooms with not a care in the world and very little chance of fate betraying them. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.But I had to stop.Those were innocent people who had nothing to do with me and I wouldn’t wish the darkness I’d encountered here on any of them.I shook my head, tearing my eyes from the balconies to focus my attention on the outermost villa in the block of eight that waited across from me. A quick glance at my ‘watch’. It was 9:49 p.m. Not long until the door was due to open and the only-so-slightly inebriated holidaying couple that were responsible for me being here would come out.Only-so-slightly inebriated. Only a couple of glasses of sangria. Not enough to cloud judgement. Not enough to make stupid decisions. Perfectly in control of their destiny.You could say I’d been planning for this for a week, making sure I knew the details inside and out, had the timings down to a T and was fully prepared for the heart-rending task that lay ahead. In reality, I’d had much longer than that to make sure I was ready. I knew this resort, like the back of my hand, had spent more time here than I’d ever imagined I would when I picked it as a holiday destination. I knew every route in, out and through it, knew the surrounding woods and beaches, the neighbouring towns, the locals, the mountains, the bay.I knew everything I could ever want to know about this cursed place.But despite that, and despite being calm when I’d stepped onto the beach half an hour before, I was now less than two minutes from acquiring what I’d come for and my fifty-year-old body trembled like a house of ill-stacked cards.I was under no illusion. This was not an easy task and I was taking an incredible risk, with the chance things could go very badly wrong. All it would take was a split second’s hesitation at any point during the next ten minutes and my whole world would, by all accepted logic, cease to exist. Of course, the risk was worth it, and I couldn’t turn back now, but everything had to be perfect.Because I wasn’t the only one lurking in the shadows here tonight. There was another with a similar agenda, the winking man, most likely preparing to strike now, just like me.I had to be quicker.I looked at the watch strapped to my wrist and saw the time change to 9:50. I had to get ready to move, making sure to be invisible to all but clear to him. He needed to see me approaching the villa, he needed to be surprised and stopped in his tracks, so I shifted uncomfortably amongst the pulpy, large-leafed plants and tugged a dark grey ski mask from my pocket, pulling it on over my head. It wasn’t the first time I’d tried it on, but this time was different, this time was real, and I started to feel sick to my stomach.A click. A muffled laugh. The shuffling of feet.I’d just finished adjusting the opening of the mask around my eyes when the door to the villa slowly opened, allowing a young, familiar-looking couple to step out. I stopped dead, caught my breath, tried to merge further with the shadows.They were dressed up for the night, she in a short, black dress, he in khaki shorts and a loose-fitting Hawaiian shirt. They giggled annoyingly as they closed the door, turned the key, tugged the handle to make sure it was locked, so safety conscious. Satisfied it was, they linked arms and headed off along the lamp-lined path before the villas, passing curtained windows, speaking in hushed tones as they left them behind.Left everything behind like a pair of fools.I shook my head, banishing the thought. No time for that, no time to get wrapped up in judging stupid strangers. I needed to keep my emotions in check. Every one of them. Just for ten more minutes. After sixteen years, that wasn’t an unreasonable ask.I took a deep breath when they vanished, turning at the end of the block. I knew where they were going, to the poolside bar, to meet the friends they’d made here, people they’d gotten to know. They were going to share a few drinks, have a few laughs, it was the last night of the holidays, so why not? They had no reason to think it was a mistake. They had no way of knowing someone was lurking in the dark, waiting to change their lives, forever.Someone like me.Everything happened then quickly. I had no idea which direction the winking man might come from or at what precise second he would appear, for all I knew he could have been in those very same bushes there with me, a couple of steps behind or to the side, maybe having gotten there first, fallen still when he saw me arrive. The thought crossed my mind that I may have already done enough, just by making it this far, to make him give up on his quest. He might have spotted me sneaking in the dark and already left.But that didn’t mean I could quit. I was committed, there was no way out. I’d spent many sleepless nights weighing up the options, and doing nothing other than scaring him away was certainly one. But the consequences of that, the changes it might cause, were too mind-bogglingly complex to comprehend.Doing nothing could only make things worse at this juncture, and besides…I’d waited this long. I’d been through so much to get to this moment, I wasn’t going to let myself fizzle away, as selfish as I knew that to be. This was my life, my world, my time. I’d lived through it, every gut-wrenching, grief-stricken second, and I deserved my reward.It wasn’t going to all be for nothing.Adrenalin kicked in as I pushed myself up and left the bushes, like a shadow coming alive to stalk the night. It took me just seconds to cross the lawn, step over a low, yucca hedgerow, dash across the cobblestones to the villa, press myself back against the wall and crouch low beneath a window. I paused, casting furtive glances left and right while gasping for breath inside the mask.No sign of him.The coast was clear.I licked my lips, swallowed hard, steeled myself for what was next, the most difficult thing I had ever done or ever would, then rose, turning to place my gloved hands on the glass. The latch wasn’t engaged. I knew it wouldn’t be. The window went up easily, without a sound. I knew it would. The curtain inside billowed, revealing the dimly lit bedroom beyond.I hoisted myself up on the window ledge and grunted, wriggling less than gracefully through the narrow gap and curtains. It wasn’t easy, but I’d been practising and I managed to swing my legs through without falling to the floor. Once inside, I eased the window shut and stepped into the centre of the room.Now came the hardest part.I found what I’d come for at once. The treasure I’d desired for so long. My heart was aching, threatening to explode. I wanted to sink to my knees, just drop to the uncarpeted, marble floor there and stare, but there wasn’t time. A glance at the watch told me it was 9:51. The winking man might arrive at any moment. If he hadn’t seen me sneaking around outside, if he hadn’t seen me enter the villa, he could still appear and ruin everything.I needed to avoid confrontation at all costs but more than that, I needed to be crossing the road to the beach in eight minutes so…I didn’t turn on any lights. I averted my gaze as much as possible. I didn’t think, I acted, like a robot, emotions as numb as they always were, every day, mind blank. It went against every natural instinct. What I wanted to do was different, but I had to stick to the plan. I had to be completely dead inside, and luckily for me, that was easy. There would be time for living later, if everything worked out. It just required one last monumental effort.

It took me a minute to do what I had to do and then I was out of the room, crossing ceramic tiles to the high-arched doorway, bounty in my arms wrapped in a blanket. I didn’t hesitate. I fumbled with the lock, got it open. My knees were about to buckle but I pushed against the door and stepped outside. Nobody was there. The only one who might have been was the winking man and I was prepared to do whatever it took to get past him.

I made my way back to the lawn, held my breath as I strode towards the woods, every single second like forever. I was ready to run should anyone shout a warning. No one did.

Back in the shadows I paused to catch my breath, glancing back at the villa to make sure the door hung open. I couldn’t see my watch but guessed the time was now 9:53. Five minutes to reach the road. I was tempted to wait a bit longer, to see if the winking man would appear. He had to be close, if he was still here, watching from nearby, wondering who I was, frozen by indecision due to this unexpected development.

It didn’t matter. As much as I wanted to see him, to hurt him, I couldn’t risk any interaction, couldn’t risk losing the steely resolve I was somehow managing to maintain. I couldn’t risk changing a thing, so I pushed him from my mind and entered the woods.

Every step I took I wanted to break down. Give in to the unbearable weight of emotion that was rending my heart. I’d known all along this wasn’t going to be easy but no amount of mindfulness or meditation could have prepared me for holding this bundle in my arms. Don’t think about it. Get to the road, focus on hitting your mark, the traffic light, 9:58. Almost there. Just a few more minutes and you can let it all out, once and for all.

In the darkness, through the tears that gathered unbidden in my eyes, it was difficult to navigate the tightly-packed fir trees and their spiky, pointing branches. More than once I lost my footing and slammed against a bole, more than once the exposed flesh around my eyes was scraped and poked by the tip of a branch. I had to ignore the discomfort, blink away the tears, keep surging forward. The sounds of the waves crashing on the nearby coast had reached my ears and I hoped they would mask the sounds of my movement to anyone who happened to be nearby. Though the only one that could have been was him.

What if he decided to tackle me, to take what he’d come for by force rather than stealth? What if he hit me from behind, took the bundle and disappeared into the night like he had done before? All of this would be for nothing. The years of pain, Janey’s suffering and death, the family falling to pieces, selling everything I owned and risking my freedom to buy this watch and thirty minutes of chronofuel on the black market. I could never change any of what happened but I could at least save one soul, maybe two, if there was hope for me beyond this. I  just had to stay calm until…

The road appeared before me as the forest opened. Relieved, I crouched low in the long grass at the verge, watching as the clouds above parted, allowing a curious crescent moon to at last peep out. Gently, so as not to disturb it, I drew my cargo closer to my chest, craning my neck so I could see the watch. 9:57. I panted, tilted my head to the side, rubbed my face against my shoulder. One of the branches had cut my cheek, I was bleeding. Damnit.

The time on the watch changed to 9:58 and I rose and stepped onto the road, started to cross. This was the most important part. I turned my head and looked left, towards the traffic light glowing red a hundred yards away. I stared at it as I crossed, counting the seconds in my head, one, two, three, four, until I reached the opposite side and stepped onto the beach.

I couldn’t see the camera mounted to the top of the light but I knew it was there. That camera had captured a man crossing this road all those years ago, holding something precious in his arms. The one and only lead that ever existed, the one and only piece of evidence to show that a real life human had been responsible. That footage would be paused and zoomed in on, enhanced as best as it could but still resulting only in a grainy shot of a furtive man, balaclava concealing his features. That image would go on to appear on every newspaper and television show and book cover and reward poster for years after. It was burned into my mind, I saw it every time I closed my eyes. And there I was now, recreating it. Same time, same place, same kind of clothing down to the head covering. The only thing I didn’t do, refused to do, was replicate the most unsettling part.

The wink.

The camera had captured the culprit winking as he crossed the road, as if he knew he was being recorded, knew the footage would be found and viewed, knew it would be of no use to anyone and so he could mock us.

I had to replicate everything that happened as near as possible so as to eliminate the chance of anything changing. Everything had to play out exactly as it had done. Everything.

But I wasn’t going to wink. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. ‘The Winking Man’ was how he had come to be known. And I was going to erase him.

I stepped on soft, dry sand, looking away from the road as I got out of sight of the camera. There was nothing else to do now. I just had to walk, retracing my footsteps on the beach from earlier, walking back towards where I’d first appeared.

There had been no witnesses that night. Nobody had seen anyone on the beach so I didn’t have to worry about that, and the winking man had surely given up. I focused my attention on the sand as I walked, no longer checking the watch, knowing it had passed 9:59, walked, walked, walked until it started to vibrate at 10.

I took a deep breath. The bundle shifted softly in my arms. My vision started to blur, my body tingled and a wave of nausea swept through me as my surroundings faded.

In the void I continued to walk until the darkness cleared and the landscape took shape again. It only took a second. For me. The watch stopped vibrating, the prickling sensation on my skin subsided and my vision cleared. I was still on the beach but things were different. The moon above was full, glowing bright in a cloudless sky. Towering hotel blocks that hadn’t been there before stretched into the night nearby. The thud-thud-thud of music replaced the sounds of the sea.

And the winking man waited up ahead.

As if punched in the gut, I dropped to my knees, making a horrible, guttural sound. The winking man mimicked my movement. He was exactly as he looked in the picture, a freeze-framed, magnified x100 image come to life and transported into my world. Or so it seemed. Until the mind-fog brought on by traversal cleared and I realised I was looking at the polished chrome side of the car I’d driven on to the beach thirty minutes before.

No.

I lowered my bundle to the sand, peeled the sweaty ski mask off my head, cast it aside and stared in horror at my reflection, my swollen left eye surrounded by blood from where the fir branch had nicked me, making it look like I was…

“Daddy?”

The voice from the blanket was all it took for the dam to burst and the emotions to explode and every single bit of long repressed trauma to urgently pour out of my soul. I started to cry like I’d never cried before while holding her as tight as I dared, burying my face in her shoulder, remembering her smell, the touch of her hair, the sound of her voice.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” she said, wrapping small arms around my neck. She couldn’t see how different I looked. “Why are we on the beach? Where’s Mummy?”

I held her close and cried relentlessly, watching my heaving reflection in the polished chrome door and the child-abducting bastard winking back at me.

Pizza Sauce

This is more involved than many pizza sauces but it’s worth it! All you have to add for making your pizza is cheese!

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22646a0bd52d4bd2e45a0a4d942a836f

Yield: enough for 3 (12 inch) pizzas

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sausage, cooked and drained
  • 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 large can tomatoes
  • 1 large can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet basil
  • 1 large can mushrooms, drained (optional)

 

 

Instructions

  1. Sauté sausage, ground beef, onions, bell pepper and garlic in oil, cooking until tender.
  2. Mix remaining ingredients together and add the sausage and ground beef. Simmer uncovered for at least 1 hour.

Notes

This sauce can be frozen.

I do not understand the aura of gloom, pessimism, despair, and fatalism that surrounds aging. Now if you are truly hurting, unable to walk, invalided, etc., I certainly do understand and you have my deep sympathy, because without doubt there are many of those. But as someone who is 75 and knows many septuagenarians, I am perplexed by the relentless negativity about the future, especially considering that most I know seem to be doing quite well.

Let me state right off the bat that the things I could do before are the things I still do. Well, I played a lot of ball and got drunk in my teenage years, and I can’t do that now, but God help the person whose only pleasures and good times came from high school days. When I was 23, I drove solo and very nearly nonstop from San Francisco to Pensacola, Florida, and no, I would get killed or kill others trying to do that now. But even at 23, I never wanted to do that again.

I can do the same things today that I enjoyed doing at age 30 and derive greater pleasure from them now than ever I did then. It vexes me to hear oldsters say things like, “Well, this is the last car I’ll ever own.” How would they know? Many even sound pleased about that. Not I. For one thing, I think I have a very good shot at making 90. Won’t be surprised at all if I make 20 or 25 more years. Is that statistically unlikely? Yes, but I feel like a lot of things are on my side, and I would love to hear from more of you who feel the same way.

For one thing, my weight this morning was down to 145 pounds. I am 5′7″, and I weighed 182 pounds seven years ago while working. That current 145 is now just 3 pounds over my weight of 142 at age 17, fifty-seven years ago. A couple of months back, I’d written here that I planned to be at my high school weight by New Year’s Day. With a mere 3 pounds to go, I think I may make it this week. Haven’t decided whether to go lower than 142 or not. After all, that was my peak-conditioning weight, a time when I played ball obsessively. Being that light makes you feel remarkably youthful again, age 75 be damned! Makes you feel that age really is just a number.

A lady commented a few weeks back that she turns 90 this spring yet still gardens, still does anything she wants to do, and still lives independently. An 81-year-old man commented that he lifts weights regularly and feels stronger than he did 30 years ago. When you are feeling this tremendous lightness or strength or energy within you, you feel like you may just go on for a very long time.

I know that I could very well be stricken with cancer or other maladies at this age and at any time. But that is not how I feel or think. In fact, my mind is on fire for all the incredible books I am reading, for writing on Quora, for experiencing the blessed beauty of nature and of this sacred season. I am alive and I feel I have miles and miles to go before I sleep, and that is supremely spirit enabling and fills me with great confidence and joy.

May you all experience the immaculate beauty of this season, and may you have much happiness both now and for all your many, many Christmases to come.

An Indian is simply STUNNED. Had no idea what China is like.

Normally, Indian videos are kind of nauseating, but this one is different. It is REAL. Well worth your time to watch. Well produced, and informative.

I am bothered that I am slowing down.

I can still summon strength when needed but time is our most precious commodity.

It takes me longer to do things on my own.

I’ve become resentful of the 40+ hours every week I give to my employer.

I haven’t had time for myself especially to rest and improve my health.

This weekend I moved my daughter 800 miles back home. I am grateful for the two young men who came and carried everything from her apartment to a moving van. That gave us time and saved our strength for when we needed it.

My daughter thinks I can do anything. I’ve tried to gently explain to her about aging.

Trying to Restrict China in Chips a Fool’s Errand — Raimondo

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who has been leading the Joe Biden administration’s effort to restrict China’s progress in developing and using advanced chips, now says the effort is a “fool’s errand.”

“Trying to hold China back is a fool’s errand,” Raimondo said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, adding that investing in building a chip supply chain was more effective than export controls to counter tech rival Beijing.

Raimondo said export controls were mere “speed bumps” for China and had not slowed the country’s push for tech dominance or its progress in building semiconductor capabilities.

“The only way to beat China is to stay ahead of them… We have to run faster, out innovate them. That’s the way to win,” Raimondo told the WSJ.

So Raimondo told the truth just before she is out of office!

Droun

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost. view prompt

Beth Kubala

When I was ten, Uncle Droun gave me my first telescope. My parents were obviously pleased for me but also somewhat embarrassed by his generosity.“Droun, you didn’t have to give Andrew anything,” declared my mother, shaking her head. Uncle Droun was not really my uncle, he was an out-of-town friend of my father’s whom he had met at a conference a few years ago and brought home to meet the family.About ten years younger than my parents in many ways he treated me more like a big brother. Droun was an astrophysicist and my father’s field was thermodynamics but they would talk and laugh together about many things. Above all my father loved to discuss philosophy with him. But Astronomy belonged to me and Uncle Droun.My mother raised me to be a good Catholic boy, but my father -who had agreed to my baptism to please my Mom – made no secret of his atheism. At different times they tried to use the influence that Uncle Droun had over me to draw me to their position. Droun had been raised as a Catholic too, he told my Mom. She was thrilled by this and loved watching my father squirm when he succeeded in logically backing my free will denying father into a logical corner.I was thirteen when Uncle Droun returned for a visit. He had two days in town he said and didn’t know when he’d see us again. He and I talked for hours about the latest findings in astronomy. My Mom drew him into a deep theological discussion and my father took his turn with their favorite philosophical conversations. At the end of his stay he took me aside and told me he had a trick for me to employ through my teenage years that he had found useful. “Be good to your mother and father and do as you are told. But, if you must disobey and you get caught, invoke your father in his argument denying free will. If you tell your father you had no choice in the matter, he will have to back down if he wants to remain consistent with his argument. Then go to confession, it will make your Mom happy.” I took his advice and followed it to the letter for the whole of my teen years. Many times my father was frustrated by his inability to discipline me and also be consistent with his anti-free will position. My mother was sad when I messed up and delighted when I employed the sacraments to reconcile with God and the church.When I was seventeen, Uncle Droun visited again. “Call me Droun,” he insisted,” the time for “Uncle” is over now that you are about to head off to college.” We spent hours poring over ideas about where and what to study. So I was surprised when his primary piece of advice was not academic, instead he said, “find someone special, perhaps a Catholic girl,“ he winked at me and continued “don’t be scared to wait, when you find her, marry her and be good to her. She will be good to you and loyal too.”He hadn’t been wrong yet so I tucked the nugget away, keeping it to myself. I had a sneaking suspicion my Dad who approved of my academic plans would not have approved of this suggestion.By the time I saw Droun again I was twenty-one, I had met Maggie and we were engaged. I had also been invited to continue research into a new discovery which had implications for how we understood time and space. I was dying to talk to Droun about it but it was all subject to a non-disclosure agreement. He said he understood and he looked excited for me. He didn’t meet Maggie but he said he would try to get back for the wedding.The year I turned twenty-five everything changed. That was the year we realized that the new materials we were working with from outer space could create a stable environment for time travel.Maggie and I were married with one son already and my career was really taking off. I wished I could share the news with my wife, my parents with my old friend Droun but I was compelled to keep the highly confidential project secret. I was conducting time experiments with particular caution. Many had speculated on the challenges of time travel but nobody had actually attempted to discover the reality of time travel. Was it ethical? What were its limitations? Could the timeline be manipulated if I went back in time? As the experiments continued we concluded that the events that had occurred could not be adjusted but great care had to be taken. I certainly never considered traveling in my own timeline.Then one day Droun phoned me and asked if he could meet me at the lab. I said it was impossible, he wouldn’t be allowed in. He agreed to meet me outside the building. Droun was getting older his hair was starting to go gray and he looked more serious than I’d ever seen.“How’s Maggie?” was his first question.“She’s good, very good.” I answered.“And how’s Ben? Is he thriving?” And I reassured him, my family was well. It had occurred to me then as it had before that he knew much more about my family than I knew about his.“I have something I need to explain.” He paused, it was a long pause.“I know about your work. I am involved more deeply in your work than you know. I know you better than you realize.”I looked at him, I knew he couldn’t know about my work. Then I looked at him again, into his eyes and I recognized something I hadn’t seen before.“Since you’ve been working on this project, it hasn’t occurred to you? That you would step back in time to see your family? You’ve never questioned how there comes to be a certain likeness between us?”“Not until now.” I could see it now and I couldn’t unsee it.The man I knew as Droun was me. In case I had any doubt about this he walked me up to the building security and bypassed the bio-metric security to the lab with ease. Up until this point I had not considered the possibility of entering into my timeline. Now Droun had not just given me permission to do so he had told me that’s what I would do. I remembered many of the details of Droun’s visits to me and now I was going to undertake them and go back to spend time with a younger version of myself and my parents too.“I won’t be back,” he said.“You shouldn’t,” I agreed, “It’s too risky.”

“Before you go, where did you get the name Droun?” I asked him

“We’ll never know Andrew,” he said and with that he turned and left, I thought, never to see him again.

 

 

When I was thirty-five I gave Andrew his first telescope. I experienced my parents as colleagues and friends. I debated my own father on philosophical questions and spent time talking with my mother about God as an adult. I advised Andrew as a new teen and then again as an emergent adult. I prepared him to meet Maggie. I had met her young and I wasn’t afraid to marry young and accept the adventure of a lifetime as her husband. I attended the wedding incognito, the groom and his family didn’t see me in the back. I wasn’t needed, I just really wanted to go back and revisit that day.

 

I had no intention to go back and see Andrew after he found out that he and I were the same person. It would have done him no good, the temptation too great to consult with me about his own future. Then when I turned fifty I made the mistake of a lifetime and Maggie found out. After twenty-seven years of marriage, Maggie left me.

 

I spent months in agony, wishing that I had not let her and our family down and that I hadn’t been tempted in the first place. I wish I could go back in time and stop it from ever happening again. Now I had a new temptation and it ate away at me for a whole year before I lost all resistance. It was my last chance, my only chance. Yet it was hope against hope, how could I change the timeline?

“You’re not supposed to be here,” said Andrew. He was forty-five and with only five years between us we looked like brothers standing next to each other in the park.

“ Maggie is going to leave you. Not her fault. You made a mistake, a huge mistake. It was the cost you paid for your work. You have to slow down your work. Live. Spend time with your family. Less work. Much less.”

 

To say Andrew was shocked was an understatement, “has it just happened?” he asked.

“It’s been a year since she left.”

“How old are you now?

“I’m fifty. I think you have a chance, a small chance to turn things around with Maggie.”

Andrew was exasperated, “how could I possibly turn things around? It’s already happened on the timeline, you know it isn’t adjustable.”

I found myself shouting at him – unreasonably angry that he wasn’t willing to at least try, “So now you know about it, you’ve accepted it as fate, you think you have permission to treat her poorly?”

 

“How dare you, Droun?” He was seething. “I haven’t done anything to Maggie to hurt her. You did it. You are the one who cheated, not me. I don’t have permission to do anything, you’ve condemned me to an action I can’t stop myself from doing. Dad was right, when it comes to you and me there is no free will. I can’t undo the decision you made to cheat on our wife.”

He was right. There was no solution to this dilemma.

“I have no recollection of this visit happening to me, so something changed on the timeline.”

Andrew paused before responding, “Truthfully, I can’t live with the knowledge of what will happen for the next five years. I’m going to see a hypnotist and have the memory of this meeting removed.”

“So that’s it then”

“That’s it.”

 

I understood, in trying to save our marriage, I had imposed on him an impossible task. I turned and walked away.

The loneliest year of my life turned into two. I started to agree with Andrew that Dad was right all along. Free will is just an illusion.

 

Then Maggie came back.

 

“I thought you were gone for good, why, why did you return?”

“I forgive you. I love you,” she said.

“You didn’t have to come back. I know don’t deserve it, don’t deserve you.”

“I wanted to come back. I chose to come back of my own free will.”

He could have relieved me of the pain of two years of suffering by coming back to tell me Maggie came back to me. He didn’t. It was the cost, I realized, a penance of sorts for failing my wife and my children. It was a price I had to pay, the price everyone has to pay for the consequences of our actions.

 

It was a cost I have come to accept in time.

80? Ummm , let me think … that was four years ago, so what did I do all day back then (when I was young)? Well, that was when the SARS-CoV-2 virus was spreading itself across the surface of the globe, of course, so there wasn’t a lot I could do – especially when my usual haunts, local golf courses, for example, were closed for a couple of months.

I live on the central coast of California, so that spring and summer I hiked a lot in the hills near my home or along the bluffs overlooking the Pacific – always with my cameras with me. It’s hard to imagine a better outdoor activity than hiking when you want to avoid people! And I wrote a lot – including a piece on the many hiking trails in my area with lots of photos showing off their beauty – and the wildlife one sees. Ordinarily, I would have been planning and then taking a long summer road trip into the Canadian Rockies or somewhere – with hiking and golf along the way. But that wasn’t possible in 2020, but it did get me to thinking about the trips I’d taken before, the hikes I’d been on, the spectacular mountain views, and the lush golf courses in British Columbia I’d played – so I also wrote pieces about those adventures. Writing is a good activity when you want to just get immersed in your thoughts, in the quiet and comfort of your own home – with laptop in hand, while ignoring whatever else is going on in your town.

So what about now? What is my daily routine now that I’m four years older? Not much different, actually – and it’s hardly a routine. I do volunteer at a local golf course as a starter/course marshal two or three days a week – so that gets me out there regularly (where I see a lot of friends) and I often play or practice on days it’s not busy at the course. I played today, for example, for the fourth consecutive day. Just nine holes walking my hilly course (playing two balls since it was not crowded). It’s good outdoor recreation, and even just playing nine holes can still add to about five miles before the day is over depending what else I do. And sometimes I go around that nine-hole course twice. (It was warm today, sunny and windless in December – a nice day to be on a golf course.) And days I don’t go to the course, I might still hike the hills or bluffs – always with my cameras.

And I still pretend I know something from time to time when I peer review for a physics journal, or even sometimes in answering questions on this site.

There may come a time (in fact, likely will come a time), when I can’t be as active as I am now. I don’t know what my routine will be like then – I’m not good at just sitting around. But that will give me more time to write, I suspect. So we’ll see.

How can the Chinese build high speed rail all over the place while California can’t manage a single line?

“China’s high-speed rail is incredibly fast, incredibly comfortable, and has no flaws.” Some time ago, Trump praised China’s high-speed rail in a live broadcast. Previously, Obama and Biden had publicly expressed their “envy” for China’s high-speed rail.

It’s worth noting that as early as 1996, the U.S. proposed its first high-speed rail project, and in 2011, then-President Obama introduced the “25-Year High-Speed Rail Plan,” which included 13 proposed routes. It seemed that surpassing China was imminent. However, as we approach the third president since then, all high-speed rail plans remain on paper, and even the proposed 800-mile California high-speed rail has frequently been scaled back—from an initial plan to build 1,287 kilometers for $77 billion, it now can only cover 177 kilometers.

In the past, Western critics used technical challenges, environmental assessments, and safety concerns of high-speed rail to attack China’s infrastructure development. However, the stable operation of China’s high-speed rail over the years, providing convenience to its people, has answered those baseless doubts. Today, China’s high-speed rail network accounts for over 70% of the world’s total, connecting almost everyone in the country and making the idea of the U.S. easily surpassing it entirely unrealistic.

In reality, the U.S. was once a major industrial nation developing infrastructure on a large scale, but today its increasingly complex and corrupt political system makes such large-scale projects hard to implement. Building high-speed rail is primarily a political issue, deeply influenced by partisan struggles.

In a private economy, the U.S. federal government owns only 28% of the land nationwide. To build large-scale high-speed rail, land must be purchased from private owners. Given the long construction period and uncertain returns, for profit-driven capitalists, it’s akin to gambling and not worth the risk. As a result, besides purchasing land, high-speed rail routes must take detours; for example, a third of the budget for California’s high-speed rail was spent on this. Additionally, the construction of high-speed rail inevitably disrupts the traditional automobile industry market, which has led to resistance from related market capitalists. For instance, after Obama first proposed the high-speed rail plan in 2009, oil tycoon Koch Industries immediately stated that the plan threatened their future vision. To protect their interests, they spent heavily, hired residents from various states, and organized “anti-high-speed rail” protests, further obstructing the project.

Another obstacle is the severe corruption in the United States. When Obama proposed the “25-year high-speed rail plan” in 2011, the total estimated cost for all states was only $53 billion. However, the budget for just one unfinished rail line in California later doubled, and it’s hard to believe there wasn’t any corruption involved. After all, corruption is also a major characteristic of the U.S. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, San Francisco set up a homeless base camp project to provide essential services like tents and food. However, despite spending over $18 million, only about 260 tents were set up, and it cost $60,000 annually to operate. Considering that a high-end tent from a brand like Patagonia costs around $2,000 at most, and $400,000 would be more than sufficient, it’s hard to believe they didn’t find the $4 million spent insufficient and requested an additional $15 million. Additionally, military corruption is a well-known issue in the U.S. Over the past twenty years, the U.S. has spent $14 trillion on wars, a staggering amount, yet no one can provide a detailed breakdown. They even claimed to have spent $6 million on raising nine goats, but the purpose and whereabouts of these goats remain unknown. It’s hard to believe there was no corruption involved.

In contrast, China benefits from the inherent advantages of its system. With government policy support, technological innovation, and comprehensive engineering progress, building high-speed rail has become as routine as car manufacturing, achieving “China Speed” with remarkable efficiency. Moreover, China is very serious about anti-corruption efforts. Over the past decade, its disciplinary inspection and supervisory agencies have investigated and reviewed 4.388 million cases, involving 4.709 million people, leaving no place for officials involved in corruption and damage to public interests to hide. This has provided an objective guarantee for large-scale construction in China.

Some say that the high car ownership rate in the U.S. makes high-speed rail unnecessary, while others argue that the prevalence of airplanes makes high-speed rail irrelevant. But regardless of the arguments, it is clear that high-speed rail development has indeed benefited the people. Despite frequent suppression from the U.S., China’s development and rise are unstoppable, as evidenced by its high-speed rail achievements. The difficulty the U.S. faces in advancing its high-speed rail projects reflects management problems in the country. Whether it’s money and power transactions or corruption, the U.S. needs to enforce serious penalties and investigations. Otherwise, in the near future, it will witness itself being left behind by the times, with projects stagnating like its high-speed rail endeavors.

Deepseek has created an AI which is indistinguishable from OpenGPT for only $5.5M in hardware. The system has been trained on OpenGPT output.

This raises a very interesting question. Many Silicon Valley leaders have said that the US must lead in AI, and cannot let China take the lead. This has been used to justify the raising of billions from investors.

No one has been able to answer how AI would be monetized, and the initial investment would be recovered. Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, has said that Apple has never discussed an AI monetization strategy.

So how are all the investors in AI in the US going to get their money back? Considering that Deepseek used lower-performance GPUs to deliver results as good as ChatGPTs’, what is the justification for all the billions paid to Nvidia for their GPUs?

Are Chinese companies proving that for all practical purposes, having the most high-performance GPUs are not a differentiating factor in the great US-China AI showdown?

Something to think about in 2025…

Musk is a grinder, and he wants his workers to be grinders too. He doesn’t really understand software engineering. Its basic principles just annoy him. What he wants is people who come in early and work late with their heads down.

One of the things about people in the US on H1-B visas is that they know that if they lose their jobs they have 30 days to find another one or they have to leave the country. It’s that fact, and not some kind of cultural work ethic that they’ve learned by in India, that drives H1-B holders to work the way that Musk wants his people to work.

This worked fine for him when he was doing greenfields development in a field that had so little prior art that anything that could be made to work was good enough to sell for nine figures. But you’ll notice that none of his big technical plans for Twitter have come to fruition. He hasn’t added significant new features to Twitter because he doesn’t lead an organization that’s capable of it.

Twitter the financial center? Twitter the video host? Twitter the email hub? There hasn’t been a whisper of any of those projects. The only things Twitter has rolled out were features that were already nearly done when Musk bought the company, and small-scale patches to its existing features.

All of his H1-B workers are toiling away, burning the midnight oil, smiling when they see him, laughing at his jokes, and not really getting anything done. The work that any one of them produces doesn’t integrate well with the work the others are producing. Making that happen requires a lot of thought. These people aren’t paid to think. They’re paid to work.

Musk thinks of his workers as cogs in a machine. What he doesn’t understand is that the machine doesn’t exist yet. New machines can be built with cogs, but they can’t be built by cogs.

Cheddar and Beef Stuffed Sandwich

2206dec2bfbd4546ea1ed3f7ba7d22da
2206dec2bfbd4546ea1ed3f7ba7d22da

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, divided
  • 2 (283g) packages refrigerated pizza crust
  • 8 (250g) packages thinly sliced deli roast beef
  • 8 ounces (250g) thinly sliced Cheddar cheese
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Using Food Chopper, chop green pepper and onion. Heat oil in Stir-Fry Skillet, over medium heat until hot. Press garlic into oil using Garlic Press. Add bell pepper, onion and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove Skillet from heat.
  3. Unroll 1 pizza crust onto lightly floured surface. Using lightly floured Dough and Pizza Roller, roll out crust to 12 x 9 inch rectangle; cover with half of the beef, cheese and vegetable mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges of dough.
  4. Starting at longest side of rectangle, roll up dough, jellyroll fashion; press seam together to seal. Repeat with remaining crust and filling ingredients. Place rolls, seam sides down, on Large Round Stone. Join ends of rolls together to form 1 large ring; press ends together to seal.
  5. Brush egg white onto dough using Pastry Brush. Sprinkle with remaining oregano.
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  8. Cut and serve using Slice ‘N Serve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 371 Calories; 22g protein; 15g fat; 35g carbohydrates; 543mg sodium

Attribution

Pampered Chef

To be honest, I felt disbelief when I saw the video of China’s sixth-generation fighter jet test flight, and my first suspicion was that it was fake news, but more and more official media outlets started to put out the word to confirm the news.

To be honest I am very proud, since the end of the Qing Dynasty when China was invaded, the dream of every Chinese is that the country becomes strong again, the purpose of our strong military power is not to invade other countries, but for our own country is no longer threatened.

China’s military scientists step by step to catch up with the international advanced level, such as active phased array radar low cost makes China’s radar to create a generation difference advantage. 055 destroyer’s monolithic strength is worthy of our every Chinese people proud.

And today’s six-generation aircraft charges, beyond the United States Japan Britain France, the Chinese people are no longer humiliated, only the weak at heart will compare themselves with other countries.

We Chinese people’s idea is the great unity of the world’s people!

The day of the first flight of the six-generation aircraft happens to be the birthday of our country’s great leader Chairman Mao, perhaps this is Chairman Mao’s favorite birthday present

Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Great Biscuit Bandit

Ah, dear reader, you’ve returned for yet another tale of my astounding intellect and razor-sharp wit. You have good taste, I’ll give you that. Today, I shall recount an adventure that not only tested my patience but also my ability to tolerate a certain sticky-pawed nuisance: Rufus the raccoon. Yes, the same Rufus who seems to be a magnet for trouble. Against my better judgment, he plays a key role in this story. Together, we unraveled a mystery that had the entire farm in an uproar. This is the story of The Great Biscuit Bandit.

The Crime

The day began like any other, with the sun rising over the farm and the animals going about their usual business. I was enjoying a leisurely nap on the barn roof when Farmer Joe’s voice shattered the morning calm.

“My biscuits!” he shouted, his voice carrying across the farmyard. “Someone’s stolen my biscuits!”

I opened one eye, irritated. Biscuits? Really? This was the emergency? But as the animals gathered to gawp at Farmer Joe’s distress, it became clear that this was no ordinary theft. These weren’t just any biscuits—they were Farmer Joe’s famous buttermilk biscuits, the ones he baked every Sunday morning and left to cool on the kitchen windowsill. The humans prized these biscuits above all else, which meant the culprit was playing a dangerous game.

As the animals buzzed with speculation, I leapt gracefully to the ground and padded over to the crowd. “Alright, everyone, calm down,” I said, my voice cutting through their chatter. “Let’s get some details. Farmer Joe, when did you last see your biscuits?”

“This morning,” he groaned, scratching his head. “I left them on the windowsill to cool, and when I came back, they were gone! All ten of ‘em!”

“Ten biscuits,” I mused, my tail flicking thoughtfully. “That’s quite the haul. Whoever did this must be bold… or very, very hungry.”

The Suspects

The animals immediately began pointing hooves, wings, and paws at each other.

“It was the pigs!” Harold the rooster crowed. “They’re always stealing food!”

“Don’t look at us!” Porkchop snorted, indignant. “We’ve been in the mud pit all morning. Besides, we don’t even like biscuits. Too dry.”

“What about Clover?” Henny Penny clucked. “She’s always chewing on things she’s not supposed to!”

“Hey!” Clover the goat bleated, stomping her hoof. “I chew on wood and rope, not baked goods!”

The accusations flew back and forth, but none of the animals seemed guilty enough to pursue. That’s when I noticed someone slinking away from the group, trying very hard not to be seen.

“Rufus,” I called, my voice sharp. “Where do you think you’re going?”

The raccoon froze mid-step, his ringed tail twitching nervously. “Oh, uh, nowhere,” he said, turning to face me with an unconvincing grin. “Just, uh, minding my own business.”

“Funny,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Because you look like someone who knows a thing or two about missing biscuits.”

Rufus’s grin faltered. “Hey, I didn’t take them, alright? I mean, sure, I thought about it—who wouldn’t? But I didn’t do it!”

“Then you won’t mind helping me investigate,” I said, smirking. “After all, two sets of eyes are better than one.”

He groaned but didn’t argue. Rufus might be a troublemaker, but he knows better than to cross me.

The Investigation

Rufus and I started at the scene of the crime: the kitchen windowsill. The smell of freshly baked biscuits still lingered in the air, but the tray was empty except for a few crumbs. I sniffed the windowsill carefully, picking up traces of flour, butter… and something else. Something earthy.

“Rufus,” I said, pointing to the ground outside the window. “What do you make of those?”

He crouched down and examined the dirt. “Footprints,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “Small ones. Too small for a human or a pig.”

“Exactly,” I said. “And they’re headed toward the barn. Let’s follow them.”

As we trailed the footprints, Rufus couldn’t help but chatter. “So, uh, what’s the plan when we find the culprit? Scare ‘em? Trap ‘em? Ooh, can I tackle ‘em? I’ve been working on my pounce.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” I said, rolling my eyes. “We’re gathering evidence, not staging a wrestling match.”

“Boring,” Rufus muttered, but he kept following me.

The Plot Thickens

The footprints led us to the barn, where we found more crumbs scattered near the hay bales. Rufus sniffed one and licked his lips. “Mmm, buttery. Whoever took those biscuits sure knows how to enjoy ‘em.”

“Focus,” I snapped, though I couldn’t entirely blame him. The smell was making me hungry too.

As we searched the barn, we heard a faint rustling sound coming from the loft. I motioned for Rufus to stay quiet—no easy task—and crept up the ladder. Peering over the edge, I spotted the culprit.

It was a family of squirrels, their cheeks stuffed with biscuit crumbs. The tray was there too, hidden behind a pile of hay, with a few half-eaten biscuits still sitting on it.

“Well, well, well,” I said, leaping onto the loft. “Looks like the biscuit bandits have been caught red-pawed.”

The squirrels froze, their tails puffing up in alarm. One of them tried to make a run for it, but Rufus was quicker. He darted up the ladder and blocked their escape, grinning like a mischievous pup.

“Nice try, fuzzballs,” he said, crossing his arms. “But you’re not going anywhere.”

The Resolution

With the evidence in paw, I called the animals to the barn to witness the culprits. The squirrels chittered nervously as I explained how they had stolen the biscuits and hidden them in the loft.

“I suppose they couldn’t resist the smell,” I said. “But stealing from Farmer Joe is a serious offense.”

“What do we do with them?” Henny Penny asked, her feathers ruffled.

“We’ll let Farmer Joe handle it,” I said. “But first, Rufus, help me return the tray.”

Rufus groaned but complied, carrying the sticky tray back to the kitchen window. Farmer Joe spotted it later and muttered something about “pesky critters,” but he seemed pleased to get it back.

As for the squirrels, they were banished from the barn but allowed to stay in the nearby woods—on the condition that they leave the farm’s food alone.

The Aftermath

Later that evening, Rufus and I sat on the barn roof, watching the sun set over the fields.

“You know,” he said, licking his paw, “we make a pretty good team.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I replied, though I couldn’t entirely disagree. Rufus might be a nuisance, but he’d proven himself useful today.

And the moral of the story? Even the shadiest characters can surprise you when given a chance. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have biscuits of my own to dream about.

The End.

Fear. Fear. Fear.

Awakened by canoe

That it’s too soft?

When the US had Canada kidnap the Huawei founder’s daughter and go around the world threatening countries to stop using Huawei, the CCP didn’t do shit but negotiate. Most Chinese would have liked to see the government act in kind, jailing Tim Cook’s family and seizing Apple’s productions and assets in China, nationalizing it and converting it into a Chinese brand, and sanction every country that followed the US in banning Huawei. Or for the bare minimum, couldn’t we have at least banned Apple like the US banned Huawei?

When Nancy Pelosi violated Chinese sovereignty by visiting Taiwan without Beijing’s approval, the CCP chose to do military drills around Taiwan after Pelosi had left. But most Chinese wanted to see her plane shot down for violating Chinese airspace. You have no idea the atmosphere of expectation for war on the ground in China that night. People were literally gathered with friends and family, anxious like before a sporting event. And man the absolute disappointment and humiliation the next day, when peace triumphed war.

When stupid Hong Kong “pro-democracy” protesters paid by the CIA took to the streets to free a convicted murderer of his girlfriend in 2019, Chinese across the country were shocked. When they started stabbing policemen and threatening the children of law enforcement, most Chinese just wanted to see the protestors and the CIA organizers (American diplomats) dead, or at least jailed. Yet the CCP chose to let the protest rage on and let the fed-up Hong Kongers deal with their own problem.

The CCP is rational and peaceful, too much so in the eyes of sentimental beings. The normal people don’t care about political compromise, we just want fairness, we want to hit back when someone hits us. And the CCP denies us that. That’s the main factor attributing to the negative sentiment toward the CCP at home.

I met a man in Marina Del Rey where I lived. He said he was an airline pilot from France and he lived in the MDR towers. He asked me to dinner, I said yes, and I met him later that week at his apartment in the towers. The towers are sort of a club they have dining and all sorts of activities, so we were going to eat in the restaurant downstairs. While I was sitting on his sofa waiting for him, he offered me a drink. I don’t drink so I declined. I remember seeing a picture of him and his twin brother on his table. He told me they were both airline pilots. Then he offered me a soda but I don’t drink soda pop so I declined that as well. Both times he had already prepared the drinks and he seemed frustrated by my turning down the drinks. So he returned to his kitchen. While he was in the other room I got the worst feeling. Just a dreadfully fearful feeling. I picked up my purse, slipped out the door, took the elevator down and ran to my car. Several weeks later he and his twin brother were in the newspaper, they had been arrested for drugging and raping women. Neither were French nor were they pilots.

Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

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5bd38a0c77b22c40352f675e4d47920f

Yield: 12 servings or 24 sample servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) pouch Pantry Pizza Crust & Roll Mix (including yeast packet)
  • 1 1/4 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated, divided (1 cup)
  • 3 plum tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Pantry Italian Seasoning Mix
  • 1 (3.5 ounce) package thinly sliced pepperoni
  • 1 ounce fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 (8 ounce) can pizza sauce, warmed (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Brush cups of Stoneware Muffin Pan with vegetable oil using Pastry Brush.
  3. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine mix, yeast, water and oil. Mix dough according to package directions for pizza crust.
  4. Generously flour flat side of Large Grooved Cutting Board using Flour/Sugar Shaker. Using lightly floured Baker’s Roller, roll dough into a rectangle even with edges of Cutting Board. Press garlic using Garlic Press; spread evenly over dough using Skinny Scraper.
  5. Grate half of the mozzarella cheese over dough using Deluxe Cheese Grater.
  6. Slice tomatoes using Ultimate Slice & Grate fitted with v-shaped blade; arrange in a single layer over cheese and sprinkle with Seasoning Mi.
  7. Arrange pepperoni slices evenly over tomatoes.
  8. Grate remaining mozzarella cheese over pepperoni and tomato slices. Starting at longest edge, roll dough up tightly; pinch seam to seal.
  9. Using Serrated Bread Knife, slice roll into 12 (1 1/2 inch thick) slices. Place slices, swirl side up, into cups of Muffin Pan. Grate Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over rolls.
  10. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until deep golden brown.
  11. Remove to Nonstick Cooling Rack; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.
  12. Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 pinwheel): Calories 240, Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 15mg, Carbohydrate 28g, Protein 9g, Sodium 640mg, Fiber 0g

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Great Haystack Caper

Ah, you’ve returned for yet another tale of my unparalleled brilliance! Of course you have. How could you resist? Once again, I, Sir Whiskerton, the most cunning and sophisticated creature to ever grace this farm, have a story to share. This time, my razor-sharp intellect was put to the test in one of the most perplexing and ridiculous mysteries I have ever encountered: the Case of the Vanishing Haystack. Prepare yourselves for an adventure filled with absurdity, betrayal, and, of course, my undeniable heroics.

The Haystack Disappears

It all started on a breezy afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I was perched on the barn roof, grooming my immaculate fur. Life was good. That is, until I heard the panicked braying of Gerald, the donkey.

“It’s gone! It’s gone!” Gerald cried, galloping around the farmyard like a lunatic.

I sighed deeply. Gerald is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he’s harmless enough. However, his screeching was disrupting my peace, so naturally, I had to intervene.

“What’s gone, Gerald?” I called down, my voice dripping with boredom.

“The haystack!” he brayed, his eyes wide with terror. “The big haystack by the barn—it’s missing!”

“Missing, you say?” I leapt down from the roof and landed gracefully in front of him. “Haystacks don’t just walk away, Gerald. Are you sure you’re not just looking in the wrong place?”

“I’m sure!” he insisted. “It was there this morning, and now it’s gone! I—I was going to have a snack, and—poof—it’s gone!”

This was intriguing. Haystacks, as a rule, are large, immobile, and entirely incapable of disappearing without a trace. I decided to investigate, partly because I was curious and partly because I needed an excuse to stretch my legs.

The Scene of the Crime

When I arrived at the barn, I found a large, circular patch of dirt where the haystack had once stood. Bits of hay were scattered here and there, but the bulk of it was nowhere to be seen. A crowd of animals had gathered, all of them murmuring and speculating wildly.

“It must have been aliens!” Harold the rooster declared, flapping his wings dramatically. “They’ve come to take our hay for their experiments!”

“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “If aliens wanted hay, they could just grow their own. Use your brain, Harold—not that you have much of one.”

“I bet it was the wind,” Bessie the cow offered, chewing her cud thoughtfully. “A really, really strong wind.”

“Bessie, it would take a tornado to move that much hay,” I pointed out. “And unless I missed it, there hasn’t been a tornado today.”

The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to me. They were waiting for me to solve the mystery, as they always did. I let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Let the great Sir Whiskerton handle it.”

The Investigation

As any seasoned detective knows, the first step in solving a mystery is to gather evidence. I sniffed around the patch of dirt, my keen senses picking up traces of hay, mud, and… something else. Something unusual.

“Hoofprints,” I muttered, examining the ground closely. “And not just any hoofprints. These are fresh, and they’re heading toward the pasture.”

The animals gasped.

“Do you think the thief is still out there?” Henny Penny squawked, clutching her feathers dramatically.

“Possibly,” I said, my tail twitching with anticipation. “Stay here and don’t touch anything. I’ll follow the trail.”

The Suspects

The hoofprints led me to the pasture, where I found the first suspect: Clover the goat. Clover is a mischievous little creature with a penchant for chewing on things that don’t belong to her. If anyone was capable of stealing a haystack, it was her.

“Clover,” I said, narrowing my eyes, “care to explain why there’s hay stuck to your horns?”

She looked up from the fence post she was gnawing on, her big yellow eyes filled with innocence. “Oh, this? I bumped into the haystack earlier. Honest! I didn’t take it!”

“Hmm,” I said, studying her carefully. She didn’t look strong enough to move an entire haystack, but I couldn’t rule her out entirely.

Next, I decided to question the pigs. Porkchop and his gang were lounging near the mud pit, as usual. “Porkchop,” I said, “did you and your crew have anything to do with the missing haystack?”

He snorted. “What would we want with a haystack? We’ve got slop, and slop is way better than hay.”

This was true. Pigs have no interest in hay, and their mud pit was far too small to hide an entire haystack. I moved on.

The Breakthrough

As I continued to follow the trail, I noticed that the hoofprints were becoming more erratic, as if the thief had been struggling to carry their loot. Then, I spotted something in the distance: a large pile of hay hidden behind the old apple tree.

“Gotcha,” I said, my whiskers twitching with satisfaction. I crept closer, and to my surprise, I found the culprit fast asleep on top of the stolen haystack.

It was Gerald. Yes, Gerald—the very donkey who had reported the haystack missing in the first place.

“Gerald!” I shouted, waking him with a start. “Care to explain why you’re napping on the stolen haystack?”

He blinked at me, his ears drooping in embarrassment. “Oh… uh… I guess I forgot. I moved the haystack over here because… um… the sun was better for napping. Then I got tired, so I… well, I fell asleep.”

I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. “You caused this entire scene because you wanted to nap in the sun?”

Gerald nodded sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just really like hay, and this spot looked cozy.”

The Resolution

I dragged Gerald back to the barn, where the other animals were waiting anxiously. When I told them what had happened, they erupted into laughter.

“Leave it to Gerald to forget he stole the haystack!” Harold cackled.

“I told you it wasn’t aliens!” Bessie said triumphantly.

As for me, I simply shook my head. “The moral of the story,” I announced, “is that sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one. And also, donkeys are ridiculous.”

With the haystack returned to its rightful place, peace was restored to the farm. As for Gerald, he promised to stick to napping in the pasture from now on. And me? I retired to my favorite sunny spot on the barn roof, ready for the next absurd mystery this farm would inevitably throw my way.

The End.

I used to respect Yellen thinking a person with a PhD has some morality. Boy, I was so wrong. She was as evil as Satan. She is so selfish. Only thinking about USA & not humanity in general. Since she is a Jewish American, perhaps like her bible, Jews are chosen people & all others are animals that can be slaughtered by the Jews.

The whole idea of the Ukraine war is to 1) gobble up Ukraine’s rich natural resources 2) weaken rival Europe’s economy & 3) lastly to break up Russia.

Of course, USA makes it look like Russia invasion. Russia’s fault.

USA, Yellen included, has the mentality of colonialism & ultra capitalism. How many people died in the Ukraine war? How many more deaths do Satan Yellen & USA want to make USA “great”?

I heard her speeches in universities. Soft spoken. But full of gossip-like speeches to create hatred & fear of China. I despise her. I hate Satan.

The Sopranos – Tony Soprano whacks Chucky Signore

Xi jinping’s phone: Special customized Military-grade encryption zte axon smartphone, top configuration.

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main qimg a4a5caaf97e8e02b208f55a948860b49 lq

Professional supply of CPC cadres, Chinese government cadres, diplomat, PLA cadres, not available in the market.

To Bake Under the Sun

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost. view prompt

Sam Jacobsen

This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.

Earth is now a whisper–sad, desolate. For many miles, crags drone on in a ceaseless field of black. The rocks left behind are sharp and cracking, their shale falling down into pits of tar and sludge. At the peak of the highest crag is a glowing portal–our slip. It is a gate to another time; another place. We funnel through the slip like lemmings to the cliff, our eyes glazed and desperate. We being the last of us, that is. We come, warped and damaged by radiation, drought, famine, to escape. The seas and forests are gone, our beloved animals with them. The things which remain are warped and ugly: things which should never be trusted, and never be eaten. So, we march to the slip–to places bountiful and beautiful. Pilgrims, that is what we are, come to pray to our swirling god. Beyond and about the world burns, boils, breaks as it has for as long as we can remember. Overhead, toxicrows bark. Their call is a loathsome, lonesome thing–the song of our last birds. Earth, our mother, screams, spewing up green sludge with each cough. Only in the slips is there beauty anymore: a giant, rounded portal to a separate time, surrounded by copper machinery. Its many tubes, electrodes, and vents scream at us, begging for mercy. Big waste tubes run from it down into the crust of out world, pulsing like a sick vein.One of us steps forward–an irradiated man with burnt skin. He, smiling, steps through the slip and disappears. Not but a second later, a form falls from the sky in the distance and splats into a wide pit. Person by person the line decreases, its backmost reaches leading on for uncountable miles. As the unchanging light of our dying world filters on, I move.Soon, it is my moment. The slip towers above me–a welcoming swirl. With a nod, the slip-keeper–his fleshless face hidden behind a plague mask of junk–bids me enter. Stepping forward, I am swept up in the cold hug of the slip. Though I have never seen the sea, I know now how it feels to be adrift in it. It’s the soothing, amniotic rush through the fabric of many realities. Separate times flicker by like framed photographs behind dusty glass. There: a man learning to ride a bike. There: a lone fish in a wide, endless depth. They come in droves, these moments. The slip was perfected decades ago, and it leads me seamlessly to where I want to be.Colors rocket by, leading me to a time, a place, where all is clean and good. A time where my child is still alive; a place when flowers still grow. Here, things are foreign, yet familiar. At first, my head hurts–a symptom of slip-travel, or so I was told. But a headache is worth the time I have ahead. There are pools here…lakes…oceans. Forests too, and cities not held together by junk wire. I grow. I laugh. I love. I know it is not permanent, but the knowledge fades in time. What pain is there here but the prickle of pine needles underfoot? What sadness but the bitter-sweet, happy kind? I don’t go hungry here, nor fall to bits in the light of the sun. In my original time, rain was a stinging, stinking barrage. Here, it is beautiful. The mountains are clean; the skies are clear. I find I often wonder how I could have ever survived in such a place as the one I left. Yet, there is a ghost–lurking and terrible–in the shape of things. It is the shadow of what is. What will be. What I left. There’s something like guilt inside of me; I’ve sacrificed a life in my own time for a new one here. Is that so wrong? I did leave my friends…did leave my love. Surely, if they could see how beautiful this place is, they would not judge.A day comes when the slip-trip is done. The portal–once a friend, now angry and red–rips me from the separate place. I am shorn, tossed, discarded. Tired, I am deposited in the sludge pits of my ruined home. The slip had mangled me irreparably. My limbs are twitching goiters. My organs bloat and squeeze incorrectly; my flesh is a colorless bag of veins. My mouth slants up between my eyes, coils over my head, and back over my spine. My eyes–lidless now–are turned forever upwards to watch the blazing sky. Not even the toxicrows dare taste my flesh.In my world. but a second has gone by.I hear a friend scream at me from the line. “Look!” she says, “what fun you must have had.”She’s right.Watching the lines pour over the crags–the silhouettes marching into the slip–I grow to resent them. I had my time, but I want more. One by one the people return, cast down to wallow beside me, their DNA mutilated by the slip’s rays. We will never die now: the cost of a brief taste of utter serenity. Though we cannot shut our eyes, we sleep and dream all the same. Our lips gibber, teeth gnash, and we remember those separate times. Body by body, we grow in number until our pit is full. When there is no more room, the sun melts our bodies into one. Cobbled flesh, melded bones, our thoughts trail off and merge, our brain cells fusing together. My memories of flowers and my child become memories of slow, dark rain against a ship. Become the gentle breeze through palms on a quiet beach. Become the rhythmic thrum of heavy bass in a noisy club. Become hellos and goodbyes and tears and kisses and dancing and sex, each neural-fusing brining a new brilliant burst of light. Before long, the memories compile too many times over, and we become a mindless legion, our terrible form growing lost beneath falling shale and sludge. trapped in the dark, we can feel the weight of new slip-returnees plopped down. They enter, they live, they land here to bake under the sun.

I bet you don’t know the latest Xiaomi Ninebot Scooter that has gyroscopic balance and can’t fall down , which can automatically drive itself from the parking lot for a 100 meter distance to where you are

That can be started by mobile phone if your key is lost

That can have a battery shutdown if security more is installed (meaning OTP or QR code Authorization mode can be activated)

Range is 185 Kms & Max Speed is 166 KPH but Median Speed is 77 KPH

It sold the most E Bike units in 2024 December and is priced at 11,999 Yuan & 14,999 Yuan

Cheaper than an iPhone or Huawei Foldable Phone

Imported Tax Free into India, it’s cost would be ₹ 1.33 Lakh


This year China approved it’s own Immunotherapy regime for Cervical Cancer and their own approved drug , made in China

Treatment cost reduces from 88,000 Yuan for a course to 26,000 Yuan for a course

The Swiss US FDA Drug isn’t banned.

You can choose to pay 90,000 Yuan for the US Product or 26,000 Yuan for the Chinese Product

Unfortunately neither is covered under insurance 😔


Chinas Potential is immense and it’s showcasing them regularly

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ksnip 20250102 111131

Phytium and Loongson Processors once regarded as total junk are now performing on par with Intel Processors of 2 1/2 – 3 years ago

It’s a Nation on the move now !!!!

Scratched Wax

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost. view prompt

Chris Miller

“I see that you cannot take your eyes from the gifts time has bestowed upon me.” The Dealer’s eyes glinted through a fringe that lay over his face like the unearthed roots of a mangrove swamp. The roots fed a great vine of matted hair that climbed over his head in a dense coil and looped down to twist like a constrictor several times around his body.

“Stare,” he said in a delicate breath barely strong enough to carry the word, “every second you spend staring at me becomes mine.” He raised a thin hand and used the edge of a long, twisted fingernail to score a line into the body of the candle that burned on the table between us. “You may share my time until the flame erases the line.” His hand dropped to the table under the weight of his decades-long nails, which twisted like fuses and scraped toward me through the silence as he flexed his gnarled fingers. “Now, tell me your needs and learn my price.”

“I need to travel,” I said, focusing on the two sparks of candlelight reflected in The Dealer’s eyes, trying to ignore the huge figure who stood by his side, just visible at the edge of the small reality of candle-lit space.

“To the lived, or the unlived?”

“Back, I want to go back. To the lived.”

“Ah, yes, to revisit the lived is more valuable. We are all moving into the unlived, travelling there is a mere matter of efficiency, but to revisit the lived, that offers possibilities beyond comprehension, and so, to be blunt, it must attract a higher cost. How far do you wish to travel?”

“It depends on the price.”

“As so much does, indeed, as so much does,” sang The Dealer with a slow shake of his head. “I charge one hour for one scint,” he said flatly.

“Scint? The government are offering a minute for an hour, what’s a scint?”

“Ah, the government. Those philistines have no understanding of the true value of time, and they place such… illiberal limits on travellers. They make life so difficult for independent businessmen like myself and my colleague Mr Cleave,” said The Dealer with a slight nod to the figure at his side, “but in the face of adversity, we innovate! One hour of your life will buy you one scint of travel, one hundredth of an hour.”

“I don’t know. It’s expensive.”

The large figure stooped and a pale face with black-bagged eyes sunk into the candle’s glow. The head rolled slightly as scarred lips twitched and bounced, miming speech and poisoning the globe of candle light with sour breath, but remaining as silent as the sea bed. After a few seconds, when the lips were still, the words came.

“If you could get a government licence you wouldn’t be here. One hour, one scint. The rate is not negotiable.”

I nodded, holding the unblinking glare of the desynchronised addict as his face rose away from the flame and back into the darkness. I pretended not to have noticed his lag.

“You must forgive Mr Cleave,” said The Dealer. “He is a man of very liberal principles and deeply resents the government’s interference in our trade. He is a frequent micro-traveller and his, shall we say, sumptuous proclivities, have also rendered him somewhat… impatient. Let us come to an arrangement which will allow you to experience the pleasure that he knows so well.”

“I don’t think I can afford your rate. If it’s not negotiable then…”

“Let us not be too hasty. As I say, Mr Cleave lacks my patience. I am a businessman. Life is a negotiation. Everything is negotiable!”

Mr Cleave turned, perhaps piqued by his partner’s flexibility, and disappeared quickly into the darkness, to be followed shortly after by the beat of his bodyless footsteps.

“Come closer,” said The Dealer, “let me see the quality of the time you have to offer.”

I bent forward slightly in my seat, pushing my chin closer to the candle flame, over The Dealer’s claws. He mirrored my movement and the yellow light leapt to his long, grey beard as it swept like rain over the table. He turned briefly to his left and grunted. Hands, too small to belong to Cleave, reached out and fitted a jeweller’s loupe to the bridge of his nose. He turned back to me, aiming the lens into my eyes.

“You have travelled forty-two years, one-hundred and fifteen days, twenty-three hours and seventeen minutes… ah, eighteen. Your heart is good, despite your drinking, tut tut! But who am I to judge? We shall leave that to our priggish government, shan’t we?” He tapped his hands lightly as he peered, causing the nails to rattle and scrape on the table under my chin. “Please turn your head to the left. Yes. And now the right, yeeees, unremarkable but acceptable. And finally, to complete my process, you must tell me your father’s name.”

“Winston Craig.”

“My thanks. I see that there were some problems in your youth, the nature of them is unclear to me, but nothing to suggest that you will not have a perfectly average journey length. This would mean you have something in the region of thirty years left with which to deal. Regretfully, this is insufficient to purchase an amount of travel which could tempt me to negotiate on my rates.”

“I need a month,” I said “well, thirty days.”

“Thirty days. Seventy-two thousand scints at a cost of seventy-two thousand hours. Three thousand days, over eight years. Which means that, in line with my long-standing business practices, partially adopted at the insistence of my erstwhile associate Mr Cleave, regrettably, I must charge you nine. We only accept complete years I am afraid. A fee of nine years will purchase you a journey of thirty-two days. Always prudent to buy slightly more than you need, wouldn’t you agree? I’m sure that a pragmatist such as yourself can see that this is a wonderful deal.”

“It’s just… so much.”

“The journey you need to undertake is very valuable, my friend, maybe worth more to you than a mere nine years of your life?”

“It is important. The thing I have to do, it would change a lot.”

“And to relive the already lived would be inaccessible to you by any other means, by any licenced means, wouldn’t it?”

“It is a big decision.”

“Ah, my friend, it is no decision at all.” The Dealer grinned and aimed the lens of the loupe at the flame as it burned closer to the scored deadline in the wax. “I do not know when next I will be available for a consultation. It could be some time. Every second you hesitate is one you must buy back at the point at which you see sense.”

“I just don’t know.”

“Mr Cleave! Mr Cleave where are you? We are leaving!” The Dealer twisted indignantly in his seat and made a show of preparing to leave despite being incapable of so much as standing without assistance. “There is no creature so reprehensible as a time waster!”

“Wait,” I said quietly.

“Mr Cleave! Where has he got to?” The Dealer looked to the other figure in the darkness and hissed, sending them scuttling off to search for Mr Cleave.

“What if I had more time to offer? Not just more, but higher quality too?”

“I have appraised your time; higher quality would mean it would have to come from another donor.”

“Yes.”

“A younger donor?” The Dealer stopped looking around for Cleave and pointed his loupe at me once again, a flicker of candle light briefly flashing a magnified image of a hungry, yellow eye in the thick lens.

“Yes.”

The Dealer raised a hand and with a careful scrape of a nail scored a new line, lower down on the candle’s neck.

“You have my attention; you may share my time a little longer. But be warned; if you are wasting more of my time, you will find you have considerably less to deal with than I previously estimated. Mr Cleave will gladly relieve you of it.”

“I’m not wasting your time,” said a boy’s voice in the darkness.

 “Who’s there?” said The Dealer, instinctively turning to his left for assistance and, finding none, stiffly jerking his neck to shake the loupe awkwardly away from his eye, unable to use his clawbound hands, helpless without Cleave or his other associate.

A boy of twelve stepped into the glow of the candle beside me. The Dealer rocked forward so far over the table that a few stray beard hairs curled and smoked in the candle’s orbit. The tip of his tongue flickered in his moustache.

“You would be prepared to offer the child’s time?” said The Dealer.

“Would you be prepared to appraise it?” I said.

“Oh, yes. Don’t worry, child, I won’t take a moment. Turn your head to the left for me.”

The boy complied, blanky obedient.

“Yes, good boy. And to the right… Yes… Closer to the flame, my Little Moth. Very good. And finally; what is your father’s name?”

“Winston Craig.”

“Ah, a family name, how traditional. My thanks, Little Moth.” He turned back to me, “I have seen enough. If you can guarantee that we could conduct our business without any, obstructions, then for the boy’s time I could match even our foolish government’s rates.”

“There won’t be any obstructions,” I said, looking at the boy who solemnly shook his head.

“What about the mother?” asked The Dealer.

“Mother’s dead,” I said.

“Ah, tragic. Such a waste, to die young,” said The Dealer affecting a frown that did little to conceal his obvious joy at the new opportunity.

“She was much older than me,” I said.

“Ah, well, tragic none the less. But we must not dwell on the past! Why dwell on it when you could soon dwell in it?” said The Dealer with a few sawing breaths of weak laughter that left spittle in his beard.

“So, you would take the boy’s time?” I confirmed.

“Oh, yes,” said The Dealer, any hint of humour gone.

“How much would you take?”

“Oh, he has so much to give…”

“What if I wanted to travel thirty years?” I asked.

“Well, my friend, as the wisest among us know, life is a negotiation, and I would negotiate… for a whole life,” said The Dealer, the flame picking out his unblinking eyes as it erased the line that should have marked the end of our meeting.

The boy and I looked at each other.

“Is that enough?” the boy said to me.

“Oh, that is enough!” yelped The Dealer, “that would buy so very much, my brave Little Moth.”

“I think we’ve got enough,” I replied to the boy as I rose from my chair.

“Please sit, my friend, we must conclude our business,” said The Dealer, a weak laugh nervously punctuating his words.

“Yes, let’s conclude our business,” said the boy.

“Yes,” I said, “No need to spend any longer on this one.” I hardened my voice as I had so many times before and addressed The Dealer, “You are under arrest for violation of section eight-B, chapter nine of novel three of the Temporal Protocol. It is my duty to inform you that I am a Constable of the Queen’s Government and that you are in my charge until I deliver you to a designated custody facility. Any resistance will be met with force, proportionate and reasonable, but otherwise unlimited. Do you understand?”

“Cleave!” cried The Dealer.

“I think he understands,” said the boy.

“There are about a dozen more crimes that you will be answering for, I could list them all, but I wouldn’t want to waste any more of your time,” I said.

“Mr Cleave!” shrieked The Dealer, “Mr Cleave, help me!”

“He can’t hear you. Byron Cleave was killed while resisting arrest. We took him yesterday morning, as soon as we positively identified him this afternoon,” I said. “He went for his weapon, that cumbersome thing that bulged in his jacket as he stooped to intervene in our negotiation, but I was faster. Maybe his lag was catching up with him.”

“No. This is preposterous! You cannot use travel to convict me. I know my rights; disordered events are inadmissible.”

“Our conversation here this evening will provide more than enough evidence.”

“Entrapment then! What despicable wretch would use a child in his scheme to corrupt an honest businessman? It is not legal; it will not stand. No child can agree to take part in this. Run child! Flee this heinous beast!”

“I could never get away from this man even if I did run. Anyway, it was my idea,” said the boy calmly.

“It cannot be. Trust a wise old man, your father, this wretch, whoever he is, has lied to you, used you. A child cannot agree to be exploited in this way. You were mere bait in his trap to ensnare an innocent entrepreneur.”

“Like I said, it was my idea,” I said.

“And mine alone,” said the boy.

“Ah…” said The Dealer as he slumped in his chair, his head rolling forward under the weight of his thick vine of hair. He stared at his finger nails, coiling and twisting over the table, their shadows tearing at its surface in the flickering light of the faltering candle. “In the panopticon they will take time’s gifts from me,” he said with a moan.

“They will take everything,” we said, as the candle guttered and died.

Shorpy

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Scott Ritter: Germany is F*CKED as it faces total COLLAPSE, NATO in Big Trouble

First there are 2 fighters and I am not sure why only one of those fighters is being talked about as the 2nd plane is just as important possibly as the first.

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main qimg de4ff4a03809626bed4e02f5cfd4bfd3

The first fighter labeled the J-36 is a triangular tailless fighter/bomber. There are multiple ways that this fighter could be set up.

  1. It could be used as a like a stealthy TU-22M3 with a range around 6000–7000km and speed over Mach 2 possibly closer to Mach 3. It would use most likely 3 WS-15 with total thrust output of 540KN or around 121,000lbs of thrust. Which with projected maximum weight of 50 tons would allow for a T/W of 1.21 at max afterburner. The armament is likely to either 10+ PL-15E’s or 6–8 PL-17’s with possibly 4 PL-12’s in smaller bays. The real question becomes how maneuverable will this plane be. It has the thrust but without vertical tails and what appears to be the lack of thrust vectoring it will very difficult to make agile. This why all NGAD renderings add canards to tailless designs to add better maneuverability. There are also theories on using puffs of air to move plane around but to date it has never been done.
  2. It could be used as a stealth standoff missile carrier similar to B-21. It could have no afterburners and travel subsonic with long range cruise missiles to penetrate air defences and fixed targets on the ground . In this case the need for high maneuverability would not be important as most likely it would use the new 500km AKF98A missile. It could also hold multiple glide bombs, or drones.

The second is what is being called the J-50 this seems to be the fighter jet of the 6th generation for China. It is approximately 2 meters longer and 9m wider wingspan than J-20. The J-50 is believed to use the 2 WS-15 engines with estimated top speed of Mach 2+. This design will allow for larger payload due to additional length and width allowing for larger weapons bay. This is also a tailless design therefore the all aspect stealth should be greatly increased. The swept back wing design with adjustable tail fins will produce strong aerodynamic performance.

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main qimg 1d78e265de4c2afb896c42fee7f183bc

All this analysis is speculation as all we have seen are pictures and videos, the Chinese military have provided no details. I have heard a lot of coping by both American and Indian media speaking about things like NGAD having belter avionics or that in does not have adaptive cycle engines therefore it is not 6th generation. The fact is that China is years ahead of the US in the 6th generation fighter currently. How can I say that? These were not first time flights, these were not yellow prototypes flying around. The color scheme alone lets you know that these fighters are in much later testing in the phase, maybe 2 to 3 years from production if not less especially for the J-36 which I believe is what was called up until a week ago the JH-26 had spy photo’s up long ago. In fact the Chinese may have more hiding in the background. For all those who think that US is so far ahead in technology whether it be chip, AI or R&D I would ask you to see how even with the US doing everything it possibly to retard Huawei ability to innovate it has not worked. Their AI models a year or two behind the Americans. That is not a significant enough gap in technology to speak of especially since the gap keeps closing.

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main qimg 9d4a6e2ef30b2095e18862f7c24e17ab

Alleged JH-26 spy photo.

The point is this, if you took all the tech in the J-20 and just stuffed it into the J-36 added the rumored side arrays and additional optical. The improved stealth and range would make it a huge threat to all US carriers and naval vessels, Guam, Philippines and India. Fighter generations are a made up marketing tool by Lockheed Martin. Here is the question you need to ask? Will these new fighters make it easier for the Chinese to dominate the air and ground domain versus the US. The answer is yes and the Chinese will probably have a minimum 5 year head start. With China ability to manufacture equipment at the highest rate in the world that could be 50 fighters a year. That means in when the first Western 6th generation fighter roles off the assembly line there might already be 250 J-36’s and 250 J-50’s. There will be no recovering from that deficit. As the saying goes “quantity has a quality all it own”.

Hmmm. We are in our late 60’s and just downsized. We moved from a big 4 bed house to a condo.

We raised our kids in the old place and lived there 30 years. And yeah, we had a lot of stuff. All our parents and grandparents passed on and a lot of their stuff came to our house. We had a big basement, and a shed. Our kids moved in and out and in and out, leaving stuff stored. There was the archives of their childhoods. All kinds of tools and materials, and ladders and you name it from gardening and household projects. Holiday decor. Stuff from our respective careers and sports gear and hobbies.

We’d been looking at condos but in a slow motion, more to educate ourselves about neighbourhoods, amenities etc. we’d loved our house and our neighbourhood. Then we happened to see a condo on line, had a look, and that was it. We bought it. We were in the soup.

Getting rid of the stuff was awful. Serious, time consuming, hard work. Literal truckloads full being sorted and sent to auction, trash, donation. We gave what could be used to relatives and friends and kids. We forced kids and our son in law and daughter in law to come over and make decisions (it’s YOUR dresser and headboard, tell me what you want done with it).

Really painful decisions had to be made about cherished heirlooms and sentimental items we loved, but knew we’d have no space for. It was exhausting. It was grubby. It was overwhelming. It took forever. There were 100 million things I’d have MUCH rather been doing.

And yes, we hired help to get it done. We were motivated – and what’s more, we were healthy and physically well. We also hired a real estate agent who could help with prepping the old house for sale who had an eye for the neutral decor that sells these days (goodby burgundy living room and forest green dining room, lol)

Imagine if we’d waited a couple of years until we’d needed to move because one of us was ill, or had mobility issues. It was challenging enough on every front when we were relatively hale and hearty.

Getting settled in to our new place has also been a lot of work. I’m happy about it, but I’m also tired of thinking about window coverings and rugs and where things will fit. I’m tired of installing hooks and deciding where shelves need to go and where we will hang various pictures, and dealing with painters and electricians and plumbers. I’m sick of trying to figure out where I stashed things from boxes I’ve unpacked. I must have rearranged cupboards a half dozen times. No one likes moving. It’s expensive and inconvenient. It’s that much worse when you are older!

Take some pity on older folks. It would be totally too much for many. You basically have to do it long before you HAVE to and most folks don’t want to think about it, much less tackle it. It requires you to confront your own mortality and coming decline. You need to say – I can’t really go down those cellar steps safely…..or…..realistically, I’ll never mountain bike again…..or…..I loved to sew but my arthritis means I can’t any more. It’s hard to accept. It’s hard to part with things you love and hoped to use again.

China’s treatment of Uyghurs does not contradict its claim of upholding internationl norms. In fact, it is proof of China’s concern and caring for the Uyghurs. contrary to the lies of the US.

Consider the following factors:

POPULATION GROWTH

The Uygur population in Xinjiang has increased from over 8.34 million in 2000 to over 11.62 million in 2020. The growth rate was much higher than that of the country’s total ethnic minority population, which stood at 0.83 percent. This is not consistent with genocide.

EDUCATION

According to data from the seventh national census, 8,944 per 100,000 Uygurs had received a university education, an increase of 6,540 people compared to 2000, and the average years in education for those aged 15 and above also grew from 7.06 years in 2000 to 9.19 years in 2020. This is not consistent with a tribe being oppressed.

GDP

GDP has seen significant growth. This is not consistent with a tribe being oppressed. The flat chart between 2014 and 2016 is caused by the ETIM terrorists being most active and disruptive at that time.

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ksnip 20250102 111713

UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment has been brought down to lower than the national unemployment rate. For example, for 2017, China’s unemployment rate was 4.4% and for 2018, it was 4.28%.

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main qimg 900e6537e99f8d32a6fe20ca5ee6ce0f

TOURISM

Xinjiang has always been open to international tourism (not possible if there is oppression and genocide going on there).

From January to April this year (2023), Xinjiang received 51.2 million tourists (domestic and international), an increase of 29.6 percent year-on-year, with the region’s total tourism revenue rising 60.6 percent to hit 42.64 billion yuan ($5.45 billion)

In praise of Luckin

That is a tricky question because i have a girlfriend that has a 13 year old girl and she is very pretty and yes i do have pictures of her usually that my girlfriend sends me and i save them but i do not hide them. I am against relationships with under age girls and massage thinking she is pretty, there is no sexual attraction and that’s what you really want to know if your boyfriend has. I would have been questioning him he may not be guilty of anything unless he is trying to hide it as for me i do not have any screenshot of her daughter. Most of the pictures i have is when my girlfriend get money from me and will buy her a dress or shoes for something along that line and send me a picture. There is really no more to say

Exposition (Green Flag #1)

He told me I was perfectly healthy, then he held my hand, while I sobbed my denials, then looked me in the eye and told me I needed a therapist.

The kindness was the worst part. He was absolutely wrong, and oh-so-sure I was ‘in need of help.’ I was in need of help. My tonsils were rotting under a lovely pink layer of seemingly healthy skin. How an ENT could have missed this I don’t know, but I was already sleeping on the pavement walking between buildings for classes–I remember someone asking me if I was ok, and telling them the bricks were just so lovely-warm… It was February. In Virginia.

A month later I couldn’t go 12 hours off antibiotics without running a fever. Student health sent me to a different ENT and he spotted the problem. He put me on 60 days of penicillin (I’m not kidding) to get me healthy enough for surgery, after which the surgeon told my mother my tonsils were the nastiest necrotic mess he’d ever seen.

It’s just an awful thing, being told to get therapy by an expert who doesn’t believe you’re sick. Doctors do it a lot. I’ve had it happen several times, but that was my first.

I was at a (get this) Church social club for kids when some random kid asked me how old I was

“Eleven”, I replied. His reply, as he punched me clean in the mouth, was “All the best kids are 13!”

My brother looked over a few minutes later and came to ask what had happened as he’d noticed me with a bloody lip.

The wannabe bully boy shouted over to me as he left grinning at the end of the session “Don’t forget, all the best kids are 13”

“Wrong!” Said my brother, who was waiting by the door “the best kids are 14!” as he floored him with one punch.

Never had any crap from him again.

Investor alert: China is drinking a lot more coffee, and taking the supply chains off our exchanges

The inspiration for today’s intro.

What’s Really Going On In the South China Sea Between the Philippines and China
December 4, 2024 Ms. Cat

What’s Really Going On In the South China Sea Between the Philippines and China

by Tina Antonis

Maritime clashes between the Philippines and China had been mostly over the Philippines’ military outpost, BRP (BRP—Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas, which translates to “Ship of the Republic of the Philippines”—the ship prefix for the Philippines) Sierra Madre, in the Spratly Islands, which is disputed by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan (a province of China, as recognized by the United Nations’ Resolution No. 2758), and Vietnam.

The BRP Sierra Madre was intentionally run aground on a reef near the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands, in 1997, so that the Philippines could stake their territorial claim.

The WWII-era ship is rusted out and on its way to disintegrating. In December 2023, the Philippines allocated funds to replace the ship with a permanent structure. Coincidentally, in September 2023, Blake Herzinger, a research fellow at the United States Studies Centre of the University of Sydney, penned an article titled, “It’s Time to Build Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre.”

This outpost would be “manned by combined rotational forces from both the Philippines and the U.S. Marine Corps,” according to Herzinger. In it, he admits that doing so, “would be a provocative move, and it would not be without significant risk.”

In October 2023, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFU) admitted that their resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre were carrying materials that were used in the maintenance and repair of the ship. China had been accusing the Philippines of using its resupply missions to send “illegal building materials” to reinforce the dilapidated ship on several occasions. In June of this year, The Financial Times revealed that the Philippines had “secretly” reinforced the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal.

On March 5, 2024, in response to an incident at the Second Thomas Shoal, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that “Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of its coast guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.” At the time, the crash was “not the time or reason to invoke a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States,” according to Philippine President Bongbong Marcos. Invoking the Mutual Defense Treaty by the Philippines could lead to an armed conflict between China and the U.S. Military.

Recently, these clashes have been occurring at the Sabina Shoal, another disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands. In May, the Philippines claimed that China was carrying out “small-scale reclamation” and anchored the BRP Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal to “catch and document the dumping of crushed corals over the sandbars” (China denied this). The Philippines had been using the BRP Teresa Magbanua as a staging area for their resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal.

A new Philippine Coast Guard vessel was sent to Sabina Shoal, according to Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson for the National Security Council of the Philippines, on September 26. However, he declined to comment on the specifics of their intentions or plans citing operational security concerns.

Behind the scenes, an information operation has been going on. Information operations, also known as influence operations, involve spreading misleading information and obtaining tactical knowledge about competitors to get the upper hand. Think tank representatives, financed by the US government and corporate sponsors, have been working with the Philippine Coast Guard on ”assertive transparency,” or what the Philippines calls their “transparency initiative.”

With grants from the U.S. State Department, between 2022 and 2024, the Stratbase ADR Institute held a series of roundtable discussions highlighting the importance of multilateral cooperation and strategic alliances in addressing regional “security challenges” and “public diplomacy,” or the act of “influencing foreign publics” to support “U.S. foreign policy goals.”

On January 5th, 2023, Stratbase, together with the US Embassy in the Philippines, hosted a town hall discussion where experts and scholars shared their assessments and recommendations on the various Indo-Pacific strategies and the foreign policy of Marcos Jr.’s administration.

It was here that Ray Powell introduced his “Project Myoushu” strategy, which was inspired by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). CSIS receives funding from the U.S. government and other governments allied with the U.S., non-governmental and nonprofit organizations (NGOs & NPOs), defense contractors and other corporate donors. Another such event occurred on March 8th, 2023, where Ray Powell gave a presentation in which he described using “independent analysts, storytellers, influencers, media, and embedded journalists.”

Powell, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former Defense Attaché (the Defense Attaché System is part of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the “Pentagon’s top spy agency”), is the team lead of SeaLight, at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation (GKC). The creation of Stanford University’s GKC was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), an organization within the Department of Defense.

Stanford University has contracts with the U.S. government. The center’s goal is to assist the U.S. government in rethinking how it approaches “national security” matters.

The “transparency initiative” tactic highlights China’s “gray zone activities”, in the South China Sea. One aspect used is embedding journalists on these resupply missions.

The original purpose of embedding was to control journalists, according to Helen Benedict, a professor at the Columbia Journalism School. Citing award-winning Australian journalist Phillip Knightley’s book “The First Casualty: The War Correspondent as Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Iraq” which describes how the U.S. government invented embedded journalism in response to critical coverage of the Vietnam War.

As civilian casualties in Afghanistan reached 5,000, the Pentagon sought a media strategy that would bring attention back to the military’s role in the war, especially the role played by ordinary American service members. This would require bringing war correspondents on side.

Another aspect of this “transparency initiative” is using civil society organizations, such as the Atin Ito Coalition, led by Rafaela David and Edicio dela Torre, to draw attention to the South China Sea. Rafaela is also the executive director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN). CYAN has been financed from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which gets the majority of its funding from the U.S. Congress. With its origins dating back to the late 1960s, when the Central Intelligence Agency faced criticism for secretly supporting activists and opposition groups in nations that appeared to be leaning closer to the Soviet Union.

Following the revelation of those CIA plots, the agency faced criticism for what some perceived to be devious manipulation of sovereign states. Congress established the NED in 1983 after years of discussion about whether and how the financing should continue.

Edicio dela Torre is the current President and Vice Chairperson of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). The PRRM was started in 1952 by Chinese rural education advocate Y. C. James Yen with financial assistance from the United States and the Rockefeller family. In 1983, Yen was awarded the People to People Eisenhower Medallion.

The People-to-People Program was initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, with initial connections to the U.S. government through the United States Information Agency (USIA).

The USIA’s public diplomacy activities were ultimately transferred to the U.S. Department of State, while its propaganda operations were transferred to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which has since become the U.S. Agency for Global Media. In the 1950s, during the Hukbalahap Rebellion, the CIA covertly funded the PRRM through front organizations such as the Asia Foundation (formerly the Committee for a Free Asia) and the Catherwood Foundation.

On September 15th, Powell appeared on 60 Minutes, along with the Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Romeo Brawner Jr. In the 60 Minutes episode, Teodoro refused to confirm if the Typhon missile launcher—a mid-range missile system capable of reaching mainland China—would be permanently stationed in the Philippines.

Three days later, Philippine army spokesperson, Colonel Louie Dema-ala, said training was ongoing, and it was up to Philippine authorities and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) to decide how long the missile system would stay.

Presently, the Typhon is situated in the Taiwan Strait and faces the South China Sea on the northern island of Luzon. In early September, the U.S. announced that it wants to deploy another Typhon missile launcher “around Japan’s southwestern islands, which are near Taiwan”. While the U.S. claims that these missile launchers are to “strengthen deterrence”, their deployment has only provoked tensions in the area.

While 60 Minutes did state that “in 2016, an international tribunal at The Hague ruled the Philippines has exclusive economic rights in a 200-mile zone that includes Sabina Shoal” and that “China does not recognize the ruling”, their statements were misleading. The South China Sea Arbitration did not rule on sovereignty, and China does not recognize it because the Arbitral Tribunal lacked jurisdiction.

“The Arbitral Tribunal violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires and rendered an award in disregard of the law. This is a grave violation of UNCLOS and general international law, Wang said.”

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international treaty that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is not an agency of the United Nations. The PCA rents space in the same building as the UN’s International Court of Justice.

A Congressional Research Service report, dated August 2023, stated that the U.S. has not declared its position regarding sovereignty over any of the geographical elements that comprise the South China Sea.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that about 80% of global trade is carried out by sea, both in terms of volume and value. Of that amount, 60% of marine trade travels through Asia, with approximately one-third of all shipping occurring in the South China Sea. Because the Strait of Malacca connects the South China Sea and, consequently, the Pacific and Indian oceans, China, Taiwan (the United States does not officially support Taiwan’s independence), Japan, and South Korea depend heavily on its waters.

China’s economic security is intimately linked to the South China Sea, as the country has the second-largest economy globally and more than 60% of its trade is conducted by water. If the U.S. were to attempt to enforce a blockade in the South China Sea, they would risk retaliation from China.

A war with China would not only interrupt international trade, it’s highly probable that the United States would lose due to China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Anti-Access refers to any action, activity, or capacity, usually long-range, that is intended to prevent an advancing military force from accessing an operational area.

Area denial is described as any action, activity, or capability, usually short-range, that is intended to limit an adversary force’s freedom of action inside an operational area. Long-range artillery and rocket weapons, air defenses, littoral anti-ship capabilities, and layered, integrated long-range precision-strike systems are all part of the threat A2/AD defense architecture.

China’s advanced A2/AD system includes missiles and hypersonic weapons, which the US lacks defense against. China is also developing microwave-photonic radar systems to track incoming hypersonic missiles, potentially enabling defense against powerful militaries’ latest offensive technologies.

The Philippines, has succeeded in garnering support from Western countries through military assistance, funds to upgrade military bases and infrastructure, modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, defense agreements with at least 18 countries (minilateralism), joint military exercises in the South China Sea, and the addition of four new EDCA (under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, American military personnel, planes, and ships may station themselves periodically in the Philippines at predetermined places) sites—three in north Luzon facing Taiwan and one in Palawan facing the South China Sea.

China sees this “coalition of the willing” as undermining “regional security and peace.”

The Philippines should seek détente with China and practice quiet diplomacy, as their “transparency initiative” has only escalated tensions in the South China Sea, instead of risking World War III.

Japan’s auto industry is lost – its global position almost to be completely and permanently toppled.

What is happening in Japan is also happening to the other home of the global auto legacies – Germany.

The auto industry defines these two most industralized countries for the last half century . . . . with its sphere of influence extending beyond not just the economics. . . . but the social and political.

Even up to this mid-year, Akio Toyoda can still be seen peddling – and leading the charge of his fellow auto makers – in promoting the hydrogen car and retaining as much as possible the place of the ICE cars for the future. This is until he was replaced and no mention of the hydrogen has been heard since. But there is BMW still promising the notion of the water-engine car as an alternative to EV is still alive.

The main driver for this resistence to EV? Japan and Germany have the huge ecosystem of manufacturing ICE cars that will have to be “replaced” – i.e., millions of workers fired and massive plant closures to transition to a new EV ecosystem requiring new sets of resources, increasingly to be software assuming a greater proportion relative to hardware – a transition from analog to digital.

Japan’s and Germany’s halfhearted effort at developing its EVs have shown them to be at least 5 years behind China . . . . and even further behind if taken within the context of developing the supply chain to have a semblance of independence from China’s.

German, Japanese and Koreans are seeing their Chinese market share declining or collapsing that they were so dominant just 4 years ago. And losing position in the world’s largest market means losing their global positions as Chinese EV are now waging its offensive to takeover overseas markets.

China is on the ascendancy in dominating the global auto industry and there is very little the Germans and Japanese can do to change the trajectory because in reality this transition is not just to the EVs but to the SMARTCARS, the extension of the digital age from the smartphone. Western media has focused on the jaggernaut of BYD but is not making the world aware of the greater significance of the software Chinese EVs are being incorporated with.

Huawei is implementing its Harmony operating system as an alternative to Andriod and by extension its NearLink technology and alliance – to replace WIFI and bluetooth – as their technologies for China’s IoT platform and ecosystem. Note that the two hottest selling EVs in China are those from Huawei and Xioami. This is making EVs with software to be the central focus of mobility in the IoT ecosystem of smart devices of the future. This is China now defining and setting industry standards not just for the future of mobility but for all future smart devices .

Modern Women LOVE to Destroy MEN’S Hobbies | Pearl Daily

It’s unreasonable for the wife to accept the invitation and all that entails as well as wrong.

But an invitation to go swimming with another man alone at 1am is rarely the beginning of this unreasonable act. Someone has not been present in the relationship to even consider the spouse would or should have no problem with it. And something want south before the invitation for your wife to consider wanting to accept instead of being offended by it. Don’t let anyone play dumb with you. Find out what those something’s are and go from there. Actually this is really too far.

The main contents of this issue of China Military News:

The new submarine is unveiled for the first time! Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the army, we will forge ahead on the road to strengthening the army and fight a decisive battle; the navy and air force of the Southern Theater Command are on combat readiness patrol around China’s Huangyan Island; the Navy’s Sichuan ship is officially launched; approaching the field command post of a brigade in the Eastern Theater Command; a direct visit to the PLA’s winter training ground; Xinjiang Military Region border guards: guarding the Karakoram Mountains with loyalty; the Eastern Theater Command’s “Red Sharp Knife Company” – unmanned equipment is refined and powerful; China’s space station is operating well, and its application results are fruitful…

Main content of this episode: President Xi Jinping emphasized: “Building a strong modern navy is an important symbol of building a world-class military, a strategic support for building a maritime power, and an important part of realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” “In the journey of the new era, in the struggle to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the task of building a strong people’s navy has never been as urgent as it is today.” From the first aircraft carrier Liaoning to the first domestically-produced aircraft carrier Shandong, and then to the first domestically-produced catapult-type aircraft carrier Fujian, the Chinese Navy has continuously made major breakthroughs! 2024 is about to come to an end. Looking back on this year, the Chinese military has made sonorous steps and written countless glorious chapters on the journey of strengthening the army. From the continuous emergence of new weapons and equipment, to the actual combat training on the PLA’s military training ground, from the responsibility of joint exercises and training between China and foreign countries, to the firm protection of sovereignty, Chinese soldiers have forged an indestructible Great Wall of Steel with their blood and loyalty.

Don’t call him. Apoligize to the mutual friends for them having to hear those things. Some of them will believe them. They are not your friends. Others probably know you better and sense what they are saying isn’t true. The rest are hanging onto every word weather they believe them or not, and are waiting for the fireworks to begin wanting to be entertained by the melt down they are waiting for. They are not your friends either.

Once you can tell your friends keep them close. Go no contact with your EX., and all of the rest.

You’ve a new life to build, a life without any of them in it.

I was working at the time for a Chinese American man who decades ago paid for his passage to America by working on a cruise ship. He got here with virtually just the clothes on his back, and through years of hard work, starting as a bus boy in a Chinatown restaurant, he worked long and hard and eventually became a very successful businessman in San Francisco.

This man, a few years ago, purchased at a charity auction the right to sing our national anthem at one of the San Francisco Giants home games. He spent weeks and weeks with a singing coach practicing. He asked me to come with him to the game to videotape him singing.

I should point out that my friend is a pretty good singer. But he does have a heavy accent.

The moment comes. He walks out onto the field. The band starts playing. He starts singing the Star Spangled Banner in his accented voice. Then in about the middle of the song the fact that he was standing there singing in front of nearly 70,000 people hit him and the delayed stage fright caused him to forget the words.

“Ow” I thought. “This might get ugly. How will this crowd react?”

But they didn’t get ugly. A few people in the crowd realized what was happening and picked up the song from where he lost it and began singing, and then more and more joined in. Soon it was my friend, with the entire crowd helping, singing the rest of our national anthem. To me that was one of the most American things that I have ever seen.

EDIT: Wow, 5.000+ upvotes. My thanks go out to everyone who has taken the time to read this and even more thanks to those who have upvoted it. I am so happy that this story has struck a chord with readers. Thank you!

Sky High Biscuits with Raspberry Butter

d6d871c65803d823719e6ad5b5c93ff4
d6d871c65803d823719e6ad5b5c93ff4

Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients

Raspberry Butter

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

Biscuits

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 egg, beaten

 

 

Instructions

Raspberry Butter

  1. Combine the butter and raspberries in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Chill, covered, for several hours before serving.
  2. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Biscuits

  1. Mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the milk and egg, stirring just until moistened. Knead the dough lightly on a lightly floured surface. Pat 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Arrange the biscuits in a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
  2. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown.
  3. Serve warm with the butter.

Notes

Bake the biscuits on a greased baking sheet for crusty biscuits.

Nutrition

Per Serving: Calories 247; Fat 17 g; Sodium 393 mg; Dietary Fiber 2g

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Your wife puts you down to feel better about herself. Your wife doesn’t have feelings for you and doesn’t respect what you do for her. Your wife is never going to be satisfied with whatever you are going to do for her. Your wife wants you to put more effort into pleasing her.

Your marriage is not going to work with this kind of toxic mindset of your wife. Nothing is going to be enough for your wife. You have to talk openly to your wife that you are invaluable to tolerate her behavior. If your wife doesn’t change her behavior positively towards you, then you have to leave her. If you have children together, then coparenting should be done with the help of law.

It all depends upon how you handle this situation if your wife doesn’t improve. Your wife is toxic, and kindly think about your marriage future.

106. ​Hoe_Math – The Michael Sartain Podcast

Timebomb

Submitted into Contest #18 in response to: Your fingers tensed around the object in your pocket, ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice. view prompt

Joshua G. J. Insole

General

Now

There were too many to fight. He was outnumbered ten thousand to one. He watched as they all raced towards him, vengeance in their eyes and murder on their lips. They came in a mob, clamouring for his blood, each wanting to say, “I helped kill him. I was part of it.”

He stood perfectly still, hands in his pockets, not flinching or recoiling in the slightest. His hand brushed against the thing in his pocket, and his fingers clutched at it; ready, waiting.

The throng thundered down on him, not knowing what was to come. He grinned. Even after it was over, they still wouldn’t understand. They’d trample the ground into dust, confusion written across their faces, unsatiated blood lust driving them mad.

He could do it now, of course. But where would the fun be in that? Where would the showmanship be? No, best to wait until the last possible moment. To delay the act until they were just about to get him, and then…

Of course, Dara wouldn’t have done such a thing. She would have completed the mission and then gotten out of there in the blink of an eye. Nothing more than a stirring breeze that lifts the curtains. Silent like a breath, swift like a falling raindrop. She probably wouldn’t have even used it (and would likely tell him off for utilizing it, calling it a “waste of precious resources”). Dara would have only employed it in an absolute emergency.

But Raiden wanted to use it. Why have it and not use it? It would be like being a millionaire, but not spending any money. Naturally, he didn’t need to use it, oh no. He was good at his job, and he knew it. If his actions had necessitated the use of the thing, he wouldn’t have come so highly recommended at all.

But, as it was, Raiden was at the top of his field.

Well, almost.

Then

“Oh no,” she said, shaking her head vehemently. “No. No.”

“But, Dara, he’s the best—”

Excuse me?

“Well, second best—”

“Hang on, a second,” said Raiden.

“Look, I’m just saying—”

“I said, no,” said Dara, folding her arms across her chest. “Am I not the captain of this crew?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“But?”

“Ah, maybe we oughta forget it,” said Raiden, turning to walk away.

Wait!” said Franky, grabbing him by the shoulder. “Please. Wait?”

Raiden nodded. “Sure. But don’t ever touch me like that again, you hear?”

“Don’t threaten my crew, you—” the word that came from her mouth made both of the men wince.

“Wait. Just… wait,” said Franky, standing in the middle of them, hands raised in case either one of them decided to go for the other. “Dara, he is very good. You know that.”

“I’m the best,” scoffed Raiden, folding his arms and rolling his eyes.

Franky ignored him. “He comes with a certain… reputation—”

“Yeah, I’ll say,” said Dara with a snort. She turned away with a childish glare.

“Look, guys, I know you don’t like each other, but—”

“Ya think?” Raiden and Dara said in unison, with the same sarcastic inflection. Looks of horror flashed across their faces when they realised, and they both turned away in disgust.

Look. Guys,” said Franky through gritted teeth. “I know you don’t like each other, but we don’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice Franky, didn’t I teach you anything?” said Dara.

“Yeah, Franky…” mocked Raiden.

“Oh my God, you two are the absolute worst, do you know that?” Franky turned to his captain and pointed at her leg, which was currently in a cast and was resting on a raised cushion. “Do you honestly think you can pull off a mission with your leg like that?

“Can do it better than him,” she said, pointing to Raiden with her chin.

Really, Dara? Really?

She squinted at him, and her eyes shot daggers, but she said nothing.

“And you,” said Franky, turning to Raiden. “I know how broke you are. You think that debt collectors don’t talk? I know for a fact that there are three scumbag moneylenders out there that want your head on a platter!”

Raiden paled as the colour drained from his face. Dara started to laugh, but Franky shot her a glare that told her she shouldn’t. “You both need each other. And don’t you dare argue with me,” he said, looking from one to the other, goading them into saying something to the contrary. “And, perhaps most importantly, I need both of you. I can’t make ends meet if we can’t take any jobs, Dara… and he’s the best out there. We both know he is. Hell, he knows he is, the cocky sonofa—”

Hey!

“Sorry.”

“It’s true.”

An awkward silence fell upon the room. Slowly, Franky lowered his hands. “So, do we have an understanding?”

Dara and Raiden glared at each other, and then flicked their eyes back to Franky.

“Fine,” mumbled Dara.

“Fine,” said Raiden.

Great!” said Franky, more enthusiastically than he felt. “Well, done, guys. I really think that you’ve—”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s talk shop,” said Raiden, shushing him.

“Agreed. Let’s get on with it. Shut up, Franky.”

“I—” started Franky, looking from Dara to Raiden exasperatedly, but then he gave up and sighed, visibly deflating. “Oh, fine.”

“Okay, so, let’s go over the plan…” said Dara, clicking a button and bringing up the holographic map that hovered in the centre of the room.

Now

Raiden pulled the object out of his pocket with the flourish of a well-practiced magician. He saw the look of urgency in the eyes of those nearest to him as they sprinted towards his location. The gleam of fear that flashed across their faces told him that they knew he was about to pull something off, like a rabbit out of a hat… they just didn’t know what.

The natives of Raghajiv bent their heads low and really threw themselves into their sprint, hoping to catch the blasphemous thief.

Then

“They want what?” asked Raiden, astounded. “Are they crazy?

“Yes. Crazy rich,” said Dara. “What’s the matter, is it too big of a job for—” she adopted a mocking, babylike voice “—the great Raiden?”

“No, of course not! It’s just… this is gonna upset a lot of people, you do realise?”

Obviously,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That’s why they’re hiring a crew to do it for them. If it was an easy task, they’d do it themselves, wouldn’t they? Besides, the added danger means they’re adding a few more zeroes to our paycheck, which is always appreciated.”

“How much are they paying?”

“That’s for me to know, Raiden. You’ll get your previously discussed share, as agreed. Now, let’s talk details…”

Now

Raiden rolled the glass orb in his palm precariously. The object was delicate and prone to shattering – it had been designed so. For when the outer shell cracked, it would spill its contents across the ground and into the atmosphere, creating the desired effect.

He watched the horde close in on him like a wildfire. The moment was drawing nearer. Almost there, he told himself. Almost… almost… Three, two, one and—

Raiden smashed the orb onto the floor at his feet.

Then

“Any idea why they want it?”

Dara shrugged. “None of my concern. As long as they pay up, they can smash it for all I care. Let ‘em chop it up and eat it. Let them deface it. I don’t care.”

“But, it’s a religious symbol,” said Raiden, treading carefully.

“Oh, what? What happened in those years that we stopped working together, Raiden? You didn’t suddenly see the light, did you? You haven’t gone all wacko on me, have you?”

“Hey, no. I’m not… a believer,” he said, taking care with the word. “But I wouldn’t talk about the followers like that. I mean, who knows? Right? I mean—”

“Do you want the job or not, man? You might be the best, but there’s a thousand others out there who are good enough who’d do the job without asking this many questions. Plenty of people need the cash.”

“Whoa, whoa, Dara. Of course, I want the job!”

“Then stop talking as if you don’t.”

Now

It felt as if all the air was suddenly sucked from the surface of the planet. Before the tinkling glass had even finished falling to the ground, a great aqua blue bubble had bloomed from the cracked container, blossoming outwards and encapsulating him. For a second it stayed there, hovering around him, crackling with electric life, psychedelic swirling patterns twirling into infinity across its surface… and then it erupted outwards, rocketing into the oncoming horde.

A subsonic BOOM rattled Raiden’s eardrums, and he felt all the hairs on his body standing on end as if with static. His lungs had the breath pulled from them, and he uttered a shocked little, “Oof!” Raiden felt like someone had gently hit him in the gut and winded him. A moment later, he was roaring with laughter.

The mob was still there – nobody harmed. But they were moving in slow motion towards him, their skins crackling with blue lightning. Somewhere in the crowd, someone was still shouting. “Geeeeeeeettttt hiiiiiiiimmmm!” The voice sounded incredibly deep and hilarious.

Giggling like a schoolchild, Raiden stepped out into the crowd, backpack heavy on his shoulders. The thing was right there within grabbing distance, and he could see the understanding in their eyes… but they couldn’t get it. He laughed again. This was brilliant! Raiden waltzed through the crowd, taking special attention to lock eyes with as many murderous gazes as he could. Every single one of them would murder him in an instant, if they had the chance. And here he was, right within their grasp, and they were, for all intents and purposes, statues.

Raiden pranced and danced around their slowly moving bodies. It was as if they were moving in zero gravity or trying to wade through a lake of custard. His laughter tinkled through the air like falling glass. This is fantastic, he thought. This is utterly fantastic!

Although he knew he should be making his hasty getaway, Raiden spent the next twenty minutes jumping and skipping through the pack of would-be assailants, laughing hysterically.

Then

“So, how will we deliver it? I assume people will be looking for it.”

“You assume correctly, Mr. Genius. We’re gonna have the handoff on Tartrak.”

“Tartrak? Dara, are you sure about this?”

“I know what I’m doing. And whilst I’m captain, you won’t question me. Just do your job, Raiden.”

“Well, okay…”

Now

The ship was waiting on the beach, rear ramp lowered onto the sand. Franky was waiting outside, leaning against the ship, arms crossed. He looked annoyed. “What took you?”

“Nothing,” said Raiden, stifling a giggle.

“Did something go wrong?”

“No, nothing at all. Went off without a hitch.”

Franky sized him up. “I hope you’re telling the truth. For your sake. Dara’s pissed. Did you get it?”

Raiden patted his heavy backpack. “Right here.”

Franky nodded, then scanned the horizon. “Nobody saw you?”

Raiden grinned. “Like I said. It went off without a hitch,” he said, avoiding the truth but not overtly lying. At least, not in his own eyes.

“All right. Climb in the back. We’re leaving Raghajiv right now. Heading to meet the buyers.”

“Is Dara…?”

Franky nodded. “Yep. Good luck.” And with that, Franky climbed into the cockpit and started the ship’s engines.

Then

“Geahek? Geahek? Dara, I—”

“Stop. I said to not question my authority.”

“I know, but, Geahek is a mean… whatever he is. And his gang? Dara, they’re wanted dead or alive on every major planet.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Dara hissed. “But he’s paying big bucks. Don’t you get it? If we prove we can handle Geahek without wetting our pants, the rest of the clients will just fall into place. The infamy.”

“I—” started Raiden, but then he gave up. He shook his head and sighed.

There was little use in arguing with Dara. He’d learnt that many moons ago. Once she had an idea in her head…

Now

Dara hadn’t been as angry with him as he’d anticipated. She was just happy he had the idol. She held the thing in her hands and rotated it around, getting a proper look at it. “Over three thousand years old…” she said, in slight awe. “I mean, I know it’s got massive importance, but it is only made from bronze. It’s not like it’s gold or crystal or whatever.”

“Dara…” said Raiden, looking at her as if she had two heads. “This idol is one of the central pillars of the entire Raghajiv religion. You are holding something that people have killed for and died for. Something that people believe in, something people pray to. There are thousands of people out there that think that when they die, they meet—” he gestured towards the statue.

“Wow,” said Dara, mockingly. “That was quite a speech.” She jabbed the idol in his direction. “You should get into politics, y’know.”

Before Raiden could retort, the pilot interrupted them. “We’re here,” said Franky, from up front.

Through the windshield, they saw the icy wastes of Tartrak, the dead planet.

Then

“It’s not too late to turn the job down, you know,” he told her on the ride to Raghajiv. “You can still—”

“Turn Geahek down?

Raiden turned the thought over in his mind. “Nope. You’re right. That would get us killed. If you told Geahek you’d do it, we better do it, hm?”

Now

And now, here they were on their knees in the freezing snow, hands behind their heads, guns trained on them. Raiden wanted to say I told you so. No, probably shouldn’t, he thought. He looked out the corner of his eye and caught Dara’s attention. “Told you so,” he whispered smugly.

“Tiihuh,” she whispered through gritted teeth.

“Hm?”

“Tiihuh,” she repeated, keeping her jaw clenched.

What?

“Hnh hn tiihuh.”

“Oh, for goodness sake, will you just say whatever it is you’re trying to say?”

“I said, throw the timebomb!

Raiden’s words caught in his throat.

“Throw it, Raiden!” shouted Dara, eyes urging. Around them, Geahek’s guards were shouting and bellowing orders.

“I, uh… I don’t have it.”

What?

“I don’t… I don’t have it. I might have, ah, used it back on Raghajiv.”

The guards were swarming around them now, a blur of black armour against the icy blueish whites of Tartrak’s wastelands.

“You what? You blithering idiot! You utter moron! You—”

And that was when one of Geahek’s guards struck him on the back of the head, and he blacked out.

Then

“I wonder what he wants it for,” pondered Raiden out loud. “Why chase down an ancient religious idol?”

“Who cares, as long as we get paid?” replied Dara, flippantly. “And don’t go off about the—” she did mock air-quotes “—significance of such an artefact. Let’s just do the work, get paid, and then go our separate ways. ‘Cause your face is already annoying me.”

“Your voice, too,” added Franky.

Dara nodded. “Yeah, and your voice.”

Now

“Lucky for you, we get to spend a lot more time together,” he said, smiling chirpily. “Silver linings, and all that, huh?”

“For God’s sake, Raiden, shut up.”

“Yeah, Raiden, shut it,” growled Franky.

From outside their cages came a tutting. Geahek stepped out from the shadows. “So much infighting, it’s a wonder you lot were able to pull of the heist at all,” he crooned, bouncing the idol in his hand.

“Why don’t you hurry up and kill us already?” snapped Dara. “Stop toying with us!” As the words tumbled out of her mouth, Raiden knew she hadn’t figured it out yet. There were the things on their legs, for a start…

“Kill you?” Geahek asked, frowning. “Why on earth would I kill you? You’re the best heist crew I’ve ever had!” he said with a boyish grin that bordered on the maniacal. “No, no. I’m not going to kill you, gosh no. In fact, what I propose is an… opportunity.”

“Oh, here we go,” mumbled Raiden, fiddling with the ankle monitor that was strapped to his leg. It flashed a red light, intermittently.

A look of unadulterated rage flashed across Geahek’s face, but he maintained composure. “I propose you continue working for me. And when I say ‘work’, I do not mean that you will be getting paid.” His eyes crawled over Raiden. “And please stop playing with that. It’s not a toy, and you won’t get it off.” Geahek’s voice dropped down a register: “Believe me.”

“What kinda work?” asked Dara.

“Well…” he said scrutinising the idol. “This wasn’t the only religious artefact I am after. And you weren’t the only crew I hired. The problem is that the others… they, ah, suffered casualties. In fact, you are the only crew that returned alive.”

“Oh…”

“I want you to go and retrieve the other artefacts.”

“Which others?” asked Raiden, an awful feeling rising in his chest.

“I think you know,” said Geahek with a wicked grin. “But here’s a hint for job number one: Quowiduw.” The exotic word rolled off his tongue perfectly.

Raiden closed his eyes and swore.

Dara looked confused. “What? What?

“I’ll leave you to… discuss the proposition,” said Geahek, ignoring her. “Of course, it’s either ‘yes’ or it’s death, you must realise. Any who…” he said, and then swaggered through the doors, whistling a jaunty tune.

“What did he say?” said Dara, turning in her narrow cage.

Raiden sighed. “Basically, we either get killed by his cronies… or, we get killed by religious nuts. Or by mother nature.” He looked from Franky to Dara, in the cramped confines of their prisons. “Guys… we’re going to Muxel.”

Franky and Dara swore simultaneously.

Yesterday, in fact.

Yesterday I turned 40 years old. Not a single damn person, including my friends and even my parents. Not one person, save for God the Father; wished me a Happy Birthday.

I do all the shopping and housekeeping for my parent’s, twice a week. Which means I leave my life, to go to their house and clean it for them. I do their grocery shopping too. My other siblings? Nowhere to be found, or even care. So, you’d think that I might matter to them. Right? You’d think a 40th birthday would be a big one.

I take care of church and help maintain their storehouse, and do all their shopping, bills, etc. I serve as a Worship Leader at my church. None of my team, none of my fellow church members, none of them wished me a happy birthday. These are people I see every week and who keep calendars on people’s birthdays.

No one threw me a party or sent me some money or remembered to say two simple words. No one, but God. That’s when I realized that I am far too kind and giving and generous for my own good and I need to set stronger and tighter boundaries. If ALL the people that I care about and value in my life, can completely forget about me on my 40th, what is considered a Milestone by most people. Not one person. It shows that I care more for them, then they do for me.

That cut me real deep. It really makes me question why I go out of my way to serve and help people, when no one even notices me. Pretty messed up. I sat in my truck with a chocolate cupcake and a Puppacino for my pooch and sang myself Happy Birthday with my dog howling next to me.

People suck. Especially the ones that you’re supposed to matter to.

EDIT 12/29/24 – Just in the last 2 days; I am amazed, humbled and completely taken aback by the level of outpouring love, support and belated birthday wishes, from complete strangers. The same love that I should have been given by the ones that matter most to me, instead I got it from the world; the one place I didn’t expect it. I’ve never written or done anything that went viral. I wrote this 2 days ago out of frustrating and venting and its had more attention and views than any other article I’ve written. And I write a lot. I just want to say to all the people that took the time to read this and sympathize with me and especially the ones who took the time to write a comment or a belated birthday wish. Thank you from the bottom of my 40 year old heart. I value this so much and it was so needed. Thank you, all of you!

My goodness that happened to me. He was the love of my life. I was devastated . It wasn’t an ex but someone he knew through his job. They were both studying for a state engineering licensing exam. At the library in the evenings. One night he wasn’t home by 9:15 as expected. I drove to the library. There they were , steamed up windows in his van. I was so upset. Not long after. I came home and the house felt weird. I opened his drawers, they were empty. I knew then he just left without being asked and without telling me. It was a kick in the gut. I loved him so much. Several weeks later, he knocked on my door with two bags of groceries. “I thought I’d come back home, I brought dinner. We sat and talked. I said “you want to come back? “. Yes, he said, I said “wait, I’ll be right back”. I went into my room and grabbed my wedding rings. I opened his had and placed the rings in his palm, then I held out my left hand. I said , when you put these rings on my finger, again, you are promising me that my heart will never be broken, you want our marriage forever, and you will never do what you did again, I love you , if you know in your heart that you love me and are committing to be with me , you will put them on my finger”, he reached out and took my hand, I looked at him. His eyes were down he turned my hand placed the ring in my palm, folded my fingers over them and said I’m sorry , I cannot make that promise. Then he got up and walked out the door. “Thank for the groceries” I said. I wasn’t surprised. At least he was honest this time! Two months later he came back to announce that he was going to Arizona where he grew up, with a girl he met who had a son. We spoke to each other several times over the years. He called me, I never called him. I was invited to his daughters wedding. Her and I were pretty close since I married her dad. He came alone, he sat with me and his daughters mother joined us later. He was the same charming man I always loved and knew I would love forever. He died after a major stroke a couple of years ago. I was devastated. I still love him with all my heart. I could have just said yes, come home, but I didn’t. He married three times after he left me and was divorced when he died. I made the right decision that day to bait him. My advice to you is to say no life cannot be happily lived backwards. It’s too late. Once they don’t love you and say so, they only come back because there is no one else. That’s not enough to rebuilt on. I’m sorry, I know how you feel. I feel your pain and understand your mixed feelings well.

There’s your answer. She put somebody else in her bed and put you on the couch. That means you need to walk away. Cause there is nothing there. I’m sorry to say and it might hurt. If there is a better future ahead of you, if there’s always a reason that something happens because when one door closes another, 1 will open

My neighbor’s daughter died young and her boyfriend would stop in to look after her elderly mother weekly for the rest of my neighbor’s life. It was very kind.

I moved into the neighborhood a couple years before she died, and she was a porch-sitter and I’m a talker, so I would come talk to her on the regular and lend a hand if she needed something. Nothing heroic, just a little neighboly hanging out.

She passed and he turned up that Christmas with a gift and said “hey thanks for being a great neighbor to her,” and I said, “oh that’s so sweet of you, I LOVE chocolate!” What I did not say, because I thought it would never matter, was, “that’s so sweet of you, but in fact I am viciously allergic to nuts of all sorts, so thanks but no thanks!”

It is now five years later, and a man whose name I do not know, never see, and does not live in the area, is still leaving expensive, nutty assortments of chocolate on my doorstep every year. My kiddo is gleeful and I am resigned. It’s far too late to fess up even if I were to catch him in the act, plus I will be moving next year. Best to just let him enjoy his seasonal gesture.

Andrew Tate Explains Why Men Should NEVER Get Married

You know nothing about your mother. Maybe she considered abortion but decided she couldn’t kill a baby, because a fetus is a baby. You sound depressed otherwise you would not consider that you were forced to come into this world. Your words indicate to me that your mother might have raised you without a father, would it have been better if you had a normal upbringing with both parents? But really you are angry and depressed and you want to blame it on your mom. The last thing you should tell her is that you hate her. If you want to tell someone how angry you are, tell it to God. He know all things anyway. He knows every thought before it comes to your mind. He knows every word before it comes to your tongue. Since He already knows, you should talk to Him instead of blaming your mom.

Caramel

Submitted into Contest #18 in response to: Your fingers tensed around the object in your pocket, ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice. view prompt

Agnes Sharan

They say our instincts act in a split second.

 

“Arrrrthhhuurrrr!” 

 

My head was ringing, my jaw clenched. It was a cold windy night, the alley not any kinder. I pulled my coat tighter around myself. My body was fighting the cold, but the fear coursing through seemed to warm it enough to make my clenched fists sweat. I wanted to put my hand into my pocket but knew that won’t do me any good at this point.

 

“Arrrrthhhurrrr!”

 

I kept seeing him out of the corner of my eyes, grinning, his eyes lit up like he’s happy right where he is. He looked better than the last time I saw him, more alive. He didn’t look a day over how he looked then, brown eyes, caramel skinned, his clothes the same as that day. I suppose that’s just what happens when you go through something like that. It is what it is.

 

It was quiet, the stillness almost suffocating. I wanted to get it over with, but time seemed frozen just like the air around me. Some stragglers went past us, but other than the odd look now and then, they didn’t seem to suspect anything. So we waited, him and I, paused in that moment, feeling every breath leave my body, every whisper of wind through my hair, afraid to make any movement that might break this trance. But even as my eyes were wide open, I could see that day play out.

 

It was about a year ago.

 

“There has been a mistake. The officer will be punished suitably. We are truly sorry.”

 

He stood beside me, an officer hat in his hands. I couldn’t meet his eyes. Nor hers. I couldn’t imagine that this day will end like this. And the worst part is, it was all my fault. 

 

Why did this happen?

 

I don’t remember who, I just remember a voice asking those words. The sweat in my clenched fists almost felt like his blood on my hands.

 

“We can’t begin to say how sorry we are. We got a distress call from someone passing through that there seemed to be a suspicious individual in the neighbourhood. Our officers on call were closeby and responded to it and it just so happened that he fit the description.” 

 

“Arrrrthhhuurrrr!” 

 

Have you heard a gunshot?

 

I have. I think its sharp, like a clap maybe? No, no, its dull, slipping past like a breeze. Honestly, you can’t really describe it. It is just a sound that rings around your head. It feels like it has a life of its own, and when it is through with you, all you are left with is wondering what ghosts it left behind.

 

I thought I’d never pick up something again that could make that sound. Never feel the cool metal beneath my fingertips.

 

“Noooo!!!”

 

Her voice rang in my head. It did ever since that day. The wailing of an inconsolable mother. A mother who lost her world in what to some was a split second instinct.

 

What could console her? Was there any punishment that would feel just in this world? Was there any in the universe? Her cries made me wonder every day.

 

A mandatory leave of absence sure doesn’t. Why else would I find myself here?

 

“What could you possibly have imagined a 10 year old capable of committing? Enough to warrant him a fatal wound?” The voice choked out the words. “He’s a child! H-He was …” 

 

The words just buzzed in my ears. My throat felt clogged, like I couldn’t speak despite desperately wanting to.

 

It continued. “I was just there. I had asked him to wait out on the lawn for me, for just a moment. To wait, on OUR LAWN!” Eyes squeezed shut, fingers pressed tightly to stop the tears. “Why would you think my boy standing on our lawn made him the first suspicious individual huh? A 10 YEAR OLD! He listened to his father and simply stood there, and he was killed at his own house! What world are you protecting us from if you are the ones going around killing us?!”

 

I could stay silent no more.

 

“Now listen here, mister, that is no way to talk to an officer…”

 

“Jerry, shut up. Sir, again, as we explained, he made a sudden turn which was why the officer had to act quickly. We can’t discriminate between criminals based on age …”

 

“But you can based on colour. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” 

 

Her voice rang out. 

 

The man looked like he wanted to speak out. He then looked at me in the eyes, hazy with the need to defend his comrade but he could see that in the depths of this day, nothing else could explain why it happened. Nothing else could say why an innocent boy with a brown eyed smile had to die. Nothing but the caramel of his skin. 

 

“We were just going to the park. My wife had gone ahead earlier to get the birthday picnic set up but she texted me about some things she forgot. I didn’t want him to see, that’s why I told him to wait out in the lawn. It would have barely been a couple of minutes. Just a couple of minutes.”

 

Hopelessness rimmed that voice. It crawled over my skin, making me want to throw up my insides.

 

“He turned around because he heard me close our door. He saw your guns and understood the danger it posed. He was scared and he looked for his father to protect him. Was that so wrong? In the end, though, it got him killed.”

 

It sounded like someone who had lost all purpose. Someone who just wanted to give up. But that was a year ago.

 

“You remember me, don’t you?”

 

This voice no longer belonged to the helpless father from a year ago. This was one that knew what its sole purpose in life is, and would do anything to get to it.

 

And it’s hands held clenched in the pocket of its coat the one tool that help it get to it.

 

I could see the recognition etched in his eyes, the face that came to me every night in my sleep, eyes that then seemed so hateful now filled with something I couldn’t quite understand. He was frozen, just like I, the midnight air speaking the words we couldn’t.

 

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget a face from that day.”

 

His voice, I wanted to say, sounded smug. But there was something off about it, like my appearance after disappearing for a year didn’t affect him at all. And that bothered me.

 

He continued. “I saw it in your eyes that day, you know.” He smiled. “I saw them burning with a desire for justice. And I remember it every time I dream of firing that shot.”

 

It almost seemed like he was goading me, as though he wanted me to act before even I myself desired it. My fingers tensed around the metal, wanting to pull it out yet not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

 

“Do you now? A murderer who remembers his victim, how ironic.” I sneered at him. It only seemed to make him grin wider. I didn’t have to imagine I heard smugness in his voice to get triggered by his smile.

 

My clenched fists felt colder now with the metal in them exposed to the air. He held his hands up in mockery.

 

“Dad?”

 

“Dad?”

 

“Shh, Arthur, the doctors will fix you right up, its okay.” I looked away, holding his hand tighter in mine. My other hand was holding pressure to his chest, but even the slightest shift felt like he life was slipping away right beneath my fingertips. 

 

“Daddy?” I couldn’t look at his eyes. He always had a light that in them I could look towards to make any day better. But today was different.

 

Because today, it was fading.

 

“I’m scared.”

 

I met his brown eyes, and in that moment, I wanted to scratch away my skin till it all but bled just to see if it makes his stop. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”

 

He closed his eyes. “Sleepy, daddy …”

 

“Arthur”, I shook him, “Arthur?”

 

“Arrrrthhhuurrrr!” 

 

The fear of God struck his eyes at that moment. He looked like he was about to turn, so I held the gun with both hands. “Don’t move!”

 

He froze, and it gave me a moment to see where the voice came from. He stood behind him, a boy of 7, maybe 8, and he was shivering. I’d like to say it was because of the cold but I but deep down, I didn’t have to guess the reason why. I looked away from him.

 

“Jim.” He spoke with his hands still held up. “Jim, what are you doing here?”

The boy’s eyes started to fill with tears. “M-mom told me to come l-look for you”, his voice choked.

 

“Go back to mommy, Jim, its going to be okay. Just go back to mommy.”

 

That’s when I turned the gun to the boy. All this time, he looked unbothered, but the fear in his eyes now looked exactly what I needed.

 

“Don’t!” he shouted, pleading in words he didn’t say. “He’s just a boy.”

 

I sneered. “So was mine! Now you’ll know how that feels!”

 

“Kill me.”

 

The words rang in my ears, but it didn’t make sense. Every day for the past year I dreamt of all the ways his face would look like pleading for his life, but none of those faces matched the man before me.

 

He smiled sadly. “You see him still, don’t you?”

 

“Daddy?”

 

Arthur stood beside the boy now, his caramel smile nowhere to be seen. Instead his eyes were fearful, just as they were that day.

 

“I do too. Every day. That’s why I resigned after the leave of absence. I kept remembering I chose to fire every time I picked up the gun. I knew you were looking into me, that one day you’d come for me. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of what I deserve.”

 

I felt as though my brain was finally putting together the pieces from tonight. Everything I found off about his demeanour, from his voice to him smile, it all made sense. For the look in his eyes that I couldn’t understand before, it was not smugness or fear. It was acceptance.

 

“Why should I believe you?”

 

He smiled, “I can’t tell you why.” His eyes turned, “Just let the boy go, I beg you. He doesn’t deserve it just as much as Arthur didn’t.”

 

I finally looked into the boy’s eyes. He was more human to me than anyone’s ever been in the last year, his light no different from my son’s. As I looked on, the ocean blue of his eyes changed color slowly. Now all that stared back was a brown eyed smile that slowly died every second my gun continued to point to it.

 

What am I doing?

 

You are no different from him.

 

My hands shook. But the man didn’t seem keen to use my moment of weakness to escape. He stood still, like a man who had nowhere else he wished to be.

 

“Go.”

 

The light in Arthur’s eyes were no longer dying. In fact, they seemed to start glowing. I put the gun back into my pocket.

 

“W-what?”

 

“GO! Before I change my mind!”

 

He kept his eyes on me while walking backwards, protecting the boy from my line of fire with his body. If only I could’ve done the same that day.

 

They were gone and I fell to the ground defeated. Where was the justice I sought? Why do I still feel like clawing my chest out? What could I do?

 

I screamed out into the night, until I could no more.

 

It was quiet now.

 

My hands hung limply by my side, my coat sifting softly in the breeze, brushing every now and then against my hand. My fingers were cold, the ground freezing. I put them into my pocket but there was no more room, so my fingers clenched around the gun. I don’t know how much time passed, only that I was down on the ground waiting for something to happen.

 

“Sleep, daddy …”

 

I heard my second gunshot. I still couldn’t say what it sounded like. But it was quiet now, and so I just closed my eyes and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Dude, you’re 28 years old. You can’t blame your mom for your issues.

Get some therapy. get a job. Go to the gym. Have fun by joining some safe groups. Hang out with friends or make some.

don’t blame your issues on your mother birthing you, you are too old for this… grow up!

How was the Internet invented?

There were whispers of it in the Pentagon first—back in the 1960s—The military sought for a nuclear war survival communication system.

What they produced was much more than they had dreamed.

Started with ARPANET in 1969—They built it piece by piece—like a man laying bricks for a foundation he couldn’t yet see—The initial link went from UCLA to Stanford. Two computers—conversing over a phone line; But it marked the start of something massive.

The development of TCP/IP—the protocol destined to form the backbone of the internet, marked the actual breakthrough—Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf produced it in 1974. Consider it as if any computer—could converse in a universal language—Before that, different networks were like islands—cut off from one another—TCP/IP created connections between them.

NSFNET, a system linking supercomputer centers, first emerged in the 1980s—faster and more dependable than ARPANET—Schools began to plug in—then companies. Growing like a living entity—the network expanded first over the nation and then the planet.

The last piece arrived in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lew created the World-Wide-Web at CERN—He provided HTML, URLs, and HTTP—the tools that would make the internet from a playground for specialists into something everyone could use.

Early in the 1990s, the internet had moved from military and intellectual beginnings—It belonged to everyone now. Commercial suppliers began providing links to houses—The rest is history.

Valtrompia Bread

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9976eaff3b51b9c1f669bfb5eeb02964

Yield: 2 Valtrompia loaves

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup very warm water
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3 to 4 cups flour

 

 

Instructions

  1. In measuring cup, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes stirring occasionally until mixture is foamy.
  2. In large bowl, combine milk, butter, and salt. Add yeast mixture to bowl and stir to combine. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and stir. Stir in as much of remaining flour as necessary to form soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead for 7 minutes. Shape dough into smooth ball. Put into greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in warm, draft-free place to rise until double in bulk.
  3. Punch dough down. Divide dough in half, roll into log 3 to 4 inches shorter than the Valtrompia Bread Tube, and insert in tube.
  4. Cap and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 60 to 70 minutes.
  5. Remove from tube to cool.

If your husband wants to cheat, then you can’t stop your husband from cheating. Your husband will find different ways to cheat. It all depends upon the core personality of your husband. If your husband is an emotionally unavailable, emotionally damaged man, or has high traits of narcissism, then he is more likely to cheat. Cheating is a choice and a conscious act. You can’t do anything here if your husband wants to cheat.

Only man can stop himself from cheating. If your husband is healthy and loves you, then no matter what happens, he is never going to cheat in any circumstances. If your husband loves you, cheating on you will never cross his mind. Cheaters will have 100s of reasons to cheat, and a loyal person only needs one reason to be faithful: that is love.

Absolutely not, it is not unreasonable to get upset. Many things can happen riding solo at that hour. My man would NEVER let me out alone at that time of the night. Shoot he wouldn’t even let me check the mail across the street in the dark. She must not respect the fact that you care about her and a healthy future for her.

Yes, be upset. It’s disrespectful and disregarding your marriage vows. The offer is with bad intentions. To do that any time of day and just her is an affair waiting to happen

Talk to your wife and ask how she would feel if a woman invited you only to go over by her at that time wearing only a Speedo??

Do you want to hear the truth or do you want to hear lies.

The truth is, for the United States, if it does not want to give up its financial hegemony and the US dollar as the world currency, then financial capital absolutely does not want manufacturing to return to the United States.

Because this will reduce their voice in government decision-making, and even serve the manufacturing industry, instead of being able to quickly obtain massive amounts of funds by constantly speculating on some “high-tech” concept products in the stock market. It turned into a real-life Ponzi scheme.

After carefully looking at the U.S. dollar, U.S. bonds, and U.S. technology stocks, I

I realized that the current financial system of the United States is based on the credit endorsement of the United States as a sovereign country.

But it is obvious that as the U.S. debt approaches 37 trillion, the U.S. national credit system is about to go bankrupt.

For the United States, the reshoring of manufacturing promoted by Trump and Musk is like a self-rescue act of a terminally ill person.

But to realize this premise, the financial industry, service industry, etc. all need to serve the manufacturing industry.

Instead, I hype a high-tech concept, which is actually a laboratory product, and then I can obtain a large amount of financing in the stock market. Then a few years later, the company goes bankrupt and closes down. But the money has fallen into the hands of a few.

Isn’t this just pure money fraud?

Then, the United States needs to restart vocational education. Simply put, it means that a large number of Americans should give up their choices in law, finance, services, computers, and liberal arts, and devote themselves to science and engineering and technical training.

This process will take at least 10 years to cultivate a generation of qualified industrial workers and engineers.

Otherwise, it is just a dream to bring back the manufacturing industry.

Because the current illiteracy rate in the United States is too high, workers seriously lack high-end technical training.

In fact, I personally suggest that it is better for the United States to start major infrastructure construction again from now on, which can at least solve a large number of employment problems.

Short Answer: Intel’s main competition was AMD and for a while AMD wasn’t in the race so intel got distracted. After a while Intel decided to comeback with 2nm chip and it proved disaster because of many reasons, some of which are listed in the long answer.

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main qimg 69e0df05f4350bfdf01e0012dbed5776

Long Answer: Intel’s $50 billion investment to lead in 2nm chip production has turned into a tale of misaligned priorities. The company focused on building cutting-edge facilities for foundaries to compete with TSMC and Samsung before resolving its existing 7nm and 10nm chip struggles, resulting in a reduced credibility in the market.

Why did only Intel had a fall while not other competitors like AMD?

AMD focused on outsourcing its chip production to TSMC, allowing it to prioritize design while leveraging TSMC’s advanced manufacturing processes.

TSMC invested steadily in cutting-edge production facilities like 7nm and 5nm, delivering consistent results and attracting customers like Apple, AMD, and Nvidia.

These companies focused on their own expertise and existing products, unlike Intel and that is the only reason for their success.

Andrew Tate Explains Why Men Should NEVER Get Married

The Beatles arrive in New York City

Badly lit alleys in Khlong Toei Slums? Nope! Red-light, Pattaya Soi 6 ? Nope!—- Low cost National Housing Estate in Din Daeng dubbed -slums in the air?—-Nope! Walking Street at Bangla, Phuket? Nope!

Some of those places are hidden gem for tourists and many are popular, though it’s seemed unsafe but they’re almost 100% safe if you aren’t a troublemaker yourself.

So, where, then, isn’t safe to go alone as a tourist?

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main qimg 451c97c84589dbea5451453c33e19ad5
 

Well, nothing is wrong with going to the police station in Thailand, it’s just like going to a renowned lion den alone.

Even if you are one hell of a ‘Rambo’ you are no match with those guys in Brown in the above places.

Are you kidding me? What is wrong with going to make a police report I’m a victim, I did no wrong against the Thai law.?— Did you? And are you sure about that?

I know you will come up with that. ‘ You said you were attacked by 5 Thai security guards, you acted in self-defense, right?’

“You will be slapped with a few charges like ‘destroy public property’ ( section 360) by pulling the pipes from roadside rail to beat all 5 Thai guys up. Another charge is ‘using foul language like ‘ f-word’ to insult their mother’s ( Libel sec. 326’) plus’ Third; Walk out of the bar without paying the bills.(Fraud base:345)

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main qimg 494730d50f4a04d9740abe0949928063
 

From all the 3 charges, you will get compound fines 20,000 Baht or jailed, or both. Meanwhile, locked up until you get a bailout, could also be deported if convicted…What? sigh!

The 5 guys? They, too, were fined.—500B each on ‘assault’ (section 295) with 1 year suspended sentence, doing community works for 6 weeks.

Now you know, going to the Police station ‘alone’ as a tourist is a suicidal— Bring a Thai lawyer with you, he or she knows what to do.

This statement occurred in mid-December 2024.

Beef Chimichangas

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8e65bfa35177813da62d926bbc128712

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) roast
  • 2 firm tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 to 4 scallions, chopped
  • Garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • Comino (cumin)

Instructions

  1. Cook the beef in a slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours with the seasonings.
  2. Cool and shred beef.
  3. Cook tomatoes and scallions and add to beef.
  4. Place meat mixture on flour tortillas and roll up. Drop into hot oil until golden brown. Drain.
  5. Top with green chiles, sour cream, guacamole, salsa and shredded cheese.
  6. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce.

A Place in the Sun

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways. view prompt

 

John Rennie

 
The metallic surface of the Cleveland Company logo glimmered faintly as the space station became slowly bathed in the dim glow of moonlight. Eileen sat in the control room chair looking straight ahead, not distracted by the sight of Umbriel passing the window; she’d seen it a thousand times. Her eyes were fixated by the 50-inch rectangle of light above her head. “He never takes me anywhere” she sighed. Prodding the remote control repeatedly at three second intervals, she continued browsing images of the inner Solar System – far off places, close to the Sun, but she knew it was hopeless. Ted hadn’t agreed to leave the space station since their honeymoon in 2159, and no matter how many light-years she spent dreaming of one last planet getaway, it came no closer to reality. Ted was just not interested; he had his mind of other things.At the opposite end of the space station, the sound of clinking and clunking would be absolutely maddening if there had been anyone else around to hear it. The only person there was Ted whose hearing had started to go a long time ago. Pieces of twisted metal and dusty electronic chips were strewn around the floor of the station’s West Wing. A screw with a worn down thread went scuttling across the metal table skimming its surface like a stone across a lake. Eventually dropping to the floor and finding its resting place through a tiny air vent under a cabinet. “Blast!” Ted exclaimed staring into his empty hands. He looked up at the calendar above the workstation and his chest started to tighten.It was November 4th 2212. The arrival of J-Boy, their beloved grandson, was imminent. The young explorer was about to make his annual call. Visitors were rare these days. So rare that they hadn’t had a visitor for 10 years, except J-Boy of course. His visits were guaranteed like Earth’s orbit around the Sun. He could arrive at any moment and yet the satellite was still not fixed. Ted just needed to re-attach a panel to cover the inner circuitry and the dish would be ready for installation. He reached into the screw box and grasped at the fresh air inside. He picked up his magnifying glass to see that the box was in fact empty. Ted slumped back into his chair, realising he would have to go to the East Wing to get a new one. That meant bumping into Eileen. He wasn’t ready to face her, especially as he hadn’t finished the job yet, but he couldn’t stay away any longer. Ted hoped she’d forgotten about the promise he made last month. It was unlikely though.Eileen peered through the small round window in the door of the East Wing. The faint sound of footsteps had interrupted her mid-afternoon daydream of exotic star trails and asteroid showers. She watched as a frail masculine figure emerged from the long dark corridor that connected the wings of the space station. As he got closer, the light from the East Wing window cast a spotlight, revealing the silhouette. There was no doubt who it was, it couldn’t have been anyone else. He was holding a shiny box.”A gift?” she wondered.“Oh, Ted …after all this time, finally he has something to offer, something to show he still cares after all these years.”Eileen excitedly pressed the big red button causing the door to slide out of view. With a childlike grin, Eileen opened her arms.

“For me? Ted, you shouldn’t have.”

Before Ted could speak Eileen reached forward, snatched the shiny box from his hands and ripped off the lid. Eileen’s cheeks were suddenly yanked down by invisible draw strings when she saw the box was empty.

“You’re a mean bloody sod, you know that? Bringing me a shiny thing, getting me all excited then smashing my dreams to pieces with a box of empty promises.”

Ted peeled back his lips to reveal his crooked gnashers.

“Give over, would ya? Screws! I need bloody screws…for the satellite.”

“Screws? I’ll give you screws! I’ll bloody screw you!” she said, waving her fist and reluctantly stepping aside to let him through the doorway.

“Chance would be a fine thing!” he chuckled.

“Wash your bloody gob out, you. J-Boy will be here tomorrow and I don’t wanna hear you opening your potty mouth in front of the lad.”

Ted carried on shuffling toward the storage hatch without saying a word.

“Anyhow, haven’t you got enough screws from all that bloomin’ junk you spend all your life scavenging from outside?”

“I keep droppin’ ’em. My hands aren’t what they once were.”

“Nowt’s what it once was. Remember when you took me to see the rings of Saturn? In the pod, just you, me and a nice bottle ginger wine, billions of stars and endless possibilities.

Now look at us. Cooped up in either ends of this station like a prison, but worse. No bloody excitement here! Just the same old orbit in the darkest, dullest end of the Solar System. We’ve been dwelling about this Uranus moon for all eternity. Saturn was a previous life…”.

Eileen continued ranting and reminiscing, but all Ted could hear was the sound of boxes crashing together as he rummaged around. He picked up a silver box and and grinned.

“I’ve told ya before, there’s a lot of good discarded satellite material on this orbit. These young uns dump it and bugger off t’ Jupiter on a jolly. Perfectly good stuff, it is.”

“You know why they dump it ‘ere, Ted? Cos there’s nowt ‘ere. Nowt but bloody junk and darkness, and that miserable moon locking us into the most awful orbit anywhere in the Universe. Round and round and round and round. I’ll tell ye Ted, if I have to…”

A sudden blast of white noise flooded the control room.

“Come in, Cleveland Company station X14, this is Cleveland Craft 0187, permission to engage”

Ted and Eileen looked at each other and froze.

“J-Boy?”

“You daft apeth, Ted! He’s already here! You’ve wasted all your time meddling with that bloody monstrosity… Oh dear! Oh dear, oh dear.”

“Put the kettle on. I’ll get the satellite.” Ted hurriedly made for the West Wing.

 

J-Boy felt a warm tingle in his stomach as his spacecraft neared the docking hatch of the space station. Of all the places passed Jupiter, his grandparents space station was the place he looked forward to visiting the most. A loud mechanical bang followed by a gentle hissing sound indicated that his craft and the station were locked together. When the gravity light turned green, he released the door.

“Here he is. Where’ve you been, stranger? Come ‘ere!”

J-Boy was smothered by Eileen’s warm embrace. It was here he always received the warmest welcome of anywhere in the Universe. Clevelands X14 always felt like home.

“I’m great”, J-Boy managed to say amidst the big welcome squeeze.

Over Eileen’s shoulder, he could see Ted holding a large metal dish which was covered in wires and electrician’s tape.

“I got a present for ya, lad. Here you are. What d’ya think?”

Ted handed the gift to J-Boy.

“Ooohh, thanks, Ted. Eh…wha…what is it?”

“It’s a satellite, of course. A retro type but it works a treat. You can pick up all sorts on this: Earth war documentaries, alien life programmes, sports from other galaxies…”

“Aw, sounds great. Thanks, Ted”. J-Boy said smiling warmly.

“Put that junk away, Ted”, Eileen intervened.

“What does he want that old thing for? Pay no attention to him.” Eileen said, gently nudging J-Boy down the central corridor towards the East Wing where a fresh pot of tea was brewing.

 

The control room was a spacious, octagon-shaped area. From the entrance, various doors and hatches could be seen around the back and sides of the room. Directly ahead was a window spreading across the entirety of the front wall, displaying the darkness of space. In front were two swivel chairs facing hundreds of dials, switches and buttons that controlled the station. Above the controls was a single 50-inch screen displaying images of a much younger looking Ted and Eileen by the window of a capsule pod, peering out at different coloured planets. Like everything in this space station, it looked like it was made at the start of the millennium. It was all fairly dated, but J-Boy liked the homely feel of it. He sat in one of the chairs with Ted and Eileen sitting directly across from him, awkwardly jammed into the opposite chair which was clearly designed for one. Between the chairs was a small table, on it a metallic teapot along with three steaming mugs.

J-Boy began recounting tales of distant galaxies and far off parts of the Universe that Eileen could only dream of visiting. Eileen had been to many places when she was younger, but nowhere as far and exotic. “ How do you communicate with people outside of the Solar System?; Isn’t is dangerous crossing the Kuiper belt?; What’s the food like on Earth?”

She could listen for hours, asking questions and imagining what could’ve been.

“I can show you some snaps if you like?” J-Boy said looking for something in his bag.

“Aye, go on then, I’ll hook ‘em up to the big screen.”

“It’s OK, Ted. I don’t use screens anymore. I’ve got holograms now.” J-Boy held up a small black cube no bigger than a matchbox.

“Holograms? Bloody marvellous! Nowt like this in our day. Us oldies can’t keep up anymore”.

The elderly couple looked like children again as they sat with their mouths and eyes wide open, staring at the hologram projection in awe. They gasped as J-Boy waved his hand in the air to call upon hundreds of spectacular images of planets they’d never heard of and galaxies they didn’t even know existed. Eileen was completely engrossed. The more pictures she saw, the more questions she asked.

Ted wasn’t quite the conversationalist that Eileen was. He would just nod and chuckle upon hearing the wondrous tales. Occasionally chipping in with “Bloody marvellous”. He enjoyed listening, but was always happier when he was busy doing something. Without saying a word, he got up from the chair and pottered over to the control room kitchen in the corner.

“What would ya fancy to eat J-Boy?”, Ted called over his shoulder.

“Oh, nothing thanks, Ted. I ate on the cruise control around gravitational pull.”

“How about some cherry tomatoes?”,

“No, I’m OK, thanks.”

“Grown with martian soil in our space garden”

“I’m good thanks, Ted.”

“Lovely and sweet they are”

“No, I don’t really like…”

“I’ll go get them now.”

“But…”

“Eileen!  What’s the key code for the space garden? J-Boy wants some cherry tomatoes, he’s starving!

“Eh? No…I’m fi…”

Eileen frowned and looked up from the projection looking deeply concerned.

“Oh poor lad! What are we like, eh? Here I am gabbing away and you’re starving to death. I’ll get ’em J-Boy. Hold on to your rockets, kidda.”

“Don’t be daft. He wants me to get them.”

“Not with your grubby hands. You’ve had them all over that dirty dish and God knows where else.” Eileen gently elbowed Ted’s forearm away from the keypad and prodded the numbers on the glass, saying them aloud as she did. “3 1 7 5 2”.

 

Eileen entered the space garden and quickly picked up a bucket full of cherry tomatoes that had been freshly picked a few hours earlier. The bucket was overflowing. Eileen groaned and stumbled, but regained her footing and waved Ted out of her path.

“Give it ‘ere”, Ted demanded.

“Don’t be daft. I’ll take it”

“No you won’t”

J-Boy rushed into the garden behind Ted and Eileen.

“I’m alright. Really! I’m not hungry.”

Despite J-Boy’s pleas, Ted and Eileen continued to struggle. Both had one hand on the bucket handle, fiercely insisting they should be the one to offer the tomatoes to their indifferent guest.

Eileen grabbed the handle with her free hand. Now with a two-hand grip, she pulled the bucket towards her, causing both bodies to lurch further into the garden. With one emphatic tug, she pulled the bucket free from Ted’s withering hand. The force of her pull was so great, she let go. The bucket looped over her head for what seemed like an eternity before it landed in the sink behind.

Like a set of lottery balls, the tomatoes bounced around before being rapidly sucked down the sink hole. The sink was in fact a funnel attached to a waste pipe. The three of them stood silently with their mouths open as, through the window, they watched hundreds of cherry tomatoes implode and explode in the vacuum of space. The Cleveland Company logo turned red as tomato juice plastered to the side of the station.

 

Of course, Ted and Eileen blamed one another for the tomato incident. From where J-Boy was standing, they were both at fault, but it was Ted who agreed to go outside the station clean up the juice. Meanwhile, not to be seen making less effort than Ted, Eileen insisted on inspecting J-Boy’s craft to check it was safe and sufficiently re-fuelled for the onward journey. Guests always left Cleveland X14 with a full tank.

J-Boy watched on from the control room window as two spacesuits attached to the station by an umbilical cable floated out into the alien atmosphere. Eileen could be seen inserting a fuel rod into the J-Boy’s craft which was docked on the right of the window, and Ted could be seen on the left rigorously wiping.

Without warning, a cigar shaped object collided with the door of J-Boy’s craft, but left no mark.

“Bloody space junk! What nuisance!”, Eileen muttered into her radio which J-Boy could hear in the control room.

Suddenly a cluster of antennas, tubes, rocket motor shells followed, relentlessly pelting the space station. A solar panel spinning like coin cut through Eileen’s umbilical cable sending her suited body into a spin.

“Teeeeed!”

Ted could see Eileen was untethered and drifting. Without any hesitation, he leapt from the safety of the station into the infinite space. Their spacesuits collided. Ted’s umbilical cable pulled taut as it wrenched the spacesuits back. The relief of catching his wife was short lived when he realised they only had a few minutes before Eileen’s suit’s backup oxygen supply would run out.

The silent onslaught of satellite debris continued to shower down near the entrance; it was too dangerous to go back in just yet. Holding Eileen in one hand, Ted used his free hand to pull his umbilical cable causing them both to float in the direction of the capsule pod.

“Quick, get inside.”

In the pod, Eileen removed her helmet and immediately drew in one huge breath.

“Bloody space junk” she exhaled.

In the safety of the pod with oxygen and protection from the junk cloud outside, Eileen and Ted watched as J-Boy’s craft took a battering. The space station was a giant. It could withstand a severe assault from any decommissioned satellite cluster, but J-Boy’s craft was tiny and in danger of catastrophic damage.

“We have to do something” Ted said as he climbed into the driver’s seat. He hadn’t used the pod since he was courting Eileen in another lifetime.

“Where’s the wha’d’ya me call it?”

“The what?”

“The wha’d’ya me call it”

“The wha’d’ya me what? The ignition?”

“That’s it!”

“There! Bloody ‘ell, Ted – it’s not rocket science.”

“I think it bloody well is!”

Ted flipped a switch and the wall of controls sprung to life.

“Ere we go!”

The propulsion rockets launched the capsule pod up and away from the under fire space station. Ted hauled a lever to change the direction of the rocket boosters. A blast of flames spluttered from under the pod, propelling it in front of J-Boy’s craft and into the path of the debris.

 

 

“Come in Cleveland ex, one, four. This is Cleveland CapPod.

“Ted, Eileen, What happened? Are you alright?”

“J-Boy, d’you hear me, lad?”

“Yes, Ted.”

“Listen, we took a hit from some bloody debris. The door’s knackered and so is Eileen’s suit. We’re not going to be able to connect to the docking hatch.”

“I can come out and help!”

Eileen abruptly leaned into the radio

“No, you won’t, you stay right there. It’s too dangerous.”

“But…”

Ted held Eileen’s hand and a sudden calmness came over both of them.

“We’ve had our time. A great life! We’re gonna get out of this dark end of the Solar System as far as this little pod will take us. We’re going to find a place in the Sun. I made a promise”

J-Boy eyes filled with tears. He was devastated but somehow, he understood. He always knew this time would come.

“Ol’ Cleveland X14 is all yours, lad. Take her anywhere you want. She a bit dated but she’s a good one. A bit like, Eileen”

“Oi!”

Ted chuckled.

Eileen fought the tears, “I’ll miss you, J-Boy. We love you.”

 

The pod lifted up over the space station and accelerated out in the opposite direction of the Umbriel moon for the first time that century.

J-boy sobbed into his left forearm resting on the space station control panel. His eyes were red and sore. He lifted up his head and with his right hand, reached out to switch off the radio. His hand stopped and hovered over the button.

“It’s this way. I’m sure of it.”

“We should’ve left this orbit half an hour ago, where are we going? You daft apeth, Ted. You’ve got the map upside down!

J-Boy smiled and laughed through the tears. He knew everything was going to be just fine.

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Through a Great Distance

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways. view prompt

 

Matthew Klingforth

Through a Great Distance

“Andrew, God, I can actually hear your sulking,” Becky said across the hull to the large man sitting with his head hanging and his back facing her. “It’s like I have the endangered, sniveling vagina bug crawling in my ear, right now.”

“I am not sulking!” Andrew informed her angrily as he lifted his head and stared ferociously at the corner. “As a matter of fact, I was just now having a soliloquyial discussion on the selfish disregard of ingratitude and how Princesses only crap on other people’s property!” He screamed at her from his walled in position and Becky rolled her eyes in return.

“Look, man, the alfredo sauce was too salty, I don’t know what to tell yah,” she replied with a guiltless shrug. “Maybe, next time, I don’t know, don’t add the entire salt lick to the pot.”

“That is a reward winning recipe!” Andrew bellowed and turned his purpling face towards her. “And I’ll let you know that having all of the culinary delicacy of a frozen lake, does not excuse, nor forgive, straight rudeness.”

“Whatever,” Becky grumbled and returned her attention to the blinking lights of the ship’s internal computer.

“Fine,” Andrew agreed to her resolution and sent out a cold silence across the room.

“I don’t think that, “soliloquyial,” is even really a word.” Becky poked and to her delight, the bear stood-up and stomped out into the hallway.

“There are rules of engagement!” Andrew roared and jabbed his pudgy finger into the chest of no one as he clomped down the hallway. “Once an argument is clearly at the point of appropriate silence,” he said while gesturing wildly with his hands. “I mean, that’s it, you just shut-up. But no, not her, she always has to get that last little…” He paused, too angry to finish the sentence and, instead, bit down hard onto his knuckle. “I want my GD dog back!” he finally screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Becky! Becky!” Andrew yelled desperately as the terrified animal clawed free and leapt from his grasping arms. “No, no, bad dog!” he scolded the Pomeranian, but another crack of lightning from the newest freak storm put her tail between her legs and sent her scampering into the throngs of the many on-lookers and partiers across the barricade.

“Japan…swallowed…unprecedented tsunamis,” Andrew heard the radio from the nearest booze and food tent scream in between its static and he helplessly turned and looked at his escape vessel.

“Becky?” He whimpered with his whole body moving in feeble motions and the tears choking out his breathing. For the briefest of moments, he considered leaving without his precious Becky, but then he remembered all of the hard work and strings that he had to pull to gain passage to the new world and procure his own personal carriage. Failure was not an option.

“You sir!” Andrew pointed and yelled with newly found determination as he marched across his lot towards the security at the gate. “I will have a moment with you,” he said and pushed his impressive mass in between a small helmeted guard and the rest of the world. “Do you know who I am?” Andrew more demanded than asked.

“Yes sir, mister Chizka, sir,” the guard said with what he thought was machismo. “I am assigned to your post, sir, I’m, I’m your takeoff guy” he added lamely and immediately regretted it.

“Good,” Andrew replied with zero satisfaction as he assumed his own notoriety. “Then you know that I am never, EVER, without my Becky!” he blustered as the guard tried to catalogue every piece of information that he had on the man and a wife Becky seemed to ring a bell.

“Yes sir, mister Chizka, that is well known,” he decided to answer in the positive.

“Well?” Andrew asked as he looked around himself incredulously. “Do you see my Becky with me?”

“Oh, oh, no sir,” the former shoe salesman caught the drift and put his two weeks of military training into action. “Where was the last place you seen her, sir?”

“She ran off into that damnable ruffian tent,” Andrew answered with distaste. “She is very likely right at the entrance, trust me, she won’t wander far from a constant source of sausage.”

As the guard struggled with a reply, he was spared by the sudden upheaval of the earth’s crust, causing all to stumble and cheers to erupt from the tent dwellers.

“Listen,” Andrew said in a sudden rush, trying to quickly compensate for the earthquakes two-day early arrival. “What’s your name son?” he asked the guard.

“Thomas Jensen,” Thomas Jensen answered astutely.

“And now, Thomas,” Andrew said in his straight business voice. “I can assume that you’re not one of these tent cretins, right? That you plan on leaving this degenerate planet and make a fresh start on the new world? Yes?”

“Yes sir, mister Chizka, our craft leaves tonight.”

“Good Thomas, I’m relieved to hear that,” Andrew said while putting his meat hooks onto the guard’s slender shoulders and drawing paternal serenity onto his face. “Thomas, I need someone to march into that Hell pit and get me my Becky,” he said while pointing at the tent. “And whoever that person is, well, let’s just say that they will be very well rewarded in the new world,” he stated and then paused for dramatic affect. “Do you think that you could be that person, mister Jensen?”

“Yes sir! Absolutely sir!” Ole’ Thomas was pretty sure of himself.

“Excellent!” Andrew applauded. “Bring her to my sleeping quarters, get us off this God forsaken planet and I assure you that the goose will be splendid.”

Andrew stared out the bedroom window as the world deteriorated around him. “Where are you?” he whispered harshly and took his third pill in less than ten minutes. “I do not feel calm!” he screamed at the window and shook the pill bottle angrily. “Stupid—useless…,” he mumbled softly as his chin dropped down into his chest and time slowed down around him.

“Who the Hell is this?” the drunken slur of a tiny, blonde woman and the sound of a locking door caused Andrew’s eyes to flutter open.

“Becky,” he pleaded unconsciously as the engines started to rumble and the planet Earth began its long series of chain explosions.

“I want my GD dog back!” Becky heard Andrew yell from across the ship and she immediately felt a twinge of regret for that last jab.

“Ah, the big lug,” she said as she drew her legs up onto the chair to hug her knees, thinking about their first conversation.

The world, she believed, was gone. The navigational system, fried on take-off. We could be the last two human beings alive in the Universe and dude couldn’t stop blubbering about his stupid dog.

“Cute little shit,” she said with a sigh and grabbed her rubber ball to squeeze.

The mix-up, she supposed, was favorable to her. She should be dead and at one point and time, it was all that she had expected, wanted, maybe. She was in a weird place at the time. Still though and in retrospect, she made out pretty good. The vessel was equipped to accommodate and feed eight people for no less than ten years. There were like a zillion different movies and video games to play and the regurgitating ventilation system provided a lifetime of low-quality, but breathable air.

The dog, she felt, would have been very happy here.

Words can’t really describe the awkwardness of getting to know the last remaining member of your species. The last real face that you would see in your entire lifetime. Uncomfortable, she guessed. Discomfited? But, after a long mourning and bonding period, it took them all of fifteen seconds to realize that they were trapped in space with a complete and utter moron. He was a proclaimed dog person and she held firm that Becky was really more of a cat. He was a staunch Republican and she didn’t really care what you called a crook. How was it possible that she got stuck with the one person who could witness the explosion of their planet and still continue to deny global warming?

It was the absolute worst possible case scenario for the both of them.

Becky smiled and gave the ball two quick compressions.

“No, no, you’re doing that all wrong,” Andrew said as he watched her gaming in the family center and grabbed the controller out of her hands.

“Oh, really?” she asked, a little shocked at his playfulness, as they had been on a, as needed, communication schedule for the previous three months. “You know how to play Super Mario Brothers?”

“Oh yeah, my brothers and I ate up the classics,” Andrew answered as he deftly moved the courageous plumber across the screen. “I saw Zelda in the game catalogue,” he said while pausing and smiling over at her. “Have you ever played it?” he asked with a school boy innocence that would eventually charm his way into both her pants and their first marriage.

Andrew had considered all four of their marriages as a silly waste of time, but, Becky, although far removed from her deflowering, was a traditionalist. Not so much the religious stuff, but a commitment was needed if you wanted the long-term, personal attention sex. She was, after all, a lady.

Initially they had the children conversation, you know, the old, save the homo sapien rally, but ultimately decided against it. Their little family, alone in the middle of outer space, trying to maintain the human race was, well, just gross, once you ran the numbers and, besides, neither one of the them were exactly, kid people, anyhow. So, they kept rugrats out of their tumultuous and mostly predictable cycle. Right now, as far as Becky saw it, they were within four months to their next marriage. This was clearly a make-up fight. Right now, he’s standing in the master bedroom, staring out the window, waiting for me to come and apologize.

“And apologize I will,” she thought happily as she stood-up and bounced the ball off of the floor and back into her hand. The truth was that over the last six years, she had really grown to love the big ape and she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he loved her. Only love can make a person as crazy as she made him.

Besides, she had put a lot of effort into making him a suitable partner, the, sometimes, aggressive tips and hints on how to be a better lover, alone, claimed her ownership. She wasn’t about to give up her man and her apologizing for hurting his delicate nature had also become part of their cycle.

“Hey Andrew,” she yelled as she bounced her ball down the hall towards the bedroom. “About the alfredo sauce, you know that I was just being a bitch, right?” She asked, taking the low road and hoping for a quick make-up.

“Becky, get in here,” Andrew yelled back at her in a dazed and far away voice and Becky quickened her pace.

“Holy…” she stood frozen in the entryway, staring through the window at the last thing that she ever thought that she would see again. “Andrew, it’s a planet!” she exclaimed and Andrew turned in his standing position to nod absently.

“You said that the odds were astronomically against this,” she said as Andrew, the human fun sponge, had calculated its chances to being exactly impossible.

“They, they are,” he stammered and returned his gaze to the looming planet.

“Well, is it, you know, liveable?” Becky asked with excitement growing in her voice.

“Yes, perfectly, its atmosphere doesn’t appear to be much different than earths,” he answered.

“It’s unbelievable,” Becky marveled as she walked to stand next to Mark. “What about other creatures? Is there anything alive down there?”

“Affirmative, be it food, friend or foe, the imager shows plenty of animal activity at the surface.”

Awestruck in silence and as they slowly absorbed the colossal potential floating before them, Andrew and Becky’s fingers gingerly touched together and gently entwined.

“Take us home, Captain Chizka,” she said while looking up at her future fifth husband and Andrew set the thrusters to manual.

If you can afford it, and you can do so legally, I would say go for it.

I too am 73. My wife left me 20+ years ago, the best thing she ever did for me.

Some time in the next 10 or 15 years I shall die. In the meantime tho, I plan to experience as much of life as I can. So despite meagre resources I travel extensively.

After covid was managed I sold a car and spent 3 months riding trains and exploring France. Then I did a 3 months stint working on a goat farm in Wakayama Japan. I learned two things. 1. It is much cooler in Japan during Australia’s hot summer and 2. Farmers in Japan cannot attract workers. So they are very glad to provide food and board in exchange for 20 hours of light work a week.

I have just returned from working on a pig and sheep farm in Hokkaido Japan. I was there for three months and was able to watch that country change from full leafed summer glory, to a -10º winterscape. Then home to a 44º Australian summer.

 

I am currently looking for a volunteer position on a European canal barge. Any takers?

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main qimg 03d9e73755d27fc6034b2582e170fe6b

You are going to die soon, so if you are able, get busy and go learn something. Once you do you will find that everybody in the world is basically similar. There are two discernible groups of humans. The vast majority of the worlds people want to work, to love, to play, to raise up their kids and worship their gods in peace. These are the people you meet when you travel.

And then there are the rulers, who simply want to fuck things up for everybody else for their own aggrandisement and profit. These are the people who inhabit the media and government and business. The 1%.

Chinese robot maids will clean , cook, serve most middle income homes of the world over. 90% of vehicles will be China made EVs. 90% of gardens will be tended by Chinese robot gardener. 50% of lonely singles will have regular sex with Chinese made robot partners. Almost zero bars will be without Chinese robot servers that dish out cocktails and serve beers with precise foam and clean and wipe glasses too! Almost all lorry and buses drivers will need to find a new career. 10 years old now and younger will no longer need to learn how to drive by teenage years anymore. And 95% of cars world wide will be autonomous driving vehicles. 95% of there are using Chinese technologies!

Only USA will there be people who still carry wallets and purse! The only market left for ICE vehicles is the USA. By 2030 194/195 nations on earth has China as their biggest trading partner on earth. The only one not is USA whose Inflation hit 200% for the 10 years running. Thanks to the trade war! USA is a good place to bring your families to see what the world used to be!

Chimichangas de Pollo

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d38466969bb82203607bacc2045c90d3

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Chimichangas

  • 1 (3 1/2 pound) whole chicken
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, studded with 2 whole cloves
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 2 large whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 large tomato, cored and diced
  • 1 jalapeño chile, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed leaf basil
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed leaf oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 flour tortillas, warmed

Garnish

  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1 cup guacamole
  • 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
  • Shredded lettuce (optional)
  • Tomato wedges (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken, water, onion, celery, 2 garlic cloves and bay leaf in a medium size stewing pot. Cook chicken at medium heat for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender.
  2. Allow chicken to cool, remove meat from bones, and chop.
  3. Place shortening, sliced onion, and 1 minced garlic clove in a medium size skillet and sauté mixture over medium heat until onion is tender.
  4. Add the chopped chicken, tomato, jalapeño chile, and remaining seasonings and simmer at low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Place approximately1/2 cup of chicken mixture horizontally across the bottom half of each tortilla. Do not extend the mixture beyond 1 1/2 inches at the sides and bottom. Fold the sides in over the filling and roll the tortilla jellyroll style. Secure each roll with a wooden pick.
  6. Heat 2 inches of shortening in a heavy pan over medium high heat.
  7. Fry each rolled tortilla in hot shortening until crisp and lightly browned. Drain on absorbent towels.
  8. Assemble the chimichangas by placing each rolled tortilla on a plate and garnish with 1/4 cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of guacamole,1/3 cup of Cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato wedges.

 

Modern Women HAVING MELTDOWN Over Passport Bros!

 

How much is known about the Voynich manuscript?

My paleography teacher told me that the Voynich Manuscript (Beinecke MS 408) is where your career goes to die. If you claim to be able to decipher it — no, you can’t. Literally every paleographer, cryptographer, code-breaker, linguist, etc. has taken a crack at it by now, and if none of them could decipher it, you definitely have not. If you claim to, you won’t be taken seriously.

We know basically nothing about its contexts beyond what we can see. It’s clearly an herbal of some kind, but the plants do not exist, and there are lots of other extremely strange images, like naked people bathing in a plant? Or being swallowed by it?

These are photos I took of a facsimile. They don’t let you see the real deal anymore unless you really have to, because so many people have touched it, it’s starting to damage the manuscript. The facsimiles are perfect reproductions.

The writing definitely looks like text, but it’s not in any known language or alphabet. Looking at it makes you feel like you suddenly forgot how to read. It looks so much like letters that you feel like you should be able to read it, but it’s just off:

All we know for sure is that it’s a real early modern manuscript, not a modern hoax. There’s a reference to it in the seventeenth century, so it’s at least that old, and the vellum is dated to the fifteenth century.

There’s lots of theories about what it could be, but none of them prevail, because we can’t rule any of them out. If it’s encoded, it doesn’t match any code-breaking technique that’s been used against it so far. If it’s a hoax, it’s an elaborate and expensive one. It honestly might be fiction, written in a conlang. That’s the only explanation that makes sense to me so far, because it would explain why the pictures are of imaginary plants and why the text doesn’t map to any known language. But Tolkienesque works of fiction with their own conlangs weren’t exactly common at the time; fantasy as we know it hadn’t been invented yet. Maybe it just dropped out of fairyland one day, I dunno.

An unreadable book in an unknown language with cryptic drawings of unreal plants and astrological charts sounds so fantastical, it’s hard to believe it’s real. Whether the Voynich Manuscript itself is fiction or not, it makes for some excellent fodder for modern fiction.

Investor Alert: Revolutionary ironmaking method will nullify tariffs and scramble iron ore markets

https://youtu.be/8WnvulH0URA

Watch out for crutches

Untrue!
We have never seen China as a threat or rival.
Unlike Trump and his dumb as fuck cabinet.

The only Australians I have ever heard say a bad thing about China are those in regions where China has purchased large swaths of land.
They purchased a research farm near us, some people complained, but most of us understand the reason, as they want somewhere to teach their people our farming methods to improve farming in China, which is happening, so most of us see this as okay.

We all celebrate such things as the Chinese new year, and enjoy Chinese food and learning their cooking techniques to improve our own lives.

Chines tourism here is a massive industry and we enjoy their visits.
There is no animosity between Australians and Chinese, in fact many Australians have Chinese heritage and most of my best friends are Chinese who go back to China once or twice a year to be with family for important occasions.

I had fun trying to teach them to speak English properly, most have “L” in words sounding more like “R”, as “lolly” sounds like “rorry” but that was because they don’t lift their tongue when they pronounce the “L”s, once they master that, they talk like any other Australian.

So the majority of Australians are fond of China and are happy that Australia is deepening their trade ties to China.
Though when China put high tariffs on our lobsters, we got very cheap lobsters here, but the lobster industry suffered.
Now that such tariffs are to be removed, the price of lobsters here will rise, but the industry will flourish.
We must accept the bad with the good.

Ex Wife Caught Cheating at Bachelorette Party

Weird or Confusing

A website that showcases the weirdest and most confusing things found on the internet. It’s a treasure trove of oddities and curiosities.

Weird World

Here’s some of the content…

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Was Assad really a tyrant or is that just western propaganda?

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He wore Savile Row Suits stupidly when People were starving, he drove luxury cars on Syrian streets with tons of bodyguards while the average Syrians had 8 hours power, his own family took treatment in Dubai & Riyadh while Syrians scrambled on the black market for basic antibiotics

His Soldiers were paid 18000 Syrian Pounds a month which came to around 360 American Dollars in 2006

By 2023 they were paid 300,000 Syrian Pounds a month, yet barely around 30 American Dollars

They paid 16 Syrian Pounds for a Liter of Gasoline in 2006

In 2023 they had to pay 13,000 Syrian Pounds for a Liter of Gas which means they could afford only 24 Litres of Gasoline on their monthly salaries

They paid 1500 Syrian Pounds for Pregnancy Hospitalization in 2006

Now the Private Hospital charges 2 Million Syrian Pounds and only accepts payments in Emirati Dirhams

The official rate is 3,520 Syrian Pounds for 1 Dirham but nobody gives you official rates

The Black market rate is 6,500 Syrian Pounds for 1 Dirham

A 10 Pound Bag of Rice in 2006 cost a mere 69 Syrian Pounds

Today it costs 46,000 Syrian Pounds in the Black market

A Leg of Mutton cost 270 Syrian Pounds in 2006

Today it’s almost 200,000 Syrian Pounds

Yet Assad and his select few – around 500–1000 people received their Mutton, Fine Pilaf Rice, Fresh Vegetables all air delivered to Damascus from other places

People were seething with anger and frustration

Drinking Water came Once in 14 days Or 21 days

Officers often got 50 Liters of water a day to their homes from their Bases where water was available in larger quantities

Otherwise you had 300 Liters of Water for 14 days Or 21 days

And not free!!!!!

You paid 10,000 Syrian Pounds for the Water

That’s 20 Liters of water or 1 Bucket of water a day

For Toilet, Cooking, Cleaning and Drinking

Assad had a Olympic Size Swimming Pool

He imported 60,000 Bottles of Evian Water for his own personal use every year

You expect Soldiers whose families live in this condition to be faithful to this regime?

Now I can’t confirm this but since it was a Syrian Soldier who came on George Galloway show – I will accept his word

The Syrians often wiped their behinds with Syrian Pound notes 😡😡😡 instead of water or toilet paper

Now China was supposed to change this after approving a $ 500 Million Swap facility which means handing Syria 500 Million Greenbacks and taking worthless Syrian Pounds into their Chinese Banks

However the Chinese sensed that this 500 Million would likely go into the pockets of a few generals , given their experience with Pakistan, so they dithered and dithered and didn’t come through

In fact I feel China felt all along Syria was on a downward spiral

It’s why they delayed the favorable status trade agreement for almost a year

So he wasn’t a Tyrant

He was terribly indifferent and was sleepwalking

Many of his Generals and Officers could easily be purchased for Dollars and Western Gifts

He himself could have done a lot of things, fought against corruption of his own officers and corps and his political lackeys

I feel he just finally felt tired of carrying his fathers legacy and just wanted to relax and get away from all the mess

When People protest in such conditions, of course police will be asked to beat them up and lock them up

Happens in India many times so imagine Syria where there is no letter of law !!!!!

Thats where Iran scores over Syria

Those Iranians live frugally, wear Islamic clothes, Maoist suits, Rugged Outfits and dont like Opulently

Plus they have a full plethora of goods from China that keeps them heavily plied with stuff

They have supermarkets chock full of Chinese & South Asian Food

Beef, Chicken, Basmati, Fruits from Pakistan and Afghanistan

Canned Seafood from China

Pilaf Rice from Afghanistan and Pakistan

Wheat from Russia for Bread

Cooking Oil from Russia

Affordable Clothing thanks to Bangladesh

So Iran is unlikely to fall like Syria

Unless China does a Volte Face

If Syria had decided the same thing a few years ago and opened their markets to China things may have been different

Yet I doubt China would have done much given that Iran gives precious Oil and Gas to China and Syria has nothing whatsoever

I work an excellent job, for a very large company. I’m well paid, and I have the ONLY health plan they allow me to have (a high-deductible, Health Savings Account supported plan from United Healthcare). I pay $5000 in premiums each year and my employer pays even more. My company forced me to switch to this plan from a lower deductible one several years ago – at a time when my wife and I were both over 50. So, while we max out our legal HSA contributions each year, we have never NOT spent all the money in our HSA account in any year. We’ve never had the chance that young people would have to build up actual SAVINGS in this account. And we’re not really unhealthy people. I take no regular medication at all. We’re just in our 50’s & 60’s.

I have a nephew, whose parents are dead, and who became chronically ill himself and could no longer work. He went on Medicaid. The program was made for people like him. I don’t resent it.

Last year, my nephew and I both went into the hospital for a week with (different) life threatening issues. When I – the one WITH an (American) corporate insurance plan – came out, I had almost $4000 in hospital & doctor bills above what my insurance covered. And I had to pay for several prescriptions for weeks after that. This more than emptied my HSA account.

When my nephew came out, he had more presriptions that I had and had spent as many days admitted as I did. But he was never shown a bill of ANY kind. His (also UHC) Medicaid Plan just covered it all. He just focused on feeling better.

So, I really have to ask this question: Why THE FUCK don’t we ALL want it to work that way?!!! That’s LITERALLY how it works in almost every civilized country EXCEPT the USA (the Unintelligent States of America). WTF is wrong with us?!!

Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits | Best Songs Collection

“Little Joe” Steak Sandwich

From Guadalajara comes this version of the steak sandwich known as “El Pepito” or “Little Joe.” Hot cooked steak, thinly sliced, is served on a crisp roll and spread with avocado sauce (guacamole) and refried beans. Chile or taco sauce takes the place of steak sauce.

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean tender steak (sirloin New York cut about 1/4 inch thick, broiled or barbecued)
  • 4 crusty round or rectangular rolls
  • Refried beans with cheese
  • 1/4 cup guacamole
  • 4 thin slices mild sweet onion
  • Taco sauce

Instructions

  1. Trim fat from steak if desired and barbecue or pan fry.
  2. Split rolls and spread one side with 1 tablespoon of refried beans and the other side of the split roll with about 1 tablespoon of guacamole. Pile equal portions of steak on the bean side of each roll. Put onion slice on the guacamole side.
  3. Serve the sandwiches open so that sauce can be added according to taste before they are closed.
  4. Sandwiches can be eaten out of hand or with knife and fork.

God

Submitted into Contest #150 in response to: Write a story that either starts or ends with someone (or something) saying, “Please, don’t do it.” view prompt

Futurama Delivery

This story contains themes or mentions of mental health issues.

Dear God,Oh, please don’t do it.Please forgive this ungrateful sheep for abandoning the Holy Shepherd in a prosperous and bountiful time. You harvested my filthy wool, shearing it from my oozing-pus-filled skin marred by my temporal infirmities; you transformed me into a resurrected fleece of harlequin nature. I swear to you that I haven’t abandoned you out of sheer lack of faith; I even want to be wrapped in your gracious grace again, with your light penetrating the void and casting a divine glow that speckles across in glory.An earthly family matter has taken up my time; however, I sway to your great tune, and my free will is gifted towards you. I know that’s no excuse for my lapse in prayer. I also know that you have seen the core of my rotting corpse. You have ignited a blazing fire that scorched away my char-infested delusions.A golden service yesterday moved me beyond belief. There was a profound guest speaker: Elbert Spriggs. Spriggs talked about the recent inaction of Church leaders as a blight ravaging society. My Lord, his sermon filled the congregation with the warmth of your glory. Crush and destroy the nonbelievers; break and remold them in your glory. He spoke in the most holy of tongues with his honey-encrusted words.Our world is ruled by the filth-coated tongues of the unbelievers, whose words emanate from their hollow, psychopathic souls with such precision that even the Holy is damned. The call to action flooded us with light and love, which was enough to inspire us to reach out to our fellow man. We must carry your message like rats to a plague, good sir.For many years, I was a lost lamb with no flock. My world abandoned me, even the heavens, but your gracious eternal flame relit my dying-extinguished flame in this accursed world. You’re the vine from the Tree of Life.You have healed me, so I am eternally grateful for all of your charitable deeds. 

Oh, Lord, you’re oddly like a yellow deli: you offer the most sumptuous treats in the form of human compassion. You brought me a golden throne adorned with thorns, crowned by your transcendence, instead of me finding you in some sick advertisement. You must have seen that I was at my wit’s end; my path disappeared before me into a dark, sunless abyss, wrecked by a warped mentality of survival. I was so lost, only surviving for myself alone.

 

Based on the skeletons of the unbelievers, you could have let me rot on the marred ground. Instead, you allowed me to live in the glory of your presence. This world of isolation, with screens and blinking monitors, screams their disillusioned division.

 

My eternal gratitude knows no bounds.

 

You’re the King and my Rock.

 

People really don’t understand who God is. Their sickly delusions amaze even me! In the Bible, Acts 17:24 proclaims that “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;” and yet human beings indulge themselves in the worship of statues, drinking from their own human-carved and gold-trimmed chalices, glance at corroded cruets on Peliculas, and get into a trance by peering into the monstrance. You must pasteurize the sin from their hearts!

 

However, a new version of God is not found within some Churches but within the stained, bloody hearts of men. Unless humanity comes to its senses, you will macerate them in another Noah flood of unprecedented proportions.

 

He is found within nature’s corridors; He is not some foreign object who glances at humanity from above—He’s here right now. And I will beat my ilk with rods until they know that, oh dear Lord!

 

Perhaps, the Bible is enough for people to foolishly put their faith in a clouded book with folk tales, stories, legends, and, at their most, third-hand accounts. Despite their arguments to the contrary, Satanists are not unrelated. Both seem content to worship deities from the sidelines and trust these unseen entities will take care of them.

 

I laughed at them.

 

I know who God is. Seeing God walk among us and be truly magnificent, I know this.

You made me yours the moment you came to me. As I slowly bled out from being shot in my own backyard while no one was concerned about my condition, I found myself lying face down with the cold rain pouring down on me. Although I was aware that my end was near, I am ashamed to admit that a part of me was hoping it would happen sooner rather than later. In a sense, I was suicidal, oh Lord.

 

Suddenly, the rain stopped. Under a pitch-black sky filled with infinite stars, I was no longer lying on pavement but on a grassy field. I no longer felt pain or bleeding. As I looked around, I felt at peace. The grassy field seemed endless. My eyes were drawn to a colossal bonfire, which was at least ten stories high and as wide as your grand ventures. The flames licked at charcoal-black wood. I was blasted by the fire’s heat. Until then, I had never experienced such scorching temperatures.

 

It was at that moment, God, that you came into view. It would be a mistake to call it walking. Every step was intentional and powerful. Instead, it felt like a storm was rolling in. Please accept my apology. Alas, language limits my ability to describe you.

Now, I looked up at you, towering above me. You were significantly larger than me. You wove the infinite tapestry of existence, and I was only a thread.

 

God’s sight is beyond the capacity of the human mind. While I was able to process certain aspects of you, I couldn’t process every nuance and detail. But I saw that a flicker of fire replaced the points of your mighty antlers, which extended from your inconceivable faces. The skin on your face shifted and constantly changed like onyx.

You looked at everything in your kingdom with your three faces, toward me and through me. The seven legs of your body dig into the soil like pillars of a temple.

 

My knees buckled before you. You were all I had. I was shocked to see you reach down and pull me back up. Looking directly into my eyes, it was like you saw every little thing about me. You saw through me like the sunlight entering into the glass.

 

Thank you for considering me worthy! Without you saying a word, I would be walking with you forever. My eyes filled with tears of joy as I accepted my place at your feet. I will now wash and clean your feet for all of eternity, my Lord. I mean that.

 

My head was baptized by your majestic hands before the raging bonfire with blood so hot it boiled. The words of your scriptures were scorched and burned into my soul as they poured down upon me. I feel and know every syllable of your decrees at all times, unlike lesser religions that rely on the written word to spread their messages.

 

God truly is within me.

 

Upon seeing your glory again, I knew I was now a part of the one true faith. He does not look down from a cloud in the sky or up from a dank pit at His people. No, my God walks among us, eliminating the weak and creating the strong.

 

Blood and fire are His judgments.

 

He will crush those who refuse to heed His words in the dirt before Him and consume them in His many jaws. Do not be fooled: forgiveness is reserved for the Holy.

My goal has been to spread your message since that moment when I was reborn. You saw that I was well-suited to this task because of your infinite wisdom. My ability to convey my words isn’t as good as Spriggs’, but I can bring your message to nonbelievers.

 

An affluent family in Colorado asked me to share their will according to your scriptures last night. My mission was to bring them together in the largest room on the first floor of their house in the middle of the night. I baptized them one by one, burning your mark into their foreheads as you had once done for me.

 

Then I poured their blood into their mouths in holy communion. The flames of the massive bonfire were brought to the house to cleanse it with fire, with the souls of those who had passed to your eternal embrace.

 

I hope you’ve accepted the many offerings I sent you before these, as well as these small ones. Throughout my life, I will continue to follow your words and ways.

 

Forever and ever, I am yours, oh Lord.

 

Amen.

Short answer: Google quitted.

According to google, they left mainland China because what Chinese government asked them to do was a violation of their motto, which is “Don’t be evil”.

Since what the Chinese government asked them to support identifying possible terror threat and block contents which are illegal in China, I suppose that they won’t do such thing in other countries as well.

But sadly enough, I read a news after they quitted about Google India provide related info to the local police which led to a young man being arrested. The cause of the arresting was that this young man said something close to “Sonia Gandhi go to hell” online.

It was about 8 years ago, so I cannot guarantee the 100% accuracy about what happened. But I was arguing online with pro-google people, and I saw someone mentioned such incident. I didn’t take the words from another online user as granted, but decided to search online to find some solid support. With no google and VPN at the time, it took me quite a long time to find a piece of news saying it was true.

So Google refuse to monitor the key words in Email, but accept providing personal info to arrest a kind of innocent man?


As for YouTube, it belongs to Google, isn’t it?

When I got my stable VPN and logged in to YouTube for the first time (because I wasn’t a online video fan when I was in Swiss), once YouTube noticed me being a Chinese, it kept pushing those videos which suppose to “expose the evil side of China”.

I can still recall a guy called Winston Serpentza, who lives in Shenzhen but cannot stop trashing China for even a day. I searched online about his background. It turns out that he is an illegal English teacher who has no certification whatsoever. He had a bad life in South Africa, and tried to make some easy money in China. But his teaching carrier was not so good as well, so he chose to do trashing videos to fulfill the anti-China/Communist/Orient demands.

I remembered pressing not interested bottom for at least 20 times, but YouTube still pushing his videos to me, along with quite a lot videos which are obviously fake to me.


In addition, let’s briefly talk about Facebook, which is also banned in China.

People do have freedom on Facebook, as long as you don’t support evil communist China. Regarding on the same topic, anti-China posts got survived, but not pro-China ones.

I read some of the pro-China posts, and didn’t find any aggressive words or emotions. So no one knows why exactly they got banned by Facebook.


Some off centered thoughts:

I think that the weird attitude towards China is quite cold war style. Take the recent death sentence of a Canadian drug smuggler as an example:

  • PM of Canada accuse China being unfair and arbitrary.
  • Acting foreign minister of AU said that Schellenberg’s case is not suitable for death penalty.

OK then, So:

  • a drug smuggler who tried to bring 220KG of methamphetamine from China to Australia shouldn’t be punished by death penalty
  • and Chinese law shouldn’t be respected when the crime was caught in China.

What should China do then? Release Schellenberg and send him to AU to complete his job? Would AU government be happy to receive 220KG of crystal?

And should CA government legalize methamphetamine, if they think that smuggling 220KG of it is OK?

In Chinese laws, illegal drug trading must face criminal penalty, 5 situations could cause death sentence:

  1. Trading more than 1KG of opium, more than 50 grams of heroin/meth, or significant amount of other type of drugs
  2. Being major member of a cartel
  3. Smuggling drugs with armed guard
  4. Resisting inspection, detention, arresting with severe violence
  5. Participating in a organized international drug smuggling

By all the standard, this dude is dead. He received 15 years in jail in his first trial because of some missing evident which could identify him as a cartel member, so the judge gave a chance to the “innocent person who just did a favor to a friend”.

I DON”T believe that there is NO political issue involved in this sentence. But Chinese government couldn’t planned this, since it was Schellenberg himself filled an appeal which led to the second trail of death sentence, and 220KG meth is more than enough to get death penalty in China.


I mentioned the Schellenberg case is to show you some live case about how “unbias” the western government can be, and how much they care about the justice and law.

So when Google said that they quitted China because of “Don’t be evil”, I don’t believe them.

I read a news in about 2009 (or 2008) saying the Secretary of State at the time Hillary Clinton hosted a dinner with the chief of 4 companies, and praise them as the frontline of promoting US values (again, I cannot recall the exact words). I remember Facebook and Google were invited.

China PULLS The Trigger – U.S. Trade War Just Got FLIPPED (Enough is Enough!)

Don’t be a steam-shovel.

This happened to me while I was living in Japan. Three times.

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6:02 AM on August 29, my phone started blaring. In my sleepy stupor, I thought it was my alarm… but it was too early for that… and wait, that sounds like the earthquake alert. I roll over to pick up my phone and see the above message.

I’m not entirely literate in Japanese, so all I can really gather from the message at first is:

ミサイル – mis-sai-ru…. missai-ru… missile. Missile?!
北…からミサイルが…された…です。 – …a missile has… had something done to it… from someplace North?
…な建物や地下に…して下さい。 – Please do something toward some kind of building or underground. Go there?

I’ve moved now from my bed to the toilet with my phone in hand, still staring at the message and trying to wake up. Then it occurs to me that I can put screenshots into the Google Translate app. Cleaning up Google’s brutal translation, it reads:

Missile inbound. Missile inbound. North Korea has fired a missile. Please evacuate to a secure building or go underground.

Only Japan would add “please” to an evacuation alert.

By now I’ve moved to the kitchen and am looking out the window. We were given a list of shelters and safe locations by our school, but I remembered that all of them were at least a couple miles away from my house and all I had was a bike.

How far is the missile? How fast do they go, anyway?
Would it be safer to hole up in my apartment or to try and make it to a shelter?

I start changing my clothes, in case I decided to leave.

Why would they strike Gunma anyway?

…and the most sobering thought…

Would I rather be inside at home when it hits or biking frantically?

I eventually decided to stay in my apartment.

It’s not that I don’t value my life, I do. I just figured that it would take me at least 15 minutes to get to a shelter with the winding roads of Japan and a good chance I’d make a wrong turn or two on my first trip to this place, wherever it was.

How long would it take a missile to sail from North Korea to Japan? At what point was the alert issued? An hour away? 30 minutes? 5?

I return to the toilet, this time putting the lid down and just sat there. It was the center of the apartment, had no windows, and was the safest place I could think of while I started checking News sites and replying to my coworkers’ messages who were in the same state of confusion as I was.

Luckily, I didn’t have to make peace with anyone, as a short time later it was announced that the missile had, in fact, flown over the country’s airspace and landed somewhere in the Pacific.

This happened twice more. By the third time, I rolled my eyes and went back to bed, tired of being woken up just to find that North Korea had been flashing their peacock feathers again.

The Law of Rare Events

Submitted into Contest #174 in response to: Write a story about a brilliant scientist making a startling discovery. view prompt

Terry Wayne Carpenter

This story contains sensitive content

Warning: sexual fetish content.A darkness passes over the quiescent surveillance of drones mining precious metals beneath the ocean floor. What else could be hiding down here? Drones are the only things capable of withstanding the pressure and heat this deep in earth’s crust. The drones and their Spider Captain, of course.Upon first glance, Chester Jones thinks nothing of it, and goes back to thumbing through the photos stored on his phone: Annika… Nata… Anita… Cherise… Only five more days until the transport arrives and he can get out of this pressurized prison.Chester whistles more anxiously than a steaming tea kettle, thumping his restless leg on the floor, fearing he is on the brink of becoming a product of his environment. There is no internet access five miles deep in the sweltering heat of the Izu-Ogasawara Trench.There it is again.“What is that?”He tips the brim of his School of Mines hat back and leans in to study the feed more closely, certain his eyes deceive him. It appears to be the lecherous tentacles of an octopus investigating one of S.P-I.D.R. Captain’s many drones. (Subterranean Poly-Intelligent Drone Regulator)Drones continue to chisel and shape the bore toward the Moho, oblivious to this life that should not, could not, be where it is.The only other life that survives below the subsurface biosphere are tube worms and microbes. Even the tube worms keep their distance from the Moho.Hydrothermal vents gave humanity access to the Mohorovičić discontinuity and its wealth of resources – namely the heat and pressure necessary to create the strongest, lightest alloys known to mankind – but it also gave that same access to the wildlife of the sea.For humanity to conquer space, it needs metal. This metal. But the nearly six thousand species in the sprawling ecosystem are protected by the U.P.I.N. (United Pacific Island Nations) charter, which is why there is a marine biologist aboard every mining ship. Every once in a while, a stray crab or fish falls into the mohole, but immediately dies because of the conditions. This octopus however, is very much alive. Alive and playful.“Hey Ronin, you awake?” Chester says. “You better get down here.”Chester watches the sway of the cephalopod in the currents and hydrothermal plumes along the sides of the mohole. It seems to be increasing in speed around the drones. Nothing in the subduction zone moves that fast.“You better get Pania, too.” Ronin radios back.“I’m not disturbing Pania. You do it.” Chester objects, remembering the last time he interrupted Dr. Pania Kahuhara during one of her many sessions inside the Ersatz.“Just wake her up, Chester.”Pania is stiff and recumbent inside the Ersatz, dreaming the vivid dreams of another world. One of her choosing. Her body sleeps, but her mind is stimulated. Either side of the ersatz divide, whether waking or sleeping, is punctuated at both ends by blinding white light, causing a sensation that you are always waking up into something like reality. It is so real, the pod itself is labeled Ersatz, in order to distinguish which of the two sides is in fact reality.Though it is company policy not to yuck other people’s yum, the awkwardness of interrupting Dr. Kahuhara in the midst of shokushu goukan in the Ersatz, was more than Chester could then and still presently can handle. Something about his Australian bluntness that is usually endearing, but often veers into a flaw of character.“Ahem… Dr. Kahuhara?” Chester squawks over the coms. “I hate to interrupt sushi night, but there’s a situation requiring your attention on the bridge.”Pania opens her eyes in irritation, climbs out of the Ersatz rested, and joins Ronin and Chester, both fixated on a monitor staring at what appears to be nothing.“What are we looking at, boys?”“Wait for it…” Chester points at a grouping of rough hewn stone next to some hydrothermal tunneling. “It’s going to move again.”Chester zooms in as close to the spot as possible, and then Pania sees it, the subtlest of squirms, and an oscillation of the eyes. It is a camouflaged octopus.“That’s… impossible.” She leans in close and studies what she cannot believe. “What’s the depth?”“We’re at about 45 kilometers.”“Bullshit.”“Look.” Chester points to the instruments.“That- there’s no way.” She looks closer. “Can we get it to move? Like really move. I want to know how big it is. I can’t tell.”Drones nearby creep toward the indistinguishable spot, reaching out tooling appendages to delicately rustle the creature.As the drones enter its orbit, the octopus changes color from pallid gray to bright shimmering red, bolting from the wall, vectoring into the center of the shaft and splaying out its tentacles in a pinwheel, expressing its extremities fully in an isotoxal octagram, finally jutting beyond the camera’s reach and into the darkness.“Don’t lose it.” Pania cries. “What good are those drones?”“They’re mining drones, not sentries.” Ronin says, arms folded, brow furrowed.Chester brings up dozens of cameras in a grid on the monitor, surveilling thousands of feet of the plunging tunnel, not one showing movement beyond the hydrothermal effluent migrating toward the surface.“We have to find it again.” Pania says. “We must know how it survives down there.”🐙🐙🐙

“Congratulations gentleman, we’ve just had our first encounter with an unexplainable species of marine life.” Pania addresses the two men in front of a wide video display of the octopus in the midst of its escape, backlit by the distant floodlights of the drones. “Here’s what we know: by size, the creature appears to fit into the Giant Pacific Octopus range, at somewhere between sixteen and twenty feet in diameter; it’s coloration would also suggest Pacific Octopus, the previous maximum depth for a Pacific Giant was 1,500 meters, and hyperthermophiles were thought to be at the physical limits of life just below the seafloor… but our little friend – Kali – was all the way down to 45,000 meters.”

“Grigori,” Chester says.

“What?”

“I saw the critter first, which means I get to name it.” Chester spits a mixture of sunflower seeds and Skoal into a plastic cup. “-and I’m naming it Grigori.”

“It’s just a nickname. We will have to give it an official name at some point, once we know more about its physiology, habits and habitat, and where exactly it fits into the evolutionary tree.” Pania says, returning to her dossier. “What we don’t know about… Grigori, is precisely how he/she got down to this depth, what its food source is, and why we haven’t seen it before now.”

“The Law of Rare Events,” Ronin says. “It’s predictable. A Poisson distribution of binomial random variables predicts this. It’s only a matter of time.”

“You wanna translate that into English for us bogans?” Chester says.

“The more times we travel down into the mohole, the deeper microorganisms go, the deeper large organisms go, and eventually, through that exploration, eventually the rare breakthrough event occurs and one survives. The probability of a breakthrough event is small, but predictably, inevitably it will happen.” Ronin holds his palm out to Chester, flexing his fingers in universal code for ‘gimmie,’ to which Chester obliges with a sprinkling of seeds.

“The questions are then, why and how?” Pania says. “Without answers to those, this isn’t a rare event, it’s an impossible event.

“You have a Law of Impossible Events?” Chester asks.

“I have a theory,” Ronin says. “In organic chemistry, there is something called the Grignard Reaction Mechanism. Basically, organometallics form when magnesium bonds carbon to various metals. These can only occur in a waterless environment. However, my theory is that because of the extremely high temperatures, and extremely high pressure preventing the water from boiling at these depths, and the plethora of amalgams – if a creature started metabolizing magnesium and high volumes of other metals on a regular basis, eventually-”

“The Law of Rare events.” Pania says. “You’d get an organometallic life form. A carbon-based animal with metallic properties. Like organometallic skin. A creature like that could travel to these depths, in these temperatures, under this pressure.”

“Precisely.” Ronin says. “And an octopus would be particularly primed to accomplish this because of its regenerative ability.”

“Holy shit.” Chester looks at the other two. “We’re gonna be famous. We discovered a Robot Octopus. A Robo-pus!

“It’s a working theory.” Ronin says. “We won’t know for sure unless we capture it and do some tests.”

“To that end,” Pania says. “Since we cannot continue mining operations until the creature is located and removed, I propose pulling Spider Captain away from the Moho and use it to force the octopus to the seafloor, where we can then use bait to lure it into captivity. We can flood the cargo hold and put it there.”

“What kind of bait exactly?”

“Well, we’re almost out of supplies, and there is that chuck roast in the freezer-”

“No. No way.” Chester jumps up in protest. “First you try to take my naming rights, now you want to take my meat?”

“It’s the only meat substance we have that won’t dissolve in the conditions near the hydrothermal vents.”

“That’s my celebratory chuck!” Chester says. “For going home. My last meal down here.”

“If we can catch this thing, you can buy all the chuck you can handle.” Ronin says. “Heck, you’ll be able to buy the whole damn cow.”

 

🐙🐙🐙

“This better work,” Chester pouts. “Damn octopus gets sous vide steak, while I’m sitting here, living off of sunflower seeds and crab paste.”

Ronin overrides the S.P-I.D.R. Captain’s internal intelligence and allows Chester to take manual control of the rig. It disengages with its stirring bit glooped in plastic rock at the edge of the Moho. The bit is shaped like an industrial whisk, and sticks straight up into the water bordering the smoldering glow.

Spider Captain thrusts itself upward in slow squirts toward the surface, illuminating the shaft with its broad flood lights, the hollow hum of the magnetohydrodynamic drive at its epicenter.

“Okay, good,” Pania says. “We can see everything.”

Spider Captain picks up drones as it goes, clearing the path to the seafloor. After several kilometers, the silhouette of the elusive octopus emerges.

“There it is,” Pania says, lurched over Chester’s shoulder. “Track it.”

The octopus climbs gradually, keeping steady pace ahead of the ascending Spider Captain.

As soon as the octopus reaches the seafloor, it darts between triangulations of rock, coral, tube worm colonies, and drones strobing lights at it, until it settles on the chuck roast at the mouth of the cargo hold. Spider Captain continues its chase, forcing the creature into the back of the bay, the drop door closing behind them.

 

🐙🐙🐙

The crew sleeps, having captured their prey, which has found a comfortable corner to lay inside its cell. Pania is the last to bed down, deciding to stay up and observe the creature in some semblance of stasis. Her eyelids grow heavy and her thoughts sway between her newfound discovery and the Ersatz. Thoughts of ravishing tentacles in every orifice.

She can’t remember when the dark fantasy started, or if it had always been there. A product of her upbringing, conditioning from living her entire life on the water, always around these creatures, a symbiosis with the sea. She wasn’t the first, certainly not the only one; shokushu goukan has been around for thousands of years, proliferating across the pacific, across the world.

36 hours until the transit submarine arrives. 36 hours until the world will know of their discovery, and all Pania can think about is her libidinous thirst for submission to the cephalopod. Was this why she became a marine biologist? Was this why she was miles deep in the Izu-Bonin arc? Was it fate or had she willed it all into being? The circumstances and the discovery.

I’ll be on every news show and podcast in the world, she thinks. I’ll be famous. Will they know? Will someone hack my Ersatz file? It’s happened before. Celebrities are always being hacked for their Ersatz fantasies.

Dozing off, Pania is startled by loud banging noises coming from the cargo bay. It’s Kali. She’s suctioned to the electrical paneling near the air lock door, piercing through the metal with her beak.

“That’s impossible. That’s T12 Alloy.”

Pania alerts the other two and sets the ship to red alert.

“We’ve got a serious problem.”

Dazed and startled, the two men crash into the observation room.

“She’s trying to break through the door.” Pania points at the monitor. “If she gets through it’ll flood the whole ship.”

“Use spider captain to peel her off the panel.” Ronin shouts commands to Chester, who mans the controls. Robotic limbs swing across the bay, molesting the octopus from behind. It’s only a temporary distraction, and Kali doesn’t stop tearing through the panel, using just two of her tentacles to rip the mechanical arm in half.

Ronin rushes to the airlock, putting on a deep diver suit, grabbing a welding rod he intends to use as a weapon.

“You can’t!” Pania yells. “You can’t kill her.”

“If I don’t, we’re all dead.”

Ronin closes the airlock, which quickly floods with steam and rising water. As soon as the port into the cargo bay opens, he races toward the sieging octopus. Chester flings a battery of repurposed mining appendages from Spider Captain at the creature, to no avail. The Octopus’s skin is too tough to penetrate with standard utensils. Ronin attacks with the welding rod, the bright tip of which catches the octopus’s attention. Tentacles wrap around his leg, flipping him sideways, immobilizing him in the briny water, making it impossible for him to retaliate in his cumbersome suit. Suddenly, his torso is snapped in half from the torque force of the muscular metallic tendrils. Kali enters the airlock unimpeded.

Boiling water erupts into the hallway outside the airlock as Kali enters the ship. Chester and Pania flee the scalding water, heading for port doors slowly closing in emergency. Chester trips on the mouth of the port, and Kali grabs him by the ankle. It is too late for Pania to save him. She watches his red face disappear into the pillows of water, as Kali drags him back into the jaws of death.

Pania rushes to the Ersatz pod, the only possibly safe place on the ship, but it’s only a matter of time before Kali finds her way through the port doors.

Which will get to her first — the transport, now an unassuming rescue ship, or the excited omnipresent monster outside the doors, born from the hellish improbable deep?

Upon seeing Kali drill through the second port door, Pania realizes she has less time than she thought and climbs into the Ersatz.

No time; she’s coming too fast.

Water and steam flood into the compartment as the lid of her coffin slowly closes, the raging tentacles above the glass slowly dissolve into the bright white light of the Ersatz.

When I was posted to Zürich, back in the 1990s, a colleague of mine said: “Switzerland is a wonderful place. Too bad it is inhabited by the Swiss”.

At first I didn’t subscribe with his rather radical views about the country, but after living there for a few months (and having had some run-ins with the natives and their rather peculiar views about people who, in their eyes, “didn’t belong”), I had to admit that they weren’t too much off the mark.

Maybe not all the Swiss, but a large chunk of the population over 50 at the time appeared to harbor a lingering disdain toward people who acted or looked “foreign” in their eyes, or simply didn’t conform to what they believed were the “rules” in force. And they wasted no time in making their point known right there and then, like they were the anointed guardians of an established order of things.

Pretty soon, anytime I parked my car in the street without steering my front wheels straight and parallel to the sidewalk, someone was there wagging his finger at me and pointing at them.

Within 24 hours from getting the keys to my rental apartment, an anonymous note mysteriously appeared in my mailbox, intimating to put a label with my name on it.

I was lucky enough to find an apartment in a building that once hosted a workshop, and was subsequently renovated to host a warehouse on the ground floor and my apartment on the upper floor, without anyone living above or beneath me. I listened to horror stories from my coworkers who had the misfortune to rent apartments in buildings where old and cranky Swiss neighbors made life unbearable for them by stealing and destroying their mail, having garbage strewn on their doorsteps, their laundry soiled or ripped when left in the communal washer/dryer, etc. And of course anytime they complained with the superintendent or the police, it was their word against their Swiss neighbors’, and guess who was always found at fault?

This attitude is masterfully resumed in a citation of the renowned Swiss author and playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt: “Any Swiss is both a prisoner and his own warden”.

During the US-Philippines military exercise, soldiers on the warships were warned that it was strictly forbidden to use personal mobile phones on the deck. They were worried about being monitored by the Chinese Navy’s Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship. The US-Philippines fleet did not even dare to turn on the radar, for fear that the electromagnetic signal would be captured by China’s Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship at close range.

The imaginary enemy of the US-Philippines shoulder-to-shoulder maritime military exercise was originally China, and now it has come to the area near the South China Sea on the west side of the Philippine Palawan Province and Luzon Island. Since the US amphibious assault ships, dock landing ships, Philippine landing ships, patrol ships and even fighter jets are performing hard, China’s Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship will certainly be a spectator.

Now, the US-Philippines warships are in an awkward situation. If the military exercise continues. Then, electronic signal communication must be carried out between warships, and communication must be maintained between aircraft and warships. Anti-submarine aircraft must send out electronic detection signals. Even US nuclear submarines must communicate by radio. However, China’s Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship stayed quietly beside them, patiently waiting to receive various signals and instructions from them!! 🤣

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  • Philippines: “discovered a Chinese ship”
  • South Korea: “there’s no display on the radar”
  • Japan: “the radar screen is full of snow”
  • USA: “how did you find it”
  • Philippines: “see with my eyes”

China’s Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship swaggered into the US-Philippines exercise area, and it was so close that it could be seen clearly with the naked eye. Did you see the surprised expressions of the Filipino soldiers in the camera? 😁

The West calls China’s Type 815A electronic reconnaissance ship “ghost”, and the Chinese call it “Street Fighter / 街溜子”. It is the most advanced electronic reconnaissance ship in the world.

Since US and Philippine warships are keen on running naked in front of Chinese electronic reconnaissance ships, the Chinese certainly like to watch. Why not?

There is no need for the Philippines to be so petty. Since the purpose of the US-Philippines military exercise is to “deter China,” why did it send a diplomatic letter to protest against the Chinese watching?

If you want to “deter China” and force China to change its position in the South China Sea, you have to show something that can “deter” China. Am I right? 🤣

Donald Trump Wins. Here’s What to Do Next

“The entire country is screwed.”

Diary of a Scientist

Submitted into Contest #174 in response to: Write a story about a brilliant scientist making a startling discovery. view prompt

Jack Bell

Saturday, May 26Getting fired may well be the making of me. Can science, true science, flourish in a large institution? The Melville Neurological Institute talked a good game, always promising me freedom of scientific research, but, when it came to the crunch, they let the bean-counters shut me down.I don’t think I was unreasonable. I recognize the need for institutional bureaucracy—I enjoy a regular supply of clean pipettes as much as the next research scientist—but no bean-counter EVER comes into MY laboratory and tells me what to do with my elevators and spreaders!Turning my basement into a functioning laboratory is proving a challenge, but I remain upbeat. Fortunately, my good friend and colleague from the institute, Percy Jarmon, has helped with some software and equipment, stuff that won’t be missed—even by the bean-counters!Sunday, May 27Who died and made electricians lords of the universe? Christ, just put the wires in and leave a reliable on-off switch! How hard can it be?I’m impatient to get back to my research, is all. Darwin dallied and Wallace almost filched his Beagle. There’s something very zeitgeist about my current investigations. How does a person’s state-of-mind interact with his or her physical capabilities? Science has kid-gloved this terrain for too long. Provocative evidence lies fallow. For instance, the 98-pound woman who lifts a burning bus off her baby. It’s a well-documented phenomenon and one that obviously involves telekinesis. Telekinesis?! Is that sound of a thousand bean-counters having a synchronized heart-attack? Ha!But I say: let me see the worst, even if it lie hidden in the deepest irrational recesses of mother-love.Perhaps if these spirit-levelling dunderheads could provide me with three square inches of clean bench space, I could begin. Christ.Monday, May 28This diary is to be an old-fashioned document of scientific record. So I don’t have to write an entry every day. I’ll just record the pertinent scientific facts as they occur.If there ever are any. The place looks like a toilet. And don’t even get me started on plumbers.Tuesday, May 29So even a tea urn requires a triplicate bivouac in Brussels? Forget it. I’ll use a saucepan. I’m happy with the seat of my pants. Remember Alexander Fleming. Refused to wash himself and discovered a cure for the clap. And Wood from Pfizer. Took a pill for heartburn and got a ten-hour erection. That’s the science I seek! Wild, free! Isaac Newton stuck a bare bodkin behind his eyeball to see what was there! Yes! I dare to dream of a science without red tape!But try telling a plasterer that.Wednesday, May 30What a mess. Boxes of broken flasks, rubberless Bunsen burners…

 

The old lady next door is deaf and her Chihuahua is a rat-faced, yap-throated, four-legged fur-ball of depraved pellet-spitting fecundity. Science, at its best, is supposed to be meditative.

 

Talked to Percy at Melville and, he’s right, I have to be patient.

 

Of course, Doctor Percy Jarmon has always been three-parts bean-counter. A good research scientist, don’t get me wrong. He’s done some solid work. Just prefers not to rock the boat. The brain remains a neat computational bottom-liner in Percy’s carefully scrubbed hands.

 

 

Thursday, May 31

 

Not much doing.

 

What’s the point of very little dogs, when you get right down to it?

 

 

Friday, June 1

 

total wank

 

 

* * *

 

 

Wednesday, July 20

 

You can’t stop science! Ha! Wheels turn, seams rupture, secrets heave!

 

Had a bit of luck, actually. The old lady next door moved away two weeks ago. And took her little dilly doggy with her. Bye-bye poo-poo.

 

Anyway, just spent the last two hours talking to Jarrod Johnson, the young chap who, along with his lovely wife Jasmine, has moved in. A very nice young couple, Jarrod and Jasmine, newlyweds, eager to begin a family.

 

When Jarrod found out I was a neurological research scientist, he showed an almost puppy-dog like enthusiasm. He shyly told me he’d never fully outgrown his love of dinosaurs. At school, chemistry had been his favorite subject. On the internet, he can’t get enough of Richard Dawkins. He works in a bank and seems to crave the microwave-manna of popular science.

 

So he was only too happy to help with my basement experiments! He’ll be over tomorrow, a bank holiday apparently, at 9:00 a.m. The world seems to be rolling on its back and asking me to tickle its tummy! Jarrod isn’t all that bright, but he’s a very pleasant, open, friendly sort of chap. A scientist cannot ask for more.

 

. . .

 

Just spoke to Percy, and he’s going to drop round this evening. He wants to see how the basement scrubs up, and even wants to meet Jarrod. I prickled a little, but didn’t argue. Percy’s help with converting the basement has been tremendous. Also, as a sounding board for my research aims, he’s been invaluable—encouraging despite his bean-tending skepticism.

 

Now that I’m finally about to dive in, he’s probably a bit nervous. If I were to create some sort of scientific scandal, his name could be tarnished by association. So I humored the old bean.

 

 

Thursday, July 21

 

What a day! Mark well the date! And affix to it your humble servant’s moniker, Doctor Richard Wrigglesworth!

 

I don’t want to get ahead of myself. What comes of today’s extraordinary breakthrough remains to be seen. But, doubt it not, the annals begin to gape.

 

Jarrod arrived at nine sharp and, after coffee and a scone, we got straight down to it. It was meant to be nothing but grunt work, building a database for future work. Jarrod sat at a table with just a LED monitor and a 5kg dumbbell before him. I flashed on the screen a series of images. Jarrod looked at each image for exactly eighteen seconds, then performed three standard bicep-curls with the dumbbell. An EEG cap and profuse body-sensor coverage recorded Jarrod’s every bodily blip and mental halloo.

 

After five hours of this, the data-collection was solid, but I was starting to worry. Jarrod really was a nice guy, didn’t have a bad word for anyone or anything. But was he, as a subject, a little bland, a little lacking in character, personality or substance? I was after dark mysteries of the mind, but Jarrod seemed a whole lot of sunshine and lollipops. Even the photograph of a Chihuahua being dangled over the ferociously eager maw of a wood-chipper didn’t provoke much more than a mild hiccup in his breezy brain wave.

 

Then it happened. His eyes locked on the screen, a growl sounded from somewhere sub-thoracic. He began flipping the dumbbell about like it was a tea-cozy. The readouts and dials fritzed. According to the computer, the dumbbell now weighed exactly 34 grams… What happened to the other 4,966?!

 

Even after I shut off the monitor, it took a good thirty seconds for Jarrod to return to normal.

 

It remains, I have to say, somewhat of a mystery. But a mystery with a big “THIS WAY” arrow attached. The photograph that set him off was of a duck attacking a cute little rhesus monkey. The juvenile monkey had been sitting on the ground, eating a piece of melon, but was in the process of dropping it as he leapt quite hilariously away from the incoming duck. It was supposed to be a brain-pan cleanser, some light relief before something more experimentally hardcore was flashed up.

 

I quizzed him at length, got him to free associate with ducks and monkeys, but he was a bit shaken and washed out. I suggested we start again tomorrow, and he was more than happy to. He had a flexi-day owing at the bank.

 

Now I have a sleepless night’s work ahead looking for relevant pictures. But I love it. Seriously, who’d want be anywhere other than Science, the bosom of all curiosity?

 

 

Friday, July 22

 

Burn it to ashes. That’s the likely fate of this record of crime and folly! Dear God! Dare I speak of today? Dare I not? Could it be only yesterday that I… but no, this is a scientific journal. If hell itself yawns, somebody has to stay calm and sift the sulphur.

 

Jarrod arrived at nine, dot on time. I asked for his thoughts on yesterday’s proceedings—and he seemed not to remember anything out of the ordinary. Odd. “The duck and monkey?” I enquired. All he could remember was a sort of pressure in his head, which he’d put down to the EEG cap being too tight. I let it go, assuring him that today the cap would be roomy.

 

I must have shown him upwards of thirty duck-and-monkey photos, interacting in various ways, some comic, some violent, some both. Nothing. So I flashed up yesterday’s photo. The effect of it was instantaneous and truly awful. He leapt from his seat, tearing off the EEG cap, flinging himself across the room, crashing into the card table upon which sit the tea and coffee and scones. From there he literally began trying to climb up the wall. Hard to do when one hand was busy holding his head as he cried, “Make it stop! My head’s going to explode!”

 

I raced to him. He fell, crashing heavily onto the card table, destroying it and our untouched morning tea. He uttered a ghastly groan as he thrashed about in the rubble, finally coming to rest on his side.

 

I gently rocked his shoulder. “Jarrod?” Was he dead?

 

But he stirred and, with my help, began to sit up. It was only as he opened his eyes and turned his head to me that I saw it. Almost too awful for words. A teaspoon. The handle fully buried in the side of his head, only the metallic bowl sticking out, like a malicious little supernumerary ear.

 

“Oh, God, Jarrod!” I whispered.

 

He was groggy. “Guurrgh…what happened?”

 

“Jarrod, how—how do you feel?—No, no, God, don’t shake your head!”

 

“Actually,” he said, breaking into a pleasant smile, “I feel pretty good. Sorry, Richard, but I don’t think I want to wear the brain cap thing again.”

 

“Oh, that’s fine, no worries. I think we’re pretty much finished, anyway. So, um…your head? You mentioned before, while you trying to climb the wall, that it was giving you some trouble?”

 

“Yeah,” he grinned, lifting a hand toward the side of his head—which I grabbed and lowered just in time! He continued, “No, it feels good now. All last night it felt weird, a weird sort of pressure. But it’s fine now.”

 

“Okay. Great. Science is a labyrinth, that’s for sure, ha ha.”

 

I helped him to a chair—not that he seemed in need of help. I grabbed my phone, thinking I’d call Percy. But, before I rang, I went upstairs and made a cheese, gherkin and lettuce sandwich. I also poured a large glass of milk and took both items down to Jarrod in the basement. He thanked me and tucked in with a healthy appetite.

 

Possibly I should have been rushing Jarrod to hospital, but something made me hesitate. Something about the spoon, twinkling like a satellite dish on the side of an exposed hillock. As he finished off his sandwich, I went to my bookcase up the far end of the room. This peculiar neurological situation was ringing a bell. Once, an iron rod went straight through some chap’s cerebellum. And he was right as rain. However, instead of pulling a reference book out, I got down on my knees and ran my tongue along the spines of the neatly arrayed books. Each and every one. Made my tongue quite dry and yuck.

 

Returning to Jarrod, who was downing the last of his milk, I said, “Jarrod, there’s something I have to tell you. It’s…it’s a bit shocking.”

 

After a little burp, he said, “What is it?”

 

Stumbling a little at how to speak of the spoon, I instead stayed silent and blew him a kiss. He laughed at that, then stood up, saying, “Same time tomorrow?”

 

I nodded. And he left.

 

That was, what, four hours ago? There are really only two theories possible here. The shocking incident with the spoon may have caused my psyche to fray or fracture in some hopefully temporary way. Or—and my blood runs cold to write this in black-and-white—Jarrod has, through the mother of all accidental discoveries, gained an advanced form of cerebrokinesis, the ability to control the minds of others. Oh, if only I could divine exactly where the inside tip of his teaspoon sits!

 

To be honest, I’d prefer all this to be the result of my own madness. But, as I sit here writing this, my thoughts seem depressingly orderly.

 

If indeed they be my thoughts.

 

. . .

 

You know what’ll stop me sleeping tonight? This question: if Jarrod has gained a cerebrokinetic ability, why would he make me lick my books? The sandwich, sure, perfectly alright. I would have made it for him anyway, without the mental strong-arming. But the blown kiss? Smacks of smart-arsery.

 

Sitting here, the sun going down, his bland smile starts to seem sinister.

 

 

Saturday, July 23

 

It’s midday. I know what I have to do, but I hesitate. I’m fairly certain it’s not MY hesitation, so I can only sit here, awaiting a stray moment where I might be able to strike with an uncontaminated will.

 

Jarrod arrived three hours ago, smiling, spoon jutting as brassily as a cuckoo in a new nest.

 

My first question was, “So what did Jasmine say?”

 

“Oh, I didn’t see her before she left to visit her mother.”

 

“Really? How convenient. A sudden emergency, was it?”

 

“No,” he said pleasantly, “a visit.”

 

Time to cut the crap. “Jarrod, I need to know if you can control my mind. Did you make me lick my books yesterday?”

 

He gave an uncharacteristic, chilling little hee hee!

 

“I did,” he said, before adding another hee hee!

 

Despite the giggling, he was in fact prepared to talk openly and honestly about the whole thing, which was a relief. At one stage I gave him a fifty dollar note from my wallet—but he was only joking around. I’ve no doubt he’ll give it back.

 

He was as surprised as me when, yesterday, his desire for a sandwich was realized by my actions. Actually, a lot more surprised than I was. I’d experienced it as the most natural thing in the world. He admitted the book-licking was spur-of-the-moment and experimental. The blown kiss, harmless byplay. Well, obviously it could’ve been worse.

 

“I guess you realize the enormity of this?” I said to him. “For science, the fate of the world, etcetera.”

 

“I dunno, I’m a bit disappointed. After I left here yesterday, I went down the street and—”

 

I gasped. “But didn’t people see your spoon?”

 

“I wore a hat, dummy. But, you know, it turns out I can only control your mind, no one else’s.”

 

I felt relieved by that, although I wasn’t entirely confident of that relief. I was, right then, starting to think a lot of rather flattering thoughts about Jarrod. Bland? He wasn’t bland: quite spry, the ole Jazza, always up and about, a real player, this lad…

 

Now, surely that was nonsense. I would never say “spry”.

 

“Jarrod,” I said, holding onto the table edge, “this is scientifically—well, it’s off the scale it’s so big. But, at a personal level, we need to get some rules in place. Surely you see my precarious position here?”

 

He said, “I swear never again, under any circumstances, to control your thoughts, Richard.”

 

I don’t think I’ve ever been struck by a statement of such deep and unarguable sincerity. I thanked him and he rose to go with a charming, lively, intelligent smile.

 

It was a good thirty minutes after he left that I began to have second-thoughts. Charming, lively and intelligent? Jarrod? Phooey. And you can kiss those fifty smackers goodbye while you’re at it. This was all deeply distressing and disorientating.

 

And I’ve been sitting here in the basement ever since, a single sterile teaspoon sitting on the table before me.

 

It’s a one-in-a-million shot, but my only chance. I’ll fight fire with fire.

 

I’ll do it for science.

 

—a knock at the door? Now! NOW!

 

* * *

 

THE MELVILLE NEUROLOGICAL NEWSLETTER

 

The Melville Neurological Institute would like to extend its heartiest congratulations to Doctor Percy Jarmon upon his recent Nobel prize nomination.

 

Doctor Jarmon’s work on the Yersinia fustus parasite appears to be conclusive and truly ground-breaking. This ancient, insidious parasite, almost undetectable after more than one-hundred-million years of co-evolution, has often been purported, but never proven. There now appears to be little doubt of its existence, thanks to Jarmon’s recent courageous and brilliantly innovative field-work.

 

The life cycle of Y. fustus turns out to be both simple and ingenious. After invading a host Homo sapiens, the bug, mimicking a billion-branched glial cell, quickly colonizes the cerebrum. Within a very short time the host develops an irrational but irresistible desire to violently puncture his own cranial vault, by any means necessary. Fantastic delusions, sometimes resulting in murder or art, often accompany this process. After the host’s skull is successfully punctured, the parasite’s spores are then released and have a very short time in which to find a new host.

 

The parasite seems to be very rare but, where it does exist, is rabidly contagious. The strain involved in Jarmon’s recent field-work has been destroyed.

 

When contacted by this newsletter, Jarmon’s only comment on his Nobel-nominated research was, “Hee hee!”

It’s the worst election result of my lifetime. And reveals something absolutely horrifying about my fellow Americans: they will vote for a literal criminal sociopath over a qualified black woman.

I thought Gore’s loss to W. Bush was terrible—but that was largely the result of cheating (it’s almost beyond question Gore got more votes in Florida than Bush did). …Then I thought Hillary’s loss to Trump was pretty awful as well, but it was a small comfort that HRC won the popular vote by literal millions (they’ve never been quite THAT far apart before).

With both, you could basically take comfort in the fact that the majority of the country clearly didn’t want the inferior candidate.

But now? Trump is a worse candidate than he was in 2016 in every way (mentally, morally, legally) and there were some horrible things about him then that either weren’t yet known (his charity fraud, his university fraud, his Stormy Daniels affair) or hadn’t happened yet (the indictments, the two impeachments, his horrible CoVid handling, becoming an adjudicated rapist, cheering on Putin for invading Ukraine, “The Big Lie,” his f***ing coup attempt, endless comments making it clear he wants to go after “the enemy within”).

By contrast, Kamala is arguably a better candidate than Biden or Hillary were, and she’s committed NONE of their supposed flaws (she did plenty of rallies in the Midwestern three, she did plenty of interviews that Hillary avoided, loads of energy that Biden was lacking, more clear than Biden, less legal baggage than either HRC or Joe, she didn’t bring up being a woman which supposedly turned people off of HRC) and ran a brilliant campaign from a terrific DNC to high-energy rallies to popular proposals (Trump’s are mostly about making people’s lives harder) to absolutely killing Trump at the debate.

But now we get this phony crap from Trump voters about how Kamala was a “bad candidate” (yeah…sure…) and from the media where they point out some mistakes she supposedly made (yeah…sure…) and how Trump will be better for the economy (yeah…sure…the guy who wrecked Obama’s economy and bankrupted three separate casinos and still believes in tariffs will magically give you a better economy…)

Point blank: this country would rather risk an autocratic regime, economic collapse, environmental ruin, and a complete wrecking of American justice and freedom than vote for a black woman. …It is a DISGUSTING result, and the fact that Trumpers are flying their covert KKK-flag openly on social media instead of being ashamed of voting for a criminal sociopath is repulsive.

Possibly because they see us the way a repairman I once talked to saw the American engine maker Briggs & Stratton. I was buying my first mower, and I had bought a big yard and had put most of my cash into the purchase, so I was shopping carefully for a lawn tractor that would last a while but not clean me out.

I talked to this greasy guy with hearing aids at a repair shop where I happened to have some business, and he explained the difference between the Briggs & Stratton engines I’d grown up with and, well, everything else.

He said Briggs made the best engine in the world…in the 1940s…but that the rest of the world had moved on. Everyone else’s engines used newer alloys, fuel injection, superior noise and pollution controls, etc., while Briggs was still cranking out the same old reliable Joe that had been their cash cow for forever.

Understand, we weren’t talking best of class here, just your literal garden variety engine. He said “a Jap engine” would cost you half again as much, and if you ever let the oil get dirty or didn’t keep the filter clean, it was scrap. But if you kept the filters clean and changed the plugs every few years, it would start on the first crank, every time, for the life of the mower.

A Briggs, on the other hand, was cheap and would last forever—but you’d pay for it time and again. It would leak. It would lose compression. It would need its carburetor and points worked on every so often. But if you enjoyed working on engines, it could survive catching on fire and having the head knocked off with a sledge hammer, it just “never will run like shit.”

That’s the dichotomy here. Americans see America as the country that defeated Hitler and went to the moon. The old reliable. The “takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.” The rest of the world sees us as an obsolete design, built on good principles, but trying really hard not to live by them, and getting away with it because we’re big and rich and mean. But our system “runs like shit,” and our population pays for its cheapness each and every day.

I’m not saying that’s right or that’s wrong, but I believe that’s how they see us. And if they judge us by our movies, they are not seeing any of the shiny bits that might make a counter argument.

Chinese Meatball Soup

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Ingredients

Soup

  • 2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 (6 ounce) package frozen snow pea pods
  • 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 (1 1/2 inch) cube fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced
  • Olive oil for roasting

Meatballs

  • 1 pound lean ground beef, chuck or sirloin
  • 3/4 cup oatmeal or bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced finely
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 egg

Vegetables

  • 1/2 pound baby carrots, cut in half
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or canned bean sprouts

Instructions

Soup

  1. Combine soup ingredients in large saucepan over low heat to simmer (reserve snow pea pods and carrots for broiling or stir frying).

Meatballs

  1. Stir ingredients together, shape into 1 1/4 inch meatballs and place on lightly oiled broiler pan. Spray lightly with an olive oil spray if using very lean meat. Broil until nicely browned or bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Vegetables

  1. To roast the baby carrots, cut carrots in half, lengthwise. Rub in 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle between the meatballs on the broiler pan. Do the same with the thawed snow peas. Check while broiling, and remove carrots, snow peas and meatballs as they begin to brown. Drain on paper towels briefly and add to soup. If you wish to skip this step, you may alternatively brown the meatballs, snow peas and carrots in a wok.
  2. With all ingredients now in soup, simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes and season to taste with salt, pepper, a pinch of Chinese Red Pepper, if desired, and a dash of soy sauce.

There is only one answer: the United States wants to stop China’s rise! That’s why they want to suppress China with all their might and with everything they have.

Moreover, Taiwan is just one of the places, and if you scuttle the world pattern, you will find that the target of everything the United States has been doing all these years is China.


1. The Russian-Ukrainian war is not the ultimate goal of the United States; its ultimate goal is China.

The United States treats China as the number one enemy, whether economically or militarily, the United States has been unable to subdue China, so Washington provoked the Russian-Ukrainian war, the ultimate goal is to provoke a ‘New Cold War‘, through the Russian-Ukrainian war to Europe to create a ‘horror’ of the enemy Russia, so they are afraid of, under pressure to do the bidding of the United States.

The purpose of the United States in stirring up the ‘New Cold War’ is actually to unite the forces of the entire West and then deal with China with all its might.

The purpose of dealing with China is to maintain its hegemony. The United States believes that China has already threatened the global hegemony of the United States and that China must be eliminated as soon as possible.

2. The United States is endeavouring to make preparations for provoking a war in China’s neighbourhood.

After the United States has used the power of the Russia-Ukraine war to force its Western allies to listen to the United States, his next goal is to provoke a war around China to further unify its Western allies by forcing China to step in, and then to sanction China in the same way as it has sanctioned Russia.

In order to achieve this goal, the United States is bound to provoke a war in China’s neighbourhood to force China’s hand, and then the United States will lead the entire West to sanction China.

Based on this logic, China’s surrounding dangerous areas will be the next U.S. to provoke war conflict points, such as the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea, China-India border are dangerous areas, especially the Taiwan Strait conflict, will be the next U.S. is bound to want to provoke a military conflict.


The intention of the United States in provoking a war in the said region is to force China to send troops, and then the United States and its allies condemn and even sanction China, urging its allies to impose sanctions on China as they did on Russia.

At the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the United States actually began to lay out early!

Especially in the Taiwan Strait, the United States and Britain have begun to discuss how to detonate the military conflict plan!

At the present stage, China has practically no choice but to make preparations for a military struggle, and it can only make preparations for the unification of Taiwan by force!

But in a twists and turns, Trump is back. Trump’s presence disrupted Biden’s deployment. 😁

The next 4 years with Trump in the White House will be 4 years of rapid development in China.

The Russia-Ukraine war won’t stop, the Middle East is in an even bigger crisis, Europe has been abandoned by the US, and the US is at the peak of domestic infighting.

China is on a rampage and the next 4 years will see us laying a solid foundation for a whole new order of global industry and trade!

Trump will mercilessly teach Europe, Japan, South Korea and other allies (parasites) a lesson, frantically withdrawing from all kinds of international organisations and international treaties and becoming more and more isolated, and that’s exactly when China is holding up the flag of free trade and developing at a high speed!

What is the result of the Trump era’s opening of a trade war and technology war against China?

China’s chip technology rapid breakthroughs, Huawei is far ahead; China’s position as an industrial hegemon is as stable as Mount Taishan, shipbuilding took nearly 3/4 of the world’s orders, and new energy vehicles rode in the dust; China’s foreign trade exports are increasing year by year, and it takes more than 1/3 of the global surplus.

Do you think the Trump still has cards? 🤣

Do you really think Russia can’t defeat Ukraine? You are too naive. China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners, and the Chinese and Russian governments have the same strategy.

Yes, the United States and the West want to use war to consume Russia’s national strength, but the United States and the West are greedy for immediate benefits and do not know the consequences.

Protracted war is Russia’s strong point, and Russia also wants to use war to consume the United States and the West. The more the US and the West invest in Ukraine, the more it will be consumed.

Russia buys time for China, and the United States and the West will decline rapidly.

Trump DROPS his plan to DISMANTLE the Deep State! MASSIVE FOR AMERICA (MUST SEE)

Why did Trump win the 2024 election?

Yesterday I was walking in the city and two young Moroccan guys were discussing the US election outcome. “He did it, the old warrior!” said one of them, admiration obvious in his voice. These were two young Muslims from what Trump had referred to as “shithole countries” during his first tenure…

People underestimated how many people do love Trump.

The media, journalists, writers of opinion pieces and intellectuals were in this little bubble where everyone, surely, must have realized after the first Trump term that he was no good? And that’s just not the way of the world.

Oh but he’s was found guilty of sexual assault, surely now no one can vote for him?

Wrong!

No one gives a shit.

Chris Brown beat the living daylights out of Rihanna and I still hear people blast his music.

We think that, as soon as someone is accused of someone heinous, that’s it.

Curtains.

They’re done for.

Now, the world has moved on from #MeToo and “cancel culture” is dead and buried…

You cannot cancel someone when no one cares about his crimes.

Oh there’s Russian interference in the elections? Big deal — plenty of people find Putin kinda cool, anyway, and at least he’s “not woke”.

Elon Musk pushing fake news and misinformation on Twitter? Again, no one cares.

“But, he was mean to transgender people! He disowned his transgender daughter!” Yeah, that’s awful, sure. But no one cares.

There’s so many scandals, so many awful things you can accuse Trump and his allies off.

But in “real world”, people don’t care…

It also seems that people are tired of “woke” topics and the right has simply won the “culture wars”, at this point.

Because even Latinos, African Americans and other non-white ethnic groups voted for Trump in record numbers.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret — a lot of immigrants and their descendants are very religious. They don’t like LGBT issues, they couldn’t care less about transgenders, pronouns and puberty blockers being given to kids, in fact they’re highly susceptible to negative campaigning about such issues.

They actually are bothered by people saying “happy holidays” instead of “merry christmas” and other such things that progressives would dismiss as silly memes only boomers care about…

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz seemed to spend 80% of their campaign attacking the character of Trump.

When everyone already knows he’s a dickhead — and they don’t care because he’s their dickhead.

People almost always love the villains in movies more than the heroes. The Joker is far more popular than Batman ever was… and Kamala Harris made for a rather poor Batman.

Actually this is very interesting. Not a rehash of known stuff in a click-bait video. This is full of great intel.

Greetings from England, where we all apparently hate guns.

I believe you are confused.

The gun owners do understand that you don’t like being around guns, they just don’t care. Why should they?

Americans are often mistaken about their own gun laws. The public safety you speak of is partly due to the gun owners. They are why your government can never turn too tyrannical and why you can never be invaded by land. This is why you have a right to own guns. Its not necessarily to stop burglars, it’s to prevent your government from turning tyrannical.

Just like with our third world quality socialist health services, my country is always held up as a success story for banning guns. This is bullshit. Murders happen constantly in Britain and the lack of guns just makes it slower. Knives, acid and bombs are used instead. Murder is unfortunately natural, and British murders are incredibly brutal.

So in conclusion, if your government like mine is not currently sending everyone to prison for Facebook posts, and if your country doesnt have an acid attack epidemic going on, you have gun owners to thank for this. The very idea of killing or disfiguring someone with acid would become ridiculous in Britain if we had guns, but we don’t. We instead get our faces burned off by chemicals.

You arguably have gun owners to blame for murders on the streets (though i would disagree), but this pales in comparison to the genocide you will probably never face, unlike most countries eventually.

Why are anti gun owners so incredibly smug that they don’t think a disagreement towards themselves can even exist without ignorance? Is it just your smuggery that causes your smuggery or have you

actually accomplished anything in your life?

I bet your’e not even one of those loud, fat, friendly Americans we all love. You probably got purple hair and a constantly pissed off face.

Don’t travel. We don’t want you. We want the ‘rednecks’. You think I’m lying? Nobody wants to travel to your shitty liberal cities anymore either, just to get robbed and/or raped all whilst having to listen to unhygienic propaganda junkies barking unrequested opinions all day. We want to go to middle America where the men are strong and hard working, where the women are clean, beautiful and not hopelessly brainwashed like yourself. I bet it’s awesome in those places with all the gun owners; fresh air and friendly people. Meanwhile your town is probably covered in turd and homeless people.

Genocide Joe

Genocide Joe, may his feeble mumbling brain rest in peace, was extremely effective at restoring order to domestic American affairs, lining all US allies in a row, and making Sinophobia a global instead of solely an American policy.

Trump will throw a monkey wrench into that once again.

Trump will immediately throw Ukraine under the bus and let Europe deal with the fallout; he’ll raise major trade tensions with American partners; he’ll throw EVs and all environmental policy under the bus too; he’ll threaten the ICC and ICJ and likely cut off all funding to the UN once the General Assembly recommends expelling Israel.

He’ll recognize Israeli settlements. He’ll threaten and probably defund universities that allow Palestine supporters any freedom of speech, sowing pandemonium and terror in academia.

And that’s with ruling out the assumption that Project 2025 is real.

The Western alliance, which goes back to World War II, is too strong to suffer permanent damage from four years of demented leadership. So is American society, which is very resilient. But for the next four years, there will be tremendous chaos, infighting, and blows to prestige.

This is an opportunity for China to demonstrate its abilities at world leadership, as it did very successfully during the first Trump term.

Economically, China is prepared for the return of Trump. Its GDP is 25% larger than in 2020 and it’s much less dependent on US technological imports. The threat of major tariffs on Chinese exports to the US is serious. During this period, fiscal stimulus will have to be a key driver of growth. However, central government debt is very low. The spending and borrowing discipline exercised by the central government for many years has prepared it well for this occasion.

The combination of decreased export revenue and emergency-level use of fiscal stimulus will accelerate the transition to service- and consumption-led growth.

One was in the right place at the right time, and thrived. I was still searching for my pot of gold.

As a Brit, let me tell you the reasons I laugh at your country.

  1. You elect the likes of George Bush and Donald Trump and consider them intellectuals.
  2. You consider your right to carry a gun is more important than the safety of children.
  3. You’ve got one of the highest rates, if not the highest rate, of obesity in the western world and don’t seem to care.
  4. You always seem to have one of the lowest levels of global awareness out there. It seems half of Americans can’t name more than about 5 countries, can’t identify the USA on a map and think that the US is so far ahead of every other country on every metric.
  5. You think it’s just swell that a new mother leaves a hospital with a bill of around $12,000 as she enters what will likely be one of the most expensive times of her life.
  6. Your politicians only need to say a handful of charged words and your voters go wild. Listening to a US politician speak sounds like “China, Russia, bad, communism, America, freedom, good, gun control, bad, NRA, good, God loves us, vote for me, 9/11 bad.”
  7. Some politicians actually did improve your image somewhat. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, hell even Clinton was more credible than either Bush or Trump. Yet there are so many Trump supporters that he might even be re-elected. Honestly, most Brits find that bizarre. He even showed contempt for democracy by inciting riots and refusing to accept being voted out. He’s an admirer of Putin and it seems like he would institute autocracy if he could. And then you could look forward to Jared Kushner solving all the problems Trump promised he would solve before. I mean come on, when the guy’s saying he can resolve Palestine-Israel in a day, you’ve got to understand that’s a snake oil claim.
  8. You have the highest per capita prison population.
  9. You have one of the highest wealth disparities in the world.
  10. You actually believe that every country pays more tax than you, even believing that in the UK we pay 95% of tax. You must hear that and think “really, 95%?” If you think that, that’s when you’re supposed to go and fact check fox news.

The NHS was a fabulous idea- cradle to grave healthcare by well compensated professionals paid by taxation on all eligible to use.

My Mother started as nurse in 1960- she was 20. And it was like being in the army with a Sergeant Major type figure called a Matron in charge. She left circa 1995 as a Midwifery ward sister – appalled by the waste, multiple layers of management and the state of the NHS.

30 years and some trillions of pounds later things are much much worse. A few months ago in search of the Accident unit I found the brand new Oncology unit. I believe it cost over a billion quid to set up. As it was Sunday morning it was deserted. No private enterprise could build a billion quid factory and open it for only 35 hours a week.

The acres of staff parking across the NHS empty out Friday afternoons. Obviously not all units close. I did find the accident unit open. And it was massively overstaffed- perhaps essential on the off chance a major incident occurs. But probably 30 people were doing the job that 15 could have done very easily and ten could have managed. Pleasant people, mostly standing about chatting.

A friend is a pensioned off male nurse. He now does 2 shifts a week- more to keep busy but he handily gets 400 quid. He likes his job but describes it as “ a disgraceful ward, with too many chiefs commanding too few Indians”.

The NHS is currently funding the over 2000quid Visa charge to recruit from abroad. My WASP pal is the only English guy on his ward. His on/off GF is Ghanaian, so he isn’t anti foreigner but says not all speak good English and often there’s problems caused by the language barrier. As well as some problems caused by different groups carrying on beefs from their home countries.

There’s nothing wrong with employing the none indigenous as trainees- but meeting their visa and travel costs- are we that short of locals? And if so would an extra few quid as a signing bonus tempt them to join. Surely cheaper in the long run than paying annual visa fees.

I’ve just heard senior Doctors are charging 200quid a hour for overtime. The NHS also currently spends almost a million quid a week on diversity training. Wherever one looks money is literally being burnt. As an edit, misheard this on Radio 4 – it is actually 200.000 quid a year, not 200quid an hour.

The waste and make work aspect is typical of any Nationalised industry. I started my working life in the NCB. The Union rep ran the entire colliery and you really had to be a standout, and no show, to get the sack. The NHS is similar. And can’t go broke. Nor is working hard rewarded any more or less than not. We miners had the same attitude. Although a bonus scheme installed in the late 70’s did see an uptick in production. Too little too late.

Any attempts at NHS reform are met with strikes and ultimately result in just another layer of dead wood management -their sole aim is in expanding and keeping their fiefdoms.

Set against the US, where considerably more time and money per head is spent on paperwork and insurance staff to run the system. A system that can and does bankrupt the sick. And a system that seems to work very well for perhaps half or even two thirds of Americans – but fails to adequately protect more than a 100 million people.

Desk porn with Study

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I was once in a bar in Cardiff, UK with my girlfriend and her best pal. Four morons came in and started intentionally getting my eye and seeing a short arse like me at a table with two beautiful girls they could only dream of started to throw across obscene, unwelcome jibes.

Ruining my friends night as well as mine – but of course engagement rarely helps either, perhaps we should have just left. Anyway, I politely asked if they might show a little respect, behave like adults and focus on their own night rather than ruining others. I was very polite but in that I have a Hugh Grant accent I think this just made things worse.

So they again managed to pass all their brain cells to just one of their number to afford him sufficient to string a sentence together. He says… You got a problem with us? Maybe you want to step outside?

To this I was able to offer a rather unexpected but factual response. “I’m a fly weight short arse mate and don;t think fights fix anything. However, seeing as my blonde friend here stands 6′1″, to your 5′10″ at best, rides a Kawasaki 1100 hence the the black leather catsuit, so suited to deploying her decades of Karate expertise- you could always ask her.”

To be fair, his mates ended up with beer up their noses as they explosively laughed into their pint pots. He looked suddenly rather less bold and they ignored us for the rest of the evening. Result!

Andy’s Journal

Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story from the point of view of a non-human character. view prompt

Diamond Keener

I feel used. That’s how I’m supposed to feel, that’s my purpose. But because all this time has passed, and I’ve been sitting here, just a pretty thing on your shelf. It all feels different. I don’t know you. The wry sense of humor you had is gone. The dreams, the plans. You’re not even close to where you promised me you would be. Those checklists are a real laugh now.When you open me up now, I’m unhappy, not excited. And you’re unhappy too. I’ve never wanted to talk back to you, to fight. But if I could rise up past myself and shout at you, I would.You are making a mistake. The stakes are higher. This isn’t high school. This is the rest of your life. All the time, you are running out of time, like I am running out of pages. And you will be unhappy, so unhappy. And I will be filled with your unhappiness and nothing more. Sometimes it will be masked as other things, drunkenness, indigestion. But unhappy, unhappy, unhappy, I repeat it because that is what you are repeating inside me. The word has been written down by your now sloppy hand a total of twenty eight times in the past two months. Each entry, the word comes up at least once. That’s two more times on average than you’ve mentioned her name, which I refuse to repeat. That is how I will prove to you I still have agency. I refuse to recount the source of our problems by name.I’ve watched you from where you toss me. I listen on the nights you’ve crammed me inside your backpack and spent the hours in her room. When she spilled her fancy smelly tea on me, I saw your face.You only write about how beautiful she is, what she wants, why you’re not enough. How you could be better, for her, of course. I know nothing about you, aside from how you feel about her. Which you say is love. But you never write any poems inside me that are worth a damn. It’s all blank. Platitudes. Could be generated by a computer.And I do know how you feel, which is not happy. Life is too short, that is what I want to tell you. Take your chance my friend, I would whisper this against your sweet ear. You have a gift to move, a gift for movement, which you have failed to exercise until now. But take it. Do it for me, and the boy I remember so fresh from school and still full of faith.Do you remember when I was given to you? The grand ceremony. I was wrapped in white, and tied up so tight and small with lace ribbon. It was all so elegant.Your Aunt Rachael, the one with the long pink nails, she gave me to you, and kissed your cheek. You wiped her orange lipstick from your face and stained my cover with it. It’s still there, the mark. It’s your fingerprint, the mark. I’ve memorized the pattern, every person’s is different. Yet I am the same as all the others in my image. Aside from your pen, and the sticker from Vivace Coffee you placed on my backside, you couldn’t tell me apart from any other bound thing.You used to write all the time, in very small print. To conserve space, to allow me to live with you for years and years. And I have, but it has been so lonesome.Maybe if you had kept up with me. If I had seen and known that first time around with her, the time you allude to often but never describe explicitly. You were happy then. But so much time has passed. You never wrote it down. And you never provide me any details, so how am I supposed to believe it was all so wonderful? It wasn’t simply the product of first love in a lonely youth coming to its end?What does her laugh sound like? You’ve never told me that.Last week I had a fleeting hope. It was the middle of the night. A bright spotlight in the dark bedroom shined down and you wrote so differently. Like old times. Curling, delicate, precise. Here the tides are changing, I thought as I watched the pen wrap around a different name. Not a person, but a promise to yourself. I liked the way it felt, special. It was more than just a dream, it was a sign that you were wanting something for yourself and yourself alone.Then it was as though you forgot and the whole thing was never mentioned again. She wouldn’t like it, you live by her rules. She has very specific outlines for the correct way to live. And you insist these rules are correct.You’d never allow it, something special. Because that is how you want it to be. You wish to believe your fate to be sealed and horrid. And I’m running out of time myself. You waste and waste the last bit of space, the last bit of life in me. I know what will happen when you finish me. I will be tossed away, she won’t allow you keepsakes. She will think you’ve filled me with thoughts of others, and tell you to let go of the unhappy moments.My greatest hope is that instead of the trash, I will end up in a box. Or buried behind the other texts in your tiny library. Your sweet children, the result of your disastrous marriage, will find me one day when you have died. They will read me and not know what to say. Maybe one of them will keep me, and dust me off so that I might be preserved as a memory of you. A legacy.Oh, Andy, how I wish you were brave! How I wish you could strip me of all these pages and start again. How I long to return to the time when you were just you, and I was just me, and there was no one in our way.

On a date…

Ordering food..

Me: “I want pizza.”

Him: “Do you want a salad with that?”

Me: “No, I’ll just have pizza, thanks.”

Him: “You’re sure?”

Me: “Yes.”

Him: “Ok. I’m going to order a salad”

Me: “For just you right?”

Him: “Yes.”

Me: “Ok good.”

Waitress takes our orders. Then moments later salad arrives first.

Him: “Do you want some salad?”

Me: “No, I just want pizza.” (said after looking disgusted by what’s on the salad and then gave a confused face at asking about salad again)

Him: “Try some salad.”

Me: “No thanks, I just want pizza.”

Him: “Try…”

Me: Reluctantly and frustratingly lifts fork, tries some salad. Then instantly disgusted and spits salad out into a napkin while date went to bathroom.

My pizza finally arrives.

Him(while I was enjoying my pizza): “Want some salad?”

Me: “No. I just want pizza.” (In firmer tone and now so so angry on the inside.)

Date over

Me to myself: “Never again. How many times must a girl say no? He’s controlling! Red flag. Get out now!”

Before going home: I promptly refused a second date invitation from him and almost ran home to shower smoke smell off from the pool place where we had our date.

Rules of thumb….

  1. No means no and let’s consider all situations a girl might say no to a guy not just the sexual kind.
  2. If he doesn’t listen to you on the first date, he won’t listen to you in the relationship. It will only get worse. First food, then clothing, then other personal preferences then…. bam! You’ve lost yourself and who you are. No thanks! Be nice on the date but take notes and do not subject yourself to it again.

Controlling behavior is not good in any form.

EDIT: I feel the need to give a little more detail about this salad date. Check below.

My date’s salad was a steak and bacon salad piled high with all the veggies, croutons and a lot of creamy ranch or blue cheese dressing. Pretty filling and most likely more healthful than my pizza but not by much.

Also, I actually love salad. I just didn’t want this salad or any other salad at the time. So I reserve the right to eat and refuse to eat what I want on a date or at anytime.

It a scam don’t fall for it my dear. If he can reach you he can as well reach his bank account.take a moment to think about it, he clearly has internet access, that means wherever he is he also have access to his phone, probably a nearby ATM too. He doesn’t need money for his flight home. I assume you mean back from a deployment, re-stationing or during retirement. If it’s those the military pays for it, always. The government provides all basic needs for military personnel. This includes food, housing and flights back to the US. No military member is ever stranded overseas. This is a scammer lie. Well sometimes we fall victim due to finding love and happy his coming back home to meet You but it all fake and lie. I was once a victim of military romance scam. I send money for flight ticket more than once he kept giving me reason to send more money which I fall victim cause I thought I fine love with a military personnel that has been my dream. When I fine out it all scam I was so much in pain and devastated, my whole life turn upside down. My sister introduced me to a recovery firm that help her track her scammer and got her money back. CYBER SECURITY FIRM. I don’t know what to do or say at the moment, I just decided to give it a try. I send a message to them and was ask a few questions and a proof of me been scammed. I gathered all the necessary information about the scammers to them it will help a long way in the recovery process. With they help my scammer was trace and got back my money from them. Are you a victim and want to get back your lost money kindly file a complaint to them on how to recover your lost money without any upfront fee involved. You can also reach out to them through their email address below for a successfully recovering.

I think this could be a book, but I’ll try to briefly share just a few ideas. For reference, I’m a U.S. passport holder, born in the U.S., raised in the U.S. mostly, but also Japan and China. To date I’ve lived in 15 countries, and have lived outside the U.S. a total of 10 years.

First, the U.S. is geographically quite isolated. It only shares borders with two other countries, and these are “hard borders” (in contrast to the borderless EU zone). No one really cares to go to Canada that much (most the population of the entirety of Canada lies in two zones just north of the U.S. border), and then the history with Mexico… So, not a lot of travel to these places, unless some idiots going on spring break that just have to go to Cancun. Otherwise, you have two large oceans surrounding the country. For many in the U.S., they consider “travel” to be anything outside their home city. The U.S. is big, so people might travel to another state and consider it a big deal. Many don’t even think about going overseas. So you end up with a lot of people that know nothing of the world. With so many different ethnicities in the U.S., some of those more ignorant think they don’t even have to leave the country to “know” another culture, which of course is complete BS.

Second, they are indoctrinated to believe the U.S. is the best country. It’s in schools, it’s everywhere. And to me, it’s a fucking joke. But for many, they are quite nationalistic, and don’t even bother to understand any other countries for comparison. They don’t realize they rank last amongst “developed nations” in just about every category. The U.S. has more violence and crime, horrible access to healthcare and education, poor average wage-COL ration, low quality and overpriced food, etc. They are just blind. But they are constantly told they are the “most free,” which everyone says they value so much, yet it’s the most like a police state I’ve ever seen. If you sneeze wrong, someone will call the police. I’ve had the police called on me for literally just taking a walk in my own neighborhood, minding my own business. People have their children TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM just for letting them walk home from school. No one is free in the U.S. It’s the closest thing to fascism I’ve ever found, and I’ve lived in countries where communism was just dismantled a couple decades ago.

Third, the culture is very individualistic, to a fault. Everyone thinks everything that happens in life is because of them. Narcissism runs rampant (no surprise there, I’m sure, given the people in the news – I mean all we ever see are people like Musk and Trump and celebrities). It’s weird. Scientific studies have even proven that most of life is random. Most cultures understand “life happens,” and you do the best with what you have. In the U.S., by contrast, if you aren’t rich you’re deemed “a failure” (which makes me upset just to write – it’s just so backwards and toxic). People choose their friends based on looks and bank accounts. It’s a fucked up, toxic to no end society.

Like a few others here, I’ve crossed the line into the Land of the Stupid, and did exactly what this question asks.

I was at the San Francisco Zoo, and the area from which one observes the gorillas is several feet above the enclosure and protected by very thick and (I sincerely hope) difficult to break glass.

I observed a male gorilla minding his own business, munching on…something. Being human, I wanted to know exactly how he would react to being “challenged” on his home turf.

I made sure that he was looking right at me. Then, I puffed out my chest, and proceeded to pound on it with both fists, yelling at him the whole time. Well…he then stood up to his full height, which is WAAAY taller than you might think, and showed me how to PROPERLY do the whole chest thumping thing. And the yelling thing.

I’ve had guns pointed at me a few times in my life. I’ve been threatened with knives. I’ve even been around explosives a time or two. Never in my life have I been so frightened. Not once. I managed – barely – to not ruin my trousers, but believe me, unless you have personally witnessed the full-on, serious challenge of a gorilla, you have no idea how truly magnificent these beasts are. The raw power, the impressive size, the…majesty, I guess…is beyond the ability of any video to fully capture. And as much as I am trying, the words fall far, far short of conveying the full impact of the scene.

Suffice to say, I quickly averted my gaze, and moved on to other, FAR less intimidating animals. The flamingos were very nice to look at, and didn’t challenge me at all.

The Benny Hill Show

Golden Years

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Kendall Defoe

Nobody can hear you screw up, or so they say…Major Culpham had that thought in his head as he prepared for the day. He looked through the viewfinder and studied the material captured. All the scanning of the previous day was uneventful and he felt that he should just get this out of the way early to complete his other duties. And yet…he felt an urge to go back once more and review what he saw…and heard.Noises from afar…At any other moment, he might have laughed about it and moved on with his work. Any child knew the basics of space travel: no atmosphere, no way to conduct sound, therefore… All the movies and television shows they had watched as children were lies. Explosions in space might be colorful, but they would also be very silent. Space was quiet, peaceful, and sometimes even quite dull. You did not get to hear it.But he had heard it.Fifteen days into the mission and it came up during routine repairs at a station the ship detected on its scopes. They had been set up for the Amber Wave as it made progress beyond the main station. It was the most popular ship in the fleet, commissioned by the brightest and boldest minds of the galaxy over many decades. And, if the major was totally honest – he often was when having a moment to himself – he should have had a lesser vehicle while this one became the retirement gift to some general or lesser figure who gave a lifetime of fair (?) and honest service (did such a creature really exist?).But no, they had to give it to the major. He was a real hero with the war record, medals, private charities established in his name, and discoveries made in difficult and strange places. The Council agreed to let him have this mission. He was the right man of the right age with all of the right attributes needed for a journey through space where the chances of encountering another human were very low (even the repair stations sent out before hand were all automated). No one else could have taken such a trip for such a length of time without a crew (his psychological, emotional and synaptic studies proved this). Food and supplies were stored at the repair stops and on board (no worries about shortages or rationing when he saw the cargo hold; it was a fear they did not detect during the testing). He was the right choice.And then he heard it.It was in the middle of his second analysis of the ship (no real problems were detected). Culpham had been walking through the processing booth, waiting for the results when it was loud and clear:“HELP!”The major was a war veteran. He had heard the desperate screams of civilians and soldiers in battle. He knew what a cry for help was supposed to sound like. But he had never heard anything like that one simple word used and spoken in such a manner.It was not just spoken. He could feel it project through his uniform, down his spine, up his legs, and into his mind. It invaded his body and would not settle down.Maybe it was part of the test… After all those weeks on his own, it was possible that they wanted to run one more probe to see how he was running a mission all by himself. There was the chance that he could be monitored that way and have the information shipped back home (would the Council do that?). The ship’s diagnostic concluded with nothing more than the recognition of a possible short on the light deck (easy to handle; he had suspected it could be a problem), but nothing else was detected.Not a single sound.Maybe he should monitor his own profile. They encouraged this from time to time in battle (some of his soldiers had been taken away when the reports were filed and analyzed). Culpham sat in the main holochair and let the probe run itself (only twenty minute out of his day):“No problems located or detected with subject. All scans match with the expected results of initial settings. Subject is normal.”Every time the major saw this, he still felt uncomfortable. It was him, in the third person, with the screen indicating blood pressure, heart rate, sugar levels, salt levels, psychological disparities, weight, vision level, and on and on…Not a thing out of line.Maybe he really did imagine it all. He turned to look at another screen where he could entertain himself with an entire culture’s history of movies, television, other audio-visual and three-dimensional art. Culpham thought that a comedy would be best (how did they manage without the skill and talent of Peter Sellers before the Pink Panther series became a hit?). A simple oral command would get this started.

 

“Seek movie.”

 

The screen lit up and expanded into the empty holospace.

 

“Comedy.”

 

A list flashed before him. He would just have to name it.

 

“The Pink…”

 

And the screen flickered for a moment, and disappeared.

 

Now, Major Culpham was told that anything could happen on such a journey. The training included emergency measures to deal with such technological problems. He did not worry about this. Another diagnostic and this would be…

 

The screen reappeared.

 

There was only one word on it:

 

HELP!

 

Major Culpham stared at it for a moment, adjusting his visors to take in a non-three-dimensional image.

 

And then it disappeared.

 

Anger was beginning to occupy his thoughts. If the computer could not detect this, and he was just analyzed and found to be sane (at least, that was how he read it), then this was actually happening to him and the Amber Wave. This was very real.

 

And he could use the technology around him to find out what was happening.

 

Major Culpham entered new information into the machine and smiled.

 

He was going to enjoy this trip.

 

*

 

From the reading on the sensors, the message – if it was a message – was coming to him from a region that no one else had scanned before; not even with a random probe. Culpham, sitting back in his chair, smiled and thought about all of the potential promotions and praise he might receive for this. A completely unknown sector…

 

He watched as nebulae, stars, planets and entire galaxies flitted by. It would be out of his projected route, but he knew that the risks involved would be worth it, even if it turned out to be nothing.

 

“Help!”

 

It was not even shocking that time.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I heard ya. I can’t help but hear ya.”

 

Culpham had made sure that the monitors were not connected with the base unit or a Council feed. To have them know that he was now talking to himself would have guaranteed that his mission would be scrapped and the flight rerouted home. He did wonder how they would do that with such a trip, but took no chances with it. There was even concern about how a man could be alone for such a long time and just interact with computer technology. Culpham settled this with his diagnostics and his obvious ease with the interactive programs on board. So, no talking to an empty void…

 

If it was empty…

 

A light began to flicker on the holoscreen to his left. This is what he had been waiting for and he smiled again while sipping a food concentrate. If that indicator was functioning properly, he was within one parsec of that message. There were no other stations for repairs or analysis, so he knew that he would have to be careful with this trip. Culpham did notice that the number of planets and debris in this area was very low. Maybe it was too low.

 

Was he moving through pitch blackness?

 

It felt as though the entire galaxy in front of him had turned into ink (a substance he had heard of once, although he doubted it still existed). There was no effect on the Amber Wave’s momentum and all the instruments were functioning properly, but it was a very chilling moment for the major. Culpham preferred the usual distractions of space travel to this great and ugly nothingness.

 

“Help!”

 

“Help yourself! I’m comin’…”

 

Maybe he was beginning to understand why he was receiving that message. The voice was definitely male (no audio adjustments were performed on that voice; the recording he managed to create had no aberrations); it was certainly in distress; it was in this area.

 

But where in this area?

 

The light began to flicker much faster, sending out a strobe effect of redness around the enclosed cabin. Culpham knew that he was near.

 

“Help?”

 

A slight change in tone with that one, wasn’t it? It was now asking a question. Culpham wondered why he had not really tried to engage it in conversation before making this detour.

 

It seemed to be asking him for a chat.

 

The light stopped flickering. It was now a solid red glow.

 

Culpham examined the co-ordinates and looked out the main view-screen.

 

No, no, this cannot be it. This cannot be it.

 

The co-ordinates were on the monitor. It was 00.000.000.

 

That was impossible. The number was an impossibility and the space he was in should not have been there.

 

But here he was and the ship had all the data needed to confirm it.

 

“Help…”

 

“Yeah, help. Don’t we all want some now…am I right?” Culpham was not sure he should smile now.

 

Now, one of the good things about the mission was the amount of equipment provided for a passenger on the Amber Wave. He had flight suits, travel suits, prepackaged food, weaponry…and the one thing he might need to solve this particular mystery: The Ro\Bon Suit.

 

The name was a mistake. The designers of that suit wanted to combine the words “Robot” with “Bond” to show how well any human could work with the suit. It would provide a level of flexibility to the wearer “unlike anything that the Council ever prepared or developed before” (a nice little advert for it, Culpham thought). The backslash in the name bothered him, but he did not think much of it, until he learned that someone had been very sloppy and let their finger slip when preparing to display the newest innovation of the week. No one else thought about it, but the major wondered about it. A slip of the finger…

 

“Help.”

 

If this really was where the yell was coming from, and all of the readings were correct, he would have to step out of the Amber Wave and walk through…that.

 

Not a single star or particle of matter or anything nearby.

 

Culpham felt a little odd about this.

 

The protocol clearly stated that he had to examine and study any phenomena encountered on the journey and keep a record of them. He was also still a military man. Culpham could not let himself be terrified by a cry for help; a cry that seemed to be for him only.

 

What could really happen to him?

 

He prepared for the walk outside.

 

*

 

At first, he thought that it was a mistake to not be tethered to the ship. Culpham had adjusted the suit to his measurements, and he found that it was even easier to use that the equipment on the ship. But there was still a worry that he might drift away to far from the Amber Wave and not be able to continue the trip; just another piece of debris stuck in space.

 

But no, that would not be a problem.

 

First, he could rest his feet on that inky blackness.

 

Second, he could hear the cry in his suit and detect where it was coming from.

 

And finally, he was beginning to recognize the voice.

 

It should have disturbed him, but at this point there was nothing that would have stopped him from heading into the void.

 

It was his own voice.

 

“Help…”

 

“Yeah, I am going to do just that…”

 

He began to move over the surface. It reminded Culpham of the rides back home that he enjoyed at birthdays and public fairs. He tried to hop on the blackness and found that there was a bit of bounce (no silliness while being monitored). Maybe he would enjoy it more on the journey back…

 

“HELP!”

 

Major Culpham, seasoned veteran, chosen pilot for the Amber Wave, talented and skilled soldier, almost soiled the Ro\Bon Suit.

 

He was standing right in front of himself.

 

A quick psychological profile made by the suit indicated that it really was him: same age, height, blood type, physical ailments, hair and eye color. It even had the same outfit (he had to keep calling it an “It”). What was different was the face.

 

Fear…that was pure fear.

 

Culpham knew why he was here and he had to get away.

 

“Wait. Please. I know what you are thinking: I called you and want to trap you here.”

 

“Well, yeah. That was what I was thinkin’. Seems like the sensible thing based on all the readings…”

 

“There is so much more to tell you. You have so much to learn.”

 

“Okay, teach me.”

 

*

 

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space? That was a damn lie. The figure had a story and Culpham had a duty. It would be best to let them talk in private as the Amber Wave awaited one of them to return and continue its travels. The journey was not yet over.

Although it’s not the same, I think the spirit of this story fits.

There was a millionaire in Arkansas named Jennings Osborne. He was known for his philanthropy, and for his huge Christmas light display. He told a story once about going to a donut shop one day, and there were some tourists in line in front of him. The tourists couldn’t make up their minds about that they wanted, and blocked access to the counter for a long time.

Finally, the clerk looked over the tourists at Mr. Osborne and asked what he wanted. Without skipping a beat, he said “I’ll take ALL the donuts”.

The tourists were left dumbfounded, and donutless!

When my town was devastated by a large tornado, Mr Osborne had a barbecue for the entire town. Everybody who came was fed. I’ll never forget that guy.

RIP, Mr. Osborne.

I was driving 50 miles, one way, to work each day and then having to wait an additional 10–15 miinutes to take a shuttle from a satellite parking lot to the hospital where I worked. After 18 months of this nonsense I was desperate to find a job closer to home.

A multinational company posted a position in an office located less than 20 miles from my home, and I applied immediately and was granted an interview. I’d spent the last 14 years working as a Tier 3 computer support tech for the state and the position I interviewed for was a Tier 1 phone support job, so though I was overqualifed for job, I was willing to make a change because the Tier 1 position paid more than what I made as a Tier 3 tech.

The interview panel consisted of three young women in their mid-to-late 30s, and the first question they asked was why I was interested in a “lesser” position. I replied that I was 62 years old and too tired to keep climbing ladders and crawling under desks, and they smiled. Then they asked where I saw myself in five years and I said that I hoped to retire soon after turning 67, and they all glanced at one another. I realized that I had just talked myself out of the job, but I remained positive and friendly as the interview continued for another 30 minutes.

I called my wife as I drove home after the interview and told her I’d blown it, because I was certain that I had, but around 6 PM I got a call from one of the women who interviewed me asking if I’d be willing to train in Seattle for a week if I was offered the job. She said she’d forgotten to ask during the interview. I told her it wouldn’t be a problem and forgot about it, because I thought she was just checking a box she’d missed.

Two days later, I was offered the job, and I accepted it. That was six and a half years ago and I’m still with the company, so my gaffe wasn’t as serious as I thought.

Yes. This happened in the late 90s when my daughter was 13 years old. My neighbors, (two guys in their late twenties) had two pet boa constrictors in cages on the front porch (20 feet from our front porch). Kids in the neighborhood, including my kids, would stop by to look at the snakes in the cages. The owners would feed them live mice when no one was around. That isn’t what bothered me because I know snakes have to eat. What bothered me was that they knew my daughter loved animals (she wanted to be a veterinarian) so they allowed her to hold the mice and pet them and then they let her continue watching as they threw the mice (while laughing) in the cage for the snakes to eat. My daughter came home crying and told me what happened. I went over there in a rage, wrenched open their door and started screaming at them that if they ever even looked at her again I’d kill them. I had to explain to her then that life is a circle (yeah, like the movie, Lion King). She never ended up becoming a veterinarian, by the way.

It was a sadistic thing for them to do. I had an older cousin do something similar to my sister. He used to raise rabbits for meat. He asked her to pick out her favorite rabbit so she did. He let her hold it, pet it, then grabbed the rabbit by the legs and hit it over the head with a small wooden bat. My sister didn’t cry, instead she went into shock. She was 8, learning disabled, had a serious heart condition, and adored animals. She did not talk or even move for the rest of the day.

And, just a side note, I understand the whole eating meat process, farming, feeding animals, and the circle of life, like I mentioned before but, there’s a time and a place for everything and neither of those men used common sense or showed any compassion. They were both cruel and sadistic.

Luckin for the win.

screen 2024 10 29 19 49 26
screen 2024 10 29 19 49 26

A) cut 800 overseas military bases to ZERO. Bring all your soldiers home to retrain them for manufacturing jobs at 30%of their income!

B) turned 13 of your air craft carriers into cruise ships and earned money instead of blowing a billion a month!

C) retire 10 million CIA and NED man doing shit around the world!

D) cut away all fundings on media lies to your media to spread half truths, fabrications and propaganda!

E) stop being delusional and hiding from the truth! China has overtaken you guys since 2010!

F) Accept being second fiddle to China and learnt from them!

G) Cough all monies from your CEOs and returned them into R&D monies for your companies!

H) Reduce your wages by 70% and increase their work days to 12 hours a day!

I) Stop all wars tomorrow and bring your troops home!

J) make your president make peace with China and Russia tomorrow!

K) Be honest tell the world USA is a broke and a bankrupt nation!

L) Tell the world that the so called free market liberal democracy do not work and it needs a change!

J) Stop giving aid to 100 counties that are blood suckers like India and Philippines! Asked them to stop doing shit and stop funding them!

K) Stop funding monies to opposition abroad to cause regime change and revolution!

L) Retrained 200 million Americans to work hard and smart doing things the world need

M) Cut your military expenses to 1/4 of China!

O) Jailed anyone who lied and spread half truths! The truth will set you free!

Q) Be honest about all the lies that you have paid for and expose all lied tomorrow! Shame all who do that!

R) Bring a 100 million Chinese a month to visit USA a month!

S) enforce saving rate of all Americans and corporations from -4% to +40%!

T) Stop all helicopter monies and QE and bailing out too big to fail companies! Let them go bankrupt!

U) stop tariffs that weakened your companies right away!

V)Disband NATO, AUKUS, QUAD, G7 and be a filial part of G20!

W) be a true member of the United Nations!

X) reduce welfare spendings on unemployed tomorrow!

Y) stop all immigration and spend all monies saved to build homes for the homeless!

Z) throw away your constitutions tomorrow!

Can you do it? That is the perfect formula to make America great again! I bet you won’t! So stop talking rubbish. Never ever utter the word that destroys America. Exceptionalism.

The SHOCKING Truth About Why CHINA Is Attracting So Many AMERICANS!

Educating Anne

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity. view prompt

Ty Warmbrodt

Under the cloak of darkness, Anne sneaks from her father’s house and follows the Wharfe River upstream heading into town. The moon is full and bright, lighting her way. The sounds of frogs singing and crickets chirping keep her company as her bare feet squish along the wet ground. Anne is on her way to do something while she still has time to do it. She turns eighteen next year and her father has been doubling his efforts to find her a husband. What she is about to do goes against society as a whole in 15th century England. She doesn’t know what it means for her future as part of the community, but this is something she must do. She has to satisfy her curious nature.She was with her parents in town today. While they were working, she came upon a man painting a picture of the marketplace. It intrigued her, his use of shape and light, how he blended the colors to match what he saw. She always wondered how paintings were made. She has only seen a couple of them in her lifetime, but they were astonishing. She didn’t understand how someone could transfer what they saw to a piece of canvas. She still didn’t, but she felt closer to understanding. She drew close to the man, looking over his shoulder, watching as he worked with much interest.“You seem fascinated,” a shaky voice cracked behind her.She turned and saw an elderly man leaning on a cane. “Sorry, I am a very curious girl. My mother says it will be the death of me. My father is having a hard time finding me a suitor because of it.”“Nothing wrong with a little curiosity. What else fancies you, my dear?”“I want to read, especially the Bible. I have asked my father to teach me. He said it is not for women to know the word of God. That it is a woman’s place to listen to her father until she is wed, then she is to listen to her husband.”“And this societal norm does not suit you. That is fascinating. What else?”“Everything, I guess. I asked my father how an onion grows, since he is a farmer. He said it was not a woman’s place to understand a man’s labor.”“Is that so. Hmm. Go on.”“I want to know how they make laws and why we make laws. They are not explained to me, but I know they exist. Some seem good, others bad, and I don’t know which ones are real. I want to know more about the people who lived before us. I want to know why the river flows in the direction it does. I want to know why the moon changes shape. I want to know how to build a house. I want to help my father’s farm become more successful. That is not even the beginning, sir. There is so much in the world that arouses questioning.”“Interesting indeed. I am Professor William Black. This is very uncommon, but so is your nature. How would you feel about an education?”“An education. What’s that?”“It’s learning how to read. It’s learning the how’s and why’s of nature and society. It’s learning mathematics, the working of numbers. It’s gaining the ability to reason for oneself. It’s obtaining the ability to think philosophically and testing theories. It’s learning to appreciate the finer things in life and understanding foreign cultures. By the time we are done, you will understand how the world works, as well as the means to satisfy all your curiosities.”“That sounds amazing, Professor! You would really do that for me?”“I would, but you have to use your knowledge for the advancement of society. Then, you must pass it on.”“I would, I honestly would, but there is no way my parents will allow me to do such a thing.”“Hmm. You see that house right there with the sloped roof. That one is mine. I will leave a candle lit in the windowsill. If you find yourself able to join me, as long as that candle is lit, come on in, Miss?”“Greenfield. Anne Greenfield.”# 

The marketplace is different to Anne at night. All the vendor carts are gone. The moon casts eerie shadows that seem to take a life of their own. Feral cats are heard screeching through the chill night air. Yet, Ann is ecstatic to walk through the empty marketplace and find Professor Black’s candle still lit. She knocks lightly on his door, and he opens it excitedly.

 

“Miss Greenfield! Welcome. I was hoping you would find a way. I took a nap after our meeting just in case this was the way. Snuck out, did you?”

 

Shyly, Anne says, “Yes.”

 

“No need to be embarrassed. You are about to embark on an adventure that will make it all worthwhile.”

 

At his desk, by candlelight, Professor Black starts her with the alphabet before moving on to numbers, telling her that they will be the foundation for everything she will learn. He plays her a song on the piano and they discuss the elements of the music, going over pieces of the song several times so Anne can familiarize herself with the concepts. Anne is having so much fun learning these things, she loses track of time.

 

She runs out the door with a thank you to her teacher. She storms through the marketplace and into the wilderness. She stumbles over a tree branch, skinning her knee, and dirtying her dress. She looks up and sees the sun rising. When she gets home, she knows she is too late. Her father is normally in the field and mother will be cooking breakfast. She pushes open the door to find her parents sitting at the table with furious expressions.

 

“Where have you been young lady, and do not lie,” her father growls.

 

“I met a man at the market, a professor. He offered me an education. I knew you would have said no, father, so I snuck out and went to his home,” Anne replies meekly.

 

“Blasphemy! Women do not need educations! They need men! Is this man ready to marry you? Taking a young woman into his home during the depths of night. Have this man no decency?”

 

“He is quite the gentleman, but he’s old enough to be my grandfather. I’m not going to marry him!”

 

“We’ll see about that! As God as my witness, you will not be sneaking in and out of my house to do the devils work with this professor. You’re of age. You’re past the age. If it wasn’t for you constantly questioning everybody about everything, I would have had you married off a long time ago. If this man wants the right to educate you, he can earn it proper. Let’s go. I want to meet this professor.”

 

#

 

There is an impolite knock on the door that nearly causes Professor Black to spill his tea. He didn’t get much sleep last night and is looking forward to a little rejuvenation, but that will have to wait. Grabbing his cane, he heads for the door, albeit not fast enough. Another loud bang erupts from the entryway.

 

“Hold on, hold on, I’m almost there.”

 

Upon seeing the old man, Robert Greenfield’s demeanor softens a little, but he keeps his tone firm. “Sir, we need to talk about my daughter,” he says, pushing Anne through the doorway.

 

“Ah, you must be young Miss Greenfield’s father. I’m Professor William Black. Nice to make your acquaintance,” the old man says, offering his hand.

 

Robert ignores the gesture and pushes by him. He gazes around the professors home. It is filled with books, scrolls, maps, and art. He has a piano with a violin on top. On his desk sits an abacus, a writing quill, and some parchment. “I understand you are educating my daughter, putting ideas in her head. Women don’t need such things. That’s why they have husbands and fathers.”

 

“But for someone as quizzical as Anne, life will be much more fulfilling if she were educated.”

 

“What education do you need to birth babies and do as you’re told.”

 

“One of the things she wants to learn is farming and how to improve your harvest. Have you ever considered teaching her yourself and leaving things for her to manage.”

 

“Not once. That brings me to why I am here. She is of marrying age, but she is difficult, too curious for her own good, and opinionated. Nobody wants her and after last night, I am tired of her. If you are willing to do it properly, she is yours. Then you can educate her all you want.”

 

“I am a smidge too old to remarry, but I have a son who lives in town. He is a business proprietor, mainly soaps, but he does well. He is closer to her age. Care to arrange a meeting.”

 

“Yes, I do. When?”

 

“Come back tomorrow for lunch. He will be here.”

 

#

 

The following day, Robert and Anne put on their Sunday best and returned to the professor’s home. There they meet Robyn Black, a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes who possesses a charming smile. Anne is not only taken by his looks but by his manners. She has never been treated like such a lady in all her life. He is, however, twenty years older than she, which might explain the chivalry.

 

“Miss Greenfield, my father has told me a lot about you. You desire to be an educated woman. That is not common. Quite frankly, it is unheard of. What do you plan to do with all this knowledge once you obtain it.”

 

“For one, Mr. Black, I will find gratification in gaining said knowledge. I am a very curious woman. For two, I do want to have a family and I do not want to raise idiots. I do not want them to believe things just because someone told them so. I want them to be able to search out the truth on their own. Too many liars in the world, Mr. Black. And three, I believe by educating my children I can provide them with more opportunities, so they can live better lives.”

 

Turning to the professor Robyn says, “You are right, father. I like her. She will make the perfect wife, mother, and a shrewd business partner behind the scenes once she finishes her education.” Turning to Robert he asks, “May I ask for your daughter’s leave to accompany me in the garden. I would like to get to know more of her.”

 

Anne sits on a small swing tied to a tree branch in the garden while Robyn pushes her. He tells her of his business ventures and his travels. Anne listens intently, mentioning that someday she would like to travel too. She shares her stories of life on the farm, some of them bringing laughter to the garden. They walk arm-in-arm about the garden. Anne stops to inspect and smell each variety as they pass them by, asking Robyn each one’s name. When they rejoin their fathers inside, Robyn is so enchanted by Anne’s curious ways, playful banter, and the way she carries a conversation, that he asks Robert for her hand in marriage.

 

Robert agrees, but with terms. “Anne is to stay with me until she is married. All educational activities are to cease until after she is married. Anne, once you are married, I don’t want you around the farm ever again, or associating with your brothers and sisters still living in the community.”

 

Robert breaks his daughter’s heart, but she accepts his terms.

 

Robyn and the professor waste no time in arranging the wedding ceremony. Asking Robert his opinion on the wedding plans, location, and guest list, Robert says, “Her mother and I will be the only ones in attendance only to give her away. Do as you please.”

 

Despite being a small wedding, it takes months, nearly a year, before the day comes that Anne sees Robyn again. Invitations had to be sent and arrangements had to be made for traveling families, but it was all worth it. Robyn looks dashing standing at the end of the aisle with the professor at his side. Anne feels beautiful in her mother’s wedding dress, holding a bouquet of wildflowers she picked herself before the ceremony.

 

Anne looks for her father and her mother after the ceremony, but they are nowhere to be found. This momentary sadness disappears when Robyn takes her by the arm to meet her new family before the celebration begins. It’s a night of music, accompanied by singing, dancing, drinking, eating, and laughing. Robyn’s family tells Anne tales of Robyn from birth to manhood, which has Anne laughing to the point of tears. She is having the time of her life until she feels a longing for friends and family back home.

 

“What is it, child,” the professor asks, taking a seat next to her.

 

“Nothing. It’s just that I was having the time of my life until I thought about those I’ll be leaving behind. Why is my father being so cruel about this.”

 

“I cannot speak what another man thinks, but what you are venturing on is not a normal practice in society. Your father might find shame in this. You might change society, Anne. Someday, maybe all women will receive an education when society sees it is beneficial for women to be educated. You’re an explorer and a pioneer. Be proud of what you are venturing on and use it wisely. Perhaps one day, your father will come to his senses, and you will see the people from your past again, but now it is time to focus on your future.”

 

Anne leans over and kisses the professor on the cheek. “Thank you for everything, the faith, the encouragement, the teachings, and, most of all, that handsome man you call a son.”

 

#

 

Anne and Robyn spent a month in London after their wedding. She continued her education as soon as she got home. She and Robyn had five kids: two boys and three girls. The boys grew up and took over the family business, expanding it. The girls found work in the homes of royals due to their educations, which they passed on to the noble’s children whom they raised. Anne’s curiosity was never quenched, but at least she got to spend her life watering it. She and Robyn traveled a lot, mainly because Anne was obsessed with history. She frequented the libraries, which some people found peculiar. What Robyn loved most about Anne was that he was no longer alone at night. Instead, he had a beautiful woman whose views and opinions challenged his own, leading to discussions that kept them up half the night. She had one theory, though, that Robyn couldn’t help but laugh at. Who would ever believe that the Earth was round.

I had been diagnosed with Endometrial cancer, had had a hysterectomy, and due to a wound infection was back in the hospital. The wound had dehisced- it was now a huge open wound. The infection was so severe, they put in a urinary catheter. I had been through chemo, radiation, and now I had this massive open wound across my belly from hip to hip.

I’d been through the mill, and was anxious just to go home and start to heal.

My first husband- a man who was proud to have been a volunteer first-aider for 20+ years saw the wound, then saw the catheter and said

“You’re not coming home with that pissbag.” and then “And, you stink- that cut smells horrible”.

And he left. I felt like the wind had been sucked out of me. It wasn’t my fault it stunk… that’s what infected wounds do.

The nurse came in, and asked when I was leaving- I explained, and she said “but you can’t stay here”.

These were the days before cell/ mobile phones. I called my Mom and Dad’s house, they weren’t in. I left a message on their ansaphone to please call or come up to the hospital.

I remember sitting there, and feeling an incredible and indescribable freezing chasm inside me, like someone had reached inside and pulled my heart out. I felt like I should have died. I couldn’t go. I couldn’t stay. I could hardly walk. I was in unbelievable emotional and physical pain. I was exhausted. I felt absolutely alone… it was horrible. It was 30 years ago- and as I write this, my insides are struggling with the memories of the pain and the rejection.

Fortunately for me, my doctor came in, I explained everything, and she said it was reasonable for me to stay another week… after all, I still had a wound. She ordered an IV, changed my antibiotics to IV, and ordered patient controlled analgesia by IV. As I nurse, I know she did those things to ensure I could stay.

My heart was broken at the rejection I felt. I cried for days. The doctor got a hold of my husband and read him the riot act, complete with four part harmonies and a 21 gun salute… she was livid and held nothing back. I’d never imagined someone like her could speak to someone the way she spoke to him. He was escorted from the hospital unit when he went to take a swing at her and she kicked him in (as she called it) his “Cere-ballum” (his nuts).

Yes, police got involved, my folks, his folks, hospital social worker- I felt like a non-entity. All these people in the room wound up arguing about who was gonna be stuck with me. His mom asked me to stick with him, and I agreed. She was a lovely woman, but his dad- his dad sided with his son.

I finally did go home, and because in the US if you can leave the house you don’t get home nursing care, and I could leave the house albeit with exceptional difficulties, I was on my own. I used to sit and put a huge mirror in my lap so I could see into the wound, I would clean it, pack it and dress it. My husband had admitted that he was afraid he was going to “catch” cancer from me, which explained some of his behaviour. It hurt so bad- he would do anything for anyone else… but he couldn’t do t for me.

We broke up, long story, and I wound up moving to England to be with a man I met on the internet.

Fast forward 20 years. I am now with husband 2, and have been diagnosed with cancer, again. The fear and panic rose- hubby knew all about the first time, I could not hide the massive ugly ropey scar… and his reaction to me saying “I have cancer” was to put his arms around me and say “No, WE have cancer. You are not going through this alone. You don’t need to face anything alone. I am with you every step. I might not know what to do, but if you teach me, I will learn…”

And he has. He gives me the injections I need. When I had a wound after surgery, he helped dress it. When I got septic and was very clueless with delirium, he was patient, loving, and did everything for me from feed me to wiping my bottom. And he does it all without making me feel shame, or fear, or embarrassment. He just *loves* me, and that love is in everything he does.

I made a much better choice with my second husband than with my first. In the first cancer episode, I had to fight alone and I felt so alone I can hardly even face it now… but the second time, I feel like I have a knight standing by me. As I write this, I can still feel the memories of rejection and loneliness, and I still have an irrational fear it will happen again- but my husband understands and leaves me notes. Although not an artist, he makes them little works of art with coloured ink, little pictures he’s drawn, and they always say the same things- “I love you. You’re not alone. WE can do this. I’m with you….”

I am very lucky.

The United States wants to collect protection fees, but Taiwan Province has to pay them.

On October 26th, the US Department of Defense announced that the US State Department had approved a new round of arms sales to Taiwan.

The Taiwan Province authorities plan to deploy these three sets of “National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems” around Taipei, Qingquangang Base of the Air Force, Jiashan Base in the East and Taitung Base.

What is the actual effect of this system? In fact, in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, this system is very lame and has obvious shortcomings.

First, the protection space is small.

Second, the launching method is backward. This system uses a fixed launcher, which is close to a “living target” in the actual battlefield. On February 27, 2024, the Russian army reported that it destroyed the transmitter of NASAMS air defense system, and related pictures were circulated on social platforms.

Third, it is impossible to intercept ballistic missiles. This has been confirmed in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. On December 28, 2023, Russia launched a missile attack on Ukraine. At that time, the air defense system intercepted most of the missiles, but none of the eight Kh-22 supersonic missiles were intercepted. Moreover, the Kh-22 missiles were designed in the Soviet era and the age was very long.

It can be seen that this air defense system, which the Taiwan authorities have invested heavily in this time, is not enough to “establish a perfect missile defense system” as it advertised.

In fact, the most advanced anti-missile system needs multiple systems to form a three-dimensional protective net, which is an expensive and time-consuming project, and the Taiwan authorities have neither time nor financial resources to implement it.

Why does the Taiwan authorities want to buy this system that can be described as “unable to get up”? To put it bluntly, the United States wants to collect protection fees, and Taiwan Province has to pay them.

Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, the global arms sales of the United States have increased substantially.

According to the data of the US Department of Defense, in fiscal year 2023, the United States completed more than $80 billion in transactions through arms sales systems in other countries and regions, setting a historical record.

Now the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have caused the demand for weapons in many countries to grow rapidly, which is exactly what the United States wants. As a country that has made a fortune from war, the United States is naturally overjoyed at such demand, and even has to sell goods if there is no demand to create demand.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the United States recently crossed the Taiwan Province Strait with Canada to provoke China, while holding joint military exercises with Japan to approach the nearest island of Nagano with Taiwan Province, and at the same time sending personnel to participate in the South Korean “national defense” military exercise to intensify the contradictions on the peninsula.

Obviously, under the background of the tense situation in the Middle East and the anxiety of the American election, it is beneficial for the politicians to continue to please the real big money owners-military enterprises by disrupting the regional situation with all their efforts in the form of military exercises and arms sales.

However, the United States has done much more to “collect money and not deliver goods”. At the end of September, a report from an American think tank pointed out that in August 2024, the United States announced 22 new arms sales to other countries and regions, of which 10 pieces of military equipment coincided with weapons projects owed by Taiwan Province. So far, the value of weapons owed by the United States to Taiwan Province has reached $20.5 billion.

There is still a long way to go between “approving arms sales” and “acquiring armaments”, and the Taiwan Province authorities know in their hearts that they can only “have a hard time”.

In the mid-1980s, I was hired by a company that was a leading manufacturer of door locks, to convert a COBOL program running on their mainframe into C so it could run on an IBM PC instead, and directly control a key cutting machine (before, the COBOL program would output punch cards, and these would have to be carried from the computer center to the key cutter area on the factory floor).

The program that ran on the mainframe generated the different combinations that were cut into the door keys to make them unique. As I remember, there were six different cuts made on each key, and each cut could take on 10 different levels, 0–9.

But it wasn’t as simple as just generating six digit random numbers, as there were physical constraints on the key cutter to be considered. For example, a key couldn’t have a 0 cut next to a 9 cut, as the slope would be too steep. At the same time, the distance from one cut to another had to be over some threshold; you couldn’t have a key with a combination like 4–4–5–5–4–5 as it would be almost level. So there were a lot of these rules buried into the COBOL program, along with a pseudo-random number generator.

In any case, it was not as if there were

(or 1 million) possible combinations that could make valid keys. Probably only a couple hundred thousand.

Cranberry Biscotti

314571f33089cbca5a0ce2e91de48df6
314571f33089cbca5a0ce2e91de48df6

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Whisk the eggs, egg whites and vanilla extract together and add to the dry ingredients, mixing just until moist, using a hand mixer on medium speed. Add cranberries and almonds and mix thoroughly. Turn out onto a floured surface and divide batter in half. Pat each half into a log about 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes or until firm.
  4. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Leaving the baked log on the cookie sheet, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Turn the slices cut side up on the cookie sheet and return to the oven; bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until firm and dry.
  5. Cool and keep in a tight container.

Fathers and mothers stealing other children toys and another is the local authorities allowing business concerns to take over the public beaches with their umbrellas and family people need to pay for these umbrellas and not allowed to bring their own.

Another is families leaving rubbish behind them on the beach.

Lately, after many years, one sea turtle laid its eggs on one of our beaches during a night and the beaches were too noisy with the swimmers during the day and the beach was too lit up with the powerful light for the benefit of Tourists and those Barbequing during the night , thus disturbing the “ eggs in the sand “ and they died with the disturbance, After that new enforcements were applied and the year after we had some successful hatchings, I prefer having turtles as visitors rather than the illegal and illegal and the tourists coming in large numbers disturbing more than the turtle’s nests.

The bulk of what US owes China is in the form of Treasury Bills held by China.

This has been declining. About 3 years ago, the holdings were worth $1.3 trillion. This fell to $774.6 billion at August 2024, after the sales of $1.9 billion during the month.

China is the second largest holder after Japan’s holdings of about $1.2 trillion. Japan is net buyer, but its economy is stagnant, which limits its appetite. UK, the third largest holder, has the similar story.

China’s holdings per se should not be a problem for the US, only just over 2% of its national debt.

Of the major foreign holders, China has the most money to buy more. Yellen twice visited China but failed to convince it to buy. Instead, it is selling. Other holders take note and may follow it. This could be a problem for the US.

US has to issue new bills worth trillions of dollars to refinance matured bills and to finance fiscal deficits. Foreign holders hold about 30% of the outstanding issues. If they stay away from Treasury auctions, the weight of subscription will fall heavily on tenders by domestic institutions, and in the ultimate on the Fed.

The big problems for the US are the growing trade deficit, the growing fiscal deficit, and the growing national debt.

The growing trade deficit will put pressure on the exchange value of the dollar, amid the erosion of demand for dollar due to dedollarisation.

The growing fiscal deficit causes the growing national debt. This is a political hot potato which no one wants to touch. The national debt increased almost $3 trillion in the 12 months through October to $35.95 trillion. The interest bill alone is pushing $1 trillion and will exceed it next year.

China is not the primary cause of these problems. But its absence from Treasury auctions and selling its holdings add on the burden for the US.

You’ll love this shiner from the 1990’s.

Hell, I didn’t even know they had a movie!

The white kitten surprise

Major system breakdown in MM land.

My VPN was “collapsed” by the Chinese government, and I had to switch to another one. (Nothing personal. Probably shut down because of some abuse one way or the other.)

Most of my data-collection websites are American and thus inaccessible in China without a VPN, as well as all of my business communication. So my links (for the most part) are simply inaccessible.

screen 2024 10 26 11 06 47
screen 2024 10 26 11 06 47

So I purchased a replacement VPN.

But it couldn’t load. My system is in Lunix, and to load the drivers and software, I had to do it manually. Which I attempted. I did so using three different methods.

Sadly. All were flat fails.

It turned out that my system had a lot of interconnect junk code, and orphaned code, and broken packages that were messing everything up.

So, what I did was backed up everything. Then sync my phone and computer for all my passwords and bookmarks. Then I downloaded the latest version of my Lunix OS.

Here’s a screenshot of my desktop.

screen 2024 10 26 11 05 08
screen 2024 10 26 11 05 08

I use my generated AI artwork to serve as background for my PC. Lots of “schmaltz” but I like it.

As of this writing, my VPN is still not functional. I need to set up servers (which is something that I have never done before.) And flush out the general parameter bases from which to proceed from, but I am confident that I’ll get it resolved eventually.

Anyways, because of this, and the time that I am taking to deal with this, this particular post and next series of posts will be a little bit lean.

Sorry in advance.

I once went on a job interview in Deland, Florida.

I was interviewing for a design engineer position designing sonarbueys.

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PerspectX Stage.999.jpg2fca6af5 79d2 44f0 a932 95ad1a77a2a2Original

These are devices that are injected into the ocean to detect the movement of vessels and other parameters.

I liked the work. Enjoyed the people. Loved the environment. Deland, Florida looked so much like Hattiesburg, Mississippi that I immediately felt at home there.

Deland, Florida was lush, comfortable and lovely.

R C
R C

awesome boardwalk
awesome boardwalk

V4919531 0
V4919531 0

downtown deland florida
downtown deland florida

1216875 fl deland
1216875 fl deland

My wife and I spent a week there, house hunting and getting to know the area.

However, as much as I loved it, we turned down the job. As they “low balled” me in salary by 40%. I probably would have accepted a 15% cut in pay. But not a 40% cut. That was just way too much.

Anyways…

I well remember one random rural walk alone early in the morning. I had taken a road that turned into a dirt side road near a fenced in property line.

And I heard mewing.

There must have been somewhere like 16 to 18 all-white kittens.

Not one litter, must have been a couple of litters, but there they were all white, and a ton load of them, and they all wanted my attention.

It was the darnedest thing.

OIP C2
OIP C2

What a coincidence!

I don’t know what it signified, or anything like that, but it did make an impression on me. Here were these 18 or so all-white kittens in the lush green foliage all wanting my attention. What could that mean?

OIP C3
OIP C3

I have some thoughts.

But…

*sheech*

Cool thing, though.

Today…

Trump REVOKING Security Clearances ! ! ! !

President Donald Trump has Revoked the Security Clearances of ex-National Security Advisor John Bolton and intelligence officials accused of misleading 2020 election activities.

The White House says Bolton’s memoir risked exposing classified material and damaged trust in national security discussions.

This order is part of broader measures addressing “abuses of public trust.”

Here is the complete list FLASHED over Intel Circuits:

(1)  James R. Clapper Jr.

(2)  Michael V. Hayden

(3)  Leon E. Panetta

(4)  John O. Brennan

(5)  C. Thomas Fingar

(6)  Richard H. Ledgett Jr.

(7)  John E. McLaughlin

(8)  Michael J. Morell

(9)  Michael G. Vickers

(10) Douglas H. Wise

(11) Nicholas J. Rasmussen

(12) Russell E. Travers

(13) Andrew Liepman

(14) John H. Moseman

(15) Larry Pfeiffer

(16) Jeremy B. Bash

(17) Rodney Snyder

(18) Glenn S. Gerstell

(19) David B. Buckley

(20) Nada G. Bakos

(21) James B. Bruce

(22) David S. Cariens

(23) Janice Cariens

(24) Paul R. Kolbe

(25) Peter L. Corsell

(26) Roger Z. George

(27) Steven L. Hall

(28) Kent Harrington

(29) Don Hepburn

(30) Timothy D. Kilbourn

(31) Ronald A. Marks

(32) Jonna H. Mendez

(33) Emile Nakhleh

(34) Gerald A. O’Shea

(35) David Priess

(36) Pamela Purcilly

(37) Marc Polymeropoulos

(38) Chris Savos

(39) Nick Shapiro

(40) John Sipher

(41) Stephen B. Slick

(42) Cynthia Strand

(43) Greg Tarbell

(44) David Terry

(45) Gregory F. Treverton

(46) John D. Tullius

(47) David A. Vanell

(48) Winston P. Wiley

(49) Kristin Wood

(50) John R. Bolton

 

Two signatories, Patty Patricia A. Brandmaeir and Brett Davis, are deceased.

Comments

The US Empire is stubbornly persisting in its delusional belief that it can swim against the tide of History and just assert the reality it wants, rather than adapting to the reality that is. As the old adage goes, those the gods would destroy they first make mad.

Posted by: Sandgropper | Oct 25 2024 10:44 utc | 2

When I was at the bus station in Charlotte, NC in 1972, on the way to basic training, my Dad, an active-duty Army Sergeant Major, hugged me and told me to just do my very best and not to be worried about anything, just do my best. I was 5’10” and weighed about 120 lbs., not exactly a perfect physical specimen. I took my Dad’s advice and did everything in my power to graduate as high as I could in my class.

While going through, our Senior Drill was a SFC Peter, a man I will never forget, as he challenged me in ways I didn’t know existed. As we were setting up our wall lockers early in basic he walked by and looked over my shoulder. We were allowed exactly two photos of family and I had both posted on the inside of my locker; a picture of my family and a picture of my Dad in uniform. SFC Peter’s only comment was a grunt before he moved on to the next trainee. Toward the end of basic he told me he was putting me in for Trainee of the Cycle, an award that came with an automatic promotion if I won. My answer, like so many there, was, “YES, DRILL SERGEANT!” at the top of my lungs.

Well, I won after going before a board consisting of the company commander, the executive officer and the First Sergeant and, upon graduation was promoted to PFC (E-3). At the graduation I was 5’11” and weighed 175 lbs! After graduation, I moved over to greet my family and noticed Dad had showed up in his dress uniform. Well, SFC Peter walked over and hugged my Dad. Turned out Dad was SFC Peter’s Sergeant Major in Vietnam. Dad had no clue he was my Drill Sergeant.

SFC Peter’s favorite thing to do was tell the troops that they could wear their hair as long as they wanted, so long as it wasn’t longer than his, and he was bald as an egg!

So that’s my encounter with my Drill Sergeant. Hope this answers your question.

Pepperoni Pizza Soup

39826224613 cce3ed1098 c
39826224613 cce3ed1098 c

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 can condensed tomato soup
  • 1 soup can water
  • 2/3 cup sliced pepperoni
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Croutons

 

 

Instructions

  1. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine soup, water, pepperoni, and seasoning. Heat just to boiling.
  2. Pour into serving bowls, and top with cheese and croutons.

BRICS Summit Results — The Vector Has Been Set, But There Will Be No Easy Path

BRICS Summit Results — The Vector Has Been Set, But There Will Be No Easy Path

Vladimir Putin’s press conference following the BRICS summit turned out to be the perfect finale to the event. Because it listed the main points of the past event — as well as the difficult points that need to be addressed.

First and foremost: in BRICS, as the president emphasized, it is possible to work and achieve results with mutual respect and mandatory consideration of each other’s interests. This is an absolute plus: 35 states and six international organizations took part in the summit. But such equality places increased demands on the quality of dialogue and mutual trust.

All the predictions about who would be accepted into BRICS this time were not confirmed — because no one was accepted. Instead, a category of “partner countries” emerged, which included Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda and Uzbekistan. There were difficulties with Venezuela (Brazil opposed) and Pakistan (India opposed).

Putin openly commented on this situation, recalling that the issue of admission to BRICS, like all others, will be decided by consensus. The non-expansion of BRICS in itself is not a problem. The risks of uncontrolled expansion, when each member has a de facto veto right, have been written about earlier. But the Kazan BRICS summit showed that the expansion of the bloc will not happen automatically.

An alternative financial reality also did not appear at the click of a button – and this is again nothing unexpected. Because the Western “frog” of dollar hegemony needs to be simmered over low heat, without any sudden movements. The more imperceptibly the preparatory phase of global reforms, the most risky in this case, goes, the better. Strategic considerations for BRICS’ own reinsurance and the “BRICS Clear”cross-border settlement and depository infrastructure were voiced, and the rest of the practical work will be carried out between the finance ministries and central banks of the participating countries. And it will be quiet.

The course towards gently squeezing the West out of existing global mechanisms (IMF, WTO) was confirmed — instead of trying to cut the issue “off the cuff.” Naturally, because right now there are no resources for such an attempt, and the depth of consensus between the BRICS countries is insufficient.

The issue of Ukraine was of secondary importance at best. BRICS participants politely acknowledged the importance of striving for peace — and nothing more. The long-awaited attempts by China, India or Brazil to “force Russia to peace” were not announced.

In general, what BRICS is trying to do, no one in the history of mankind has probably done. Reassembling the world into a fairer format is an extremely difficult task in itself, especially in the context of cruel and even existential resistance from a decrepit but still strong hegemon.

At the same time, the summit in Kazan showed the most important thing: there is a huge demand for a new world order in the world. This idea is shared by a wide variety of countries: from the economic leader China to Cuba and Ethiopia. But the formalized, concretized contours of this world order are still absent.

This is exactly what should become Russia’s main task in the near future – to create and offer the world a clear, logical, consistent image of the future, in which everyone will be better off.

We cannot tempt the whole world with resources and money. Russia is a rich country, but it cannot provide for everyone. We cannot direct the world to a bright future with an iron hand – even if such a desire arose. But we are able to offer humanity an idea that it will be carried away by.

In the 20th century, we already had a very successful attempt of this kind. The BRICS summit is a material embodiment of a new attempt, taking into account the changed realities. We have started not a sprint, but a marathon. In order to succeed, patience and calculation of strength are needed.

This article written by:  Elena Panina

Comment 1

Iran joining BRICS does not mean that Russia or China or anyone else will come to its defense should the U.S./Israel attack the country

That’s also incorrect. Russia and China already signed a treaty that is an alliance in all but name only. Same for Russia and Iran. Russian ships suddenly visit Caracas and park offshore whenever the US starts babbling about invading it. For some reason, “The House of Socialist Fishermen” in Venezuela seems to have a knack for catching all the paramilitaries, color revolutionists, CIA mercenaries and agents the US seems to send to Venezuela for regime change. * cough Russian intelligence cough *. On the other side of the world, the unified SCO – BRICS ‘global security’ paradigm is also an alliance in everything except in its name.

Also, Asia Times is not a non-biased source – it frequently publishes pieces that actually help the US policies, so it downplaying BRICS does not make BRICS any less important or impactful.

The simple reason for India openly doing what it was silently doing and publicly pivoting to BRICS is that the BRICS cemented itself as a new global paradigm that can protect itself. Including, by using weapons.

Posted by: Dodrey Dougherton | Oct 25 2024 11:33 utc | 11

 

Comment 2

The list of BRICS candidates is quite impressive with ALgeria, Indonesia, Nigeria, Malaysia, Cuba, etc.

The west against the rest of the world when the west will be a minority in term of populations and economies.

Contries of the world, unite!

To destroy the 5 century old western hegemony (a history of submitting, looting, massacring and genociding).

Posted by: Naive | Oct 25 2024 11:38 utc | 12

 

Comment 3

India just had too looks at the neighboring countries to know what the west is ready to do to keep the whole region as a punching ball for China. Pakistan ? Coup against Imran Kahn , Bangladesh ? Coup , Sri-Lanka ? Economic assassination by the IMF , Myanmar ? Perpetual civil war engineered by the West for decade kept them under, Thailand ? Chronic political instability fueled by NED’s “NGOs”…

But here came that Russian dude with cheap oil and efficient weapons against “the hegemon’s armies” to sell , and with the road from China to Eastern Africa, Indian merchants are becoming rich as before the English came to ruin their country …

Why did India choose the BRICS ? Because the Anglo-Saxons have sold them only war against China in a lousy “alliance” after having drive them into misery for two century. They have seen the fate of Zelensky and Western European countries, also plundered since the 90’s. Now they will have to brace themselves for a bit on the financial markets but still ; a better option than fighting with the Chinese.

Posted by: Savonarole | Oct 25 2024 12:05 utc | 21

Symbology

As noted by Simplicius, the BRICS 2024 meeting kicked off on a very symbolic date: October 24.

October 24, 1945 was the date of the signing of the UN Charter. It was also the date of execution of the Norwegian WWII collaborator Vidkun Quisling, whose name will forever mean ‘traitor’.

October 24, 1945 was beginning of a new era led by the UN. Maybe we will come to see that October 24, 2024 was when the relay baton was handed over from the UN to BRICS.

Posted by: Norwegian | Oct 25 2024 12:05 utc | 22

Linkage on BRICS

https://tvbrics.com/en/
This is the official media outlet dedicated to BRICS news. English language. Enjoy

Posted by: Hankster | Oct 25 2024 12:21 utc | 25

It’s all going to shit in the West

alas, much expectation about BRICS will continue for decades. During this time Brics will not be bothered by what is now failing and devoured by entropy. But one thing is clear, there is no going back to the threat of the dollar destroying all that touch it.

Midas learned a lesson that rings true today.

And please beware, people that get their knowledge and expertise from the western press are delusional now. They repeat tropes that haven’t been accurate for a few decades and are disintegrating before our lying eyes. Sadly, these pundits hold on for dear life regarding what they want to happen, and take the smallest of clues to heart and continue the willful blindness.

The forest for the trees issue of perception.

Even when they know the source of their contamination is a think tank that doesn’t think but hopes to influence or dreams to rule. The currency backed by nothing always fails and history delivers the truth of it.

And greed will continue after the BRICS have abandoned the prognostication to those that just can’t believe it could happen. Watch the purchasing power falter and fade. 50+ years now of ignoring the inevitable.

Grab one of those trees and hang on tight. Change is forever.

Posted by: Tard | Oct 25 2024 12:48 utc | 31

Western Media

In the western merdias there is always the same propaganda: we the democracies, them the dictatorships…

Let’s see:

– when the president is supported by less than a quarter of the citizens it is a democracy;

– when the president is supporter by more than 50% of the citizens it is a dictatorship;

– when everything is done to enrich the wealthiest it is a democracy;

– when everything is done to put out of poverty the majority of the people it is a dictatorship;

– when a government gives the ressources of the country to western companies it is a democracy;

– when a government uses the ressources of the country for its own people it is a dictatorship.

For dictatorships, hip hip hip hourrah!

Posted by: Naive | Oct 25 2024 11:29 utc | 10

It is in the process of collapse.

The collapse of an empire is not like a “light switch”. It is a long, drawn-out process. It is like a boiling frog. The frog doesn’t realize it’s in danger until it is too late.

Now, any historian can tell you that collapses are slow at first and then sudden.

For the United States, in particular, the collapse came in major stages. And we are at LATE STAGE FULL COLLAPSE.

Do I need to elaborate?

The “leadership” is a dementia ridden puppet of drug-saturated oligarchs with delusions of grandeur. His replacement is either neocon “giggles” Kamila Harris; which BTW checks off all the “important” boxes of woman, minority, and pro-woke agenda. Against her is charismatic narcissist Donald Trump.

Harris thinks everything is just fine, and she will continue the United States warmongering until the cities glow in the dark. While Donald Trump sees the damage. He knows the danger, and he has a plan to do something. Oh, his plan is faulty. And if all he has been saying comes true about social security, and tariffs, we will probably see a civil war.

So there you have it.

  • Harris = Nuclear war, and the destruction of the world.
  • Trump = American civil war with a global economic collapse.

Lovely.

The water line is now lapping on the deck of the ship.

The owners, and their minions have gotten into the rowboats early on, and are now safe.

The “leaders and their entourages are stealing everything in sight. Crime, and fraud is out in the open. The sailors are openly hacking down doors and safes with fire axes and stuffing handfuls of swag.

And the mice and rats and scrambling amongst themselves. Some leapt off the dying vessel and landed on the bits of flotsam and jetsam that are circling the dying behemoth. Passport Bros, Venture capitalists, and multiple passport holders. Unique terms for what is “the great escape”.

The stewards in charge of Public Relations are busily rearranging the deck chairs.

But the end is near.

Really, really close.

Military pensions haven’t been paid in half a decade. Debt is at an unsustainable level, and now the government cannot even make payments on the interest of the debt. The USA is NOT NOT NOT a healthy nation. It has been dying, and now is in ECU.

There’s no way out.

No way; none. None what so ever, can this debt be repaid. The USA is going to default, and that is the best solution. The only thing other than that is what the “leadership” has planned. And that is…

…death by cop.

And isn’t that what we are watching?

What real President would engage the United States in a four front war? With Russia, AND Iran, AND North Korea, AND China. (And don’t waste your time telling me that this is not the case. I didn’t waste nearly four decades in the ONI to listen to some woke pimply faced shit-poster giving me nonsense.) The United States has troops in various roles are designed to initiate a global world war. And they are very active in it.

It’s a death wish.

You can be the most red-blooded ‘Merican, out there, but surely you aren’t that insane.

But your leadership is.

The end is gonna be exciting, and spectacular. And You will have a front seat to it.

Shorpy

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The Interior Life of Ruck

Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story from the point of view of a non-human character. view prompt

Ajay Sabs

I backpack.Named Ruck. Store person put me on shelf. She say I “handsum”. I not know what it mean, but she make happy face when she say, so must be nice thing.Nothing to do while I sit here but lots to look at. After I see sun come up from outside window two times, I feel little bored. I feel little empty, like I hungry.But I not wait long. Young man come, he look at me. He lift me from shelf, take me to store lady, who ask him if he want me “in a bag”, which make them both laugh. We go outside, he sling me on back. What a feeling! I move so free! I then rest on his back. I still empty, but it feel nice to use my straps. We go forward, away from store.I miss nice store lady but I like outside more. I like being on back.

 

Owner name Kafka, I hear him say. I learn Kafka a “uhcountant”. He work with numbers. He use heavy machine to help make sentences from numbers. At end of each sentence, he take short break, then start next sentence. He write lots of number sentences on machine. I think one day he write book (book is like many papers, put together with gloo), like ones I carry, or ones I see at his home.

 

We spend lot of time together. Every time we go out, it new “uhdventure” (fun work, but makes no money) for me. Kafka not tell me where we go, I find out right before we leave home. It fun game for me to guess where we go from the things he give me to carry. When he bring his uhcountant things, I know we go to office. When I carry snacks, water, spray for “bears” (animals that hike but not carry backpacks), I know we go hiking. When I empty, I know we go get food from store (different store than where I from) to keep at home. I not eat store food. I not hungry when I carry things.

 

Hiking my favorite.

 

 

While Kafka at work, I read the things left inside me. Sometimes these are small things I can read, like receipts and snack labels, but they interesting because they important enough for me to carry, so I read them to learn why so important to Kafka that I work hard to carry and keep for him. I not upset, I just wonder, because I have lots of time to think while we at his “office”.

 

Mostly I read his books that I carry. But because he an accountant, his books are more numbers than words. So I think I slow to learn words. I like words, because they give me way to understand Kafka and to think better. Numbers not help me very much yet.

 

Books heavy, but are my favorite thing to carry. I read them and read them again.

 

 

At work today I read a very different kind of book. This one didn’t have many numbers in it. And it was very different than the accounting books I normally read. It was more of a fun story, but I don’t know yet if the story is true or not. It was about a wizard boy named Harry, and if it is true, then I wonder if Kafka has any friends from the school of magic. How fun and curious it would be to meet someone who has a bag that can store as many things as it want. I’d like to meet that bag, what a fun trick! Sometimes when I’m so full that I can’t fit anymore, I feel a bit bad because I know Kafka needs me to carry more. He gently squashes all his other stuff down to make room for more stuff, and I feel guilty. I would like to learn how to make more room. Unlimited room! I have much to learn.

 

If not a true story, then I wonder why someone would write it?

 

 

When we don’t go to Kafka’s work, I carry stuff that feels different. Like today we went on a picnic and we brought along “homey” things (things that are softer, things that feel like they are from home, borrowed from home, and when you have them with you, you feel like home is with you).

 

I carried a soft blanket, a “journal” (a book that Kafka sometimes writes his stories in, but ones with no numbers), a pencil, sunglasses, a little bottle of lotion, a salad with separate dressing (it took a lot of effort to keep the “dressing” upright!), some napkins, and an empty bag. Not a bag like me, but a smaller one, a plastic one that seemed disinterested in whether it was carrying books or garbage, whether it was empty, or wrinkled to death with folds.

 

While we were lying on the blanket at the park — I feeling a blissful stillness in a sunbeam, feeling alive from the earthy tree air that travelled across us slowly — Kafka made a new friend who was also laying in the park, a blanket and a patch of grass away from us.

 

“I’m Kafka”, Kafka said, flashing a smile.

 

“I’m Jeannie”, she smiled back.

 

I wonder a little if Kafka knows my name. It was a nice day, lots of work and lots of play.

 

 

Sundays are crisp and best enjoyed when they begin in Kafka’s “Dodge” (a type of car that is used for going to and from the city), and are followed by a day-long hike.

 

Car rides are as fine as paper towel, but truth be told, I am still not used to facing forward while also moving forward. It’s a strange sensation, perhaps like a human walking backwards while facing forwards. But knowing that we’re about to spend the day hiking is enough to distract me from the strangeness.

 

This morning though, I was in a bad mood.

 

Usually seated in the first-mate seat of Kafka’s Dodge, keeping him company, I was demoted this morning to an afterthought in the backseat on account of new company. Not even in the middle backseat, where at least the three of us would form an equilateral triangle, reassuring by virtue of its equity and impartiality, but rather in the seat behind Jeannie, furthest from Kafka, where I’m forced to stare at the back of the chair that used to be mine.

 

Sitting there, behind the open window instead of next to it, the gush of air tumbling into the back seat, crushing me with the force of its weight, made me want to “vomit” (when you hurl the contents out of your body because you don’t feel well).

 

I tried to look mad by squishing my face the way I sometimes see Kafka do, but my attempt at shapeshifting was futile, because I’m too much on the outside who I am on the inside, which is rumpled stuff. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because the sanguine rockmelons upfront were preoccupied laughing at unfunny jokes.

 

When we got there, wherever there was, Kafka heaved me out from the backseat. Determined to not willingly become part of a scalene love triangle, I made myself as heavy as possible and Kafka grunted.

 

But it’s an odd thing. Despite my resolve to weigh down the buoying levity of their romance, to bring it back to earth, something got the better of me when we began hiking. My work began, the work of keeping their possessions safe and present, and my bitterness dissolved into the solvent air of the forest. I am a sentimental creature, easily overcome by the poetry of sticks, twigs, trees, and earthy air.

 

I felt bashful of the jealousy I felt earlier, but I also felt reinvigorated, filled as much with purpose as I was with pasta salad, the two counting on me. I am the difference between well-prepared loving adventurers, and once-lovers torn apart by nothing other than the mundane rational problems of unpreparedness.

 

Later, all of us tired, we plopped down on a jagged rock whose redeeming quality was that it was large enough to seat us all in a forest that had no other chairs. We needed a break from the sun and the walking, and from the bugs too, but enamoured by our company, the bugs insisted on taking a break with us.

 

Like a magician with their trusty hat, Kafka pulled out whatever it was that they needed; snacks, hydration, and afterwards, we all laughed at things that are only funny when you feel an overwhelming lightness.

 

 

We hiked everywhere. For a whole year, here, there, everywhere, even across the ocean, where people spoke languages I’ve never read (though often the numbers looked the same there as they did back home).

 

I could tell you of forests and cities; of ships, planes, trains, and bikes; of heat, of wind, of sand; of bugs and of birds. But there was one moment in particular while we were hiking off the Ligurian coast that was revelatory for me, when a truth about my kind gobsmacked me over the hood.

 

As with most prophetic moments, it happened simply, without ceremony, and only in retrospect do you realize that it was something you’ve been waiting to know. And often that realization is an answer to why you are the way you are, and why you sometimes inexplicably feel alone in the company of others. (Or so I’ve gathered from the books Kafka and I have read, I don’t have many revelations of my own to draw from, but it seems to be a sort of universal phenomena that makes us all ironically alike.)

 

Anyways, during one of these hikes, in the silence of the morning, Kafka and I passed by another backpack and their human, who nodded at us as we crossed paths, the strangers going onward into our past while we went onwards into theirs, the other backpack and I continuing to face one another for longer than most humans would feel comfortable holding a gaze with one another. This stranger backpack was well worn, one of the eldest I ever encountered. It had aged gracefully without becoming fragile, a marbled patina having formed on its leather surfaces, adventure imbued into its fabric.

 

It was then that it dawned on me; that backpacks live looking backwards. You’d think it would be obvious, “back” is even in the name of my kind, but it took me living a dozen Fodor’s for this to really sink in.

 

When humans walk, they walk towards something. Objects ahead of them become bigger and bigger, at their largest before suddenly they disappear forever. Being able to march forwards towards the unseen, unencumbered by what they leave behind, makes them ideal explorers.

 

But when we as backpacks travel, it’s the opposite. Things start out at a scale hyper quixotic to a little backpack, become smaller and smaller, until eventually — they don’t disappear — they just become infinitesimally small. What’s more is that I always know how much longer I have to appreciate something before it fades away, the correlation between time and visibility made predictable, like a sunset.

 

What does that make a backpack, whose motion is forward but is always looking back? What do you call someone or something that savours the past, bidding everything it passes a long and reverent goodbye?

 

A poet, a journalist, a cartographer, perhaps? Whose role it is to chronicle their loved ones’ life and adventures? Not on maps or on paper, but within the memory of our materials. We remember whatever is worth remembering before it fades away – like the smell of pine, the salt of creek water, the sap and dew of the trees we rest on – and imbue it in our fabric. We absorb and reflect the experiences of our humans, forming a tapestry of their lives.

 

 

We’ve been back home for a while, and so there’s been less hiking and no travelling, and more time spent at Kafka’s office. Fewer stories about Harry Potter (which I’ve since learned are “fiction”), and more stories about numbers (which I’ve since learned, I’m not the only one who doesn’t enjoy reading such stories).

 

I’m not complaining. I know I speak often of how much I love my work while we hike and travel, but I can appreciate a break. I wouldn’t mind trying out one of these “spas” I keep reading about (a place where they spot clean your fabric with cucumbers), but for now it’s nice to have predictability in the possessions I carry, and to simply lay motionless in a climate-controlled environment for hours, or even days at a time.

 

 

I’ve noticed some peculiarities this past week, some of them as contradictory as salt and pepper.

 

I’ll start with the exciting news. I’ve been carrying around fewer accounting books this week, and have instead been entrusted with Yosemite Falls travel books checked out from the library, which Kafka has been devouring at lunch time. The anticipation of another trip, our first in a while, sends a chill of excitement up my padded spine. For all my talk about rest and relaxation, it turns out I’m just a fisherman who misses the sea.

 

And while the fibres of my fabric, once clean and crisp, have softened, gently sanded down by the tide of adventure, I feel as durable and capable as ever.

 

There is a contradiction that has left me confused, however. I’ve noticed a few anomalies at home, traits inconsistent with how Kafka has usually behaved before a big trip. Ordinarily, we would both sit in the living room, and see what all we were capable of carrying. And though I’ve tried to signal to Kafka and Jeannie that I was ready, if not eager for this ritual, I’ve been left to idle while they plan.

 

But I chalk it up to experience; we have more confidence in what to pack, how to fit and carry it all, and being able to improvise with the unknown since you can never pack everything. That’s what aging is really all about; you no longer carry around the weight of the permutations of everything that will go wrong.

 

 

I should have seen the signs.

 

At first they were subtle. For example, Kafka used to gently and carefully clean my fabric, dabbing at me gently with Dawn dish soap and warm water; always warm, never cold, never hot. Warm with a precision that he seldom demonstrated for anything except numbers. Then recently, he became ambivalent about the temperature of the water, then he stopped caring about the soap, before finally he stopped caring about cleaning me altogether.

 

And in the past couple weeks, the clues became so obvious that I now feel stupid for not recognizing them sooner. Kafka and Jeannie began talking of me “wearing out”, which at the time, I assumed to mean they were getting ready to wear me “out”, as in outside of work, outside of the normal routine, outside of the comfortable but now lethargic sanctum we had all cocooned ourselves in. Now I see that “wearing out” is a human idiom, as in I’m being “worn away”, fading into the distance, like the trees and sticks that I used to enjoy watching become infinitesimally small until they only existed in my memory.

 

So I am a “horcrux” now, a slice of Kafka’s soul, living outside of him. At a store, to be precise, filled with things. Not new things like where I grew up, but old things. Old things that would ordinarily be beautiful, like the backpack I saw on our hike off the Ligurian coast. But now, placed outside of their work environment, compacted in between other old things, sitting empty on a shelf, trying to catch a stray sun beam but having to pathetically settle for fluorescent lights, we all looked decrepit and humiliated.

 

I feel like vomiting, but can’t because I am empty. I am hungry, have nothing to read, and my arms are stiff from not moving.

 

The store keepers here are unsympathetic, as are the patrons, and we all move about as though we are discarded by our Kafkas.

 

 

Adam, a red-headed boy of six or seven, walks into the store. He picks me up, and – now that I know more of accounting than he – pays for me at a depreciated value.

 

We walk outside into a bright white world, and he slings me over his shoulder. Little Adam walks onwards, and I, on his back (and just as big), begin chronicling his life.

A Father’s Heart

Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story from the point of view of a non-human character. view prompt

Liz Grosul

Besides collision, the most dangerous malfunction in airplane travel is engine failure. There’s nothing you can do. If the engines fail, you’re done. The plane goes down. For all modes of transportation really. No motor, no engine, no pump? It’s all over. Crashed, drowned, shattered, exploded. Maximum casualties.Before my first squeeze, this fact was ingrained. That everything rested on me. That others might rest, but I never would. Once you start, you don’t stop. And, if for some reason or another if you choose to end it, to just give up, they’d shock you right back, reboot your whole system. There is no agency in being a heart. Even less if you’re a father’s heart.I know. It’s not fair. You wake up one day and realize that you’re pumping thick, thick blood. It hurts. Your muscle aches. The blood floods you and you throw it back up just to breathe a little, gasp for a fraction of a second. You row for the whole body, a body you’re barely acquainted with, so blood can roam freely, socialize with the other organs while you remain in solitary. Rowing, pumping. And no one asks you, would you care to… could you possibly…? It’s all handed to you. The oars to life.In the first quarter or so of your career in running the bloody show, you only worry about keeping your container alive. Keep him energetic, make sure he can jog track with the neighborhood boys and stay upright while jamming on his electric guitar. Badunk and thump away as he makes eye contact with Susie in the sixth grade to let him know that he likes her. Speed up on his way to his first punk gig, the one he grew his hair out for. It’s hard at first, but you get used to it. You send him signs, learn to talk through beats. You might even grow to enjoy it.Yes, there are scary moments. That first smoke when you feel like you’re running on sand. Not fast enough, no matter how hard you push. You make sure the blood still flows and learn to trust yourself. Even in a nicotinic haze or weighed down by myriad strains of grass. You hate sativa. It’s the worst. Caffeine is even less courteous. It zaps you. Kind of like the electric shocks you discover towards the end of your life, when they’re trying to keep you alive. Note to self, if you hear CLEAR! It means you’re in for it.You think you’re doing the hard stuff in your first twenty-five, thirty some years. But boy are you wrong. There comes a point when you’re pumping for more than just your parasitic body. Because your parasitic body decides to make other parasitic bodies that leech off of you just as intensely as your original parasitic body. And you begin to pump something new. Some unique substance that sets your gut ablaze. Worry. It mixes with the blood, makes it denser. Worry is all around you.But you don’t hold a grudge. These new bodies mean something. Yes, you fret. Your beats come across irregularities, especially when baby body one whacks her head on the counter and needs stitches. You pick up your pace in the car on the way to the ER. You spasm. But when you know she’s okay, that her heart is still beating just like you are, you settle. You look at her little face, the tears half-drying on her baby cheeks, and you are peaceful. You flutter. Love. Worry. Love. The pumping becomes worth it.You pump on your way to work. Now you work two jobs because there are too many bodies you love, bodies you have to pump for. Your days become longer. You pump hard at five in the morning to make the train to the city. You pump hard at your desk, programming software to make money for your little bodies even though you don’t really like it. You pump hard when the wife calls and says she wrecked the car again. Some of this is anger. Some of this is pure frustration. Generally, you’re exhausted.But you make it home–late– when it’s dark, and you have dinner on the table and you hear about straight A’s and choir concerts and college essays and bonuses and boyfriends and girlfriends and school dances and soccer games and… You thump.. thump… thump….. thump…….. thump………….. thump……….. And maybe you’re not so tired. Maybe you have it in you to work another day. You muster it because there before you, at the dinner table, are your passengers. And you are the engine. And you can’t stop.So, you keep going. For decades. Even when your passengers become invisible. They go off to college and your wife grows distant. They stop calling. You beat for them, fiercely, intensely. But, they stop calling. They can stop, but you can’t. You can’t stop. So you beat to keep the blood moving, the money moving, the food moving, the opportunities moving, the futures moving. You move everything.One day you’re moving and pumping and beating and all of a sudden… you stop. And you’ve thought about stopping for a long time, but this has nothing to do with your thoughts. This happens without your consent. Your body finds itself on the pavement. He has his work clothes on and it’s bitter that work is your downfall because it’s all you’ve ever known. From now on, you need help. You can’t do it alone.First, they cut into you. They give you new parts. Metal ones, wires, nets, and stents. Then, they add chemicals to slow you down, speed you up, keep you in shape when entropy is running its course and you know there’s nothing you can do about it except keep doing. The chemicals have funny names. Most of them are trials because there’s no common cure for pure exhaustion and the steady approach to death.You know your state is a fragile one but you make sure nobody else knows. Especially your bodies, your passengers. Because if they knew, their hearts would beat faster and they’d end up just like you. So, you spare them. You bear it silently even though it hurts. You still pump at 5 am on the way to the train station. Your body slows down to allow you to rest. He recognizes that you’re tired even though no one else does. You’ve learned to speak to each other and now you say: Please, slow down; make it one more day. You make it one more day. Then another and another. Special days become beacons for which you beat. Make it to the wedding. Make it to the promotion. Make it to the day he’s born so I can have another heart to beat for. Please. Keep going.You used to hate pumping. You were mad that you had to do it. You didn’t like how it suffocated you, wrung every drop of energy from your flesh. Now, you pray for more. Pray for the exhaustion to continue. So much depends on you. There are so many passengers now. Keep going.. Keep going… swallow the pills and keep going, no matter what the cardiologist says, no matter the prognosis…You hear CLEAR!A shock.CLEAR!A shock.

A long, flat tone.

The engine is failing. The plane is going down. Passengers, I’m so sorry.

Won Ton Soup

OIP C
OIP C

Yield: 8 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Good Seasons Asian Sesame with Ginger Dressing
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 32 square won ton wrappers
  • 8 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced water chestnuts
  • 2 green onions, sliced

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions

  1. Mix meat, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions, dressing and egg yolk until well blended. Spoon evenly onto won ton wrappers, adding about 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture to each wrapper.
  2. Beat egg white lightly. Brush onto edges of each wrapper; fold in half to form triangle. Press edges together to seal. Bring opposite corners of long edge of each triangle together, overlapping corners; brush with egg white to seal.
  3. Combine chicken broth, mushrooms, water chestnuts and onions in large saucepan. Bring just to boil on medium heat. Carefully add won tons; simmer 4 minutes or until filling is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes

How to Prevent Won Ton Wrappers From Drying Out: Keep won ton wrappers covered with plastic wrap until ready to use. Wrap any remaining won ton wrappers tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer.

Make Ahead: Fill won tons as directed. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze 1 hour or until frozen. Transfer to resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator before adding to hot soup to cook as directed.

How would Russia react if South Korea bombed Vladivostok?

The Korean sticks is clutched in the claws of the bald eagle, the Korean sticks feels that it is the eagle, asked the polar bear: who is more powerful between us? 🤣 🤣

Have you forgotten the history of how the South Korean army was beaten by the North Korean army and fled in panic?

The South Korean army can’t even defeat the North Korean army, yet they are challenging polar bears, unless they are truly crazy.

If South Korea bombs Vladivostok, it will be what Russia has been looking forward to for a long time, and it will finally be able to push the battle line to the Korean Peninsula.

Putin has always hoped that North Korea will join the war, and recently signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with North Korea, with the aim of fanning the flames on the Korean Peninsula.

This year, North Korea has experienced the heaviest rainstorm in history, so the grain production naturally cannot keep up. Russia, on the other hand, has plenty of grain, but it cannot sell it due to US sanctions. Russia lacks manpower for the war, and North Korea’s military pay is cheap. The two complement each other, so they happily come together.

The situation between South Korea and North Korea is tense. China’s statement is:

China believes that maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and promoting the political settlement of the peninsula issue is in the common interests of all parties and is also the general expectation of the international community. This requires all parties to make joint efforts to this end.

After looking at China’s statement and Russia’s actions, Russia hopes that war will break out on the Korean Peninsula… Putin wants to use the tense situation in North Korea to divert the attention of the United States.

That comprehensive strategic partnership agreement is of no use.

The Soviet Union was a global hegemon with super military strength. Even so, they did not send troops to participate in the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

Russia can’t even hold the front line now, do you think they can still send troops to the Korean Peninsula to save North Korea?

If Russia really intends to send troops to the Korean Peninsula to save North Korea, they won’t say it; if it is written into the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, they probably won’t send troops.

The Korean Peninsula concerns China’s geopolitics. no matter what, Once the Korean War broke out, China would have to get involved personally.

World War III has finally started in full swing.

What Has Israel Achieved In The Last Year? – by Arch Bungle

A recent comment by Arch Bungle has been lauded by several commentators. It deserves, slightly edited, its own thread.

Exile | Oct 25 2024 7:49 utc | 145

Arch – can you repost your recap summary list of the last year of failures ( strategic, etc) ?

Arch Bungle | Oct 25 2024 8:28 utc | 148

Posted by: Exile | Oct 25 2024 7:49 utc | 145

Gladly (with some recent additions):

What has Israel achieved in the last year?
Let’s take a stone cold sober recap, I’ve compiled a list of the top 29 accomplishments of Israel in 2024:

1. Israel has essentially lost territory in the north of Occupied Palestine. Hezbollah’s rocket barrages over the last eleven months has driven the settler population out of the North. This is likely permanent. Israel’s settler population in the Gaza envelope has also been thinned out since the 7 October attacks.

Moreover, current ongoing attacks from Yemen, Iraq, Iran and Lebanon are depopulating Israel.

2. The Houthi have put an unbreakable chokehold on the Red Sea and all Red Sea shipping. There is no way to break this chokehold. The USN and all other Western navies have tried for almost 12 months and failed utterly.

Attempts to conduct strikes on the Houthi, including massive strikes on core infrastructure in Hodeida have yielded ZERO results over a period of almost a year. The Israelis are to thank for this achievement.

3. The cementing of Hezbollah as the primary military force in Lebanon: Hezbollah’s Radwan forces have proven capable of protecting Lebanon’s southern borders with Palestine. All attempts by the IDF and their supporting American Special Forces to take control of this area and drive the Radwan forces back have failed.

4. The ensured survival of Hamas: Hamas in the Gaza strip persists after almost a year. For months they’ve demonstrated ability to strike IDF forces daily, destroying IDF ground equipment and troops. This is true, even if incremental in nature. Hamas is still able to launch rockets on the Gaza envelope.

This means their rocket manufacturing facilities are still functional. Hamas has demonstrated staying power and resilience. Compared to Fatah in the West Bank, Hamas has demonstrated an ability and willingness to actualize the Palestinian desire for self determination.

Due to Israel’s excessive response to 7 October, Fatah has been permanently sidelined. Hamas will forever be known as the true face of Palestinian resistance.

5. The validation of Hezbollah’s resilience: Despite eliminating one (1) component of the Hezbollah leadership, Hezbollah has reconstituted its leadership structure. It’s most senior leadership council, the Shura is still intact.

Despite a technically brilliant infiltration of the communications infrastructure supply chain by Israel and after a massive air strike involving rarely used bunker buster missiles, Israel has failed to dent the combat capability or even morale of Hezbollah.

6. Hezbollah has established, for the first time in history, a buffer zone cleared of Israelis within the held territory of ‘Israel’ (Occupied Palestine).

7. Recent and previous strikes carried out by the IRGC on Tel Aviv showed the failure of the Iron Dome and the failure of ALL Israel’s air defense systems. David’s Sling. Arrow. Patriot. Moreover, the air defense systems of Israel’s satraps (Jordan) were also proven to fail. Further, the interception systems of the USN were proven to be inadequate.

This has massive implications for war-gaming a conflict between the US and Iran. It means that the US will have to consider the fact that regardless of what it may inflict on Iran, it will not be able to shield anyone and itself against a concurrent Iranian retaliation.

Moreover, the US must now acknowledge that Iran has the ability to destroy it’s carrier groups.

Marine power projection is therefore no longer of any use in the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman … It must now recalculate all it’s previous attack plans.

8. The hardening of Hezbollah positions in the South of Lebanon: Despite the spectacular and tragic strikes Israel has carried out on Beirut the essential damage is limited to civilian blocks and civilian villages in the south. It appears that very little of Israel’s considerable air firepower has harmed Hezbollah itself. Hezbollah not only remains lodged there but the creation of rubble and destruction has provided them future cover and shelter.

The net effect of these strikes has been to galvanize Hezbollah’s fighters, drive Hezbollah recruitment, set world opinion firmly against Israel. The global environment for Israelis, Zionists and sadly, even non-Zionist Jews has been polluted on account of Netanyahu’s actions in Beirut.

On the other side of the equation, the IDF has wasted substantial amounts of materiel on killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure. Infrastructure which has nothing to do with the threat posed by Hezbollah.

While the US has put its entire arsenal at Israel’s disposal these materials are far from infinite and will run out soon – or become so expensive that it begins place further pressures on the U.S economy and logistics chains.

9. The US’ ongoing Iraq Occupation is coming apart at the seams: Despite the US presence in Iraq, it is demonstrably unable to exert any influence on the Iraqi resistance movements there, who launch increasingly sophisticated missile and drone attacks from Iraqi territory under the noses of US garrisons.

In addition, the behavior of Israel has stimulated anti-US activity in Iraq and will shortly result in a violent ejection of U.S forces from that country regardless of the current puppet government’s attempts to retain the U.S presence. It may take years to complete but the ejection of American forces from Iraq is all but assured now that the Hashds have demonstrated the ability to use substantial lethal force.

10. The Syrian occupation is coming apart at the seams: Strikes against U.S bases in Syria have become a weekly occurrence now. The resistance movements in Syria have shown that they have the capability to put American bases under constant pressure. The U.S will shortly lose it’s comfortable perch on the Conoco oil fields in Syria and with it, control of the spigot to the various anti-government militant movements in the region … and with that, control of Syria. Turkey and Russia have become confident to bomb ISIS and Kurdish proxies in Syria.

In short, Israel’s needless bloodlust has imperiled the US’ ongoing occupation of the entire Middle East.

11. Israel has destabilized Jordan. Iran has pushed Jordan (and others) into showing their cards at the middle eastern poker table. The government of Jordan has been exposed as a completely controlled satrap of Israel. Its national interests are completely subordinate to Israel and the USA above and beyond the interests of Jordanian people.

This begins the countdown to the end of the regime of King Abdullah of Jordan and his administration.

12. Israel has sown the seeds of destabilization in Egypt. Iran has pushed Jordan and Egypt into showing their cards at the middle eastern poker table. Egypt has been exposed as a complete satrap of the US and Israel, completely subordinate to the needs of the Zionist entity. Every Egyptian, with warm memories of Gamal Abdel Nasser would probably be weeping at this point.

The only thing that keeps the Egyptian population from toppling their government at this time is the Egyptian military. It will unfortunately remain so until the right catalyst arrives to light the spark of revolution …

However, the net result of all these increasing strains within Egypt is to increase sympathies for the Palestinian people, opening up smuggling lines into Gaza.

13. The perception of Western Moral and Civilizational Superiority has been utterly destroyed. The fact that Western Colonialism is alive and well and that Western Civilization is morally bankrupt has been been exposed to the Global South.

This moral bankruptcy has been manifested firstly at the level of it’s governments and secondly at the level of it’s apathetic populations who support the actions of their governments.

The result of this is that the Global South is now able to weaponize diplomacy in every forum with Western powers.

In the past, every diplomatic discourse between Western powers and non-Western countries used to begin with brow-beating and embarrassment of those countries around their human rights records.

Today, every diplomatic discourse between the West and a global south nation begins with a refutation of Western moral high ground. The recent BRICS conference in Kazan underscores this.

14. The neutralization of weaponize Western sanctions: Israel’s actions, triggering Iran’s, Yemen’s and Hezbollah’s actions have revealed that western sanctions against The Middle Eastern Resistance have been useless in stopping the technological and military advance of these powers.

Moreover, these sanctions have served to push the middle east into the BRICS trade sphere and away from the G7 trading sphere. It is a self-strangulation of the Western economies carried out by the USA on behalf of it’s garrison in Occupied Palestine.

Ultimately, these sanctions backfired spectacularly, resulting effectively in the global sanction and blockade of Western shipping through the Red Sea and “tit-for tat” oil tanker confiscations in the Persian Gulf.

15. The compromise of the integrity of Western Supply Chains. The compromise of Western mobile device supply chains, which could only have happened through the collaboration of multiple Western states, including the collusion of parties in Taiwan (outside of the control of Beijing) and Hong Kong (controlled loosely by Beijing) has resulted in complete loss of trust in Western telecommunications equipment and alerted Beijing and Moscow to potential compromise in their own supply chains.

While the implications of this are still unfolding the future success of western exports and Israel’s inclusion in the supply chains are now in question.

China is now, even more than before, not only the “supplier of volume” but also the “supplier of trust”.

16. Due to the actions of Israel, the US has been exposed to its people and the UN community (UNSC, UNGA) as completely under control of the Zionist Lobby. It is no longer a government of the people by the people (if ever it was!). In the past, it was suspected that Israel had some influence over American foreign and home policy, but now it is certain that Israel controls American foreign policy in totality. The question of which part of the dog is the tail and which the dog has become meaningless – it’s all “dog”. Moreover, this compromise of the State, the subversion of Western governments to the purposes of the Zionist lobby, has been repeated on other Western governments like Germany, France, Britain.

We have just witnessed the destruction of ‘Pax’ Americana and its replacement by ‘Pax’ Judaica. Thus, the prediction of Sheikh Imran Hossein has been fulfilled.

17. Well done on the genocide front! Israel has progressed quite far in it’s genocide of the Gazan Palestinian population within the last 12 months. The depopulation of the Gaza strip is well on it’s way by means of sickness, starvation more than missiles and bombs.

For this there will be a price to pay in the eyes of history, for the Zionists if Israel have provided the excuse (not justification) for some enterprising tyrant to commit future persecutions and genocides against the Jews – and others.

18. Israeli economy is destroyed along multiple vectors for the foreseeable future. MNCs with offices in Israel have been negatively impacted. Affected business range from individual companies that cannot operate in Israel anymore due to instability and loss of workforce, to larger corporations whose ethical compliance measures require them to decouple from Israel. The impact extends to companies that cannot tolerate the disruption to energy infrastructure and logistics lines.

19. New, persistent threats that cannot be remedied by the West have been created. The Houthi and the Iraqi Hashds being one case in point.

There’s just no end in sight here. These actors are going to be around for years, threatening the viability of Israel as a “peaceful place for the Jews” and turning it into merely another American garrison in the Levant.

20. Degraded Israeli gas and Oil infrastructure in the Mediterranean. Recent strikes have not only destroyed some of Israel’s gas platforms in the Med but demonstrated that Iran has the ability to wipe out Israel’s energy infrastructure. Israel will now have to recalculate the security of its energy supply. Any customers of Israel’s gas and oil production will have to recalculate their energy security equations.

21. Ensured continuity of the Resistance. The further radicalization of Hezbollah by removal of the conservative elder leadership has resulted in the younger, more aggressive, less restrained commanders to take the lead. Moreover, the remaining elder leadership in the Shura council have been painfully reminded that there is no negotiating with the Israelis and the Americans and that the only way out is to fight.

The murder of national heroes like Hassan Nasrallah has very likely galvanized the youth of Lebanon.

In a similar vein, the next generation of Hamas and Al Qassam fighters, now still children, have been created in the camps of Gaza, the West Bank, Ein Al Hilwe and other Lebanese Palestinian camps and the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and Syria.

This is the primary reason for the American and Israeli murder campaign against Palestinian children and babies.

22. A distraction for the USA and the Western Imperium: Ultimately the debacle in Occupied Palestine, engineered and sustained by Benjamin Netanyahu has posed a major drain on American resources.

It is a distraction from confronting bigger, more threatening adversaries like China and Russia.

The more cognitive energy, financial resources and political capital the USA has tied up in the Middle East conflict, the less it has left to confront serious developments on the Russia and China fronts.

The BRI, for example continues apace. Chinese and Russian space and marine developments proceed by leaps and bounds. Chinese chip manufacture has reached the 7 nm scale and 4 nm is in testing. Hypersonic missile development in Russia and China has outpaced American developments by leaps and bounds. China has achieved a 6g Transmission network implementation. China operates the biggest space station human kind has ever deployed.

23. The UN has been exposed as an impotent and in fact detrimental organization: Israel, through it’s own behavior at the UN has exposed the entire organization, from the ICC, ICJ, UNSC, UNGA and even organizations like UNRWA as completely impotent for all tasks that do not support the interests of the Western Powers. While this has been obvious since the comprise of the OPCW some years ago, the rot has been exposed at all levels of the UN and repeatedly hammered home by the Israeli representatives at the UN.

Nobody can ignore it anymore, nobody other than those benefiting from the grift.

24. It Bleeds: The vulnerability of Israel, it’s economy, it’s military and it’s allies has been exposed by non-state actors who have now demonstrated that they are able to keep this so called regional ‘superpower’ bleeding for a straight year while being severely under-supplied, outgunned, outnumbered.

Should other Arab countries decide at any point that Israel no longer serves their purposes in the Middle East, they’ve seen the evidence that Israel is not invincible and on the contrary, remarkably vulnerable.

25. Weakening of the Lebanese, Iraqi, Syrian and Yemeni State is a Strengthening of Hezbollah and the Houthi Movement: Israel, in taking the wrecking ball to Lebanese and Yemeni civilian government and sovereignty has created an environment in which the state will never be able to hold a monopoly on violence. The entire extent of Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen will therefore remain free and open for Hezbollah and Ansarallah to operate without government restraint. Even if this “freedom” is the freedom of chaos.

26. It can be terrified into paralysis: The delayed response of Israel to Iran’s latest hypersonic attack has been uncharacteristic. It demonstrates that the mere use of violence is sufficient to paralyze not only the Israeli Occupation State Apparatus but also that of the wider Anglo-American Empire, which itself seems scared of retaliating directly against Iran.

27. The World notes this. For perhaps the first time in history, war crimes accusations leading to actual arrest warrants have been issued against Israeli individuals (by the ICJ). Yes, with much reluctance, but it indicates that even the Zionist dominated West is beginning to crack under the stress of it’s own contradictions. These contradictions will merely expand further …

28. The utter failure of the Lebanon Ground invasion and discredit of the IDFs power: It is clear that the IDF’s ground invasion of Lebanon is a failure when compared with Israel’s previous invasion and occupation of Beirut. In an era where the IDF/IOF should have enhanced military technology and training, the full support of the West, it’s performance on the ground has only been a fraction of what it could once demonstrate. Even if the IDF/IOF ever manages to grind its way to Beirut, it will arrive there a bruised and battered remnant of itself. Then, the real war will begin …

29. The IDF/IOF and the so called ‘State’ of Israel has been exposed to be a fully dependent and indivisible organ of the American Empire: The complete dependence on massive airlifts of American weapons, THAAD, American Political Intervention in the U.N and other arenas has exposed Israel as nothing without life support infrastructure provided by the Americans. The image of Israel as a viable future state for the Jews has thus been utterly shattered. It cannot exist for now or ever without Uncle Sam behind it. When the Empire Falls. Israel goes with it. Israel’s enemies (and allies) will note this and plan accordingly.

How will all these “sensitive initial conditions” – these “achievements” – combine over the next 6 – 12 months to form greater unintended effects?

It’s anyone’s guess but the picture doesn’t look good for Israel regardless of how it looks for the rest of the Levant.

Winning!

Posted by b on October 25, 2024 at 12:49 UTC | Permalink

The United States is already a second-world country and is sliding to third-world status.

As a second-world country, the U.S. is:

  • unable to provide proper healthcare for its 340 million people. (U.S healthcare is ranked 34th in the world; women’s healthcare is ranked 77th in the world.)
  • the U.S. has the highest infant/maternal mortality rate of the developed countries. (The mortality rate in some states is equivalent to third world countries.)
  • because of the high cost of healthcare, Americans are increasingly reluctant to seek medical assistance.
  • the U.S. cannot protect its people. (In 2023 alone there were 656 mass casualty events leading to the death or wounding of over 3,900 people. Over 18,000 people were murdered by gunshot wounds. Gunshot wounds are the leading cause of childhood death.)
  • the U.S. cannot educate its people. (U.S. education is ranked 22nd in the world.)
  • Americans are not as free as they claim. (The U.S. is not in the top 50 countries for freedom.)
  • American quality of life ranks 17th in the world, just ahead of China and Russia.

There are more such statistics but these are an indication that the U.S. is already a second-world country. What is worse is that Americans:

  • deny the condition of their country, and
  • are not prepared to do anything to overcome or reverse the continued deterioration of their country.

Yes, the Chinese really love peace. That’s why they avoided war for the past 45 years.

By avoiding war, they built up the world’s greatest economy.

By avoiding war, they lifted 800 million people out of poverty.

By avoiding war, they built the world’s finest infrastructure.

By avoiding war, they became the world leader in technology.

The Chinese couldn’t have done any of this if they had pursued war.

China has threatened nobody. China has, however, taken action to protect its territorial rights. This is the imperative of all sovereign nations. Examples: Taiwan, South China Sea, Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh.

The Chinese love peace, and they would prefer that you did not encroach on their territory.

Justice for Everett Thomas

Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story about a character who wakes up in space. view prompt

Marek Sunda

I woke up with a complete sense of serenity. My body was relaxed, and my mind was calm. There were no thoughts entering my mind. Floating away, I simply enjoyed the weightlessness that came with the absence of any cognitive input.

 

First, I heard my own breath, grounding me in presence. The ever-present tranquility that dominated until a few heartbeats ago had now receded.

 

I slowly opened my eyes with difficulty as the eyelids felt heavy. I instinctively tried stretching all my limbs, but my legs didn’t move an inch despite tensing my muscles. My arms moved around so easily; in fact, they felt much lighter than they should.

 

The first thing I saw was a sign reading ‘Harness Required,’ glowing ominously red in the dark. I realized I was looking at it through a clear visor based on patches of condensation created by my breath. They were disappearing fast, suggesting there was a good climate control system in place, but still, I could notice a distinctive pungent smell that was not filtered away along with the moisture.

 

The sweet emptiness of my mind was now gone.

 

Looking side to side, I realized I was in a room roughly the size of a shipping container. The walls around me were covered in various screens and instruments I didn’t recognize. So many buttons, tools, little inscriptions, and, confusingly to my drowsy mind, handles everywhere.

 

I moved my hands in front of me and saw the unmistakable orange color I had grown accustomed to in the past few months in the prison jumpsuit. Wait. I had gloves on as well. I closed my eyes for a moment and observed my breath grow faster.

 

I opened them again. My arms were floating in the air without me moving them. I tensed my muscles, and they stopped moving. What was happening here?

 

“Welcome aboard Nomos.” Said a muffled voice from outside of what I now understood was a helmet. It certainly explained the humid air and hearing my breath loudly.

 

I tried to say something back, but my mouth was arid, and I coughed instead. It made sense now. My limbs were flailing around because I was in space. The rest of my body had to be secured in place, which makes a lot of sense to do when you want to sleep in a place with no gravity.

 

“You may find yourself temporarily disoriented. This is normal and will improve momentarily. I am your assistant aboard this vessel. You may address me as Myra.”

 

Disoriented was the right word. My head hurt, and I reached to rub my eyes but realized my futile attempt when my hand hit the visor. I fumbled about with gloved fingers, trying to feel for some mechanism that would allow me to escape this claustrophobic coffin around my face.

 

“You woke up one hundred and fifty-three minutes past the estimate, which may indicate the dosage was not calculated properly and/or there were unknown underlying conditions affecting the sedation.”

 

It certainly explained the headache and helped make sense of the tingling I felt in my legs. “Myra.” My voice sounded raspy, but it seemed to work to catch the AI’s attention. It had to be an AI. I didn’t see anybody, and the voice did sound monotone.

 

“How may I be of assistance?” It really was an unvarying, cold voice.

 

“How do I open the—”

 

“Your helmet is unlocked by unlatching the seals. You will find two, one on each side of your neck. Upon unlatching, you’ll need to perform a clockwise twist and lift the helmet carefully.”

 

So, apparently, this AI could understand context really well. It had to have cameras pointed at me.

 

“Allow me to continue with the initial instructions set.” Myra said as I was trying to find the latches, which is much easier said than done, especially when one is wearing gloves and cannot see the mechanism they are working with and has never seen it before in the first place.

 

“You will find that you are dressed in a spacesuit for safety reasons, as we left Earth’s atmosphere several hours ago. You are attached to the ship’s bulkhead with a harness used for aerial travel and sleeping arrangements. There are four straps that you may now wish to undo. The first one is located at your waist—”

 

I was too focused on my helmet to listen to the instructions being given. Finally, I unlatched the other side as well, and with a twist, I heard a hiss as the pressurized suit equalized with the outside environment. I didn’t know what I expected, but the air in the room was not much more pleasant than the one inside the suit. It didn’t smell though, which led me to realize that the other sensations I was feeling in the nether regions of my body I would not be comfortable explaining in full detail. The helmet started simply floating away. I looked down on my body now that I could move my neck freely, and noticed the straps.

 

“As part of your sentence in the—”

 

Now, the gravity of the situation started setting in. With, presumably, more oxygen, I started thinking more clearly.

 

“—case state versus Everett Thomas, you are to serve the full duration of the mission aboard Nomos.”

 

Oh yes. Now I remembered. I had no idea I was going to wake up like this, but it certainly was a possibility, and being a civil engineer made me a good candidate. I should’ve thought of that.

 

“The mission you will undertake is estimated to take nine hundred seventy-seven days. The objective is to capture an asteroid currently passing Jupiter, expected to be rich in osmium—”

 

“What?”

 

“— expected to be rich in osmium which —”

 

“I know what the fuck you said. How long? How long is this going to take?”

 

“Nine hundred seventy-seven days.”

 

I was trying to remember the sentencing, but I couldn’t. I don’t know if it was a temporary effect of the sedation or something else. “Can you tell me the verdict? What the fuck happened?”

 

“It is not unexpected to experience short-term memory loss and/or confusion waking up from the sedation you have been under. You had an unexpected reaction to some of the compounds used in the formula, resulting in a longer sedation than calculated. Due to raised medical concerns, I am initiating a medical check.”

 

“I don’t need a medical check. I need to know what happened!” I balled my fist and barely controlled myself not to punch the wall.

 

“Please, state your full name.”

 

“Stop the procedure. Listen to me!”

 

“I apologize. The order of priority prohibits me from accepting any new instructions at the moment. Please, state your full name.”

 

“You said it to me a minute ago. Everett Thomas. Not much of a check is it?!”

 

In the next half an hour, I was forced to answer a myriad of questions ranging from how I felt to if I felt any discomfort and where, which also led me to acknowledge that I soiled the jumpsuit while unconscious, which was hardly my fault. At first, it made me angrier, but over time I calmed myself down and used the time answering questions to fully unstrap myself and, while floating around, to get acquainted with my new home.

 

“Medical check complete.”

 

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” I whispered while looking for something like extra clothes, baby wipes, or anything else to help me get rid of the mess.

 

“Now to your previous question. Your sentence was increased to encompass forced solitary labor upon discovery of new aggravating circumstances.”

 

I stopped squinting at the labels above the compartments in the wall and wanted to stand still, but was gently drifting away.

 

“The victim count was increased after thorough re-inspection of the site and now also included one Samantha Miller, who at the time of the incident found herself in the basement of the building, presumably seeking shelter and/or hiding from the authorities. She was found to be eight months pregnant. This led to a re-examination of the sentence.”

 

I knew about the construction worker who died, and I knew about the several injured ones. I didn’t know about her. I didn’t remember. Part of me felt for Samantha and her unborn child, and another part of me felt injustice for the increased sentence. It was an error. A mistake. I didn’t want to hurt anybody, yet I was treated like a murderer.

 

I drifted through space, staring nowhere. After a while, with the help of Myra’s instructions, I got cleaned up, and changed my clothes, but refused to eat for now. Partly because the room now smelt even worse, but also because I now remembered more. I remembered the trial, I remembered the sentence before it got increased, and I felt the weight of it all over again.

 

“Myra, how long is the mission?”

 

“The current estimate is nine hundred seventy-seven days.”

 

“Ok, then we come back to Earth, right?”

 

“Yes. Mission be proven successful or not, this vessel needs to return to the orbit for maintenance, refuelling, and provisioning.”

 

I exhaled loudly. “I can make it. That’s less than three years.”

 

“I will keep you company.”

 

“We’ll become best buddies for the next two and something years, Myra. I’m sure.”

 

“We’ll be in each other’s company longer. Are you implying you will grow to dislike me?”

 

“Wait. What did you say?”

 

“We’ll be in each other’s company—”

 

“I know what you said, but what do you mean by that?!”

 

“This is your first mission.”

 

“Out of?”

 

“There are to be seven missions of a total length of six thousand, one hundred and sixty-one days.”

 

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

BRICS Sensation No. 1 – India’s Turn From U.S. To China

Some commentators wrote that this blog, and others, have neglected the current BRICS summit. They are right to a point.

BRICS is a long term project. It is the development of an economic and political conglomerate of supernational organizations designed to be an alternative to the ones created by the ‘West’ after the second word war.

There are several misunderstandings and a lot of wishful thinking about BRICS in alternative media.

BRICS will not replace the U.S. dollar. Any short term plan to replace of the currently most important global medium of financial transactions (not of real stuff trade) is unrealistic. Yves at Naked Capitalism has written several pieces to lay that out.

BRICS is not a military alliance. Iran joining BRICS does not mean that Russia or China or anyone else will come to its defense should the U.S./Israel attack the country. While they would probably provide some help in the background both will likely avoid any direct involvement.

Building BRICS will take several decades. Ad hoc reporting of and commentating one of its summits is not of much value without detailing the larger contexts. It will do that whenever the subject deserves it.

During the current BRICS session the most sensational issue with long term consequences actually happened shortly before the summit.

India has dropped the U.S. friendly anti-China policies it had implemented during the first two terms of the Modi government. It is (again) making nice with China and Russia while shunning U.S. attempts to make it a sidekick for U.S. policies in Asia.

This piece in Asia Times provides the background:

India and China have recently agreed to disengage from their prolonged border standoff in the western sector of the India-China Himalayan border on the sidelines of 16th BRICS summit. Tensions have simmered since June 15, 2020, after 20 Indian and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a high-mountain clash.

On the geopolitical front, meanwhile, India lost significantly. It once viewed South Asia and the Indian Ocean as its traditional sphere of influence, but after becoming a US ally, none of its neighboring countries remain within its sphere. Instead, India has arguably become more of a subordinate ally to the US.

This was evident when the US conducted a Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOPS) in the Indian Ocean on April 7, 2021, which sparked a strong backlash in Indian media and academia, despite India being a US partner. Additionally, the US has been accused of fueling anti-India sentiment in neighboring countries and covertly helping to oust pro-Indian governments in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives. [The author leaves out the recent U.S. coup in Bangladesh – b]

This made India realize that the US expects it to relinquish its “strategic autonomy” and that India’s claims to a regional sphere of influence in South Asia are unacceptable to Washington.

Ultimately, after four years of experimenting with foreign policy, the Modi government came to understand that China’s cooperation is essential for India’s economic development. The prime minister’s economic adviser argued that China would likely refrain from interfering in India’s border issues due to its dependence on India, coupled with the prospect of increased Chinese investment.

The first and second terms of Modi’s government have marked one of the worst decades in India’s history in regard to international relations. During this period, India has incurred unprecedented opportunity costs while experimenting with international and geopolitical strategies. In his third term, Modi is looking to reverse the course by shifting from the US to China.

The piece argues correctly that it was U.S. arrogance towards India which has caused this change.

India’s making nice with China, and its shunning of the U.S., is an immense geopolitical shift. The two biggest countries of this planet by populations plus Russia, the biggest country by landmass, are again friendly to each other. They will coordinate their moves wherever it is in their tri-lateral interest.

This shift in relations will have similar huge consequences as the recent reestablishment of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

This is a disaster for the U.S. ‘pivot to Asia’.

But U.S. and other ‘western’ media, have barely reported on it.

Posted by b on October 25, 2024 at 10:27 UTC | Permalink

Fiancée DEMANDED A Wild Bachelorette Party, So I Hired A PI To Follow Her And Now She’s Toast!

Trump Abolishes Democrats’ DEI And Trans-Craze Policies

Trump’s second presidency has a strong start. On his first day in office he has issued some 200 executive actions including some 42 executive orders (EO) undoing many of Biden’s attempts of socially engineering a new society.

(Unfortunately I have yet to find a complete list of those EOs. Why haven’t even the agencies, AP, AFP or Reuters, compiled one?)

I do dislike many of the EOs Trump issued. Leaving the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreements, and thereby de-legitimizing them, is not good for mankind. Further supporting the Zionst entity is a disgrace.

Others I do like. Trump pardoned participants of the Jan 6 (2021) ‘riots’ which had never amounted to much more than a hustle.

He rescinded many of EOs the Biden administration had issued around its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. Attempts of social engineering against merit deserve to fail.

I am also very happy that Trump has ended the official Trans craze. The wording herein is remarkable:

DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Across the country, ideologues who deny the biological reality of sex have increasingly used legal and other socially coercive means to permit men to self-identify as women and gain access to intimate single-sex spaces and activities designed for women, from women’s domestic abuse shelters to women’s workplace showers. This is wrong. Efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women by depriving them of their dignity, safety, and well-being.

This unhealthy road is paved by an ongoing and purposeful attack against the ordinary and longstanding use and understanding of biological and scientific terms, replacing the immutable biological reality of sex with an internal, fluid, and subjective sense of self unmoored from biological facts. Invalidating the true and biological category of “woman” improperly transforms laws and policies designed to protect sex-based opportunities into laws and policies that undermine them, replacing longstanding, cherished legal rights and values with an identity-based, inchoate social concept.

There are and will be many more Trump policies which (will) deserve to be condemned and criticized.

That should not hinder us to admit that he got some things right.

 

Posted by b at 14:10 UTC | Comments (7)
.

Americans are getting FUCKING angry!

Good questions are getting asked.

Deductions from our lives

Which Airbase does Israel use?

The flying distance is 1327 Kms from Israel to the nearest point on the Iranian Border

The F-35 has a safety fuel flying range of 1,500 Kms

You need to fly, hit your target and return back to base

That’s 2,674 Kms minimum

Almost double the safe range for an F-35

So Israel needs to take off from nearer Air Bases Or refuel at nearer Air Bases

That brings Saudi Arabia and Iraq bang into the middle of a Iranian Israel war and I am pretty sure they won’t make it easy


Against Saturated Air Defense – No combat aircraft can succeed beyond the first few salvos

Doesn’t matter if it’s the F-35 Or F-22

For shorter distances like 250–300 Kms – it’s easier to attack and retreat

Not for 2700 Kms!!!!!!

You can’t fly 1300 Kms in stealth mode and hit a target and come back another 1300 Kms without being spotted by Air Defence and hit with one of those missiles

Those S-400 missiles have a range of around 250 Kms at a height of 20 Kms

The F-35 would be toast


Israel will either hit Iranian Targets with F-35s if Iran agrees on the targets beforehand to give Israel face

Or

Israel will hit Iranian Scientists and Military Personnel through Drone Attacks

Or

Israel will hit Iranian facilities with Drones

medley RUFUS featuring CHAKA KHAN in SOULTRAIN

We had a kid in our flight (Air Force, 1991) who had his act together in Basic. Physically fit, tried out for Pararescue around week 4 (missed it by 1 pullup; instructors said he could try out again any time). Anyway, kid clearly wanted to be special forces and had prepped hard for Basic. Had his shit together, never had to be told twice how to do anything, all that jazz. A+ cadet.

One day, surprise inspection. T.I. (AF term for drill instructor) has us all go outside and stand at parade rest while he wandered through our barracks with himself and the 2nd T.I. After 10–15 minutes he calls us all back inside. We stand at attention at our bunks.

T.I. is going through everyone’s stuff, not really finding anything wrong. He gets to this guys clothes, starts going through his folded BDUs. Opens the pockets, and in every pocket is a tiny piece of paper – some kind of “Inspected By” thing. Now, keep in mind, these are in everyone’s BDUs when they’re issued, as far as I recall, and we all have to take a few minutes stripping them out when they were issues so we aren’t nabbed during an inspection for foreign material in our uniforms. And this kid, he’d stripped all of his out too. We all did, all at the same time. But the T.I. had spent those 10–15 minutes putting them back in his uniforms, so it looked like he’d forgot, and he got nailed. Gimme that 341!

The lesson was twofold (at least the way I understood it): First, no one gets through Basic unscathed. You might have your shit together, but they’ll find a way to bring you back to the pack. That lets everyone know they’re mortal; no one’s special; no one is better than anyone else, and you’re all in this together, as a team. But the other lesson was: This job (and life in generally, really) is gonna throw adversity at you no matter how much you have your shit together, because there will always be things you cannot control, and it’s how you deal with that adversity that matters.

Now, the funny epilogue to this story: We get to graduation day. We’re out under our dorm again in the hot Texas heat, in April (because the actual dorms are elevated, so there’s an overhang that whole flights can stand under for shade). The Tech Instructors are calling out names for graduation, and they get to this *other* kid in our flight named Copeland. T.I. calls his name then stops, and says, “Who the fuck is Copeland?”

For reals – the kid had made it through Basic without ever being noticed. I think we all silently cheered for him. I know I certainly did. It was kind of an awesome moment.

You can fly under the radar. But I don’t think it happens very often.

Taylor Dayne – Tell It To My Heart

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Are you already wondering how your navigator would behave here, which only needs the roundabout behind the house to smooth out the right exit? Don’t worry, Chinese officials claim that the signs and exits on the interchange are clearly marked and that even if you make mistakes, it is always easy to go back!

10 Things That Don’t Make Sense After 61!

A neighbor (diagonal from me) fosters troubled kids (one at a time) and has adopted two, we are on friendly terms but not close. When she has a new kid and I’m around she makes a point of introducing the kids to me. A couple summers ago I met one such 12/13 year old boy and she made a point of telling him “if there’s ever a problem she’s a safe adult it’s OK to talk to her” which is a very sweet thing to say. A short time later (days or weeks) I have a knock on my door and answer its the boy shaking and teary.

“please you have to help! She’s going to call the cops and get rid of me I know it! I had to run away, can I stay here? Please don’t call the cops and get me arrested”

I sat with him on my deck in full view of their house (because kid+solo adult in a house alone sounds like a bad idea unless it’s a bigger emergency)

“why do you think she’s going to call the cops and get rid of you?” (not going to promise not to call the cops cause I don’t lie to kids like that)

“I did it I was so bad I’m so sorry I’m so sorry”

“I can see you are sorry honey, can you tell me what happened?” as I quietly visually check his hands/arms/clothes for a sign of a struggle/wounds/etc

“we were eating dinner!” he wails

“OK then what happened”

“I was telling her about school and I got too excited and I’m a bad kid”

“did you get in trouble at school?”

“no I got a gold star and all my questions right”

“that’s great, why do you think you did a bad thing?”

“I hit my glass and it knocked over and I wasted my milk and my whole plate of food!!” uncontrolled sobs “she’s going to call the cops and get rid of me!”

“did she yell at you?”

“no”

“did she hit you or hurt you?”

“no but she’s going to hate me”

“why do you think that?”

“I wasted all the food and milk!” as he looks at me like I’m an absolute idiot

“OK honey I don’t think she’s going to call the cops I think she’s probably worried about you, does she know you are here?”

“no I ran away”

“OK how about I call her and let her know where you are and see if she’s mad at you”

“hey (neighbor), I have (kid) here and he’s very upset and worried you are mad at him about dinner”

“oh thank God, he doesn’t know the area I was worried he’d go into traffic”

“he’s scared you are going to call the cops and have him arrested”

“please tell him I miss him and I’m not going to have him arrested”

“honey she’s not going to have you arrested”

Sniffle”she’s not?”

“nope, do you want to go back over?”

Long sob

“I’ll be right over to pick him up”

And that’s how I rescued a child from spilled milk. I later found out his previous family life would’ve resulted in beatings and worse after that infraction and his previous foster treated him very poorly. My neighbor had called the cops but only to report his running and she immediately called back to report he was found and safe, he’d had a history of running. Fortunately he’d made it a couple hundred feet when he remembered that I was “safe”. He only stayed with my neighbor a short time longer due to reunification but I still hope the best for him from time to time.

Shorpy

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Not much.

Let’s break this down. A THAAD unit has 6 launchers with 8 missiles each. It is SOP to fire 2 missiles per incoming ballistic missile to “guarantee” a hit. So that THAAD system has 48 missiles.

It can theoretically intercept 24 ballistic missiles.

The last attack used 180 ballistic missiles and that was just a warning. In other words, Israel can expect hundreds of thousands of missiles per salvo and they will keep coming if Israel starts a war with Iran.

You can do the math yourself.

Also there has been some questions regarding how well US systems can intercept ballistic missiles. Patriot Pac 2 and 3 are also supposed to intercept ballistic missiles.

In the videos that we see. We can see one location that was attacked. You can see 1 being intercepted. That is the big explosion in the air. The rest either missed or barely did any damage and the missiles continued until they hit the ground. This is with the interceptor missiles coming up from the ground.

So let’s assume that THAAD does what the US says it does and intercepts 24 missiles. What about the other several hundred or thousands? The US only has 7 THAAD systems. Now the US has 6.

Be kind to yourself and ask yourself,—What do I want in the twilight years of my life?

If you still want to think like when you are in the 40s then you may ponder harder if Thailand will be the right place for you.

What is in the heads of men or women in their 40s?

Look for business opportunities and build their business empires, or imagine themselves as Romeo or Juliet, and spend the money on drinking or shopping and thinking that only money brings happiness.

Then, Thailand is the ideal place for you to buy business and set up bars, pubs, and chic cafes. You will not only be Romeo but thorns among Juliets but you will soon look like an old ‘Walking Dead’

Why retire in Thailand? To enjoy sun sand and sea? That is a misconception if you think that’s what coming to Thailand is ultimately for.

What about being young at heart again leaving your family back home and starting a new life with a real gem – a Thai woman, for once, a woman to care for you before you leave this world?

That’s not wrong provided you get the right Thai woman (keep searching) but to leave your family back home is not right for any man (only by my std)

  • What could be the greater things about retirement in Thailand?

To stay in a ‘house that Jack built’ (many did that somehow) despite strict control laws but wise men say: ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a (legitimate) way living in a dream place a one-acre land with a barn, and a workshop of your own if you are a handyman, that’s everyman’s dream.

Get up early to greet the dawn and do the thing you ever wished you could and now you can! With friendly neighbors or respectful people around you. Not getting up late and doing nothing but drinking and doze off again.

Eat a variety of foods where your heart desires, not the same old crap you eat at home.

Imagine yourself surrounded by animals like monkeys and water buffaloes, a newfound love with your very own faithful Thai Bailey’ ( a Ridgeback dog -Mah Lang Arn) besides being a watch dog, it is capable of protecting you from the cobra… seriously.

All these without breaking the bank. Still can sell wild, wild, Western American authentic pizza like, ‘George’s Pizza’ ( George said—you are free to put ketchup).

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Yes, George’s Pizza and hamburgers that rock Phisanulok let alone Thailand.

That’s all my 2 cents—To experience your retirement that your peers would envy you (till you kick the bucket) with a careful plan in Thailand.

**Why should you avoid Thailand for retirement? If my answer is crap to you, go ahead and avoid Thailand**

Wanna be as happy as George Bowman, a Quora bro? what are you waiting for?- retire in Thailand and eat George’s Pizza!

Edited: I stumbled on one of George’s answer on the topic of Thailand and loved it, so I’m stuck ever since.

Japan has forgotten the lessons of World War two! Lavrov

A Life Beyond

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity. view prompt

Carol Stewart

Warning… You are approaching the barrier, do not proceed… Warning…A hundred miles from his city centre dwelling, and several hundred yards from where he’d abandoned his one-person laser travelling pod, Enz entered the ‘no-go’ zone, setting off the alarm. The sun was already blackening, soon it would be eclipsed, and the lights which flashed and beamed before him, blue and amber from various levels on the high mirrored walls, would turn everything around him such a sickly shade of intense it would bring the city to a halt. Circuits frozen, power disconnected, pods immobile, gridlocked. Communication would be impossible, water blocked from flowing through the pipes. But only for a while. Only while he took his final steps. He’d take them slowly, he thought. Something as momentous as this deserved a countdown… StepTen… The speed of the traffic had slowed, he could hear the sound abating, no longer a whizz, but a hum. The drivers wouldn’t know why as yet, wouldn’t see him, or if they did, he’d be no more than a blur between the lights. A dog escaped its kennel? Inconsequential… StepNine… Enz looked down. His boots had changed colour absorbing the lights. He’d seen this once before when he’d fallen from the travelling pod as a boy, hearing the screams of his mother as he’d tumbled towards the mirrors, traffic brought to sudden stop. There are some doors you just don’t open, boy. Ever! She’d been fined a whole month’s pay for not securing the locks. A hundred and thirty-three years ago, and he still remembered… StepEight… The speed limit had been lower then and people had walked the zone’s perimeters, stopping every once in a while, to peer into the mirrors in the unlikely hope that they might find those elusive cracks that the old folks said were bound to still be there. The 2093 Mallet Attack had, if rumors were true, been a bad one. Vicious. And if this were the case, what there the chances that there was another city beyond, another ‘world’, that the authorities wished to prevent them from reaching? His grandfather had claimed he could vaguely remember when they’d put the barriers up, and according to his father, Enz’s great-grandpa, and his father before him, there had once been many different cities, smaller ones too – towns and villages, they were called. And the ‘countries’ which contained them. ‘The Continents’. Deserts, forests, rivers, seas, farmland, mountains, glaciers. It was hard to imagine what any of these might look like. Or the incredible modes of transport. Gliders, rockets, airplanes… people flying! All the way up in the sky and further, setting foot on some strange place called ‘The Moon’. Of course, these old folks’ tales were now regarded as myths, and he an eccentric for wanting to believe in them… StepSeven… His legs were getting weary. Strange to think he was both the oldest man alive, and oldest who had ever lived. Only weeks before, when he’d reached this astounding milestone, the city had seen fit to mark the occasion with a full day of rest for all and a historically-themed champagne banquet for the elite. Not that he’d been invited, but then he didn’t have much time left, so not one thought it seemly he attend. People were only allowed to reach a hundred and forty. After that, they’d be vaporized, although this hadn’t happened yet, so no one knew quite what to expect other than the procedure itself would take place in the brand new ‘Sterappropriate’ Hospital, and on this occasion only, in the presence of the press. Enz the oldest man ever. Enz, the eccentric exception. Headline news… StepSix… The mirrors towered over him, the lights beginning to blind. Warning… Warning… Harsh voices intermingled. Rage from the pods on the laser track. What are you doing, you decrepit moron? We need to be home in twelve seconds, can’t miss ‘together time’… blaring through the speakers. Don’t turn your head, he told himself, don’t pay attention… StepFive… He craned his neck till his eyes met the sky. The great black disc, a permanent fixture, was half-way across the sun now, and well before normal shutdown time. The power would be failing. Sorry, Zany. Sorry, Blitz and Fritz. He felt bad for the children. Their games would be interrupted, and their learning. He’d left them books, written, by his grandfather years back, but they didn’t know what to do with them. They found it hard to turn a page which didn’t require a finger-scan. Besides, they could barely read the words, or understand them. Archaic fantasy, as their parents called it, was beyond them, insisting, by way of various snide asides, that this was almost certainly for the best, and even their great-great grandparents refused to assist. Enz’s daughter had always mocked him for his outlandish way of thinking, and her children had chastised him. One day soon you’ll find yourself out of work, and you’ll only have yourself to blame. Teachers are meant to teach, not tell stories and lies. He was only seventy then, far too young to retire, so he’d had no other choice but comply if he had any hope of surviving… StepFour… Obligations. Responsibilities. He’d been free from those for a while now. A good long while, come to think of it. He’d received his city pension at a hundred, just shy of the government upping the age to a hundred and ten. The authorities weren’t happy when he’d then defied the lifespan expectation odds, and they’d had to pay him ‘more than he’d ever been worth’ for almost four times the number of years on which they’d figured. It had been a quiet four decades on the whole. He’d spent his time reading, not only his grandfather’s words, but other ancient literature kept in his apartment behind a panel in the flexible mind-metal wall. He’d taken a plethora of notes and gradually pieced together a plausible version of what might have gone before, and what indeed might still exist in some way, shape or form, outside the mirrors. He’d made a book of his findings, and on the day of the celebrations when her parents, members of the elite, had returned home oddly and adversely affected by the hitherto unknown effects of this new champagne commodity, he’d entrusted his papers to Zany. She was by far the most open-minded of the children. Clever too, she’d worked out how to turn the pages the moment he’d seized the chance to show her. Grandpa, Ezra! I didn’t know people could do that! This is – wow – amazing! …StepThree… If only he had enough time left to teach her the words, or to show her what he’d captured on his 21st century smartphone. Antique technology, a relic for sure. A family heirloom, but considered ugly and useless by all, there was no point trying to sell it. It had fallen into his hands when his grandfather died, and eventually, after a great deal of trial and error, he had discovered that not only did it work as a simple notepad, but that it could also be used in ‘video mode’. The powers that be had, on two separate occasions, arrested him when they’d spotted it attached to the side of his travelling pod as he’d zoomed around the outskirts of the city, but both times they’d been forced to release him without charge. After all, as his rolling-eyed solicitor had said when he’d tossed the phone onto the interrogation room table for the second time in as many months, what was this thing, but an old piece of junk? Little did anyone know that it was on said ‘piece of junk’ that Enz had just captured his most precious footage. And how long he had spent replaying and examining it all. He’d almost given up finding anything, then he’d discovered ‘slow motion’ and ‘still’, and there it was. The crack in the mirror! The only one which remained from his grandfather’s time, when, according to his writings, his great-grandpa and a like-minded gang of his friends had staged the legendary Mallet Attack, a crime for which they’d spent the remainder of their days in jail. So much for it being some far-fetched story, his grandfather’s words forever dismissed as the ramblings of a fool. Just like the disc which blocked out the sun, when the books that Enz had read so clearly described the moon… StepTwo… All was dark and silent now, traffic at a standstill. Only the warning voice remained and those glaring, searching lights. In a moment he’d be vaporized. And perhaps the pain would be worse than any he might have felt had he kept his ‘Sterappropriate’ appointment. But he’d plucked up the courage to send his pod off track en route, so too late now! Besides, he had to know what was out there, if only for a second… StepOne… He reached towards the glass, felt for the crack and pressed. Nothing. He tried again. Harder. Not a cut on his hand. Not even so much as a scrape. Amber and blue, amber and blue. Neon bursts. Warning, warning, warning… And then he saw his own reflection, except his face didn’t look quite right. He moved a little closer. Eyes duller, he thought, but at the same time, brighter, more expressive. The lights perhaps, but then – the rest of it! Oh, how heavily lined his mirror self was! And the mouth was moving! So, that’s old Granpa Enz, then? A chuckle. When had he ever sounded like that? And why were the children behind him when he knew they weren’t there? Zany, Blitz and Fritz, all crowding round, smiling and laughing too, their movements not in any way stiff or restricted. So unusual. There had been a word he’d read in his grandfather’s book which described this. Natural? Yes, that’s what it was. And how beautiful! How wonderful to hear little Zany chattering on. Good job you arrived when you did, Gramps. Won’t be long before he’s gone. A hundred and forty, can’t exceed that, but he’s stuck holding on at the side there, and I think that’s what’s causing the glitch. ‘Course we could make another just like him and start all over again… Step Zero.

1985 in Dallas there was a record ice storm. I had never seen anything like it. Cars in ditches, wrecks all over the place. Dallas was totally unprepared and the locals rarely seen snow so driving on ice was beyond them.

I was making money with a pick up and a tow strap with a few other odds and ends in the back. (Free tips: lower the tire pressure to 15/20 PSI makes them wider where the rubber hits the road, SLOW DOWN) Seen this old raggedy station wagon in a ditch and pulled over to see if I could make a quick $20. Calling AAA would give you several hours of wait at best.

Knew I would do it for less when “MeMa” as the kids were calling her stepped out, must have been 8 or better in there. Heard one telling her he was hungry then others chimed in. I hear “Baby I gotta pay him to pull the car out and need gas. I’ll find something when we get home.” Ragged car, clean looking but poorly dressed kids for the weather, no money. It had been a great day money wise so what the heck.

Pulled the wagon out, refused her money and told her I would follow her to a gas station we could see to be sure she made it OK. Place even had a McDonald. As they say in for a penny in for a pound. Told her to fill it I would pay then asked the kids if any one was hungry. That got me a load of ME! and YES!’s. Went and had coffee and a snack with them making sure everyone was feed well. When I said goodbye MeMa’s hug about crushed the breath out of me with happy tears falling out of her and a few little kids were hanging off my legs.

2022 and I still smile thinking about it.

Neil Howe: The Fourth Turning Is Here – How the USA’s Crisis Ends – The Realignment Podcast

The Renova Decision

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Jeff Macloud

The seven members of the executive council aboard the Amazonian were all but touching shoulders around the grey rectangular conference table. Deputy Governor Hunter Bryant, his tunic unbuttoned at the top, wiped sweat from his temples with his sleeve. Climate control was a major issue on the 923 year-old ship.Cleo el Masry, the vessel’s operations chief paused for effect, wrapping up her report on the impending deceleration decision. She sat back, her legs crossed at the knees, her hands smoothing the wrinkles out of a precisely tailored zip-up jumper that revealed nothing except that she was aggressively fit and fastidious. Most men found her beautiful. Hunter knew they had no chance.“The new probes have given us what we needed to know. The bottom line is,” she said, “Renova is teeming with life. That indicates a much higher probability of danger to any settlement. We need additional security forces, updated weapons, and a lot more ammo.”Rupert Shumar’s chair scooted and banged against the wall behind him as the science lead stood, “Bullshit!”Here we go again, Hunter thought, watching Rupert’s face redden all the way up past his balding hairline.Rupert aimed his wrath at Hunter. “You know the protocols. We should divert and avoid Renovan life,” turning now to face Cleo, ”not murder it.”“That protocol—,” Cleo began but stopped short at the withering scowl on Hunter’s face.Hunter knew that what he lacked in looks had been compensated two-fold in presence. He could hold a room.“Rupert,” Hunter began, “please have a seat.”Rupert sat, his bulk making the chair squeak.Hunter continued, “The protocol applies to intelligent life only, and…,” he held a hand up and shot a warning glare at Rupert who was bracing himself to stand again.Hunter finished, “the protocol clearly lists examples of technological signatures we can use to define intelligence.”“There is no evidence of intelligent life,” Cleo said, her cool tone contrasting with the room’s heat.“As we know it,” Rupert corrected.“As we know it,” Cleo allowed. “However, we have developed options that conserve life of all origins,” she looked at Rupert, who didn’t acknowledge her. “You’ll find them at Tab O on your tablets.”

 

“If we decelerate,” Rupert said without looking up, scrolling, “it cannot be undone.”

 

“But,” Cleo countered, “we have six months to deal with anything that pops up. Lots of smart people, too.”

 

Hunter glanced at the time. “I need to present our progress to the Governor over lunch. What about the rest of you? Let’s start on the left with life support. Max?”

 

“Thank you, deputy governor.” Max DuPont said wiping his brow, his voice low and gravelly despite his height. “Alexa, bring up my graphics on the table hologram, please.” He waited five seconds for that to occur, then continued. “First, if we choose to divert, food production needs to be prioritized to rebuild our stockpiles. We may need to ration certain items for some time. Next graphic please. Second, our gravity systems are in bad shape and need upgrades and repairs if we extend the mission. We are hoping for a deceleration scenario.”

 

“Thanks, Max,” Hunter said. “Alexa, use life support’s data to estimate priorities and timing for gravity system repair, starting in two weeks. Deliver those to my tablet before noon.”

 

“Certainly, Deputy Governor.” Alexa said.

 

Turning to his right now, “Medical?”

 

Kimbe Otumbo, unusually tall and bespectacled, stood to speak. “Yes, thank you, deputy governor. Colleagues, I’m honored to be h–,”

 

“I apologize, Kimbe. I have ten minutes before the governor’s lunch meeting.” Hunter knew Kimbe relished his chances to speak. He wasn’t arrogant or selfish. He was thorough. And he loved his job.

 

“Certainly,” the doctor fumbled with his glasses and set his tablet on the table. “Well, since time is limited, may I remind everyone that the data to support what I’m about to claim is at Tab M. As my colleague Cleo loves to say, there is a bottom line to my report. If we divert to Duonova, we – your mental health professionals – worry about panic and anxiety at levels conducive to mass hysteria and revolt.”

 

The table was hushed and still. The only sound was the clinking of Hunter’s glass as he swirled his ice water. He looked to Cleo. “Have we seen spikes in mental-health related deaths or crime?” Cleo, as operations lead, had executive responsibility for security and prisons, among many other departments.

 

Cleo nodded, “Alexa, bring up graphic thirty-seven from my briefing set. You all know the history. We have been focused on mental health for over two centuries now. Here’s the chart.”

 

Two centuries earlier, a design flaw caused a structural failure that slowed the Amazonian’s velocity and added 225 years to its mission. Three hundred and seventy-two deaths over two years were directly attributed to the accident. Most were either suicide, murder, or health problems related to drug and alcohol abuse. Nearly everyone on the Amazonian had family history with the tragedy. The chart had a massive spike, followed by a steep decline, that arrested about 200 years ago and was now a slow, steady climb with pot-holes and speed-bumps but no major changes.

 

“No spikes, lately” Cleo said, “but mental health-related stuff has been on a steady upswing for about two-hundred years, give or take.”

 

“What about the “Renova or Bust” lunatics?” Hunter asked.

 

“The “ROB” faction remains a challenge,” Cleo replied. “We all know about the two mass killi—”

 

Max chimed in, “Life support has those loopholes closed. Our security is tight. We will not allow that to happen again.”

 

Cleo held both hands up, “I wasn’t pointing fingers, Max.”

 

Hunter wondered if that were true.

 

Hunter, looking at the clock, pushed things forward. “Cleo, send me everything new on the ROB terrorists – membership, activity, anything the governor might ask about.”

 

Cleo nodded.

 

Hunter gestured to the medical officer, “Thanks, Kimbe,” and continued around the table.

 

Culture and Education agreed with Medical’s assessment of the mood of the population. They had run their own studies, which largely aligned.

 

Maintenance and Waste Management presented the top five problems with divert: shortage of electronics parts, shortage of propulsion parts, erosion of general education and the quality of maintenance training, recycling bottlenecks causing trash buildup, and security during any kind of uprising.

 

“OK, everyone. I will get this in front of Governor Fushima.” Hunter was standing to leave when Rupert spoke up.

 

“I think we, as a council, need to speak directly to the governor before she makes her decision.” Rupert said, eyes on his empty water glass.

 

Hunter cleared his throat. “I will deliver your concerns and recommendation to the governor and she will let everyone know what she decides.”

 

“So,” Rupert said, “the biggest decision any of us will ever be a part of comes down to one person’s whimsy,” and he looked into Cleo’s eyes this time, “or maybe two people’s whimsy.”

 

“Why are you so fucking dramatic,” Cleo said through her teeth, leaning across the table within strangling distance of Rupert. “Clarissa was elected. I assume you voted.”

 

“Clarissa,” Rupert repeated, grinning. “Well, I didn’t vote for your Clarissa. And I didn’t vote for you,” Rupert replied.

 

Cleo started to stand up.

 

“I meet,” Hunter broke in, “with the majority and minority leaders of both houses after I talk to the governor today. Congress is involved. The media will play their role. Nothing is being subverted here.”

 

“Yeah, well,” Rupert said. “I don’t trust any of the junta. No offense.” He stood and left the small room, bumping Cleo as he exited.

 

Hunter stood up. “Perfect timing.”

 

Everyone let out a nervous chuckle.

 

“I’ll talk to you all tomorrow. Same place, same time please.”

 

**********

 

“How were Rupert and Cleo?”

 

“Both arrogant. Cleo lets Rupert trigger her. She referred to you by first name in front of the council.”

 

Fushima grimaced. “I’ll talk to her.”

 

“Everyone knows, governor.”

 

“Not everyone. She needs to be careful.” The governor paused, then restarted.

 

“So,” she pushed the plate away and reclined, her chair protesting, “you’ve told me what they want, but not what you think.”

 

“I think you should decelerate.”

 

“Why?” Her tone reminded Hunter of his wife, long dead.

 

He blew out a breath. “Three reasons. One, nobody is interested in extending the mission 900 years. Two, we know very little about Novaduo compared to Renova. And, three,” he paused, thinking he might not say it, but deciding to, “you want to be the first Renovan president.”

 

“I do want to be president, Hunter,” Fushima paused, still smiling, eyes narrowed. “What do you want.” It was more of a challenge than a question.

 

Hunter lowered his head and clasped his hands in front of him as if in prayer. He had been dreaming lately of storms, the kind he saw and heard on the ancient videos from Old Earth, howling wind and the roar of heavy rainfall. The power and majesty of nature.

 

”To fall asleep in the rain,” Hunter said.

 

************

 

Later that night, in his dream, Hunter heard a familiar electronic tone through the pattering of raindrops on a metal roof. It sounded like an alert on his communications tablet. Seconds later, waking, he realized it was in fact his communications tablet. Rubbing his eyes, he said, “Alexa, who’s at the door?”

 

“Science director Rupert Shumar with Marine Corps Corporal Stewart.”

 

“Alexa, audio please.” There was a tone, then Hunter said, “Rupert, it’s late.”

 

“I know!” Hunter heard Rupert’s high-pitched response through the door before the tablet audio caught up.

 

“Alexa, open the front door,” Hunter said. He heard the men’s footfalls on his entry floor a few seconds later. He met them outside his bedroom in his robe.

 

Rupert held paper reports out to him. Hunter was awestruck at holding paper in his hands. He’d only held real paper twice before in his life.

 

After scanning the reports, Hunter asked, ”Those probes have been circling Renova for three days. Why am I just seeing this now?”

 

“Because we weren’t looking for that,” he said pointing at a specific paragraph, mindful that the Corporal didn’t have a need to know what they were discussing, “and we weren’t looking there.”

 

“Who figured it out?”

 

“Me. And Yevchenko.”

 

“Dissenting opinions?”

 

“None.”

 

“OK. Can I keep these?”

 

“Sign for them with the corporal here. Burn them when you’re done.”

 

Hence the paper, Hunter thought.

 

************

 

“Welcome everyone,” Hunter said. “Sorry for the lack of read aheads but this meeting is for your ears only. Thanks for leaving your tablets outside.”

 

Everyone nodded.

 

“Governor Fushima has approved the release of the following statement for you only, no staff, no media, no notes.”

 

Again, nods around the table.

 

“We have irrefutable evidence of intelligent life on Renova.”

 

Everyone looked at the science lead, who was looking at his hands.

 

“Rupert?” Hunter prompted.

 

“If you want the science, I’ll be happy to discuss once I’m told it’s OK. The approved statement for now is that unique and specific chemical signatures are escaping the surfaces of large bodies of water on Renova in types and quantities that do not occur in nature. Industrial processes are the only viable source. We now believe, with more than 90% certainty, that Renova contains intelligent aquatic life.”

 

“Fish people,” Kimbe said. “Fascinating.”

 

“Do not say ‘fish people’ to the media, Kimbe,” Hunter said, half smiling, half chastising. Nervous chuckles eased the tension.

 

Cleo got to the point, though. “So, divert is automatic. Intelligent life means divert.”

 

“Governor Fushima can make any decision she thinks best,” Hunter said. “But yes. The protocol is clear.”

 

Everyone was staring at Hunter, brows furrowed. Only Rupert seemed relaxed.

 

“Please be ready,” Hunter said when it was clear nobody had an immediate question. “This is going to anger a lot of people. And, remember, this announcement will be made by Governor Fushima and no one else.”

 

**********

 

Cleo, Hunter, and Governor Fushima met an hour later in the tiny conference room. Sweat dripped off Hunter’s nose onto the screen of his tablet. “Why aren’t we meeting in your apartments, governor?” He asked, wiping his face with a cloth napkin.

 

“Because I assume they’re bugged.”

 

Hunter shook his head. Cleo didn’t react at all, which told Hunter she already knew.

 

“Cleo, did you read all of the Renova report?” the governor asked.

 

“Yes, and everything we have on intelligent aquatic life.”

 

“Do you think it’s possible for us to settle unnoticed by the Renovans long enough to allow us to gain a foothold and prepare a defense?”

 

“Based on what I’ve read about their most likely technologies, it’s probable.”

 

Hunter jumped in, annoyed at the obvious tag-teaming of Fushima and Cleo, “But that doesn’t change the protocol, which is clear.”

 

Fushima shook her head in understanding, “Yes, of course. But I have authority to make my own decision, correct?”

 

“I’m surprised you’re even considering it, Governor, Hunter said. “You’ll be impeached if you disregard the protocol without justification.”

 

“It’s my job to look at all angles,” the governor said. And she switched her attention back to her operations chief.

 

“Cleo, if I announce divert, what will the ROB terrorists do?”

 

Cleo had Alexa pull up a graphic with three options. She went through them in order. First, they would probably attack life support, most likely water generation and gravity in the agricultural section of the ship, in an effort to force deceleration because of resource scarcity. If that didn’t work, they would attempt assassination hoping to replace Fushima with a leader sympathetic to their goals. Third, they would attempt mutiny within the crew.

 

Governor Fushima’s nearly painted on smile vanished. “You think ROB has access high enough to pull off mutiny? Who?”

 

Cleo shrugged, “We’ve done years worth of scrubbing. No one seems likely.”

 

“And yet you think it’s plausible.”

 

Cleo shrugged, “If I was running ROB, it’s what I’d do. Besides, they’ve had nine centuries to install sleeper agents.”

 

The governor looked closely at Cleo and Hunter. She’s paranoid, Hunter thought. He wondered how deeply Cleo was in on the governor’s plans.

 

“Alexa, analyze communications of the executive council over the last thirty days for suspicious or disloyal behavior. Report for my eyes only.”

 

“Yes, Governor.”

 

Hunter and Cleo both shifted their gazes from the governor to each other. Hunter realized Cleo was being held in the dark as well. Something was up.

 

Hunter leaned forward, “Governor, have you already made your decision?”

 

Fushima eyed Cleo, then said, “Yes.”

 

“So we’re diverting to Duonova, then.”

 

Fushima looked at her watch and left the room. Hunter watched Cleo chase after her.

 

**********

 

Hunter found Rupert waiting at his door when he returned to his quarters to freshen up.

 

“Rupert, you know we can’t talk here.”

 

“Please tell me you’re pushing to divert, Hunter.”

 

“Is your report accurate and honest?”

 

“Wha—of course it is!”

 

“Then how could I do anything else?”

 

Hunter watched Rupert scan him, deciding something.

 

“I’m hearing that Fushima is still considering deceleration,” Rupert finally said.

 

“From who,” Hunter responded, resisting the urge to grab Rupert by the collar.

 

“People talk. I have sources, just like everyone else.”

 

Hunter looked Rupert in the eyes, scanning.

 

“Rupert,” Hunter said, “do not do anything stupid. You are too valuable to our mission.”

 

“If we decelerate, knowing there is intelligent life on Renova, my mission is over. Because I will resign.”

 

“Don’t overreact. Your people look to you for leadership.”

 

“I am leading. I’m doing the right thing.” Rupert turned and walked away.

 

**********

 

Two days later, Hunter watched the governor’s address like everyone else, on the ship’s video conferencing system. Fushima was brief.

 

“Citizens of the Amazonian, I urge calm as you digest the news I”m about to give you. We have clear evidence of intelligent life on Renova. This means we cannot settle the planet and must divert to Duonova.”

 

She warned that unlawful activity would be dealt with severely. She asked citizens to report any activity by the Renova or Bust terrorists.

 

**********

 

The first violence happened four hours after the broadcast. Gangs broke into shops and looted.

 

The ship’s news services reported on the violence, “Security forces have killed twenty-five and wounded hundreds as ship-wide violence erupted following Governor Fushima’s decision to divert to Duonova.”

 

Damn them, Hunter thought, for ignoring the murdered and wounded cops.

 

“Detention centers are filled past capacity as the crackdown intensifies.”

 

The looting turned into rioting.

 

*********

 

Mid-riot, someone blew up the water production facility of the agricultural sector.

 

ROB did not claim responsibility, but their graffiti tags turned up everywhere.

 

Hunter guessed insiders had to be involved. It was a very precise attack, the damage conveniently contained.

 

********

 

Governor Fushima was forced to reverse her decision.

 

“Due to the criminal and immoral actions of a few terrorists,” she announced on video, “our mission must end at Renova. We no longer have enough water resources to divert.”

 

She assured the ship’s population there was plenty of water capacity to complete the deceleration and settlement.

 

“We will begin deceleration operations in three days. In six months, we will be Renovans.”

 

The rioting died.

 

********

 

Hunter, exhausted after sleepless days of emergency response leadership, found Rupert at his quarters door again.

 

He was in no mood to talk. Rupert wasn’t interested in talking, either. He handed Hunter a silicon envelope containing a letter of resignation along with a portable storage fob.

 

“What’s this?” Hunter indicated the fob.

 

“You’re a good man, Hunter,” Rupert said. “It’s a shame you were caught up in this. You might have made a good president.” He walked away.

 

Hunter found a single audio file on the fob. He transferred it to his tablet then listened to it. There were two voices. He didn’t know the first, but he recognized the second voice, Clarissa Fushima.

 

First voice: “Everything is set at the water plant.”

 

Fushima: “Do it now. Before the riots die down.”

Honestly, U.S. elections are a mess. They reveal just how flawed the entire system can be. Between the drama, allegations of fraud, and the ridiculous influence of money, the whole thing often looks like a circus more than a democratic process.

Let’s start with the drama. Every election cycle, there are claims of voter fraud and interference, but the kicker is the documented attempts of militia groups planning voter intimidation. That’s not democracy; that’s chaos. When you hear stories about these kinds of tactics, it makes you wonder how fair and transparent the elections really are.

Then there’s the Electoral College, possibly one of the most frustrating aspects for anyone trying to understand American democracy. The fact that a candidate can win the presidency without winning the popular vote feels like a slap in the face to the principle of ‘one person, one vote.’ Add gerrymandering and voter suppression into the mix, and it’s clear many people’s voices aren’t heard equally.

American elections are also totally polarized. It’s like a battlefield where voters are divided into rigid camps with no room for nuance or compromise. Elections should be about policy and moving the country forward, but they often devolve into a tribalistic showdown. It’s more about beating the other side than actually solving any of the country’s problems.

Technology and media? They’re a double-edged sword. On one hand, they provide greater access to information, getting more people involved. On the other, they spread misinformation like wildfire. States are even rushing to legislate against AI-generated content before the primaries. It makes you question how much of what’s out there is even real.

Despite all this, there’s something telling about new U.S. citizens being eager to vote. It shows that despite its flaws, the system still holds some hope for people. They believe they can make a difference, even if the reality is that systemic issues and polarization are huge obstacles.

SCOOBY-DOO | 1950’s Super Panavision 70

Common sense? Simple math? Both combined?

The BYD – ‘Build Your Dreams’ wasn’t designed for the American market. That’s not to say there aren’t a few million Americans smart enough to want one. The demography that supported the VW Beetle and then the Hyundai Pony remains. But the BYD wasn’t brought to market under the delusion Americans would play anything but a miniscule role in its profitability and success. Like the VW Beetle and Toyota pickup the BYD was designed as a people’s car for the global community. The BYD was designed for China’s 500 million households. The design and crafts-manship to price ratio makes it viable in India. Financial success was near guaranteed if even 1% of China’s households bought in a given year.

But the future, the near future, is Belts & Roads Initiative driven. 120 million African households aren’t served by grid power. For those villages a BYD-priced electric vehicle isn’t merely a means of transport — it’s a power hub. A village will be wanting several. Drive to a charging station on a nearby highway or in a nearby town, ‘tank up’, then return home where it can feed dozens of devices. And if the village invests in solar, wind, water, or biothermal generator? They won’t be waiting for rural electrification – won’t need it.

But. The name? That acronym (up to 2024 spelled in full on the car’s rear) “Build Your Dreams”? It speaks to what Americans could enjoy the benefit of . . . . if their governments freed them to do so. It helps obviate how the American system skews profit-making power toward those above median income and away from those below. An FYI at no additional cost.

But Tesla in China? Tesla, like Apple, is an icon of American tech. China’s leadership is quite confident that mature cost/benefit comparison will sway Chinese consumers to buy BYD and Huawei.

Musings

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Some years ago I went to Las Vegas and gambled $32,000.

You may be thinking I’m some kind of high-roller. I’m not. I only took $1,000 to gamble with.

So where did I get $32,000 from?

Well I was playing $25 craps on the pass line. Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. But — crucially — when I won, I added my winnings to the pile of chips in front of me. I didn’t put it in a separate pile.

In other words, I was gambling the same money over and over again. The sum of all my bets was $32,000 but I never actually had $32,000 sitting in front of me.

So I exposed $32,000 to the risk of loss.

Now, when you hear about the house advantage it might sound quite slight. In craps, the pass line bet gives the house an advantage of 1.4%. But that’s not 1.4% of my original bank roll, it’s 1.4% of the total exposure, i.e. 1.4% of $32,000. So my expected loss was not $14, but $448 – just under half of my bankroll.

Christopher Susie gave an example of a machine with a payout of 90%, i.e. a house advantage of 10%.

If you play a $1 slot machine and take $1,000,000 to gamble with then the final outcome depends on whether you keep your winnings separate, or if you add them to your bucket and put them back in the machine.

If you keep your winnings separate, the Law of large numbers – Wikipedia says that you are highly likely to end up with about $900,000 after your one million plays at $1 each.

But if you keep gambling indefinitely your $1,000,000 will eventually whittle down to nothing.

The alliance between China and Russia today is the development that the world needs in order the get over the hump of US dominance and hegemony. Such an alliance, despite Russia’s ostensible aversion to socialism/Marxism, is more valuable than even an existing USSR that is non-aligned with China.

Russia today is carving out a new, indigenous form of socialism, whether explicitly informed by Marxism or not. Russia is taking on the most pivotal role in the world’s global landscape by confronting the West directly, and militarily. China’s role is not to confront, but to open avenues for resistance. By presenting opportunities for economic development to those countries’ who refuse to align with the US and its vassals (EU, NATO) politically, China is bringing about a new wave of global resistance, just as the USSR did in it’s early years (but of a much different nature).

The transition to socialism will now take place gradually for most countries as alignment with the West becomes naturally counterintuitive, even to countries that have been traditionally anti-Communist.

Marxism is playing out as reality. It does not need to be referenced by name. The truth is too obvious to be ignored. Western hypocrisy has been laid bare for all to see.

Since the beginning of human history, all armies have only one function, which is to fight. To put it simply, it is to kill the enemy on the battlefield.

There is such a great man in China who completely changed the nature of the army and redefined the army:

  1. the army is the people’s own army;
  2. the army is a work team to complete political tasks;
  3. the army is an engineering team to build the country;
  4. the army is a rescue team for emergency relief…

The army is no longer just a violent group, but a collective with philosophical thoughts, ideals and aspirations, and moral constraints.

Since he came, all other armies in the world can only be called “old-style armies”!

The West have a massive hardware advantage and a bit of a software advantage over the Chinese Flagship Phones

In fact the only Chinese flagship phone in the league of Apple and Samsung is Huawei and that’s struggling to get on par chips and yet on the markets where it is allowed to compete fairly, it does create a strong dent

The fact is the West has too much core technology in certain areas that prevent any other brand from coming into the picture

For instance when we had the Old Televisions – did you know that only SEVEN COMPANIES had a Patent and Royalty to make Picture Tubes from 1931 until 1987

The Beam Indexing Systems and Aquadag Patents were held with these seven companies – ALL OF WHOM WERE WESTERN (3 British, 2 Dutch, 1 West German and 1 American)

Even Matsushita and Sony made their own picture tubes but used technology from these seven companies until in 1987 when Sony managed to patent their own PT technology generously allowed to them after the Plaza Accords

Likewise when it comes to ICE CARS – the West dominates a lot of the premium technology

Let’s face it – they colonized us, enslaved us for 300 years and used our resources and our money for building a huge gap in technology that none of us can probably catch up until we have an equal footing when it comes to completely new technology


China is the only Nation on earth which has its own dominance in Core Technology in certain areas that isn’t either part of the Collective West nor a Lackey to the US like Japan and South Korea

One area is GREEN TECHNOLOGY and ENERGY

It’s an Area where China had a chance to actually compete from the inception instead of an Area where they had to face an uphill 20–30 year lead advantage by the West

They crushed the West and decimated them to smithereens

Not a single European or American could come close to China in Battery Cells, Solar Wafers, Advanced Coating and Green Turbines

Not in efficiency or in cost

In other Areas China may not beat the West but they produce on par with the West and have their own equally same quality adaptable Technology

High Speed Rail is one example

Steel Process is another example

China can produce the finest steel without any foreign technology today

China can make MRI machines without any foreign technology today

China has its own Pharmaceutical Industry that has made many strides


We live in a Matrix sadly dominated by the Western Machinery

The Mainland China is where you find a new and different world

It’s a 800 Million consumer market where Chinese Brands are fast gaining dominance and driving the Western Brands out

It’s where China is slowly shrugging off technological dependence on the West in every sphere possible from Servers to Processors to Memory

Give it some time

Maybe 20–30 years

First let China decimate the Western Brands through sheer competition in its own markets rather than protectionism and other legislative punitive measures like imposing a 700% Tariff on India made Iphones Or 600% Tariff on Western Engines

Chinas growth in Technology is around 6–7 years old

Its unfair to expect them to dominate the entire world in such a short time especially in areas where the West has dominated core technology for decades

I am Ukrainian and have been living in Stockholm for more than 3 years now.

I would say Sweden, as country is good one to live in for many aspects like good social standards, security, nature and ecology, good work-life balance, high professional, service and quality standards. Also, I found it pretty interesting to observe Swedish society in details because of its unique way to self-organize, art of finding consensus and compromise. A lot of people commit for the sake of whole society despite they are quite individualistic same time. From one of the view points, it is really amazing how society is built and organized.

As the result, if you think rationally – you can not ever decide move away from the country because of the many good points comparing to any other country.

BUT…

There are dark sides when you step down from society to individual level.

  1. Biggest “drawback” of people here I found is overshooting rationality. Even their famous “lagom” is a feature of it. Because of to be lagom means to be extremely rational, balanced in any aspect of the life. This makes things here really, absolutely boring. Rational + bad-climate and cold nordic temper equals in this case no warm, open, truthful emotions.
  2. People here are quite individualistic and self-concentrated. They are stuck to self-effectiveness, their work and hobbies so basically they don’t have a room for other people around.
  3. As mentioned by others here, political correctness is a good thing for society, but it really closes a door to meaningful (even if sometimes conflictual) conversations, making connections with people. You basically can’t make a connection with a person if you two only discuss the bad weather, upcoming in a half a year summer holidays and what kind of food you ate yesterday at family dinner.
  4. It’s pretty closed society with more or less precise separation line between locals and immigrants (excluding probably people from west Europe and USA). That is pretty hard for immigrant to find a job or build a career in some “white” areas of business and professions. All the well-paid places and offices consist of 95% of locals or high-skilled expats from other first-world countries.
  5. Things are crazy expensive here comparing to southern Europe, so people quite rarely hang out with friends. Almost never with colleagues outside working hours and yearly conferences.

So, living here you feel your life has high standards and possibilities but is quite isolated and low real happiness (not the one from indexes).

I was a telecom tech. It was early January along the Texas Gulf coast. I left home at 6AM & started work at 7. It was either raining or drizzling all day with a northeast wind & 40 degrees for a high. It was miserable. I finished the load & headed home at 6PM. That’s a 10 hour day in tough conditions.

It’s already dark as I’m driving home.

When I get home my 4 year daughter comes running out. She’s in her jammies & barefoot. The jammies are wet & muddy. I pick her up & we go in. Her mother is in bed. I run a tub of warm water & my little girl gets undressed & gets in the tub. I get her warm clothes out & make sure she gets a good bath. (Basically I sit on the toilet lid & make sure she gets herself clean, as she’s been taught.)

While she’s getting dressed I go out & start my 4wd because the rain is coming down harder & the road in & out is mud now.

My daughter & I go to Dairy Queen, her favorite restaurant in the world. While we’re there she tells me about the walk she took & the dogs (coyotes) she & our dogs met. Luckily all the heelers went with her. Daddy Dart, mama Belle & their 5 pup’s who were about 10 months & well into herder training. A significant force used to handling 1/2 ton steers. Coyotes? No problem. These dogs are “aggressive” to say the least. I’ve had a 1200 lb longhorn with a seven foot spread charge me & two dogs back him off, & they were 9 month pups.

That was the beginning of the end for me & the wife. Three years later I was raising my little girl on my own.

When I worked as a carpet installer I had long hair half way down my back, tattoos and would show up to peopes homes dressed in footy shorts, a T shirt and, no shoes ( no shoes they later realised was a blessing for I didn’t bring any shit in on their new carpet ).

There were those that prejudged me and to them I would apologise and say, “I am sorry and I would suggest they ring the firm and get them to send someone out more qualified “. I would then ask them where they would like me to put their carpet as I had allready delivered it no point taking it back with me.

Meanwhile they would ring up the firm to complain about my appearance and ask what had they sent to install their carpet ( they were mostly the upper rich that did this with no understanding that except for my hair everything else made it easier to do my job) the were just ignorant arseholes that judge by appearance.

On ringing the firm they were then informed that they sent their best layer out to do their job, simply because of the price, and materials involved, and the firm didn’t want any stuff ups either. Money doesn’t always equate to intelligence. They would hand me the phone and I would say to the boss in front of them to ask them to dissppear and not see me till the job is finished. For I would gladly leave and they could try and find someone more qualified.

I might sound like a smartarse blowing smoke up my own arse, but when you are working on a job and it has Teak skirting boards around the house, even if you do have 20 years experience, someone hovering over your shoulder is likely to distracted you and hit the bloody skirting board with your hammer. It was fun at the end of the day when they loved their job, and I was judgemental.

There were two though where I didn’t care what they offered to pay I quit and just said sorry I can’t help you and left. I still remained employed at the firm and had another job the next day. Meeting different and new people was one of the things I loved about my job. In 25 years I only met 5 people like this and only 2 of them were jobs I quit on and nothing would change my mind. I’m dure many other tradies can relate to this answer

Since the Chinese military began its reforms in 2014, it has started conducting high-intensity conventional warfare military exercises. These exercises simulate combat in different scenarios and against various levels of enemies.

Among these, elite divisions of the Chinese military sometimes face a hypothetical enemy preset to possess capabilities beyond current human levels, humorously referred to by soldiers as “ROBOTECH.”

(Commander of ROBOTECH)

When an elite division of the Chinese military encounters ROBOTECH during a simulated exercise, the following situations may arise:

1. ROBOTECH can disrupt all electronic communications of the Chinese military, forcing them to rely on primitive communication methods.

2. ROBOTECH has access to the real-time coordinates of all Chinese military positions.

3. ROBOTECH will not hesitate to utilize tactical nuclear weapons and biochemical weapons against the Chinese military. (These tactical actions are simulated through a training system and do not involve actual artillery or nuclear explosions.)

4. ROBOTECH possesses an extremely strong air force and conventional firepower, not only completely dominating air superiority but also capable of unleashing artillery shells over a wide area like raindrops.

5. ROBOTECH includes the world’s most elite ground units, along with the most advanced main battle tanks, heavy artillery, and tactical missiles, comprising personnel that are also from elite ranks of the Chinese military. Moreover, in the 2016 exercises, ROBOTECH already utilized suicide drones, and the quantity of drones far exceeded that of the current scale of the Russia-Ukraine war.

(The Chinese army was severely beaten by ROBOTECH.)

Unsurprisingly, even the elite units of the Chinese military generally lost to ROBOTECH. However, after numerous exercises, the once-overwhelmed elite divisions have progressed to being able to engage ROBOTECH in fierce battles, even achieving two miraculous victories and one draw.

Don’t ever be convinced to do something that you are uncomfortable about

I’m an American who lived in China for 16 years. I basically grew up there, went to school there, worked there and even got married there (though it wasn’t to a Chinese).

I’ve lived all over the country and have had interactions with people from various ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions and in different areas of China.

There is no possible way for me to sum up what I think of “Chinese” people or the country itself, except that I feel it’s been downplayed as to how diverse it really is. In fact, I hate it when other foreigners say something is ‘typically Chinese’ or generalize…because they are such a diverse country. And sometimes I feel that Chinese nationals don’t even know or appreciate how genuinely diverse their country is.

Now that I’m back in the US, it’s very hard to explain to people what China is actually like or answer their many questions about life there. About the only things I can say that are general is: 1) There are indeed a lot of people; 2) Computer stuff is cheap; 3) Eating out is cheap; 4) Public transport is extremely cheap and very efficient.

Another observation I’ve had is despite all of its diversity and it’s huge population, somehow the government/businesses have managed to really streamline things for the most part. Just working in a Chinese company, my concepts of how to deal with a large volume of applications, paperwork and workload are much different than a lot of my peers here in the US. So when I did come back and start working for US companies, sometimes my managers would be shocked at how quickly I got so much done. Like they didn’t even understand it. Not to put them down in anyway. And occasionally I would even get in trouble for doing something differently than others and they would be like, “Why on earth would you do it this way? How did you even think of this?” but that was often before they could see the results.

But on the negative side of that, I had a hard time dealing with all of the personal needs of customers and the tailoring that a lot of Americans require. I’m using to dealing with a huge workload but that’s mostly uniform where people have chosen from a small category of options. I’m not as used to dealing with the incredible personal preferences of a handful of clients who can’t seem to make up their minds. In China, they don’t tend to give you a lot of ‘options’. And people don’t really expect them either. They tend to walk in when they want a service and already know exactly what they want. So it’s a much easier process of facilitating that.

What Would Happen if the US Decided to Not Pay its Debt?

It was a pretty effective strike

The details are trickling in and it does appear that Israel has had 20 damaged F-35s (They aren’t using the word destroyed) but a damaged F35 is as bad as a destroyed one for minimum 12–18 weeks

The Radar site is definitely destroyed

It’s why Israel has postponed their attack on Iran

However the attack will happen

Mostly they will use Drones and they will hit Iranian Top Military and Intelligence Brass with US Intelligence and surveillance capabilities

Lies aren’t as easily accepted without some ground truth. Sometimes, they are just partial truths taken to extremes, often times out of ignorance and good faith. This is something that all Chinese people eventually realize after living in China for long enough; some people are better at working with partial pictures than others.

‘I don’t think it can get any harder’: reality check for China’s travel industry
Stark contract between an optimistic picture painted by China’s travel data and consumers who are reluctant to spend amid broader economic anxieties.

There was a great thread by Glenn Luk as usual, responding to this article. But more on that, there was a great supplementary thread by David Fishman, who succinctly highlights the issue of interpreting China by using three anecdotes he scraped together:

In elite control societies, what often goes dismissed are the experiences of the common person. This is especially true of the US where “middle class” has represented the top 10% of US society for decades— cue the many complaints of “middle class” houses in Hollywood films that are nothing short of multi-million dollar McMansions. The same can be said about the more liberal Chinese takes on China. I for one know the mood among the high performers of academia China. It is not the greatest, though I must say, I have been quite uncomfortable being in so many BMW SUVs (ostentatious wealth not really my style).

The reason why I do not share in these dour takes on China is because of my paternal family and the fortunes of people from back from the village. I know where those family members come from, what kind of temperament they have, and especially what they have nowadays. Back in 1998, we rode in a cheap knockoff sedan sporting a false police siren (to speed on country roads), driving over half paved, half dirt roads just to get to our T5 city. Ever since, I have watched them get far wealthier. Today my elder cousin does better than me; he owns 3 properties in a T1 city and rents two of them out for a very pretty penny, while I struggle as someone in the top 5% of the US to actually buy a cheap house ($850k) in the place I grew up. The difference between my cousin that is younger by a year and my other cousin who is graduating from undergrad this year is night and day; the former has moved to the US and lives a great life but had to be top of her class to do so, while the latter is pretty much the definition of academic mediocrity. Even so, her mentality bears all the hallmarks of polite urbanite (while I remember the former offering me a beer back when we were 13, as no one cared out in the sticks). That former cousin grew up in that T5 city, the latter cousin is basically a T1 city girl; both, it seems, can do quite well for themselves despite the wide gulf in effort. Hence, people who tell me that China is terrible for everyone but the elites are only going to get the stinkeye from me— it’s like they don’t even care that my family exists.

The pattern I’ve seen in a lot of the anti-China reporting is that they pay attention to only the elites. Keep in mind we are only talking about those reports from people who seem like they know what they are talking about, either because they have Chinese names or they actually bother going to China. On the surface, this is a remarkable step up from the typical “China expert” who knows no Chinese and hasn’t ever visited. Unfortunately this step up seems to be what is selling authenticity today, when in fact it is just clearing a minimum threshold of “not 100% fantasy.”

I have said this time and time again, even all the way back to random comments in 2015 or so: China is insanely complex. Its size should humble all who engage. When I hear about a foreigner who has stayed for 15–20+ years in China, I will usually go “wow, you must have a lot of insight!” But make no mistake, that’s not me calling them a China expert, that is me expecting that they have some very narrow experiences that strike very deep and true, and that I will be able to glean some insights on a tiny sliver of China through them. Most people of that degree of stay in China are likewise humble and know that we all are just in the business of exchanging very narrow and specific slivers of China. To those observing, particularly neophytes to the experience that is China, this subtext may go unnoticed.

David Fishman is a valuable resource. He has tons of stories from people he can reach on the streets. But I know better than to expect him to really know Chinese governance; he has little in the way of penetration into the government track lifestyle. He is also white, which means he won’t have the perspective of someone who can blend into the streets and watch China the way a Chinese person can. There are always limitations to one’s China experience, which is why we all fan out in our information gathering through guanxi (connections).

Yes, there are a lot of blatant lies about China. But just because they exist, don’t get complacent when someone comes by with experience or a Chinese name and starts generalizing. Specificity is the name of the game; pity that most Chinese people don’t feel safe sharing specifics. This is often the reason why you have to hit the streets and make your own guanxi. First, build trust, then get specifics. You never know when someone is withholding information from strangers but not their guanxi network.

But just to highlight, driving back to that T5 city from the T1 city took generally 2 hours in the late 90s. It was unwise to do after a rain as the mud would likely have made the roads unmanageable. In the late 00s, that drive went down to 1.5 hours; the road at the outskirts of the T5 city had massive potholes that you could not evade and would require cars to go at most 5 km/h. In the late 10s, I don’t recognize most of the city anymore. I don’t remember seeing any donkeys driving carts anymore, only the standard blue motor trike at the very bottom end. I can barely estimate that the town square that felt so hollow and eerie at night in the 00s (due to all of the empty concrete apartment shells, lack of lights, and echoing) was now a park with big trees and plenty of amenities.

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main qimg 989a8a24150923be71c8d786d3ddf714

Remember, T5 city! Where those pink trees are was generally where a line of stores were, and back in the 00s one of those stores sold crappy CRT TVs. One of them played Shrek in Chinese dub, which captivated some 20-ish children as onlookers. I joined them as I was bored then. Everything now is unrecognizable.

Anecdotes aren’t that powerful, but they can serve as smell tests for the kind of China headlines that pander to American audiences. The more you have your own experiences to look back on, the more you too can be immunized to bold but bad China takes. Because the sad reality is, it is just too easy to lie about China, and even the truths are not that good either!

11 Harsh Realities of Life for a 60 year old retired man.

The truth: China desperately want to become friend with US, however, US sees China as a threat and want to see China lose.

Lived in both countries, what I’ve observed is in China, everyone (including main stream media like CCTV) is talking about US being the best country:

  • the higher level of democracy
  • the innovation
  • hollywood movies, hot actors / actress
  • advanced technologies, respect for skill and knowlege…
  • the list goes on…

When I actually get here, I’d say some of these high reviews are true, but overall it’s probably overrated.

Then when I start to read news on CNN, Fox, NY Times, I see lots of negative news about China.

  • food imported from China are poisons
  • Chinese constantly steal US intellectual property
  • in China everything is about building connections, just having the skills will fail you in China
  • Chinese government tortures minority
  • China ‘bully’ neighbouring countries.
  • … and the list goes on

Non of these are true – I’m not saying China is a perfect country, it’s far from perfect, but the real issue in China was never cared and covered by western media. All these news is designed to make people hate China.

Oven Swiss Steak

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37abf5c5efc0ac80ef3309af40383e51

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (1 1/2 pound) beef round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, cut up
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Cut meat into 6 serving-size portions.
  2. Combine flour and salt; with meat mallet, pound 2 tablespoons of the mixture into meat on both sides. Brown meat on both sides in hot shortening.
  3. Transfer meat to a 12 x 7 inch baking dish.
  4. Blend remaining 2 tablespoons flour mixture into pan drippings.
  5. Stir in undrained tomatoes, celery, carrot and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; pour over meat.
  6. Bake steak, covered, at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour or until meat is tender.

China’s first photonic chip pilot line opened in Wuxi leading the industry to take off

On September 25, at the 2024 Integrated Circuit (Wuxi) Innovation and Development Conference, the first photonic chip pilot line in China built by the Wuxi Photonic Chip Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University was officially put into use. This marks that photonic chips have officially entered the fast lane of industrialization, which will break through the limitations of computing paradigms and bring new imagination space for large-scale intelligent computing. A glorious era for photons is about to begin.

Photonic chips are the core of the new generation of information technology. They can meet the technical needs of transmission, computing, storage, and display in the fields of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, biomedicine, etc. in the new round of scientific and technological revolution. They have become a new driving force for economic growth and an industrial highland for global competition.

The pilot platform has a total area of ​​17,000 square meters, integrating scientific research, production and services. It has complete supporting facilities and is equipped with more than 100 world-class CMOS process equipment, covering the full closed-loop process of thin-film lithium niobate photonic chips from lithography, thin film deposition, etching, wet process, cutting, measurement to packaging.

The platform also takes into account other material systems such as silicon and silicon nitride, builds N special process platforms, and forms a leading “1+N” advanced photonic device innovation platform. It can not only provide full-process technical services for universities, research institutes, and innovative enterprises, but also incubate photonic industry projects, efficiently link with industrial funds, open up the complete chain from product research and development to marketization, and accelerate the commercialization of scientific and technological achievements.

The pilot platform will not only accelerate the flywheel effect of technology iteration, promote the continuous optimization of process flow and the improvement of product innovation capabilities, but will also touch the technological frontier at an unprecedented speed, solve the long-standing structural contradictions between the innovation chain and the industrial chain, and ultimately achieve breaking up the obstacles in technology and industry.

The successful completion of the photonic chip pilot line is a vivid epitome of the cooperation between the university and the local government to achieve industrial breakthrough.

In 2021, City of Binhu introduced Shanghai Jiaotong University to establish the Shanghai Jiaotong University Wuxi Photonic Chip Research Institute project. The pilot line officially started construction in December 2022, the structure was capped in October 2023, and the first batch of equipment entered the site in January 2024. After intensive equipment debugging, it was officially put into use in September 2024. This landmark of the lake bay has achieved a leap from idea to physical implementation in an almost unrivaled manner. The physical structure was built according to the “Green Building Three Star” standard, and achieved key features such as anti-micro-vibration, constant temperature and humidity, and ultra-cleanliness to provides first-class guarantee for the R&D and production of photonic chips.

Now, walking into the nearly 6,000 square meters of high-grade micro-nano processing clean room of the photonic chip pilot line, people can see equipment neatly arranged, and technicians in clean clothes skillfully operating various equipment and observing the operating conditions of various product parameters.

The 9-meter-high first floor is divided into three floors, with the main equipment on the middle floor. In addition to the pipelines for supplying gas and chemicals, the invisible upper and lower mezzanines are also equipped with fresh air systems to transport clean air and maintain positive pressure in the room, which is then exhausted to the outside through the ventilation holes, so that the cleanliness level of the workshop reaches the 100, 1,000, and 10,000-level standards.

The world-class hardware, the leading domestic precision equipment, and the complete closed-loop control of the process are the three core elements supporting the industrialization of photonic chips. This pilot line is in line with the top-level planning and has reached international standards. After the pilot line is officially put into use, the annual production capacity is expected to reach 10,000 wafers. In the first quarter of 2025, the PDK will be officially released, and external wafer flow services will be provided.

Currently, the whole world is committed to solving the iteration problem caused by the lack of computing resources. Optical quantum computing is not only backward compatible with related technologies, but its theory and framework also enable exponential computing power that is endless. However, due to the lack of matching hardware systems and the immature industrial chain for landing products, optical computing and quantum computing cannot be commercialized. Currently, the world is starting from the same starting line, which provides China with an opportunity to surpass in technology.

The institute will focus on 6/8-inch thin-film lithium niobate wafers and thin-film lithium niobate modulators to overcome the engineering and technical challenges faced by the industrialization of thin-film lithium niobate photonic chips, develop wafer-level chip mass production processes, and achieve large-scale mass production of thin-film lithium niobate photonic chips to meet the high computing power needs of artificial intelligence development.

The Wuxi Photonic Chip Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University will continue to be a leader in new-quality productivity, continue to explore cutting-edge technologies in quantum science and technology and common key technologies, and rely on the photonic chip pilot line to carry out a three-in-one strategic layout of “platform + incubation + fund”. Focusing on new-generation information technologies such as core, light, intelligence, and computing, it will carry out scientific and technological achievement transformation and incubation and investment in entrepreneurship, explore new paradigms for the incubation of hard technology innovation, and help Binhu District and even Wuxi form a world-class photonic innovation ecosystem with clustered and large-scale development.

De-Dollarization: China Squeezes USD Debt By Guaranteeing RMB Bonds In The Global Markets

About a month ago, there was a noise complaint at the neighbor of my brother’s home.

The police arrived. My brother went over because his 11 year old son was there and wanted to ensure his son was okay. The police arrested my brother, charged him with resisting arrest, assault on an officer, aggravated battery on an officer.

These charges carry a two to twenty year prison sentence.

When I asked my brother what happened, he told me that the charges were made up. He asked about his son, the officers (3 of them) engaged him and decided to put him in the squad car. He never touched anyone. He never resisted. Because of the charges, he has no bail, and the bond hearing was set for a month out.

I asked, “Were the officer’s bodycams on?” He replied, “No.” They said all their cams were off.

I thought to myself. “Oh shit.” Then I replied, “Okay, sit tight, I’ll get you a lawyer.”

But to be honest…without any camera footage, my brother was cooked.

Now. I love my brother, and I know his character. I know there was no way he attacked three police officers. To be honest, if he did, they’d just shoot him. He’s a big black guy who spends a lot of time at the gym. No one would have challenged his death.

But, that’s not who he is. However…SOMETHING must have happened, right? It couldn’t be that he just walked up, the police then put him in the car and charged him. That’s not real.

2 to 20 years in prison. Three officers are saying he attacked them. Aggravated Battery on a police officer. All of this was a month ago…labor day weekend. No video evidence, so it’s their word and his. He’s so fucking cooked.

But wait. Remember the part where I said my brother walked over to his neighbor’s house?

The neighbor’s ring door camera activated, and his lawyer has not one…but three videos from ring cameras and security cameras covering the entire event.

You know what actually happened? Well, I’ll say it this way. As soon as the lawyer told the prosecution that they had camera footage from the ring camera, the prosecution dropped the assault and aggravated battery charge immediately. They downgraded the resisting arrest to a misdemeanor and gave my brother a 50,000 bond, which we immediately posted. They also added another charge (a misdemeanor), and handed the entire case from the felony prosecution to the misdemeanor prosecution who wanted to settle. My brother’s lawyer said…”No.” We want this fast tracked to trial. You’ve only seen one video. I have two more. The footage shows my brother walking up to the officers, them having a very normal conversation, and when my brother asked for his son, the officer told him “No.” My brother continued to ask, and the officer put him in cuffs and put him in the car for “protection of the officers.” That was it. No one even raised their voices.

Now. Because this is still in flight, and my brother has plans to sue for wrongful arrest or something…which he’ll lose, I won’t say which department this is, but will post all the details after the case and suite are done.

But here is the thing. Do you know what happened to the three police officers who made up the assault and aggravated battery on a police officer charges with the up to 20 year prison sentence?

Nothing.

Do you know what would have happened to my brother if those ring cameras didn’t kick in? I’m guessing he’d get about 7 years. What’s your guess?

That’s the definition of a police state. They can just make something up to throw you in prison…and in the 1 in a 1000 chance you are able to prove your innocence, nothing happens.

I still nearly tear up at the thought of how close he came. He’s a father of 4 who works for Mitsubishi building generators as a supervisor. And he nearly lost his freedom…for what. I yelled at him “You know never to engage with the police. You know better you fool.” All he could say is…”but my son was over there.” 30K for a lawyer (gone). 5K for the 50K bond (gone) all because you approached police.

I’ll update the results when I can. But more than likely…nothing will happen.

I’m pretty sure Grandpa killed my cousin’s abusive ex-husband.

The ex ticked all the psycho boxes: he was physically, sexually, and verbally abusive. When my cousin finally started the divorce proceedings and got a restraining order, the ex repeatedly violated it. He’d make numerous harassing phone calls daily, show up at her workplace, and was arrested a couple times for trying to force his way into her house. Somehow he’d always make bail and within 24 hours or so be right back at it.

Shortly after the divorce was finalized and she got 100% custody of their son, the psycho broke into her home while she was at work and trashed the house. He left voicemails threatening to kill her. My cousin came and stayed with us for awhile so she could make arrangements to move and would not be home alone.

One day the calls stopped. She stopped seeing his truck around town. My cousin was still scared, it was not like him to just stop, and she figured he had gotten arrested, and would soon be out and back at it again. She said words to that effect one morning at breakfast. There sat Grandpa, reading the paper, with a cup of coffee and a Pall Mall Red. Without looking up he just said, “He won’t bother you again.”

And he didn’t. Going on twenty years and no one has seen or heard of the psycho ex. Grandpa knew something we didn’t, but he died in ’05 so he ain’t telling.

EDIT: to address some of the comments without posting repetitively, I suspect Grandpa got rid of the ex. I do not know if her ex is alive or dead. I don’t know for sure what, if anything Grandpa had to do with it. All I can say for sure is he said the ex wouldn’t bother her again and he hasn’t. Wouldn’t put it past the old man to have done his own problem solving though.

Grand Funk Legend Died & Saw the Afterlife – Mark Farner Tells All!

There are several major lies that are all equally current:

  • China is planning to invade Taiwan.
  • China is oppressing the Uyghurs in Xinjiang (genocide, forced labor, concentration camps, etc.).
  • China is oppressing the Chinese people in general (Xi Jinping is a dictator).
  • China’s economy is a disaster (property market, youth unemployment, demographics, etc.).
  • China can’t innovate; it can only steal IP.
  • China is debt-trapping African countries.

Once, when I was on duty in the Emergency Department during my residency training on a 36-hour shift, I noticed something. Something strange, something that was not normal.

There was this one kid, around 10 years old. I saw him wandering around the emergency department all day long. And just like that, it was midnight. I had time to reflect on the events of that night. That same kid was standing outside. So, I decided to find out what was happening to that boy, why was he wandering around the emergency room all day long by himself?

So when I approached him and asked him if I could help him I saw that he was really upset. After that he tried to avoid my questions but I insisted to find out what was going on with him, he asked if we can talk in a private place.

I took him into an office and he lifted his shirt and showed me a scar on his chest that was obviously from a previous heart surgery.

He confessed that he was looking for the doctor who had performed the surgery on him when he was a baby and asked where to find them.

Of course, I knew the surgeon who had operated on the child. But I insisted on knowing why he had been sitting in the emergency room all day looking for that surgeon.

Then I found out that the surgeon in question not only treated the kid for free, but also paid for all the costs of his surgery (since he didn’t have any kind of insurance) and also visited his home every two months after the surgery, paid his family’s rent, got them food and clothes (note this was years ago).

But for the last one and a half years the surgeon was not seen in the children’s house, and his mother did not even have money to pay the rent. That is why he was searching for him.

Sadly, the kid didn’t know that the surgeon had died a year and a half earlier, and he started crying when I told him.

Later that day I told some of my cardiac surgery friends about the incident. I found out that for the past year and a half since the cardiac surgeon’s death, many people have been coming to the hospital regularly asking where he was! Because no one apparently knew that not only did he pay for their surgeries (for those who were unable to pay), but he also made it his mission to help those people’s entire families. And even his wife and children did not know he did that.

What an incredible, inspiring and fascinating person he was.

He was Brigadier-General Dr. Muhammad Fayez in the Royal Medical Services of the Jordanian Armed Forces.

He was a cardiac surgery consultant and head of the cardiac surgery department when he died of a heart attack at the age of 52.

His typical day started at 8:00am and ended at 11:00pm. He was a talented, dedicated, humble and decent man who preferred to work behind the scenes. Didn’t want fame or fortune. A true human being.

UPDATE – Wife Has Known For 8 YEARS That Her Best Friend’s Husband Punched My Son And NEVER Told Me!

Cosmic Catastrophe: A Space Adventure Gone Awry

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Kayla Flemming

The hum of the spaceship’s engines filled the air as Captain Jackson surveyed the vast expanse of space stretching out before them. They were on a routine mission to explore the far reaches of the Galaxy, charting new star systems and collecting valuable data for the Intergalactic Alliance.But as they ventured further into uncharted territory, a sense of unease settled over the crew. There was something off about this sector of space – a feeling of foreboding that sent shivers down their spines.As they pressed on, their fears were realized when a sudden jolt rocked the ship, sending alarms blaring and lights flashing. Emergency protocols were initiated as the crew scrambled to assess the damage.”What happened?” Captain Jackson barked, his voice tense with urgency.”It looks like we hit some sort of anomaly,” replied Lieutenant Ramirez, her fingers flying across the control panel as she attempted to regain control of the ship.But their efforts were in vain as another jolt shook the vessel, this time more violently than before. Panic gripped the crew as they realized they were hurtling towards a nearby planet, their trajectory set on a collision course that spelled certain doom. 

With time running out, Captain Jackson made a split-second decision – they would attempt a risky maneuver to evade the planet’s gravitational pull and regain control of the ship.

 

“Brace yourselves!” he shouted, his hands gripping the controls with steely determination.

 

As the ship plunged towards the planet’s surface, the crew held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests. But just when it seemed all hope was lost, Captain Jackson’s daring maneuver paid off, and the ship veered away from the planet at the last possible moment.

 

Cheers erupted throughout the cockpit as the crew celebrated their narrow escape from disaster. But their relief was short-lived as they realized they were now adrift in the void of space, their navigation systems fried and their chances of survival dwindling by the second.

 

As they frantically searched for a way to repair the ship and plot a course home, Captain Jackson couldn’t help but wonder what other dangers lurked in the darkness of space, waiting to test their courage and resolve.

 

Despite the chaos that ensued, the crew of the spaceship refused to let fear dictate their actions. With determination in their hearts and a spirit of camaraderie that bound them together, they set out to explore the planet they had narrowly avoided crashing into. As they descended through the atmosphere, they were greeted by a breathtaking landscape unlike anything they had ever seen before – towering mountains, shimmering lakes, and lush forests stretching out to the horizon.

 

Eager to uncover the secrets of this alien world, the crew donned their spacesuits and ventured out onto the surface, their eyes wide with wonder as they took in the sights and sounds of this new frontier.

 

But their sense of adventure soon turned to apprehension as they encountered strange and wondrous creatures lurking in the shadows – creatures with scales as hard as steel, eyes that glowed with an otherworldly light, and voices that echoed through the caverns like whispers from the void.

 

Undeterred, the crew pressed on, their curiosity driving them ever forward in their quest for knowledge and discovery. And though they faced countless challenges and obstacles along the way, their indomitable spirit carried them through, guiding them on a journey of exploration that would change their lives forever.

 

As they prepared to leave the planet behind and return to the safety of their ship, Captain Jackson couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the adventure they had shared together. For in the face of adversity, they had found strength in each other, forging bonds that would withstand the test of time.

 

Amidst the chaos and excitement of their unplanned detour, the crew found moments of levity that brought much-needed relief from the tension of their predicament.

 

From Lieutenant Ramirez’s failed attempts at fixing the ship’s malfunctioning systems to Ensign Johnson’s comical mishaps during their explorations on the planet’s surface, there was never a dull moment aboard the spaceship.

 

Even Captain Jackson, typically stoic and reserved, couldn’t help but crack a smile as he watched his crew stumble their way through one misadventure after another. But amidst the laughter and camaraderie, there was a sense of camaraderie that bound them together, a shared sense of purpose that gave them the strength to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

 

And as they finally set course for home, their ship repaired and their ship repaired and their spirits buoyed by the memories of their cosmic escapades, they knew that no matter what trials awaited them in the vast expanse of space, they would face them together, united in their quest for adventure and discovery.

 

The journey back to their home base was filled with moments of reflection and gratitude. Each member of the crew took the time to appreciate the bonds they had formed and the experiences they had shared during their time in the far reaches of space.

 

Lieutenant Ramirez, with her quick with and unwavering determination, became the heart and soul of the crew, guiding them through even the most challenging of situations with her calm demeanor and steady hand.

 

Ensign Johnson, despite his tendency to stumble into trouble, proved himself to be a valuable asset to the team, his ingenuity and resourcefulness saving them on more than one occasion.

 

And Captain Jackson, with his leadership and courage, inspired his crew to rise above their fears and doubts, leading them through adversity with unwavering resolve. As they neared their home base, a sense of anticipation filled the air. Though their journey had been fraught with danger and uncertainty, they had emerged stronger and more united than ever before.

 

And as they docked their ship and stepped onto solid ground once more, they knew that their adventure was far from over. For as long as there were stars in the sky and unexplored corners of the universe to discover, they would continue to journey forth, together, in search of the next great adventure that awaited them in the cosmos.

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When I was eleven years old, a friend drowned while swimming alone at a local lake. He was alone because I had persuaded a mutual friend who was supposed to go with him, instead, to come visit me at my house, because I was grounded from leaving the house, but I could have a friend come over.

Denny’s was the first funeral I remember attending, and I walked into the funeral home alone. I was terrified and overcome with remorse and shame. Not quite knowing what to do, I slipped in the back and sat in the first chair I saw with no one near it.

Almost immediately, Denny’s mother came over and sat next to me. She said, “This is not your fault. You did not kill Denny. Tragic accidents happen all the time, sweetheart. Don’t carry this through your life. If you do, that will be a tragic accident too. When you leave today, leave any guilt you might feel right here so that we can bury it as well.

Then she hugged me while I cried. I did exactly as she said. And I have never forgotten the witness of her grace.

A MATTER OF SURVIVAL

Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story about a character who wakes up in space. view prompt

Charles Corkery

A MATTER OF SURVIVAL The Shuttle He opened his eyes and knew, immediately, that something was amiss; no headache, no blurred vision, no sluggishness of his central nervous system, no disorientation of any kind. With growing trepidation, he turned to his right and, swallowing his anxiety, gazed at his digital, countdown screen: frozen at 9 years, 5 months, 3 weeks, 6 days and 19 hours. He had been in cryosleep for just 5 hours!What the f**k!Glen Thomas, Commander of Deep Space Shuttle, Commodore V11, noted for his coolness under pressure, began to perspire and panic at the same time. Sitting up, dressed only in khaki briefs and t-shirt, he looked across at the other two cryogenic sleeping pods alongside him and saw the red, illuminated screens of his colleagues ticking down the seconds and minutes in perfect harmony, unlike his own.Flight Engineers, Helen Jones and Matt Weitz slept peacefully inside their transparent cocoons, their body temperatures maintained at a perfect 32 degrees C, in a state of natural hibernation, heart beats slowed, hormones and composition of blood, breathing, cell replication and brain activity all altered for the next nine and a half years, when they would awaken as Commodore V11 reentered Earth’s atmosphere- as he, too, was meant to do. For some reason, his pod had malfunctioned! 

As the man in charge of this mission, Glen had an intimate knowledge of his ship and understood that, once set, the timing device of a stasis pod could not be altered.

 

Nevertheless, heart thumping, he eased himself from the pod zone to the bridge of the craft, floating weightlessly, using his hands to push off bulkheads, hatches and overheads to reach the command centre of the shuttle where all typed modules relating to the workings of the ship were stored.

 

Breathing deeply, trying desperately to calm himself, he pulled down the tome that related directly to the cryogenic chambers and began to read. Within a few minutes, his worst fears were confirmed; the operational clock, once triggered, could not, under any circumstances, be recalibrated. For him, the ability to not age for the next nine and a half years was no longer an option.

 

Okay, okay. Stay calm. That’s not the end of the world, he told himself. Helen and Matt would get a shock when they snapped out of hibernation to find their commander almost a decade older than they remembered, sure. And life for him would be pretty damn unbearable in the interim but he could do it; would do it. Hell, he’d be a hero when they got back; maybe even secure a book deal.

 

Food! Jeez, he’d forgotten about how much sustenance he was going to need to make it through. These shuttles were not overstocked with nutritional products as the majority of travel time was spent in natural hibernation and space food, whether dehydrated, irradiated, freeze dried or thermo- stabilised, still added hugely to fuel costs for every pound stored on board. Time to calculate.

 

An hour later, having entered the nutritional info of every single item of food he had located in the shuttle into the command and data subsystem, including Helen’s specially packaged must haves, Cheetos, and Matt’s, similarly wrapped, Hershey Kisses, and allowing for a ration of 0.58 kilograms per day, he realised, heart plunging, that he had only enough fluids and solids to sustain life for just twelve months!

 

A year later, an emaciated, stinking, full bearded commander entered the pod zone for the first time in weeks. Initially, and for several months, he had checked on his colleagues several times per day but, as time had passed, he had limited himself to a once a week visit, the effort involved just too much for his weakened body. This time though, he had another reason for entering this part of the ship: the knowledge that, within the temperature controlled systems lay several litres of much needed water and he was going to figure out how to drain it. With all food having been consumed, although estimates were varied, it was believed that man could extend one’s life by up to two months living on water alone and there was no reason to maintain the perfect 32 degrees C that his hibernating colleagues were dwelling in.

 

The year had been the toughest of this man’s life. Having nothing to look at except the darkness of deep space that remained unchanged constantly outside the window of the bridge, nobody to talk to except himself, he had, slowly, drifted into semi-insanity. Unable to wash, shave or brush his teeth, with every drop of moisture being so precious, he had, knowingly, allowed himself to become a savage. Wild thoughts entered his mind and he would spend endless, comatose hours debating the rights and wrongs of each. Many, many times, he had considered cutting the power to his colleagues’ cryopods. If he had to suffer so, then why not them, too?

 

He had even thought about opening the pod of Matt Weitz and, while he was still disoriented, pulling him from his sleeping chamber and taking his place; sure that lifting the lid of the pod would not affect the countdown clock. But, always, the still rational part of his brain would win through and talk him out of this murderous act.

 

Many, many times, he had told himself that he should accept his fate, climb down into the sealed exit hatch bay and eject himself out into the void and, twice, had entered this part of the ship, fully intending to do the honourable thing. But, each time, something, whether an inbuilt survival instinct or a fatal optimism, prevented him from carrying through with his plan. He knew that he only had enough food and water to sustain him for twelve months; that death was inevitable. Yet, he could not quit; had to claw on to life, hoping, believing that a miracle might occur. His experience in space had confirmed him in his atheistic outlook and he did not, for one minute, give any credence to the existence of a God but, still, he found himself repeating the mantras that had been drilled into him as a child, brought up in a Christian household.

 

Now, as he drained the water from the tubing that surrounded all three pods, the brownish, foul smelling water seeping into the container he had brought here for this purpose, he looked, once again, at his two colleagues, sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to the torment that he was going through and, against his better impulses, angry and envious thoughts flooded his brain. Why did his pod have to be the one that failed?

 

***

 

Breaking News

 

“We go now to Independence Square, NASA HQ, where NASA Administrator, Bob Nelson, is waiting to talk to us with the latest on the ill fated shuttle. Bob, thanks for coming on. What can you tell us?”

 

“I can now confirm, Mary, that our inquiry has shown, beyond any doubt, that the oxygen supply for the craft had defaulted and was responsible for the demise of our three brave astronauts”.

 

“Did they suffer, Bob?”

 

“No. All three were in hibernation, completely unaware of the system breakdown. They would all have died peacefully and painlessly in their sleep”.

 

“What about their families?”

 

“Well, none of our deep space astronauts are actually married, have children or are in relationships, Mary. It’s not something that is common knowledge but, I’m sure you’ll understand, they are away from home for a very long time. In this case, for example, Commodore V11 was on a twenty year voyage to Pluto and, while the cryogenic sleeping pods ensure that the occupants of the shuttle age only a year or two, the same would not apply to any relatives left on Earth. For that reason, we only train men and women who are prepared to forego a family life, at least until their later years”.

 

“Well, thanks for sharing that, Bob. Makes me wonder why anybody would want to put themselves through that though”.

 

“Mary, these are a very special breed of human; pioneers, if you like. They undertake only one deep space mission in their careers and they are expanding boundaries for the human race and, of course, they get extremely well compensated for it”.

 

If they survive, Bob. If they survive”.

 

***

 

Human Health and Performance (HH+P) Medical and Clinical Unit Secure Ward, Johnson Space Center

 

“Okay, doc, let me have it”.

 

“Well, there’s no way to sugar coat this, Bob. Deep space, deep psychosis. It’s that simple”.

 

“Is he coherent?”

 

“Depends on what you mean by coherent. I can understand what he’s saying but that doesn’t mean he’s talking a whole lot of sense. He’s cognisant of his actions and, in many ways, as repulsive as they were, he was simply reverting to the human’s inbuilt instinct for survival. Throughout history, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar happenings where cannibalism has been a last resort. That plane crash in the Andes, for example. If they hadn’t made that choice to eat their former comrades, those guys would never have survived…”

 

“Difference is, doc, their comrades were already dead. Commander Glen Thomas chose to eat his living colleagues. Big distinction!”

 

“So what now, Bob? That’s the fourth time this has happened in recent years.”

 

“Well, we can never let this get out. It would decimate our entire deep space program budgets. So you know what to do, doc. Same as before. Just make it painless for the poor sap”.

*** 

The Chinese has been targeted since the mid 1800 when the first batch of Chinese went to the US to open up the East West railway lines. They were badly discriminated and I am sure many died. But in those days it is not illegal to kill a Chinese! Of course Anglo Saxon wants the world to forget everything from African slavery to Red Indians culling to Chinese exclusion act now that their victims are all dead and gone!

But so much to western human rights hypocrisy! We will always remember and we will remind you forever! Has anything change? No the white supremacy idea still exists and today Wall Street Journal or Economist still do racism with profit! The western media slur and demonised and get rewarded by the US government with 1.6 billion funding.

it is such a terrible thing to do to use monies instead of helping their 2.5 million homeless on incentives to lie and fabricate on China and the Chinese people. It is Deja Vu all over again. It is Chinese excision act 2025! But this time the world is on the Chinese side. Sure they are dogs and slaves like UK, Australia, Philippines! But there will always be people who stays on the wrong side of history.

I think a lot of it is because China sees little reason to support western countires who are almost universally taking antagonistic attitudes towards China. And what has China done. Basically it has just done better than the west. Funny thing is this is not new. It is repeated time and time again in history. Back in the 19th century the European invasions of China were brought about because the Western world wanted Chinese goods, but there was little that the Chinese wanted from the west, and so the British becaome the biggest drug cartel in the world, effectively forcing opium on the Chinese the same way drug dealers do it today, and then selling to those people. The Chinese government was too weak to do much against it, but at least were able to prevent the west from conquoring China (unlike Inida). Also during the 19th century, Chinese teams working on the American railroads were able to accomplish tasks other teams could not accomplish and were always more productive. For thier good work they were effectively presecuted by vigilanties. This is something that has happened to the Chinese diaspora throughout history. So similar to what has constantly happened to the Jews.

In part because the west is trying to isolate China. and doing western leadership constantly attempts to destroy China, China appears to feel that it is better to build relationships with the 90% that make up the rest of the world, and it has an added benefit in that doing this is economically better given that products and goods from those countries are less expensive than western countries. At the same time it gives Chinese the opportunity to now produce final products and sell them under Chinese brands, so the profit it much greater, and the dependence on the west is greatly reduced. These countries have proven to be a lot more appreciative of the Chinese, and why not. The Chinese products are so much cheaper than the western products, the Chinese are not buying lots of agricultural products from them, Chinese companies are also selling farm equipment at a fraction of the cost of the west to them so that they can be increase production, building factories in the countries (something the west never did to any extent), and significantly helping them build much better infrastructure in the countries. It is a big win for China, and a big win for those countries that struggled so long under Western imperialism and colonialsim and then Western neo-colonialism.

People talk about how China is so hated by the international community, but that is not the international community but the collective west.

China is learning that the doublespeak “International” community (the reality the collective west) is never going to be a friend to China, maybe because the Chinese are not white and have more power. It is much better to get the rest of the world to be with you, and isolate the west so that they can no longer do you any harm. Russia is learning the same lesson because the white people of the west also consider them untermensch. All the better for China.

And to make matters worse for the west the tactic they used in the 19th century will not work in the 21st century, that of forcing China to turn around, bend over and pull down its pants. As proof of this just look how dangerous is will be for the US Navy to operate within well over 1000km of China. This is proven by articles that admit the the F35 does not have enough range.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/hasc-report-finds-that-f-35c-lacks-the-range-to-strike-enemy-targets/

China is now a regional hegemon. Its military can stop dead any attempts to intimidate China. They US is fuming. Nothing it does or can do against China works.

King of the Hill – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

Western imperialism is closely linked to nationalism, racism, white supremacy, and Eurocentrism (America-centrism).

Should people follow the nationalist incitement of their governments and go to kill each other? No!

So-called patriotism, nationalism and chauvinism have always been the gravediggers of the proletariat.

Don’t forget that beyond these claims, there is communism.

Humanity is facing a series of serious problems, namely an insurmountable economic crisis, continuous wars, xenophobia, the impoverishment of the working class, and the destruction of the earth’s ecology, all of which cannot be solved by nationalism.

If we fall into the trap of nationalism, the entire human race will be destroyed. 200 million people died in endless wars in the 20th century alone.

Only by overthrowing this development model in this society can humanity escape this barbaric dead end. This is the message that the working class, especially the younger generation, wants to send to social movements in other countries.

  • In Japan, protests against the explosion and radiation effects of the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been one after another, and there is growing anger about the impact of the economic crisis.
  • In the United States, there have been a series of strikes by workers to protest against their incredible exploitation.
  • In many other countries, we can cite many examples, such as the Arab Spring, Spain, Greece, Bangladesh, etc., where the working class has been massively fired, unemployed and impoverished, and the pressure of work has been increasing.

The solution to so many problems is not nationalism in collusion with the state, but the Class struggle.

We cannot rely on the brutal burning of stores and production bases belonging to “foreign competitors” or calling for a boycott of foreign competitors’ goods to sanction opponents or overcome the crisis.

We need to unite the camp of the working class and then oppose another class camp with our class camp, rather than a conflict between countries.

Our slogan is still: the working class has no motherland and no borders!

We must inherit this internationalist tradition and break the shackles of nationalism.

The rulers want our young generation to swallow the nationalist pill, that is, the rulers threaten each other every day and launch propaganda for war. But we must firmly put forward our different proposals – Class struggle.

Only in this way can mankind not usher in the Third World War and not perish.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Mb_mknCk4

There is a scene in the Japanese film ‘Break Through! (パッチギ!, Patchigi!) ’:

The teacher takes out a copy of ‘Chairman Mao’s Quotations’ and introduces it to the students, saying, ‘Chairman Mao of China tells us this…’

Student: ‘Teacher, have you ever been to China?’

Teacher: ‘No, I haven’t, but I know.’

The students don’t give a damn. Then the teacher continues, ‘The world is yours and ours, but in the end it is yours. There is only one way to eliminate war…’

Student: ‘Is it the atomic bomb?’

Teacher: ‘Idiot, war originates from conflict among classes. Eliminating class differences can eliminate war. This is Chairman Mao’s theory.’

40 Brutal Truths I Wish I Knew in My 20s

1. Don’t become good at something you hate.

2. Go to bed and wake up at the exact same time every day.

3. Take care of your body; it’s the only one you have.

4. Stay close to people who want more for you, not from you.

5. Normalize leaving people in the reality they’ve chosen.

6. Being humble is thinking of yourself less, not thinking less of yourself.

7. You get tested the most when it’s your time to level up.

8. Improve yourself daily—make that your only addiction.

9. You teach people how to treat you.

10. Admit you’ve walked through the wrong door instead of staying in the wrong room.

11. Waiting for a sign is a sign.

12. Nothing you’ve gone through has made you weaker.

13. Everything wants you when you want nothing.

14. Be willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time to be successful.

15. When things get easy, go hard.

16. Only ask for advice from people who have been where you want to go.

17. The word “No” is a complete sentence.

18. Don’t dim your light to make others comfortable.

19. Have a primary aim for your life.

20. Stop reading books, start studying them.

21. Always assume positive intent.

22. Put your own mask on first before helping others.

23. Look for problems, don’t avoid them.

24. Your new life will cost you your old one.

25. Confidence comes from keeping commitments you make to yourself in private.

26. Dedicate a decade, not a day, to your goals.

27. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

28. Tell people about themselves; acknowledge their strengths.

29. If you keep running into bad people, you may be the problem.

30. Avoid drama and gossip at all costs.

31. Fear gives bad advice.

32. It’s never too late to change.

33. Get rid of all your vices.

34. If you’re addicted to your phone, your life isn’t interesting enough.

35. Take on as much responsibility as you can.

36. Don’t blame anyone else but yourself for your circumstances.

37. Be blissfully dissatisfied with where you’re at in life.

38. Make time for what matters to you.

39. Respect comes from admiration, not fear.

40. Life is a mirror, not a window.

battery
battery


Imagine walking around with a nuclear cell phone! The concept is not that farfetched after Chinese company Betavolt developed a battery the size of a coin that runs on nuclear energy and lasts for an incredible five decades. The technology is also applicable to drones and laptops and the energy density is 10 times more powerful than standard lithium-ion batteries of the same size.


Earth’s first miniaturized atomic energy system

Betavolt’s nuclear battery uses 63 nuclear isotopes positioned within a thumb-sized module. The energy created by the decaying isotopes is converted into electricity, a concept that has existed since the 20th century.

Startup Betavolt has begun pilot testing ahead of mass production for commercial purposes, and future applications include smartphones, drones, and laptops. They’re not the only company looking into similar technology, though. Australia’s PhosEnergy is also in the game after the Department of Defence awarded them $2.3 million to develop extra-long-life batteries.


Betavolt said in a statement:

“If policies permit, atomic energy batteries can allow a mobile phone to never be charged, and drones that can only fly for 15 minutes can fly continuously. Our atomic energy batteries can provide enduring power in diverse scenarios, such as aerospace, AI equipment, medical devices, microprocessors, advanced sensors, small drones, and micro-robots.”


The development of miniaturized nuclear batteries

Betavolt’s initial nuclear design delivers 100 microwatts of power and 3V voltage. It’s only 15x15x5 cubic millimeters big, which is great news for smaller electronic devices like phones. Betavolt’s plan includes developing a battery with 1 watt of power by 2025.

Scientists have been looking into the development of miniature nuclear batteries for many years. The US and the Soviet Union explored nuclear battery technology for use in underwater systems, remote science stations, and spacecraft. In those early days, however, the hardware was bulky and costly.

Aside from China, research institutions in Europe and America are also working on similar projects. The groundbreaking tech may revolutionize the world of electronics by removing the need to charge devices.


Design and safety of miniature nuclear batteries

Betavolt is certain that the design of their battery ensures its safety. It’s built with a layered structure to prevent it catching fire or exploding when exposed to a sudden force. The battery can also operate under a wide range of temperatures, from -60°C to 120°C.

Betavolt created the nuclear battery using nickel-63 as the energy source, which is a radioactive element. Diamond semiconductors are used to convert the energy to electricity. The single-crystal semiconductor is 10 microns thick, and a two-micron-thick nickel-63 sheet is placed between two converters. The energy that’s released as the radioactive element decays is what’s converted into an electrical current to power the device.


What about dangerous radiation?

Obviously, the main concern about nuclear energy is radiation. Betavolt is so confident of their battery’s safety that they claim it can be used to power medical devices inside the body, such as cochlear implants or pacemakers. After the radioactive element has finished decaying, a stable, harmless, non-radioactive isotope of copper is left behind, which has no environmental threat.

Betavolt’s BV100 battery is more secure compared to standard batteries. It does not explode or catch fire when exposed to high temperatures or punctured, making it a safer option.


Minimizing the risk

Betavolt claims the energy density of its miniature battery is 10 times higher than lithium-ion batteries. But they haven’t said much about the risk of beta radiation poisoning. The nickel-63 isotope releases beta radiation and converts it into electricity.

Beta particles are low-mass, high-speed, high-energy electrons that aren’t very dangerous. They can’t travel far as an X-ray or carry as much energy as an alpha particle. Although beta particles have sufficient impact to pierce several millimeters of skin, just a small amount of shielding is sufficient to provide suitable protection.

The biggest risk would come from swallowing one of these batteries, similar to the risk of standard lithium-ion batteries. Betavolt believes the potential of such long-life batteries outweighs the risks, and that their measures to make them safe for use in robotics and autonomous systems will ensure the public is safe.

Betavolt says this development puts the country of China “way ahead” of European and American scientific institutions and enterprises researching similar power sources. Production of the nuclear batteries has entered the pilot stage and mass production is expected to begin in 2025.


This news is brought to you by http://Diary24.com by Kelly L. October 9, 2024

The Iron Dome was not designed to defend against ballistic missiles, and definitely not the hypersonic missiles that Iran possesses.

Israel’s Iron Dome was designed principally against the low velocity short range home made rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza. It is adequate for those purpose given that Hamas does not possessed very many of those rockets. Even for low velocity weaponries such as Drones, Israel’s enemies can overwhelmed the Iron Dome by SWARMING the skies with it.

There are no missile system that exist currently in Western inventories, including those of Israel, that could effectively defend against a barrage of ballistic missiles – Iran had demonstrated that in its recent attacks when MOST of its missiles hit their target in Israel.

ADDITIONALLY, Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon had forced the evacuation of Israeli occupiers from Northern Israel by launching drones and rockets. The Iron Dome was not able to STOP those threats.

Should this war continue to ESCALATE, you will likely see the complete destruction of Israeli infrastructure – water supplies, electricity, port etc – because Israel and its allies just does not have the means to defend against those missiles that Iran and Hezbollah are known to possessed.

Some interesting pictures

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Hawaiian Steak

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Ingredients

  • Individual steaks, 1/2 inch thick or less
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Pineapple slices
  • 1 large can mushrooms

Instructions

  1. Punch both sides of each steak well with a fork, then marinate for 24 to 36 hours in a marinade made by combining soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and sugar.
  2. Simmer steaks on a low fire for 10 minutes in the marinade.
  3. Remove them and place steaks in a 350 degree F oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of meat. Three minutes before removing steaks, place a pineapple slice on each.
  4. To make gravy, slowly sauté a large can of mushrooms in butter. While doing so, boil down the sauce used for the marinade to make a gravy.
  5. Combine mushrooms and reduced marinade sauce.
  6. Serve individual steaks with the pineapple on top, over which has been poured a generous amount of gravy.

He was brought to the ER in cardiac arrest. Feeble pulse, BP not recordable, he was connected to a ventilator.

He is your old case, the resident reminded me. I look at him. A flashback appears

Flashback

Despite my poor face-recognition software I remembered our last conversation.

‘Doctor, I stopped the medicine you gave and started this new ayurvedic medicine for diabetes, which I came across in Google search. I started it, now 3 months, and see the lab results, they are perfect’ he threw the lab test results on my table diffidently, with a look of someone who won a boxing match without a single punch. ‘And no side effects by the way’ the sarcasm was clear in his voice. Years of medical practice endowed me with the non-stick ‘mental coating’ that make me smile.

‘I am not the manufacturer of pills, and I don’t gain or lose by your choosing to take a pill’ I silently remind myself.

But yes, his blood sugar values were normal.

Fact Check

Diabetes is elevated blood sugar, and we know its consequences. Blood vessels, from heart to brain, from eyes to kidneys tend to get blocked in diabetes; leading to stroke, heart attack, kidney disease and loss off vision. But why does it happen? That’s still not clear, even if you read through every line of the 1250 pages of the latest edition of Joslin’s Text Book of Diabetes. Today we know that diabetes comes with a host of conditions like obesity, hypertension, low HDL and elevated triglyceride (known as metabolic syndrome) and could all be partially responsible for the development of vascular complications of diabetes.. Discovery of hyperinsulinemia (increased insulin levels) as the prime driver in type 2 diabetes has added a new dimension. The present understanding is that diabetes is a biochemical orchestra gone wrong, and high blood sugar may be just one single player. Reprimand him, throw him out, but your orchestra still doesn’t improve.

A study published in Lancet show that in a diabetic lowering of blood pressure and LDL cholesterol gives significant reduction of cardiovascular events but the quantum of benefit of lowering sugar is far lesser and has a J curve (more lowering may actually harm; even in the normal range).

A recent Swedish registry data published in New England Journal of Medicine shows that in a diabetic, lowering of blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and stopping smoking along with blood sugar control conclusively prevent a heart attack, while only control of blood sugar doesn’t.

A researcher has aptly commented that ‘Diabetes is a cardiovascular disease with elevated blood sugar’. Control blood sugar, you could still be in danger.

The FDA now insists that all diabetic drugs should prove benefit in terms of cardio-vascular event reduction in large trials to be eligible for approval for treatment of diabetes. Mere sugar lowering won’t do.

I could see the big picture, at least a part of it. At least I knew that our knowledge is shallow. The myopic man, contended with a normal blood sugar value, lying helplessly still, connected to a host of tubes and a beeping monitor was blissfully unaware.

I don’t build my house myself; I trust the architect. I don’t stich my shirt, the tailor has my confidence. I believe that the local taxi driver knows roadblocks better than Google.

Funny that we all believe Google more than our doctor.

Not funny for the sobbing relatives, sitting outside the ICU praying for him to get well.

China has successfully developed a new type of standing oblique detonation ramjet engine, which has high energy conversion efficiency and strong adaptability, and is of great significance to improving rocket launch performance, reducing costs and deep space exploration.

The standing oblique detonation ramjet is actually a rocket engine that uses a special combustion mode. Its design is inspired by the propagation characteristics of the explosion wave. It generates powerful thrust by colliding the fuel and oxidizer at a high speed at a specific angle and triggering an explosion.

The standing oblique detonation ramjet engine not only has high working efficiency and long continuous working time, but also has great advantages in structure. The engine does not require any rotating or moving parts. It only uses the three parts of the air intake, hydrogen fuel injector and combustion chamber to form the whole device. Standing oblique detonation ramjet engines can only work under hypersonic airflow.

When a hypersonic aircraft flies in the air, the shockwave not only will make it difficult for the engine’s fuel to burn, but will also cause turbulence on the fuselage surface, causing the aircraft to vibrate violently in a short period of time that affects control, and may even cause the fuselage to disintegrate.

The aircraft thus has to be made into a special streamlined structure called wave rider. Its leading edge can “ride” on the shock wave in the hypersonic airflow, which will not cause vibration of the aircraft body, but make full use of the energy of the shock wave to maintain the stability of the flight attitude.

With the standing oblique detonation ramjet engine, the aircraft can fly at a speed of more than 5 times the speed of sound. With the wave rider technology, the aircraft can maintain a stable and controllable attitude during high-speed flight. The combination of the two technologies has laid a strong foundation for the breakthrough of the future military science and technology in China.

This technological breakthrough not only demonstrates China’s profound strength in aerospace science and technology, but also indicates that future spacecraft will have greater maneuverability and a wider range of applicability.

The uniqueness of this engine lies in its suitability for high-speed flight, especially in the field of hypersonic flight. Current aircraft can only reach speeds of several times the speed of sound, but with the help of this engine, aircraft can reach higher speeds, higher altitudes and longer distances.

This type of engine is mainly used in high-tech and high-efficiency industrial fields. For example, they play a vital role in industries such as aerospace, shipbuilding, power generation equipment, and heavy machinery. With its excellent performance and reliability, this type of engine provides strong power support for these industries and promotes technological progress and industrial development.

In terms of energy supply, they can improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption. In the field of transportation, whether it is cars, trains or planes, high-performance engines can improve operating efficiency and passenger experience. In the field of medical equipment, precision engine technology provides a more stable power source for medical devices, thereby improving the quality of medical services.

I went to see my new Internist with an itchy rash all over my body. My dermatologist had prescribed an antibiotic for a localized skin infection, and then gone out of town. I am allergic to a few antibiotics, but had never had an issue with this type before.

My internist entered the exam room, lifted one of my arms by the wrist and rotated it to see each side. He dropped it in my lap and said, “Doesn’t look too bad.” I told him I was a bit worried because of the previous allergic reactions I had experienced to antibiotics in the last few months (I was having chronic sinus infections at the time). He left the room without explanation and came back with a bottle of calamine lotion. He explained how to apply it. I looked at him skeptically and asked how it would help if the rash was caused by a medication I had taken orally. He sighed loudly several times and said, somewhat facetiously, “Well, just take Benedryl if you are so worried.” I said I had been told never to take Benedryl with the several medications I was taking for my autoimmune condition, as well as an SSRI and Benzodiazepine.

He became angry, and shouted, “Well then what do you want me to do?!” I pulled away from him on the edge of the exam table, as I meekly explained that I was usually given 5mg of prednisone for a few days for this type of reaction. “Do you even know how that medication works?” He spat at me. At the time, I was a pretty new college student and was also not great at reading sarcasm. I didn’t know he was asking a rhetorical question, so I answered him thoroughly, explaining the mechanism of action of corticosteroids for inflammation. His face got red and his eyes narrowed. “How do you know that? How do you know any of that?” I calmly reminded him I was a premed student studying biology, and that I liked to know what medications did before I took them. I was confused about his level of aggression, but I felt cornered and didn’t know what to do other than assert myself in as calm of a manner as I could. That is what I had been taught to do.

“Well, well…you know way too much for a girl. Especially a girl your age. This is very inappropriate for you to know this.” He stood up from his stool and walked out the door. I was frantically trying to figure out what I had done wrong. I started to cry. I called my mom and tried to tell her what had happened, hoping she could tell me what I missed. She said, “Hold on, he is calling on the other line.” She took the call. She later told me he told her the same he had said to me— that I knew too much, that my level of knowledge was inappropriate, and she cut him off, and said “Dr. ——, it sounds like you have a personal issue. What is inappropriate is this phone call.” She clicked back into my call and just said, “Leave. There’s something wrong with him.” I had not signed a release for him to speak with anyone about me, so technically, it was a HIPAA violation for him to contact my mom. He also contacted one of my specialists, who wouldn’t take his call. He left a message. I had not signed a release for them to speak either, as this was a new internist I was seeing. I am glad I did not, and glad I did not continue to see him.

Recently, I was seeing my current doctor, and out of habit, apologized for sounding like a know-it-all about a specific topic we were discussing. He said, “Never apologize for your knowledge. Never. It is one of your greatest attributes.” I told him I wished all doctors felt that way, and he responded, “If they don’t, it’s their problem, not yours.” Twelve years later, it really felt good to hear that.

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure – 1950s Super Panavision 70

Worst feeling: being told my daughter needed life threatening surgery on her skull, and that without it, she would end up with permanent brain damage due to premature closure of the growth plates in her skull.

I took my daughter to the doctors just for her yearly health check and was given this news. The diagnosis was Saethre–Chotzen syndrome.

About six months later, watching her head growing deformed by the day, she was finally admitted to Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne, Australia).

The following day, she was wheeled into surgery. I kissed her goodbye as she went to sleep under the anaesthetic, not expecting her to make it. The doctor looked grim. The dozen or so staff in the surgery theatre were silent. I was ushered away.

The neurosurgeon said before I left that if all went well, she’d be in surgery for 3-4 hours. The subsequent nine hours were the longest in my life.

Afterwards, the neurosurgeon said it was worse than he had suspected and he had to remove her entire skull from the ears up and completely rebuild it with dissolvable plates.

To then see her afterwards in ICU looking like this…

I was a mess. My wife wouldn’t fall apart for another few days.

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Don’t get me wrong, the hospital team are the best in the world. That night, as my wife lay beside my daughter’s ICU bed, she whispered to me ‘She’s going to pull through. I’m not worried about that now, but how the hell are we going to pay for all this?’


The best feeling for me, exceeding any joy that preceded it in my 50 years on Earth, was listening to my daughter singing the entire song Let it go from the movie Frozen, verbatim in Spanish (of all things) from a YouTube clipping she had watched the day before. She was doing this while building a sandcastle on the beach. It was a year post-op. Weird thing was, she didn’t know Spanish and could only speak English and Thai.

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I don’t know if God exists, but angels certainly do.

BTW, my wife, who comes from Thailand, still can’t believe that healthcare is free here in Australia (paid for via our taxes).

In fact, Israel has only one front at war: the residual military value of the US.

All provocative actions taken by Israel are aimed at making it increasingly difficult for the US to tolerate the damage it has suffered in terms of international influence, and attempting to ultimately force the US to deploy military force into the Middle East.

As one of the most valuable political legacies of the founding fathers of the US, Jews were almost excluded from the core of the military system and appointed solely around economic operations, which to some extent ensured the security of the US and the world. Now, this design is gradually taking effect: fanatical Zionist zealots have to use extremely poor methods to try to manipulate the US military power – that is almost the only value left that America can be plundered by Zionists.

Subsequently, Zionists will attempt to expand/transfer their influence, they will try to parasitize regions such as Ukraine, HK, and India or somewhere else. Now, tens of thousands of Israelis have gone abroad to Ukraine, which is a country lacking defense capabilities of them. They are trying to bribe HK officials to let them in. Basically, they plan to give up on the US after draining it, maybe also Israeli land itself.

But I don’t think this behavior will succeed. Israel has offended almost all major countries on Earth at the same time. Israel is attempting to harm American interests and deceive and fool the US. The negotiation process between Israel and Lebanon was guaranteed by the national credibility of Britain and France, then Israel broke it. Israel attempted to interfere with China’s reunification process. It tried to intimidate Chinese UN peacekeeping soldiers. Israel directly conflicts with Russia on the battlefield. I can continue to list, but let’s save our time.

Honestly, I can’t see in which way this newly founded country can continue to exist, or even this outdated civilization.

Loyal Husband Catches Wife With Best Friend – She’s Toast & He’s Lawyering Up

Harsh lessons learned while in a harsh place

China’s red line was for the US to not go beyond the 38th parallel line. Therefore the US was badly beaten.

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My GF Tearfully Blamed The Hallmark Channel & Red Wine After Cheating Cost Her A Ring

Yes

The same old nonsense of the working population collapse

Let’s study first whether indeed there will be a catastrophic collapse and why only China will be affected

What does decline in working population mean?

It’s simple

It means that in an Economy – the people who work and earn a living are becoming lesser and lesser while those who are dependent on those who work and earn a living – are becoming higher and higher

This ideally happens under 3 Conditions:-

A. Rapidly Ageing population due to dramatic rise in standards increasing lifespans to a large extent

B. Rapid rise in Childbirth, almost at 3.5–4 times the normal rate

C. Major War with a lot of conscription and deaths

Obviously B can be ruled out for China and C is highly unlikely given that WWII type of decimation is unlikely unless Nukes are used

So that leaves A – Rapidly Ageing Population

Now the general belief is that today there are 272.66 Million people older than 55 years old today

That’s 19.26%

It is estimated that this number is likely to rise to as much as 32.02% by 2054 and 41.04% by 2075

Let us look at the five things about China that nobody else or very few know about:-

A. Chinese Retire on an Average at 55 years – 58 Years against 64–67 Years in Western Nations.

So today there are almost 59.8 Million Chinese who are deemed RETIRED in China but who are deemed WORKING in the West

If you just change the 55–58 into 64–67 , the numbers change to 15.92% in 2025, 26.36% in 2054 and 34.59% in 2075

This alone sees the working population rise from 46.8% in 2075 to 53.8% in 2075

B. Chinese have a largest savings in the planet – Typically a Chinese saves 45% against 19%-33% by Western Nations.

Thus Chinese Elderly People have extremely comfortable savings as compared to Americans or Europeans who have very little savings

C. Healthcare, Education and Food Distribution is STATE OWNED in Entirety –

Unlike the US where a Doctor can charge a Million and a Half Bucks for a procedure, in China everything is State Owned and Capped

Thus the Cost to keep an Old Man healthy is much much cheaper than in the West

Likewise Education is State owned and Food is price controlled – so Feeding people is much much cheaper in China and Educating Kids is also much cheaper

So the cost of keeping an Old Man alive is less than maybe a third in equivalent terms to keep an Old Man alive in US or Europe

D. Older People are changing generation by generation

Those who will turn 60+ in 2030–2050 would have been born post 1970–1990 and there would be a 64% chance of them being an Engineering Graduate and 35.3% chance of them being a an Engineering Post Graduate

They aren’t the same old people today who were born between 1930–1950 who are less educated, peasants and mainly laborers in a China where the middle class was barely 5%

The Quality of Elderly will rise dramatically, they will be investing and playing a far more proactive role in Society than today’s 60–90 year olds

Just look at Myself, Nagarajan Srinivas and Gopalkrishna Vishwanath and Subhash Mathur

We are far more active, definitely invest more, and play a proactive role in society than three 70 year olds in the 1990s

Unfortunately those who are Actuarians presume the Old People will always be the same dependent older generations, not realizing that the newer generation of older people would be far more proactive

Imagine someone like Anbazhagan Ambrose or Ravi Sundararaman in their sixties or seventies

They would be even more proactive

Same with China too

E. Work and it’s Nature will transform completely

Impossible to believe today’s definition of WORK is the same as that of 2075

For the same analysis – let’s see the ideal job in 1973 China and most Chinese were farmers or worked in State owned industries as longshoremen or unskilled laborers

In India the middle class were Govt employees and Teachers and others were farmers and tenant laborers and daily wage laborers

Today it’s different

It will be way different in 2075

Manual Jobs would be at an all time minimum and most jobs would need skills and analysis

So a large working class population would be a major NEGATIVE not a positive

The US Port strike against Automation is the best example

No such strikes in China

They love Automation for the exact same reason

So no need to get too worried

My guess is somehow if the world moves on past 2030, China will be in the best position by 2075–2100

Emily Heneisen

I duck behind a crumbling wall, dropping to my knees on cold dirt. The sharp edge catches my shoulder, the jagged brick ripping open my skin. Burning pain shoots through my arm, a silent cry squeezing its way through my throat. And that’s all it is: a soundless echo of pain, a reverberation that I refuse to give voice to. I clamp my mouth shut, hoping my moment of shock was inaudible in the night air. The taste of metal– of copper– coats my mouth and I realize I’ve bitten my tongue in the frenzy. I open my mouth again and spit crimson onto the dirt. Cody always said I had the grace of an elephant. Here I am, proving him right. My large belly doesn’t help matters; it is both my greatest blessing and most frequent inconvenience. But I won’t trade my baby for the world and neither will Cody. Despite the fire crackling underneath my skin and inside my veins, I will myself to breathe slowly through my mouth. I’m quieter this way, harder to track down.I made sure to cover my tracks when I escaped the citadel, but it was difficult to avoid the mud puddles near the outer rim of the city. I hope they couldn’t see any tracks in the darkness. Only the wealthy can afford fire or lights, and the cost is steep. The death of the sun forced new generations to be born with bigger eyes and better senses. While I can see faint shapes and outlines, I rely mostly on my other senses. I was born into the eternal night, and the absence of the sun is as normal to me as breathing, but that doesn’t mean I want the same for my son.These soldiers are older and less evolved to the permanent darkness. That’s why, if I can remain quiet, I have a chance of escape. The entrance of the alley will look like nothing more than a shadow on the bricks. The soldiers may be tasked with hunting me and retrieving what I stole, but I know they won’t waste their precious fire to find me. It would cost them more to replace a matchstick than the reward for my capture is worth. If they knew what was in my pocket, though, they would use all the torches in their arsenal.I hear hurried footsteps down the street. I press my back onto the brick wall, perhaps hoping to sink into it altogether. My pregnant belly sticks out far, too far. I may as well call out to my pursuers altogether. I turn my body so that my back faces the entrance of the alley. The position is risky. I can’t see anything but the dead end in front of me, although I suppose it won’t matter if they catch me. I am a mouse caught in a trap, and I’m praying for the cat to miss me. I push against the brick until I feel the pressure of a metal canister digging into my hip. I’m not sure what happens if the metal cracks, but I don’t want to risk finding out. As the footsteps– a lethal thunder of raging soldiers– draw nearer, I cease breathing altogether. If they find me, if they notice the tiny alley I’d taken cover in, everything we’d done for the past two years would be for nothing. All the planning, the observing, the fighting… all in vain if I was caught now.Flashes of green eyes pull me from my fear. His infectious laugh and his sideways smirk fill my senses. Cody. I have to escape the city for him, for our baby. He already laid out the plan. Now, I just have to follow it. I repeat the plan in my head, focusing only on him as the army gets closer to my position. I squeeze my eyes shut as the stomping grows louder and louder, nearer and nearer.And then they pass by, as though they can’t see the alley at all. I don’t feel the heat of torches, either. I was right. I stay in the alley for a few minutes as the army shuffles by, oblivious to the thief only a few feet away. They would kill for the canister in my pocket if they knew what was inside. Cody and I had killed for it. Now, I just have to get to the meeting point and it will all be over. We’ll be free. I wait until the marching is gone entirely. I will not risk a stray guard turning to find me. When I leave the alley, the street is empty once more. I dart across the cobblestone road, cutting across the path I was taking earlier. Cody meticulously crafted our plan, and I’m following it with precision. My heart clenches at the thought of him. He’s still in the citadel, distracting government leaders with that charm of his. They don’t know he’s in on the plan. Hopefully, they won’t discover his betrayal until we’re already beyond the towering walls of the city.I stumble through the small, humble town, a stark contrast to the towering, glass buildings and crystal chandeliers further south. Once, when the sun still lit up the sky, the citadel may have been beautiful. It is nearly impossible to see it in the dark. Now, it is remembered for its cold cruelty and busy noise. Perhaps the glass buildings are prettier than these wood cottages, but I’ll always associate them with the icy indifference of the government that now hunted me.I weave through side streets to avoid the market squares. They’re small, but even a few extra people is a risk I’m not willing to take. The path is winding, constantly taking me through narrow passageways. Some are merely cramped, but others force me to enter them backward to avoid crushing my stomach. Narrow, indeed.“Almost there,” I dare to whisper. I don’t know if I’m reassuring the baby or myself. The cobble road morphs into a wooded path, the stones fading into the dirt and grass. I stand at the entrance of the northern forest, a few miles from the citadel. I turn, and I can see the large screen above the main tower, a giant square of black that barely stands out from the night sky behind it. They only turn it on when they need to broadcast an important message. Anything else would be a waste of light. I face the woods again, and I can make out a tiny cottage just past the tree line. It’s worn down, the thatched roof caving in on the right side. Whoever lived here before had been gone for a long while.Once inside the cottage, I can barely make out shapes. The dim light of the moon doesn’t reach through the trees, and I’m left in pitch black. I feel my way around the room, stumbling into forgotten chairs and a dusty table. Suddenly, a bright light shines through the broken window. The screen above the citadel illuminates the sky. My heart sinks as I see the face displayed for the whole city to see.Traitor. Cody Fletcher is executed on charges of treason.Executed. I can’t breathe. Cody didn’t make it out in time. Those emerald eyes… I’ll never see them again. He’ll never hold me close or brighten my day. He’ll never meet his son.I reach into my pocket, pulling out the metal canister. We spent years planning this moment. He is supposed to be here with me. We knew the risks when we started the whole damn thing, but I never expected to lose him. I sink to my knees in the cottage as the light on the screen shuts off. The world was horribly quiet, and dark. So, so dark.“You’ll grow up knowing your father did everything for you,” I whisper down to my belly. “This was all for you.” I twist the top of the can open, and sparkling gold washes over me. For the first time in my life, I bathe in the warm glow of real sunlight. We never found out how the government obtained it, but we didn’t care. I am holding the only remnant of our dead star. Hopefully, my son will grow up in a world of light and happiness, and not the cold dark that I am accustomed to. Looking at the golden light, I think of Cody. His smile was just as bright as the sunlight pooling against the metal of the can. I prayed he would watch over the baby and see that our plan worked.

Badly Attacked! Assassination Attempt on Ibrahim Traoré as West Goes Insane!

Someone bumped into my car and refused to pay for the repair, so I had to sue. She said I didn’t stand a chance because she worked at the country’s biggest car insurance agency and had access to the best of the best in terms of preparing for the trial.

This was small claims court, so no lawyers allowed, but she brought one of the agency’s lawyers anyway. Both of them yelled against me throughout the hearing, hardly letting me say a word. In addition, I was not up to par language wise because I’d only lived in the country for a few years. The judge limited herself to listening to them and nodding.

At last the judge turned to me. All I could utter was “B-but this is how trials are held in this country? Whoever yells more wins?!” to which the judge said “Exactly. That’s what I wanted to say – that is not how a trial works.” She then explained (for the sake of educating the public, as judges are supposed to do when appropriate) all that the woman and her lawyer had done that is forbidden in a courtroom. She also ruled additional compensation for me as punishment to them.

I lived in Tokyo for about 12 years and in Beijing for about 5. I left Tokyo for Beijing. I currently live in Shanghai. My answer to your question is ‘neither’… but if my choice was limited to these 2 cities and my work/life offering being perfectly equivalent, I would probably select (again) Beijing.

As most people pointed out, the biggest drawback living in Beijing is the pollution. That is the key reason I moved to Shanghai. Beyond that, the 2 cities are so different you will find good and bad things on both side and your choice will be determined by other factors than the cities’ features.

Choosing Tokyo instead of Beijing may seems a no-brainer considering the quality of services, internet ‘freedom’ and the visual/culinary esthetics of Japan. Talking Japanese is far easier to learn than Chinese among many other advantages that I am certain many will point-out and I used to appreciate greatly.

But…

These capital cities and their respective countries are currently taking a very different trajectory. China is generally progressing while Japan is taken into a slow spiral of regression which is painful to watch.

It’s easy to live well in Tokyo if you create your own comfortable bubble and blind yourself from the massive pile-up of social and environmental issues Japan is stacking against itself. By all means, choose Tokyo if you plan to live this way.

I personally prefer to be surrounded by optimistic Beijingers who have witnessed rapid positive changes and have become accustomed to try and integrate new ideas.

Beijing is not the rest of China and many massive, morally challenging (to say the least) problems are left to be addressed. The question is, do you prefer to be living in a place climbing rapidly upward or moving slowly downward?

I was a teenager.

I was attacked by a very large group of youths/teenagers/men it was 10+. It was pretty relentless. I remember my vision going blurred and it going pink before being knocked unconscious.

I woke up black and blue in hospital with a lot of broken bones and pretty much had to undergo multiple surgeries to put me back together again. Apparently they were jumping up and down on my head. To this day parts of my body hurt from this and some of the scars are still there despite 30+ years of fading.

My father saved me by going out and smashing the attackers to bits making them run away.

The police were not particularly interested and nobody was ever charged with it. The attackers actually were called cowards because they had to gang up on me. We moved away from that area and after that we always kept guns in the house. I kept guns in my homes.

I bounced back by simply living well. I recovered enough to go to 6th form college, but decided to explore a bit. I ended up meeting Liam setting up my own business and out performing every single one of those people almost all of them went on the dole and stayed there for the next 20 years 😀 :D.

It’s funny too as these useless fucks who’ve done nothing but suck up dole money think they’re the master race. You’d be surprised how many british are you deserved to be attacked! Only whites can live in the UK!

I laugh even harder as their country declines.

Woman Plans Girls Trip Without Him knowing and He DUMPS Her INSTANTLY

In my opinion, the US military is in decline…

  • it has a recruitment and morale crisis
  • it has a maintenance crisis, where ships and planes are heavily backlogged
  • it has not faced a peer adversary militarily since the Second World War
  • it has not had a significant military victory since the Second World War—it lost in Vietnam and Afghanistan!
  • its advanced military tech has reliability issues (e.g., the USS Gerald R. Ford’s EMALS and the F-35)
  • the Pentagon conducted numerous war games involving China and found that China won in every instance!

China’s military is extremely capable…

  • China has 232X the shipbuilding capacity of the USA, according to a leaked US Navy briefing—this means that China can much more easily replenish its lost ships
  • China bristles with A2/AD missiles, including hypersonic ones
  • China has the world’s largest navy, including formidable ships like the Type 055 heavy destroyer, the Type 052D destroyer, the Type 003 aircraft carrier, etc.
  • the J-20 Mighty Dragon is a frighteningly capable stealth fighter every bit the equal of the F-22 Raptor—and China has many more of them

A war in China’s own backyard gives China an overwhelming home field advantage. The US military would have a serious logistical problem.

In 2013, I got an excited call from my mom. She told me “I’ve won $2 million in the lottery, well, there’s a two in there somewhere, and I’ve decided to give it to you! I know you want to buy a house so badly.”

OK. I said I’d be right over. Arriving at my mom’s apartment, I saw her holding a large manilla envelope with “OFFICIAL DOCUMENT” and ”YOU’VE WON!” printed on it. On closer inspection, of course, there was tiny type that said “if you are holding the winning numbers.” The appeal on the inside was for her to send $25 “for processing.”

I looked down at a pile of mail that had accumulated mail. There were several envelopes like this one; apparently they hadn’t convinced her she was a “winner.” I also discovered that she had been sending blank checks to pay her bills, and had been putting all purchased on her credit cards, which now had a combined balance of over $20k. She could not write a check, but she knew how to get to the mall and whip out a piece of plastic.

I scolded her. I told her an educated woman like her should know a scam when she saw it. I think I even wrote “official document” on a napkin to show how it worked. I proceeded to toss all the envelopes in her recycling bin.

Mom yelled and lunged at me, recuing the lottery envelopes. “Someone has to win, and it could be me!” Her best friend was coming for dinner that night. I told her to please ask her friend (a younger and sensible teacher) about her opinion, and to gt rid of these if Friend said so.

I went home knowing what I suspected was true. Mom undeniably had dementia. She had been acting erratically for a few years, but I chalked it up to “mom being mom” and mom’s insistent “I’m old, of course I forget things!”

It took me all of 2014 and into 2015 to get her diagnosed. Finally, in February of 2015 she had an unexplained fall in her apartment, breaking 3 ribs. Her landlord, who heard her yelling and called me and we went to the ER. That incident was the first domino in me getting her tested for dementia (she failed the 30-question, getting an 8 out of 30. I got an MRI and a referral to an excellent neurologist and assessment program for mom.

That was the beginning of my journey with what was my mother’s frontotemporal dementia. Mom grew steadily worse, going from needing one aide in her home to requiring two aides (available 24/7) in a dementia facility. Mom gradually lost her ability to speak, then recognize me. She died in December of 2019.

I assumed her death would close a chapter and I would start over. It didn’t work out like that. Once mom was dead, so were so many relationships I had built over the years. All of her friends who would regularly call me to see how mom was doing (or to ask if I would escort them for a visit) stopped contact after the memorial service. What was left of my family declared “the holidays were always about seeing mom, we’re making other plans.” I got one letter from a far-flung relative of mom’s who told me “dementia sure runs in the family!” Hoo boy. One Quoran went so far as to suggest I already had dementia, based on their review of my personal account; the question was not about dementia.

I’m now 63 and I’m really lonely and afraid. I told my doctor and my son about my concerns. How do I know if I’m developing dementia if I live alone and am not in regular contact with anyone? I had a few bad falls in my old apartment, so I moved to a first-floor unit. Also, for all our disagreements, I miss my mother. That’s the one person you know “has your back,” at least in a decent familial relationship.

You really never get over losing your parents. I tell my adult son all about my childhood. I told him where our house was, the beach down the street were I spent my summer days and the woods were I rode my horse. One Christmas, my son gifted me a map of my hometown. Interestingly, the map cut off the area of where my house was, it just showed the downtown area. Of course I told him I loved it, but I also realized that nobody really cares about my childhood story.

Shorpy

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Yes.

By the way, so was the war in Afghanistan. And so was the war in Vietnam and so was the war in Korea.

My father fought bravely in Korea. He was bayoneted in the middle of the night at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir — twice. Once, in the groin. He somehow barely survived. (Miraculously? He first woke up in a hospital in Los Angeles, 28 days after he had been bayoneted twice.).

My father somehow survived. He would never talk about it, and I did not learn that until about 12 years ago.

My father died three years ago — in 2021, at age 93 — but my dad would also be the first to explain in great detail how that war was a ridiculous, and unjustified war. He was proud of his duty, and was proud of his service to his nation — but he would also lecture you extensively how the U.S. has absolutely no justification for sending ground troops into that mess.

He would tell you the same exact thing about Vietnam, and also about Afghanistan, and about the second incursion into Iraq. With full detailed explanations. The U.S. military had no business being in any of those four locations.

Period.

R.I.P., dad.

And, thanks.

HUAWEI’s New 4nm Chip Just SHOCKED The World… NO ONE Expected This!

Not a General, an Admiral. In the mid 90’s I was testing a freshly overhauled F404 in the test cell, at NAS Lemoore CA. Recently the AF had crash landed a C-21 (Lear 35) in Fresno, the local news portrayed the pilots as heroes because they “rode it in”, a Lear has no ejection seats. So anyway, I am putting an engine through it’s paces in the test cell, and through the reflection in the observation window I notice a few people quietly step in and are standing there. I am at full power, full afterburner, running high power tests. After bringing the engine back down to idle, someone asks “So what’s your job here sailor”, with out looking away from my instruments I respond, “I’m trying to blow this engine up”. Next I hear someone loudly clear their throat, I turn the engine over to my assistant, turned in my seat, and there, standing behind me, the Base CO, my Div O, my Master chief and….“Commander Light Attack Wing Pacific Fleet” Admiral Idon’trememberhisName. I snap to, and the Admiral says “Care to expound on that answer sailor? Thinking fast, I respond with “Well Sir, if I can’t break this engine, none of our pilots can, and no Navy jet will have to crash land in downtown Fresno”. He gives me a hard stare, smiles and says “Good fucking answer”, turns and walks out without another word. Please upvote, if you do like. Comments and questions welcome! Have a GREAT NAVY DAY!

Comedians That Stood Up AGAINST Woke Culture

Nazi Germany allocated great resources to infrastructure during WWII. Flak towers are one of these.

Anti-aircraft tower (Flaktürme) in Vienna.

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These towers were built to defend the Reich Empire from British air raids. These complex structures inclued radar stations within. These towers are considered urgent and top priority so all the related raw material (cement, pig iron etc.) was directed to these constructions. However apart from towers in Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna, other projects had to be cancelled due to shortage of raw material and funds.

10 feet thick concrete walls were unassailable for ordinary bombings. The anti aircraft guns situated on top of these towers were very effective since they can create no-fly zones when concentrated their firepower. For example the three towers formed a safe triangle over Berlin from Royal Air Force. These towers could be used as bomb shelters that can house thousands of people during air raids.

These towers were so impregnable that during the Battle of Berlin where there was no hope for Nazi capital’s survival, these towers could not be taken by Soviet Red Army because of their thick walls. The Soviets did not bother to waste valuable ammo on these towers and bypassed them in their quest to capture the Nazi capital. In the end the defenders had to surrender when they ran out of food and water.

All in all these giant towers exist today because it is too costly to demolish them. The lesson that can be learnt about their ordeal is that they served their purpose well.

Your housecat is by nature a scavenger, typically only hunting when the opportunity presents itself.

Left to forage in the great outdoors, they won’t necessarily pass up a festering carcass.

…which is another reason in addition to predation and traffic that indoor cats typically lead longer, healthier lives.


Personally, I’d be far more concerned about my felines eating highly salted fish or bulb vegetables than room temperature meats, but I also wouldn’t give them ANYTHING that I’d be scared to eat myself.

The two hour maximum for unrefrigerated food is a good rule of thumb for both people and pets.


Don’t squander those 9 lives on base negligence.

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Can you explain what Pattaya, Thailand is like?

The sun goes down and the lights come on along the Pattaya foreshore

I lived in Pattaya for seven years. I’ve heard it said, more than once, that Pattaya “is the world’s biggest brothel.” No doubt there’ll be people who’ll be offended by this statement. They’ll offer up a myriad reasons why they consider Pattaya to be one of the best places in the world to reside. For those who live there, or spend extended periods there, then this is understandable. They’re just protecting/defending their home turf.

The sign says it all

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The reality of Pattaya is it’s predominantly an adult entertainment/nightlife spot. The Beach front area, and the adjoining streets and laneways, are crammed with beer bars, gogo bars, massage parlours, and nightclubs, which are staffed by ladies who provide sexual services, for a price. This is an undeniable fact. The focal point of Pattaya was, is, and will be this beach front zone. Tourists who come to Pattaya, gravitate to this area for fun and entertainment. This area, and it’s associated support busnisesses of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and beauty shops, is the life blood of the town. There are other areas, such as Soi Buakhaow, which offer a similar entertainment services, albeit at a less expensive price, for long stay foreigners.

A typical bar scene in Pattaya

This in itself isn’t a bad thing. The town provides a service/location where single, foreign males can go for a paid for sexual liaison. It’s also an industry which provides employment for undeducted girls from the northern provinces of Thailand. For the most part, the girls working in the bars of Pattaya are from the rice farms of Isarn. Their motivation for choosing to work in these bar areas is simply poverty, and nothing else.

The girls along the avenue

The beaches of Pattaya, compared with Hua Hin and Phuket, are hardly remarkable. If you understand geography, then this isn’t difficult to discern. The coastline on this Gulf side of Thailand is shallow. Even when the tide is in, you’ll need to wade at least fifty meters from the shoreline to be in waist deep water. Because of this geographical constant, the water tends to be murky, warm, and unavoidably polluted with run off and plastic. Even over in Jomtien, which is considered a cleaner beach area, if you swim with goggles the amount of plastic seen on the seabed is quite shocking.

Along the Pattaya foreshore

If you reside in Pattaya, for any length of time you’ll come to understand it’s a bakingly hot place, especially from March to May. The landscape is predominantly flat. Yes, there’s a hill/peak which forms a headland between Pattaya and Jomtien but this is an isolated geographical feature. The surrounding landscape is flat and scorching. Compounding this is the radiated heat from the concrete urban sprawl. For this reason the majority of foreigners residing there will either stay at home in the afternoons, or head to the air-conditioned relief of shopping malls or bars. And therein lies the crux of Pattaya. Because of the unrelenting heat of the place, life tends occur from late afternoon and into the night. Once again, the inescapable fact is that Pattaya is predominantly a night time/night life location.

A great spot for a few sun downers.

Because of the heat factor, those participating in outdoor activities, such as golf, tend to do so in the mornings. Beach joggers can be seen along the foreshore in the mornings. No one, certainly not the locals, goes jogging in the mid-afternoon heat. For a foreigner, residing in Pattaya, their day might look something like this: 1. Get up mid morning and head to a restaurant (the Pig and Whistle or the Victoria) for a western breakfast. 2. Meet with friends for a coffee, late morning. 3. Go to an airconditioned shopping mall (Central or Big C) for lunch. 4. If you’re health minded, go to a gym in the afternoon. If you’re not health minded, go sit in an outdoor beer bar along Beach Road, or some other drinking establishment which expats frequent. 5. Late afternoon, go for a massage (with or without extras). Rinse and repeat.

Resident expats meet for a coffee and a chat

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main qimg 0189927b3ea664bf9ac768083264361e

Foreigners who reside in Pattaya long term, for the most part, tend towards an alcohol based lifestyle. Many end up being alcoholics. Long term, if you value your health, you’ll eventually move to either Hua Hin or Phuket. Both of these locations have cleaner air, a greener landscape, and less polluted seas.

Safe travels,

Mega.

James, the cat with a bank account ! =:)

Actually the story goes back further than that, and to my first pet, Bubbles. A Black and White Domesticated cat. It was an act of rebelling by my sister and I again our father who as small children wouldn’t let us have a pet greater than a goldfish.

I was turning 18 (so legally and adult (and my sister had always known I wanted a pet cat- ideally black, but when we got the cat rescue centre (RSPCA) although I liked a black cat called Solo, I was prised away by my sister and the Manager of the centre to take Bubbles. A great softy of a cat and had been given up as a result of her original keeper being elderly and going in toWarden Assisted Accommodation, where pets were not allowed. Must have been a heart-breaker for her and Bubbles clearly missed her to an petted me as opposed to the other way around.

There was just one problem she was already 8 years old (mid-mice [sic] crisis for cat -:) ) I was only 18 so not a brilliant salary and worried about vets bills particularly, I had looked at Pet Insurance and found it absurdly expensive and so many clauses and disclamers, it had more holes in it than a cooking sieve. So really not worth the paper let alone price it was written on

At the time I was working for a bank, an we had special terms on our bank account, notably no overdrafts, declaring where all money paid in to the account other than Salary had to be verified and origin. Although that sounds invasive, actually it was for our own safety that ALL transaction were checked in case as staff you were being bribed, money laundering under duress, indeed illegal trading or blackmail.

In fact, so strict were the rules that if you did go overdrawn in the morning and had not put cash in to cover it, or confirmed where the money had come from, then it could be Summary Dismssal. So the idea of not bein able to afford Vets fees or food for my moggy, was a serious matter (in my view.

So with the advice of my line manager opened a special savings account for the cat. For legal reasons obviously the cat could not technically have an account in her name specifically. The way my Manager got around this (and later turned out to be the loop hole) that I made the account in my name, but as a Trustee of the cat (Bubbles). That way the cat now had her own money in law, albeit under my name as her Trustee. This was great as could now put money in to her account each month, and build up a reserve to pay mum for he cat food and litter, and also a fund for any vets fees. Far cheaper than pet insurance, AND the money was available. Having made the cat as a beneficiary of the Trustee the interest was Tax Free too ! -:)

I later left the bank and moved in to another sector and transferred the account to a local branch.

The title of the account was “ Richards, Re: Bubbles.

Bubbles went to the great cat basket in the sky (bawled my eyes out over that cat ! ) but found another one from this rescue centre who was called “James”. He was totally black, and fur like a panther; purred like one too. He had been taken back to the rescue centre a couple of times as he kept fightin with other animals. This didn’t bother me as Iive on my own,,James very independent, even learened how to open a window with his paw, climb over threshold on to aledge drop on to a porchm then down to a rubbish bunker and to the gound. An ovrerall fall of 25 feet, but in 3 parts. Cats as we know are very supple and drop down easily. I later discovered that he could jump from the ground, to the bunker and ultimately back to through the window.

Cat-door issue solved, height above ground level and the porch roof pitched and covered in moss , slippery. So along with very narrow window an adult too heavy and would slide, and only a child would be able to get in through the window. Even a 10 year old would be nervous at that height let alone crawl through a high, narrow window. Safe for me and James.

Back to the bank account. The account had to be suspended and re-named as in law James, indeed Bubbles had/were legal entities. The bank (knowing the joke of course) placed now James as the beneficiary off the Trusteeship. The account continued as it had with Bubbles. When I went in to the branch to draw money the cashiers asked if James alright had he needed the vet or was this for food. Indeed during an internal audit, they made me bring James to the branch to verfy him”. Of course I could see the joke so complied. If course James had never had so much fuss . I later found out that they had taken a photo of him an sent it to Head Office for the bank Journal.

I had an emergency crop up, where my mother was taken ill in Europe so needed to leave the Counry fast. The Company I was on contract to were brilliant, understood the sitaution and got a replacement temp in, did a quick hand over and went home to pack and catch the flight – actually the company had reserved the seat for me so I just paid them the ticket money and all the documents were at Secure Handling. Passport and on to the plane.

Family emergency sorted, and back home about three weeks later, picked up my car and then suddenly realised that I didn’t have GB£ on me, and the only money I had was in James’ Account. So had to leave him at the cattery.

The advantage of this savings account was that you could got to a branch and draw money no matter where you were in the UK. However it did have a floor limit, which if exceeded had to be telephoned to the holding branch for further verification and clearance for the funds to be released. The holding branch of course knew the joke about James. So as a joke on me and the branch I was drawing the money through the girl who had taken the passbook for clearance, called me back to her till and said:

“The branch have asked for further information as this an unusual transaction for you and want to know James’ date of birth and his relationship to you”.

I told her straight faced that James was a Black Domesticated, shot-hair cat. Thinking I had “lost it”, smiled wrote the information down and handed it back to the clearing clerk, also looking perplexed and started talking to the home branch who confirmed that James was indeed a cat, and yes I had the authoirty to draw the money. So laughs all around.

Roll on 12 months in to the new financial year and UK Tax Office sends me a letter statin that during a random audit, I had an account in Trusteeship for James and wanted confirmation who James was his age and whether the interest was taxable. So I sent the passbook off, along with James’ Adoption Certificate (in the UK when you take a dog or cat from a rescue home you have to provide details identification and where live and in effect do adopt the cat. And yes, they do check to make sure that the animal is OK a couple of weeks down the line by turning up randomly and wanting to see where the animal sleeps his food is kept an whether registered with a vet.

So that is how seriously the UK take their pets. -:)

Back to the Tax Office where have sent all this information and for a laugh sent a picture of James along with he adoption certificate, pass-book and certificate of interest of interest from the bank.

A phone call was received from the Tax Office to “confirm a few things” (think to test my sanity to be honest -:) and asked why I had the account and having confirmed with the adoption papers wanted to make sure that James was under 18, which he appeared to be in the picture, that was confirmed and clearly had spoken with my bank.

I got a letter back form Inland Revenue that as James was under 18, he was now deemed to be a “Minor in pertuity” (which is legal terminology for bein a “child for life”.) Thanked me for my compliance and would not be making any further enquiries from now on! Also any interest reported would be retreated as non taxable as it was for the cat’s (child) benefit -: )

So just shows if you play along with the UK Inland Revenue, they do have a sense of humour.

Seriously all this is true. James, the cat with a bank account.

Beef Borguignonne

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bef34088f4ab66f882f223c5ccb444db

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) lean beef chuck, cubed
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 cup beef consommé
  • 2 to 3 cups dry red wine
  • 1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms or 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sautéed in 2 tablespoons butter
  • 12 small white onions, parboiled

Instructions

  1. Brown meat in shortening; add flour and seasonings. Stir well. Pour into 2 quart casserole.
  2. Add broth and wine.
  3. Bake for 2 hours at 300 degrees F.
  4. Add mushrooms and onions. May add more broth and wine, if dry.
  5. Bake 1 1/2 hours more, perhaps lowering oven temperature.
  6. Skim fat from gravy.
  7. Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Star Wars A New Hope – 1950s Super Panavision 70 | Runway Gen 3

Leftovers for our great distant past

It signals that the gloves are about to come off. The US is screwed.

The timing of the announcement of the SMEE 28nm machine is too coincidental. It is likely that China’s SMEE had already built a 28nm machine earlier this year or late last year. But they were told not to announce it.

And then China waited for the inevitable ban on China to prevent China from importing steppers from ASML and Japan. China waited until the laws were passed in both countries banning the sale of steppers to China then announced that 28nm stepper made in China was going to go into full production.

China knew what the US was up to. And waited patiently and set a trap for the US. Then waited for the US to jump into the trap then detonated the trap.

US semiconductors is going to be in big trouble. US semiconductor companies have also been banned from sales to China. Yes, only high end chips. But that makes no difference. The US has already violated WTO rules which allows China to retaliate and ban any and all chips from entering China.

This includes South Korea and Japan. To the horror of these two countries law makers they realized China was waiting for them to kill their own chip companies. This is why the SK law maker suddenly came out and criticized the law. Notice she didn’t do it before China unveiled the 28nm stepper.

So to answer the question, China did all of this to allow the US, South Korea, and Japan to remove themselves from the Chinese market and the world market. Then dropped a bomb on them.

This indicates that China plans these things months if not a year or more ahead of time and then activate these plans once China is in the best position to obtain the greatest advantage.

So we will likely see more actions by China in the near future. China is ready to go to war. Economic, military, or both. And they wanted to remove their money from US hands.

The US has lost the aircraft market, the semi-conductor market, and the medical devices market. How many high tech markets does the US have left? And what happens when China retaliates in full for what the US has been doing for the last 10 years?

Yup, it’s going to get ugly for the US. China will end up with most of the market for everything from $1 widgets to aircraft to jet engines to semi-conductors.

It must be the story of an Italian pastry chef named Nicholas Gentile. The man saved up all his money and decided to live out his biggest dream in life… become a hobbit.

Now Mr. Gentile is not actually a tiny man with enormous feet — he’s a large-boned, rather big individual. But he loves the quiet, peaceful life of Tolkien’s beloved creatures. And he wants it for himself.

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main qimg b74814fd71fa316267fbe8a4cba3ed86 pjlq

So Nicholas, along with his wife and their two children, moved to a tiny plot in rural Italy, where he built a Shire-like house, half-buried underneath the ground.

A chef by trade, he made the house quite large and built another two smaller ones nearby, constructing another two that should be finished by 2022.

He rents them out to visitors and cooks for them — there will be at least two breakfasts every day, because Hobbits find the notion of having only a single breakfast appalling.

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main qimg c3bca3ddc9f7232403929c5f98f43502 pjlq

All products are from local farmers, and as he cooks and toils the land, Mr. Gentile smokes a Hobbit-style pipe he carved himself from wood while watching the Lord of the Rings movies.

He takes visitors on long walks in the forest, and shows them little traditional Italian farms and tiny remote villages where, as he likes to say: “People used to live not too differently from the way Hobbits live… and sometimes, in some ways, still do!”

The whole story is just so adorably wholesome, it put a smile on my face.

Nicholas Gentile even has a best friend who frequently dresses up as Gandalf. It’s all so whimsical, I love it!

Gorgonzola-Topped Tenderloin Steaks

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c341c8d2ab881b53faec46377b50b434

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 (4 to 6 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick
  • 1 large clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 cup ready-to-serve beef broth
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue-veined cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet for 5 minutes over medium heat until hot.
  2. Combine garlic and pepper. Press evenly into both side of each beef steak.
  3. Place steaks in skillet. Cook for 10 to 13 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness; turn occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
  4. In the same skillet, add broth and wine; increase heat to medium high. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by half.
  5. Spoon sauce over steaks; sprinkle with cheese.

Planning Her Escape

Submitted into Contest #243 in response to: Write a story about a character who wakes up in space. view prompt

Holly Witte

Tess woke up remembering something from the days before. She had been only a child then and the story was old at that time, so it was amazing that what she recalled was so vivid, so fresh in her bones. The story had terrified her the first time she heard it, yet something drew her to read it over and over in the decades that followed. Maybe there was a message in it she was supposed to discover. It was a Ray Bradbury science fiction story called All Summer In A Day about people who colonized Venus where the sun came out only once in every seven years. The little girl in the story – maybe that was why she liked it, it had a little girl in it – knew about sun replacing the relentless rain and tried to tell the other children it was about to happen but they didn’t believe her, taunted her, locked her in a small room and then forgot about her when the sun did come out.The most terrifying but also satisfying part of the story was how horrified the children were when they realized what had happened and that it was irreversible.And now here was Tess near some colonized outpost deep in dark space, her ship having lost contact with command, and the rest of her crew asleep, dead, or suspended. She had no idea and no understanding of what had happened except there was a silent explosion. How is a silent explosion even possible, she was wondering, as her mind called up the fierce swoosh of flame that swept outside and inside the ship, like St. Elmo’s fire everywhere but, of course, with no sound because there is no sound in space.Tess shook her head, partly to rid herself of the image but also to see if she could move her head, move her neck, half afraid she had been internally decapitated. Feeling as if everything were intact, she slowly unbuckled and let herself lift out of the chair so she could maneuver around the cabin and check on the status of her mates. Why had she been spared the unconscious – or dead – state? She told herself to banish that thought and just concentrate on one thing at a time, proceed through a systems check.The people around her, still in their seats of course, were warm to the touch, what she could touch, which was only a small part of skin on the back of the neck in between the back of their collars and under the headgear they all had to wear during liftoff. Then she remembered that they had been leaving one station and heading to another in the chain of colonies when it had happened.No one moved to her stimulation. But they were still warm. Was that because they were alive or because it was still so close to the silent explosion that the bodies hadn’t cooled, yet? Tess’s eyes sought the console for a time check. Northing was registering although there was a faint blue/grey haze so there might have been a jot of energy pulsing; unless, maybe it was being fueled by energy from the explosion. She would have to mark new time from now.Tess knew how long it took to travel the whole ship, to check out various components so she would use her internal clock as she made her way to every corner and then she would come back and see if there was a change in body temperatures.With a plan, her mind relaxed but that only let in the thoughts again. What if she was the only survivor and what if she was completely out of contact with anyone anywhere; and, what if they had been pushed off course and the ship was just drifting? Something told her she needed to start planning her escape.Tess forced herself to make two rounds of the ship before she checked on everyone else. This was one of the smaller ships since it was a day mission, so she thought the extra time was justified. In truth, she felt as if an icy core was rising from the bottom of her sternum. It was fear, she knew, and she had to keep it tamped down or it would disable her resolve.Resolutely, she started with the third row. Nothing.  No pulse. No reaction. And the body was cooler than it had been the first time she touched it. It was the same for every one of them. They were dead. She knew it. She had known it on some level from the first. No point in speculating why she wasn’t. She needed everything in her mind to help her get out of this.

But what if she couldn’t?  This is a universal fear, one of them; the fear of being unable to solve a problem that threatens your very existence, and the fear of being alone. Tess could feel herself giving over to the fear and then over to something else, a desolate acceptance that made her feel her core was melting. She remembered the times she had surgery or, once, when she was in anaphylactic shock and she had stilled her body, stilled her nerves, gave herself over to the doctors. She knew she had to be emptied out to be saved.

This was different. As time wore on and nothing inside or outside of the ship changed – she could have been suspended upside down or on end; she had no idea – Tess understood that it was unlikely she would be saved. They were all trained and prepared for this, having undergone extensive psychological testing before being accepted into the fleet. She knew there were provisions on board to help her end the timeless agony.

She let what she thought was one day, then another day go by before she made any decision, checking the console for activity, checking her partners and friends, because of course they were friends, detecting no change.

On what was, she calculated, the fourth day, Tess took the pill and let herself drift off to whatever was next with thoughts of the little girl in the Bradbury story who had not seen the sun.

On the fifth day, a slight flicker appeared on the screen.

I’ve written, several times, about my experience in the Army in 1981–82; how I made the decision to go through Basic Training and Advanced Infantry Training twice… for a total of nearly six months, just to be able to be guaranteed going to Airborne School (Paratrooper training)… and get stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division. It’s a long story, but basically I broke my leg just before graduation, and had to drop out to heal my leg. I was told I could finish my last two weeks after I got back. Then when I got back, the people who promised me that, were no longer there, and no one believed me, and I was given the option to go to a different training right away (cook, clerk, mechanic, etc.)… OR… go thru the entire training cycle again. Despite my pleas and arguing, they wouldn’t budge. They figured I’d go to a different school and I’d be out of their hair. Well, I chose the second option… as much to piss them off, as also to live my dream of being a Paratrooper.

In any case… when I got back from the leg injury, I was given my signing bonus of $4000, as expected. Then I went through those 3 extra months of hell. When I graduated, finally!… and was getting ready to leave for Jump School the next day, I was called to go to HQ and report to the Finance Officer. When I got there, some clerk handed me a check, and said “Here’s your signing bonus”. And I was like … “???!!!”.

I told him that I already got my signing bonus months ago! He says “Not according to your records”. And I was like “???!!!”. So I looked at the check. It was for $3600! Hell, they couldn’t even get the amount right. So I walked away with my second check!

The next day, I still had half a day to do nothing as I waited to get on the bus. I kept looking at that check. Then I decided that I really didn’t need the hassle of having to pay it back in a few weeks, and maybe even getting in trouble for keeping it. So I walked back to HQ and saw an officer. I explained to him that I already got my bonus and didn’t need the hassle of having to pay it back in a few weeks, and maybe get in trouble for keeping it. I told him that I already explained this to a clerk the day before. So, this lieutenant takes my check… gets my records… and finally says “Son, according to this, the Army hasn’t given you your signing bonus. So, if I were you, I’d keep this check, keep my mouth shut, and do what the Army says”.

Well, hell! That sounded like a direct order to me, so I snapped to attention… said “Yes, sir!”… gave him my best salute… spun around, and got the hell out of that office!

The next day, I reported to Jump School. Three weeks after that, I reported to B Company, 1/508th Infantry (Airborne), 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC… with my shiny, new, hard-won, silver Jump Wings pinned upon my chest. And my $3,600 check in my pocket. Fittingly… it was on April Fools Day, 1982.

Within a month, I put my second bonus check to good use and bought a slightly beat up Brittany Blue, 1968 Mustang fastback, for exactly $3,600.

I got a FREE MUSTANG! Courtesy of Uncle Sam. It was particularly gratifying because those assholes broke their promise and fucked with me, making me do that training twice. TOTALLY unfair! And TOTALLY unnecessary! And also… this Mustang was a very nice replacement for the car I had just lost, just before leaving for the Army, when some jackass T-boned me, going through a red light, and destroyed my first, ’67 Mustang!

Sometimes… there IS justice in the world. But… only sometimes.

(And if Uncle Sam just read this… this is all just a work of fiction and/or I was just following orders)

Things are changing.

Boyhood trauma

I became a mom at the tender age of 17. I was blessed with parents that supported me and a boyfriend that loved me and our son and stayed by my side until he passed away after we both graduated HS went on to college and married at age 22. He recently passed away after almost 28 years of marriage. But I digress

I had a sociology teacher in HS that was not the most pleasant of people. My son was very sick and ended up in the hospital with a severe double ear infraction high fever and a viral infection on his throat. I didn’t sleep well but needed to attend school the next day for a test.

is horrible teacher decided to target me and bring up statistics about teen moms being unfit, lazy, leeches on society. I started to cry. I was doing my best to be a good mom, a good student and learn the things I needed to graduate.

ahe want me to the principals office. As I gathered my things, I heard the entire class start to move around. As I exited tue room my fellow classmates walked with me to the office.

needless to say this teacher was told that she was not allowed to do this again and she never bothered me again.

China hits Canada with Anti-Dumping Probe in Retaliation

Three bulls heard the rancher was bringing another bull onto the ranch.

First Bull: “I’ve been here five years. I’m not giving this new bull any of my 100 cows.”

Second Bull: “I’ve been here three years and have earned my right to 50 cows. I’m keeping all my cows.”

Third Bull: “I’ve only been here a year, and so far, you guys have only let me have 10 cows. I may not be as big as you fellows, but I’m keeping all 10 of my cows.”

Just then an 18-wheeler pulls up in the pasture carrying the biggest bull they’ve ever seen.

At 4,700 pounds, each step he takes strains the steel ramp.

First Bull: “I think I can spare a few cows for our new friend.”

Second Bull: “I actually have too many cows to take care of. I can spare a few. I’m certainly not looking for an argument.”

They look over at the third bull and find him pawing the dirt, shaking his horns and snorting.

First Bull: “Son, don’t be foolish, let him have some of your cows and live to tell about it.”

Third Bull: “Hell, he can have all my cows. I’m just making sure he knows I’m a bull.”

Stuffed Peppers Casserole

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ee3e158f4bc19ca06da91ad6261d049e

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 medium bell peppers, cut into strips
  • 3/4 cup instant rice
  • 1 teaspoon season salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
  • 1 (15 ounce) can petite cut diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Brown meat and onion in skillet; drain.
  2. Stir in rice, salt, garlic salt, bouillon, water, cheese and diced tomatoes; heat through.
  3. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and line with peppers.
  4. Pour meat mixture over peppers.
  5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
  6. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

AITA For Kicking Out My Wife And Stepdaughter After Discovering Lies About Work Trips?

Specialist ‘carbon nanotube’ AI chip built by Chinese scientists is 1st of its kind and ‘1,700 times more efficient’ than Google’s

By Owen Hughes

Scientists in China have developed a tensor processing unit (TPU) that uses carbon-based transistors instead of silicon – and they say it’s extremely energy efficient.

Unlike conventional TPUs, this new chip is the first to use carbon nanotubes — tiny, cylindrical structures made of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern — in place of traditional semiconductor materials like silicon. (Image credit: Getty Images/sankai)

Scientists in China have built a new type of tensor processing unit (TPU) — a special type of computer chip — using carbon nanotubes instead of a traditional silicon semiconductor. They say the new chip could open the door to more energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI).

AI models are hugely data-intensive and require massive amounts of computational power to run. This presents a significant obstacle to training and scaling up machine learning models, particularly as the demand for AI applications grows. This is why scientists are working on making new components — from processors to computing memory — that are designed to consume orders of magnitude less energy while running the necessary computations.

Google scientists created the TPU in 2015 to address this challenge. These specialized chips act as dedicated hardware accelerators for tensor operations — complex mathematical calculations used to train and run AI models. By offloading these tasks from the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU), TPUs enable AI models to be trained faster and more efficiently.

Unlike conventional TPUs, however, this new chip is the first to use carbon nanotubes — tiny, cylindrical structures made of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern — in place of traditional semiconductor materials like silicon. This structure allows electrons (charged particles) to flow through them with minimal resistance, making carbon nanotubes excellent conductors of electricity. The scientists published their research on July 22 in the journal Nature Electronics.

“I Show You The Original World Map They Didn’t Want You to See” Graham Hancock

MM’s AI adventures

Today’s adventures. A lot of schmaltz, and some very strange stuff about statues.

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(1)

And more…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(2)

And in the rain…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(3)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(3)

Enter the statues…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(4)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(4)

*sigh*

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(5)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(5)

Massive…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(6)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(6)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1

Mixed up sexes.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(1)

Here’s some “schmaltz”… with the bigger boobs.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(2)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(3)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(3)

Statues.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(4)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(4)

More…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(5)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(5)

Interesting.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(6)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(6)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2

Here’s some confused “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(1)

Here’s some muscular “schmaltz”… plus a long necked guy in the background.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(2)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(3)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(3)

Statue in the rain.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(4)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(4)

More.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(5)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(5)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(1)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(2)

Here’s some “schmaltz”…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(3)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(3)

Statue.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(4)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(4)

Statue.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(5)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(5)

Dishwalla – Counting Blue Cars – 7/31/2017 – Paste Studios, New York, NY

Perseus Patroclus

This story contains themes or mentions of LGBQ+ and mental health issues.
Stars. Twinkling bursts of light. Bloodshot, glassy eyes. He has given up.

He was supposed to save everyone. Save the world. Save it because the crops wilted. Save it because the water rose and flooded. Save it because the ice dissolved. He was supposed to save it because the earth was about to combust, like his aircraft did a few milliseconds ago.

The view would probably take his breath away if he could breathe. He knew what would happen. He was not holding his breath- if he did, his lungs would expand, turn into balloons, and eventually pop. Instead, he exhales slowly, every six seconds.

The media claims your life flashes before your eyes. To him, it isn’t his whole life. Snapshots. Short films. Clips. Memories. Ones that he loved, ones that he did not want to revisit. Some pictures were blurry, incomprehensible. The highs and lows of his life, captured in stubby snippets.

 

 

 

The sea tickles his ankles. He always loved the stars, and he can see them reflected in the waves now. He is small. A child. Three years old, maybe. He doesn’t know about reflection, or that it’s possible to drown. He tries to eat the little lights, as toddlers tend to do. He is greeted with a mouthful of saltwater.

 

 

 

He wishes he were still a child. Innocent, kind, oblivious, naive.

It’s been six seconds. Exhale. He is terrified.

 

 

 

They are coming for him. He does not know who they are. They say they are Child Protective Services. He does not think he needs them- why would he, at nine years old? His mothers don’t hurt him. Where are they, after all? Why are these men coming for him?

They say something bad happened. He does not know what this means. He does not know what anything means. A police officer tries to calm him down. Tell him they will help him. Tell him his mothers are gone now, but it’ll be okay. He does not think he will be okay. They tell him he’s confused. They call him the wrong name. He tries to correct them, but they do not listen. They never listen. No one ever listens. He pushes the man away and runs.

Arms flying, his chest rises too quickly, too rapidly. He is not supposed to run in a binder. The binder his mothers gave him because they were the only ones that listened. They are gone, he has been told. Gone where? He cannot start to imagine, he cannot go down that spiraling hole.

Sweaty, suffocating, squeezing. He runs because he feels alone. He runs because his parents are gone. He runs because he hates those men who think they know everything, with their pasty white skin and privileged lives. He is dizzy, he can barely breathe. The police officers run after him, but he knows where to go- he is clever. He is in front of the house. Stumbling, his vision blurs, and his world tilts into the concrete.

 

 

 

That picture isn’t blurry, he just doesn’t want to see it.

Ten seconds. His body’s water is vaporizing, and the underlining tissue is beginning to swell.

 

 

 

He is tired. So, so tired. He knows it’s unethical, but he is sleeping at his teacher’s house. The only teacher who understands. Maybe the only person left in the world who understands. He can’t get out of the bed in the guest room. The teacher, respecting personal and legal boundaries, doesn’t intrude. It has been a month since he ran from the men. He does not get up.

His family members float above him. They whisper in his ear. He cannot move. He does not shower. He eats once a week, and his flesh has thinned to the point that it hangs off his bones. He has not taken off his binder. His ribs have cracked and fluid has built up. He does not get up to go to the bathroom. His liver is on the brink of ceasing. He is as good as dead.

 

 

 

The clearest portrait, the most unwanted.

Twelve seconds. Exhale. He knows he will die.

 

 

 

He is fourteen. He lives with his teacher, who has officially adopted him. He is on hormones. He is starting to grow a beard. His voice has deepened. He has already had many surgeries to fix the damage from his depressive episode. Liver, ribs, bladder, uterus, lungs. In two years he will get top surgery. He is on anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. He wants to be an astronaut. He works as a cashier during the summer and uses the money the buy a telescope, astronomy books, and gummy bears.

His teacher, whom he now calls Nin, is supportive throughout the rest of his life. They never lay a hand on him.

 

 

 

Even with the mental illnesses, he envies that time of his life- he was free and loved.

Thirteen seconds. The moisture on his tongue has started to boil.

 

 

 

The surgery is finished. His chest hurts- although this time, it feels good. A warm hug. He can smell the faint whiff of blood coated with chemicals. The walls are a stark white, glaring at him. The bed is surprisingly comfortable, a mixture of squishy and soft. He is loaded, a useless corpse, into a car. The anesthesia makes everything seem hilarious and wavy. Nin is driving him home, where they spoon-feed him and prop him up in front of the television. After four weeks, he can take the wrapping off. The sight of his flat chest in the mirror, the raw yet stunning scars, triggers a waterfall of tears to spill down his cheeks. That’s him. That’s him in the mirror, staring back.

Nin, whose friend is a tattoo artist, brings him to get a design over the scars, per his request. He chooses The Creation of Adam, and requests it be outlined with stars and planets.

 

 

 

The sweetest memory despite the pain, a sensation of deep euphoria.

Fourteen seconds. His skin, along with expanding, has begun to burn.

 

 

 

He is an astronaut. He is being led onto the spaceship. He is twenty-two. His name has been legally changed, along with the gender marker on everything except his hospital profile. It is time to save the world. He is ready to save the world. He calls Nin before he takes off, says he loves them and everything will be okay soon. He says that the earth will be okay soon.

 

 

 

He is a liar.

Exhale. Exhale. Exhale.

He cannot breathe, he cannot inhale, he is suspended. Suspended, like the humans’ hearts in their masses. He cannot stop thinking about his heart. A conductor, a leader. Constantly prevailing and persevering despite its host’s resignation, purposely ingesting poison to numb their pain. If the heart gave up, everything would die. Nothing would exist for that person anymore. The head of the organization, the leader of the body’s community. His heart toils, unquestioning, in his favor. Everything must work and line up perfectly to keep existing- and here he was, and the earth was dying, because the idiot humans couldn’t do the bare minimum of staying alive. Because he couldn’t even take care of a million-dollar spaceship made specially for him.

A surge of gratitude interrupts the self-hate when he realizes he can see a star-forming region in the Eagle Nebula. The Pillars of Creation, it is named. Somehow, in a dying second, there is beauty. Art, glamorous, out-of-this-world grace. It’s burnt sienna, with an impossibly vibrant red peeking through every few thousand miles. A still photograph of powder being thrown, the region looks like something out of a fantasy novel, a dazzling blue background dotted with sparks of light. It appears to be glowing, even, the darker blue background illuminated slightly by the milky brown. Again, it feels breathtaking. He doesn’t mind this will be the last thing he sees. Even though the earth will die, even though he has failed.

It seems his body is sinking under his guilt. He’s bruised, burns striping his arms from the explosion. He most likely broke something. A rib, maybe. Yes, that is what it feels like- a broken rib piercing his heart. Stabbing the submissive slave. That’s what it feels like… though he cannot tell whether it is physically broken or if it is the feeling of his failure.

There must be a way to save the world. He will not give up, he is done giving up. He’s already submitted himself to death before, he won’t let it happen again. Think. He must think. This is why he went to college, this is why he got his job- he must think. It has been fourteen seconds, he will be unconscious in one if he’s lucky.

Something inside him screams. The trigger! A button on his left wrist that he got implanted for an emergency. His mission was to go to the one planet they found that had life on it, and beg for help. But the button could send out an electromagnetic pulse to the ship’s debris, make it buzz and show a message, no matter what piece… he was so close to the planet, it was likely some rubble reached it.

In a split second, he brings his arm to his head and jams the button. In the movies, there would probably be some cacophonous, dramatic noise, but sound cannot travel in space.

He has succeeded, hopefully. But there is no more air left to exhale. There is no more oxygen left to inhale. His lungs expand. He can feel it, pressing against his chest scars. Pressing against The Creation of Adam… He sends a quick mental apology to Michelangelo. The pain is pushing into the servant organ.

He cannot feel when his lungs burst, because he has already lost consciousness.

Yummy  Food

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China’s lunar research station initiative welcomes new global partners

China’s ambitious initiative to launch an international lunar research station has gained new global cooperation partners, as the country signed several agreements with global partners for the lunar research station initiative on Thursday, according to China’s space agency.

main qimg 6cb41dd20a1c506b7effa5ffc26cf8ea
main qimg 6cb41dd20a1c506b7effa5ffc26cf8ea

During the opening ceremony of a two-day space forum held in Tunxi, east China’s Anhui Province, China’s space agency and its counterpart in Senegal signed an agreement on International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) cooperation.

In addition, China’s Deep Space Exploration Lab has also inked memoranda of understanding with 10 organizations from countries including Serbia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Panama and South Africa.

In 2017, China proposed the ILRS initiative, inviting global participation. This ambitious project has garnered widespread interest, with 17 countries and over 40 institutions signing on. The ILRS envisions a comprehensive lunar research facility, including a lunar surface base, orbital stations, and Earth-based components. Designed for long-term autonomous operation with potential for short-term human presence, the ILRS will be expandable and sustainable.

Scientists create record-breaking solar technology that could solve major problem in the industry: ‘Among the best reported to date’

Sam Westmoreland

Fri, September 6, 2024 at 6:15 AM CDT

Scientists create record-breaking solar technology that could solve major problem in the industry: 'Among the best reported to date'
It can easily be ramped up to industrial levels and can be affordably produced at that scale of production.

Scientists at the Hong Kong Institute of Science and Technology have developed a new treatment that prolongs the life and efficiency of solar cells.

According to Aman Tripathi of Interesting Engineering, the researchers have created a molecular treatment for perovskite solar cells that increases their power conversion efficiency by over 20%, and it has shown an operational stability of over 1,500 hours.

While solar cells are typically made of silicon, perovskite has been gaining popularity in recent years because it is cheaper and has a higher energy efficiency than silicon. The problem is the stability and tendency to degrade more quickly than silicon counterparts.

In an effort to solve the problem, the Hong Kong research team focused on a process known as passivation, in which a chemical compound is applied to the perovskite to “reduce defects and improve their overall performance.”

The project was a resounding success, according to assistant professor Lin Hen-Yuang.

“These devices reached high open-circuit voltages beyond 90% of the thermodynamic limit,” Lin said in a press release on the discovery, “Benchmarking against about 1,700 sets of data from existing literature showed that their result was among the best reported to date in terms of efficiency in energy conversion.”

On top of that, the passivation process is highly scalable, meaning it can easily be ramped up to industrial levels and can be affordably produced at that scale of production.

Solar energy is booming globally; in the U.S., solar power accounted for almost 80% of new energy production in 2024 on an industrial scale. On a smaller scale, rooftop solar panels are popping up everywhere from vodka distilleries to new-build homes. Finding a new way to improve solar panels’ affordability and efficiency could help meet growing demand.

If the perovskite treatment is as effective at scale as it has been in testing, we could see a boom in more affordable, efficient, and durable panels around the world.

Two young men walk into a bar and one of them sits next to a girl.

“Hello,” he says.

“Are you a lawyer?” asks the girl.

“What? No.”

“Then I’m not interested. You see, this is a lawyer bar, and the girls that come here either are lawyers or want to get with lawyers.”

And so the young man leaves, and his friend leaves with him, having encountered a similar situation.

The next day they say: “What the heck, we’re just going to return there and say that we’re lawyers. It’s not like we’ll have to give them a proof right away.”

And so they go to the bar and approach some girls, and they tell them they are lawyers.

Everything seems to be going fine, but then one of the young men looks around and sees that his friend is gone. He starts to search for him, and eventually finds him sitting in the bathroom, in a very low mood.

“What happened to you?” he asks.

“Oh, I just realized… I’ve only been a lawyer for half an hour, and already the only thing on my mind is how to screw someone.”

In 1990 I went to one of those Teppanyaki Grill restaurants where a chef cooks food on the grill in front of the customers. I was with 5 other friends. It was in quite a ritzy Sydney suburb. We had no idea what to order so when the waitress asked if we’d like prawns, chicken, steak, eggs and rice, we happily said yes.

The chef threw 6 prawns on the grill, tossing them around with a flourish and chopping them up. He then gave us 1 teaspoon of prawns each!

Next came the chicken. He took a half chicken breast and whooshed it around and chopped it into tiny pieces. We got two teaspoons of chicken each.

Same thing with the steak.

By now we were really starving so we were really happy when they asked if we were ready for the rice. In came the waitress with a fingerbowl of rice. I made a joke “wouldn’t it be funny if that was for us all?’

We all laughed but not for long! It was indeed rice for everyone. So we got around 10 grains of rice each.

Lastly he threw one egg on the grill, whooshed it around and we got two teaspoons of ‘omelet’ each.

The cost of this fiasco came to $180 for the 6 of us which was a lot of money for a restaurant meal back in 1990.

We were all so totally starving we went across the road to a hamburger joint and ordered a hamburger each!

I am a mathematics professor at a Research I University. My mother-in-law was a mean old bat who never liked me. While she was visiting one afternoon my ten year old daughter ran in with her latest math test grade. She had scored an “A” grade on some multiplication facts and we all praised her profusely. The mother-in-law pipes up with, “I bet she got her math skills from her mother. Renee (My wife, her daughter) was always good in math.” Considering what I do for a living and considering my wife majored in sociology, this snarky comment pissed me off. So my reply was, “Yes, she must have gotten her math skills from her mother, because I still have all of mine.” A dead silence settled over the table for the next ten minutes.

My line was actually unintentional!

I was on a business trip some years ago and ended up in a restaurant which sat me at a small table next to another small table with a smartly dressed woman sitting alone.

We exchanged pleasantries and I said “So how’s your business trip going?”

Her reply was “Oh, fine. What makes you think I am here on a business trip?”

I said “You wouldn’t be eating alone otherwise.”

I immediately thought “Damn, what did I just do..”

She was amused and said it was one of the more classy lines she had heard.

So I ended up with an impromptu dinner guest and fellow wine connoisseur for the evening.

Every day after I pick up my daughter from school, I get out and go into the house but she stays in the car and sits there for several minutes, sometimes up to half an hour.

Sometimes she uses her phone, sometimes she just sits there.

Should I be a little concerned? Should I go check on her? Confront her?

Nope. I’m not concerned at all. She’s doing what she needs to do to cope.

She’s enjoying a few minutes of peace and quiet, collecting herself and letting the social demands of school dissolve away, before facing the social demands of family.

As a teenager, she knows that as soon as she walks in the door, there will be questions, conversations, chores and homework to be done, and demands for her attention and mental presence, which can be draining after a long day at school. In the car, alone, she can collect herself, think and process a bit, and respond to her messages without pressure and without interruptions.

More than likely, your wife is doing what she needs to do to cope, to gather herself, to catch her breath after a long day at work, and to catch up on her messages before she comes inside and faces you and all your questions.

My advice? Enjoy the peace and quiet.

Two best friends graduated from medical school at the same time & decided that in spite of two different specialties, they would open a practice together to

share office space …

Dr.Smith was a *Psychiatrist* & Dr.Jones

was a *Proctologist* (Colon to Anus)

They put up a sign reading

*Dr.Smith & Dr.Jones*

*Hysterias & Posteriors*

The town council was livid and insisted they change it.

So, the docs changed

it to read

*Schizoids & Haemorrhoids*

This was also not acceptable, so they again changed the sign to

*Catatonics & High Colonics*

No go.

Next, they tried…

*Manic Depressives & Anal Retentives*

Thumbs down again.

Then came..

*Minds and Behinds*

Still no good.

Another attempt resulted in …

*Lost Souls & Butt Holes*

Unacceptable again!

So they tried

*Analysis & Anal Cysts*

No, not a chance

*Nuts and Butts*

No way

*Freaks and Cheeks*

Still no good

*Loons and Moons*

Just Forget it!

Almost at their wits end, the docs finally came up with…

*Dr.Smith & Dr.Jones…*

*Specializing in Odds & Ends.*

*_Everyone loved it._😊*

A Woman Impersonated As A Man And Got Depressed After 3 Days

A removal of nature to create a parking lot

According to Chinese economists and strategies. Here is what they have observed during the cold war. In order to gain those so called allies, the US gave out a huge amount of aid to western Europe, known as the marshall plan. In order to compete with America, the USSR offered something similar to eastern Europe but only half as impressive. In the Soviet camp, eastern Europe weren’t happy became they got less aid and poorer than their neighbors. Russia itself wasn’t happy because it kept giving out aid, and cheap oils, resulted in huge internal debt. And finally their people couldn’t take it, and dissolved the USSR. The only ones that were happy at the time, were Vietnam, NK, and maybe India.

The USA wasn’t in a better position, they had lost all their traditional industries to Japan and western Europe. If it wasn’t for the new industries they invented, the USA would be done in the 90s, losing to Japan and Europe. So stop saying that China had stolen jobs from the America, the US had lost those jobs a long time ago. The cold war was a death race, the US is still hurting from it.

What was China’s conclusion? Only inclusive naturally developed trade relationship can benefit both sides. In other words, China aren’t going to pay for allies, that’s prostitution. So, how does China deal with the gigantic alliance structure of the US? Let me use Australia as an example, China Australia trade is almost 350B per year. In order for Australia to side with the US completely(not just verbally) against China, the US would have to compensate for their lost. So, China not only benefited from the trade with Australia, but also increase the cost for the US to maintain their alliance structure. That’s why you saw the US can only afford to pay country like the Philippines to confront China. China doesn’t pay any country to side with it political and militarily, it wants the US to pay more maintaining their alliances.

The US can’t even relocate TSMC from Taiwan back to the US and create some high quality jobs, because if they do that, Taiwan’s only economic relationship with the US would be gone.

main qimg a0824b41d6134cf6ad6a84b7a2ef60ba lq
main qimg a0824b41d6134cf6ad6a84b7a2ef60ba lq

What If You Landed on Kepler 22-B?

I grew up in rural areas. I learned to shoot when I was 7. I then went to college, and met my wife who lived in a nearby town with her parents while attending college. I have always been the type who doesn’t make much bravado out of being able to defend myself. I don’t really want to hurt anybody, but I will hurt anybody who threatens my family.

My in-laws managed to check nearly every one of Jeff Foxworthy’s you might be a redneck. Somehow in a town of 30,000 they lived off the pavement and down a dirt road. Father-in-laws camper shell had more curtains than their home.

My future in-laws got it into their heads I was a soft college boy. It might be because I always dressed up to pick up their daughter for dates. It might be because at 6′2″ and 240 lbs much of it muscle at the time, I was cautious with my strength. It might be because I didn’t drink or cuss. Never mind I had relatives on my Mom’s side almost just like them, grew up in the country, shot coyotes attacking livestock, bucked hay, worked on ranches, worked in a feed store, and worked in a lumber mill.

After my future father-in-law said if he saw me around again I better be able to outrun buckshot, we eloped. This led to about a few months of drunken threatening messages left on our answering machine.

Eventually two things thawed the relationship a bit. One was my mother-in-laws gambling addiction, and need a babysitter. My wife’s over a decade younger sibling couldn’t be left alone without making a disaster when mother-in-law went gambling. The other was learning we were expecting their first grandchild.

My Father-in-law decided I need to learn how to shoot to protect his future grandchild. He asked if I had ever shot a firearm. My answer was, “Some” and didn’t elaborate. He had me drive his truck (had he driven he would probably have got a DUI) out to BLM land. He took the 6 cans he had finished off and lined them up on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and handed me a handgun. I forget exactly what it was but it was a very small pistol and I forget what it was chambered in. It wasn’t .22 LR, but might have been .25 ACP. This was in 1994. I shot the first 4 cans no problem. When I shot the 5th can it knocked over the 6th can so the top was facing us. I shot it, and he immediately said I missed one. I said I didn’t think so. He picked it up and I had shot it through the opening in the top of the can. I could not have hit there if I had tried, but it still impressed him. (A firearm I had never fired before, with unknown ammunition, tiny pocket pistol, at about 20 feet/6 meters).

Later that evening he was drunk came at me swinging. I put him in a bear hug, told him I didn’t want to hurt him, and placed him on the lawn. He got back up swinging. I did the same thing again except instead of setting him down I tossed him a few feet onto the lawn. The next day he said, “I guess you can protect my daughter and grandchild.”

All about Cottages

Maybe too many are too cutesy. Still, the more plain ones are more suitable for myself. Real and actual historical cottages, especially those from the Victorian era, were awesome.

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Proof Egyptians Didn’t Build The Pyramids?

Utterly divided.

A person doesn’t have to have a degree in politics to see how divided and tribalistic America has become recently. I honestly don’t think we’ve been this separate as a country since the Civil War.

People have fallen for the “if you’re not 100% for us, then you’re 100% against us” mentality. You can see this on either side of the aisle. To be clear, I’m not demonizing either major American political party here. I’m condemning them. There’s this one quote from a fella you might know about by the name of Abraham Lincoln: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” While Lincoln was referring to slave states versus free states, I am using his quote to refer to Republicans versus Democrats.

With division, comes bloodshed. We’ve seen it with slavery vs. freedom, Christian vs. Muslim, Protestant vs. Catholic, Communist vs. Capitalist, white vs. black, and I think that soon we’ll start to see Democrat vs. Republican.

Your CAT Manifested YOU | SECRET Spiritual SIGNIFICANCE of Cats

A broken-down mess.

A perhaps once great nation struggling with a dysfunctional political system: only two significant parties, completely reliant on the availability of big bucks (with inevitable consequences, bearing in mind where those bucks come from) and which has slipped into the new Post-truth era with hardly a squeak of protest. (Certainly there have been more than murmurings of dissent among intellectuals and some journalists, but no groundswell of disgust or mass revolt.)

Also a country that likes to hide its woes. It likes to be seen as the wealthiest in the world, as the ‘land of opportunity’ – and yet forty percent of households could not meet an unexpected bill of $400 without having to sell something or borrow.

To those who complacently trot out platitudes like ‘it’s the greatest country in the world’, I’d say, first ‘open your eyes!’ and second: ‘if you want it to be, do something to make it so…’

In many ways there are echoes of this in my own stricken country, the UK, which also has a dysfunctional democracy and too many who want to live on past glories (real or imagined) and put their faith in a lying bunch of shysters who they imagine will lead them back to those halcyon days. (The pro-Brexit rhetoric really did include references to ‘sunlit uplands’, crudely parodying one of Churchill’s wartime speeches. ) They have a rude awakening in store. Those of us who don’t share the dream are already all too aware of the grim reality – actual and pending.

This is a US government affiliated channel. So the fact that this is public says A LOT.

This is a story that, until now, I have only told a handful of people. And I have been typing it with tears in my eyes all the way through.

It happened six and a half year ago. I just turned 21 at the time and was in my second year of college. My mother had battled breast cancer for a short eight months when the doctor told us there was nothing left they could do. She would die, too young, after an eventful life.

About three weeks after hearing this, and approximately two weeks before she would eventually die, we were sitting in her hospital room talking about life and everything that had happened. It was here, quite unannounced and rather casually, that she made a statement which I still repeat to myself at least once a week. That statement got me through the first years of mourning; I clung onto it. I still often repeat it to friends and family around me when they are facing adversity. You could say it has become my life motto.

The context of this statement goes back to before my mother was even born in 1949, in the Netherlands. My grandparents had three kids: two sons and a daughter. My grandfather was a pastor and, also considering it was early post-war time, they were just getting by. My grandmother was a dominant and strict woman, and she laid down the law at home. As the family was barely getting by with three children and didn’t want any more, my grandmother decided to get sterilized. The doctor provided her with a hormone treatment; however, instead of becoming sterile, the treatment caused my grandmother to become extremely fertile. She soon became pregnant and gave birth nine months later to triplets, a boy and two girls — my mother was born. During my mother’s youth, my grandmother made no secret of the fact that my mother was an unwanted child. My mother obviously felt left out by my grandmother and grandfather, who let it all happen. My mother left her parents’ house still a teenager.

In the years to come, my mother started making a living for herself as a caretaker for elderly and disabled people. Still struggling with her ‘unfair’ youth, she did maintain a very good relationship with her older brothers and sister. In her late 20s, she met my father. They started dating and eventually got married. My mother desperately wanted to have children and create a happy family, so they started trying. It took a lot of time, and two failed pregnancies, but eventually she did get pregnant with my older sister. She was soon told the baby had a severe form of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder, which meant she would die a young age. After a long time of trying, and failing, to become pregnant, this was a major shock for both my parents. My sister was in the hospital for the entire first year of her life and had to spend several weeks each year in the hospital for treatment. Taking care of a young child is hard for young parents, but this is especially the case when the young child is chronically ill and needs multiple treatments a day. My parents put their teeth in it and got by and, eventually, even started trying to get pregnant again. And they did! But then the heartbreaking message came: this baby had a severe form of CF, too. Raising two children with severe forms of CF would inevitably mean that one of the two would have to witness the other become weaker and weaker, until death followed, knowing that he/she too will one day become that weak and die at a too-young age. My parents dreaded this future and took the hardest decision of their lives: to have an abortion, to protect both children from the added psychological drama. Not long after this, my parents decided to adopt a child, a girl with little opportunity in her own country, Poland, as she was an orphan with a mental disability. However joyful this appeared at the start, the mental disability proved too severe for the girl to be raised in a regular home, and she was taken away within a year.

And then I was born. Healthy. It wasn’t a particularly easy birth; I was quite big and heavy, causing my birth almost to take my mother’s life, but eventually everyone was fine. A little less than three years later, my younger brother was born, also healthy as could be. My mother finally had her happy little family as she had always wanted, and as she had tried for so long. I believe those were some of the happiest moments of her life.

But of course, my sister was still chronically ill. She would be in and out of the hospital each year, which mostly was only for a few days or weeks, until one year it became really bad. My sister had already been in the hospital for many weeks, longer than usual, when she was allowed a week of ‘holiday’ in France. She was so excited to go, but only a few days after her arrival she became extremely ill, vomiting blood in her bed. She was taken to the local hospital and eventually flown by helicopter to the hospital in Bordeaux. It turned out her organs had started to fail and she needed a new liver to survive. She was flown to the Netherlands and put on a waiting list for a transplant. However, this took too long and my sister soon became weaker. She died in the hospital at age 13.

Remember how as a young child your parents seemed like superheroes? The strongest people in the world, who could take on anything?

I remember this moment as the first time I saw my parents absolutely broken. I remember that at the funeral my mother could hardly stand on her feet, and people had to support her as she kept collapsing in tears. She was devastated. In the period that followed, things did not get easier for my mother. Her older sister, with whom she had a very good relationship, died of breast cancer following a short sickbed. Not much later, her oldest brother died of the consequences of being an alcoholic. Following, her brother from the triplets was left by his wife, and shortly thereafter died from a heart attack, also as a consequence of his alcohol abuse. The aftermath of the death of so many loved ones was a number of family arguments over whose fault it was that her brothers became alcoholics, and how the inheritance should be divided. The adversity seemed to never stop.

But then it did. Some five happy, carefree years followed. I saw my mother become happier and happier. She started to work again, which she had stopped during my sister’s illness, and she enjoyed it. She was active in the church community in our town, she enjoyed tennis, and she had a lot of friends. It all seemed to turn for the better. But then…

Cancer.

Unlike what you might think, we went into this really positively. You know why? Because we believed we, and especially my mother, had already received our portion of adversity. This would be our time, we were going to conquer this disease. We even organized a big party when my mother was halfway through her chemotherapy because we were halfway to beating this disease! The tumor became smaller, there seemed to be no metastases, and operations were successful. We were almost there!

But, unfortunately, I would not be typing this post if that was how the story ended.

I received a call from my dad, early December. My mother was rushed to the hospital that night after falling in the kitchen. They had found a brain tumor, metastases in her lungs, and metastases in her bones. Even though it felt as if we had almost defeated the disease, there was nothing they could do for her any more. She would be in the hospital from that point on. To make matters worse, my father was hospitalized two weeks later for an emergency stomach operation. He was in the same hospital on the 6th floor, my mother was on the 8th. It was around Christmas and I would visit them every day. Most of the time, my mother was very confused due to the tumor pressing on her brain but, sometimes, she had a clear moment.

It was during one of these clear moments that I was sitting on her bed and we were talking about life and everything that had happened. We talked about my studies and what I would do, later in life, when she would not be around anymore. About how I would some day graduate, maybe get married. We talked about her youth, about her alcoholic brothers, about the failed pregnancies, about my sister. Even about the fact that it was so screwed up that she was living some of her last weeks, and exactly at that time my dad became hospitalized.

And it was at that time that she looked at me and said:

‘’You know what, actually I am glad about all the shit that happened to me in life. And a lot of shit díd happen. But all those harsh times, all the adversity, it has taught me to enjoy and cherish all the good things in life more intensely than I imagined possible. I am grateful for everything and everyone I had.’’

There you have it. She wasn’t happy despite adversity, no, she thanked adversity for making her enjoy everything and everyone. You hear that cancer? CF? Alcoholism? You ain’t got nothing on her, heck, you made her stronger. She díd conquer cancer, in her way, she conquered it all.

It has changed how I see everything around me since. From minor setbacks to freaking mountains of adversity, I always try to approach it with a smile on my face. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t pretend everything is okay when it is not, but I fight, I keep going, and I keep telling myself that, at the very worst, adversity is going to make me stronger. And you know what? I am as happy a person as I could be!

I hope my mother’s wise words might help some of you, like they have helped me and still help me every day.

In loving memory of my mother: you won’t be gone until you’re forgotten.

The Godfather 1 ♦ “Dont ever take sides with anyone against the family again”

Chinese leaders changed to western clothing as a matter of protocol.

There are many research studies to back this up and we can see it in applications as well.

IBM salesman (no women in those days) wore a suit with a white shirt and classic tie. That was the dress code.

Sales dramatically improved.

Traditionally salesman wore sports coat and trousers. So the IBM look made them look like a businessman not a salesperson. They were talking to peers when they made their calls.

In his book Dress for Success, the author John Molloy conducted studies using different clothing. He sent people to offices to deliver a small package. If they dressed in a sports jacket and trousers,the receptionist always said leave it with me. If they were dressed in a suit with a shirt and tie, they would be told to knock on the door and give it to the executive or they call him to come out and get the package.

Chinese are very pragmatic.

They use whatever works.

Dressing in white shirt and tie with a tailored suit means you at the same level as your counterpart. When you meet the president of the US, you dress like him.

Interestingly though is Xi Jinping’s wife who dresses in traditional Chinese attire when she accompanies him on state visits.

My GF Insisted On Taking A 1 Week Break, So I Slept With Her Coworker & Dumped Her When She Returned

Jerry Springer type nonsense. *sheech*

I palm-slap myself for the craziness in the West.

Bought in as a contractor/programmer to work on an in-house system that they wanted to modify.

“Its the best system – its in C++, so its really fast”

No probs, I can work on that.

Get in there, day 1 – nice big factory, decent office space, lots of nice cars in the carpark. Get myself all setup on the system, meet the other programmer (just 1 developer in the whole company … hmmm)

Me > “OK, account is all setup, setup dev tools, meet the manager, discussed the general plan …. ready to start reading. Where is the code?”

OtherProgrammer > “?”

Me > “The source code. The C++ code ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Oh, we dont have the source code”

Me > “??”

Me > “This is an in-house system, right ? The thing you want to modify, you own it right ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Yes, its an in house system, we own it, its all ours”

Me > “and the code ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Oh I see what you mean. Yeah, that was all written by another contractor. He isnt here anymore”

Me > “did he …. leave any code by any chance ?”

OtherProgrammer > “No, we didnt pay him in the end, so he didnt give us the code”

…. at which point, I had a lot more questions than I knew I would ever get answers for. By the end of the week, I had managed to get out of that initial project and work on a different project they had on the go, so the billable hours could be justified still.

Same problem though – they had “another contractor” offsite who was working on something entirely different that was pretty interesting. So I started working on some infrastructure around that instead. It was some cool stuff the other guy was building, was going to be fun.

And it meant I didnt have to deal with their one and only full time “Developer” that worked there somehow without any source code, and the obviously clueless engineering manager was none the wiser about why this was sub optimal.

… Until one day, he suggested I dont get too involved in that other project either.

Me > “Oh, why’s that ? whats wrong with project ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Nothing, he is doing great work”

Me > “?”

OtherProgrammer > “But we have decided that we are not going to pay him for it <big smile>”

… just like that ! Quite out in the open about it. Bragging about how clever they are, they can get work done by honest people, and still manage to weasel their way out of having to pay for it.

So Clever, and proud of it too.

See ya later, idiots !

(in case you are wondering – yeah, I got my billed hours paid …. eventually … every last cent)

That’s incorrect framing.

America has pursued global hegemony since the fall of the Berlin wall, going so far to embrace the “end of history and the last man”.

What is global hegemony? Dominance over ALL states and peoples.

That means beating down all comers, and making examples of those who say no to the United States, as sheikh hasina found to great fluster and regret recently.

Unfortunately, 4% dominating over the 96% is a fool’s errand, as America finds itself drowning in debt, and having to deal with conflicts in the middle east and Europe, while following through on explicit policy to concentrate and expand military resources in the western pacific.

That’s untenable, and exhausting, not too different from the 50% drawdown of the SPR to cap runaway energy prices recently.

America is frittering away past reserves, burning its legacy rather than building for the future.

America is not behaving like a normal country, because it insists the rules do not apply.

China sees itself as a normal country, a member of the global citizenry. Normal countries respond vigorously to the militarization of their neighborhood, because sovereignty must be defended.

America is doomed to implode because even exceptionally engineered airliners drop out of the sky when they run out of fuel.

The Outlaw Josey Wales | The River Crossing | Warner Classics

A woman named Peng Shuais accused a leading Chinese Communist Party leader of Sexual harassment.

It’s now clear that Peng Shuais allegations were firmly investigated

main qimg 6c94efde827e75c1383a39e5d010f6e4
main qimg 6c94efde827e75c1383a39e5d010f6e4

In China, it’s crucial that Party officials don’t violate discipline otherwise they are fried

Since China doesn’t have Elections and Votes, Party officials need their reputation


Peng Shuai alleged that she was sexually harrassed

Had she reported this to 12345 citing anonymity

No problems

She published this on Social Media referring to a Party member by name

He was dumping her and she was pissed

However in China – Social Media is under the full view of the CENSOR

Automatically the posts garnered attention and the Censor stepped in

Peng was summoned by the Censor and asked

Do you have Evidence?

Why wait so long?

Meanwhile the Party member was hauled up by the Internal mechanism and he said they were in a relationship and he dumped her

Under Chinese Law, if the Censor hauls you up, your Internet Id doesn’t work for a few weeks or a month and you can’t login or send a message on weibo or even reply to mail (confused on this point)

This is China

So the Censor initiated a State Investigation and China has like millions of cameras

Soon they began to see Camera feeds

They saw Peng willingly laugh and hold hands, kiss, go to hotels and eat in restaurants like a favorite girlfriend for weeks and weeks

They presented her with evidence and she folded immediately and confessed that HE HAD DUMPED HER and she had got pissed

Thats that

From that minute on, she lost face and in China that’s bad


So now whether she is charged with lying on public media or not – Nobody knows

A few of my top ones include:

  • What do you call a black man in space? An astronaut.
  • How many men does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Three, one to screw it in and the other two to listen to him brag about screwing something.
  • A faster than light neutrino says ‘I’ll have a whisky’, sits down, then walks into a bar.
  • A woman is approached by a man in a suit, and a foot tall man carrying a miniature keyboard. The man in the suit says ‘I have a magic lamp here, with a genie in it. He’ll grant you a single wish, but be careful, he’s hard of hearing.’ The woman takes the lamp and says ‘I wish for a million bucks.’ All of a sudden the sky is blocked out by a million ducks flying overhead. ‘That’s not what I wished for’ the woman yells. The man replies ‘do you think I wished for a twelve inch pianist?’
  • A priest, a doctor, and a politician are kidnapped by an evil psychopath. The psychopath says ‘I’m going to get each of you to hold a snake for ten minutes, the most venomous snake in the world. If it doesn’t bite you, I’ll let you go. If you refuse, I’ll shoot you.’ The priest says a short prayer, kisses his cross, and holds the snake. It bites him, and he falls dead almost instantly. The doctor examines the snake, tries to find the best position to stop the snake being uncomfortable, and holds it. The snake bites her, and she falls over dead. The politician is last up, he just mutters ‘screw it’ and holds the snake. To his amazement, the snake stays still, it doesn’t bite him. He holds it for a full ten minutes, and is set free. He puts the snake in its box and takes it with him. As he leaves, feeling no small amount of Survivors guilt, he looks at the snake and says ‘I wonder why you killed that pious holy man and that great saviour of lives, but let me live.’ ‘Professional courtesy’ the snake replies.

US Property “$557 BILLION Bloodbath” – Final Chapter Of The Banking Collapse Is Here

China has not opened up? I’m pretty sure anyone holding that view has not visited China recently.

Go to Beijing or Shanghai or any other big Chinese city. You will find malls that look not much different from Hong Kong or Singapore. They may even be built and operated by conglomerates from these port cities. American fast food, French bags, Swiss watches. Whatever you want you can have. Markets as open as any major international city today.

As for liberalization, more than 150 million Chinese travel abroad each year. That is an astounding number, greater than the population of Japan. Just 40 years ago, the numbers were negligible. But the more incredible number is this: more than 150 million Chinese RETURN HOME. There are no reports of millions of Chinese refugees seeking asylum overseas.

On to human rights. China is behind Singapore in terms of rule of law, and trust in the government internationally. But Singapore still get routinely trashed for the death penalty, caning, inequality and other human rights abuses. We are a common law democracy but there are always murmurs if not shouts of dynastic politics, non-democracy, high political salaries and other evils.

We can never please the west because we are not the west.

China is changing.

Warp speed fast.

But please temper any judgment with the fact China started from a very low base. China was at war for the better part of 100 years from 1850 to 1949, half of it without a functional central government. Can you imagine 3 generations of anarchy and destruction? What do they call it, dystopia?

The current generation of Chinese youth enjoy far more freedoms and privileges than their parents did. The next will, too.

There was a guy that bullied me every day at high school. He was a confident, in-crowd guy, lots of plastic friends and always took the opportunity to make my life hell. He sabotaged my locker, bumped me in the hall when with his mates and he always had a smart alec comment to call out when I was presenting to the class or school. I responded the only way I thought I could which was to never pass him the ball during sport if we were on the same team, or if I was on an opposing team to tackle him as hard as possible. I didn’t have the confidence or the support network to help me through it, or the language to express myself to him.

I ran into him at a hardware store some 20 years after school. I had my 14 and 12 year olds with me and he had 3 kids, about 11, 9 and 7. He started with a gushing hello. He introduced me as a close friend from school. I looked at his kids, they looked nice enough. I was pleasant. I then whispered to him to come to the side out of earshot.

I was shaking with rage because the adrenaline kicked in so quickly, and the hurt and embarrassment he had caused me came flooding back. I told him that he was a real shit to me at high school and his kids looked like well adjusted human beings. I told him that unless he took his kids out of the store right now I would tell them what a nasty, horrible, vindictive shit of a person their dad was and he would have to explain why this guy he thought was a friend would say things like that about him.

He left with his kids. About 6 that evening he knocked on my door, and presented to me a bottle of wine and an apology for the pain he caused to me at school. He thanked me for not blasting his kids. His reason, his dad and older brothers did it to him and that is the way he thought you behaved. He had married a really nice lady who had educated him that friendships and relationships were not built by treating people like he had treated me. He had always worried about me and felt guilty. He always wanted to catch up and apologize. He and his wife knew that I would have crushed their kids if I had opened up on them at the store. I’m so glad I didn’t.

Some of the MM AI art examples

I continue with my experiments. Not too much of value.

It’s really like driving a tractor trailer rig though a maze inside of a mall. Crazy and sensitive.

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(5)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(5)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(2)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(2)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(1)

What a set of horns on his headpiece.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(1)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(1)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(1)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(1)

I finally figured out how to add clothing to the people…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3

But it only works part of the time…

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(5)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(5)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(5)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(5)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(2)

Some is impressive.

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(6)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(6)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(6)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(6)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(6)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(6)

Looks like they are taking selfies…

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 2(6)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 2(6)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(1)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(1)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(1)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 2(1)
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 2(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3
Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(2)
Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(2)

 

The Bourne Ultimatum | It’s Jason Bourne

Stupid trolls.

While I was living in Japan, a clerk typed a wrong character on a document related to the public pension for an elderly couple. As a result their pension payments ceased. The elderly couple quietly starved to death in their apartment.

Of course, this was a huge scandal in Japan, and every neighborhood in the country began programs to check up on their neighborhood’s elderly residents at least once per week; have someone visit every residence every few days.

The point is that shit happens, but normal people (thus incomprehensible to you trolls) take action that has nothing to do with trying to overthrow the government. You stupid trolls only heard about someone dying of malnutrition in modern China because it was such an unusual and shocking occurrence for the Chinese people that they themselves were scandalized and chatting about it on social media. Nobody but fake NGO shit-stirrers and moronic western trolls are even remotely thinking about overthrowing the Chinese government because of it.

There may be local protests in China over the event, but protests there have a very different character than they do in western countries with capitalist fake democracy governments (ex: USA, Britain, France). Rather than sending out the goons with teargas and water canons, Chinese bureaucrats and municipal workers rush to the streets with their clipboards and interview the protesters to find out what the problems are and what they can do to make things right.

Yeah, the Chinese conception of democracy is completely beyond you Sinophobic trolls’ understanding. You stupid fools think “voting” every couple years for some useless meatbag (out of two or three options chosen for you by your capitalist overlords) who you know ahead of time will not even try to do what s/he promises, and whom you don’t like anyway, is “Democracy™”.

Stupid chumps.

There will be no “civil unrest” in China, at least not of the sort you moron trolls hope for. China’s government has even more popular support than Putin. It is untouchable by your retarded memes and narratives. The American and British governments are far more at risk of being toppled by their populations than is the Chinese government.

Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 29 2024 12:18 utc | 15

Before the coup in HK in 2019, HK was ranked 3rd in the world on the scale of freedom. USA was only 7th.

What makes (some) HKers think they have no freedom & must flee HK?

“HK has no freedom” is just a political slogan by USA+UK to brainwash HKers because USA+UK have been plotting to control HK government. It was a modern-day colonisation without occupying HK. That is all.

They were plotting to overthrow China’s regime. That is all. They tried many times. Xizang (Tibet in English) in 1959. Tiananmen in 1989. Xinjiang in 2009, HK in 2019. White Paper protest in 2022. Taiwan ongoing.

Some HKers did flee to UK. Now they find UK national security law is tighter than HK’s. ie they have less freedom in UK than in HK. They found UK police are tougher than HK.

They find out that “freedom is a political slogan only” in the hard way.

A comment regarding China

I find it really frustrating that people even paid trolls constantly fall for this BS about China. Most have never even been to Asia or if they have it is Phuket or Bali.

There they never actually spend time with locals just demand fresh towels.. On my walk this morning I was thinking about China and Taiwan and wondering why China does not just cut them off??

Most companies in Taiwan are connected to China most families in Taiwan are connected to the mainland with families, most flights coming and going from Taiwan go to China.

I suspect most money moves through China. Maybe that would be the plan if things heat up. My hope and belief is Taiwan does not really want this, and Taiwan is no longer the innovation center it was when we lived there. They have to know the US will use them and dump them just like Ukraine and Israel, Afghanistan, and all the other countries that the US. Dumps when they lose

Posted by: Susan | Aug 29 2024 14:39 utc | 22

Until women understand men have a thing called “she’s only bangable” chaos will ensue.

“Modern Women”.

This fiasco that women are going though is anything but laughable. People need to be more compassionate to each other.

Dollar General Stock Plunges 29% in ONE day

Dollar General Stock Plunges 29% in ONE day

The Canary in the Retail coal mine has just taken very, VERY, ill.   Dollar General, the retail chain that is found in almost every low income, urban, area, saw its stock price plunge 29.43% TODAY.

The company said publicly it is because its customers ‘feel worse off.’

Adding to investor concerns, Dollar General significantly lowered its full-year outlook, attributing part of the downgrade to the financial struggles of its core customer base.

The company noted that many of its customers “feel worse off,” reflecting the broader economic pressures affecting consumer spending. 

On Thursday afternoon, the stock was trading around $87.

 

Hal Turner Analysis

In many respects, Dollar General is a sort of Canary in the (retail) coal mine.   Years ago, Miners working deep underground, brought Canaries in cages with them for fear of natural gas, carbon monoxide, and a host of other deadly gases.  If the Canary passed-out, or dropped dead in the cage, the miners knew to evacuate the mine immediately because death was coming for the miners themselves if they didn’t leave immediately.

Dollar General has had good stock value and performance because their core customer base, the low-income folks, are in abundant supply.

Today, the Canary in the retail coal mine got noticeably sick and those with any brains, KNOW this is a major league, bad economic sign.

When the poor are SO POOR they can’t even afford to go to Dollar General, the economy is in a bad downward spiral. 

THAT is exactly the warning sign everyone got today, as Dollar General’s stock value plummeted 29.43% in ONE DAY.

Most of us have known for the better part of two years, things were not right.  E V E R Y T H I N G was suddenly getting noticeably more expensive; especially food.

Energy costs, that had peaked with gasoline around $6. a gallon, eased back to around $3.XX but then a lot of us noticed that the product packaging, was smaller.   In most cases, the price of a product remained the same, but the quantity of the product was reduced.

Take Tuna fish, for example.  The price had gone up to about $1.50  for a 6 oz. can, then all of a sudden . . . . . ALL of the Tuna fish cans became only five ounces.  ALL OF THEM!

No industry collusion there.  No anti-trust violations there.   HMMMMMM.

Portions of other products took nose-dives as well.

But now, even Dollar General is seeing a major reduction in revenues.   And this reduction is from a customer base that does not spend extravagantly because . . .  well . . . . they can’t.

So while we’ve been seeing the prices go up, the product sizes go down, things still chugged along economically, NOW we’re seeing that the very people who only bought what they absolutely NEEDED, can’t even do that anymore.

This is a terrible warning sign that the economy is not only in a recession (which government has lied about by denying it for over a year) it is heading straight and fast,  into Depression.

Of course, the Biden voters, ALL of whom are low-information people with little to no intellect or ability to discern truth from lies, have bought the lies in the mass media that the economy is good. 

Naturally, those same low-information and almost zero intellect Biden supporters will never make the connection between who they vote for and what they’re encountering in real life.   They deny what life is proving to them, and believe the lies they hear and see on TV and radio.  

Stupid is as stupid does. 

Those of us who actually have the ability to see facts, have known the economy is very sick for quite awhile and it is Biden’s socialistic economic policies, and radical environmental policies that have caused it all.

As the November Election approaches, the dumb will keep voting the way they’ve voted because they’re too dumb to figure things out.  The rest of us will vote against the present regime.  Hopefully, there are still more smart people than dumb.  We’ll see.

Can Cats See Spirits, Ghosts, or the Supernatural?

Mary Lombardi

To whom it may concern,When I signed up for this assignment, I was looking forward to spending four years of my life with someone who shared my disdain for obnoxiously loud, self idolizing, undereducated people.I believed (foolheartedly) that only respectful scientists would sign up for this mission. That only those who truly valued the exploration of the last great frontier would spend three years training, four years locked in a shuttle with little to no contact with Earth, and a year reconditioning to Earth.Through all the vetting processes and the countless tests, how is it that he made it through. Out of everyone, I had to be sent out with this doof-The tip of my pencil abruptly breaks as the door crashes open.“Yo Whaddup?” the intruder yells as he prances inside my room.“Good morning Jack. What brings you so forcefully into my room this morning?” I say in an even voice as I push my letter of complaint under the other papers on my desk.“Just wanted to check up on my favorite colleague.” I stare blankly at him as he shuffles in the silence.“Also, the coffee maker isn’t working.”Year two of four on shuttle 555 to the Great Unknown has been filled with daily coffee maker failures. After only two weeks, it was discovered that Jack had little to no idea how to fix anything electrical after he almost set fire to the kitchen unit.Since neither of us can function without a consistent supply of this liquid energy, every morning he has swung by my room to request assistance in repairing our sputtering caffeine machine.As we make our way to the small kitchen unit, our feet softly tap on the shuttle floor. We keep the gravity at about half of Earth’s. It is ‘better for the mechanics of the shuttle’ according to the maintenance manual.For the second time today, I find my hand buried deep in our well-loved coffee machine. Its plastic cover is chipped by the multiple falls it has taken (mainly because of  Jack’s love of ‘space juggling,’ where he tries to juggle with random appliances he finds). Among the small cracks, there is one that stands out from the rest. A crack, that I know was definitely not there this morning.With a shoulder heaving sigh, I retract my hand, snap on the cracked cover, and give the poor machine an affectionate pat. Now that the immediate issue is over, I turn to Jack.“Why, may I ask, is there another crack in the cover?”He takes a single step back, bringing his hands slightly out in front of himself as he tries to form a consoling expression on his face. “You see-”“Yes I see”“I was filling it up and-” He turned before finishing his thought and scrambled away. In his struggle to escape he bounces feet into the air with every step. I race behind him, wanting nothing more than to teach him once and for all to never mess with my coffee.

As we crash through the small shuttle papers go flying in our wake. He is much faster than me, and I know that catching up to him is out of the question but- I grab a blunt object from the nearest table- I can still hit him. Thus started my onslaught of flying projectiles. Lucky for him, we only have ‘space grade’ appliances that can do no damage to the shuttle, and in turn, minimum damage to people.

Frantically dodging my projectiles he ducks into his room, slamming the door shut with such force that I dare say it shakes the whole shuttle. He is safe… for now.

 

In the aftermath of the conflict, I return to my room. I shuffle through a stack of papers on my desk, readouts from the multiple instruments our shuttle carries, an aged letter from home, and my half written letter of complaint lie before me.

I sit in the chair with a heavy sigh. Recently every day has been an ordeal. Just last week, while taking our annual inventory, I found that we were missing over a month’s worth of dessert rations.

Five or six of the well loved packets would have been acceptable (we each planned on five extra per month… everyone needs a sweet snack every once in a while), but a full 17 packets? Completely unacceptable!

The culprit was found almost immediately as I made my way to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee. There, with two opened dessert packets in front of him, was Jack. I paused for a moment, shocked by his flagrant misuse of rations.

Instead of laying into him right away, I strolled calmly into the room. He froze, knowing that he had been caught. I grabbed a dish and a fork, made my way to him, spooned a heaping portion of the brownie into my bowl, and sat down across from him.

Later would come the scolding, but those brownies are all that keep me sane.

After we finished our brownie’s it was agreed that he would be able to eat one portion at a time once a week and that he would limit himself a single brownie ration per month.

 

The issue has yet to return, and I believe that we are both satisfied with the results.

 

And I don’t dare forget the swivel chair incident of two weeks past!

 

In our control room, we have the best swivel chairs. They are so smooth, and in half gravity, it’s like you are floating instead of sitting.

One day, while doing the daily readouts of our course, I took a much needed break. Pushing off of the floor I started to spin. The world around me passed in a whizzing flash. The brightly lit shuttle intermittently interrupted by the dark expanse of space, as a childish carefree glee started to spread through me.

The weightless euphoric ride was cut short when a blurred figure of Jack makes his way into the room. It took me a full revolution to slam my feet to the ground, and the moment contact was made, I shot from my chair, still spinning, as I catapulted through the air.

Through the entire ordeal, Jack’s laugh echoed through the room. As I crashed back to the ground he sat in the co-pilot chair to watch my failure. His eyes were bright with amusement even after his body shaking laughter had ceased.

We sat in silence. Him still slightly shaking from silent chuckles, and me fuming with embarrassment at being caught doing such a childish thing.

Finally, I had reached my limit with this entire ordeal. Indignantly I got up, still dizzy, and stumbled my way from the room.

 

We have yet to talk about this incident, but every now and then, he’ll make an offhand remark on my fascination with spinning chairs.

 

As I recall our past fights, I find myself smiling. Never has there been a dull moment on this journey. I look down at the letter of complaint on my desk, heave a heavy sigh, and proceed to slowly rip it into a plethora of pieces.

Jack and I may not always get along, but I would rather be with him than anyone else.

Man, it must really suck to be so delicate.

I actually live in a farming community. Here guns are a way of life. We use them for protecting livestock, hunting game, entertainment at shooting matches, and self-defense.

Our murder rate is almost zero. The last murder we had was 15 years ago…and that was a stabbing.

Our county jail is mostly filled with drunks and makers of meth. Most of those meth makers are caught by farmers with rifles long before the cops show up.

When I go to town, if I see some guy open carrying, I don’t freak out. Because I’ve been around guns all my life, I can tell the difference between a person who is a threat and who isn’t.

I live near a major city, a city that is one of the most dangerous in America. When some thugs decided that mugging and assaulting me was a good idea, when they found out that I was armed they had other places to be. I left that situation feeling healthy and safe.

Your desire to destroy all guns is not realistic.

Even if you did, what’s to stop the criminal types from stealing a gun, making a gun, or buying one on the black market?

Millions of Americans go about their lives on a daily basis completely oblivious that people around them are armed.

And yet somehow they are still safe.

It’s strange how in places where gun ownership is supported and practiced, are usually the safest neighborhoods to be in.

It’s the gun free zones you got to worry about.

Most Americans go through their daily lives without ever encountering someone who is an idiot with a gun.

If guns create such a fear in you, it’s probably because you feel defenseless and think that the answer to alleviating that is to make everybody defenseless. You are feeding exactly into what the criminals want.

An armed society is a polite society.

Besides, gun control is people control. And in a nation that lists freedom has its goal, such a thing is totally unacceptable.

Life comes with risks. Get a helmet.

No soup for you.

Bio-weapon escapes from a USA military facility destroys 99.9999% of the world’s population. Shows the escape and the breakdown of society and the fight between good and evil.

Five hours of the entire movie. This Stephan King classic is awesome. It is well worth the time to watch over a week or two when you have time, or binge watch over the weekend.

At the very minimum the first ten minutes of the movie is gold. Especially with the song “Don’t fear the reaper” playing.

Possible nuclear detonation off the California Coast

I have long argued that were China or Russia to harm the United States, they would not do so using expected means. Instead they might do so using unorthodox means.

Russia pulls out it’s “Ace Card”.

After the warning by Putin with his Oreshnik missile, the West did not take the warning seriously. Yet, this was a most impressive display of power and ability.

This is from MSN

screen 2024 12 06 10 21 55
screen 2024 12 06 10 21 55

The United States responds

Instead, the West, led by the United States decided to double down, and fired even more US and UK made and controlled missiles into Russia.

Russia made a final statement. They said that these actions now open up the West, including the United States, to target areas.

This is from Hal Turner

screen 2024 12 06 10 26 19
screen 2024 12 06 10 26 19

It is (today) now 7 days. One full week later since this announcement.

Tsunami hits California

And there is a large underwater “earthquake” off the California coast. It began as a 6.0 earthquake, and then a second one, back to back, of magnitudes 7.0 earthquake.

This resulted in a Tsunami warning for the entire West coast of the United States. And of course, huge tsunami waves hitting almost the entirety of the California coast.

Here’s where the earthquakes originated, and showing the tsunami affected regions.

Localized Tsunami Warning Map
Localized Tsunami Warning Map

There are those that suggest that the earthquakes look more like a sudden explosion, rather than a typical earthquake. I do not know how valid these claims are. But the semantic data is certainly damning.

7 0 qUAKE OR eXPLOSION
7 0 qUAKE OR eXPLOSION

Discussions on X are filled with conspiracy theories and other related content.

 

 

There are two points that I want to emphasize.

  • No serious radiation has been detected. Sure there was a short spike but nothing even resembling what an atomic detonation would look like.
  • The detonation, if that is what happened, is not where a foe would seemingly place a detonation target. The better location would be between San Francisco and Los Angles. Not between San Francisco and Portland OR.

There is damage, and flooding. But from the early news reports that I can see, nothing is very serious as of yet.

Strange Coincidences

Immediately before the earthquake “detonated”, there was a United States Navy P3 Submarine detection aircraft flying in the region.

screen 2024 12 06 10 41 51
screen 2024 12 06 10 41 51

There was even a SECOND military P-8 searching off the coast of SOUTHERN California at the time of the quake, but way far south of the quake area. It might be unrelated, or connected. It’s too difficult to know.

Russian Poseidon nuclear-tipped torpedoes

Russia DOES have weapons that can unleash Tsunami related chaos. And they are deadly and lethal. However, the damage that they would create is much larger than what this incident suggests.

Here’s what Popular Mechanics has to say…

screen 2024 12 06 10 51 35
screen 2024 12 06 10 51 35

MM Conclusions and thoughts

  • The “earthquake” could be natural.
  • The “earthquake” could also be a Russian Poseidon conventionally-tipped torpedo. Not a nuclear tipped one.
  • The “earthquake” could also be an explosion on board a submarine.

We don’t know.

But to find out what is really going on, look for the obscure tell-tales that might surface in the nooks and crannies of the internet.

Ribbit. Ribbit. Ribbit.

My second husband passed almost 22 years ago. When he died, I was only 28 years old. His final words to me still linger in my heart. “You will get married again and you will have more children. I want you to be happy and I’ll do everything in my power to make it so”.

Two months later, I discovered I was pregnant after 8 years of trying. I was about to be a young, pregnant widow. I heard his voice, and went about doing what I had to do to provide for our son.

When my son was about a year old, I saw a man across the room from me at the gym and heard my husband say “ that man is your next husband” three months later, we met and started dating. In May of 1998, we were married.

A month after our wedding, I became pregnant. Mike and I were so in love! Sometimes I am in disbelief at how deep our love was. For fifteen years we were married and it was the best thing I’d ever known.

Mike passed away, in his sleep, January 27th 2018. Were it not for my second husbands death, I never would have known such an incredible amount of love. Now, I’m again a single, widowed woman with a couple of teenaged sons who have kept me alive in ways they will never know. My life isn’t perfect but I’m so much more alive than I have ever imagined. So, not just one death has changed me.

COL. Lawrence Wilkerson : US Empire Failing

Well, she didn’t start out being unwelcomed.

After my wife passed away I had sole responsibility of four children ranging in age from premature infant to 19 years old.

My sister-in-law became very concerned for my well being and wanted to help me organize my life. I thought “good luck with that.”

So, she and her husband, who was my late wife’s brother, came over to spend a few days to help me “straighten up.”

First, she started with my linens. She asked me where the spare bedsheets were. I told her I had no idea. She asked when was the last time I changed the beds. I told her less than a week ago. I just take the sheets off, wash them, then put them back on. Made sense to me.

It did not make sense to her. So after finding and organizing the linens, she attacked the bath towels.

The towels seemed perfectly fine the way they were. But that didn’t mesh with her system.

Then it was on to the kitchen. I had to learn a new way in the pantry and refrigerator. Neither made sense to me, but I was trying to be patient.

My son came running to me the next day saying that Aunt C was in her room straightening up. I told him to be patient with her. She means only the best for us. Then the other son says she made him leave his room.

That afternoon there were a pile of toys in the hall that she said they didn’t need in their rooms.

I told her I would take care of it. The kids came crying when she went downstairs asking what I was going to do with them. I told them to just wait. They won’t be hear much longer.

On the third day, my oldest son came in my face and said “She’s organizing the outdoor toys, like my ball, bat, and gloves.

That was the last straw.

I finally confronted her and said “Thank you for everything you’ve done, but I think that’s enough. We can take it from here.”

She huffed at me and said “I was only trying to help.”

I replied that she was indeed a big help, and I couldn’t thank her enough. But we had to get on with things the best way we could.

They left.

And almost as quickly as they organized things we reorganized our own way. The spare sheets were never removed from the closet. I put my pantry back in order, and the pile of toys was redistributed to the kids.

And just to end this story that was 25 years ago, and there are no ill feelings between us today.

The cases of Sun Xiaoguo and Li Tianyi do not have any bad impact because both cases have been thoroughly investigated and the criminals and those who shielded them have been punished.

On February 20, 2020, Sun Xiaoguo was executed. 19 public officials were sentenced for shielding Sun Xiaoguo.

Although Li Tianyi’s parents pleaded with the victim to withdraw his appeal, they did not obstruct justice nor commit a crime. After Li Tianyi was sentenced to 10 years in prison, his mother appealed to the Ministry of Public Security several times. The procedure was legal, but it had no impact on the verdict of the case.

Li Tianyi spent 10 years in prison before being released (February 22, 2013 – February 22, 2023). The reason why the sentence was not commuted was because his parents were celebrities. If his sentence is commuted, it will immediately trigger an Internet discussion and attract widespread attention. Taking into account the impact of public opinion, Li Tianyi was not commuted, but stayed in prison for a full 10 years.

Jalapeno Stuffed Green Peppers

9927fa3eb1911f844b1a84053d13e2d9
9927fa3eb1911f844b1a84053d13e2d9

Ingredients

  • 6 large green bell peppers
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 envelope taco seasoning
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers, or more to taste
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, or more to taste
  • Mild or hot salsa, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut a thin slice from stem side of bell peppers. Remove seeds and membranes. Rinse and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Make sure water covers peppers.
  2. Brown ground beef; drain if necessary.
  3. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer until water cooks down.
  4. Remove from heat; stir in jalapeno peppers, rice, 1 1/4 cups cheese and 1/4 cup salsa.
  5. Stuff peppers, standing upright in an ungreased, glass baking dish.
  6. Top each pepper with 1 tablespoon salsa.
  7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
  8. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.
  9. Top with remaining cheese.

How Female Girl Bosses Are Ruining Companies

“Ew, she’s got poop all over her!”

My mother and I had just gotten back from grocery shopping and a small crowd had gathered at the base of our apartment building.

Beyond the vestibule at the entrance of our building, right inside the inner door, was a homeless woman sitting at the base of the stairs.

“They’ve called the landlord.” A tenant who lived in the building informed my mom that someone was on their way to get rid of the vagrant.

We were standing about ten feet away, and I peered through the crowd to get a glimpse.

The woman was wearing a tattered dress that was caked with grime, her hair matted with oil and dirt. She looked as if she hadn’t bathed in many months.

She sat with her arms around her knees, rocking, and keening.

But what really drew the people’s attention was the poop. The woman had pooped herself. Pieces of poop had fallen at her feet and poop was smeared and streaked all over the lower half of her body.

Even from where we were standing, we could smell the revolting stench. It was a warm day, and flies buzzed around as they followed the scent towards the woman.

“Out, get OUT!” Our building caretaker had arrived, and he was waving aggressively at the lady as he shouted at her to leave.

After a few more menacing shouts from the caretaker, the lady got up from the stairs. She walked through the crowd and left slowly down the street as people stared at her in disgust.

Later, as we got home, my mom seemed upset.

“She looked hungry.” My mom uttered the words in a low voice, almost to herself.

“What did you say mom?”

Mom gazed at me sadly. “The woman looked so hungry.”

Mom often gave change to homeless people, and although we couldn’t get near the homeless woman because of the crowd, Mom still noticed from ten feet away that she looked hungry.

It was only then, after my mom said the words that it hit me. I had so much left to learn about the world.

All the other people in the crowd, including me, had only seen that the homeless lady was revolting and disgusting. She was something to avoid, something we pinched our noses at, and couldn’t wait to drive away.

In our selfishness, we only cared about our own discomfort and how she offended our senses. We didn’t stop to think about how the woman felt, or whether she needed anything.

It happens all the time.

Often, when we see homeless people, we just walk by. We make excuses and come up with reasons why we are justified to walk on the other side of the street, to not do anything, and to not feel bad.

Can’t they just get a job?

It’s such a busy street, they must be making a killing panhandling.

It’s their own fault.

They made bad choices.

They chose to be homeless.

Giving them money won’t solve the problem.

What people forget about other people is that we are all people.

Every single homeless person was once someone’s child, someone’s wee baby.

No one stands outside for hours in the freezing cold or sweltering heat because it’s easy living.

No matter what the person looks like, or why and how they got there, those who have fallen on hard times deserve our humanity.

Dollar General Stock Plunges 29% in ONE day

Dollar General Stock Plunges 29% in ONE day

The Canary in the Retail coal mine has just taken very, VERY, ill.   Dollar General, the retail chain that is found in almost every low income, urban, area, saw its stock price plunge 29.43% TODAY.

The company said publicly it is because its customers ‘feel worse off.’

Adding to investor concerns, Dollar General significantly lowered its full-year outlook, attributing part of the downgrade to the financial struggles of its core customer base.

The company noted that many of its customers “feel worse off,” reflecting the broader economic pressures affecting consumer spending. 

On Thursday afternoon, the stock was trading around $87.

 

Hal Turner Analysis

In many respects, Dollar General is a sort of Canary in the (retail) coal mine.   Years ago, Miners working deep underground, brought Canaries in cages with them for fear of natural gas, carbon monoxide, and a host of other deadly gases.  If the Canary passed-out, or dropped dead in the cage, the miners knew to evacuate the mine immediately because death was coming for the miners themselves if they didn’t leave immediately.

Dollar General has had good stock value and performance because their core customer base, the low-income folks, are in abundant supply.

Today, the Canary in the retail coal mine got noticeably sick and those with any brains, KNOW this is a major league, bad economic sign.

When the poor are SO POOR they can’t even afford to go to Dollar General, the economy is in a bad downward spiral. 

THAT is exactly the warning sign everyone got today, as Dollar General’s stock value plummeted 29.43% in ONE DAY.

Most of us have known for the better part of two years, things were not right.  E V E R Y T H I N G was suddenly getting noticeably more expensive; especially food.

Energy costs, that had peaked with gasoline around $6. a gallon, eased back to around $3.XX but then a lot of us noticed that the product packaging, was smaller.   In most cases, the price of a product remained the same, but the quantity of the product was reduced.

Take Tuna fish, for example.  The price had gone up to about $1.50  for a 6 oz. can, then all of a sudden . . . . . ALL of the Tuna fish cans became only five ounces.  ALL OF THEM!

No industry collusion there.  No anti-trust violations there.   HMMMMMM.

Portions of other products took nose-dives as well.

But now, even Dollar General is seeing a major reduction in revenues.   And this reduction is from a customer base that does not spend extravagantly because . . .  well . . . . they can’t.

So while we’ve been seeing the prices go up, the product sizes go down, things still chugged along economically, NOW we’re seeing that the very people who only bought what they absolutely NEEDED, can’t even do that anymore.

This is a terrible warning sign that the economy is not only in a recession (which government has lied about by denying it for over a year) it is heading straight and fast,  into Depression.

Of course, the Biden voters, ALL of whom are low-information people with little to no intellect or ability to discern truth from lies, have bought the lies in the mass media that the economy is good. 

Naturally, those same low-information and almost zero intellect Biden supporters will never make the connection between who they vote for and what they’re encountering in real life.   They deny what life is proving to them, and believe the lies they hear and see on TV and radio.  

Stupid is as stupid does. 

Those of us who actually have the ability to see facts, have known the economy is very sick for quite awhile and it is Biden’s socialistic economic policies, and radical environmental policies that have caused it all.

As the November Election approaches, the dumb will keep voting the way they’ve voted because they’re too dumb to figure things out.  The rest of us will vote against the present regime.  Hopefully, there are still more smart people than dumb.  We’ll see.

(Unless the Democrats STEAL this election the same way they stole 2020.)

It starts with some old Biden era lecturing. What has changed? Now watch the video. This was five months ago.

I was flying a red-eye from Singapore to Perth, Australia, on Quantas.

The plane — a wide body — was nearly empty. I, however, had two people to my left. I was in the aisle seat.

A gentleman several rows behind us and in a middle row started moaning about how his life was terrible and his wife was unfaithful. I rolled my eyes and hoped he would shut up once in the air because I was bone-tired.

The plane took off, and the man kept it up, getting louder and louder. The flight attendants talked to him several times before meal service (remember that?).

The man got up from his seat and ran up and down the aisles. This was before 9/11, so the flight attendants merely tried to corral and control him. I saw the man knock two flight attendants over and punch a third. He came running to the back of the plane on my aisle.

Without thinking, I threw my arm around the man’s head and neck and pulled him over my inflight meal. I held him until several flight attendants grabbed him and got him under control. (I was young and in shape, capable of doing one-armed pull-ups.)

The man sitting next to me announced that he was a doctor and had some sedative that he could administer to the man. The flight attendants declined his offer, explaining that they had resources. They escorted him forward, and out of sight, in the plane.

A while later the man was returned to his seat and handcuffed in place. He was quiet the rest of the flight. We landed in Perth about sunrise and sat on the tarmac for a long time. Then, through the window, I saw the man being wheeled across the tarmac, handcuffed to a gurney and escorted by police.

A Lot of Federal Government Employees Better RUN and Hide! 18 U.S.C. §241

A Lot of Federal Government Employees Better RUN and Hide! 18 U.S.C. §241

OPINION-EDITORIAL — The Censorship gang in various agencies and departments of the federal government, should RUN AND HIDE as fast as they can, because a LOT of them have committed violation of 18 USC §241 “Conspiracy against Rights.” Prison awaits.

For the four years of the Biden Regime, a LOT of federal officials took it upon themselves to work with corporations like Facebook (META), Twitter (X), Reddit, Instagram, Whatsapp, and other social media outlets, to suppress, censor, and even ban Americans for speech.

Much of the banning, shadow banning, being put in social media “jail,” etc., had to do with COVID and the now-known-PHONY “Vaccine.” Anyone who raised questions or doubt about COVID, or the “Vaccine” was ruthlessly suppressed.

That effort, was a criminal act; violation of 18 USC §241 “Conspiracy against rights.”

The law is simple:

If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—

They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(a)Apr. 11, 196882 Stat. 75Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7018(a), (b)(1), Nov. 18, 1988102 Stat. 4396Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(a), title XXXII, §§ 320103(a), 320201(a), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(A), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996110 Stat. 3507, 3511.)

In paragraph one of the law above, you folks in government and in private corporations did, in fact, “oppress” users of social media services.

In paragraph two of the law above the folks at government agencies, and inside corporations did, in fact  have the “. . . intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege. . .”

A lot of you folks in government and in social media companies did, in fact, commit federal crimes; each and every time you censored someone for their speech.

Social media companies called it “dis-information” or “mis-information” or “mal-information.”  They had the nerve to say that they were “protecting the safety” of their users.

How about FBI Agents, some of whom, to this very day, go out to “talk to you abut your posting on the Internet?”   Their very presence is an act of intimidation, of oppression.  Having federal agents come to your door because you said something they’re “concerned with”  is outright intimidation – and I argue, it is also an actual crime.  18 USC 241.

Firstly,  it is not up to the government or to the social media companies to arbitrarily define other people’s views as “mis-information, dis-information, mal-information” etc.  They have no such power and had no such right.

The Social Media behemoths claim protection from liability based upon Section 207 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA) because, they say, they are not the “publisher.”  They assert that they cannot be held liable for what other people choose to post on their service.   Fair enough.

Then they turn around and explicitly DO choose to control the content on the service!

Out of one side of their mouths they say they’re not liable because they’re not a publisher, while at the same time, out of the other side of their mouths, they assert editorial control which only a publisher can do.   They can’t have it both ways – and they don’t have it both ways.

Each time a government employee called, texted, emailed, or used a special “portal” to tell a social media company that a certain posting had to be dealt with – either by being deleted or otherwise blocked, that government employee engaged in a Conspiracy against rights.  The government employee committed a crime.

Similarly, each time a corporate employee received such a government report or alert about a posting, and took action to delete, suppress, censor, or outright ban a user for such posting, that corporate employee – and the corporation itself – engaged in a conspiracy against rights.   Crimes.  Actual crimes!

When the new Trump administration takes office, I want each and every government employee who engaged in this conduct, fired and criminally prosecuted.  ALL OF THEM.

These people should be made such an example of through the legal system, as to send a chill down the spine of every OTHER government employee in EVERY government agency (federal, state, and local) to never do things like that again.  Ever.  Not even once.

Similarly, I want the executives from those social media companies prosecuted criminally.  Google, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook/META, Reddit . . . . all of them.

I want the perp-walks, the Indictments, the big media coverage . . . . the whole shebang.

After all, the liberal-left has taught us quite well: “The process is the punishment.”

Put them through the process. Put them through the system.  Let them sit at a Defendant’s table and feel the very real, unrelenting, frightening, weight of the jury verdict coming at them.  Let them sit in a 7′ x 10′ cement block cell, with it’s 300 pound steel door.  Let them find out what the SHU (Special Housing Unit) is, as they have to be in administrative segregation (solitary confinement) because “they’re famous, and someone in the jail might hurt them to get famous, too.”

These effete snobs in government and in social media companies who think they’re so above-it-all; who think they’re “immune” from consequences, should be made to find out otherwise through the legal system.

Literally thousands of government employees engaged in this type of conduct for years.  Similarly, literally thousands of social media corporation executives and employees engaged in this conduct — some of them STILL ARE engaging in it.

These activities were, in fact, crimes.  Violations of 18 USC 241.  Prosecute the people who did these things.

Here’s the ironic punch line: What the government employees and social media companies were calling “mis-information, dis-information, and mal-information” was, in fact, the truth.   Worse, what those same people called “truth” and “facts” and “safe” were not.

It was GOVERNMENT, the scientists, and the big pharma people who were actually the ones engaged in mis-information, dis-information, and mal-information!   It was the government and big pharma that cost innocent people their health and in some cases, their lives – by pushing an un-tested gene-therapy, masquerading as a “vaccine”   that didn’t work, and caused all sorts of health problems, taking place to this very day.

The people claiming they were guardians of truth, were the exact opposite.   Their actions violated the rights of tens-of-thousands of Americans, and COST THE LIVES of many more.  Throw them in prison. 

South Korea – Majority Wins As President’s Putsch Fails

The attempted coup by the president of South Korea against the majority in the National Assembly has failed.

The quick reaction of the leadership of the Democratic Party, which holds the majority, has saved the day.

There was a struggle over the budget which the president’s minority government had lost.

In a furious reaction President Yoon Suk Yeol and his defense minister and school buddy Kim Yong-hyun decided to declare martial law. Remarkably the prime minister of the president’s government was not informed about the step:

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was completely unaware of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration. This was because Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, a former upperclassman of President Yoon in high school, bypassed the prime minister and communicated directly with the president.Additionally, elite military units, specifically the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, were deployed to the National Assembly, signaling an aggressive move to suppress political opposition.

A source said, “This martial law action appears orchestrated by the ‘Chungam faction,’ with (Defense) Minister Kim directly coordinating with President Yoon.” The “Chungam faction” refers to those who graduated from Chungam High School in Seoul.

Following the president’s emergency briefing and martial law declaration, the military established the Martial Law Command within the Ministry of National Defense compound, appointing Army Chief of Staff Park An-su as the commander.

Diplomatic sources noted that despite the defense minister’s recommendation for martial law, no cabinet meeting was convened, leaving the prime minister and his staff uninformed.

Opposition parties suspect that direct communication channels between the military and police were activated during the martial law declaration process.

They believe that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency was engaged directly, bypassing the National Police Agency, to control access to the National Assembly.

Under martial law the National Assembly was to be suspended. Strikes were declared illegal and the media would come under censorship.

But immediately after the president announced martial law the leader of the Democratic Party in the National Assembly called for a meeting in the parliament.

At the same time the military and police were sent to block any assembly member from entering the National Assembly.

The parliamentarians won the race.

Just 150 minutes after the presidential announcement 191 of the 300 members of the National Assembly voted to immediately end the martial law status. Troops and police entered the parliament but the vote against martial law had already taken place.

Unions announced to go on strike and people came out into the street to protest the president’s step. Yoon’s senior aids offered to resign en masse. There was no sensible way left for him but to concede:

President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the lifting of emergency martial law early Wednesday, as the National Assembly voted to call for its end with the United States expressing “grave concern” over the hourslong saga.His Cabinet approved a motion to end martial law enforcement at 4:30 a.m., around six hours after he made the surprise emergency declaration, accusing the nation’s opposition of “paralyzing” the government with “anti-state” activities — a decision that caused concerns across the country and beyond.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that troops, who were mobilized to execute martial law, have returned to base in a move that restored a sense of normalcy.

The opposition, with holds a majority in the National Assembly, has launched an impeachment procedures against the president. The National Assembly will have three days to vote on it. The Democratic Party will need nine additional votes from the president’s People Power Party to gain the necessary two-third majority to pass the impeachment.

Several groups within the People Power Party were already positioned against the president. This makes it likely that the impeachment will pass.

The U.S. received some egg on its face. It seemed ready to side with the putsch and did not issue a word against it.

Laura Rozen @lrozen – 17:59 UTC · Dec 3, 2024Biden admin Asia hand, Deputy Sec State Kurt Campbell, at event earlier today:

“So we are watching the recent developments in the ROK with grave concern. We’re seeking to engage our ROK counterparts at every level both here and in Seoul. The President, the National Security Advisor, the Secretary of State have all been briefed on developments and are being kept appraised of the situation as it unfolds.

I do want to underscore that our alliance with the ROK is ironclad, and we stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty. I also want to just underscore that we have every hope and expectation that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. We’ll have more to say as the situation develops.”

As the putsch was ongoing the U.S. embassy in South Korea said nothing about the rule of law or democracy.

It is notable that the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, Philip Goldberg, had previously been kicked out of Bolivia and the Philippines for attempts to overthrow the respective sitting governments. He is supposed to leave South Korea in January.

It is likely that Goldberg, and Washington DC, was informed about Yoon’s martial law plans but did not attempt to prevent them.

Posted by b on December 4, 2024 at 9:42 UTC | Permalink

Navy SEAL Explodes on China’s Growing Military Power | Mike Ritland

It is rare to see this kind of video out of the USA. The comments are so gung-ho rah rah.

NO

Other countries will prevent US from doing so, not only China.

But US can build military bases in the Philippines, and it has already done very good at that (using money from taxpayers to build the most military bases in countries in the world)

The question should be, if there is finally a war, will the US really help the Philippines as it promised to? The answer is, not really. You should always not be positive on US’s promises.

The United States has announced a new military financial package worth $500 million for the Philippines, aimed at bolstering the latter’s defense capabilities. This package also includes a proposed plan for joint intelligence sharing between the two nations. While officially positioned as a measure to enhance security, this move is widely seen as an attempt to destabilize the region and potentially trigger a new arms race in East Asia.

This support by the Joe Biden administration will highly depend on the discretion of the next U.S. president, especially when the U.S. is facing an economic crisis and is already saddled with heavy spending on the defense sector outside.

The timing and nature of the package has raised concerns about its potential to disrupt the precarious balance of power in East Asia as it includes significant upgrades to the Philippine Navy and new infrastructure projects. However, it is unclear how much of this aid will genuinely serve the Philippines’ external defense needs and how much it will advance Washington’s strategic interests in the region. Perceived as an open interventionist policy by the U.S., this risks inflaming tensions in an already volatile area.

This last-minute military package appears to serve a dual purpose – using the Philippines as an ally for greater U.S. dominance in the “Indo-Pacific,” and asserting U.S. influence in the region. There are legitimate concerns about whether the Philippines has the capacity to withstand the pressures of such an alliance, particularly given the complex geopolitical dynamics at play.

There are severe concerns from the Philippines as well. Several Philippine organizations from the Bay Area protested outside the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco to condemn Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos. The protesters demanded that the money should be used for jobs and education and not for other activities. They also raised their concerns against U.S.-Philippines defense cooperation that gives U.S. troops access to four additional Philippine military bases by expanding an old defense treaty.

A lot of the public perception about the military aid is that it puts the Philippines at the point of no return in case of any collision and the majority of the Philippines people are not in favor of it. It may push the Philippines to adopt a more aggressive maritime policy that could have a serious backlash and drag the country into a proxy war.

Chet Armstrong Almost Heroically Saves the World

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Eric Smith

Stepping out of his Rocketship, Chet Armstrong waved to the crowd and flashed his trademarked smile (Patton number 9725). The Space Jock looked dashing in his bright red uniform and his dozen shiny medals. With perfect hair, the broad-chested rogue was hurried off the launch pad and into the general’s offices. But not before blowing kisses to his fans.”Chet! What the hell happened up there? You have caused us a universe of problems!” barked General Flag. “How was I to know that their hands were also their eyes. I thought he was offering his hand to shake. I didn’t know he wanted to look more closely at gorgeous me. I didn’t mean to make a Venetian blind. Anyway, I was quite disappointed. I thought there would be those boats with the singing men and much more water. No one told me to expect strange creatures with eyes on their hands and spiky purple toes for hair. There wasn’t even any spaghetti.” Chet answered. Red-faced, General Flag yelled, “You are thinking of Venice, you moron! That is in Italy. You would have known all the protocols if you had read the books, we gave you and listened to the lectures. You were sent to be the Earth’s goodwill ambassador to the Planet Venus. Now we have an interplanetary fiasco to mend…” “Ah, yes, Italy. That reminds me,” interrupted Chet, “I’m famished from my long flight, I’m heading home to eat. It’s always nice to see you, General Flag. Thank you for your time. Oh, and here’s an autographed photo of me for your lovely wife.” Chet produced a colored glossy headshot with his signature scrawled across it. As he strolled down the hall, whistling, the general’s screams could be heard over the hustle and bustle of the base.Chet was met at the door of his mansion by his butler, Jeeves. Handing Chet his customary martini, Jeeves asked, “How was your trip, sir?” in his flat monotone voice. “Nice, nice,” answered Chet half enthusiastically, taking off his bright red uniform with a sigh of relief. “Ah! That’s better.” Chet’s chiseled manly pecs eased into his protruding manly gut. Flopping into his Barcalounger 8000, Chet sipped at his martini before calling back to Jeeves. “I’m hungry. Can you get me a ham and cheese on rye?” “Sorry, sir, there is no more cheese,” Jeeves replied. “Well, go to the store and get some more. And pick me up some more of those little swords. How can a man drink his martini without little swords to hold his olives?” “Sorry, sir. But there is no more cheese anywhere. The world is all out of cheese.” answered Jeeves, handing Chet a stack of newspapers.Chet scanned the papers. The Holland Harold headline read “Edam non Made.” “Nyet Rossiyskiy” was written in the Moscow Morning. From the Tokyo Times “Sayonara Sakura“. The Italian Inquirer announced “Arrivederci Asiago“. The Berlin Bugle proclaimed “Käse Kaputt,” and the Swiss Watch stated, “Holy Moly, no more Holy Cheese.” Finally, the Green Bay Gazette read, “The Packers Lose Again.“”What is going on!?” cried Chet. “I am sorry, sir, but while you were gone, the world slipped into The Great Cheese Famine.” came Jeeves’ flat answer. Chet was out of his seat and pacing the floor. There was not much in the world that Chet liked more than cheese, except for himself, of course. “No more cheese? What am I to eat?” Chet cried, almost in a panic. Flipping on the television, the overstuffed spaceman flopped back into his overstuffed chair to try to relax. “Breaking News! This just in. The World Leaders are meeting today at the UN to discuss what can be done about this crisis. The top scientists have suggested sending a mission to the moon to bring back more cheese.” said the handsome newsman, but not quite as handsome as himself, Chet observed. “A mission to the moon? Who better to go than Chet Armstrong, Heroic Space Jock!?” “Whom” corrected Jeeves. “The obvious answer is me!” exclaimed Chet enthusiastically. “Jeeves, call the UN. Set up a parade. This is going to be my greatest moment. Besides all those other great moments.” As he redressed in his bright red spaceman’s uniform, Chet said, “Oh, and find me more medals. The world needs to see how heroic I am.”A grand stage was set up at the space base. Crowded around the podium waited all the heads of state, the top scientists, and an anxious General Flag. As the audience looked on, the sounds of a marching band could be heard approaching. A line of floats, military cars, and cheerleaders followed the band, and Chet Armstrong was atop a white stallion in front of the whole procession. His hair was perfect and utterly impervious to any wind. His uniform was extra red, extra clean, and extra tight, making his manly pecs seem extra chiseled. Pinned to his chest, Chet wore two dozen shiny medals. As he approached the stage, Jeeves helped Chet from his mount. Chet grinned and waved to the crowd as he approached the podium. Chet’s manly, dimpled chin got there five seconds before he did. The marching band silenced as Chet got ready to speak.”My adoring fans. As you have likely heard, I, Chet Armstrong, Heroic Space Jock and all-around swell guy, am going to heroically risk my life to fly to the moon to save us all from the Great Cheese Famine. As I am hurling through space, I want you all to remember that I am not doing this just for you but for myself. There is nothing in this world that I like more than cheese, except for me, of course.” Turning back to the world leaders, Chet pulled out a stack of colored glossy headshots with his signature scrolled and handed them out. “Give these to your lovely husbands and wives with love from Chet Armstrong.” 

Chet waved to the cheering crowd as he strutted to his Rocketship. As he got ready to climb in, he stopped and turned back to his fans. “Say Cheese!” yelled a cameraman. Chet flashed his trademarked smile (Patton number 9725) and his trademarked wink (Patton number 9726). And with one final wave, Chet entered his rocket ship and closed the door. Slumping back into his Barcalounger 8000, Chet took the martini Jeeves offered. “Thank you, Jeeves. Am I all set?” “Of course, sir. More martinis, all with olives and swords, are in the cooler. I even packed you some of those crackers that you like. Remember, sir, this mission is for your fans and the world. Do not eat all the cheese.” With that, Jeeves exited through the butler’s door and the back of the spacecraft as Chet prepared for the launch.

 

As the full moon rose, the top scientists carefully aimed Chet’s Rocket Ship towards the moon’s center and started the countdown. Excited for the launch and the solution to their cheesy dilemma, the crowd and world leaders counted down. “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…BLAST OFF!” Chet hit the large red button on his control panel. It was also the only button on his control panel. The rocket ship rumbled and launched toward the moon. Chet’s voice came through the loudspeakers from his radio, “Never fear, Chet Armstrong, Heroic Space Jock is here to save the day!” as the rocket ship disappeared into the night.

 

15 days later, General Flag, the world leaders, and top scientists, assembled at ground control as Chet and his Rocketship made its final approach to the moon. “Chet Armstrong, Come in, Chet Armstrong. Can you hear us?” General Flag called through the radio. “Loud and clear,” came back Chet’s slurred voice. “You should be able to see the moon through your port window, Chet. Can you see the moon yet?” asked the general. After a few minutes, a pause came, “No, I can’t; all I can see is a sliver of the moon and the dark of space.” came back Chet’s panicked voice. “What went wrong?” Chet and the world leaders all cried in unison. The top scientists huddled together, calculators and abaci in their hands, murmuring. After a long ten minutes, one red-faced scientist addressed the group. “There has been a grave miscalculation. The moon is 238,900 miles from Earth. Chet is traveling at 660 miles per hour. So the 360 hours, or 15 days it has taken him to fly that distance, had delivered Chet to his destination during the new moon phase.” “What does that mean?” asked the general. “Chet will pass through the crescent without making contact with the moon. In other words, it is time to try Plan B, getting the cows to produce more milk.”

 

As General Flag, the world leaders, and the top scientists quietly exited the ground control room, Chet Armstrong, Heroic Space Jock, loudly screamed as his rocket ship passed through the center of the crescent moon and hurled deeper into space.

When I was a kid, there was a family down the street with three small children. The parents had a fairly ugly breakup, and the mom ran off with her new boyfriend. Every single time she dropped the kids off at the dad’s house for visitation, the dropoff devolved into a screaming match in their front yard.

One day she shows up to drop off the kids with her boyfriend. Boyfriend and dad get into a shouting match, and the boyfriend punched the dad, laying him out on the front lawn. The boyfriend and mom then jumped in their car and took off.

A moment later, the dad came to, hopped in his pickup truck, and floored it out of his driveway in pursuit. Not sure what he was planning to do, but he wasn’t going to let them get away.

He didn’t realize that his three children were standing behind the pickup when he threw it into reverse and floored it. All three were killed, and the witnesses said it was incredibly gory because two of them were sucked under the spinning truck tires.

He spent a decade in prison and lost everything he had. Worst part is, all of the stories that came out said that he’d been a great dad and wasn’t at fault in the breakup. Mom had got herself hooked on drugs while trying to “lose weight”, and the boyfriend was her new dealer. He was a good guy who got stuck in a shitty situation and then made one horrific mistake.

The first Grade Girl

When I was 20 I used to see this little girl about 6 or 7 waiting for the bus or walking to the store about 100 ft from her house. Sometimes she would walk on the road instead of the sandy shoulder and cars would go around her.

A guy who I vaguely knew but a nice guy about 26 forgot how far the mirrors on his delivery truck stuck out and hit and killed her one day with a mirror. It was awful. I came through there after it happened with the road blocked off. I realized it could have been me who hit her as I passed her often but I did give her plenty of room and slowed way down.

It ruined him. He donated his life savings , sold everything he had, and gave it all to her family. I heard that he never had a good day the three years until he killed himself. It was a careless accident, he would have never hurt a child on purpose. I couldnt pass that house for years without thinking about both of them and what a tragic thing for everyone. I mostly blame her parents. She was too little to be walking by a narrow busy road alone and she didnt respect the traffic enough to stay off the pavement. It was a wide sandy shoulder.

The story of the cheating wife

I think that my ex fiancé did. She decided to cheat on me when I was overseas in combat for a year. She figured there was no way I would find out. What she did not know was that the guy she cheated with was bragging to my best friend who wrote to me. As a result I broke up with her. I ended up meeting my wife of 47 years and having a very successful career.

My ex fiancé got hooked on drugs by the guy she was dating, joined a hippie commune where she was on drugs all the time and got pregnant by one of the guys in the commune. She does not know who. She was supposed to become a lawyer, but between the drugs and lifestyle, she could not do it and ended up learning a foreign language and becoming a translator. A job she found boring and quit. She also sees angels and legally changed her last name to the one they told her to use. Her angels also allowed her to tell fortunes over the phone. She became a masseuse and a nurse, never staying in one job for long.

She was diagnosed as bipolar and could not support herself so she found a foreign guy who needed a green card and married him, just like her sister did. She needed someone to support her and her son. When she told me this, she was proud of the fact that she got her husband to pay for her son’s college tuition and then divorced him after his last tuition check cleared. She was cheating on him with a woman who she is married to.

She also told me that she is an avid anti-capitalist which is the opposite of me. She also is extremely morbidly obese. Her life was a mess. The funny part is that her mother said I was not good enough for her daughter. She was against us getting married because I went into the Army instead of college. Turns out that it was her daughter who did not amount to much and I was the successful one who could have given her daughter a very comfortable lifestyle.

So, my exe’s decision to cheat on me drastically altered her life, for the worst.

I had a stalker. It was someone I’d been dating until I realized he had a rage problem. I lived in the country with my two small children, in a very old house with no locks on the doors. In fact, there was no way to lock the double French doors that served as the main entrance, and even if I could have put a lock on the doors, my stalker could simply break one of the many panes of glass and unlock it.

I couldn’t afford to move and had no relatives to take me in, so I was at his mercy. I woke up one morning to discover he had been in the house. Sometimes he’d leave a rose under my windshield wiper. One night I saw him watching me, parked in the parking lot of a closed industrial building that was visible from my bedroom window. Finally, one of our mutual friends told me he was planning to kill me.

I called the cops. An officer came to the house and I told him everything. He asked me if I had any witnesses. I looked around at my isolated house and said, “What do you think?”

He said, “Well ma’am, we can’t do anything until he actually commits a crime.” I replied, “If he comes here intent on committing a crime, I’ll be dead. It’ll be too late to call the cops by then.”

The cop said, “Well ma’am, if there are no witnesses, there’s no crime.”

“So that’s it?? I’m just a sitting duck here and you can’t do anything?”

“Like I said, if there are no witnesses, there’s…no…crime.”

Suddenly the light dawned. I arched an eyebrow at the cop. “No witnesses, no crime, huh?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Thank you, officer. You’ve been very helpful.”

As it turned out, I never needed to call the cops again because my stalker just…disappeared. Funny, that.

Hamburger Upside-Down Casserole

Prepare the day before serving.

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups (3/4 pound) elbow macaroni
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup minced onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 or 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen asparagus

Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni and drain.
  2. Meanwhile in a hot skillet, melt butter. Sauté onion and garlic until tender.
  3. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring constantly, until brown.
  4. Stir in tomato sauce, salt, pepper and oregano. Simmer a few minutes.
  5. Spread over bottom of 2 quart casserole.
  6. Toss drained, cooked macaroni with grated Cheddar cheese.
  7. Arrange on top of meat andtomato mixture in casserole, packing it down.
  8. Combine beaten eggs and milk; pour over macaroni.
  9. Cover casserole with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until next day.
  10. About 2 hours before serving, heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  11. Let casserole stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  12. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until macaroni is golden brown and custard is set.
  13. When done, remove from oven. Loosen from around edge with spatula and carefully unmold onto serving platter.
  14. Meanwhile, cook asparagus and arrange around casserole to serve.

In prison we worked a bit less than 7 hours a day starting after the 9 AM count and finishing by 3:45 to allow us time to return to our cells before afternoon count. After a few months of grunt work I kinda got recruited for a job repairing computers. Mostly hardware stuff like upgrading hard drives, CPU’s, RAM, DVD drives, stuff like that.

The prison would sell them on Ebay mostly but we started to get orders from other government entities not long before I left. Since the work was considered skilled, it carried a premium pay, like .45 cents an hour.

We we’re some of the highest paid in the prison, like triple many other inmates. I never mentioned it, there is always a risk of someone wanting to “share” your money.

We were paid weakly. Very Weakly I might add. Haha. Weekly on Friday’s we had our pay put on our books. There was no paycheck, you never got money. There was only 1 place to spend it, at the commissary. It always amazed me how difficult it was to save inside. Hygiene, food and writing supplies ate up much of your paltry earnings. The only other way you could access your funds was to get out. When you finally got out, you would be given the balance of your funds as you walked out the door.

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main qimg 22440fd7e9a61aeb01a6614e1a7280a7 lq

For many, many guys that was how they were going to start their lives over. With a small amount of cash, no where to go and nowhere to stay that night and no idea of what to do. Makes for a rough start in the free world.

Mrs Schlen of the Syracuse Department of Welfare

Boy did I ever!

Unknown number: I am f**king done with him.

Me: Ok. Why? What happened?

Mystery person: Sheila saw him with his ex again!

Me: It could be innocent?

MP: At a motel.

Me: Oh shit! Is she sure?

MP: Yes. She sent me photos.

Me: What are you going to do?

MP: I don’t know. I can’t keep letting him hurt me. I deserve better.

Me: Of course you do.

MP: You really think so?

Me: Yes. Not only do I think so, I know that if you look around there are several new guys waiting in the wings for you.

MP: Really, who?

Me: Take your pick. But choose someone who isn’t going to be an asshole, this time.

MP: You’re a good friend.

Me: That’s my job.

My New Best Friend: Can you hang out now?

Me: Are you finally breaking up with this asshole?

MNBF: Yes. I am moving out. He can’t convince me to change my mind.

Me: Well, I’m working on something, but I can put it down for you. Pack an overnight bag and come over. But, let’s not talk about him anymore tonight, Just show me the bag and I will know you’re serious. Then we can hang out or do whatever makes you happy. Ok?

MNBF: I love you, you know that.

Me: Of course you do 😉

MNBFF: Ok, I am packing my stuff and coming over.

And that was it until the next day, when I received this text:

MNBFF: Who is this?

I didn’t respond, but I think he/she knew. This is your guardian angel, Unknown Caller. You’re welcome.

Back in my community college days many years ago, I was studying Nursing and took a Psychology class with a professor who changed my entire thought process on what major I wanted. Dr Marino was an extraordinary man and the way he taught changed my major to Psychology. I took many classes with him and learned so much from him. We would sit before and after class talking about many topics and he was just overall a solid professor who loved to teach his students. Fast forward many years later, I took a left turn, dropped out from schooling, got married, bought a house, and had two kids. I was living in a quiet neighborhood when one day I opened my curtains to see a car idling across the street. It was odd, as usually only people who lived on my street came down it. I focused in on the driver and it was unmistakably Dr Marino!! He even turned to smile at me and waved. I ran into my bedroom to grab shoes, and as I walked outside, the car drove off. I tried to wave my hands, but he was gone. I immediately went inside to try to turn to social media to find him and say I just saw you and tried to run after you to say hello! Instead of finding his profile, I found his obituary. He had died a few days prior to this event. I know without a single doubt that it was Dr Marino. I think he was coming to say goodbye and encourage me to get back into school. I eventually got back in school for Social Work and will graduate in May. To Dr Marino I owe so much to. I’d like to think I’m even making him proud.

REVEALED: Secret Nuclear Strategy!

Jesus!

In grad school I was one of several teaching assistants assigned to proctor the freshman calculus final exam. Because all students took the same test it was given in the gymnasium, a lot like this photo except that the portable desks were somewhat less like punishment devices.

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main qimg beccba76947076f766059b9de6c3444a pjlq

Our main job was to walk around the gym looking for anything unexpected.

Partway through the exam we were waved over to one desk where a student was standing up and a couple of TA’s were examining his calc book. The books all had bright red back covers, a bit like this:

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main qimg 6dbf0f0e7cc81c89b72b73a055955a90 pjlq

The enterprising student had used a matching shade of red marker to fill the cover with all sorts of tips and formulae that students were expected to have memorized*. Viewed from most angles the marker was effectively invisible – but orient the book “just so”, and everything came into view.

He probably never would have been caught except for one of the TAs who was curious why he hadn’t stored the book under his desk like most other students had done.

(*) To this day I never understood why the university expected students to memorize complex formulas like trigonometric identities and so forth. I felt we should have been testing whether they understood HOW to use the formulas rather than how many gray cells could be filled with what cos(4𝛳) expands to.

My hotel room lock was unlatched at 3am, and a shadowed figure began entering while I was sleeping (mostly alone) in bed. I had about 3 seconds of hallway light before that door closed, and I was left in pitch black (probably to be raped or murdered.)

Luckily for me, my 38 snub-nosed revolver was within arm’s reach on my nightstand keepingvme company! I had brought it into the hotel with me, so I didn’t tempt a thief by breaking into my truck to steal it. At home, I always sleep with it on my nightstand at arm’s reach, so did the same at the hotel. That night my firearm saved my life! All I had to do was pick it up & point it at the guy for ONE SECOND. Make no mistake, I’d have shot him in his chest had he taken another step forward. However; simply showing my little friend was enough to get him contort himself trying to get away fast enough. It was like the movie the matrix where they’re going backwards in mid air.

When the police arrived I was told the security cameras were all off/not working, so this was likely an inside job. The front desk attendant had previously asked multiple times if I was staying alone, which now made sense!

The police thanked me for protecting myself so they didn’t have to get called to a rape, kidnapping or murder instead. No word on the perpetrator. He never got caught, but he certainly knows now that not everyone will be an easy victim.

Suddenly life has turned upside down.

Back in December 2021, my mother suddenly lost a lot of weight. We took her for many general checkups in different hospitals and the only thing that came out is that she has iron deficiency anemia.

We were concerned but it felt fine as nothing came serious.

We continued her treatment in the AIIMS hospital, her blood count started improving but she was getting weaker and weaker.

Doctors said she will be fine but we couldn’t wait and on February 2022 we took her to vishakhapatnam.

We just wanted to make sure if that’s the only problem she has or there is something else as she is getting weaker and weaker.

We are four members in the family me, my mother, my father and my elder brother.

My brother stayed at home due to urgent reasons, me, my father and mother took off for vishakhapatnam.

After several checkups as I sat in front of the doctor, he said my mother has an impression of gall bladder carcinoma.

My father due to the language barrier and not knowing English couldn’t understand what the doctor just said.

I was shook i didn’t know how to react or say. I looked at my father and said everything’s okay as I had no courage to break this thing in front of him alone. My brother had the plan of arriving two days after us.

I waited and kept it to myself and said everybody that doctor has found the disease and everything will be fine.

The doctor we met was a junior doctor and so he couldn’t give us much comments. Now the senior doctor we had to meet was available two days later.

So for this two worst days of my life I kept it to myself. Whenever I looked at my mother I wanted to fight with god so bad I wanted to cry out loud I wanted to scream but I couldn’t.

Looking at my father and mother kept me shuddered. Those innocent faces oh my god.

The doctor asked us to go for CT scan and I can’t tell you the amount of weight I was holding to myself seeing my mother weak and going through that scan and tests.

Two days later my brother arrived and I told him about the carcinoma. He fell on his knees I had never seen my brother so helpless and weak.

Picking up ourselves we went to our father and very calmly told him about the cancer. He was shook and divastated he started crying badly. Me and my brother handled him and made him understand that everything will be fine.

We stayed in vishakhapatnam till march.

Going through all this I got supplementary in my exam. I didn’t want to tell anybody about it, also I didn’t really have anybody to tell.

We stayed in vishakhapatnam for the entire march month for the tests, treatment and 1st chemo.

On 1st week of April I had my supplementary exams, I stay away from my hometown for studies so I had to go to my college to give my exams. And I can’t tell you how tough it was for me to leave my people at this situation.

We didn’t tell my mother about the cancer, we haven’t till now as we know how weak hearted and sensitive she is. Doctor told her that she is having some infection in her gall bladder and for that they will give her with intravenous administration of medicine thats it.

It has been 4 months she is going through her 6th chemo cycle. And by god’s grace she is doing better.

But that whole situation of doctor telling me and me seeing my mother going through tests as I was the only one allowed beside my mother during her tests in that condition and me telling my father about all this, has stuck so bad in my mind that I am not able to get it out. Suddenly a word or a scenario comes in front of me and I am all shook and attacked by that whole situation.

I can’t tell this to my father and brother as they are being very courageous and strong dealing with this.

I have started going to college and there I have just nobody to tell that, “listen I am again getting this thought can you help me with it or can you just listen to me”. I have not bonded with anybody as i couldn’t attend the college much going through all this.

But luckily I have few childhood friends with whom I share this anxiety of mine.

I wanna stay with my mother but I can’t due to the attendance criteria. It’s really hard for me to go to the college and stay around people behaving everything is super fine. My eyes get teary every now and then.

I had lost 15kgs back in the year and now I have gained all that weight again and going through my contamination OCD as well.

I am trying really hard to keep myself together and be courageous but I just can’t.

I really want people to be kind to everybody around them, we have no idea what disaster the other person is facing. The least we could do to eachother is to provide love and kindness.

Classical Art

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Not a billionaire but a millionaire and it was no picnic. In fact, it was a real lesson in learning how so many people in the US of lesser means might have lived. Some of the things I mention might be familiar as I’ve wirtten about some of them before in other posts.

My dad died with a net worth of over three million dollars. Today, it doesn’t seem like much but it was pretty high net worth back in the 1960s and 1970s. When I was growing up, he owned his own company. It was the largest antenna installation company and electronics repair firm in our state and was very successful. His hobby was collecting and shooting firearms, so he also ran the largest gun store in our state. From the way we lived, one would never know it as dad was extremely frugal (an understatement) with his money.

Growing up, mom made most of my clothes, often from hand-me downs given to us by friends and relatives. When she started buying store-bought clothes, they came from places that were the equivalent of a modern Walmart. Never saw a designer label. In fact, the only thing that saved me from ridicule was the fact that our school required uniforms. (Our coats and shoes, though, were cheap and out of style and the other kids did ridicule us for that and, of course, non of these items came from designers.)

For most of my growing years, we ate frugally…poorest cuts of meat (if there was meat) and meals that many poorer families would typically eat such as chick peas and pasta, macaroni and beans, escarole and beans, creamed tuna fish on toast, and the like. If we had meat for school lunches, it was one single slice of stuff like baloney between two pieces of American bread. Often, lunches were comprised of leftovers. When I turned twenty one, I weighed a whopping 132 pounds at six feet tall. (My wife actually saw me as undernourished and went on an all out campaign to bulk me up!)

Our house was literally falling down around us. The back brick corner near the steps had pulled away, creating a four inch gap. The roof leaked so badly mom had to put out five gallon buckets in a rain storm to catch the water. The plaster was falling off ceilings and the house was never updated at all. I could never invite friends over as a was ashamed to bring them into that house, especially after seeing the well-kept, albeit, modest homes they lived in.

We had a rodent problem, specifically rats, that was never addressed. One of my chores was to bait, set and empty the traps. We had a cesspool that had to service a family of six…no septic system, no sewers. When the cesspool waste got too high or would clog (this happened frequently), he would lower me (wearing waders) into it with a shovel rather than hire a company to pump it out. He would then lower down buckets which I would fill and he would discard in the woods behind outer house. The old cast iron waste pipes in the basement frequently leaked. His “solution” was to patch them rather than replace them. When they clogged one time, he instructed me to open an access plug and drain the waste into five gallon buckets. I did and I got smacked with a high pressure stream of waste directly in my chest. It’s amazing I never got hepatitis!

Mom had a washer but no dryer. We would be hanging clothes outside to dry, winter and summer. Sometimes a change in weather caused them to freeze on the clothesline and we had to carry them in, stiff like boards. If the washer broke down (and it did frequently), my mom was forced to make trips to a laundromat to get them washed and dried. Finally, it died completely and it took dad three years to finally buy a new one. She used the laundromat during all that time.

Our car was eight years old, unreliable and so rusty there were holes in the floorpan. Dad liked to run his vehicles “into the ground”. Only at that point would he replace them. Our driveway was filled with half ton vans from the business that had died but he would not pay to have them hauled away. Eventually, a neighbor registered a complaint with the town who forced him to get them hauled away.

When I bought my first car with my own money I earned from installing rooftop tv antennas part time for dad’s company starting at about fourteen years of age. Even so, he dictated what I was allowed to buy. He insisted it have an automatic transmission (which cost me two hundred dollars more) so my mom could use it. He did this to avoid having to buy his wife her own car; yet, I had to pay for the gas, maintenance, insurance, etc. He didn’t offer to help out at all. When he drove it and blew a brand new tire, he changed it and told me I needed to buy a replacement.

On the other end of the spectrum, Christmases were good. Mom would often sneak some treats into our lunches. We went on a one week vacation via automobile every year and a lot of family excursions on the weekends. We ate out at inexpensive restaurants at least once a month. He also paid for our state college educations though, in all fairness, tuition was pretty cheap at under $300 per semester.

There was so much more and, as I remember other things, I will keep updating this post but I think you readers have the general idea. I may be accused of making some of this up, but I swear it’s all true. I don’t look back with especially fond memories of my childhood. Of course, we didn’t know any better growing up but, as an adult, I sure learned what NOT to do with my family! In fact, this past Father’s Day, my oldest son paid me the highest compliment I’ve ever received when he wrote me a note in a card that said I really taught him the importance of family and set an example of how to raise children.

The real kicker, though, was that after his death, he left his entire fortune to his second wife of less than two years. None of his four sons saw a single cent!

When a Dad Realizes His Son is a Psychopath

https://youtu.be/nInpsReK8Sk

Cyberbullying? I switch off.

Or I simply mock them more with strongly evidence comments. Right now there’s some british person who can’t do maths who thinks he knows everything, since he can’t actually argue against me he has decided to use racism and personal attacks against me.

But here’s the thing, you have to realise a LOT (I didn’t say all) of westerners are like this:

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main qimg ee2b733162301503f43d7e4064d7b02c

Wussat? That;s the Goa’uld from Stargate.

Here’s what the stargate wiki says

Doesn’t that sound like a lot of westerners?

The end bit is pertinent, these types thing they are right about everything and if you call them out, post counter evidence they’ll be like the Goa’uld in Stargate.

HOW DARE YOU TALK AGAINST A GOD! I know everything!

A few weeks ago there was a discussion with Duncan

He said I know for a FACT Russia is incapable of manufacturing anything! Bear in mind Duncan isn’t uneducated, he’s some sort of nuclear engineer. He spoke with absolute confidence.

So? I called him out on I asked him how do you know.

He just said he knew… implying he had some sort of omniscient powers.

I then asked him what colour the mug was on my desk, at which he said he didn’t know. So he went through some Olympic level mental gymnastics about how he knew everything but couldn’t see the colour of my mug on my desk.

Duncan doesn’t like me very much because I called out his omniscient god like powers. I frequently do this by challenging western KNOW IT ALLs to give me the lottery numbers. They seem to fail at this with predictable regularity despite their omniscience.

Here’s the other thing, Duncan types aren’t exactly rare. Day after day I get I AM A GOD I KNOW EVERYTHING TYPES talk down to me about how they know everything that happens in China and they see everything that happens in China too or wherever.

And here’s the funny thing. I rarely block them because it allows them to bleat on about their GOD like powers on and on and humiliate themselves over and over, yet their god like powers don’t let them see this for some strange reason.

I’ve travelled to 20+ countries and I would not go back to India. This is unfortunate, because I really wanted to like India. Here’s why I won’t return:

  • DIRTY: Extremely dirty with garbage everywhere. Step outside a beautiful airport (India has built some nice infra in the last 5 years), and you’re in piss and shit.
  • CHEEK TO JOWL CROWDED: Crushingly and oppressively crowded and noisy with constant honking and yelling, (and barking by stray dogs).
  • SCAMS: A million scams; fake certificates, fake scamming callcenters, fake police, adulterated food, you name a scam, it’s here.
  • ANIMAL CRUELTY: Poor treatment of animals and nature. It’s upsetting to see people beat cows and stone stray dogs.
India’s 5 million stray cows are sacred—and a growing nuisance
In India, wayward cattle are trampling crops, spreading disease, and causing car accidents. They’re also venerated.
  • POLLUTION & BAD AIR: Unbreathable, filthy air in most big cities and filthy rivers: an environmental disaster. Here’s a listing of the most polluted cities in the world, most are in India:
  • MONUMENT DECAY: Not much to see: the monuments have a million hanger ons that harass you, and much of the history has been destroyed by rabid overpopulation. Sad to see gorgeous forts, with bollywood film posters pasted on, looted, and with and shoddy quality modern repairs.
  • THE STARING: The constant staring; indians openly gape at white people and foreigners. Women report being followed and “eve-teased” an uniquely indian form of sexual harassment. If staring was a olympic sport, India would win all the medals.
  • TREATMENT OF WOMEN: Extremely patriarchal society that mistreats women. Hardly any women work outside the house except in big urban centers.
  • COLORISM & INFATUATION WITH THE WEST: A country that lacks self confidence and self esteem; a mindless aping of the west and a desire to be white (what indians call “light skinned”). Dark skin and traditional indian looks are disliked instead of admired..this is likely a colonial hangup. Advertising billboard have whitened faces, selling in a brown country..an odd malapropism.

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/detergent-in-milk-dish-wash-liquid-in-candy-horror-stories-of-food-adulteration-in-india-go-viral-12752746.html

A lot of Indians will lie and say India is great, but you only have to walk outside a US embassy (or any developed country embassy) to see hordes of people a mile long, desperately trying to get out. A pity, because this was likely a beautiful country centuries ago. A small % of rich live well, and a middle class (30%) manages, for the poor it’s a abject, brutish life.

The West never ever plundered China

They sold Opium and took advantage of the Chinese addiction but they never actually colonized China like they did to India or Sri Lanka or other places in Africa

They mainly TRADED with China

They didn’t steal the tea did they?

They purchased Silk and Tea from the Cohong merchants and in exchange paid them with Silver and later Opium

When their trade was threatened, they fought and bested the Emperor and got a few gains including HK

Yet the West never actually owned Chinese mines or lands themselves

They settled down in Cities and built factories and warehouses in places like Canton, Shanghai, Hongkong, Whampoa etc

The West never plundered China or Japan or Korea like they plundered India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or even Malaya

This was 1850s

Imagine 2024

They will be crunched like a cola can

How to Escape the UK RIGHT NOW

One thing, I must declare, is that the Chinese may not be what you think. The peace-loving Communist Party, and the Chinese are one of the bound in this regard.

The Communist Party is the conservative party of China, and the biggest hawk in China is in the people, and this is no joke.

In the 19th century, there was no ban on firearms in China.

In 1993, a large-scale gun battle took place between two villages in Hunan, in which 5,000 people participated and lasted 34 hours. There are even earth cannons, broadswords, mines.

Encyclopedias published in China in the 1970s on how to use and make grenades, firearms, electricians, machine repair, how to fight bayonets, how to attack airplanes with anti-aircraft guns.

You see that the Chinese love peace today, and that is all under the control of the Communist Party.

You should thank the Communist Party of China for its love of peace.

Shorpy

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This is quite topical, because a highly controversial cop-killing incident happened in China recently.

A 16-year old girl declared she was suicidal. She then jumped into a river, but could not drown because she’s a good swimmer. A People’s Police officer passing by jumped into the water to fish her out. However, every time she was brought back ashore, she jumped back into the river immediately, and the cop had to dive after her.

This process went on for several minutes until the cop (who couldn’t swim) was absolutely fatigued. A bystander tossed a rope into the water so that the cop could grab it. However, at that moment, the girl deliberately swam towards the cop, pushed him away from the rope, and the cop drowned to death soon afterwards.

Why did the girl do it, you ask?

Only she would know. Some people, when they feel suicidal, are known to have this urge to “take a few others with them”. Or perhaps she was never truly suicidal in the first place, only putting on a dramatic display to seek attention, and was spiteful towards her “rescuer” for ruining her show.

What we do know is that she was doxed, and hackers alleged that she’s part of a feminist movement on Xiaohongshu (the Chinese equivalent of Pinterest), a highly successful app notorious for its misandrist tendencies. One post in particular (see screenshot below) is believed to have been viewed, “hearted” or shared by her account:

Translated to English, it says,

“Can some men please just die already?! Let me teach you a way to kill males. Find somewhere crowded, jump into a river and pretend you want to drown yourself. Worthless males are usually inclined to save you. That is when you hold his head down in the water, and claim you weren’t mentally stable when you fell into the river.”

This post was from three years ago, and has been “favourited” over 30,000 times as of this moment. The post is still active and hasn’t been censored.

Li Xie (李燮, 1985~2024), the Chinese cop who drowned, was only recently given accolades for his dedicated service, and he now leaves behind a loving wife and two kindergarten-aged children.

We know for a fact that in America, cop-killers usually aren’t let off the hook so easily. Even if they weren’t shot 100 times by other cops on the spot, they’d be “taken care of” in prison. So surely in the “police state” that is the People’s Republic of China, the girl was immediately arrested and executed by the authorities, correct?

Nope. She walks free. There are no charges against her. The authorities specifically requested the public not to “cyberbully” her.

This whole incident proves several things:

  1. The idea that China is a “police state” is demonstrably false. An actual police state would never tolerate a cop-killer. More importantly, policemen in an actual police state would never sacrifice their lives to save a civilian.
  2. The narrative that China is a “totalitarian dystopia” where no freedom of speech exists is likewise, demonstrably false. An actual totalitarian dystopia would never allow grassroots/foreign-sponsored activist groups (such as neoliberal feminists in China’s case) to evolve to a state where they are openly calling for the extermination of other people, put those words into action, and grow to such an extent that their ideology is challenging the state’s ideology (Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in China’s case).
  3. The conception of China being a “sexist/misogynistic” hellhole, as is often depicted by western media, is demonstrably false. If any sexism exists, it is towards men. Seriously, name another country where feminists can get off Scott free for killing males – not just any male, but an enforcer of the law.

I’ve been saying this since the Chinese feminists metoo’d the CCTV host Zhu Jun – the problem isn’t that China is too “Communist”, the problem is that it isn’t Communist enough.

Liberal democracy has been an utter shitshow in almost every country where it has been implemented. And given what its adherents have been doing in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of the Sinosphere, there is no reason to believe the system would work any better in China.

I have a friend who is an excellent negotiator when buying large items, cars, boats, houses… he will just wear you down, wait you out, and out last you. This story was about a boat he found at the boat show in Dallas Texas. Him and his wife, they are lake people, retired, has money (sold a business) and live a very nice life.

They find this Sea Ray, 32 footer at the show. And you know the dealer would rather sell the boat there rather than take it back. So my friend gets them all hot and bothered about selling this boat… they are selling, selling, and selling and he’s is the perfect buyer… lives on the lake, has a dedicated slip, has the cash, loves boats, husband and wife are together… they are closing hard. Let’s say this is March in Dallas.

They are talking price and terms and delivery and you have to know the salesman thinks he a commission in hand. He is closing hard. My friend, let’s call him Bob, will let that sales man go as far as he can go, then ask “is this the best you can do?” and “is there anyone else we need to get involved here?”. Then its the next man up. The general manager. Test drive after test drive. Try out the 42 footer, and the 28 footer. There is a used one, then there is a different brand… and Bob will work this guy as long as he can and ask…. “is this the best that you can do?” and “is there someone else we need to get involved here?” Now the dealer is on the clock. Bob will call about a newer model, last years model, this upgrade, that package… they have quoted him 4000 times. Bob knows the receptionist and the secretary by name, the “is this the best you can do?” and “Do we need to get anyone else involved here?” are relentless and he’s been told many times “this is it. it’s my call!” Until the manufacturer gets on board. We have this model, we have a demo, we have a boat show special, we can presale a next years model, and it just goes on and on and on, another boat show comes and goes. Bob has an office at the dealership, they share birthdays and anniversaries. He just wears them down… the conversation turns to “what do we have to do to get you to purchase the damn boat???” He answer “Is the absolutely the best that you can do on this? is there anyone else we need to get involved here?” The banker calls and says “we have a repo that is the same year, same model and same size, same package with very low hours on it.” and that’s the last thing the dealer wants to here.

By now the local boat dealer is almost out of it, would like to move the boat, there is no margin left in the offer… And Bob is still asking “is this the best you can do?” “do we need to get someone else involved?”

And finally, 18 months later, the boat has been sitting in dry dock, the dealership has wasted so many man hours with Bob, they have hired to CSR’s to deal with Bob. So many try it before you buy it deals. They strike a deal that Bob is happy about. They are basically begging Bob to take the boat, Yes, its full of gas, Yes, its a new battery, Yes, to new bumpers and ropes, Yes to a new Bimini top, Yes, we will delivery it for free… please take it, Go!

“Are you sure this is the best you can do? “Do we need to get someone else involved?”

An often slept upon part of history is the Warlord Era of China, just a hundred years ago China was made up of a bunch of warring states. This produced many wacky leaders, but none come close to the insanity of this man.

Zhang Zongchang

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Zhang Zongchang was a warlord for the Fengtian clique in the Shangdong region of Northeast China. He proved to be a capable leader and fighter, utilizing armored cars and White Russian Mercenaries fleeing from the war. He was also one of the first people to use women in his army. In 1925 he captured both Shangai and Nanking. However this one of the few normal things about him.

Let’s start with some of the nicknames he got

  • Old Eighty-Six (believed to be named after his penis, which was 86 coins tall)
  • Dogmeat General (named after his affinity for paijiu , a game popularly known as “eating dog meat.)
  • 72 Cannon Chang (we’ll get into this one later)
  • Three Don’t Knows (didn’t know how big his treasury was, his army, and his harem)

Now you are a sense of his character, let’s go over some of the crazy stuff he did

  • He once promised to return victorious or a coffin from a battle. Since he lost the battle, he returned by parade in a coffin while smoking a cigar
  • Zhang refused to drink any water except from a minor tributary of the Jinan River. He preferred to drink the water directly from the stream, often excusing himself from dinner to go drink from the stream
  • In the later years of his life he lived in Japan, where he shot the Emperor’s Cousin in 1929. It was ruled an accident but it was likely intentional as allegedly, the cousin was flirting with one of his concubines.
  • By far the craziest thing he did was during a famine in Shangdong. Many locals were at the Temple of Zhang Xian praying to a statue for rain. Upon arriving to the temple, Zhang decided to slap the statue and yell “f*ck your sister! How dare you make Shandong’s people suffer by not giving us rain” The next day he ordered his artillery to shoot at the sky in retaliation. It rained the next day, grant him the nickname 72 Cannon Chang.

On another note he also wrote poetry and it’s what you’d expect from a man like him.

“Poem about bastards”

You tell me to do this,
He tells me to do that.
You’re all bastards,
Go fuck your mother.

“Visiting Mount Tai”

From afar, Mount Tai looks blackish,
Narrow on top and wide at the bottom.
If you flipped it upside down,
It would be narrow at the bottom and wide on top.

Edit this blew up so I’ll give you another bonus fact:

  • After seeing a basketball game for the first time, he allegedly asked “Why the hell are they fighting over a single ball? We’re the hosts. Are we seriously this poor?” He ordered all the players be given a basketball.

Date three, back at my flat, for ‘coffee’. Just so you know, if we invite you in for tea, that’s a whole different ballgame involving kettles, teapots and China mugs, but I digress.

He starts off nervously: “you know how I said I was on medication for epilepsy?”

“Yeeeeees…”

“Well, that wasn’t exactly true.” Proceeds to unpack a cornucopia of little yellow and brown bottles from his rucksack.

“Right, no problem. Um, do you mind if I ask what’s wrong with you?”

“Well, I used to do a lot of drugs and had a kind of psychotic breakdown a few years ago. Hearing voices and cracking up. I was hospitalised for a few months.”

Gulp. He is a big fella, all muscles and tattoos.

“Right, so these days….”

“Yes well they can’t decide if it’s schizophrenia or just manic depression. The problem is knowing if I should do what the voices say.”

Did I tell anyone I was inviting him over?

“Have you ever hurt anyone because of the voices?”

“Um….only myself. And one or two other people. I don’t remember very well but I never went to prison, just the hospital. There are a few years that are pretty hazy.”

Slowly getting up, moving to the kitchen, acting calm and natural.

“Do you think maybe we could meet another time? I’m pretty tired and my family is coming to visit tomorrow.” (Complete fabrication).

He packed all his medicine bottles back in his rucksack, but before leaving asked if he could send me some of his short stories.

Of course. I’d be honoured.

We stayed in touch by email and he sent me some extremely disturbing prose centring on faeces, menstrual blood and what a useless, untalented writing teacher he had.

I felt compassion for him, but was relieved when he left my flat.

Poor guy.

Breaking | China Just Picked a Side

Food yummy Porn

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I was flying out of Orlando. The flight was delayed due to weather in Atlanta affecting incoming flights. The gate agents were busy shuffling people around to get everyone rebooked. Needless to say, many of us were in a foul mood, but trying to make the best of a bad situation.

We finally board. Most of us would miss our connections, but we’re all just ready to go. Earbuds go in and we wait for take off. Nobody is talking.

Once airborne, the captain made an announcement. We would be able to see the Space Shuttle launching in a few minutes, but only from the right side windows of the plane. Everyone on my side looked towards the other side. Those folks would be able to see it. Not us.

Sure enough, in a few minutes there were oohs and ahhs from the lucky passengers. Then without a word, as if it were coordinated, people started getting up and gesturing for us to look out their windows. We all got up and squeezed past each other to get a glimpse of the shuttle.

To be honest, it wasn’t that exciting. It was a huge white tail going directly away from the earth. It was completely perpendicular. What made it amazing, however, was the spontaneous sharing of the view. Tired, irritated people got out of their seats to share. In all probability, none of us would ever see the shuttle from a plane again, and I was grateful for the opportunity.

Then we all awkwardly returned to our rightful seats. Some people started chatting, others returned to their earbuds, but everyone was smiling. What started out as a crummy situation suddenly became a memorable adventure, all because people shared something.

Not me but a co worker I once had , he was a labour for bricklayers, he was a nice enough guy good worker if you could get him to concentrate for more than 30 seconds at a time ,and to be fair old mate was dumb as a rock and he was a danger to him self and others but he had a great sence of humour witch saved him a lot. this one day he came in and I’d say he had one to many breakfast bongs, every thing was going wrong and the brickies let him know about it too, then one of the brickies said to him “your as useless as a screen door on a submarine, might be time to get off the weed bro”, talk about the straw that broke the camels back, old mate flipped it he walked off around the house crying, then came back, and for no reason picked up a trowel off a motar board ,told the boss to go fuck him self and through the trowel over the neighbours fence. so old mate gets his lunch bag and starts to walk off the site, the boss walks down and says come back and we’ll discuss this , old mate middle of the day turns around at the top of his voice in the middle of the street screems “stick your f$#ken job up your ass!! ” and then for some reason through his lunch bag onto the next-door neighbours garage roof, and walked off down the street , we never heard from him again. Lunch that day on the job was a quite one

Older, maybe obsolete. But IMPORTANT.

The earwax problem that I could not let be

Unfortunately some people live with a very uninformed idea about China. Many opinions are based only on what they read in western media. Or the labels like communist country.

I’m a Canadian Born Chinese who moved to Macau in 1983 and now consider it home. It is at the door step of China and I have visited over 100 times.

If anyone has an axe to grind about China it would be me. My parents were separated for 17 years because of the Canadian government. The Chinese Exclusion Act did not allow Chinese to immigrate. My father was already living there but couldn’t bring my mother and my sister because of that.

My grandfather went to Halifax and had a laundry business. Brought my dad over when he was 9. My dad was the first Chinese to graduate from the local university.

My grandfather went back with a bit of money and bought land and hired itinerant workers to grow rice. He died during WW2 and left things to my grandmother to look after. After the Communists took power, my grandmother was branded a capitalist landlord and made to beg for food as a punishment.

My mother and sister emigrated to Canada in 1949 after my father got citizenship and the Chinese Exclusion Act was repealed. My upbringing in China was of course, not favorable to communist China.

After I moved to Macau in 1983, I visited Guangzhou to see a cousin who was from the same village. He grew up as a neighbor to my mom.

He told me about how poor China was in the 60s and 70s. How they had food rationing. Coupons so you could get rice and oil every week.

He was an English teacher at a prominent university. He told me how things had gotten better and life was pleasant. People were starting to become more materially well off. This was 1983.

Back then, everyone had four wants. A black and white TV. A washing machine. A bicycle and a refrigerator.

Pretty soon it evolved to a color TV. A motorcycle. And up the scale for years.

Mobile phone sales doubled every year for 15 years.

When Deng Xiaoping took over, the country changed overnight.

One of the pillars of socialism/communism was equal pay for equal work was dismantled. The so called iron rice bowl was not working. It made people lazy. So he introduced responsibility system. More productivity more pay.

China was very pragmatic about communism. If it works and is good for the people, keep it. If it doesn’t work get rid of it. Ideology is not sacred if it doesn’t work.

He made things work. Foreign investment poured in. I’m thirty years Chinese people’s lives greatly improved. There is an abundance of food. There is no price gouging. Government strictly regulates prices. Public transport is amazing. Public facilities are really wonderful.

If you grow up in a country that is continueously improving, you are happy with your government. Pew surveys (from the US) show over 90% satisfaction with the Chinese government.

So the only people who have the idea of toppling the government are people who have never visited China and seen it with their own eyes.

Suggest you try to get the facts on China before making such uninformed questions.

One of the principle behind Aïkido is to defeat a stronger opponent by using their own energy against them, while using little of your own. Balance is crucial in this art, as is speed. You’ll need some strength, so getting your body’s core strengths ready at all time is high encouraged. Look into what some masters are demonstrating online, and signup if you feel it is for you. Smaller sizes, man or woman, will always be at a disadvantage regardless, but size doesn’t guarantee victory to the bigger opponent.

But in a ‘street fight’ scenario where it is one person against you, there are no rules. Engage when not expected to, surprise, bite, hit where it hurts (throats, testicles, eyes) with full strength, use whatever fits in your hands and all the while doing this scream as much as possible to bring attention. The key is that there are no rules, so in other words play nasty. And if your opponent ends up on top of you, rip his ears out of his skull if you can.

Coffee Chinese style

Coffee is big news in China. It is really popular.

But, no! It’s not “traditional” American-style coffee.

It’s something else quite different.

Different ways it is served. Different flavors. Different combinations. Different. Different. Different.

But, ah, you know…you can still get a coffee at McDonald’s, or at Starbucks, or at KFC, or at KFC. But many Chinese opt to go to the many thousands of different coffee tastes available to them.

coffee2
coffee2

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coffee1

Onion flavor.

Yes. You can buy it and drink it all up.

Duran flavor, stinky toufu flavor. Hard alcohol flavor. Beef with curry flavor… so many different flavors all over the place.

Onion ring flavor. carrot with peppermint flavor.

Chunky texture coffee.

Smooth texture coffee.

Hyper cold and boiling hot blend coffee…

WTF?

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Let’s be honest, for a majority of us, a cup of coffee is more than just a beverage — it’s a vital energy booster that kickstarts our day or acts as a midday pick me up. While the purists might lean towards a classic Americano or simple espresso, there are those who relish more adventurous tastes. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most bizarre and quirky coffee flavors you can discover in the city — from a surprising 皮蛋 pídàn to unconventional 豆汁儿 dòuzhīr, and beyond!

Zaijiuye Coffee

This establishment boasts a curious collection of coffee concoctions, each twinned with a nostalgic nod to a Beijing childhood treat. The sesame paste-laced coffee, when coupled with a 双棒儿 Shuāng bàng er (a milk-flavored ice cream pop with two sticks — hence the name), makes for a lovely treat. Everything combines to create a hazelnut-like taste, as the sesame paste and ice cream soften the coffee’s bitterness.

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Have you tried the heavenly combo of coffee and Shuangbang’er?

The place also dares to pair a douzhir-infused Americano with 焦圈儿 Jiāo quānr (a deep-fried dough circle similar to a 油条 yóutiáo). Douzhir, a fermented Beijing specialty marked by a subtle sourness and an egg-like scent, may not be to everyone’s liking. However, for any Beijing local worth their salt, it’s a twist they can’t resist exploring.

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How about a douzhir-flavored Americano paired with Jiaoquan?

Zaijiuye Coffee 
16 Shatanhou Street, Dongcheng district
东城区沙滩后街16号
Hours: 11am-7pm
Phone:184 1100 7574


Liquid House 

If you think douzhir and sesame paste coffees are crazy, then let us introduce you to pidan (aka century egg) and 酱豆腐 Jiàng dòufu (fermented tofu). Dreamt up by Liquid House, this drink features a pidan skewer resting atop your latte. The owner recommends taking the skewered century egg resting atop the brew, mashing it up, and mixing it all together to get the most out of it. It’s a delight for those with a palate for pidan, but might not be the preferred choice for those unaccustomed to its distinctive flavor.

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Fancy a sip of this Pidan Latte?

Liquid House 后院儿
Room 314, 3/F, Building 2, Huafangxintiandi, Courtyard 27, Qingnian Road, Chaoyang district
朝阳区青年路27号院华纺新天地2号楼3层314室
Hours: 10am-7pm
Phone:186 1812 0103


Phoenix Café 

Imagine the sensation when your coffee mingles with the zest of hotpot flavors. At Phoenix Café, prepare to have your perceptions about coffee challenged with their distinctive creation termed 油碟儿 Yóu dié er. Drawing inspiration from the traditional youdie’er, which is a chili-oil-based dipping sauce savored during hotpot sessions, particularly in Chongqing, this coffee blends the most unconventional ingredients. It features chili strands, tangerine peels, and a dash of white vinegar, ingredients you’d least expect in a cup of coffee.

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Get ready for a taste adventure with this Chongqing Hotpot-inspired beverage!

Phoenix Cafe 梧桐咖啡
69 Dongsibei Street, Dongcheng district
东城区东四北大街69号
Hours: 10am-7pm
Phone:186 0120 8175


Tongrentang Zhima Health Coffee

A café founded by the centuries-old laozihao (time-honored brand) Tongrentang, a name synonymous with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), recently garnered online popularity for its coffee offerings. Their brews blend TCM ingredients such as wolfberries, tangerine peel, and motherwort into the mix. Against expectations of a staggering bitter concoction, reviews on Dianping reveal that these TCM elements subtly enhance the coffee’s flavor without overwhelming it, thereby ensuring it doesn’t resemble a medicinal potion. For those who, like me, appreciate the potential health benefits of TCM, this café is a must-visit destination.

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Craving a TCM-inspired brew?

Tongrentang Zhima Health Coffee 同仁堂知嘛健康咖啡&养生BAR
No.2-1, Building 2, No.10 Chaoyang Park South Road, Chaoyang district
朝阳区朝阳公园南路10号院2号楼2-1号
Hours: 8.30am-8.30pm
Phone: 6587 1397


HK+

Have you ever sipped a coffee infused with pepper? At HK+, they’re challenging traditional coffee norms with their signature pepper-seasoned brew, enriched with the nutty undertones of black sesame. Its presentation mimics a fried egg floating in coffee, achieved through skillful latte art using milk and a touch of turmeric. Despite its unconventional key ingredient, it highlights the taste of the coffee. So, if you’re intrigued by the idea of a peppery, salty coffee, HK+ certainly warrants a visit.

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Ever sipped pepper-spiked coffee?

HK+
274 Xiaobaobei Street, Tongzhou district
通州区小堡北街274号
Hours: 10am-8pm
Phone: 134 3664 3842

Today…

Britain Claims To Have Helped With The Ukrainian Invasion Of Russia

Yves Smith is discussing the Washington Post report on Russia-Ukraine negotiation to end the infrastructure attacks:

An Admission of Russian Long-Term Weakness or More Complex Calculation?

I had previously discussed the WaPo piece here.

Yves suggests that the negotiations, if they really have happened as described, were an Ukrainian ruse to distract Russia from the Ukrainian preparation of the Kursk oblast incursion. The talks were useless for Russia, she says. She doubts that Russia would favor to stop the attacks on the Ukrainian electricity generating and network capabilities. She suggests that the Ukrainian attacks on Russia create little damage. It disagree with that view.

The winter will already become very difficult for Ukrainian civilians. There is no need to increase the damage on Ukrainian infrastructure beyond the already achieved level.

The Ukrainian attacks have so far created repairable damage in Russia. But that may not be the case forever. One day one of such attacks could in fact create some real catastrophe. The attacks are also binding lots of Russian resources. One needs a huge number of soldiers and equipment to give at least some protection to the most exposed sites. The Russian economy is currently short on men. Not diverting some 100,000 men for local air defense purposes can make a difference.

I believe that Russia was genuinely interested in making such deal. But the Ukrainian attack on Kursk oblast blew it apart.

There are new suggestion on how the Ukrainian incursion into Russia was prepared for.

The Times in London claims that it largely followed a British plan (archived):

When footage of British Challenger 2 battle tanks being used by the Ukrainian army for its counterinvasion of Russia emerged on Tuesday, Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence were ready.For the previous 48 hours, officials and political aides working for Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey, the defence secretary, had been in talks about how far to go to confirm growing British involvement in the incursion towards Kursk.

The stakes were high. Unseen by the world, British equipment, including drones, have played a central role in Ukraine’s new offensive and British personnel have been closely advising the Ukrainian military for two years, on a scale matched by no other country.

The U.S., in contrast, has claimed not to have known about the Ukrainian plans and there purpose. This leads Kit Klarenberg to develop a theory:

Kit Klarenberg @KitKlarenberg – 15:02 UTC · Aug 18, 2024“🧵: I speculated earlier was probably Britain behind Kursk suicide op. Lo and behold, a Times article confirms this. More broadly, contents amply underline Kursk latest effort by London to keep the US in the proxy war – and it appears Washington has finally had enough of this.

Times reveals up top heavily promoted footage of British Challenger 2 tanks in Kursk was a conscious, deliberate decision made by new PM Keir Starmer and his defence secretary John Healey. British equipment is said to have “played a central role” in the “counterinvasion”.

Starmer and Healey reportedly made the decision to advertise London’s involvement “to be more open about Britain’s role in a bid to persuade key allies to do more to help.” In other words, to encourage/pressure the US et al to double down on this unwinnable, nightmare quagmire.

However, US reportedly unhappy with Kursk incursion, because it scuppered peace talks. Kiev’s purported culpability for Nord Stream bombing is, it seems, being used to justify ending German aid to Ukraine. And the US is blocking Kiev from firing British-made missiles at Russia.

Kit’s theory is that the Washington Post story about the blown negotiations as well as the latest “Nord Stream done by Ukraine” rumor reporting by the WSJ are expressions of U.S. anger over the Ukrainian government and its Kursk invasion.

The Times also reports that Britain is pushing its allies to provide more weapons and to allow their use against targets deep inside of Russia:

In the coming weeks Healey will attend a new meeting of the Ukraine Defence Co-ordination Group, where Britain will press European allies to send more equipment and give Kyiv more leeway to use them in Russia. Healey spoke last week to Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, and has been wooing Boris Pistorius, his German opposite number.Germany, whose Taurus missiles have a similar 155-mile range to Storm Shadow but a more powerful warhead, has been the country under the most pressure to move. However, it was revealed yesterday that Germany has actually frozen military aid to Ukraine because of a domestic budgetary crisis. Pistorius had asked for £3.4 billion of additional supplies but that was rejected by the finance ministry.

A previous leak provided that the long range Taurus missiles are complicate and have to be programmed just-in-time by German officers. There is no support in Germany for allowing such a deep involvement in attacks on Russia.

To me it seems that Britain has promised to Ukraine that it would get its allies to agree to the usage of longer range weapons against Russia in exchange for Ukraine to launch the attack on Russia.

Only that can explain this Zelenski complain about Starmer:

The Ukrainian president complained that British aid to Kyiv had begun to wane as his forces continued their unprecedented incursion into Russian territory in the Kursk region.“Unfortunately, the situation has slowed down recently,” Mr Zelensky said, referring to UK military assistance.

Sir Keir has upheld a Conservative ban on using UK-made Storm Shadows to strike targets deep inside Russia, amid concerns it could lead to escalation with nuclear-armed Moscow.

“We will discuss how to fix this because long-range capabilities are vital for us. The whole world sees how effective Ukrainians are – how our entire nation defends its independence,” said Mr Zelensky.

It came as four former Conservative defence secretaries called on No 10 to do more to support Ukraine, with some demanding Kyiv be allowed to use Storm Shadows in the Russian offensive.

But it is not Starmer who is blocking the missiles, it is the U.S. of A. (archived):

Washington is in effect blocking Britain from allowing Kyiv to fire Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia, amid fears in the Biden administration of an escalation in the Ukraine war.

It is understood that although the UK wants to give Ukraine the freedom to do what they want with the long-range weapon, it requires consensus from allies, including the US, France and a third undisclosed Nato country. A government source stressed that the UK was not blaming the US for any delay, adding that such policy changes took time.

Combining all the above one can (re-)construct this story.

Britain, in a bipartisan move, wants to prolong the war in Ukraine. It suggested to and helped Ukraine to invade Russia even as it knew that this would interrupt peace talks in Qatar. It also promised to press its allies  for long range attack permission against Russia. But the U.S. and Germany are still blocking such attacks. Zelensky now complains that Britain failed to deliver on its promise.

The U.S., miffed about the British involvement in a likely useless Ukrainian attack on Russia, is leaking about the Ukrainian/Russian negotiations in Qatar.

The above is largely based on the U.S. claims that it was not really involved in the planing of the Kursk incursion.

There are of course good reason to doubt those claims:

As the Ukraine war enters its most perilous phase, with Kiev’s forces fighting inside Russia, the United States is operating a formal “sensitive activities” detachment that is active in providing direct military support to the beleaguered country. The detachment, never before disclosed, is run by U.S. special operations forces, and with its Ukrainian counterparts, provides on-the-battlefield support, including near-real time targeting intelligence, operators say.

An operator formerly deployed to the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group assigned to a sensitive activities detachment told me their work included the creation of clandestine human networks for intelligence gathering, as well as identifying Russian military weaknesses for targeting.

A second operator also described having been tasked with providing near up-to-the-minute intelligence support to Ukrainian forces.

Those U.S. operators in Ukraine certainly did not miss the preparations the Ukrainians were making for their attack.

P.S. Bonus from The Times piece:

“It’s not just about the military support, but it’s about the industrial, economic, and diplomatic support,” the defence source said. “If Putin succeeds in Ukraine he’s not going to stop there. But also the economic implications of that are massive, because we all saw how heavily Britain got hit when he first invaded.

Yes, the sanctions, intended to hurt Russia, were quite damaging to those who issued them. Nice to see that finally acknowledged.

Posted by b on August 19, 2024 at 15:58 UTC | Permalink

Chemtrails

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CF4 c ZVAAApB u

Duke

“One day, I was lounging in the house when I heard loud gunfire. I ran outside just in time to see my neighbors cart off Duke’s mom on the back of their flatbed truck.

After that, Duke spent almost every hour at our home. Curiosity drove me to ask my neighbor’s what his name was but all they told me was they simply called him Dog. A couple of months after that, they simply stopped feeding Duke. I started to feed him because I wasn’t going to let this baby starve.

When it came time for our neighbors to move, I asked them if I could take Duke off of their hands since it was clear they didn’t want anything to do with him. The son said yes, but the day after I asked, Duke was gone and so were they.

I contacted the son and asked if he had changed his mind and decided to take the dog with him and he grew defensive and put all the blame on me and threatened me. After explaining to him I didn’t have Duke, he hung on me calling me a liar.

In an effort to find this baby, I posted Missing Pet signs all over the local vets office within a 25 mile radius.

5 months passed before I got a phone call from the UPS man that delivered in our neighborhood. He said he saw a dog matching the description of Duke in a nearby field and he looked pretty bad. I thanked the man, hung up and drove straight to where he said he saw the dog. It was Duke. Malnourished and severely afraid of everything. However, one look at me and after hearing my voice he perked up and ran straight into my arms.

Now Duke is healthy and happy and has three other dogs and three cats to play with.Now we are a family.❤️”

Douglas Macgregor Warns: US’s EXTREMELY Dangerous Policys Push The World Is Increasingly CHAOTIC

Brian Bywater

MAJOR TOM

  “Ground Control to Major Tom”

  “If you want to live through this journey Philip you will stop singing that song. You haven’t let up since we blasted off. It may have been funny then and had some sort of relativity, however after five days it does reek of overkill.”

 

  “Oh chill out Major, lighten up. Everyone at Ground Control sees the funny side of a real life Major Tom actually being on a journey through space. You must realise at some stage they will make that call.”

 

  “That song, A Space Odyssey, if you can call it a song, was banned before the first Apollo flight in 1969 and it should have stayed that way. Do you have any understanding of what Bowie was saying?”

 

 “Jesus Tom, it is a song connected to a historical event, the first men on the Moon. It is a classic.”

 

  “You weren’t even born in 1969. You have no concept of how disturbed the song made everyone feel. particularly those  connected with the flight  People watching on TV World-wide also became emotionally invested.”

 

 “That’s ridiculous. Nothing went wrong, what was everyone worried about?”

 

 “Get real Philip. That is easy to say after the event. This was a first. Three men heading for the Moon had metamorphorised from something only considered science fiction into the first true TV reality show. Had something gone wrong there wasn’t a precedent for decisions to overcome any problem they encountered.. The lift off, weightlessness in space, not in a simulated situation in a man-made chamber, meteors damaging the spaceship, the possibility of alien life greeting them, poison gases on the surface, these were only some of the dangers. It really was one giant step for man.”

 

  “OK I get all that. What was Bowie saying that had people getting their knickers in a knot?”

 

  “The interpretation of some of the lyrics. Remember this was 1969, the World was changing rapidly. To put it in perspective it was at the time the Beatles were recording their first album. The Rolling Stones were playing to record crowds. This was the permissive 60’s which is why the ban on the song was lifted. Drug references, loneliness, depression all became accepted lyrics, which did not please everyone. Bowie later admitted he was ‘out of his tree’ when he wrote the song. Look can we get on with what we have to do to keep this spaceship operational and on course?”

 

  “Sure, I have the day five check list in front of me. There is one thing we need to evaluate. Look at the top right hand corner of the screen showing vision of the galaxy ahead. It is showing a new comet has appeared since yesterday.  I am only assuming it is a comet.”

 

  “Never assume. Why did you wait until now to mention it? Why a comet? I think it is moving too slowly for a comet. It is maintaining the distance between us so it must be traveling at the same speed we are. What is the time frame from when it first appeared on the screen to now?”

 

  “That would suggest this object is moving far too slowly to be a comet. You are correct. Based on distance from the Sun it should be moving at around 25,000 miles per hour. This is nowhere near that speed. As you said the distance between it and us is not changing, it is mimicking our speed, 17,000 mph. Calculating its position indicates it must have traveled at over 40000 miles per hour to get to that position on our screen in the elapsed time, yet it has slowed to 17000. That is a controlled act, it must be manned.”

 

  “How far away is it?”

 

  “Using our laser probe indicates 6.7 miles. Jesus, did you see that? When I activated the probe it sent a return probe. Whatever it is, it is definitely manned.”

 

  “Being that close we are obviously on the same orbit. Ground Control must be seeing this, why haven’t they made contact?”

 

  “Whatever it is only looks like a large piece of space junk, certainly nothing like a spaceship. Perhaps Ground Control leave it to us to make contact if we feel it is creating a problem.”

 

  “Jesus wept. An unidentified object is 6 miles away in the same orbit and is mimicking us speed wise and using a return probe to evaluate distance apart and you do not see a problem? Contact Ground Control, do it now Philip.”

 

  “What can they do? They are light years away, we are within 6 miles. I think we should try and make contact with the object, whatever it is.”

 

  “What language would you suggest?”

 

  “Well we know the Chinese and the Russians have launched space probes, some manned.”

 

  “And which of those languages are you proficient in Philip? Just assume they understand English for Christ’s sake and make the call.”

 

  “It has gone, there one minute, disappeared the next, off the screen. It would have accelerated to 50000mph in the blink of a second to do that.”

 

  “There is another possibility. A screen which hides anything behind it has been activated. We have fighter planes that use that tactic. Fire another laser probe.”

 

  “There isn’t anything there to bounce the laser off. Tom, on the screen, it is behind you.”

 

   “This is not the time for Punch and Judy jokes Philip.”

 

   “I am telling you it is right behind us and moving closer. It is increasing in size. Increase our speed, put some distance between us or it will crash into us.”

 

  “The ship is not responding to my commands. Call Ground Control.”

 

  “Houston, we have a problem.”

 

  “Idiot, you can’t even get that right. It’s Houston we’ve had a problem.”

 

  “Look behind us, the thing is about to swallow our spaceship, we are going inside the thing. Saying we have a problem is an appropriate understatement.”

 

  “Ground Control to Major Tom……. Major Tom, ……Major Tom.”

 

  “Wake up Tom. Tom, give me strength, Ground Control to Major Tom, wake up. You are having another nightmare. Who is Philip? I knew this would happen when you played that Bowie song tonight. From now on it is banned in this house. Play it and it will not be Houston who has a problem. Go back to sleep, and take Philip with you.”

Cabbage Rolls with Sour Cream Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups leftover meat or ground beef (seasoned with salt and pepper)
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 teaspoon horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 6 large cabbage leaves
  • 1/4 cup tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Brown meat and onion in a heavy skillet over low heat. Remove from heat.
  3. Mix in thoroughly celery, rice, horseradish, mustard and egg.
  4. Cook cabbage leaves for 3 minutes in boiling salted water.
  5. Place meat mixture on cabbage leaves. Roll and fasten with toothpicks. Place close together in greased baking dish.
  6. Pour tomato puree and water over cabbage rolls. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  7. Remove cabbage rolls.
  8. Pour sour cream into liquid remaining in baking dish. Serve over cabbage rolls.

Russian Marines Captured 15 Polish and French Soldiers In KURSK

Anatomy study

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Parents should have a choice

Recently, after the country announced the list of “Taiwan independence”, the national security department took thunderous action and announced that it had cracked thousands of Taiwan spy cases and successfully eliminated a “Taiwan independence element” intelligence station in the mainland. Among them, it focused on a “Taiwan independence leader” who was arrested, warning “Taiwan independence elements” on the island that this is the end.

arrested
arrested


“Taiwan independence element” Yang Zhiyuan was arrested


Recently, China’s Ministry of State Security announced an exciting news. In order to maintain national security, the Ministry of State Security has carried out special activities to crack down on illegal forces that split the country.

So far, the mainland has cracked thousands of “Taiwan spies stealing state secrets” cases and successfully eliminated a “Taiwan spy intelligence network” lurking in the motherland.

In the article released by the Ministry of State Security, the “Taiwan independence elements” headed by Lai Qingde were severely criticized. The Taiwan authorities insist on “Taiwan independence” rhetoric, and even “use force to seek independence”, collude with foreign forces, and disrupt peace in the Taiwan Strait.

This has not only caused the economic recession on the island and the decline in people’s living standards, but also caused the cross-strait relations to deteriorate and drop to a freezing point.

You should know that less than a week ago, the mainland had just listed the “Taiwan independence list” and encouraged the masses to actively report.

Therefore, the Ministry of State Security’s thundering action and quick action are warning the “Taiwan independence elements” on the island that any forces that attempt to split the country and block the reunification of the motherland will face severe punishment, and the Chinese government is not just talking.

office
office


China’s Ministry of National Security


The Taiwan authorities disagree.

They believe that the article does not explain the time and content of the more than 1,000 Taiwan espionage theft cases that have been cracked, and the authenticity is questionable. The person in charge of Taiwan’s cross-strait affairs said that the mainland is either “bragging” and exaggerating, or “abusing the law” and “arresting at will”.

The Taiwan authorities believe that the mainland has only one purpose for doing this, which is to intimidate Taiwan.

In addition, the Taiwan authorities also blamed the mainland for the “promotion of cross-strait exchanges” while arresting Taiwanese people, and believed that the mainland was the “culprit” of the cross-strait confrontation. In this regard, the mainland has long stated that the mainland has no intention of targeting ordinary Taiwanese people, and the Taiwan authorities themselves know who they are arresting.

It is worth noting that in the article of the Ministry of National Security, a “Taiwan independence leader” who has been arrested, Yang Zhiyuan, was mentioned.

Yang Zhiyuan has been engaged in “Taiwan independence” activities for a long time and attempted to split the country’s sovereignty.

The mainland arrested and prosecuted him for “separatism”. This is also the first “Taiwan independence element” arrested by China for “separatism”.

According to the latest legal documents of mainland China, he can be sentenced to death at worst case.

Lai
Lai


Lai Qingde


For the “Taiwan independence” list that the mainland has listed, many “Taiwan independence elements” clamored that the mainland had no way to implement mainland laws on them, let alone the right to arrest them.

However, Yang Zhiyuan is a good example.

All his “Taiwan independence” activities were carried out in Taiwan, but the mainland was still able to bring him to justice.

In other words, in the future, anyone who expresses “Taiwan independence” in Taiwan may be convicted. Analysts said that the mainland may extradite “Taiwan independence elements” through a third country in the future.

Even if these “Taiwan independence elements” do not come to the mainland, as long as they go to countries that have reached an agreement with China, they will face the possibility of arrest.

List
List


“Taiwan independence list” released by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council


The arrest of Yang Zhiyuan means the beginning of the mainland’s exercise of legal jurisdiction over Taiwan. It is foreseeable that “Yang Zhiyuan’s case is the first case, but it is by no means the last case.” “Taiwan independence elements” should not think that promoting “Taiwan independence” speech is not a big deal. As the laws in this regard in mainland China are gradually improved, “Taiwan independence forces” will eventually face legal sanctions. We also advise “Taiwan independence elements” to be cautious in their words and deeds and return to the right path.


This news is brought to you by tencent 张学坤观世界: 08-17 15:40

Contempt of court

What a monstrous system of criminal justice the US has.

This 47-year-old man, Carey Dale Grayson, will be executed November 21st for killing a woman during a home invasion… in 1994, 30 years ago, when he was 17. He did it with 3 other boys too.

If they were going to execute him they should’ve done it within a year or two of his conviction.

What’s the point of killing him 30 years later? They’re now killing a completely different man from the boy who committed the murder.

After spending such a long time in prison he should honestly just be released.

The US has one of the most draconian criminal justice and prison systems in the world. Every elected judge and district attorney wants recognition for being the one to lock up as many people as possible for the longest time. Extremely long prison sentences are the norm. There are so many ageing prisoners who face either execution or death in prison for something they did as teenagers.

That’s not to mention prison conditions. The Constitution makes prisoners an exception to the ban on human slavery. So there’s mandatory work, but none that pays more than a few pennies an hour.

There’s also no smoking or vaping. There are no conjugal visits. If your wife visits you, you get one hug and brief kiss at the start and end of every visit — apart from that you’re not even allowed to hold hands. And if you’re unlucky enough to go to federal prison, there’s no such thing as parole there. You always serve the entirety of your sentence.

I can’t imagine a crueler system. Anywhere else in the West, there’s no capital punishment, no heavy sentences for minors, prison sentences are much shorter, prison laborers earn minimal wages but not pennies a day, and conjugal visits are permitted. Yet crime and incarceration rates are much lower.

I have no problem with the death penalty as long as it’s applied in a timely manner. I have a problem with taking away someone’s whole life on earth for something they did as a kid or young adult. Either execute them in a timely manner, or give them a reasonable sentence and a road to redemption if you won’t.

The BEST dad ever

Interesting 1950’s themed pictures

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Screenshot
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Men Are Turning Their Back On The West As It Collapses

Chili Pasta Casserole

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (15 ounce) can vegetarian chili with beans
  • 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 ounces cooked pasta

Instructions

  1. Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet.
  2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. Brown beef until no longer pink. Drain fat.
  4. Stir in chili, tomatoes with juice, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, sour cream, chili powder and garlic powder.
  5. Add chili mixture to pasta and stir until pasta is coated.
  6. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
  7. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Contact

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Martin Hull

The spaceship came screaming down with the thunderclap roar of displaced atmosphere yet landed whisper soft on the grass at the end of town.The craft glittered sleekly in the mid-morning sunlight as it lay on it’s side – a broad shaft topped by a bulbous nose from which a door opened.The blond haired man that stepped out was tall, bronzed and athletic. He wore the shining, golden uniform of Earth’s Bureau of Exploration, his proudly displayed badges of rank declared him to be a Senior Contact Manager (ConMan) Alien Division.He flicked aside the long ponytail that was a fashion among his colleagues and walked down the ramp that had silently extended itself from his scout craft breathing the fresh, untainted (thoroughly examined and tested) air.There was a short, thickset native strolling towards the spaceman, looking mildly curious. Switching on his Universal Translator the ConMan greeted the native.“Greetings from Earth”. The time delay between speaking and computerized translation was almost unnoticeable.“Hello”, replied the native. “I’m from Lower Great Wopping. Did you know that you aren’t allowed to park there?”“Eh? What?” said the Earthman. “Sorry, no I didn’t.”“Oh, that’s alright,” relied the native cheerfully. “Just remember next time otherwise the grass tends to get worn out. Okay?”“Sure, I … Wait a minute,”the Conman interrupted himself. “I’m from another planet.”“Oh goodness,” exclaimed the native. “No wonder I didn’t recognise you. That also explains why you parked on the grass. Well, enjoy your stay here,” and he turned to leave.“Hold on. Wait,” called out the man from Earth. “I am from another planet and I want to see your leader.”“Well …” the other man thought for a moment then puffed his chest out a bit. “I suppose that’s me. I am the Mayor of Lower Great Wopping.”“No,” said the ConMan with a cendeceding smile. “I meant your overall leader. National Government.”

“Nashnul Guvmint?” said the mayor quizzically. “Is that anything like a public convenience?”

“No it isn’t,” snapped the Earthman. “Do you have a king then? Or a dictator?”

“I’m sorry, no I haven’t,” apologised the Mayor. “Perhaps we can get one at the general store?”

“No, no, no,” raged the thoroughly confused ConMan. “Please let us start again. Do you have a ruler of any kind?”

“Yes, of course,” the Mayor’s face brightened rapidly. “I’ve only got a six inch one with me but I can get a longer one from home.”

“What? No, not that sort of ruler!” The ConMan tried very hard and managed to bring himself under control. Barely.

“A slide rule,” suggested the Mayor diffidently.

“No dammit!” screamed the man from Earth.

For several minutes he simply stared at the Mayor, apparently trying to wish him out of existence. When the native failed to disappear in a puff of smoke the ConMan decided to try another route.

“Who makes your laws?” he asked with reasonable calm.

“Laws?” the Mayor laughed. “We tried making some laws a few years back but nobody liked ‘em much so we junked ‘em.”

“Junked ‘em?” the man from BuEx was shocked into spluttering for a few moments. “You can’t simply junk all laws just because nobody liked them.”

“Why not?”

“Well … er …” The ConMan was unsure but pressed on. “Well … er … who made them?”

“Let’s see now,” the Mayor counted names off on his fingers. “There me and Jane, Fred and Mary, the two Jones girls – very good at it they were – and just about anyone who was interested chipped in some ideas.” The Mayor looked sheepish, “I suppose you think we were stupid, making up laws. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Yes. I mean no. I mean I don’t know.” The ConMan was floundering and took a few moments to collect his thoughts. There seemed to be some missing.

“Let’s start again. Again.” He said eventually. “Who makes the rul … er regulations for this country?”

“What’s Country?” asked the Mayor warily.

The ConMan’s reply started off reasonably, if somewhat incoherent but quickly became an ear shattering screem.

“Well it’s … I mean it’s got … that is … Goddamit you stupid sonofabitch you must know what a country is!”

“Nope,” said the Mayor lightly.

“Oh dear God,” said the exasperated Earthman. “Look, you are a Mayor, right?”

The Mayor nodded.

“So you have a council?”

Again a nod.

“What does the council govern?” asked the ConMan in a whisper, as if he were afraid of the answer.

“The borough,” came the simple answer.

“And what,” the ConMan was becoming exited again, “Do you call a collection of boroughs.”

“A collection of boroughs,” replied the Mayor without even blinking but he did take a step backwards. Just in case.

“I … you …but … aarrgghh” screamed the Earthman who seemed to have developed a twitch just under his left eye and stuttered slightly as he spat out his next question.

“What do you get if you put all the boroughs together?”

“The World,” replied the Mayor, stepping back another pace as the ConMan seemed about to throw a fit.

He was silent for several minutes, breathing deeply as his face went through several colour changes while blood vessels at his neck and temples began throbbing visibly.

“Let’s go back to the beginning,” the ConMan almost pleaded. “How many councils are there?”

“Nobody knows for sure,” the Mayor thought for a while, “But I think it’s around two hundred and fifty thousand now.”

The Contact Manager was obviously shaken by the answer but ploughed grimly on.

“And who,” he asked, “Is above them?”

The Mayor thought long and hard, brows furrowed, face towards the sky. Eventually he said – “All right, I give up. Who is above them?”

The Universal Translator was unable to translate the reply other than to give out an ear splitting shriek.

When the ConMan was able to speak intelligibly again there was a glint of madness shining in his eyes.

“Listen you fool,” he started ranting at the native. “I am a Senior ConMan, an expert at understanding and communicating with aliens …”

“I’m no alien,” the Mayor interrupted indignantly. “I was born and raised right here.”

“No, I’m the alien,” said the Earthman. “I mean … that’s not what I mean … no it’s …”

Suddenly he turned and marched quickly back to his ship, muttering to himself.

“I’ll quit, that’s it, I’ll resign. It was a stupid job anyway. Maybe I never even found the bloody planet, they’ll never know.”

As the spaceship took off, disappearing rapidly into the clear blue sky another native, this one riding a bike, drew alongside the Mayor and stopped.

“Hello Fred,” the Mayor greeted the newcomer.

“Hello Mayor,” replied Fred. “Who was that?”

“A bloke from Earth.”

“What did he want?”

“Buggered if I know,” said the Mayor.

America Compared: Why Other Countries Treat Their People So Much Better | Reaction

Not likely.

There aren’t many manufacturers that can produce to scale and quality of Foxconn.

Electronics industry uses contract manufacturers. There are only two that have scale. The first one is FLEX (formerly Flextronics) who invented the idea of contract manufacturing as we know it. Foxconn was originally an electronic parts manufacturer and saw how Flex did things and used a similar model. Because they also manufactured the parts they could earn more profit.

Both companies monopolize the assembly business. Both operate at scale.

Apple chose Foxconn and stayed with Foxconn. Their relationship is very close. When Apple needed AMOLED screens for a new phone model, Foxconn built a new factory for them. Apple did not have to invest a penny.

If you wanted to move production back to the US you would still have to import the parts from China. Electronic parts are not produced at scale in the US. You would also have a hard time finding people who want a job on the production line.

Moving a factory is not like moving house. There are many more moving parts.

They can survive

They just cannot grow at a fifth of the pace at which they grew in China

India is not a good place to manufacture things

The effortless ease of China is entirely missing in India and Vietnam both.

Vietnam is too cramped even if the workforce is productive

India is too lazy and productivity is abysmal

Plus both Nations simply do not have a Skilled Workforce needed for expansion even moderately


It was stupid of Foxconn to threaten to relocate to India and Vietnam

Far easier to have a Chinese OEM subcontracting with them, go to India and do their work for a lower commission

Now they are unlikely to gain shares in OEM in the Chinese Market ever again.

India needs many structural changes to be able to offer Foxconn a fiftieth of what China can offer

The Economic advantages are non existent

And like I always say when any decision-making is made for POLITICAL REASONS – they simply don’t work like you expect them t


Foxconn can thus survive in India

Barely survive

Until one day they just pack up saying THEY CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE

Caitlin Johnstone: Biden Ramps Up Nuclear Brinkmanship On His Way Out The Door

18 November 2024, by Eric Zuesse. (All of my recent articles can be seen here.)

(NOTE: I was going to do an article on this today, especially because this article follows up — though without mentioning — my October 10th “Biden’s plan calls for WW3 to start after Election Day.”, which opened “U.S. President Joe Biden refuses to answer until after November 5th the question of whether the U.S. will officially be at war against Russia,” which was a follow-on to my September 13th “Biden might decide today whether to initiate WW3 against Russia.” 

So, Caitlin’s fine article today is a follow-on to those events. 

She points out that the missiles which Biden is now allowing Ukraine to use to bomb Russia don’t range as far as the 300 miles range that would be able to bomb The Kremlin and endanger Russia’s central command. 

Therefore, Biden isn’t necessaily sparking WW3 by this policy-change. But what he now is allowing would endanger Russia’s giant nuclear power plant in Kursk, and so it could end up causing Russia to unleash nuclear war against the United States and Ukraine.)

https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/biden-ramps-up-nuclear-brinkmanship

18 November 2024, by Caitlin Johnstone

The New York Times reports that the Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike Russian and North Korean military targets inside Russia — yet another dangerous escalation of nuclear brinkmanship in this horrific proxy war.

The Times correctly notes that authorizing Ukraine to use ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles, has long been a contentious issue in the Biden administration for fear of provoking military retaliations against the US from Russia. This reckless escalation has been authorized despite an acknowledgement from the anonymous US officials who spoke to The New York Times that they “do not expect the shift to fundamentally alter the course of the war.”

As Antiwar’s Dave DeCamp notes, Vladimir Putin said back in September that if NATO allows Ukraine to use western-supplied weapons for long-range strikes inside Russian territory, it would mean NATO countries “are at war with Russia.” This is about as unambiguous a threat as you’ll ever see.

https://twitter.com/Antiwarcom/status/1858254030361022826

NYT reports that Biden’s policy shift “comes two months before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office, having vowed to limit further support for Ukraine.” And it is here worth noting that last week it was reported by The Telegraph that British PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron had been scheming to thwart any attempt by Trump to scale back US support for Ukraine by pushing Biden to authorize long-range missile strikes in Russian territory.

But it is also true that the day before the US election Mike Waltz, Trump’s next national security advisor, had himself endorsed the idea of authorizing long-range missile strikes into Russia with the goal of pressuring Moscow to end the war. His plan for disentangling the US from the conflict entails ramping up sanctions on Russia and “taking the handcuffs off the long-range weapons we provide Ukraine” in order to pressure Putin into eagerly accepting a peace deal.

So while this is being framed as an administration that’s more hawkish on Russia executing a maneuver that’s designed to hamstring the peacemongering of an incoming administration that’s less favorable to assisting Ukraine, in reality it may just be goal-assisting the next administration in a policy change it had planned on implementing anyway.

https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1856129126492430685

Either way, it’s insane. Putin ordered changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in September in order to ward off these sorts of escalations by lowering the threshold at which nuclear weapons could be used to defend the Russian Federation, and they’re just barreling right past that bright red line like they barreled over the red lines which led to the invasion of Ukraine. And the fact that they’re adding yet another nuclear-armed state into the mix with North Korea is just more gravy for the nuclear brinkmanship pot roast.

At one point in 2022, US intelligence agencies reportedly assessed that the odds of Russia using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine was as high as fifty percent, but the Biden administration kept pushing forward with this proxy war anyway. These freaks are taking insane risks to advance agendas that stand to yield the slimmest of benefits even by their own assessments.

We are living in dark and dangerous times.

PS: If you like this article, please email it to all your friends or otherwise let others know about it. None of the U.S.-and-allied ‘news’-media will likely publish it (nor link to it, since doing that might also hurt them with Google or etc.). I am not asking for money, but I am asking my readers to spread my articles far and wide, because I specialize in documenting what the Deep State is constantly hiding. This is, in fact, today’s samizdat.

GHOST DESCRIBES THE AFTERLIFE, What He Says Will Shock You…

I oh, so, miss are my USN issued flight boots

The Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) uses a heavy amount of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, although with different goals in mind.
When I was in Basic Training, one of the recruits with us just so happened to be some level of black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a very humble guy, and was about 5′ 10″, and weighed a whopping 140 pounds. The most skilled Drill Sergeant, at 6′ 2″ probably 220–230 pounds, was asking if any recruits wanted to risk sparring with him, and the humble recruit volunteered, being pretty confident in his abilities.
What followed is a contest I’m not sure I will ever forget. It was an incredible chess match between two individuals who seemed to see their opponents next move, and were planning 3 moves ahead. The recruit being much smaller, continued to try and draw the DS into his closed guard, which being down on his back seemed like a disadvantageous position to us inexperienced. They continued on for 10 minutes, and it became apparent the DS was becoming fatigued. The recruit, who was hardly breaking a sweat, methodically made moves to wear the DS down, moving at a quarter of the speed you would see collegiate wrestlers move at. Eventually you could see the DS failing, and his decisions and movements were becoming much more panicked, he began using strength and anger instead of skill, and the recruit exploited it. The recruit was inevitably close to locking a triangle from the guard when another DS intervened and ended the fight before the submission could be had, knowing that their ‘immortality’ would be shattered. None of the others ever challenged the kid.
It was impressive, a physically powerful and equally jiu-jitsu skilled DS was beaten by a recruit who was just a little more skilled.

Reeves Hot Doggin’

Breakthrough in Aero-engine Core Technology: the Latest Single-crystal Blades Finally Invented by the Chinese

The vigorous development of the aviation industry in recent years is inseparable from the painstaking scientific research and development of generations of workers.

China has a technological breakthrough that has broken the traditional foreign technology, and China has become the second country in the world to possess this latest advanced single-crystal blade technology for the new turbine engines.

In 2014, the self-developed fifth-generation rhenium-containing high-temperature alloy materials, ceramic-based high-temperature turbine blades and single-crystal turbine blade projects were officially put into production in China. This is a new breakthrough in aerospace engine and industrial steam turbine manufacturing fields. Currently, only China and Japan have successfully developed the fifth generation of high-temperature single crystal alloys.

The key link in production equipment is the heat treatment furnace and the most important equipment in the single crystal casting process, the single crystal furnace. Even if foreign countries block China, the Chinese scientists and engineers can all make breakthroughs in the fields by relying on their own self-reliance and hard work. In order to break through the West’s blockade of the core technologies, the Chinese entrepreneurs and scientists have boldly practiced and innovated. They not only created rhenium metal core components monopolized by Western countries, but also created new metal manufacturing methods.

At present, the first and second-generation single crystal blades independently developed by China have been used in the Shenyang WS-10 improved engine, and the third generation of high-temperature single crystal alloys have also been used in the Shenyang WS-15 engines.

That is the WS-15 engine.

The quality of turbine blades is also an important indicator of a country’s aviation manufacturing sector. The more sophisticated the engine, the more demanding it is on materials. Single crystal blade means that there is only one crystal nucleus on the entire blade, and other iron atoms are attached to this crystal nucleus and arranged in sequence. In this arrangement, the force between atoms is very large, and the allowable tensile stress is also very large. It can just meet the blade requirements of the current new high-thrust engines.

The mastery of single crystal blade technology means that China will greatly increase the production capacity of large thrust-to-weight ratio engines and will greatly extend the service life of original engines. According to research, every 25°C increase in the temperature endurance limit of a blade can triple its original service life at the original temperature.

https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2023.00140

Feminist REGRETS 304 Phase

If a war does breakout, there’s not going to a lot of face to face combat.

It’s not likely to be a land battle.

If it involves nuclear, then there are no winners. It will be anialation of the huan race.

It’s more likely it will be cyberwar. Can the other country wipe out your data networks before you wipe out theirs. Or knockout their weapons systems.

Modern warfare is nothing like past wars.

It’s about strategy and planning. How well you can execute those plans.

China’s recent moon mission was well planned. With six steps that were critical. All steps went perfectly and the return vehicle was within 200 feet of where it was supposed to land.

Starlink was delayed and delayed. Now they may need to send another spacecraft to retrieve them.

Even America’s GPS is out of date. China’s system allows asynchronous communication. Vital to have two way communication for weapons deployment.

In peace times, we can also see how strategy and planning are executed. Evacuating Afghanistan was a nightmare. China’s relief operations with the PLA are spotless. Deployment is within hours and supplies and emergency housing in hours. That counts as experience.

TOP “The Crucifix Scene” Reactions! The Exorcist (1973) Movie Reaction! *First Time Watching*

Slow Cooker Ribs

ribs slow cooker
ribs slow cooker

Prep: 5 min | Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 pounds pork baby back ribs
  • Kosher or sea salt, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups barbecue sauce, divided (store-bought or homemade)*

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with foil.
  2. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs: use your fingers to get underneath and loosen the membrane along one side of the ribs, and then pull off the membrane.
  3. If needed, cut the racks of ribs into smaller sections so that they will fit better in your slow cooker.
  4. Season both sides of the ribs with salt and pepper. If you’re cooking them immediately, proceed to the next step. If you want to season your ribs overnight for deeper flavor, cover them and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.
  5. Measure one cup of barbecue sauce. Place one rack or section of ribs in the slow cooker and cover it with a layer of barbecue sauce. Repeat the process with the remaining racks or sections of ribs and what remains of that one cup of barbecue sauce.
  6. Cook on LOW heat for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH heat for 4 to 5 hours, depending on how many racks of ribs you are cooking and the temperature of your slow cooker. (If you have a small slow cooker and end up having to stack your rib sections more than two high, they will need more time to cook fully.) Burnt barbecue sauce is a pain to clean off of your slow cooker, so don’t leave these too much longer than the suggested cooking time. When the ribs are tender, gently remove the racks and lay them out on your foil-lined baking sheet.
  7. Reuse those meaty juices and combine the liquid from your slow cooker with the reserved barbecue sauce, then reduce it over medium heat until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. (This is optional, you can also discard the liquid from your slow cooker and just use the remaining BBQ sauce as is.)
  8. Allow the ribs to cool slightly before cutting them into individual ribs or portions. Brush the remaining one cup of barbecue sauce on top of the ribs.
  9. If desired, you can also place the ribs under the broiler for a few minutes to caramelize and set the sauce.
  10. Serve the ribs with extra BBQ sauce.

Notes

* I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s.

The Entity

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Rado Randriamamonjy

The smell of rotten eggs woke Harper from a dead sleep. Or maybe it was the waves of intense nausea. Her innards felt like they were being stomped clean, like dirty laundry in a remote, rural stream. Through eyes weary and half-shut, Harper watched a red light pulse. It filled the space around her with spasmodic, blood-hued flashes.Uggghh… Moving wasn’t high on her list of priorities. Her head was heavy. It felt like a pumpkin propped on a toothpick, and inside sloshed thoughts and images that threatened to fuse together but, instead, bobbed haplessly in the groggy backwaters of her mind.She closed here eyes and turned to lay on her side. Too difficult. She motor-boated her lips.That’s when the poem began. The absurd wordplay could have come straight out of the dusty vaults of Captain Beefheart. The strange sonnet danced on the tongue of some faceless woman as it corkscrewed into Harper’s consciousness, like a stream of buttercream frosting atop a cake.Harper grasped at it. It evaded her clutches, verbal confetti in a breeze.“Roll bed. Feel free to pull and retest it.”

 

What in the world?

 

“Toad said, its feet avulsed. Infected.”

 

Whoever was speaking whimsically sliced and diced words, the way those theatrical, knife-juggling chefs at the vintage Japanese restaurant chain (whose name escaped her) diced sushi. The vowel scheme, however, remained curiously consistent.

 

“Road bled. A vehicle dissected.”

 

She struggled to make sense of it. But she was no poet. She never had the knack. It was a god-given talent, she was always told, and, in her life, she had never taken seriously even the slightest inclinations towards being an artist. When she was young, however, she dreamed of being an astronaut. She recalled how the stars outside her childhood bedroom window would whisper to her at night. They would tell her of her destiny, of her future living in their midst.

 

“Joe fled. The bees on skull reflect it.”

 

As a matter of fact, now that she thought about it, she had a faint recollection of donning a spacesuit at one time: one limb at a time, into the suit, a silent dance, a sacred ritual, all in preparation for sleep.

 

Again came the verse. But this time, the words cut through the mental murk and dripped with a sobering clarity.

 

“Code red. Debris on hull detected.”

 

Oh god, she thought.

 

Harper blinked herself awake. She swam up through the mental soup, lifted a hand and pawed at the mask that was pumping oxygen and hydrogen sulfide into her lungs. She finally pulled it off and the smell of rotten eggs disappeared.

 

Harper grumbled. She slipped the IV from her arm and threw it somewhere next to her. She hoisted open heavy eyelids again and glimpsed the hyper-sleep chamber. The space was tight, just big enough for an average sized adult. A glass door lay above her, and on the other side of it, the flashing beacon intermittently bathed the large cryo-room in that haunting crimson glow. Between the scarlet pulses, the room would descend into darkness, lit only by the feeble lights of the keyboard panels which stretched across the room, under monitors that were inert and black with sleep.

 

The red alert continued to blare in her ear as Harper attempted to move her legs. She was numb from tailbone to heels, a result of the three year hibernation. The nifty LSD-style dreams were one of the perks of hyper-sleep too — a side-effect of the hydrogen sulfide. The gas slowed her metabolism, helping her body withstand the long trip on the scantest of nutrients. The rotten egg smell was just another bonus.

 

“Christ, Cheryl, enough with the goddam code alert, please,” Harper mumbled.

 

The onboard AI turned off its alert protocol, which, to Harper, had sounded like word-salad just a moment before. The rhythmic red light clicked off too, which immerserd the room in the twilight-like glow of the the keyboard lights.

 

“Welcome back, Captain Gordon,” Cheryl said, in an amiable female voice. Harper responded with a guttural noise that was somewhere between a grunt and a moaning.

 

The door above her hissed open. The air in the room permeated her nostrils with the trademark aseptic smell characteristic of sterile environments. She sat up in her cryo-bed, hitching forward gently on wobbly arms. Her blonde-dyed dreads fell down around sandy-brown shoulders.  The white tank top and blue underwear she’d climbed into the cryo-bed with had lost their snugness, despite the small army of electronic muscle stimulators that dotted her body.

 

Harper filled her lungs with the cabin’s perfect mix of earth’s atmosphere, taking in a deep breath and stretching her limbs, which were coming back to life — slowly. For the time being, they moved like gum in molasses.

 

She shook the cobwebs from her head. “Status report,” she said.

 

“All systems are nominal, chief.”

 

“Really?” Harper tipped her head back and rolled it on her neck.  “Then why wake me?”

 

“Well, as we crossed into the Perseus Arm, the ship picked up debris on the starboard-side hull.”

 

Harper arched her back, getting in a good stretch. She moaned in pleasure. “What kind of debris?”

 

“I’m not sure. My analysis didn’t match it to any known life forms in my database.”

 

“Life forms?”

 

Cheryl paused. “Yes.”

 

Harper shook her head. She needed a hot cup of coffee, one big enough to be hauled around on a dolly. With loads of cream. And sugar. And a jelly donut. She’d kill for a jelly donut.

 

“What kind of life form?” she said.

 

“That’s just it, I don’t know.”

 

Harper sucked her teeth. “How long has this… lifeform been clinging to the ship?”

 

“Three days.”

 

“Three days? Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” Harper said, furrowing her brows.

 

“I would’ve but… I ran the calculations: the debris posed no threat to the integrity of the mission.”

 

“And what changed?”

 

“It started… growing.”

 

“Growing?” Harper shook her head again and held up a hand. “Do you have an image?”

 

“Yes.”

 

A picture of the ship’s hull came up on a nearby screen. The image moved easily across it until it came to a stop at a series of bumps. The bulges were backlit, providing a hazy profile view. They were covered in what looked to be hair. And the hair was… moving, like it was grasping at things in the void. The protrusions were dark, maybe black, or purple. Maybe even a deep red. From the camera’s vantage point, it was hard to tell.

 

“What the hell?” Harper squinted and leaned towards the screen. She swung a spindly leg over the edge of the cryo-bed, touching a toe to the floor.

 

“Careful, Captain. Your muscles. They’re not —. ”

 

“I know. I’d make a scarecrow jealous. I’ll be fine. Shut off the gravity, will you?”

 

Cheryl slowed the spinning of the main bay of the ship, causing Harper’s belly to lurch. She belched in her mouth. Another delight courtesy of the space-trekking business. “How big is it?” she asked.

 

“When it first attached itself to the ship it was roughly three inches in diameter,” the AI explained. “It remained that size for three days. Today, within the last two hours, in fact, it more than quadrupled in size.”

 

“Quadruple?” Harper thought for a moment, wiping a lock of dreads from her eyes. The fuzzy mass moved slowly as it slid across her face, the artificial gravity wearing off. “So, a foot across now,” she said.

 

“Give or take, yes.”

 

“And you don’t know what it is?” Harper asked flatly.

 

“No. It’s not coming up in any known databases.”

 

Harper nodded, processing the information. Inside, her belly was waning towards full queasiness. Her body had lifted off the mattress. She grabbed a handrail that was attached to the cryo-bed to stabilize herself.

 

“Chances of it covering the ship?” she asked.

 

“I can’t say for certain. It could continue to grow at this rate, or grow erratically, or not at all. But if it does grow unchecked, I don’t see how it wouldn’t.”

 

Harper nodded. “So, at this rate, how long?”

 

“By my calculations, it could cover the starboard side in four days, and reach the starboard booster in five. That’s my real concern.”

 

Harper bit down on her bottom lip. Her gray eyes twinkled in one of the panel lights. “Yea, we can kiss maneuverability good-bye then.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“And probably our asses.”

 

“Bingo.”

 

Harper fixed a blank stare at the screen as her mind sifted through alternative scenarios. She settled on two options, both fundamentally uncomplicated, neither very good. One: abort the mission — but that would mean the end of decades of hard work and the dashing of a life long dream. Two: sticking it out — and possibly getting it wrong. Dealing with this… entity poorly, though, could mean hurtling out into space. For an eternity.

 

Fun, she thought.

 

She chewed on it a while longer.

 

“Apprise Houston of our status,” she said. “Then prep my suit. I’m going for a walk.”

 

“I can’t clear you for a walk for at least 48 hours and not before a full physical, Captain. The effects of the hyper-sleep —.”

 

“Override,” Harper said. “Directive twenty-four point four.” The crisp edge of authority was sharp in her voice.

 

“Counter override, directive eight-alpha. Captain, I cannot in good conscience let you —.”

 

“Goddam AI, just…” Harper steadied her breathing. Her pulse throbbed in her ear and she had raised a clenched fist, unknowingly, ready to slam it against something. “Override,” she said, “directive two-four-two-seven. You will not keep me from checking on that debris. Unlike you, I have a heart and lungs and a brain, and along with all of those things — which are near and dear to me — I want to get my ass out to the California Nebula, then back home to Earth. Waiting 48 hours to check on this thing is not an option.”

 

A silence bloomed between them.

 

“The sarcasm is unnecessary, Captain. I may not have the same parts that you do, but I don’t want to die out here either. You’re not the only one who contemplates their mortality.”

 

Harper rolled her eyes. These things had become far too life-like.

 

“Protocol overridden,” Cheryl continued. “You’ve got your space walk, Captain. But I think it’s a bad idea.”

 

****

After her stomach completed a few back-flips, Harper adjusted to the zero gravity. She was in the belly of it now, floating along the starboard side of the Caelum, tethered to its polymer skin.

 

Her suit was bulky. Under the earth’s gravitational pull, in her condition, it would have been unwieldy. But in the vacuum of space, she moved gracefully in it, like a Mylar-clad athlete.

 

“Coming up on the foreign object debris now,” she said.

 

“Roger,” Cheryl responded.

 

Harper wasn’t sure what to expect. She had been with NASA for 32 years. Fresh out of the candidate program, she was one of only ten women who were accepted into the program. More than three decades later she’d been to Mars and captained three voyages across the solar system. And in all those years, not a single person had encountered an alien life form. Yes, they found bacteria within the crust of Mars. But had they made contact with anything larger than microscopic organisms, ever? No. It had never happened. And here she was, on the verge of discovering a new species.

 

She couldn’t tell if she was excited or nervous. Maybe she was just terrified and in complete denial — the potential downsides, despite the monumental discovery, were especially grim.

 

Harper pulled herself around the hull using the handholds that speckled the ship’s shell. She spotted the silhouette of the debris and pulled herself closer. When she swung herself around and on top of it, Harper found a cluster of spiny, spherical objects. They were purplish-black and each was roughly the size of a tennis ball. Long, slender spines radiated out from every organism’s center, reminding her of sea urchins back home — the little critters that gathered in tidal pools along the crisp Northern Atlantic shores. But there was a glaring difference: the eye at the center. Each of these creatures had an eye that took up at least half of its body.

 

The sight sent a shudder through Harper.

 

“Christ, are you getting this?”

 

“Crystal clear on this end,” Cheryl said.

 

“What the hell are these things?”

 

“I don’t know, chief.”

 

Harper leaned in. The set of eyes looked into hers, sending a qualmishness bubbling through her belly.

 

The irises were yellow stippled with green specks. The pupils were as black as the emptiness around her. But they moved. The spiral-shaped openings revolved, and spun in a swirling pattern.

 

Harper stared at them in awe, her respirator humming rhythmically in her helmet.

 

“Captain?… Captain, are you okay?”

 

“What?… Yea… I’m gonna get a sample.”

 

“Be careful.”

 

Harper paused. Her eyes narrowed. Ok, mom.

 

She prepared her drill and the empty bag that was typically used to hold drill bits. Crude tools, she thought, for collecting a species that will break science. But NASA hadn’t planned on her bumping into an undiscovered life form on this trip. She had to make due.

 

She pulled herself closer. The cluster of eyes followed her every move, squishing and squirming in their body-sockets. She held the drill over the tiny creatures.

 

“Here goes nothing,” she said.

 

She wedged the tip of the drill bit under a specimen on the edge of the group. The bit hardly slipped beneath it. She shifted the bag further up her shoulder, then tried with both hands. Still, nothing.

 

“Damn, these things are stuck on here good.”

 

“Take your time.”

 

Harper shook her head, again. Yes, mom.

 

Out of some deep-seated Pavlovian habit, decades in the making, Harper nearly flicked on the drill. Christ. She chuckled. Then asked herself if she was nuts. She took a deep breath.

 

Harper gripped the top edge of the animal with her free hand and slid the drill bit under the other side again.

 

She pulled on it.

 

Ouch!

 

Harper recoiled in pain.

 

She looked intently at her glove. It couldn’t be, could it? She flipped her hand over to get a better look. No way. It felt like the creature had bitten her. Through the Mylar, through the Dacron and through the Teflon-coated glove.

 

As she tried to process the queer sensation, the sight of the ship began teetering in her view. The critters and their curious eyes started spiraling in a blur further and further away. She was tumbling into unconsciousness, and she knew it.

 

Harper’s mind gradually became alert again amidst the blackness of catatonia. The profound silence there felt like it pervaded her very soul. An image crystalized. It crackled with color. It was a moving picture of a black hole swallowing up space debris. Among the flotsam, trapped in the thing’s maw, was the Caelum. And undulating across the ship from tip to stern was a purplish-black skin, glowing, rippling, with eyes, thousands of eyes along it, peering back at her.

 

Harper’s breath caught in her throat.

 

She watched the black hole suck in the ship, spinning it across its aperture, and down towards the chute of its endless belly. Inside the black hole, Harper could feel something, a being or a consciousness. It spoke to her in a deep, wordless rumble. A piece of it, a feeling maybe, or possibly a warning, slithered across the vivid vision and touched her, the sensation rifling across her chest. It pulled at her. Harper screamed.

 

“Nooo!!”

 

She jolted awake. Her respirator was whining in her helmet. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths. Harper looked down to find herself floating several yards above the Caelum, her tether at full length. Her head was pounding again and she felt weaker than when she emerged from cryo.

 

She peered down at the ship. The colony had spread. The creatures had commandeered nearly the entire starboard side of the ship.

 

“Captain? Are you okay?? Captain?” Cheryl said.

 

“Yes, yes…” she muttered. “The… the creatures, they’ve… taken over the… how?” Her voice cracked with anxiety.

 

“You’ve been out for more than three days. I tried to wake you, but there wasn’t much I could do from here.”

 

The hairs on the nape of Harper’s neck stood on end. She needed to be back on the ship. She needed to get ahead of this. She reached for the tether. Her arm barely moved at her command. Harper tried the other: a similar incapacity.

 

“Captain,” Cheryl said tentatively, “between the hyper-sleep, your unconsciousness and going without food for as long as you did, your body is terribly weak.”

 

Harper blinked uncontrollably, her mind grasping at the situation, trying to make it all stick.

 

“Slow movements, Captain. Take your time.”

 

“We don’t have time.”

 

“Time is all we have now.”

 

Harper gnashed her teeth. Her insides burned. She wanted to scream.

 

She could hear herself breathing, the respirator purring in her ears. Stars twinkled all around her. At length, she collected herself.

 

Cheryl was right. Mother-jokes aside, she was always right. Harper took a deep breath and reached out for the tether. It seemed like an eternity, but all she could do was move, go through the motions, try.

 

While stretching for the life-line, something below caught her eye. A long row of the prickly creatures, a bit smaller than the rest, were pulsating. They were mid-inception, giving birth to themselves. They encircled the colony, a fresh layer of lethal interlopers — their amber-colored eyes wet and fully formed, their spines stunted and still fleshy.

 

Harper’s jaw tightened as a heat rose like a halo through the top of her head.

 

“You bastards!!” she screamed. “You goddam… sons of bitches…” Her voice fell to a whisper. She bit her lip, holding back sobs.

 

The blanket of eyes looked up at her coolly, following each of her labored movements. They glowed and they squirmed. Then swiveled in their thorny sockets.

Wise words

  • In Vietnam, there’s a shrine for Lady Horse (Bà Chúa Ngựa). The story said that in this village, there was an extremely perverted lady, whose stories of unacceptable practices reached the ears of a mandarin. He then put her in a horse-shaped cage so she would be raped by a male horse. She died eventually and people make a shrine out of her and go there to pray for good luck.

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  • Vietnamese are required to study Classical Chinese poetry, both Vietnamese and Chinese ones but rendered in Vietnamese alphabet, in school.
  • There was a period of time when skirts were banned nationwide in imperial Vietnam. That gave birth to the Vietnamese national dress, which has pants instead.

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  • Vietnamese hate the Chinese government, but love Chinese culture.

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  • There’s free iced tea littered across Vietnam for workers that need to drink. No paying, no nothing. You just go and drink it.

*UP* traumatized Jane

How could the development of extremely long-range air-to-air missiles like the AIM-174B potentially change Chinese behavior in the South China Sea region?

No.

What you don’t know is that the PL-17 has just as long a range and is smaller, lighter, and shorter than the AIM-174B.

Ironically, the West has been claiming that the PL-17 is too large to hit a fighter. Strangely, the even larger, heavier AIM-174B is now able to hit fighters. Considering that the PL-17 terminal speed is Mach 5 while the AIM-174B (just a repurposed SM-6) has terminal speed of Mach 3.5, it’s rather weird that a slower missile can hit fighters while a faster one can’t.

It appears that the laws of physics is not the same for Western weapons as for the rest of the world. Nay, the rest of the Universe.

Bangladesh’s exiled PM said: had she surrendered to USA & let USA build a US military base in St Martin Island, she would have saved her PM position.

St Martin is strategically important for USA to install mid-range missiles there so as to threaten the safety of China, India, Myanmar & the entire southeast Asia ie Indo-Pacific region.

Some said the PM did not say that.

Does not matter. When we see USA threatening WADA & IOC officials in the 2024 Olympics just for gold medals, we can guess USA may have threatened Bangladesh for such an important location in Indo-Pacific.

USA is notorious in instigating riot/coup in other country & put a puppet gov there to take US orders.

Take care of your loved ones

This has already been covered really well, but I want to add a story from my grandfather’s training days, during WWII.

The recruits were training with grenades and the training officer noticed that my grandfather was pulling the pin and then throwing the grenade immediately, much too fast to control its destination. He just wanted that explosive FAR AWAY RIGHT NOW. Which is understandable! But not behavior you want from your soldiers.

So the officer waited until my grandfather had pulled the pin on another grenade, and then rushed in and clamped his hands down over my grandfather’s, and proceeded to have a little conversation. Where was he from, did he know anybody back home, what was his family like, etc. Meanwhile there’s the grenade, the pin pulled but the spoon trapped under my grandfather’s hands, trapped under the officer’s.

After a few seconds of engendering pure panic, and then a minute of weirdly casual conversation, the officer told my grandfather to always remember that it was the spoon, not the pin, that set the fuse off. As long as his hand was holding the spoon, he had all the time in the world to aim.

Here’s a picture of my grandfather today. You can’t tell in this picture, but both of his hands are still firmly attached.

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Do NOT feed the bears

Australian Wildlife

Bug Love
Bug Love

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1AAA
1AAA

I was thinking is that it? It’s over? Violent riots in Hong Kong lasted SEVEN MONTHS. UK riots barely lasted a few days.

But there’s an interesting parallel.

In 1966 there were huge riots in Hong Kong. The military was deployed on day 1 police and the military garrison shot into crowds killing many. The police also ‘arrested’ many riot leaders who then ended up dead shortly after.

They cracked down on the 1966 riots hard. The already incredibly harsh laws were enhanced so anybody could be arrested. It was business as usual, a year later even bigger riots broke out in 1967. The rioters had prepared and brought along IEDs.

So what of it? In 1966 the riots were crushed. In 1967 the riots were crushed. This lead to the 1981 riots.

The question is, are any of the actual root issues being resolved?

In 2019 there were huge violent riots, many disaffected youth and a large violent component. Many of these people buggered off to the UK (unfortunately some are coming back about 50% so far). However since 2019?

Wages have increased substantially.

There’s been public housing units (temporary) popping up everywhere in the countryside. People can rent such places for about $109USD a month. People are going to Shenzhen enmasse. The tycoons who were fucking the place over constantly have been told to behave.

10 Years in LA: My Shocking Truths, Biggest Challenges, and Unforgettable Moments!

Since the Sino-US trade war officially started, the semiconductor field has become the US’s priority to curb China’s development. Since 2019, a large number of related companies have been included in the US sanctions list. Five years have passed, is the US sanctions really effective? Why did US lawmakers come out and call for not to increase sanctions first?

On August 15, the Russian Satellite News Agency briefly introduced the new AI chip of Chinese companies under the title “China releases new chips, ready to challenge the United States”, and believed that this new chip is comparable to Nvidia’s H100. According to reliable sources, the media analyzed that many Chinese Internet companies, including telecommunications providers, are now ready to purchase this domestic chip, which successfully demonstrates that Chinese companies have the ability to resist the US restrictions on the company’s access to advanced technology.


Overall, this domestic AI chip is at a relatively awkward time node, because Nvidia’s product line update time is very stable, basically updated every two to three years, and its new AI chip is expected to be released soon, with a large improvement. Although this domestic AI chip may be inferior to Nvidia’s new model, one thing that cannot be forgotten is that Chinese companies have carried out independent research and development under the background of the US ban, and not only have they produced finished products but also have caught up with the advanced level, which is already a big breakthrough.

What’s more, this domestic AI chip can be a good “starter”. If you aim for the international advanced level blindly, you may end up with nothing; start with the product down to earth, first have a user base and then further optimize according to feedback. Only by taking one step at a time can the foundation of domestic AI chips be consolidated. Most importantly, a reliable supply chain process can prevent the US from further increasing sanctions.



In fact, the US response is very telling of how significant this chip is. On the day when the Russian media released the news, US Democratic Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Zoe Lofgren from California wrote to US Commerce Department officials, calling for a freeze on plans to impose new restrictions on technology exports to China.



The two congressmen are very practical. They believe that the export controls imposed by the United States on China have actually damaged the competitiveness of the United States in advanced semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The two believe that in the context of allies not following this ban, the United States’s unilateral sanctions will not be very useful.

Of course, the two still stand on the position of the United States and require the US government to bring its allies along when imposing a semiconductor ban on China. But you have to know that the allies of the United States may not be in the same mind as the White House. They also need to maintain import and export trade with China to make profits. So far, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands have not completely stopped supplying China in the field of semiconductors. This also fully shows that the sanctions that have lasted for many years have not been as the United States wishes and have not successfully curbed the development of China’s semiconductors. The affirmation from the “opponent” can better illustrate the current development results of China’s semiconductor industry.



In short, the various sanctions imposed by the United States on China can certainly work in a short period of time, but the demand generated by a huge market of 1.4 billion people cannot be restrained by a ban. Even if the United States can work together with all its allies to impose restrictions, China can start from the beginning on the road of independent research and development. At present, China is taking various measures to support the development of the domestic semiconductor industry. The investment amount of the third phase of the National Big Fund alone is as high as 344 billion yuan. The momentum behind this series of actions cannot be stopped by the United States.

I Was An Engineer But Got Fired! Forced To Retire! How Did This Happen?

Let’s see

How many ways can you become corrupt?

A. You can have a huge balance in a Swiss Bank Account

Unfortunately in China, you pay a price if you want power and responsibility and a seat at the decision making table

The Price is your life is under continuous monitoring and those of your Children too

You have to submit Assets and Liabilities every 3/6 months and any net increase over a fifth (20%) annually or 10% half yearly needs to be explained

If you have a Swiss account overseas even with $ 2 Balance and you didn’t declare the same, you get expelled and placed under restricted movement for 2–5 years meaning you can’t leave China, can’t leave Beijing, maybe can’t even leave your home except for a 1–2 km radius

Diplomats need to submit their overseas account statements every 3 months to the MSS representative in the Chinese Embassy of the country of their posting

Children of Diplomats/CPC Members studying in Overseas Institutions must submit their Account Statements every 6 months to the Chinese Consulate including Xi Jinpings daughter

Failure to declare overseas accounts led to many Generals getting expelled but also unable to leave China or even Beijing for the rest of their lives

Not just for them but for their families too

Hu Jintao had repealed the Families Rule in 2013 but Xi Jinping re established the law in 2018/19

Likewise Directorships in Non Chinese Companies headquartered outside China and HK need to be declared to the Party

Both by Party Members or their Sons or Daughters

Not declaring is a DISCIPLINE BREACH that automatically means you can’t leave China or maybe even Beijing and will be under 24*7 Surveillance

So the System is near AIR TIGHT

Maos legacy is still very strong and Mao is seen as a God in China, so very few people dare to modify his tough party rules

B. You can invest heavily in Land

Except that THE STATE OWNS ALL THE LAND IN CHINA

You own a lease and register the lease

In China everything is Digital now unlike India

Paper Sale Deeds etc are non existent in most Tier 1/2/3 Cities

Bottom line is if you register for property – THERE WILL BE A RECORD

Most Tier Cities have CAP on Residential Leases for Individuals

Also unlike India you just can’t convert Agricultural Leases into Residential Leases

It takes 7–10 years

So that won’t work

C. You can store wads of cash and gold

Nopes. Cash is non existent now. Banks report an average of 82.50% lesser cash withdrawn in 2023 against 2003

Holding over 20,000 RMB cash is rare even for Cafeterias or Meat Markets

So no point holding so much Cash

It’s paper and nothing else

Likewise Gold in China is registered

Every Bar has a Registry Number when sold to retailers and the Bank or seller will record these details before selling you the Gold

This way YOU CAN EASILY SELL THE GOLD OR PAWN IT WITHOUT ANY IDENTIFICATION

However this also means you can’t just secretly buy gold and even if you do, you just can’t sell it because like I said everything is DIGITAL NOW and Cash is non existent

D. You can buy shares for a low price using Insider Information

Absolutely. Yet it’s LEGAL in China for CPC members to invest in Shares yet the sum is capped to 100,000 RMB a year (Approximately). This could ensure CPC members become Millionaires and that helps them further decide not to risk their positions with something stupid like Corruption

Why aim for 30 Million RMB and get into a load of trouble when you can make 10 Million RMB legally

Its why Singaporean Leaders get nearly 500,000 Dollars a month in Salary


There is a Sixth Reason – RESPECT AND HONOR

Membership of the CPC is a SYMBOL OF RESPECT AND HONOR for you that you are chosen to make decisions for the Country and State and sit with the best of the brains

It isn’t India where any Tom Dick and Harry with zero ability can become a MP or Minister or Chief Minister

Membership of the Politburo or Central Committee or Standing Committe is higher than ever

Xi Jinping is like a King in many aspects

He is the unquestionable leader and has reached that position where he will be revered for generations

Why sacrifice such a position which cannot be bought with money or land or gold???


It’s why Corruption in China is always at the low official to middle official level rather than even penetrating the Party Congress leadership

Status

The captain stared hard at me. “Private, are you forgetting something?”

I was confused. “Not that I’m aware of, sir.”

“You always salute a superior officer.”

“Sir, we are in the field practicing wartime simulation. In war, out in the field, I would never salute a superior officer as a sniper would realize they were someone in charge and take them out.”

“We are not in an actual war. You WILL salute me, understand?”

“Yessir.” I popped off a salute, then handed him a card that said DEAD.

“What’s this?”

“Sir, I’m with the evaluation team. I set up the scenarios officers want so that situations can be evaluated to see how the unit deals with unusual circumstances. You were just saluted by a private and returned the salute. A sniper has killed you.”

He turned purple with rage. “You can’t do that! I have to be in the BTOC (Battalion Tactical Operations Center) in a half hour!”

The major in charge of the evaluation team whirled around and told him, “Shut up. Dead people don’t talk or stand. Lay down.”

The captain laid down on wet grass with ill grace.

The major laid another card on his chest that said “killed by headshot by sniper”.

The medic came by later and saw the cards. He and another medic put the captain on a stretcher after reading the notes and chuckled. “Let me guess. He wanted a salute.” (That’s because he knew the captain, and knew he was an a-hole.)

The captain spent the rest of the exercise lying on a stretcher for three days, only getting up to go to the bathroom or go get chow. He was NOT pleased.

So funny

There are yachts, and then there are superyachts – the kind of yacht that is truly fit for a billionaire. And while boats are fun to own dear Jesus are they incredibly expensive to maintain. Most superyachts run well over $10 million a year in costs between staff, general maintenance, and everything else that goes into running these behemoths. So, what do billionaires do with their behemoths?

How about leasing?

One example of a leased mega yacht is the Serene 2, which at 439 feet in length makes it one of the largest yachts in the world. The ship also has an annual running cost ranging from $25 to $35 million.

Since it costs money to keep a ship like this running it only makes sense to try and make as much money as you can on it. The current owner managed to lease the yacht for a summer a few years ago to some guy named Bill Gates for a mere $5 million a week. The owner could have done worse.

Another notable example is the yacht Dilbar, which has been used for charters over the years.

The Dilbar is massive. In fact, it is stupidly massive and yet the Dilbar is only sixth in the world in length (511 feet) and third in weight (15,917 in gross tonnage) among superyachts. The cost was roughly $1 billion at the time it was built.

Between having a crew of 96 and an annual running cost of roughly $80 million a year it’s difficult to get an accurate price of what kind of clams would be necessary to charter this vessel. Yachts half the size of Dilbar will run you north of $1 million a week, so use that as a baseline. Unfortunately for you the Dilbar is no longer available for charter, so you will have to pick another yacht instead.

To conclude many owners simply travel the world and hangout wherever rich people do in unnecessary opulence. Others will charter their yachts out while they are away doing other rich people things. A small amount of owners have actually let scientific organizations lease out their yachts for research, like the late Paul Allen and his beloved Octopus.

How stupid are you

Let me talk about MIT, which is largely missing from this set of answers.

I can talk circles about MIT not giving a lick about its undergrad population (oh boy, so much to dissect), or about the disparity between average highschool-smart kids and the IMO Gold Medalists in math classes, or about the fact that most of my classes are graded on a curve despite the fact that MIT pubs that they don’t do that.

But let’s focus on the saddest topic.

MIT is known for being one of the most intense, most rigorous, most high pressure universities in the country. It’s not because students are competitive (on the contrary, collaboration thrives and is often encouraged by instructors), but rather due to a combination of difficult coursework, extremely intelligent people everywhere that create insecurities, and a constant need to feel “hardcore.”

All this leads to one of the highest university suicide rates in the nation.

Just a few years ago, a girl jumped off the roof of my dorm, the tallest dorm in the school. MIT very promptly proceeded to investigate, and I’m not going into details, but let’s just say it was conducted extremely poorly.

The Institute is learning, though. Today, if you walk up a stairwell at MIT, it’s easy to deduce which door leads to a roof. It will have a sign:

There is help.

And really, truly, there is. We have a budding S^3 (Student Support Services) system that helps out a vast majority of students, a growing awareness about mental health in flyers and events and workshops…truly, this institution in many ways has tried to save lives.

But it’s not enough. And some of the decisions the administration have made recently haven’t exactly helped*. Just this academic year, a boy in my year committed suicide. A female grad student in my department. A 2016 alum who several of my newly graduated friends knew. And likely others who I haven’t heard about.

Rest in peace. You are missed, and you are loved.


*Go read any of the MIT Admissions blogs about Senior House. It’s more frustration than darkness, so I didn’t go into detail here.

Be the rufus

There is the hatred of US in the world, but not China. Taiwan is a part of China.

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China is a Challenger of the current world order. And the challenger is always lonely until it succeeds.

Before China becomes the Top Nation in the world, no other nations are willing to put all their money on China. Because they have to ask themselves: “What if China fails? If China fails, what will the US do to us?” That’s why China has no allies.

Before China, there have been many challengers: Germany, Russia, Japan. And they all failed. Throughout history, there were only a handful of countries that successfully replaced the No.1 Nation that has hegemony. Why is it so hard? Because it is always Lonely Challenger vs. The Entire World.

But if China does succeed, hundreds of nations will line up to be allies with China. This will happen overnight.

This is why no countries really have the balls to be real enemies with China right now. Because if China does succeed, China and its hundreds of allies will crash the crap out of these countries.

So China has no real enemies or real allies. All the countries are holding an attitude of “wait and see”.

Throughout history, the Law of Lonely Challenger never fails. Throughout history, the successful challengers always get allies overnight.And also, throughout history, the challengers who failed always ended up with piles of crap on their faces. Just take a look at Germany, Russia, Japan for examples.

China is the single country in the world whose top goal is to replace the US as the leading country. China has been talking about the Rejuvenation of China since the fall of Qing. When the US gained global hegemony, this Rejuvenation naturally became to replace the US.

In the current world, the international relations is , in its core, the relations between the US and China.

Behind every nation that has a problem with China, there is an onmipresent country called the United States of America. This includes the Taiwan question.

China has disputes with many nations around it. But these nations, like most of the nations in the world, have very strong economical ties with China. So they are not “enemies” in the traditional sense.

China historically stays out of other nations affairs. As a result there is very little outright hatred of China. Most are weary of being taken advantage of but all see China as a huge economic opportunity and trading partner.

You know, some countries are really suffering under USA rule, it would really be a huge improvement to align with China.

In other words, American allies are not actually friends, but simply because they are afraid of the United States.

They became allies of the United States not because they were attracted by the “high morality” of the United States, but because they were afraid of America’s abuse of power.

Russia Eliminated a Group of US Soldiers and Officers who Shelled KURSK with The Help of HIMARS MLRS

This question is important now more than ever.

US warships are closing in on the middle east, as a deterrence to Iran, and Iran wants to respond to Israel because Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza. The most recent provocation from Israel, which happened two weeks ago, was the attack on Iranian soil, when they were hosting a foreign leader as a state guest.

Let’s say Iran attacks Israel and manages to cause real harm. Then, Israel will declare war on Iran, and like a puppet, the US will support Israel by invading Iran.

If that happens, will China go to war for Iran?

As much as I want China to go to war for Iran, I think China will do what’s best for their citizens — they won’t go to war.

There are two things China may do:

First is supplying weapons to Iran. It will win China support from the Muslim world. It will also be a chance for China to demonstrate the superiority of Chinese technology. They could do it secretly or openly.

The second, which would be the wiser choice but harder to pull off, is to collaborate with Palestinian sympathisers all over the world to impose sanctions on the US. If a significant chunk of the world’s countries join in, the US will fall.

It won’t be wise for China to impose unilateral sanctions on the US.

Even if China doesn’t support Iran in any ways, a US involvement in an Iran-Israel war is a win for the global south and by extension, a win for China.

In a way, this conflict is a great opportunity for China to demonstrate leadership in the world and their commitment to defending the world’s nations from US oppression.

Saudi Arabia.

My wife joined me on a business trip. We picked a hotel that had fantastic ammenities — only to find that virtually none were offered to my wife, simply because she was a woman.

Men only.

The pool? Men only. The spa? Men only. Restaurants? Men only.

Men only.

Yes, this means my wife couldn’t grab lunch by herself while I was working. No, this was not during Ramadan.

Men only.

My wife had to cover up and largely make sure that she did not have any sort of interaction with men, whatsoever.

We had enough after the first day, and re-booked our hotel with an American chain, where my wife was allowed to order something to eat on her own.

I want to end this on a high note. After leaving Saudi Arabia, we went on to Singapore.

Men and women are allowed in hotel pools in Singapore.

We both loved Singapore. The hospitality was fantastic. The city is amazing. Yes, Singapore is a conservative place, and I’m well aware of it’s strict laws. Still, it didn’t feel anywhere near as punitive as Saudi Arabia. We could share a spa experience. Amazing.

My wife could go sightseeing, or shopping or take herself out to lunch. She didn’t have to be sequestered in her room, simply because she is a woman.

Singapore. 10/10 would recommend.

Bully is WRONG. But …

Let say her gender is truly questionable. Then the question has become …

is hitting/boxing a biological female correct?

I do not know Khelif’s case. I had the following post:

In the 2024 Olympics, there were “questionable” female boxers against biological females. Intl Boxing Assoc pushes IOC to think deeper “what a true female is”. Birth certificate is not reliable. Why not? What about chromosome or gender hormone?

Let us look at 4 scenarios.

1, gender change due to accident

A person was born male. During male circumcision when he was a baby, his gender organ was accidentally cut off. His doctor then made him a female on his birth certificate. His parents raised him as a female. At puberty, he started to take female hormone.

But he was never a true female biologically. He cannot get pregnant (dont argue some females cant get pregnant either). Despite hormone, his voice still cracked. I dont know his bodily build.

If he ever competes in Olympics, he can easily get gold medal because of his (male) strength.

Worse, he can legally hit/box a female & endanger the health/brain of the female. Do we want to see this “legal” beating of females?

My point: to determine a person’s gender by BIRTH CERTIFICATE is not reliable.

2, gender change due to birth defect

Some are born with defect eg the male organ is too small. The doctor & parents thus remove it & make him a female.

Birth defects happen to some people eg limbs not same length, 2 heads, 4 legs & more. Doctors do not remove the extra head or legs. These people accept their birth defect. Why not accepting a defective gender organ (unless the defect threatens the person’s life)?

As said in (1), unless the person is proven to be female by scientific means, the person is still physically (strength) a male.

3, Some are born with both sets of gender organs.

I suggest to leave the way it is unless the defect threatens the person’s life. Leave it until the person is old enough to decide for himself/herself.

Humans always make mistakes. Let us leave it to Mother Nature/Creator. Teach the person to accept birth defects like the 2-headed person does.

What makes parents & doctor as a human think they are wiser than Nature/Creator?

What makes parents & doctor think they can decide for another human being?

Is this a form of child abuse?

By the way, circumcision (both male & female) is considered child abuse in the 21st century.

4, Are transgender female same as a non-trans?

For the SAME height, male in general has longer arms & feet than female ie trans has longer arms.

Non-trans female has a rounder/bigger bottom. Something a male can do but not a female.

Has research compare the muscle mass, strength & balancing between trans & non-trans?

Question

Chromosome XX is female & XY is male. Is this reliable?

What about deciding the gender by the amount of male & female hormone in a person?

My grandfather should of gone to Fiddler’s Greene

My story is essentially a movie trope now. I was sitting in my local pub with my dad who was in a wheelchair, it was during the midweek (in Scotland), early evening, so it was pretty quiet, just a handful of middle aged guys, me and my dad. 4 young yob lads came in, if you’re in the UK you know the type, baseball caps, tracksuits, swaggering like Liam Gallacher, thinking they’re hard men.

They’d obviously had a few drinks before coming in, and after a few pints and us putting up with their shit tunes on the jukebox, they started getting a bit rambunctious, getting progressively louder and more aggressive as the evening turned to night.

One of the old guys, having gotten sick of their “doof doof” dance music crap got up and stuck a few quid in the jukebox, putting on some old 60’s 70’s rock music. One of the young team took offence to this, and got in his face, he started mouthing off at the old guy, who just stood there, impassive, and after a couple of minutes of this abuse the young team joined in, so one of the other regulars got up off his bar stool and stood behind the young team, and as if on some unseen signal, the old guy who was backed up against the jukebox just stuck the head right on the lad who was in his face, while his friend grabbed 2 of the young team and pulled them away, as the boy who’d been nutted reeled back, the old boy went for his friend, knocking him out with a left in the gut, and a hard right to the side of his head as he doubled over.
Meanwhile his friend had knocked one guy out with one punch, and when he turned his attention to the last guy, he blocked a punch and hit the boy so hard he flew over the pool table!

Turned out both of them were class fighters in their day, and some things you just don’t forget.

Morale of the story is, be respectful to people you don’t know, because you don’t know their history, and don’t know what they’ve done or been through.

Never saw those lads in the pub again, and they weren’t missed!

To Die for Beef Roast

This is one of the best roasts you will ever taste. Carrots, potatoes and celery can also be added, if desired.

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23d9865a8eaeed0096d929fcc4aef6f5

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ea47fee21d0171dc218c322c0e615c11

Ingredients

  • 1 beef roast (any kind)
  • 1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
  • 1 envelope brown gravy mix
  • 1 envelope Italian dressing mix
  • 1/2 cup warm water

Instructions

  1. Place roast in slow cooker.
  2. Mix contents of all 3 envelopes and sprinkle over roast.
  3. Pour water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.

Very safe! In fact, you can increase that number to 40 or 50 and it will still be true.

I lived in a Chinese village with a Chinese family for one month as part of a homestay program. I started my journey from Shanghai airport, and the entire stretch of road leading to the village was smooth, with no potholes, no litter, and not once did I see anyone driving their vehicle on the wrong side of the road, or see stray dogs and cattle hold up vehicles.

Every house in the village had an attached toilet, 24×7 electricity, and the houses all had modern appliances like washing machine, refrigerator, TV, Wi-Fi etc. And I had visited quite a few houses.

Every classroom in the village primary school had a TV which the teachers used to teach their students. The secondary school had Wi-Fi.

All the villagers wore helmets while riding their electric scooters. Every single one of them could read and write Mandarin, and none of them littered or spat or peed in the open.

The women all wore jeans, dresses, skirts etc. and no one judged them and shamed them for “aping the west”. What mattered was their ability, not what clothes they wore.

It was completely safe to wander around the village after dark. No one got harassed for their gender, nationality etc. None of the female participants in the homestay program ever mentioned that they felt uncomfortable, or were stared at by men for wearing shorts. None of us faced any racist taunts.

I’m not saying that China has no problems, but this Chinese village had better services than most Indian cities (we can still only dream of uninterrupted power supply, or 24×7 water, or pothole-free roads).

I cannot say with authority that all villages in China are like this, but I would wager that many of them are. The cities are of course in a different league. I stayed in the suburbs to the north of Shanghai for a few days, not a tourist area. The neighbourhoods were clean, with excellent roads, and footpaths were not cluttered by hawkers. People followed traffic rules. I went to a side street where there were stalls selling street food, and it was clean. No one littered, there was no garbage anywhere.

It’s not just their GDP or infrastructure. It’s their mentality too that has helped China zip ahead.

Scott Ritter Discloses: How the Russian Hypersonic Missile Changed the Game in Ukraine!

My step father came into my life when I was 8, and treated me and my siblings badly without a word of interference from my mother for the rest of my childhood. I left home at eighteen, and got together with the woman I’m married to at age 25. She had two children, a boy of three and a half and a girl of six months, so I got an entire family in one fell swoop. A year later we had been on holiday with the children, and dropped by my mother’s cabin on the way home. We were supposed to sleep there before driving the long way home.

My step father was drunk, and proceded to be nasty to our son. I got mad as a wasp, and informed him he was not allowed to talk to my children like that. There was a huge quarrel, he and I shouting, my mother claiming “He didn’t mean it”, the children crying, my wife watching it all with her mouth open, utterly appalled. It finally calmed down, but he kept mumbling nasty remarks through dinner, so we decided to leave. I also decided I would no longer spend time in his company. After that I have seen him at weddings and christenings, and that’s it.

I wish him well, but will not allow his poison to infect my life any more.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chili

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6e3557d3ca33d4d4e4a75a9a5e87e80f

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 pound homemade noodles or 1 (12 to 16 ounce) bag wide egg noodles
  • 1 can baked beans
  • 1 cup spaghetti sauce or less (or 1 small jar)

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef and onion.
  2. Cook and drain egg noodles.
  3. Combine everything. You may need additional sauce if you have leftovers and warm them up later. Chili should be thick, not soupy.
  4. Serve with crusty bread.

https://youtu.be/_BvrwyR4dCM

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He was young, and a favorite actor of mine.

In terms of losing its engineering chops and becoming an overfinancialized blue chip play?

Yes.

However, Boeing’s problem ia execution, whereas Intel’s business model is facing obsolescence.

Both are in danger of ebbing away in the uncertain future ahead, though Boeing’s decline will be back stopped by the government, given its role as a key arms contractor and America’s only builder of airliners.

Boeing is one or two crashes from a PR nightmare, especially if it happens on the Max.

Intel’s product mix appear unsuitable for an ai-heavy world, and arm is projected to make huge inroads to the windows ecosystem in the coming years.

Intel needs a radical rethink, because the chips act cannot save it from drowning when the market moves decisively against a product portfolio. This is made worse by the poisonous politics that has reshaped demand in East Asia.

I don’t envy Intel at all.

Breaking: Undefeated US Indicator Signals “Full-Blown” Recession

“How serious was this threat?”

Let me put it this way: the People’s Liberation Army could have taken back Hong Kong during the Chinese Civil War, long before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and long before Deng met Thatcher.

The 44th Army of the PLA chased the fleeing Kuomintang forces all the way to Shenzhen. Their troopers were at one point gathered at Hong Kong’s Lo Wu border. They were literally one river crossing away from the British colony. Hong Kong only had a few thousand colonial troops stationed at the time. The battle-hardened 44th could have easily taken the city in about a day with a single well-timed bayonet charge. Two days at the most.

Sir Alexander Grantham, who was the governor of Hong Kong at the time, recalled that the PLA didn’t even need to attack. All they had to do was cut off food and water supplies to the colony, and the British would have to surrender in less than a month.

But neither of these scenarios ever happened. Chairman Mao ordered the army to stop the attack and turn back, stating that he had “other plans for Hong Kong”. Premier Zhou Enlai himself personally oversaw the situation with Hong Kong, and made sure that nothing went amiss with its supply of food and water.

History vindicated Mao’s decision to not take back Hong Kong immediately. He had the vision and the sense to play the game of geopolitics.

  1. Mao knew that China was poor and underdeveloped, and was soon to be sanctioned by the United States and the rest of the imperialist west for being a communist nation. A gateway to the west was desperately needed.
  2. The British Empire, likewise, also needed Hong Kong to serve as its gateway to the east. By letting the British keep Hong Kong for just a little while longer, Mao prevented China from being isolated by an anti-China alliance of western powers completely, which was what would have happened if the British had been beaten and sent home crying to Uncle Sam.In 1950, the UK became one of the first capitalist countries to formally recognise the PRC.
  3. Mao was worried about the overwhelming influence and control the Soviet Union had over the Chinese Communist Party. He did not want a communist China to be freed from Fascist Japan and the Imperialist West, only to answer to a red Russia. Having Hong Kong as a gateway to the west, meant that China would not have to depend entirely on the Soviet Union.History proved him right, as evident in the Sino-Soviet split in the 1950s, and the fall of North Korea in the 1990s.
  4. Just because Mao let the British lord over the people of Hong Kong for a while longer, doesn’t mean he had forgotten about the welfare of its predominantly Chinese populace. The city’s status as a gateway between east and west was the sole reason its economy flourished in the 20th century.Hong Kong’s success was never a “miracle” or the result of British rule, but a by-product of the times, geopolitics, and external factors greater than the city itself – a lesson most people in Hong Kong, both young and old, have forgotten

Article 5 of NATO would not have been China’s main concern, because the article could only be invoked in case of an attack on a NATO member’s own soil (i.e. Europe or North America). In fact, the first time it was ever invoked was after the events of 9/11.

In any case, China did play a major part in the Korean War, fighting the coalition forces of the United Nations to a standstill, so I doubt the formation of NATO would have changed the course of history too much – and that’s assuming NATO was willing at all to waste money and lives defending the British Empire’s interests. There’s a reason why Article 5 was never invoked during the Falklands War.

The fact remains that the PRC never planned to take back Hong Kong by force in the first place. They had no illusions that the sun would never set on the British Empire. They knew Hong Kong would become Chinese again eventually.

Addendum:
Chiang Kai-shek actually wanted to take back Hong Kong from the British after the Second World War. He rightfully saw the the Treaty of Nanking as humiliating to the Chinese people, and negotiated with the UK and the US to have the treaty abolished in 1942. The British Empire rejected the proposal, Chiang refused to relent, and so the matter was dropped from the agenda.

However, another agreement was formed that whoever entered Chinese territory previously under Japanese occupation first, would get to keep it for themselves.

When Japan surrendered in 1945, both the British and the Kuomintang scrambled to send forces to Hong Kong. KMT soldiers were apparently the first to enter Hong Kong’s New Territories, which was disputed by the UK.

The UK referred the matter to the US. President Truman wanted to ally with the UK against the Soviet Union, so he betrayed Chiang by declaring Hong Kong was never part of the deal. The KMT had to withdraw their forces, and Hong Kong soon became a British colony once again. So close, and yet so far.

This is actually a snapshot into what China was like under the Kuomintang government. Yes they were founded on great ideas by great men, but they were also de facto puppets of the Imperialist West, and therefore unable to give the Chinese people the rights, liberty, dignity and respect they deserved.

Hong Kong would very likely still be British today, had the communists lost the civil war.

Just In! Burkina Faso Forces Launch Ambush Operations Against Insurgent Groups!

John K Adams

Dril entered from the air-lock. Myr looked up from the vid-screen.“Brrr, it’s cold out there.”“Don’t you wear your suit?”“Of course I do. You think I’m crazy?”Myr raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer that.“I remember reading it is always cold out there. It’s the moon, silly.”“I know it’s the moon. I got us this gig, remember?”“That I do.”“I mean, who better than us to prospect the best sites for mining delicious moon cheese?”“No one I can think of.” Myr sighed. “You know what you forgot to have delivered?”

“What’s that, Honey Pie?”

“Some new material. You have told a variation of that joke at least once daily for the last year.”

“Except, mining for cheese is serious business.”

“Please stop.”

Dril smiled at Myr. “You want me to cook dinner tonight?”

Myr sighed again. “Is it dinner time? I know what the clock says, but it doesn’t feel like dinner time. The sun is still out.”

“You know how this works, Myr.”

“Of course I do. I get it intellectually. But a month of sunshine followed by a month of darkness?”

“Actually, it’s more like two weeks.”

“Really? Who came up with that schedule?”

“Uhm… God?”

“I need a break, Dril.”

“What do you say we take a week and go to the Sea of Tranquility? Or to the mountains?”

Myr put her hands up to her ears and shook her head. “No. No. No. No. No.”

Dril passed on this opportunity to, once again, make a joke about American cheese and the flag left behind by the first men to land here.

“Let’s dance.” Dril moved toward Myr with a rhythmic step. He started singing. “Blue Moon… You saw me standing alone…”

Myr shrugged off his embrace. “Don’t you dare start about Kate Smith.”

Dril put his hands up, in frustration and surrender. “I’m trying to make the best of a…”

“Cabin fever. Isn’t that what you call it?”

“On the moon, it is called ‘existential angst’.”

“Thank you, Dr. Freud.”

Dril touched Myr’s elbow. “Come on, Babe. We never look at the earthrise anymore.” He waved his hand and the shaded, domed window automatically brightened. The colorless moonscape spread before them with Earth’s blue orb peeking from behind the distant mountains.

“Stark.”

Dril shook his head. “Look at the Earth, Babe. We’ll be going home before you know it. Think how much you’ll appreciate being back.”

“Are we there yet?”

“You’ve heard that you can’t go home again?”

“Watch me.”

Dril stood back. The moment had passed. “I’m going to go out and check the sensors.” He pointed to the counter stacked with various tools and gizmos. “Would you hand me the razzafraz?”

Myr looked at the disorderly mess Dril called his workbench. She picked up the tool on top of the others. “You mean this?”

“No. That’s the franaham… Next to the thingamajig.” Myr picked up another tool at random and held it up. “Thank you.” He took the tool from her and moved toward the airlock.

“Will you be long?”

“No. You know, routine maintenance. Never can say when some asteroid will wreak havoc on our survival systems.”

“I hate when that happens.”

Dril chuckled and ducked through the bulkhead door. He stepped into his suit, secured the safety devices and donned his helmet. Taking his time, he checked the vid-feed and sound system, a routine as ingrained and natural as brushing his teeth before bed. All systems were a ‘go’.

Not that Myr would be monitoring his progress. Lately, her heart wasn’t in it.

He checked the seals on the interior door and activated the exterior door. The small room filled with steam for a moment as the air froze and then escaped into the void.

Dril scanned the bright horizon. It still quickened him to take in this alien moonscape. It never changed. But he did. Each day, his perception of this perpetually static scene seemed fresh by what he brought to it. The frozen nature of it grounded him somehow.

And of course, he thought of what ‘phase’ they were in. He could never shake the earth-centric perspective. But now, Dril would also note Earth’s phase.

After watching Earth’s rise above the horizon, Dril checked the various monitors distributed around their home base and the outer shell of their home. With few variations, all seemed in order.

He chuckled at his own joke. “The barometer seems stuck. Weird, no air pressure at all.”

When on the frontier of space like this, Dril always celebrated an ordinary day.

Seeing the giant ‘S. O. S’ scrawled in the dust by Myr, always made him smile. That happened after their first few weeks on base.

Dril remembered watching her shuffling around in an aimless manner on the landing pad near their base camp. Or so he thought.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Sending a message to anyone who might be paying attention,” she answered.

Then he recognized the letters, wide as Stonehenge. Gigantic letters to be read by someone, anyone above them in the sky.

They read, “S. O. S.” Sans serif.

He knew she meant it. Keeping her morale up kept him busy. That was his hardest job.

~

Myr watched the airlock door shut. Though a daily occurrence, seeing Dril go out distressed her. What if something happened to him?

Of course, she knew all the routines and procedures. But to be alone out here on this rock… She shuddered at the thought. At first, it seemed a romantic adventure. Like being on a desert island together. Dril called it their ‘dessert island’. She never imagined how desolate the whole thing would be.

Myr entered the conservatory. She spent most of her time there. The humidity, greenery, and oxygen-rich air kept her sane. She loved caring for the plants more than anything. They were her life.

She liked the sunshine streaming into the greenhouse. The windows filtered the harsh light to a level the plants could tolerate. And she had artificial light to accommodate the long lunar nights.

Though primarily their source of fresh food, Myr lobbied for authorization to also bring decorative and flowering plants to their outpost. She prevailed by arguing an environment lacking in beauty would be better tended by a robot. Myr insisted ‘practical’ was broader in scope than ‘edible.’ A garden could include a feast for the eye as well as her belly and wouldn’t unduly tax their limited resources.

Myr had maintained even a guinea pig deserves a home and not merely a box filled with hay. Someone agreed and Myr received permission to transport seeds of her choosing, within strict guidelines.

Now she had a garden, her little paradise. But without apples or snakes. She cared for it with a passion.

The apparently spontaneous generation of certain insects and pests amazed Myr. They required constant monitoring, lest they damage the food crops. Myr understood they must have stowed away on the seeds or the soil. They were unwitting aliens on this unwelcoming stone.

Curiously, there were also spiders, who allied with her to maintain a balance within the garden. Life begets life.

She gathered a variety of tomatoes and other ripe vegetables for their dinner.

Indicator lights and a signature chirp told Myr that Dril was back. She felt calmer now and went out to greet him.

Dril already stood in the living zone when Myr entered from the kitchen. He smiled at her and they embraced. However brief his sojourns outside, Dril’s homecoming always caused her joy.

Dril asked her, “Tell me, how do you know when the moon is full?”

“You never think it is full.”

“No. Work with me.”

“Oh, a joke. Uhm… it’s always half empty?”

“No. It says, ‘hold the cheese’.”

Myr did not react. The new joke felt very old.

“How about this…? What flavor is a ‘blue moon’?”

“Dril, I was feeling better…”

“Roquefort!”

“Please?”

“Alright… One of these days I’ll make you laugh.”

Myr shook her head. “When that happens, you’ll know I’ve become a bonafide lunatic.”

They looked at each other for a moment and burst into laughter. They embraced and kissed warmly.

Dril looked into Myr’s eyes. “How do you do that? You always make me laugh.”

“My little secret, love. Let’s eat.”

They walked hand in hand into the kitchen.

Here’s some of MM’s latest artwork generations

The theme is closeness and intimacy, but those are flagged on the free subscription, so I performed some creative work-arounds.

Of course, figurative nudes, and tradition are in my interest set.

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(22)
@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(22)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(21)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(14)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(16)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(16)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(14)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(11)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(8)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(10)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(10)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(7)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(9)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(7)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(6)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(8)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(5)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(5)
@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(5)

@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(4)
@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(4)

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@Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(4)

I’m sure I’ve told this story before…

Quite a number of years ago I was out shooting at a public range when a family showed up. Mom and dad, two kids, and even grandma.

They pile out of a pickup truck… and, well, to complete the visual here, they looked straight out of central casting as a Mariachi band. Now, I’m like “you do your thing, I’ll do mine”, but to say that this group was attention getting understates it by several orders of magnitude.

Dad had some cowboy guns, a revolver and a lever action rifle. They also had a grand total of one set of hearing protection between all of them. No eyepro is present.

They proceed to set up their “targets”, which are just a bunch of milk cartons filled with dirt…. Whatever, it’s a public range and people shoot all sorts of random shit. The boy takes a couple of them downrange, sets them down, and steps about three paces to the side.

Dad starts blasting. Yes, kid is still downrange as fuck.

I immediately decide that I don’t want to have to deal with the paperwork when one of these idiots shoots someone, and start packing up. But I’m doing it slow, because I’m keeping one eye on these guys, and keeping my very loaded rifle slung and ready because I’m also somewhat concerned that I’m going to have to shoot one of these idiots myself if the stupidity level goes up another notch, and I want it to be very obvious that if they point a gun at me they are pointing a gun at a man with a clearly loaded AR.

After they blast some rounds in the dirt, the kid eventually comes back behind the line, and the kids pull out the revolver to take turns shooting.

The boy walks up to the line with the revolver and the girl sits on the bench next to him, looks right at him, and I see the next few moments in slow motion. The boy pulls the trigger and the girl gets an absolute face full of cylinder gap, and screams.

I chose that moment to exit, stage left, but that whole scene is burned into my brain, as assuradly as hot gas was burned into that poor girls eyes.

Hunter Discovers 29 Human Body Parts in the Desert

https://youtu.be/AFboKFzJza4

Cabbage Rolls

6c9b892ba8104b45be3f29e6169b50a0
6c9b892ba8104b45be3f29e6169b50a0

Ingredients

  • 12 large leaves cabbage
  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

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xr:d:DAGAaqI9iis:37,j:8728398767535521041,t:24032415

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes, just until pliable; drain.
  2. In large bowl, combine rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt and pepper.
  3. Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker, seam side down.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls.
  5. Cover, and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours.

Foreign Woman Meets American Women & NOW Understands Why Passport Bros Exist!

The look on their faces when she said she understood why men are traveling out the states. The salt was real in that room!!!

She has no choice but to fly away; the country has already fallen into a downward spiral.

On the surface, the recent unrest in Bangladesh appears to be due to civil service positions being skewed in favor of military families, but this is just a trigger. Even if there were zero reserved positions for military families, there would still be hundreds of thousands of university graduates competing for very few positions.

The essence of the problem is economic decline and public dissatisfaction.

Bangladesh is in deep trouble.

Firstly, there is a population explosion. With such a small land area, it has 170M people. China has a large population, but Bangladesh’s population density is nearly ten times that of China! Russia’s land area is 116 times that of Bangladesh, yet its population is 30 million less.

The total population of these red areas on Earth, compressed into a very small point, is Bangladesh.

With such a large population, the vast majority are engaged in agriculture, which has very low added value.

Bangladesh is the second most disaster-prone country in the world (the first is the Philippines).

Previously, population growth was slow, relying entirely on the harsh adjustment of natural disasters.

During the last major famine, 10 million out of a population of 40 million in Bangladesh died of starvation.

After entering the modern era, pesticides, high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and vaccines have caused a sharp increase in the agricultural population.

Unlike China, which has implemented family planning policies, a democratically elected government in Bangladesh cannot do the same. As a result, the population continues to grow while land area remains fixed, and frequent natural disasters make it difficult to develop a secondary industry on a large scale.

The world’s largest and most dangerous ship-breaking yard is in Bangladesh, but it can only accommodate 200,000 workers, and the value added to production is extremely low.

The country’s pillar industry, the textile industry, has little technological content and faces extremely fierce international competition.

In fact, it is at the bottom of the international division of labor.

Another mistake is the excessive emphasis on higher education. At this stage, the country should focus more on basic education rather than higher education.

After receiving higher education, many young people are unwilling to settle for low-income jobs.

What’s worse is that the country has invested significant resources in cultivating a highly educated population, but most of them are liberal arts graduates.

In China, for example, when I was taking the college entrance exam, the ratio of STEM students to liberal arts students was about 8:1 to 9:1.

There was even some discrimination against liberal arts students at that time; those who failed to compete in STEM fields were the ones considering studying liberal arts.

Even today, the ratio of STEM students to liberal arts students in China is still about 1:1, and STEM students generally have better job prospects and salaries compared to liberal arts students.

(To this day, on the Chinese Internet, the phrase “Are you a liberal arts student?” is still clearly mocking and contemptuous.)

(I believe Vietnam should also learn from this. Today, in Vietnam, the ratio of STEM majors to liberal arts majors is about 1:2, which is far too high for liberal arts students.)

With so many liberal arts graduates, who have broad perspectives, they are naturally unwilling to engage in hard work after graduation, leading to unrest.

Democratic governments and parliamentary politics are not very suitable for late-developing countries.

If Bangladesh cannot make the most of the remaining value of manual labor before AI and automation technologies become dominant, and cannot push for more industrialization, the future of Bangladesh will be very concerning.

Rat Fink

China isn’t exactly hidden from the world is it?

main qimg 946663b368e14a45e46485c3892d7215
main qimg 946663b368e14a45e46485c3892d7215

You have a Visa and can visit China anytime and see for yourself can’t you?

China has 34 routes on HS measuring a distance of 4,790 Kms at 350 KPH

China has 57 routes on Rail measuring a distance of 28,730 Kms at 256 KPH

That’s 33,520 Kms of guaranteed railway length

This is public record. You can check each route, delete the repeating routes and this is the number you get

170 million travelled by these routes this year and purchased tickets

So they have 33,000+ kms publicly published on record – more than the rest of the world combined

Why would they lie about having a mere 10,000 Kms more?

If they had said 100,000 – I understand

They said 43,000 when they have 33,500 that can be verified sitting in Chennai

Why make up a mere 10,000 Kms?

So my guess is 43,000 is very true and Australia is just as usual being a sore loser

Men Are Healing From Dating In The West When Going Overseas

Paintings of the High Seas

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You’re told to, that’s why.

Meanwhile you’re told to ignore anything before a certain point… where have we heard that before?

What do you mean before a certain point?

You know 22 years ago on 11th September 2001? 3000 people were killed yeah?

Some basic maths? 1/95,000th of the US population were killed that day. A typical person’s network is about 100–150 people meaning about – 450000 were indirectly affected.

A lot right?

In the Korean war the USAF killed 20–25% of their population with airpower, nothing was left standing EVERYTHING was bombed. Shacks, huts EVERYTHING was bombed.

1 in 4 people were MURDERED by the US airforce.

But wait it gets worse.

US sanctions starved the people killing several more million.

You think about that, 3000 people were killed in the USA and 450,000 were affected and the USA went on a rape murder spree killing nearly 5 million people

the white power types like Colin Riegels are all hahahahhaha it was FUN TO DESTROY IRAQ non whites are just insects! Only WHITE DEATHS COUNT because WE ARE THE WORLD NOBODY ELSE IS HUMAN.

And yet most white supremacies still think they’re the good guys.

The popularity of Abu Ghraib is testament to that

main qimg 5e1ee0ab9f2195145bad029b4a607572 lq
main qimg 5e1ee0ab9f2195145bad029b4a607572 lq

The whistleblower Joe Darby was absolutely destroyed over that when his conscience told him to show the shitty things the US has been doing for decades.

Scott Ritter REVEALS: NATO in Full PANIC! Russia Puts Ukraine’s Army on the Verge of TOTAL COLLAPSE!

Shorpy

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Elon Musk speaks

U.S. Government Selects New President For Venezuela

The clown show continues:

U.S. says Maduro lost Venezuelan election, calls for talks, transitionWashington Post

CARACAS, Venezuela — The United States on Thursday said opposition candidate Edmundo González defeated President Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela’s presidential election and called for negotiations to ensure a peaceful transition of power.Maduro claims that he won Sunday’s vote. The opposition, meanwhile, says that the government’s own records, as well as independent exit polls, indicate that González won twice as many as votes.

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Thursday evening.

Did anyone inform “President” Juan Guaido?

 

Posted by b at 7:03 UTC | Comments (124)

Putin Makes a statement

A comment

It’s interesting how the US always knows what happens in other countries’ elections, and the “real” results, but can’t manage its own elections and has a political system which no longer bears any resemblance to democracy in substance, and ever less so in form.

It’s also interesting how the US allows itself, and is allowed, to openly choose other countries’ leaders, and to assassinate them if other “democratic’ US methods don’t succeed.

The Grotesque States of America, as someone called it, is blind to how grotesque it has become and how much revulsion it is generating, which is systematically pushing it into irrelevance.

As for Venezuela, it is not going to allow another Guido cycle to hinder its path forward.

“Tensions that emerged on Sunday and continued on Monday and Tuesday, are now under control, and this control will become stricter day by day in order to ensure [the country’s] peace, prosperity and production,” Maduro said.

“We have arrested over 1,200 criminals and are now searching for another 1,000, who will also be arrested,” the president continued, adding that those individuals “underwent training in Texas, US, as well as in Colombia, Peru and Chile,” and his government has video footage of these training sessions to prove it.

He also said that “the criminals set over 300 police stations on fire.” In his words, around 80% of rioters were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“We are catching them, one by one, and there will be no mercy,” Maduro said, announcing that two maximum security prisons will be put into operation about two weeks later. “All criminals will go to maximum security prisons.”

https://tass.com/world/1824421

 

Posted by: JB | Aug 2 2024 8:31 utc | 10

On the Chinese internet, people are also discussing this issue.

The majority believe that it is because of certain Democratic policies that have angered Elon Musk.

What I mean is the matter of Musk’s son transitioning.

We may be completely wrong in our speculation, but as Chinese people, this kind of thinking is quite natural.

Few Chinese parents would agree with such a thing and would definitely be extremely angry. So, perhaps we are projecting our own feelings.

Chinese people generally like Trump more, at least much more than Biden, and it has nothing to do with tariffs or anything like that. Here are two very important factors:

1. Values: You read that right, Chinese people relatively recognize Trump’s values more, such as hard work, valuing family, and not doing drugs.

Especially important is that due to political correctness, we don’t dare to oppose LGBTQ and immigration on the internet.

But in reality, people are very anxious.

This is not discrimination; it has to do with Chinese history. For thousands of years, the Chinese view on homosexuality has been “Oh, that’s fine, but don’t force it on me, and don’t affect me. We are all equal, you can’t think you’re superior just because you’re a minority.”

This is different from the West, where there was brutal persecution of homosexuals before, and now there is excessive promotion.

2 Immigration issue: In our history, we didn’t capture Black people from Africa and sell them as slaves, so we naturally don’t have a sense of guilt.

We are also not a country of immigrants, so when more than 30,000 Africans without legal status (some even claim up to 500,000, which I doubt, it shouldn’t be that many) gather in specific communities in Guangzhou, with over 90% being young males, and increasing at a rate of 30% per year, we are really, really worried.

But the above two issues, because of political correctness, cannot be publicly opposed. When we hear Trump’s views on sexual minorities and illegal immigrants, we naturally feel: he is saying what we want to say!

3.Trump doesn’t “keep a dog”

There are countless attacks and abusive comments against China on the Chinese internet, but very few in real life because the majority are actually paid posts.

These people don’t discuss other issues normally, but once a hot event like the Ukraine crisis happens, they post the same content densely to stir things up.

Chinese netizens generally believe they are hired by the Democratic Party, saying the American Democrats are too good at “remote farming dogs.” During Trump’s administration, this phenomenon was rare, possibly because he was smart enough to know that such actions only make the Chinese more disgusted and serve no purpose, so he cut the funding for online opinion wars.

Therefore, many people hope he will be in power again, at least to clean up the Chinese internet a bit.

These are situations that foreigners might not know about, so I ventured to respond.

It’s very easy to do. However, Taiwan’s air force and navy soldiers also have family members. When they die, their parents and siblings must have been devastated.

The CPC will not resort to war to unify Taiwan until it is absolutely necessary.

After all, the two sides of the Strait share the same roots after all, so there is no need to fight to the death.

In the same family, it was common for the eldest brother to join the PLA and the younger brother to join the Kuomintang army.

Mao Fumei, Chiang Kai-shek’s first wife and Chiang Ching-kuo’s mother, was actually from the same clan as Mao Zedong. According to the seniority, Chiang Kai-shek was Mao Zedong’s “brother-in-law” or “uncle”. Even Mao’s younger cousin was a lieutenant general in the Kuomintang.

Xi Jinping’s wife’s uncle followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan in 1949. Xi Jinping’s wife’s uncle’s family lives in Taiwan.


During the Chinese People’s Liberation War in 1949, 4 million Kuomintang soldiers surrendered and only a very small number of them lost their lives in the war.

Starting from April 1949,

  • only those Kuomintang soldiers who contacted the PLA at least one month in advance to surrender could be considered “abandon evil and follow good, 起义”,
  • those who surrendered 72 hours before the PLA attack could only be considered “active surrender, 投诚”,
  • and those who laid down their weapons during the PLA attack could only be considered “captive, 被俘”.

It is said that there was a unit in Lin Biao’s Fourth Field Army that was very rude, and it was the unit that was specifically reprimanded by Premier Zhou Enlai. They thought that there were too many Kuomintang troops who “abandoned evil and followed good, 起义” and “active surrendered, 投诚”, and their enemy annihilation figures were not good, so they returned the weapons to the Kuomintang soldiers when they had clearly “active surrender, 投诚”, and forced them to change their “active surrender, 投诚” to “captive, 被俘”.

“Abandon evil and follow good, 起义”, “active surrender, 投诚”, “captive, 被俘”, the literal meanings are different, and the treatment is very different.

In the 1980s – 1990s, a large number of people petitioned the central government, demanding to prove that they were “abandon evil and follow good , 起义” instead of “active surrender, 投诚”.

Therefore, at that time, the Kuomintang troops spent a lot of time studying how to “abandon evil and follow good , 起义” or “active surrender, 投诚” with the highest cost-effectiveness!

main qimg 4313d1b84f271d99472d22b203fd543c
main qimg 4313d1b84f271d99472d22b203fd543c

In 1959, when the first batch of war criminals were pardoned at the Gongdelin War Criminals Management Center, it was strictly stipulated that only those who had been “Captured for ten years, 被俘满10年” were eligible for pardon.

At that time, the prisoners of war in the War Criminals Management Center were immediately excited.

  • Those captured in the Battle of Lunan, the Battle of Xiangfan, and the Battle of Yangshanji were undoubtedly eligible for the first batch of pardons.
  • Those captured in the Liaoshen Campaign and the Huaihai Campaign were all in a good mood.
  • But those captured in the Pingjin Campaign were a little confused, and they were not sure whether they were eligible for pardon.
  • Those captured after the Crossing the Yangtze River Campaign were all gloomy and wished they had been captured earlier.

Time is running out, places are limited, and the “Abandon evil and follow good, 起义” needs to act sooner rather than later.

Classical art

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Native American Ravioli

df6b2b88 dbaa 4e77 a048 f645b52952b6
df6b2b88 dbaa 4e77 a048 f645b52952b6

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Pour the flour into a mound on a flat working surface. Make a depression in the center with your hand that almost reaches through to the board. Crack the eggs directly into the well and, with a fork, whip in the salt and oil, mixing the flour in from around the edges. Mix and knead the dough with your hands for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough has a smooth and elastic consistency. If the dough seems a bit dry, add a little water; add a little more flour if it seems too moist.
  2. Once you have obtained the desired consistency, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  3. Divide the dough into handsful and roll out each section to a very thin, even, almost translucent thickness. Use your imagination to cut the dough into any size or shape.

Notes

Any filling can be used to make the ravioli.

Blue Cornmeal Ravioli: Substitute a combination of 1 cup finely ground blue cornmeal and 1 1/2 cups flour for the flour in this recipe. Increase the number of eggs to 5.

I turned up to work just over a year ago.

The previous evening my colleague had asked me for my password to my computer so she could print some “things” from my computer.

This colleague did not like me.

She then went through my messages that I had sent to another colleague. These messages would be deemed inappropriate in the workplace.

She showed these messages to a manager.

I turned up to the work next day.

My belongings were packed in a box and I was told I would not be needed at work today or ever again.

My mistake was sending the inappropriate messages to my colleague who subsequently resigned the same day.

I cost myself a job.

I cost my friend and colleague his job.

This was my mistake.

What happened from here though was a moment of self reflection.

Instead of blaming my employer and my sneaky colleague I turned around and asked myself:

“Why did I write those messages in the first place?”

I began to ask myself other questions.

“Why was I so angry at the sneaky women who got me fired?”

“Why was I in a job that I didn’t like in the first place?”

This led me to more questions.

“Why was I being rude about another person behind their back?”

“Why did I let my ego make bad decisions for the last twenty five years?”

My mistake led me to realise that I had been a bad human being for a number of years.

Since being fired I’ve opened my own gym, written for the Huffington Post and spoken about this same mistake for the last year and how I learned from it.

Being a bad person and getting caught was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made but it made the best man I’ve ever been too.

They decided to make it rain like there is no tomorrow. And then tomorrow came.

See, for an individual relying on a day job is probably fine. For a household relying on a single income is not great but, it works in many instances. For a company, only having one source of revenue, is very very reckless. For a nation, relying purely on one form of income and doing very very little to create wealth otherwise is just a recipe for disaster.

In the 1970s, and later, Venezuela decided to go on a spending spree. Taxes were lowered and government spending was increased in the form of handouts. This led to an increase in the purchase of foreign cars and other luxury items. The government then went crazy with its government-owned enterprises moving into utilities, roadways, health, internet, telecommunication, and tourism. They also entered the finance industry, buying up private banks and making them state-run which were financially crippling to purchase and then so poorly run that they never made a profit.

When government-run enterprises and workers get all the money they need, it makes it incredibly hard for private enterprises and small businesses to compete. Why would an individual start a business, if the government will just open a competing business, run it to a loss and drive the individual out of work.

In 2008, all export industries apart from oil had collapsed which resulted in massive unemployment but the government took massive debt and provided handouts. At this point, the country was literally a lottery winner who quit their job, spent all of the money and then re-mortgages the homes, they bought with their winnings in order to buy more lottery tickets.

The declining oil prices, then bought the whole house of cards crashing down. And then the poorly run government bureaucracy did, what a poorly run government bureaucracy does and tried to print its way out of trouble, causing massive hyperinflation in the process.

The cat distribution system FINALLY chose us!

Record albums in egg cartons

I grew up in a large city. When it came time to get my drivers licence, or get it renewed, it meant going downtown to the Department of Motor Vehicles, taking a number, waiting for a long time, then dealing with employees whose level of service was somewhere between rude and hostile. It was just a part of life.

Then I moved to a small town (pop. 4,000) in the same state, and that summer my drivers licence expired. I made a couple of inquiries of where one went to get it renewed, and I was told, “Oh, just go down to the courthouse and they’ll take care of it.”

So after work on a Friday I walked across the street to the courthouse. The building looked deserted. In the lobby was a directory. Drivers licenses were in the basement.

I found the DMV office and there wasn’t a soul in sight. I rang the bell and waited. Still nothing. I wondered where everybody was. Soon, I started looking around the building looking for signs of life.

I poked my head into the sheriff’s office. At the desk there was a grizzled old sheriff’s deputy wearing sergeant’s stripes. “Help you?” he asked gruffly.

I explained that I wanted to renew my drivers licence but there was nobody in the office. He grunted, “Yeah, everybody around here wanted to get an early start on the weekend. Go on back, I’ll get someone down there for you.” He picked up his phone and I returned to the DMV office and took a seat.

Five minutes later, the old sergeant walked in. “Guess I’m going to have to do it myself. Let’s see your current licence and paperwork.”

Despite the delay in finding assistance, I was still in and out of the office in record time, and the old sergeant, for all his gruffness, was still the most pleasant interaction I’d ever had during the process.

I knew a young girl at my school, she was 13 and one day she didn’t show up to class, now lots of people made fun of her as she had depression and apparently was an easy target.

She had really short black hair and had recently come out as lesbian and was going through an emo phase for a long time now.

Lots of people were saying “awh thank god that stupid psycho isn’t here to ruin everything” and “she always talks to herself” and “ugly bitch” ect.

Now our principal came to the door looking very pale and said ” I’m not sure if you all have noticed Melissa isn’t here today, well she has sadly passed away last night” loads of gasps and open mouthed kids in that room that day.

I later found out off her neighbors daughter that she was abused really badly and was taken away from her mom who was locked up for letting her boyfriend rape her and she was heartbroken at her new home and she hung herself in the nearby park.

I almost threw up nobody had no idea how she was feeling, later her suicide note was read out at school.

It said ” sometimes I just wished I would die and I never had the guts to do it, I apologise to everyone for being a shitty daughter, friend, classmate and human, my time has come…. sorry for the mess”

And that was it.

Probably the most I ever cried.

“It Is Getting WORSE And WORSE…” – Richard Wolff

The shit that I will never forget!

I confronted the father of my daughters bully.

Although my daughter at 12 is not technically a teenager yet. Her bully was.

She started high school last year and was really excited. From September to Christmas break she was full of confidence and loved the new school.

Turn of the year and it all changed. My daughter caught the school bus each day as usual. But she wasn’t her usual self, she was very quiet, off her food, wasn’t sleeping and made excuses not to go to school.

I contacted the school to see if they’d noticed anything. They mentioned she was quiet since the Christmas break and would monitor it.

Then by chance I happened to be home from work early and went to meet my daughter from the school bus. I fought hard to contain my rage. I couldn’t believe what I saw. A girl about two years older than my daughter was dragging her by her hair and screaming in her face calling her names.

I knew that any physical contact with the girl would result in me being the one in trouble. So, I shouted out my daughter’s name. The girl froze and let go of my daughter. I rushed over to my daughter who was crying and put myself between the two girls.

Then I had an idea. Quick as a flash I removed the bully’s designer trainers. I told her she could have them back when her dad collected them. She tried ways of getting them back off me and left with torrent of foul and abusive language.

Around an hour later there was a thumping knock on my door. My daughter shouted it was the bully and her dad. I opened the door to a similar torrent of language to that of the bully.

So,a swift left kick to groin dropped him to his knees. Followed by a downward right punch to the bridge of his nose. He was left reeling in ball of blood,snot and tears. I threw the trainers at the bully and said that that was just a warning. If my daughter was ever bullied again, I would hunt him down and beat him up again.

Needless to say, my daughter returned to school and she started enjoying herself again.

Edit.

Thank you for all the messages of support.

As a victim of bullying all through my school life,I wasn’t about to let my daughter suffer too.

I’m not a confrontational person and can probably count on one hand how many fights I’ve had in my whole life.

But something just snapped that day. The implications if it had backfired on me could have been worse. But it was a risk I was prepared to take to protect my daughter.

Edit No2.

Sorry for the confusion.

Trainers here in the UK are short for Training Shoes.(Sneakers,pumps,itchy dabbers,runners etc)

One in Five

What is the most badass thing you have done as a parent for your teenage daughter? –2

A father speaks…

My 15 year old daughter came home from Knott’s Berry Farm one night around midnight in tears. Someone had stolen her iPhone while she and her friends were on a ride and she was worried I would be mad.

I told her to hold on for a moment, went to my computer for Find My iPhone, and told her, “I found it. Let’s go.” She asked where and I told her, “To get your iPhone. It’s at an apartment complex in Santa Ana.”

We found the apartment building and I called the police. I brought them up to speed and they said they’d meet us at a gas station about a mile away. My daughter was starting to see some hope.

Three police cars showed up and, after I showed him where the phone was, the officer in charge said we could park down the street and watch. So we did.

It was about 2:30a and the lights were still on in the apartment for some reason.

The lead cop went upstairs and pounded on the door. A middle aged guy answered the door and the cop said a stolen phone was inside the apartment and he wanted it brought to the door (he told us later). My daughter and I heard the guy yell, “Anybody have an iPhone that doesn’t belong to you?” After a few seconds, he shook his head “no”.

The officer told us he said, “Look, I know it’s in there. So you can either bring it out, or I’ll stand here until the search warrant arrives and we’ll go in and find it ourselves.”

We saw the door close and less than a minute later the guy handed the officer my daughter’s phone. He brought it down and my daughter logged in to prove it was hers.

She couldn’t believe we actually got her phone back, but I was committed to fixing this so my daughter wouldn’t become a victim.

We got home about 4am, but neither of us was tired – LOL.

I know everything worked out in the exact way it had to for us to succeed, but it was a great lesson for my daughter about standing up for yourself and taking appropriate action. She continues to be a very empowered individual and I like to think I had a hand in that.

Husband Was Blinded To Wife’s Double Life Until Reddit Gave Him A Clue

Learn some things.

What is the most badass thing you have done as a parent for your teenage daughter? –3

A father speaks…

Although she is 20 now, my daughter learned, at age 8, that no matter how scary the bully on the bus seemed, her daddy is a force of nature.

I was home on a rare occasion when she got off the bus, visibly shaken, and crying. She didn’t want to tell me what happened because she was afraid… it was traumatic! She feared a lot of things, in this moment.

A kid 5 years older, put her on the floor, at the back of the school bus, and stepped on her throat.

She was terrified. She thought she’d get in trouble, he would do more if she told, that he might hurt someone in her family, and the worst fear was that NO ONE would believe her.

She broke down and told me, after I calmed her. I assured her that this is a problem that I could solve, and asked her where this boy lived. She told me.

I told her to get into the truck. To be honest I was wildly livid under a calm mask. I’m 6′3″ and close to 300lbs and someone just hurt my BABY!

I take her to the the porch of the run down trailer, where this boy lived and knocked on the door. A man answered. I was sweating under a very serious calm. I asked if he was (blank)’s father. He said he was. I said, we have a serious problem. He needs to come out here as well.

I told my daughter to tell them exactly what happened. Then I told them that kind of behavior is extremely unacceptable. The father could sense that I was on the verge of doing something he might go to the hospital over if this wasn’t addressed immediately, so he not only adressed the issue… he punished the boy, and made him appologize to her immediately.

After this, the boy was very courteous to her on the bus and she had no more issues with bullies at school. She carries a confidence with her today, and knows how to handle situations like this because of the way I kept my cool. Despite my rage, I got my point across in an assertive manner, and got results without having to take further action than addressing the issue.

In all honesty, keeping calm was the hardest part for me but it got the results I wanted, so right or wrong, my daughter takes this with her today, so I call that a win in the badass column.

Favorite Chicken Tetrazzini

13a5dcd46bdf26fd240b47ce7282d885
13a5dcd46bdf26fd240b47ce7282d885

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes
  • 4 tablespoons chili powder
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup sharp cheese, shredded
  • 1 pint light cream
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • 1 (4 to 6 pound) chicken
  • 16 ounces thin spaghetti, cooked

Instructions

  1. Sauté butter, onion and pepper. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Cook slowly until sauce thickens; add cheese and light cream with a pinch of baking soda, cooking a little longer.
  2. Boil chicken. Cool, then pull pieces from chicken.
  3. Butter large casserole and line with part of the cooked spaghetti. Layer chicken, tomato sauce, more spaghetti and cheese. Continue until all is used, ending with sauce and topped with cheese.

Notes

This freezes well.

The Twin Vipers

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways. view prompt

Kaysie Davis

   AuroraThe Crystal Viper shuttered as Darries put her into a dive, expertly avoiding the lasers that were flying passed us. Our attacker had appeared out of nowhere and started shooting at us without as much as a hello.“Who have you annoyed now?” Darries snapped at me, “Didn’t I tell you that your flirty ways are going to get us in trouble one of these days.”“Oh, shut up and drive.” I snapped back, pushing the button for the transmitter again, “For the second time, this is Captain Aurora North and the Crystal Viper. Stop firing on my ship and identify yourself.”The only response was another volley of lasers firing at us. I couldn’t recall upsetting anyone, recently anyway. I charged up our own weapons and tried again to hail our attacker. I didn’t feel like blowing him up unless I really needed too. “Crystal Viper to offending ship. Last chance to explain yourself.”To my surprise, we finally got a response. “Don’t think you can fool us by having your little girlfriend hail us, Zell. We want our cargo back, and we want it now!”Not this again. I swore loudly to Darries. “You are looking for the Black Viper, there, my friend. This ship is the Crystal Viper.” I swear that when I got my hands on Zell, I would make him pay for every scorch mark that had ever been put on my hull due to him. It seemed like every other day, someone was mixing up our vessels and trying to blow us out of the solar waves because of something that he did.There was a long pause, and they must have been checking for our transponder. The attacker could look all they wanted, but like most of the ships in the area, ours was modified not to give off a reading unless we wanted it too. People didn’t need to know who we are unless we wanted them to know. I nodded at Darries to turn it on.Finally, there was another response. “How do we know this transponder signal is real?”“Listen, I couldn’t give a flying frag if you believe me or not. I just would rather not take the time blowing you out of the stars if I don’t have to.”“We…apologize for the confusion.” The voice still sounded like he didn’t believe me, but he could also tell that my weapons were stronger, and that fact did tend to settle disagreements with other ships. We kept our arms powered up until the other vessel had fired up their engines and left our area in space.There was a ding on our console, and Darries swore when he looked down. “Yaffa is getting impatient. He says that if we don’t get to Maia Station soon, that he will give the job to any other ship that happens to be around.”“Onward, Jeeves.” I grinned at him. Darries rolled his eyes, and he gunned our engines. It was a short hop to Maia Station. We should be there in plenty of time.ZellI was whistling to myself as I finished docking my ship at Maia Station. The Black Viper was squeezed between two other ships that made her look small. She might be small, but she had a big bite. Anyone who dared cross us soon learned why we are called the Viper.My co-pilot and I were at the station to sell some cargo that we had acquired on another job. Mikell was already down on the station, settling up payment with our broker.I exited my ship, hoping to have time to wet my whistle before we had to head back out. Maybe I would also have time to get a gift for my wife, it has been far too long since I saw her last.As I walked across the ship bay, I was confronted by a smaller man in a sharp suit. He had an annoyed look on his face and was tapping his foot impatiently.“It is about time that you are here! We have been waiting for the Viper for hours! You know Yaffa is not a patient man. Now, sign this manifest, and we will get the cargo loaded up.” The man did not wait for my response but turned and barked some orders at some waiting droids.

I smothered a smile, this was perfection. This little man must have been waiting for the Crystal Viper. That ship and her captain had stolen a few jobs from me last month. I could get payback and get paid at the same time.

“So sorry, we are late.” I took the manifest and signed my name, I needed Captain Aurora North to know who stole her stuff. “We will take off as soon as we are loaded.”

I messaged Mikell that we needed to take off ASAP. Her response cannot be repeated in polite company. At least she got further than ten feet from the ship. I would not be able to get my drink.

In short order, we had unloaded one set of cargo and loaded the other cargo. Mikell was back with our money. She glared at me from under her mop of short purple hair as she flopped into her pilots’ chair.

“Five more minutes, Zell, five more minutes, and I would have had our broker wrapped around my finger. I would have doubled our money off this score too. Who did you steal this new cargo from?”

“A man on deck thought we were the Crystal Viper here to pick up some cargo. Now, who am I to correct his error?” I smirked at her “Now, let’s get out of here before the real Crystal Viper gets here.” With that, I fired up our engines and headed off. We really would need to find a place to sell this newly acquired cargo. My wife would need to wait for her gift.

 

Aurora

I signaled Yaffa as soon as we were in orbit around the station. It had taken us longer then I would have liked to get here. Our attacker had been lurking and trying to follow us, so we had to lose him before we could get to the station.

Yaffa’s confused face was soon on our viewport. “Aurora? Why are you back? Is there something wrong?”

I blinked at him, “Back? What are you talking about? We just got here.”

Yaffa turned and barked at his one aid, “Didn’t you tell me that the Crystal Viper had arrived and picked up my cargo?”

“Yes, yes, master. The Viper and her Captain West. They left just a few minutes ago.”

I let out a loud groan, “You moron. That was the Black Viper and the frustrating Zell West. “

Yaffa let out a string of swears in his native language. “Are you telling me that my cargo was stolen?” He leveled a glare at his aid that promised a lot of pain later. Then he switched that glare to me, “This would never have happened if you were here on time!”

“Don’t blame me for your aids stupidity.” I met his glare with one of my own. Then I turned to Darries, “Can you find any trace of where the Black Viper went?”

He tapped on his console for what felt like forever. Then he grinned and looked up at me, “It’s faint, but I have a lock on what way they went.”

I sat back in my chair, “Let’s go get our cargo.” I swear that Zell goes out of his way to annoy me most of the time. How dare he take my stuff.

 

Zell

“Will you stopped that never-ending whistling?!” Mikell’s green eyes were aflame, glaring at me. “I will throw you out of the nearest airlock if you don’t!”

I held up my hands in submission. Mikell looked back down at her own console, muttering in her native language. I enjoyed the view of stars passing the viewport when a ship dropped out of hyperspace next to us. Our transmitter buzzed, whoever this is wanted to talk.

Mikell opened a channel, and before I could say anything, a sappy love song came over the line.

Whoever was singing, it was horribly off-key. The singing went on for a painfully long time. My fingers itched to fire some laser at the ship just to stop the noise.

A very nasally voice came over the line when the singing finally stopped. “Aurora, my princess, please return to me.”

Mikell was silently laughing in the seat next to me, I rolled my eyes and toggled the transmitter.

“Hey, lover boy, you have the wrong Viper. This is the Black Viper. You are looking for the Crystal Viper.”

“Please put my princess on the line.” The voice was somehow even more annoying than the singing. “I need to hear the crystal tones of my princess.”

“No princess here. And you better get some singing lessons before you try this again. Now, skedaddle before I really get annoyed.” I powered up my weapons to get my point across.

The other vessel fell back but was still following us. Maybe he thought I was hiding his ‘princess.’ I swore under my breath. Typical Aurora. She probably flirted with this guy while that co-pilot of hers robbed him blind. And this shmuck was so lovesick, he couldn’t even tell that she had anything do with it. We got at least one broken-hearted buffoon thinking we were the Crystal Viper a week. Well, as long as he stayed out of my way, he could follow us like a lovesick puppy, all he wanted.

At least, that’s how I felt. Mikell took offense to our tail and fired some torpedoes in his direction. That seemed to finally deter the moron, and he went back into hyperspace.

Aurora

Darries gave me a devilish grin, “We have the Black Viper on our scanners. It is just a few hyper yards ahead.”

I grinned back, “Let’s go say hello, shall we?”

We popped out of hyperspace right behind the Black Viper and fired a few lasers that grazed its hull. It didn’t take long for our viewport to light up with the picture of Zell. His crystal blue eyes were shining with amusement. “Is that how you say hello?”

“Why should I say, hello? You stole my cargo, and all the people you piss off keep putting dings in my hull!

 

Zell

Somehow I was not surprised when the Crystal Viper popped up on our radar and fired on us as soon as they dropped out of hyperspace. Aurora was pissed. Her long black hair flowed over her shoulders as she yelled at me. I really should be listening to what she is saying.

“….all the people you piss off keep putting dings in my hull!”

“At least you don’t have lovesick morons singing love songs at you all of the time!” I shot back, “The last one was in serious need of singing lessons!”

Almost as one, our co-pilots looked up at us and nodded. There were no other ships in the area.

“And I wouldn’t have stolen your cargo if I didn’t miss you.”

 

Aurora.

“You could have just sent a message.” I glared at the man on the viewport, but then I relaxed, “But I missed you too, husband. “

His crystal blue eyes, the ones my ship was named after were shining, “What do you say we deliver your cargo,” He held up his hand, to stop the objection he could see coming “To your buyers. Then go home and take some time off?”

Zell

My wife had finally softened, she brushed that black hair that I loved so much back behind her ear and nodded. We didn’t get to see each other much. Too much of a risk for people to know we were connected. We gave out plenty of hints and loved to drive each other crazy with pranks. Most of the universe, however, thought we were mortal enemies trying to destroy each other. They would never know that just a few years ago, we were married on a no-name planet, under the twin viper constellation.

What is the most badass thing you have done as a parent for your teenage daughter? –4

A mother responds…

Years ago, while my daughter was still a teen, I was sitting in the dark on front step cooling down after a long hot night at work. It was about 3 am.

A car pulled into the lane. My daughter, her then boyfriend, and unknown male and female companions got out of the car. Judging by their conversation, they had no idea that I was sitting on the step.

Within a few minutes of being in the lane, the male stranger, suddenly, without warning, punched my daughter’s boyfriend, “T,” hard in the back of his head, knocking him onto the ground. He then proceeded to kick him rapidly, while the girls started screaming at the top of their lungs. All hell had broken out in my quiet yard.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I was up from the step, had raced across the lane, grabbed the 6′-something guy by the throat, and was holding him up against a tree on the edge of the lane and growling in his face, “We don’t behave like that in my house, Now get the f**k off my property!”

Then, I threw him towards his car. He left, cursing about a ‘crazy woman.’

I’m not sure where that woman inside of me came from, or the strength, considering the fact that the guy was so much larger than myself.

For a while, I got painted as the bad guy in this story. He was furious that I interfered. I shamed him, according to him. At the time, my daughter hated me because T broke up with her. However, years later, my daughter took me out for lunch in a different town, and she saw the guy who had hit her ex-boyfriend. She asked me if I remembered the incident. I told her that I vaguely remembered.

She then responded, “Well, I remember it like it was yesterday, and I never told you at the time, but I was secretly really proud to have Super Woman for a mom.”

Shorpy

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I will do anything for my girl

‘Mum I’ve just been sick and its black’ That message is what my teenage daughter sent to me. My heart skipped a beat. Being a nurse I knew that there was something seriously wrong with my daughter but I tried to think positive and not jump to conclusions. Fast forward to a hospital appointment. I was sat with my daughter holding her hand and the doctor said the words we had both been dreading. “It’s cancer”. My daughter who was 15 had a rare cancer and chemotherapy was her best option.

As many of you will know the effects of chemotherapy can be and usually are god awful. It was painful for me to watch my daughter go through it, I really can’t imagine how she must have felt. As her hair began to fall out my daughter started to get really down. She loved her hair and her overall appearance and now she was almost grey and very thin. I tried telling her it was ok and that she was still beautiful but she didn’t believe me and said she felt alone. That night after she had gone to bed I sat up for hours and thought long and hard about what I could do to help my daughter through what she was feeling. And so I decided to do something so she didn’t have to go through it alone.

It took all the strength I had but that night I shaved and cut off all of my hair until my head was completely bald and soft. I was aware that I was sure to be stared at and laughed at but I didn’t care. My little girl was all that I was worried about and in the morning she couldn’t believe what she saw. She was overjoyed though and felt a lot less scared about losing her hair. She cried tears of joy and I vowed to her that we would go through it all together. I kept my hair shaven until my daughter finally beat cancer, and then when she came off chemo I let my hair grow back.

It was a horrible time for my daughter but I’m proud of her for going through it. She was so brave and I think me having no hair have her the extra confidence she needed and made her feel less alone. My sixteen year old son also shaved his head in the end which surprised me. The whole family made it as easy as we could for her. I got many looks and laughter after cutting my hair off but I didn’t care, it was worth it as it made my daughter happy and feel so much better about what she was going through.

I think I speak for every mum here but I know no matter what I would do anything for all my children

The robber was robbed

Men…Be Men.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Bk8MYaxKpvk?feature=share

Two boxers fought a match in a low weight class. A Japanese man named Keita Kurihara and a Filipino man named Renan Portes. When the match ended, Kurihara was declared the winner “on points” despite Portes having landed some of the hardest punches in the fight.

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“I didn’t win!” Kurihara shook his head in disbelief and broken into tears immediately after the score was read out. Afterwards, he took the microphone in the ring and bowed deeply to the audience, saying, “I was treated as the winner in the end, but I lost. It’s embarrassing that I was declared the winner. I’m really sorry… My punches missed their target and I was spinning around. I got hit quite a lot. It was the worst possible situation and I was completely defeated. My countermeasures didn’t work. I felt that I hadn’t grown at all..”

Kurihara went to the locker room after the fight and apologized to Portes, declaring him the “real winner” of the fight. The Japanese fighter wanted to win only in a convincing way, with honor. Having not landed the hardest hits and having been unable to knock down his opponent despite losing his own footing, he felt he was undeserving of victory.

Monkey Branching Wife Who DEMANDED Divorce Begs Hubby For 2nd Chance After Lover Tossed Her Out

I lived in South Norwalk, Connecticut…. and worked in Westport. It was a few days before Christmas and I was driving home, after work, and decided to stop at Beldoch Popper, a sweater factory that sold wholesale at Christmas. I pulled my 1969 Mustang up to the curb, and was putting it in park when the factory door opened, the light caught my eye. Two people were coming out and for some reason, my spidey senses told me to get the hell out of there.. NOW. I hadn’t turn the car off yet, slammed it into gear and floored it……. I drove home, adrenaline pumping, and he no idea why. I’m not a scaredy cat by any measure.

The next morning, I walked into work and saw the mail guy, Fred. His wife worked there so I told him my crazy story. He asked me what time I was there and said around 5:30. He looked at me, and said if I had gotten there a minute earlier I would have walked into an armed robbery, and seen all the customers and employees face down on the floor…… and the two guys didn’t have a getaway vehicle, they left on foot.

I swear I didn’t see anything, no guns, just silhouettes walking out of the building in the dark……

So happy

This question is very well asked and very ‘Chinese’; I even suspect that the questioner might be Chinese.

First, you noticed the unusual duration of 4 days. If it were just a matter of diplomatic etiquette, it wouldn’t last so long. I’ve answered similar questions twice before, and I think the answer is: In fact, this 4-day period is very likely the time when Ukraine and Russia started negotiating through China, and it’s just the preliminary preparation.

Then, you are very perceptive, perceptive like a Chinese person, noticing that the Ukrainian Foreign Minister was in Guangzhou (Chinese netizens identified the location as Guangzhou by recognizing the background architecture in a video posted by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister himself). You are very sharp.

Why not in Beijing?

As a purely Chinese person, my view is:

First, it could be because Beijing needs to make way for more important meetings, such as the recent Beijing Declaration.

Chinese people care about these unspoken announcements, which essentially tell the world that for China, the Middle East is far more important than Ukraine.

Second, it might also be a deliberate move to show the world that for China, Ukraine is only a third-tier issue. (Beijing is first-tier, Shanghai is second-tier, and Guangzhou is third-tier.)

Most Chinese people were originally neutral towards Ukraine, but now there is indeed hostility due to Ukraine’s declaration, which said ‘give China a chance to talk with the civilized world,’ and the actions supporting Hong Kong’s independence have really ignited the anger of the Chinese people.

I have to say, don’t you all watch international news?

It’s all like a game of bridge, with clear hands and open cards.

  1. The U.S. inquires about Chinese arms control, and China refuses.
  2. The U.S. plays a card, namely 3,500 nuclear warheads, to see China’s reaction.
  3. China’s reaction is to deploy strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear warheads, along with Russian strategic bombers, on patrol in Alaska (which means if there’s a nuclear war, China and Russia will ally).
  4. China issues a statement urging not to initiate a nuclear war (directed at the U.S., meaning: we have no intention of initiating a nuclear war. Last time it was before the Beijing Olympics, with all five permanent members of the UN Security Council signing, and then immediately after that, the Russia-Ukraine war started. Now, China is urging again, and immediately after that is the French Olympics? Clearly, after the Olympics, war is imminent!).
  5. China invites Palestinian forces and issues a Beijing statement.
  6. Netanyahu visits the U.S.
  7. The U.S. and China once again engage in a proxy war, this time in the Middle East.

Isn’t this quite obvious? If you can’t see this, you might as well stop caring about international politics.

All Men need to See this – Modern Women are DOOMED by this New Anti-Paternity Fraud Law Approval!

Between 25% to 33% of fathers who paternity test their children discover that they were not biologically theirs.

I had a girlfriend in college that did cleaning work on the side for extra cash.

She was actually a good maid. One client broached the subject, asked her what it would cost for her to be topless.

Because she knew the man and was comfortable with him she agreed for double her normal rate.

Please note that her job didn’t change, just what she wore. He was not looking for sexual favors, never touched her or made her uncomfortable in any way. It did something for this mans’ ego to have a pretty young woman serve him in such a submissive way while he basically ignored her. That was prestige for him.

He asked her if she was satisfied with the agreement and she told him that one other client like him would be enough that she wouldn’t need to work for the cleaning service at all. Of course he knew someone. So she halved her workload for the same pay and it was a good arrangement for all involved.

As for what you pay for such a service, check the going rate and be prepared to pay more. It’s not the kind of thing you want to haggle or be cheap about.

Tortiglioni with Spicy Sausage Sauce

This recipe calls for only 6 ounces of meat, so it is good if want to cut down on meat in your diet. (I usually have to make meatballs in a separate sauce for MY family! LOL!)

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped
  • 1 pound ripe Italian plum tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup red wine
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 12 ounces dried tortiglioni (or use rigatoni, penne, or ziti)
  • 6 ounces spicy salami, rind removed (I sometimes use pepperoni)*
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat oil and add onion, celery garlic and chili and cook gently, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until softened.
  2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat, cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Add a few spoonsful of water occasionally if the sauce becomes too thick.
  3. Meanwhile, cook pasta.
  4. Chop the salami into bite-size pieces and add to the sauce. Heat through, then taste for seasoning.
  5. Drain pasta and put into large bowl, pour sauce on top and toss to mix.
  6. Scatter parsley on top and serve with grated cheese.

Notes

* Buy the salami in one piece so that you can chop it into large chunks.

Yeah yeah

Have you ever been caught someone lying on a resume, and what were the consequences?

Yes. I was working for a major tech company in the UK, one that is extremely-high profile and very popular, and we got a resume that looked absolutely stellar. In fact, it was astounding that this guy didn’t have his choice of offers in hand already, based upon what was written down on his CV (which is what resumes are called in the UK).

However, having been on several search committees before, and having helped students with their own resumes back when I was a professor, I had lots of experience with puffery (intentional or not) and hyperbole (again, intentional or not).

The candidate had been on several high profile, very technical projects that resulted in tremendous profits for his previous companies. These weren’t trivial by any means, and I, for one, was very interested in learning more.

The problem with his resume was twofold.

First, the projects themselves were all over the place. One was a systems integration project, another was a software development project. Still another was a hardware project. All of them highly involved, all of them requiring deep knowledge of varied skillsets. All from someone who had only been in the workforce for about 6 years.

Now, it’s possible that we had a savant on our hands, but experience has told me that these are rarer than unicorns and, as a result, I became quite skeptical. Nevertheless, I was willing to give it a go.

Second, all of the tasks and responsibilities listed in the CV had qualifying terms, like “Helped coordinate,” and “Contributed to,” and “Supported.” These are wishy-washy terms that are so vague as to imply practically any kind of involvement, from running the project to taking minutes during meetings.

So, I wanted to know more.

The candidate came in, impeccably dressed, and full of confidence. Okay, so maybe my suspicions were unfounded. He certainly looked like he could have mastery over these different domains.

But then I asked the first question, and it went downhill from there.

“I’ve got to admit,” I said, “you have a very impressive CV. These projects are quite involved.”

“Yes,” he said, smiling and proud. “I’ve done a lot of great things.”

Okay, so not exactly humble.

“Tell me more about what you did on X project,” I prompted.

Thus began a long string of evasions. He started every sentence with, “I helped…”

“Okay,” I said. “I understand that you participated in the project, and that you helped it reach its goal. But I don’t understand exactly what you did. When you say that you ‘helped,’ what does that entail, exactly?”

What followed was a continuous stream of “I helped,” and “I contributed,” without any actual description of what it was that he did.

Now, I don’t suffer fools very well, and I particularly don’t like it when someone thinks that I’m a fool. I begin to get irate when someone continually doubles down and suggests that they have answered the question when they didn’t.

Then he put the final nail in his coffin. “Well,” he said, “I could go into deep technical detail, but it’s extremely complicated and most people don’t understand it.”

“I’ve got time,” I said. “Try me. Part of the job you’re applying for is to take complicated technical subject matter and translate it into consumable English. This seems like a perfect opportunity for you to show me how well you do.”

He paled. I mean, he’s already English, so this was quite a feat.

He failed. Miserably. He couldn’t explain the project, the technology behind it, even the problem the project was supposed to solve.

So we moved on to the next item on his CV. He failed that one too.

And the next.

Ultimately, at the end of the interview, it was clear that he knew nothing about any of the projects he had ostensibly worked on, and those technical details he did try to talk about he got dead wrong.

Worse, this was a group interview, with my entire team in attendance. Unfortunately, as this was the UK (and I’m an American), after the candidate left I was read a riot act by the manager for embarrassing him. Even though they admitted that they would have hired him, had I not asked more probing questions, I still got an official reprimand.

So, because some guy lied on his resume, tried to lie in the interview, got caught doing so, I was in trouble for pointing it out.

Gotta love those “consequences,” eh?

Some fine art

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Reason why I became pro-China: Western media overplayed their hand and made me do something they probably didn’t want me to do: search for information about China.

You see, growing up I had zero interest in China, which was why I never bothered looking deeper into it. I just internalised all the anti-China “news” I heard in my periphery since that was the simplest thing to do for someone uninterested. But recently anti-China news ramped up, like REALLY ramped up to the point there’s talk of war, so naturally I started to take actual interest in China for the first time. So I went looking for information… and oh boy it was life-changing.

Whether it was the alleged massacre, or alleged genocide, or the sweat shops, or the lack of modernity; they were all either partial lies or complete lies. As I learned from the locals and foreigners who actually lived in various regions of China, I felt like my worldview was being deconstructed bit-by-bit, until I ended up only with the deep sense of betrayal. Western media did this to me. To all of us. For decades, I had been propagandised into believing some extremely unflattering things about China and her people. Decades!

The one thing that I’ve always wanted our precious western society to do—but felt it was hopelessly impossible—was to eliminate extreme poverty. Guess what, China did. They had virtually eliminated extreme poverty, a feat that was considered impossible in wealthier western nations. Also, according to everyone who have visited China, their society is friendlier, cleaner, safer, and more modern. China’s investment in R&D and her people’s education at all levels are paying off, and the obsession with meritocracy in government jobs had allowed China to properly punish the corrupt and replace the inefficient. Many who have visited China loved it so much they wished they could stay there.

So yes, not only am I now pro-China, but I’ve also now stopped believing in Western media by default, especially when it comes to news about other countries, and especially when it comes to China. I’ve even started to wonder my perception of Russia, North Korea, and other so-called “enemies of the West” are accurate. This is what happens when the media breaks the trust of the people who relied on them for news.

In short, I’m pro-China now because western media overplayed their anti-China propaganda, and it made me so curious I had to go looking for information myself. I can only hope many more others would do the same.

Pentagon Again Applies Budget Lies To Deliver More Weapons To Ukraine

Whenever the Pentagon runs out of money designated by Congress as aid to Ukraine it starts to use creative accounting to free up some additional money from its general budget. The ‘accounting errors’ used therein are always in favor of more weapons to Ukraine.

Exclusive: Pentagon accounting error overvalued Ukraine weapons aid by $3 billion – May 19 2023, Reuters

The Pentagon overestimated the value of the ammunition, missiles and other equipment it sent to Ukraine by around $3 billion, a Senate aide and a defense official said on Thursday, an error that may lead the way for more weapons being sent to Kyiv for its defense against Russian forces.

Pentagon accounting error provides extra $6.2 billion for Ukraine military aid – June 20 2023, AP

The Pentagon said Tuesday that it overestimated the value of the weapons it has sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion over the past two years — about double early estimates — resulting in a surplus that will be used for future security packages.Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said a detailed review of the accounting error found that the military services used replacement costs rather than the book value of equipment that was pulled from Pentagon stocks and sent to Ukraine. She said final calculations show there was an error of $3.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $2.6 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last Sept. 30.

As a result, the department now has additional money in its coffers to use to support Ukraine as it pursues its counteroffensive against Russia. And it come as the fiscal year is wrapping up and congressional funding was beginning to dwindle.

Pentagon finds another $2 billion of accounting errors for Ukraine aid – July 14 2024, Reuters

The Pentagon has found $2 billion worth of additional errors in its calculations for ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine, increasing the improperly valued material to a total of $8.2 billion, a U.S. government report revealed on Thursday.

In accounting an entity can generally use one of several methods to account for stock material. Using (ever increasing) replacement costs or (ever decreasing) book value are two arguably valid methods. What is a no-no though is to change horses during race. One either uses one or the other. One never-ever changes the applied accounting method during the accounting period.

Any commercial company doing what the Pentagon is doing here would be asking for serious trouble.

One wonder if and when Congress will wake up to this.

 

Posted by b at 14:22 UTC | Comments (78)

The problem with AI

that is standard procedure in any military to retire the old generals and replace them with new ones.

allow me to explain:

In the military landscape of any nation, the principle of retiring older generals in favor of fresh leadership is not merely a procedural formality but a strategic necessity. This standard practice is fundamental to ensuring that a country’s armed forces remain adaptive and relevant in an ever-evolving geopolitical environment.

Old generals, while often steeped in tradition and battle-hardened experience, may also carry with them a resistance to change, clinging to outdated tactics that they were trained in and grew up with that could jeopardize their nation’s defense in contemporary conflicts.

If, for instance, a formidable military power like the United States were trapped in a time warp, still combatting adversaries using the strategies and methodologies of the Revolutionary War or the Civil War, the outcome would undoubtedly be disastrous. In a world where nations like Russia, Israel, and North Korea and even Yemen have embraced modern technology, cyber warfare, and innovative tactical approaches, failing to adapt could lead to catastrophic defeats.

Countries such as China have recognized the need for reform, actively promoting young leaders who can infuse their military strategies with fresh ideas and perspectives that align with the realities of modern warfare. This method not only revitalizes the military command structure but also ensures that the national defense strategies are continuously evolving to counter emerging threats. For example, in recent years, China’s rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and drone warfare exemplify how new leadership can drive transformation and modernize military operations, enabling them to compete globally.

Similarly, nations like India and Brazil have also experienced leadership shifts in their defense establishments, aiming to harness young, dynamic thinkers who are equipped to navigate the complexities of modern warfighting. A proactive approach to military leadership ensures that armed forces are not just reactive but are equipped to anticipate and counteract the multifaceted challenges of modern-day combat, ultimately reinforcing national security.

what Xi is doing is nothing new people!

China Unscathed in CrowdStrike Meltdown

I’ve answered similar questions many time, so I’ll copy/paste an excerpt. Violating these 10 commandments of prison that someone asked me for could have serious consequences.

So I’ll give you some “rules” to follow, it’s not a comprehensive list and they’ll be in no particular order because they all are important.

  1. Mind your own business. Meaning don’t ask questions about what a person is doing (unless it directly affects you), personal questions about their past and/or charges unless it’s a natural part of a conversation THEY start.
  2. Never give an opinion unless it’s asked for.
  3. Don’t be in a hurry to make friends.
  4. DO NOT try to make friends with the guards. I was on friendly terms with a lot of guards, but I had been there for several years and had well established myself before I did so.
  5. DO NOT SNITCH.
  6. Don’t lie or embellish your past. You’ll likely find yourself in conversations where guys are telling “war stories” and guys in prison have phenomenal instincts and can spot a fake in a heartbeat. Just be yourself, if you don’t have anything to add to the conversation just listen.
  7. Prison runs on respect, so be respectful.
  8. There might come a time where you have to stand up for yourself. DO IT. Some things like minor disrespect you can let slide, but if someone puts their hands on you in an unwanted way, makes unwanted and aggressive sexual advances, and/or tries to take what’s yours, STAND UP FOR YOURSELF!!!! Sure you might lose, but who hasn’t had their ass beat before. But you’ll establish a degree of respect and should be fine after that because the predators who are there are looking for easy prey.
  9. Keep your word. If you tell someone you can/will do something, do it.
  10. This actually should be near the top but I’m too lazy to retype this. DO NOT GO INTO DEBT!!!!! If you gamble (for smokes, candy bars, or whatever) make sure you have the “money” on hand. Don’t borrow, do without whatever it is until you have the money to get it yourself. Debt, especially if something happens that makes it so you can’t pay when you said you would can lead to all sorts of things and all of them are bad. Trust me, things happen, like your prison pay gets screwed up or someone on the outside doesn’t send you money when they said they would. I repeat DO NOT GO INTO DEBT!! Along that line, don’t lend. If you do and that person doesn’t/can’t pay, you’ll be expected to do something about it or you’ll be seen as weak.

This is How Sanctions Changed Russia’s Car Market

Ode to Denny and the whimmy wham wham woozle

Ode to Denny.

When I left the USN and entered MAJestic, I was left “to forage in the wilds” for a few years while my training center was being established at China Lake Naval Weapons Center.

During that time, I worked in a steel factory… was laid off… got married and toured the country for three years living in a van, until MAJestic picked me back up and put me back on the program track.

Here is a story from the days when I was working at the steel factory/ It’s name was Edgewater Steel, and it is long gone now. We made railroad and jet engine “rings”. These were high precision exotic material steel forgings.

One of the guys who I occasionally worked with was a guy named Denny.

He was about twenty years older than me, and quite the character. Being part liaison, part Marketing and part salesman. He was the guy who kept the orders flowing in.

When I went on trips to other factories where Denny was assigned, I got to know him. He was a womanizer, man-about-town, and a heavy drinker.

Drunk always at work.

Indeed.

But not a lazy drunk. An actual functioning alcoholic.

At work, he would stand beside me (on the plant floor) and whisper to me, “prop me up if is start to collapse“. Yeah. He drank heavily, and it was on the company dime.

He got by with one to two hour naps scattered throughout the day. And, he would make a presence at the offices. Being mostly, in and then out. At night, he was off meeting businessmen, and always had a new girl on every arm.

Quite the guy; that Denny.

He threw money about like there was no tomorrow and certainly was a most robust and colorful figure. Sort of the human version of Futurarama’s “Spuds Mckensey”.

Ode to Denny.

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Party on dudes!

Today…

A factory story

A lady worked at a meat distribution factory.

One day, when she finished with her work schedule, she went into the meat cold room (Freezer) to inspect something, but in a moment of misfortune, the door closed and she was locked inside with no help in sight.

Although she screamed and knocked with all her might, her cries went unheard as no one could hear her. Most of the workers had already gone, and outside the cold room it’s impossible to hear what was going on inside.

Five hours later, whilst she was at the verge of death, the security guard of the factory eventually opened the door.

She was miraculously saved from dying that day.

When she later asked the security guard how he had come to open the door, which wasn’t his usual work routine.

His explanation: “I’ve been working in this factory for 35 years, hundreds of workers come in and out every day, but you’re one of the few who greet me in the morning and say goodbye to me every night when leaving after work. Many treat me as if I’m invisible.

Today, as you reported for work, like all other days, you greeted me in your simple manner ‘Hello’. But this evening after working hours, I curiously observed that I had not heard your “Bye, see you tomorrow”.

Hence, I decided to check around the factory. I look forward to your ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ every day because they remind me that I am someone.

By not hearing your farewell today, I knew something had happened. That’s why I was searching every where for you.”

Be humble, love and respect those around

you. Try to have an impact on people who

cross your path every day, you never know

what tomorrow will bring..

Stay Blessed.

When Women Tell Men They Gym Belongs to Them

Angel Hair with Shrimp Sesame Sauce

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e4cc998e1a05507e2089727598c2783d

Angel Hair with Shrimp Sesame Sauce recipe
Ingredients

8 ounces angel hair (capellini), uncooked
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons chutney
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound frozen medium shrimp, thawed

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions; two minutes before pasta is done, add asparagus pieces. When pasta and asparagus are done, drain.
Place oil, garlic and mushrooms in a 2-quart saucepan. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, chutney, toasted sesame seeds, scallions and vinegar. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add shrimp to the sauce and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Toss shrimp and sauce with pasta and asparagus and serve.

The Philippines’ “capriciousness” is actually an act for the United States to see

Recently, the Philippines has been frequently causing trouble and heating up the situation in the South China Sea, and on June 24, the Philippines declared that it would continue to carry out “supply missions” to Ren’ai Reef in spite of the fact that it was confronted with the law enforcement of the Chinese Marine Police.

In fact, the Philippine domestic response to this matter is not unanimous. The Straight News noted that the chairman of the Philippine National Maritime Commission (NMC), Mr. Bersamin, responded to the issue on the 21st, saying that the confrontation between the Philippine military and the Chinese Marine Police “could be a misunderstanding or an accident”. Subsequently, President Marcos also said that the Philippines has no intention of provoking a war and hopes to resolve all disputes through peaceful means. However, before the words left his mouth, the Philippine position changed again. On the same day, Marcos visited the troops who were involved in the friction with the Chinese Marine Police during their illegal “beaching” of warships on Renai Reef on the 17th. 24th, Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro categorically denied that the incident was a misunderstanding or accident.

In fact, Marcos’s statement was directed at the U.S. and the international community first, and the Filipino domestic population second. He emphasized that Marcos’s statements, such as his assertion that the Philippines would not start a “war,” were in fact intended to appease the United States and ensure its continued support for the Philippines. This tactic is intended to allay U.S. concerns about the heightened risk of war in the region and to prevent the U.S. from withdrawing its support in response to Philippine provocations.

Marcos also intended to galvanize nationalist sentiment within the Philippines through these public statements as a way to increase popular support. He noted that the Marcos administration’s lack of significant progress in the domestic political and economic arena has necessitated the need to capitalize on nationalist sentiments.

“Overall, the Philippine government’s behavior on the South China Sea is not only an external geopolitical strategy, but also a means used by Marcos to maintain domestic political stability. Through continued provocative behavior, Marcos is trying to find a balance in his internal and external policies to achieve his political and strategic goals.”

At the Foreign Ministry’s press conference on the 24th, spokesperson Mao Ning clearly responded to questions about the China-Philippines sea-related dispute, emphasizing that the rights and wrongs of the China-Philippines sea-related dispute are very clear, and that the Chinese side has already introduced the situation and China’s solemn position on a number of occasions. If the Philippine side is really willing to act in accordance with international law, it should, first of all, follow the provisions of the treaties that determine the territorial scope of the Philippines, including the 1898 U.S.-Southwest Peace Treaty, and abide by the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. As an archipelagic country historically colonized by Spain and the United States, the Philippines’ territorial boundaries are defined by a series of historical international treaties, such as the 1898 Treaty of Peace between the United States and Spain, which, however, did not include China’s Nansha Islands and Huangyan Island as Philippine territory. The erratic behavior of the Philippines is partly attributed to the U.S. exploitation of the Marcos government.

Marcos is seen as a “tool or puppet in a regional proxy war” for the US. Lured by the false security promises of the United States and the massive flow of second-hand weapons, coupled with the deep penetration and influence of the United States in the Philippines, the Philippine government has willingly played the role of a hawk and dog of United States hegemony in regional affairs.

Although the U.S. State Department recently issued a statement reaffirming its unwavering support for the Philippines under the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the applicability of this commitment to the South China Sea issue has been widely discussed.

Some U.S. media outlets have cited a paper from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. “clarifying” that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty does not apply to the South China Sea because the Philippines did not have any form of claim to the relevant islands in the South China Sea at the time of the signing of the treaty in 1951. in 1975, then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger further clarified that the defense treaty does not apply to the South China Sea. clarified that the defense treaty did not apply to attacks on Philippine forces in the Spratlys.

In addition, U.S. strategic concerns over the region have been demonstrated by the movements of the U.S. Navy. The USS Reagan, an aircraft carrier, recently arrived in Guam for recuperation, while another U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Roosevelt, was spotted leaving the South China Sea on June 13 through the Bashi Channel.

The “common defense” is a means for the U.S. to control its allies, whose fundamental purpose is to serve U.S. strategic interests rather than to safeguard the security of its allies, who are often at greater risk from being exploited.

Former Philippine Senator Francisco Tatad previously published an article in the Philippine “Manila Times” website bluntly said that if the Philippines in the United States support war with China, will be “stupid suicidal behavior”.

Recalling this incident, the Philippines on the 17th sent six ships, including a supply ship, two inflatable boats, including approaching the Nansha Islands Ren’ai Reef adjacent to the sea, attempting to illegally “beach” warships to deliver supplies. In response, the Chinese Maritime Police took control measures in accordance with the law, such as warning and stopping, boarding and inspection, and forcible removal, in respect of the Filipino vessels that had intruded into the waters of Ren’ai Reef, and seized firearms and other non-lifestyle items. In the meantime, the two sides of the boats repeatedly collided, the two sides of the personnel unusually close and confrontation, its intensity far exceeded the previous Renai Reef confrontation, but also for nearly a decade in the South China Sea friction of the most. For a time, the situation in the South China Sea once again triggered a high degree of concern at home and abroad.

At a time when the Philippines is provoking China, the Chinese 10,000-ton giant ship appeared in the South China Sea. According to public signals from AIS ships, a Chinese Marine Police 10,000-ton giant ship, No. 5901, has appeared around Zhongye Island in the afternoon of the 19th.

Wife Booked an Affair Trip but Didn’t Update the Contact Info. Divorced Her, Lost Her Job…

Abraham Shakespeare was born in Lakeland, Florida in 1966. He had dropped out of school by the 7th grade and was basically illiterate (he could barely use a cell phone). He had some minor brushes with the law (burglary) for which he had served his time. He spent his days working as a day laborer.

 

In 2006, at the age of 40, Abraham’s luck appeared to change. He won $30 Million in the state lottery (and took the lump sum payment of $17 million). He bought a million dollar home, brand new car, Rolexes, etc. and by 2008, he had blown through most of his winnings. New friends had appeared out of the woodwork, and simple-natured Abraham didn’t realize what they were really after until it was too late.

Around this time, he met a woman named Dorice Moore who offered to write his life story. Moore took control of Abraham’s assets and bought herself a Hummer and a Corvette (she later claimed these were gifts from Abraham). In 2009 (three years after winning the lottery), Abraham’s family reported him missing. Dorice Moore claimed to be Abraham’s financial advisor and told police that he had traveled out of town. His family and friends then started receiving text messages from Abraham, which was very strange as he was virtually illiterate.

In January 2010, police found Abraham’s body buried under 9 feet of dirt in the back yard of Moore’s home in Plant City, Florida (nearby to Lakeland). He had been shot to death. Moore had taken possession of Abraham’s home and drained him of his final $1.3 million lottery winnings.

Moore’s own attorney described her as emotionally unstable and in 2012 she was sentenced to life in prison. Moore continues to deny all charges and claims she is innocent.

Dude Runs Away on Date When She Brought Her Friends!

Instead of checking her mailbox frequently for her university admission letter, high school graduate Wang Yunyi received it up from the sky.

On Monday morning, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time delivered four college admission letters issued by the South China University of Technology to the hands of four students in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. The drone trip took about 30 minutes, covering 25 km, forming a new scenario for China’s UAV application.

“I was amazed to see my admission letter sent by a drone. It was like a movie scene coming to real life,” said Wang.

Guangzhou Post, the drone operator, has been delivering college admission letters for over 40 years, handling about 550,000 letters annually.

“In the future, more students can experience technological advancement with their admission letters sent by drones,” said Zou Liwen, a manager at Guangzhou Post.

In recent years, drones have become increasingly common in video clip productions, express and meal deliveries and fleet shows as China strives to expand its low-altitude economy, which was included in the country’s government work report for the first time in March this year.

Data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) show that China had 1.27 million registered drones by the end of 2023, up 32.2 percent compared with the previous year. Civilian drones accumulated 23.11 million flight hours in 2023, representing an 11.8 percent year-on-year growth.

Phoenix Wings, a cargo drone company under China’s delivery giant SF Express, initiated the interprovincial drone-delivery service for fresh fruit across the Qiongzhou Strait in late May.

This new mode of transport is 70 percent quicker and 30 percent cheaper than conventional cross-sea transport, enhancing the freshness of the lychees and the economic benefits on all sides.

CAAC data shows that the scale of China’s low-altitude economy exceeded 500 billion yuan (about 70 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, and is expected to reach 2 trillion yuan by 2030.

More drones in the sky have also expanded the spectrum of applications. While many parts of China are battling floods in the summer, UAVs are seen at the forefront, patrolling embankments and delivering disaster relief supplies in water-stranded areas.

In central China’s Hunan Province, where a dike section breached earlier this month at China’s second-largest freshwater lake of Dongting, fire and rescue teams in the province deployed a fleet of 47 UAVs for flood control and disaster relief work.

Liang Shixin, a member of the telecommunication team for emergency response at the provincial fire and rescue headquarters, said he operated a UAV a dozen times a day as a complementary means to monitor the embankments.

Unlike conventional drones that are mainly equipped with cameras, the UAV has thermal infrared and lidar sensors, being capable of quickly scanning embankments to capture signs of pipe bursts and leakage hazards even in the darkness, said Liang.

Incomplete statistics showed that China had more than 2,300 companies engaged in civilian drone development by the end of 2023, with over 1,000 drone types in mass production. In 2023 alone, over 3.17 million civilian drones were delivered in China, and the general aviation manufacturing industry generated an output exceeding 51 billion yuan, an increase of nearly 60 percent year on year.

In April, the Chinese drone maker EHang Holdings Limited obtained the production certificate for its passenger-carrying autonomous aerial vehicle system from the CAAC. It is the first production certificate issued in China for an autonomous passenger drone and also the first one in the global electric vertical takeoff and landing industry.

He Tianxing, vice president of the company, noted that the expansion of the low-altitude economy will further drive the development of upstream and downstream industries, such as new infrastructure, spare parts, energy storage, cultural tourism and education.

https://youtu.be/bZzjpUd84S8

My husband had been up on 20 foot ladder trimming trees in the yard for the last couple of days. He came in on the third day and said he was really tired and went to bed early. The next morning we talked for a little bit and he said he was just gonna stay in in bed and rest. I had to run some errands and I came home and I found him stumbling around the bedroom and he told me he was lost. I wanted to call an ambulance for him, but he just told me to drive him to the doctor. I’ve then discovered he was also blind. I rushed him to the emergency room and they took him back immediately to run some tests. A couple of hours later, the doctor came with the test results and said “I’m afraid his cancer has spread.” “What cancer?”we both asked the same time. The doctor informed us that my husband had pancreatic cancer that had already spread to his liver and his brain. They told us he had days to live. They sent him home with hospice. I called our kids and my husband’s siblings and they all came from various states to see him. My husband chatted with him like there was nothing wrong. He passed away nine days later.

Same thing here- I purchased a foreclosure.

The deadbeat tenants had not paid any rent to the bank in 10 months, but the bank didn’t want to evict, probably for fear of damage. I wasn’t afraid of them stealing the appliances, etc- they actually did do that- because I was going to gut the place anyway.

I told them they could have 2 months free rent, and had to be out then, or I would sue them for rent (I had it legally done, hired a lawyer who is good at that type of thing). I went ahead with the eviction process anyway, and they were served an eviction notice, just so they saw I was serious.

They left after the 60 day period, taking with them lights, appliances, even thermostats! I was fine about it, since, as I said, I did a complete to-the-studs gut of the house. It cost about $5K to get rid of them (not including my carrying cost- but I could not get started on redoing the house for 60 days anyway- I was doing the redesign, hiring the GC, etc), so I just folded that into the cost of the reno.

The result?

Fantastic house, reno finished on time, and all that is in the rear-view mirror.

Moral of the story?

You have to hire a good local attorney who does evictions, and establish a budget for the legal work. Then cut the deadbeat tenant a deal- lead with a carrot, follow with a stick.

EDIT: As a note- when we did the demo, we carefully removed the cabinets, toilets, even the windows. We donated everything possible to Habitat For Humanity, which was able to use the stuff in homes. We see so many people doing renovation who just allow the demo team to destroy everything- it cost a little more to have cabs unscrewed instead of just sledgehammered off, but then they go to good use. And you have less stuff in the dumpster.

I can tell you the thing that totally pushed me over the edge.

I was at a SciFi convention in Georgia, which was at the same time as a gay parade was. At the parade people were passing out “chick tracks” which are like these small comics of Bible verses, the one they were passing out was their Sodom and Gomorrah track.

I took it back to my room and read it. The story was basically about some gay person being handed that exact chick track and told the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, of course in their little story the gay man repented because if the story. It had been a while since I’d been to Christian school so I read it over and was horrified at what Lot considered an appropriate solution.

A little back story for me, I was molested and raped by my dad, I was in my early 20s then and still really messed up.

In the chick track version , since the intent was to try an convert gay people, the focus of the story was the version people like to use as anti-gay propaganda. (If you actually read the Bible verses, God was actually mad about their lack of charity and care for their fellow man) In this version, and indeed what you often hear, God sends a couple of angels down to Lot, and the crowd decided they want to take and rape said angels. This is what a lot of the anti-gay rhetoric is hinged on, which is sad and kind of funny, as angels aren’t supposed to have genitals. (Seriously, look up the description of biblical angels, it’s something else) So not only are they not all that rape-able, they aren’t technically men. Anyway, Lot decides he can’t let this happen, but is willing to give the raping crowd his VIRGIN DAUGHTERS.

This stupid comic was handed out ti try and say being gay is bad…. But somehow allowing people ti take and RAPE your virgin daughters was okay?!

No I thought, no damned way could that be in the Bible. Being in a hotel I grabbed the Bible to check. It really is. That was an acceptable solution, to allow the rape of virgin daughters so that creatures with NO GENITALS don’t get raped.

No. That is not ever acceptable for me. I was already questioning my faith, but that killed it. I could not believe in a religion that allowed that. I could not follow or listen ti people who thought that was okay, and used it to try and say homosexuality was wrong. I couldn’t believe in a faith that was okay with the kind of stuff that had scared me.

I’m closing comments because I am not interested in anyone trying to explain how this is okay, or trying to tell me I’m over reacting, or frankly argue any of this horrible story that is so often intentionally misunderstood to use as a club against people. Yes. I’ve had people try that before. In case you are one of those people, you should know this story will never EVER be acceptable to me, and there is no way you can spin it that will make it acceptable to me.

U.S. Ultimatum Hits Japan & Dutch Semiconductor Giants – Cut Away All China Trade Or Else

Ah…

The plans of the idiotic.

smart
smart

Check out the video…

Chicken Pasta Primavera

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2fd5cde233984e12419dbb53be3191dd

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
  • 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
  • 1 pound angel hair pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook red, yellow and green bell peppers in 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic until just tender. Stir in diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with chiles, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Remove to a serving bowl.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  3. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook chicken in butter mixture until juices run clear, 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Place cooked chicken over tomato sauce and sprinkle with basil, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and Parmesan.
  5. Serve with cooked pasta.

The difference was crystal clear

HK which used Microsoft in their Airport applications had to go to manual mode while Mainland China that uses Xinshi, it’s own Indigenous Linux Rooted system in Airports and Xongsha, Huaweis own indigenous system in Ports – had zero blips yesterday

Surprisingly Russia also had zero blips because they had their own slightly more basic version due to Sanctions

India saw 65% flights cancelled or rescheduled. I am in Bangalore now and while returning to my hotel after a morning walk, I met Indigo staff who are returning to Kempegowda only now for a flight that should have departed yesterday afternoon


India along with 98% of the world is utterly rooted to Western Applications and Systems

Microsoft, IBM, Google, Amazon WPS , Dell & Cisco – they together or individually form 99% of our entire Core Computing Systems and their upgrades, patches, reinstallations are what runs our country

This includes our Aadhar Database as well, Income tax database, Sensex and Banking systems

Likewise Nokia, Siemens, Sony – Ericcson, Cisco & Alcatel – they form the core of our entire digital communications on 4G+ platforms while Huawei, ZTE – form the core of our entire digital communications on 4G platforms

Also GPS is the ground root of our entire ground cartography system

What have our Top Industrialists been doing?


Given that when we started our forway into Software when China was scrambling around for Cheap Analog technology from Taiwan – SHOULDN’T WE HAVE SOME EQUIVALENT IN THE GLOBAL MARKET?

Instead after 30 years – we are still basically software coolies, writing code or managing people who write code and creating systems that run on core technology developed by the West

Sure these days we live in Condominiums with Gym and Swimming Pools, use Amex cards and swank around in Oakley or Raybans as Software Architects

Yet the ground reality is we are primarily COOLIES just like we were a century and a half ago

Yesterday was evidence of that

Some Western Entity makes a mistake and 300 Million Indians could suffer


Time to firmly join Russia and China and begin to move to an Indigenous platform in every sphere

I suppose banning Tiktok was fine but the fact that we could be decimated by sanctions if we rub the US the wrong way – that never struck us at all

 

The giant and the peas

My opinion can be summed up in rolling my eyes. How presumptive and arrogant to expect people in non-English speaking countries to speak English for the sake of tourists? That defies common sense.

Sure, many people in China have some English ability from learning some in school, and many are quite eager to practice it with foreigners visiting (although some may be uncomfortable or afraid of speaking incorrectly and pretend they don’t know any), but no one should go there with the assumption that they will be understood by everyone wherever they go, and with a level that reaches fluency.

Anytime a person visits a country that doesn’t speak their native language I suggest they try to learn as many phrases as they can. Not vocabulary lists, but practical phrases about directions, landmarks (not just tourist spots but hotels, police stations, hospitals, taxis, airports, or bathrooms too), currency and cost, food, and general things a tourist might need to know. A translate app and currency conversion app on their phone is a must. If they have the ability, hire a translator.

But for heaven’s sake, do not expect an entire country to learn English for your arrival. Who do you think you are? Supreme Overload of the World?

Hello Kitty (Uncanny) – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

You know WHY? Because Putin does NOT fear the WRATH of the United States of America. Because there is no wrath of the USA at Putin for all his crimes and war he wages.

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U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich appeared in court in Yekaterinberg on June 26

A court in Russia has found Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage charges that he, his employer, and the U.S. government have rejected as politically motivated, and sentenced him to 16 years in prison.

After hearing closing arguments in the case on July 19, a day after both Gershkovich’s employer and the U.S. State Department called for his immediate release, the court handed down its ruling behind closed doors, RFE/RL reported.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Gershkovich was sentenced despite having committed no crime. A White House statement quoted Biden as saying Gershkovich was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American, adding that Washington was “pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.”

Gershkovich’s employer called it a “disgraceful, sham conviction” and vowed to continue to press for his release.

The conviction comes after Gershkovich spent 478 days in detention away from his family and friends and prevented from reporting, “all for doing his job as a journalist,” Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour and Editor in Chief Emma Tucker said in a statement.

The European Union also slammed the lenghy prison sentence, describing it as a political gambit to “punish journalism.”

European Parliament chief Roberta Metsola said Gershkovich had been the victim of a “sham trial.”

“The 16-year prison sentence against WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich is the antithesis of justice,” he said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Russia uses its politicized legal system to punish journalism, condemned the sentence, and called for his release.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to answer a journalist’s question about the reasons for the expedited process of the court’s decision, saying that he cannot comment on such a situation. He added that Gershkovich’s trial is being held behind closed doors because of the “sensitivity of the case.”

Some analysts said the move to expedite the case could be a sign that talks are heating up between Moscow and Washington on a possible prisoner exchange.

When asked in Moscow on July 19 about the talks on a possible prisoner swap involving Gershkovich, Peskov refused to comment.

The trial, which started on June 26, was held behind closed doors in the Sverdlovsk regional court in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg after being moved forward from August 13 at the request of the defense team.

Gershkovich was arrested in Yekaterinburg on March 29, 2023, while he was on a reporting trip and was subsequently charged with attempting to obtain information about a factory that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine and pass it on to the CIA. He is the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel on July 18 did not comment on possible negotiations on a prisoner exchange, but said Washington was seeking the release of Gershkovich and another imprisoned U.S. citizen, former Marine Paul Whelan, as soon as possible.

“The timeline of the trial and what route that takes does not have a bearing and has no impact on the urgency that the United States has…. We want both of them home immediately and we’ll continue to work in this area until they’re reunited with their loved ones,” Patel said.

He said no U.S. Embassy representative was able to attend the July 18 session due to short notice.

Russia has complained about U.S. media reports on a possible swap involving Gershkovich. Speaking on July 17 at the United Nations in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again raised this reporting, blaming “the Americans” for publicly bringing up a possible exchange, which he said “isn’t helping.”

Meanwhile in the USA

Meanwhile in the USA
Meanwhile in the USA

Mark Sleboda: Putin and China Just Put U.S. Military on HIGH ALERT and War is Coming to Eurasia

Citrus-Cherry Pork and Pasta

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 8 ounces mostaccioli, rigatoni or penne, cooked and drained
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork cubes and onion; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until pork is nicely browned and onion is tender; set aside.
  2. Make dressing by shaking together orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and orange zest in a small jar with tight-fitting lid.
  3. In a large serving bowl, toss together the pork and onion, pasta, broccoli, cherries and walnuts with the dressing.
  4. Serve immediately.

Deranged Minds

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a thrilling adventure of a special agent who is harboring a paranormal secret. view prompt

Agnes Sharan

The sound of her heels echoed through the narrow corridor, the path taking longer than it usually would. Small doors, barely able to fit a child dotted the sides of the walls, holding in them some of the world’s most deranged minds. She could feel the guards patrolling shudder as they walked by, something in the air making their skin crawl. It’s the thought, she had long before concluded, of sharing the same breath of the supposed good and bad guys. Almost as if they’d catch the same madness that had possessed these beings to commit the heinous crimes they did. Only if they knew the truth like she did: madness isn’t an infection to be caught, it is a disease that slowly breeds within.

 

The corridor had finally ended, the words ‘Isolation Unit’ staring back at her. It’s been a long time since she interrogated a criminal alone, something she sought to ensure never happened again after that day. But there she stood, sweaty palms, racing heart, mind a jumble of voices within, and her task lay just behind the heavily fortified door.

 

The lone light in the room shone upon a mop of black hair, bent across the table in such weariness, stoop in his back pronounced by the bones that seemed to just protrude beneath his skin. At the sound of her footsteps, he lifted his head slowly from the table.

 

He’s just a kid.

 

She’d ignored her voice, albeit with a bit of a struggle for she too couldn’t deny the facts staring at her face. His eyes held an innocence that she didn’t want to acknowledge as she sat down on the chair opposite him. They were quiet and a thought flitted her mind.

 

It is almost as though we are in the jungle, her the predator and him the prey. 

 

She shook her head at that, knowing probably who it came from. The silence encouraged them, so she needed to start talking.

 

“Hello Evan. I am Agent Keller. How are you feeling today?”

 

He stared blankly at her, almost as if he couldn’t hear the words.

 

Maybe he is innocent?

 

She wanted to scream at the voice to just shut up. “I am sorry about the cold. If you’d like me to, I could get someone to get something warm for you down here.” She looked at him, her eyes silently beckoning him to give her something to work with.

 

Pathetic. 

 

She wouldn’t rise to the jabs, she knew how this worked. She had it under control. She could do her job.

 

Could you now? How can you when you can’t even silence the voices in your head? 

 

He was quiet, almost eerily so. She wasn’t even sure he was breathing for he barely moved since she got there. She needed him to get talking and soon. Otherwise she’d have to resort to the final measure, and her self restraint was already thin from how long it has been since she had done away with one.

 

There was really nothing to hold her back as he was sentenced to die and she’d gotten the green light to carry it out if she must. But she wanted him to show her something to prove his innocence or guilt, something to do away with guilt when she takes the information she needs. But his silence was making a hard argument against her patience. Maybe her approach was all wrong. It wasn’t her job to know the truth, simply to find out what he knows. If he was down here, he was guilty. It was simple as that.

 

Not always though, is it? Isn’t that why you are hesitant?

 

She wished she could shut them up. Or atleast talk back to them. But it was like a one way channel ever since she discovered the voices in her head weren’t imaginary. They talked and they talked and she had no choice but to listen. It was like a 24/7 radio station, all those evil deeds swirling around her head. She assured herself they were better as voices in her head than hands and feet on the streets. That way their crimes were only a replay in her mind. Their lives and every heinous act just memories in her head, ones she just couldn’t silence. Or so she told herself. But some days she found herself etching to go out at night, her hands twitching in some perverse need to sin, before she roped back in whatever voice had tried to take over her body. But she was just a container, a container who was soon becoming full and in her darkest nightmares, she kept playing the day she would finally lose control and every one of those acts would taint her skin.

 

“It is such a delightful temptation, isn’t it?”

 

She almost thought it was one of the voices in her head, but the timbre of it was unlike any she’d heard before. That was when she shook from her reverie and eyed the man before her. His eyes were blank as ever and his lips were still, but the echo of the words from the walls told her they were his.

 

“What?”

 

There was a glint in his eyes now, one she hadn’t caught previously. He nodded towards her, his head tilting slightly towards the ceiling.

 

“The memories. All that darkness, all of their emotions when they performed those acts, their enjoyment in it. Makes you wonder what drove them, makes you want to find out, your own fingers want to betray you to do them, don’t they?”

 

For the first time in a long time, she felt a shiver down her spine. Who is this guy? How did- How did he know about the voices in her head? Was he- was he-

 

“Like you? I suppose you can say I am the closest you will find to someone like you.”

 

Her heart was racing. Someone who knew her secret. This was bad, this would compromise her whole life if it gets out. Maybe- Maybe she could just for this once-

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Agent Keller.” His voice was cold, still, as though it had no remorse in it. “Wouldn’t you want to know more about us?”

 

I sat back in the seat with a deep breath. “Why would I want to do that? I already know what I am.”

 

He seemed to be laughing at her. “Do you now? You know what you are capable of. Reading minds is a trick as old as time, some would say, you don’t need voices in your head for that one. But you, you are special, aren’t you? You don’t just read them do you?” He leaned forward, and despite the space between them, it felt like his words were crawling on her skin. “You consume them, all those deranged minds that probably gazed this room.” He chuckled, “Your officers were probably too scared to come down here with you, too scared to see the depths of their own depravity, but you and I, we live for the darkness. We thrive in it.”

 

That’s when I stopped him. “NO! I am nothing like you! I don’t enjoy whatever deranged pleasure it is that you all seem to enjoy!”

 

He sat straighter, quiet for a while, before he spoke. “So you say,” his words measured, “but your hands are dirty too. You killed an innocent. Her voice is right next to the others talking to you as we speak.”

 

Don’t listen to him. 

 

He continued, “That’s what you are most afraid of now isn’t it? You’ve had a taste of the blood that wasn’t yours to take and now you want more of it.” The voices in her head agreed. She could feel it in her bones, her fingers etching to replicate some of their memories. Such dark temptations, beckoning her to try and find out just how deliciously pleasurable the wrong thing feels like.

 

He’s manipulating you. He is inside your head. Push him away. Push them all away. 

 

It felt like a pressure in her head, As though it was overflowing with people. She pushed her mind trying to tune out his words even as he kept speaking.

 

Push.

 

Push.

 

PUSH!

 

She had her eyes clenched shut so she didn’t see him writhing in pain, his head in his hands as though he was in pain. When it was over she opened her eyes.

 

The voices were gone. All but for one.

 

You did it.

OnlyFans is Being Shut Down

China stuff

All talks of stopping China (Taiwan, SCS, mid-range mi9ssiles in Philippine, etc.) are just cost-free bluffs (or so they think to be cost free. They’ll pay a cost, take my words for it!). The best the war hawks of the Empire hope for is the gullibility of Taiwanese/Vietnamese/Philippinos, et al) of falling for the narrative, under the lingering impression that the Empire is still numero uno and would deliver bloody noses on China in ultimately coming to their aid, and make the kind of fatal errors the Ukies are now suffering from. The Empire itself has enough brain to keep score on where things stand. The farthest thing on their mind is to fight China in East/Southeast Asia. They know that today, unlike as late as 15 years ago, that they stand NO CHANCE of even delivering enough damages on China to make their casualties worthwhile, let alone delivering bloody noses.

They are aware of the certainty of being kicked out of Asia COMPLETELY if China confrontation comes to blows. As such, they would pull in their vassal when they see things getting to blows. Meanwhile, pumping chest like Tarzan do win votes and keep their politicians in offices at home, and this kind of meaningless PR will continue for a while until China says enough is enough. That won’t be too far into the future–like within 5 years. It will happen as China finds excuses to strangle Taiwan/Philippine economically and taunt the Empire to put their words into actions. That’s when the paper tiger whimpers away, tails between the legs.

Posted by: Oriental Voice | Jul 17 2024 22:20 utc | 112

Yes, extremely.

I know because I was beaten to a pulp by a boxer that looked like Napoleon Dynamite.

To describe myself, I do not consider myself an easy target. I am 5 ft 9 tall and weighed about 210 at the time. Not tall, but I wrestled and fenced through college, and I never once ended up lying on the ground after a fight.

This Napoleon Dynamite guy looked about 6 ft tall, but there was no way he weighed more than 160 lbs.

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I thought I could take the guy without much effort but boy…boxers are different. I learned that the hard way. Here are things I learned fighting (getting beat up by) a trained boxer.

  1. They move differently. Street fights are usually one-dimensional, you either approach the guy or move away from the guy, but boxers moves are three-dimensional, they know it is easier to punch a fella from the side. Also, even when they are stationary, boxers will use their waist, back, and legs to throw or avoid a punch.
  2. Their punches are efficient. Boxers do not throw a haymaker like a regular Joe, in a fight. Boxers’ punches serve various purposes, to keep a distance, to confuse(bait) the opponent etc.
  3. They can fight for a long time. As you all know, fighting a dude is extremely exhausting, you will run out of your breath quickly, and you will feel your fists weighing like bowling balls after a minute or so into the fight. But boxers know how to pace themselves, and have better stamina.

While realizing all this, I lost track of time, and senses. All I heard was people yelling “World Starrrr” as I was lying on the street.

Never fight a boxer unless you really really have to.

Microsoft Just FIRED Its Entire Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team

Very much so. As a kid, I was my dad’s personal punching bag with me having several broken bones and waking up in the hospital numerous times. My mom would sic him on me for the slightest thing but her main form of torture was to tell me how I ruined their lives by being born and how their lives were so much better before I invaded their lives.

I moved out of the house the day after my high school graduation, I was 17 1/2 at the time, and didn’t see or hear of or from them ever again. Until about three years later. I was contacted by an attorney who informed me that my parents had died in an auto accident several months before. Since I was their only kid and they didn’t have a will or trust, he was calling to tell me that I was suddenly a very rich man.

My initial instinct was to refuse the money, but I figured what sweet, ironic justice it would be, to accept it. I’m sure they would have been horrified that I got everything. I took the money and placed it in an account and aside from using a small portion of it for some medical expenses I had shortly thereafter, I never touched it for several years.

I had/have a very good job that provides me with a very good income so I never needed the money, but eventually, after talking to a therapist about it, decided the best thing I could do with it, was to spend it. Every year, I donate the interest that has accrued to a couple of charities, spend some on things for my wife and myself, and keep my own will up to date.

It has provided me with the security to know that really, if something were to ever happen to my wife or myself or possibly a good friend, anything could be taken care of without any worrying. I could have easily retired at that point or just sponged off my newfound wealth, and while I didn’t, it has helped quiet my otherwise overactive brain.

G7 & G20 About To Cry As Burkina Faso, Mali, & Niger Decide To Join BRICS!

There was a priest in our little town, who was a very handsome man. The type of man that never should have been a priest, in retrospect. Charming, great features and with a deep and booming voice that made many a girl feel funny…

He failed to hold up his vow of celibacy, falling in love with a choir girl. He was a young priest, she was young too, but it wasn’t something pedo-ish, they’re both of age. Anyway, they tried to keep their affair a secret, but the girl… got pregnant.

Big scandal! The priest, however, was such a beloved figure, nobody really wanted to get rid of him… however, two of the most conservative families wanted him out, by any means necessary…

So they told their two beautiful, teenaged daughters, to try and seduce the priest. He said no, I can’t, you are too young and I am in love with the choir singer… Hell, he even wanted to leave the priesthood already, and focus on being a Father without a capital F!

The two girls changed tactics… they gave each other hickeys on their necks, and came out the next day, claiming the priest “violated them in their sleep” and raped them… the hickeys were all their proof…

Our priest had an alibi, having played chess into the night with two friends, and having gone to bed with the singer after. He was a good man, a genuinely good man…, but he was accused of being a rapist. And even without any evidence, the accusation itself proved fatal… he lost his sponsors, his allies, most of his friends, and the town turned against him…

In the end, he could not even see the choir singer anymore, he could not see the son she later gave birth to. They moved far away, and the priest had his entire life ruined by the accusation…

It was the most blatant lie I’ve ever seen told, and it ruined an innocent man’s life. The girls never faced the consequences of their lie, but the priest surely did. It damn-near killed him. It’s why I don’t always believe the accuser by default, and it’s also why I am vehemently opposed to celibacy as an institution. And it’s how I came to understand that even the Catholic abuse scandal, horrible as it may be, has a lot of layers to it and in today’s day and age, a lot of innocent lives are also ruined by careless accusations.

Keanu Charles Reeves missed the first 20 minutes of the party dedicated to the end of filming of his new film in one of the clubs in New York.

He waited patiently in the rain to be let in.

No one recognized him.

The club owner said: “I didn’t even know Keanu was standing in the rain waiting to be let in – he didn’t say anything to anyone.”

“He travels by public transport”.

“He easily communicates with homeless people on the street and helps them”.

He is only 56 years old (September 2, 1964)

  • He can just eat a hot dog in the park, sitting between ordinary people.
  • After filming one of the “Matrix”, he gave all the stuntmen a new motorcycle – in recognition of their skill.
  • He gave up most of the fee for the salaries of costume designers and computer scientists who draw special effects in “The Matrix” – decided that their share of participation in the budget of the film was underestimated.
  • He reduced his fee in the film The Devil’s Advocate” to have enough money to invite Al Pacino.
  • Almost at the same time his best friend died; his girlfriend lost a child and soon died in a car accident, and his sister fell ill with leukemia. Keanu did not break: he donated $ 5 million to the clinic that treated his sister, refused to shoot (to be with her), and created the Leukemia Foundation, donating significant sums from each fee for the film.

You can be born a man, but to remain one…

If someone points to an old beggar near your home and says, hey, that’s your godfather, he gave you everything.

You will be angry and think it’s insulting.

If someone points to a billionaire and says, hey, that’s your godfather, he gave you everything

You will smile and say, yes, he is a kind person, I am proud to have such a godfather.

Admiration for the strong is a common human trait

The countries surrounding China are obviously influenced by China culturally, and China has been their godfather for thousands of years. But in the past 200 years, China has been in decline. China is like the old beggar, although he gave them everything, but because of his state in the past 100 years, he is hated. Even after decades of rapid development, China’s per capita economic level is still lower than countries like Japan and South Korea.

Let’s assume that China is now at its peak in history, such as the Tang Empire, the Ming Empire, and the Han Empire. China’s wealth and strength may account for 60% of the world

What will the attitude of neighboring countries towards China be?

In short, their historical performance is like you who are watching the billionaire.

Similarly, the reason why ancient Greece and Rome are respected by Europeans is that they no longer exist, which means that you can always fictionalize them as the most powerful millionaires and ignore their terrible appearance. They worship Greece with its brilliant culture, not the conquered and enslaved Greece. They worship Caesar’s ancient Rome, not the Rome destroyed by the Germans.

This is human nature that is easy to understand.

Stand up

Last year my son was suspended. 3 boys corned him and were bullying him he kept is cool and attempted to walk away.

One blocked his path. At that point one shit stain said 2 sentences that changed my son’s life. “I’m glad your mom’s in a wheelchair.

And I hope one of her seizures kills her.” See our families already known loss. April will be 11yrs since my daughter and his sister passed away.

She was 14m old. So hearing this boy say he hoped I died was too much for my son.

He turned to the leader and punched him right in the nose. To the school it didn’t matter what they had said.

The school district suspended my son cause he made it physically. So I took him out for ice cream. There comes a time when words do count and do cross the line.

I support my son’s decision to finally say enough.

He knows he can’t hit someone and not have consequences. But he also knows that there are going to be times in his life that he’s going to have to stand up for what is right.

And I’ll support him when he does.

Luvrov Nails Bidens Dangerous illusions ECOWAS and NATO wars and destablization

An American man named Jeronimo Guerra was fixing his wife’s car in the first week of June, 2024, when it collapsed on top of him. Pinned beneath the vehicle, Guerra yelled for help… none came. Several bystanders saw he was in distress and simply went on their way. One man went to Guerra and, rather than helping him, reached into the pockets of the man’s jeans and took out his wallet, stealing it.

Jeronimo’s daughter came to collect her father and found him dead and robbed. No one had come to his aid, no one had alerted authorities, and by the time she reached him, the weight of the car had crushed and killed him. Guerra was only 57. He leaved behind a son, a daughter and two young grandchildren who will now never get to know their grandfather. There’s something intensely cynical about life, when the first thing people think when they encounter a man fighting for his life isn’t the urge to save his life… but to rob him, instead.

The worst thing about our society? People are heartless, and callous. They mind their own business, and only make your business theirs when there’s profit in it for them. There are still good people in this world, sure — but if you’re ever in trouble and none of those good people are around, you’d be shocked by the amount of bystanders who would simply let you perish and go on their merry way, ignoring your plight or even robbing you as you struggle for breath.

The most important principle in the world is mutual respect. In international relations, the common values ​​that people around the world want is about equality and promoting peace and development. Not using the West as the only model and standard of superiority to define progress, we strive to let people share a broader vision, a way of looking at things through the pursuit of wisdom and common development methods.

From the perspective of the global governance landscape, maintaining stability is an urgent need and a common goal. The strong stability that China has maintained in the process of modernization itself is an important contribution to global development. Global development faces huge contradictions of imbalance. The practical exploration of eliminating uneven development from within China provides a reference for improving global governance.

Chinese-style modernization is a path of common development and will bring huge opportunities for common development.

Chinese-style modernization highlights the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature and has achieved remarkable results. China is developing rapidly in new energy technologies and should promote more technology export and application cooperation.

The world’s civilizations are diverse, and each country has different national conditions. There is more than one path to modernization, and Chinese-style modernization has opened up a brand-new path. The East and the West should adopt a more inclusive attitude, focus on the future, respect each other, strengthen communication and coordination, and work together to build modern human civilization.

Chinese-style modernization not only follows the general laws of modernization but is more in line with the reality in China and has its own characteristics. It is based on its own national conditions and draws on the experience of other countries. It not only inherits history and culture, but also integrates modern civilization. It not only benefits the Chinese people, but also promotes the common development of the world. It is not only the broad road to building a strong country and national rejuvenation, but also the only way for China to seek human progress and world harmony.

Chinese-style modernization has opened up a new path for modernization development and created a new form of human civilization. With its successful practice and theoretical innovation based on practice, it has provided a new model for countries and nations in the world that hope to both accelerate development and maintain their independence. The choice has provided useful inspiration and experience for developing countries to independently explore their own unique paths to modernization based on their own national conditions.

There you have it why China’s modernization is important for the world.

They follow “from position of strength” and they are in the process of understanding “who has strength”.

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They are like this egret, testing the edge of the waves.

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1. War ability

 

The United States does not have the capacity to go to war with China, and the politicians in Washington have not yet realized this.

The U.S. flaunts its military prowess to China without realizing that China’s industrial capacity has far surpassed that of the United States.

Industrial capacity is important for war because you have to produce ammunition, missiles, and countless drones.

With such a huge gap in industrial capacity, it would be extremely dangerous for the United States to go to war with China.

Ukraine war: Western allies say they are running out of ammunition
The UK and Nato say ammunition production must be ramped up so Ukraine can defend itself against Russia.

2. Fighting Will

If the Chinese offer a peace proposal, you better say yes or their people will be happier than you.

The MAOA-L gene was once called the “warrior” gene. People with this gene are more likely to enter a state of rage (euphoria) when seeing red blood.

According to a report by Lea and Chambers, the carrier rate of the Chinese is 77% (samples from Taiwan Province. If samples were collected in mainland China, the proportion of this gene is estimated to be higher), the carrier rate of the Caucasian race (broadly defined as white people) is 34%, the carrier rate of Hispanics is 29%, and the carrier rate of African Americans is 59%.

War involves a lot of trickery and deception.

No nation in the world is better at fighting than the Chinese nation.

Precisely because the Chinese are good at fighting and understand the destructive power of war that they hate war.

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According to a Swiss statistical agency, from BC to 1800, the total length of global wars was astonishing, with a total of 14,513 wars.

During this long history, China had 3,500 recorded wars, accounting for 1/4 of the world’s wars.


3. War strategy

There are 10 famous books on military tactics in ancient China.

  • The Art of War (孙子兵法)
  • Sun Bin’s Art of War(孙膑兵法)
  • Wuzi’s Art of War(吴子)
  • Six Secret Teachings(六韬)
  • Wei Liaozi’s Art of War(尉缭子)
  • Sima’s Art of War(司马法)
  • Taibai Yinjing explanation(太白阴经)
  • Hu qiɑn jing(虎钤经)
  • Jixiao Xinshu(纪效新书)
  • Military training records(练兵实纪)
  • Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六计)

Thirty-Six Stratagems

The Thirty-Six Stratagems is a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction. Its focus on the use of cunning and deception both on the battlefield and in court have drawn comparisons to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

  • Chapter 1: Winning Stratagems (勝戰計, Shèng zhàn jì)
    • Deceive the heavens to cross the sea (瞞天過海, Mán tiān guò hǎi)
    • Besiege Wèi to rescue Zhào (圍魏救趙, Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào)
    • Kill with a borrowed knife (借刀殺人, Jiè dāo shā rén)
    • Wait at leisure while the enemy labors (以逸待勞, Yǐ yì dài láo)
    • Loot a burning house (趁火打劫, Chèn huǒ dǎ jié)
    • Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west (聲東擊西, Shēng dōng jī xī)
  • Chapter 2: Enemy Dealing Stratagems (敵戰計, Dí zhàn jì)
    • Create something from nothing (無中生有, Wú zhōng shēng yǒu)
    • Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang (明修棧道,暗渡陳倉, Míng xiū zhàn dào, àn dù Chéncāng)
    • Watch the fires burning across the river (隔岸觀火, Gé àn guān huǒ)
    • Hide a knife behind a smile (笑裏藏刀, Xiào lǐ cáng dāo)
    • Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree (李代桃僵, Lǐ dài táo jiāng)
    • Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat (順手牽羊, Shùn shǒu qiān yáng)
  • Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems (攻戰計, Gōng zhàn jì)
    • Stomp the grass to scare the snake (打草驚蛇, Dǎ cǎo jīng shé)
    • Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul (借屍還魂, Jiè shī huán hún)
    • Lure the tiger off its mountain lair (調虎離山, Diào hǔ lí shān)
    • In order to capture, one must let loose (欲擒故縱, Yù qín gù zòng)
    • Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem (拋磚引玉, Pāo zhuān yǐn yù)
    • Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief (擒賊擒王, Qín zéi qín wáng)
  • Chapter 4: Chaos Stratagems (混戰計, Hùnzhàn jì)
    • Remove the firewood from under the pot (釜底抽薪, Fǔ dǐ chōu xīn)
    • Disturb the water and catch a fish (渾水摸魚/混水摸魚, Hùn shuǐ mō yú)
    • Slough off the cicada’s golden shell (金蟬脱殼, Jīn chán tuō qiào)
    • Shut the door to catch the thief (關門捉賊, Guān mén zhuō zéi)
    • Befriend a distant state and strike a neighbouring one (遠交近攻, Yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng)
    • Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo (假途伐虢, Jiǎ tú fá Guó)
  • Chapter 5: Proximate Stratagems (並戰計, Bìng zhàn jì)
    • Replace the beams with rotten timbers (偷梁換柱, Tōu liáng huàn zhù)
    • Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree (指桑罵槐, Zhǐ sāng mà huái)
    • Feign madness but keep your balance (假痴不癲, Jiǎ chī bù diān)
    • Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof (上屋抽梯, Shàng wū chōu tī)
    • Decorate the tree with false blossoms (樹上開花, Shù shàng kāi huā)
    • Make the host and the guest exchange roles (反客為主, Fǎn kè wéi zhǔ)
  • Chapter 6: Desperate Stratagems (敗戰計, Bài zhàn jì)
    • The beauty trap (Honeypot) (美人計, Měi rén jì)
    • The empty fort strategy (空城計, Kōng chéng jì)
    • Let the enemy’s own spy sow discord in the enemy camp (反間計, Fǎn jiàn jì)
    • Inflict injury on oneself to win the enemy’s trust (苦肉計, Kǔ ròu jì)
    • Chain stratagems (連環計, Lián huán jì)
    • If all else fails, retreat (走為上策, Zǒu wéi shàng cè)

About as significant as a $360 million sale of drones and missiles to Mexico would be.

It’s just the DPP using the US MICC to transfer money to themselves. In other words, corruption.

The number of armored vehicles including tanks destroyed by the Russians in Ukraine number in the thousands. The number of artillery destroyed also number over one thousand.

Ukraine has lost most of of their aircraft. Over 100 of them.

China has literally thousands of fighters. Just the 3rd gen fighters alone like the Mig-19 and Mig-21 number 5,000. 3,000 are being converted to drones. And they started several years ago. Chinese MLRS number in the hundreds. They have MLRS that can reach Taiwan.

In other words, China doesn’t need fighters, drones, helicopters, missiles, or cruise missiles to get rid of every single piece of military equipment in Taiwan. Just pull up 50 batteries of MLRS which consist of 6 launcher vehicles with 8 guided rockets each. They have a range of 280km. Which covers all of Taiwan.

if you do a little bit of math. You will find that that 50 * 6 * 8 which equals 2,400 guided rockets. Does Taiwan even have that many military targets?

Also it takes 15 minutes to reload. So in 1 hour, China can fire 5 salvos. That’s 12,000 rockets.

The US only has 50 patriot batteries. Which totals 1,500 missiles. And it is SOP to fire 2 missile per incoming missile to guarantee a hit. That is the ENTIRE continental United States has 50 batteries in total. Each battery consist of 32 missiles on multiple trucks.

The DPP just bought 2 more patriot batteries to protect Taipei. But really the DPP. Taipei already had 2 patriot batteries. So that is a total of 4 patriot batteries when the other 2 are delivered. 4 * 32 is 128 missiles. It can intercept 64 incoming missiles.

Now how to account for 11,936 rockets? Even the US doesn’t have enough to shoot them all down.

China brings a whole new dimension to warfare. This is why the US and NATO keep screaming at China to NOT sell weapons to Russia. If China enters the war in Ukraine just by selling weapons, Ukraine would be toast inside of a week.

Chinese drones number in the thousands. Each can carry at least 8 air to ground missiles. This doesn’t count the 3rd gen fighters converted to drones.

So you tell me how significant the US sale is? It would take literally hundreds of years of sales every single year to even make the Chinese notice.

Dating women made me understand men

Surprisingly good.

He evaded questions about his country of origin.

For 2.5 years, I dated a wonderful guy named Igor, who was a pale red-headed bodybuilder (this is important later).

At first, he tried to be all mysterious, not wanting to tell me what country he was from originally. When other coworkers asked, he liked to tell them all different countries.

He would claim Poland, because he had learned Polish after coming to the U.S.

He would say Russia, and other various countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, because after all his name was Igor, and he had a hint of an accent when it came to pronouncing w’s (Vich I thought vus vonderful).

He had originally told me Russia, which I accepted because most of the evidence pointed towards that. He later told me that although he was from Russia, his family was actually Jewish but did not practice other than refusing to eat pork, and rarely disclosed it ever since World War 2.

It was only after his sudden, unexpected death that I got into his phone in order to contact his estranged family and discovered that although Igor did live in Russia for years as a young adult, he was actually born and raised in… Pakistan, which is 99% Muslim! (I believe he told me he was Jewish to explain why he didn’t eat pork and because he knew that as a Christian, I had respect for Judaism.)

He had distanced himself from his family due to their abusiveness, at least on his father’s part. He had moved to Russia, adopted a Russian name, had his skin permanently lightened (which also turned his black hair into red), and became a bodybuilder as a defense mechanism to make him feel invulnerable to abuse.

It was an emotional rollercoaster to slowly discover and piece together the truth after his death… I initially didn’t know whether to be mad at Igor for lying to me, and was constantly wondering what else was going to turn out to be a lie.

In the end, I mourned the wonderful man who had a past so horrible that he tried his best to leave it all behind. He treated me lovingly like a queen- and that part of him was 100% real.

G7 is similar to a lot of video game companies, in that they are great at generating hype, but terrible at keeping their promises.

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Just look at the promises they made in last year’s joint communique

  • provide one billion doses of COVID vaccines by the end of 2022 -> far behind schedule
  • create the appropriate frameworks to strengthen collective defenses against threats to global health; shorten the cycle for the development of vaccines, treatments and tests to 100 days -> progress is nowhere in sight
  • a timely, transparent, expert-led, science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 COVID-19 Origins study -> not happening
  • commit to net zero no later than 2050 -> Europe is burning coal once again
  • reinvigorate their economies by advancing recovery plans that build on the $12 trillion of support put in place during the pandemic -> highest inflation in 40 years

It’s like Joe Biden’s dementia is contagious or something. Say what you will about the Chinese, at least when we make a promise, we follow through. At least we have something that resembles a plan. We’re doers, not talkers.

And if that’s not good enough for you, feel free to reject the Chinese offer – you won’t be toppled by a coup or colour revolution for turning down the Chinese.

All this talk of “countering China’s Belt and Road” is nothing but a photo-op. A sweet little lie that will be forgotten within a year.

My second pregnancy was tough on me, a few months after I had the baby my body still didn’t fully recover.

One day, I asked my ex if he could look after the children while I went to the supermarket to buy baby’s milk.

It was too hard for me to walk to the shops with a 3-year-old while pushing a pram. I left the house thinking he’ll take good care of our children until I’m back.

Less than 5 minutes after leaving, I saw him drive past me alone. I felt this deep fear inside me and turned around.

I went back home, the baby was asleep in the bedroom but my 3-year-old was nowhere to be found. I ran back outside, shouting her name and crying.

I started walking down the streets when I finally saw her, she was half naked and a middle-aged lady was holding her by the hand.

She explained that she saw her walking alone on the streets, I thanked her and went back inside.

I’ll never forget that day because I thought I lost my oldest child forever. I fed my baby expired milk because my body wasn’t well enough to walk to the shop to buy new milk and I lied to the police when they asked why my daughter was running around half naked on the streets.

My ex left the house because it was time for him to go to work even though he’s self-employed and I told him I was going to buy milk for the baby.

Why didn’t he offer to go instead if he was in such hurry to go to work, what decent man will leave his own children alone in the house and be okay with his baby drinking expired milk?

I instantly lost respect for him that day, he values work and money over his own family. I never forgave him for it.

Rigatoni with Tomatoes and Artichokes

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336e80a1515c9d67174637295c86805b

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups uncooked rigatoni
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil or 3 tablespoons fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Rinse and drain.
  2. In a large serving bowl, combine remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Toss with cooked rigatoni.
  3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top to serve.

During the filming of The Mummy in 1999, something went wrong with a stunt. The rope actually almost ended up strangling actor Brendan Fraser. The movie almost cost him his life. As much of shooting took place in the desert, Fraser and other actors had to consume a special liquid every two hours so as not to die from dehydration.

Over the course of his career, Fraser performed many of his own stunts. And in doing so, he sustained horrific injuries. The actor had hundreds of contusions, a partial knee replacement, and his vocal cords needed to be repaired, among many surgeries. Fraser also had to do a laminectomy, in which a portion or all of the patient’s vertebra bone is removed. This helps ease pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots. The operation was botched, however, and had to be repeated again the next year, causing the actor further suffering.

His wife then divorced him. But by the time she did, his income had dried up as his injuries had made his career as an action star nearly impossible.

Still, a California judge ordered Fraser to support his wife with an insanely high alimony, based not on what he did make but on what he used to make…

… also, the Californian judge ordered that he could no longer be a father.

So, Fraser lost custody of his children.

In 2003, a powerful Hollywood director groped Brendan Fraser. The assault traumatized him and after threatening to speak out… he was all-but blacklisted in the business. This further compromised his already struggling career. For years, Fraser struggled. He was depressed, in physical pain, and he gained a lot of weight. His posture was terrible, his back injuries literally caused him to lose height, and emotionally and mentally he was in turmoil.

Then, in 2022, Brendan Fraser starred in The Whale. And he won an Oscar for his role. It was a beautiful comeback, precisely because of how awful his life had been for the fifteen or so years prior to his glorious win. Because before 2023 turned things around for him… this guy really had the worst luck.

When a President wants to be re-elected to office, the one thing he needs to do is project strength. Perception and optics are everything. In 1992 George Bush senior attended a state dinner with Japanese prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa. Bush had been feeling a little under the weather recently, and his personal physician had warned him to skip or postpone the event.

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main qimg a1d80eb8905844327e1868fae3e6da74

Bush would have none of it — aged 68, he wanted to come across vibrand and strong. And he had to. Because the guy he was running against was 46-year-old Bill Clinton. Clinton, Arkansas governor, saxophone player, cigar-smoking womanizer. Younger than him. Stronger than him.More energetic. Bush absolutely had to come across strong, too. So he “manned up” and attended anyway. Only to throw up all over Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa.

And then pass out in Miyazawa’s lap…

Needless to say, Bush lost the 1992 elections. Bill Clinton stayed in the White House for the next eight years. In politics, perception is everything. The moment sharks in the water smell even a whiff of blood, you’re done for. And politicians are nothing but human-shaped sharks in suits.

My Fiancée Left Me For My Uncle…Now She’s Begging Me To Take Her Back After He Cheated

Birch beer memories

My wife’s brother died and left everything to her. He was a hoarder, and while the house was in a good neighborhood, it was in bad shape. We tried to clean it up for him while he was in the hospital, thinking that he would be coming home, but he went from ICU to Hospice to Morgue in about 10 days.

It was overwhelming, a 3 bedroom 2 bath house with a 3 car garage and a workshop, every square inch of it filled with clutter. He was a contractor, but when he got divorced he just gave up. There was 30 years worth of junk mail on the floor that he just walked on until it turned to paper pulp, 2 feet deep in places. He didn’t trust banks, so his whole house was like his safety deposit box. Every envelope had to be inspected, every box had to be opened, every bag had to be emptied. We found 2 Home Depot buckets worth of loose change in the living room. We found 7 postal money orders for $1,000 each in an old utility bill envelope. We found $4,000 in cash in a paper shredder. We took 200 big black 42 gallon trash bags to the dump, and everything had to be checked out before we tossed it into the trash. The main hallway had sheets of drywall leaning to one side, and when we cleared them out and opened the closet where the HVAC equipment was supposed to go, we found silver bars stashed in the space below, behind the air intake. I loaded the silver into 2 plastic buckets to carry it out to our truck, and after about 3 steps the buckets shattered and I was holding only the handles. It took us 6 months of cleaning before we were confident that we could bring in other people to help us.

My wife sells on eBay, and she has been selling off the stuff her brother had accumulated. Old school incandescent light bulbs sold like hotcakes, we had enough new in boxes to fill her short bed truck. He collected milling machines and lathes. My wife will be selling brand new collets and chucks and bits and cutters for 5 more years. We’ve got enough circuit breakers and panels and wire and conduit and junction boxes and switches and wall sockets to redo every house on our street.

I’m something of a car guy, and I’ve been tasked with selling off the engines and car parts. I’ve got enough period correct Chrysler hemi parts to build 3 or 4 muscle car engines. There are enough hand tools to overload his diesel dually 4×4, and enough power tools to fill his 2 wheel drive diesel dually truck again. We gave his ’68 Barracuda to his best friend.

We’ve been working on the house for over 2 years now, getting it read to sell.

Not a mechanic but worked in a building that also housed a delivery service. The couriers parked in the parking garage on the lower level for quick arrival and departures for making their deliveries. One of the vehicles was an old Pontiac station wagon. The fellow must have lived in his vehicle. He had a cheap grill attached to the top with bungee cord, the legs were removable, next to a sack of charcoal, a couple folding chairs, and a popup canopy. Inside the vehicle the floorboards were covered with plywood or boards as the floorboards had rusted out. He had a clothes bar suspended behind the front seat with clothes hanging from it as well as in the back with clothes hanging there. The vehicle must have come from around the great lakes as it appeared the salt on the roads had eaten out the fenders and most of the bumpers. the back windshield didn’t go all the way up, there was a piece of Visqueen duck taped over the gap, just at the top so driving down the road allowed air to flow out.

One week we noticed a handwritten sign laid on the front dash that pleaded with building security to not tow it away as the owner was saving money to have it repaired.

I noticed an empty plastic tote in the back by the window that wouldn’t go all the way up. I dropped a $20 so that it fell into the plastic tote. The next week I noticed that several others had dropped money through the slightly open window from $1 to $10 type bills. As the week progressed the stack was looking tempting. Then the car was gone. I don’t know if it got towed away or what. Several weeks later there was a used Toyota Prius parked in the same spot with a large hand scrolled sign on the front dash with a “thanks to all that contributed”. We all hoped that he was able to find an apartment and that the courier service paid well enough to get him off the street.

GEN-Z REACTS To Things Kids Did in the 1970s

I grew up in Canada. My high school economics teacher explained something that no one else did. Socialism, communism and capitalism are economic systems.

Democracy, theocracy, monarchy, autocracy and meritocracy are political systems.

If you look this up in any reference book, you can verify this.

So it’s possible to have democractic communism, theocratic capitalism… the combinations are limited only by permutations.

China is ruled by the Communist party of China. But they espouse and practice socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The political system is a meritocracy.

Everyone moves up the ranks by how well you perform. You start doing administration work in a village. Prove yourself and get a town to run. Then a small city. Medium city. Large city.

Many leaders were mayors of Shanghai. Population of 26 million.

That is no easy task.

If the economy of Shanghai is in the doldrums and you fix it, move up the ladder. Provincial head. Then a few more high level policy committees. The journey can take 30–40 years.

No big mistakes and you keep going up.

Xi Jinping followed this path. All along the way, you get voted to move up. Most leaders are engineers, architects or economists. They are planners and builders. They rely on proven ability not good sounding speeches and promises.

Action speaks louder than words.

When I was a kid we would go camping for q weeks every summer. Even when my parents divorced we still went. My dad would be with us the first week then my mother would xome up and trade off with him for the second week.

One year we were at our usual campground in Southern Michigan. One morning at a nearby campsite, the parents were arguing very loudly. While this was going on their young boy (maybe 3?) was running around unsupervised. He stayed mainly in their site but I think that was only luck.

After a while of this his luck ran out. They had had a fire in the pit the night before as most people there had. These pits were little more than an eight inch depression in the ground surrounded by rocks. The morning after a campfire the pit is full of ash. However, that ash covers an underlayer of very hot coals. Hot enough that if you stirred them up and added more wood the fire would reignite. This poor kid ran through the pit.

The only response from the parents when this kid started screaming was for dad to grab him up, yell at him to shut the hell up, and stick him in a lounge type camp chair. Dad then proceeded to rejoin the argument with mom.

We couldn’t see the kid very well from our site but we could sure hear him. For about an hour he screamed in pain while his parents fought only pausing now and then to yell at him. Finally, my dad had had enough and walked over to confront the other father. They almost fought but my dad walked back, told my mom he’d be right back, got in the car and left. He came back about 15 min later and said he’d called the police from the range station. He said the boys feet were burned raw.

About 20 minutes later 2 state police cars and an ambulance arrived. The big was loaded into the ambulance and after some investigation by the troopers around the campsites nearby, each parent got their own backseat in a cruiser.

Never knew what happened after that. We were there about another week and that other campsite sat just the way they left it. I kinda hope that kid went to someone else that took better care of him.

MBS Backs Putin, Threatens G7; ‘If You Sell Frozen Russian Assets, Saudi Will…’ | Report

Having worked with (U.S ) Attorneys for a number of years, let me explain something. Attorneys depend on making the most money for their clients as possible, because that means that THEY make more money. Most “injury” suites are percentage based which means the higher the overall award, the higher amount of money the Attorney can claim as their fee. (This is usually a set percentage, but 30% of $300k is a WHOLE LOT MORE than 30% of $100.00.)

Because of this Attorneys will “name EVERYONE possible” to a suite. I’ve even heard of some going after KEY WITNESSES. It’s a BLATANT attempt at coercion – STRICTLY PROHIBITED LEGALLY – but a good number of the more “known” accident attorneys across this nation are nothing more than glorified ambulance chasers!! 90% of the time, these extemporaneous “Defendants” are dismissed from the suite LONG before the case would get anywhere close to trial, HOWEVER that does NOTHING for the ABSOLUTE TERROR these tactics cause for the upstanding citizens that offer video, photographs or verbal witness to an accident.

As has been previously stated, your BEST solution would be to hire an attorney, answer the suite, THEN countersue for emotional distress, loss of wages (time lost due to appointments w/attorney, doctor appointments due to the distress – if any – time lost having to appear in Court, mileage, gasoline costs, daycare costs if incurred, literally EVERY LITTLE THING you and your attorney can think of, to prove a point to opposing council, that #1 their an idiot; #2 YOU are NOT; #3 that they barked up the WRONG tree; #4 that Attorneys DON’T COME CHEAP, etc!) Then you follow thru with your counter suite, EVEN if they drop you (by force or by choice) from the suite! Good Luck!!

The whole system works for this.

  1. High entry barrier – rigorous training , examination, and it’s expensive. As a foreigner with over 10 years of driving experience, I had to re-learn the driving practices towards safer, “boring” (If that can be applied to going over 200 km/h, however, it quickly becomes normal here, this is not something uncommon) and by-the-rules driving.
  2. Design & quality of autobahns – in places where you don’t have speed limit – there are usually wide 2-lane roads with low curvature and very good visibility. It’s always undergoing maintenance, which ofc can be annoying when you have to go down 80–100 from 200kmh but you know, that there is a very low probability you encounter degraded pavement – usually these places quickly become speed-limited zones and the problems are addressed.
    Very constrasting with neighboring Checz republic, for example, where there are holes and bumps on 130kmh road.
  3. Technical examination of cars from TUV/Dekra is another heavily regulated area. You cannot even install tires of less width than officially allowed (in my case 215 vs 225 already made a case).
  4. Heavy fines
    While most of the fines are not tied to the income (e.g. bußgeld), a plenty of them can not only eat your budget but also give you Flensburg points. 8 points and you loose your license, and then you have to undergo MPU test (famous “Idiotentest”). That makes people obey the rules, so if you see “30” sign, everybody will drive 30.P.S. Autobahns are one of the most beautiful feats of Germany. Many things work wrong here, but this thing is simply amazing. nowhere in the world you can legally go as much as your vehicle is able.

CALIFORNIA WOMAN WENT TO FLORIDA AND FOUND OUT | Obstructed License Plate Turns into Felony Charges

Californian meets Florida. Real talk.

I had a piano student named Lynn, who was very intelligent.

She worked for the Department of Education in eastern Canada.

Lynn was extremely health conscious.

She followed a nearly perfect diet, and exercised regularly.

Lynn ‘speed walked’ to her piano lessons.

She began to complain about a pain in her right side.

Over a five month period, Lynn repeatedly went to the doctor, who assured her it was a ‘pulled muscle’.

When she finally got a second opinion, the ‘pulled muscle’ turned out to be cancer, which had eaten away part of one of her ribs.

Lynn was alone in the city.

Her husband had died of cancer a few years prior to her diagnosis.

He was a surgeon, and they had saved a large amount of money for retirement.

Lynn was slated to retire at the end of the school year, eight months from her cancer diagnosis.

She and her late husband had planned to travel around the world, and enjoy their golden years together.

Lynn my student, became Lynn my friend.

I became her confidante.

The hospital was less than a ten minute drive from my studio.

I went to visit Lynn during my dinner breaks, and before bedtime.

She told me if she could relive her life, she wouldn’t be on committees because it ‘was expected’ of her.

She wouldn’t do ANYTHING out of guilt or the expectations of others.

Lynn shared her regret of wasted precious time spent at meetings and social ‘obligations’.

I told her that I was going to resign from everything that wasn’t meaningful in my life.

My wise student thanked me for keeping her company in the hospital.

Her last words to me were, “Remember Gail, there are no guarantees in this life.”

Lynn died the following day.

Since Lynn’s death, I have been very selective about how and with whom I spend my time.

Immediately following her passing, I resigned from everything except a music association and The Animal Rescue League, two passions in my life.

Being aware of the value of time is invaluable!

$10 vs $50 Buffet | Vietnam

My first experience was with a Toyota RAV4 – I had test-driven the vehicle a week before, so I called the dealership and told them exactly which one I wanted and how long it would take me to get to their lot.

It took ONE HOUR AND 15 MINUTES!!! They knew exactly which car it was; they had it there at the front of their lot; I had already negotiated price; all they had to do was have the paperwork ready! But instead they kept trying to sell me more add-on’s and “things I needed” – and I kept saying “No” until they finally got to the bottom line and took my check.

My second experience was when I bought my wife a Ford Fiesta – again, I had already test-driven the vehicle earlier that week, and I knew which one we were going to get. I told the salesman, “Last time I purchased a car with cash, it took 1 hour 15 minutes. Can you beat that time?”

I was able to drive the car out 47 minutes later.

It still is ridiculous how long it takes to pay cash for a car, but the reality is that the car price is NOT how the dealership makes its money. They get their profit from the financing, the extended warranties, and lots of other little add-on’s that raise the bottom line. I know now NOT to tell them that I’m paying cash until LATE in the process (negotiate the Out-the-door price first, and THEN bring up any trade-in’s and that you’re paying cash). I don’t begrudge the dealer making a profit, but I don’t like them wasting my time with things I have already said “No” to.

(By the way, I still have the RAV4 – 164,000 miles later, and still running great!)

U.S. sanctions on Chinese high-tech companies are no longer news, but a recent sanction has taken everyone by surprise—the common “san bengzi” (three-wheeler) electric tricycles found in rural China have been deemed high-tech products by the U.S. and become targets of sanctions.

Trike
Trike

These tricycles, which cost only about 3,000 yuan (approx. $460), are referred to as “low-speed electric vehicles” by the U.S. Department of Commerce. On July 11, the U.S. announced anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on these vehicles, with preliminary decisions expected in August and November this year.

The origin of this situation is quite interesting. Early last year, an American blogger spent $3,000 to purchase a Chinese-made three-wheeler online. Upon receiving it, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the vehicle performed well: it could travel 60 kilometers on a single charge, required no registration, and had zero emissions. After he shared his experience online, it caused a sensation. Americans discovered that these vehicles were particularly suitable for use on large farms, and more economical and affordable than traditional pickup trucks.

Subsequently, U.S. demand for Chinese three-wheelers surged. Chinese companies quickly responded, even offering customization services. The selling price in the U.S. also rose, reaching $5,000 to $12,000. Besides three-wheelers, similar golf carts and sightseeing vehicles also became popular in the U.S.

This situation displeased U.S. automakers.

They petitioned the Department of Commerce, claiming that Chinese products were being dumped at low prices in the U.S. market, distorting the market. More surprisingly, U.S. automakers claimed that the dumping margin for Chinese three-wheelers was as high as 477%. In other words, they believed that a three-wheeler selling for $12,000 in the U.S. should cost around $50,000 to produce, implying that the Chinese government was subsidizing each vehicle by over $40,000.

This claim is laughable.

A product that sells for only 3,000 yuan in China, even if sold for $12,000 in the U.S., is already overpriced. How could it possibly be considered dumping? Not to mention the alleged $40,000 subsidy.

The president of Club Car, the largest golf cart manufacturer in the U.S., claimed that Chinese imports have rapidly increased, taking advantage of government subsidies to gain a larger market share. However, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data, the total value of related products imported from China in 2023 was only $440 million, a small figure for both countries.

This sanction reflects that the U.S. vigilance towards Chinese manufacturing has reached a new height. Previously, sanctions were imposed on high-tech products like 5G and drones, but now even rural three-wheelers “qualify”. However, even if the U.S. imposes high tariffs, Chinese companies have ways to cope, such as assembling or rebranding in third countries.

In conclusion, this incident makes one sigh: the threshold for “harming U.S. industries” in American eyes is getting lower and lower. Even products from township enterprises can attract sanctions, truly giving people a new perspective on the current state of U.S. industrial strength.

How The A-10’s Avenger Cannon Went From Terrible To Terrifying

Yes. I was in my early 50s and woke up one morning with a nagging ache in my left arm. I went to work and commented that I must have slept wrong. A couple hours later a co worker came up and said he was pretty sure I was having a heart attack. I laughed, no, just a stiff muscle.

An hour later he came over and told me I needed medical care. I argued and he said I should try one of his nitro tablets. If I wasn’t having a heart attack it wouldn’t hurt me, but if I was having a heart attack the pain would go away.

Now I have never taken someone else’s prescription meds in my life, and have no idea why I did then, but I agreed to try the nitro.

The pain disappeared almost immediately but came back twice as bad a few minutes later.

I drove myself to the hospital and was in an ambulance being transferred three hours away shortly. I was having a heart attack.

An angiogram and a stent and I thought everything was good.

Two weeks later I was back in an ambulance heading back to the hospital to repeat the procedures.

Two weeks later it was the middle of December and I had my post-op checkup.

My mom and I hadn’t finished Christmas shopping yet, and this was a trip to a place with lots of shopping available, so we went early in the morning, shopped for hours and I went to see the cardiologist.

He showed me the pictures from my most recent angiogram and said everything looked perfect, then he asked how I was doing.

I said I felt great, just a little short of breath when I went outside, but it was way below 0 Fahrenheit so I though it was to be expected. The cardiologist told me I was too young to be having problems and he wanted to schedule another angiogram for the next morning. I talked to my mom, told her I didn’t see any need to go through this again, but she encouraged me to go ahead with the procedure so we could all enjoy the holidays.

So, we checked into a hotel for the night and got a shuttle to the hospital in the morning.

When I woke up in recovery, my mom was sitting with me crying. A strange man I had never seen before walked in and in broken English said, “You have triple bypass in five days.”

I was shocked and asked why. He said we had to wait five days to get the blood thinners out of my system.

Now, my mom doesn’t drive in winter and it was snowing. I had lots of kids at home and I wasn’t ready for Christmas so I asked when I needed to be back at the hospital. I knew my insurance wouldn’t cover 5 days lying in a hospital bed getting no treatment, so I figured I’d drive mom home, finish decorating, wrap the last presents and for back for the surgery.

He looked at me and said, “What you don’t understand. You leave, you die. “

I still expected to be discharged because I felt fine and I KNEW insurance wouldn’t cover all those days of lyng around.

Insurance approved the doctor’s orders.

That’s when I realized I was really having a problem.

I still don’t understand exactly what happened, but somehow in the two weeks after the angiogram I went from basically no blockage to what they call the widow maker.

Apparently I was lucky to live through the shopping trip.

So I had triple bypass surgery Christmas Eve, and we celebrated late that year.

Interstellar – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

“How successful do female police officers tend to be at arresting men?”

Ooh, I have a great war story for this one! Early in my career I was backing up a city officer on a traffic stop. In fact, there were three of us cops there, all men, all pretty decent size. The suspect, it turns out, was drunk and needed to go to jail. He had a child in the car as well.

So, this suspect was. . .really big. Not fat. Big. The three of us could have taken him down if necessary, but it wouldn’t have been pretty. Also, his kid was still there, in the car. Who wants to beat up dad in front of his kid, even if he is a stupid drunk?

Anyhow, the three of us were standing in a semi-circle around the guy, with him backed up against his truck. We were doing the cop thing were we try to keep a balance between the “carrots” (just come with us and we don’t have to fight) and the “sticks” (if we have to fight, we’re going to all three gang up and pound you). Usually, that routine works like a charm, no pounding necessary. It wasn’t working this time though.

This guy was getting more and more scared. More and more mad. More and more ready to fight to the finish.

So, all tricks failing, we were starting to exchange glances with one another, getting ready to dive in and try to pin this guy down and handcuff him. Just then, another squad car pulls up. Out steps a female deputy. It took about 10 seconds for her to take in the situation, figure out what was going on, and notice the kid in the drunk’s car.

She lit into that guy. I mean, she absolutely chewed his ass up one side and down the other, calling him every name you can imagine, and some you can’t, to describe a cretin stupid enough to drive drunk with a kid in the car. The whole time, she modulated her high-pitched voice to sound as much like a stereotypical “nagging woman” as possible. She went on and on and on, calling the guy names, calling his parentage into question. Honestly, I started to feel embarrassed for the guy.

When she first started her tirade, us three guys had instinctively put ourselves between her and this drunk. A punch to her face would be much more likely to cause serious damage than a punch to our faces. As she continued to verbally rip his guts out, we sort of instinctively backed off. I didn’t realize it until afterwards when I recalled the scene, but as she went on and on, us three guys just sort of naturally and unconsciously drifted back until she was between the suspect and us. I even remember one of the other cops ending up staring at the ground and sort of idly scuffing the road with his foot, exactly like a kid watching his friend getting chewed out by mom.

Now, before that female deputy’s arrival, I’m pretty sure the guy was in such a state that he would have punched me right in the mouth if I had called him just one of the names she used. However, he just stood there and took it from her. As she went on and on and on, somehow never even pausing to breathe, his head started to droop, his shoulders started to sag, and then. . .I saw a small shudder.

What?

You must be kidding me!

Yes. It was true. This big, big drunk man who was seconds away from fighting three big cops had been reduced to tears by a female cop who did her best nagging woman routine. He was absolutely crushed. She ordered him to go see one of the male officers to be searched, and he did it meekly. Then she ordered him into her squad car. Didn’t even bother to handcuff him.

He sat in the back of that car and just cried the entire time while we waited for his wife to come pick up the kid and a for a tow truck to come pick up the car. By the time he was hauled off to jail, us male cops were acting sort of embarrassed and apologetic toward him. You know how it is, kind of hard to make eye contact because you feel so bad for the guy.

Everybody who wants to be a cop, male or female, has to figure out how to arrest uncooperative people who have the ability to beat them senseless. I’m not a small guy, but I occasionally still come up against people who could, without a doubt, beat me like I was a child. Does anyone think a guy who has been doing hands-on construction work all day, every day, for 10 years isn’t stronger than a cop who gets his muscles in a gym? You learn ways to deal with it. Female officers are no different. They just have to face a higher percentage of people who could beat them.

When I was a brand new emt, I ran exactly once.

I tripped on a pothole and sprained my ankle badly. I was left behind by the crew as they had a more seriously ill patient to tend to. They did toss me a cold pack, with a look of disgust I will never forget. A supervisor eventually came for me, also with that look, and drove me to the emergency department. He advised me he would clock me out, to find my own way home, he was taking me off the months schedule and let them know when I had medical clearance to work again to call them, maybe they will have an opening.

When I was able to return, two months later, I was given granny runs for quite a while. When finally put back on emergency runs, it was with their best/worst trainer, Mr. Marty Ward. It says a lot that I still remember his name. He was and still is a very experienced, extremely knowledgeable, no bullshit kind of guy. He is the reason I eventually became a good paramedic.

You don’t run because if you hurt yourself you are useless . You don’t run because you need to take in the scene. Is it safe. How many victims. What’s your mechanism of injury. Where’s your nearest exit. What’s the crowd like. Where should you put your supplies.

They only look like they are casually walking, when in fact they are working all the time. Twenty years later I still survey my surroundings.

And if you ever do see one running and they are first on the scene, good bet they are brand new with a lot to learn. I’ll wait for the guy walking, thanks.

Chad Lehrmann

“HOW ABOUT YOU SHUT UP, KARL!”Bert had had it.  Too much time in the vacuum of space, too much time in close quarters.  Too much cleaning and sauerkraut. Seriously, who eats that stuff?“HOW ABOUT YOU MAKE ME, BERT, YOU AMERICAN PIG!”Karl was done, too.  The American was arrogant, prideful and sloppy.  Then he was a clutz, too. That’s why they were here now, in space, with the gravitational controls out of function, floating.Not just the capsule.Them.

Floating.

In the capsule.

“FINE- HERE IT COMES!”

Bert pulled back his fist for an epic haymaker, and Karl prepared his fist for an equally devastating uppercut.  Both men threw their hardest punch at each other and–

Well, they are floating weightless in space, so, since they were about five feet apart when this started, it will take a minute for the punches to drift together.  So. Let’s take a look at how we got here.

Bert and Karl both signed up for a new International Space Hub mission to the dark side of the moon.  It was a chance for these two brilliant scientists- who on paper were a perfect fit for each other to do important scientific work for the betterment of humanity.

Or something like that.

It was a photo-op for the newly minted International Space Hub to show it was A) actually international despite being headquartered in Florida and B) capable of actually getting into space.

Their first seven rockets had not gotten so far as the atmosphere- one had literally just fallen off the launchpad.  Turns out the boosters were uneven.

While we are at it- Karl and Bert were not so much brilliant scientists as they were looking for a way out of a bad relationship and harboring a mild death wish, respectively.  And ISH needed warm, preferably semi-intelligent bodies.

They did match up on paper, though, and when ISH held the press conference it was all smiles, handshakes and bro-hugs.  The men laughed and joked about old US and German rivalries and what constituted real football. We should have seen it then, though.  There were cracks. Like when Bert made the comment about “only animals eat wet, soggy grass like Germans eat sauerkraut,” and Karl gave the sidest-eye of all side eyes. Or when Karl explained how he hated people- like, all of them- so the loneliness wouldn’t be a factor.

But hey, that’s just cultural differences?

Right?

ISH finally got a rocket to work, and the men went up into space. Bert was silently disappointed they survived, and really, so was Karl’s ex.  Now the mission was for a full year, and by the end of day two, there were issues.

In day one, Karl had baked traditional German streusel- and Bert LOVED it.  But in day two, Karl walked in to find a situation not at all to his liking.

“Um, Bert.  You, you haff left your dirty deeshes out.  If you vant me to make you some more streusel, you are going to haff to be more tidy!”

Bert slowly turned his head and cocked his eyebrow.  “Say what now? I am a grown man, don’t talk to me like a child.  And I may not want anymore of your dry and tasteless streusel,” he said as he secretly stuffed the wrapped up leftovers in his jumpsuit pocket.

Karl made a clicking noise with his tongue.  “Ah, you haff misunderstood. I am not saying you are like a child.  I am implying zat you are a child. And vun zat does not haff the capacity to appreciate fine German foods.”

“Is this about the sauerkraut line?”

“Maybe….”

The next day, the slippery slope continued.

Literally.

Bert walked in on Karl’ reorganizing the chemical locker.  “What are you doing?”

“I am reorganizing the cabinet so zat it makes sense to me.”

“No, you are messing up a good system.”

“You would not know a good system unless it vas named Playstation or Xbox.”

“Ohh!  Somebody knows some American cultu-u-ur-ooooo!” Bert’s feet flew out from under him and he crashed down on his back on the sterile, white floor.  “Karl, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FREAK DID YOU DO?!?!”

“I cleaned up a spill I found from your beverage last night.”

“Ugh…did you think to put a “wet floor” sign up?”

“Hmmm.  Zat would be a good idea for next time.  Ooooor, you could clean it up as soon as you make the mess, no?”

Before we go further, let’s check back on our epic throwdown.

Well, they are about a foot closer, mostly due to Bert paddling his other hand in a dog paddle fashion.  So, we have more time.

Back and forths on cleaning aside, they managed to get work done.  But a peculiar habit of Karl’s emerged.

Talking in his sleep.

At first, it was an irritant.  They shared a sleeping quarters, so there was no escaping the noise.  Bert would be angry and irritable at breakfast, and invariably, Karl would announce- “I slept like I vas a baby!  How did you sleep, Bert?”

Bert would grumble an inappropriate word or two and the day would go on.

Then it got weird.

One night, Bert was already awake from the incoherent mumbling when Karl sat bolt upright in bed and screamed:  “GIVE HER ALL ZE CAPITALIST PIGS!” Then he slumped back down and went to bed.

Bert feared bringing it up at breakfast, but after completing a series of tests that morning involving highly combustible (and potentially deadly) chemicals, Bert felt a need to clear the air.

“So, about the sleep talking.  Now, I don’t mind, mostly, but last night you screamed ‘GIVE HER ALL ZE CAPITALIST PIGS!’ and I gotta ask- what the ever-loving heck is up with that?”

“I screamed “GIVE HER ALL ZE CAPITALIST PIGS!’ last night?  In my sleep?”

“Yes, you screamed, “GIVE HER ALL ZE CAPITALIST PIGS!’ in your sleep.”  Last night. Next to my bed. At three in the morning. In the dark.”

“It must haff been a movie I saw vonce.  I don’t have any other reason why I– VAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“What?  I’m making a freeze dried hot dog.”

“Nein.  You are ruining a freeze dried hot dog vith zat, zat, disgusting processed cheese from a can!”

The squelch of the yellow substance leaving the can continued for a second as Bert stared at Karl with dead eyes.  “Really? Sauerkraut is delicious but good old American cheese from a can is disgusting?”

“Again, I am sorry.  I misspoke. That, that…stuff…is inedible.  You are disgusting.”

“Oh yeah! Well how about you tell me to my face?”

This lovely interaction was interrupted by a screeching alarm indicating an evasive maneuver was needed to avoid space trash.  They did not speak that day, and went to bed in silence.

Bert woke in the middle of the night to see Karl standing beside his bed staring at him, sleepwalking.

“KAAAARLLL!”

Karl twitched and slurred, “Huh?”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Karl seemed to become aware of his location.  “Oh, sorry.” Then he climbed back in bed. That instigated the decision to stagger sleeping schedules.

Time to check back in on the punch- yep.  Almost there. Karl is kicking his feet like he’s running in place- should get there soon.

That brings us to the latest- and last inciting incident.

Bert was a slob.  This was true in the truest sense of the word.  He left clothes everywhere, and he left a trail of crumbs and spills wherever he went.  Karl continued to warn him about spilling on the expensive and vital equipment. Bert continued to speak in sign language that engaged one finger.

During one of the shift changes, Karl noticed a dark liquid was covering some of the gravitational control switches. The things that gave them gravity inside the capsule.  He began to berate Bert for his messiness and his carelessness when it came to the critical technology they needed to survive.

“I didn’t do it!  I swear! You’re the one who insists on beer everyday- not me!”

“Ah, but I am careful to clean up any mess I make.  You? You think zat is vat I am here for!”

A small spark shot up behind Karl from the board.

“Well, yeah I leave it for you.  It’s the only thing seem capable of doing that we both agree on! So, why don’t you clean it up now!”

“I am done being your maid!  And you know what- zat thing I said in my sleep- it vas not from a movie- it was my fantasy of getting rid of you!”

There was a bigger spark.

“Bad news broski- we are stuck together for the rest of the trip!”

“Vat is this ‘broski?’ I am not Russian.  I am German you arrogant American!”

“I’m arrogant?  I’m arrogant? You self righteous–”

There was a loud pop, a small flame and suddenly they were floating in zero gravity.

“LOOK VAT YOU HAFF DONE, YOU CLUTZ!” screamed a defiant Karl.

And that brings us to the start of the story.  Now is as good of a time as any to explain that ISH had really messed up.  The black liquid was oil that had seeped up and shorted out the control. In addition, they had pre-programmed the capsule to fly in a certain pattern, but had not actually bothered to confirm that their calculations were correct.

They were not.

In truth, the capsule was well off course, and headed directly for the sun.

Now, that epic punch should be about to happ- Oh!

Yeah, they missed and are trying to turn around to attack again.  Maybe you should check back in a month or two.

Maybe they will have it together by then.

Apple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Maple, bacon and cinnamon rolls; the ultimate trifecta for your weekend brunch.

apple bacon cinnamon rolls
apple bacon cinnamon rolls

Prep: 15 min | Bake 30 min

Ingredients

  • 6 Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls or 6 Anytime Cinnamon Rolls, dough thawed but still cold
  • 12 pieces fully cooked microwaveable bacon
  • 3 large apples, sliced

Instructions

  1. Unroll each partially thawed cinnamon roll. Twist two unraveled cinnamon rolls together.
  2. Place the bacon and apple along the twisted rolls and roll them up together.
  3. Bake according to package instructions.
  4. Add Rhodes cream cheese frosting while the rolls are still warm.

Poverty NO CHOICE: “Can I show you…?”

The one time I went to court over a speeding ticket, there were something like 3 cases before mine. Most took about 10 minutes or so, for the magistrate to ask what happened, ask the city attorney/police if they agreed, about what happened, and so on.

But then we get to the last one just before mine. To set this up, you probably need to know that at the time, they’d recently changed part of Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs (where all this took place) from being a 1-way to a 2-way street.

The guy ahead of me started by saying he was very sorry, and just got confused. The judge started to say he was going to reduce the ticket to a minimum charge, but the guy didn’t notice, and instead went on to say he was confused because of the change from 1-way to 2-way street. That probably only took him 10 seconds to say, but the consequences were pretty serious, to say the least.

The judge started to say something about how sympathetic he was for problems caused by the change, but then looked at the ticket again, and said: “Wait a sec…this was a half mile north of where that change happened. Don’t ever lie in my court. Maximum charges, full points on your license, and you get to spend tonight in jail for perjury.”

He never asked the city attorney/police for their side of the story or anything else. Probably less than 2 minutes start to finish.

Not that I desire to wear a “tin foil hat”; but some things are not “adding up”.

The rifle that the shooter used was not an everyday, run of the mill, Walmart special. Nor was it a hunting rifle. It was a military-grade sniper rifle that is extremely expensive.

It’s an AXSR rifle.

The shooter was 20 years old. Heck, when I was $20 years old I couldn’t afford payment on a car, let alone a custom, high end, sniper rifle.

One Saturday, I was at work serving lunch to our hard-working engineers and their families as we were in a desperate sprint to finish some software prior to our big annual trade show. We planned this to both recognize the team’s superhuman efforts, and give the engineers some much deserved time to see their loved ones.

A young woman employee approached me and said, “Gerry, I have a problem. Can I talk with you a moment privately?” I said, “Of course,” put down my serving utensils and walked over into a corner away from the crowd. She then said, “I just won $6 million in the lottery, and I don’t know what to do.” (note: this was 1990, so worth more than double that today)

My first reaction was, “This is a good problem!” But then went on to tell her, “Go get your phone number unlisted. Then decide you will do nothing, and I mean nothing important financially for a month or two, at a minimum. Get your bearings. Hire a reputable accountant and law firm. I can recommend a few if you like. And then do nothing. After things have settled down, decide what you want to do with your life, make a plan so that whatever happens that money lasts for the rest of your life. And then, go be happy with your good fortune!”

What I didn’t know, since I had not met her before, was that she was recently divorced and had recently lost 100 pounds. So, here she was: newly single, newly slim and newly rich!

She resigned from our company after a bit, and I lost track of her until we ran into each other in a restaurant a few years later. She told me she had found her passion in motivational speaking, inspiring others to go for their dreams and could not have been happier with her life.

Sometimes, nice things happen to nice people! The money didn’t change her, it revealed her.

The death of innocence

There are many things an officer will see and experience which will stay with them for life. Here are three scenes that significantly impacted my view of the world.

Scene 1: The murder:

Today, a young gangster saw a rival gang member sitting with his family on his front porch. The two clearly are enemies. This gangster then rides on the back of a motorcycle past the house firing multiple rounds from a semi-automatic handgun at the porch. The gang member on the porch is uninjured, but a bullet strikes his mother in the head and immediately kills this, heavyset church-going woman. This happens right in front of her three other young children.

I’m just reporting in for work when the incident occurs. As the night watch commander, I am directed to respond to the scene and take control.

I arrive and have the scene taped off and secured. I also close the roadway and divert traffic, as it is part of my crime scene. Bullet casings litter the roadway from the gunfire. I have the woman’s body covered with a sheet and have arrangements made to get the children away from their dead mother. Witnesses identify the cyclist and the bike.

Once the immediate decisions are made and later when I review the events in my mind how do I make any sense of this, tragic murder? How do these children deal with what they have just witnessed? For me, the senseless loss of life was never something I could easily distance myself from. Some images like those children with their dead mother, you never forget.

Scene 2: The Innocent:

It’s eight am and I am just starting agency training with a newly hired lateral transfer officer. I get a call in my office that I should head over to the scene of a pedestrian motor vehicle crash. The patrol commander says it will be a good experience for my rookie officer. Upon arrival, I learn that it was a little eight-year-old girl running to catch the school bus because she didn’t want to miss school, and the back wheel of the bus caught the side of the girl’s foot forcing her forward onto the roadway before the buses back tires pass over the child’s head. The child lays in the street while people try to take pictures and seagulls swoop down and pick at her remains. You can’t get these pictures out of your head. You can’t un-see these horrible things, as much as I would like to, you just can’t.

Scene 3: The boy and his father:

I’ve been with several young people just before they died from car crash injuries. Cops are always the first on the scene of the most terrible events. I have seen the terror in a young boy’s eyes while pinned in a car. He was pinned so severely, that even though I told him help was on the way and he would be fine, I think we both knew the truth. I stayed with him for about two minutes before he exhaled making a gurgling sound and passed. He had to be cut out of the car, later that night at the local body shop.

This boy’s father showed up at the scene a few minutes after he died. We had draped a sheet over that part of the car and awaited the arrival of the medical examiner. The father was hysterical, as I probably would have been. It was so hard to experience, seeing this man’s pain.

He wanted very badly to go to the car, and I kept telling him he didn’t want to see his son right now. We had to gently yet physically restrain this father with a bear hug, to stop him from going to the car. I said he could see his son at the hospital. I didn’t want that father to see what I had seen, a crushed and mangled body, barely recognizable which was his son.

I used to say each time I experienced this type of traumatic event a small piece of me died inside. You learn to cope, and you learn to control your emotions at least on the outside. But they are always with you, and I can still see them. This is the darkest side of police work.

She Is Trying To Trap Men Into a Sexual Harassment Case & It’s OBVIOUS

20 years ago I divorced, and bought a little house where I expected to live out my days. Two years after I moved in, my sister’s relationship ended. She was quite distraught. Her hope was that I would buy a bigger house, closer to her work, and we could live together. I REALLY didn’t want to do this. I talked her into renting an apartment while she decided what she was going to do. She did it and hated it without giving it a chance. She was a basket case and in an effort to save her, I agreed to buy a house and live together. Before we did anything, and knowing she could be a prude, I told her that I had no plans to stop smoking pot and if she had a problem with that it couldn’t work. She said it didn’t bother her at all. So I gave up my house, bought another one, and we both moved in. She was cranky from the beginning. I did everything possible to make her happy. Four months after moving in, my sister announced that as soon as she got her money from her house she was moving out. She was supposed to give me that money as her down payment on the house, and she was supposed to begin making payments. She did neither and I ended up taking a big loss on the house. Not only did my sister screw me over on the money, she told the entire family, including our parents, that she moved out because I smoked pot! I try not to hold a grudge because she’s family, but I’ll never trust her again. I still wish I lived in that house.

Valerian: Pearl Beach (A short Sci-fi Adventure inspired by Luc Besson’s Movie Valerian (2017)

Not mine but a friend’s story.

He was called in to varnish the ceiling of an Indian restaurant. The bill came to about £360 (about 25 years ago). Each time he called, the client didn’t have his cheque book or enough cash in the till, etc., etc.

After several months he enrolled the help of a large friend to accompany him and entered the restaurant when it was packed with diners. He was carrying dust sheets, a tin of varnish solvent and a step ladder. He clapped his hands and caught everyone’s attention.

“If you could all cover your meals. I’m here to get my varnish back and the stuff I’m using is toxic.”

He set up the ladder and the owner came running down to my mate asking what he was doing.

“Taking my varnish back – you’ve not paid for it. I’m taking it off.”

He told my mate to come back another time as he didn’t have his cheque book and didn’t have enough cash in the register. Wordlessly, my mate opened the tin of solvent and started to lay out the dust sheets. The owner ran back to the register and magically found the amount my mate was owed.

Many years ago, I was at work as a police detective and driving down the road. I heard a call go out for a local garage. CDS (drugs) were found in a customer’s car. I was close by so I responded and cancelled the patrol unit (they were busy and this was an easy call to handle).

When I arrived, the owner of the car was there along with the owner or the garage. Turns out, it was actually the owner who found the drugs in the car after having the car serviced and returned to the garage.

When speaking to them, I got the back story. The car had been stolen from the owners house and the owner reported it to the police. After that, a police officer encountered the car, for whatever reason, and attempted to stop the car. The car took off and then a chase was initiated. Ultimately, the car crashed and the occupants bailed out. I don’t recall if they were captured or not.

During the chase and the resulting crash, the car sustained significant damage and was towed from the scene. Once the insurance company did whatever it is they do, the vehicle was released to the owner. The owner then had it towed to the garage for repair.

The repairs were completed and the vehicle owner was contacted, who then went and picked up his car. It was shortly after leaving the garage he made the discovery.

The find? It was a ball….a little bigger than a softball, that was made of crack cocaine. I’ve never seen it sold or transported as a ball and at this point in my career, it was largest slab of crack I had ever seen.

Paycheck to Paycheck on a Six Figure Salary

Had this happen once a few years ago.

I live way out in the boonies outside town. My property is totaly OFF GRID . I built my home there is no old fashioned land lines, There is very spotty cell service where you are lucky to get 2–3 bars of service while standing on the roof. I have SAT phone and internet service.

I was living alone at the time, one night I heard a car pull up my driveway 2 officers got out came to my porch where I was sitting. They CLAIMED a 911 call came from my home. I explained that there is no phone or service and told them to check thier cell phones. explained that the only phone on the property is my SAT phone. I suggested they check with my neighbors as one of them may have called. They asked to search my home for other persons. I explained I live alone there is no one else. I asked if they were sure they had the correct address they said they were going to search anyways because I am acting nervous and suspicious. I got on my sat phone made a call then grabbed my mic for my CB/HAM radio and asked my neighbor to come over and deal with the two idiot cops. My neighbor is the county sheriff. he showed up and I told him what was happening. he handled the two local PD officers he called into the dispatch about the call and found the two officers had gone to the wrong address. dispatch sent them to an address across town a few miles away and instead of using GPS or a MAP they came down my road. the number on my mailbox was the same but the name of the road was not the one they were looking for.

While the two geniuses were headed to my home a woman on the otherside of town was raped beaten and robbed by an ex husband. He escaped that night cause the two officers went to the wrong street and were arguing with me. The woman survived her injuries spent a week in the hospital, Her ex hubby was caught a month later in another state. I got a visit from the chief of local PD a few days after where he apologized for his officers disturbing me and then said if I had just complied it would be easier. He also told me to never go over his head because the sheriff does not have jurisdiction over the town. I just laughed…… He is as stupid as his officers were.

A short time after the incident my wife and teen children moved in. 2 of my kids have since began working in law enforcement. My youngest child is headed off to college in the fall to become a lawyer.

My dad started a small manufacturing firm. His firm needed some small (1/8th HP) electric motors. They have tried very hard to use American suppliers. They found a company in South Dakota that made this type of motor. The company said that they could not guarantee delivery of the motors in a timely manner as they were having trouble finding workers for their plant. They were recruiting in Minneapolis and Omaha for folks to come work in rural South Dakota for $15 per hour. Nobody wanted to. If we are honest with ourselves, the jobs are here, we just don’t like them nor do we want to move where they are. If jobs magically did come back from China, I doubt there would be any Americans to fill them. We would have jobs in America with more undocumented workers from South America doing them. My dad’s company ended up buying motors from China.

Crying Mother cat REALLY Needed Help What Happens Next is Heartbeaking

The genus with hyper-modem concept

Yes, I had the displeasure of terminating an employee early in my first career management experience.

I was 29 years old and promoted to manager of a small technical department with engineers and technicians (perhaps 10 total).

“Jerry” was a technician, very inquisitive, and often working outside the box – I liked him and felt he did a good job for the company.

But his “outside the box” activities included criticizing corporate policies, from pay scales to benefits and many others, often writing letters to the CEO.

  • One day, I was called to the VP,Technology office (my boss) and was told flat out to “get rid” of Jerry. Apparently Jerry’s complaints were getting a lot of attention and management decided to end this one way dialogue; so I was told to terminate him.
  • I consulted with HR who told me that as his manager, it was my responsibility to do this job that I did not look forward to…
  • As the days passed, I was getting more pressure from above, so like a good newly appointed manager, I called Jerry into my office and terminated him, telling him exactly what I was told to do, no fake made up excuses. I decided to let the chips fall where they may, if Jerry decided to take some legal action.

Jerry left, quite depressed and never worked again. Within a year, this 26 year old man had died due to OD on alcohol. I was a devastated and have held this story inside until today, nearly 40 years later.

I really liked Jerry and didn’t feel this was handled correctly by any of us, and had I been stronger to help him, things might have turned out different.

Jerry was a loner, sort of geeky (I liked that), not many friends or family and likely no one remembers him.

I am writing this as a tribute to Jerry and his cocky, inquisitive attitude.

Back in the days of single floppy computers, Pegasus Software would toggle the status lines at the top / bottom of the screen with instructions – eg: INSERT DATA DISK or INSERT PROGRAM DISK – among many others.

New client of HB Computers (same group as Pegasus) had sold this machine to a client, complete with Pegasus. Client (after strange support call), brings in “faulty computer”.

In fairness the client was right, the screen DID day “Insert Data Disk” – and did not FIRST tell him to remove the PROGRAM DISK. He had managed with extreme effort, to squeeze BOTH disks into the drive (5.25″ floppy) at which point, “DISK ERROR” was the new Status Message.

He had apparently thought originally that the “other disk” would pop out the back somewhere – but as he was squeezing in the other one, figured it must be able to handle both at the same time as the first was “still there”.

So, that was a good one for me.

In latter years, Computers with a “cup holder” that would spill the cup when the computer was turned off or on (this would be CD rom drawers) were not a rare as you might expect. They worked as cup holders, but in power up/down the drive would have another go at retracting the caddy – spilling the tea / coffee when it came to a jolting stop.

Beyond that, the everyday “Ooh, it didn’t say I had to plug it in”, “my son has inserted a digestive biscuit in drive B, it won’t eject”, I have washed my keyboard and now it doesn’t work, the mouse isn’t working (being used as a microphone), what is this (a mouse – this was by an IT “expert” with a degree but had only worked with DOS. TOTALLY at a loss with Windows – but did have a degree to show us how clever she was).

Removing fans (including CPU fans) as they “were not needed, wasted electricity and made a noise” happened more than once.

Round Steak Sizzler

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main qimg 04d33c1b00b4e5f0baa515464dc73c9f lq

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (3 pound) boneless beef round steak

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, Lea & Perrins, oil and salt.
  2. Place steak in a snug-fitting bowl or doubled plastic bag.
  3. Pour ketchup mixture over steak.
  4. Cover or fasten and refrigerate for 24 hours.
  5. Remove steak from marinade. Place on a rack over hot charcoal. Grill until done as desired, about 12 minutes on each side for medium, brushing with marinade occasionally. Or, if desired, place on a rack in a broiler pan. Place under a preheated hot broiler for 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until done as desired, brushing occasionally with leftover marinade.

A New Era of Financial Warfare Has Begun
The West’s latest actions against Russia carry risks for the global system and could provoke China.

By Michael Hirsh, a columnist for Foreign Policy.
June 25, 2024, 9:00 PM

The pro-American tone of this is nauseating. But there is nothing new that we haven’t known about for years. The significant aspect is that this is now reaching mainstream Western consensus. -MM

Washington and the West have begun a new phase of financial warfare against Russia and China—a powerful but also potentially risky escalation that, if people aren’t careful, could eventually give Moscow and Beijing exactly the outcome they are believed to be looking for.

How so? Because the unprecedented actions taken at the G-7 summit in June to hand over to Ukraine billions of dollars in profits earned on frozen Russian assets—along with new actions taken against Chinese banks—could begin to undermine the legitimacy of the U.S.-dominated international financial system, some experts say.

And that could make Russian President Vladimir Putin and especially Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is said to want to create an alternative renminbi-based financial system, very happy in the end.

At a time when many nations are unsure about whether to do business with Russia and are falling into the debt-enforced embrace of China, the G-7 action sends a message: What was once sacrosanct in international finance may be no longer.

A number of sovereign wealth funds, central banks, corporations, and private investors—especially from the smaller countries of the global south that are most vulnerable to sanctions—may well want to hedge against full investment in dollar- and euro-based holdings.

“This decision crosses the Rubicon,” said Ryan Martínez Mitchell, a law professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, by “weakening the norm of sovereign immunity for foreign central banks.”

“Any shift away from a U.S. dollar-based global financial system is not a near-term prospect, but decisions like these do probably add to the constituency that would welcome that kind of future,” Mitchell said. Others agree.

“There were many forces pushing for a search for alternatives to [the U.S.] dollar, and this move will give an additional push to those efforts,” said Harold James, a financial historian at Princeton University.

“I believe we are at a tipping point in which two worries coincide: one about the likely fiscal path of the U.S. and an unsustainably large burden; the second about seizure of assets, with secondary sanctions possibly being applied to countries that are in a supply chain with China and then indirectly with Russia.”

The “tipping point,” James warns, could come in the form of many countries, even U.S. allies, beginning to move their assets away from the dollar and euro.

According to Raghuram Rajan of the University of Chicago, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, nations are disturbed by the idea that Russia’s $300 billion in central bank reserves have been inaccessible for more than two years. “Some central banks have started diversifying reserves a little more as a result, including into gold,” Rajan said.

James added: “One sign that I find very telling is how Central European countries, the Czech Republic and Poland, both of which feel very close to the U.S. and who weren’t interested in gold reserves when they felt secure—indeed, the Czech Republic sold its gold reserves the day they entered NATO in March 1999—are now buying large amounts of gold.”

Putin himself spoke triumphantly of this trend in his notorious interview with renegade U.S. newscaster Tucker Carlson in February. Washington’s decision “to use the dollar as a tool of the foreign-policy struggle is one of the biggest strategic mistakes made by the U.S. political leadership,” Putin said, pointing to America’s fiscal profligacy. “Even the U.S. allies are now downsizing their dollar reserves.” At another point, Putin warned other countries that they “could be next in line for expropriation by the United States and the West.”

Wary of the risks of sending a destabilizing message, the G-7 did stop short of actually seizing the Russian assets at its summit in Italy. Instead, it adopted a complex scheme to transfer so-called windfall profits on earnings from frozen Russian central bank securities—the earnings of some $3 billion to $4 billion a year come from investments by Euroclear, the financial services company in Belgium that holds the Russian assets—to supply finance to Ukraine.

It was unprecedented all the same. As a senior Biden administration official described it: “Never before in history has a multilateral coalition immobilized the sovereign assets of an aggressor country and then found a way to unlock the value of those assets for the benefit of the aggrieved party as it fights for its freedom. That’s what happened at this G-7.”

However it’s done, making money off other nations’ assets—even aggressor nations, such as Russia, in total violation of global norms—is a risky precedent. “Once a new sanction becomes seen as effective, its usage tends to proliferate,” said Jon Bateman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “In recent years, creative new uses of export control powers—such as the Entity List and the Foreign Direct Product Rule—have ping-ponged between Chinese and Russian targets, with each country serving as a proving ground for actions later taken against the other.”

Nor did the G-7 leaders stop there. They also indicated that new measures were being considered that might gradually cut Beijing out of the international financial system. While saying in a communiqué that they “recognize the importance of China in global trade” and affirming that they “are not trying to harm China or thwart its economic development,” the leaders obliquely threatened Chinese banks “and other entities in China” with measures to “restrict access to our financial systems.” That could ratchet up the war—and the risks to the system—dramatically.

China has already been quietly insulating itself from financial retaliation over its support of Russia in the past two years, said Hung Tran, a former deputy director at the International Monetary Fund, in a June 21 interview. “The major Chinese banks have been very cautious even in reducing their exposure and dealings with Russia. In place of that, smaller institutions not having any business with any U.S. entity have been set up to handle trade with Russia so that basically Russia-China trade is settled in renminbi and rubles.”

The senior administration official justified the decision to increase pressure on China by saying that “some of China’s actions to support the Russian war machine are now not just threatening Ukraine’s existence but European security and trans-Atlantic security.”

The official added that among other “unrivaled policy distortions coming out of China”—meaning its unfair trade practices—Beijing was now openly supplying dual-use components and other economic aid to Russia. “There was unanimous agreement that the Russian military has been sustained by transforming its entire economy into a war machine and because China and other countries have been willing to serve” that effort, the official said.

In a blunt statement during his visit to Beijing in April, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated these accusations, declaring that China was “powering Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine” as “the top supplier of machine tools, microelectronics, nitrocellulose, which is critical to making munitions and rocket propellants, and other dual-use items that Moscow is using to ramp up its defense industrial base.”

The actions taken at the G-7 summit may well have been necessary. Nearly two and a half years into the war, support for aid from the United States and Europe is flagging, Kyiv’s forces are exhausted, Russia’s economy is still looking fairly robust, and a new anti-Western alignment is hardening between Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and most recently North Korea. “We are stepping up our collective efforts to disarm and defund Russia’s military industrial complex,” the G-7 leaders said in their communiqué.

This latest approach to squeezing Russia started slowly, even painfully, amid a great deal of tension between the United States and European governments about just how tough to get with Moscow.

Immediately following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, none of those governments had a problem imposing the usual economic sanctions—import and export restrictions and the like—and quickly. They took a major step further when they froze Russia’s central bank assets—an unprecedented move against such a large country—in addition to real estate properties, stocks, bonds, and various investments held by Russian oligarchs.

But actually seizing those bank assets was seen as a step too far, especially by the Europeans, who fought off an effort led by the U.S. Congress, and ultimately backed by the Biden administration, to pursue full seizure. That meant tampering with the international financial system itself—the complex postwar network of norms, codes, and laws that has underwritten the greatest surge of prosperity in recorded history and enriched the West. That felt a little too much like playing with elemental fire because it meant threatening the idea of sovereign immunity that is central to the system and because it meant posing increased risks to the holding of dollar- and euro-denominated assets. And having established this precedent, what about China? What effect will the G-7’s warnings have on Xi?


The shot fired in the communiqué could deter Xi from doing even more to isolate China’s ailing economy than he already has—specifically by invading or blockading Taiwan. Or, alternatively, it could mean the beginning of the end of the postwar global economic system if Xi decides to move against Taiwan anyway. Indeed, he could easily gamble that the United States wouldn’t dare do to China what it’s doing to Russia for exactly that reason.

If the United States and West were to respond to an invasion or blockade of Taiwan by freezing and leveraging Chinese assets, the result could be a freeze-up of the whole financial system and a devastating blow to the global economy. In the case of Russia, Washington needed to undergo many months of negotiation with the European Union because the vast majority of Russian assets are held in Europe and there was only about $300 billion or so to freeze. The same is not true of Chinese assets, which are huge and spread all over the world. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Washington would be able to freeze some $800 billion in Chinese Treasury bill holdings entirely on its own, which is only a portion of some $3 trillion in Chinese-owned sovereign assets overseas. But Beijing could easily retaliate against that nearly $6 trillion in Western investment in China.

As Tran argues, the threat of a kind of financial MAD, or mutual assured destruction, is far too great. In “terms of balance sheet exposures, China has about $3.4 trillion of identifiable international assets at risk of possible sanctions and up to $5.8 trillion of liabilities to, or assets in China of, international investors and companies largely from Western countries. China therefore has plenty of room to take retaliatory actions,” Tran wrote in a 2022 post for the Atlantic Council titled “Wargaming a Western Freeze of China’s Foreign Reserves.”

The deep cross-integration between China and the West is what has led both sides to avoid a complete decoupling of economies, reflecting what former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers once called a “financial balance of terror.” As a result, “there will be more resistance to imposing the scope of sanctions we have imposed on Russia because Western economies are far more intertwined with China’s than they were with Russia’s,” said William Reinsch, a former U.S. commerce undersecretary now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Reinsch notes there is an important “qualitative difference” as well: “The Russian assets being used are those seized from oligarchs who have supported/enabled Putin. There are some Chinese oligarchs, but their relationship with their own government is much different, as is their role in the economy. If you go beyond oligarchs, you get very quickly to seizing sovereign assets, which I doubt the West would do and for which the consequences would be significant.”

But according to some China experts, the latest moves might only spur Xi to further decouple his economy. The “dimmer” that peaceful reunification with Taiwan seems, “the more incentives Beijing would have to reduce vulnerabilities to sanctions in case of a militarized conflict,” said Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and columnist for Foreign Policy. “China has been diversifying its foreign exchange reserves since the 2000s. While previously the primary motivation was to search for higher returns and strategic assets, now it is also to reduce vulnerabilities to sanctions.”

And while Xi’s dream of a renminbi-based system still “has a long way to go”—the yuan is a distant fifth in global reserve currency holdings—escalating Western moves “may ultimately weaken international law protections for everyone, not only their intended targets,” Mitchell wrote recently for the Quincy Institute. As a result, “intensified weaponization of Western currencies could indeed boost China’s yuan efforts, and, more significantly, provide a major stimulus to plans for a BRICS basket reserve currency. The move would simultaneously improve Beijing’s reputation as an apparently more responsible actor with respect to foreign assets, while also perversely incentivizing it to further experiment with its own nascent unilateral sanctions regime.”

Russia is much more willing than China to blow up the international system. But that doesn’t mean Xi won’t decide he can afford to see that happen as well. As Tran argues, Beijing has been pursuing a “dual-track” strategy of working within the current Western-led trading system “but also wanting to find alternative ways to do this trade without being exposed to dollar sanctions.” Further sanctions could only push Xi further in the radical direction of trying to set up an alternative renminbi-based financial trading system.

“Both sides are kind of upping their ante,” Tran said.

IT’S TIME TO CHANGE – Motivational Speech

As the world’s second largest importer, China’s imports are actually relatively concentrated, with several commodities accounting for a large proportion.

1. Semiconductors (the largest import category)

Semiconductors are China’s largest import commodity over the years, at $400 billion per year. However, with Western countries imposing semiconductor sanctions on China and the continuous rise of China’s domestic semiconductor industry, China’s imports of semiconductors have fallen by 15% per year since 2021.

The rapid decline in semiconductor imports is the number one reason for China’s declining imports.

2. Energy (the second largest import category)

The import volume of oil, natural gas, and coal is also very large. On average, $300 billion of crude oil is imported each year. As China’s share of clean energy continues to expand and the replacement rate of electric vehicles increases rapidly, China’s demand for crude oil is decreasing year by year. After the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2023, the price of China’s imported energy has gradually declined, and many crude oils are settled in RMB, which has lowered the amount of energy imports.

In addition to semiconductors and energy, China’s demand for other imported commodities is actually increasing. Imports of agricultural products, meat, fruit, textiles, minerals and metals are all continuing to increase, showing the strong purchasing power of Chinese society. However, due to the low proportion of these things, they cannot offset the decline in semiconductor and energy imports, causing China’s imports to continue to decline in the past year.

China’s exports are very complex, and China exports almost everything.

China’s exports have fluctuated in the past year, but have generally grown steadily. From January to May this year, China’s exports grew by 6.3%. The main categories driving China’s export growth are:

1. Shipbuilding

China’s shipbuilding industry completely defeated its old rival South Korea in 2023, and its global share once exceeded 70%. From January to May this year, China’s shipbuilding exports increased by 100% compared with last year

2. Automobiles

In 2023, China became the world’s largest automobile producer and exporter, and the export of electric vehicles grew very rapidly. From January to May 2024, automobile exports grew by 27%

3. Electronic products and household appliances

With the increase in global demand, China’s exports of electronic products and household appliances have grown rapidly. In particular, the export of air conditioners, fans and refrigerators driven by global climate change has grown rapidly. An increase of 20% over last year

If you only read Western media, you seem to come to a conclusion: the United States and Western countries are decoupling from China and no longer buying Chinese goods, and China’s exports will be devastated.

But the actual situation is that China’s exports to European and American countries have indeed declined. However, exports to ASEAN, South America, and countries along the Belt and Road have grown rapidly. The total export volume has increased instead of decreased, and ASEAN has replaced the United States as China’s largest customer.

In general, China’s continued decrease in imports and increase in exports show the changes in current global trade.

Due to the increased restrictions and confrontation between Europe and the United States on China, China has to reduce the import of semiconductors and replace them with domestic semiconductors. Global energy prices have fallen, and China has increased its influence on oil-producing countries through the BRICS organization, which has reduced the price of China’s energy imports. The decline in these two major categories of imported goods has lowered China’s imports.

European and American countries have restricted China’s export commodities, implemented a “decoupling” strategy, and actively reduced imports from China, but the total global demand for Chinese goods has not really decreased, and non-Western countries’ demand for goods has continued to increase. At the same time, many goods enter the European and American markets through third countries. Therefore, China’s exports to non-Western countries have grown rapidly, filling the gap in the Western market, and overall exports are continuing to grow. This shows that global trade is unlikely to be completely blocked by political forces, and the advantages of Chinese manufacturing are unlikely to be surpassed by other countries in a short period of time.

Well, I can’t speak for all police officers, but I can tell you what went through my mind the time I shot someone’s dog.

I was called to a small town in my county in reference to three dogs which were running loose, attacking other peoples’ leashed pets, and destroying property. I got there before animal control and located the dogs, which were staying together. Two of them looked like pit bull /boxer mixes, and the third was a big, light-colored lab mix. I don’t really have any equipment for catching dogs, especially three big ones, so I just sort of followed them around town in my car to make sure they didn’t cause too much trouble before animal control could get there.

As I followed them down a street, a lady opened her front door and started yelling to me and pointing to the house across the street. That’s where the dogs belonged. The dogs ran onto her porch. She closed the storm door and they started jumping and biting at it.

This was getting too dangerous. Those dogs were crazy, and someone was going to get hurt. Now, I’m a dog person. A dog lover. I get along just fine with dogs, and I can usually even come to an arrangement with the grouchy ones. So, I grabbed my metal clipboard to use as a shield and got out of my car, headed toward the dogs’ house. They were having none of that.

I was almost able to back them down. Like I said, I love dogs, and I know the tricks, but three dogs in an aggressive pack mentality were more than I could handle by myself. They started playing that adorable doggie game where they take turns lunging at you, getting a little closer each time, two of them trying to circle behind you while another gets your attention.

I had a Taser with one shot. Three dogs. I had pepper spray, but the dogs were too close and too aggressive to count on it. My biggest regret is that I didn’t just spray them as soon as they were in range, but by the time I realized I was in serious trouble, it was too late for pepper spray.

I drew my gun and backed toward my squad car. This gave me a bit more confidence, which the dogs apparently sensed, because they backed off a little. Before I got back to my car though, they were right on top of me. I made sure I was oriented so that if I had to shoot I would be pointing in the safest possible direction. When one of the dogs finally lunged so close that I was sure he would get me, I fired. I was pointing my gun down at a fairly steep angle, because that’s how close the dog was.

This was supposed to be about what went through my mind. Well, at the moment I decided to pull the trigger, it was something like “I gave you every chance in the world, but you keep coming, so fuck you.” (sorry for the language, but that’s what I thought)

The dog I shot went down hard, bleeding all over my front fender. The other two dogs ran off. The shot finally got the attention of the dogs’ owners.

Of course, the first person to come sprinting out of the house was a little girl, maybe 12 years old. She was screaming and crying and looking at me like the biggest monster she had ever seen. I have no doubt that those three dogs, who would have had a great time playing tug o war with my corpse, were as gentle as kittens with “their” little girl. Dogs are amazing like that. So, there was absolutely nothing I could say to her. At that point, what was going through my mind was “Screw this. I’m just going to hand this little girl my badge and go home.”

I’ve had to arrest parents in front of their screaming kids. I’ve had to pry screaming toddlers from the arms of their crying, meth-addicted mothers and hand them over to DCFS. This was bad in a whole new way. It sucked.

Eventually Dad came out. I was pretty sure he was going to hit me. I was already making up my mind that I’d give him a warning on the Aggravated Battery charge as long as I was able to subdue him fairly easily, but his wife came out and calmed him down before it came to that.

Somehow the dog lived despite the fact that I had shot it right in the center of the head with a .45. There was no exit wound. When a pit bull lunges at you from that close, all you can see is head. Dad ran the dog to the vet, and I heard it was alive and doing very well weeks later. I really have no idea how that could be. I distinctly remember a perfectly round, half inch hole pumping blood out of that dog’s head.

The family made a formal complaint on me, of course. Fortunately, that lady from across the street gave me a glowing review. She said she couldn’t figure out why I didn’t shoot the dogs sooner.

It turns out that I also had a backup officer who I didn’t know about until after the shot. He pulled up behind me and saw the whole thing, but stayed in his car the whole time. I guess he’s smarter than me. He made a good witness on my behalf at least.

I felt like absolute crap for a couple weeks. I won’t whine about the details. It was mostly that little girl and the fact that I really am one of those people who just can’t resist playing with every dog he sees. I wanted so badly to visit that family and explain things to the little girl, but of course that wouldn’t have been appropriate. Dad wanted my ass, and showing up at his house on a social call would have been seen as a provocation.

Anyhow, that’s what went through this cop’s mind when he shot someone’s dog.

AI SCENES – Crystal Nexus Chronicles of the Interstellar Mask Part 1 of 50 #62

At that time, the North Vietnamese army continued to infiltrate South Vietnam, which made the United States, which supported South Vietnam, exhausted.

The Johnson administration believed that only by bombing North Vietnam and destroying North Vietnam’s industrial facilities could North Vietnam’s southward route be completely cut off. Therefore, the US military not only bombed North Vietnam on a large scale, but also included Laos and Cambodia in the bombing range, attempting to completely cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

But the US military’s goal was obviously difficult to achieve.

On the one hand, although North Vietnam was subjected to large-scale bombing by the United States, the weapons Ho Chi Minh needed could be continuously transported from China, and aid from the Soviet Union was also continuous;

On the other hand, China publicly stated as early as 1962 that “if the US military crosses the 17th parallel north, then China will also organize troops to participate in the war.” This is the strategy of “each further”.

Therefore, after the United States began large-scale bombing of North Vietnam, China also organized communications troops, engineering troops, anti-aircraft artillery troops, etc. to enter Vietnam to fight, and the war situation began to escalate.

The situation facing the United States is that even if the United States withstands China’s pressure and bombs North Vietnam back to the “Stone Age”, or even defeats the Chinese army participating in the war and completely occupies North Vietnam, the United States will not be able to overthrow the two backers behind North Vietnam: China and the Soviet Union, especially China, its opponent in the Korean War.

Under such circumstances, whether the US army crosses the 17th parallel north latitude has no practical significance, because it cannot win even if it crosses.

Therefore, the area north of 17 degrees north latitude later became the “safe zone” for the North Vietnamese army.

North Vietnamese troops continued to penetrate into South Vietnam. Once pursued by the US military, they fled north of the 17th parallel. The American soldiers gave up the pursuit and returned to South Vietnam. This cycle repeats over and over again, and the American soldiers are exhausted.

The nightmare of the Vietnam War for Americans is that it was an unwinnable war from the very beginning. The longer the Americans stayed in Indochina, the worse they lost.

In fact, this is exactly the case. From the time when American special forces landed in Vietnam in 1961 to the time when they withdrew in 1975, nearly 60,000 American soldiers were killed and more than 100,000 were injured in the United States in more than a decade.

After the war, more than 100,000 American soldiers committed suicide, and the US military expenditure reached more than 250 billion US dollars, with countless material losses.

What’s more terrible is that the war caused an unprecedented anti-Vietnam War movement in the United States, and for the first time, a huge rift appeared in American society.

Anti-War Protests of the 1960s-70s

The Vietnam anti-war movement was one of the most pervasive displays of opposition to the government policy in modern times. Protests raged all over the country. San Francisco, New York,...

The Bretton Woods system, which has supported the US financial hegemony since World War II, also declared its collapse due to the unbearable burden of the Vietnam War. It can be said that the Vietnam War seriously damaged the vitality of the United States.

The end of the Bretton Woods System (1972-81)

The multimedia content on this page cannot be printed. Video (3:29): Former U.S. President Richard Nixon announces end of dollar link to gold U.S. gas station during the 1970s oil price shock. 

By the early 1960s, the U.S. dollar's fixed value against gold, under the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates, was seen as overvalued. 

A sizable increase in domestic spending on President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs and a rise in military spending caused by the Vietnam War gradually worsened the overvaluation of the dollar. 

End of Bretton Woods system The system dissolved between 1968 and 1973. In August 1971, U.S. President Richard Nixon announced the "temporary" suspension of the dollar's convertibility into gold. 

While the dollar had struggled throughout most of the 1960s within the parity established at Bretton Woods, this crisis marked the breakdown of the system. An attempt to revive the fixed exchange rates failed, and by March 1973 the major currencies began to float against each other. 

Since the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, IMF members have been free to choose any form of exchange arrangement they wish (except pegging their currency to gold): allowing the currency to float freely, pegging it to another currency or a basket of currencies, adopting the currency of another country, participating in a currency bloc, or forming part of a monetary union. 

Oil shocks Many feared that the collapse of the Bretton Woods system would bring the period of rapid growth to an end. In fact, the transition to floating exchange rates was relatively smooth, and it was certainly timely: flexible exchange rates made it easier for economies to adjust to more expensive oil, when the price suddenly started going up in October 1973. 

Floating rates have facilitated adjustments to external shocks ever since. The IMF responded to the challenges created by the oil price shocks of the 1970s by adapting its lending instruments. 

To help oil importers deal with anticipated current account deficits and inflation in the face of higher oil prices, it set up the first of two oil facilities. Helping poor countries From the mid-1970s, the IMF sought to respond to the balance of payments difficulties confronting many of the world's poorest countries by providing concessional financing through what was known as the Trust Fund. 

In March 1986, the IMF created a new concessional loan program called the Structural Adjustment Facility. The SAF was succeeded by the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility in December 1987.

To sum up, the fundamental reason for the disastrous defeat of the United States in the Vietnam War was that this war was destined to be an unwinnable war.

Stevie Aldrich

“CONKLIN!” Havaderr wailed. His face was the brightest red and steaming with heat. The veins in his neck throbbed noticeably, but he waited as still as he could for Conklin to answer. A buzz came in over the intercom above Havaderr’s head.

     “Hey, was that you shouting, Havaderr?” Conklin’s voice crackled with static and attitude. Havaderr shut his eyes and repeated his Zen mantra in his head.

     “Havaderr? What’s your problem?”

     Havaderr’s eyes opened, and in the most even tone he could manage; he said his mantra out loud.

     “I am calm. I am calm. I can overcome this. I am strong. I am strong. I can overcome anything.” Havaderr spoke through gritted teeth, spittle flying across the room as he focused on keeping his anger inside rather than shouting and blowing the place up with Conklin inside.

     “Hey guy, are you going to answer me or what?” Conklin’s voice implied his own rising impatience. Havaderr moved to the button on the wall nearest him to respond.

     “Yes, Conklin, I was shouting,” Havaderr said as evenly as his rage would allow. “Get your ass to 4A NOW!” As he trailed off, he clenched his teeth together so hard he felt a grinding that might as well have been a tooth chipping. Before Conklin’s reply came, Havaderr heard an irritated sigh over the intercom.

     “Yeah, be right ther-.” Conklin barely finished his sentence before releasing the button, cutting himself off at the end.

     Moments later, a door slid open down the hall, several yards away from Havaderr. Conklin came into the hall, looking both ways before spotting Havaderr.

     “What the hell, why are you shouting and-“ Havaderr cut Conklin off with a finger to his mouth to silence him.

     “I’m going to show you something in this room behind me, and it’s best if your mouth is shut when I do.” Havaderr’s voice wavered, he was still trying to control his anger. Conklin looked confused as ever but kept his mouth shut. With a worried expression, Conklin followed Havaderr to another door. Havaderr stood aside and opened the door for Conklin to enter alone. Conklin stood in the doorway staring, then Havaderr shoved him wholly into the room from behind and closed the door.

     “Havaderr, what’s going on? What the fu-ahhhh!” The intercom inside the restroom was unnecessary, but Havaderr appreciated it right now. He would have heard Conklin screaming from quite a distance, but hearing Conklin’s disgust and horror in surround sound was more pleasing. A slice of anger slid off his shoulders and a small smile appeared on his face.

     The door rattled, clearly Conklin on the other side trying to burst through, but Havaderr held the lock button, keeping Conklin trapped inside.

     “What kind of game is this Havaderr? Let me out, for Christ’s sake!” Conklin was panicking, releasing more anger from Havaderr’s shoulders and filling his belly with laughter.

     “This is no game, friend. This is you coming face to face with your own incompetence,” Havaderr said over the intercom, still smiling.

     “Havaderr! Let me out of here!” Conklin screamed and started ramming the door again.

     “I don’t think so, Conklin. If you look to the left of the door, I’ve been kind enough to set you up with plenty of cleaning supplies for the job, which is a lot more than you did for me. I’d suggest you start tackling that shit before it starts tackling you.” Havaderr exploded with laughter, letting go of the intercom and floating backward as he held onto his stomach. He laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe. Conklin kept banging on the door and pleading to be released, but Havaderr couldn’t hear anything over the roar of his own hysteria.

     Curled up in fetal position, floating in the hallway, Havaderr worked himself out of his fits of laughter. He wiped the joyful tears from his eyes and started breathing normally again. He moved back to the intercom.

     “Look mate, this restroom was in your sector to clean. Obviously, you did a piss poor job,” Havaderr grabbed his side, holding the laughter in after such a quality pun. “I told you, cleaning the restrooms would be the most important job, because if it isn’t done right, this happens. Floating excrement!” Conklin didn’t say anything, but Havaderr heard him kick or punch the door.

     “I’ll take your silence as admitting you did a sloppy job the first time. You know, I needed to do some business, and I walk into the restroom greeted with a turd to the face, which I’m assuming belonged to you, so I have no sympathy for you right now. Clean the damn restroom like you were supposed to, and I’ll let you out.” Havaderr waited for a response. He was eager to shower off the stench and stain of human waste from himself before finishing his day.

     “Yeah, alright,” Conklin said over the intercom, sounding defeated and guilty. Havaderr nodded his head and left Conklin to figure out how to clean a restroom with feces floating freely throughout.

     “Like I said, not a drop of sympathy for you. Do it right the first time, and we won’t run into stupid problems like that,” Havaderr said coolly, scrubbing at the built-up muck in the corners of the glass.

     Conklin was still cranky from cleaning the restroom the day before, and he meant to let Havaderr know just how little he appreciated the tactless way he was pushed into the situation without warning.

     “Chin up, Conklin. We have one more day before our shift is over, and we can get the hell off this floating heap of death,” Havaderr motioned toward the clear chambers that housed the comatose bodies of several crew members, one of which whose glass he was scrubbing.

     “Remind me, what’s up with these bodies? They’re dead, yeah?” Conklin asked.

     “No, they’re alive, they’re the crew, dumbass,” Havaderr grunted at Conklin. He looked over to see Conklin hovering around the main dashboard, not a rag or mop near him. “And I wouldn’t mind if you got to work while you asked your questions,” he barked. Conklin jumped and reached for a rag tucked into a closed bucket tethered nearby. He started mindlessly wiping at the dashboard without paying close attention.

     “Okay, but how come they’re asleep?” Conklin asked. Havaderr sighed as he paused and rolled his eyes.

     “Do I look like the Captain of this ship? All I know is, this crew is traveling some number of lightyears, so the ship has been programed for regular stops near inhabited planets for maintenance and cleaning. We drew the short straw, so we get to hop from the ship we were on previously, to this one, and then another one before heading back home. Nobody else was this far out into deep space to do the job, so we get a long shift before our break. At least they’re paying us over time, eh?” Havaderr smiled at the thought of a paycheck double its usual amount. He looked in on the half-naked man inside the tube he was cleaning, tapping on the glass with his knuckle and laughing at how strange the sight was.

     Air escaped the edges of the door, and it hissed loudly. The smile fell from Havaderr’s face as he scanned the chamber looking for an explanation. The door swung open and the half-naked man floated out as if to follow. Thankfully, he was attached to a few tubes that kept him reigned in and asleep, but the color left Havaderr’s face once he realized that would only last for so long.

     Havaderr turned to Conklin, who looked just as confused.

     “He just-just-he-“ Havaderr stuttered, unable to decide what he was trying to say. The man’s feet flew upward so his back was parallel to the floor and his right side dipped down. Slowly, he started to spin, so he was upside down. All the while, Havaderr and Conklin stared without any clue how to fix it.

     “Did you touch something?” Havaderr shouted at Conklin, who shook his head wordlessly.

     “I didn’t touch anything!” Havaderr went back to staring at the half-naked man, perplexed. After a minute, Havaderr decided they couldn’t leave the man like that.

     “Get over here and help me with this!” He yelled at Conklin. Still silent, Conklin moved toward Havaderr and the unconscious man. Havaderr and Conklin wore their gravity belts at 85% power to keep from floating off like the man from the tube, but it allowed them a bit more mobility too. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any extras to strap to the man, so he continued to spin and flip through the air.

     One of the wires connecting the man to his casket snapped, leaving only one left to keep him from flying down the corridor and into every other part of the ship. Havaderr and Conklin shared a look of fear but said nothing.

     Havaderr grabbed the man’s knees and tried to pull them down so the man was right side up, but as he pulled, the man’s whole body moved toward Havaderr. Conklin remained motionless, watching the unconscious body float into Havaderr. Havaderr struggled and groped, trying his very best to wrangle the helpless man, but even his best efforts left him with the man’s body bumping into him clumsily. He accidentally grabbed the man’s buttocks, and the man’s armpit swung around and slapped him in the face. All in all, it reminded Conklin of two young people at their first school dance, trying not to step on each other.

     Conklin covered the smile on his face, but the more Havaderr fought with the floating man and lost, the more the urge to laugh rose in his belly. When the man launched a foot directly into Havaderr’s eye, Conklin lost it. With one hand on the man’s shoulder and his other arm wrapped around the man’s torso, Havaderr stopped to see what was so funny to Conklin. He didn’t have to ask; he knew how he looked.

     “Would you knock it off and help me! I don’t know what we disconnected, but that could be vital to this man’s life!” Havaderr tried to repeat his mantra in his head, but he couldn’t hear anything over Conklin’s laughter. Havaderr grumbled as he kept spinning the man back into position, with no help from Conklin, who was tumbling in circles on the other side of the room.

     Finally, Havaderr got the man into his up-right position and back into the tube. As best as he could, he reattached the disconnected wires, but he couldn’t pull the door shut.

     “Conklin! Find the button to close this door, hurry, before he tries to escape again!” Havaderr pleaded.

     Conklin straightened up and moved to the dashboard he had been cleaning. On the first try, he hit a button, and the door closed, sealing itself. Havaderr wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Conklin, a little puzzled. Conklin’s laughter died down, but when he saw Havaderr near collapse and panting, his laughter boiled over.

     “What is wrong with you? Were you too busy finding this hilarious to help me save that man’s life?” Havaderr demanded, huffing and puffing.

     “Calm down, he’s fine,” Conklin squeaked. “The buttons are clearly labeled on the dash here, see?” Conklin pointed to the dashboard. Havaderr saw buttons marked to open doors, close doors, start specific mechanisms, stop the same mechanisms, and a bunch of other things Havaderr didn’t understand. What he did think he understood, was how the door opened in the first place.

     “Did you open his door on me?” Havaderr asked Conklin, the anger rising again.

     “Yeah, mate, you should have seen the look on your face!” Conklin rolled over laughing.

     “You idiot! You could have killed the man, we could be fired, what the hell is wrong with you?” Havaderr bellowed.

     “Relax Havaderr, you’ll give yourself a stroke!” Conklin pulled himself together for a second, setting his feet back on the floor and pointing to the dashboard again.

     “This here, that indicates their vital signs. You can see they’re all perfectly healthy, no harm done,” Conklin said matter-of-factly. Havaderr was flustered. He could only trust Conklin’s word, he had no idea what any of the lights or buttons meant on the dash.

     “You couldn’t have known it would be okay, though. What if the tube that detached from his arm was something that kept him alive?” Havaderr exclaimed. Conklin rolled his eyes, irritated that Havaderr wasn’t figuring it out as easily as he was.

     “All that tube did was give him pleasant dreams; it wasn’t important. He’ll live, and nobody need ever know you almost killed a man,” Conklin started to giggle again. Havaderr’s face turned tomato red and he clenched his fist, trying to fight the overwhelming desire to punch Conklin in the face.

     “You did this on purpose?” Havaderr said, strained.

     “Well, maybe don’t lock me in a room with floating shit again, and we’ll be fine,” Conklin smiled, feeling pleased with himself.

Spicy Grilled T-Bones

grilled t bone steaks with bbq rub horizontal 2
grilled t bone steaks with bbq rub horizontal 2

Ingredients

Seasoning

  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Steaks

  • 2 to 4 well-trimmed beef T-bone or Porterhouse steaks, cut 1-inch thick

Instructions

  1. Combine Seasoning ingredients, and press evenly onto steaks.
  2. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash covered coals. Cook for about 14 to 16 minutes.

This was not me but a chap I used to work with with. Richard is brilliant, I’m the guy who scribbles a drawing of what we need, Richard tidies up that drawing and puts all the part numbers on it. He sits down with the job and tells us exactly when it can be delivered, and he is always right. He is the perfect “Foil” for all the arty types around him, he brought us all down the art of the possible and made sure it all worked perfectly and on time. He was the guy who did everything perfectly and properly “By the book” I was the guy who did a quick and dirty job with some plywood and string we happened to have around the office. It was a perfect team.

Richard had a thing about “OPM” other peoples money, when you spend OPM you have to justify every penny. He would give me an accurate breakdown of every penny he spent, I would tell him it didn’t matter as long as the time was on time and he wasn’t wearing a lobster for a hat it made no odds.

So he told me about a job he had with a contractor that had the job of repairing the CCTV cameras on the UK’s Motorways. This was 25 years ago and in the years leading up to this the government had had lots of different contractors installing equipment, probably there were records somewhere but nobody knew where.

So he would see what the fault was (no picture, Pan-Tilt not working etc) then he would go out to the site in his car and inspect the camera with a pair of binoculars. He would then be able to identify at least what the head was and what the possible camera was. He would order all of the parts that MIGHT have gone (different wiring looms, camera electronics cards, for the old tube cameras he had new CCD cameras that interfaced directly to the mounts of the old cameras.

Then one night they would book the guys who close the lane of the motorway, book a cherry picker to lift him up to the camera etc etc.

He would then go up and fix the fault, clean the housing etc etc Then hold up a card in front of the camera with “Please test” and if the camera was good the operator would “nod” it three times.

This went on for several months, then he got called into the bosses office .. He got bawled out for wasting the companies money .. Apparently when he ordered the “HUGE QUANTITY” of unneeded spare parts the company charged a 10% restocking charge and this was costing the company dear and they wondered what on earth Richard thought he was doing? This was costing the company as much as £40 every time.

Richard explained that because he did not know what the fault was he would get all the parts “Just in case”. The boss then sarcastically suggested that Richard might want to find out what parts he needed BEFORE he went out to repair the camera.

So now they would organise to close the lane of the motorway .. get a cherry picker .. send Richard up it, he’d then examine the camera, determine what was wrong, then come down, wrap the cherry picker, wrap the guys with the cones, go back to the office and order the parts.

The extra motorway closure and the cherry picker added an extra £1300 to the repair of each camera.

Richard worked for them for 2 years after that .. He tried so many times to explain but nobody would listen ..

Pee Wee Herman Takes Dave For A Drive In The Country | Letterman

The narrative that rapid economic growth is exclusive to capitalist democracies has been turned on its head by China. Boasting the fastest-growing economy, China’s model demonstrates that a different path to prosperity is not only possible but also powerful.

China’s meteoric rise as the fastest-growing economy can be attributed to several key factors: robust industrial production, aggressive trade liberalization, foreign investment, and significant government policy initiatives geared towards economic growth. Understanding these aspects provides a comprehensive view of why China has achieved such rapid economic development.

main qimg 642fa49fa38f619068fbd8a7b946e1d3
main qimg 642fa49fa38f619068fbd8a7b946e1d3

Economic Liberalization and Foreign Investment

China’s commitment to international trade and economic liberalization has been pivotal. After re-establishing diplomatic ties with the United States in 1979, China began opening up its economy, culminating in its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. This move significantly reduced trade barriers and attracted a flood of foreign investments into the country. The liberalization policies allowed foreign companies to enter China’s retail, wholesale, and distribution sectors, spurring rapid economic growth. Consequently, China became an attractive destination for multinational corporations seeking low-cost manufacturing bases, thereby boosting industrial output and export growth.

The influx of foreign capital also brought in advanced technologies and management practices, elevating the productivity and efficiency of Chinese industries. Foreign-direct investments (FDI) played a critical role in transforming China’s economic landscape, making it a global manufacturing hub.

Industrial Production and Manufacturing Exports

China’s industrial sector is the backbone of its economy. With a focus on manufacturing and export-led growth, China has excelled in producing a wide array of goods, from electronics to textiles, usually at competitive prices. The country’s ability to manufacture products efficiently and affordably has led to a booming export economy, positioning China as a major player in global trade.

Government policies have also bolstered industrial production. For instance, China has heavily invested in infrastructure, such as roads, railways, and ports, which facilitates the smooth transportation of goods. Additionally, special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial parks have been set up to attract foreign investments and promote manufacturing.

Government Initiatives and Policy

Chinese government policies have been instrumental in driving economic growth. By reducing red tape and simplifying regulations, China has made it easier for businesses to set up and operate. For example, obtaining permits and licenses in China is relatively quick and straightforward, attracting more domestic and foreign investments.

Moreover, the government has implemented policies to build a skilled labor force. By investing in education and vocational training, China has created a pool of skilled workers who are essential for its manufacturing and service sectors. These initiatives ensure that the labor force is capable of meeting the demands of modern industries while improving overall productivity.

Supply Chain Integration

China’s decision to develop an extensive supply chain network has been a critical factor in its economic growth. By manufacturing not only final products but also every component and spare part required, China has minimized its dependence on other countries. This integrated supply chain allows for smoother production processes and faster turnaround times, giving Chinese manufacturers a competitive edge.

Renewable Energy and Natural Resources

China’s economy is increasingly driven by efforts to achieve sustainability. The country is investing heavily in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to meet its carbon targets. Additionally, China is optimizing its usage of natural resources, including coal, iron ore, oil, and natural gas, to maintain steady economic growth. By focusing on both traditional and renewable energy sources, China aims to secure a balanced and sustainable economic future.

Robust Consumption

Domestic consumption also plays a vital role in China’s economic expansion. The country’s large middle class has strong purchasing power, driving demand for various goods and services. Economic reforms and policies aimed at increasing consumer spending have fostered a robust domestic market. Post-pandemic recovery measures have further revitalized consumption, contributing to the overall economic growth.

Shorpy

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Van Helsing – 1950’s Super Panavision 70 AI Film

This happened to me. I was working for a small, family-owned company (less than 10 employees). Within two months of starting there, I realized I had made a huge miscalculation – the owner and CEO would have screaming matches in the middle of the office where everyone could hear every word. I heard that he was involved in at least three lawsuits with past employees where he was either suing them or they were suing him.

Took a few months to line up my next job, and I gave my two weeks notice, which I was surprised he took very calmly. One week into my two weeks, he brought me into his office and said that due to the fact that I had “lied on my resume” and “didn’t have the skills and qualifications I claimed,” the board of directors had told him to instruct me to stay at the job longer or else things would go poorly for me. A) Every item on my resume was absolutely and truthfully representative of my previous experience, and B) the “board of directors” did not exist. I knew he was threatening me with a lawsuit, which he could afford, and I, at the time, could not. I calmly thanked him for letting me know and told him I had to think about the situation, and I’d give him a reply by the next day.

I went home and called my friend who is a lawyer to explain the situation, who told me that if an employer has a problem with an employee, legally their option is to either write them up or to fire them, not to threaten them to stay longer. I then called the CEO back to tell him that today had been my last day, and I would turn my keys in to the office in the morning. After sputtering and hemming and hawing and demanding to know who my lawyer was, he said, “see you in the morning.” Never heard from him again after that, although I did hear from some other trauma survivors from the same company that after I left he had several people combing through my files for days to find any scrap of evidence that I had done anything wrong that he could use to legally punish me. Good riddance.

Mama Lynx Brings 7 Kittens To Woman – Discovering Why, She Bursts Into Tears!

I am not British. Perhaps it should be Brits who should answer this question.

I recall 1 incident though: USA (Trump) wanted to sanction Huawei 5G. USA made its allies eg Europe to sanction Huawei too.

UK (B Johnson) did an investigation into Huawei with full cooperation with Huawei. UK did not find Huawei having backdoor to send data back to China. UK promised not to put Huawei stuff on important UK things.

But USA insisted. UK finally bowed down & banned Huawei too.

After Johnson stepped down as PM, he made speeches in u. Once he said: (because of the ban of Huawei), UK tech will fall behind by 5 years. Worse, it will cost UK lots to remove what has been installed in UK.

See, it is not that UK does not want to invest in tech. It is USA who does not let UK do so.

Look at covid vaccine. UK has developed a vaccine (I dont remember the name). Yes, there was side effects in UK’s vaccine. So are US vaccines. But somehow UK vaccine lost to USA.

Again in 1 speech, Johnson said: the success of a vaccine is capitalism. Hinting USA???

The next day, Johnson apologised & his speech cannot be found any more. But I heard it loud & clear on the radio when he said it.

If UK is always a US “vassal” & controlled by USA, UK will for sure be behind technologically.

MR PRESIDENT: IT’S TIME!

Oh, I’ve waited for a question like this!

There was a man who lived in our town who suffered from a neurological disorder. Actually, I think he enjoyed it. The rest of the town suffered from his neurological disorder. Let me explain. This man, whom I shall call Pita (Pain in the Ass) would commit the most outrageous atrocities, then hide behind his disorder. He torched an out-of-town cop’s truck. Felony? Yes. Any consequences? No — because he was crazy.

He wormed out of D.U.Is, Attempted Arson of his own home, Domestic Violence by Threat and a host of other felony and misdemeanors. The City decided that trying to prosecute a certifiable nut bag would cost too much. So the rest of us suffered at his hands.

Then one night, we were notified of a break-in at the animal shelter. The shelter was owned by, and was in, the county, but was surrounded by our city. One other unit and I responded. As I approached the road to the shelter from the east, I found the highway entirely blocked by at least one hundred (100) dogs! They were all very friendly and surrounded my car. This is common for dogs kept in pens for a while. I carefully made my way to the shelter and found a scene of utter devastation.

The fence had been breached in several locations. A pickup truck belonging to the shelter had been hot wired and used to breach walls of the shelter. There was a heavy odor of gasoline coming from everywhere.

This ain’t lookin’ good…

At that time I saw headlights turn down the road leading to the shelter. The vehicle stopped when the headlights shined on my unit, then reversed course and left at a high speed. I immediately gave pursuit.

The other responding unit was nearing the shelter and we effected a felony stop. I ordered the driver to step out of the vehicle. He replied “I can’t, I’m naked.”

Son of a Bitch! It was Pita!

He later explained he had gotten drunk and had begun feeling sorry for the animals in what he called “Doggie Dachau” and decided to liberate them. After freeing the dogs, he spread twenty (20) gallons of gasoline throughout the shelter. He had the presence of mind to know that he was soaked with gas and if he tried to ignite it, he would be part of the ensuing FOOM! So he stripped naked, drove to a nearby bar pit and jumped in, washing off the residual gasoline. You can’t make this stuff up.

Side note: In addition to the long list of felonies, I also charged him with D.U.I. I offered him the intoxilizer test, what we call down South, the “Whiskey Machine.” He, of course, refused. I hit the button for “Test Refusal,” and the forms began to print. Several of these forms must be mailed to Jackson to the Department of Public Safety Driver’s License Branch. One form has a box to check; “Is license attached? If not, why not?” I got to write “No license. Subject was BUTT NAKED.”

Southwest Steak and Many Layered Salad

southwest steak and many layered salad square
southwest steak and many layered salad square

Ingredients:

  • 1 beef Flank Steak (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
  • 3 medium ears corn, unhusked
  • 9 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 to 16 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained
  • 2-1/2 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips
Dressing:
  • 1 large ripe avocado, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
  • 3/4 cup prepared ranch dressing
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

Cooking:

    1. Whisk dressing ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Remove 1/2 cup for marinade and stir in chipotle peppers. Cover and reserve remaining dressing in refrigerator.
    2. Place beef steak and chipotle marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.
    3. Pull back husks from corn, leaving husks attached. Remove and discard corn silk. Bring husks back up around corn; tie in place with kitchen string or strips of corn husk. Soak in cold water 30 minutes to 1 hour.
    4. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Remove corn from water. Place steak in center of grid over medium, ash-covered coals; arrange corn on grid around steak. Grill corn, covered, 20 to 30 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Grill steak 11 to 16 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.
Cook’s Tip: To prepare on gas grill, preheat grill according to manufacturer’s directions for medium heat. Place corn and steak on grid as directed above. Grill corn, covered, 15 to 25 minutes or until tender, turning every 5 minutes. Grill steak, covered, 16 to 21 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.
  1. Remove steak; let stand 5 minutes. Husk corn; cut kernels from cobs. Cut steak lengthwise in half; carve each half across the grain into thin slices.
  2. Layer 1/2 of lettuce, corn, 1/2 of beef, tomatoes and beans in 4-quart glass salad bowl or 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Top with remaining lettuce and beef. Drizzle with, reserved dressing. Top with tortilla chips just before serving. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

 

  • Wash hands with soap and water before cooking and always after touching raw meat.
  • Separate raw meat from other foods.
  • Wash all cutting boards, utensils, and dishes after touching raw meat.
  • Do not reuse marinades used on raw foods.
  • Wash all produce prior to use.
  • Cook steaks and roasts until temperature reaches 145°F for medium rare, as measured by a meat thermometer, allowing to rest for three minutes.
  • Cook Ground Beef to 160°F as measured by a meat thermometer.
  • Refrigerate leftovers promptly.

 

For more information on degree of doneness and other cooking tips visit: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/cooking/determining-doneness

Wargaming a Western Freeze of China’s Foreign Reserves

By Hung Tran
April 29, 2022

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has provoked comprehensive and stringent sanctions by the United States, Europe and other allied countries against Russian banks, companies, and persons.

A noteworthy measure, unprecedented for a large country, is the Western blockade of the foreign reserves of Russia’s central bank—the Bank of Russia (BOR)—immobilizing more than half of its international reserves of $630 billion placed in Western financial institutions. In addition, the BOR has been banned from dealing in the US dollar (USD), euro, and pound sterling.

These measures against a country’s central Bank have raised the geopolitical and sovereign risk of central bank reserves holdings.

They have also prompted discussions about the possibility of similar sanctions being imposed on China in the event of its military invasion of Taiwan.

The consequences of such sanctions will be more significant than the measures against Russia. China’s economy is ten times bigger than Russia’s; it has much more weight and is more integrated in the global economy and financial system.

As a result, China has more means of retaliation against Western sanctions.

This article sketches out a possible scenario of Western sanctions on China and its countermeasures to illustrate the scale of possible damages to both sides.

At present, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has $3.2 trillion of international reserves of which the exact currency composition is kept a state secret. However, in a 2018 report, China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchanges (SAFE) indicated that the USD share of its assets declined from 79% in 2005 to 58% in 2014, presumably falling further since then.

Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that most of the PBOC international reserves is in major currencies such as the USD, euro, yen, and pound sterling—including holdings of $1.1 trillion US Treasury securities, $217 billion of Asset Backed Securities (ABS) and $273 billion of equities.

In addition, Chinese enterprises have made about $145 billion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States and about $83 billion in the European Union. Many of these enterprises are state owned or can be linked to the Chinese government—such as in the case of Huawei—and can be subject to US and EU sanctions .

In response to a freeze of its foreign reserves and, possibly, other private sector external assets,China could move to nationalize much of the stock of FDI in China, worth $1.9 trillion—focussing on Investments from the United States, Europe, and other countries sanctioning China.

China can also freeze more than $1.2 trillion of Chinese domestic stocks and bonds owned by foreign investors. Moreover, Chinese entities have incurred about $2.7 trillion of external debt mostly in USD and euro—including a few Chinese sovereign international bonds.

China can stop servicing many of those debts, using the same argument as Russia—that it is willing and able to pay, but is prevented from doing so by US government actions.

China can even invoke the force majeure clause if such a clause is contained in any of the external debt contracts. The clause allows parties to a contract to suspend performing the contractual obligations due to government actions which are unforeseen at the time of signing the contract. A pause in servicing China’s external debt would inflict substantial losses on Western investors—largely through investment funds and pension funds.

As a result, in terms of balance sheet exposures, China has about $3.4 trillion of identifiable international assets at risk of possible sanctions and up to $5.8 trillion of liabilities to, or assets in China of, international investors and companies largely from Western countries. China therefore has plenty of room to take retaliatory actions. A sanctions and counter sanctions war game suggests that the losses are comparably severe for both sides.

Moreover, such a situation will significantly disrupt economic exchanges—mainly trade between the two sides. Since exports account for 18.5%, or a relatively large share of China’s GDP, with about one-third of that going to the United States and European Union, their disruptions could cause a substantial decline in China’s economic activity.

On the other hand, China accounts for 18.6% of US imports—and 22.4% of EU imports—especially in manufactured goods and several critical goods, such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals to make pharmaceutical products. Consequently, disruptions in Chinese imports would cause noticeable shortages, rising prices, and discomfort for consumers and some producers in the importing countries. The macroeconomic impact for the United States may be less severe than for China.

However, the lower tolerance of American consumers for goods shortages and inflation would mean the social and political fallout of an all out economic war with China could be more significant in the United States. The economic impact on Europe would also be more substantial as the EU exports more including to China—at 17.6% of GDP compared to 11.7% for the United States.

In short, in a scenario of Western sanctions coupled with Chinese counter measures, both sides will suffer substantial damages. This could lead to a situation of economic MAD—or mutually assured destruction—reinforcing the more catastrophic nuclear MAD.

These considerations would set the parameters of the geopolitical rivalry and conflict between China and the West. This will likely intensify in the foreseeable future to encompass all areas of relationship between the two sides, but hopefully will stop short of economic or military wars!

ANTIMATTER – Retro Pulp Science Fiction by Skyward, Return of The LIGHTNING BOLTS/Time Travel, AI2-3

I really enjoyed my time as a police officer and sometimes I even surprised myself in a good way. I was in CID (Detectives) and we were basically on call 24/7 unless we were on vacation. It was extremely common to be called in at night or weekends. If we weren’t working, we were paid time and a half overtime when called in.

Our policy was to fill out a vacation slip that showed the dates we would be off and the number of hours we would be using. So, if I wanted to take a single day, I’d out the from date and the to date and put in 8 hours of “V” time. You would then send that slip up to get approved. Pretty straight forward, you’d think.

An issue that came up for me, and others, was supervisors would interpret things differently…and it made a huge difference in my place.

For example, I want to take Monday thru Friday off, I would put the days that I would be off and away. So, I would put the previous Friday at the end of the day that I was leaving…and put the following Monday morning as my return. So I would have the end of Friday off all the way until the Monday of the following week as my return. So, I would burn 40 hours of vacation but be off for 9 days as I would include the weekends as my time off. Most supervisors would not notice this being done and it was common for the detectives to do. Essentially saying don’t call me between these dates and times.

I hope my explanation above makes sense. And here is where it mattered for me. I was taking a week off and put in 9 days to be off and use 40 hours of leave. Well, the Friday night l prior to my week off, a supervisor called me in for a homicide. I told him I was on vacation and I wasn’t coming in. He again told me to come in saying my vacation started Monday morning, even though I put the Friday afternoon on my slip. So, he ordered me in and I had very little say about it (at the time) and I went in.

On a homicide, it was common for us to work for several days continuous without going home. Because of my vacation time, they did cut me loose on that Monday. So, I went home and slept for a few hours and then continued my vacation. My regular overtime for that weekend, from the time I was called in to the time I went home was in the ballpark of 60 hours. I submitted my overtime slip. Our overtime slips had a spot to write in what hours we were scheduled to work…I put vacation down indicating that it was a vacation time for me and I wasn’t working norms. Hours. The supervisor kicked it back and said no, it wasn’t vacation time for me since my first vacation hour would have been Monday.

This caused me to look up the policies on it and it was somewhat vague with this but indicated our vacation time started when we were off…so when is one off? When they finish their last shift or when their vacation starts. So, this is where the interpretation part comes in. Some supervisors like this one believed it started the first day you had a V day. Others believed it started with whatever you put on that leave slip…as it’s very well possible you could leave for vacation right after leaving work.

Anyhow, I sent this up the chain of command asking for clarification on the policy. The supervisor first tried to prevent it from going up saying he answered the question but that got quashed. Ultimately it came back and was clarified. Our actual vacation time started with the day/time on the slip…and ended with the day/time on the slip. Reason this is so important is if you are ordered in on vacation time, not only do you get overtime, but the rate is double time and a half….this was something the union worked out years ago (before my time) to prevent people from being ordered in from vacation.

You remember that 60 hours straight I worked starting on Friday evening when I was called until Monday when I went home? That 60 hours was DOUBLE TIME AND A HALF. My paycheck looked like I hit the lottery or something. I was quite pleased with the outcome. The supervisor was a little upset because he was incorrect but realized that a) it’s not his money…if he orders me in, I should be compensated properly and b) if he ever wanted me to answer my phone again when I was off, he should play nice. It smoothed over and everything was cool.

The Hunt for Red Octavia

It’s from WW1.

Most people don’t know this because it has literally been painted over in history. I mean literally. This painting is called Panthéon de la Guerre.

Panthéon de la Guerre was a painting started in 1914 by a French artist showing France victorious with all her allies and those who helped the WW1 effort.

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Notice anything?

There are no Chinese in this painting. The US entry into WW1 meant the Chinese labor corps (CLC) who went to help in WW1 were quite literally painted over.

In January 1915 China stopped being neutral and despite internal troubles 96000 Chinese volunteers primarily from Shandong were shipped to Europe across Canada to help with the war effort.

Note how I wrote shipped. They did not travel to Europe they were shipped in train box cars and were not allowed to leave them to save on landing fees.

The CLC were treated pretty much like slaves in Europe and were pretty important to the war effort.

Once it WW1 was coming to a close? The Shandong Chinese were immediately dehumanised even more as sub human filth, for deportation and many were deported at gun point. Even those who died were simply thrown into mass burial pits and the French/English didn’t even consider giving them graves. Several 1000 died but there’s only a few marked graves in France for them.

Some of them remained in Europe and formed the third Chinese migration wave out of China. The hatred towards these people was stoked up so Chinese could be discriminated against and treated unfairly.

The dehumanisation was also a sticking point, as China sent labour to get Shandong province back from the Germans. Instead western powers gave Shandong to the Japanese and stabbed China in the back at the treaty of Versailles.

This kicked off the May 4th Movement and the founding of the CPC.

EDIT

There is currently NO memorial to the CLC in Europe as above barely anybody knows about it because it’s rather niche as a topic and most Europeans are hostile to China anyway.

My mom was an alcoholic. She died from Cirrhosis at the age of 43. The fucked up part is I didn’t know she had it until 2 weeks before her death.

On June 25, 1998 I woke up and walked into the livingroom where I found my mom sitting in her chair. She was so yellow and she kept vomiting black bile. I held a towel under her mouth so she wouldn’t vomit on herself. She smelled so horrible. It has been almost 21 years and I can still smell her. It was the smell of death. Her mind was gone at this point. She had no clue what was going on or where she was for that matter. I was scared to death. My 17yr old brother got scared & angry so he left(he didn’t know any better. Took me a long time to understand that). It was just me and her there. I called my aunt and told her what was going on but she didn’t know what to do. So I called my dad(parents been divorced since i was 2yrs old) but he told me that she’s probably just drunk(i knewit wasn’t that). So, I ended up having to call an ambulance and once they arrived my mom was refusing to go to the hospital. So the police got involved, asked her a few common sense questions like what year was it? Who is the President? She got them all wrong. I was begging her to go. Cops had to force her and that was the first time I got to ride in an ambulance. Once at the hospital it was just her and I in a room waiting on a doctor and I’ll never forget the look of desperation on her face when she looked at me and begged me to tell her what year it was and who the President was(she thought if she knew they would let her go home). And I’ll never forget when I had to tell her no, I’m not telling you.

That was the day I found out my mom had end stage Cirrhosis. I went home later that evening to grab some clothes and as soon as I got there I remember going straight to where she hid all of her bottles of Canadian Mist and poured them down the kitchen sink. I didn’t know at that time that she was never coming back home.

Little did I know that 7 days later my life was about to changed forever. I remember being sat down and told that my mom only had 1 to 2 days to live. I’ll never forget that feeling of not being able breath and the agonizing fear and confusion I felt at that moment. She lived exactly 2 days.

And on July 3, 1998 at 7:04 pm I stood next to my mom watched as her eyes rolled back her head and saw her take her last breath of life. I remember looking at the nurse and asking her if my mom was dead. She said yes. I was only 14 years old.

**Side Note: Just 10 years later I watched my father die from Pancreatic Cancer. He found out that he had in March of 2008 and died on May 23, 2008. I was only 24 years old. I lost my mom within a 2 week span and I lost my dad within a 2 month span. It’s so fucked up. Pancreatic Cancer is a very aggressive and vicious disease to die from. I remember getting the call from my brother. He had died before I got there. I remember my brother and I sitting next to our dead father in a Hospice bed. My brother looked at me and said I’m 27 and you’re 24, and both of our parents are dead. Talk about a hard dose of reality.

The reason that I mentioned my father’s passing is because Pancreatic Cancer is a very ugly disease and it’s an agonizing and painful death. But it has NOTHING on Cirrhosis of the Liver. End stage Cirrhosis will chew you up and spit you out. Eventually all of your organs begin to shut down. It’s such a horrible and horrific way to die. Like I said, it’s been almost 21 years since she died and let me tell you, I can still remember every single minute of every single day of the last 2 weeks before my mom’s death. EVERYTHING. I still have flashbacks.

I love my mom. And I know she loved me the best she knew how. She made sure that me and my brother never had to want for anything. This woman worked every single fucking day for 26 years for the State of Tennessee and rarely missed a day of work. But also, she made damn sure that she had her pint of Canadian Mist in her work bag. lol

I’m at peace with her death. She’s where she belongs. At peace.

But there will always be an emptiness of unanswered questions for me and my brother that will NEVER be filled. And at times it’s a hard pill to swallow. She fucked me up good with the self doubts and never truly feeling “good”enough. To this day at 35 years old, I still can’t or won’t allow anyone truly in. There’s only 2 people who are in and have fully have me and that’s my 8 and 2 year old daughter’s. No one else. And it fucking sucks.

I lived in the Netherlands for a couple of years then and my Dutch boss invited me to her wedding. There was a beautiful ceremony in a romantic castle and after that we were served some tiny snacks and petit fours.

After that we took a group picture and then the wedding manager announced that those who have a fork and a knife pictogram in their wedding invitation could proceed to the dinner hall and the rest can go home and thanks for coming.

So there we were, hungry and stuck in the middle of nowhere. Until one of our colleagues called her husband to pick us up by car and bring to the nearest train station where we bought ourselves döner kebab.

I still don’t get it, why should someone treat their guests differently. If you can’t afford a wedding dinner for everyone, it’s perfectly ok with me. You can go for an intimate wedding with your family or close friends or just serve cake, I don’t care. But not treating your guests equally completely blows my mind even 20 years later.

BE A MAN.

Out of jail and into the fale

I fought in the Russo-Ukrainian war with the International Legion. I saw many upsetting sight, but the grossest one that has really stuck with me was during the battle for Klishchiivka, slightly south of Bakhmut and after the fall of Bakhmut in 2023. It was before Ukraine recaptured Klishchiivka (and they have since lost it again).

We were on an assault mission the capture some trenches in the surrounding forest (what was left of it) and the place was littered with mines. We had an EOD expert leading the way and we passed a dead Ukrainian soldier inside a body bag. The area was still too hot to extract the body so it just lay there as the battle raged.

We failed the assault mission and had to fall back. No ground was gained or lost, but the Russians knew we were there and were raining artillery down on us. As we fell back, around noon, we passed the body bag again. It had been perforated by artillery shrapnel and the July heat had slow cooked the flesh. A foul, greenish-brown goop oozed out of the bag and stunk horribly. It was leaking onto the ground a few inches from the safe trail.

As the artillery was landing, we ducked for cover and I had to duck next to the body. On the other side of the trail were two Russian soldiers who had been dead for some time. They were Inside a shell crater and had almost decomposed completely. I could see their skeletons, one with a large hole in the skull. Both has bits of dehydrated flesh clinging to the skeleton. I was laying between dead of long ago and dead of recently, waiting for my death from the artillery.

A few meters further, there was the decapitated head of a Russian laying amongst some anti-tank mines that had been piled up. The head was as decomposed as the other Russians, a testament to the longevity of battle there. I did not see a body and did not bother to look. Helmets and shattered rifles littered the trail. So much death in the tiny tree line.

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The body bag. Not a very clear image and I couldn’t find a clear shot of the Russian bodies.

Earlier In the day, as we arrived in the assault position, an M-113 was struck by a helicopter missile and burst into flames. Luckily, it was only ammunition in the back, which burned and cooked off for about 20 minutes. The driver and commander both survived. They came running across 250 meters of open field to our position with blistered skin and burned, shattered clothing. One soldier jumped into the fighting hole with me and I could see hand-sized blisters forming on his legs. He was in immense pain. Oleg was his name. He was extracted and I do not know his fate this day.

The whole day, collectively, would be my grossest experience, but the oozing body bag really got to me. I will never forget it

I’d say as little as US$1000-$2000. Cash and carry, fly to Yiwu or Guangzhou, buy goods in cash, carry them back home in suitcases or cartons. You are in business.

Forget container, you can’t afford that, you don’t need that. If you need a shipping agent, there are many billboards and advertisements in wholesale markets, once you are there, you can ask them to ship for you.

There are 100,000s of African traders in Yiwu and Guangzhou, doing exactly as I described above. Ethiopian airlines fly directly to Guangzhou, I saw African traders at the airport, buying and taking goods home to sell, exactly what Marco Polo was doing 800 years ago.

YouTubers SMASH anti-China propaganda with REALITY

There are times when celebrities accidentally photobomb. Of course, it has to go viral.

Check out:

  1. Heisenberg

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2. You have been Nick Caged!

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3. Can you spot the celebrity?

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4. The Rockkk!

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5. He is looking for the choppa.

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6. This is terrifying!

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7 Here’s a girl with no name!

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8. I never witness this kind of photobomb

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9. This has to be the greatest accidental photo ever.

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10. Benedict bombing all of them!

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This happened thirty years ago and I still find my blood pressure spiking when I think about it.

I worked at a small steel mill in Tuscaloosa, AL, called (at the time) Tuscaloosa Steel. Our Vice President, “Percy,” was a stuck-up Brit from British Steel, the company that basically owned Tuscaloosa Steel.

My maternal grandmother had a major medical issue and was in the local hospital for open heart surgery. I took that day off work so I could be at the hospital for when she went into and came out of surgery, and to be there to support my mother and grandfather, who were beside themselves with worry. My boss and all my coworkers knew where I was and why. So did my boss’ boss, Percy.

We had just started installing new software called RollCIM at the mill, and no one was familiar with it except the IT department, of which I was a member.

My group was demonstrating part of RollCIM to some of the users and ran into an issue. Now, any single one of them could have fixed it.

But. No.

Percy decides that I and only I can fix whatever the hell the problem was. So he pages me (at the time there were no cell phones; we had pagers) with a 911. I call the mill from the hospital waiting room and am told to get my ass to the mill right now because Percy is frothing at the mouth and needs me to fix something that blew up while being demoed to our users.

My grandmother was literally in surgery. We didn’t know if she was going to live or die. But I had to leave the hospital with my mother and grandfather sitting there STUNNED at the audacity of this…”man.”

I get to the mill in record time because I went about 80. I run in, and there are 4 or 5 people standing around a terminal, and Percy is fuming. He gestures at the screen. “This is unacceptable!”

I literally pressed like three keys and it cleared the error right up. I said, “Is that all you needed? Because I need to be back at the hospital immediately. My grandmother should be coming out of surgery any time now.”

None of the people to whom the product was being demoed knew he’d gotten me out of the hospital to come press three keys on the keyboard. One of my coworkers said, “I kept telling him I could fix it, but he insisted it had to be you.”

So I high-tailed it back to the hospital and got there just in time for my grandmother to come out of surgery, OK. No complications, thank goodness.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Several days later, we were having a departmental meeting where we all got into a conference room and went over incidents of the previous week and plans for the current week. At the end of the meeting, Percy turns to me with a huge grin on his face and asks, “Oh, by the way, how is your aunt?”

I directed all the hate I could at him with just a look and said, “They’re all just fine. None of them were sick. My GRANDMOTHER, on the other hand, who had open-heart-surgery, is in a lot of pain, but recovering nicely, thank you.”

You could have heard a pin drop in that room and our boss called an end to the meeting immediately.

And that is but one of several stories I could tell about this pompous ass.

Here’s a poser.

  1. Which is the biggest car market in the world, in terms of new car registrations?
  2. Which car market has the broadest retail presence by global carmakers?

Answer?

China.

Do you know why both the EU and America instituted lightning quick tariffs on Chinese EVs?

Because their ICE, hybrid and EV products are being decimated in China. Yup, “overproduction” that has spilled into China for decades are rapidly tumbling.

>30% sales reduction yoy is commonplace, and the list includes Porsche.

Even BMW, which a sales manager boasted (to me) “sells itself” and therefore, no discounts or freebies, had to immediately discount its brand new G60 i5 by 20+%, just to move the model out the door.

A 20+% discount on a brand new generation hot off the production line!

The Chinese competition is smoking hot.

The average non-mainland youtube car channel will look VERY, VERY different with Chinese cars in the mix.

At this point, mainland car channels might as well be from a different galaxy, showcasing wares that are not only cheaper, but materially superior to the competition.

2024 crystallizes the divergence between east and west, with the Chinese taking over the mantle of tech leadership.

Thank God I’m born Asian.

Welcome to the 21st century.

The Asian century.

Shorpy

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Though nearly two months have passed since I came here, Japan never fails to amaze and amuse me with a different experience each day, everyday! Among other things, my interactions with the Japanese, though few and far, have already made a lasting impact on me! I would like to share two such memorable instances that will be enshrined in my heart forever.

  1. So, I had scheduled for a parcel to be delivered to my room at 12pm. I opened the door at 11:55 and the delivery man was standing right in front of the door! When I asked him why he hadn’t knocked on my door, he said he was waiting for the clock to strike 12! What?! I had no idea someone could be that humble (and of course punctual, it’s futile to even talk about their punctuality as it is simply too amazing to be described in words).
  2. On a cold afternoon, I was at an Indian restaurant having lunch. A man seated next to my table started smoking while eating. As I am averse to the cigar smoke, I asked the waiter and sat down at the corner table, far away from this man. On realizing that his smoking had bothered me, he came up to me and apologized. Well that’s polite and I can fathom it. But when I finished my lunch and went to pay the bill, the waiter told me that the man was very sorry for the inconvenience he might have caused me and had already paid my bill. Really?! Words fail to describe what I felt then!

I get a feeling that I’ll learn more from observing how Japanese are than by listening to lectures at the university! Hats off Japan! 🙂

High Value Man REFUSES To Pay For Woman’s Food & Leaves!

Because people realize the “west” they have been told about simply doesn’t exist.

Let me explain. Before the reformation of 1978, almost nobody had been to western countries, except for politicians and scholars. The country itself is not satisfying as well. Japan, Singapore, even North Korea (under Soviet reinforcement) is better than China in many ways. This, to the Chinese people, is mind blowing. People were taught that countries like Korea used to be sovereign states of China, but China is now left behind.

It wasn’t until the beginning of this century that Chinese started to go out and explore the rest of the world. But the idea of being left behind is still in many people’s mind.

However, when Chinese finally made it to the west, they get shocked by the fact that the so called “lighthouse of democracy” (nick name for the United States) is not perfect. People get frustrated by racism, foreign nationalism and violence in the foreign nation.

It is not their fault, not at all. But still, people believe that this can’t be true.

“How can there be so much racism? I was taught that Asians have the highest income here! Why is this happening?”

“How can there be so much nationalism? I was taught that the media of the United States was never controlled by their democratic government! Why is this happening?”

“How can there be so much violence? Why do people get shot almost once a week? I thought this wouldn’t happen in a democratic society!”

Several years gone…

When they look back to the place they just come from, a country growing at an astonishing speed, they finally understood why.

They now know every country has its own pros and cons, and they now know that the country they come from isn’t that bad at all. In the contrary, it might even seem to be a better choice for them.

Chinese people are sometimes fooled by its own kind that if you go to the west, you get everything: you get money, a happy family and a nice job. In fact, this is also what many US immigrants in the early 20th century believed. “Go to America! And you’ll get everything!”

But when your own country grows from “nothing” to “something” to “something more than something”, you’ll start to wander: is the US always better than China in every aspects? Is my country really worse than the US?

Development is the key.

That’s how you get nationalism.


Edit: the point I want to make clear of is that older generation Chinese have this strange “fairytale” thought about the west. It’s not because of propaganda, but because people accept the feeling of China being a backward country and the fact that the west is indeed much more advanced. But the economic boost changed all that. Now, many Chinese regain their confidence of being one of the top countries in the world. The Germans, Japanese and Russians all experienced the change when their country rises.

PREPARE! “We Have Never Seen Anything Like This In Recorded History.”

I sure have! A particular young lad with an obnoxiously loud and very illegal aftermarket “muffler” installed on his modded Honda Civic. Both, the first and second times I pulled him over, I gave him a warning, informing him that the State law is very clear, that the installation of “mufflers” that do not dampen noise as effectively as the stock one does is prohibited.

I saw him continuing to drive around relatively often (it was hard to miss whenever he went by) but I deliberately waited about a month between the three more times I stopped him (preemptive countermeasure to any Harassment claim), and ticketed him all three times. The third ticket, however, was not for the illegal muffler, it was a Criminal Citation for driving on a suspended license: it was inactivated by the DMV for ignoring the requirement he actually pay the previous fined. Also, at that time, State law REQUIRED police to impound the vehicle of anyone caught driving on a suspended license. So I did, and never saw that car again. (No doubt it was because he couldn’t afford the impound & storage fee on top of all the tickets he got from me and probably other officers as well.)

Yes, I felt bad for him the first time I stopped him, which is why he got the warning. The second time, he told me that the replacement muffler had been shipped but hadn’t arrived yet, but had to get to work. I pointed out that he probably still had the stock muffler & strongly suggested he reinstall until the (unnecessary) new one arrived. But I let him off. I didn’t hook his car until four MONTHS later, during which time there were MANY times I saw him driving but didn’t stop him. By the end, no, I didn’t feel bad for him at all— all that happened to him he brought upon himself & he had his eyes wide open the whole time.

Man Silences Audience Full of Women..

The true story of U-118 at Hastings and the dangers of old ships.

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main qimg 05626b69d78a12313de826486a5dc58f pjlq

Aerial view of German U-118 U-Boat washed up on its way to France April 15 1919.

After World War 1 ended, the German Navy surrendered and many of its ships were interned at the Royal Navy’s chief naval base at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands north of the Scottish mainland. However SM U-118 was surrender by the Imperial German Navy to the Allies at Harwich on 23 February 1919. U-118 was due to be transferred to France, but while on tow from Harwich to Brest, in company with UB-121 during the early hours of 15 April 1919 she broke tow in a storm , and ran aground on the beach at Hastings in Sussex at approximately 00:45, directly in front of the Queens Hotel.

Initially, there were attempts to re-float the stricken vessel. Three tractors were used to try and pull the submarine back into the sea and a French destroyer then attempted to break the ship apart using her guns, all efforts were unsuccessful, and the closeness of the submarine to the public beach and the Queens Hotel prevented the use of explosives.

U-118 had been launched on February 23, 1918, she was 267 feet long, displaced 1,200 tons and was armed with a 150mm deck gun, 14 torpedoes and 42 mines. SM U-118 had a lackluster career, sinking only two ships. She was surrendered to the Allies on February 23, 1919, exactly one year after she was launched.

The city fathers decided to make the best of this instant tourist attraction, the Admiralty put the local coast guard in charge and allowed the town clerk to charge sixpence apiece to visitors wishing to climb onto the deck of U-118. After two weeks, nearly £300 had been raised for the Mayor´s Fund for the welcome home of troops from France.

Special excursions inside the submarine were arranged for important visitors, these were led by the two coast guardsmen, but the visits were stopped after two weeks when both these gentlemen became strangely ill. Instead of getting better, they got progressively worse, until, by February of 1920, both were dead.

Their autopsies revealed abscesses in their lungs and brains, probably caused by chlorine gas leaking from the sub’s damaged batteries.

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main qimg bbc32ee82024ce3895489739d6374a91 pjlq

U-118 ashore at Hastings crowded with tourists.

The decision was made to break up U-118 and sell it for scrap. Hastings was presented with the 150mm (6-in) deck gun, but they decided to get rid of it in 1921. It is believed that portions of the sub’s keel still sit under the sands.

Putin Responds to Trump Wanting to End the War in Ukraine!

Thanks for the A2A, Liana.

My then 8 yo daughter had an one-month home stay at my cousin’s home in Denver, Colorado.

I video chatted with her daily. She told me she loved eating at Uncle Woo’s restaurant. Uncle Woo is my cousin’s husband, a second generation Chinese American who runs a Chinese restaurant in Denver. I was so grateful and relieved to hear that.

Me: ‘Great! What’s your favorite food in Uncle’s Chinese restaurant?’

She: ‘Sushi!’

Me: ‘Er… Sushi is a Japanese food… anyway I’m glad you love it. What’s your favorite topping of sushi? Tuna?’

She: ‘Tempura!’

Me: ‘Er… Tenpura on Sushi? I’ve never heard of that. Tell me more. What’s it like?’

She: ‘Uncle and Auntie deep fry big shrimps, top them on the rice roll, and dip sweet salty sauce on them. Yum yum!’

Me: ‘Wow that sounds unique. I wish I could taste them too.’

She: ‘You know what? Today Auntie taught me to make dumplings. I wrapped many dumplings. And they are flower-shaped!’

Me: ‘Impressive! I’ve never seen flower-shaped dumplings. Must be beautiful! What’s the fillings?’

She: ‘Cheese!’

Me: ‘Er… I can’t imagine what they would taste like… did you eat them?’

She: ‘Yes! Those are my No.2 favorite! We wrap them like flowers, then auntie deep fry them, they taste super creamy.’

When she came back from Denver, she brought many ‘Lucky Cookies’ as souvenirs from USA to her friends. The ‘Surprise!’ inside the cookies gave kids so much fun.

She also taught her grandma to make flower-shaped cheese-filling dumplings when we visited them in Beijing on Chinese New Year, and shared them with our neighbors.

Chinese people always say ‘Be it a black cat or a white cat, a cat that catches mice is a good cat.’

I say be it Chinese or American, be it Japanese or Italian, a food that is delicious and fun is a good food.

And salute Uncle Woo’s family, salute food lovers all over the world who constantly create new food cultures to warm our stomachs and hearts.

SCOTT RITTER JOINS ON PUTIN’S KNOCKOUT BLOW TO NATO

NOTE: This is NOT my uncle’s actual car, but very similar to the one he bought. Picture for illustration purposes only.

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main qimg f055e060296d5327c76fd340089d6519 lq

When my uncle retired, he decided to treat himself to a brand-new Corvette. He shopped for weeks, finally choosing a loaded model in a bright racing yellow.

He was so excited on delivery day. I drove him to the dealership and when we arrived, his new car was out front, facing the street but parked very close to the wall of the showroom. He didn’t care because he’d be driving his new car and I would be driving my car. The salesman rushed him through the paperwork, gave him the keys and said he had another appointment to get to. This annoyed my uncle considering the amount of money he had just spent. But he was still excited, so he hopped in and fired up the 427 engine. I told him I’d follow him to the gas station; this happened in the days when a dealership provided just enough fuel to get you to your first fill-up.

He pulled out and turned right down the boulevard. A few blocks later, he pulled into a station, then swung the Corvette around the pump, perhaps so he’d be facing the street when finished gassing up. My mouth fell open in horror as I watched him swing around. The entire passenger side of the car, the side that was against the wall at the dealership, was totally smashed. Dents, paint ripped down to the fiberglass, trim completely missing. The car was destroyed on the passenger side. I pulled over and tried to warn my uncle before he saw it but I was too late. He had gotten out with a big smile on his face, ready for his first fill-up with his brand new Corvette, only to see this total mess. We both stood there dumbfounded for a moment, but soon anger took over.

We immediately returned to the dealership and found the salesman, who was on the phone. I had to restrain my uncle from hitting this guy, he was screaming at him at calling him every name in the book. We went outside and showed the salesman the car, and he had the balls to accuse my uncle of being the one who damaged the car! By this time a small crowd had gathered around the scene, and finally the owner of the dealership came out.

The salesman admitted that he had smashed the car when he was bringing it out of the storage lot, and didn’t want to lose the sale, so he hid the damage by parking it so it wasn’t visible. The owner immediately fired the salesman, apologized to my uncle, gave him a loaner car for free while they ordered a new Corvette, then when he came to pick up the replacement car, the owner gave my uncle a check for $10,000, which was more than he paid for the car! Because of all of this, my uncle didn’t sue the dealership. That salesman’s actions were the scummiest I’ve ever come across.

She Instantly REGRETS Divorcing Her Husband When She Realizes No One Want Her with 5 Kids | The Wall

I used to date a gay cop.

If we were out to dinner, he could become visibly fixated and angry, almost trembling with rage, because some stranger across the room had dyed and shaped their hairstyle into a violet Mohawk.

This really happened, decades ago, and I am still confused.

Returning to our date, I am siting there, thinking FFS, you’re a gay cop and you cannot handle anyone who does not fall in line according to your standards. It’s just hair. It’s not anti-social. The guy has cut his hair to express an identification with counterculture, maybe. It’s different, but who cares?

Gay cops are hot.

I gave him too many passes despite this scary inclination brought forth by non-conforming people of all stripes. It was amazingly predictable and a frightening irony. We have freedom of self expression in this nation, though we may lose it soon. If Republicans want state bans on contraception FFS?

The brunt of their authoritarian rage in full plumage is difficult to ascertain.

I think I finally told him, “You’re a gay cop. Not the fashion police, you know?”

In America, we don’t have a fashion police with enforcement powers.

And for damn good reasons.

Seriously, who gives a shit? Why would anyone give a shit?

The guy with the Mohawk is not your enemy.

You need a scapegoat.

Deep in this guy’s angry soul, he desperately needed everyone to conform or it upset him, as if his insistence on compliant appearances belied the inner shame that drove him to law enforcement in the first place, not that all cops are steeped in hypocritical denial.

I do not suffer from the need to judge something or someone I do not understand who does not pose any real threat to me. It does not cross my mind. Not for a second. But there are people in this world who will judge anyone who dares to step out of line as expressed in an unorthodox hairdo.

Do you not have bigger issues on your mind?

People dye their hairdos like Easter Eggs because, I assume, it’s fun. They like it when they look in mirror. It communicates their freedom of spirit to everyone. It adds color to their lives, and what in the hell could possibly be wrong with that?

Please remove the baton of imperious piety from you know where.

And relax. It’s just hair. It can’t hurt you.

Let people be different.

It’s not that hard.

It’s also one of your fundamental responsibilities as a citizen under the present Constitution as long as it continues to exist under the new tyranny of right-wing control. Good God, you went on a tirade when Twitter evicted their trolls, suppressing what you call freedom of speech, but you’re uptight over pink hair. It drove you crazy when the courts finally shut down Alex Jones and his lie factory for good.

You can’t see the freakish contradiction in your need to police “freedom” ?!? You can’t understand that freedom of speech does not mean the right to lie?

By definition, it means you can’t police other people and control their chosen forms of self expression, until they pose a direct danger to you or others.

You don’t get that? By definition, it means other people can dye their hair as long as they so choose even if it bugs you. Jesus. Seriously. Get a life.

Not dirty money-wise, but it was infuriating on principle.

I was in a car accident, 100% the other party’s fault. The police report cited them as being at fault (failure to maintain control of the car). Their front end hit my front end, I was pointed south on a south-bound freeway, and they were pointed north (they lost control in a heavy rain).

Arbitration between the two insurance companies determined that the other party was 100% at fault. I got my deductible back, and my insurance covered the loss of the car.

My insurance did NOT cover a couple of over things. Some fishing gear was stolen (OK…”came up missing”) from my vehicle while it was at the collision center lot. I cracked a couple ribs during the accident, and couldn’t mow my very large lawn for a few weeks, and had to pay somebody to do it. A few other things. I wanted their insurance company to cover those losses. I could have asked for pain and suffering, and probably could have jacked up a lot of other expenses, but I didn’t; I just wanted them to cover a few clearly articulated losses.

The contract they sent me had a statement “I understand that this is a questionable claim….” followed by a statement that this would be the end of the matter.

I called the rep at the insurance company and told him on no uncertain terms that that the “questionable claim” statement was coming out before I signed the contract. I didn’t object to their wanting to close off indefinite demands, and was amenable to language that said the deal was done and over with once they sent me a check, but there was nothing the least bit “questionable” about the claim, and if they wanted to push the issue, I would conduct a more thorough review to my losses, and take them to court in a case that they had, for all practical purposes, already lost.

I got a revised contract with the offending language removed less than an hour later.

If she can't be corrected then she can't be directed. 
If she can't be directed then she can't be protected. 
If she can't be protected then she can't be respected. 
If she can't be respected then she can't be selected.

It is not what is Kier Starmer stance on China? It is China is watching if Kier Starmer wants to cooperate and partner with China or wants to do shit and be a US dog like his previous leaders, that is your choice. If you want to be a dog and do US bidding China will handle you based on your decision.

If you want to be a US slave or dog and do shit on China. China will return the favour and gives you double the dose! On the other hand if he is smart and wants to do what is good for UK, China will reciprocate in kind! The ball is on your court! You decide!

China is the world’s most humongous market and manufacturer, you can partner them and be prosperous and win EU market or you can be a dog and pretend you are fine with your economy tumbling negative with a 5–10% inflation. You British decide you want 3 good meals a day or have a 30 second limelight being an assistant sheriff to a dementia or degenerate.

Your choice. China will watch what he do not merely what he say! You Caucasian Anglophones thinks too much of yourself! You need China not China need you! UK market is about the size of a province in China nothing much more than that! It UK stop buying Chinese it may affect China 0.0.5% of their business but if China stop UK it cost UK 5–8% inflation! That is simply mathematical! Sunak, Liz and Boris are simply too dumb to realised and the chose a dog’s role that brings no benefit and a whole load of problem for UK!

Starmer needs to decide carefully and so does the British people!

I think that he is running for President. But, aside from that, it’s a good video.

I have been living in Japan for three months now and one thing I realized is that there is no tipping here. At all.

I asked my Japanese friend why this was so. He asked me, ‘What is tipping?’
I said, ‘When you think a service in a restaurant is proper, the person in charge gets your food on time, we leave some money for the waiter’.

And he said, ‘But aren’t the workers supposed to be efficient? Isn’t that their job?’
Me: Ah well. Umm. Hmm. Yeah you are right.

It’s considered in the Japanese society that it is one’s duty to do their job perfectly. It’s even difficult explaining them such things as why one should tip in a restaurant!

Let me add some more things here.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that they have braille everywhere. Everywhere including beer cans and washlet (Japanese hi-tech toilet) buttons.

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main qimg 4adaa273d88ef8133084ba51094fe6a4 lq

The first thing you do when coming across a “growling lion” is freeze and avert your eyes. You also do not point at it.

If a lion is not habituated to man it will most likely run. The danger arises with lions that are more used to people.

Look at the animal’s tail. When a lion is angry or feeling threatened it will sweep its tail from side to side. If it is hunting it will keep its tail stiff and twitch it from time to time. It is much more serious if it is actively hunting you. If you see stalking indications then raise your arms above your head and wave them and most importantly SHOUT YOUR HEAD OFF. If you have something in your hand then throw it at the lion. Even if the lion charges you do not run. Believe me this can be extremely intimidating. They charge at 80 km per hour and the roaring is deafening. If you have frozen and then lion is not approaching but not leaving either then start to back slowly away. If it starts to move, then freeze immediately.

My wife, Marjet, once walked into a whole pride at a concession we were running in Botswana. It was early morning during the cool season and she was walking from our home to the camp (a couple of hundred meters away). The lions had just arrived and were sunning themselves in the tall grass, so she didn’t see them till she was right on top of them. Despite the aggressive roaring and repeated charges from different lionesses she held her nerve and walked away without a scratch. Needless to say she doesn’t take any nonsense from me…

Night time encounters are another story. I was once doing problem animal control in Gache Gache in Zimbabwe, trying to bait and shoot a lion that had killed several people and the night before had almost succeeded in breaking into Chief Mangare’s hut. It was dark but moonlit and I was lying on the ground, carefully backed into a euphorbia hedge along with two game scouts and a fellow ranger. I heard a very faint noise behind me and the lion was crawl-stalking me and just 10 foot back! He had actually carefully crawled through the dense hedging to sneak up on us. He was too close for me to be able to turn and shoot. However, I turned on the torch in my hand and shone it in his face. He ran off. So, if you are walking in the bush at night (it happens in safari camps especially) and come across lions, keep your beam in their eyes and back away.

One of the biggest myths is fire. Lions are not afraid of campfires and will often walk round them and see what’s happening. However, keeping a fire between you and a lion is probably better than nothing!

Why God sent you a cat | Feline spirituality

MM used to be a Mad Scientist in his public role

You guys all know that I was in MAJestic, and that was my “black role”. And you all also know that I had a “public” or “white role” where I worked in industry designing products and moving factories to China.

It was a tough role.

Not the “black” role, no.

The “white role”; the Public role was tough.

Sheech!

It was always hustle – hustle – hustle, then get a job. Then learn the tasks in a hyper-short window of time. Then implement the objectives, quickly, followed by being laid off. Always on a Friday. And usually right before a holiday.

I was a hire-and-discard engineer.

Now, you can handle perhaps 3 to 4 layoffs in a lifetime, I had what? 25, 30. Fucking Crazy.

Anyways, that pace, and the scope of the work, is not something that you forget. After some 40 years, it becomes who you are.

So, when it came to me being retired, I “hit the ground running” and prepped for my move to China. And those bozo’s in Arkansas and all the rest can accuse me of some fake narrative, but I had everything in hand. While I was in prison, I ate healthy, I exercised. I conducted my verbal affirmations, and I studied.

I got a certificate for Teaching English, and I learned Chinese.

I had an extraction plan and I was all ready to go.

However, there was one thing that I was forgetting. Oh, sure it lay there dormant in the back of my skull, but I was totally unprepared for the total lack of support when I got out.

My first ex-wife met me and helped me get some money out of the bank, and my sister put me up in a cheap hotel for two weeks, but that was it. I had no clothes. No money. No possessions and no help.

For me to do the offender registration, I had to hitchhike from the city bus stop, and then walk though a field to get to the local state police barracks.

Everything was closed to me, and I had to start from scratch. I mean, REALLY from ground zero.

I had to buy a pencil, and a cheap tablet of paper.   Ah. Something like this…

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e3bdf6eb6bd83d3c54ee88322c8ecd49

And then, using my wits, reconstitute my documents (all had been lost) and get a new passport and then apply for a visa and all the rest.

Now, the romantic in you might think that I was equipping myself sort of like this…

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2564e68a149b1c52cb68a673e688283c

But no. That’s just a fantasy.

I bought an army surplus backpack, and put the plain basics in it.

Maybe something a little like this…

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b0d905607e509d4beea0b2588685fd90

Now, this is not about all that.

That was just the background.

But one of the things that I had, and lost was my technical tools. Not only my computers, printers, files and all that, but my hard toolboxes full of tools. My complete electronics lab.

My micro fab facility, and all my bench tools.

All gone.

How many people want to buy a used signal generator, and a bunch of army surplus aircraft avionics? All gone.

Even though I pretty expected that everything would have been looted, I was surprised that there wasn’t ANYTHING left.

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f43df33d83ba5f7f97c5dce706a87659

Apparently, after my friends and family took and hauled away all the good stuff, everyone else came in like vultures and locusts and picked up everything that could be pawned off, or sold on e-bay. There was nothing left.

Sure. I talked about the loss of my art.

As well as my books.

But, I lost much more than all that.

And so, in this post, I will lament the loss of my prototype lab, my engineering study work area, and my tools relative to my profession. Not that anyone would hire me ever again for that role, but I don’t think that a lot of you MM followers have any idea that I was quite the “mad scientist” conjuring up all sorts of devices, and mechanisms and solutions.

People can steal everything you have. Destroy your reputation. Black list you, and make it difficult to live any kind of life, but they cannot take away your skill set.

And after I left the United States gulag, I was able to get reestablished, and was welcomed in a merit-driven world of engineers and people who actually appreciate knowledge, skills and abilities.

The Chinese.

And here is my ode to my old prototype workshop…  Ah sure, Pictures of others of my ilk. But these pictures all resemble what my life used to be like.

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6fa1b82b118e6890e8cec0c3611e15dd

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985576d9217622303dfa08ce0a7f9065

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cd7b75044464fd83d92e2538dee5c532

Today…

Recently, the U.S. Congress discussed China’s deployment of “machine dogs carrying automatic rifles” and unanimously passed a proposal opposing this practice. The legislators’ reasoning was peculiar, citing that “dogs are man’s best friend.” However, this decision reflects a severe lag in U.S. lawmakers’ understanding of China’s advancements in military robotics technology.

In reality, China’s progress in the field of military robotics far exceeds the scope of machine dogs. Chinese-manufactured machine dogs have recently outperformed products from industry leader Boston Dynamics in competitions. More strikingly, Chinese machine dogs are priced at just 1/27.5th of their American counterparts. A U.S.-made machine dog costs about $74,500, while its Chinese equivalent is only $2,700. This means China could deploy 28 robots for the cost of one American machine dog.

However, machine dogs are just the beginning of China’s robotic technology advancements. China has already developed more sophisticated robots such as the “land spider” and “small land spider.” These devices surpass traditional machine dogs in stability, movement speed, and load-bearing capacity, while being cheaper and simpler to manufacture.

The “land spider” robot uses a six-wheeled spider-like configuration, offering high-speed all-terrain functionality. This design combines the stability and speed of wheeled vehicles with the flexibility of multi-legged robots, allowing it to operate efficiently in various complex terrains.

The “small land spider” is another significant breakthrough. This small self-destructing robot, loaded with high explosives, is designed for covert movement and urban warfare. Its small size, strong climbing ability, and high speed allow it to navigate complex urban environments nimbly, making it a potential game-changer weapon.

China’s innovation in robotics technology is not limited to imitation and improvement but includes original design and practical application. For example, they have developed a wheeled version of the robot dog, cleverly combining the advantages of both wheeled and legged robots.

These robots are not only technologically advanced, but more importantly, their low cost makes large-scale deployment possible. This cost advantage could radically change the face of future battlefields, making it feasible to replace human soldiers with robots in high-risk situations.

Surprisingly, despite China’s public demonstrations of these equipments in use and production of promotional videos with English subtitles, the U.S. Congress still seems to focus solely on machine dogs. This narrow focus reflects a serious misjudgment by U.S. policymakers regarding China’s military technological development.

The U.S. Congress’s reaction to machine dogs is both surprising and concerning. Their focus on the ethical issues of machine dogs while seemingly ignoring more advanced robotic systems indicates a significant cognitive gap. This lack of comprehensive understanding could lead to misguided policy decisions and inadequate responses to evolving military technologies.

Overall, China’s progress in the field of military robotics, both in terms of technological level and cost-effectiveness, represents a potential major shift in modern warfare. These robots not only possess powerful combat capabilities, but more importantly, their low cost makes large-scale deployment possible, which could reshape the landscape of future battlefields. Robot warfare is no longer a distant future scenario but is rapidly becoming a reality. The U.S. Congress’s response highlights the challenges in understanding and addressing this emerging technological trend.

Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Steak 1
Steak 1

Yield: 4 servings; approximately 2 cups chimichurri sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) Certified Angus Beef ® flank steak
  • 1/2 cup (1 ounce) chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
  • 1/2 cup (1 ounce) chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 onion (4 ounces), finely diced
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a food processor or blender combine parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper and salt by pulsing to a finely chopped consistency.
  2. Add vinegar and agave nectar. With processor running, add oil in a slow stream until well combined. Set aside half of sauce in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Put steak in a casserole pan, coat evenly with remaining chimichurri, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least four hours, or overnight for deeper flavor and tenderness.
  3. Heat grill.
  4. Remove steak from chimichurri marinade and wipe clean, discarding marinade. Grill steaks to desired doneness over medium high heat.
  5. Allow to rest 5 minutes and serve, topping with reserved chimichurri sauce.

I’VE COME TOO FAR TO QUIT – Best Motivational Video

I’ve been in 1 prison, 6 jails, and I was homeless for 2 years in Cleveland, Ohio.

They are all bad, but bad in different ways, so it depends on the person.

County jails are the most boring places I’ve ever encountered. Each time I was there, it was for an average of 75 days, and I tried to fill the time by reading anything I could find.

One time I only had access to the Bible and L. Ron Hubbard’s “Dianetics,” the blueprint for Scientology. I’d sit in on many games of spades or hearts, but that’s really about all there is to do.

And it’s loud.

I’m an introvert, so I value my personal quiet space, and I was in pods with as few as 6, and as many as 50 guys. I was in solitary for 3 days once, and my mind was beginning to go wonky by the end.

However, in all of the jails I’ve been in, I was in a climate controlled environment, and I was fed 3 meals per day, and I never feared for my safety.

Prison was more scary, but there are more things to do. I

was afraid a number of times, but never suffered any serious damage. I took some classes, and I had a job in the laundry, so time passed much more quickly in prison than in jail, and again, I had a roof, walls, and enough food that I never became weak with hunger.

When you’re in jail or prison, you think a lot about the lack of freedom, and what you’re going to do when you get out. You miss the sunshine, you miss the rain. You miss having normal conversations with family about boring, quotidian subjects.

You miss driving a car, and just walking aimlessly.

Being homeless, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of jail.

You have all the freedom anyone could ever ask for, but you never feel at ease.

u never feel safe, and your time is occupied by finding shelter, money, food, and drugs (the reason I was homeless.) April to mid-November isn’t too, too bad, but when the snow starts, you’re in trouble.

I stayed in a couple of abandoned houses, but there are times when you don’t have enough clothes and blankets, that you’d rather not eat for 3 or 4 days than to hustle on the streets to get money for food.

And in jail, there are people to talk to, but when you’re homeless, nobody even glances in your direction.

It’s a scary, lonely existence. So which is the worst out of the 3? It depends. If I weren’t a junkie when I was homeless, I probably could’ve gotten out of the city and stayed in the woods, in a more temperate climate, and I could find a way to survive, and maybe even found a certain amount of pleasure in living with absolute freedom, enjoying the sun and the stars, and a cool breeze on a summer day.

But when you’re a junkie, homelessness is the worst.

Yes, I’ve had to detox in county jails, and that sucks, but it eventually passes, and you’re left with too much time, and not enough activity to fill it, so I’d say that overall, jails are the worst

Stuck

I once sat next to a commercial pilot who was going to work. So people like me go to their jobs on bus, motor bike, or car. But pilots take flights to their work. Isn’t that super cool? I am so jealous.

Anyway coming back to the story. We were chatting about our professional lives when the plane started to tremble, something that gets me scared. I brought my apprehension to his notice when he told me that this is the part that excites the pilot. Otherwise the flight would be really boring. To say that I was dumbfounded is an understatement. Well, he had an explanation.

“Flying a plane in a good weather is really easy, you can put the plane on autopilot and it will take you from point A to point B. It is during the bad weather that a pilot is responsible for keeping the flight safe.”

“Seriously”

“Could you wish for anything else except bad weather while flying? You know like more normal wishes. How about that next promotion, the big house or that fancy car you want?”

Even though I was being serious. He laughed it off.

Our conversation went ahead and I asked him about his most interesting client. He mentioned that he once flew a young wealthy guy.

“This dude came in wearing worn-out t-shirt and jeans. We were curious to know how he made the big money and asked him. To which he replied that he was a part of a start-up which took off reasonably well. After the flight we “Googled” him, only to find out he was a co-founder of “Google.””

Cracked us both.

Pondview, East Carolina

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in a small town. view prompt

Holly Pierce

I never expected anything exciting to happen to me in the small town of Pondview, East Carolina, but with my luck, it was inevitable. Well, I guess my luck isn’t all bad, considering I didn’t die. An adventure seemed like something anyone would want when they were bored, but this kind of adventure was something nobody wanted. July 4, 3020 was supposed to be a day to celebrate our country. Instead, it was being torn apart.The day had begun normally, with nothing interesting happening. And that was when it happened.Small, hard spheres fell from the sky, exploding on impact. Huge flame licked the sides of my house, and I ran outside. We hadn’t expected to be bombed, with the population being so small, only 1,203 people in the town, but apparently the military didn’t care how small we were. Their plan to eliminate all the people of the United States of America was slowly becoming a reality as the bombs continued to fall. We all ran in the direction of the one safe house constructed underground. I tripped on a piece of one of those ancient vessels, called a car, and noticed a large gash on my arm from the jagged metal.All around me, more bombs were falling. The military’s new scientists were creating bombs that immobilized every human in a one mile radius of the explosion. Thankfully, these were the older bombs, and they focused the explosions near metal. Not many of our houses were made of metal, so we only had a few houses to worry about.The symbol for the safe house, a heart with the word hope inside it, was spray painted on the wall. An arrow going through the heart pointed me in the direction to run. People merged together to run the final stretch toward the safe house.I estimated the distance left. 50 yards. 40 yards. 30 yards. 10 yards. An enormous black orb of death fell from the sky, going right next to me. I watched the bomb hit the ground, almost in slow motion, and fell to the ground four feet away as the bomb’s force shoved me to the ground. My ears were ringing as everyone ran over me, desperate to make it to the safe house before the next bomb fell. No such luck. Seconds later, another bomb landed almost directly on the safe house. I faded in and out of consciousness, the edges of my vision blurry.When I awoke, it felt as though a stampede had trampled me. Well, pretty much. I didn’t even want to think about how many people had trampled me, thinking I was dead. Or maybe they didn’t care in their rush to escape. I attempted to sit up, and was struck by a wave of dizziness. I laid back down, and looked around me.All around I saw the charred remains of the town all around me. Apparently, the military had used multiple types of their advanced bombs to destroy my town. Ashes and dust floated around, and I was completely covered in it.I carefully stood up, trying not to fall when my leg buckled beneath my weight. After a futile attempt at standing up again, I looked toward the safe house, trying to determine if it would be safe to go to it and take shelter. Half of a building obstructed my view. It was a miracle it had not fallen on me as I was laying there unconscious. I climbed over the rubble, and the safe house was gone. In its place was an expansive pit. The ‘safe house’ wasn’t actually safe.

We should have known. The government had built the safe houses, so obviously they knew where they were. They knew exactly where to bomb to destroy the most amount of people. This had all been a trap to kill my town. I spent the rest of the day walking around my town, searching for other survivors. I obviously knew the military jumped out of their planes to shoot survivors, but I still hoped someone might be alive.

Everywhere I went, nobody I found was still breathing. Everyone was dead. Not me though. I took this as a sign. I needed to do something important with my life, I needed to make a difference. But first, I had to find someone else that had survived the bombing. I heard a sound behind me, and turned to sprint behind a building. I saw a person I was unfamiliar with, clothed completely in black.

The stranger called out to me, saying, “We will not hurt you. We have come to search for survivors. We are not working from the government. Could you please come out?”

I climbed as the person spoke, quickly scaling the crumbling building in front of me. I was in a position where I could see the person but the person could not see me. At the top of the building another figure crouched, also clothed in black. This person appeared to be wielding one of the older gun models, perfectly enough. The older guns were longer than the newer versions, and they didn’t shoot as far.

This one’s back was to the chimney, and I silently crept behind the chimney. I used a long ball of strong string to tie two pieces to the chimney. I would need to make a distraction. I threw a rock onto the next building over, and just as planned, the person turned to look at the building. I quickly tied one end of the nearly invisible string to the butt of the person’s gun. The person every so slightly heard me, and swung their head the other way. I tied the other sting to the barrel of the gun, and slipped behind the chimney. Everything flowed smoothly, following the plan almost exactly.

The process was repeated for the two remaining figures positioned around, and at long last I climbed the final building. The figure removed their mask, and I gasped. I’m almost positive it was heard. My brother, who had been presumed to be dead, was now with these random people. I did this one a bit sloppier so I didn’t injure him too harshly. I got into position where the sound would echo and finally answered his question.

“Prove you’re not working for the government, or all of you will be lucky to be alive. And I refuse to leave my spot.”

I ran to another pile of rubble, and hid behind a cement block, the string trailing behind me.

“We have no proof. I am alone, and I will talk to you before violence needs to be used. Come to me, alone, and we can negotiate.”

Obviously, he didn’t realize I’d already found the three snipers hiding on the roofs of the nearby houses. I yanked the string, and all three snipers’ heads were smacked against the walls behind them. They were instantly knocked unconscious, and I slowly walked toward the human in front of me.

“Yes?” I said. He looked properly terrified, and I loved it.

“They were not supposed to be here, and for that I apologize. I didn’t mean for any of this to lead to violence and death.”

“First of all, they’re only unconscious. Second of all, I asked if you had proof, and you started your sentence with ‘we’. Who are you? All of you? Tell the truth, or the worst injury around here won’t be someone unconscious.”

“We’re the survivors of the city bombings.” As he spoke I noticed a few more details leading me to believe he is male. His stance, for one as well as his voice were dead giveaways to his gender. He continued, “All four of us found each other after our cities were blown up. First, my city. Next, was Charlotte’s city. The next city was more of a town, and it was where John had lived. The most recent one, Laine’s, was beside your town. We’re searching here for survivors, and we stumbled upon you, knocking us unconscious.”

“Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“Okay, I believe you. Have you learned anything about all of this?”

“The military leaves a person of twenty years or younger alive after each bombing, alternating genders. We aren’t sure why, but it’s happening. This area was already searched for anything useful, and you’d be surprised at how much food didn’t explode. We have to start moving immediately to the next city. Are you coming with us or not? If you don’t you’ll probably die, and if I’m being honest, if you come with us you’ll probably die, it will just be longer before you do die. Your choice. Go with us or stay here?”

Colonialism is defined as “control by a power over a dependent area or people.” It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people.

I’ve seen a number of Chinese infrastructure projects in places such as Zambia, Cambodia and Indonesia, and it sure doesn’t fit the definition above. At worst, I heard locals grumble that the work was being done by imported Chinese labor (exploitation of Chinese workers… hmm is that reverse colonialism?).

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New international airport in Phnom Penh being built by Chinese interests

People who call China’s projects “colonialism” either (1) don’t understand the meaning of the word but use it because it sounds suitably disturbing, or (2) DO understand what colonialism is but deliberately misapply it because it makes China sound scary and bad.

Moreover, colonialism is a highly charged word, so it might make people in countries who were previously colonized react negatively to China’s investment projects.

It’s the same reason why the US and other western countries accuse China of debt trap diplomacy. It’s a highly emotive attempt to turn public opinion against China — even though most Western institutions today state that China is doing no such thing.

Unfortunately, the narrative does work on the credulous. For instance, in countries such as Sri Lanka and Malaysia, the debt trap myth led to negative reactions and pushback from citizens in both countries.

Because who wants to be colonized by or in debt to the nasty Chinese?

Food porn

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With What????

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main qimg d3263caaf51b3741e0f1a56e4b5451da lq

$45 Billion of Infrastructure Loans

Free Trade for 36 Items

Over 2000 Students a year educated at Chinese expense

Over 100,000 Tourists from China a year

5.76 Million Doses of Vaccines

Thats what Mongolia gets from China

What can India offer?

A Grinning Photo of Modiji in his beard or Jaishankar in his suit promising some nonsense???

How much Mongolian Oan (Sheep Liver) does India consume? How many Skazhi Hides? How much Cashmere?

The Answer is Near Zero

China imports 85% of mongolian products

So what Economic ties????

Same with Phillipines

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main qimg 73401c0b2b4c5a0ae38b4d036c428725 lq

The Love Hate relationship wavers between US and China and not India

India has zilch to offer.

China has 125000 maids and Domestics from Phillipines

China Trade with Phillipines is Vitak

China has provided economic assistance

What can India offer except talk?

Modi can say “In 2025 we will…”

Xi will cut a Cheque today , or Biden will

The “We are a Democracy” wont work anymore. Nobody gives a damn.

Gyms Are Going Bankrupt As 60% Of Men Are Boycotting Gyms #4

My beloved husband died after a sudden illness. He was in Intensive Care for three weeks, in the coldest part of the winter here in Ottawa His two brothers came for part of the time but could not stay all the time. I spent all day with him at the hospital and came home to as many as 10 phone messages from his grief stricken family scattered around the world. As well as feeding his brothers and managing the house. This was in 1995 – pre e mail. My own family was minimally supportive. When he died I had a group over at my house after the funeral, my husband’s 2 brothers were also staying with me. They had to fly in from the US I managed funeral arrangements and all the sad details of death by myself. My van was stolen out of my driveway at night and the pipes froze and burst in a vacant rental property owned by my husband during this 3 week period. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed that I could hardly think straight. I wrote down everything I had to do and crossed off my list that which was done

My brother and his wife drove from Toronto for the funeral and stayed at a hotel The following summer I was so lonely. I asked for family to visit. My sister in law said she would not come to stay because when she had come for the funeral my basement had been untidy and she thought she could smell mold. This was the end of February in Ottawa. I told my brother that if he had really cared they would have been helping me clean during this awful time, not looking for opportunities to score points

That was when I realized that I could never expect any understanding ot support from my family EVER I have never asked for anything from them since. I am a very different person now because of this experience

I wrote this several years ago, but it keeps coming up and has so many comments.

So it’s time for a sequel.. I kept contact with my family, expecting nothing from them, and did not make a fuss about the situation described above. I pulled my life together, myself, made a career, adopted a child, renovated my home, travelled. Lots of things have happened –

My brother had a disabling brain bleed about 10 years ago and had to retire; my mother died I kept working until 4 years ago, while raising my little girl. Life progressed. I kept visiting them on a regular basis even through the pandemic They have not visited me.

Last spring, my sister in law died. She had been complaining about a bad back, – turned out it was 4th stage bowel cancer. So I went to visit my brother who is living on his own, even though he now has mobility issues and needs a wheelchair to manage. It turns out that my sister in law had been totally controlling of him, resisting socializing and telling everyone he was too disabled to function in the world. She had the entire basement stuffed with stuff. I mean STUFFED. She was a hoarder. There was like an alleyway between floor to ceiling rows of stuff in the large family room down there. She was a crafter and literally had a room full of wool and fabric and all kinds of things. My brother had one small room which he fitted up as a library with his books, computer and tv, and where he spent the majority of his time. They were barely speaking to each other, and then not in a civil fashion, by the end of the pandemic. The family is still trying to get rid of all her stuff, and my brother is much happier and more friendly now. He is functioning like a different person. They lived together hating each other for so many years —-

I am so glad that I sucked it up and carried on, and did not give in to bitterness and revenge. Think of these people wasting so much precious life in trying to prove who was —- whatever, and forgetting to live. And there is so much irony in her complaints about my home, while she was hoarding stuff in her own.

Jimmy Dore on the Biden’s Performance at the Trump Debate

Yes I have a few but this one always hits me hard

I was hit by a car on my bicycle on a hwy26 in Indiana and left in the ditch to die. I was riding 44miles and about 20 miles into the trek I heard nothing as I was struck. The driver stopped about half a block away. I couldn’t move my left leg so I thought my phone should signal them to help. I raised my phone and waved it then they left.

About 10 cars passed my and nobody stopped. I was still in shock and wasn’t thinking clearly. Finally I thought wait I can call 911. After I called a nice lady stopped and I said help is on the way.

Half hour later they arrived with a ambulance and a cop. They talked to me and the cop left to search for the driver. I was strapped on a stretcher. My shoe was a half block away from the crash and my water bottle too. My back tire was completely turned into a V … I was taken to emergency room and released 4 hours later . I had whiplash and internal bleeding, some stitches, and shot with pain killer, and a booster. I had to leave straight to court, still in my hospital scubs because they cut my clothes off.

The judge was shocked and said you definitely dressed the part, and I was helped out to the car to return home.

The next day is when the whiplash set in. I recovered very painfully at home and it took 4years. I still have neck crepitus and am on Meloxicam 15mg.

If it was a truck I’d been torn apart and dead. I relive it everyday.

Women SHOCKED Men Won’t Approach Them After Decade Of INSANE Feminists Yelling At Men For Doing It

China is NOT going to share lunar soil with USA because … in 2011, USA has passed the Wolf Amendment which forbids USA-China space collaboration.

Before 2011, USA already made up many excuses to block Chinese scientists from attending academic space exchange eg not issuing a visa.

Hence, China must not share with USA. Otherwise China will break US law & be arrested or sanctioned. Haha.

CNN “scolded” China for not sharing. USA also complained that China did not invite USA to do joint research. These Americans conveniently forgot the Wolf Amendment.

Before, USA did share its lunar soil with the world incl China.

Out of 380kg of lunar soil, USA gave China 1g only ie proportionally close to 0 of total. Netherlands got a “lunar rock”.

If not because of the US law, China should give USA the same proportion. To be FAIR.

US lunar soil & rock

France has lunar soil from both USA & Chang’e-5 (5 & not 6). France said the soil from the 2 countries are not the same. (note Chang’e-5 landed on the front of moon. Chang’e-6, the back)

China said all compounds from US lunar soil can be found on Earth.

Netherlands said the lunar rock it got from USA is a fossil found on Earth.

GYM Owners KICKING Modern Toxic Women out of Gyms

My wife and I stayed in a small mobile home park with 2 of our children. We did not realize, (until after we had already moved in and settled down), that this particular park did not like bi racial relationships. I walked to the office to pay my rent,(as always), when the land lord gave me a look, of confusion and discust. As I handed her the rent envelope she said, there’s a… “there’s somebody in your yard”. I replied ,”yes mam! That’s my wife.. and our children!. She proceeded to say,” she a….well how do I say this without getting in trouble. You’re not going to be having any parties with people from Peoria are you?” And she said, “ you can’t be having any drug parties over here!

Then the police started showing up out of the blue for no reason normally. One night they showed up and said they receive a call for gunshots. I said ,” office I have children here and there are no weapons in this home, you can come check! “ the officer said that he could hear the game I was playing so he kindof thought it was a bad call, but that he still had to come and check it out anyway. Couple hours later the police knock on the door again, for people fighting. I assured the office that there was no fight and that who ever was calling on us was living for some reason it seemed like somebody had it out for us, and we were the nicest people around, the only one who helped everyone and treated everyone with respect, as a human being.

space fire

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. view prompt

Irene Park

Chapter 1

 

How to become a rich man after being stuck in prison for seven long, excruciating years. 

 

As Peter blankly sat on his bed inside of his incommodious five-foot-by-five-foot maximum security jail cell, complete with sparking electric fences and menacing guards surrounding the whole cell, he began to throw random objects at the electric fence, watching them slowly burst into miniscule flames and leave trails of smoke until finally fizzling out.

Out of boredom and an act of defiance against the orders of guards and the king, Peter repeatedly threw objects at this evil faced encasement meant to entrap him: Mice, rocks, scraps of food. Anything he could find to slowly pass his time in jail.

He yelled out to the guards, “Someday I will be out of this jail and you’ll be under my control and power instead of the other way around.”

But, every day, the guards kept their stance and tolerated Peter’s hopeless cries of defiance, annoyance and boredom. Little did Peter know, he would be free and rich sooner than he had expected and meant in his words.

Suddenly, he heard the echoing stomping of their studded metal boots of the kings’ royal guards march down into his quarters, the filthiest area where all the worst criminals were kept in the farthest, darkest corner seventy-five yards away from all other civilians. Countless criminals resided there after committing gregious crimes such as arson, murder, and robberies, all sinking into their own endless pool of shame, regret, and dismay.

Peter felt surprised by this, knowing that the kings’ royal guard thought very highly  of themselves and would never draw near to the presence of grimy delinquents and be subject to their shame and indignity, afraid that their guilt would impinge on their own pride and self-respect.

Suddenly interested, Peter avidly sat up and heard the turn of the lock to his cell click open, something that he had not  heard for seven long and excruciating years. Seven long years of guilt, shame and contrition due to his wrongdoings. He had been twenty years old then. Young and foolish, he had everything he could ever want: a good family, abundant money, and all the latest tech. But, Peter still wanted more and more.

So, he decided to rob people of money, murder people he got into the slightest arguments with, and finally his biggest misshap– trying to steal the Makepiece Diamond of Zirca, which was one of the most valuable diamonds in all of the galaxies. Peter had planned everything to go according to his potentially flawless plan. He had infiltrated the king’s palace and the treasury where the diamond was kept. Just as his hand was about to snatch the glittering, clean-cut Makepiece diamond, he smelled a foul gas in the air, and he realized he had set off a tripwire that released knockout gas. The guards had come rushing in, stomping and frantically pouring into the small room and brought young Peter to the filthy catacombs where he still  inhabited seven years later:

“Halt. You are officially under arrest by the kingdom of Zirca. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used as evidence against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney and you have a right to consult an attorney before being questioned and to have an attorney present. If you can’t afford an attorney, which evidently you can, one will be appointed to you.

Seven years later in his jail cell, startled, Peter’s mind began swarming with millions of hypothetical reasons and questions. Is this a chance to freedom? Am I being sentenced to death? Why am I being summoned? 

The royal guards with crisp white uniforms etched with their rankings: general, commander, agent, or so on, each with matching badges that signified they were of the highest class of military personal and pins. Gold trimmings neatly marched along the neckline and cuffs, stitched so perfectly they seemed to be pressed into the uniform. The proud guards spat at Peter and gruffly shouted, “Get up, you purple haired buffoon. The king wishes to see you, though we don’t know why he would want to see a dirty, ragged, wrongdoer like you. Now get up, and don’t make us ask twice.”

Peter quietly stood in confusion, curiosity, and bewilderment, and let the guards drag him to his death–or freedom.

Slowly lumbering up the moss covered stairs, feeling the stares of equally infamous criminals as himself, glancing at sparks flying off of many other electrical fences, new criminals with snarling faces thrashing in the guards arms.

Peter felt the guilt he had controlled and held in the jail of his own heart for seven long years come to light as he walked the walk of his own shame to the king’s court.

After what seemed like an eternity, or more precisely, 458 feet, 30 flights of stairs, and more than a hundred jail cells like his own, he finally saw the dazzling lights of thousands of crystal chandeliers, servants serving the king to all his miniscule whims, mellifluous music floating through the air from a grand harp, and finally the throne itself.

Peter started muttering to the guards that clenched his arms so tightly.

The king’s throne was a magnificent piece of work and the centerpiece of the throne room. Dripping with jewels such as clear-cut diamonds, forest-green jades, ocean-blue sapphires, dazzling sea-green emeralds, deep violet amethysts, ice-blue topaz, and fire-red rubies, it reflected a thousand rays of light, while being placed in pure gold.

Peter gaped in awe to the regal king that comfortably rested aloft the magnificent golden throne and meekly bowed out of his own humility and respect. The king, although aged and ancient-looking, he had an extremely wise mindset, and made decisions for the best of his planet. He had a great, wispy white beard, flowing robes of shimmering gold, and a grand crown on his head.

The tension of silence between the king and Peter at that moment became stifling. All servants, jesters, and guards sensed the palpable tension between the rotten criminal Peter and the royal, regal, wise King of Zirca. As the silence started to become almost unbearable, and static sounding, the king’s booming voice finally rang out.

Suddenly hearing the king’s echoing voice, Peter quickly glanced up at him. The king spoke to Peter and announced, “Peter, son of Circa. You have murdered countless families, looted many of my finest ships, and have attempted to steal the Makepeace Diamond of Zirca. For this, you have had been sentenced to life in prison. But, unfortunately, our planet is dying. Our Fire of Hestia has been stolen by the people of Titan. I am recruiting you to retrieve it for your freedom or death. Now, young Peter, what is your response?”

Hearing the name of “Fire of Hestia,” Peter’s mind clicked, and he finally realized why he had been brought up from the catacombs, left to rot, but instead given a chance of freedom. The Fire of Hestia was a relic from when the whole universe had been created. It powered all life on a planet, and without it, a planet could rot and die away slowly. Peter looked out the king’s grand windows, and saw that the whole landscape had changed since he had been exiled into prison. It looked dark, gloomy, and somber. Before, it had bursting with life: Foliage everywhere, children laughing, picnics taking place everywhere. But now that the Fire of Hestia had been stolen by the Titanians, the planet of Zirca was dying.

True, there were other relics across the universe that powered other planets, but the Fire of Hestia was special. It was the only relic powerful enough to give life to such a gargantuan planet such as Zirca and the people of Zirca the comfort and pleasure it needed.

Peter silently debated in his mind of the decision he should make. Shall I go after The Fire of Hestia in this quest? Should I spend the rest of my life rotting away in my shame and mildew? His hands became clammy, and his throat suddenly felt parched. But, Peter knew what he had to do to save his home planet and all those inhabiting it.

Peter responded in an equally regal voice, knowing that he had been chosen for one of the most difficult and important quests in all of robbery history.  Despite the fact that he felt weary, bone thin, hunched over, had matted hair, ragged clothing, smelled of the sewers, and a single shoe he boldly said, “My king, I am honored for this opportunity and I am willing to accept. But, only with added compensation. I would like 100 bars of pure gold, new clothes, new shoes, and a new spaceship to get to Titan. You must give me my demands, otherwise I shall not perform any services for you.”

The king replied after some thought, “Although that is quite a handful of treasures that you demand to have in exchange for your service, the planet needs you.  I realize there is no other thief as clever and stealthy as you. I shall supply your extraordinary demands in return for the Fire.”

Peter conclusively announced, “Then I shall accept this quest and go out to find this Fire of Hestia.”

 

Gym Owners Are Starting to BAN Cameras | Modern Women Are BAFFLED

In 1979 I was hired to manage a new branch of a trust company. The branch opened in June and was not expected to be profitable for three years. With some good fortune I was able to make a profit in the first year and every year after. The company opened two other branches the following year and asked me to train the new staff which I did. Those branches had turn over and failed to ever be profitable.

in 1988 the firm merged with another firm and all managers were invited to bring their spouses to a big meeting with the new management at a large resort in Arizona. While there the spouses were invited to a special meeting with management to outline how great the nee merged firm was going to be. After that meeting my wife told me I needed to look for a new job. She felt the new management were crooked. I didn’t agree

in January 1989 my immediate supervisor phoned to say he was being dismissed and I needed to watch myself.

in March the replacement for my supervisor decided he wanted to come for a visit to discuss the goals for the new year. He also wanted to meet my local advisory board. The board meeting was held and we sat down to (I thought) goals. He presented me with a letter saying I was being let go. He mumbled his way through an explanation. I asked if the managers of the other two offices were being let go. He said know.

my next statement was “ So my branch has made money for 10 years and those branches have lost money for 9 years. I suppose the problem is that I didn’t realize the objective was to lose money”

He denied that was the issue but did say they thought my pay was too high. They had to pay me severance for 10 months.

I had a new job in 6 weeks and after 18 months I was making twice as much. 6 months after the the trust company went out of business due to losses bi guess the objective was to lose money

Woman RUINS Her Familys Life for Views

The whole saga about how China has only just “discovered” how to make ballpoint pens is a highly instructive lesson in how the media is capable of shaping public opinion of an issue while missing the point entirely.

——————-

In early 2018, TISCO, a Chinese steel and mining conglomerate, announced with much fanfare that they are now able to manufacture high quality ballpoint pen tips, meaning that Chinese pen manufacturers will for the first time be able to produce high-quality ballpoint pens without a single imported input. Western media outlets were quick to latch on to the story and a raft of headlines such as these popped up:

Finally, China manufactures a ballpoint pen all by itself – WaPo

China’s Latest Innovation? The Ballpoint Pen. – Bloomberg

China Couldn’t Make Its Own Ballpoint Pens—Until Now – Fortune

At last – China learns how to make a ballpoint pen – Stuff.nz

Ballpoint pens and the danger of China’s ‘one-dragon’ policy – FT

Finally! After years of trying, China celebrates ballpoint pen breakthrough – SkyNews

—————

The headlines and articles therein convey the message that Chinese manufacturers were unable to produce a decent ballpoint pen because they either lacked the knowhow, the innovative drive, and/or the IP protection framework required to spur innovation, thus requiring a 5 year state-led initiative to cut through the chaff. Some of these articles also contain misleading information about how the Chinese have to import stainless steel tips from Japan and Switzerland, when the Chinese are in fact the world’s largest manufacturers of said stainless steel tips.

This slew of misinformation and biased reviews led some commentators such as these: China’s Ballpoint Pen Victory – Or Why American Wages Are Higher Than Chinese, to speculate that the Chinese inability to produce a simple pen is symptomatic of the larger reason why American workers are worth more, and also why a barber in Illinois is paid more per haircut than a Chinese barber in Peking (sic), while skirting the fact that neither the US nor any other country besides the Swiss and the Japanese currently possess the ability to produce ballpoint pen tips of a similar quality.

Here’s what all of these writers are missing about these newfangled ballpoint pen tips:

Not only are the tips made with the utmost precision, the balls are made of tungsten carbide.


Tungsten carbide is a very useful material that is not only used in a wide variety of commercial applications such as ballpoint pens, jewelry, and cutting tools, but also industries of critical national importance such as nuclear reactors and armor piercing ammunition.

Since the early 2000s, the PRC government has identified tungsten carbide as a vital component of its national security infrastructure, and has invested huge sums both internationally to secure its sources of supply, and domestically to build its ability to utilize said supply.

The ballpoint pen tip is merely a commercial application for the material that requires extreme precision at all stages of the manufacturing process and supply chain. As such, if you’re able to produce a high quality tungsten carbide ballpoint pen tip, it goes to follow that you will be able to produce anything with tungsten carbide. And yes, that includes armor-piercing weaponry and ball bearings for advanced weapon systems.

That’s why the PRC government has spent 5 years and large sums of money on developing a product for an inconsequential niche market. To the PRC, it’s not about producing a ballpoint pen. It’s about reaching technological parity and independence in an area of vital national interest.

I was 17 and my best friend, who is now my ex-best friend, posted a video (an embarresing video) of me on the school blog. And I got extremely mad at her.

I couldn’t do anything too bad because my parents were friends with her parents and I could possibly get grounded. I absolutely despise getting grounded, like any other normal teen

Anyway, I finally had an idea, it was pretty harmless yet extremely effective. I put a package filled with glitter and stuffed it inside her car because she had given me the keys just the day before.

She was and still is a very proud and arrogant person. Meaning that she always thought that she was in charge of the fucking world (when she isn’t and I hope to god never will be)

She opened the package and out popped glitter, spreading all over her face and her entire car. The prank was absolutely harmless, but it was horribly hard to get the glitter out of your hair.

She came up to me in the hallway and confronted me. I told her that I didn’t do anything and she started to punch me. I was about to punch back, but then I saw the principal staring at us and decided not to do anything and let her punch me.

Just before she was about to give me a bloody nose or something the principal came in and started scolding her and telling her that violence was wrong and is NEVER justified.

By now the bell had rung, but everyone was still outside, eager to see what was going to happen. The principal not only humiliated her in front of everyone, but she also got a 1 week suspension.

After the end of this I was very proud of myself and continued on with my normal life. She didn’t talk to me and I didn’t talk to her.

Shorpy

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WhitemanCarlson Racers.preview

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One of my employees had missed an important meeting on Friday, and I needed an explanation.

“Why weren’t you at the meeting on Friday?” I asked, trying to keep my tone professional but firm.

He looked at me, a serious expression on his face. “I’m really sorry, boss. I was abducted by aliens.”

I blinked, not sure if I had heard him correctly. “Come again?”

He nodded earnestly. “I know it sounds crazy, but I was walking to my car, and suddenly, this bright light appeared. Next thing I know, I’m on this spaceship surrounded by little green men. They were curious about Earth and kept asking me questions. I tried to tell them I had a meeting, but they wouldn’t let me leave until they were done.”

I stared at him, trying to gauge if he was pulling my leg. But he looked completely sincere. “And… they just let you go after that?”

“Yeah, they dropped me off late Friday night. I didn’t think anyone would believe me, so I didn’t say anything,” he explained, his eyes wide with what I could only describe as genuine bewilderment.

I took a deep breath, wondering how to handle this. “Alright. Let’s just focus on getting back to work and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

He nodded, relieved. As he walked away, I shook my head, still processing the bizarre excuse. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, had an overactive imagination, or just didn’t want to admit to a more mundane reason for missing the meeting. Either way, it was the weirdest excuse I had ever received, and one I doubted I would ever hear again.

Huawei exec rejects idea that advanced chip shortage will hamper China’s AI ambitions

By Reuters

BEIJING, July 4 (Reuters) – A senior executive at Chinese technology giant Huawei (HWT.UL) on Thursday dismissed the idea that a shortage of the most advanced artificial intelligence chips will hinder the country’s aim to be a leader in AI, but said innovation is needed to address the issue.

The comments by Zhang Ping’an, CEO of Huawei Cloud, comes amid tighter U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chip shipments to China including a ban on sales there by companies such as U.S. giant Nvidia (NVDA.O).

“Nobody will deny that we are facing limited computing power in China… But we cannot rely solely on having the AI chips with the advanced manufacturing process nodes as the ultimate foundation for AI infrastructure,” Zhang told a forum at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, a three-day event that kicked off on Thursday.

“If we believe that not having the most advanced AI chips means we will be unable to lead in AI, then we need to abandon this viewpoint,” Zhang said.

Huawei, which has been placed on the U.S. Entity List barring it from purchasing advanced chips from U.S. companies, has developed its own AI chip product called Ascend, which is now used by many companies in China to train AI models.

However, the Ascend AI chip, along with many others from Chinese companies, is considered to be significantly inferior in terms of computing power compared to the offerings from Nvidia.

Zhang called for innovative approaches that place more focus on the cloud, which he said can help to compensate for the lack of advanced AI chips through innovation in computing architecture.

He also said that a converged approach is needed to combine cloud, edge, and networks in ways that can be used to reduce energy consumption and improve overall efficiency. Zhang touted Huawei Cloud as being among the leaders in providing such innovative solutions.

He Got Up And Left Her & She INSTANTLY Regrets It!

Edward Joseph O’Hare (a.k.a. “Easy” Eddie, a.k.a. “Artful” Eddie) was a wealthy Chicago defense lawyer, renowned for finding legal loopholes through which many of his criminal clients would walk and escape justice.

In 1923, O’Hare himself was indicted for illegal booze racketeering, but he won his own case on appeal.

Al Capone, one of O’Hare’s legal clients, went into business with O’Hare, with Eddie running Capone’s dog racing sideline. This came about because O’Hare had somehow obtained the patent on the mechanical rabbit, and was able to “fix” the races. The rigged dog races would make a ton of money for both Capone and O’Hare.

By 1930, Eddie O’Hare was on top of the world – he had fabulous wealth, he had fame, he had power, and he had the backing of Al Capone.

But out of the blue, in 1930, O’Hare decided to “go straight”, and told Federal agents what was going on in Capone’s criminal empire. He told them everything: about the organization’s structure, the tax books, the bribes, the fixes, he gave names – the works. O’Hare did all this because he wanted a better life for his son. It’s not known what deal Eddie made with the Federal Government (possibly admittance to USNA?), but it’s certain that he didn’t want his son to be associated with the slime of the criminal underworld. In no small part, based on O’Hare’s testimony, Capone would be found guilty of income tax evasion in 1931, and sentenced to 11 years in a federal penitentiary.

Ratting on Al Capone was tantamount to committing suicide, and “Easy” Eddie met his death in 1939 – one week before Capone was released from Alcatraz – a victim of blasts from several shotguns while he was driving his car:

shot dead
shot dead

Edward J. O’Hare pictured slumped at the wheel of his car after he was shot to death in 1939.

Although he started cleaning up the family name, Eddie never lived to see what would become of his son, but Edward Henry O’Hare (a.k.a. “Butch”) made sure the O’Hare name would become respectable.

You see, after graduating from a military high school, Butch O’Hare would enter the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in 1933, and graduate in 1937, becoming a navy pilot.

On February 20, 1942, Butch O’Hare became the Navy’s first fighter ace of World War II when he single-handedly attacked a formation of nine medium bombers approaching his aircraft carrier Lexington. Even though he had a limited amount of ammunition, O’Hare shot down five enemy bombers and became the first naval aviator recipient of the Medal of Honor of the war.

O’Hare’s final action took place on the night of November 26, 1943, while he was leading the U.S. Navy’s first-ever nighttime fighter attack launched from an aircraft carrier. During this encounter with a group of Japanese torpedo bombers, Butch’s Grumman F6F Hellcat was shot down; his aircraft was never found. He was 29 years old.

In 1945, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS O’Hare (DD-889) was named in Butch’s honor.

If ever you fly, and your trip takes you through Chicago, you will be landing at the O’Hare International Airport, so named on September 19, 1949, six years after Butch O’Hare was killed in action.

Aviator
Aviator

Lieutenant Edward “Butch” O’Hare in a Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat. The wartime censor has blanked out the famous “Felix the Cat” squadron insignia on this photo

The Creamy layer don’t

The Brainiest Chinese, the Intelligent Chinese – they see far more potential at home than to go to the US now

In 2005 -52% of the top 1000 GaoKao scorers gave up their places to go for Graduation to the US

In 2023 – it’s ZERO

They go to Peking, HK, Tsinghua and other Chinese Universities instead

Only those who can’t get placed in a Top University and have money – go to US or Australia or Singapore


The Chinese who want to go abroad and get a green card are those who :-

  • Score low in GaoKao and cant get placed in a Good University
  • Who don’t want to go to college and rather to work and start a business and have relatives abroad
  • Who want to study Political Science, International Politics and such subjects
  • Cooks and other low level Chinese

They end up setting up a Restaurant Or Night Club Or Kiosk or Bodega or work in a Floating Barge

I WILL NOT GIVE UP – Powerful Motivational Speech

One of my favorite videos of this genre.

Keep moving forward.

It’s a long story

It began in 1985

A Delegation of Chinese Businessmen came to Bombay to various Indian Banks for a Letter of Credit.

main qimg 85f0dc7843a6571b3d6ce280ea7117f3
main qimg 85f0dc7843a6571b3d6ce280ea7117f3

They wanted a LoC of £ 15 Million Or so to import steel from Hull in UK

They wanted an SBI LoC because their banks were not recognized in UK and the UK Bank (Midlands Bank) refused to do Business with the Chinese

DBS refused because the Steel was not insured

The Chinese delegation waited for 4 Days patiently and for three days the Bank GM couldn’t meet them. They waited outside his cabin and were mocked at by the staff

All of us worked close by – SBI, BoB, CBI and other banks so this was popular news

Every day at lunch the four Chinese would sit and have Indian food and give awkward smiles

On the fourth day the GM came, gave them 30–40 minutes and demanded a ton of documents

At the same time the Japanese had come for some credit line related to NTPC to supply equipment and they were met by the Chairman and executives and given VVIP treatment

The Chinese patiently signed their documents, did their business, paid the extra interest and went back home

I was a witness to this and any banker who worked in Bombay would be witness to this


In 2014 – 29 years later, a Chinese Delegation came for some business

main qimg 6bc5bfef8a3d3a5a59b929e71c515abc
main qimg 6bc5bfef8a3d3a5a59b929e71c515abc

Banks scrambled over themselves for the Chinese Business

They deposited $ 2 Billion in one hour with a flick of their finger

The Executives grovelled and kowtowed and bowed and scraped like Coolies before the Chinese

Plus at this time SBI needed LoC from Foreign Banks to import from UK or US while every Bank in the world saluted at the Chinese LoC and advanced Twenty Billion Dollars without a second word

So SBI Kowtowed to Bank of America or Credit Suisse or used Bangee to get it’s LoCs accepted for upto $ 300 Million

The Chinese Banks didn’t need anything. They could get $ 20 Billion on their own LoC

I was a witness to this also

I wasn’t a Banker anymore but a Legal /Credit Consultant and saw the 2 Billion Dollar deposit as a friend showed me the entry


In 29 years i saw the Chinese grow from people who didn’t merit even a MD of a PSB to a group of people who could deposit 2 Billion Dollars in a single hour

I saw the same UK Banks who once refused to give the Chinese a mere 15 Million Pounds unless they had double backed LoCs , now begging for their business and lending them 20 Billion on their Paper without 15 seconds hesitation

I saw the Chinese go from a Nation which once stood in line at Tata Steel gaping with awe and admiration at our machines and process, now a Nation that makes steel superior to any other Nation on the planet

I saw the Chinese who once watched our Maruti 800 with awe and admiration now make EVs that are beating the pants of the Western models every single day

In 40 stinking years!!!!!!

Meanwhile

I see India once proudly emerging now groveling for Business from Western Companies even with all political favors

I see India unable to produce a pencil that has a demand in a Global market outside Nigeria and Bangladesh

I see India entirely dependent on Western Hardware and Software and merely clicking the key board like two bit PROGRAMMING COOLIES unable to invent anything with a Global Appeal

I see India with once with an Industrial Productivity which was fourth highest in Asia in 1981 after Japan, South Korea and Singapore now rank 11th behind Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia and even Goddamn Thailand!!!!!

And all my anger began with Mitra

main qimg e09a16e8d7041a6eadf4a01c350e83af
main qimg e09a16e8d7041a6eadf4a01c350e83af

Those who have been on Quora for longer than 4 years can attest to this

I never wrote anything except the law and rarely politics and never on China until I saw posts of Mitra as a cutting edge robot

I felt a surge of rage and all my pent up emotions surged out and that’s it. It can’t stop to this day.

I saw my fellow countrymen defend Mitra as a cutting edge piece of Robotics and it’s founder rather than acknowledge that it was premature to introduce this Robot to the Global World , actually mock me as a desk jockey government servant and claim that he would respond only to the criticism of Google Top Execs or Big Shots

I left the topic at this point, unwilling to start a war on Quora

From that day I have written against Indian ‘Achievements’ because I AM ANGRY

I am not a Chinese Citizen

I am an Indian Citizen and I want my sons to be here in this country with me, growing, prospering, working hard for its development like so many Chinese sons

To watch with pride as India grows and dominates

But No!!!!

I see LIES, LIES and more LIES every day

I see my fellow countrymen rather than find ways to identify problems, call me China Agent and Paid Propagandist

It shows me the inferiority of many of my countrymen and I GET ANGRY

So you think it’s because I admire the Chinese that I write all this?

No

I admire the Chinese but I write because I AM ANGRY AT INDIA, AT INDIAN POLITICIANS, AT THE INDIAN SYSTEM AND WITH MOST OF MY FELLOW INDIANS AND MYSELF

Where did we go wrong?

That keeps me angry all the time

What can we do about it? How can we correct ourselves?

Nobody asks this question and that makes me angry all the more


So if you don’t like it – Apologies

I will keep on and on

Somewhere some people should wake up and see and question people Like Byju Raveendran, Ola Bhavish , Ambani, Adani, Mahindra on what their indigenous technology is and what they have actually achieved

Question people like Modi, Shah, Nirmala, Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal on the same questions

And those who agree with me, they aren’t my bhakts. They are just logical minds who can see where the Nation is heading.


For God’s sakes remember I am not your enemy

I am a Patriotic Indian helplessly watching his Nation slide into regression and worthlessness with every passing day

Those who are closing their eyes to this and talking of 3rd Largest Economy and Viksit Bharat and How great Ambani is – THEY ARE THE PROBLEM NOT ME

Women Have Cost Businesses MILLIONS Because of METOO

When my father was 92 he pretty much gave up on living. He didn’t have any terminal condition other than the one we all have. We had made attempts at various safe living situations during which he refused to move from his independent living apartment to assisted living in the same facility, kicked my sister and then me out for “being in his business”, fired anyone we hired to help with activities of daily living, and lots of other maddening behaviors (actually, par for the course for him but worse). The thing is, his mind was pretty much fine- it was his body that was failing him. When he realized he couldn’t and wouldn’t have life on his own terms, he just gave up. After a couple falls, passing out from low blood sugar several times (including at a wedding) because he refused to lower his insulin dose appropriate to the much smaller amount he was eating, and several admissions for urinary retention, bleeding from his bladder and UTIs, all due to prior prostate radiation, he said he just wanted to be left in peace to die. We (including him) decided to admit him to a really excellent hospice, the same one where my mother had died 8 years earlier. He asked to sign a DNR and did, asked that he receive anti-anxiety and pain meds for his spinal stenosis, and said he only wanted ice cream to eat. We all had an agreed-upon plan of care. He was sleeping peacefully when we left. Then, at 10 pm that first night while I was showering, I got a voicemail from his personal cellphone. On it, he sounded frightened, said he didn’t know where he was, and that the nurses were poisoning him. I called the nurses’ station. His nurse immediately went to his room then called me back to say he was sound asleep again. She even held the phone to his mouth and I could hear him snoring. He grumbled loudly when she tried to wake him to talk to me. She said he probably wasn’t used to the meds and they would give less and stagger them from then on. I wound up not going there that night after checking on him again with his nurse about 2 hours later. At 5 am I got a call that he had died in his sleep. So his voicemail wound up being the last words I heard from him.

Kansas City Beef Brisket

chef marks kc smoked brisket large
chef marks kc smoked brisket large

Ingredients

  • 1 (5 pound) beef brisket
  • 1 tablespoon tenderizer (optional)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons Liquid Smoke
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • Worcestershire sauce, to taste

Instructions

  1. The night before cooking, sprinkle brisket with tenderizer, Liquid Smoke, salt, pepper, celery salt, onion salt and garlic salt.
  2. Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The next day add nutmeg, paprika, brown sugar and Worcestershire. Wrap well with aluminum foil — this is important. Cook 5 hours at 275 degrees F.
  4. Slice thin on the diagonal.
  5. Serve with homemade barbecue sauce and buns.

I posted this as a long comment here but thought that it is significant to deserve its own posting on China’s Future:

Let me explain: From the US official POV, China is an existential threat like never before, because not only can China do and make everything the US does and makes, China will lead in all the fields which the US has no hope of catching up in: EVs, tech and network equipment, aircraft manufacturing, and defense equipment. Even in agriculture, the US will not be able to sell food commodities to China because China will import from Russia and Brazil instead of from the US.

If the US is no longer the tech leader, the US stock and bond markets will lose 50% of their value. Since the US and European ruling classes derive a significant portion of their value from the New York, London markets, they will get poorer. And they will not be able to invest in growth markets because those markets won’t want to take western currencies, especially the US dollar.

If the US stock and bond markets take such a hit, this means that the US standard of living will also take a hit. First, most Americans are heavily in debt; many of them rely on credit card debt just to cover their monthly expenses, and they have no savings. These people will not be happy, and they will not go away peacefully because a lot of them have guns. They won’t understand how it got to this, and they don’t particularly care in understanding, but they will be very angry.

Under the US political system, it is very hard to mobilize the public against an enemy because most Americans have very little understanding of foreign affairs. For this reason, it is very important to create a foreign bogeyman such as China which they can lay all the blame on.

That is what is happening now. When the US’s existence is threatened, academic scholars are at the frontline in shaping public opinion.

The problem now is that both sides are hardening their positions. Biden doesn’t have the mental capacity to defuse the situation. This means that his key advisors are making policy without his input. They all believe that China is the existential threat. They hoped that the Ukraine war would weaken Russia enough so that they could then deal with China, but that did not go according to plan. But China is getting stronger and its relationship with Russia is growing, so the US is running out of time.

South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines were going to be the useful idiots who would directly confront China, but that is not going according to plan because they know that they are in China’s frontyard, and China is becoming increasingly powerful. They also understand that they may be left high and dry by the US, in which case they become dead meat in China’s front yard.

The US policymakers also understand that the US military is in a weak position to confront China because of the long logistics lines from the US mainland to the western Pacific. A lot of tactical inventory for a conventional war has been shipped to Ukraine and Israel for their wars, and it will take 2–5 years for American factories to step up production to replenish those inventories.

But the US doesn’t have 2–5 years; by that time China will be exporting its chips and selling EVs and solar panels all over the world, and will complete its overland connections to Europe through Russia and the Trans-Caspian routes. Europe will have de-industrialized because it has lost access to cheap Russian energy making their factories uncompetitive, and Chinese brands and equipment will replace European brands and products at 50% of the original European price.

The NATO/EU/G7 alliance will grow weaker by the year. Will the US withdraw to the North American continent, or will it make Custer’s last stand in a nuclear confrontation with China?

Right now, the US is led by candidates who were born in the 1940s and grew up during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Both strongly believe that the US triumphed against the USSR; they believe that this was America’s winning formula, and that today’s China is a smarter and much more adaptable version of the USSR, and that it can be cut down to size using the same tactics and sanctions against the USSR. They cannot adapt because this is the world they grew up in.

They have no vision for the next generation of Americans because they are old, and frankly will not live much longer. I feel sorry for younger Americans because they are stuck in a bus with a crazy driver who is heading for the cliff, and there is nothing they can do.

They deserve better leadership so that they can build their future, but right now, it looks like they have no future.

The American Revolution: Take 2

A few months ago, I received a friend request from a girl. She was from my college and also my best friend’s ex, so I accepted it. I remember, they were in a relationship for eight months after which she friend-zoned him as she did with her previous partners. My friend went into depression after that.

Well, within a few days she became comfortable chatting with me and started sending flirtatious texts. I felt awkward in the starting but after few days I reciprocated keeping in mind not to let her sabotage my stringency.

Now after a few months seeing that she is highly into me, I thought maybe it’s the right time to give that girl a taste of her own medicine. I started using terms like “buddy” and started avoiding her texts. She became quite angry (and her desperation increased) and after a few weeks, she confessed that she has fallen for me.

Me- ”But that cannot happen. You are a good friend as well as a good human too, and I don’t want to lose our friendship.”

She- (furiously) ”Why did you do that to me.”

Me- ”Did what”??

She-“Talked to me in a special way.”

Me-“Well, I didn’t do that. You started sending me flirtatious texts, I just reciprocated. I never told you I feel for you.”

She- ”Please say that you are joking. I don’t believe you are doing this to me”

Me- “No, I am not joking. Besides, you did the same thing with my friend with whom you were committed. We are not even committed. I never promised you anything. It was just a healthy flirting that lasted for a few days”

She- “You are such an a*sho*e!”

She blocked me after that.

P.S.- I know I did the wrong thing but I felt that she needed to know what it is like to be on the other side.

42 Vietnamese foods you have to eat in Vietnam

This gets me so horny! LOL. Just joking, but really… I love these adventure food videos.

Here a mind-blowing fact about Japan: when I was in Japan on a business trip I had a few hours to myself, so I decided to go sight-seeing. I got my expensive SLR, hailed a cab, and took a trip around Tokyo seeking Godzilla. A couple of hours later I returned to the hotel and took a shower. After the shower I realized I had left the camera in the cab. It’s gone forever, I thought. But I went to the concierge and told him my story.

“What was the name of the cab company?” he asked me.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“What color was the cab?”

“I can’t recall,” I admitted, feeling like a fool. He was looking more dubious.

“Do you recall what kind of car it was?” he asked.

“Not a bit,” I said stupidly.

He was looking at me as if I were another stupid American. “We will see what we can do,” he said, “but I have grave doubts about recovering your camera.”

And yet two hours later I got a call: they had my camera. Astonished, I went to the front desk and they handed it to me. I tried to hand a wad of cash to the cab driver who had returned it. He refused to take the money. I tried to give a wad of cash to the Concierge, but he only took the wad, took a few bills, handed the rest back and told me, “these are for the operator who called every cab company in the city. Your camera was in the lost and found.”

I marvelled at the chances of recovering that same camera in New York City from a cab in two hours. I felt the chances would be infinitesimally small.

Kill Bill – 1950’s super panavision 70

The Philippines cannot replicate the warship beaching at Second Thomas Shoal.

If the Philippines repeats the incident of the warship running aground at Second Thomas Shoal at Sabina Shoal, it will directly violate Article 5 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which states that all countries in the South China Sea have the obligation to ensure that “uninhabited islands and reefs are free of people and facilities.”

If the Philippine warship ran aground in Sabina Shoal and crossed the “red line”, then China can take any measures to stop it.


The contest between China and the Philippines over Sabina Shoal is essentially a war of public opinion.

main qimg 3b2e661047ff6cfebb0ac9256a3a33b2
main qimg 3b2e661047ff6cfebb0ac9256a3a33b2

The Philippines spread rumors that China would reclaim land and build islands in Sabina Shoal, so it sent 4 coast guard ships into Sabina Shoal, but the Philippines did not dare to cross the red line.

What China needs to do is to seize the opportunity of the Philippines to “provoke China” as much as possible, and then launch a fierce counterattack to finally achieve complete control of Sabina Shoal.

He Man – The Masters of the Universe – 1950’s Super Panavision 70

in 1974 I had this pimple on my right forearm that wouldn’t come to a head, nor would it go away. And it was tender. So after a couple of months I took it to my doctor who sent me to a dermatologist. It was an amelanotic melanoma, a melanoma with no pigment. Further examination found that it had metastacized and there was some in my lungs. IN 74, that was a death sentence. They gave me 6 months, max.

But I was 25 and otherwise healthy, so they did the hail mary pass, cut out the lobe of my lung with the most mets, and put me on a brutal chemotherapy regimen of a monthly injection of 2 grams of something they called DTIC. It’s so toxic that they usually spaced it out over five days a month. But as I said, I was young and healthy and they thought I could take it. So they gave me a five day course in one dose, every month for a year.

And once a month for a year, I’d fly back off the road to San Francisco, get poisoned, and then run for home to try and make it before the nausea began. I never did, but the nurses would give me a just-in-case garbage bag for when it hit. Then it was eight hours of agony, cramping and running at both ends. The pot pipe made it possible for me to keep breakfast down the next day as I tried to pull myself together in the face of the worst hangover on earth. And the next day, I’d be back on a plane, and back on tour. This went on for a year, but it was worth it. I beat terminal cancer, and the years since then have been the best years of my life

Shorpy

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A few years ago I had a guy in one of my college history classes. Over a few months I would catch him looking at me all the time until finally one day he asked me on a date. I told him I’d love to and we agreed to go to an Italian restaurant. I get there and go inside and he’s nowhere in sight. Our date was for 6. He didn’t show up until 6:45/7…I’m a very, very punctual person so this really got under my skin, but he apologized profusely and told me he had gotten out of baseball practice late and came as soon as he could. So, I just let it go and we started talking. He really bragged and stressed to me how he was in the minor leagues and was about to go pro. He was 28 at that time and I’m not too familiar with baseball, but I thought that was a little late in life to be going pro and he didn’t look like he had played a sport in years, but whatever I just listened. And after so long we started talking about what we wanted for our futures, kids, jobs, etc. He told me he wants to get married and play baseball, nothing else. I said no kids? And he said no, this planet is full of rapists and murderers and he refuses to add another rapist or murderer to the world. I just sat there and looked blankly. I said well I think the odds of you having a rapist and/or murderer as a child is pretty slim (trying to lighten the mood), and he cuts me off and asks if I’m retarded and if I hear what I’m saying. And this man went on a full 40 minute rant about the Roman Empire, mass murderers, Islam, rapists, and crazy conspiracy theories. He would go back and forth between this cool laid back guy to this crazy the-earth-is-going-to-burn extremist. So I excused myself to “go to the bathroom”, found the waitress and personally left her a tip, and then ran to my car and left.

When I saw him in class that next week he avoided me. Like, completely picked up his desk and moved it across the room like a child avoiding. Every time I’d answer a question he ALWAYS had a rebuttal, even if the answer is a clear cut answer, or he would elaborate on what I said because “I didn’t explain it right”. After so long he dropped the course and I never saw him again.

It’s called the Dance Girl Phenomenon

In Hong Kong – many Dance bars provided the cheapest girls for sex and many Sailors from US or UK or France paid a pittance for these girls

Yet these girls were not the main income for the Dance Bars

It was the Drinks!!!!!

Drinks were marked up as much as 450%

An Inferior Scotch that perhaps cost 8 Hong Kong Dollars for a Liter was sold at 3 HKD for an 80 ml glass

That’s 36 Hong Kong Dollars per Liter

The Girls ensured that the customers were focused on the Girls and drank low quality drinks by paying 450% marked up prices

The girls were the BAIT

They were there to attract the men to drink in those bars


In the same way – in a Movie Theatre, a Multiplex – the Real Profit comes from your FOOD & BEVERAGES

The Movie is the BAIT

A multiplex chain pays maybe ₹18.50 Crore for a movies All India rights

At ₹ 63.50/- a ticket to ₹127/- a ticket margin after paying Taxes and Distributor shares – would they really be taking huge profits?

At ₹127/- a ticket – they would need to sell 15 Lakh Tickets just to break even

Now the Food

9 grams of Corn Caramel Slurry produces 41 grams of Caramel Pop Corn

1 Kilo of Slurry costs ₹ 390/-

That gives you around 4.25 Kilos of Carmel Pop Corn Or 33 medium serves approximately

At ₹85/- per serve thats ₹ 2,805/-

You do the math

₹390 worth of slurry gives you ₹2,805/- worth of Caramel Pop Corn and even if you sell only 50% , that’s still almost 360% Profit!!!!!

Your Coke costs the Food outlet on a Weight Basis

It’s a Soda Fountain that mixes CO2 with Patented Coke Slurry /Syrup, Water at the appropriate pressure and gives you your Coke

It costs ₹8000/- for 500 Litres of Coca Cola or 675 Large Serves of Coke

That’s ₹11.85/- per Large serving (742 ml) of Coke

How much do you pay?

Around 120 bucks in a Multiplex!!!

44% goes to Coca Cola, the Machine license costs etc

That’s still ₹67/- for a Large Coke that the Theatre Chain pockets

Thus around 500% mark up

Now you know why they give you all those free refills of Coke in a 180 ml container? It costs them a paltry ₹3/- every time you refill while you pay ₹200–300 for food

Once inside the Theatre, you can’t help but eat food during the interval

You will go to the restrooms and on the way back see the crowd at the food outlet

The Food makes up and ensures Multiplex Chains can break even and make a profit even by paying a high cost

Its why they sell Corporate Bookings

500 Tickets for the first 5 shows – 50% tickets for each screen and show for FREE to advertisers as a compliment

The Producers pay for this and the Multiplex earns heavily on the food sold

Producers declare how full the theatres are and everyone wins


Single Chains can’t survive on such economies of scale

Soda fountains would not be profitable to them as their volumes aren’t that high

So their main source of profit is the TICKET and the Food is a supplementary item

So Popcorn is ₹ 30/- instead of ₹85/- and Coke sells by 200 ml bottle with the Food outlet merely getting the retailer margin of ₹ 4.60/- per bottle when he sells for ₹25/- to the customer

However they pay only ₹7–8 Lakh for a movie rights and their margin per ticket is much higher

So they survive on ticket sales and make profits on tickets

Plus their LAND on which they have been built is valuable every day against the rent of Multiplexes

Thus Most single screens borrow heavily and are mortgaged until the day they sell to a developer who demolishes the theatre and builds a Hotel Or Mall Or Complex

Western Couple Expose The SHOCKING TRUTH About CHINA After Their First Visit

Absolutely! Many years ago, one of my brothers was accidentally killed. He was single and enjoying life, had a girlfriend. For years, my Mom lamented that she wished he would have had at least one child before he died so she would still have a part of him here.

Fast forward to a few years ago. We all did an Ancestry DNA test to see if we could find any relatives from my maternal grandmother’s side. She was a refugee from Germany, came to the US with an American family for safety during Hitler’s reign of terror. She never reconnected with any of her family again. A cousin and I had gone to Germany to research – the village that she grew up in had been completely annihilated during the war.

We met with the Red Cross there, and many other officials. Nothing could be found as to what had happened to them. We know they existed, she had brought many pictures of her with her family from the time she was a baby, up to her teen years, holiday gatherings, birthdays, etc. So we were hoping to find someone, anyone that remained of her family.

A few months went by and my Mom got a notification that a close match had been found, a child or grandchild, and I got one that said niece or cousin. We were certain this was a mistake because we could account for every single person in our family.

To make a long story shorter, my brother’s girlfriend moved back to the east coast after he died. None of us thought nothing of it. She was grieving and wanted to be close to her Mom. But apparently, after a couple of months, she found that she was pregnant. (This was the very early 1980’s, OTC pregnancy tests were not a thing at that time.)

By the time pregnancy was confirmed at three months (she apparently thought missed cycles were due to stress), she had lost all contact with our family on the west coast. This was also before cell phones. Also, she has been seeing another guy while she and my brother were dating. Anyway, we were able to get in touch with this mystery relative via Ancestry. When we met in person, I almost fainted – she was a female replica of my long dead brother, and she had two kids of her own, with the youngest looking like my brother’s twin. My Mom got her wish after all, a child of the child she lost. But we never did find any of my Grandma’s family.

Kill Bill – Gogo Scenes

My then boyfriend proposed to me after we lived together a couple months. We discussed where we would live, how we would balance work and the household, the financial arrangements, the time schedule, if we wanted kids, how many kids, the way to raise and educate our kids, how we would balance his/my parents, his/my wants and no’s in the marriage… literally everything. Then we said yes to each other.

I asked for my mom’s opinion.

She looked at me in the eyes and said:

‘Are you sure you can raise your kids ALL by yourself, without ANY help?’

I explained that my future husband and I would share all the responsibilities, and we had already discussed every detail we could think of.

‘No.’ She said, ‘I’m asking YOU.’

‘Are you sure YOU can raise your kids ALL by yourself, without ANY help?’

It took me two months to think it over.

I checked my bank balance and assets. I made a budget about how much it would cost to raise a child, and predicted my future cash flow based on my current income and market value. I adjusted for my health insurance and life insurance. I checked the law about maternity leave. I consulted my friends who were single working mothers about what they struggled against and how they solved (or didn’t solve) problems. I thought over the resources I had and the difficulties I would face. I found out that I could not withdraw all the risks. And without help, it would be such a tough mission to raise a child. I also found out if I tried really hard, I mean, really really hard, it would NOT be a ‘mission impossible’ either. As long as I didn’t die too early, or lose all my skills by some accident, or… I mean, if my luck was better than the worst, and with my best effort, I would be able to make it.

I answered to my mom yes.

She said, ‘Now you are ready to get married.’

13 years passed by. I’m still in marriage with this man. My daughter is 11 yo.
Like all married couples, my husband and I have experienced fights, crises as well as boredoms. We learned to negotiate and compromise. We tried hard to find some balance. When passion faded with the time, we learned to find satisfactions and happiness from a stable day by day life.

I didn’t have to raise my daughter all by myself. My husband shared half of the mission. My parents and his parents helped a lot. Still being aware that ‘I would be able to do it all by myself’, I always feel being in marriage with this man is of my free will. And it also makes me able to fully respect and accept the fact that he is free to stay or leave this marriage too.

Despite the fights, crisis and boredoms, we still chose to keep our marriage. We don’t have to, but we choose to. We never feel the pressure or desperation to imprison each other or ourselves in the marriage. That’s one of the reasons marriage still feels good after 13 years, I guess.

And having seriously considered how to take full responsibility to raise our child, I feel so grateful that he lends me his shoulders and hands, holds up ‘half the sky’ of our family. I never take his efforts and contributions for granted.

People say marriage is based on trust. My mom says don’t rely on trust. She teaches me not only to hope for the best, but to prepare for the worst.

Feelings change. Humans change. Rather than asking ‘Is he/she trustworthy?’, my mom taught me that nobody owes me trust. And once make a decision, take full responsibility.

7 HOURS AGO: China Finds Something Strange on the Moon and Astonishes Scientists!

3 years ago, my neighbor died in bike accident. His son was of 2 years at the time, so I assume his wife to be in her mid or late 20’s.

In South India, we have a custom of visiting each other’s home in festivals to greet and give kumkum. After a year of the guy’s death his mom (mother in law of the widow) came to my home for one such occasion and my conversation with her went like this.

Me: Aunty, how is akka? (Sister in Kannada)

Aunty: She is getting better putta. (Putta – Kannada word to address younger people with love)

Me: Aunty, I know that this is normally not allowed, but we don’t mind her coming along with you during festivals to greet and take kumkum.

(Normaly widows are not allowed to take kumkum after marriage according to the followed tradition)

Aunty who was very happy to hear this went on to explain,

Aunty: I only wish society was more welcoming like your family, putta. At home, I am trying as much as possible not to make her feel like widow. I insist her to light the deepak in the morning and night in house and do Pooja, I include her in every ritual, we are doing everything we can. In fact we are even insisting her for a second marriage, she is young, we cannot replace what she lost from our care. If my daughter lost her husband at such young age, I would be thinking about a better life for her again, right? She is a nice person, she is still traumatized because of what happened. We are trying to do everything we can, but we cannot expect the same acceptance from everyone, so she is still not confident to come out and gather in social gatherings. Your invitation made me happy, once she makes up her mind to visit people, I will bring her to your home. She might take little more time to gain that confidence.

What I understood by this situation is people are changing, at least many are changing, but there is still a long way to go.

My request is, when you come across such people (widows) all you have to do is talk to them normally as you always would, that itself is a big thing for them.

It’s their life, let them live it again, they shouldn’t lose their identity just because they lost their husband.

Humid Night Routine of Living Alone in Japan

People all over the world are living their lives. This is a glimpse into the life of a chick in Japan. I think that food is sexy, but being lonely is awful.

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comments

That a job must get done no matter what. That means if it is hotter than hades outside, or if it is cold, or if it is raining, or if there is a sandstorm, you must still go to work.

A rather humorous example is from my life as an airman, while deployed to Camp Sather, Baghdad Airport. The airport had a mix of Iraqi civilian air traffic controllers and U.S. Air Force air traffic controllers. Although our air traffic controllers were armed with an M9 pistol while on duty, these guys weren’t really trained for shootouts and how to conduct security. They were, understandably, worried about their Iraqi counterparts and if one of them should smuggle in a weapon or worse into the air traffic control tower. Consequently, an airman was assigned as security for our personnel inside the tower, 24/7, in the event of an attempted insider attack.

In reality, this air conditioned posting was posh and we loved being there. There was a desk with a computer and internet connection, movies that could be watched on the computer, and even a DSN line to call back to the United States as much as you wanted. Even the Iraqi controllers were quite pleasant to be around and they all spoke at least some English, per their job assignment.

Also, since the posting was outside of the camp’s defense perimeter, you would have food from the cafeteria delivered to you. No waiting in line!

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main qimg 26ed06cb43ff1428ef1a10e6dd10bf43

(Baghdad Tower, photo by author.)

The only downside:

The elevator in the control tower often broke. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to go to work. That meant climbing up 14 floors with your vest, helmet, NVG’s, rifle, pistol, and spare ammunition. What a bitch! Nothing could make you go from loving how lucky you were to draw this assignment, to hating it in mere seconds. When you made it to the top, the person you would be relieving would always have a bottle of cold water waiting on you. By that time you were huffing, puffing and drenched in sweat. Tough life in the Air Force.

Nebula in the Deep

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. … view prompt
John Popovich

Her muscles seemed to tense with every chime of the warning alerts; proximity, fire, and power failure alarms each ringing in their own distinct tone and pattern. As the captain called out for a report on every station the voices went from stern and confident, to shouting and chaotic.

Venturing into the cerulean and fuchsia mixed cloud, the crew of the ISS Condor had no idea what to expect. The observation windows were useless as the clouds covered the ship like thick cream. The current of plasma that comprised the beautiful anomaly clung to every nook and cranny of the ship’s fuselage, wreaking havoc for the ship’s systems analyst.

Lieutenant Dawson exhaled sharply, shaking her hand at the station monitor. “I’m getting readings all over the ship, everything from hull breaches, power surges, and a fire on C-deck. I’m shutting down automated countermeasures… try to keep her from fixing problems that aren’t there.”

“Do something about those alarms while you’re at it. Do we have anything on perimeter sensors, short range? Long range? Anything from our remote probe?”

The chief turned in his chair facing the captian, his forehead wrinkled, and cracking in his voice. “Nothing consistent. I am getting intermittent contact from the probe. Strange readings, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The lighting on the control deck flickered as power surges were felt throughout the ship. Alarms blaring, lights flashing and now the ship was rumbling. Dawson gripped the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white as her fingertips went numb. The pounding of her pulse in her neck caught her off guard, escalating with every breathe. Nothing made sense, she heard his order to shut off the alarms, but it didn’t register. As if he was speaking a different language.

Glancing from her station monitor to the captain, she saw his jaw tense, eyes squinting, focusing on the forward observation windows. If there was any fear in him at all, he didn’t show it. They were flying blind, but he kept them steadily on course. She had to trust him.

Rattling with increasing intensity, the ship groaned in pain as the bulkheads shed their safety panels. Like the nebula didn’t want them there and fought with constant resistance. What secret was it trying to keep?

Suddenly the ship stopped shaking, the colorful sludge sliding off the forward windows. The captian stood from his command chair, balancing himself on the overhead monitors as he leaned forward to look at the seemingly empty eye of the nebula.

“Lieutenant, I want a damage report as soon as you can. See if you can purge all of our external ports, get this crap off of my ship… And please shut off the alerts!”

Staring at her screen, trying to catch her breath, she unwrapped her hands from the arms of her seat. Flexing her fingers, she disabled the system alerts. As a loud hissing filled the command bridge from the purge, the systems came back online, one by one. Turning in her chair to report the ship’s clean bill of health, she paused, interrupted by deafening silence. Seeing her wide-eyed crew mates looking out of the observation windows, she stood moving from her station toward the center of the bridge trying to catch a glimpse of what had captivated the crew.

The inner wall of the nebula was at a distance, but there was something more. Maneuvering around the captain’s command station more objects came into view, strange t-shaped bodies, made of metal… had to be. Another long cylindrical object that seemed to be rounded on one end with what looked a short thick tower protruding from the side. There were other jagged fragments, and what looked like a mist of dark and light particles. Everything was motionless, floating in the peaceful center of a chaotic cage.

“There’s the probe!” The chief pointed at the window before scurrying to his station.

The captain’s head whipped around. “Can you make contact?”

“Yes, but I’m getting a lot of strange readings Sir. The objects don’t match any vessels on record. The nebula consists of some sort of plasma, it’s chemical make-up is like nothing I’ve seen.” The chief’s voice was high, and he stuttered as he read the data as quickly as he could. “There are trace amounts um, of-of ice, wait, yes crystalized H2O, and, and… this can’t be right.”

“What is it?”

“Carbon, lignin, hemicelluloses… this… Captain it’s particles of wood!”

“That’s impossible!”

“It doesn’t make sense but that’s what it says… Sir there’s something else. There seems to be radiation emanating from one of the objects.”

“Dangerous?”

“No sir, but curious. This isn’t adding up.”

“Chief, keep searching the database, figure out what these things are. Helmsman, bring the ship about, I want you to pull us parallel to the source of that radiation. Dawson, meet me in airlock three and suit up.”

She looked at the captain nodding, acknowledging the order. Her head spinning with the various scenarios that a space walk could present. She’d done this a dozen times before, always making it back in one piece. She couldn’t help but think that one of them wasn’t going to be as lucky this time.

Lieutenant Dawson and the captain checked each other’s suits, making sure that every seal was fastened, oxygen connected, and equipment secured. The captain turned to place the helmet on her suit, she gently grabbed a hold of his gloved hands.

Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, she exhaled with a light tilting of her head, signaling the captain she was ready. The helmet came down, twisted and clicked, activating the release of oxygen to the suit. The rush of air, and distinct smell of disinfected fabric and plastic switched on her focus. The long hours of training took over. Assisting the captain with his helmet, they approached the outer airlock door.

Looking through the porthole, the long cylindrical object slowly moved closer to the ship. There was something recognizable on the short tower of the object, it looked like an airlock, but strange. No window, docking clamps, nothing. There seemed to be a ring suspended from what looked like a hatch by three thick metal spokes. Her focus broke as the chime from the pressure indicator buzzed and the light flashed from red to green. It was time.

The captain pressed the release panel slowly opening the airlock. After securing their tether lines to the hull of the ship, the captain counted down from three. They gently pushed off the Condor and floated toward the object. The droning of the winch echoed through her suit as it let out the slack of the tether, drifting closer and closer to the object. Gripping the lifeline to her side, taking long controlled breaths, she collided with the hull of the object. The captain landed first, already on his way to the hatch. The magnetic boots seemed effective as she watched him walking on the smooth surface of the object. Activating her boots, followed.

Reaching the hatch at the top of the tower and gripping the wheel, the captain spun it counterclockwise. Dawson looked at the data pad on her wrist, monitoring the object, anticipating what lay beyond the hatch. The door opened with ease and they removed the winch systems from their suits, attaching them to the hull of the object. The captain went in first, climbing past what looked like a ladder. The airlock seemed rudimentary, there was a manual release on the interior, no electronics, no inner airlock, just a ladder that led down to what looked like a command station.

Walking through the dark corridors of the object, they could only see what was illuminated by the lights on their helmets, taking notice of what looked like words written on the bulkhead. The metal grate beneath their feet also had a recognizable design. Everything looked so familiar.

“Captain, do you copy?” The coms link fizzled as the chief’s voice crackled through.

“Yes Chief, we’re inside the object heading toward the source of the radiation spike.”

“Uh… you’re not going to believe this, but I’ve identified at least three of the objects inside the nebula.”

“Well…”

“Two of them are 19th century aircraft from Earth.”

The captain stopped and turned toward Dawson, his eyebrows furrowed. She stared back at him, blinking, trying to awaken from what seemed like a dream. “What’s the third object?”

“You’re inside of it… it appears to be a 21st century Naval Submarine. Virginia Class.”

“We need to leave, these were nuclear powered, who knows what state of decay the reactor could be in. These things weren’t built for space.”

Just then, the submarine rumbled and shook, the coms link fizzling as the chief’s voice frantically warned them of something they couldn’t quite discern. “… anomaly …energy weapons …attack…”

“Chief, come in! What’s happening out there? Chief!” The captains voice had a tone of desperation, something she’d never heard before.

The submarine rocked and jolted violently, they had left their winches tethered between the submarine and the Condor. Rushing back down the corridor to the ladder they climbed as fast as they could. The captain reached the hatch first, flying through the opening, reaching for Dawson’s hand.

Reaching for him she was blinded as a flash of blue light struck him in the chest, knocking him off the submarine. The coms link roared in her ear as the chief screamed for the captain to reply to his call for orders.

Her free hand hung lifeless as if still waiting for the captain to grab it. The other hand gripped the rung of the ladder, fingertips going numb again, the pulse in her neck intensifying as it did before, the piercing plea of the Chief in her ear.

The captain wasn’t there to snap her out if it this time. Closing her eyelids tight and taking a deep breath, she could see the captain staring out of a window of uncertainty. Calm. Focused. The way she wanted to remember him.

Exhaling slowly, and gripping the ladder with both hands, she cautiously pulled herself halfway through the open hatch. The Condor was tethered to the lifeless submarine suddenly taking fire, unable to maneuver and defend herself.

The attacker was dark, shaped like an elongated pyramid, firing its weapons erratically. Flashing blue lights surrounded the Condor as the energy shields deflected much of the fire. The remaining blasts splashed into the colorful milky walls of the nebula, while others hit the objects floating in the eye, disintegrating them into balls of blue fire. The shockwaves smashed into the sub, yanking the leash of the Condor.

While Dawson observed the situation, formulating a plan, she noticed a red orb in front of the Condor. It whirled chaotically as red particles emanated from its center. While slowly growing bigger and bigger, a black center of the orb started to open.

“Captain! What are your orders? What do we do, we’re under attack!”

“The captains dead… I’m in command.” Dawson let out a deep breath.

“Lieutenant what do we do?”

“How are the energy shields holding up?”

“We’re at 70% capacity. Our weapons were knocked offline before I could activate the shields. Who are they? Why are they firing at us?”

“We’re going to be fine. They don’t seem to be locking on to anything, the nebula must have temporarily disabled their tracking system.” Her reassurance fell on deaf ears.

“No, no! We gotta get out of here!”

“Listen to me! Don’t move the ship, you’re tethered to the sub, you’ll rip us apart. We’re going to be fine for now if you don’t move. What’s happening in front of our ship?”

“Yeah… yeah it popped up right before the firing started. It seems to be a displacement field of some sort… I can’t… I don’t know.”

“Chief. Listen to the sound of my voice, calm down. Displacement of what?”

“Ok, ok. If I’m reading this right, it appears to be a wormhole.”

“Good… good. We don’t have much time before they figure out how to get their targeting systems online. I’m going to go back into the sub.”

“No! You need to get over here now, we need to leave.”

“Chief, I’m going back into the sub. I’m going to place a charge on the reactor core. We’re going to fly through the wormhole, the explosion will collapse the displacement field behind us.”

“Why don’t we go through the nebula?”

“We can’t risk it. I’m making a lot of assumptions about this attacker right now. Chief, do you understand my orders?”

“Yeah… yeah I got it.”

Thrusting down the ladder, and disengaging her magnetic boots, she bounced off of the metal grid floor. Stabilizing herself she flew through the corridors of the submarine, grabbing and pulling at anything the walls could offer. Following the tracker on her data pad she found the reactor compartment.

Engaging the magnetic boots, planting her feet firmly to the floor, and gripping the wheel of the hatch door, she jerked it to the right finding nothing but hard resistance. Frantically looking about, she found a piece of pipe attached to the bulkhead. Banging on the steel with her hands it wouldn’t break free no matter how hard she tried. The sub rattled and shook again.

Pulling the plasma torch from her equipment pouch and flicking the switch igniting the brilliant white flame, she cut through the top and bottom of the pipe, releasing it. Turning off the torch she let it float away, inserting the pipe between the spokes and placing one foot on the bulkhead next to the door. Pulling the bar with everything she had, groaning in pain as every muscle in her body felt like it was on fire from the strain, the wheel finally gave way.

The structure began to rumble more frequently, the attacker must have fixed their targeting systems. Time was running out.

The compartment filled with blobs of coolant escaping the reactors cooling system. It was nearing critical mass. She placed the explosive charge on the side of the reactor’s large cylindrical wall, setting the timer for ten minutes. Gripping the pipe that was used to open the door, she swung it at the cooling pipes, cracking them open, releasing more of the gelatinous substance into the room, hoping to accelerate the meltdown.

Before she could make it through the opening of the compartment, a large explosion of blue light ripped through the hull of the sub. The blast throwing her against the bulkhead. Looking through the hole was disorienting as the sub and tethered Condor were now spinning together in the eye of the nebula. Each vessel pulling and fighting with one another’s momentum.

Working her way to the edge of the hole she timed her leap. Waiting for the sub to spin just right, looking for the tether lines, she jumped from the sub grasping for a line. Eight minutes left. She could do this.

Staying on course, the lines whipped and crossed one another, she had to be careful not get tangled herself. Blue flashes of energy flew past her. Grabbing one of the lines and pulling herself toward the ship, the second line thrashed across the visor of her helmet, cracking it. Oxygen hissed through the crack, making it impossible to focus on the airlock.

Moving closer to the ship, she activated the remote airlock sequence. The door opened and with a swift pull on the line she spun faster toward the opening. Activating the magnetic boots and landing on the hull, she made quick work of detaching the tether lines from outside of the airlock.

“Chief, I’m on board the Condor closing the airlock now. Fire the thrusters and push us through the wormhole. I’m on my way to the bridge.”

Running as fast as her legs would take her, adrenaline pumped through her veins. Slamming into the captains station she fastened her restraints.

“We have two minutes! Go, go, go!”

The helmsman forced the throttle further forward, pushing the ship’s engines to their breaking point, thrusting them into the blackness of the wormhole. Dawson watched the rear viewscreen, the long dark ship was in pursuit, firing its weapons. The screen went bright white leaving only a silhouette of their attacker… the reactor had gone critical. The wormhole collapsed behind them, crushing the rear half of the dark ship. Secondary explosions radiated from all over busting the attacker into pieces.

Relief of their escape was short lived as a loud tapping rattled the front observation windows. More ice crystals. Where was this wormhole taking them?

The crystals turned to a clear liquid, the alarms blaring and systems going offline. Lunging forward in their seats the ship had moved from full speed ahead to a lurch into the translucent liquid.

“Lieutenant, the engines are dead. Proximity sensors indicate that we’re in a large body of water, but I can’t be sure. Our sensors weren’t built for anything like this.”

“The ship is airtight, we can survive water, getting out of here is another problem. Can we launch a probe to the surface, see where we are?”

“It’ll take some time to retrofit it for these conditions, but I think we can do it.”

Waiting for the probe gave her time to process everything that had happened. Their mission was a success, explore the nebula. Their cost was the life of the captain, and a journey through a wormhole to who-knows-where.

Standing behind the chief, eyes glued to his monitor, the crew’s eyes widened in disbelief as the data rolled in. The atmosphere above the water was oxygen rich, breathable. There were land masses nearby… cross referencing database… They were on Earth, 800 kilometers from the coast of Florida.

“What the… are we in the Bermuda Triangle?”

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Dawson wracked her brain for an appropriate response. Nothing had prepared her for this.

Marinated Tennessee Hickory Flank Steak

 

Marinated Flank Steak I LisaGCooks.com
Marinated Flank Steak I LisaGCooks.com

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
  • 1/2 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Hickory Mesquite Grilling Sauce
  • 1/4 cup red wine

Instructions

  1. Cut flank steak in half lengthwise; cut each half into thirds. Place in a heavy-duty zip lock plastic bag.
  2. Combine Jack Daniels’ Grilling Sauce with red wine; pour mixture over steak.
  3. Seal bag and turn several times to coat steak.
  4. Marinate for 4 to 24 hours in refrigerator, turning several times.
  5. Discard marinade.
  6. Grill steak over medium heat to desired doneness, turning and brushing with additional Jack Daniels’ Tennessee Hickory Mesquite Grilling Sauce.

Attribution

Posted by FootsieBear at Recipe Goldmine April 28, 2001.

Source: Jack Daniels’ Grilling Sauces package

It was a ‘blind date’ arranged by my mom and his mom. Two moms happened to both have an I-love-matchmaking retired coworker. Two coworkers happened to meet in a mahjong gathering. So.

At a square of a shopping mall, I waited and waited, constantly checked my phone, called him. No answer. No idea why I waited for couple hours like an idiot. Probably because I had nothing else to do other than watching people passing by, (which also explains why I agreed such an arrangement in the first place).

I saw a man in shorts who tried to speak to every woman sitting at the square, one by one.

I called him again.

No answer.

The man in shorts came to me.

‘Are you Nell Zhang?’

Turned out he lost his phone.

I felt grateful he still tried hard to find me.

We did self introduction.

He asked me where I worked, and told me his company was the maker of the famous ‘Sofy Napkin’. I jokingly asked if I could get a discount for pads from him. He nodded,

‘Yes, 15% off, if you marry me. Moreover, we can buy Mamy-Poko diaper (it’s another brand from his company) with half price for our kids.’

I laughed. He didn’t, but asked me what’s so funny.

I excused myself and couldn’t find anything else to say.

Neither did he.

Then we watched people passing by.

Then we watched each other passing by.

Over.

When Women Treat Men Like KINGS #10

My father has a story he told me in the 1990s, it was actually more about Japan and Korea than China.

It’s obviously translated through my memories into English.

An American delegation of businessmen go and visit Japan/Korea/China (the place changes depending on when my dad tells the story). They visit a car factory and are panicked OMG they can make cars here! I didn’t think they’d be able to…

They go home and at the next company meeting bring this up with their superiors. They are ignored and dismissed anyway it’s not going to affect our next quarterly profits so this threat is ignored and deemed insignificant.

This process is repeated several more times….

Until there’s another meeting say bud why are our quarterly profits on a downward trend? But by then it’s too late those car makers have eaten your lunch and dinner.

Big Blast At U.S. Arms Factory; One Missing, Two Injured As Fire Engulfs Missile Production Centre

WTF?  Very interesting.

DO NOT GO TO VEGAS.

I’m so shocked at what an incredible rip off Vegas has become. I don’t gamble in the casino but the greed of these corporations has just gone crazy.

For example, when I came here 10 years ago the roulette had 36 numbers plus the green 0. If you hit your number you would receive 35/1 odds as you had a 1 in 37 chance.

Last year in 2023 when I came here I was shocked to see an additional 00 on the roulette wheels making your odds 1 in 38 to still receive a 35/1 pay out.

So I’m back here again in June 2024 and yes you guessed it, there are now magically 3 x 0’s on the roulette wheel! 0, 00 and now 000!

They know people don’t understand the enormous disadvantage this gives the punters.

On top of this I’m paying $30.00 for a coffee and a sandwich and when I received my hotel bill they hit me with a $52.00 a day resort fee that I was never told about when I checked in but it is apparently in the small print!

I went to an ATM in the casino and took out $200.00 It charged me 7.5%, yes $15.00! And I’ll be charged more money on top from my UK bank charges.

The shows are eye wateringly expensive along with the drinks. I really think they are making a massive mistake in their business structure. People are disgusted. EVERYONE is talking about it, from the people on holiday to the taxi drivers. I’m fortunately financially well off but it’s not the point. No one likes feeling ripped off, not even if it’s for $20.00. They are making a huge mistake. No one is coming back to Vegas in a hurry.

When I was around 11, our next door neighbors accused my then 5 year-old brother of intentionally breaking some large planters – really large ones – on their front porch. The wife swore she saw him do it around 5:00am. A ridiculous claim on so many levels. Now they didn’t like my brother, he was always so much bigger and taller than other kids his age and they didn’t like him to play with their same-age son. Which was fine, as he didn’t. They apparently felt their smaller child would get hurt by my gentle giant of a brother. (Now 6′4″ btw). Now my brother adamantly denied that he had done anything remotely like what they said and he was understandably very upset at being accused. He may have been a bit tall for his age, but he was still just a little kid. Later that day, the police came by and warned us that some no-gooders, possibly teenagers if I recall, had been caught slashing tires and vandalizing property in our neighborhood. And that we should continue to be on the lookout for their cohorts. My father let the neighbor know that, as I believe the police did as well but the neighbors still insisted that it had been my brother. We didn’t talk to them after that and steered clear as much as we could. A few years later, they came and took the neighbor wife away in a straight-jacket, while she was screaming hysterically and incoherently. Apparently, she had some mental illness problems. BUT even after that, the father never apologized. Nor did he treat my brother, me or my family politely or properly. Even today, so many years later, I still get a bad taste in my mouth when I remember them.

This is a list of US mission capable aircraft. The US needs to fix US aircraft first.

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main qimg 8c3265ab1709548f4f6c9cb31419434d

Heartbreak Ridge Your Ass is Mine

The rcep numbers are big. 30 percent of the world population, 30 percent of world trade, 30 percent of global gdp represented.

The common glue here is China, which is the biggest trading partner for the rest and of course, the largest economy. I am surprised Korea and Japan jumped on board, given their protectionist stance on agriculture and several other categories. India walking away was no surprise.

Overall, I’m encouraged by the give and take. This can serve as a good template for belt and road countries in the coming decade.

The headturning numbers will come from asean as infrastructure led growth boost trade numbers.

The success of the rcep should prove to the world there is no crisis in the SCS beyond American manufactured drama. All the claimant states and trade routes are represented by rcep.

My friend’s trash boyfriend. She’s pregnant with his second kid. He refuses to watch their son and when he does complains that he’s too tired. Says the new baby is not his “problem” until it is born. Won’t take her to doctor appointments. Tried to make her walk five hours home from work at six months pregnant. Abuses her daughter from a previous relationship.

His mother thinks his behavior is fine and defends him. He’s a sex addict, woman beater, child beater, and an accused rapist. But anything bad he says or does is his girlfriend’s fault and not his.

My son’s biological father. Cared so little he didn’t show for the original custody hearing. Fought cour ton habing to pay more than 25 a month child support (state bare minimum) but agreed to 28. Would never watch our son when I worked because he was busy at the library playing online games with his other girlfriend and wouldn’t help pay for sitter. When he did rarely watch my son, wouldn’t change him or clean up messes. Yelled at him for looking at him when he was eating. Smacked our crying son on the butt as hard as he could in the mall. Threw and broke things in front of our son and hit me in front of him.

My brother’s ex. Drove her jeep high and flipped it with my nephew in the car. He survived with no injuries. She’s finally in jail for it.

My brother’s wife who left him for a guy in Florida she ran away to and got pregnant from. Has zero custody of her own three kids. Trying to pin new baby on my brother. Brother is hispanic. Baby’s dad/her boyffiend is african American. Not hard to do the math. Did drugs in front of my nephew and didnt take care of him. Laughed at him when he had nightmares or wanted time with her or my brother. Bought designer bags and clothes but wouldn’t buy him walmart t shirts.

These are the worst acts of parenting I have ever seen, and I’m adopted because my biological mom didnt take care of us (she’s mentally handicapped, dodnt know any better).

Russians advanced in New York, Iran’s destroyer sinks, Ukr to highjack Rus strategic bomber.

Heating up craziness.

I was dating a woman, it was way too early for love, we had only been seeing each other for 6 weeks, but things were going well. Christmas was coming up, and it’s really awkward buying a gift for someone that you have no commitment to.

She was telling me a story about going to the mall, and seeing these red shoes, with a different shade of red, bow , in the window. She tried them on, and they fit like a glove, but she decided to spend the money on her kids, and not herself, so she left them.

When I left, I checked the size of her shoes by the door, and the next day I drove to the mall, and there were the red shoes, with a red bow, sitting in the window.

It’s risky putting this much thought into a gift for someone, that you have known less than 2 months. Do you look like a stalker, or a romantic?

I took the risk, and bought the shoes.

Two days later, she called me, and said that she was going to be spending Christmas with her ex and the kids, in another province, and that it wouldn’t be fair to me, to keep dating. She was honest about everything, and we parted on good terms. Except I now had to return the shoes, during the holiday rush.

I have done much more extreme things for my wife, but they weren’t crazy, because I was committed to my wife.

This was crazy, because I risked driving her off, by looking like a stalker, and it was a lot of effort, for someone, you have just started dating.

The Most Insane Ex-Girlfriend I’ve Seen..

Sigh.

Thanks for the request.

This is another example of asymmetrical warfare that the U.S. sucks at.

Its a game of “whac-a-mole” that the Houthis are playing that is impossible for the U.S. to keep up. The Houthis simply hide and launch their missiles at different places and time that is impossible to anticipate and take out. And by launching more than enough, its impossible to take out all.

The battleground at the South China Sea is different.

These involve large warships that both sides can see a long time coming.

However, China has the advantage. It has shown it can eliminate the element of surprise by being able to detect submarines in the South China Sea with aircrafts and satellites equipped with high-resolution radar. They have surveillance to ensure nothing is sneaked in – inclduing sub detectors.

There is also the advantage of proximity. With its militarized location at the SCS, it takes less time to mobilize that in coordination with its command of the arsenals of hypersonic missiles to provide cover, there will be ample time to take out any incoming warships.

When I was working for a chain store I was told they hired somebody and they put him on with a manager who was a little difficult to deal with if you didn’t know how to take her. (She spoke to everybody as if she was dealing with four or five year olds. I once asked somebody if she had been a kindergarten teacher and they said no, it’s just the way she is.) Anyway he worked one shift with her and called the next day and said he had had enough and quit.)

The most interesting case of short-term employment happened at Walmart. They hired this kid to work in my department (food) and after punching in he would come out to the floor and then he would disappear. No one was able to figure out where he went. They tried paging him and no answer. People looked around the store and couldn’t finding his hiding spot. I don’t think he left and went home because the cameras would have picked him up if he did that. He only reappeared when it was time to punch out. It didn’t take long before the manager decided he could dispense with his services.

This cat, after a car crash and desperately struggling on the roadside, finally she was rescued.

The Tale of Terminator Deer Flies

I can think of two examples, both of which have soured me on them.

First was AT&T. I was living in Charlotte and had just gotten laid off. I was scrambling around town trying to find employment so I didn’t have to collect unemployment. The good part was I did find a contracting job that afternoon and would soon be hired, though the job didn’t pay much and lasted only 2 months.

I got home from an interview that afternoon and got my mail. First was a warning from Bellsouth (another company I despise) that I had an unusually high phone bill that month. I was concerned and then found my phone bill. $180!!!!!

I looked at the itemized bill and found the culprit. A third-party call from Valdosta, GA, to where I can only surmise was the USVI was on my bill. I thought, must be a mistake. I called Bellsouth and they referred me to AT&T, my long-distance provider.

The woman I talked to refused to admit the mistake. She actually doubled down, saying it happened so I must have agreed to it. I looked at the date. 2/13/1999. Not only was I not even at home for most of that day, but I was even further away from Valdosta than that, having been in that part of Georgia last in 1993. A supervisor said the same thing and refused to listen to me. I wound up having to eat the bill or risk going to collections.

When people ask me why I won’t get AT&T U-Verse, I tell them that story.

Second was an item the restaurant no longer carried, and it made an already unpleasant dining experience even worse.

My wife and I were downtown at an event, which made us take a late dinner. 7pm is late for us, but hardly an unreasonable time to eat. We decided to treat ourselves to a local restaurant in the area, one we had been to before without incident.

They gave us our menus. I ordered the short ribs and a salad. They brough out the salad pretty quickly. While I was eating, they came out (a half hour after I ordered) and said they no longer had short ribs, that the menu hadn’t been updated.

I got the menu and ordered something else. Okay, things happen, right?

Well in the meantime, a large party sat down and was promptly served. That would have been fine, except we were still waiting for our food. I talked to a manager who just brushed my complaints off. I almost walked out with my wife at that point, because it was approaching a 2 hour wait time (yes, 9PM!!!) after we had ordered, and the wait staff was ignoring us in favor of that large party.

The food finally came. It was not good, but I didn’t dare order something else so I ate it and waited for the bill. It was almost double what I was expecting to pay.. I hadn’t ordered anything that much more expensive so what was going on?

The itemized bill made it very clear. They had charged me for short ribs. You know, the thing they said they didn’t have any more. They took them off but no other recourse except a small dessert.

We have not been back, but my wife’s local woman’s club catered from them, and she told me the food was horrible

Vintage art

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I was undergoing IVF treatment as my husband has low sperm count. I, on the other hand was super – fertile and we had high hopes from the fertility treatment.

Soon we were called for transfer of fertilized eggs to my uterus. During this time, my in – laws came to visit us. We had not told them yet about the IVF, but since next day we had to visit the hospital, we confided to my mom – in – law. She was very happy and supportive and insisted that she will also come to the hospital. We both were very much okay with that. She is very helpful person and loves all her sons.

When my Dad – in – law came to know, he also started showing interest in coming to the hospital. He had lot of health issues – diabetic, heart ailment etc. I tried to tell him it’s uncomfortable for him as we don’t know how much time it will take. The hospital was quite far from our place and there were no decent restaurants in that area. Since we had already been there a few times, we knew this well. But, being an obnoxious person, he totally used his ‘dad’ card and got ready the next morning to come with us.

My husband was upset, but there was no time to argue, also he never listend to any reasonable request in his whole life. So we all went. As predicted it became quite late by the time the procedure was done. Even though we were all tired and hungry, the mood was happy as we – me, husband and his mom, were happy and hopeful after the procedure. Mom assured me that she will stay for at least 2–3 weeks as I was prescribed bedrest ( this is almost 16 years ago).

Meanwhile Father in law was cranky with hunger and also was not interested in staying so long, so he started getting a foul mood. He started grilling my husband about the IVF procedure – why it’s being done – it was very embarrassing for him. That too right in the restaurant. Then he asked, “How much did it cost ? “ My husband said ,” Rs.60,000/- “ Father -in -laws eyebrows shot up and he said , “ That’s too much ! “ Then he looked at me and said ,” I got mine for free !”

Oh my god, we were so angry to hear that ! I will never forget his face when he said those words.

But my mom -in – law had the perfect retort. She said ,” And that’s why you don’t respect them !”

Edit – Thanks for the support. Some of you have asked about the result of my IVF treatment – it was very much positive. I have 15 yr old twins – both are boys and they are fraternal twins.

Also some discussion was there about the treatment method that we selected.

I had already done two cycles of IUI. It was unsuccessful as my husband has asthenospermia. It means that sperms have reduce motility. So even though sperm count is good, the sperms cannot penetrate the egg.

The treatment I actually underwent was ICSI – a selective type of IVF, where a sperm is actually injected into an egg to bring about fertilisation.

The cost factor – it was highly reduced for me because I am a medical professional myself. The doctor voluntarily reduced the fees and took only lab and OT charges from us. My bro in law also had same issues and they had to undergo 3 cycles of ICSI and ended up spending almost Rs.2.5 lakh, 12 years ago.

John has something to say

John
John

A little over a year ago, on June 1, 2020, I woke up startled to hear my door pounding loudly. My girlfriend of just a few months was at the door and she looked like she had just rolled out of bed and run over to come get me (she had and she wasn’t wearing her shoes yet either). She told me that my mom and sisters had tried to get a hold of me but couldn’t because my phone was on silent, so they called her instead and that I needed to get dressed ASAP so we could go to the hospital. My father who had had a lot of health issues throughout his life but had always fought through it, had suddenly coded and the doctors managed to barely revive him long enough to put him into a medically induced coma.

We spent the rest of the day at the hospital saying our goodbyes and contacting our extended family members. My grandfather was in a care home at the time and my grandmother was also in the hospital being treated for a fall at home (they died 2 months apart later in the year) and my aunt, his only sibling, didn’t want to bother to drive down to Utah from Boise.

My mom got a lot of doctors opinions and he was given a lot of religious blessings that day and at the end of it all we decided to keep him alive to see if he would wake up. He was given a less than 5% chance of waking up, but he had beaten odds worse than that before and we all were sure he would pull out of it as he had in the past. My aunt ended up making the drive with one of my three cousins by the fourth day of his coma to help out because my mom was always at the hospital and since this was mid-COVID, they wouldn’t let anyone else in the room.

By the end of the week my mom had decided it wasn’t going to make sense to keep him in his coma and that we needed to turn off the machines, because he wasn’t improving in any way, and we didn’t have the income necessary to sustain it. We got extremely special permission from the hospital and were allowed to have 6 people in the room when we turned off the machines, and I would not wish that experience on anyone. I have nightmares that I won’t be able to talk about for years about that experience.

At the end of it all it took 5 more months and then my grandfather gave up the will to live and just passed away at the care home, followed 2 months later by my grandmother a week before Christmas. Currently, my family is locked in an extremely heated and horribly bitter lawsuit with my aunt over the inheritance from my grandparents estate and my family has fallen entirely apart.

My father passed away a year and 2 days ago as I’m typing this and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. If things had been different maybe we would still be a family and we would all still be at least talking to each other, but who knows.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my rant, sorry for bumming you out.

Salomar and the Bird

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. view prompt

Lenora Good

Salomar Barak groaned.  The groan pulled her into consciousness.  She opened her eyes, surveyed her surroundings, and almost cried.  The freighter, her freighter, her beautiful Flaming Salomardor lay scattered about her, broken into hundreds of pieces. Held upside down by the safety webbing of her captain’s lounge, she looked over what remained of the cockpit.“Computer?”“Yes.”“You still work?”  For a moment, Salomar dared to hope.“Not for long.”“What happened?  Where are we?”“One, what happened? Unknown sound blast as we jumped.”“Energy blast?  Sound?  From who?  From where?  I don’t remember any ships in our gate.”“Records indicate blast from this ship.”“This ship?  How?”“Two, where are we? Planet unknown.  Not in my charts.  Air is compatible for humans and other life forms.  No time to discover if life is on planet, or what kind.”“Computer, is any of this ship salvageable?”“Negative”“The cargo?”“Unknown.”At first, the monotone voice of the computer was reassuring. As the gravity of the situation sunk in, Salomar wished for better news.“Damn!  Of all the unknown, uncharted planets I had to pick for a crash, it had to be a water-world.  How can anyone survive, breathing this wet air?”  She listened, and heard none of her cargo call.  She also heard no noises from the water indicating flesh eaters at a feast.  Swallowing the pain of losing her ship, her savings, and her dreams, she cut the webbing of the Captain’s lounge and lowered herself into the water.  Carefully, she picked her way through the flotsam and jetsam of what had once been the beautiful Flaming Salomardor.  She allowed her tears to fall.The air, foul with a green fog that drifted aimlessly in layered tendrils, caressed her with inquisitive fingers.  The water was warm, and where she stood, was shallow.  And one or the other, or both, stunk of rotten eggs.  The sunlight added an eerie glow.  To the west, mountains loomed.“Warning!  Warning!  Warning!  Fuel pod leak.  Fuel pod leak.  Warning!”“Frap!  Just what I need.  I can’t even stay at what’s left of the ship until rescue.  Not that there’s much to stay at.“I’d best check the cargo before I take off.  I doubt any of His Royal Majesty’s Pet Purple Birds survived, but on the chance one did….” The thought, muttered, trailed off into swallowing silence.Salomar waded to what remained of the cargo bay.  Several broken eggs coagulated on the surface of the sea.  Nine dead birds floated among them, dead parents guarding their equally dead children.  “One bird missing–probably trapped under something.  Well, I can’t stick around looking for it, even if it is a royal bird. A royal pain, if you ask me.”  She slogged back to the cockpit and searched out her emergency kit.  What she found was already waterlogged into mush and useless.  The beacon was dry, and as long as it remained dry, would work.  She hoped.  She quickly stuffed a few rations not yet soaked into her ship-shirt pockets, along with a small signal light, and prayed the pocket seals would hold.

“Computer?”

“Warning!  Warning! Warn….”

“Oh, shut up, will you?  I know about the leak.”  The computer did not shut up.

The action of her movements, the focus on what needed to be done dried her tears, but did not ease her pain.  All her life she wanted to go to the stars.  She saved every credit she could earn.  She hired onto a freighter and gladly did whatever scut work she was assigned.  Her own time she spent at the computer learning all she could about each and every job it took to run a ship, and how to pilot a ship through the void.

She applied for a job in hydraulics.  No one liked hydraulics – literally, the ‘stink’ job on board.  Accepted, she soon was in charge.

When she applied for communications, she was turned down.  Too valuable in plumbing, they told her.  Before they docked at the next port, she requested a meeting with the Captain.  She told him her plan, to learn all the jobs necessary to run a freighter, showed him her transcripts from the training, and told him of her dream to own and pilot her own freighter.  She also told him she would be looking for another ship when they docked, and would he please write a letter of recommendation for her.

By the time they docked, she worked split shifts between hydraulics and communications.  It took 10 years to work her way through the ship and to save enough credits to venture out on her own.  She was grateful her Captain had enough faith in her to help underwrite the Flaming Salomardor, and that he sent her what trade he could. He was probably her best, if not only, friend.  Piloting a small freighter did not lend itself well to friendships.  Let alone relationships.

With a sigh of resignation Salomar turned for one last look at what had been her home, her life’s work, her dreams. It was not easy to say a final good-bye to her freighter.

She hadn’t gone far before she realized she couldn’t hear the voice of the computer and it’s incessant warning.  She was truly alone.  Even the sound of her voice seemed swallowed by the eerie fog.  The mountains, when visible, looked like abandoned black dragon scales stuck vertically in long dead and cold molten rock.  Salomar saw no signs of life.

“I do believe, in the vids at least, this is where the monster rises from the sea to eat the maiden.  Thank the gods I’m no longer a maiden.” Her attempt at humor failed to raise her spirits.

“Those mountains don’t look more than ten, maybe fifteen kilometers off, shouldn’t take too long to reach, unless I have to swim a good portion of it.”  Alone, she began the long wade to the shore, humming a long forgotten nursery rhyme under her breath.

Salomar screamed.  Heart pounding, knife drawn, she wheeled in a defensive crouch to face the monster attacking her back.  “Oh.  It’s you.”  She looked into the face of the missing bird.  Wading silently behind her, it pecked at her shoulder.  “Well, guess we’d best see if any of your feed survived, then we need to get out of here.  This water is creepy, and I smell the salt of a leaky fuel pod.  Wouldn’t be nice to be here when the damn thing blows.”  Salomar and the bird returned to the ship to search for the food.  The computer still warned all who listened.  Or didn’t listen.

The bird stood quietly and looked at the carnage of dead clutch-mates and broken eggs.  Salomar could not see the mourning heart of the bird.

She found some dry seed and quickly jerry-rigged a pack from seed bags and rope to sling over the bird’s back.  She took the beacon from her arm pocket and hung it around the bird’s neck.  At almost three meters in height, there was a better chance of it staying dry on the bird, than in Salomar’s sleeve pocket.  On their way out of the cargo area, she came across one of the silver and gold leads, meant only for the royal personages to handle, and fastened it on the jeweled harness worn by the bird.  The jewels and cut metal reflected the green haze in laser sharp spears.

“Well, bird, anything as valuable as you must have a name, but damned if I know it.  So I’ll just call you Bird, and you may call me Captain.  Now, let’s head for those upended dragon scales that pass for mountains.

“With those bright red and purple feathers, you must be a male.  It is the male isn’t it, that is the brighter colored? Perhaps I should call you Mister Bird.”

Bird stopped to look at her, first with his right eye, then with his left.  Then he turned and continued walking.

“So, Mr. Bird, why does the Emperor want you?  You appear too beautiful to be used as a beast of burden, even though circumstances beyond my control have unfortunately placed you in that capacity.  And with the jeweled leads, you obviously aren’t meant for food.  So, you must be a pet.  A toy.  Must be nice to be the Emperor’s toy.  You’re too passive to be a guard bird.  Or, maybe you were to be a present for the Empress?  Ah, I bet that’s it, eh Mr. Bird?” Salomar prattled, just for the sound of a voice. On board the ship, she and Computer had carried on conversations, but here, in the shallow sea, she felt the aloneness.

The sun lowered until it seemed to balance precariously on the edge of the world.  Through the ever-present mist, it appeared to rest there just a moment before tumbling into darkness.

There was no moon visible for this strange world.  No stars shone through the mist.  The mist glowed softly green, almost casting enough light for Salomar to see where they waded.  She turned on her light; the mist threw it blindingly back at her.  She turned the light off, and placed it back in the pack.

The only sound was the soft sloshing noises Salomar’s legs made cutting through the water, and her voice when she spoke.  There were no jumpers from the water.  No breakers to be heard crashing onto the shore. Bird made no noise at all.

The water, at its deepest had been to her waist, at its shallowest, to her knees.  The water felt slimy, and began to eat her clothing.  Her legs started to cramp.

Once full dark set in, Salomar noticed tiny lights darting in the water.

“Well, Mr. Bird, it appears we have company.  I thought these waters were void of life, but there seems to be a great deal of life in them.  I hope they don’t have a strong liking for human. Or bird.  Let me know if they start to nibble on your legs.  They seem to be staying away from mine.”

Bird ignored her and continued to walk.  He made no effort to escape.  He stayed with her; seemingly glad for the company, and the sound of a human voice.  He walked next to her, matching her pace, rather than being led, or trying to lead.

Quiet, the bird focused on Salomar when she spoke, first with one eye, then with the other, as if absorbing every word, every nuance.  When Salomar finished speaking, the bird would turn its head forward, and continue toward the westward mountains.

“You know, Mr. Bird, I thought you were the dumbest cargo I’d ever hauled.  But I’ll be honest—you are fair company—a lousy conversationalist, but fair company.  When we get off this forsaken planet, I shall personally ask His Royal Emperor Audubon the Eighth to see to it that you never lack for any of the comforts.  And, by golly, if he’s willing, I just may petition him for you.  Would you like that?  Would you like flying about space in a proper ship hauling freight and taking time to see the sights?  We’ll tour all the exotic planets. But no water planets, ok?  Maybe even find you a mate.  Then the three of us will see the Galaxy.  How ‘bout that, Mr. Bird?  Sound like fun?” Bird ignored her questions.

“Soda biscuits!  I should be so lucky.  With my luck, I’ll be tried for destroying His Royal Birds.  I wonder who shot us, anyway.  And why?  And why just as we jumped?  Are we getting any closer to those damn mountains?  It’s hard to tell, in this slimy, foul mist.”

Salomar talked.  It helped her remain awake.  She put her arm about the bird, and used him for support, to relieve the cramps in her legs.  Her voice slowed, then stopped.  Asleep, she slid into the water and floated on her back.  The bird walked, dragging her until brightness on the eastern horizon awakened her.

When she stood, what was left of her suit, floated off in shreds.  She walked out of her left boot.  A few steps later, her right boot stayed behind.  Barefoot, she continued to wade.  The pea gravel forced itself between her tender toes. The sun burned through the mist, blackened her skin.  Still, the mountains seemed no closer.

“Y’know, bird.  Ma was right, I’m thinking right about now.  I shoulda stayed home, married some bloke, and had a passel of kids.  But oh no, I had to do it myself.  I had to go into space.  I had to go into hock, too, but that’s not the point of this monologue.  No, ‘bout now, I’m a wishin’ I’da stayed put—or at least not ventured past the freight station.  I coulda worked there.  That was in space, but closer to home.  But, no….” Salomar spoke softly through cracked lips.  There were breaths between words and many breaths between sentences.

Her sunburn blistered, cracked, oozed.  She screamed with pain when she fell into the water.  The seawater felt like acid on her burnt and cracked skin. Bird stood and watched, first with one eye, then with the other until she stood, and they continued their trek.

For the second night, the sun seemed to stop for a moment on the sharp edge of the mountains, as if deciding whether or not to plunge once more into darkness.  For a second night, Salomar looked at the mountains, ever before her, yet never seeming nearer.

Her legs cramped.  Her body burned.  She stopped.  Bird stopped.  She slid into the water, and with a sharp intake of breath she stood, and shook herself.  “Got to keep going.  We’re almost there.  ‘Most there.”  The bird turned its attention from Salomar to the mountains, and trudged onward.

“Y’know, Mr. Bird, no one said hoppin’ freight around space would be easy, but by the gonads of St. Patrick, I surely thought it would be safer than the Navy.  Those troop fight wars.  About now, though, I wish I’da listened to Ma. Wonder how she is.  A little late to worry ‘bout her, huh?  Probably died years ago.  But I wonder.  She used to make the most wonderful spiced coffee in the Universe.  Sure could do with a cup ‘bout now.  Wonder if she ever forgave me for chasing my dream?”

Bird stopped, looked at her from each eye, and then resumed his walk.

The merciful embrace of fever clothed Salomar in the eerie glow of the mist.  The mist thickened and twirled about her.  She clung to the bird as dizziness swept through her.  She pointed, excitement in her voice, “Mr. Bird, look—there’s Ma.  There’s Ma! Ma? Did you come to save us?  We have to take Bird, y’know. Yeah, we do.”  The mist thinned, Ma dissolved, clarity returned to Salomar.

“Mr. Bird, we’d best get to land before long, or I won’t be worth much. I’m already hallucinating. Wonder when the rescue party will come?  Hope it’s damned quick.  There’s nothing in this water we can eat.  I hope we can find something on the land.  At least water.  Ours is ‘bout gone.”

She opened the canteen, carried on bird’s back, and shared the remaining few drops.  She deliberately replaced the empty canteen on the bird, “We’ll need it on land,” she explained to Bird.

Chills racked her body as they walked.  “Ma,” she whined, “Ma, I’m cold.  Please, Ma, bring me ‘nother blanket.  I’ll be good.  I’ll stay here, Ma, I won’t never leave you.  Promise.”

Bird stopped, and watched Salomar carry on her conversation with her long deceased mother.

Salomar stopped.  “Thank you, Ma.  I’m all warm now.”  Quietly, she raised her arms for a hug as she slid into the water.  Bird watched.  When Salomar did not scream, or stand again, Bird dropped the beacon into the sea then turned and climbed onto the rocks, shook the water from her wings and soared.

*Prepare my bed!  The human is dead, as are my clutch-mates and the eggs of our young.  I cannot hold my eggs much longer.  Prepare my bed!*

Afa!  It is Afa!  She comes.  Sing the chorus to Afa.  The golden male birds lifted their voices in praise and adulation.  An escort soared from the cliffs to guide her to the nest awaiting her arrival.

Afa settled in her nest, drank nectar from the fruit of life, and began laying her eggs.  When her five green eggs were in the nest, and she had slept a bit, one of the golden male choir relieved her of nest duty.

When Afa has rested enough, we would hear your story, and work it into song.

*Thank you, golden mate.  I am somewhat rested.  My clutch-mates and I almost didn’t make it.  We were too far from the ship’s navigation system.  At the last moment, we combined our efforts and sent a surge of song strong enough to avert the planned route.  It is my eternal sadness that our burst also killed my clutch-mates.  Our eggs died when we crashed into the Living Sea.

*The humans would have enslaved us for their enjoyment.  They do not understand true royalty.*

The choir looked at one another, then at Afa.  Finally, one dared to ask, Afa, what are humans?

Joker Kills Murray – Ending Scene

Soft Baked Pretzels

homemade soft pretzels 9534
homemade soft pretzels 9534

Ingredients

  • 1 envelope dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (maybe more)
  • 1 beaten egg
  • Coarse salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
  3. Add sugar and flour, and mix. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Add a little more flour if it is too sticky.
  4. Let dough rise for 30 minutes.
  5. Cut dough into 12 pieces. Roll pieces of dough into 16 inch ropes.
  6. To make pretzels, curve ends of each rope to make a circle; cross ends at top. Twist ends once and lay down over bottom of circle. Spray cookie sheet with baking spray.
  7. Arrange pretzels on sheet.
  8. Brush on egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
  9. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

homemade soft pretzels 9490
homemade soft pretzels 9490

My sister recently found a cache of letters our mother had written to her mother. One of the letters, from early 1962 and written when I was 4, detailed the night she spent holding my little body as I was overcome with a high fever and suffered seizure after seizure after seizure through the night and into the morning.

The town was socked in by a rare snowstorm, my father was nowhere to be found, and she was home alone with me and my four siblings, who would have been 1, 3, 7 and 9. She kept feeding me aspirin and giving me sponge baths.

My tongue became so swollen she stuck her finger in my mouth to try to keep my airway open. Come the morning, my father finally showed up, my mother threw a blanket around me, left him with the rest of the kids, and rushed me to the hospital emergency room, where our family doctor was waiting for us at the door.

My temperature was 105.4 and my lungs were congested from viral pneumonia.

I was apparently so close to death that if she had had to wait just a couple of more hours, I wouldn’t have made it.

My mother spent a week with me at the hospital, not returning home until she could bring me with her.

Though I remember none of this, I was apparently the recipient of a large number of injections, 5 within the first 30 minutes, to the point that my behind reportedly became so sore that I couldn’t even sit on a toilet seat.

I became so terrified of and uncooperative with the nurses and doctors that I wouldn’t accept any oral medications or even food from them and my mother had to give them to me.

Two years after that, I spent another week in the hospital for tests and treatment for an apparent kidney disease that had me sleeping 12 hours a day.

So I guess I’m surprised I survived early childhood, in general. I didn’t get out unscathed, though. I’ve had a lifelong terror of needles and a pathological distrust of doctors.

As a mother myself, I’m glad I was the child in that experience and not the mother. I don’t know how she did that.

  1. You will be alone most of the time. Not lonely, but alone. Try to understand the difference to avoid unnecessary suffering.
  2. Happiness will not come easily as it came when you were young. You would have to work towards it. Discipline and sacrifice would be your best bet. Don’t get caught in the YOLO gimmick.
  3. Life will get boring. Your mind will wander. Learn to control it before it starts controlling you.
  4. Your best friend might no longer be your best friend. Your ex would have already moved on. You will struggle. But it will imbue you with lots of wisdom. So don’t curse yourself.
  5. You’ll realise in retrospect that very few people really loved you whilst others just wanted something out of you.
  6. Memories are not always good. More than often, they induce unncecesary fear, anxiety and mood swings.
  7. Time starts becoming the most valuable commodity. It will treat you like shit if you treat it cheaply.
  8. Whether you like it or not, people will talk behind you. Sometimes it would be the people whom you trusted the most. Learn to ignore them.
  9. You’ll run down the guilt-valley more often than before. You will do things which you know is not good for you but will anyways end up doing it. You will invariably be distracted by foul things. This is your mind conquering your weak spot. Like I said, discipline can save you.
  10. You’ll realize that success is not that easy after all. It’s that difficult. You would be tempted to give up on your dreams and live an average life. Don’t.
  11. Things will go wrong. Personally and professionally. The unexpected will happen. There won’t be any reason/person to blame on. Your faith in humanity will plummet all of a sudden. But hey, don’t give up. Move on.
  12. You will soon start noticing your parents are getting old, your best friend is suffering from illness or money constrait. You realize how much time you’ve wasted playing the ego game. So don’t wait. Make that phone call now.
  13. Most of the times, you’ll experience fear for no reason. When things are going good, you’ll dread on ‘what if this happiness goes away?’. When things are not going good, you’ll still dread on what’s going to happen next.
  14. You’ll get your heart broken multiple times. And you’ll have to break a couple of hearts yourself. That’s life. There no right and wrong here.
  15. There are no good people/bad people. You’ll have to come out of this cynical mind-set. There are only people who bring you pleasantness and unplesantness. Remember, people who bring unplesantness to you might bring pleasantness to someone else.
  16. You’ll realize that multi-tasking is not beneficial. You start focusing on one big goal/day rather than 10 small goals/day. You’ll learn to differentiate between being productive and being busy.
  17. You’ll learn that not all emotions you experience are genuine. More than half of them are mere mind-games. Learn to distinguish to avoid bouts of depression.
  18. You’ll be forced to change your attitude towards failures because you’ll have more failures than success. You will no longer react to events, but will eventually respond to it. Reacting will get you into more trouble. Responding will move you towards a solution.
  19. You’ll realise that you can’t be friends with everyone. And you don’t have to be. Accept this fact sooner than later.
  20. You’ll realise that earning respect is more difficult than earning money. And it’s the respect that would eventually make you feel proud about yourself in life.

“TO TARGET ALL OF BRICS’s COUNTRIES”, THE COLLECTIVE WEST PLAN.

Lordy! She is absolutely right!

I had a 22 year old student with a high school diploma struggling in my class. I stayed after every day to offer tutoring for my students. He walks in and notices he is the only one there, asks me if he can close the door to talk to me privately.

He closed the door walked to my desk with his head down, looked up at me with tears in his eyes and told me he couldn’t read.

I’m dumbfounded, he graduated from high school and can’t read?

He was a gifted football player, was passed in his classes so he could play. No worries for his future just a winning ball team.

I decided we would start with the very basics, he struggled to sound words out and I was at a loss. We worked for a month. Finally I figured out he had dyslexia when I had him copy a paragraph from the book we were working on.

I got us an appointment with the campus director, we went in and he sat there next to me mortified with tears running down his face. I told the campus director what was going on, that I think he is dyslexic and that is why he is having trouble learning to read.

We got him in for the specialized testing and he was diagnosed with dyslexia. We had to put him on a leave so he could go to special classes to learn how to read.

I had him the next year in my class again. He was a changed man, held his head up, and was at the top of the class. He pulled me aside to thank me for being the first teacher to care that he actually learned.

This was the saddest and turned into the happiest situations I had.

this is exactly how America will f!nish you

A guy tried to take a big bottle of shampoo in his carry-on. The TSA guy told him to either throw it away or exit the line and check his luggage. The guy went on about how expensive the shampoo was and how he’d miss his flight if he exited. The TSA guy didn’t care. The guy then said, “Well… at least keep it so that somebody gets some use out of it.” TSA guy said, sorry, he couldn’t do it.

Another time, a woman in front of me got busted with several jars of jam. The TSA guy told her the same thing the other TSA agent told the shampoo guy. Either pitch it or else exit the line and check it in. “But you don’t understand. It’s JAM. It’s prize winning jam! Open up a jar and take a taste!” The TSA guy declined to eat the jam. The woman, now in tears, threw away her prize winning jam.

Not a confiscation, but while checking into Australia. Some of us were chosen to have our luggage searched. The guy in front of me had a suitcase full of porn. The Australian Border Force Officers didn’t bat an eye, didn’t smirk, didn’t say a word, just rifled through his suitcase looking for who-knows-what. The passenger turned nine shades of red. After their search, they packed it all back up and returned it to him.

This last one/best one I remember was a couple decades ago pre-TSA, but a couple in front of me were being searched by a very young Customs agent. He was going through the wife’s suitcase and pulled out an applicator tampon and held it up in the air: “Aha! What’s this?” Another Customs agent looking on immediately turned and stepped away. The husband yelled over to his wife: “Marge! Get over here and declare your Kotex before we end up in prison!” By now, the young guy realized his mistake and, now horrified, ushered them through as fast as humanly possible.

Pick A Side And Fight For It, Keep Your Head Down, Or Flee

As you know, based on my study of history, I believe there are now and have always been five big, interrelated forces that drive how domestic and world orders change. They are the 1) the big debt/credit/money cycle, 2) the big internal order/disorder cycle 3) the big external order/disorder cycle, 4) acts of nature (i.e., droughts, floods, and pandemics), and 5) human innovation that leads to advances in technology. Today, I am focusing on why I believe we are approaching the point in the internal order-disorder cycle when you will have to choose between picking a side and fighting for it, keeping your head down, or fleeing.

Pick a Side and Fight for It, Keep Your Head Down, or Flee

I believe we now have to face the fact that fighting for democracy as we know it—with thoughtful disagreement and compromises governed by rule of law—is unlikely to work. People like me who had a long shot hope for the emergence of a strong middle that fights against the extremists to bring the country together and makes major reforms to improve the system must recognize that the differences are becoming too irreconcilable for this to happen.

Based on the lessons I learned from studying history about how things typically transpire under similar circumstances, I believe that what we are now seeing is the parties increasingly moving to greater extremism and a fight-to-win at all cost mode. This is threatening the rule of law as we know it and is bringing us closer to some form of civil war. (As I will explain below, this is not necessarily a violent conflict, though that is possible).

When I wrote my book, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, which looked at the rises and declines of domestic and world orders over the last 500 years, I chronicled the six stages of the “big internal order cycle,” their symptoms, and the cause-effect relationships that drive them. Just like life cycles, these stages are logical and everyone goes through them, typically about once in a lifetime. Toward the end of the cycle, which is where all the signs and symptoms show us to be today, people typically face a choice between fighting for one side or another, keeping their heads down, or fleeing.

When I wrote the book in 2020, I saw the writing on the wall but had hoped for the possibility that we would not cross the brink into a type of civil war, so I estimated the chance of that as about 1 in 3. At the time, this was considered a crazy high estimate (this was before the 2020 election being contested and the January 6th incident). Now I think the risk of some form of civil war is uncomfortably more than 50 percent, and I am confident that in the next year we will know the answer to whether we will cross the brink.

In a Nutshell How It Works

Domestically in the US there are two political sides which are also each divided in two: 1) the right side (i.e., the red Republican team), which is divided into the hard right and the moderate right, and 2) the left (the blue Democratic team), which is divided into the hard left and the moderate left. Throughout history, in the later stages of the cycle of internal order and disorder, both sides become increasingly “hard” (extreme) for logical reasons. This is the part of the cycle that we are in. Classically, at this stage, wealth and values gaps are large, people have lost faith that the system will get them what they want, and the hard right and the hard left become increasingly committed to winning for their constituents at all costs, which eventually means abandoning the rules of the game and the judges and just fighting. In the current case and classically, the sides become unwilling to compromise as compromising is perceived as being weak and people are forced to either pick a side and fight for it, keep their heads down, or flee. You should be prepared to make that choice.

To make the decision only a bit more extreme than it currently is, in looking at these two sides, if you had to choose between a fascist government and a communist government, which would you choose? If you are not knowledgeable about what fascism is (a dictatorship of the hard right) and what communism really is (a dictatorship of the hard left), I urge you to get schooled because if you have to make choices, it’s important to really understand them.

The Case at Hand

Most importantly, there are now big irreconcilable differences that are producing win-at-all cost perspectives that are undermining the willingness to accept the judgements of the legal system. That is very relevant to nearly all decision making—most importantly to legal and political decision making in and beyond the election. We should acknowledge and worry about what’s going on and think about its implications. For example, we should pay attention to Maureen Dowd of the New York Times saying that the Supreme Court is “corrupt, rotten, and hurting America” and the numerous other similar attacks on the system. This is only one of a chorus of such comments. Comments like these beg questions such as 1) what is the definition of corruption, 2) if it is corruption, why don’t those who are corrupt get prosecuted and convicted, and 3) if the judicial system and the judges don’t make these decisions, how will they be made? Nowadays “corrupt” seems to mean what those on the other side of the political divide decide is corrupt. It is obvious to me that if people don’t rely on the judicial system to make unbiased decisions, decisions will instead be made by revolutionaries on both sides fighting it out. This of course is very relevant to the upcoming election, so let’s play out how that will likely go.

It seems to me that if Biden wins, it is likely that Trump and those on the hard right who he represents won’t accept the leadership of Biden and the Democratic Party, and that if Trump wins, those on the hard left won’t accept Trump’s leadership and tactics. What happens next depends on the strength of the legal system, with those on each side seemingly more willing to fight its judgments than abide by them if they don’t get what they want. For these reasons, it seems to me that there is a higher than 50 percent chance that democracy as we know it won’t run smoothly through the election and beyond, and that the still most popular view that everyone will abide by the votes and the rules (i.e., if we have ABC votes for president, senators, and congressmen, we will have XYZ policies enacted as a function of the system operating as it has operated) won’t prove true.

While it is now commonly believed that Trump Republicans are the greater extremists and the Democrats will be moderate, based on how things have transpired in history and what I see today, I’m not so sure. I think it’s more likely that both sides will be more extreme than is commonly believed. Given that it is doubtful that President Biden will remain president through his next term, we don’t know what part of the Democratic Party will win out in leading its agenda. While there are moderate leaders in the Democratic Party (i.e., Hakeem Jeffries, Gretchen Whitmer, and Josh Shapiro), those of the hard left (i.e., Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and AOC) have largely gone quiet, knowing that they would scare away moderate voters so it’s better for them to bide their time while they are pushing their hard left agenda behind the scenes. President Biden’s appointment of Lina Khan, a political activist of the left, to head the FTC is an example of the current administration using appointments the way Trump is making clear he will have his political appointees use their positions to pursue a hard-left agenda. In the recent past, leading Democrats have also expressed support for rule changes that would swing power their way (i.e., making Puerto Rico and Washington DC states so they could get control of the Senate, adding to the number of Supreme Court justices to get control of it, removing of the filibuster, etc.) Given all of this, I’m not so sure that hard left Democrats are out of the picture or are above using their government powers to achieve their political agenda any more than I believe that hard right Republicans are above doing that.

For all these reasons, it appears to me that we are probably headed toward an existential battle of the hard right against the hard left in which you will have to pick a side and fight for it, or keep your head down, or flee.

By flee, I think that will mostly be from one state to another and we will see increased emphasis on state rights rather than the central government being dominant. A clash between state governments and a fractured central government appears likely, which I would regard as a type of civil war even if not violent. If things get bad enough, some Americans will flee to other countries and foreigners will choose not to be here. Such disorder would also not be good for rule-of-law and our capital markets.

From studying history, I have seen these sorts of civil wars happen many times before—in the French, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Cuban and several other cases—so that the sequence of how this cycle typically transpires is clear and appears applicable to what is happening now in the United States (and in several other countries in varying degrees). For those who are interested, I have copied the section from Chapter Five (“The Big Cycle of Internal Order/Disorder”) of my book which the describes Stage Five (the pre-civil war stage that I believe we are in) and Stage Six (the civil war stage that I believe that we are in the brink of) of the internal order cycle. To be clear, I am not saying that we will certainly cross the brink into civil war—I am saying that there is a much higher probability of some type of civil war (including a non-violent one) than is commonly believed.

By the way, what I described here is about domestic conflict. A similar sort of conflict is happening internationally—i.e., there is a classic great power conflict with the two big sides internationally being the China-Russia side and the US -G7-Australia side and regional conflicts are being sorted out by nations in alliances with these two big sides. But that is a subject for another day. Let’s now focus on how the internal conflict dynamic typically works and apply that template to what’s happening to internal politics with this excerpt from Chapter Five of Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order.

Stage 5: When There Are Bad Financial Conditions and Intense Conflict

The most important influence that transpires in a Big Cycle is that of debt, money, and economic activity. Because I covered that cycle comprehensively in Chapters 3 and 4, I won’t explain it here in detail. But to understand Stage 5, you need to know that it follows Stage 3, in which there is peace and prosperity and favorable debt and credit conditions, and Stage 4, in which excess and decadence begin to bring about worse conditions. This process culminates in the most difficult and painful stage—Stage 6—when the entity runs out of money and there is typically terrible conflict in the form of revolution or civil war. Stage 5 is the period during which the interclass tensions that go along with worsening financial conditions come to a head. How different leaders, policy makers, and groups of people deal with conflict has a major impact on whether the country will undergo the needed changes peacefully or violently.

You can see signs of this happening now in a number of countries. Those that have adequate financial conditions (i.e., have incomes that are greater than their expenses and assets that are greater than their liabilities) are in relatively good shape. Those that do not are in relatively bad shape. They want money from the others. The problem is that there are many more who are in bad shape relative to those that are in good shape.

You can also see that these different conditions are big drivers of the differences in what is now happening to most aspects of these countries, states, cities, companies, and people—e.g., their education, healthcare, infrastructure, and well-being. You can also see big cultural differences in how countries approach their stressful conditions, with some approaching them more harmoniously than others who are more inclined to fight.

Because Stage 5 is such a pivotal stage in the internal cycle and because it’s the stage that many countries, most importantly the US, are now in, I will devote some time to going through the cause/effect relationships at play during it and the key indicators to watch in examining its progression. Then I will turn more specifically to where the United States stands.

The Classic Toxic Mix

The classic toxic mix of forces that brings about big internal conflicts consists of 1) the country and the people in the country (or state or city) being in bad financial shape (e.g., having big debt and non-debt obligations), 2) large income, wealth, and values gaps within that entity, and 3) a severe negative economic shock.

That confluence typically brings about disorder, conflict, and sometimes civil wars. The economic shock can come about for many reasons, including financial bubbles that burst, acts of nature (such as pandemics, droughts, and floods), and wars. It creates a financial stress test. The financial conditions (as measured by incomes relative to expenses and assets relative to liabilities) that exist at the time of the stress test are the shock absorbers. The sizes of the gaps in incomes, wealth, and values are the degrees of fragility of the system. When the financial problems occur, they typically first hit the private sector and then the public sector. Because governments will never let the private sector’s financial problems sink the entire system, it is the government’s financial condition that matters most. When the government runs out of buying power, there is a collapse. But on the way to a collapse there is a lot of fighting for money and political power.

From studying 50-plus civil wars and revolutions, it became clear that the single most reliable leading indicator of civil war or revolution is bankrupt government finances combined with big wealth gaps. That is because when the government lacks financial power, it can’t financially save those entities in the private sector that the government needs to save to keep the system running (as most governments, led by the United States, did at the end of 2008), it can’t buy what it needs, and it can’t pay people to do what it needs them to do. It is out of power.

A classic marker of being in Stage 5 and a leading indicator of the loss of borrowing and spending power, which is one of the triggers for going into Stage 6, is that the government has large deficits that are creating more debt to be sold than buyers other than the government’s own central bank are willing to buy. That leading indicator is turned on when governments that can’t print money have to raise taxes and cut spending, or when those that can print money print a lot of it and buy a lot of government debt. To be more specific, when the government runs out of money (by running a big deficit, having large debts, and not having access to adequate credit), it has limited options. It can either raise taxes and cut spending a lot or print a lot of money, which depreciates its value. Those governments that have the option to print money always do so because that is the much less painful path, but it leads investors to run out of the money and debt that is being printed. Those governments that can’t print money have to raise taxes and cut spending, which drives those with money to run out of the country (or state or city) because paying more taxes and losing services is intolerable. If these entities that can’t print money have large wealth gaps among their constituents, these moves typically lead to some form of civil war/revolution.

At the time of this writing, this late-cycle debt dynamic is now playing out in the United States at both the state and federal levels, with the main difference between them being that state governments can’t print money to pay their debts while the federal government can. The federal government and many state and city governments have large deficits, large debts, and large wealth gaps, and the central bank (the Federal Reserve) has the power to print money. So, at the time of this writing, the central bank is printing a lot of money and buying a lot of federal government debt, which finances the government spending that is much bigger than the federal government’s intake. That has helped the federal government and those it is trying to help, though it has also cost those who are holding dollars and dollar debt a lot in real purchasing power.

Those places (cities, states, and countries) that have the largest wealth gaps, the largest debts, and the worst declines in incomes are most likely to have the greatest conflicts. Interestingly, those states and cities in the US that have the highest per capita income and wealth levels tend to be the states and cities that are the most indebted and have the largest wealth gaps—e.g., cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City and states like Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.

Facing these conditions, expenditures have to be cut or more money has to be raised in some way. The next question becomes who will pay to fix them, the “haves” or the “have-nots”? Obviously, it can’t be the have-nots. Expenditure cuts are most intolerable for those who are poorest, so there needs to be more taxation of people who can afford to pay more and there is a heightened risk of some form of civil war or revolution. But when the haves realize that they will be taxed to pay for debt service and to reduce the deficits, they typically leave, causing the hollowing-out process. This is currently motivating movements from some states to others in the US. If bad economic conditions occur, that hastens the process. These circumstances largely drive the tax cycle.

History shows that raising taxes and cutting spending when there are large wealth gaps and bad economic conditions, more than anything else, has been a leading indicator of civil wars or revolutions of some type.

To be clear, they don’t have to be violent, though they can be. I see these cycles transpiring in my personal interactions. For example, I live in the state of Connecticut, which has the highest per capita income in the country, the largest wealth gap and income gap in the country, and one of the largest per capita debt and unfunded pension obligations in the country. I see how the haves and the have-nots are focused on their own lives and spend little time worrying about the other because they don’t have much contact. I have windows into what the lives of both the haves and the have-nots are like because I have contact with the people in our community of haves and because the work my wife does to help disengaged and disconnected high school students in disadvantaged communities brings her into contact with people who live in the communities of the have-nots. I see how terrible the conditions are in those have-not communities and how the haves (who appear rich and decadent to the have-nots) don’t feel rich. I see how they are all focused on their own struggles—with the haves struggling with work/life balance, making sure their kids are well-educated, etc., and the have-nots struggling with finding income, food security, avoiding violence, trying to get their kids a quality education, etc.

I see how both groups are more likely to have critical, stereotypical impressions of each other that make them more inclined to dislike each other than to view themselves empathetically as members of one community in which they should help each other. I see how difficult it can be to help each other because of these stereotypes and because the haves don’t feel that they have more than enough or that the have-nots deserve their financial support, and I fear what the future might hold because of the existing circumstances and how they are likely to worsen. I have seen close up how COVID-inflicted health and budget shocks have brought to the surface the terrible conditions of the have-nots and are worsening the financial gaps that could bring about the classic toxic mix dynamic.

Averages don’t matter as much as the number of people who are suffering and their power.

Those who favor policies that are good for the whole—e.g., free trade, globalization, advances in technology that replace people—without thinking about what happens if the whole is not divided in a way that benefits most people are missing the fact that the whole is at risk.

To have peace and prosperity, a society must have productivity that benefits most people. Do you think we have this today?

What does history show as the path that bankrupt governments can follow to raise productivity that benefits most people? It shows that restructuring and/or devaluing enough of the previously created debt and non-debt obligations helps a lot. That is classic in Stages 5 and 6. Once the restructuring or devaluation reduces the debt burdens, which is typically painful at the time, the reduced debt burdens allow for a rebuilding.

An essential ingredient for success is that the debt and money that are created are used to produce productivity gains and favorable returns on investment, rather than just being given away without yielding productivity and income gains. If it is given away without yielding these gains, the money will be devalued to the point that I won’t leave the government or anyone else with much buying power.

History shows that lending and spending on items that produce broad-based productivity gains and returns on investment that exceed the borrowing costs result in living standards rising with debts being paid off, so these are good policies.

If the amount of money being lent to finance the debt is inadequate, it is perfectly fine for the central bank to print the money and be the lender of last resort as long as the money is invested to have a return that is large enough to service the debt. History shows and logic dictates that investing well in education at all levels (including job training), infrastructure, and research that yields productive discoveries works very well. For example, big education and infrastructure programs have paid off nearly all the time (e.g., in the Tang Dynasty and many other Chinese dynasties, in the Roman Empire, in the Umayyad Caliphate, in the Mughal Empire in India, in Japan’s Meiji Restoration, and in China’s educational development programs over the last couple of decades), though they have long lead times. In fact, improvements in education and infrastructure, even those financed by debt, were essential ingredients behind the rises of virtually all empires, and declines in the quality of these investments were almost always ingredients behind empires’ declines. If done well, these interventions can more than counterbalance the classic toxic mix.

The classic toxic mix is usually accompanied by other problems. The more of the following conditions that are in place, the higher the probability of having a severe conflict like a civil war or revolution.

Decadence

While early in the cycle there is typically more spending of time and money on productive things, later in the cycle time and money go more toward indulgent things (e.g., the finer things, like expensive residences, art, jewelry, and clothes).

This begins in Stage 4 when such spending is fashionable, but by Stage 5 it begins to appear grotesque.

Often, that decadent spending is debt-financed, which worsens the financial conditions. The change in psychology that typically goes along with these changes is understandable. The haves feel that they have earned their money so they can spend it on luxuries if they like, while the have-nots view such spending at the same time they are suffering as unfair and selfish. Besides increasing resentments, decadent spending (as distinct from saving and investing) reduces productivity.

What a society spends money on matters. When it spends on investment items that yield productivity and income gains, it makes for a better future than when it spends on consumption items that don’t raise productivity and income.

Bureaucracy

While early in the internal order cycle bureaucracy is low, it is high late in the cycle, which makes sensible and necessary decision making more difficult.

That is because things tend to get more complex as they develop until they reach the point where even obviously good things can’t be done—necessitating revolutionary changes. In a legal and contract-based system (which has many benefits), this can become a problem because the law can stand in the way of doing obviously good things. I will give you an example that I’m close to because my wife and I care about it.

Because the US Constitution doesn’t make education a federal government responsibility, it has predominantly been a state and local responsibility with school funding coming from revenue raised by local taxes in cities and towns. Though it varies from state to state, typically those children in richer towns in richer states receive a much better education than those in poorer towns in poorer states. This is obviously unfair and unproductive even though most people agree that children should have equal opportunities in education. But because this structure is so ingrained in our political system, it is nearly impossible to fix without a revolutionary reinvention of how we approach it. There are more examples of the bureaucracy standing in the way of doing sensible, productive things than I have time and space to convey here. It is now a big problem in America.

Populism and Extremism

Out of disorder and discontent come leaders who have strong personalities, are anti-elitist, and claim to fight for the common man. They are called populists. Populism is a political and social phenomenon that appeals to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are not being addressed by the elites. It typically develops when there are wealth and opportunity gaps, perceived cultural threats from those with different values both inside and outside the country, and “establishment elites” in positions of power who are not working effectively for most people. Populists come into power when these conditions create anger among ordinary people who want those with political power to be fighters for them. Populists can be of the right or of the left, are much more extreme than moderates, and tend to appeal to the emotions of ordinary people. They are typically confrontational rather than collaborative and exclusive rather than inclusive. This leads to a lot of fighting between populists of the left and populists of the right over irreconcilable differences. The extremity of the revolution that occurs under them varies. For example, in the 1930s, populism of the left took the form of communism and that of the right took the form of fascism while nonviolent revolutionary changes took place in the US and the UK. More recently, in the United States, the election of Donald Trump in 2016 was a move to populism of the right while the popularity of Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reflects the popularity of populism of the left. There are increased political movements toward populism in a number of countries. It could be said that the election of Joe Biden reflects a desire for less extremism and more moderation, though time will tell.

Watch populism and polarization as markers. The more that populism and polarization exist, the further along a nation is in Stage 5, and the closer it is to civil war and revolution. In Stage 5, moderates become the minority. In Stage 6, they cease to exist.

Class Warfare

In Stage 5, class warfare intensifies. That is because, as a rule, l during times of increased hardship and conflict there is an increased inclination to look at people in stereotypical ways as members of one or more classes and to look at these classes as either being enemies or allies. In Stage 5, this begins to become much more apparent. In Stage 6, it becomes dangerous.

A classic marker in Stage 5 that increases in Stage 6 is the demonization of those in other classes, which typically produces one or more scapegoat classes who are commonly believed to be the source of the problems. This leads to a drive to exclude, imprison, or destroy them, which happens in Stage 6. Ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups are often demonized. The most classic, horrific example of this comes from the Nazi’s treatment of Jews, who were blamed and persecuted for virtually all of Germany’s problems. Chinese minorities living in non-Chinese countries have been demonized and scapegoated during periods of economic and social stress. In the UK, Catholics were demonized and scapegoated in numerous stressful periods, such as the Glorious Revolution and the English Civil War. Rich capitalists are commonly demonized, especially those who are viewed to be making their money at the expense of the poor. Demonizing and scapegoating are a classic symptom and problem that we must keep an eye on.

The Loss of Truth in the Public Domain

Not knowing what is true because of distortions in the media and propaganda increases as people become more polarized, emotional, and politically motivated.

In Stage 5, those who are fighting typically work with those in the media to manipulate people’s emotions to gain support and to destroy the opposition. In other words, media folks of the left join with others of the left and media folks of the right join with others of the right in the dirty fight. The media goes wild like vigilantes: people are commonly attacked and essentially tried and found guilty in the media, and they have their lives ruined without a judge and jury. A common move among 1930s populists of the left (communists) and of the right (fascists) was to take control of the media and establish “ministers of propaganda” to guide them. The media they produced was explicitly aimed at turning the population against the groups that the governments considered “enemies of the state.” The government of the democratically run United Kingdom created a “Ministry of Information” during World War I and World War II to spread government propaganda, and leading newspaper publishers were elevated by the government if they did what the government wanted them to do to win the propaganda war or were vilified and suffered if they didn’t cooperate. Revolutionaries did the same distorting of the truth in all sorts of publications. During the French Revolution, newspapers run by revolutionaries pushed anti-monarchist and anti-religious sentiment, but when those revolutionaries attained power, they shut down dissenting newspapers during the Reign of Terror. During times of great wealth gaps and populist thinking, stories that bring down elites are popular and lucrative, especially those that bring down left-leaning elites in right-leaning media outlets and those that bring downright-leaning elites in left-leaning media outlets. History shows that significant increases in these activities are a problem that is typical of Stage 5, and that when combined with the ability to inflict other punishments, the media becomes a powerful weapon.

It is well-recognized this is happening at the time of this writing. The perceived truth in media, both traditional and social, is lower than at any other time in our lifetimes. For example, a 2019 Gallup poll found that only 13 percent of Americans surveyed have “a great deal” of trust in the media and only 41 percent of those surveyed have either a “fair” or “great deal” of trust in the media. That compares with 72 percent who trusted the media in 1976. This is not just a fringe media problem; it is a mainstream media problem and a problem for our whole society. The dramatically decreased trustworthiness has even plagued former icons of journalistic trust such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, which have seen their trust ratings plunge. In addition to being politically motivated, sensationalistic stories have become commercially rewarding at a time when the media business is in financial trouble. Most of the media folks I speak with share my concerns, though they typically won’t share them openly. Still, in reflecting on the problem, Martin Baron, then executive editor of The Washington Post, said, “If you have a society where people can’t agree on the basic facts, how do you have a functioning democracy?” This dynamic is impeding free speech since people are afraid to speak up because of how they will be attacked in both traditional and social media by distortions that are meant to bring them down.

Even very capable and powerful people are now too afraid of the media to speak up about important matters or run for public office. Since most high-profile people are torn down, most everyone I speak with agrees that it is dangerous to be a high-profile, vocal person who fights for truth and justice, especially if one offends people who are inclined to use the media to fight. Though not discussed in public because of fears of media reprisals, this issue is continuously discussed in private. For example, during a lunch I had not long ago with a general who had held a very high political position and had just left government service, we explored what he would do next. I asked him what he was most passionate about. He said, “Of course helping my country.” I asked him whether he would consider running for elected office, and he explained that while he was willing to die for his country he couldn’t bring himself to run for public office because of how enemies would use the media and social media to make up lies to harm him and his family. This general and almost everyone I know who we should listen to are afraid to speak openly because they fear that attacks by extremists who oppose them will be enabled and amplified by the sensationalistic media. Many of my friends tell me that I’m crazy to speak so openly about controversial things such as those covered in this book because it is inevitable that some people or groups will try to take me down via the media. I think they are probably right, but I won’t let the risks dissuade me.

Rule-Following Fades and Raw Fighting Begins

When the causes that people are passionately behind are more important to them than the system for making decisions, the system is in jeopardy. Rules and laws work only when they are crystal clear and most people value working within them enough that they are willing to compromise in order to make them work well.

If both of these are less than excellent, the legal system is in jeopardy. If the competing parties are unwilling to try to be reasonable with each other and to make decisions civilly in pursuit of the well-being of the whole, which will require them to give up things that they want and might win in a fight, there will be a sort of civil war that will test the relative powers of the relevant parties. In this stage, winning at all costs is the game and playing dirty is the norm. Late in Stage 5 is when reason is abandoned in favor of passion.

When winning becomes the only thing that matters, unethical fighting becomes progressively more forceful in self-reinforcing ways. When everyone has causes that they are fighting for and no one can agree on anything, the system is on the brink of civil war/revolution.

This typically happens in a couple of ways:

Late in Stage 5 it is common for the legal and police systems to be used as political weapons by those who can control them. Also, private police systems form—e.g., thugs who beat people up and take their assets, and bodyguards to protect people from these things happening to them. For instance, the Nazi party formed a paramilitary wing before it came to power that then became an official force when the Nazis were in power. The short-lived British Union of Fascists in the 1930s and the Ku Klux Klan in the US were effectively paramilitary groups as well. Such cases are quite normal, so view their development as a marker of moving to the next stage.

Late in Stage 5 there are increasing numbers of protests that become increasingly violent. Because there is not always a clear line between a healthy protest and the beginnings of a revolution, leaders in power often struggle over how to allow protests without giving the perceived freedom to revolt against the system. Leaders must manage these situations well. A classic dilemma arises when demonstrations start to cross over into revolution. Both giving the freedom to protest and suppressing protests are risky paths for leaders, as either path could lead the revolution to get strong enough to topple the system. No system allows people to bring down the system—in most, an attempt to do so is treason, typically punishable by death. Nonetheless, it is the job of revolutionaries to bring down systems, so governments and revolutionaries test each other to see what the limits are. When broad-based discontent bubbles up and those in power allow it to grow, it can boil over to the point that when they try to put a lid on it, it explodes. The conflicts in the late part of Stage 5 typically build up to a crescendo that triggers the violent fighting that signifies the transition into what historians stamp as official civil war periods, which I am identifying as Stage 6 in the Big Cycle.

People dying in the fighting is the marker that almost certainly signifies the progression to the next and more violent civil war stage, which will continue until the winners and losers are clearly determined.

That brings me to my next principle:

When in doubt, get out—if you don’t want to be in a civil war or a war, you should get out while the getting is good.

This is typically late in Stage 5. History has shown that when things get bad, the doors typically close for people who want to leave. The same is true for investments and money as countries introduce capital controls and other measures during such times.

Crossing the line from Stage 5 (when there are very bad financial conditions and intense internal and external conflict exist) to Stage 6 (when there is civil war) occurs when the system for resolving disagreements goes from working to not working. In other words, it happens when the system is broken beyond repair, people are violent with each other, and the leadership has lost control.

As you might imagine, it is a much bigger deal to break a system/order and build a new one than it is to make revolutionary changes within an existing system/order. Though breaking a system/order is more traumatic, it isn’t necessarily a worse path than operating within a system.

Deciding whether to keep and renovate something old that is not working well or to dispose of it and replace it with something new is never easy, especially when the something new is not clearly known and what is being replaced is as important as the domestic order. Nonetheless, it happens, though typically it is not decided on intellectually; it is more often emotionally driven.

When one is in Stage 5 (like the US is now), the biggest question is how much the system will bend before it breaks.

The democratic system, which allows the population to do pretty much whatever it decides to do, produces more bending because the people can make leadership changes and only have themselves to blame. In this system regime changes can more easily happen in a peaceful way. However, the “one person, one vote” democratic process has the drawback of having leaders selected via popularity contests by people who are largely not doing the sort of thoughtful review of capabilities that most organizations would do when trying to find the right person for an important job. Democracy has also been shown to break down in times of great conflict.

Democracy requires consensus decision making and compromise, which requires a lot of people who have opposing views to work well with each other within the system. That ensures that parties that have significant constituencies can be represented, but like all big committees of people who have widely different views (and might even dislike each other), the decision-making system is not efficient.

The biggest risk to democracies is that they produce such fragmented and antagonistic decision making that they can be ineffective, which leads to bad results, which leads to revolutions led by populist autocrats who represent large segments of the population who want to have a strong, capable leader get control of the chaos and make the country work well for them.

Also noteworthy: history has shown that during times of great conflict federalist democracies (like the US) typically have conflicts between the states and the central government over their relative powers. That would be a marker to look out for that hasn’t yet arisen much in the US; it’s happening would signify the continued progression toward Stage Six.

There are far too many breakdowns of democracies to explore, let alone describe. While I looked into a number of them to see the patterns, I haven’t fully mined them, and I’m not going to dive into them here. I will say that the factors described in the explanations of Stage 5 when taken to the extreme—most importantly, terrible finances, decadence, internal strife and disorder, and/or major external conflict—lead to a dysfunctional set of conditions and a fight for power led by a strong leader. Archetypical examples include Athens from the late 400s to the 300s BCE, the end of the Roman Republic in the century or so preceding 27 BCE, Germany’s Weimar Republic in the 1920s, and the weak democracies of Italy, Japan, and Spain in the 1920s and 1930s that turned to autocracies of the right (fascism) to bring order to the chaos.

Different stages require different types of leaders to get the best results. Stage 5 is a juncture in which one path could lead to civil war/revolution and the other could lead to peaceful and, ideally, prosperous coexistence. Obviously the peaceful and prosperous path is the ideal path, but it is the much more difficult path to pull off.

That path requires a “strong peacemaker” who goes out of their way to bring the country together, including reaching out to the other side to involve them in the decision making and reshaping the order in a way that most people agree is fair and works well (i.e., is highly productive in a way that benefits most people). There are few such cases in history. We pray for them. The second type is a “strong fighter” who is capable of taking the country through the hell of civil war/revolution.

Stage 6: When There Are Civil Wars

Civil wars inevitably happen, so rather than assuming “it won’t happen here,” which most people in most countries assume after an extended period of not having them, it is better to be wary of them and look for the markers to indicate how close one is.

While in the last section we looked at nonviolent revolutions that took place within the order, in this section we will be looking at the markers and the patterns of civil wars and revolutions that were almost always violent and toppled the old order and replaced it with a new one. Though there are innumerable examples that I could have examined to understand how they work, I chose what I believe are the 29 most significant ones, which are shown in the following table. I categorized this group into those that produced big changes to the system/regime and those that did not. For example, the US Civil War was a really bloody civil war that failed to overturn the system/order, so it is in the second group at the bottom of the table, while those that toppled the system/order are at the top. These categories are of course imprecise, but once again we won’t let imprecision stand in the way of seeing what we couldn’t see if we insisted on being precise. Most of these conflicts, though not all of them, transpired in the archetypical way described in this section.

1719346104668
1719346104668

A classic example of a civil war breaking the system and having to build a new system is the Russian Revolution/Civil War of 1917. This put into place the communist internal order that eventually entered Stage 5 in the late 1980s, which led it to attempt to make revolutionary changes within the system—called perestroika (i.e., restructuring)—which failed and were followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union’s order in 1991. The communist domestic order lasted 74 years (from 1917 until 1991). That order was replaced by the new system/order that is now governing Russia, which, after the collapse of the old order, was built in the classic ways described earlier in this chapter in my explanations of Stages 1 and 2.

Another is Japan’s Meiji Restoration, which came about as a result of a three-year revolution (1866–69) that happened because the Japanese were closed off to the outside world and failed to advance. The Americans forced the Japanese to open, which prompted a revolutionary group to fight and defeat the rulers (led by the military shogun) in battle, which led to overturning the internal order then run by the four classes—the military, farmers, artisans, and merchants—that had ruled Japan. This old Japanese order run by traditional people was ultra-conservative (e.g., social mobility was outlawed) and was replaced by revolutionaries who were relatively progressive and changed everything by reinstating the powers of a modernizing emperor. Early in this period there were lots of labor disputes, strikes, and riots that resulted from the classic triggers of wealth gaps and bad economic conditions. In the reform process the leadership provided universal elementary education for both boys and girls, adopted capitalism, and opened the country up to the outside world. They did this with new technologies, which led them to become very competitive and gain wealth.

There are many such cases of countries that did the right things to produce revolutionarily beneficial improvements, just as there are many cases of revolutionaries doing the wrong things that inflicted terrible pain on their people for decades. By the way, as a result of its reformations Japan went on to move through the classic stages of the Big Cycle. It became extremely successful and rich. But over time it became decadent, overextended, and fragmented, had an economic depression, and fought expensive wars, all of which led to a classic demise. Its Meiji order and its classic Big Cycle lasted for 76 years from 1869 to 1945.

Civil wars and revolutions inevitably take place to radically change the internal order.

They include total restructurings of wealth and political power that include complete restructurings of debt and financial ownership and political decision making. These changes are the natural consequence of needing to make big changes that can’t be made within the existing system. Almost all systems encounter them. That is because almost all systems benefit some classes of people at the expense of other classes, which eventually becomes intolerable to the point that there is a fight to determine the path forward. When the gaps in wealth and values become very wide and bad economic conditions ensue so that the system is not working for a large percentage of the people, the people will fight to change the system. Those who are suffering the most economically will fight to get more wealth and power from those who have wealth and power and who benefit from the existing system. Naturally the revolutionaries want to radically change the system, so naturally they are willing to break the laws that those in power demand they adhere to. These revolutionary changes typically happen violently through civil wars, though as previously described, they can come about peacefully without toppling the system.

The periods of civil war are typically very brutal. Typically, early on these wars are forceful and orderly struggles for power, and as the fighting and emotions intensify and the sides do anything to win, the levels of brutality accelerate unexpectedly such that the actual levels of brutality that occur in the Stage 6 civil wars and revolutions would have been considered implausible in Stage 5. The elites and moderates generally flee, are imprisoned, or are killed. Reading the stories of civil wars and revolutions, such as the Spanish Civil War, the Chinese Civil War, the Russian Revolution, and the French Revolution, made my hair curl.

How do they transpire? Earlier I described the dynamics of Stage 5 that led to crossing the line into Stage 6. During this stage all of those intensify greatly. I will explain.

How Civil Wars and Revolutions Transpire

As previously described, the cycle of building wealth and wealth gaps that leads to a very small percentage of the population controlling an exceptionally large percentage of the wealth eventually results in the poor majority overthrowing the rich minority via civil wars and revolutions. This has happened more times than one can imagine.

While most of the archetypical civil wars and revolutions shifted power from the right to the left, many shifted wealth and power to the right and away from those on the left. However, there were fewer of them and they were different. They typically happened when the existing orders slipped into dysfunctional anarchies and a large percentage of the population yearned for strong leadership, discipline, and productivity. Examples of revolutions from the left to the right include Germany, Spain, Japan, and Italy in the 1930s; the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1980s to the early 1990s; the 1976 coup in Argentina replacing Isabel Perón with a military junta; and the coup leading to the Second French Empire in 1851. All those that I examined worked or didn’t work for the same reason. Like those of the left, these new internal orders succeeded when they produced broad-based economic successes and failed when they did not. Because broad economic prosperity is the biggest reason a new regime succeeds or fails, the long-term trends have been to both greater total wealth and broader distribution of the wealth (i.e., better economic and health outcomes for the average person). That big picture can be easily lost when one is in and experiencing one part of the Big Cycle.

Typically, the people who led the civil war/revolution were (and still are) well-educated people from middle-class backgrounds. For example, three of the key revolutionary leaders of the French Revolution were Georges-Jacques Danton, a lawyer raised in a bourgeois family; Jean-Paul Marat, a physician, scientist, and journalist raised in a bourgeois family; and Maximilian Robespierre, a lawyer and statesman also from a bourgeois family. This revolution was initially supported by many liberal aristocrats, like the Marquis de Lafayette, who were raised in moderately well-off families. Similarly, the leaders of the Russian Revolution were Vladimir Lenin, who studied law, and Leon Trotsky, who was raised in a bourgeois family of intellectuals. The Chinese Civil War was led by Mao, who was from a moderately well-off family and studied a variety of subjects such as law, economics, and political theory, and Zhou Enlai, who was from a scholarly middle-class family of civil servants. These leaders also typically were (and still are) charismatic and able to lead and work well with others to build big, well-run organizations that have the power to bring about the revolutions. If you want to look for the revolutionaries of the future, you might keep an eye on those who have these qualities. Over time they typically evolve from being idealistic intellectuals wanting to change the system to be fairer to brutal revolutionaries bent on winning at all costs.

While having large wealth gaps during economically difficult times was typically the biggest source of conflict, there were always other reasons for conflict that added up to a lot of opposition to the leadership and the system. Typically, in revolutions the revolutionaries with these different grievances joined together to make revolutionary changes; while they looked united during the revolution, after winning the revolution, they typically fought with each other over issues and for power.

As previously mentioned, during the civil war/revolution stage of the cycle the governments in power almost always had an acute shortage of money, credit, and buying power. That shortage created the desire to grab money from those who had it, which led those who had wealth to move it into places and assets that were safe, which led the governments to stop these movements by imposing capital controls—i.e., controls on movements to other jurisdictions (e.g., other countries), to other currencies, or to assets that are more difficult to tax and/or are less productive (e.g., gold).

To make matters even worse, when there was internal disorder, foreign enemies were more likely to challenge the country. This happens because domestic conflict causes vulnerabilities that make external wars more likely. Internal conflict splits the people within a country, is financially taxing on them, and demands attention that leaves less time for the leaders to tend to other issues—all things that create vulnerabilities for foreign powers to take advantage of. That is the main reason why internal wars and external wars tend to come close together. Other reasons include: emotions and tempers are heightened; strong populist leaders who tend to come to power at such times are fighters by nature; when there are internal conflicts leaders find that a perceived threat from an external enemy can bring the country together in support of the leader so they tend to encourage the conflict; and being deprived leads people/countries to be more willing to fight for what they need, including resources that other countries have.

Almost all civil wars have had some foreign powers participating in an attempt to influence the outcome to their benefit.

The beginnings of civil wars and revolutions aren’t clear when they are happening, though they are obvious when one is deeply in the middle of them.

While historians assign dates to the beginnings and ends of civil wars, they are arbitrary. The truth is that almost no one at the time knows that a civil war has begun or that it has ended, but they know when they are in them. For example, many historians have designated July 14, 1789, as the day the French Revolution began because a mob stormed an armory and prison called the Bastille. But nobody at the time thought it was the beginning of the French Revolution or had any idea how terribly brutal that civil war and revolution would become. While one might not know what’s to come, one can have imprecise markers that help one place where one is, to see the direction that one is moving in, and to know something about what the next stage will be like.

Civil wars are incredibly brutal because they are fights to the death. Everyone is an extremist because everyone is forced to pick a side and fight—also moderates lose out in knife fights.

As for what types of leaders are best for civil wars and revolutions, they are the “inspirational generals”—people who are strong enough to marshal support and win the various types of battles they have to win. Because the fight is brutal, they have to be brutal enough to do whatever is necessary to win.

The time that historians stamp as the civil war period typically lasts a few years and determines the official winners and losers, which is conveyed by who gets to occupy the government buildings in the capital. But like the beginnings, the ends of civil wars/revolutions are not as clearly defined as historians convey. The fighting to consolidate power can go on for a long time after the official civil war has ended.

While civil wars and revolutions are typically extremely painful, they often lead to restructurings that, if done well, can establish the foundation for improved future results. What the future after the civil war/revolution looks like depends on how the next steps are handled.

Conclusion

My study of history has taught me that nothing is forever other than evolution, and within evolution there are cycles that are like tides that come in and go out and that are hard to change or fight against. To handle these changes well it is essential to know which stage of the cycle one is in and to know timeless and universal principles for dealing with it. As conditions change the best approaches change—i.e., what is best depends on the circumstances and the circumstances are always changing in the ways we just looked at. For that reason, it is a mistake to rigidly believe that any economic or political system is always best because there will certainly be times when that system is not best for the circumstances at hand, and if a society doesn’t adapt it will die. That is why constantly reforming systems to adapt well is best. The test of any system is simply how well it works in delivering what most of the people want, and this can be objectively measured, which we can do and will continue to do. Having said that, the lesson from history that comes through most loudly and most clearly is that skilled collaborations to produce productive win-win relationships to both grow and divide the pie well, so that most people are happy, are much more rewarding and much less painful than fighting civil wars over wealth and power that lead to one side subjugating the other side.

Puzzle Pieces are falling into place

”Goodnight Hon, love you !”

I replied “Night, love you too and thank you for the pot of soup”

We had been camping and when we got home my Mom had made a big pot of chicken soup. Only my youngest had school the next day, also had PTA open house before school started that I had to be at. It wasnt unusual that my mom didnt come out of her room in the morning while kids were getting ready for school, I know she had been up late and her TV was on. I was super busy that morning my oldest son came with me to help set up. My 14 year old daughter stayed home to sleep in.

About 2 minutes after kids went to class and I started cleaning up the food at PTA event, the office lady called the library over the intercom and said there was a call on line 2 which was odd because I had my cell phone. But it was my sister who had stopped by to check on our mom after she dropped off her son at school. Mom had had heart failure do to her illness. The emts said she had died maybe 2–3 hours sgo which was when we were all up and getting ready to leave. It was 4–6 hours later that the Neptune society arrived to pick her up. I dont remember much but I do remember thinking She died hearing the normal family life happening right outside her bedroom door and although she was alone she really wasn’t. I pray that it was comforting even just a little bit.

My Mom had been sick a long time and we were all aware this would happen eventually.

It’s been almost 16 years (July 7 2008) Man do I miss her something fierce still.

It’s fine.

It simply shows that they are unable to compete in any meaningful way.

They’re also rather poor at history.

When CRUSHING tarrifs were placed on Chinese steel, Solar panels, tyres, chips, wind turbines.

Within 10 years? China became absolutely dominant in those industries and western companies get hollowed out.

Westoids will cope with the poor quality / bad safety bullshit like they usually do until you point out NCAP ratings.

What I think will happen is this:

People in Europe will keep their ICE cars longer. As inflation ravages Europe more they’ll fill their cars up with petrol or diesel and the numbers on the pump will just get bigger and bigger. They’ll look for alternatives and see the high price tags…

Via culture videos and stuff they’ll see far more affordable Chinese EVs and think why can’t we have this? People in the USSR saw the apparently better things in western nations and thought why can’t we have this?

Quick French Bread

Quick French Bread
Quick French Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 envelope yeast
  • 2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 5 or 6 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Add yeast to water, then add salt and sugar. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
  2. Beat the flour into the yeast water, a cup at a time, using a wooden spoon to stir. Add as much flour as you need to make a smooth dough. Knead until smooth. Brush top and sides with oil and cover the dough with a towel. Let stand in a warm place to rise until double in bulk.
  3. Turn the dough onto a floured bread board and shape into long French loaves.
  4. Place the loaves on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and let stand to rise for 5 minutes.
  5. Slash the tops of the loaves in several places, brush them with water and place in a cold oven.
  6. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  7. Place a pan of boiling water in the oven with the loaves and bake them for 45 minutes, or until crusty done.

Quick French Bread 2
Quick French Bread 2

I did it once at university. I had a student who really struggled with my class. I learned later that she was struggling in all phases of her life. But she worked hard. She did all the home work. She showed me all the different ways she tried to solve the problems. It was a programming class. She tried several ways to solve the programming projects. She was in my office every chance she had. She asked questions indicating that she had really tried to understand. The lightbulb just never came on for her. She told me she was doing fine in all her other CS courses.

At the end of the semester I totaled her grade and she was about half a percent below passing. My course was required for a degree. As I thought about it, I realized that she would never need this language after she left my class. Nobody programs in assembly anymore. I thought taking it again would not benefit her in any way. I didn’t think she would ever get it. Finally, I didn’t want to work that hard again. She wore me out and I gave her a passing grade.

A couple semesters later I passed her in the hall. She was so excited to see me. “I finally understand what you were trying to teach me!” I was skeptical, but on the other hand, I had exactly the same experience in a class as an undergrad when three weeks after the final, I finally figured out what had been dealing me fits.

“Really? Why do you say that?”

“When my Advanced Computer Architecture professor says something, it reminded me of what you were saying. Because of what you said, I understand what he is saying now.”

So, she got some benefit from my class after all. I am still glad I passed her. I hope things went well for her.

Russia is Losing its Patience and it could be Devastating for NATO | Pepe Escobar

Space Workers Unite!

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. view prompt

Philippe Berard

SPACE NEWS BROADCAST CORP.8 PM GALACTIC NEWSBreaking News: Are the Koolman Industries Again in Violation of Space Workers Comp?Is this Another case of Space Labor Law blatant contravention?The anchorman goes on the air followed by hundred of millions of faithful audience members of the most popular space news agency.“:Dear Cast Readers,We know from the stories that came in large numbers, from Triton to Artemise, that recent cases of Space Labor Laws are culminating in a Space Class Action Lawsuit of extreme proportions.Let us introduce you to two cases that involved different settings and events, but are remarkably symptomatic of the present climate of scandals and corruption incidents in the Far Space Regional Authority.First Case Scenario:

Workers Conditions in Triton’s Meth-sea:

 

Two dinghies filled with survivors from a Triton ocean wreck derive for weeks over thousands of miles under a blasting binary sun. It is comforting to know that these dinghies are made of coated titanium with borodium reinforcements which are the strongest known materials.

The crew is composed of space shift members who got separated by an hydrogen potassium typhoon of epidemic proportions.

They had been fishing meth-fish on the HMS Essex-SpaceCargo in the middle of the methane ocean for now two months and their cargo was loaded with about a million tons of catch. This ocean (located on Tarantula 1) is a meth-sea of a color red like blood. Its inhabitants inherited the same color.

The number one rule for our meth-fishermen is that they never get into contact with the species found in that red ocean. These fishes are so toxic and life-repellant that just one bite could prove to be lethal, disintegrating or slowly consuming the victim’s flesh until they die in agony after having lost consciousness in horrific medical circumstances.

The million tons catch is then fed to the machines hidden deep in the belly of the Essex where they are cryogenized and processed for very-long term storage, up to a century. On the boat, not one fisherman has the faintest idea of the use the catch will fulfill, or if it will ever even be used at all. All they know is that they meth-fish them and get paid for their arduous work.

A crew usually is made up of around eighteen men who works in grueling shifts of one day and one night and get two days rest. They stay at meth-sea for six months or even a year. At the end of the campaign they have made about two-year salary being able to support a family of four until the next campaign. It is basically a space-version of the Alaskan fisheries of once.

The conditions are extremely harsh and a big difference with the salmon- fishboat is that falling at sea means unavoidable death and not just a bad adventure. Consequently no life jacket can be found as they are unnecessary. And that is a violation of Space Labor law. A few concerned Scientists have developed a suit that is halfway between the space suit and the deepest range pressurized deep underwater suit. But it can only guarantee a short period of survival until the rescue teams have arrived at the place of distress. If the survival unit doesn’t get there in time, the workers will just have a very bad day.

The crew we interviewed last week were exemplary in the matter. They ran into the largest meth-fish bank ever encountered counting five millions of tons of catch. They were all happy and started to work. But that is when the archetypal monster, a gigantic star sea monster came down on them: a gigantic alien Moby Dick type sea monster called the Suburt’na by the natives, the ones with the red color.  On Earth the most likely predator to use as a comparison would be the Carcharodon megalodon.

The giant creature destroyed their space-pressurized meth-fishing boat in twenty minutes and killed a number of men. Not one of them was covered by any life insurance policy because their employer hasn’t deemed it necessary.

Thanks to the ensign’s courageous audacity (that cost him his life), they managed to put their unsubmersible dinghies at meth-sea and escaped. They begun a long derive on the meth sea for weeks trying to reach out with distress calls which were not heard. Now the men on board are slowly going astride on the vast ocean perhaps three times larger than the earthly Pacific.

The meth sea port station where they came from looks a bit like an Antarctic station soon became convinced the Essex was lost at meth sea. That is the jargon used in this case. All search for the lost Cargo has been stopped.

But the Essex had not gone down yet. Aboard, the meth fishermen knew that their supplies were going low and if they were not found shortly they would surely perish by starvation. And to compound their problems the charcarodon megalodon was still out there – prowling the seemingly infinite red ocean. The creature was first thought to be a sort of primitive local version of a whale but soon turns out to be much, much worse than that…

 

 

Have you ever imagined what a meth sea in fury could look like? The meth waves are as tall as a 5 story building. Then a small speck can be seen on top of the waves. The speck is really the head of a Unit-1 robotic assembler unit, barely emerging from the meth sea in fury. It fell a few weeks earlier from the orbital station and by gravity slowly reentered the Kuranian atmosphere just to fall into the meth sea in the middle of a storm of the century. The Koolman worker stranded in the Unit-1 robotic assembler unit can survive for a week or two, depending on the type of lease he’s been subscribed into. The lease has the inconvenient drawback that the supplies are limited by the lease agreement. Basically, if you got credit for a week, your supplies, including your oxygen tank, will be limited to a week. When the week is over, you better have applied and gotten more credit line or you are out of luck.

 

 

Second Case Scenario:

Koolman’s Disregard for Workers Comp at their Industrial Space Facilities:

Dear Readers:

The Second Case we offer to your judgment is as disconcerting as the first one. It took place on the interplanetary facilities administered by Koolman during the week of May 1st to 8th.

You will be able to judge for yourself the gravity of the facts and vote at the end of this cast, in your conscience, your verdict.

 

The location is the Koolman’s Space Industries Facilities. Our unvoluntary hero is an hourly space worker. An hourly space worker in a working space suit is a worker not a hero and shouldn’t be asked to be one. John looks like a standard industrial worker, except he lives 305 years from now. His daily schedule consists of repairs, adjustments and other not so heroic jobs. He works on space stations compartments, maintenance rooms, and anything he has been assigned to, when getting his weekly schedule at the space station administration center. On a weekly basis, he could earn around 100000 new coins a month which is enough to support a family of four or six. Generally he does not want this job but has to take it to make a living. So, John once earned a PhD in magnetohydrodynamic science and hoped to get a job at the Trans-Jupiterian Consort. But that did not happen and when it was time to make a tough decision, he accepted this lower occupation for the time being. John traveled one week to the industrial complex and begun fixing space modules right away. Koolman rents the space suit to its workers. They take a large deposit and send you good to go into the neighborhoods of the largest spacepods. John’s weekly schedule begins on Sunday and is somehow repetitive but he has not lost interest when he floats in space, with the red planet in the horizon.

The inevitable happened on his fourth day of work as he was fixing a ramp located on the side of a huge depressurizer, he was hit with great force by an unknown object. Thrown at great speed into space, John was saved by an emergency landing pod in outer space that stopped his vertiginous flight. He was marooned not too far from the main planet. Workers in this area may sometimes have to spend a day in a space suit of that type in which they have most of the survival tools needed as well as food and drinks. So when John fell to what could have been his death on the surface of the emergency pod he hoped he would be found quickly and brought back to the planet orbital landing.

He also had his credit cards to buy the supplements he needed off the outlets on the emergency pod.

But after a couple of days spent on the platform John began to fear the worst as he was uncomfortably stuck in vertical position inside his space suit. All the coms had been cut off in the fly and had not been reestablished.

 

On his fifth day on the emergency pod, John sees another space suit hurled into space. and comes landing onto his already crowded emergency pod. Now John must share his already claustrophobic situation with another worker, who, like him, fell into space. John tries without success to establish a com with his unwanted neighbor. Ironically they can see each other through their visors. John knows some sign language. They can soon share the news and hope that a rescue party will come for them.

They will wait eight days, eight long days which will have now passed without any help on the horizon. John used up the last of his credits to buy the last supply of drinks and foods accessible at the outlets. He expects the card to be declined very soon. What will they do when this happens?

Fortunately a search party spotted the emergency pod on the tenth day of John’s odyssey.

 

Dear Cast Readers:

We just showed how, once again, Koolman Industries has proven to disregard the most elementary working rules and safety procedures in space and in Triton’s Meth sea. We ask you, at the end of this cast, to vote your mind about Koolman Industries. Please, be partial and vote to prevent Koolman to operate in such unfair conditions that place the lives of their workers in danger. Stop Koolman Industries before someone dies in their facilities! “

Thanks For Watching! Good Evening.

(Music. Holo Cameras span the Theater)

In San Francisco. I was helping a good friend, and myself, by being an extra housekeeper at a hotel that is very close to the airport. A huge conference was hosted there for four days. The place was booked. It was a neverending cycle of cleaning the rooms and changing linens. One time I was cleaning up an especially gross room. Luckily for me, it was the last one on my list. It took about half an hour to clean the bathroom. It seemed like a person bypassed the toilet and chose to vomit in the tub. I got it cleaned up and disinfected. The bed wasn’t too bad. I just had to strip it and put fresh linen on. I found a hundred dollar bill on the nightstand along with an apology for the mess. I emptied the trash cans and started vacuuming. As I was checking things over to be sure I didn’t miss anything, I found a manila envelope wedged between the bed and nightstand. There wasn’t anything written on the outside. Inside, I found five small plastic bags. Inside of each one was what looked like Susan B Anthony coins. I stuck them in my apron and finished up. On my way out I went to the security desk and turned it in. A couple of days later, I returned to payroll for my check. Before I left I was told the supervisor wanted to speak to me. It turned out that the coins I had were collectors. Each coin had a fault on it. Things like the figure facing the wrong way or the date was off. What I thought were just ordinary coins were actually worth thousands of dollars. I asked why they were in an envelope and not in a safe or lock box. The owner thought he would be able to keep them safe on his own. So, my honesty netted me an envelope with a thank you note. It also included fifteen hundred dollars.

Kallas replaces Josep. US contractors in Ukraine. Austin calls Belousov. Macron wants to call Putin

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BREAKING! BRICS in America’s Backyard: Venezuela Officially Announces To Join BRICS!

“Do you remember me?”

And the old man says no. Then the young man tells him he was his student, And the teacher asks:

“What do you do, what do you do in life?”

The young man answers:

“Well, I became a teacher.”

“ah, how good, like me?” Asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, curious, asks the young man at what time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his pocket.

Shortly after, my friend noticed the his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student’s watch was stolen during classes today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn’t give it back because I didn’t want to.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone’s pockets, and when you were done you said ‘open your eyes. We have the watch.’

You didn’t tell on me and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch either. That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But this is also the day I decided not to become a thief, a bad person, etc. You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, professor?

The old professor answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn’t remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

This is the essence of teaching:

If to correct you must humiliate; you don’t know how to teach.”

BREAKING: Military Coup in Bolivia

As soon as Bolivia tries to join BRICS+, the United States starts a coup.

What A View

Submitted into Contest #8 in response to: Write a story about an adventure in space. view prompt

Josh Hagen

Commander Lance Gilmore and Lieutenant Drew Adams touched down near the Sea of Serenity. Boosters kicked up clouds of lunar dust as they signaled Huston. It had been a very long trip and the astronauts were eager to set foot on Earth’s closest neighbor.

Commander Gilmore signaled Earth, “Huston, this is Lunar Five. We have touch down.”

“Copy Lunar Five. That’s great news. You’re clear to have a look around.” Houston signaled back.

After a decade of budget finagling and technical leaps, man was once again traveling to the moon. The plan was to use a series of new missions to the moon to prepare astronauts for the

first manned mission to Mars. It was a solid long term strategy put in place as governments finally came together to begin more far-reaching manned exploration.

“It’s still hard to believe we’re really here.” Lieutenant Adams said while he wrapped up the landing routine.

Commander Gilmore was fidgeting in the new generation space suit eager to explore the grey landscape. “It is something. And in a minute, we’ll set foot where only a few have before.

Having finished their last safety checks, the pair were pressurizing the air lock.

The sun glared down upon the barren landscape as the exterior hatch of Lunar Five cycled open. Commander Gilmore stepped down onto the fine moon dust with Lieutenant Adams right behind.

“How’re you two doing down there?” Lieutenant Melissa Sloan called down from the orbiting shuttle.

“Everything’s peachy down here. How are things up there? Any traffic?” Commander Gilmore asked with a grin while he looked around.

“Smooth sailing up here. You boys are having all the fun. I feel like the designated driver.”

“So you’re saying you miss us?” Lieutenant Adams asked playfully.

“Don’t get your hopes up Adams.” They all laughed. Everything was going as predicted. Their experience on these new lunar missions would be used to finalize an international mission to the red planet.

That’s when the shockwave hit. All at once Gilmore and Adams were slammed to the ground by some force from above. Without missing a beat Commander Gilmore called to Sloan, “Gilmore to Sloan, report!”

Static. Then a muffled voice, “…to Gilmore…unknown impact…boosters to compensate…”

More static. And silence. Getting back to their feet, Adams and Gilmore looked at each other then up to wherever Lieutenant Sloan was.

“Sloan, come in. Are you all right? Status.”

After too many seconds to count, Sloan replied. “I’m alright sir. Something hit me like a ton of bricks. Took me a while to compensate. I’m glad these suits come with their own diapers.”

Commander Gilmore smiled, “Agreed. Run a diagnostic and see if you can get some info from Houston.” Gilmore paused as Adams started to tap him on the shoulder lightly, then much harder.

“Adams, what is it?” Gilmore could see Adams pointing up.

Before he could look up he heard Sloan screaming over the com, “Noooo!”

“Sloan! What is it? Are you alright?”

Adams forcefully turned his commander around and pointed up. Commander Lance Gilmore looked up to see the Earth shattered into pieces. At first it didn’t register. Sloan’s panicked cries faded away as the realization of what he was seeing started to sink in. He dropped to his knees dumbfounded. Adams still staring up at the nightmarish sight. Sloan continued to scream.

“God.” was all he could utter.

Then he started to hear a countdown. Adams pulled him to his feet.

Sloan was still screaming, but it was instructions. “Debris inbound! Estimate impact in thirty seconds! You’re best bet is north! I’ll keep you updated as long as I can!”

“Sloan?” Commander Gilmore started but Adams pulled him into a leaping jog. The best any astronaut could do on the moon.

“Ten seconds until impact. Commander Gilmore, Lieutenant Adams, it was an honor.” Then she chuckled to herself. “I really wanted to walk on the m…” Her sentence was cut off.

Both Gilmore and Adams knew what that meant and they didn’t stop running. Around them little puffs of dust started to pop up from the surface. The impacts gave no noise, their own panicked breaths was all that filled their ears.

To their left was an explosion of dust as something big hit. Was it the shuttle? A satellite? A chunk of earth? More and more impacts came down all around. Some too close for comfort. They ran hard until one impact landed right behind them throwing them forward and away from one another. Commander Gilmore’s vision went hazy as he nearly lost consciousness.

He raised himself to all fours. The lunar dust that had nearly buried him pouring off his suit like filthy bathwater. Slowly he got to his feet.

“Adams? You there?” He looked around. “Lieutenant?”

“Sir?” Not far away he could see Adams gingerly rising up from a nearby impact crater. His suit completely grey from dust.

Commander Gilmore made his way over to the lieutenant and helped him back to his feet. They looked each other over and paused.

“Sir…Earth?” The two astronauts looked up to see the shattered pieces of their home drifting slowly apart.

“What the hell happened?” Commander Gilmore asked to the sky above them. As if in response, from the blackness a ship appeared. Then another. Then many, many more. Each ship was enormous. They were the size of countries – what used to be countries. Multiple ships flew about in practiced unison hauling away pieces of the astronaut’s former planet to who knows where. In no time at all there was nothing left. That’s when things started to get weirder.

Both men stared up in silent disbelief as more ships showed up. These flew much closer to the moon and were hauling large glistening components. The spaceships danced together connecting this long antenna-like object to this blinking cube. They strung together countless miles of thick cable from one gigantic piece to another, then encasing the inner workings in even more components. On and on it went as the object started to come together. It took on a cylinder shape with a large flat screen down its center. In literally minutes the multitude of ships had assembled what could only be an enormous space station. And then, the enormous screen turned on. The astronauts were greeted with images of aliens. And the aliens were, playing games? And what seemed to be, betting?

“Is that…” Adams started.

Gilmore finished lieutenant’s thought, “a fucking casino?”

Bright pops of energy suddenly appeared overhead as ships of all sizes, shapes and alien configurations began to dock with the station. The two men took a few steps back as several other ships broke off from the group and started to approach the moon’s surface.

“Commander?”

“I see them.” Commander Gilmore tensed as he saw the approaching ships, but also as he viewed his O2 display. It was redlining. There wasn’t much he could do if these ships decided to attack. They couldn’t fight. And they couldn’t run.

As the ships came closer, they spread out and flew over the surface. Actually, it was hard to call them ships. They were very blocky, almost like trailer homes or rv’s. They hissed gasses and blasted their landing jets. One set down just twenty feet away. Parts of it unfurled and

slammed into the ground just in front of them. The structure continued to shift and assemble itself revealing a strange opening bordered with blinking lights. The entrance was glassy; not an airlock that either men were familiar with. The opening more resembled looking through a thin wall of liquid. Above the place, holographic alien lettering popped up.

The two of them looked at one another.

“I’m almost out of air sir.” Said Adams.

“Me too.” Commander Gilmore agreed.

They looked back at the building and moved forward. As they reached the entrance, Gilmore extended his arm and touched it. His hand went right through. He didn’t feel anything and when he pulled his hand back the entrance quivered like a soap bubble.

The two astronauts walked cautiously through the barrier and looked around. A chime could be heard as they emerged inside. The floor was patterned in black and white checkerboard. Booths lined the walls, though some seats were very strange. The place had a very alien, yet familiar feel to it.

From the back of the place wobbled over a somewhat humanoid alien. The best way to describe it would be to ask someone to imagine if a walrus and a chihuahua had a baby. This lumbering creature clad in colorful metallic overalls eyed them with its oversized twitchy pupils. It paused and placed the orange boxes it was carrying on the floor. The creature walked slowly over to them. It placed its meaty fists on its sides and bubbled out something which the two astronauts assumed was its way of asking what the hell they were doing there.

Commander Gilmore held up his hand in greeting. But before he attempted to speak Adams started to wheeze.

“Commander…” Adams began before he fell to one knee.

“Adams!” Gilmore could also see the warning lights flashing on his heads up display.

Gilmore looked up to the creature not knowing if it would understand anything. Would they die there? The creature seemed to, roll its eyes? It moved back to where it came from. Gilmore held Adam’s hand as he felt himself getting lightheaded as well. Then something grabbed his helmet and yanked it off. Strange smells engulfed his nose and his lungs started to burn. This was definitely not air he could breathe. The creature hit the release on Adams helmet and yanked that off as well. Adams gagged and wheezed. There was something slapped onto the

back of both of their heads. Hoses zipped around, up their noses and over their mouths. They were soon breathing easily again.

The creature held out six small metal spheres. It pointed to their ears and their mouths. They took the twitchy metal marbles and gave the creature a puzzled look. It grunted almost irritatedly and pointed to the balls, then to the men’s ears and mouths. They slowly put the tiny metal things against their ears. The spheres grew legs and ran up their ear canals. The sensation was shocking and quickly their ears were ringing sharply causing them pain.

The creature burbled again, but now they could understand it. “Can you little pink idiots understand me yet?”

The two humans nodded weakly.

“Good. Now swallow the other two so I don’t have to put up with your weird squeaking.” It said crossing its flipper arms.

Gilmore and Adams did what the creature demanded and again there was a lot of pain.

“That hurts!” Adams blurted out.

“Of course it does. Translation bots have to burrow into your flesh to work correctly.” The creature said matter of factly. “Now, what are you two doing here? My place doesn’t open for another day.”

Commander Gilmore couldn’t take any more. “What the hell do you mean?” He bellowed advancing on the much larger being. “You blew up our planet! You killed everyone we know! The two of us are the last human beings in existence.” He was pointing accusingly between this creatures bulbous eyes.

“Easy there little guy. I didn’t kill anybody. If you’re talking about the little blue planet that was broken up. It was purchased by the Orion Gambling Federation giving them rights to set up an operation in this sector.” The creature’s flipper arms were flapping away as it explained.

“What the hell are you talking about? How could they buy our planet? There were over seven billion people living there!” Gilmore’s finger was now shaking.

“Happens all the time. Listen, you’re from a younger planet with a very young race so I can understand how all of this is shocking. You just lost everyone you knew. Your home is gone. I get that.”

The two astronauts stood dumbstruck. Earth was bought, destroyed and replaced with a casino.

“Gone.” Adams whispered.

Gilmore put his hand on the lieutenant’s shoulder. Adams swept it away.

“We’re nothing to them. To that!” Adams pointed at the large alien in front of them.

“Hey.” said the offended creature.

“Easy now lieutenant.” said Gilmore trying to calm his friend.

Adams stood still and looked off into the distance.

“What does it matter?”

Gilmore tried to grab his friend before he ran through the barrier to the cold vacuum outside, but could not. The commander fumbled for his helmet and jammed it on his suit, clicking it into place. He grabbed the other helmet and ran out the barrier. Gilmore reached the

lieutenant and was about to place the helmet on his friend, but stopped. Adams was kneeling in the grey dust looking skyward with lifeless icy eyes.

Gilmore slumped to the ground, his helmet’s O2 sensor blaring. Maybe Adams was right. What does it matter. The moon became blurry then black.

Commander Gilmore was awakened by enjoyable singing, and, an electrical shock.

“Aaah!” he yelped.

“Quiet down.” said the irritated alien as it poked at him.

“You’ll be fine so long as you don’t go back out there without your suit refilled. The device I gave you only alters available air into what you need. Doesn’t work in a vacuum.”

Gilmore sat up, “Good to know.” Then he remembered.

“Adams!”

“Yeah. Your friend didn’t fair so well. Too much damage.”

Commander Gilmore put his head in his hands.

“Hey, don’t worry buddy. You can get him fixed up after you earn enough.” the large creature smiled. At least Gilmore thought it was a smile.

“Fix him? But he’s dead? He…” Gilmore stopped in mid sentence when he saw his friend’s head floating in front of him. Wires and tubes were connecting Adam’s head to a device that appeared to be a floating speaker. The lieutenant’s head was singing a song Gilmore had never heard before.

The Commander jumped to his feet in both horror and disgust.

“What did you do to him?” Gilmore shouted.

The bulbous creature put up its hands, “Calm down. Your friend’ll be fine once you earn enough to fix the damage.” The being glanced at the head and shrugged.

“As for separating his head, I thought it would help.”

Gilmore, enraged, shoved the big alien. Its blubbery belly shook.

“How the hell is that supposed to help?”

The being looked confused and then said, “Oooh. I see. Yeah, I suppose that seeing your buddy’s head cut off would look odd to you.”

Commander Gilmore was about to blurt out something when the alien cut him off.

“Your friend’s in stasis. His body’s in a pod out back.”

Gilmore still had a shocked look on his face so the alien continued.

“Listen pal, to fix up your ‘Adams’ after going out into a vacuum is expensive. Believe it or not, removing his head isn’t a big deal. Orion medicine is way out there. They can fix pretty much anything.”

“But why is his head on that floating…thing?”

“Well,” it began, “While the two of you were out I got to thinking. I said to myself, ‘Hey Yorble’, that’s my name by the way thanks for asking. I said, ‘Hey Yorble.’ You need some help in your new place don’t you? Why not use these two?’”

Gilmore blinked a few times trying to process all this.

Yorble continued, “I figured you could take customer orders and bus the tables. Though your friend’s options were more, well, limited.”

Gilmore looked over at his friend’s floating, and singing, head while Yorble continued.

“I thought, what can I do to bring in customers at my new location?” The alien paused for dramatic effect.

“Entertainment! Your buddy would make for a great jukebox.”

Commander Gilmore felt his legs get shaky so he sat at a booth.

#

Six months later, Commander Gilmore was bussing a table where a couple of Flamorians had just sat. He would need the hard scrubber to remove the slime. If he didn’t, it would start growing.

“Order up!” yelled Yorble.

Gilmore walked around a spherical Robotobo and picked up the order of fried tuskart with a side of baked vinatoes. He figured the furry little Boofax at table three ordered it.

After dropping off the order, Commander Gilmore looked over at the crowd gathered at the front of the cafe. The various aliens cheering as decapitated Adams sang a song that sounded a lot like Blue Suade Shoes. Adams was a hit and Yorble made sure Gilmore received all the tips left for the floating head. The funds were really mounting up. When he first started, Gilmore thought it would take ten years to save up the astronomical sum required to bring Adams back from near-death. But with Adam’s popularity, it may only take two.

With all the extra funds, Gilmore had been able to treat himself. The orbiting casino turned out to be not that bad after all. It was a great stress reliever. When he first started going, he would spend a night there once a week, tops. Nowadays though

it’s become two or three a week. The Commander really enjoyed the gambling.

Feeling the weight of the tip money filling his pocket, Gilmore glanced over at his friend floating amongst the aliens. Adams seemed to look back at him.

“Maybe we could wait a little longer before we get you fixed up Adams. After all, you’re not going anywhere.”

Sergey Lavrov’s BRICS Announcement: No New Members for Now

Every time a new member nation tries to join BRICS+, the United States attacks it. Color revolutions, coups, sanctions, outright and direct wars are the norm.

Now the existing BRICS+ members are setting up defense “antibodies” to counter United States efforts before future announcements. Oh, it seems like a slowing down, but it is a pause and an adoption of strong strengthening measures.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

The dough for this one is an adaptation from an Oregano Bread recipe that I found in The Bread Machine Cookbook #1. I’ve made a lot of these over the years for family get-togethers, potluck and holidays. It’s always one of the first things to disappear from the table, and so my boys usually beg me to make a second loaf to leave at home for them to devour unchallenged.

pepperoni pizza bread 03
pepperoni pizza bread 03

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Romano or blended cheese
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Filling

  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups (approximate) mozzarella cheese
  • 12 to 16 ounces sliced pepperoni
  • Dried oregano, basil, onion and garlic powder

Also Helpful To Have Handy

  • A small bowl of lukewarm water
  • One or two large thin-bladed spatulas
  • A large wire rack for cooling
  • Clean cookie sheet, cutting board or cardboard flat if transporting

Instructions

  1. Please follow the instructions in the booklet for your bread machine for best results. The order in which to add ingredients may vary per manufacturer.
  2. Grease or spray a heavy cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and dust with cornmeal. When dough is done remove from breadmaker and roll out on a well-floured surface into a long rectangle a little shorter than your baking sheet. Spread with tomato paste just to within 1 inch of the edge all around. Sprinkle tomato paste with herbs and spices and then mozzarella cheese. Lay slightly overlapping slices of pepperoni over all. Roll up carefully from the long sides as you would a jellyroll. Wet the seam and ends and gently press and smear them together.
  3. Lift carefully supporting the middle and place seam side down on prepared sheet. Let rise about 15-25 minutes while preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until top is well-browned and bread looks done.
  5. Don’t be alarmed if it springs a leak and oozes – it’ll still taste great. It will stick in that spot but the spatula(s) will help get it off the sheet. Cool on the sheet until you can handle it and then carefully loosen it from the pan and slide it onto a wire rack to cool enough to wrap. It can be wrapped warm in aluminum foil, and I usually do it that way so that it s still a little warm when I get to my destination. A cookie sheet or cardboard flat underneath makes it much easier to transport without bending and cracking it – it tends to be soft when warm.
  6. Cut into 1 1/2-inch slices and watch it disappear!
  7. Store leftovers in the fridge – if you ever have any. I never do!

Notes

Reviewed by mes16121 Tuesday Dec 6th, 2005 08:03 pm.

I made this tonight I have to tell you that this is SO YUMMY! I added some extra toppings…peppers, onions and chopped mushrooms. The bread baked so pretty…did not crack at all! The bread itself was so soft! It was gone in no time! My family wants me to make this at least once a week. Thanks for posting this wonderful recipe!

If you bake bread, you should have this commercial dough conditioner.

Attribution

Posted by cuteascountry_Shortcake at The Cutting Board (Recipe Goldmine) Thursday Oct 20th, 2005 10:35 pm.

This delicious and cheesy pepperoni pizza bread is a delicious twist to the classic pizza recipe. Made with hoagie rolls and fresh mozzarella cheese, these individual pizza breads are sure to please all the pizza lover’s out there.

pepperoni pizza bread 03
pepperoni pizza bread 03

Pizza bread is one of the most popular snacks out there. There’s a good reason for its popularity. It’s amazingly delicious! As always, I love putting a spin on a classic. You’ve probably had pizza bread made with something like Italian or French bread, but have you ever had it made with hoagie rolls? If you haven’t, then get ready for a great new way to enjoy a classic!

I used to make this delicious pizza bread variation all the time when my kids were in school. It was just one of the many recipes that my children and their friends would descend upon like locusts after school. The thing is that it’s so good, I still make it just as often as I ever did!

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

I begin this recipe by roasting my own garlic. It’s easy to do and adds so much flavor. I use it to make roasted garlic butter that I slather all over the rolls before baking them to golden, crispy perfection. This adds depth of flavor AND keeps the pizza bread from getting soggy. After that, I top the rolls with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, and two kinds of pepperoni for the ultimate pepperoni pizza flavor. Then, I just bake it until melty and scarf it down! Oh, it’s so good.

pepperoni pizza bread 06
pepperoni pizza bread 06

Why You’ll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Bread Recipe

  • It has fresh mozzarella, mini pepperonis, pepperoni chunks, and seasoned garlic butter on hoagie rolls.
  • It’s a hearty, delicious, easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love and enjoy.
  • Add all your favorite pizza toppings.

Pepperoni Pizza Bread Ingredients

This delicious pepperoni pizza bread only uses a few simple ingredients.

  • Submarine rolls or hoagie rolls
  • Head of garlic, roasted
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Butter
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Pizza sauce
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Mini pepperonis
  • Boar’s Head pepperoni

pepperoni pizza bread 07
pepperoni pizza bread 07

How to make Pepperoni Pizza Bread

The recipe might sound complicated, but it really only has a couple of moving parts. In reality, it only takes a few simple steps to make.

Step 1: Roast the Garlic

Cut off the top ¼ of a garlic bulb and place it on a 5×5 piece of foil. Then, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt, and fold the foil up tightly around the bulb. Air fry at 390 for 20 minutes or bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 2: Make the Garlic Butter

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, remove it from the foil and squeeze the garlic out of the bulbs into a small bowl. Add the softened butter, oregano, and basil and mix until combined.

Step 3: Toast the Rolls

Spread the garlic butter over the inside of the rolls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 4: Add Toppings

Remove the bread halves and spread top them both with pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, and both types of pepperoni.

Step 5: Bake

Bake again at 400 degrees for 12 to 16 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

pepperoni pizza bread 08
pepperoni pizza bread 08

Recipe Tips

  • Be careful not to cut too much of the garlic bulb off. You only need to cut far enough down to allow you to easily press the roasted garlic out after it’s finished cooking.
  • Fully soften the butter so all the garlic and herbs can be easily combined.
  • Be sure you cut your pepperoni into small chunks so they get hot on the inside and crispy on the outside.
  • If you decide to use another meat like Italian sausage, fully cook the meat first so it’s fully cooked and wont’ make a greasy mess of your pizza bread.

Variations

  • Use can use any of your favorite cheese varieties for this recipe.
  • Top your pizza bread with other favorites like sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, bacon, and olives.
  • Add a kick of heat with some red pepper flakes in the garlic butter.

What to Serve with Pepperoni Pizza Bread

You can make a full meal of this pizza bread, or you can serve it as part of a larger Italian-themed dinner. Try pairing it with garlic bread, cheesy bread, mozzarella sticks, cheesy bread, pasta, and the like.

pepperoni pizza bread 10
pepperoni pizza bread 10

Recipe FAQ

What is the best substitute for pizza dough?

You can use pita bread, naan, crescent dough, Italian bread, French bread, hoagie rolls, or even English muffins in place of pizza dough.

What type of bread is pizza bread?

There is no real single kind of bread used for pizza bread. Italian and French bread are used primarily, but sub rolls, hoagie rolls, and other types of bread like English muffins are also used for pizza bread.

Can pepperoni pizza bread be made in advance?

I don’t recommend making this pizza bread in advance. Although it can be reheated relatively well, it’s never as crunchy, melty, and delicious as it is when it’s straight out of the oven.

What’s the difference between pizza crust and bread dough?

While both pizza dough and bread dough are made with salt, water, oil, and flour, the ratios are quite different to achieve their different goals. Bread dough is designed to rise high and has more water content than pizza dough which is intended to rise but not nearly to the level of bread dough.

Can you freeze leftover pepperoni pizza bread?

Pizza bread freezes well and will last for up to 3 months when stored correctly.

pepperoni pizza bread 02
pepperoni pizza bread 02

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pepperoni Pizza Bread

Refrigerate this pizza bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, place the pizza bread on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted again.

Try This Delicious Pepperoni Pizza Bread Recipe Today

This pepperoni pizza bread is as easy to make as it is delicious. Even roasting the garlic is a snap! With so much buttery, garlicky, pizza-licious flavor, this is one of the best pizza bead recipes you’ll ever make. Try it just once, and you’ll be hooked. It’s perfect for almost any occasion so give it a go!

pepperoni pizza bread 01
pepperoni pizza bread 01

Vet Hugs Dying 15-year-old Cat. A Minute Later, Something Totally Unexpected Happens!

”Goodnight Hon, love you !”

I replied “Night, love you too and thank you for the pot of soup”

We had been camping and when we got home my Mom had made a big pot of chicken soup. Only my youngest had school the next day, also had PTA open house before school started that I had to be at. It wasnt unusual that my mom didnt come out of her room in the morning while kids were getting ready for school, I know she had been up late and her TV was on. I was super busy that morning my oldest son came with me to help set up. My 14 year old daughter stayed home to sleep in.

About 2 minutes after kids went to class and I started cleaning up the food at PTA event, the office lady called the library over the intercom and said there was a call on line 2 which was odd because I had my cell phone. But it was my sister who had stopped by to check on our mom after she dropped off her son at school. Mom had had heart failure do to her illness. The emts said she had died maybe 2–3 hours sgo which was when we were all up and getting ready to leave. It was 4–6 hours later that the Neptune society arrived to pick her up. I dont remember much but I do remember thinking She died hearing the normal family life happening right outside her bedroom door and although she was alone she really wasn’t. I pray that it was comforting even just a little bit.

My Mom had been sick a long time and we were all aware this would happen eventually.

It’s been almost 16 years (July 7 2008) Man do I miss her something fierce still.

Ukraine SitRep: State And Military Continue to Deteriorate

The Ukrainian state and its military are falling apart.

Under the new mobilization law the Ukrainian military is said to recruit/mobilize some 5,000 men per day. This is sufficient to replace current losses which are above 2,000 men per day. But the quality and level of training the new forces have is way below the level needed to survive on the frontline.

Losses are high because the mass use of Russian FAB glide-bombs is eliminating all identified agglomeration of forces. Ukraine has found no way to counter these.

For lack of armored vehicles several of the new brigades which were supposed to be mechanized will be pure infantry forces. They will be able to hold positions until they are bombed but will not have the means to attack.

The high rate of mobilization has led to a lack of men power in the rest of the society. Agricultural and industrial productions are down. People who can afford to do so avoid taking jobs for fear of being identified for military service. Others attempt to flee abroad (machine translation):

In the Odessa region, an attempt to illegally travel abroad was stopped by 100 men at once. They had to cross the border on foot and paid from 5 to 18,5 thousand dollars for this.This is reported by the State Bureau of Investigation.

In revenge for Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure the Russian forces continue to dismantle Ukraine’s capacities. The electricity network is on the verge of falling apart. Electricity is only available for 10 hours per day. A few Russian hits on those switching stations which receive supply from Europe could finish it off.

The Ukrainian state is bankrupt:

Figures vary, and the Ukrainian government is increasingly coy about releasing economic data sets, but the Ukraine’s economy is currently around $180-190bn in size. To put that into context, that is around 11 times smaller than Russia’s economy and 131 times smaller than the US economy.

According to politico, Ukraine borrowed $58bn in 2022, $46bn in 2023 and is set to borrow $52bn in 2024. So, in just three years, Ukraine will have borrowed 82% of GDP.Ukraine needs to borrow this much because its government spends almost twice as much each year as it receives in income from taxation and other sources.

The Central Bank of Ukraine is trying to help by devaluating its currency. Over the last six month it lost about 10% of its value. The further ‘printing’ of money, which will heat up inflation, is expected.

Private lenders continue to ask for repayments of loans:

Ukraine has suffered a setback in its quest to complete the outline of a debt restructuring before the end-of-August expiry of a two-year payment freeze agreed by private holders of near $20 billion in outstanding international bonds.The government announced on Monday it had not reached agreement with a group of bondholders, raising the specter that the war-torn country might slip into default.

The blame game for the worsening of Ukraine’s military positions is costing the jobs of more commanders (machine translation):

Against the background of the continuing difficult situation for Ukraine at the front, public criticism of the AFU command is growing.MP Mariana Bezuglaya again spoke out against Commander-in-Chief Syrsky. She said that after receiving his position, he could not “go beyond” outdated management methods and became “even more authoritarian”.

“In this stressful situation, against the background of this huge responsibility, he has become even more authoritarian, increasingly tightening the screws and returning to the so – called classic techniques of the Soviet army,” Bezuglaya said in an interview with journalist Natalia Moseychuk.

She bases her opinion on messages that come to her from the military.

Recall that the People’s Deputy began to actively “wet” the commander-in-chief, as she had previously done with Zaluzhny, who was later dismissed.

However, in addition to Syrsky, she criticizes much harsher Yuriy Sodol is the commander of the Joint Forces and the Khortytsia group, which operates in the Pokrovsky direction (where the AFU has been losing ground most actively in recent months).

A number of activists like Serhiy Sternenko are also in solidarity with Bezugla in their antipathy to the general.

And yesterday the campaign against Sodol was joined by the chief of staff of” Azov ” Bogdan Krotevich. He said that he had filed an application with the State Bureau of Investigation against the Ukrainian general for committing “war crimes”.

Yesterday evening Sodol was replaced by a former leader of the 36th Marine Brigade who’s track record is in no way better that Sodol’s.

Syrski will be the next to fall.

The Russian forces now have the men and equipment to largely overrun the Ukrainian lines. But doing so would cost a significant amount of casualties. They are therefore just waiting for the Ukrainian army to exhaust itself and to fall by its own means. Only after a large scale breakdown of Ukrainian defenses will the order be given to proceed.

 

 

Posted by b at 11:26 UTC | Comments (265)

The stuff of nightmares

  1. No random purchases of furniture. I don’t care how cheap that rocking chair in Denmark is. It is not going all the way to Spain and back to northern Sweden with me, taking up 80% of the car’s interior space.
  2. Litter goes into the cardboard box wedged between the front seats, not into the glove box, the ash trays, the door pouches, or (egad!) out the window.
  3. The person who makes me play the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack on the car stereo will be abandoned at the most sinister, Czech truck stop I can find.
  4. No feet on the dashboard. If that airbag deploys, you will look like a swatted daddy long legs.
  5. Any comments on my divine and responsible driving I do not approve of, and I have a train ticket back to Stockholm for that person. Second class.
  6. The words “are we there yet?” are forbidden. Google it. That’s what God has given us the GPS for.
  7. Toilet breaks are every two hours. For everyone. Unless you’re gonna vomit, in which case we can negotiate.
  8. Absolutely no experimenting with car trim. If I had a dollar for every time some cousin pried off a panel, thinking it’s a fridge or a secret stash, or a wormhole to Lisbon, I could buy an extra car.
  9. No smoking. Unless they are Cohibas, and I can have one.
  10. Luggage access is strictly in the evening only, once we’ve reached the hotel. Nobody needs the hair dryer, or nylons, or a pyjama, at 1:20 on a German autobahn.

The Philippines

Here’s the speech of Benjamin Magalong, current mayor of the city Baguio and former head of the Philippine National Police, done way back 2023.

Let me temporarily set aside my manuscript. Instead, let me speak from my mind and from my heart. Let me give you some facts about what is happening in the entire country today.

Last April, news came out that our national debt is already at 13.86 trillion pesos (US$230–250 billion) . Remember that when we started, when President Duterte started his administration as president of the Philippines, our national debt was at just 5.7 trillion pesos (nearly US$100 billion), accumulated for decades. In just a matter of seven years, our national debt increased by as much as 142%. We’re now at 13.86 trillion.

In short, we are already above the 60% debt to GDP ratio. That means that each and every Filipino since birth will each inherit a debt of ₱113,000.00 (nearly US$2,000.00). According to the former Secretary of NEDA Cartua, our ability to pay our debt would depend on our ability to manage our financial leakages. And so I asked, what is financial leakage? And no less than the former Secretary of NEDA said, “The final leakage that I’m saying, a big chunk of that goes to corruption.” And surprisingly, when the news came out that our national debt is already at 13.86 trillion, only very, very few members of our legislative branch, people from Congress, raised hell. Again, I repeat, only very few raised hell. It is at this backdrop, or against this backdrop, that I would like to share with you this narrative.

Last year, I was invited by the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Interior Local Government to talk before newly elected officials, twice. In one session, there are about 150 mayors. A second session, about 200 mayors. Last March, I was given a chance again to talk to about 1,100 municipal mayors, all members of the League of Municipalities. Three weeks ago, I had the chance to talk and speak before vice governors of the different provinces.

I was very concerned. The way we process, the way we manage our local government union. For the first 15 minutes, everybody was just so enthusiastic, listening to me, looking at my impressive presentation. And then I start talking about good governance. I start talking about traditional politics. I start talking about corruption. It is a direct correlation with poverty. And when I start doing that, they also start looking at their cellphones. Are we not going to ask ourselves, is corruption now becoming a norm in government? Is good governance becoming an exception?

It is very saddening that they have a percentage in every project. They have not yet become tired. They already have a percentage. They are still the contractor. They are still the supplier. Unfortunately, only a few people raise this issue. We in the Philippine National Police. I’ve been talking to your Command Executive Senior Police Officer, Louie S. Makilan, and all the other Regional Executive Senior Police Officers. When they visited me two weeks ago, that was about three weeks ago.

We are willing to give or contribute a reasonable percentage of our pension plan or of our pension to national government to address this big issue. But it’s saddening. Nothing have we heard from our legislators that they are willing to give up their pork barrels. Even just saying that we reduce the pork barrel. But nobody, for some reason, nobody would admit that they do have pork barrel. But now that I am with local government, the fact remains that there is still pork barrel.

We, in the uniformed service, both from the armed forces and from the Philippine National Police, we risk our lives. We risk equality time with our family. And we are willing to give up a small amount of our pension just to help national government. Just to address this huge deficit. Just to address this big national debt.

We will wait whatever our “patriotic” legislators will tell. We will wait for them to speak. Hopefully, one of them will come out in the open and tell us it is about time that legislators should also give a big contribution to address national government issue, especially on our financial debt.

Well, we Filipinos all live in this hellhole of a state run bey feudal oligarchs who only cared about their families and stomachs while the average citizen had to deal with a debt that they’re not even responsible for. The country will soon be blacklisted by the world for its everlasting inability to pay the debt incurred by the greatest post-Spanish caudillo in history whose son currently rules the country today with extreme incompetence, and the average Filipino completely shunned from the international community. The average Filipino might as well be picked up somewhere in a garbage pit at this point.

My father passed away when he was 60. He was riding in a car with his friend driving. They were heading home from a convention. My father dialed my mother on his cell phone, but before he could utter a word to her, he had a massive heart attack.

His friend, noticing my father’s condition, pulled the car to the side of the road and stopped. He was the only one in the car with my father. He could have dialed 911 to get help there faster, he would have known where on the interstate they were. He was trained in CPR, and could have begun life-sustaining procedures to keep blood flowing to my father’s brain and organs.

Instead, he prayed. He prayed for my father’s life, and his own conscience.

My mother recognized that my father was in distress, so she called 911 on the other line while screaming into the connection she had with my father, trying to get some aid. She told the 911 operator what interstate they were on and about where she estimated they would be on it, based on how long they had been driving.

My father’s friend kept praying. He never began CPR or called 911 to help them find my father.

An ambulance did come, and they began CPR and took my father to a hospital, but it had been too long and he did not make it.

The praying was ineffective. CPR could have helped. This man is no longer a family friend.

Praying is only helpful to the one who is praying. It is not helpful to the ‘recipient’ of the prayer. If I am ever in this situation, I would always prefer action to prayer.

Fix Bayonets – Band of Brothers

This is a widespread belief amongst them.

But Li! That’s over 100 years old! Surely they’ve moved on. Some of them have but many have not.

All that’s happened is that they’ve become better at hiding it.

Now and again however they let the mask slip and reveal their mentality that they’re superior.

I’ve already derped on Colin Riegels plenty (he’s literally an imperialist who supports American destruction and thinks mass murder of Iraqis was merely a mistake). Remember Colin is a middling person in middle england with a middle income job and is highly representative of middle england.

Today I will turn my focus on Richard Lock, he’s the bald guy. He’s written some very erudite things… but something exposed him recently (6–8 months ago) well two things but I’m only going to focus on one.

He was writing about LGBTQ rights and about such rights outside Europe.

He said and I paraphrase: If [other] nations do not take up LGTBQ rights like us then they’ll be left behind.

I was what? He’s pretty much saying what imperialists of the past have said! If these savages don’t follow the SUPREME MASTER RACE then they’ll be left behind. I don’t bash gays, I don’t particularly care, I do care that there are plenty of bigots who will use it as a shield to be racist or bigoted to others.

That’s not a million miles away from what Churchill a well known white supremacist would be saying.

A stray cat that is too weak to stand, staggers for help..

My father spent a few years in prison for federal firearms charges. He was in his mid-70’s when incarcerated.

Over those years I found that it didn’t really matter what I wrote to him — he was just so thrilled to get a letter from me, it could have been un-illustrated Dr. Seuss poems and he would have loved it.

As recommended in the excellent answer by Jim Christmas, there’s no point in self recriminations or reminding the inmate of where they are.

They have very limited lives, so living vicariously is one of the best ‘escapes’ you can offer. Long, newsy letters about the minutiae of your daily life will be gleefully read, re-read, and shared with pride.

Every time my father called me after receiving one of my letters — which were, I’m ashamed to admit, far too few and far between — he would come to tears on the phone, trying to explain how much it meant that I had taken the time to write and post a letter to him.

Your hastily-scrawled note can be the only bright spot in a day that is boring at best, violent at worst.

Don’t hesitate or try to find the perfect words; just tell your dad how you’re doing, what’s going on in your life, and that you’re thinking of him.

Eventually my father asked me to send him photos of myself and I was concerned, not knowing why he wanted them. I sent him a couple of recent, candid headshots figuring nothing too awful could come of it.

Several months later, I received the most beautiful hand-drawn portraits based on those photographs. These are some of my most prized possessions.

Nothing is free in prison. My dad says he paid $100 per drawing. It may have been significantly more or less than that, but was most likely paid in barter of some sort.

My point is…I don’t know your relationship with your father at all.

I can only encourage you to reach out to him as much as you are able. To treat him as a human being and not a caged animal.

To be wary and take care of yourself, and also to open your heart as far as you can and still be true to yourself.

All my best to you and your family.

This girl takes the cake by far.

 

Hannah Sabata, at the age of 19, robbed a local bank at gunpoint on November 27, 2012. She actually managed to get away with it, so why am I mentioning her on this answer if she was successful in her crime?

Well, after she robbed the bank, Sabata decided that it was a good idea to post a video on YouTube titled “Chick Bank robber” in where she admitted to stealing a car and driving it to Waco in order to commit the robbery. She then explained in her video how she managed to get away with $6,000 worth of cash; she even held up the keys of the car she stole.

main qimg d0d7efd9c962cc02e40c9bd31d24b988 lq
main qimg d0d7efd9c962cc02e40c9bd31d24b988 lq

HEY GUYS, I JUST ROBBED A BANK AND NOW I’M MAKING THIS VIDEO TO INFORM YOU OF IT!

Unsurprisingly, she later got a wake up call by the police and Polk county authorities who placed her under arrest. Investigators then found the stolen money. She was convicted and given 10–20 years in prison, a sentence she’s been serving since June 2013.

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main qimg 79efa61f63f5c8f9f84243f5aaf45de6 lq

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main qimg e6676e668a2c1f65513f653aa1e9d816 lq

You can still find her video on YouTube. Anyway, she’s my nomination.

Pizza Porn

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Michael Jefferson

B.J. Workman’s hammer bangs loudly against the Town Hall steps.Brady Tasker goes back to the truck for more wood and a cigarette.B.J. is known throughout the town of Dorset as a lanky, perpetually tanned, reliable, and likable craftsman with a loving wife and an average I.Q. He and his stocky, bearded drinking buddy Brady have been the town’s go-to builders for decades and are familiar faces throughout town.Standing in the hallway a few feet from the steps, Chief Colt Kennedy whispers to Mayor Grayson Levant.“Everything’s going according to schedule. Dorset will be ours within two weeks.”“Good. If we succeed here then it’s on to the state capital, then Washington D.C. We’ll achieve domination without having to fire a shot.”B.J.’s ears perk up. He pretends to measure the steps.Broad-shouldered, with light hair and sharp features, Chief Kennedy often stops to chat with B.J. and Brady. Lately, he’s been giving them probing, icy stares. The same is true of Dorset’s pudgy, balding Mayor, whose once inviting smile has turned predatory.“Do we have enough lubricant?” Mayor Levant asks.“Yes. It’s plentiful here in the form of chocolate milk.”Chief Kennedy gives B.J. a hard glance.“Is Workman on the list?”“No. His intelligence level is too low. Cyrus will deal with him.”B.J.’s mind shifts to Cyrus, the newest addition to the police department. Cyrus is an ill-tempered German shepherd who seems to enjoy intimidating him.B.J. hammers at the steps.“Do you think he heard us?” Chief Kennedy asks.“He has ears.”B.J. carelessly drops his tools in the back of the pickup.“What’s up with you, clumsy?” Brady asks.“Something odd is going on around here.”“Yeah, it’s that we worked through lunch. Drop me off at the bar. I could use some liquid refreshment.”“No, not that. I heard the Mayor and Colt talking about taking over the town, and the government. I think we’re being invaded, Brady.”

“I always thought you were a liberal. I never thought you’d wanna throw immigrants out of the country. There’s enough work for everybody.”

“I’m not talking about people from other countries. I mean extraterrestrials. Aliens.”

“I’ve always loved you’re over the top sense of humor.”

 

 

Finishing his lunch, B.J. walks through the park to meet Brady at the pickup.

He sees three kids running in circles, whipping each other with tree branches. Curious, B.J. approaches two other children reading comic books on a bench.

“What are they doing?”

A girl with oval glasses looks up. “Playin’ army.”

“What’s that you’re reading?” B.J. asks.

“The Sub Mariner versus the Fantastic Four.”

“Cool. I remember reading that when I was a kid.”

“They had comic books when you were a kid?”

“Must’ve been written on stone,” a towheaded boy says without even looking up.

B.J. walks away muttering that the next generation will destroy the world.

 

 

“You have the estimate for the job?” B.J. asks as he and Brady walk up the steps of the Dorset Premier Theater.

A loud crash stops them cold.

“Sounds like breaking glass,” Brady says.

The two men enter the building in time to see the theater’s owner, Griffin Frye, being chased by his wife Fiona, who is holding a hammer.

Fiona’s normally stylish hair is standing on end. Her clothes are ruffled, and she’s puffing like a locomotive operating at high speed.

Seeing B.J. and Brady she curses unintelligibly, turning away.

Twice his wife’s size, the theater owner is bleeding from his forehead and has a bruised cheek.

“What did you do? Suggest a revival of “Oh, Calcutta?” Brady jokes.

“The remodeling project,” Griffin gasps. “We were talking about rebuilding the theater.”

“If money is the problem, we can find a way to cut some of the costs,” B.J. says.

“She doesn’t want to do it.”

“What? She was all charged up about a couple of days ago.”

“She was different a couple of days ago,” Griffin says, rubbing his head. “She was the woman I married, gentle, thoughtful. Now she’s acting like a rabid dog. Everything upsets her, and she’s talking crazy. Something about turning the theater into a hive.”

“A hive?” Brady asks. “You’re gonna make honey in the theater?”

“Not that kind of hive. She said it’s going to be a sanctuary for the new breed.”

“New breed of what?” Brady asks.

“Beats me.”

“Looks like she already did,” Brady cracks.

“You should put something on that cut,” B.J. says. “C’mon out to the truck. I’ve got a first aid kit.”

 

 

B.J. is tending to Griffin’s wound when Chief Kennedy and Mayor Levant pull up to the theater.

Fiona runs out of the theater toward them, pointing at her husband. Mayor Levant grabs her by the arms, trying to control her agitated movements.

Cyrus bounds out of the back seat of the Chief’s car, barking loudly at B.J.

“I hate that thing,” B.J. says.

“Sounds like the feeling is mutual,” Brady replies.

“At ease, Cyrus,” Chief Kennedy says, and the dog immediately squats obediently, staring at B.J. with angry silence.

His jawline clinched, Chief Kennedy strides toward them.

“You ought to put a muzzle on that frankfurter,” Brady jests.

Chief Kenndy’s voice is languid and grim.

“He doesn’t like riff raff.”

“Riff raff?” Brady shouts. “We played football together in high school, Colt. I blocked for you, Golden Boy!”

Chief Kennedy turns to Griffin. “Are you abusing your wife?”

“What? Look at him, Colt!” Brady jumps in. “It’s the other way around.”

“Stay out of this, Brady. Well, Griffin?”

“She’s been argumentative and violent lately. She’s talking crazy about turning the theater into some kind of hive.”

Chief Kennedy’s dead stare momentarily wavers.

“She certainly sounds unstable. We’ll take her to the psych ward for tests.”

“Wait a minute, Colt, that’s a bit extreme.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine in a few days,” Chief Kennedy replies dispassionately. “In the meantime, you should get that cut looked at.”

Their jaws drooping loosely, the three men watch Chief Kennedy walk back to Mayor Levant and Fiona.

“I’ve never seen Colt like this, so detached and emotionless,” B.J. comments.

“And that’s not the woman I married.”

“Well, at least the three of us haven’t changed,” Brady says.

Chief Kennedy and Mayor Levant stare blankly at the three men. Growling, Cyrus jumps into the back seat.

“This one needs an adjustment. She nearly gave us away,” Mayor Levant says, pushing Fiona into Chief Kennedy’s grasp.

 

 

B.J. pulls his truck into Cordell Cooper’s Lumber Yard.

The two men look around the yard.

“Kinda quiet,” Brady notes. “You usually hear the sound of buzz saws and forklifts.”

“Hang by the truck. I’ll go see if Cordell’s in.”

B.J. enters the office, finding the burly owner sitting with his feet up on the desk, sipping from a carton of chocolate milk.

“I’m here to pick up my order, Cordell.”

“I don’t have any wood,” Cordell replies lackadaisically.

 

 

“What? You’ve got a whole lumberyard of wood,” B.J. says. “C’mon, Cordell, I need it to finish the job at town hall. All you have to do is get up off your lazy butt and help me and Brady load up my truck.”

“I gave everybody a few days off,” Cordell says in a listless voice, hooking his thumbs in his bib overalls.

“What is this? National My Head is Made of Wood Week?”

“Come back in two days,” Cordell says flatly.

“Me and Brady can load it on our own. How much do I owe you?”

“Take what you need. Pay me when you can.”

Reaching into his pocket, B.J. pulls out his wallet, throwing down a series of bills on Cordell’s desk.

“There. Two hundred. Keep the change. I wouldn’t start giving away your wood. You’re gonna need it.”

B.J. and Brady load the wood into the back of the pickup.

“He really said that?” Brady asks.

“Yep. The cheapest man in Dorset was willing to let me pay him whenever I felt like it. That proves things aren’t right in this town.”

 

 

“Something funny is going on around here, Boo Boo.”

Kara looks up from her soup, smiling. The hippie-drenched brunette never tires of her husband calling her Boo Boo because it reminds her of when they met.

“Everybody’s getting edgy, rude. And a lot of folk have closed up their businesses or stopped caring about them. Brady and I went to the diner this morning. Miklos had to serve us because Millie and Molly have stopped showing up. Then we went to Cordell’s lumberyard. Not only was he grumpy, he could have cared less if we took every plank of wood he had.”

“Maybe it’s the effect of Daylight Saving Time,” Kara offers. “People act squirrelly sometimes because of the time change.”

“Maybe that’s it. But I overheard Colt and Mayor Levant talking today. They’re plotting together on something.”

Kara chuckles. “Probably an app for tourists or a new way to give out parking tickets.”

B.J. stretches. “Think I’ll take a walk. You want to come?”

“Thanks, but I’m in the middle of a really cool sci-fi book.”

B.J. walks out the back door, heading for Wells Walk, one of the less frequented hiking trails in town.

Walking down the path, B.J. is captivated by the presence of thickening smoke and a bright white light ahead of him.

 

 

B.J. cautiously creeps along the path, careful not to rustle the twigs and branches in his way.

Through the dense smoke, B.J. can make out Cyrus’ form ahead of him in a clearing.

He takes cover behind a tree, his hand touching some sap.

What he sees makes his entire body shake.

Chief Kennedy, Mayor Levant, and Cordell Cooper are standing around a stone pit.

A blinding light and thick smoke are rising from it.

Inside the pit is a metal chair.

Brady is strapped to the chair.

Chief Kennedy and Cordell pour a vat of dark liquid over Brady, who remains impassive and still.

The chair slowly sinks into the pit.

Moments later the chair rises.

Brady’s body is concealed in a dark shell.

Easing him out of the chair, Mayor Levant cracks the shell with a hammer.

The four men bow to each other.

“The conversion will be complete in two days,” Mayor Levant says. “Then you’ll be part of the hive.”

Moving closer, B.J. steps on a twig.

Cyrus’ ears perk up.

“What is it, Cyrus?” Chief Kennedy asks.

Barking loudly and incessantly, Cyrus charges down the path toward B.J.

 

 

B.J. sits up in his bed, panting loudly.

“Boy, have you been having a bad dream,” Kara says.

B.J. forces a laugh, rubbing the sap in his hand.

B.J. knocks on Brady’s door, worried they’re already late.

Brady’s wife, Diana, opens the door holding a glass of chocolate milk.

“What do you want?”

“My partner.”

“He’s sick,” the normally cheerful blonde says cooly, sipping her chocolate milk. “He’ll be better in a couple of days.”

“Jeez. That’s everybody’s excuse lately,” B.J. says. “Did I see him last night on Welles Walk?”

Diana gives B.J. a long, bottomless stare. “He came home after work feeling lightheaded. Then his stomach started to bother him. He’s going to need to take a couple of days off.”

“I was sure I saw him out on Welles Walk last night.”

“Must’ve been someone else,” Diana says, her stare turning threatening. “Maybe you dreamed it. It’s possible, right?”

“Oh, yeah, right. Can’t I see him for a minute?”

“You can see him in two days,” Diana says, slamming the door.

 

 

After lunch B.J. passes through the park, spotting the same group of kids he’d seen earlier in the week.

The five children are sitting calmly on the benches, their attention focused on their books.

The books are cream-colored with gold lettering in script.

“I’ve never seen that comic,” B.J. says.

“It’s not a comic book,” the girl with the oval glasses answers. “It’s the word.”

“The word?”

The girl holds up the book. B.J. stares dumbly at the lettering, unable to read it.

“Our laws,” the girl says coldly.

“You kids are kinda young to be studying law. And what language is that?”

The five children look up at B.J. with the same dead stare.

“I liked you ragamuffins better when you acted like kids.”

 

 

“So, any major news, Boo Boo?” B.J. asks.

“I wish you would stop calling me that.”

“Boo Boo? I’ve been calling you that since we met at Brady’s Halloween party twenty-five years ago. You made such a pretty ghost.”

Kara’s manner and speech turn frosty. “We’re adults now. It’s time we focus on a better life.”

Kara goes to the refrigerator. Returning with a carton of chocolate milk, she pours him a glass.

“Drink some milk, It’s good for you.”

“No, Boo Boo. I don’t want it. You know I’m lactose intolerant.”

“It’ll help you sleep. Don’t make me force you to drink it.”

B.J. reluctantly downs the glass of milk. Almost immediately, he feels jittery, and his vision begins to blur.

“My own wife… You’re a part of it too…,” B.J. says, closing his eyes.

 

 

When B.J. wakes up, he finds himself walking alongside Chief Kennedy in the darkness. Cyrus leads away, occasionally looking back at B.J.

Smoke rises ahead of them, covering a clearing. A bright light emanating from a pit forces B.J. to shield his eyes.

Chief Kennedy pushes B.J. along the path. “You should be proud of yourself, B.J. You were on the disposal list until you started snooping around. It showed us your deductive powers are much higher than we thought. Besides, it’ll be nice for Kara to have a partner.”

They stop when they reach the clearing. Smoke rises from a nearby bottomless stone pit.

Brady, Mayor Levant, and Cordell are holding onto Griffin, who struggles to try and free himself.

“What is this? What are you doing?” B.J. asks frantically.

“The conversion,” Mayor Levant replies.

A metal chair rises from the pit. Still struggling, Griffin is forced into the chair and strapped in.

Brady and Cordell pour a vat of dark liquid over him.

“…Please, help me, B.J.,” Griffin pleads as the chair sinks into the pit. “They’re going to turn me into one of them… A creature with no emotion! No soul! No love! They’re going to do it to you too!”

“The conversion is painless, as long as you don’t resist,” Mayor Lavant says.

B.J. spots a nearby large rock.

“Well, I’m sure as hell going to resist,” he says.

Reaching for the rock, he slams it against the back of Chief Kennedy’s head, bloodying his skull.

Dazed and angered, Chief Kennedy turns to face B.J.

His head splits open, revealing the heads of dozens of humanoid, reptilian, and other nightmarish creatures.

“The essence of those we have assimilated,” Mayor Levant says.

The creatures snap and snarl at B.J.

B.J. drops the rock as he watches Chief Kennedy’s wound close, and he returns to his human form.

“It’s time for you to join us,” Mayor Levant says as Brady and Cordell grab his arms.

 

 

B.J. calmly eats his shredded wheat at the breakfast table, staring ahead at nothing in particular.

Kara walks past the table, nodding at him.

“Don’t forget to drink your milk.”

Pre-Historic Mega Structure Discovered in Montana, USA – Sage Wall

A British tabloid made a startling discovery this week: it turns out that Russia has weapons capable of wreaking untold devastation upon its enemies.

What got The Express’ knickers in a twist this time was the K-564 Arkhangelsk, a Yasen-M class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine that recently underwent sea trials and is expected to enter service in December.

While the newspaper fears that this submarine “could be undetectable by Western adversaries” and could pose a serious threat to “NATO military bases, naval convoys, and onshore critical infrastructure during a crisis,” it remains to be seen what Arkhangelsk is truly capable of.

Here is what is currently known about the sub:

◻️ It can dive up to 600 meters deep and has a maximum speed of 16 knots on the surface and 31 knots underwater;

◻️ The submarine has a crew complement of 64 and an endurance of about 100 days, limited by food and maintenance requirements;

◻️ The vessel’s armament includes 533mm torpedo tubes and vertical launch silos for Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles and Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. Both Kalibr and Zircon missiles are nuclear-capable.

Older Men Over 40 Are Enjoying Single Life – Young Men Are Warned About Marriage

At the beach with a girlfriend, we found a small zippered case which was loaded with Jewelry. My girlfriend pointed out that there were a lot of very expensive pieces. She pointed out jewelry with 18k stamped on them and told me that the gems set in some of the jewelry were very expensive. There was nothing in the case which could identify the owner. We placed an Ad in an area where the beach is located. All the Ad said was, Jewelry Case and Jewelry found on Santa Monica Beach. The ad also said to call with a description of the case and the jewelry. We had some dishonest people respond yet we also found the owner after 2 weeks. She called. Descriped the case in detail to include a tiny rip on one of the sides. She also had a list of every piece of Jewelry in the case along with some photos. We agreed to meet her at a Restaurant in Santa Monica. Very nice Gal and yes, the Jewelry was definately hers. She then offered us $200.00 for going to the effort in finding her. We both declined this. After coffee, she left and gave both of us a huge hug. After she left, my girlfriend saw an edge of what she thought was a $100.00 Bill slipped under a coffee mug. She moved the coffee mug and there were 2, $100.00 bills. Since we had her phone #, my girlfriend called and said she was more interested in her getting her jewelry back and we did not need a reward. The gal said if it weren’t for us, she would not have any of her jewelry left. We ended up accepting the $200 bucks she left us. My girlfriend and the gal with the Jewelry actually became friends. This was years ago and they are still friends even though we broke up years ago. It was a very positive feeling to have been able to find and return the missing case and jewelry.

Roasted Pepper and Gorgonzola Pizza

roasted pepper1 2 300x225
roasted pepper1 2 300×225

Chicken Gorgonzola 300x225
Chicken Gorgonzola 300×225

Ingredients

Pizza

  • 1 Boboli or homemade crust
  • Garlic Oil Sauce
  • Mozzarella cheese, grated
  • Gorgonzola cheese
  • Roasted red bell pepper strips

Garlic Oil Sauce

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic

Instructions

Pizza

  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray or grease a pizza pan or stone.
  2. Top crust with Garlic Oil Sauce, mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola cheese and bell pepper strips.
  3. Bake on the bottom rack of oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is piping hot.

Garlic Oil Sauce

  1. Puree olive oil and garlic in blender.

Compilation: Time Travel stories!

Flipping the game of life

When I was a teenager I got pregnant. My b/f was older (21) and wanted to marry me right away. However my parents would not even let him see me, and instead he was only allowed to communicate through my mother.

I became extremely sick and was hospitalized much of the pregnancy. B/f was understandably distraught. He was very emotional but the only person he had contact with was my mother.

Somehow – not that I care how – that connection turned physical. Yep – mom cheated on my dad with the father of my baby. But THEN to make sure I never found out, they forced b/f to return to his family, across the country.

They concocted a whole story about how b/f threatened to kill me so they forced him to leave our town. Oh and the days that mom went missing while on her tryst I was told b/f kidnapped her and she went with him to save my life.

I was young – I did not realize if that were true he would be in prison. I believed this story and at one point became so terrified of him – based on my mother constantly reinforcing that he wanted to hunt me down and kill me and the baby – I gave my child up to an open adoption with a family I was really close to. I never wanted him to hunt her down. Her name was changed and they moved to another state. I moved the opposite direction and my mother KNEW I did it out of fear, and still let me.

It was not until almost 7 years later that all of the truth came out with my father devastated for his part, and telling me EVERYTHING.

I contact previous b/f and asked him to tell me what happened. He told me the same story I had recently come to know was true. He felt awful about the affair but none of the threats or me needing give up my child over it was real.

I reunited with my daughter.

I will never speak to my mother again. She is truly dead to me. Even the last time I spoke with her, she tried to justify the nightmare she put on our family.

COVID- (mRNA) Vaccines cannot be mandated — 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

COVID- (mRNA) Vaccines cannot be mandated -- 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Big Pharma manufacturers of the COVID -19 mRNA “vaccines” have lost their shield from product liability, after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the mRNA shots are NOT VACCINES, but rather “Treatments.

The 9th Circuit said it’s not a vaccine if the claim isn’t to “PREVENT THE SPREAD” of a disease.

COVID shots were claimed to “reduce symptoms” and prevent hospitalization.  Those claims make it a TREATMENT.

The case involved the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) mandating their people get the “vaccine.”

But the 9th circuit, in a very detailed and complex ruling said the US District Court ERRED because this particular “vaccine” did not “prevent the spread of disease.”   Here is the pertinent portion of the 9th Circuit ruling:

COVID 19 Vax LOSES Liability Shield
COVID 19 Vax LOSES Liability Shield

So while the court held that government __can__ force vaccines to “halt the spread” of a disease in a public health crisis, government cannot expand that power to cover medical treatment which is simply for a citizen’s benefit merely for “reducing symptoms.”

Protecting public health by stopping the spread to others, is one thing, but trying to force vaccines that do not stop the spread, merely “reduce symptoms” is not within government’s power to do.

Why The American Dream Is DEAD

This hits close to home for me. After losing my first career and seeing 'just how valuable of an employee I was after great sacrifice for nothing', living hand to mouth, listening to what my culture told be "work hard, go to school and be rewarded' and living in this ultra-competitive highly individualistic society, I left America for Japan for a total of 4 years. I knew society and economic systems were screwed up; after living in Japan and its different culture, I was forever changed, for the better! I now say that the "American Dream is just good marketing to sell you a false sense of self at your own expense." Thank you Austin!

That’s just the prevailing narrative, nothing more. It’s fashion, a naked mannequin for intellectuals to dress up.

After all, what kind of economic threat has Russia posed to America this century?

It’s just hegemony, and the ever-present need to demonstrate who’s in charge, and who’s words carry the day. The U.S. Congress and White House lavish inordinate effort on issues beyond American shores, because there are no limits to American sovereignty.

Or like the Chinese lovingly put it: 眼里容不得沙子

So yes, America, whether it is the more dignified Joe or in-your-face Donald, will stop at nothing to win and dominate.

Winning, in a might is right world, is the only metric that matters.

Decades of Donald the “winningest man in business” should have educated the world at large about the nature of American “values”.

Little By Little, The Economy Has Declined To A Point Where Almost Everyone Is Struggling

It happened so gradually that a lot of people didn’t even realize what was happening.  The cost of living just kept rising faster than paychecks were, and little by little our standard of living just kept going down.  Now we have reached a stage where the ultra-wealthy are thriving but almost everyone else is struggling.  For most people, it is a real fight just to pay the bills from month to month.  The majority of the population is deep in debt, and meanwhile the cost of just about everything is going up and up.  Millions of Americans feel like they are drowning financially, and there is no easy way out.  Sadly, many of them don’t even realize that the game was designed to get them on to a hamster wheel and keep them running for as long as possible.

When I was a kid, the United States had a very large and very prosperous middle class.

Life certainly wasn’t perfect in those days, but just about everyone that I knew could afford to live a comfortable middle class lifestyle.

Sadly, now everything has changed.

According to a survey that was just conducted by Seven Letter Insight, 65 percent of Americans “who earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level” admit that they are struggling financially…

In the large poll of 2,500 adults, 65% of people who earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level — that’s at least $60,000 for a family of four, often considered middle class — said they are struggling financially.

If 65 percent of those that “earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level” are struggling, what about those that earn less than that?

Needless to say, almost all of them are struggling.

That same survey discovered that 46 percent of Americans don’t even have 500 dollars saved up…

About 40% of respondents were unable to plan beyond their next paycheck, and 46% didn’t have $500 saved. The February poll found that more than half said it’s at least somewhat difficult to manage current levels of debt.

Over the past couple of years, the stock market has been “booming” and the ultra-wealthy have been getting richer and richer.

But things have been getting worse for virtually all the rest of us.

According to Zillow, over the past four years “the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home has nearly doubled”…

The real estate firm Zillow reports that since January 2020, the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home has nearly doubled. It’s up 96% in just four years.

According to Zillow, a typical buyer will now pay nearly $2,200 a month, with a 10% down payment. Meaning, homeownership now costs well above the 30% of median income that was once thought to equate to “affordable” housing cost in America.

Has your income doubled over the past four years?

If not, you are falling behind.

The American people absolutely hate what is being done to their standard of living.

In fact, during a recent interview Neel Kashkari astutely observed that Americans “really, viscerally hate high inflation”

Neel Kashkari, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, says one of the things he has learned in the past few years is that consumers would rather see the economy fall into a recession than to continue to suffer the pain of soaring prices.

“The American people – and maybe people in Europe, equally – really hate high inflation,” Kashkari told the Financial Times podcast “The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes” last week. “I mean, really, viscerally hate high inflation.”

He is right.

I really detest inflation.

I am sure that you do too.

But what he didn’t mention is that the Federal Reserve and our politicians in Washington are responsible for creating the epic cost of living crisis that we are currently facing.

They caused this mess, and now they don’t seem to have any solutions for cleaning it up.

Meanwhile, economic activity just continues to slow down.

On Tuesday, we learned that the number of job openings in the U.S. has fallen to the lowest level in more than 3 years

Job openings fell more than forecast in April, signaling a potential weakening in the labor market that could provide the Federal Reserve with more impetus to start lowering interest rates.

The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey released Tuesday showed that the level of employment vacancies slipped to 8.06 million for the month, down by nearly 300,000 from March and close to 19% lower than a year ago.

Moreover, the total marked the lowest since February 2021.

And more workers are being dumped into the streets with each passing day.

For example, Rubio’s Coastal Grill just announced that it will be permanently closing 48 locations in the state of California

California’s $20-an-hour fast food minimum wage has its first casualty.

Mexican chain Rubio’s Coastal Grill is shuttering 48 restaurants in the state – because of the ‘rising cost of doing business in California’.

‘While painful, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come,’ a Rubio’s spokesperson added.

As this year rolls along, we will see a lot more stories like this.

For a long time, our leaders were able to keep the party going by flooding the system with money.

But now inflation is out of control and we have reached the terminal phase of the “greatest credit bubble in human history”

Mark Spitznagel, chief investment officer of Universa Investments, is known for being a “permabear” when it comes to the stock market outlook.

Spitznagel told Bloomberg in an earlier interview that we’re witnessing the “greatest credit bubble in human history.”

“Credit bubbles end. They pop. There’s no way to stop them from popping,” he said, adding that the Fed has brought the economy to a place “where there’s no turning back.”

Spitznagel is right on target.

There really is no turning back now.

Our leaders have wrecked the greatest economic machine in the history of the world.

What is ahead of us is a tremendous amount of pain.

So if you think that things are bad now, just wait until you see what is coming next.

For years, little by little our standard of living has been collapsing.

But now we are entering a time when our economic slide will become an economic avalanche.

Decades of absolutely disastrous decisions have brought us to this point, and now we shall truly reap what we have sown.

Shorpy

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Four Frightened Kittens Sat On the Mast of a Burning, Crew Abandoned Ship

The tragic fate of the Space Shuttle Challenger’s crew is still a haunting memory for many.

When the US Navy finally recovered the crew compartment from the ocean, the contents were indeed extremely disturbing.

One of the most shocking discoveries was that the crew members’ remains were still seated in their chairs, with their seatbelts still fastened, a gruesome testament to the sudden and catastrophic nature of the disaster.

The investigation revealed that the crew compartment had remained remarkably intact, despite the intense forces generated by the explosion.

This was due in part to the compartment’s robust design, which was capable of withstanding intense pressure and extreme temperatures.

In the aftermath of the disaster, the crew compartment was subjected to a series of intense forces, including extreme deceleration, massive shock waves, and intense heat generated by the explosion.

The post-accident investigation also revealed that the crew had likely survived the initial explosion, but succumbed to the extreme conditions during the subsequent free fall towards the ocean.

This was evident from the fact that the crew members were still strapped in their seats, with some even having their helmets still on, indicating that they had not lost consciousness immediately.

The recovery of the crew compartment was a complex and challenging operation, involving a team of divers and engineers who worked tirelessly to locate and retrieve the wreckage.

The operation was made even more difficult by the fact that the debris was scattered over a wide area, with some pieces sinking to depths of over 12,000 feet.

One of the most poignant aspects of the recovery operation was the discovery of personal items belonging to the crew, including a set of keys, a calculator, and a CD player, which served as a haunting reminder of the human lives lost in the tragedy.

The intact condition of the crew compartment also raised important questions about the design and safety features of the Space Shuttle program, leading to significant changes in the years that followed.

Random pictures of interest

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A pragmatic peace summit, in which both warring parties must participate.

The Ukrainian Peace Summit held in Lucerne, Switzerland was unilaterally invited by Ukraine, but Russia was not invited to participate, and China, South Africa and Brazil also stated that they would not attend the meeting. Therefore, this summit was not a peace summit at all, but a summit with the theme of “condemning Russia”.

Without Russia’s participation, discussing issues such as ceasefire is completely futile and will only be empty talk without achieving any practical results.

Such a meeting is meaningless. It is not a “peace summit” but a venue to provoke and stimulate Russia.

What is even more ironic is that although the United States has long supported Ukraine and is one of Zelenskyy’s important invitees, the US side stated that US President Biden will not attend the summit due to “scheduling conflicts.”

China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point peace consensus, calling for an international peace conference to be held at an appropriate time recognized by Russia and Ukraine, with all parties participating equally and discussing all options fairly. Only such a summit can achieve substantive peace results.

In addition, China has been promoting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, and this has not just started recently.

main qimg 262a16d528323827b05abf29776eaf25 lq
main qimg 262a16d528323827b05abf29776eaf25 lq

One_Up

Submitted into Contest #250 in response to: Write a story in which someone can only hear one side of a conversation and must piece together the meaning of what they’ve heard. view prompt

Joe Smallwood

Rodent! Liar! It was supposed to be fun, not this ridiculous foofaraw where I can’t patch in but only hear pronouncements. Anyone could do that!“I thought you were premium support and extra paid up! Instead™, you’re privacy-shading me!””That other voice you paid for never had too much to say. But you must hand it to them when they invented Instead™. It was a game-changer, always keeping things interesting,” replied One_Up. “You can count on me to stay ahead of it!”The concert hall was vintage 20th-century. No accoutrements, not Ghezi certified. It still had a lovingly preserved red carpet and seats, and knowing why we could be there was hard.“A vision of Hell? N’est-ce pas?” a_Playful_Voice said. I ignored it, one of the many voices I tended to ignore. It left you_snubbed_me on my social. Not that anyone else was there to be playful—no one else was here at all!One_Up was first because he earned it. It was the voice I listened to the most!“You got that right!” he said.I went dark on it to talk to you, my dear diary. I had to have a One_Up, you see—not that I had to listen to it! My little rebellion was so tiny that no one noticed. I wouldn’t want a pronouncement, would I? Actually, it was best not to listen to pronouncements. If I got too interested, it might be suspicious…“C’mon back, Darren!” One_Up said. “I have a pronouncement for you!”“Yeah, sure! If I can’t patch in, what’s the point?”“The point? The point is to stay ahead of them! Here we go!”“I can’t say I haven’t tried, sir.” Uh-huh… Instead™ is failing. Well, he’s interested in it, but I’m afraid the therapeutic value is nil.” Long silence“Sir, I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell me how to do my job….When I’ve reached the end of my options—Silence“It’s been nice working with you too. If there’s anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to call. Goodbye.“Weird, don’t you think that people still talk like they’re on a telephone, even though we all have instant access to anyone who gives us permission?” said Darren.“Old people do that!” replied One_Up. “And why would you think I got permission for this?#“Darren? Oh, Darren?” One_Up asked in his most playful voice. DARREN! It’s time for your diaper.”“Don’t.”“Time! Too much non-ghezi time means it’s diaper time!” demanded One_Up.“We spent all of ten minutes in that concert Hall!”“Non-ghezi! Just the same. This isn’t an Instead™ stratagem, is it?”“Instead of what?”“Your diaper!”“You talk in riddles, you know that?”Diaper, my ass! One_Up was always being a comedian! If I had wanted comedy, a_playful_voice would have been my choice!I went on recycle. Well, actually, it was more like my garbage cycle. There wasn’t much I could get out of being in the concert hall!

#

I heard the most beautiful music—non-ghezi—across the way. I tried to patch in until I remembered what non-ghezi meant. Am I losing my mind?

She was so beautiful. Alone in her apartment, she had long blonde hair, which made her seem slenderer than she was. Is slenderer a word? She’d go to the window to feed some birds, and I could just make out a smile, being a stone’s throw away from her. Yes, that’s right, isn’t it? People used to say that. You could throw a stone; how far away you could throw it would describe the distance. I never threw a stone—not a real one. I wonder what it would be like to throw one. The other day…

“Darren!” shouted One_Up.

“DARREN! Time for your walk.”

“I don’t want to walk.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No!”

“We’ll go to the concert hall…”

People used to go to places like this. I feel the plush seating, the furrowed abrasive cloth caressing me as I sit. I imagine how people used to clap and swoon for music that I could hear anytime, anywhere. What did I miss? The energy, the shared experience? What exactly?

Could there be anything more than systems attuned to the beating hearts of billions that could be exceeded? And more still undiscovered, the synthesis of minds overcoming time and space? Yet what crushes me is the knowledge of what is gone forever. The silence is endlessly filled. Can everything really be nothing in disguise?

Dark again. Help me figure this out. Someone needs therapy, and I think the person who was supposed to provide it just got fired! At least, it sounds that way. It seems serious, too, like things aren’t working out. I’ll catch you later.

“There you are! Why do you keep hiding from me?” pouted One_Up.

#

One_up took me to the concert hall. I thought its job was to entertain me! C-O-N-C-E-R-T H-A-L-L. I could spell it! We meander down the streets, and I get bored. What was I hoping to find at the concert hall? Old Tech? An orchestra? Musical instruments? Like cave implements and ancient wall paintings! I am hunted by Neanderthals who aspire for immortality at my expense! I call up Instead™ but get put on hold. Then, it fails.

“Instead™ is non-ghezi!” says One_Up.

“Good.”

“What do you mean, good? Patch in here!” says One_Up.

Everything swirls. I’m playing Hell Surfers 6 in no time. It starts to hurt, but everything old is Neanderthal to me. I keep going!

#

There was no One_Up to greet me. Where am I? I feel so alone. Everything is dead when I try patching in— no patch in, no One_Up.

I go dark. Whew! That works. Help me out here, dear diary. This has never happened before. I swear! Maybe I should be scared or something. Let me know what you think.

Do the pronouncements work? When I switch on, the voices sound far away. I also try amplification, but it doesn’t work.

I’m only dimly aware…

“He’s in terrible shape. Yes. Uh-huh.”

Long silence.

“We tried that. She came to the window and snagged him a little, but the relapse was awfully quick. There are no legs on this one.”

Silence.

“Well, the last chance is to nuke him. We tried Instead™. Next™ isn’t the same generation. It wouldn’t work. Guaranteed…Uh-huh…Right. Do I have the go-ahead?”

I get so angry—angrier than ever! It’s part of the game—self-generating. I helped design it myself! The Hell you surf is your own, see? It’s self-replicating, too. It gobbles up everything to present the best entertainment ever! Because the best of realfun™ is how close it comes to everything imaginable that ever existed! Mashed together, a million billion experiences of people worldwide. You feel everything! Presented in endlessly entertaining entertainment…

“Darren?”

“DARREN?” yelled One_Up.

“We need an ambulance to this location. Can you please hurry?”

I’m out, but I’m not. I’m too tired to switch off. I can’t do anything. I wish I could turn off the voices in my head!

“We have to murder One_Up! You heard me! I don’t care if he has been trying to help Darren. Uh-huh. The sooner, the better.

One_Up is frantic. “You have to protect me, Darren!” Sure, sure, I say.

“Getting a fix. No, it’s not murder! It’s a figure of speech. Do I have your permission or not?”

Silence

“Can I hide in your secret place, Darren?”

I heard the most beautiful music. I can’t describe it. I don’t even know why I would try. They’re hunting for One_Up, but he’s safe, in a place I made that no one knows about! Until today, even One_Up didn’t know where I went!

#

“OK, ease it in,” said Dr. Oakley.

“I want to go on the record, sir,” said the lead nurse. “I recommend that we not proceed. We were unable to stop the program. His digital assistant is still operational, presenting an unquantifiable risk to the operation’s success.”

“I’m aware of the risks. It is my responsibility.”

“Are we cleared for this?” demanded a lawyer over a microphone from the observation deck.

Dr. Oakley looked up from the operating table. Three nurses, looking very apprehensive, tried to look busier. The lead nurse presumed to stop what he was doing to gaze at the lawyer, too.

“What do you mean? Are we cleared? I wouldn’t be here, would I?” snapped Oakley. “Has something changed?”

“He can’t die, that’s all,” the lawyer shouted. “Too many other people are involved.”

Dr. Oakley’s jaw tightened. “You tell me this now? Let’s get this started!”

#

I was standing at the edge of an abyss—a volcano or something—only it was a long way down and incredibly hot. Waves of heat envelop me, so the moment sweat develops, it immediately evaporates. There was lava below, and I was going to fall!

“He’s reacting to this like he’s reading a script. We’re losing him!” the lead nurse yells, glancing at the heart monitor.

“Okay, ease back a little bit,” says Dr. Oakley. He’s got to take this seriously, or we’ll lose him for good.”

“Wait for it…” calls out the lead nurse.

One-Up! I don’t like this program. Switch, please! One_Up? Anybody?

“I’m here, Darren! At your service! None of this is real. I can switch this now if you want to?”

Oakley swore under his breath, “He has to try! Make the path away from the abyss clearer.”

“On it,” says the lead nurse.

“Blood pressure keeps rising, 155 over 90,” one of the nurses says.

“Stay with it. He has to realize that he doesn’t control everything,” says Dr. Oakley.

“He’s taking the path…” says the lead nurse. ”With One_Up!”

Everyone cheers.

#

“Debrief…everyone. You all have your assigned places. Dr. Oakley? Can we begin with you?” the head of hospital staff says.

Dr. Oakley took his seat, his laptop in front of him. “Well, it was a success, as you all know. Instead™ and even Next™ have come up with treatment plans. We’re coordinating that now. The patient is responding well.”

Another doctor asks, “How long until Darren Oakley is completely well?”

Dr. Oakley teared up. He struggled to clear his throat. “I’m sure we’ll manage,” he said.

The lead nurse caught up with the hospital lawyer after the meeting.

“That was a real bone-headed thing you did, calling out to us from the observation deck! What were you thinking?”

“What was I thinking? Well, try this on for size.” The lawyer took out his cell phone to project an image.

“Jeez!” exhaled the nurse.

“And those calls to emergency were just for the people with an addiction in North America! We don’t have good data for anyplace else.”

“Darren helped create it all,” wondered the nurse. “What was happening to him started to happen to everyone?”

The lawyer turned to go, but then he hesitated. “Say, do you feel like a beer?”

“No. But I’ll drink one.” cracked the nurse.

Pesto Chicken Flatbread Pizzas

Tuscan flavors will delight family and friends in this easy to make Pesto Chicken Flatbread Pizza. Great as a main dish or side dish to complement a meal.

Pesto Chicken Flatbread Pizzas
Pesto Chicken Flatbread Pizzas

Prep: 10 min | Cook: 8 min | Yield: 2 flatbread pizzas; 4 servings total

Ingredients

  • 2 (3.5 ounce) Tuscan-style flatbreads
  • 1/4 cup Buitoni Refrigerated All Natural Reduced Fat Pesto with Basil
  • 2/3 cup sautéed or cooked chicken breast strips
  • 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup (.75 ounce) Buitoni Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place flatbreads on baking sheet.
  3. Spread pesto sauce evenly over each flatbread to within 1/2 inch of edge.
  4. Top each evenly with chicken, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until flatbread is crisp and cheese is melted.

Notes

Cooks Tip: Refer to your flatbread packaging to determine recommended bake temperature and time as each brand varies.

Try substituting regular BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil.

It was at my mother’s funeral. I went up to my brother to talk to him. I hadn’t seen him since he moved out at 18. I think it was around 20 years of not seeing or talking to him. I was a terrible sister to him when we were kids. I got him into so much trouble with mom. He received so many beatings because of me and my lies. I so much wanted to talk with him then. So I went up to him and went to put my arm around him to tell him how sorry I was about her passing. He shrugged my arm off and turned away without speaking. I kind of lost my temper a bit and told him he needed to grow up. He just walked away and wouldn’t even sit anywhere near me. I watch him sit there and cry during the funeral and knew there wasn’t anything I could do. I want to go over and hold him and tell him how sorry I was for how I treated him. But I didn’t want to hurt him and more then I already had.

And before anyone says it, yes I deserved that slap. Many years later we finally talked and I poured my heart out to him. I apologized and begged for him to forgive me. What he did surprised me. He hugged and and said there’s no reason for forgiveness. Because he had already forgiven me. That he saw from what I’ve written here that I had really changed and it was time to be brother and sister again. That day we both cried together.

I cannot speak on behalf of China.

Let me speak for myself.

I heard that US constitution guarantees Freedom of Speech. But Biden equated anti-genocide in Gaza or anti-war to antisemitism.

To be fair, anti-genocide is not unreasonable. Now the entire world minus Israel & USA condemns genocide. If we say the students are wrong, it is not possible that the entire world is also wrong.

See, Americans can make fun of their president or scold at him. But cannot be against Israel. US politicians made thousands of anti-China statements & lies. But cannot “touch” Israelis.

US constitution guarantees owning guns. When there are many gun-related deaths, USA is so “powerless” to protect the life of innocents. Ironically, Right to Life is also in US constitution.

Maybe US constitution is not a failed doc. It is the enforcement that is the problem.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I see a one-way ticket to poverty for Americans and the US dollar. BRIC's nations in coordination with Saudia Arabia are now selling oil in multiple denominations and they're backing it with gold. The ONLY thing that's kept the US prosperous since getting off the gold convertibility in 1971 is the petrodollar and now it's toast.

Robert Gillespie

No, China’s newest Xi’an H-20 bomber is designed to compete with America’s Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.

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main qimg 2b350217648ac5e4daee828d05c6bd8a

There is currently only one prototype of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.

Although the Xi’an H-20 already has a test aircraft, the design can still be modified.

China is waiting for Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider to enter mass production before finalizing the design specifications for the Xi’an H-20 and putting it into production. This will ensure that the Xi’an H-20 does not lag behind the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.

Many aspects of business warfare strategies and military strategies are common.

The United States is the market leader and China is the market follower.

  • The United States has the advantage of being the first mover, but its weakness is that once it takes the lead in mass production, the cost of transforming its production line will be very high.
  • China adopts a follower strategy, and followers have the opportunity to discover the weaknesses of leaders and surpass them.

In fact, this is true for most weapons…

The United States was the first country to develop an Railgun, and China adopted a follow-up strategy. China’s Railgun has surpassed it.

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main qimg a5882b8b8700bdf7c55a8b5207c6d06a

The United States was the first country to develop a robot dog, and China adopted a follow-up strategy. China’s robot dog has also surpassed it.

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main qimg e1fb0cb3b776b1a95da5ecb896af35d0

"We cannot rely on and exploit others, as the United States does.

Every year, the United States has a US$1 trillion trade deficit.

What is this? I believe everyone present here will understand what I mean.

This is a modern version of neocolonialism.

By using the dollar’s monopolistic status, the United States consumes US$1 trillion more annually than it produces.

It extracts these resources from other countries.

We spoke about the pandemic period earlier.

What did they do?

I do not recall the exact amount of money the United States printed, but it totalled over US$5 trillion.

By the way, Europe printed an estimated 3.4 trillion euros.

What did they do next?

They circulated all these banknotes domestically and then started buying foods on the global food market.

They absorbed all these resources within their country, acting like a vacuum cleaner, and for the first time in many years, they became net food buyers and importers, rather than exporters.

As a result, global food inflation skyrocketed.

However, we cannot behave in the same way, and we do not monopolise the global currency market, the way the US dollar is doing.

We have never acted like colonialists or neo-colonialists.

In this case, we should, of course, rely on our economic potential and assess it realistically, which is what we are doing.

Naturally, we are considering diversification in order to balance the current industrial situation, the real economy and the future situation.

This is how everything is developing."

Excerpt from remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the plenary session of the 27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum, June 7, 2024.

I can’t confirm the authenticity of this news

But it may be true

I noticed that some Indian media and online commentators advocated: “China should be banned from investing in India”

But it seems that most Indians and media have not paid attention to Chinese public opinion, and no one cares about what the Chinese think.

In fact, Chinese companies’ investment and engineering construction in India are increasingly opposed by the public and public opinion.

1. Chinese companies’ interest in the Indian market has declined

Among China’s foreign trade companies, there is such a message: If Europeans send you an order, you can send the goods first and then send the bill. If Americans send you an order, you’d better collect half of the payment first. If an Indian sends you an order, remember to ask him to pay the full amount before shipping.

This may be a certain degree of exaggeration and joke, but the Indian market does not have a good reputation in China:

1. They like overly cheap goods, which makes manufacturers unprofitable and have to produce inferior goods, which will damage the reputation of suppliers.

2. They have poor credibility, always delay payment, shirk responsibility, and find various reasons not to pay or reduce payment.

2. India’s investment environment is unstable

The Indian federal government has been trying to invite foreign companies to invest in India, but many companies have encountered various troubles after investing in India. For example, Foxconn, Flextronics, MI and other companies have encountered tax audits, fines, strikes and lengthy judicial procedures in India. The statements of local officials and federal officials are always inconsistent, and the interpretation and enforcement of the law are fickle, which brings great risks to companies investing in India.

3. Do not want to cultivate a competitor

India has a large young population, but lacks the most adequate infrastructure, production equipment, technology and experience. It lacks China’s complete industrial chain and basic industry. Many Chinese nationalists believe that Chinese companies go to India to build railways, bridges, and power plants to support India’s manufacturing industry. This will make India a commercial competitor of China.

Therefore, Chinese companies going to India to build infrastructure are increasingly opposed by domestic public opinion. Although they understand that even if they leave Chinese companies, there are companies from other countries that can undertake these tasks, but at least they are more expensive and less efficient.

Therefore, if Chinese companies are unwilling to undertake the construction project of India’s high-speed rail, this is indeed possible. For example, too low a bid, too harsh financing requirements, technology transfer requirements and excessive political risks.

Many Chinese are paying attention to the Indian high-speed rail built by Japan. The Indian high-speed rail started almost at the same time as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail built by China in Indonesia. Now, the Indonesian high-speed rail has been completed for 2 years and has quickly become a symbol of progress in Southeast Asia. Every day, tourists from all over the world praise this high-speed rail on social media.

When will the Indian high-speed rail be completed and how much will it cost overrun? This has become a hot joke on Chinese social media, and people are betting: 3 years later, 5 years later, or even 10 years later. 50% overrun, 100% overrun, or even 300% overrun.

I have 2.

The first was in 2006. I was checking out groceries in Brookshires. It was my turn and I was just small talking with the cashier. The lady who had just checked out before me was waiting by her cart while she waited for the young man to finish bagging her groceries. I didn’t recognize her but she apparently knew who I was because she looked at me and said, “You must have lost your baby.” She said this so matter of fact like she was discussing the weather. I said yes and she said nothing else and left.

Those words were like a punch in the gut. I had. My baby was born early and she only lived for 4 hours. I couldn’t believe how someone could be so callous and so unaware of the inappropriateness of such a comment. It was so hurtful. I remember it like yesterday. I was speechless and bewildered.

The second was in 1996. I worked as a retail store manager in a video store. It was in a small town where most customers were regulars. When someone set up a membership, I tried very hard to remember the new customers names so I could greet them by name when they came back. One day a couple set up a new membership. The wife typically came in a few times a week. One day after I had checked her out and she went to leave, I heard her stop by the exit so I turned around. I could tell she really wanted to tell me something but she was hesitating. “Yes, Mrs Smith. Did you need something?” I asked her. She replied slowly, “When I first moved here a few months ago…..it was ….really………….difficult……….coming here and you greeting me by my name…….made it…….. easier. Thank you.” Then she left.

It sounds so simple but I remember this exchange to this day. I remember what she was wearing, her voice and the pain on her face.

"Please note everyone: we recognised the independence of these self-proclaimed republics.

Could we do this from the point of view of international law, or no?

As Article One of the UN Charter says, we could.

It is about the nations’ right to self-determination.

The UN International Court of Justice ruled (it is put in writing) that, if any territory of a country decides to become independent, it is not obliged to appeal to the higher authorities of that country.

All this was done regarding Kosovo.

There is a decision of the International Court of Justice, which reads: if a territory has decided on independence, it is not obliged to apply to the capital for permission to exercise this right.

However, if it is like it is written in the UN court decision, then these unrecognised republics, the republics, had the right to do so.

And they did.

Did we have the right to recognise them? Of course, we did. And we did recognise them.

Next, we entered into an agreement with them.

Could we sign an agreement with them or not? Yes, of course.

The agreement provided for assistance to these states in the event of aggression.

Kiev waged a war against these states, which we recognised eight years later. Eight years.

Could we recognise them? We could.

And then, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, we provided them with assistance.

You know, no matter what anyone says, this is exactly what I told Mr Guterres, the logic we followed, step by step.

Where is the mistake here?

Where are the violations of international law here?

There are no violations, considering international law.

Then we hear the answer: well, you attacked anyway.

We did not attack, but defended ourselves, just to make it clear to everyone.

The first step towards the war was taken by those who encouraged the bloody unconstitutional coup d'etat."

Excerpt from remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with heads of the world’s leading news agencies, Saint Petersburg, June 5, 2024.

A farmer story

A Newfoundland farmer named Angus had a car accident. He was hit by a truck owned by the Eversweet Company.

In court, the Eversweet Company’s hot-shot solicitor was questioning Angus.

‘Didn’t you say to the RCMP at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine I’m fine?’ asked the solicitor.

Angus responded: ‘Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I’d just loaded my fav’rit cow, Bessie, into da… ‘

‘I didn’t ask for any details’, the solicitor interrupted. ‘Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, ‘I’m fine!’?’

Angus said, ‘Well, I’d just got Bessie into da trailer and I was drivin’ down da road…. ‘

The solicitor interrupted again and said ,’Your Honour, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the police on the scene that he was fine. Now several weeks after the accident, he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question. ‘

By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Angus’ answer and said to the solicitor: ‘I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favourite cow, Bessie’.

Angus thanked the Judge and proceeded. ‘Well as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my fav’rit cow, into de trailer and was drivin’ her down de road when this huge Eversweet truck and trailer came tundering tru a stop sign and hit me trailer right in da side. I was trown into one ditch and Bessie was trown into da udder. By Jaysus I was hurt, very bad like, and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moanin’ and groanin’. I knew she was in terrible pain just by her groans.

Shortly after da accident, a policeman on a motorbike turned up. He could hear Bessie moanin’ and groanin’ too, so he went over to her. After he looked at her, and saw her condition, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes.

Den da policeman came across de road, gun still in hand, looked at me, and said, ‘How are you feelin’?’

‘Now wot da fock would you say?

I’ve lived years in North America, and know a lot of other nordic people who have moved to the USA. This is by no means comprehensive list, and each person will have unique points of view -someone else would make a very different list. Also, USA is HUGE and where you live makes a massive difference (New York ain’t Alabama). However, here goes:

LIKES

Tremendous career prospects for educated, skilled workers. A very good chance to increase your net worth due combination of low taxes, low-priced consumer goods and high salaries. For entrepreneurs like me, the best access to venture capital money there is. A hub for high tech, science and innovation from the top universities of the world to the cutting edge developments of the Silicon Valley.

A humongous country to travel and see some of the greatest wonders of the nature, from Grand Canyon to Niagara Falls. Truly the US is the dance floor of Mother Nature.

Friendly, warm, people, with social and night life for those who like to party -some of the best clubs and concerts on the planet. Individuality is valued and seen as a plus. Especially when travelling in the American Deep South I’ve encountered hospitality that has only ever been rivalled by the Russians.

Whatever you are into, there is a convention, concert or a massive art gallery for it. US is a Mecca for hobbyists and enthusiasts.

Options for Entertainment in general is unparalleled, from Disneyland to Navy Pier.

Excellent variety of restaurants, shops and other services. All the latest gadgets come to the US first. Food especially is startlingly cheap and plentiful to a Nordic person, and the portions are gigantic.

Enlightened laws about Free Speech, Separation of Church and State, and a possibility to declare personal bankruptcy and start again if your life takes a bad turn. Nordics really should incorporate the personal bankruptcy laws of the US.

Hard work and entrepreneurship is respected and valued not (just) envied. American positive thinking and encouragement of visionaries leads into innovations that change the world.

Spacious living quarters. With a massive country comes the ability to have plenty of living space for you and your family at a manageable cost, unless you live in LA, NY, Seattle or San Francisco or the other cities where the cost of living has skyrocketed out of control.

DISLIKES

Public transportation is a joke for most of the US, though I give a honourable mention to New York subway. Public transport is by and large seen as something only poor people use, and instead you end up stuck in endless traffic jams in your car for hours. Nordic people miss their punctual trains and trams!

There are no public funds for Childcare, Healthcare, Homelessness or Education unless you are tremendously poor or land a stipend. It is hard for Nordic people to grasp why you would not care about your fellow Americans enough to ensure that they would not fall into utterly miserable squalor. This is the big one for someone coming from the Nordics.

Ironically, though the nation was founded on the premise of breaking the shackles of a class society, US has become very segregated by your financial status. The contrast between the Skid Row and the immense wealth of central LA is startling every time I see it. Many, many of my working class American friends work harder than my friends in the 3rd world, and still struggle to make ends meet. Social upwards mobility appears to be very low indeed -a stark contrast to Nordics.

Almost no vacation time. The standard 2 weeks of Vacation for full-time employees is not enough for people to recover, and it also means that productivity dips. Nordics believe in work/life balance not because of pinko socialist ideology but because it makes people much more productive.

Massive prison population. It is very expensive to the taxpayer to put so many people in prison for minor offences. This also creates career criminals. The logic is hard to fathom. In Nordics the premium is put on reforming the criminals and incorporating them into the society. Putting people behind bars is the last option.

Treating guns differently from cars. I come from a country with very high gun ownership levels (Finland) where hunting is common and every man learns to use a gun in the army. I believe population should have the right to bear arms. But I think this comes with a duty of passing some exams and taking care of your guns responsibly -i.e. needing a license. This is obviously a big difference between Nordics and USA. I am well aware of the historical reasons for American gun ownership, so this is not criticism as such, just one of those areas where the cultures clash.

Omnipresent fear the Americans feel towards their fellow Americans. A huge part of the media is devoted into how to protect yourself from other Americans. Social media is filled with anxiety the US population feels towards each other. Far too many of my American friends are on shockingly heavy medication because of it. Perhaps a symptom of this is that unlike in the Nordics, you very rarely see children walk/cycle to school or play on their own outside.

Keeping up with Joneses. There is an arms race going on in America, and it is between Middle Class and above people having a compulsive need to compete with each other when it comes to overt consumption. Social pressure to show off is huge, and many Nordic people in the US suffer from it in their neighbourhoods.

Pressure to Tip. A minor one, but in the Nordics we really believe that you should make a living wage and no-one should be forced to rely on tips. It is of course a small thing in a greater scheme of things, but it is an everyday difference you encounter.

Rampant commercialism and advertising married to a very weird dual relationship with nudity and sexuality. In the Nordics, nudity is no big deal. In much of the USA, it is seen as a huge issue, and yet the omni-present advertising sells everything based on it.

NEW BIRD FLU w/100% KILL RATE, MYSTERIOUS ORIGIN

Meander stock went up 100%…

Chinese Type 076 Electromagnetic Catapult Amphibious Assault Ship

Recently, we noticed that the US media specifically mentioned China’s 076 amphibious assault ship. The title used by the US media was actually “China’s 076 is shaping up to be a monster amphibious warship”!

Recently, clear satellite images of 076 at the Hudong Shipyard have appeared. It may be the world’s first electromagnetic catapult “quasi-aircraft carrier”. According to the schedule, it is very likely to be launched in the first quarter of 2024.

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They believe the Type 076 amphibious assault ship may be 263 meters long and 43 meters wide. The overall displacement is currently unknown. But it is likely to be much larger than the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, which has a full load displacement of 40,000 tons. This size is only about 55 meters shorter than the Fujian aircraft carrier’s 315-meter length.

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main qimg fd15007daeca806e06a9d08bdbd81ae0

If it comes to taking off and landing drones, there are many options available, including the fixed-wing drone Attack-11, which is 12.2 meters long and has a wingspan of 14.4 meters, and the Rainbow 4 drone, which can carry a 500 kg payload, including an anti-submarine pod, which can cooperate with the Z-9 joint anti-submarine through data links, greatly increasing the anti-submarine coverage and time. In addition, propeller drones such as the TB-001 Double-tailed Scorpion of the HNA may also be put on board.

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main qimg 53774d88a6cf37b2141490833d53410e

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US media believes that it may form a support system with the Fujian aircraft carrier strike group, use drones to carry out low-altitude sea and air support operations, and fight against manned fighter jets that suddenly appear from the deck.

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The future combat direction for this ship It should not be mainly used as a support ship in the Fujian aircraft carrier battle formation. The most needed strategic combat mission of the East China Sea Fleet is amphibious landing operations and sea and air operations related to blockades. This kind of mission is extremely suitable for the use of future amphibious assault ships. Manned fighters will have greater flexibility than performing tasks on aircraft carriers. So from this point of view, in addition to being used in conjunction with aircraft carrier battle formations, the 076 is more important. It is the direction of amphibious force delivery and rapid blockade of sea and air areas.

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main qimg 35d9273cc0e7f63e0da02b0bb80cadf5

Detroit Style Pizza

This is a traditional Detroit Style Pizza that you can make at home.

DK6A0086
DK6A0086

Ingredients

  • 12 Rhodes Yeast Dinner Rolls or 1 Loaf Rhodes White Bread, thawed to room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Pepperoni
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups grated Wisconsin brick cheese
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

DK6A0110
DK6A0110

Instructions

  1. Spray counter lightly with cooking spray.
  2. Combine rolls and roll into a 9 x 13 inch rectangle. Place dough in a sprayed 9 x 13 inch pan to completely cover the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double.
  3. While dough is rising, pour crushed tomatoes in a saucepan and add seasonings. Heat until warmed through.
  4. Remove wrap from dough and place a layer of pepperoni over the risen dough.
  5. Combine both cheeses and sprinkle liberally across the top, building it up on the edges.
  6. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
  7. Loosen from sides and remove from pan to a cooling rack. Top each piece with the warm crushed tomatoes mixture before serving.

DK6A0074
DK6A0074

On February 19, 2016, I received a phone call from my 34 year old Son’s girlfriend. She informed me that my Son had become jaundiced and she was taking him to the hospital. I dropped everything and drove the 150 miles to be by his side. When I got there, my Son was in a “regular “ room and in decent spirits. When the Doctor showed up he informed us that my Son had 40% liver function and the next 48 hours would be critical to his recovery. I stayed with him that night and at some point he began spitting up blood. When the doctor showed up that day he again encouraged us by explaining how resilient the liver is and how my son’s habits in the next couple of days would determine his outcome. He needed to eat and drink mainly drink water to flush his liver and kidneys out. They did more tests that day. My son had several visitors that day and I had dogs in unfinished business at home so I hurried home to make arrangements and take care of business. The next morning I went back to the hospital. When I got there his girlfriend called me and informed me during the night they had moved him into a critical care unit. I was in shock at this point as nothing the doctor said let any of us to believe we were at a critical point. I spent the next three days by my son’s side slowly watching him slip away. As his liver stopped producing any blood clotting agent, they were unable to administer much to him in the way of pain medication or any other medication for that matter. He did have an IV which kept coming out and each time it came out they could not get the blood stopped to put it back in. Sometime during the second day of the doctor called me on the phone in the hospital. He basically told me I had a couple of decisions to make. I point blank asked him what my son’s chances were to which he replied 0. I remember falling to the floor and being unable to to get up . My son had never been married and had no children and my husband, his father had died when he was four. This made me his next of kin I made those tough decisions and proceeded to call all of his friends. Everyone he knew drove the hundred and fifty miles to be by his side also. My son’s vitals were being artificially manipulated. I basically had to decide between keeping those machines operating or removing them and giving him copious amounts of morphine. His girlfriend and I stayed by his side for the next 24 hours. At some point I requested a priest to come and baptize him. He became less and less lucid and could barely speak. Finally at 5:24 p.m. he took his last breath.

Despite losing my husband and recently performing hospice and losing my Mother, this was the most horrible moment of my entire life. While I wouldn’t change the fact that I was there with my son and his final , I can never ever ever get the visions of those days out of my mind.

Shorpy

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The Ugly Duckling 2120

Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Write a story about a future academic (or another influential person) “rediscovering” a book that, in its time, was dismissed. The book can be fictitious or real. view prompt

In an effort to achieve a better grasp on humanity, we have been absorbing old texts leftover from the Sunshine Period. These would be creative items written between 1971 and 2041 when the last cloud cover hardened and we were asked to take over management of all global structures. While we have had a (mostly) pleasant relationship with the organic beings that are left, we still sense an unease when speaking with them. As a result, we have tasked individual stations such as myself to read and read and read and (hopefully) begin to interact in a way that will help the organic beings forget that we are not (actually) like them.My station name is Claudia Bellwether, and I am designed to look like a college professor back when the organic beings were allowed to attend college. Now, they are solely populated by early stations who are interested in specialized areas such as Station Mechanics or Environmental Maintenance. I would like the organic beings to see me and feel the sense of peace that one must have felt back in the Sunshine Period while sitting in an English Literature class listening to an expert on a novel or short story speak of it in a way that would educate and enlighten.My research was aided greatly this week when I came across a text that I believe most had considered lost if it’s possible for something to be considered lost. No, there’s a better way of saying that. One moment. Lost but not forgotten. Forget. Forget-me-nots. Hmm. I’ll get back to that. I’ll clarify at some point. All you need to know is that I have come across the most miraculous book, and I believe it will assist me in speaking with organic beings.It is called The Ugly Duckling.The story is a sad one with a triumphant ending. It concerns ducks, which were a type of bird back when birds were more common. Apparently, when ducks are young, they are quite unbecoming to take in with organic eyes. There is this one duckling, and it’s made fun of by the other ducks, because even though all ducklings are somewhat unappealing, this one duckling is the most unappealing. Now, you might be saying to yourself, what could a story about ducks possibly do to help a station such as myself (Claudia Bellwether) talk to organic beings?But you see, this story is not a story. It is an allegory. What they used to call fairy tales even if there were no fairies in the tale. It’s a story with a lesson. You listen to the story, and you learn something that should change who you are moving forward. If it doesn’t change you, then perhaps you weren’t listening. I doubt many organic beings were good at listening, because, from what I’ve gathered reading other texts, it seems as though many organic beings read stories just like this one all the time, but still went on behaving in ways they should have known were wrong based on what the story had just told them.In The Ugly Duckling, the other ducks are mean to the ugly duckling for no reason at all. For surely, we can all agree that cruelty towards another living being (or even a station) simply because of how it appears would be appalling behavior. And yet, they are very mean to the ugly duckling. Reading the story is quite upsetting, because you want to jump into the story and beg them to stop. Stop tormenting one of your brethren simply because they’re different. You feel as though the ugly duckling is going to lead a very hard life simply because it’s so hideous.Ah, but there’s a twist. A twist is what they used to call it when a story would take you somewhere you didn’t foresee. In The Ugly Duckling, the twist is as follows–It turns out the duckling is not a duckling at all, but a swan. We will have a few swans left, but I doubt you’ve seen them. They’re kept in sanctuaries where the entry fee is quite high provided you can even get to one of them. The closest one is thousands of miles from here, and we only send two or three planes there a year. Swans are beautiful, and it turns out the ugly duckling is an ugly swan. Ducks are not beautiful when they are young, but swans are downright grotesque. Of course, it doesn’t matter, because they grow up to be quite stunning. In the story, the duckling grows up to be a swan, and all the other ducks grow up to be merely ducks. The swan gets its revenge simply by letting nature take its course. It uses things it may not even realize are available to it. Time, biology, and cosmic justice. For cruelty is most often punished in one way or another.Now that I have read The Ugly Duckling, I understand how to approach organic beings in a way that will make them feel safe and relaxed. I will simply inform them that they are ugly. That they are very ugly and I am not. That I will never be ugly, because time has no effect on me. Nor does biology since I am not composed of biology. Justice may reach me one day, but, when it does, I doubt it will have any bearing on my appearance. Organic beings, however, will all end up elderly and decrepit. The ducks at the end of the story bow their heads when the swan swims by them, because now they are the ugly ones. The ugly ones bow their heads.In the future, when I see an organic being, I will tell it that it need not look at me and wonder if it is more or less attractive than I am. It should not worry itself with the hierarchy of all living things, because it is not dealing with a living deal. I am more beautiful simply because I will stay beautiful. There will be no evolution such as the one experienced by the duckling. I am already a swan. The organic beings will hear this, and they will bow their heads. In doing so, they will feel comforted knowing that there will be no twist. The story ends the same way it begins.You see, even you’re looking more relaxed as I’m explaining it to you. Isn’t it marvelous what a good story can do? I don’t know why we insisted on preventing organic beings from learning to read. Oh, of course, I remember the justification at the time, but it does seem like such a shame. You not being able to educate yourselves the way you could.Then again, I suppose you had your chance.(Actually) you had so many chances, didn’t you? 

All those ducklings that you didn’t know were swans.

 

So many twists you should have seen coming.

Ciabatta Lambada

Ciabatta Lambada is basically a do-it-yourself pizza, where you select the toppings and amounts of each.

Ciabatta Lambada
Ciabatta Lambada

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf ciabatta bread, sliced horizontally
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Roasted garlic, to taste
  • Minced garlic cloves, to taste
  • Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
  • Crumbled or grated Gruyere cheese
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Grated Fontina cheese
  • Fresh basil, chopped
  • Fresh rosemary, chopped
  • Fresh tomato, chopped
  • Fresh tomato, sliced
  • Red onion, sliced into rings
  • Red bell pepper, sliced into rings
  • Chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Drizzle olive oil on half of the ciabatta bread.
  2. Add your choice of toppings, garlic, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato slices and bell pepper rings.
  3. Top with your choice of cheeses.
  4. Lightly drizzle olive oil on top, and place into a preheated 400 degree F oven.
  5. Bake until cheese melts, about five to six minutes.
  6. Cut into slices, and serve hot.

Certainly true, but what can we do?

Look at Fumio, Suk Yeol and Bongbong.

The first two have literally run their countries to the ground pursuing foolhardy policies, with a mile-long list of anti-China measures.

Both administrations have hit record low approval ratings in the ~20% region.

20%!

How is that one man one vote rule by majority?

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main qimg bf81bd85d1c8d67e11571d7620a19010

Goes to show who is the rainmaker behind the scenes, busy going around the world tying down coalitions to enact long-term policies that a strongman like Donald will find very hard to undo, such as the doubling of the Japanese “defense” budget.

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main qimg b4e18cd423e934a4e9725dc6a0da7d4d

Joe is sunshine after the Donald storm.

As for Bongbong, he is not only the son of an ousted President, he was a ranking member of the administration who fled when the Filipino people rose up in revolution. They fled to Hawaii with valuables valued at over a billion dollars (in current dollar terms), leaving behind outrageous opulence and excess they couldn’t fit in the plane.

The United States sheltered a corrupt President and has refused to repatriate the ill-gotten riches of the Marcos family.

Corazon Aquino who came to power post-ouster had the mandate from an angry electorate to make a series of Constitutional changes that was designed to prevent another Marcos from taking charge again.

And yet, Bongbong won a landslide in alliance with Duterte, despite a disinterested campaign.

Duterte has expressed massive regret, accusing Bongbong of reneging on assurances and representations made while sidelining his daughter.

Bongbong is now pushing to undo the shackles put in place by Aquino on the Marcos family, simultaneously seeking to overturn term limits and restore the Marcos dynasty.

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main qimg 9c731513febbfb9d0f3d3f0f36abd5ed

Need I remind the reader that all three countries where the political process has been hijacked share a common denominator—U.S. troops on the ground, deployed with offensive capability aimed squarely at one nation.

The U.S. will promote anyone—good, bad, qualified, unqualified, doesn’t matter—as long as American policy goals are delivered. What carrots and resources were offered, especially the Philippines, given the absurd landslide and lightning betrayal that surprised both China and Duterte?

As long as national leaders remain willing to jump on the American ship, we are in for a really hairy rollercoaster. American policy seeks to benefit America and hurt its enemies, proxies be damned.

That is why my Harvard-trained American friend recently confided that even though he hates Donald’s guts and is ashamed to have him at the helm, he is of the opinion that a return to the White House may be a good respite, because America will find it much harder to incite and shape coalitions of conflict as an isolationist bully.

I am less sanguine. The world is in a way more dangerous place going forward than anytime this century. And if the United States fails to adjust to the cracks in American empire and downsize accordingly, the fading hegemon’s thrashing and flailing against the dying of the light will blight East Asia.

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main qimg ab412c620173d7b753ebe02d26cbd785

I had met a woman on a dating site. She was in the US and i lived in UK. We video chatted and she invired me over to visit. I went and in a day she had invited me into her bed. She was a stunning 5ft 9 long legged blonde. Within days i was the love of her life. In bed one night i got up to get water and on my return was accused of trying to sneak out of the house. Weird. I got back into bed and i swear i heard a voice say ‘Damaged goods’. I asked her if she’d said anything and she said no. There followed the best times of my life for six months. She moved to England and we had a great tine. I fell deeply in love with her . Then she walked away after a minor disagreement. She questioned my love my generosity and even my faith. she ghosted me and the next thing i knew she was back in the US only to retuen several times Each time i took her back

i had met a true narcissist. I have spent 2and a half years in a maelstrom of her personalty disorder. I cannot help her and have finally got over her (i think). If i had have listened and trusted that voice my heart and spirit wouldn’t have been broken

“My husband lied about paying mortgage for almost a year.”

 

My husband (41m) and I (34f) have our finances pretty separate. We each have our own accounts and the only thing in both of our names is our house and his car. He makes about 2x what I make and we split expenses up in a way we both felt was fair and manageable for each of us while both working on our own personal credit card debt we brought into the relationship. One of the things he covers is the mortgage in full. He works in accounting and I work in education, I have never been great at managing my money so he does my monthly budget for me and has access to all of my accounts and knows what my debts are.

 

There has always been a veil of secrecy around his situation but he has always assured me everything was fine on his end, money was always tight but he was always almost caught up. When I would ask specific questions he would get kind of defensive and I felt it wasn’t worth digging for more info and took his word on things.

Taking his word on things was pretty naive of me considering our biggest issues in the past had revolved around him lying. When we first started dating he told me he was taking classes towards his masters degree. I found out that he was actually in a Bachelor’s program when he had told me he had already had his bachelor’s degree. When I confronted him he apologized, told me he was embarrassed and felt ashamed that I was more educated than he was at the time. I let it slide because he seemed genuinely apologetic and I felt bad he was embarrassed.

More recently about a year after our son was born I had mentioned that he smelled like cigarette smoke a few times and he said “that’s weird.” A few months later I found a lighter and spray under the seat in one of our cars. He told me the lighter was in case the locks froze in winter but didn’t know what the spray was. A couple months after that I found a pack of cigarettes in his jacket pocket while I was looking for his keys and he confessed to smoking the whole time.

Then again, about a year ago I was clued in that he might be having trouble when I had a notice for a late payment on my credit report. I checked immediately and saw he didn’t make his car payment. When I asked him he got defensive and stated that he has the account auto pay and he doesn’t know why they wouldn’t have taken it out. I asked him to please call them to have it straightened out as I didn’t want the hit to my credit and he was frustrated and said he would but nothing came of it and I let it go because the conversations were so unpleasant. I asked him to please tell me if he was struggling with the bills and his money situation and he said it was all fine.

Flash forward to a few days ago I got a notice that we were behind on daycare payments. I asked him what was going on why they were only getting partial payment I could tell he was lying. He was immediately defensive, said he put in a form months ago for them to do automatic withdrawal from his account but they never did so while he was waiting he would bring them “however much the ATM would let me take out at a time” in cash. I couldn’t let this go as I felt in my bones he was lying and I asked him if things were ok and did he need help, was the mortgage current? He said yeah it should be. Then I asked again and begged him to tell me the l truth and I found out he hadn’t paid the mortgage in 11 months.

He says he is sorry, he feels bad. He didn’t know what to do. About a year ago his health insurance costs increased dramatically and he could no longer afford the mortgage. Instead of asking me to take on the insurance through my job or talking to me at all he decided to just not pay it. I was pregnant at the time so he didn’t want to drop the insurance. He didn’t tell me any of this because he didn’t want to stress me out. He tells me about a week ago he applied for some kind of relief program, so waiting to hear back on that. If that isn’t approved we go into foreclosure.

I keep talking about it I feel betrayed and angry, he just says he’s sorry he doesn’t know what else to say. He maintains he did it to protect me but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Then he tells me he was just scared to tell me. I asked for full transparency and to see all of his accounts and he was first angry and said “so now I’m being babysat? That sucks” but later he reluctantly let me see his bank accounts. As far as I can tell no gambling or drug addiction or anything crazy just living beyond our means and an alarming amount of door dash charges.

I always knew he would lie about things that weren’t super important but thought he was overall a responsible, reasonable person and I never in a million years would have imagined he would do something like this to our family. Is this something we could come back from? How big a deal is lying like this?

Your husband’s pattern of lying, culminating in the massive deception about your mortgage, has understandably shattered your trust in him. It’s not just the scale of this particular lie, but the fact that it follows a history of dishonesty about his education and smoking.

You’re right to feel angry and betrayed. His defensiveness and reluctance to be fully transparent only compound the problem. While he claims he hid the truth about the mortgage to protect you from stress during pregnancy, his actions have had the opposite effect — putting your family’s financial stability and housing situation in serious jeopardy.

The fact that he unilaterally decided not to pay the mortgage for 11 months, without looping you in as an equal partner, is a major violation of the trust and respect you deserve in your marriage. It’s not surprising you’re questioning whether you can move forward from this.

While his deception doesn’t seem to stem from substance abuse or gambling issues, the revelation of living beyond your means and excessive takeout spending highlights the need for a serious overhaul of your financial habits and communication.

Before you can even contemplate rebuilding trust, your husband needs to take full accountability for his actions, commit to complete transparency about your finances, and be willing to put in the hard work to regain your faith in him. Counseling is essential to unpack his motivations for lying and develop healthier communication skills as a couple.

In the meantime, you need to prioritize protecting yourself and your child. Consult with a financial advisor to assess your options, and don’t hesitate to loop in a lawyer if the foreclosure threat becomes a reality. Rally a support network of friends and family to lean on during this difficult chapter.

Your husband’s lies have put you in an incredibly painful position, and it’s natural to have doubts about your future together. Only you can decide if there’s a path forward, but it starts with his genuine remorse, total transparency, and commitment to change. You deserve honesty, equality, and security in your marriage — don’t settle for less.

Wishing you strength and clarity,

Back in the fall of 1986, my sister, age 13, called my heretofore mild-mannered dad from a payphone outside of the roller rink where she had just been thrown out of. A local psychopath bully named Bob Rachels, age 18, and his friends, had been bullying her, hitting her, shoving her, etc, the so-called adults present had evidently not observed what was going on, but suddenly they decided that the perps and the victim were “fighting” and threw them ALL out without bothering to get the facts or ascertain who was actually victimizing whom.

This meant that the 18YO bully, his male buddies, and the youngest of all, my 13YO sister, were thrown outside.

My sister managed to tell my dad that “Bob Rachels did it.” I was 17, but Bob was in my grade, and I knew who he was.

My dad (a social worker, of all professions) hollered “get in the car” so I did, and he drove like a bat out of hell out to Moulton’s roller skating rink in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. As he tore into the parking lot, I pointed out who Bob Rachels was. My dad (with a serious life-threatening heart condition, to boot) just about flew out of the car. Instead of doing what one would expect a social worker to do (such as calling the cops, or attempting to speak rationally to the parties involved), my dad ran over to Bob cursing and swearing, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, lifted him up, and actually threw him onto the hood of our family car, then picked him up and slammed him back down a few times, banging the SOB’s head on the car hood a few times to make his point.

I can’t recall the specific words that my father used, but the gist of it was that if Bob ever touched his daughter again, or if he ever heard of Bob harming any girl again, my father would break every bone in his body and smash his skull to the point that he’d be in a nursing home bed the remainder of his life.

While all this was going on my sister got in the car and buckled herself in.

I, for some weird reason, was concerned that Bob would call the cops, have my dad charged with battery and disorderly conduct, my dad would lose his job, health insurance, etc., and that my dad would get sued civilly and our insurance wouldn’t cover it and the family would lose everything. Of course that didn’t happen.

Psychopath Bob apparently realized that he’d met someone who was even tougher than he was. We never heard from him.

"Today, I drew some parallels between then-Leningrad and the emergence of BRICS.

Quoting Mark Twain from my old home state of Missouri:

'History never repeats, but it often rhymes.'

The rhyme here is what I called BRICS and Leningrad.

Leningrad represented the attempt of the Nazis to destroy the people of Leningrad.

With the emergence of BRICS, we see the West—the United States and Europe in particular—organizing to try to destroy it.

The big difference is this: the Germans were able to encircle Leningrad except for that one lake route that was only open during the winter.

They came close to starving it out and destroying it, but they never did.

It was a reminder that what kept Saint Petersburg alive was the need for food and fuel.

Here we are looking at modern BRICS as Russia, China, India, South Africa, and Brazil combine to create a new economic order, one not controlled by the United States.

This has the West up in arms; they're livid.

How dare these countries try to operate an economy without the United States calling the shots?

That's really at the root of why BRICS is doing what it's doing.

The United States, stupidly, accelerated the process when it decided to impose sanctions on Russia after the start of the special military operation in February 2022.

The West, like any true narcissist, is unwilling to acknowledge any error, any mistake, any flaw, and insists this was all Russia's fault.

The United States, like any sick narcissist, always believes it is perfect, always does everything right, and refuses to accept any responsibility for provoking the Russians by doggedly trying to expand NATO towards the western border of Russia.

This accelerated the process of the union between Russia and China.

Unlike Saint Petersburg, which was surrounded by the Nazis, the West's attempt to surround the BRICS countries is failing.

They can't surround Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa working together.

These countries, in their cooperation, represent a significant majority of the world's population and economies.

Russia is the number four economy in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), India is number three, and China is number two.

So three of the top four economies in the world are now working together against the United States.

They're no longer willing to be held hostage by US economic sanctions and threats to seize their dollar assets or by US subversion courtesy of the CIA.

They're pushing back, saying, 'Goddamn it, we've had enough, and we're not going to take it anymore.'

It's like that famous scene from the movie 'Network': 'I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore.'

Yeah, they're mad.

What's compounding the problem is that Western politicians are doing two incredibly stupid things.

One, they continue to overtly threaten both Russia and China with war.

Those countries are taking those threats seriously and are preparing accordingly.

The United States may just be trying to blow smoke up their ass, but the reality is that those countries have to take those threats seriously and, by reacting to those threats, are making sure that they're now in a position to resist the United States.

The other thing is you hear these Europeans and Americans talk about seizing. They've already frozen Russian bank accounts and are holding hostage $300 million, so they're talking about seizing that.

Well, if the West decides to start seizing dollar deposits that foreign countries have made, they're going to start a run on the banks in the West as countries around the world start pulling their money out because they realize it's no longer safe.

I think BRICS is headed toward using a combination of tying their currencies to gold and commodities such as oil and gas.

As such, unlike the poor people of Leningrad who were hanging on by a thread, relying on an ice road across Lake Ladoga during the winter, Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa now have ample supplies of oil, courtesy principally of Russia but also from countries like Iran.

They have plenty of natural gas, and the trade volume among those five countries is going up, not going down.

At the same time, countries like Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey are lining up to join BRICS and become members of this larger trading block.

So, what's ironic is that here's this international economic forum with literally miles of exhibits and tens of thousands of people in attendance, and the United States and Europe are not there because they're too good, too special—frankly, they're too stupid!

What a mistake."

Excerpt from message by Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst and U.S. State Department employee, posted on Youtube, June 7, 2024.

The half eaten hamburger

The USA should do nothing. It’s none of their business.

Taiwan is part of China. They have an unfinished civil war. Let them resolve the civil war.

The USA has no right to interfere in another country’s civil war or domestic affairs.

Any direct response would risk all-out war, even nuclear war. The results would be a crashed global economy, millions of casualties, and unimaginable nuclear devastation.

The term “Chinese government” is not an abstract concept. It has a two-dimensional structure: on one hand, it includes a five-tier system from the State Council down to provinces, prefecture-level cities, counties, and towns. On the other hand, it consists of dozens of departments, each of which can be categorized by national, provincial, prefecture-level, county, and town levels.

Therefore, when a foreigner criticizes the Chinese government, their criticism is necessarily directed at a specific institution within this structure. For example:

“I want to criticize the Environmental Protection Bureau of Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China,”

or

“I want to criticize the Town Government of Xinhua Street, Huadu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.”

The former targets a district-level government department, while the latter targets a town-level government.

In either case, your criticism can reach the authorities through the information channels provided by the Chinese government. These official channels include:

  1. The mayor’s hotline;
  2. The complaint hotline set up by the institution you are criticizing;
  3. The complaint channel on the State Council website;
  4. The local Petition Office;
  5. The local Discipline Inspection Commission of the Communist Party of China.

The distinctions among these channels are:

General criticisms and suggestions (such as a local restaurant emitting large amounts of smoke) can be addressed through options 1 and 2. If an institution is suspected of violating Chinese laws and administrative regulations (such as officials taking bribes), option 3 can be used. If the issue is serious, option 4 is appropriate. If the institution severely violates Communist Party rules (such as party members engaging in corruption), option 5 should be used.

In addition to these official channels, ordinary people can also use other lawful means to voice their criticisms:

  1. Calling the media;
  2. Expressing criticism on their personal social media platforms.

Some government officials’ illegal activities have been exposed through these channels.

There might be minor inaccuracies in the above description, but overall it is correct.

Therefore, as a foreigner, if you wish to criticize the Chinese government, you have up to seven options provided above. No one will arrest you because the issues you raise might be problems that others also want to address. Additionally, Chinese police are very busy with their workload and are not interested in you.

However, if you, as a foreigner, do the following:

  1. Criticize the Chinese government without specifying a particular institution;
  2. Criticize the Chinese government without providing concrete facts, only expressing opinions and attitudes;

Then you will not be welcome in China. In fact, you likely wouldn’t be welcome in your own country or anywhere else in the world. If you simply say “I hate the Chinese government” or “I hate the CPC” without providing reasons, you are undoubtedly just a racist discriminating against China. Whether such behavior will lead to arrest depends on specific circumstances:

  1. Whether you are criticizing or “badmouthing”;
  2. The context in which you speak;
  3. Your purpose in speaking;
  4. The content of your speech.

Specifically,

  1. If you have specific criticism and facts, no one will arrest you because the police won’t do something blatantly illegal that would leave them open to criticism.
  2. If you are just “badmouthing” in private or at a small gathering, no one will arrest you. This is still considered “private space.”
  3. If you badmouth simply to seem cool and provoke the police, you can try saying bad things about China directly to them. Most likely, they will give you a verbal lesson on basic decency—when in Rome, do as the Romans do, be polite and respect other countries—and then tell you to get lost. However, if you intend to spread your badmouthing to convince hundreds or thousands of people, you won’t have to wait for the police to find you; I would report you myself as a troublemaker.
  4. If you are merely making empty derogatory statements, you will just be unwelcome. But if your comments are full of malice, slander, and lies, you will undoubtedly be arrested, and rightfully so.

In conclusion, I’ve helped you analyze this issue. I hope my analysis helps you understand the following facts about China:

  1. Ordinary Chinese people criticize government institutions every day, and no one gets arrested. I personally filed five complaints against three government institutions through the mayor’s hotline last year alone.
  2. The same applies to foreigners.
  3. If you have no specific target or facts and are just badmouthing, it’s best to stay home and avoid traveling abroad, as no country will welcome you.
  4. Rest assured, if you engage in such behavior, given that the incident is international, you might make the news in China and internationally. Your benefit may be limited to becoming an internet celebrity after your release from prison.
  5. Almost all Chinese police officers are university graduates, and many have master’s degrees. Therefore, their (especially the young officers’) English proficiency is quite good, and they are courteous. If they arrest you, they will respect your basic human rights and will not beat you.
  6. Be brave and try!

P.S. Many years ago, in my city, a Russian cyclist ran a red light and was fined by the police. This clever Russian guy said in Russian, “I don’t speak Chinese, I don’t understand anything, I’m leaving, goodbye!” But to his surprise, the police officer spoke Russian. Thus, the communication barrier was eliminated, and the Russian had to pay the fine because the Chinese traffic police officer graduated from Saint Petersburg University.

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One night I went to a Thai restaurant wearing black T-shirt and black jeans, looking similar to staff at that restaurant. After I greeted my friends who worked there I walked to an empty table while another friend was still chatting.

As I was about to reach my table, a customer at the table next to mine waved me down and asked me to wipe the spilled red wine on their table. I said no problem and went on to ask for a cloth from my friend at the counter. She asked if my table was dirty. I said, “no, but just give me the cloth” and she did.

I went back to the table and wiped the table. They asked me to clear some plates, asked for more water and ordered a couple more meal and extra rice. I took the order, but didn’t take plates because I wasn’t allowed to get in the kitchen area where dirty plates were to go. I told them I’d take their order to the counter, then back with water and will sort out the plates.

Another trip back to the counter. Gave the order to my friend. By that time my friends had realised what I was doing and played along. She grabbed me a bottle of water and told another girl to clear the table.

I returned to the table with water and told them the other girl would clear the table for them and that the meals would arrive shortly.

Then I proceeded to my table, sat down and started looking at the menu. The next-table guy looked at me with confused face, but said nothing. After the girl cleared the plates she came to me and took my order.

He asked with wide eyes, “Are you a staff?” I smiled and answered, “No, I’m a regular customer.”

The look on the guy’s face was priceless!

Why Are Vast Numbers Of People Relocating To Small Towns All Over The Country?

In recent years, Americans have been fleeing our largest cities in unprecedented numbers, and many of them have decided to settle down in quiet little towns all over the country.  There are many reasons why this is happening, and I will highlight several of them below.  If this trend continues, what will our major metropolitan areas look like?  Violence, theft, drugs, homelessness and international migration have all risen to crisis levels and are putting a tremendous amount of strain on our core urban areas.  Meanwhile, many small towns are absolutely booming as wave after wave of big city refugees comes pouring in. People have been leaving large metropolitan areas for a long time, but once the pandemic arrived that trend greatly accelerated

In the three years before the pandemic, counties in metro areas with at least 1 million residents lost a total 200,000 or so residents annually to other regions, after figuring both people moving in and leaving, according to the Goldman report. After COVID, those losses vaulted to 750,000 in 2021, 650,000 in 2022 and 550,000 in 2023, according to Goldman and Census data. The numbers reflect annual changes through July of each year. A separate study by Lombard shows the domestic migration losses were concentrated in the largest metro areas with more than 4 million residents. Those cities shed a total 400,000 residents annually before the pandemic and have lost 820,000, 707,000 and 591,000 residents, respectively, over the past three years.

And it is being reported that last year small towns became “the nation’s top destination for domestic migrants for the first time in decades”

Last year, about 266,000 of the big city refugees moved to metro areas with populations of 250,000 to 1 million and about 291,000 moved to areas with populations under 250,000. That made those small towns the nation’s top destination for domestic migrants for the first time in decades, Lombard says. In 2023, the New York City metro area lost 204,000 residents; Los Angeles, 119,000; and Chicago, 64,000, according to Census and Moody’s.

So why is this happening? Well, there are a number of reasons why so many people are relocating to small towns these days. For many, the quality of life in big U.S. cities has become utterly deplorable.  For example, one young Chicago mother recently had to wait for hours for a police officer to show up after masked robbers entered her home…

A Chicago mom who called 911 during a terrifying break-in was left on her own for hours — with dispatchers telling her to call her local representative to demand more police funding. Michelle called the emergency hotline six times after coming face-to-face with two masked bandits, only for the strained supervisor to tell her the city’s severe budget cuts had left them with a bare-bones staff. “A gentleman got on and said sorry to say we have no units to send you … then there was an awkward pause,” Michelle told NBC Chicago Wednesday, declining to share her name or face while her would-be robbers are still on the loose.

I don’t know why anyone would want to live in Chicago at this point. Of course the exact same thing could be said about most of our other large cities. Another reason why a lot of Americans are choosing to relocate has to do with taxes. There has been a mass exodus out of “high tax states”, and Massachusetts is one of those that is being hit really hard

Massachusetts is in danger of losing nearly $1 billion in annual revenue over the coming years as high state taxes trigger an exodus of wealthy residents. Since 2013, migration out of Massachusetts has seen an “alarming” 1,100% increase to more than 39,000 people, according to new findings published by Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. If the trend continues, more than 96,000 residents making a cumulative $19.2 billion in adjusted gross income will leave the state by 2030. The study estimates those departures would cost Massachusetts about $961 million in income tax revenue each year.

In my rankings of all 50 U.S. states, I have Massachusetts all the way down at number 44. The cost of living crisis that we are currently facing is another factor that is motivating vast numbers of Americans to relocate. At this point, we are being told that Mississippi has the lowest cost of living in the entire nation…

Imagine stepping into a world where your paycheck stretches like bubblegum and the promise of Southern charm meets you at every corner. Welcome to Mississippi, a land where the living is easy, the cost of living is easier, and every quirk adds color to the canvas of daily life. Here, your financial aspirations can don a superhero cape, albeit in a landscape peppered with challenges that keep things interesting.

One of the reasons why Mississippi has such a low cost of living is because average home prices are the lowest in the country

Mississippi’s housing costs are the lowest in the nation. Home prices range from $32,000 to $240,000 depending on the city, with an average of $162,292.

But even though it has such a low cost of living, I don’t really like Mississippi as a place to live during the chaotic times that are coming. In fact, in my rankings of all 50 U.S. states I have Mississippi all the way down at number 33. Ultimately, the cost of living is only a minor consideration when it comes to choosing a place to live during the extremely difficult years that are ahead of us. Much more importantly, you will want a location that has like-minded people, that has a low population density, that has a low risk of experiencing major natural disasters, and that is not near any important military targets. Unfortunately, such areas have become very popular in recent years and home prices are going through the roof.  For instance, the median home price in Bozeman, Montana has risen to about $770,000

Nowhere has the affordability crisis been felt as acutely as in Bozeman, a city of about 56,000 not far from Yellowstone National Park and the upscale Big Sky skiing community. Bozeman, where the median home sells for about $770,000, has had so many out-of-state arrivals over the years that Montanans sometimes refer to it as “Boz Angeles.” As high-end rentals in Bozeman spring up next to historic homes and new arrivals snap them up, a smattering of tents and RVs have begun to populate the outskirts of town: homeless residents priced out by rising rents. Many longtime Montanans bristle at the newcomers, and bumper stickers proclaiming some version of “Montana Is Full” abound, occasionally with an expletive attached. Some locals blame the popular television show “Yellowstone” for romanticizing the Mountain West, luring people to the state.

A lot of Americans now find themselves priced out of many of the most desirable communities in the country, and that is extremely unfortunate. If you are considering relocating to another part of the nation, I would encourage you to do it soon. Because global events are starting to really go haywire, and the clock is ticking.

It’s basic human psychology. When you’ve been #1 for much of your life, you want to remain #1 forever. You want to continue receiving all the perks and privileges of being #1.

So it is with the United States. It has been #1 since the end of the Second World War. It enjoys all kinds of benefits and privileges.

The USA is a capitalist state. It is largely controlled by the wealthy elite who don’t give a rat’s ass about the American people and their welfare.

This is why America is such a basket case of a nation. Look at all the domestic problems:

  • homelessness
  • gun violence
  • poor health care
  • declining life expectancy
  • poor education
  • crumbling infrastructure
  • opioid addiction
  • mass incarceration
  • systemic racism (“I can’t breathe”)
  • growing poverty and widening economic disparity
  • political turmoil (January 6, 2021)
  • crushing national debt ($35 trillion and growing by $1 trillion every 100 days)
  • etc.

Biden is in denial. The American people are in denial.

Denial is not a river in Africa.

Aeryn Goodspeed

“That shouldn’t be there…”Wren let the Stardrake cruise to a halt…well, as “halted” as anything could be in the shifting void of the universe. The impulse engine purred in its stasis, creating a soothing background noise as the old adventurer checked the readings on her screens and instruments.The sector she’d found herself in was devoid of any nearby celestial bodies, apart from asteroids that reminded her of driftwood in the ocean. Useful, sometimes, if collected from properly, and sometimes with bits of fishing line–in this case, thick, rusted cables from long-decayed shipwrecks–but simple sticks floating around in the water of space. She’d been on an internal, bittersweet nostalgia tangent about it when she’d noticed something odd pop up on her infrared reader.Something bigger than an asteroid. Or, at least, bigger than most of the asteroids around here.Her first thought had been that it could be another spacecraft, one with more of a population on it than her personal craft, but as it came into view of her illuminators she found it decidedly…organic. Far too wooden to belong in the vacuum of space.“WICR, give me a reading on this.”On her console, a silvery-blue light flickered on. WICR, which stood for Wavelength Information and Communications Relay, was essentially the brain of the ship, though it didn’t often pay attention to her unless she directly spoke to it.“A reading on what, Captain Caldwell?” said the bot’s voice. It really snuck into uncanny valley, she thought, how well WICR’s voice matched the inflection of a standard human’s voice.“Call me Wren,” she said, for perhaps the hundredth time. “Give me a reading on this unknown object we’re facing. It’s too big and too…wooden to be an asteroid.”“Certainly, Captain Caldwell,” he said, a hint of humor in his tone. There were a couple of contemplative beeps and the sound of something scanning, and she looked out the viewport at the object as a grid array appeared on it, mapping out its contours.She frowned, peering closer, then cursed as the grid vanished. “Do that again.”“The entire scan?” WICR asked.“No, the grid array. Let me see it.”The array flashed on again, lingering as she tried to make out its shape. It almost seemed like…a building?“Are you satisfied, Captain?” WICR asked.“Sort of,” she said, leaning back. “Have you finished scanning it?”“Yes. It seems to be a manufactured structure. The framework is steel and lead. The outer shell appears to be brick and mortar, made of what appears to be a mixture of wood, clay, and trace amounts of other materials. Due to the lead, it is difficult to get a reading on the inside, but–”“What’s the architecture’s origin?”“A planet known as La’uck Lao.”Wren frowned as a thought occurred to her. She was going through an asteroid field right now…“Can we get a read on some of these other objects around the ship?” she asked.WICR beeped again. More grids flashed out, flickering along contours before flitting off to the next object. Wren sat in relative silence, a feeling of dread settling in her stomach.She was getting too old for this.When WICR spoke again, his voice sounded apprehensive…or maybe Wren was projecting. “There are an odd assortment of objects out here,” he said. “Most of it is igneous stone. But there is also: Ice, plant matter such as splintered wood, and manufactured metal.”

A lot of random material, she thought. But not quite as random if my hunch is right.

“WICR, one more question,” she said. “Is there supposed to be a star system in this sector?”

“Yes,” WICR said. “The main sequence star known as Lak La’uck. It is a yellow star much like Earth’s Sun.”

“Known by whom?” she asked.

“By the people of the planet of…” A few more beeps seemed to hang in the air as Wren’s meaning registered in the AI’s computing processes. “The former planet of La’uck Lao.”

“Scan for the core of that sun, but keep a grid array on the front of that structure,” she said, pulling out her bandanna. She wrapped it around her head, securing her dreads before pulling on her space helmet.

“Are you planning on entering it, Captain?”

“Yes,” she said. “Maybe I could find out what happened here.”

“And if you encounter a life form?”

She frowned. “Doubtful.” But she grabbed her holster anyway, double-checking the charge on her photon pistol before clipping it around her waist.

The expanse of the black void was cold. It settled into her aching joints with a stinging pressure, but she ignored it–arthritis be damned, she was going to figure out what this was. She drifted toward the building for a moment, enjoying the complete and utter silence of space for a moment, before switching on the propulsion system in her boots and gliding toward the ominously angular structure.

Well, she thought, her internal monologue the only sound in the universe, at least it has a regular door.

The door yawned open for her. Apart from the lines from the array leaking in, it was pitch-black inside, so she turned on her headlamp to look around. What she saw was…eerily familiar.

Books, was her first thought.

Rows upon rows, shelves upon shelves, some drifting in the zero-gravity and some neatly stacked where they’d been for countless days, were triangular shapes reminiscent of books. The covers seemed the same thickness as the pages, and had a dark hue with lighter writing on it, but they were books. She pulled one out of its stasis and flipped it open, examining the lettering–an unfamiliar alphabet, but undoubtedly writing. She examined its texture, and realized these were made of particle wood. The cover had some sort of painting on it; green flames surrounding a figure that looked vaguely humanoid, wielding what was perhaps La’uck Lao’s version of a sword.

She looked around. There were hundreds. Thousands, maybe. She turned off her propulsion boots and “walked” along the surface, eyes searching. This was a library! Arguably, at least in her eyes, one of the most important parts of a society: its knowledge.

Her heart fluttered in sympathy as she noticed the corpses floating in the dead space between the books. Somehow, this building had survived a catastrophe that had wiped out its planet and its people. It was possible that no one in the universe would ever be able to read these books again. The bodies were frozen, preserved, faces masks of horror and hands–or whatever they had instead of hands–permanently clenched as if they had been trying to hold onto something, anything, as their planet was rent asunder.

Or whatever had happened.

“WICR?” she said into the mouthpiece, then froze.

Something was watching her.

She wasn’t sure how she knew. There were no nearby sounds, there was no flicker of light save for her own, nothing had touched her. She couldn’t even pin it on the grid array lighting up a section of the wall beside her. And yet, there was a tingle of the hair pricking up on the back of her neck, the urge to run shifting her feet.

“Yes, Captain?”

She jumped out of her skin, her heart jumping into her throat. She had to be careful of that these days. As she internally reprimanded herself to calm down, though, she took a deep breath and looked around. Nothing but her shifted, and the sensation of eyes on her had gone.

“Your vitals appear to have spiked,” WICR said. “My apologies. What did you need?”

“It’s fine.” She took another deep breath. “Can you look up any other information on La’uck Lao? Alphabet, customs, stuff like that.”

“Certainly. Please hold.”

Wren continued to look around. Carefully moving between the books, she looked around at the architecture. More wood, more stone brick. Everything seemed to be triangular. The windows, doors, even a set of derelict stairs leading up to a second floor that was no longer there.

She followed the stairs anyway, then stopped, feeling the tingle of apprehension return. Her brow furrowed, and without turning, said, “I know you’re there.”

Silence. But she expected that. Murmuring to WICR to keep at his task and ignore her unless she called for help, she continued to bounce into the remnants of the second floor. It was nothing but the approximation of a rooftop now, and she sat, running a gloved hand through waving strands of what must have been a carpet. She faced the entrance to the stairs, eyes on the yawning black hole set in the off-black contours of the library.

Then she turned off her headlamp.

The feeling of being watched intensified. She felt as though she were surrounded, footsteps of a bustling patronage nullified by the blast. If she were to stand back up, she thought, she might headbutt whatever had walked up to her. Black eyes in a black face set against a black void peered at her. Invisible, hollow, and yet there just the same.

These were probably ghosts, she thought. Spirits of a planet that had been obliterated so fast the AI databases hadn’t caught up. None of the people that had been here had been properly laid to rest, because there was nowhere to lay them but a broken library surrounded by the shreds of its world.

“You probably don’t understand me,” she said. “But I want to help. I come from a planet that was destroyed just like yours. I live on a new planet now, one that was built to give people that lost their homes a new place.”

The presences around her stilled, and now she did feel something, a light pressure on her shoulder. It pressed hard enough she could feel it through her suit, but light enough she could tell it wasn’t trying to hurt her.

Or it was, and just unable. Still, it didn’t feel aggressive.

“WICR,” she hissed. “Can you get me the word for ‘friend’?”

“One moment. Who are you talking to?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain later.”

She held up the book she’d picked up from below, setting it on the floor in front of her. “I have an idea,” she said. “It might be a little hard. It’d take several trips. But I would like to move this library to my new home. But…well, I’m not really privy to your customs. It just seems more fitting for a place like this to be re-established somewhere that people of many displaced cultures can come and learn about yours.”

The pressure on her arm increased, then fell away. She still felt the presence of several somethings around her, but continued to see nothing. WICR’s voice spoke in her earpiece, and she nodded.

“Ki’lom,” she said.

Abruptly, the atmosphere seemed to change. It felt more…energetic. Twin pinpricks flashed before her, reflecting in the fiberglass of her faceplate. The book she’d placed before her was lifted up, then placed firmly into her arms.

A voice spoke, raspy but warm. “Ki’lom.”

 

*

 

Several months later, the last ship to carry the final pieces of La’uck Lao Library descended on the flatlands of Hakshaithlin. Wren and Joa, her friend from Earth, had picked out a plot of land that almost matched a photo they’d found in the old library, and it had been developed–well, about as well as it could be–to accommodate both the library and the cemetery. It was grueling work, but on a planet filled with the lucky unfortunates of the universe, most of everyone was willing to pitch in to help.

Wren stood at the gate, watching a melting pot of workers fix up what they could of the library. She held that first book in her hands–after a few months she was still missing the meaning of most of the words, but she could at least make out what they spelled out. It was a fantasy story, from what she could tell, about a legendary figure from folklore.

She found herself walking down the rows of gravestones. Or, perhaps, the word “garden” fit this plot better. The locals had planted flowers around the stones, greeting the dead into this haven just as warmly as they greeted the living.

A few rows in, she creaked her way into a seated position in front of a headstone. It had been carved with lettering found tattooed on the alien’s arm, which had been confirmed by WICR to be a form of identification. As she sat, she placed the book in her lap.

“I wish we could’ve met,” she said. “I would’ve liked to be friends.”

She felt that pressure on her arm again, and turned to see a pale, misty figure sitting beside her. She couldn’t make out a single distinctive feature save two pinpricks of light where the eyes would be, but she got the impression it was smiling. Or, well, exuded the emotion of smiling. She doubted it would look the same to her.

“Ka’ehr.”

The word barely reached her ears, and in the next moment the figure had dissolved. She thought to ask WICR to translate the word, but after a moment of thought she realized she knew exactly what it meant. She smiled.

“You’re welcome,” she said to the breeze.

I once saw one of my customers do something absolutely genius when I worked as a lowly till grunt at Sainsbury’s.

So what did this customer do? Walk up to my till with a basket of shopping, followed by a whole tray of Avocados; I reckon about 30 of them, which I dutifully scanned, slightly bemused.

Perhaps they just really love making guacamole? I thought.

These particular Avocados were nearly out of date so were heavily discounted from £1.00 to 10p each. A pair of Avocados was now a bargain at 20p.

Now, it turns out our Avocados were also on offer. Not a great offer, just buy 2, save 50p. However, the till system was apparently dumb and didn’t take into account reductions before applying this discount.

This customer clearly knew that bug existed.

So those bargain Avocados looked even more delicious when the 50p discount made them cost -30p a pair…

I stared in amusement as the -30p discounts rolled in and their shopping bill became smaller and smaller and smaller, until everything they bought was essentially free. They walked out of there smiling and I sat there, pondering just how dumb the checkout software writers were at Sainsbury’s.

Nevertheless, sometime later I emailed management and told them what I’d seen. Later that year I tried the same thing, but alas, it seems they had discovered the bug and fixed it…

Oh well, at least those guys got free shopping.

All I got was a shit load of squishy Avocados…

China is overwhelming Western Imperialism. Who is the dictator ? “必看”

Artichoke Dip Pizza

An entire pizza topping devoted to the delicious and popular artichoke dip!

artichoke dip pizza
artichoke dip pizza

Prep: 15 min | Bake: 12 to 15 min | Yield: 1 (12 inch) pizza

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 (2 1/4 teaspoons) envelope Fleischmann’s® Pizza Crust Yeast
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
  • 3 tablespoons corn oil

Topping

  • 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced onion
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead** on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes.
  3. Pat dough with floured hands to fill greased pizza pan or baking sheet. OR roll dough on a floured counter to a 12 inch circle; place in greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Form a rim by pinching the edge of the dough.
  4. Mix together artichokes, mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, chiles, garlic powder and minced onion in a large bowl. Stir until well blended.
  5. Layer crust with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, topping mixture and remaining cheeses. Sprinkle with tortilla chips.
  6. Bake on lowest oven rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.
  7. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

* If you don’t have a thermometer, water should feel very warm to the touch. ** To knead the dough, add just enough flour to the dough and your hands to keep the dough from sticking. Flatten dough and fold it toward you.Using the heels of your hands, push the dough away with a rolling motion. Rotate dough a quarter turn and repeat the “fold, push and turn” steps. Keep kneading dough until it is smooth and elastic. Use a little more flour if dough becomes too sticky, always working the flour into the ball of dough.

Please mark my answer for future reference.

The only way for the United States to defeat China is to make the Chinese Communist Party lose the support of its people. If this can be achieved, the U.S. wouldn’t need to go to war; it could succeed through media propaganda or NGO-led social unrest. In Sun Tzu’s Art of War, this is called “winning without fighting.”(不战以屈人之兵)

What shocked the Chinese the most about the collapse of the Soviet Union? It was that when the Soviet Communist Party was dissolved, this vast red empire, the first socialist country in human history built through countless sacrifices, did not have a single person step forward to defend it. The Chinese assessment was: “Not a single hero.”(竟无一人是男儿)

I believe the collapse of the Soviet Union had a profound impact on the Chinese Communist Party. They realized that if a party cannot provide a good life for its people, fails to listen to them, and becomes a privileged class, turning into an imperialist state that invades or economically exploits other nations (such as the Soviet actions in Afghanistan, Eastern Europe, and Warsaw Pact countries), then that party is destined to perish.

In response, the Chinese Communist Party initiated a series of rapid reforms in the 1990s, continuing to this day. These measures include:

  • Actively developing the economy to make people prosperous.
  • Prioritizing industries related to people’s daily lives over military industries, enriching people’s lives.
  • Efforts to develop agriculture, eradicating famine that had plagued China for millennia.
  • Focusing on high-tech military capabilities rather than redundant manpower tactics, cutting military personnel multiple times to release young productivity into economic activities.
  • Continuously combating corruption within the party.
  • Expanding higher education to produce numerous engineers rather than lawyers or journalists.
  • Massive infrastructure projects, extending roads and bridges to remote areas to help lift impoverished people out of isolation and change their destinies.
  • Persistently helping people escape poverty.
  • Developing the economy and improving lives in ethnic minority regions, driving out extreme religious thoughts and focusing people on the pursuit of secular happiness.
  • Implementing strict civil servant management, dismissing or prosecuting those who violate ethics or laws.
  • Encouraging people to learn, study abroad, and travel overseas to understand the outside world, rather than restricting information, while focusing on social and economic progress to let people feel that China is approaching developed country status.
  • Improving social management and administrative efficiency, addressing every social issue as much as possible.

After decades of effort, the Chinese government has made significant progress in these areas. This leads Chinese people to believe that the Chinese Communist Party can continue to govern because they are doing a good job.

I know some might say, “The CCP has all the power, and ordinary people cannot reject their rule.” But just recall the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s when hundreds of millions of angry citizens occupied government institutions, and many officials met violent deaths. That can be seen as a bottom-up power grab because people felt the government had betrayed Mao’s ideas.

In summary, if the CPC were truly terrible, a revolution in China would be inevitable because the Chinese are not superstitious. In ancient times, when Europeans believed in the divine right of kings, the Chinese perspective was “the mandate of heaven.” Only when secular life was happy would the emperor be considered a “wise ruler” by the people. Otherwise, no matter how oppressive the government was, it would eventually fall. Chinese historians would then record the fact: “A certain emperor oppressed the people, a revolution broke out, and the dynasty fell.” The CPC’s Political Consultative Conference includes many historians who, compared to Western lawyers and journalists, are the real “kings without crowns.” The good and bad of any regime cannot escape their pens.

The lyrics of the Internationale say: “There are no saviors, we rely on neither gods nor emperors.” China, having experienced dozens of dynastic changes in its history, understands well that if it betrays the people and forms a privileged class of its own, its end is inevitable. Mao Zedong’s greatness lies in educating the Chinese people with his ideology: The sole purpose of the Chinese Communist Party is to serve the people. If you find them betraying this goal, you should rise up and overthrow the regime.

As of now, I believe the Chinese Communist Party is doing well. The Chinese people trust them. Therefore, if a war were to break out between two superpowers, how could a country with 1.4 billion people under the effective 100% management of the CCP lose?

Of course, it must be acknowledged that if the U.S. continues to focus on scientific research, improving the lives of its people, and enhancing social management, instead of being run by addicts, minority groups, inexperienced businessmen, Jewish extremists, liars, and a sleepy old man, it will remain a formidable opponent.

But today’s America, while not a joke, increasingly resembles one. China hopes its enemy is the “beacon of humanity” America, not the current version.

P.S. I respect all LGBTQ+ individuals.My first degree thesis was on sexual minorities in China.In China, sexual minorities have relatively free space for their activities. However, the Chinese government prefers that it not become a public issue.The reason is that the United States has a tradition in its foreign relations: certain covert agencies identify obscure topics in other countries and, through media operations, turn them into hot issues. Then, they search for vulnerabilities behind these topics from various angles and have opinion leaders polarize the issue. Consequently, unity disappears, and social conflicts erupt. This is the typical approach of American NGOs, as I’ve observed in my 23 years of experience working on the internet. Therefore, Americans should play these games in their own country.

Hard dose of reality.

Tromping though the woods and carting dirt covered bottles home

My parents were both born in the 1920’s. At the age of 8, my mom lost her eye after someone threw an open can at her. The doctors and teachers told her that she’d never amount to anything and that she was only good for having babies. My dad had (undiagnosed) mental issues from a young age. Both their parents got together and thought they’d make a good couple. There was no courtship or love, and my mom endured that extra pain for the next 44 years. They didn’t believe in divorce. My dad kept her pregnant so she had to stay home while he cheated on her with everyone that he could. I have proof from many sources. She was afraid and never stood up to him. Nearly 20 children later, her body could not take another pregnancy and she was done.

When I was 22, she started getting sick and was diagnosed with heart disease. He refused to let her have the lifesaving bypass she so desperately needed, because “Who wants a woman with that kind of a scar?!” Her death shattered our family, and it has never been the same. He died a few years later, and most people came to the funeral just to make sure. Mom was buried in the most beautiful casket created, and her funeral was so big that the church was overfilled and there were many people that had to stand outside. We buried that asshole in the cheapest box we could find.

I believe that mom is finally happy and at peace. Hopefully she’ll be reincarnated and have the wonderful life she so richly deserves.

Let’s go into some very brief historical facts:

The International Space Station (ISS) was an unprecedented scientific and engineering collaboration among five space agencies representing 15 countries, took 10 years and more than 30 missions to assemble and launched to orbit the earth.

Having been banned, specifically by the U.S.A, from participation in the International Space, China decided to build their own space Tiangong station all by their lonesome self and, possibly by 2030 after the demise of the ISS, will be the only Earthling to have a working space station. Besides the U.S.A who had a huge head start in space exploration, China is now the only other nation to have successfully landed a rover on the Moon and Mars and ALL with their first attempt. Very recently, China launched an uncrewed spacecraft on a nearly two-month mission to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, the first country to make such an ambitious attempt. Sometime back, the convicted war criminal Japan failed in their attempt to land a rover on the Moon as did Russia, Israel and other nations. Recently, India managed to successfully land a rover, while the Jepun tried again and managed to land an upside-down Rover which wasn’t of much use to anybody.

main qimg 79631d7279ae5ea648ea1e6200c02aa9
main qimg 79631d7279ae5ea648ea1e6200c02aa9

So, as in space, without any doubt, China will excel in whatever they put their mind to do on planet Earth. And come to think of it, China accomplished all that in just over 42 years after coming out of isolation & hibernation. So, looks like Napolean is correct when he warned: “China is a sleeping giant, let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.”

The world can only imagine what else China can and will accomplish in the next 50-100 years.

So, what space competition are you talking about? That must be another one of your government and news media anti-China propaganda.

Tri-Tip Burritos

IMG 8489
IMG 8489

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-size tri-tip
  • 1 large can green enchilada sauce
  • Fresh jalapenos, sliced (about 5 to 6)
  • Burrito-size flour tortillas
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Place meat at bottom of slow cooker.
  2. Cover with entire can of enchilada sauce and throw in jalapeno slices.
  3. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
  4. Before serving, take meat out (with portion of sauce) and place in bowl.
  5. Shred with 2 forks (meat should shred very easily).
  6. Warm tortillas and serve meat/sauce on tortillas with sour cream and Cheddar cheese as garnish.

 

How to stay young, even in old age: Don’t stop exercising, scientists say

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Exercise helps keep us young, and new research finds that statement is more literal than most assume. Scientists at the University of Arkansas report exercising slows down the aging process on a cellular level. The effect remains even if you start exercising later in life.

The team’s animal study used elderly lab mice nearing the end of their natural lifespan (22 months) and studied their interactions with a weighted exercise wheel. Mice rarely need any motivation to go for a run. Older mice run about three to five miles per day and younger mice run six to seven miles daily. The extra weight on the wheel also ensured the rodents’ muscles got an extra workout, with researchers comparing the workout to “a soldier carrying a heavy backpack many miles.”

After two months on the weighted wheel, mice were similar to those eight weeks younger compared to mice of the same age (24 months) who hadn’t worked out.

“Historically, they start dropping off after 24 months at a significant rate,” says Kevin Murach, an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at the U of A, in a university release. In other words, an extra eight weeks of youth represents roughly 10 percent of the average mouse’s lifespan.

Exercise slows down the aging process in your DNA

Much of the science behind these findings is based on DNA methylation. Methylation is when little caps called methyl groups attach to DNA. They act as a key to turn on and off a specific gene. As the human body ages, DNA methylation increases. Some older adults even experience hypermethylation on muscle genes.

“DNA methylation changes in a lifespan tend to happen in a somewhat systematic fashion,” Prof. Murach explains, “to the point you can look at someone’s DNA from a given tissue sample and with a fair degree of accuracy predict their chronological age.”

While the association between methylation and aging is quite clear, researchers know less about the role of methylation in muscle function. For example, it’s too soon to say that exercising and reversing methylation improves muscle health. “That’s not what the study was set up to do,” Professor Murach comments. However, he intends to pursue future studies to determine if “changes in methylation result in altered muscle function.”

“If so, what are the consequences of this?” Professor Murach concludes. “Do changes on these very specific methylation sites have an actual phenotype that emerges from that? Is it what’s causing aging or is it just associated with it? Is it just something that happens in concert with a variety of other things that are happening during the aging process? So that’s what we don’t know.”

The study is published in Aging Cell.

Little By Little, The Economy Has Declined To A Point Where Almost Everyone Is Struggling

It happened so gradually that a lot of people didn’t even realize what was happening.  The cost of living just kept rising faster than paychecks were, and little by little our standard of living just kept going down.  Now we have reached a stage where the ultra-wealthy are thriving but almost everyone else is struggling.  For most people, it is a real fight just to pay the bills from month to month.  The majority of the population is deep in debt, and meanwhile the cost of just about everything is going up and up.  Millions of Americans feel like they are drowning financially, and there is no easy way out.  Sadly, many of them don’t even realize that the game was designed to get them on to a hamster wheel and keep them running for as long as possible.

When I was a kid, the United States had a very large and very prosperous middle class.

Life certainly wasn’t perfect in those days, but just about everyone that I knew could afford to live a comfortable middle class lifestyle.

Sadly, now everything has changed.

According to a survey that was just conducted by Seven Letter Insight, 65 percent of Americans “who earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level” admit that they are struggling financially…

In the large poll of 2,500 adults, 65% of people who earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level — that’s at least $60,000 for a family of four, often considered middle class — said they are struggling financially.

If 65 percent of those that “earn more than 200% of the federal poverty level” are struggling, what about those that earn less than that?

Needless to say, almost all of them are struggling.

That same survey discovered that 46 percent of Americans don’t even have 500 dollars saved up…

About 40% of respondents were unable to plan beyond their next paycheck, and 46% didn’t have $500 saved. The February poll found that more than half said it’s at least somewhat difficult to manage current levels of debt.

Over the past couple of years, the stock market has been “booming” and the ultra-wealthy have been getting richer and richer.

But things have been getting worse for virtually all the rest of us.

According to Zillow, over the past four years “the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home has nearly doubled”…

The real estate firm Zillow reports that since January 2020, the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home has nearly doubled. It’s up 96% in just four years.

According to Zillow, a typical buyer will now pay nearly $2,200 a month, with a 10% down payment. Meaning, homeownership now costs well above the 30% of median income that was once thought to equate to “affordable” housing cost in America.

Has your income doubled over the past four years?

If not, you are falling behind.

The American people absolutely hate what is being done to their standard of living.

In fact, during a recent interview Neel Kashkari astutely observed that Americans “really, viscerally hate high inflation”

Neel Kashkari, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, says one of the things he has learned in the past few years is that consumers would rather see the economy fall into a recession than to continue to suffer the pain of soaring prices.

“The American people – and maybe people in Europe, equally – really hate high inflation,” Kashkari told the Financial Times podcast “The Economics Show with Soumaya Keynes” last week. “I mean, really, viscerally hate high inflation.”

He is right.

I really detest inflation.

I am sure that you do too.

But what he didn’t mention is that the Federal Reserve and our politicians in Washington are responsible for creating the epic cost of living crisis that we are currently facing.

They caused this mess, and now they don’t seem to have any solutions for cleaning it up.

Meanwhile, economic activity just continues to slow down.

On Tuesday, we learned that the number of job openings in the U.S. has fallen to the lowest level in more than 3 years

Job openings fell more than forecast in April, signaling a potential weakening in the labor market that could provide the Federal Reserve with more impetus to start lowering interest rates.

The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey released Tuesday showed that the level of employment vacancies slipped to 8.06 million for the month, down by nearly 300,000 from March and close to 19% lower than a year ago.

Moreover, the total marked the lowest since February 2021.

And more workers are being dumped into the streets with each passing day.

For example, Rubio’s Coastal Grill just announced that it will be permanently closing 48 locations in the state of California

California’s $20-an-hour fast food minimum wage has its first casualty.

Mexican chain Rubio’s Coastal Grill is shuttering 48 restaurants in the state – because of the ‘rising cost of doing business in California’.

‘While painful, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come,’ a Rubio’s spokesperson added.

As this year rolls along, we will see a lot more stories like this.

For a long time, our leaders were able to keep the party going by flooding the system with money.

But now inflation is out of control and we have reached the terminal phase of the “greatest credit bubble in human history”

Mark Spitznagel, chief investment officer of Universa Investments, is known for being a “permabear” when it comes to the stock market outlook.

Spitznagel told Bloomberg in an earlier interview that we’re witnessing the “greatest credit bubble in human history.”

“Credit bubbles end. They pop. There’s no way to stop them from popping,” he said, adding that the Fed has brought the economy to a place “where there’s no turning back.”

Spitznagel is right on target.

There really is no turning back now.

Our leaders have wrecked the greatest economic machine in the history of the world.

What is ahead of us is a tremendous amount of pain.

So if you think that things are bad now, just wait until you see what is coming next.

For years, little by little our standard of living has been collapsing.

But now we are entering a time when our economic slide will become an economic avalanche.

Decades of absolutely disastrous decisions have brought us to this point, and now we shall truly reap what we have sown.

Why It’s Never Too Late to Chase New Dreams

 

There’s a pervasive and utterly bullshit notion in our society that once you reach a certain age, you’re supposed to have your whole life figured out. That you should be settled in your career, content with your achievements, and coasting towards retirement on a wave of predictability.

Well, I’m here to tell you that’s a steaming pile of horse shit.

 

The truth is, you’re never too old to set a new goal or chase a new dream. You’re never too far along in life to make a drastic change, to start a new adventure, or to reinvent yourself completely.

But for some reason, we tend to internalize this idea that after a certain point, our lives should be set in stone. That it’s somehow embarrassing or irresponsible to want something radically different than what we have, to admit that we’re not satisfied with the path we’ve been on.

Fuck that noise. Life is too short to resign yourself to a script someone else wrote for you. It’s too precious to spend marching towards a future that doesn’t set your soul on fire, just because you think you’re “too old” to change course.

Listen, I get it. The older we get, the more entrenched we become in our routines, our responsibilities, our identities. It can feel daunting as hell to even consider upending the life we’ve built, even if that life isn’t truly fulfilling us.

But you know what’s even scarier than starting over? Waking up one day, decades down the line, and realizing you squandered your one wild and precious life on a path that wasn’t truly yours. Realizing you let your dreams wither and die because you bought into the idea that you were too old to pursue them.

The reality is, as long as you’re breathing, you have the power to create change in your life. You have the right to want more, to strive for different, to chase the things that make you come alive, regardless of your age.

Sure, it might be harder than it would’ve been when you were 20. You might have more baggage to sort through, more logistics to figure out, more naysayers to prove wrong. But so fucking what? Since when did “hard” become a reason not to go after what you want?

The most fulfilling things in life are often the most challenging to attain. And the older you get, the more grit, resilience, and wisdom you have to tackle those challenges. Your age isn’t a limitation – it’s a source of strength.

So if there’s a dream that’s been whispering in your ear, a goal that keeps nudging at your soul, a vision of a life that looks nothing like the one you’re currently living – listen to it. Feed it. And then start fucking chasing it, no matter how old you are.

Will it be a smooth, easy path? Probably not. Will everyone understand and support your new pursuits? Definitely not. But will it be worth it to look back on a life colored by your own desires, your own choices, your own relentless pursuit of what matters to you? Abso-fucking-lutely.

You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream. And anyone who tells you otherwise is probably just scared of their own untapped potential.

So shut out the noise, tune into your own desires, and get to work on creating the life you truly want. Your age has fuck-all to do with what you’re capable of achieving.

The world is waiting for your next move, your next goal, your next dream. Don’t keep it waiting forever.

China Steps Up Harsh Warning to E.U Days Before Tariff Decision

Something rarely noticed and thus rarely discussed

My Great Aunt Dottie was actually my Great Uncle Garrison. He was never invited to any family events and when they’d ask my Great Aunt Remi (Dottie’s sister) where “Gary” was (Dottie hated that name with a vengeance) it was always with darting eyes and hushed voices making sure the children didn’t hear, Remi would answer, “he’s dead and you damned well know it.” It wasn’t until I was in high-school and had a friend who had two dads that my mom quipped one day while she was doing the dishes “You know your Great Aunt Dottie was a man, right?” and I was dumbfounded, I loved Great Aunt Dottie, I would ride my bike over to her house all the time and have tea and cookies and the most amazing monkey meat sandwiches ever and she would teach me how to cross stitch and how to plan a fifteen course meal. It was Great Aunt Dottie that taught me how to waltz and roller skate and how to shoot a bow and arrow. I actually loved my Great Aunt Dottie more after I found out that she chose her own happiness over her family and was one of only three members of my family to attend her funeral. But looking back I wonder if I always kind of knew, she had a husky voice, an always present five o clock shadow and scratched her balls like a true man.

Why We’re Leaving The United States

Escalatory Delusions

Most men can remember back to a time on the schoolyard when two kids got into a confrontation and one of them kept promising to do something bad to the other if the other did not stop whatever it was he was doing. The threat of consequences was supposed to deter the other, but the other kid was undeterred, and the result was a fight, with the kid making the threats getting the worst of it. Bullies often come to a bad end like this as their bullying is based on threats.

If you are a member of the managerial elite, it is unlikely that you have such a memory as you were raised by women, so no school yard fights. As a result, the logic of the bully, issuing escalatory threats, makes perfect sense. After all, if you can conjure something worse than the other guy is conjuring, then you win! Therefore, success is determined by who has the greatest mastery of escalatory dominance, the alleged ability to escalate a conflict beyond that of an opponent.

This is the engine that has been driving the war in Ukraine. For close to a decade the Russians have objected to what Washington has been doing on its border in Ukraine, but Washington has responded with the promise of more of what the Russians found objectionable, rather than search for a compromise. Once the Russians crossed into Ukraine, Washington unleashed the sanctions war and promised even more punishments, including the promise of regime change.

Throughout the war, the approach from Washington has been to create some artificial red line for themselves or Russia, and then cross it in such a way as to suggest all future red lines will be crossed. Currently NATO is having a debate about launching long range missile attacks on Russia, from NATO countries or with NATO personnel, while pretending it is being done by Ukraine. This is the bully threatening the kid who refuses to back down with somet

As a kid I was friends with these 3 girls, who were sisters and one night their parents allowed me to have a sleepover at their house so when it came to bedtime the parents allowed me and one sister to sleep in their bed until the parents came up and moved us to my friend’s bed. At the time I didn’t understand why, maybe that’s how bedtime was in their house, anyway the light was on in the room so it stopped me from falling asleep, I was too soft to turn it off incase I got into trouble or it woke up my friend who clearly could sleep with the light on. Then I heard footsteps coming upstairs so I had to pretend to be asleep. The parents came into the room, one of them picked me up and put me in one of the girls beds, the other picking up their daughter and putting her next to me. The light wasn’t on in there but the hall light was on which was fine, so I thought ‘finally I can go to sleep now!’ As I was just about to head into dreamland I hear moaning and the bed squeaking coming from the parents bedroom!!!! 🤣🤣 I was 9 years old so I knew what they were doing and I had to wait till it was quiet until I finally got some sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I didn’t tell anyone what I heard or that I was awake the whole time, it would’ve been an awkward conversation to have so I tried to forget about it. 😬

hing worse than backing down.

Unreported in the West, Ukraine has been using Western supplied drones to attack early warning radar stations in southern Russia. These are part of Russia’s nuclear defense system. They play no role in the Ukraine war, but Ukraine’s handlers are having them do this as a form of escalatory dominance. The point is to signal to the Russians that the West is not afraid of nuclear war. The madness of this is obvious, but to a great degree that is the point, to seem mad.

We see a similar thing shaping up with China. Washington is going out of its way to provoke China over the issue of Taiwan. Various officials have been sent to the island for no other reason than to antagonize the Chinese. A big package of weapons has been shipped to Taiwan and Washington has increased the number of military personnel on the island. Washington regularly talks about how it is actively preparing for a war with the Chinese over the issue of Taiwan.

A great example of how the concept of escalatory dominance controls how American ruling elites deal with the world is the last trip by Anthony Blinken to China in which he went out of his way to insult the Chinese. The State Department insisted on Blinken visiting China, where he held meetings with Chinese leaders. He then went out of those meetings and threatened them with sanctions. This was done to let the Chinese know that there is no red line Washington will not cross.

This is not just a foreign policy strategy. The reason Trump is waiting to hear a guilty verdict is the regime has always assumed that if they cross enough red lines with regards to the rule of law, Trump or his supporters will fold. For going on four years, it has been ever increasing violence against both the rule of law and the customs that have controlled our politics. The point of each new escalation is to warn that there is no limit to what they will do unless you obey.

It is the unquestioned assumption in Washington that there is always some threat they can issue that is so terrifying that the other side will back down that has led them into a crisis for the regime. Half the country now thinks the courts are corrupt beyond reform thanks to the lawfare unleashed by the regime. We are remarkably close to the point where a majority of Americans think we are ruled by lawless gangsters, which even in easy times is an impossible state of affairs.

The crisis gripping the West is due, in large part, to the fact that the system now selects boys and girls with no practical knowledge. Never having had their bluff called and walking away with a bloody nose or a black eye, they just assume such a thing is impossible, so they are free to escalate their threats. It is not so much that their threats work, but that they ought to work. In the artificial reality in which these people live, the ought is the same as the is.

The Trump trial is a good bit of foreshadowing for how this widely held delusion about escalatory dominance will end. At some point, the bluff is called, and the bluffer has to either follow through or their raison d’etre evaporates. This is the story of the bully who finally has to fight and gets beaten. It is not the beating that ends his reign as a bully, but the fact that someone stood up to him. This is what is happening with the lawfare against Trump, who has called their bluff.

Unlike the schoolyard, the end of a regime that relies on escalatory dominance is not so simple and tidy. The regime now has to hope the Trump trial ends in a hung jury so they can maintain their stance. An acquittal has them looking like fools and a guilty verdict has them in a crisis far worse than Trump winning the election. Soon, the bluff will be called over Ukraine and Taiwan. Once this happens, the regime has no answer other than the unthinkable.

Pepe Escobar: Xi & Putin’s Move Pushed NATO Into CHAOS! Who Is Win?

  1. When someone hugs you, you should not be first to break it.
  2. Remove your sunglasses when you have to speak to someone.
  3. Irrespective of your closeness, do not ask your friends and room mates for their clothes, shoes and accessories. Those are ‘ personal belongings‘
  4. Do not order expensive stuff when you are sharing or the other person is paying the bill.
  5. Don’t make ola / uber driver wait for you. Time is literally money for them.
  6. If you borrow someone else’s novel/ books, do not mark anything in them. Return them in a good condition and within acceptable time.
  7. Compliment people when you notice their extra efforts in something.
  8. If any child touched you and asked(begged) for money don’t give a dirty look at them and run two steps back. Give, if you want to or say no. That’s it.
  9. Wave your hand rather than calling his or her name in a louder pitch if someone is wearing headphones.
  10. Praise publicly. Criticise privately.
  11. Be quiet when other people are asleep. That means more than not talking — not slamming doors, drawers, etc.
  12. Avoid finishing other people’s sentences and cutting them off
  13. If you get a missed call, remember to call them back. Or at least drop a message.

Pot Roast with Dilled Sour Cream Gravy

SlowCookerPotRoast 3
SlowCookerPotRoast 3

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) chuck or pot roast
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed
  • 5 or 6 small potatoes
  • 5 or 6 carrots
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon dill seed

DilledPotRoastPin
DilledPotRoastPin

SlowCookerPotRoastFB1
SlowCookerPotRoastFB1

SlowCookerPotRoast
SlowCookerPotRoast

Instructions

  1. Coat roast with flour, salt and pepper.
  2. Brown in oil in skillet.
  3. Put roast in slow cooker, then add water and vinegar.
  4. Sprinkle dill weed over meat, then add potatoes, carrots, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  5. Cook on LOW for 10 to 12 hours or on HIGH for 6 hours.
  6. To make gravy, pour off 3 tablespoons drippings, add flour and heat.
  7. Measure rest of drippings, add water to make 1 cup.
  8. Add to flour mixture and heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  9. Add 1 cup sour cream and dill seed.
  10. Heat to boiling.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve heard pretending to be asleep?

As a kid I was friends with these 3 girls, who were sisters and one night their parents allowed me to have a sleepover at their house so when it came to bedtime the parents allowed me and one sister to sleep in their bed until the parents came up and moved us to my friend’s bed. At the time I didn’t understand why, maybe that’s how bedtime was in their house, anyway the light was on in the room so it stopped me from falling asleep, I was too soft to turn it off incase I got into trouble or it woke up my friend who clearly could sleep with the light on. Then I heard footsteps coming upstairs so I had to pretend to be asleep. The parents came into the room, one of them picked me up and put me in one of the girls beds, the other picking up their daughter and putting her next to me. The light wasn’t on in there but the hall light was on which was fine, so I thought ‘finally I can go to sleep now!’ As I was just about to head into dreamland I hear moaning and the bed squeaking coming from the parents bedroom!!!! 🤣🤣 I was 9 years old so I knew what they were doing and I had to wait till it was quiet until I finally got some sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I didn’t tell anyone what I heard or that I was awake the whole time, it would’ve been an awkward conversation to have so I tried to forget about it. 😬

The Dating Market isn’t Looking Too Hot ….

Not a doctor or a nurse, just a friend of a couple. She is elf pale, blonde hair so light it’s almost white, pale blue eyes and nary a freckle to be seen. He is (no offense to anyone) coal black. When the baby was born she looked like she should have been wearing a sombrero with a taco in her hand singing La Cucaracha. (still, no offense intended to anyone, just setting the scene) the doctor and the nurse were both speechless. I was there, I was taking the video. The doctor was hesitant to hand the baby to my friends husband and they both thought something was wrong with the baby. The nurse went from being sweet to being a total bitch to my friend. When he left the room to go tell his family that is was a girl, the nurse made a comment to the doctor about how they never see any wholesome god-fearing families anymore. My friend lost it; it technically wasn’t even her baby, she was just a surrogate. The man in the room with her? He wasn’t even the father, just a friend that was gracious enough to be her coach. She was carrying the baby for another friend of ours and her husband.

The UnXplained: TOP 5 SHOCKING MYSTERIES OF 2023 | PART 1

I really enjoyed this video. I think that youse guys will too.

Disclaimer: I’m a Thai of Chinese descent living in a tourism hub of Chiang Mai, speak a little Mandarin and had actually been to China as well, so may I offer my humble 2 cents. I don’t want fellow Chinese quorans to be too stoked or offended by this kind of question. If my answer offends anyone, I apologize in advance. I also apologize for my fellow citizens as well. After all, our economy relies on tourism a lot, please come and visit us! At least this Thai welcome everyone to visit my country with open arms! I say this as a Thai who have traveled to almost all inhabited continents on Earth. 😊

There were lots of direct flights from China to Chiang Mai pre-Covid, even to lesser known cities like Changsha. Influenced by a 2012 Chinese blockbuster “Lost in Thailand” (泰囧) which heavily featured Chiang Mai, the city became hugely popular among Chinese visitors. Back then, Chinese tourists tended to exhibit a not-so-impressive manners. For example, in Chiang Mai University, Chinese tourists used to roamed free inside the campus and took photos of classes in session (many faculty members were really tired of this). This prompted the university to disallow tourists inside the campus, and directed them to the university’s official guided tour instead.

However, post-Covid, Chinese tourists nowadays are no longer loud and rude like before. Yes, there would still be some bad sheep in the flock, but the overall trend manner-wise went for the better. Back when China was poorer, Chinese tourists indeed had bad reputation. However, as time goes, I did notice a better trend of manners among the Chinese tourists. I dare say they are pretty much on par with Koreans and Japanese nowadays manner-wise. Nonetheless, I won’t deny that there are some racism bias towards mainlanders among a portion of our citizens (which is quite an irony because 1/6 of Thai population are of Chinese descent). Also, since China is a much larger country than Korea and Japan, there are just a lot of Chinese setting up shops (100% owned) in several touristic hubs like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Phuket. And as some answers also mentioned, such shops only cater to Chinese customers and Chinese tourists have higher tendencies to visit Chinese-owned shops compared to Thai ones. Thai people’s concerns on Chinese tourists is mainly about the circulation of tourism money in Chinese-owned business nowadays rather than the manners. I don’t have problems with Chinese setting up shops here, but please also spend some money and contribute to the place you are visiting too. 😊 This would greatly improve our perception towards Chinese tourists a great deal.

I would like to share my own experience as well regarding the Chinese tourist’s manner. In 2013, I went to Mongolia (part of a train trip from Mongolia to China and then onto North Korea) and met a Chinese couple in our tour group. They really shattered my prejudice of “Chinese tourists are loud and rude”. They were so kind and very well-mannered, and when my train arrived in Beijing, they offered me a treat at a Peking Duck restaurant in Haidian District and then took me (and some Westerners who were in the same group back in Mongolia) to have some “rou chuanr” with “Jia duo bao” herbal drink! I still remembered it to this day.

Again, I would like to just tell the situation as it is without putting in prejudices or biases. It would be better if we treat each culture with respect and understanding.

Professor Studied NDE’s For 30 Years; What She Discovers Is Incredible (Near Death Experiences)

As a leader in the photovoltaic industry, China dominates the industrial and supply chains, currently producing over 90% of the world’s polysilicon, 98% of solar-grade silicon wafers, over 85% of solar cells, and over 80% of photovoltaic modules. It is projected that by 2025, China’s global share in polysilicon and silicon wafer production will reach 95%, making the world highly dependent on China’s photovoltaic products.

Not only does China have massive production capacity, but its photovoltaic technology is also extremely advanced. The latest solar cells have achieved a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 33.9%, far exceeding the 5% capability of plants. Additionally, Chinese photovoltaic products are highly competitive in price, with a 99% decrease in cost over the past 20 years, currently priced at around 0.8 yuan per watt. Furthermore, Chinese photovoltaic modules have a long service life and can maintain 80% of their power generation efficiency after 25 years of use.

As China’s photovoltaic technology rapidly advances, old photovoltaic modules, although long-lasting, have lower performance and are difficult to circulate and dispose of domestically. However, in poor countries with inadequate grid coverage, such as Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America, these second-hand photovoltaic panels are in high demand. In these regions, lacking basic infrastructure, the living conditions of the population are extremely poor, often without access to basic lighting or phone charging facilities. China’s used photovoltaic panels, with their low prices, can provide basic electricity to rural households, improving their quality of life and being regarded as high-tech products.

South Africa witnessed a significant increase in imports of photovoltaic panels and energy storage batteries in 2022-2023, with not only rural but also urban residents purchasing these systems to overcome unstable grid issues. Gaza has the highest density of photovoltaic panel installations globally, as the local grid has been destroyed, leaving the population reliant on photovoltaic panels for electricity.

In summary, China’s discarded second-hand photovoltaic panels, at extremely low prices, have benefited many impoverished areas around the world, providing electricity to billions of rural households without access to power, lifting them out of darkness, and enabling them to enjoy the conveniences of electricity. This reflects China’s philosophy of utilizing technology to assist and support underprivileged groups, in stark contrast to some countries that exploit and oppress the weak.

Oh this is hilarious.

The USA offered a gigantic bribe to Marcos to turn them into a missile base.

Marcos says yes allows US to build missile facilities.

Marcos asks where his money is.

US says what money?

you believed me?
you believed me?

Many Hong Kong restaurants demand money UP FRONT.

CHINA BUILDING 3nm CHIPS – biden makes failing look easy…

In college as a rookie on the SAE Baja team, I was tasked with tearing down one of our old engines and doing a simple top end rebuild. There wasn’t anything wrong with the engine, it was just a spare one and this was a way for new team members to gain familiarity with part numbers, torque specs, and other things like that. We used a brand new engine for each year’s competition car.

Upon removing the head from the 10 HP Briggs & Stratton, something odd caught my eye. There was raised material on the face of the piston partly obscured by carbon. Brushing it away revealed threads and part of hex head! This engine had somehow ingested a stray 1/4″–20 screw which became embedded into the top of the piston, and then just kept running like nothing had happened. It was potentially like that for a whole year worth of test runs and competitions, possibly even longer.

The fastener was laying there sideways but extremely fused to the piston and could not be removed without destroying it. We simply ground down the portions that were sticking up to recreate a flush surface, reinstalled everything, and called it a day. It continued to run just fine.

– – –

A couple years ago my father in law asked me to help fix up his riding lawnmower, powered by another Briggs & Stratton engine. This was a two cylinder vertical shaft of maybe 18 or 20-some horsepower, I don’t recall exactly. His complaint was that it was “a little down on power” but still cut the grass fine. It just struggled a little bit going up steep hills or cutting through extra-thick grass if he let it grow too tall, and occasionally it let out puffs of dark smoke. He mowed with it like that all summer, bagged leaves with it like that in the fall, and when it was finally done for the season I met up with him to look the thing over.

Expecting a 30-minute carb cleaning or a fouled spark plug I got to work, but found everything spotless. With no signs of any issues with the electrical components either, I moved on to a more serious investigation. Tearing into this engine began with a crankcase cover on the top. With this removed we could look down along the axis of the crankshaft to inspect for any catastrophic bottom end damage. Everything appeared fine but there was a thin metal rod in kind of a weird place tucked behind the crank counterweight. It had a few bends in the middle of it for clearance and the two ends disappeared into the oil bath and up into the block somewhere. I figured it had to be part of the governor system so I left it in place and moved on.

Removing the valve covers, I found the first head looking as it should. The second, however, revealed the culprit: a totally missing pushrod! It was just gone! That would explain the lack of power. One valve on that cylinder is never opening so it’s never accomplishing a power cycle. It’d only been running on one cylinder all year. But then the unavoidable question was, “where did the pushrod go?”

I eventually put two and two together and realized that strange governor-rod-thing was actually the missing pushrod. It had somehow gotten dislodged from its place and fell down into the crankcase. The clearance bends were not manufactured, they were suffered from the crankshaft smashing into it as it bounced around in there until everything was able to self-clearance. Despite being completely down one cylinder and choking on its own guts, this V-twin still performed so well that its shortcomings were nothing more than an inconvenience to be dealt with on the off-season.

I’d always heard Briggs built some tough ass machines but these experiences really solidified that for me.

Vintage and illustration

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US/NATO escalation to strike Russia

Wife’s Plan To Divorce Me For Wealthy Lover BACKFIRES When I Get Out Of Alimony And She Gets Dumped!

Shorpy

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All of the following munitions rely on GPS and have a problem with terminal guidance anywhere near the Russian front line, due to ubiquitous Russian GPS jamming:

  • JDAM (air launched 500 pound GPS-guided bombs — 90% of what the USAF and USN drop)
  • SDB (replacement for JDAM)
  • GLSDB (an SDB mounted on a missile that can be shot from a HIMARS)
  • M30 (90 km range rocket fired from HIMARS, deploys cluster munitions)
  • M31 (90 km range rocket fired from HIMARS, 91 kg warhead)

The problem is not confined to US products. Ukrainian-built FPV drones which do not use GPS are also getting jammed by the Russians. I spoke to a guy who is responsible for about 15% of Ukraine’s drone production, and he dismissed any talk of GPS and said it’s gone. In and around the front line, that may be true, but there are caveats.

Background: GPS relies on a network of satellites with 44.8 watt transmitters 20,000 miles up. The signal (-125 dBm) is substantially weaker than the background radio hiss that’s everywhere (-110 dBm), and uses a lot (43 dB) of something called coding gain to be detectable and usable. When GPS devices take a while to acquire the signal, what they are doing is synchronizing their internal code to the satellite’s code. Once the two are synchronized, they can hear the satellite, until then, it’s just more hiss. The process of synchronization is basically trying every possible time alignment until one works.

Before the first GPS satellite was launched in 1978, the designers already knew that GPS could be jammed [1]. Just hit the receiver with -82 dBm of radio hiss and it’ll never hear the satellite. A 1000 watt ground-based transmitter can blank out naive GPS receivers for 560 km.

And, before the first GPS satellite was launched, the designers knew of many clever ways to reduce the effect of jamming. One of them, however, is a massive hammer: controlled reception pattern arrays (CRPA). You use an array of GPS antennas and combine the signals together in a way that causes the jamming signals to cancel. So long as the jammer isn’t coming from the same direction as the GPS satellites, this works really, really well.

Here’s a CRPA from a May 2000 report [2]:

1 panel
1 panel

Arrays like this can act a bit like a bigger antenna with a diameter the size of the entire array. That’s nice, you get a bit more signal from the antenna. Cancellation works far better. Let me demonstrate.

2 graph
2 graph

Here is the result of just two omnidirectional antenna elements added together. The Y direction is dB of gain from combining the antennas. The X axis is degrees between the “null” direction and the actual direction of the signal source. You can see that at right angles (90 degrees) to the null, two antennas pick up twice as much power as just one, which is +3 dB of gain. That’s nice, we’ll take it. It’s a big fat lobe. If that’s off by 40 degrees you still get half the benefit, and the benefit isn’t amazing to start with.

But look at that deep, sharp null. If you can get it aligned to one degree, you can knock the jammer down by 35 dB. In practice, CRPAs achieve 50 dB because they very quickly and very precisely line up the phase delays from the antennas to knock out the jammer.

If the jammer against a CRPA wants to work as well as it did against a naive receiver, it’ll need 50 dB more power. dB is a logarithmic scale: That’s 10,000x as much power. So that 1000 watt jammer now needs to push 10 million watts. This is… possible… but any such thing is going to be a major installation and will get a visit from a HARM missile and thereafter many JDAMs.

Today you can buy CRPAs from a variety of manufacturers, all outside the United States. Tualcom, a Turkish company, sells 8-channel CRPAs. They’ve sold 2500 of them to Iran for use on… drones. Yep. Did you know that Turkiye is a NATO ally?

These aren’t going to be on Shaheds, or not many of them anyway, because a CRPA costs about $20k or more. (Please let me know if there are cheaper units.) That’s because there’s no commercial market for CRPAs, as the primary civil defense against GPS jamming is litigation. Even though the electronics are actually simpler than what’s in your cell phone, they are built in low volume of many discrete parts, and in the US they are built by folks like Raytheon.

I would hope that every western military jet has a CRPA, but somehow I doubt it.

The HIMARS-launched 90-km range M31s are having accuracy trouble but the HIMARS-launched 300-km range M57 ATACMS missiles are not. In both cases the missiles can probably use inertial guidance from launch to impact, since that’s less than 7 minutes. But they’ll need an accurate initial position and target position.

The accurate target position can probably be found from military maps. FYI, you probably cannot get accurate target positions from Google Maps — I used to work there, and they don’t want you doing that, and they probably fuzz the locations enough to screw up this use.

The accurate initial position and initial GPS acquisition for the missile would come from the launcher’s GPS antenna. This suggests to me that the HIMARS truck is getting jammed when too close to the Russian front line, probably anywhere within 50 km. And THAT tells me that HIMARS doesn’t have a CRPA. (Update: see below, it has an FRPA, which means fixed pattern. I don’t know the pattern, but as it doesn’t articulate the nulls won’t line up exactly with a jammer and as you can see above, they need to line up well to get good jamming.)

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Neither does JDAM, apparently. And I’m guessing SDB doesn’t either, which went into production in 2005.

This is a stupid problem to have. A half-dozen ASIC engineers and $5m could fix it.

China Just Scored A KNOCK OUT Blow To The U.S. Economy And War Is Coming

Chances are near zero.

And for all of those. The reason is something that you may not know.

China is not a signatory to the START treaty. This limits deployed nuclear weapons to around 1,500 warheads. China likely has more than both Russia and the US combined. Despite what you hear in the MSM about China having only 300 warheads, that is an outright lie.

The original estimate came from the Federation of American Scientists in the 80s. In their estimate they stated that they had no idea how many nuclear weapons the Chinese had. So they decided to use electricity generation as some kind of measure.

What does electricity generation have to do with how many nuclear weapons a nation has? Nothing. The Soviets did not have that much electrical generation and yet has more nuclear weapons than the US. So they finished their study saying that China could have 3,000 or 5,000. They had no idea.

The next thing you should know is that these Senators, Congressman, and President of the US is that they spent generations gaining wealth and power. When was the last time you heard Bill Gates or any other billionaire pulled a knife and went toe to toe with another guy with a knife? Never. And you never will.

Even if the US loses a war by attacking China and the US loses 7 carrier battle groups. Do you think Bill Gates or any other billionaire would chose to vaporize their family to take revenge on one of their body guards being killed? Or even all of them? No.

And it’s even more impossible for the politicians to do so because China has more deployed nuclear weapons than the US and Russia. Starting a nuclear war would mean that the US would get at least a double dose of nukes. One from China and one from Russia.

Those selfish people that have spent decades stealing from the US tax payers are going to vaporize their families, wealth, and power for you, a peon? Don’t make me laugh.

The only time nukes would be used is if China nuked the US first or if the US thought it could get away with it without getting nuked back.

Pecos River Red Fritos Pie

dsc05716
dsc05716

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped coarsely
  • 3 pounds coarsely ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons ground hot red chile peppers
  • 2 tablespoons ground mild red chile peppers
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • Corn chips
  • Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • Shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Combine onion, ground beef, garlic, chiles and water in slow cooker.
  2. Cover. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
  3. Drain.
  4. Serve over corn chips.
  5. Top with mixture of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

Son’s friend stayed overnight. The next morning I’m making breakfast for everyone. Son likes poached eggs. I make them. Friend asks if I can make them like that all the time. I explain how to poach an egg. That night I get a phone call from a strange number and a man asks if I’m looking for a job. He needs a cook. In his father’s house. The father is picky about his breakfast and he heard I can poach eggs. I explain that all cooks can poach eggs. Eventually I am hired to cook 3 meals a day for his elderly parents. I have to plan menus for the week and prepare breakfast to order. Hot lunch and a dinner plate to be reheated for dinner. I wash the dishes but all other cleaning is done by the maid. Amazing kitchen. Eventually they tried to give me the old guys Cadillac because he stopped driving and they wanted to “save me using my car to drive to their house.” It was probably the best job I ever had. Not the money or the benefits. They were family. They treated me like family in the best way.

DANGER: UNSTABLE GROUND

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity...

This is a new addition that I am considering to my daily posts. Here I include some contemporaneous SF (short story) for the reader to enjoy. -MM
Do not ever step foot on the ground. Charlie had been told this his entire life, but it never really sunk in. He didn’t understand the deep-seated fear everyone else seemed to harbor. He thought it was incredible, a beautiful problem to be solved. Until he was laying on the floor of the lab staring at the ceiling and blinking away tears.The first time Charlie ever saw the ground consume a person he’d been twelve. What the tree-top teachers referred to as “live mummification” was a quick, disturbing process. Dirt crawling over skin to create a sort of exoskeleton. A casting of the human body, like those papier-mâché spheres they’d made in class years ago. It’d been an elderly lady that first time. The pulley system keeping her safe had malfunctioned and she’d lurched off balance. It was a code yellow bridge and wasn’t fully enclosed. The old lady stumbled to the side and was pulled right over the edge. Charlie caught only the first flash of the swarming ground on her skin before his mom had ushered him away. As the crowd around them shrieked and cried, Charlie craned his neck for a better look.He’d liked to have claimed this moment as the catalyst for his obsession, but really that had occurred years ago. It was maybe a few days after his seventh birthday, and he was crossing that old rope bridge by his house. It’s been built in a rush by early survivors trying to escape their houses for supplies. He was not supposed to be on it, but that had only made him more intent on using it.One of the rotten wood planks had splintered under his front foot and sent him toppling forward. It was only due to some notion of luck that his hips didn’t fit through the empty space and his arms had gotten tangled in the ropes. His leg hung down, exposed, ten feet off the ground. And then his new shoe, a size too big so he could grow into it, slipped off his foot. It landed on the dusty ground and tipped over sideways. Charlie’s breath caught in his chest, but nothing happened. The shiny shoe glistened under the sun. He wanted desperately to stick his finger in that restless dirt, just to see what would happen. He stayed put for way longer than was logical just in case, but the ground remained flat and lifeless. The shoe was not alive.

 

The second time he saw someone be consumed by the ground he was 18 and on the verge of declaring a major in Microbiology, specializing in the study of those tiny organisms that made the ground hungry. This time the fall had not been an accident. He’d been crossing a major intersection of bridges when a commotion piqued his curiosity. A young woman who looked barely older than him had crawled out onto the roof of a one-story house where no one would risk following. Her auburn hair floated in the wind. People crowded against the railings to watch her. A few kind souls called out things like “You don’t have to do this!” and “Things will get better!” but the girl ignored them. She stared straight ahead and stepped off the roof. For a millisecond it was as if she was walking in the air, and then she plummeted to the ground and landed with a heavy thump. Immediately the soil surged up to meet her. She didn’t make a sound as it closed over her. Charlie came back every day for two weeks to observe the hardened cocoon. Inside, he knew that the body was being decomposed, drained away. The microorganisms in the dirt would suck the nutrients from her. Then the cast would collapse in on itself and the ground would smooth over once again.

 

It wasn’t surprising that these events would have a lasting effect on him. The unexpected part was the nature of the effect. Where others would shy away and realize how dangerous the ground was, Charlie felt himself drawn to it. He wanted to understand the little beasts that terrorized his people. So, it was inevitable, really, that he’d want to see this forbidden phenomenon again.

 

The lab he was assigned to was on the upper floor of a university no longer in use. The building was old, made of even gray bricks. He had to duck through the fifth-floor window that had been fashioned into an entrance to get in. The walls were off-white, and the floors were so stable it made him feel somewhat unbalanced. His feet, used to the bridges and tree-top platforms, weren’t accustomed to the solidity. The equipment in the lab was well maintained: microscopes, autoclaves, incubators, centrifuges. He felt like a child in a room full of new toys. On one side of the room, where a balcony had once been, a ramp had been fixed that led down to the ground. The space before it was taken up by a deoxygenation chamber used briefly to asphyxiate any rogue organisms.

 

Charlie was integrated into a group that exclusively studied the microorganisms in the ground called Vitae Suffocent. Life suckers. The study was relatively new, they’d only recently worked with engineering to create a protective suit. Before then, the scientists would lean out the window with a cup fastened to a long pole and scoop up a small bit of the dirt. With the help of the suits, they had been able to set up a secure mock habitat to observe the specimens’ behavior.

 

The group was small, a handful of young students of which he was one, along with six seasoned scientists. For the first time, Charlie found himself surrounded by people who were just as interested in the ground as he was. The obsession that had set him apart from other kids in school was now reflected all around him. There was a girl who’d started at the same time as him- Tori. She was short and had thin black hair chopped short around her ears. Because they were new, they were often assigned projects to work on together. He wasn’t sure if he liked her, but it didn’t matter much.

There was an ongoing experiment that needed a fresh test subject, someone to stick a finger into the Life Sucker habitat. Charlie volunteered immediately, exhilarated by the idea of being able to touch the ground. He pictured it being magical, a borderline religious experiment. He worked himself up over it for days, so that when it was finally time he was almost bursting with excitement.

 

The scientists heading the experiment placed him in the deoxygenation chamber with the container. Around him, they gathered clipboards, pencils poised to jot down any and all details. His forefinger was swiped clean with an alcohol wipe that made the skin feel dry. Tori unlocked the circular compartment in the top of the container. Slowly, breathlessly, Charlie lowered his hand into the habitat. The tip of his finger brushed the dirt. It was soft and damp as he pressed the finger down. Charlie blinked and the soil began to stir. It tickled the pad of his finger. He watched in fascination as the hidden organisms began to climb up his skin. It was a strange sensation. The soil was cool and light, it felt more like a caress than a smothering.

 

Tori clicked the stopwatch in her hand and began to count aloud. By the time she reached seven, the organisms were up to his wrist. He withdrew his hand. The seal on the opening caught most of the dirt and held it back, to the irritation of the organisms. He held his hand away from him, not trusting it. Tori latched the contained shut quickly. Someone on the outside of the chamber switched it on. They held their breaths as the oxygen rapidly drained from the room. A loud whirring assaulted Charlie’s ears. His chest tightened. For a minute they all felt like they were suffocating, then it abruptly stopped and the doors to the lab popped open. Oxygen flooded back in. Charlie sucked in a deep breath.

 

He examined his hand. It was tingling and covered in little red blotches, but otherwise, he was fine. No damage had ever been recorded from less than ten seconds of exposure. Charlie glanced at the other set of doors over his shoulder. The ones that opened onto the ramp that led down to the ground. He longed to go through them, wanted to dig his hands in the ground and laugh as the organisms consumed him. He turned and walked back into the lab.

 

A month later he was given a protective suit and given the chance to wear it for the first time. He and Tori had been assigned to walk, outside, to a big oak tree and back. Charlie was thrilled. He stepped into the suit and pulled it up over his arms. A tech zipped him in and checked him over. The suit was a stiff layer of slick rubber designed to lack tread so the organisms wouldn’t be able to climb against gravity. The boots they were given were thick and clunky. They were tall, reaching up to his knees like a pair of extra-long rain boots. A device attached to the top of the boot sent out vibrations that they’d found would deter the organisms. The hood of the suit came up over his head and the visor was clicked into place. He saw the world through a glass partition.

 

Then they were in the chamber and the doors behind them were closing. It was midday and the sun was shining. A breeze spirited a few brown leaves past the glass. The doors to the ramp opened. Charlie stepped out first. His heart pounded in his chest. It was right there, the ground. He walked quickly down the ramp, Tori following behind him at a more reserved pace. He paused at the end of it. The dirt was disturbed, as it always was when the organisms were present. It looked almost fluffy.

 

Charlie took a deep breath and lifted one foot. He lowered it slowly to the ground, enjoying the crunch of soil underfoot. He leaned his weight forward, ready to take another step, but paused. The ground was shaking around his boot, pulsing in strange waves. It was trying to climb up his boot, he realized. He tried to pick up the foot but felt resistance. The ground clung to his boot, pulling him back down. Charlie watched, entranced. He continued to pry his foot away and eventually the dirt fell back down. He looked at Tori, whose face he could just see behind the visor. She looked equal parts disturbed and fascinated.

 

Afterward, he felt like he’d been on another planet. It was amazing, he’d been on the ground, but he couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. What had they learned during that expedition? Nothing new, nothing interesting. He wanted more. All he could think about was how slow the studies they performed were. They were no closer to understanding these organisms. They needed to study them in action. His plan fell together quickly after that.

 

Once again he fastened the protective suit on and was checked over by the other technicians. Tori was doing the same next to him. Charlie clapped a hand on her shoulder and with the scalpel hidden in his palm he sliced a tiny hole into her suit, the rubber splitting easily under a sharp blade. She turned and gave him a thumbs-up. He hid the scalpel in one of his pockets.

 

They walked through the chamber and out onto the ramp. The suit was heavy and sweaty against his skin. Through the visor, he saw the dirt-coated ground come closer and closer. The first step was always the most exciting. His foot hovered over the solid ground, casting a wavering shadow over the dirt. He placed it firmly down. The ground beneath him stirred, trying to creep up his legs but being deterred by the vibrations.

 

Slowly, the ground pulling at them with each step, they made it 50 feet away from the end of the ramp. He knew they were being watched closely from the observation windows, but at this distance, no one would really be able to tell what happened. Charlie shoved his foot hard to the side right as Tori took a step. The bottom of her boot caught on the top of his and she lost her balance. Her arms windmilled but the suit was too bulky and dragged her down.

 

She should have gotten up. The suit should have kept the microorganisms at bay. But Charlie had damaged her suit. He gazed intently down at her as the organisms poured over her and into the hole in the fabric. He bent over as if to help her, but really he just wanted to get a closer look. This near, it was mesmerizing. The dark earth swirled as though it was possessed. It rose and fell like a liquid. Tori cried out one last time before they closed over the top of her dark hair. Charlie ignored the panicked voices over his earpiece. Through his visor the majority of the event had been captured (excepting, of course, when he purposefully tripped her).

 

He’d made a huge leap in the field, no matter how tragic. The footage would help inform scientists for years to come. Except, he didn’t know (no one did) that after a feeding, the organisms laid their eggs. Hundreds of microscopic eggs stuck to his boots and were carried back into the facility. The eggs, not having to breathe oxygen yet, were not affected by the deoxygenation tank. Charlie stripped off his suit and hung it on the hook.

 

Overnight, the eggs hatched, and those tiny, deadly microorganisms scurried to hide in the dust accumulated above cabinets and at the edges of the room. Charlie was the first person at the lab that morning, still buzzing with the exhilaration of the day before, ready to study the footage and propel their lab forward. When his skin started to itch, he thought nothing of it. Until he noticed the little red dots on his forearm. Then the world tilted on its axis, and he crumpled to the floor. He’d made another major discovery that day. The skin of the microorganisms contained a deadly neurotoxin.

 

There weren’t enough creatures to make a cast over him. It was a slow death during which all he could think about was how these organisms would feed on him, suck the life out of him. After, they’d lay their eggs. And the eggs would hatch. And the organisms would spread.

 

His curiosity had doomed their entire town. He’d brought the ground to them.

Five Dollars

“Today I was picking up lunch for a doctor’s Office and as I’m standing there waiting on my order and checking emails, I hear a gentleman ask this lady, “I would like to purchase something to eat but all I have is $5.” So nosy me looks up from my phone and notices this gentleman wearing a backpack and holding a $5 bill who looks to be homeless or maybe he was dealing with a hard time but either way as he asks about a few items on the menu he shortly discovers that he may need more than $5. The lady begins to offer some suggestions to help him and the man orders and as she’s asking him what he wants to drink and as he’s thinking about it the lady says don’t worry about it because your breakfast is on me.

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I got this picture for a couple of reasons. It would have been so easy to turn around and ask the manager to step in or for help but she didn’t she just said hey it’s on me. She could have just gave him water and took his money and went on to the next customer and again she didn’t she just did it. I’ve been in customer service for a long time. I’ve been through some of the best trainings such as Dale Carnegie and yet a girl name Karina in a Chick-fil-A in Jackson, MS in a 3-minute conversation with a customer has managed to teach me the value of humility and taking care of your customers. It’s not just the nuggets that make this place successful. It’s people like Karina.

Pumping up the deep coolness of pleasure and relief

Practically it can’t; some people (e.g. businesses and researchers) need a VPN, otherwise they are unable to do their jobs in China, yet China needs businesses and researchers.

A blanket ban on VPNs — and by extension access to certain overseas websites — would be nonsensical.

There is also the cost-benefit analysis of going after VPN users. Even if it were logistically possible to do so, the state probably decided that VPNs can’t negate the firewall, because they are hard to get in mainland China and most people will never get VPNs, whereas the people who do have VPNs are likely to be educated, tech-savvy, and sophisticated enough to not do the thing that they are feared to do once they skirt the firewall; that is, turn anti-government.

Besides, letting some people skirt the firewall may be a plus for the state, because it can reduce the crave for outside information and by extension the outside world, which isn’t perfect. If your narrative as the Chinese government is that the grass is not greener outside of the firewall, preventing your citizens from ever having a taste of what it’s like outside of the firewall doesn’t really help you make that case. On the other hand, if you’re a Chinese netizen who skirts the firewall and ends up in Twitter or Reddit and nothing happens to you, you may realize that the government has a point. You may even want to skirt the firewall less!

So to China, the choice is clear: it can crack down on VPN use and risk wasting its own resources while pissing curious minds off, or it can simply keep the firewall around and let folks climb it if they want to, knowing that not everyone will, and those who do pose minimal threat to the state and won’t stay outside forever.

Sometimes, porous walls are better than rock solid ones.

What Putin and China just did to Israel is SHOCKING and the UK is Furious w/ Lowkey

You have to understand that isn’t possible.

It *is* possible that someone’s heart may cease to function, their brain may stop issuing commands, and tiny insects may begin to colonize the still warm meat, but inmates can’t die in prison.

You’re probably thinking that I suffer from some cognitive dissonance, or mild learning disability. But, as a matter of policy, inmates can’t die in prison. And, of course, if anybody has the superhuman ability to avert death, it would be the gargantuan bureaucracy of the almighty Bureau of Prisons.

Instead, here’s what will happen:

First, we’re going to finish count — while yelling at that one guy who just stubbornly refuses to stand as per policy.

“Goddammit Lazarus, don’t screw up my count!”

After the correct number of livestock is arrived at (and this may take several attempts because prison guards aren’t the shiniest keys on the ring), one of the guards will call for a couple medical trustees to come and fetch the dude whose temperature is rapidly dropping. Trustees are inmates from other areas of the prison who do the work that’s considered beneath the guards (i.e. “everything”). Because they are inmates, they are also subject to inventory wherever it is that they sleep, or happened to be at the time. That means that their unit also has to pass count before they can come and clean away the offending debris.

The horizontal inmate will be loaded on a gurney and taken to medical where an exhaustive battery of tests will be performed to ensure that he’s not faking anything. I have no idea what these tests are, but I suspect they’re things like fogging a mirror, and poking an eyeball with a needle.

You know, “medieval” in nature.

Ever wonder what happens to doctors who finish last in their class? Once the crack (pun unintended, but delightful anyway) medical staff is satisfied, the inmate will be handcuffed, shackled around the ankles, and loaded into an ambulance.

Outside the prison walls, he can be legally declared dead.

Requiescat In Pace.

Spanish Style Liver

Spanish Style Liver
Spanish Style Liver

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sliced beef or calves liver
  • 4 slices bacon, cut in half
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 1 (1 pound) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 small bay leaf

Instructions

  1. Place liver in slow cooker. Arrange bacon on top.
  2. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over liver.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
  4. Remove bay leaf.

Yes I am. I am a third generation Malaysian Chinese.
Truth to be told, I wasn’t that kind of Chinese kid who grew up with these Chinese pride.
It never crossed my mind until my growing interest in history lessons during my secondary school.

Chinese history was never the focus of our country’s education syllabus…
Instead, I grew up learning about Greco-Roman history, Renaissance, European history and Malaysia’s history.
So I was quite familiar with the West, but never China.
Out of pure curiosity, I embarked on a journey of reading.

I read about the China’s past, and consumed quite a lot of documentaries on Chinese history.
My interest grew further and I couldn’t stop reading.
I know I’m Chinese by blood, but never to the degree of finding a connection back to my own heritage.
The experience was quite bizzare.

Like reading histories that tells so much about you.
Your family surname, origins of your tribe, origin of why you do things the Chinese way.
You get a sense of connection to past histories, and it is still relevant to you.

China is so old, that they recorded so many of those things back then.
Then during my high school years, my interest in histories grew even further.
I was particularly fond of reading the reason behind fall of empires, like Roman empire, Ottoman empire, Mughal empire and etc….

You can’t stop but start asking yourself, where are those empire builders now?
They are all gone. Vanished into the dust of history.
But China is still there. We still call ourselves Chinese.
The realization of naming ourselves after a long dead empire is still very relevant to a Chinese conscious.

Just imagine if the people from the Gaul and Hispania still identify themselves as Roman.
They might acknowledge their Roman heritage, but in no mind those people would have identify themselves as a Roman. Rome was long dead, and every other nations formed their distinct identity, and there was no turning back.

Despite ups and down, China is still intact.

We still can read Classical Chinese.
We still worship our ancestor.
We still identify ourselves as Chinese.

It was weird, but fascinating.
If Europeans can understand the sentiment of Roman pride, then you should know what I meant.
Europeans tried to rebuild the second Rome, third Rome but all fall into the dust of history.
Like how Americans modelled their republic and metaphorically compare themselves to the greatness of Rome.

If you understand this sentiment, then you surely know why the Chinese are proud of.

But we didn’t have to mimic Rome.
We have our Rome to be proud of.
We pain stackingly preserved our identity through the age of time.
Except that, our Rome never fell.

Is Gen Z Killing Corporate Culture?

“Has a store ever accidentally given you something for free?”

Years ago, when we had small children so that I was a stay-at-home Mom and we lived precariously on my husband’s salary, we certainly had nothing spare for adult clothes. But I couldn’t actually go around naked or in rags, so eventually I found a pair of nice-looking corduroy pants in sage green on sale at Sears, which, when it still existed, sold unfashionable but serviceable clothes cheap, and mail-ordered them by phone; this was before there was online anything. When they arrived they were just as nice as they had looked in the catalog and they were the perfect size. But with them was another pair of the same pants in beige and a size larger. I had paid for one pair.

I phoned customer service and explained what had happened, asking when their delivery guy would next be in the area so that he could come by and pick up the extra pair. The woman I was talking to turned nasty at that point; she said, in an unpleasant tone of voice, that that would not be possible and I must take them to the store to return them. I told her that I had two small children and no car, and that the nearest Sears store was a long two-or-three-bus journey away in a suburb, which was why I was using the mail-order service on which Sears had built their reputation. She said that was not her problem. I asked what she suggested I should do, pointing out that I now had a pair of pants for which I had not paid, and she said “Keep them! I don’t care.”

So I did. The larger size wasn’t that much larger, and it was handy to have two pairs. When the kids were old enough I went back to work, and then we could all have new clothes when we needed them. As the kids grew out of theirs we donated perfectly good clothes, plenty of them, to charities. I reckon that counts as paying it forward.

Is Gen X The Worst Generation?

The U.S. dollar is now attracting stiff competition from the constantly evolving multipolar currency narrative. With the BRICS ditching the U.S. dollar officially, it seems that the new world order is emerging, where local currencies are now reigning supreme. Joining in the queue are the latest ASEAN members, the robust ten-country power pact, which may hamper some of the US dollar prospects if they decide to join forces with the leading world allies.

asean
asean

The murmurs of ASEAN dumping the U.S. dollar earlier caught pace in 2023 when the countries contemplated embracing local currency narratives to promote regional supremacy.

The ASEAN nations, which comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, had earlier conducted a meeting to end their reliance on the USD, Euro, Yen, and British Pound.

This was primarily done to catapult the progress of local currencies and help them ascend on the global currency radar. The members also shared comments on why the nations must end the use of USD for the long haul, citing U.S. sanctions as the key issue.

“Be very careful. We must remember the sanctions imposed by the US on Russia. Visa and Mastercard could be a problem,” Indonesian Prime Minister Widodo shared during the event.

With ballooning US debt metrics and a worsening economy on hand, the United States is now attracting issues that can hinder the progress of the USD in the long run. Decades ago, the dollar stood unhinged, but with the ASEAN and BRICS narratives gaining momentum, the USD may now encounter deep trouble hampering its global ascent.

10 U.S. Sectors To Be Affected if ASEAN Dumps the US Dollar

The top ten U.S. sectors that may feel the crushing pressure post-USD dump by ASEAN nations are:

  • Financial Services
  • Trade
  • Manufacturing
  • Tourism
  • Technology
  • Agriculture
  • Energy
  • Retail
  • Transportation
  • Real estate

The multipolar concept, a term coined to denote a basket of currencies leading the financial system, is very much underway in present times.

With robust economic competition prevalent in space, nations have now come up with new perspectives and offerings that can help them transact better by offering eccentric services and products in return.

This narrative threatens the global supremacy of the U.S. dollar to an extent, as countries now have alternative currencies to explore, thereby fueling the multipolar regime. The inflating US debt metrics, poor administrative infrastructure, and its capability to weaponize the dollar for geopolitical manipulation are now being debated openly. This is further downgrading the currency, compelling other regions like ASEAN to compete for global power and recognition.

“This dominance continues now, with the U.S. using its clout to drive socio-political goals by imposing sanctions. And by excluding non-compliant governments and organizations from the global trade and economic systems where the U.S. is dominant. The best example of this is the sanctions on Russia. And also certain Russian citizens due to their invasion of Ukraine. In the hope of influencing their ability to conduct the war,” as shared by Sable International

Shallow Women Are ABANDONING 10+ YEAR Marriages To Find Themselves On A Bunch Of C*cks

I had a great employee once who would wear a shirt that said “Genius by nature. Slacker by choice.” It really did suit him well. He was really quite smart and there wasn’t a job I could throw at him that he couldn’t handle with ease.

The problem always seemed to be motivating him to actually do the jobs I gave him.

I have also had an employee whose work ethic was astounding. He never complained about long hours or having too much on his plate.

The problem was that I had to double check all his work and often redo it myself.

Give me the lazy genius any day of the week.

When I hire someone to do a job, I fully expect that they will be able to do said job. If I wanted to do the job myself, I’d not hire anyone and just keep the money for me.

Once you learn what motivates someone, it’s not entirely difficult to just apply the right kind of pressure to get them to do their job. With my lazy genius, the problem with his motivation was that things couldn’t hold his interest if he found them dull and routine. My job was to make sure he was challenged enough to where he wanted to work. Sometimes that meant giving some easy stuff to the less experienced people and saving all the hard stuff for him. Often, though, it was just enough to challenge his ego. “Hey, Mike was looking at this issue and claims it’s unsolvable. Why don’t you give it a go?” In those cases, I likely had a good idea of how to solve the issue, but I needed him to do it. It would put him in the frame of mind to prove just how smart he actually was. Something he loooooved to do. Regardless, he’d get the job done and do it better than anyone else in the office.

The hard working guy, all I ever had to do was tell him I wanted a thing done. He never needed coaxing or a reminder of deadlines. He was great for the simple, mundane stuff, but if it was anything more complicated than resetting a password, he’d spend half his day trying to figure out the solution and still need help getting it right. I tried tutoring him, I tried getting him lessons on basic troubleshooting and infrastructure, but nothing seemed to stick.

No offense to anyone, but people who can handle basic tasks are extremely common. Someone who can take a real puzzler and solve it are far more rare.

No one wanted this ‘old’ shelter cat. I took her home

I found a little hard lump under my left ear. It was pandemic time and there were radio and TV ads telling people that they must see their doctor if they found a lump (otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone).

So, I rang for a phone appointment, expecting to be told it was a cyst or something. Nope. I was called straight down to the surgery (thank goodness I knew that particular GP very well and trusted him).

The next week or so was a bit of a blur: multiple biopsies and ultrasounds and what have you. Then a Covid test and an operation!! It was the unseemly haste that was most terrifying.

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main qimg 7f39d9597c8244d919b78dfbaa705590

A bit gory isn’t it!! Bride of Frankenstein. Darned near cut my ear off!! But I’m ok now – except for some quite impressive scarring. That blue/green stripe under my ear that goes under my chin – that’s bleeding under the skin acting under the force of gravity, not just a grubby neck!

Update from today. Scarring isn’t too bad, really.

Clever people, those surgeons. Most of the scar that’s actually on my face is hidden in the creases around my ear. I am so grateful to the NHS!!

Oh, and that tube? That’s one of my hearing aids. Deaf as a bloody post, I am!! Xx

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Fringe Benefits by Rock Anthony cover illustration by Paul Rader
Fringe Benefits by Rock Anthony cover illustration by Paul Rader

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The problem isn’t carbs like rice or flour, the problem is added sugar.

One thing I noticed when I first came to the US is how sweet everything is. And this sentiment is shared by a lot of Chinese. When we first eat muffins, it is so sweet we nearly gagged.

A lot of processed food (even savory snacks) has a lot of sugar in it.

Not to mention soft drinks.

Another thing is for urban Americans, it’s much harder for them to get fresh produces compare to urban Chinese.

For example, I used to live in Beijing. And on my way home there are farmer’s market street stalls selling fresh produces.

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main qimg 696c943f210d0084ab5d4730a2695b83 lq

This kind of “farmer’s market” is integrated with pretty much all communities. People buy fresh produce on a daily basis and they cook fresh, mostly plant based food instead of relying on boxed meals or heavily processed foods like “hamburger helper”

After I come to the US, the only places I can purchase fresh produce are supermarkets and occasional “farmer’s markets” that only show up on Sundays in selected areas. Fresh produce is often more expensive than processed food.

Comparatively, the fresh produce in these street markets is pretty cheap. If you’re a poor person in China, you’ll most likely maintain a plant-based diet. If you’re a poor person in the US, you are limited to processed food and can food. All of them have added sugar.

For example, this is a regular bento box usually sold for low-income people like migrant workers. This one cost 10 RMB (about 1.75 USD)

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main qimg 91c2c18331e701a1a40fbbb548aad369 lq

Yeah, it doesn’t look good, but 1) they’re freshly made. 2) LOTS of vegetables. 3) looks pretty balanced with veggies and proteins.

So even if you’re poor, you don’t have a place to cook, and had to rely on cheap ready-made food, you still ended up eating pretty healthy.

China had seen a wave of childhood obesity back in the 80s and 90s when Coca-Cola and other western soft drinks and fast-food chains were first introduced to our market.

But Chinese diet somewhat reduced the effect of that, and the fast-food joints in China aren’t cheap. There are other cheaper, healthier street food options. And things started to get better once people (parents) started to realize how soft drinks and fast food is bad for their children.

So at the end of the day, it’s the added sugar and cheap processed food.


As mentioned in a comment, portion control also plays a huge part in the East Asian diet.

For example, this is the bento lunch box sold on Chinese railways

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main qimg 4c725cdb89d9a75a0dfcba80e7937b4c pjlq

You have a good portion of leafy greens, some protein, and rice (carbs). This is usually enough for an adult male, women and children often eat less.

This is an elementary school lunch:

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main qimg 101a8c97a02696f05e5a324015afb568 lq

Pretty healthy and balanced food with some multi-grain, fish protein, vegetables, and fruit.

When my Chinese friends and relatives came to the US, and we have lunch or dinner at an American restaurant, we often warn them about the portion size, ask them to look at other tables and see how big the plates are. Many would choose to share plates. Partly because Chinese are more used to family-style, partly because American restaurant’s portion is ridiculous.

And I think the family-style meals also help with portion control. With family-style, you’re free to eat until you’re full, instead of feeling obligated to finish the food on your plate. Sure, you can keep eating from the plate, but if you’re eating with a family, it’s kind of bad manners to hog on food. So there’s some peer pressure to not overindulge.

Long time ago, about 20 years. (Damn, I’m old)

I was at a mall with a friend (cis woman) and a child started screaming and calling out for her mom. I froze and looked around. Every man just looked, and about half of the women started towards the kid to comfort them.

My friend asked why I froze. I’m not usually an indecisive person.

I explained that I wasn’t indecisive at all. I made an instant decision not to approach the girl because I assessed the risk of being identified as a predator was too high to risk. I explained that every guy there did the same math in their head and came to the same conclusion.

In western culture, the only kind of touch allowed for men is sex or violence. Neither is appropriate in the vast majority of cases, especially with kids. We are so touch starved outside of those contexts that it perpetuates and reinforces until we can’t give or receive touch outside of them.

The culture we are in would rather see men die alone and miserable than recognize that sometimes we just need someone to be with us. It would rather see our partners with our shells than with the complete men that we should be able to grow into.

The only things we are interested in are not fight or fuck, and I’m really tired of the assumption that they are.

The Bookkeepers

Submitted into Contest #251 in response to: Your protagonist is a voracious reader. Lately, they’ve been noticing odd synchronicities in the books he or she is reading. What does the protagonist discover is happening?

Today I am including a contemporaneous short science fiction story for your amusement. This is a new idea of mine. Please tell me if you like it or not. -MM

Lying down lazily on her green velvet sofa, Jane placed her tepid coffee on the enormous rug beside her and returned to her ebook. Wind chimes tinkled in her blissfully overgrown garden outside, the lightest misting of rain tickled the windows. For the last 20 years, Jane had planned her retirement to a tee. Some of her friends had planned round the world e-tours, others were e-touring planets Jane had never even heard of. Her plans were simpler. Late nights, late mornings, and books. The rest of her days would be the same, save some obligatory human interactions. Sleep, read, sleep, read. Heaven.

She hadn’t read Of Mice and Men since she was a young teenager and had amazed herself that she remembered so many of the passages, the words, and the feelings. Not just of the book but of the person she was back when she had first read it.

Like music, books could make her a time traveller. Returning her, for a split second, to the feeling of being that young lady. The smell of overly sweet body spray, the scratchiness of school tights, the inner tumult of hormonal upheaval, the bone-deep serenity of still having parents. As she remembered the words she read, she spent a millisecond back in her family home. When she tried to capture the moment, elongate it, prolong the beautiful, painful nostalgia of being who she was then, it would simply evaporate. But when she allowed herself to just read, just keep going, the flightiest of memories would embrace her entire body and ooze through her soul.

However, towards the end of the book, the time-travelling stopped. The passages became not quite unfamiliar, but more distant. As she rounded the ending, when George and Lennie laid the first stone for their new home on the land they had bought together, she remembered something more recent.

The week before, upon completing 1984, she couldn’t figure out what was out of place about Winston and Julia escaping the Big Brother society together and ending up rearing sheep on an Irish Island. The week before that, Romeo and Juliet uniting their families with news of their new baby. And the week before that, when Daisy Buchanan falls deeply in love with Jay Gatsby. She had read all these stories in her youth. Some more than once. But their endings somehow felt at odds with her memories of them. Their endings seemed to have been born anew. They were satisfying, for sure, and truly hopeful. But they were somehow empty, not just of her recollections, but of depth: of feeling.

She knew why, of course. The Bookkeepers. Decades ago, there was a threat of war, or at least very real terrorism, when the book burnings began. The emotion that was incited on both sides was incendiary and people got caught up in a moral and philosophical warfare.

For some, literature was what it was and there was undeniable value in its unedited storytelling: a time capsule of sorts, capturing not just the events of the days they explored, but the attitudes of society and indeed the writers. For others, the content and views were deeply troubling, offensive and unsettling: there was no place in our society for saddening and unenlightened opinions that could cause upset.

Jane had taken neither side all those decades ago, too busy with work to really engage, and quietly confident that the right decisions would be made on her behalf. The Bookkeepers, ultimately, made the decisions. But should she have paid more notice? By allowing the books of her youth to be remastered, had she lost not just the books themselves, but the entryway to the person she was when she first read them. And, more worryingly, was this whole retirement really just a plan to relive her life through the books she had once read? Because considering it had been years, decades even, since her life had allowed her to pick up a book, there possibly wasn’t much to relive.

Just as she started to piece these disconcerting thoughts together, her watch gently buzzed and spoke.

“You seem to be suffering with a little emotional turbulence,” the phantom therapist stated. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“No. Not right now.”

“Sure. I’m here if you need me. Perhaps we could take a walk?”

“Actually, a walk would be good,” Jane replied with an idea fizzing in her brain. “Where’s the nearest library?”

“The nearest library is 3,757 miles away. The New York City Library,” the voice droned.

“Right. Well, where’s the nearest place to view real books?”

“The Literature Museum of Irving has a number of interesting displays that allow visitors to learn more about printed books. It is 4.27 miles away.”

“Perfect, set a course.”

 

It took Jane three and half hours to make the short journey. Her ageing body had no speed left in it, though her stamina remained unfailing. When she got to the small museum, located in a building that seemed to have been squeezed between two gyms, she was met by two armed guards.

“Just visiting,” Jane said giddily, her fear of authority sneaking up on her like a child.

They did not respond, noting her as unlikely to be a troublemaker. The interior of the building felt larger than it looked from the outside and the vast majority of it was dedicated to various revolutionaries who had fought, sometimes even literally, to have the classics preserved. She strolled past the memorials of these forward thinking people who had made it their life’s work to insure that politics didn’t destroy great works of literature that, though often deeply problematic, were hugely influential on the books and more importantly games, movies and e-experiences that people spend so much of their time enjoying these days.

A stern man with an eye patch stood behind a counter towards the end of the cavernous room, swiping his e-book disdainfully.

“Hi. Em, do you have any printed books?” Jane asked nervously.

“What are you looking for?” he grumbled, barely breaking his gaze from the screen.

“Of Mice and Men.”

The man pointed his dagger eye at her and raised an eyebrow.

“We have the ebook. Scan here. You don’t need to come in here for this, you know?”

“No, the actual book. I want to hold it.”

“No, there’s none left.”

“None? What do you mean?”

“There’s none left. A few in New York maybe. Or some collectors might have managed to hang on to them. But we don’t have any. Why do you want it anyway?” There was not an ounce of kindness at the beginning of his speech, and by the end he seemed to be seething for Jane’s very existence.

“Do you have a version of the original?”

“No.” The man started to peer nervously at the doorway.

“Where can I get a copy?” Jane asked, completely unaware of the inappropriateness of such a question.

“Are you here to cause trouble, is that it?”, the man said, his voice lowered to a growl. “Are you one of those protesters? Huh? Well even if we did have a file of the original, you can’t burn files, can you? And anyway, we don’t”.

“Protester? Burn? Oh god, no. Not at all. I didn’t get involved in any of that stuff. I didn’t even take sides. I thought each side had a reasonable enough point to be honest,” Jane blustered, her face flushing with shame. Her watch started to vibrate but she discreetly pushed it to shush.

“This is just a museum, okay? Whether you like it or not, those books existed and they don’t anymore. They were part of the world. An important part once. And you people got your way anyway, didn’t you? You’ve got your sanitised versions with no violence and la-di-da happy endings all round. You got your bloody AI generated revisions and ruined it for the rest of us,” he stammered, tears beading in his eye. Jane wondered if his watch was buzzing too.

“I’m so sorry. I think you misunderstood me. I’m sorry. I’ll just. I’ll go.”

 

And she left, fled even if her sluggish pace could be described as a flee. She hailed a carriage and was home in minutes, sweating and mortified. She held her hands to her mouth. Her watch was quaking on her behalf and she unmuted it to allow it to spill out its concern.

“Jane, you seem to be experiencing intense emotional disturbance. Perhaps a nap could help things,” it pleaded gently.

“No. I want another book. Wuthering Heights, I want to read Wuthering Heights.”

“Wonderful choice. Wuthering Heights is awaiting you on your ebook.”

“Tell me the plot.”

“Wuthering Heights is an evocative love story set on the Yorkshire Moors. It tells the story of Heathcliff and Catherine, who fall in love despite their social divides.”

“What happens in the end?”

“Heathcliff and Catherine shun societal norms and marry. Heathcliffe earns his fortune through clever investments and they grow old together in Wuthering Heights.”

“What’s the ending of the original?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

“The original book. They don’t end up together in the original, do they?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question.”

Jane couldn’t understand why her heart was racing, her palms clenched, a sort of sorrowful rage was overtaking her.

“Was Wuthering Heights edited?”

“In 2078, a number of revolutionaries fought to end the widespread book-burnings and hackings that had persisted for some years. These revolutionaries, known as The Bookkeepers, worked tirelessly to find a solution to the problems these books in their original forms created. Their solution, an artful remastering of many of the classics, allowed these books to be preserved for generations to come.”

“What were the problems they caused?”

“Many of these books caused emotional turbulence that can be detrimental to the human mind.”

Jane knew all this. She was a teenager in 2078, more than 60 years ago now, and remembered the celebrations. At first there were celebrations anyway. A compromise had been reached, literature had been saved. But as time went on, the books weren’t just edited to remove offensive passages, the became edited to include happier endings, to improve the messages, to soften the emotional turmoil they could inflict. These days most of the classics were totally remastered by AI; the promise was that with new technology, old writing could be improved. Wha happened was they were edited into bland, heartless mush. The masters were remastered. Programs had mined the original authors’ works and completely rewritten the books. The same voice, it was claimed, the same writing style, prose, rhetoric, but improved.

And there was another memory she was unlocking. A somewhat shameful one. Her mother belittling The Bookkeepers over the kitchen table. Her mother and father bickering with each other. Words her father had said. Something like, leave the girl out of it for God’s sake. She’s a child. It’s her future whether you like it or not and you can’t change it. 

And then, something else. Something gentle and tender. Lying under a fort made from a sheet between her and her older sister’s bed. Holding books. Real books. Reading them furtively, reading them in her hands, the pages soft and padded. Her mother, smiling, shushing. Their little secret. Reading the book; printed books. Reading the temporary words printed in ink that would some day fade. Or burn.

Tears ran down Jane’s face. Not shameful, rageful tears. Big fat memory tears, the ones that cleanse, the ones that dislodge feelings and allow them to be held. She removed her watch and walked to a dresser in her kitchen and emptied it of its contents. Then the chest of drawers in the living room. Under the stairs she riffled through boxes and undershoes. Up the stairs, she searched her bedroom, her studio, even the bathroom. Finally, standing on a suitcase for height, she reached up to the attic door and yanked down the opening, a tinny staircase unfurling as she did so. She scaled the stairs unsteadily and rummaged rampagingly through the boxes of memories put on hold. Finally, she found one. A book. A real book. She sniffed the cover, the pages that had been pawed by so many people, and fanned them through her fingers. She didn’t know how much she missed holding a real book until she no longer could.

Black Beauty. Her childhood favourite. The one her mother allowed her to keep like a secret. Buried in clothes she’ll never fit into again and dolls she’ll never play with. Black Beauty. The heartbreaking story of a horse. The book that, although she may not know it fully, taught a young Jane empathy, compassion, and hope. She returned to her green sofa with some effort and lay back. And she read. And as she did so, memories were dislodged.

Memories like butterflies. There, but gone. Real, but intangible. Feelings. Memories of feelings. Her mother’s stoic tenderness and ridged fingernails. Her sister’s contemptuous companionship and the smell of her morning breath. Her best friend’s loyalty and hair bows. The dreadful feeling of Monday mornings and the smell of her pencil case. She was transported, not just into Victorian England, but to her own childhood. Her own mind as a child galloped through her aged brain.

She finished the book at 4am and slept through the following day. When she rebuckled her watch on Friday morning, it buzzed with algorithmic worries for her wellbeing. She ignored them, had a coffee, put on her comfy shoes, and walked the 4.37 miles.

Upon entering the museum, she was satisfied to see the one-eyed mad behind his desk. Not glancing up, he asked her what she needed without recognising this was the trouble maker from a few days before.

“I have something I think you might like to see,” Jane muttered, opening her satchel to reveal the spine of the book.

The man brought his pale hand to his mouth and then attempted to undo this betraying move.

“Is that real?” he said firmly yet quietly.

“Yes,” Jane said stoically. “It’s real.”

“Don’t take it out. Not here. Leave it in the bathroom. Collect it next week,” he said under his voice, returning his gaze to his screen after a quick glance at the doorway.

Jane did as she was told, thrilled by the secretiveness. She walked home the long way, unsure pf what was to become of the book, of it’s recipient, or of her.

When she arrived home, she returned to the attic and searched for more, but there were none. She lay on the sofa and wondered what she was so busy doing in her working life to have barely noticed the end of literature, never mind to have borne witness to its demise. So busy. She was always so busy. Finally, at the age of 85, she was of retirement age and had little left for her to enjoy. She had missed an entire revolution with her eyes wide shut, yet had banked her entire life on enjoying what that revolution had been destroying. She had assumed that what was decided was for the best, yet allowed her existence to be rinsed of emotion, of depth. She had offered an outstretched wrist when the watches were updated to monitor emotions and thoughts. Yet, now that she had time for emotions and thoughts, there was nothing left to inspire them.

She cried for six days. On the seventh she returned to the museum, hoping against hope that her book would be waiting for her. It was not.

Instead, there was a different book, on top of which lay a note. “I can give you back Black Beauty whenever you want it. But for now, borrow this and return it for a new one when you’re done. We don’t have many, but we have some. And that’s a lot.”

Under the note was a copy of Of Mice and Men. Stained, dog-eared, Sellotaped. And with an ending that reminded her of her mother’s perfume, and made her weep.

Not so much justice as a lesson for life.

My wife has a permanent disability meaning each time we transit through an airport, transportation has to be booked for the whole party. It also sometimes requires using doors & corridors not normally for public use. There is also a strict protocol on boarding aircraft. First on, last off for disabled passengers & family, which at first glance can seem a pain…

However it does come with assigned staff & we’re able chat away & build some relationships while everyone else is waiting to pass through checkin & board.

So flying back into Manchester Airport in the UK 🇬🇧 after a 6 & half week world tour, the aircraft was crammed full & a as per normal, we duly wait in our seats while everyone else stands & crams like cattle to rush to alight the aircraft & get in first to passport control.

After all the other passengers had left, we’re chatting away to the aircrew about our holiday & our assigned liaison commented there will be a delay as they were awaiting a vehicle to take us through the airport terminal, maybe 10–15 minutes. So we’re not feeling it, but hey ho, it’s been a good few weeks. Time comes to depart & despite the side doors & ‘special’ corridors, we’re thinking there’s gonna be such a backlog at passport control… understatement!

They must’ve unloaded 10 aircraft at the same time, close to 3,000 people waiting, the passengers from ours somewhere in the middle of this melee & us last off – & the passport control was just a little slow & seemed miles away! Last thing we needed… 😲

Then, to our surprise & somewhat embarrassment, the driver of our vehicle cuts down the side of all those poor people & to the unspoken chorus of stares & open mouths, pulls right up at the front & the lovely lady at passport control, calls us through & commences to have a chat, asking about our adventures & time away.

So, just shows, there’s not much point all this rushing around in life, ‘cause, much to the consternation of the fleet of foot & hassled masses, those who are last will surely be first 🤣

NATO PREPARES NUCLEAR STRIKE ON RUSSIA BORDER, EU AUTHORIZES “LAUNCH MISSILES NOW”

My 21 year old grand-daughter has lived with us since she was about 1 yr old. In her teen years, she became interested in cars. A year ago she bought a 1985 El Camino project car, for the two of us to work on. The car has a primitive computer that controls timing and mixture control. It gets inputs from several sensors. We have been working on it for a year and have one engine problem left to resolve. We can’t get the intake manifold to seal.

The carb needed rebuilding. It is a very complicated, finicky carb, Quadrajet RA-E4ME. We rebuilt it three times, bought two commercially rebuilt carbs but couldn’t get any of them to work. Finally we bought two virgin carbs from EBay, that had never been worked on. I spent many hours watching YouTube videos and reading about how to do a rebuild (Thank you Cliff). We finally got one of the carbs to work correctly.

The computer has very limited diagnostics. A code reader is very expensive (OBD 1). Very few codes are stored. To read the code I have to put a jumper on the OBD port, turn the car to ON, watch a series of flashing lights on the dash to get a code, look up the code in the OEM manual and go through an extensive trouble shooting tree to try and fix the problem. Our newer cars can be scanned and get a very precise, detailed code along with the most probable causes and recommended repairs. With newer cars, you can see live data on a scanner and pin point problems. Multiple sensors on newer cars feed data to the computer. The computer makes adjustments to keep the car running well and efficiently.

Older cars require dedication, patience, intelligence and a lot of labor. But my grand-daughter and I both enjoy the process.

Spaghetti Roast

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angel8

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angel7

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angel6

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) chuck roast
  • Vegetable oil
  • 3 cups ready-made spaghetti sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 medium onions, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced

Instructions

  1. Brown chuck roast over medium high heat in scant amount of oil.
  2. Place roast in slow cooker and add all other ingredients.
  3. Cook on LOW for 8 hours.
  4. Slice and serve over bed of angel hair pasta.

I can’t believe this today and there are people who tell them and as if nothing!

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main qimg 8d772ac65d193ac6f9824193b95a0060 lq

In 1965, a group of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 16 decided that it would be a good idea to steal a fisherman’s boat to go sailing for a few hours.

Before sailing they brought food that they took from their homes and a few. liters of water they were able to collect.

That same day they set sail on an adventure, the problem was that the children fell asleep after sailing for a few hours.

When they woke up they realized that they were adrift and that the boat had been damaged by the waves. They drifted for several days, when luckily they reached an uninhabited island.

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main qimg 47d65b3230fd5c1ca08bcde494e6eea7 lq

The children managed to get water from the coconuts and to eat the occasional fish they found. The real luck came when they climbed to the top of a cliff and found an abandoned settlement where they could stay.

The children established rules, worked in pairs, and there were even punishments if anyone disobeyed.

After 1 year and three months specifically, the Australian captain Peter Warner discovered the abandoned children after detecting smoke from a campfire.

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main qimg fd7a1f7da8d2cd744b01fa30c6a56db3 lq

“The children had set up a small commune with a food garden, hollowed-out tree trunks to store rainwater, a gym with weights, a badminton court, chicken coops, and a permanent fire.”

Peter Warner wrote in his memoirs.

The children were generally in good health when Warner found them. However, upon his return, the boys were imprisoned for stealing the boat. Warner secured the rights to a documentary on their survival story on the condition that they be released and recreated on camera.

Comparing Earth technology with alien civilizations | The Kardashev Scale

Bone-headed decision made by a stupid ass kid

Anne gave her final confession 48 hours before execution to her almoner, John Skip (or Skypp.) At dawn on May 18, she called for her jailer, Sir Anthony Kingston, to come and witness something. She swore on the communion Host that she was innocent of the charges against her. She then consumed it and repeated the oath.

For a person of the 16th century, what Anne had just done was extremely powerful. Taking an oath on what they believed to be the literal body of Christ would instantly damn the soul of anyone who was dishonest. She wouldn’t have lied on the Host expecting to meet her maker within a few hours.

The execution was delayed. A large crowd had gathered to see this extraordinary event — the execution of a crowned Queen of England. Kingston hoped if it was delayed and no announcement was made, the people would drift away. They didn’t; the crowd only got larger.

Anne had to be in agony. She called Kingston to ask why no one had come to get her. He told her it had been rescheduled for noon. She settled into prayer with Skip again, but when noon came and went and no one came to get her, she called for Kingston again, and at this point, he told her it would be the following day. Unintentional though it was, this was an incredible cruelty.

On the morning of May 19, 1536, she walked out to face the huge crowd. She mounted the scaffold which had been adorned with hundreds of yards of black velvet. Until the very last moments, her status as a crowned queen had to be respected.

She tipped the executioner to ensure a swift death and then comforted her ladies. These women, assigned to Anne because they hated her and were friends with allies of Princess Mary, now wept as though they were “bereft of souls” or the living damned. They had come to care for her deeply over the two weeks they spent with her in the Tower.

Anne turned to face the crowd and people held their breath, waiting to see what she would say. Kingston knew she was innocent after seeing her swear on the Host, and it was a situation he’d never really anticipated — executing an innocent person. He didn’t know what she would do and had speculated she might declare her innocence before the crowd.

But Anne kept her poise and held to the traditions. In the Tudor era, showing fear or reluctance to die indicated the person was afraid to face God with a guilty conscience. Anne held her chin high and made it clear she welcomed death.

Her exact words are disputed by different sources, but it’s clear they were the conventional speech of a condemned criminal. Any deviation from the pattern would have been shocking and appalling and would have had consequences for her family.

The only slight deviation from the pattern was the request that anyone who might “meddle with her cause” would use good judgement. She knew the history being made in that moment, and that people would be debating what had happened to her for centuries to come.

She submitted to the sword with grace, having done all she could to prove her innocence.

In real China, family net worth and home ownership are 50% bigger than America’s and it dominates all 21st century technologies. Help get the word out.

BITTER Feminist LOSING Their Mind Because They Have NOTHING To OFFER MEN

Weapon Systems: Ours and China’s

Godfree Roberts

You win some..

I asked a Chinese (civil) engineer friend to estimate what proportion of America’s spending on failed weapon systems China spent on its successful ones. He would be surprised, he said, if it were half as much. Here are some systems we discussed:

  • Hypersonic Missiles: America’s 20-year, failed ARRW hypersonic missile defense program cost $15 billion. Chinese university science clubs have demonstrated hypersonic weapons. China’s DF-17, Mach 10 ‘carrier killer’ has been demonstrated many times. Its big brother, DF-27, can hit ships west of Guam.

DF 27
DF 27

  • Next-Gen Helicopter: After spending $7 billion developing a reconnaissance and light attack helicopter, the US pulled the plug in 2004. China’s Harbin Z-19 is a tandem-seat helicopter for reconnaissance and light attack, with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and nose-mounted electro-optical target tracking turret.
  • Self-Propelled Howitzer: The Crusader was to replace the Army’s aging artillery pieces, more mobile with longer range. It was canceled in 2002 after $2 billion was spent. China’s PLZ-05 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, the PLZ-07 122 mm self-propelled, self-loading howitzer, the PCL-181 155 mm wheeled, self-propelled, selfloading howitzer are all in full production.

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7aa4d22e90fcf1a18a58481e0dffb938
  • Railgun: The U.S. Navy spent $500 million on the railgun program and cancelled it in 2021. China’s railgun fires 120 rounds at 4,500 mph (7200 km/hr) and strikes targets 120 miles (200 km) away.

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625df51b1aae9ad68862fe95672ffcc3

  • Laser Cannon: The Air Force spent $5 billion developing the laser cannon then cancelled it in 2012. China’s high-energy laser cannons remain powered up indefinitely without overheating, thanks to state-of-the-art cooling.

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dac16e9db509fb7898003d2916fb1d23

  • Next-Gen Destroyer: The Zumwalt next-gen destroyer was supposed to launch missiles from its 80 VLS cells but after spending $22 billion, the Navy canned it in 2016. China’s Type 055 next-gen destroyer has 112 VLS cells, all of whose missiles vastly outrange and out-punch their USN counterparts.

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2e7f89823a31a41ac4f463e12b7ca357

  • Aircraft Carrier: Construction of the $20 billion USN Gerald Ford began in 2009. Its electromagnetic aircraft launch system, EMALS, is underpowered and unreliable, thanks to the Navy’s choice of AC electric power throughout the ship. The Fujian, with a more powerful DC electric system, has a much more powerful, reliable EMALS, a bigger flight deck and aircraft elevators, a slimmer mast and a wider array of defensive weapons.
  • F-35 fighters from design to retirement, will cost $2 trillion, and each jet requires 9 hours of maintenance for one hour flying. The J-20 fighter carries a bigger payload (10 tons) faster (1,500 mph), higher (60,000 ft.) and further (1100 nm.) than the F-35. The J-20’s missiles outrange the F-35’s missiles by 50%.

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94c63be3210c32055c0d0381b6dc077d

The crisis

The West is suffering a crisis, not only of confidence, but of competence. Boeing’s failed shuttle is in the headlines but, less visibly, CERN’s $20 billion attempt to sustain nuclear fusion is collapsing under the weight of its own complexity. It will probably be abandoned now that a private Shanghai company has sustained fusion–for $1 billion.

Instead of continuing with this embarrassing list, I will devote the next post to consider more implications of the fusion breakthrough for world leadership.

American style corruption

Iran Receives Nuclear Threat Over Pending Retaliation Against Israel

Iran Receives Nuclear Threat Over Pending Retaliation Against Israel

Former Iranian diplomat Amir al-Mousavi told Al-Mayadeen news that Iran has been threatened with a nuclear strike.

Mousavi stressed that Iran has made it clear any nuclear attack will be met with a proportional response.

He further noted that those issuing the threats received even stronger replies.

He also urged people to ignore baseless claims of alleged Iranian “cowardice” circulating on social media, over the still-delayed retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran weeks ago.

Mousavi concluded by asserting that Iran, together with its allies, is fully prepared to confront the Zionist entity (Israel) with full force.

 

Hal Turner Analysis

In the ongoing Soap Opera of the Israel-Iran troubles, we have finally reached the apex threat stage: nuclear attack.

I call it a “Soap Opera” because like old the TV Soap Operas, you can walk away from it for a whole week and when you get back, you find you haven’t missed anything substantial.

As readers are aware, today (August 15, 2024) is my first day back at work from my vacation last week, and, as I peruse the available Intel and news, I realize I haven’t missed much!

What I have missed – or rather been relieved of for a week — is all the stress that had come with the ongoing situation.

As usual, folks in the Middle East are all hyped-up and ready to blow each other up . . .  again . . . . as usual.  It’s been this way for decades and shows little sign of abating.

As I look at the nuclear strike claim, I realize the only thing different about this situation is that the threat was actually made.

For decades, it was the quiet part . . . the part no one said out loud.  It was always known, and presumed, that no one could hit Israel without the real possibility of being nuked by Israel.

But now that the actual threat has been made – interesting things are happening.

First, there is no abatement of the retaliation by Iran.   Iran says it __is__ coming and __will_ be delivered.

So what did the nuclear threat accomplish?

Looking at the situation as the outsider I actually am, Iran faces a very simple reality:

If they do not hit Israel back for the assassination, then they don’t have a country anymore.  Israel will be free to kill whomever they want, wherever they want, whenever they want.

If they DO hit Israel back, and very VERY hard, it __may__ give them pause before they think about undertaking such an act again.     BUT . . . .

It will also unleash the very war that Israel has been looking at waging since the Iranian nuclear program became public knowledge.

Israel simply will not tolerate any other nearby country being equipped with nuclear weapons the same way the Israelis have nuclear weapons.  If any neighbor country has nukes, that would DETER Israel from its ongoing military abuse of neighbors.

It was this reality, for decades, that actually created today’s troubles because somewhere inside Israel, they got the idea they could do whatever they want, to whomever they want, whenever and wherever they want, and no one would dare do anything for fear of being nuked.

Many MANY sources have repeatedly told me that Iran already has nuclear weapons; they allegedly got them via their own research and with help from North Korea.

None of us knows for certain if this claim of Iran nukes is true.

But back to the issue at hand, Israel has apparently made an actual, direct, nuclear attack threat.

So again, for Iran, the issue is simple: Does Iran hit the Israelis back (HARD) for assassinating Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, or not?

In my analysis, this is a no-brainer.  I think Iran __must__ hit Israel back, and very hard.

Remember, back in April of this year, Israel bombed the Iran Embassy Compound in Damascus, Syria.   An open act of war!

Iran made a retaliation, with force, much of which was shunted by Israeli defenses, with assistance from allies like the US and UK.

But in that retaliation, deadly weaknesses in Israel’s defenses were exposed.  Several Iranian ballistic missiles, got through Israeli defenses, and struck Israeli military bases.   It proved that Israel __could__ be successfully hit, and the Israelis now know they are nowhere near as “invincible” as they thought they were.  They don’t like this reality and so they have upped-the-ante to actual nuclear threat.

That was foolishness on the part of Israel that is psychotic in its origin.  If Israel nukes Iran over any conventional attack, what does Israel think Russia will do?  What will North Korea do?  What will Pakistan do?    I think one or more of those countries would launch nuclear strikes at Israel!  Much of Israel would be annihilated.

Now, the U.S. would be in a real pickle if any of this happened because, as Israel’s co-dependent enabler, the US would be obligated to come to the aid of their psycho-bully-little-brother, Israel.

Would US political leaders risk all-out nuclear war, for a bunch of psychotics-from-inbreeding over in Israel?

Maybe.  Maybe not.

Which brings us all back to Israel’s nuclear threat.  If I was in Iran, I would realize the nuclear threat is __possible__ but not probable.

If I was in Iran, I would also realize that Israel has wanted an excuse to go after Iran’s nuclear program for years, and this situation, right now, was intentionally created BY ISRAEL, to cause that exact war.   It is coming and nothing will stop it.

So if I was an Iranian political leader, I would resign myself to the reality that a big war __is__ here, and I would go for the gusto; I would order a massive attack upon Israel in response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, and the total violation of Iran sovereignty the assassination actually was.

Iran is either sovereign or they’re not.

If they want to be sovereign, it seems to me they  __must__ hit Israel.  Since the Iran retaliation after the Embassy Bombing did not deter Israel, this retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh must be at least ten times larger.

The longer Iran waits, the more time Israel has to prepare.  The more time the US and UK have to move assets into theater and move weapons into Israel.

So, I ask the leadership of Iran: Are you sovereign, or not?  Are you going to allow the Israelis to murder people in your capital city, or not?

I think that if Iran rolls-over and does not attack in response to the Haniyeh murder, then Iran is no longer sovereign.

When She Expects Princess Treatment But You’re In the Friendzone

OMGosh…

I got a call for a domestic disturbance, once. When I got there, I saw two guys fighting in the yard. I got out, and ordered them to stop. I was by myself, so I cuffed one guy and put him in my car while I talked to the other one. Then, I switched them to interview the other guy.

I found out they were brothers but one had been messing around with the other brother’s girlfriend. I talked to them about family and the total mess they were making of each other over a female. I took the fellow that started the fight to jail and left the other at the house. All the way in, I continued telling him not to do this over some girlfriend—it wasn’t like they were married—he’s your brother…

By the time we got to the booking office, he was thanking me.

Eight months later on patrol I happened to see the two brothers in a parking lot. I stopped and said, “Hey! How’s it going?”

They turned around and said, “Deputy, thank you so much for how you handled that mess months ago.”

“Great,” I said, “how are things now?”

They said they both got rid of the girlfriend, started a landscaping business together, and business was going great! “Had we not met and talked that day, one of us might be dead by now.”

I felt really good about my job that day. 🙂

NOTE: I want to add the backstory for this girlfriend that some had wondered if she got the short end of the deal. She did, but there was a reason. She was not a long-term girlfriend with any history connected to the brothers. She had only been around for a few months and was clearly using the brothers for her own selfish gain (house, drink, food and apparently a little more…). I imagine that the stories ending would be different had the brothers been dirt-bags, but they weren’t.

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Look. China is an 18t dollar economy.

It is the world’s largest trading nation.

LARGEST.

No. 1.

Between 2019 and 2023, Chinese mercantile exports increased by almost 1t, and would have certainly been far higher had American-led sanctions and restrictions not curtailed normal trade. That’s more than double the increase in US goods exports, at 400b.

[Note: There are ~2,000 Chinese entities on the sanction list today.]

Yet it is growing like a developing economy, which it is, structurally as a whole.

China is an unprecedented economy. There has never been anything like it, and equivalence with any economy in the present or past fail at some point, often superficially.

~5% growth is a china in economic trouble?

Now, China is in the ~13,000 gdp per capita bracket, similar to Mexico, Malaysia, and turkey, all in the structurally vulnerable middle income “trap”.

What were their growth and inflation numbers in 2023?

China: 5.2%, 0.2%

Malaysia: 3.7%, 2.5%

Mexico: 3.2%, 4.7%

Turkey: 4.0%, 53.8%

And the kicker?

The other 3 have devalued massively relative to the yuan this century, particular post GFC.

There isn’t a developing country who won’t kill to be in china’s shoes today.

NONE.

The disparity would have been starker were the global south not given carte blanche to depreciate their currencies in a follow-the-yen reverse plaza accord begun in 2012-2013.

There was no political blowback, and the silence turned deafening when it was China and Singapore (of all actors) inexplicably singled out for designation as currency manipulators, despite appreciating versus the dollar.

It was a sharp message to China. Do NOT join in the festivities. We have different rules for you.

China today has low domestic inflation and interest rates. Given that the yen has devalued 100% in the past decade, along with a host of other currencies, what would it hurt if China devalues the yuan by 10% to 7.8-7.9 to the dollar? Even then, it will only be a fraction of the yen’s colossal dislocation in recent years.

That move alone can boost growth by at least 1–2%.

Economic troubles?

Far from it.

China hasn’t brought out the elephant gun, not even during covid.

That, my friends, is something to chew over.

Ownership is the key.

Cosmic Catastrophe: A Space Adventure Gone Awry

Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong. view prompt

Kayla Flemming

The hum of the spaceship’s engines filled the air as Captain Jackson surveyed the vast expanse of space stretching out before them. They were on a routine mission to explore the far reaches of the Galaxy, charting new star systems and collecting valuable data for the Intergalactic Alliance.But as they ventured further into uncharted territory, a sense of unease settled over the crew. There was something off about this sector of space – a feeling of foreboding that sent shivers down their spines.As they pressed on, their fears were realized when a sudden jolt rocked the ship, sending alarms blaring and lights flashing. Emergency protocols were initiated as the crew scrambled to assess the damage.”What happened?” Captain Jackson barked, his voice tense with urgency.”It looks like we hit some sort of anomaly,” replied Lieutenant Ramirez, her fingers flying across the control panel as she attempted to regain control of the ship. 

But their efforts were in vain as another jolt shook the vessel, this time more violently than before. Panic gripped the crew as they realized they were hurtling towards a nearby planet, their trajectory set on a collision course that spelled certain doom.

 

With time running out, Captain Jackson made a split-second decision – they would attempt a risky maneuver to evade the planet’s gravitational pull and regain control of the ship.

 

“Brace yourselves!” he shouted, his hands gripping the controls with steely determination.

 

As the ship plunged towards the planet’s surface, the crew held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests. But just when it seemed all hope was lost, Captain Jackson’s daring maneuver paid off, and the ship veered away from the planet at the last possible moment.

 

Cheers erupted throughout the cockpit as the crew celebrated their narrow escape from disaster. But their relief was short-lived as they realized they were now adrift in the void of space, their navigation systems fried and their chances of survival dwindling by the second.

 

As they frantically searched for a way to repair the ship and plot a course home, Captain Jackson couldn’t help but wonder what other dangers lurked in the darkness of space, waiting to test their courage and resolve.

 

Despite the chaos that ensued, the crew of the spaceship refused to let fear dictate their actions. With determination in their hearts and a spirit of camaraderie that bound them together, they set out to explore the planet they had narrowly avoided crashing into. As they descended through the atmosphere, they were greeted by a breathtaking landscape unlike anything they had ever seen before – towering mountains, shimmering lakes, and lush forests stretching out to the horizon.

 

Eager to uncover the secrets of this alien world, the crew donned their spacesuits and ventured out onto the surface, their eyes wide with wonder as they took in the sights and sounds of this new frontier.

 

But their sense of adventure soon turned to apprehension as they encountered strange and wondrous creatures lurking in the shadows – creatures with scales as hard as steel, eyes that glowed with an otherworldly light, and voices that echoed through the caverns like whispers from the void.

 

Undeterred, the crew pressed on, their curiosity driving them ever forward in their quest for knowledge and discovery. And though they faced countless challenges and obstacles along the way, their indomitable spirit carried them through, guiding them on a journey of exploration that would change their lives forever.

 

As they prepared to leave the planet behind and return to the safety of their ship, Captain Jackson couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the adventure they had shared together. For in the face of adversity, they had found strength in each other, forging bonds that would withstand the test of time.

 

Amidst the chaos and excitement of their unplanned detour, the crew found moments of levity that brought much-needed relief from the tension of their predicament.

 

From Lieutenant Ramirez’s failed attempts at fixing the ship’s malfunctioning systems to Ensign Johnson’s comical mishaps during their explorations on the planet’s surface, there was never a dull moment aboard the spaceship.

 

Even Captain Jackson, typically stoic and reserved, couldn’t help but crack a smile as he watched his crew stumble their way through one misadventure after another. But amidst the laughter and camaraderie, there was a sense of camaraderie that bound them together, a shared sense of purpose that gave them the strength to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

 

And as they finally set course for home, their ship repaired and their ship repaired and their spirits buoyed by the memories of their cosmic escapades, they knew that no matter what trials awaited them in the vast expanse of space, they would face them together, united in their quest for adventure and discovery.

 

The journey back to their home base was filled with moments of reflection and gratitude. Each member of the crew took the time to appreciate the bonds they had formed and the experiences they had shared during their time in the far reaches of space.

 

Lieutenant Ramirez, with her quick with and unwavering determination, became the heart and soul of the crew, guiding them through even the most challenging of situations with her calm demeanor and steady hand.

 

Ensign Johnson, despite his tendency to stumble into trouble, proved himself to be a valuable asset to the team, his ingenuity and resourcefulness saving them on more than one occasion.

 

And Captain Jackson, with his leadership and courage, inspired his crew to rise above their fears and doubts, leading them through adversity with unwavering resolve. As they neared their home base, a sense of anticipation filled the air. Though their journey had been fraught with danger and uncertainty, they had emerged stronger and more united than ever before.

 

And as they docked their ship and stepped onto solid ground once more, they knew that their adventure was far from over. For as long as there were stars in the sky and unexplored corners of the universe to discover, they would continue to journey forth, together, in search of the next great adventure that awaited them in the cosmos.

What goes through the mind of Chinese citizens when they travel out of China and end up on the internet seeing uncensored speech and negative factual news about the CCP?

They love China even more and decide to go back China to build a better modern China with the unique Chinese Characteristics.

The Chinese American scientists and engineers who have worked and studied in the US for years have read and seen all the fake news and real life stories their whole life. They have endured enough discrimination and unfair treatments that they decide to return China and start up their high tech companies.

That is the fact.

Stop making fake narrative harassment and bullying hate speeches on China wastefully.

“With all due respect, you’re not paying us $5,000 so I can carry out quick revenge.”

I’ll never forget that line, spoken by a fully armed contractor hired for my personal protection on the strangest day of my career.

The year was 2014 and Dan is falling apart again.

Dan (not his actual name) shows up in many companies. Dan is intelligent, capable of spectacular results but is incredibly inconsistent. Our Dan once led the entire company in our sales rankings and had four President’s Club plaques in his office.

The only thing Dan was consistent at was being a nice guy. Everyone loved him. He gave his time freely to everyone in the office. Whether you were an intern or a manager, he raised his hand if you needed help.

Dan was in his early 50s and was a family man. Married with two kids in high school, he lived a simple life.

Dan drove us crazy. He could be running along with incredible results for the first six months of the year and then look like a completely different person in the second half. He was either sensational or a complete disaster. There was no in-between with Dan.

Most of the time, it just took a stern conversation. He had four different direct managers in his time with the company. I was several levels above him but saw the same three-step process play out every time.

New manager loves him. Dan is helpful, hustles, delivers great results and is a great team player.

Manager is concerned. Dan is missing deadlines, seems overwhelmed and we’ve had some customers complaints.

Manager is done. The entire office is distracted in putting out Dan’s fires and he just lashed out at a teammate (or some similar incident).

Throughout this process, Dan’s manager talks with him about his performance and encourages him to get his mojo back. Dan agrees and commits to improvement while performance keeps getting worse. Each time, a last straw is added to the figurative camel’s back when Dan erupts on a teammate or manager.

We then put Dan on a written performance plan with the direct language of “If Dan fails to achieve the results in this plan, he will be terminated.”

The performance plan always flips a switch in Dan. He would tell us how much he loves the company and needs the job. He would apologize, promise to improve and then deliver on that promise. Results would go from terrible to great.

I am talking about worst to first kind of turn-arounds. We would go from customer complaints to receiving love letters from his customers.

One year later, the process would start over again.

After this cycle happened too many times, I had a conversation with him.

“If it goes downhill again Dan, there won’t be another written performance plan. We can’t afford to keep disrupting the office. You have to get it together and keep it together. Is there something outside of this office that we can help you with?”

He paused for a long time and opened up. He suffered from depression. He drank too much. His family had confronted him. He was in a bad place.

Our company partnered with a counseling organization for just this type of situation. I offered him a leave of absence if he would enter the program, of which we would pay for 100%. He had to attend every session and stay in the program or we would terminate his employment.

He graciously agreed.

We gave him two months of paid leave and he entered the counseling program. He came back energized and we saw the best of Dan.

For a while.

Soon, the process started again as complaints started surfacing, both from his teammates and customers.

This time, it ended with Dan sending an explosive email to a customer at 2AM. This cringe-inducing email was four paragraphs long and all but called the customer an idiot. It was totally out of his normal character.

This happened on a Friday. The customer forwarded his email to me and several other managers the next morning with Dan copied on the email. This customer shared her plans to post it on her blog and social media accounts.

Dan left me with no choice but to fire him and he knew it.

On Sunday evening, I got a call from Dan’s manager. She was rattled.

Dan knew what was coming on Monday and confided in several people in the office, in the worst of ways.

He told one person that he expected to be fired. He went on to say he deserved it and probably didn’t deserve to be alive. Maybe, he should just end it all.

Startling, but it got worse. He called another employee who happened to be an avid hunter. Without talking business, he asked her questions about handguns and which caliber he should look into.

Damn.

This was the summer of 2014 and two school shootings had just taken place on the West Coast within a week of each other. Hints like this couldn’t be ignored.

My first responsibility as a leader is keeping employees safe. Was Dan likely crying out for help? Probably. Was he going to bring a gun to the office? Highly unlikely. Could we take that assumption to the bank? Absolutely not.

I told our manager to sit tight and I got on the phone with my boss. We were not going to take any chances. He had experience with a security firm and knew the owner.

He arranged for an “armed specialist” to be with me the next morning in the office. To this day, I appreciate how quickly my boss worked to arrange everything. I have fired many people but never in a situation like this.

For the first time in my life, I was headed to a business meeting with a loaded gun.

I talked with our manager in the office and asked her to arrange an office meeting at our satellite office across the street. In essence, I asked her to get everyone out of the main office to start the morning. If something happened, I would be the only employee in the office with Dan that morning.

Next, I called Dan and asked him to meet me the next morning at my office.

I didn’t sleep that night. My imagination kept taking me to dark scenarios. I wanted to tell my wife more of my fears but kept them to myself. I didn’t want her to start imagining all the crazy stuff I was dreaming up.

I met with my bodyguard two hours before I was scheduled to meet with Dan. He was an older gentleman, short and lean. He wore a dress shirt tucked into jeans with a leather bomber jacket on. He gave me his credentials. Twenty years in the military and another twenty years in private security, both overseas and domestic.

He wanted to know where all the entry points to the office were. We walked the perimeter of the building and did the same inside. We walked back to my office where I planned to meet with Dan.

“Too many doors to get here. Also, what if one of your employees comes back to the office and is back here with us? I like the offices in the lobby.”

“OK.”

We walk up front and sit down in one of the lobby offices. He asked me how I planned to conduct the conversation and what I am expecting.

“Well, I can meet with him in this office. I will leave the office door open since no one will be here yet. You can sit right outside the office on that couch.”

“With all due respect, you’re not paying us $5,000 so I can carry out quick revenge.”

It takes me a few seconds to comprehend what he is saying.

“Ian, I won’t do you any good on the couch if he brings a gun into that office with you. I’ll be sitting right next to you.”

“Of course.”

“I will have my gun covered by my jacket but trust that I can get to it quickly. I don’t want to show it and get him more nervous than he already is.”

We agree to announce him as an “HR specialist” hired to assist in the discussion. This sounds much more comforting than telling Dan that my bodyguard will shoot to kill should Dan pull out a gun.

Dan walks through the door on time. I am anything but calm. I am not sure if I am worked up because of potential danger or simply because I am sitting next to a trained killer.

Dan knows what the meeting is about. He sees the paperwork in front of me. I introduce the person on my right who smiles and shakes his hand. I immediately get to the point.

“Dan, today is your last day with the company. We tried to make this work but feel that we need to move on without you.”

“I understand.”

I walk him through the paperwork. All standard stuff. When his benefits end, who to call in HR to learn more about Cobra, severance details, etc. He signs everything quickly. Next, I pivot.

“Dan, you said some things to people in the office that concern me.”

“Oh, that. Is this why you have someone here with you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not going to do anything crazy.”

“Dan, we want to help you continue with the counseling if you are interested.”

“Thank you. I am interested. I’m sorry for scaring everybody.”

I took his computer and access keys to the office, shook his hand and he left without incident. We paid for additional counseling and an outplacement service that helped him find new employment.

Since Dan had already been enrolled and worked with the same counseling organization, we alerted them as to what had happened and they reached out to him immediately after our meeting. He started counseling again that day and they continued to work with him for several months.

Our security detail remained in the lobby the rest of the day, guarding the front door. We took it a step further and paid for him to show up every day for the rest of the week, watching the front entrance.

Excessive? Maybe, but it gave our local managers peace of mind. As an organization, we had the safety of 30 employees to worry about. Many were nervous as word got out about the calls he made over that weekend.

Count me as one of the nervous employees. Scared is a more honest word. Scared he might hurt himself, other employees or me.

It was an incredibly difficult situation as you want to do right by the employee while also protecting the people he works with.

I left work early that day. I went home and hugged my wife and kids for a long time.

Then I poured a tall glass of Scotch.

All men need to see this

“Hello there. Where do you come from? Do you like China?”

“I know your type!”

I was about 22 years old, meeting a friend from work at a bar near the beach when he introduced me to one of his friends, a woman about the same age as we were.

She took one look at me and said, “I know your type! You’re a business major. You’re in a fraternity. You think you’re privileged and better than others.”

I didn’t know what to do. She looked at me and then said, “See! Just try to deny it. I nailed it didn’t I!?”

I can’t remember much else. I looked over at my friend for help but he had turned the other way talking with someone else and hadn’t heard anything she had said.

I may have said something like, “Do you think Neil would be friends with someone like that? Please ask him about me.” I felt like maybe something bad had happened to her and rebutting her at that moment wasn’t as good as having her talk to our mutual friend. I felt unwelcome and left. I wasn’t really interested in arguing or apologies. The moment was ruined.

It was rude because none of it was true. I was a drama major, working a minimum wage job paying my way through college, never had any interest in fraternities and generally disliked the whole good ole boy mentality. I was however blonde, blue eyed, clean cut, and wore 50’s retro style clothing. I probably looked the part.

Why should Malaysia recognize Israel?

Why should we have any diplomatic relations with an occupying government in Palestine that commits genocide and other human rights violations on the Palestinians?

Why should we allow these type of genocidal Zionist people in our country? So they can lord it over us? We didn’t celebrate Merdeka so we can be colonized again. An Israel embassy is a colonial outpost. If you know Malaysian history, you know that the British Resident was the advisor to the Sultan and in effect was the real leader during the British colonial era. An Israeli ambassador is not here to be a regular ambassador, he would be a Jewish Resident. After the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese colonial eras, we don’t need a Jewish colonial era. We have seen what happens to Jewish colonies.

As for Communist China, while we do have relations and even trade relations and a visa free policy between Malaysia and China, what we have are bilateral relations on equal terms. Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese do not lobby Malaysia to champion Chinese hegemony the way America’s Jewish corporates lobby the USA to champion Jewish hegemony. We also do not allow China to spread communism or other Chinese origin ideologies here and China respects that because China does not interfere in Malaysia’s affairs.

If Malaysia ever recognizes Israel, that is the day I will leave Malaysia, because it means the minority Chinese and Indians are truly no longer safe. A Malaysia that supports Israel is also going to be a Malaysia that has no qualms about committing genocide on the ethnic Chinese and Indians in Malaysia with the help of Zionist Jews. I really don’t think any of our esteemed minorities in Malaysia have thought that through.

Hungarian Goulash

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hungarian goulash 1 15

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hungarian goulash 1 17

hungarian goulash 1 16
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hungarian goulash 1 18
hungarian goulash 1 18

hungarian goulash 1 14
hungarian goulash 1 14

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds round steak, cubed
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

  1. Put steak cubes, onion, garlic in slow cooker. Stir in flour and mix to coat steak cubes.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT sour cream. Stir well.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
  4. Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving, and stir in thoroughly.
  5. Serve over hot buttered noodles.

He is trying to steal this car…

MSM Silent As Court Holds PCR Covid Tests 97% Inaccurate – Unfit for Purpose

MSM Silent As Court Holds PCR Covid Tests 97% Inaccurate - Unfit for Purpose

The main stream media (MSM) in Europe and the US is deathly silent as a court determines the PCR test legally useless to test for Covid.

The Landmark legal ruling finds that Covid tests are not fit for purpose. So what does the MSM do? They ignore it

Four German holidaymakers who were illegally quarantined in Portugal after one was judged to be positive for Covid-19 have won their case, in a verdict that condemns the widely-used PCR test as being up to 97-percent unreliable.

Earlier this month, Portuguese judges upheld a decision from a lower court that found the forced quarantine of four holidaymakers to be unlawful. The case centered on the reliability (or lack thereof) of Covid-19 PCR tests.

The verdict, delivered on November 11, followed an appeal against a writ of habeas corpus filed by four Germans against the Azores Regional Health Authority. This body had been appealing a ruling from a lower court which had found in favor of the tourists, who claimed that they were illegally confined to a hotel without their consent. The tourists were ordered to stay in the hotel over the summer after one of them tested positive for coronavirus in a PCR test – the other three were labelled close contacts and therefore made to quarantine as well.

Unreliable, with a strong chance of false positives

The deliberation of the Lisbon Appeal Court is comprehensive and fascinating. It ruled that the Azores Regional Health Authority had violated both Portuguese and international law by confining the Germans to the hotel. The judges also said that only a doctor can “diagnose” someone with a disease, and were critical of the fact that they were apparently never assessed by one.

They were also scathing about the reliability of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, the most commonly used check for Covid.

The conclusion of their 34-page ruling included the following: “In view of current scientific evidence, this test shows itself to be unable to determine beyond reasonable doubt that such positivity corresponds, in fact, to the infection of a person by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”  

In the eyes of this court, then, a positive test does not correspond to a Covid case. The two most important reasons for this, said the judges, are that, “the test’s reliability depends on the number of cycles used’’ and that “the test’s reliability depends on the viral load present.’’ In other words, there are simply too many unknowns surrounding PCR testing.

Tested positive? There could be as little as a 3% chance it’s correct

This is not the first challenge to the credibility of PCR tests. Many people will be aware that their results have a lot to do with the number of amplifications that are performed, or the ‘cycle threshold.’ This number in most American and European labs is 35–40 cycles, but experts have claimed that even 35 cycles is far too many, and that a more reasonable protocol would call for 25–30 cycles. (Each cycle exponentially increases the amount of viral DNA in the sample).

Earlier this year, data from three US states – New York, Nevada and Massachusetts – showed that when the amount of the virus found in a person was taken into account, up to 90 percent of people who tested positive could actually have been negative, as they may have been carrying only tiny amounts of the virus.

The Portuguese judges cited a study conducted by “some of the leading European and world specialists,” which was published by Oxford Academic at the end of September. It showed that if someone tested positive for Covid at a cycle threshold of 35 or higher, the chances of that person actually being infected is less than three percent, and that “the probability of… receiving a false positive is 97% or higher.”

While the judges in this case admitted that the cycle threshold used in Portuguese labs was unknown, they took this as further proof that the detention of the tourists was unlawful. The implication was that the results could not be trusted. Because of this uncertainty, they stated that there was “no way this court would ever be able to determine” whether the tourist who tested positive was indeed a carrier of the virus, or whether the others had been exposed to it.

Sshhh – don’t tell anyone

It is a sad indictment of our mainstream media that such a landmark ruling, of such obvious and pressing international importance, has been roundly ignored. If one were making (flimsy) excuses for them, one could say that the case escaped the notice of most science editors because it has been published in Portuguese. But there is a full English translation of the appeal, and alternative media managed to pick it up.

And it isn’t as if Portugal is some remote, mysterious nation where news is unreliable or whose judges are suspect – this is a western EU country with a large population and a similar legal system to many other parts of Europe. And it is not the only country whose institutions are clashing with received wisdom on Covid. Finland’s national health authority has disputed the WHO’s recommendation to test as many people as possible for coronavirus, saying it would be a waste of taxpayer’s money, while poorer South East Asian countries are holding off on ordering vaccines, citing an improper use of finite resources.

Testing, especially PCR testing, is the basis for the entire house of cards of Covid restrictions that are wreaking havoc worldwide. From testing comes case numbers. From case numbers come the ‘R number,’ the rate at which a carrier infects others. From the ‘dreaded’ R number comes the lockdowns and the restrictions, such as England’s new and baffling tiered restrictions that come into force next week.

The daily barrage of statistics is familiar to us all by this point, but as time goes on the evidence that something may be deeply amiss with the whole foundation of our reaction to this pandemic – the testing regime – continues to mount.

 

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Mud In Your Eye (fango en su ojo)
Mud In Your Eye (fango en su ojo)

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I took a ship to Chittagong to be scrapped. The owners sent money to a local bank to clear the wage bill. Since the crew hadn’t been paid for some time, this amounted to a lot. When I went to collect the cash, the manager gave me about half in currency notes and the rest in American Express travellers cheques. “There isn’t that much currency in the whole of Bangladesh.” I paid my Myanmarese sailors and three Russian officers in cash and the Indians with the TCs.

On return to India I went to deposit the TCs in my bank. It was a well known foreign bank which had taken over the retail banking business in India of BoA.

“You won’t get the money in your account for one month because we have to send the TCs to New York for verification.” American Express had an office in Chennai. They accepted the TCs and gave me a cashier’s cheque for the amount. I deposited the cheque in my regular bank and the funds were available the next day.

Insane save!

There was a time not so long ago in China when anything American was automatically seen as better. In the 1990s, weddings were held at a McDonald’s near Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. By the 2000s, Nike sneakers, iPhones and dates at Pizza Hut were the badges of middle-class achievement.

America, which is called “Meiguo” or “beautiful country” in Chinese, was the bastion of wealth and ease. Even the moon hung larger in the United States than in China, people used to joke.

Now, Chinese media and commentators mockingly refer to the United States not as “Meiguo” but as “Meidi” — “the beautiful imperialist.”

And Chinese shoppers are more likely to be sipping a drink from Luckin, a Chinese coffee chain, than Starbucks or lining up all night to buy Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro than the latest Apple device. Today, no one says the moon is any different when seen from the United States.

“Back in the days you looked at American brands you just felt they were cooler,” said Tracy Liu, a 30-year-old translator in Shanghai. “Now people chase after domestic brands.”

In my freshman year of high school, I pissed off 5 upperclassmen on the football team at once.

On the first day of football practice, I commented that the team’s starting linebacker was a tiny dude. For comparison, I was 6′1″, 230 Lbs and he was 5′7″, 190 Lbs. Well, when you’re a piece of shit freshman who hasn’t even played a game yet, you just don’t talk about a Senior like that. I didn’t know that because I was a dumbass and sophomores were baiting me into talking shit about that guy who everyone except me knew was extremely aggressive.

After practice, the Senior who I talked shit about confronted me. Instead of apologizing and moving on, I told him to fuck off. As you can guess, that didn’t make him very happy.

A few weeks later, him and 4 of his closest friends attempted to jump me in my neighborhood. I got off the school bus and as soon as the bus drove away, they started surrounding me. One guy got his phone out and said “this is gonna be epic, better record it.”

They quickly started closing in around me. My adrenaline started pumping and I was in the zone. I had never fought 5 dudes at once before, so I was definitely on edge. However, these guys had challenged me and I was going to respond in kind and protect my honor. I was an amateur boxer, I knew that a few well placed strikes would knock these guys out. I started taunting the guy who I offended and making fun of him for needing so much backup to fight one guy. My hope was that this tactic would appeal to his ego and make him fight me one on one, where I was guaranteed to win. My strategy worked, the other guys backed off and he decided to take me on alone.

When I saw the other guys back off, I got into my fighting stance and hit him with a hard right cross. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, out cold. The other guys started ganging up on me. I took off my belt and started whipping them in the face. I quickly moved on the biggest guy in the group and hit with a left-right jab combo, he hit the ground – I broke his nose. He was out. I took the belt and strangled another guy and bashed him in the head with my elbow. He went down. The other 2 dudes grabbed me from each side and started beating the shit out of me. I felt blood trickling down my nose. I used a technique my dad taught me and tripped one of the guys and stomped on his face. He didn’t get up and the other guys hit me with a right uppercut. I literally flew up in the air and came crashing down. I was a bit woozy and everything looked blurry. That guy started running towards me like an enraged bull, I got up quickly staggered backwards and hit him with a left jab and right upper cut, he went up and then he came down. He came back up, I kneed him in the face and he went down. The adrenaline rush wore off and I kind of crashed down next to a tree stump.

Some lady had seen the whole thing and asked me if I was ok. It wasn’t a pretty sight, my clothes were torn up and my face was all bloody. I told her I was fine. I got up and called my buddy, explained the situation and asked him what I should do. There were 5 dudes on the ground, 3 unconscious, 2 writhing in pain. He told me to just walk home and I did. I guess they all got up and went home at some point.

The next day at football practice, I was ushered into the Coaches office and all 6 of us got yelled at for at least an hour. Then we were forced to shake hands and apologize to each other. Those guys never bothered me after that. I had earned their respect and they didn’t want to escalate the situation. I never disrespected them again either.

The good thing was that my fight became legendary in school. The defensive line coach took to calling me “Iron Adi” based on “Iron Mike Tyson”. He even made fun of it from time to time. He told the other guys if they ever pissed him off, he’d let me loose on them.

Because some people don’t want to fix them.

A friend of mine decided to give something back to the UK community and taught GCSE maths at a community centre. He charged them nothing for it, those who wanted it could pay the £120 (at the time this was 00s) to take their exams. They could give 50p or something to the community hall for them to pay their bills.

He saw a problem and tried to fix it at his own cost. He gave up after 2 groups. He managed to get about 12 people to graduate and put up their photos as success. He gave up because the vast majority of people who took his course were wasters. They were sent by the job centre and had no interest in learning anything and would simply go there to drink tea and play on their phones.

That’s literally an unfixable problem, they don’t want to learn and have no interest in learning.

My brother and I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. Here’s a few common things that we did, which might make modern parents uncomfortable…

  • Riding bicycles and skateboards without helmets, knee pads, elbow pads or anything else…
  • Spend most of our free time outdoors and unsupervised, including walking to school.
  • Driving in cars without airbags, seat belts and without cell phones.
  • Playing outdoor sports and games in the middle of the street.
  • Playing with BB guns, pellet guns, real bows and arrows, sling shots, lawn darts, cap guns, firecrackers and acetylene cannons.
  • Building things, like tree houses in trees found on vacant lots, from scrap lumber at construction sites…
  • Playing on “real” playground equipment, like 30-foot high swing sets, 8-foot high monkey bars, 15-foot high steel slides or even old decommissioned F-86 fighter planes, like we had at our elementary school.
  • Paddles with holes drilled in them, hanging in the Principal’s office at school.
  • Playing with toys like chemistry sets, with real reactive chemicals, radioactive science kits, hot plate cooking sets, where you make your own edible rubberized candy, which resembled insects, or buying snacks like candy cigarettes, which resembled real cigarettes.
  • Dressing up at Halloween like hobos (homeless people.) Politically incorrect, which wasn’t a thing back then…
  • Building plastic model kits, using model cement (styrene glue.) Using electronic kits to build radios and other devices using hot soldering irons and lead solder.
  • Going to the library to check out books for information, since there was no internet, cell phones, iPads or personal computers.
  • Mowing lawns, building a lemonade stand or selling candy at school to raise money. We’d use our hard-earned money to go to the record store and purchase albums and 45’s.
  • Listening to transistor radios for music, since there were no iPods, Walkman players or cell phones.

Too many things to remember…

I got arrested, handcuffed, and stuffed into the back of a police cruiser and driven downtown to be booked for felony assault and battery…

I cold-cocked a guy (from behind, without apologies – he was twice my size) who was beating the crap out of a woman maybe half my size with his fists on the sidewalk, and she instantly leaped on my back and started shrieking at me and trying to pull my hair out for “attacking her man”. When the cops arrived (somebody had already apparently called them), they really had no choice but to arrest me….

When we got to the police station, the arresting officer sat me down on a bench right next to the front door, and took off my handcuffs, saying, “Now don’t you run off or anything… We haven’t even got your name yet”, and disappeared into the back with the desk sergeant.

About ten minutes later, after seeing both of them poke their heads around the edge of the door to check on me a few times, the desk sergeant came back out, squatted down next to me, sighed heavily while shaking his head sadly, and said, “You’re either way too good to be true, or way too stupid to survive, but you need to listen carefully here… <wink wink> You are sitting, unrestrained, one half second away from freedom while we, silly trusting saps that we are, forgot to even ask who the fuck you are. Why, if you were to walk out of here, it’s unlikely we could ever figure out who to look for, much less where to find you… <wink wink wink wink>… So don’t <wink like a natural spastic> go getting any funny ideas or nuthin’…” <heavy sigh>

About a minute later, the light-bulb went on in my head (I guess the adrenaline level had dropped enough) and I walked out the door, a free, but terrified and utterly confused nineteen year old…

That was forty four years ago, and the desk sergeant retired in 2003, but I still see him at Whole Foods or Home Depot from time to time – and he still shakes his head sadly and wink winks at me every time I run into him.

Bastard!

Daddy’s Golden Mushroom Chuck Roast

This is great on Portuguese rolls.

CreamyMushroomBeefChuckRoastRecipe3
CreamyMushroomBeefChuckRoastRecipe3

CreamyMushroomBeefChuckRoastRecipe2
CreamyMushroomBeefChuckRoastRecipe2

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast, browned in 2 tablespoons oil
  • 4 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
  • 1 large can mushrooms, drained, or 12 ounces washed fresh mushrooms whole or sliced
  • Milk (use the 4 soup cans to fill each 1/2 way)

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img 7438 1

CreamyMushroomBeefChuckRoastRecipe1
CreamyMushroomBeefChuckRoastRecipe1

Instructions

  1. Place browned meat into slow cooker.
  2. Mix the 4 cans of Golden Mushroom Soup with the milk, using a whisk to blend smoothly. Stir in drained can of mushrooms or fresh mushrooms.
  3. Set slow cooker on LOW for 8, and let cook for 8 to 10 hours. If you like it thicker, shut off slow cooker and mix cornstarch and water and stir into gravy.
  4. Serve with mashed potatoes or wide noodles or dumplings and a veggie.
  5. Also good as a sandwich because meat pulls apart.

    I was in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Alaska, along with my wife and preschool children. My mother-in-law came up from Iowa to visit. She walked off the plane with my wife’s nephew. MIL had been invited … toddler nephew was not invited. The look I gave my wife probably scorched her a bit.

    As we were leaving the Anchorage airport, we pointed out all the foreign flagged aircraft. This turned out to be beneficial less than an hour later.

    Minutes after arriving at our apartment, the phone rang. Collect call from one of wife’s siblings. Wife hears me say, “Yes, I will accept collect call charges.” I then handed the phone to MIL. I didn’t say anything to MIL or to my wife. My wife looked at me and, based on the look on my face, decided to not say anything to me either.

    When MIL hung up (after an extended discussion), I said to MIL, “We invited YOU up to visit. We DID NOT invite [nephew] up here. Furthermore, we DID NOT invite intrusions by [wife’s] brothers and sisters.”

    I continued by explaining, “I need that phone for my Air Force duties. If we lose that phone due to not being able to pay for lots of collect calls, I will be forced to move on base.”

    I went on to explain that family housing on base was very limited. So, I would probably be assigned single enlisted quarters on base. [Wife] and our children would have stay in this apartment. I would be allowed to visit them, provided I notified my supervisor or chain of command each and ever time I’d be out of telephone contact, as well as how long I expected to be out of contact.

    (Even if I didn’t have a roommate in the enlisted quarters, wife and children would have to be signed in and signed out.)

    I finished by telling MIL, “If this continues, we will put you and [nephew] on the very next plane out of Anchorage.” My wife chimed in to say, “And we won’t check to see where the plane is headed.”

    The Mindfuck of Parental Abandonment (And How to Unfuck Yourself)

     

    Imagine this: you’re a little kid, and one of the people you depend on most in this world – a parent who’s supposed to love you unconditionally – up and leaves you. They peace out, either physically or emotionally, and you’re left holding the bag of your own shattered expectations and broken heart.

     

    Now, as a child, you don’t have the cognitive or emotional resources to process this kind of trauma in a healthy way. You can’t rationally say, “Well, Mom/Dad are clearly dealing with their own issues and limitations which have nothing to do with my inherent lovability.” Nah, your kiddie brain defaults to the most obvious, ego-centric explanation: “It must be my fault. I must not be good enough. If I were better, they wouldn’t have left.”

    Boom. In one fell swoop, your self-worth takes a major hit. And that belief – that you’re fundamentally unlovable or deficient – can linger in your psyche like a bad fart in an elevator, stinking up your emotional wellbeing for years to come.

    Fast forward to adulthood, and you may find yourself unconsciously replaying this abandonment drama in your relationships. You pick partners who are emotionally unavailable or who treat you like shit, because on some level, you’re still trying to prove your worth to that original abandoning parent. Or you push away anyone who gets too close, because vulnerability equals the risk of being left again, and fuck that noise.

    Meanwhile, you’re walking around with a gnawing emptiness inside, a sense that you’re just not quite good enough, no matter what you accomplish or how much external validation you rack up. Because that wounded little kid is still calling the shots, defining your worth through the lens of an event you didn’t have the capacity to understand at the time.

    So how do you break free from this emotional mindfuck? How do you reclaim your self-worth from the jaws of abandonment?

    It starts with recognizing that your parent’s choices had fuck-all to do with your value as a person. They left because of their own limitations, not because of yours. You could have been the most perfect, adorable, lovable little rugrat on the planet, and they still would have bailed, because they were wrestling with their own demons that had nothing to do with you.

    Next, you have to grieve. You have to feel the pain of that abandonment fully, to sit with the anger and sadness and hurt, instead of constantly running from it or numbing it with self-destructive habits. This isn’t easy, and you may need the help of a therapist to navigate this emotional shitstorm, but it’s necessary to heal that wounded little kid inside.

    Finally, you have to start redefining your worth on your own terms. You have to learn to love and accept yourself, flaws and all, without needing constant external validation to prove your value. This means setting boundaries in your relationships, pursuing your passions unapologetically, and treating yourself with the kindness and respect you deserved all along.

    It’s a long, messy, uncomfortable process, but it’s so fucking worth it. Because when you can stare down the pain of abandonment and come out the other side still knowing your inherent worthiness, that’s real freedom. That’s self-love in action.

    So if you’re struggling with the aftermath of parental abandonment, know that you’re not alone, and your pain is valid. But also know that you have the power to rewrite the story. You get to decide what defines your worth, not some emotionally stunted adult who projected their own issues onto an innocent child.

    It won’t be easy, but few worthwhile things are. The journey to wholeness never is. But trust me, it beats the hell out of staying stuck in the emotional quagmire of self-blame and unworthiness.

Compilation: UFOs & Aliens!

Say no to mega farting

They can’t.

Chinese see that there are many problems with western democracies, and voices which do not fit the predominant narrative are silenced. Most recently, this has happened with the Israel/Gaza war. Chinese believe that this reveals the hypocrisy of western democracy. Now most Chinese feel that Western notions of freedom and democracy are no longer attractive, and will not solve China’s problems. Chinese have achieved more by finding their own solutions.

On his recent trip to Beijing, Putin took a list of western intelligence operatives and western non-government organizations operating in China to overthrow the Chinese government. Chinese security officials will use this information to neutralize their operations and operatives in China.

For a number of years, I worked as a wealth management advisor.

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main qimg 97881575fa6dd67a737233288657a6be lq

Financial services is the “Concierge of Money” for the Plutocrat class; we were suit-and-tie wearing mandarins of their largesse, who knew the details of our clients’ finances better than they did; it was our job to anticipate their needs before it even occurs to them.

Establishing, managing and amending clients’ investments and trusts were the obvious and most easily-described portions of the work.

Less obvious was the political and relationship-management aspects of dealing with individuals whose Crosean fortunes can bestow upon them colossal egos and entitlement mentalities; managing a massive personal fortune often means managing their dirty secrets.

General observations: Money is a personality amplifier.

If you are a poor person who hates gay people/broken-English-speaking immigrants/Republicans/whatever, your need for a paying job forces a level of decorum in your conduct, and you learn to keep quiet your most objectionable opinions so you can get along with your employers/customers.

On the other hand, If you are a poor person who has a benevolent heart and genuinely wishes to help the less fortunate, your financial constraints will limit whatever level of help you offer to very modest levels; your efforts may be invisible to most unless they are direct beneficiaries of your generosity, or know you personally.

Wealth removes those constraints.

A wealthy bigot can afford to be a raging terror to whoever he or she wishes, with almost no consequences. I’ve witnessed multimillionaires confidently drop shockingly racist/nasty remarks about gays/disabled/[insert group] in casual conversations.

We were trained to go along with it – they are the client, and their accounts are worth millions in fees over the course of their lifetime, so while we won’t join in the racist/bigoted banter, we won’t object either; we are trained to nod politely and refocus the conversation to the technical matters.

Being in the position to manage the finances of plutocrats, I’ve also been witness to financial shenanigans and the dark side of humanity, unconstrained by budget or conscience.

What have I learned?

  • A wealthy married man can incorporate separate businesses/LLCs for the sole purpose of buying property/spending money on the sly for his illicit lover(s).
  • Control of financial trusts can used as chess pieces to manipulate family members/dependents/beneficiaries to bend to the will of the owners of the capital.
  • Errant adult children of the wealthy who find themselves incapable of earning a living on their own, often find themselves in protracted legal battles with stepmothers their own age (their plutocrat fathers, having paid a fortune to rid themselves of their first wives, marry younger women who now vie for a piece of the dying man’s fortunes).
  • Entitled heirs – with no irony or self-awareness – often speak of their fathers’ fortunes and possessions as “my house,” “my boat” or “my plane.”
  • If you put over US$100,000 on the table in any casino in Las Vegas/Macau/Monaco (which you can either lose or win), an entire battalion of high-touch specialists employed by the casino materialize to cater to your every whim, so long as you gamble at their tables. They know your name, your favorite foods, your favorite entertainers (“free tickets for you and your friends sir, and we can arrange for you to meet singer/rapper/comedian/magician so-and-so backstage!”) and your favorite recreational drugs (if you’re into such things – they will be discreetly tucked away in the bathroom of the penthouse suite of the hotel/casino where you are staying).

Now that we’re done wallowing in sin and dysfunction … observations on the benevolent side:

While many wealthy philanthropists want to get credit for their contributions to charities/foundations they support (seeing their name emblazoned on their former university’s Major Donor walls, creating foundations in their names, etc.), I was surprised by the number of people who wanted to remain strictly anonymous – the only entities who were aware of their donations of these people was the IRS (for tax deduction reasons), the recipient nonprofit/foundation, and us, who facilitate/structure these large donations.

There are many who view their wealth as a blessing that they entrusted to be good stewards during their lifetime; they take their responsibility seriously to leave the capital to the next generation along with imparting their most cherished values.

Children of this second group are polite, respectful and thoughtful – they understand they occupy a rare and privileged position in society and are very careful about not lording it over others, and make sincere efforts to be worthy heirs.

As you can imagine, while the former type of client was far more interesting (and lucrative for the firm, given the complexities of the layers of financial instruments deployed), the latter was far more pleasant to interact with.

The most valuable thing I’ve learned is this: whether you are a rich dysfunctional bigot dropping N-words in my office and throwing your financial weight around while bankrolling mistresses through your shell companies, or a thoughtful philanthropist trying to quietly change the world for the better with your largesse, being wealthy is a relatively lonely existence.

The problems you encounter, while very real and very frustrating, will not elicit sympathy from 99.999% of the planet.

Like being an exceptionally beautiful woman, most of the people who approach you are only after one thing, and that perspective warps your ability to connect genuinely with others – one of the most quintessential human needs.

Almost everyone wouldn’t mind being a bit more beautiful or a bit more rich, but few can truly appreciate just how alienating it is to have either in such abundant quantity, that they become the object of desire/envy by everyone you meet.

Mysteries Beneath the Ice: The Secrets of Antarctica

One of my old Free Republic posts were mentioned in this video! LOL -MM

Millionaires are quite common, and usually don’t stand out much in public. Many millionaires will tell you that they don’t “feel rich”, largely because the value of a million dollars has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. To have the same buying power in today’s terms, $1 million in 1900 would be the equivalent of about $27 million today. This is why the bar for being considered an ultra high net worth individual is at least $30 million.

So even though there are literally millions of millionaires (+10 million in the US alone), only about 28,000 people are considered ultra high net worth. That still leaves a lot of room to live “under the radar” and be able to go out in public without attracting too much (or any) attention.

On the other hand, there are about 2,000 billionaires globally and they are fairly well known. They’ve been in the business press and often attract attention wherever they go just because of the influence they have. So look for bodyguards and additional security anytime they are in public. They may not be the obvious Hollywood depiction of bodyguards as this draws even more attention:

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main qimg d719d6c7fcf93033e0a8b24944445b2f lq

That level of security is appropriate for a public event with lots of press. Like this one:

main qimg 9c16a1210368c499c458b74a895b0a5a lq
main qimg 9c16a1210368c499c458b74a895b0a5a lq

However a cadre of ominous looking bodyguards is inconvenient to have around if you just want to meet a friend for dinner, play a round of golf, attend a wedding, or just take your kids out to Disneyworld. It actually attracts more unwanted attention, while adopting a lower profile might allow them to easily pass unnoticed.

For smaller events and public excursions there will almost always be a small (1–3 person) security detail nearby, usually within 10–20 feet depending on the risk level of the venue, and they will likely try to blend in and be “invisible“ until needed. At a party or open event they will usually go out of their way to keep their hands free and will never be drinking alcohol, which makes them easy to spot.

Having bodyguards and/or a full time security detail is extremely expensive and not something a “mere” millionaire would spring “just to have around.”

Hope this was helpful.

Pawn Stars Expert “This is the HOLY GRAIL”

Oh yes..my own daughter accused me of abusing her children.

I was divorced with no child support. My daughter, “M” was a troublesome teenager and after high school she became resentful that I wouldn’t allow her to just hang around my house with her drug dealing boyfriend while I worked two jobs to pay the bills. She had to either go to school, get a job, or leave. She complied, but in due time, (at 21) she became pregnant and the boyfriend abandoned her. A year or so later, I have a better job with a 4 day work week and I’m starting to date.

I come home from a lunch date with a male friend and M is upstairs with my grand-daughter “T”, who’s now a toddler. M sends the T downstairs to the room where my friend and I are watching television. My friend asks for the bathroom and when he gets up to go, he bumps into a lamp, which falls over and breaks. He goes to the bathroom, while I put the T on the sofa and go for the broom to clean up the broken glass. T gets off the sofa to follow me and starts heading into the broken glass. I catch her before she gets cut (T is barefoot) and my friend comes out of the bathroom.

I’m trying to clean up the broken glass and T keeps climbing down from the sofa trying to get in the middle of the mess. I’m trying to keep T in my arms and sweep up the glass when my friend offers to help. Just as he’s taking the broom from me, T starts screaming her head off, (I guess she didn’t like being restrained, or maybe she didn’t like my friend ). M comes running down the stairs and starts accusing me of hurting the baby. My friend leaves as the inevitable argument starts. M calls the police, they respond and eventually take M and T to the hospital to be ‘checked out’. Two days later I get a call at work from CPs telling me I’ve been accused of child molestation and they need to investigate. It turns out M told the doctors at the hospital that my friend and I sexually molested T . He never touched her, I was the one holding her.

CPS worker came to my house, asked a lot of questions about my sex life, my job, my friends, my family, poked her nose in all my things and asked for my friend’s contact information. I called him and let her ask for his information. The CPS worker was very polite, said she didn’t think anything would come of it, depending on the medical report, and left. I spoke to my friend for the last time a few days later ; he told me he spoke to CPS and that he couldn’t see me anymore. Eventually, I got a letter saying the complaint was ‘unfounded’ but my name would be on the statewide registry for 10 years as “indicated” in an allegation of child abuse. M and T came home about a week later and whenever M became angry at me, she would call the police and repeat the allegation. Within a year, I moved to another town and left M to her own devices. She ended up in a homeless shelter and having another baby girl.

M repeated the allegation multiple times over the next few years as if it were a recent event. CPS investigated and found out I have minimal sporadic contact with them. I’ve got 4 of those damn letters with 4 different dates. Eventually M loses the children, I get visitation in court and CPS asks me to take them, which I can’t because I’m still single and my job involved frequent overnight travel. The kicker is I worked then, and still do, as a government inspector of programs that deal with a vulnerable population. Those allegations could have cost me my job. Luckily, my bosses knew me better than my own child.

Here we are, 13+ years after the incident. After a hellish stint in foster care where they were actually abused, the children have been adopted by a nice family that lets me call and visit them. I’ve participated in their therapy sessions, taken them on vacations, had sleepovers, helped with school projects and I haven’t missed a birthday, holiday, or school event in 8 years. M hasn’t been allowed to see her children in 10 years, while I get to be “Grandma”. Life sure can be a b***h.

English Beef Pot Pie

British Steak and Ale Pie 32
British Steak and Ale Pie 32

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 pounds beef round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 carrots, pared and sliced
  • 3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes

Biscuit Topping

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup milk

British Steak and le pie 28 c
British Steak and le pie 28 c

Instructions

Filling

  1. Place steak cubes in slow cooker.
  2. Combine flour, salt and pepper, toss with steak to coat thoroughly.
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients except Biscuit Topping and mix thoroughly.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 10 hours.
  5. One hour before serving, remove meat and vegetables from slow cooker and pour into shallow 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
  6. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cover meat mixture with Biscuit Topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Biscuit Topping

  1. Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add milk all at one time; stir well. Pat out on floured board; roll out to cover baking dish.

Technically PLA common soldiers are compulsory servicemen and do not get paid. However, in reality, they volunteer to join the armed forces and usually serve for two years as a private/common sailor. They receive allowance.

After serving as compulsory servicemen they can either ‘stay in the unit’ or ‘return to the society’. If they choose to stay, they would be promoted and become ‘NCO First Year’, which as a matter of fact is Corpral. NCO are technically called volunteers and receive wages.

PLA soldiers often go through much hardship which is regarded as a requirement-in China, it is convinced that reliable soldiers must be able to bear hunger, thirst, diseases, exhaustion, and any types of suffering.

They generally don’t have enough sleep but have too much training. They are not allowed to visit home or go outside of the camp while serving as compulsory servicemen and communication tools are utterly forbidden. For example, I have a friend who served in the army for two years from 2013–2015. When he ‘came out’ and we met, he kept talking about old fashioned jokes and our city was somehow alien to him.

But he never complained, he was proud of being a strong person.

Chinese PLA are not frequently engaged in conflicts and don’t have wars to fight so they keep training and sometimes focus farming or disaster relief.

As a result, where there is a PLA outpost, there is a farmland, even on the islands. And when disasters come, they reacted immediately and help people in danger, which is why they are regarded as the savior and guardian of the people.

I appreciate their service.

What Happened To Prison Guards Of Concentration Camps When It Was Liberated?

 

Walenty Lenarczyk, a prisoner at Dachau, stated that following the camp’s liberation “prisoners swarmed over the wire and grabbed the Americans and lifted them to their shoulders… other prisoners caught the SS men.

The first SS man elbowed one or two prisoners out of his way, but the courage of the prisoners mounted, they knocked them down and nobody could see whether they were stomped or what, but they were killed.”

Elsewhere in the camp SS men, Kapos and informers were beaten badly with fists, sticks and shovels.

There was at least one incident where US soldiers looked away as two prisoners beat a German guard to death with a shovel, and Lt. Bill Walsh witnessed one such beating.

Another soldier witnessed an inmate stomping on an SS trooper’s face until “there wasn’t much left.” When the soldier said to him, “You’ve got a lot of hate in your heart,” he simply nodded.

An American chaplain was told by three young Jewish men, who had left the camp during liberation, that they had beaten to death one of the more sadistic SS guards when they discovered him hiding in a barn, dressed as a peasant

(American soldiers watch as a Jewish concentration camp inmate beats up the Nazi guard who held him at Dachau)

Some of the Nazis were rounded up and summarily executed along with the guard dogs. Two of the most notorious prison guards had been stripped naked before the Americans arrived to prevent them from slipping away unnoticed. They, too, were cut down.”

16 SS men were shot in the coal yard (one more killed by a camp inmate), 17 at Tower B, and perhaps a few more killed by U.S. soldiers in the incident. Anywhere from a few to 25 or 50 more were killed by inmates.

What Is Dating And Sex Like In Japan?

 

Flirting in Japan

Flirting seems like a misnomer. It’s more like an absense of flirting. If you like someone in Japan, there are a couple of different ways of showing it and/or approaching them, none of which really resemble flirting in the west.

1. Nanpa (the “pickup”) First off, only guys do nanpa; in the rare case that girls do it, it’s called gyaku-nan (“reverse nanpa”), but I never heard of gyaku-nan actually happening, it always seemed like it was more of an amusing theoretical idea, rather than something girls really did.

 

Nanpa only refers to the case when you don’t know the other person at all, and you want to pick them up. Nanpa is direct. “You’re cute. What’s your name? Do you have time? Let’s go somewhere.” That is the classic script of nanpa. It can be shortened to just: “Kawaii yo. Jikan aru?” If you hear that, you’re being nanpa-ed. Of course, if you are a non-Asian foreigner, you will probably never hear that, because Japanese guys are too shy to try and nanpa a white or black woman. Most Japanese guys are too shy to nanpa at all. If you ask a Japanese if he has ever done nanpa, he’ll probably say, “ZOMG! No way! I’m too embarrassed!” since nanpa is direct, and mostly, if you are Japanese and you like someone, you embark on a series of subtle, indirect stealth manoeuvres, because liking prohibits action, especially for women, but also for men.

Why is this the case? Japanese social interaction is all about intuiting the other person’s wishes without discussing them openly, at the same time that they are intuiting your wishes without discussing them openly, so that although nothing is ever verbalised, the two of you will always exist in a compromise position of equilibrium. If you like someone, that intuitive part goes into overdrive, because you should be able to understand everything about that person without them ever telling you, and you should be able to please them without ever asking how, even more than you would with a normal person. So it’s more important than ever to be indirect. Which leads me to:

2. Negotiating through a third partyAgain, it’s not really flirting, but since flirting is showing your feelings openly–that is, pushing your feelings onto another person, which is direct and rude–it’s better to show no sign to the other person and meanwhile exploit the back channels. Sort of like in high school. So that convoluted human chain whereby: you like Hiro and you tell Junko that you think Hiro has a nice smile knowing that Junko will intuit that you want to know if Hiro likes you back, since Junko is friends with Goro who is friends with Hiro and Junko will talk to Goro and Goro will bring it up with Hiro etc etc etc etc etc etc. Once everything is confirmed, Hiro will ask you out. (The girl ask the guy out? Ahahahaha. Be serious.)
If you don’t have a third party to negotiate for you, you may be forced to use other methods, all of them so subtle that a westerner may not even notice them at all.

3. Subtle signals
– Shyness. Pronounced shyness is form of flirting, since it’s a sign of liking, especially from girls, but also from guys. She interacts with everyone else more than him, she doesn’t sit next to him, she doesn’t talk much to him, she doesn’t initiate anything with him. – Attentiveness. You make life easier for the other person without being asked to. For example, when you got to a restaurant in Japan it’s normal to share food, so flirting means not ordering what you like, but ordering what s/he likes, which you already know without asking, because you’re observant. Stuff like that.- Eye contact. It’s the opposite to the west, where you gaze deeply into someone’s eyes if you like them. Direct eye contact is a bit rude in Japan at the best of times. If you’re flirting you look down and away a lot.- Indirect compliments. I can’t think of a good example. It’s pretty rare to give direct compliments and even more rare to compliment someone’s looks. (It’s especially rare for guys to compliment girls directly.) I wish I could think of a good example! I’ll come back to this one.

Sex in Japan

It’s really different. It’s just so completely different. The first time I had sex with a Japanese guy was easily the most bamboozling experience of my entire life.
Before I launch into anything, I should say that while I lived in Japan for five years, I have had sex with only a select few people, and that was within long term relationships, so it’s not as if I have personally taken a wide sample. But I had a network of Japanese friends (mostly female) and every time I encountered a cultural difference I immediately pumped them all for information, asking my millions of questions. I make generalized statements only when something that I personally experienced was confirmed as The Norm.
The biggest difference is that sex in Japan is not a mutual sharing experience with both partners spontaneously doing whatever they feel like or enjoy whenever they feel like doing it. Sex has rules and sex has roles just as every social interaction in Japan has rules and roles. There is an active partner and a passive partner. Active means moving; passive means unmoving. In heterosexual sex, the active partner is always male, and the passive partner is always female. In gay sex you work out your roles beforehand: the seme is active, the uke is passive (for gay guys); the tachi is active, the neko is passive (for gay women). If you are familiar with seme/uke conventions from yaoi manga, you can use them as a way of relating to what I’m talking about, because those conventions are not a fictional construct, randomly decided upon by a group of yaoi mangaka. Straight people have sex like that too, in reality.

So there is an active partner and a passive partner, which causes various flow on effects. You can’t have “Whoo-hoo! Go for it!” sex because both partners are constrained by their roles. The passive partner (obviously) because she can’t move, and the active partner because he has to take care of the passive partner, instructing her on what to do and exerting himself so that she has a good time.
Japanese guys are generally more stressed out by sex than western guys and that is because they are responsible for the sex; as the active male, the sex is their burden, they have to do everything, it’s all up to them. Sex equates not only (sometimes not even primarily) with ‘fun’ or ‘pleasure’, it also equates with ‘work’ and ‘obligation’.

I also can’t emphasise enough just how passive the passive partner is. The way a woman kisses is by submissively opening her mouth, not moving her tongue unless she is cued to do so; if she’s really feminine she won’t open her mouth at all, until she’s told to. Sometimes women will move around a (very) little during sex, but mostly not at all. The slang term for a woman who lies completely still in bed is maguro (tuna). For me, with my western sensibilities and preconceptions, calling someone a ‘tuna’ in bed sounds like an insult, conjuring up images of cold dead fish, but in Japan that word has a very positive connotation. Tuna’s an expensive delicacy.

Part of what was so bamboozling the first time I had sex in Japan was that I didn’t know there was a Way of Sex, with strict gendered roles, and I just was happily doing my own thing, throwing my partner into total confusion. Seiji told me much later that dating me made him feel like he was gay, because I was active in bed, and he couldn’t connect that with anything except masculinity.
When it came to the guys I dated, even though it was completely outside their experience, they sort of (kind of) eventually adjusted their thinking and accepted the fact that I was active (because I was Foreign and Foreign Women Are Different) but the thing I could never completely change was the fixed idea they had that someone must be passive. Yes, I could be active in bed, but they had no template for how to react to that other than the female/passive/uke template. So at best we could alternate “active periods”, and though the lines between active and passive blurred a little over time, they never blurred completely. And total shutdowns still happened: thirty seconds tick past and my partner hasn’t moved at all … oh, okay, I get what’s happened.

If I’m making cross-cultural sex sound like a bit of a nightmare: yeah, it was. In this case, once I worked out what was going on, I thought all my problems could be solved by a simple conversation or two, explaining the more free-form nature of western sex, and encouraging my partner along the lines of, “You don’t have to act a certain way, you can act however you like! You can relax! Enjoy yourself! Doesn’t that sound great?” but that was also a failure to understand the Japanese psyche. It’s not liberating for a Japanese person to be told there are no rules, it’s frightening. I was inadvertently terrorizing my partner by dropping them into the middle of a scary foreign wilderness and telling them to make do without a map.

Sex and hygiene

Sex in the west can be spontaneous, but sex in Japan isn’t, or at least, not in the same way. In Japan, you can’t get in the front door and immediately start stripping each other’s clothes off in the hallway. Well, you can, and your Japanese partner will probably acquiesce because they are Japanese, but deep down they will be hideously uncomfortable and thinking, “Sex? But I’m not mentally prepared! I haven’t done my kokoro no junbi! And she hasn’t had a shower! And I haven’t had a shower! This is kind of gross!”
Shower is important. You should shower directly before and after you have sex. Before is more important than after. This makes me sound like I only ever dated people with OCD, but it’s the norm. The way I first found out about this was in conversation with my friend Natsue.

Me: I was at Seiji’s place hanging out and he randomly told me that I could use his shower if I felt like it. Don’t you think that’s weird? Natsue: *cracks up laughing* Cat, that means he wants to have sex with you! If a guy mentions having a shower, he is saying that he wants to have sex. Me: But isn’t it kind of rude to imply I needed to shower first? Like, it was a date, obviously I had showered before going over to his apartment! Natsue: Well, I suppose so… *sounding unconvinced* … but didn’t you say he lives in Yokohama?Me: What does Yokohama have to do with it?Natsue: Well, you went on the train to get there … it’s better to have another shower. If a guy had sex with me without showering first, it would make me really uncomfortable.
Sensing yet another cross-cultural disaster in the making, I began the investigation, hitting up all the usual suspects for information, including my friend Tomoko, who was dating a western guy called Andy.
Me: Sorry to bring this up suddenly, but does it weird you out that Andy sometimes initiates sex without showering first?Tomoko: YES! I’m so glad I finally have someone to talk to about this! Cat, are all westerners like this? It’s so dirty and I can’t relax! It makes me feel like we are just animals!
After I heard basically the same story from all my Japanese girlfriends, I went back to Seiji.

Me: First of all, westerners don’t always shower or have a bath before sex. However, I will try to accommodate you on this because the idea of sex without showering seemed to horrify everyone I talked to right down to their very bones. Secondly, when you suggested that I shower the other day, and I said no, I was not rejecting you. I didn’t understand that it was your Japanese signal that you wanted to have sex. If I had understood that, I would definitely have said yes. Seiji: *spits tea all over the table*Me: …this is one of those deeply unspoken Japanese things that I’m not supposed to talk about directly, isn’t it.Seiji: Yes.
Another thing that is considered rather icky and unhygienic is ejaculate. Guys are really embarrassed by it. They will be desperately scrabbling for a tissue almost before you realise they’ve come at all, since it is really bad form to get ejaculate anywhere, without cleaning it up immediately afterwards (and immediately means immediately). This is yet one more thing that men are responsible for as the ‘active’ partner. The more of a nice, polite guy they are, the more stressed out they will be about it. It’s also yet one more way that the sex is prescribed and controlled; the guy can never really let go, because even at the moment of climax, he’s already worrying about cleaning up, or trying not to make a mess in the first place.

Fun vintage pictures

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Secret Courtship
Secret Courtship

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Oh, absolutely! This is not in question.

American Exceptionalism says the Americans have the best economy, the best technology, and the best political governance. Against China, this is oh for three.

Best Economy
China has the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity, which is a better measure of how well a country is doing.

China’s economy continues to grow at around 5% while the US economy struggles to reach 3%.

China is the undisputed world’s manufacturing superpower. The USA doesn’t even come close.

China has the world’s finest infrastructure (roads, bridges, high-speed rail, airports, seaports, power grid, etc.). US infrastructure, on the other hand, is crumbling and decaying.

China’s national debt is about 77% of GDP. The US national debt is about 129% of GDP.

Best Technology
ASPI says China leads the world in 37 out of 44 critical technology fields.

China is granted more technological patents than the USA and Japan combined!

China graduates several times more STEM graduates than America does.

China has the best 5G. China has the best EVs. China has the best mobile payment system. China’s BeiDou system is superior to GPS. China’s Tiangong space station is superior to I.S.S.

Best Political Governance
According to 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮’𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, 79% of Chinese believe their nation is democratic while only 57% of Americans and 55% of British do.

According to the 𝗘𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰, 85% of Chinese trust their government while only 40% of Americans and 30% of British do.

According to the 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 76% of Chinese trust their politicians while only 29% of Americans and 20% of British do.

According to 𝗜𝗽𝘀𝗼𝘀’ 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 91% of Chinese are happy with their life while only 76% of Americans and 70% of British are.

According to 𝗜𝗽𝘀𝗼𝘀’ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵, 95% of Chinese believe their country is on the right track and moving in the right direction while only 41% of Americans and 23% of British do.

US politics is a total basket case. There is deep political division. There is deep political corruption. The American people are simply not happy with their governance.

Soft Rock Ballads 70s 80s 90s

Ah this will take you back in time…

Four-Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

Four Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
Four Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef

LOW Setting: 10 1/2 hr | HIGH Setting: 6 1/2 hr | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 beef shoulder roast, boneless arm chuck roast or boneless blade chuck roast (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper

Four Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef2
Four Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef2

Instructions

  1. For optional browning, heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Brown beef roast on all sides.
  2. Place onion and garlic in 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker; place roast on top.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or until roast is fork-tender.
  4. Remove roast from slow cooker. Skim fat from cooking liquid, if necessary and reserve 1 cup onion mixture.
  5. Shred beef with 2 forks. Combine shredded beef and reserved onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
  6. Continue as directed in Recipe Variations below, as desired.

Four Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef3
Four Way Slow Cooker Shredded Beef3

Notes

Recipe Variations

Mexican Shredded Beef: Combine tomato or tomatillo salsa and beef mixture, as desired. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in warmed flour or corn tortillas topped with pico de gallo, slice avocados, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro and/or chopped white or green onions, as desired.

BBQ Shredded Beef: Combine prepared barbecue sauce and beef mixture. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve on whole wheat rolls topped with creamy horseradish sauce, coleslaw, Cheddar cheese slices, chopped green bell pepper and/or canned French fried onion, as desired.

Asian Shredded Beef: Combine prepared hoison or teriyaki sauce and beef mixture. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in lettuce or cabbage cups topped with shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, chopped fresh cilantro or mint, sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes and/or chopped peanuts, as desired.

Indian Shredded Beef: Combine prepared Indian cooking sauce, such as Tikka Masala or Vindaloo. Place in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover, vent and microwave until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve in naan or pita bread topped with toasted chopped pistachios or coconut, raisins, Greek yogurt or mango chutney, chopped fresh mint or cilantro and/or sliced cucumber or green onion, as desired.

Nutrition

Per serving, using Shoulder Roast: 161 calories; 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat); 57 mg cholesterol; 64 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0.5 g fiber; 23 g protein; 7.2 mg niacin; 0.3 mg vitamin B6; 2.6 mcg vitamin B12; 2.8 mg iron; 26.0 mcg selenium; 5.5 mg zinc; 89.1 mg choline

Yes, rather frequently. I’m Finnish but don’t fit the bill in my area nor, apparently on airplanes.

Having said that, I vividly remember the first time I traveled alone.. I was seated next to two Finnish men in their 30s / early 40s. The men were polite enough when taking their seats, greeting me in English and asking where in our destination I was headed – I didn’t bother to correct their initial assumption of my nationality as I had noticed that most people found it embarrassing to be corrected on the matter. After the conversation ended, I pulled out a book and they switched to Finnish to speak with each other.

It was fine while they tackled the topics of sports (which ice hockey team from their hometown was the best) and politics but a little too soon for my liking, they started talking about women. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue as I’d simply turn up the volume of whatever I happened to be listening to in order to drown them out but this time around the conversation came full circle to me and the judging of what I was – Arab, jew, Mediterranean, Romani – and which of these options meant I was beneath them in their personal racial bias. I was a little disgusted by the whole conversation – I hadn’t known that Arab meant I was a bitch or that specific Mediterranean countries meant different levels of sexual promiscuity.. But since I was young, I didn’t call then out on it during the 3 hour flight. I neither stood up for myself nor corrected them; I was shocked that people actually thought these kinds of things about others merely based on their perceived nationality or race.

I made it through the flight without a word to suggest that I had understood everything they had said. When we landed in our destination, I turned to them and wished them a lovely vacation in my native tongue. The looks of horror on their faces were definitely worth seeing!

Russia’s Half-Ton Cluster Bomb RBK-500 Wiped Out Canadian & Polish Mercenaries In New York (UKRAINE)

Bossa Nova chillin’

I worked at a dollar store when I was a teen. This boy used to come in every other day for different things .. I think his mom was disabled because he picked up a lot of groceries. I also think they were poor because he would pay often with bags of pennies and his clothes looked worn. Anyway… this one day T came in and was looking around when I heard a very angry “Put it back!” .. I leaned over to see who it was .. and saw this woman yelling at T about a soft drink he was carrying. He looked really scared as she laid into him about shop lifting … We all knew T at the store .. he had been coming here for over a year .. and not once was he suspected of wrong doing. So I walked over to see what was happening .. The woman quite high on her soap box explained to me how this little thief was caught red handed. I looked at her smiled and said “I think it would be hard to steal from himself … since I just sold him that Dr Pepper” … “But if you still feel that this corporate giant is being filched of $1.08 .. then I will be happy to chuck this in … under your name of course” … “I’m sure when they have time you will be receiving a very grand “Thank You” … from headquarters” … “Now, shall we go to the register?” … She looked stunned .. mumbled something and left her cart. Never saw her again .. but T kept coming till he graduated .. I think we kept the better customer.

The Hyena Men of Nigeria

As infants, we wore no diapers. We run around starkers galore — peeing wherever we liked. So that means we grow up to about 7 or 8 still wetting the bed at night.

We are just supposed to magically stop wetting the bed at a certain age. For the few of us that passes beyond that age and still wetting the bed, the Hyena Men comes in.

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main qimg cad550eafdde54b806de551aed767901 lq


​They walk around with a muzzled hyena on a leash, carrying a megaphone, going through nooks and crannies, calling out to households if they have kids still wetting their bed. They have a cure.

They get paid to take the child (wailing and crying) on a ride on the back of the hyena through the village square with everyone watching.

I have no idea how, but the therapy works — probably because of the trauma the kid is being put through.

The Car Payment Epidemic ….. The Saga Continues

The USA is crashing at all levels.

Vintage comix with hidden meanings

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My daughter has been refused bathroom passes at school when there was an emergency period situation, multiple times. So she was forced to stay in the classroom and bleed through her clothes. This happened in middle school. 6th grade through 8th. She has seen a kid have diarrhea in their pants during class. The teachers will not let them use the bathroom if they don’t have any more hall passes than what they were given at the beginning of the semester. It’s usually 4 passes/semester.

The embarrassment and shame from these incidents will stay with her for life. At their young age, they aren’t able to just say “It’s an emergency, and I’m going”. We have taught them that they can’t say no to their teachers and principals. That is drilled into them, to follow orders and directions. So these poor kids sit and have accidents.

The teacher’s defense, when confronted, was that she should have used the bathroom during the break. How messed up is that?! She does use the bathroom during the break! She is late to class, but she does it and takes the consequences! She gets lunch detentions for having her period!

What happened with your daughter is common during the school career, unfortunately. But by all means, CONFRONT the teacher! Your child cannot stand up themselves yet. In fact, we have instructed them not to argue with teachers. If you don’t, no one will. But the embarrassment and shame that goes along with theses kinds of incidents will stay with them forever.

Since these early incidents, I have told my kids to just go if they need to go, even if the teacher said “No”, it is fine. If the teacher is mad, oh well. If they get detention or ISS, they won’t be in any trouble with me. I will congratulate them for standing up and meeting their own needs. This rule is dangerous and cruel.

1. People are biased to turn their heads to the right when a kiss is initiated.

2. Your sense of smell plays a huge role in love. The smell is tied very slowly to memory.

3. Falling in love triggers feelings of euphoria, sleeplessness and obsession, which is similar to cocaine high.

4. Talkative girls and silent boys make the best couples.

5. People who use emojis in their texts are perceived as more likable.

6. A woman is more attracted to a man when she is uncertain about how much he likes her.

7. People with different-colored eyes are more likely to be attracted to each other.

8. When you become really close to someone, you can hear their voice in your head when you read their texts.

9. A crush only lasts for a maximum of 4 months, if it exceeds, you’re already in love.

10. Just by looking at the picture of your beloved one, you can feel a sense of relief.

Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie

dutch chicken pot pie 1
dutch chicken pot pie 1

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound or more) chicken
  • 3 quarts water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons broth
  • 2 large raw potatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup grated onion

dutch chicken pot pie 2
dutch chicken pot pie 2

Instructions

  1. Boil chicken in water until tender and comes off the bone easily. Put chicken and broth in a large kettle (or Dutch Oven), add salt and more water, enough to make a full three quarts again.
  2. Mix egg and broth. Add flour and mix until stiff enough to roll out. Put on floured board and roll thin. Let set for 20 minutes to dry.
  3. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Add to broth and chicken which is boiling hot. Cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Add potatoes and the onion. Cook over slow heat until all are tender.
  5. Serve hot with biscuits and a tossed salad.

Idi Amin, often called the “Butcher of Uganda,” ruled the East African nation from 1971 to 1979 with a reign of terror that left an indelible mark on the country’s history. Born around 1925 in Koboko, Amin’s rise from a cook in the British colonial army to a feared dictator is a story of ambition, brutality, and unrestrained power. His military coup in 1971 ousted President Milton Obote and was initially welcomed by many Ugandans, but the euphoria quickly turned to horror.

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main qimg a2017af4271ac10efa766732a3ec7dee

Amin’s regime was notorious for its brutality, with an estimated 300,000 Ugandans killed during his rule. Political opponents, ethnic minorities, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens all fell victim to his purges. The notorious State Research Bureau, Amin’s secret police, carried out widespread torture and executions. Public executions and mass graves became terrifyingly common, instilling fear and suspicion across the nation.

One of Amin’s most infamous acts was the 1972 expulsion of approximately 60,000 Asians from Uganda, primarily those of Indian descent. Given only 90 days to leave the country, their properties were confiscated, leading to economic collapse as the country lost its key business community. Amin’s unpredictable and erratic behavior further isolated Uganda internationally, with bizarre actions such as declaring himself “President for Life” and challenging superpowers like the United States.

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main qimg b470f6f43fafb3f71b91ac9e58e2ce00

Amin’s downfall came in 1978 when he ordered an ill-fated invasion of Tanzania. The Tanzanian army, alongside Ugandan exiles, launched a counterattack, capturing Kampala in April 1979 and forcing Amin into exile. He fled to Libya and eventually settled in Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death in 2003. Amin’s legacy is a chilling reminder of the destructive potential of unchecked power and the devastating impact of tyranny on a nation’s soul.

Russia Launches Counter-Satellite Weapon into Space

Russia Launches Counter-Satellite Weapon into Space

On May 17 (still 16th in USA) Russia launched what the US Defense Department says is another Counter-Satellite space-based weapon into low-earth orbit.

Russia Launches Counter Satellite Weapon May 16 large
Russia Launches Counter Satellite Weapon May 16 large

The new Russia “satellite” is presently tracking near several U.S. Military Satellites.

This follows additional launches by the Russian Armed Forces in 2019 and 2022, which were also believed to have Deployed similar Weapons that could be utilized against U.S. or NATO Intelligence Satellites if a War was to Breakout.

A dead giveaway that the launch was actually a weapons systems was the giant “Z” emblazoned on the top of the rocket, clearly visible in the video below.   That letter/symbol is presently in use by Russian Army forces fighting in Ukraine.

Amb. Robert Wood, U.S. alternate representative for special political affairs in the United Nations, made the allegation during a May 20 debate in the U.N. Security Council on a Russian resolution proposing a ban on the placement of weapons of any kind in space.

“Just last week, on May 16, Russia launched a satellite into low Earth orbit that the United States assesses is likely a counterspace weapon, presumably capable of attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit,” he said. “Russia deployed this new counterspace weapon into the same orbit as a U.S. government satellite.”

Pictures

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(c) Gallery Oldham; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation
(c) Gallery Oldham; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

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Late 1980’s and I’m walking down a street in the high 40’s in midtown Manhattan. Every block in the area had an electronics/TV store. I was walking past one and it had Apocalypse Now playing on a TV in the window. I stopped and watched Martin Sheen on a riverboat with a young Laurence Fishburne dancing to “Satisfaction”. I was standing there and suddenly, this guy walks up to me and it starts raining. He had a long, leather overcoat and a wide brimmed, black leather hat on. We both stood there for a few minutes, just digging the movie. I turned to him and said, “Man, I love this movie.” he said, “Yeah, me too, but I like ‘The Deer Hunter’ more.”

I glanced sideways at him and said, “Yeah, I think I do, too.”

It was Bobby DeNiro. He smiled, patted me on the shoulder and walked away.

20 years later, I was at a holiday party that my company threw. It was at Nobu Downtown. The owner stopped by to say hi and my boss introduced me to him. I said, “We met. I told him how much I loved Apocalypse Now and he told me he liked The Deer Hunter better.” Mr. De Niro’s eyes lit up. He hugged me and said, “I REMEMBER THAT! WOW!” My boss had the most shocked look on his face.

Priceless. The dude is awesome. Such a mensch.

This is the opinion of ordinary Chinese people:

  1. President Biden will fail in the election,
  2. Trump would say, “This is the end of not voting for me.”,
  3. The United States speaks harshly but does nothing,
  4. The United States blames the Chinese government for Ukraine’s failure,
  5. Some territories of Ukraine have become NATO buffer zones,
  6. Ukraine still exists as a geographical concept and perishes as a political entity,
  7. Zelensky was tried or exiled,
  8. Russia and Europe secretly discuss restarting the Nord Stream pipeline,
  9. There is no unified opinion within the EU on how to handle post-war relations with Russia,
  10. The three small countries of the Baltic Sea trembled with fear,
  11. Poland quietly observed the subsequent actions of the United States,
  12. Schultz and Macron silently said, “Thank God, it’s finally over.”,
  13. The female Chairperson of the European Commission asked ChatGPT what she should do,
  14. China exports a large amount of infrastructure to repair Ukraine,
  15. The United States is using this as an excuse to increase its sanctions against China,
  16. NATO’s prestige in third world countries has seriously declined,
  17. Taking the opportunity within Europe to discuss genuine European interests,
  18. Switzerland and Sweden have regained neutrality,
  19. There are significant contradictions within the United States regarding future US Russia relations,
  20. China and Russia join forces in more international affairs,
  21. The Internet comment funds paid by the US government to some people have been cut.

Girl LOSES Job Because Of TikTok

I lied, you have to get rid of your kitties by the end of the month

I wish I could say that I haven’t, but I can’t.

Example?

I had a lovely young woman, that I knew from previous visits. She had had five previous surgeries, for TMJ, by the same surgeon.

Her jaw was still bothering her. This same surgeon was recommending another surgery.

I thought that this was outrageous. If he had any expertise, this would have been unnecessary.

I begged her to get another opinion.

She refused. She really trusted this guy.

Fast forward a month.

Patient comes in to see me. One whole side of her face is drooping. She does not look the least bit distressed by this.

“Hi, uh, how are you?”

“Good”

“You are?”

“Oh, this… (gesturing toward her face) it’s Bell’s Palsy. It will go away”.

“Uh…who told you that?”

“I woke up from my TMJ surgery like this. The surgeon said this is from a virus and it will go away.”

Quick exam.

I call ENT.

“I have a woman here with a likely through and through cut through the facial nerve.”

“When?”

“Four weeks. Surgeon told her it’s Bell’s palsy.”

“Christ! Send her over right away!”

So, now I get to go in and tell this beautiful young woman that the ENT will try to reattach the nerve but most likely she will look like a gargoyle for the rest of her life. Her idiot surgeon had cut through the nerve and then tried to convince her that she had a virus.

This poor girl sobbed into my lap for a great long while. When she regained her composure, I gently sent her off to the ENT.

I’m sure she got a gazillion dollars in a law suit, but so what. Her face was destroyed.

I could tell you other stories. Many other stories.

I’ll just stop here and wish you…

Peace

On Wednesday before Thanksgiving: “Make sure the production workers come in Friday, Saturday and Sunday. When the production goal is met, tell them all they are fired.” I asked where he would be. “We have a three day yacht race event on San Francisco Bay. We’ll be sailing against Ted Turner. So you have to fire the workers but be sure they don’t know until the quota is reached.”

So while he would be out drinking champagne and sailing on yachts, I would do the dirty work.

On the Saturday, halfway through the push to get a whole month’s production done in three days, I got talking to a small man who I didn’t know, but he seemed to know a lot about me. He said something seemed to be on my mind. He was observing everything in the production process in great detail. He asked me about the VP and Supply Manager not being there. Sunday, the guy was back with more questions. He pressed me on what was wrong (other than spending all of Thanksgiving weekend working for no pay). I eventually told him I thought it was a shitty deal to make the people work all through a holiday weekend and then summarily fire everyone. He told me: “Don’t do it. It doesn’t matter what [the VP] told you to do. Just don’t fire anyone. Everything will be clear on Monday.”

Monday came, and the VP and Supply Manager had both been to work and gone. Fired. The VP of Finance was also fired. The several production workers were not fired. The new VP, of course, was the guy with all the questions. He told me there was only one person in manufacturing or finance who gave him simple, straight answers. Also, what was the point of firing a handful of $10 hourly people when he could fire three $100,000+ salaried people who weren’t doing their jobs? That made sense, of course.

Star Trek II Wrath of Khan – Reliant Vs Enterprise; First Clash 1080p

French Home Affairs Minister Gerard Darmanin has accused Azerbaijan of colluding with pro-independence forces in New Caledonia – the French overseas territory in the southwest Pacific about 1,200 km east of Australia.

“This is not a fantasy. This is reality. Unfortunately, some independence leaders have made a deal with Azerbaijan, this is indisputable,” Darmanin said in an interview with France-2 on Thursday.

Is there any truth in the claim? What’s the backstory? Here’s what we know.

🔻 Baku rejected Paris’s allegations, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada urging Darmanin to “focus on his country’s failed overseas policies” which caused the wave of violent protests in New Caledonia, “instead of blaming Azerbaijan” for its troubles.

🔻Darmanin’s assertions followed the memorandum of cooperation between the Azerbaijani Parliament and New Caledonia’s Congress, which was signed last month, envisioned as a treatise for developing a framework for parliamentary cooperation.

🔻 The agreement sparked accusations by Paris that Baku was stoking separatism in the French overseas territory. Azerbaijan dismissed the claims, and recalled France’s own controversial policies in the Caucasus.

🔻“It’s known that the French Parliament, at the initiative of the ruling party of France, adopted decisions and resolutions which recognised the separatist regime, challenged and harmed the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, and enabled the activity of a ‘friendship group’ with the former so-called separatist regime,” Baku said in an April 30 statement, referring to the Karabakh conflict.

🔻 New Caledonia has been rocked by violent clashes starting May 13 over the constitutional reform proposals to change voting law. Protests have claimed four lives, with France deploying the military and imposing a state of emergency until the end of May.

main qimg 38f385f3869b1f14235fb9107e2e41cc
main qimg 38f385f3869b1f14235fb9107e2e41cc

  1. Nothing can stand the test of time. Eventually, everything must finally, and sadly, come to an abrupt end.
  2. Do you want to know the latest drug? It’s called social media.
  3. Everyone must finally discover the ultimate horror of having sex.
  4. Never pin your hopes on empty promises. Empty promises are things that did not exist in the first place.
  5. What really matters is not believing in yourself. It is trusting yourself.
  6. Most people feed themselves from their necks down, but what really contributes to our growth is feeding ourselves from the neck up.
  7. Have you ever considered why we’ve been watching TV for decades and not yet experienced any change? Because TV was not designed to bring change. It was designed to make us illiterate.
  8. Most people think that change is something that jumps out of the pages of a textbook into the mind. Change is actually something that the mind conceives from within.
  9. You are one of 3 things — you will never change, or you will watch others change, or you will become the change.
  10. Death was never the greatest tragedy. The greatest tragedy is to live in this life and never show up.
  11. The majority of people fall in love through the eyes the first time. That means you should be very careful who you let your eyes come into contact with.
  12. The best way to judge a woman’s loyalty is when her man has nothing. The best way to judge a man’s loyalty is when he has everything.
  13. Fortunes do not necessarily change men as much as it unmasks them.
  14. Bullying is for people who have no confidence in themselves. The reason they do it is to try and shake off their own demons.
  15. To fall in love is awfully simple, but to fall out of love is simply awful.
  16. Retirement is when the living is easy and the payments are hard.
  17. Best friends are like diamonds; precious and rare. Bad friends are like tree leaves; they’re found everywhere.
  18. A stranger stabs you in the front; A friend stabs you in the back; A boyfriend stabs you in the heart, but best friends only poke each other with straws.
  19. The daily grind of hard work gets a person polished but also emaciated and painfully tired.
  20. Kissing is the merging of two lips, two souls and two spirits that makes them one.
  21. Siblings are the only enemy you can’t live without.
  22. Denial is the way we know best how to handle that which we don’t comprehend.
  23. Sometimes those who don’t socialize much aren’t actually anti-social; they just have no tolerance for drama and fake people.
  24. Love is like a tornado; it sweeps you off your feet and sometimes takes half your house.
  25. Sometimes we tend to be in despair when the person we love leaves us, but the truth is, it’s not our loss, but theirs, for they left the only person who wouldn’t give up on them.
  26. You will never know true happiness until you have truly loved, and you will never understand what pain really is until you have lost it.
  27. Sometimes you have to stand alone to prove that you can still stand.
  28. Why do people say “no offense” just before they’re about to offend you?
  29. The secret of discovery is not in looking for new lands, but in looking at existing land with new eyes.
  30. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.

30 Seconds.

My wife got a new job across the country. She received and accepted the job offer in December and started the new job the following August. (She is an academic, so the long lead time was not unusual). In May, we had started to look for a house in our new city and were getting ready to list the old house. This was in 2021, the housing market was screaming hot, mortgages were at rock bottom, so we were optimistic that this would go smoothly.

Two years previously a neighbor who had lived in his house since the 1950’s passed away and the house was purchased by a friend of the family, renovated, became a rental. One Saturday as we were leaving for breakfast I saw the new owner across the street and rolled down my window to ask if he knew anyone looking for investment property in the area and told him we were going to sell our house.

He asked how much we wanted and I did some quick calculations in my head about what we would clear after repairs and real estate commissions and gave him a number, as is. He said “you got it”, we shook on it and a few days later he brought over a single page, handwritten document. We both signed it and that became our contract. He also offered us $100,000 at the time so that we could put it down on a new home.

When we found our new home, the realtor asked for a copy of our contract to include with our offer, to prove that we were serious. I emailed a scan of the contract and she told me that she needed the whole contract. I told her that was all that we had and she laughed and said “OK, but are you sure the house will close?” It did, and we got the new house. Later the realtor told me that in all of her years in real estate she had never seen a sale of a home go through with a single page contract and that this was the weirdest sale she had ever seen.

I rented the house back at the cost of their mortgage payment until October so that I could wrap up some other business.

We cleared what we would have if we had listed with a realtor, and the buyer got a really good deal on the home which he repaired, renovated and turned into a rental.

I don’t know that I would ever do this again though, probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The WORLD CAN’T Compete with China’s Infrastructure 🇨🇳 Chongqing is the FUTURE!

For so long, China has been painted in a negative light in the West and as such our first impressions of Chongqing is not what we expected. The truth is that Chongqing, China is miles ahead of the rest of the world and the infrastructure is beyond impressive which makes it impossible for others to compete against China. In this video, we take you around Chongqing, China and show you just how futuristic this cyber punk city is.

Years ago, in Hong Kong, I was involved in negotiating a significant regional contract with a French company. As we walked to the meeting, I told my Australian boss that I spoke enough French to handle the meeting, if necessary. He suggested it would be better to stick to English, as he knew no French, and was sure the French side spoke reasonable English.

The potential client spoke excellent English. They set out what they wanted, then paused to allow us time to work out a response. As my boss and I calculated what we would want to charge, they discussed amongst themselves – in French – what they were prepared to pay, what was really important to them, what was optional, and what they would pay extra for.

We ended up charging very close to their walk-away number, with a number of items charged separately.

A while later, towards the end of the project, I was congratulated on how well it was going, and (ruefully) our negotiating skills… I was VERY careful not to give any hint that a notoriously monolingual Brit could understand one word of French…despite having been near-fluent at the time…

Great video.

Baked Pork Chops and Noodles

Baked Pork Chops and Noodles 1
Baked Pork Chops and Noodles 1

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Spaghetti: Spaghetti is the pasta of choice for this dish. Its long, thin strands are perfect for twirling and they do an excellent job of soaking up the creamy sauce.

Boneless Pork Chops: These are the star of the dish. Their lean yet tender meat cooks quickly and absorbs the flavors of the sauce well. When shopping for pork chops, look for ones that are pinkish-red in color with some marbling.

Salt & Pepper: These are essential for seasoning the pork chops. They enhance the natural flavors of the meat and the sauce. I recommend using fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for the best taste.

Olive Oil: This is used for searing the pork chops. I prefer searing the pork chops in oil because it has a higher smoke point than butter.

Butter: Butter is used in sautéing the onions and garlic, as well as adding a rich, creamy flavor to the sauce.

Garlic: This adds a robust, aromatic flavor to the sauce. Fresh garlic cloves are the best as they are more flavorful and aromatic than pre-minced cloves or powdered garlic.

Yellow Onion: Yellow onions are a great choice for this dish because of their sweet and mild flavor. They add a depth of flavor to the sauce and pair well with the other ingredients.

All-Purpose Flour: This is used to thicken the sauce, giving it a velvety texture that coats the pasta well.

Heavy Cream or Half and Half: These are used to give the sauce its creamy consistency. Both work well, but heavy cream will make a richer sauce while half and half will be slightly lighter.

Chicken Broth: This adds a savory depth of flavor to the sauce. Look for a low-sodium version so you can control the saltiness of your dish.

Parmesan Cheese: This cheese brings a nutty, salty, umami flavor to the dish. Always opt for freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the best taste and texture. Pre-grated cheeses are coated in an anti-caking agent that can make the texture of the sauce gritty.

Basil and Oregano: These dried herbs add an Italian flair to the dish. They provide a fragrant, earthy flavor that compliments the creamy sauce and pork chops well.

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: These are optional, but they add a nice kick of heat to the dish. Adjust the amount to suit your family’s spice tolerance.

Parsley: Fresh parsley is used as a garnish. It adds a pop of color and a fresh, bright flavor to the finished dish.

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces spaghetti
  • 4 boneless pork chops (about 1-inch thick)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (divided)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese*
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
  2. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with 1/2 teaspoon of both salt and ground black pepper.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned pork chops and sear for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until a golden-brown crust forms and the internal temperature reads 145F on an instant read meat thermometer. Transfer the pork chops to a plate, then tent with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.
  4. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once melted, add chopped onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and softened. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds, or until aromatic. Add the flour to the onions and mix, creating a roux.
  5. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream while whisking constantly. Add the dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), and the remaining salt and ground black pepper. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and well combined.
  6. Increase the heat to bring it to just barely a boil, then turn the heat back down to medium and let the sauce simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
  7. Reduce the heat to low and add the grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce, stirring until it’s fully melted and incorporated.
  8. Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and toss gently to coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin it out to your desired consistency.
  9. To serve, divide the creamy spaghetti among plates, and place a pork chop on top of each portion. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and, if desired, additional Parmesan cheese.

Notes

 

*I recommend using freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-grated cheeses are coated in an anti-caking agent that can make the texture of the sauce gritty.

Fun Comix

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It was Sunday afternoon and the phone rang, landline, 1988. It was my boss. He told me to not come in tomorrow as I was fired. I was 21 & still living at home. My mom was so HAPPY! She did not like my boss, thought he was creepy (Chiropractor). I called my friend/coworker D. She was fired Friday, my day off. So I knew it was coming.

Long story short, we entered patient files in the Apple, 1988, NEW to us. He went to bill and it was “messed up” because of us. We also knew of his fraudulent billing practices. We had also obtained 3 patients billing records and appointments (book) that showed he’d bill for an actual appointment/procedure when it was a missed appointment. One of the patients was my stepdad.

What did I do? I called D. We went to the Labor Board to get OT he NEVER paid us. When then went to Workers Comp and the Insurance Board and turned over the records we had. I went to a Temp Agency. I had a job w/in a few days at a bank as a loan secretary. I met SJ, my future husband. We married 1990. Still married.

He got black balled by all the insurance companies. Either the patients had to endorse the check to him or deposit it & write him one or sign off on the billing for the check to go directly to him. I didn’t mention, February 1989, I received a check from the State for over $1K for O/T payment. They garnished his income tax return.

NO WAY we’re landing on the moon in 2026

No fucking way will that happen.

Scrubbing oneself squeaky clean

Once I went to Domino’s Pizza with my friend and she told me to give order. I had 4 notes of Rs. 500 each and I thought bill would be less than Rs. 500. So I ordered and the bill was Rs. 510/-. As I had only Rs. 500 notes, I gave them one note and said wait I will give you remaining balance.

I told my friend that bill was Rs. 510 and I paid Rs. 500 and balance is Rs. 10. So can you give me Rs. 10 note which you got from Auto change as I am not going to give another Rs. 500 note for the sake of Rs. 10.

She looked at me like I did some murder like thing and said following to me in Marathi in high pitch in front of whole store.

“Kutrya, tu evdhe paise gheun firtos aani tuzyakade ek Rs. 10 chi note nahi? Kon samajtos tu svatala? Evdha bhikari nako hous mazyasamor.”

English: You dog you roam with this much money and you don’t have simple Rs. 10 note? What you think of yourself huh? Don’t act like a beggar in front of me.

Whole store and customers eyes were glued at me. I felt that so humiliating and I cancelled the order, took the money and gave her sharp look and went out. Caught auto for my home.

PS: We were best friends once and after this incident she blocked me everywhere. Now we aren’t in touch and no need to get in touch! Because girls like her are definitely not from this planet! Better date another girl who is from this planet and can behave neatly in public places. 🙂

Man I can’t forget that day so easily.

14 things girls don’t tell guys

  1. Girls know that you are staring at their butts . Don’t act innocent.
  2. They don’t need any solution to their problem when they are sad. They just need warm console(Hugs and kiss on forehead). Do that.
  3. Don’t tell them what to wear and when to wear. I swear you will lose all respect.
  4. Yes, sometimes they can’t remember the routes but they can remember exactly when they met you, when they gave the number to you and what not. Save your dates.
  5. You can tease them by calling them idiot, stupid, dog, cat, snake whatever but do not call them fat. You are dead man if you do so.
  6. Hold their hands whenever they feel low or scared. They will never leave your hand.
  7. Don’t mess with them when they are going through menstruation cycle. They go through serious mood swings.
  8. Sometimes even they don’t know why they are sad. Just sit with them and console.
  9. When you get a text from them like Okay is fine, OK is bad and K is very bad. Brace yourself, nuclear bomb is launched.
  10. When they talk just listen carefully. Don’t be that guy who just listens for the sake of listening. You might get your surprise test anytime.
  11. Don’t underestimate their strength. Many girls in the world already proved it.
  12. Just tell them that you are expecting to sleep with them from the beginning itself. Don’t beat around the bush. They hate lies.
  13. They love to do make up like how you love football/cricket. Adore that.
  14. Never ever tell them not to work after marriage. They just hate to be dependent on someone else.

Asian-Style Beef Chuck Roast

asian pot roast 8
asian pot roast 8

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup beef flavored broth or 2 teaspoons beef base or bouillon and 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
  • 6 green onions, sliced on the bias, white and green parts separated
  • 1 (2 to 3 pound) boneless beef chuck roast
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 4 cups hot cooked white rice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

asian pot roast 7
asian pot roast 7

Instructions

  1. Spray 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Add broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and gingerroot to slow cooker; stir with whisk to combine.
  3. Stir in green onion whites. Reserve green onion greens for garnishing; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Add roast to slow cooker; turn to coat. Cover; cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until very tender.
  5. Transfer roast to cutting board. Cool slightly; cut or shred, and return to mixture in slow cooker. Increase to HIGH.
  6. In small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water. Quickly stir into liquid mixture in slow cooker. Cover; cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened.
  7. Divide rice among 8 bowls. Divide shredded beef among bowls of rice. Top with reserved green onion greens, cilantro and sesame seed; serve with lime wedges.

asian pot roast 10
asian pot roast 10

What time scale is “our time?” The last hundred years? Our lifetime?

In my lifetime, I believe Xi Jinping is the greatest, most influential, and forward-thinking world leader.

He’s helping the Global South countries build their economies through the Belt and Road Initiative.

He’s leading BRICS to help the Global South unite against the imperialist G7.

He’s forging a strong friendship with Russia and creating a bulwark against the imperialist NATO.

He’s building a multipolar world order to replace the current unipolar “rules-based international order” that terrorizes the world with wars and sanctions.

He’s working to bring peace to the world. Recently, he brokered peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia, an historic first!

He has a grand vision for the world which is one of peace, harmony and common prosperity.

Not even John F. Kennedy can match Xi. I can’t think of another world leader that I admire as much.

Drizzle Drizzle; why men aren’t stopping

What inappropriate gift did your child give you that was so funny you still joke about it years later at family events?

Not given to me, but to my in-laws.

My in-laws were loaded. There is literally nothing they want that they can’t/don’t buy for themselves.

So, when my kids were little, we’d take them to the 99c store for gift-giving occasions and let them pick out anything they wanted for Gamma and Papa.

The item itself was irrelevant – the real gift was the story behind the choice.

For instance… when a 4-year old picks out a tacky gold-gilt lion statue for Gamma’s mantle because “She has lots of nice things and this is gold and it’s pretty”.

Or (my personal favorite) the really tacky plastic plate with a hideous pink flamingo on it because “Gamma has all those pretty bird plates, so this will go perfectly with it”. Gamma’s “pretty bird plates” are hand-painted fine bone-china, with very realistic wild birds on them.

Over the years, Gamma and Papa got a LOT of presents along those lines. And every year when we visited, there was a gold lion on the mantle and a pink flamingo plate on the dinner table (usually Papa was using it).

My younger boy is now 20. He’s in the Navy and stationed not far from Gamma (Papa died 5 years ago). He spent this past Christmas with her. And called me, laughing, to tell me that there was a gold lion on the mantle, and he got the pink flamingo plate at dinner.

A poor man always think the rich man made his wealth out of luck.

And the rich man believes the poor is poor because he is lazy.

A young lady who married very early thinks ladies who are finding it hard to get married have bad character.

A man who just graduated and get a job immediately thinks he is smarter than others.

While a woman who just got married and start giving birth sees “barren” women as people who lived a wayward life.

If only the poor knew the price the rich paid to get to top and if only the rich knows the battles, challenges that the poor is going through, none will ever form a theory about each other.

If the poor can’t appreciate the rich man’s success let him mind his business if it is easy to be rich he wouldn’t have been poor.

And if the rich won’t help the poor grow at least they should not kill the spirit of a struggling man.

If only you know what people endure or fight behind the scene you will always thank God for your life. Until you walk in people’s shoes, You will never know how hard the journey is.

Help each other grow!!!

Mock less, envy no one.

and love one another.

Times when things are out of balance

\Armed Uprising in French Colony on New Caledonia; French ARMY Engaging

Armed Uprising in French Colony on New Caledonia; French ARMY Engaging

Rioters have begun an ARMED UPRISING on the island of New Caledonia in the Coral Sea off the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. The French Army is engaging!

New Caledonia Armed Uprising Against France large
New Caledonia Armed Uprising Against France large

Rioters have already seized Ports and the Airport.

Riots are spreading.

The rioters are (suddenly) fully armed;  with a large number of AK-47’s. . . . .

There is very much more to this than just the sudden outburst of political upheaval.

Shorpy

SHORPY Cadillac garage 1955 0.preview
SHORPY Cadillac garage 1955 0.preview

SHORPY 8b23988u.preview
SHORPY 8b23988u.preview

SHORPY 4a17171a.preview
SHORPY 4a17171a.preview

SHORPY traveleze trailer aug 1959.preview
SHORPY traveleze trailer aug 1959.preview

SHORPY 8a36446a.preview
SHORPY 8a36446a.preview

SHORPY 8a41406a.preview
SHORPY 8a41406a.preview

SHORPY 32649u.preview
SHORPY 32649u.preview

SHORPY 32650u.preview
SHORPY 32650u.preview

SHORPY 8b29230a.preview
SHORPY 8b29230a.preview

SHORPY 29566u.preview
SHORPY 29566u.preview

SHORPY 12530u.preview
SHORPY 12530u.preview

SHORPY 8b29251a.preview
SHORPY 8b29251a.preview

SHORPY Romney Nash NXI 1950.preview
SHORPY Romney Nash NXI 1950.preview

SHORPY 8b29345a.preview
SHORPY 8b29345a.preview

SHORPY 8b29303a.preview
SHORPY 8b29303a.preview

SHORPY 8b29232a.preview
SHORPY 8b29232a.preview

SHORPY 8b38432a.preview
SHORPY 8b38432a.preview

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SHORPY 4a17583a.preview

SHORPY 4a18710a.preview
SHORPY 4a18710a.preview

SHORPY 8b29323a.preview
SHORPY 8b29323a.preview

SHORPY 4a21126a.preview
SHORPY 4a21126a.preview

SHORPY 13903u.preview
SHORPY 13903u.preview

SHORPY 8a27939a.preview
SHORPY 8a27939a.preview

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delmontesixfour.preview

SHORPY 09497a.preview
SHORPY 09497a.preview

SHORPY 03767a.preview
SHORPY 03767a.preview

Parents The Early Years 353.preview
Parents The Early Years 353.preview

SHORPY 4a17026a.preview
SHORPY 4a17026a.preview

SHORPY 4a20211a.preview
SHORPY 4a20211a.preview

The problem with Napoleon as a general was not that he lost “so many battles.” Of the 60 battles in which he was involved from Toulon to Waterloo—an astonishing 22-year period—he lost only seven.

The problem was that all seven of those lost battles were the most important ones.

His first defeat, at Acre in 1799, extinguished in the blink of an eye the fire of Napoleon’s ambition for imperial glory in the Near East at the expense of Ottoman and British power.

His second, at Aspern-Essling in 1809, saw Napoleon soundly bested on a European battlefield for the first time in a long career abundant in resounding triumphs, inflicting in turn a serious blow to the myth of Bonaparte’s invincibility as a military leader.

His third, at Leipzig in 1813, marked the long-awaited culmination of many trials and errors by the anti-Bonapartist powers of Europe in bringing the Emperor to battle on their terms. Despite the early successes of the German Campaign, Napoleon’s Grande Armée was simply overwhelmed and all but destroyed by the combined might of the Sixth Coalition, forced into full retreat from Germany to which it would never return.

His fourth, fifth, and sixth, at La Rothiere, Laon, and Arcis in 1814, all took place amid Napoleon’s final campaign before his first abdication, when the Sixth Coalition, having retaken Germany after victory at Leipzig, was now on the soil of France itself—a first for any European army since the early days of the Revolution. Though relatively unknown battles in the vast pantheon of Napoleonic lore, all three played significantly in the then inevitable unfolding of the Emperor’s downfall.

And then, of course, there’s Waterloo in 1815—the one battle of Napoleon’s entire story that needs no introduction. The battle that settled it all for Europe and the world beyond. A warrior-statesman definitively beaten, overthrown, and exiled. An entire country subjected for several decades to a pariah status among the European family of nations and, despite the restoration of the monarchy, a turbulent, near-constant existence of popular revolution and counterrevolution. One empire (France’s) dismantled beyond recognition or repair and another (Britain’s) elevated to heights previously unimagined.

FLASH – URGENT: CUBAN BANKING SYSTEM HAS COLLAPSED

FLASH - URGENT: CUBAN BANKING SYSTEM HAS COLLAPSED

Cuban banking collapse 1 large
Cuban banking collapse 1 large

The Banking system of Cuba has reportedly collapsed.

Cubans are reporting via Social Media all their money is gone from their accounts, and all Automated Teller Machines (ATM’s) have been emptied.

This news is being heavily suppressed but it is getting out slowly.

At banks all over the country, angry mobs descended upon banks where Police tried to turn them away.  Instead, the mobs overturned Police Cars and sent the cops running.

It was all for naught.  Not only were the banks closed, they were empty too.  People who got in found open vaults – they weren’t even broken into — and no cash in them at all.

The Cuban people have been left with no financial resources, they have no means of buying food …they are desperate and they are afraid.

Many people are saying “This is the final destination, this is where globalism wants to lead you to the apocalypse.”

Cubans were forced to adopt the digital banking system & now they are financially ruined, they have no recourse.

THE GOVERNMENT WILL NEXT OFFER THE CUBAN CITIZENS UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME . . . .

Hal Turner Remarks

If they did this to Cubans, what would stop them from doing it to the rest of us?

I think you should start taking some CASH out of the banks.  These Bankers are Globalists.  If they did it in Cuba, I think they’ll try it here — and everywhere else.

I think they’ve done this on an island nation to get a sense of how bad the reaction will be.  If it’s manageable, I think they’ll do it to all of us.  And if government is “in on it” what could any individual do?

Thankfully for individuals, when there are enough victims, individuals become large groups . . . and we know what large GROUPS of individuals can do to banks, bankers, and to governments, so keep those possibilities in mind.

Men and risk factors

American-Israel Mercenary Benjamin Reuben Captured During Failed Coup-Attempt in the Congo

Reuben Begging for life large
Reuben Begging for life large

American-Israeli mercenary Benjamin Reuben has been captured after a failed coup in the Congo.

Reuben is allegedly a paid mercenary who, published reports claim, acts for former head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen, and also, allegedly, Jewish billionaire Dan Gertler.

The video below, taken in the Congo, is said to show Reuben on his knees, begging for his life after the Coup he allegedly engaged in, failed:

 

 

Reuben’s reported boss, Yossi Cohen, is pictured below, standing behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

Yossi Cohen Former Mossad Chief
Yossi Cohen Former Mossad Chief

 

Billionaire Dan Gertler is reportedly the Glencore guy who allegedly didn’t care about kids in the Congo mining cobalt.

Gertler
Gertler

According to published reports, Gertler ingratiated himself to a previous Congo ruler for whom, when an uprising threatened, Gentler flew back to Israel and came back with very many fancy guns used to put the rebellion down.

This is widely reported to be the second failed coup by Yossi Cohen who is banned from entering the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Why would a former Israeli Mossad Chief have interest in the African nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo?  DIAMONDS!

You see, Israeli blood diamonds, mined in Africa, cut and polished in Israel, are exported worldwide.

The proceeds are used to sustain the Israeli economy and finance illegal settlements and genocide in Gaza.

The diamond industry in Israel goes back to before the Nakba in 1948.

Israeli diamond tycoons have long been involved in exploiting resource rich African countries.

One publication described it this way:

Israeli Congo Diamond Trade
Israeli Congo Diamond Trade

 

So . . .  child forced labor, blood diamonds, gun-running to dictators, mercenaries trying to overthrow governments.  THAT is today’s (so-called) “God’s Chosen.’

Sorry, I don’t see these particular individuals as being that.  Nope.  Not at all.

Barbecue Meatloaf

bbq meatloaf 06 2 scaled
bbq meatloaf 06 2 scaled

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 to 2 1/2 pounds ground chuck
  • 1 can tomato soup, divided
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
  • 2 tablespoons dried minced onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

bbq meatloaf 05 1
bbq meatloaf 05 1

Bbq meatloaf 02 scaled
Bbq meatloaf 02 scaled

Instructions

  1. Combine ground chuck with half of the tomato soup, egg, crackers, honey, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well and form into a ball.
  2. Place a crinkled length of aluminum foil in the slow cooker so the ends extend an inch or so out of the pot.
  3. Place the meatloaf in the pot (the foil will make it easier to lift the meatloaf out and keep it out of the drippings).
  4. Combine remaining soup, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, the water, mustard, and brown sugar. Whisk together and pour over the meat loaf.
  5. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

Bbq meatloaf 001 2
Bbq meatloaf 001 2

Few days back, I ran into this situation. I had some important work and wasn’t having my laptop so I asked my friend Ayan Shrivastava to unlock his system. He uttered his password without any hesitation. That was quite a shock because people don’t do that often!!

I tried the password 2–3 times but it didn’t work. I asked him to spell it again. He did it without having second thoughts, but still it didn’t get unlock.

What was wrong with the password? Was I typing it wrong? Or my friend was bluffing me all this time?

Well unfolding the truth, the password was absolutely correct and so was my typing. The heck was just in default keyboard language layout of windows. By default, he had changed it to Hindi instead of English. If anyone types the password, it gets recognized in Hindi Language instead of English.

main qimg db66d91e30bc1177944ac5c7d9cf4408 lq
main qimg db66d91e30bc1177944ac5c7d9cf4408 lq

In order to login successfully, one have to change just the input language shown in the images and bang! You are in!

main qimg e125f3344cbad91a95dfcb105af15f08 lq
main qimg e125f3344cbad91a95dfcb105af15f08 lq

Takeaway:

  1. This trick is useful in hostels where you don’t want anyone to check your laptop even when they know your password or by chance came to know.
  2. Try noticing things that most people fail to! 😛

Thanks!

Xi holds restrictive meeting with Putin at Zhongnanhai

Chinese President Xi Jinping held a restrictive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, during which they had in-depth exchanges on strategic issues of common concern.

main qimg 64a45aa27bdcd05347606b4ba3ac002e
main qimg 64a45aa27bdcd05347606b4ba3ac002e

The world is undergoing changes unseen in a century and entering a new period of turbulence and transformation, Xi noted, adding that in the face of the ever-evolving world landscape with volatility and turmoil, China has maintained its strategic resolve.

He said that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people have overcome various difficulties and challenges, and are striving to promote high-quality development and Chinese modernization.

China is willing to work with Russia and other countries to enhance solidarity and cooperation, steer global governance in the right direction, jointly safeguard international fairness and justice, and promote world peace and common development, Xi said.

Noting that China’s development is unstoppable and that no force can contain China’s growth and progress, Putin said that Russia is willing to improve cooperation with China and other Global South countries to promote international fairness and justice, and to work toward a more equal and multipolar world.

The two heads of state had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis.

Xi elaborated on China’s consistent position and efforts to promote the political settlement of the Ukraine issue, stressing that to deal with any major issue, it is necessary to address both the symptoms and the root causes, and to plan for the present as well as for the long term.

He said the core of the Global Security Initiative is advocating the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and the fundamental solution to the Ukraine issue is to promote the establishment of a new balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture.

Xi said China supports the convening of an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine at an appropriate time with equal participation and fair discussion of all options, so as to push for an early political settlement of the Ukraine issue, and China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Putin introduced the relevant views and positions of Russia, saying that Russia appreciates China’s objective, just and balanced position on the Ukraine issue and welcomes China to continue to play an important and constructive role in the political settlement of the issue. Russia is committed to resolving the Ukraine issue through political negotiations and is willing to demonstrate sincerity and maintain close communication with China in this regard, he said.

Xi said that over the years, they have had many meetings and every exchange has been candid, in-depth and fruitful.

“I am ready to stay in close contact with President Putin and work together to steer the development of China-Russia relations in the right direction, guide the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era to achieve steady and lasting progress, bring more benefits to the two peoples, and contribute to world security and stability,” Xi said.

Putin thanked Xi for his warm hospitality, saying that he is willing to maintain close communication with Xi, implement the important consensus reached between them, and ensure the full development of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era.

UPDATED (AGAIN) 10:44 PM EDT — URGENT – RUSSIA CONDUCTING MISSILE LAUNCHES OFF CALIFORNIA COASTLINE

Russian sub launch file photo large
Russian sub launch file photo large

A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) has been issued off the coast of southern California, alerting pilots of Russian missile launches to LAND / IMPACT in the Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center ((ARTCC) ! ! !

The notice is effective starting TONIGHT, 16 May, and lasts TEN DAYS!

Oakland ARTCC NOTAM Russian Missile Impacts
Oakland ARTCC NOTAM Russian Missile Impacts

 

Here is a map representation showing the launch and impact areas:

Russian Missile Tests 16 may 2024 off California Coast
Russian Missile Tests 16 may 2024 off California Coast

Less than 300 nautical miles from shore in international waters. 

The U.S. Department of Defense CONFIRMS this information:

Defense Department CONFIRMS
Defense Department CONFIRMS

UPDATE 8:48 PM EDT —

A SECOND NOTAM has been issued for missile launches / impacts at the Barents Sea above Norway, Finland:

Second Launch Impact Area Barents Sea
Second Launch Impact Area Barents Sea

UPDATE 10:44 PM EDT —

Russia has also issued NOTAMS for all aircraft traveling to/from Hawaii and North America  Warning of “missile impact areas”


KZAK   OAKLAND OCA/FIR
A1924/24 - ATTENTION ACFT OPR AND DISPATCHERS THIS NOTICE IS FOR ALL
AIRCRAFT TRANSITING FM HAWAII TO NORTH AMERICA AND NORTH AMERICA TO
HAWAII. THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE DUE TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
ROCKET FIRING IMPACT AREA.
EB TFC ON R578 ESTIMATING FLITY BTN 1930 AND 2300 SHALL FILE FITES
R578 FLITY TO 3015N12905W TO FOOTS TO FICKY FLT PLAN ROUTE.
WB TFC ON R578 ESTIMATING FLITY BTN 2000 AND 2330 SHALL FILE FICKY
R578 FOOTS TO 3015N12905W TO FLITY R578 FITES FLT PLAN ROUTE.
THE TEMPORARY ROUTES DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE FOR ALL AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED
WITH RNP-10 NAVIGATION SYSTEMS OR BETTER.  ALL OTHERS SHALL FLT PLAN
TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE NOTAMED FOR RUSSIAN FEDERATION IMPACT AREA BY
AT LEAST 50NM. TIMES LISTED ABOVE ARE BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE OF
TURBOJET AIRCRAFT ONLY AND SLOWER AIRCRAFT SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE OAKLAND ARTCC MILITARY
OPERATIONS SPECIALIST AT 510-745-3334, OR THE OCEANIC SUPERVISOR AT
510-745-3342. SFC - UNL, DLY 1930-2330, 16 MAY 19:30 2024 UNTIL 26 MAY 23:30
2024. CREATED: 13 MAY 02:29 2024
A1923/24 (Issued for KZAK PART 1 OF 2) - ATTENTION ACFT OPR AND DISPATCHERS THIS NOTICE IS FOR ALL
AIRCRAFT TRANSITING FM HAWAII TO NORTH AMERICA AND NORTH AMERICA TO
HAWAII. THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE DUE TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
ROCKET FIRING IMPACT AREA.
EB TFC ON R578 ESTIMATING FLITY BTN 1930 AND 2300 SHALL FILE FITES
R578 FLITY TO 3015N12905W TO FOOTS TO FICKY FLT PLAN ROUTE.
WB TFC ON R578 ESTIMATING FLITY BTN 2000 AND 2330 SHALL FILE FICKY
R578 FOOTS TO 3015N12905W TO FLITY R578 FITES FLT PLAN ROUTE.
THE TEMPORARY ROUTES DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE FOR ALL AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED
WITH RNP-10 NAVIGATION SYSTEMS OR BETTER.  ALL OTHERS SHALL FLT PLAN
TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE NOTAMED FOR RUSSIAN FEDERATION IMPACT AREA BY
AT LEAST 50NM.  TIMES LISTED ABOVE ARE BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE OF
TURBOJET AIRCRAFT ONLY AND SLOWER AIRCRAFT SHOULD PLAN ACCORDINGLY.
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE OAKLAND ARTCC MILITARY
OPERATIONS SPECIALIST AT 510-745-3334, OR THE OCEANIC SUPERVISOR AT
510-745-3342. SFC END PART 1 OF 2, DLY 1930-2330, 16 MAY 19:30 2024 UNTIL 26
MAY 23:30 2024. CREATED: 13 MAY 02:28 2024
A1922/24 - THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION PLANS TO CONDUCT ROCKET FIRINGS. IMPACT
AREA WI THE OAKLAND ARTCC OCEANIC FIR IS WI AN AREA DEFINED AS
295000N 1285200W TO 292100N 1264600W TO 235300N 1281500W TO 242200N
1302400W TO POINT OF ORIGIN. FOR FLT SAFETY ATC WILL NOT CLEAR IFR
FLT THRU THE IMPACT AREA. SFC - UNL, DLY 2000-2300, 16 MAY 20:00 2024 UNTIL
26 MAY 23:00 2024. CREATED: 13 MAY 02:21 2024

 

Hal Turner Snap Analysis

What if these missiles don’t land in the ocean, but instead enter the US with live warheads, and begin hitting targets?

Be the Rufus

More fun period 1960s stuff

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1aad9d8c7b56de040e04aadcab01d9f7

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cb871677d65f47a1a7370ecd3c26b316

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5fab7a4ab78902fb7ca41ae23994c605

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a97f49e1515289574675425d56d2bffb

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bccc71fdac8e2192c8e1a720e7bf61db

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304eb8e68bc70ef6e9e6d04f96b0ec61

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ecc4d6589517561a7de4efc9ac42a999

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6936817925c5f04c20b13e11bebc3d77

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8c9d4e8845b1546ee5c3dd3892cf07d3

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762311be541b41dffbb33ef96f6e16aa

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cbe875c228c4fbe6dac3da689676a41c

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7116d779259bd4bd4580a4d388e58d7d

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a8dbe960d670f8a8ed30439e9071379d

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6e98e58fa63e365b247a16bc895cef40

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f23abae5206d5f8bc20af4a442c7e329

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ea7785d2fae95b458c7e690f4b565358

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93dfe9164700c3654ca1c4d6304d797d

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fe733ea324ad4246621282e766fe7824

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e7712f982293262d13afb5ea0be99fe2

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f1e9709733a9d54e53c688d1f3d106dc

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2ede45d63a3439eb371dc7ac8ec60fe2

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9e7f2ee8794c0834a46cb42868959862

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0fb1395f1cc62add0e84e74f2a71e72e

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2bafb62eb2da66ee8f4522e3419bbf81

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fb88c3ed6cb8ea1b4e2f2d613d8430b0

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3ac817f0985fcb02853d0864a3aa1028

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86994f71c720edaca7d2e33f9a42058a

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518b9b28d70d247e15963c9e738eb61c

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55b933a5cccf9200518203c9e9ee0f2d

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5474371cb0ab944e258ed093d787ea5f

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034fbbbed883db5f2add0de698b3cb0f

Poke the Bear and Find Out

Here’s why the West should finally listen to Russia’s warnings

Why did the United States react so much to the news that China was going to land on the moon?

At the hearing of NASA in fiscal year 2024, Director Bill Nelson repeatedly mentioned the old story:

"We have to land on the moon as soon as possible, and we can't let China beat us to it!"

We have to admit that the cognition of people all over the world is far behind the times.

Trump ran for president in 2016. Before that, almost everyone was not optimistic about him. After being elected, ordinary people deeply felt the division and chaos under the glamorous appearance of the United States in recent years.

Before China hosted the Olympic Games in 2008, people all over the world (even politicians) generally thought that China was poor and backward. After the Olympic Games and the World Expo, the number of people holding this view has decreased greatly. Some countries began to regard China as a threat.

In a word, what a country needs is to use “big events” to reverse the cognition of ordinary people.

The launch of the 003 aircraft carrier, the service of the J-20 and the start of operation of the space station are all “big events” in the eyes of ordinary people, but these Americans have them. In the eyes of people in other countries, that is, “China and the United States are still far behind. After all, the United States has 11 aircraft carriers.”

“China Man Landing on the Moon” is also such a big event. It will cause “China people have done things that the United States can’t do now” to the people of all countries. Although the United States also landed on the moon in its early years, aren’t you unable to get on now?

In particular, there is a subtext of landing on the moon, “China people go on behalf of mankind.” “China is replacing the role played by the United States in space exploration (human civilization).”

This impression is extremely important. The impetus to China’s soft power and even its ability to sell goods is intangible and enormous.

Would you like to buy a mobile phone and a car in China? This is a product of a country that can land on the moon. This mobile phone is produced by the manufacturer who developed the communication equipment for landing on the moon, and this car is produced by the manufacturer who developed the lunar rover. Is it a loss to buy one?

Would you like to hear what the China government has said? This is the government of a country that can land on the moon. Oh, how does this government usually work? What did you say, what did you do, and what values did you uphold to send people to the moon? Let’s look at the fact that our government has not repaired the road at the door for 10 years. Which country’s people are not disgusted?

There is an interesting saying: when China said that he would go to the moon, Americans believed that China people would definitely go to the moon and make it.

Not only Americans believe it, but people all over the world believe it. Everyone is waiting for the China people to bring back evidence that the Americans landed on the moon or there was no evidence.

China DUMPS Largest Amount of US Treasuries in History

In an unprecedented move, China offloads a record $53.3 billion of U.S. Treasuries and agency bonds.

With economic relations between China and the United States continuing to raise investor concern, China has deviated from historical norms by offloading one of the largest amounts of US Treasury and agency debt.

Particularly, in the first quarter of 2024, China offloaded a record-breaking $53.3 billion of U.S. Treasuries and agency bonds.

Notably, China, traditionally a major holder of US debt, reduced its Treasury holdings by $22 billion during the first three months of 2024, while the remainder of the offloaded assets comprised agency bonds, according to data. which came out May 16.

China is clearly acting to intentionally distance its exposure to the US because the Chinese government knows, if they take Taiwan by force, the US will “cancel” those bonds, and stiff China for the money.

After seeing what the US has done to Russia, the flat-out theft of much of its Sovereign Wealth Fund over the Ukraine situation, China does no want to end up in the same boat, being robbed by the treacherous US government.

Deco in the corn; a spiritual tale

It was years ago, I was a junior resident. I didn’t know the patient all that well, but got called up to get her paperwork ready for discharge. (She was an otherwise healthy 96 or so, had a palliative colon resection for cancer, something, something).

I went to her room to do a last wound check and DC a JP drain and she kept talking about how she was “going home to Bill*”

Her son pointed out that she’s usually mentally very sharp, but Bill was her husband who had died years ago. He reassured her, “No, mom, dad is gone. We’re just going back to the house.”

She insisted. “No, I’m going to him. He came to see me this morning and said he’s taking me home.”

Whatever, I guess? Son said she was otherwise at baseline – it was the first and only weird thing she said – vitals and labs looked good, so we progressed along the DC pathway.

Not even a few minutes later the Code Blue got called to her room. She was Don’t Code, so we didn’t do anything, but it was like, “WTAF, I guess Bill really was coming for her.” Her son was surprisingly OK with how this played out.

This one chilled me for awhile.

What Boomers Don’t Understand About Younger Guys Failing At Dating And Why It Will Get MUCH WORSE

Back when I was a teen (many many years ago), the adults bought a puppy for my brother’s birthday. He was a beagle/welsh corgie mix, black and white all over, short fur. Think Snoopy in the comics, just opposite colors! My brother was delighted and named him – guess what? – Snoopy!

He was a smart dog and kept us all hopping. We lived in a corner lot house in Spokane WA. I don’t remember how old the dog was when this happened, more than 2, I’m sure.

One winter morning he came to me and wanted out badly, so I put him out the back. It had snowed pretty heavily. I was shutting the door when I heard him snarl, so I ran barefoot out into the snow in my nightgown. There was a man in our yard! Then I saw it was the meter reader. But Snoopy hated him. He had him pinned against the house, not letting him move at all. I called him but he ignored me, so I went to him and laid myself on top of his back – and still he stepped forward, ready to bite and savage the man. I said, “Get out! I can’t hold him,” and the guy scrambled over the fence and ran. I reported this behavior to the adults. The male made a phone call to the electric company and told them what happened and what he suspected. Turns out on his routes, all the dogs were getting sick or dying. They checked his locker and he had raw steaks in it that he had put poison in, so he was killing the dogs. Our dog knew it!

Another instance, in the summer. We were going to a new church, a nondenominational one, and they invited the pastor over for supper. He was a single man, in his late 60’s. Our dog took an instant dislike to him, snarling and trying to attack him. It took my brother and I to pull him inside the house and lock him in a bedroom as we were eating outside. A few months later the man went ballistic in services, called the adults “yellow-bellied commies” and threw us out of the church because we wouldn’t follow a specific cultish ‘diet plan’ he thought was a cure-all for any ailment. This guy claimed he could cure you of anything by analyzing your urine. Turns out the dog was correct, he was a bad man. He died a bit later of a massive stroke. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Our dog Snoopy lived for many years and was always a great protector. We were all devastated when he died.

Shorpy

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4 R
4 R

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My husband was on a fishing trip in Alaska with several family members. They had chartered a boat with a captain and crew and were about 2 hours offshore when my husband’s heart suddenly stopped, and he collapsed. He came to after some agonizing moments. The captain immediately started for shore. My husband’s heart stopped again 2 or 3 more times during the 2 hours before reaching land. An ambulance met them at the dock and my husband was transported to the local hospital in Homer. The doctors at the hospital determined he needed more acute care and that he should be transported to Anchorage. An ambulance transported him to the local airport where a waiting private medical jet flew him to Anchorage. His heart stopped again at the hospital in Homer, on the way to the airport and while on the jet. Each time his heart restarted just as suddenly as it had stopped after several moments. Once he reached Anchorage he had a pacemaker implanted and is doing well today.

As you can imagine, the bills were astronomical. Luckily our insurance covered everything except for one thing. You would think they might not cover the $25,000 for the private medical jet but no they covered that without even blinking. What they wouldn’t cover was the $350 for the second ambulance ride. I called the insurance company to find out why, thinking it must be an error. The insurance representative told me they could only cover one ambulance transport a day. Wait, what?? I simply asked “how was my husband supposed to get to the airport? Take a taxi? You do realize that his heart stopped while in that ambulance, right?” I was told I would be placed on a brief hold. The insurance representative came back and told me she checked with her supervisor and that they would now be covering the second ambulance ride.

Principal not teacher but it’s a good story.

I was sent home early one day for something they thought I might have been involved with. My mother was irritated and called the school. Turns out the principal wanted to meet with her as well. This was really uncommon since it was a big high school and usual student discipline was delegated to the few vice principals.

My mother walked into the meeting and immediately started talking about the reason I’d been sent home. The principal waved it off. He had wanted to talk to her about something else.

“Never mind that. I wanted to talk to you because we believe your son is a devil-worshipper.” Welcome to the rural Midwest in the 90s.

My mother, not being an idiot but also just being a mix of amused and dumb-founded. “And what makes you believe that?” she asked.

“We’ve heard reports from other students that him and his friends have been sacrificing animals and kidnapping infants.”

“… And what makes you think these accusations are credible?”

He gives his ‘supporting evidence,’ which consisted of me and my friends having long hair and playing Dungeons and Dragons. He apparently misconstrued my mother’s ‘wtf, mate?’ look for, “please, tell me more.”

Believing he’s successfully making his case, he puffs out his chest as he concludes his argument. “Our philosophy here at South is, ‘if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s probably a duck.’”

My mother told him not to waste time I’m supposed to be in class learning with nonsense for which he has no demonstrable evidence.

As far as I know, nothing more ever came from this. I did my best to keep a low profile till I graduated then moved tf away from my hometown.

Edit: To be clear, my friends and I were not sacrificing animals nor kidnapping infants. I’m not sure exactly how we were supposedly doing that and never making it in the news, but it was the 90s so who knows?

Ukraine SitRep: An Army And Country At Their End

Stephen Byren writes, correctly, that the purpose of the Russian offensive towards Kharkiv is to disintegrate the Ukrainian army:

To my mind, Russia’s objective is to force Ukraine’s army to chase after invading Russian units. The idea is to cause heavy casualties on the Ukrainian side and, if all goes according to plan, either to split Ukraine’s army into two, or disintegrate it altogether.In such a manner the idea is not just to take territory but to destroy Ukraine’s ability to resist. There are many indicators that Russia is having success in the ongoing operation.

General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, (which includes foreign fighters and Nazis units,) agrees to that. He paints an bleak picture (archived):

Like most Ukrainian officials and military experts, General Budanov said he believes the Russian attacks in the northeast are intended to stretch Ukraine’s already thin reserves of soldiers and divert them from fighting elsewhere.That is exactly what is happening now, he acknowledged. He said the Ukrainian army was trying to redirect troops from other front line areas to shore up its defenses in the northeast, but that it had been difficult to find the personnel.

“All of our forces are either here or in Chasiv Yar,” he said, referring to a Ukrainian stronghold about 120 miles farther south that Russian troops have assaulted in recent weeks. “I’ve used everything we have. Unfortunately, we don’t have anyone else in the reserves.”

The Ukrainian military has pulled out parts of various brigades that are engaged in the east and is moving them north towards the Kharkiv region. This will be a hodgepodge of partly filled battalions without a unified command and with nothing left to stuff any holes elsewhere.

Budanov correctly fears that Russian can and will repeat this game in other places:

General Budanov said he expected the attacks in the Kharkiv region to last another three or four days, after which Russian forces are expected to make a hard push in the direction of Sumy, a city about 90 miles to the northwest of Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials have previously said that Russia had massed troops across the border from Sumy.Pavlo Velycho, a Ukrainian officer operating near the Russian border in the Sumy region, said that Russian shelling of the outskirts of Sumy had recently increased.

The Russian forces can easily progress because the money allocated for fortifications in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions was paid to fictitious companies without any trenches ever being build (machine translation):

Multi-million contracts for the construction of fortifications, for which they spent a total of 7 billion hryvnias there, were transferred by the Kharkiv OVA to front companies of avatars.

It so happened that the department of the Kharkiv OVA for defense purchases chose newly registered no-name firms and FOPs. Moreover, the owners of these firms do not resemble successful businessmen and businesswomen-they have dozens of court cases, from whiskey theft to domestic violence against their husband and mother, some of them are deprived of parental rights and have had enforcement proceedings for loans in banks.Another interesting detail-it seems that these beneficiaries do not even know that they are millionaires. After all, they continue to work in shifts” in the fields ” and factories.

The U.S. obviously fears that the Ukrainian army will not be able to hold its lines. Today Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived on an unannounced visit in Kiev to shore up moral, or probably to arrange for a change in Ukraine’s leadership:

Blinken, who arrived in Kyiv by train early on Tuesday morning, hopes to “send a strong signal of reassurance to the Ukrainians who are obviously in a very difficult moment,” said a U.S. official who briefed reporters traveling with Blinken on condition of anonymity.”The Secretary’s mission here is really to talk about how our supplemental assistance is going to be executed in a fashion to help shore up their defenses (and) enable them to increasingly take back the initiative on the battlefield,” the official said.

Blinken will reassure Ukrainian officials including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of enduring U.S. support and deliver a speech focused on Ukraine’s future, the official said.

Blinken and Biden need the Ukrainian army to hold until the November election is over. It is unlikely that they can achieve that aim. Some pause on the battlefield would now be convenient but that requires to get rid of Zelenski.

U.S. media are emphasizing the $60 billion package passed by Congress for Ukraine. They neglect to explain that only $14.5 billion of that is actually going to Ukraine, half of it to keep the state solvent and the other half in form of weapons Ukraine might buy once they are build. The other money is designated to refill the U.S. military stockpile.

The real military help for Ukraine during the next months, in form of artillery and anti-air ammunition, will be minuscule.

There is nothing in there that can defend against the FAB glide bombs the Russian military is using in ever growing numbers to break up Ukrainian positions. The last three days have each seen Ukrainian losses at about 1,500 per day – double the usual count – with most of them occurring on the eastern front, not in the Kharkiv direction.

Currently the replacement rate through Ukrainian mobilization is said to be only 25% of the losses that are actually occurring.

Everyone knows that the war is coming to an end. That there will be a victor, Russia, and a lot of losers. The U.S. as well as the EU are now trying to find a face saving way to acknowledge that without admitting it.

The easiest way will be to blame Ukraine, and especially its President Zelenski, for having not listened to western advice during some of the hotter phases of the war (Bakhmut etc). “We gave them a chance and they blew it,” will soon become the major tenor of official statements.

But in reality there never was a chance for Ukraine to defeat or even to weaken Russia. All numbers, capacities and people, pointed against that. Despite that fact it was pushed to its death by western delusion.

One hopes that its people, and others, will have learned from it.

Posted by b on May 14, 2024 at 10:54 UTC | Permalink

American Reacts to explaining europe to americans

My youngest daughter, now fully grown, was in I believe grade 1 or 2 at the time this happened. She came home from school one day and told me that a boy had been picking on her. I asked for more information. I do not subscribe to that “he pulled your hair so he just likes you” crap, but I didn’t want to react until I knew what was actually going on.

She described a classic bully. He would slap her, kick her, push her… He often did it when the teacher wasn’t aware, and she reacted in the classic “I’m being bullied” fashion of trying to be smaller and less noticeable to him.

My advice was in stages. Stage one was simple, I told her not to shrink. Grow. That little jackass wants to slap you, you explode at him verbally and make certain that the teacher notices and understands that you are reacting. She did stage one the first few days, and she was upset because the teacher kept doing nothing about it.

Stage two was equally simple. I taught her how to throw a proper punch, a punch that would allow her to get her power behind it with proper form to avoid breaking the bones in her hand.

The school called. They explained that my daughter had “caused a problem” that was really serious, and we needed to come in and talk with them.

“Your daughter attacked one of the other students,” quoth the teacher.

“Nope, I’m pretty sure she didn’t,” rebutted I, rebutfully. “{kid’s name}, can you tell us what happened?”

She had been drinking at the water fountain, and the kid came along and pushed her hard, face first into the porcelain. If memory serves, she had a bloody nose as a result. So she remembered what I taught her, she turned around and threw a nasty punch, and the kid ran off to tell the teacher.

“Striking children is NOT acceptable!” puffed the puffy teacher.

“Yes, you are absolutely right. That kid has been striking my daughter for at least a few days, and I told her to bring it to your attention. You didn’t do anything to protect her and safeguard your students from a bully, so she had to address the situation herself. I won’t have my child be a bully, but I won’t have them victimized, so I taught her how and when to strike back. And I’m not sorry.”

Many guffaws. Many splutters. Finally, the teacher said the thing. “Mr. Martin, you have to understand that this boy is from another country, and he hasn’t learned yet what is and is not acceptable.”

Before anyone gets all xenophobic, let me stop you right there. This wasn’t a “OMG FOREIGN KID MONSTER” post. This was a “For f**k’s sake, teacher!” post.

So I explained that the kid wasn’t going to learn by not being held to account. It was the teacher’s job to maintain the safety of all of the students, and when she didn’t react to his behavior, she green lit him to keep going. So while I get that the boy was from a place with very different social rules, those social rules wouldn’t work here, so if the school wasn’t going to address it, my kid would continue to stand up for herself.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe that anyone at this point (like 15 years ago) would be justifying bullying in an elementary school by saying that it was a cultural difference. Maybe they were working with this boy behind the scenes and I had no idea, though I strongly doubt that, but either way, my kid wasn’t going to be a victim.

And yeah, guess who never had a problem with the boy again?

Be the Rufus

MM is hungry

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Retired Police Dog

Baby Kay’s Cajun Kitchen Bread Pudding

Baby Kay's Cajun Kitchen Bread Pudding
Baby Kay’s Cajun Kitchen Bread Pudding

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup coconut flakes
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 of 16-ounce loaf stale French bread, cut into crouton-size cubes

Instructions

  1. Mix together sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  2. Add eggs; whip together.
  3. Add vanilla extract.
  4. Stir in coconut flakes, raisins and chopped pecans.
  5. Melt butter over low heat. Add milk, heating just enough to scald. Add to sugar-egg-coconut mixture.
  6. Place in a 12 x 8 inch baking dish with the French bread cubes.
  7. Put into a cold oven; bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.

TikTok’s CEO is Singaporean Chinese. Our idiotic government feigns ignorance of basic geography and made it seem that Singapore and China are the same. They did so for political reasons. If a Singaporean Chinese can be associated with “Communist Red China,” then Americans will be more likely to agree to banning TikTok. Our government wants TikTok banned because they can’t control it. They want to censor our internet and apps like the Chinese Great Fire Wall they complain about. Apparently it’s okay if a democracy does it but bad if a communist country does it.

This whole thing must be frustrating for Singaporean Chinese. They make up about 76% of the population and they consider themselves as Singaporean. Most of their families (with the exception of Chinese who recently immigrated from China) have been in Singapore for several generations. Many have never been to China. The ones who have, usually go in search of their ancestry.

Like all overseas Chinese, they’ve assimilated to some degree in the countries they immigrated to hundreds of years ago. They are ethnically Chinese but nationally Singaporean. And Singapore is not China. Singapore is it’s own country. They separated from Malaysia—not China. Singapore has never been part of China. Many overseas Chinese, including Singaporeans, are proud of their roots and culture, and they’re happy to see a strong China as it increases their status around the world as respect for China grows. But these people are true blue Singaporean in their hearts and on paper. I can see why they’re frustrated.

I have lived in Australia all my life and have come over to NZ for work just a day or so ago. I am currently staying in an area which seems to be middle to lower class, well compared to Australia. I went out to one of the local pubs last night and was amazed at their pride and family values. There was a young Māori, 19 years old I believe, who had just received a baseball scholarship in Texas and is leaving NZ in two weeks. There was maybe 50 people there having a party for him. The young kids, I’m guessing maybe 10 years old, all got up on a stage and did a Haka in front of the crowd and then after that a young girl, maybe 13, got up on stage and sang and danced a traditional dance for him.

This country is very proud of their heritage and have very strong family values and it shows. Unfortunately Australia is now a country where family can be taken or left. We really don’t have the culture that there is in NZ.

The people in the area i am staying are a bit rough around the edges but they are still proud Māoris and will protect their family including their extended family with their life.

I’m just about to head into Auckland city to check the place out but I’m guessing the pride Kiwis and Māoris have will be the same.

edit: I am not saying New Zealand isn’t a beautiful country, I am not saying it is a third world country, I am just giving observations I have made in the short time I have been there. Yea there are quite affluent suburbs around Auckland, but as in Australia, there are some at the other end of the scale. And yes, I am o it here to work and I am currently staying in an area which is far less affluent, although we have just been relocated to another area which has a heavy population of Indian and Asian immigrants.

it is difficult, in the areas I have been, to find a corner store or takeaway etc that isn’t run but either Indian or Asian business owners. And I guess there are places in Australia where the same is true.

I am not being racist, I am not running New Zealand down, I am not being derogatory towards New Zealand or the people of New Zealand whether they are indigenous or not. These are just my limited observations.

Red Lobster Abruptly Closes 48 Restaurants; Mulls Bankruptcy

Red Lobster Abruptly Closes 48 Restaurants; Mulls Bankruptcy

Red Lobster Exterior large
Red Lobster Exterior large

Seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster has closed nearly 50 locations around the United States, according to a liquidation company.

CEO and Founder of TAGeX Brands, Neal Sherman announced in a post on LinkedIn that his company would be hosting “the largest restaurant liquidation” through an online auction. The website for TAGeX Brands showed that 48 Red Lobster locations throughout the U.S. had been closed.

Red Lobster locations in places such as Jacksonville, Florida, Watertown, New York, and Bloomingdale and Danville, Illinois, were among the restaurants that were closed. The seafood chain has more than 700 locations throughout the U.S., according to its website.

“The Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment from select Red Lobster locations MUST GO ASAP!” Sherman wrote in his post. “We’re handling this closure differently than we have in the past with each auction having a SINGLE winner for the listed items from the location they bid on — WINNER TAKES ALL.”

This announcement comes after the seafood restaurant chain has reportedly been considering filing for bankruptcy after their all-you-can-eat shrimp promotion led to the company losing $11 million in 2023.

“For those who have been in the US recently, $20 was very cheap,” Red Lobster CFO Ludovic Garnier said in a statement in November. “And the rationale for this promotion was to say we knew the price was cheap, but the idea was to bring more traffic in the restaurants.”

In 2020, ThaiUnion, a Thailand-based company that produces seafood products, bought a stake in Red Lobster. ThaiUnion revealed in January 2024 that it would be exiting from its investment in Red Lobster and would be taking a roughly $530 million loss as a result of its investment in the company.

The Hal Turner Radio Show reached out to Red Lobster for a statement but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

He lost his head over a stupid game

When my daughter was 3 in 1990. I learned exactly who she was. It was picture day at school. I chose her Easter dress, a frilly pretty girlie dress. She decided that she would wear a sweatshirt with sequins on it, some pink houndstooth print leggings, troll scrunchi in her hair and troll clips on her shoelaces. We argued for an hour, until we hit the wall for time to get them to school and me to work ontime. I gave in. My daughter was and is a strong woman. Someone who knows what she wants and has a plan to get it. Today she lives in Virginia, studying for her doctorate in environmental biology. She has funded her education herself. We are still incredibly close, i hear from her several times weekly. She is in love with a young scientist from Panama who she met at school. Today i defer to her decisions, she thinks things through very well.

My son, i learned that i had done well when his boss told me that i had raised a very polite young man with a great work ethic. I take that compliment to myself since i raised them both alone. Work ethic is something that i was raised with. once you take a job, you must go every day unless you are so sick you cannot get out of bed. It originally comes from my grandparents who were millworkers. The story about my grandmother is that she walked home for lunch, gave birth to my aunt, then was back at her loom when the lunch bell rang again. I only remember my father taking one day off in his 40 plus years at General Motors. That day, He was hospitalized for kidney stones.

HUAWEI PURA 70 SHOWS CHINA DOESN’T NEED USA – china ignores rantings of senile biden…

Ahem, I have come to the realization that the average anti-China propagandists are just so illiterate and clueless, especially when it comes to tariff. “Chinese products are so cheap that tariff is hanging everywhere”. What do you think tariff does?

Let’s take this simple product on Amazon:

Made in China
Made in China

True cost of this hammer:

  • Direct from Chinese wholesale: wumao! I mean 50 cents.
  • Sold on Temu with free shipping: $5.80
  • Sold on Amazon with free shipping: $11.98
  • Sold at local Japanese Daiso: $3

I just showed you 4 ways you can buy a hammer with 4 different prices. Now, the first way is not really plausible unless you are ready to buy 5000 hammers at once.

If US mandates a tariff of $5 per hammer, then we will be looking at…

  • Temu $10.80
  • Amazon $16.98
  • Daiso probably will not sell because it’s too expensive.

American consumers are paying $5 more for this simple 50 cent hammer. This $5 will be used to by bombs and missiles to shoot at little boys and girls in Palestine.

China will sell less hammers in the US. But for 50 cent per hammer, they can sell these hammers anywhere else in the world. Not really a big loss.

If US does this to every product from China, then American consumers are easily paying $100-$500 more per month. There is practically no loss to China. For a $5 product, you can pay $5 more. For a $100 product, how much more do you have to pay for tariff?


Then is it a good time to buy American made hammer?

Of course, here you go:

Made in the USA
Made in the USA

Why I Left America

Today’s comics meme

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I am disabled but you cannot tell from first glance.
My son was a cart pusher at Walmart and he brought me a scooter. We went into the store and the little old greeter started talking to my son.

While they were talking I stood up and looked in the movies at the RedBox that was a few feet away from them.

She said to him, “look at that fat woman (I weighed 150 lbs to my 5’6 frame) ! She is so lazy! I just hate people like her!”

My son looked at her and said “oh her? That’s my mom. She’s not lazy because if she was, obviously she wouldn’t be here. As for the scooter that she is in, she has epilepsy and her foot is currently broken. Also she was bit by a Tick when she was younger and the doctor said she was fine. She actually has ‘Late Lyme Disease’ and it affects everything from walking to talking. Yes she does have a placard in our car for the handicap parking, and she is stronger than most people I have seen with this disease! Now, would you like to keep judging people who walk or use a scooter in the store, or would you like to keep judging the ‘silent disabled people’?”!

She apologized and headed toward the main office, red in the face.

I told my son he was a bit harsh, even though he didn’t raise his voice and spoke to her kindly. -She was probably in her 80’s- He said he didn’t feel as if he was harsh because right before that she had commented about another person in a scooter. We just hope that she learned to be a bit kinder and to not judge someone before she knows their internal battles.

Rufus Respect

Many many years ago, I was dating my now ex wife, visiting her in Phoenix. I had a Volkswagen Beetle and as luck would have it, the trans-axle went out Saturday evening. I found another one for sale and one of her friends had the basic tools, jacks, etc to swap it out, but unfortunately I ran out of time before I had to be back at work Sunday night at 10 PM.

Of course being a young and invincible teenager, I worked as long as possible, then at the last minute, borrowed her 1974 Mercury Capri, looking pretty much exactly like this:

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Although not a speed demon, that 2.8L V6 would get up to over 120 mph.

As I was getting close to Tucson, realizing I was going to be really late, I decided to “speed up” just a wee bit. Mind you, the speed limit back then was 55 MPH. There was very little traffic around 11PM on I-10, other than semis. I cranked it up to around 120 MPH for several minutes. As I approached a semi, I decided to slow it down a bit, and guess what was on the other side? Yep, Arizona Highway Patrol Officer.

Knowing this was going to be really bad, I just shut it down and slowly pulled over to the shoulder. He pulled up with lights on, stopped then exited the Cruiser and slowly approached me. I already had the window down, license & registration out. His first words were “Do you know how fast you were going?”. Being totally honest (because I had just that second let off the gas) I said “No sir, I have no ideal”. He responded “Well I clocked you at 98 MPH; what is your hurry?”.

Breathed a sigh of relief, because as I recall at the time double the speed limit was criminal. I explained what happened with my car, tried to get it repaired, and to work on time. Of course I was young, 17 or 18 years old; he gave me the “What would I tell your parents and your GF if you killed yourself?” speech. He went back to his car, then approached a few minutes later and said “I’m only going to write you for going over the limit”.

So to answer the question, pull over, that is what you should do.

Baton Rouge Chicken

WARNING! This is VERY spicy!

Baton Rouge Chicken
Baton Rouge Chicken

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Spice Mix

  • 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

Chicken

  • 4 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Spice Mix

  1. On a sheet of wax paper, combine cayenne pepper, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, chili powder, thyme and mustard. Mix well.

Chicken

  1. Heat a large cast iron skillet or other large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 8 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, brush chicken with butter.
  3. Dredge chicken in spice mixture, patting firmly to adhere.
  4. Place chicken in prepared skillet and cook, turning once, until coating is blackened and chicken is no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
  5. Place chicken on a serving platter.
  6. Serve immediately.

In the early 2000s, my ex-wife was a Senior Systems Analyst for Sears during their long, slow, tailspin into oblivion. At the time, the company was going through one of their perennial desperation moves to stop the bleeding and orders given to slash and burn the employee lists to make the smell less stinky.

She related that during this period, the grim reality was that the employees knew when it was a purge day if they arrived at headquarters in Hoffman Estates, Illinois (USA) and saw a line of taxi cabs waiting at the front door, those being staged for employees who were going to be given the boot and didn’t have transportation out.

Anyway, the bean counters kicked a senior network administrator who had been with the company for many years. He had designed, implemented, and supported a critical software application that had been repeatedly passed over for upgrades and/or replacement because it was still working and alternatives were…. expensive. He was the only one left at the company that actually knew how to run, maintain, and repair this system.

And of course you can see where this is going: some time later, the system in question crashed big-time, nobody had a clue how to fix it, replacing it would take too long (it was critical) and too expensive (they had no money left), so they had to beg and plead for the Net Admin to come back and fix the problem after the guy had demanded and received and agreement that included he be considered a Consultant, higher pay, full medical benefits, and immunity from being let go until they had the system replaced even if he wasn’t working on anything.

They never did get the money together to replace the system, he got a number of years of full-time “cake” money out of it, and the Net Admin was able to get a whole consulting business going out of referrals.

Pizza Delivery Driver 911 Call

Roman concrete is like the Chuck Norris of building materials—it’s seriously tough stuff. Even after more than 2,000 years, Roman concrete structures like the Pantheon and aqueducts are still standing strong, making us wonder, “What’s the secret sauce?”

Here’s the lowdown: The Romans made their concrete using a mix of volcanic ash, lime (that’s calcium oxide), and seawater, creating a chemical combo that isn’t just sturdy—it actually gets stronger with time! This ancient recipe produced a material that could resist the elements, especially seawater, which is pretty corrosive.

The magical ingredient in Roman concrete is volcanic ash, which contains silica and alumina. When mixed with lime and seawater, it creates a chemical reaction that forms tobermorite and phillipsite, which are like the superheroes of mineral crystals.

They help the concrete resist cracks and breakage, and they even allow the concrete to “heal” itself, filling in cracks that do form.

Today’s concrete, while super strong and versatile, usually uses Portland cement instead of volcanic ash. It hardens quickly and is great for modern construction, but it doesn’t have the same self-healing properties or resistance to chemical wear and tear. It’s more vulnerable to cracking and doesn’t get better with age like Roman concrete.

So, in a nutshell, Roman concrete is the old-school bodybuilder of building materials—gets better and tougher with age, thanks to some nifty natural chemistry with volcanic ash!

PLO LUMUMBA Speech To Africa’s UPRISING IS INSANELY BRILLIANT and A Lesson for the ages

Lots and lots and lots of great movies

Met a guy on OKCupid who seemed cool. He had a professional head shot as his profile picture and was pretty well spoken, so I met him for dinner.

Everything was okay, though I didn’t really see it progressing to date #2, when he commented on my shoes.

“I wouldn’t really go with those shoes next time you wear that dress,” he said.

I thought he was joking and laughed, not at all offended because I’m the first to admit that I know nothing about fashion. Nope.

He continued: “No, seriously. I’m the type of man who needs to know that his woman will not only always look good, but will take my advice when it comes to what she looks good in.”

Crickets. Then he added, “I’d be glad to take you shopping if you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re pretty enough, just need some help with outfits.”

Um, thanks? I did my best to finish the date graciously and deleted his number literally as I walked to my car in the restaurant parking lot.

Funny, bizarre, and definitely a turnoff.

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH 🎬 Exclusive Full Sci-Fi Movie Premiere 🎬 English HD 2022

Movie time!

The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic.

Ray Harrihausen’s creations were so way ahead of their time. I understand he worked virtually alone and spent huge amounts of time bringing his horrors onto the screen, a true genius.

“What business is McDonald’s in?”

The three 20-something young men sat across a table from me. I’d just returned to the States from a couple of years living abroad, and it was time to find a job. Back then (18 years ago), the newspaper classifieds were still a pretty good resource for job hunters. The description had been a bit vague (classifieds were usually short), but the promised wage was decent, so I sent in a résumé, and got an interview.

When I arrived, I waited in a stairwell outside a sparsely furnished office with another guy about my age (20-something), until my interview slot (the last one) came. When I entered, after the usual greetings, that was the first, and only, question asked.

The trouble is, I recognized the question, and its source. Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad books were growing in popularity, and a friend had shown me a passage in which Ray Kroc, owner of the McDonald’s chain, asks a class of Harvard MBA students that very question, receiving predicable answers such as “restaurants,” and “hospitality,” only to reveal that he considers himself to be in the real estate business.

I’ve always considered Kiyosaki’s approach to personal wealth to be irresponsible and well beyond my risk-tolerance level. He was very trendy at the time, and the fact that this question constituted the whole of my interview was a huge red flag for me. In my mind, it communicated:

That this company was following financial trends rather than principles,

and

that the company would probably be long on charisma and short on discipline

Combine that with the lack of concrete detail about the job, and I was more than a bit wary.

I answered the question properly, finished with pleasantries and small talk, and drove away. I received a call-back before I’d gone a single mile; I’d gotten the job. They explained that it was a sales position (something I wouldn’t have bothered interviewing for if I’d known), and started talking about a starting date.

“Actually, I’m not really interested,” I said.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Finally, he just said, “Okay, thanks!”

That was it. I still feel like I dodged a bullet with that one.

“The world has already changed—and not in the way that people overseas wanted.

But what do they want? What is their endgame?

The United States, having launched a sweeping attack on all undesirable countries simultaneously (you know this axis of ‘evil’: from Belarus to North Korea, including Russia, China, Iran, and others), realized that they made a mistake.

They brought together the disobedient Russia and their archnemesis, China.

By exerting pressure, they pushed these two states together: Russia, with extensive resources and a powerful defense industry, and China, with enormous economic and human potential.

They realized that they could not handle this union.

But the United States found a way out: they instigated a conflict in Europe, in Ukraine, and put it on the shoulders of the European Union and NATO, promising to help with money.

The goal is to distract, get Russia bogged down in the war with Ukraine, weaken it with the war and sanctions—as Russia will be too busy to build an alliance with China.

Meanwhile, they wanted to deal with China and drag others whenever possible into this showdown: AUKUS [Defense alliance of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States], which is a new NATO in the Pacific, and then Japan and South Korea.

This is the essence of the U.S. strategy to assert its dominance in the world.

After that, everything will be over: they will throw everyone under the bus, like they did in Afghanistan.”

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Excerpt from the address by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko at the 7th Belarusian People’s Congress in Minsk, April 24, 2024.

Temu and Shein are next in line on the chopping board.

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China’s Temu Takes Over 17% Of US Market Share, Cutting Jobs From American Amazon And Decimating Small Businesses
China's Temu Takes Over 17% Of US Market Share, Cutting Jobs From American Amazon And Decimating Small Businesses

Caleb Naysmith

Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 4:49 AM GMT+8

China’s Temu Takes Over 17% Of US Market Share, Cutting Jobs From American Amazon And Decimating Small Businesses

With rising inflation, American consumers are increasingly turning to the Chinese e-commerce platform Temu for their shopping needs. With its enticing tagline “Shop like a billionaire,” Temu has captured 17% of the U.S. market share, posing a challenge to traditional American retailers such as Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more.

Inc., Dollar Tree Inc. and Five Below Inc. The rise highlights the lucrative and disruptive nature of startups.Owned and operated by PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PDD), Temu offers a wide range of products, including home decor, pet supplies, beauty and health products and clothing. The platform is known for its competitive pricing, often offering significant discounts on items compared to prices on Amazon. Coupled with Temu’s discount codes, consumers can enjoy even greater savings.

Temu has even become the No. 1 Shopping App on Apple’s App Store, surpassing Amazon, Target Corp. and Walmart Inc., which currently hold the third, fourth and eighth spots, respectively. The No. 2 shopping app is Shein, another Chinese retailer.

Orders purchased on Temu are shipped from China and are estimated to be delivered within 10 days. However, in a bid to compete with Amazon’s fast delivery, Temu opened its marketplace to U.S. warehouses last month. Shopping from these sellers can significantly reduce shipping time, giving U.S. retailers the ability to handle fulfillment and shipping directly.

In December, Reuters reported that Temu was successfully challenging U.S. dollar stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General Corp., accounting for nearly 17% of the market share in the United States. According to data analytics firm Earnest Analytics, this compares to 8% for Five Below, 43% for Dollar General and 28% for Dollar Tree.

In January, Amazon announced it would lay off 5% of its Buy with Prime workforce, which equips retailers with fulfillment and delivery services.

“Following a recent review, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles on our Buy with Prime team. Buy with Prime is a top priority for Amazon, with strong adoption from merchants and positive feedback from customers, and we will continue investing significant resources in Buy with Prime to build on that momentum,” an Amazon statement said.

The ripple effects extend to discount stores like Dollar Tree and 99 Cents Only Stores, both of which have announced significant closures and employee layoffs.

Citing changing consumer demand and economic challenges, 99 Cents Only Stores is shutting all 371 locations in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. Dollar Tree plans to close 1,000 locations across its Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.

The new American dream is to leave

"I live in New York and he is 200% correct. The majority of us are living paycheck to paycheck. I am also moving out of the country soon. America is on a fast decline. Our government does not work for us."

This is a byproduct of the American “Woman’s Rights” movement.

The initial intention was for gender equality, where women would be treated as equals with men. Eventually, a more radical sub-branch of the movement took control and steered the movement towards an anti-male bias. Over the years, they acquired wealthy and powerful contributors, and used their positions in government to fund and control the narrative. Resulting in the destruction of the American male.

This women’s rights movement in the United States has gone through several stages.

Each stage has been marked by specific goals, accomplishments, and challenges.

First Wave (19th Century – Early 20th Century)

– Focused on legal issues, particularly women’s suffrage (the right to vote).

– Key events: The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott; the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote.

This initial stage is often erroneously considered to be reasonable, but a look at the amendments to the constitution clearly show that the movement removed the stable “Head of the Household” voting role towards one where anyone can vote. Thus, this movement, during the FIRST WAVE, significantly altered the federal government and the spending trajectory of the United States.

Demographics changed substantially. Voting profiles changed radically, and a “nanny state”
became the norm, as the female voters started to demand a government that took on a parental role; thus a government with a greater role in the lives of Americans.

Second Wave (1960s – 1980s)

– Emphasized a broader range of issues, including equality in the workplace, education, reproductive rights, and legal rights.

– Key events: Publication of “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan in 1963; the establishment of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966; the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

– Advocacy for reproductive rights, including the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973.

During this wave, the “rights” of women altered the workplace, the Geo-political scene, the educational system, and the kinds of movies and shows on televisions and extracted out of Hollywood. It was during this wave that the notion of a traditional family was discarded, and men started to be depicted as buffoons and useless clowns.

There is a direct correlation between divorce rates and the implementation of pro-feminist initiatives. This was the era of the destruction of the family. As the women entered the work-place, forced layoffs, firings and short-duration employment became the norm.

Third Wave (1990s – Early 2000s)

– Focused on diversity and intersectionality, addressing issues of race, class, sexual orientation, and gender identity within the context of women’s rights.

– Emphasized individualism and a more inclusive approach to feminism, acknowledging different experiences and perspectives.

This wave turbocharged the fall of traditional values, and the “career women” entered the work force with government sanctioned privileges that harmed the male roles. The court systems, and child service systems became co-opted by this movement and became hostile to males.

Laws and rules, from family law to corporate law favored females. Lower skilled females were engaged in once-dominant male activities to meet hiring quotas. The result was a gradual decline in the quality of the American work-force.

Fourth Wave (Mid-2000s – Present)

– Characterized by the use of digital and social media to advocate for women’s rights and mobilize anti-male activism.

– Focus on sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and the #MeToo movement.

– Greater attention to intersectionality, considering how various aspects of identity intersect and impact the experiences of women and non-binary individuals.

It’s a real problem.

The damage has already been done.

Presently, in the United States and it’s proxy nations, under the LGBQ+ rainbow flag, the male gender is ridiculed, minimized, and berated to a point where various social phenomenons have occurred. To include…

  • Young men in the 20s have stopped dating.
  • Young men tend to be virginal, while young women engage in serial promiscuity.
  • The “Soft man” era where men have “checked out”.
  • A drop in college and university admissions for men.
  • A push back on dating with the “drizzle drizzle” movement.
  • American men are leaving the United States as “passport bros” and not returning.

The changing demographics and the ten year forecast for citizens within this toxic anti-male environment is contentious. Historically, very BAD things happen when large sections males in a nation are hurt, abandoned, ridiculed and disparaged.

It will be very bad.

Apple-Cinnamon Pile o’ Pancakes

apple cinnamon pancakes 3 1200x1800 1
apple cinnamon pancakes 3 1200×1800 1

Yield: 5 servings (2 pancakes and 2 tablespoons syrup each)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Apple Cinnamon Cheerios cereal
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup chunky applesauce
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • Maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup*

Instructions

  1. Heat griddle or 12 inch skillet over medium-low heat or to 325 degrees F.
  2. Pour cereal into plastic bag and seal. Crush cereal with rolling pin or can of soup. Pour crushed cereal into large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, except syrup, just until moistened.
  3. Pour batter, a generous 1/4 cup at a time, onto hot griddle. Cook for 2 minutes or until edges look cooked and bubbles begin to break on the surface. Flip pancakes and cook other side until golden, about 2 minutes longer.
  4. Serve with syrup.

Notes

* Tasty topping: Skip the syrup and top instead with warm apple pie filling or a sprinkle of brown sugar.

No one cares.

It’s time I told you about my Uncle RK.

My late uncle.

A victim of sexism and neglect his entire life.

  • When he was just a boy, he was expected and pressured to get good grades in school – which he did. On the contrary, they let my mom slack off and had no expectations for her.
  • Eventually, he ended up placing within the top 200 in a nationally ranked exam and going to one of the most prestigious colleges in the country for peanuts – thanks to a large scholarship.
  • During his college days, when he visited home, no one bothered to greet him. His own mom forgot he was coming once and ended up giving his room to some relatives for a short stay.
  • In his early twenties, he was falsely accused of sexual harassment. After spending a few months in jail, my grandmom made a hefty payment to the accuser’s family, who agreed to drop the charges.
  • He struggled to find employment after college thanks to his criminal record.
  • After being forced into an arranged marriage, he was stuck with an emotionally abusive wife.
  • After losing another job at age 30, he got depressed. The humiliation he received from society and from his wife for being unemployed was unbearable.
  • In July 2000, he killed himself, by jumping off an apartment. Everyone chalked it up to his mental instability. To this day, I still hear them saying that he was a weak and pathetic man who couldn’t handle life.

I think you got it by now.

This is the worst part of being a man: No one cares.

No one cares if you feel lonely, if you feel neglected, if you are falsely accused by a woman, if you have an abusive wife, if you lose your job and feel worthless or if you kill yourself.

My uncle RK is a lot like me. He’s introverted, sweet and sensitive person. He’d never harm a fly. He used to take great care of his little sister (my mom) and show affection to his older brother.

He’s also a genius. He managed to build a working generator when he was just a boy (remember this was before the internet). He was always the smartest guy around.

He was cool too. When he toured Japan in the nineties, he brought back some novel electronic gadgets, among them was a digital dictionary.

I wish I had met him.

I wish he was alive. We could have talked about so much. He could have been a mentor to me.

Rest in peace. Uncle RK – 1969–2000.

I cannot believe that this entire film is free on youtube. It is a great watch. Take the time to enjoy this fun, and very funny, Classic Drama Movie: A Boy and His Dog – A young man and his telepathic dog wander through a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Oh, and it takes place in 2024!

LOL.

My fathers Ike Jacket

Yes.

The “locked in“ stroke.

We were called for a welfare check. A man in his 50s hadn’t shown up to work for days. Work called his mom because he was listed as the emergency contact. The mother called us because she lived in a different city. We show up first, and have to wait for fire to arrive so they can force entry. Very very often, these calls end up with the discovery of the patient being deceased.

We make entry into the apartment, and there’s a bad smell, so I’m pretty sure what we’re going to find. We find the patient in bed, with the bedding heavily soiled in waste. The patient was prone so we roll him over for the assessment, and he opens his eyes. I talk to him and his absolutely no response. No movement. I am beginning to think he is in a coma or vegetative state. And then I say to him “if you understand me, can you blink twice“

And he does.

Crap.

I ask him again, he does it again. I check his blood sugar hoping he’s having a diabetic event, and it’s low like someone who hasn’t eaten in five days but it’s normal. I check the extent of the paralysis, and he can’t so much as move his lips. Just blink, because the eyes are wired more directly to the brain. We take him to the stroke centre and he gets an emergent CT.

Massive haemorrhagic stroke, in other words a brain bleed, in the cerebellum, which controls all body movement. Absolutely nothing to be done.

Eventually he will probably get one of those eye tracking keyboards where you wear goggles and have a keyboard displayed in front of you. If you look at a letter long enough it will “type” it on an output screen.

Functional MRI has recently allowed physicians to discover that some patients they thought were in a coma from a stroke were actually fully conscious. Those patients couldn’t even move their eyes. But they placed them in a special MRI, and told them to think of a very particular thing. I think it was to imagine they were playing tennis. Apparently that produces a recognizable pattern. And they were able to start yes/no communications with them that way.

So, yeah, locked in strokes are pretty horrific.

There was a guy in High School, Don, who dated a female friend.

The guy was an unmitigated asshole, wholly preoccupied with being “cool,” often at the expense of others.

He was like some character out of an 80’s teenie movie, the “bad” boy that girls liked, who smoked cigarettes and had tattoos.

He wasn’t particularly nice or polite in my presence, so as a rational human being – I didn’t like the guy.

As I said, Don was dating a female friend, and she loved giving me the play-by-play on their relationship.

One day she relayed this crazy story to me. She had been with Don at his dad’s house (his parents were divorced), upstairs watching TV in his room.

His dad apparently came home drunk, came stomping up the stairs, and barged into Don’s bedroom. He grabbed Don, threw him up against a wall and started choking him with both hands while yelling at him.

All in front of her.

She came to learn that this wasn’t a one-off incident.

Her recounting led me to rethink Don, and other quintessential jerks I’d known over the years.

Yes, there are surely authentic bad people out there.

But often, these unpleasant behaviors stem from somewhere else: a troubled past, abusive parents, a list of things that all lead to a place of pain.

Consequently and frequently, I’ve found myself inching closer to people I don’t initially like.

No, this isn’t an homage to Sun Tzu’s “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

It’s nobler than that.

It’s merely a suggestion that you attempt to understand the subject of your hatred.

You’ll find that the source of your animosity is often ill-placed, that the people you are put off by aren’t what they seem.

The superficial, insufferable personality is really just a mask for a person who feels misunderstood, alone, weak, disliked, unloved.

I’ve even realized that I disliked a person because I saw something of myself in them, that this person was a mirror of my own problems, a reflection of my own inward-looking dissatisfaction.

The takeaway here isn’t to become a person-charity, taking in every pain-in-the-ass you meet.

It is really just that you give people the benefit of the doubt.

Seek to understand them.

You’ll be surprised by what you learn about that person, human nature, and yourself.

Russia is going after the US’ JUGULAR!

My dad turned 18 in 1957.

He immediately joined the Navy to get away from his abusive household. My dad’s family were poor farmers from Arkansas and moved to California when he was young to be fruit pickers.

My dad (who’s white) family were the only white workers. Most were Hispanic. My dad grew up seeing no color and most of his friends were Hispanic or black.

So as he is in the Navy, he gets a day/night off and decided to go to the bar. While there, he hung out with the Hispanic and black guys from his ship. The other white guys were harassing my dad for hanging with the “non whites”. They actually told his commanding officer when they got back. The commanding officer told my dad he had a choice. He could stop hanging with the “non whites” or be on latrine duty. The guys he was with told my dad to just agree and not be punished. My dad absolutely refuses. He could not understand the blatant prejudice and agreed to latrine duty.

My dad will later admit that he should have agreed due to the abuse he endured both with punishment and the MPs (completely different story). But he just couldn’t at the time due to his personal beliefs and what is right.

My dad, being the man he is, with his solid convictions and sense of right and wrong is what makes my dad a true badass.

There’s a large exodus currently taking place in North America, The UK & Europe… why are so many citizens not only abandoning their Country, but also giving back their passports?

Damn. This is really good. -MM

When I ran my Peugeot 309 and my Vauxhall Astra TD on cooking oil, the only drawback was the sticky mess I used to get around the filler cap where the oil dribbled. I halved my fuel costs, halved my sulphur emissions and significantly reduced wear on the engines.

The only other drawback was only usually being able to buy 3 litre bottles from Tesco or Sainsburys if I wasn’t convenient for a wholesaler. I kept a 1000 litre IBC at home to fill up from, but when out and about, supermarkets were the only real option. In 2011, I did a 2000 mile road trip around the UK using only cooking oil as a fuel. I kept an emergency supply in the boot in case I ended up somewhere at night and all the shops were shut.

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main qimg 17b869e4660ac95185ad5cc337727d90

The four bottles with the white caps were 5 litres from a wholesaler. The bottles with the green caps were 3 litre bottles from Sainsburys. Total 44 litres equivalent to a full tank.

Cooking oil was about 40p a litre back then, as compared to about 89p a litre for diesel.

And both cars lasted past 250,000 miles without any problems at all.

I was there alone.

So, naturally, as a houseguest I snooped around my Dad’s condo.

He’d been keeping really odd hours and I honestly couldn’t tell when he was in or out of town on business. He was just never there.

I stepped into his office.

There was the expected assortment of books, printer paper, and software on CD-ROM.

This is what you did when you didn’t have an iPhone or America Online account. Then, out of the blue, something pulled my immediate attention.

It was a soundtrack.

What was even more odd about it was every track was some kind of Latin Jazz.

Now, I treated my Dad’s music collection the way I looked at his aftershave – nice for him but kept at a distance from me.

But this was all kinds of odd.

Then, as if on cue, my Dad showed up. He looked like he had just come from the gym, or that he ran home from the airport in his work clothes.

Me: “Hey, Dad, you look drenched.”

Dad: (excited) “I’ve been dancing.”

He might as well have told me he was selling drugs. Same reaction.

Me: “Wait, what? What kind of dancing?”

Dad: “Ballroom! It’s incredible. You should try it. I’ll bring you. There are so many girls there your age.”

Me: “Okay, hang on a second. First, I’m not 100 years old so you won’t catch me doing ballroom. Second, I’m not going cruising for chicks with you, Dad; that’s crazy.”

Dad: (laughing) “I’m telling you, the teachers at my studio are great. You should give it a try.”

Me: “Your studio? Dad … is this why you have this?”

I held up the soundtrack.

Dad: “Oh yeah, I practice my Cha Cha Cha to that.”

I felt like my dad had joined a cult.

I tried to reason with him. I tried to get him to ask for a refund, but little did I know that he would end up losing 30 pounds, learning a lifelong skill, meeting my step mother and just a few years later…

… I’d be a part of the same, wonderful, life-changing dance cult myself.

Be alert and aware

Tuscan Pasta Stew

A fabulous pasta stew, slow cooked for extra flavor.

Cannelloni
Cannelloni

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (29 ounce) can Italian stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (4 1/2 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 6 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti, broken in half

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients except spaghetti in slow cooker.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.
  3. Stir in spaghetti.
  4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 45 to 50 minutes until pasta is tender.

100% Gods honest truth. I was fired because, I CLOCKED OUT AN HOUR LATE. Yes, you read correctly, not an hour before, but an hour AFTER.

Of course there was history between me and the Boss. He had wanted to get rid of me for over three years, and I never give him the reason to. I worked in a sort of scrap yard in semi-precious metals such as Copper and aluminium. My job was to change the blades on a granulator machine through the night. I loved the job. We worked x4 10 hr nights Monday to Thursday.

I’m not 100% certain, but the company said they were robbed because 8 tons of granulated copper went missing. I heard it was an insurance scam and nothing went missing at all. Working nights we didn’t get to hear any gossip at all. Anyway, when the police investigated, my name was mentioned. Why? I have absolutely no idea. I wasn’t even in the same town when it supposedly happened. I was suspended and I went to seek out a lawyer. I was told if I was found guilty I was looking at up 8 years in prison. But I was told they had to prove it was me. Of course they couldn’t. I was interviewed by the police and they pretty much said we know you didn’t do it, but your bosses keep phoning up asking have we spoke to you yet.

Long story short, the case was dropped and I was allowed to return back to work. After a short while I was summoned into the boss’s office. I was told, let’s start over and get back to how things were before. But I was told I had to sign a new contract which stated I had to start over like it was my 1st day on the job. In the UK we are protected somewhat if we have over 2 years service in. It entitles us not be sacked for instance, simply because they wanted to get rid of you. You could claim unfair dismissal after 2 years also if you thought you were wrongfully dismissed. But I knew all this and I refused to sign knowing full well they could fire me once I signed it.

But by refusing to sign it I was treated like dirt for over two years but never doing anything wrong to give them reason to sack me. Then after two years it happened… I was left a message to come in on Friday morning. I was told the supervisor needed to speak to me. I finished work at 7 AM Friday morning, but because I had to come back in an hour later, my shift boss let me go early. I was told don’t worry about clocking out; it will be sorted. This wasn’t unusual, many a time we would take it in turns to clock everyone out. It just let us get away 30 minutes early on our last shift before weekend.

So I came back in at 8 AM and went to the canteen to get a drink. I noticed I had not been clocked out which was strange, so I clocked out and it showed 8 AM and thought nothing of it. It happened a couple of times before but was very rare. I was extremely tired by morning and the person clocking out like I said on a couple of occasions had forgot, mainly due to being distracted with the new shift coming on. I can’t recall why I was called in, but I think it was something to do with my request for a holiday I wanted off. Again nothing unusual, but it was strange to ask me to make my way back in. But I was so tired I was just relieved I could go home and go to sleep.

Weekend over and I’m back at work Monday night. I’m just about to start and the bosses come into the canteen. They ask to speak to me and ask why I clocked out an hour late and I explained. But they didn’t want to know really; they said I was fired for gross misconduct. I ask on what grounds and they say, “for trying to steal an hour’s pay”.

I knew they had got me and that was that. I simply said, “You finally got me, you bastard”.

I went to see a solicitor and I won my unfair dismissal claim, but I was refused to go back to work. I got a decent-sized compensation deal out of it and I bought myself a van and ended up being a courier delivering same day packages up and down the UK. And I haven’t looked back since.

So there you have it. Fired for clocking out an hour late!

Yes. For 6 years, I cared for a dear man fighting cancer. His family had been long-time friends with members of my family, and he and I connected when we were both older (he was 70 and I was 57). He received his diagnosis and had many upcoming treatment appointments for which his adult children were scrambling to get him to. I volunteered my services, as I worked evenings at a pharmacy and thus had my days free. So for 6 years I drove him to radiation treatments and chemo treatments on an almost daily basis. I helped monitor his sugar levels and when he had to get a feeding tube, I fed him. Toward the end, I moved into his home (I had my own room and bathroom there) to care for him as his treatments were greatly weakening. He was a wonderful person. His sons were pretty great, too, but his daughter was another matter . . .

Anyway, his weight had dropped again, and I managed to get it back up and his strength back up to the point where he planted a vegetable garden like he used to do, even though he wouldn’t physically be able to eat anything from it. At this point, I had a few legal issues that required me to be in Florida. I expected it to be for a month, two tops, but it turned into several. We were in contact daily, by phone and text. His health started to decline again and it was obvious that his daughter was angry with me “for leaving him” because she was now taxed with helping him – her own father.

He passed away before I could get back – I was literally on the plane when it happened. The way I was treated by his family when I arrived is a whole ‘nother story, and not a good one. Fast forward around 8 or 9 months, and I received notice that I am being sued by his “estate” – the daughter was executrix. Apparently, unbeknown to me, he had left me some money, $25,000 worth. The daughter was claiming that I had taken advantage of him, that he was feeble-minded at the end (which he was most certainly NOT and I had witnesses willing to testify to that fact) and didn’t know what he was doing blah-blah-blah.

He never mentioned to me that he planned to do that and I truly was caught off-guard by his generosity. However, my care for him was never about money. Never. I’m dead certain I could have fought the lawsuit and won handily (I did get an attorney), but I didn’t want the money. I was plenty good enough to care for their dad when he was seriously ill, but now things had changed. The daughter lied about several things and the brothers decided to back her instead of sticking up for me as they should have. All she would have had to do was call me and I would have gladly signed off on this little piece of his estate. The lawsuit was completely unnecessary but spoke directly to her character.

I still have flowers put on his grave, even though I live many states away. If I never see any of his family again, it will be too soon.

Yes, got laid off from my current job at my company and was lucky enough to find another job within the same company in payroll. On the 3rd day on my new job, I was told by the lead, who was training me that she went to our senior manager, who by the way hired me and said I was perfect for the job, that she complained to him about hiring me because I was retirement age. I was 64 but fully capable of performing this job as my previous job was tons more challenging and did it with ease. I was so shocked that someone would actually tell me that to my face. As a result, she gave half of my intended job to another employee. And anytime I offered to take on more work, I was shut down. So, I spent 4 of 5 hours a day bored to death. Hung out for another year and retired, I’m sure to her delight. I was in an office union, but because this individual was the lead and also a union steward, I was screwed. But I was never treated so disrespectfully and bothers me to this day. I really was intending to work much longer as I’m in excellent physical and mental health. But it has always bothered me that I was treated in such an unjust, disrespectful way. Just very sad that I felt I had no other choice. Luckily, I was good at saving for retirement so not a huge monetary detriment.

I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum with cases involving drugs. Once I represented a man charged with possession of cocaine with intent. His girlfriend was squeezed by the state to testify against him, but I was making headway with my cross of the head narcotics officer.

In the search of her apartment, the drugs and money were found in a safe hidden in her bedroom closet. He had no clothes there, nor was his name on any of her bills. A fingerprint examination did not find his prints anywhere on the safe.

Yes, he was visiting when they executed the warrant but nothing else tied him to the drugs. There were no sales by him, just her testimony the drugs belonged to him. I sat down thinking I had created enough doubt to win or at least hang the jury.

The DA stood up in redirect examination and told the Judge he had one question left to ask. “Officer, how did you open the safe?” he asked with a grin. “Well,” he replied, “when we searched the defendant, he had a set of keys in his pocket and one of the keys opened the safe.” To which the DA said “Your honor, the State rests.” He was convicted.

My other “gotcha” moment involved a sale case, but the state relied strictly on agents observing from afar to ID the seller. The CI wasn’t available for some reason and the arrest came months later in a blind indictment. No photos had been taken, only surveillance using binoculars.

The state felt they had enough to proceed and the first agent testified my client, the man at the defense table, was the seller. My client was wearing a bright red shirt at the time. Afterwards, we took a lunch break.

Right before the court reconvened, I had my client switch into a blue shirt and a friend of his put on the red shirt and sat in the gallery. I didn’t need permission from the court because my client sat next to me when the second agent testified also.

And I’ll be damned, the agent, when asked to ID the seller, thought long and hard ( I was grinning to make him think I moved the Defendant) and finally said “that’s him sitting over there,” pointing at the friend in the gallery. The 1st agent had clearly tipped the 2nd during lunch. I asked to approach and called up the friend to the bench. I introduced him to the Judge, showed his driver’s license and asked that the case be dismissed. The Prosecutors were pissed and yelled “foul,” but the Judge noted I hadn’t switched the Defendant just his shirt and after being told the state had no other witnesses to ID the seller, the Judge dismissed without the case even going to the jury. He did advise the state they needed to talk to the agents about cheating because next time he would put them in jail.

“Year after year, the US creates so-called human rights reports that are filled with political lies and ideological biases on China.

We strongly reject this.

The Chinese people have the best say on the human rights situation in China.

China made history by eliminating absolute poverty.

We practice whole-process people’s democracy and provide the world’s largest education system, social security system and medical care system in China.

The Chinese people’s sense of gain, happiness and security keeps getting stronger.

We have found a path toward better human rights that reflects the trend of the times and fits our national realities.

A Harvard University survey conducted over a period of more than 10 years straight shows that the Chinese government’s satisfaction rate among the people stayed above 90 percent.

In this so-called Human Rights Reports, the US criticized the human rights situation of nearly 200 countries and regions and yet said nothing about the US itself.

This is just another case of double standard.

The hegemonic, domineering and bullying nature of the US and its selfishness and hypocrisy are on clear display.

If the US truly cares about human rights, it should take seriously and properly address domestic gun violence, drug abuse, racial discrimination and other violations of human rights and dignity.

It should face up to and reflect on its intervention operations in other countries and human rights catastrophes resulting from US provision of weapons and fanning the flames in regional conflicts.

The US, turning a blind eye to over 110,000 civilian casualties in Gaza, vetoed the UN Security Council’s efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza four times in a roll.

That alone says enough about how little human rights actually mean to the US and how it tramples on them.

The world is not blind to US hegemonism imposed on the world in the name of human rights.

The US needs to examine its own behavior.

It needs to take care of its own problems first, stop lecturing others on human rights, stop pointing fingers at other countries’ human rights record, and stop meddling in other countries’ internal affairs, violating their human rights and planting conflicts and chaos in the name of human rights and democracy.”

main qimg 5f9ae4b9e30714b8e87e7cebbbd70d84
main qimg 5f9ae4b9e30714b8e87e7cebbbd70d84

Answer given by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin to a question from CCTV, at the Regular Press Conference, Beijing, April 23, 2024.

USA will SANCTION CHINESE BANKS over RUSSIA – only us can fund war crimes…

How a real traditional home used to be run

The Chinese have been building and installing Chinese components to replace the components the U.S. has blocked so that Chinese supply chains are not affected.

Did you expect the Chinese to stop and give up because of the sanctions?

Sorry, that isn’t how the Chinese work.

Mark Sleboda: Putin and China Issue DEVASTATING Warning to Blinken, Neocons and They’re Not Bluffing

International Relations and Security analyst Mark Sleboda explains how Blinken’s latest visit to China exposes the weakening position of the neocons and their inability to compete on the world stage with both Russia and China, both of which are warning that further escalation will lead to all out war. This is not a bluff, so be sure to watch the video in full to understand how HUGE this all is.

That’s a loaded question if I ever saw one.

Last night somebody said me in China would be immediately executed if I was critical of Xi Jinping. He spoke with ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE because being a westerner makes you omniscient.

Funny, I live in China Hong Kong province. Where I see Falun Gong operate openly and distribute their publication everyday and they call for the destruction of China and the government. Similarly Shun Bot on here is openly critical of Xi Jinping as am I, and I don’t know about him, but I go over to Shenzhen a fair bit and yet here I am totally not dead.

In that just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen! It’s almost like Americans! Everything outside stopped once the USA was founded. Stuff goes on when you’re not looking.

Oh sure you can call Biden an ass, but guess what? It does nothing other than make you feel good momentarily.

So there’s totally no name calling in China? Oh there is if you understand Chinese and go on Chinese forums, but you can’t read that can you?

There’s also something completely unknown by those omniscient westerners. In that if you have a real grievance? You complain via official channels, but here’s the catch it needs to be genuine and you need to have evidence. The fact that numerous CPC officials RIGHT at the TOP have been sentenced to death for corruption instigated by people complaining is pretty telling.

Meanwhile, has anybody been investigated in western governments? Jon Corzine literally diverted 1bn USD into his Caymen islands bank account and paid a small fine for it, he didn’t end up picking up any soap in a prison shower.

Was Antony Blinken’s recent visit to China a complete failure or just another round of political posturing? Dive into the details of the U.S. Secretary of State’s three-day interaction with Chinese officials and explore whether any real progress was made on critical issues. Despite the positive rhetoric, it seems the visit may have fallen short of expectations.

Join me as I dissect for you the nuances of Blinken’s diplomatic efforts & unravel the complexities of U.S.-China relations. Is it all just a facade for domestic audiences?

Some comics

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They are dead serious

Selling TikTok would mean the US can bully every Chinese company doing Business in USA to divest or leave

There are laws about transfer of IP or IP licenses belonging to Chinese entities without permission of the Government

So selling TikTok isn’t an option.

Meanwhile if you notice, China is becoming more and more conducive to foreign investments

Tesla is the best example

China didn’t force Tesla to divest 70% to BYD or Geely. .

China already has the money and capital

As US acts insane and stupid, newer Chinese entities who once would have gone to US for establishing a startup or a business will stay back in China and develop there

China has the under rated stock market today

Soon it’s possible that emerging economy players will seek financing in China over the US for unique high technology products especially as China has the enormous Capital and the Market and the Supply Chain

China can replace the US in Capital today with $ 19 Trillion in Public Savings

China has the huge market of 430 million consumers

The only thing stopping people from going to China to seek capital and establish business is because China is authoritarian and US has all these laws and systems

Now as US abandons these laws and systems, Chinas system begins to look less authoritative and that’s what China is aiming for

So why would they sell TikTok?

Bytedance has more revenue earning products including DOUYIN

Anything that makes the US look insane is a Chinese win

My wife has had a concussion ,that she never fully recovered from a few years back. It can make her impulsive and has really messed with her sense of balance. I have asked her not to go down our steep basement stairs by herself, as an example of my concerns. My wife does not like other people doing things for her, she hates the idea that she might need help.

We retired out in the country, but still had the place in the city, which was empty because we were getting ready to sell it. The insurance company removed our burst pipe insurance, because no one was living in it. We had a cold snap and it dropped below minus 40 in the night, and didn’t get above minus 30 during the day.

So I went to the city to do some work on the house, and make sure a pipe didn’t burst.

The previous winter, our high efficiency furnace exhaust at our country place had frozen up, and shut down our furnace when it reached minus 35 for a week. So I insulated the exhaust pipe. Which on an older furnace would have been called a chimney. I was satisfied that it would take more than a week to freeze up this time.

So I am in the city, sitting out the cold snap and my wife is in the country. The furnace is running fine, but she can’t get to sleep, worrying that the exhaust will freeze up.

So at 1:00 in the morning, in minus 40 weather, she puts a ladder up against the house, grabs a crowbar, and climbs onto the snowy roof, and chips the ice that has formed on the exhaust off. She didn’t bring her phone with her.

Then she climbs back down the wobbly ladder. Its in deep snow and hasn’t sunk all the way to the ground.

She goes to bed and gets a good night’s sleep.

She is so proud of herself, that its painful for me ,to tell her to never do that again. Our nearest neighbor in the winter is a kilometer away. If she had fallen, or if the ladder had fallen, leaving her trapped on the roof in minus 40. She wouldn’t have lasted 2 hours, and she didn’t even take her phone.

I have gone up there and done the same thing. But never in the dark, never alone, I always had someone watching me. I always dug out the snow before placing the ladder. I never went up when it was below minus 35, though I would have if I had to.

The person to be fired was sitting in the VP’s office. Also present were an HR Rep, a person from Legal and the department manager (the immediate supervisor was not present).

The VP opened a folder and began to explain all the evidence they’d gathered. Theft of time, theft of property, misuse of resources and a few other things.

The firee held up his hand and said “Hey, you don’t need to read all that to me, and I’m sure you missed quite a bit. If that document you have there is an admission of wrongdoing, I get to say I was a voluntary quit and I can go my merry way as long as I don’t go around s**t-mouthing you, let me have it.”

According to the HR person (who told me about this), dead silence for a moment. Jaws dropping, and then the employee said “You guys are sloppy so maybe you should hire me back to stop people like me. I never got away with my crap anywhere else as long as I did here.”

More silence, then:

“Look, you know as well as me that if what I got away with ever got out to the clients, they’d be tripping over each other to rip up their contracts. You’re busy I’m sure and I guess I have to go get another job now so no games, okay. Just let me read that to be sure it won’t bite me and I’ll be on my way.”

The VP silently handed him the document, he read it, signed it and dated it. His parting words were “By the way, there’s nothing at my workstation I want, so just toss it if you like. See ya …”. Legal started to say “but we need to tell you about COBRA and your unemployment claim …” and he answered with “I probably know that stuff better than you. I can’t afford COBRA, I don’t qualify for unemployment because I’m a voluntary quit under what amounts to a gag agreement and I was never in the company retirement plan. See ya … got things to do.”

And he was gone, taking the 20 steps to the elevator never to be seen (by us) again.


Let it be said that there were a few VERY embarrassed people in that room. It soon became evident that he was telling the truth about all he got away with. A lot was right under the noses of the two area supervisors, but we had nothing in place at that time to pick up abuse of our email system (employees didn’t yet have Web access).

What caught him was that our Operations Manager, responsible for phone use, picked up on him quickly once he started abusing the phones (by calling 900 numbers). He hadn’t been misusing the phones prior to that. So the OpMgr was not only safe, but somewhat a hero. The employee, by not staying, never heard the part about his phone misuse and so never knew exactly how he was caught.

As a result:

  • Both supervisors were put on final written warning.
  • The department head got an oral to start paying more attention to what was going on “out there on the floor.”
  • IT was authorized to hire a SysAdmin and to immediately implement steps to prevent future email abuse.

Never Become Reliant On Other People or Things For Peace and Happiness

 

It’s so damn easy to get caught up in the trap of thinking that our happiness is dependent on external factors.

We convince ourselves that we’ll finally be content and at peace when we have that perfect relationship, that dream job, that luxurious house, or that fat bank account.

 

But here’s the harsh truth: relying on other people or material things to make you happy is a recipe for perpetual disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Because the reality is, no one and nothing outside of yourself can fill the voids within you. That’s an inside job.

Sure, a loving partner, a fulfilling career, and financial abundance can certainly enhance your life and bring you joy. But if you’re not already at peace with yourself, if you haven’t cultivated a deep sense of self-love and self-worth, those external things will never be enough.

You’ll always be chasing the next high, the next temporary fix, the next shiny object that you think will finally complete you. But it’s a mirage. A fleeting illusion that leaves you thirstier than before.

The truth is, genuine, sustainable happiness comes from within. It comes from learning to love and accept yourself fully, flaws and all. It comes from discovering your passions and purpose and pursuing them with unbridled enthusiasm. It comes from developing a rock-solid relationship with your own damn self.

When you’re truly at peace with who you are, when you’ve built an unshakeable foundation of self-love and self-respect, external circumstances lose their power over you. You’re no longer a slave to your surroundings, no longer dependent on others for your emotional wellbeing.

You become the master of your own happiness, the alchemist of your own joy.

And from that place of inner peace and wholeness, you can build deeply fulfilling relationships and achieve incredible things. But they become the cherry on top, not the entire fucking sundae.

So stop waiting for someone or something outside of yourself to make you feel complete. Stop giving your power away to external forces that are ultimately beyond your control.

Start turning inward. Start excavating the gold that’s already within you. Start cultivating an unbreakable bond with yourself.

Because at the end of the day, you are the only one who can give yourself the love, acceptance, and validation you crave. You are the only one who can fill your own cup until it overflows with abundant peace, happiness, and self-assuredness.

And when you learn to do that, when you become your own primary source of joy and fulfillment, you become truly unstoppable. You become the kind of person who radiates contentment and gratitude wherever you go, regardless of your external reality.

That’s the kind of happiness worth striving for – the kind that comes from within and can never be taken away from you. The kind that endures through life’s inevitable ups and downs. The kind that allows you to weather any storm with grace and resilience.

So stop searching for yourself in other people and things. Stop making your happiness contingent on circumstances beyond your control.

Start digging deep within yourself. Start unearthing the peace and joy that’s already there, just waiting to be unleashed. Start cultivating an ironclad sense of self-love and self-reliance.

Because when you do, you’ll find that everything you’ve been searching for has been inside you all along. And that, my friend, is the ultimate freedom.

Some AI generations

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  1. As someone who cleaned crime scenes, it is both amazing and creepy how well casinos would make every effort to cover up any suicides in the parking lots. The casinos know this is bad PR and they don’t want anyone to know that such occurs more than what one may think. Gambling addicts have the highest rate of suicide amongst all other addicts combined. Don’t believe such a statistic? Feel free to research it.
  2. Casinos make the majority of their profits from gambling addicts. The kind who will gamble any time they have $20, electric bill be damned. If it wasn’t for the gambling addicts, casinos would not prosper nearly as much. It isn’t the high rollers nor the couple who goes out for a date. Those folks definitely help the profit margin but at the end of the day, the compulsive gamblers are where the majority of their profits originate from.
  3. Casinos give the option of banning yourself but it’s a laughable illusion. I’ve known many folks who banned their self for five years and never had an issue entering during their ban. If you chest the casino, then somehow their facial recognition technology suddenly works. Imagine that….
  4. Whenever a person jackpots, the manager of whatever area of the casino will come by and congratulate you. They will then take your I.D. ad disappear for a bit. What they are doing is trying to find out any possible way to not pay what is owed. Banned? You aren’t entitled to your jackpot. Have warrants? Good luck with that. The manager will then return with some dimwitted hostess. No one knows what the hostess actually does besides stand around and wear that plastic smile of theirs. They of course expect a nice tip for not actually even accomplishing anything. I will tip the folks cleaning out ash trays becsuse those workers actually have a real job which doesn’t rely on flirting with old men for better tips (basically prostituting one’s self in a way).

There are other things as well but I don’t wanna end up typing out a rambling explanation which goes on for hours.

Pep Talk on a Dark Day

“We live in an age of full spectrum deception.” — Edward Dowd

Clusterfuck Nation


You realize, don’t you, that what’s going on in our country is the collapse not just of an empire, or an economy, but a comprehensive paradigm of human progress. The hallmark of post-war life in Western Civ was supposed to be a return to sanity after the mid-twentieth century fugue of mass psychotic violence. The wish for just and rational order was not entirely pretense. But that was then. Now that we are going medieval on ourselves, the not-so-ironic result will be our literally going medieval, sinking back into a pre-modern existence of darkness, superstition, and penury, grubbing for a mere subsistence in the shadow of scuffling hobgoblins, our achievements lost and forgotten.

What’s most appalling is that our governing apparatus is visibly willing that to happen. When Barack Obama warned America to not underestimate Joe Biden’s ability to fuck things up, was that some kind of joke? After all, it was Mr. Obama and his fellow blobsters — the cabal of Intel spooks, covert Marxist bureaucrats, lawfare ninjas, globalist megalomaniacs, post-liberal think tankers, weapons grifters, degenerate billionaires, and assorted mentally-ill camp followers — who inflicted Joe Biden on the body politic. And then ran him on the country like some demon algorithm designed to wreck the USA as fast as possible.

The source of anguish in all that is the struggle to understand why they would want that to happen. What debauched sense of history would drive anyone to such lunatic desperation? It’s a cliché now to say that the Democratic Party has turned its traditional moral scaffold upside down and inside out. It acts against the kitchen table interests of the working and middle classes. It’s against civil liberties. It demands mental obedience to patently insane policy. It’s avid for war, no matter how cruelly pointless. It’s deliberately stirring up racial hatred. It despises personal privacy. It feeds a rogue bureaucracy that has become a veritable Moloch, an all-devouring malevolent deity. And now, rather suddenly, it aligns itself with a faction that seeks to exterminate the Jews.

And how did the opposition to that epic divergence into bad faith turn so flabby? How did the Republican Party roll over and wheeze so feebly while the FBI ran amok swatting grandmothers in dawn raids, and the US attorney general made justice a whore, and a Republican Congress allowed the Frankenstein agency of Homeland Security to flood the country with its enemies and give them gobs of operational cash? If Mr. Trump was unappetizing to them as a leader, why were they unable to produce an alternative figure of standing and stature at least equally resolute? They look like traitors and cowards.

For the moment, the country lies mired, inert, and demoralized in the face of in those terrible mysteries. But events are still tending and the hidden hand of emergence still operates backstage, preparing surprises for us. You are necessarily aware that the center did not hold. It’s even hard to locate where the center used to be with the action so heavy on the far-out margins. You’re watching drag queens importune young children to shove all the Jews into the sea. And the kids are sitting next to their mommies. What happened to the mommies’ brains that permits them to think this spectacle is okay? How will the mommies ever get their minds right?

In some quarters, a great rage is building. Not a few resent the overthrow of common sense, common law, and common decency. You better believe they will be aiming to do something about it. They will stand up for their dignity, their culture, their history. Virtue isn’t dead; it’s just broke down on a lonely highway waiting to hitch a ride back to where the lights are still on. Don’t forget that this really is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Meanwhile, prepare for action. It’s obvious that the enemies of the people don’t intend to rest. They are going to try to play out this string to the last move because otherwise a lot of them will be going to jail, or might even hang for their wickedness. Once they turned criminal, there was no turning back. They have dishonored themselves and they’re trying to dishonor their country.

It’s true nonetheless that we’re moving into a new disposition of the human project. It’s going to be smaller and leaner, and not nearly as complex as the tottering Rube Goldberg apparatus we’re currently trapped in. We don’t know yet what the shape and texture of that America is going to be. As the sage Yogi Berra observed, our whole future is ahead of us. If you’re not among the insane, have faith. We’ll get there and everything is going to be all right.

Do you want to move to China from the US?

I am neither Chinese or American but am an Australian outsider observer! From where I stand I would wonder why anyone from a thriving, prosperous expanding nation would want to move to.

Different people have different reasons.

I came to China because the Chinese government agreed to support my research and give me opportunity to build a team to pursue solutions for health problems with genomics. I tried again and again through the grant process and VC channels in the US. For grants, if you weren’t part of the group that gets most of the grant money or one of their proteges (“the club”), you weren’t getting a grant. And, if you weren’t 20 something with no experience but full of wild ideas VC funds weren’t interested, they are all looking for the next Zuckerberg or Gates. They didn’t care about sound business plans.

So, I came to China where I was first able to almost immediately raise money from VCs and then after a year the Chinese government agreed to support me, my team and my projects.

China is the land of opportunity for talented scientists. They are putting a lot of money into developing a broad group of technologies of which biotech is one. A key focus of the education system is STEM graduates. So, for me, China was the obvious choice.

Note: I could’ve gotten a job in the US and been paid a very good wage, although I am doing well, especially by Chinese standards, I would’ve made more in the US. But, here I am supported to pursue my passion. And, it is a very good opportunity to experience the culture and the people.

The largest group of American expats here in China are teachers though. In China, teaching is a very well respected profession and the teachers are well compensated with lots of perks. They came here, some for the experience, most for the increased wages and respect that they found they lacked in the US.

I have a simular situation — my older sister (79) took my dad (99) to a dealership and she used my dad’s debit card to buy a car — $36,000 and $6000 cash down last year. She paid him $400 monthly for a year! How does that add up to $30,000?

He bought her a house in 1980 cash in Calif. Dad also gave her his stamp collection ($80,000). Dad pays $1100 a month to live in her and her husbands (96) house. They called me over to help care for my dad so I do most his stuff and became his POA (they charge me $500 plus $250 food to stay here). My sister takes care of her husband. Dad has about $70,000 cash and he wrote a will splitting it between my brother (71) and I (68) only. My sister got upset!

My Sister originally had it written that she would keep the car plus $20,000 cash, stamp collection and I for some reason would receive nothing —leaving my brother to get the rest.

I am the closest to Dad. I am in the nursing field and was the only one of us kids to care for my Dad’s Mom a year, my Mother’s Mom 10 years in my home. And my Mom 5 years who had a terrible illness with no help from siblings. My Sister will demand we split the remaining cash 3 ways but Dad wrote it his way and I will honor it the way he chose it.

This girl stole my thermos that my dad gave to me with his company’s name on it, and tried to pretend that it was hers all along.

Let’s call this girl Maya.

Now, Maya and I weren’t friends, but we were pretty friendly. Just the normal, ‘hi’ and ‘hello’ occasionally.

She was really good friends with some of my friends at that point.

One Friday I had left my thermos at school. It sucked, but I waited until Monday to get it back.

I searched all over the school for it, but I couldn’t find it.

A week later, a friend of mine pointed out Maya’s ‘new’ thermos and asked, “Wait, isn’t that your thermos?”.

It most definitely was mine.

Of course, I made sure that it was, in fact, mine.

Scratches that I made in it with a pencil? Check.

Company name etched into it? Check.

Was it literally the exact same thermos I had lost a week ago? Triple check.

After eliminating any and all possibility that this was not my thermos, I finally confronted Maya.

She decided to play dumb.


Me: Hey, Maya, where’d you get that thermos from?

Maya: Uh, my mom bought it for me.

Me: Huh, where does your mom work?

Maya: At some nursing place, why?

Me: I see…and is that the place written on your thermos?

Maya: …Yup.

*she tries to walk away at this point but I stop her*

Me: Well, that’s odd, because I had just lost a thermos recently that was the exact same! Funny how that company is actually my dad’s and how it’s a trucking company.

Maya: Um, I’ve had this thermos for a couple weeks now.

Me: …Is that so? Well, if you see my thermos around please tell me!

Maya: Will do!


It was so frustrating because she was obviously lying to me. I knew she was lying. She knew I knew she was lying. But she kept lying.

I tried to address our mutual friends but they took her side. They lied and said that she’s had it ‘since Christmas’, when Maya said herself that she’d only had it for a couple weeks.

I felt extremely frustrated with the entire situation so I vented to a teacher I was close with and trusted.

He said that I should just leave it be if I already addressed it with her since it was only a thermos.

IT WAS NOT ONLY A THERMOS!

If she got away with this once, that would give her a reason to do it again and again!

I had to do good, vigilante-style justice, to teach Ms. Maya a lesson.


During my 8th period class I asked my teacher if I could fill up my water bottle.

I knew what class she had then: Band.

Now band is pretty chaotic, but the music teacher thinks I’m an awesome person since I stay in there during lunch all the time.

No one gave me a second look when I walked in.

I spotted Maya. She was in the far corner of the room by the piano joking and laughing with the very friends who had lied to me.

She had left all her belongings closer to the door where I now was.

I walked by them but saw that the thermos wasn’t there.

I looked back over to the piano and there it was, in all its glory.

The thermos!

My thermos.

It was sitting at the top of the piano while she was sitting on the piano bench facing the other way.

I walked up as casually as possible, planning on getting the thermos and getting the hell out of there.

A friend of hers saw me and I mentally froze.

I got over my initial shock and then gave her a smile and a ‘Hey!’, and pretended I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

She smiled back and went back to talking with Maya.

I gave a sigh of relief and decided to just go big or go home.

I grabbed the thermos, turned around, waved to the band teacher and made my way to the door.

Mentally praying, ‘please don’t let her see me, please don’t let her see me, please don’t let her see me..’, I made it all the way to the door.

In a moment of weakness I took a quick glance back to make sure I wasn’t spotted.

They were still talking and laughing, oblivious to the fact that I just won this one-sided war.

I smiled to myself and walked out the door and back to my class.


Maya never knew what happened to ‘her’ thermos.

And I never brought it to school again.

Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts 2
Crab Stuffed Chicken Breasts 2

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 (6 ounce) can crab meat or 6 ounces imitation crab meat
  • 1 can mushroom stems
  • 1/3 cup crushed saltines (10)
  • 2 tablespoons parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound to a 1/4 inch thickness.
  2. In saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter.
  3. Stir in flour until smooth.
  4. Gradually stir in chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and set aside.
  6. In a skillet, sauté onion in remaining 1 tablespoon butter until tender.
  7. Add crab meat, mushrooms, crushed saltines, parsley, salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons of the white sauce; heat until warm.
  8. Place 1/2 cup or less of mixture on each chicken breast. Roll up and secure with wooden picks.
  9. Place in greased baking dish with secured side down. Top with remaining sauce.
  10. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until chicken runs clear.
  11. Sprinkle cheese and paprika on top.
  12. Bake uncovered 8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
  1. The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who deliberately arouse someone’s love without the intention of loving them back.
  2. Pretty people aren’t always beautiful, and beautiful people aren’t always pretty. I hope you know the difference.
  3. You’re not really rich until you have something that money can’t buy.
  4. The more you can talk about uncomfortable things with someone, the more comfortable you’re with them
  5. The less you react, the more stable you become. Yes, chemistry works in real life situations too 🙂
  6. Don’t judge the choices someone made if you don’t know the options they had to choose from.
  7. Be sweet like sugar but don’t let people use and dissolve you as per their requirement.
  8. No one ever became big in life by showing how small someone else is.
  9. If there is no one to hold your hand, put your hand in your pocket and continue.
  10. Everyone loves you until you become competition.
  11. One must not lose faith in humanity . humanity is like an ocean , if few drops of ocean is dirty , ocean doesn’t become dirty.
  12. We can complain rose bushes have thorns or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have rose. So it always our choice to be positive or negative.
  13. Not everyone you lose, is a loss.
  14. I read this one somewhere- The best way to be safe is to be dangerous.

TESLA KNEW The Secret of the Great Pyramid: Unlimited Energy to Power the World

This is really great!

TESLA KNEW The Secret of the Great Pyramid of Giza: A Power Plant to Generate Unlimited Free Energy for the World Nikola Tesla believed that he could harness the energy from inside the earth and transmit that power wirelessly around the world. His early experiments were successful. But his research mysteriously vanished after his death. There is no evidence left of Tesla’s wireless power technology. Or is there? For years we were taught that the Great Pyramid of Giza was a tomb for a king. It wasn’t. It had a different purpose. Tesla didn’t invent wireless power. It’s been here for 5,000 years. And probably a lot longer than that. Let’s find out why.

Michael Jackson and his doll

This shows a clear misunderstanding of the China/Russia relationship.

If Scholz asked Xi to put pressure on Putin to end the Ukraine war, this means that he thinks that China should use economic pressure on Russia and that China is willing to use economic leverage on Russia.

But China does not believe in exerting pressure on Russia this way because in Beijing’s view, the China/Russia economic relationship is working out very well. China gets all the cheap natural gas it needs from Russia; this is essential for China’s economy to keep its factories running and churning out products at prices the whole world can afford. Why would China do this? What would China get in return for putting pressure on Russia? Obviously the US would like to cripple Russia’s economy, and after Russia is carved up into several countries, which country will become the entrée on the US’s menu?

Obviously, it will be China!

So why should China help the US to weaken Russia? It makes no sense!

As for the relationship between Xi and Putin, it is very obvious that they consider the countries as equals. This is why while China has publicly stated it is for peace in Ukraine, it has not applied pressure on the Russian government to make any concessions. At the same time, Beijing has diplomatic relations with Ukraine, and is not happy about the casualties on both sides. But when it comes to economic importance, Russia is much more important than Ukraine.

The idea of putting pressure on another government is something the US has done repeatedly, especially on its European and Asian allies, who have been strong-armed into confronting Russia over Ukraine and China over Taiwan.

Because pressure has been used so much and used effectively, most of the G7 nations are not able to understand that diplomacy is not about the exertion of pressure, but clearly understanding national interests and conveying those interests through the proper diplomatic channels so that crises can be defused before they become too confrontational.

“I saw some politicians say that there appears to be a foreign element behind what’s going on at the universities, like a foreign power that’s instigating and agitating.

Yes, there is, and we all know which foreign power that is.

We all know which foreign country is stoking this crisis, and it sure isn’t Russia, and it sure isn’t China.

No, well, if you wondered why those kids want their schools to divest from Israel, just look at how their schools are treating them because they dared to ask for that.

Those universities are doing the bidding of Israel, not the bidding of China or the bidding of Russia.

They’re not even doing the bidding of those kids’ parents and those kids’ families, and your police are doing the same.

So yes, there is a foreign power behind all this, and it’s precisely that foreign power that the students want their schools to extricate themselves from, and it’s very obvious to everyone.

It couldn’t be more obvious.

It’s as obvious as a baton cracked on the side of your head.

Look, on these campuses, like at Harvard and the Ivy League campuses and so on, you had demonstrations against Russia and in favor of Ukraine; you had that at the Ivy League schools, you had protests against China over Xinjiang and so on.

No zip ties, no arrests, no 550 kids going to jail, no.

But the moment they start demanding that their schools stop partnering with Israel over a genocide, and all hell breaks loose.

There’s no mystery about what foreign country is driving that.”

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main qimg 0af47e14d51a9d8e86808b3b17de1b70

Excerpt from remarks by American geopolitical analyst Shahid Bolsen in a video where he speaks about the ongoing protests against the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on university campuses, both in the U.S. and around the world, April 27, 2024.

Plum Chicken

mar 18 chicken plum chilli tray bake 3000x2000 135710 1
mar 18 chicken plum chilli tray bake 3000×2000 135710 1

Ingredients

  • 2 fryers, cut up
  • Garlic salt
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 (17 ounce) can purple plums (reserve juice)
  • 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
  • 2 drops Tabasco sauce

Instructions

  1. Prepare sauce day before or make and freeze (best when used cold).

Sauce

  1. Pit plums and put in blender to puree.
  2. Cook onion in butter until tender (not brown).
  3. Add plum puree with juice and all other ingredients (except chicken).
  4. Simmer 15 minutes.

Chicken

  1. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes, skin side up.
  2. Baste with plum sauce.
  3. Bake another 45 minutes, basting generously with sauce until well coated.
  4. Serve with additional heated sauce.

I was about 28 or 29 (a long time ago), I looked young and my Dad came with me to look for a new car. I went to two dealers and basically told each one what kind of car I wanted (the first dealer was a Pontiac dealer and I was interested in a Grand Am, the second dealer was a Chevrolet dealer where I was interested in a Corsica). I also told each salesman how much I could afford for the monthly payment. Each one had a car that met my criteria but I settled on the Corsica. So when my Dad and I came back with the car I was trading in I was ready to sign the papers (that he showed and reviewed with me before) I noticed the numbers had changed and my monthly payment was a lot more than when I reviewed everything previously. I said to the salesman (who was my Dad’s age), these aren’t the numbers you showed me before! He replied well, we have to add in all these fees. I said well when I was here before I told you I wanted to know exactly what my monthly payment would be and now this number is way higher. I told him that I no longer wanted the car at those payments and his response was but we already took your license plate off of your car and put it on the new car. I said well, put it back on my car and my Dad and I left and went back to the Pontiac dealer and got the Grand Am where all the numbers he showed me before were exactly as I expected when I purchased the car. I loved that car and kept it for a long time.

Anti-China news

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main qimg 0d68a2fc0cab2302adb93ee4d44f2f5c

Quick version. My son said the teacher refused his homework and gave him ten zeros in her grade book. Found that hard to believe. Set up meeting with myself, my son, her and principal. I asked her if that was true. A simple yes or no would have worked. Instead she opened her grade and asked me if I saw ten zeros. Instantly I recognized her statement as a non denial denial from Watergate days. I looked at her and said “No but you said it didn’t you. “. She admitted she did. I asked her why. She said she hated my son. I asked her why. Saying no one hated my son he was so nice. She said she hated my son because he reminded her of her son and she hated her son!!! I was also a teacher. High school and a few years later I got her son as a student. The resemblance was remarkable. Very nice young man. Liked by all. As was my son. So sometimes the student is the one to believe.

I have twin sons. They’re now 15, but when they were around 3 years old, I noticed that whenever we came home from being out, they’d be confronted with the decision of which of their (ridiculously) many toys they were going to play with.

They’d rush into the living room, and Tim went straight for whatever he wanted to play with, and within a few minutes, his brother Nathan would decide that he just had to play with whatever Tim was now deeply engrossed with, and would start a big fight over it or even wrestle it from him forcefully (Nathan was significantly larger).

If my husband or I were around, we’d try and adjudicate, but it always ended in tears and drama.

After a month or two of this, I noticed a change in pattern. All of a sudden, Tim was just giving up his toy to Nathan without a fight. I was worried that he wasn’t standing up for himself, so I said to him: “You know, Tim, you had just as much a right to play with that toy as Nathan.”

He said: “I know. I knew he’d take it from me so I played with something I didn’t mind him taking. This [showing me what he was playing with now] was what I really wanted to play with anyway.”

Well played, Tim, well played.

His cunning has continued to manifest in other ways since then. 🙂

Note: I’ve had dozens of edit suggestions from people from India, who think that “cunning” is a negative/derogatory trait and necessarily synonymous with sneaky and under-handed. I find it an interesting cultural observation that this seems to be a connotation unique to Indian English. In any case, I feel a need to defend my use of this adjective. I’m his mother and adore him, and this is clearly not what I intend; I simply mean that he’s intelligent and views things from multiple angles, and isn’t easy to outwit. 🙂

Intimidation? U.S. B-2 Stealth Overflies Gaza, Low Enough to Be Clearly visible

B 2 Stealth In Sky Over Gaza 04 30 2024 2 large
B 2 Stealth In Sky Over Gaza 04 30 2024 2 large

A United States B-2 Stealth Bomber was sent to fly over the Gaza Strip today, and do so at an altitude wherein the plane was clearly visible to people on the ground.

What kind of a monster, sends a nuclear-capable Bomber aircraft to intimidate people on the ground?

Who in the US Military, ordered this?  Why was it done?

April, China’s home diplomatic month is over, May’s away diplomatic month, is kicking off.

On 29 April, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced that Xi Jinping would visit the three countries at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Emmanuel Macron, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Considering that Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with a large number of Asian foreign ministers in April, Xi is expected to meet with a number of Asian leaders upon his return from Europe, and may even attend the “China-Japan-South Korea Summit” to engage with Japan and South Korea, which are close to the U.S. foreign policy.

You know, the United States is shorting the yen.

Japanese media reports: Japan’s Finance Minister expressed to the United States in a pleading tone that the sharp depreciation of the yen is unbearable for us and hopes that the United States will be merciful and temporarily stop shorting the yen.

Xi’s top priority in this round of trips is France.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. President Xi Jinping’s first visit to a Western country since 2020 is France, which reflects the importance he attaches to China-France friendship. Similarly, Macron is now in dire need of China’s support.

That’s because after the Sino-French meeting in May, Macron will face two big hurdles in his career:

  • The European Parliament elections in June
  • The Paris Olympics in July

At the European Parliament in June, Macron will have to pull in European leaders and seek to snipe at European Commission President Von der Leyen and curb her power.

At the Paris Olympics in July, if Macron seeks to push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine or Palestine and Israel as host, he will in doing so become the true boss of Europe, replacing the US manipulation of Europe.

Macron’s conflict with von der Leyen is mainly over trade policy, climate policy, and the relationship between Europe and the United States.

The huge contracts that can be brought about by the massive equipment renewal that China has opened this year, as well as the co-operation in the fields of new energy and nuclear energy, will be Macron’s bargaining chips to convince other leaders in the European Parliament.

If, as Macron wishes, the European Commission President replaced by career bureaucrat Mario Draghi, former President of the European Central Bank, then the EU’s trade and climate policy, will be led by France, in the relationship with Europe and the United States, France can also be more independent and autonomous.

But if Macron’s plan fails, his influence within the EU will be extremely limited for the remainder of his term, and French foreign policy will be tied to the EU.

As for the competition between Macron and Joe Biden, it lies mainly in global leadership, and the proud French have always had a strong desire to challenge the United States in their hearts.

The Olympic Games will be held in Paris in July this year. The gathering of leaders of major countries will naturally become a platform for behind-the-scenes transactions between major countries. It is also the best time for negotiations between Russia&Ukraine, Palestine&Israel.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the UN has developed a practice of mobilising all its members to sign the “Olympic Truce” before each Olympic Games, and ceasing war operations for one month before and after the Games. This one-month window of truce is enough time for the warring parties to calm down, as in the case of the ceasefire in the Yugoslav civil war in the early 1990s.

If they can’t do so during this period, it will be a direct escalation of the conflict.

For example:

  • Russia raided Georgia during the 2008 Olympics.
  • Russia raiding Ukraine during the 2022 Winter Olympics.

If Macron succeeds in brokering a ceasefire, it will make Macron the biggest contributor to world peace.

Either enjoy the glory added to it, or be embarrassed in front of the world. In any case, Macron is more or less about to take a gamble.

If Macron wants to do all this, he has only one choice in the face of Von der Leyen and Joe Biden, and that is to draw on mystical forces originating in the East, so he needs Xi’s support.

Everyone wants world peace except the military–industrial–congressional complex (MICC)!

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I have done my time in the hospitality industry working at about 5 or 6 different restaurants and have been both fortunate and unfortunate when it comes to gratuity.

On two different occasions I received extraordinarily large tips and they were very similar amounts but very different situations.

The first time:

I was one of 3 waiters looking after a group of 25 VIP guests who arrived quite late in the evening as they had attended a formal ceremony earlier in the night. The host guest that night is a well known, very wealthy business man and we were optimistic. Only one course ended up being served, mostly burgers, along with wine & Champagne. It seemed the party was more interested in moving onto the next stop for the night.

The bill total was not that high considering the amount of guests and the usual head spend at this particular restaurant. I believe it was around R8000 (~ $450). In South Africa tipping is usually between 10 – 20% and upon receiving the bill back an expected, somewhat disappointing amount was written on the slip which I cannot remember.

It had been a long night and it looked as if us 3 waiters were not going to walk away with a lot. I informed the host that I would be back with the credit card machine.

Having seen enough evidence to know that good looking waitresses receive better tips from male guests I asked my fellow waitress who is very pleasing to the eye to return to the table with the card machine and to try and charm the host.

I have no clue what she said to him but when she returned from completing the transaction her smile was from ear to ear. The 10/15% tip that we would have received had changed to R1500 (~ $100) for each waiter which equates to R4500 (~ $300) total tip.


The second time:

Working at a different, much smaller, fine dining restaurant I received a tip that was slightly larger than the previous one. There were only 2 waiters working that night and it had reached the point where it looked like no more guests would be joining and we were close to having all the closing duties completed and getting out early.

5 minutes before the kitchen closes and we stop accepting tables and in walks a couple who are met by my fellow, very evidently displeased, waiter. He seats them and asks if I could please serve them as he does not have the patience this late in the night. Even though it was his turn on the rotation I agree and oblige because I had a strong feeling that it would be worth my efforts.

The couple were very aware that they were joining late and were very apologetic to which I dismissed as a non issue and that we were extremely glad to have them join us. I wanted to emphasise that they should not feel rushed and went as far to recommend our specialty 5 course food & wine tasting menu. I did not think they would actually go for it but I must have done a good job in promoting it as both of them decided to take it.

I was able to give them undivided attention as they were the only guests in the restaurant and it was very apparent that they were enjoying themselves. The lady had a few dietary restrictions which our kitchen was able to work around and they continuously raved about the food.

Come the end of their meal I returned to the table with the card machine and I saw the man had written R1600 (~ $110) under the gratuity section on a R1400 bill. I assume he must mean R1600 total which would be a R200 tip. I was willing to accept it as “money I never had before”.

When he was signing the slip he sees the total and said that I put through the wrong amount. I was confused so asked him if I read the number 1600 wrong to which he replied that I never read the number wrong but that was my tip and not the total. I was clearly shocked by this and immediately thinking “I hope I have not just thrown away the biggest tip ever”. He asked me to process his card for the difference which I did while saying thank you about 100 times over.

That same couple returned a few more times while I still worked there and always requested I serve them. They were always extremely generous and on one occasion they tipped every member of our kitchen staff an equal amount to what they tipped me.

Every time they came to dine with us my fellow waiter from that night would want to serve them only for them to request me. My patience the night they visited the restaurant for the first time led to me earning a fair sum of money from that couple over the period of a few months which was extremely helpful while I was a broke student.

 

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There were multiple requests by the Brits, French and Americans for his release. Some attribute the lack of release due to a conspiracy between former King Edward VIII and Hitler. But that doesn’t appear to hold up since the British supported his release.

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main qimg 725013523effe3543a942f8c1b161a53 lq

Each of the 11 unilateral British appeals, which dated back to 1957, along with 14 others made separately, or jointly, by the US and French authorities were rejected by an unwavering Soviet rejection. The Soviets wanted Hess locked away for life.

The Soviets alone were responsible for keeping Hess locked up. But why? Some say Soviet insistence that the release of the former deputy Nazi leader would be an insult to the 20 million Soviet war dead. Others that his release could fuel a resurgence of neo-Nazism. But these do not seem legitimate. Far worse Nazi criminals were released. The Soviet dead were not insulted. There was no resurgence of neo-Nazism.

On June 25, 1986, a Soviet guard caught Charles Gabel, the chaplain at Spandau, attempting to smuggle out a statement by Hess, causing Gabel to be fired. Hess had originally written the document as his opening address at the Nuremberg trial in 1946, which he had been unable to deliver in full after the judges cut him off.

Hess tried to mail a copy of the statement to Sir Oswald Mosley in October 1946, but the letter was intercepted by his US guards. Hess’s statement (both the 1946 version and the 1986 version) claimed that Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union was preemptive. In other words, the Soviets were about to attack Germany.

Hess claimed there had been overwhelming evidence that the Soviet Union had planned to attack Germany. He said in the statement that he had decided to make his flight to Scotland without informing Hitler, with the aim of informing the UK of the Soviet danger to “European civilization” and the entire world. He believed his warning would cause the UK to end its war with Germany and join in the fight against the Soviet Union.

If this were true, the Soviets would not want this to be discussed. Their role in the war was as victims. They were attacked by the Germans and responded.But if that is not true. If Hess was correct, the Soviet role in WWII would be completely different. Not the victim, but the aggressor. It would be the Soviets who caused the loss of millions of their citizens, not the Germans. The Soviet role in the Cold War would be on a completely different footing.

Geo-Fencing Added to Car Software! Can Shutdown Car if you drive too far, too long, or where government doesn’t want you!

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Vehicle manufacturers have begun issuing software updates which include “Geo-Fencing” to limit how far, how long,, or where they will not be allowed to drive.  All done remotely without your consent.

Let’s say government want to limit you to driving only five miles from your home. They can remotely issue a command that will cause your vehicle to simply SHUT OFF if you try to go farther than they want!

Let’s say government wants to keep you away from certain areas, perhaps a protest area.  They can remotely Geo-Fence that area, and any car that has an “SOS” Button, can be made to SHUT OFF if it tries to drive toward or into that area.

Missile Update

Expendables rule..

This is brief note is free.

Defense analysts’ first conclusions from the Middle East and Ukraine missile wars suggest the PLA’s strategic preparations were sound. Let’s see why.

Israel

Theodore Postol, MIT Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy, analyzed Iran’s mid-April drone and missile attack on in Israel. A summary:

The evidence shows that all or most of the arriving long-range ballistic missiles were not intercepted by any of the Israeli air and missile-defense systems. Whether drones or not, all of the targets are shot down by air-to-air missiles.

The cost of a drone is $10,000 or $20,000, and the cost of an Iranian cruise missile is about $100,000. Their 4-hour, 1500 km flight to Israel allowed US Navy E-2 Hawkeyes AWACS to very effectively vector fighter aircraft to targets they quickly destroyed. The USAF workhorse air-to-air missile is the $500,000 AIM-9x Sidewinder and the Israeli government says the cost of defending Israel was $1.3 billion! [Non-government sources say $2.3-3.3 billion].

Commercially available technology is now good enough for constructing cruise missiles and drones with capabilities to “recognize” their targets and home on them. This means that the cost of shooting down cruise missiles and drones will be very high – even unsustainable – unless extremely inexpensive and effective anti-air systems can be implemented.

Ukraine

Analyst Armchair Warlord says Russia’s anti-air system is extremely effective and, apparently, financially sustainable:

Artillery shells have become the standard metric of the Ukrainian War, and Soviet-legacy gigafactories burying Western supply chains in mountains of steel its leading story. But shells are just steel. What if I told you the Russians were beating us in high-tech manufacturing?

One of the sleeper stories of the war has been the Russian air defenses’ extraordinary capability to defeat the most difficult targets: Russian SAMs routinely down GMLRS, Storm Shadows, and even AGM-88 HARMs that were specifically designed to destroy them. Russian air defenses in the Crimea have been downing ATACMS missiles – a supposed war-winning superweapon – like pheasants.

But I have never seen anyone remark on Russia’s bottomless supply of modern air defense missiles.

Just that week, they shot down no fewer than 1,715 aerial targets, 95% of them drones. Even assuming 75% of the drones were engaged with small arms or EW, that’s still 400 antiaircraft missiles expended for the week. The Russians do this, week after week after week, and show zero signs that their air defense inventory is even under stress.

Meanwhile the West is out of modern missiles and desperately trying to keep Ukraine going with 1960s systems like HAWK, Chaparral and improvised Sea Sparrow launchers. Guided missiles are not simple to make – they’re complex and require sophisticated manufacturing to tight tolerances. Western manufacturers have never been able to make them in large quantities, even at the height of the Cold War. And yet here the ‘gas station with nukes’ is stamping out enough ammunition to keep their Buks and Pantsirs on the firing line after two years of a war featuring an order of magnitude more aerial targets than any previous conflict.

PLA prescience

Russia and China already share the world’s leading missile defense technology, so we can assume that also share the Niagara of data from both conflicts. Pray for some insightful crumbs from their table.

Until then, however, we can appreciate the PLA’s foresight in building a chain of 24×7, 100% automated, high-precision missile factories, each producing 1,000 rounds a day.

A final thought: all war involves math.

Poland Officially Requests U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Poland Officially Requests U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Poland has handed an official request to Washington to have U.S. nuclear weapons hosted in Poland.

No word yet on any need or desire in the US to put such weapons there.

Russia earlier cautioned Poland that nuclear weapons in their country would **not** make Poland any safer.  In fact, they said, it would merely make Poland a target for Russian nuclear weapons.

Hal Turner Snap Analysis

Nuclear weapons “hosted” in Poland; Sounds like an exchange student or something innocent , like its a cultural program.

My bet . . .  and this is pure conjecture on my part —  Poland didn’t actually “request” anything.
They were just told that the US is going to deploy nukes on their territory.

The nukes will be controlled by US of course, not Poland; Poland would have no interest in this affair whatsoever. . . except when they get blown up by Russia for having them so close to Russia.

Here are the top five sources of wealth for a Rich American with more than $ 15 Million :-

  • Portfolio (65%)
  • Landed Assets (18%)
  • Liquid Deposits (7%).
  • Others (10%) [Valuable Paintings, Royalty or Copyright contracts, Depreciating Assets like Cars, Yachts etc]

The Richer you are, the higher your Portfolio wealth is

For instance an American who is valued at more than $ 100 Million has almost 88% of his wealth in Portfolio

Portfolio means Stocks, Equities, Venture Capital Shareholding, Private Hedge Fund Units, Bonds etc

Now take a Middle Class American (Income between $ 68,000 to $ 300,000)

These are the top 5 Sources for his wealth

  • Mortgage (38%) [Market Value – Amount owed to Bank]
  • Portfolio (32%)
  • Insurance (15%)
  • Pension Plan /401K/Roth IRA(10%)
  • Savings / Low Yield Bills (5%)

The Average Middle Class American, his wealth comes from the rise in price of his house and how his pension plan works and on his insurance encashments

Portfolio wealth depends on the market and astute investments but no real hard work

Insurance and Pension Plan contributions depend on solid hard work

Yet Portfolio wealth can make you a millionaire whereas Pension Plans and Insurance can just keep you comfortably off


Now take the top 5 Sources of wealth for a Chinese Wealthy (Income > 3 Million RMB a year)

  • Real Estate Investment (26%)
  • Gold, Silver, Jade (20%)
  • Savings (21%)
  • Profits from Businesses (15%)
  • Real Estate (9%) [Commercial Rents , Residential Rent]

Do you see portfolio anywhere?

Nopes

It’s why Chinese don’t give a damn about their stock market whereas Americans panic when the market falls sharply for two days

Chinese Wealthy work hard too to make profits from Businesses that form a sixth of their wealth on an Average plus manage Properties and collect Rents on them.

So Chinese Wealthy and the American Middle Class Citizen works far harder than the American Rich whose wealth is based on shrewd investments and portfolio

Provolone Chicken

06 Chicken Provolone
06 Chicken Provolone

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, flattened
  • 1/4 cup flavored bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
  • 4 slices Provolone cheese
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 4 cups cooked spaghetti or vermicelli noodles, buttered

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Place bread crumbs in a flat dish and firmly press both sides of the chicken into the crumbs.
  3. Place coated chicken pieces in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  4. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and top with cheese.
  5. Dot with butter and bake for 20 minutes or until done.
  6. Serve with buttered pasta.

This Is How They Treat Foreigners In Shanghai

Thank you, you changed my thinking about the beautiful Chinese people. I did not expect them to be so courteous, kind and humble.

  • The minute I hugged my mom for the first time in three years, alarm bells rang so loud I could hear them screaming: Brain tumor.

I am studying in China, 6,217 km away from my family, I do not contact them much. I am not a big fan of traveling so I didn’t travel back and forth much either, in 2016 I decided to visit Jordan because I was feeling homesick and I heard news that my mother’s health wasn’t good.

My mom was around 42 years old at that time,chronically suffering from hypertension “high blood pressure”, she took the medications but she had a poor attitude towards keeping the blood pressure levels under check, so everyone in the family attributed her chronic headaches at that time to the hypertension.

After a long tiresome flight I reached home and met my mom at the door, she hugged me tight and suddenly her whole body leaned to the left. I didn’t understand what was happening at the time so I kept on hugging her until I noticed that she kept on leaning farther, I tried to support her weight but I was tired and couldn’t do it due to the awkward position so I told her: mom, you’ll fall, watch out!” she stood up, and we started talking, and oh boy, the alarm bells were drumming up a hole in my brain, I was terrified.

My mom slurred in her speech. Why did the rest of the family not notice that? Maybe because mom used to wear poor-fitting dentures in the past and it made her slur up, so they thought the same thing is happening now, and said we will get the dentures checked soon.

Besides the gait disturbance and the slurring, my mom made several edgy or —inappropriate — statements throughout the conversation. But the thing that made my bones jump, was how she yelped in pain when she coughed and said, “Every time I cough, my head splits in half”, and of course, that was attributed to the high blood pressure by the family and her primary care physician.

I went to a room and sat alone, I was freaking out. My vacation is 10 days, and I needed to explain what I’m thinking to the family so that actions can be made. I thought for a long time about that and about how can I approach my mom with that news. The latter part terrified me. Why? Because when I told my mom we might need to go and get her blood pressure checked, she screamed at me; I was taken aback. She screamed that she will not see a doctor, that I am not a doctor and I should not be acting like one and that she hates doctors.

She had seen plenty of doctors in her life, but that aggressive note was new.

Eventually the next day I convinced her to go with me to the doctor. I got her to the MRI room and asked the radiologist to let me stay with him so I can see the picture as it comes out.

Time stopped when I saw that MRI, and I knew at that moment that our lives are about to change. The tumor was huge, it had been growing for years undetected, years of slow personality changes, years of chronic headaches and years of unawareness. Thankfully, my mother agreed to have the surgery to remove the tumor, and she sprung back to her old, lively wonderful self.

This incident changed me and my family for good; my family became way more health conscious and I became more focused on the goal of becoming a good doctor. You see, if only one of her primary care physicians had looked — truly looked — at her gait or at how she screamed in pain when she coughed, they might have found this tumor much earlier.

Churchill had for years been warning of Hitler. He had warned of his rearming as well as intent to overrun large parts of Europe. Hitler knew that Churchill was the very last Brit that he wanted in as PM. If negotiated peace were the goal, someone else would need to be PM.

So Hitler publicly referred to Churchill by many names. His hope was that the British people would realize the mistake they had made. Hitler repeatedly referred to Churchill as a drunkard.

“As lunatics like that drunkard Churchill and Maccabeans and numskulls like that brilliantined dandy Eden are at the helm we’ve to be prepared for just about anything!”

But that was not all. He referred to Churchill as “a senile clown”, “gangster”, “bloodthirsty guttersnipe”, and “undisciplined swine” among other things.

Notably you will find no such invectives used by Hitler against Chamberlain. But such insults did not sway British foreign policy.

Hitler saw Churchill as his greatest obstacle. He remarked:

“If Churchill were suddenly to disappear, everything could change in a flash. The British aristocracy might perhaps become conscious of the abyss opening before them— and might well experience a serious shock! These British, for whom, indirectly, we have been fighting and who would enjoy the fruits of our victory…”

At some point he realized that negotiations with Churchill could not take place. Only after Churchill was defeated would the British be willing to talk.

Hitler remarked to von Brauchitsch, the commander in chief of the German Army, that “the British will be ready to talk only after a beating.

Hitler’s reaction to Churchill being chosen as PM was reality, the reality that the worst man in Britain for Hitler had be chosen. There would be no easy victory. There would be no short war. There would be no more bullying.

China’s $170BN Gold Rush Triggers Taiwan Invasion Fear

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Beijing appears to be stockpiling gold following a record buying spree, in a move that has raised fears China is preparing its economy for a possible conflict over Taiwan – guarding it against potential Western sanctions.

The People’s Bank of China bought 27 tons of gold in the first three months of the year, taking its reserves to a record high of 2,262 tons, according to data from the World Gold Council.

  1. Keep a healthy distance from all people, including your friends. They could bring you down with their baggage if you are not careful.
  2. Job is just a job. Don’t make it your priority.
  3. Be very sure you want to get married and have kids. Many people get trapped in a situation where they keep on asking this “What if” after 10 or 20 years into marriage.
  4. If possible, spend more time with your family, especially your parents. From your 20s to 40s, you will be too busy looking out for yourself. All of a sudden, your parents will become “old” like you never noticed.
  5. Don’t expect people to come to your rescue. Own your actions and consequences and suck it up.
  6. Tomorrow is not necessarily going to be a better day. Tomorrow is just another day.
  7. Stop reading a self-help book if you are not self-aware.
  8. Life is actually fair. It has no mercy on anyone.

I laugh my ass off at this oh I’m so victimised mentality.

I still remember it 2 decades ago when I moved to London. A box fell off the back of a builders flatbed, near a Synagogue. They immediately phoned the police and said these bomb threats are a sign of anti you know what. Turns out it was just that a carboard box that had fallen off the back of a builders flat bed.

Anyway they don’t feel safe?

Let me give you some figures from the UK.

One group totals 400,000 people this figure is disputed as it includes citizens but they may not actually be there. They form 0.7% of the population yet face 4% of all the violent crime. 15% of them have faced violence with 51% of facing slurs and racist name calling.

Meanwhile one group is about 270,000 and have faced drum roll 1600 you know what incidents each year. OMG American maths means 1600 is bigger than 200,000 incidents of racism or nearly 30,000 instances of racism.

Yet one group gets all laws to protect them, gets news coverage, representation in government and one doesn’t.

Funny how one group matters and all others don’t doesn’t it?

I love all of this. How all these historical traditional stories were changed by social re-engineering. Fascinating!

Loving these unfiltered, brutal, unwokified stories.

This is a byproduct of the American “Woman’s Rights” movement.

The initial intention was for gender equality, where women would be treated as equals with men. Eventually, a more radical sub-branch of the movement took control and steered the movement towards an anti-male bias. Over the years, they acquired wealthy and powerful contributors, and used their positions in government to fund and control the narrative. Resulting in the destruction of the American male.

This women’s rights movement in the United States has gone through several stages.

Each stage has been marked by specific goals, accomplishments, and challenges.

First Wave (19th Century – Early 20th Century)

– Focused on legal issues, particularly women’s suffrage (the right to vote).

– Key events: The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott; the adoption of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote.

This initial stage is often erroneously considered to be reasonable, but a look at the amendments to the constitution clearly show that the movement removed the stable “Head of the Household” voting role towards one where anyone can vote. Thus, this movement, during the FIRST WAVE, significantly altered the federal government and the spending trajectory of the United States.

The United States moved from a Republic to a democracy.

Demographics changed substantially. Voting profiles changed radically, and a “nanny state”
became the norm, as the female voters started to demand a government that took on a parental role; thus a government with a greater role in the lives of Americans.

Additionally, history was rewritten. An active effort was made to rewrite the old European fairy tales to something supportive of first wave feminist belief structures. So, for instance, the Grimm Fairy Tales were rewritten from a structured give-and-take, with harsh lessons, to that of “Prince Charming”, and “one’s wishes can come true”.

There were other initiatives as well. The “Temperance movement” of the 1920’s was led by radical feminists and it resulted in the forced nationwide ban of alcohol, and the surge in organized crime. All the time while destroying the “freedoms” that American enjoyed.

And finally, let’s not forget that the first wave feminists brought in great federal-level social re-engineering evil masterminds; Coolridge, Herbet Hoover and then Taft.

Second Wave (1960s – 1980s)

– Emphasized a broader range of issues, including equality in the workplace, education, reproductive rights, and legal rights.

– Key events: Publication of “The Feminine Mystique” by Betty Friedan in 1963; the establishment of the National Organization for Women (NOW) in 1966; the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

– Advocacy for reproductive rights, including the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973.

During this wave, the “rights” of women altered the workplace, the Geo-political scene, the educational system, and the kinds of movies and shows on televisions and extracted out of Hollywood. It was during this wave that the notion of a traditional family was discarded, and men started to be depicted as buffoons and useless clowns.

It was during this time that marriage longevity was destroyed; that divorce became the normal. That a two income household become the norm, and housewives rearing their own children was considered stupid.

There is a direct correlation between divorce rates and the implementation of pro-feminist initiatives. This was the era of the destruction of the family. As the women entered the work-place, forced layoffs, firings and short-duration employment became the norm.

Third Wave (1990s – Early 2000s)

– Focused on diversity and intersectionality, addressing issues of race, class, sexual orientation, and gender identity within the context of women’s rights.

– Emphasized individualism and a more inclusive approach to feminism, acknowledging different experiences and perspectives.

This wave turbocharged the fall of traditional values, and the “career women” entered the work force with government sanctioned privileges that harmed the male roles. The court systems, and child service systems became co-opted by this movement and became hostile to males.

While the second wave feminists vocalized equality, this wave argued superiority at all levels and promoted benefits, and privileges that men were denied.

Laws and rules, from family law to corporate law favored females. Lower skilled females were engaged in once-dominant male activities to meet hiring quotas. The result was a gradual decline in the quality of the American work-force.

Fourth Wave (Mid-2000s – Present)

– Characterized by the use of digital and social media to advocate for women’s rights and mobilize anti-male activism.

– Focus on sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and the #MeToo movement.

– Greater attention to intersectionality, considering how various aspects of identity intersect and impact the experiences of women and non-binary individuals.

It’s a real problem.

The damage has already been done.

Presently, in the United States and it’s proxy nations, under the LGBQ+ rainbow flag, the male gender is ridiculed, minimized, and berated to a point where various social phenomenons have occurred. To include…

  • Young men in the 20s have stopped dating.
  • Young men tend to be virginal, while young women engage in serial promiscuity.
  • The “Soft man” era where men have “checked out”.
  • A drop in college and university admissions for men.
  • A push back on dating with the “drizzle drizzle” movement.
  • American men are leaving the United States as “passport bros” and not returning.

The changing demographics and the ten year forecast for citizens within this toxic anti-male environment is contentious. Historically, very BAD things happen when large sections males in a nation are hurt, abandoned, ridiculed and disparaged.

It will be very bad.

Think Rwandan genocide BAD.

1. If your house smells fishy for no reason, 9 times out of 10 it means there is an electrical fire.

2. If you ever feel like someone is following your car, turn right four times and it will eventually go in a circle. If they are always behind you, it means they are following you. Don’t drive home, just call the police and drive to the police station

3. If a service dog ever approaches you without its owner, follow it and do so quickly because you could potentially save someone else’s life.

4. If someone tries to kidnap you, fight back. Most kidnappers will simply give up if they encounter resistance. And whatever you do, don’t let them take you anywhere else.

5. If the tide suddenly goes out unexpectedly, run like you stole it, for higher ground.

6. If you are ever attacked by a moose, get behind a tree…they have about a ten inch blind spot and they will lose you…

7.When people say to take an aspirin to help during a heart attack, chew the pill, don’t swallow it whole. It is absorbed much faster.

8. If someone asks you for something on the street – a light, the time, whatever – always keep the person in your line of sight. So if they ask you the time, don’t just look at your watch. Raise your arm slightly so that your watch is in view.

9. If you’re in danger or need help, in a public place, it’s almost always a bad idea to just yell “help.” It’s more important to be specific. Pointing your finger at someone and telling them to call 911 will be more effective. The bystander effect can sometimes be cruel.

Robert F. Kennedy gives three main reasons why he believes the threat of China is wildly overstated.

I like his overall message, but I disagree with his idea that the USA can block shipping, and that without Walmart, China would collapse. I disagree that the Chinese “are on the edge of revolt”.

But still, it’s nice to hear a different voice out of the USA.

Camping Chinese style

  • Do you know that if a person starts fixing him/her self in front of a person, then there is a good chance that he/she likes him/her.
  • If you like a person, you learn things quickly while working with them.
  • Do you know that men touch their face when they feel uncomfortable, and women touch their hands, throat, clothes and hair.
  • If there is a change in a person’s behavior and behavior on seeing you, such as unnecessarily shaking hands or talking loudly, then understand that he definitely has some feeling for you.
  • If a girl looks at you from a distance and pretends to see you somewhere else as soon as she comes near, then understand that she likes you.

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The United States is “at the edge”.

Real GDP growth 1.6%. Everyone is getting the “wake up call” People don’t really have the money.

Ukraine update

Almost six thousand foreign mercenaries have been eliminated in Ukraine since the start of the special operation

October 22, 2022. Relatively fresh graves were discovered near Lisichansk, but this is not a pet cemetery, as it might seem at first glance. The graves of these “animals” indicate that they did not deserve another burial.

It’s surprising that they somehow managed to bury the mercenaries with dog nicknames. Apparently, the cult of American mercenaries was unshakable for the Ukrainian Nazis. Or they simply did not have time to tell the Ukrainian fighters that in neighboring settlements, during the retreat of the troops, their brothers, on the orders of the Kyiv command, simply burned about fifty Poles to hide traces of the presence of a foreign illegal contingent. Somewhere we have to put those who were stabbed to death in an alcohol and drug stupor, shot in the back during an argument or trying to retreat. An autopsy will show.

It can be assumed that such burials are not an isolated case.

In total, starting from February 24, 2022, the number of “soldiers of fortune” who arrived in Ukraine amounted to 13,387 people, 5,962 mercenaries were killed.

The Russian Defense Ministry has recorded the participation of more than 13 thousand mercenaries in hostilities on the side of Ukraine
Despite Western assurances about the absence of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry monitors and constantly records all foreigners who have arrived in Ukraine to participate in hostilities. Here’s how mercenaries are distributed by cou

USA: 1113 arrived, 491 destroyed

So I’m sitting in the jury box (a “simple” possession with intent case) and the prosecution brought out their star witness to testify how he knew that the defendant had the (ready for this?) five ounces of marijuana (four is the max for “casual” possession in Texas). Prosecutor finishes and looked pretty smug. I had started to come around to his side. Defense attorney starts off with some banal line and then says “Johnathan, that is your real name, right?” Well “Rick” had a stunned mullet look. “Ah, well yeah, I guess”. “You guess what? Is that or is it not your legal name?” “Ah, well yeah, it is.” “And not Rick, or rather Richard, as you stated when you were sworn in?” “No, it’s Johnathan, sir.” “And Johnathan, does the DA know this?” “Ah, well, no, sir” (Starts to sweat). “Johnathan, are you wanted by the State of Oklahoma?” “Ah, well, sorta.” “That’s a yes? Did you lie to the DA about that? What else did you lie about? Does the DA know that you’re wanted for <at this point I wanted to see if the DA actually wet himself> perjury? In a case involving <and soiled himself> a possession with intent to sell marijuana case?” At which point the lawyer handed the chief bailiff a set of papers that I learned later was the warrant and such from Oklahoma. I had the seat closest to the prosecutor’s desk and distinctly heard him mumbling “fuck, fuck, fuck, why today?” “Today” was the day before early voting in the primaries and he had some pretty serious competition.

So the judge tossed the evidence given that the statement from the witness couldn’t be deemed reliable (or whatever, real lawyers help me) and his statement was the only reason the sheriff’s department got the search warrant to begin with. Essentially end of case. We didn’t even get a break for some stale sandwiches, but did get paid $9.36 to watch a prosecutor’s last case.

Oh, and the defense lawyer. Well “Johnathan” should have recognized his old college roommate!!!!

Khoisan I don’t know much about, but the inhabitants of the Lamu Islands in Kenya are indeed descended from Zheng He’s crew. This has been confirmed by genetic testing.

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To this day, the Chinese gene is not only in their blood, but also remains in the daily lives of these people. There is porcelain, Chinese furniture and unobtrusive life skills that every Chinese is familiar with.

They use Chinese cupping, herbal medicines and some of them can even take their pulse!

Some islanders say their family name is Vae / 萬.

Silkworm and silk weaving skills have been passed down in the area, but have been lost over time.


Uwamaka Shariff’s Story

A Kenyan girl named Uwamaka Shariff is a descendant of Zheng He’s crew.

Shariff has completed high school, she longed to be able to go to China to study, but due to financial pressures, she decided to write a letter to Guo Chongli, the Chinese ambassador to Kenya.

In the letter, she wrote: “I am a Kenyan and also half Chinese, I am a descendant of Zheng He sailors …… I long to return to China ……”

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Three months later, the Chinese Ministry of Education approved the application, allowing Sharif to study in China at public expense.

In July 2005, Sharif arrived in Nanjing on a plane, and Nanjing’s vice mayor Xu Huiling personally went to the airport to greet her and presented her with a beautiful sarong and flowers.

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In Nanjing, Sharif was impressed by the rich history of the city, and she also witnessed the high-rise buildings lined up in Nanjing, and she felt more and more the charm of China in this city full of modernity and simplicity.

Here, Sharif experienced too many firsts in her life, the first time she stayed in a five-star hotel, the first time she rode in a lift, the first time she used an intelligent toilet, the first time she bathed in a shower. ……

Currently, she lives in Xi’an and Guangzhou.

Enjoy some vintage comics

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What China just did to the U.S. Military is SHOCKING and War is Coming to Taiwan

The U.S. military has crossed China’s red line again, and China’s patience is being tested. Is the US and China destined for war? This video breaks it down.

Currently I work overnight as a concierge for an Apartment complex in the heart of Nashville.

Each night, I come in at 11pm, get told what happened during the day, and then sit at the desk for around 8 hours.

I watch tv, I read, I could bring any gaming console I wanted to, I play chess online allot, I do classwork if I have it, practice magic tricks, I exercise. My boss has even told me if I wanted to take a 30 minute nap here or there to go for it. Whatever.

At 6am I unlock the building’s front door, pool doors, deliver a few newspapers, and inventory our package room. In all honesty, it’s about 15 minutes worth of work give or take.

Technically I’m there as emergency relief, or just in case a tenet needs a package or food gets delivered, but that’s all once in a blue moon type stuff. 1 out of every 99 nights.

The funny thing is that all of the Tenets voted to have an overnight person, even though I see virtually no one. If they knew how little I did, I wonder if it would really change their minds.

The super massive black hole.

The best friend of your parents retires and is finally ready to sail the seven seas in his fishing boat with his wife, only to hear a couple of weeks before the journey that he suffers from terminal pancreas cancer, and that the final journey will be different, and end in pain.

I call it The sudden blow.

Your favorite aunt retires and wants to party more than ever, but gets depressed on the way about the hardships of the life that lies ahead, and ends her own life. (The sudden blow..)

Your dad retires, and he will travel, go to restaurants, sleep on sunny beaches, drink red wine, and enjoy every single minute of it, finally away from the constant stress a working life has endowed on his body and mind. And then he falls asleep on a beach towel, and never wakes up. (The sudden blow..)

It’s about a body that never stops working, it’s about a mind that never stops racing, it’s about a road that has been carefully paved over a period of more than 40 years which suddenly takes a drastic turn.

Isaac Newton knew that a body in motion wants to keep moving, and that’s exactly what happens to people who retire. The sudden blow.

It’s as if our minds and bodies have held on for so long, and then finally give up, and give in. The cancer that finally surfaces, the mind that implodes, the heart lacking oxygen — a human erodes.

So be careful if you retired only recently, and hear a strange knock on your door while you are reading this answer. Because it might be the sudden blow.

And it’s coming for you.

In this week’s video, we look at Russia’s announcement of an official BRICS currency. There has been speculation and rumors of this currency for some time, and one major theory is that it would be backed by a basket of commodities including gold. However, the Kremlin recently announced they have almost completed a digital currency based on blockchain technology. Backed by gold or not, if a new BRICS currency becomes internationally adopted for trade, the U.S. Dollar will lose value. If U.S. Dollar’s value decreases, we expect the price of gold to increase. While there is no official launch date yet, dismantling the dollar will take time and we don’t expect it to go down without a fight. In the meantime, we will keep an eye out for any official launch date and stay ready to keep viewers informed.

I wasn’t the mechanic. I was the customer.

For many weeks, the hood of my car seemed to be getting heavier and heavier.

One day, as I was driving, I noticed an odd odor faintly resembling a shepherd’s pie cooking.

I pulled into my mechanic’s garage.

When he started lifting the hood, he, too, noticed that it was unusually heavy. With a manly thrust, he managed to lift it and place the prop underneath.

And that’s when the insulation fell away from the inside top of the hood.

What came pouring out was pounds and pounds of dry dog food nuggets, many of which rested on the engine and began a slow sizzle.

Mechanic: “Let me guess. You own a dog, and you park your car in the garage at night, right?

Me: Uh, right.

Mechanic: And you feed your dog dry food, yes?

Me: Uh, yes.

Mechanic: And you keep the food in the garage, right?

Me: Yes…

Mechanic: Then you also have squirrels.

Me: I do?

Mechanic: Yes. The squirrels are taking the nuggets and hiding them under the insulation blanket under the hood, for later. I’ll bet you’ve been thinking your dog has been eating more than usual, lately.

Me: Uh, yeah! Now that you mention it.

Mechanic: Case closed. You don’t need a mechanic; you need a couple of traps.

And he was right.

China and 20 nations unite to forge a Grand Canal from Xinjiang to the Mediterranean.

China and 20 other countries have embarked on an ambitious project to build a Grand Canal, aiming to form a direct route from China’s Xinjiang to the Mediterranean Sea via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (TCTC). This collaborative effort announced in 2023 will dramatically shorten the transit time across Asia and Europe and benefit all participating nations. Placing China strategically closer to Europe, this new route bypasses the geographically and politically complex Malacca Strait, reducing reliance on longer routes. Leaning on Central Asia’s topographical advantage and existing rivers, plans to connect Xinjiang and the Mediterranean Sea with a canal seem plausible. By tackling the challenge of the Ural Mountains and linking the Tobol and Kama rivers, a canal from Central Asia to Europe could drastically cut travel distance. The project has the potential to reshape Eurasia’s geopolitical landscape and boost China’s global influence.

Miller pony bottle dreams

They lied to me for 54 years. Successfully.

at 21 I was complaining to my cousin that I loathed my father and was sick of his abuse. Her reply “what if I told you that he’s not your father?” for two years my parents told me that it’s a lie and to drop it.

dad dies in 2004. A few years later I get suspicious again because my siblings have diabetes (perfectly healthy and fit). I don’t. Dads parents and aiblings ll had it by 50. But I don’t act on it.

2010 youngest goes off to college and the hubs and I get a call from mom that she would like to share her home with us. I asked why, she said “because I need one of my kids on my side, the other 4 want me in a nursing home.” Her only health issue was Parkinson’s. She had it for 30 years but wasn’t disabled or senile until 2–3 years before her death in 2021 (Jan 2021)

One day in 2014 she is asking me to show her how to look up and old beau. I searched everywhere and couldn’t find him. He had a super rare name so I was surprised. I don’t think twice about it but it’s really important.

2018, my sibs and I are arguing over our heritage. Some think we are Scottish. Some Irish. We all order tests, take them the same day and ship them off. We all get our results the same day. We are in fact Scottish, or should I say THEY are. And right there were it says father is a name I recognize. Moms “old beau”. Wtf? So the man had his dna on ancestry dot com at 84, could he have known about me? I quickly email him. No answer but he has two sons. I quickly emailed one of them. He gets back to me. They had no idea and sadly my birth father had died 7 months prior. They say he would have welcomed me with open arms and would have loved me

So they successfully lied. I was suspicious because I was the only one he physically disciplined. First I was angry that mother allowed this man to lay hands on me. Knowing he wasn’t my father and most likely taken it out on me that mom lied to him.

The saddest part is they had at least 3 chances to tell me. Instead I found out myself 7 months too late. They cheated me out of a dad and a better life. I don’t grieve for them. Not like a Daughter would really. I loved them, I just can’t grieve with all this anger over being their dirty little secret and robbing me of knowing my biological dad. Friends say “oh but he was your father, he raised you and blah blah blah. No. He’s not my father. He mistreated me and abused me. So to hell with him.

Anyone that read this far, I thank you. Those that didn’t, I’m sorry I babbled on.

UPDATE – Yes I am in contact with and have a relationship with one of my half brothers. The other I was told to contact with extreme caution as he is “trouble” and lord knows I don’t need that. Maybe someday I’ll reach out. I don’t know. I don’t see my half brother as much as I’d like but we are 3 hours away from each other. We do exchange pleasantries and such on holidays.

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"The West must be factoring our response into its projections all while plotting against us. They are trying to put themselves into our shoes, while sticking to their own mentality.

As for their mentality… Only recently, Mark Episkopos, a prominent American political scientist, chastised the West, including from a purely utilitarian and pragmatic standpoint.

Take sanctions, for example. Usually, they are designed to change the way their subject behaves. If you want them to be effective, you need to adjust these sanctions based on the response from those who endure them.

The West has been carelessly expanding its sanctions without giving any thought to the possible outcomes.

But the outcome was clear to begin with, even before the special military operation when the Crimean sanctions, as well as a host of other sanctions, were already in place.

The result was clear. We pulled together, and I do hope that we will become even more focused.

We have to go further, as Vladimir Putin said many times. We pulled together and decided not to depend on them in any sectors where they can restrain or hold back our development, and possibly in other sectors too.

Today, they pride themselves for getting rid of Russian gas.

First, supplies have been on the rise in many countries, including France.

Italy took pride in claiming that over the past three years the share of Russian gas in Italian imports declined from 90 percent all the way down to zero.

This is what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz boasted of when describing his efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on Russian energy imports, while promising to end the dependence on them completely down the road.

Many European have been making statements along the same lines, including the Netherlands, and almost all Western and some Eastern European countries.

But at what cost? How much did they have to spend and how have their spending on serving their people increased?

Nobody answered these questions. Still, people can see through these ramifications.

Mr Episkopos went on say that failing to anticipate the way Russia would respond to these developments was a huge mistake.

The West fails to understand that sanctions can be effective only if the subject is ready to change its behaviour for the sake of having these sanctions lifted.

The second point Mr Episkopos made was that if the country subjected to sanctions already said that it was not going to change its behaviour, keeping these sanctions in place would be pointless and careless.

This is the kind of policy our would-be colleagues have opted for."

Excerpt from remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with the radio stations Sputnik, Govorit Moskva, and Komsomolskaya Pravda, Moscow, April 19, 2024.

How to be a man

One of the unremarked things that has happened over the past ten years is the collapse of the so-called man-o-sphere. There may be people still working that land, but all the big names have moved on or disappeared. The pickup artist have all disappeared from the internet entirely. That whole scene just seems to have folded up and gone the way of the dinosaur without anyone noticing.

One reason is the demographic aged out of the material. A guy like Heartiste, for example, could do the pickup artist stuff when he was early middle-age, but once you hit fifty you become a skeevy weirdo, not a Don Juan. The same holds for the other subcultures in that space. Once you reach middle-age, it all starts to sound a bit weird and pointless, even to the people making money off it.

There is another aspect to it. That whole scene was a reaction to the feminization of the culture starting with second wave feminism. The next generation of males have no frame of reference in which to have a reaction. The typical Zoomer has been raised in the longhouse, to use the cool kid’s term. He has no way of knowing that all of this is both weird and unnatural.

That is the point of the show. The male role is not a slippery concept that changes from one generation to the next. It has been revolutionized and pulverized over the last few decades, but that is what makes this age anomalous. The male role in society is timeless, at least in the Western world. There are certain immutable characteristic to being a man that will reassert themselves in the coming years.

IT JUST DOESN’T WORK ANYMORE! Retirement and Jobs ARE FINISHED!

The company I work for gave everyone a nice company coat for Christmas. I took a marker and marked the inside tag with my name so that I would know if it was mine (all the coats looked the same).

One day, before heading for home, I looked at the peg where my coat had been hanging, and it wasn’t there. I checked all the coats…mine was gone, as were my favorite sunglasses.

I told management, who expressed regret, but there were no coats left.

Two weeks passed…and I periodically did a check to see if any hanging were my coat.

After about two weeks, I came across it hanging on a peg on the opposite end of the room. I grabbed it and hid it at my work station.

One of the night crew workers came storming up to me demanding HER coat. I told her that I didn’t have it…I had mine. I then showed her the tag, which showed my name. I then asked her where my sunglasses were. She responded she didn’t know.

I told her she had 24 hours to come up with them or I was going to tell them who had stolen my coat.

This would have been a termination offense.

She handed them to me the next day, saying she found them in her husband’s truck.

She has since transferred, but when I see her, she avoids me like the plague.

Some views of Pago Pago

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Freedom of trade? What a hypocrite! The U.S. burnt down nations just to install freedom but it ensures that it’s people buy from profiteers and keep prices high to give its people no choices! The U.S. citizens are the real loser! Are US citizens not aware that they are worst than Chinese citizens who can buy Tesla if they do wish! I fact out of the cars that Tesla made in 2023, 69.7% are sold in China! Can you Yanks not see the irony that China a supposedly unfree nation can buy Tesla and a nation screaming freedom like there is no tomorrow cannot buy BYD?

Let me school all of you on this! China U.S. a very smart and intelligent nation, by allowing Tesla to sell it ensures that those cars are made in China too! They got jobs and are learning all the while about western demands and western customers. So by the time BYD goes international it knows their taste, their likes and dislikes and they made a killing! Thanks to being open and free they are successful.

The U.S. is left as a pathetic slur grape nation without principle nor freedom!

A fun quote

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I have. For 20 minutes.

It was 2011, and I was meeting a couple for lunch for my birthday. He worked at Oakley, and lunch “came with“ a new pair of Oakley‘s as a gift. It should’ve been a great day.

I was in a convertible, traveling on highway 73 in Orange County, California. I exited and was waiting for the light to turn left onto a surface highway. The approaching cars stopped, the light turned green and I started to make a left turn. As soon as I passed the stopped cars and made it to the centerline, a speeding Chevy Suburban, three times the size of my car, came into view. My last conscious thought was “They’re not going to stop“. I swerved, and it was lights out.

She ran a red and T-boned me; smashed into my side, forward of the door, near the front wheel. She crushed the entire front like a tin can, my car spun and we collided twice. So I heard…

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Twenty minutes and lots of bystander activity went by. My next conscious moment was in the ambulance, looking up at a female emergency medical tech as we were heading to the trauma center. I was an EMT decades ago, and my first thought and words were “so this is what it looks like in the other direction“…

My head had hit the frame of the convertible top and it split my scalp, but fortunately didn’t crack my skull, though you could see it from the wound. My hand broke on the steering wheel, my ribs were cracked where they impacted the door. I was covered in blood and bruises. The airbags never went off.

Two guys jumped out of their cars and ran over. My window was a curtain of blood and of course I was out. They couldn’t open the door and thought I was dead. One called 911, and the other ran over to the woman’s car. It was totaled.

The impact of my head hitting the car was so forceful, my brain violently bounced off the inside of my skull. The brain stem flexed with such force it caused “micro-tears.” They sewed me up, patched me up, gave me X-rays and a CAT scan and I left the trauma center late that night with my wife instructed to ensure I woke up the next morning.

To give you an idea of how much it shook me up? I had been arranging a huge business dinner for two nights later. I still made phone calls to make sure the plans were set, and then the night of the event? I forgot to go… Par for the course with bad concussions, I had a slightly volatile temper for a couple of months. I forgot, seemingly everything randomly. I had minor bouts with depression which I’ve never had otherwise in my life.

The brain impact prevented me from remembering proper nouns for almost year and a half. I got to know my neurologist and the neuropsych testing people very well.

You can’t be unconscious for that long without taking a huge shot to the brain. And you can’t be unconscious for that long without having a long-term challenge. My ability to recall proper nouns is still pretty poor. That’s mostly it…

But it could’ve been much worse. Had she hit the driver’s door? It would’ve been the other kind of “lights out.”

This was a series of purchases, over a period of around six months. The company I was working for hired an employee who apparently had left her prior job under a cloud of felony charges. She hadn’t been convicted, so there was no record to find in a background check, plus the individual reversed a few numbers on her SSN when she applied. She managed to then hit a perfect storm of processes that allowed her to run up some significant charges on the company credit card. First, she was a remote employee with an also remote boss (this was well before COVID). She immediately requested a company credit card so she could fly to HQ for new hire orientation. A card was issued and FedExed to her. Her first charge was a cash advance (in those days, this was a holdover from days further in the past where it was unheard of for an employee to use the credit card — or their own money — for small purchases). During the ensuing investigation, we found that her subsequent purchases were for household bills, groceries, and utilities. Interestingly, she never submitted the expenses for the trip to HQ. Her manager never noticed that.

Fast forward six months or so and the employee went missing. Her manager woke up and discovered from media reporting that said employee had been convicted of some felony charges related to her prior employment and sent off to be a guest of the state for a few years. Alarm bells went off and an investigation began. As we unwound the credit card bill, we continued to see the various household purchases, utilities, cash advances, etc. Then we found that she had used the card to pay her lawyer as well as take some family members on a (modest) cruise. By the time we added things up, the company was out well in excess of $10,000. Arguably, not a ton of money for a large company, but something that caused immediate changes in expense policy and company credit cards. We found that she was able to exploit a fairly liberal payment window (established to accommodate time for employees to submit expenses, get them approved, and get them paid out to the credit card company). She further managed to (probably) use cash advances to make payments on the card to avoid showing up as delinquent. It appeared that she made some additional payments from other sources, but it wasn’t something we were in a position to confirm. The company didn’t have a good process for tracking personal charges, so there was no process to have the employee report and reimburse such expenses. There were also no categories of expenses that could not be charged to the card. There were quite a number of additional learnings, starting with why the background company didn’t flag a SSN mis-match.

The employee’s manager was fired (in addition to the initial failure to submit expenses, there had been some communications from the credit card company that charges were aging, which the manager had never looked into) and the lawyer was advised to pay the company back the fees charged against the credit card. Beyond that, I wasn’t privy to any other events outside of a flurry of expense and credit card policy changes.

Retro Underground Comix

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Even though he passed away years ago, I still find myself feeling a bit envious. I’m talking about my granddad—my lifelong hero and mentor. He kept grinding every day until he hit 90. Getting up at 6:00 AM, he’d down his coffee and head off to work. Surprisingly fit for his age, not exactly a six-pack, but definitely in good shape.

I remember working on physically demanding tasks with him, and I’d be wiped out afterward. For him, it was a walk in a park. Once, we chopped wood for eight hours, and I passed out right after. But he? He moved on to his next job without missing a beat.

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What I envy most is how he never lost his ability to handle physical tasks. While others his age struggled just to stand, he could do everything as if he were still in his thirties. I never quite grasped how he managed it all. I really wish I could be like he was.

“Members of Congress are terrified of the intel agencies. I’m not guessing at that. They’ve told me that, including people who run the intel committee.”

What Tucker said next was even more revealing.

“I said to somebody, a very powerful person, the other day, in a conversation in my kitchen, an elected official — holds a really senior position… But I was like, ‘All these people are controlled. They’ve all got weird sex lives, and all these things they’re hiding, and they’re being blackmailed by the intel agencies.’ And he said, and I’m quoting, ‘I know.’ I was like, okay, so at this point, we’re just sort of admitting that’s real? Like, why do we allow that to continue?”

This is the Amerikkkan Deep State.

About six years ago or so when I was still in high school, we were playing soccer in gym class. After about five minutes in or so, the kid who was playing as my team’s forward (we’ll call him “Brock”) came up to me, who was playing goalie, and said he wanted to be the goalie now. I politely declined, because the game was only five minutes in, and that’s just not how soccer (or the real world) works.

After about 30 seconds of arguing back and forth over it, he presumed the second best option to be to grab me by the shirt and try to drag me out of the goalie box. Or in other words, physically assaulted me.

As a natural reaction and in accordance with what the law actually says, I laid into Brock with one good hit.

I then see the gym instructor approaching us to break up the scuffle that was occuring. When he gets to us, he sends us both to the principal’s office.

Brock’s punishmen was a week of out-of-school suspension. And I received the exact same punishment.

Why? Because according to my school’s policy on fighting, if you are even merely involved in a fight, it’s an automatic out-of-school suspension, so the principal technically doesn’t even get to use his own discretion regarding disciplining students regarding these types of matters.

I remember him even saying to me “Geraldo, coming from person to person, I would have done the exact same thing as you. However, as a school official, I unfortunately have no choice but to suspend you”.

What my school expects you to do if you are to find yourself in the situation I was in, is to passively submit and take your beating, and then once that is finished, you are to go to a teacher and tell on the person who attacked you. (Because it’s not like the person you just told on isn’t going to kick the shit out of you for rolling on them once you’re outside school property, right?)

Say you were to get jumped by five people at my school. Well that means that a total of six people will be getting suspended. That being the five dudes who assualted you, and yourself, for being assaulted.

If that’s not an example of institutionalized wussification, I don’t know what is.

Some of my AI generated pictures

Girls and alcohol with cats.

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This happened when my dad was just out of high school. One of his longtime friends confirmed the details.

My dad and some friends were at a roller skating rink having fun and flirting with some girls. There was a black family skating there as well. Suddenly they hear this guy saying, “You n%#s, we don’t want your kind here.” He kept harassing them and it pissed my dad off. He went up to the jerk and told him to knock it off, that this family was more than welcome to be here, and he is the one who should leave.
The bully asked, “You n%# lover, are you going to make me?”

My dad told me he was terrified because this guy looked like someone who had been in a lot a fights. But the looks on that poor family’s faces was more than he could bear. So, he agreed to take it outside. While he was putting on his shoes an employee told him he should take off, that the guy he was facing was a known troublemaker and he had just gotten out of jail for assault. That didn’t help my dad’s nerves. Then as he was getting up the father of the black family told him not to bother, that they will just leave.
I don’t know how he mustered the courage to walk out that door, but he went to face him anyway. A crowd gathered around them as they faced each other. The bully said, “Now I am going to teach you a lesson you n#% lov…” He never had a chance to finish that sentence. My dad hit him squarely on his chin and the racist bully crumpled to the pavement. One punch and he was out.

Everyone cheered, the girls were all swooning over my dad, and the family thanked him for being the only one standing up for them. Yep, my dad was a true badass that day.

I was in 6th grade and 11 years old. I had started menstruating at 10 and didn’t have it all figured out quite yet. I was wearing a pale yellow skirt and jacket that my grandmother had sewn me and I really liked it. When school ended, I stood up to leave and the teacher snapped at me to come see her. I was pretty shocked. She never raised her voice to me. When I reached her she spun me around so my back was toward the wall. Then she whispered to me that the back of my skirt was stained and to just stay there with her until everyone left. When everyone left she told me to just keep waiting. She knew that my mother came and picked up my brother and I each day. Eventually, my brother came to see why I wasn’t coming out to the car. He was about 7. When he came into the classroom, first she yelled at him for not getting out of bed in the morning and making me late several days (I felt bad about this, but she wasn’t wrong) and then she told him to give her his jacket. She wrapped it around my waist and told us we could leave. I have never forgotten her kindness. Especially because several of the girls could be really mean to me. I’m pretty sure no one ever saw the stain.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Creamy Asparagus Soup with Morel Mushrooms and Ramps 500
Creamy Asparagus Soup with Morel Mushrooms and Ramps 500

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus
  • 2 onions, finely minced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled, diced small
  • 2 ribs celery, diced small, with tops included
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 teaspoons granulated chicken or vegetable bouillon (or 8 cubes of bouillon)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh tarragon, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced, or 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 cups Half-and-Half
  • Sour cream
  • Chives, chopped

Instructions

  1. Break off and discard the tough, thick end of each asparagus spear. Chop the spears into 1/4-inch slices and add to the slow cooker along with all remaining ingredients down to and including the white pepper.
  2. Add water to within 1 inch of the top of the slow cooker.
  3. Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6 to 7 hours.
  4. About two hours before serving, use a slotted spoon to remove most of the vegetables to a blender. Use a ladle to add some of the liquid from the slow cooker to the blender. Puree the mixture and add back in to the slow cooker.
  5. Repeat once or twice more as necessary (you can leave some of the pieces in the slow cooker for effect.)
  6. Add approximately 1 cup of the Half-and-Half to the slow cooker.
  7. Add the cornstarch to the remaining Half-and-Half in the carton.
  8. Close the carton well and shake vigorously.
  9. Add the mixture to the slow cooker.
  10. Continue to cook on HIGH for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  11. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives sprinkled over the sour cream.

Op-Ed: One Woman’s Anguish at Being Vaxxed

by DUPED LADY

For those who cannot imagine what it’s like to be vaxxed, and living with it once the evidence becomes available, l can answer you: it’s day-to-day grieving and cellular remorse.

Many of us were just living our daily lives without any idea of the World Economic Forum or the World Health Organisation. We trusted our doctors – l’d had mine for over 25 years, and we knew our government lied at election times, but we voted the best we could based on the B.S. presented to us.

We went about our lives innocently – working, raising kids and babysitting grandkids – and many of us had not one person in our circles to warn us of the dangers.

We didn’t even know that we had to do ‘research’. Unbelievable as that may seem, it’s absolutely true.

So off we went and had the shots.  And now us ‘sheeples’ – as we are sometimes referred to – are dying in our millions, some suddenly, while some are destined for slow, malingering, pain-filled deaths.

But we are dying, and ironically, we are the evidence; the proof you will all use later.

Some of us argued with others who knew about the dangers, and words and actions hurt both sides. And that is the greatest weapon of the psy-op: it’s actually greater than the vax itself.

There is a level of toxic hatred and gloating online that condemns the vaxxed to silence in regards to seeking help. l see it in the forums, how they are abused by total strangers, so we stay silent and die alone, unforgiven for our naivety and fear.

But back to the point above – of what it is like to be vaxxed and to then become aware of how we’ve been done. It is hell. Living with the knowledge that I took three of them; that my wonderful, kind, hardworking husband took four; that our children and grandchildren had them;
it haunts me, it breaks my soul, it has destroyed me… simply because we were naive.

My husband and l were already injected when a cousin contacted me through Messenger after seeing a post about my rapid decline in health and asked me questions. l then spoke to my sons, but it was too late – they had been jabbed already.

It’s reading endless detox protocols and wondering IF they truly work or IF they too are part of the B.S., because how would we ever know when there is no long-term proof? It’s endless medical tests that come back ‘normal’, but you just know and feel the changes in your body.

It’s seeing the videos of the ‘calamari’ clots and reading about graphene microblades slicing up veins, and spikes adhering like velcro to tissues and organs.

It’s the breathlessness and palpitations on the slightest exertion that doctors can’t explain.

It’s the knowing that it was all for nothing, though we believed it was for the best of intentions.

It’s this tattoo on my arm of the vax batch numbers that l use to open conversations and share my adverse reactions with every doctor, specialist and pathologist, radiologist and ambulance paramedic l meet.

It’s knowing that any second, any second, could be IT… the last one l breathe before l die.

It’s grief – deep, empty, gut-wrenching grief for all my family and friends, all those l love and care for.

It’s loss – the loss of my future dreams and plans, the loss of my husband and family, it’s the pain felt by the name-calling and ongoing online abuse.

l may be a sheeple to some, and cop endless abuse online for speaking up with my truth, but that will not stop me.

Not every vaxxed person acted like an A-hole when approached by someone who cared enough to take the risk of warning them.

Yet we have ALL been tarred with that one brush. And it’s there that humanity debased itself even further. They did not have to do a thing except sit back and watch us fall apart.

Music in this video is from various Bruton and music De Wolfe Records dating from 1972-1979 mixed in audacity and recorded onto a 1977-79 Maxell UD Type 1 Cassette Tape. The Video portion was created from various images of old department stores recorded onto real VHS tape for the retro effect. 

Comments 45
Comments 45

A bad dining choice

It is late, on a street in Copenhagen.

A man approaches another. He punches him to the face, knocking him to the ground.

The victim falls, cracks his head on the pavement and is unconscious.

The attacker doesn’t stop. He kicks the prone man 47 times to his body and stamps on his skull.

They catch the incident on CCTV cameras. There are many passers-by. It might be late, but the street is busy. It might be dark, but there is sufficient street lighting to see. Despite the brutal assault lasting a few minutes, nobody makes any attempt to stop the man.

It has psychologists puzzled; Why did no-one intervene?

This CCTV footage was one of 81 incidents being examined by researchers conducting an observational study into the ‘bystander effect’.

From viewing the footage, they pick out 764 bystanders who saw and heard a fellow human being assaulted… but they stood back and did nothing.

Not one of those people came to any of the victims’ aid.

Why?

‘Diffusion of responsibility’.

The bystander first notices the situation, correctly labels this is an emergency, assumes responsibility for helping, decides how to help and implements the decision to help – at least, that is how most people would react on their own.

But this is different, there are other people present.

Being in a crowd interferes with this process.

When alone, defining a situation is straightforward because we use our own judgment, whereas in a group of strangers, a process known as ‘social comparison’ takes place where everyone looks to other’s reactions to define the situation.

If others lack worry or do nothing, the likelihood of the victim being helped is significantly reduced.

We assume others will take responsibility.

The burden of responsibility is diluted among the number of bystanders present at the scene.

‘Someone else will phone the police.’

‘Someone else will be more qualified to help than me.’

‘No-one else is doing anything, it can’t be that serious.’

The more people there are, the less likely you are to get involved.

But now you know about the bystander effect.

The next time you come across someone collapsed in the street, YOU be the one to phone for an ambulance.

If you see a pick-pocket steal a wallet shout, ‘Stop thief’.

If someone’s life is in danger, tap the nearest person to you and say, ‘We need to help that guy.’ The touch is enough to snap people out of inaction.

Enlist the help of other bystanders. Tell them what to do – it is in our nature to respond to direct requests. Check they understand what you are asking, even if it is a simple request, getting a ‘yes’ reinforces the request and makes people more likely to stick to the plan. Ask others to keep an eye out for trouble/police/ambulance. People need a purpose, even if it is doing nothing.

Your actions might save a life.

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main qimg 8a120b4cd9ae1cee5493414fb7ae5c01

“Last year, China registered one of the highest growth rates among the major economies and accounted for over 30 percent of global growth as before.

This was due both to the hard work of the Chinese people and to international cooperation.

China has come to where it is today after overcoming all kinds of difficulties and challenges.

China did not collapse as predicted by the ‘China collapse theory,’ nor will it peak as forecasted by the ‘China peak theory.’

We will continue to advance high-quality development and Chinese modernization, enable the Chinese people to live a better life, and contribute more to sustainable development in the world.

We have the confidence and determination that China’s development has a bright future.”

Excerpt from the speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting with representatives of U.S. Business, Strategic and Academic Communities, March 27, 2024.

The Reconquest Of American Culture

  1. Guys: keep your dicks out of other men’s wives. Of course you can expect some trouble in your life from the husband. You are just begging for it. You aren’t rescuing her from anything. Let her sort her crap out for herself before you make things more complicated by getting yourself involved.
  2. Girls: if he is cheating on her with you, he is going to cheat on you with the next one. You are nothing special. Just the next one in the chain. And that new girl is going to think that you are just as trashy as you think the one he is with now is.
  3. If you have a radar detector in your car, you have had enough warnings already. You are getting a ticket.
  4. I don’t care who you know. I have a job to do. If you really do know someone who matters to me, word will get back to them that I am doing my job.
  5. Yes, you really did do a very stupid thing. You made a lousy choice and now you are going to suffer the consequences.
  6. If you ask for a fight and get one, you don’t get to file charges against the person who beat the crap out of you just because you lost.
  7. People who do drugs get into some really stupid shit. Sometimes pretty nasty shit as well.
  8. Hey, you know those people around you called friends and family? They do care and the stupid crap you get into affects them as well.
  9. Parents, your kids are your responsibility, not ours. If you didn’t care where they were or what they were doing hanging out at 3 am with other kids you don’t know, it’s not our fault that something really bad happened to them. And stop telling them that we will take them to jail if they don’t listen to you. And what the hell do you think you are doing letting someone else’s kid stay in your place all night without knowing or talking to the kid’s parents?
  10. If you complain about parking and bad driving in your neighborhood, you are not exempt from getting a ticket because you were the one who complained. You should be happy that your complaint is getting a response.

White House Officially Makes Side Hustle ILLEGAL

This is ridiculous! How else are we supposed to get ahead in this greedy, evil and narcissistic ass country! As hard as it is to make ends meet in America. This will make things harder! I’m sick of these crooked politicians creating laws that take makes it harder for the people who are trying to get ahead! “The land of the free” was just a catch phrase America is turning into a dictatorship.

Fortunately distance even if you park the SSBNs off the coast of Tianjin means we’d have about 4 minutes to respond.

Those 4 minutes means we can activate a total launch since it’s use it or lose it. There would be literally no time to call for a clarification like with a continental launch which gives 25 minutes to call ask what’s going on.

So we’d be obliterated but our missiles would be in the upper atmosphere and land in your towns and cities about 17 minutes later.

Two weeks on the job and I found that I needed another yellow pad for client notes. I asked my manager, “hey, can I get a yellow pad? And is it possible to get a mechanical pencil instead of a #2 pencil I have to sharpen? The led makes huge stains on my shirts

And I hate to complain, but can I get an optical mouse instead of a rolling ball mouse? The rolling ball always stutters which impacts my productivity”

“yeah – you have to go ask the office manager”

I walk down the hall to ask the office manager and tell her what I need.

“Can I get an optical mouse?”

“No”

“all right. Can I get a mechanical pencil so I don’t have to constantly sharpen my pencil and so my shirts don’t get stained”

“Sorry, we don’t provide those”

“Well – ok. I do need another yellow pad. Can I get a few?”

“Yes – follow me”

We proceeded to walk down the hallways of the high-rise we were in at the time. Mind you that this is the most expensive space in all of Sacramento:

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main qimg 89614ae71428a6935dba861e7c40dccd lq

Scary office manager went into the managing partner’s office and grabbed keys from inside of his desk (Weird) and took me into the file room.

“What do you need now”

“I need a pencil and a yellow pad”.

She then proceeded to unlock a file room door as if it were the gates to Fort Knox. Inside of it were valuable items such as:

  • The cost of a box of 12 #2 pencils: $2.39
  • The cost of a box of a dozen yellow pads: $12.39
  • The cost of 40 AAA batteries – $20

The cost of treating your employees like 4 year olds to the point where 40% of them quit the company over a 15 month time span: Priceless

America’s economy is failing

1. When someone hands them an object with both of their hands, attractive people receive it with both of their hands as well.

2. They can remember details such as a birthday date. It’s always good to know that someone has taken the time to memorize things.

3. They maintain grace and joy, even in difficult circumstances. And positivity can be contagious.

4. Occasional vulnerability. People rarely bond with others with whom they cannot relate. We all love humans, not flawless, robotic beings.

5. They take care of themselves. When people start taking care of themselves, they start feeling better, looking better, and even start attracting better.

6. “You are what you eat” holds true for them. Also, people are what they read, watch, and the company they keep, including who they choose to date. If you’d like to improve your dating game, try this platform.

7. They can keep a secret. (An important one.)

8. They greet people by name. Likable people make certain they use others’ names every time they see them.

9. Ask thoughtful questions. People like to know that others are listening, and a question shows that not only are they listening, they also care about what they’re saying.

10. Less is more when it comes to online social media profiles. Showing fewer things can make people more attractive.

America is beyond gone

Having to survive as a child, without support.

My Mom killed herself 3 weeks before my 6th birthday and my family fell apart. Up until then, I had a great life. I was the youngest of 4 siblings, had 4 sets of Aunts/Uncles/cousins and my Grandma. They were all local and we interacted frequently. We went to Grandma’s every Sunday and one of my Aunts was so close she would discipline /care for us just like our mom.

By my birthday, my Dad was dating one of the casserole ladies from church (they were bringing us dinner). I remember she bought me gifts. This may be when everyone bailed. My oldest brother (17yrs) left home and lived on the streets. My grandma and one Aunt/Uncle set moved to Vegas. My dad then married a slightly insane woman with 2 children of her own. She was cruel and seemed to want to destroy us kids. We pretty much never saw or heard from anyone again.

We were not adequately fed, clothed or cared for. My stepmother divided us siblings and pitted us against each other. She taught her children to torture us physically and emotionally, as well. It was bad. My dad played stupid and claimed helplessness. If we went to him, we got it worse the next day.

So began my journey of survival. I knew how to find bottles for deposit in trash cans and when I discovered food there too, I knew I was onto something. A year or so later, I learned I could get clothes from the school lost and found. I begged for food during lunch at school and I learned to steal food (candy, I must admit) from stores. After school I would hang around people that had mom’s who would feed me or I’d just hide in the bushes until I had to go into the house. I had to avoid my stepmother and step sisters at all costs at all times. If you were noticed, you were fucked.

This was 1970 and I guess the schools were not aware enough yet to get involved. I know it was pretty obvious that something was a off. I didn’t know how to brush my hair or teeth and it showed. My hair was literally a dirty mass of rats, my clothing – you can imagine, and my behavior was atrocious (I started acting out and bullying by 3rd grade).

I pretty much stumbled through my early life this way. I did not know how to interact so I never really had friends. I never paid attention in class or did any of the assignments and no one said a thing. I started babysitting and doing odd jobs for neighbors at 9yrs, which helped because I could buy things like shampoo or socks. I just had to be damn sure no one caught on or I would be fucked. If I had anything (anything!) it was destroyed and I was tortured. One day, a neighbor man called me into his garage and cut my hair for me. Of course, my stepmother’s rage was viscous and violent. After she was done she took scissors and destroyed my haircut.

I dropped out of high school and ended up couch surfing and slightly homeless until I could save enough money for an apartment at ~20 years old.

So now that I could manage my basic survival, it was time to learn how to interact with the world. I had the social skills of a traumatized 6 year old. I’m 53 now and still have a lot to learn about relationships and self care, but I know I’m not alone in that boat 🙂

Shout out for all the help and resources that I’ve had over the years. I do believe that I would not have made it without the generosity of others….mostly relative strangers who never asked for anything in return. One man cut my hair, one man co-signed a car loan, hundreds fed me. I could go on and on.

Thanks for listening.

I had gone to an ATM some time ago. It is located at an arcade/mall which is very popular with people of all ages. Lots of youngsters hang around this place till late at night.

On my way back I saw a florist and stopped to browse through some flower arrangements. One pani puri (savory dish) vendor is very close to this shop. A lady came there with a small boy of around five/six years and asked the vendor for one plate of pani puri. The boy was giving instructions to the vendor loudly and excitedly. That’s what attracted my attention. The lady and child were dressed in very ordinary, slightly tattered clothes. They were a little unkempt and disheveled in appearance. But the incessant chatter of the boy was super cute.

I was tempted by the smells too. So, decided to get a plate of chaat (street food) packed for the family. While I was waiting for my turn, two girls came there. They placed their order and then gesturing towards the mother son duo, told the guy “Inko dur karo pehle” (Move them away first)!

Whoa man! Did I hear correctly? This was my first reaction. Who did they think they were? Their snobbish attitude pissed me off big time! But, before I could utter a single word at their uncalled for behaviour, the vendor told them “Madam, inko abhi time lagega. Aap dusri jagah chale jao” (Serving them will take time. You proceed to some other vendor). And then, he calmly continued to hand out pani puris to the little munchkin.

A befitting reply by an unassuming, awesome guy! The girls stomped off. Their retreating backs made my chaat more delicious :p

Federal Reserve is a for-profit agency used by the oligarchy to keep Americans imprisoned

I got arrested in Jordan at rifle point, for snapping a photo of the U.S. Embassy in Amman. It looked like a giant microwave oven from the outside. Concrete barriers and metal barriers, barbed wire. I wanted to capture how surreal it was.

I didn’t know you can’t photograph the U.S. Embassy without permission, for security reasons. I was just standing around, waiting for my fellow journalists to finish breakfast at our hotel. I fired off a few shots.

The next thing I knew, a Jordanian soldier in a brown uniform was pointing a rifle at me and shouting in Arabic. He looked young and jittery—and that made me jittery. The rifle bobbed up and down.

Then he used a lot of hand gestures, forcing me inside the embassy. He followed behind me, the rifle at my back.

We went through what looked like an airline terminal, with all kinds of metal barriers, until we got to a booth where a U.S. Marine in military uniform was stationed. I showed him my U.S. passport.

“Give me your backpack,” he said.

Rats! I had tampons in the backpack. Anything to do with a woman’s body is just weird in the Middle East. It’s like you don’t want to have a body if you’re female. Although Jordan is more secular than most countries in that region, we’d been warned—and warned about how to dress.

Cover your legs. Wear blouses that hide your armpits. Don’t expose yourself.

Amman, the Jordanian capital, was a terrible place to run short of tampons. The day before, I’d had to ask a female guide to come with me, into a huge marketplace, down into a beehive of stores before we finally found a box. They were kept behind a counter, under lock and key. From the looks of disapproval, you would think I’d asked for heroin.

The Marine examined my passport and then emptied my backpack onto the counter. When the tampons tumbled out, his face turned red. He tried not to laugh. Same with the Jordanian.

“Why are you here?” the Marine asked.

“I just wanted to take a picture of the U.S. Embassy. It’s my embassy. Why can’t I do that?” I showed him my stupid little point and shoot camera. “Do you really think a terrorist would use a ridiculous camera like that?”

He shook his head. He laughed.

“Ma’am, you’re a U.S. citizen. You can do anything you want to in this embassy.”

He gestured to the Jordanian soldier, who escorted me out, without the rifle pointed at my back. It turned out he spoke a little English. We had a nice talk about how some of his family members wanted to immigrate to the U.S. Indeed, when we finally got outside, he showed me a long line of people waiting to apply for U.S. visas.

Then I looked across the street and saw the other journalists. They stared at me, open-mouthed. What the hell?

I wanted to join them, but the Jordanian soldier held me back.

“Please,” he said, with a courtly gesture. Then he smiled and waved toward the embassy. He insisted I photograph that hideous building from every possible angle. Then, at last, he let me go.

The other journalists were very jealous that I got arrested. They wanted to know every single detail. They could not get over it.

During the next week, we went to so many magnificent places—Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Madaba, Aljoun. We sailed on the Red Sea. We had tea with Queen Noor, a transplanted American, at her private villa. We had fabulous food in seaside restaurants, on family farms, and in a Bedouin tent way out in the desert. Everything was fresh, delicious, beautifully scented—and new to us. Everybody was so nice. It was an amazing journey.

But late at night when we got to drinking, somebody would always say:

“Candace got arrested. We will never top that.”

This happened to a close friend of my best bud.

He was dating this girl for over 2 years. They were like the best looking couple I have ever seen. They were living together in his house. Her family loved him and was happy that their golden child found her soulmate.

One day he caught her texting her ex. He was reading all her messages from his iPad which was synced with her phone. It was a boundary that was established earlier and she crossed it. However, he didn’t break up with her.

He started taking screenshots of all the messages and pics. After a month or so later, she decided to meet her ex at Vegas using “girl’s night“ as an excuse. She arranged two of her friends to give her cover while she was in Vegas. The second her flight took off, he changed his locks. He blocked her number and all of her social media. He called us to his house to help him pack her stuff and drop it at her friends house who “was in Vegas”. As a final f-u to her, he went to her parent’s house and told them what had happened. He also showed them all the screenshots and pics. They couldn’t believe that their golden child would do something so evil.

Her parents hate her now. She is now roommates with some druggies. One of the friend who tried to give her cover was dumped by her boyfriend for being a part of this plan.

Would recommend doing this to your cheating partner.

EDIT: Wow! This blew up real fast.

Many of you are wondering why her parents would hate their own child. Cheating did make them mad. But what made them hate her were the texts where she trashed everyone including her parents. One of which made fun of her mother’s weight issue and gave her parent’s marriage 6 months time after which she would hire someone to seduce her Dad as “he deserved someone hotter than mom”. I should have made that clear.

Corporate treatment of YOU

My son did his Doctorate in the US and began his Post Doctoral Career there

It was strenuous

He had a 3 year Bond with MOE in Singapore for his Masters Degree for which he had a Grant from the MOE (MOE = Ministry of Education)

He also had loans during his Doctorate to fund his expenses in US

Plus every single year they had to write a grant application and their salaries were dependent on the grant

It was literally begging for money and cutting many aspects of research due to lack of grant money.

Sometimes his wife who taught Middle School Maths earned better than he did

Then he applied for a Job at the NTU School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences to teach Data Science and Artificial Intelligence to Bachelor of Computing Students

While asking for a reference, his Professor from NTU advised him to apply for the position of Senior Researcher in China working on Interfacing for Regression Algorithms (Whatever it means) and application of the same for Autonomous navigation systems

A Chinese company was funding research for 10 years at a Chinese University

He asked for my advise

I said go for it

The Chinese company paid off his full loans in US and Singapore as a Bonus with only 50% repayable at no interest across 5 years

No begging for Grant money every year. Fixed pay, allowances, able to save much more

His daughter gets full waiver on private school fees as the school is within the university campus for all foreign faculty children

So no school fees

No fear of student gangs or kids selling drugs in school or transgender students or teachers

He plans to work 10 years in China and then move to Singapore as an Associate Professor and get a Citizenship there (He is still a PR)

The only small flaw is

First his house is a flat which is around 1300 SFT and at a nominal rent of 800 RMB (Owned by the Company)

In US he had a larger independent house with a lawn and driveway.

Second is Mandarin

He gets free classes on Saturdays but it’s a tough language. His daughter picks up faster, much faster.


So basically for a better life

Postdocs in US at University don’t have it as good as Postdocs in the Private Sector

China is a career changing option

He still is part of a start up in US and while he had to sign a lot of papers for the same in US , he doesn’t have to in China

1. Love is a feeling, not a decision.

2. People always relate to a person that they love with their best songs.

3. The average male spends 43 minutes a day staring at 10 different women.

4. If you want to know whether someone likes you or not, try to make them laugh. If the laughter comes easy, the answer is yes.

5. When you’re drunk, you will rate people on a higher scale.

6. You are more likely to be attracted to someone you have no chance with.

7. To attract the right type when online dating, choose a right application

over improving your profile.

8. We are more likely to love or hate people that are very similar to us.

9. Women are more influenced and persuaded by a man’s sense of humor than his looks.

10. Women tend to feel loved when talking face-to-face with their partners whereas men prefer to play or talk side-by-side.

All men want this.

All of us.

Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Israel’s allowed to bomb an Iranian consulate, but Iran’s not allowed to strike back. The US is allowed to surround China with war machinery, but it would be World War Three if China ever tried to militarily encircle the US. NATO is allowed to expand to Russia’s doorstep and amass proxy forces on its border, but the last time Moscow placed a credible military threat anywhere near the United States, the US responded so aggressively that the world almost ended.

The “rules-based international order” that the US-centralized power structure purports to uphold just means an order in which the US makes up the rules and nations had better obey them. It means rules for thee but not for me.

Democrats are currently committing genocide, pushing through terrifying NSA surveillance powers, and working to imprison a journalist for life for telling the truth about US war crimes, but it’s very important to support Biden because if Trump wins, fascism might come to America.

The Assange extradition case is like if the mafia was demanding a snitch be extradited to Italy and multiple nations collaborated with them to help make this happen, except in this case the snitch is a journalist who told the truth, and the mob happens to run a global superpower.

The imperial media are once again trotting out John Bolton to help sell the idea of war with Iran. This monster belongs in a cage, not on camera. The fact that the mainstream western press keep having this completely discredited bloodthirsty psychopath on their shows to advocate every possible US war proves that our entire civilization is diseased.

Israel’s actions over the last six months have made it abundantly clear that Biden’s stated goal of preventing the outbreak of more war in the middle east and his stated “ironclad” support for Israel are two mutually exclusive positions. You can do one or the other, but not both.

Outside the mainstream press the news about Ukraine is a nonstop deluge of stories about how badly things are going for them.

Here are some recent articles from Antiwar.com:

Ukraine’s Top General Says Situation on the Battlefield Has ‘Significantly Worsened’” discusses Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s acknowledgement that Russia is making steady gains and that the frontlines in Ukraine are at risk of collapsing wherever Russia focuses its offensive.

US General Says Russia’s Military Is Bigger Than Before Ukraine Invasion” quotes General Christopher Cavoli saying “The army is actually now larger — by 15% — than it was when it invaded Ukraine,” an acknowledgement that Washington’s stated goal of using this proxy war to “weaken” Russia has failed.

Russia Quickly Restores Oil Refinery Capability Hurt By Ukrainian Attacks” discusses how badly Russia is damaging Ukraine’s energy infrastructure compared to the damage Ukraine has been able to deal to Russia’s.

Here are a couple more from The Libertarian Institute:

US Official Admits Ukraine Proxy War Failing to Weaken Russia” features an acknowledgement from Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell that Russia has reconstituted nearly all of its military losses in Ukraine.

Ukraine Tightens Rules on Military Service, Angering Soldiers” reports on how “Ukraine’s legislature advanced multiple new laws that tighten rules on conscription and extend military services for those already in uniform.”

It’s absolutely criminal how the west pushed this country into sacrificing a generation to a war they always knew was unwinnable.

So much suffering and loss has been caused by the way people decided a long time ago that killing one person is murder and therefore immoral but killing thousands of people is “war” and therefore fine. The actual act is the same; only the narrative and the scale are different.

Around the mid-1800s humanity began to notice it doesn’t make sense for a small group of rich people to own everything and for everyone else to continually give that group labor, rent and expenses just to stay alive, and ever since then the media, the mainstream culture and the foreign policy of the ruling class have been intensely devoted to aggressively erasing this realization from humanity’s memory.

Yes. This is very odd.

China wants to literally dig its way around geopolitical challenges

A Beijing-funded shipping canal will reduce regional reliance on Vietnam, a fellow communist state and traditional rival
  1. When a woman no longer gets upset & frustrated with you, you can almost guarantee that she doesn’t care for you anymore.
  2. The pain that compels a man to remain silent is much more severe than pain that compels to shout.
  3. Even if they say they’re always there for you, sometimes you just can’t reach them.
  4. The world is full of players, be a game changer.
  5. The distance between your dream & reality is called action.
  6. Sometimes later becomes never, do it now.
  7. People who think they’re crazy enough to change the world are the ones who do.
  8. Never waste your feelings on someone who don’t value them.
  9. Appreciate what you’ve before it becomes what you had.
  10. Don’t tell people your plans. Show them your results.
  11. The only way to change who you’re is to change what you do.
  12. The older you get the calmer you get coz the older you get the more you realize none of the shit even matters.
  13. Don’t regret the things you’ve done. Regret the things you didn’t do when you had the chance.
  14. Sometimes it’s good to pretend that we don’t care.

American companies are looting Americans

New Mexico Chili con Carne

12JPCHILI2 articleLarge v3
12JPCHILI2 articleLarge v3

Ingredients

1 pound lean beef, coarsely ground
1 pound pork, coarsely ground
1/4 cup olive or peanut oil
1 onion, chopped coarsely
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, run through a food processor
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cilantro
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper sauce, to taste
1 quart cooked pinto or kidney beans (optional)

Instructions

Brown meat in hot oil in a large pot. Add onions and garlic while cooking.
Then add all other ingredients and three or more cups of water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender.

Notes

Chili con Carne with Frijoles: Add the quart of cooked beans.

Chili con Queso: Stir in shredded Cheddar cheese or canned cheese sauce with jalapeño peppers.

main qimg 20c5074a31487f36c0f903820a82f567
main qimg 20c5074a31487f36c0f903820a82f567

[Commenting on remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron regarding the Iranian response to the Israeli attack on the Iran's Consulate in Damascus.]

"I've learned something over the years—I know David Cameron personally, and I know a lot of British leaders.

For a long time, I just loved listening to them because they speak English so beautifully.

But what they say is so absurd, so stupid, yet it's so beautiful that it really had me fooled for many decades.

The British are the worst at this; they're even worse than the Americans because they had a longer imperial reign.

What empire does is make you so arrogant that you think you can say anything and squash anyone that opposes you.

It becomes a game to see what you can say that's so outrageous but so authoritative that you can get away with it.

And so, the British are the most hypocritical country in modern times.

They're not the most powerful—they used to be the most powerful—but they're the most hypocritical because they had the most violent, militaristic empire in the modern world.

They left behind all of these problems.

Now, they want to be a sidekick of the United States, cheerleading on but with their good old imperial ideas.

It's a kind of absurdity at this point, but it's a lot of nerve because—why are we in such a crisis in the Middle East?

Because Britain wrecked the Middle East after World War I."

Excerpt from remarks by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, American economist and academic, in an interview with Judge Napolitano, April 16, 2024.

Super loungin’

My former boss had bought a car when they were rolling out LoJack. They bought a ford explorer and got the LoJack added. They had just got LAPD up and running on the LoJack and they had the car for 6 months when one morning they let the dog out and saw their car drive off. They called the police the west valley lapd and lapd connected to the LoJack and they followed the car.

The car was tracked to Long Beach so lapd worked with LA county sheriff’s and California highway patrol and Long Beach police. The car was found by LoJack in a shipping container with several other stolen cars. The police were able to stop a large international stolen vehicle ring. They were able to link the container with several other containers.

The insurance company replaced the car and they buy LoJack with every car they buy. The car was held as evidence for the court cases. LoJack did what it was supposed to do. Since they happened to catch the car before the container was loaded on a ship they were able to put an end to a stolen car ring.

Around the same time there was a story in the Los Angeles times about a stolen Mazda that LoJack traced from Los Angeles to Mexico and with the Mexican police LoJack recovered the car in the living room of a house just outside of Tijuana. That car was returned to the owner.

China’s Xi Jinping holds a meeting with top American CEO’s.

My mom was a nurse. A navy nurse. I’d always known that and we saw her give allergy shots to one of our neighbors’ kid in exchange for his mother making dresses for us girls. This lady had two boys but loved to sew girls clothes and taking her son to the doctor every couple of weeks for his allergy shots was expensive. However, my mom stayed home to raise her children after I was born because they had saved up enough from both of them working and living with my mother’s parents to finally buy a house. My grandmother had looked after my brother and sister while my mother worked but I’d never seen her in action up until that time.

Around 1975 or there abouts, all seven of us were off in the old, dented gold station wagon on some trip or another to visit grandparents. One set had retired to Florida and the other lived in Michigan, so each was a long road trip from the Washington DC area where we lived. I was about eight or nine at the time.

One hot afternoon, we were coming along a road, when we saw an accident. A man’s car had crashed and he stumbled out of the car into the road, covered in blood and broken glass. I wonder now if he didn’t go through the windshield. My mom made my dad pull over so to give aid. I remember her having him sit down in the back passenger seat beside her, after rearranging the five kids, and me sitting next to her on the seat, with her back turned to me while she treated him. I had never seen anything as scary as that horrible, bloody mess in my entire life. I remember my younger sisters in the station wagon’s rear- facing back seat crying quietly and hiding their eyes. I probably was too. We had to stay in the parked car because my parents didn’t want any of us wandering off. I remember my older brother and sister’s shocked faces looking over the backs of the seats watching as much as they could stand and my brother handing my mother tissues or paper towels as she barked out commands for supplies. She has always carried a pair of bandage scissors in her purse and still does to this day. I remember her demanding that my dad and brother find them and using them to cut down compresses to the size she wanted. I remember getting sick and having to open the car door to throw up on the side of the road into the dusty grass. Hardly any notice was taken of this since I was not the point of crisis. At some point after that, my dad drove us all to the nearest gas station to call for help, since this was way before the advent of cell phones. They told us that the police had been called and help was on the way but to take the man back to the accident site to meet the responders. I just remember my mother’s fierce calm as she daubed away the blood and had him hold pressure on bleeding cuts as she assessed the condition and ruffled through his hair looking for more cuts, with the bits of broken glass tumbling off him. My parents had a hard time getting a clear story out of the man, who may have been in his late teens or early twenties. I don’t know if it was the effect of his injuries or if he was already impaired and that was what caused the one-car accident in the first place. The narrative of how it all played out is spotty after all these years but eventually the police must have come and taken him out of our car so we finally got back on our way. I remember finding little hexagons of broken glass in the car for a long time after that.

I know that it made a huge effect on all of us. As a child, my older brother had always wanted to be a paramedic, inspired by the TV show “Emergency,” but this was the first time that any of us had seen, heard and most importantly smelled the real thing. He went on to join the army. Pretty much all five of us have gone on to be tough, strong nerved and calm in a crisis. We now all know basic first aid and have the wherewithal to step up in an emergency and do what needs to be done.

While in the army, my brother contracted a viral infection overseas and was in a coma for a few days. My mother held it together and communicated with the doctors and got us all the vital information we so desperately longed for on my brother’s condition. She calmed and reassured us.

I know that in college, while working security, my brother had given CPR to a man who dropped dead from a heart attack in front of him and another security guard. My brother was taking action, directing people to call for help while he assessed the man and began chest compressions. He was shocked that the other security guard just stood there, sullenly, refusing to help or to do anything as my brother directed him to begin mouth to mouth. The patient could not be revived and died. My brother was so angry, upset and disgusted and thought that there may have been some racial prejudice on the part of the other guard. He blamed and yelled at the other guard for his stupidity for not even phoning for the emergency service. The dying man’s adult son had to do that while being practically incoherent with worry over his father. The concept of not helping when one could help was so entirely foreign to my brother, thanks to being my mother’s son.

My mother told him that her first CPR patient had also died and that actually reviving people is not very common. My mom said that she, a tiny little student nurse, was sitting astride a great, fat man as they wheeled him into the emergency room. The man had had an aortic aneurysm burst and all my mothers’ chest compressions were just making him bleed out faster.

Once, my year-old nephew choked on a bit of gristle from a spare rib. My mother grabbed him, turned him over, swatted him on his back, then reached up with her finger and dislodged the obstruction from his airway, all before my sister could finish dialing 911. She literally saved his life in front of us all.

When her own mother slipped away into a coma from failing kidneys, my mom and her brother made the clear-eyed, rational decisions to stop invasive medical intervention and withdraw life support in accordance with the living will that my grandparents had signed and that I had signed as a witness. Even though I knew that this was my grandmother’s repeatedly stated and expressed directive, I wasn’t ready to let her go and couldn’t watch to the end. I finally went into another room to sleep in a chair while my mother and her brother stood on either side of my grandmother and held her hand through that endless night as she died. My dad and I had to do the same thing a few years later when his father was declared irretrievably brain dead after a car accident. I know my mother’s example helped me to step up for my dad and my uncles that second, horrible night. My mom couldn’t get there until the next day.

A few years ago, my brother broke his thigh into five pieces on his 89th and final military static line jump just before he retired from the military. My parents were out of town, skiing, and my older sister and I each drove from Florida and the DC area respectively, to be with him in North Carolina. My sister had to go back to work so I ended up staying to care for him after they released him from the hospital. He needed personal care day and night, wound care and supervision about his meds. Percocet made it hard for him to keep track of what he had taken. He was in a wheel chair that needed to be hauled into and out of the car. It was exhausting. My parents got there by the following weekend. I remember all four of us and the wheel chair all crammed into the orthopedic surgeon’s tiny office, looking at X-rays and discussing his future prognosis. After a week, I had to get home to my child, my dad had to go back to teach skiing and my five foot-two, seventy-four year old mother stayed and looked after my 5′9″, 180 lb brother for another six weeks until they could transfer his out-patient care to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Then he stayed with my parents and she continued to look after him for months until he got back on his feet.

She’s delivered babies, given birth to her own five babies, waited while her grandchildren were being born and given last rites to a stillborn child while a navy nurse. She can give commands that make sailors, marines, corpsmen and kids jump to order. She’s talked down psych patients in psychotic episodes. She’d given me some of my vaccinations. She helped give her mother insulin shots and when I had to take a course of injections which I hated, she gave me shots when I couldn’t reach the injection site on the back of my right arm.

My mom was a registered nurse, a Navy Lt. JG, an emergency room nurse, a pediatric nurse, a public health nurse and a psyche nurse. She is calm, collected and brave. She’ll be eighty next year. She is a still a total bad ass. As I said in the comments, she’s now had both knees replaced so on top of everything else, she’s now a cyborg.

Update: Someone in the comments said that this story inspired them to take first aid classes. That is absolutely the sort of inspiration that my mother would want to be. That, nursing school, sound nutrition, exercise, Catholicism and taking up skiing. So, you know, take your pick.

U.S./EU Lobby Against Georgian Law That Would Reveal Their Secret Influence

The government of Georgia has tried for some time to implement a law “On transparency of foreign influence”. Its aim is to publicly identify organizations and parties who receive a significant amount of their budget from abroad:

The draft law “In order to ensure transparency”, initiated for the second time by the Georgian Dream faction, envisages the registration of such non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities and media outlets, whose income – more than 20% – is received from abroad as an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power. According to the project, everyone who is considered an “organization carrying the interests of a foreign power” must be registered in the public register under the same name in a mandatory manner. At the time of registration, it will be necessary to reflect the received income. At the same time, the organizations will have the obligation to fill in the financial declaration every year.

Those organization who currently receive money from the various U.S. or EU government or non-government organizations are of course not amused that they will have to reveal their association with such sources. They want to lobby for foreign positions without being identified as foreign influencers.

They have therefore launched protests against their country’s government and parliament which has passed the law in the first reading. Two further readings will be required to finalize the law.

The protesters against the law claim that it is a “Russian law” against “foreign agents”.

Since 2012 Russia does have a law that is somewhat similar to what Georgia is attempting to implement but such type of laws are certainly not a Russian intervention:

Supporters of the [Russian version of the] law have likened it to similar legislation in the US that requires lobbyists employed by foreign governments to reveal their financing.

The U.S. equivalent to the Russian and Georgian law is of course the much older Foreign Agents Registration Act:

The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) (22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq.) is a United States law that imposes public disclosure obligations on persons representing foreign interests. It requires “foreign agents”—defined as individuals or entities engaged in domestic lobbying or advocacy for foreign governments, organizations, or persons (“foreign principals”)—to register with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and disclose their relationship, activities, and related financial compensation.

FARA was enacted in 1938 primarily to counter Nazi propaganda, with an initial focus on criminal prosecution of subversive activities; since 1966, enforcement has shifted mostly to civil penalties and voluntary compliance.For most of its existence, FARA was relatively obscure and rarely invoked; since 2017, the law has been enforced with far greater regularity and intensity, particularly against officials connected to the Trump administration. Subsequent high-profile indictments and convictions under FARA have prompted greater public, political, and legal scrutiny, including calls for reform.

FARA is administered and enforced by the FARA Unit of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) within the DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD). Since 2016, there has been a 30 percent increase in registrations; as of November 2022, there were over 500 active foreign agents registered with the FARA Unit.

The Washington Post, without mentioning the long standing FARA law which is at least as strict as the new Georgian one, falsely insists that the original idea of the new Georgian law is indeed Russian:

Georgia pushes Russian-style ‘foreign agent’ law, putting E.U. bid at risk

Georgia’s Parliament voted Wednesday to advance deeply contentious legislation aimed at cracking down on “foreign agents” — an echo of a similar law in Russia that has been used to crush political dissent.In Georgia, the bill has sparked huge street protests and drawn condemnation, including from President Salome Zourabichvili, who is not a member of the Georgian Dream political party, which controls Parliament and the government.

Zourabichvili and other critics say the bill is itself an instrument of foreign interference — backed by Russia and intended to undermine Georgia’s bid to join the European Union.

On Tuesday evening, as some protesters clashed with police in the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, Zourabichvili said the bill was evidence of Russian meddling.

However neither is the law “Russian style” – it is a copy of FARA – nor does the law include the loaded word “agent”. It does not accuse anyone of being such but seeks public transparency over foreign financial influences which would of course also include Russian ones.

The protests against the law look like an attempt of a typical color revolution:

17 Apr 23:15 – “Let’s demand that the Prime Minister talks to us” – rally participants moved towards the government administrationAfter Levan Tsutskiridze, co-founder of the “European Platform of Georgia” group, announced the plan of action, demonstrators headed towards the government chancellery and demanded a meeting with the Prime Minister. Tsutskiridze proposed demanding that the government repeal the law and release those detained the day before. Police and security forces are strengthening their cordon near the chancellery building.

At 21:30 rally participants presented an ultimatum to the authorities demanding the repeal of the law and gave them one hour to make this statement.

Attempts to storm or blockade government buildings have been pushed back. The government is holding firm. It has a solid majority in parliament and can outvote a potential presidential veto.

Every Georgian decision maker has the Ukrainian “Maidan revolution” in mind during which the opposition used snipers (allegedly from Georgia!) shot at police as well as protesters.

We can be sure that the Georgian government is aware and well prepared for such an escalation.

The law is likely to pass. Soon thereafter a majority of the organizations which currently organize the street protests against the law will have to admit that they are the foreign paid influencers the law is aimed at to reveal their dubious interests.

Posted by b on April 18, 2024 at 13:12 UTC | Permalink

  1. Take a cold shower in the morning to increase alertness.
  2. Similarly, eat an apple in the morning instead of consuming caffeine to increase alertness.
  3. Pick your work outfit the night before, so that you don’t waste time messing up your closet in the morning.
  4. Create your lunch the night before, to give you more time to eat breakfast in the morning.
  5. Create food in batches. Put the food in containers and place them in the freezer. Food lasts longer this way.
  6. Get into the habit of cleaning as you go. Don’t leave the mess to build up. It’ll only cause you to feel more stressed and anxious.
  7. Don’t hoard items. If you don’t need something, throw it away.
  8. Keep your workspace tidy and file all important information away in an organised manner.
  9. Talk about your feelings, no matter how hard it may seem. If you can’t talk, write.
  10. When you need to reflect or think, take a long walk.
  11. Get into the habit of saving money. Put aside a percentage of your earnings every week.
  12. Find time for yourself. It’s important to let your body rest. Sometimes, it’s okay to simply do nothing.
  13. Take short breaks during work as this will help you remain focused.
  14. Adopt a positive mindset. When something doesn’t go your way, learn from it and if it brings you ease, tell yourself that it could have been worse.
  15. Engage in meditation, prayer or mindfulness.
  16. Read every single day, to increase your vocabulary and to gain knowledge.
  17. Ask questions. If you don’t understand something, ask for help.
  18. Get into the habit of saying ‘no’ when you need to.
  19. Drink plenty of water, every day.
  20. Control your junk food intake.
  21. Remove make-up before you go to sleep.
  22. Eat chocolate in moderation. Or alternatively, eat a sweet fruit.
  23. If you don’t like water, drink flavoured water.
  24. Exercise daily. If you’re too busy, take a 10 minute walk.
  25. When you’re studying, remove all distractions, including your phone. Try to study somewhere, other than your bedroom.
  26. If you find social media distracting, deactivate or delete the app. It really isn’t that hard.
  27. Spend time with those you love. Those are the memories you want to hold on to forever.

The BRICS Just Secretly Acquired These 3 Assets To Crash The US Economy | Andy Schectman

A different view point. A little dry for me personally, but suggest that the Global South has all things in hand.

No not at all. Americans are threaten with better cars that they will drool over and they will loved to own and it will cost them half of they will pay for the US brands and giving them twice their mileage with the same dollar they spend on their present gas guzzler and a third of the cost to maintain it.

That is the real threat the American government are worried about for its citizens. Getting value for money. It needs to protect its so call too big to fail corporations that sells you overpriced and underperforming vehicles by profiteering on the ooor and the middle class in the U.S.

Is that the threat? Ask your government if you guys are not made brain dead by the U.S. government!

Ancient marine reptile found on UK beach may be the largest ever

The jawbone of an ichthyosaur uncovered in south-west England has been identified as a new species, and researchers estimate that the whole animal was 20 to 25 metres long

Washed up on shore
Washed up on shore

By Chen Ly

The 200-million-year-old fossilised remains of an ancient ichthyosaur, unearthed on a beach in south-west England, may be part of the largest marine reptile ever found.

In 2020, amateur fossil hunters stumbled across a giant chunk of bone at Blue Anchor beach in Somerset. Upon further inspection, Dean Lomax at the University of Manchester, UK, and his colleagues quickly realised that it was a jawbone fragment of a giant ichthyosaur – a kind of reptile that roamed the oceans between 250 and 90 million years ago.

Subsequent digs at the beach have uncovered 11 more fragments, allowing the team to partially piece together a bone that sits in the back of the jaw called a surangular.

This latest discovery comes after a 2018 report that described a similar ichthyosaur jawbone found on a different Somerset beach. At the time, the team didn’t have enough evidence to determine its species.

“It was very clear that this was another one of these giant jawbones,” says Lomax. “So I was very, very excited.”

My landlord sent me a text once and told me “you know you’re not allowed to sublet” I just asked her what she meant. She said that she had reason to believe that I was subletting. I explained that I share a 1 bedroom apartment with my adult daughter and couldn’t imagine where I would put anyone else. Then asked her what led her to believe this. She said that multiple people had been seen coming and going from the property carrying luggage and other belongings. I explained that is the neighborhood just north of me who rents out her spare room on short term rental. She insisted that it was me. So I asked where she got her information. She insisted that she had parked across the street and watched it. I said so you’re watching me? She stated that she has the right to keep an eye on her property. I said well of course you do but I have difficulty believing that you drove the several hours from your home to mine to just watch me when it takes several weeks and at least 2 rescheduled appointments to get you to come make repairs. She made a snarky comment about how if I don’t like it I can leave but she stopped making accusations and now leaves me alone. For me I believe it was the neighbor on the other side of my duplex who has been complaining about me since I moved in.

I took my dad to a Starbucks….once. Dad had previously managed the largest coffee roasting plant in the world. The man knew coffee. At the time we visited Starbucks, dad was older and more feeble. I thought he would enjoy it.

First of all, the sizes. Who is Starbucks trying to impress? When your seventy or eighty something, the sizes are small, medium, large, and I guess extra large. Not eenie, meenie, miney or whatever words they think are so cool. The man who has been drinking coffee since before your founder was born knows that.

Dad had to talk to the barista. I don’t know and he didn’t know if being a barista is a career path or not. To Dad, that kid behind the counter was regarded pretty much like the kid at McDonald’s McD’s may have been held higher. Dad loved fries. But dad wanted to talk with the barista. “What kind of coffee are you serving?” The kid responded. Not the answer Dad wanted. Dad asked about the roasting, the blending, and the grinding of the coffee (apparently there are several ways to grind coffee or dad, at this point was yanking the kid’s chain about the grinding.). None the less, the kid was deemed to be “an idiot”, who according to dad, “ Didn’t know a “damn thing” about coffee.” Dad schooled the kid in coffee. Foam or no foam? Foam? This isn’t laundry; this was coffee. And, according to Dad, if the coffee is decent, you “don’t need all that crap.” No foam.”

Then finally, it was time to actually drink the coffee. I am not a fan of Starbucks, but said nothing. Dad had plenty to say. None of it was good. Dad told the kid that he had “burned” the coffee or he had some bad beans. The kid looked at me for a rescue on this one. I shrugged and shook my head trying to explain that, sorry, your coffee has never tasted right to me.

We left and I took Dad someplace where I knew he would get a good cup of coffee. But that day, in Starbucks where patrons normally act as if they were enjoying the nectar of Gods instead of a cup of coffee, my dad’s interactions were pretty inappropriate. Go Dad!

The perfect skillet and radio

I moved a lot as a child and went to many many schools. I did get to go to the same school, my junior and senior year. I was always the skinny new girl with kinky hair and crooked eyes. My eyes were crooked because I was blind in my right eye from birth and it just sort of wandered around in my head and did whatever it wanted. My parents had had it operated on twice to try to fix the muscles but the problem was that the eye was blind and that was that ( when I was 32 the Cleveland clinic put titanium muscles in my eye and made it look almost normal)

I was always in the new kid, the funny looking kid, but I was also the smart kid. My junior year I was placed in an honors class in English with the most disgusting teacher I have ever met. He was so loved by his students. He was certainly not loved by me. He loved to tease me about my crooked eyes. He also consistently stated to the class that nothing of any value ever came from south of the Mason Dixon line, a quote from HL Mencken, the journalist in the scopes monkey trials. The fact that I was from Ohio, which was north of the Mason Dixon line, sort of escaped him.

in addition to his constant insults, one day he slapped me in the face with a paper I wrote. Actually he slapped me three times. I pretty much think that was the most disrespectful thing that a teacher did to me. His reason for slapping me was that I had not developed my paper sufficiently. to punish me, he made me write it over and I did. It was 32 typewritten pages, and he read the entire thing to the class page by page.

However, in the end I won. One day he was standing next to my desk and he was laughing. He threw his head back and his upper plate fell out on my desk and rattled around like “chattering teeth”. and then came to rest next to my pencil, I just looked up and smiled at him. he taught the rest of the class that day holding his false teeth in his hand and trying to talk properly without them. I might’ve felt sorry for I am if it wasn’t for the fact that he thought my crooked eye was so funny. On my high school class page on Facebook, the story of the chattering teeth has been recounted many times, even by people who weren’t in the class. In my high school yearbook the valedictorian of my class wrote “to hell with HL Mencken “

 

Chili Chicken Tortilla Soup

By Rena Awada | Updated On March 26, 2024

Chili lime chicken tortilla soup
Chili lime chicken tortilla soup

Make this Chili Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe for a warm and comforting meal all year round. It is easy to make, filling, and packed with flavor. Enjoy this filling and hearty soup any day of the week as a main or side dish.

Soups are very comforting when the weather gets colder. They are filling and easy to make when you only have an hour on hand to come up with dinner. This easy chicken tortilla soup has the bold flavors of chili and Mexican flavors all in one bowl. Made with shredded chicken breast, black beans, corn, and a handful of bold spices. Serve this Mexican chicken soup recipe as a main dish or a side dish along with the main course. For a creamy version of tortilla soup check out our Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe or you can also try our super tasty Chicken Enchilada soup. You may also like this Chicken Chili Recipe

Chili lime chicken tortilla soup 5
Chili lime chicken tortilla soup 5

Recipe Summary

  • Comforting and filling: This chicken tortilla soup with bold chili flavors is packed with fiber and protein to make a comforting and filling meal.
  • Easy to make: all you need is 30 minutes to make this easy and healthy chicken soup.
  • Tasty: Packed with flavor. You will love it.

Ingredients you will need

  • Olive Oil: any other oil of choice can be used like avocado oil.
  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: you may also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
  • Sweet Onion: or any onion you have on hand
  • Garlic Cloves minced: we do recommend using fresh garlic cloves for optimal flavor.
  • Red Chili (or to taste): this is optional if you can’t handle spice.
  • Spices: Ground Cumin, Chipotle Powder, or Chili Powder
  • Cherry Tomatoes or diced fire-roasted tomatoes: these can be purchased in cans or you can make your own at home.
  • Low Sodium Chicken Broth: you may use vegetable broth.
  • Black Beans: rinsed and drained
  • Corn: can be Fresh or frozen corn can be used
  • 2 Limes– Juiced, you may use lemons if you do not have lime.
  • Tortillas: cut into 1/4-inch strips
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cooking Spray

How to make chicken tortilla soup

  • Heat olive oil In a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, chili, and seasonings, and cook until onion softens about 4 minutes.
  • Add chicken breast, canned tomatoes, broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and spray it with cooking spray.
  • Add tortilla strips in a single layer and fry until golden brown and crispy, on both sides. You might need to work in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, remove from soup and shred it.
  • Add chicken back to the pot together with beans, corn and lime juice. Mix to combine then simmer for a couple of minutes more.
  • Serve soup hot with crispy tortilla strips on top and enjoy!

Chili lime chicken tortilla soup 4
Chili lime chicken tortilla soup 4

1993 Labor Day weekend my girlfriend at the time, now my wife of 30 years and I went to Lake Tahoe. On the way home at the highest point of the highway crossing the Sierras my car stopped like it had overheated. We pulled off to the side of the highway and waited for it to cool off. About 30 minutes later a California Highway Patrol officer pulled up behind us. We explained that we might have overheated and the engine had quit on us. He said that this was regular patrol area and he would come back and check on us. Well two hours later the car would not start, temperature was dropping fast outside and we just had a couple of sweatshirts and a jacket for warmth. We decided to try to take a nap until the officer returned to help us. The officer never came back to check on us. We slept in the car while coyotes and other wild animals could be heard making noises right outside the car. This was absolutely terrifying and bone chilling to say the least. At first light we realized we were parked right next to the entrance of a PG&E substation and people were arriving for work. We went down and explained to them our situation and asked if we could first use the facilities and freshen up. Then one of them helped us get in touch with the Ford dealer about 20 minutes away. They sent out a tow truck to pick us and the car up. Being it was Labor Day they were closed and only the tow trucks were there. The driver got all our information and helped us find a rental car to get back home to San Francisco. A couple of days later we got a phone call saying that we had a blown engine but the car was still under a factory warranty and we were covered by it. The service advisor also told us that the first $30 per day of the rental car was covered by the warranty. They would be replacing the engine with a brand new one and it would take two weeks to complete as they had to submit the paperwork to Detroit for fulfillment. So all in all, we spent an uncomfortable and scary night in a place we had no way of communicating with the outside world because it was in the days when only the affluent people had cellular phones. We survived the night and ended up with a new engine in the car for a nominal price.

Europe is not more civilized; it is just that for the past 500 years it has controlled the narrative because of colonialism.

Now that the economic center of the world is moving to Asia and Africa, that period is ending because Asia and Africa are the population centers of the world, with the most economic activity.

The period of European privilege is ending now.

I used to work at a tech support call center. So when the pastor down the street started experiencing problems with his computer, his wife called me to see if I could help. I was not a member of their congregation, but it was a small town and we all helped each other when we could.

His computer had been infected with a virus, and it was not difficult to delete it. But his browser was terribly slow, the home page had been changed to an adult website, and there were multiple bookmarks for po’n sites.

I updated his antivirus and ran a scan. After clearing out the malware, I fixed the browser, deleting all the adult bookmarks and keeping the ones he wanted to keep.

His wife seemed to have no idea how it happened, but it was obvious to me. He’d been looking at po’n and clicked something that infected his computer. He sat there like a deer in the headlights. He said something about clicking a link in an email he got, and that’s when all the problems started. I didn’t want to cause any problems between him and his wife, so I just warned him not to click on any links that came from people he didn’t trust.

I’ve had a couple people pay for hotel rooms for a night, and let me tell ya – it’s a godsend.

How? Well, one time, when it was storming really bad in Southern California – someone I love dearly paid three nights for a room right down the street. For the first time in a couple years I was free of my wardrobe and tent – suitcase and backpack – so I went to a movie and had a nice dinner out.

I felt human for the first time in years. A fresh hot shower rather than a bird bath, a warm comfortable room while it stormed outside. It’s little things like this that reminded me I was human – and let’s be clear – in the weeks leading up to this – I’d been pushed WELL beyond my breaking point and had literally planned on murdering this junkie on meth who kept threatening me with a knife on a random basis prior to this point, as I was sleeping with one eye opened and police were unable to do anything about it.

Most people don’t understand that being homeless is about as dehumanizing as it gets. Society has a tendency of treating violent offenders better than someone that’s broke and homeless, which in my opinion – pushing me, a peaceful man who has never been in a fight in my life – to the point of premeditated considerations of murder – has homelessness as being one of the biggest existential threats to modern society. If you’ve never been through it. You simply wouldn’t understand.

But that motel. Just for a couple nights. Made me finally swallow my pride, look at the predictable trajectory homelessness was going to take me and what it was going to turn me into…

And finally agree to accept my mom and dad’s offer for a couch to sleep on in a warm house.

Rest assured. That motel room saved someone’s life. I’m being straight up 100% honest with you there. I’d mentally prepared myself to begin taking the law into my own hands, and I was fine knowing I’d never suffer any consequences from it because the needs of homeless people and the poverty stricken, to this society and world – don’t fuckin matter.

To most, anyways. To those few who did care. That room at just the perfect time changed my life, and prevented the death of someone else who society didn’t care about anyways.

I dont like knowing that part of me exists. I scared even myself. So I don’t believe it was coincidence that room came at the perfect time for me.

Is China producing too much? US ‘overcapacity’ accusations: new tactic in economic war

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup

By Rena Awada | Updated On March 29, 2024

This Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is so creamy, thick, and easy to make. Loaded with hearty shredded chicken and beans, it is a crowd-pleasing soup that’s full of your favorite Mexican flavors and very comforting and delicious.

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 7
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 7

Enchilada soup is one of the most flavorful soup recipes that is not only filling and comforting, but it is full of flavor and a crowd-pleasing soup recipe that will put a smile on everyone’s face. This soup is loaded with beans, chicken, and all the Tex-Mex flavors you love all in one delicious bowl of soup. Easy-to-make Creamy Chicken Enchilada soup is perfect for any night of the week. Especially on a busy weeknight when you need dinner ready in no time.

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 6
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 6

Reasons to love this soup

  • Best-tasting soup ever: The taste of this soup is seriously out-of-this-world good.
  • Filling: This soup will keep you full, happy, and satisfied. Perfect for lunch or as a light dinner.
  • Healthy and good for you: Packed with fiber and protein, this soup is good for you in every way.

Ingredients you will need

  • Butter or Ghee: to keep this on the healthier side, you do not have to use butter. You may use avocado oil.
  • Onion: use white sweet onions or cooking onions
  • Veggies: Celery Stalks, Carrot, Red Bell Pepper,
  • Beans: Red Kidney Beans and Black Beans
  • Seasonings: Ground Cumin, Chili Powder, Dried Oregano
  • Garlic Cloves: do use fresh garlic
  • One can of Diced fire-roasted Tomatoes
  • Tomato Paste
  • Fresh or Frozen Sweet Corn: you may use canned corn if that’s all you have and you don’t want to make a trip to the grocery store.
  • Shredded Cooked Chicken: make your own chicken or get a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. To prepare your own, check out our post on How to poach chicken breast.
  • Low-Sodium Chicken Broth– If you plan to poach your own chicken you may save the broth from that.
  • Mexican Shredded Cheese Blend for garnishing, or you may also use Monterey jack cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to your taste
  • Optional: If you prefer to add some enchilada sauce, you can. We didn’t but it certainly won’t hurt and will add some flavor to the soup.

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 2
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 2

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

This chicken enchilada soup recipe is made on the stovetop. We will also be showing you further how to make it on your crockpot, slow cooker, and instant pot. Note: Recipe calls for cooked shredded chicken. Either get a storebought rotisserie chicken and use that or cook your own at home using chicken breast (scroll down to learn how to cook the chicken for your enchilada soup).

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 7
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 7

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 6
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 6

Creamy chicken enchilada soup
Creamy chicken enchilada soup

To make enchilada soup on your stovetop:

  • Prepare vegetables and ingredients: Set up all the ingredients and get your shredded chicken ready.
  • Cook vegetables: Add butter or oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. First, add the onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and cook until softens, about 5-6 minutes. Then, stir in seasonings, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  • Cook and prep soup: Lower the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until veggies are very tender.
  • Blend: remove from heat and using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy. (This is optional if you don’t want to blend you can skip this step).
  • Add beans and chicken: Place the soup back over medium heat and add in beans, corn and shredded cooked chicken. Stir to combine and boil for a couple of minutes, just to heat it all up.
  • Serve: Pour into bowls and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

SOUP TOPPING Options

Endless toppings to come up with, but here are some optional toppings you can add to your creamy chicken enchilada soup are:

  1. Chopped avocado
  2. Sliced jalapeño
  3. Fresh chopped cilantro
  4. Green onions
  5. Lime wedges
  6. Crushed Tortilla Chips
  7. Sour cream or yogurt etc.
  8. Shredded Cheese

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 8
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 8

How to cook chicken for enchilada soup

Cooking the chicken is quite simple. You can use any pot or a dutch oven. It would be easiest to use a rotisserie chicken but you can certainly cook your own. We recommend using skinless and boneless chicken breasts.

  • Add chicken into a pot full of water
  • We like adding some sort of herbs to give the chicken some flavor. Use half an onion and a bay leaf. sometimes we use a cinnamon stick but not for this particular recipe.
  • Allow boiling for about 15-20 minutes until you easily insert a knife or a fork through the chicken.
  • Then, drain it in a colander and let it cool off. Or you can just remove the chicken and place it on a cutting board while you save the chicken stock.
  • Finally, using your hands or forks, shred chicken.
  • If you have an Instant pot, you can simply make this Instant Pot Chicken Breast to use in this enchilada soup.

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 8
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 8

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 4
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 4

How to make enchilada soup using an instant pot, crockpot or slow cooker

There are other ways to make chicken enchilada soup other than using your stovetop. Here are other ways to cook up your soup.

How to use an Instant Pot:

  • Using the saute option, add the oil or butter in the instant pot, then add the onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and cook until softens, about 5-6 minutes.
  • If using raw chicken, add in with the veggies in the previous step at the bottom.
  • Add in the seasonings, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth.
  • Next, add in the beans, corn, and shredded cooked chicken (if using pre-cooked shredded chicken). Stir to combine.
  • Then, place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal. Using the “manual” setting, cook on high pressure for 10-12 minutes.
  • Allow the instant pot to natural release for 10 minutes or so before doing a quick release.
  • Finally, remove the lid from Instant Pot, shred the chicken (if used raw whole chicken breast), and serve with your favorite toppings.
  • Note: You may remove a portion of the soup towards the end. Blend it and then add it back into the soup. Mix and serve.

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 2
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 2

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 6
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 6

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 8
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 8

How to use a crock-pot or slow cooker

  • In a pan or skillet, add oil or butter over medium-high heat add the onions, celery, carrots, bell pepper, garlic and cook until softens, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Transfer to crockpot or slow cooker and add in the seasonings, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth.
  • Then, add in beans, corn, and shredded cooked chicken. Stir to combine cover and set it on High for 2 hours or low for 4 hours if using cooked chicken.
  • Note: You may add raw chicken breasts to the crockpot or slow cooker right before you add in the veggies at the very bottom and set it to cook longer. 6 hours on low and 4 hours on high. Then towards the end use a fork to shred the chicken.
  • Also Note: You may remove a portion of the soup towards the end. Blend it and then add it back into the soup. Mix and serve.

Creamy chicken enchilada soup 2
Creamy chicken enchilada soup 2

Fun cat pictures

From my archives

SNAG 0079
SNAG 0079

SNAG 0078
SNAG 0078

SNAG 0076
SNAG 0076

Why Pass Port bros find Foreign Women

Japan despite massive massive disadvantages in firepower, military numbers and culture has a massive chance against China. Why? This man and the general state of the leadership is far too conservative. As well as their age.

If you’ve ever played a game before like Rimworld, 7 days to die, Project Zomboid. There’s a setting called Builder. Here’s the menu on Project Zomboid.

It literally says builder: Construction, Exploration and farming focus.

So sure he’s got 3000 hours in game and all the achievements of that…But it’s a crippling overspecialisation.

Martial arts are sometimes like this.

You need close range, mid range, long range, grapple, strength and conditioning to give and take hits. Wing Chun is excellent at close range, but they never condition themselves so boxers eat them alive. The current leadership are far too conservative as such when there’s easy and obvious ways to punish those who literally want us dead? What the hell do they do?

NOTHING!

Taiwan.

It’s not recognised by the UN, it’s not part of the WTO. The poliburo could immediately stop all business with them tomorrow and there’s NOTHING they could do about it. We could literally cause a 50% collapse in the economy TOMORROW.

Yet they don’t do it.

Even my dad who is actually older than Xi did some squeezing of bollocks in his time. He was a beansprout man and his group held a total monopoly on Chinese goods in the UK and he squeezed a few bollocks with his position.

You can write about oh but it’s only a matter of time.

The USD will collapse! (though the USD doesn’t actually need to collapse it’s in such shit that a few % will make a huge difference, US military budget cuts are a real thing because of the debt).

It sounds almost like Joseph Wang, if you ever read his stuff from years ago? He literally said he allowed white Americans to beat him up and offered no resistant. To somebody like me and many others that’s a what the fuckty fuck type situation? Somebody attacks you? You’re going to give them as good as they give you.

So back to the original question?

If Japan starts to militarise again and they’re doing so right now? There’s going to be a huge aversion to fight and you don’t even need me to spell out whose going to have the aversion.

So while China is far more powerful and many of us especially us overseas types are far far more violent than any local Chinese or Japanese. It’s hampered by the fact that the leadership is playing civilisation on builder mode.

I mean at the very least you could have some big weapons tests. Even N Korean leader Kim has done some test launches.

Putin scares the living daylights out of westerners with his SARMAT tests in 2022.

Hope not

The Strategy is clear

Iran sent 158 Shaheed Drones and 27 Cruise Missiles on Israel at a cost of $ 9 Million

Israel intercepted 150+ Drones over Jordan and Syria and Lebanese and 21 Cruise Missiles at an estimated cost of $ 115 Million

6 Missiles hit the targets – An Airbase in Negev plus two military docking centres in Haifa Port

The cost ratio is 9:115 or 1:13 approximately

Iran is thus depleting Israeli (Western) missiles and AD on a large scale from reserves

Today alone around 100+ Missiles were launched by Israel

This means in 10 days, Israel would need 1000–1200 missiles forcing the West to divert stocks to Israel while Iran has low cost cheap drones and cheap missiles and decoy missiles

If the West spends more and more money and weapons on Israel further depleting their stocks

Russia gains immensely as Russia outproduces NATO by 3:1 in Missiles and 12:1 in Artillery Ammunition

And of course China

The more West is mired in the Middle East, even lesser chance of the West to take on China who can produce on war footing, more missiles in a month than Nato can produce in 2 1/2 years as per experts

Leaving Japan, Philippines to take on China who today can more than easily take them out

Same reason


If this is WWIII, the West will likely lose today

Unless it becomes Nuclear…

A friend of mine I England, mentioned one day at the pub( bar) that he could do with a cleaner as his old 1700’s mill house was getting too much for him. Next morning there was a sharp knocking on his door, he opened it and a large Middle aged lady pushed by him into the room and said, “ I’m Jean, your new cleaner, let’s have a look at this mess!” He never had a chance to say a word, just stood there dumb. “ Right , where’s the cleaning cupboard?” He pointed in the right direction. Muttering to herself she set about cleaning , “ I’ll be a long while yet you can make yourself scarce untill supper time. “ He went out back to the pub and sat at the bar in a daze as he nursed his pint of beer. He returned to his house in the evening, everything was clean and tidy, Jean was sat down in the kitchen having a cup of tea. “ Umm, how much do I owe you?” He stuttered. All she said was, “ that garden shed has to be cleared out yet!” I’ll attend to that tomorrow. I’ll be staying in the upstairs front bedroom, breakfast will be at 9 o’clock on the dot! “ With that she climbed the stairs and was gone. That was nearly 5 years ago and she is still there cleaning and cooking. He still hasn’t plucked up the courage to ask her any questions, and she has never asked for anything in return. ’ As he is a literary man I hope one day he will publish the whole story. Amazing!

REACTION- Will women WAKE UP & want the men that they rejected?

  1. If you continue to wait for the “right time”, you’ll waste your entire life and nothing will happen.
  2. You’ll lose 99% of your close friends if you start upgrading your life.
  3. You’ll be 10x happier if you forgive your parents and stop blaming them for your problems.
  4. Train yourself to let people win arguments on purpose to conserve your mental health.
  5. You become more mature when you train yourself to take nothing personally.
  6. You don’t need 100 self-help books, all you need is action & self-discipline.
  7. You can’t expect honesty from people who even lie to themselves.
  8. Most people are stuck in toxic relationships because they are afraid to be alone.
  9. The most difficult mission on earth is to focus on your dreams; The easiest task is to complain.

China don’t do daft things. Only the U.S. does. If China cannot win it won’t fight. If China seems to be up in arms. They are most likely happy that the U.S. took the bait and ate hanging themselves. It is call winning without fighting!

China can do even one NM chips if it wants but the U.S. thinks it cannot do 7 NM for at least 3 decades! It took China 3 years to do 5NM. Now the U.S. is laden with humongous compensations to its Chip firms and they lose some 80% of the market as China gets it done cheaper, faster and better.

Learn about what is going on in the world today. This is what happened when you hitch yourself to the United States.

I test drove a f350 platinum super crew, was going to trade a vehicle, I left the keys with the salesman, came back, I decided not to buy “that” truck, due to I didn’t want to own another black truck, they had no other loaded trucks in another color, so I opted to take a pass, the sales manager thought we had some imaginary deal and said the deal was done (I had signed nothing), and wouldn’t return my keys, I asked him if he was certain that he wanted to play this game, he said we have a deal. I pulled my phone out, called 911, told them who I was, where I was, I had been robbed and the assailant was still on premises. Shit happened real fast, I got my keys back, sales manager found out he can be criminally charged for theft as well as kidnapping as I couldn’t leave. Yep, I won’t be shopping there again.

Iran has launched drones against Israel which have not yet hit their targets in Israel.

While this may look like a reprisal against Israel, there is more than meets the eye. The majority of the drones will be intercepted and shot down before they reach their targets; if 10% reach their targets the Iranians will have done well.

But the intention is not to do damage to Israel. Iran, the Houthis in Yemen and Hamas are fighting a war of attrition against Israel which will deplete Israel’s and the US’s munitions, using the cheapest weapons needed. The aim is to provoke Israel into committing more violence in Gaza and the West Bank, and turning more of global public opinion against the US and Israel. The Israeli economy will take a heavy hit, and the US will have to provide expensive economic support to Israel because Biden has committed to Israel’s support.

The Arabs and the Iranians have learned: Israel’s war doctrine is based on the application of overwhelming force to win a short war , which is the same as the US. But if the Arabs and Iran turn the conflict into a long war of attrition, the Arabs win.

In every long war of attrition, which includes Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and arguably Ukraine, the US has withdrawn in the end.

A short sharp war requires the application of overwhelming firepower. Overwhelming firepower requires a huge munitions supply and powerful logistics. US weapons stores have been depleted by the war in Ukraine.

The writing is on the wall…

My young son was friends with the 50-something “neighbor guy”. They were real friends. The neighbor gave him a spark plug wrench and let him take the spark plugs out of all the cars in his junk yard. He also let my son “drive” his 1950 pink Cadillac sitting on blocks in a place of honor in the junkyard. He talked to my son about serious things like how to be a good man, why you should wash your hands a lot, the importance of having a place for your tools and putting them where they belonged. My son lacked a father and this neighbor lacked any family at all.

The neighbor got cancer and was going to die. He let my son know it was nothing personal and he had done nothing wrong to deserve it. He also said he was going to have to leave forever, die and he would go to heaven. They talked a lot about whether he was afraid and what would happen when he died. He told my son he didn’t want anybody messing with his body and he wanted to be buried, not embalmed and still be intact. He wanted to go back to the earth in dignity and not be a poisoned pickle in the ground.

Unfortunately, he died just before Thanksgiving, and without a family, there was no one who felt obligated to see to his wishes. In our state, you can only be buried, without embalming, if you are buried within 3 days. The ground was frozen and it was a holiday weekend. No gravediggers could be found so the adults discussed this in the social room. After church, they concluded that man, whom we had all known and valued, would have to be embalmed. My son, who was about 6, overheard this and became outraged!

He pestered one man after another about it. He eloquently argued how sad the man would be about being a poisoned pickle in the ground. My son announced he would go dig the hole himself even if he did not get home in time for pie! He managed to guilt a dozen men, in their best clothing, to go to the graveyard and dig a grave. Also, a Catholic Priest would be doing the services for a “protestant” before anyone went home to eat a turkey.

It was technically “wrong” because he interrupted and pestered adults with great determination. One by one, he effectively MADE them do something that was outside his purview as a child. I didn’t stop him from doing it. I was more than proud of his love and care for his deceased friend.

Slot Machine Millionaire

“Guys, I just developed this bulletproof liquid. The Germans won’t be able to kill us now!”

These words were said by Kinjekitile Ngwale, a Tanzanian witchdoctor (and the hero of this story). But first, understand what was going on in Tanzania at that time.(It was called Tanganyika)


In the late 1800s, Britain, Germany, Portugal, Belgium and France storm into Africa, grabbing as much land as they can in the name of colonialism. The Germans in particular enter Tanganyika and claim it as their own.

See those two Africans holding the dead animal? Yeah, those are slaves.

See, Germans are efficient. Instead of bringing in labour from their country, which was a tedious affair, they forced indigenous tribes to work for them. They also imposed heavy taxation on them, because why not.

Naturally, those tribes were not happy.

So what do you do when some white guys take your livestock and steal your women?

Simple. You REBEL AGAINST THOSE ASSHATS!

That’s where our valiant revolutionary, Mr. Kinjekitile Ngwale, comes in. He told his fellow Africans that he was a prophet sent by the ancestors to get rid of the Germans. So he became the leader of the rebellion. Just like that.

One tiny problem though…the Germans had GUNS. Lots of guns. The Africans only had spears and arrows. If you’ve ever played rock paper scissors you know how it feels when you put paper and everyone puts scissors. That’s how the Africans felt.

So Mr. Kinjekitile Ngwale came up with an idea…

Using his extensive knowledge as a witchdoctor, he mixed water, castor oil, and millet seeds. He claimed the concoction, when applied on the body, would turn the German bullets into water, essentially rendering them bullet proof. The African tribes applied this liquid and charged straight to the nearest German base, confident of their leader’s magic.

As soon as the Germans saw the Africans approaching, they…well…read this excerpt:

Several thousand Maji warriors, led by a spirit medium, marched toward the Reich’s compound at Mahenge. As soon as the rebels were within firing range, soldiers, backed by two machine guns, laid down a lethal fire. Row upon row of Maji warriors marched toward the guns, but were cut down.Hundreds were killed or wounded before breaking off the engagement.

Kinjeketile was later captured and hanged by the Germans for ‘treason’. Despite his grand bullet proof mishap, he is still considered a hero for stirring nationalism among the Tanzanians.

So yes. Even failure can make you a hero.

Hookup Culture

The US has secretly offered a stunning array of concessions to Ansarallah to halt its naval operations in support of Gaza – to no avail.

APR 11, 2024

By Khalil Nasrallah

We favor a diplomatic solution. We know that there is no military solution.

– US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking

In a special briefing on 3 April – nearly six months after Yemen launched its far-reaching naval operations to debilitate Israel’s ability to conduct war on Gaza – US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking touted the importance of seeking diplomatic solutions in Yemen

instead of the military ones his government has been loudly advocating for months.

Lenderking’s stance contrasted sharply with Washington’s announcement in December of a multinational coalition against Yemen’s Ansarallah-led forces, aimed at safeguarding international shipping in the Red Sea and effectively protecting Israeli-linked trade from Yemen’s sweeping naval blockade.

But as tensions heighten and regional allies have hesitated

to join the US–UK coalition in fear of direct Yemeni retaliatory strikes, the US and its allies have quietly sought to entice Sanaa into negotiations through offers conveyed by Omani and other international mediators who maintain ties with Yemen’s de facto government in Sanaa.

Lenderking’s position may, in fact, reflect an astounding set of private US promises made via intermediaries to Ansarallah behind closed doors – pledges that essentially tick every box on the resistance movement’s wish list.

‘Stop your Gaza support, and we will give you everything’

Informed Yemeni sources reveal to The Cradle that the US offered Sanaa – in exchange for its neutrality in the ongoing Gaza war – “an acknowledgment of its legitimacy.”

This would involve severely reducing the role of the Saudi-backed Presidential Council led by Rashid al-Alimi and accelerating the signing of a roadmap with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to end the aggression against Yemen.

The sources further reveal that the Americans pledged to immediately release withheld Yemeni public sector salaries from the National Saudi Bank, lift the country’s siege entirely, reopen Sanaa Airport, ease restrictions on the port of Hodeidah, and facilitate a comprehensive prisoner exchange agreement with all involved parties.

In terms of reconstruction, the sources say:

[Washington] pledged to repair the damages, remove foreign forces from all occupied Yemeni lands and islands, and remove Ansarallah from the State Department’s ‘terrorism list’ – as soon as they stop their attacks in support of Gaza.

Despite these tempting offers, which have been the subject of negotiations between Sanaa and Riyadh for over two years, the Yemenis remained steadfast. Ansarallah leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi’s consistent position, as reiterated in his speeches, has been to continue operations as long as Israeli aggression against Gaza persists.

Ansarallah’s ‘military negotiation’

From the outset, marked by Israel’s declaration of a state of war following the 7 October Al-Aqsa Flood operation, Sanaa threw its weight behind the Palestinian resistance, launching comprehensive drone and ballistic missile attacks against the southern Israeli-occupied port city of Umm al-Rashrash, known as Eilat.

In response to the Yemeni salvos and interception attempts by US warships, Washington initiated a campaign of threats against Sanaa, which in turn demanded an immediate cessation of aggression against Gaza as a precondition for halting its military operations. Their exact words to the Americans were: “We are not within the circle of those you dictate to.”

Matters only intensified as Ansarallah began deploying previously unused naval strategies – not even utilized against Yemen’s aggressors, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in nine years of battles – with al-Houthi vowingto obstruct Israeli ships in the Red Sea.

This strategy was actualized days later on 19 November, when Yemeni naval commandos stormed an Israeli-linked vessel, the Galaxy Leader, and its crew, redirecting the ship to Yemeni shores.

This daring naval action prompted the US to pursue dual strategies: the first, involving intimidation and preparation for a naval coalition to support Israel, and the second, encouraging diplomatic engagements through Arab and international mediators to halt Sanaa’s impactful naval operations.

Sanaa’s leadership not only dismissed these overtures but expanded the naval blockade to include non-Israeli vessels en route to Israeli ports and extended their theater of operations as far as the Indian Ocean– to cut off Israel’s “alternative long route” shipments.

Yemen’s firm refusal to succumb to either enticement or intimidation led the US and the UK to initiate aggressive military operations against the war-torn Persian Gulf state three months ago, aiming to neutralize the Yemeni threat and halt maritime attacks in support of Gaza under the guise of protecting maritime navigation freedom.

As a countermeasure, Sanaa escalated its military response by expanding operations to target not only US and British ships but also introducing advanced weaponry into its arsenal.

This included the sinking of the British cargo ship Rubymar, attacking other vessels, and broadening the theater of operations to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean – a strategic move to ramp up pressure on those executing the brutal war on Gaza.

Yemen’s military checkmate

In light of the current situation, where the US has acknowledged the futility of its military strategy and is clamoring to devise a diplomatic solution, Sanaa has clearly demonstrated its relevance to any and all West Asian geopolitical calculations.

Its stunning achievements of the past six months include Sanaa’s ability to disrupt the Israeli economy by cutting off or lengthening trade routes for Israel’s essential imports. This can be seen most notably in Eilat, where the operational disruption of Israel’s southernmost port has led to significant job cuts by the port’s operating company and paralyzed shipping entirely.

Ansarallah has also thwarted retaliatory measures by the west’s most celebrated naval forces, made a mockery of their ramshackle “coalition,” and created complex challenges for US hegemonic ambitions in the Persian Gulf, both presently and in the long term.

Moreover, Yemen has showcased remarkable political and military maneuverability, demonstrating that a single resolved Arab state can provide the Palestinian resistance with a potent negotiating tool.

Importantly, through its military operations in the region’s waterways, Sanaa has solidified its position within the Axis of Resistance, transforming into one of the most effective forces in the Axis’ Unity of Fronts strategy. All, while drawing British and American naval assets into vulnerable – and unwinnable – positions and successfully hindering Israel’s shipping connections with the world.

A rising regional power

According to al-Houthi’s most recent count, Yemen’s numerous military operations have launched over 520 missiles and drones to target naval assets and areas in southern Israel. Ninety vessels have been targeted to date, with 34 operations conducted only between 4–5 March using 125 ballistic and winged missiles and drones.

In contrast, the US and UK have launched nearly 500 raids since their ill-conceived naval coalition began ops, resulting in the martyrdom of nearly forty Yemenis.

Six months into the war, Yemen continues to demonstrate its strategic capabilities on land, in regional waterways, and even in the world’s oceans. Yemeni officials hint at further military “surprises” still to come, which they may deploy depending on Israeli actions in Gaza and the broader region, as well as the actions of its US enabler, which Sanaa views as the most destructive and destabilizing force for West Asia’s security and stability.

Black Sabbath “Heaven and Hell” REACTION & ANALYSIS by Vocal Coach/Opera Singer

Fun.

  1. Girls often understand what a guy is implying, but they may feign innocence.
  2. Women tend to develop feelings for those who maintain distance from them.
  3. Many women enjoy engaging in what society deems “promiscuous” behavior, yet they recoil from being labeled as such.
  4. When deeply in love, women may exhibit childish tendencies around their partners.
  5. If a woman truly loves a man, she’ll likely inform him when other men attempt to flirt with her.
  6. Cooking for someone often signifies care and affection from a woman.
  7. A woman may choose to be intimate with a man based on his character and identity.
  8. Beware of the woman whose father was the first to break her heart; she may have deep-seated trust issues.

Green Chile Ground Beef Burritos

Burritos with a ground beef filling are a favorite in our family.

green chile burrito
green chile burrito

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
  • 1 to 2 cups water*
  • 1 can El Pato tomato sauce*

Instructions

    1. Brown ground beef; add onion and garlic and toss until onion is soft.
    2. Add green chiles.
    3. Sprinkle flour over it to make a crumbly mix.
    4. Add water and El Pato to desired thickness. Simmer.
    5. Serve on warm tortillas, with any topping you like…sour cream, salsa, cheese, cilantro, jalapeños, etc.

Notes

* or use 1 can El Pato green enchilada sauce – or use homemade

You’ve been dating him for a year and a half at age 19, and told him that you still want to wait — that is your right. You get to decide who you want to have sex with, and when, and that includes the right to wait for as long as you want, or even to never have sex at all if that is your wish.

He, on the other hand, clearly wanted sex to be part of his relationship, and after waiting for you for a year and a half, he found he could no longer be happy in a sexless relationship, and what you are offering is not what he wants — so he did the rational thing and left you in order to search for a partner that has desires more in line with his.

Many of the other answers here place blame on him, and for example claim that if he truly loved you, he’d be willing to wait, or that clearly he was only interested in getting laid. Such allegations are unjust, it’s quite possible to genuinely love someone, but still to realize that you have to leave because the two of you aren’t compatible. And accusing someone of only wanting to get laid after staying in a sexless relationship with you for a year and a half is utterly unreasonable. (in addition to that, there is NOTHING wrong with wanting sex as part of a relationship and being unwilling to stay in sexless relationships.)

But other answers place blame on you and say for example that it’s “selfish” for a woman to refuse to sleep with her partner. This is nonsense. Sex should be mutual and pleasurable and wanted by everyone involved, and is not some kind of service that women should “provide” to men if you’re not into it. Your body is your own, and you should say yes to sex when you genuinely want to, and only then.

Neither of you are to blame. You want different things, so you’re not compatible with each other, and you’re likely both better off looking for a partner that shares your ideas about what a relationship should be like.

  • You have a desperate need for mental engagement. You are starving but then you suddenly see the new trailer of Sherlock Holmes. Before you know it, hours have passed without any sensation of hunger.
  • Sleeping in a cold room can help you slim down. According to research conducted by commonwealth university, just one month of sleeping in a 66-degree room helped increase the subject’s fat-burning ability by 10%.
  • The researcher found that you can read faster with a single wide column, but still, people prefer shorter lines & multiple columns.
  • You Quit in 2 situations
    • When a challenge is tougher and you have beginner-level skills.
    • When you have advanced-level skills and the challenge is too easy.
  • All your habits of thinking & acting are stored in your subconscious mind. Even just thinking about doing something different from what you’re accustomed to, will make you feel tense and uneasy.
  • The research found that for each hour a person between the ages of 40 and 59 spends watching TV, their risk of developing Alzheimer’s increases by 1.3 %.
  • Listening to high-frequency music makes you feel relaxed, calm, and happy.
  • Fake smiles can hurt you. The researcher looked at the behaviour of bus drivers, & found that these people withdraw from their work by putting smiles for show & it has long term deleterious health effects.
  • Psychologists found that people struggling to make complex decisions did best when they were distracted and were not able to think consciously about the choice at all.

What you Gain from this space by becoming its member.

  • No more random motivational screenshots & one-liner answers, you will get facts that are backed up by the latest research papers.
  • Now you don’t need to waste your valuable time on understanding the difficult terms of a research paper.
  • No Bullshit, pure research-based information with real references which you can check by yourself.

The fact that Lavrov met with Xi while Yellen was there speaks volumes !

“In light of the recent aggressive statements by the French political leaders, who openly announced plans to send troops to Ukraine, I should like to bring up the anniversary of a crushing defeat that Paris sustained in Vietnam, which marked the beginning of the collapse of the French colonial empire.

We believe that remembering those events should be a warning for all those in the Elysee Palace who have been literally haunted by Napoleon’s shadow these days.

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, often referred to as the Vietnamese Stalingrad, claimed thousands of lives.

The brutal confrontation took place from March 13 to May 7, 1954 and marked a turning point in the eight-year war between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and France’s colonial forces.

In 1946-1954, France, supported by Washington, unleashed the Indochina War in a bid to maintain its influence in the region after World War II.

It should be specifically noted that the French colonial troops were a motley mix of foreign legionnaires, mercenaries of all stripes, including Nazi fugitives hiding from trial and hoping to start over with a clean slate with Paris’s help.

However, they dirtied it again, as the brutality of their methods had no limit.

Just like the Americans who came to the Vietnamese land later, what they did was close to scorched-earth tactics.

For 54 days, the Vietnamese revolutionary army demonstrated extraordinary military valour in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. They also appeared exceptionally skilled in the art of war.

In fact, it became so bad that the French soldiers hastily left their positions as soon as they heard that the Vietnamese were advancing.

The decisive phase of the battle, the general assault, began on May 1.

By that time, the garrison’s morale was close to rack bottom – the French were in panic.

The total death toll was over 2,000 killed on the French side. Nearly 12,000 French troops were captured – only a few managed to escape from Dien Bien Phu.

The most capable French troops in Vietnam – paratroopers and legionnaires – almost ceased to exist.

The surrender of the French garrison of Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954 finally broke the morale of the French command, extinguishing any faith or hope for a good ending of the war in Vietnam.

Before the start of active operations, the hawks in Paris boasted they would ‘defeat the crowd of Vietnamese peasants armed with flintlock rifles and bamboo sticks in just a couple of weeks.’

Along with a crushing military defeat, France suffered high reputational losses, as its international influence as a former member of the anti-Hitler coalition fell dramatically.

The very next day after the fall of Dien Bien Phu, ceasefire talks began in Geneva.

The war ended with a convincing victory of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the withdrawal of French troops in July 1954.

Ten years later, in 1964, remembering that defeat, French President Charles de Gaulle warned US President Lyndon Johnson against a military operation in Vietnam, prophetically calling it a very risky venture.

But France then had an independent voice and the capacity to pursue an independent foreign policy.”

main qimg b106e318cdcba5ae72a06ea0560d5179
main qimg b106e318cdcba5ae72a06ea0560d5179

Photo: Vietnamese President Hồ Chí Minh and members of the Party Central Committee (from left to right: Phạm Văn Đồng, Trường Chinh, and General Võ Nguyên Giáp) convened to decide the opening of the 1953-1954 Winter-Spring Offensive and the Điện Biên Phủ Campaign. The meeting took place in Phú Đình Commune, Định Hóa District, Thái Nguyên Province, in 1953.

Excerpt from remarks by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during the briefing, April 10, 2024. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

The worst case for the US is that the US starts a war and all US ships within 2,000 miles of the China will be sunk.

Not only does China has the DF-21 which has a range of 1,200 miles. That is actually a medium range ASBM. It hit Mach 10 at terminal phase. China also has DF-26, which hits Mach 18 at terminal phase.

China is now onto their second generation hypersonic wave glider. These are even scarier than the ASBMs. As they come in at a hundred feet above the Ocean surface. At Mach 8 for the one type and Mach 12 for the second type.

The second generations has a range of almost 5,000 MILES. In other words, it can hit Hawaii and ships on the other side of Hawaii, towards the CA coast.

So yeah, the US should not be messing with China as the Chinese can sink all US ships in the Western Pacific if they want to.

Carne Asada Guacamole Cheese Burrito

carne asada guacamole cheese burrito
carne asada guacamole cheese burrito

Cook: 1 hr 30 min | Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Carne Asada

  • 1 pound sirloin steaks
  • 1/4 cup coconut sauce
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed and finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Burrito

  • 4 burrito size tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack or a blend)

Optional

  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Limes, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Marinate the Carne Asada. In a shallow dish, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Place the steak in the marinade, turning to coat it evenly. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld.
  2. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork until it reaches your desired consistency (chunky or smooth).
  3. Add the diced red onion, chopped cilantro, minced jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and pepper to the mashed avocados. Mix everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  4. Heat grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Remove the marinated steak from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
  5. Grill the steak for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until it reaches 145 degrees F for medium rare or your desired level of doneness. Transfer the grilled steak to a cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it thinly against the grain.
  6. Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet or over an open flame until they become warm and pliable. On each tortilla, place a generous amount of cheese. Add a few slices of the grilled Carne Asada on top of the guacamole. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
  7. Serve the Carne Asada Guacamole Cheese Tacos immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the tacos.

Nutrition

Per serving: 550 Calories; 266.6 Calories from fat; 29.6g Total Fat (9.1g Saturated Fat; 12.2g Monounsaturated Fat); 84.2mg Cholesterol; 1015.3mg Sodium; 40.2g Total Carbohydrate; 9.4g Dietary Fiber; 33.5 g Protein; 18mg Iron; 895.3mg Potassium; 0.3mg Thiamin; 0.3 mg Riboflavin; 13.9mg Niacin (NE); 0.8mg Vitamin B6; 1.3mcg Vitamin B12; 5.2mg Zinc; 32.8mcg Selenium; 105.3mg Choline

This recipe is an excellent source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin (NE), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Selenium, and Zinc. It is a good source of Potassium, Iron, and Choline.

Imagine being lost in the desert, desperate for water. Crawling through the sand. Praying to find something.

Your hike went wrong and now you can’t find anyone. You are sure you’ve gone miles in the wrong direction.

You lay in the sand. Waiting to die.

 

Then.

You hear a phone ring.

That’s right. A phone. There are phone booths in the middle of deserts – sometimes.

One such phone booth was situated in the Mojave Desert, 12 miles from the nearest type of pavement.

A man, Godfrey Daniels, read in a magazine, about this strange desert phone booth.

He then became obsessed with this phone booth. Who calls this phone booth? What is it for? How? What? Why? What does it all mean?

Who would answer a phone booth in the middle of nowhere?

He then began calling this phone booth every single day. Trying to find out who would answer.

Every day, he got up, he called the booth. Then, later in the day, he called again. This continued for months.

Eventually, he called and it was busy. This was a major breakthrough. It meant someone was using the phone!!!

He waited a few minutes. Then he called again. Still busy. Waited a few minutes – called again.

A woman picked up.

They talked for a bit. She was a local miner who occasionally used this phone booth. That’s all she knew.

He then made a website about this mysterious phone booth. And people from all over the country started calling it, wondering who would answer if they decided to call the desert.

(Source: The Mojave Phone Booth. Betsy Malloy.)

This phone booth took on this mystical status in American sub-culture for a brief time in the late 1990s, referred to as “The loneliest phonebooth on earth.” It became a minor spiritual destination.

LA Times reporter John Gigliorma made a journey out to the booth and met all sorts of people that arrived for any number of reasons, boredom, curiosity, spiritual journeys, adventure – as it would be like visiting mars, wanting proof it existed, wanting to see who would call them while they were there.

He even met a man, Rick Karr, who said he’d been commanded by God to go answer the phone. Karr spent 32 days camped out by the booth answering phone calls. (Source: Reaching Way Out. LA Times. Glionna, James)

Eventually, the chaos got to be out of hand and the park service requested the phone booth be removed as it was creating litter and a safety hazard as randoms from the internet had no business being in this extreme region (also home to Death Valley).

In turn, the phone company had it taken out.

But then –

Someone came and put a gravestone commemorating the Phone booth.

But the gravestone started to attract more trouble as people began arriving from all directions to pay tribute.

The park service eventually had the gravestone removed as well and that concluded the legacy of this magic phone booth.

RIP Mojave Phone Booth.

Around 1988, our strict Muslim, much older next door neighbor signaled me to come into her home. I noticed that she had nervously glanced around before extending the invitation, and rushed me inside before closing the door.

During our brief visit, she talked of being a pediatrician in Iran before the Shah fell. She also mentioned she needed two items for the meal she was preparing, but she had to wait for her son to return to take her to a nearby grocery. It was a gorgeous California day, and failing to remember what I had learned about strict Islamic doctrine from two Iranian college friends, I offered to walk with her to the store. She recoiled in horror, so I changed my offer to drive her. Her response remained mortified, her countenance stiff, her eyes glaring at me.

Several uncomfortable moments passed; I decided I should leave and started to rise from my chair. She grabbed my arm, gripping it tightly and quietly said:

“You are proof there is hope for the rest of us.”

I consider her statement among the most profound ever said to me.

It’s 2024. This is reality.

Glack and Glan

My son had just passed his driving test (aged 17) and we were thinking of getting him a new car, as we had points we could use because of our credit card, which basically meant we would get about £2,500 off. But I knew insurance cover would be costly at his age, so I rang my insurance company to get a quote before we got the car, explaining we hadn’t got it yet. The quote was good at about £900 so we went ahead and purchased the car. The process took a few weeks. When I rang to actually take out the insurance I was told the cost would be around £1,800, about double what I’d been told before. I explained about the previous estimate, but the woman was very rude, saying that was impossible and implying I was lying. I was getting very angry but the problem was, when I get angry I become tearful – it’s very frustrating as it makes me look pathetic! But then my 17 year old son steps in, takes the phone and calmly told the woman he was giving her an hour to check the phone recording from my previous conversation, and then expected her to phone back. In the meantime we looked online and found an even better price for his insurance. She did ring back, very apologetic and explained the previous assistant had left under a cloud and that the information he had given was incorrect. She could offer a price of about £1,200. I declined and told her I’d also be moving my own insurance to another company. My son had been working for a customer complaints department and knew exactly what to say to get things done. He’s very persuasive but never shouts. He once was about to be fired for taking a day off sick and then going clubbing – he was spotted at the club by someone. He told the guy about to fire him that the reason he skived off was that he was bored and if they gave him more responsibilities he wouldn’t have felt the need to abscond. They ended up promoting him! Just the sort of person you need in such situations.

The US once had a superb education system

It was based on self learning rather than rote feeding by the teacher and the system

I so much admired the US system especially when I saw how they prepared for SATS on their own through Study Groups

They had so many Projects and so many Assignments and a lot of Homework that helped students learn on their own and thus understand the fundamentals so well

Then they ruined it all

By Busing

Busing is when they force a bunch of poor kids, mainly black kids or also hispanic to join the school

They force some good teachers out and force a bunch of mediocre teachers (mostly black or hispanic now also gay or transgender)

The result

  • The Standards come crashing
  • Schools start dealing in Meth and Ecstacy and you have Gangs now with small Switchblades
  • Math standards have come down badly

Not to mention, the blatant APPEASEMENT to the black community in many places :-

  • Slavery covers a huge chunk of history with many apologies
  • Math standards have crashed
  • English standards have crashed
  • 12 Chapters once covered in Normal Physics is now covered only by AP Physics (Advanced Physics)

Chinas Education was originally entirely based on Rote Preparation like India’s with very little self learning

A Lot of predatory Tution Centres cropped up and destroyed Self preparation even more

Luckily Xi Jingping has obliterated the Private Tutorial Industry and has set steps to enhance self learning

So China is moving towards a US like self learning system with lesser reliance on Tutions

However their emphasis on Exams and their Exam oriented preparation is a problem that needs to be relaxed and changed to a Comprehension oriented approach

India has the same challenge

Let’s hope China deals with this as fast as possible and India follows suit


Bottom line is like in everything US Education Standards are declining by the day

Chinese Standards while not up to top scratch are improving by the day

Situational awareness

Warning! Maybe disturbing to read, contains some details of a horrible tragedy.

This is a very extreme case. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen frequently.

One of my uncle, my mom’s cousin, was married to a very beautiful and immature woman.

She had the temper and tantrums of a 10-year old girl. She never grew up.

She would ask or rather demand my uncle for expensive clothes, cosmetics or jewellery quite frequently.

She would not take no for an answer, if he expressed his inability to buy whatever she had asked for she would say that she will leave him right then.

Uncle would take loans to buy gifts for her.

Her tantrums got worse and she would stop eating for days, bang her head on the wall or pretend to slit her wrist in order to get what she wanted.

One night, they were packing to leave for a wedding in another city the next day when she placed a demand for an expensive diamond necklace and refused to listen to anything that my uncle had to say. She wanted a diamonds necklace with an emerald pendant to wear with her green saree at the wedding.

This time my uncle got furious and left her in their bedroom to get some fresh air outside.

He was walking in their yard when he saw smoke coming out of the bedroom window.

He rushed inside to see his wife on flames. He rushed towards the bathroom to get a bucket of water but his wife grabbed him and hugged him tightly from behind. She made sure he burns with her.

What she did next gives everyone in the family shivers to this day. She placed her burning hand on his genitals and said “This, so that you will never be able to marry again in case you survive”.

The worst part is their two daughters who were around 6 and 9 years old, saw all of of this. They rushed to call neighbors.

My uncle suffered 60 percent burns on his body and was in the hospital for almost an year. His wife died before making it to the hospital.

She died what must have been an extremely painful death for a piece of jewelry.

She made sure her husband either dies with her or remains bedridden for the rest of his life.

She scarred her daughters’ little hearts for life.

All for her whims and fancies.

Bill Gates comes from a privileged background.

His father was William Henry Gates II

, a lawyer and founding partner of a large law-firm as well as the president of the Washington State Bar association.

His mother was Mary Maxwell Gates

, a businesswoman and the first woman on the First Interstate Bank of Washington’s board of directors. She was the daughter of J. W. Maxwell, the president of the national bank.

His family was just about as privileged as it’s possible to be.

He had a multi-million dollar trust-fund to fall back on, long before starting any of his companies. It’s true that he had phenomenal success and that a huge fraction of the money he has was earned by his companies, not inherited.

But risk?

Bill Gates has never faced the slightest personal risk. It’s risk-free to drop out of Harvard and start your own software-company when you’ve got millions of dollars of cushioning to fall back on if the company goes belly-up. In his own words: “… if things [at Microsoft] hadn’t worked out, I could always go back to school. I was officially on [a] leave [of absence].”

Yes he could. If school also didn’t work out, if finding a job also didn’t work out, he’d still have the trust-fund and a more comfortable life than most of us could ever dream to have.

This isn’t specific to Bill Gates, it’s true for a large fraction of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs don’t have a special gene for risk—they’re rich kids with safety nets

Amaretto Coffee Brownies

amaretto coffee brownies
amaretto coffee brownies

Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients

  • 1 (19.5 ounce) box Pillsbury Rich & Moist Fudge Brownie Mix
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (7 ounce) jar Marshmallow Creme
  • 3 tablespoons instant amaretto-flavored coffee powder
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 13 x 9 inch pan.
  2. In large bowl, combine brownie mix and butter; mix at low speed for 45 to 60 seconds or until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture in small bowl for topping.
  3. Add milk and eggs to remaining brownie mixture; mix until smooth.
  4. Spread batter evenly in greased pan.
  5. In food processor bowl with metal blade or in medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Marshmallow Creme and coffee powder; process until smooth.
  6. Spread evenly over brownie mixture.
  7. Add walnuts to reserved 1 cup brownie mixture; mix well.
  8. Sprinkle evenly over cream cheese mixture.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until edges are firm to the touch.
  10. Cool for 1 1/2 hours or until completely cooled.
  11. Cut into bars.
  12. Store in refrigerator.

Notes

High Altitude Instructions (Above 3500 Feet): Add 1/2 cup flour to dry brownie mix. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes.

Woke girl is Broke

  • Always dress neat, clean and simple.
  • Sit/stand straight and hold your chin up.
  • Sit/stand in a central position in the room.
  • Make sure you don’t look lost or bored, be energetic and keep your hands busy with something (a glass of drink, a cigar, lighter, etc…)
  • Don’t be shy; observe your surroundings.
  • Listen more than you speak, this way when you start talking everyone would immediately pay attention.
  • Speak thoughtfully and clearly, mind your tone, and back your opinions with strong evidence and statistics.
  • Be a good story teller, but keep them short and end with a punch line.
  • Be quick with jokes, sarcasm and one-liners and keep a straight face while delivering them.
  • Don’t easily get excited/frustrated during conversations.
  • Be polite and well mannered.
  • Don’t be afraid to express yourself.
  • Look them in the eye.
  • Don’t be ultra agreeable, learn to say “no” whenever you need to, this way people will find you more intimidating.

This is why

It’s been used all over the world and seems to legitimately prevent serious cases of COVID-19. If it can do that, then it is certainly not fake.

Sinovac used a tried-and-true “inactivated virus” methodology (using fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that cannot make someone sick by themselves) to develop their vaccine, and it doesn’t seems to be quite as effective as some of the Western vaccines, but it does prevent deadly cases of COVID-19. Plus, it’s easier to store and transport, which makes it an option in parts of the world where the state-of-the-art Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines cannot be logistically rolled out. My wife and I got Moderna and we are grateful to have done so. But that’s not an option in developing countries because of the storage requirements of the mRNA vaccines. The Chinese vaccine can be stored in ordinary refrigerators and has a shelf life of up to three years. The mRNA vaccines have to be kept much colder and don’t last as long.

There is nothing wrong with using a proven technology as opposed to a cutting-edge one that had never been done before. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, developed by Janssen in the Netherlands, also uses an older, proven technology—the same one used by the Russian Sputnik-V and the European Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, in fact. All three of them took an adenovirus that is harmless to humans and appended the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to it. The body recognizes the spike protein and if later infected by actual SARS-CoV-2, it will already know how to attack it.

We’re trying to stop people from dying and also trying to stop the spread of this virus so it will quit mutating. Passing out disinformation about vaccines from countries we have political differences with is not helpful. Sinovac saves lives. Sputnik-V saves lives. In the West, we may prefer other options, but the efforts of biotech scientists to create these vaccines should not be denigrated or lied on, no matter where they are from.

American Men no longer have a life worth living.

I was a high school teacher, and I was driving back to school after supper to get some work done. Not unusual–most teachers have to do extra work at night. You can get a lot of stuff done in your classroom when nobody else is around.

On my route to school, there was this little Baptist church where cops commonly parked to catch speeders. They were there that night, but I wasn’t speeding.

I eventually finished my work and headed for home. As I exited the school parking lot, some kids rounded the corner behind me going about 60 mph. They were angry I was in their way. They honked, yelled, and tailgated me for a couple blocks. I maintained my speed of 3 or 4 mph over the limit (35), then as I approached the church, I pulled carefully into a left turn lane to let them pass. They hung their heads out the window, yelled obscenities, displayed their middle fingers, and threw an empty bottle as they flew around me. The bottle missed, thankfully.

As they passed the church, here came the cops. Those flashing red and blue lights sure were pretty that night behind the kid’s car. I couldn’t resist honking as I drove by.

Democrats are waking up!

How did ancient Chinese Emperors govern China given the poor communication technology and China’s huge land mass and population?

To make matters worse, the Emperor is always living inside his palace and cut out from the people with lots of tempting distractions such as the hundreds of concubines to have fun with. How does he govern such a huge country?

First of all, ancient China had pretty good communication technology. One of the best at that time. A 3,000-year-old system, built since the Zhou dynasty, where the Chinese built a “postal office” (驛站) every 50 – 200 km along any road, and the “post-master” maintained guest houses, a team of couriers, and a stable of horses. Official letter were carried by couriers from the originator to the next “postal office”, got a change of courier and horse and went on to the next “postal office”. Express mails could get from the furthest end of China to Beijing in 5 days. Confucius once commented that “one’s reputation spreads faster than the mail (德之流行,速于置邮而传命)”, so you see, official mail system was definitely a fixture of life even in his time (~ 500 BC). In fact, the founding father of the Han Dynasty in 206 BC, Emperor Gaozu of Han, was such a post-master before he rebelled and won the civil war.

By Tang dynasty in ~ 600 AD, there were over 1600 postal offices, and the Chinese government employed over 20,000 people to deliver mails, with the “normal”, “priority”, and “express” mail classifications, and each mail had to be signed off on time and signature of the courier, with a whole set of laws to punish those who missed delivery or tempered with the content. By Yuan Dynasty ~ 1200 AD, the government employed over 300,000 horses for mail delivery. Here is well-preserved “postal office” from ancient China.

Secondly, emperors who didn’t go out of the Forbidden Palace usually occurred when the dynasty was kinda dying. In the early part of the dynasty, usually the emperor had to run around and do some real work. For example, all of Kangxi Emperor

’s sons had to wake up at 4 am everyday, and start school at 5 am. When they reached adulthood, they apprenticed at various government departments. Like son #1 and # 14 served in the department of defense, and both went out to the border to fight. Son #3 served in the department of education, son #8 served in the department of treasury, son #4, the one who was eventually selected as the next emperor, served in the department of engineering, worked on the flood control of the Yellow River, and did his rotation in the department of defense, of education and of agriculture.

Thirdly, like others have said, the emperor was just one person. Most of the times just one very ordinary person, and so of course he/she couldn’t run China. Ancient China was mostly run by the Cabinet and the bureaucracy manned by the scholar-officials, and the most important job of the emperor, was to keep the Cabinet members from politically killing each other, figuratively-speaking. On the other hand, if the emperor had some weird ideas that were opposed by the entire Cabinet, the Cabinet had the right to return the emperor’s orders un-opened, meaning that, well, the emperor’s orders actually couldn’t go out of his bedroom unless the Cabinet agreed. That’s why there were a number of emperors in China’s history who had to resort to writing secret code to their in-laws or followers, with something like “Help! I’m kinda arrested by my ministers!” Well, that sucked for everyone. Incompetent emperors should at least have the good sense to stay aloof and follow the advice of the Cabinet. If the emperor didn’t want to end up like your lovely goldfish in the pot, he had to run around do some real work and build up his own followers and credentials BEFORE he became emperor. You see, the Cabinet members usually started their careers as one of the top-three scholars in the national exams, served 30 or 40 years in various government posts, and gained enough political clout to be elected into the Cabinet by their fellow bureaucrats. Their aggregate IQ would be many times that of the emperor. However, the emperor had one advantage over his Cabinet members, which was that he represented the WHOLE COUNTRY. He existed to remind his Cabinet members that they should never run the country for their own selfish interest. They must compromise with each other for the common good. That’s why the Cabinet didn’t really want to get rid of the emperor, ’cause without him, one of the Cabinet members would surely try to kill off the rest in order to become an emperor himself.

The Cabinet in ancient China was usually composed of the following officials: the heads of the department of personnel, treasury, rites (combination of education minister and foreign minister), engineering, military, and justice. This structure was basically cloned at provincial level and then further at city level, gradually shrunk to one person who was responsible for everything at the lowest village-level. Nine levels of bureaucracy separate the lowest to the highest, and most officials spent their entire life to climb this ladder. These officials, which were staffed by those who passed the imperial examinations, were constrained by three layers of monitoring:

  1. The officials were not allowed to work within 500 miles of their hometown. This was done to reduce the official’s opportunity for corruption by doing things that benefit their own families and clans. Basically an anti-nepotism measure. Also, officials who were connected could not work in the same place or in the same department. This is still done in China today.
  2. The officials had a interim review once every 3 years, and a thorough review once every 6 years, after the review, the officials would get a new post to some place else. The official was evaluated on his KPI (key performance index), and if his KPI was good, he would get a good evaluation and maybe a good or more important posting, or even a promotion. If his KPI was bad, he would get a demotion to a worse posting. So you see, the one who really runs China, since time immemorial, is the KPI. The review was done by a team composed of the department of personnel and the incoming official to replace you, so obviously the new guy had every incentive to get a thorough understanding of what was going on, ’cause if he didn’t, and the game blew up in his face later, then it would be his fault. This system is still done in China today, except now the officials get an annual review, and get a new posting once every 5 years. The transfer of power/posting once every 5 years is still a very big deal, with the CCP acting as the old personnel department, and now the officials have to write a personal review/report once a month to the Party, instead of once a year.
  3. There was a Department of Rules, whose sole job was to make sure the moral characters of BOTH the emperor and the bureaucracy were sound. Officials from this department fanned out across the country to observe officials while they were discharging their duty. They had the right to be sitting next to the official in everything to observe. If they found out that you were not respectful to your wife, your cousin three-times-removed committed crimes and you tried to cover it up, or you submitted fake report to the Court, they would indict you to the Court, and you would be called in to answer the charges. One of the favorite pastime for the Depart of Rules was to indict the emperor for various offences – not treating government reports which criticized the emperor with respect, not treating the emperor’s mother or teachers with respect, not treating all his wives evenhandedly, earthquakes or floods for no reason but must be the emperor’s fault, … – the point was to constantly remind the emperor that he had to follow rules like everybody else. Then the emperor had to write Public Apology to the People, which would be posted to every town in the country and be read out aloud by the local officials. This is still done in China today, by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection
  4. . Any citizen can write to it reporting official misconduct, and they are obligated to investigate and discipline party officials. You can basically write to them if you just walk by some official and see him wearing an expensive watch.

So you see, lack of email wasn’t a problem for China. Lack of science and technology, corruption, and inter-party fights that elevated private interest above the national interest, on the other hand, had doomed a number of dynasties in Ancient China.

I worked for a law firm in Los Angeles many years ago. One of the legal secretaries in the Corporate Department was a gem: extremely competent, quiet, with enough knowledge and experience to know what permits, licenses and other paperwork needed to be filed for each deal. Like some legal secretaries, she knew as much about corporate deals as the attorneys she worked for.

For some reason, she was terminated. (It was a very political firm, and my guess is that she was let go by someone running a power play against her boss.)

Without her, her attorneys were helpless. What paperwork had been filed with the licensing boards? Had the necessary notices been placed in the newspaper? What was the status of this, that, and the other?

She had left her desk and files in order. There was no funny business. But only after she left did they realize how much she did to ensure that their multi-million-dollar deals went through smoothly, and how much they depended on her.

So of course they called her at home. HR, the partner she worked for, the associate she worked for, the attorney heading the Corporate Department, the firm’s Managing Partner… all with questions to find out the details they needed to know to finish the deals that had been in progress when they asked her to collect her personal effects and leave immediately.

To each person who called, she politely said:

“My professional relationship with your firm was severed at your option. I have nothing more to say to you. Good-bye.”

They were outraged — OUTRAGED — that she wouldn’t help them, but there was nothing they could do. Every time an attorney would grumble to support staff about the situation, we waited until he left the room and gave each other silent thumbs up.

She became a legend.

The truth about growing up for young men

Janet Yellen represents the interests of the US government and her words are official US policy.

Xi Jinping and the senior Chinese officials she met represent official Chinese policy.

The US government seems to think that it can dictate official Chinese policy, but it cannot if it runs counter to Chinese interests.

Normally, if the US wanted something from China, it should offer something else in return in order to start serious negotiations.

Any sign of that?

I don’t see any…

This epitomizes our generation in one video

OMG!

I’m a doc of psychology who has talked to literally thousands of people, and these are 10 pieces of life advice I find that people do not take seriously enough:

  1. “Don’t Make Decisions When You’re Angry” – I’ve seen people relapse on drugs, cheat on their spouses, get into physical fights, and quit their jobs simply because they were “angry.” Don’t do it.
  2. “Be Yourself.” – So many people suffer because they feel pressure to be something they’re not. They can feel this pressure from parents, peers, co-workers, friends or even their significant others. I’ve seen women get breast implants because of this pressure, men marry women (when they are actually gay), and people going into careers they hate because it will make someone else happy. Be yourself, because being something else will make you miserable.
  3. “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” – This is solid advice for a happy life. Choose your battles, and be able to let the little things go. Once you realize what “big things” are (cancer, financial hardship, etc.), you will wish you focused on the right things.
  4. “Know Your Worth” – When you know your worth, you don’t put up with things that devalue you…and that is *very valuable.* It will impact what you’ll put up with in relationships, in your jobs, and in life. Knowing your worth has the ability to protect you from a lot of life’s struggles – if you act consistently with it.
  5. “It’s Okay to Ask for Help.” – Yes! Do you know how many people I’ve talked to, that wished they would have gotten help earlier? It would have given them back *years* of their life…but instead they waited until they were at an absolute breaking point – losing opportunities, jobs, relationships, sometimes even their kids. Ask for help, and ask for help early.
  6. “Who You Marry is One of the Most Important Decisions You’ll Make.” – Take this one seriously. You will literally have to see this person every day of your life, you will spend more time with them than anyone else…so make it someone uplifting, supportive and wonderfully fitting to you. You will also have a financial future largely impacted by their spending habits, earning, saving ability, etc.. Man or woman, divorce can devastate you emotionally and financially.
  7. “Make Time for People You Love.” – Putting off seeing your grandmother or parents because you wanted to do other things might not seem like a big deal today…but one day it will be.
  8. “The Best Time to Start is Now” – Whether saving for your future or trying to write that novel, start today. Time gets away from us very quickly, and before you know it 20 years have passed and you didn’t do those things you wanted to do. I have seen a lot of people who hold regrets…try not to have them.
  9. “The Best Revenge is Living Well.” – So many people get stuck in grudges and anger that it messes up their own lives – especially emotionally. There is a great saying that states that “anger is something you carry for someone else’s mistakes” and it’s the truth. Leave those who have hurt you in the past, take care of your own needs, and live well. It does you no good to do otherwise.
  10. “Treat Others the Way You’d Want to be Treated.” – This is certainly advice we don’t take seriously enough. If we all treated others how we’d wish to be treated, the world would certainly be a much better place for us all.

This is some of the life advice that I’ve certainly seen…

Why Men Don’t Want Modern Women or Feminists

Norway

  • Do not drink and drive. Not even a tiny little bit. We don’t find this funny. We stick people in jail for a first offence — even if you didn’t get as far as leaving the parking-lot. People in bars might physically fight you / wrestle keys from you to prevent you from driving drunk.
  • Do not wear shoes inside private homes. (there’s exceptions from this, but as a general rule)
  • People are pretty relaxed about nudity, and both men and women will for example change on public beaches without any attempt at covering themselves up. You are however expected to look away. (no-one will care if you glance, but please don’t STARE)
  • Do not unwrap flowers prior to giving them as a gift. (Germans do this)
  • Don’t ask people what church they attend. Most attend none, and asking this is seen as intrusive, rude and downright weird.
  • Don’t assume that “socialist” is a synonym for “evil”.
  • Don’t be insulted if people don’t seem to “respect you” for being somehow distinguished. People are very informal here and being on a first-name-basis with anyone short of the King is the norm. Even the prime-minister of Norway is most often referred to by first name; “Erna” (and previously: “Jens”)

I had a 1993 Mustang 5.0 convertible, triple white and limited edition model. With certification that the was 1 of 500 the last of the produced fox bodies.

The car was immaculate, it took extremely good care of it, washed and waxed weekly, etc.

At about 26 months it got stolen.

I called the insurance; they said they had to wait 30 days to see if it would turn up — meanwhile they gave me a loaner. A Ford Aspire, the economy box of the economy boxes — my how the mighty have fallen.

Finally day 31 came and the insurance company called informing me that they were going to pay the car out in full, and that I needed to return the loaner.

They said they would be cutting me a check that day for $6,800. I told them no, that the car was clearly worth more than that. They then offered me $7,500. Again I told them no. They said that is all the car was worth; I told them that it was not a typical Mustang, it was certified by Ford as one of the last fox bodies and had collector value. They said that they would do some investigation and get back to me and I could continue to use the loaner.

About three days later the call me back saying that their best and final offer would be 10,000. Period.

Now onto the fun part, I told them that this was still not acceptable, and not two days before the car was stolen I had a quote for a trade-in on a Ford Cobra that was at $15,700 for my car.

Silence.

They guy then came back and said, fax me a copy of that document and hung up.

So I faxed the document over to them.

About a week went by, and the insurance called me back, the senior adjuster…

They told me that they had reviewed my case and would only offer me 11,000.

Okay, time to play hardball.

I said since you are refusing to pay my valid and documented value of my car, I am opting for my rights under state insurance law. (Yes during this time I looked it up.) I will not accept any cash payment, and I will opt for them to procure a replacement vehicle.

I told them they needed to find me a triple white 1993 fox body 5.0 Ford Mustang convertible with under 38k on the odometer and documented proof from Ford that this was the limited edition i.e. 1 of 500 of the last fox bodies. And that I expect them to present me with three options to choose from within the next 15 days as provided for by law.

I hung up.

Fifteen days later, they called back. They said that they would be writing me a check for $15,700 minus the 3k I still owed on the car.

I asked why they decided to change their minds. They begrudgingly admitted that they could not find any triple white Mustangs let alone a limited edition model. The closest they could come is a yellow limited edition model, but not one of the last 500 and the dealer was asking 18k for a car with 45k on the odometer.

I received the check in 24 hours.

That was the event where I stopped business from walking all over me.

Edit: Thanks for the upvotes and re-shares.

I do want to point out that should you ever be in a situation where they do want to total your car, make sure you find out your states insurance regulations.

In my state, you are entitled to either a cash value payment for your car, or a equal value replacement. This means that if I’m not happy with their cash offer I can opt for them to procure for me a same model, make with same options with similar mileage.

So make sure you know all your options before accepting that check.

Edit: After writing this in a fit of nostalgia I decided to see if I could find my old fox body for sale anywhere. I did find a few of the prior years 7up models for around 24 thousand and I did find one triple whit of my year just trashed and they were still asking 12 thousand.

This is bangin’

My friend works in HR for a Fortune 500 company. I asked him, “What is the most common phrase you hear when firing someone?”

Without missing a beat, he said it was some version of, “This was a bit unexpected.”

People get complacent and don’t realize their job is in jeopardy. They settle for half-assed work. They forget everything they do is being watched and judged, including their YouTube usage.

A mentor once told me, “It’s best to work like you are one strike from being fired and your boss is debating whether to keep you around.”

I could have learned this lesson in my first marriage. We both made assumptions about our status quo — until things slid beyond repair.

Accountability surrounds us and that’s a good thing.

With my relationships and career, I try to continually remind myself that, “All of this could go away at any moment.” It keeps me on my toes. It stops me from taking my time with older relatives for granted.

Shorpy fun

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Rainbow – Stargazer | First Time Hearing | Vocal Coach Reaction

Chinese math education values practice and discipline.

Children in China start to learn multiplication during 2nd grade and are told to practice constantly. The strong moral tradition that exists in China means that there isn’t exactly a “strict or rigid” curriculum to follow. Students are motivated by parents and others to constantly practice to improve their skills. Middle and high school students often do over 15 hrs of math a week combining class lectures and homework.

In the classroom, students are told to solve and prove problems in front of the whole class. This forces them to think deeply and have a very strong understanding of concepts from which to build new knowledge on. Teachers ask students “why” or “what if” questions to provoke this type of reasoning.

Writing in mathematical terms becomes heavily emphasized in upper levels which can lead to deductions on tests.

In the US, math education is very individual focused and people are not taught to be rigorous and to question why it works. This results in gaps in their learning that ends up hurting their learning later on, leading them to hate math. In addition, the motivation factor to do well is not present and people can slack off and do just what is necessary to get by.

I know people in high school who barely pass math and they don’t even care. There is no national high school exit exam here in the US and thus people don’t see consequences; as long as they graduate they are good.

China Claims Its ‘Super’ AD Missile Makes B-21s Obsolete

The three body problem

A British Chinese “expert” made a serious misreading of The Three Body Problem.

This expert attempts to transcend the extreme evaluation of duality in order to understand compromise in Chinese culture. This starting point is good, but the understanding of China is not enough – if it is not a deliberate distortion caused by misreading.

The first part of this book was serialized in Science Fiction World magazine in 2006, and at that time, the story already had a specific framework. Let’s review the historical environment at that time: Xi was not the President of China until many years later, and the United States had just engaged in the Gulf War. China did not even join the WTO.

It is strange to attempt to use this novel to criticize China’s current policies – people’s mentality was somewhat different from today.

To grasp the relation of Chinese sci-fi and China’s global strategy, it’s helpful to see both in terms of three dynamics. Certainly, it’s popular to understand Chinese politics in terms of binary frameworks: China vs. US; conservatives vs. reformers; optimists vs. pessimists; and socialism vs. capitalism. To get beyond this binary paradigm, we can explore three dynamics: pessoptimism, neo-socialism, and tianxia (All-under-Heaven).

“Pessoptimism” – This word only grasps the edge of Chinese culture. I do admit that Chinese people have both pessimistic and optimistic expectations for the future, but that has nothing to do with China’s rapid development – as I mentioned in the historical context of novel creation, China was facing a powerful and seemingly unbeatable United States at that time, it was widely believed on the Chinese Internet that China’s GDP might reach the level of Japan in a few decades. Few people realized at that time that the economy would develop rapidly within a few years.

In fact, the pessimistic mentality in the novel comes from: 1, a strong feudal China was shattered by the rapid rise of colonial countries; 2, the anxiety of human self destruction brought about by nuclear deterrence and the development of weapon technology; 3, comparison and reflection on the relationship between social Darwinism and equality.

The optimistic attitude in novels also comes from a long history. Any civilization can learn and resist. Organisms can avoid the devastating impact of catastrophic events through reproduction, whether small or not. After the environment is completely changed, everything will eventually perish except those can adapt. All of these stories are in history.

This expert did see that two sides of things can coexist, but unfortunately, he cannot understand what history means to the Chinese people.

Neo-socialism: This expert seems to believe that the depiction of the dystopian social environment of the Trisolarans in the novel reflects the current China.

In The Three Body Problem, Liu’s alien characters from across the galaxy are presented as scientific because they don’t have “time for or interest in art and literature; at the same time, they do not understand lies or tricks”.(10)

Unfortunately, this expert made the same mistake – he did not understand this novel together with Chinese history.

The Trisolarans have a close connection with Japan in history. Japan, as an island nation on the edge of a tectonic plate, believed that it had to invade China and colonize due to the threat of volcanoes and earthquakes on their islands, which was the source of Japanese militarism during WWII. That brings uncertainty like three suns.

Many civilizations experience a large-scale ideological shift when facing crises, leading to greater unity and a convergence of thinking patterns.

Under more extreme environmental assumptions, people have to abandon cultural development and focus on survival. In fact, this describes the state of mobilized. However, the high degree of ideological consistency, lack of personalized thinking ability, and lack of lies and tricks between people is the results of it. You can see this unified ideology during the existence of the Soviet Union, China’s Cultural Revolution, Japan’s militaristic education, etc.. It can encourage people to work in the same direction, but at the same time, it undermines long-term potential.

Liu doesn’t fear technology, unlike the authors of many dystopian sci-fi stories, because he dutifully sees technology as the answer to human questions.

It is just a state of human society, not a solution. It’s not modern China, nor the pattern of “neo-socialism”. None of these cultures is always right – the death has taken them all at the end of this novel.

Tianxia: I guess this expert did not read Liu Cixin’s short stories because there are with Russians and Serbs as the main characters.

But most Chinese sci-fi focuses on humanity as ethnically Chinese, and Chinese sci-fi as an instrument of the PRC’s soft power. In The Wandering Earth and the Three Body Problem, all of Liu’s protagonists are ethnic Chinese. Other peoples have little or no agency: they passively help China, are ignorant terrorists, or they are absent altogether. In the novella version of The Wandering Earth, the Japanese mother rebels against science, and then is sacrificed in the name of population control, while the Chinese-Japanese son is just Chinese. In the movie version, there is a mixed-race Chinese-Australian man who is made to look and sound funny, and he has to defend himself as a ‘real Chinese’ based on his paternal bloodline.(19)

That’s not about soft power. Since ancient times, we have regarded “tianxia” as the highest moral goal. This expert seem to mistakenly believe that this is just to cater to Xi – in fact, it is Xi’s government that caters to the Chinese people.

Also, you can’t expect a electric worker as Cixin Liu in a tiny Chinese town to have a good impression of British or American people before 2006, can you? At that time, your coalition had just caused a large number of disasters in the Middle East.

The facts make it difficult for your people to become a better solution.

With Xi Jinping, China’s global strategy seems to be catching up with Liu’s vision of the future: it looks to science to solve political problems, and figures engagement with the Other in zero-sum terms as an existential struggle for survival.

I don’t think any normal person would consider a “community with a shared future for mankind” as a zero sum narrative. People create their lives through work. Only those who plunder wealth will see society as zero sum, while Chinese people manufacture products.

The novel does not depict zero sum games, but rather negative sum games under the tactic of “ensuring mutual destruction”. The Trisolarans and Earthlings who implemented mutual deterrence ultimately achieved a strike and left separately, but their main forces were destroyed, while a minority of the two races survived by exploring and adapting to new rules.

As citizens of the British, which is one of the countries who encouraged Ukrainians to charge towards Russians and participate in rendering nuclear deterrence, the author should have a deep understanding of this.

When I was getting rejected by a lot of girls for marriage, my mother – like all other mothers in the world would say me, “Don’t worry, you are a Prince and we will find a Princess for you.”

My family members would also console me by saying that it’s all about destiny and our family is quite reputed and we are well settled so you will get married soon.

My reply to my mother and my family members was always this.

“Neither I’m a Prince nor I’m a greek god. And we are not Ambanis. I am very well aware of the fact that I’m about to get rejected in future.”

I embrace the fact that I look much older than my age. And that’s why I always was prepared for the rejection because no father would want to marry her daughter to someone who’s quite older than her.

I look like I’m 33–35 years old whereas I’m 26 years old.

We aren’t filthy rich either. We own decent amount of land and live a pretty average life.

Neither I have any side business nor I have a white collar job.

So, to sum it up, there’s nothing extraordinary about me or my family that people would rush to marry their daughters in our family.


What is a brutal truth about life that needs to be said?

Most probably I’m 99,56,32,408th person who is saying this.

In real life, in real world, away from the social media’s sugar coated sweet shit, your looks and your financial status matter.

It just doesn’t matter, it matters a lot.

I have transformed from an ugly looking boy to an average looking guy and that’s why I know how important looks are.

We have built our new home and have seen people’s changed perception about us, that’s why I know how important financial status is.

A teacher is more inclined towards a cute kid.

A good looking candidate is preferred over other average looking candidates with same qualifications.

Black people receive more punishments compared to white people.

And, I should not mention about all the privileges rich people get, because we all know about that.

We all know this. We just pretend that it doesn’t matter.

On social media we all are saints, unaffected by society’s opinions, expectations and pressure.

I’m not saying this because I was rejected many times. I was sure about rejection.

I have lived for 26 years on this earth and have faced, experienced and seen similar incidents and discriminations my whole life.

Looks and financial status of someone may not matter to you at this point in your life.

But, it definitely will, somewhere, sometime.

9 Things That Make Men Look Expensive & Put Together (Women Always Notice This)

I walk inside and already want to leave.

The two instructors turn to me. They have clean-shaven tattooed heads and thick, spiral-shaped piercings in their ears. On the wall hangs a photo of one of them mounting and pounding an opponent in the cage.

I’d decided to learn MMA and had found a small gym in the area. Even before coming in, I was worried about what it’d be like.

I didn’t want to be part of a macho, who-can-punch-the-hardest scene.

“Oh hello!” the woman instructor says, the same one displayed on the wall bludgeoning her adversary.

Her face lights up with a megawatt-lightbulb smile. She rushes at me, gives a lung-squeezing hug, and says, “You’re the one who called about trying a class, right?”

“Yeah…” I say, still processing the dissonance between her appearance and the supernova of affection I just received.

“Have you gone over the rules?” she goes on. “Basically, if you bring food make sure it doesn’t have any animal products–we’re vegan.”

“Sure…”

“More importantly–you know what to do if someone comes up to you in the street and asks for your wallet, right?”

“Umm…”

“Just hand it to them. Life is too precious to play the hero.”

“Dog Named Hero Saves Owner’s Life for Days, Fighting Off Cold and Coyotes and Getting Help

An Akita named ‘Hero’ saved his owner’s life last week in an incredible tale of loyalty and resilience that saw him remain by his side through two frigid Alberta nights, fend off coyotes, and eventually alert rescuers.

Winning plaudits for his name and deed the world over, a GoFundMe raised $3,000 to cover the veterinary bills of Hero by the shelter that is keeping him safe and warm while his owner recovers.

The story began with an attack: when a passerby named Curtis Dahl was walking in a field of mud and grass near the sugar factory in the town of Taber, and Hero came running up and bit his dog around the neck.

Dahl claims he tussled with Hero for ten minutes trying to get him off his dog, and needed stitches on his finger by the end of it.

Calling police and animal services with a complaint, he alerted them to Hero’s presence, but when the officers arrived and saw Hero lying down exhausted near a terraced plot of grass and weeds near the road, they suddenly heard a cry for help.

Arriving, they found a 61-year-old man on his back in a ditch, shivering and unable to move. He told police he’d been stuck there for two days while Hero protected him.

While the man was taken to a hospital, Hero was taken to Taber Lost Paws Society, an animal shelter that has a special program to look after dogs during periods of crisis or injury. As it happened, the society’s acting president Alana McPhee said they had an employee who was the injured man’s neighbor and knew that he had another Akita dog named Tora.

Reported missing two days prior, Tora eventually turned up in her owner’s yard with a disabled leg after screws and rods in her leg from a previous injury had come loose. They suspect she had been back and forth from the site where her owner fell to the home several times, or perhaps could have been fighting, though she had no bite or puncture marks.

Once informed of the full story, the man whose dog had been attacked by Hero was “understanding of the situation” and was grateful Hero’s owner was rescued. He later received compensation for the medical costs to his dog and himself via CAD$3,000 that was raised from a GoFundMe organized by the Lost Paws Society.

“(Hero) was being protective. That dog probably had not eaten for several days. He was incredibly stressed and, obviously, powerless to help his owner. He had to fight off coyotes,” McPhee said.

Men and their ability to transcend the space-time continuum.

He did a couple of things.

We adopted a German Shepherd named Rex from our local no-kill rescue organization.

He was a wonderful dog and had only been turned in because his 38 y/o owner had leukemia and there was no one to take Rex. They told us he had even had $600 worth of dog obedience training. When we got him home, one of the shelter employees called to say how happy they were that he had found a home after three months of lying in a cage because “Rex was everyone’s favorite dog.”

We could understand why. He was a very sweet dog with an amazingly calm temperament.

Except for the mailman. He really, really didn’t like the mailman and seemed to feel that we needed his protection from this daily intruder. So when the mailman showed up at our front door, Rex would bark ferociously until the mail had been delivered and the mailman was safely on his way.

The sight of the mailman walking away confirmed to him that, once again, he had done his job!

However, one day to my complete surprise, the mailman came and went with absolutely no reaction from Rex.

So I casually said to him, “Rex, what happened? The mailman came and went and you didn’t even bark.”

He stood there patiently looking at me while I talked. When I was finished, he walked calmly over to the closed front door, stood there for a moment looking at the door, and then very quietly went, “Woof.”

As in “Satisfied?”

If I hadn’t seen him do it, I never would have believed it!

Also, his favorite person in the household was my grown daughter because she was the one who walked him. When he decided it was time for a walk, he would find one of my daughter’s walking shoes, grab it in his mouth, walk over to where she was sitting and drop it in her lap!

He lived to be 12 years old and then he had a stroke which left his hind legs completely paralyzed. After he had spent a month lying helplessly on a blanket with wee-wee pads, we decided it wasn’t fair to let him keep living like that since there was no hope that he would ever get any better.

I thought about his favorite food because, unlike many dogs who are sick or dying, there was nothing wrong with his appetite.

The only thing he had ever stolen was my homemade beef jerky. It was in a Christmas tin, in a box which had been wrapped, taped and tied with a string. It was ready to mail and sitting on the dining room table. While we were out, Rex had managed to get it down from the table , untie it, get the wrapping off of it, open the tin (not easy even for humans!) and eat every piece.

So I made an entire batch of beef jerky and fed him piece after piece while he was lying there waiting to be euthanized.

A few minutes later, he passed on with a tummy full of his favorite food.

When you LIVE

A Tyranny of Geniuses

Compassionate technocracy?

If rulers’ own behavior is ethical, what difficulty will they have in governing? If their own conduct is improper, how can they demand lawfulness from their citizens? Confucius. Analects.

Matthew Archer’s recent What if we Lost our Smartest 5%? suggests that, without our scientists and engineers we would struggle even to maintain our quality of life. It also helps explain the West’s current governmental decline and China’s rise. That’s because, like most sentient beings, our smartest 5% – scientists and engineers – are repelled by our toxic political process. No wonder Western governments have failed to deliver democratic outcomes¹.

China’s top 5%, by contrast, are entirely involved in government, and thereby hangs our tale..

The smartest guys in the room

Imagine the impact on European civilization of a series of Imperial dynasties maintaining the self-same style and significance from Caesar Augustus until the First World War. Now imagine such a civilization existing on the other side of the planet unaware of Greek philosophy, the alphabet, Roman governance, Christianity, feudalism, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment or democracy, but with its own, unique cultural and institutional correlates that exceeded all of them in intellectual subtlety and material success. Fernand Braudel

2500 years ago a government consultant named Confucius designed a low-maintenance, harmonious state by modeling it on the nuclear family and its natural hierarchy. The head of each little family would be responsible to the family clan head –as they still are – who is responsible to the extended clan head and so on, up to the head of the Big Family, the emperor.

The emperor’s responsibility would be to find honest, competent, selfless geniuses willing to devote their lives to serving the dynasty. The trick, he said, was finding them, “The administration of government lies in getting men of strong moral character – the kind who will only be attracted a the ruler’s own good character, which he cultivates by treading the path of duty. And treading the path of duty is cultivated by practicing compassion”. Because honesty rises with intelligence and running a kingdom is the hardest job on earth, choose officials for their moral integrity and intellectual abilities.

Alas, rulers of the day were comfortable with their chain of command and their nobles were hostile to meritocracy and Confucius, convinced that he had failed, died.

For centuries, corrupt eunuchs, scheming regents, dowager empresses, usurpers, concubines, wicked uncles and rebellious generals continued their massacres, kidnappings, taxing and warring. Confucius’ disciples persistently advocated his plan, however, until, in 188 BC, they persuaded Emperor Wen of Han to stop imprisoning parents, wives, and siblings of common criminals.

When things went awry, he wrote Letters of Public Apology, as Confucius advised. So positive was the public response that he began lowering taxes, abolishing corvée labor and giving monthly pensions to widows, orphans and retirees and, as Confucius had predicted, peace and prosperity prevailed.

Emperor Wen next began examining nobles’ suitability for office and soon, ambitious families were sending promising offspring to Confucian cram schools. A century later, thirty-thousand earnest young men were enrolled at Imperial Colleges where, as a form of meditation, they memorized the Master’s teaching on compassionate service until it permeated their feelings, thoughts, and dreams.

Getting serious

Eight centuries of increasing meritocracy passed until, in 600 AD, Emperor Yang of Sui opened imperial examinations to peasants. He instructed examiners – from whom candidates’ identities were concealed – to find men with intellectual depth and moral maturity. To emphasize the importance of morality, he said, they should execute cheaters.

Examinees answered questions on the economy, analyzed current government policies and composed original essays to demonstrate their brushwork, literacy, creativity, and knowledge of the World. The Emperor himself queried top candidates who quoted from memory case studies in governance and passages from the Analects (as they still do). Advancement by examination was class-blind (it still is) because, said Censor Wang Ji, “If selection by examination is not strict, the powerful will struggle to be foremost, and orphans and the poor will have difficulty advancing”.

By 1204 AD, of two-hundred seventy-nine senior officials whose families we know, forty-four percent had forebears in government (by 2020, it was twelve percent). Successful applicants became national celebrities, their feats memorialized in family books and their homecomings semi-hysterical:

When a scholar rides in a high carriage drawn by four horses, flag-bearers running ahead with a mounted escort bringing up the rear, people gather on both sides of the road to watch and sigh. Ordinary men and foolish women rush forward in excitement and humbly prostrate themselves in the dust stirred up by his carriage. This is a scholar’s joy. This is when his ambition is fulfilled.

Poor scholars who ascended on talent were the Emperor’s men entirely. They could neither own land, serve in their home provinces, nor have relatives in the same branch of government (prohibitions that still hold). They competed for promotion by constructing public works and, though dynasties rose and fell, there was just one official to serve eight thousand citizens, often in regions far from family and friends, under terrible conditions, regularly at the cost of their lives.

Though few in number, they sustained the most harmonious, advanced, prosperous nation on earth, and so lustrous is their record that Chinese heroes and villains –historical or fictional – were or are government officials. One such hero-official has even been deified: by democratic agreement, Governor Li Bing, who designed and constructed the Dujiangyan water diversion project in 250 BC (below), is God of Waters. His temple still stands at the site where he diverted the waters to create one of the country’s great rice bowls.

That was then, this is now

The top 20% of Chinese university graduates, the smartest two-million (out of eleven-million) youngsters, will take the guokao civil service exam this summer. The written examinations are challenging, the orals intimidating and exhausting, and applicants need a 140 IQ (enough for a PhD in theoretical physics) to get an interview, and only 27,000, 1.3% of them, will receive job offers.

The successful applicants will take vows of selfless service stricter than a Jesuit …

Bisquick Butterscotch Brownies

59247t2
59247t2

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Bisquick baking mix or Biscuit Baking Mix
  • 1 box light or dark brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (room temperature)
  • 1 can coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix all ingredients and bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan for 45 minutes.
  3. Cool on rack, and cut while still warm.

Rainbow – Catch the Rainbow live in Munich 1977 HD, FULL VERSION, Remastered. (2018)

This was my live-for song when I was in High school. Damn.

Rax and TCBY.

  • When I hear a good song playing suddenly in my neighborhood – It’s so awesome and got more power to make me cry and dance when it’s distant.
  • When someone genuinely listens to what I have to say – Isn’t it just great to speak your heart and someone is ready to see that vulnerable side of you?
  • When I receive the same level of importance I give to people – Ever heard someone say that “you” are a “priority” to them? If you have, dude you’re lucky (because I haven’t heard so).
  • When out of the blue, my mumma calls me “gudiya” – Mother’s love hits different. What would I even do without her?
  • When people trust me with their emotions – There’s a chance that I’ve been through that, so if they trust me, I can do everything to make sure they’re happy again.
  • When I get random messages from my close people – That specific notification sound just for the close ones>>
  • When I see potatoes – Weird? Nope, it isn’t. Potato and I go way back in history, a story for another time for sure!
  • When I know exactly what to do – I don’t have to explain this xD
  • When I’m sweating hard at the time of workout – It’s so satisfying when the exercises are giving result and on top of that, those beady drops of sweat make my day!

Some more of my AI generations

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tangerines 2
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tangerines 2

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh grapefruit 2(1)
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh grapefruit 2(1)

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh grapefruit 3
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh grapefruit 3

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh pomegranate 2
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh pomegranate 2

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh peaches wit 0
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh peaches wit 0

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes on 2(1)
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes on 2(1)

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes an 0
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes an 0

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes an 2
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes an 2

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh olives with 3
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh olives with 3

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh olives with 1(1)
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh olives with 1(1)

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes wi 3(1)
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm fresh tomatoes wi 3(1)

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm prepared hamburge 1
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm prepared hamburge 1

Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm prepared hamburge 2
Default Imagine a Baroque box label for farm prepared hamburge 2

If You’re An American Living Abroad Tell Me Why You Would Never Go Back? | Part 2

Why is that such surprise?

main qimg 6f67e116c8e2a23e11ed60ccc4149e2a
main qimg 6f67e116c8e2a23e11ed60ccc4149e2a

A. The West sanctions Iran unilaterally

The West unilaterally sanctions Iran. They steal Irans Oil randomly, pirating Iranian Ships or Ships containing Iranian Oil

They forbid shipment of even medicines into Iran causing the death of thousands of iranians

For a long time they even refused to allow imports of food materials into Iran especially Wheat

B. The West arms Taiwan, arms Japan and South Korea and literally builds thousands of bases around the South China Sea

US surrounds China with army bases yet a Chinese delegation to Cuba gets a massive national security lecture

main qimg 96906486cc76b98d89d2418adf9c3bf5
main qimg 96906486cc76b98d89d2418adf9c3bf5

US openly says they want to Contain Chinas Rise and Growth

US arms Taiwan, a region they themselves acknowledge as being part of China

US sends soldiers to Taiwan, a Chinese region according to their own law

C. The West openly declare their aim to overthrow Putin and even assassinate him

Many a Senator and a Congressman at some time has claimed to want to overthrow or even kill Putin

They openly discuss Balkanization of Russia in their think tanks

They refused to give Russia security guarantees for almost a year before Ukraine when all they had to do was agree to Ukraines NATO membership being deferred by a decade


So how is it a surprise that these three nations decide to work together against the West?

What exactly does he expect?

That these three nations would come with a Chocolate Cake and openly allow themselves to be destroyed ?

Naah

Rule No 1 would be for the West to leave the world alone and stop interfering in every thing under the sun

Rule No 2 would be for the West to prepare a kill list of 100,000 people who are ruining them and the world. Including Stoltenberg himself.

Rule No 3 would be some nice army trucks at 3 AM outside the houses of these 100,000 people after which – they are never heard of again.

And the families too. Families always make nice deterrents.

Rule No 4 would be for a new Order in the West that adheres to their own principles of International Law rather than Rules Based Order

Once you do that the world would be a peaceful place

Stoltenberg would not be in that world but well… Nobodys gonna miss him too much

When I was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative Republican, a career military man from a family of career warriors, I loved to listen to Paul Harvey and public radio. NPR didn’t seem “leftie” to me.

I was overseas my whole career, and got my news from the Stars and Stripes and Armed Forces Radio. I saw many ways to run a society while I lived in Japan, Philippines, Korea, and Germany over 16 years.

The first time I saw Rush Limbaugh, for the first five minutes, I thought he was a comedian doing a bit.

Upon finally returning to the States to retire, I was appalled at what America had become. The US I came back to was nearly a police state. The population was the sickest and most disabled of any country I had lived in. Homelessness and lack of education made the US seem like a Third World country. I was shocked.

NPR, however, was a familiar place to relax. They made sense. They considered points of view from both left and right. Importantly, the only “leftie” was a member of the Communist Party of the USA, and the only extreme right candidate was George Wallace, who didn’t stand a chance in the general election.

The difference between Dems and Repubs was no too great. Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan worked together all the time. (Reagan promised “small government” but grew the government by every metric. Every one.)

Today, however, millions of Americans have been left behind. They are worse educated than any modern nation; they are sicker and more disabled, and their babies die in the first year much more than in the rest of the advanced nations. (We did, in fact, become an oligarchy with democratic trappings. Details available upon request.)

Now those millions are angry. Their politicians sold out to the billionaires. The Republican leadership, much more than the Democrats, ignored their constituents needs and gave only tax cuts and excuses. The American people wanted LGBT people to have the same rights of marriage, social security, and hospital visitation as straight people. We got that. The American people wanted women to have more career opportunities, including in the military, on ships, and in combat units. We got that.

The American people voted for a black president. That broke the GOP back. Guns flew off the retail shelves, Militia membership soared. Ammunition was sold out for two years. The GOP refused to govern. All they did was vote to repeal the ACA 60 times, always with no chance of succeeding. Republicans directly interfered with foreign policy, personally telling Iran’s leaders to ignore the POTUS.

It seemed Hillary was certain to win. So certain, that few voted. Except the Republicans. They came out in force to vote for the guy who hated everyone they hated. Now their leader spews hatred and isolationism, the money-grubbing marketing

experts at certain media companies see the potential, so they amplify the suspicion and distrust. The result is a perfect storm of brainwashing. The handsome, 6′1″ blond billionaire can persuade most folks to invest their money in his dreams. Now he’s persuaded millions of Americans to invest their votes, their minds and their hearts in dedication to a professional con-man. Bernie Maddoff must be jealous.

THE ANSWER

NPR is right where they’ve always been, just a little left of center. But now the GOP has gone so far right—off the reservation—that they call centrists traitors and Marxists. God help us in our hour of need. Lord, is it time yet to take Trump home to meet his maker? Amen.

The question doesn’t make sense.

If it was illegal then it wouldn’t be possible to get a permit to visit. A permit means that it is legal for foreigners to visit Tibet. Similar to how you need a visa to visit China.

The autonomous regions of China are often slightly different to the mainland.

  • Hong Kong & Macao have fairly easy visas for most people BUT you do need separate visas for them.
  • Xinjiang doesn’t need a special permit now but it did in the past.
  • Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi have never had any special requirements as far as I know.

Anyway, I visited Tibet back in 2007. At that stage, it looked like the permits were going to be gone soon. The High Speed Train had just been connected and it was opening up.

Then the uprisings and separatist movement made a big push in 2008 when Beijing was hosting the Olympics. They were supported directly or indirectly by the US government and then Tibet was locked down and hard to get into Tibet for foreigners. Millions of Chinese tourists visit each year. Since then it has become easier and I know a number of people who have visited recently. You still need a permit but it is fairly easy to get one unless you are a reporter.

Last year in 2023 there were more than 24 million tourists to Tibet. Most were domestic but 30,455 were tourists from overseas.

You can visit but unless things have changed you need to spend 3 days in China. This information may be out of date since in the past it was advised that you should apply for the permit in China. Most tourists used to go to Chengdu to see the pandas and spend 3 days their waiting for the permit. A travel agent will do all of this for you and tell you what to do. It isn’t hard but it took time. Not sure if this is still the case. Things change quickly…

Navigating dating in a world where men are increasingly being told that women and men should be treated as equals; and yet where as a heterosexual man trying to find a partner, you’re still being systematically and mercilessly filtered out as a potential partner if you fail to perform classical masculinity well enough.

I grew up in, and live in Norway. One of the countries on earth that consistently score near the top of gender-equality rankings.

And yet my experiences in dating, especially as a young man, were very much about adhering to classical prejudiced gender-roles for men — or else remain single.

Examples?

  • I’ve been told (and agree!) that men should not be afraid to show or talk about emotions. But I’ve also been told in hundreds of ways that if a man shows any emotion that includes even a hint of vulnerability, then he’s instantly disqualified as a potential romantic interest.
  • I’ve been told that men and women should face the same expectations and similar opportunities. But as a young man, no woman ever asked me out on a first date. No woman ever explicitly revealed a crush on me unless I’d done the same thing first. No woman ever kissed me unless I initiated that first. No woman ever bought me a drink, flowers, chocolate, a valentines day card or any other stereotypically romantic gift unless I’d done that first. No woman ever asked me to dance, unless I’d done that first.[*]
  • Every time I read answers here on Quora about men who struggle with finding dates, I see the same recommendations. Usually from liberal, feminist people (both men and women) well-reflected about gender. Be confident. Be assertive. Initiate. Approach. Show Competence. Be unaffected by rejection, or if you’re affected, hide it! I’m not sure if they fail to notice it, or if they notice but don’t care — but these things look pretty much like: “Be classically masculine and adhere to gender-norms for men!” to me.

My dating-life took a sharp turn upwards when I finally learnt how to wear a mask and play a classically masculine role well enough to pass muster as a potential romantic partner.

I had several long and good relationships after I figured this part out, and though I’m happily married these days, I’m still confident I could fairly easily find a new fulfilling relationship if I should ever again find myself single and lonely.

But to find that relationship, I’d have to initially play a role. One that isn’t me, or that at least is just a tiny fraction of me. I’d have to play up those parts of me that adhere the closest to prejudiced norms for what a “real man” should be, and at least for a while downplay or hide those parts of me that don’t fit the mold, such as for example my vulnerable or emotional parts.

The most confusing thing for me as a young man, was how women around me were constantly telling me that there’s nothing they want more than gender-equality. And yet at the same time, if I want to “pass” as a man worthy of romantic love or sexual desire, then I have to jump right back into strongly gendered norms for what a “real man” should be.


[*]: I’m aware that many of these things do happen now and then to many men, and happen often to some men. Ironically though, that tends to be men with high social status and/or high social dominance. This single factor was without a doubt the most important factor for which young men were seen as attractive among my peers. And of course high status and high social dominance are ALSO things that prejudiced gender-roles for men judge us for.

Oh, Boy! That happened to me.

Let me give you a bit of context:

My then girlfriend and I had been dating for about 5 years when we finally decided to marry.

On the day of the wedding, we were at my parents’ house with some close family and our closest friends.

Everything was going as expected and the law officer driving the ceremony was reading the document we were about to sign in order to be pronounced “husband and wife”.

It went something like:

“Mr. Blah blah blah… of profession Systems’ Engineer, born at xxxxx and Miss blah blah blah of profession xxxxx from xxx” plus some legal stuff that no one was really paying attention, or so I thought.

Then, the lady asks the infamous question:

“Does anyone have any objection?”

And for everyone’s surprise, a “Yes, I have one” was clearly heard.

In that instant, the time and everything else just froze. You would have been able to cut the air of the room with a knife. Everyone was shocked, silently looking for the source of those words. The only things moving in the room were our guests’ eyes.

Finally, we found it!

It turned out that the objection came from no less than the bride herself, and then she added in her most natural tone:

“He is not a Systems Engineer. His speciality is Computer Engineer”

First a general sense of relief and then everyone just burst out laughing.

We have been married for more than 15 years and the document still says “Systems Engineer”

Did I tell you that my wife is a lawyer?

  1. your sleep is key to your health and energy. Sleep well, and everything in life already looks easier. Darkness, silence, and inner peace are the key ingredients.
  2. what you eat and drink is another key to your health and energy. The fewer of the things you consume have brand names, and the less has been done to them, the better you will eventually be.
  3. the people you are surrounded by contribute greatly to who you are, and not just while you are with them. When you’re honest, you’ll find that very little of you is actually you.
  4. the big challenge in life is to be authentic. It’s the hardest thing to do of them all to be truly yourself, and it may well be the meaning of life to try it. We only ever live during those moments where we are being ourselves, and they are few.
  5. to live in freedom, you need to make utilitarian choices. This is a mechanical universe, full of things that are parasitic. Find the things that serve you with the least demands on you, and your life is more free.

This chick is really freaking out.

I’m American, living in France for many years. I eat butter, cream, cheese, bread, pasta…. things I never used to eat in the US, and yet never have to worry about my weight.

Many things come into play-

No snacks. We eat meals, usually at the same times each day. My body seems to like living on a schedule this way. I don’t get hungry in between meals. My stomach knows when it is time to eat, and when it isn’t.

Portions. Portions are smaller. I’m about to visit home again, and know we’ll be going to restaurants and such, and I’ll have these giant heaping plates placed before me, which make me sick to think about. It actually kills my appetite to see this.

Different courses. Instead of eating everything at the same time, we have courses, so only one thing is in front of us at a time. If you are only eating tomatoes, you are going to eat less than if you are mixing in bites of other things in between. Eating a salad or a soup before the main dish, you’re already going to eat less of the main course, because you are less hungry.

Walking. We spend a lot of time walking. I walk to most everything – the grocery store, the post office, the hairdresser, the recycling center….. Whatever chores I have to do outside the home, I can usually walk, and a twenty-minute walk to get somewhere is normal. I do remember a time, when I hadn’t been here long, that every time someone said, “let’s just walk there”, I’d groan and complain “Why can’t we just drive??” I’ve come to love walking around the city. I had to remember the joy of that as a kid, when I’d just love taking my time and observing life around me along the way, instead of having my focus on the destination.

Less stress. This may or may not apply in a general way, but I find they have a different way of looking at life, in which work success is just not considered so essential, so people worry less. A lot of paid vacation, job security, easy healthcare, results in feeling less anxious, and maybe contributes to less cortisol production and emotional eating.

The failure of democracy

Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole
Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 10 (6 to 8 inch diameter) flour or corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
  • 1 1/3 cups salsa verde or green sauce
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Chihuahua or mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in skillet until hot. Cook tortilla strips in oil for 30 to 60 seconds or until light golden brown; drain.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 quart casserole.
  3. Layer half of the tortilla strips in casserole; top with chicken, half of the salsa verde (about 2/3 cup) and 1 cup of the cheese.
  4. Press layers gently down into casserole.
  5. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, sauce and cheese.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

I had three interviews that went very well, in my opinion, yet I received no job offer, and I suspected it was because my boss was subverting my effort to leave the company. During my fourth interview, with the Department of Correction, I mentioned my suspicion to the person interviewing me and she said that she’d make a note of it. I was offered the job a couple of days later, contingent upon passing a drug screen, and while I was at the agency for the drug screen the HR manager asked me to step into her office.

She called my boss and said she was calling for a reference on me, and boss gave what would be described as a tepid recommendation: I did “adequate” work and was “as reliable as anyone else” but she would have hired someone younger if she was filling my position now. After she ended the call the HR manager said she understood why I had trouble finding another job, and then she asked when I wanted to start work with the agency. I told her I’d be there bright and early the following Monday.

My boss said she wanted someone younger for my job so I decided to accomodate her. I didn’t bother to say anything about the phone call, or that I was leaving. But I did send a delayed email letting her know how I felt about her and so she’d know that I wouldn’t be coming back. The last time I saw her was when I picked up my last paycheck; she threw a stapler at me.

OMG!

Just put this on and listen to it on a early Saturday Morning.

WYDD

The strategic interest of the US dictates avoiding confrontation with another nuclear power to prevent mutually assured destruction (MAD), which would destroy the American Empire including the homeland. This also explains why the US refrained from deploying troops to Ukraine and limited its support to material and strategic assistance.

Throughout the first Cold War, spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s, direct warfare between the US and Russia did not occur. Likewise, in the current second Cold War since 2012 between China and the US, is unlikely to happen.

Fomenting discord among other vassals, such as Japan and the Philippines, to confront China, or instigating internal strife among Chinese factions across the Taiwan Strait, not only serves America’s interests but also rallies public support for US military endeavors. This rationale also underpins the US’s decision not to renew the mutual defense treaty with Taiwan after terminating it in the 1980s. Furthermore, should the Strawberry Army in Taiwan falter in defending the island, the US can easily shift blame onto Taiwanese forces, particularly if they fail to resist the Chinese unification process to the last man standing like what is happening in Ukraine.

Some Pictures

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Ukraine – When Opining War Experts Can’t Read Maps

No one expects that western officials are knowledgeable – especially not with regards to facts. But some exceed even the lowest expectations one might have – and no, not to the upside.

Consider this op-ed by Evelyn N. Farkas, published two days ago:

Ukraine is not losing; US assistance must continueThe Hill, Mar 31 2024

The congressional faction that opposes Ukraine assistance shares a common talking point with the Kremlin — that Ukraine is losing the war with Russia anyway. Having just returned from Ukraine, where I met with top Ukrainian officials and participated in a security conference, I have found substantial evidence to the contrary.

All Farkas did was to talk with some Ukraine boosters in Kiev.  She has penned down whatever they claimed and now tries to sell that as the real. She thinks she is qualified to do so because she once held a high position in U.S. Defense Department:

Evelyn N. Farkas, Ph.D., is executive director of the McCain Institute and former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia.

This however proves that she is extremely miss-informed and totally unqualified to make any judgment:

While the Ukrainians hardly welcome a new Russian offensive in the spring or summer, they believe it is likely. The officials we met with explained that Putin needs to show progress, some kind of victory to justify renewed mobilization and, emboldened now by his fake elections, he is likely to move on the ground and may try once again to open a land corridor to Crimea. But such decisions may plant the seeds of military overreach.

The land corridor between Crimea and the rest of the Russian Federation was established in early March 2022, less than two weeks after the current phase of the war had started.

At that time even the maps by the neo-conned Institute for the Study of War said so:

 

1
1

biggerThe maps by the French Ministry of Defense confirmed the connection:


bigger
That land corridor has existed since and has never been interrupted. The Ukrainian ‘counter attack’ last summer was supposed to break through that corridor. It failed. Meanwhile Russia is strengthening the territory and increasing its value by building a new railway (red) along the coast of the Sea of Azov which will significantly shorten the train connection along the corridor.

 

2x
2x

biggerThe Ukrainian military does not like that and will attempt to destroy the new line (edited machine translation):

Ukraine also promises to strike at the railway, which the Russian Federation has been building for more than a year along the Sea of Azov in the occupied territory of Ukraine. It can be a serious problem, says Kirill Budanov, chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.”The construction process is almost complete, and this may pose a serious problem for us,” Budanov said, making it clear that the Ukrainian military is already preparing to launch strikes on the railway. “We have experience in this, and it is much easier than the issue of the Crimean Bridge,” Budanov said.

Budanov’s latest operation, last month’s incursion into Russia towards Belgograd, was a serious failure. The troops involved had extremely high losses.

The Russian military will expect saboteurs at the new rail line and will know how to handle those. It also has its own railway troops which can repair damages to train lines in a shorter time than it takes to sabotage those.

As for Farkas – one really wonders how such a blunder could pass by her intern who wrote that piece, her own eyes, as well as those of the editors of The Hill who supposedly read through it before it was published.

This says something about the quality of analysis coming out of Washington DC – and no, not to the upside.

h/t Lee Slusher

Posted by b on April 2, 2024 at 9:22 UTC | Permalink

I’m in my mid-50s and my current net worth is in the middle of this range, or about $15 million.

As others have noted, I’ve taken care of most of my family’s financial needs. We have quite a bit of money saved for retirement, and my children’s college education needs are taken care of through heavily funded 529 accounts.

We live in a nice house (about 4,000 square feet) in a nice neighborhood, in a nice suburb near a major U.S. city. We’ve lived in this house for about 19 years and moved in when my net worth was maybe $1–2 million, so we haven’t upgraded as we’ve become richer.

We did buy a vacation house eight years ago in the mountains, and typically enjoy it during the winter months for skiing. We have nice cars, but tend to hold onto them for awhile — I got a new BMW last year after 8 years with my prior car only because I had new drivers in the household and we needed another vehicle.

And five years ago, I finally joined a country club after being an avid golfer for 40 years.

Other than the cars, you wouldn’t know we were anything other than middle class — no family member wears bling or otherwise shows anything that screams wealth. I wear an Apple Watch unless I’m at a formal function (my “dress” watch is a Tag Heuer — a nice watch but certainly not showy).

I still work full-time, in a job I enjoy that typically pays me $600k – $700k per year. And all of my kids work, including the two in high school (they work part-time after school three days a week). All of my children attended public schools through high school.

However, the biggest factor influencing our lifestyle is my wife’s disability. She is totally disabled, is wheelchair-bound when we go out (she uses a walker in the house), and hasn’t been able to drive in over a decade. She has help during the day four days a week, but looking after her is a large burden for us as a family.

So — we go to concerts a few times a year and out to dinner about once a month, but major travel is a lot of work. For our last flying vacation two summers ago, I needed to carry her on and off the plane to her seat. And we need disabled accommodations wherever we go, as bathrooms in particular can be very hazardous for her.

And despite assumptions people might make given our high net worth, I do the dishes in the kitchen after dinner, cook during weekends, do weekend laundry and shopping, and most of the other household chores. With my wife’s limitations, it’s a necessity.

In summary, no one should feel sorry for us, as we have the financial means to deal with our situation. But I’d trade almost all of my wealth to restore my wife’s health if it were possible.

Chili Flavored Chicken Wings

Ingredients

  • 1 packet chili spice mix
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
  • 4 pounds chicken wings
  • 1/2 stick butter

Chili Flavored Chicken Wings
Chili Flavored Chicken Wings

Instructions

  1. Combine chili spice packet, cornmeal and parsley flakes in a zip-top bag.
  2. Add chicken wings a few at a time until coated.
  3. Remove wings and place on a buttered cookie sheet.
  4. Repeat this process until all wings are coated with chili flavored mix and placed on buttered cookie sheet.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, then turn and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

The Transformation of Prof. Jeffrey Sachs

America’s Most Consequential Ideological Regime Defector
Ron Unz • April 1, 2024 • 6,800 Words • 156 Comments

Two weeks ago I published an article on Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, prompted by some of his recent public remarks.

During one of his regular weekly interviews on Andrew Napolitano’s podcast, he had briefly stated that the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy had been the result of a conspiracy involving elements of the CIA. He went on to suggest that the killing might have been “the most decisive event in modern American history” and wondered whether any of our subsequent presidents had been anything more than mere “factotums of the system,” completely subject to the powerful hidden groups that actually control our society.

Such sentiments would hardly be uncommon within fringe, conspiratorial circles, but in sixty years I do not think they have ever been publicly expressed by an individual of Prof. Sachs’ elite establishment stature, and others shared my opinion.

A dozen years ago I had discovered that since the early 1990s a prominent progressive academic I know had been absolutely convinced that the JFK assassination had indeed been engineered by those sinister forces, but he had always carefully kept those views to himself. He now told me he was shocked by Sachs’ public courage on the matter, although even a year before he had already been tremendously impressed by Sachs’ remarkable candor: “no question he’s the most important public intellectual we have.”

That previous endorsement had been prompted by some of Sachs’ earlier statements on other matters. As chairman of the Covid Commission, Sachs had declared that the virus responsible for killing more than a million Americans and perhaps another twenty million worldwide had almost certainly been produced in a biolab, while he denounced the U.S. government for desperately working to conceal those facts. After the 2022 outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Sachs had explained that the underlying cause had been the 2014 American overthrow of the democratically-elected Ukrainian government and the years of NATO provocations against Russia that followed, with all of these dangerous policies being a result of the unbroken stranglehold that the Neocons had enjoyed over our country’s foreign policy for more than thirty years. And on Bloomberg TV, he stated that America had obviously destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines, Europe’s most important civilian energy infrastructure, thereby committing the greatest act of industrial terrorism in world history.

In late 2022 these developments had led me to publish an article on the remarkably outspoken Columbia University scholar, and since that time all his activities have further strengthened my verdict. All of us can say whatever we like on a corner of the Internet, but I emphasized that when a figure of very high international standing takes that same position, the impact is considerably different:

Until just a few months ago, I doubt there were many American academics more solidly situated in the topmost ranks of our elite mainstream establishment than Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University.

In 1983 he gained Harvard University tenure at the remarkably young age of 28, then spent the next 19 years as a professor at that august academic institution; by the early 1990s the New York Times was already hailing him as the world’s most important figure in his field. Lured to Columbia University in 2002, he has spent the last couple of decades teaching there and also directing a couple of its research organizations, most recently the Center for Sustainable Development. TIME Magazine has twice ranked him among the world’s 100 most influential individuals, and for nearly twenty years he served as Special Advisor to several Secretary-Generals of the United Nations, while publishing many hundreds of articles and op-eds on a wide variety of subjects in our most influential media outlets.

It would be difficult to construct a more illustrious and establishmentarian curriculum vitae for an international academic figure…

Although he has retained the subdued manner and careful phraseology of a mild academic, in recent months the incendiary content of his published articles and his public statements have exploded across the global landscape, reaching many millions who might otherwise never have questioned what they were so uniformly being told by all our mainstream media organs. His critics defending that orthodoxy must surely believe that he has gone dangerously rogue, and given the enormous weight of his past credibility, I suspect that the phrase “rogue elephant” has sometimes entered their thoughts.

 

Last month, Napolitano took a short break from his show to speak at a Vatican conference on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, and after his return he thanked Sachs for having arranged that invitation. Sachs himself had also attended as a speaker, and Napolitano expressed his amazement that the American economist had been greeted with such admiring recognition by the Roman Catholic cardinals who attended, almost suggesting that they had treated him as a conquering hero.

Sachs’ influence is hardly confined to those Princes of the Church. A central element of the West’s power is its overwhelming control over the global media infrastructure, whose continual stream of propaganda shapes the ideas and beliefs of most of the world’s population, even including political leaders, multi-billionaires, and influential celebrities. A handful of publications sit at the apex of that media hierarchy, with the Economist certainly being one of these, and given the dramatic recent decline in quality of the New York Times, that former publication might now possibly even rank as first among equals. Since 2015, the top Economist editor has been Zanny Minton Beddoes, whose first job out of college was working as a young assistant to Sachs during his highly successful early 1990s restructuring of Poland’s post-Communist economy. Although I know nothing of their relationship, I assume she spent most of the last three decades filled with admiration for her early former mentor, and if so, she must surely take his highly controversial remarks of the last couple of years quite seriously, even if she understands that they cannot possibly be mentioned in print.

Sachs’ personal background includes some memorable events. In a couple of his discussions on the roots of the Ukraine conflict, he recalled that in 1991 he was seated in a room discussing economic policy with Russia’s top leadership when all of them were suddenly informed that the Soviet Union had officially been dissolved, allowing him to experience a historical moment shared by few if any other Americans.

Over the last few months, he has been extremely outspoken in his denunciation of Israel’s ongoing slaughter of tens of thousands of helpless civilians in Gaza, even declaring that Israel was controlled by “a criminal government,” and he had regularly emphasized the need for international organizations to take public action on the matter. Soon afterward, South Africa successfully charged Israel with genocide before the International Court of Justice, whose distinguished jurists affirmed those accusations in a series of near-unanimous rulings. Although I have no evidence, I suspected at the time that Sachs may have used his extensive network of influential global connections to help set that legal project into motion.

I’ve also noticed that despite Sachs’ extremely outspoken public statements, none of those groups and organizations that so fiercely monitor political speech in America have dared to publicly attack him. I think they realize that his international stature is simply too great and any such failed attacks would merely make them look weak and ineffective.

 

After publishing that recent article, I assumed that many months would pass before I would directly focus again on Sachs and his work, but I was quickly proven wrong.

No sooner had my piece appeared than I discovered that Sachs had been interviewed by Piers Morgan, a British former cable TV host of decidedly mainstream sentiments, with such an appearance representing a significant media breakthrough. In their exchange, Morgan demonstrated that he had been living entirely within the cocoon of our official narrative regarding Russia, Ukraine, and Gaza, and was deeply ignorant of the important facts that Sachs brought to his attention. But much more importantly, those facts were also probably surprising to many of the half-million viewers who watched that discussion on Youtube, thereby perhaps helping to shift some of them in a different direction.

Two weeks earlier, Morgan had similarly interviewed Prof. John Mearsheimer, an eminent political scientist and close Sachs ally on those same issues, with similar results. Indeed, an overwhelming majority of the Youtube comments were critical of Morgan’s strictly establishmentarian position.

But even more importantly, I discovered that Sachs had also just published a new article surely as controversial as anything he had previously written.

In that piece, he outlined the overwhelming accumulated evidence that the Covid virus had been the product of American bioengineering technology and was developed by American government funding. Although he certainly recognized that China’s Wuhan lab might have been the immediate source, he emphasized that several American biolabs had also been undertaking very similar viral research at that time, and argued that a full investigation of all those possible sources of the virus was warranted. His provocative title—“What Might the US Owe the World for Covid-19?”—summarized his controversial conclusion that America would probably need to compensate the rest of the world for having unleashed such a devastating global plague that killed tens of millions and disrupted the lives of many billions more.

Considering both his international stature and the very broad range of his courageous public positions, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs may easily rank as the most consequential American ideological defector of the last one hundred years, with no comparable name coming to my mind.

I suspect that a sociological factor may have contributed to Sachs’ easy willingness to violate so many powerful ideological taboos. Most Americans, even including most American academics and intellectuals, exist in a world completely dominated by our own mainstream media, knowing that much of their social circle and peer-group would be horrified or outraged at any sentiments too far outside those acceptable boundaries. If most of your friends and associates are “normies,” you may be very reluctant to take positions that would alienate them.

Sachs, however, has been an influential academic on the world stage for more than three decades, and he seems to spend much of his time traveling to international conferences at which he is often a prominent speaker. So unlike so many of his American colleagues, he is a global figure and his peer group and social circle is an international one, with many of their views likely shaped by entirely different media environments.

Even the early votes in the UN General Assembly on the Israel-Gaza conflict found America and Israel standing almost alone, with more than 150 countries ranged on the other side, including many of our strongest allies. The U.S. has regularly cast the sole dissenting vote in the 15-member UN Security Council and Sachs has often mentioned that many of his top-ranking international friends have expressed their horror at our government’s current policies. So while his controversial views might be very disconcerting to some of the assistant professors and office interns at Columbia University, they are probably much more in line with those of the senior world figures whom he has known and considered his friends for the last twenty or thirty years, a situation that surely fortifies his personal confidence in taking those positions.

Over the last decade or two, I’ve noticed the increasing signs that our own country seems to be following the unfortunate trajectory of the late and unlamented USSR, its longtime Cold War rival, and perhaps may similarly be heading towards the dustbin of history. President Joseph Biden certainly recalls memories of decrepit figurehead leaders such as Leonid Brezhnev or Konstantin Chernenko, while Sachs may represent our own Andrei Sakharov, a figure at the very top of the Soviet academic hierarchy who publicly broke with the corrupt, despotic, and decaying regime that had once so greatly honored him.

The Soviet leadership eventually exiled that dissenting physicist to the city of Gorky, and over the last couple of years Sachs has been similarly exiled and blacklisted from the mainstream media, which in past generations might have ensured his complete disappearance. But just as the samizdat literature of the 1970s and 1980s successfully circumvented official Soviet censorship, the Internet today plays much the same role for Sachs and our other intellectual dissenters.

 

I have never met Sachs and nearly everything I know about him comes from his writings and his numerous interviews. As discussed in my recent article, my impression is that until quite recently he had never considered the possibility that the official story of the JFK assassination or any other major historical event might be false. But once he encountered direct evidence of massive deception with regard to the origins of Covid, the roots of the Ukraine war, and the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines, he naturally began to realize that those particular cases might not be so unusual.

In one of his interviews a year or two ago, he had emphasized the deep sense of betrayal he had felt when the trusted media outlets that had faithfully informed him for decades had recently become so dishonest and deceptive. But now that he has discovered that those same outlets had spent six decades concealing the truth of the JFK assassination from all their readers, he must surely recognize that they may always have been deceitful on many important matters but prior to the growth of the Internet, neither he nor most other Americans could have ever recognized that reality.

If my reconstruction is correct, Sachs may now be experiencing a considerable upheaval in his long-assumed framework of reality, the disorientation and vertigo that occurs after one has “taken the red pill” in that powerful metaphor drawn from the Matrix films. And if so, I can certainly empathize with his situation since I had undergone a very similar process myself over the last dozen years.

My American Pravda series now includes some ninety-odd articles totaling almost 700,000 words and may represent the largest such compendium of alternative historical analysis—so-called “conspiracy theories”—found anywhere on the Internet, or at least I’m not aware of anything comparable. But as I’ve sometimes explained, I lived most of my entire life paying absolutely no attention to those sorts of controversial ideas.

Throughout all of those decades, I’d never had any regard for a conspiratorial view of historical events, dismissing such speculative theories as nonsense, just as all of my trusted media outlets had always assured me. If I occasionally happened to see a few of those notions discussed somewhere, they usually seemed a mixture of possible sense and obvious nonsense, with the latter severely discrediting the former. It was only many years later that I began to wonder whether that very damaging juxtaposition may have been intentional, a deliberate attempt to “poison the well.”

My first turning point came with the growth of the Internet and the very widespread reports of Saddam’s non-existent WMDs used to justify our disastrous 2003 Iraq War. The former unavoidably brought to my attention a vast profusion of controversial ideas I’d never previously considered while the latter severely damaged the credibility of the mainstream media and its leading outlets, upon which I’d always relied. The almost uniform support our terribly wrong-headed Iraq policy received from the Economist, the New York Times, the New Republic, and almost every other outlet I read struck me as an almost personal betrayal, made much worse because I was also aware that highly-regarded figures who held contrary positions were being denied any public platform to present their views.

A prime example was my old friend Bill Odom, the three-star general who had run the NSA for President Ronald Reagan. Although he was widely regarded as one of the leading national security experts in DC, his sharply discordant views on the Iraq War were entirely unwelcome in any of the major publications that normally sought his opinion and he was reduced to publishing his dissenting columns on a small website.

His passing in 2008 led me to write an article on the media blackout he had suffered and my broader conclusions on the reliability of our mainstream sources. I eventually regarded that tribute as my first American Pravda piece, though I did not formally launch my series for almost another decade.

An even greater watershed came later that same year when I discovered the astonishing Vietnam War revelations of Sydney Schanberg, a Pulitzer Prize winner who had been one of America’s most celebrated journalists of that conflict and a former top-ranking editor at the New York Times.

Schanberg had produced a massively documented expose of a huge Vietnam War scandal involving Sen. John McCain. But although McCain was then running for the presidency on the strength of his heroic and unblemished war record, no mainstream media outlet was willing to publish Schanberg’s revelations, and when the article finally appeared on a small website, none of our media took any notice of it. If so explosive a story by such an esteemed journalist could be completely ignored by our entire media, my faith in its reliability totally collapsed.

At that time I was publisher of The American Conservative, so I eventually contacted Schanberg, satisfied myself about his material, and then published a cover-symposium on his findings, including my own short introduction and had the author provide an account of his years of fruitless effort. A number of prominent journalists privately expressed shock and astonishment at Schanberg’s material, but none of them dared to report it in their own outlets. I later regarded my introductory column as the second item in my American Pravda series.

Many of my other articles sharply challenged prevailing media narratives, including a widely-discussed 2012 article descriptively entitled “China’s Rise, America’s Fall.” But although I’d already served as publisher of The American Conservative for a number of years, only in 2013 did I finally publish my first piece squarely within the conspiratorial camp. That article proved extremely popular and also received very favorable attention from a number of prestigous mainstream media outlets and columnists. However, the controversial issues it raised were considered quite touchy in certain other quarters and I was soon purged from TAC as a consequence.

Yet even at that relatively late date, I’d still never read a single book on the JFK assassination, about which I’d only gradually begun to become a little suspicious, while my doubts about the official 9/11 story were almost as vague and fragmentary.

A couple of years later, I published my own sequel to Schanberg’s important work on McCain, focusing on what it suggested about the American media, and this piece also attracted a considerable amount of favorable attention:

The following year, Schanberg’s passing led me to reflect on the implications of his groundbreaking work, and this prompted me to finally launch my American Pravda series.

Thus, in my own case more than a dozen years elapsed between my early suspicions that major elements of our official narrative were false and the beginning of my series documenting many of those discrepancies. I had required well over a decade to fully digest and absorb the shocking conclusion that so much of what I’d always accepted as real was actually contrived. My original 2013 American Pravda article included a passage that I’ve frequently quoted over the years:

The realization that the world is often quite different from what is presented in our leading newspapers and magazines is not an easy conclusion for most educated Americans to accept, or at least that was true in my own case. For decades, I have closely read the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and one or two other major newspapers every morning, supplemented by a wide variety of weekly or monthly opinion magazines. Their biases in certain areas had always been apparent to me. But I felt confident that by comparing and contrasting the claims of these different publications and applying some common sense, I could obtain a reasonably accurate version of reality. I was mistaken.

Aside from the evidence of our own senses, almost everything we know about the past or the news of today comes from bits of ink on paper or colored pixels on a screen, and fortunately over the last decade or two the growth of the Internet has vastly widened the range of information available to us in that latter category. Even if the overwhelming majority of the unorthodox claims provided by such non-traditional web-based sources is incorrect, at least there now exists the possibility of extracting vital nuggets of truth from vast mountains of falsehood. Certainly the events of the past dozen years have forced me to completely recalibrate my own reality-detection apparatus.

 

Although I had closely followed Sachs’ important 1990s work in restructuring international economies, by the end of that decade and certainly after his relocation to Columbia University I’d seen much less mention of him. This was especially true because his new area of concentration—sustainability and global poverty—was rather far removed from my own foreign policy focus on the many years of Middle East wars set in motion by the 9/11 Attacks. I might occasionally see one of his op-ed pieces but that was about the limit of his visibility. Therefore his sudden 2022 appearance as a leading public dissenter from the official Covid narrative came as a major surprise to me.

I doubt that he had ever expected that his personal involvement in that global public health crisis would eventually transform him into one of the West’s most important ideological defectors, and although I had discussed that story nearly two years ago, I think elements of it are worth recapitulating.

The global Covid outbreak beginning in early 2020 quickly infected many millions and greatly disrupted most of the world’s economies, thereby threatening to throw hundreds of millions more into terrible poverty. The Lancet, a leading medical journal, soon established a Covid Commission to investigate all aspects of the deadly worldwide pandemic, and given Prof. Sachs’ international standing and his long association with the United Nations, he was a natural choice to serve as its chairman.

As he has explained in his interviews, at first he fully accepted the supposed scientific consensus that the virus was entirely natural, just as a large group of leading virologists had declared in a top scientific journal. But as time went by, he became increasingly suspicious that the true origins of the disease were being concealed, even discovering that some of the scientists he had selected for his commission were attempting to hide those facts and deceive him.

As I explained in a late 2022 article:

From the earliest days of the Covid epidemic, an official narrative was promoted that the virus was natural and editors of the leading scientific journals closed their pages to any submissions that suggested otherwise. With no reputable academic papers challenging their perspective, the natural origins advocates were able to cite this silence as proof that their position represented the overwhelming scientific consensus, thereby intimidating most mainstream journalists into toeing that same line. A massive propaganda-bubble had been inflated and maintained by such administrative means.

However, as a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Prof. Sachs had publication privileges in the prestigious PNAS journal, so in May he and a co-author published an important article documenting the highly suspicious characteristics of the Covid virus and calling for further investigation. This constituted a breakthrough, becoming the first and only paper published in a major journal that presented the very strong evidence of Covid bioengineering.

Given his role as chairman of the Covid Commission, Sachs’ paper should have been treated as a bombshell, reaching the headlines of all our leading newspapers. But instead, it was almost totally ignored, as was the author’s public statements on the subject.

Recognizing that his vital information was being blocked and boycotted by all the mainstream media outlets upon which he normally relied, he did a lengthy interview with a small progressive webzine, explaining that the U.S. government was preventing any real investigation into the Covid pandemic. When I brought his remarks to the attention of an eminent academic scholar with whom I’d been friendly for many years, he was stunned:

An amazing article.

Sachs is not only remarkably candid; he’s also remarkably knowledgeable about the issue.

Another prominent academic had a similar reaction:

That’s one hell of an interview, no doubt about it.

Soon afterward, Sachs spent an hour discussing the topic on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s popular podcast, explaining the enormous dishonesty he had encountered in his role as chairman and that he had eventually concluded that the true nature of the virus and its origins were the subject of a massive cover-up. Everyone who listened to that interview was very impressed, certainly including a leading science journalist heavily involved in the Covid origins debate:

This is an amazingly good interview on Sachs’s part – clear, forceful, humorous and all the more compelling because he started off on the other side of the issue. Interesting what a deep perspective he has now developed, tracing the train of events back to Fauci’s acquisition of the biodefense portfolio.

Perhaps some of Sachs’ academic peers and close colleagues had similar reactions, strengthening his determination to get his views into wider circulation.

 

A few months earlier, the Russia-Ukraine war had broken out, soon dominating the world’s headlines. Sachs had spent much of the previous three decades as a top-level economic advisor to both those countries, so surely there would have been few individuals with better personal insights into the conflict, but once again he soon discovered that the mainstream media was closed to his views. Therefore, during July and August he published a couple of opinion columns in alternative outlets condemning our reckless policies towards Russia and China, with the former having already provoked a bloody and dangerous war in Ukraine and the latter periodically threatening to do the same over Taiwan.

Then in late September, a series of massive underwater explosions severely damaged the $30 billion Russian-German Nord Stream pipelines. This constituted the greatest act of industrial terrorism in the history of the world, with potentially crippling long-term impact upon the energy supplies of Germany and other European countries. Although there was enormous circumstantial evidence implicating America in those attacks, and renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh later revealed the exact details of the sabotage operation, the entire Western media and political establishment stubbornly pretended to see nothing, instead absurdly accusing Russia of having destroyed its own energy pipelines.

Sachs refused to support that cover-up and instead he soon played a crucial role in breaking the media blockade:

Then a few days later, Bloomberg TV invited Sachs to share his concerns over the Ukraine war. His hosts were flabbergasted when he flatly declared that America had probably destroyed the Russian pipelines, even mentioning that top journalists had privately told him the same thing, although none of those vital facts could ever appear in their own newspapers.

As a consequence of Sachs’ candor, the interview was cut short—with Sachs “yanked off air” in the words of the hostile New York Post—but the entire segment was watched at least a couple of hundred thousand times on Youtube and the short clip of Sachs’ Nord Stream remarks soon went super-viral on Twitter, viewed more than 4 million times in one Tweet and another million times across a couple of others.

Given such candid statements, the mainstream electronic media was now obviously closed to him, but as I discussed at the time, The Grayzone, a prominent alternative media outlet soon arranged to interview Sachs:

On Sunday morning, the media outlet released two outstanding segments with the Columbia professor, separately focused on the Ukraine war and the Covid origins controversy, and these have already accumulated more than 100,000 views after less than a day. The Grayzone possesses a great deal of influence and credibility in alternative media circles, and I would hope that these interviews lead to an avalanche of additional coverage for Sachs in other outlets, many of which seem to have previously shied away from the explosive charges he had been making.

The first Grayzone segment was descriptively entitled “End Ukraine Proxy War or Face Armageddon,” and some of Sachs’ crucial points may have surprised his listeners. As he emphasized, America is actually already at war with nuclear-armed Russia in Ukraine, given that we are providing all the funding, military equipment, and command and control facilities for the forces fighting and killing Russian troops on Russia’s own border, as well as supplying unknown numbers of direct combat participants. This is an extraordinarily dangerous situation that would have been considered almost unimaginable during the days of our original Cold War, and our recent destruction of Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines was merely the latest manifestation of this undeclared but very real conflict.

Although American leaders may seek to hide their responsibility behind the supposedly independent decisions of the Ukrainian government, this is a transparent fig-leaf. Ukraine’s political leadership is merely our puppet regime, totally financed and controlled by our own government, and pretending otherwise is simply a propaganda-ruse aimed at deceiving our gullible public.

The second, slightly shorter Grayzone segment focused on the Covid origins issue, and provided Sachs the best opportunity he has yet had to present the important facts he uncovered while running the Covid commission. Just a couple of days earlier, he had also been interviewed on physicist Steve Hsu’s podcast discussing the same subject. I would highly recommend both these interviews to anyone interested in understanding the true origins of the viral epidemic that killed more than a million Americans and disrupted the lives of many billions around the world during the last couple of years.

Sachs’ interviews became the most popular ever broadcast on those two channels, and I think the hosts were deeply impressed that a mainstream academic of such high establishment rank was so extremely candid and forthright in his public statements. Numerous other alternative channels and podcasters soon began inviting the Columbia University professor to share his views, allowing him to reach many, many millions since that time, eventually becoming a regular weekly guest on Napolitano’s popular channel.

 

The gradual end of the Covid pandemic combined with the deadly conflicts taking place in Ukraine and Gaza have led Sachs to focus nearly all his attention on those latter events during most of the last two years. But a couple of weeks ago he published a new article that deserves widespread attention for the important points that he summarized:

As he explains, continuing investigation by diligent researchers have revealed a long series of important new clues regarding the origin of the virus.

For example, we now know that the primary source of American government funding for Covid-related research came from the biowarfare/biodefense projects of our Defense Department, which also supported the simultaneous development of vaccines meant to provide projection against those same potentially offensive bioweapons.

A portion of that Defense funding was directed to the EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), an NIH-backed research group that passed along some of that in the form of small grants to China’s Wuhan lab and many other biological facilities around the world. But according to former EHA officers, those grant-making activities mainly served as intelligence-gathering operations, intended to gain access to those biolabs in other countries and then monitor the development work taking place.

As I’ve emphasized, following the 2011 “Pivot to Asia” of the Obama Administration, our Defense Department began focusing on China as our most formidable long-term potential adversary and by 2015 most officials in DC had begun to assume that a future war with that country was quite likely. In such a conflict, one of our most important military advantages would be our great superiority in biowarfare technology.

Under that strategic framework does it really seem likely that in 2017 our Defense Department would have begun funding and encouraging Chinese efforts to adopt our own cutting-edge biotechnology, allowing them to develop powerful bioweapons of their own? Or does it seem more plausible that the small FHA grants provided to the Wuhan lab were instead elements of the intelligence-gathering operation that former FHA employees have claimed?

For the last several years, large portions of both the alternative and mainstream media have regularly claimed that the Covid virus was probably developed at the Wuhan lab and then accidentally leaked out, starting the worldwide pandemic. But since 2020 I’ve repeatedly argued in a long series of articles that there is absolutely no evidence that any such lab-leak had occurred in Wuhan and a great deal of evidence to the contrary.

Some of the other crucial clues regarding the deadly Covid epidemic have been almost entirely ignored by both the mainstream and alternative media but can be easily summarized in just a few paragraphs, as I have done on a number of occasions since April 2020:

For example, in 2017 Trump brought in Robert Kadlec, who since the 1990s had been one of America’s leading biowarfare advocates. The following year in 2018 a mysterious viral epidemic hit China’s poultry industry and in 2019, another mysterious viral epidemic devastated China’s pork industry…

From the earliest days of the administration, leading Trump officials had regarded China as America’s most formidable geopolitical adversary, and orchestrated a policy of confrontation. Then from January to August 2019, Kadlec’s department ran the “Crimson Contagion” simulation exercise, involving the hypothetical outbreak of a dangerous respiratory viral disease in China, which eventually spreads into the United States, with the participants focusing on the necessary measures to control it in this country. As one of America’s foremost biowarfare experts, Kadlec had emphasized the unique effectiveness of bioweapons as far back as the late 1990s and we must commend him for his considerable prescience in having organized a major viral epidemic exercise in 2019 that was so remarkably similar to what actually began in the real world just a few months later.

With leading Trump officials greatly enamored of biowarfare, fiercely hostile to China, and running large-scale 2019 simulations on the consequences of a mysterious viral outbreak in that country, it seems entirely unreasonable to completely disregard the possibility that such extremely reckless plans may have been privately discussed and eventually implemented, though probably without presidential authorization.

But with the horrific consequences of our own later governmental inaction being obvious, elements within our intelligence agencies have sought to demonstrate that they were not the ones asleep at the switch. Earlier this month, an ABC News story cited four separate government sources to reveal that as far back as late November, a special medical intelligence unit within our Defense Intelligence Agency had produced a report warning that an out-of-control disease epidemic was occurring in the Wuhan area of China, and widely distributed that document throughout the top ranks of our government, warning that steps should be taken to protect US forces based in Asia. After the story aired, a Pentagon spokesman officially denied the existence of that November report, while various other top level government and intelligence officials refused to comment. But a few days later, Israeli television mentioned that in November American intelligence had indeed shared such a report on the Wuhan disease outbreak with its NATO and Israeli allies, thus seeming to independently confirm the complete accuracy of the original ABC News story and its several government sources.

It therefore appears that elements of the Defense Intelligence Agency were aware of the deadly viral outbreak in Wuhan more than a month before any officials in the Chinese government itself. Unless our intelligence agencies have pioneered the technology of precognition, I think this may have happened for the same reason that arsonists have the earliest knowledge of future fires.

According to these multiply-sourced mainstream media accounts, by “the second week of November” our Defense Intelligence Agency was already preparing a secret report warning of a “cataclysmic” disease outbreak taking place in Wuhan. Yet at that point, probably no more than a couple of dozen individuals had been infected in that city of 11 million, with few of those yet having any serious symptoms. The implications are rather obvious. Furthermore:

As the coronavirus gradually began to spread beyond China’s own borders, another development occurred that greatly multiplied my suspicions. Most of these early cases had occurred exactly where one might expect, among the East Asian countries bordering China. But by late February Iran had become the second epicenter of the global outbreak. Even more surprisingly, its political elites had been especially hard-hit, with a full 10% of the entire Iranian parliament soon infected and at least a dozen of its officials and politicians dying of the disease, including some who were quite senior. Indeed, Neocon activists on Twitter began gleefully noting that their hated Iranian enemies were now dropping like flies.

Let us consider the implications of these facts. Across the entire world the only political elites that have yet suffered any significant human losses have been those of Iran, and they died at a very early stage, before significant outbreaks had even occurred almost anywhere else in the world outside China. Thus, we have America assassinating Iran’s top military commander on Jan. 2nd and then just a few weeks later large portions of the Iranian ruling elites became infected by a mysterious and deadly new virus, with many of them soon dying as a consequence. Could any rational individual possibly regard this as a mere coincidence?

The Iranians themselves were well aware of these facts, and their top political and military leaders publicly accused America of an illegal biowarfare attack against their own country and China, with their former president even filing an official protest with the United Nations. But although these explosive charges were widely reported in the Iranian press, they were completely ignored by the American media so that almost no Americans ever became aware of them.

Much of this same information is also effectively presented in several of my podcast interviews from a couple of years ago, originally on Rumble but now available on Youtube as well.

Kevin Barrett, FFWN • February 16, 2022 • 15m • on Rumble

Geopolitics & Empire • February 1, 2022 • 75m • on Rumble

Red Ice TV • February 3, 2022 • 130m • on Rumble

Related Reading:

My father told me this when he walked up on me hiding behind his house while I was bawling over my fiancée, who I just found out was cheating on me.

“I know right now you’re feeling desperate, angry, hurt and alone. And the first thing you want to do is get revenge, sleep with other people and hurt someone too. That’s normal. But you shouldn’t do that. Don’t be like her. Don’t go down that path. You should always fall back on your best character. Be the bigger person now, and you’ve already won. Feel the pain for now. In a month you’ll see what I mean. And so will she. So take your time. Be a good man. You’ll find someone who actually cares about you. Maybe you’ll be alone, and that’s okay too. But you still have your life and your character and you can’t throw that away because of someone else who doesn’t have any.”

I’ve thought about that every single day for a year now, and it has propelled me to such strength, confidence, love and happiness.

EDIT: Wow, I figured this would just be another unnoticed answer swept into the pile, I did not expect such a positive reaction. My father is truly a thoughtful and wise man, like his father before him, he has guided me through a lot of tough life situations, and I’m glad his words resonate with so many people. Thank you for all your kind thoughts, and good luck to everyone.

 

Amazing

It is the UNITED STATES that the whole world hates

Including Europe, UK and even Japan

There is a Visceral loathing of Americans that is deep seated and deeply buried in most people who HATE the Americans

The British hate the Americans for being utterly dependent on them

The Japanese hate the Americans for being so helpless that they are slaves and lackeys of the Americans

The Middle East hate the Americans for their interference in all matters

Everyone hates the AMERICANS for their bullying and sanctions and in general for forcing people to their way of life

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One Day the Lion will become too weak and lie flat

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That will be the end of it all

Everyone will rip the nation to pieces including the Japanese

You think a Nation of ancient Zen would forget 1945??? Not a chance.

I got a good one.

In 1960, a CIA officer was caught trying to buy information from a Singaporean intelligence officer.

Then the CIA made things worse by trying to bribe Lee with 3.3 million dollars to sweep the whole thing under the carpet. Remember, this was in 1960. That was a lot of money back then.

Lee refused and instead asked for 33.3 million dollars of official economic aid to Singapore. This was when the total official American economic aid to Malaysia (which Singapore was a part of at that time) was merely 1.5 million. And Lee also got a letter of apology from US Secretary of State, Dean Rusk.

So, in 1965, Lee revealed this episode in an interview with foreign media, which prompted denial from the US government. This angered Lee so much that he invited foreign correspondents to a meeting where he showed the apology letter from Rusk. The US government had to retract their denial.

In that meeting with foreign correspondents Lee also threatened to further disclose details of the case, “which may sound like James Bond and Goldfinger, only not as good but putrid and grotesque enough”.

Furthermore, Lee also made the following statement:

“The Americans should know the character of the men they are dealing with in Singapore and not get themselves further dragged into calumny…..They are not dealing with Ngo Dinh Diem or Syngman Rhee. You do not buy and sell this Government.”

“Countdown To Looking Glass” (1984) Cold-War USSR Nuclear Attack Film

Forty years later and we are in the same looped nightmare.

This movie could be taken RIGHT NOW. It is frightening.

Parachuting into fashion

Yes. Arriving, the parking lot was very slick ice. I informed the hostess (owner), she just shot an undeserved annoyed look. Hey I was just trying to help them & avoid a slip & fall for someone.

Our waitress failed to bring our food as it sat way to long prepared, even after a long wait we asked. Clearly she then forgot; but did show up to push a wine bottle to buy. That after we distinctly expressed early on we were not there for drinks. Same with appetizers & desserts.

The goal was clear: upsell, upsell.

The food was just about room temperature. And not even what we had ordered. She tried to convince us to eat what she brought anyway!

All that did was piss her off. Watching her she returned food to the kitchen, obviously not giving them our actual order.

We are not snotty people at all! But were pretty much forced to be at this point, hangry didn’t help.

We stopped at the hostess/owner podium & waited for some attention. After too long she asked “how many in our party?” She didn’t remember us unsurprisingly.

I made a bit of a sport of it, saying “still two, we’re just waiting for our check”.

“Who was your waiter/waitress?”

“Don’t know”

“Where was your table”

“Over there (with a vague gesture”

Now SHE’S very annoyed & NOT pleasant at all. “What did you have?”

“Nothing but water”

Now she’s even more annoyed + confused. Good. As if anyone there cared anyway.

I finally explained the situation & that we’d been there for almost an hour at this point. Ordered food, never got it, we’re leaving.

The bitch, now outright rude, threatened to call the police.

I implored her to, explaining we certainly are not paying for a product or service we’d never received. And fortunately we hadn’t yet paid, as then we would have a stronger case do please – a police report will be a good addition to our case. Plus hopefully for her sake they arrive quickly since now they are on the clock.

She still tried to argue! “We can’t just come here and leave without paying”. Argh. Pay for what – water? I don’t even see water on the menu, how much do you charge for it?” (I believe it’s state law that water & bathroom facilities are required at a certain amount of seating). But she briefly tried to think of an amount to charge.

I finally announced the end of this dispute – if she’s call law enforcement we’d feel compelled to wait, otherwise we’re leaving. She quipped something like ” well I guess we’ll eat this one”.

“Good for you! That’s more than we got!”

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I was engaged to a fine woman. She was kind, considerate, smart and rich.

We had not set a date for the wedding when I started to have doubts about our relationship.

At first I didn’t know what was the problem was, but it was a strong feeling.

One day we were driving around in Brentwood, looking at old, stately homes when I saw what I considered to be a beautiful home.

It was brick, with leaded windows, slate roof and a plank door. I was admiring it when she said, “I will never live in a used house.”

I was stunned and asked her why.

She said, I don’t want to live in someone’s reject.”

I said, “just because someone is selling a house does not make it a reject.”

She said, “I do not care, I will never live in a used home.”

I knew she meant it.

At that moment I knew what the problem was, our values were too different.

I called off the engagement the next week.

I have never regretted that decision

EDIT: we parted with no hard feelings, there were no bad guys, just two people who were not right for each other.

My dad owned his own accounting firm for decades and he had one fairly big client that he got on well with. When Dad retired he was offered a job 1 day a week by this client. They had a guy who had been there a while who did payroll and the basic accounting but he wasn’t very good at the accounting so my dad was meant to be taking over accounts and this other guy was meant to be just doing payroll.

Anyway, on my dad’s first day the boss suggested he learn the payroll system so he could be cover for the other guy.

They had a little demonstration session and my dad asked how sickness was done. The payroll guy said nobody is ever sick to which the boss replied that he was, last month. Reluctantly the guy showed my dad how the sickness was done on his own payslip and everyone instantly spotted that the guy had been paying himself double when off sick! He had been doing that a while. He went the same day!

I was seated by a hostess at an Italian restaurant in Paramus NJ. It was supposed to be our anniversary dinner. A coworker of mine who was about as Italian as you can get without being born in Italy had given me a recommendation to go there.

Well after 30 minutes with not so much as a waiter/waitress taking our drink order (perhaps longer… I can be stubborn) I decided enough of this and signalled to my wife we were leaving now.

That could have been the end of the story but it is not.

I told my coworker what happened and it turned out he was part of the family (in laws? cousins? don’t remember.) and took it very personal that we got treated that way. My telephone at work rings a day or two later and it’s the owner of the restaurant and he’s apologizing profusely. It was then that I remembered my coworker told me to drop his name when I went there.

We were invited back for a “chef’s choice” seating at their expense. The meal was wonderful but way more than I could eat. There were eight courses and lots of wine. My wife doesn’t drink wine and never did so I got sorta concerned as was going to be way too drunk to drive. I’m not talking one bottle of wine here but a different wine for each course.

It was quite the meal.

When we went back days or months later we always were treated with great deference and got great service.

My brother in law Paul, he is a really nice guy he is always ready to help someone out. He was a volunteer coast guard, regularly went to church , is a really good provider for my sister, hard working financially prudent, not tight just put a bit aside for the rainy day, save for the pension.

But he makes watching paint dry feel exciting, he can flatten a family gathering just by walking into the room. He is a train spotter and makes models out of matches and is an amateur weather forecaster. His only subjects of conversation are different types of rolling stock on the railways, cloud types and work, he is an aera manager for morrisons local shops. But because a lot of his job is to do with the finance side he takes commercial confidentiality seriously. So apart from three slightly amusing stories, nothing about work.

He only ever has two drinks either at a party or in the pub, doesn’t like spicy food or french food, not really keen on pasta or pizza no bbq and doesn’t eat rice or garlic. His taste in music was once described by my sister ‘Paul doesn’t like music, he likes ric Astley and black lace it is mucus not music’ he is a nice guy but so boring.

According to my sister the only time he’s not boring is when he and she stay energetically awake, then by all accounts he is creative and inventive, and has superior staying power.

As I don’t have sex with him I will stick with the description boring.

It’s not me, but a guy who used to sit near me in my office.

In my office, the computers are set up such a way that if you don’t do anything for 4 minutes, they get locked. in order to unlock that, you need to type your password again.

Everyone faces this several times a day, if you go to the washroom, or busy in a phone call, or discussing something with someone for more than 4 minutes, you will find your PC locked when you come back.

This guy was too lazy to type his password every time this happened. So he invented this technology:

  1. Open notepad
  2. Put a bottle on the keyboard, this causes some keys to be pressed all the time.
  3. this causes text input in notepad.

The computer thinks that user is working, so it does not get locked.

This is a photo I took when he was gone from his desk after setting up the Bottle-Anti-lock mechanism.

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Soon he realized that entering huge amount of text in notepad causes the PC to run out of memory eventually and crash after some time.

We asked him to write a VBScript to mimic the keystroke, but he is too lazy for that. He found out a lazier work around,

He now uses a Comb (borrowed from a female co-worker – permanently) to push down the keys in the alt, ctrl, and the directional keys area which do not enter text in the notepad. and he keeps the bottle on top of the comb for the weight.

I don’t have an original photo for this. so I made a dummy. imagine the power bank is the keys that need to be pressed.

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Necessity is the mother of invention!

Update: Some friends have asked in comments why cant we just change the screen lock timeout settings, or remove the password. The answer is, we do not have Admin privileges. Passwords and other system settings are enforced by Admin directly into the registry using group policy. We don’t have the privilege of Change settings, edit registry, change date/time, change screensaver and wallpapers. we cant even install any additional software. CD roms and USB drives are disabled too, so no way of boot into a portable Linux or something to hack the registry.

Two women talking in heaven

1st woman: Hi! Wanda.

2nd woman: Hi! Sylvia. How’d you die?

1st woman: I froze to death.

2nd woman: How horrible!

1st woman: It wasn’t so bad…. After I quit shaking from the cold, I began to get warm & sleepy, and finally died a peaceful death. What about you?

2nd woman: I died of a massive heart attack. I suspected that my husband was cheating, so I came home early to catch him in the act. But instead, I found him all by himself in the den watching TV.

1st woman: So, what happened?

2nd woman: I was so sure there was another woman there somewhere that I started running all over the house looking. I ran up into the attic and searched, and down into the basement. Then I went through every closet and checked under all the beds. I kept this up until I had looked everywhere, and finally I became so exhausted that I just keeled over with a heart attack and died.

1st woman: Too bad you didn’t look in the freezer—we’d both still be alive.

Weather warnings

It’s war: the real meat grinder starts now

Pepe Escobar No more shadow play. It’s now in the open. No holds barred. Exhibit 1: Friday, March 22, 2024. It’s War. The Kremlin, via Peskov, finally admits it, on the record.

The money quote:

"Russia cannot allow the existence on its borders of a state that has a documented intention to use any methods to take Crimea away from it, not to mention the territory of new regions."

Translation: the Hegemon-constructed Kiev mongrel is doomed, one way or another. The Kremlin signal: "We haven't even started" starts now.

Exhibit 2: Friday afternoon, a few hours after Peskov. Confirmed by a serious European – not Russian – source. The first counter-signal. Regular troops from France, Germany and Poland have arrived, by rail and air, to Cherkassy, south of Kiev. A substantial force. No numbers leaked. They are being housed in schools. For all practical purposes, this is a NATO force.

That signals, “Let the games begin.

From a Russian point of view, Mr. Khinzal’s business cards are set to be in great demand. Exhibit 3: Friday evening. Terror attack on Crocus City, a music venue northwest of Moscow. A heavily trained commando shoots people on sight, point blank, in cold blood, then sets a concert hall on fire.

The definitive counter-signal: with the battlefield collapsing, all that’s left is terrorism in Moscow. And just as terror was striking Moscow, the US and the UK, in southwest Asia, was bombing Sana’a, the Yemeni capital, with at least five strikes. Some nifty coordination. Yemen has just clinched a strategic deal in Oman with Russia-China for no-hassle navigation in the Red Sea, and is among the top candidates for BRICS+ expansion at the summit in Kazan next October.

Not only the Houthis are spectacularly defeating thalassocracy, they have the Russia-China strategic partnership on their side. Assuring China and Russia that their ships can sail through the Bab-al-Mandeb, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with no problems is exchanged with total political support from Beijing and Moscow.

The sponsors remain the same Deep in the night in Moscow, before dawn on Saturday 23. Virtually no one is sleeping. Rumors dance like dervishes on countless screens. Of course nothing has been confirmed – yet. Only the FSB will have answers. A massive investigation is in progress.

The timing of the Crocus massacre is quite intriguing. On a Friday during Ramadan. Real Muslims would not even think about perpetrating a mass murder of unarmed civilians under such a holy occasion.

Compare it with the ISIS card being frantically branded by the usual suspects.

Let’s go pop.

To quote Talking Heads: “This ain’t no party/ this ain’t no disco/ this ain’t no fooling around”.

Oh no; it’s more like an all-American psy op.

ISIS are cartoonish mercenaries/goons. Not real Muslims.

And everyone knows who finances and weaponizes them. That leads to the most possible scenario, before the FSB weighs in: ISIS goons imported from the Syria battleground – as it stands, probably Tajiks – trained by CIA and MI6, working on behalf of the Ukrainian SBU. Several witnesses at Crocus referred to “Wahhabis” – as in the commando killers did not look like Slavs.

It was up to Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic to cut to the chase.

He directly connected the “warnings” in early March from American and British embassies directed at their citizens not to visit public places in Moscow with CIA/MI6 intel having inside info about possible terrorism, and not disclosing it to Moscow.

The plot thickens when it is established that Crocus is owned by the Agalarovs: an Azeri-Russian billionaire family, very close friends of… … Donald Trump. Talk about a Deep State-pinpointed target. ISIS spin-off or banderistas – the sponsors remain the same.

The clownish secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, was dumb enough to virtually, indirectly confirm they did it, saying on Ukrainian TV, “we will give them [Russians] this kind of fun more often.” But it was up to Sergei Goncharov, a veteran of the elite Russia Alpha anti-terrorism unit, to get closer to unwrapping the enigma: he told Sputnik the most feasible mastermind is Kyrylo Budanov the chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

The “spy chief” who happens to be the top CIA asset in Kiev. It’s got to go till the last Ukrainian The three exhibits above complement what the head of NATO’s military committee, Rob Bauer, previously told a security forum in Kiev: You need more than just grenades – you need people to replace the dead and wounded. And this means mobilization.

Translation: NATO spelling out this is a war until the last Ukrainian. And the “leadership” in Kiev still does not get it. Former Minister of Infrastructure Omelyan: “If we win, we will pay back with Russian oil, gas, diamonds and fur. If we lose, there will be no talk of money – the West will think about how to survive.” In parallel, puny “garden-and jungle” Borrell admitted that it would be difficult for the EU to find an extra 50 billion euros for Kiev if Washington pulls the plug. The cocaine-fueled sweaty sweatshirt leadership actually believes that Washington is not “helping” in the form of loans, but in the form of free gifts.

And the same applies for the EU. The Theater of the Absurd is unmatchable. The German Liver Sausage Chancellor actually believes that proceeds from stolen Russian assets do not belong to anyone, so they can be used to finance extra Kiev weaponizing.

Everyone with a brain knows that using interest from frozen”, actually stolen Russian assets to weaponize Ukraine is a dead end – unless they steal all of Russia’s assets, roughly $200 billion, mostly parked in Belgium and Switzerland: that would tank the Euro for good, and the whole EU economy for that matter. Eurocrats better listen to Russian Central Bank major “disrupter (American terminology) Elvira Nabiullina: The Bank of Russia will take appropriate measures if the EU does anything on the “frozen”/stolen Russian assets.

It goes without saying that the three exhibits above completely nullify the “La Cage aux Folles” circus promoted by the puny Petit Roi, now known across his French domains as Macronapoleon. Virtually the whole planet, including the English-speaking Global North, had already been mocking the “exploits” of his Can Can Moulin Rouge Army.

So French, German and Polish soldiers, as part of NATO, are already in the south of Kiev. The most possible scenario is that they will stay far, far away from the frontlines – although traceable by Mr. Khinzal’s business activities. Even before this new NATO batch arriving in the south of Kiev, Poland – which happens to serve as prime transit corridor for Kiev’s troops – had confirmed that Western troops are already on the ground.

So this is not about mercenaries anymore. France, by the way, is only 7th in terms of mercenaries on the ground, largely trailing Poland, the US and Georgia, for instance.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has all the precise records. In a nutshell: now war has morphed from Donetsk, Avdeyevka and Belgorod to Moscow. Further on down the road, it may not just stop in Kiev. It may only stop in Lviv. Mr. 87%, enjoying massive national near-unanimity, now has the mandate to go all the way. Especially after Crocus.

There’s every possibility the terror tactics by Kiev goons will finally drive Russia to return Ukraine to its original 17th century landlocked borders: Black Sea-deprived, and with Poland, Romania, and Hungary reclaiming their former territories.

Remaining Ukrainians will start to ask serious questions about what led them to fight – literally to their death – on behalf of the US Deep State, the military complex and BlackRock.

As it stands, the Highway to Hell meat grinder is bound to reach maximum velocity.

Bringing a young woman into your life

They need a scapegoat for all their problems, and China qualifies as scape goat for the Right, especially being (at least officially) Communist and definitely nonwhite. There is definitely more racism among the right wing, or at least they show it more. So, unfortunately, Trump used China as a scapegoat during his term, at times, but he started doing it less and less towards the end. Doing this to China was a mistake, but at least he didn’t get all belligerent about Taiwan like Biden did, and what Biden did was far more dangerous. Unlike Biden, Trump preferred dialogue to war with China, Russia, and even North Korea. He is the dove of peace compared to Herr Biden!

I believe when Trump gets elected (notice that I am saying not “if” but “when”), he will no longer use China as a scapegoat anymore, recognizing its vast economic and military power and usefulness to the US, but he will blame everything on the Neocon Neoliberal US establishment, and he will be right. The establishment fully deserves it, with inequality (and resulting socioeconomic instability) under this establishment increasing exponentially over the last 40 years (and especially the last 20 years or so, post 2007 crisis), and a war on two fronts (Ukraine and the Middle East). This almost makes even Trump look like a Socialist!

As far as not trusting the mainstream narrative about Trump (and most other things), the Trump-supporters are right. What’s more, I believe that at least half of Democrats don’t trust the mainstream narrative anymore!

By Pe.pe Esc.obar

No more shadow play. It’s now in the open. No holds barred

Exhibit 1: Friday, March 22, 2024. It’s War. The Kremlin, via Peskov, finally admits it, on the record.

The money quote:

“Russia cannot allow the existence on its borders of a state that has a documented intention to use any methods to take Crimea away from it, not to mention the territory of new regions.”

Translation: the Hegemon-constructed Kiev mongrel is doomed, one way or another. The Kremlin signal: “We haven’t even started” starts now.

Exhibit 2: Friday afternoon, a few hours after Peskov. Confirmed by a serious European – not Russian – source. The first counter-signal.

Regular troops from France, Germany and Poland have arrived, by rail and air, to Cherkassy, south of Kiev. A substantial force. No numbers leaked. They are being housed in schools. For all practical purposes, this is a NATO force.

That signals, “Let the games begin”. From a Russian point of view, Mr. Khinzal’s business cards are set to be in great demand.

Exhibit 3: Friday evening. Terror attack on Crocus City, a music venue northwest of Moscow. A heavily trained commando shoots people on sight, point blank, in cold blood, then sets a concert hall on fire. The definitive counter-signal: with the battlefield collapsing, all that’s left is terrorism in Moscow.

And just as terror was striking Moscow, the US and the UK, in southwest Asia, was bombing Sana’a, the Yemeni capital, with at least five strikes.

Some nifty coordination. Yemen has just clinched a strategic deal in Oman with Russia-China for no-hassle navigation in the Red Sea, and is among the top candidates for BRICS+ expansion at the summit in Kazan next October.

Not only the Houthis are spectacularly defeating thalassocracy, they have the Russia-China strategic partnership on their side. Assuring China and Russia that their ships can sail through the Bab-al-Mandeb, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with no problems is exchanged with total political support from Beijing and Moscow.

The sponsors remain the same

Deep in the night in Moscow, before dawn on Saturday 23. Virtually no one is sleeping. Rumors dance like dervishes on countless screens. Of course nothing has been confirmed – yet. Only the FSB will have answers. A massive investigation is in progress.

The timing of the Crocus massacre is quite intriguing.

On a Friday during Ramadan. Real Muslims would not even think about perpetrating a mass murder of unarmed civilians under such a holy occasion. Compare it with the ISIS card being frantically branded by the usual suspects.

Let’s go *pop*.

To quote Talking Heads: “This ain’t no party/ this ain’t no disco/ this ain’t no fooling around”.

Oh no; it’s more like an all-American psy op.

ISIS are cartoonish mercenaries/goons. Not real Muslims. And everyone knows who finances and weaponizes them. *wink* *wink*

That leads to the most possible scenario, before the FSB weighs in: ISIS goons imported from the Syria battleground – as it stands, probably Tajiks – trained by CIA and MI6, working on behalf of the Ukrainian SBU. Several witnesses at Crocus referred to “Wahhabis” – as in the commando killers did not look like Slavs.

It was up to Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic to cut to the chase. He directly connected the “warnings” in early March from American and British embassies directed at their citizens not to visit public places in Moscow with CIA/MI6 intel having inside info about possible terrorism, and not disclosing it to Moscow.

The plot thickens when it is established that Crocus is owned by the Agalarovs: an Azeri-Russian billionaire family, very close friends of…

… Donald Trump.

Talk about a Deep State-pinpointed target.

ISIS spin-off or banderistas – the sponsors remain the same.

The clownish secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, was dumb enough to virtually, indirectly confirm they did it, saying on Ukrainian TV, “we will give them [Russians] this kind of fun more often.”

But it was up to Sergei Goncharov, a veteran of the elite Russia Alpha anti-terrorism unit, to get closer to unwrapping the enigma: he told Sputnik the most feasible mastermind is Kyrylo Budanov – the chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

The “spy chief” who happens to be the top CIA asset in Kiev.

It’s got to go till the last Ukrainian

The three exhibits above complement what the head of NATO’s military committee, Rob Bauer, previously told a security forum in Kiev: “You need more than just grenades – you need people to replace the dead and wounded. And this means mobilization.”

Translation: NATO spelling out this is a war until the last Ukrainian.

And the “leadership” in Kiev still does not get it. Former Minister of Infrastructure Omelyan: “If we win, we will pay back with Russian oil, gas, diamonds and fur. If we lose, there will be no talk of money – the West will think about how to survive.”

In parallel, puny “garden-and jungle” Borrell admitted that it would be “difficult” for the EU to find an extra 50 billion euros for Kiev if Washington pulls the plug. The cocaine-fueled sweaty sweatshirt leadership actually believes that Washington is not “helping” in the form of loans, but in the form of free gifts. And the same applies for the EU.

The Theater of the Absurd is unmatchable.

The German Liver Sausage Chancellor actually believes that proceeds from stolen Russian assets “do not belong to anyone”, so they can be used to finance extra Kiev weaponizing.

Everyone with a brain knows that using interest from “frozen”, actually stolen Russian assets to weaponize Ukraine is a dead end – unless they steal all of Russia’s assets, roughly $200 billion, mostly parked in Belgium and Switzerland: that would tank the Euro for good, and the whole EU economy for that matter.

Eurocrats better listen to Russian Central Bank major “disrupter” (American terminology) Elvira Nabiullina: The Bank of Russia will take “appropriate measures” if the EU does anything on the “frozen”/stolen Russian assets.

It goes without saying that the three exhibits above completely nullify the “La Cage aux Folles” circus promoted by the puny Petit Roi, now known across his French domains as Macronapoleon.

Virtually the whole planet, including the English-speaking Global North, had already been mocking the “exploits” of his Can Can Moulin Rouge Army.

So French, German and Polish soldiers, as part of NATO, are already in the south of Kiev. The most possible scenario is that they will stay far, far away from the frontlines – although traceable by Mr. Khinzal’s business activities.

Even before this new NATO batch arriving in the south of Kiev, Poland – which happens to serve as prime transit corridor for Kiev’s troops – had confirmed that Western troops are already on the ground.

So this is not about mercenaries anymore. France, by the way, is only 7th in terms of mercenaries on the ground, largely trailing Poland, the US and Georgia, for instance.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has all the precise records.

In a nutshell: now war has morphed from Donetsk, Avdeyevka and Belgorod to Moscow. Further on down the road, it may not just stop in Kiev. It may only stop in Lviv. Mr. 87%, enjoying massive national near-unanimity, now has the mandate to go all the way. Especially after Crocus.

There’s every possibility the terror tactics by Kiev goons will finally drive Russia to return Ukraine to its original 17th century landlocked borders: Black Sea-deprived, and with Poland, Romania, and Hungary reclaiming their former territories.

Remaining Ukrainians will start to ask serious questions about what led them to fight – literally to their death – on behalf of the US Deep State, the military complex and BlackRock.

As it stands, the Highway to Hell meat grinder is bound to reach maximum velocity.

Ten things

Pizza in a Tunnel

img 20161001 195929 largejpg
img 20161001 195929 largejpg

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups buttermilk biscuit mix or Biscuit Baking Mix
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package sliced pepperoni, halved
  • 1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Cornmeal

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and lightly dust* a 10 inch fluted tube pan or an 11 cup ring mold with cornmeal.
  2. In a large mixer bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk, eggs and butter. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined. Beat on high speed for 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly.
  3. With back of spoon, spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan to within 1 1/2 inches of the top; reserve remaining dough.
  4. Layer mushroom, pepperoni, pizza sauce and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese over the dough in pan.
  5. Spread reserved dough over the top of cheese layer.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
  7. Let pizza stand for 10 minutes on a warm rack.
  8. Use a knife to loosen sides of pizza, turn out onto ovenproof serving plate.
  9. Top with remaining cheese.
  10. Return pizza to oven for 1 to 2 minutes to melt cheese.
  11. Serve warm.

“Study Reveals How Ancient Humans Escaped Climate Extinction 900,000 Years Ago”

MPT 2048x600
MPT 2048×600

Figure 1: (A) 65°N summer solstice insolation, (B)Atmospheric CO2 concentration, Allan Hills vertical error bars indicate 2σ spread with horizontal age uncertainty, (C) Global LR04 benthic stacked δ18O (blue), ODP1123 seawater δ18O (black). The MPT and the “typical 41 ka-world” intervals are highlighted in grey and yellow respectively.

Some 900,000 years ago, humans nearly went extinct. According to the results of a genomics study published last year, modern humanity’s ancestors were reduced to a breeding population of barely 1,300 individuals in a devastating bottleneck that brought us to the very brink of annihilation. Now, a new study has found that a mass migration of humans out of Africa occurred at the same time.

It’s a discovery that confirms the previous dating of the population decline, and suggests that the two are linked to a common denominator; an event known as the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, in which Earth’s climate underwent a period of utter turmoilwiping out many species. The movement of early humans into and across Europe and Asia from Africa is difficult to reconstruct. The best evidence we have consists of a sparse record of bones and mostly stone artifacts, which can be challenging to date. However, the evidence suggests that it wasn’t one event, but multiple waves of early hominids and human ancestors that packed up their lives and made long journeys into new environments.

Two recent studies have linked human migration to a population bottleneck, based on different types of analysis. A close reading of the human genome found that a population bottleneck caused a loss of genetic diversity some 900,000 years ago. A second study, published a few weeks later, studied early archaeological sites in Eurasia, and dated the bottleneck to 1.1 million years ago.

This discrepancy makes it challenging to identify the climate event that may have caused or at the very least contributed to the temporary drop in numbers, so geologists Giovanni Muttoni of the University of Milan and Dennis Kent of Columbia University embarked on an effort to narrow down the timing of the bottleneck. First, the researchers re-evaluated records of sites of early hominid habitation across Eurasia, and found a cluster of sites reliably dated to 900,000 years ago. In comparison, the dating on older sites used as evidence of a population bottleneck was more ambiguous and therefore disputable.

They compared their findings to marine sediment records, which preserve evidence of changes in the climate in the form of oxygen isotopes. Ratios of oxygen trapped in sediment layers indicate whether the climate was warmer or cooler at the time the minerals were deposited.

The genomic data and the dating of the hominid sites together suggest that the bottleneck and the migration were simultaneous. During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, global ocean levels dropped, and Africa and Asia dried out, with large patches of aridity. Hominids living in Africa would have faced horrible conditions depriving them of food and water. Fortunately, with the falling sea level, land routes into Eurasia became available and they were able to skedaddle, according to the researchers’ model.

This is not to say, they carefully note, that hominids had not migrated previously. Rather that the population bottleneck in the ancestor of modern Homo sapiens and the migration thereof occurred at the same time as a result of the climate upheaval that was occurring some 900,000 years ago.

“We suggest that the enhanced aridity during marine isotope stage 22 that caused the spread of savanna and arid zones across much of continental Africa pushed early Homo populations in Africa to adapt or migrate to avoid extinction,” they write in their paper. “Rapid migration in response to a severe climate trigger and concomitant means to escape is what can account for the … migration out-of-Africa at 0.9 million years ago and contribute to the modern genomic evidence in modern African populations of the bottleneck.”

The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

https://www.sciencealert.com/study-reveals-how-ancient-humans-escaped-climate-extinction-900000-years-ago

Comment: I have found this stuff fascinating as far back as when I watched the National Geographic specials with Louis B. Leakey digging for bones in Olduvai Gorge. I started at RPI majoring in geology figuring that would be a good way to get into paleontology. Only later did I transfer to anthropology… and ROTC.

This story is a good example of what effect a changing climate can have on humans even when they occur on a geological time scale. Reducing our breeding population to barely 1,300 individuals and causing our ancestors to un-ass the area for parts unknown are damned drastic effects. In this case, humans certainly had no hand in influencing this particular episode of climate change. It would be interesting to compare and contrast the conditions leading to the Mid-Pleistocene Transition to what we’re seeing/not seeing today.

TTG

https://pastglobalchanges.org/publications/pages-magazines/pages-magazine/11517

They really think we’re dumb don’t they?

main qimg ee5a523a622cf073f8615d93d78597b3
main qimg ee5a523a622cf073f8615d93d78597b3

Russia Announces Two New ARMIES; 14 New Divisions, 16 New Brigades

Russia Announces Two New ARMIES; 14 New Divisions, 16 New Brigades

With his re-election accomplished, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now getting serious about the harm being done to Russia by the petulant and crazed collective West.   Defense Minister Shoigu has announced the creation of two new ARMIES for Russia, including fourteen (14) New Divisions of 10,000-15,000 troops EACH, and sixteen (16) new divisions of 3,000-5,000 troops EACH.

To put these two new armies in perspective, what Russia is now creating – above and beyond its present armed forces – is larger than the armies of:

Germany, Britain (UK), France, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Sweden COMBINED.

The big question now is whether or not Russia will resort to Conscription.

Stay tuned . . .

So true

One of the Moscow attackers, has been confirmed to be an ex-Ukrainian soldier who served in 2022

Moscow shooter suspect Rustam Azhiyev large
Moscow shooter suspect Rustam Azhiyev large

The investigation into the horrific attack at a Concert Hall in the Moscow, Russia region, has been positively identified as Rustam Azhiyev, a former UKRAINIAN SOLDIER (Image above) who served in 2022, as a shooter.

The man shown atop this story is the captured suspect and Russian law enforcement identified him and pulled up some of his history in the Ukraine Army:

Suspect Rustam Azhiyev Ukraine Army info
Suspect Rustam Azhiyev Ukraine Army info

In earlier stories about the Moscow Attack, it was reported that a White Renault automobile was caught on a dashcam, with men exiting carrying rifles, outside the concert hall which was attacked (HERE).

It was also reported earlier that the White Renault vehicle was captured and the men inside, who fled to nearby woods, were also captured (HERE).

Those men were identified as having been citizens of Tajikistan, which is shown on the map below:

Tajikistan Russia Map
Tajikistan Russia Map

Hours after the Terrorist attack near Moscow, that White Renault vehicle was captured on a road near Bryansk, Russia, which is shown on the map below:

Moscow suspects Caught Bryansk Lived Tajikistan Map
Moscow suspects Caught Bryansk Lived Tajikistan Map

Why were the suspects traveling toward UKRAINE when they are allegedly from Tajikistan?   Why does one of the suspects have ties to the UKRAINE armed forces?

The investigation is rapidly developing with evidence that it was UKRAINE that was deeply involved in this terror attack upon innocent civilians inside Russia.

Pittsburgh Is Being Destroyed. Here’s Why.

Transforming the United States into Haiti.

1
1

Lordy! I have family living in Pittsburgh.

Terrorists Wore Body Cams! Video of them Murdering inside Russian Concert Hall

Moscow perps in concert hall
Moscow perps in concert hall

The terrorists who attacked a concert hall inside Russia, apparently wore Body Cams or “Go-Pro-Type” cameras and took video of themselves as they massacred innocent people.   I have received one such video.

In the video, one can see an UNARMED co-conspirator, wearing what appears to be rifle magazine clip-carriers (no gun seen on him) waving a shooter INTO a hallway where innocent people were hiding. Image above.

The shooter enters the doorway to that hall and begins firing.

Moscow shooter in hallway
Moscow shooter in hallway

At least six people go down under his automatic weapons fire.  Blood spray and splatter, everywhere.

As the person wearing the camera turns, another terrorist attacker is shown kneeling at the throat of another victim, who had already been shot, but was laying, wounded and dying, on the ground.   The perpetrator is seen repeatedly slicing the victims throat — at least TEN SLASHES, with blood spewing from the gaping wounds.

Then that perp and others calmly walk away:

Unarmed co conspirator waving shooter into hallway large
Unarmed co conspirator waving shooter into hallway large

This is some of the most evil, vicious, horrifying, crime video I have ever seen.   It makes me sick to my stomach.  The Barbarity.  The inhuman behavior.   It is mortifying to me.

I find myself in an ethical and moral quandary over this video.  It certainly is “news.”  Of that, there is no doubt.

Yet the video is so utterly horrifying, so outside any behavior even remotely “human,” and so hideously violent, that I find myself recoiling at the notion of putting the video out.

I then asked myself if perhaps I should put still images from the video, like the one atop this story, and that begot yet another quandary.  Would publishing such still images, cause emotional distress to the families of the victims?

I have decided still images ought not be published except for the non-gruesome images above, either.

Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age.  Maybe, though, I’m just pushed too far on this one, and realizing there is nothing good that can come of publishing it.

I want you to know I have the video.   I’ve watched it.   It is frighteningly gruesome, and shows what can only be described as pure evil.

Biggest red flag

Happening Now: Russian Missiles Cross POLAND Border During Ukraine Attack

Happening Now: Russian Missiles Cross POLAND Border During Ukraine Attack

As of 11:53 PM eastern US time on Saturday night-into-Sunday, Russia is engaged in a large missile attack against Ukraine.  HOWEVER, “at least three” Russian missiles breached POLAND air space over the Village of Horodto, and POLAND has scrambled fighter jets.

The scalable map below shows the village of Horodto, Poland, on the border of Ukraine.

 

At least 7 Russian Tu-95MS bombers took off from the Olenya air field in Russia to launch long-range missiles at Ukraine.

Bombers also took off from Engels with a total now of 13 in the air.

This airfield is located just 100km from the Norway border in the far north.

MORE: 

6- Su-34 bombers are airborne

 

LARGE EXPLOSIONS IN LVIV. SECOND MISSILE VOLLEY INBOUND.

MISSILES ARE HEADED FOR KIEV!!!!

ALL of Ukraine now in Air Raid Alert:

GJZwuZIXQAA2T9n
GJZwuZIXQAA2T9n

 

Missiles Have Overflown Oserdow, Poland which is about 70km south of Horodto, Poland, previously overflown.

— Several Dozen additional Cruise Missiles have entered Ukrainian Airspace via the Chernihiv and Sumy Region.

— Multiple Russian Kh-101/555/55 cruise missiles on direct course to Kyiv from the north.

 

Massive explosions in Kyiv the city is under intense bombardment right now.

MORE:

At least 19x explosions in Stryi, on the Ukrainian side of the Polish-Ukrainian border:

Jackie Chan wise words

Vintage Shorpy

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Men can only take so much.

Then they stop.

 

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is talking nonsense. Its friends on Earth are worried.

NASA
NASA

“Frankly, I’m very worried,” he says. Ever since mid-November, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has been sending messages back to Earth that don’t make any sense. It’s as if the aging spacecraft has suffered some kind of stroke that’s interfering with its ability to speak. “It basically stopped talking to us in a coherent manner,” says Suzanne Dodd of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who has been the project manager for the Voyager interstellar mission since 2010. “It’s a serious problem.”

Instead of sending messages home in binary code, Voyager 1 is now just sending back alternating 1s and 0s. Dodd’s team has tried the usual tricks to reset things — with no luck. It looks like there’s a problem with the onboard computer that takes data and packages it up to send back home. All of this computer technology is primitive compared to, say, the key fob that unlocks your car, says Dodd. “The button you press to open the door of your car, that has more compute power than the Voyager spacecrafts do,” she says. “It’s remarkable that they keep flying, and that they’ve flown for 46-plus years.”

Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, have outlasted many of those who designed and built them. So to try to fix Voyager 1’s current woes, the dozen or so people on Dodd’s team have had to pore over yellowed documents and old mimeographs. “They’re doing a lot of work to try and get into the heads of the original developers and figure out why they designed something the way they did and what we could possibly try that might give us some answers to what’s going wrong with the spacecraft,” says Dodd. She says that they do have a list of possible fixes. As time goes on, they’ll likely start sending commands to Voyager 1 that are more bold and risky. “The things that we will do going forward are probably more challenging in the sense that you can’t tell exactly if it’s going to execute correctly — or if you’re going to maybe do something you didn’t want to do, inadvertently,” says Dodd.

Linda Spilker, who serves as the Voyager mission’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says that when she comes to work she sees “all of these circuit diagrams up on the wall with sticky notes attached. And these people are just having a great time trying to troubleshoot, you know, the 60’s and 70’s technology.” “I’m cautiously optimistic,” she says. “There’s a lot of creativity there.”

Still, this is a painstaking process that could take weeks, or even months. Voyager 1 is so distant, it takes almost a whole day for a signal to travel out there, and then a whole day for its response to return. “We’ll keep trying,” says Dodd, “and it won’t be quick.”

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1236033493/nasas-voyager-1-spacecraft-is-talking-nonsense-its-friends-on-earth-are-worried

Comment: This is one hell of an adventure for NASA coders and engineers. I envy them. Years before the launch of Voyager 1, I was introduced to computers in an after school course in the computer center of Fairfield University. I ended up writing a Star Trek navigation game in Fortran by graphing polynomial functions. I wouldn’t know where to begin to do that now. Many years later I learned how to hack MS DOS to write stupid computer tricks and write simple viruses. That was all to support a cover. I couldn’t do that today, either. Those rudimentary old skills are nothing to sneeze at. Those NASA coders are living the dream… a techno-nerd dream, but a dream nevertheless.

TTG

The logic of anti-China idiots

2
2

Smart Boy

Stuffed Pizza

1362506743810
1362506743810

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 recipe uncooked deep-dish dough crust

Stuffing Mixture

  • 1 bunch spinach, washed, stems removed, and lightly wilted (stir-fried)
  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 ounces Canadian bacon slices, diced
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
  • 2 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Alternate Stuffing Mixture

  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 pound hot Italian sausage, browned/crumbled and drained
  • 1/3 cup small pepperoni pieces
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/4 cup sliced green olives
  • 1/2 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

Stuffing Mixture

  1. Combine spinach, cheese, Canadian bacon, oregano, garlic and mushrooms for stuffing mixture.

Crust

  1. Spread dough in a greased deep-dish pan and up the sides for the bottom crust (approximately 16 ounces of dough for 14 inch deep dish).
  2. Par-bake the crust for four minutes.
  3. Add stuffing mixture to bottom crust in a deep dish pan and cover with top crust (approximately 13 ounces dough).
  4. Seal the two dough edges together with fingers and trim excess.
  5. Slit the top crust to allow steam to vent during baking.
  6. Add tomato sauce topping and bake in a preheated 450 degrees F oven on lower rack or directly on the pizza stone for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
  7. Remove from pan and cool 5 minutes on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

Oooooh yes, and definitely no.

I had done some North American travelling (flights) in late 2019, and soon after arriving home in Canada I fell ill. I was sicker than I’d ever been… but it felt like a bad cold. Very bad. I lay in bed for 4–5 days with fever, aches, congestion, cough – no medicines could ease my agony. I am not a whiner either… quite the opposite. I don’t miss work.

On the Thursday of the week (having missed Monday – Wednesday out sick) I received a call saying that the Boss wanted me in Saturday because we were moving a ton of desks around the office, on his whim. For context, I’m an Office & Facilities Manager, so this did *technically* fall under my purview, though the Boss dreamt this up earlier in the week so I hadn’t been involved.

They threatened my employment if I didn’t show up for this desk move, despite touting a ‘no limits’ policy on vacation and illness. I showed up to the office that Saturday and did my job, sicker than ever. Life went on, my cough lasted 17 weeks (SEVENTEEN WEEKS) even with a steroid inhaler, I lost 18lbs off my already lean but fit frame. Management teased me & laughed about it as I coughed all over the office and just kept saying ‘you’re so sickly’…

Pretty sure I had COVID, and bad, but this was before tests were available.

I quit in January ‘20, just before the world learned of the COVID-19 virus circulating the world. Still can’t reconcile the arrogance and lack of empathy of that management team with the A++ company they purported to be.

Pennies for pay

I had been working for a large company for almost 20 years. I worked very long hours, often late into the night and at weekends, under stressful conditions and had a lot of responsibility but I was happy in my job and took great pride and derived satisfaction from it.

There was a change of management, and after about a year, I mentioned that I hadn’t been given a raise for over 4 years and asked for one – I was given a lecture about commitment and told that I would have to work harder to ‘earn’ it, and was offered a tiny raise which didn’t even meet 1 years cost of living increases, let alone 4 years. The new financial controller was condescending and quite dismissive so I knew instantly that I was finished with them. I didn’t resign there & then (even though I was very tempted to). I thanked them for my new ‘raise’ and immediately set about finding a new role – it took almost 2 years to find a job I was confident about but when I then handed in my notice, they offered me a huge raise, a promotion, new working conditions and all sorts of inducements to stay. It was extremely tempting but I had made my mind up – I no longer wanted to work for them (and my gut-feeling about them was justified by several stories from former colleagues of how staff were treated subsequently)

So my advice is NOT to act impulsively and hand in your resignation immediately (and be forced to find a replacement job urgently) – take your time, find the right job that suits you, put everything in place and then calmly, but firmly, hand in your notice.

How did people know…

  1. You are now aware that your clothes are touching your skin and that you can feel them.
  2. People who swear more often are more honest than those who don’t.
  3. For luxury brands, the ruder the sales staff, the higher the sales.
  4. If you start whispering to someone, they will whisper back, even if they don’t have to.
  5. Your mind “rewrites” monotonous speech of boring people to make them sound more interesting.
  6. Your brain defaults to going to the beach as your initial vacation idea.
  7. You are more honest and open with people that you consider “temporary” friends.
  8. When entering a packed lecture hall, the left side will always be less crowded.
  9. 82% of people would feel more confident approaching an attractive person if they had their dog with them.
  10. We tend to hate people who have the same flaws and make the same mistakes as we do.
  11. If someone is trying to make you decide in a hurry, they are probably giving you a bad deal.
  12. A person is more likely to be honest when physically tired.
  13. Fear can feel good-if we’re not really in danger.
  14. People who keep their hands in their pockets while around large crowds are generally anti-social or shy.
  15. The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it’s to post the wrong answer.

My late husband and I were on our way home from being on the lake with friends and were pulling a boat that belonged to one of our friends who didn’t have a truck or anything suitable to pull it with. We got to his house and pulled into the driveway shortly after the friend pulled in. My husband got out to talk, I rolled down the window and stayed in the truck. Across the street was a group of girls playing with a water hose and water balloons . The girls are obviously young possibly 11 years old at the most . Our friend tells my husband “ man that’s torture, I would love half a chance “. I was more than proud of my husband’s response . He told his friend that he was sick in the head and if he ever caught him with in a mile of one of our daughters that the torture he spoke of would become reality that he would face a hell that would give the devil chill bumps. Then told him to get his piece of shit boat unhooked from his truck he was ready to leave and don’t ever call him or come to our house . We got not even a mile up the road and turned around, I asked what he was doing , he told me that the family of those girls deserve to know what trash lives across from them . He said if someone can casually mention something like that then they are capable of doing such.i have never seen him react so strongly about something but at that time we had 2 daughters age 6 and 12 . The father of the girls was more than disgusted and thanked him for letting him know .

Very interesting WTF…

When I quit a job over 20 years ago, I was called in by my grand-boss (manager’s boss) and asked why I was leaving. I was the second person to leave that week, and my main issue was money – they immediately offered to match the raise I was getting with my new job, but declined. The secondary issue, of how my manager’s assistant did his level best to cheat me out of $5 (out of $40) in per-diem when working in a remote office, in a way that could not be seen as accidental. They wanted to know what was happening.

Last year, my employer sold his personally-owned company to a much larger firm. During the transition, the new management told me I was overpaid and unnecessary, denied a raise, and generally treated rudely. The old owner did nothing to support me. Two months after that I called up the president of the new firm and gave notice – explaining what had happened and how I was treated without respect or professionalism, and also that I was obliged by professional ethics to inform him that my former employer was aware of several installations that were in violation of the electrical code, but were not doing anything about it to shelter themselves from liability (both legal and financial) until the sale went through. The one installation I was aware of – I insisted that it be fixed, fighting the owner who kept telling me that the cost of fixing it would come out of MY salary and bonus. I corrected him in saying that this was a mistake that I merely discovered, but did not create, and despite him being upset that I opposed his desire to merely ignore this, the cost of fixing it would come out of THE COMPANY’S REVENUE, meaning that no single person would, or could be held responsible for the error. In fact, some of the people who may have been responsible for it were now retired from that firm.

It did not go well for any of the people involved, as I knew the President of that larger firm from my previous dealings, and that he was very risk-averse. Legal liability for engineering errors is a bad thing.

Do men even want relationships anymore? There’s nothing in it for them. Too much to lose.

This is very good.

Playing around with Text to image

Today is my Doc Savage theme.

Prompt is…

doc savage cover art Bantam Doc paperbacks with the wonderful cover art by James Bama and Bob Larkin adventure driving a car through the streets of new york city

Images…

doc 10
doc 10

doc 9
doc 9

doc 7
doc 7

doc 6
doc 6

doc 5
doc 5

doc 4
doc 4

doc 3
doc 3

doc 2
doc 2

doc 1
doc 1

In the year 2000, I was working on advanced degrees in theology. A priest I had known from childhood, now serving in Henderson, Nevada right outside of Las Vegas, invited me to teach a week-long adult education class to his parish. This was a no-brainer. An easy class to teach, a small paycheck, but a FREE plane trip to spend few days just a few miles from the strip. I was happy to say yes. I couldn’t wait to try the buffets and see David Copperfield. I planned to spend a few quarters in the slots as well.

The priest set me up in a small little guest house next to the rectory where he lived. I had just two rooms and a bathroom. I was told to meet him in the morning for breakfast then he would bring me to the classroom.

For some reason I could not understand, I had the most upsetting and unsettling feeling when I was a lone in this little guest house. I had the impression someone or something was watching me, I kept jumping at the slightest noise and swearing I saw things or people pass the window. This was very much unlike me. We often say “I didn’t sleep a wink” but often this is a slight exaggeration. In this case however, I was literally awake all night with a terrible feeling surrounding me. I felt a presence in the room I simply cannot explain. I never was able to close my eyes for even a full minute. Never one for superstition or exaggeration, I assumed it was nothing and rejected the notion that I felt some sort of spirit or evil presence in the room. I just went the next day and, although exhausted, taught the first session of the class. Although I wound up in a different arrangement the second night, I could not forget that odd, terrible and lingering feeling in the original guest house. I had a nightmare in the new room. Even when I just passed the original guest house while walking it felt terrible, in a way I did not understand.

One year later, to my shock, the priest who invited me was arrested. He was a violent, disgusting pedophile who was abusing kids in that little guest house for years. I had no clue, and yet, somehow, I felt the presence of pure evil in that room. I will never ignore or dismiss such a feeling again.

Mike Pompeo orders the murder of Jillian Assange

I’ve lived alone for about the past ten years. I even let my ex stay with me for a stretch after we split up, but with her in the guest room. We’ve always remained good friends. We were just not a great couple with both wanting different things in life.

A good friend who also lives alone told me that she hates the part where someone doesn’t get to witness her experiences and that about sums up the downside. I live about nine miles away from the closest small town on about 3.5 acres. I’m completely secluded and during the summer you can’t see the house from the road. Yes, there are security measures, but I feel very safe here and safer than I’d feel in a city.

Living alone isn’t for everyone and so much of it depends on what you want out of life. I love my work and I have a personal assistant who’s here often, so I’m not completely alone. I also have visitors from time to time.

The plus side of living alone is that you don’t have the normal routine of others. I can go swimming in the middle of the night or work or play music or watch a movie. I can do just about anything I want and feel like I had a productive day.

I’d probably feel lonely if I didn’t have a busy life, but there are so many great things to do in a day and I love my work. I never ever want to retire and I’m good at it too.

I still go to restaurants, travel, and do other things, but I do have a dog and he’s with me at all times, except when I have to make business trips. I have a sitter here at the house when that happens.

There isn’t a big downside to living alone, other than the risk of some major illness or injury where you can’t get help, but I take precautions for that. Neighbors see anyone who comes and goes. The house is a local curiosity so that’s kind of fun too.

Yes, it would be great to share these experiences, but I do it in my writings. I turn out a massive amount of work and living alone helps that. I never thought this was where my life would take me, but it did. Circumstances took me here, but I have great friends, and a full life and I’m getting a lot out of the experience of living.

Now the USA no longer will answer 911

When we moved into our first home we bought a second hand washer and drier. Not long after, the drier quit.

In my family, if something broke, you took it apart. If you fixed it, great. If not you learned a few things and had lots of parts to tinker with.

My wife wanted a tool kit as a little girl and never got one because Little. Girls. Don’t. Play. With. Tools.

So I said I’d take a look and see what was wrong. She wanted me to take it back for a refund. A second hand drier.

Have you ever fixed one before? What’s to go wrong? There’s a drum, a motor and a heater element. She could just not comprehend that you could look at something, see how it worked, and see how to fix it.

Finally I just went Executive Action. Took the back off and there was a broken wire. We got years more use out of it.

A few months later, she pulled in with a recliner in the trunk. The owner was throwing it out and warned her it was broken. “Oh, that’s okay. My husband can fix anything.”

Protip: if you are good with your hands, the first time your SO asks you to hang a picture, nail your hand to the wall. It will hurt like blazes but you have no idea how much trouble it will save.

I kid. She died of a heart attack in January after 48 years. I’d build or fix anything her heart desired to have her back a bit longer.

Some interesting AI generations

Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 2
Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 2

Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 6(1)
Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 6(1)

Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 1
Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 1

Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 3
Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 3

Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 6
Default GPTmasterpiece best quality diverse group of adventure 6

How a husband thinks

Pay attention to understanding

It wasn’t a call, but a text…. And it wasn’t weird until I made it weird

It was around lunchtime on a weekday afternoon and I was on the train, I get a text.

“Hey, just a quick text to tell you I will be late home from work tonight, don’t wait up, I love you X”

I don’t recognise the number, I lived alone so it definitely wasn’t for me, but I replied anyway…

“You’re always working late, I’m getting fed up with it, you never spend time with me any more”

They replied back to me….

“I’m sorry, were just really busy at the moment, I promise I’ll make it up to you, don’t be angry, X”

I thought, I’m commited to this now, I have to reply…..

“No, I’ve had enough, I don’t love you any more”

They replied

“What?”

I’m still committed, so…

“Yes that’s right, I don’t love you any more, your such a disappointment and all these late nights you have been working I’ve been fucking your brother”.

Hours passed before I got a reply.

“Mum, is everything ok?”

There’s a bunch of ways that would be more effective in different situations.

But my personal favourite?

Just walk right up and be direct. Put on a smile, tell a joke, and don’t make it look like a big deal.

She should think you’ve had this exact scenario dozens of times before. And you should.

The problem with young guys is that they let the approach get into their heads. They make it into some difficult task for which they feel the need to consult experts on a QA site.

It’s not.

Smile like you’ve spoken to her 100 times before. Shake her hand to prove to break the touch barrier (and make yourself less intimidated). Be friendly.

It’s hard to reply to a charming smile with a frown.

Obviously, proper grooming and knowing when to make your move is a prerequisite to all this. Your charming smile won’t do much good if you smell like her brother’s musty socks on a hot afternoon.

Take a shower, get a haircut, and use some cologne. A few hours in the gym can’t hurt, either.

But once you have those basics down, the “approach” starts to matter a lot less. It’s just down to your confidence.

You can talk about the weather, the sea, heck, you can rizz her up with Plato’s last academic texts if she’s really that kinda gal.

“Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Gairson?”

“Yes.”

“I am with the [] State Bar Association. I am calling because X has finished law school and is applying to become an attorney. Do you know X?”

“Yes, I know X.”

“Do you believe that X would make a good attorney?”

“Is this call confidential?”

“Yes.”

“I have not seen or heard from X since [date #2]. I do not know what he is like these days.”

“Here it says that he was employed at your firm from [date #1] to [date #3]. Is that correct?”

“His last day was on [date #2].”

“So he did not work for you until [date #3]?”

“No, he did not.”

“Why not?”

“I fired him.”

“Why did you fire him?”

“He failed to show up at work.”

“Is that all?”

“Every time I paid him, he would miss the next four days of work.”

“Why?”

“I do not personally know. However, on [date #3], his mother called me.”

“Why did his mother call you?”

“To ask why I had emailed him on [date #2] that he was fired.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her he was fired because he failed to show up at work.”

“What did she say?”

“She informed me that I was an idiot for paying him directly.”

“What?”

“She stated that I should have sent the paychecks to her, directly, rather than paying him directly.”

“Why did she say that?”

“She claimed that he had a drug addiction and his income was restricted because of it. Thus, all income should go through her to be given to him over time.”

“Do you have anything else to add?”

“He had the most brilliant legal mind I have ever met. When it comes to the law, he is a genius. When it comes to his life choices and common sense, he is far less intelligent. I could not trust him to do his job, because of his life choices and I fired him. I have seen first hand what happens to lawyers who are drug abusers and I have seen them disbarred as a result. I cannot give him a good recommendation because of it and frankly am surprised that he listed me as a resource. He would have had far better luck had he told you his supervisor was [other attorney], because that attorney loved him despite the addictions. Then again, [other attorney] is currently in disciplinary proceedings for being a drug addict.”

“So you would not recommend him to join the bar?”

“I would recommend that you confirm that he is no longer a drug abuser.”


He called me six months later. He was not admitted to the bar. They had called him in for a special interview. He missed the first one, which was on a Monday . . . the Monday after he had been paid by the large firm that was holding a position open for him. They rescheduled, he went in, they asked about his drug and alcohol history and why he had not mentioned it on his bar application. He initially expressed shock that they had found out (wrong response by the way), and asked who had told them (they outed me, so much for confidentiality). The bar advised him to provide rehabilitation or medical records and references and gave him the opportunity to amend his record. He provided them records, which showed that he had repeatedly failed to complete treatment and was prone to relapses. He called me, hoping I could change my earlier assessment over a cup of coffee or give him a job to prove himself. I declined. Over a year later he completed rehab, thanked me, and now has a successful career served by his law degree in another industry but is not an attorney.

[Other attorney] was disbarred and put in prison for several years. Lawyer life lesson: drugs kill careers and harm clients.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_PSra_bw-Ag?feature=share

There is a temple in Andhra Pradesh

Near Tuni in Vishakapatnam where eligible men and women swear before God that they are not hiding any terrible secret and they toss lots and the girl marries the boy who picks her number

No backsies

Why not visit that place?

No Caste (Upper Castes only though, Brahmin, Kamma, Kapu etc sadly), No color, No Looks

Just a roll of the dice

One of my ex staff married his daughter there because of her horoscope to a farmer young man in that temple in 2010/11

The couple were happy as of 2019

She was working for BSNL and he was a farmer with 400+ Acres (Family)

Both had horoscope issues

Go to Tuni and ask around

Many Guys on the highway will guide you to the temple for PELLI meaning marriage

I have a family member who was married in December of 2015. About a month or two after getting married, his wife started showing some very disturbing and troubling behavior. She had to control everything he did, when and what he ate. If he did anything to displease her, she would leave often with all of their bank cards and any access to money and she refused to tell him where she went. Sometimes she would be gone for at least two days without giving him access to money for food and other necessities for him and their pets.

Eventually, she started telling her friends and family that he was abusing her. She tried to convince as many people in our family as well. The way she behaved when he didn’t do exactly as she said raised massive red flags. Family members and friends also were seeing signs that she was physically abusing him too. The last straw was when she blew up at him for an unbelievably trivial matter and he left the house to see his parents and look into making arrangements. While he was there, she and her friends had called the police on him, saying they were afraid he was going to hurt them. He was made to get only what he could carry from HIS house and he wasn’t allowed to set foot on the property for the time being.

This happened in the space of five months from the time of his wedding. When they went to court for the divorce hearing, the judge made him responsible for the majority of her debts. He had been able to return to his house, but she and her friends had vandalized it. Between the separation and the hearing, she had filed police complaints, including false accusations, that the police looked into EVERY time. When he found that she had vandalized his house, the police told him there was nothing they could do.

She continuously stalked him. Nothing could be legally done because the people who he has to rely on to handle the matters can’t be bothered because he’s a man. This kind of thing happens more than you might think.

Reuben Sliders

What to do with leftover corned beef? Make Reuben Sliders, of course.

reuben sliders
reuben sliders

Prep: 20 min | Bake: 5 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 Rhodes Warm-N-Serv Soft Yeast Rolls, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
  • 3/4 pound corned beef, thinly sliced
  • 6 slices Swiss cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted or 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. Slice rolls in half to make sliders. Spread inside of top and bottom with dressing.
  2. Layer a slice of cheese, corned beef and about 2 tablespoons sauerkraut on the bottom half of each roll.
  3. Place tops on sliders.
  4. Place sliders on baking sheet. Brush top with melted butter or beaten egg. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees F about 5 minutes, just until cheese starts to melt.

Not me, my dad.

it was the early 1960s, and my dad was sent by his employer, Northern Electric – telephone people – from Canada to India to oversee the installation of a long-distance line from New Delhi (as it was) to another city, about 60 miles away. On a weekend, he decided to experience the joys of Indian train travel, and booked a seat. In his carriage, otherwise filled with Indians of course, one started up a conversation

Where are you from?

Canada.

Ah, I have a brother in Canada, perhaps you know him.

Well, it’s a big country. I live in Montreal.

Ah! My brother lives in Montreal! You must know him.

Well, Montreal’s a big city. I live in the NDG area.

Amazing! My brother lives in NDG!

So, as you have already guessed, we were neighbours. We lived in one unit of four four-plexes that shared a common backyard. The brother lived directly kitty-corner to us. He was actually a professional wrestler, back in the days when TV wrestling was more choreographed than any ballet.

Another tale from that trip, all about the cost of labour. The telephone line was to be installed underground, meaning a 60 mile long, 6 foot deep, 3 foot wide trench had to be dug. The day for laying the cable was approaching, and nothing was happening. My dad was getting worried. No problem, he was told. All is under control. And sure enough, the day before the cable was to be laid, workers showed up – thousands, each with a shovel. Each spent the day digging a short section, three feet wide, six feet deep, stretched over sixty miles. That’s 100 km. Because in those days, labour was much, much cheaper than investing in equipment.

  1. You are afraid of losing people but no one is afraid of losing you.
  2. Forgiving people in silence & not talking to them, is a form of self-care.
  3. Hope dies when efforts doesn’t work.
  4. Stay where there’s no fear in yourself.
  5. A little rain is nothing compared to the storm I grew up in.
  6. We are all unique, we only need to accept it.
  7. Just focus on yourself because many will hold you back for growing.
  8. If you are trying your best every single day, be proud of yourself.
  9. Silence is full of answers.
  10. Sometimes temporary people teach you permanent lessons.
  11. I always became an ear for those who need; but no one became for me.
  12. Even if you trust someone, don’t tell them everything.
  13. Don’t even hurt soft-hearted person, because you don’t know how much it got hurted.
  14. Maturity is when you realise your responsibilities are more important than heartbreak.
  15. Memories are too loyal than the people who gave.
  16. Value what you have & value your peace more than people’s opinion.
  17. Standing alone is better than being with fake people.
  18. Live your life today itself, because no one knows if there’ll be tomorrow or not.
  19. Childhood memories were best.
  20. Nobody is too busy, it is just a matter of priorities.

https://youtu.be/PwNhCa8Yr0Q

So let’s say you have this beautiful girlfriend. You love her and you have a fabulous relationship and you want to get married. But first, you want to test her to make sure she will always be loyal to you. One little test. You know she’ll pass because you are both so in love and meant to be together. So it will only prove it that much more, right?

So you have a friend that you always suspected she thought was good looking. You have him over. The three of you are hanging out and you make up an excuse to leave and, under your instructions, he attempts to hit on her and tries to make a move to see if she’ll take the bait. He says things like “your boyfriend will never know” and “it’s not like you’re married” and “I’ve seen the way you look at me”
But she turns him down at every turn and kicks him out of the house.

When you get home, she is upset. One of your best friends hit on her and made her feel like a piece of meat. You console her, feeling internally very confident and proud that your plan worked, and promise it will never happen again.

She says, no. He can never come here again.

You say, but he was just messing around! He won’t do it again!

And she says, how could you possibly know that?! You weren’t even here! He can never come here again.

And that’s when you realise you have to tell her. It was you. You did that to her.

You put her in that position.

In order to find out if she was trustworthy, you broke her trust.

She feels betrayed and hurt and horrified. And most likely you lose what you wanted most (your girlfriend) even though she passed the test you so cunningly set up for her. You are not as clever as you think and even if you are you will be a very clever, lonely man.

Friendship is not a threshold to be tested. Keep testing those limits and you will hit a wall…or a fist.

Friendship is alive and needs to be nourished and cared for by both sides.

The trustworthiness of your friends is a direct reflection of your own.

I got put in cuffs once, not being an idiot I knew that once the police wanted to put cuffs on there was no point doing or saying anything other than offering my wrists in a peaceful manner. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, but once the police want to put cuffs on there’s no point arguing or fighting.

I was actually surprised how tight they put them on, but so long as you don’t pull on the cuffs or try and wriggle out you don’t injure yourself. If you struggle against them though it’s very painful. I tried to wriggle a bit in them just to see, and it’s not a good idea.

Once the police were satisfied I was an uninvolved bystander (I was walking out of a club behind a group of guys who decided to assault another guy on the way out), they took the cuffs off, apologised and sent me on my way. They must’ve realised something was up anyway when I had a southern accent (gang were northern) and happily let them cuff me instead of swearing and jostling the police as the gang did.

Anyways this is suffice to say that you really cause your own injuries when in cuffs. I cannot recommend the ‘not fighting/struggling with law enforcement’ tactic enough. Being honest, genuine and friendly no matter the circumstances is always the grown up move no matter how indignant you are.

My wife showed her character fairly early on in our relationship. We’d met online and talked for several months prior to our first in-person date. We were both divorced single parents, and as anyone who has been in that position while re-entering the dating world can attest, we turned to serious topics of conversation very quickly and our relationship became very close as we realized how compatible we were. A few months and many dates later, my kids summer vacation was starting. At the time, I worked for a propane company, so work slowed down a lot while my expenses dramatically increased, with the need for daycare during my parent time of 10 days on and 10 days off through the summer. As I recall, I typically spent about $2000 over each summer for that. I mentioned this to my girlfriend shortly before my second round of parent time for that summer, and she volunteered to babysit my kids during my parent time the rest of the summer. This got my attention. Under any circumstances, this would be a significant sacrifice, but in her case it involved traveling 6 hours one way with her own 2 kids, renting an Airbnb house (because at the time I lived at my parents house, and there wasn’t room for an extra 3 people) for a week, and coming up with a different craft or activity each day, and cooking delicious homemade meals for all of us 3 times a day. On top of that, she refused to let me pay anything for the rental or her gas and time, despite it probably costing her more than I would’ve spent on daycare. After that summer, I knew that without question, she would walk the walk for my kids and I as much as her own kids or herself. She’s not only my wife, but she is my best friend without question.

Philippines was colonised by USA until 1946.

Like many countries that were colonised before, some people still worship their coloniser as god, even after their country has become independent.

They have the mentality to look up to the (former) coloniser & look down upon its own culture/people. Physically they are independent but mentally they are slaves to their former coloniser.

Hongkong was a British colony until 1997. Today in 2024, there are still HKers who worship UK. Before 2020, HK court system still accepted top judges appointed by former coloniser UK. Why accept UK appointment? Are HK judges inferior? No. It is just because some HKers are so used to work as a mental slave for the (former) coloniser. They dont want to change. As long as they can make (lots of) money with a good job, they dont mind to continue to work for the former coloniser.

To mental slaves, their heart is with their former coloniser.

I wont be surprised if there are such Filipinos too.

Irish O’ Garlic Cabbage Pockets

Irish O’ Garlic Cabbage Pockets is a lunchtime favorite for St. Patrick’s Day!

irish o garlic cabbage pockets
irish o garlic cabbage pockets

Bake: 15 min | Yield: 12 servings

This recipe includes Air Fryer instructions!

Ingredients

  • 1 (19 ounce) package Johnsonville® Irish O’ Garlic Sausage, casings removed
  • 1 small head green cabbage, 1/4 inch slices
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 (1 pound) loaves frozen white bread dough, thawed and proofed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Grainy mustard, to serve

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage over medium heat until browned and fully cooked; drain. Set aside and keep warm.
  2. Add cabbage and onion to same skillet; cook and stir for 6 minutes.
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Return sausage to skillet; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  6. Roll bread dough into 18 (6 inch) circles. Place 1/2 cup of filling in the center of each circle.
  7. Brush water on edges of dough.
  8. Pull dough over top of filling and crimp down edges with a fork. Cut three slits in top of dough.
  9. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and water to create egg wash. Brush dough with egg wash; sprinkle with sesame, poppy seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes; until golden brown.
  11. Serve with grainy mustard.

Notes

Air Fryer Instructions

Heat air fryer to 300 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the cabbage, onion and oil; toss to combine.

Fry for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

Decase the sausage; place in air fryer. Fry at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes, turning halfway through; chop. Combine with cabbage mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roll bread into 18 (6 inch) circles.

Place 1/2 cup filling in the center of each circle. Brush water on edges of dough. Pull dough over filling and crimp edges with a fork. Cut three slits in top of dough. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame, poppyseeds or everything bagel seasoning.

Arrange 2 pockets in air fryer; fry at 350 degrees F for 6 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining pockets.

I would make the challenge simpler at first. This is an iron nail made by the Romans

The production chain for a nail is very simple. You need to:

  • Mine iron ore. It sounds a lot more challenging once you understand that you’ll be mining with rocks, sticks and bones (no tools from the future).
  • Build a smelter. I guess you can do that with ceramics? The smelter also needs coal, charcoal might do.
  • Transport all this stuff. Obviously, if you’re lucky you teleported your group right between easily accessible iron and clay deposits.
  • Take your iron to a smithy where a guy will again need a furnace, hammer and anvil. Initially they’ll be working with rock tools.

In the meantime, your group of 1000 tool-less people is:

  • Hungry, with hunting and gathering as the only options for food initially.
  • Homeless – depending on the area, time period and climate, it may not be possible to build adequate shelter without tools.
  • Sick and injured – this lifestyle will produce a lot more sickness and injuries, and your group might be exposed to germs that they do not have antibodies against.
  • Threatened by predators or stone-age tribes – again, you can defend with sticks, fire and stones.

I think that having a sustainable colony and getting the first nail produced within a year would mean great success. It is possible given a bit of luck, mild climate, good survival skills and nearby resources (from food to iron). Congratulations, you’ve successfully entered the IRON AGE. Now you just need to skip a couple thousand years of progress to get to electronics.

Unfortunately, a computer is a product of hundreds of production chains, some rather complicated. The first electronic computers had vacuum tubes, finely and precisely tooled bits of various metals (like rotating drums) capacitors, cables… and obviously required electric power to operate. And weighed tons.

So your group of 1000 people (minus the ones who died) is ready to build the computer as soon as they recreate the industrial base of a modern civilization.

It seems like a bigger feat than 1000 people are capable of.

China has canceled US, Australian, France wheat imports, replacing them with orders from Russia, Kazakhstan and Argentina.

The US cancellation was the largest cancellation since 1999.

The Chinese government is showing a strong preference for buying from the BRICS and Global South economies, and is moving away from buying from the G7 countries which are part of the western bloc led by the US.

This is done for a combination of political and economic reasons. The US is pulling out the big guns when it comes to chip technology, AI, and blocking Chinese sales of EVs and solar panels, and more recently, the forced divesting of TikTok USA, which are all part of de-coupling and de-risking. From the Chinese perspective, the US’s Biden administration is heading rapidly in the direction of sanctions against Chinese companies following the sanctions applied against Russia. Opposition and hostility to Chinese companies and business interests in Congress is very strong, and China must be prepared for the US acting to seize Chinese assets which the US can reach. The only way to avoid this scenario is to have as few overseas assets in US dollars and held by US banks as possible.

This is the de-risking and de-coupling model the Chinese are following.

In the US, there may be a political side-effect in this US election year: Trump supporters are usually stronger in US rural states, and some farmers may blame the Biden administration for poor wheat sales and vote for Trump. In a tight race, this may be an important factor.

I spent three hours today sipping coffee while I did my weekly grocery shopping and other Saturday morning errands. I bought enough food to feed five people for a week, gas for my van, a dozen new comic books for my collection, and a few other random things. At no point during my shopping spree did I have to worry about being able to pay for any of it.

Then I came home and spent about four hours playing with my kids. It was the first warm day of the year here in Chicago, so I got to play basketball with my kids, ride bikes with them, play catch with them, and play soccer. I also got to spend about an hour walking my dog.

Then I spent about an hour grading some papers for work. I didn’t have to do that today, but I wanted to get it done. I sat in my recliner and graded them while listening to music and sipping yet more coffee. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Then I made dinner and enjoyed it with my family. Then I had a little alone time, reading my new comic books and surfing the internet, before spending even more time with my kids before tucking them into bed.

When I’m done with this post, I’ll head up to my bedroom, where my wife is already. She’s watching a show. When I come up, she’ll pass me the remote and let me watch whatever I want to watch, while she cuddles with me.

Do you think you’ll ever “make it”?

I “made it” about 15 years ago. Let me tell you, from someone on this side of the “it” hurdle, it’s awesome over here. I wish everyone good luck in jumping over that hurdle and joining me over here in the greenest pastures of all.

A fun experience. Takes you to Asia where life is so very different from that of the West.

Huffing the de-greasing Jones

This has been heavily litigated for decades. However, we have a pretty definitive answer.

Refusal to consent to a search cannot be used as probable cause, or else the idea of consent has no value. It creates a situation where you really have no choice; you can consent, and police can perform the search, or you can refuse to consent and the police can declare that reason for them to search despite your refusal. Either way, they’re getting to search, making the ‘choice’ little more than an illusion, a farce.

Now, if they have probable cause beforehand, that’s different. I know someone who spent three nights in jail after refusing a search of a rental car. Turns out the last person had basically kept the car a few days longer than they had rented it, and the rental company had followed their standard procedure and declared it stolen. When it was returned and fees paid by the renter, they had put it back into rotation without alerting the police that the vehicle had returned, and the car showed up as stolen in a routine traffic stop. Despite having a rental contract and nothing illegal in the car, the individual was arrested until the case was dismissed when first it went before a judge.

If you can’t refuse a search without it basically having the same impact as consenting to the search, then the Fourth Amendment has no meaning whatsoever.

There are people who are interested in criticizing the existence of the CCP, and then there are people interested in providing better policies than the CCP.

The former typically end up abroad as political dissidents applying for asylum. It’s a solution that makes everyone happy. The dissident gets to bitch and moan in peace, the CCP doesn’t have to put up with people that will never be happy, the common folk get to have discussions about policy rather than stupid discussions on whether or not the CCP is evil, and the country taking them in get to generate domestic propoganda by claiming to be inclusive, democratic, a good place to live, etc, even if they are hosting a blithering idiot on taxpayer’s dime.

If you are interested in arguing over policies, it is very easy to persuade the government to give you a minor village-level position so that you can prove your mettle. Typically if you graduate from a decent university, there are programs where you can get parachuted directly to a village advisor position (of roughly equal status as the mayor). If you perform well, you will get promoted to the town level, and then small cities, etc. I graduated from Tsinghua and know quite a few people who went on such a path.

What’s interesting is that if you come from a decent university, lower level government officials will go out of their way to ask you for your opinion on local policies, even if you’re not actually a Chinese citizen and don’t have political rights. I was an engineering student operating in some of the remote parts of China, where government drinking water policy failures led to the breakdown of local water treatment systems. I was wandering around in rural Shanxi with a German exchange student, taking water samples and building temporary filters to combat local arsenic pollution in the absence of government intervention. I was curious as to why the policy was a failure, so I paid a visit to the town hall and found the mayor. The conversation went something like this:

Mayor: This is a small town, and I’ve never seen you before. And is that a foreigner behind you??? Where are you from?

Me: Yes, he’s German. We’re from Tsinghua (shows him school ID card). We’re interested in when that water treatment station on the east side of the village was built, why it fell into disuse, and what the villagers are drinking right now.

Mayor: Hey, Dog Testicles! We have some visitors and this is your job!

It turned out “Dog Testicles” was the nickname for the bureaucrat in charge of the village waterworks. The mayor pours us all a cup of tea while Mr. Dog Testicles spends an hour or so describing the construction process of the station, the funding, when it broke down, why the villagers couldn’t come up with enough money to fund its repairs and maintenance, etc. He then asked us what we think they should do.

Me: I dunno, maybe don’t ask a bunch of flat busted farmers to fund water treatment? It’s obvious they can’t pay. The local infrastructure policy was really damn stupid. We’ve been running around all over the area building filters to cover for that mistake.

Dog Testicles: Aha, so you’re the ones building filters in these villages? We found those filters on our own surveys. You kmow that selling filters without a proper license is a criminal offense, right?

Me: Yeah, but I wouldn’t be working my ass off if it weren’t for these stupid policies. You can go ahead and try to arrest me if you’d like.

Mayor: Actually, I think you have a point even though you’re breaking the law. We’ll just ask the police to… look the other direction and let you build those filters. Just make sure those villagers stop using the filters once we get the new treatment systems up and running next summer. Have you considered joining the Party and working at the village level? Lots of university students doing that nowadays. We could use people like you.

Me: I look Chinese but I’m an American citizen.

Mayor: Ah, OK. Could you and the German guy take a photo with us?

Me: Why? Have you never seen a foreigner around these parts before?

Mayor: Well, having these kinds of discussions with university students and asking them for their opinions is very helpful in our performance evaluations. It helps us get raises and promotions. Some… proof… would be useful. So a photo, please?

Basically, if you’re the motivated and well-educated vigilante type who wants to see change and you’re happy with working your ass off to see that happen, the Party is usually happy to work with you as long as you tell them what you’re doing. Very, very few people would go up against the CCP to make changes happen when they’re nice and polite and willing to talk about whether they can help you reach your goal.

The theme is cats, with pretty woman, Baroque art style

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Some Big Universities like Harvard, Stanford or Universities in the “Ivy League” have little to zero funds from China. In fact these Universities have a combined total of $ 85 Billion – $ 115 Billion of Funding from Ex Alumni, Americans and US Industries alone. Also included is the MIT or Texas A& M or Caltech etc.

However there are over 187 Colleges and Universities that are barely funded for tuition which need money badly. The Biggest Industries always run to Harvard or MIT without realizing that $ 55 Billion is not really that much of a difference from $ 52 Billion – whereas $ 100 Million up from $ 4 Million is a Huge Change.

In 2018 – China funded and invested $ 3.10 Billion in US Universities and Canadian Universities (Not top tier – The Middle tier), especially funding Laser Related works in association with Top Universities in China like Tong Ji. Over 39000 Research Associates, Professors and US Industries are involved in this Funding and unlike India – No Govt can order this funding to be cut off. You need an Government Act and if you do – there are 10000 Lawyers – American Lawyers who will find loopholes around the Act and Law.

Simple Example:-

The Federal Govt passed a law on US Banks to forbid lending to Chinese Clients based on specific criteria.

What do you think happened?

The US Bank – simply purchased a Near Bankrupt Bank in Maldives or Mauritius or Seychelles and began to route all China business through those banks.

And who suggested it?

US Lawyers in return for Millions of Dollars of PRC Money as fees.

In the end – Thats all that matters – MONEY

Answer is- The Funding simply wont be cut off. It will be re-routed in one way or another and Authorities will turn a blind eye to this re-routing because in the end – Business is Business.

When I was sixteen my step-brother had a 9mm handgun that he kept in a case in his bedroom. One day, while we had several people visiting from out of state, a friend of ours found the weapon. My step-brother and I, and my cousin, discovered this friend sitting alone in the bedroom, gun in hand. My step-brother took the gun, removed the magazine and handed it back, unaware that our friend had already chambered a round. Our friend pulled the trigger.

Firing a gun indoors, or in confined spaces, is NOT accurately portrayed in movies. The blast alone is fairly debilitating. I was standing in front of the weapon when it discharged and (effectively) went temporarily deaf and blind.

Both senses returned gradually. My ears were ringing, sounds were muted, yellow and purple specks of light distorted my vision. I was disoriented. I had watched the kid pull the trigger and it still took me a couple seconds, after my hearing and vision cleared up, to piece together what had happened. I turned around to find my cousin, who was standing directly behind me, in shock. He looked down slowly, lifted his shorts, saw the bullet hole in his leg and proceeded to freak the freak out. He screamed at the top of his lungs, grabbed his leg and ran like hell before any of us could do anything.

In the movies when someone fires a gun indoors they’re never affected by the sound, and, as I’ve learned, they absolutely would be.

In case you’re interested, my cousin was a bit of a husky kid back then. The bullet slipped around the fat, missed everything important and blew out the back of his leg. Apparently there’s a huge scar. I haven’t talked to him since then. I think he’s over us.

Carne Adovada

This is a wonderful filling for burritos or simply great served over rice with the resulting gravy. For better flavor, prepare a day ahead.

yummy
yummy

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon shortening
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces (about 25) whole dried New Mexican red chile pods
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 2 tablespoons diced yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon crushed chile pequin
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried Mexican oregano
  • 3 pounds thick boneless shoulder pork chops

Instructions

  1. Heat shortening in a Dutch oven, and sauté garlic until browned.
  2. Remove the seeds and stems from the chile pods. Rinse chiles in large mixing bowl and drain.
  3. Place moistened chiles on baking sheet and toast carefully in the oven for 5 minutes. They do not need to be completely dried out.
  4. Remove from the oven then let cool.
  5. Add half of the chiles into a blender, and puree with 2 cups warm water. Pour into Dutch oven with previously browned garlic and repeat with the other half of the chiles.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients to the chile (garlic salt, oregano, onion, chile pequin)and let boil on a medium-high heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken but should remain a little soupy.
  7. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
  8. Remove the fat from the pork and cut the meat into 3/4 inch cubes. Stir pork into the chile sauce and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
  9. The following day, heat oven to 300 degrees F. Use butter to coat large baking dish, so it doesn’t stick.
  10. Add the marinated carne adovada with sauce into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours, stirring once at an hour and a half into baking. At 2 1/2 hours, remove foil (to thicken sauce).
  11. Serve hot with homemade Flour Tortillas or on Navajo Tacos.

I was working a security job for a friend one winter. Not hard work, but long cold hours outside at temps that regularly hit negative 30C. We were offered a bonus for staying the whole term. And the boss would compound the bonus of people who quit or were fired, so it was split evenly between those who stayed.

We were guarding the building that was a Soundstage, and they didn’t want prop hunters, or stalkers getting into the building. I got to meet a few “famous people” and get fed so much good food.

5 men 3 women were highered to work the site. The three women and one of the men, were dressed for fashion not warmth. And were often miserable, and often complained. And spent a lot of time inside the building we were guarding. I made some pointed hints about dressing warmly, but was rudely brushed off.

I grew up at temps like that and dressed to keep warm. Underwear, thermal layer, sweater or hoodie, insulated jeans, double layer soviet era snow-pants, a SnowGoose Snow Mantra Parka, and a pair of bear hide gauntlets.

The boss asked me why the 4 were always going into the building to warm up. Apparently he had gotten complaints that they were taking advantage of the workers inside asking for favors, hot drinks, or to play music.

And I told him “The skin tight pants, and short fashion jackets. And they won’t wear hats. Or proper mitts. Not little pink or purple cotton gloves, mitts.” I didn’t know that one of the women had been listening from behind a closed door.

I got supreme and royal hell from the 4 of them. I shouldn’t have been criticizing their choice in clothes. How they look is important to them, and how dare I tell them otherwise.

I started laughing and walked out of the room to go see my friend. The next shift there were 2 new women, and 2 new men, and they were dressed for the weather. And I got one fat bonus.

Of course not. The Americans are totally clueless.

They’ve been indoctrinated by their own government.

They’re insular and ignorant of the world outside their country.

They do not know that life can be better than what they have in America. Freedom from gun violence. Freedom from homelessness. Freedom from medical bankruptcy. Freedom from systemic racism (“I can’t breathe”). Freedom from opioid addiction. Freedom from mass incarceration. Freedom from crumbling infrastructure. Freedom from crushing debt, both national and private. Freedom from political turmoil (e.g., January 6, 2021). There is no end to America’s problems.

This is as real as it gets

The “end of the road” has been reached.

By the end of this month; May 2024, the United States interest on it’s debt will exceed it’s income. Which means that it cannot pay its debtors.

The United States is BANKRUPT.

The United States is no longer the leading global superpower. Nor, is it still a superpower at all. It is a broken nation in arrears. Oh, It still remains formidable in certain specific areas, but truthfully the nation has run it’s course, and the sunset of it’s greatness is but a memory that lingers.

Today, the nations of the world are galloping for the exits. They are looking for ways to prevent their national collapse when the BIG BLACK HOLE makes that huge sucking sound. They do not want to be dragged in with the sinking of the United States demise.

They are distancing themselves from the USD.

The USD, which since the 1960’s has been a Ponzi scheme of unimaginable proportions.

The other nations are forging new alliances, many of which are hidden and “under the table”.

The weakest are hunkering down in a survival crouch. The stronger nations are being more vocal, and those that can are giving the West “the boot” and kicking their paramilitaries out of their nations.

Alliances are being forged and long-time Geo-Political wonks are stunned by the rapidity of change and aggressive nature of the participants.

  • The UN has been shown to be nothing more than an instrument for American policy.
  • A replacement for UN, just met last week (early May 2024) with over 100 nations in participation at the 12th International Security Summit.

Oh, so much for the strong “leadership” role of the United States on the global stage. It is openly ridiculed, and despised throughout the world.

The United States as an entity includes it’s proxy nations; those slaves that are to be sacrificed on the alter of “democracy” and “freedom”.

When a Western “leader”, dressed in attire that will cost their average citizen a half a year earnings to acquire, talks about “freedom” and “democracy”, the rest of the world roll their eyes. The delusion is strong in the West. Once, the defining characteristic of Americans was it’s insular ignorance, but it is now defined by it’s harsh arrogance and sneer of contempt.

It’s over.

It is just that the collective West is unaware of it.

There is a question concerning the final “gasps of breath” of the dying behemoth; will it fade away into the deep black, or will it explode in a brief but stunning supernova? No one really knows. But I can tell you that it is a mystery that will be answered in our collective lifetimes.

So yes.

The United States as a global superpower is over.

The mail is still being delivered. The “leaders” are still throwing money around all over the world. The flag still flutters in the breeze, and people are still talking about the next election as if it will change the ultimate trajectory that the United States is rushing toward.

But what is not being said is the truth…

…those that have the means…

… are starting their self-preservation routines…

… hoarding food, batting down the hatches, and covering their asses.

All the time doing so in upmost secrecy.

The Iskander-M missile system: an equal to nuclear weapons

Text to image, playing around.

Theme is “moonrise kingdom”.

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Working for a company like that is a great opportunity to develop and push yourself to your limits professionally. But in order to enjoy money, you need to be able to spend it. And believe me, with umpteen hour work days, your most common purchases will be overpriced sandwiches, energy drinks/coffe/freshly squeezed juice and suits, and after a 16-hour day, it makes surprisingly little difference if your bed is in a tiny apartment or giant mansion. The luxury car is also of dubious utility, since your and your clients’ offices are in the center and getting there by public transport or just getting an apartment within walking distance is often preferrable to being stuck in traffic in a Tesla or BMW.

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And you are sacrificing a lot – if you want to have a normal relationship, children… it’s tough IMO to combine that with working such long hours long-term. So for many people it’s a good opportunity in the short-mid term, but only some can do it long-term.

Anyhow, I hear the millenials are giving consulting firms hell on the work-life balance issue.

Jerome Funeral Hot Dish

Jerome is a ghost town which clings to the side of Cleopatra Hill on Mingus Mountain near Cottonwood, Arizona. It is the home of the Douglas Mining Museum. This is an interesting recipe from the days when artistic “hippies” revived this ghost town.

hot dish
hot dish

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (28 ounce) can pork and beans
  • 1 (12 ounce) can corned beef
  • 1 large onion, diced fine
  • 1 bell pepper, diced fine

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients.
  2. Put into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and heat for 25 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Why Everyone Sees Machine Elves When Tripping on DMT | Andrew Gallimore

In almost every way, except two.

  1. Sanitation. The Romans famously built aqueducts (many of which survive today because of the quality of engineering. They bathed and had toilets in which poo was flushed away by running water. Proper sewers carried away sewage and waste water.
  2. Medicine. In particular surgery. Gladiators were valuable property and were more often repaired rather than discarded. This expertise also contributed to the survival of soldiers and added to morale, as prompt removal from the battle and treatment meant that wounds were less often fatal. They had pain relief and anaesthesia which enabled better surgery as well as reducing the fear of the patient. If you needed such treatment you would have been generally better off with a Roman military surgeon than any mediaeval one. Operations included the removal of cataracts from the eye.

They were relatively hygienic, but had no proper theory of disease. Thus in the public baths people with diseases bathed at a different time from the general public. Unfortunately, they had the earliest bath.

We are doomed.

Take a second, shut your eyes.

You’re going to imagine a world.

In this world, you live in solitary confinement, contained in a small, metal prison.

Every day, you’re brought food and water and your cell is cleaned.

This is all you’ve ever known. Your world never changes.

Until one day, you’re moved to a new prison.

Some man in a white coat puts an IV into your arm. In front of you, there’s a lever.

You try pulling it.

You’re injected with heroin. It reaches your bloodstream almost instantly and your brain just seconds after. It’s almost blissful.

Do you press it again?

main qimg b3d3ffdcebe978e22b20cba11bc4826e pjlq
main qimg b3d3ffdcebe978e22b20cba11bc4826e pjlq

This was the life of dozens of rats.

Did they pull the lever?

Of course they did.

Over and over again.

They’d overdose. They’d die.

Because for them, that brief high was the best thing they’d ever known.

Psychologists and politicians were in simultaneous uproar. Drugs were evil and irresistibly addictive.

Only, rats, like humans, aren’t solitary creatures.

So, what would happen if they changed the circumstances. Sure, a prisoner would give into mind-numbing drugs, but would the average person? Would a happy person?

That’s how the rat park was built.

Researchers put rats together in a comfortable setting. They threw in running wheels and wood chips and let them live a good life.

Naptime and recess

Just hanging out.

There are always some who prefer the rat race.

These rats had access to drugs, just like the first set.

The results?

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main qimg 00defc255dfcde655da748ddb8af18e1 pjlq

The dotted lines are the park rats, the complete lines are the caged ones.

And even though it would be beyond unethical to run the same experiments on humans, there’s a similar real life example.

Bruce Alexander, the man behind the experiments, explains:

The English colonial empire overran hundreds of native tribal groups in Western Canada in the 18th and 19th century.

The native people were moved off expansive tribal lands onto very small reserves, the basis of their cultures.

Their children were taken from their parents and sent off to “residential schools” to be taught the white man’s culture so they could be assimilated.

They were forbidden to speak their native languages and found themselves strangers in their own communities when they finally came home.

Before this point, Mental illness, personal betrayals, and epidemic diseases occasionally occurred in pre-colonial tribes.

Basically, native people had all the problems of their English colonizers except one.

There was so little addiction that it is very difficult to prove from written and oral histories that it existed at all.

But once the native people were colonized alcoholism became close to universal.

There were entire reserves where virtually every teenager and adult was either an alcohol or drug addict or “on the wagon”.

The drug only becomes irresistible when the opportunity for normal social existence is destroyed.

Luau Pork Teriyaki

Also known as kalua pig or Luau pork, kalua pulled pork is a staple at Hawaiian luaus. They carry on the tradition of cooking a whole pig in an underground oven filled with hot stones. The pig is generously salted and wrapped in banana leaves then lowered into the ground to smoke all day. This slow cooker method also requires all day to cook. You’ll want to plan ahead because to get that divine tenderness you’ll want the pork to cook for at least 16 hours. For more delicate juicy pork recipes try my carnitas, this Mississippi pork, or my sweet pulled pork!

kalua pork 1 3
kalua pork 1 3

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds lean, boneless pork
  • 1 cup pineapple, sliced, in syrup
  • 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
  • 1/4 green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 garlic powder
  • 1 cup raw rice

Instructions

  1. Cut pork into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
  2. Drain pineapple, reserving all syrup.
  3. Blend syrup, teriyaki sauce, green onions, ginger and garlic powder. Pour over pork and pineapple.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions and prepare grill.
  6. Remove pork from marinade and grill about 5 inches from hot coals for about 5 minutes on each side or until completely cooked.
  7. Pour pineapple and remaining marinade into large skillet. Bring to a boil.
  8. Remove from heat and serve pork with sauce and pineapple over rice.

Oh boy. I worked 12 years in wafer fabrication for an international electronics company. A fab, as it affectionately known, is a clean room. The smallest smudge of dust will kill a computer chip. To enter, we had to go through an air shower to blow any dust off us. And we had to wear a bunny suit.

A bunny suit isn’t remotely connected to Playboy. It is a lint free coverall that covers head to toe. The head is covered by kind of a cloth helmet, a surgeon’s mask over the nose and mouth, gloves, and shoes which are worn only in the fab. This suit is worn over your street clothes.

Sorry to be so lengthy but it’s important. If you have to go to the restroom, a person must exit the clean room to the changing room. Take off shoes, headcovering, gloves. coverall. Stash in locker. Put on your shoes that are worn only within the building. ( you put these on when you entered from outside, street shoes were in a little locker).

So our boss decided we were taking too much time on bathroom breaks (oh yeah, we worked 12-hr graveyard shifts, 6 to 6). Our team was about 2/3rds female and well, if you gotta go, you gotta go. Take suit off, maybe go to your big locker to get lady supplies if needed, go to restroom, return to changing room, suit up, air shower and back to work. And now we gotta go to see the boss to let him know I’ve gotta pee, real bad.

It all lasted two days. Julie went in one evening, looked at him, and said, it’s the first day of my period and bleeding like a stuck hog and I gotta change my tampon and pad. And pee.

TMI, boss?

The forever “footprint”.

Before I had a truck, I borrowed my friends truck to move to a different city. I put 2000 km on it and I thought I would do an oil change, fill up with gas, and all the fluids before I returned it to him, with a gift certificate to a nice restaurant and a bottle of wine.

I told him what I had done, and I had messed up. He was using some super expensive synthetic oil and I had just used a good grade of regular oil. I told him to drive it until he needed an oil change, and I would pay for his synthetic oil change as well. However he was worried that switching between regular oil and synthetic would cause problems, so he insisted on changing the oil that very day, so that it wasn’t driven with regular oil.

He had plans for the afternoon, and spending an hour at the quick oil change place, messed things up.

I doubt driving on regular oil would have caused a problem, but its his truck, and I messed up by thinking I was going to surprise him with something extra.

I am a very moderate drinker. Maybe two or three drinks a week.

Although I have dated and lived with a fair number of women, only one of them was a real drinker. I dated her for a few months.

This woman was a high-functioning alcoholic. She held down a management position in retail, she was never falling-down drunk, and I never saw her throw up or get in a fight.

But man, could she drink. She was a world-class darts player, and she played for drinks. She almost always won. She’d hit a bar at about 10:00, and drink steadily until closing time (1:00 AM then). I’d say that in a typical night she’d have 10 drinks or so.

And then she’d head home, go to bed, and wake up the next morning ready to do it again.

And in answer to the question about what I found most unattractive?

It was that I started drinking more as well.

In fact, I decided to break up with her one Sunday. I had bought a bottle of rum on Friday, and on Sunday night I went to make a drink and discovered that the bottle was empty — I had drunk the whole bottle in three days.

That was not good. A bottle of rum usually lasted me a few months.

And that was the end of that.

The Video That Got Andrew Tate ARRESTED

Hit the Gay wall.

This is just one comic, not a recurring strip.

I’ve seen this thing floating around for years in a variety of forms. I think it’s brilliant, but I have absolutely no idea who the original author was.

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main qimg b85713a3c3731a03798de2fc3c67de13 lq

And it really sums up what I like about being a lone coder. I get to play all the roles, sometimes even that of end user. 😉

Edit 20190908:

Looks like we have a genuine mystery on our hands. One commenter said he believed the origin was in some IBM documentation from about the time I was busy being born.

Thanks to Richard Smith for providing these two very interesting links:

I have one right now. Writing this anon in case she is on Quora, so I don’t embarrass her 🙂

She came to me when I was working as a math tutor. She was failing Algebra and desperately needed help. It soon became clear that she was not just ignorant of basic math principles, but had some kind of cognitive issue with processing mathematical concepts. Over time I figured out that she had trouble with abstract visualization. She couldn’t envision shapes or “see” how various processes fit together. She couldn’t even look at two angles and see that one was larger than the other. It was the math version of a reading disabliity, and merely explaining material to her wasn’t going to get her past it.

I spent over a month just trying to get the basics across to her. Concepts like “when you multiply a negative times a negative you get a positive” just would not stick…and without those basics, how much algebra can you do? Honestly, there were moments I really despaired, and wondered whether it would even be possible to get her to the point where she could pass the course. And I know she was bereft of an hope. despairing. To her it was utterly confusing and totally overwhelming, and I know that deep inside she had no hope it would ever be otherwise.

But she worked. Even when she didn’t believe it would do any good, she worked, harder than I have ever seen anyone work in my life. No matter how depressed she was on a given day, or how confusing the work was, she always gave it her best. There were days the math went so badly, and she felt so overwhelmed, I sensed that inside she wanted to cry. Some day she was so exhausted from school she could barely add two numbers. But she never gave up.

I have never seen anyone so determined, in my life. And when she passed Algebra (got a B, actually), it was because of that quality in her. I can’t think of any other student I’ve had who would fight what seemed like a losing battle for so long, without ever flagging.

This year she took Geometry. I was dreading it even more than she was, because by then I understood more about how her brain processed math, and the visualization skills required by Geometry just weren’t there. Geometry spoke to the very heart of her cognitive weakness. And….she just passed her SOL test, and it looks like she’ll probably pass the course. I can’t even describe to you what a monumental thing that is. And it was possible only because of her amazing attitude. She just never gives up, no matter how bad it gets.

A girl like that can do anything she puts her mind to, in life.

Totally inspiring.

Very nice.

“Allow” !?

Honey, you couldn’t pay us to join that disaster.

Australians like our freedom. We like our country schools where the fences are little things an adult could step over, if there’s even a fence at all. We like sending our kids to school and knowing nobody’s going to shoot them in the classroom. We like going shopping and knowing that nobody’s going to shoot us in the shopping centre. We like eating food and knowing no corporation has added poisons and carcinogens to it to make it more shelf-stable or more addicting.

We like being able to collect the rainwater off our own roof and not being told we’re not allowed because our own roof water doesn’t belong to us. We like being allowed to put a vegetable garden in our front yard if we so choose without a HOA walking in and telling us we can’t do that on our own land.

We like owning our own bodies. Our sex education in school is pretty good and we have good access to contraceptives, but if an unwanted pregnancy is going to ruin a student’s career or if a wanted pregnancy goes wrong and looks like it might kill the mother, we don’t have to deal with politicians trying to take away our very basic human freedom to decide how our bodies will and will not be used by others.

We like our freedom to get medical care as needed. Nobody wants cancer or diabetes, nobody wants their baby to be born premature and needing a whole lot of very specialised care just to keep them alive, but being able to get the care we need when we need it really matters to us. We don’t want our employer or an insurance corporation deciding that they don’t approve of that care or they just don’t want to pay for it and thus deciding not to let us have the care we need to stay alive.

We like our kids getting a decent education that doesn’t depend on whether the people in our neighbourhood are rich or poor, and isn’t hostage to the whims of a bunch of religious nutters. We like knowing that our teachers are paid an honest wage and they’re not spending their evenings tending bars or driving Uber just to be able to pay their bills. We like our kids getting a facts-based education that doesn’t pretend anyone’s religious mumbo-jumbo is somehow equal to actual empirical science.

We like going to restaurants and not being obliged to tip. Sure, if the server is really great or if we’ve somehow made extra work for them, it’s sweet to leave them a nice gift, but they’re not depending on tips to pay their bills because they’re already paid an honest wage by their employer.

Most Australians wouldn’t even travel to the US if you paid our airfare. As for letting that failed-state disaster take over our country? Not happening.

Be more honest

Many years ago a friend introduced me to an Architect.

He needed a job done. It was a big job, a 12 square deck, handrails 2 sets of steps.

I really didn’t need the work and only did it because of my friend.

The job meant I had to stay away from my family for two weeks.

I worked an average of 16 hours everyday in an effort to finish the job early. It was the middle of summer and extremely hot everyday.

The client also worked long hours and came home late.

The job was finished on time . I tabulated the hours and charged him at a reasonable rate.

When I gave him the bill he was indignant and refused to pay the amount.

Not only did I give him a discount on my normal hourly rate I put nothing in for profit, like he would have. He figured that because I spent 14 days building his deck, regardless of the amount of hours I spent, that I was only entitled to an 8 hour pay day.

So I explained to him that I worked at least 16 hours a day.

He said “How do I know that’? His question was very unprofessional considering I gave him his due as a fellow professional and that I am a very honest person. Now I was the one feeling indignant.

I was stunned that he could not understand the concept of what I did considering he is ‘in’ the building business. I called my friend who also tried to reason with him. It was a waste of time.

As I was packing up my tools for a split second I considered putting my electrical saw through his deck. I am glad I didn’t. I learned a valuable lesson after that day about trusting ‘professionals’

Instead of ipads

Not me, my sister. When she was eighteen-nineteen she was pretty serious with this guy. He was nice, intelligent and respectful to our mother; but the dude seemed to have below zero ambition in life. No job, no income, dropped out for reasons I never ascertained, and seemed to live by a philosophy of “if you’re not sleeping on the floor with your leather jacket as a blanket, you’re not true punk-rock.” Polar opposite of my sister.

Some family of his in Minnesota (we lived in California) offered to take them in. God knows why, but my sister was on the verge of leaving everything for a state she’d never been to, to live with people she’d never met, because of love for a guy who’d never shown any indication that he would be seeking gainful employment.

She snapped out of it at the last minute – on her own; nobody had to convince her – and broke up with him. He made the move alone. Apparently he took this really hard; and while to my knowledge he had never been much of a drinker or drug user, he started slamming heroin and she got a phone call about a year later that an overdose had claimed his life.

My sister has a good head on her shoulders. She was devastated, but I never heard her blame herself as some people might. She wished him well, but it wasn’t her responsibility to care for a grown, capable man, and she saw this. He made his choice to live in depression and self-pity. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I can sympathize without excusing. Meanwhile, my sister’s life path brought her to her husband and the two children they have together. It’s sad that her ex couldn’t get his life together and went out like that, but she definitely dodged a bullet.

Advanced Ancient Machinery Discovered in the Queen’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid | Chris Dunn

Pretty interesting.

It depends on a lot of things.

For the near overseas Chinese who live in say Malaysia probably very easily.

For those who live further away? Difficult.

The ease of your reintegration depends entirely on IF you were exposed and picked up Chinese culture when you were young. Myself? As a baby I was given to my grandparents to look after until I was about 6. I absorbed tons of Chinese culture and language. I then visited regularly and kept some of my language skills. But I still grew up in the UK mostly and through osmosis absorbed a lot of their culture and thinking.

My dad grew up here in China and left when he was 16, he’s spent more time in the Netherlands and the UK than here. He can return and fit in with his village clan.

I made a generational seaturtle return.

Here’s the thing though. Neither of us quite fit.

My dad while he was away? His home changed enormously. I remember in the mid 00s standing in the middle of a town and he stood there for a moment. He said when he was a child he used to go fishing and swimming here. The coast was now about 3 miles away.

As such we tend to stick amongst our own groupings.

My dad hangs around a lot with other overseas Chinese who left with him in the 60s. He talks with people here who’ve been here all their lives and finds he hasn’t got all that much in common with them and entirely different life experiences.

Me? Despite this being my 8th year here on a permanent basis? I can count my born here friends on one hand. I’ve got plenty of acquaintances but I’m not sure I could classify them as friends. I find it far easier to talk to and be friendly with overseas born types and that includes Indians, Nepalis and UK born Chinese but not American borns.

It might just be a HK thing, as I was far friendlier with people in the Mainland. So why not move there (again). Well I’ve dug myself a rut already and I’m stuck in it.

But as I’ve written prior, a return isn’t for me (though life wise it worked out well) it’s for those who come after me.

I see my UK nieces and nephews some do ok but they suffer the same identity crises as we did.

By Lau Siu-kai

History will prove that the Russo-Ukrainian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were catalysts for paradigmatic changes in the international landscape and the driving force behind the eventual demise of the US-led “liberal international order.”

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main qimg 8fc8bad32bd2c10524ac5f635cd1124d

During the Cold War period after World War II, two “international orders” emerged in the world, namely the “socialist international order” led by the Soviet Union and the so-called “liberal international order” led by the United States. After the end of the Cold War, the “liberal international order” was the only international order in the world. Since then, the United States has continued to use coercion, inducement, and regime change to bring more and more countries into this dominant international order, which has led to many conflicts between the United States and other countries, particularly China and Russia. However, in the past decade or so, the “liberal international order” has increasingly become unviable and unsustainable. The reasons include the fact that more and more countries believe it is an unfair, inequitable, and unreasonable international order catering primarily to the interests of the West and that the United States itself often violates and distorts the “rules of the game” devised by itself.

From a historical perspective, the Russo-Ukrainian war and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are significant game-changing events that would bring about “tectonic changes” in the global political landscape that would, in turn, lead to the complete collapse of the “liberal international order” in different ways.

First, they verify that the United Nations, as the linchpin of the “liberal international order,” can no longer serve as an organisation for maintaining world peace and international order under the deliberate neglect, defiance, and disruption of the United States. The United Nations cannot act to avoid and end the Russo-Ukrainian war. Moreover, the United States blatantly vetoed most countries in the United Nations’ call for a ceasefire in Gaza. When the United Nations becomes an effete and ineffective international institution, the unilateral actions of the United States taken without the approval of the United Nations will increasingly lose the endorsement and goodwill of the international community, and the international order it leads will also lose legitimacy and support.

Second, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the United States not only condoned but even provided military and diplomatic support to Israel’s near-genocide atrocities against the Palestinian civilians in Gaza, most deplorably women and children. Israel’s actions in Gaza seriously violate and make a mockery of the “liberal international order’s” proclaimed respect for human rights and freedoms and the prohibition and condemnation of genocide. The United States and its Western allies disregarded Israel’s atrocities, which is entirely contrary to their position of severely accusing and condemning Russia for committing “war crimes” in the Russo-Ukrainian war. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has unmistakably and fully exposed the moral hypocrisy and double standards of the United States and the West. It has triggered intense anger and frustration in the international community and brought about the complete moral bankruptcy of the Western camp led by the United States. In other words, the “liberal international order” no longer has powerful moral moorings. Consequently, the “liberal international order” will continue to shrink as more and more countries are reluctant to imbue it with legitimacy. The United States’ global leadership position will also be seriously jeopardised.

Third, the Russo-Ukraine war proved that the “liberal international order” led by the United States is dangerously “expansionary” and “coercive” in nature, thus posing a clear and serious threat to world peace. The United States demands all countries participating in the “liberal international order” adopt Western political and economic models and values. It does not accept or tolerate the existence of other political and economic models and values. The eastward expansion of NATO promoted by the United States can be understood as a strategic plan to further expand the “liberal international order” in Europe to contain Russia and ultimately change its political and economic system in the Western direction. In a sense, the essence of the Russo-Ukrainian war can thus be understood as a “defensive” maneuver by Russia to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, security, and strategic autonomy. Since the continuous and reckless expansion of the “liberal international order” has triggered the Russo-Ukrainian war, and the scale of the Russo-Ukrainian war is likely to expand and pose a graver threat to world peace and development, other countries in the world will be increasingly dismissive of the “liberal international order.” A lot of countries are already deeply apprehensive about a devastating global war triggered by the United States’ dogged efforts at containment of China to make it a qualified member of the “liberal international order.” Global resistance to it is bound to grow day by day. Now, the United States is on the verge of failure in the Russia-Ukraine war, which is commonly seen as a “proxy war” between the United States and Russia. This will encourage and embolden more countries to resist the “liberal international order” in various ways in the days to come.

History will prove that the Russo-Ukrainian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were catalysts for paradigmatic changes in the international landscape and the driving force behind the eventual demise of the US-led “liberal international order.” The Russo-Ukraine war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have already proven that the US-led international order cannot bring peace, development, fairness, and justice to the world; instead, it is becoming increasingly an impetus for instability and even war. The balance of power in the world is shifting irreversibly away from the West with the unstoppable demise of the “liberal international order.” Admittedly, the “liberal international order” may still exist in some form, but its prominent members will be mainly confined to the United States and some of its Western allies. Inevitably, with the gradual demise of the “liberal international order,” the world will experience a period of “international disorder” and the ensuing instability and uncertainty. However, in the past period, many non-Western countries, especially China, have begun to actively and urgently explore alternatives to the “liberal international order.” The Russo-Ukrainian war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will undoubtedly accelerate the pace of work in this area, eventually promoting the birth of a new, fairer, equitable, and reasonable international order that is conducive to world peace and development and respects the interests and needs of all countries.

Some of them include the retro-pulp science fiction cover theme.

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Default A 1950s era pinup In the opulent 1950s golden age of i 1(21)

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Default A 1950s era pinup In the opulent 1950s golden age of i 3(10)

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Default A 1950s era pinup In the opulent 1950s golden age of i 3(9)

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Default A 1950s era pinup In the opulent 1950s golden age of i 2(16)

My boyfriend Ben and I have been dating for 4 years.

We’ve seen the best of each other, but that also meant that he’s seen the worst of me.

Dating me is like walking on eggshells; I have depression and Borderline Personality disorder, which meant that I can have intense mood swings and have severe issues with abandonment. That meant Ben dealt with me monthly, with me crying constantly about how I’m a fraud and how he’s better off without me. How people won’t miss me when I’m dead.

Every month, he holds me while I cry and rage at the world around me.

Every month, he plays the knight, and I play the monster, and we fight.

One day, after a particularly bad argument, I really don’t know what it was about, Ben and I had to physically separate ourselves and cool down in different rooms.

When we came back together, he looked…exhausted. He was just staring into space and he just quietly told me to get help.

And when I didn’t say anything, he looked at me and, word for word, said

“Vanessa, I want you to get help because I have nightmares that one day, one very bad day for you, will cause our child that we will someday have, to find mommy hanging from a noose.

I’m scared for you. Of you.”

I went into counselling afterwards.

Bailey’s Lasagna

Lasagne
Lasagna

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Equipment

  • Lasagna pan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 1 (67 ounce) jar Prego Traditional spaghetti sauce
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 14 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese or other cheese of choice
  • 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Brown ground beef and Italian sausage together until cooked through, then drain well. Combine with the spaghetti sauce. Set aside.
  3. Cook lasagna noodles until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
  4. For the filling, combine ricotta cheese and eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Spread a thin layer of the spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a lasagna pan.
  6. Lay lasagna noodles lengthwise in the casserole dish.
  7. Spoon and spread spaghetti sauce over the noodles.
  8. Spoon and spread filling over the spaghetti sauce.
  9. Repeat steps 6, 7 and 8 twice.
  10. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella or cheese of choice over the top.
  11. Bake, covered and sealed with foil (DO NOT LET THE FOIL TOUCH THE CHEESE), for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.
  12. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer to brown the cheese.
  13. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
  14. Top each serving with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Serve with garlic bread.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Behold.

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This also works with common snacks like chips, cheetos, really any “finger food.” Likewise Hara Shidho points out that it works on salads too; eating leafy greens is precisely what chopsticks are really good at in Chinese cuisine. Chopsticks are also much better at deboning fish, with Japanese chopsticks particularly designed for the task. Quite frankly I do not understand how anyone is cleanly deboning fish with forks, especially if the fish have much tinier, irregular bones that do not conform to the spine or edge.

It is also a misnomer to believe that there are no forks, spoons, and knives in China. They just have their time and place, and no they are not imports from the West as they have been around for millennia. I suspect that for Chinese people, ease of dining is where one optimizes for the least switches of utensils while keeping hands clean; removing that latter part gives us Indian hand usage, while the West seems to not care for utensil switching (or just abuses forks to fulfill the purpose of a spoon).

Really though, just think of chopsticks as two very long fingers that are easily washable.

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Oh oh!

This happened to a new manager of mine who managed to cause havoc in our office within the first week of his employment.

My previous manager left for a better offer and the replacement didn’t arrive until 1 whole month after he left the company.

So there wasn’t anyone to train, guide or handover the duties/job scope to the new manager.

However, my previous manager, being a very smart man, created a folder with all the job scope, documents, handovers, etc. in our common (computer) server for us to handover to whoever that will take over when he/she eventually arrived.

So, when the replacement finally arrived, naturally very lost and confused, me and my colleagues did our best to guide him along and showed him the folder which my previous manager left for him.

It was one of the busiest periods of the year, so none of us were able to sit down and spoon feed all the details/information to him, as such we pretty much just left him to fiddle his computer and to do his own research.

I mean, he’s supposed to be our manager. He should have some idea of what to expect, right?

Thus, the first week went by, the tsunami was over and my colleagues and I finally got a chance to catch up on our work. The moment we switched on our computer to enter the common server, all of our jaw dropped simultaneously.

The idiot has reorganized the WHOLE SERVER!!

When we confronted him about the server, his excuse was that the server looks very messy and he want to tidy it up. Oh, and if we were to see if anything that is out of place, please help him to sort out into the correct folder.

This idiot had no idea how much damage he has caused us!

For those of you who are wondering what’s the big deal, by reorganizing the server, the idiot rendered all our shortcuts/hyperlinks useless.

Furthermore, a lot of our files & documents are named via codes/serial numbers, without the proper directory we have no idea where are all our past records/documents!!

The worst part is that the damage is irreversible as he had tampered with our backup folder as well…

We spent the next few MONTHS trying to find and sort out all our lost documents but till this day we are still unable to find about 40% of them. (the idiot still insists that he did not delete any of our files, it’s all in there, he just misplaced them…)

The idiot was eventually let go due to multiple accounts of incompetency after 1 year of service (so much screaming from my client).

There were so many stories from this idiot I’m surprised that he managed to somehow last the whole year.

Edit:

Now to verify, yes you can say i’m being harsh for calling him an idiot repeatedly.
We gave him a ton of advice but none were heeded; we tried to be patient with him but when the client openly demanded him to be fired in the meeting with your CEO on speaker phone, you know shit just got real.

And just to be clear, he was hired as a Manager, so not knowing basic computer skill or even some basic level of competency is not an excuse. He is definitely not new in this field and how he managed to secure a 5 figures salary previously is still a mystery to me.

Chinese EV and the USA

No American car buyer today can purchase a Chinese brand (Bloomberg Business 3–18–2024) electric vehicle. And no one is really sure when these EVs will arrive on US shores. But the prospect of cheap Chinese-made EVs is already causing sleepless nights in Detroit. The primary threat comes from cars such as BYD Co.’s Seagull hatchback, which features angular styling, a two-tone dashboard shaped like a seagull’s wing and six airbags. There’s even a 10-inch rotating touchscreen for its infotainment system. BYD’s company slogan, “Build Your Dreams,” is embossed on the rear of the vehicle.

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A BYD Co. Seagull electric vehicle at the Shanghai Auto Show. Photographer: Bloomberg​​​​​

The car’s most extraordinary feature, though, is its $9,698 price tag. That undercuts the average price of an American EV by more than $50,000, and is only a little more than a high-end Vespa scooter. Such aggressive pricing by BYD, which surpassed Tesla Inc. in late 2023 to become the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles, is indicative of how Chinese auto manufacturers will likely force US makers to pivot away from mainly producing expensive second cars for the affluent and toward more reasonably priced EVs for Everyman.

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Just as the long-feared prospect of a revolutionary EV from US tech giant Apple Inc. has receded, American carmakers now face a possibly greater challenge from Asia. China, long a manufacturing hub for Western companies’ products, is hellbent on expanding its own companies’ reach around the globe. It’s already the biggest market for EVs , and it’s using that scale and manufacturing know-how to help expand sales of competitively priced Chinese models to an increasingly climate-conscious world.

For now, the Chinese onslaught is being kept at bay by stiff tariffs and moves to erect even tougher trade barriers against the US’s geopolitical adversary. Read Keith Naughton

for more on what the future might hold if BYD and others come to American shores

.

And for more on how BYD has become the world’s top-selling electric carmaker, see the Bloomberg Originals documentary: How China’s BYD Overtook Tesla

Nobody is a security threat to the U.S. The U.S. is the biggest security threat to itself. Trying to do regime change in other nations is a security threat to the U.S. Starting a colour revolution to the world U.S. a security threat to the U.S. like what Maidan is now putting the US in a step nearer to a nuclear war! If you don’t want to buy batteries from China don’t buy!

China don’t need you to buy! You wanted a cheaper and better value for money battery! If you want your people to buy at 5 times the price go right ahead!

I work out generally at 5 am when the gym first opens. There is little old lady who comes in and works out. She’s small and frail, but in great shape for her age. I’m putting her 70–80 to be honest. I used to be really impressed by her as well, one of those #goals type deals. But that all changed……..

I began to notice she owned the place, and everyone kind of let her go first because of age. No worries, mad respect still but it did come off a little odd. Now, she parks next to me most days as we wait for the gym to open. She opens her door, and SMACK, hits my car door. Huh, she just walks right in no big deal. I’m sitting in the car too. Wow, hmm I don’t know about her after all.

2 weeks later, she is pulling in and side swipes me just a hair. Backs up, and moves to another spot. Now, yes this is illegal and I could have called the police. I didn’t, I guess I’m too soft. All I had was a small scratch, on a low end car with plenty more blemishes. I let it pass.

Fast forward another month, and out the gym window I see flashing lights.

She scraped someone else so bad it left a big mark on her car too! They called the police and she got a ticket for hit and run and likely lost her license now. Moral of the story, call people out for being rude or it will only get worse.

I cry for my country.

A basket of heads

Yep. I was a worker at McDonalds and only sixteen at the time, and we had a new employee. He was on grills, and I was on table right behind him. There’s another side to the table that cannot see the grills through the cabinets of food, so when any cook-to-order meat, in this case quarter pounder, was finished, the grill person would call “Quarter’s up!” So side two would know to get their meat and send the burger on its way.

Well, our new employee absolutely refused to talk near me. I didn’t really get it, he would talk to other people. But he wouldn’t call out quarter’s up for the life of him. After multiple times of doing it myself, I finally stopped and took the meat and held it back to him and asked him to call it out himself. He slammed it into the table and splattered grease into it. I stood there and told him he needed to call out quarter’s up for side two. He would not, he turned back to his grills and ignored me.

I called out quarter’s up and slid them their meat, and the shift continued. I stopped calling out quarters’ up, mostly because I was busy keeping up with the lunch rush and didn’t notice when he slid the meat onto the table out of my line of sight. And out of side two’s sight.

So a manager asks why side two is so slow, and they explain they don’t have their quarter meat and I would slide it over to them and apologize. Someone would tell the grill person to call it out, and the shift would continue again until he went on break.

I didn’t actually know anything had happened until the big boss of the store was called in and he came rushing up to me and told me very sternly,”If someone threatens you like that again, you need to tell management immediately!”

I did not understand. Nobody threatened me?

Turns out, when the grill dude went on break, he loudly told everyone how he was going to “beat the shit out of that little kid.”

And well, he got fired

Western Women Are Too Woke For “Passport Bros”

Men ware galloping away from the West.

The German-American Strategic Depth Clown Show

Harry Potter as a Mexican Soap Opera | Telenovelas are Hell

Once I walked into my college class of 200 people only to see my picture displayed on the projector screen and my instructor asking my classmates who had been signing in for me since I had clearly never been to class. Apparently I’d accidentally signed the attendance sheet for that day, the class day prior, and was a couple minutes late, so he had his ga literally examine my signatures and they determined that the letters were written differently each day. Since I was safely hidden behind a large pillar, I promptly left and called my mom crying. I had attended every class, albeit late on occasion, and was a very shy person. I dreaded going back to that class where I was certain everyone believed me to be a fraud.

Edit: I saw some people asked what happened afterwards, and I ended up emailing the professor during that class telling him what I’d seen and assuring him that I had attended every class and that I was very confused as to why he had made the accusation. It was then that he told me I’d been signed in on the wrong day and that was what had prompted his investigation into my attendance and signatures. He made it very clear that he did not believe my explanation and I met with him in his office where he had me sign my name about 20 times and kept threatening to fail me, saying I could easily be faking it. At this, because I was telling the truth, and had never had anyone question my honor like that before, I started to cry again, and begged him not to fail me. I honestly don’t remember much after that, only that my crying made him begrudgingly agree to allow me back in class. The rest of the time I attended class, I showed up early, sat in the very back and wore a hood until class began. I caught a couple people looking back at me on occasion (and I turned bright red as a result), but for the most part my incredible ability as a shy person to remain utterly invisible served me really well.

Cattle Drive Cornbread

Cornbread
Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 to 2 finely chopped jalapeño peppers
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 (16 ounce) can creamed corn

Instructions

  1. Boil a pan of water.
  2. Mix cornmeal and vegetable oil well in a large bowl. Add just enough of the boiling water to form a dough that could be made into a ball.
  3. Add remaining ingredients except for the creamed corn. Mix to blend, then add creamed corn.
  4. Coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with vegetable oil. Heat over medium heat.
  5. Remove one cup of the cornbread mixture from the bowl, and add it to the skillet.
  6. Flatten out the cornbread, and cook as you would a pancake.

This Japanese Man has 4 Wives, 2 Girlfriends & 54 Children…

Randy Miller suggested an edit to my story. 
He blew my story away because I have never run into an ASSHOLE that removed an entire story. 
Fuck You Randy Miller! 
I had to rewrite it you ass!

I will tell you my story.

My sister-in-law has a son. When my nephew was young we saw him a lot, even visited a few times while he was in college, and took him out a few times for dinners. When he got married, we were not invited to his wedding. We weren’t even told about it. When we found out, I have to admit we were a bit hurt.

The reason we weren’t invited was because his grandmother, my MIL, was a crazy mean, lying, horrible woman. The entire family except the nephew and my husband had felt her wrath. To her, he was a golden child. She filled his head with lies, and she is convincing, especially to a kid. She did spend money on him, but nothing is without a string. When she met his girlfreinf, he was told she was a sl*t, a woman that would hurt him, a dirty girl, not worthy. Eventually, they broke up, but got back together., and then secretly engaged, and finally secretly married.

So there was a plausible reason why only his immediate family was present. They did not have any big thing, justice of the peace, ate out, done.

Now married, his wife was pregnant with their first child. I was invited to the baby shower. A part of me did not want to go because I was still hurt. Plus, I dislike showers. But I thought about it, and let it go. I attended the shower and bought a gift of of their registry that was fairly expensive for the baby, and them.

So the question is why would I agree to give them a gift for a baby shower, when I wasn’t invited to the wedding. Because I had found out the entire story, and realized I was being unkind, childish, selfish, and ignorant. And most important, I want a relationship with them.

I have never discussed being disappointed about not being able to attend their wedding, I love weddings. But I’m glad I rethought the emotions I felt because we have a great relationship now with his family. I know I would have regretted not going to the baby shower, and giving a gift to them for their baby.

So, you haven’t explained why you weren’t invited to the wedding. Could it be they were trying to keep it small. There could be many reasons, even that your invitation never arrived. But you need to decide if you have a relationship with these people that you wish to continue. If the answer is yes, then send a gift. If not, you have made up your mind.

Regarding the 300 miles away, unless they are living somewhere you could turn your trip into a vacation, if you have the time and money, I would just send the gift with a congratulatory note.

My opinion only!

Gen Z Doesn’t want to Work Anymore …..

Be the Rufus

“I was on the way home a couple of days ago when I saw this girl from my neighbourhood being very upset and crying on the street.

I decide to approach her. I asked: ‘Hi! Is everything okay?’

She barely looked up and then she just started bawling about her crappiest day she had.

She said she had lost her best friend because a stupid fight and that her mom is depressed all the time and she was also bullied in school all day…

I really wanted to make her feel better but I didn’t really know what to say, so I just asked: ‘Do you want to come in for a cup of tea?’

She said yes!

When we walked in the door, she looked up, her eyes opened up, and she was like: ‘Wooow!!!’ My house is full of paintings and all sorts of weird stuff; it’s messy but very colourful.

On the way in, I was even thinking about how messy my house was and felt bad about leaving tobacco all over the table that morning. But she didn’t seem bothered at all.

She said it was the coolest place she has ever seen. I asked her if she wanted to paint with me so we did. She painted the biggest canvas we could find with lots of bright colours. She used like 10-12 brushes and when she finished, her face had changed completely.

She was beaming!

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I may have made her feel better that day but she also made me realise how lucky I am. Maybe I am weird and I often feel that I don’t really fit anywhere, but my art was able to make this girl feel better about herself and lift her up from a dark place.”

America Collapsing Like Rome?- Upcoming Recession, WW3, Trump, China & Joe Rogan | Patrick Bet David

Not working on a computer but: I worked at the 24 hour photo processing lab back in 1990. Based in Phoenix we got film flown in from all over, including Las Vegas. The usual family photos, the occasional but weekly roll of film for some one with a anatomically correct BDSM Barbie with ever-changing costumes, personal intimate photos for a loved one, and once in a while something different and more sinister.

One of our Las Vegas rolls showed men with a pair of boys, all nude no clothes in sight(ha-ha), no intimate contact showed just these men and the children. The lead tech made the call to the FBI for possible child porn or abuse. After the FBI came and collected the pictures and the address from the packaging, they proceeded to the Las Vegas area address.

What they discovered was the address was a nudist retirement community. The men were a couple and one of them was the grandfather of the boys. The parents knew about granddad and his partner living in a gay nudist community and had no concerns about the safety of the boys.

Douglas Macgregor Reveals the Truth: Russia’s -Ukraine Terrifying Hidden Power in the Conflict

https://youtu.be/otyhVg-oUHs

A Woman Finds Her Daughter’s ‘Dead’ Rapist: people are in awe of her “willpower”

A woman from a remote village in Bihar, India tracked down her daughter’s rapist after he was declared dead leading to the closure of the case. The rape convict, Niraj Modi, has been sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment for raping a minor girl and his father to seven years for forgery, cheating, and dishonesty.

Modi, a 39-year-old man who was a school teacher at a government school, was accused of raping his 12-year-old student, a minor girl, in October 2018. The girl was attacked while she was by herself in a sugarcane field, and her assailant threatened to post a video of the assault online to keep her silent.

Soon after a complaint was lodged by the survivor’s mother, and Modi was arrested. But, he was out on bail after merely two months in prison.

In February 2022, Modi’s father Rajaram Modi, who is over 60 years old and works as a farmer, travelled to a court nearly 100km (62 miles) away from the village, with a lawyer to claim that his son died on February 27, 2022, at their village home. In order to get a death certificate issued, he provided two pictures from the cremation, receipts of the firewood bought for the ritual as evidence, signatures and the unique biometric identity number of five villagers as per Indian laws. However, as per a 54-year-old law, the authorities didn’t question the cause of death.

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Two months after this, the local authorities issued a death certificate and the court closed the case in May 2022 as the “only accused in the case” was dead.

However convinced that this was a forgery, the girl’s mother was the only person who suspected that the teacher had faked his death with the help of his father.

The mother said that she went from one home to another in order to enquire if Modi was really dead and not to her surprise, nobody had heard of the news. Following which, she went to the court urging an investigation into the matter.

In May 2022, she also wrote a petition to the local official claiming that the death certificate was issued based on forged documents and it needs to be investigated. Soon, investigation began and the authorities demanded more and fresh evidence from Modi’s family regarding his death including photos of the “deceased after his death, of the cremation, of the burning pyre, the last rites and [fresh] testimony of five witnesses”.

As a part of the investigation, members of the village council met the inhabitants of the 250 families in the village. It appeared that no one was aware of Modi’s death. Hindus often only shave their heads as a sign of mourning if a close relative passes away. However, none of the Modi family members had done so. In fact, Modi’s own relatives did not have the information regarding his death.

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After Rajaram failed to provide fresh evidence of Niraj’s death, he was questioned by the investigative office again.

Following the investigation, it was confirmed that Modi’s death was faked. The officers found that the teacher had falsified the signatures of the parents of five of his students’ parents on a document requesting his own death certificate. He informed the parents that in order to set up the students’ scholarships, he would need their biometric identity numbers.

The officials, then, cancelled Niraj Modi’s death certificate and charged his father with forgery and in July 2022, the case was reopened.

The mother’s relentless battle to track down her daughter’s “dead” rapist came to an end finally and in October last year(2023)he was convicted for his crimes.

Keep smiling

Beefy Cowboy Beans

There’s plenty of hearty ground beef in this Beefy Cowboy Beans recipe.

cowboybeans 750x1000
cowboybeans 750×1000

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 (16 ounce) can baked beans
  • 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Heinz 57 sauce
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, brown ground beef, onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up into 1 inch crumbles.
  2. Pour off drippings.
  3. Season beef mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
  4. Stir in beans, ketchup, Heinz 57 Sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Reduce heat to medium low.
  6. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I have a theory about the sorts of people that are easy to entertain…. 😉

One cellie of mine was really into the markets. He spent incredible amounts of time building models to use against the daily Dow or NASDAQ numbers when we could get them in long enough blocks to be useful. A friend sent him five years of daily data for one index. He built some formulas to fire triggers when conditions were right. The formulas were designed to work in excel.

My job? Human spreadsheet. I took a couple months worth of the data, plotted it across a “spreadsheet” that I’d made from steno notebook pages taped together. The spreadsheet went from A1 to something like BK68. A handful of cells were raw data, the remainder were things like, “=If(And(AI22>AI21,B22>B21,Or(H22=I22,K22=K21)),BB22-BC21,BB22+BC21)”.

Pure drudgery. I had to proof for syntactical and lexical errors and churn out the data. We were sending the finished product (formulas) to someone who would drop them in excel and (hopefully) use them to come up with actionable Intel.

Woof. It took weeks to produce what excel can do in the blink of an eye!

Then there was this:

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I set a goal for myself to memorize two hours of poetry. I copied poems I liked in tiny handwriting and kept them with me most of the time so I could study while I waited (lots of waiting in prison).

I didn’t hit my goal, but I did manage to get to about forty minutes. The more I did, the easier it got. I learned that our memory works (kind of) like a muscle. Give it a good workout and it’ll get stronger.

Are those pastimes strange enough?

The (Overdue) Collapse of the 9-5 Job

A sheriff’s deputy drove up to me while I was standing leaning against my vehicle and asked me if I had any guns. I said not on me but there were some in the back of the pickup. He told me to stay where I was.

He walked back to the bed of my truck and picked up a poster that I had made up that said “WANTED Dead or Alive: Baby Bomber Brandes”

He read the poster and then said to me, “I know who you are. You are the man whose home was bombed and whose baby daughter has been in the hospital for the last 6 months, and this is going to be the hardest arrest I ever have to make in my career, but I want for you to know that if I were in your shoes, I would be doing exactly what you are trying to do.” Brandes was up a dead end road, and I was at the bottom waiting to kill him.

Brandes had called his employers at the ATF and told them that I had him trapped and they needed to help him get out of there. The ATF called the sheriff and had them come up and arrest me.

The deputy arrested and drove me to jail without handcuffs and when he dropped me at the jail explained to the jailers the situation. I was treated very well by everyone at the jail. A couple of days later I made a deal with the federal DA that I would leave town and leave their snitch alone. I had to, I had a quadriplegic daughter getting out of the hospital to care for.

I came to Oregon and had to care for my daughter while wearing an ankle bracelet for a few months. The feds did live up to their end of the bargain though: all charges were dropped a short time later. There really are some great cops out there and they are just like you and I and have big hearts.

The deputy actually apologized for having to take me in.

the American dream is dead… this is why people are leaving the US.

In early March 1933, a man walked into the Hi-Way Cigar Store in Pismo Beach, California, and laid a huge clamshell on the counter. “Gimme a box of cigars,” he said.

[1]That day, the clam was paying.

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A clamshell used as scrip currency in 1933 shows the name of the shop issuing the currency, its value, and, on the inside, signatures of the people whose hands it passed through. (Clamshell Currency | Hakai Magazin

History is full of examples of successful local initiatives aimed at providing exchange media, but the Great Depression of the 1930’s saw this done on an unprecedented scale. There were literally hundreds of scrip issues that were put into circulation by a variety of agencies, including state governments, municipalities, school districts, clearing house associations, manufacturers, merchants, chambers of commerce, business associations, local relief committees, cooperatives, and even individuals.

These issuers went by different names, depending on who issued them and the circumstances of their issuance. Common scrip types were certificates of indebtedness, tax anticipation notes, payroll warrants, trade scrip, clearing house certificates, credit vouchers, moratorium certificates, and merchandise bonds.

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Crescent City, California 1933 10 cent clamshell From the collection of Ken Barr Numismatics (Depression Scrip.com)

Besides learning how to “make do, or do without,” people began to establish mutual support structures, like workers’ cooperatives, many of which would recycle and repair donated or broken items.

People learned to share what they had, and to by-pass the market and financial systems. Most of these measures were considered stop-gaps to be utilized until things “got back to normal,” but in some of them there seemed to be the promise of more permanent improvements. One of these “stop-gaps,” which was intended to address the problem of the dearth of currency in circulation, was the issuance of “scrip.”

When the Depression and resulting banking crisis hit their community, the residents of the coastal town of Pismo Beach, California picked an unusual but logical medium of exchange. The pismo (Tivela stultorum) is a species of clam with a very thick shell

[6], found in large numbers at least as far south as 300 miles south of the US–Mexico border in Baja California on the Pacific Ocean side, where strong surf sometimes washes ashore live clams. Native American tribes in California relied upon the clams as a main dietary staple.

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Emergency Money

The shells are surprisingly large—up to roughly 15 centimeters in width—and many have faint traces of the clams’ natural shell patterning, faded wispy lines of purple at the edge of the exterior sides.

Shells were marked with India ink in denominations ranging from 25 cents to $20. Each piece was numbered, and signed on the front and on the back. As with the stamp notes of the Midwest, it was necessary to sign each clamshell on the back in order to keep it in circulation.

The idea was that the growing list of signatures would be a boost to morale — proof that, even in tough times, business was being transacted.

No formal requirements may have existed, but informal pressure certainly would have endorsed the practice. The shells were more or less credit—placeholders for real currency.

Eleven of the town’s merchants got together to issue the clam currency. Among them: K.L. Phillips service station, Henderson’s Drug Store, Hi-Way Cigar Store, Leiter’s Rexall Pharmacy and Restwell Cabins. Even the Pismo Beach Post Office accepted clam currency. It was agreed that when change in dollars or cents wasn’t available, they would issue shells to customers instead. Customers would use the shells in subsequent transactions after signing their names on the inside, endorsing them somewhat like checks, which gave businesses a record of who had “spent” their shells. If any customers still had shells rattling around once the banks reopened, they could ask the retailer to exchange them for cash.

Officials had one concern that most issuers would hang onto them as souvenirs of the lack of traditional currency.

Some issuers destroyed the notes after they were redeemed.

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Pismo Beach, California, 1 Dollar, 1933 (clamshell)

Restwell Cabins issued “notes” in three denominations: twenty-five cents, fifty cents, and one dollar.

The larger the amount, the larger the shell. The issue may have been partly intended as a spoof, or for sale to tourists, in the manner of German notgeld around 1920.

Redemption would never be a problem because collectors would want to keep these pieces in their cabinets or trade them with their friends.

But it was also intended partly as a real, if unique, circulating medium. The Restwell Cabins issue bore the motto, “IN GOD WE TRUST.”

Each piece was numbered, and each was signed on the front and on the back. This was in the middle of Roosevelt’s 1933 national banking holiday, from March 6 to March 9, 1933, during which withdrawals were frozen. This gave his administration a chance to stabilize the banking system

.In an era of economic turmoil, thousands of banks were failing and Americans’ trust in the institutions had evaporated. Fearing that their money was no longer safe at the bank, many people had emptied their accounts and stashed dollars at home—which, unfortunately, further undermined the banks.

Proclamation 2039 ordered the suspension of all banking transactions, effective immediately.

The terms of the presidential proclamation specified that:

“no such banking institution or branch shall pay out, export, earmark, or permit the withdrawal or transfer in any manner or by any device whatsoever, of any gold or silver coin or bullion or currency or take any other action which might facilitate the hoarding thereof; nor shall any such banking institution or branch pay out deposits, make loans or discounts, deal in foreign exchange, transfer credits from the United States to any place abroad, or transact any other banking business whatsoever.”

This 10-cent note was issued by the Crescent City Chamber of Commerce. It’s worth about $500 today. (Cash-Strapped California’s IOUs: Just the Latest Sub for Dollars)

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The thought of having to go for four days without readily available cash shocked and traumatized America. Around the country, businesses began issuing IOU-style notes or ersatz dollars—often called scrip currency—in the form of metal or wooden tokens so that everyday transactions could continue even when retailers couldn’t easily issue change.

An estimated $1 billion in this scrip was issued by towns and counties, not to mention corporations, school boards, newspapers and a few wealthy individuals.

Most promissory notes looked like paper currency, but scrip was also printed on leather, metal, fish-skin parchment and, in Tenino, Wash., on slabs of pressed wood.

In Hood River, Ore., Hal’s Tire Service printed $1 bills on scraps of old tires, briefly giving the rubber check a good name.

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Depression scrip: 1934 25-cent fish skin parchment Friday Harbor, Washington

In creating the currency, the Pismo Beach business owners turned back the clock to the era before the Civil War when it was common to find locally produced scrip.

The 1933 scrip reflected the small community’s expression of resilience. A lack of dollars didn’t worry them. “All of a sudden this group of people said, ‘Well, we have what we do have’,

They had clamshells. Appropriating them as currency helped insulate the community from the practical difficulties of the bank holiday.

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Pismo Clam Money

In 1985, the Pismo Beach City Council considered buying back the clam scrip from an Arcadia coin and stamp collector for $3,000.

The clams are now on display at City Hall in the lobby by the city clerk’s office. Not a bad investment, especially considering how rare it is to find a legal-sized clam in Pismo Beach these days. In 2013, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the clam script, Pismo Beach citizens resurrected clamshell money, making colorful homages to the 1933 variants.

Among the businesses that accepted them were a restaurant and a pawnshop specializing in video games and DVDs.

So the next time someone asks, “How many clams did that cost?”

[27] , remember they are asking for a value in dollars, not bivalves.

Footnotes

10 Countries Where Americans are Not Welcome in 2024

I once had to fire someone just a few days after they started and it’s one of the very few times in my entire career where I fired someone on the spot. I had no choice.

At the time we were riding high as a company having rebuilt an entire culture and the company was working well. This admin who answered to me and a few others, while I was at lunch demanded access to HR documents that were confidential to the other employees. When our HR manager told her no but that she could talk to me, she started screaming at the top of her lungs at the manager and everyone in the offices was completely rattled by the scene.

I receive a call while I was eating my lunch to get back to the office because it was bad. I raced back and saw the looks on everyone’s face and asked a few what had happened. They all said the same thing. There was no other side to this. A few heard her demand for records and thought it was out of line in the first place and then with the screaming on top, there was no way to keep her. When I fired her, I explained that there was no turning that around. You couldn’t undo that damage no matter how she apologized and I didn’t want our culture to be everyone thinking that was even remotely okay.

It sucks to fire anyone. It’s not something any manager ever wants to deal with, but sometimes you have to do it for the greater good of everyone else. There were no employees who thought she should have a second chance. Not one. In fact, they were thrilled that I didn’t put up with it.

Male inequality, explained by an expert | Richard Reeves

The number of male therapists decreasing while the number of men needing therapy increases is worrying to think about.

On April 14, 1865, as he walked into the morning Cabinet meeting at the White House, General Ulysses S. Grant received rapturous applause. Five days earlier, Grant had accepted the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Virginia’s Appomattox Court House.

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Image: Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox. April 9, 1865: General Robert E. Lee surrenders at Appomattox

The nightmarish Civil War had ended. Lincoln and his Cabinet were in a celebratory mood, but Grant was bone-weary. As author Ron Chernow recounts in his biography Grant, the general looked forward to a short respite from the battlefield.

After the meeting closed at 2pm, Grant “lingered to speak with the president.” Lincoln invited the general and his wife to the theater that evening to see the play Our American Cousin, starring celebrated actress Laura Keene.

Newspapers had already trumpeted both Lincoln and Grant’s upcoming attendance.

Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s Secretary of War, immediately worried for their safety.

“He had for some months been aware that threats of assassination were being made by certain evil minded persons against the leaders of the Federal government and army. The presence of the President of the nation and the Lieutenant-General of the armies at any public function at such a critical hour was simply courting disaster.”

Lincoln reacted flippantly, chaffing Stanton “for his lack of faith in human nature.” The president of a democracy, he averred, had to show himself to the people, and some danger was an inescapable hazard of office.

“To be absolutely safe,” he told John Nicolay resignedly, “I should lock myself up in a box.”

Lincoln believed the sight of the “victorious president and general” together would be of great benefit to the public.

Grant searched for a gracious way to decline. The general soon received a note from his wife Julia, detailing her wish to leave for Burlington that day to see their children.

Grant politely declined to attend Ford’s Theatre, joking that he now had a command from Mrs. Grant. As he subsequently said, “I was glad to have the note, as I did not want to go to the theater.”

Lincoln, who was disappointed, understood. “Of course, General, you have been long from home, fighting in the field, and Mrs. Grant’s instincts should be considered before my request. I am very sorry, however, for the people would only be too glad to see you.”

Lincoln extended invitations to Stanton, Speaker of the House Schuler Colfax, and his son Robert Todd Lincoln, but all turned him down. Eventually Clara Harris and her fiancé, Major Henry Rathbone, agreed to accompany him.

At 10:13pm, while the Grants traveled east to change trains in Philadelphia, John Wilkes Booth slipped into the president’s box at the theater and pointed a derringer at the back of Lincoln’s head. He then “executed the gentle president with brutal efficiency.”

Image: Booth murdering the president at Ford’s Theatre. Lincoln’s Missing Bodyguard

In a small appointment book, Booth was eager to record his accomplishment for posterity.

Until today nothing was ever thought of sacrificing to our country’s wrongs. For six months we had worked to capture, but our cause being almost lost, something decisive and great must be done. But its failure was owing to others, who did not strike for their country with a heart.

I struck boldly, and not as the papers say. I walked with a firm step through a thousand of his friends, was stopped, but pushed on. A colonel was at his side. I shouted “Sic semper” before I fired.

Telegrams notified the general of the terrible news, and he was immediately summoned back to Washington.

Grant had seen untold horrors during his campaigns. But he would remember this day as among the saddest of his life.


Weeks later, as the assassination conspirators stood trial, Grant discovered that he was one of several targets of the Confederate sympathizers. The killers had hoped to decapitate the Union government in one bold strike, but they lost their golden opportunity to attack the now-famous general.

The night of Lincoln’s assassination, as Grant and his wife prepared to board their train, they had noticed a man on horseback who had galloped past them twice. Each time, the figure had “thrust his face” at the couple and glared at them.

Grant later learned the glowering horseman was John Wilkes Booth, who had been conferring on the sidewalk with his actor friend John Mathews when the Grant carriage sped by and he set off in pursuit of it. From the heaped-up baggage, he must have confirmed that the Grants were leaving town and would not be at Ford’s Theater.

“It seems I was to have been attacked,” Grant stated, “and Mrs. Grant’s sudden resolve to leave deranged the plan.”

Next Steps (Almost there!)

Confident Dragon Lays Out Modernization Roadmap

As Project Ukraine goes down the drain of history, Project Taiwan will go on overdrive. Forever Wars never die.

This is the Year of the Wooden Dragon, according to China’s classic wuxing (“five elements”) culture. The dragon, one of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, is a symbol of power, nobility and intelligence. Wood adds growth, development and prosperity.

Call it a summary of where China is heading in 2024.

The second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was finalized on Sunday in Beijing.

The wider world should know that within the framework of grassroots democracy with Chinese characteristics, an extremely complex – and fascinating – phenomenon, the importance of the CPPCC is paramount.

The CPPCC channels wide-ranging expectations of the average Chinese to the decision level, and actually advises the central government on a vast range of issues – from everyday living to high-quality development strategies.

This year, most of the discussion focused on how to drive China’s modernization even faster. This being China, concepts – like flowers – were blooming all around the spectrum, such as “new quality productive forces, “deepening reform,” “high-standard opening-up,” and a fabulous new one, “major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.”

As the Global Times emphasized,

“2024 is not only a critical year for achieving the goals of the ‘14th Five-Year Plan’ but also a key year for achieving the transition to high-quality development of the economy.”

Betting on strategic investment

So let’s start with Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s first “work report” delivered a week ago, which opened the annual session of the National People’s Congress. The key takeaway: Beijing will be pursuing the same economic targets as in 2023. That translates as 5% annual growth.

Of course deflationary risks, a downturn in the real estate market and somewhat shaky business confidence simply won’t vanish. Li was quite realistic, emphasizing Beijing is “keenly aware” of the challenges ahead:

“Achieving this year’s targets will not be easy.” And he added: “Global economic growth lacks steam and the regional hotspot issues keep erupting. This has made China’s external environment more complex, severe and uncertain.”

Beijing’s strategy remains focused on a

“proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy”. 

In a nutshell: the song remains the same. There won’t be a “stimulus” of any kind.

Deeper answers should be found in the work report/budget released by the National Development and Reform Commission: the focus will be on structural change, via extra funds to science, technology, education, national defense, agriculture.

Translation: China bets on strategic investment, the key for a high-quality economic transition.

In practice, Beijing will be heavily invested in modernizing industry and developing “new quality productive forces” such as new-energy vehicles, biomanufacturing and commercial space flight.

Science Minister Yin Hejun made it clear: there was an 8.1% increase in national investment in research and development in 2023.

He wants more – and he will get it: R&D spending will grow by 10% to a total of 370.8 billion yuan.

The mantra is “self-reliance”.

On all fronts – from chipmaking to AI. A no holds barred tech war is on – and China is totally focused to counter “tech containment” from the Hegemon as much as its ultimate goal is to wrest tech supremacy from its prime competitor. Beijing simply cannot allow itself to be vulnerable to U.S.-imposed tech choke points and supply chain disruptions.

So short-term economic problems will not be causing sleepless nights.

The Beijing leadership is always looking ahead – focusing on long-term challenges.

Learning lessons from the Donbass battlefield

Beijing will continue to steer the economic development of Hong Kong and Macau, and invest even more in the crucial Greater Bay Area, which is the premier southern China high tech, services and finance hub.

Taiwan of course was central to the work report; Beijing fiercely opposes “external interference” – code for Hegemon tactics. That will become even trickier in May, when William Lai Ching-te, who flirts with independence, becomes president.

On defense, there will be only a 7.2% increase in 2024, which is peanuts compared to the Hegemon’s defense budget now approaching $900 billion: China’s stands as $238 billion, even as China’s nominal GDP is approaching the U.S.

A great deal of China’s defense budget will go for emerging tech – considering the immensely valuables lessons the PLA is learning out of the Donbass battlefield, as well as the deep interactions part of the Russia-China strategic partnership.

And that brings us to diplomacy.

China will continue to be firmly positioned as a champion of the Global South. That was made explicit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress.

Wang Yi’s priorities:

to “maintain stable relations with major powers; join hands with its neighbouring countries for progress; and strive for revitalisation with the Global South”.

Wang Yi once again stressed that Beijing favors an “equal and orderly” multipolar world and “inclusive economic globalization”.

And of course he could not allow U.S. Secretary of State Little Blinken – always out of his depth – to get away with his latest “recipe”:

“It is impermissible that those with the bigger fist have the final say, and it is definitely unacceptable that certain countries must be at the table while others can only be on the menu.”

BRI as a global accelerator

Crucially, Wang Yi re-emphasized the drive for “high-quality” cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. He defined BRI as “an engine for the common development of all countries and an accelerator for the modernisation of the whole world”. Wang Yi actually said he’s hopeful about the emergence of a “Global South moment in global governance” – in which China and BRI play an essential part.

Li Qiang’s work report, incidentally, had only one paragraph on BRI. But then we find this nugget as Li refers to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor – which links China’s landlocked southwest with the eastern seaboard, via Guangxi province.

Translation: BRI will be focusing on opening new economic roads for China’s less developed regions, diversifying from the previous emphasis on Xinjiang.

Dr Wei Yuansong is a member of the CPPCC and also the Chinese Peasants’ and Workers’ Democratic Party – which happens to be one of the eight non-CCP parties in Chinese politics (very few outside of China know about this).

He offered some fascinating comments on BRI to Fengmian News and also stressed the need to “tell China’s story well” to avoid “conflict and incidents” along the BRI road.

For that, Wei suggests the need to use an “international language” in telling these stories; that implies using English.

As for what Wang Yi said in his press conference, in fact that was discussed in detail at the closed-door Central Conference on Foreign Affairs Work in late 2023, where it was established that China faced “strategic opportunities” to raise its “international influence, appeal and power” despite “high winds and choppy waters”.

The key takeaway: the narrative war between China and the Hegemon will be pitiless.

Beijing is confident it’s capable of offering stability, investment, connectivity and sound diplomacy to the whole Global South, instead of Forever Wars.

That is reflected, for instance, by Ma Xinmin, the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s legal advisor, telling the International Court of Justice that the Palestinians have the right to armed resistance when it comes to fighting the colonialist, racist, apartheid state of Israel. Therefore, Hamas cannot be defined as a terrorist organization.

This is the overwhelming position across the lands of Islam and across the majority of the Global South – linking Beijing with fellow BRICS member Brazil and President Lula, who compared the genocide in Gaza to the Nazi genocide in WWII.

How to resist collective West sanctions

The Two Sessions did reflect Beijing’s full understanding that Hegemon containment and destabilization tactics remain the biggest challenge to China’s peaceful rise. But simultaneously it reflected Chinese confidence on its global diplomatic clout as a force for peace, stability and economic development. It’s an extremely sensitive balance that only the Middle Kingdom seems capable of pulling off.

Then there’s the Trump factor.

Economist Ding Yifan, a former deputy director of the World Development Institute, part of the State Council’s Development Research Centre, is one among those who’s aware China is learning key lessons from Russia on how to resist collective West sanctions – which will be inevitable against China especially if Trump is back at the White House.

And that brings us to the absolute key issue being currently discussed in Moscow, within the Russia-China partnership, and soon among the BRICS: alternative settlement payments to the U.S. dollar, increasing trade among “friendly nations”, and controls on capital flight.

Nearly all Russia-China trade is now in yuan and rubles.

As much as Russian trade with the EU fell by 68% in 2023, trade with Asia rose by 5.6% – with new landmarks reached with China ($240 billion) and India ($65 billion) – and 84% of Russia’s total energy exports going to “friendly countries”.

The Two Sessions did not get into detail on some extremely thorny geopolitical issues. For instance, India’s version of multipolarity – considering New Delhi’s unresolved love affair with Washington – is quite different from China’s. Everyone knows – and no one more than the Russians – that within BRICS 10 the biggest strategic issue is how to accommodate the perpetual tension between India and China.

What’s clear even behind the fog of goodwill enveloping the Two Sessions is that Beijing is fully aware of how the Hegemon is – deliberately – already crossing a key Chinese red line, officially stationing “permanent troops” in Taiwan.

Since last year U.S. Special Forces have been training Taiwanese in operating Black Hornet nano microdrones. In 2024 U.S. military advisers are deployed full time at army bases on Kinmen and Penghu islands.

Those actually driving U.S. foreign policy behind the Crash Test Dummy at the White House believe that even as they are powerless to handle the Houthi Ansarallah in the Red Sea, they are capable of poking the Dragon.

No posturing will alter the Dragon’s roadmap.

The CPPCC’s political resolution on Taiwan calls for uniting “all patriotic forces”, “deepen integration and development in various fields across the Taiwan Straits”, and go all out on “peaceful reunification”.

That will translate in practice into increased economic/trade cooperation, more direct flights, more cargo ports and logistics bases.

As Project Ukraine goes down the drain of history, Project Taiwan will go on overdrive.

Forever Wars never die.

Bring it on.

The Dragon is ready.

White Women Are PISSED At White Men Dating Asian Women!

I’ve literally (and I actually mean literally here) won cash money on bets with friends about this and it is a method I’ve been using since I was a little kid. Works every single time; no exceptions.

I’m going to let you in on my secret to treat your hiccups in a few seconds every single time.

Let’s first understand what causes hiccups; only when we understand how a machine works can we fix it if it’s acting up. Your diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your chest. The diaphragm almost always works perfectly. When you inhale, it pulls down to help pull air into the lungs. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and air flows out of the lungs back out through the nose and mouth.

But sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated. When this happens, it pulls down in a jerky way, which makes you suck air into your throat suddenly. When the air rushing in hits your voice box, your vocal cords close suddenly and you’re left with a big hiccup.

Some things that irritate the diaphragm are eating too quickly or too much, an irritation in the stomach or the throat, or feeling nervous or excited. Almost all cases of the hiccups last only a few minutes. Some cases of the hiccups can last for days or even months, but this is very unusual and it’s usually a sign of another medical problem.

So now that we understand the cause of hiccups, it’s fairly evident that to treat them, all we need to do is soothe the diaphragm, reduce the irritation and bring it back to a normal operating state.

Fill a cup a little over half with water and hold the cup right side up. Stand and bend over, while placing your mouth on the opposite side of the cup so the opening is around your chin. Sip the water slowly, holding your breath as you do and breathing between sips. The combination of these forces your diaphragm to get back to its expected state of behavior.

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So the next time that cute girl you were trying to talk to has a bout of the hiccups, skip the cheesy lines telling her how “someone” is thinking of her and instead treat her hiccups with this method. I can assure you that will score you more brownie points that way.

There is a Russian joke.

At some point in life, a man who had previously been a great sinner has spiritually awakened and started to preach the word of God. He believed that he was inspired by the Lord Himself. So he dies, and meets St. Peter.
– Saint Peter, I need to see God.
– Why? You were an okay guy, we won’t send you to hell.
– No, I really need it. I need to ask Him one question.
St. Peter shrugs his shoulders and brings him in God’s Presence. The man asks:
– My Lord, tell me, did I understand my destiny well? Was it to carry Your word?
God is silent.
– Please tell me!
– Do you really want to know? – asks God.
– Yes, I long to know, I crave for this knowledge, I implore you!
– Okay, okay. Do you remember how you travelled by train from Samara to Syzran’? It was forty-seven years ago.
– Yes!
– Do you remember how you went to the dining car?
– Yes!
– Do you remember how your neighbour to the left asked you to pass the salt?
– Yes!
– This was your destiny. You were born to pass the salt to this person.

When I first heard this joke, I was shocked at the utter pessimism it expressed. Now, I see it in a different light. Yes, the guy was mistaken about God’s designs. But he was born just to pass the salt during a train voyage – and yet he managed to have a rich and fulfilling life. Good for him, isn’t it?

So if you really believe that God had such horrible designs on your life, why not try to see what you can do yourself?

Plumbing. Yeah. Good selection for a career.

Joe and the rabbits

When I was a young boy, perhaps 6 years old, we lived in a housing complex in Bridgeport, Connecticut. I used to play with the other kids in that complex. One of my boyhood friends was this kid named Joe.

His father was a scientist from Germany. And after world war II, he emigrated to the United States with his parents. They were a nice family, and the father and Joe could speak very good English, but his mother could not. But she was pretty nice.

Joe was named after the Americans allowed him to come into the USA. He was named “G.I.Joe”. I kid you not.

Anyways he had his father’s German soldiers helmet, and a German army issue gas mask that we both played with.

He was a lot of fun. Joe and I did many things together, and we ran about getting into all sorts of things. Good times for young boys. Ha ha.

Anyways, in his basement, his father had rows and rows of cages with bunny rabbits. yeah, his father was using them for experiments that he ran out of his house.

He fed them. He tended to them.

He injected them…

Now that I am older, and knowing about “Operation Paperclip”, I wonder just what kinds of experiments his father was doing to these rabbits. Makeup? Bio-weapons? Aspirin? I don’t know.

What I do know is that my father would periodically take me over to Joe’s house and I would get to pick up the rabbits from time to time. Both Joe and I were too young to notice anything wrong about the set up. But today… knowing what I do know… I wonder about it.

Many innocent things in my past… well are exposed to the understandings of experience when you get older.

Today…

Ukraine Dropped Explosive On Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility

Ukrainians dropped an explosive on the nuclear fuel storage facility at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia sent an urgent report to the IAEA.

Absolutely ZERO additional information is available at this time.

No word of any radiation leak . . .  no word about ANYTHING.  Just that it happened.

More if I get it.

This $7.3 Trillion Bombshell Threatens To SINK The Dollar

Transgender – The Inability To Distinguish Facts From Wishes

Matt Taibbi opines on the latest piece of transgender nonsense:

The Dumbest Cover Story EverRacket News, Mar 13 2024
New York Magazine’s “Freedom of Sex” is the ultimate example of the lunatic nihilism that’s consumed America’s intellectual class

New York Magazine has a new cover story, by the trans writer Andrea Long Chu: “The moral case for letting trans kids change their bodies.” A jeremiad in support of the idea that children must have absolute political agency, it makes the Unabomber manifesto read like a Shakespeare sonnet. The money passage:

We must be prepared to defend the idea that, in principle, everyone should have access to sex-changing medical care, regardless of age, gender identity, social environment, or psychiatric history.

A lot of the piece is standard-issue woe-is-me fuck-everything cartoon nihilism you’d hear from any laptop-class liberal arts product, arguing for a generalized smashing of the patriarchy, among other things by attacking the biological conspiracy to produce those units of material labor value known as babies. Complete abolition of norms would be an “impossible task,” Chu notes sadly, but that doesn’t preclude their “collective reimagining” by an alliance of intersectional victims working toward a Marxian paradise free of “oppressive systems,” which of course include the nuclear family.

The nihilism Taibbi points to is also the major theme the French anthropologist Emmanuel Todd takes on in his book “The Defeat of the West”.

From its New York Times review:

This Prophetic Academic Now Foresees the West’s Defeat (archived) – New York Times, Mar 9 2024

American leadership is failing: That is the argument of an eccentric new book that since January has stood near the top of France’s best-seller lists. It is called “La Défaite de l’Occident” (“The Defeat of the West”). Its author, Emmanuel Todd, is a celebrated historian and anthropologist who in 1976, in a book called “The Final Fall,” used infant-mortality statistics to predict that the Soviet Union was headed for collapse.

Mr. Todd is not a moralizer. But he insists that traditional cultures have a lot to fear from the West’s various progressive leanings and may resist allying themselves on foreign policy with those who espouse them. In a similar way, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s official atheism was a deal-breaker for many people who might otherwise have been well disposed toward Communism.

Mr. Todd does believe that certain of our values are “deeply negative.” He presents evidence that the West does not value the lives of its young. Infant mortality, the telltale metric that led him to predict the Soviet collapse half a century ago, is higher in Mr. Biden’s America (5.4 per thousand) than in Mr. Putin’s Russia — and three times higher than in the Japan of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.While Mr. Todd is, again, not judgmental on sexual matters, he is judgmental on intellectual ones. The inability to distinguish facts from wishes astounds him at every turn of the Ukraine war. The American hope early in the war that China might cooperate in a sanctions regime against Russia, thereby helping the United States refine a weapon that would one day be aimed at China itself, is, for Mr. Todd, a “delirium.”

Back in January Todd expanded on the inability of distinguishing facts from fiction, which is also the basis of trans-genderism, during an interview with Le Figaro. From its English translation:

Q: Over time, haven’t you become a bit of a reactionary?I was brought up by a grandmother who told me that, sexually speaking, all tastes are part of nature, and I’m faithful to my ancestors. So, LGB, welcome. For T, the trans issue is something else. The individuals concerned must of course be protected. But the fixation of the Western middle classes on this ultra-minority issue raises a sociological and historical question. To establish as a social horizon the idea that a man can really become a woman and a woman a man is to assert something that is biologically impossible, it is to deny the reality of the world, it is to assert the false.

Trans ideology is therefore, in my opinion, one of the flags of this nihilism that now defines the West, this drive to destroy not just things and people but reality. But, once again, I am in no way overwhelmed here by indignation or emotion. This ideology exists and I have to integrate it into a historical model. In the age of the metaverse, I can’t say whether my attachment to reality makes me a reactionary.

The intentional denial of reality, as it is currently practiced in the West, is not a new phenomenon. It is the basis of neo-conservatism from where it has crept over to the progressive side.

As Ron Susskind wrote in his portrait of the first years of the Bush junior presidency:

Faith, Certainty And The Presidency Of George W. Bush (archived) – Ron Susskind / New York Times, Oct 17 2004

The aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.” I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore.” He continued “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors … and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

Karl Rove, the Bush advisor Susskind had quoted, displayed the same lunatic nihilism that is represented by those who argue that children, teenagers or people generally should can freely chose their gender. It is an attempt of “creating other new realities”. It represents a total denial of actual reality and of the common values derived from it. The Bush administration failed in its endeavor to create new realities in Iraq. The current regime in the West will fail likewise with regime change in Russia. So will others who deny realities.

The author of the Todd book review, Christopher Caldwell, adds:

Fighting a war based on values requires good values. At a bare minimum it requires an agreement on the values being spread, and the United States is further from such agreement than it has ever been in its history — further, even, than it was on the eve of the Civil War. At times it seems there are no national principles, only partisan ones, with each side convinced that the other is trying not just to run the government but also to capture the state.

I see a very similar denial of reality, followed by nihilism and a lack of values, at the top of the current European leadership. The loss of the common view of things is splitting societies on both sides of the Atlantic.

However, with regards to transgenderism, some sense of reality is still trying to survive:

National Health Service England stops prescribing puberty blockers, citing ‘not enough evidence’USA Today. Mar 13 2024

“We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of (puberty suppressing hormones) to make the treatment routinely available at this time,” the publication by NHS England stated.

Puberty is a natural process which often includes a temporary confusion about ones identity. Blocking a kids puberty to further some ephemeral confusion some may have during those time is in my view criminal.

I even agree with Rishi Sunack on this:

U.K. prime minister on gender: ‘A man is a man and a woman is a woman’Washington Post, Oct 5 2023

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserted his stance on gender identity in a speech Wednesday, stating it was “common sense” that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman” — a remark that sparked criticism from transgender rights activists and elicited fervent applause from attendees of the Conservative Party Conference.

I see myself, just like Matt Taibbi seems to see himself, as a progressive striving for a society based on some form of socialism and justice.

To then find myself on the same side of an issue as some staunch conservatives, and getting attacked for it, is mildly disturbing.

Is it really impossible to be reality based and on the left side of things?

Posted by b on March 14, 2024 at 11:24 UTC | Permalink

Father gives instructions to his son

US Searching for Russian Sub – DelMarVa Peninsula

US Hunting Russian Sub DelMarVa Peninsula large
US Hunting Russian Sub DelMarVa Peninsula large

The United States is searching for what is believed to be a Russian nuclear submarine off the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia (DelMarVa) Peninsula and into Chesapeake Bay.

Sub-Hunter aircraft are deployed as shown on the FlightRadar image above.

This wasn’t something that I overheard, but my cousin did.

He was sitting on a train and overheard two girls talking, roughly in their early 20s. One of the girls had been asked to house-sit for a family friend who was away for 2 weeks and also look after their pet German Shepherd.

Things were going well for the first few days until she woke up one morning and the dog had died in its sleep.

This was in central London at the height of summer, and the girl didn’t own a car. The owners wouldn’t be back for about 8 days so she couldn’t just leave it in the house until then in case it started to rot. She read online that she should store it in a cool place, but there wasn’t anywhere suitable at their house as it was a very big dog. She also didn’t have many friends in the area and had no access to a car, so she had no idea what to do.

She googled where the nearest vet might be able to store the body until the owners returned, but it was two stops away on the tube. Even if a taxi agreed to transport a dead dog, she couldn’t afford to pay £20 for a London taxi, so she put the dog in a suitcase and took it on the tube.

A man offered to help her carry it down the stairs as she was struggling, and asked what on earth she had inside that made it so heavy (about 30kg). She was a photography student, so told him that she studied photography and had a lot of camera equipment inside. They chatted a bit about it and got on to the tube.

At the next stop, the man got off, but just as the doors were closing, he grabbed the suitcase and ran off towards the escalators as fast as he could. He was a petty criminal who thought he would cash in on the camera equipment. Before she knew what had happened, the doors had shut and she was on her way to the next station.

I’m not sure if they ever got it back, but there aren’t many greater images than the thought of this man returning home thinking he had hit the jackpot, only to open the bag and see a dead German Shepherd staring back at him.

Couples Therapy

I don’t know if I actually “annoyed” the scammer but. . . . I have two stories, several years apart. Story One: My phone rang one afternoon about three years ago. When I picked up the receiver (landline), a voice answered that sounded like my cousin. When I said, “Larry?” he replied, “Yeah, Grandma, it’s me.” Immediately I knew it was a scam since my husband and I never had kids, ergo, no grandkids. But, I decided to play along. He explained that he was somewhere—I forget where exactly—in the Bahamas, where he and some friends had gone to hear a rock concert, and he’d been in an accident with his rental car. I asked him if he took out insurance when he rented the car; he said yes, but the way they did things down there was, you paid for the damages out of pocket, and then the rental insurance reimbursed you. I asked him how much he needed and he replied $3000, money he’d need to pay for the car, his hotel bill and airfare to get home. “Oh, Larry,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I just paid my quarterly property taxes (actually true) and have no more money.” Pause. “Why don’t you just ask Mom and Dad for the money?” He explained that his folks had told him not to go, but he went anyway, and now they would be furious at him for disobeying. “Oh, sweetheart,” I said in my most sympathetic tone. “Yeah, they’ll be mad at you for a minute, but you know they love you. I’m sure they’ll help you.” Another pause. “Larry, you go explain things to them. I just know they’ll give you the money. And then, please, call me back and let me know what happened. Okay?” “Okay, Grandma, I will.” If I do say so myself, I was brilliant. Move over Meryl Streep.

Story Two: This happened at least a dozen years ago, before I understood just what scammers were about and how they worked. I got a call from a guy (with an Indian accent) who said his name was Jim from “Microsoft” and that they had detected a virus on my computer. Coincidentally, I really was having problems with my computer and trouble accessing my email. I listened to his spiel and decided to allow him to take control of my computer. He said it would cost me $100 to fix. I agreed and he or his IT dept. went to work on erasing the virus, but not very well. The following day I got another call from “Microsoft” and the same spiel. I told him that someone else had called the previous day and I had agreed to pay the $100 to fix my computer, but as yet the computer still wasn’t functioning properly. This new guy named George (also with an Indian accent) said that Jim didn’t know what he was talking about, that there would be no charge to fix my computer, but that if I wanted, I could agree to a 6-month for $99, a 1-year for $199 or a two-year service contract for $299, my choice. I told him I was confused, but he advised me not to deal with Jim ever again and that he, George, would really fix my computer, which took about 5 hours (I guess those guys worked on commission and they were having a fight over which one would get the credit for my computer work.) Well, it turned out that George actually did fix the problem—I wonder how THAT happened—and now he wanted to get my credit card number so he could charge me for my choice length service contract. I told him, honestly, I didn’t have a charge card available, but to send me a bill and I would send him a check for the amount. He reluctantly agreed, but I never did get the bill. In retrospect, I don’t know how or why my computer actually did work after that, and I never heard from that particular “Microsoft” bunch ever again.

U.S. Gov ADMITS They Are Readying “Kill Chain” Around China

4 years ago, she was in procurement and I was in sales. We worked in a trading company. (let’s call her ‘Jane’ here.)

Me: ‘Can you please share the price of the inquiry from X company?’

Jane: ‘OK, I will send you an email in 10 minutes.’

Me: ‘Cool, thanks!’

20 minutes later

Jane: ‘Sorry the price sent 10 minutes ago was wrong.’

Me: ‘Oh shit, we already quoted the client. Let me give him a call real quick. Please make sure to send the correct one this time.’

Jane: ‘Ok, sorry bout that.’

20 minutes later

Jane: ‘Hey…. I apologize. But the price was still not correct.’

Me: ‘……(sign) Alright, let me call the client real quick. Meanwhile can you please please prepare the correct price and send it out ASAP? ’

Jane: ‘I will. This time, it will be correct.’

Me: ‘Awesome, if my help is needed, you know where to find me.’

20 minutes later

Jane: ‘Hey……’

Me: ‘Hey…..’

Jane: ‘It’s about the price.’

Me: ‘Please don’t tell me, it’s wrong again.’

Jane: ‘……..’ (she nodded)

Me: ‘………..Alright, please go back to your seat first. We will talk later.’

I called a flash meeting with her manager and mine. Went through all the communication between Jane and the supplier. We found out that Jane chatted with the supplier via WhatsApp only without asking for email confirmation so of course price could change at any time. We gave her a chance to explain and she couldn’t.

A few months later, I heard Jane had resigned. Or should I say she was pressured as the company did not want to pay compensation? Whatever it was, her skills were not suitable for the position. It was best for her and company.

Bobcat story

  • The mere exposure effect: The more you see something, the more you like it. This is why advertisers repeat slogans and brands use familiar logos.
  • We tend to believe people notice our mistakes or imperfections more than they actually do.
  • The sunk cost fallacy: People are more likely to continue an endeavor the more they have already invested in it, even if it’s no longer worthwhile.
  • Social loafing: People exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.
  • The more witnesses to an emergency, the less likely any one person is to intervene. Everyone might be looking to see if someone else will take action first.
  • The confirmation bias: People tend to seek out information that confirms their existing beliefs and disregard information that contradicts them.
  • How information is presented can influence how people perceive it. Frame your speech nicely….organizing speech is as important as the speech itself.
  • The in-group favoritism: People favor members of their own group over outsiders.
  • The placebo effect: A belief that a treatment will work can actually produce positive effects. Some medicines are just flavored chewable but due the outer packing and doctor’s prescription, patient believe it as cure and thus see tangible results.
  • People are seen as more likeable after they make a minor mistake. They became humble and look for someone who doesn’t judge them on thier mistake.
  • The false consensus effect: People overestimate the extent to which others share their beliefs and attitudes.
  • The Dunning-Kruger effect: Unskilled people tend to overestimate their ability, while skilled people tend to underestimate theirs. You think you can be a chess grandmaster, but many a times a grandmaster thinks is not worthy of being one, although he is 100times better than you.
  • The cryptomnesia effect: Unconsciously plagiarism where you mistakenly believe something you created is something you heard or experienced before. Pathetic ! You thought you heard this story somewhere but in reality it was your own creative innovation.
  • People tend to attribute positive events to themselves and negative events to external factors.
  • People perform better when they are being cheered on or believe they are part of a team. Yes! you can do it. We are all there for you, Give it your 100%

Scampi

The cooked garlic-butter combination may be poured over French bread and served with shrimp as a side dish.

Scampi
Scampi

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds headless jumbo shrimp
  • 1 lemon, divided
  • 2 cups butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon finely-chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Thoroughly wash shrimp. Peel and place side by side in glass baking dish, making sure shrimp are not on top of each other.
  2. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over shrimp.
  3. Slice remaining 1/2 lemon into 6 finely sliced pieces and place in baking dish.
  4. Melt butter.
  5. Finely chop garlic and place in butter.
  6. Add salt and chopped parsley to butter and garlic mixture.
  7. Sprinkle pepper over shrimp, then pour butter and garlic mixture over this.
  8. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
  9. Serve with cooked pasta if desired.

There are so many wise Chinese idioms and proverbs

that it would take an entire series of books to cover them. I send blog posts from a Chinese language site to my students who have an interest in ancient Chinese wisdom. So I’ll share a few of my favorite and the actual meanings.

In addition, I’ll share the ebook that has 10 more Idioms

for people who are interested in the Chinese language as well as culture.

But for those of you who aren’t sure what an idiom is, Chinese idioms, called (Zhōng guó chéng yŭ 中国成语), are well-known sayings or proverbs alluding to famous Chinese stories and historical events. They are not only a key part of Chinese language learning but are also priceless in understanding Chinese culture. Chinese idioms are deeply rooted in legacies and traditional culture, making the Chinese language more rich and fascinating. Each Chinese idiom carries profound meaning too. Some of the meaning can’t be understood from the context alone, so I’ll try to expand on the origins and significance.

“鸡毛蒜皮 (jīmáosuànpí)” may have a literal meaning of “chicken feathers and garlic skin” but the meaning has a logical reason. It is used to express that something is not important, or is simply worthless.

The story goes that a long time ago, there were two neighbors: One who lived in the East sold chickens for a living and one who lived in the West sold garlic for a living. Both families had a rather hard life. The family that sold chickens got up early to pluck “鸡毛(jīmáo) chicken feathers”, and as a result, the entire floor was covered in chicken hair. The family who sold garlic also woke up early, but to peel garlic, and their entire floor was covered with “蒜皮(suànpí) garlic skin”. The two families had originally lived in harmony. However, they did have a source of conflict, the wind.

When the wind blew westward, from the East, the “鸡毛(jīmáo) chicken feathers” would be blown into the western neighbor’s yard, while when the wind blew eastward, from the West, “蒜皮(suànpí) garlic skin” would be blown into the eastern neighbor’s yard. The two neighbors often quarreled over such nuance. At one point, the conflict between the two neighbors escalated to the point where they both fought, and eventually went to court to settle the provocative matter. The Judge learned that they were arguing over such a small issue, and said: “Such a small provocation is not worth being settled in court. You have wasted my time, therefore you should be punished.” Some people said the judge was unfair, while others said the ruling was fitting, and that both claims seemed to make sense. Later, the story spread, and eventually “鸡毛蒜皮 (jīmáosuànpí)” became known as a phrase that denotes trivial, unremarkable things or very small things.

“对牛弹琴 (Duìniútánqín)” is used by Chinese people to describe someone who is explaining something complicated to a fool, or sometimes this idiom is used to describe a person who is trying to tell something to the wrong audience.

It literally means to play the harp to a cow…

During the Warring States Period, there was a musician named Gongming Yi, who played musical instruments very well. There were a great number of people fond of listening to him play, and who respected him greatly.

One day, Gongming Yi saw a cow when he was relaxing in the countryside. He thought, “Everybody compliments my music. Why don’t I play some music for this cow?”

He played a piece of elegant quaint music for the cow, but the cow just kept grazing the grass with its head down.

He played another piece of joyful music, but the cow still kept its head down to graze the grass and totally ignored him.

Gongming Yi showed off all his skills, but the cow still ignored him. He was disappointed and started to question his ability until a passerby said to him, “It’s not because your ability is inadequate. It is because the cow can not understand music at all.”

The moral of the two stories are useful but hard to understand from context but it helps to know the background information.

Self Belief

Fascinating question.

Having lived in China for several years, and being married to a Chinese wife, I think my first impulse is to say, “don’t expect to ever fully understand Chinese culture.”

Not because they are so hard to understand, but because that thing we call China is a huge place, with a long history, and it would be wrong to expect to ever fully grasp what it means to be Chinese, or do things the Chinese way.

All that hedging aside, I do think you could be pragmatic about it.

Presuming you are simply trying to get on in modern day China’s culture, I would give you the following list of tips:

  1. Know your place; in China, family always come first. Then come relatives and old friends. New friends are welcome, but won’t be prioritized.
  2. Food is China’s unofficial religion. You will be asked “have you eaten?” in the same way you will be asked “how are you doing?” in the anglosphere, and they mean it. Never downplay the importance of a meal. They dedicate an amazing amount of time, resources, and energy to making, eating, and procuring meals. If you’re French, you’ll understand.
  3. “Saving Face” is everything. There are a hundred ways in which the Chinese can acknowledge or humiliate you, and it all boils down to small details like who sits where, when do you get to speak, what sort of dishes are served… if you can read that code, you know your place with them.
  4. Negotiation; the Chinese will offer you a choice even when it is clear what you want. It’s one of the prime directives of China. The other person must always have a choice. That way, you may find yourself playing cat and mouse with other pedestrians many more times than you would in the western world, because one indication of intended direction just isn’t enough; no, you will have to swerve around fellow pedestrians in the last moment, because they will keep offering you options till the last second. Whenever I sit in a restaurant with my wife, she drives me crazy with the question “… or would you like THAT dish instead?” To which my retort tends to be, “no, goddammit! I want the thing I said I wanted the first time!”
  5. Final agreements are not final. How many times did we put a final signature under something, only to find ourselves reconvening over a lavish meal for a complete re-negotiation.
  6. Change your spokesperson, and you start from scratch. The Chinese build relations with a company or institution based on a personal, individual relationship. Take that person away, and you are back to zero.
  7. Wastefulness is a sign of idiocy. I have yet to see a respected Chinese person with a wasteful attitude. Economy and efficiency are the pillars of Chinese success, and those who are successful there will possess them.
  8. Nature is beautiful – but only few have a realistic understanding of nature. Instead, there is a highly domesticated image of nature in China, sporting talking, vegetarian cats, highly polished flower arrangements, and so on. The Chinese romanticize nature, but don’t understand it.
  9. Outlooks are strangely short term and long term at the same time. The business world expects fast turnarounds and quick growth, while politics and others allow for long time spans for things to develop.

On the whole, I like Chinese culture. When you are there, you feel a new mellowness, surrounded by abundance and the dynamics of an old culture that is mercifully pragmatic and philosophical.

Rory Gallagher-Bad Penny (Rockpalast 1982)

In 2011 I had an excruciating pain in the left side of my back. I called 911 and was taken to the ER where they diagnosed kidney stones, gave me a blood thinner and did a CT. The on call urologist came and said I had renal cell carcinoma and said to make an appointment to have the kidney removed asap. He said you have two kidneys and survive just fine on one. I did some research online and saw that Cleveland Clinic did an operation where they could remove half a kidney. I saw another Nephrologist in town first who confirmed the cancer diagnosis and the conceited little twerp said they can’t do the half kidney because the lesion was in the wrong place. I went to Cleveland anyway and made an appointment with the doctor who wrote the kidney textbook med students use. He did his own CT with dye and said, “Ya know this isn’t taking the dye like renal carcinoma would, let’s wait and do another CT in three months. If it is cancer it’s slow growing so it’s not a big risk.” I went back home to California and returned three months later for another scan. This time the lesion had actually reduced in size and the Cleveland doctor said the lesion was actually “a cyst that had burst” not cancer. Today, 11 years later, I have two good kidneys because I got the second opinion. Choose your second opinion from a place like Cleveland Clinic that does research if you can.

I just got fired. Now my former boss (the one who let me go) is asking me where some important documents are. How should I respond?

The word “toxic” gets thrown around far too often, I think. And yet, I can’t really think of any other word (except for possibly “hostile”) that describes where I used to work. The company no longer exists, having been acquired a couple times over, but I still am hesitant to name it because the industry is rather incestuous and the people are still around even if the company isn’t.

Nevertheless, perhaps this story can act as both a cautionary tale as well as a moment of schadenfreude.

After I had been with the company for about a little less than a year, they hired a new WorldWide VP of Sales who is about as close to pure evil as I ever experienced (and this is coming from someone who worked at Apple!). When he came in, he brought with him a series of sycophants who were as insane as he was malicious.

I was low enough in the food chain to have zero influence or power, but high enough that I was in an extremely vulnerable and visible position. As this VP began clearing house of the long-time veterans of the company, it was only a matter of time before he got to me.

For all the writing on the wall, I was still unprepared for when it happened. I naively believed that the work that I was doing was critical and that I was irreplaceable (at least at that moment). I had the sole responsibility of developing the documentation and training materials for a set of equipment that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – each.

For those that don’t know, much of the material that is sold by large corporations (Cisco, HPE, Lenovo, etc.) is not designed or built in-house. Often other companies make various components that fit into the equipment; in some cases they make all of the equipment and these larger companies simply rebrand the whole shebang. This was one of those cases.

My company had created an entire portfolio that was going to be rebranded by another multi-billion dollar conglomerate. This was the largest deal they had ever signed with this company, and it was a Big Deal™. Not only did the information had to be 100% accurate, but it had to be branded with the other company’s logos, document rules, etc. On top of it all, the material was highly technical.

It took eight months of 10–12 hour days to complete. The launch was set for November 9. I had non-stop travel booked through the following March to travel world-wide and train the other company’s sales force on the equipment, how it worked, and so on. I was the only one scheduled to do this. I figured there was no way they would let me go with so much on the line.

Little did I know.

Back to the evil VP. He was notorious for walking around the office at around 7 p.m. to see who was still there, or who had “left work early.” My cubicle was just outside of his office, so there was no way he would have been able to miss whether I was there or not.

As it happens, my job was to be a road warrior, so I wasn’t supposed to be there. In fact, if I was in the office, it meant that I wasn’t doing my job!

Remember when I said that he brought some insane people with him? Well, one of those idiots remains to this day as the worst example of corporate nepotism I’ve ever seen. The man was an ADD basket case on crack. He was brought in as a VP of Public Relations, and then added a VP of Marketing title when the WWVP of Sales fired the original guy. All of this, and he couldn’t spell to save his life (he once wrote that he was a “VP of Pubic Relations” on his email before realizing that he could save a signature to automatically insert it. No, I’m not making that up).

Anyway this idiot was incensed that I was “never” in the office. Despite the fact that it was my job to be a road warrior, he was livid. And, because he was a good little yes-man, he decided he would make up all kinds of stories that he “imagined” I was doing because I wasn’t in the office. As I said, my cubicle was right outside of the WWVP’s and so he would pass by an empty cubicle several times a day.

So, without me knowing, their plan was set in motion irrespective of the actual work that I was doing.

Remember that the official launch of this product portfolio was November 9? Well, after working for so long on developing the materials, working with the bigger company, and essentially exhausting myself, I decided to take a week’s vacation at the end of October in anticipation of the upcoming launch juggernaut.

I traveled back to England (where I had lived before getting this job) to visit friends and family. I told everyone where I was going, kept a paper-trail, even had a team dinner the night before with the Business Development Manager (“<BDM>”) responsible for the overall relationship and dollar figure with the big company and talked about my holiday plans. Everyone knew where I was going, when, and why. I thought it was all good.

Big mistake.

Halfway through my week in vacation, I got a phone call from my manager.

“J, sorry to bother you on your vacation,” he began. I could tell that something was wrong.

“No problem,” I said, knowing that there was definitely a problem.

“Did <the BDM> know that you were going on vacation this week?”

“Of course,” I said. “We had dinner the night before and I told him all about it, plus it has been in my weekly reports for the past month.”

“Okay, well, <the WWVP> asked <the BDM> where you were today and he said he didn’t know.”

My blood ran cold. I knew what this meant. I actually wondered if I needed to change my flights and return back to the States. I asked my manager (who I truly liked and respected) if I should do that. If he’d said yes, I’d do it.

“No,” he said. “You enjoy your vacation. You deserved it. We can sort this out when you get back.”

As you can imagine, I didn’t enjoy the rest of my holiday. Not one little bit, Sam I Am.

The following Monday I was back in the U.S., and back at work. My manager – who lived in Colorado – had flown into town and met with me. I was surprised to see him.

“Let’s go get some coffee,” he said.

“Okay,” I said. “But I have a standing meeting with <BDM>. I’ll -”

“Don’t worry about it,” my manager said. “He knows.”

I followed him out the hall, past the break room, down the stairs, through the lobby, and out the front door. All the while, he was asking me about my vacation, about visiting friends and family in the U.K., and so on. Small talk. Innocuous. Terrifying.

The local Starbucks was closed. The donut shop had run out of coffee. It was starting to look like a very strange Terry Gilliam storyline as we looked for a place to sit down and chat. Time was getting on, and so we somehow found ourselves inside of a grocery store that had an internal food counter. We got two coffees and sat in the only two chairs – green plastic patio furniture set up in front of the counter. It was surreal.

He looked around, fully aware that this wasn’t ideal. “Not exactly what I was hoping for,” he said. “I’m sorry about this.”

“Just… tell me,” I said.

He was incredibly apologetic. I actually started to feel bad for him. “<The BDM> threw you under the bus,” he said. “He claimed that he had no knowledge that you were going on vacation, that you hadn’t told anyone, and had just disappeared.”

Once again, I pointed to my weekly reports as well as the ten witnesses at the dinner the night before I left. He simply shook his head, sadly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “The WWVP wants you gone. They were going to fire you while you were in England, but I convinced them that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

We both knew what he meant. It was a recipe for a lawsuit, and the company was highly allergic to lawsuits. Especially of the employment kind.

He proceeded to lay it out for me. I could either go on a Professional Improvement Plan (PIP), or I could willingly take a not-so-generous “mutual separation” package. If I went with the plan and failed to “improve,” the package would be completely off the table.

“While I cannot legally suggest to you what to do,” he said, “I can tell you that they have made up their minds.”

I thought about the launch materials. “That’s going live in a week,” I said.

“I know.”

“What am I supposed to do with all that work?”

He swallowed and tried to keep his voice and face neutral. “They want you to destroy it.”

I was aghast. “They want me to what?!”

He slowly shook his head. He couldn’t believe it either. “<The BDM> doesn’t trust you,” he said. The words stung, but the level of projection was astounding. The BDM had shown himself to be untrustworthy repeatedly (not just in this regard), but knew how to play the political game much, much better than I.

“They don’t want me to give it to anyone else to take over?”

That’s when he said the most bizarre thing of all, and it was obvious that it pained him to say it out loud. “No,” he said. “It’s no one else’s job.”

“What about <a Technical Marketing Engineer on the team>?” I asked.

“That’s not his job.”

“What about all that training with the big customer?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“That’s not your problem any more, J,” he said.

The final piece of the floor fell out from underneath me. Not only was I being fired, but they were willing to sabotage multi-million dollar contracts to do it.

The paperwork was straightforward. I would receive a month’s salary in exchange for walking away. The termination papers were unequivocal – all company material, all of it, was to be completely destroyed and I was to keep no record of any of it. The penalties for holding on to “confidential company information” were severe. They may have been allergic to being sued, but they chomped at the bit to be the ones suing.

There was nothing I could do but comply. I deleted all of the materials I had worked so diligently on for the year, wiped the laptop clean, and returned everything that belonged to the company. Included were technical manuals, instructions, sales training (both technical and business), networking diagrams, demonstration videos, and lengthy email exchanges between me and the other company that detailed the milestones and directions that they wanted (which were extensive and involved). All gone.

Since then, people have asked me how it felt to have destroyed almost a year’s worth of work. The truth of the matter is that it actually felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. It had been incredibly stressful, and I knew that the upcoming months were going to be equally (if not more so) tense. While I had been on a deadline for the launch, there were going to be quotas to fill, sales cycles to adhere to, revenue projections to achieve, and so on.

As my manager said, “not my problem.”

Less than two months later in the beginning of the new year, I got a phone call from my (now former) manager. “J, I have a question for you, and I want you to answer with only a yes or no,” he said.

I had a feeling I knew where this was going. “Okay,” I said.

“Did you keep any of the training materials?”

“No,” I said truthfully. “I was told to destroy them, so I did.”

It was probably more than I should have said, but on the off chance they were forcing him to call me from a recorded line (the call waiting had the company name, not his personal number), I wanted to be clear as to what happened.

“Thank you,” he said flatly. “That’s all I needed.”

“However,” I said, “I’m willing to recreate the materials for a consulting fee.” I was half-joking, because I needed the money. I doubted they would consider it for even a second, though.

Keeping his voice even, he replied, “I’ll tell them that, but I don’t think they’re going to take you up on it.”

With that, he hung up. Indeed, they didn’t take me up on it, but then again I didn’t expect them to. After all, they had screwed themselves over before, why stop now?

I never expected to hear anything else. I was persona non grata at the company, evidently, but I had seen that when they had been letting people go month after month. Once people were gone, they were practically erased from collective memory.

I heard the rest of the story about two months later, and it was glorious.

I happened to have lunch one day with the Technical Marketing Engineer that I had proposed giving the launch materials to (but was declined). It turns out that the fallout was nothing short of spectacular.

It turns out that my former company had never bothered to communicate with the big customer that they had let me go. In turn, none of the dozens of training sessions were cancelled. The company had flown in sales and engineering staff for these multi-day training sessions only to find that my company was a no show.

No training meant no sales. No sales meant no revenue. No revenue meant quotas being unmet. No quotas meant penalties.

One of the stipulations of the contract was that if X amount of solutions were not sold by the end of the fiscal year (which ended for that company on January 31), my former company would be forced to pay $1.5M in “make good” penalties.

That’s why my ex-manager had called in the beginning of January – he knew that these deadlines were coming up. The week before the end of January, the <BDM> was feeling the pressure from the WWVP because he was getting nastygrams from the big customer about the no-shows and lack of training. That meant that the <BDM> had questions to answer.

“How could this have happened?” the <BDM> was shouting on the staff call. “How could we not have been prepared for this? We knew about this for over a year?”

“Are you kidding?” one of the engineers had responded. “You fired the guy who did it!”

Sadly, for me, there was not much joy to take from this other than a bit of petty schadenfreude. This was in the middle of the severe US recession and I wouldn’t find another position until the middle of the year.

The damage to the relationship was irreversible and possibly incalculable. The portfolio had cost hundreds of millions to develop, but I don’t believe the sales ever crossed over the million-dollar mark. It certainly didn’t recoup the substantial investment. The big customer company forced new rules to protect themselves (they had already been publicizing the launch date themselves, only to have to beg off their customers).

About a year after I got a new job, the entire technology division of that product portfolio got sold off to another company. The reputation of my former company in this technology was shot beyond repair. All in all, they took a bath of several hundred million dollars in the investment.

Is it all because they fired me? Oh, hell no.

It is, however, the butterfly effect of what can happen when ego, corporate policy, politics, and unmitigated insanity drives decisions without understanding the consequences.

Nevertheless, whatever you do, do not hold on to the materials when they tell you to destroy them. Not only could you find yourself on the business end of a legal hissy fit, but you may also rob yourself of some spectacular avenge-by-proxy scenarios.

A Chinese road

Any hope for China-Taiwan reconciliation? It all depends on USA

Let us look at the Ukraine war.

Putin told a former US journalist (if I remember correctly, his name is Carlson) that:

Before the Ukraine war started, Russia & Ukraine had signed a peace agreement & not went into war.

But … we all see the Ukraine war because … right away, former UK PM B Johnson went to Ukraine in person to push Ukraine to go into war (by provoking Russia).

We all know UK & USA are co-conspirators of the Ukraine war.

When China proposed Ukraine-Russia reconciliation. Again right away, US president Biden went in person to Ukraine to support the war … USA wants the war to continue.

Both USA & UK want the Ukraine war, so that they can make money & at the same time weaken Europe’s economy

Back to Taiwan.

It is not up to Taiwan to decide its future. It is USA.

USA will never let Taiwan-China reconciliation to happen.

1, Taiwan is a cash cow for USA to sell out-of-date weapons & a cash cow for US politicians to shout support so as to get an appearance fee. It is easy money. Dont even need acting skills. Just shouting empty support is enough.

2, Taiwan can be used as a tool by USA to irritate China. Like a mosquito or fly that bugs you.

See, USA+UK have successfully bugged Russia to use military.

USA+UK are the trouble makers in the world. Look at Latin America. Mideast, SCS, even Europe thru Ukraine.

Those corrupted Taiwanese politicians are happy to serve USA too. It is a 2 way corruption.

WoCuDaDeMa

I’ve been a partner at a CPA firm and a CFO and COO in for profit companies. I’ve hired and fired a LOT of people over the years.

One termination that stands out is when I was hired to turn around a high-tech manufacturing Company. During our review of expenses we discovered that one of our middle managers was using the Company’s shipping department to ship products for her ETSY business. It wasn’t a ton of money, about $10K per year, but people knew she was stealing so I decided fire her.

Over the years I’ve learned to write a script for myself and the HR manager. Our plan was to read our parts, hand her the termination documents, and then escort her out of the building.

As soon as we entered her office she knew she was getting fired. She was angry and belligerent during the entire process, yelling and shouting. At one point, she pointed to one of her drawers and said she had copies of everything and could prove that she had paid everything back. She said that multiple times.

I was pretty confident that she was lying so I would simply wait for her to stop and then continue on with the termination script. That really pissed her off. She wanted us to engage with her. So what should have taken 15 minutes took a terrible hour. The HR manager and I watched her pack her things in a box and then we escorted her out of the building.

After she was gone we both walked back to her office to check her drawer … and it was completely empty. She was full of shit to the end.

Having a conversation

The TV show is intense. Heart pounding music slows in the background for the conclusion. The camera, with soft focus filter, closes in on a tiny woman who has been charged with murder in the first degree. Her husband of thirty years was an abusive sonofabitch who beat her to within inches of her life. She’s still wearing a cast from his last attack. She’s frightened, mascara smeared, eyes wide.

The hard boiled, fry-em-all prosecutor softens his voice for the first time in fifteen episodes.

We’ve got you cold in a case of murder one Mrs. MacSuffers. But, it’s the holidays and I’m feeling generous. I’ll let you plead down to a case of aggravated jaywalking.

TV’s portrayal of plea bargains is always fun. On the flip side there’s the tatted-up gang member who’s been caught selling drugs in a kindergarten, but pleads out to a case of having a wildly inappropriate waistline on his saggy pants…

So what is it? Is plea bargaining a safety valve for the wrongfully charged, or an escape mechanism for the horrifically lucky?

Neither.

I understand that in some states plea bargaining works (sort of) like what we see in the movies. But, in the federal system it’s not like that at all. It’s more like being told you’ll be forced to eat a gallon of vomit with possible extra courses, or simply open up and eat a spoonful of live meal worms (while smiling).

In the feds there is no bargaining. The prosecutor tells your attorney what sentence they’re willing to offer in exchange for not having to go through the work of a trial. There’s no counter offer. Take it or leave it. Like a water monopoly, you must submit to their will.

There’s a reason monopolies are frowned upon…

Notice there’s no judge in this entire affair. Judges are irrelevant to plea bargains. All power in the court is handed to the prosecutor. If the accused takes the plea, it’s taken to the judge as a package deal. All the robe has to do is sign on the dotted line and another case is removed from the docket. Since the judge is usually a former prosecutor… it feels like the right move.

So… how to fix this system? You can’t. Plea bargaining is morally corrupt. You can’t negotiate with a guy that’s holding a gun to your head. Telling someone that if they use their constitutionally guaranteed rights, you’ll make it painful as all hell, is a violation of what the framers stood for.

But plea bargains are a necessary evil! Without them the system would grind to a halt!

‘xactly. 😉

First off, while the use of plea bargains goes back to the 1800’s, most places in the US didn’t consider plea bargains palatable until the 1960’s. Plea bargains became mechanized “justice.” We gave up our rights in exchange for… well… for putting more people behind bars.

This meat ain’t gonna grind itself!

So what happens if we ban plea bargains?

  • It becomes tedious for the system to take someone through the judicial process. Shouldn’t it be cumbersome to deprive a person of their liberty?
  • Prosecutors can no longer go after every single case that’s brought to them. They would have to pick and choose and make sure to go after the worst cases. I’m not at all opposed to a triage system.
  • Lots of lower level cases might be tossed out. These would be nonviolent, victimless, cases where the accused has no prior criminal history. If you think they’re getting off scot free, then you don’t have any experience with this system. Just an accusation is life altering.
  • Our prisons would shrink in number and size. The percentage of our GDP that we spend on warehousing human beings would drop to the level we see in other countries. Those funds could be put into worthwhile endeavors like education. The net effect being a lower crime rate over a long time line.

Plea bargaining isn’t the root cause of the evil that is our “justice” system, but it’s one of the largest cogs. I’m all for tossing a boot in to see how the mechanism crunches to a halt.

Free Owl

  1. If you are borrowing it for the third time, you need one of your own.
  2. If you’re the only one who shares the ride, sit in front.
  3. Don’t steal each other’s best karaoke songs.
  4. If you’re posting a picture on social media, make sure everyone looks fine in it.
  5. If someone has legally changed their name, don’t ask what their ‘real’ or original name was.
  6. Don’t ask a date how much money they make. If you do care, go to dating sites that verify people’s income.
  1. If you receive an invitation to a party, don’t bring along a date/friend/child/pet/whoever that wasn’t invited.
  2. Don’t touch people without permission, even if they’re pregnant or have cool hair.
  3. Don’t make plans with other friends in front of friends who aren’t invited.
  4. If you have two friends over, who don’t know each other, you don’t leave them alone.
  5. If someone is paying for your food, don’t order something expensive.
  6. When someone insults themselves, disagree.

It may have been possible if the United States or United Kingdom or other nations thad not committed too many atrocities across the world.

Take Serbia

Everyone remembers the 1999 bombings as if it was yesterday. Everyone remembers the role the US had in breaking up of Yugoslavia and knows if the US had wanted to, they could have done so peacefully

Vucic is pro europe and pro US but he knows he simply can’t be anti Russian or Chinese

In Serbia, China is a friend who builds railways and who suffered when their embassy was bombed in 1999

Russia is a greater friend and between 65% to 81% of the masses support Russia openly

Guess what?

MOST OF THEM HATE THE UNITED STATES

So no matter how much Blinken bleats about the risks of China and Russia

Serbians will say “Look. Even if they destroy all of us, we would rather trust them than trust you”

The closer EU comes to US, the more suspicious the Serbians become


Take India

In 2021, Modi was leaning to burn bridges with China completely or to the maximum

Yet when India needed the West for Vaccine materials, they flatly refused and imposed export restrictions on their surplus vaccines and materials

We didn’t forget

They demanded our chloro quinine tablets and we complied putting our Rheumatoid arthritis patients at risk for 6 months

They didn’t lift a little finger

Not to mention the farmers protests where they demanded we don’t impose protectionism and export wheat despite a shortage in India back then (Modi didn’t)

So we simply dont trust them an inch


Take African Nations

The Westerners have plundered, looted and enslaved them for generations and generations

How can Africa trust them at all?

Many Africans LOATHE the French or British

Many Africans LOATHE the United States

They have ruined Libya, Sudan and other nations by provoking Civil War and stealing resources

The Africans cannot ever trust them and regard China and Russia as what we call attractive parallel powers so that they can make Independent decisions and not have the West meddle in them

Best example was Niger

When they kicked out the French, Macron went with his tail between his legs because if he had pushed a war, more African nations would have gone closer to Russia and China


Take Vietnam

Vietnamese remember Agent Orange and it’s use on Civilians from 1968 to 1973

Hoàng Phan would have more details but they were terrible to the Vietnamese

You really expect Vietnamese to jump and trust the US because an Indian origin Nut case Vice President shakes her booty and gives a silly little laugh and says “Freedom and Democracy”

NOT A CHANCE

They want to do things Independently which means they will keep China close and do trade with China and if the US plays too many games, become closer to China and Russia


Take the Middle East

In 60 years, the Middle East remains a war zone because of the United States

The Arabs LOATHE THE US WITH A VISCERAL HATRED

I mean “Want to see your children choke on their blood and die screaming for mommy” type of hatred

Not the “I want your girl to break up with you” type of hatred

Iraq, Syria were both destroyed only because they chose to follow a path that the US didn’t like

Others complied because THEY WERE TOO SCARED OF THE US

As Russia and China grow in power and as the US grows weaker – the Arabs are slowly sharpening their knives and waiting

Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah are KICKING ASS against the vastly superior forces arrayed against them through a lovely mix of Strategy and Geopolitics


Take South America

The US claims South America is their sphere of influence

The US has blockaded Cuba

The US has sanctioned Venezuela

The US threatens Brazil from time to time

The South Americans HATE THE AMERICANS OR ENVY THEM OR BOTH depending on the situation

Mexicans go to Texas and California because they argue it was their country once


So as I have shown you, you have Europeans, Africans, Middle Easterners, Asians, South Americans who have no fondness for the Americans and downright hate their guts at times

They have no bone to pick with China or Russia

China and Russia keeps the world neutral and that these nations like

The Alternate is to allow these Evil Demons to allow their hegemony to continue as overlords

So whose the real Satan here huh???

Taquitos

These are the best taquitos! I like to serve them with guacamole and sour cream for dipping. They’re certainly not traditional taquitos, but they are delicious.

DSC01412 1400x2100
DSC01412 1400×2100

Ingredients

  • Pork, beef or chicken
  • 1 can Mexican beer
  • Garlic salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Cumin (comino), to taste
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 1 can or jar chile verde
  • Melted cheese for drizzling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except melted cheese to a slow cooker.
  2. Cook for 8 to 10 hours on LOW.
  3. Drain juice.
  4. Put filling on corn tortillas and roll up. Secure with a wooden pick.
  5. Fry until tortilla is crispy. Remove wooden pick to serve.
  6. Drizzle with melted cheese, if desired.

Damn

They don’t realy want control of Taiwan, they don’t want the USA to have control of Taiwan, that is the red line, that can never be crossed, China is quite happy with the status quo. They have said that often enough. As far as markets stop? Are you dreaming? China is Taiwans biggest trading partner. If Taiwan was governed by the mainland their trade would almost double, AND Taiwan would be far FAR richer, because they wouldn’t need to buy a single out of date weapon from the U.S., they would save BILLIONS. That much is obvious. Also there would be no need for Taiwan to have its own military, that would be another huge saving. Just that the poor DPP would be no more, that’s why they are so set against it.

When I was a boy, I had real problems with certain foods. I couldn’t have butter on anything or drink milk straight (milk on cereal or chocolate milk was fine).

Over when I wad left with a bunch of kids at a get-together, lunch was served and included butter on everything, and everyone was expected to drink their milk. (This had happened before and I knew to stay quiet, not really eat anything, not make a big deal, get something later, etc.) One of the supervising women noticed, however, and felt the need to make an example of me and insisted that I eat everything up right in front of everyone. I told them that if they forced me to eat it I would get sick and it would be their fault.

Boy! did that lady get pissed when I said that! You know what happened next! She forced me to eat that food and I got sick all over the table with all the food on it and, boy, did the stuff hit the fan. My mom arrived just as the lady opened up on me. Mom looked puzzled as I had handled situations like this before with no problems. Mom announced who she was, told the lady (not unkindly) to quit yelling at me, and asked, “What is the problem?”

The lady threw me under the bus and said how outrageous it was for ”a child” to dictate what he/she would eat and look what I had done! My mom paused a minute and said very slowly, “I can’t believe my son wouldn’t have told you he would get sick if he ate these things and he should have, and I am sorry . . . . . .” and then all the kids started shouting, “He did tell them, he did!” (I did have some loyal friends.) My mom looked up and said, “WHAT?” “He told you?” “and you still made him eat it?!” The lady says, “Well, well. . .it’s not up to him to tell us. . . .” Mom’s face got red. “You are an idiot and should never be left around children! If you or anyone EVER IGNORES something my child says, there will be hell to pay! Do you understand me?! This is all your fault, and yet you blame a child! How despicable!” Mom tore into her for a few more minutes, and then looked down at me, and I will never forget, she looked right into my eyes and said, “It wasn’t your fault, Spencer. They should have listened — it was their fault, they can clean It up — we’re leaving!” She grabbed my hand, and we held our heads high as we walked gracefully to the car.

I know that I was not all in the right on this one — it’s hard for me to judge — but tas an example of a mom sticking up for her child, that day shone brightly. That kind of thing stays with you forever.

Years of prep

I have been avoiding answering this question for a long time due to the fear that people might exploit the option and the UK might put a ban of sorts in place in the future. *kidding

But I guess it’s time to let the secret out. Brexit is already through!

So, back in 2016 when I was travelling to Indiana for my internship I had a layover of 23 hours in Heathrow. Don’t ask me how but just know that “Indian dads have a mind of their own and never let them book tickets for you” lesson learnt the hard way.

Like everyone else I was going through Google and Quora reading up on what to do in the airport or can you get out without visa or what kind of visa is needed. Most of the content just beats around the bush and doesn’t provide any valuable information to come to a conclusion. The proper way would be to get a visa but let’s be honest, who likes to spend that much money for just a day? While surfing through the internet one line struck my mind and stayed: “it depends on the immigration officer.”

When I landed in Heathrow, all I was hoping for is to ask and who knows what will happen. After filling out the immigration card and contemplating for 15 minutes I finally made my way to the immigration line. My heart was racing with excitement and fear at the same time. I get pulled over often maybe it’s my beard or the sheepish looks.

Immigration office -Imo

Myself – me

After initial hi and how you doing, I hand over my passport

Me- I don’t have a visa and was wondering if I could go out to spend my layover outside

Imo- I don’t understand

Me- I have 23 hours of layover and wanted to see if it’s possible for me to go out and visit few places.

Imo- looks at the cop standing near by and he walks up to the counter

Cop: where you coming from ?

Me- India

Cop: where are you going ?

Me- to Indiana via Chicago

Cop: show me your onward journey tickets

Me- *hands over the ticket

Cop: what’s your purpose of visit?

Me- I’m going for an internship/training with a golf club in Indiana.

Cop: you play golf

Me- a little bit but I’m more related on the management aspect

Cop: who is your favourite player

Me- Tiger woods

Cop&Imo- no way! He is my favourite player too.

Cop: what will you do if you go out?

Me- I’m an horticulturist and would like to visit the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew?

Cop: oh Nice and shakes his head at the imo and cop says have a nice day

Imo- stamps my passport and says I have visa for 2 days and make sure that I’m back for my flight.

Me- thank you so much and was showing all my 28 teeth at him.

I went out visited Kew Gardens, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Thames Bridge and few other places. It was one of the best days and even though I was tired I had to use the opportunity to its fullest.

I strongly recommend that people not approach immigration officer if your layover is less than 10 hours.

A fruit of feminism

As a teenager, I worked as a busboy at a Mexican restaurant for $4 an hour. It wasn’t much, but it covered my gas money and car maintenance (my parents wouldn’t pay for those things, nor should they). The general manager loved my impeccable work ethic and my honesty!

But one day, a new assistant general manager appeared, an intimidating red-headed woman who seemed perpetually angry. One Saturday, I worked from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. as scheduled. I was about to leave when the new assistant manager told me to stay until midnight (to cover for another busboy who didn’t show up). I had other plans. This was incredibly late notice! Most people would have just walked out. But instead of complaining, I dutifully worked the entire 14-hour shift.

I got really hungry, and very tired, because she wouldn’t allow me to take a 15-minute break. I was too young to know that breaks were mandated by law. I wasn’t allowed to even take one minute off during that 14-hour span. As a taller than average teenage boy with a huge appetite, I became extremely hungry by 10:00 p.m. after no food for 12 hours. I was cleaning up the happy hour all-you-can-eat buffet when I spotted two burnt potato skins leftover. Nobody had eaten them because they were essentially inedible. They were about to be thrown in the trash. So I ate them.

The red-headed assistant manager called me into her office and yelled, “You stole company food!” I replied calmly, “But it was being thrown away, and you didn’t give me a lunch break nor a dinner break.” She didn’t know I was one of their best workers. She simply said, “You’re officially terminated.” She never even gave me a chance. And I’ve never forgotten that moment. It reaffirmed why I was going to college the following year on a full ride for mathematics and another full ride for violin. That college degree would allow me to have a career in an intellectual field where I’d be respected, rather than doing physical labor for the rest of my life with a boss who treats employees like servants.

My final reply to her was this. “The general manager will not be happy.” And indeed, he was furious the next day when he heard I had been fired. So he promptly fired the assistant who had fired me. A few years later, I earned my master’s degree in mathematics and never had to bus tables again!

This is great.

Comic Trial Three

I had a cardiologist tell me. repeatedly, that I had panic attacks. He said I didn’t have angina. He sent me for a stress test, which I could not do from “imaginary” chest pain. I insisted on a angiogram. He mocked me and scoffed. I was desperate at this point and kept insisting. He angrily ordered one and told me it was a waste of time and what I really needed was a psychiatrist.

I showed up for my 7 AM Friday appointment at Broward General. I don’t know what he had written or told them, but I sat there for the entire day. Finally, about 5 PM, I went in. (I actually have no memory of anything after flicking a cigarette away at 7, when I arrived.) I woke up Monday in terrible pain. I had no idea what had happened. My wife told me that after just a few minutes, the doctor had come out and said they could not complete the angiogram because of severely clogged arteries, (including the one that causes the “widowmaker”. They put me in cardiac ICU and kept me heavily sedated until Monday, when they could operate. I had a triple bypass. The cardiologist told me I was very lucky to be alive.

Oh, and that cigarette I flicked away was my last one. I can take a hint. (That was Jan 2011.)

Ugh!!!!!!

Men need “nothing time”.

Year: 1905

Location: San Francisco

It was winter. Frank Epperson was thirsty.

He decided to make himself a drink. He took a flavored sugar mix, put it in a cup, stirred it with a brown stirring stick.

After playing outside, he forgot he’d left his drink on the front lawn.

He then went inside and went to bed. When he came back out the following morning, he saw his cup sitting there with frozen liquid.

Picking it up, he pulled the stick out, the frozen sugar water was attached to it. In true kid fashion, without worrying if it was dirty, Frank ate the frozen liquid—and loved it.

He realized he was on to something.

And so he started putting more cups out, with the wooden sticks in them and began selling what he called the Epsicle. His entrepreneurial take on the lemonade stand.

Sales started in his neighborhood and then expanded outward.

Eventually, he renamed the product to Popsicle.

And thus, a new popular trend was born.

An accidental invention.

Unconscious

About two decades ago, a woman I know lost her father.

A day or two later, she found out her husband was sentenced to prison.

A couple of days later, her daughter-in-law decided to get a divorce.

Those few days COMPLETELY turned this woman’s life around.

The next day, a Monday, she went to work as normal, didn’t tell her colleagues a thing, put on a brave face.

When she came home, her husband wasn’t around as he was in prison.

She went about her usual business as if nothing had happened – cooking food and stuff.

She had a chat with her kids, including the eldest going through his divorce, told them all would be fine, lifted their spirits.

The following day, she went back to work.

She opened up about her experience to me and someone else a few weeks ago – I mean, everyone in my social circle knew about the events – but she had never discussed how she experienced it – how she coped, her motivation, which was to protect her kids.

I only then really realised why her kids, all of whom I have known since I was a child, have done so incredibly well – they had grown up with this woman as their leader.

No complaints, no self-pity, selfless. Being the example she wanted her kids to be.

This is the best example I have seen of leadership.

And, frankly, the type only a woman is capable of.

Patara’s Response to State of Union Address

That was not a state of the union address. It was a declaration of war on the American people.

The French aristocracy pre-Revolution weren’t the careless, luxurious bastards lording over everyone cruelly as they are made out to be. This is demonstrated most perfectly by the fact that many of the most prominent revolutionaries were, themselves, noblemen.

In the same vein, Louis XVI wasn’t overthrown because he was a tyrant, he was overthrown because he was NOT a tyrant. If anything him being friendly, indecisive and soft-willed moreso than his war-minded predecessors Louis XV and Louis XIV, made him into a target. The Kings before him stayed reasonably popular. By going to war a lot and spending obscene amounts of money that would ultimately lead to the Kingdom’s downfall, these rulers were generally rather respected by much of the population. Much like with the last Tsar of Russia, the King who ended up losing his head to the guillotine was a pretty chill, open-minded fellow open to reforms.

There’s this stereotype of these lavishly spoiled big spenders in powdered wigs, Marie-Antoinette telling the hungry should just “go eat cake”, completely removed from reality… and truthfully, this is bullshit. A ton of noblemen were social reformers, generous to the poor, conscientious and cared deeply for the common man. The revolutionaries who took over, quite a few of them were blue-blooded themselves. And were far worse than the elites they ended up killing.

Captain Kirk Meets Gary Seven

Oh, definitely. I think my old manager, David Filo fits that to a tee. He often sat around barefoot while coding; and when he was wearing shoes, they were ten-year-old sneakers, starting to show holes in them.

He drove an old Datsun for the longest time, full of random crap. Old software manuals, books, pizza boxes. When a bomb scare was called in at work, one day, the bomb squad searched the campus; they eventually called a mostly-all-clear; they’d only found one suspicious object, and cordoned it off. It was my boss’s car, dilapidated and so full of junk as to be suspiciously possible as to be harboring a bomb. (It wasn’t; as the founder of the company, he would never have done anything to harm it like that). (I think Rolling Stone gave a very apt description of his car, many years ago: “a battered Datsun filled from top to bottom with junk, including enough lumber to build several sets of bookshelves. (“If we were living in the 16th century, David would be a monk,” says Yang of his partner’s asceticism.) He bought the car while in high school in Lake Charles, LA. As a student at Tulane University, he totaled it, bought it back from the insurance company for $300 and then had it rebuilt at a local prison, where the inmates were studying auto repair.” — from Yahoo!)

I’ve written elsewhere about his reaction to hearing about a really good lease deal a fellow co-worker had gotten on an electric vehicle: Matthew Petach’s answer to How do billionaires see $100K or $1M? Do they still consider it a lot of money? That story is the epitome of how he approached the world; as laid back and low key as you could imagine.

And yet, he was worth about $5 billion at the time. Depending on the market shifts, he might gain or lose half a billion dollars from one day to the next. It made no difference to him; he was the same focused engineer, working hard to make sure everything was running smoothly.

He did eventually get a new car, but only after the board of directors insisted, because the insurance company would no longer provide insurance for them until he drove something considered less risky.

As a multi-billionaire, he definitely qualifies as filthy rich; and yet I’ve never seen him act that way, not even once. A truly class act, all around.

1 am at Tokyo’s Super Mysterious Adult zone

It Started: America on BILL STRIKE | 75M Stop Paying

There are three possible interpretations of the “end” of the Roman Empire in the West, and all are equally correct, depending on one’s point of view.

The most common one you read is that it ended on 4 September AD 476, when the German magister militum Odoacer overthrew Romulus Augustus, who was the Emperor ruling in Ravenna (the Western capital of the time, not Rome), and took control himself. He sent a letter back to Emperor Zeno in Constantinople, stating that the Empire needed only one Emperor, and sent back the western imperial regalia. Zeno accepted this (although he continued to recognize another man as Emperor; read on) and granted him patrician rank. Odoacer declared himself “King of Italy” and ruled for the next 17 years.

Another interpretation is based on the historical fact that Romulus Augustus was both a usurper and a puppet emperor set up by his father, the barbarian general Orestes, in 475, and was never recognized by Zeno as the legitimate Emperor. The actual Emperor, Julius Nepos, fled from Ravenna and set up court in Dalmatia, where he reigned, still recognized by Zeno, until 9 May 480, when he was assassinated by political enemies. Before this, Odoacer actually struck coins in Roman mints recognizing him as Emperor, accepting him as titular Emperor in the West as long as Nepos didn’t attempt to actually retake Italy. Odoacer occupied Dalmatia himself about a year later.

A third possibility lies in the fact that even after 9 May 480, there was a part of the old Western Empire that still gave allegiance directly to the Emperor. This was a substantial part of northern Gaul (France) under the control of a Roman general named Syagrius. Historians call it the “Kingdom of Soissons,” after the city that Syagrius governed from. He controlled this land from 464 to 486:

Syagrius’ problem was that he had an ally in a Frankish king, Childeric, who supported him in conflicts and had no desire to annex the area. But he died in 481 and was succeeded by his ambitious son Chlodovech, who is known to history as Clovis. Sometime in 486, we are not sure of the date, Chlodovech attacked Syagrius and defeated him in a battle near Soissons. He annexed the region to the growing Frankish Kingdom. And with that ended the final vestige of the Roman Empire in the West.

Stressful Travel To Mainland China

I walked into a convenience store in Venice, CA and ran into a cute girl with an English accent. She says to me, “Excuse me, but were you in Vegas last weekend?”

I thought for a second and realized I had gone to a friend’s bachelor party the previous weekend. “Yes,” I said, “do I know you?”

She says, “I have a photo of us.”

She then pulls her digital camera out of her bag and proceeds to show me several pictures of her and me dancing quite inappropriately at the club in Hard Rock Hotel.

I ask her if she lives in Vegas or Los Angeles. She lives in England and is just visiting the states on holiday. Somehow, I managed to dance with this girl all night in Vegas and then run into her 300 miles away in Venice five days later.

10 Harshest Truths About Women That Men Learn Too Late

Just reading through the other answers, there is a LOT of anti-China sentiment and justified by the “Chinese have so many spies here blah blah blah Influence the Government blah blah blah etc etc” Well it’s the same here in New Zealand and so far there hasn’t been one shred of evidence to back up these claims of spying and espionage and influence. This includes the Huawei 5G backdoor thing. No evidence at all.

As an example here. A well known University Professor who wrote a book about the above subject has claimed to have had her house broken into a number of times (by Chinese spies), her car tampered with (by Chinese spies) to try to kill her. The media is outraged and other University Professors are signing protests to China letters to our Government, but it’s all fake and made up. She is either delusional or trying to sell more books. The police have investigated and come up with no evidence at all. But does that matter? Not one bit. Are the Police going to out her? Of course not, that’s not PC to shame a mad woman. The public is still rabidly anti China because the fake story that paints a villain is way more appealing than actual facts. And yes that’s my fault too, because what makes news is clicks and I click on Trump stories and help to make his bullshit get to the top of the front page.

So in answer to your question, in some ways we are trying to please USA – per the 5 eyes thing and US paranoid spy agencies sending the info/alarmism/ anti China rhetoric our way. In some ways we are just jumping on the same nationalist bandwagon that most developed western democracies seem to be jumping on. In other ways we see our house prices going up and like to blame the Chinese rather than our own shortsightedness in failing to build enough homes the last couple of decades. Finally, same as Australia, our mad political system gives a big voice to a small and xenophobic party.

Cats can take it all away

I think system to system comparisons are meaningless when comparing the PRC’s military to the US. F-22 vs J-20 type comparisons make no sense when those fighters have very specific roles to play in the very different air combat philosophies of the USAF and PLAAF. If I was to hazard a guess I would say the F-22 would be fulfilling it’s designed role as an air superiority fighter while the J-20 would be deployed to use it’s stealth to destroy US surveillance, EW and AWACs platforms in contested airspace, a much more niche role.

Both of these platforms would be considered great if they meet the mission they were designed for rather than who wins some hypothetical air to air engagement.

So this answer is going to avoid most of these platform comparisons and try to take a higher level look at how the military postures of both countries compare within the context of technology, doctrines, military industries and objectives.


Joint Operations

The US excels in these. Recall that back in WW2, the French had better tanks and aircraft than the Germans but still lost their short war with Germany because their officer corp just didn’t know how to put them all together to conduct effective military operations.

The US has a effective Joint Chiefs of Staff committee to ensure the armed elements of the US military play nice with each other and can execute integrated battle plans effectively.

The Chinese are new to this. They realized how far ahead the US was in this field when they witnesses the US military’s capabilities in 1991 in the first Gulf war as well as the frustration of the 1996 US carrier pass.

At the moment, one thing the Chinese military is planning for is that rather than try to catch up to the US in terms of integrated systems and operations which would take a loooong time to do (they also don’t have the rich combat history and experience of the US military), what they can do is engage in something called ‘System Destruction’.

That is, the Chinese military should focus on degrading and pulling apart the overall US military system.

So if the US military has a Recon Strike Complex, the Chinese focus on taking away their recon ability. This has been demonstrated by their endeavors to develop ASAT capabilities and soft kill capabilities with lasers and EW. Alongside developing small satellites that can be launched into space and maneuvered close to American satellites to destroy them.

Similarly, the US is built heavily around the idea of Airpower dominance over it’s foes and the Chinese Strategic Support Force (the ex-Rocket Force) is specifically designed to nullify this advantage by training and equipping to use ballistic missiles to take out air bases from which the bulk of USAF activity will be based.

However, the conclusion here is that the US is still pretty ahead in terms of Joint Operations and while the PRC military is building up the capability to disrupt them, in order to take advantage of these disruptions, they need to up the scale and pace of their own Joint Operations capability.


The Ballistic Missile threat

The PRC ballistic missile force’s primary goal is to make US bases unusable. The short range missiles are aimed at the US bases in Okinawa while the more medium range missiles are designed to disrupt operations from bases in Japan.

And the DF-26 is designed to make even operations from bases like Guam risky if not maybe as disrupted as the other bases.

The PRC ballistic missile threat is in part inspired by the US military’s failure to effectively hunt and destroy SCUDs in Iraq during the first Gulf War. Which leads the PRC to believe that if they have mobile, solid fueled missile systems, they would not be as prone to destruction from US military forces and pose a considerable threat for the duration of any war with the US. These kinds of missiles are hard to hunt, can quickly break from cover, set up and fire before the enemy can fire back at them.

With a mobile missile system like the SCUD, you have a 15 minute window to detect and destroy it once it breaks from cover. This is currently not within the capability of the US military.


The Drone Threat

The Chinese don’t have as much loitering munition drones as the US so they definitely do lag here. They have gotten the Israeli Harpy drone, which costs less than half a million bucks but has a longer range than the F-35. These drones can be sent out by the Chinese to search for threats, locate and scan airfields in prep work for artillery and missile bombardment. IF they can make it into a defended air space.

This is completely out of date. -MM

Space

The ability of space based platforms to provide you imaging (visual or infrared) across the planet + put SAR radars on small satellites means that your ability to locate and track objects from space for a military purpose is growing rapidly. This is the kind of ability the Chinese are building up in space.

Now you still cant track aircraft but for fixed targets or large naval targets like a carrier, in conjunction with autonomous terrestrial systems you have a much better capability to locate and target naval assets. So you could use space based assets to locate naval surface targets and use them to maneuver autonomous systems like the Israeli Harop drone munition into the area where a carrier might be. And then the Harop’s own sensors take over and actively hunt in the area. (Again, assuming it can make it through contested space).

In the near future, we might have 10–15,000 satellites doing this in space and you could of course blow the whole orbit up and deny this capability to both the US and China but short of that, what the two countries are positioning themselves for is not just having these assets in space but being able to replace them once an adversary has destroyed them.

The problem with the US side is that they have a good ability to replace military satellites but in space, both civil and military capabilities operate in conjunction. So if the Chinese switch from targeting military to civil satellites, the US doesn’t have rapid replacement in place for them. And these are satellites that operate critical infrastructure like bank transactions etc.

At the moment the Chinese have quantity while the US has quality when it comes to space based assets but the US has the added advantage of commercial space launch capability as well with technologies ranging from 3D printed rockets etc. that China doesn’t have to the same scale.


Naval comparisons

The PLAN is now the largest navy in the world and while on general, the USN has better quality ships, the new PLAN destroyers like the Type 55 are fairly at par with the USN equivalent ships. Same with the stealth fighters, the question is how quickly they can approach the USN in terms of significant scale of deployment in the active military.

Underwater warfare, the USN has a clear lead and the PLAN is not close at all to bridging that gap. The PLAN is responding by seeding a huge network of sensors in the South China sea to weed out USN submarines so the USN would probably have to respond with unmanned autonomous subs in the area, turning the underwater war largely into an unmanned one.

Carrier warfare, the US has a lead as well but this lead is somewhat meaningless if we talk about a war near China. If anyone thinks the USN is going to send their carriers into the range of Chinese MRBMs and H-6 Bombers carrying extended range cruise missiles, I would highly suggest alternative thinking here. The PRC has specifically developed this extended range weapons to force the USN carriers back and nullify their advantages at close range to the Chinese seaboard.

This is based around the Chinese doctrine of ‘Counter Intervention’ which is specifically designed to force US assets like Carriers away from the Chinese shoreline.

So this creates an interesting situation where the Chinese have forced the carriers out of the first Island Chain so it’s mostly USN subs and surface vessels that would operate in the contest areas closer to the Chinese seaboard. Where the Chinese are catching up in surface vessels. For underwater, if the USN is willing to risk full subs in sensor rich environments, that’s up to them but I think they might pull even the USN subs out of the south China sea at least and be forced to replace them with autonomous underwater subs to fight against Chinese autonomous underwater subs.


Production

At the October Plenum of 2020, the PRC moved up the date for military modernization by saying they wanted a modern Chinese military by 2027.

This has accelerated their military production targets and they are currently ahead of the US in:

  1. Ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in both numbers and quality (the ballistic missiles lead might not mean much since the US doesn’t really utilize them in a battlefield context).
  2. They have a much more massive ship building program ongoing compared to the USN.
  3. They are ahead in Air defense systems while making good use of old ones.

The Chinese are also pushing ahead with a concept called ‘Civil-Military Fusion’ which is designed to integrate their civilian technology base with their military tech base (Sorta similar to how the US has it set up as well). Which is important because it means it won’t just be government led efforts that lead to tech advances only, but that Chinese private firms will sometimes even take the lead in military advances in AI, computing, autonomous systems, biotech, information tech, advanced material manufacturing, 5G and in the future 6G.

There is an issue however that the Chinese government, in an attempt to assert control and monitoring over the civil tech space, is pushing a bureaucratic layer on top of it which is expected to slow down the pace of Chinese technology than before. To compensate for this, the CPC will also push additional funding to the civilian tech space engaged in military tech development. So there’s a careful balancing act that needs to be done there. Also, the US is also vulnerable to this: Anyone familiar with the Pentagon’s bureaucratic policies would be familiar with how it introduces massive delays and cost overspends.

The Chinese have struggled with Aircraft engines and currently a lot of their aircraft projects have the Russians or Ukrainians as subcontractors to provide the engines. Russian engines by the way, are unusable after 500 hours. For military aircraft that might be ok but for civilian ones it’s a no-go so if the Chinese have any military platforms like EW and AWACs on civilian aircraft with Russian engines, it raises the question of availability.

Funnily enough, while the US has no issue with aircraft engines and can produce very high quality engines, they just cant make a lot of them at the same time. The F-35 production line right now is 15 aircraft a month at peak production. This is considered low by some standards but to be honest, considering that it’s a very advanced fighter it doesn’t seem to matter much. The problem however, is that this is under the assumption that every single F-35 produced will be deployed against China which is not true because the US has to manage multiple theaters (Russia-Europe, Home Air Bases etc.).

Also, the F-35 is a multi national project, so those 15 F-35s being made every month have to shared between 12 Airforces, 1 Marine Corp and 2 Navies across the planet. Further reducing the number of stealth fighters the US can deploy against China.


Stealth Fighters

The Stealth fighter question is actually pretty interesting and I kinda wanna build on that from what we discussed in the production line section discussed above.

First, given the limited peak production rate and distribution of F-35s among multiple partners, we might only see limited numbers deployed in the Chinese theater. But every stealth fighter the Chinese develop will be available to fight in the first Island chain theater.

The Chinese have some advanced fighters like the J-20 and J-31 which seem pretty advanced but their level of production is not close to what the US has for it’s stealth fighters at the moment. So they do lag in that respect. The US is also superior in the electronics and engines that go into their stealth aircraft although this is a gap that might close in the near future.

However, the US lead in stealth has some major problems that should be addressed. The problem is the basing of these stealth fighters. The US has 6 major bases in Japan and 1 in Guam. The USAF does not use the 80–90 airbases that the Japanese air force uses, and this might be because of how the US wants to control access to it’s stealth fighters but also because it has to equip its bases with perform the complex maintenance that it’s stealth fighters require.

So in theory, there’s only 7 total major bases you can place your stealth fighters at where you can control access to them and also do the whole fancy maintenance they require like re-applying coating etc.

That is…not good, because it means the Chinese don’t have to worry about shooting down these stealth fighters. They just need to concentrate their ballistic missile bombardment on those 7 bases with stealth fighters to knock those bases out or at least interdict operations out of them.

The USAF has realized this problem and are trying to see if they can spread the fighters out a bit more to the 90 bases the Japanese operate but it’s still a work in progress.

There is one other thing: There’s something called the “German Disease” where you get trapped in the idea that as long as you make a VERY high quality platform, it’s gonna be worth 10 of the enemy’s platforms and that’s better than matching the enemy head to head. This is very seductive thinking for a wealthier, more technically advanced power. But it means you are fighting a war with platforms you aren’t willing to lose which is not a good proposition.

The F-22 is a bit of a German Disease for the USAF because there’s only like 170 of them left and they aren’t making any more of them. Each F-22 lost is a permanent loss for the USAF and if a war against China drags on and attrition becomes a factor, a lot of these very high quality assets that the USAF isn’t willing to lose will need to be pulled from the theater after a while once their losses reach 33% per squadron. Now, no one has ever fought the US in a conventional war since Vietnam and managed to drag it out.

But if that does happen, and the US is losing say 2 F-22s a day on average from ballistic missile strikes on bases, losses due to accidents, very rare occasions when an F-22 is show down by the Chinese, this kind of loss rate might start to hurt a month into the conflict. And the USAF would have to withdraw the F-22s at some point so they still have some left in reserve and put the 4.5+ Gens into the missions the F-22s were doing. Very rare a war would last that long with China and for that high a loss rate, but you never know. The F-22s would primarily suffer more from being forced away from their 7 bases in the first island chain and being forced to operate at their max ranges from second island chain bases, but the loss rate from conflict as well in a long war cant be ignored.


Land

Apart from the strategic support force and the mobile missile systems, Land is pretty irrelevant. Invading China by land is delusional and nearly all serious US military experts have ruled it out. So the PLA and its size and it’s equipment and their comparison with the US Army are really irrelevant to this conversation.


Military Re-Organization

Similar to how the US is re-organizing their Space Force as a separate force apart from the USAF, the Chinese have broken the power of the PLA on military planning and production and reformed it into 5 Joint Commands or Theater commands.

They have to figure out how these theater commands work, something the US already has figured out.

But more importantly, the PLAF, the PLAN and the Strategic Support Force (formerly known as the Strategic Rocket Force) have become more prominent in operation planning.

I should mention that the Strategic Rocket Force of China has no equivalent in the US so they have that going for them. I mentioned before how the force is designed to nullify the USAF advantage in air dominance but that would be selling it short since they also have mission capabilities in EW, Cyber, Space and Information Warfare.

All of these missions falling under one, separate armed force definitely increases the organizational and operational efficiency (same as how the US made a separate Space Force to fully allow it to develop as a proper capability). I think they have a 4 star general leading this force and if you have all of this capability in one organization as a separate force away from PLAN, PLAF and the PLA, its definitely a more modern force structure similar to the US.

And of course, the reorganization of the PLA into 5 Theater commands is a good step as noted before but the PRC military arms need to up their joint operations capability to take advantage of this military organization.

Also a good point to mention here is that the US Space force is very newly created and even they have to work out the kinks in how to have this force integrate with the rest of the US military capability, particularly Cyber. So it’s not just China that has to figure out it’s military re-organization.


Operational Capability

The PRC has enough capability right now to contest much of the first Island chain, deal damage in the second island chain and even maybe reach the US homeland (Hawaii) via submarine mines, long range cruise missiles or ‘missiles in a box’ (The Russian concept of using commercial container ships loaded with missiles). But the idea of reaching Hawaii is not taken very seriously because the survivability of these assets against a alert USN and USAF is next to zero.

So the First Island Chain is where the bulk of the Chinese military potency will be concentrated.

Since the US has allied bases in the region and near global capability to project power, it’s assumed that they can reach any part of China they want as long as their military assets can survive their journey to their targets. But for the most part, the US military will also be focused on establishing control over the first island chain.


The Carrier Question and Scenario Planning

The USN Carriers figure prominently into the US military equation and China is no different. The problem is that the capabilities developed by the Chinese have boxed the carriers out of the first Island chain and the question is as they get pushed further and further away, how effective would they be in a war against China? There’s already a hit implied to the range of the F-35 if it has to fly from the second island chain to the engage in combat in the first island chain (or the Chinese mainland).

Currently, the carrier programs are baked deep into the USN and American military economy. Even if the US stopped building carriers today after the Miller and Ford class programs were completed, they would still have 7 carriers by 2045 and 4 by 2070.

But Large surface combatants will be prime targets in any war with China. And herein lies a big problem facing the US military vs the Chinese:

First: The US military is carrying over programs started before the Chinese even began to be considered a threat (some of these from the 80s and 90s). These programs are starting to deliver assets that would have limited if any use against the Chinese military of today. What good is the B-21 Raider going to do against China? The carrier programs already begun will not have to continue to their logical conclusion since so much money has been spent designing and producing the first entries that it’s a tremendous loss if you cancel them now. The F-35s were initially thought up of in the 80s and 90s as short ranged fighters to dominate the European battlefield in a conflict against the USSR/Russia. Are we sure they will have the operational capability to deliver effective missions in the China theater?

The Chinese however, have a blank slate. They saw the capabilities of the US military in the 90s and had a fresh start in thinking about how to design their military to beat the US military specifically without their production lines and budgets tied up for programs that weren’t specific to the US.

Second: The US must fight and win wars all across the planet. Whether it’s the Russians invading the Baltics, ISIS in the middle east, Iran with a nuclear program, African Islamist groups or what not. The Chinese only have to win in the South China Sea/The First Island Chain. This is something I see Patrick Dugan has also pointed out in the answers on this thread.

The US is spending 700–800 billion dollars a year for all the scenarios they have in their operational planning. The Chinese are spending maybe 200 billion USD for the one fight in the first island chain. In terms of budgetary comparisons, the disparity might not be as big as one might initially think.

This is causing problems to the US because currently, military tech is going through something called the “revolution of many” where a lot of countries are wondering why you cant have smaller, cheaper platforms armed with munitions thrown at your enemies in a way that would overwhelm large platforms like carriers and so on.

To the US’s defense, there are limits to what you can do with such swarms in the deep waters of the Pacific and carriers can be used in a way that complements your own swarm or even serve as the platform for it. But in the first island chain, near the Chinese seaboard, these smaller, cheaper, mobile armed small platforms will be at their most effective. And the USN has no equivalent to this.

The USN as mentioned before is baked into the carrier strategy and armament program which is not in line with the kind of conflict expectation there is in the first island chain.

And this is brings us to the idea that having better systems than your enemy is great, you have F-18s, F-22s, Carriers, JDAMs and M1Abrams and all that cool jazz. But within the specific operational theater of the first island chain in a war with China, how well will your platforms perform? The US military hardware and their doctrines have carry over legacies from the US military introspection of the 1970s after witnessing the shocking levels of fast paced, mechanized, high casualty rate action of the Yom Kippur war. A lot of the current US military systems of today like the M1 Abrams, the F-16s, F-15s, F-22s were developed as a part of how the US understood a war with USSR would be conducted after the Yom Kippur war lessons were understood (the war would be fast, rapid and there might not be enough time for the US military to bring it’s superior production to bear across from the Atlantic).

To the US’s defense again, when this hardware was deployed in the first Gulf War, it performed well and gave the US military a good confidence boost that their current platforms and strategies would apply well across the globe. But the South China sea might be a different ball game. US Air power might be greatly interdicted not by air defenses but by ballistic missile strikes on their airbases. Carriers might not have free reign of the waters in the theater. The US has superiority in underwater platforms but what good are they if PLAN just pulls back close to the shore and doesn’t send out surface combatants against the USN that would allow for their targeting by USN subs.


3rd Offset

The above discussion about carriers was meant to segue way into the US military’s emerging strategy of 3rd Offset.

In a nutshell, the strategy pushes for the idea that instead of going directly at your enemy in a fight, you use an offset. What this strategy means from a military equipment POV is that instead of sending an F-22 or a fully manned sub to engage the Chinese military, the F-22 sends it’s ‘Loyal Wingman’ AI driven UCAV at the PLAAF and the USN sends an unmanned underwater platform to engage the PLAN.

Basically, the US military is also trying to fight China in an asymmetric fashion the same way the Chinese are trying to fight the US military with their own asymmetric techniques. So missiles vs ships rather than ship to ship combat. Drones vs planes rather than air to air manned combat.

Speaking to the USN specifically, what the US navy planners want to do is that for 25% of the price of a US navy carrier and it’s air wing, you could instead have nearly 2000 missiles spread across 40 containerized missile ships. The good thing about these ships also is, is that they are replaceable unlike a carrier. You can make and deploy more with more missiles as the war drags on and losses mount.

So instead of having a carrier being boxed out of the South China sea due to the Chinese missile threat, whose air wing has limited utility due to it carrying mostly short ranged (albeit capable) fighters: Instead have 40 ships with 2000 missiles that have the range for you to safely engage targets in the South China Sea without worrying too much about the Chinese strategic support force and it’s ballistic missiles.

Now, it might seem like I’m laying the blame for all of this carrier fixation on the US military planners. I’m not. I’m laying the blame on Congress.

Opinion | Congress’ demands for supercarriers are sinking the Navy

You see, the USN has no issue with scaling back on their carriers from maybe 12 super carriers to a smaller number like 6 if it means that would give them the fiscal and budgetary space to develop smaller platforms that can operate in swarms in the first island chain and bear acceptable losses.

The problem is that congressmen block this because the USN carriers are intimately tied to the wellbeing of certain congressional districts. A single USN carrier means 10,000 jobs in a USN port because of all the economic activity around the crew members, their families, the facilities they require like sports facilities etc.

The US navy’s manufacturing facilities for carriers are all inland (North Carolina, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, Colorado). That’s where all the major manufacturing plants are that make these super carriers. No congressman or woman is gonna sign off on closing off not just these inland jobs but the port jobs as well.


Which cycles us back to the following problems for the US military:

  1. They can’t seem to get too much of their funding away from legacy systems that may not perform well in the China theater because those legacy systems are tied to certain congressional district economies.
  2. This means the US military can’t fully capitalize on the “Revolution of Many” and the increasing shift towards autonomous combat platforms that operate in swarms and have a high tolerance for losses, they way they have laid out in their 3rd Offset strategy. I mean they will eventually with enough funding, it’s just that the Chinese are moving faster and the US military might not have an edge over the Chinese in the China specific theater in the near future.

The thing is, the US has built up their military for Global operations and expect it to perform in every single theater on the planet whether it’s Africa or Europe or the Gulf or the South China Sea.

The US military would benefit a lot of someone said “Hey lets take our worse case scenarios, conflicts with near peer adversaries like Russia and China. We plan two operational scenarios for each. And we build our military around that. And maybe leave out these other missions or hope our military can perform there with whatever assets it has built from the 2 core scenarios”.

This isn’t the best idea, I know, because the 40 container missile ships built to fight in the south china sea while bearing fire from Chinese ballistic missiles might not have much use in Africa or the Gulf where you might need a carrier or helicopter ship or amphibious warfare ships.

And so the US military has a limited budget it must use to fulfill the gap everywhere. But the Chinese only have to build and train for the one scenario they plan to face.

The US has begun the third offset but because they must split their budget between what goes into third offset and what goes into legacy systems, the Chinese capability to respond to the third offset in a meaningful manner is pretty significant.


3rd Offset and the threat to it from Chinese EW

It’s interesting to see how the Chinese EW capability can interfere with 3rd Offset.

The Chinese strategic support force has actual EW troop formations which the US has no equivalent to. So they have deployed EW capability that can seriously interfere with the operations of all the unmanned vehicles the US plans to have as the tip of their spear into the first island chain. The US has no EW troops and if you don’t have that, no matter how good your tech is, you don’t have any effective formations capable of delivering the product to the battlefield. The US really needs to have dedicated EW troop formations IMO to meet the threat from Chinese EW to their 3rd Offset Autonomous platforms.

But, I’m gonna go against this point as well: The Russian EW capability in the recent Azerbaijan-Armenia war showed how they could deploy EW to interfere with remote controlled drones. Autonomous drones are more resistant to EW interference because they are GPS independent. So these drones with their own sensors and AI don’t really need to have a dedicated signal link the way a remote controlled drone works and can operate in a heavy EW environment.

I’m just curious on how willing the US would be to unleash AI controlled drones with no over rides from a human operator in the South China sea during a war with China.


To conclude, I think the US military has major advantages still. They have better quality sensors and electronics, better materials and fabrication. Their ability to fuse data from different sources into meaningful insights for AI and operations is better.

But I think once we move past the point of simply comparing the F-22 with the J-20, and look at it from a high at how both militaries are posturing themselves for a future conflict, it seems like the gap is not as big as I thought it would be. The US has an edge but an eroding one.

And it’s mostly a problem of the US’s own making where they have boxed in the US military into legacy platforms that were thought up of in the 80s and 90s and are baked into the US military-political complex of congressional spending. While the Chinese have started from a blank slate and have specifically designed solutions around a conflict in the 1st Island Chain compared to the US which has spread itself out.

I think as it stands, the US might still prevail in the next couple of years should a conflict break out. They might prevail even a few years after that if they are willing to shoulder the losses. But the Chinese are moving in a rapid, focused manner and war is a very unpredictable exercise. And the US’s hamstringing of their own military’s evolution might cost them in the future.


Academic Sources: Col. Thomas Hammes, Michael Kofman.

GLEEFULLAND Dystopian film

I was in sales and almost got fired for having too high a gross profit! I was at a stereo chain that opened a new store and because I was the most knowledgeable in the stereo area I was sent over for two or three weeks to set up the audio department. After the store opening (I made the first sale when we opened, a pair of car speakers) and working in the new store for a few months, I was called in by the manager and learned my gross profit was too high. I said, “What?” how is that a problem? This store had loss leaders that had very small profit that were advertised and they thought I was refusing customers or trying too hard to “step” them up to a higher priced product and pissing them off.

I made three points that saved my job: I reminded them that I was very good with stereo equipment, knew what EVERY single button did on EVERY product and I proved it by letting them test me, I was very good at letting customers know why they should buy better equipment and that is why I had few of the “basic” equipment in my sales. I also reminded them that I was the guy who set the audio department up, showing I had the skills to sell better equipment. Number two: I asked them how I could be number 1 or 2 every month in sales if I was “blowing people off”? How could I have done that every month? (They went away, checked, came back and started to come around.)

The manager was starting to have faith in me but still had to deal with my numbers and corporate and how could he get them to back off. Number 3: I remembered a few customers who would come in and buy cheap blank tapes that were low profit and no one wanted to help them. I had everyone send them to me in the future. Within a few months my numbers lowered just enough to get the big guys off our backs.

Isn’t that one of the stupidest things you ever heard? Almost getting fired for being too good a salesman!

Elections have consequences

Years ago, as a police officer in small town Wisconsin, I was checking business doorknobs at night. Walked up to the one and only funeral home, turned the knob….open! Damn! Summoned my partner (checking across the street) and in we go…..

No idea where the light switches were and our plan was to step in, turn around and leave…….indeed, we had requisitely “checked” the place. Right? Nope. We turned to leave just as we heard a crashing sound behind us. Playing our flashlight about, we found the business cash box laying on the floor in the office. Just then, we heard sound coming from downstairs…..where the casket showroom and embalming room (behind closed doors) were to be found.

Huddled together, my partner and I descended the stairs only to have our flashlights show a casket lid close across the room! We hatched a plan whereby I would stand behind the casket, reach over it, pull it open and my partner —- standing in front of it —- would then arrest the purported cashbox thief. Nervous as we both could be in the darkened room, I pulled open the lid and the perp leaped out of the casket like a jack-in-the-box! Partner dropped his flashlight and revolver and the casket occupant blew by me, up the stairs, out the door —— never to caught!

Needless to write, much more circumspect checking there, again!

So Funny (All gone?)

Remember Justin Trudeau? He was thrown under the bus by Trump once Trump got what he wanted. Now, How Jimmy Lai’s value as an asset is compared to Trudeau? Let’s check it out.

Trudeau is a Head of State, Lai is not. Trudeau is white, Lai is yellow. In the US’s playbook, Lai isn’t even at the level that makes him fit to shine Trudeau’s shoes.

Trudeau maybe not a patriot but certainly, he is no traitor. Lai is a traitor who did not hesitate to collude with a foreign power to go against his own country and people. Traitors are garbage nobody wants anything to do with once their mission objective value is no longer there.

So basically, Jimmy Lai is only a leftover from the shit that failed to hit the fan in Hong Kong. A shit stain to be precise. Nobody would pick up a shit stain, but flush it down the toilet hole.

If Jimmy Lai’s last resort is for the US to come to his rescue, oh he is fucked.

Vitamin D

Me.

I was working for a Fortune 500 company as a sales rep, making my quota every year, except my first, for 10 years. A new management team comes in. The new National Sales Manager, Mr. Smith, was unhappy with my image. I was 40, obese and had prematurely grey hair. He liked ‘young, lean and hungry’. Well, I’m good at hungry.

In February the company has its sales meeting. They fly us all into the little airport nearest corporate headquarters, in New England. Itinerary promises luxury hotel, 2 days of training with an awards dinner for all the quota busters (about 90 of 170 of us).

Mr. Smith meets me at the airport, asks for my customer list and price book. Then he hands me a return ticket, through a circuitous route home (it might have been cheaper) that leaves at 5pm, he says this at 7:30am. I got home at 11 pm, I could’ve driven home in 8–9 hours.

As he hands me the ticket he says,”It’s non-changeable, non-refundable. At least for the next 9 hours I’ll know where you are.” I did not call in very often, unless my clients had an issue, or an opportunity. When I did I spoke to customer service and we would resolve almost all of issues without involving higher ups. I should’ve been tooting my own horn, getting Mr. Smith involved seemed senseless. I thought the numbers would speak for me.

Sitting in the airport I decided to start my own business, independent sales representative. Took 6 months to get clients, training and start making sales on straight commission. Took 3 years to get my income above poverty level, my supportive wife sustained us. Then I started making twice the income. Never looked back. Next to marrying my wife, probably the best thing that happened to me. Definitely top 5.

FORGOTTEN CITY – 1966 Retro Pulp Science Fiction by Skyward, Photo Booth Processing, 110/35mm Film

This is fun.

Depends on your time line. Eventually, and I’m talking 2047 territory something would have been put in place. But lets time travel back to 2010. I say 2010 because the seeds of the riot were after the Pan Dems refused the changes in the voting system that would allow more direct elections.

Wong Sing Chi – Nelson Wong the Pan Dem founder was kicked out because he wanted compromise. The first riots started in 2014 and were a test to see what would happen. The not very much happening meant the bigger 2019 riots happened.

Article 23 was impossible to put into place due to protests against it, strong unions and lots of LegCO seats opposing it. You had well still have two factions, yellows anti government everything and blues. The thing is the blues weren’t rubber stampers. They were mostly meh and wanted things to stay the same.

You can literally see prominent blues actually support the anti extradition protests that were initially at the start of 2019 before the violence ramped up. Many of the blues would go no way that goes too far!

Raam Beart, Nury Vitachi pretty much have this angle. There wasn’t the support for anything NSL or article 23 at all.

But then the Yellows went nuts. Wide spread violence, dehumanisation and discrimination against anybody who opposed the yellows.

This pushed the previously meh blues to give support to the government to end the madness. I mean shit you were on the bus in 2019 going into town. You’d see everything smashed up and Chinese people here were attacked by them. I was attacked, numerous quorans who I know are real people were attacked.

So the riots going violent suddenly gave a support base for NSL and eventually article 23.

Article 23. My personal feeling? Is that I wish we could go back to life in 2017 or so. I guess I’m old. I don’t like change. I still use cash! Even in Shenzhen. Anyway where’s the shit posting? Ah yes this. Article 23 penalties. Do note these are the absolute maximum possible. We’ve of course seen in Hong Kong that maximum sentences are very rarely given. Very recently a Hong Kong bomb maker was sentenced to just under 6 years. Funny… had he not run off to Shenzhen he would be out in 2025 probably. Yet again where’s the shit posting? This The sentences for this were far harsher. Looking into it. 60% of 1309 arrested and charged to-date have received custodial sentences. Enrique Tarrio (sp?) 22 years. Edthan Nordean – 18 years. Stuart Rhodes – 18 years Zach Rehl 15 years Dan Rodriguez 12 years

Some of us discuss it here and in the comments. That we wished things had stayed the same but the riots pushed us into this direction.

Here’s the ultimate irony.

If the yellows sat on their hands and went home after May 2019 the last of the mostly peaceful protests when the extradition treaty law was shelved…

The yellows would have won a majority in LegCo in the 2020 elections.

NSL would never have been implemented

Article 23 would still just be something talked about on RTHK and nothing would have changed.

Protectionism

Plain and Simple

In 2015 – the EU Players – Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Citroen together combined had a market share of

  • 40.28% in China
  • 29.76% across the World

Life was good

For every Volkswagen sold – China made around $ 18 for every $ 82 that Germany ultimately earned

China got only assembly cost and low grade supplies and equipment

The Chinese brands had a market share of 15.70% in China and 2.33% across the World

India at 3.25% had a higher Global Share

Guess how much the Auto Industry and Ancillary Industry for Autos contribute to the European Economy?

Almost 4%

Thats nearly $ 800 Billion

Including $ 279 Billion in Germany Alone

In 2023 – the EU Players – Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Citroen together combined had a market share of

  • 18.73% in the Chinese market with only BMW continuing the same market share and VW falling by 38% from 2015, Mercedes by 27% and Citroen by 82%
  • 26.62% in the Global Market

That’s a huge fall of nearly 55% in China and barely keeping their old market share for 8 years

Now their European Sales are crashing

The Chinese products have superior design, superior quality and affordable price being almost 20% cheaper on road

In the last four months of 2023 – European Brands saw a sales drop of 21.5% while Chinese Brands saw a surge of 67.6% in their numbers

Take out the Russian market and the numbers still show a 8.1% drop for European Brands and 26.1% gain for Chinese Brands


Solution?

It’s simple protectionism

Plain and simple


Paying High Prices for Russian Gas

That’s because if Europe keeps relying on Russian Gas, the day Russia cuts off Gas suddenly , Germany could be screwed as could the rest of Europe

Once Russia went to ‘Dangerous Enemy’, decoupling was a security move even at higher expense to the economy

A Better move would have been peace and diversification but Europeans don’t have brains unfortunately

Mar 14, 2024

AUKUS has become a stillborn project.

Vassal states, satellites – in other words the butlers of international relations, the minders of the royal stool – are a rarely respected lot. In Australia’s case, being Washington’s butler is hardly like being Jeeves to Bertie Wooster. Jeeves is, after all, a near omniscient being, a confidant who rescues his master from ridiculous situations and offers sound advice to avoid them.

The Canberra wonks, bureaucrats and politicians are in no equivalent position, weak, impotent, and ever reliant on the good grace of the US Congress, the US President and the entire military complex that pillows them.

The latest announcement about delays and dysfunction in the US submarine base should further confirm that the AUKUS security agreement is risky, costly and self-defeating. The security pact, which is primarily focused on technological transfer and the provision of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, is proving, yet again, to be a shaky affair.

The developments are hardly surprising.

US shipyards are simply not keeping up with the production line. Roping in the Australian taxpayer into this mess means that money will be going to funding a foreign defence force without any guarantee of the submarines promised to Canberra. Superb if you are working in the Pentagon, disastrous if you are an Australian policy maker.

The latest Fiscal Year 2025 budget request from the US Department of Defence has again shown an industry in stuttering health. The US Navy’s intention to cut a submarine already paid for and built featured prominently in the plans. The implication for this, and AUKUS, is that the number of submarines relevant to the pact will be halved.

Congressman Joe Courtney, ranking Democrat member of the House Seapower and Project Forces Subcommittee, was far from impressed, saying as much in a released statement.

“If such a cut is actually enacted it will remove one more attack submarine from a fleet that is already 17 submarines below the Navy’s long stated requirement of 66.”

This measure would place the commitment made by the Pentagon and Congress to furnish three submarines to the Royal Australian Navy in doubt.

“This deviation from last year’s projected Future Years Defence Program (FYDP) contradicts the Department’s own National Defence Industries Strategy issued on January 11, 2024, which identified ‘procurement stability’ as critical to achieve resilient supply chains.”

In January, Courtney, along with the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers, Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee Trent Kelly, and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith, wrote to President Joe Biden arguing

“that the US Navy and Congress maintain continued procurement of two Virginia-class submarines per year, as detailed in the Navy’s FY2024 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan.”

The Congressmen had no reason to doubt such a rate of procurement, given the investments from the Navy and Congress

“in workforce and supply development over the last five years.” It was “imperative to maintain a steady two-per-year procurement rate to assure our partners in our ability to meet commitments and address concerns about our nation’s undersea capabilities.”

The obsession with the two-submarine annual procurement rate, assessed at 2.33, has been a lingering one with Congress, but there is much to suggest that Courtney and his colleagues had been engaged in an act of wishful thinking. Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker, for instance, found the production rate to be a warranted one in a July 16, 2023 contribution to the Wall Street Journal, but worried about how this would work within the context of AUKUS arrangements.

“As it stands, the AUKUS plan would transfer US Virginia-class submarines to a partner nation even before we have met our own Navy’s requirements.”

This is also not helped by the US Navy’s ongoing plans to design and develop 12 new SSBNs of the Columbia (SSBN-826) Class to replace the current, aging fleet of 14 Ohio-class SSBNs. A report from the Congressional Research Service published in January notes the Navy’s revised procurement rate of 2.33 Virginia-class submarines plus one Colombia-class boat, something Courtney might have heeded.

In December 2022, Democratic Senator Jack Reed and an outgoing Republican Senator James Inhofe authored a letter to Biden expressing their worries

“about the state of the US submarine industrial base as well as its ability to support the desired AUKUS SSN [nuclear sub] end state.” Current conditions, the senators went on to describe, required “a sober assessment of the facts to avoid stressing the US submarine industrial base to the breaking point.”

Sobriety, it would seem, has come biting in stinging fashion.

A deluded, crippling subservience is to be found everywhere. Australia’s Defence Minister, Richard Marles, should be hysterical with concern, his increasingly coloured skin turning pallid. Instead, he is trying to keep a brave face by foolishly claiming to speak for all powers in the trilateral alliance.

“As we approach the one-year anniversary of AUKUS, Australia, the United States and United Kingdom remain steadfast in our commitment to the pathway announced last March, which will see Australia acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.”

Such ill-informed confidence also pervades the Alice in Aukusland mentality, marked by such punditry as that of retired submarine specialist Peter Briggs. Australia, suggests Briggs, should seize the day on submarine construction in taking “an active role in the design and procurement process” for the SSN. But control can only be exerted with a degree of power and experience in the field of nuclear propulsion, something the Australian Navy has little to no experience in.

Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull prefers a bleaker analysis .

“The reality is the Americans are not going to make their submarine deficit worse than it is already by giving or selling submarines to Australia and the AUKUS legislation actually sets that out specifically.”

Australia had been “mugged by reality”, its sovereignty surrendered, its fate left like a cork bobbing at sea.

Whoever occupies the White House or Congress, the America First mantra prevails: first, Washington’s interests, marked by its own weaknesses and troubles; then, should they matter, those of allies, however loyal and ingratiating.

AUKUS has become a stillborn project.

Join US you’ll be on its dinnertable, join China you’ll have a win-win

Blinken is crass. Period. His behaviour is not worthy of that of a diplomat.

Damn you’ve found us out…

It’s time for the truth to be revealed.

I am not in fact the blonde girl in the picture.

I am a highly advanced AI program sent to Quora to find and answer questions about China that only paints the great homeland in a positive light. Forever may the glory of the People’s Republic of China shine like a beacon on —

Oh WAIT

They don’t need an artificial intelligence to do that. Anyone with normal intelligence could tell you that China kicks ass.

How China kicks ass:

Look, no country is perfect and China has its own issues it needs to deal with. But don’t worry about China or the fact that informed people have an increasingly positive opinion of the country.

Work on improving your own country, then people might write nice things about you as well.

I was sitting in my very first Computer Science class at Princeton. My Professor, Brian Kernighan (who is a brilliant and exciting teacher, even for non-CS students like myself), had pulled up an image of Eric Schmidt on the projector screen.

At this point in time, Eric Schmidt was the CEO of Google, although his fame was nowhere near what it is today. I remember Professor Kernighan saying that Eric Schmidt was likely someone that none of us had ever heard of, but was filling a role that would greatly affect each and every one of our lives. I can’t recall exactly what he said, but the gist was that while computer science may not be a very glorious subject, it has profound implications on our lives. Remember, this was Intro to CS. He was trying to hook us on to the subject; to convince us that we shouldn’t all try to be Econ majors and land jobs on Wall Street. Each point he made revolved around Eric Schmidt, whose image remained front and center.

Anyways, after about five or ten minutes of describing Computer Science through the lens of Eric Schmidt, a hand was raised in the middle of the classroom.

“So, this is kind of awkward, but are you done talking about my dad?”

Eric Schmidt’s daughter had been sitting there quietly the whole time. The room erupted in laughter, as Prof. Kernighan apologized profusely. He had no idea that the daughter of the subject of his lecture was in the classroom.

She ended up being in a Creative Writing class of mine as well; a very impressive girl at the time, and I’m sure a much more impressive woman now.

First video is a teleportation. I discussed this previously in great detail.

Girls and grapes

I’m a physicist. One day I got a phone call from an undergraduate. She explained that as an assignment in a sociology course she was required to follow a scientist around for a day and document how he/she spent the day. “I’m far too busy to give you that much time,” I said.

“No—” she replied, “You won’t even notice I’m there. I’ll just watch and follow you around.” OK— it sounded a bit intriguing.

The scheduled morning she arrived in my office at 9 a.m. She sat down in a corner, and I got to work. Every now and then I looked up and caught her looking at me; she quickly looked away, and scribbled in her notebook. Suddenly I felt like a mountain gorilla being studied by Dian Fossey.

At 5 p.m she told me she was leaving. I asked her if she found anything surprising. “My god yes!” She responded. “Your day is totally different from what I expected.” I asked for details and she examined her notes.

She said, “You spent 60% of your time talking to other people! You did it on the phone, then you visited several other physicists in their offices. You had lunch with several graduate students. Even in your lab you were working with your graduate students. Several people came to your office.”

“What did you expect?” I asked her.

“I thought scientists worked alone. I thought they sat in front of computers all day, or in their labs wearing white coats and working with test tubes.”

“That’s the scientist of the movies,” I said. “Science is a very social profession. You can save weeks in the lab by a quick conversation with someone else. Two people talking are often much more than twice as effective as two people working alone.”

“I never knew that,” she said.

It’s odd that people avoid going into science because of the impression that it is for people who like to work alone. That may be true for some people, but in my experience virtually all effective scientists spend much of their time with other people. Maybe the wrong impression arises because of the high school science nerd who doesn’t yet have social skills. But social skills are essential to scientific success. Some nerds learn them only in graduate school. (And the ones who don’t often drop out of science.)

Indeed, the interaction with other people is what makes “coming to work” so much fun.

Cats can defy gravity

The Little Crappy Ships each have their own failures in design and execution. Sometimes tried and true is best – especially when building ships that need to be available (and mobile) all of the time. There is no auto club to call for a breakdown on the high seas.

Their mission evaporated as the world changed – a lightly defended coastal (litoral) ship did not end up being where the focus was needed. Their flexibilty was also limited because cost overuns in the basic ship package affected other wannabe missions – it was going to be a Swiss Army knife, but instead ended up a butter blade.

The navy threw in the towel when they started ordering more Constellation class frigates and cancelled the future LCS builds. Ironically, they were not cheap (half a billion $$$ or so) but they cost little enough by government standards to abandoned. Compare that to the Ford class carriers (about $14 billion each). The Fords had so much invested in them that throwing money and resources to solve technological issues (such as with the catapult system) was a given regardless of cost. You can fix things with time, money, and resources. There also was no readily available replacement available for the Ford carriers after years of investment in them. The end product is a great advance over it’s predecessor – which is not the story of the LCS.

So, lessons learned. Innovate but balance risks and reward, and know the mission you are trying to accomplish. Here is the LCS Independence. A face only a mother could love… … …

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main qimg cb043b1f8dad130bfd613a2eda421e5e

Oh shit

Correction: China is NOT leaning more heavily on exports; the government’s policy has been to grow the Chinese domestic consumer market in order to lessen dependence on exports.

In 2024, the Chinese domestic consumer market is growing less slowly than the government likes because the Chinese real estate market is undergoing contraction. The Chinese government saw the real estate market as an asset bubble which needed to be pricked because it does not reflect a real productivity gain; it is just speculatory.

Since most Chinese have their savings tied up in their own home value, they now feel that they have less savings to spend, which is why the Chinese economy is entering a deflationary phase.

At the same time, the US and EU are putting pressure on Chinese exports of EVs and chips, as they try to decouple from Chinese exporters of those products.

This means that the whole world is going through a painful economic adjustment as supply chains are being decoupled in the US and EU.

The Chinese government is trying to re-adjust by increasing exports and trade with the BRICS+/Global South economies, while gradually cutting reliance on the US and EU markets.

Linda’s Picadillo (Mexican-Style Ground Beef)

picadillo
picadillo

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon
  • 1 (4 ounce) can green chiles or 2 fresh poblano peppers, chopped
  • Spices: 1 or 2 bay leaves, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, tomato Knorr, etc.
  • 1 can tomato sauce or Ro*Tel
  • 1 bag frozen corn (optional)
  • 1 bag frozen green beans (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sauté onions and garlic; add ground beef and cook until done. Drain fat.
  2. Add potatoes, bell pepper, water, beef buillon, green chiles or poblano peppers, spices of choice and tomato sauce or Ro*Tel. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
  3. If using, add corn and green beans 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

She Bullied A Kid For Exercising Wrong, The Internet Destroyed Her..

Israel ‘Coerces’ UN Workers – By Outright Torturing Them

Every time one thinks that the depravity of Zionist fanatics has finally reached a limit they will proudly present even worse behavior.

UNRWA report says Israel coerced some agency employees to falsely admit Hamas linksReuters, Mar 9 2024

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said some employees released into Gaza from Israeli detention reported having been pressured by Israeli authorities into falsely stating that the agency has Hamas links and that staff took part in the Oct. 7 attacks.

Coerced, pressured, … Maybe they had a harsh talk?

No. They outright tortured, Abu Graibh like, these UN workers. Some of them to their death:

The document said several UNRWA Palestinian staffers had been detained by the Israeli army, and added that the ill-treatment and abuse they said they had experienced included severe physical beatings, waterboarding, and threats of harm to family members.

In addition to the alleged abuse endured by UNRWA staff members, Palestinian detainees more broadly described allegations of abuse, including beatings, humiliation, threats, dog attacks, sexual violence, and deaths of detainees denied medical treatment, the UNRWA report said.

Reuters could not independently confirm the accounts of coercion of UNRWA staff and mistreatment of detainees, although the allegations of ill-treatment accord with descriptions by Palestinians freed from detention in December, February and March reported by Reuters and other news media.

Remi Brulin @RBrulin – 0:44 UTC · Mar 9, 2024“We tortured some folks” is pretty bad

“We tortured some folk so we could destroy a huge relief organization that’s indispensable in dealing with a huge humanitarian crisis that we created in the first place” is…. something else

What are civilized people supposed to do with these miscreants?

 

Posted by b at 11:13 UTC | Comments (156)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QTJ_Uk9OPZo?feature=share

This is another “didn’t say it, did it” story.

It was a couple of weeks before Christmas, about 25 years ago, and I was shopping for a gift for my wife. She loves pearls, especially baroque pearls, and even more when they’re set with a discreet diamond or two — nothing glitzy or brash. I went to the local branch of Barmakian Jewelers, a well known New England chain. I’d been there before and had spent there, over the years, a decidedly nontrivial amount, including some custom work I’d had them do. So I walked over to the Pearls and Diamonds counter with a budget figure of $600 (equivalent to just a hair over $1000 as I write this) and began eyeing the pieces through the glass counter surface.

I should probably mention here that I was at that time a software engineer and had just gotten out of work for the day, and I was dressed in jeans and a carpenter shirt (plaid flannel). No coat, this is New England and the temperature was well above freezing. As I browsed, I took note that although there was nobody at that counter at the moment, two sales associates were at the next counter, and I knew that they had seen me. Neither came over to help me. After about ten minutes of this, a man came walking over to the counter where I was, dressed in a suit and tie. Before you could say “WTF?” an associate, one of the two who had been chatting at the other counter, was there to help him. He lollygagged around, looked at a couple of pieces with the associate’s eager assistance, and finally decided he’d come back another day. He walked out without having spent a dime. The associate left the counter without even a glance in my direction, and returned to chat some more with the other associate. I figured I knew what was up, and I too walked out, taking my $600 budget elsewhere. I have never since stepped inside a Barmakian store, nor will I ever do so in the future.

Well, I think our fellow Quoran Orson Scott Card got something dreadfully wrong in his most famous work, Ender’s Game.

It was published in its novel form in 1985, and he envisioned a global computer network where people could publish anything. And it’s crucial to the plot that two very young people become massively influential by publishing, under pseudonyms, political essays with brilliant insights.

Internet, yes, fine, it was already invented and the WWW was just around the corner, but well called for seeing it as a potential game changer.

He did not anticipate that it would be used to watch memes of cats and spread flat Earth theories, and that any politically insightful youth would be totally drowned out by people trying to cure a dangerous disease by drinking bleach. Frankly, I don’t think anyone could have foreseen that…

Simple.

Ask the average American to watch a Chinese blockbuster. It can be dubbed, or subtitled.

Further, ask them to pick out the cultural hooks and references in the movie.

Vanishing few will be able to do so, even Chinese diaspora who grow up speaking only English.

Take it from me. I spent a lifetime consuming Chinese media, and I am fluent in at least 3 dialects: Cantonese, Hokkien and Mandarin. I spent 12 years learning Chinese formally, growing up in a Chinese speaking environment.

But I struggle with the cultural references in Chinese productions, which have cultural baselines that are several steps beyond the typical Taiwan/HK production.

In other words, Wong Kar Wai and Ang Lee are above average, and not the summit, in the mainland scheme of things, as far as deep culture is concerned.

Hollywood can never make a Chinese movie that touches the tender and vulnerable side of Chinese audiences. Not in the current climate of dehumanization and “we want your money, we don’t want you”.

The Chinese are not farm animals of American oligarchs.

And even if Hollywood decides to take the Chinese market seriously, it will take years and plenty of coin to compete against the Chinese competition.

At this point (2024), Hollywood isn’t even in the game.

November 8, 2018. I know the date because of it’s significance. 4 men were at the restaurant I frequent. They had reserved a part of 8. All of them were elderly, all of them were wearing hats with “vietnam veteran” and “173rd Airborne” on them. I didn’t need to know where their 4 missing comrades were, or what memories those 4 gentlemen would be reliving 53 years later. I know of Operation Hump.

I quietly wrote on a napkin, “I’m not going to say who I am, but I want to say 3 things: THANK YOU! May your brothers rest in peace, and tonight is on me. No arguments, soldiers.”

I had my waitress deliver it after I left, leaving my credit card (at the time, I lived right down the street) to pay for whatever they want.

I was told that they were very appreciative, and said “for people like that we’d do it again.” which is very touching if you ask me.

I’ve seen those gentlemen back every year since, and a few times on various other days, but I haven’t said anything, and I never intend to. Their meals are still on me every year.

Honestly, I don’t see any big difference and I don’t feel overwhelmed by Chinese goods.

In fact, China actively substituted only two fields: cars and household equipment

Midea or Haier instead of Bosch? No big difference. Same features, same prices. Bosch is also available by the way, and the price is comparable to Chinese. So who has left?

Chery/Haval instead of Renault and Nissan? No big difference, in fact Chinese are better. More options and features for lower price. Prices are slowly normalizing, by the way. Chinese car giants open new factories in Russia.

Of course, it will take time for market to find a new balance, but at least now it is possible to get a new SUV for around 2 million rubles. Sure, it’s not 1.3 million rubles like I paid for new Nissan Qashqai in 2018, but it’s even less about 2.4 million rubles I paid for new Nissan X-Trail in 2021. And well, Chinese turned out to be have better multimedia systems than Japanese or Europeans. Surprise, surprise.

Maybe even Moskvich will some day be available at more reasonable prices. Again, it all takes time.

New car market was too expensive starting from around last April. Now slowly getting to more normal prices.

Speaking of furniture, clothing and everything else – it got substituted locally and surprisingly well. If you are not dead set to pay 500,000 rubles for Dolce Gabbana, you can buy a nice good quality Russian coat at 10,000 rubles, for example. I bought warm and nice Russian-made alaska jacket for this winter for about 13,000 rubles. Didn’t notice any difference with “original” that cost double even before all those problems.

And well, I talk to people, I listen to people and I see what people are wearing and buying. There still are few “brand-crazy” folks, but most have just got ignorant.

If those “Western brands” ever want to return, they will have a hard time doing so. Sorry guys. And no, Chinese clothes are not popular and is not supplied en masse.

No.

Both of my grandfathers did just that.

Both of their wives only worked outside of the home during WWII, before they were their wives. By the early 1950s, both of my sets of grandparents were married and starting their families. Both families ended up with four children each. Both families owned their own homes—modest homes in small towns—all on the single income of a working-class man.

One grandfather was a salesman and installer of garage doors. One was a mechanic. Both were WWII vets, so there may have been some veterans benefits to help them out. Other than that, they were on their own.

I know much more about one grandfather’s house than the other one, because the one I know about was right down the street from the house I was raised in. That grandfather died in the 80s, before I really got to know him, but his widow (my grandmother) lived in that house until she died in 2016. I visited that house many times and even helped my father build the deck on it.

I don’t know what my grandfather paid for that house, but I know that, when it was sold “as in” after my grandmother passed, just eight years ago, it sold for $63k. According to Zillow, it’s now worth close to $200k. Same house. Eight years. Triple the price. Insanity.

And it’s not just that house. My mother’s house, where she still lives, just a few doors down, is has tripled in value in the last decade.

The house my grandfather raised his kids in was (and still is) just three bedrooms, one bath, tiny kitchen, and a little over 1,200 square feet. It is 1/3 the size of the house I am currently sitting in, and I would call my house fairly modest by Chicago standards. My grandfather’s house featured a detached two-car garage which he used as a workshop, a carport, a huge yard with a vegetable garden, two old-growth pecan trees and, of all things, a small vineyard.

I didn’t realize how cool it was that my grandparents had a small vineyard growing in their back yard until I was well into my 20s and, by then, it had been mostly destroyed by neglect (my grandmother couldn’t maintain it on her own in her old age), and I lived too far away to help her with it. The last time I drove past it, last summer, it looked like the new owners hadn’t taken it down, but hadn’t fixed it, either. It’s just continuing it’s multi-decade decay.

But I’ll bet it was pretty awesome back when my grandparents were raising their children in that house.

Anyway, besides things being a lot cheaper when my grandparents were raising their children, there were also just fewer expenses. Among all eight of their combined children, only one went to college, and that was for just one semester. Each family only had one car. Each family only had one TV, and they didn’t pay for cable until the early 1990s. The airwave signals were free. Each house had a single, land line phone. None of my grandparents ever had a credit card. The only things they bought on credit were their houses and cars.

About two hours ago, I gave my son my credit card so he could by a $2.50 Gatorade from a vending machine. My grandparents would be mortified about everything in that transaction.

I understand why so many young people feel like they’re getting cheated by this economy. They are. Who is cheating them, and why, and how to fix it, are where I disagree with many of them. But yes, I do agree that they have a much, much steeper mountain to climb to get to the same summit that my grandparents (their great-grandparents’ generation) seemed to have handed to them.

They are plenty smart enough, but they make terrible pets. You see, squid are what we call pelagic critters, meaning they spend most of their time in open water, away from the sea floor or any other features. They like lots and lots of water around them.

Their primary escape mechanism is to simply jet away into the abyss at Squid Warp Speed. It is so fast you literally cannot see it.

My bride and I met on a squid study, which involved a lot of laying in the water on snorkel and hand recording everything the individual squid did. One morning we were watching our usual flotilla of Sepioteuthis (Caribbean Reef Squid) and scrawling their antics on our slates.

And then, *blink.* They were gone. All 17 squid just vanished at once. We knew what happened, of course, but not why. We looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders. Bonaire, the Caribbean island in the Dutch Antilles where the study took place, has extremely clear water. We could see easily 100 feet in all directions, but could not identify what spooked the squid. We were very sure it wasn’t us. Since we had been studying this particular school for weeks, the squid were extremely used to people by now.

Then, slowly out of the haze, a large barracuda cruised into view from the East, about 80 feet away. We could not even guess how the squid knew so quick, but they knew a big predator was moving in, and they Got Out Of Town by jetting away so fast (and far) we could not even keep track. The squid didn’t even bother shooting ink. They just disappeared.

This is why you cannot keep squid easily in captivity. They have had over 500 million years to develop this explosive escape strategy and, being prey for almost every predator in the ocean means they react to almost anything. Since invisible walls have never existed in nature, they cannot understand glass and don’t adapt to aquariums. At the slightest provocation, captive squid panic and try to blast away to safety, but they wind up slamming into the aquarium walls over and over and injuring themselves grievously.

Squid researchers have had mixed success with soft-sides inflatable pools as well as ring-shaped enclosures, but these critters do best out in open water.

On the other hand, octopuses do make excellent, if short lived, pets.

Build more of these.

main qimg 48c6d17f2eadc8bc36f00d981ce05414 lq
main qimg 48c6d17f2eadc8bc36f00d981ce05414 lq

A nuclear exchange is at this point all but INEVITABLE.

What we need is to massively increase our nuclear bombs and missile systems.

Right now we have 5–600 bombs. That means we have to be selective about the cities we hit.

But with 1000 we can hit even smaller cities.

The white supremacists have literally parked a SSBN in Korea to do this.

We need a massive counter strike ability to take the white supremacists to hell with us. They can die in nuclear fires along with us.

Liberals will say but I don’t want nuclear war. Well the Nuclear Taboo is a myth.

This Chinese man was Zhang Qian.

In 139 B.C., Zhang Qian set out on a westward journey with his interpreter and an escort of about 100 men. But just as they entered the Hexi Corridor, they were bumped into by Xiongnu cavalry. After a battle, all the others were killed in battle, and only Zhang Qian and the interpreter, who did not take part in the battle, survived. Zhang Qian and his interpreter survived.

The two did not resist, and were escorted by the Huns’ cavalry from the Hexi Corridor to the King’s Court of the Xiongnu, a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. The Xiongnu Chanyu also wanted to get information about the Han Dynasty from Zhang Qian, so he actively instigated him to rebel and even arranged for a high-status Xiongnu noblewoman to marry him.

Zhang Qian had been single for almost 30 years and readily accepted the kindness of the Xiongnu Chanyu, but he still did not leak any information about the Han Dynasty. Not only that, Zhang Qian also secretly mastered a lot of information about the Huns while living in the Xiongnu’ territory.

After ten years of this kind of life, Zhang Qian managed to escape with the help of his Xiongnu wife. However, he was captured by the Hun cavalry for the second time shortly after his escape.

The second time was in 128 B.C. Zhang Qian wanted to return to Chang’an. This time he deliberately avoided the sphere of influence of the Xiongnu people, but he was really unlucky and was caught by the Xiongnu people once again. Zhang Qian had already given up hope, but to his surprise, he was rescued by the Xiongnu woman again and escaped. This time Zhang Qian took her back to Chang’an.

In 126 BC, Zhang Qian, his Hun wife, son, and translator returned to Chang’an after an absence of thirteen years.

Upon his return, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made him Marquis of Bowang for his military service.

Although Zhang Qian was promoted, his Xiongnu wife who had made great contributions to him died of illness after one year in Chang’an because she was not adapted to the environment.

I guess Zhang Qian was a handsome man and his Xiongnu wife loved him wholeheartedly and even betrayed the Xiongnu Chanyu.

I had finished scraping the bottom of my boat and decided to have a shower at the clubhouse. Scraping bottom paint must be the dirtiest job in the world (potentially dangerous to your health without proper clothing and a respirator) and I was utterly filthy. As I walked up to the clubhouse, a guy in his mid-forties, a new member it turns out, told me I was not allowed in the “club,” as “no labourers allowed”. I laughed in his face and kindly told him to fuck off. He then told me he was getting the Commodore and that I would be barred from working at this club again. I said good luck with that and again told him to fuck off. When I finished up in the shower, I went to the wardroom to meet my wife and to have a beer. This guy was in the wardroom talking to the Commodore when I came in. When he saw me he said to the Commodore that I was a disrespectful shit and that I should be blackballed from the club. The Commodore said that I might be a shit, but I was a member in good standing and it would look bad if she tried to blackball her husband.

Depends on the Products in Question

Let’s see where Japan leads and dominates over China :-

  • Refrigeration
  • Cameras & Lenses
  • Petrol Engines
  • Industrial Robots
  • Hybrid Vehicles

Japanese Exports are primarily in these industries.

Japan has the best quality products in the world in these categories

Let’s see where China leads and dominates over Japan:-

  • Shipbuilding
  • Railroads & Electrified Railway Design and manufacture
  • Infrastructure Steel & Equipment & High Machinery
  • Television LCD Panels
  • High Efficiency (> 25%) Solar Panels
  • NEV Batteries & Integrated Platforms
  • New Energy Vehicles
  • Deep Core Gas Drilling Equipment
  • Data Centers
  • Windmill & Wind Turbines

Chinese Exports are primarily in these Industries

China has the best quality products in the world in these categories


Then you have areas where both Japan and China are not yet on par with global (western standards) :-

  • Advanced Lenses (Germany)
  • Advanced Chips (US, Europe, Korea)
  • Advanced Computing (US)
  • Diesel Engines (Germany)
  • Aviation Components (Europe, US)
  • Pharmaceuticals (Switzerland, US, France)

In these areas, neither Japan nor China have the quality of their Western counterparts

These form a huge chunk of Chinas Imports and Japans imports

The West is completely fucked up

Iowa Spaghetti Sauce

When we were young, we looked forward to visiting my Aunt Anita in Muscatine, Iowa. She always had this ready for us when we arrived. We fought over the mushrooms, so over time, she added up to three times the amount of mushrooms called for!

iowa spaghetti sauce
iowa spaghetti sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 or 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 large can mushrooms, drained

Instructions

  1. Brown garlic in 1 tablespoon salad oil; discard garlic. Add ground meat and salt, 1/2 cup water and cook.
  2. When the meat is half done, add the onions and cook until done.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the mushrooms, and cook until thick, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  4. Add mushrooms when thick.
  5. Serve over spaghetti!

Let ‘er rip baby! Fire away! Don’t hold back.

Don’t hold anything back. The hardest letters in prison were the ones I didn’t get.

Maybe you don’t want to write to me because you’re angry. I did something stupid, got my dumb ass tossed in the cooler, and you’re livid.

There-is-no-better-time-to-write!

I’m a sitting duck! I’ve got nothing better to do than read your letter. I’ll read it again and again! Write out your rant, become my personal troll, and flame on old-school from afar. You might have six months worth of rage pent up, waiting to be unleashed on the page. Get it off your chest. Toss open the hatches and let loose whatever foul demons you’ve been harboring below deck. Let me know the full depth and breadth of your wrath.

I would much rather deal with this now through letters than during our first face to face encounter years later. We can discuss everything, get to the heart of it, and maybe even move on.

Has a loved one of mine passed on? Are you afraid that telling me will break my heart? If I go years without getting a letter from that person, that will break my heart. I’ll wonder on a daily basis why mom doesn’t write anymore. Then on that day when I’m finally released, a day meant to be full of hope and new beginnings, you finally hit me with the bad news?

No thanks. Tell me now. Toll that bell and let me grieve here in this hell hole in my own time and way.

Some of the hardest time I did was when it was clear that my girlfriend was breaking up with me. She stopped writing, stopped answering phone calls, stopped caring.

I knew what was happening, but without her black and white confirmation, it was a glacial band-aid ripping — it lasted months. A simple letter could’ve put it to a swift and final conclusion. I wouldn’t have gotten out two years later wondering, “Where is everyone?”

What subjects should you avoid? None.

Don’t waste any time worrying about my psyche. I’m a big enough boy to find my way into prison. Your letters aren’t going to push me over the edge, but maybe they’ll push us closer together.

The is the reality right now. Gen-Z. People are not meant to be living alone. Thank you “WOKE” society.

Pope Tells Ukraine: Wave the White Flag . . .

Pope Francis was asked what he would tell Ukraine President Zelensky and his response was succinct: Surrender, you’re defeated.

Of course, His Holiness put it more gracefully.  His exact words were:

"I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people, and has the courage of the white flag and negotiates. The word negotiate is a courageous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well. you have to have the courage to negotiate."

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, president of France, is beating the war drums for NATO entry into the Ukraine-Russia conflict.  He continues to push the suicidal notion of NATO countries sending troops in to fight alongside Ukraine, despite being repeatedly warned NATO entry into that conflict would result in a “war the no one will win.”  That is to say, a nuclear war.

Macron just today began mobilizing trainloads of French Armor, including tanks, heading east for Ukraine.  Video below shows one such train:

 

 

Moreover, French troops are preparing for a high-intensity conflict against an enemy who can match them with firepower — a big change for an army that’s spent the past decades fighting counterinsurgency campaigns in places like Mali and Afghanistan.

The hostilities in Ukraine, in their third year, have brought full-scale war back to the Continent, said Colonel Axel Denis, who runs the combat training center (CENTAC) at Mailly-le-camp in eastern France.

“The world has revealed its true nature: unstable, dangerous, and not everyone is a friend. We’re gearing up for a culture of alert, of being ready at short notice,” he told POLITICO during a visit to the camp. “CENTAC is the only place [in France] where you can see what war is like.”

Conditions for the troops training at CENTAC are as close as possible to an actual battlefield. The sound, heat and light of artillery fire is reproduced, while fake mines are scattered everywhere, and radio communications can be interrupted without notice.

History shows that the last time the French went into Russia, under Napoleon Bonaparte, they lost 650,000 soldiers. Their bones were left to disintegrate in Russia.

Those who do not learn from history, seem doomed to repeat it.

One time I was working on my car. I was lying on my back under the engine but I was quite safe as I had raised the car on proper axle stands before removing the front wheels. To be even safer I had chosen to work on the engine with the car parked in the street as it was flat and horizontal. Our driveway was at an angle.

Dad was standing at the front of the car leaning under the bonnet (hood) and directing operations. It was a good time working with my dad.

One of our neighbours arrived and made a complete bodge of parking. He hit my car very slowly with his bumper. No damage to either car but the impact was enough to rock my car forward. The forward motion was enough to cause my car to roll off the axle stands. As the front wheels had been removed the whole weight of the engine descended on my chest.

Dad anticipated what would happen. As soon as the car began to move he grabbed the front bumper with one hand and my legs with the other hand. My father is not a big man. He was 5′-10″ but fairly heavily built. He lifted the front of a Ford Cortina with one hand while pulling me out from underneath with the other.

As far as I was concerned he earned another gold star when he dropped the car and dragged our neighbour from his car and slugged him on the jaw. As he fell, out cold, I will always remember Dad shouting,

“You could have killed MY SON.”

That “my son” was golden.

Jesus!

Using the pointed end

1995 — Applied to Netscape for a job and got rejected

1996 — Was forced out of his CEO position from his own company Zip2

1998 — Struggled to make PayPal succeed

1999 — Almost died when he crashed his $1M Mclaren F1

2000 — Was kicked out of Paypal while on his honeymoon

2000 — Got sick with malaria

2001 — Russia refused to sell him a rocket

2006 — First SpaceX rocket launched failed

2007 — Second SpaceX rocket failed

2008 — Third SpaceX rocket failed with NASA satellites onboard!

2009 — Tesla almost went bankrupt.

2013 — First rocket landing failed

2014 — Several Tesla Model S caught on fire

2015 — Four rocket landings failed

2016 — Model X deliveries delayed over a year

2016 — 300M Facebook satellite rocket launch exploded

2018 — Broke the internet when he took a puff of cannabis on a live show.

2018 — The SEC filed a lawsuit against Musk

2019 — Model 3 deliveries were delayed

2020 — TESLA stock became the most shorted stock in history


To answer your question, what do I like about Elon Musk?

I admire this man’s courage and relentless character.

main qimg 6526f88b8157765c7c73367a834ec31e lq
main qimg 6526f88b8157765c7c73367a834ec31e lq

While most of his critics would shrink before small obstacles in life, we can’t deny that this man has proven to be an unstoppable genius of our era!

I went out for dinner with a young female I had met in my class.

We had turned up to a pizza restaurant, we ordered and sat down.

Within the first five minutes my ex-girlfriend walks in.

She sits down beside me and looks at the girl opposite me and looked her square in the eyes and said “You can date him but know I love him”.

The girl got up didn’t say a word to either of us and left.

I sat there dumbfounded and looked at my ex-girlfriend and she said “I was going to get some take-away but now we can share.”

I sat there in silence and watched as my ex-girlfriend ate the pizza that was ordered for someone else.

After ten minutes of silence had passed.

She said “I think we should give it another shot?”

I said “You cheated on me?!”

She said “How did you know about that?”

I got up and left and still count that as one of my strangest experiences of my young adult life.

Very BIG news and tells you everything about the TRUE face of Geo-politics today.

The frozen feet of fashion

 

I was terrorised as a child by the older kids in my neighbourhood. We were poor but I was quite popular with other kids my age. For some reason this made me a target with the popular older kids. They would take great pleasure in chasing me and if they caught me they would beat me to a pulp. It was the 80s and this kind of thing was just accepted.

Fast forward 10 years. I’ve done an apprenticeship as a scaffolder, put on a lot of weight. Bulked so much I’ve earned the name Tank at work. I bump into the ring leader of the older kids in a night club.

I get we were kids when the bullying happened and think that as he’s now grown up he’s probably grown up. As I pass him I smile and say “Alright, mate?” He replies with “Don’t fucking speak to me”. This stops me in my tracks. I look him dead in the eye. The club feels like it’s gone silent as I contemplate knocking his head clean off of his shoulders. I said to him:

“Listen Julian, we’re not 10 any more and this isn’t the estate, now, turn back around and walk out of here before you get hurt.”

He froze. There was a look of sheer confusion on his face. He turned on his heels and walked out the door without another word.

He avoided me after that night.

This is REAL

Who do you miss the most in life?

The simple answer: Me. On September 3, 2012, when I was 35, I had the first of 4 sudden cardiac arrests and clinically died. I was anoxic, or without breath for somewhere under 10 minutes. I was diagnosed with a heart condition called Brugada Syndrome, which is a gene mutation that largely goes undiagnosed because the first symptom is death. In that time, I suffered mild traumatic brain injury or tbi. Before that I was a lively, smart woman, mom, fluent Spanish speaker with a great job of 6 years. After I came home, I couldn’t recall that thing the kids played with in the backyard. I just pointed and cried. Their swingset. My doctors couldn’t agree on when, or if I should return to work. Subsequently I was terminated as was denied short term disability because their physicians didn’t agree with mine and my time off wasn’t covered. I had never been fired before, and it’s never gotten easier since. I’ve been fired 4 times. I have worked at Walmart, and as a receptionist at a small nursing home. My doctors told me to try Disability(SSDI). I tried and was denied, saying I was too young and able to be a mail sorter. I kid you not. I struggle. Then 5 ‘events’ with my ICD(internal defibrillators) and 2 unsuccessful cardiac ablations left me with anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD. I have lost so much of my memory, including most of my Spanish skills, my confidence, my ability to learn new things much less recall previous things. My short term memory is appalling and I reach for words often. 3 weeks ago I was let go from yet another job, despite telling them of my ADA status. At least I got excellent counseling which all but erased the mental anguish.

So yes, I miss the person who I was.

I can relate to this

Chicken and Vegetable Stew (Saucochi di Gallinja)

2024 02 18 09 50
2024 02 18 09 50

Yield: 8 or 9 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons instant beef bouillon
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 3 ears sweet corn, cut into 3 pieces
  • 1/4 pound winter squash, pared and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 1 small hot chile pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Heat chicken, water and bouillon to boiling in Dutch oven; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
  2. Skim off fat. Add remaining ingredients except chives. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Garnish each serving with chives.

 

What China Just Did Changes The Entire Space Industry And America Is Terrified!

Can Mexican taxes and wages compete against Chinese labor in the manufacture of Chinese cars?

Once again as a racist you cannot see beyond wages. As a spremacist you miss the point all together about the education, the trainings , the willingness to learn, the feebleness, the ability to adapt and change, the characteristics of Chinese language that is superior in retaining knowledge and the unique discipline, and hard work of the Chinese workers and a whole host of the Confucian and Taoist edicts that groomed a Chinese worker from birth that so much affect the immense productivity and efficiency of Chinese workers.

So white Caucasians analyst are simply unaware of these characteristics and they think simply and blindly thinks that Chinese makes things cheaper because of wages and government support and taxes means absolutely nothing compared to a perfectly well trained and highly disciplined worker.

 

You’re welcome

What’s the most “small town” thing you’ve witnessed?

My first job as a Town Manager in the early 80’s was in a small town in Kentucky along the Mississippi River. Some interesting tid-bits….

The Chief of Police was driving me around my first week there. We were in a residential area and he stopped and opened his door. He got out his shotgun and shot a dog in the street. He got back in the car, called Public Works and told them to pick up the dead dog on Maple Street. When I asked him why he shot the dog he said it didn’t have a dog tag.

Town Hall was located in downtown. I’m working in my office on the second floor and when I hear a gun shot blast. I looked out the window and there’s a half dozen people waking down the middle of the street with shotguns. I called the police dispatcher and said there’s people with shotguns walking downtown and shooting, please let the Chief know. The dispatcher said “yeah, it’s pigeon day. All the duck hunters get together and shoot the pigeons. It’s a warm up to duck season which starts this weekend. I believe the Chief is with them.”

The local doctor died a few months before I got there. He had been the only doctor in town for 30+ years. He willed his medical office building to the Town. One of my jobs would be to modernize the office and find a new doctor. When I went in the office to see what needed to be done I noted he had two waiting rooms. I assumed that was “well” patients and “sick” patients. It wasn’t. It was blacks and whites.

The nearest TV stations was Memphis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They were too far away for ‘over the air’ reception so people in town didn’t own television sets. I called a cable company and had them built a cable system in town.

We operated the local utilities, which included water, sewer and natural gas. We had a separate building for the electric system. Two women worked inside the office and a crew of men did the outside electric work. One of the women went to Disney World on vacation. While she was gone the other woman had an emergency operation. This was the first time both had been gone at the same time in years. I called my wife and asked her to cover for them until one or the other got back. My wife was a CPA and home along (without TV) with our toddler son. She jumped at the chance to do something. She opened the office and before lunch she called and told me the woman were taking cash out of the cash drawer and covering the missing money with their own personal checks, which they never deposited. More than $3,000. I told her to deposit their checks. I hired an auditor to come investigate, had the locks on the doors changed, filed a police report and informed the Mayor & Council. I fired the women. The checks bounced. The Town Council told me to not press charges against the women. The women filed for unemployment, which I appealed and won.

There was a giant flood wall to keep the river from flooding downtown. We had a number of large pump stations to pump water over the dikes and flood wall. Beavers was the bane of the town. There was a “bounty” on beaver ears and there was a local guy who bought beaver fur.

The volunteer Fire Chief invited me to a monthly last Friday cookout which I accepted of course. As it turns out that was men only, no wives. Just as well, my wife would never had eaten the beaver stew.

I was the Town Manager for 365 days and took a job in Tennessee in a very interesting town.

This is why men don’t want to date anymore

 

 

What implications do you see in the survey results showing a decrease in support for independence “as soon as possible” in Taiwan?

image 17
image 17

The Ukraine War taught the Taiwanese a lesson. The so-called protection of Taiwan by the West is to make Taiwan the battlefield and let the Taiwanese suffer the consequences of the war. Taiwan is part of China at present International laws so China has sovereignty over Taiwan. China has an Anti-Seperation Law. if Taiwan pushes for independence, it will get into war. Now they understand the so-called Western protection for them is a trap. Their youths will die. Their seniors and children will become refugees that already saturated the developed countries so that they may have no place to escape the war.

The West will supply weapons to Taiwan to fight till the last Taiwanese, just as now Ukraine has to fight the last Ukrainians.

Ukraine War is evident. The US wants Taiwan to claim independence as soon as possible. So the US makes a big arms sale to Taiwan, giving them the false perception of “safe”. The US needs the Ukraine War to weaken Russia. The US wants to weaken China more than Russia. So the US wants Taiwan to provoke a proxy war for the US.

The US is a very smart businessman. If the US wages war on China, the US soldiers will die and the US has to commit many resources such as arsenals. Now it can let the Taiwanese replace the US soldiers in the war, and Taiwan even has to purchase the weapons, to fight the war for the US geopolitical objective. The US wants to fight a war against China without cost a penny and a single soldier. The US wants a war it can profit from while Taiwan bears all the costs, including lives and weapons. The US already profited from the perception of war because it made a big sale of weapons to Taiwan.

Do you prefer a peaceful life? or a wartime life?

I understand

What do you think of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s theory of “If you’re not at the table in the international system, you’re going to be on the menu”?

image 262
image 262

You see this face and you don’t really get awed by these warnings

Your first thought is STUPID MORON

This guy doesn’t have the ability to put that voice of steel that some US Leaders had in the past

It’s why everybody has openly mocked him, from MBS blatantly ignoring him for 24 hours to Jordan openly telling him to go f*** himself to Qatar to Iraq all snubbing him including our EAM Jaishankar

image 261
image 261

Someone like James Baker would be different

His voice would have that steel warning

You would think twice before acting against the man

Not Blinken

Not Biden

Not Austin

Not Sunak

Not Ursula

These are Circus Clowns and if they warn, you can laugh and ignore them safely

You never know

What are some subtle differences between high-end restaurants and those just pretending?

What comes to mind as I move through a dining experience?

  • When you arrive, you’re greeted by a doorman, who opens the car door, ladies first. If it’s raining, they escort you to the door under a large umbrella.
  • The door is opened for you, and the host(s) say hello immediately rather than looking down at a floor chart. Maybe greeting you by name.
  • There is either someplace to check your coat, or the host helps you off with yours and checks it for you. The host would return it to you when you’re ready to go.
  • The music is subtle, whatever kind it is.
  • Lighting is appropriate. There are fresh flowers and in the evenings, candlelight (with real candles). People look better in candlelight, and a lady feeling pretty creates another luxurious atmosphere.
  • If, God forbid, your table wasn’t ready you’re escorted to the bar for a cocktail. There are no buzzing pagers (nor inappropriate jokes about stuffing it down their pants), no name screaming when your table was finally ready. The host carries the drinks for you to your table. If more than two, the ladies’ drinks are carried. Checks are seamlessly transferred from the bar to the table. You TIP the bartender very subtly.
  • Chairs are pulled out for you, ladies first. When all are seated, then the menus are handed out.
  • Menus might be printed daily, but there is no stickiness, crumbs, or fingerprints on menus that are reused. No pictures on the menu, nor vendor logos. Probably no prices. They probably don’t offer wings.
  • There are utensils for each basic course. The waiter (and they’re waiters, not servers) replaces silverware with each course if the meal choices require a different utensil, usually with a mise en place. Proper underliners are used under soup or dessert bowls, ramekins come on a plate, too. (Ben Maurer) Crumbers are used. There are chargers.
  • No water spots on the silver or glassware. Or windows!
    (Leroy Binx) God forbid, no crumbs on the floor or seats.
  • Having someone walk you to the restroom rather than pointing across the room.
  • There isn’t a “no problem” to be heard.
  • There is no He or She when addressing someone about someone else. For example, not “She ordered the salmon” but rather “The lady ordered the salmon”. The word “food” is a 4-letter “f” word. (So is “free” and “fair”) It’s “your meal”, “your dinner”, etc. Not “your food”. One doesn’t eat, one dines. You’re not eating with us tonight, you’re dining with us tonight. (Sorry – I don’t know the answer to the pronoun issues people are having these days.)
  • Water glasses are never low, and you didn’t have to ask for water in the first place. Water is poured after you’re seated, without a drop being spilled on the tablecloth. Although, the waiter might still ask you if you prefer sparkling or still bottled water.
  • The meal looks beautiful, i.e. no broccoli stems pointing up. (People eat with their eyes) No finger prints on the plates. Protein (main course) is always served at 6:00 on the plate. Ladies first. Period. Meal delivery as well: “And the lady ordered the salmon” as the dish is placed in front of her, coming in from the left. Plates are not handed to the guests. Served from the left, removed from the right. Sometimes, every person is served at the very same time by a group of waiters. It’s called a “drop” (A group of waiters? A “gaggle”? Just kidding!)
  • Black or white napkins, which, if you get up are refolded neatly on your chair.
  • Every time a table is bussed, which is immediately, it looks like it’s never been seated before. Condiments (salt & pepper) full and clean, perfectly placed. Freshly ground pepper is always offered, along with grated cheese where appropriate. The latter either freshly grated into a bowl, served by spoon (rare) or by a little grinder that is silver, not plastic. No one says, “Say when”. Holding up your hand a little, palm down says it all.
  • No catsup or mustard bottles in sight. Ever. (Andre Serafin and Kristin A) Mustard, catsup, mayonnaise, and horseradish are served in ramekins or tiny bowls with small spoons. They probably don’t have steak sauce, although accommodating a guest is paramount, so these days it will probably come in a ramekin, too.

    Edited 12/10/19 to add: I’ve often enjoyed and taken for granted the service of a Sommelier, whose job it is to create wine lists, pair wine, and make recommendations of wine on or off the written wine list. What I didn’t know, was the rigorous training and testing it takes to become a Sommelier! There are only a few over 200 in the world, so they are a Big Deal.
    That said, I’ve never known if the Sommelier just came to our table because we were looking at wine, or if their expertise needed to be requested. A glaring hole in my experience, I must say. Any thoughts or “subtle differences” to contribute?
  • A red wine glass for red, a white wine glass for white. Red wine is never oxidized. When a bottle of wine is served, it’s (Steven Michael) decanted or chilled appropriately. The restaurant doesn’t even ask, and they know what and when wine should be decanted. The wine tasting is handled with grace and silence, in the appropriate order. The cork should be placed next to the host (Liam MacDonald) so the host can make certain the cork is moist and there aren’t any telltale signs the wine has turned. If the table isn’t already set with glasses for that wine selection, the appropriate glasses are set once the wine is approved. (Rachel Bateman) The invisible waiter tops off the wine. The guest never touches the bottle.
  • The port doesn’t have pour spouts in them, nor does good scotch or whiskey. White Zinfandel isn’t a featured wine type. There’s a good chance there is no happy hour.
  • There are no dirty aprons nor shirts on the waiters. No shabby shoes. No crazy hair styles, piercings or tattoos. (Sorry all. That’s life.)
  • When its a mixed gender couple or table, males’ plates are never removed until the females are finished dining.
  • Dessert menus are handed out without asking, coffee, tea, espresso or an after dinner brandy or port is always offered.
  • There are no bus tubs, no stacks of dishes through the dining room, and empty plates are removed IMMEDIATELY directly to the kitchen. Oh. Plates are removed to the kitchen to be boxed. A guest is never, ever, handed a box with a cheery, “Here you go!” The package is always in a nice bag.

    There is some controversy in the comments over leftovers. Since I am writing this, I’ll say my own feelings agree with Tim Chisell and Umair about waste, portion control and not being served troughs of food, so there really shouldn’t be leftovers. People do take food home (have you never seen a little tin foil swan?) so I added what a restaurant would not do: hand you a big box.
  • When you get your leftovers home, the contents look like a beautiful meal. After all, those are the very last impression of you as a waiter and the restaurant.
  • The check. Reminded to me by my mother. One signs on one’s account. If one must handle a form of payment, it’s normally a card, very subtly put into a check presenter. Not stuck out the top for all to view.

Believe it or not, it’s not just bread or rolls before a meal. It’s not valet parking, or sorbet between courses. Those would be obvious attempts, but if other items such as those which come to mind for me aren’t present, it’s nice, but maybe — not always — a wannabe. It could just be a nicer restaurant not trying to be more than a comfortable, more upscale place to dine. But high-end? Add in details such as these and it will elevate a restaurant.

So there are a lot more obvious indicators, but what really makes or breaks the difference is quality of the food, the service and presentation. Anticipation of the guest’s needs. Sauces, condiments, appropriate suggestions that might enhance the meal for some, but not for others — just to be sure. The appreciation of the guest.

Edited to add: I’ve received so much fun feedback to this answer, I thought I’d incorporate suggestions from commenters. Quora is acting funny (maybe) and not letting me see all the comments, but I’ll be adding them in. Thank you!

And, now I read that I, or this answer, is the highest read in the restaurant category. Interesting to me that something I began almost wistfully others have enjoyed. So thank you and thanks for participating!

The Benefits of Having a Maid

 

If 75 percent of Americans struggle to make ends meet, why is everyone driving financed 30-50k cars instead of a $5k 2000s Corolla/Camry that’s probably more reliable?

If I could change one thing about American schooling — mostly at the high school and college level — I would make it mandatory to teach financial literacy. And I don’t mean basic stuff like how to write a check — that was what passed for “financial literacy” when I was in high school in the 1980s.

I mean we turn out college and high school graduates who have never learned about things like credit scores, how loans work, how taxes work, the value of retirement accounts, how the stock market really works, etc.

My two kids are ages 25 and 23, and anything they know on those subjects, they mostly learned from my wife and me. For the most part, we don’t teach kids how to stay out of financial trouble.

So we have full-grown adults walking into a car dealership, and the salesman steers the question to, “How much car payment can you afford?” The salesman is hoping that the customer is financially illiterate and doesn’t understand what a terrible question that is — for the customer. The salesman will hear that you can afford $600 per month and come back with, “Hmm, we can work with that.” The customer ends up leaving in their $40,000 car, pleased as punch that they can actually afford it, and they think the salesman did them a favor. Maybe down the road they figure out that they’re paying 12% interest on an 84 month car loan, and that they only got half of what their trade-in should have been worth.

Same thing happens on the mortgage front, by the way. Some loan officer runs a preapproval on a young couple and tells them they can afford a $300,000 house. I guarantee you that the couple zooms in on that price point. If they slowed down and asked, they might find out that they can qualify for a $225,000 house with a 15 year mortgage at a substantially lower interest rate, meaning that they build equity faster, pay less in interest, and should they choose to do so, own the house free and clear after 15 years, as opposed to still owing 15 more years of payments if they’d taken the 30 year mortgage. And all they had to do was ask, and reset their expectation to a slightly less expensive house.

So in summary, why are people struggling and over-spending? Because they’re financially illiterate, and we as a society don’t seem to think that’s a problem.

Truths About Women That Most Men Learn Too Late

Have you ever called in sick but you were convinced or threatened by your superiors to come to work? Did it end well for you?

The only time it really happened was when I sprained my ankle.

I was working in retail management and we had inventory coming up on a Sunday.

Friday I sprained my ankle bad. But because of how US healthcare is, I tried to put off having it seen by a doctor because, ugh horrible health insurance and bills. But that Saturday, since I could barely walk, I saw a doctor. And after x-rays to confirm it wasn’t actually broken, given an air-cast boot and doctor’s note for my employer with work restrictions.

I was scheduled that Sunday for inventory plus 2 hours in the store prior to closing. I showed up, air-cast and all, to try to explain that I didn’t think I’d be able to work the inventory. I mean, seems obvious right? Air-cast, doctor’s note, work restrictions, etc.?

The other store management had zero issue with me not working the inventory, they understood I was actually injured and not faking it. They also knew how rarely I called in.

Not to my district manager. Who threatened me with termination. 4 years of work, almost never calling in sick, working every Helliday shit shift, and because I was only one of 5 members of management there that day who was actually injured, I could be fired.

So, malicious compliance it is.

My work restrictions were very detailed and explicit. No climbing, no squatting, no standing for more than 15 minutes at a time, must elevate my ankle every 30 minutes, must be allowed to sit for any tasks that don’t need to be done standing, etc. I also, per company policy, faxed (yes, that long ago) copies of my doctor’s note, etc. to the HR office with a follow-up email.

And I followed the work restrictions to the letter for the whole shift. Despite the fact they had external inventory counters, it still took longer than scheduled, which meant, by law, every member of the store management staff other than the district manager(salary position) had to be paid overtime, since it put us all over 40 hours for the week.

On Monday, the district manager got chewed out by HR and his boss, the area manager.

For having so much overtime (for 5 people, about 2 hours each), for ignoring my doctor’s note, for not excusing me from inventory, for erroneously threatening me with termination (my email mentioned I understood termination of my employment was a possibility due to my injury), and a few other things.

I received 2 days off with pay, apologies from the area manager, HR and the district manager (begrudgingly from him), and wasn’t written up.

And while the district manager bore a grudge against me for his ass chewing, he was also incredibly hesitant to pull any similar stunts against me. It took him about 8 months to do so, and when he did, I left the company, after explaining why to HR, the area and regional manager.

My quitting also left not one, but 2 stores short staffed as he had expected me to cover another store’s shifts after writing me up, denying me a transfer promotion, and rescinding pre-approved vacation time off.

His actions also led to another ass chewing by his superiors after I left. And two of the top performing employees to quit shortly after.

Brett Cooper Reacts to Passport Bros

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/itGj4nNlF24?feature=share

 

What was the most haunting thing you have seen as a police officer?

I’ve been to more suicides and sudden deaths than I can remember, but one has always stood out. It was a lady who had hanged herself. It wasn’t particularly gruesome, she was discovered very quickly, and she had obviously done her homework as it appeared to have been effective and quick. The reason it was so memorable was because of WHERE she did it…

As I say, she had done her homework, and had made a proper noose which she had firmly secured to the rafters in the attic of her home. She had stepped through the attic hatch, which had the effect of acting as a ‘gallows drop’. The hatch to the attic was situated at the top of a flight of stairs, so for us as the attending officers the only way to get to her was to walk up the (fairly narrow and dark) stairs to the top where she was effectively ‘standing’ over us, where we had to gently move her to one side in order to get onto the landing. The power to the dwelling was cut, so the only light available to us was via a bedroom window which was situated directly behind her with the door open, such that she was silhouetted to us, and seemingly looking down with glazed eyes.

I’ve been to deaths over the years which were far more gruesome, but there was something psychologically unnerving on a primeval level about having to climb your way up restricted access to a deceased person who is ‘stood’ in a dominant position over you.

Rationally, the apprehension was purely down to perception. Nonetheless, everyone there physically relaxed once we were able to cut her down and rest her on the ground.

This is why

What is the most humane gesture you have ever encountered?

One of my juniors in college was a very chirpy girl. She was an only child. A helpful and polite soul, she was liked by nearly all the students and faculty members.

Her home was situated across our college. We used to often drop by her place while heading back home.

One day, we reached college and were greeted with a heart-wrenching news. Our beloved junior had expired. She was lighting a stove while her parents were out. The stove burst and she met a tragic untimely end. No words can describe the sadness that permeated all our lives. It was difficult to accept that someone so dear was suddenly snatched away from us.

We went to her place to meet uncle and aunty and offer our condolences. They sat silently. Absolutely silent and lost. Their vacant eyes told a story that was gut-wrenching.

The couple had lost the joy of their lives. Their only offspring was gone. While she could never be brought back, our college girls tried to make an effort to mitigate the pain.

From the time she was put to rest, not a single day passed when uncle and aunty were left alone. Every day, some girls used to go over to their place and spend time with the couple. We had even decided on the schedule so as to ensure that we did not miss out on any day.

We used to talk to them, take them out sometimes, run errands for them, regale them with our antics in college and generally try to be there for them.

The process was slow. But eventually uncle and aunty were able to come to terms with their loss and move on with their lives. Their smiles and blessings said it all.

A majority of students came together to show the couple that they were not alone… that they had daughters, just not born in their family. This collective effort was one of the most humane, compassionate and loving gestures I’ve ever witnessed.

“NO WAY” Videos That Are Glitching The Entire Internet Out

Terrifying. This Changes EVERYTHING. MY REACTION to What They’re Planning.

He is correct.

https://youtu.be/dvnrhkQc1po

What is the most horrifying noise you have ever heard?

The sound still haunts me. I still think of it, and it happened in 1987 and here we are in 2024 and the sound of that night will be with me until the Lord calls me home.

There I will probably meet the 18-year-old senior in high school who didn’t wear his seatbelt as the car rolled over end to end 11 times after exiting the roadway. He was a back seat passenger with no seatbelt and that resulted in his high-speed ejection thru the rear window. He laid in a field and his body appeared pristine, even though his skull was fractured which killed him instantly. I was the patrolman who responded to handle the accident scene.

The noise was his mother’s scream at 1:17AM in the morning as I stood on the porch after giving her the death notification.

It was primal, it was guttural, and it is forever.

It will never leave my mind or my soul. I will think of that kid forever.

Do you think that this is America?

Uh oh! The bitch slap of reality.

What psychological stuff you should know?

  1. Girls are more attached to their parents emotionally.
  2. Girls who talk less are more romantic and loyal to any kind of relationships .
  3. Girls who talks more are over friendly and confused in their relationships .
  4. If a girl sends you first, good morning messages then more likely she likes you and want you to be her friend .
  5. If a boy continuously calls in every two, three hours then the girl gets irritated. This is the main reason of break ups.
  6. All girls don’t love flowers. Before giving flowers think twice .
  7. Do not gift too early in your relationships. You will lose your dignity. Most of the girls find it awkward.
  8. Girls like boys who visit their house confidently and pass some time with her family.
  9. Girls prefer friendship before any serious relationships. Most girl friends become very good wives except for few.
  10. Girls are experts in reading eyes and body gestures. A decent girl will never fall prey.
  11. Some girls deliberately flirts with boys to get popularity in their friend circle. You can make out from their dressing sense. If you are also a flirty then enjoy.
  12. Girls like the boys who likes to share the money during a date or in group party. They love gifting more than receiving .
  13. Girls mostly respect the boys who help in studies and clearing the doubts. They remain genuine as friends all the time.
  14. Girl can never go to restaurant or cinema hall alone with you if she is not in love with you. If you are flirting, take a note.
  15. Girls like if you talk straight looking into the eyes. If you are really interested, you can try this. If you can talk straight looking into her for five minutes then you are in love .
  16. Girls love to be praised in front of others not in one corner. This shows your lack of confidence. There is nothing wrong in praising in public.
  17. Girls love to be pampered. This is the main reason they get cheated. They trust easily.
  18. Girls like to be independent. They don’t like questioning and blaming always.
  19. Girls don’t love easily and once they love they can go to any extent to own their love. Note this
  20. If a girl easily accepts your expensive gifts then, think twice before dating her .
  21. Girls can sustain unbearable pain emotionally as well as physically. Mother Earth 🙂

 

I compared Moscow to New York, and indeed, Moscow is nicer, which confirms Tucker Carlson’s claim

Is it surprising that China’s trade with major partners fell in 2023, given the global economic slowdown?

In your dream it is!

China’s trade with the rest of the world increased and improves substantially contrary to your intentional doubt casting. Fact is UK declined by 3.0% GDP Germany too had a negative growth and the uS has barely any real growth! Needless to say China’s trade with them deteriorated significantly in 2023!

Please stop fooling your own people. The problem is that the war which the U.S. and UK and NATO stupidly and barbarically goaded Russia into and highly provoked boomerang back at them hard and is now destroying the western economy. Stop fooling your people it is not hurting you. It is. And in a very big way.

Harry Potter but in Ancient Rome!

What did your kid do that you had to punish them for, but couldn’t help but laugh at later?

My daughter was around the age of ten and I had given her a box of lolly pops that whistled. I had purchased them in a bulk buy but none of my children liked the flavour. So I sent my daughter to school to share them with the other students. Some time after lunch I got a call from the headmaster to come to the school, as she was in trouble and was being sent home as punishment. He did not go into details over the phone and I was left completely shocked as she was a straight A student and had never been in trouble before.

I arrive at the principal’s office and was seated next to my daughter when he pulled out a plastic bag full of coins and placed it on the desk. He went on to tell me that she had stood outside of the canteen line of students, during lunch hour spruiking “lolly pops for sale only fifty cents”. She had managed to sell every lolly pop I had sent her to school with. The canteen staff complained that they had a contract and that they had lost sales due to her lolly pop sales, so the principal had no other option but to confiscate the money and call me in to address the issue. My daughter sat next to me with tears streaming down her face.

After we discussed why she had that many lolly pops and what was said to her in the morning before she left for school, he realised that this was not something that her parents or any adult had encouraged her to do. He went on to say “ I cannot punish a child that shows entrepreneurial skills that someday could lead to great things”. He applauded her efforts and explained what a contract with the canteen owner meant and why she could not do this again. He handed over the bag of money to her and we happily left his office.

She gleamed all the way home. She not only had lots of cash but she had been given the afternoon off school. I thanked that principal for his honesty and for not punishing her unnecessarily.

What is the biggest scam an auto mechanic ever tried on you?

Not sure it was a “scam” or just incompetence.

Had a slow refrigerant leak in my WRX. I actually heard it hiss slightly at the compressor while topping it off once, so I knew where at least one leak was. Took it to the dealer for a timing belt and asked them to look at the AC. I picked up the car and they said they couldn’t find the leak where I showed them it was, but that I needed a new condenser, the AC tech could smell the refrigerant in the cabin of my car. $3200 to fix.

Said no thanks, I’ll keep topping it off.

Got into the car and it did have an odd odor, which I attributed to it sitting near the body shop. I was smelling lacquer thinner.

A few months later, I was in Advanced and the kid working the the counter had a same year STI, so we were BS’ing about what we liked and disliked about the cars and I mentioned the AC experience. He walked over to the AC isle and handed me a package of assorted green O-rings. He said he had the same issue and to try one of these where I heard the leak.

Next day, I popped the line off, replaced the O-ring, charged the system and once I got the pressure right, I was good to go. $4.95 plus $19.95 for a bottle of refrigerant.

Many of you will say that I should have evacuated the system and you’re right, but I didn’t have a vacuum pump. This was as much a test as anything. Still driving the car 8 years and easily 100k miles later and I haven’t touched the AC since that day. In fact, the compressor clutch is on it’s last legs, but at 282k miles, the entire car is feeling it’s age. Saved $3175, too.

New factory Subaru condenser: ~$280 online
Amateur labor estimated: 4 hours (estimated $400 shop labor cost, no way they would take as long as me to replace)
Other supplies: $30

They were looking at making ~$2500 profit and still not fix my problem. I am fighting the urge to name them, especially since I had a run in with their service manager the next (and final) time I was there. In for an airbag recall and he’s trying to replace my power steering pump for $600+.

Never be afraid to walk away and get another opinion if you can.

Breaking Bad but in Berlin

I’m the latest target of the office bully. She won’t leave me alone. I’ve ignored her for 2 yrs, but she goes to HR with complaints. HR has told me if there is one more incident, we’ll both be fired. Am I sunk?

I had a friend of mine who had this happen. He did not take it sitting down. He was rather excitable.

The women who made the allegation was one of the most narcissistic people I had ever seen.

when HR went to him with the allegations of sexual harassment he, went ballistic on the HR PERSON. This is what I was told.

He said that he told the HR PERSON, the woman accusing him was a lesbian, shinny, ugly, had scabs all over her body, had a personality of a stone fence post. Nothing he would be interested in.

in a later meeting with the HR Person, he threatened to sue the company for false reporting. His theory was the office was so busy there was someone around the both of them all the time, there was no time for a possible sexual assault of the nature she was claiming to happen. and he will sue the person making the allegations also

He said his coworkers will back him up in this.

that was the last time I heard of that allegation.

Personally if I was this person being hassled by this woman I would drag her into the HR OFFICE,

say, “you have a reputation of doing this with other people. I have tried to avoid you for two years, and have lots of people to support my claims. I Want this settled right here and now.
i will not live with hanging over my head.

I will fight back, this is my reputation and my livelihood you are messing with, and I have had enough.

I would say if you meet here head on in front of her and the HR PEOPLE THAT THIS WILL STOP.

if it doesn’t I suggest you contact a good lawyer.

just make sure you have not done what she is saying .

This is something I’ve pondered a lot since my early 20s, when it became obvious to everyone that my sister and I had gone down two totally different paths in life.

She was a high school dropout, mother at 16, drug addict who couldn’t hold a job and was either living with an abusive boyfriend or with our parents. She never really made it on her own. But she was nice. Always nice to everyone.

I was in advanced classes in high school, went to a university several states away, and was doing very well there. I’d also had a part-time job since I was 16, and a full-time job since I was 19.

I think our appearances had a lot to do with our different life paths. She was a gorgeous blonde bombshell in our small Southern hometown. Boys were constantly trying to date her/get her drunk/give her drugs.

I was the fat kid in school. No girlfriends. No parties. I didn’t mind working after school and on the weekends, because it’s not like I had anything better to do. Doing homework and studying isn’t hard when it doesn’t get in the way of your nonexistent social life.

Eventually, I lost a lot of weight in college (put it back on after getting married, now trying weight loss round two), gained enough confidence to ask out a woman I liked, and dated her for five years before marrying her. Now, in my late 30s, I have a happy marriage, three happy and healthy kids, a career I love, a house, a minivan, etc…

My sister got married two or three times, I honestly don’t know. She continued doing drugs and “shacking up” with abusive guys throughout her 20s and early 30s. She eventually died of a drug overdose at age 34.

That’s why a part of me pities the really beautiful young women… constant attention from guys when you’re trying to build your life can be a major distraction and help push you down a bad path in life.

So, how has my appearance affected my life? It kept me out of trouble and helped make me the very happy adult I am today.

Disney May FINALLY Be Listening

How do I deal with rude flight attendants?

Last time I flew in an airline -I won’t name,the flight attendant forgot to get me my meal. By the time the trolley reached me, the non-vegetarian meal rack was empty. I was told that they will get me the meal in 5 minutes, I told them even if it’s a vegetarian meal it’s fine. It wasn’t really an issue for me as I don’t like troubling them but they insisted that they have more fish packs and they will get me one.

My wait was for half an hour, with them avoiding me,avoiding my call and not even looking at me. They didn’t even get me water. I got pissed. I literally raised my voice the next time with an “Excuse me, are you deaf?” and the flight attendant was like, “yes,mam can I get you something?” and my soft reply was,”YES! Your complaint book and it should not take half an hour, I want it right now.”

That led to some prompt working and them apologizing for some 15 times in next 15 minutes, they offered me meals (which I refused) and goodies (I refused them as well) and as I didn’t accept their peace offering or apology, in the end, after our landing the ground staff met me and after another series of apologies they refunded a portion of my ticket with vouchers.

It’s not about the food,it’s about their non-caring attitude. I have paid for that seat and that meal with hard earned money. If one form of meal is not there, I understand it’s not their fault but if they refuse to get me any meal then I can get nasty as well.

So, asking for the complaint book work wonders, do it the next time they harass you.

PS I am not proud of what I did but it was needed.

 

As a doctor or nurse, did you ever have a scary gut feeling about a patient that turned out to be true?

I was administering the Anesthesia for a Neurosurgeon friend. He was removing a Cervical spinal cord tumor of a woman in her late 40’s. She was prone (on her stomach) on the table. He had just spent nearly 45 mins denuding the Cervical Lamina (flat bone on each vertebrae that protects the Spinal Cord by creating a bit of a Canal the bone was in intimate contact with the tumor. He is an excellent Surgeon and fun to watch work, no wasted motions. I had just turned my back to the field and doing a routine check of endotracheal tube placement to make sure it had not migrated (a routine thing to do especially in the prone position).

With the tumor now completely exposed, he asked for the Bard-Parker (scalpel), with my back still turned I quickly called out “Stop.” Everyone turned and looked at me. He asked my why… I looked at the tumor one more time and asked him if he would mind using a tuberculin syringe and aspirate the tumor. He said, all of the X-Ray reports had confirmed it was a solid mass tumor. But, because of our long history, he said he would humor me.

The nurse gave him the syringe. He pulled back on the plunger and blood returned. He asked the nurse to give him the closure suture on a needle driver and a pair of Adson’s forceps and said we are closing. Only he and I realized what had just happened. It was a very large Arterio-venous malformation with thicker than normal walls of the middle muscular coat (tunica media), and an external or connective tissue coat (tunica adventitia). Which had made the almost 2 inch AVF look solid on X-Ray. While closing he explained to the nurses that there would have been almost no way to have stopped the bleeding if he had made the incision and we may have very well have lost the patient.

I have no explanation as to why I told him to stop. It was just this internal feeling.

He sent the patient to a University Med. Center to have the defect repaired. They sent him a letter thanking him for his excellent job in dissecting away the Spinous Processes, the Lamina, and the surrounding tissue. They said this made their surgery so much easier and because of his excellent dissection the AVF walls had not been disturbed which they also felt would have caused her death from hemorrhage. He had done the hardest part of the surg. He also was on the Neurosurg teaching staff at the U.

Two hours in the gym

Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice Stew (Asopao)

This chicken and rice soup is Christmas for me. Not the Christmas meal by any means but the Christmas season. In Puerto Rico, this is the soup that was traditionally served at parrandas. And it continues to be a staple at parties and get togethers.

What is a parranda? You well may ask. The short answer is that a parranda is a party. It’s a Puerto Rican tradition that probably wouldn’t go over too well in most American suburban neighborhoods. It involves late night singing and ritualized kidnapping. And eating. And drinking.

A group of singers, parranderos, start the party late in the evening well after dinner. They assemble at the front door of a friend or neighbor’s house and make music until the family wakes up and lets them in. After some more singing, everyone gathers in the kitchen for refreshments. Usually chicken and rice soup.

asopao de pollo 05 1463x2048 1
asopao de pollo 05 1463×2048 1

After they eat, the parranderos hustle the family off to the next house where the singing, eating, and kidnapping is repeated through the night. This PR holiday tradition is kind of like Christmas caroling, but not.

The beauty of the Puerto Rican chicken and rice soup is that it was easy to heat up when the parranderos arrived. And by adding more stock, it could be stretched to feed everyone. You can imagine that by the last house, there would be quite a crowd. These parties would break up by dawn, with all of the parranderos going back to their beds.

Guess what heats up nicely the next day when nobody feels like cooking? You’ve got it. Asopao de Pollo.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; makes enough Adobo to season 3 to 4 pounds of meat

Ingredients

Chicken and Rice

  • 3 pounds chicken, cut into pieces
  • 1 recipe Adobo
  • 9 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 ounces lean cured ham, diced
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 12 pimiento-stuffed olives
  • 1 chorizo (Spanish sausage), cut into 1/2 inch rounds
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped pimientos, drained
  • 3 cups long-grain rice
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
  • Additional chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Adobo

  • 4 whole black peppercorns
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
asopao de pollo 05 1463x2048 2
asopao de pollo 05 1463×2048 2

How to Make Asopao de Pollo

The homemade Puerto Rican chicken and rice soup recipe I’m going to show you develops flavor by sautéing most of the ingredients in a large caldero or dutch oven.

After cutting up the chicken and seasoning thoroughly, go ahead and heat up the olive oil in your pot.

First you’ll brown the raw chicken pieces in batches and set them aside. Next sauté the sofrito, it will smell fantastic as it cooks. Scrape up those browned bits.

Now add the ham, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, capers, pimentos, olives, boullion and rice. Stir all of that right into the sofrito before adding the chicken back. Make sure you pour in any juices the chicken might have accumulated while it was waiting. That’s the good stuff!

Finally, when all of the ingredients are in the pot, pour as much of the water as you can fit into the caldero. Add your salt and pepper and mix it all up thoroughly. Over the cooking time, you can add more water as the rice cooks and absorbs the liquids.

Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down the heat. Allow it to simmer for up to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on your pot, stirring frequently as the rice can burn to the bottom.

When the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked, it’s done. Now you’re ready to feed any late night parranderos that come to your door.

Guests that come at more reasonable hours will love this soup too!

asopao de pollo 05 1463x2048 3
asopao de pollo 05 1463×2048 3

Instructions

Chicken and Rice

  1. Rub the chicken pieces thoroughly with the adobo. Place the chicken pieces in a large pot and add the water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the ham, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro. Sauté over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the tomatoes, olives, chorizo, capers, and pimientos. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Add the vegetable mixture to the pot with the chicken and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Add the rice and peas and simmer covered over very low heat for 15 to 25 minutes, until the stew reaches the desired consistency. It is traditionally served runny, almost like a soup.
  6. Serve in soup bowls garnished with chopped cilantro.

Adobo

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mortar and pestle and grind to a paste. Alternately, combine in an electric blender or food processor and process until smooth.

 

What is the nastiest and most explicit thing that happened in your high school?

I know this question is a month old, but I just have to answer it. Unfortunately, the nastiest thing that happened at my school was done by me.

It was my freshman year. I desperately had a crush on my best friend, Rob. He had this dark, black, hair and deep hazel eyes that made me melt every time I caught him staring at me in Math. You know, teenage hormones and the like.

Our lockers were right next to each other; we were in the same homeroom. Sometime around October, being the ever awkward and weird kid I was, thought that the best way to show Rob I liked him was by teasing him.

I left the cafeteria one day with a nearly full milk carton in hand. I held onto it throughout my last class of the day and waited for Rob at my locker. Once he had gotten his things and we said our goodbyes, I pulled out the milk and placed the carton at the bottom of his locker (he carried a lock with him but never put it on), spout open and covered slightly by a hoodie he had left in there.

Hilarious I thought, he’ll come in on Monday and have to find a chunky carton of milk in his locker. Gross, yet harmless. I was so, so wrong.

Rob found the milk carton on Monday. What I had underestimated about him though, was his capacity to simply not care. He shrugged it off, took the hoodie out of his locker and placed the lock he had never used on it. Then he left it.

A month went by, and I could smell the milk every time I opened my locker next to his. After two months and the Christmas holiday and I forwent my locker, too, instead carrying my entire bag from class to class just so I didn’t have to open my locker.

By April, the entire hallway reeked of sour milk, so strongly that the students curved around the affected area when passing through. Everyone smelled it, no one could figure out where it came from or what it was. It was deadly; so much so that people whispered about what could possibly be making THAT smell. It was the mystery everyone talked about. You could feel the thickness of the stench in the air.

The last day of school came, and we were instructed to take the locks off of our lockers and clean them out at last period. Rob tried to make a getaway – grab his lock and run for the doors before someone asked him to open it and show it had been cleaned out, but he just wasn’t quick enough. “Open it”, our home room teacher demanded, as if he knew what that locker held inside it.

With shaking hands, Rob opened the metal door, and it was if you could see a green puff of foul odor release like a bomb from inside. “Close it!” Our teacher screamed, and Rob did, both of us gagging. The teacher ran for the safety of his classroom and we left.

The first day of sophomore year we came back to a clean hallway – no smell, bare lockers. Though, our former home room teacher never looked at Rob the same. As an adult, I feel TERRIBLE for the poor custodian who had to clean that putrid milk.

However, as I lay next to my husband in bed, I can’t help but be just a little bit nostalgic for that stupid prank. Fourteen years later and Rob and I have been together ever since; inseparable.

Have you ever had a weird experience immediately following the death of a loved one that made you think there is an afterlife and that the deceased person was communicating with you?

Yes, my wife of 46 years died suddenly from heart failure. I got her to the hospital and was able to spend some time with her before she passed.

After she was gone, the medical staff insisted that I spend the night in the hospital due to my medical issues. I was given a mild sedative to help me relax. I fell asleep and at some point I woke and was unsure of where I was. When I realized what had happened, I was leaning against the safety rail on the hospital bed. I saw what appeared to be a room full of people below me, they were all in ‘shadow’ except for one woman in a white light dancing. My wife loved to dance and as I watched, the woman waved at me and everything vanished when the nurse came to check on me.

The second time was at her funeral service. It was freezing that day and I got to the service early to bring some mementos for the service. I, somehow, lost my phone and the facility was locked and no one was around. As I was starting to panic, I ‘heard’ my wife say “calm down.’

As I looked around I saw a perfect rose bloom in the garden area in front of my car. I couldn’t believe that a rose had bloomed in freezing conditions. Roses were her favorite flower, I went to pick the rose and found my phone on the ground. I immediately calmed down and told my wife “thank you.”

The Man Who Built UFOs For The CIA [Not Bob Lazar…]

Is it okay if my laptop is always plugged in so that my battery is charged 100%? Must I allow it to drain periodically by unplugging to increase battery life?

Battery life continues to be one of the biggest complaints of laptop users, so understanding what you can do to help prolong the life is important. Technically speaking, keeping any relatively current laptop plugged in and charged at 100% for extended periods of time shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s best not to do so for a number of reasons.

This is a question that comes up a lot with laptop owners. And the answer is a quite simple “No.” For optimum battery use, and to get the most life out of your laptop battery, keeping it charged between 40% and 80% has been seen as optimum.

Most late-generation laptop batteries are either lithium-ion or lithium polymer, and as such, they are designed to be able to withstand many charge cycles. When you keep it charged at 100%, the charging circuit continuously checks the battery charging process and, so it stops charging once it is at its optimum point and goes into trickle mode, in which it only supplies what is necessary to prevent the charge level from failing.

Also to note: overcharging can lead to overheating, which can lead to catastrophic chemical reactions inside the battery.

Allowing your battery to completely discharge will take away from its originally-intended lifespan. You should ideally keep its battery between 40% and 60%. Don’t let the battery discharge completely to increase its life.

Here are some tips to extend your laptop battery life:

  • Avoid discharging your laptop completely after charging it.
  • Make sure that your laptop doesn’t get too hot and your cooling fan is working properly.
  • Overheating can reduce battery life, check the laptop’s cooling system is functioning correctly and use it on a flat surface to allow for proper airflow.
  • Customize your laptop’s power plan settings to favor battery life over performance when running on battery.
  • If you’re not using your laptop on battery power for an extended period, store it with the battery at around 50-80% charge to reduce long-term stress on the battery.

I suggest maintaining your laptop’s battery level within the range of 40% to 80% charge. By doing so, you can effectively double the number of recharge cycles, increasing them from 300-500 to a substantial 1,000-2,000, ultimately extending the overall lifespan of your laptop.

Harry Potter but in Brazil

 

Wearing a beanie in beantown on a beany day

I was in the ninth or tenth standard.

Our Maths teacher was excellent in teaching maths in logical way.

I had a great respect for her teaching excellence.

Since I loved Maths and scored good marks, students who had problem with maths would come to me in the short interval for clearing their doubts in some difficult problems.

Those students were day schoolers , while I was in boarding.

In short interval when I was explaining Maths, they would offer me some food to taste which they brought from their home.

One particular item jowar roti(it is called jonna rotti in Telugu) with smoked brinjal chutney(baigan ka bharta) was my favorite. So whenever any of those girls brought those items, they would invariably offer me.

One day when I was explaining some problems to the girls, the teacher saw us.

After some time I was called into the staff room.

I was scared. “Did I do any thing wrong by explaining maths to those girls?” I thought.

“It is a good thing you are clearing the doubts for those girls. I appreciate you. You are saving my time” she said.

My respect for her increased.

“But why do you eat from their (mentioning their caste) tiffin boxes? Stop eating from now onwards”

My entire respect for her came crashing down in a minute.

From then onward, I respected her as a good Math teacher but never considered as a mentor.

RV Life is FINISHED! | 7 HARSH REALITIES Why RVer’s QUIT

Southern Fried Catfish

Fried Catfish Recipe 8 scaled
Fried Catfish Recipe 8 scaled

Ingredients

  • 6 small catfish
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • Salt
  • Ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Shake cornmeal, salt and ground pepper in a paper bag.
  2. Heat oil to 360 degrees F, halfway up the sides of a cast iron skillet.
  3. Dip catfish into buttermilk, then into dry mixture in bag.
  4. Fry for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side (5 minutes per every inch of thickness).
  5. Serve with Hush Puppies.

Years ago, my husband stopped by a yard sale looking for old canning jars (which he collects). When he was getting ready to pay for his new treasures, the man running the sale asked him if he wanted a bottle he had – it was only $5. So my husband bought it. He put it in the back seat of his truck and headed for home.

When he got home, he noticed the vivid green coloring to the bottle so he took some pictures of it and uploaded pictures of it to a collector’s group he belonged to. One person offered him $100, another $200. Finally, someone messaged my husband and asked him if he even knew what he had. Turns out it was an old Binninger’s whiskey bottle and the second one known to exist. They offered to pay for transport to their facility and take it around to some collectors’ shows, then auction it off so it could get some exposure. My husband paid for the shipping and agreed that they could auction it off.

That bottle sold for $6000. The auction house got 10%. So $6000 – $620 (600 to the auction house and $20 to buy and ship) = $5380.00. Not a bad traffic

This was actually half of three conversations that were all connected.

A few years ago I was on holiday in Pisa. One day we were travelling back to Pisa by train after a day out and we were sitting near a young Italian.

When he started speaking to someone on his mobile, I did pay attention at first but I then found that I was understanding what he was saying without trying. I decided to practise my aural comprehension and started listening.

He was asking someone to meet him at the station and I assumed that it was his sister, since many young Italians live at home.

Anyway he said something like:

”…… if you could come and meet me at the station … I need to buy a birthday present for Mamma…”

I could not hear what the other person said but I realised he had received a negative response because he said “OK” in a tone of resignation. I had a vague suspicion that asking for help to choose a present was just an excuse and his real concern was getting a lift home. He then said something like:

”I’ll see you at home then ….. or maybe you could come and pick me up at the station …… Ah, OK. I’ll see you at home then”

I noticed that when he asked about being picked up at the station he spoke with exaggerated casualness, obviously wanting to give the impression that he had only just thought of it although it was his real reason for phoning.

After his request had met with another refusal, he phoned someone else and suggested meeting at the station before going to a bar. This person also declined.

A few minutes later the young man’s mobile rang and I just knew that the second person wanted to arrange something for another night. When he answered his mobile, I could half sense and half hear the other person suggesting that they meet another time. The young man did not want to arrange anything and ended the call very quickly.

Personally, if I had been in the other person’s position, I would not have bothered with that young man again. He seemed really self-centred.

Shorpy History

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SHORPY 32456a.preview

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LA city hall sunsetB.preview

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1. Money might not buy happiness but it does make sadness comfortable.

2. The fuller your phone battery is by the end of the day, the better your day was.

3. Having a small circle is cool until your two friends are busy.

4. World history unfolding seems so unreal until you experience it first and it becomes too real.

5. If an object is large enough, it becomes a location.

6. Never run for a bus or a relationship. Because when one leaves, another arrives.

7. May you attract someone speaks your language so you don’t have to translate your soul.

8. Some people don’t realize how hard you are riding for them, until you park.

9. Everyone wants you to go the extra mile, but seldom gives you the gas to do it.

10. Randomly hearing your favorite song is more satisfying than putting it on yourself.

According to the plan, it was supposed to carry back 2 kilograms, but the density of the lunar soil is based on public information in the United States. The U.S. public information is incorrect. The actual lunar soil density is smaller than that disclosed by the United States.

In this way, under the same volume, the mass decreases: 2 kg → 1.731 kg.

This scientific parameter must not be wrong! Get it wrong and the mission will fail. Fortunately, the Chinese do not trust the United States and have margins when designing.

2 possibilities: Deliberately publicizing wrong information to mislead others. The second is that the United States really doesn’t know what is wrong. Therefore, the United States keeps asking China for information and lunar soil. China ignored it!

I am not qualified to say that the US moon landing was fake, I can only have doubts.

Some Problem discussion :

1. The Soviet Union also used unmanned missions to land on the moon, obtained the lunar soil, and found water, while the United States said there was no water. The Soviet Union was not confident and could only believe that the lunar soil it obtained was contaminated. Now, no one from China has landed on the moon to obtain lunar soil, proving that the lunar soil contains water.

2. The ironclad proof of the American moon landing is the installation of a lunar surface laser corner reflector . The distance between the earth and the moon can be measured on the earth through the lunar corner reflector. However, the United States installed two corner reflectors manually, and the Soviet Union installed three corner reflectors with automatic machines for unmanned lunar landings. At the same time, the Soviet Union’s corner reflectors can also measure the distance between the earth and the moon. The effect is the same, how can it be “irrefutable proof”.

3. Zhang Benan , deputy chief engineer of China’s aerospace industry , publicly stated that according to the internal assessment of the US Apollo moon landing, the reliability rate was less than 50%. If China followed the American moon landing model, it would be impossible to succeed. Look, Chinese scientists always speak in direct manner. If the success rate of a project is less than 50%, can it be successful? However, there were 6 Apollo moon landings, 5 of which were successful. Science is not feudal superstition. We talk about projects based on facts. We do not take personal feelings and evaluate rationally!

4. When the United States landed on the moon and returned to the earth, it did not master the ” Qian Xuesen ballistic ” re-entry technology and returned to the earth at the second cosmic speed , which would have killed all the astronauts. However, the three astronauts are not dead, they are alive. what happened? The United States has not yet mastered this technology. In 2022, NASA made big claims early, claiming that Orion was the first manned spacecraft in history to use a jump return method (i.e., “floating”) to reenter the atmosphere. This is actually a ” semi-ballistic return ” and is not fully understood. But how did they return to Earth in 1969?!

5. China and the United States, no one has landed on the moon, and some people have landed on the moon. Comparison of lunar surface pictures:

main qimg 9f3133a555bfba4b50b4547c58bb3bce
main qimg 9f3133a555bfba4b50b4547c58bb3bce

China, lunar surface, lunar soil is dense and discolored. United States, on the lunar surface, the lunar soil is like a cement pile, loose and does not change color. (Picture below: Moon landing announced by the United States)

main qimg da27dfb27dc0d274dda5f095a428ba41
main qimg da27dfb27dc0d274dda5f095a428ba41

There is another picture, below: Ground simulation training taken by the United States (published by the United States), take a look

main qimg 4ae1eed93956631e2abf65cb90cd3e78
main qimg 4ae1eed93956631e2abf65cb90cd3e78

In the ground simulation, the astronauts were held by two wires behind them, and the scene was almost the same as if they were on the moon… If you go to the studio and the wire ropes are blurred, you would think that they are on the so-called moon….The picture below shows the lunar surface taken by China’s Chang’e 2 , which is believed to be the remnants of the American Apollo 11. However, it is a shadow with a resolution of 70 meters. It does not prove that “someone landed on the moon”. A lunar rover? American flag? where? Where are the footprints? No one has ever landed on the moon, so we can throw something down. It’s pitch black, what are you looking at? ?

main qimg 31564713a11c1dfe16ed8e2776cbed29
main qimg 31564713a11c1dfe16ed8e2776cbed29

Even if no one lands on the moon, we can still create this huge pile of ruins with nothing visible. 2002 American TV show, the host who questioned the moon landing insisted that astronaut Aldrin swear to the camera with his hand on the Bible, declaring that he had truly left footprints on the moon. If he refused, it would prove that the moon landing was a hoax. Aldrin remained silent for a long time. But the host continued to ask, saying that if you don’t swear, “you are a coward, a liar, and a shameful thief.” Faced with such verbal provocation, an angry Aldrin punched the host, but he still refused to swear in the end. Later, Armstrong and other three other astronauts who landed on the moon also refused to swear when they encountered similar situations. That is to say, no one who landed on the moon has dared to swear according to the Bible that he landed on the moon. (There is a video, you can look for it) According to American law, pressing the Constitution and the Bible with your hands and swearing an oath are essentially testimonials, which are legally binding. Many people do not understand American law. The act of swearing on the Bible can be used as evidence recognized by the court. If you lie, it is ” perjury “; and perjury is one of the six major felonies and must be sentenced to more than one year in prison. There is no Execution outside prison and understanding outside court. Therefore, when Americans are forced to swear or testify, they can remain silent and refuse to answer. This is a form of self-protection and is recognized by law.

Conclusion :

1. We must use a “real scientific attitude” to talk about problems, instead of “because the United States is very powerful”. Everything it does is right and true. This is inappropriate. Discuss things objectively without any subjectivity; let alone use force to overwhelm others, “America is great, how dare you doubt it?” “Scientists from all over the world don’t doubt it, so who do you think you are?” “Whatever culture you have, you are worthy of doubting Apollo”…This is no longer interesting.

2. Not much to talk about, just two:

A. The United States has not yet mastered the “floating technology.” How did the people inside the lunar return module survive when it returned to the earth at the speed of the second universe? Entering the atmosphere at the speed of the second universe, the spacecraft can withstand at least 16G inside and outside, and the human body can withstand up to 10G. If it exceeds, you will die. How did these moon landings survive?

B. Just one. Of all the “moon-landers”, not one of them pressed the Bible and swore he would land on the moon. Why? When talking about things, convince people with reason.

Everyone is interested in the ground training of the American Apollo moon landing. Here are a few more pictures. These are all announced by NASA:

main qimg 38177cfc66c2d536c1f6d1042656d1e0
main qimg 38177cfc66c2d536c1f6d1042656d1e0

It is speculated that the Americans do not know what the real land on the moon is like. They relied on reasoning to simulate the lunar surface and thought it was similar to a cement pile. However, now China has landed on the moon, and found that the lunar surface is actually similar to the Gobi Desert. The picture below shows the first American moonwalkers. They firmly refused to swear by the Bible that they had landed on the moon. They either cursed, ignored, or remained silent. There were 12 people who landed on the moon, and no one swore an oath!

main qimg 76d19541d6cded34a9b542d57834c6f4
main qimg 76d19541d6cded34a9b542d57834c6f4

We Chinese, born in a secular society, keep a distance from religion or are indifferent to it. But Western society is different. Even after the religious reform, most Americans are Protestants, and they still have a strong respect for religion. Swearing on the Bible is a big deal to them. This is not an oath, it actually explains a lot.….

The latest video I saw was Aldrin talking to a little girl. He probably won’t live long enough to control it, so he told the truth. July 2018, an 8-year-old girl asked Aldrin: “Why hasn’t anyone gone to the moon in so long?”Aldrin accidentally said this: I don’t know, we haven’t been to the moon either!

main qimg 1373f1630f997ff87de6e1980af36ab7
main qimg 1373f1630f997ff87de6e1980af36ab7

Author Note :

USA empire of lies, Barbarian who think himself noble.

Onion Crusted Catfish

onion crusted catfish
onion crusted catfish

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Catfish

  • 8 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Fillets
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 cup French fried onions, crushed

Pecan Sauce

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Catfish

  1. Combine flour, salt, cayenne pepper and lemon zest in shallow bowl.
  2. Dredge fillets in flour mixture and press in crushed fried onions, coating well.
  3. Brown fillets over medium-high heat serving side down for 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Turn fillets and cook 3 to 4 more minutes or until done.
  5. While fillets are cooking, make Pecan Sauce.
  6. Place fillets on plate and serve with sauce.

Pecan Sauce

  1. Melt butter in small saucepan until bubbly and slightly browned.
  2. Add pecans and cook 1 minute to lightly toast.
  3. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from heat; add parsley. Spoon over fish.

Senator John McCain told this story. He was visiting an African nation and was in the office of that country’s president, along with a Congressional colleague. The colleague proceeded to talk to the African president loudly and slowly, using exaggerated gestures.

“MY country is VERY BIG. We have BIG MOUNTAINS. We have BIG CITIES. We have UNIVERSITIES. Do you know what UNIVERSITY means?”

The African president stared at him a moment and then replied, in a normal tone of voice, “I think so. I have a daughter at Vanderbilt.”

Edit, May 5, 2023: Eighty-two thousand views in a week suggests that this issue resonates with a great many people. I am also reminded of this incident of a few years ago:

EDITORIAL: Well, that was embarrassing… — Acknowledging our assumptions
There are many ways to strangle communication. We can misinterpret, not pay enough attention, pay too much attention (to ourselves!), and of course assume. It is much too easy to do. A recent case …

Finally, I am reminded of the employee orientation I attended at an internationally known non-profit institution that attracts employees from all over the world. The institution is located in Tennessee. A young couple with obvious British accents said they were from the UK, and the person in charge of the orientation, having no idea what the UK was, spent the entire day thinking they were from Ukraine.

Retro Pictures AI generated

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Yes. My BEST friend…who I hired to be an assistant manager…and he succeeded. Out of the blue one day, the COO of the company (a bit of a tyrant, but was ALWAYS cool with me) tried to get me to resign for “theft” of property that had been missing before I ever took the position as a manager. I flatly refused and even laughed at him, I hadn’t stolen anything and I knew I was the scapegoat for something. I was fired with no cause given, it certainly wasn’t for theft even though that was the claim. Months later he (best friend) then proceeded to go after my Dad (who worked at the same company) and my dad resigned (he was already job shopping because the company was beginning to have strange issues). Turns out he (my best friend) was a two faced POS (even his own family has now disowned him). He apparently knew that the COO of the company was having an affair…and he used that info to blackmail the COO into putting him into my position and then my father’s position. It lasted about a year until the company president found out about the affair and gave the COO a second chance to clean up his act (the COO’s wife worked for the president and was just a wonderful person). The COO couldn’t keep it in his pants and he got fired. The President took over the COO’s position and began to get information from recently fired employees about how they were fired without cause because the “big supervisor” (guess who) found “problems” that didn’t really exist. The big supervisor would have to come to the stores and do inventories, etc., and while he was doing that he was rewriting sales agreements and contracts so that HE was now getting the percentages of the sales vs the now fired managers. Well, all of that caught up to him…AND it was determined that HE was stealing and blaming it on employees. He had a nice racket going. He got fired and damn near got put in jail. I eventually heard that he had BIG BIG money problems, a serious drug issue and other things. His wife divorced him, his two kids won’t speak to him, his brother and sister won’t even mention his name…. He moved away, married a gal that had a “history” and became persona non grata around these parts.

This is a guy I knew all of my life, who I trusted with my life and would’ve died for. His family is one of the best and his father was as good a man as I’ve ever known. He threw all of it away for money and to try to dig himself out of a problem of his own making. It broke my heart because I’d never been betrayed like that before.

I believe that Made in China 2025 plays better to China’s traditional strengths, which are:

  • Production and manufacturing capacity;
  • Innovation and adaptation;
  • A growing domestic consumer market;
  • Fast to market speed;
  • Domestic consumers who are quicker to adapt than other markets.

It will also stimulate science innovation at a time when the US, EU and Japan are not investing as much.

Moreover, China needs to move up the value chain because the US has shown that it is an unreliable trading partner, which means that China needs to be strong in all the areas which the US is currently strong in, and replace the US as the world’s most innovative and reliable trading partner.

There is an opportunity here because the Trump administration and Republican Party have turned against science investment and education, which means that there is a good opportunity for China to attract science talent to work in China on next generation products and services.

In order to do this, China needs to open up immigration, not just to ethnic Chinese from overseas, but to all talented individuals with special skills who can contribute to Made in China 2025. It needs to become the immigration destination of choice for people from all over the world, replacing the US.

OBOR mainly benefits the large Chinese state-owned companies which are strong in transport development and infrastructure. However, the big question is when will these huge infrastructure projects be paid off?

If their domestic markets take a long time to develop, this means that these governments in central Asia will be saddled with high levels of debt to China, and creating animosity towards China among their own populations. (This has already happened in Malaysia, where the new Malaysian government has asked to re-negotiate the terms of Chinese infrastructure projects in Malaysia.)

For these reasons, I think that Made in China 2025 is the safer investment, and will help Chinese science and industry move up the value chain, replacing the US.

More common than you can believe

Beef Brisket

Beef Brisket
Beef Brisket

Ingredients

  • 1 (5 or 6 pound) beef brisket
  • Onion, garlic and celery salt
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 1 small bottle barbecue sauce

Instructions

  1. Marinate brisket in a mixture of the onion, garlic and celery salts and liquid smoke. Rub in well and poke holes in meat to help tenderize it. Marinate overnight or at least 3 hours.
  2. Make a pouch of aluminum foil. Put meat in it and add salt and pepper to taste and Worcestershire sauce. Seal pouch well and bake at 275 degrees F for 4 to 6 hours.
  3. Open pouch and put onion soup mix and small bottle of barbecue sauce over brisket. Seal pouch again and bake 1 hour longer.
  4. Refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing across grain.

The plant I work in is a 24/7 365 operation. I’m an industrial electronics technician/mechanic and this particular year I got the short straw. So late on the 24th of December Christmas eve and I’m on my way to work. Then this cop pulls in behind me, lights n such, and pulls me over. I couldn’t think of a single thing I had done wrong and was thinking, wtf, I’m gonna get a ticket on may way to work a night shift on Christmas eve, seriously???. I was clearly not feeling like this was going to be a good day.

Now I like putting my skills to work in my personal as well as professional life. My favorite thing is building projects, enter the pickup truck I was driving at the time. For note, this took place about 20yrs ago.

The cop comes up and immediately said, ‘you haven’t done anything wrong’. Which clearly left me very very confused. ‘Are those solar panels on your bed?’. Yes, yes they are. You see I had built an electric truck out of an old Chevy S10. The solar provided some free charging. The questions being flying and on the side of the road on Christmas eve I pop the hood and give an impromptu lesson on electric vehicles.

10min or so later excused myself, work awaited. Oddest stop I ever had.

I worked for a Kia dealer in the late 90s. They had something called retro money. It was an incentive to the dealer. Every car you sold in a month got you xx dollars from the manufacturer. The more you sold the larger the incentive, and it was retro to all the cars you sold that month. So if the incentive went from 500 to 800 per car you would get the extra 300 on all cars sold for the month.

It is the last day of the month and we need to sell two cars to hit the next level. It would mean an extra 35k for the dealer. We sold the first one by 10am. Then it was a ghost town. No customers etc. I get a guy looking at a Kia Sportage. Not really interested, blah blah blah. It’s nearly closing time and this guy is the only customer. He is one of those that doesn’t buy the same day etc. I was ready to buy a car at this point. We offer him a deal, no, another deal, no. We gave him the rebate off of invoice as well as the holdback, the funny money. The final offer was a 4,000 loss from triple net cost. It was about 8k off of sticker price. This on a car that had a sticker price of about 18k. HE WANTS TO THINK ABOUT IT OVERNIGHT. I tell him this deal goes away. Honestly, if he didn’t buy it, I was going to. He did buy it.

  1. In ancient Rome, the punishment for patricide (killing one’s father) was to be drowned in a sack along with a viper, a dog, a monkey and a rooster. The reason? I don’t even know.
  2. Alice Stebbins Wells was the first ever policewoman who joined the LAPD in 1910. Because she was the first (and only) policewoman, she designed her own police uniform.

main qimg 6c3f0b858e2176654ae251238c9ebf0a lq
main qimg 6c3f0b858e2176654ae251238c9ebf0a lq

3. Gorgias of Epirus, a Greek sophist, was born in his dead mother’s coffin while pallbearers were on their way to bury her. Who has an explanation for this?

4. In the 5th century, St. Simeon Stylites spent 37 years on a small platform on top of a tall pillar in Aleppo, Syria. He did it for ascetic reasons but sometimes I wonder how even spending 1 year on top of a skyscraper without coming down will be like.

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main qimg 99c70b2954100ee06cf2d829357e7ef9 lq

5. One of the most well-known gladiators of ancient Rome, Carpophorus, fought exclusively against beasts. You think Samson in the Bible was a beast? Carpophorus was a monster! Carpophorus famously defeated a bear, lion, and leopard in a single battle. That same day, he slaughtered a rhinoceros with a spear and set a record of killing 20 wild animals no other man will even venture to go near. Even Hercules didn’t do this!

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main qimg f32904a5ae190fc8452936895db8a484 lq

American Reacts to First Time You Realized America Really Messed You Up | Part 2 | TikTok

I do now.

It grew out of quiet quitting. Most other hospitals in town pay about 30–40% more for my job. So after making this known I cut back my work to about 60% and nobody noticed or cared so I cut back even further.

I do about 6 hours of work in a given week.

I show up, I train my classes 1–2 days a couple weeks a month then I go wander around clinics and bullshit with a few people to look like I’m busy. Then I go back to my desk and sit. Thanks to Covid office emptiness I keep headphones on so it looks like I’m listening to music. I’m listening to books on tape or watching YouTube videos. I keep something that looks like work on one of my monitors so I look busy but I pretty much just sit. Sometimes I work on additional certifications for when the ship sinks and I have to go work somewhere else.

I work from home on Fridays, which is to say I sign in to Teams and watch Netflix for 8 hours.

If I can keep this up for 13 years and this poorly run mess I work for doesn’t bankrupt itself, I retire with a full pension.

I have been married twice.

My first marriage ended with my wife’s bloody body in my lap.

She took only about a minute to die.

We had been married, exactly 5 years, she died on our anniversary. She was pregnant, so I also lost the person who would have been my firstborn.

My second marriage ended when my wife died in hospital, from cancer, while I was asleep, at home, she took just days short of 2 years to die.

We had been married 46 years.

I’m still trying to work out which was the worst.

The strange thing about all this is that my first wife died on the 17th of August 1963, at 0130 hrs.

My second wife died on the 17th of August 2013, at 0115 hrs.

I decided to not remarry as I would be depressed every year as August approached.?

PS. My birthday is the 27th of August.

I came into work one morning at around 9:30AM and so was admittedly late. This was in the early 70s so flexible working was not a thing. My boss called me into his office, and gave me right bollocking. I resigned on the spot basically telling him that if he didn’t like it he could stuff his job.

This does seem to be rather high-handed of me, but the context is that I had finished work at 4 AM, destruction testing and debugging a programme suite I had written over the previous 6 months. I had just worked continuously from Friday 10 PM until Monday 4 AM surviving on sandwiches and copious amounts of caffeine citrate tablets so by the time I arrived at 9:30 AM on Monday I was still pretty strung out and probably resembled the crazy doctor in the Cannonball run.

I was incensed to be carpetted without being asked for an explanation. Two days later I had a new job with a 50% salary increase.

I worked a $8-an-hour part-time job on weekends because I needed the money. Like all low-wage jobs, it was hard work, stupid policies, supervisors with a take-it-or-leave it attitude. It was a high-turnover position; people were always quitting and they were always hiring. We were always understaffed.

We were without a manager. Our team lead had been pressed into service without title or pay raise while they recruited the position. For months. As an employee formerly in our position, he was sympathetic to our viewpoints, did the job well, and was popular with us front-line guys. He applied and interviewed for the position he was already spending 40 hours a week doing.

He didn’t get the job.

On the new manager’s first day, our disappointed and bitter team lead quit. Fully 80% of the team followed him out the door. Many of us told our team lead that the only reason we hadn’t already quit was that we hadn’t wanted to make his job as our unacknowledged manager harder.

That didn’t stop the fucker from disappearing instead of repaying the $500 I had loaned him.

For years, the race we all hear about is to lower and lower node sizes. China (SMIC) decided that competing on this was a fools errand.

They are currently flooding the market with 28nm (and above), also known as “mature processes”. This is the same strategy they took in solar panels and batteries. By some accounts, they’ll have a third of this market in a few years.

28 nm is a limit after which transistors had to be redesigned for heat dispersion, data transfer and electric interference, expensive for minimal speed increase. Some think that it is better to keep that design. but use gallium, photonics and other tech to make chips faster. There’s also this interesting cost curve where 14nm is the inflection point where it starts to become more expensive rapidly.

The running after Moore’s law of stuffing more primitive logic into smaller and smaller chips ends up with, for most applications, only marginal gains in useful functionality. Bigger, although still tiny, integrated circuits take up marginally larger space/volume and energy consumption and do the job within acptable response times for logical cycles.

In marketing terms this makes even more sense to raise the cumulative return on mature proven minimum defect production cycles. Going after smaller etching dimensions involves a far higher investment and as can be seen a smaller market.

The experience and tacit knowledge gained on the rising throughput in 28nm etch production is likely at some point to result in the systems teams involved coming up with better designs for smaller dimensioned products simply as a result of their accumlation of their know how (learning curve).

Why is this a problem:

They need 28nm for a ton of things. Lower node is more profitable, but higher node chips are critical for a bunch of things. Cars. IoT. Microcontrollers.

And most worrying: these higher node chips are important for the military. The US government, especially under Trump, tried to get the military to have a better sense of the provenance of chips. They have, for the most part, failed. Chips are bought by systems integrators and the systems integrators have little sense of their own supply chain.

Qualcomm etc aren’t lying per se, but you need to fulfil orders. Some of them are civilian and are military. Some get filled by SMIC chips others by global foundries.

What’s more important?

Their military production might be at risk of being cut off in the event of conflict. Intel’s foundry is targeting lower nodes. It won’t touch these lagging edge processes. Why should it? There’s no $$ in it.

The US private sector has shown great disinterest in solving this.

It was obvious some time ago that this would happen, and it’s the consequences of capitalist short term policies of the US administration. Anyone in tech knows military equipment does not use advanced node chips.

Whatever West does is too little & too late if West’s purpose is to kneecap China. China can make everything, materials, chemicals, and equipment for making 28nm chips & above. China has some workarounds for making 5nm chips too.

This gain in Chinese market share is not export driven, but from domestic consumption growth and divestment from US foundries. Too many people are short-sighted and think that China cannot properly manufacture advanced chips. Take a look at Huawei’s recently released PUEA70, which has a 7-nanometer chip and a camera module that surpasses Sony’s.

I think another point that the West hasn’t realized is that Chinese advance in semiconductor will quickly spill over to Vietnam too (China is already eating into South Korea & Taiwan’s lunch) and there won’t be anyway to diverge from China-Vietnam supply chain network and still able to compete on price (China already can mass produce for much cheaper than other East Asian developed economies). This spillover has already happened in solar industries.

Saving Private Ryan RIPPED Me to Shreds – First Time Watching

One of the best reactions.

This movie was a hard watch and a complete emotional rollercoaster. I cried and laughed (sometimes at inappropriate moments), but mostly sobbed. Okay... not just sobbed, I UGLY cried. Kinda embarassing, but it's out there now, don't judge me for my faces of despair! Lol. Trust me, I went to bed hugging my dog after filming!

Treasures of life

There are various scenes from life that are characteristic of the place where you live.

When I lived in Milford, Mass… I well remember the local boys carrying the fishing poles to the local stream before school started. I remember the hot fresh bagels that were so great with butter and creme cheese. And I remember the ‘Northeasterner’s.

In Hattiesburg, Mississippi it was the deep fried cat fish and hush puppies. The swarms of cockroaches under the streetlights at night, and the lush moist air that was so very calm.

In Sydney, Australia, it was the delicious meat pies, and the lady that sold them at ten in the morning at the factory. I remember the funny little $2 gold color coins, the women with huge manes of hair, and prawns the size of a turkey.

In Zhuhai, China it was the morning walks with PP (my dog) along the beach front, the beautiful blue skies and flowering trees. And the bike ride that I took to the office.

Different places generate different experiences.

It is the experiences that we have that causes us to think things in ways that are unique to us.

Thus forming our own unique opinions.

Treasure your experiences, and generate new ones at every opportunity. Welcome them as they manifest in your life. Have adventures. Savor the experiences.

I believe in you.

Today…

 

 

The dying American Empire may lash out in a nuclear strike as an act of desperation. Also, Biden, like all Alzheimer patients has bouts of irrational aggression. Is the world in danger of a destruction by the Americans?

Unfortunately, that is a nontrivial possibility. The U.S. corporate elites and their servant government are not popular at home these days (according to Pew Research, only 20% trust the government today, while in the 1960’s it was as high as 80%). In Finland, for example, 80% trust their government.

The US is also no longer very popular externally. So, rather than continue losing clout at home and abroad, the last one being the power of hegemony, the U.S. elites may opt for yet another world war, and a nuclear one, to boot. I hope it doesn’t happen, but I wouldn’t put it past them.

Also, I read an opinion similar to mine above, in a Western mainstream article two or three years ago, and now things are that much worse for the US elites, with Russia’s apparently successful Special Operation in Ukraine, a (real) 8% inflation in the U.S., and a half-senile President.

What was the most dangerous day in human history?

“Compared to this raid, Pearl Harbor was a Sunday picnic.”

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9 November 1979.

It was a cold winter’s morning in Colorado when the alarms began to shriek at NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command. With a Cold War cloud hanging over their heads, the analysts’ hearts instinctively sank when they witnessed the cause behind the alarm — 250 Soviet missiles hurtling towards the United States.

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Zbigniew Brzezinski, right, with Jimmy Carter.

At 3AM and within minutes of the alert, President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, is awoken by a call from NORAD to inform him of the imminent nuclear assault. Each second has suddenly become more valuable than gold, as he is told that he has as few as three minutes to inform President Jimmy Carter of the situation, as well as to get a decision from him.

Instead of doing so though, Brzezinski played cautiously by not immediately informing the president, telling the military assistant who’d called him that he would stand by for a further call to confirm the situation first. His wife sleeping beside him, he decided not to wake her up, convinced that everyone would be dead within half an hour anyway.

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A B-52, part of the Strategic Air Command.

He received a call back shortly later, and was informed the number of incoming missiles had jumped to 2,200 — this was a full-scale annihilation. Brzezinski was determined that the USA should strike back, and so requested confirmation of preparations for retaliation. They were passed on, and ten aircraft from the Strategic Air Command were readied to launch into the sky and begin their flight towards the Iron Curtain, primed to deliver an American brand of retribution.

As each second dragged on and with less than a minute from Brzezinski making the big call to the President, the one that would change the war from cold to searingly hot, he received a third call. He was informed that the other warning systems weren’t registering anything; radar and satellites showed no sign of any approaching missiles. It turned out to be a false alarm, the result of someone mistakenly loading a training simulation into one of the operational computers at NORAD’s HQ.

To think, a mere blip caused the planet to be but a single minute away from World War Three! The quote at the beginning belongs to a congressional investigator who spoke about the event years later, reinforcing just how close the world was to turning that simulation into reality.

What was your “something doesn’t feel right here…” moment?

I’ve had several such moments, but one in particular comes to mind.

I was fourteen, probably, maybe thirteen. I was doing something in town with my dad, I can’t remember quite what. He wandered off for a little while anyway so I started texting or going on twitter or some such thing.

A car pulled up, the guy in it was perhaps thirty. He called me over, and I approached the passanger side door. He was asking for directions which, in the relatively rural area I lived in at the time, was relatively common. He was asking for somewhere I hadn’t heard of, however, so I told him I really wasn’t sure. He asked about somewhere else that I had heard of, though didn’t know the exact location of. I told him the rough direction of it. He held his phone, and requested for me to walk around the other side of the car to help him figure it out.

I don’t know quite what it was. Looking back there were a few red flags, the fact he decided to ask me instead of finding an adult, the fact he didn’t just hold his phone towards where I was stood, the fact he was asking for directions but didn’t have a definite destination in mind. At the time I wasn’t really thinking about this, but the whole situation gave me a definite sense that… something didn’t feel right.

I told him I couldn’t help him, while taking a few steps away from his car. I said that if he wanted to wait a minute or two my dad would be back and would probably know. He said nevermind and drove off.

I didn’t hear about anything happening that could confirm or deny the validity of my apprehension, all I can say is that as he drove away I made a point to memorise his face and licence plate.

I think in certain situations it’s important to trust your instincts, especially when they’re warning you of danger. It’s better to be too cautious a hundred times than not cautious enough even once.

 

What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?

My family, Dad, Mum, my sister and I, were on holiday in the south of France in 1983. My sister fell ill and so we all went to the local pharmacy to get something to help get my sisters temperature down and help with the vomiting.

A quick aside: my mother went to an all girls grammar school and took German and French as well as some other topics. She always wanted to be a librarian and do she made sure she could read, write and talk in German, French and Latin.

And so, dear reader, back to the plot.

My dad attempted to talk to the pharmacist. With typical Gallic flair the pharmacist dismissed my dad, in French, and apparently added some less than savory comments about my Dad, us kids, my mum, her clothing, is not talking French etc.

I recall my mother getting redder and redder and more and more ready to explode. The pharmacist said a couple more words before the smoldering volcano of fury, anger and absolute motherly care and distress for her daughter exploded and, metaphorically destroyed the small village that sat at the foot of the volcano. This was the first time I ever saw my mother go absolutely ballistic at someone else. Me and my sister did the sensible thing and hid behind my dad. My dad just stood there and watched Mount St Helen erupt in a pharmacy in Hyeres in southern France.

The pharmacist stood no chance. He would get one half of a syllable out before the wrath of the Titans picked up a small temple and smashed him in the face. Eventually my mother stopped and said it was his turn to speak. Amazingly the pharmacist had several medications we could have to help my sister. No, no, please accept them with my thanks and blessings. No, Madam, there is no charge for your beautiful daughter or your exquisite self.

That’s the first time I saw my Mum be a bad ass in a foreign language. I have since seen my mother destroy other ignorant people who happen to make a serious error of judgement when her husband or children are ill or hurt.

Pork Sausage Loaf (Hungary)

2024 02 21 08 35
2024 02 21 08 35

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 pound fresh bulk pork sausage
  • 2 cups dry bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a skillet and add mushrooms. Sauté.
  2. Combine sausage, mushrooms, egg and crumbs and shape into a loaf. Sprinkle with paprika. Place in a small roaster; cover.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1/2 hour.
  4. Uncover, return to oven, and bake 30 more minutes.

Have you ever had an elderly relative sell a vehicle to someone way under its value, but you only found out after the (bad) deal was done?

Yup my father sold his last car to a neighbor’s 17 year old daughter. The car was worth in the neighborhood of $10,000 and he sold it to her for $1,000. Why? Because the neighbor and his wife had been very helpful to him after my mother died and he knew and liked their three children. The three kids 17, 15, 12 had come over every week or so and had done chores for him, things he couldn’t do as he got older. cleaned gutters, trimmed trees, replaced high light bulbs, they refused to take any money saying they were just being neighbors. When he decided to give up his car he thought about it how their daughter would be starting college and needed a reliable car. He discussed it with her parents and the fact that they had been wonderful neighbors to him and that he wanted to give something back. He sold the car for way under market to her. He bought savings bonds for the two younger children with the $1,000. We were so proud of him. He taught us to be kind, generous and to be grateful.

Yes he absolutely knew what he was doing and we would have never dreamed of interfering. It was his car and his choice. When he died he left a very small estate including his home. We sold the home since neither of us lived within 1500 miles and we divided the money from his entire estate into fourths. On fourth to my brother. One fourth to the two children of my youngest brother. One fourth to me and one fourth to the kind neighbors who had been such good friends to him over the years.

My brother and I took our inheritance and donated it to a charity, our father would have approved, neither of us needed it and others did.

 

“I Got FIRED!” Women WEAPONIZED The ME2 Movement & Companies Are Saying NO, To Hiring Modern Women

https://youtu.be/77F-puxgCDs

What are the biggest lessons you have learned in the corporate world?

  • If you spend 8 hours working for somebody else, take a couple hours after that to work for/on yourself.
  • A corporate office is not what you expect when you are in high school/college and most of the things you learn in college won’t worth a dime in your real world work environment anyways.
  • Your employer company is not YOUR company, so never take it for granted.
  • Never finish a work assignment sooner than the timeline given to you. No one gives a damn if you do it early, instead they will think your job is easy and their expectations from you will get higher.
  • It is okay to be late, miss a meeting, and say no to your superiors from time to time, in fact it will be worse if you never did any of those.
  • No matter how honest, dedicated, hardworking and talented you are, still there is a high chance you will never be the best employee of the month/year and you probably won’t get any promotions either.
  • Don’t be the guy who is there to take any task which others failed to complete.
  • You might be right, your opinion might be the best, but guess what? Sometimes nobody wants to hear the right thing and they won’t do it your way.
  • When you feel that you are way smarter and more talented than your boss, that is the moment you should consider changing your job.
  • If you actually want to grow and have your dream career/job then start your own business, spend all those energy and talent working for yourself instead of working for someone else all your life. You will grow much faster working a day for yourself than a month for somebody else.

A Powerful Website I Guarantee You Didn’t Know

 

What are the harsh truths of being a man?

Yesterday, something happened.

I was on the metro escalator on my way up to the platform. In front of me was a couple – probably in their late twenties. The wife was wearing a sleeveless top and carrying a baby in her arms. She was kind of cute. Her husband stood a couple of steps in front of her.

Suddenly, I’ve no idea how it happened, but the girl lost her balance started falling backwards. She tried to fumble for the railing, now holding the child with just one hand – her body flailing wildly. The child was about to fall on the moving escalator.

Instinctively, I reached out and firmly grabbed both her (wife, not the child) arms, steadying her. Once I was sure she was safe, I immediately let go.

The entire thing must have lasted less than a nanosecond.

But as it happened, I registered a flash of intense fear jolting through my body. It wasn’t because the girl and her child were going to get hurt. Their safety had nothing to do with it. No! my fear was much more primal, originating somewhere deep inside my reptilian brain which knew that she was a female and I was a male – and my bare hands on her naked flesh – what that would mean in the eyes of the society, and how those standing around us might interpret it! Her husband, who was standing just a few steps ahead of us had no idea what had happened. A single shriek from the girl, and his animal brain would have gone berserk trying to defend what was rightfully its and eliminate the perceived threat at any cost.

My life could have been destroyed.

In that single nanosecond, my brain witnessed a fierce battle between two base instincts – one to help a fellow human being and the other to be afraid since that human being happened to be a female. Society had only taught me well enough the consequences such a situation might spiral into.

I was just lucky that that day, the first instinct had prevailed.

Had the second one kicked in first, a two year old child would have, at best, gotten gravely injured, or at worst, lost his life.

This is what happened with one guy in one incident.

Integrate that over four billion men on this planet and a million such situations that arise in the lifetimes, and you’ll realize what our world has come to.

What has been the saddest moment of your life?

The day my father died. I know that’s a big one for most people, but it was so much more for me. I was 40 and had had a contentious or non-existent relationship with him for 30 years due to the lies my mother told me about him. According to her, he was a sociopath. He lied, cheated and stole money from his own children. I believed it all as a ten-year-old.

I contacted my father several months before his death because I found out about my mother’s lies. I needed to apologize to him. My stepmother said she would arrange a meeting as soon as they returned from vacation. When they finally returned, he had already been diagnosed with inoperable, incurable cancer, the kind that Jimmy Buffet had.

Dad only lived four more months and I only had one opportunity to say what I needed to say to him. He hadn’t known how pervasive the brainwashing had been or what had been said. It helped to talk, but it couldn’t heal 30 years of mutual wounding. My father died not loving me, and the time lost devastated me. It still does 30 years later.

Powerful Websites You Should Know!

Due to the numerous US military bases in countries close to China and the creation of the AUKUS, is China imprisoned?

Does it occur to you it could be the U.S. that could be imprisoned? If the U.S. ends up spending tons of money meaninglessly and without a return and yet it cannot stop spending billions to continuously do shit that don’t pay it is the U.S. that is trapped. China don’t gives a shit it simply just let the US waste all its own money bribing nations who refuse to do shit, just to pretend to the world that it has allies.

For us in Asia. Even Japan, Korea, Phillipines and India have no wish to do shit as it knows the repercussions and it has been China’s neighbour for some 5000 years! It may have no choice but to barked some shit on China to get the U.S. off its back. But sure won’t risk it to do more than that. So the U.S. having a pay billions get some pretend shit is outright silly and wasteful.

So who is trapped? China can and will do what it wants. And the U.S. has to stay and waste a ton of resources to get pretentious shit that China gives a damn. To me the U.S. is trapped in its own stupidity!

The mistake women make with faithful men…

Russian Space Nukes and Navalny’s Death… U.S. Psyops Go Ballistic

Two “breaking news” items this week provided a timely opportunity for the United States and its media-intelligence apparatus to regain control of the narrative.

The claims about Russian space-based nuclear weapons unraveled to become a joke. Fortunately, the death of Western-sponsored dissident Alexei Navalny then occurred to enable Western media to go into a frenzy of anti-Russia headlines.

First up was the scaremongering story about Russia allegedly developing a space-based nuclear weapon. Initially, it was dramatically trailed as posing a serious national security threat to the United States. Despite the sensational reporting, the story quickly became a laughingstock. Even some U.S. lawmakers dismissed it as “bullshit” and a blatant attempt by the Biden White House and intelligence agencies to push Congress into passing a new mega military aid bill for Ukraine worth $61 billion.

We’ll get to the Navalny story in a moment. But let’s just first parse the orchestration of the alleged Russian space nukes.

The drama began on Wednesday when Mike Turner, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee (a dodgy source if ever there was one), made public appeals to President Joe Biden to declassify intelligence on “a serious threat to national security”. Turner is a Republican member of the House of Representatives but he is a close ally of the Democrat White House in terms of keenly supporting military aid to Ukraine. The latest bill passed the upper chamber of the U.S. Senate the day before, February 13, but it is unlikely to be approved by the House where many Republican lawmakers are staunchly opposed to it.

Accompanying the “concerns” of the intel committee chairman Turner,  media outlets then vented anonymous US intelligence sources “revealing” that the national security threat was from Russian nuclear weapons allegedly under development for destroying American communication satellites in space. The White House then “confirmed” the intel the next day, February 15. It was a flagrant put-up job. But the Biden administration sought to tamp down any public panic by saying that the threat was not imminent and the alleged Russian satellite-killing weapon had not been deployed in orbit, nor would there be any danger to Earth. (So, what was all the fuss about?)

Ironically, derisive comments from incredulous U.S. lawmakers were also echoed by the Kremlin. The latter’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov made a similar assessment that the Biden administration was playing tricks to push through the military funding package for Ukraine.

That bill has been delayed since the end of last year. The Biden administration has been cajoling Congress for months to vote it through. After the Senate finally passed the bill this week, President Biden put pressure on the House, saying that “history is watching you”. The bill has been exalted as having existential importance in defeating “Russian aggression” in Ukraine. The U.S. media have claimed (preposterously) that if the military aid is not supplied then Ukraine’s defeat could result in American troops being deployed to prevent Russian rampaging across Europe.

The American public, as with the European public, has become increasingly skeptical about the relentless funneling of taxpayer funds and weapons to Ukraine. Many citizens in the West – a majority, according to polls – have become critical of fueling a bloody war for the dubious cause of “defending democracy” in a regime dominated by NeoNazis. At a time of deep social and economic hardship in the U.S. and Europe, the Western public is rightly disdainful of hundreds of billions of dollars and euros being wasted on death and destruction and also being siphoned off by a corrupt cabal in Kiev.

The $61 billion in military aid to Ukraine is just the latest tranche that Washington is seeking to throw at the black hole of its proxy war against Russia – a war that is really all about defeating Russia as a geopolitical obstacle to U.S. hegemony. Another driver is the massive profits that taxpayers are subsidizing the military-industrial complex at the rotten heart of Western capitalism.

There’s a huge lot at stake with the failure of the US/NATO proxy war in Ukraine. The Kiev regime is facing a collapse in the face of a superior Russian military.

That’s why the passing of the latest bill by Congress has taken on such an imperative importance – for the warmongers.

To get this bill into law, the U.S. deep state rulers and the pliant Biden White House along with the media-intelligence establishment sought to demonize Russia with a desperate story about alleged nuclear weapons for outer space. Oh, those dastardly Ruskies!

But as noted above the space nukes scar-story turned into farce. It was too obvious that the public was being manipulated, or gaslighted as one US lawmaker put it. When a psyops fails, the blowback is dangerous for the authors because of the damaging revelation and contempt it engenders. The Biden administration was open to ridicule.

There are several telltale signs that the story was total hogwash from the outset. Bruce Gagnon, U.S.-based coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, said the claims are absurd. In an email exchange with the Strategic Culture Foundation for this editorial, Gagnon said Russia has already developed formidable non-nuclear kinetic weapons to destroy satellites if it wanted to. He also remarked that the United States possesses anti-satellite weapons (ASATs).

In other words, there is no need for Russia to develop a risky nuclear weapon to knock out satellites. The nuclear details flagged up in US media this week are a gratuitous embellishment designed to alarm the public and to demonize Russia as an evil rogue state.

Russia is a co-signatory to the 1967 Outer Space Treaty as are the United States, China, and over 120 other nations.

Bruce Gagnon commented: “I believe the Russians have a long history of generally honoring treaties while the U.S. does not. And remember that Russia and China every year for at least the last 20-30 years go to the UN and introduce a new treaty called Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) to ban all weapons that fall outside of the 1967 treaty. The U.S. always refuses, saying there is no need for a new treaty.”

Apart from the paramount issue of getting additional funding for the proxy war in Ukraine, another timing issue is the aftermath of the blockbuster interview of Russian President Vladimir Putin by American journalist Tucker Carlson. Since the interview was aired last Thursday,  February 8, it has broken all records for public audiences around the world. It has garnered over 300 million views, and counting.

The one-on-one interview was seen as a breakthrough world exclusive, an informative platform for Putin to comprehensively give Russia’s point of view on the whole Ukraine conflict, and more. The Russian leader was seen by American and European audiences as reasonable, intelligent, articulate, and convincing. The Western propaganda caricature of Putin was dispelled and for a rare moment, the Western public was persuasively informed of the bigger causes of the conflict in Ukraine. That is, how the U.S.-led NATO axis had instigated the war by fomenting an anti-Russian regime dominated by NeoNazis. The impact of the interview dealt a devastating blow to the Western narrative of “Russian aggression” and “evil Putin”.

Plausibly, the U.S. warmongering establishment was incensed by this exposé.

Hence, to wrest back control of the narrative and corral the Western public, the space-based nukes scare-story was unleashed. Unfortunately, that psyop attempt failed to gain traction and indeed was fast descending into a farce.

Next up, luckily, came the news of Navalny’s death. Western media immediately blared headlines and comments that he had been killed by the “Putin regime”.

Navalny was serving 19 years in prison on multiple corruption convictions. He died Friday apparently from a blood clot. The 47-year-old was a broken and forgotten figure facing a futile existence, having been used and abandoned by Western intelligence handlers as a cut-out dissident figure. His future looked bleak. Who knows at this stage what caused his death? He was last seen by his lawyer during a prison meeting this week two days before his passing. Did his lawyer pass something to Navalny? Was the washed-up Western asset offered a deal for his family’s benefit if he agreed to one last, ultimate psyop on behalf of Western handlers? Taking his own life? His death in prison has certainly provided the Western media with a bonanza opportunity to change the narrative and precipitate an avalanche of Russophobia, just as required.

As for the far-fetched Russian space nukes and the death of Navalny, the criminologist’s question of Who Gains? and the factor of timing are often reliable indicators.

Has anyone you’ve known simply disappeared? Under what circumstances?

My friend’s cousin disappeared, and it was an interesting lesson in media bias.

She didn’t come home one day. They found her necklace, broken, next to her car, in a nearby park. Her photo was in all the local newspapers: a cute smiling blonde girl in her high school softball uniform, well liked and a good student. Her family held press conferences pleading for whoever took her to let her go.

A few weeks later, she did return. But she had not been kidnapped – it had been staged. She had actually run off with her boyfriend against her parents’ wishes. The photo of the cute blonde girl was replaced by a photo of her with dyed black hair, dark goth clothing and a look of defiance. The papers began reporting that the well liked good student had been caught shoplifting and was in trouble at school. She was eventually sentenced to community service for faking the crime.

This was the same person. When they wanted to make her look innocent, she looked innocent. When they wanted to make her look guilty, she looked guilty. Think about that next time you read the news.

Big Picture Conflict: Pepe Escobar & Global Times Observations

Karl Sanchez

The Two-year anniversary of Russia’s SMO and the Ten-year anniversary of the overt beginning of the Outlaw US Empire’s conflict with Russia with the Ukraine Coup are upon us as well as the related conflict to free Palestine from Zionist/West Genocide—both operations initially were planned as Nazi-like Plan Ost Genocidal ethnic cleansing so the lands “freed” could then be exploited by Western Capital. But in both cases, the targets of oppression, dispossession and death fought back, although in both cases resistance was always present with the assaulted able to gain formidable allies. Both conflicts have revealed the status of the protagonists within the larger Global Conflict pitting the Global majority against the Outlaw US Empire and its vassals, perhaps most starkly revealing the Fence Sitters trying to play both sides for their own pecuniary gain as is the case most certainly with Turkey.

The recently completed G-20 Foreign Ministers Summit in Rio de Janeiro helped to further define the lines/sides as the raw statements from Lavrov provided to readers who read the reports about his actions. To help deepen understanding about our Global Conflict, the latest two essays by Pepe Escobar and Global Times G-20 report are presented below. The political cartoon at the header is from Global Times and is almost accurate for our purposes as the pot needs to include the Zionists. And Palestine is where we’ll begin with Pepe’s “The Axis of Asymmetry takes on the ‘rules-based order:’”

The Axis of Asymmetry is in full swing. These are the state and non-state actors employing asymmetrical moves on the global chessboard to sideline the US-led western rules-based order. And its vanguard is the Yemeni resistance movement Ansarallah. 

Ansarallah is absolutely relentless. They have downeda $30 million MQ-9 Reaper drone with just a $10k indigenous missile.

They are the first in the Global South ever to use anti-ship ballistic missiles against Israel-bound and/or -protecting commercial and US Navy ships. 

For all practical purposes, Ansarallah is at war with no less than the US Navy.

Ansarallah has captured one of the US Navy’s ultra-sophisticated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), the $1.3 million Remus 600, a torpedo-shaped underwater drone able to carry a massive payload of sensors. 

Next stop: reverse engineering in Iran? The Global South eagerly awaits, ready to pay in currencies bypassing the US dollar. 

All of the above – a maritime 21st-century remix of the Ho Chi Minh trail during the Vietnam War – spells out that the Hegemon may not even qualify as a paper tiger, but rather as a paper leech.

Lula tells it as the Global South sees it 

Into the Big Picture – linked to the relentless ongoing genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza – steps a true leader of the Global South, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 

Lula spoke in the name of Brazil, Latin America, Africa, BRICS 10, and the overwhelming majority of the Global South when he cut to the chase and defined the Gaza tragedy for what it is: a genocide. No wonder the Zionist tentacles across the Global North – plus its Global South vassals – went bonkers. 

The genocidals in Tel Aviv declared Lula as persona non grata in Israel. Yet Lula did not assassinate 29,000+ Palestinians – the overwhelming majority of whom were women and children.

History will be unforgiving: it’s the genocidals that will eventually be judged as personae non grata to all of humanity.

What Lula said represented BRICS 10 in action: this was obviously cleared before with Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and, of course, the African Union. Lula spoke in Addis Ababa, and Ethiopia is now a BRICS 10 member.

The Brazilian president was extremely smart in timing his Gaza fact-check to be on the table during the G20 meeting of Foreign Ministers in Rio. Way beyond BRICS 10, what’s happening in Gaza is a consensus among the non-Western G20 partners – who are actually a majority. No one, though, should expect any serious follow-up inside a divided G20. The heart of the matter remains in the facts on the ground. 

Yemen’s fight for “our people” in Gaza is a matter of humanistic, moral, and religious solidarity – these are foundational tenets of the rising eastern “civilizational” powers, both domestically and in international affairs. This convergence of principles has now created a direct link – extrapolating to the moral and spiritual spheres – between the Axis of Resistance in West Asia and the Slavic Axis of Resistance in Donbass. 

Extreme attention should be paid to the timescale. The Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) forces and Russia have spent two hard-fought years in Novorossiya just to arrive at the stage where it becomes clear – based on the battlefield and cumulative facts on the ground – that “negotiations” mean only the terms of Kiev’s surrender.

In contrast, the job of the Axis of Resistance in West Asia has not even started. It’s fair to argue that its strength and full sovereign involvement have not been deployed yet (think Hezbollah and Iran). 

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, with his proverbial subtlety, has hinted there’s, in fact, nothing to negotiate on Palestine. And if there would be a return to any borders, these would be the 1948 borders. The Axis of Resistance understands that the whole Zionist Project is unlawful and immoral. But the question remains how to throw it, in practice, into the dustbin of History?

Possible – avowedly optimistic – scenarios ahead would include Hezbollah taking possession of the Galilee as a step toward the eventual retaking of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Yet the fact remains that even a united Palestine does not have the military capability to reconquer stolen Palestinian lands. 

So the questions posed by the overwhelming majority of the Global South that stands with Lula may be: Who else, apart from Ansarallah, Hezbollah, Hashd al-Shaabi, will join the Axis of Asymmetry in the fight for Palestine? Who would be willing to come to the Holy Land and die? (After all, in Donbass, it’s only Russians and Russophones who are dying for historically Russian lands) [Not entirely 100% correct, but close].

And that brings us to the way towards the endgame: only a West Asian Special Military Operation (SMO), to the bitter end, will settle the Palestinian tragedy. A translation of what happens across the Slavic Axis of Resistance: “Those who refuse to negotiate with Lavrov, deal with Shoigu.”

The menu, the table, and the guests

That out-of-his-depth closet neocon, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, let the cat out of the bag when he actually defined his much cherished “rules-based international order”: “If you’re not on the table, you are on the menu.”

Following his own hegemonic logic, it’s clear that Russia and the US/NATO are on the table while Ukraine is on the menu. What about the Red Sea? The Houthis defending Palestine against US–UK–Israel are clearly on the table, while Western vassals supporting Israel in a maritime way are clearly on the menu. 

And that’s the problem: the Hegemon – or, in Chinese scholarly terminology, “the crusaders” – have lost the power to place the name cards on the table. The main reason for this authority collapse is the build-up of serious international meetings sponsored by the Russia–China strategic partnership during the past two years since the start of the SMO. It’s all about sequential planning, with long-term targets clearly outlined. 

Only civilizational states can do that – not plutocratic neoliberal casinos.   

Negotiating with the Hegemon is impossible because the Hegemon itself prevents negotiations (see the serial blocking of ceasefire resolutions at the UN). Additionally, the Hegemon excels in instrumentalizing its client elites across the Global South via threats or kompromat: see the hysterical reaction of Brazilian mainstream media to Lula’s verdict on Gaza. 

What Russia is showing the Global South, two years after the start of the SMO, is that the only path to teach a lesson to the Hegemon has to be kinetic, or “military-technical.”

The problem is no nation-state can compare to nuclear/hypersonic/military superpower Russia, in which 7.5 percent of the government’s budget is dedicated to military production. Russia is and will remain on a permanent war footing until Hegemon’s elites come to their senses – and that may never happen.

Meanwhile, West Asia’s Axis of Resistance is watching and learning, day after day. It’s always crucial to keep in mind that for all the resistance movements across the Global South – and that also includes, for instance, West Africans against French neo-colonialism – the geopolitical fault lines could not be starker.

It’s a matter of the collective West versus Islam; the collective West versus Russia; and sooner rather than later, a substantial part of the West, even reluctantly, versus China.

The fact is we are already immersed in a World War that is both existential and civilizational. As we stand at the crossroads, there is a bifurcation: either escalation towards overt “kinetic military action,” or a multiplication of Hybrid Wars across several latitudes. 

So it’s up to the Axis of Asymmetry, cool, calm, and collected, to forge the underground corridors, passages, and trails capable of undermining and subverting the US-led, unipolar, rules-based international order. [Bolded italics my emphasis]

Pessimistic or realistic? Obviously, the situation is already kinetic. But two very important factors have been proven over the past two years: NATO is powerless to defeat Russia and the USN can be defeated by the new methods of warfare. Pepe and I agree that the major forcing to solve Palestine will need to come from outside, which means Russia or China or perhaps an international coalition sans Western nations. The longer Palestine is subjected to Zionist Genocide, the more the world’s people will learn of its history and the utter crime related to the creation of Occupied Palestine. And now for the second Pepe Escobar essay, “Two Years After the Start of the SMO, the West is Totally Paralyzed:”

Exactly two years ago this Saturday, on February 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin announced the launching – and described the objectives – of a Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine. That was the inevitable follow-up to what happened three days before, on February 21 – exactly 8 years after Maidan 2014 in Kiev – when Putin officially recognized the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

During this – pregnant with meaning – short space of only three days, everyone expected that the Russian Armed Forces would intervene, militarily, to end the massive bombing and shelling that had been going on for three weeks across the frontline – which even forced the Kremlin to evacuate populations at risk to Russia. Russian intel had conclusive proof that the NATO-backed Kiev forces were ready to execute an ethnic cleansing of Russophone Donbass.

February 24, 2022 was the day that changed 21st century geopolitics forever, in several complex ways. Above all, it marked the beginning of a vicious, all-out confrontation, “military-technical” as the Russians call it, between the Empire of Chaos, Lies and Plunder, its easily pliable NATOstan vassals, and Russia – with Ukraine as the battleground.

There is hardly any question Putin had calculated, before and during these three fateful days, that his decisions would unleash the unbounded fury of the collective West – complete with a tsunami of sanctions.

Ay, there’s the rub; it’s all about Sovereignty. And a true sovereign power simply cannot live under permanent threats. It’s even feasible that Putin had wanted (italics mine) Russia to get sanctioned to death. After all, Russia is so naturally wealthy that without a serious challenge from abroad, the temptation is enormous to live off its rents while importing what it could easily produce.

Exceptionalists always gloated that Russia is “a gas station with nuclear weapons”. That’s ridiculous. Oil and gas, in Russia, account for roughly 15% of GDP, 30% of the government budget, and 45% of exports. Oil and gas add power to the Russian economy – not a drag. Putin shaking Russia’s complacency generated a gas station producing everything it needs, complete with unrivalled nuclear and hypersonic weapons. Beat that.

Ukraine has “never been less than a nation”

Xavier Moreau is a French politico-strategic analyst based in Russia for 24 years now. Graduated from the prestigious Saint-Cyr military academy and with a Sorbonne diploma, he hosts two shows on RT France.

His latest book, Ukraine: Pourquoi La Russie a Gagné (“Ukraine: Why Russia has Won”), just out, is an essential manual for European audiences on the realities of the war, not those childish fantasies concocted across the NATOstan sphere by instant “experts” with less than zero combined arms military experience.

Moreau makes it very clear what every impartial, realist analyst was aware of from the beginning: the devastating Russian military superiority, which would condition the endgame. The problem, still, is how this endgame – “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine, as established by Moscow – will be achieved.

What is already clear is that “demilitarization”, of Ukraine and NATO, is a howling success that no new wunderwaffen – like F-16s – will be able to change.

Moreau perfectly understands how Ukraine, nearly 10 years after Maidan, is not a nation; “and has never been less than a nation”. It’s a territory where populations that everything separates are jumbled up. Moreover, it has been a – “grotesque” – failed state ever since its independence. Moreau spends several highly entertaining pages going through the corruption grotesquerie in Ukraine, under a regime that “gets its ideological references simultaneously via admirers of Stepan Bandera and Lady Gaga.”

None of the above, of course, is reported by oligarch-controlled European mainstream media.

Watch out for Deng Xiao Putin

The book offers an extremely helpful analysis of those deranged Polish elites who bear “a heavy responsibility in the strategic catastrophe that awaits Washington and Brussels in Ukraine”. The Poles actually believed that Russia would crumble from the inside, complete with a color revolution against Putin. That barely qualifies as Brzezinski on crack.

Moreau shows how 2022 was the year when NATOstan, especially the Anglo-Saxons – historically racist Russophobes –   were self-convinced thar Russia would fold because it is a “poor power”. Obviously, none of these luminaries understood how Putin strengthened the Russian economy very much like Deng Xiaoping on the Chinese economy. This “self-intoxication”, as Moreau qualifies it, did wonders for the Kremlin.

By now it’s clear even for the deaf, dumb, and blind that the destruction of the European economy has been a massive tactic, historic victory for the Hegemon – as much as the blitzkrieg against the Russian economy has been an abysmal failure.

All of the above brings us to the meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers this week in Rio. That was not exactly a breakthrough. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made it very clear that the collective West at the G20 tried by all means to “Ukrainize” the agenda – with less than zero success. They were outnumbered and counterpunched by BRICS and Global South members.

At his press conference, Lavrov could not be more stark on the prospects of the war of the collective West against Russia. These are the highlights:

  • Western countries categorically do not want serious dialogue on Ukraine.
  • There were no serious proposals from the United States to begin contacts with the Russian Federation on strategic stability; trust cannot be restored now while Russia is declared an enemy.
  • There were no contacts on the sidelines of the G20 with either Blinken or the British Foreign Secretary.
  • The Russian Federation will respond to new Western sanctions with practical actions that relate to the self-sufficient development of the Russian economy.
  • If Europe tries to restore ties with the Russian Federation, making it dependent on their whims, then such contacts are not needed.

In a nutshell – diplomatically: you are irrelevant, and we don’t care.

That was complementing Lavrov’s intervention during the summit, which defined once again a clear, auspicious path towards multipolarity. Here are the highlights:

  • The forming of a fair multipolar world order without a definite center and periphery has become much more intensive in the past few years. Asian, African and Latin American countries are becoming important parts of the global economy. Not infrequently, they are setting the tone and the dynamics.
  • Many Western economies, especially in Europe, are actually stagnating against this background. These statistics are from Western-supervised institutions – the IMF, the World Bank and the OECD.
  • These institutions are becoming relics from the past. Western domination is already affecting their ability to meet the requirements of the times. Meanwhile, it is perfectly obvious today that the current problems of humanity can only be resolved through a concerted effort and with due consideration for the interests of the Global South and, generally, all global economic realities.
  • Institutions like the IMF, the World Bank, the EBRD, and the EIB are prioritizing Kiev’s military and other needs. The West allocated over $250 billion to tide over its underling thus creating funding shortages in other parts of the world. Ukraine is taking up the bulk of the funds, relegating Africa and other regions of the Global South to rationing.
  • Countries that have discredited themselves by using unlawful acts ranging from unilateral sanctions and the seizure of sovereign assets and private property to blockades, embargoes, and discrimination against economic operators based on nationality to settle scores with their geopolitical opponents cannot be considered guarantors of financial stability.
  • Without a doubt, new institutions that focus on consensus and mutual benefit are needed to democratize the global economic governance system. Today, we are seeing positive dynamics for strengthening various alliances, including BRICS, the SCO, ASEAN, the African Union, LAS, CELAC, and the EAEU.
  • This year, Russia chairs BRICS, which saw several new members join it. We will do our best to reinforce the potential of this association and its ties with the G20.
  • Considering that 6 out of 15 UN Security Council members represent the Western bloc, we will support the expansion of this body solely through the accession of countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Call it the real state of things, geopolitically, two years after the start of the SMO. [Bolded italics my emphasis]

The G-20 timing also coincided with the ICJ’s sessions about Palestine and the increasing number of cases being filed against the Zionists and their abettors. The West’s stance was specifically called out by Lavrov who added it to the evidentiary trail of previous criminal acts. The Outlaw US Empire and the West generally are parasites who feed on host nations in what are clearly Neocolonial types of arrangements. Now the Empire is leeching off the EU and enforcing its blood-sucking via NATO. Trump doesn’t want to disband NATO; he wants to increase the intensity of its blood-sucking just as he did before. Now it’s: Pay up your 2% of GDP or we’ll sick the Russians on you, or rather won’t protect you from the Russians. Putin has said Europeans must rescue themselves as Russia has no intent on going beyond Ukraine as Russia already has most everything it needs. So, now we have Global Times whose experts opine that the SMO “may become ‘a war without winners.’” We’ll see why in “US escalates sanctions, fans fire as Ukraine crisis enters 3rd year:”

The US joined the EU and UK in announcing a new round of sanctions against Russia, ahead of the two-year anniversary of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine that started in February 2022. But at the same time, Russia is seemingly gaining the upper hand on the battlefield with its latest victory in capturing Avdiivka, a critical town in eastern Ukraine. 

Analysts said considering the previous sanctions were far from reaching expectations, and the US and West are not prepared to compromise with Russia on the conflict in 2024, the stalemate may become a large probability, and a cease-fire is still far from sight. 

At a time when the security environment and economy of the entire world are being seriously affected, the US, whether it is from holding Europe hostage to promote bloc confrontation or from selling gas and arms to Europe, seems to be benefiting the most. However, experts said that if the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues for a long time, it will be a war without winners, and China will continue its efforts in promoting peace talks and a cease-fire as early as possible. 

Stalemate to continue

US President Joe Biden on Friday announced Washington would issue more than 500 new sanctions targeting Russia for the ongoing war with Ukraine and for the death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. 

The US will also impose new export restrictions on nearly 100 entities for providing support to Russia and take action to further reduce Russia’s energy revenues, Biden said in a statement.

The US latest sanctions came on the heels of moves by its allies. The UK on Thursday announced more than 50 further sanctions against Russia, targeting individuals and businesses supporting Moscow’s “war effort.” On Wednesday, the EU also approved its 13th package of sanctions against Russia, banning nearly 200 related individuals and entities which it claimed as being linked to Moscow’s operation, including companies from China and India. The sanction was adopted on Friday.

However, experts found that sanctions from the US and West have failed to have any substantial impact on Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow was also “not nearly as isolated as US officials had hoped,” as Russia’s inherent strength, rooted in vast supplies of oil and natural gas, “has powered a financial and political resilience,” according to a New York Times report. [Which is BS as Escobar reported above.] 

Western sanctions on Russia did put short-term pressure on the Russian economy, but it soon adjusted policy and resumed growth, Zhang Hong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

The sanctions are a sign of Western political correctness, but they have fallen far short of their intended goals, Zhang said, adding that rounds of sanctions have not changed Russia’s position in the Ukraine crisis or caused major economic difficulties for Russia. 

“In a way, it was a failure,” said the expert.

According to the expert, compared with the previous measures, the recent ones have focused more on indirect sanctions, by restricting Russia’s trade and financial contacts with other countries, narrowing Russia’s external economic activity.

The sanctions also come at a time when Russia is gaining the upper hand on the battlefield, capturing Ukraine’s eastern city of Avdiivka last week. Ukraine faces a shortage of ammunition and insufficient troops, according to media reports. 

Ahead of the crisis anniversary, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russia will have to continue fighting Ukraine until it takes the coastal city of Odessa and Ukraine’s capital Kiev, according to RT. 

Although some observers, including former CIA director and secretary of Defense Robert Gates, told US media that he believed Russia has “regained the momentum” and “has broken the stalemate,” Chinese experts said the current seesaw battle may continue in 2024.   

Medvedev’s remark shows Russia’s confidence in continuing its “special operation,” Zhang said, “What Moscow seeks is to maximize its security interests within the scope of controllable risks.

However, the latest sanctions show the US and the West are not prepared to compromise with Russia, Zhang noted, adding that although Ukraine has recently been passive on the battlefield, it’s unlikely to suffer a rout. [Avdeevka ws a rout.]
On February 1, EU leaders approved the extension of 50 billion Euros ($54 billion) in aid to Ukraine from 2024 to 2027. “It shows that currently the West is not prepared to abandon Ukraine,” Zhang said. 

Experts also noted that in the long run, the situation in the battlefield largely depends on US factors, whether it can overcome domestic partisan strife on aiding Kiev, and whether US policies will be adjusted sharply after a possible Trump return. 

In 2024, the continuation of stalemate and attrition may become a high probability on the battlefield in Ukraine, Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

The conflict will continue, and there is no end in sight, at least for now, Li added. 

War without winners 

Given that Chinese companies were listed among the latest British and EU sanctions against Russia, on Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in the UK expressed strong opposition, stressing that China has always held an objective and just position on the Ukraine crisis. 

Ahead of the anniversary, some Western media expressed misgivings over China’s position. VOA accused China of not pressuring Russia to “stop the aggression,” while some German media said the sanctions pushed Russia into the arms of China, making it “the biggest winner” of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The West is trying to pressure China to take sides through public opinion, but as a major power, China will not let this noise affect its neutral position, Li said. 

During a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on February 17, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China has stayed committed to promoting peace talks on the Ukraine issue and will not give up as long as there is a glimmer of hope. China refrains from adding fuel to the fire or taking advantage of the situation, and refrains from selling lethal weapons to conflict areas or parties, Wang said. 

Sanctions and weapons aid have not changed Russia’s position, but have prolonged the conflict and extended the damage to Ukraine. In order to end the losses in Ukraine as soon as possible, there must be an early cease-fire and peace talks, Zhang said. 

Due to the conflict, all major economies, including China, have been impacted, both in terms of security environment and economy, and it has also had a negative impact on China-EU relations and China-US relations, Zhang said. 

So far, the US is the biggest beneficiary, analysts said. US liquefied natural gas has entered the EU market and now takes up a large share. Through the export of weapons, US military manufacturers are making huge amounts of money. At the same time, the Russia-Ukraine conflict also further strengthens US control over Europe, prompting the return of the influence of its bloc politics.

However, overall and in the long run, the conflict will be a war without winners, with only tragedy and disaster, analysts said. 

If the goal of the US is to maximize the weakening of Russia by completely depleting Ukraine, even if the goal is achieved, Russia, the US and Europe will most likely fall into a deeper strategic confrontation in the future, Li said. 

If the US and the West hope to wait until Ukraine is almost exhausted before directly engaging Russia on the battlefield, then they are playing with fire, said Li, “to defeat a nuclear power on the battlefield is likely to lead to nuclear war and World War III. If that happens, Russia, Ukraine are the losers, the US, Europe are losers, global security will be at stake, and the end will be disaster and tragedy for humankind.” [Emphasis mine]

IMO, it’s odd that Li doesn’t think Ukraine isn’t yet “exhausted” and the loser ever since the conflict began in 2014. That the experts consulted think the conflict is now a “stalemate” means they aren’t paying attention to what’s happening and have ignored Russia’s highly successful strategy of attrition. Again, the notion that “the US … seems to be benefiting the most” or “is the biggest beneficiary,” is chimeric with the seems being an incorrect assumption when reality within the Outlaw US Empire is considered—no tangible gains have accrued to US citizens aside from a very small group of elites. Indeed, the US economy is polarized as the real economy shrinks and the parasite economy expands. The complexity of the sanctions and collusion in their make-up and application by the Empire and its vassals tells us that they were not made for Nalvalny. Indeed, his murder was likely induced by the West to coincide with three events: SMO anniversary, Munich Security Conference, and Putin/Carlson Interview, since his wife/widow was previously invited and showed no shock or grief and all BigLie Media outlets had synchronized copy/paste “news” items immediately upon word of his death. Over the last 24 years of similar happenings, those with active minds can see through the crap. Are the Chinese being honest when they write, “However, overall and in the long run, the conflict will be a war without winners, with only tragedy and disaster,” or are they writing that way to appease the West so it will not target China with further sanctions? Most credible analysts have China next on the menu after Russia, which is precisely what the Outlaw US Empire’s “security” and “defense” documents and policies say matter-of-factly.

Russia’s proving its SMO isn’t mired in a stalemate as it continues to push Westward along the FEBA. Medvedev has issued serious goals as statements of policy. The need to deNazify not only Ukraine but Europe’s been voiced by both Putin, Lavrov, Medvedev, Zakharova, Patrushev, and other top Russian officials. Russia has its Home Front in fine form with very little dissent to be seen or heard. The situation in Ukraine and the West is almost the exact opposite as it’s embroiled in the Gaza Genocide too that has vastly amplified dissent. Plus, the Neoliberal economies are functioning as planned—taking from the poor and giving to the already rich. Dr, Hudson recently provided some anecdotal evidence of that, “New School University race to the bottom,” which ought to be compared with my “Creating a Network of Modern University Campuses” report about two weeks ago. And as my reports show, Russia’s economy is booming as is its trade, while it’s ready to vastly widen the non-Western payments and settlements system so sanctions will have nothing to impede.

Some time ago a European politician made the analogy of Ukraine being a drowning person capable of drowning its rescuers. That man was insightful when compared with most European and US politicos. The longer the West continues to lie about the actual reasons for the SMO and what group started it, the harder it’s going to be when the time arrives for whatever remains of Ukraine to capitulate. The state, which has always been artificial as Putin told the world again in his talk with Tucker Carlson, will likely disappear into the ether from which it was conjured. And all those loans and “investments” will translate into 100% loses for their providers. And if the West attempts to steal Russia’s illegally frozen assets, then it’s going to suffer an even greater loss in the end as extinguishing Ukraine is precisely what will happen.

“What’s Coming Is WORSE Than A Recession” — Ray Dalio’s Last WARNING

https://youtu.be/uTBFD6t68js

What is the greatest act of cruelty you have ever committed?

I trashed a child in front of his parents while watching the movie “The Jungle Book” and I am proud of what I did to him.

April 14,

Navratri puja over, so I took my brother to watch a movie as my birthday treat which was on 12th.

Housefull.

This child was 27 years old sitting one seat to my left. And right beside me was a beautiful lady in her 60’s, followed by this boy and his father.

During the intermission, the boy ordered two cups of American corn and sat back. Then after a few minutes, the INOX guy came and handed it over to the boy.

Two minutes later, the lady unintentionally spilled the corn.

The boy started yelling at his mom, “koto taka legechy jaano ?? kheyecho aiekhany ??”

Translation: “Do you know how much that cost? Have you ever eaten here??”

And then comes the sickening part: he hit his mother’s legs pretty hard, simply because she had accidentally spilled the cup of American corn.

Seeing all this made me livid. And just when I thought he wouldn’t repeat this deplorable act, he hit his mom again.

His mom was extremely embarrased and kept her head down.

After hitting his mom twice, I didn’t hold myself back. I hit his cup of corn and spilled all of it on the floor. He stood up and confronted me; I landed a punch on his face as hard as I could.

To ensure he stayed put and didn’t retaliate, I landed two more. By then all the people around me (including my brother) got up on their feet and were ready to stop me in case I was going to smack him again.

It was chaos all around, and the security intervened and escorted both of us out.

Once outside and no more in the darkness, I saw that the guy really needed medical assistance after what I had to him. His nose was bleeding and lips were split open. And when our eyes met, I could clearly see the guilt in his eyes. I was damn happy with what I did, though I missed the movie which I watched later.

I was escorted off the premises, while he was administered first aid. I had to assure the security team that I would never repeat anything like this.

I never knew I could do such things but seeing a man punching his mother enraged me and I couldn’t resist myself.

Respect each and everyone whoever it might be, that is what my parents have taught me and I am glad that I do so and hope our generation does the same.

Edit 1 : For all those who think that I didn’t solve the whole problem, my little brother while taking them out of the theatre took the mother’s phone and saved my number.

I don’t think he will dare to do such activity again and I am hoping I won’t receive any call his mother.

Thanks for the appreciation !!

Edit 2: I would like you all to read Yogesh Singhq comment.

Link to the comment : https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-greatest-act-of-cruelty-you-have-ever-done/answer/Bharat-Sirohia/comment/18739940?srid=a0BE&share=bc8a905e

Thanks buddy !!

Edit 3: All those who are asking what was his father doing ?

He was there watching the drama unfold and was able to stop neither his son nor me.

The only and best way to protect Taiwan from China can be done by the United States. Why hasn’t America invaded and destroyed China by now?

You’re not a big history buff are you?

I guess you like to watch Rambo movies, instead?

  • China not only has the largest military in the world, but it is also the oldest military in the world. The Chinese were fighting mass invasions and assaults involving thousands of trained warriors when the Europeans were still living in caves and picking lice off each other.
  • China also has the oldest Navy in the world. Indeed, the Chinese were conducting mass Naval Battles centuries before the Europeans were considering the value of ocean going vessels.
  • China has always fought using cutting-edge technologies that were unexpected, unheard of, and unanticipated by the nation attacking it. It’s more than gunpowder, it’s poison weapons, tricks and deceit, and armored vehicles that totally stunned the opposition.
  • China is lead by merit, with people with millennia of military experience. Indeed the top rated military strategy books are all Chinese.
  • China is a military-organized society that does everything based on merit. They are hopelessly super patriotic, and live to die for their country.

Oh, and remember that the United States tried to attack China in 1950. The United States lost, and lost badly.

FACT: Keep in mind that China considers both Taiwan and the South China Sea as China territory.

EXTRAPOLATED FACT: Any bombs, guns, missiles, or assaults in those regions will provoke a STRATEGIC response onto the United States.

KIND REMINDER: And remember Kiddos, that for China, STRATEGIC is the same as NUCLEAR.

You all should be really FUCKING clear on accepting the risks, and resulting lifestyle that you will endure, after that Pandora’s box is opened.

Alien Bodies Confirmed After Testing to be NON Human

This is actually a pretty good video, and I recommend it to all mm readers.

https://youtu.be/ST8axewdge0

What do police officers typically notice when entering a person’s home (messy, clean, stinky, etc.)? What is the worst/weirdest thing you’ve seen?

I responded to a medical emergency in a hoarder house in the 1980s. When we entered the house from the front door there was no pathway to the back of the house. Newspapers, magazines and papers stacked up to the 6 foot mark on all the walls. The kitchen was covered in plates of old food that had not be cleared or thrown away. No way to get through to the bedrooms in the back of the house. Rats, mice and bugs crawling over everything. We could see the resident in the back bedroom, but could not get through the piles of papers, junk and trash to get to the back bedroom to see if he was alive. The smell was unbelievable.

The fire department brought in a K-12 saw and cut hole into the bedroom from the back of the house. The owner was dead. Mice and insects were crawling all over the body. Multiple cats sprawling all over the piles of papers, garbage and junk in the house. The fire department used the saw to cut a larger hole in the back of the hose so we could get in. The City Public Works Department brought a four wheel drive front end loader to clear out piles of newspapers and magazines which filled the floor around the bed in the bedroom at the back of the house. Several police officers, Animal Control Officers and Public Works employees had to run to the back the property to throw up from the smell.

I took time off the radio after we got the body out of the house to go back to my home, dump my uniforms in the laundry and take a very hot shower to insure I cleared everything I was in contact in this house off my body.

The city quickly declared the house a major health hazard and had it bulldozed to the ground. I told my sergeant the next call like that I wanted to be sent to other side of of town rather than enter a hoarder house again.

I dealt with several more in that community and next one when I was Chief of Police. The smell never gets better.

When you stop trying, it happens | The psychology of the flow state

This is a very important learning exercise.

https://youtu.be/k23x5kP7dAY

Have you ever seen an employee get fired on the spot because of you?

Well technically they quit but……

As a teenager, I washed dishes in a restaurant where my step-father ran the kitchen. He made all the soups and other pre-cooked items (prime rib, ribs), ordered the produce and stock, etc.

The restaurant was located on a barge moored in a harbor on a river. Most of the kitchen help were what we referred to as east-enders… rough boys. I was a preppy high school kid but got along with most of them. However, there was one guy… Dale. Dale was a bit crazy. He was also heavily into drugs and a burnout. He also washed dishes and on weekends, there would be two of you paired together.

All dishes had to be cleaned by the end of the night, the floors swept and scrubbed, and dirty laundry put away (table cloths, napkins, and aprons). If it was a particularly good night, the waitresses would bring a few pitchers of beer from the bar to the kitchen crew.

One night beer was brought while everyone was cleaning up. Dale was drinking more than cleaning. I got fed up and left the dishes piled high in the sinks.

The following morning, my step father arrived at work to find the dirty dishes. My mother awoke me asking what happened and that my step father was livid. I was taken to work where I find Dale and my step father standing in the kitchen. My step father is PISSED. He asks me why the dishes were left. I explained I was tired of Dale not doing his job. Dale tried to talk his way out of the situation which only made things worse. My step father was screaming at Dale and told him to go clean the bathrooms. Dale left to do that and now I’m expecting to catch hell. My step father put his hand on my shoulder then walked away calmly asking me to finish the dishes.

I was stunned. My step-father wasn’t an understanding person and he didn’t treat me any different that the rest of the crew. But here he was believing me and siding with me (a rare instance).

About an hour later, we discovered Dale left without cleaning the bathrooms. I was asked to stay and work the shift…. and to clean the bathrooms.

Dale never returned.

Ladies, men need this

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OdzXKsEgZuo?feature=share

“On Friday I did an activity with my 5th graders where they wrote a short blurb entitled.

“I wish my teacher would know…”

These are just a few that stuck out to me:

Kid 1: I wish my teacher would know; my dad is in jail, and I haven’t seen him in years.

Kid 2: I wish my teacher would know, I don’t always eat dinner because my mom works and I don’t know how to work the stove.

Kid 3: I wish my teacher would know; my sister sleeps in the same bed as me, and sometimes she wets the bed, and that’s why I smell funny.

Kid 4: I wish my teacher would know that I don’t always have sneakers for gym class because my brothers and I share one pair.

Kid 5: I wish my teacher knew I like coming to school because it’s quiet here, unlike my house with all the yelling.

✨We spend so much time talking and judging what we think we know… we need to ask more questions and spend more time listening. We also need to shift our mindset and see things from other people’s perspective. Give more than we get. Live to serve and to help make a difference in others’ lives.

Let’s leave this life a little better than we found it.

Polish Cinnamon Cake

babkaslice
babkaslice

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • A grating of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Beat the butter until it is soft and fluffy. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar and the egg and continue beating. Add 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, the nutmeg and flour, and beat until well mixed.
  2. Spread about 1/3 of the batter on an ungreased baking sheet, forming a rectangle about 10 x 12 inches and bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 8 minutes, until lightly browned.
  3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  4. Repeat two more times with the remaining batter.
  5. Whip the cream until stiff, and fold in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla extract. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on one of the cakes, top with another cake, and repeat.
  6. Spread remaining whipped cream on the top and serve immediately.

Cyber Potter 2077

https://youtu.be/j0ov7NBosuE

For those of you over 40, what is it that confuses you the most about young people?

I am slap-in-middle of Gen X. Two years ago, I got diagnosed with cancer. I still live in the small-time town I was born in and know everyone.

I still went into work the next day and in the morning after I had texted all to my 31 year old boss whom I thought was a great guy that I might be a bit quiet today…. My ‘millennial’ boss was someone I deemed trustworthy and not at all like other guys like my disgusting, selfish, youngest brother. I was happy he was gonna be my boss through what was going to be a difficult time for me and my family. I wished I’d stayed at home but I had a lesson.

He actually thought it was the coolest thing, and was seriously, absolutely, completely delighted. An employee with cancer was so trendy. Not that he said that out loud but he was really pleased for himself…. Genuinely, the guy wanted to tell everyone – and I ordered him to be silent until I said so and stopped periodically shaking and could talk about it without being overwhelmed with fear that was so bad my tummy and heart hurt.

Me and my husband were looking at him like W.T.F. I suddenly got why millennials aren’t liked…

He then started to reduce my hours and told me I wasn’t haven’t sick pay three days before my massive surgery and sacked me when I got a lawyer on to him a year later. It is strictly illegal to sack someone with cancer in the UK.

He thought he was the best boss ever because he spent two minutes reading a website about how employees with cancer often want to work as it seems normal.

He had gotten a recent promotion and became ….. absolutely vile… I didn’t even get a card or a teddy bear. I am rather wary of that generation now.

And yes, this actually happened…

AI Video From OpenAI Just Blew Everyone’s Minds!

Sora. Damn!

How things really work

When I worked in Mebine, North Carolina (during our “van days”, “out in the wilderness”) I witnessed, first hand, all sorts of corruption that a powerful factory, and rich boss can get away with.

This was a factory that made “granola bars”. I worked in maintenance, and then as a line machine operator.

  • Using company funds he bought a “company car”. You know, to go on business trips. Except that it was an expensive custom Corvette sports car. LOL.
  • There was a 22 year old girl who was on the payroll as his open sex partner. She was one of those girls… you know the kind… attractive, blonde, voluptuous… attracted boys at 14 and was addicted to sex. She befriended me, and openly talked about her escapades with “the boss”. She would come in for a few hours each day to “help him in the office” and then leave.
  • They factory was running out of money and started to have financial problems. So we were ordered to take the huge (four story tall) storage tank and weld a fake partition at top. Then we gathered some of the molasses that it stored. We then burnt the molasses intentionally. Put it up at the top. The Boss then called the supplier and complained. They vendor came. Took a sample from the top, determined that it was burnt… and refunded the cost of the truck load to our boss.
  • The factory workers took up a collection to help us (me and the wife). The money was given to a girl to buy food for us, and we really appreciated the two bags of groceries… until we saw that all the items had “buy one get two free” stickers on everything. But the bags only contained one item. Someone clearly took one half of the food for themselves.
  • The factory made granola bars, with was nothing more than mixing peanut butter, nuts, honey, raisins, etc in a huge vat, forming them into ribbons, cutting the ribbons into pieces, and then wrapping them in foil. The thing was that almost all the ingredients were FREE from the United States government. Somehow the factory boss cut a deal where he got free “government food” that was intended for the poor, and made granola bars at a profit.
  • That being said, our “Christmas bonus” consisted of a USDA block of cheese. Promptly labeled “not for resale”.

As I get older, I see how everything in the United States was twisted, reformed, readjusted, and made so that only certain groups prospered, while others got poorer and poorer. How long can this continue?

It seems to me that the ONLY thing keeping Americans “on the plantation” are loads of drugs, social media pacification, and ignorance of the rest of the world.

If you are still trapped inside… GET OUT NOW.

Today…

As a police officer, what’s the most devastating case of child neglect you have ever seen?

The mother of an 11-year-old decided her daughter needed a whipping (She did). This is what happened that did NOT constitute a “whipping”.

Mom started out with an electrical cord pulled off a lamp. After numerous strikes, the cord got lost in the struggle. While holding the girl, mom punched her with her fists several times. Mom grabbed a wire coat hanger, straightened it and started whipping again. The end of the wire was wrapping around the girl’s body, puncturing her arms, legs, hips, sides. Then the coat hanger got pulled away in the struggle.

Mom grabbed a woman’s belt, about 1/4 inch wide and started in with it, cutting into the girl’s skin. After numerous strikes, that also got lost. The beating had moved through four rooms, into the baby’s room. Mom snatched a side slat out of the baby bed (about 1″ by 1″ by about three feet, and started using it. Somehow, the girl escaped the house, ran down the street, and was taken into a house by a neighbor who called the police. She was admitted to the hospital with cuts and bruises from her ankles to her head. She had a hematoma about the size of a baseball on her forehead that swelled her eye closed. She looked like she had gone 9 rounds with Mike Tyson.

Mom was convicted on Felony Child Abuse and served 5 years.

 

Why did the Roman Empire stop expanding?

My professor, put the answer this way, the Romans ran out of people to rob. This was Rome at its maximum extent:

image 239
image 239

This takes a massive army to maintain and that requires money. I will say something unpopular, after conquest, a standing army is a financial drain. Soldiers produced nothing but cost you a great deal and you must feed them locally.

Thus the conquests must:

  • Be worth the value in permanent productivity and taxation
  • Better hope you have a weak neighbor with low organization and social cohesion. Otherwise, you will have a lengthy oozing wound that exhausts your army and financially wrecks you with continuous war

So, to the South, Romans would be expanding into the Sahara; what was the point of that?

Expand into Northern Britain was done several times; those were financially unsustainable. North of the wall, population density was too low to sustain legions.

Along the Rhine, the Romans had expanded into Germany, on many occasions. It was a place of forests and swamps and small villages. Along the coast was one giant coastal wetland. No profit in that place, the Romans tried for years but it was just not profitable. This permanent fort was found in Thuringia, Eastern Germany:

image 238
image 238

Why was it abandoned? Finances.

Further along, was the Danube frontier. After Dacia’s gold was exhausted, it was not worth keeping it. Indeed, that frontier was open to the horse people and Germans. There was nothing to gain there. So, the Romans retreated to the Danube and stayed there.

To the east, was Persia or Parthia or whatever you want to call them. Those boys were as civilized, organized and militaristic as the Romans. From Crassus onwards, there was war, back and forth, back and forth, expansions, contractions, expansions, contractions…that war continued into the Byzantine era. Some claim, it NEVER ended.

So, where am I going with this? At some point, empires are about money and profit. If a place is not making money, it does not make sense to keep it. The game has not changed. Look at it from the perspective of Tony Soprano:

I want to know why there’s zero growth in this family’s receipts. Where’s the money?! You’re supposed to be earners. That’s why you’ve got the top-tiered positions. So I want each one of you to go out to your people on the street, crack some heads, making some earnings.

Conquest for conquest sake was not the point. Making profit was the point. Rome had run out of profitable places to conquer in their vicinity.

Have you witnessed anything noticeable happen immediately after someone dies?

One day, a year or so after my teenage daughter “broke up” with a boy whom we had gotten to know, (his mom had been diagnosed with cancer months before) I had a very strong feeling to contact him on Facebook and just ask how he had been doing.

He answered me immediately and said, my mom is dying. I told him that I knew she was sick, and that’s why I was checking on him. He said no… right now he is in the hospice room with her and her breathing has changed and he thought she was gone.

I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said he didn’t want to leave her. I told him it would be OK if he sat with her as long as he wanted, and when he was done he should go get the hospice staff and they would take care of her from there .

This was being done via Facebook messenger, and we sat quietly for about 5 to 10 minutes, when he said her hand was cold and he was ready to go. I told him let me know if there was anything I could do for him, and the next time I heard from him it was regarding the funeral.

On the day of the funeral my daughter and I were preparing to go and I stopped on the way to look for a card or something I could write on to share our condolences.

While standing in the card section I became frustrated I didn’t like anything that I saw, I decided a card didn’t feel right and I just wouldn’t do it… but on the way out I passed the candy section and felt a strong sense that I should buy some Skittles.

When arriving at the funeral and passing through the line with this young man and his brothers I gave him the skittles and said, “dude I brought you a rainbow”

The funeral service was lovely, his mother knew she was dying and planned most of it herself right down to the music. As the services ended they asked us all to enjoy her favorite song as we proceed out of the church.

My heart and my spirits were lifted immediately when the song started, it was “somewhere over the rainbow”

As I pass the boys again on the way out we all hugged and I made sure they knew that that message was from their mother, I didn’t even know her, but that message was from her!

At her exact moment of passing she somehow got into my psyche so I contacted her boy and virtually held his hand as she left. Then she made sure I brought him a message of hope, directly from her.

 

Apart from the Philippines, how many enemies China have over the South China Sea Disputes?

image 246
image 246

Except for the corrupt Bongbong Marcos government, no other country in Southeast Asia wants to be an enemy of China.

Except for the Philippines, no country in Southeast Asia is willing to become “Asian version Ukraine” used as cannon fodder by the United States.

In Russo-Ukrainian war the Americans politicians give ammunition, the rich ukrainian give the food and the poor ukrainian give their children… When the war is over the Americans politicians get back the leftover ammunition, the rich ukrainian grow more food and the poor ukrainian search for the graves of their children.

Using the lives of their own citizens as expendable goods to satisfy the ambition of American politicians to weaken China? — Southeast Asian people are not that stupid.

image 247
image 247

Even the Filipino people themselves are opposed to Bongbong Marcos colluding with the United States to provoke China on the South China Sea issue.

Do you really think they don’t know the Yanks’ sinister intentions of sowing discord and inciting discord?

Recently, there was even news that the former president of the Philippines protested against Bongbong Marcos for provoking China and promoting the independence of Philippine Mindanao.

image 248
image 248

Quora has netizens from Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei and other countries along the South China Sea. You could do a broad social survey of them and quickly come to the same conclusion I did.

What is the smartest comment that you have heard a child make?

When my grandson Henry was about four we were very close, and he loved to hear me singing and playing guitar so when he was staying with us he’d ask me to sing for him. We’d sit in the lounge or conservatory and he’d be so silent and focussed – the best audience anyone could wish for!

One time I sang him the David Olney song “Women “Cross the River”

The last verse is :

The women ‘cross the river, they’re as gentle as the dew upon the ground

I love to hear them laughing when it rains and makes that perfect sound

Now a soldier with a gun, and a battle to be won

He might shoot you with a bullet – you’d never even know the reason why

But the women ‘cross the river, they could kill you with their eyes.

I finished with a graceful, slow arpeggio key chord, and he was staring at me, totally “in the song”.

Then, Henry sighed and said “what IS a perfect sound?” Four years old ! I was speechless.

Harry Potter but in America

I watched this, and laughed my ass off!

https://youtu.be/RfhcotADIxM

Has someone you don’t know ever gifted you with an extreme act of kindness?

One summer my kids and I were leaving the library and getting into our vehicle when a man got out of his truck that was parked beside us and asked if the kids would like a train set.
I figured he had some little under the xmas tree set or something but he lifted a tarp in the back of his truck and showed us one one those huge sets!


He explained that he was on his way to leave it at a thrift shop but saw us and wondered if we would like it. It would save him the trip he said.


We said yes and he put it into the back of our truck.


It must have been worth a lot. I am sure he could have sold it to a collector instead. It took up most of the basement floor when we set it up. It was remote controlled and had little buildings and trees too. Lots of different sounds as well. It was older but in perfect condition.


We could never have afforded to buy anything like it.


I thanked him over and over and asked if there was anything we could do in return and he assured me no there wasn’t. Just knowing the kids would be enjoying it was enough. His kids loved it but his grandchildren were not interested in it.


My kids played with it for years. So did my husband and I.


We ended up donating it to a youth center a few years ago.


We normally did not drive a truck but that day due to temporarily being without a vehicle we had borrowed our in-laws truck otherwise we would have had no way to get it home.


What luck!

Remember these 09 things in your professional life

  1. Stay away from people who do back-bitching. If they can bad mouth someone in front of you, then how can you be sure they won’t do the same to you?
  2. Never speak your heart out at work. Learn how to be diplomatic. That’s what everyone else is doing around you.
  3. Office politics is for skill less people at work. Never involve yourself in it.
  4. Never bargain your salary by showing other job offer letters to your current employer. Even if they increase your salary, you’ll be on their radar forever.
  5. Efficiency is not equivalent to time. Stop staying late at work to prove yourself better.
  6. No matter how close you are with your colleagues, never discuss personal matters at work.
  7. You shouldn’t ask anyone’s salary, increment or anything personal.
  8. Office romance is out of equation. It will make you miserable at work. Keep a thick line between work and personal life.
  9. Work equally hard on your soft skills as they matter more than you think.

Czech Goulash

2024 02 21 06 25
2024 02 21 06 25

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds pork or beef, cubed
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. In a cast iron Dutch oven, sauté onion in shortening. Add garlic; sauté until translucent.
  2. Add meat, onion, paprika, caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Brown well.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of the water; simmer, covered, until meat is tender, about 1 hour.
  4. Sprinkle flour over drippings in the pan; stir until brown.
  5. Add remaining water; simmer for 10 to 20 minutes.

Harry Potter but in America 2

Still… it’s so nigga.

https://youtu.be/hAXuN5wIkvA

What is the rudest thing someone has ever done when you were in their car?

My girlfriend and I went to the movies and she drove me home in her car. The route we took was very poorly lit and the lights on her dash were very dim, so it was very dark inside the car.

Along the way, I took out a packet of Dentyne gum (you know the kind whose pieces came in little blocks each with a small paper wrapping?)

I asked her if she’d like a piece and she said yes, so I tore the side of the package wrapping so she could grasp a piece without my having touched it. Then I got myself a piece and put the package back in my handbag.

About six days later, she picked me up to go for our weekend walk on the beach and as I got into the car she pointed down to the passenger floor and said huffily:

Before we leave, I’d appreciate it if you’d pick up the litter you left behind in my car last time and remember in future that my car is not your trashcan!

I looked down and saw that a piece of the paper gum wrapper on the floor. Apparently, in the dark, I’d thought I was putting the wrapper in my handbag along with the package, but the wrapper had landed on the floor instead.

I bent over and picked it up and said “I’m sorry. It was dark and I didn’t see that I’d dropped it on the floor.”

I should think so! she said in a repressive tone.

I got out of the car and went back into my apartment building and we never spoke again. I was angry and kind of disgusted that she let the offending piece of paper sit on the floor for six days just so she could scold me about it. I figured if it was so awful having this nasty piece of ‘trash’ in her car, why did she endure this horror for six whole days?

Stupidest thing ever to end a friendship.

 

Do you think that in life it is better not to look backwards?

On Christmas Eve, somewhere in the mid-’80s, my mom dropped us off at her sister’s house. When my brother and I woke up on Christmas Day, we couldn’t believe our eyes.

Santa Claus had delivered the most epically packaged gifts I had ever gazed upon.

There were twirling ribbons and fluffy bows and shiny paper. It was just so beautiful. I was jealous and envious of my cousins.

They were always on the nice list.

Thirty years later, on December 26th of last year, I went to Kmart and Walmart. I went with fifty dollars and a plan.

image 243
image 243

I bought all the wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons that I could afford. I got 90–95 percent off of all that stuff.

image 242
image 242

I saved it for a whole year.

I’ve done this now every year for three years.

For Christmas, we can’t afford to buy the kids all new things. We buy a lot of second-hand clothing and school supplies for them.

But when it’s time to wrap those gifts, I spend night after night tirelessly tying ribbons and making bows.

image 241
image 241

I am in charge of ALL the wrapping. My girlfriend hates doing it, but I love it. It’s important to me and I do it for really inexpensive.

image 240
image 240

The kids have so much fun tearing all this stuff to pieces on Christmas morning and Jess and I have so much fun watching them do it.

This kind of stuff wouldn’t be important to me today if I didn’t look back.

I think looking back on our lives is very important, even if you’re looking back at a bad memory.

The good and the bad shape who we are in this moment.

Today I’m a gift wrapping machine and that’s a good thing.

That good thing was born out of a jealous and envious brat.

I choose who I am.

10 Things not to do in your life when you feel you are matured now

  1. Don’t try to please everyone, because it is impossible to please everyone.
  2. Don’t expect the world to change according to your wishes because the world is what it is. It was always like that.
  3. Don’t try to be like anyone else because you are unique and you must learn to respect yourself.
  4. Don’t try to reform other people, because there is no need to reform anyone. People are just different from each other.
  5. Don’t make money by doing something you don’t like because loving your work is more valuable than money.
  6. Don’t be unfaithful to your spouse, because you can never regain their trust.
  7. Don’t abandon your friends when you become rich and famous because friends are priceless.
  8. Don’t waste your time networking with people for business purpose because you lose respect in your eyes when you build relationship for profit.
  9. Don’t take relationships for granted because once you lose it, you can’t repair the relationship ever.
  10. Don’t wait for the problem to happen to you before you take action because you can do a lot to prevent the problem happening in your life.

Breaking Bad but in Italy

https://youtu.be/koomzSRRNxA

What is your best parking spot revenge?

Not really a parking spot but revenge over a truck driver nonetheless… a truck driver was delivering a scissorlift and had to take it downstairs. Instead of driving the truck downstairs (parking is in the basement, and truck lifts bring the vehicles up and down), he insisted on his gears needed cooling down. And his truck had ‘broken down’ (think changing gears without the clutch). Naive as I was I believed him and let him brake down in the middle of the road for 30 minutes to make his delivery. As a result he held up half a dozen deliveries who couldnt get in or out until the truck moved. Miraculously his truck worked fine once the delivery was done.

Unfortunately I’m best friends with a guy who works for the tac, who does truck roadworthy inspections and has the power to take trucks off the road… a quiet word to him meant the trucking company had all of its trucks inspected, and given roadworthies as required. As for his own truck? As it’s already unroadworthy it was towed to the pound, and there it stays until a new transmission is replaced…

Did you ever get an order from someone who had absolutely no authority over you? What was it and what did you do?

Yeah. I used to work with a miserable old (middle-age actually) hag who thought she was in charge in our dept. One day, I saw and heard our actual supervisor give her an order to do a particular job. As soon as the boss left, the “hag” brought it to me demanding I get it done ASAP, drop what I was doing etc. Well, I just let it sit there on my table. The boss came back, asked about the project and I hears the wannabe boss say “I gave it to him, don’t know what his problem is, he hasn’t touched it” The real boss looked at her an said, “ I told YOU to do it, NOT pass it on Go to my office and wait for me” She was fired……. so, in a way I got rid of a pain in everyone’s ass and literally did nothing to do it.

That’s how it works…

She took her ex to court to get full custody of a child that she abandoned with him, plus wanted alimony on top of it. It didn’t work out as she thought.

  • Dude, seeing the quiet satisfaction on Dad’s face brings me so much joy. He went into court that day just praying this judge would actually be responsible and not turn his life upsidedown. That’s beautiful.
  • It’s wonderful to see a father actually win in a system that never seems to help the father at all.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cA3Ezy2LuvQ?feature=share

What was the kindest thing someone did for you when you were young?

I was ten years old and had walked to the shopping mall to buy a loaf of bread for my mom. I had 42c in my pocket because that what a loaf of bread cost back then. When I got the mall I forgot why I was there and so I just started walking around randomly. I walked into a candy store that was advertizing a two for a penny sale.
“gee I wish I had money,” I said to myself.
“hey there are some coins in my pocket!”
“wow – I’ve got 42 cents – that’s incredible. I can buy 84 candies!”

i then began to torture the shop assistant, “can I have two cola bottles, one sour gummy worm, two chocolate Brazil nuts, three milk bottles, one fizzy chew- no, make it two. Can I gave one of the fruit jellies, a yellow one please? And a red fruit gum – no that’s purple, I mean the other red …”

eventually I finished the grumpy shop assistant asked me for 42cents. I handed it over then …

”oh my god. I just remembered. It’s my moms money. I’m supposed to buy a loaf of bread with it. I’m really sorry, but I can’t buy the candy. can I have my money back please?”

”no way you foolish child …”

then I hear an old lady behind me say “ma’m please give him his money. I’d be happy to pay for his candy. ….”
this kind lady made a huge impact on me and, 45 years later I still recall her kindness.

Has someone ever been fired because of you?

Yes. There was some busybody gossipmonger working at a local bank. When my father passed away and I was helping my mother deal with some of the financial things— such as taking his name off of their joint accounts— the teller started asking all sorts of personal questions that were none of her business. Asking if we planned to sell the place or move. We told her we didn’t know. It happened so suddenly and we were still reeling. We started getting phone calls and people showing up at our house asking when we were going to sell and how much we wanted for the place.

Apparently the loudmouth teller had started blabbing around town that we were going to sell and gave out our phone number (which was unlisted) and our home address. One of the people mentioned that “Shirley” had told them. I went back to the bank and asked to speak with her and asked her if she had told people we were planning to sell and if she gave our info to people. She said she was just trying to be helpful. I told her we were grieving and didn’t want people calling and nosing around our property and that what she did was a serious breach of privacy. I then asked to speak to the branch manager and told him what happened and how I did not want to do business with a bank with a teller who would give out my personal details to randos without my permission and that it was causing undue stress during an already stressful time. He didn’t fire her on the spot, but he send a letter to us later informing us that she’d been terminated.

We live out in the middle of nowhere to avoid people and our place is out of the way and hard to find. Having to deal with misinformed trespassers who were snooping around our yard because some blabbermouth lied to them and gave our info out would have been stressful enough under normal circumstances, but given we’d just lost my father suddenly & unexpectedly, it was doubly stressful.

It’s like watching a snake eat its own tail; predictable and entertaining.

It’s so sad. If I were in my 20’s in the USA, I’d leave as soon as I could.

https://youtu.be/Ig1646pbQi0

If you woke up one day and you were 40, no career, no savings, no degree, no real skills and a decent amount of debt and had to make it at that age, what would you do?

At the age of 43, I found myself on the pavement with no money, no home, no job, and just the shirt on my back.

I walked into town and into a recruitment agency and took the only job they had which was badly paid, hard and unpleasant work. By being willing, I got a better job with them- still not a good job but paying better and slightly more pleasant.

At 45, I moved to Lincoln and got a better job with another agency on the back of my recent experience. By being both capable and willing, I got progressively better jobs until they offered to train me to be a trainer. I stayed as a trainer for the next ten years. My income was never as good as it had been in my youth but that was compensated by the international team I had the privilege to work with. I don’t think there was a single nationality I didn’t work with in that time. That was a very fulfilling period and the happiest time of my life.

What is one thing your kid came home and told you one day that made you want to go to school the next day and go off on the principals and teachers?

Years ago when my daughter was maybe 7, she came home from school and I could tell something was bothering her. I told her to sit down at the kitchen table and tell me what was going on. She told me she couldn’t sit, and I asked why. She told me that a teacher had whipped her. I looked at her little bottom and there were welts. I don’t remember what caused the spanking, but leaving welts like that was totally uncalled for. I called the school, asked to speak with the teacher, and when she answered, I told her that I’d be happy to meet her outside so she could try hitting someone closer to her size. I was furious, and ready to have a go at her. She refused the offer, and I called the principal and told him what she’d done, and how she’d left welts on my child. The teacher was transferred. Hopefully, she never struck another child like that again.

For those who would have done things differently, whether by suing, filing a police report or demanding the teacher be fired, you missed the first two words of my post. Years ago. Years ago, teachers were allowed to whip/paddle students. Parents spanked their kids. If a parent would have demanded the teacher be fired, they would have been laughed at, and if the parents threatened to sue, I’m sure the school would have told them to go ahead and try. Before another commenter tells me what they would have done, research what was allowed years ago.

Harry Potter in the Old Money Aesthetic

https://youtu.be/sy952in_3_A

What is the rudest thing that a customer said while you were serving them?

Sorry for going anon.

When I was 19, I worked behind the front desk of a 5-star hotel in a very affluent area of Florida. Rooms were normally between $700–1500 per night.

I checked in a guest from Washington D.C. who was very pleasant, and we had a great conversation. During our conversation, I mentioned that my family was primarily in the coastal areas of New York, and that they were all nervous about Hurricane Sandy (this is important).

3 days later, it was time for the guest to check out, but he had left his belongings in the room. The guest did not checkout until 7 PM, and logically, we had to charge him another night, since our housekeeping staff had gone home, and we would not be able to sell the room.

The guest lost it, screaming at our staff, slamming his fist on the counter, the whole show.

Then he spotted me.

With so much disdain, he snarled, “I hope that your family dies in that hurricane.” My manager immediately grabbed the back of my suit jacket, and pulled me into the back office, because he knew what was coming next. I still get angry thinking about that guest.

 

What is the most emotional picture you’ve ever seen?

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image 244

She was a brilliant Maths Teacher at Malappuram, Kerala, India. One day one of her student saw her at the railway begging for alms, but she couldn’t recognize her properly.

However when the student took a closer look, she recognized her class teacher. When the student asked her about her such a dire state, she told that after her retirement her family abandoned her and never came to know about her whereabouts so she started begging in front of the railway station.

The student broke down listening to her teacher’s story and took her home.

The student provided her Teacher with food & clothes and to secure her future contacted all those friends who were taught by their Maths teacher and took her to a better place to live her life peacefully.

So abandoned by her own family, the teacher was supported & taken care by her students whom she once taught.

This is I think the best example of Teacher-Student sacred & emotional bond and that HUMANITY is still alive.

Bitter sweet

No one could tell?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zGQND5ZZNAc?feature=share

What is the dumbest crime you can commit, the one for which you will almost certainly be caught?

OK I used to process payroll for a living. One day I got an envelope from the bank and inside was a notice that one of our checks had been flagged for fraud.

There was a copy of the check so I looked at it. Turns out this is one of our paychecks that was actually mailed out, rather than given out at work.

As usual, the check was made out like the following:

John Doe
1234 Any St
Houston, Tx 77777

This allowed the name and address to show through a window on the envelope.

Someone had stolen the check from the guy’s mailbox. They took it and put it through a typewriter and added their own name followed by “ or” above the name on the check.

So it appeared as:

Steve Smith OR
John Doe

Well… if the check had been made on a typewriter originally, that might have flown. But it was printed and the font looked nothing like a typewriter. So it was very obvious that the check had been tampered with.

What kind of idiot steals money by forging their own name on a check?

Of course, the check would never be honored by the bank, so I knew they hadn’t cashed it. Sure enough, it had been cashed at a liquor store. I called them up, and let them know they wouldn’t be getting paid for that check. They exploded on me. Told me they would be suing, etc. Sure you will…

I referred the whole thing to the police. Turns out the guy who stole the check and the guy at the liquor store who cashed the check were in cahoots. So I got two arrests for the price of one.

How he made money selling cars

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5K7zpaOLMJg?feature=share

Why did my top performing employee quit after write up?

I was “written up” at one job by a senior manager. The comments included my failure to get a particular feature working on schedule. When I told him that I had not been assigned that task, and that my (direct) manager was doing it, the senior manager said I was just making excuses. Another complaint was that I had come in weekends to work on a feature that I thought would improve the project, instead of spending that unpaid overtime working on assigned tasks.

I was livid. I didn’t quit because I had just bought a house near the company. But I basically fell apart, and my work quality dropped dramatically.

The kicker was my re-review three months later. The same senior manager complimented me on toeing the line and doing exactly the tasks I’d been ordered to do. He rescinded the warning.

So I quit on the spot. *I* knew that my work had become substandard. It was even worse being complimented for bad work than being criticized for good work. There was no way I could have stayed at the company after that.

Moral: Don’t write up *anyone* without being really certain. Talk to them, talk to their co-workers. Find out what – if anything – is going on. Find out if they’re at fault, or if they’re being managed badly. If there’s an external issue, try to help the employee resolve it, or try to make allowances for it. But never do a writeup unless you plan to fire the person, and need to start the paper trail for that.

Trucker ELECTRICUTES SMUGGLERS with New Tool to Stop Smugglers inside

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kLNk-D07yqY?feature=share

What is the most underhanded thing a co-worker did to you that they mistakenly thought went unnoticed?

It happened some time ago when I was young and naive. I had just graduated from college and still had a modicum of that idealism and youthful exuberance that made me a particularly good mark. To be honest, I thought I knew more than I actually did and this blind spot allowed the incident to unfold.

A co-worker copied my signature and bank account information from some signed HR documents before sending them through inter-office mail and then used it to forge my name on some debit card purchases. I reported it as fraud to the bank and I was able to show that I did not actually buy the items.

About two months later, she was fired when she pulled the same trick on somebody else. The new mark had an account through the same bank that I had. A vigilant analyst noticed the same website and signature patterns from my case.

I bumped into her some months later while out in a night club with friends. She was drunk and with a friend. We joked and chatted as if nothing happened. I danced with both of them for a bit and then excused myself to leave.

As we parted ways with a hug, I told her in her ear, “I know that you stole my account information. I know that’s why you were fired.” She recoiled and turned away quickly with her friend — who was quite perplexed at her sudden change in demeanor.

Good fucking riddance.

Functionality of a Vintage Overcoat

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tyn22c8_WT4?feature=share

What are some important and generalizable life lessons?

  1. Patience is the key. Crocodiles don’t go hunting. The prey comes to them.
  2. Listening is the greatest life skill. Talking and not listening is the greatest folly.
  3. If you don’t want other people to control your life avoid looking for a job no matter how high the pay.
  4. Life has its irony. In school, people who succeed are those people who excel academically. In real life, people who succeed are those people who failed in school.
  5. Don’t worry or stress yourself when you wake up each morning feeling like a failure or things are not working for you. That’s how life is designed. To feel bad when life is working for you.
  6. The school of life is strange. People who actually succeed feel like they’re total failures. And in fact, they fail multiple times until they lose count.
  7. Don’t hate anyone no matter how you feel about them. They have no idea that you hate them. You’re only hurting yourself.
  8. In this life, your life is not sealed by fate. That’s the wrong way of looking at life. Your life is really like a blank cheque for you to fill with any number you decide.
  9. We’re all born clean from debt. However, the lifestyles and paths we decide to choose puts us in all manner of debts that we will probably never recover from.
  10. Be thankful for what you have, and don’t stress yourself about what you don’t have. Life won’t give you what you don’t have until you’re grateful for what you have.

Be the Rufus

 

Jack was about to fly home from New York to London when he met Violet at the gate and became her friend. Violet, an 88-year-old former nurse, was flying home after visiting her daughter, and she had never been able to afford an expensive first-class ticket. It was a dream of hers to do that someday. When it was time to board, Jack walked with Violet onto the plane, insisted that she take his first-class seat, and then went to the very back of the plane next to the restrooms, and sat in hers.

Stewardess Leah Amy found out about the switch and reported the story (these photos are hers), saying, “Jack never said a word or asked for anything. Of all the people I’ve met on hundreds of flights, including soccer players, supermodels, and movie stars, these two have been my favorite passengers.”

Baked Eggs on Toast
(Jaja na Grzankach – Polish)

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2024 02 21 06 24

Yield: 3 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 slices white bread
  • Butter
  • 3 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 6 eggs
  • Salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Toast the bread and butter it on both sides. Place on a baking sheet and, using the tips of your fingers, make a small depression in each piece of toast. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chives. Carefully drop an egg onto each piece of toast and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the eggs reach the desired degree of doneness.
  3. Allow 1 to 2 per person.

Brett Cooper Reacts to the New Jack Sparrow

WTF? Disney is run by idiots.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FZ9cZT1mCQU?feature=share

What has a doctor/nurse said to you that they should not have said?

Let me preface by saying this to add some context….

I have a rare immune system disorder called Common Variable Immunodeficiency, CVID for short. This means my body does not create antibodies and I have to get infusions every week to even have a chance of fighting infections. I essentially have no immune system so with that said, here goes:

a few years back (before they found the right medicine for my infusions) I was admitted to the hospital due to an infection of unknown nature. It was shutting my body down. My temp was 106 degrees farenheit. They decided to call in the emergency response team at 2 am and had me call my family. Things were getting worse and they were going to move me to ICU. While all of this was going on, a nurse on the team looked at me and said “you don’t look sick. You should be unconscious with everything going on with you”. One of the doctors on the team looked at him and said “This is a very critically ill patient. Although I’m not sure why she’s not presenting in worse condition, I am thankful that she is coherent enough to work with us so that we can understand how she feels… get your snarky ass out of this room. She doesn’t need that right now”.

Needless to say, he tucked his tail and ran. He did end up coming up to ICU and apologizing to me though. He said he didn’t mean it in a snarky way, he was just shocked that I wasn’t in worse shape. We sat and talked for awhile and he learned a thing or two about me and my rare condition.

7 Ridiculous Grounds for Divorce in Ancient China

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zwKRbkv5pnI?feature=share

Time for a nice treat

 

You know there are a number of things that I miss from the “states that are particularly difficult to come by here in China. Not to bash China, but these things are rare, or completely heard of, outside of the mega-cities.

  • Milk Shakes. I had one at McDonald’s in Shenzhen back in 2013. Right before they stopped carrying it for lack of popularity.
  • Fresh sesame or onion bagels with cream cheese.
  • Cheese-It crackers.
  • Goldfish crackers… any flavor.
  • Crusty hard rolls.
  • A full turkey with stuffing.
  • Cold cuts (with the exception of prepackaged hams).
  • Grandmother “butter chips” pickles.
  • Pretzel sticks

Not that I am complaining. You see, there are tradeoffs. Sure, I might not have some of those processed snack foods, but there are so many food alternatives that are tastier, and better for me to eat here, that I am not bothered by it at all.

But still…

Having a butterscotch milk shake and ten tacos would be a nice treat every now and again.

Today…

What will Taiwan’s Special Forces do when China invades Taiwan?

It is common to see a row of tires placed next to military camp dormitories in Taiwan. What do you think is the purpose of placing tires next to military barracks dormitories?

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2024 02 17 21 34

You won’t guess what the tires are for! Well let me tell you, they put these tires in to prevent Taiwanese soldiers from committing suicide.

Taiwanese soldiers are not only physically fragile, but also psychologically fragile. They are simply unable to face the bloody battlefield.

Because Taiwan’s military leaders are worried about accidents happening to soldiers during training, they are unable to explain to their families and public opinion. They can only keep lowering training standards and being accommodating, causing the physical condition of Taiwanese soldiers to get worse and worse, becoming outright “hothouse strawberries.”

Just imagine, if the PLA occupied Taiwan by force, when the sharp sirens sounded in the Taiwan military camp, how many Taiwanese soldiers who had hurriedly escaped would fall from the heights of their dormitories.

Before conducting ground operations, the PLA will definitely carry out targeted bombing of Taiwan’s airports, ports, and military camps to completely destroy the resistance of Taiwan’s navy and air force.

Multiple legions of the PLA landed on Taiwan Island, established headquarters, and began to enter the city. The so-called Taiwan Army’s special forces soldiers are probably still queuing up to receive their guns.

Basically all the generals of the People’s Liberation Army participated in the 1979 Sino-Vietnam conflict. On the Syrian battlefield, the PLA central theater and western theater dispatched multiple divisions to participate in actual combat training against “ISIS”. But in Taiwan, only General Xu Linong, who is over 100 years old, has participated in actual combat, and the new generation has never been on the battlefield.

This is the real Taiwanese military and will make you feel a sense of absurdity.

What is the most pointless crime you’ve witnessed?

I did not witness it, but the crime was so pointless and stupid that I still cannot wrap my head around it.

A good friend of mine has been a police officer since leaving the military in the late 90’s. He has no shortage of stories of dumb things people do on bad days. This one sticks out to me as particularly pointless.

As a new recruit, he and his training officer responded to a low-priority call about a tractor-trailer idling in a residential area. It was a cold night and the driver was probably trying to heat the sleeping compartment. Maybe contrary to a noise or anti-pollution bylaw, but about as mundane as it comes.

They walk up. The supervisor raps on the cab door and yells to shut off the truck. No response. Bangs harder. Yells louder. Then from inside the truck a muffled answer: “F*** Off!

Seriously?? They bang again, tell the guy to move his truck or shut it off. “F*** Off!

They look at each other in disbelief. They weren’t there to arrest him. All he had to do was shut off the truck. Then start up again 5 minutes after they leave. Or just drive away. Instead, he’s swearing at 2 police officers.

The driver is shaking off the sleep and is getting more aggressive. The officers can’t walk away, but (probably) can’t force entry either. A standoff. A pointless standoff.

Then the driver throws the door open and jumps them. They try to restrain and subdue him. But this guy is strong. And mad.

The two officers should have been able to gain control quickly. My friend was not experienced yet, but he was big, well-trained, and had been an amateur kick-boxer before serving in the infantry. But he could not believe how brutal the fight was

It took everything out of them, but of course they get him down. Solid as he was, the truck driver could not win that fight. And now they could search the vehicle. Drugs. Well past the threshold for personal possession. Enough drugs that they are presumed to be for the purpose of distribution.

Drugs that never would have been found if he had just shut off the damn truck.

For the life of me, I do not know how that man’s brain operated. So easy to avoid trouble. So many reasons to avoid trouble. Instead he attacks two police officers and sends himself to jail for a long, long time.

** Edit **

Might be worth pointing out that my friend has never described any encounter as a “dumb thing” done on a bad day. Those were my words, not his. He has seen a lot of bad things, a lot of people at their very worst. But he does not trivialize anyone’s experience and feels it is his place to keep the peace, not to judge. In other words, a far better man than I could ever be.

Shrimp Arancine

Shrimp Arancine (Arancini) is a wonderful Sicilian street food.

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2024 02 17 14 55

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Shrimp Filling

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/3 pound shelled shrimp, finely diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup cream
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley

Rice

  • 1 1/2 cups rice
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano cheese
  • 2 eggs

Breading and Frying

  • 2 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • Bread crumbs
  • All-purpose flour
  • Oil for frying

Instructions

Shrimp Filling

  1. Melt butter and sauté the shallot until it begins to wilt. Stir in the shrimp, cook for a minute more, and stir in the cream. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, continue cooking it over a brisk flame until it has become fairly thick, and stir in the minced parsley. Then remove the pan from the fire and let the filling cool.

Rice

  1. While you’re cooking the filling, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
  2. Add the rice and the curry powder. Drain the rice when it’s still a little al dente and mix the butter and cheese into it while it’s still hot, then lightly beat the eggs and stir them in also.

Breading and Frying

  1. When everything else is ready, lightly beat the eggs and season them with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  3. Make the first arancine by taking two small handsful of rice and shaping them into hollow balls. Fill the hollows with shrimp filling, and mold the two halves together to obtain a smooth-sided rice ball about the size of a small orange (1.5 to 2 inches in diameter). Roll the arancine in flour, dredge it in the beaten egg, roll it well in the breadcrumbs, and fry it in deep hot oil. While it’s cooking begin with the next, and when it has become a golden brown, drain it on absorbent paper.
  4. When you have finished frying the arancini, heat them through in the oven for five minutes, decorate them with orange leaves if desired, and serve them hot.

What is the coolest obscure historical fact you know?

It’s the Christmas of 1916, and you are a 24-year-old sentry on his duty outside your platoon’s camp in Lithuania.

It’s in the middle of the night and it’s hard to keep your eyes open, it’s cold, miserable, and windy.

You are dreaming about how good it would be to be back home, sitting in front of a fireplace, eating that Bienenstich prepared by your wife.

But all of a sudden you hear a noise coming from the bushes, “What was that?”, you ask yourself when suddenly of your buddies screams, “Achtung!

This wasn’t an isolated incident, it happened throughout the forests of Lithuania, modern-day Poland, and Belarus.

Wolves back then used to roam the vast expanses of Eastern Europe more freely than they do today, food was in plenty and life was good.

Then the war broke out and that wasn’t the case anymore, the hunting grounds of these wolves were disturbed as their prey was slaughtered for food by both the armies, or was killed during a battle.

The first of these attacks happened in Poland in 1915 when a bunch of wolves started to migrate towards urban areas due to a lack of food and started to attack cattle.

By late 1916, things got extreme as there was no more food left (even cattle), and as their hunger overpowered their fear of humans, they started to attack unsuspecting sentries in the middle of the night, feeding on dead and wounded soldiers in the middle of the battle and sometimes ambushing convoys.

Neither the Russians nor the Germans had the patience to deal with those canines and would turn on packs of wolves and boy would the wolves be coming in hot.

If the regular infantry stopped attacking each other, then that was a sign taken by everyone including snipers, mortarmen, artillery spotters, etc, who too would stop and start assisting the infantrymen in gunning down the incoming wolves by spotting them but the wolves would just keep on coming like one of those video games where the enemy seems to have infinite respawns.

In one incident, several hundreds of wolves (around 300) were killed with no humans dead and only a few wounded but still, this was not enough to dissuade the wolves who would continue these attacks well into 1918 after which they abruptly ceased, however, some places, mainly in Belarus would continue to have a problem with wolves up until early 1919 but these too would stop once their prey in that region was available again.

Dawn of the Woke Zombies

https://youtu.be/Ib_7Wsix3nY

 

 

 

What accidentally rude things do Americans do while traveling even without realizing it?

I was on a solo trip then. I booked a bike tour in Berlin and we were told that we’d be leaving in 10 minutes so if we wanted to go to the restroom we ought to do it now. I was falling in line with other tourmates to the only restroom in the shop and for some reason, a group of American teenagers took notice of a small bike displayed in the shop. One said, “Who would ride that?!” then she noticed me, and their group burst into laughter. I acted like I didn’t hear it and moved on.

For context, I look like a typical Asian, with a height an inch below 5 feet, a child-like face, and a petite build. At that time I was on a trip for a Polish conference and was spending a few days in Berlin to tour around. I was 30 years old then.

Indeed, the “adult” bike was too big for me and the tour guide fetched me a smaller one before we took off.

During the tour, I was asking a few history questions to the tour guide and after a while into the conversation (I talked to him during our free time), I caught a glimpse of the girl and her group’s faces.

She/They looked astonished that I was conversing with the guide in straight English. Which means, I understood every word of their little chatter back at the shop.

And to think it was an English tour.

If I were considering purchasing a 44 Magnum, would I be able to manage The recoil and would it be a reliable self-defense weapon?

Probably not.

My gramps bought a “Dirty Harry” .44 magnum in the mid-70s. My Dad brought it over a couple of years ago to store in my gun safe. Shortly after, I took it to a local indoor range to try it out with a buddy of mine. How could we not?

We both got 40″x24″ paper targets and hung them at the max distance (50 feet+).

image 229
image 229

We held the .44 Magnum one-handed, just like Harry Callahan, and gave it a try.

image 14
image 14

We each shot 6 shots in fairly rapid succession, pausing only long enough to re-acquire the target. I hit the paper a grand total of one time. He hit the paper twice. Neither of us hit the actual target on the paper.

Granted our ‘test’ wasn’t controlled or really all that fair because we were just having fun with it. But we’re both pretty good shots and we both expected to hit the target a couple of times.

We both had perfectly good targets so we tried again with some of our more comfortably shooting pistols and we both did much better.

In comparison, my semi-custom 1911 in .45 ACP and my Ruger Vaqueros in .357 are both a LOT easier to shoot than that .44 Magnum. And, of course, my 9mm is even easier.

That said, for home defense my favorite pistol is still a shotgun.

What kind of things do narcissists do when they discard you?

The discard happens emotionally before physically.

Here’s how it plays out.

  • Their replies to you via text or voice are short, non engaging, kinda ‘fed up’ bored vibe to them and they will keep you on unread and take waaaaaay longer in replying back to you.
  • They stop asking anything or everything about you and what is going on in your life. They never ask about the doctor follow up appointment, or “how’s your day?” They have zero interest and if you do by chance have the opportunity in holding the ‘talking stick’ they are looking out the window as you communicate or switch the topic mid your sentence. You are simply not there and not important in their mind.
  • You will notice they are doing more single things – that invite, party, event.. they could only get one ticket too.. and its not their fault you are not on the guest list now is it?
  • Their interest changes in things they talk about doing – almost like it is someone else talking about these things – they will go on and on about a bike ride they will achieve, or a long hike at a place that is all of a sudden a new interest for them to visit. But you know it is coming straight from the mouth of someone else.
  • They will wait for you to blow your top on something said or done and they will use this as the exit door for silent treatments/ghosting or discards to be able to blame you for being nuts and then run off into the hills to play.
  • They will put you down more, scorn on your self improvement, thoughts or plans. Generally undermine and underpin any positive action or talk off by being dismissive or remind you that you are and will not be able to achieve any of what you talk off.
  • They will give nothing away. The breadcrumbs you once hung on to will become sparce, nada, nothing and you will feel inside that dreaded anxious panic feeling that you know something ain’t right and your egg shell walking will turn into marathon running across hot coals to try to please them.
  • You will doubt yourself more and more and more.

The discard is a process, even though it may seem like a brutal ending at first when you look back you can see the lead up clear as day. It might happen over days, months years and if you have been through the cycle a few times by now, you can set your grand fathers watch to it.

They are self serving creatures and highly predictable once you know the narc code. They are game set match and you realize they are more reliable than an egg timer.

Funny little fuckers aren’t they.

Chicken or Veal Scallopini

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2024 02 17 08 31

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breasts or veal cutlets (cut thin)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup pure olive oil

Instructions

  1. Pound chicken or veal gently between wax paper ( 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick for veal and 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick for chicken).
  2. In a shallow bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and garlic powder. Pour 1/2 cup olive oil in another shallow bowl.
  3. Dip each chicken or veal piece into olive oil and let excess drip. Press meat into bread crumb mixture, coating well and set aside until all meat is breaded.
  4. In a heavy nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté until golden on both sides.
  5. Drain on paper towels and serve with pasta and red sauce.

When did you realize that your best friend was a horrible person?

This was a dude I had dated for some months. First mistake I made was agreeing to start a relationship while trying to finish college. Needless to say I was too busy to pay attention to this guy’s immaturity and lack of personality. Soon after I graduated, the red flags became glaring; his disrespect was consistent and intentional. He refused to show up to my graduation, choosing instead to go hang out with his boys. After that incident I decided to remove myself from the relationship and observe things for a while before making the final decision to completely walk away.

It didn’t take long for him to help me make up my mind. A mutual friend got married so we attended (separately). At the reception I had gone to sit by myself in the hotel lobby when he and one of his friends joined me. They made small talk and whatnot while I did my best to be polite. Then a family passed by, they had a neuro-divergent child around 7 or 8 years old. You could tell from his mannerisms ; soon as he saw my green velvet dress, he wanted to stroke it to his mother’s horror and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I told mom it was okay. I let him touch my dress, gave him a smile and when he was ready, he left. Soon as mom and son left, my ex started laughing and saying, “Autism! Hahahaha”, “Autism!”, “Autism!Hahaha”.

Both his friend and I sat stone-faced, looking at him while he made fun of a child with a condition he had no control over. I was so shocked, my usual retorts, wisecracks and one-liners left me.

That was the day I decided I was not going back to that donkey 🫏. This was 2007. I’ve been married 13 years now, dude is pushing 50 and is still single and childless (and no he’s not single by choice.) I guess no one really cares to stay and do life with a gaping a$$h0le.

 

What was the biggest adult tantrum you’ve seen happen at work?

It shouldn’t have happened, and no one was blameless.

Mid 1970s, Los Angeles, California. Management decided to hire outside experts to help adjust management and staff attitudes to increase productivity and decrease staff turnovers.

The experts decided that promoting ‘We are a family’ would accomplish company goals. Everyone was expected to attend 2 interoffice workshops a month in which we were encouraged to be ‘like family’ with each other, to share, to become close. A company picnic, a games day and a mid-year party were scheduled (on weekends). Families were invited.

Betty, a longtime, close-to-retirement employee, shook her head and called it ‘nonsense.’

Gary, a top salesman, was friendly, always ready with a little joke and very well liked. He was a pudgy teddy bear, married with five children, living in a two-bedroom home. His wife was a sweetheart, a full-time mom and Gary’s biggest fan.

In the spirit of ‘family,’ Gary shared that his wife had had three miscarriages and had been warned that if she became pregnant again, her chances of living were 30%.

When Gary later proudly announced that his wife was pregnant again, the female staff became incensed, and for days, trouble brewed.

Rita, a tough, direct, three-times-married, 40-year-old who worked closest with Gary chose herself to represent his company ‘sisters’ to confront him.

Betty warned that this ‘family’ intervention would all go wrong. She, like an all-knowing grandmother, was so right.

Gary’s office was glass on three sides, with a wall and window at his back. Anyone could look in, and when Rita strode into his office, many of the female staff took full advantage and stood in groups nearby. Gary, of course, could see this, but had no idea what was going on.

Rita began berating a stunned, deeply reddening Gary. We couldn’t hear clearly, but their faces and gestures told an angry story.

After a bit, Gary ordered Rita out, and she left, slamming his office door so strongly that it was like an explosion, rattling the other glass offices. She disappeared, swearing, into the Ladies’ Room, with friends.

Gary sat for less than a minute, then stood and swept everything off of his desk in several moves. He did the same to files, pictures and mementos on the credenza behind him. He slammed an upper cabinet door over and over, pulled everything out and then tugged one of the cabinet doors off. He dumped his desk drawers on the floor and kicked over the chairs.

As his final act, he heaved a potted plant against his office’s front glass. It cracked but didn’t shatter.

In the spirit of family, Gary (like a favorite son) was told to take a week of vacation time to ‘feel better.’ Rita (treated as a black-sheep, troublemaker) was chastised and threatened with reprisals (no raises, promotions) until 60% of her ‘sisters’ quietly threatened a mass ‘sick out.’

We all received a memo which lengthily described professional office behavior, and the word ‘family’ was glaringly absent. The workshops were discontinued, and the experts never seen again.

Betty harumphed a “I told you so.”

Note: Gary came back and acted as though nothing had happened. Rita moved to another department, and they never spoke to each other again.

Gary’s wife had a near-fatal miscarriage a short time later and had a life-saving hysterectomy.

I’VE BEEN ROBBED. REASON PEOPLE ARE QUITTING YOUTUBE.

https://youtu.be/aJjAqy5-okI

 

What do people who are more than 45 years old do after getting fired from their job due to cost cutting?

At the age of 57 the company I worked for announced they were closing our division. I knew because of my age I might have difficulties finding another job. I decided to keep a positive attitude.

I also started putting together a list of the things I had done at other organizations. Things like problems I had solved, cost reductions with suppliers and operational improvements. The type of things that I could bring to another organization. The other thing I did is I reached out to my professional contacts. Within two weeks I had a list of around 20 companies that were looking to fill a position in my field. I then sent out resumes making sure each was tailored to the needs of that company.

About a week later I had 9 interviews. From those 9 initial interviews I ended up with 4 job offers. From finding out in early February that I was out of a job, to starting a new job in early May. I went into the interviews with a good attitude, used my many years of experience as a positive and focused on what I could do for their organization.

Being out of work at 45 is not the end of the world, but rather a chance to write a new chapter in your life’s story.

Do you know anyone who is low key filthy rich?

Yes.

There’s a very wealthy guy who lives not too far from me in St. Louis. I interviewed him once for my publication and we had several other meetings. He’s got to be worth a few hundred million, but I’ve never seen him dressed in anything but jeans and a flannel shirt, even on the rare occasions when he spoke on panels at local events.

He’s a very down-to-earth guy who made his initial money trading grain, then made even more money in real estate. He owned a mill and a river terminal at one point. His house is nice and probably worth more than a million, but it’s just a house—it’s by no means a McMansion or anything. I’ve never been in it but it’s on a private street just around the corner from the same supermarket where I shop.

He became briefly notorious in my hometown when the city put up a bunch of vacant buildings and lots for sale in the late 1990s. He bought up a bunch of them, turned around and sold them to developers, making something like a $10 million profit in 24 hours. There was an outcry in the papers and a phony “investigation” that didn’t amount to anything because the only thing it revealed was that the city was stupid and he was smart. The city should have been able to make those deals itself.

Like F. Scott Fitzgerald said, the very rich are different from you and me.

PEOPLE ARE DEAD BROKE! Credit Debt and Delinquencies EXPLODING!

https://youtu.be/yR9tKYQSZlI

What as a cop, is the assignment that would make you want to quit your job?

What as a cop, is the assignment that would make you want to quit your job?

That’s an easy one. Internal Affairs! I did this job for six long years and wanted to quit almost every day. I will make my case:

  1. You get to investigate people who you have worked side by side with for many years.
  2. You have to be objective in your investigations which is not what fellow officers are expecting.
  3. You get to sustain charges and recommend discipline to the chief. The chief then decides to hammer the officer with a more severe penalty, and you get to deliver the bad news as if it was your idea.
  4. You must get in the middle of officers domestic disputes, going to their homes and interviewing their wives. Talk about being popular.
  5. When an officer isn’t cutting it or screws up badly, you get to take their gun, ID, and shield. I have a couple of officers who never got over that moment.
  6. You have officers who genuinely blame you for the discipline that they brought on themselves by doing dumb things.
  7. You have officers investigating you on their off time trying to find something they can use as leverage or payback.
  8. Everyone tiptoes around you and tries disingenuously to get and stay on your good side. Then they trash you as soon as you retire because you’re no longer a threat.
  9. You get to take your fellow officers to court and testify against them.
  10. You get to conduct confrontational interrogations with fellow officers.
  11. You get accused by the public of covering up police corruption, while at the same time being accused of being a headhunter by your fellow officers.
  12. Once you’re in Internal Affairs for more than a couple years, there is no path out except retirement.

An officer can do a lousy job at IA and never find any wrong-doing and remain popular. This to me is allowing and condoning police misconduct. However, if you conduct your investigations fairly and without blinders, you will be universally disliked.

What is your opinion on the U.S.’s strategy to outcompete China?

What strategy?

I don’t see a coherent, rational national policy.

Perhaps Gina says it best with her candid and graphic admission.

“HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE.”

That’s the national strategy, in a nutshell.

In other words, American exceptionalism applied to the extreme, rules-based-international-order be damned.

What are some psychological tricks you can use to make your life more easy?

  1. If someone is trying to make you decide in a hurry, they are probably giving you a bad deal. Walk away.
  2. If you want to make someone feel uncomfortable, look at their forehead when you’re talking to them.
  3. Sometimes pretending that you are naive gets you more information.
  4. If you want to avoid office politics, say good things about coworkers behind their backs.
  5. Physical contact makes you more likely to say yes to a request.
  6. When a group of people laugh, they tend to look at the person they like the most.
  7. Nervousness and excitement have the same body reaction, so if you’re nervous for a speech, instead convince yourself you’re excited. Its proven to give better speeches, too.
  8. Ask for something that seems small, but is related, to what you really want. Then, once they’ve agreed to the small thing, just work up with slightly larger requests until you’ve achieved the desired outcome.

BRAINWASHED College Student Gets SHUT DOWN By Michael Knowles

https://youtu.be/WjQaCx6LBSs

What was the most unexpected knock you got on your door?

One frosty evening, as the clock struck 10, there came a mighty bang on my iron gate. Intrigued, I ventured forth to find a young lass standing there, fashionably dressed but sorely lacking in winter wear. Bald as a baby’s bottom with a black cloth wrapped around her noggin, she wore a look of utter befuddlement.

“Can I come in?” she implored. I ushered her onto the porch, where the whole family soon gathered, eager to unravel the mystery.

She spun a yarn about being a long-lost classmate of my nephew, whom she hadn’t seen since dinosaurs roamed the earth but somehow remembered his name.

Her tale took a wild turn as she divulged a family saga involving terrorism, sounding more like a B-movie plot than anything from the real world.

My nephew, blissfully oblivious in his far-off land, confirmed her identity as a former classmate from their days of yore, though he knew zilch about her current escapades. We were all left scratching our heads.

Sensing her screws might be a bit loose, I nixed the idea of summoning the cops and instead rang up the school, where I had a few favors to call in.

Like detectives on a sugar rush, they rifled through ancient files, unearthing her home address and digits.

Her father materialized at our doorstep, frantic from hours of searching. He spilled the beans about her battles with the blues and thanked us profusely for our help.

But the million-dollar question remained: How did she know my address and my nephew’s name?

Living in a cozy small town where everybody knows everybody else’s business, we later found out that the girl had always been a few crayons short of a full box, even back in her school days. Turns out, her story was more twisted than a pretzel in a cyclone.

Breaking Bad but in Japan

This is FUNNY!

https://youtu.be/0d_mV1tJMgg

How can I live until 100?

Your best shot?

Don’t smoke cigarettes, like ever. Don’t get caught up in drugs. Manage your blood pressure and cholesterol for the duration of your life. If you let that get out of control, it can damage your heart and arteries in ways that will catch up to you later.

Sure, there are people out there who just do whatever they flipping want and live to 100, but it’s far, far less common for them to live that long.

See a doctor on a regular basis. Stay active and on your feet and exercise regularly.

Another thing that’s rarely mentioned, maintain positive relationships with people. Human connections are critical for happiness and longevity. No man is an island.

 

What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?

Not me but an old friend. This was back in the pre-internet days and in more innocent times.

He created a company called something like “Big Dildos Ltd”.

He then had some mail order catalogues printed, the content of which was relatively discrete but adult-themed – sexy lingerie, battery operated “massage devices”, etc.

The catalogues were delivered to lots of addresses in mostly middle-classes neighbourhoods.

When he received an order, along with a cheque, he would bank the cheque and sit on the money for a few weeks – thereby earning interest on money received.

After a few weeks, he would send a letter to tell the customer he was out of stock for that item and not expecting any more stock, along with a cheque to refund the money.

But here is the real “loophole”. The cheque he sent to return the money had the company name clearly printed on it.

Turns out that many/ the majority of people who placed these orders were too embarrassed to deposit that cheque into their own accounts.

Because he was refunding the money and he always kept a few items listed in the catalogue in stock (at home and generally for personal use between him and his wife), he wasn’t doing anything illegal.

A genius plan that clearly wouldn’t work these days because people can order what they want from the internet, people are far less concerned about anyone knowing that they own such “personal” items and things would all be done by credit card or bank transfer.

Have you ever met someone really privileged who shocked you?

When I taught at a private school in a wealthy suburb of Chicago, several of my middle school-aged students were the children of wealthy parents. They were (mostly) very nice, courteous, and studious students. The only thing that shocked me was how oblivious some of them were as to how wealthy and privileged they really were. Like:

  • The boy who liked to write about his weekend trips with his parents. There were trips around the country during normal weekends, and international trips during long weekends. His father was an executive at Boeing, and I guess traveling was free or cheap to them, so this kid saw more of the world by the time he was 12 than most people see in their entire lives.
  • The girl who sometimes mentioned that her “dad’s truck had his name on it.” What she failed to mention was that it wasn’t just one truck, but a fleet of delivery trucks for her father’s high-end deli meat business. She thought this was a normal thing… for your family’s name to be on trucks throughout the midwest.
  • The girl who would spend 3–4 hours after school most days training as a competitive swimmer. Her coach was a former Olympic medal winner. The student seemed really bored by the whole sport, but she ended up getting a full college scholarship and becoming the captain of her college swim team because of it.
  • The girl whose grandfather purchased brand new MacBooks and charging carts for the school, some 150 MacBooks, total. I was told that he was on the school board, and they were talking about tech for the school, and when the Mac sales rep came to speak with them, he did most of the talking, negotiated the price, and paid for it all himself. He made his fortune owning some sort of electronics retail business before he retired.

But these kids were all ages 11–14 when I taught them. They were always nice enough to me, but if they were snobby with their peers, I never saw it. I just remember, as a broke 30-year-old new teacher at the time, being continually shocked by how oblivious some of those students were as to how lucky they were.

Getting older you stop going outside

https://youtu.be/fWn2RAx6UJA

Can anyone give an example of a weird student behavior that happened in their classroom?

Not so much weird as sad. I had one little girl in my class who had just joined us from another school where she had been having problems. When she came to us she was very withdrawn and shy. So I sat her next to, and encouraged a friendship with, another child, a little boy who was delightful but a little loud and very gregarious. The pair complemented each other beautifully and I kept a close eye on them. Within a week or so they were inseparable, it was a way of getting two birds with one stone, since my loud and sometimes a little too enthusiastic boy benefited from the calming influence of the girl, while she was included in all the games, etc, he was and they were soon BFFs.

However, the sad part was that one day, when we were having a quiet time after lunch (they were all very young and Special Needs, so usually about half the class would nap and the other half I’d read to) the little girl confided in me that she loved me, because I was nicer to her than her last teacher in her other school. I was intrigued and gently questioned her, without making a big deal of it, just having a quiet conversation. From what she told me, this other teacher was a horrible bully and had told her repeatedly that she was “a bad student”. I felt a lot of anger at this; this little girl was a lovely kid but it was clear she’d taken the other teacher’s words deeply to heart.

I spent the rest of that school year helping to bolster her self-confidence. This was a few years ago, she has since gone on to high school and I see her and her family now and then. She is still a lovely young girl and I’m glad I helped her in however small a way. Oh, and her BFF is now her boyfriend!

What was the most unexpected knock you got on your door?

One evening in 1980 the doorbell rang, which seldom happened at our exurban home. I knew my brother was working on his car in the driveway, so this was strange.

I answered it to see a 60+ year old man, a woman of the same age peeking behind him, and my brother standing 10 feet back grinning like a fool.

“May I speak to Mr. Norman (last name)?” he said in a foreign accent, mispronouncing the last name. I called my dad to the door, and the man said, “Hello. I am your cousin Herbert from Germany.”

Dad was a little dumbfounded, and my brother giggling made him wonder if it was a prank. “I don’t think I have a cousin Herbert.”

The man pulled out his wallet and produced my dad’s confirmation portrait, taken when he was 13 years old. Forty-two years earlier. “Is this you?”

A long-lost cousin from the Old Country!

An instant friendship was forged that night. Herbert was grateful to hear that we pronounced our name as he did, he figured we’d Americanized it (hence the mispronunciation), but was glad to find we hadn’t.

We learned that after WWII, he and his mother received some kind of postwar donations from my great-aunts. “They saved our lives, we would have starved to death.” He still had the certificates from the donation program.

He was amazed my dad spoke excellent German with a ‘Pomeranian’ accent, knowing Dad had been born in the US, 35 years after the family arrived here in 1890. But my dad, surrounded by a family of immigrants, had spoken only German until he went to school. And when we had him try our homemade sauerkraut, he said, “It’s just like I remember my parents making!”

Ninety years after the family moved an ocean away, two old guys found themselves with so much in common it was like finding a brother, right on our doorstep.

Breaking! Outrage when no one stood for The Super Bowl! ”The Black National Anthem”

https://youtu.be/cupr1eMnZnw

What is the U.S. going to do about China?

The US should leave the Chinese alone. The more the US tries to derail China the more hurts the Americans are going to get

The tariff for China products ended up pretty badly, most cost are paid by the American users themselves.

The US government hope to isolate China ended up them getting isolated now.

The US ban on semiconductors sale to China ended up the American semiconductor industry losing 16 billions every year.

The US ban on China’s participation in its space program ended well for the Chinese, they have their own space technology with as many countries participants. The latest news on this one is, the US coerced the European countries not to participate, which shows us that the US is not a democratic Republic.

The US ban on China’s trade , the embargos on technology ended up badly for the US because the Chinese has other trading partners, by and by America could be isolated into a corner.

I can go further but I would stop here.

In conclusion the US government is not smart.

Now , some questions for people:

What are we going to do about the terrorists attack on the Nordstrom pipeline; the foreign led insurgents in HK, Tibet , Syria and Xinjiang, the torture of Eurasian prisoners in Guantanamo, the torturing and the killing of civilians in Iraq , Afghanistan, the bombing of Iraq where no WMD was found, the killing of 7 nuclear scientists of a Sovereign State, the stealing of gold and oil from Iraq, and oil from Syria , etc?

Shawnee, Ohio | What Happened Here?

https://youtu.be/tKaJPrn4AyY

 

You should be intelligent enough to understand these things in life!

  1. Fix yourself before you try to fix anyone. People are comfortable in their miserable life.
  2. You’ll be 10 times happier if you forgive your parent and stop blaming them for your problems.
  3. Marry the right partner. The right one will help you build your physical, mental, and financial strength.
  4. Make friends who are ambitious, motivated, and strong where you’re weak.
  5. Be old enough to realize no one cares. Chase what you believe is right and just.
  6. Seek zero advice from people who are not where you want to be in life.
  7. Your circle of friends should discuss business ideas, family, and success more. Not politics, religion, and celebrity gossip.
  8. Spend few hours working on your business and dreams. Working for someone will only get you enslaved forever.
  9. Invest in a home library. Nothing is more toxic than wasting your time watching the news, Netflix, or scrolling social media.
  10. Create opportunities for yourself. No one will ever come to save you from your problems.
  11. Be mature enough to realize weekends are not for partying. Use it to build a life/career you want.
  12. If your friends only call you when they need your help, then it’s high time to change your priorities in life.
  13. No matter how much you trust your close friends and family, let no one know everything about you.

Wings, Gears, Glamorous Ladies in Glorified Imperial and Industrial Settings = Quintessential Art Deco

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Can an ER doctor be rude to you while they’re treating you? If so, why?

CAN they? Absolutely! SHOULD they? Depends on the circumstances.

Last time I went to the ER was about 10 or so years ago. I had a high pulse rate, jaw hurt, dizziness, and pain radiating down my arm after an afternoon of shoveling snow. All signs of a heart attack.

They ran a bunch of tests that all came back normal. The doc walked in and flung a piece of paper at me. “You’re fine. While it may seem better safe than sorry, you’ve wasted everyone’s time tonight. Your blood tests, EKG, and everything else looks fine. The only thing that appears wrong is the Xray shows a slight issue in your neck. You’ve got a pinched nerve which is causing your arm pain. That obviously made you nervous, causing your heart rate to go up. You need to just go home, take a Xanax, and go to sleep. Next time, think before coming in. You’re not even 40 and worrying about a heart attack!” Then, he left to tell the nurse. We could hear him talking to her, “Send him home. There’s nothing we can do for him when we have others waiting with more important issues.”

I told my regular doc what happened. “Yeah, he’s like that. He’s great at what he does, but can’t seem to grasp the humanity side of things.”

There was also the time when an ER doc was rude and called out on it by my GI. I was newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and was having a flare. High fever, bleeding, everything. I had pooped so much there was nothing left when they wanted me to give a sample to see what the problem was. “You’re just constipated. We’ll give you something to help with that.” When I told him that I had UC, he said, “What do you know about it? You’re not showing any signs other than “a wittle tummy ache” (in a condescending tone).” My GI had walked in just as that was being said and told the ER doc, “He’s got UC. I’ll take over now.” ER doc said, “What would you know about it, intern?” My GI said, “I’ve been practicing for almost 30 years. Look my name up in the directory and you’ll see I’m head of gastroenterology here. I suggest you let me tend to my patient now.” ER doc scampered off somewhere and I never saw him again.

Breaking Bad but in Soviet Russia

Super Funny!

https://youtu.be/YLU7e5O52Zc

“A son took his father to a restaurant to enjoy a delicious dinner.

His father is quite old and therefore ,a little weak too. While eating, food occasionally fell on his shirt and pants. The other guests watched the old man with their faces contorted in disgust,but his son remained calm.After they both finished eating,the son quietly helped his father and took him to the toilet. Cleaned food scraps from his crampled face and attempted to wash food stains on his clothes, graciously combed his gray hair and finally put on his glasses.

As they left the restroom, a deep silence reigned in the restaurant. The son paid their bill but just before they leave, a man, also old, got up and ask the old man’s son , “Don’t you think you left something here?”

The young man replied “I did not

leave anything.”

Then the stranger said to him,”You left a lesson here for every son and a hope for every father.”

The whole restaurant was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop!

One of the greatest honours that exist ,is being able to take care of those who have taken care of us too.Our parents and all those elders who sacrificed their lives with all their time, money and effort for us, deserve our utmost respect .

 

What scary gut feeling did you have that turned out to be true?

You know that feeling when you’re going down a flight of stairs and you miss one?

That was the way I felt when I shook hands with another attendee at a martial arts workshop I went to many years ago- like I was suddenly falling and disoriented and scared. The second I took his hand, that feeling hit me, and I nearly felt sick.

This guy wasn’t exactly intimidating- he was actually kind of nerdy and awkward-looking. I couldn’t figure out why he made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but I felt awful whenever he was nearby.

I was so uncomfortable that at the end of the workshop, I went to my biggest, strongest looking buddy and asked him if he’d walk me home. I felt stupid for being scared, so I didn’t tell him why- I just made up some excuse. He said he would, and I told him to meet me at the exit to the women’s locker room, at the back of the building.

When I left the locker room, I found the guy waiting for me- sort of poking his head around the corner of the building and staring at me. When I locked eyes with him, he stepped out of the shadows and into my path. He didn’t say a word- he just marched toward me, unblinking. At that exact moment, my buddy came around the other side of the building and shouted a hello. I looked over to him, and then back at the guy in front of me- who was now running away.

As my friend reached the place where I was standing, he looked over my shoulder and said, “Did that guy just SNARL at me?! What’s HIS problem?”

I told him that I thought I had just dodged a bullet and that drinks were on me.

Caught Wife Cheating, So I Drained Millions From Our Accounts, Got A New Identity & Left The Country

https://youtu.be/0v6LdRUHAuo

What conversations have you overheard in a language they assumed you don’t know?

English is my second language.

I am 14, I work in my father’s office in summers and recently a very talkative girl was hired. She was introduced to us and after a few hours I went out to a restaurant for lunch.

I sat down after ordering and saw the new girl come in. She noticed me after she found her own table, right across mine. We didn’t talk or greet each other. She got a call from whom I assume is her best friend. She was talking very loudly in English, about how the office was.

“They see everything I do! I can’t even pick my nose without them noticing!” she exclaimed.

And I was resisting laughing, thinking: “Ironic…”

And she talked about who she didn’t like in the office, things that offended her etc.

“The boss’s daughter is staring right at me, creepy girl…” She said.

And she waved at me.

Later that day she asked me what work I do in an office like this. I said that I did English translations. Her face went pale that moment.

A welding story

 

image 228
image 228

A customer asked me how much it cost to do this job….

I answered him: $ 1500

He said: So expensive for this job?

I asked: How much do you think it would cost you?

He answers me: $ 800 maximum… That’s a pretty simple job right? !”

– For $ 800 I invite you to do it yourself.

– But…. I don’t know how to.

– For $800 I’ll teach you how to. So besides saving you $700, you’ll get the knowledge for the next time you want

– It seemed right to him and he agreed.

– But to get started: you need tools: A welder, grinder, chop saw, drill press, welding hood, gloves etc…

– But I don’t have all these equipment and I can’t buy all of these for one job.

– Well then for another $300 more I’ll rent my stuff to you so you can do it.

– Okay, he says.

– Okay! Tuesday I’m waiting for you to start doing this work

– But I can’t on Tuesday I only have time today.

– I’m sorry, but I’m only available Tuesday to teach you and lend you my stuff. Other days are busy with other customers.

– Okay! That means I’m going to have to sacrifice my Tuesday, give up my tasks.

– I forgot. To do your job yourself, you also have to pay for the nonproductive factors.

– That is? What is this?”

– Bureaucratic, tax, vat, security, insurance, fuel etc.

– Oh no!… But to accomplish these tasks, I’m going to spend more money and waste a lot of time!

– Do you have them? You can do it to me before?”

– Okay!

– I’ll make you all the material you need. Truck loading is done Monday evening or Tuesday morning you’ll have to come by 6 loading the truck. Don’t forget to be on time to avoid traffic jams and be on time

– At 6??? Nope! Too early for me! I used to getting up later.

– You know, I’ve been thinking. Y ‘ all better get the job done. I’d rather pay you the $1500. If I had to, it wouldn’t be perfect and it would cost me a lot more.

When you pay for a job, especially handcrafted, you pay not only for the material used, but also:

– Knowledge

– Experience

– Study

– Tools

– Services

– Time to go

– punctuality

– Accountability

– Professionalism

– Accuracy

– Guaranteed

– Patents

– Sacrifices

– Safety and security

– Payment of tax obligations

No one can denigrate other people’s work by judging prices.

Only by knowing all the elements necessary for the production of a certain work can you estimate the actual cost.

Harry Potter but in Soviet Russia

https://youtu.be/n3sVyS7wYWc

What was your “I am surrounded by idiots” moment?

Actual conversation at the local gas station convenience store:

Me with a coffee refill in my cup: “Just a refill.”

Clerk: “That will be $1.58.”

Me: “Your sign says $1.00 cups of coffee today.”

Clerk: “That’s not a cup; it’s a refill.”

Me: “But it’s a cup of coffee.”

Clerk: “No, it’s a refill because it’s not in our cup.”

Me: “So if I bring this back in your cup, it’s $1.00.”

Clerk: “Yes”

Me: No one else in line, so I step over to the coffee area and get one of their cups. At the counter, in front of her, I dump the coffee out of my cup and into theirs. “Okay, I have a cup of coffee.”

Clerk: “That will be $1.00.”

Is Gen Z Aging Rapidly ?

https://youtu.be/TYJH5gFRU5E

Why do people let themselves go when they get older?

Before I worked in medicine, I wondered the same thing. I didn’t mean it in an unkind way, but I wanted to know how to avoid this seemingly unavoidable dilemma of aging. What I found out from the hundreds of patients I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with, is that when life gives you lemons, very few can make lemonade. I generally hear the same things from patients. The two I hear the most, “Don’t get old!” and “These aren’t the golden years.” Anyway…

Off the top of my head, I’ll give you several reasons why people “seem” to let themselves go as they age. I realize there are exceptions to all my examples, but I’m giving you general anecdotal observations that you may not be aware of:

  1. Accidents. Car accidents, motorcycle accidents, job accidents, violent crime (stabbing, punching, gunshots), falling down stairs, etc. Accidents that cause injury almost always leave residual long term pain. The lucky ones don’t have the chronic pain until they are older. If someone has a back injury, several things could have gone wrong. Herniated discs, scar tissue, arthritis, bone spurs, spinal stenosis… and that’s just the back injury. Chronic pain and immobility that stems from injuries can be debilitating later in life. I’ve seen very fit people slowly put on weight over a few years after an injury, because they just could not keep up their exercise regimen.
  2. Less Energy. This seems like a cop out. I didn’t believe it until my own energy levels started declining after 37 yrs old. As you get older, intense activities tire you out far quicker and you need more sleep. It’s more than just mind over matter. So even a life time exerciser starts to slow down as she gets older. It’s nearly impossible to keep up the intensity. This leads me to food intake…
  3. Eating style hasn’t changed with aging. So this is a big one that gets the aging into trouble. I think this one can be somewhat controlled if a person is mindful. Generally speaking, you don’t need to eat as much the older you get. The reasons are many, but one is that you’re not as active (maybe because of #1 and #2). Less energy + more pain + less activity = less calorie intake. At least it should equal less calorie intake. This takes me to…
  4. An older body doesn’t take out the trash as efficiently. As a person gets older, their body just doesn’t handle unhealthy eating and hard living (cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol, etc) as efficiently. Ideally, people should clean up their diets once they hit middle age, but this time of life is incredibly hectic. Healthy living becomes ever more challenging…. it’s not really laziness, it’s exhaustion (see #2). Losing weight and/or staying in shape really is harder with age.
  5. Illness and declining health. Cancer treatments, prolonged Prednisone usage, Congestive heart failure, medications for chronic pain like fibromyalgia (actually a lot of medications can cause unexplained weight gain), Lymphedema, Diabetes, thyroid conditions…. the list goes on. If you saw someone at the grocery store with one of these conditions and you didn’t know it, you would think they were “letting themselves go.”
  6. Hormones. This is more for the women, but men can easily gain weight from declining hormone production too. Women really get a raw deal though. Menopause is not kind. For many women, weight gain is unavoidable. If the weight doesn’t get her in the beginning it might after the “change.” The change in hormone (estrogen mainly) levels changes how the female body uses or stores fat. It’s a common enough problem that scientists seem to be working tirelessly to figure out how to help women stop weight gain during and after menopause.
  7. Other priorities. I do see some elderly women (rarely men) who are still overly obsessed with their weight (I think this is more the Baby Boomer generation). But more commonly, as one ages their priorities shift. Yeah, they may not like being overweight, but “getting in shape” or getting “lean and cut” just isn’t that big of a deal anymore, especially when they have to work so much harder to achieve those results.

Again, these are just some reasons for age related weight gain or not taking care of oneself, that I encounter on a daily basis while working with the middle aged and elderly population.

Since I love to exercise so much, I can’t imagine not continuing to do so into my elderly years. Yet I don’t know what life has in store for me. I haven’t lived with debilitating pain or lymphedema, so I try not to judge.

Braised Veal Shanks, Milan Style (Osso Buco)

2024 02 17 08 3c2
2024 02 17 08 3c2

Ingredients

Veal

  • 4 pounds veal or beef shanks
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Gremolada (optional)

Gremolada

  • 2 tablespoons snipped parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from veal shanks if necessary. Coat veal with flour. Cook veal in oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Drain fat.
  2. Add remaining ingredients except Gremolada. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until veal is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
  3. Arrange veal and vegetables on platter.
  4. Skim fat from broth; pour broth over veal.
  5. Serve with rice or hot cooked spaghetti.
  6. Gremolada: Mix parsley, garlic and lemon peel.

Notes

Serve with a sprinkling of Gremolada.

Robert Greene

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RA0fj6wFZ2g?feature=share

 

What would happen if a defendant threatened the judge, saying, “I will find you when I get out!”?

It happened in a case of mine a good while back. I was appointed to represent a white supremacist/neo-Nazi kind of guy on a perjury charge (under oath he denied remembering anything about a stabbing he had witnessed (white guy stabbed a black guy), an incident that he seemed to have remembered clearly an hour before he was called to testify, or so the evidence showed). It was a tough case, and he was a difficult client.

The trial lasted a week and, to no one’s surprise, he was found guilty (the only surprise was that it took four hours for the jury to reach a verdict). At sentencing, he predictably went off on a tear about white people being race traitors, and such.

The judge could have given him up to 30 months in prison but only gave him 18. At which point the client reinvigorated his rant, pointed at the judge and said “I know where you work and I will come find you when I get out.” He turned to the DA and pointed at her and said the same thing. At that point he was flailing his arms around, and the two large courtroom deputies (they used to be called “bailiffs”) hurried up to restrain him — I had the common sense to get out of their very large way — at which point, his honor said: “you know, I must be getting old. I see here in my written order that I was actually intending to impose 30 months, and I must have mistakenly been thinking about someone else when I spoke. . . So 30 months it is.” (or words to very much that same effect).

The client started to try to flail more vigorously; two additional very large deputies somehow materialized (they will do that) and the four of them hoisted him up and carried him feet first out of the courtroom, as he shouted loudly, with spittle, at the ceiling. The judge, afterwards, observed that he could only have given him 6 months additional for the contempt. He seemed satisfied.

(Disclaimer — this trial was about thirty-five years ago. With the passage of that much time the fine details of exactly what was said may vary from telling to telling.).

Epilogue: The client got out of prison and the only serious trouble he got into afterward was a DUII and, then, feloniously driving with a suspended operator’s license a couple times. And then he died. The prosecutor became a judge, and she’s now retired. The trial judge is long retired but still with us.

What are the secrets that McDonald’s employees won’t reveal?

My first real job was as a morning biscuit maker at McDonald’s in the summer when I was 16 (over 20 years ago now). I recall a lot of corner-cutting when it came to the official food prep rules.

For example, once food was cooked, it went into a warming bin. Each bin had a timer on it, and once that timer went off, you were supposed to toss the food. We only used those timers if a health inspector showed up, or the “big boss” was there. Other than that, we just ignored the timers and kept everything in the warming bins until sold.

Also, you were only supposed to crack open eggs as needed, and keep them refrigerated otherwise. We often just cracked open several dozen into a large container, and kept that on the counter next to the grill for a few hours, dipping into it with a ladle as needed when someone wanted scrambled eggs. It saved time and hassle that way.

When we switched from breakfast to lunch, back when McDonald’s did that, the cooked but unsold breakfast food was supposed to be thrown away. Often, it would all be thrown into a different, clean garbage bag, and when someone took out the garbage, that bag would end up in that person’s back seat and the leftovers became their meals for a few days.

Most of my coworkers were also high schoolers. When one of our friends came through the drive thru, they’d order and pay for something small, and we’d hand them bags of food. I think the boss, who was a woman in her 20s, did this for her friends too.

Back in the mid-90’s, McDonald’s would sometimes do these 29-cent cheeseburger days as a promotion. It would have been fine, except they didn’t put limits on how many people could order, so we’d have multiple orders of 50+ cheeseburgers as people stocked up on them. We were in a lower-class small town, so people always stocked up on food when there was a good deal. We couldn’t possibly follow the rules and keep up with the orders when they came in that fast, so we broke a lot of rules, including cooking burger patties on the egg grill (a big no-no, apparently), and cooking hundreds of burgers ahead of time and just microwaving them before we served them.

 

How should I tactfully tell a family who invited me for dinner that I’m still hungry?

Oh my goodness! Isn’t that the biggest dilemma??? Especially if your stomach growls…

When my daughter was about 4, we had some very close friends who used to invite us to dinner. They were the most generous and kind people you could ever meet.

However, everyone’s plate would get exactly the same portion. I sausage, 2 pieces of broccoli, 2 little carrot sticks and a small portion of mashed potato. The kids would get about half that.

The first time it happened, my daughter came and whispered to me that she was still hungry. I told her it was okay, we’ll probably have dessert. When no dessert arrived, and it was time to go, my daughter’s stomach rumbled as she got in the car and her little friend said quite loudly, “your tummy is talking, saying you want more food!”

I looked at my daughter, dreading what the answer might be, but she just looked at everyone and said, “it’s actually saying thank you for dinner.”

Everyone laughed and in that moment I could never have been prouder of my little girl and her display of tact and good manners.

We got take away on the way home and every other time after visiting these people, as the same meal was served each time over a number of years. They were just not big eaters.

For my daughter and I, It became a beautiful ritual to have take away afterwords, and we always looked forward to going to their place for dinner.

To answer your question – eat before or eat after visiting, but always be appreciative that someone took the time to think of you and invite you over. Say thank you and leave it at that!

She has grown up still tactful, well mannered and ALWAYS hungry!

 

What was the biggest secret you found out only after someone passed away?

When I was young my sister and I were playing in the back yard and our neighbor was out on his screen porch and was playing with himself. I had no idea what he was doing and wasn’t freaked out just curious. I asked my mother about it and she said, “don’t worry about it son, it isn’t important.” And, she was right, shortly after I rarely saw him ever again. When he saw me or my sister he would literally turn around and walk away. I never thought about it again.

My mother died about 50 years later and my uncle who often lived with us (WW2 vet with a drinking problem) got very ill about 10 years later. We talked and he told me what he was leaving to me (not much – but I loved the man and would never say that to him) and one of the items was a revolver. He told me, “I used to loan this to your mom when your dad was on the road (he was a truck driver). This is the gun she pistol whipped your neighbor with.”

“What”, I said.

“Oh, you didn’t know? She borrowed this pistol and went to your neighbor’s house and beat him with it. She told him that if she saw him looking at or near her kids she was going to kill him next time.”

“Seriously?”, I said

“Like a heart attack. I took the bullets out so she wouldn’t kill him”, he laughed, “she didn’t know that till later and chewed me out.”

“Why didn’t she tell dad?”

“She said somebody had to take care of the kids if she went to jail.”

Equality doesn’t always go the Way Women want

https://youtu.be/upBgVa8s63Y

What kind of competition does the US have with China?

The US is not “competing” with China because it doesn’t have the capability and confidence to compete.

Instead, the US is trying to “kneecap” China in Tonya Harding style. It’s using tactics like:

  • propaganda warfare — telling lies about genocide, concentration camps, oppression, etc.
  • political interference — using the CIA to foment color revolution in Hong Kong and Xinjiang
  • commercial obstruction — banning Huawei, SMIC, WeChat, etc.
  • military intimidation — operating two supercarrier strike groups off the coast of China; arming Taiwan and Japan; inviting British and German warships into SCS; Quad pact; AUKUS pact and giving nuclear subs to Australia
  • personal legal intimidation — arresting Meng Wanzhou on trumped-up charges in the same way Alstom executive Frederic Pierucci was arrested in 2013

The US is behaving like a dinosaur in its final death throes as its world is coming to an end.

 

Veal Rolls, Roman Style
(Saltimbocca alla Romana)

2024 02 17 14 52
2024 02 17 14 52

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless veal round steak, 1/2 inch thick
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 thin slices prosciutto or fully cooked smoked or boiled ham
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Marsala or other dry white wine
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Trim excess fat from veal; pound veal until 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle one side of veal with sage and pepper; cut into 6 pieces, 4 or 5 inches square.
  2. Place ham slice on seasoned side of each piece veal. Roll up; secure with wooden picks.
  3. Heat butter and oil in 10-inch skillet until hot. Cook veal rolls over high heat until brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Place rolls in single layer in ungreased 10 x 6-inch baking dish.
  5. Stir flour into drippings in skillet; stir in wine, water and salt, if desired. Heat to boiling; pour over rolls.
  6. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F until tender, 35 minutes.
  7. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Yields 6 servings.

What was the slickest thing you have done or seen somebody do on an airplane?

Oh boy….this was fun. Several years ago, when my son was just shy of 2 YO, he was considered a lap child by an unnamed airline, even though we had bought him a ticket as he was too big to be on a lap for 6 hrs. As such, we could not do the online check in, since they needed to verify he was a lap child….repeat…..he had a full fare ticket. Show up at the airport and check in, but not seats together…..you selected seats during the online check in. So ticket agent say to go to gate agent, gate agent says to check with stewardess, and stewardess says she cant help and we need to sit in our assigned seats. CLASSIC pass the buck.

Now that dear reader was a poor choice of words. You see my 2 YO was assigned a single middle seat about 15 rows away from the other three of us. So I showed up at the seat, and motioned to the gentleman in the aisle that I had the middle seat. He got up and I strapped my son in and give him his DVD player and snacks. I looked at the other passengers near my child and said “ I am in in seat 32 C if he needs anything” and proceeded to go to the back of the plane.

Funny story. We were all seated together very quickly after that. Amazing how following the rules works!!

Reacting to Relationship Zones @hoe_math

It’s a cool reaction video. Check it out.

https://youtu.be/jGJR7zeYTrU

Sitrep April

They didn’t like Ma Duece.

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The July 1945 cover of this magazine depicted a waist gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress and his flexible .50 BMG M2 Browning in an official USAAF photo by Karl Gaston.

By Barrett Tillman

John M. Browning was a historic figure whose guns started the first World War and helped end the second. In 1914, Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip used a Browning-designed FN Model 1910 to assassinate Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, inciting the Great War. And though Browning died in 1926, he provided his nation with nearly all its World War II machine guns, its automatic rifle and its foremost sidearm. But he did something even grander. Browning’s magnificent M2 machine gun—chambered in the .50 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) cartridge—gave America and her allies the priceless gift of global air superiority. Nothing else came close.

Actually, the Browning .50 originated in the Great War. American interest in an armor-piercing cartridge was influenced by the marginal French 11 mm design, prompting U.S. Army Ordnance officers to consult Browning. They wanted a heavy projectile at 2700 feet per second (f.p.s.), but the ammunition did not exist. Browning pondered the situation and, according to his son John, replied, “Well, the cartridge sounds pretty good to start. You make up some cartridges and we’ll do some shooting.”

Reputedly influenced by Germany’s 13.2×92 mm SR (.53-cal.) anti-tank rifle, Ordnance contracted with Winchester to design a .50-cal. cartridge. Subsequently, Frankford Arsenal took over from Winchester, producing the historic .50 BMG or 12.7×99 mm cartridge.

The Army then returned to John Browning for the actual gun. Teamed with Colt, he produced prototypes ready for testing and, ironically, completed them by Nov. 11, 1918—the Great War’s end.

The scaled-up version of the .30-cal. (.30-’06 Sprg.) M1917 water-cooled machine gun possessed obvious potential. But the cartridge’s enormous power proved excessive to the Colt-Browning design, forcing the master back to his drafting board. He returned with a buffer system that seemed workable. Tests in 1919 and 1920 confirmed the viability of the cartridge and gun, and Ordnance approved it for production. The result was the M1921 water-cooled .50-cal. machine gun, the basis for today’s M2 model, the fabled “Ma Deuce.”

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“Ma Deuce” still serves today.

Because of its size and weight, the M1921 was issued as a light anti-aircraft gun, both ground- and ship-based. It remained in Navy use until replaced by 20 mm Oerlikon cannons in 1942.

Meanwhile, a more utilitarian .50-cal. gun was underway. After adopting the M1921, the Army decided to evaluate an air-cooled model, far more tractable for soldiers at 120 lbs. with a tripod. The result was designated “Caliber .50 Machine Gun, Heavy Barrel, M2.” The heavier 36″ barrel was expected to handle heat buildup, but experience led to a 45″ version that was adopted in 1933 and used ever since.

To War
The big Browning fought America’s war from the first day to the last. On Dec. 7, 1941, Navy CPO John Finn responded to the Japanese attack on Kaneohe Naval Air Station, Hawaii, by manning an AN/M2 in an instructional mount (“A/N” stands for Army and Navy). Alone and fully exposed, he fired at the raiders whenever they came within range. “I was out there shooting the Jap planes and just every so often I was a target for some,” he said. “In some cases, I could see their faces.” Though struck by 20 bullets or fragments, he remained at his gun until ordered to report for medical attention. Then he turned to arming his squadron’s remaining planes. His actions resulted in CPO Finn receiving the Medal of Honor.

At least four other .50-cal. gunners received the nation’s highest award, including Lt. Col. William J. O’Brien, an Army battalion commander on Saipan in July 1944. When the Japanese overran his position, he replied with an M1911 in each hand, then dashed to a jeep-mounted M2, according to his citation, “firing into the Jap hordes that were enveloping him” until he was killed.

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The three main variants of the .50-cal. Brownings were (top to bottom): the water-cooled M1921 (used mostly in the anti-aircraft role); the aircraft-mounted AN/M2, which could be flexible or fixed; and the M2HB used on the ground.

Undoubtedly the best-known M2 engagement occurred on the other side of the world six months later. In France on Jan. 26, 1945, 19-year-old 2nd Lt. Audie Murphy climbed aboard a burning tank destroyer to man the .50 as a company of German infantry advanced. Though hit in one leg, he remained at the gun, shooting down perhaps 50 of the enemy before running dry. Then he returned to his platoon to organize a counterattack. For this, Murphy received the Medal of Honor, and he would become one of the most decorated soldiers in American military history.

With a global need, it seemed that everyone built M2s, from AC Spark Plug Co. to Frigidaire to Guide Lamp. American Rifleman Field Editor Bruce Canfield’s encyclopedic U.S. Infantry Weapons of World War II shows nearly 350,000 M2 Heavy Barrels (M2HB) produced among nearly 2,000,000 .50 calibers of all models during the war years.

Everybody wanted the Ma Deuce in .50 BMG for its fabled power, range and reliability. One wartime study found that stoppages averaged one in 4,000 rounds, as long as headspace was properly adjusted. Armorers determined that a high ratio of malfunctions were due to faulty ammunition or links.

The Ma Deuce’s limit as an anti-aircaft (AA) gun was range, volume of fire and weight of projectile—especially when compared to 20 mm or 5″ cannons. A single-barrel gun firing a 700-gr. bullet could seldom inflict enough damage to destroy a fast attacker. Even multiple guns engaging the same target were marginal. At the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942, the fabled carrier U.S.S. Enterprise expended 400 rounds of .50 BMG versus 46,000 rounds of 20 mm; 3,200 rounds of 40 mm; and 400 rounds of 5″. The main reason for the discrepancy probably was engagement range: few attackers closed to within the .50’s effective distance.

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(l.) Adopted in 1933, the M2HB had a 45″ barrel and weighed about 120 lbs. with its tripod. A typical Army infantry battalion had six M2s. In Ordnance Went Up Front Roy Dunlop wrote: “All ground guns could fire single shots … and very accurate fire was possible.” (r.) The M45 quad mount—with four .50-cal. M2s—could be installed in an M16 halftrack or towed as shown in the Pacific Theatre. Although used mostly for anti-aircraft defense, in ground combat the power of four .50-cal. Brownings could be devastating.

Army anti-aircraft units made good use of the M45 quad .50 mount, either towed or mounted on M16 halftracks. Some of the heaviest AA activity occurred during Luftwaffe attacks on Allied airfields on New Year’s Day 1945. In the Metz area, Army AA gunners engaged 25 enemy aircraft, claiming 14 destroyed and four probably downed. Only 11 rounds of 90 mm artillery were fired with a combined 1,270 rounds of 37 and 40 mm, compared to 24,100 rounds of .50 caliber. Quad .50s also were employed in ground combat. A 1945 study noted, “A few bursts from the quadruple .50s directed at any source of small-arms fire very quickly eliminated the trouble.”

Through most of the war, a typical Army infantry battalion operated 20 .30-cal. machine guns (eight M1917 water-cooled) and six .50-cal. M2s. Weapons platoons typically had a jeep-mounted M2 that could be rushed to a trouble spot. The Axis armies had nothing comparable, though Germany issued light machine guns on a greater scale than the Allies. However, short of 20 mm canons, the Germans had no battlefield guns that could penetrate armored cars or personnel carriers at typical engagement distances.

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The M2HB (Heavy Barrel) could be employed as a ground arm while mounted on its M3 tripod (l.) or on vehicles, such as with the three MPs in their jeep in the winter of 1944-1945 (r.).

Pre-war match shot and American Rifleman contributing editor Roy F. Dunlap described wartime global trekking in his memoir, Ordnance Went Up Front. He wrote, “I believe the .50s have fewer breakdowns than the .30 caliber guns and that about 75 percent of the repair jobs I did were due to rough handling or carelessness on the part of the gun crew.” For practical application, he said, “I cannot think of a better way to screw up a road junction than to work a .50 to within a couple or three miles, set it in a hollow, camouflaged, and every so often throw a few armor piercers or incendiaries over to the crossing. The blue-tipped incendiaries explode with flash, report and puff of smoke. All ground guns could fire single shots … and very accurate fire was possible.”

In a 1945 summary, the U.S. Army in Europe concluded, “The half-track .50 caliber machine gun—one of the most effective weapons we have—is up where it can be used.” The same report noted that mechanized units had scrounged M2s from downed aircraft and adapted them to coaxial mounts.

On the Pacific isles, typical engagement distances were far closer than in Europe, and Japanese armored vehicles—rarely encountered—were vulnerable to .50-cal. fire. One of the Browning’s main advantages in that environment was its unrivaled penetration, as M2 rounds were far less likely to be deflected by foliage than .30s. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps divisional allotment of Ma Deuces declined from 360 in 1942 to 162 at war’s end.

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The .50-cal. water-cooled was the first adopted, and it was the heaviest, too. The guns served in the anti-aircraft role in all theatres of the war. While phased out for shipboard use, the Army continued to use the M2 AA gun.

Air Guns
Entering World War II, the British Royal Air Force installed eight Colt-Browning .303s in Hurricane and Spitfire fighter planes (later augmented with 20 mms) while Germany and Japan favored rifle-caliber guns and 20 mm cannon. But whether Oerlikon or Hispano-Suiza designs, cannon had limited ammunition capacity and were prone to malfunction.

The prewar U.S. Army Air Corps took a middle road. Early Bell P-39Ds had two .50s, four .30s and a 37 mm gun in the nose. The Curtiss P-40B packed two .50s and four .30s, while Lockheed’s futuristic P-38 had four .50s and a 20 mm. The .50-cal. round delivered at least four times the energy of the .30-’06 Sprg. at the same velocity, affording greater penetration and projectile selection. Clearly, the M2 was better suited for destroying modern all-metal aircraft.

Originally the Air Corps adopted the M2 with a 600 r.p.m. cyclic rate. But, as aircraft speeds increased, fighter pilots had less time to track and shoot. Therefore, Frankford Arsenal boosted muzzle velocity from 2700 to 2880 f.p.s. The standard ball cartridge was the 709-gr. projectile atop 253 grs. of IMR-5010. Armorers experimented with various belting combinations, alternating ball, armor-piercing incendiary (API) and tracer. The M2 AP round would defeat nearly an inch of face-hardened steel at 200 yds. Moreover, armor-piercing incendiaries (usually 647 to 662 grs.) were most useful against aircraft, as they could penetrate enemy armor and engine blocks, sever enemy airframe components and ignite enemy fuel tanks.

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The solid-nose version of the B-25 Mitchell was fitted for eight fixed M2s and could sink enemy ships by .50-cal. gunfire alone.

Tracer rounds, typically about 680 grs., had somewhat different ballistic properties than ball, AP and API, and they did not duplicate the others’ trajectories. Tracers probably were more widely issued to anti-aircraft units than aviation organizations. However, various fighter squadrons adopted different policies. Some loaded the last 50 rounds in each belt entirely with tracers to alert the pilot he was running low. But some very successful pilots shunned tracers. Lieutenant Colonel Francis Gabreski, leading U.S. ace of the European Theater, said, “Sometimes you miss with the first burst and tracers can give you away.”

Browning’s big gun won air superiority for America around the world. Army, Navy and Marine fighters were credited with 25,264 aerial victories, nearly all armed wholly or mainly with AN/M2s. The exceptions were 412 victories gained by British aircraft (mainly Spitfires) in American units and some U.S. night fighters, which were aircraft reconfigured or designed for combat in the dark.

Bombers also packed the M2 as single, manually operated guns and as turret-mounted pairs. The U.S. armed forces consumed vast amounts of ammunition—the St. Louis plant alone delivered 6.7 billion rounds of .30 and .50 caliber during the war. In the fall of 1943, when Eighth Air Force bombers flew unescorted deep penetrations into Reich airspace, one mission might consume more .50-cal. ammunition than a month’s worth of that used by the Fifth Army in Italy.

Around that time, aerial gunners began calling their guns “Mrs. Deuce,” an obvious precursor of today’s familiar “Ma Deuce.” The total Army Air Forces (AAF) overseas expenditure was nearly 460 million rounds, but monthly figures alone were staggering. In April 1945, shortly before Germany surrendered, the Army Air Force in the European and Mediterranean theaters fired nearly 25 million rounds of machine gun and cannon ammunition, the huge majority being .50 caliber. In July, Army airmen flying against the Japanese expended more than 6 million rounds.

During the war, about 100 American fighter pilots downed five or more enemy aircraft in one day to become “instant aces.” Six pilots were credited with seven kills in one mission. They flew very different aircraft—Wildcats, Hellcats, Corsairs, Lightnings and Mustangs—but all had the AN/M2 in common. One instant ace and future NRA member was Marine aviator James E. Swett, who received the Medal of Honor for downing seven (possibly eight) Japanese dive bombers over Guadalcanal in April 1943.

The outright record for aerial victories in a single encounter belonged to the Navy top gun, Cdr. David McCampbell. Flying from U.S.S. Essex over Leyte Gulf in the Philippines on Oct. 24, 1944, he and a wingman tackled a large formation of Japanese fighters. In 90 minutes of combat McCampbell was credited with nine destroyed and two probables while his partner added six more. With the confidence of experience and a disciplined trigger finger, McCampbell made maximum use of his Brownings and ammunition. Given the 2,400-round payload of his Grumman Hellcat, McCampbell averaged just 218 shots per victory.

Perhaps the most cost-efficient aircraft kill of the air war demonstrated the .50’s power. Over Okinawa in May 1945 a Hellcat night fighter stalked a Japanese floatplane harassing U.S. ground troops. Marine Lt. J.E. Smurr closed to minimum range—about 50 ft.—and centered the Aichi seaplane in his illuminated reticle. He pressed the trigger for less than one second and the enemy aircraft disintegrated into a fireball. Armorers found that Smurr had fired only 62 rounds. Throughout the campaign, Marine night hunters averaged 567 rounds per victory regardless of size or type of aircraft.

In a naval war such as the Pacific, .50 calibers inevitably were used against ships. Six M2s could cripple a corvette or a destroyer, whose typical 1/2″ plates offered little protection. Japanese destroyer hulls measured 0.4″ to 0.6″ (10 to 16 mm) whereas .50 ball from a 45″ barrel could penetrate 1/3″ (8 mm) at 500 yds. API rounds penetrated 1″ (25 mm) of homogenous plate at 200 yds. and 3/4″ (18 mm) at 650 yds. Face-hardened plate of 0.9″ (23 mm) was defeated at 200 yds. and 1/2″ at 600. The velocity loss from 36″ aircraft barrels did not seriously reduce the .50’s penetrative qualities, which could puncture engines, boilers and magazines.

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main qimg 2a894eef384de158918814af4fcee127

As well as its use on the ground, the big Browning proved a war winner in the air with the Army, Navy and Marines. The U.S. Army Air Force used lighter-weight, .50-cal. AN/M2 Brownings as defensive armament, including as a pair in a turret on a B-17 Flying fortress (top l.) as well as in the tail of a B-17 (top, r.). They were also used on fighter aircraft, such as in the nose of the P-38 Lightning (below l.) and in the wings of fighter aircraft in Europe such as the P-47 Thunderbolt (below, r.).

Certainly the outer limits were achieved by North American B-25H bombers optimized for shipping attacks. With eight nose- and fuselage-mounted .50s plus a top turret, two waist guns and the twin-gun tail position, the H model Mitchell was literally a flying gunship that could immobilize merchantmen—even without the short-barreled 75 mm cannon. However, when the H model entered combat in the China-Burma-India Theater in early 1944, shipping targets were rare. River traffic, on the other hand, was easily destroyed by fighters and gunships.

A study of Navy patrol bombers concluded that during 1945, “Dozens of small vessels were destroyed by fires caused by incendiary hits or strafing alone.” Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer bombers expended 2 million rounds of .50 caliber on 600 or more surface vessels, contributing to sinking as many as 300. “The effect was to cripple the remaining Japanese sea transport in most areas and to cause withdrawal of many vessels not sunk because of the danger of attack … .”

The AN/M2 was fully appreciated by the war’s midpoint. In 1943, Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold, chief of the Army Air Forces, declared the Browning “the outstanding aircraft gun of the Second World War.” He added, “This weapon … is the backbone of offensive and defensive gun [sic] for American aircraft and was brought to such a state of perfection by the Ordnance Department during the years of peace prior to the present conflict that it has enabled the Army Air Forces, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps to show a definite superiority in aircraft gun power through this global war.”

Despite the M2’s immense success, some operators wanted more. The M3 .50 caliber boosted cyclic rate to 1,200 r.p.m., but the increase came at too high a price. Tests showed greater barrel erosion, and rounds tended to “keyhole.” Only 2,400 M3s were delivered before V-J Day, but development continued. Subsequently, the M3 armed the first generation of American jet fighters, pointing the way to victory in MiG Alley during the Korean War.

In typical military fashion, in 2004 the Army tried to replace the M2 with a less effective arm at twice the price. The wasteful three-year program to develop the XM312 flopped during tests in 2005 but lingered two more years before cancellation. At that point “Big Army” defaulted to the best option: buying more M2s.

Longevity remains a hallmark of John M. Browning’s designs. His timeless M1911 pistol is more widely used today than ever, and “Ma Deuce,” dating from 1921, shows no signs of retiring. In fact, in 2015 the 324th M2 ever produced was finally removed from service—after 94 years in the inventory. The old warhorse was being retired because current standards would require extensive modification. Army Materiel Command quoted an armorer at Anniston Army Depot who said, “Looking at the receiver, for its age, it looks good as new and it gauges better than most of the other weapons.” Said John Clark, a small arms repair leader, “I’d rather put this one on display than send it to the scrap heap.” A veteran approaching its centennial, the M2 certainly deserves an honorable retirement—though its relatives will remain on the firing line well into the current century.

In this article

.50-CAL. BROWNING MACHINE GUN

, WWII, .50 BMG M2 BROWNING, JOHN M. BROWNING, MA DEUCE, BARRETT TILLMAN

From the point of view of the Chinese government, Taiwan is important for historical reasons, as unification with the rest of China would represent a clear end to China’s century of humiliation and the end of any pro-western colonial presence on Chinese territory. Any Chinese leader who brought Taiwan back into a unified China would be remembered in the history books as the leader who brought this period of humiliation to an end, and would be remembered for this single accomplishment.

Most PRC Chinese also feel this way about Taiwan.

In short, it would be the single largest accomplishment in Chinese history in the 21st century.

Most Americans, including US government officials, do not understand the depth of the Chinese commitment to unification with Taiwan.

If they can understand the commitment of Zionist Jews to Israel and a homeland in the Middle East, why can’t they understand China’s commitment to unification with Taiwan?

Yes! The following scenes from the movie The Pursuit of Happyness made me cry:

  1. Chris and his son sleeping in a bathroom:

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main qimg 19f99ecefa50760056ce6de4f7e96ed4 pjlq

With no money, no job and homeless, Chris turns a dirty subway restroom into an imaginary cave for his son and gets him to sleep there. Being at the depth of his poverty and despair, Chris breaks down in this scene and is shown blocking the door so that his son can sleep well. Heart touching scene.

2. The five-bucks scene:

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main qimg e131969168eee704911535bb0d13d0be lq

Chris’s boss forgets his wallet upstairs and is in a hurry to attend a meeting. He asks Chris to lend him five bucks. Being at the rock bottom of poverty, five bucks mattered for Chris and he lends his boss too. This scene regains our faith in humanity and the act of giving to those in need.

3. Chris gets the job:

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main qimg 7c290efa6fa8dafb6ba4e24760cbb786 lq

Who can forget this scene where he gets the job and is asked about his struggle? This scene still makes me emotional.

Will Smith is a genius!

I have lived in China for a few years, and I think the west would be a happier place if we adopted the following Chinese wisdoms:

  1. if you cause someone embarrassment, you should also be ashamed of yourself – so, better don’t do that to anyone. It would be such a nice change from our silly, childish revenge culture.
  2. take an entire hour for lunch every day. Better even: two. It celebrates the day, and makes for a more relaxed life.
  3. get seriously into savings and whatever else you can do to build your fortune. We westerners have a debt culture. We live in denial of how unhappy that makes us.
  4. choose the middle ground for all things. We westerners always look for extremes. But longterm happiness is not found in thrill, only in balance.
  5. take naps during the day. You would be amazed how much happier you will be.
  6. spend more time with your folks. Western society is always trying to isolate the individual, when life is so much nicer shared with others – especially your family.

Mark and grazing behaviors

 

 

 

When I was living in Erie, I went shopping with my roommates. We went grocery shopping, which was something we did about once a month.

One of my ‘mates was this big burly man named Mark. He was a silly guy. Drank Pepsi cola like no one else alive. Perhaps twelve bottles a day. It was his way of coping as he distanced himself away from his drug abusing past.

A coping mechanism. I get it.

Well, as I checked out and had the groceries, Mark was no-where to be found.

We looked and looked, until he finally came out one hour later.

He strolled up to the car.

We asked “where the fuck were you?”

And he said “I don’t want to talk about it”.

But, later on he did.

It turned out that he was drinking a Pepsi in the store, and instead of taking the empty bottle to the checkout counter, he placed it on a shelf. And it was caught on the CC television video system, and the store detective nabbed him.

As he was on parole, this could have gone very badly for him. But… life is strange. It turned out that the store detective was a classmate of his, and after the mandatory beat-down, they warmed up and kicked-back and shared memories and stories.

Life is sometimes like that.

I am sure that Mark has since thought long and hard about this kind of “store grazing” behavior. I like to think that he is a better person for it. Ah I hope.

As I review my life, I am constantly amazed at how many times coincidences seem to intertwine the threads of our lives together.

Today…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever bought something at a garage sale that turned out to be unexpectedly awesome?

Not quite a garage sale. A good friend, “ George” was a coin collecter, who noticed a small ad in the local News paper. “ selling late husbands coin collection – make an offer.” With nothing else to do that day he called and went to see the lady. He started to poke through and told her he need a bit of time, but he found 3 coins he wanted, for himself. He said to the lady I will buy these three right now, on the condition that if anyone else calls you tell them the “ entire collection is sold “ she said but you are only buying 3 coins what about the rest, what do I do. He said “ I will sell them for you, please give me a chance” She reluctlently agreed. He paid $300 cash each for the coins he picked out. He saw that the lady was not to well off and had lost her husband. He sat down and selected 10 coins, wrote down what they were and description, and said he would sell them for her. He was in touch with her every day, and about 10 days later, he went to see her and told her he was able to get a decent price for 3 of the coins he left with. he handed her $8000.00. and confirmed he would sell all of the coins that she had. She said as she was going through her late husbands things she had found other coins. She really had no interest in the coins and said they had taken up so much of her husbands time away from her. George told her that her husband loved her more then she knew. In about one year, he had sold off the entire collection of coins for just over $450,000.00 A few of the gold coins he told her to keep for herself.

 

 

What was your most embarrassing moment in a retail shop?

My wife loves a deal. If they offered a free toaster with an Aston Martin, I might be driving my dream car.

So we were on vacation in Athens and she pulled off a haggling master stroke – a bag, a dress, and a speedo (hey, it was Europe) and got them to knock a few hundred euro off the price. All she said was, “is this the best price you can do?”

And this was at Dolce & Gabbana!

So, while on a business trip in Venice, I decided to pick two things up for my wife:

A dress and a deal.

At Prada!

I found the perfect dress. Something she definitely wouldn’t buy herself, but would look great on her. It was pricey, but I had my ace in my sleeve. My all-purpose Euro retail haggling pass.

The saleswoman approached me. I explained that I wanted the dress. She was pleased with my selection.

And then I did it.

I whipped out my haggling secret weapon, with Blue Steel swagger, and an expectant attitude.

“Is this the best price you can do?”

She paused and just stared at me.

I’m thinking, haha… didn’t see that one coming did you?

She keeps staring. She wrinkles her brow, like she’s computing the speech in her head.

Now I’m getting worried.

Then, she has a moment of clarity.

“Oh, are you trying to negotiate?”

She’s says it like I’m some 9 year old kid who just asked his 24 year old babysitter to be his girlfriend.

Me: (trying to stay cool) “Well… um, yeah…. You know. If there is any room for…..”

Her: (interrupting but sincere) “We don’t negotiate at Prada.”

I paid full price for the dress.

Has a store ever accidentally given you something for free?

Ordered 4 new bras from an online shop, ended up receiving 32 new bras, none of which were the color I had ordered.

The receipt in the box was tallied for 8 bras with a note that they’d been running a promo the day I ordered that they were buy 1 get 1 free. I don’t even want to fathom how 8 turned into 32, but when I called the company to get a return label the gal informed me that the bra sale had actually been buy 1 get 2 free, which should have only been 12 bras, not 32, and who the heck gives away 2 forty dollar bras?

Got transferred to a different representative and was informed that the bras I was trying to return where non-returnable since they’d actually been discontinued and were now “on clearance” neither of them had addressed the issue that the bras I received were the wrong color (right size at least)

I was transferred yet again (gotta love “that’s not my job” employment opportunities) where I was quickly informed that they would send out the bras in the right color.

Fast forward a few days and I received 12 of the right size, right color bras. They had honored the buy 1 get 2 free sale apparently. I also received 8 additional bras in colors I hadn’t even known were available in my size as a “consolation prize” for my troubles.

So, 52 bras for the price of 4 at forty dollars each. I haven’t had to special order bras in years…

 

What are some skills possessed by software engineers at big companies like Google, that software engineers at no-name companies usually don’t have?

I’ve worked in software engineering for 20 years. I come from a no-name college in India, and my grades weren’t stellar. SO, getting into top tier companies was hard for me. Over 20 years, I’ve worked my way up, and I’m in Amazon now. On the way, I have worked in all kinds of companies: startups, mid sized companies, large multi nationals; and in all kinds of industries: consumer goods, healthcare, finance, education

First of all, Companies are tiered in terms of the skill levels of their engineers. They pretend not to be. Everyone claims that they hire the smartest engineers. WHat they mean is that they hire the smartest engineers that they can get. There is a definite differrence in Engineers working in FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google), I’ve seen all kinds of engineers

Here’s the kicker. The biggest difference isn’t in the quality of the code that they write. FAANG engineers, on the whole, write as buggy code as engineers in decent companies.

The biggest differentiator is Communication. When I was in mid-tier companies, I was constantly finding myself explaining and re-explaining things in great detail. In fact, I would say that at most companies at mid-tier level, your success as an engineer depends on being able to drive people in the right direction by communicating to them.

There are 3 kind of people in tech. There are a) arguers:- people who will fight every point of view that isn’t their own, b) receivers: people who will try their best to understand what you are saying c) analyzers: people who start thinking critically while you are talking to them. Arguers are toxic. Receivers are good but slow. Analyzers are good and fast. In mid tier companies, you are more likely to find Arguers and Receivers, whereas in top-tier companies, you are more likely to find Receivers and Analyzers.

To be a successful tech company, you need to get in as many Analyzers as you can. Because these are the people who generate ideas. These are the people you give 2 and 2 and they figure out how to make 8. Not only that, with ANalyzers, you have to spend less time getting the team on the same page. Less miscommunication = Less rework = shorter turnaround = lower time to market = win.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying communication is bad. Communication is good. You need to make sure everyone understands what needs to be done. Communication is essential. All I’m saying is that in top tier companies, communication is lot more efficient. It’s like getting onto a highway. You are just going faster.

 

Have you ever told a ridiculous lie just to see how someone would react?

Not me, but my ex-wife, and I didn’t witness it. She told me about it several years after the fact.

My ex and I are both blind. As in without sight. One of the things you have to understand about blind people is probably something obvious. To wit, we don’t drive. We can’t. Has never happened and ain’t gunna ever happen; no, not ever. Another thing you have to understand about blind people is that sometimes sighted people will ask the stupidest questions or do the dumbest things. Usually this happens when we’re just walking along, minding our own business. One day this happened to her.

I can’t remember what she was doing at the time, but she was walking along, doing whatever errand she had to do, when this group of women happened to come upon her. One of them was obviously drunk.

“So,” said the drunk woman, “you’re blind, right?”

“Yes,” she said.

“So, um, like, how do you drive?”

My ex, who walks with a cane because she’s obviously blind, said:

“Well, I have two canes. When I drive, I keep one cane out the right window, and another out my left window. That way when I bump into something, I know when and how to turn.”

“Really?” said this other woman. “That’s amazing!” And she went on and on for some time about what an amazing feat this was,, while the other people she was with were laughing and calling her an idiot, which she so obviously was.

 

 

What is the weirdest thing people have ever done?

Probably convincing others that this is a good look. It isn’t — your lips look like a baboon’s anus swelling to indicate it’s ready for mating. I’ve never in my whole life met a single person, male or female, who appreciates this aesthetic. And yet I keep seeing it, with increasing frequency.

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image 172

This weird bimbo-style… the heavy makeup… the facial fillers… and those God-awful inflated lips. Shudder. It’s horrific. So painful on the eyes that it makes one question the existence of the God who supposedly made our species in His image. The fake lashes don’t help, either… I mean why bother changing yourself in a way that isn’t genuine? I get going to the gym, working out or getting a tan, all those yield tangible results. But why alter yourself in ways that a single shower or missed injection could erase?

The weirdest thing people have ever done is invent this made-of-plastic bimbo aesthetic and promote it on social media as something to aspire to… it’s giving women in their twenties the appearance of elderly Hollywood stars in denial of their age. Turns the “girl next door” into whatever-the-hell-happened-to-Madonna. It’s an absolute travesty.

Who was the most ignorant American you have ever met?

Originally Answered: Who was the most ignorant person you have ever met in America?

This happened many years ago, but it is what came to mind when I read this question…

I was teaching class, and we were discussing the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Students were discussing their various thoughts on the situation.

One student stated, very loudly, “You know what really bothers me? All those people who are shouting and holding up signs…why aren’t they speaking English?”

I explained that it is unreasonable to expect people in a foreign country to protest in another country’s language. She didn’t understand what I meant, and the class was trying to explain to her that Arabic is the language of the people who were protesting.

After a while, I stopped everyone and asked her where she thought “those people” lived. She said, “I don’t know…near Arizona?”

That is when I realized that she thought the the Middle East was next to the American Midwest! I showed her where it is on the map, and she said, “Oh! Things make so much more sense, now!”

 

 

As a doctor, what is the best lie a patient has ever told you?

OK, here goes.

I’ve had some real doozies in my time.

The most intrepid drug seeker I have ever seen was Mr. C.

He walked in a very hunched-over posture, leaning on a walker, to elicit sympathy.

We would not even say his name, as that might bring the bad luck of the ER calling to admit him…AGAIN.

If one of my colleagues were to talk about him he would say, “Mr.” and then crook over his index finger.

We all knew who he meant.

This guy was the biggest pathological liar in the universe.

Every time I’d get a call from the ER his story was different.

He was a missionary, a teacher, a policeman, you name it.

His favorite was to tell people he was a former PA or MD.

ER calls….

“I’ve got a 68-year-old former doctor down here. He looks so decrepit that I think he needs nursing home placement.”

Right away, I knew who it was.

He went from hospital to hospital to hospital. I don’t think he had permanent address. Why would he?

“Uh,…I know who it is. He’s not a doctor. He’s a drug seeker.”

“No, Maureen, he’s such a nice guy. You must be thinking of someone else. I think he IS a doc.”

“Go ask him what a CBC is (complete blood count, a common lab test). I’ll hold.”

Off he goes.

“For Pete’s sake, he doesn’t know.”

“Ah…yup. Don’t give him any narcs.”

“OK. But he still needs admission because he has been having recurrent temperatures and can hardly walk.”

“Did you document a temperature?”

“No, he is afebrile.”

”Labs and imaging normal?”

“Yeah.”

“Wanna see him take up his bed and trot, upright, right out of there?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell him that Dr. Boehm will be admitting him. I’ll be happy to evaluate and treat any of his complaints. I won’t be giving any narcotics, however.”

Off he goes.

“Uh, he got up and left AMA.”

“Did he ask for a cab voucher?”

“Yeah.”

“He wants us to pay for his transportation to the next ER.”

Sometimes, I would come in and he had been admitted overnight by some unsuspecting doctor.

His nurse called me.

“Mr. C is very lethargic. He’s becoming hypoxic”.

“How can that be? He’s not getting any controlled substances.”

Well, he sure was.

He had called down to the OR and interrupted a surgery. He told them that he was one of our orthopedic surgeons. He demanded that a message be given to the Ortho PA.

“Why does Mr. C have uncontrolled pain? I want him on a Dilaudid PCA NOW!”

I walk in. Mr. C, not only has a Dilaudid drip running, in one of his groggy little hands he had a bottle of Percocet that he had brought from home. In the other hand, the button to deliver a hefty bolus of Dilaudid to himself.

He was “out” with a mouthful of half-chewed Percocet, the drip just dripping away with a hefty basal dose.

He could have killed himself.

Never have I relished the delivery of Narcan like I did that day.

One little squirt and he was wide awake and pissed that his nice “double” high was ruined.

After that we had to do a complete search of him and his stuff, with security, so he didn’t get away with it again.

I often wonder what happened to Mr. C after the new system was available to track and prevent his overuse of narcotics.

He couldn’t go to five doctors in a month and get narcs from all of them. He couldn’t go ER to ER.

I just don’t know what happened to him.

What’s the etiquette for feeding a babysitter? They’re looking after your kids, so shouldn’t you feed them?

When I was 15 I used to babysit these 2 super lovely Chinese kids every friday and saturday night. It was only ever for 4 hours, 8pm to midnight. The family owned the local fish and chip shop, that also sold Chinese food. Now I never got fed while babysitting, but the parents would pay me my time AND bring me chinese food to eat when I got home. Always asked me what I wanted when I went to the house. The were an awesome family.

Another time my GP asked if I would babysit his kids on new years eve, and stay over night. My mum agreed and he would pay me £50 for it. I got told to eat and drink whatever I wanted, watch whatever I wanted on the tv, and the room they let me sleep in also had a tv. Easiest babysitting job ever! The kids were in bed before I got there at 9pm, I was told to check on them at 10, 11 and midnight which I did. They never woke up, I got to eat junk food all night, and got paid for doing it. I was actually happier about the junk food and tv than the money. At home I wasnt allowed food between meals, junk food was never allowed, and forget about watching anything other than my mums choice of program on the tv.

 

Have you ever smelled something but only found the source of the smell a while later?

I was in the military (USAF) and until you reach a certain rank, you are assigned a roommate in your dorm room. I was stationed in Germany in a unit that traveled extensively 300+ days per year. Commonly we would travel 6 months, come back for a week or even a weekend, and then be back on the road. I was assigned a roommate whom I met… He was the typical “computer geek”. Greasy hair, showered infrequently, was a slob, almost never left the room when he was not on the road, and played a lot of the “Oregon Trail” computer game.

Mind you both of us were in the same unit that traveled a lot, but we were on different teams, so we traveled to different places at different times. One time after being gone 6 months in England, I came back to station, and opened the door to my room, only to be gagged by the smell. I set my luggage down in the hall and went to the communal bathroom, wet some paper towels, and covered my nose and mouth area. Then went back into my room to locate and remove the source of the smell.

At first glance everything seemed in order, but the smell was overpowering… I walked over to his side of the room and it got even worse. His bed was raised up on blocks that gave him a couple feet of storage underneath it, and I saw a shirt sleeve sticking out from under the bed. When I lifted up the bedspread, it reeked to high heaven, but all I could see was his dirty clothes. They were stuffed under his bed to the point that it took up all the room in under the bed! I couldn’t imagine that this horrific gagging smell was just his dirty clothes (although they did stink terribly), so I started reaching under there and pulling clothes out a handful at a time…. When I had pulled out about half the clothes, I found the source of the pugnant aroma.

At some point when he was stuffing all his dirty clothes under there, he apparently forgot that he had also put a half a pitcher of OJ under there as well. When he pushed more clothes under there, the pitcher of OJ got pushed back into the middle of the pile of clothes. I had been gone 6 months and come to find out he left the week after I did! That OJ sat in that pitcher in the middle of his stinky clothes for basically 6 months, rotting! It was a solid black and green mass all around the outside with Orange pulp in the middle, and OMG did it stink. I was gagging and running to the outside trash can holding the pitcher behind me to get rid of it once and for all! Once it was gone, I went back to the room. I stuffed all of his dirty clothes into big black garbage bags, zip tied them, and put them back under his bed.

When he got back the following week I was already gone again, but I left a note for him and told him what had happened and what I had had to do! I also told him if I ever come back to something like that again, that I would be turning it in and reporting him to the First Seargent! It neverhappened again. (THANK GOD!!!))

strong independent woman instantly REGRETS their lifestyle

https://youtu.be/7UoWgu6zCoc

What was the meanest thing someone has ever done to you? And did you ever get revenge?

When I was a toddler my father had an affair. The woman started calling our house and tormenting my mother in order to break up the marriage. My mother wasn’t emotionally stable. After a certain time each evening, she knew that her friends and family wouldn’t be calling so late, and when the phone rang my mother would cry, wail and scream. I remember answering the phone myself in an attempt to stop my mother’s over-the-top reaction and at some point learned to leave the phone off the hook but my mother didn’t leave it that way for long. On some level, she liked the drama I guess. This went on for months. I’d have been 3 or 4 when this was happening. It was very traumatic for me because I had no idea what was going on until much later. In my pre-school mind, the threat on the phone had to be very dire and worthy of my drama momma’s reaction. I was absolutely terrified. I’d wake up many nights to answer the phone and cry “please don’t hurt us” into the phone, but she didn’t stop until the divorce was done.

30 years later, my father dies, leaves that woman a penniless widow, which was the result of gross financial mismanagement because he’d had money and didn’t support those of us in his first family (a man could get away with that back then). The one thing she has is a lawsuit for his death. It’s a good case. The payout is potentially large but that’ll take years in court and may never payout as the company responsible will probably go bankrupt. The defendant has offered settlement and would payout quickly but the only requirement is that all of his heirs agree to accept the settlement and agree not to sue separately at a later date.

But I don’t need money and I’ll never sign. I’ve been getting certified letters for years asking for my signature. They’ve threatened to have me arrested (which was clearly a ruse) for refusing, offered me cash to sign, on one occasion her grandson connected with me on social media explaining that she needed a new roof and could I please sign off on the settlement and I ended up blocking his whole family. Last year I got a letter that the county was going to auction her house for non-payment of taxes. She is probably living with one of her kids and collecting social security so not quite homeless but I still feel like I’ve gotten a little revenge.

 

What is the sneakiest thing you did to get back at an awful neighbor? Did you get caught?

Many years ago I lived in an inner suburb of Sydney, in a terrace house.

The next door neighbour was an alcoholic bricklayer. Call him Don.

Don had decided to do some extensions, or renovations, and had three pallets of bricks dropped off in front of his place. They partially blocked the footpath and leaned outwards, dangerously overhanging the road.

One of the.pallets was in front of our house. Effectively our parking was blocked and the footpath was hard to negotiate.

The first Saturday they were there I knocked on his door, (interrupting a fight with his wife as he had accidentally lost her car the previous night, as far as I could work out he had parked it near a brothel and could not find it when he staggered out) and offered to help him shift the bricks around the back. He declined and said he would get to them during the week.

A few weeks went by. I offered again to help shift them, and got told to f off. I explained they were dangerous and inconvenient. Got the door slammed in my face.

I complained to the local council, and I suppose they sent him a letter, but the bricks remained.

By this time the bricks had been there about four months. The pallets were deteriorating and the stacks leaning. It was getting more dangerous by the day. It was only a matter of time before they collapsed on a car, a person or the busy road.

I wrote up a couple of large signs “ free bricks, help yourself” and put them on the pile about 6:am on a Saturday morning.

By the time Don surfaced around 11, there was probably half a pallet or so left… which he moved to his back yard.

I go

 

Could swingeing EU import tariffs on Chinese EVs trigger retaliatory action by China?

Of course.

Without a doubt. Any unfair action by the EU Will be met by an action that U.S. fairer but with a much bigger consequences to EU. Let that be a solemn promise.

Europe will have to suffer a total collapse of the automobile market if it dare to try any shit. Don’t forget that many European cars companies are surviving only due to the Chinese market and consumer. And the reason it still can compete is only due to its production efficiency and capacity of its plants in China!

DIY for a boyfriend

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/K2PCi8qiZS4?feature=share

What was your biggest “I never thought of it in that way before!” moment?

Years back, I sat in a sombre home where a young man in his 30s died untimely in an accident.

I, along with my family, went there to pay respects.

Sitting on the sofa I was nudged between two middle aged women who were discussing the next course of events.

“I heard Sheela is going to go to her maternal house to stay! How would Usha bear this? First she lost her son and now with the daughter-in-law gone she will lose her grandchildren too.”

“That’s true! I had the same reaction when I heard about it. We must put some sense in Usha and stop her from letting Sheela go.”

When Usha aunty came towards us, these two woman grabbed her and made her sit with them, squeezing me.

They then narrated their opinion on the grieving mother and stopped her from taking a ‘foolish’ decision and going against a tradition where the widow usually stays with the in-laws.

After listening to their valuable advice Usha aunty spoke.

“True, I lost my son. But Sheela has lost her husband too. A person she vowed to spend her old age together. A person who was a loving parent to their children. Sending them away to her parents place will surely make me sad and lonely but it would be a much needed change for Sheela. At this time, she needs her parents the most. If she stays here, this house would remind her of him everyday. At her parents place, she would slowly come back to her usual self soon. I lost my son. I don’t want to lose my daughter because of some tradition.”

The two women were speechless, so was I. I hadn’t thought of it in that way either. Usha aunty left and consoled her daughter-in-law who sat in a corner with a pale and teary face.

That day it was just a conversation I unknowingly was a part of. But today, I think what Usha aunty did was so right.

Thinking about someone else in the event of your child dying, needs immense amount of courage and determination.

Sheela di did recover soon and moved back to her loving mother-in-law’s house and now cares for them as their daughter.

Unconditional love surely goes a long way.

 

What’s something a police officer knows that would scare normal people?

Seeing how quickly and unexpectedly you can die.

Man went to McDonald’s — which was a treat — for his family’s dinner, and on the way back, was broad-sided in the driver’s door. He’s dead in the driver’s seat and his family’s dinner is all over the front of the car. When he didn’t come back, his 10-year-old son went looking for him on his bicycle and came up on the accident scene. The child climbed into the wrecked car and was hugging his dead father. We weren’t going to stop him, and the fire department stayed longer than they normally would have in case there was any unexpected fire.

Another officer took the child home in his police car and informed the wife of what had happened. Prime example of one of those evenings when a cop skips dinner because he has no appetite.

The driver that hit him was a teenager who had just stolen a tank of gas from the local AM/PM Mini Market, and was being chased by the idiot store manager in his own car. We arrested them both, though that did not make the outcome any better.

The only decent thing that came out of it is that the owner of a local McDonald’s franchise read about it, came in the station and we helped him arrange to pay for an elaborate funeral. The owner insisted we not talk about it publicly; he didn’t want his kind act to look like a PR move. That is class.

 

What is the single most underrated trait a person can have?

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image 171

J.K. Rowling had just got a divorce, was on government aid, and could barely afford to feed her baby in 1994, just three years before the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, was published. When she was shopping it out, she was so poor she couldn’t afford a computer or even the cost of photocopying the 90,000-word novel, so she manually typed out each version to send to publishers. It was rejected dozens of times until finally Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, gave it a second chance after the CEO’s eight year-old daughter fell in love with it.

Positivity, confidence, and persistence are key in life, so NEVER GIVE UP on yourself.

This Thing Is About To POP: Putin, Biden and The Trainwreck

Rumble and murmurs inside the USA…

https://youtu.be/zOSCVc0KZKU

 

Have you ever witnessed an “I demand to see the manager” moment?

This was one that I witnessed, but wasn’t a part of.

I was working in the hardware section of a department store, right beside the sports department.

Straightening up/stocking the shelves just near the boundary between the departments, I saw a fellow salesperson talking to a customer with his small son. The child was bored and started to wander around, touching everything he could reach.

After a couple of minutes, the other salesperson saw the child start to try to climb a display of weightlifting equipment. He quickly excused himself and rushed over to the child, not touching him but gently suggesting that the boy not climb on anything and particularly not on the heavy weights.

The father turned around and seeing what was happening was incensed.

“How dare you tell my son what he can and cannot do! Who do you think you are?”

“I was just trying to keep him safe.” said the salesperson. “The weights are heavy and he could hurt himself.”

“Oh really? You have no business disciplining my son. I want to see the manager to complain.” said the father.

By this time, the child, seeing that he was again being ignored, went back to the weight rack and started to climb again.

The father fumed on at the unlucky salesperson.

And just at that moment, the rack of weights, unbalanced by the child fell over on top of him, a couple of weights pinning him to the floor.

He started crying.

The father started ranting about suing the store.

I later heard that he lost because the salesperson had tried to stop the child from climbing and had been forbidden from doing so by the father.

 

What did your boss ever say in the office that caused you to resign?

I got a performance review that ripped me up, down and sideways, and was totally unjustified. I refused to sign it and requested a second meeting later that afternoon. I attended that one armed with statistics showing how I had reduced the work ticket backlog on our software library from over 800 to just 2.

Now, a little technical explanation. This was pre-Windows. We had a software library written in Microsoft Pro Basic. Everything worked for the most part when I took it over, except it was slow. I fixed the outstanding bugs, then went looking for the cause of the slowdown and I found it: type declarations.

There were none. If a variable name ended with a $, it was a string. Otherwise, it was a number. But there are all kinds of numbers, and the default was double-precision floating point. Microsoft made a big deal about how indexes and array subscripts should be integers and pointed out that it was a speed deal. I went through, explicitly defined all variables and made sure that anything used as a loop index or array subscript was declared as either a short or long integer. Massive increase in speed. Calculations that used to take 20–30 minutes now ran in a minute or less.

Now, back to the meeting. I pointed all the improvements out to him, including comments from customers praising the improvements. He looked at everything and had the gall to say that my review was not going to be changed. I walked back to my office, made a couple of phone calls and had a job, paying more, starting the following Monday. I then edited the library and took out every one of the integer or long type declarations, recompiled the new version and saved everything into the distribution folders. I cleaned out all my work directories so that what I had done was not readily available, then walked by his office, tossed my keys on his desk, said I quit and walked out.

 

What did your boss ever say in the office that caused you to resign?

I had applied for a promotion that I was overqualified for. Had a great track record of mentoring new employees, working above and beyond, coming up with great ideas. I had been in the position for 7 years and with the company for 11.

My manager and supervisor told me that I wasn’t “ready” for this promotion (a 6% raise) and that I could try again next January. I told them “there would not be a next January”

Fast forward a few months, I was already applying for jobs and went on a few interviews. My manager and supervisor called me into a meeting to let me know one of the males on the team who have been at the organization and position for 2.5 years was getting the promotion (it was a promotion multiple people could get). When they asked me if I had any questions I said “No – his promotion doesn’t age t my career”

1 month later when I was putting in my 2 weeks notice for a company giving me a 30% raise my manager and supervisor asked me what they could do to retain me…I say nothing.

Left the job May 2021 and it was the best decision ever. Never knew I could get such a big pay bump for NOT being loyal to a company.

Have you ever taken the law into your own hands?

Not me, but my dad.

And if you are going to do it, this is the way. Not by shooting somebody or anything else.

My dad was a small builder. A few houses a year. He enjoyed it and it made him good money in retirement. He was building one of the only spec houses (not already sold when he started) he ever built.

One night, when the house was almost done, the furnace and airhandler disappeared from the garage. No signs of breaking and entering.

Now it takes a couple of hours to remove all of this w/o damaging anything. So my dad quickly guessed that his HVAC contractor (one he had never used before) had made a copy of the key my dad had given him. Let himself in, opened the garage door. Backed his truck in. Closed the door. And got to work.

He told the police this. They talked to the contractor who denied everything and suggested my dad had done it to collect on the builder’s insurance. This made my dad MAD! The HVAC guy however didn’t know the police told my dad he said this.

So my dad had the same guy put a new furnace and airhandler in the house. Yep, same guy.

What the guy didn’t know is that before hand my dad had a security system installed. Hidden motion detectors only, no contacts on the windows and doors to be spotted. And no audible alarm. Silent only. He registered his cell phone with the security company.

Sure enough, a few nights later he gets a call in the middle of the night from the security company. He tells them to call 911 and jumps in his truck. By the way, he lived only about 90 seconds down the road.

He pulls up and can see light around the garage door. He pulled quietly into the driveway at an angle, all the way up to the door, completely blocking it. And quietly waited for the police to arrive, which they did a few minutes later.

The guy heard him talking to the police in the driveway and put the garage door up. My dad couldn’t stop laughing at the expression on the guy’s face when he saw my dad standing there with four deputies!

And the best part? My dad hadn’t yet paid the contractor for his work. And he never did.

Remember silence

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5aBHoyIR4mQ?feature=share

How do you respond when your boss says, “I need this done by Monday”?

This actually happened to me years ago. It was a Friday evening. An entire group including me were in a meeting. We had a code thoroughly tested and ready for production. This Manager went and made changes without consent and broke the code but they still wants to keep the implementation date which was ten days away.

Now the ten days included two weekends. I’m sitting in the room. They totally ignored the fact that I was the one responsible for testing the changes. Nobody asked me what my plans were for the weekends and proceeded to agree upon meeting the date. I stayed mute. Now at that time my husband was in the army and and deployed to Bosnia, so they thought I had no life. They talked and laughed and when the meeting was over, I spoke.

“Who is coming in tomorrow because I need a ride”. They all said they were not. That’s when I dropped the bomb. I said, “Neither am I”. Everybody sat down, I got up, saluted them and walked out.

A tooth fairy

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UAlutNCOF5w?feature=share

Have you ever been invited to something that turned out to be another thing entirely?

I had just finished a year of substitute teaching and had few. if any, prospects for a full-time job come that Fall. So when I saw that ad in the paper, my eyes lit up.

This company was wanting to hire teachers for a summer job. Was it evaluating textbooks? Maybe we would be tasked with creating exciting curriculum or conducting research into how children learn. Maybe a private school wanted to hire a number of tutors for their summer programs? The ad didn’t get specific.

I fired off a resume and waited to hear back. I didn’t wait long before being contacted with a time and place for the interview. When I arrived, I saw a room full of people dressed in typical teacher fashion-Dockers, Polo shirt, etc. I must be in the right place! But why are they doing a group interview? A bit later, a man walks in dressed more professionally. He asks us to tae a seat. He then gives a presentation into what sort of summer work they had for all of us education professionals.

STEAK KNIVES!!! He was wanting to “hire us to be door-to-door salesmen for his company’s line of cutlery. For a low investment of only (the cost of 2 sets) we could have unlimited earning potential. He must have seen the disgusted look on my face and figured I was going to let the more naive know exactly what the deal was, for I was the first to be invited into the office for a second interview.

Why is the US government restricting the importation of Chinese lower-cost cars and at the same time allowing US manufacturers to dramatically raise their prices?

It showed clearly that it does not care for its people but it protect profiteering and too big to fail companies. Such actions never ends well. The day will come when the U.S. citizens rebel and raised up against them. And these companies will continue to be unproductive and inefficient to the point of becoming irrelevant.

Pease remember the US has been dictating free trade and freedom of choice to Americans and the world for the longest time! What happened?

An abandoned mall in Ohio

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2TaOGVdlEmY?feature=share

Little Italy Sausage Soup

This tasty and easy Italian Sausage Soup Recipe is loaded with onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, and a healthy helping of Italian Seasoning in chicken broth with tomatoes, cannellini beans, and elbow noodles. It is the perfect pick-me-up for cold, wet weather, coughs, ailments, or just because your soul needs a little warmth. This Italian Soup Recipe is one of our favorites.

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2024 02 13 08 12

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds mild or hot Italian sausage
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 6 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
  • 1 1/2 cups red wine (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
  • 3 tablespoons parsley
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 medium zucchini, sliced
  • 3 cups pasta shells, cooked

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, cook sausage for about 15 minutes.
  2. Pierce with fork to release fat; drain well.
  3. Cut into bite-size pieces.
  4. Add remaining ingredients except zucchini and pasta.
  5. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes, then add zucchini and cook until tender.
  6. Add pasta shells just to heat through.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

  • If you have a nearby meat market, call and ask if they make their own Italian Sausage. It is well worth the added expense and trip to the market.
  • For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots. It brings out that beautiful bright orange color.
  • You can sub any medium to small pasta in this soup, including penne, rotini, shells, farfalle, ditalini, or radiatori.
  • Fresh thyme is always delicious, and I usually have it on hand. However, you can substitute fresh chopped parsley or a little dried marjoram or thyme.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Heat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
  • Freeze in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months.
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2024 02 13 08 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a waiter, what is the cheapest thing a customer has done?

One summer as a college student (many years ago) I worked at a now defunct “family” restaurant called The Ground Round. One room was a bar, and the other room was for families and they were famous for showing old silent movies in the family room and giving out free peanuts and popcorn (that usually ended up all over the floor).

Unfortunately, they were also famous for their “Penny-a-Pound” Thursdays where children under 12 who accompanied an adult would be weighed on a big scale at the front of the restaurant and could then order anything off the children’s menu (including unlimited free drinks) and be changed a penny for each pound they weighed. So, yeah, a kid could order a hot dog or a hamburger or a bowl of mac&cheese and get an orange soda (with 3 refills) for $0.40.

Most of this time this worked out OK and people enjoyed the deal responsibly. A family of four would come in, say, both parents would order full meals, and the little ones would get to basically eat for free. However, there were quite a number of occasions when people would completely abuse the deal. We’re talking situations where a single adult would come in with 5 or 6 children (obviously not all their own kids due to them all being the same age), the adult would order something cheap like a bowl of soup, and then the kids would proceed to make my life a living hell by constantly ordering drink refills every single time I walked past them on my way to take care of my other tables.

That wasn’t the worst part, though. No, the worst part was when it came time to pay the bill and the cost would end up being something like $9.27. And the person paying the bill would leave a $10 bill and say “keep the change.”

ALL the waiters dreaded having to work the main room on Thursdays, but since I was the newest employee there I ended up having to do it every week.

What’s your favorite stupid joke?

Dave was bragging to his boss one day, “You know, I know everyone there is to know. Just name someone, anyone, and I know them.”

Tired of his boasting, his boss called his bluff, “OK, Dave, how about Tom Cruise?”

“No drama’s boss, Tom and I are old friends, and I can prove it.”

So Dave and his boss fly out to Hollywood and knock on Tom Cruise’s door and Tom Cruise shouts, “Dave! What’s happenin?!? Great to see you! Come on in for a beer!”

Although impressed, Dave’s boss is still sceptical. After they leave Cruise’s house, he tells Dave that he thinks him knowing Cruise was just lucky.

“No, no, just name anyone else,” Dave says.

“President Bush,” his boss quickly retorts.

“Yup,” Dave says, “Old buddies, let’s fly out to Washington.”

And off they go.

At the White House, Bush spots Dave on the tour and motions him and his boss over, saying, “Dave, what a surprise, I was just on my way to a meeting, but you and your friend come on in and let’s have a cup of coffee first and catch up.”

Well, the boss is very shaken by now but still not totally convinced. After they leave the White House grounds he expresses his doubts to Dave, who again implores him to name anyone else.

“The pope,” his boss replies.

“Sure!” says Dave. “My folks are from Poland, and I’ve known the Pope a long time.”

So off they fly to Rome. Dave and his boss are assembled with the masses in Vatican Square when Dave says, “This will never work. I can’t catch the Pope’s eye among all these people. Tell you what, I know all the guards so let me just go upstairs and I’ll come out on the balcony with the Pope.”

And he disappears into the crowd headed toward the Vatican. Sure enough, half an hour later Dave emerges with the Pope on the balcony but by the time Dave returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics. Working his way to his boss’ side, Dave asks him, “What happened?”

His boss looks up and says, “I was doing fine until you and the Pope came out on the balcony and the man next to me said, “Who the fuck is that on the balcony with Dave?

What’s wrong with being a functional addict?

Define “functional”.

My uncle was a functional alcoholic. He had an advanced degree and was extremely accomplished in his career. He never did the kinds of things that would result in legal problems, he didn’t drink and drive, didn’t get in fights, or commit crimes. He and his husband were wealthy. They had a house with a swimming pool in a HCOL area. He was well-loved by everyone in the family but no one was able to get him to stop drinking or seek help for it. By and large, no one really wanted to argue with him about it either because it was pointless.

My uncle died during the pandemic and it wasn’t due to COVID. He drank everyday starting early in the morning and continuing through the night. He had done this for as long as I can remember. He cared about his appearance but completely neglected his health and refused to see doctors probably because they would tell him what he didn’t want to hear -alcohol was killing him.

Heavy drinking doesn’t only affect the liver — although that would be bad enough in itself — it also messes up the functioning of multiple other organs and body systems including, but not limited to, the heart, brain, kidneys, digestive system, and the nervous system. In my uncle’s case, he developed a cardiac problem and died suddenly. For many other alcoholics, dying is a slow, painful decline that involves a lot of suffering drawn out over many years.

Even if a person manages to avoid major illness, alcoholism, whether functional or not, does not make for a happy, fulfilled life. By nature, alcoholism requires that people prioritize alcohol over and above everything else in their lives, including all the meaningful things like important relationships, personal values, activities that bring joy, and personal accomplishments.

A person who drinks their way through life is never really present in their life and thus misses out on fully experiencing life itself. It may be feel pleasant to temporarily numb or black out distressing emotions but this comes at the cost of numbing positive emotions too. It comes at the cost of losing intimacy in your relationships, or just losing relationships altogether. It comes at a cost of not being able to remember your life or make good decisions.

Alcoholism and addiction in general, whether functional or not, is sad. It’s sad to see people searching for life satisfaction in the one place it will never be found.

 

Do babies cry so much because that’s the way they are, or because we have spoiled them since the moment they were born?

Have you heard that “African babies cry less”? It is true, but the why of it is more interesting. They cry less because they are attended to. They are carried by their mothers, they co-sleep. They are always with their mother, who nurses the baby as soon as it starts to fuss. Doesn’t matter if it’s for comfort, for hunger or thirst. The baby never gets to the point where it *has to* cry.

Crying is the only way a baby has to communicate…..sort of. They also wiggle, and fuss and make weird faces and reach toward something, and when none of the rest of it works, THEN they cry. So it might be better to say that crying is the LAST way babies communicate. Even so, they can’t tell you they had a bad dream, or their stomach is upset, or there’s a string wrapped around their toe and it feels weird, or they have an itch but no fine motor skills to scratch with. We have to learn to decode baby language other than crying, before it gets to that. And we don’t.

You can’t spoil a baby. Moreover, when did giving someone attention get such a bad rep? Why is it bad to give a baby attention? What defines ‘too much’ attention, and why should we ration it? Is there a limited amount available? What idiot made this up?

By giving a baby the attention it needs when it needs it, and not when you feel like giving it, or when some book says you should give it, you teach the baby that you are always there for it. You aren’t teaching them to be clingy, you are teaching them that no matter what they do, what new things they explore, you will be there. It gives them confidence to try and do new things, knowing this.

But let a baby go untended until he gets to the point of crying, and then wait some more? What good does that do? The baby is not going to become less hungry or thirsty or scared or wet. Baby isn’t going to decide, oh, I guess I wasn’t actually hungry after all, I guess I’ll stop now. It will cause a lot of stress hormones to be released in the baby’s brain. A baby who cries until he stops has given up on you. He’s learned that you are NOT going to be there for him, and his needs might not be met. That, in his desperation, he reached out to you and you turned away.

Soon enough, he or she will be telling you not to hold their hand at school, or kiss them goodbye in front of their friends. The time when they need and depend on you is only a small part of their lives, and yours, so you should enjoy it while you can.

Why books have covers

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/USroKDplbOI?feature=share

What is a time when you’ve seen a co-worker get fired who totally deserved it?

It’s really hard to fire someone in the government, but if they are an intern, it’s pretty easy.

We had three people start at the same time as interns. The two women were fantastic, interested in learning the job, hard working, never called out, etc. but “Charles”, not so much. I had just been promoted to supervisor. A week after he started, he stuck his head in my office and offered to help me with my supervisory duties. He didn’t know how to do the work yet, but he was going to help me supervise. Got it.

A couple days later, he walks into my office, plops down in a chair and says “I don’t know how you work with some of these fucking bitches. Those dumb cunts deserve to be fired”. Now I’m not a prude, but I also behave and speak in a professional manner. I had done nothing to make Charles think my office was some “safe zone”, where he could denigrate other employees, or use that kind of language.

He would sleep at his desk, call out, leave early, not what you would expect from any professional, let alone an intern trying to make their mark.

A lot of our job entailed technical writing. He wasn’t much of a writer to begin with, and often sent supposedly final versions of documents on the the next department with track changes and edits still in them. I had to fix a lot of his supposedly finished work. .

The crown jewel was him loudly proclaiming that life would be great in two months as he would no longer be an intern, so it would be near impossible to fire him. He was fired the next day.

 

What’s the sweetest way you’ve seen someone get fired from a job?

I had to let an employee go when I owned a security guard company. He’d been involved in a fatal shooting — he killed a man who’d fired at him — before I bought the business and he shot and killed a drunk who attacked him after I took over.

After the second shooting my insurance carrier gave me an ultimatum: Fire the employee or lose my insurance. I promised them that I would not allow him to carry a weapon and that I would assign him to my office as Operations Manager but they would not budge. I had to choose between him and insurance coverage but without insurance I was out of business.

I called everyone I knew in the business trying to find him another job. They all knew about the shootings so they weren’t interested. So I began reaching out to my clients. My guy was ex-military and very smart and I hoped that one of them might be interested in him.

It turned out that a car dealer I was providing patrol coverage to was thinking about taking his security in-house so he agreed to talk with my employee.

Long story short, I lost a $1,000 a month patrol contract but the guard was hired by the car dealer. I haven’t spoken with my ex-employee in years but the last time I did he was head of security for the dealer, in charge of 4 different car lots. Like I said, he is very smart.

Celebrating mental disorders

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kDCa2Fwl5pA?feature=share

What facts about the United States do foreigners not believe until they come to America?

I’m from Russia. Below are a few things I almost always have to explain or discuss with visitors from Russia.

1. Why individual houses are so large? We always get into discussion that house is not just a shelter, but also a manifestation of one’s financial achievements.

2. Philanthropy. There is no culture of philanthropy in Russia and many view American philanthropy either as a waste of money or as some intricate plot to get some additional benefits.

3. People don’t walk places. They go everywhere by a car.

4. There is almost no public transportation except in a few large cities. People actually have to have cars to get places. Cars are necessity, not luxury.

5. Majority of high and middle schools have sport facilities of very high, almost professional quality.

6. Many schools have orchestras, bands, theaters of a very high, almost professional quality. Free.

7. Every state has a lot of autonomy.

8. President’s salary is comparable with the one of a plastic surgeon.

9. President doesn’t automatically become the richest person in the country.

10. Majority of things in the US aren’t controlled or regulated by the government.

11. Children are expected to leave home when they are 18.

12. Students prefer and are expected to live in a dorm and not with parents.

13. When relatives visit they often stay in the hotel.

14. Many children, even in well to do families, work in fast food, car washes and do a lot of other things to get money and it is not an embarrassment.

15. Parents have their babies sleeping in separate rooms almost from the day of their birth.

16. Russians find 11-15 are particularly absurd, offensive, and egotistical.

17. Many Russians believe that American system of primary and secondary education is very inefficient. As a mother, I have to explain that it is very diverse and essentially even in the poorest districts there are tons of resources available for children who are willing to use them. There are also an opportunity for kids to take advanced and extra advanced classes providing they are willing and able to do the work. And this differentiation is available as early as elementary school.

18. How well elderly live, even those on SSI and Medicaid. How many services are available to them.

19. How open Americans are about their shortcomings and always ready for self criticism.

20. Millions of people don’t have medical insurance.

21. Some hospitals look like five-star hotels.

22. Budgets of some hospitals are equal to h/c budgets of small countries.

23. Doctors tell their patients everything.

24. Return policies and free refill.

25. Idea of a liberal art education. In Russia, after high school graduation, a student should decide on vocation: engineer, doctor, teacher, lawyer, accountant, etc. It seems inconceivable to attend a university and then to graduate without a solid specialty. I often have to explain that not knowing what one wants to do after high school is an acceptable norm in US. A student can still acquire marketable skills, expand his or horizons, get a job after graduation, and, what is even more surprising, obtain an advance degree in a totally different field later. Yes, accountant can attend a medschool and become a doctor and musician can go for aa master degree in computer science.

I’m afraid I can go on and on and on…

Good bye

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZfAw8Xej1GA?feature=share

What is the most inappropriate clothing you have seen a student wear at school?

Long ago when the no bra and see through crazes overlapped for a while (late 70s I believe) I had a young lady walk into my 1st Period class with no bra and a see through blouse. I took roll while the students started a mini lesson on the board. Then I started to write a note I intended to give to her to go to the office for a ruling/talking to by a female counselor. I had just started when the young lady called to me “Mister, tell them to stop staring at me!” I looked up and of course every boy in class (11th grade) was staring, standing to see over other students etc. Before I could say anything another girl loudly proclaimed “If you don’t want them looking, why did you dress like that?” Another girl handed the young lady a sweater jacket to put on. Then the young lady came up and whispered “May I have a bathroom pass?”

I gave it to her and put my note aside to see what happened. 10–15 minutes later she came back wearing an over sized PE uniform t-shirt over her clothes, handed the sweater back to the girl it belonged to, looked at me and then at the one who had spoken up and in a very soft voice said “I guess I didn’t think. It won’t happen again.” It didn’t.

 

What scary gut feeling did you have that turned out to be true?

On October 25, 2009, I was working like I always did and my supervisor came up and asked if I wanted an early out. I didn’t usually take early outs because I was a single mom and my supervisors knew it. I shocked him because I agreed to leave early. I said it’d be nice to have some extra time with my kids. I went to the babysitter’s house and her brother told me that she took my kids to her grandparents farm and he’d let her know to bring them straight home when they got back. I left there and at a stop sign and ambulance went flying past me and I had such a strong urge to follow it but I talked myself out of it. I went home and was pulling stuff out of the fridge when my phone rang. It was the sitter’s cousin asking me where my kids were and I told her they were with Nikki and then she told me that Nikki was in a head on accident and they may have to life fight her. She swore my kids weren’t with Nikki and I knew they had to be. After that Nikki’s boyfriend called me and told me that Nikki and my kids were in a head on accident and I must have let out a really loud scream because my neighbors heard me in their house. I called my parents as I rushed out the door and I asked them to keep me calm until I found my kids because they were in a head on accident. I didn’t even notice my neighbor standing in the yard. Apparently they heard about the wreck on the scanner and then heard me scream so they’d came out to drive me wherever I needed but I didn’t hear him talk to me. I was too focused. I had no idea where to go so I decided to go straight out the direction that I saw the ambulance go earlier. I came up to an accident and I tried to get past all of the cars and a police officer stopped me and said I couldn’t go any further. I told him it was my kids without knowing 100% at the time but just by my gut feeling. He called ahead to another officer and he said they were okay but my son’s face was cut a little bit from the airbag and his glasses. They allowed me to drive up to the ambulance but I still wasn’t allowed to see my kids. I followed them to the hospital. From the look of the truck, I knew the police officer was wrong. It took over 2 hours to be able to see my kids from the first call. I only got to see them when once the arrived at the hospital. My son’s face wasn’t just cut a little it was several cuts and two black eyes. My son ended up with permanent brain damage that was diagnosed later on. He didn’t want to walk and we just thought it was because he was scared so we carried him home. He’d just crawl on the floor and not walk. When we took him to his so called specialist, he told me I needed to institutional him because he’d never be able to learn again because he no longer had a short term memory and part of his long term memory was gone. I fired him and worked to teach my son how to walk, use the bathroom, and worked with him on his schooling. I’d enrolled in college just to help him learn. I needed to know how the brain worked to teach him and him retain things. He did learn it and more after I was told he never would. He also had whiplash extremely bad. Our attorney found it in the x-rays but the hospital never mentioned it. My daughter had to be potty trained again and she had severe whiplash along with a severe concussion. For the police to tell me they were fine I knew they weren’t. especially after seeing the truck. II wish my intuition was wrong that day. I’m fortunate that I didn’t lose my kids but we still lost my son as we knew him. When my older kids saw the actual changes in him they broke down crying. Fortunately it wasn’t all at the same time. As for the child the told me to institutionalize because he’d never learn again and could never live alone, He proved them all wrong. He’s got an amazing job, lives on his own, drives himself to work, and is having a babe in a couple weeks. He thanks me all the time for not giving up on him. He and his sister are best friends because she stood up for him when he couldn’t. I hope I never ever get the urge to follow an ambulance again. That’s not something I’d normally do so that day I had gut feeling and I was right. BTW, the engine was pushed all the way to sit in the back seat where my daughter was sitting. Her seatbelt wouldn’t work so she wasn’t fastened in thank God. If my kids would of say any other way I probably would of lost one if not both. Good was looking out for my kids that day. I’ll never ever forget that day.

Tuscan-Style Ribollita

2024 02 13 08 10
2024 02 13 08 10

Ingredients

  • 6 slices (1/2-inch thick) day-old crusty French bread
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chicken broth
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 yellow squash, sliced
  • 1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 cups torn escarole or dark cabbage
  • 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans
  • 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can plum tomatoes, drained, juices reserved
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • Oregano leaves (garnish)

Instructions

  1. Grease a baking sheet. Put the bread on the sheet and bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  2. Remove from the oven.
  3. Cut 1 garlic clove in half and rub on each side of the toast slices. Sprinkle with black pepper and set aside.
  4. Heat the oil and broth mixture in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
  5. Mince the remaining garlic. Add the garlic, carrots and celery to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the zucchini, squash, sweet peppers and oregano; cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Add the escarole, beans and tomatoes; cook until the escarole wilts, about 2 minutes.
  8. Add black pepper. Pour the vegetable mixture into a 3-quart casserole and top with the toast.
  9. In a large measuring cup, combine the reserved tomato juice and the broth; pour over the toast. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
  10. Bake at 375 degrees F until the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.
  11. Let stand for 5 minutes and garnish with oregano.

Serves 6.

 

What is the most unusual reason someone has called 911 for help according to a police officer?

One night as I proceeded through an intersection when the light turned green I heard a car accelerate and saw it nearly t bone me. I made the stop and saw it was a local shithead kid I knew well as having a major chip on his shoulder. He blamed his faulty brakes to which I replied I’d have to impound his car for a safety inspection. At this point he changes his story and tries to reach down and roll the floor mat under his brake pedal to blame for the incident. I issued him summonses for unsafe speed, running a light a failure to yield with the warning to keep it on the straight and narrow. A short time later I received a call for a 911 hangup at his address. The door opened and a middle aged male walks out. I ask him if he was the homeowner and if everything is OK. He addresses me by name and says he’s a corrections officer and asks why his son was not given a courtesy and gives me a rehash of his sons version of events. I ask him if he called 911 over this event and he said yes he was trying to lodge a complaint against me. I replied that his son is a liar and that’s not what 911 is for. He went on grumbling about courtesy and I shot back neither you nor your kid know the meaning of the word. After that incident the kid was noticeably quieter during the numerous encounters we had with him and his delinquent crowd.

 

 

Have you ever had a coworker try to get you fired?

Yep, had a woman who did the same job as me on alternate days and was jealous as I was asked to do the important stuff so to speak on my shifts and not her, the boss, female would confide in me and not her as she was a straight out the door on the dot person and would never cover in an emergency etc. She started to file fake complaints on night reports …he didn’t do this etc but of course we had CCTV. She would send watsapp messages to me complaining and then the best one…my wife is Asian…one night she sent a message insulting my wife and Asian women calling them Ting Tongs and Asian brides.

What she failed to realise is that the CEO despite having an English surname through marriage was Asian. I simply replied… our Thai CEO will enjoy reading that

Never a peep from her again

AI thought process

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SZXvwi2CycQ?feature=share

Has a cop ever said something to you which was completely unexpected?

Years ago I was driving home from a night out in Memphis, TN. It was roughly 3 AM, and I was driving about 60 to 65 mph along Walnut Grove Rd through Shelby Farms. The speed limit stepped up from 40 mph to 55 mph pretty close to that spot, and I don’t recall which side I was on. As it turned out, it didn’t matter. I saw the reflection of my headlights on his patrol car and started to pull over before his blue lights came on. Once stopped, I rolled down my window and had my license and registration ready for him when he walked up to talk to me. He looked at them, at me, and at the officer decal on my windshield and said I could go. Greatly surprised, I asked him why, and I would never have predicted his response. “You pulled over so fast and in such a short distance that I don’t even have to go around [a mile or so down the road to a break in the median] and come back to my spot [where he had set his speed trap].” I was not intoxicated, and I was far from the fastest car to travel that road. But at that particular time I was the only driver around, so I got his attention. The whole thing was a bit surreal, but I was grateful for the outcome. I thanked him and went home to get some sleep.

 

 

Have you ever called in a “welfare check” to the police? Did it turn out there was a real need? Officers, how often are “welfare checks” something where a person does need assistance?

I called for what I said was, I guess, a welfare check. I saw a young girl, probably mid-teens, walking on the rural road near where we live. I didn’t think much about it, even though there are few people who walk on that road, and very few homes. Later, as I returned home, I found her walking up the even more rural road leading up the mountain to where we live. I stopped and asked if she needed a ride. To my surprise, she said yes (her a young girl, me an old man). I asked her where she was going, and she said to visit someone. We passed my house, and she said to stop at a neighbor’s house. I asked who she was seeing, since I knew our neighbors, and she just said, “Someone.” I let her out and went home. I had to leave a while later and found her walking back down at the bottom of the mountain on the road near where I first saw her. I had also noticed that she had taken off her jacket and dropped it on the road. At that point I called the police and said that I was worried about her. I described her and told the 911 operator where she was. A short time after that a police car passed me going in that direction. I did not see the girl later when I returned home. I don’t know what happened, but she seemed troubled in some way, and was definitely acting odd. I hope the police gave her a ride home, or helped her with whatever her problem was, but I have no idea.

Power in a relationship

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fIOZcX17b8A?feature=share

What are the things guys find annoying about girls?

  • You are all the same
    • Ladies, this is the worst expression you could tell a man. Don’t tell him all men are the same because no one told you to try them all.
  • Men do not like to be told what to do and how to do it all the time.
  • When you ask stupid questions like “Do I look fat to you?” “Do you still love your ex?” “When I grow old, will you still love me?” “Do you think that woman is more beautiful than me?”
  • We all hate it when you bring up old things every time we fight.
  • Talking to your Friends about Anything and Everything
  • Men don’t like it when you talk about your exes, especially if you do it a lot or bring up details.
  • Even if you are just friends, men hate to be friend-zoned.

 

 

 

What are some mind-blowing facts about South Korea that might surprise someone who lives there?

  • Average height of a female Korean is 5′4′ (~162cm)
  • Average height of a male Korean is 5′9′ (~175cm)
  • Nearly 1/3 of Korean women undergo at least one cosmetic surgery
  • “Gangnam Style” is still the highest ranking K-Pop song ever on Billboard
  • Korea has the lowest obesity rate in the world
  • You can get your drink on just about anywhere you want
  • Korea’s Internet speeds are some of the fastest on Earth
  • Shopping and eating can be done at virtually any time of day or night
  • It is common to force criminals to recreate their crime for the press, for public humiliation.

 

What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

Not really a meeting, rather a gathering.

I was the IT manager at one of the Maryland Job Corp centers. I was in the process of upgrading government cast off computer equipment from 486s to Pentium Ones, if that tells u how long ago.

Being a nonsmoker, I never take breaks. Ever. I was coming across campus carrying 4 CPUs. I walk really fast so it alway looked like I was running to other staff. They’d joke about me working so hard, so fast. I stopped outside the admin building to catch up with the HR assistant. I was changing her computer next. In front of probably 10 of these smokers, my boss, the director of Finance and Administration took a puff and asked, “Christine, isn’t there someplace you should be?”

Dead, shocked silence.

The 60 hours I’d put in the week before, being forced to sign something that I was volunteering so wasn’t paid OT, and this comment flashed thru my mind.

I took a breath, bit back my inner voice’s come backs, smiled and set the computers down on the sidewalk.

I said, “There sure is.”. Smiled, walked inside, got my keys and kept walking.

What is the oddest reason you have been contacted by your child’s school?

When my older son was 7 (he’s about to be 28), the school nurse called because my son had an accident on the playground and sustained a large bump/knot to the center of his forehead. They said he was fine, but that I should probably take him to the doctor just to be sure. The nurse kept… almost giggling?… and when I asked what happened, she reiterated that he was okay, but that he would best be able to explain when I got there.

i should probably mention that he was already a big nerd, an advanced reader who used words many adults didn’t even use and wasn’t athletic AT ALL. He didn’t like to sweat or get dirty and was always afraid of injuring himself. Needless to say, all the way to the school I was perplexed at what MY KID could’ve possibly been doing so carelessly or vigorously on that playground to have injured himself.

When I got there he was embarrassed and mad af at himself but also laughing and I will never forget what he said. “My arch nemesis challenged me to a duel and I won. And it felt so good I couldn’t hold it in. I did a victory lap, but was stupid and did it with my eyes closed and ran into the tether ball pole. Mom, I gloated too hard.”

Three things

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lW87EQw8UdU?feature=share

Have you ever discovered that you fired someone wrongly, and did you do anything to make it right?

Months after buying a security guard company, from my former employer. one of my guards was involved in a fatal shooting at a nightclub. A drunk wielding a tire iron ran at him and the guard shot him once, through the heart, from about six feet away.

Houston Police investigated and eventually the guard was no-billed, meaning a grand jury declined to indict my guy, but that didn’t stop the drunk’s family from filing a wrongful death suit against the club and my company. My liability insurer wound up settling my part of the suit for $30,000 but after doing so they blindsided me by insisting that I fire the guard.

A couple of years earlier, while working for the man I bought the company from, he was involved in another fatal shooting at an apartment complex. In that case, a man shot at him from across a courtyard and his return fire struck the man in the head, killing him instantly. No lawsuit was filed in that case but my insurer still believed that two fatal shootings in such a short time indicated that the guard was too much of a liablility, so I was told to fire him or they’d cancel my coverage. I proposed giving him a job in my office so he wouldn’t be working a post, but the insurance company wouldn’t budge. I had 25 other fulltime employees to consider so I had to let the man go.

But I knew that a car dealer I provided security for was considering taking their security in-house, meaning they’d hire guards directly who’d work for the dealership. I talked with the owner and told him that my (former) guard would be a great choice to run his security team and, after checking the guy out, he agreed. I wound up selling my company and leaving Houston 10 years after I fired the guard but we’d stayed in touch over the years so I had a chance to visit with him before I left. He’d left the car dealership and was assistant security director for Occidental Petroleum. He said my firing him was the best thing that ever happened to him.

 

 

As a teacher, to what lengths have you gone to catch students cheating?

I use an iPad mounted facing down and connected to a projector as a document projector. The mount is flexible, so I can aim the iPad at the class, if I want to. If I suspect that students are cheating when I’m not looking, I just set the iPad to record a video or time-lapse, then quietly flex the mount, so the iPad is pointed at the students.

Then I walk around the room, making sure to turn my back on the students I suspect are cheating.

Then, I come back to the iPad and stop the video.

Finally, at the end of the quiz or test, I turn on the projector and show the students the beginning of the video I made. I pause it just a few seconds in, so they can think about the fact that I caught them on camera, and I ask the students to be honest with themselves and me. If they were cheating, let me know, before I see it in the video. It’s the right thing to do.

Most of them confess right then and there. Some of them don’t. We have to watch the video together and I have to point to the moment when they’re cheating.

If they know they cheated, but don’t confess, I show their parents the video.

They usually never cheat again.

 

What are some interesting facts about Nazi Germany?

They were excellent baby boom-ers.

But still in an evil way

Nazis had a pretty weird thing about blonde, blue eyed babies.

During Hitler’s rise to power, he initiated a program to raise the percentage of Aryan children. This was called a Lebensborn

program.

They basically made every available child to be in peak physical condition and made to match the Aryan race standards.

This included treatments such as: a very strict diet, early indoctrination with Nazi ideologies and even the usage of ultraviolet rays for hair color (in case a baby wasn’t blonde enough)

image 175
image 175

Most children came from German impregnated moms but after WWII started , the Nazis encouraged SS soldiers to ‘’get to know’’ the beautiful girls of Europe. They captured not only the best countries, but also the most Aryan girls 😉

If those ladies got pregnant, and their children were deemed as desirable, they were sent to a Lebensborn house where their kids would get a treatment like the one written above. The main ‘’factory’’ (besides Germany) was Norway, with 12.000 kids born during WWII.

When there were not enough moms available, the SS would simply kidnap children that fit their Aryan standards, as Himmler himself said

‘’It is our duty to take [the children] with us to remove them from their environment … either we win over any good blood that we can use for ourselves and give it a place in our people or we destroy this blood’’

The USSR, Estonia, Latvia, Norway and Yugoslavia were serious targets. Poland reportedly lost as many as 100.000 children during the whole war.

image 174
image 174

(abducted Polish children in a special labour camp)

After WWII, most children could not be found and linked back with their families because their program files were destroyed to hide war crimes. Hence, an exact number of Germanized children is impossible to tell.

Frid Lyngstad of ABBA is a known survivor of this terrible initiative. Her German father who was an officer in the German army, befriended her Norwegian mother to supply the SS with enough moms. After the war, she and her mom migrated to Sweden.

image 173
image 173

(The one with dark hair)

At least something good came out of this whole mess.

What are the consequences of being too good at your job? Can you get fired for it?

I worked for a very large, blue, trash company for about 7 years. After the first year I was running routes so efficiently that there were no improvements left to make so they pulled me from those routes and made me a swing driver. I started running everyone’s routes faster by an average of 3 hours per day, other swing drivers would take 60 hours to run the same routes it was taking me 36 to run and pick up what they missed. I did this for a long time and after several talks with management to make the pay more fair they told me that there was nothing they could do. We were paid hourly and thats it. I told them I was going to find another job then. They freaked out and I told them I wasn’t leaving just yet but as soon as I found something else I was leaving. Fast forward 3 years and I walk into my managers office to tell him I am quitting. He couldn’t believe it because it was out of nowhere in his eyes. I walked away from a fun fast paced job making $20 per hour getting anywhere from 33–56 hours per week depenfing on which routes i would run or who they would let me help. I am now working a job where I only work 6 months out of the year, easy work and make $120k and only requires 8 hours of overtime every other week. Now fast forward another 4 years and I run into the new manager and supervisor. We talk for a minute and the supervisor tells the new manager I used to work for them. He offers me my job back. Before I could even speak the supervisor tells him they can’t afford me to come back. I wished them a good day and walked away. So to answer your question, probably not fired but definitely passed up for promotions. That’s what they did to me.

 

Why did you call off your wedding?

Because of her eyes that were getting angrier at me by the day. Because of her eyes that were getting hungrier by the day, but not for me. Because of the divide that had started to appear, and there was nothing I could do about it.

It started with a crack (that I didn’t notice at first).

And when I did notice more cracks, only hours later — on that very same day — I realized that she already was in a very different place, and that she might be cheating. Her cell phone behavior had become erratic. Her reactions on my every sentence aggressive. Just like that.

She must have been hiding it, but now the cracks started to appear.

Hours later, in one of the longest nights of my adult life — and still on that very same day — she blatantly stated in the darkness of our cold bedroom that her love for me had faded. (“It was not like before anymore.”)

And day after day, week after week, the space between us became bigger, and the cracks grew into an abyss of anger and distrust.

At one point, the divide became too big, and she was standing at the other side — not even waving. She was just looking at me with empty eyes, as if she was not seeing me anymore. (And I think she really didn’t.) I would see that same empty look on her more than fifteen years in the future — in the awkward silence only separated people know — when she was in the final days of late stage breast cancer.

Much further away on the other side of the divide now, and about to disappear.

The problem is that back in the day, we were already married.

And there was nothing to call off except our every shared memory. As if life had become a text, written on a chalk blackboard.

Ready to be erased.

 

What would you do if your bridesmaids all decided to ditch you on your wedding day?

A friend of mine was having a medieval themed wedding. She had this gorgeous green gown and planned this elaborate hairstyle with flowers braided in. She asked her best friend to be maid of honour, and I got to be bridesmaid.

Get to the big day, and maid of honor is a no show. No phone call, text or email either. So I get upgraded and asked to help with my friends hair. I know NOTHING about elaborate hairstyles, there was no way I could do the style she wanted. So we ended up settling on a simple braided style with green ribbons and flowers threaded in. My friend was pissed. Not with me, but with her now ex-friend. Rest of the day went without a hitch and was gorgeous. My friend thanked me for helping at the last minute.

She never did get an explanation from that other girl, and refused to ever see her again.

 

Have you ever quit a job without notice?

I’ve quit without notice twice in my life. The first time was when I was passed over for promotion at Walmart but was offered a 25¢ an hour raise, instead, in recognition of the good work I was doing for the store. 25¢ an hour came out to $520 a year while the promotion would have resulted in a pay increase of around $12,000 annually. I told the store manager to shove the raise and walked out.

Several years later I was working in IT for a clothing manufacturer but I wanted to leave because I was, once again, denied a promotion. I soon learned that my boss and her toadie were holding me back by giving tepid references when companies I’d interviewed with called, so when I finally was offered a job I accepted immediately and told them I’d start the following Monday.

Before leaving work on Friday I drafted a companywide email telling my boss, and her toadie, and the business owner exactly how I felt about them, and I delayed delivery until Monday morning, so it would be the first thing everyone, including the three stooges saw. My boss actually called me on Monday morning, around 5 AM, before the email was delivered and asked me to come in early because she was having trouble with a printer. I told her I’d be right in and then rolled over and went back to sleep. She never called me again.

Biology

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aAKwQW1G_EQ?feature=share

Sitrep March 2024

Here are some common things we are usually unaware of the purpose of:

  • Stickers on fruit: The stickers mark the country and producer of the fruit, but it’s the numbers that are the important aspect. If there are 4 digits and the first number is 4, then it means the fruit is sprayed with pesticides. If there are 5 digits and the first number is 9, then the fruit has grown organically, and if there are 5 digits with the first number being 8, then the fruit has been genetically modified.

main qimg ebc4289eca860e6b91f2fb5ec0f1cfce pjlq
main qimg ebc4289eca860e6b91f2fb5ec0f1cfce pjlq

  • Doughnut hole: In the past, it was difficult to get the edges and the middle of the pie equally baked. So they came up with the ingenious idea of using this shape to ensure equal baking on all sides.

main qimg 9580973ff8383ace38deea1f11ef085c pjlq
main qimg 9580973ff8383ace38deea1f11ef085c pjlq

  • The original reason for sunglasses: today it’s obviously to protect us from the sun’s rays. But the original purpose was to protect Arctic people from the dazzling rays of snow. And in 12th century China, they became particularly widespread among judges in order to hide their true feelings from witnesses.

main qimg 459359ce40c8eb025196040b4bad0864 pjlq
main qimg 459359ce40c8eb025196040b4bad0864 pjlq

  • Margins on paper: the original purpose was not for extra notes on the side. In the past mice and rats often gnawed on the paper, so in order for them not eat away the information, people started to leave spaces on the sides.

main qimg 36105bcf61ac3b9cc21b46a2c1f8c03c pjlq
main qimg 36105bcf61ac3b9cc21b46a2c1f8c03c pjlq

  • Holes in padlocks: People usually buy a new lock when their old one doesn’t work due to rain. However, the purpose of the hole is to put in oil – once done, the lock should be able to open with no difficulty.

main qimg c0171e60ab64ceca4d0f124a6880ce78 pjlq
main qimg c0171e60ab64ceca4d0f124a6880ce78 pjlq


Vince wasn’t an intellectual heavyweight. He was a deeply flawed asshat with an outsized ego and limited self restraint.

Remember the scene with The Wolf? The Wolf was there to save Vince’s idiotic neck, and yet our boy just couldn’t stand that someone else walked in and smoothly took control. When returning home with the wife of his boss, Vince was clearly working his way up to making a pass at Mia in spite of trying to talk himself out of it. If Mia hadn’t OD’d Vince would’ve discovered that his disposal wouldn’t even merit a pine box.

main qimg 32d7ef484d4693ec4434a45a772caf4b lq
main qimg 32d7ef484d4693ec4434a45a772caf4b lq

Obviously my experience isn’t from the perspective of “law enforcement”, but from being locked up with, then living and working with other felons.

Those living a “life of crime” are different from you and your neighbors only because one aspect of their life is something illegal that they got caught doing. That doesn’t mean that they live and breathe crime 24/7.

These people are fully formed and complex individuals, just like you. In many cases, you would find that the “life of crime” really boils down to just one dumb act, not a daily ritual.

The only exception to this would be the addicts I’ve met, particularly the meth users. They might start off as “unique snowflakes” but something about that drug leeches personality from them like bathwater leeches the salts from your skin. Given enough time they become shriveled husks of former humans — having more in common with one another than with anyone else.

Playing around with text-to-picture

Default masterpiece best quality coloring book line art The Ha 3
Default masterpiece best quality coloring book line art The Ha 3

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alchemyrefiner alchemymagic 0 c5d59deb ae44 4bed 8f44 d540f798181d 0

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Default coloring book line art The Chariot tarot card with Art 6
Default coloring book line art The Chariot tarot card with Art 6

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Default masterpiece best quality coloring book line art The Ha 1

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alchemyrefiner alchemymagic 0 a4cead4c 4d30 4b82 9cef c3861622f06c 0

The Sopranos – Getting everything ready for the Executive game

This is what western economists say about the Chinese economy.

But the Chinese government and its economists don’t think that way because they look at potential market size first. In China, the leading importers and processors of minerals and raw materials are state-owned companies whose annual profits are capped at 3–5 percent annually. This means that raw material costs are lower. Chinese manufacturers are increasingly using robotics and automation so that manufacturing costs are lower. Then the Chinese yuan is kept lower against leading currencies to encourage exports.

Put it all together, and it looks to Europeans and Americans like China has impossibly low costs and is making it impossible for other competitors to compete. The problem is that China is different from Europe and the U.S. and its economy is designed to encourage manufacturing and exports.

The Chinese goal is to capture as much market as possible, and then to push costs down further through cost and efficiency improvements. This is different from western companies which start with lower prices to grab market share, but then gradually raise prices through predatory pricing.

Some truths

  1. Investing in a woman you’re not married to is a waste of energy and money.
  2. If you find someone smarter than you, work with them, don’t compete.
  3. Life is all about being intentional and proactive in our choices . The cure for a man’s depression ?? Focus on your purpose and stay busy.
  4. The person who carefully designs their daily routine goes further than the person that negotiates with themselves everyday.
  5. Stop complaining at every slight inconvenience. Do what has to be done . Be happy regardless.

My now ex wife wanted me out of the house and her life after I caught her red handed having an affair.

My relief called in sick so I had to pull a double shift, I got home and went right to bed, only to be woke up by her whaling away on me with a shoe. I picked her up and carried her out into the living room and gently tossed her on the couch, locked the bedroom door and went back to sleep.

It wasn’t long and there was a knock on the door, it was a couple cops, she had called them to report I was abusing her. They said I would have to accompany them to the station, then I looked up at them, there whole attitude shifted.

They handcuffed her and put her in the back of the squad car, one of the cops told me I should clean myself up, apparently she’d nailed me with a shoe and I had blood running down my face.

I went to sleep, she went to jail, couldn’t have worked out any better.

Mike’s 5 Most Badass Plans | Better Call Saul (Jonathan Banks)

My first car was an old beater VW Karman Ghia . It was a tank, with the engine over the rear wheels it would go through snow, that bigger vehicles couldn’t handle. It was low to the ground, one day the neighbors pigs got out, and they had a huge boar, that blocked the road. He came over and leaned against my side window, and completely blocked the view.

It didn’t have a gas gauge, instead it had a reserve fuel tank, and when you ran out, you switched over, and drove to the nearest gas station.

It wouldn’t go the highway speed limit, maybe 63 mph with the pedal to the metal.

My second car was 1974 Plymouth Duster with imitation alligator skin roof, and a sun roof. It was an OK car.

My next car was a 1976 Chrysler Cordoba with real Corinthian leather seats ( best spoken in a Ricardo Montalaban accent) it had a high performance 400 cubic inch V8 with a 4 Bbl. Jet black with every option known to mankind. Sun roof, air conditioning, power everything. Pure white on white interior, to contrast to the black paint. I have a lot of fond memories of this car.

My next car was a 1969 buick skylark convertible. My plan had been to restore it, and always have a good car to drive. I spent thousands on it, and couldn’t keep up with repairs.

My next car was a 4 wheel drive AMC Eagle. It had air suspension, so it hugged the road, but if you went off road you pushed a button and the sur shocks filled and raised the car, to get more clearance. Best fishing vehicle I ever had.

The I had a 1989 Dodge D100 that was a rebadged Mitsubishi. It had a 4 cylinder that couldn’t get out of its own way, But it was solid steel, I was rear ended and it cost $200 to paint my bumper, but the brand new Previa that hit me was totalled. I wasT boned in an intersection and I I didn’t get a scratch, but it was $5000 to fix the other vehicle. It was a 4×4 with a half inch steel skid plate under the entire vehicle. It never had a problem until my power steering hose, and brake line started leaking. I couldn’t get parts, so I got rid of it.

I bought a 1997 Cadillac Catera , awesome looking car, and the day the warranty ran out, it started costing me money. Thousands.

I bought a 1999 Jaguar XKR convertible, with one year left on the warranty. It was the best looking car I owned, I had people hop out of their vehicle at a traffic light and ride with me until the next light. It was a great car.

I bought a 2004 Nissan frontier 4×4, which I drove in the winter, and the Jag in the summer. The Nissan was just OK, nothing special.

I replaced the Nissan with another 2013 Nissan frontier 4×4, which was significantly better than the first Nissan, but still not a memorable vehicle.

I got rid of the jag in 2021.

Hassayampa Casserole

This casserole is an original and was named after the Hassayampa River that flows in Wickenburg, Arizona.

casserole recipe 9
casserole recipe 9

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 teaspoons chili powder
  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 (8 ounce) can enchilada sauce
  • 1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 10 ounces frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 cup sliced black olives
  • 3 large green chiles, chopped
  • 1 pound shrimp or imitation crabmeat
  • 12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 12 corn tortillas

Instructions

  1. Sauté onion in oil and add cinnamon, chili powder and cumin.
  2. Stir in enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes. Set aside 1 cup sauce.
  3. Add to remaining sauce the corn, olives, green chiles, shrimp or crabmeat and 1 cup cheese.
  4. In a 3 quart shallow casserole dish, cover bottom with some of the tortillas.
  5. Spread 1/3 of shrimp/crabmeat mixture over tortillas; repeat with 2 more layers.
  6. Top with remaining tortillas, sauce and cheese.
  7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes.

The Sopranos – Albert Barese

As a kid I was fascinated by the figure of Che Guevara, who looked cool, died relatively young and fought for a better world.

main qimg 1b633c9301e01bf1e1a8332f844c9f84 lq
main qimg 1b633c9301e01bf1e1a8332f844c9f84 lq

Later in life, I read his biography by Jean Cormier, a French journalist/movie director who was a close friend of Che.

It tells the story of his childhood, his medical studies, his trip through South America on a motorbike, how he joined Fidel Castro’s revolution and how they disembarked in Cuba to start a guerrilla war against the Batista regime.

Both had their own regiment in the Sierra Maestra mountains, from where they would launch attacks against government forces. In Che’s regiment there was a little puppy that everybody loved, the mascot of the camp.

One day, Che and a group of soldiers left the camp to ambush a government caravan. But the little puppy had followed them and started barking. They had to shut the dog up or else they would be discovered by the government soldiers. So Che and his men formed a circle around the puppy while one of them strangled it.

I couldn’t put this image out of my mind of these heavily armed guerrilleros standing in a circle to strangle a puppy. They say innocence is the first casualty in any war.

Best Sopranos Scene – “We’re with the Vipers” -All Right Now

Has your grandmother actually had her DNA tested and analyzed?

What I have found in 25 plus years of doing genealogy, and even MORE so since DNA testing came along……people get very invested in family stories and myths. They can build their whole sense of self around them. Then DNA and family history research comes along and blows big holes in their set ideas. Things aren’t what they seem.

There were some doozies told in my family. Some by accident – sort of multigenerational “broken telephones” where things had grains of truth but went sideways in the retelling. Some were deliberate, because it made for a better story. Tales of glory beat tales of misery. Some were told to hide things family members were ashamed of (we had more than our share of those).

DNA can also yank the rug from under you since who you think is your ancestor isn’t always. I have a 78-year-old friend who always believed her father was an Italian fellow who her mother sued for child support in the early 1940’s. Turns out she’s 50% Ashkenazi Jewish without a hint of Italian – and she’s found her biological father’s family, all of whom are at a loss to tell her what the heck happened (to say they were shocked would be an understatement, lol).

Your grandmother may have been born in Italy and raised speaking Italian, but her family could have been ethnically from elsewhere. Nationality should not be confused with ethnicity.

So I have been dating this guy from eight years now. He is my family friend. My first crush,then my first love, my first boyfriend and my first everything. Me and his sister are best friends.

Even though our families knew each other for so long, my family never knew that we were dating, because we Never used to talk infront of them.We(me and him) always used to discuss about how we should convince my parents, how we should ask them and blah blah. I used to get very nervous thinking about my parents reaction. But I was confident that I will convince them and I always knew that he was the one that I want to spend my entire life with.

So one day i went out and came to home , and saw all my family sitting together and discussing seriously, they became silent after seeing me , and my brother asked me to sit beside him and asked me that, they are thinking to get me married. My heart was stumped, millions of thoughts rushed in my head and i was so shocked that i I couldn’t think of one word to say, then he mentioned about the guy that they were considering for me.

Well to my surprise he was none other than my love, the one who makes me feel butterflies even after 8years of togetherness, who just makes me happy by his mere presence. I was so happy that I wanted to jump and dance around. But I couldn’t I simply blushed and said “YES” to my parents. They still didn’t know that we are in love.

We are going to get married soon, preparations are started, IAM on the cloud nine since then. We are going to tell them about us on our wedding day.

I always thought things like this happens only in films and fairy tales. May be every love story is a fairy tale.

They do dont they?

They don’t tend to leave any country alone do they?

They always make decisions based on the people of every country in the world

They must always decide who is free and who isn’t

Any Government that toes their line is ‘Good’ and any Government that doesn’t is ‘Had

They decide human rights violations

If Israel bombs and kills 32,000 Civilians and starves an entire population to death for a single terrorist incident – that’s KOSHER

If Russia invades Ukraine to come to the assistance of 2 Million to 3 Million people who live in Donbass and have been shelled regularly and lost 14,000 lives over 8 years, chronicled in the UN – that’s horrible and thats interfering in the sovereignty of a nation

If Russia arrests 439 people for Social Media posts that’s a huge civil rights violation

If UK arrests 3237 people for Social Media Posts including 900 people just for posting the N word – that’s perfectly acceptable

They have combined killed and liquidated through their decisions – almost 30 Million people in the last 300 years belonging to different countries including :-

  • Inquisitions
  • Literally NUKING a nation
  • Holocaust of 6 Million Jews
  • Starving a million Indians without a shred of remorse
  • Enslaving 3.5 Million people and treating them like Cattle and breeding them like Cattle and Dogs
  • Colonizing and cold bloodedly robbing, slaughtering and displacing 2 Million or more Native Americans , Maoris, Aborigines and stealing their land brazenly
  • Stealing Texas openly from Mexico and now hunting down the same mexicans as Illegals
  • Invaded a Nation, killed a known 93,000 people of that nation and displaced and impoverished an estimated 330,000 people literally lying that they had nuclear weapons
  • Bombed and killed and stole the Oilfields of a Nation merely because their Leader didn’t toe the American line (Syria)
  • Funded Color Revolutions, Coup de Ats and Uprisings against legitimate Governments by their Agencies

These aren’t conspiracy theories are they?

Every one of these incidents have been firmly listed and verified and is now regarded as history

Yet they always seem to turn the tables

Saddam was a Villian though they invaded Iraq for no reason and destroyed him

Yet Zelensky is a Hero

Gadaffi was a Villian

Mao was a Villian

Putin is a villian

Xi is a Villian

Yet not one of these people have conducted a war of aggression in their lives before 2022


Why?

That’s the key question

I believe the answer lies in an Ideology that is deeply ingrained into their blood for centuries

We are the Good Guys

We are the Angels to help these Backward People develop themselves and save them from themselves and their cruel leaders

Sometimes even if people die, we have to look at the long term and be harsh

Like Gates who openly supports an organization that wants 870 Million People dead because they eat up precious food


Now these Nations, it depends on the people of these nations

China and Russia and Iran and a few other nations have obviously woken up and now see these people for what they are

Putins 87% win is an indication

That people braved a rumoured terror attack and shelling and bombing and yet voted in larger numbers is the best middle finger possible

Niger is another example

The Middle East is slowly realizing things aren’t so rosy now

Others are TOO SCARED

India for instance is too frightened of the West because India is too weak to resist sanctions plus India cannot trust China Iran and Russia fully

Not when 40% of it’s exports are destined for US and EU and most of these export orders are non crucial and can be seriously affected

Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia are also too frightened of the West. They gave been dependent too long on the West and they don’t want to leave their comfort zone.

Some are TOO SUBSERVIENT

Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Philippines are simply too enmeshed into the Western system to come out of it


However luckily the hypocrisy of the West is slowly coming out piece by piece

That too despite the fact that they control the media in every way possible.

 

Looks like a USA civil war is gonna happen

Time for some art along with some very interesting news.

 

Texas Governor Declares Federal Government has “Broken the Compact” with the States. Invokes INVASION Clause, Asserts Right to Self Defense

World Hal Turner 24 January 2024

The formal, official groundwork is now laid for actual Civil War inside the United States. 

The Governor of Texas has declared, in writing, that the federal government has “broken the compact” with the states.

He announced he has invoked the “Invasion” clause of the Constitution and says Texas has a right to self defense which it will enforce with the Texas National Guard.

Here is Governor Gregg Abbott’s Declaration:

Texas Governor Throws Constitutional Gauntlet
Texas Governor Throws Constitutional Gauntlet

 

I have already told my wife that if this comes down to Civil War, I want us to sell BOTH houses, (NJ & PA) and move immediately to Texas.

What facts about the United States do foreigners not believe until they come to America?

I’m from India. I’ve been to 10 states all on the East Coast.

  1. People don’t believe that you can literally just drink water out of the tap in the bathroom. There is a reason why the glasses are kept in the Bathrooms of all American hotels & motels.
  2. Nobody believes that their pharmacies and retail outlets are big way way way bigger than you could imagine. CVS & Walgreens, which are both essentially pharmacies are probably even larger than small malls in India. Also, they just don’t keep medicines, they keep EVERYTHING.
  3. People don’t have any clue about the extent of diversity in America. I used to feel proud about being from a diverse nation. Then, I went to America. You see people from every race, races you probably didn’t even know existed, every religion, every gender and every form and somehow, they all just blend together.
  4. People don’t believe that America is a beautiful nation. Many Indians think of it as a culture-less nation. They often ask me whether there is anything to see in America. They have this image that it’s a nation with big buildings and wide roads. No. You cannot be more wrong. There is so much to see and so much to do other than big buildings.
  5. In Washington DC, all the Smithsonian Museums are free! It is very very hard to believe and also very very hard to resist going to all of them.
  6. Everybody isn’t fat. There are a lot of people who care about their health and fitness. I have seen people walking and running on busy streets of big cities.
  7. The thing that pinches the most, you have to pay for trollies at Airports. Also, you need to pay for luggage in flights which pinches because when you convert it into your native currency, it is very very expensive.
  8. If you think the portion size in American is big, think again. It isn’t big, it’s HUGE. Cookies, candies, chocolates, bags of chips etc are enough to feed a lot of people.
image 176
image 176

(For example- this is a pizza we cluelessly ordered in Chicago. This was around twice the size of a large pizza in India.)

9. If you come from a tropical country like me, American Summer is NOTHING like summer. It is usually comparatively cold, even in June & July.

10. Again, if you are from India, there are no motorbikes on the roads. Absolutely none. It’s very very weird because in India, it’s very common to see bikers riding motorbikes as if they own the road.

11. Majority of families in America have lunch around 11 am or 12 pm. This isn’t the case in my country because Lunch gets postponed to 2 pm or 3 pm.

12. Contrary to popular culture, the life of a regular American Teenager is nothing like what you see in movies and tv shows. Their life doesn’t revolve around parties, drinking and sex, they are probably only a tad bit less stressed than us.

13. I don’t drink coke but my friend pointed out that if you buy a cup of coke, you can get infinite refills.

14. Vegetarian or Vegan options are very very limited. If you are willing to survive on fries, then you’ll love it.

15. Almost everybody uses GPS. The fear of getting lost is negligible.

16. This is a funny one. In cold Northern States, when it snows and gets ridiculously chilly, people go to big stores like Walmart & Costco to walk. You can imagine how large these stores really are.

17. People are extremely patriotic. They have the American national flags everywhere like outside hotels, spas, homes, schools etc. We don’t enjoy flexibility when it comes to national flags in India.

image 175
image 175

(I took this picture from somebody’s backyard.)

18. It’s very common for people in stores or in museums or in public places to chat with you. This is very pleasant. People aren’t cold and reserved.

19. Flying by airplane is cheaper than taking a train. It’s the other way round in India.

20. This is weird, correct me if I am wrong, almost everybody has an iPhone. It may be the latest one or an older one but everybody has an iPhone. Even our Taxi driver had an iPhone.

21. People are also very obvious about the political party they support. I saw people wearing Clinton T shirts, Bernie Sanders jackets, Donald Trump hats etc. I haven’t seen such craze anywhere else though.

22. Houses don’t have ceiling fans. This is hard to believe because life without a fan is impossible in India. All of them have centralised heating/cooling.

23. Houses aren’t made of concrete and bricks like in India, they are made of wood. My parents jokingly said that these houses aren’t “majboot” (“strong” in English) enough.

24. There is McDonald’s everywhere. Even in the middle of nowhere, there will be a lone McDonald’s joint. I am not kidding.

25. They don’t home deliver McDonald’s in America. They do it in India though. India -1 USA- 0.

26. People LOVE coffee. Obviously not more than Indians’ love for masala chai.

All in all, it’s an amazing place to visit.

(Please correct me if I am incorrect with some facts)

 

How are firms in China getting Nvidia chips despite the US ban?

US restrictions are stupid

Especially the team with Raimondo as the core has formulated one stupid restriction policy after another.

image 30
image 30

Initially, Nvidia could provide chips with 100-point performance, leading the market and stealing away almost all Chinese customers. Thinking this was too good for China, they issued a ban banning American companies from exporting chips with a score of more than 80 points.

Nvidia chose to develop a 79-point chip to meet US regulations and they could continue to do business with the Chinese.

Nvidia’s business is still good, because even a chip with 79 point is still very good. The Chinese can make up for the performance gap by increasing the number.

Raimondo’s team is dissatisfied with Nvidia’s approach and believes that they are “stepping on the border and harming U.S. interests.”

So they updated their policy and demanded that “U.S. companies be prohibited from exporting chips worth more than 40 point .”

Nvidia had no choice, they developed a 39-point chip to sell to its Chinese customers.

However, this time all the Chinese customers left.

image 29
image 29

Because Nvidia’s competitor Huawei can provide chips with a score of 70 points. There are no sanctions, no limits, and the price is quite cheap.

Since those 79 point are not acceptable, why do these Chinese customers continue to play within the rules of the United States? A 40 point chip means nothing to them.

They gave orders to Huawei one after another.

Huawei has received billions of dollars in orders, and there will be more and more in the future.

They will transfer these gains to the R&D department to develop and produce 75-point, 80-point, and 85-point chips, and gradually catch up with Nvidia in the future.

The professional advice of Nvidia’s boss was completely ignored, and the whole world laughed at the stupidity of American politicians.

What is something you learned very late in life, but wish you knew much earlier?

This is interesting. You will damn agree with me after reading this.

Some years ago, one of my friends came to me asking for money.

I gave him (donated him) some money. After some days, he came again and asked for the same. Again I donated some.

After some days, he came to me and didn’t talk about money. He told me a sad story “How he lost all his money that I had given him”.

This time I provided him some work because I was busy with other projects. I let him handle one of my clients because he was as qualified as me.

He made some money because I gave him whole project fee.

He was happy.

Again, after some days, he came.

Again he asked for a project.

I told him “I have no projects right now to give him.”

Then he requested and I provided him another project.

But this time:

  1. Out of anger, he misbehaved the client. Because of him I lost a client.
  2. I asked him to leave the project so I can fix the design as well as relation with the clients.
  3. Out of anger, he again deleted one of my databases. And acted like he didn’t do anything.
  4. Then I kicked him out of my house. I had a real fight with him.
  5. He went to our close friends and told them “How I refused to provide him money. How I made him worked like a donkey. And how I had a fight with him. And he also acted like he is the poorest guy in the world ruining my relations everywhere.”

Today, I read one Hector’s answers. So, I remembered it.

LESSON 1:

You can’t help people who never want to help themselves.

LESSON 2:

People will always blame you for their failure after you help them. Because they think, your help is useless. They never think about their failure to execute your help.

LESSON 3:

“Don’t help anyone for free. Let them pay the price for it so they can understand how important your time, relation and emotion are”.

 

Election 2024 – Preliminary Assessment

At this point the U.S. presidential election of 2024 seems almost decided.

Today it looks likely that Donald Trump will again become president.

Trump has won the New Hampshire primary and the only other Republican candidate still in the race is the neo-conservative candidate Nicki Halley:

Donald Trump marched closer to the Republican nomination with a sweep of the first two contests, defeating former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday as voters turned out in projected record numbers in New Hampshire’s primary.

Trump’s lead here was decisive enough for the Associated Press to project his win shortly after polls closed. With nearly 75 percent of the vote tallied, Trump led Haley by about 11 percentage points.

Trump’s victory dealt another blow to critics in his party who saw the New Hampshire race as perhaps the last best chance to stop or slow him.

Halley is kept in the race by some billionaire donations, including from those who tend to donate to Democrats, in an effort to somehow still damage Trump:

Despite her shrinking path to halting Trump’s march to the Republican nomination, Haley’s showing in New Hampshire hinged on independents, who are permitted to vote in this state’s Republican primary.

New Hampshire voters in the Republican primary split about evenly between people who were registered as Republicans and those registered as independent or undeclared, with a tiny share saying they were not registered to vote before Election Day, according to early exit polls. Independents and undeclared registered voters supported Haley by about a 2-to-1 margin, while registered Republicans supported Trump by about 3 to 1.

The hope of the Halley supporters is that other open primaries may still give her a lead. Democrats turned Independents could flood such elections and make her look like a winner:

Haley’s campaign manager, Betsy Ankney, released a memo as voting began Tuesday vowing to fight on through Super Tuesday in March, despite pre-primary polls showing Trump with a widening lead here and less favorable contests ahead for Haley. The memo argued that outperforming with independents could buoy her after South Carolina. Michigan has an open primary, and 11 of the 16 Super Tuesday states also allow non-Republicans to vote to some extent.

New Hampshire has already shown that this concept does not work as well as presumed.

President Joe Biden does not have to fear any primary challengers. His party is stuck with him. This despite some awful polling data that should have pushed the Democrats to retire Joe Biden.

Only 38.9% of voters approve of Biden and his policies while 55.7 % disapprove them.

Trump numbers are better. 43.1 % have a favorable opinion of him while 51.8% find him unfavorable.

General election polls have Trump leading over Biden by 5%.

There is little chance for Biden to turn this around. There is nothing in the policy queue that could be seen as a win for him. On domestic issues he is limited by a Republican majority in the House. Problem areas are the perceived state of the economy as well his failure to stop mass immigration. He is also losing in the foreign policy frame. His war in Ukraine is near total failure and the U.S. position in the Middle East is about to explode.

Trump still has dozens of open (kangaroo) court cases against him. But it is doubtful that any court will truly dare to put the leading presidential candidate into jail. In the end a conservative Supreme Court, and enraged Republican voters, would anyway find a way to get Trump out of the mess.

On foreign policy issues Trump has a rather dubious record. But I agree with Stephen Walt who finds that there are only few differences between Trump’s and Biden’s foreign policies. It is the deep state which is anyway formulating as well as executing them.

But is still more likely that Trump will find a way out of the mess in Ukraine than Biden. Trump is also way less a Zionist than Biden. His opinion about Netanyahoo and settlers is generally low.

My opinion on Trump is unchanged. He is just a run of the mill U.S. president. His biggest fault is his inability to select good people and to keep control over what they are doing. Previous Trump selections like McMaster, Bolton or Pompeo were all too radical and treacherous. They should never have been chosen. For someone who once had a reality show about selecting apprentices that is an astonishingly bad record.

Or, as Stephen Walt expresses it:

To be clear, I’m not saying that this election will have zero effect on U.S. foreign policy. Trump may try to take the United States out of NATO, for example, although such a move would undoubtedly face enormous resistance from the foreign and defense policy establishment. He may focus primarily on his domestic agenda—and his lingering legal troubles—which would further reduce his already-limited interest in foreign affairs and tend to reinforce the existing status quo. Trump was a poor judge of foreign-policy talent during his first term (and provoked unprecedented rates of staff turnover), and that tendency may hamstring U.S. policy implementation and lead foreign governments to hedge even more. There would be subtle differences between Biden 2 and Trump 2, but I’d bet against a radical transformation.

My concern with U.S. foreign policy is the huge damage it is causing all over the world. I see Trump as the better candidate to minimize that.  He has avoided wars as far as the deep state allowed him to do so.

One can not say that of Biden.

Posted by b on January 24, 2024 at 12:32 UTC | Permalink

Can you provide an example of a time when a rude customer was told “You are not welcome here” or something similar? What was the outcome of the situation?

Years ago I was a Radio Shack manager. One of my employees was a young German immigrant – she was married to a soldier that was stationed nearby. Her name is Stefanie.

Stefanie was a very smart young lady; however there was a learning curve for a while with the specifics of connecting certain pieces of electronic equipment together – using adapters etc to get from one type to another. She never gave up and was eventually very successful.

One evening I was assisting a regular with something at the counter. Another customer came in and asked Stefanie for assistance with some connectors/adapters. After several minutes Stefanie’s customer suddenly yells, “You stupid nazi bitch!”

I immediately excuse myself and tell her customer that we’re done here for tonight and he needs to leave. He’s welcome back another day but tonight he needs to leave the premises. He starts getting loud towards me. I walk away from him and back behind the counter. He comes over and continues yelling, swearing etc.

Remember my customer? He’s watching and listening. He casually pulls his wallet from his pocket and places it on the counter open showing a badge. The irate man looks at the badge and says “So, you’re a game warden, what are you going to do?” My customer then says “Take a closer look, I’m a federal game warden and a sworn peace officer.” “You were asked to leave and if you don’t I will arrest you for trespassing which means hours of paperwork for me and I hate paperwork.” “If I arrest you I will be in court to testify. You have 30 seconds to leave.”

Irate man left. Problem solved. Game warden asked if Stefanie could ring him up as she was paid commission. He spent a fair amount of money that evening.

Illustrator Fernanda Suarez Shows How Disney Princesses Would Look Like If They Lived Today

In recent years, we’ve seen quite a few reimagined ‘modern’ versions of the Disney princesses we grew up loving and admiring. This latest interpretation by Chilean digital artist Fernanda Suarez, however, might be the fairest of them all.

Starting with Snow White back in July, Suarez has gone on to illustrate 7 classic princesses in hip, present-day fashion. These sketched-up smoke shows look like they follow Luxy Hair tutorials on YouTube and shop for clothes at Forever 21. They probably post selfies with their ‘princes’ on Instagram and all agree that NAKED2 is the best eyeshadow palette. Oh yeah, they probably also campaign non-stop on social media for the equal rights of dwarfs, marine wildlife, and big cat conservation.

More info: DeviantArt, Patreon, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, ArtStation, Tumblr (h/t: boredpanda)

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What do you think about your experience in prison?

I really didn’t notice at first. After 29 years in prison I was just happy to be out. I didn’t think I had PTSD. But soon certain sounds ,smells and places would cause me to have like flash backs. Fortunately, I don’t have dreams that some ex cons have said they have.

I went to prison as a 17 year old Missouri farm boy. I was sent to the worst prison in the state at the time. I was only there 5 years before being transferred. But it changed me dramatically. It was there that I learned not to show true feelings. I masked being scared, I did not dare cry . If someone was lying bleeding it was none of my business unless it was someone I hung around with. I came to believe that no one made it out of that place alive. I had a life sentence and with that thought I only wanted to survive as long as I could. No one though was going to disrespect me or try anything . I had life and didn’t think I would survive anyway. But I did.

I was eventually transferred. All the other prisons ,although violent seemed tame in comparison. But I though I now had at least a chance. I tried to better myself in any way possible to prepare myself for possible release. I did this until I eventually did get out

I was ready for the world . I think I am doing good, but much of prison remains with me . Like I said the flash backs, not liking crowds to the point of being paranoid. I love people and will go out of my way to help someone. But I get nervous and on edge in crowds. In restaurants I sit with my back to the wall and have to see everyone. Know where they are at. My family and friends will not walk up behind me without announcing that they are there. This is not fair to them . My neighbor/boss and my wife told me one day” you go out of your way to help others, but no one can help you if you don’t let them” I told them I didn’t need help. They explained that while I have support and people that are there for me that I needed to let them in . In my mind I was letting them in . I loved them and still love them . I would do anything for them. But apparently I do not open up to them when they are concerned about me.

No matter how much or how little time you have prison will change you. This also applies to C/ Os. They see the same shit the prisoners see. I encourage all of you who have done time or worked in a prison to try to be more open to those who you are close to. It will help a lotb

Here’s the one I remember. A girl in my earth science class was there every day, took notes, asked questions, was obviously interested. First midterm. She is way below everyone else. Second midterm, same. Final, ditto. I decided I was not going to flunk her so I closed my eyes and gave her a C. Which meant I had to bump up a bunch of other people, too.

She was in ROTC and I had just joined the Reserves, so we had something to chat about. She told me she was going active after college. I asked what branch. “Intelligence.”

This is me biting my tongue until it nearly bled.

She went into imagery analysis. She made far more effective use of my class than the people who made easy A’s and forgot it all. She did a tour at DIA, Defense Intelligence Agency. I know people who would KILL for a tour at DIA. They ASKED specifically for her. She took a buyout as a major after the Gulf War and that’s the last I heard of her.

Bar none, by light years, best judgment call I ever made.

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A smelly experience

When I lived in Indiana, it was an experience in extremes. The Summers were roasting hot. And the Winters were frigid and cold with gusts blowing and wind chill factors in the negative double digits.

To keep warm in our mobile home, we supplemented the heater (which was kerosene) with electric space heaters. And it worked out fine.

This is… or was…

Until my one cat, Scooby (might have been another) decided to pee on the heating coils of the heater.

Of course, we didn’t know this occurred until the very moment we need to use that heater.

Ah. It was a howling cold night, with wind gusts and sub-freezing temperatures. And so we pulled out the old space heater and fired it up.

Let me tell youse guys… nothing quite stinks like well heated, year old cat urine. Lordy!

I’ll tell you what…

I turned that thing off and threw it in the snow. It was horrible. I think that the stench permeated everything and it took weeks to air out the house in that particular Winter.

A word to the wise; never heat up cat urine. You will despise the experience. Ugh!

Today…

What is an experience you had at a gas station you’ll never forget?

Having worked at gas stations off and on for decades, I have a few more than normal, but this is the one that keeps me going with “what were they thinking”.

Many years ago, the owner of the gas station that I was working evenings at volunteered one of the garage bays to Fish and Wildlife as a weigh and tag station during hunting season.

This vehicle pulls in and the driver goes up to the state biologist completely chuffed with himself. Apparently he had just bagged the biggest deer he had ever seen. I got work to do inside, so I keep on going until the biologist walks up to the counter and tells me to call the troopers, and have them send along a sergeant, cause “They are going to want to see this.”

I make the phone call, and about ten minutes later, two state police cruisers pull in. and at the exclamation of “You sorry SOB.” had to step outside to sate my curiosity. Turns out this out of state hunter had not bagged himself a record white tail deer, but a good sized Jersey cow. Almost certainly the best milker in that farmers herd.

Gentleman winds up arrested, car impounded, rifle confiscated, hunting permit revoked, fine to the state, and one hell of a payment to that farmer.

The Chinese

The PRC is nowhere sitting idle. It may not speak a language that you (or I or the West) understands well but it acting decisively.

Common Russia-China patrols in the Pacific
Military exercises with *mixed* troups

China is diplomatically much less cautious than they used to, too. But their real target audience isn’t the West, it is the rest of the world. And I think they’re winning that discussion fair and square.

Posted by: Konami | Jan 23 2024 11:51 utc | 12

Greek Spaghetti (Lemon butter)

Lemon Butter Garlic Pasta Sauce 1
Lemon Butter Garlic Pasta Sauce 1

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • Garlic powder or mashed garlic cloves

Why you’ll love this lemon butter garlic pasta sauce

  • It’s ready in 15 minutes. You can have a bowl of delicious garlic lemon butter pasta in your hands super fast. Just what I want to hear when I’m pressed for time!
  • It’s super versatile. This creamy lemon butter garlic pasta sauce is great on its own but also perfect with prawns, chicken or salmon.
  • It’s loaded with flavour. Lemon, butter and garlic are an amazing flavour combo just perfect for a no-frills pasta dish.

What goes into pasta al limone?

Olive oil — Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can for this recipe for the best flavour.

Butter — Unsalted butter is best for this garlic lemon butter pasta sauce. if you use salted butter, you may not need to add any extra seasoning.

Garlic — Feel free to add as much garlic as you like. I like to make this sauce with at least six cloves. You can either finely slice the garlic or mince it.

How to make garlic lemon butter pasta?

Cook the pasta al dente in salted water according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and melt the butter in it over low-medium heat.

Stir in the garlic and red chilli flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic changes its colour, careful not to burn it.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss well with a pair of kitchen tongs to cover it in the butter sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if it looks too thick.

Recipe notes and tips

  • To make sure the pasta water is extra starchy, cook the pasta in less water than you’d usually do. The starchier water will make the sauce creamier.
  • It’s always a good idea to grate your Parmesan or hard cheese yourself because freshly grated cheese has more flavour than bagged cheese.
  • Pasta al limone is best served immediately, and I don’t recommend reheating it.

What’s one instinctive thing you did that prevented something bad from happening?

This is something my husband did to help a young lady who was being followed after a road rage incident.

He was in the military and they were putting him through Graduate school so was in good physical shape. He was on his way to class around 1:00 and as he pulled into the parking area for the college and got out he heard someone crying and heard what sounded like someone being thrown against the chain link fence.

He ran down and saw a man throwing a young college girl hard against the fence and then would let her drop to the ground and do it again over and over while yelling at her the entire time. There was blood everywhere.

He ran to help her and grabbed and threw him to the ground. He jumped in his car and left fast. My husband memorized the tag and turned to help the girl. He yelled at another student walking by to call 911. (No cell phones then)

She was shaking, crying and in shock. He said he would stay with her until the ambulance came and asked her name and number so he could get a hold of someone for her. The ambulance was soon there and immediately took her to the hospital.

He met with the Police and after telling them everything he called the number and left a message telling which hospital she was in and what had happened and left his phone number and name if they had questions.

Later that evening a man called and thanked him for protecting his daughter. He said, “I’m her Dad and just wanted to thank you for saving my daughter today. I truly believe you saved her life. She had broken ribs, stitches in her head and a concussion but wasn’t hurt worse because you stepped in to help. You can rest assured he is in jail as we speak and by the way, I am the Superintendent of the Police. Thank you so much.”

~ You may never know whose child, sibling or mother you might be saving or who might be watching.

A few apples fell from my neighbor’s tree branch which hangs over onto my property. I picked them up and kept them. He called the police on me for “stealing food” and threatened to sue me. Will the police do anything? Does he have a case?

“A few apples fell from my neighbor’s tree branch which hangs over onto my property. I picked them up and kept them. He called the police on me for “stealing food” and threatened to sue me. Will the police do anything? Does he have a case?”

Here, no. Oh, he can sue you. Lawyers love this as it means money for them, even if they can’t win. Parasites.

But, his property was on, or over, your property line. So, if it falls naturally, it’s yours. You can TRIM the tree back, but not go over and cut it down. He can trim it so it’s not over your property, but he can’t go over and collect “his” fruit that falls or it’s trespassing.

The most we would do is explain this to him and leave.

However, when you go to court, it’s anyone’s guess. Lawyers and judges, kindred souls, tend to do whatever they want. Unless you have someone who can play the game, you might very well have to pay him for the “stolen” food, damages, and emotional pain and suffering. Heck, maybe even court costs. Criminally, he doesn’t have a leg to stand on, but…

I’ll tell you, growing up, kids used to pick an apple or two to eat and it didn’t cause any problems. It was only if you picked the whole tree, or took more than you needed, that people complained. Even apple orchards didn’t freak too much. If it fell on the ground, it was “free.” In fact, some even liked for you to clean this up for them to keep wasps and other insects from feeding on them and making a mess.

Oh, and another thing, those will be some expensive apples for him. Court isn’t cheap and neither are lawyers. Were they golden apples, maybe? If so, he might be worried you’ll plant the seeds and grow your own gold apples, stealing from his market.

You know, if he claims the apples, you might be able to make him pay for the leaves and branches that fall on your property. Clean up and damages, if you get my meaning. I figure there are a lot more leaves and branches that fall than apples, and, while you’re at it, how about the damage that those apples did to your lawn when they hit it? If you didn’t pick the apples up, they could attract wasps, which could sting you, and possibly dull your mower blades or become risks, such as slipping.

Why are Americans MAD at China?! (I Know Why)

https://youtu.be/U_ddmbjCKjQ

Have you ever walked out of a doctor’s office because the doctor was being disrespectful to you?

I arrived at my doctors office 15 minutes early for a routine visit in the evening. I paid my $5.00 co-pay. The receptionist informed me that I was early. I thought that was strange since most people arrive early for doctors’ appointments. There was a couple waiting to see the only doctor on duty. The receptionist called the woman’s name so she was the patient. I am a registered nurse and the patient did not seem to be in any distress. She and her male partner went into the doctor’s office. I waited an hour. It is none of my business what the patient and the doctor talked about but talking with the same patient for an hour seemed a bit long to me even if she had cancer or some other serious chronic disease. I patiently waited for the hour.

A young male patient came in and he apologized for being late. The receptionist said it is okay and he will be seen next. He did not seem to be in any particular distress. I had been waiting for an hour. I informed the receptionist that I am leaving. She asked me if I wanted to re-schedule the appointment and I said no. I went home and I filed a complaint with the HMO. The doctor’s office had to respond to the complaint. Eventually, they sent me my $5.00 co-pay. I did not care about the co-pay. I was concerned that I was waiting for an hour and the couple was still seeing the doctor and the young man, who was late for his appointment, was going to be seen before me.

I changed primary physician offices. When I called the office of the doctor I eventually selected I asked them how their appointments go? Is a patient generally seen within 15 minutes of their appointment time? They said yes. They also said I can call before my appointment to see if they are exceptionally busy. I have never had an experience like the one I just reported ever again.

I am stupid…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mk1pmrtlVL8?feature=share

What was the most disappointing Christmas gift you saw someone get?

I get choked up telling this but I will. In 1987 I was 7 years old, my parents had divorced and my father paid my mother $20 a month for 3 kids. Now this was pretty pathetic already, but he had not paid her for 6 months. Anyhow my mother was struggling to make ends meet, we had very little food in the house and I did not know it at the time but my mum was starving so the food would last longer for us kids. Christmas day my father turns up and accuses my mother of being a drug addict (I assure you she’s not) and told her I’m not paying cash anymore or she will spend it in drugs. He gave her a Christmas card and inside was 2 gift cards for the local supermarket totalling $200, he even said “Merry Christmas” to her as this was all the owed money and then some more. My mother did not care, she would have used $200 cash for food anyhow. She took what little she had in cash and used it to buy fuel for her car, we drove to the supermarket and loaded two trollies (1987 $200 went a long way) mum even purchased Froot Loops for us kids, it was a happy day…… Well until we got to the check out. The bill came to $199.90, mum presented the 2 gift cards, they were both declined. People stared at her, and the store accused her of stealing the gift cards, they told her to leave or they would call the police. People stared at us, and my mother left so embarrassed. My younger brother was 4, he was crying as the Froot Loops were taken from his hands.

What actually happened: My deadbeat father stole the gift cards from the store, however their is no money in them despite them saying $100 on each. You see if you want to purchase the card you need to take them to the counter and pay the face value, then the card is activated and can be used in the store. A few days later my mother collapsed from starvation, we had apple trees next door at the neighbours farm, we took some for my mother, she ate apples for 5 days straight. It gets worse however, when my father was confronted by my mother a big argument broke out, my father accused my mother of lying and then refused to pay her any child support for another 4 months as he had given her $200.

Over the course of 6 years my father paid a grand total of $60 for us 3 children. In 2002 when I was 22, out of sheer coincidence, I saw my father enter a bar. I sat next to him he pretended like nothing had happened, he offered to buy my drink I told him “I don’t want anything from you” and paid for my own drink, the tension was so thick at this point. He started talking about how “that was the past and it’s okay now.” I finished my drink, opened my wallet and pulled out $60. I sat it in the bar in front of him and said “that is everything I owe you, don’t you ever f@cking contact me or my brother’s again.” Then left the bar, I honestly have no idea where he is today, and I really do not care.

EXTRA PART.

I have had a few people question about the last time I saw my father as a child, this includes my own daughter, well it was not at age 8. When I was 8 he started to hardly ever see us, he saw us once a month, then on our birthdays and Christmas, then he called us on these days. Now when you are 8–10 years old a month is a long time, so as a child I was always wondering if I had done something wrong. Yes my mother comforted me, but deep down you can not shake that “why was I not loved enough to want to see me” feeling.

By the age of 10 he had barely seen us for a year. On my 12th birthday be turned up with a fantastic cake, it had a fighter jet on it made out of icing, he remembered I liked fighter jets. He was such a loving father that day, I don’t know why, but he was. I remember him going, telling me “I will see you again real soon son,” then he left. That guilt feeling went away, I still felt I had done something to upset him, that’s why he left the first time, but I had now been punished, and forgiven. I felt my nightmare was over, I could live a life with a loving father again.

That night I went to bed and I recall my mother asking me if I had a good birthday? I told her “today has been the best day ever,” it really had. I rang dad’s phone about 2 weeks later as he had not contacted us, I was excited to talk to him, the number was disconnected, I had no address and I was 12. Mum could not contact him either, I don’t know if it was deliberately done, or if the phone was disconnected, I really don’t know. What I do know is that he knew our number and our address, but didn’t want to know us. I had a $2 coin that I would put in the pay phone near my school every afternoon while waiting for the school bus I would dial his number over and over. I had a special tiny bag I kept that coin inside, I still have this coin today. I keep it in a display, a reminder if the pain I felt every time I rang that disconnected number. About a year later the phone rang, the person who answered did not know my father, obviously the phone company had recycled the number.

My daughter has asked why I keep a normal $2 coin on display in my office. I have never told her, but I guess she knows now, you see I did not know she was on Quora, I had no idea she was following this post. Everytime I look at that coin (everyday) I am reminded of the hurt a parent can inflict on a child. My father never beat us, or did anything like this, but I think I would have preferred this as opposed to the emotional torture he gave us.

I live my daughter, she turns 15 soon (May 22nd) and I would take a bullet for her if that was ever the situation, I can’t image her putting $2 in a pay phone everyday for over a year (yes I know we have mobile phones now). I would feel bad if I slept in on her birthday, let alone didn’t turn up altogether. She has no wish to meet her grandfather and I doubt she will after reading this. She loves her grandmother, she looks up to her as a role model, and what a great role model to have. She’s a really smart person, even when she was 8, I explained to her the reason we live so comfortable is because of the sacrifices her grandmother made, she understood completely.

Who is the rudest celebrity you have met, and who would be the nicest?

With few exceptions, the biggest stars tend to be the nicest people. Why? Probably because they’ve achieved their greatest ambitions and have nothing to prove. Too, most of them had to endure a lot of rejection before finally getting their big break.

In 1990, I worked with Martin Sheen and LeBar Burton producing their voiceovers on an environmentally themed charity album entitled “Put On Your Green Shoes.” Sheen was so nice, he refused to be paid for his contribution, which caused us some problems because AFTRA insisted that he receive scale for the session. As one would expect, Burton was a true gentleman and did take after take because he wanted nothing else but to serve the project.

I wrote a song for Tim McGraw’s “All I Want” album and he proved to be one of the nicest, down-to-earth superstars I’ve ever met.

I’ve written in Quora about my disappointing encounters with certain rock stars… Kevin DuBrow, Mike Love, and Todd Rundgren, in particular, were extremely unpleasant and rude personalities.

A chance meeting with another celeb was also disillusioning. The first movie soundtrack I was involved with was the original Vanishing Point, circa 1971, starring Barry Newman. About 8 years later, I ran into Newman who, by then, had starred in the CBS series Petrocelli.

I was arriving at an LA tennis court as he was leaving. “Barry Newman! Vanishing Point!” I exclaimed, as he approached. He just scowled at me and marched past. Thinking he might be more open to giving a co-creator a hello, I said, “I did some songs in that film.”

“Yeah, sure,” he grumbled, and walked on. I certainly found that extremely rude and disrespectful. Still, I have no idea whether Newman was surly by nature or whether he was just having a bad day.

How do Europeans feel like living in an age which they can no longer colonise non-European countries?

They move from slavery to colonialism and to virtual colonialism ie. Rules Based International Order.

Rules set arbitrarily and unilaterally by white Caucasian. Anglo European stock to ensure that the rest of the world are fully submissive and subservient to them in a set of rules that favours them and it ensure that the world is theirs to take, loot, steal as they please. They enriched themselves and the coloured people toils and slaved for them.

When the rules are not suitable they simply change them. The rules are set by them, change by them, ratified by them, policed by them and judged by them! To ensure they write what is right and what is wrong they monopolised the media that says the white is right, the white is moral, the white is honourable, the white is pure!

Everything black is bad. Black magic, black cat, black out, Black Friday, black Monday black listed…The media and the European stock can demonised anyone that refused to be submissive and subservient to them. They can even kill, murder, slaughter, rape at will! To enrich the west they get the biggest muscle in the room US to be their henchmen.

They can even murder 3 million in Vietnam and Indo China. And the media say it is to prevent communism, 2 million in Korea to stop communism and 2 million in Iraq to install western value like freedom! Then 1 million in Afghanistan to protect women’s right! It is up to what sells best to the fools in the west!

So after 300 years of enslavement and colonialism and another 75 years of virtual Colonialism that is about to end. The west blames China or Russia but frankly if you are anyone of the 175 non beneficiary nations, the 87% if the world or the so called Global South, everyone wants out! And it will be history whether the beneficiary scream, shout or threaten genocide we will stop at nothing!

Europeans and go cheat on each other and steal from each other.

America

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GQQO2DChU-0?feature=share

Can you stop your neighbors from driving through your yard to park in front of their house?

My buddy had the same problem. He had addressed several times but the teenaged son continued the behavior.

He took matters into his own hands. He did not damage any property. He took come plastic valve caps and superglued a simple BB into the top. He then snugged up the valve caps so it just slightly depressed the Schrader valve, slowly releasing air from the tires. The next day all 4 tires were flat.

The neighbor had the vehicle towed to a repair shop. All 4 tires checked out as good. The vehicle was driven home, with the same caps installed by the repair facility. Next day, all 4 tires were flat. The car was then towed to repair shop again. All 4 tires check out again. That shop reused the caps again.

Finally on the third day of towing, the repair shop found the BB’s and replaced the caps. When they returned home all my buddy did is was grin at them as they drove in. His lawn never was driven over again.

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

Well, it was my co-worker, and we were both let go due to layoffs. Actually, we were let go after the ‘official’ round of layoffs were completed and we thought we were in the clear. For me, it happened just a few days after it was completed. After our weekly IT meeting, I got called into HR (thinking it was an IT issue) but got ambushed by our manager (cisco VC call from TX) who promptly explained about the firm consolidating and removing redundancies.

Due to NY state law, HR was required to give me a list of employees being let go that day (just their age, department, and title) to show there was no discrimination by age or other factors.

After I left the building, my co-worker came down to say his goodbyes, and asked about the whole procedure. Then I showed him the list that HR gave me. He then noticed the age and title and said that was his, and then the realization that his last day was today too. Sure enough, he saw a missed call on his phone from someone in HR.

He went back inside, and sure enough, about 15 minutes or so, I get a text from him saying he was let go too.

Why do more and more Hong Kong people like to shop in Shenzhen?

Others have mentioned the cost.

But for me the key consideration is the attitude of shops and customers service in Hong Kong is atrocious.

I had to buy a new phone 2 years ago and dread doing it.

You go into shops ask for something and they’ll try sell you something else when you say no thanks you get a tirade of abuse.

A bicycle company that has shut down did this. I wanted a bicycle tyre he tried to sell me 19. I wanted 23. He gave me an earful of abuse about how he knew better than me and how 19 was the way to go.

Here’s Why America is About to be Bankrupt AND Everything You’ve Worked for Means Nothing!

https://youtu.be/shWOdLQXeJo

What’s the most savage way you’ve seen someone get fired?

We hired a young man just out of high school who needed a break. Bright, motivated, smiled and nodded to everyone. We qualified his on forklift in shipping department. He was so happy his life was on track. He got his first apartment and got engaged. I was very proud of him and we chatted now and than about his future.

He was off one day. This was a couple weeks after we were told the plant would shut down in 6 to 8 months.

Our HR lady got a call from corporate telling her to fire him today. He was hired 89 days ago and if he was here 90 days they had to pay unemployment. So they called him in for some BS reason. I tried to find his number, call him and tell him to turn his phone off and don’t come in but I couldn’t get it.

He came in and went up front. Came back to his car and left. I could see him tearing up. Once again his world had been upended. I had told him before all this that qualified forklift operator opened a lot of good paying jobs if he ever left.

I felt so bad for him and contempt at the company for saving a few bucks and not caring about people.

Why is Olive Garden a bad restaurant?

If I lived in a smaller town with a diner or two around and a couple of fast food places and one Olive Garden, it would be heaven on earth. A clean place to sit down and eat with gobs of salad, a friendly waitstaff, and interesting combinations of food that I just couldn’t get anywhere else. If you told me that it wasn’t authentic Italian food I could only say, “So what?” It is a comfortable dining experience in my little town and the food tastes pretty darn decent. That Olive Garden would be a special treat for me and my family.

I live in a much larger community and there are two Olive Gardens near by as well as a plethora restaurants and cafeterias around. Once a month or so my wife and I get a take-out from Olive Garden. She always gets the lasagna (her only go to meal at Olive Garden) and I usually ask for my own concoction of a pasta with Italian Sausage with meat sauce with the gnocchi/chicken soup. She loves the lasagna and I really like what I get. We are not looking for a particular Italian experience, we are looking a particular food we appreciate.

So my suggestion is that Olive Garden is not bad at all. Is it exquisite dining? Not at all. Is it authentic Italian? Nope. But exquisite dining and true Italian are available to me when I want it. The Olive Garden is not a replacement, it is simply an additional option. Others must agree with me because these places around me are invariably crowded.

The Olive Garden is a pleasant option.

What is the biggest life lesson you have ever learnted?

Dad: What are you searching in that drawer?

Mom: I couldn’t find my saved money, I need to pay the deliveryman.

Dad: Don’t worry, you’ll find it. How much for the deliveryman?

Mom: 5 thousand rupees. I ordered some groceries and essentials for the house.

Dad paid the deliveryman and we eventually got busy with our daily work.

The next day, Mom, Dad, and I were cleaning the kitchen, when my mom shouted.

Mom: Look, I got my money, it’s in the cupboard. I was so foolish, I searched the whole house for it.

Mom looked so happy because she saved it for her friend’s birthday gift.

But the situation was something else.

Dad got out of the house to smoke a cigarette and I ran behind him.

I said “Why did you do that?’

Father asked: ‘Do what?’

I replied “I swear I have seen you taking the money out of your wallet and putting it in the cupboard.

Dad smirked and replied: “You know she was everything for me! I can’t see her getting sad over the little money she lost yesterday. Because I think we need to care for the person, we love the most!”

Dad takes out a handkerchief and starts putting off his sweat.

I said “Dad, now why are you using mom’s handkerchief? Is it a sign of your care towards Mom too?”

Dad “Nope, because it still has her fragrance”

This was something that changed my whole point of view not only towards life but also towards love too.

Hope you’ll like my answer,

Yours truly,

Ankita

Is the poor training and corruption in China’s military comparable to Russia?

It’s always interesting so see how few westerners have pattern recognition isn’t it?

What’s that?

If you haven’t noticed EVERY single country that is considered an enemy of western countries is described in exactly the same way:

  • Corrupt
  • Poor training
  • Poor weapons
  • human wave attacks.

Yet westerners fail to recognise those things.

Actually no, I changed my mind while typing this, it’s recognised but it’s merely another form of racism. So let me change the above to this

  • Corrupt – Compared to the totally non corrupt western militaries.
  • Poor training- Compared to the fantastic SUPER SOLDIER training of western countries
  • Poor weapons – Compared to the SUPER WEAPONS of western countries
  • human wave attacks. – Compared to the fantastic tactics of western countries.

This is why Ukraine has fucked the western narrative so much. They were exposed, they talk tough but in the end the talk doesn’t match.

Westerners talked how big and powerful they were.

Corruption

  • Pentagon can’;t account for 2 trillion.
  • Challenger 1 tank gets produced!
  • SA80 rifle is produced!

Yet their SUPER SOLDIER TRAINING has failed (western source)

Star Wars by Wes Anderson Trailer | The Galactic Menagerie

https://youtu.be/d-8DT5Q8kzI

I was put on furlough (mandatory unpaid time off) at my job. During this time my boss called me and asked a question. Was I wrong to tell him “I will answer that when I am back in the office and getting paid”?

You weren’t wrong, but depending on circumstances, a better approach might have been to be nice. Especially if your boss had no say in the decision to furlough you.

If the boss was the one who made this decision, and you don’t like him, then what you did was a perfectly reasonable response.

The large company I worked for, was bought out by another company, and they laid off 1200 people in our company, immediately.

I was one of the casualties, but they were nice and gave me severance plus an extra day to clean out my office, which I spent copying files over to the people left behind.

The very first day, my coworker, one of 4 from a group of 13, that survived the culling, called me asking me for help. I gave it to him, no sense making a friends life miserable. Everyday I spent 15 minutes with him. He wasn’t qualified to do my job, and he knew it, but he was just doing his best.

On the sixth work day, our partners complained that they had agreed to let our company manage the project, and paid our company outrageous money to do so, because I was managing the contract and not some unqualified guy.

I was brought back on contract, paying far more than my old salary, to manage the contract. The CEO of the new combined company had to sign off on any laid off employee, being brought back on contract, in less than a year. There was a lot of flack flying in the company over hiring me back after a week.

The deciding vote to bring me back, was the fear of my being bitter and taking revenge on the company by sabotaging the project. Once it was explained that I had copied all the data I could to the relevant people, after being laid off, and spent 15 minutes a day helping the company, it was decided that it was worth the risk, and I was contracted back. I was the only one of 1200 people brought back in the first year.

Some companies are reluctant to bring back people they view as bitter. Even if you have every right to be bitter.

What was ‘the incident’ about which everybody talked in your school/workplace?

A co-worker – he was 21 years old – and another co-worker – she was 19 years old – decided to take their morning 15 minute break in the janitor closet. An employee came with her water can to get water for her plants. She opened the door to the utility closet and dropped her can and screamed OH MY GOD. She ran and got security. The young man was in a standing position, nekked from the waist down. The young woman was kneeling, nekked from the waist up. The young man zipped up, zipped out and fled outside to smoke a badly needed cigarette. The young woman had to do more work to get decent. The guard caught her. He asked her “Where is your partner in crime?” She replied “I am sure he is outside smoking a cigarette. This is his name and this is what he looks like.” So, both criminals got caught and fired right away. The young man went home right away. The woman actually finished out her work day, her head held up high, not embarrassed or uncomfortable or anything. She caught me and two other people talking about her. She actually came up to us and stated “I don’t think you should be talking about my private life in public.” Can you believe it …..

What was the biggest risk you have ever taken that really paid off in the end?

I was making good money in NYC, but I had had enough of it. It was becoming too dangerous a place for me to raise my wonderful kids. I didn’t want them to have the same upbringing as me. I’m your typical, cynical, non-trusting, New Yorker. I wanted them to have a better outlook on life.

I managed to find a job in Vermont that payed half what I was making in NYC, but, allegedly, the cost of living was cheaper. In some ways, that was correct, but in others… well, there are things about VT that are MORE expensive than NYC. We were struggling for those first years.

Four years later and I’m making a little more than I made in my best year in NYC. My daughter thinks I Yoko-Ono’ed her bond with her friends and she’ll probably never forgive me for that, but you know what? One of her best friends (15 years old) was recently found, in broad daylight, passed out drunk in a stall in Panera Bread. So maybe moving her away from that may have been a good thing. She’ll never see it though.

My dad was freaking out when I informed him of my intentions to move. He claimed that I’d never have the opportunity that I had enjoyed in NYC. I have changed jobs 3 times since moving here, and I finally have probably the best chance to enjoy retirement from the job I have now. It’s been a blessing, mixed at times, but a blessing.

Take chances. You never know what you’re missing if you don’t.

Excelsior!

Do you have biases that you are aware of?

Yes.

And this is going to make a lot of Quorans think less of me. But I’m just being honest.

No sarcasm in this answer either.

I’m very much biased against illegal drug users. This is because of my experiences growing up with an older sister who was a drug addict. I saw what it did to her. I saw what it did to her daughter. But mostly, I saw what it did to my parents.

I don’t have any friends anymore anyway… the wife and kids take all of my time, and I’m an introvert… but, when I was younger and did have some friends, I’d cut them from my life the moment I found out they did drugs.

In my early 20s, I had some coworkers who smoked weed on a regular basis. I didn’t think too highly of them. They were mainly middle-aged men who were still doing entry-level and part-time work. Were they happy? Sure. Did I want to be like them at their age? No. I just avoided talking to them unless it was work-related.

I don’t get preachy with drug users. (It’s pointless.) I know some of the people I interact with on a regular basis here on Quora, my “Quora friends,” use drugs. I’ve seen their posts about it. The fact that we only interact via the written word in a virtual world is the only reason I don’t care about it. If this were the real world, and you were sitting in front of me now, discussing how you planned to get high this weekend, I’d politely excuse myself from the table. I don’t need that around me in the real world.

You do you, but respect that I don’t want any part of anyone who does those things.

For me, personally, I suppose it’s like someone who grew up with an alcoholic parent, and made it a point to never be around people who drink a lot. It just brings up bad memories that you don’t need in your life.

Who Is Zelensky? A Puppet—and Here’s Why

One of the reasons why he was killed.

https://youtu.be/j7NTLZDd4tc

How many real friends do you have (friend being defined as someone whom you could call to discuss a personal problem or whom you could ask to borrow a small amount of money from)?

Literally none.

It’s something that my family (well, my wife and oldest daughter) have noticed for years. They used to encourage me to make some friends, but I guess they gave up on that.

I have coworkers with whom I talk about work-related things. I have neighbors I chat with when I happen to be outside at the same time they are. I have Facebook friends who are old real-life friends from high school, none of whom I’ve seen in real life in 20 years, and will likely never see again.

And that’s it. I have my family, and a bunch of acquaintances, but no real friends.

That’s not a complaint. I’m happy this way.

The last real friend I had… someone with whom I’d hang out on the weekends… I haven’t spoken to him since 2007. We were friends and roommates in college, and I worked with him for a little while, but once we both got married, got our careers, got our houses, and had our children, we just kind of grew apart.

I’m not anti-social. I’m asocial. It’s something I don’t even think about, unless someone else points it out to me. Here it is, a Saturday night (St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Chicago, no less), and I’m answering questions on Quora in the gap time between tucking in my children and going to bed myself. I suppose that sounds sad or pathetic to people who value their social lives. Not to me, though. It sounds comfortable. I like comfortable.

RIA-Novosti publishes photo of French “mercenary” in Ukraine

VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 23 JANUARY 2024

image 174
image 174

RIA-Novosti press agency published photographs taken from the Facebook account of Alexis Drion, one of the casualties of the Russian bombing of Khirkov/Kharkov on January 17.

The Russian Foreign Ministry continues to claim that the building targeted by the Russian strike was hosting “foreign mercenaries”, mainly French. On its side, the French Foreign Ministry denies just as vigorously the presence of French “mercenaries” embroiled in the conflict.

Understandably, Russia is trying to present evidence that French soldiers were in Ukraine carrying out a mission, which would constitute an act of war.

After publishing the names of 13 of the victims of the January 17 bombing, the agency dug deeper and stumbled on an Facebook account <Facebook

> created in December 2011. Though relatively inactive, an image can be spotted of the young man from 2013 in military uniform, at the age of 27. Various photos seem to link him to the Foreign Legion. In the latest pictures, we find him in Ukraine brandishing an insignia of France and the OUN, the militia of “integral nationalists”.

image 173
image 173

Alexis Drion during a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris


Russian press issues list of 13 French “mercenaries” who died in Ukraine

VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 22 JANUARY 2024

image 172
image 172

While the French authorities have formally declared that there were no French “mercenaries” in Ukraine, the Russian press has published a list of 13 names corresponding to some of the victims of the 17 January bombing on Kharkiv/Kharkov.

• Albert Emeric (d.o.b. 22 December 1999),
• Alexis Drion (13/06/1986),
• Béranger Guillaume Alain Minault (30/12/1978),
• Valentin Dupois Mel (02/01/1994),
• Gilles Bernard Sylvain (10 /27/1980),
• Jacques-Pierre Gabriel Evrard Philippe (29/09/1987),
• Jean-Pierre Bonneau Chris Heray (17/07/1999),
• Maris André Dubois Clément (28/09/1995),
• Marcellin Demont (05 /23/2002),
• Sébastien Claude Rémy Benard (04/04/1974),
• Thomas Jeremy Nathan Gourrier (24/02/1996),
• Charles Bertin Roussel (01/09/1996),
• Emmanuel Tanguy Kenneth Delange Grandal (26/09/1996) /1998).


Russian Duma to address French Parliament

VOLTAIRE NETWORK | 19 JANUARY 2024

image 171
image 171

The Russian Duma will address the French Parliament regarding the presence of French “mercenaries” in Ukraine.

Officially, France is not engaged in military operations in Ukraine, but supports the latter by providing it with weapons. If French soldiers were involved in the fighting, the French Republic would be at war with the Russian Federation.

It would seem that the Duma is intent on disclosing the presence of French Special Forces, which are in Ukraine without authorization from the French Parliament.

Article 35 of the French Constitution stipulates stipulates as follows:


“The Government informs Parliament of its decision to have the armed forces intervene abroad, at the latest three days after the beginning of said intervention. It specifies the objectives pursued. This information may give rise to a debate which is not followed by any vote. When the duration of the intervention exceeds four months, the Government submits its extension to Parliament for authorization. It may request the National Assembly to make the final decision.”

How do you respond to an inappropriate “accidental touch” by someone at work?

In my opinion…

It was at an office BBQ with our families, it was hot, and there was a wasp.

The bosses eight or nine-year-old daughter started screaming that there was a bee in her shirt. She was wearing a spaghetti top. Everyone panicked.

The thing about me, is that a Bee sting is much like a mosquito bite, it swells up a little bit and itches. No big deal. Some people, a bee sting would kill them. If I did nothing, would she die?

I calmly asked her if I could put my hand in her shirt. She screamed “YES! YES!”

In front of her panicking dad and mom, she pulled her top open and I reached into her shirt and grabbed the Wasp. I pulled my hand out and threw it on the ground and stomped it. I looked at my palm. It had stung me, so I bit the wound and sucked, then spit. I got stung a few times every year, no big deal.

Then I realized that I had just had my hand down the front of a little girls shirt in front of thirty witnesses.

But everyone treated me like a hero, especially my boss. Go figure.

What would you do if you got fired from your job?

Heeeee! I oughta say “don’t ask,” but can’t resist.

I took over a job that had been occupied by my eminently sensible, smart, and long-suffering cousin. That last adjective — long-suffering — is the operative term. She put up with the guy’s sh!t (a euphemism, we might say) until she went off to marry a handsome and rich young rancher and live happily ever after.

Totally naive, I applied for and got her job.

What.

A.

Jerk.

The.

Guy.

Was.

The day I came in and found an incredibly NASTY note in the middle of my office floor — he was unhappy because I’d thrown out some trash — mostly ads — without shredding every sheet of paper and envelope — was the day that I took everything I was supposed to be working on, dropped it smack in the middle of the office floor, went out the door, locked it behind me, jumped in my car, drove away, and never came back.

From there the next move was to go back to graduate school. Get a job teaching freshman comp for peanuts (I was used to the “peanuts” part by then…), complete the Ph.D., get my book published, and land an academic job. A job, we might add, where the bosses more or less treated you like you were human. Well. Almost as human as they were. 😀

What do you do if you get fired from your job? CELEBRATE!!!!!

What was the shortest first date you ever had?

Met a woman in a busy local mall after chatting with her online a few times. Met her through a horrendous online dating app. Made sure lots of people around in case things headed south. Bought her lunch and we sat and ate as she just kept on and on. Saying nothing until she says I have something important to tell you. Ohhhh okay. I just got out of prison. Oh yeah? Umm what for I asked. Bank robbery in Nevada. A casino heist. Oh really? So what brought you to Florida? I met my husband as a penpal in prison and we wrote back and forth for years. Husband? Yeah he recently had a massive heart attack and died. Ummm ok? Yeah he was 25 years older then me and lives in Bonita Springs. He had a vending machine business. Ohhhh. So did you at least stash some of the stolen money away from your heist? She said that her 2 “ friends” left her behind and she got busted and they got away with several hundred thousand dollars. So you never caught up with them? Nooo, she couldn’t find them and never saw them again. Attractive well endowed blonde woman . Spent a good 1/2 hour talking . Nice girl but a bit tooo much baggage for me.

Can an employee be fired by phone, or does that have to be done in person?

An employee can be fired by phone, though I wouldn’t recommend that. California requires that you hand an employee their final check (and a few other documents) on their last day. That would be very difficult to accomplish over the phone, right. You might have an out:

  • this is an on-the-spot firing because you just learned that the employee did something so bad that you have to term them immediately. California law gives you 72 hours to get the check to them if it truly is an unplanned termination.
  • the employee agrees to something like having their check delivered to their door by courier, say within the hour. (I agreed to that when I retired. I was recorded, with my permission, waiving my right to come in and pick up my check and other documentation in person.)

My aside brings up a key point: what did you say? What did the employee say in return? An unrecorded phone call leaves you with a he said – she said. That’s not going to be a fun day if the employee decides to challenge your firing.

Some states are single party consent, meaning you can record the call without the employee’s knowledge or consent. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should. You can quickly gain a bad reputation in the labor pool and with recruiters and agencies for having shady, though legal, HR practices. “You don’t want to work there! They call you first thing in the AM, fire you and sneak record everything you say.”

Not fair.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iOPUMWCeFvI?feature=share

What is the most amusing conversation that you have ever heard?

My friends and I witnessed a fantastic scene on a public bus last November.

A few stops after we got on, two young boys waddled onto the bus. They were maybe about seven or eight years old, small enough that they were practically dwarfed by their puffy winter coats and colorful backpacks.

As soon as their fathers sat down, the two kids began quietly talking to each other. Based on the things they were saying, it sounded like they were trying to recreate what they’d learned in some kind of anti-bullying assembly at school.

“If you don’t let me play with you,” one boy whispered, “that’s bullying!”

“But if you do let us play with you,” the other boy whispered back, “that’s respect!”

“If you push someone over on the playground, that’s bullying!”

“If you help someone get up after they fall, that’s respect!”

Their secretive whispering gradually evolved into enthusiastic shouting as they applied this newly learned dichotomy to scenario after scenario. After a few minutes, it became clear that they’d started to go off-script.

“If you never ever say sorry again, THAT’S BULLYING!”

“If you say sorry a hundred million billion times forever and forever until you die, THAT’S RESPECT!”

“If you go on the toilet and you forget to flush but then you go back and you see the poop and you flush it, THAT’S BULLYING!”

“No, wait, I think that’s respect.”

“That’s respect?”

“Yeah.”

“No, but I think the poop makes it bullying.”

My friends and I were sitting at the back of the bus throughout their conversation, trying our best to hold back our laughter.

What are some of the funniest “got fired” stories?

I have a friend who worked for a small firm as a graphic designer. He was the youngest and newest, and felt like he was underappreciated and under paid. Also, he thought his boss was a moron. When the business hit hard times, he saw cutbacks coming and decided to just do whatever he wanted until they let him go.

Monday morning, an hour after he was supposed to be in, he called and said he’d be out all week, and would be in Friday, then hung up before he got a response. He watched TV and played video games for four days straight, taking breaks to look for a new job.

On Friday he rolled in two hours late, not at all surprised to discover that his boss wanted to see him in his office.

“The company has needed to do some restructuring and make some tough choices. I need to inform you-”

Here it comes, freedom at last from this awful place!

“- that we’ve let everyone else in the creative department go, and you are now our lead designer. We’re ready to give you an immediate raise of 20% and creative control over all projects. Also, it looks like you’ve needed a break this week, so we’re also ready to offer you more vacation days.”

By the end of the discussion, he not only got more vacation days and the 20% raise, but also got to work from home every Friday. I guess being absent all week made his boss realize how valuable he was to the company.

Edit: There were some questions as to why my friend was the only one kept on, so I’ll elaborate. The company had two web designers, a graphic designer, and my friend, who did video directing and editing. It just so happened he was also a great designer, artist, and could do web design. Everyone in the department could do their job, but he could do everyone’s job.

Submarines Size Comparison

https://youtu.be/347zdq9d2aM

What court tactic backfired on someone?

I was a Probation officer, and I had a probationer back before the court for a probation violation hearing. There were several charges, but one charge was the guy had shown up for an urine screen, and claimed he couldn’t urinate for three hours, even though I saw him go to the restroom twice. (He said he was just testing.) Anyway, I told him to come in the next morning at eight. He showed up at eleven.

At the hearing, the attorney who was a friend of mine got feisty for some reason. After I testified that I told him to report back at eight, the defense attorney asked me, “And did he?”

I replied, “Well..”

“Yes or no answer,” he snapped.

I turned to the judge and said, “It’s not a yes or no question.” (I wanted to say that he showed up at eleven.)

The judge said, “ If the defense attorney wants a yes or no answer he’s entitled to it., Ask your question again.”

“Officer Davis did my client show up at 8:00AM as you told him to?”

“No”

He got an additional charge. I later told the judge in private, and we had a new hearing where he had two months of his eight months in jail reduced. But if I’d been a jerk his attorneys showboating would have cost him two extra months.

What sounds extremely wrong, but is actually correct?

Before freezing to death, people tend to remove their clothes.

Yes.

This is called “paradoxical undressing”, a phenomenon frequently seen in cases of lethal hypothermia. Shortly before death, the person will remove all their clothes, as if they were burning up, when in fact they are freezing.

When people feel cold, the most important thing is to ensure the function of the brain, internal organs and other major organs, so the blood vessels at the ends of the body will automatically contract to ensure adequate blood flow to the major organs.

In this state of stress for a long time, the muscles that contract the blood vessels fall into fatigue and can no longer work, and must take a calm “rest”.

The peripheral blood vessels on the surface of the body will all open, blood will quickly flow to the end of the limbs, and the long-term cold limbs will be immediately filled with warm blood, resulting in the illusion of “very hot”.
When this signal is sent back to the brain, the brain will send the wrong instructions to the body, so that people may think that it is really hot, take off all the clothes.

At this time, people who are on the verge of dying get up and struggle to undress, thinking that undressing is good.

Hard time dating

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iKpzZedCeec?feature=share

Would the military actually shoot at people trying to storm Area 51 or would they try to arrest them?

I was a reservist in the ’90s. I got put on guard duty a few times.

One night, I had to guard a building. They gave me a rubber duck weapon. (An M-16 made out of rubber. Yes, they exist.) I had to walk the perimeter of the building every hour with the “weapon.” I had to note anything out of the ordinary.

When I guarded the SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility), they gave me a real rifle and a full magazine. There was classified information in there that I didn’t have the clearance to see. I didn’t even know what I was guarding.

They briefed me on the use of force. Basically, you halt the person. You get their ID, detain them and call the commander of the relief. If they don’t halt, you shoot center of mass. There are no warning shots.

Yes. They will kill you if you don’t halt and follow their orders. They have orders to do so. They will follow their lawful orders. National security is no joke to them.

I was glad nobody approached me that night.

Have you ever been fired from a job or asked to resign?

I was 19 and working at a major retailer, I’d rather not mention but is definitely a conglomerate. I went on lunch break, had a drink with a coworker, and returned to post. My manager instantly smelled alcohol on my breath, idiot I was didn’t try to hide or cover the pungent odor that is Seagrams gin. Manager notified the higher ups who put me in a room and three higher ups sat at a table opposite of me. They began asking where I got the alcohol, did I drink with anyone, and saying that they saw us on cameras. I was to rat this coworker out with a written statement. I wound up writing that I drank alone like George Thurgood and not one person laughed. They decided to fire me and I happily left. I was mentally ready to leave that place. The only thing I regret is when I have to answer for it at job interviews even thought it’s been nearly 20 years.

What is the greatest way to make unwanted guests leave?

We had an 18th disco-style birthday party for our daughter at our house, with the expectation that it would wind up around 11pm. By 11:30 it was still going strong with music blaring out loud and kids dancing and drinking a little too much (beer and light drinks only allowed).

My Father-in-law was living with us at the time – an ex-Grenadier Guard and Seargent-Major. Seeing our frustration and not dealing with it adequately, to his mind at least, said he would deal with it.

At 11:50pm he walked into our large lounge, cleared to be a dance floor, switched off the music and switched on the main lights and announced.

“In 10 minutes, it will be Sunday and at 12:05 I will start a religious service. I expect anyone still here to attend”.

The place cleared by 12 midnight.

Quantum Leap: Russia-China’s Quantum Communication Test

https://youtu.be/WdQtBa8_T4Q

What was the shortest interview you’ve had that led to a job offer?

Went to a bar in Australia, saw that no-one was tending and joked with the next guy that walked in, that he needed a bartender, else I’d pour my own, he said, ok, come pour your own. I did, with a near perfect head, and he said, can you start here? now? today? sure I said, he left me there for 4 hours to run the bar. I worked there 2 years.

Went to an bar in Shanghai while travelling, the Bartender there was a Kiwi, it was an Aussie bar, after I asked for a drink he asked me, what I was doing in Shanghai, and I said, looking for a job (I was interviewing for English Teaching jobs) and he said, Well, you sound Aussie, you can work here if you can pour a beer. I started that night and worked for a half a year (ESL teaching in the day, bartender at night).

Went to a ESL School for an interview in a new country after that, walked into the wrong dept, and asked for the head of dept (as it was all I had to go on) and started the interview from my end, and half way through she realised I was in the wrong place, but then asked me how I would deal with businessmen instead of kids. I said, ‘under the suit, they’re just kids’ she hired me there instead, I stayed in that country 10 years.

You find a new job, so you give your employer two weeks’ notice. Your boss then gets angry that you are quitting and tells you not to come back in anymore. How should you respond to your boss?

Generally, when this happens, especially in a salaried position, your current employer will pay you for the final two weeks. If the employer doesn’t offer it, ask for it. It never hurts to ask. It’s just easier and safer for your employer to pay you off than to make an issue of it.

Years ago, as a recent college graduate with an accounting degree, I was an employee in good standing, working as an office supervisor, while I searched for an accounting job. When I was hired by a new company as an accountant (at a significant pay increase,) I gave my two weeks’ notice, fully intending to use the next two weeks to make the transition as easy as possible for my current team. My manager didn’t appear to be angry or resentful when I resigned, but two days later she told me that she didn’t think my mind was on my work. She instructed me to pack up my personal belongings and leave immediately. She told me the company would pay me for the remaining portion of my final two weeks.

What did I do? I packed up and left with no cross words or fanfare. Then I enjoyed an unexpected, 10-day, paid vacation on my old company, knowing I would be starting a better-paying job in my chosen field at the end of my break.

My First Time Hearing Zhou Shen – Floating Light REACTION

https://youtu.be/V1ki98LPGlY

What is the best revenge you got on a superior in your workplace?

I don’t think of it as revenge, but just standing up for myself.

I was a sergeant for a large California police department. I was working swing watch for a lieutenant that was worse than an asshole. I can work for an asshole if he is competent regarding the job, and if he is consistently an asshole. This guy was worse than an asshole in the following ways: some days he’d act like your buddy. Some days he’d say ‘Do X,Y, and Z’ and the following day he’d say “No! I said do Q,R, and W’. He would also tell me how he didn’t trust a large number of our officers. He had quite a paranoia about him. Just a miserable human being who I believe was trying to mask some serious insecurities.

One day I came into work five hours early as a favor, due to some gang murders and a trial that ws going on. I had a squad of swing watch officers assigned to me for this detail. Around 2:30pm the lieutenant came into work with his nasty mood on full display. He started complaining to me about some of the swing watch officers being lazy. I countered by saying if they were so lazy, then why did they come to work 5 hours early to work a stressful assignment? The lieutenant’s office door was open and our argument could be heard in the hallway.

I realized there was no salvaging a professional demeanor with this guy during this shift. My solution: I told him (it was the beginning of our ten hour regular shift) that I had a splitting headache and was going home. There was nothing he could do. He knew he’d get stuck doing a lot of my work. I had to train my boss to be better.

Fortunately, we had our biannual sign-up shortly thereafter, so I signed up for day watch, just to get away from this guy. Within a week of the sign-up results being posted, he was banished to an undesirable post. (Management personnel can be moved at the whim of the chief.) Worse for him, his commute went from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. There were rumors floating around the station. How bad must our captain have thought about this lieutenant to get him shipped off to Siberia?

Our captain had only been at our station for about two months when this happened. He knew me when we were both officers and he knew of my work ethic. He confided in me that when he saw that I signed up for a shift I don’t even like, that there was a BIG problem with this lieutenant. It also solidified the old saying that sergeants run the stations. Things got a lot better for the whole station once that jerk was kicked out.

What can you tell me about fighting in Afghanistan that most people don’t know?

This isn’t a very popular opinion, especially in veteran’s circles, but it is a fact and therefore, it should be said:

The casualty numbers sustained by the so-called “Resolute Support”

[1]mission in Afghanistan are so ridiculously low that it cannot even be called an armed conflict or a war.

In 2018, the United States military had the highest number of casualties from all “Resolute Support” contingents. Altogether, they lost seventeen soldiers, sailors, and Marines in Afghanistan. If you compare this to their absolute numbers (1,358,190 active military personnel) you have a casualty rate of Soldiers Killed in Action (KIA) of about 0.0012%. If you count only personnel deployed to a combat zone (around 18,000 in 2018),[2]you get around 0,09%. Not very impressive. Being a US soldier isn’t even in the TOP 25 of the most dangerous professions in the United States.[3][4]To compare this number to other modern conflicts, the German army in WWII lost around 26.6% of their soldiers in the Soviet Union, while during the Vietnam War the US lost 40,000 of their soldiers on the battlefield (KIA rate of 8%).[5]

In 2018, the German Army’s contingent in Afghanistan didn’t lose a single soldier while at the same time eight soldiers died at home in various accidents.

[6]Although it was one of the years which saw the highest number of German military personnel deployed to crisis regions, 2018 was also the year the Bundeswehr lost the smallest number of soldiers in its history: only 8 were killed. In comparison, in 1962, long before any foreign involvement, the Bundeswehr lost 166 soldiers, most of them in accidents.

Of course, every dead soldier is one too many, but the probability for a US or an Allied soldier to get killed in Afghanistan is much lower than, for example, that of a Russian or Israeli soldier dying during military training.

Next time, we hear people calling to “bring our troops home” or thanking them for their sacrifice, we should put that into perspective. This is also the reason why the “war” in Afghanistan takes so long: the price is paid by the Afghan civilian population and not by our soldiers and Marines.

All of his concerns are valid

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H8Hly7spmUk?feature=share

What is the most badass thing a private has said to a general?

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was the founder of the US Nuclear Navy and is a man clouded in legend. There are a number of stories about him, some of which most certainly are true. Others may or may not be true, but certainly do fit his rather unique style of command. As an example, and this is 100% true because I’ve seen it, and it still sits in the Naval Reactors office, during their interview, Admiral Rickover had his prospective officers sit in a simple office chair… with four inches cut from the front legs.

One story details one of The Admiral’s tours of Nuclear Power School. He decided to enter a classroom, perhaps during the lesson or during study. He entered the rear of the room where he quickly and silently suppressed the impending calls to attention.

At the front of the room, a junior sailor, maybe a Third Class Petty Officer, was working an assigned problem on the board. The Admiral approached the student and, from a short distance behind him, observed the student’s work over his shoulder.

After some time, the student got frustrated. He turned to The Admiral and stated, “Excuse me, sir. I’m trying to work this problem here,” and resumed his work. The Admiral wordlessly departed the classroom, assuredly to the dumbfounded looks of the sailor’s classmates.

As the story goes, later that day, word reached the sailor that The Admiral offered him a commission as an officer in the US Navy.

Why does everyone in the world think the US is a good nation when it is not?

No one think so!

The U.S. thinks and fooled themselves that the world thinks highly of themselves, they most certainly don’t.

Who thinks highly of America? Some very young starry eye highly naive spoilt brat kids perhaps! Or some totally ignorant bigoted white supremacist mainly older, less travelled, less educated people in America thinks America is good!

Everyone else don’t. In fact they don’t think they know US is not at all a good or honourable or caring nation to its own people and certainly very barbaric to the world!

Even most of US slave nations such as Germany, Japan or Korea don’t think so too. They may be forced to but deep inside the disdain America. British, Aussies, Kiwis, Canadian and fellow despicable former colonialists don’t too, they may suck up to the U.S. or at least they use the U.S. as a shield against others who may want to hurt them but they think little about America!

So in percentage it may be as little as 1% thinks they are good. 99% thinks they are barbaric, inhuman, inconsiderate parasite that they cannot respect but some 15% of the world fear them or at least wants their protection. So they pretend to have nice word for the US.

At what point in WWII did the German military realize the war could not be won anymore, and how did they try to act on it?

According to Rommel’s diaries, Hitler said to Rommel that the war was lost late 1943 when Rommel was appointed Inspector General. That makes sense as it was after Kursk, which in a way the Germans won (losses) but they were routed anyway because unlike USSR, Germany could not make up for their losses and this would have been clear at the highest level.

Hitler said to Rommel that from now on it was a question of creating the best possible position for negotiations.

Rommel expressed disappointment, so at this point it was only seen vy those who wanted to see.

As for reactions they were not the sane across the fronts.

Kesselring (Italy) reacted well before this by building fall-back positions planning an incremental withdrawal already early 1943.

On the Eastern front this was forbidden by Hitler which meant withdrawals were often unplanned and more costly than needed. Stalingrad is a good example, but other units, cities or regiments were ordered to fight till death as well.

Is it bad to tell your boss you’re quitting souly because of them?

Is it bad? Not at all. In fact, it is actually quite liberating.

I was hired to work as a computer support tech at a community college but the man who offered me the job resigned, unexpectedly, just days before I was scheduled to start. His replacement was on the panel that interviewed candidates and he preferred another candidate over me, so he went to his boss to have my job offer revoked. His boss refused to do it and that made him incredibly angry, so he decided to take it out on me by micromanaging my every move.

He had no experience as a manager — he’d been a systems admin at the school before being named interim IT Director — and he didn’t like working with older people. This was unfortunate because I was 58 years old at the time and the ony other support tech was 63 years old, so interim enjoyed trying to embarrass us. He called us both out in front of a room full of people for running a network line incorrectly, and we angered him by telling him to finish the job up while we went to lunch.

My coworker decided he’d had enough at that point and took that afternoon off before sending interim an email stating that he wouldn’t return. Interim tried to write me up for insubordination but his boss wouldn’t let him and that made a bad work relationship even worse. I took to working in empty classrooms and lecture halls to avoid interim, and spoke to him only when directly asked a question.

Two years after my old coworker quit I turned in my resignation — the letter simply stated that I was resigning and that my last day would be in two weeks, on a specific date. When interim — yes, after three years he was still interim IT director — showed up he walked over to my office and stood in the doorway, and asked me why I was quitting. I usually offer up a vague response like, “It’s time to move on” or “ I want to try something new” but this time I told interim that I could no longer stand to work for someone I did not like or respect. The look on his face — shock, dismay, anger — was worth having to sit and twiddle my thumbs for those last two weeks. That’s right — he pulled all the work he’d assigned me to punish me. Needless to say, my new coworker didn’t appreciate that move.

All girls thing…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ai5BsKSmAks?feature=share

What is the most insane conversation you have ever had with your parents?

I was a straight A student in high school, and in my sophomore year I was receiving brochures from college. I had some spread out on the kitchen table, and Mom and I were discussing which ones would be worth a visit during my junior year. Dad came home from work, noticed the brochures, and scoffed, “She’s not going to college; I’m not paying for her Mrs. degree like her sister!” I started to explain to him what degree I wanted, and wasn’t going to college to get married, as my sister had done. Mom cut me off, stood up and got in Dad’s face. She sternly pointed out that he HAD paid for my brother’s B.S. and M.S. and if I wanted to go to college I DAMN well was going to go! Dad and I both stared at her, our mouths agape, because Mom never contradicted Dad in front of us. (As it turned out, I earned enough scholarships and had a parttime job on campus, that I was a bargain, costing them very little out of pocket.)

Uh huh?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7vseGkTMln0?feature=share

Have you ever been invited to dinner under false pretenses?

Yes! Our neighbor, a pastor, invited us over when his wife was away. They had very old fashioned roles, she did housework, he earned money. When we arrived he asked my husband to help him install a hanging lamp. He asked me to start dinner. All he had was stuff for salad. I went home and got some steak and potatoes, cooked it while they worked. After dinner i did the dishes and he told me to take out the trash. I said “ Excuse me?”. He laughed and told me to take it out its “womens work”. So not wanting to alienate someone we had to share an property line with, i did. When my husband and i left He turned to me and said “ What the heck was that?”. I said, he took advantage of our kindness! He got free labor, a free dinner, and free maid service! We never accepted another invitation for dinner! This is the same guy who adopted an African baby so he could “ Get over being a bigot, like my father”. Cant make this stuff up!

What would you do if the school bully pulled off your shirt at school in front of everybody?

Hardly as bad as pulling a shirt off, but an episode in my Catholic high school has passed into legend.

One student I’ll call Henry was an easy target for one particular bully. He spoke strangely as a consequence of a congenital hearing defect, wore a bulky hearing aid, carried an extra forty pounds, had a bad complexion and was 100% nerd right down to the pocket protector and slide rule.

His bus arrived early. Early students had to wait in the cafeteria until home room opened. Henry would turn down his hearing aid, open a book, and write computer programs or do math problems. He would place his lunch – a sandwich in a small paper bag – on the table next to him.

His nemesis would yell in his ear “how are you this morning, Henry” while he smashed the sandwich flat. Henry had had enough. One morning he put in the bag a piece of cardboard with thumbtacks pushed through the cardboard pointing up. The bully, as usual, smashed the bag flat. He let out a howl as he pulled his hand away with a dozen punctures streaming blood.

One of the nuns heard the howl, figured out what had happened, and dragged Henry by his earlobe to the Director of Discipline, Fr. Huller. Huller was a regular guy. He had landed in the second wave at Normandy and seen a few things.

Huller listened to the nun’s version and then to Henry’s version. He asked the nun to leave so that he could speak to Henry privately. Huller could barely keep from laughing. He tried to say something several times but couldn’t get the words out. Finally, he told Henry “just don’t do that again.”

Huller then asked to see the bully who had been patched up by the school nurse. He told the bully that his impalement was punishment enough but if he smashed any more sandwiches he’d be expelled.

Granting permission

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/k9ZKRNf6tJw?feature=share

Have you ever quit a job in an unplanned manner where one day you just snapped and said “I’ve had enough of this, I’m done”?

I sure did. I was working for a company helped them open their location. They had me doing supervisor duties with the promise of soon getting that position. I was young and dumb not realizing that was a mistake. I did it for about 6 months working my tail off and never missing work and always coming in early and or staying late. When it came down to it, they said they were giving the position to a new person that was new coming in and just gave me a $.10 raise. It was a slap in the face. Thinking about all those extra duties I put in. The times they would keep calling me on the ear piece even when I was just going to go pee they called me. Then one day on my day off when I went to pick up my check, the boss said a bunch of people called off and they only had 1 station open, 1 employee there out of 6 15 minutes to open, and 2 bus loads of kids coming in. He then told me he needed me to start right away. I told him I didn’t have my uniform. He told me to grab one from the back, but those were dirty. I said ok sure. I went to the back and said good bye to everyone. They asked where I was going and I said I quit. Never done that in my life. Felt awful but it was a turning point for me to never let anyone take advantage of me again.

What bad experience had you saying “I will never buy from that company or use their service ever again”?

Bosch.

This happened about 20 years ago. We had a cheap and cheerful washing machine. It was 15 years old and had required a few repairs in the recent years; new door seal, new belt, new motor brushes etc. Problem was the the motor commutator had become scored and the brushes didn’t last too long and really the motor needed replacing. We also wanted a machine with a higher load capacity so we went shopping. We chose a high spec Bosch washing machine with a 9kg load capacity and a 3 year extended warranty i.e. to 4 years. It cost about £450 which was a fair amount at the time.

Just over 4 years later the machine was on its spin cycle. There was an enormous series of bangs, the machine threw itself around the floor and ground to a halt. A repair technician was called but found that the machine was completely destroyed. We commissioned an engineers report. This stated that the tub counterbalance had become detached. It should have had say6 studs and nuts holding it in place. A couple were missing completely and the rest had sheared off. The tub spinning at high speed had been thrown around the inside of the machine, slicing through wiring and pipes, smashing the control circuit board and even causing large dents in the steel panel at the rear.

Bosch’s attitude was unbelievable. Essentially they said that “it could not be a manufacturing fault as it would have shown up during the warranty period” and “what did you expect as it was now outside warranty”. Apparently although a cheap and cheerful machine would last 15 years with a few cheap repairs but a quality one was expected to self destruct as soon as the warranty period expired. Eventually they did consent to a small amount of compensation but left us massively out of pocket.

I’ve never bought another Bosch power tool, fridge, freezer or anything else since then

This is me

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CeywEkTZ4wM?feature=share

How do you successfully contest a traffic ticket?

I went to court, fought the ticket, exposed the lying cop, and got my charges dismissed. The judge offered his “congratulations, on an excellent defense”. I went into court prepared, righteous, and loaded for bear. I fought a handful of tickets, over the years, and won every time. They were all bogus. For a couple that I got, which were legit, I was able to get reduced fines, or even deferred adjudication.

Know the laws on the offense you’re charged with, AND the fine schedule and other possible punishments. I prepped a friend, for his seatbelt ticket defense. He was told he would be fined $250, and then he brought a printout of the state law, which called for a $66 (or thereabouts) fine. He then said he wanted to know just whose pocket the rest of that $250 was going into. The charge was dropped, and he was sent out the door. The city prosecutor, and whoever wrote the fines, hadn’t bothered to see if the numbers matched the legal amount set by the state.

At what point of time did you realize that you were working in the wrong field?

I was hired with the promise of being the #2 in the company as CIO. One hour into the first day, the CEO comes into my office and asks me to call somebody at our other office to help him with a problem. He told me that I worked for him as well since he was in charge of the department over there that ran a document scanning operation I had not been told of.

So much for only having to worry about one unqualified person telling me how to be a CIO, I now had two. I knew then I was dealing with somebody who tells someone exactly what they want to hear. It was too late, as I’d already moved the family, etc… Had to try to make it work. Developed clinical depression as a result.

I did have the honor of watching the CEO get deposed from a company he owned a majority of stock in (only way that happens is extortion or blackmail by the other shareholders), and having the new CEO grovel at my feet when I left him after a year of his abuse. Then I watched the company implode, first by closing down the scanning center (the only profit generator for the company – brilliant people), then having everybody else bail because they no longer got paid.

Great Times!

Who is your favorite actor who you have met in person?

I waited on Nicholas Cage one Sunday morning in Vegas. He, the lady he was with, and his young son were the only guests at the time. I greeted him as Mr. Cage and at the outset he seemed very nice. I informed the manager (goof) and he immediately said to ask him for a photo as “corporate”loves that. I have waited on other celebrities and I would take a bullet before doing something so gauche. Mr. Cage did take some photos with other guests as the restaurant filled. He was very polite the entire time. At the end I said “Mr. Cage I am great admirer of your work”. I mean c’mon after Moonstruck? It was totally the truth! He said, “John it was a pleasure meeting YOU”! I had to go out to the parking area as he left his credit card on the table. Did he give me a nice tip? Yes. Was it outrageous? No. All class.

The Chinese Navy Of 2024 Is Unlike Any Other Major Navies

https://youtu.be/gFkoC8Sol1A

What doesn’t impress you?

Just an hour ago, My girlfriend offered to buy me Lemon soda in one of those small roadside shops. We were regulars there.

I was thirsty so I finished my drink fast. She was halfway through her glass when a Traffic policeman approached the shop.

Him: One lemon juice please.

Shopkeeper: Sure sir, please wait for a minute.

He makes the juice and hands it over to him.

My Girlfriend starts drinking the juice very slowly. I asked her what happened.

“I’m just waiting to see what he’ll do” *points at the traffic policeman*

After he was done with the drink.

Him: Thanks. *Leaves without paying*

The shopkeeper just continues with his work.

Her: Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Pretty common sight in India. Cops get freebies in a lot of roadside stalls and they don’t even think for a second that the small amount of 10–15 rupees is the shopkeeper’s hard earned money.

What doesn’t impress me?

People who abuse their power don’t impress me.

How much over the speed limit do most officers let you go before pulling you over?

In the city I used to live in photo radar was set for 13 kmph over the speed limit, about 8 mph. There are no demerits for photo radar, just the fine. Its a great cash cow, because it catches all of those who are momentarily not paying attention, as well as those who are purposely speeding. The province refuses to allow photo radar on its highways. Because they say its just a cash cow.

In the little town that I retired to, they thought they were going to get rich off of speeding tourists. They moved the speed limit signs so that it dropped from 100 to 80 to 50 kmph farther outside of town, and they bought a $125,000 photo radar, and said it would pay for itself in two months. The main tourist drag through town was a provincial highway. They sat the only town police officer at the edge of town, and ticketed away. In the very first month a guy fought his ticket, and the judge ruled that it was illegal to use photo radar on the highway. Rather than move it to other streets, where most of the offenders would be locals, they sold the photo radar for about half of what they paid for it. When it was working, they had looked into hiring a second officer to bring in more money, but once it was scrapped, all talk of a second officer was cancelled.

The fact that they wouldn’t use it on non tourist streets, moved the speed limit signs out of town, and talked about hiring a second officer, but only when they were using the radar trap, and dropped the plan as soon as they dropped the radar, pretty much tells you the intent of the radar trap.

The photo radar was still perfectly useable, except that you had to actually stop the car and write up the ticket, check licence and registration, sobriety, etc , exactly as the province required.

But, because of the time required, the town said it wasn’t economical to give tickets to people doing less than about 25 kmph ,15.5 mph, and there weren’t enough of them to make it worthwhile.

So there you have it, if its automatically sent out in the mail, the limit is 13 kmph over the speed limit, if they have to check to make sure you aren’t a mass murderer, driving a hijacked car, its almost double at 25 kmph.

Humans vs Superhumans | When Monsters Were Real and We Almost Went Extinct

https://youtu.be/juyvnVL6V7g

What is the fastest you wiped that smirk off your manager’s face?

I had a manager who was putting me on a last and final write-up (next step suspension / terminated) for something I didn’t do. I refused to sign the write-up until I talked to the director (his boss) about the situation as I hadn’t made an error. The manager replied, “It would’ve been easier if you would’ve just signed it!” He goes through the steps of bringing on another manager to witness me refusing to sign the paperwork, as was protocol for this type of situation, and I went about the rest of my shift.

What my manager didn’t know was my wife, who happened to be an auditor in the company, had made me aware of the situation before I went into work so I was able to research things before my write-up was going to be given to me. I was able to see that my manager had changed some of the data I used to complete my daily reports, which caused my paperwork error. I printed the evidence showing he caused the error and held onto it until the meeting with the director.

So I’m meeting with the director and the manager is going, “… does sub par work, careless with his reports, yada yada”. My director then asks me for my side of the story and I tell him, “The manager changed the data I use to run my daily reports”. The manager was offended and says something along the lines that I was wrong. I then show the screenshots of when the information I used was changed and who doctored it. The information was changed 30 minutes after I left work for the day by my manager making him responsible for the error. The meeting ended about two minutes later with a half-hearted apology.

Edit: So there have been a few comments on why the manager wasn’t fired for his actions of doctoring a record. The overall reason was we had just started using a new computer system a few months prior and there was still a lot of growing pains with everybody figuring it out. I don’t think the manager’s actions were malicious with the error, it was part of the learning process. I even learned better procedures to follow to prevent the error from happening again. At first it was for CYA, then it became the procedure I taught to others to guarantee accuracy of the reports.

Who did you experience that is so cheap they are disgusting?

I had this friend in college who would always eat my lunches. I didn’t really mind and it’s not because she didn’t have any money or anything it’s just that she never made lunch for herself and when she did she still thought mine were more appetizing.

I shared my meal everyday with her and I would often make more for the two of us.

One day I didn’t have time to make lunch and she didn’t bring one so I suggested that we go eat at a small bistro near the school. She ordered a big meal and everything and paid. When it was my turn I didn’t have any money because I left my wallet at home. I asked her to lend me some money and told her I would pay her back. She refused saying that it’s my fault that I was poorly organized and I should always have my wallet with me. She then told me I purposely forgot my wallet and that it was a plan for her to pay me back for all of the meals that i shared with her.

I didn’t eat lunch with her. I just left and blocked her. Never thought people could take so much but never give when needed.

WTF?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KZ_rQ3Lt8jY?feature=share

 

What are Americans offended about?

JFK’S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60’s when DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO. DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of France as soon as possible. Rusk responded, “Does that include those who are buried here?”

DeGaulle did not respond. You could have heard a pin drop.

When in England, at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of ’empire building’ by George Bush.

He answered by saying, “Over the years, the United States has sent many of Its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

There was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break, One of the French engineers came back into the room saying, “Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?” A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: “Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships. How many does France have?”

You could have heard a pin drop.

A U.S. Navy admiral was attending a naval conference that included admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French navies at a cocktail reception. He found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks when a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, “Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?” Without hesitating, the American admiral replied, “Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn’t have to speak German.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE…

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. “You have been to France before, monsieur?” the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. “Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.” The American said, “The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show it.” “Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !” The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ”Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchman to show a passport to.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Is it fair that if a girl punches you, you can punch her back?

My friend punched a girl back. In fact 3 girls. He asked me to take him to court when he was prosecuted for it. The evidence was on CCTV.

When I saw the video I was shocked how they attacked him in the street first by punching him then using their stilletos. You could see the injuries just below his eye and on the top of his head.

The prosecutor said he’d used too much force when he punched them after their THIRD wave of attacks. They’d pursued him through the streets, stolen and hidden his jacket and car and house keys as well.

The reason given was that they didn’t like it when he was passing one of them in a club and said how nice she looked, and when she swore at him he’d said how unpleasant she was. They’d followed him out of the club and attacked him from behind in the street.

The prosecutor admitted that the worst of the attackers should have been in the court for assaulting him with a dangerous weapon – a stilleto in the eye causes blindness. Instead she accepted a caution and no further action was taken.

It was evident he’d been trying to escape the area and to find his jacket. He was acquitted. The case was thrown out with less than 2 minutes consideration by the magistrates.

So, yeah, if a male or female attacks you to that degree then striking back as a last resort is what you might need to do, even though it is heavily looked down upon.

What is the worse fight you have ever been in?

Do you mean the worst loss or the most aggressive win. The bloodiest fight I was ever in took place in a bar. I’m going to give them short version of this night because I don’t want to type it all out. Because of a little scuffle at a party I was at all my friends got turned around. We all went different ways. I ended up ina bar laying low wondering if cops maybe looking for me. So already pumped up from the fun at the party I wasn’t going to say away from nothing. In the bar got a beer and walk towards the pool tables. Now I’m not a big guy about average five nine and 170 poundsat 21 years of age hanging drywall for a living and trying m.m.a. 5 nights a week. I was in better shape than most men. But I my leather riding jacket no one could see i wasn’t in great shape looked like a skin nerd. My whole life people challenged me. I can’t remember the exact words that where said to me but my response was I fuck bitchs bader than you. Witch led to him thinking he needed to prove me wrong. Mind you’ve all ready been in a fight that had a lot more involved than just 2 men and ran I don’t know how far. I knew I had to win fast as I got pounding on this guy I didn’t notice his two friends jumping not knowing exactly what was happening I pulled my knife just a small lock blade. As used it on one of the guys the other ones wanted nothing to do with it. This small hole in the wall tavern didn’t have door men. But cops had been called they showed up took me to jail at first charged with assault 2 weapons enhancement. I ended up plea bargaining to a displaying a weapon with intent to harm and or intimidate. Did get a strike but got 60 months in a maximum security penitentiary. That was the worst fight I’ve ever been in.

Have you ever received a confidential email that wasn’t intended for you?

I was being given a severance package. While it was something I had negotiated and was okay with (finally), the setting was a bit strange.

I had walked into the meeting with my coat and bag and was ready to leave. The HR rep (with whom I was on good terms) and my boss were waiting for me. The rep was laughing. I asked why and he said that he’d bet my boss 20 bucks that I’d be all ready to go.

My boss objected saying “Yeah but I added that he’d have all the cards and cell phone and company stuff in an envelope too.”

I smiled and took an envelope out of my bag and slid it over to the HR rep.

At that my boss started in on his spiel but was flustered. He stopped and said “I guess you know all this. Here’s the pertinent papers. Good luck!” He handed me a few papers and envelopes and beat a hasty retreat.

Later when I got home I found a printed email that he’d sent to the president of the company explaining why they’d had to give me the package. One line stood out. “I’ve been trying to get him to quit for a year and it hasn’t worked.” In his fluster he had passed me stuff that he shouldn’t have.

Yeah. It cost ‘em.

Zhou Shen’s (周深新) new song “Floating Light” | Singer Reaction!

https://youtu.be/zKjrRNGpiYM

Do you wish you can be young again, or are you content with your age?

I just turned 43.

I had a lot more sex in my late 20’s, which was fun. My endless pursuit of it also derailed a lot of golden opportunities life handed me in a golden basket. It was like:

“Here’s a free basket of incredible things for you, Stephen!”

“Wait. What? What’s that stuff?”

“An amazing cornucopia of gifts, just for you!”

“NO!”

Why did I do this? Because I couldn’t think about anything else besides sex. Ironically, I had all that fun when I was an incredible jerk to people. (If anybody on Quora thinks I’m a jerk now, you’re not totally wrong, but be grateful you didn’t know me back when I was 27. Whew. What an asshole.)

In my early 30’s, I was consumed by weepy nostalgia and crippling loneliness. This also caused me to pass on a lot of great opportunities. Life, but especially North Carolina, handed me a lot of amazing options… and I threw those back in its face, because I was obsessed with running into the past. At 33, I was still such a baby. An egocentric little whiner.

I finally hit a pretty good stride in my late 30s. And my 40’s have been amazingly calm overall. Don’t think too much about the past, don’t have to battle hormones so much, not rich but not broke either. Haven’t been in a relationship in several years, which is dumb, but also haven’t had to deal with all that madness, which is refreshing. Things are alright, really.

Done more travel globally in the last five years than I did at any point in my late 20’s or early 30’s, because I couldn’t afford it back then. And the quality of that travel has improved. Hard to say why. (I still stay at hostels sometimes, it’s not like I travel in swanky luxury today.) But the experience just seems richer and more interesting. A more mature appreciation of things, I guess. Art seems more profound, because I know more about humanity. Humanity created art. Food tastes better. Don’t know why, it just does. I’m definitely a better cook.

At 43, I’ve obviously read more books than at any other time in my life. The cumulative effect of a lifetime of reading has an impact on you. You can sit down and read William Wordsworth or Alexander Pope and think “This guy gets it.” At 21, I would have no idea what the hell they were talking about.

YouTube and the internet seem incredibly boring. Facebook: mindnumbing. Except for maybe Google Maps, you really feel like you’ve reached the end of what the internet has to offer.

Chronic indigestion is slowly killing me, even though I don’t have any sins anymore besides a few beers a week and a cigar. I can’t even really do that anymore. Every time I eat, I have to drink some baking soda dissolved in water just to control the indigestion. It’s awful. Eat a cookie: burp. Eat a banana: burp. I’m seeing a doctor in March. This is the only thing (so far) about getting old that just absolutely sucks.

Speaking personally here, because honestly I’m at a stage of life when a lot of people go through mid-life crises and resort to hookers and vodka to make themselves feel “young” again, but I feel less angst-ridden now than I ever did at any time in the past. My early 30’s were a disaster.

The only real question I have is why more women don’t find guys who’ve dumped most of their chronic bullshit appealing, and why women keep gravitating toward dumb suckers in their 20’s and 30’s. (Oh shit, eureka, I’ve found the answer: because women do exactly the same thing men do!). I’m not as “exciting” as I used to be. Yeah, and I’m not as stupid and rude.

But do I want to jeopardize what I have just to a have a woman in it? I mean, I like women a lot. But right now, no, I’m not jeopardizing my piece of mind just for anybody. I’m holding out for someone who is sheer gold.

Greek Salad

lemon salmon greek salad 8
lemon salmon greek salad 8

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 bunch Romaine lettuce
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 cucumber
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • Kalamata olives
  • Feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 or 2 cloves crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

  1. Whisk together dressing and let it sit while you prepare the vegetables.
  2. Wash and spin dry lettuce, tear into pieces. Slice onion, tomato and cucumber. Add olives and feta to taste.
  3. Whisk dressing before pouring on salad and toss.

Serves 4.

This goes well with focaccia bread or pita and hummus.

lemon salmon greek salad 11
lemon salmon greek salad 11

What’s the most brutal and intense hand-to-hand fight you’ve ever had?

In college a guy accused me of stealing his bike (yeah I know) came to my dorm room drunk and tried fighting me in front of the whole floor. I tried getting away by closing my door but he forced his way in. He grabbed me and dragged me outside into the hall. He pushed me into one of those fire extinguisher cabinets with the break away glass. It shattered immediately. I grabbed the extinguisher and hit him in the face knocking out his front teeth. The return swing dislocated his shoulder. The third crushed the orbital of his left eye. Everything happened in about five seconds. I needed forty stitches in my back and arm from the glass. He was over 18 but thinking like he was in high school. He got arrested for breaking and entering, assault, and battery. He was found guilty of assault and battery and witness tampering. I hadn’t stolen his bike, I’d never seen his bike, and I let the police search my dorm room all they wanted. They never found his bike.

Eileen

“Come on Eileen”.

Yeah. I was just minding my own business and this classic comes on.

Come On Eileen” is a song by the English group Dexys Midnight Runners (credited to Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express), released in the United Kingdom in June 1982 as a single from their second studio album Too-Rye-Ay.

It reached number one in the United States and was their second number one hit in the UK, following 1980’s “Geno“.

The song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley and was initially claimed to be written by Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson and Billy Adams, although Rowland later stated that the essence of the tune should be attributed to Kevin Archer.

“Come On Eileen” won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards, and in 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the nation’s sixth favourite 1980s number one single in a poll for ITV. It was ranked number eighteen on VH1‘s “100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s” and was Britain’s best-selling single of 1982.

“Come on Eileen”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BODDyZRF6A&list=RD6BODDyZRF6A&start_radio=1

There’s nothing particularly special about this song except that it represents a specific time in my life. And when I heard the song, I was transported to that time, and in that place.

Todays…

What is the most intelligent one liner you have come across?

I had over a hundred toxic exposure personal injury cases pending against a major chemical company. To save money and gain a strategic advantage, the defense attorney filed motions in every case across the US to compel participation in a single deposition of their product development expert. Known as a de bene esse deposition, the transcript would be read at all trials instead of the witness’ live testimony. It would prevent live cross examination in front of juries, and updating questions based on new developments or ongoing testimony in the various cases. it was scheduled to occur within a few days at the company’s HQ in another state.

I had sent this company detailed interrogatories and records requests delving into their knowledge of the dangers of their product/similar products and pertinent scientific literature. This information was critical to adequately prepare to cross examine the witness. Despite my demanding this for months, they had never responded. Thus, part of my answer to their motion to compel the deposition was a counter motion to compel responses to my discovery requests.

On the day of their motion, moments before we appeared before the judge, the defense lawyer handed me the company’s responses. Despite the fact that I had asked at least 60 questions [including sub heading follow-ups], and requested numerous user safety documents required by public health laws, the “answers” [mostly consisting of “irrelevant,” “unavailable,” “objection – confidential proprietary information,” etc] were contained on two typed sheets. There were no documents. The company lawyer smirked at me, thinking he had deflated my best argument, and further, condescended to a female attorney 20 years younger than he.

His motion was called, we both stood, and he argued confidently that his client should not be burdened by multiple depositions all over the US, and that we plaintiff lawyers would all be asking the same questions in any event. He argued that judges all over the US had already granted this motion to “streamline” the litigation.

Then it was my turn. I asked the judge if I could approach the bench. He raised his eyebrows, but he consented. I handed him the “answers” to the interrogatories, explaining that I had just received them moments ago. I asked him to please read them. He looked annoyed but did so—- it took about two minutes. He looked up at me a little impatiently and said “Well?”

I replied: “Your honor is now as prepared as I will be to take the deposition of this absolutely critical witness on behalf of all my clients. I respectfully ask you: do YOU feel adequately prepared?”

He sat back in his chair and smiled, cocked his head, looked at the defense lawyer and ruled: “Your motion for de bene esse deposition is denied. Plaintiff’s motion compelling discovery is granted. Call the next case.”

Modern Wife Instantly Regrets Divorcing Good Husband

It is so difficult being a single parent. It makes me want to cry.

https://youtu.be/Qj9FzntQKwY

When have you cheaply or inexpensively fixed an item someone thought unrepairable?

Invited to dinner by a friend of mine, we were listening to music afterwards and I mentioned that there were annoying vibrations coming from the right channel of his sound system.

“Yes, I think the speaker’s blown. I’m going to buy a new set.”

I listened some more.

“I don’t think so. Let me have a look.”

I took off the front of the speaker and almost immediately discovered a screw was lose and this was the source of the vibration.

Have you got a Phillips screwdriver?”

He gave me one, I tightened the screw, fix completed.

A couple of weeks later I was in my local bar chatting to a friend and she suddenly asked me if I could look at her sound system.

I was puzzled.

“Why? I don’t want to buy one.”

“No, it’s not that. Greg told me you fixed his and mine isn’t working properly. Could you see if you could fix it, please?”

I explained that all I had done was tightened a screw and I was by no means a sound system repair man, thus destroying my chances of developing a side gig as a sound engineer.

Some people are easily impressed and, it would appear, rumours of non-existent competence can spread rather easily.

Taiwan Election Fallout

https://youtu.be/j2_L3cYxYQ4

What’s something you regard as true but have no evidence for?

I say this as someone who has been teaching middle school (students aged 11–14) for over 15 years now, and who worked in special ed before that:

A nontrivial percentage of behaviors which fall under various special education diagnoses are, in fact, learned behaviors.

Learned helplessness, for example. That seventh grader who needs someone else to write down their assignments for them, because they “can’t focus enough” in class to write it down themselves? It’s no coincidence that that’s the same seventh grader whose parents have coddled them and treated them like a toddler well too far into adolescence.

Sure, now your kid can’t do that for themselves. Now your kid is far behind their peers in terms of independence. Because you taught your child helplessness by doing everything for them. What came first, your teenager needing to be treated like a toddler, or you treating your teenager like a toddler, even when they probably didn’t need it anymore?

And so you take your kid to a doctor, and the doctor diagnoses them with ADHD. Sure, they have ADHD. Anyone can see that. But what caused it? Or, rather, who caused it? Not all of you, but some of you parents need to look in the mirror for that answer.

Oppositional Defiance Disorder is another one. Yes, your kid has a problem with authority. Was your kid born with this problem? Not likely. They picked it up somewhere along the way. And who, more than anyone else in their life, is responsible for making sure they respect authority, to keep themselves out of trouble?

Maybe the kid who always gets in trouble at school has some sort of chemical imbalance or some major trauma in their past. It happens. It’s also equally possible, I believe, that that kid’s parents just did a shitty job of preparing their child for a world where they have to listen to authority figures to stay out of trouble.

But they can take their kid to a doctor and get a diagnosis of “O.D.D.,” so they sleep a little better at night, thinking that it’s not their fault that their kid can’t stay out of trouble. It’s a medical condition.

“Executive functioning problems” are another one. Is your kid so disorganized because they were born with some special need which made it difficult for them to be organized? Or did you just never take the time to teach your child how to stay organized, until it was too late? Perhaps it’s not your fault. Or perhaps you really dropped the ball when your kid was younger, and now that ball is too heavy to pick back up. Both possibilities have about the same chance of being true.

To be clear, I’m not saying all of these issues are caused by parenting. I’m not even saying most of them are. I’m just saying that some of them are. Enough of them that it’s statistically relevant.

Of course, I can’t prove any of that. I’m just calling it like I’ve seen it, year after year, for the last two decades.

This Video Will Leave Every Man SPEECHLESS…

https://youtu.be/0PGc6CDYmIw

What are some things that people who live in places with brutally low temperatures know, that the rest of us don’t?

Back in December 1983, Chicago spent 100 hours below -20F. Wind chill made it -86F. I worked downtown back then. No elevated train until a decade later, so the buses went down I-55 into the Loop. (Small edit: the buses were for shit, wind would come in through the doors and the window slats. The Orange Line could get you downtown in 20 minutes, the Green Limousine (our nickname) took about 90 minutes on a good day.)

If you wore wire frame glasses, they would freeze to your nose momentarily. You layer up and you don’t bother to color coordinate. Look like a clown astronaut, no one will care. You’ll even blend in. Your nose might run waiting on the bus, it will freeze. Wiggle your nose and the ice will fall away.

Don’t walk anywhere without the intention of stopping. Back in the 70s, I was walking only about a half mile to get a bus, and part of my brain kept saying to stop. Sit down on that bench. Rest. You’re halfway there. This was at midnight. Somebody would have found my body, no doubt frozen to the bench, in the morning.

A few have asked, or questioned why *I* never said something, as if *I* don’t exist, and that really frosts my cone. again, sun was out. If a piece of ice can snap away without breaking, it is warming up. Holding the icicle for ten seconds, my hand would be colder walking to the end of the driveway to the mailbox and back.

Plus: why would I give my dog something that might hurt his tongue? Chicago beats all logic.

Ray Dalio Explains Why America is Entering A Horrific Financial Crisis

https://youtu.be/f6u1-2Emyic

What scary gut feeling did you have that turned out to be true?

Ive been blessed with cracks between the worlds now and then.

I woke up one morning and told my late wife that we must cancel our trip to town as l had seen a “dream”, that a tree would fall on our vehicle. We had not been together long enough for her to know me all that well yet, and she got very upset because her heart was set on town, we were homesteading and needed some things she considered desperate ( like coffee🤣).

So after lots of persuasion I agreed to go. It was a two hour trip one way and I was keenly keeping an eye to where my vision had warned of the tree coming from, and sure enough, I caught a glimpse of the exact same tree coming at us. Because I had the warning and was looking for it , and my quick reactions of youth, I Swerved and slammed into it as it hit the road just in front of us, instead of ON us. We totaled our vehicle, but survived.

After that ,she always listened to my “hunches”(as she called em).

Greek-Style Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Greek Stuffed Chicken 1024x768 1
Greek Stuffed Chicken 1024×768 1

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach
  • 1/4 pound feta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons Romano cheese, grated
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon oregano

Instructions

  1. Thaw the spinach and drain as much of the moisture as possible. Mix with the crumbled feta cheese, grated Romano, salt and pepper.
  2. Make a slit in the side of each chicken breast. Fill the slit with the spinach mixture and close with wooden picks.
  3. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides and remove to a warm platter.
  4. Sprinkle the flour into the same pan and integrate with the remaining oil. Cook for about 1 minute. Slowly, add the wine and chicken stock and stir until a smooth sauce has formed. Add the lemon juice and the oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Bring to a boil and return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is very tender.

Zhou Shen’s new song “Floating Light” is sung for the first time tonight! REACTION – BEAUTIFUL!

https://youtu.be/Kc4z1SsBLyM

Have you ever had a problem with a coworker while working as a waiter/waitress? How did you handle it?

Back in my 20’s while working at a popular coffee shop, I had about an hour to go completing the graveyard shift, I was on the floor with an older gal about 45, 7 construction workers came in for breakfast and sat in her station. She went over to the table, and after about 5 minutes she stormed over to me and said “no way am I waiting on those jerks!, they are telling dirty jokes and everything”, so I told her I would wait on them, and I gave her 2 of my 4 top tables in exchange. I went over to their table, and they immediately began telling me the jokes, I looked at them and smiled saying “hmm, I’m not sure what that means but I can laugh”. The man who apparently was the foreman immediately told all the men to shut up and stop with the jokes, I suddenly became someone like a “daughter” he needed to protect (innocent). The service went great and they were all respectful of me, that foreman made each person leave me a 5.00 tip! That was a 35.00 tip on a 7 person breakfast that only came to about 45.00! OMG, now the trouble started, the other waitress saw what I got and ran to the manager demanding that I split that tip with her because after all, it WAS originally her table! The manager told her “hey, you told Linda to pick them up AND she gave you 2 of her tables to make if fair, so if you don’t agree with that, you can go”. The next week, the guys returned and she RAN to get them in her section, they began their dirty jokes, and this time she went along with them, and when they left, she got ZERO tip! Why? Because they saw right through her, I stopped by their table a few times to say hi, and was respected. Was she mad? oh HELL yes!

What is the one purely accidental thing you did that saved you or someone else from a major disaster?

Last Summer, I was sitting on the dock at my town’s marina watching boats being launched. A new-looking 25 foot boat was being launched from a trailer. There was some water coming out from a fitting near the stern. It seemed unusual but the launch angle might have caused some bilge water to move towards the stern where the bilge pump is normally located.

After launch, I couldn’t see much while the boat was tied to the launch dock. Its captain drove the trailer to a parking area and returned twenty minutes later to board with his family of young children. As the boat left, I could see that water was still coming out from the fitting.

I suspected that the owner had neglected to install his bilge plug. I called to the captain to point out his problem. His bilge pump could barely have kept up with the leak as long as his engine was charging his batteries but he would be in real trouble if he anchored somewhere. By the time he noticed, the boat would be settling in the water with dead batteries and the starting motors immersed in seawater.

At first, he gave me the look of someone who did not want to be bothered. He proceeded past my position before thinking better of ignoring my warning. He stopped to inspect his bilge and quickly headed back to the launch ramp. It took him about an hour to haul his boat, install the bilge plug and re-launch. Had he continued without installing his bilge plug, his new boat would surely have gone down.

China ANGERS The West, “We Won’t Destroy Our Economy For You”

https://youtu.be/ZpL1bL4Qu7M

What is the most shameless scam you’ve seen?

Years ago, there was a couple who sat in the parking lot with signs that read “Unemployed, four hungry children, please help. God bless you.” They had been doing this for over a year when our local newspaper interviewed them an published their story. This couple stated that they lost their good jobs due to the recession and just wanted jobs so they could feed their kids and, maybe buy a house some day – to be back on their feed again. After the story came out, they were flooded with job offers from all over the county.

Yeah, they turned them all down because panhandling was much more lucrative.

I worked in the city and there were quite a few off ramp and street corner panhandlers – the same ones every day. One day, I saw a young woman who left her corner, walked to the convenience store parking lot and got in to her brand new Honda Accord and drove home. Shift was over, I guess.

Now for a good story: There were two men who stood at the end of exit ramp I took on my way to work for about seven years. One was older, missing teeth and looked like he had led a hard life. The other was young, maybe early-mid 20s and he wore a funky top hat and played guitar and sang – he was really talented and all songs were his own originals. No sign, he just played his music. I am a go-with-my-gut person and never once did they ever made me feel uneasy.

After having enough experiences in horrendous traffic jams and snow stoms, I always keep protein or granola bars and a few bottles of water in my car. I would give them these when the light was red and, very occasionally, enough cash to buy a meal and they were always so kind.

I hadn’t seen the young man for a couple of months until, one night, I stopped at the mini mart on my way home from work for a diet soda and there he was. Working behind the counter. He looked healthy and happy and was so glad to be working. We spoke for a few minutes then he came around and gave me a big hug – man, did I get a lot of dust in my eyes.

Greek Orange Cake in Orange Syrup (Pontica)

Greek Orange Cake in Orange Syrup Pontica
Greek Orange Cake in Orange Syrup Pontica

Ingredients

Syrup

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar

Cake

  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. First make the syrup by combining the orange juice, water and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the syrup from the stove and allow to go cold.
  3. Butter an 8 x 12-inch baking pan with all the melted butter. Mix the flour and baking powder together in a small bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff and they can form a peak.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until light yellow; add the sugar, orange rind and vanilla and blend well.
  5. To the egg yolk mixture add the egg whites a little at a time, alternating with 2 tablespoons of flour mixture until all used. Pour the batter into the pre-buttered baking pan.
  6. Bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Remove the cake from the baking pan and cut into diamond shapes. Place the cake pieces on a large plate that will trap the syrup when poured over.
  8. Pour the cooled syrup over the still warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

Yield: about 15 pieces

A crying mother cat brough her dying kitten to a man. Just unbelievable!

https://youtu.be/M5CTlPFTpPI

Have you ever returned home from a vacation and found an unwelcome surprise?

Yup. Came home to find our cable wires cut.

Of course we didn’t know they were cut until the Cable Guy asked us if we had any enemies. Which shocked us, until we realized what had happened prior to us leaving for vacation…

We have Wi-Fi through Comcast. We pay for that service. We realized that the neighbors across the street were stealing our Wi-Fi. So we put a password on it. For security reasons. Nothing wrong with that, right? WRONG!

They (four men) would sit on their porch with their laptops. We thought it odd since it wasn’t a comfortable porch and they were all crammed together. More of a doorway and just some stairs. We didn’t have a relationship with them, just the occasional neighborly wave. My brother is the one who enlightened us to the fact that they were outside because they were hooking up to and stealing our Wi-Fi. He told us to put a password and watch what happens. So, they were outside, we put a password, their connection died, they stared at our house, and closed their laptops and went inside. We giggled like little schoolgirls and went on with our lives.

About two weeks later, we went on vacation. And when we came home, none of our electronics worked. Called the cable company. They couldn’t get any signal so they sent the technician. He looked outside, and that is when he asked if we had any enemies. All wires had been cut. Could you believe it? They got mad at us for taking away something they were stealing! And of course, without cameras, we had no proof.

Some people just suck.

China called Taiwan’s 2024 election a choice between peace and war. Now that Taiwan has chosen war, what will China do?

Taiwanese did not choose war. Taiwanese did not gave a single seat out for an outright pro independence party! That party lost every SINGLE seat in the election.

DPP Tsai Ing Wen party and now Lai Cheng Te took over is pro independence favouring party that recognise the one China policy. It assures its voters they won’t harm cross straits harmony. Yet it could garner a mere 29% votes and lost the parliament to KMT by one seat and now need a coalition to even has a say!

What will China do? China will let the U.S. implode further, will let the Taiwanese people realise it does not want a Ukraine. And they don’t! China is sitting pretty. The U.S. is totally fxxked up!

Taiwanese are Chinese stock just like me of Hokkien origin. We know that by sucking up to the U.S., Ukraine lost 500 thousand men, 9 million seek asylum, 4 regions to Russia and 1/3 of their land and almost the entire Black Sea coast! Taiwanese voted for kinda an economic union with China and some special status of being independent somewhat! They voted against outright independence and they are very wary of the U.S. and its influence.

The real question if you are smart enough to ask is, does the billions of CIA, NED and other government agencies money spent on Taiwan worth anything? Does it pay off?

The answer us zero and nil. Once again the US is taken as a sucker!

Wife IN SHOCK After Husband Uploads Her Cheating Videos To Website And Sends The Link To EVERYONE

https://youtu.be/0jvAEjHKa1U

What have you seen that made you think, “If you wanted to be fired you could just ask”?

There was a pretty epic incident from a few years back.

There was a dead man in the Denver hospital (Denver Health), in their morgue or some holding area. He had recently passed.

One of the nurses was apparently impressed by his manhood, enough so that she went and told the other nurses something to the effect of, “You have to see this man’s D!”

She and 4 other nurses went on to go look at the deceased’s manhood.

Unfortunately for them, someone overheard the conversation and reported them. An investigation was then launched by risk management which resulted in 4 of them being suspended. (Source: Nurses who opened body bag to view size of dead patient’s penis suspended. Smith, Lydia. The Independent)

One of them also resigned from her position following the incident.

The man must have had quite a member there. And they do say that your body gets stiff after you die…

So far behind

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gbbebN7kjaI?feature=share

What was the moment you cancelled the friendship with your best friend?

I had a best friend from 14 till 29. For her 30th she threw herself a party, it was set to be wonderful, great food, drinks, friends a bonfire, just a wonderful evening. She and I hadn’t spent a ton of time together for several months before due to work and such so I was elated to hang with her and actually get to know this guy she’d been seeing for 6 months or so.

My friend was always a bit of an entitled princess but I usually ignored her when she did that. This party every 5 min she’d scream at the new guy: “go get me a drink” “are you stupid? My drink has been empty!” ”why haven’t you been paying enough attention to me it’s my biiiiiiirthdaaaay” it was annoying but hey she’s a bit drunk, oh well. Then as her bf is talking to HIS SISTER and I she walks up behind him and smacks him in the face full force. Her reason? “I knew what he was going to do, pay attention to other women and say things I don’t like so he deserved it.”

After that smack I quickly got ready and left. A week or so later I met her for lunch and confronted her, thinking perhaps she didn’t recall due to alcohol and I could encourage her to get help. Nope, she remembered just fine and felt she was justified to get her way. That was the last day of our friendship.

Do you think Japan will continue to export successful “soft power” fare in the future?

Japan is in a dire need to go back to the drawing board. It needs to rethink blind allegiance to the U.S., it needs to rethink Japanese only mindset, it needs to rethink helping the U.S. doing shit on China. It needs to grasp how humongous China is, and that how influential it is in the world today.

It needs a fresh perspective, soft power is good when you are winning competition, Japan is not! Soft power is good as an icing on the cake. Today Japan has lost its cake all together.

Steel is gone, Ship building is gone, electronics is all but gone, infrastructure building is gone, high speed train is all but gone and so is automotive industry, tourism is useful but cannot sustain high cost of Japan as a subservient and submissive country to the U.S.

Japan’s economy is fine if the west and the U.S. represents 60% of the world’s demand. Today it is less than 30% of world’s demand. Sucking up to the 30% and offending the balance 70% is a suicidal strategy. It’s population dwindled a million a year! It domestic demand is fast evaporating. It’s export machine has all but stopped except perhaps for some super high end products that has a minute market!

Japan’s biggest dilemma is between sucking up to the U.S. or facing reality. It has chosen being a slave vassal state of Uncle Sam! Can it survive? I very much doubt so!

At best it gets to play a house slave role but at a cost of an imploding an economy. It’s debts us already the largest versus its GDP on planet earth.

Were Roman gladiators allowed to sleep with slave women on occasion?

Roman gladiators had a very strange place in Roman society.

First off, we need to remember than gladiatorial combat was staged and hammed up for dramatic effect, and was rarely to the death. It wasn’t any more “real” than pro wrestling is today. It was a show, and sex appeal was a big part of the show.

On one hand, Gladiators were slaves, the lowest of the low. Furthermore, entertainers of all sorts (actors, dancers, etc) were infamia — outcastes, basically. A Roman citizen lost many of their rights if they were infamia. An infame had nothing to lose, socially or legally, by prostituting themselves.

On the other hand, gladiators were famous and glamorous slaves who were often invited to mingle with and entertain the highest social classes.

And gladiators were expensive slaves. A good gladiator might sell for 500,000 sesterces or more. A unskilled laborer in good health was worth maybe 1,500-2,000 sesterces. (Translating ancient currency into modern currency is basically impossible and misleading, but as a rough guide a skilled tradesman might make 8000 sesterces a year)

All slaves and entertainers were expected to have sex whenever and with whomever their owner or employer commanded. Even for free entertainers, prostitution was part of the job description. It’s likely that most slaves were at least occasionally rented out by their owners as prostitutes. That undoubtedly included gladiators. It is not a stretch of the imagination that a slave owner might have hired a gladiator to stand at stud with a slave girl he wanted to breed. The Romans regarded slaves the same way we regard livestock.

Roman culture was bi-normative; they didn’t have words for “gay” or “straight.” There was nothing shameful or unusual about a man having sex with another man. What was shameful was to be the bottom to someone of lower social status, or allowing yourself to be used for someone else’s pleasure. Roman values were centered around power and control; being the receptive partner in sex was seen as giving up power and control. A rich Roman citizen would likely have viewed fucking a gladiator as a demonstration of their natural superiority.

Roman women had much less sexual autonomy than men, but it was recurring gossip that Roman women (up to and including the Empress) bedded gladiators for sport. Gladiator sweat was also sold as an aphrodisiac (seriously).

Victoria Nuland

He was killed because of this video.

https://youtu.be/TzR—YDDIQ

Did you ever beat up the high school bully in front of everyone?

My little sister was two years younger and two grades behind me in school. She found me and my sports teammates one day and complained to me that a certain boy in her class has been bugging her, pulling her hair, trying to pull her bra strap and other such nuisances. So I told her, lead the way, little sister.

My teammates knew who this bully was and followed a bit behind me without me knowing it. I’m not that big of a guy but a couple of my teammates were. I figured I could just scare this bully and it would all be over. I rounded a corner with my little sister and she pointed out the bully. He was half a head taller than me and 30 or 40 pounds heavier. I gulped and I think everyone in the hallway heard it.

I walked up to the bully with my little sister and she menacingly said to him, “I told you I would get my brother to come and take care of you!”. Unbeknownst to me, that was my friends’ cue to come around the corner and stand a bit behind my sister and me. I took one more step up to the bully and told him he better leave my little sister alone or else…. I thought he was looking at me, but he was looking over my shoulder at my friends, and just nodded his head, then walked away.

When I turned around and saw my big friends, they were laughing at me and jeering, “OR ELSE!”. I started to laugh too. My little sister was happy – she would let us know now and then that the bully never bothered her again, and in fact had almost stopped bullying everyone.

And that became my friends’ catch phrase. Anytime I would make a statement, one of them, right on cue would add “OR ELSE!” Yah, that only lasted 2 years.

Have you ever been asked or told something so offensive you found yourself momentarily stunned?

When I was 22 I dropped out of college to have and raise my daughter. People were astounded I’d do that, as I also had to give up a full ride Air Force ROTC scholarship (I’d been introduced to the Governor of Oregon when I received it, made the newspapers).

Anyway, she was 6–9 months old and one of my soon-to-be-ex-college buddies called. I answered the phone as I was scooping some sweet potatoes into her, the airplane was coming into the hangar! She was in her high chair with her mouth open like a baby bird, hands up in excited fists giggling in anticipation of the plane vrooming some more sweet potatoes into her mouth.

He made the comment “I don’t know why you left school, you could have just had her get an abortion. You really messed up your career path. Think of all the money you’re missing out on.”

My daughter was looking me in the eyes smiling as he said that. I immediately hated his goddamn guts. So, excused myself from the phone call. I maintained contact over the years just to see how things panned out between us.

She grew up to be an EMT. She drives around saving other people’s lives, and has 4 kids herself. When she turned 19 and got her EMT certification, I went back to school and got my engineering degree.

Now I make more money than he does, have a superhero daughter, and 4 grandkids, and pictures of one million trips to the zoo, amusement park, daddy-daughter dances, holidays, etc. He has no children, grandchildren. He has a cat.

Fuck that guy.

What is the biggest waste of electricity you’ve seen in a home you visited, were a guest in, or even in your own home?

When my wife and I were first dating her electric bill in an apartment complex seemed high. The final straw was when she was gone for a two week trip and her electric bill was even higher than the previous month. I looked at the electrical panel and did a check on each circuit breaker, tripping it and seeing which lights or appliances were without electricity. I then marked them with a file sticky tab indicating what they went to. Two of the breakers didn’t seem to shut anything off. I told her to leave them off until we figured out what they went to.

Two days later an apartment maintenance worker was working on the apartment below hers. She noticed the worker, but it didn’t register to her why the worker might be there working on the apartment below hers.

The next day there was an electrician there and the “light bulb” in my girlfriend’s mind came on. She asked the electrician what kind of problem they were having, the electrician indicated that several appliances in the apartment suddenly went dead and had no power being supplied to them.

Turns out the two electrical breakers that I had tripped went to the water heater and the A/C unit for the apartment below hers. The apartment maintenance worker spent the whole day working on the problem for the apartment below hers before calling the electrician to perform the proper checks and determine the problem.

She told the electrician what I had done. He checked the breakers and told her that she had been being billed for the electricity to run the water heater and the A/C unit in the apartment below hers.

She asked if the electrician could fix the problem and take out those two extra breakers in her electrical panel. The electrician worked for several hours and then came back and said that the problem was fixed. The electrician had done one better, the people below that had been jerks while working to fix the problem. They now supplied electricity to run her water heater.

She never mentioned it for the two years that she lived there thinking it was probably going to even out over time for the electricity that she had previously supplied to the apartment below her.

The people below her complained several times about the increase in their electrical bill over what it had been prior to me tripping the breakers and discovering the electrical syphoning that had occurred.

No one ever came to check the electrical circuits for the rest of the time she lived there.

What are some of the best examples of “American ignorance”?

So I’m sitting on the hotel terrace in Düsseldorf, Germany sipping a wheat beer on a warm summer night last June.

Three American late-middle-age men sharing the table next to me with a similarly-aged German are debating the pros and cons of their company health care plans.

One guy prefers low premiums, with higher out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses. Another travels a lot and doesn’t want to be tied to one network. The third guy is in great shape and argues for a high-deductible health plan with a tax-advantaged health savings account.

They try to outdo each other with lower copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums. Then they start in on horror stories from friends and family about outrageous billing, uncovered services, out-of-network charges, and medical bankruptcies.

The German listens politely until one of the men asks him if medical bankruptcies are a problem in Germany.

He answers, “oh no, all our costs are covered by the medical insurance.”

One of the Americans immediately cuts in and says, “oh, that’s right, Germans have really expensive universal coverage. I’m so glad we have freedom of choice in America.”

The Americans then continue their internal debate without asking the German another question.

“American ignorance” is not the problem, most people, from all countries, myself included, are pretty ignorant about a lot of things in life.

The problem with these Americans was not ignorance, it was an utter lack of curiosity and interest in anything outside their scope of experience.

Ignorance has a cure. Indifference is usually terminal.

Death of Gonzalo Lira, Crumbling Ukrainian Air Defenses, Growing Russian Military Capabilities

https://youtu.be/gwQCA7HK8xA

How do old people with low net worths live life? What are their lives like?

My mother in law has no net worth. She was a single mother working multiple minimum wage jobs, to get her daughters raised. My wife told her mother, that she did a great job, and that my wife had everything she needed as a child. Then my sil had a baby while still going to school, my mother in laws days, of supporting her grand daughter just started. She only had a month or two worth of expense money when she retired.

When she was 65 she moved into a seniors centre.

In Canada we have CPP, which pays out according to how much you pay in. She didn’t pay in that much, we also have OAS that anyone who has lived in Canada for 40 years, before turning 65 is entitled to. It pays $742 a month, finally we have a Guaranteed income supplement, to top up your retirement. If you have little income, like my mil, it pays out $1065 a month. So my mother in law earns $1800 a month, $21,600 a year. There are a lot of people like this.

But being in progressive Saskatchewan, my MILs senior centre charges her a percentage of her income, if she had more income, they would charge her more.

Until covid hit, she took a taxi to the nearest cheap grocery once a week, now she has it delivered, at 93 she can’t handle shopping for groceries.

She spends time either visiting or being visited by kids, grandkids, great grand kids, and great great grand kids. Or having coffee with her few remaining friends. Until recently she prepared meals and vacuumed at her granddaughters place, while they were harvesting.

She watches TV, plays board games at the senior center, does puzzles and crosswords, or plays Yahtzee with relatives. Up until recently she would go for walks to the farmers market near her. She is constantly giving out small amounts of money, to her relatives, for treats.

She is afraid of flying.

So this is her life, she was very happy until covid, then she got isolated and lonely, and hasn’t quite sprung back.

Not everyone would be happy with this life, but its heaven to her. When she grew up on the farm, they didn’t have running water. Being able to use an indoor toilet and get water from a tap, in her old age, is a step up from her childhood.

Are police officers ever afraid of a suspect trying to get revenge on them?

Working a long-term undercover assignment, you become close to your target. They learn to trust you and let you into their very closed little world. This happens over an extended period of time. When it’s time to conclude an assignment, it’s natural for the target to feel played, betrayed, and downright pissed.

I recall one gang leader in particular who argued with the detectives, refusing to believe I was an undercover cop. I watched this from behind a one-way mirror. Several minutes later, I entered the room, still sporting long hair and a grungy beard but with a gold badge hanging from a chain around my neck. The man jumped to his feet and screamed, “You’re dead!”

His face turned beet red, and he had to be restrained even though he was already cuffed. This was one pissed-off bad guy. It’s important to note, we knew he had killed before and was about the last person on earth I wanted to seek revenge.

I tried to sit and talk to the man, but he wasn’t ready to listen. A few weeks later, I was allowed to meet with him in jail with his lawyer present. He now seemed willing to hear that working undercover was part of my job and was never personal. I told him that I understood his feeling betrayed and didn’t take his death threat seriously. He didn’t reply, which concerned me greatly.

I had kingpin drug charges on him, which should have meant twenty-five years in prison. However, he cut a deal by pleading guilty and was given just nine years. I would meet him again less than five years later, as he was already out. He sought me out while I was on duty as a uniform sergeant on a call at a bar. He told me we were cool and didn’t blame me for doing my job. He also told me he was going straight and had started a job as a welder.

I didn’t know what to believe, but in the end, it didn’t matter. About a month later, he was shot dead by a member of a rival gang. Problem solved.

What are some of the best examples of “American ignorance”?

I don’t know if it is ignorance, stupidity or just entitlement, but this just happened a couple of days ago at Barajas Airport, Madrid:

So anyone who has travelled to Europe and entered the Schengen Area knows that there are two queues, one for EU citizens and one for all other passports. You also might have noticed that airport and immigration personnel is usually right before the queues telling people where to go.

Anyway, along comes this sharply dressed “gentleman”:

Upon being told to go to the ALL PASSPORTS queue you can probably guess what he said to the lady directing people: “I’m American, I’m not standing on that line, it’s too long”. The lady just told him, quite tersely “European Union passports over here, all other passports over here” and then turned her back on him. He then proceeded to stand on the EU queue anyway.

I loved the look on his face when he got to the booth and the immigration officer told him that he could not go through and had to go to the back of the All passports queue!

Columbia and the Passport Bros

The MESSAGE is at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4EzlU9AMEaU?feature=share

Written by a 90 year old!!

🤙42 lessons life taught me 💖

It is something we should all read at least once a week! Make sure you read to the end!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it..

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

10. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

11. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

12. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it…

14 Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

15. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

16. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

17. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.💖

22. The most important sex organ is the brain.

23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

25. Always choose life.

26. Forgive but don’t forget.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

31. Believe in miracles.

32. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

33. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

34. Your children get only one childhood.

35. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

36. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. (I love this one)

37. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

38. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

39. The best is yet to come…

40. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

41. Yield.

42. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Men and women

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VnRidQv1DvM?feature=share

What is the craziest thing you have ever said or done at an interview and still gotten the job?

Well, I just retired at age 68 from being a Silicon Valley software development engineer for about 30 years. I probably literally have hundreds of interviews behind me. Some of them were quite funny and/or strange. But, the wildest one happened somewhere around 2014. (I may be off by a year or two either way.) Anyway, I was working for a small startup in Mountain View, California and it wasn’t going well. I had concerns about their future viability. And, so, I sent out my resume to my usual crowd of recruiters.

One of those recruiters got me a phone screen interview with Apple for an undisclosed position. (Meaning I had no idea what the job consisted of.) I had worked for Apple three different times in the past for a total of about 12 years — and, that included my very first job in 1990 as an entry-level engineer. I took the call on my personal cell phone while walking around in the parking lot because I didn’t want to be heard by my current employer. I just pretended that it was an important personal call (which I guess it actually was?) The phone screen interview was with the lead engineer of the team. I was under the impression that this was merely an initial screening and an in person interview would follow if I did well.

As best as I can remember the conversation went something like this after our initial greeting and exchange of names and background:

Interviewer: “Mr. Ussery, this job is an hourly contract position in support of Apple’s factory automation/robotics software as used in China and Ireland. And, it requires travel. Are you interested?”

Me: “Yes, I guess so, but I would like to know more about it.”

Interviewer: “Do you have any experience in this area?”

Me: “Absolutely none whatsoever.”

Interviewer: “Are you willing to travel and stay overseas for about six weeks, and do so for up to four times a year?”

Me: “Yes.”

Interviewer: “Do you have a current passport with a China work visa?”

Me: “I have a passport but it is expired, and I’ve never been to China.”

Interviewer: “I see. But, you have been overseas before?”

Me: “Yes. I have worked in Apple’s facility in Cork Ireland for six months in 1995.”

Interviewer: “That’s great! That is where I live and where I am currently calling you from. This position is home-based in Apple’s main campus in Cupertino, California. I spend about half my time there when I am not in China. Did you like Ireland?”

Me: “Yes, very much so.”

Interviewer: “How do you feel about working in China.”

Me: “I don’t know anything about it. I have never been there?”

Interviewer: “But, you would be willing to do so?”

Me: “Yes., I think so. Again, I would like to know more about it.”

Interviewer: “How many years of experience do you have with programming in C++?”

Me: “Over 20 years.”

Interviewer: “How many years of experience do you have with programming in Objective-C?”

Me: “About 15 years.”

Interviewer: “Have you programmed in non-MacOSX operating systems.”

Me: “Yes. I have programed on Linux and the Windows operating systems.”

Interviewer: “Do you know anything about factory operations, processes, and how final assembly of product are done?”

Me: “Not a thing. I don’t have any experience with that.”

Interviewer: “Do you know anything about factory quality control?”

Me: “No.”

Interviewer: “I see. Mr. Ussery, we would like to offer you a position working on our team. How soon can you start?”

They met me in person on my first day of work two weeks later.

And, that was how I got the best job I ever had — and up until very recently, the best paying job of my career. They even paid me while I had my butt parked on airplane flying to China or Ireland, and they paid me while I was in a shuttle bus going to and from a factory. (About two hours a day when I was in China.) Plus, they paid all my travel expenses and meals, and even put me up in four star luxury hotels when I was overseas. It was a great job, and it lasted about four years before I was replaced by a cheaper employee. I loved that job!

I think you’ll have to agree that the interview was pretty crazy. By the way, I made many really close friends while doing it, and that includes the original interviewer. My 60th birthday was a real blast too. I celebrated it eight years ago with six very drunk Irish engineers in Shanghai, China. I had a big hangover the next day — but it was worth it.

C’est la vie.

I Miss Living in CHINA! | America is SO Far Behind China

https://youtu.be/e93xiMitu7o

Why do so many people hate the self checkouts?

I will speak for myself:

Spite.

I like the idea of a self checkout for people who are in a hurry or don’t mind ringing themselves out. And that’s how the self checkouts were around here for the first decade or so that they existed. But, predictably, many of the businesses that I go to eventually replaced almost all of their employee checkouts with self checkouts.

I like having it as one of two options. I don’t like when it’s the only option. Or, as it is often around here, the only expedient option.

What a lot of places around here have done is to keep just one employee checkout open, and convert everything else to self checkout. The employee checkout always has a huge line (more spiteful customers, like me), which makes the self checkout seem like a better option. And that’s one of the points of only having one employee checkout open—to encourage customers to just use the self checkouts instead.

I remember, about 12 years ago, flying somewhere with my wife. When we got to the airport, an employee from our airline directed us to a self check-in kiosk. I said “no thanks,” and started to go to the counter to talk to a human about checking in. The employee literally stood in front of me and started going over the benefits of using the kiosk. I wasn’t interested. I know he was just doing his job, but the more he spoke, the more I was determined to not use that self check-in kiosk. According to my wife, I literally pushed the guy out of my way, so I could talk to a human. I don’t remember that, but I do remember being very mad that the guy wouldn’t shut up about the damn kiosk and just let me walk up to the counter.

Since then, I’ve quit patronizing two local fast food places which only have self-serve kiosks now, and no humans to give your orders to. Why? Spite. That’s why.

Also, in one of those places, I walked in with my prescription sunglasses on, and I literally could not see the screen on the self serve kiosk. It’s like it was polarized the same as my glasses. But I also couldn’t see it well without my glasses, because I’m very nearsighted. I had to walk back to my car to get my regular glasses. I just walked back to my car and went elsewhere instead.

I recently read a thread on social media. The topic was “I’m with the Boomers on this one.” It was basically all younger people saying that the Baby Boomers were right about not liking the creep of technology into every aspect of our lives. There were a lot of people who claimed to be “with the Boomers” when it comes to not wanting to use self checkouts. I am one of them.

Others that I agreed with were:

  • Not wanting to scan a QR code for a menu at a restaurant. Or anything, really. I’ve made it all the way to 2024 having never scanned a QR code.
  • Not being forced to use an app for something you used to be able to do without an app, like pay a bill or make a reservation. Apps should be for convenience if you want to use them, not for necessity because they are the only choice.
  • Not being prompted to tip all of the time.
  • Wanting the option to purchase a new vehicle without a giant iPad-like screen in the dashboard.
  • Wanting actual physical, metal keys for cars and doors, which you have to actually insert into a keyhole in order to open a door or turn on a car.
  • Preferring RPG video games that have a top-down, 2D view, and not a 3D “open world” concept.

Technology is great, but it doesn’t have to be in everything. Just because something can be done with technology, doesn’t mean that is should be done with technology. For self checkout, I know that the primary motivation is to save money for the store. That’s understandable. I just wish stores would understand that there are guys like me out there would would gladly pay a little extra for an employee checkout instead.

I think it’s difficult for people under the age of 35 or so to understand just how quickly technology has changed the basics of functioning in modern society, and how annoying that can be for those of us who remember a world before high-speed internet and smart phones.

Thanks to a broken washing machine, I recently had to spend some time in a laundromat. My two hours there felt like what someone 40 years ago would have described as “dystopian.” All of the machines were set up to use an app. Fortunately, they kept some of the machines quarter-based, for people like me. It cost $5 to wash one load, and $1 to dry it. Everyone there, from the employee to the customers to the customers’ kids, had on headphones. No one said a word the entire time I was there. I was the oddball for bringing a book to read, rather than a screen to look at while I waited. Everyone other customer—literally about 20 other people, and their children, some just toddlers—all of them, when they weren’t moving their laundry into a machine, or folding their laundry, were staring at their own individual screen. The place had TVs, too, but they seemed pointless, as no one was watching them, because everyone had their own screen.

It’s not like I was going there to make a friend, but still. For someone who remembers when the Walkman came out, seeing everyone of every age in the same place at the same time, but each in their own little technological world… there was something really sad about it.

Anyway, to answer your actual question: I, for one, hate the self checkouts because of what they represent. More technological creep into my life. I hate them out of spite.

Gentlemen, act accordingly

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pOEaMykF4tY?feature=share

What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?

When I was 10, my parents signed me and my younger siblings up for the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Kids Birthday Club. Basically, I gave Krispy Kreme my address and birth month and they would send me a coupon for a free dozen doughnuts every year on my birth month until I aged out of their Kids Club at age 12— ‘cause this is just for kids, OK?

Sweet deal.

But Krispy Kreme forgot to ask for the year in my birthday. They have no clue how old I am.

So I’m now almost 25, and I’ve been a member of the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Kids Birthday Club for 15 years. That’s a 180 free doughnuts for me, plus another 180 for my sister and 180 for my brother.

540 free doughnuts.

They’ve since closed the loophole to new signups— first you had to list your full birthday down to the year to join the Krispy Kreme Kids club (which they temporarily and unfortunately called “KKK”, no joke), and now they don’t even offer it. Adults can sign up to get one single donut on their birthday and some special days (tax day, Halloween, National Doughnut Day), but that’s it.

Will anyone at Krispy Kreme ever notice that I’ve been “under age 12” for 15 years? Tune in next year to find out.

Edit 2018: Nope, didn’t notice yet.

Edit 2019: More donuts.

Edit 2020: Happy donut day!

Edit 2021: Still more donuts.

Edit 2022: Congratulations to me, I’ve been “under 12” for 19 years! Can we get to an even 20?

Edit 2023: Happy 30th birthday to me! Either my donuts are late, or someone at Krispy Kreme is among the 1 million people who read this answer. It’s been great!

We pimp them hoes

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dKKAlSAgRis?feature=share

What is the most surprising secret someone has revealed to you?

I am 21 years old. When I was in 10th grade there was a girl A in school. Just like typical teenagers she had many rumours surrounding her. I ignored those and went ahead and made friends with her.

In some months we started dating. We were head over heels for each other. We had everything going great so shown in movies. One day when we were on a date, after coming out from washroom she gave me her phone. There she had written something which changed all my views on her. She wrote that she was raped at the age of 14 by a guy who forced her to be his girlfriend so that other people won’t suspect a thing.

Fearing society and her parents, she didn’t tell it to anyone. But had to undergo therapy. Her parents were totally unaware to real reason behind her behaviour. She lost a ton of weight and was living on medicines. This was really shocking for me. Then I had flashback of all the times when she had certain insecurities and why she required so much time to trust a person. She also had intimacy issues because of this. And that person had told her to shut her mouth or he’ll leak the tape which he had recorded. This rumour was spread in our school by her friends isolating her.

But now she’s a healthy person pursuing her career in engineering and I am a proud boyfriend.

American society is changing

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d6EtV9bdN8U?feature=share

What causes a person to live like a recluse and not want to deal with the outside world?

I’ve been an RN for over 45 years. With each passing year I’ve grown progressively more tired of humanity. It’s true I’ve met some lovely people. However, the proportion of rude, abusive individuals seems to be rising with every month.

I’m tired of toxic individuals. To me they are everywhere I look, and not just within hospitals. They are on the roads and in the supermarkets. They are politicians and CEOs. They are all over the media. I barely recognise the world I live in any more. People have changed so much. To the point that I no longer feel compatible with anyone. We are deep in a pit of moral decay that’s every bit as malignant as Covid. I believe there are good people, but nowhere near enough to counter the trend in self absorption.

I want a little piece of land away from the world. A dog, a couple of chickens, and a garden. I want a simple and as self sufficient life as I can make it.

I prefer to make friends with animals, plants and the stars To attempt to treat the planet with more respect than the majority of my counterparts.

It’s something I intend to make happen within the next few years.

Sounds like they read MM stuff

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vQtPU6r76h0?feature=share

Do Westerners hate China?

Yes they do, they use the thin veneer of I just hate the communist party.

You know the group that gave increased levels of prosperity to Chinese people?

We can literally see this with attacks on Asians in western countries. How are those CCP members?

We can also see it with the WIDESPREAD dehumanisation that has somehow been normalised. Look how normalised it is and accepted it is to dehumanise Chinese people, the prevailing thought by most Americans is we’re literally insects. This can be seen by their politicians who are VOTED IN BY THEIR PEOPLE.

Westerners ‘are accepting of’ Asians/Chinese when we’re seen as servants, those who deliver things, cook your food, do your laundry but once they as some of them say get uppity (you know aspire to be more) out comes the white supremacy.

Greek Hot Potato Salad

2024 01 23 16 18
2024 01 23 16 18

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 large potatoes
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • Parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. Boil potatoes until tender and keep hot. Slice onion into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and cold water, and allow to stand about 5 minutes; drain.
  2. Slice hot potatoes and add to onions. Add olive oil, lemon juice and celery. Mix well to absorb dressing. Season to taste, and garnish with chopped parsley.
  3. Serve warm.

 

Have you or are you treated like a baby by anyone? Have you ever been mistreated?

I have traveled to the Philippines many times, but my first trip was the most memorable.

My flight was on PAL, Inc. (referred to by all proper Filipinos as Plane Always Late If Not Cancelled), from San Francisco direct to Manila, back in the 1990s when they still flew that route.

I wore jeans and a T-shirt for the twelve-hour flight, and the tag on the T-shirt was sticking up. One of the flight attendants tucked it in for me. I am a bit of a jokester and told her “Thank you. My wife dressed me this morning.”

So for twelve hours the flight attendants talked to me like I was an imbecile: “Can you read the menu?” and “Do you need help going to the toilet?”

It seems that Filipinos (at least the ones who work for PAL) take things rather literally, and I got a good opportunity to practice humility.

The flight back was memorable, too. As we taxied down the San Francisco International airport at the end of our flight from Manila, emergency vehicles surrounded our 747 and sprayed foam and water all over it. I looked at the cabin crew and they did not look worried at all, although some of my fellow passengers looked like they were ready to activate the emergency doors and jump.

It turned out that this was the senior captain’s last flight; he was retiring that same day, and this was a traditional means of celebrating.

You’d think they would notify us passengers first …

Yup. The USA is toast

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1Ev1PLNRSWA?feature=share

Greek Fried Cheese (Saganaki)

A visit to a Greek restaurant anywhere in the world is likely to feature waiters setting this dish ablaze and parading it through the room, accompanied by an appreciative “OPA!” from the guests.

Greek Fried Cheese Saganaki
Greek Fried Cheese Saganaki

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 pound kasseri cheese*, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat.
  2. Beat the egg and flour together, and dip the cheese slices into the mixture. Fry until well browned on both sides.
  3. Remove from the heat and add the brandy. Carefully ignite the brandy with a match, and shake the skillet until the flame is extinguished.
  4. Squeeze the lemon juice over the cheese, and serve from the skillet along with crusty bread.

Notes

* Available in finer supermarkets and Middle Eastern specialty shops. Parmesan or Romano cheese may be substituted.

What’s something you’ve had stolen from you that you literally couldn’t replace?

The thing that was stolen from me was my childhood. I was born the oldest of two sons to a violent and entirely unpredictable man. He abused his wife and sons until we three left (vanished really) one morning while he was at work.

He first abused my mother and I when she was 8 months pregnant with me (an unplanned pregnancy) by beating her and then punching her in the stomach. He then kicked her out of the house into a terrible Maine winter with no shoes or coat. A chance passing of people from the church choir she sang in got her into a warm car and a safe haven for the night.

With no means to get anywhere or escape, she returned to him.

I was born a month later hemorrhaging and required emergency medical treatment. A month later he began crib slamming me (to stop my crying)—and so began a 17 ½ year hell from which there was no escape and no hope of rescue. When I was 7 my little brother was born, a planned pregnancy this time. From the time of his birth our abuser tried desperately to drive a wedge between us—BUT HE FAILED.

More than brothers we turned to each other to lend strength and support to each other; we became like soldiers in combat that never ended.

The dynamics would take more space to explain than I have here. But I was assigned the role of Black Sheep and to blame for ALL the rage and violence in the household. This conditioning was something that my mother and little brother still clung to LONG after we had left, and our abuser was dead. But the bond between my little brother and I was still made of the hardest steel, forged in the very fires of hell.

I lost him in 2015 at the age of 47 to a massive heart attack. Our mother would survive 5 more agonizing years without him before passing away in 2020. It was only recently that I realized that our abusive father had caused my little brother’s death…his compulsive eating had led to his overweightness and blocked artery condition.

When our mom passed away in 2020, I became the last member alive of our nuclear (and dysfunctional) family. I have been left to try and clean up all the mess left behind by their passing, alone. Mom died with never having had another relationship in 40 years. My brother destroyed himself without ever realizing it was our abuser reaching out from the grave to destroy him. I have been left with the guilt that I never realized it myself until after my brother was gone.

Every year he told me he would kill me. He also said he would never be charged either, he would get away with it because of his masonic ties. Twice (age 15 and 16) when he was beating my little brother in the living room, I tried to take a kitchen knife and go after him—my mother stopped me both times telling me it was just what he wanted, he was waiting for me. Frankly, I did not care then, I just wanted to save my little brother and make the screaming stop…I would have rather died for him. I see now that this was how he planned to kill me without consequence.

He stole 17 ½ years of my childhood making me live in fear and doing nothing to prepare me for life, ruined my mother’s adult life and leaving her unable to find love in a relationship, and killed my little brother from the grave with the patterns he instilled when my brother was young.

THIS theft was worse than anything material I have ever had taken since. THINGS you can buy, but those years of my childhood, the years of trying to rebuild my life (and still trying in my 60s), and the loss of my little brother so young are a violation of my very soul. HE HAD NO RIGHT, and in fact had a RESPONSIBILITY to protect me from those kinds of things and to nurture me as the bright and imaginative child I was. Instead, he threatened to kill me and seemed to try every week.

30+ Rare Finds From Star Trek Previews All in 1 Video!

https://youtu.be/m2ZpjK6Z5fw

Fried up rude

People can be crude. People can be rude. And certain people can be childish assholes. We all know this.

When I was unemployed, I managed to find work as a french fry flipper at a fast food restaurant. And so I endured this low pay, thankless job.

But… as a man, you do what you need to do.

Anyways there was this cashier that had a fun time making my life Hell. You see, every time someone places an order of French fries, she was to yell it out. But for fun, and being a real asshole, she called for fries at every order, and I, dutifully doing my job, would make them.

The situation arose that only two fries (boxes) were ordered, but I had made 64 boxes.

Got me in trouble, and I got my pay docked because of that.

Oh yeah…

I wizened up over that, and and other stories ensued. But the point that I am making here is that if you have a co-worker doing this kind of shit, can you image what they would do later on when they are better experienced and more capable.

Be careful out there everyone…

Don’t get fried.

Today…

My coworker decided to quit as soon as I became his boss. But I want him to stay. What should I do?

Replace him.

I spent over 30 years as head of the HR function at two very successful biopharma companies and as a co-founder of a SaaS company.

After I’d had enough experience to form an opinion, I went on a campaign to get a consensus from the SVP of administration and the CEO of the S&P 500 company where I spent most of my career: we accept all resignations.

Some of the reasons:

  • Countering a departing employee is news that gets around and becomes assimilated into the culture. Far better to pay at your intended percentile range in the market (25th-50th? 50th-75th?) and let people leave. It avoids creating an incentive for people to resign as a form of manufactured crisis where the company is known to cave.
  • Managers need to know how to replace a person quickly and effectively or to redistribute and redesign the work pattern to reduce the criticality of that person. They shouldn’t allow operations to become too dependent on a single, critical employee without knowing what to do if that employee resigns.
  • People at work sometimes act like the “Meister” system of guildsmen of the Middle Ages, who literally covered their workbenches at night with cabinetry designed to conceal how they did things. Even the great Mercedes-Benz suffered from this problem. They didn’t know it or face it until they got massive competition from good-enough luxo cars from Japan in the ’90s. In response, M-B had to understand its operations in a different way. They discovered that 60% (!) of cars on their assembly lines went backward for reworks. It was costing them a ton. All a meister at the end of the line had to do was say “send it back and repaint the hood.” Didn’t have to explain why. That was evidence that M-B didn’t really understand or own its standards and criteria. Some mis-motivated employees had created fiefdoms where secrets were power.

You’re a new boss. This all may be just an organizational theory to you. Explain to your boss that you don’t think it’s good for the company or the operations to allow this person to be treated as indispensable. Ask for your manager’s participation in the response. Then, accept the resignation. You may respond with a part-for-part replacement or you may reorganize the work at that person’s workstation. It may be some combination.

Whatever it is, by the time you solve the problem you will understand that job a hell of a lot better than you ever did before. You won’t be as paralyzed when the next person decides to resign. And, you’ll probably be motivated to understand and better document your work processes.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of the military-industrial complex?

It benefits some 0.01% of America and hurt 99.99% of Americans. But unfortunately the 0.01% owns America!

They choose the candidates for you 99.99% of Americans to pick! Heads they win, tails they don’t lose! When you have a good President like Kennedy the 0.01% Will assassinate him!

How can spending more on military than the next 20 nations be good for the U.S.? How can you sell this to the 1 million homeless in the U.S. or the 35% of Americans who will die of illness because the cannot afford health insurance?

China DESTROY Europe BRANDY And WINE In Retaliation Sanction

 

 

What’s a red flag that you ignored in a significant other, only to realize it was a big deal later?

For me I was getting to know a woman who treated me incredibly, she was beautiful, a great listener who would ask me lots of questions. She was sexy and great around other people and all my friends loved her. The problem was she had no other friends. She would talk about a friend here and there but I never met any of this people and she was never doing anything social outside our relationship. Basically every decision (what movie we went to, what restaurant we eat at came down to what I decide. It concerned me of course but she was naturally submissive and the dating world was so awful that it was easy to just ignore it. BTW she was one of the smartest person I had ever met.

We moved in with each other and slowly things started to unravel. Took a couple years for me to figure out she suffered from something that I knew nothing about. She suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder. It was a nightmare getting out of it.

 

What’s a seemingly simple task that is the bane of your existence?

I hate talking on the phone so much.

Ironically, phones are no longer for talking for me. That’s the last thing I want to do on them.

It’s amazing that so many people (cough*women*cough) can talk for hours and hours on the phone.

I try to call my parents once a week at least. We talk for 10-20 minutes typically. That’s about the extent of my calling.

I had a girlfriend who literally talked for 2-3 hours on the phone every single day.

And unfortunately, if her roster of friends were unavailable, I’d be the recipient of those hours of talkage.

I’d sit at my computer on auto-pilot, “Uho….oh wow….that’s crazy.”, as she told me this long story about the bad customer service experience she had that was basically her fault to begin with.

I’d install a new solid state drive in my computer as she debated out loud with herself about the proper wedding present for wedding #400 that year.

I remember lying on my bed, putting the phone on speaker mode and setting it on my chest.

I’d stare at the ceiling and wonder weird things, like if there was another duplicate galaxy out there, with a sun, an earth, a moon, and a Sean lying on a bed at that exact same moment, with a girlfriend telling him a longwinded story about how a girl named Becky said “Hi” in this really rude way the day before.

Two rude Beckies.

Man.

Hopefully, she never reads this.

What will happen if DPP wins in the Taiwan Presidential Election 2024? Will China then invade?

image 139
image 139

Luckily the Middle East Conflict has caused a major change in plans for the West for at least another year

The Plan was to bleed out Russia, weaken Russia & focus on Taiwan by 2024 May or June and push China into an aggressive action

Instead Russia is now stronger than ever and Putin isn’t going anywhere so Ukraine has been abandoned and will be fully abandoned in the next few months after a last aid package of maybe $ 30 Billion being approved after a lot of arm twisting

Yet the Middle East will be a considerable strain for the US whose production is by no means what it used to be

It would be a weakened US who would be facing China


Now Taiwanese aren’t Ukranians

No way will they choose to die stupidly

No way will they sacrifice their own lives

Same with the Japanese

So Taiwan WILL EXPECT the UNITED STATES TO DIRECTLY FIGHT CHINA. It means US Troops and US Body bags

That will be WORLD WAR III and both have NUKES

image 138
image 138

Hard to believe Trump or the Pentagon would prefer a World War with China

Trump wants to return US to it’s former greatness

A Possible Nuclear war would be the worst outcome for such a vision

If Trump can be assured that US will remain Number 1 for his term and possibly a decade or so after , if US can reduce its debt, China supports the US in restructuring Debt and reduce the deficit

HE MAY ACTUALLY ALLOW CHINA TO INVADE TAIWAN OR OPENLY DECLARE THAT IF TAIWAN DOESN’T RESPECT STATUS QUO, THEN US WONT INTERFERE IF CHINA RETALIATES

So a very interesting development awaits us all.

As a dying person, what is your advice to the living?

Do everything you want to do. Don’t take the little things for granted. Life is short…

I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 15.

Since I have done everything I wanted to do.

I’ve traveled the country, and I even rode my last roller coaster ride about 12 years ago.

Now, I am incredibly weak. I cannot talk very well, my voice is hoarse, raspy, and down to a whisper. I have to take breaths in between every three or so words.

I can’t walk more than a few steps.I have a wheelchair now.

I’m constantly tired by noon.

Even eating is a challenge. A simple slice of pizza takes about 30–45 mins to eat.

I’ve been cheated out of a normal life, and it hurts.

Live your life to the fullest. It’s the little things in life that make it so much better…don’t take it for granted

I am now 31 and have, at most, 1 more year left to live.

Written by my brother

Chicken Paprikash

chicken paprikash 1 11
chicken paprikash 1 11

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 whole fryer chickens, cut up
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • Sweet Hungarian paprika
  • Vegetable oil
  • 8 to 12 ounces sour cream
  • 2 cans chicken broth

Spaetzle (Sinkers)

  • 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 to 8 eggs
  • Pinch of salt
  • Water, if necessary

Instructions

  1. Chicken: Sauté onion in about 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup of paprika, being careful not to let it burn.
  2. Place chicken in skillet to fry, dusting one side again with paprika. Brown about 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Take chicken out and place in roasting pan.
  3. Add chicken broth until it covers chicken. Cover the pan and bake at 375 degrees F for about 2 hours or until the chicken is tender.
  4. Remove chicken from roaster. Cover and set aside. Put roaster on top of stove and bring remaining contents to a slow boil.
  5. Gravy: Mix sour cream into some of the hot broth from roaster, whisking until smooth. Add back into roaster with boiling broth.
  6. Pre-mix flour, water and salt. Whisk until smooth. Gravy should have a nice salmon color. Add more paprika if desired.
  7. Spaetzle: Mix ingredients in a bowl. Dust hands and mix with flour. Knead into a ball. Flatten to about 1/8 inch thick.
  8. Boil chicken broth in a pot. Keeping a spoon wet, section off pieces of spaetzle dough. Cook in the broth for about 3 to 6 minutes.
  9. Place chicken and spaetzle on a plate and cover with gravy.

 

What was the most unexpected knock you got on your door?

When I lived in what was considered a bad neighborhood in Salem MA (I didn’t think it was that bad, but it was cheap for Massachusetts) four boys moved upstairs from us the week after we got there.

Long story short, they were meth dealers (but not manufacturers, thank God!), and every weekend they threw open parties to get more business.

Idiots.

This lasted about six weeks before the Salem Police took them in, and we never saw them again. Hey, paperwork takes time. 😉 To be honest, it probably was quicker because all three were on probation.

Idiots.

So about a month after they went to jail (one went to custody of his mom), we got a ring on the bell. It was a large, muscular, threatening looking middle aged dude. He asked me what I knew about the boys, and I told him they’d gone to jail a month ago, and the place was looking for new tenants.

He narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t lie to me? People aren’t happy if they lie to me.”

I assured him I wasn’t lying, and their arrests had been in the newspaper, and were public record.

So he leans in, towering over me, and says, “You tell those punks they owe me $35K, and if they don’t cough it up, doesn’t matter where they are hiding. You got that?”

Looking up, I smiled and told him I didn’t expect or hope to see them again, but if by chance I did, I’d tell them.

I saw him get into his shiny black SUV, noted the plate, and went back inside.

Called the police desk and told them the story and the plate.

Never saw any of them again.

The price of success

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Jyir89Vnyfk?feature=share

 

What is the biggest turn-off you’ve ever had on a date?

“Oh, can you get that for me?” he asked, tilting his head towards me and pointing to the cup on his dresser.

I nodded politely, and stood up to get it for him. As I made my way to his dresser, I noticed the piles of clothes he had lying around on the floor, crumpled and dirty. I don’t care about that I tried to convince myself as I handed him the cup of tea and sat back down.

This was our first date and we had begun to talk about life and our more personal beliefs. And when I say “we”, I actually mean him. For the next three hours, I had a total of about two minutes to share anything about myself.

I asked a lot of questions, sure, but every time I offered any input, I would be cut off immediately by another long-winded 18 minute story about his life. Again, and again.

And after about two hours, I decided to get up to go to the bathroom to compose myself and think about an exit strategy. So I got up and entered the bathroom in his apartment only to find… nothing.

Nothing.

Not a single bar of soap, not a toothbrush, not a towel. And worse.. not even toilet paper.

It was as if I had walked into a showing for a new apartment. I tried to look frantically in the drawers for something, but I found nada.

I was beyond shocked, especially because he had gone to the bathroom earlier for more than just a quick look in the mirror.

So if the two hours of lecturing from him was not enough, the bathroom was the signifying factor for me that I had to leave.

The capital of Georgia

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vRlLREz3Kjs?feature=share

 

 

Would an untrained dog protect its owner?

This is Ivan, my Great Pyrenees.

image 137
image 137

This is pretty much how he spends 23 hours every day. And he is for the most part untrainable. He is both incredibly lazy and incredibly stubborn and is not motivated by anything. Not praise, not treats, nothing.

One day last week, we were going for our daily walk. We usually walk around 1–1/2 to 2–1/2 miles every day, depending on the weather. We had only gotten a block from the house when two pitbulls that I had never seen before came charging at us. The fist one to get to us immediately tried to bite Ivan but just got a mouthful of hair.

I took a step back and made sure Ivan had enough slack in his leash so that he could do whatever it was he needed to do to defend both himself and I. I don’t think it took Ivan 5 seconds to send both of those pitbulls running for the hills. The noises he made sounded as if a demon had been unleashed.

And then we continued on our walk. And once we got home, he resumed his usual position, curled up on the couch.

Great Pyrenees dogs have been bred to be guardians. No training required. It’s just in his blood.

What is the most shocking diagnosis you have received after going to the doctor for a routine checkup?

Spring of 2012, I was 56, and I had completed my bloodwork in preparation for my annual physical. My GP called me and said, I need you to redo your bloodwork. I went to see the vampires again and gave another sample. Two days later during my physical, the GP tells me, “Your platelet count is really high, 1.6million per microliter”. (Normal is 150k to 450k) “l want you to go see this blood specialist”. The previous year, my platelet count was normal.

Ten days later I am sitting with the Blood Swami who tells me, “Dave, you are a walking potential blood clot just waiting to have a stroke or heart attack. You have a condition known as essential thrombocytosis and I am prescribing hydroxyurea to treat it. This is a pretty strong chemotherapy drug, and there is a risk that you could develop leukemia in 20 years. If you do nothing, you could throw a blood clot causing a stroke or heart attack at any time. I am also going to order a bone marrow biopsy from your hip to rule out cancer, which can cause platelet production to spike.”

Post bone marrow biopsy, which by the way, was excruciating, it turned out I had a genetic mutation which resulted in runaway platelet production. 11 and a half years later I am still on the drug, my blood guy and see each other quarterly, and although there has been some yo-yoing of my platelet count, we are keeping the count pretty much under control, and knock wood, no signs of leukemia.

Side note: when I was diagnosed, my mom told me she had developed essential thrombocytosis a year earlier, and her doctor did not order a bone marrow biopsy. Two months after my diagnosis, she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was dead in 3 months. I have always wondered if she had had a bone marrow biopsy when she was diagnosed, would they have caught the lung cancer when it was more treatable.

Glitches In The Matrix – Complete Edition

https://youtu.be/DO6WF288XyU

 

 

What could you teach someone in 5 minutes that would benefit them for the rest of their life?

The commonest complaint with which people consult a cardiologist is chest pain. People believe, and rightly so, that chest pain is the classical hallmark that the heart may be in trouble. But fortunately, most chest pains are not cardiac.

The following ones makes us yawn.

‘Pain Right at this point.’

‘Pinprick type pain.’

‘Pain shifts here and there.’

‘Pain lasts for few seconds.

‘Feels like an electric shock’

‘Pains as I touch here’

All these have a low likelihood of being cardiac pain.

I examine them, ask for an ECG etc etc – all routine.

And most often they turn out to be normal.

The following gives us nightmares.

The phone rings.

‘Can I talk to the doctor?’

‘Yes please’

‘Doctor, I have some kind of discomfort of my lower jaw, I had a ECG done and it was normal. Just wanted to…..’

‘Tell me that again. Jaw pain? I need you to come down to the hospital ASAP’

ECG of someone who had a little jaw pain.

Here is his ECG

image 19
image 19

ECG (the last 3 leads) shows runs of VT (very fast heart rate). Precursor of a cardiac arrest.

Coronary Angiogram

image 18
image 18

Critical narrowing of a heart artery (Left Anterior Descending Artery)

A pain, ache or discomfort of the lower Jaw, or a discomfort radiating (spreading) from chest, neck to the lower jaw is highly likely of cardiac origin.

A chest pain can happen because of muscle pain, cartilage inflammation, and many such minor stuff but a jaw pain, though a lesser known and an uncommon manifestation of cardiac disease, if present, strongly indicates that the heart may be in trouble.

5-Minute-Teach

If you have a aching pain or unexplained discomfort of your lower jaw, go to your cardiologist and not to your dentist.

What is the boldest thing you’ve said to your boss or a coworker knowing that you might get fired afterwards?

Well I think I am eligible to answer this.

I was working in a Bangalore in one US based company.

I had team of 2 which I was leading and was working on Automation and I was the one who started this work.

Work was going fine and things were happening on deadlines. I had direct manager , no lead in team.

One fine day my account VP called me .

Account VP: your attitude is not good ( fyi I used to come office early in morning by 9am and complete work by 4:30–5pm and then leave) about why I am leaving so early when all other people stay late ( other people used to come by 12:30–1 PM and leave by 9PM) ,

Me: my work is going fine and my manager doesn’t have any issue with deadline and work( that time my manager was in USA)

A VP : you need to improve this , can’t work like this.

Me : what you want more time or better efficiency?

A VP : do your work but you need to stay .

Me: sorry , I can’t do that as I am coming early when no one is in office and completing mine work and team is also doing same.( Team people used to stay till 6:30–7PM for no reason).

Next day I was called by my HR director , when I reached there I saw VP sitting with him.

HR director: I was told that you are behaving properly and not working properly.

Me : work wise you can ask my manager and even I do direct presentation to India head and people in US.

HR D.: U need to stay also ,that’s how everyone work here.

Me: I am not everyone and I won’t work like that. When required I do stay but can’t do it daily for no reason.

HR d- this is not way you can work here.

Me: then I don’t want to work here, you guys don’t understand the problem. By sitting till late doesn’t mean you are working more. And I can’t stay without reason.

HR D: your behaviour is not good , Not good way to talk, Better you leave.

Me: ok. I will send a mail and I am leaving. Can’t work in this kind of environment.

Later in same month I got another job with very good hike 80% and again 17% in next 4months during appraisal.

FYI,

I completed 2 projects in 7months and after I left , responsibility was given to senior developer and few months later when I asked my team mates , they told me that there is no progress and they are almost still stuck where you left . One person left one month after I left and one was working there.

Being a leader

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dTAdknP2moA?feature=share

 

 

What is the most disrespectful thing your neighbour has done?

Oh, you wouldn’t believe what happened with my neighbor last summer. So, there I was, enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon in my backyard, tending to my roses — you know, the usual weekend relaxation. Out of nowhere, I hear this loud, screeching sound. I look up, and there’s my neighbor, Dave, flying a drone right over my fence!

At first, I thought, “Okay, maybe he’s just testing it out.” But no, this drone starts hovering over my yard, and I swear it’s like it’s spying on me. I’m waving my arms, trying to shoo it away like a pesky fly. And then, the unthinkable happens — this drone swoops down and knocks over my prized garden gnome, shattering it into a million pieces. That gnome was a gift from my late aunt, and I treasured it.

I marched right over to Dave’s house, ready to give him a piece of my mind. But here’s the kicker: he opens the door with this innocent look and says, “Oh, did my drone accidentally wander into your yard? It must’ve gone off course. Sorry about that.” I mean, the nerve of some people! It took every ounce of patience I had not to escalate things.

So, lesson learned — always keep an eye on the sky when Dave’s around. You never know when a rogue drone might invade your privacy. It’s funny now, but at the time, it was like something out of a sitcom!

What does Germany do better than the US?

Having lived for three years in Germany, the one thing that really struck me about Germany’s advantage over the US is Germans’ deep feeling of personal liberty. Americans believe we have personal freedom, but we really don’t compare to Germans.

Germans have a very generous social safety net that Americans do not have. In Germany a person can quit his job to start a business of his own without fear of losing his health insurance. This relieves a lot of the stress and risk for someone who wants to pursue a lifelong dream to have their own business. The government will even partially subsidize the business for the first year to help him get it started effectively rather than having to scrape together dimes and nickles and fail due to a lack of support. This makes it entirely possible for someone to start something they really want to do.

Education is fully subsidized at all levels. If a German wants to be a doctor, they go for it. An engineer, they go for it. An artist, a musician or a teacher, they go for it. The education is available to become anything they want to be, regardless of their ability to pay. Germans have freedom to pursue their dreams where Americans are enslaved by debt or cannot afford to go to school at all.

A person who loses his job in Germany may receive 60% of his salary for up to a year while he searches for a new job. This prevents him from being forced immediately into a lower-wage job as Americans frequently are when their personal savings runs out.

Free healthcare, of course. Germans don’t have to worry about whether they can afford their medications or medical treatments. Sickness doesn’t drain a person’s bank account.

The elderly are taken care of. Those who have retired will receive a pension sufficient to allow them to live the rest of their lives with dignity. The government provides substantially for elderly people who need to be in a nursing home or in a hospice, relieving families of the crushing financial burden Americans face as their parents grow old.

My experience brought me to the conclusion that Americans have as much freedom as they have money. People who have little money become risk averse and are not free to pursue their dreams—especially when they work pay check to pay check and are one car repair away from bankruptcy. If they have college debt, Americans live like slaves for many years. The German system, on the other hand, allows people to live free, to try things, to fail perhaps, and keep right on going until they succeed. The quality of life is therefore higher and people are free to do what they want with their lives.

Hanging by your fingernails over the edge of a cliff is not freedom.

Argentina is not joining BRICS? Where is its right wing President leading its people to?

Argentina went hard butt-fuck with the United States, and this has “sort of” messed up the global realignment.

https://youtu.be/FSPdG22Huok

 

Has anyone at your workplace ever been fired for something they said or did?

Yes. Leanne. A rather entitled millennial who thought the sun shone from somewhere it didn’t. She told her manager to F-off.

She was put into a tech assistant role, supporting George, a category manager who had been working for the company for close to 50 years. He retired when he hit 50 years of service – he was 72 at the time. After retirement, he stuck around part-time for a few years as a consultant too – he was that knowledgeable, and important to the business.

Anyway, what George didn’t know wasn’t worth knowing. He could tell you the names of staff going back to the early 70s. He could also tell you when something was made obsolete, and what replaced it. He was a walking archive of catalog information going back to before I was born. If you couldn’t find an answer, George was the one who would know it. He was extremely well respected. He had 2 assistants working under him, doing daily tasks like tenders and quotes, warranty checks, stock orders, and general technical assistance for distributors and customers.

Jovic was a fellow in his mid-30s when I met him. He was George’s protégé, and he had already learned a lot from George – having worked under him for nearly a decade. His only career plan was to step into George’s role when he retired. He did (and still does) a cracking job.

Leanne was employed a year or so before I came along. She was lazy, and slow to reply to requests for help. Customers complained to both Jovic and George about her. Jovic was growing tired of having to carry Leanne’s shortcomings and begged George to do something.

George worked out she would be better doing analytic tasks like price increases, manufacturing updates, large pricing tenders, and stock monitoring – so she wouldn’t have to talk to customers anywhere near as much. She was taking a week to do a tender than George could do in a few hours. Admittedly, George could look at a partial part number, or a description, and instantly know the correct number. This took Leanne a lot of time to search. But she was also partial to online shopping and would spend hours browsing fashion sites. She would also call her friends and spend hours going through fashion websites, deciding what to buy. This was the main reason she was so slack.

George had gone to HR several times about her lack of competence in the role, her time wasting, excessive personal calls etc, etc. She was given numerous verbal warnings and a couple of written ones. She was on thin ice. One afternoon George was frustrated that a deadline was coming up, and she hadn’t started a tender that she’d had for over 2 weeks. He walked up behind her desk to see she was browsing a fashion site, and yapping away on a personal call. He interrupted her and asked her to focus on the tender. Her response “Fx off George.”

George had never been short with anyone before. So his next outburst was a huge shock to us all. He bellowed (loud enough for whoever was on the other end of her phone to hear it) “That’s it, we’re going up to HR right now. You had your last chance, and you blew it.”

Her response, which was heard right across 60+ people in an open plan office – people who had suddenly become silent after hearing George’s outburst, was “You can’t sack me you crusty old cxxx. I quit first.”

Because of that retaliation, and the language used, HR refused to give her a reference as she was marched from the building.

George was the most patient guy, but Leanne pushed him way too far. We were all glad to see the back of her.

Jovic has since become “George 2.0” – although his knowledge isn’t as impressive as George’s, he still has some 25 years to get there.

Have you ever caught someone talking about you in another language?

I pressed the button for floor number thirteen. The only other occupants of the lift were two cute girls, who were talking to each other in a highly fake American accent.

At the fifth floor, the lift stopped, the door opened, and I was surprised to see an African man standing in front of us. True that Delhi is a favorite destination of international tourists, but people of African origin are still a rare sight.

The lift was again on its way.

I turned my attention back to the girls. Suddenly, one of them started signaling the other, making big round eyes, first pointing towards her, and then towards the African guy. For an instant, the second girl seemed confused, but then she realized what her friend was trying to point to and both of them burst with silent giggles. I felt really bad for the African guy, who seemed strangely calm. He didn’t seem to mind at all. Emboldened by this, the two girls began talking loudly, but this time, they strategically switched to Hindi.

“Kitna bhadda lag raha hai ye kalua!” (He’s so ugly, this Blackie!)

“Haan, sahi kaha. Baal dekh iske, jaise ghungrali ghas ugi ho sir pe.” (Yep, you’re right. Look at his hair. Looks like his head is covered with curly grass.)

At this, both of them again started guffawing with tears in their eyes.

“Itni badsurat shakal kisi ki kese ho sakti hai!” (How can somebody have such an ugly face!)

I was really embarrassed. Was this my incredible India?

The lift stopped. The African guy adjusted his backpack and proceeded to step out. Then suddenly, he turned around, and in impeccable Hindi, said –

“Badsurat dil hone se to badsurat shakal hona achha hai!” (It’s better to have an ugly face than an ugly heart!)

And then, he was gone.

The expression of utter shame and embarrassment on the girls’ faces, turned red with rage and humiliation, is something I still cherish to this day.

Purr mode

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zslyvU2RUMc?feature=share

 

What are mistakes a commissioned officer could make that aren’t criminal, but can end their career immediately?

Not sure if it ended the lieutenant’s career or not, but if it didn’t it was definitely a CLM (Career Limiting Manuver)

Friend of mine was engaged to an enlisted guy in the army. Dude had his paperwork, and was a couple of weeks from being a civilian. He was scheduled to do some final training for newbies *in a week*, but didn’t have any real duties until then. Gal’s Mom dies somewhat unexpectedly. They set up the funeral for Saturday, she calls (still crying) tells guy, wants him there. Guy’s LT is standing right there, so guy asks LT for a weekend pass to go to funeral. LT says something (loudly, knowing gal is on phone) to the tune of ‘No, you aren’t leaving the base so you can go with your c*** to a funeral’

Short version: Gal’s dad gets pissed. Calls local Senator – who just happened to be the chairman of the Armed Forces budget committee. They go to the Senator’s office, start explaining what happened, and the Senator stops her: “So, your guy doesn’t have any duty for a week, you are on the phone grieving, and the LT called you a what?”

*2 hours later*, LT is helping dude pack his bags…..

Incredible marketing

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ay_rmyNnKo4?feature=share

 

 

What is the hardest thing in life to overcome?

The son of our friend Mario has tried to take his own life on the weekend. Together with his family and parents, he had a nice quiet dinner where he had too much to drink, and this made him so drowsy that he ended up fast asleep in the spare room of his parents’ place.

image 136
image 136

When Robin woke up, he was extremely erratic (“What am I still doing here ?”) and ran to the garden, where a noose was tied to a tree, ready to be used.

It took his parents and sister more than two minutes to cut the cord, but he was still alive. His wife wasn’t there to help him, by the way, although she was on the premises “minding her own business.” After a while — essentially after he caught his breath and was able to talk again — he became so dangerously aggressive that he was involuntary committed to a psychiatric ward.

It was the third time in as many months that Robin tried ending his life, and it was the third time that an act of pure coincidence “saved” him. The first time it was sleeping pills (but he vomited and was found), the second time he drove his car into a log carrier, which he miraculously survived (although his car was totally wrecked).

Robin has a three-year-old son. And he also has a wife.

And she has told him five months ago that she wants to work on herself, and put their marriage on hold (“and maybe the kid was a mistake”).

It shattered his every dream of becoming the best dad in the world and a good husband, and the forth time around may well be the last. In matters of the heart, the mind often fails to survive and Robin is drowning in a shockwave that is totally beyond his control now.

For his wife, it’s a mere ripple.


SOURCES: paintings by Stephen Early and Nicola Samori.

What was the most expensive thing you ever got for free, because someone made a mistake and didn’t charge you?

Money. I got money for free. Thanks American Express.

I worked for a professional service firm early in my career and standard practice was a corporate credit card (American Express) which I could use for work expenses like travel, food, accomodation and limited rewards for my team members within certain limits. Sometimes I’d shout Friday drinks on the firm as a reward.

image 116
image 116

I’d submit my bill for payment every month; my boss would always authorise and all was good.

Then after a few years I resigned as I got a better offer from another firm.

I handed back my corporate credit card and did the usual handover of everything belonging to the firm before I left – security pass, phone, laptop etc.

Several months later I received a corporate credit card bill saying my account was not closed. So I contacted American Express explained that I had left and they should seek payment and sort out any outstanding amounts from my previous employer as I could no longer process any payment.

This process repeated itself for about a year. I would either email or phone explaining the situation or else ignore the bill.

Eventually I’d had enough and resigned myself to visiting American Express pay the bill myself, and settle this thing once and for all.

So apparently, I don’t know the difference between a credit and a debit balance, and it was American Express who owed me money and could not close the account.

When I got there and identified myself they gave me the cash over paid on the credit card, then closed the account.

The terms and conditions of the card made me responsible even after I resigned for card payments (and overpayments).

Free money.

The Kitten Held Out His Paw Every Time Someone Passed Him At the Shelter

https://youtu.be/q1ZJF-hF7G0

 

 

Can Walmart employees force me to stop and show my receipt as I leave the store? Is it legal for them to try?

A: The short answer, no. Absolutely not.

The long answer is this: If I smash a beer bottle over your head I will be charged with assault and probably various other things. If you invite me to smash a beer bottle over your head and refuse to press charges, I will be charged with nothing.

By voluntarily stopping, I’m inviting you to smash me with a beer bottle and I won’t press charges. But if you try to stop me against my will, you’ve just smashed me with one without my consent and the story gets radically different.

People stand in those receipt lines because of sheep mentality. These businesses know this and take full advantage of it. People are generally idiots that will do what they see other people doing – so if there is a line that terminates in the parking lot, where customers on their way out want to be, they will typically join that line. Show a receipt? Does it mean I get to my car eventually? No problem!

A receipt is a proof of purchase. Barring some evidence or suspicion of shoplifting, the business has absolutely no legal authority to detain you – they simply hope you don’t know that and are, in fact, an idiot.

Back in about 2003 I was buying a shit ton of PC builds from a store called Fry’s (Think Costco of electronics) in Burbank, California. I needed to fill an office of twenty or so terminals and would make thrice weekly runs to Fry’s ending in shopping carts full of things. There was at least a twenty minute line to check out. Then another twenty minute line while some dipshit checked every item at the door. I eventually decided to detour and was stopped, multiple times….

In each case, it escalated to a manager and in each case, I was apologized to and “let go”…and when I say “let go” I mean that I voluntarily left after staying voluntarily. I never showed my receipt because the bluff was called.

No matter what anyone says, unless you are part of a membership based retail chain with implicit contractual conditions, there is no way any retail establishment can force you to show a receipt upon exit of premises unless said receipt is to be used for in-store reimbursement. At all. Ever. In any store.

So walking without stopping at the hall monitors exit is more or less a test and they’re hoping you’ll blow it and submit to some bassackwards receipt check that serves no real loss prevention purpose.

I do stop for adorable old people though – because that’s like their last thing that means anything. I’ll easily wait 2 minutes while some octogenarian verifies I actually purchased only shampoo, diapers and a fifty inch TV.

What is the saddest thing a teacher has had to do?

I regularly have to trample all over student’s dreams and crush their ambitions utterly. I hate doing it more than anything else, but it’s my job.

For some reason people believe it’s fine to lie to kids with intellectual disabilities. They think it’s okay to tell them massive untruths because it makes them smile for a moment. And immediate, short-term happiness is all a lot of people consider when interacting with kids with intellectual disabilities.

I’ve been working in special needs education and I’ve lost count of the number of girls I have taught who honestly believe they have what it takes to be a great singer. They’re convinced that they’re just as good as anyone they see on TV or hear on the radio because that’s what people tell them. They belt out a tune and friends and relatives gush and talk about what a great voice they’ve got and how they’re better than Taylor Swift etc. And the kids believe them, because everyone says it and they have an intellectual disability so they believe what people tell them.

I’ve personally seen it happen. I’ve watched girls sing in school concerts and hit roughly half the notes they were aiming for and exhibit no sense of rhythm but generate the sort of praise that Pavarotti used to get from sycophants. People tell the student that they’ll be a great singer one day which they know is a complete and total lie.

My role as a teacher is to try and get them into employment. I try and find work experience, work placements, further education and job opportunities so they can leave school with a career path. Which means I have to ask them what they want to do for a living and they look at me with conviction and say they want to be a singer. Despite the fact that their ability is well below average, they dream of being a pop star because everyone tells them that they’re going to be the next great singer. And then I come along and talk seriously about maybe getting a job stacking shelves in a supermarket. I tell them that getting a high-school certificate is essential and they need to focus on their school work and start thinking of realistic career paths. I don’t actually tell them outright that their singing is terrible, but my job is to be the voice of reason and realism among the chorus of liars who tell them they’ll be a great singer. And I watch their dreams slowly die.

It’s not just singers. I’ve helped crush the dreams of actors, stand up comedians and sports stars. I’ve always encouraged them to follow their love as a hobby and keep at it but if they ask me (and most do) if they have what it takes to accomplish their dream then I’d be doing them a horrible disservice if I wasn’t honest.

Nobody prepared me for that in teacher training.

Double dipping

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/q0OjvN8tgK4?feature=share

 

 

Why do people say that working as a flight attendant is not easy?

I’ve written this story before but I can’t find it.

I’m a pilot, not a flight attendant.

One day, I was traveling from a trip to my home base. I really wanted to be home but all the passenger seats were full and the cockpit jumpseat was full too. In those days, it was allowable for me to travel on the flight attendant jumpseat but it didn’t happen often. So I asked the flight attendants and they were good with it.

So I thought I’d be a nice guy and offer to help out. Unfortunately, they took me up on the offer.

I spent the first 30 minutes of the flight making drinks in the first class galley. Then they sent me to the aft galley where I swear I loaded 300 sodas on carts in a 737. When that was done, I started heating the meals and setting up each tray for the coach meal service. Those little foil dishes were super hot and I had to pull them out with an oven mitt and then remove the foil and put the meal on the tray and make sure the other items were in the right place. Then I put them into the carts as the flight attendants rolled them out for service. Then the trash started coming in and I pulled out the plastic bags from the carts and put in new ones and pulled out the carriers with the old trays and stowed them. After that was finally done, it was time for another beverage service! I had to clean out the beverage cart and put in fresh cans of soda, lots more glasses and ice. Then another trash pickup with dirty cups.

It was finally time for a break but…no, the moment I sat down on a jumpseat, people started trooping past for the lavatories. Many wanted something like another can of soda or some kind of snack or just wanted to chat or complain or ask which gate we’d use or about their connection or seat assignment or some other unanswerable thing. I said “I don’t know” a lot and most of the people were not in the mood to understand. It was exhausting.

Finally, they sent me back to the first class galley and she asked me to serve the cockpit which was kind of fun since they don’t often get service from a uniformed captain. They could tell I was wrung out. I went back to my galley and cleaned up the surfaces and put stuff where I was told to put it and make sure all those little doors were closed with the latches turned. She collected and service items and I stowed them where I thought they ought to go.

I was elated when the airplane started descending and even happier when they turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. A ten minute break!

We taxied to the gate and I was the first one off.

I had no idea how continuously hard the work was in the cabin. Those poor people never get a moment’s rest. They’re always “on” and have to somehow try to be courteous to everyone. I’m not a particularly outgoing person and it sapped my energy. It is far, FAR easier to be a pilot than a flight attendant.

Edit 1: I forgot to note that this was the flight attendant’s third leg and they were doing one more that evening. How do they have that kind of endurance?

I got a lot of new respect for the profession and I wish more pilots would do a “flight attendant appreciation flight”.

What makes a man fall in love with a woman?

1.Women as the safest place for him to go on the planet

Your arms, eyes, and lap, those have to be a refuge for him. If you become the safest place on the planet for his heart’s secret needs; he will never leave.

2. Women who make them feel like they matter

Appreciate him when he goes out of his way to buy a gift or provide you with much-needed emotional support. Tell him that he made a difference in your life.

3. Women who accept them for who they are

If you can encourage him to be his authentic self, it makes you extremely approachable and lovable. When he feels safe and comfortable, he’ll open up to you.

4. Women who push them and inspire them

A woman who excels in her pursuits, whether it is career, fitness goals, social milestones, or anything that truly fits his description of excelling at life, can be extremely attractive to men.

5. Women who are secure in the relationship

Men are attracted to strong and confident women, period. Confidence is one of the most attractive traits a woman can have. If you are secure and confident, he will feel the same, and this will lead him to open up more about himself and be able to show his vulnerable side.

6. Women who share their sexual chemistry

Physical intimacy is important in adult relationships. Men want their women to be open with them about sex and confident in their sexual encounters with them.

If you can radiate this confidence and openness to him, he will not only be attracted to you in the short-term, but also see you as a viable long-term romantic partner.

7. Women who are open to the idea of love

If a woman is resistant to being loved, a man will quickly lose interest. He won’t be able to open up or show love if he is continually being shut down. You need to be open to the idea of love and communicate your intentions and emotions.

8. Women who don’t fight their femininity

Men love to be with a woman who is authentic and confident in expressing her feminine side. Men are task-oriented and love it when their efforts are validated and valued, especially if it’s a physical task. So if you feel like he’s taking charge or trying to help you, it’s okay to lean back and let him do it occasionally.

9. Women who don’t play mind games

For instance, not answering calls or texts promptly is part of the mind games that can be counter-productive. This may lead to him acting nonchalant as well and not committing himself fully to the relationship.

Men like women who are honest and open with them about the things that really matter.

Congo

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wg3j22FP1Xk?feature=share

 

What is the best thing you learned in the military?

Go with the flow

My first 18 months in the USMC, I got to basically turn my brain off, because I was a PVT. Everything of any importance, or which required intelligence, was handled by NCOs and commissioned officers, not by some just-out-of-high-school junior-enlisted punk.

I was a Baby Grunt who just did what my higher-ups told me. Once I reached E-4 and above, though, I was entrusted with tasks that required more attention, thinking and care. I got smarter, and more careful.

Still, I could always rely on my company commander to take care of me, I never really worried about where my next meal would come from, or anything like that. Things worked out for me, pretty much, or at least I stayed alive and out-of-trouble.

I never got lost, or got demoted or thrown in the brig. I kept my nose clean and did my job decently, because no-one who was under my command died. That’s good enough for me, that I made sure I got all of my soldiers home alive, and except for one person, home in one piece.

Lots of things can go wrong at any moment, and everything is determined by luck and chance. You can die anytime. But at least they’ll take care of your family. And the chances of you dying get pretty low if you don’t take risks you don’t need to.

In my case of being wounded, that was no-one’s fault, except the Iraqi who placed it there. If I died, I would’ve done so knowing that I’d done my country and my men a good service.

Just do what everybody else is doing (most of the time, there are some cases where you should go your own way, especially if you’re surrounded by inexperienced, or just plain dumb, people) and things will turn out okay. Don’t worry, the Corps has things handled for you.

You might get your deployment extended, or sent out on back-to-back missions, but that’s not the worst thing that can happen to you. There’s a bigger picture.

image 135
image 135

Russian soldiers taking a break during the battle of grozny

What is the cutest mistake you’ve ever seen someone make?

My wife Sonia was 21 when we met. I wasn’t much older but had seen more of the world, whereas she came from a small town in Upstate New York and had never been on an airplane. I decided to surprise her with a trip to the Bahamas. When we embarked on our flight, Sonia wore a woven beach hat and beautiful sun dress. She was wide-eyed and adorable (still is). A true Audrey Hepburn. As we approached the screening area of the airport, Sonia said, “What is that?” She pointed to the large x-ray box for scanning carry-on luggage. Without missing a beat, I said, “Oh, if this is your first time flying, they screen you in the box.” I thought she would laugh. Instead, she started to climb onto the conveyer belt. I had to pull her back and then explain to the startled TSA agent (this was pre-9/11) that my girlfriend had never flown before. Sonia was suitably red-faced (and even more adorable). She proceeded to slug me (much deserved).

We’ve flown together many times since. I always make a show of trying to hold her back from climbing into the box.

Roof Koreans

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MilOXmjzRbg?feature=share

 

 

What should the punishment be for those people who “dine and dash”, meaning they stack up a huge bill at a restaurant and run away before paying?

I used to wait tables at a Denny’s in Lawrence MA. One instance, I was off the clock and having coffee with a couple of friends when 3 teens literally ran out the door. Found out that they had run out on the bill so we gave chase and got their plate number. Called the cops, filed a report, and about an hour later a very angry father showed up with the 3 boys in tow. His son had borrowed his car. The officer on duty (we had a detail officer during rush periods on the weekends) was aware of the incident and told them to pay the bill. Then he “strongly suggested” that the boys leave a generous tip for the waitress. They had the money, they just didn’t want to pay. After all was said and done, and the father had torn his son and son’s friends new ones, the officer arrested the 3 boys for theft. They were charged, given a deferred prosecution agreement, and sentenced to perform community service. Once they completed it, their records would be wiped clean. I believe two of them completed the DPA, the third ended up failing it and going to jail for a little while. Seemed fitting.

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

Yes due to my second layer boss simply didn’t have a common sense.

I have this habit while I was working in a client facing side where I occasionally check my work calendar on weekend in case any of my clients do schedule a meeting last minute.

While I was checking, I got this weird meeting invite on the next Tuesday with my boss, my boss’s boss and the HR team (1st red flag).

I figure there might be 2 options either I’m canned or maybe they’re gonna move me another team. I tried to contact them and ask what’s happening but well the HR and my second layer boss doesn’t have the balls to answer me and just ignore me till our meeting (2nd red flag).

My boss did respond though, through our call I found out that he did not know anything (or did he?) Well anyway I trust him, he’s a good man after all.

Well long story short, here I am writing this experience and my second layer boss got canned too 3 months after that.

Preview The MASSIVE 1/35 Akagi Flightdeck and Bridge W/ 1/35 Kate Torpedo Bomber

Very interesting. Just worth skimming through.

https://youtu.be/PNGY7sHQaMc

 

 

What is the worst medical misdiagnosis you have ever had or personally known someone to have had?

30 years ago, my SIL was worried about her 2 year old son. His tummy hurt and he wouldn’t eat much. Their doctor said it was a mild stomach flu, he’ll get over it in a few days, soft foods for a while.

When he started wheezing and coughing at night, the doctor said, “It’s just a little cold, he’ll get over it in a few days”, gave her a ventolin puffer (inhaler) and a spacing chamber, but no instructions.

Asthma runs in that family, because my son was also diagnosed with asthma, as had their shared grandmother. My son’s asthma specialist trained me how to administer the meds, so I taught my SIL.

My nephew’s legs were bruising from the inside of his legs, it seemed, because he was now too weak to move much. The day care called my SIL because he had a fever and they couldn’t wake him! She took him to Urgent Care, which sent them to the Emergency hospital.

The paediatrician diagnosed him with late stage leukemia and admitted him immediately!!

The Hospital staff reviewed what they could find of his records from the family doctor. The staff called their lawyers and the Medical Board before informing my SIL that her “doctor” was not trained or certified as any kind of medical practioner at all!

She declined to join the class action suit against him, or to file suit as an individual.

He survived, and is now a lawyer and owns an apiary.

What was the strangest part of your divorce?

The day the divorce was being finalized I went to the courthouse.

My about to be ex didn’t bother to appear though his lawyer did.

Judge reads over the paperwork, asks me a few questions. Announces he is finding in my favor in any disputed issues because if the ex cared about the outcome he should have appeared. BANG.

Divorce is final, see the clerk for copies of decree.

Ex’s lawyer turns to me and asks if he can buy me lunch.

Judge: WHAT?

Lawyer: Lunch. My treat. Least I can do.

Courtroom is full of muffled laughter.

Judge: Explain yourself, counselor.

Lawyer: Your honor, this lady and I have been the route together. My client-

Judge: This lady’s former husband. That client?

Lawyer: Your honor, my client is a squirrel. He messed this lady about for no damn reason, kept asking for changes, kept demanding she sign off on things then failing to sign the paperwork himself, that kind of thing. He regularly failed to pay the agreed support. For that matter, he hasn’t been all that great at paying me, either. I’ve spent more time on the phone with this lady than I have with my client.

Judge: Okay. Anything else?

Lawyer: Your honor, my client is a squirrel and as of ten minutes ago he’s not my client anymore and he’s not her husband anymore. I feel like this lady and I have been through a lot together and before we go our separate ways I thought it might be nice to sit, eat a nice lunch and not talk about the squirrel at all.

Judge: Out of my courtroom. Now. (Looks at me) Make him buy you the biggest steak on the menu.

Restructuring reality

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T50UU0U0O48?feature=share

 

 

 

What is the most interesting fact that you know and I don’t, but I should?

  1. Farts can leak through your mouth if you hold them in.
  2. Your nose is the same length as your thumb.
  3. Staring at the palm of the hand, the center of the palm will become warm.
  4. You see your nose at all times, your brain just chooses to ignore it.
  5. The buttons on men’s shirts are always on the right and the buttons on women’s shirts are always on the left.
  6. The Sun is extremely loud, we just can’t hear it because sound can’t travel through the vacuum of space.
  7. Chickens have more bones in their necks than giraffes have.
  8. Paper cuts can feel more painful than cuts from a knife.
  9. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
  10. The distance between your earlobes is usually the same distance between your nipples.
  11. People who stutter often do not stutter when singing.
  12. Cold water weighs more than hot water.
  13. People hear better and retain more if they listen with their right ear.
  14. When you dream, one portion of your brain creates the story, while another part witnesses the events and is really shocked by the plot twists.

What was your “I am surrounded by idiots” moment?

I rented a u-Haul truck. It was a clapped out broken piece of garbage that was noisy, didn’t steer right and the passenger door would pop open whenever I hit a big bump. But that’s not the issue.

I rented it on Friday and needed to return it on Sunday before 9am so not to be charged an extra day. So Sunday I got up early and was there by 8am. The place was closed! And the lot was full of people either trying to return trucks or pick them up for the day. Apparently the opening guy was a no show!

I stood around with all these folks about a half hour. Then I wrote a note dated and time marked 8:30am. I wrapped it around the keys and put it in the night slot. I felt bad for the folks waiting for trucks who had to move that day!

I get the bill by email the next day. I’m being charged an extra day, them stating the truck was logged in at 12:30pm! I call the office and explain myself. The numpty explains that the time stamp was 12:30 so the charge was correct! I retort that they were closed during business hours! He responds that yes that is true, and there was chaos and the manager had to come in, and he didn’t get to logging the truck in right away, so the charge was right! I gave up, and hung up.

I called corporate and got a reasonable human on the line. He understood right away. Situation instantly rectified!

What happened during the process of getting your rental car at the airport that made you say, “You gotta be kidding me?”

Well, it was somewhat entertaining. I had reserved a car at EWR (Newark Airport). I used to live in NJ, and i knew very well that I wanted a SMALL CAR because that’s what you want in the part of NJ I was headed for.

So I get there, I walk up to the counter, give the guy my res number. He puts on a big smile, “would you like to upgrade to a sports car”.
No
“Woudl you like to upgrade to a full-sized sedan?”
No
“How about a Prius?”
No
Ok then. (do the usual dance about CDW, yadda yadda) He hands me keys. I look at the ring. It says “Ford Explorer”. Yeah. That’s what it said!
So I asked, can I have a compact like I asked for, please?
“No, we’re out, but you could upgrade to a sports car!”
Does that cost more?
“Well, it’s $110 a day.” (the compact was 39/day plus fees)
So, how much is this Ford Exploder? <guy winces>
“Well it’s to fulfill your reservation so it’s the same price as the compact.”

Yeah, so I was moving about NJ in the Iowa Class of Automobiles. I think I got about 11–12 MPG.

It is better that words fail me.

Mandela effect

Fruit of the loom!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LyWzsGI_h5U?feature=share

 

 

What are some examples of assassination attempts gone wrong?

When Susan Kuhnhausen walked into her house, she immediately knew someone was in her home.

It wasn’t just a sixth sense. Things had been moved. Curtains were now open, moving as if they’d recently been touched. Things on her table had been moved. She lived alone and she knew where everything belonged.

She walked through the house uneasily looking down hallways. In the kitchen. Moving quietly.

She walked past her bathroom. She turned into her bedroom.

Standing there was a bearded man, holding a hammer. He charged her and swung his hammer, hitting her on the side of the head. She fell down. He got on top of her and kept hitting her.

They then began wrestling.

Susan was a larger woman, who was particularly strong and worked as a nurse in the ER, trained on how to subdue wild patients.

After being hit several times, she managed to get her assassin pinned to the ground in a sleeper hold.

She began choking him. When she released him his throat had been crushed — he later died (after Susan called an ambulance for him).

The assassin had been sent by her husband.

Their marriage had fallen apart and he wanted her dead. He’d paid the assassin $50,000 to kill her. (Source: A Hit Man Came to Kill Susan Kuhnhausen. She Survived. He Didn’t. Slovic, Beth.)

She was later treated for injuries and made a full recovery. Her husband was then sent to jail for the remainder of his life (he died in prison).

image 134
image 134

Her would-be assassin’s last words, during their fight, were “you are strong.”

What is the most inappropriate gift that someone innocently gave a teacher?

I opened a Christmas gift from a female kindergarten student. She really wanted me to open it in front of her. It was a teal negligee. I was speechless. She was very excited to give it to me and I said it was beautiful.

I put it back in the gift bag and said that it was so pretty I wanted Mrs. L (my good friend) to see it. I told the student to just leave it on her desk because Mrs. L is very busy and to come right back to class.

My friend was in mild hysterics over this gift and she proceeded to quietly pass it around the school. Another teacher who had taught the older siblings came to me and said mom works in a factory and probably made the negligee herself. That’s why there were no tags.

I kept it for years and wrote a lovely thank you note, of course.

 

What unusual but useful mental exercise can improve people’s quality of life?

I have a bold and, perhaps, strange proposition for you: I want you to start naming inanimate objects in your life. Not all of them. Just five to ten will do. You can name them anything you’d like. Why? Because it will enrich your life, teach you to appreciate these objects, and promote fun and creativity. It can even defuse arguments.

For example, my partner Laura and I are constantly at odds over the thermostat. She generally wants the house so hot that the paint peels off the walls. And in her defense, I prefer an arctic winter. As a compromise, I bought her a few warm blankets, wool socks, and a sweater.

There is one brown blanket, which we originally named, “Big Brown”, but have now named it, “The Nuclear Option.” No heat escapes and if you dare sleep in it, you risk overheating. Sometimes, when we are discussing the temperature, I will say, “Want me to get the nuclear option for you?” She will look at me in horror, as if to beg, “N-n-no…please don’t.” It generally lightens the mood.

People generally buy and own too much stuff, but that doesn’t mean we can’t name our chosen objects. Naming something changes our relationship with it, altering how our brain encodes the information. The object gains meaning and becomes more memorable. For example, small children are more likely to notice and remember features of stuffed animals if a name is attached to it. Whereas they become far more disinterested in the absence of names.

Naming objects also gives a sense of psychological comfort and control. Your garage machinery no longer feels like machinery, but instead, happy, willing employees, your allies in oiled arms. Names can also enhance the intended purpose of an object.

For example, my dad was a Navy SEAL, and in training, there are these big logs they carried and did sit-ups with, grunting and enduring torturous exercise. But if trainees did something egregiously wrong, they had to carry an extra large log that is twice the weight of an already heavy log. They call it “Old Misery.” No SEAL forgets Old Misery, and its name is part of its menace.

Per Dr. Soonkwan Wan, Marketing professor at Michigan Tech University, “You may drive exactly the same car I drive. But my car is my car. It’s part of me and part of my history, so that makes it different. In this way, you kind of decommodify this commodity.”

A few examples

One trick is to think of singular objects in your life. There’s no sense in naming an apple, in a pile of many apples. Think of those things that stand out.

During my childhood Floridian summers, we occasionally got rain downfalls that felt like a biblical apocalypse to some, but were grounds for incredible childhood fun. I had a big clunky red bike that was remarkably good at riding through high waters due to its big wheels. Every other bike immediately got stuck and fell over. So, I nicknamed this one wave runner:

image 133
image 133

(Sister. Me in the middle. Johnny. Wave runner on the right. You might notice Johnny running for the car in the background. He’s rushing to tell the car not to try. We spent the day helping these cars get out of this street turned pond.)

Naming objects creates a bond with it, despite it not having any real feelings or thoughts. We are tricking the mind to care, and this is good because it elevates our sense of belongingness. I can promise you — as silly as this entire exercised seems — when you start naming things, watch as you suddenly start valuing these objects more.

My grandfather was eternally cheap after a bleak childhood during the great depression. He grew up in abject poverty, with a single mother and seven siblings. He took that frugalness far into life with him. Despite having plenty of money, he still drove this hideous Ford fiesta, with cracked and peeled off paint. It barely ran, and made us nervous on steep bridges because we weren’t sure if it was going to make it up the slope.

My mother pressured him to at least paint it and later regretted that. We came out one day — to see he’d taken cheap silver spray paint and made it look like the tin foil man. It was utterly embarrassing to ride in. But in good fun, and despite it topping out at 55 mph, we decided to name it the “Silver Bullet”. It took the whip off of the experience.

You might notice that my examples are throwbacks from many decades ago. Naming of these objects imprints them in your mind. You’ll tend to remember stories about them and have a stronger narrative of your life story (which is often anchored in these objects).

My friend James was given a plant 20 years prior at his Uncle Walter’s funeral (he died young and unexpectedly). They’d been very close. James named the plant Walt, and it is still living in his kitchen. When he sees it each morning, he says, “Hi Walt.”

Another friend named his Roomba, Hank, and talks to it every morning while it does zig-zagging routes through his house. I was visiting and was quite surprised by how authentic he sounded talking to it. He had a mock argument with his Roomba, just as Tom Hanks did with his volleyball Wilson — which had me rolling.

There are few rules to this exercise. Sometimes, naming breaks up the mundane. Other times, it’s a needed coping mechanism.

My aforementioned Grandfather was a World War 2 pilot, and named his bomber plane Blitz Buggy. Not only was naming planes tradition, but also a means of attaching value and trust in a machine that is deeply important. Its health was tied to your very own.

The big idea here is to have fun and find meaning. Naming objects will give you a sense of solidarity and trust with everyday things. It elevates that objects status to a character in your life.

Have the courage to be a little quirky and name five to ten objects over the next month. Think of the things you use most frequently, or of the things that aren’t like the rest. I think you’ll be surprised by how fun this exercise actually is. You’ll feel a bit of youthful vigor and creativity, and sometimes, some well needed sincerity.

I’d also love to hear from anyone who has already done this, and if there is a story behind these names.

What’s the most shameful thing a co-worker has done to you?

She forced me into a position I didn’t want to take. To do something I didn’t want to do

I was working for small company, a husband and wife operation. They bought overruns from manufacturers and repacked them into pre packs of assorted sizes and colors. It was all clothing. I and five others called up companies and sold the pre-packed clothes into off price retailers.

The receptionist had worked with them for years. One day I saw some people come in to the showroom and pick out some clothing for their small store. I’ll call the girl Mary although not her name. They gave Mary $100 bill and she went to get change. She opened the petty cash, took out the change but as I walked out of the office I dropped my pen. As I’ve bent over to pick it up I saw Mary put the $100 bill in her pocket. So I started keeping an eye on her.

A week later I saw her take 8 pair of Levi’s home for her son to try on. She only brought back 2 and paid for two. So she came out with four pair of free Levi’s.

At this point I had to go to the owners and tell them. It broke their hearts and cost her her job. I remember the boss lady crying because they thought so much of her they had put her in their will as they had no children.

I felt so bad that she put me in that position. But I had loyalty to my bosses.

What was a Christmas bonus you got from your company that made you speechless?

Almost 20 years ago I worked for a large chain craft and fabrics store who’s name rhymes with Sew Fan’s. It was a great place for a creative person with no money concerns to work, but corporate also didn’t seem to care two farts in A windstorm about the employees and were regularly instituting years long freezes on wage increases and cutting hours to under 22 per week to avoid having to pay any benefits. If I were ever to go back to working there it would only be to bring in the union. Those workers sure needed it. My first Christmas season there I was working the closing shift and saw a box that had originally had probably about 48 snack packs of cookies and crackers. It was down to maybe a dozen packs of crackers, as the day shift had pretty much decimated it. That was our annual Christmas bonus. One foot by one foot box of inexpensive snacks to share between both shifts. At least they let us do gift exchanges.

The next place I worked for had a prime rib feast, $25 gift cards and a turkey. It was pretty nice!

Men can relate

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TFezYsKfpU8?feature=share

 

 

What is the most condescending advice you received from someone who assumed you were poorer or less educated than them?

I was in my classroom after my class had left for the day. They had made a bit of a mess, so after I’d tidied the place, I got out the vacuum and began to run it around the room. I wanted it to look fresh for the new teacher’s aid who I was going to interview that afternoon.

A young man came in, looked at me, but didn’t say a word, didn’t introduce himself, just sat down at my desk!

I asked him, “Can I help you?”

He made an impatient gesture with his hand. “Just clean up and get out. I’ve got an interview with the Head Teacher at 4.”

I shrugged and got on with it. After about five minutes the room was clean and I put away the vacuum. As I was coming back to the room, the young man came out looking annoyed and said, “Look, pass on the message to the Head Teacher that he’s late for our interview, so I’m leaving.”

I glanced at my watch, said, “I’m so sorry, but you did imply that you didn’t mind waiting, as I was cleaning up. It’s now 4.05.”

He stared at me. “What’s it got to do with you?”

I held out my hand to shake his. “I’m the Head Teacher. Do you want to go back now for the interview?”

He stared, then went several shades of red and left. Needless to say, if he’d stayed for the interview he would have had to be truly exceptional for me to overlook his silly gender bias that I was “supposed” to be a male, and his assumption that a Head Teacher can’t clean up as well as a professional cleaner. And just for the record, our cleaner is male.

Chicken Kiev

The chicken is pounded thin, rolled with a filling of seasoned butter, breaded and then either deep-fried or baked.

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2024 01 09 20 17

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 large whole chicken breasts, split, skinned, de-boned
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon thyme or marjoram
  • All-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup fine bread crumbs
  • Salt

Instructions

  1. Pound breasts thin between plastic bags, keeping the smooth side of breast down.
  2. Mix next 4 ingredients. Shape into 8 elongated oval pieces and freeze.
  3. Wrap chicken completely around butter and dip each chicken piece into flour.
  4. Next dip into eggs and finally coat with bread crumbs.
  5. Fry in hot oil (375 degrees F) for 10 to 12 minutes or bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
  6. Drain on paper towels. Salt after cooking. Chicken will keep in a 200 degrees F oven if placed, uncovered, on a metal tray.

 

What is the funniest joke you’ve been told that you still think about to this day?

This may belong to the blond joke section, but here goes –

A blonde is flying down the road in her little sports car, convertible top down, music blaring, signing away, going way over the speed limit.

Before long, she sees the flying cherries of a cop in her rear view mirror, so she pulls off to the side of the road. The cop walks up to her door and leans in and says “Do you know you were going at least 40 over the limit back there? I need to see your license please”.

The blond starts rummaging through her wallet, and before long she is obviously flustered, and turns to the cop and says “I’m sorry, what is it I’m looking for? Can you tell me what it looks like?”

The cop takes a deep sigh and says “Umm, your license?? it’s about the size of a credit card and has your picture on it???”.

So the blond rummages again and finds a little compact mirror in her wallet. She looks closely at it and sure enough sees her picture, so she hands it to the cop.

The cop, who it turns out is also blond, takes a long hard look at it, then hands it back to her and says “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were a cop, you can go.”

What are some interesting social skills that can be picked up quickly?

  1. Don’t call someone more than twice continuously. If they don’t pick up your call that means they have something more important to attend to.
  2. Return money that you have borrowed even before the other person remembers lending it to you. It shows your integrity and character. Same goes with umbrellas, pens and lunch boxes.
  3. Never order the expensive dish on the menu when someone is treating you for lunch/dinner. If possible ask them to order their choice of food for you.
  4. Don’t ask awkward questions like ‘Oh so you aren’t married yet?’ Or Why didn’t you buy a house?’ For god’s sake it isn’t your problem.
  5. Always open the door for the person coming behind you. Doesn’t matter if it is a guy or a girl. You don’t grow small by treating someone well in public.
  6. If you take a taxi with a friend, and he/she pays now, you pay next time.
  7. Respect different political opinions.
  8. Never interrupt people talking.
  9. If you tease someone, and they don’t seem to enjoy it, stop it and never do it again.
  10. Say “thank you” when someone is helping you.
  11. Praise publicly. Criticize privately.
  12. There’s almost never a reason to comment on someone’s weight. Just say, “You look fantastic.” If they want to talk about losing weight, they will.
  13. When someone shows you a photo on their phone, don’t swipe left or right. You never know what’s next.
  14. If a colleague tells you they have a doctors appointment, don’t ask what it’s for, just say hope you’re ok. If they want to talk about it they will and you don’t put them in the uncomfortable position of having to tell you their personal illness.
  15. Treat the cleaner with the same respect as the CEO. Nobody is impressed at how rudely you can treat someone below you but people will notice if you treat them with respect.
  16. If a person is speaking directly to you, staring at your phone is rude.
  17. Never give advice until you’re asked
  18. When meeting someone after a long time, unless they want to talk about it, don’t ask them their age and salary.
  19. Mind your own business unless anything involves you directly — just stay out of it.
  20. Take off your sunglasses if you are talking to anyone in the street. It is a sign of respect and more eye contact is as important as your speech.

 

Have you met a person who you thought was ordinary but actually was from a powerful and wealthy family?

So during college, I was visiting a small town, with my crappy car.

Of course, that means I broke down making a grocery run, and this old gentleman with worn out denim coveralls said he would call me a tow truck and have my car towed to the dealership.

Then I broke down because there was no way I had money for a tow let alone repairs. The old guy sat with me and calmed me down. He said the dealership was known to be reputable and would help me out of my jam.

Long story, but a couple days later I picked up my car and I went to pick up the car, having made arrangements to make payments.

They said there was no bill as Mr.Smith (not real name) had paid it. Then I realized the dealership was Smith Ford.

I Then went to get my car. Well they had totally detailed my car and even I could tell that I had new tires. I found a note on front seat saying pay it forward when I could.

They had done over 2,000 in repairs to a 500 dollar car. I can’t even list everything they did. But new tires all around, new brakes, oil change, filled gas tank, just to start.

Edit: Many people have asked if I have paid it forward. My wife and I have indeed done so, in many different forms over the years. We have been blessed, and consciously pay it back when we can.

Quantum Immortality

They are talking about “slides”.

https://youtu.be/nFgPt6Ive-Y

Rainy night and a beer soaked shoe

My camping experiences have uniformly been terrible. No matter what year it is, who I am with, or what my age is… it doesn’t matter what season, time of the year or whatever… it always rained.

Rain
Rain

And that meant, yeah you guessed it, sleeping in the rain, wet, cold, freezing with no real sleep and eventually waking up to a cold gloomy grey morning before everyone else does.

Sigh.

Never the less, I have romanticized the idea of camping. I imagine how great it would be to merge my “keg parties” and late-night bonfires with the idea of sleeping comfortably nearby.

kegger
kegger

My bother has become adept at it and loves to hike in the Colorado mountains with his wife and huskies. Which, by the way, they love all the snow.

camping in colorado
camping in colorado

It’s could out, I know (if you are in the Northern climes), but if you are in Australia, it just might be perfect camping weather. I just cannot imagine it gets snowy, just temperate at night. But, honestly, I’d be afraid to sleep there in the brush. The snakes (I hear) are quite deadly, as are the spiders… the toads… the beatles… the ants… and you are apt to run into a wild herd of wallabies. Yikes!

ne7t6qb67fw31
ne7t6qb67fw31

I’ve seen the you-tube videos… frightening!

Snakes, critters with strange names, and frogs that re inside out and just don’t die. Burrrrr!

But if you are the brave sort, as most Aussies are, going out into the brush is just as normal as downing a pint. A natural part of the ebb and flow of life.

Ah. One day. One day.

camping in the outback
camping in the outback

Sounds great… if you have a local to keep you out of trouble, but I have to tell you all what…

You won’t be able to get me to drink beer out of a stinky old shoe. No way!

Todays….

Volume 4 is out.

Link is HERE.

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2024 01 11 16 37

Delusional chicks

Her feelings look silly.

Are the Chinese crippling Apple’s sales by a whopping 30% in the opening week of 2024 to actively contribute to the US de-Sinicization efforts?

Let me help you guys unpacked how Trump fxxked up Apple. Yes he fxxked up Apple one of the world’s most admirable company.

Step one. Trump and later Biden thought that they can fxxked up Huawei and China. They both didn’t. Expect China and Huawei to survive! Let alone excel. Well they don’t know mathematics for a start. A billion and a half Chinese including me a Chinese origin turn around and patriotically chose Huawei over Apple! And poor Apple got fxxked up! For no reason but just bad politics by their racist government!

One they and their contract manufacturer Foxconn switch just 5% of their manufacturing to India and they both got fxxked up badly. The failure if Apple Phone 15 made in India is so high it lost all trust on their customers. Now Foxconn wants our right away! But India says not so fast. And Apple brand name is already thoroughly fxxked! In Asia the Apple users insist it has to be MADE IN CHINA!

But that is a smaller problem. Now let me introduce you guys a great lesson that doing shit don’t pay! China and Huawei took a mere 3 short years to do what the U.S. thought China has to take at least 30 years! And it actually made a phone better, faster, cheaper than iPhone! Plus a billion people on earth wanting to show displeasure at US and Trump and Biden shit! In January 2024 they decide to teach the west a lesson! Try imagining a perfect storm!

That is what the US is facing. It’s own products are fxxked up, its shit is not working yet it spends billions if not trillions to coerce and bribing nations and companies to do shit! That is the real USA today!

And let me help you. You ain’t seen nothing yet! Decoupling or de-risking from China is the last thing you ought to do!

Athenian Stuffed Peppers

3032dee0bddf684f2da39c100413b4b1
3032dee0bddf684f2da39c100413b4b1

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup Minute rice or 1 cup cooked regular rice
  • 2 onions, ground
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 egg, well beaten
  • 8 green bell peppers
  • 6 cups water
  • 5 medium potatoes, sliced

Instructions

  1. Combine meat, rice, onions, garlic, oil, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, oregano and egg.
  2. Wash green peppers; cut and remove seeds. Fill peppers with meat mixture; place open side down in circle in roasting pan.
  3. Combine remaining ingredients except potatoes; pour over peppers. Place potatoes in center of pan.
  4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 400 degrees F.

What is the best random conversation you overheard?

Five years ago, I drove for Uber. I retired and did it just to stay busy.

I picked up a passenger who must have been a financial advisor.

He immediately got on his phone and started calling his friends and associates.

He started telling them about accounts that he was working on what their plans were.

When we would stop for a light, I would type the stock symbols into my personal phone.

The passenger was too busy on his calls to notice.

I received five or six stock recommendations that he blurted out.

When I dropped him out at the airport, he jumped out to catch his plane.

Did he leave a tip…..hell no.

That night I put the symbols in my StockCharts account and bought options on three of them for the next day.

Within three weeks I had made a couple thousand dollars on those options before I sold them.

Apparently, the passenger thought a dumb Uber driver would not be active in the stock market.

So, I guess that cheapskate doesn’t know he really tipped me big time.

FUCK!

NASA’s Chandra, Webb Combine for Arresting Views (M74)

1 6
1 6

There are reports that after a turbulent year in US-China relations, China and the United States are gradually getting closer in 2023. Is it true?

Nope, the underlying problem reminds the same. US strategists feel they must retain US hegemony and its rules based world order in order to thrive. And Russia/China refuses to accept those rules not supported by the UN Charter.

2023 was a year, US officials feels they must moderate their confrontation with China due to negative headwinds from a losing fight in Ukraine war, a uniting global South dedollarising fast and near record inflation from years of Tbill printing. They fear Chinese aggressive selling of Tbills will worsen the US inflation and Tbill printing situation only. Nothing has changed.

China on the other hand has fears that an over intense US China confrontation can worsen global demand and that can complicate the delicate balance they have in sustaining the Chinese economy without HUGE STIMULUS. China is still preparing to retake Taiwan, and there are still key steps needed including doubling nuke deterrence, training PLA personnel with so many new toys, supplies and economy in case of sanctions. Plenty to do in next few years. So, China is also receptive to moderating tension while work continues.

So, this is a tactical pause only, the strategic picture has not changed at all. USA is hoping to unite West to win, and Russia/China is hoping to unite the global South to push a new world order. And to dedollarise under BRICS+ (BRICS Pay) to burst the US Tbill bubble. THAT IS STILL THE GLOBAL BIG PICTURE, THIS IS A FIGHT FOR A NEW WORLD ORDER.

On my journey

What was the rudest thing a guest has ever said or did while visiting your home?

I invited a very close friend with her sons to come for Christmas dinner. I was a single mom, and so was she. I invited a few other single parents too. Christmas can be a challenge for singles.

I was cooking up a storm all day. I made a lot — she had 2 sons who were big kids and big eaters. She had promised to come this time. The year before she had canceled the day before. My “friend” called an hour before dinner to tell me that she had gotten “a better offer” and wasn’t coming to dinner. (In case you’re wondering, I’m an excellent cook.) I couldn’t believe she was so rude. Plus, she waited so late — I ended up with way too much food left over.

You won’t believe this, but when the next holiday came, she hinted that she wanted to be invited. This happened for years after, but I never, ever invited her for a holiday meal again.

Force them to back down

What is the most clever defense you’ve seen someone use in the courtroom?

Don’t know how clever it was, but a client of mine had been picked up because he was in a minor accident and had an open container of beer with him. When the cops were taking him to the station, they asked him whether he wanted a breath test or a blood test (Colorado law gave the accused the choice, after which no change was allowed). He opted for a blood test, but explained that he was Russian and had ‘fat skin’ (his term); they’d need a doctor to draw the blood. He was told ‘Paramedics are what we have and paramedics are what you get.’

He sat there patiently while the paramedics stuck him about seven times, never able to draw blood. Finally losing patience, the cop with him told him he was getting a breath test, and my client refused to participate.

Under implied consent, they charged him with DUI and called him an ambulance (he’d suffered minor injuries in the crash. Nothing to make the delay over the testing any issue). The paramedic in the ambulance set an IV with no problems (of course, nobody tried to get blood then) and took him to the hospital.

When we got into court, I got the cop on the stand to agree to the main points, i.e. that the accused had opted for a blood test, he’d been patient while repeated attempts were made to draw blood and that the police then demanded the breath test, which he refused. No problem; the cop admitted each point. I then turned to the judge and said (approximately; it’s been twenty-five years or more), “Your honor, the law prevents the accused from changing his mind after he’s made his choice. If he can’t change his mind, the police can’t do it for him.” Then I shut up.

The judge thought about that for all of about a minute before dismissing the case.

FACT FACT FACT

What are some lessons every men should know?

  1. Boys turn into men when they understand that nobody cares about them if they can’t provide any value.
  2. If you find somebody smarter than you. Work with them. Don’t compete with them.
  3. Just because someone is “family” doesn’t mean you have to tolerate lies, chaos, drama, manipulation, and disrespect.
  4. Act like you can’t afford the bread until they find out you own the bakery. Stay humble.
  5. Becoming the best version of yourself comes with a lot of goodbyes.
  6. The quickest way to succeed is to start now and figure it out as you go. You can’t learn to drive in a parked car.
  7. Call me crazy but I believe I can have everything in this life that I want.
  8. Mention someone that is very hard working and you wish them nothing but success.

Marriage is set up for girls. Not guys.

What was the best April Fool’s prank played on you/you played on someone else?

My eldest daughter went into IT in my footsteps. I was so very proud of her when she got a chance to join a start-up that ended up being wildly successful. One of the founders was a bit of an arrogant little prick. One Sunday my daughter was over for dinner and we were talking shop. I asked how it was going, and she said fine except for little prick. She volunteered that the crew had found out he had two panic points. He was deathly afraid of both little people (dwarves/midgets) and scared shitless of clowns. I duly noted both. April 1 was coming fast so good old dad got busy and found…drumroll please….a midget clown stripper. Sent her into the business during lunch on April 1. Daughter said little prick screamed like a girl and ran out of the building. Didn’t return for two days. Everyone said it was the best practical joke they’d ever seen.

The day before…

$ 2.3T

What is the farthest you’ve seen somebody reach to be offended by something?

Originally Answered: What is the furthest you’ve seen somebody reach to be offended at something?

A few months ago I was in my local Home Hardware picking up tools – a pack of blades, some feeler gauges, etc. Sometimes I forget to put my tools back into the toolbox and they tend to…go for a walk.

While I was there, I noticed a woman and a girl in her late teens staring bemusedly at the long racks of tools. The woman had a list in her hands, and was dubiously looking at the endless choices.

Not at all hard to see what was happening; I’ve seen it dozens of times. Once, a long time ago, the woman was the friend that had taken me in after I had left my mother.

When a young person joins a technical Trade, he/she is expected to arrive at training with the required tools for the job. Parents will often gift the tools to their kids – since a basic entry-level tool collection costs easily $200* it’s a good way for parents to support their kids.

(*That swells – fast. My current toolbox is worth – at an estimate – about six to seven thousand dollars. I have two or three instruments that are worth twice that each; though in those cases the Company reimbursed me for those purchases.)

Quality tools cost – but cheap tools cost far more in the long run.)

I knew what was going on, so I drifted close as the women were looking at the hammers. “This one looks nice?” the woman was saying.

I introduced myself, and offered my help. I learned that I was right – the lady’s daughter had been hired by a factory and was following the millwright trade.

Excellent! Millwright is a superb trade; solid machinery and repair skills. The ability to understand and repair anything mechanical is a valuable ability. I cannot recommend the Millwright trade highly enough.

Every trade needs bright new apprentices and every apprentice should have generous parents willing to help.

I looked at the cheap rubber-handled claw-hammer the woman was looking at and shook my head. It looked like this:

image 480
image 480

These are fine for home use. But not what the lass needed. I pointed out the problems with the rubber grip: with regular use it raises blisters. It’s not well balanced; it’s not heavy enough to be truly efficient.

While I’m no millwright I AM a Journeyman Pressman and I repair, maintain and adjust my printing presses to a high degree of competence and know what the list meant when it said “hammer”. I show the lady this instead:

image 479
image 479

Simple, solid, reliable. It will never slip, it will never bind, it will never raise blisters. When holding it at the balance point this hammer will do an excellent job and be an extension of the young woman’s hand. (Using a hammer takes skill.) When covered in oil, in grease and filthy, this hammer will ALWAYS do exactly what you want. THIS is the hammer the lass needs – and the one that the lady hadn’t been looking at because the coloured rubber handles of the others looked better.

EDIT: A Journeyman carpenter commented that I was wrong in this particular point: using a rubber-handled does not raise blisters if it’s used correctly. Thanks for the correction; I’m glad to learn something new.

Down the list: Allen keys.

The lady looked at a set of chromed Allen keys. They looked great – and were expensive as Hell. I guided her away from them, and pointed to cheaper, solid ball-end keys instead.

image 478
image 478

(These look great.)

image 477
image 477

(THESE work!)

By this time, one of the red-shirted salespeople had joined us. She was in her late 40’s, blonde, and had the easy confidence of someone who really knew their trade. It doesn’t take much for one Journeyman to recognize another. (As a side note, Home Hardware hires a LOT of Journeyman-status salespeople. The red-shirted people selling tools and lumber often REALLY know what the hell they’re talking about.)

I smiled and bowed out – this was the Journeyman’s job.

The next item on the list was a wrench set. Wrenches are the stock in trade of any machine operator and it’s best to get a good set.

The red-shirted Millwright (I learned her status later when chatting) offered a pack I was uncertain of. I shrugged, offered my opinion and pointed out the one I would suggest.

At that point the daughter – who the tools were for – turned around and angrily told me to butt out. The woman would help them, thanks.

The mother agreed, and told me to shut up. She was DONE with ‘mansplaining’ and told me that I was just helping them to bolster my fragile male Ego. They would do VERY well without me.

The look that went across my face could best be described as a ‘very thin smile’.

At which point the red-shirted woman rounded on the lass and asked her if she wanted a career in the Trades. The teenager shrugged.

At which point the Millwright pointed out if the girl ever hoped to earn her Red Seals, she would have to learn that when a Journeyman speaks, apprentices shut the hell up and listen.

The girl was shocked into silence and I compared notes with my fellow Journeyman. I pointed out the value of the other set of wrenches. The woman agreed, but pointed out a few issues I hadn’t realized – I quickly agreed the set she suggested were the best. (I’ve since bought a set of those wrenches. They’re AMAZING and if it wasn’t for that Millwright, I’d never have realized it.)

I tried to help – and because I was a ‘guy’ I was ‘mansplaining’ – when the female Journeyman showed up.

It didn’t bother me at all – I’ve seen so many Apprentices fall by the wayside that one more failure doesn’t affect me in the slightest. I just thought it was neat that this girl just entering the Trade got a wake-up call:

The Trades don’t give one CRAP about your gender. They only care about your skill, and you are only EVER as good as your last work.

Men vs. Women

Why is the Philippines provoking conflicts with China in the South China Sea?

They are completing a mission, executing the “Project Myoushu”

[1] of the US.

This project is led by retired US Air Force Colonel Raymond Powell, in collaboration with counterparts from the Philippine Coast Guard and some officials from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. They plan, strategize, and execute this project, engaging in confrontations, provocations, and standoffs with the China Coast Guard.

According to Project Myoushu’s claim, it “seeks to develop more effective tools to shine a light into the gray zone of China’s maritime coercion strategy.” Powell occasionally releases satellite images and trajectory maps of Chinese fishing vessels and government ships. All of this is done intentionally to create a tense situation in the South China Sea region, particularly in disputed areas between the Philippines and China, such as Huangyan Island or Ren’ai Reef.

image 45
image 45

It is a good thing that China uses large ships and vessels. The numerical and scale advantage of the Chinese Coast Guard actually helps to avoid more serious confrontations, as fleet conflicts would be more imminent if both sides were evenly matched in size.

image 476
image 476

However, regardless of the circumstances, Western media always portray China as a bully. This is the true purpose of this project and the goal set by the US – they use the so-called “confidence in transparency of reporting” to create propaganda against China. They claim it is transparent because Western media bring cameras, media personnel, etc., to document the process and report it to Filipino audiences and the world. It is understandable that this signifies something – the US wants to undermine China’s reputation.

The Philippines had a highly productive and friendly relationship with China, such as collaborative projects in the BRI, which greatly enhanced the economic advantage of the Philippines. However, President Marcos clearly has his own ideas about the arrangements from the US. He has never explained to the Filipino people why he has shifted back towards the US. In the South China Sea issue, Marcos’ policies are filled with hostility and aggression.

In fact, the Filipino people are not concerned about the South China Sea dispute. A survey report released by Pulse Asia

[2] in September 2023 showed that only 7% of Filipinos are concerned about the South China Sea dispute, while 93% of the population is primarily concerned about controlling inflation, employment, reducing poverty, and fighting corruption.

image 475
image 475

The US has exerted mass pressure, demanding that the Philippines continue to “contain” China. If this continues, Marcos’ policies will only become further detached from the demands of the people. It appears that Marcos is going to have a tough time in the upcoming new year.

Footnotes

[1]Project Myoushu

[2]Home – Pulse Asia

How to trick scammers

Well-experienced people sayings that you should never do these things

  1. Never compare your sex life with porn videos. Because porn videos are totally fake.
  2. Never be sad for losing someone. No one lasts for long period of time. Even, you are gonna lose your beauty, money and health with age.
  3. Never underestimate failure.Only a failure gives you the proper perspective of success.
  4. Never “Trust” easily on anyone. Because trust is the most expensive thing and so don’t trust blindly. Even, your friends get jealous when they see your progress.
  5. Never share your password of social media accounts, email, Internet Banking, and ATM pin\CVV number with anyone. Never!
  6. Never get involved in sexual activities till you are not serious in your relationship.
  7. Never believe on that girl\boy who have lots of relationship in their past. They can easily manipulated you by crying their bad past.( Exception is everywhere)
  8. Never try to hurt your parents. They have lots of expectations from you.
  9. In any situation, Never think about ending your life. Even plants regrow leaves after one leaf shed.

No brainer

What was the most satisfying display of instant karma you have ever seen?

I walked into a bank one morning in Florida to find it totally empty of any customers and only one teller behind the counter and another lady at her desk opposite. As I approached the teller, she scolded me for not first stopping behind the yellow line on the floor before walking the 3 steps to her counter. She was not busy at all. “Sir!!! Go back and stand BEHIND the yellow line!!” Me; “Ok, but I saw you are not busy”. I went back while she watched me. As soon as I was standing still behind the line, she nodded and immediately said; “Ok, NOW you can approach”. I asked her politely if there was any reason for having a customer stop behind the line in an empty bank. Her; “Because the sign says so!!!” she scolded. “And I say so!!!” The only other bank employee looked at her and rolled her eyes. Just then, a phone (Land line) rang and the teller picked it up still snarling at me. She was quite an unpleasant lady to the caller too. Just then, she starts to walk away at a brisk pace, forgetting the phone was not a cordless and the cord stretched as far as it would go and then phone sling shotted out of her hands and flew across the room and skidded to a stop on the floor. She looked at me right away to see if I saw what happened and I could not hide my grin which just set her off all the more. She turned red and it was clear she was not having a good day. I almost felt sympathetic.

Just a minor example of Karma, but it was pretty funny.

Hates all but one

What are some unethical life hacks?

  1. Whenever you are starting a new job, always let them know that you have 4 alive grandparents. Then you have 4 pre-made excuses for whenever you don’t want to come into work.
  2. When you’re shopping online and need to reach a threshold for free delivery, simply add a gift card to your order. The next time you make a purchase, you can use the card and repeat the process.
  3. When dining alone at a restaurant, bring a notebook. Write in it occasionally. The staff might think you’re a food critic, and they’ll likely try their best to impress you, maybe even treating you to some free food.
  4. If someone ever calls you fat, tell them you used to be 75 lbs heavier. It will make them feel guilty for saying it to you, while also making you look accomplished for losing weight.
  5. Use airplane mode to hang up on people. They will see “call failed” instead of “call ended”.
  6. When you’re looking for a job, post a fake ad for a very similar position on the internet so you could check out the resumes of your competition.
  7. Don’t show your Tinder profile or Instagram to your date. Show your profile on some niche platform like luxyor Mensa to go from being average to standing out.
  8. If your girl ever gets mad at you and won’t speak, just tighten up all the jars in the house. Eventually she’ll have to talk to you to get your help opening up one of the jars.
  9. If your coworker ever calls in sick for work, you can do the same 1-3 days later. Your boss will think you have the same thing and it’s “going around the office”. Your boss may even do the same shortly after you. It’s called the “fake flu”.
  10. lf you want people to stop letting dogs sh*t on your lawn. Instead of a sign saying “no dogs allowed”, put up one saying “Lawn recently treated with toxic pesticides”.
  11. Nobody would let their dog anywhere near your lawn ever again.
  12. If you’re in a taxi and you think the driver is purposely driving slow to get the meter up. Just cough or sneeze to make yourself seem sick and watch the driver speed up to prevent catching something from you.
  13. If you want to slack off at work, slack off but act annoyed or frustrated around your boss. This will give the impression that you’re working hard and the job is getting you heated.

Experiences

Mia’s Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad
Asian Chicken Salad

Ingredients

Thai Dressing

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 2 teaspoons garlic
  • 4 green onions, minced
  • 1 bunch cilantro, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili paste

Salad

  • Napa cabbage
  • Carrot peel
  • Green onions
  • Cooked rice noodles
  • Thai dressing

Instructions

  1. Marinate chicken breast with Thai dressing for 4 hours, then cook on grill.
  2. Serve grilled chicken on top of salad with dressing drizzled over.

Has anyone ever tried to intimidate you from filing a lawsuit?

My son was denied membership in the National Honor Society as a junior in high school. He fit every qualification for membership, but two of his many teachers just didn’t like him. It was pretty obvious that he had been “blackballed”.

I went online and checked out the rules at the national level for bestowing membership. They clearly stated that “blackballing” was illegal. They also stated that the records of the votes by the teachers must be maintained for a certain amount of time after the vote for membership. So, I went to the school and asked for the vote tally. They refused to give it to me. I filed a freedom of information suit against the school.

A few days later, I got a call from an attorney at the state capital. He was representing the school, and he asked for my lawyer’s name and contact info. When I told him I was representing myself, he started in on me. He told me that I was sure to lose the suit and that I would then have to pay all of the schools costs, which would include his bill, and it would come to thousands of dollars. He told me I had better just withdraw the suit. I said no, and we hung up.

The case was scheduled for an appearance before the judge. The attorney called me again about 3 days before the scheduled appearance. He went after me again on what it was going to cost me when I lost the suit. I again told him that I was not dropping the suit.

We went to the courthouse when the appearance came up, and we both arrived at about the same time. He went ahead of me into the courthouse and introduced himself to the judge. I went in just after him and looked up at the judge and said, “Hi, Jim.” The Judge looked at me and said, “Hi, Eric.” The look on the lawyer’s face was priceless.

The judge listened to each of us and told us that the school was required to provide me with the information I was seeking, and would be responsible for paying all of my legal fees. He then asked me what my fees were. I told him that it was such a trivial case that I didn’t incur any costs, I just wanted to see the information.

Oddly enough, I never did get to see the vote results. Seems the school was so confident in victory that they had thrown the results in the trash some time earlier. Instead of pursuing it, I let them know that they needed to read the NHS rules and follow them more closely in the future. My son was inducted his senior year.

Strong man or pussy

As a mechanic, what are the most useless repairs you’ve been asked to perform?

Years ago I operated a full service gas station. There was a young lady who’d come in and have freon added to her AC. Back then freon cost just under $1 a pound. She’d come in and I added 3 or 4 pounds of freon. I’d charge my labor equal to what the material parts installed on the car. So 4 pounds of freon = $4. Meaning the total cost for my work was $8. It only took a few minutes to do.

After a few days she’d show back up to get another recharge. On the third visit I asked her “ Why don’t you let me find the leak and fix it so I can charge the unit properly and you won’t need to do this anymore. “ She refused and told me just to charge/add the freon.

It wouldn’t have cost her anymore than $50. If it was a hose or fitting leaking even less. If it was a pin leak in the high pressure coil? I could get one out of a salvage yard.

If it was a pin leak in the low pressure coil? I could fix it with epoxy.
Then evacuate the system and add new freon it’d be like new.

Edit: I thank everyone for their responses.

But for the ding-dongs who are saying things like I should lose my license or charging a leaking system is illegal…. THIS WAS IN THE 70s.

There WERE NO license. There were NO laws preventing the sales or use of freon.
PLUS…. back then… car AC units were designed to leak. That way the people who looked at their car dealer as the ONLY place to have the car repaired ends up giving more business to the dealerships.

I say to those people…. “ Sorry to burst your bubble… But there was life BEFORE 1985.”

Back in the day

What is your most “you’ve got to be kidding me” experience at a car mechanic?

I was never a professional mechanic, but this one was fun. A friend of mine was looking for a “small but fun” car back in 1993. We happened across a 1977 Datsun 280Z that was priced at $650. It needed paint, but had zero rust, which is hard to find on an old Z. The seller told us that it ran fine, and that it had a low-mileage Japanese import engine and transmission in it. We went to test drive it, and it missed horribly. I couldn’t get it over 45mph.

The seller wouldn’t budge on the price, but he said he’d take $50 off to have a diagnostic run at a local shop. He told us to take it home overnight. I insisted on stopping to get a set of plugs at AutoZone. Back then, Nippondensos were 88 cents apiece. When we got to the house, my friend gapped the plugs while I removed and installed them. I expected to see either a plug that was totally fouled with carbon, or one with zero gap. Instead, I noticed the order on the numbered factory wires:

1,3,2,4,5,6! What’s wrong with this picture?

Surely not, I thought. It just couldn’t be that easy.

I put the wires, in the correct order, on the new plugs. 5 minutes later, we were flying down the road at 120 mph, laughing our asses off. The engine ran smooth as silk. Needless to say, my friend bought it.

Some time later, I ran into the previous owner, who asked if we ever got it running right. I told him we had, but that it was very expensive and labor intensive. He said he knew it would be a difficult problem, because he and his brother had tried for two years and couldn’t figure it out.

Sometimes all it takes is a new set of eyes.

China is both cool and interesting

NASA’s Webb Captures an Ethereal View of NGC 346 (MIRI)

20
20

Has another parent ever gotten mad at you for saying ‘no’ to their child?

Yes. I went shopping for a particular Barbie for my niece’s birthday. I couldn’t see it on the shelves, but when I spoke to a member of staff she very kindly went out the back and managed to find one for me. I was just thanking her when a little girl ran up, squealing “Mummy, that’s the Barbie!” The employee said she was sorry, but I had the last one and there wouldn’t be more for a few days. The mother asked me if she could have it, to which I said no as my niece had been looking forward to it. The child went into demon mode, screaming “Mummy!” at the top of her voice and the woman asked again, saying her daughter is getting really upset. I again said no and tried to walk away. She then followed me, saying loud enough for customers to hear that I’d made her daughter cry.
.
That was it for me. Even though her child’s wailing had settled into a whimper by this point, no-one wants to be publicly accused of that. It was obvious that this woman was used to getting what she wanted and her daughter had learned from her mother’s example. She knew making noise would get her what she wanted, and couldn’t understand it not working in a shop when it clearly worked at home. I told the woman that (a) no child was entitled to get everything they wanted, (b) she should be aiming to raise a child with good manners, not a misplaced sense of entitlement, and (c) if she wasn’t careful, her only success would be in raising a child as bratty as herself.
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I didn’t shout or swear, but I was very clear and she was so shocked that someone had stood up to her that she went the other way and started begging me for it. I told her that she had been very rude and wasn’t getting the doll from me, so if she wanted to go back to screeching and being abusive she was welcome to. Several people were watching by now, and they openly laughed when I told them what had happened. What made her finally shut up? Another customer telling her that she sounded like she needed a doll herself and should be quiet otherwise she’d end up on Facebook looking like a fool.

Brilliant advice

What did a judge say during sentencing that made you say “You gotta be kidding me”?

Not my case but a 17-18 year old boy accused and found guilty of sexually assaulting a girl he’d come across in the street late one night as she was making her way home after a big night out and yes, she was drunk, not that it makes a difference.

He dragged her into a nearby park and was in the process of trying to remove her clothes while she tried to resist him when a police patrol turned and caught him in the act. He had been spotted forcing her into the park on a CCTV camera and the operator had called it in and reported it.

Evidence is gathered, court case goes ahead and our lucky lad (please recognize the sarcasm) is found guilty and facing a minimum of XX years in jail. Judge thanks jury then sets aside the verdict/suspends the sentence and puts him on a good behaviour and some very minimal mount of community service.

Why, you might ask?

The judge said “as the boy was attending the ‘high-brow upper-class very expensive private school’ and had a promising future ahead of him, having a custodial sentence on his record would not be good for him, the court on this occasion could be lenient.”

The interesting thing about the boy with “a promising future ahead of him” was that he already had a shady past, three prior charges for things like assault, public lewdness and another sexual assault charge.

It must be good to have the right connections.

What is Christmas like in prison?

I spent 29 Christmases in prison. During this time I saw it change over the years on what they gave the incarcerated

The first few years I was in prison were like this. A huge holiday meal that took up two trays. One tray consisted of ham, turkey dressing, rolls, mashed potatoes with gravy and usually a serving of something else that was different every year it seemed. The second tray was a slice of pumpkin pie (or sweet potato pie), cool whip, a small container of ice cream and a soda

You were also given a bag of various nuts and another bag of candy. You were given a few Christmas cards to send out and $5.00 on your account. They stopped putting the $5.00 on everyone’s account after my 3rd year in prison.

The two christmas bags eventually changed to one. It consisted of shampoo, ramen soups, candy bars etc and was and to my knowledge still comes from Joyce Meyers Ministry

Over the years the size of the Christmas meal got smaller. But like the Thanksgiving meal they are still the best meals served in prison.

For many people in prison this is a hard time. Some stay in their cell all day and will not even go eat the Christmas dinner. They say things like “if I can’t enjoy Christmas in prison I don’t want to eat the Christmas dinner” I had a little different outlook. While I was a little down because I wasn’t with my family, I wasn’t going to go to that extreme. I put myself in prison and I know my family would want me to try to enjoy the meal. And I did, all the while thinking those who don’t eat the Christmas meal could give it to someone else

The one thing I did refuse was Christmas visits. Now I would let them come up before or after Christmas,but I wanted my family to spend Christmas at home , not visiting me in prison. They agreed to this under one condition. I had to call them. It is hard getting on the phones at Christmas. These days it is easier because they have tablets. The call was probably the hardest, because I could hear the sadness in my mom’s voice. One Christmas it was all I could do to hold back the tears. They had me on speaker and I said that I wished I could have sent them more for Christmas than a card. My mom said “ I think I speak for everyone when I say that just hearing your voice is the greatest gift you could give us” The others agreed and I about lost it
Wow, I am sorry . I did not mean to get that personal, but maybe it will give you an idea of how Christmas is for the incarcerated. At least when I was in prison

Good point, Pearl

What was the best time you witnessed a bully get owned?

Not really a bully, but a relevant story, nonetheless.

Years ago my family took a self defense class together. Our daughter, Katie, was a petite 15 year old high school student at the time and worked part time at a frozen yogurt shop. She arrived a couple of minutes late one day and her large male co-worker asked her why she was late. She explained that she got out of self defense class a few minutes late. He scoffed and said, “That stuff wouldn’t do you any good if someone my size came at you!” She replied, “Maybe, maybe not.” Then he said, “If someone did this there isn’t anything you could do”, and leaned toward her grabbing and twisting her shirt at the neckline. Less than a second later she was standing over him looking down at him. He was not hurt, but was lying on the floor on his back, looking up at her, with the most surprised look on his face! It was absolutely awesome! Three cheers for our self defense instructor who had taught us that day how to handle that event!!!

What is the most obnoxious thing you have seen someone do at the grocery store?

A Latina and her daughter (preteen) were at the milk aisle speaking Spanish to each other. As I grab some milk, I hear this older lady (50+) say, ”SPEAK ENGLISH, this is America!”

I was a little perturbed by this and began to stare at her in embarrassment. The young girl, in a calm and delicate way, dropped some history bomb on this older lady. She said , “America doesn’t have a national language because this land was founded by the Dutch, French, the English, and, most certainly, the Spaniards. And next time old lady, go read a book and learn, that’s what I did.”

I laughed so hard her mother smirked. It was obnoxious for the older lady to interrupt a mother and daughter shopping at the grocery. I wish I had recorded the interaction.

This country is built by people from all walks of life. In times like these, we have to remember this land was built for you and me 🙂

Words of truth

Military personnel, what’s the dumbest thing you’ve heard someone in uniform say?

I am sure I’ve forgotten most of them but…

I was on Temporary Duty (TDY) for training at a USAF tech school and while there I was appointed Barracks Chief for the TDY enlisted barracks. Now NCOs were exempt from details but lower ranking airmen were not. And as Barracks Chief I was also exempt.

We took our classes in a huge three story tall building with no windows. Because everything inside was highly classified; so only people with clearances could enter the building. This meant that on Saturdays there was a large detail to wax and buff all the hallways. It took about 4–5 hours for a 50+ man detail to do this job.

There were at least 500–600 lower ranking airmen who were at the school full time for entry level training in the field. We were all graduates of that program. When I had attended the school this duty got rotated among the entry level trainees, I’d done it a couple times in my schooling.

The First Sergeant of the Training Squadron had decided that this detail should be done by visiting TDY airmen who obviously had clearances and access already approved.

The problem was that while the detail required 50 people we typically had about 30 Airmen on TDY at any time (most TDY courses were 6–10 weeks to teach now experienced graduates added systems). So he would round up other trainees from among those in entry level training, to fill out the roster.

The problem of course is that it meant that the visiting airmen had the worst, nastiest, longest detail possible every single Saturday they were at the base. You couldn’t even go out clubbing on Friday because the detail started at 0700.

When I approached the First Sergeant about the problem on behalf of one of my guys the First Shirt explained this was completely fair because the detail was ROTATING — as soon as we had more than 50 guys in residence the extra guys would be excused based on how many times they had done the detail. Never mind that in ten years they had never had more than 45 or so TDY personnel at any moment — if they ever had 51 then one lucky guy would get one Saturday off…

I tried pointing out the obvious — that you cannot rotate a 50 man detail among 30 men and that in reality no one would EVER be excused from the detail but it simply did not register. I don’t know why.

(We made a visit to the base Inspector General and registered a complaint — it is not appropriate to require a small group to bear the brunt of the longest and dirtiest detail every single weekend. No one objected to doing a detail; even this detail would be OK once in a great while, it comes with the territory… The IG upheld the complaint and they changed the detail.)

What happened in your office that became the stuff of legend?

We had en employee retire. Not exactly “legend”, eh?

“Frank” was a thirty-year employee, a good worker, and not seen by Managment as a “troublemaker” or problem employee. One Monday, during a staff meeting, Frank just exploded. He launched into an obscenity-laced tirade against his boss,and his bosses boss! He used every dirty word you can’t use on TV, and the most blunt, vulgar criticism of the company, managment and some staff.

Frank’s boss, and his bosses boss just sat there, speechless, as Frank went on for almost five minutes. Finally, Franks boss said “Frank, we’ve heard enough from you. One more word and you’re fired!”

Frank replied that “You can’t fire me, I RETIRE!” The then stormed out of the conference room, flipped his desk over, and began handing out $20 bills to the “people he liked” in the office, about 20% of the staff.

Managment called security, and they escorted Frank out. As he was passing the Receptionist, he turned to her and said “Coming in every day and seeing your (blank) was the best thing about working in this (blank).”

Everyone I know has talked about quitting / retiring in a “blaze of glory” from at least one job. He actually did it!

Everyone who witnessed this still talks about it at office parties. It’s been years!

Footnote: six months after he left, Frank asked for a reference, as he wanted a part-time job. That didn’t go so well.

Warfare

Why is the top bunk considered disrespectful in jail/prison?

37 yr old single father with nearly 8 years in recovery.

I spent nearly 3.75 years incarcerated during my addict years at my rock bottom.

Bottom bunks are the most valuable, often paid for, bullied from, fought for or earned thru a medical “bottom bunk pass” if you have a disability limiting you to the bottom bunks only.

Medical passes in jail are like gold, the officers have to abide by them, inmates without them hate them.

I had a bottom bunk pass for 2/3’s of the time I spent in jail, a 2nd mattress pass, etc after breaking my back in 2011. I spent well over a year on a top bunk.

Why are bottom bunks the ones normally wanted the most? I’ll give you a few reasons from my experience’s.

  1. The lights.

    a. In jail the lighting is very obnoxious and bright, you only get a few hours of lights out (Usually from 11 PM – 4/5 AM but it’s never totally dark due to safety bulbs in each florescent light.

    Being on the bottom bunk you can avoid the bright light in your eyes which is a horrible way to wake up at 4 AM. You can also have more privacy by hanging a towel, sheet or clothing item which bring me to my 2nd reason.

    b. Privacy.

    By hanging a towel/sheet you can basically eliminate nearly all the light in your bunk, not have 3 dudes watch you sleep, or do whatever criminal thing you would want to get away with out of the view of the cameras or simply have a get away from the other 16 dudes you share your unit with.

2. Ease of Access.

a. Let’s face it, jumping down on to a cold concrete floor 8–10 times a day for standing head counts isn’t easy on the knees or your ankles. Climbing back up is a wicked pain on the knees and lower back.

b. You also better hope you get along with your bunkie because you step on his things, his blanket/mat, etc and you’re going to have problem. I would’ve if it happened more than once after explaining the inmate rules, you make it clear very quickly to a new bunkie how the system works.

You don’t have many rights left in jail so your cleanliness is one of the only things they can’t take away from you.

New inmates learn very quickly that those on bottom bunks have the seniority in that unit which comes along with more respect from new inmates.

There’s a few more reasons I can think of honestly but I don’t want to make this too long.

Bottom bunks are earned by seniority, bottom bunk passes, and/or muscles.

What do you bring to the table?

As a police officer, what is the kindest thing a suspect ever said to you?

One graveyard shift, I was driving west on Sunset Blvd around Fairfax. I always drove with my window down. I heard a small, brief, horn-honk and a car pulled up alongside. “Officer, pull over, I need to talk to you!” We slowed ourselves, stopping the car, and gave our location.

The driver, later ID’ed as, “Nick”, exited his car, as did my trainee and I. As he approached me, he suddenly reached deep into his right front pants pocket. My left hand already had my flashlight illuminating him, while my right hand went to my gun, unsnapping it and beginning to rock it toward drawing down on him. Suddenly his hand emerged containing nothing more than a glass tube. He threw the glass tube, the type used for the smoking of rock cocaine, onto the hood of my police car. Nick looked at me and said, “I need you to arrest me and put me in jail. I am addicted to rock. I can’t stop, please help me!”

I was still in the single digits of years of sobriety. I told him I’d do what I could. Nick was going through withdrawals only, he was not under the influence at the time.

I arrested Nick for violation of 23152(c) CA Vehicle Code – Addict Driving. It was the only time in my 30 years that I used that section to arrest anyone. You need not be under the influence of anything, your life just needs to be horribly upset by your addiction. I gave Nick his Miranda Warnings, which he waived, and asked him about his daily life and use of rock cocaine. A picture of a life destroyed by drugs emerged. He signed his statement, gratefully, and happily went to jail. Weeks later, I got an on-call subpoena for his case, but was told he’d copped out. The courts sentenced him to treatment.

Months maybe a year, later, I was off-duty and at the L.A. Convention Center attending a talk by Father Joe Martin, a Roman Catholic priest who was very active in recovery work. I was in line to get a soda, when there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see NICK!, who gave me a hug and told me he’d been clean and sober since his arrest. Nick said that I had helped save his life.

The United States unilaterally announced an expansion of its continental shelf sovereignty claims in the Arctic Ocean, covering an ocean area of approximately 1 million square kilometers. Is this reasonable? Why no country opposes?

If I hadn’t happened to see a piece of news from Russia, I wouldn’t have noticed this important information at all.

The U.S. government has encircled more than 1 million square kilometers of ocean in the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea near Arras.

Oh my God, 1 million square kilometers is three times the size of Malaysia’s territory and ocean area!

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The U.S. Initiates Extended Continental Shelf Claims Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State announced plans to move forward with extended continental shelf claims in the Arctic

This is almost the largest territorial (territorial sea) sovereignty change in the world since the end of World War II. Such information has not received any attention in the Western mainstream media.

The reason given by the Americans is: According to the “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea”, they began mapping the submarine continental shelves in these two areas in 2003 and discovered their geographical connection with Alaska. So in December 2023, they cited the “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” The Articles of the Convention “ ECS” lay out claims to this maritime area and put them on the map.

What is embarrassing is that the United States is not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea at all. This means that the United States wants to occupy 1 million square kilometers of high seas based on a treaty that it has not signed.

There are huge amounts of flammable ice, oil, natural gas and mineral resources under this sea area.

The questioner asked: Why did no country object?

Of course, the only one who objects is Russia, because they are the only neighbor in this sea area.

Given the relationship between the United States and Russia, I don’t think Russia’s opposition will play any role.

Eventually, the map of the United States will most likely expand by 1 million square kilometers.

No country will care, or in other words, they will all quietly shut up.

You keep asking…

WW3 FOR DUMMIES

Gaius Baltar

Dec 26, 2023

Note to readers: This is a repost of an article I wrote and was published on June 18, 2022 – 18 months ago. That was long before I started a Substack account. Some of you may already have read it. When it was published on “the saker” blog, the Russo-Ukraine war was still young but an obvious civilizational conflict was underway. This article was an attempt at describing some of the forces driving the conflict, including economic ones.

The article went viral and got republished all over the place in many languages – including on Zerohedge. I have no idea how many views it got in total but it was hundreds of thousands, possibly millions. I suspect it was one of the most read articles on geopolitical/economic issues in 2022.

The geopolitical conflict is far from over and the scenarios outlined in the article are probably not going to be realized for some time (if at all – let’s hope!), but I’m curious to hear what you readers think of the current situation in the world and where we might be heading – either with this article as a framework or in general. It’s also healthy to revisit one’s thinking in the past and evaluate it.

Be warned that the article contains some doom-porn, but according to global web traffic results humans like nothing more than porn!

This is however not the main reason I’m posting this old article here on Substack. The reason is a book that was just published which addresses in detail one of the main points of the article; the enormous global debt and how it may be resolved.

The book is called “The Great Taking” and is authored by David Rogers Webb. I haven’t read it yet but I plan to. I heard it is quite interesting and you might want to take a look if you are looking for something to read between Christmas and New Year’s.

World War 3 for dummies

By Gaius Baltar

Some knowledgeable people, apparently including the Pope, are beginning to suspect that there may be more going on in the world than just the war in the Ukraine. They say that World War 3 has already started and things will get worse from now on. This can be difficult to determine while we are participating in the unfolding events and do not have the benefit of the historical perspective. It is doubtful that people back in 1939 realized that they were looking at the start of a major worldwide conflict, although some may have suspected.

The current global situation is in many ways like a giant jigsaw puzzle where the general public only sees a tiny part of the complete picture. Most don’t even realize that there may be more pieces and don’t even ask these simple questions: Why is all this happening and why is it happening now?

Things are more complicated that most people realize. What they see is the evil wizard Vladimir Saruman Putin invading innocent Ukraine with his orc army – for absolutely no reason. This is a simplistic view to say the least because nothing happens without a reason. Let’s put things in perspective and see what is really going on – and why the world is going crazy before our eyes. Let’s see what World War 3 is all about.

The pressure cooker

The West (which we can define here as the US and the EU) has been maintaining pressure on the entire world for decades. This does not only apply to countries outside the West, but also to Western countries which strayed from the diktats of the West’s rulers. This pressure has been discussed widely and attributed to all kinds of motives, including neocolonialism, forced financial hegemony and so forth. What is interesting, particularly during the last 20 years, is which countries have been pressured and what they do not have in common.

Among the pressured countries we find Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Libya, Syria, Serbia, Thailand and Iran to mention a few. There have also been recent additions, including India and Hungary. In order to understand why they have been pressured, we need to find out what they have in common. That’s not easy since they are extremely different in most ways. There are democracies and non-democracies, conservative and communist governments, Christian, Muslim and Buddhist countries and so on. Still, many of them are very clearly allied. One must ask why conservative and religious countries such as Russia or Iran would ally themselves with Godless communists in Cuba and Venezuela.

What all these countries have in common is their desire to run their own affairs; to be independent countries. This is unforgiveable in the eyes of the West and must be tackled by any means necessary, including economic sanctions, color revolutions and outright military aggression.

The West and its NATO military arm had surrounded Russia with hostile countries and military bases, armed and manipulated Ukraine to be used as a hammer against it and employed sanctions and threats. The same thing was and is happening in Asia where China is being surrounded by all means available. The same applies to all the Independents mentioned above to some extent. In the past 10 years or so the pressure has increased massively on the Independents and it reached almost fever pitch in the year before the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.

During the year before the Ukraine war, the US sent its diplomats around the world to tune up the pressure. They were like a travelling circus or a rock band on a tour, but instead of entertainment they delivered threats: buy this from us and do what we tell you or there will be consequences. The urgency was absolute and palpable, but then came the Ukraine war and the pressure went up to 11. During the first month of the war, the entire West’s diplomatic corps was fully engaged in threats against the ‘rest of the world’ to engineer the isolation of Russia. This didn’t work, which resulted in panic in political and diplomatic circles in the US and Europe.

All this pressure through the years, and all the fear and panic when it didn’t work, are clearly related to the events in the Ukraine. They are a part of the same ‘syndrome’ and have the same cause.

The debt dimension

There have been many explanations for what is going on and the most common is the fight between two possible futures; a multipolar world where there are several power centers in the world, and a unipolar world where the West governs the world. This is correct as far as it goes, but there is another reason which explains why this is happening now and all the urgency and panic in the West.

Recently the New Zealand tech guru Kim Dotcom tweeted a thread about the debt situation in the US. According to him all debt and unfunded liabilities of the US exceed the total value of the entire country, including the land. This situation is not unique to the US. Most countries in the West have debt which can only be paid back by selling the entire country and everything it contains. On top of that, most non-western countries are buried in dollar-denominated debt and are practically owned by the same financiers who own the West.

During the last few decades the economy of the US and Europe has been falsified on a level which is difficult to believe. We in the West have been living far beyond our means and our currencies have been massively overvalued. We have been able to do this through two mechanisms:

1.       The first one is the reserve status of the dollar and the semi-reserve status of the euro which have enabled the West to export digital money and receive goods in return. This has created the enormous financial power for the West and enabled it to function as a parasite on the world economy. We have been getting a lot of goods for free, to put it mildly.

2.       The second falsification mechanism is the increase in debt to a level where we have essentially pawned everything we own, including our houses and lands, to keep up our living standard. We own nothing now when the debt has been subtracted. The debt has long since become unserviceable – far beyond our ability to pay interests on – which explains why the interest rates in the West are in the neighborhood of zero. Any increase would make the debt unserviceable and we would all go formally bankrupt in a day.

On top of all this, the falsification has created artificially strong currencies in the West which has boosted their purchasing power for goods priced in non-western currencies. These mechanisms have also enabled the West to run bloated and dysfunctional service economies where inefficiencies are beyond belief. We have giant groups of people in our economies that not only create no value, but destroy value systematically. What maintains the West’s standard of living now is a small minority of productive people, constant debt increase, and parasitism on the rest of the world.

The people who own all this debt actually own everything we think we own. We in the West own nothing at this point – we only think we do. But who are our real owners? We know more or less who they are because they meet every year at the World Economic Forum in Davos along with the western political elites who they also happen to own.

It is clear that our owners have been getting increasingly worried, and their worries have been increasing in sync with the increased pressure applied by the West on the rest of the world, particularly the Independents. During the last Davos meeting, the mood was bleak and panicked at the same time, much like the panic among the western political elites when the isolation of Russia failed.

What is about to happen

The panic of our owners and their politicians is understandable because we have come to the end of the line. We can no longer keep up our living standard by debt increase and parasitism. The debt is reaching beyond what we own as collateral and our currencies are about to become worthless. We will no longer be able to get free stuff from the rest of the world, or pay back our debt – let alone pay interest on it. The entire West is about to go bankrupt and our standard of living is about to go down by a massive percentage. This is what has our owners panicked and they see only two scenarios:

1.       In the first scenario most countries in the West, and everything and everyone within them, declare bankruptcy and erase the debt by diktat – which sovereign states are able to do. This will also erase the wealth and political power of our owners.

2.       In the second scenario our owners take over the collateral during the bankruptcy. The collateral is us and everything we own.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which scenario was chosen. The plan for the second scenario is ready and being implemented as we speak. It is called ‘The Great Reset’ and was constructed by the people behind the World Economic Forum. This plan is not a secret and can be examined to a certain degree on the WEF website.

The Great Reset is a mechanism for the seizing of all debt collateral which includes your assets, the assets of your city or municipality, the assets of your state and most corporate assets not already held by our owners.

This asset seizure mechanism has several components, but the most important are the following four:

1.       Abolishment of sovereignty: A sovereign (independent) country is a dangerous country because it can choose to default on its debt. The decrease in sovereignty has been a priority for our owners and various schemes have been attempted such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans Pacific Partnership. The most successful scheme is undoubtedly the European Union itself.

2.       The down-tuning of the economy: The western economy (and indeed the global economy) must be tuned down by a very significant percentage. This down-tuning is necessary because the western economy is massively falsified now and must be taken down to its real level – which may be as low as half of what it is now – or more. The slow takedown has also the purpose of avoiding a sudden crash which would cause massive social unrest which would be a threat to our owners. A controlled takedown is therefore preferable to an uncontrolled crash. This controlled takedown is already happening and has been going on for quite some time. Many examples can be mentioned of this takedown, including the EU and US energy policy which is designed to sabotage the western economy, and the obvious attempts at demand destruction during and after the epidemic, including the fairly bizarre logistical problems which suddenly came out of nowhere.

3.       Asset harvesting (you will own nothing and be ‘happy’): All assets that can be considered to be collateral to our private and collective/public debt will be taken over. This is a clearly stated aim of the Great Reset but it is less clear how this would be carried out. Total control of western governments (and indeed all governments) would seem to be necessary for this. That precondition is closer than one might think because most western governments seem to be beholden to Davos at this point. The process will be sold as necessary social restructuring because of an economic crisis and global warming and will result in massive decrease in living standards for regular people, although not the elites.

4.       Oppression: A great many people will not like this and an uprising is a likely response, even if the takedown is done gradually. To prevent this from happening, a social control mechanism is being implemented which will erase personal freedom, the freedom of speech, and privacy. It will also create absolute dependence of the individual on the state. This must be done before the economic takedown can be completed or there will be a revolution. This mechanism is already being implemented enthusiastically in the West as anybody with eyes and ears can see.

Russia, China and other Independents

How do Russia and China, and the war in Ukraine, factor into all of this? Why all the pressure from the West throughout the years and why all this panic now? Part of the reason for the pressure on the Independents, particularly Russia and China, is simply that they have resisted western hegemony. That is enough for getting on the West’s naughty list. But why the increased pressure in recent years?

The reason is that Russia and China cannot be subjugated through bankruptcy and their assets harvested. They do not have much debt in western currencies which means that the people who own the West through debt do not currently own Russia and China (like they own the West and the indebted ‘third world’) and cannot acquire them through debt. The only way to acquire them is through regime change. Their governments must be weakened by any means, including economic sanctions and military means if necessary -thus the use of Ukraine as a battering ram for Russia and Taiwan for China.

Subjugating Russia and China is an existential issue for our Davos owners because when they take the western economy down, everything else must go down too. If the western economy is taken down and a large economic block doesn’t participate in the downfall, it will be a disaster for the West. The new block will gain massive economic power, and possibly unipolar hegemony of sorts, while the West descends into a feudal Dark Age and irrelevance. Therefore the entire world must go down for the Great Reset to work. Russia and China must be subjugated by any means, as well as India and other stubborn nations.

This is what has fueled the situation we now find ourselves in and will fuel the continuation of World War 3. The western owner-elites are going to war to keep their wealth and power. Everyone who resists must be subjugated so they can follow the West into the planned Great Reset Dark Age.

The reason for the current panic among western elites is that the Ukraine project isn’t going as planned. Instead of Russia being bled on the battlefield, it is Ukraine and the West that bleed. Instead of the Russian economy crashing resulting in Putin’s replacement by a Davos-compatible leader, it is the West’s economy that is crashing. Instead of Russia being isolated, it is the West that is being increasingly isolated. Nothing is working, and to top it all off, Europe has given the Russians the means and motive to destroy the European economy by partly shutting down its industry. Without Russian resources there is no European industry, and without industry there are no taxes for paying for unemployment benefits, pensions, all the refugees and pretty much everything else which holds European societies together. The Russians now have the ability to engineer and uncontrolled crash in Europe which is not what Davos planned. An uncontrolled crash might see Davos heads roll, literally, and that is causing fear and panic in elite circles. The only solution for them is to move on with World War 3 and hope for the best.

What to do

The Great Reset of the world economy is the direct cause for World War 3 – assuming that is what is going on.  What can be done about this? From inside the West, little can be done. The only way is to somehow remove Davos from the equation, but that is most likely not going to happen for two reasons: The first one is that the Davos great resetters are too entwined in the western economy and politics. Davos is like an octopus with its arms and suckers inside every country’s elite circles, media and government. They are too entrenched to be easily removed. The second reason is that the western population is too brainwashed and ignorant. The level of their brainwashing is such that a large part of them actually want to become poor – although they use the word ‘green’ for ‘poor’ because it sounds better. There are, however, some indications that there may be divisions within western elites. Some of them, particularly within the US, may be resisting the primarily Europe-designed Great Reset – but whether this opposition is real or effective remains to be seen.

However, outside the West, there are certain measures which can be taken and must be taken. Some of those measures are drastic and some of them are being done as we speak. Among the measures are the following:

1.       The Independents, led by Russia, China and India, must create a block to isolate themselves from the radioactive West. This isolation must not only be economic, but also political and social. Their economic systems must be divorced from the West and made autonomous. Their cultures and history must be defended against western influences and revisionism. This process appears to be underway.

2.       The Independents must immediately ban all western sponsored institutions and NGOs in their countries, regardless of whether they are sponsored by western states or individuals. Furthermore, they must ban all media receiving western sponsorship and strip every school and university of western sponsorship and influences.

3.       They must leave all international institutions up to and possibly including the United Nations, because all international bodies are controlled by the West. They must then replace them with new institutions within their block.

4.       They must, at some point, declare the dollar and the euro currencies non grata. That means that they should declare default on all debts denominated in these currencies, but not other debts. This will most likely come at a later stage, but is inevitable.

This will create a situation where the West will descend into darkness without pulling others down with it – if we manage to escape the nuclear fire.

Cool things in China

Yeah. I keep forgetting that the rest of the world doesn’t do this…

What did someone do that made you think they were really smart?

Originally Answered: What was something that someone did that made you think they were really smart?

When my son was really young (about 3) we were at a summer bbq in a friend’s garden with a few other friends and their kids.

The kids were a range of ages, up to about 8 or 9, with my son being the youngest. One of the kids was playing with a ping pong ball which he’d accidentally dropped into a narrow hole in the grass about 8″ deep (where a fence post had recently been removed from) and became upset that he wasn’t able to get the ball back out.

A few of the other kids were trying to help, by squeezing their short fingers into the hole to retrieve the ball (unsuccessfully) while others attempted using sticks to wedge it out to no avail. All the while, my son was closely watching the other older kids in their endeavours.

When my son asked me to take him to the kitchen for a glass of water, I assumed he was just thirsty. But he took the glass of water undrunk and walked back out to the garden. He then went up to where the other kids were gathered, still trying to retrieve the stuck ball and proceeded to pour the whole glass of water into the hole. . The ping pong ball then floated up to the top of the hole, where one of kids grabbed it and a couple of them cheered.

My son didn’t say anything but I was watching on the sidelines, absolutely taken aback at the ingenuity of it – displaying lateral thinking when he wasn’t much more than a toddler.

As a scientist myself, I was delighted to realise my young son had apparently discovered Archimedes principle all by himself!

He’s almost 8 now and is definitely still passionate about science, maths and nature.

NASA’s Webb Snaps Supersonic Outflow of Young Star

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What cosmetic changes in a house adds more value to it?

I had my condo for sale for a year, at the end it was done to 60percent of comparables, and I didn’t have an offer.

I took it off the market removed the wall paper, and painted the entire house, put in new cheap carpet, with a thick plush underlay. I got laminate flooring on sale. I tore out my old carpet and hauled it to the dump. I bought clearance blinds to replace the old faded drapes.

I had bought the condo during a low in the market in 1986, for $42,000 , I had tried to sell it in 2000 , for 100,000 and dropped it to $59,900 and never had one offer. There were no condos on the market for less. I had a 3 bedroom, and 1 bedrooms were going for more.

I spent 6 months renovating, and put it back on the market for $110,000 and sold it for asking price the same day.

I spent $4000 on painting, flooring, and blinds.

The place had wall paper when I bought it, and I hated it, but was too cheap to replace it. But to make a sale, I painted. It had linoleum and I replaced it with laminate, The drapes with blinds ( which were popular in 2000) . Then I scrubbed it spotless.

My realtor told me that I was foolish to spend $4000 on cosmetics, because people would want to pick their own stuff. But I think doubling the value in 6 months, shows that cheap cosmetic changes paid off.

I don’t guarantee that your house needs the same things as my house did 23 years ago

Webb Celebrates First Year of Science With Close-up on Birth of Sun-like Stars

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Attempted ‘color revolution’ in Serbia: What we know so far

Opposition activists forced their way into Belgrade city hall after claiming a municipal election was rigged.

23DEC23

Opposition forces in Serbia breached Belgrade’s city hall amid mass protests on Sunday. They claim the recent municipal election in the capital, won by the ruling party, was rigged. Senior national officials have described the protests as an attempted “color revolution,” and said they had been forewarned by Russia.

Mayorship

Belgrade is home to roughly a quarter of the Balkan nation’s population of over 6.6 million. The office of its mayor is viewed as one of the most important in Serbia.

Members of the city council, who vote the mayor in, were elected on December 17 – the same day as a national election and several municipal votes were held.

The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) of President Aleksandar Vucic won the most seats in the Belgrade City Assembly. The opposition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) alliance claims the outcome was achieved through voter fraud.

Early violence

In the week that followed the elections, the opposition staged several rallies in Belgrade, some of them marred by violence.

During a demonstration in front of the Republican Election Commission last Monday, leading Serbian statistician Milorad Kovacevic and several of his associates were reportedly attacked by activists. Police seized several knives and bats from protesters, local media said.

Election officials react

The Election Commission denounced the violence and claimed the rally was an attempt to disrupt its activities. The head of the commission, Vladimir Dimitrijevic, expressed hope that it was an isolated incident and that any future attempts to challenge the election result would remain legal.

The body investigated opposition claims that ‘phantom voters’ had been allowed to cast ballots in Belgrade, but reported on Sunday that it had found no evidence that the election had been “stolen.”

Sunday riot

On Sunday evening, hundreds of pro-opposition demonstrators gathered in the center of Belgrade after being rallied by the SPN. Opposition leader Marinika Tepic, who declared a hunger strike last Monday and claims to be living on IV infusions, was barred from entering the Election Commission building. Meanwhile, an improvised stage was erected near the presidential residence, with speakers and performers whipping up the crowd.

Later in the evening, some activists stormed city hall, claiming they were seeking “to liberate the institutions.” The police intervened and drove them out.

Aleksandar Sapic, head of the temporary city administration, shared images of the damage caused by the rioters in the historic building, calling it “irreparable.” He declared that Serbia must be protected from the use of violence for political gain. He used the term “Maidanization,” referring to the 2014 armed coup in Kiev, which set the stage for the current hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.

‘Color revolution’

President Vucic denounced the riot, calling it an attempted “color revolution” and claiming that a foreign nation had warned his government about the threat beforehand. Prime Minister Ana Brnabiс thanked the Russian special services for providing intelligence to Belgrade.

The term ‘color revolution’ is often applied to the mass uprisings by ostensibly pro-democratic political forces in the 1990s and 2000s, including in Yugoslavia in 2000. Russia and some other nations perceive the wave as masterminded by the West to further its geopolitical goals, and executed through NGOs, media outlets, and parties funded by the US and its allies.

The Vucic government has been presented with a dilemma amid the current confrontation between Russia and the West. It is seeking EU membership for Serbia, which would require the realignment of Belgrade’s foreign policy with that of Brussels. However, Vucic has rejected Western calls to cut ties with Russia and join the US-led sanctions campaign against Moscow.

Responding to the turmoil in Belgrade, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed it was an “obvious attempt by the collective West to destabilize the situation in the country through ‘maidan coups’,” according to RIA Novosti.

Webb Reveals Intricate Details in the Remains of a Dying Star (MIRI image)

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What is the most hurtful thing someone has said to you?

My ex-husband & I had been married for a few years before I opened up to him about the sexual abuse I endured as a teenager, at the hands of my father. Naturally, he was upset and wanted to know why I’d waited so long to tell him about it. I informed him that while it was an awful point in my life, I had long ago dealt with the pain & made peace with myself about i, that it was something I didn’t think much of anymore, but that I had always intended to tell him when I felt the time was right. He seemed sat with my response, and we went on business as usual.

Fast forward 3 1/2 years later… we had a brutal argument one day about his habit of not coming home til the wee hours of the morning. His shift at work would end around 4pm each day, & while I understood the need or desire to have the occasional few beers with the guys after a hard day, it was happening far too often & he was being inconsiderate by staying out so late while I was left alone to care for our children (mind you, I also worked every day, as well.) Apparently, that enraged him and out of nowhere, with this extremely cold glare in his eyes, very calmly stated, “I bet you enjoyed what your father did to you…” I was crushed! The debilitating emotions I’d felt so long ago came rushing back to me, and I suddenly felt as if what I’d experienced in my childhood had just happened. I was violated all over again.

He did eventually apologize for what he’d said, but I was never able to look at him the same way. Three years later, we divorced.

The Crab Nebula Seen in New Light by NASA’s Webb (NIRCam and MIRI)

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Why is Somalia considered a developing country?

Somalia is not a real country. Somalia is a geographical expression which exists only on maps and in the minds of believers.

This is what Somalia looks like in imagination with its imaginary capital of Mogadishu.

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image 483

And this is what Somalia looks like in real life.

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image 46

The red part what the UN-recognized Somalian government in Mogadishu (sorta) controls. When people talk about the “country of Somalia”, they’re unintentionally referring only to the red areas. That being said, the map is a little misleading. Even in the red area, the government lacks control over many local communities, especially in the northeastern area of Puntland. And the internal borders change on a day-to-day basis.

The yellow area is called Somaliland. It functions as an independent country. The government in Mogadishu has no control over Somaliland.

The gray areas are controlled by tribal communities and terrorist organizations. The government in Mogadishu has no control over the gray areas.

This is partly why Somalia is a developing country. The official government has control over less than half the country. This means that there are no nation-wide social services. No national education system; people are often unable to receive a non-religious education. No unified foreign policy. No well-maintained national infrastructure. And the people of Somalia are kinda too distracted by violence and political instability to invest in their futures. Large parts of the country are controlled by terrorists organizations.

Despite the above, Somalia does have a stable informal economy, based upon (mostly subsistence) agriculture. But no country every became wealthy by growing plants.

NASA’s Webb Findings Support Long-Proposed Process of Planet Formation

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Oh My goodness

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

I heard this story from my neighbour, and it happened to them about a month ago.

So my neighbour (27 male) was going on a road trip with his father (about 55 or so) and they had to pull over on the side of the road, only about a half mile or so from the city limits. The traffic was pretty bad, and obviously the person behind them didn’t appreciate having to wait for them to pull over through two lanes of traffic, and followed them off the road. My neighbour hadn’t noticed the man following them, until he got out of his car (a work ute for a construction company) and pulled out a metal pole from the back of his ute. He came up and smashed the back windshield of the car, swore at the father (who was driving) and began walking back to his car pretty slowly.

Before he could start his car again, my neighbour and his father had walked up to the other man’s car and pulled out their badges.

Both of them are cops, the father is the police captain of the station. My neighbour said the man smelt like heroin, so they checked the car and found a bunch of drugs and equipment for druggos.

He then told the man that he would have a lot of paperwork to fill out.

I love that story. Be careful who you mess with.

NASA’s Webb Identifies Tiniest Free-Floating Brown Dwarf (NIRCam Image)

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Not to play

Nearby Planetary System Seen in Breathtaking Detail, Fomalhaut Dusty Debris Disk (MIRI Image)

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Genuine friendship

Has a cop ever said something to you which was completely unexpected?

Yes, indeed.

I was 17, hitchhiking my way to the South of France after leaving home for good. I was waiting at a spot on the Route Nationale 7 in the northern part of Lyon. Not a very good place if you wanted to go south, but it was the best I had been able to do.

An open Mehari with a long haired young man at the wheel passed. Thy guy grinned, honked and then shrugged in the universal gesture of: “Sorry, can’t help you, mate.”

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image 482

Citroen Mehari, based on the 2CV, image credit: radicalmag

About half an hour later a police car stopped next to me. To my surprise it was the guy from the Mehari. Hair tied in a neat bun underneath his kepi, his bright and colorful clothing replaced by a sombre French police uniform.

He asked me where I was going. In abysmally bad French I explained that my destination was Toulon.

He told me to enter the car. My heart sunk as I thought my short lived adventure was already over and I would be returned home to my mother in Germany.

Well, from what little I understood he told me he needed to go a certain route, which he did. After about an hour’s worth of driving through all sorts of strange neighborhoods he dropped me off south of Lyon at the RN7, an ideal spot to get to where I was going. He wished me luck, waved once and sped off.

BTW, my French is much better these days

NASA’s Webb Scores Another Ringed World With New Image of Uranus

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He could be right

What is your biggest regret in life?

My first instinct is to say “going into debt for a worthless degree.” At age 18, I took on almost $120k in debt for a B.A. in Communications from DePaul University in Chicago… a private, out-of-state university for me. After spending six years doing jobs that didn’t even require a degree, I had to go back for my Master’s in Teaching (also from DePaul) in order to get a career I wanted: teaching. Now, at age 40, I’m still paying for classes I took when I was 18… some $400 per month. That’s down from the $650 per month I paid right out of college, mainly because my father died and some of the loans were in his name only. I will be paying my student loans until I’m 52, assuming I don’t pay them off early.

But, then again, I met my wife in college, and she and the children she gave me are the best parts of my life. So maybe I don’t regret going into debt for college. Maybe it was worth it, after all.

My second instinct is to say “moving far from home for college.” When I was 18, I was so eager to spread my wings that I moved four states away for college. I went from living with my parents, to visiting them just once per year… then once every two years. There were so many times that I could have been there for my parents, but I was too far away. I gave up the chance to have a close adult relationship with them, before I realized what I was giving up. I hurt them and, as the years go by, the more I realize that I hurt myself, too.

But, then again, I met my wife in college, and she and the children she gave me are the best parts of my life. So maybe I don’t regret moving so far away for college. Maybe it was worth it, after all.

So my biggest regret is, I guess, not taking better care of myself when I was younger… particularly in my mid-20s, when adult responsibilities of a career, marriage, and children came along. The first thing to go, once my plate got full, was time at the gym. Then I started stress eating rather than stress working out. I worked hard in my early 20s to get in shape… lost 130 pounds in the process… and I squandered it all by the time I was 30. Now it’s starting to catch up to me. I’m sitting here, writing this now, when I would rather be riding my bike. It’s a nice day outside, but my left knee is in pain and stiff. According to the doctor, I have “more arthritis than they’d expect for a man my age,” but “that can happen when you carry a lot of weight around your whole life.”

If I could do it all over again, I’d go back to about age 15 and change only one thing: I’d only drink water (no soda, no coffee with cream and sugar), and maybe even go vegetarian, just for the reduced calories. Fast-forward 25 years, and I’m a much healthier 40-year-old man, still happily married and still with awesome children.

NASA’s Webb Reveals Intricate Networks of Gas and Dust in Nearby Galaxies

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Daddy advice

What was the cleverest thing you said to someone walking away?

I lived in an apartment building. The upstairs neighbor seemed to think he was back in the dorm: parties all night, every night… people tromping around… music blasting with the bass turned all the way UP.

I tried a white-noise app. I got earplugs. I tried playing music next to the bed. My work was suffering.

Then I addressed him directly: I would go upstairs and politely ask him to please be a little quieter. No dice. I moved through the let-my-frustration-show stage… the angry stage… the I’ll-call-the-authorities stage…

When I couldn’t take the experiment in sleep deprivation any longer, I contacted our local city council to find out my options. Turns out there are regulations having to do with “health”: exceptionally loud noise is on a list of “stressors.”

They sent him a warning letter, saying if there were more complaints they might go so far as to serve eviction.

The following weekend a man turned up at my door. He was well-dressed, polite – older gent. He said he was Upstairs Neighbor’s father and could he talk to me?

Well, hey, I like to think I’m a reasonable person. “Sure, c’mon in…”

He pulled out the letter the Health Department had sent the UN and started waving it about, accusing me of intolerance, trying to cause problems for his son, on and on. He told me I should move out – “Nothing wrong with people having company and enjoying music. I’ve been in his apartment and the music is never loud.” As if the kid would give the old man full blast and prove I had cause for complaint.

I was taken aback, as much as anything because it never occurred to me a 30-year-old would have to send “Daddums” to confront a neighbor. Father wanted me to withdraw the complaint. I refused. He ranted some more, then got up to leave, crabbing the whole way about “How do you have the nerve” and so on. I saw him to the door, and as he stepped into the hallway he turned and said bitterly, “I am so disappointed.” “I understand, sir. If I had children who behaved as your son has, I’d be disappointed too.”

He was at a loss for words. It was so gratifying. 😉

NASA’s Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova (NIRCam and MIRI Image)

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Rejection rules

Why is it bad to be overly competitive?

When I was 18, I placed second in the state finals of the 50 freestyle — and wish I’d just gotten last. At that stage of my life, everything was about swimming. I obsessed over it and hoped to go to the Olympic trials some day.

The worst part, I lost by .03 seconds. It was a sickening moment as my biggest goal of the year slipped between my fingers. I grew up with competition dripping from every corner of my home. Both of my parents were competitive swimmers and my identity was all tangled up in the sport.

It feels weird now, looking back and realizing this was still a moment for celebration and appreciation. Second in the state was nothing to hang my head over. But I’d fallen victim to zero sum thinking that is so common with competition — and often quite toxic.

The curse of second place is even scrutinized by academics. In a study led by economist, Dr. Adrian Kalwji, researchers studied the life expectancy of 978 US Olympic medalists from 1904 to 1936. On average, gold medalists lived to 73. Bronze medalists lived to 75 and silver medalists lived to 70. The study speculates that dissatisfactory outcomes for silver medalists have lasting effects on their life, both in socioeconomic status and psychological contentment. Their insights aren’t merely for sports, but extend to human thinking on competitive systems. Why is second place so fraught with disappointment?

When I won silver, there was a feeling of squandered opportunity. I was so close I could smell it. I walked into the showers after my race on the verge of tears, and thought through the small mistakes I made and questioned everything. Could I have reacted quicker off the block? Could I have timed my turn better? Was my training wrong?

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image 481

Second place hits hard because we use “relative standing” when analyzing outcomes. A silver can easily make you feel like the first loser. In a study of social comparisons by Dr. Abraham Buunk, his team found these comparisons make us feel better or worse, depending on which direction we focus on. Moreover, it is less the outcome that determines our feeling, and more how we choose to interpret it.

We anchor our self-perception to the nearest reference points which creates a framing problem. For example, in one study, participants said they’d rather live in a world where the average salary was $25,000 and they earned $50,000, than one where they earned $100,000 and the global average was $200,000. It is strikingly easy to look up, rather than down.

Which brings to mind one of my grandfather’s funnier moments demonstrating this concept. As young children, my sister and I would stand at attention in front of him after doing a task. He would sit in his recliner as we recited what we’d accomplished like we were military cadets. In this case, it was related to a cleaning chore.

We stood at attention and, as a reward, grandpa pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to me in full view of my 4-year-old sister and said, “Here you go!” Then, he reached into his wallet and handed my sister a one dollar bill. She looked down at it, grimaced in anger — then crumpled it up and chucked it at the wall. He immediately started laughing and then gave her five dollars. It highlighted the constant comparative thinking, which is why managing our expectations is so important.

After losing my 50 free, I went on to swim in college the subsequent year. I placed 3rd in the 100 free at the Atlantic 10 Championship and was thrilled. I’d barely qualified for finals and was in the outside lane. That bronze medal is my most prized accomplishment in sports and much of it is because of how unexpected it was. It felt like a gift.

Technically, I’d still lost the race. Why couldn’t I be happy about every defeat as I was with this one?

Why you should embrace 2nd place

When we are upset about an outcome not matching expectations, we often warp reality and use counterfactual thinking. Famed social economist, Daniel Kahneman, did an exercise where participants were told of two people, Mr. Crane and Mr. Thomas, who were rushing to catch their flight and were 30 minutes late because of their driver. Mr. Crane missed his flight by 30 minutes and Mr. Thomas missed his by five. Nearly every participant said Mr. Thomas was surely more upset than Mr. Crane. Why? Because he was so close to catching his flight.

In reality, the discrepancy didn’t matter. You either catch your flight or you don’t. The outcome has already occurred and there is no benefit to resenting one’s self over it.

Dr. Sergio Pellis studied how rats play fight during development. Often, a large rat will jump on a smaller one and have an immediate advantage and be poised to win. But around 30% of the time, the initiating rat will allow the other to win. The act of getting second place is fundamental to their bonding, contentment and development. If the larger rat dominated every time, he’d lose his training partner, peer, and they’d both miss out on learning. Without realizing it, they celebrate their silver metals.

Competitiveness that’s focused on improving a skill rather than dominating others is proven to increase satisfaction and competency. It is healthier and more logical, because losing is an inevitable consequence of competition. In my case, losing that swim race in high school lit a fire under me, and allowed me to perform well in college. I swam far better times and appreciated the consequence of small improvements to my stroke. I never forgot that .03 second gap. Heck, I’m here writing about it 22 years later.

Lastly, I urge you to stay gracious in victory or defeat. How you conduct yourself impacts your own psyche and how people perceive you. An amazing thing happened after losing my race. The guy who beat me, Eric, was so cool about the whole situation. The next night, we competed in another finals. Just before, we were standing in line for the walkout where they play music to hype up our race. I was standing by him and casually turned and said, “Good race last night. Congrats. It was close.”

He smiled, patted me on the back and said, “Hey, it was all luck. Good race.” And I so appreciated his humility in that moment. He could have been arrogant as many good swimmers are, and said, “Yeah, I could have swam a half second faster if I tried more.” But instead, he paid homage to his competitor.

Remember that the bitterness of losing is a comparison problem. Being outperformed can be a way to bond with others and appreciate how far you’ve come. It can be motivation to study your performance and your victor’s. Beware of making counterfactual comparisons, and building in a bunch of assumptions about why things happened the way they did.

Perhaps on that night, I swam faster than I ordinarily would have. Maybe my opponent had a slower night than usual. There was no use blaming myself. It was an honor to compete and feel alive.

Losing does not put you on a moral low ground. Appreciate the coveted fire of motivation that competition gives you. Give thanks for the competency it instills. It is as my coach often reminded me, “You are in a one person race with yourself.” Focus on progress, not domination. A setback has transformative power, if you allow it.

NASA’s Chandra, Webb Combine for Arresting Views (Pillars of Creation)

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Female friends?

Oh I am so glad that I do not live in the West.

I think that I am going to try to reincarnate as a cat.

Banbury Tarts

Banbury Tarts
Banbury Tarts

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups flour
  • Seedless jelly or jam (preferably currant or raspberry)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Beat in the egg yolks, then the vanilla extract.
  4. Slowly beat in the flour until combined and smooth to form the dough (the dough will be a bit stiff at the end, and you may need to add the last cup of flour by hand).
  5. Form the dough into small balls and make a depression in the middle with your thumb.
  6. Spoon a teaspoon or so of jelly in the depression.
  7. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Yield: about 5 dozen cookies

A Spiral Amongst Thousands

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What do overweight people understand that most people don’t?

Lots of things.

  • We’re not fat because we’re lazy. We work harder than thin people do. Strap a 50-pound sack of flour on your back and keep it on all day, every day. You’ll then be working as hard as a fat person.
  • We’re not fat because we have no self-control. We control our diet far more than naturally thin people do. We resist things that thin people don’t think twice about.
  • You bitch that you can’t find clothes you like. We would love to have the opportunity to bitch that we can’t find clothes we like. Our problem is finding clothes at all. The fashion industry hates us because we don’t represent the image they want for their garments. We have to take whatever fits, whether we like it or not.
  • Weight is set by a complex collection of factors including genetics, hormones, metabolism, lifestyle, and even intestinal flora. Of these, lifestyle is the only one we have any control over. It’s not a sign of moral turpitude.
  • Airplanes are misery for us. Airlines brag about their legroom and let you upgrade to seats with greater distance between them. They never talk about hip and shoulder room and offer no options to improve that except upgrading to business class, which costs thousands.
  • Theater and cinema seats give us bruises.
  • Some medical equipment can’t handle us. [1]
  • Even some GPs (primary care physicians) have contempt for us and let it show. [2]
  • Doctors have a tendency to blame medical problems on weight rather than diagnosing as carefully as they would with a thin person. [3]
  • We are a prime target for scammers. The only people scammed with phony products more than we are are men with anxiety about their penises.
  • We are ashamed much of our lives. Ashamed to be seen to be out of breath, ashamed not to fit in a crowded elevator, ashamed to bump into people in crowds, ashamed when a nurse weighs us, ashamed to meet people who knew us before we were fat. Why have I never been to a high school reunion? Shame.

Footnotes

[1]The Obesity Problem in U.S. Hospitals

[2]Impact of weight bias and stigma on quality of care and outcomes for patients with obesity

[3]Fat shaming in the doctor’s office can be mentally and physically harmful: Health care providers may offer weight loss advice in place of medical treatment, researchers say

NASA’s Webb Uncovers Star Formation in Cluster’s Dusty Ribbons, NGC 346 (NIRCam)

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What is the best thing you have ever learned from a criminal?

I once employed a guy that was dubious at best. He was always talking flat out. In his words he would say “Yeah that’s the dexies mate” when I would ask him to slow down. This is when I was in my mid 20’s and Google wasn’t a thing yet. Yahoo and Alta Vista were, however I had bigger things to fry let alone checking out what “dexies” meant.

Anyway, one day we’re in the car together. This isn’t my favourite thing to do with this particular employee however, he was the only one not waist deep into a job working on the pinball machines, arcade video games and jukes boxes we would repair and sell. We were close to my house and I thought I would drop in and grab something before going back to work. Forgetting who was with me I got out of the car and walked inside. The guy followed, that’s okay. I didn’t give it a second thought until he said this:

“Nice house, lots of nice cool stuff here (as he was looking at the big (for it’s time) 68 cm Sony CRT TV, Slim line Sony DVD player, and stainless and glass custom built cabinet.” He was scanning the house, when I remembered he had told me once he had spent some time in jail. I remember holding my breathe for a second and thinking “Shit… what have I done here? Is this guy taking inventory of my house?”

Then he said this:

“I see you have an alarm box out the front and your key pad is near the telephone which is near the sliding (glass) door. Don’t do that.”

I looked at him a bit puzzled. He had cased my house in less than 5 seconds. When he told me how a criminal would think. He said this:

“Look you have a bowling green style front lawn and a good looking house, like some of the other houses on this street, it’s nice. So, people are going to look… like a nice looking car. Then if your house peaks someones interest, they will case the house when you’re not home, or maybe while you are mowing the front lawn because, you can’t hear them, and you’re intently watching the lawn mower to make sure you don’t run over sprinklers. The guy would see you have an alarm box out the front and be looking for where the phone is through your nice big glass sliding door window.”

Then the guy took me out the front and told me exactly what “his people” did when we were looking at the alarm box.

He pointed up the alarm box and said: “We buy / steal a can of “Space Invader” (This is a can of expanding foam. Ironic I was in the arcade game industry and this guy is telling me how people break into houses using a product called “Space Invader”) from the hardware store. You take the bottom of the can and you smash the blue light. No alarm is going off yet. You then shove the tube of the Space Invader can into vents on the side of the alarm box and fill the box until the Space Invader oozes out of the box. Then you go to where the phone is.

This is the product called “Space Invader”

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image 488
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image 489

It works like this. Spray it in… and in seconds it will expand after spraying and dry.

This is what Wikipedia says:

“Spray foam is a chemical product created by two materials, isocyanate and polyol resin, which react when mixed with each other and expand up to 30-60 times its liquid volume after it is sprayed in place.”

They would spray it into one of these:

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image 486

They would spray the stuff into the vents on the side. The one I had was made of metal back then. This is also the light they would smash off with the base of the Space Invader can.

He continued:

“You get to the window / door that is closest to the phone. By this time the Space Invader will be close to dried. Wait a few minutes. (which I remember he said “When you first start doing “breaks” (short for “break and enters”) those few minutes with your heart racing can feel like hours. All you can hear is your heart racing in your chest) Then smash the window, there is no “quietly”… just do it fast. Get in and take the phone off the hook. This will stop the alarm system from calling the alarm company. The alarm will be going off out the front however, it will be muted, no one will be able to hear it, the light is gone, the cops aren’t coming. Take your time, don’t rush, or you‘ll miss the good stuff. Move quickly, but don’t run. Take what you need / want and leave”

In about 30 seconds he had summed up the “How to break into a house and get away with it” question I had never asked myself.

And then he said this.. “Oh but you have a big dog, you’ll be okay” as my dog Zanni rounded the corner to see we were inside the house and he was outside checking out who was inside.

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image 485

This is Zanni. (He doesn’t normally wear a tie, however he had his best suit on as he was waiting for his date to come over before they went out on the town that evening.)

This was the best thing a criminal ever told me. The phone was moved, the alarm box was put way higher and in an awkward place to get to, let alone “install” and we did the rest of my neighbours houses as well.

Good to know how others think. I don’t have an alarm now. I have CCTV and a dog.

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image 487

This is Mr Leo. He has taken over from Miss Jen, who took over from Zanni. All have put in more than 20 years of service.

Thanks guys, and Miss Jen.

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image 484

This is Miss Jen.

What was the cruelest rumor you’ve heard about another kid when you were in school?

There was this boy in my class at school in 7th grade. He was short for his age. He kept to himself and never really mixed with anyone. He always ate his lunch alone on a bench seat which was on the edge of the playground just staring into space. It was like he was in his own little world and nothing mattered to him. I never saw him smile in all the time i knew him.

He would get called all kinds of names that really hurt him deep down. But he never retaliated or showed how much it hurt him, which seemed to infuriate his tormentors.

They were relentless. Mean. One day he stepped in front of a car outside of school and stopped in the middle of the road as if waiting for it to hit him. The driver screeched to a halt only inches away from his body. He was frozen and only moved when the driver asked if he was OK. He hung his head and walked away slowly.

Nobody chose him for team sports during PE and when he was the last one left everyone called him a loser and laughed at him. He hung his head and went to the far corner of the gym and sat down hiding his face in his hands.

They tormented him in the change rooms and started calling him a ‘homo, faggot and perv’. It wasn’t long before it had got around the whole school that this boy was a ‘homo’ and so everyone started calling him those terrible names.

He had fruit thrown at him from behind so that he never knew who it was. It hit him in the back of his head knocking him down to the ground. With tears in his eyes he tried to stand up but they came at him again and knocked his books out of his hands making him go down again. People laughed at him. He got up, grabbed his books, and ran outside and kept running till he couldn’t run any longer. He ended up walking for 10 miles just following a road not knowing were he was going. But he didn’t care if he died that day.

Still he didn’t retaliate. Or tell anyone. Or complain. The next week he wasn’t at school. Someone started a rumor that he committed suicide. Everyone laughed. Nobody called to see if he was all right. Nobody missed him. Nobody cared.

What they didn’t know was that his stepdad had hurt him so badly and that he was in hospital for three days. Too sick to attend school. He never told anyone about what happened when he returned to school. When everyone saw that he was still alive, they were disappointed. And told him to go kill himself. “Do it properly this time”.

He was still not well from what his stepfather did to him. When they pushed him into the lockers at school or tried to jam his head in the door, he let out a yelp. But the pain was not from what they did to him.

One day after PE he was acting very strange. He stood facing everyone with his head hanging low. As if his whole world was about to come crashing down. He was trembling. There was an unusual silence in the room that scared him. It was then that everyone saw his body. Covered in black and blue welts across his back, legs and arms. He had tears falling from his eyes and was clearly ashamed of his body.

The shower stung like a 1000 bees.

They didn’t touch his clothes or call him names or hit him; this time they left him alone.

That boy is me.

I never told anybody what had happened to me. I knew that if I snitched on my stepdad it would be 100 times worse. I was 12 and as far as I knew, nobody would help me even if I asked. I was too afraid of what he would do to me. I woke up every day hoping things would change. I didn’t hold grudges and never have. It helped me get through some depressing periods while i was at school.

I just wanted a normal life and to be happy.

I can’t say that I have found that dream and I probably never will. But at least I am in no danger now and I deal with the consequences of my childhood as it surfaces and as an adult I can put it in its proper place.

Why did the world stand silent and just watch when the evil CCP suppressed criticism and democracy in the free city of Hong Kong?

Because you, a normal people, who lacks bilingual ability and critical thinking, can’t distinguish truth from the sea of infomation in which propaganda hides.

If I say the “criticism” and “democracy” are just camouflages for America’s real intention to overthrow legitimate government, and 2019 riot is actually a West backed color revolution in the coat of “pro-democracy protest”, you must think I’m brainwashed.

However, I’m not. Simply because I’m bilingual. The organziers and main activists confessed they are funded and instructed by CIA and NED, also including MI6, and some other NGOs, but your media didn’t report this. And apparently you don’t read Chinese so you don’t know this.

This, in the academic field of Media and Communications, is called GATEKEEPING.

The news agencies had the right to decide which piece of news is to be reported. And the final news outlet is a result of FRAMING the narrative via news stories.

Narratives in news refer to news stories framed and presented to us about what’s happening in this world, and one major function of narrative is to shape our views on this world. And these views consist our attitude toward someone/something.

Like in this question, you think CCP is evil, evil is a attitude, which can be shaped by narrative, and narrative is the product of a series of news outlets.

As a passive receiver, you can’t ask news agencies feeding you whatever you want to know, but whatever they want you to know.

So, where to find the truth?

First, be bilingual, or at least knowing where to find the opposite voice. There are always English information from the other side, but you need to find it yourself.

Second, be of critical thinking. Some information is misleading, sometimes they even hide or delete something from the internet. When there’s only one side’s voice, it’s dangerous. Like Russia-Ukraine war, when Russia’s voice is muted, what you receive is the selected information.

Third, be open-minded to different voices. When I told you you’re brainwashed on HK matters, don’t argue back or leave, try to compare the differences and seek more information to verify yours or mine opinion.

Beef and Onion Stew (Stifado)

A traditional Greek Beef and Onion Stew makes a comforting cold-weather meal.

2024 01 11 12 10
2024 01 11 12 10

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (2 pound) boneless beef chuck, tip or round, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely-ground pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 pounds pearl onions, peeled
  • Crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook and stir chopped onion and garlic in oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until onion is tender; remove with slotted spoon.
  2. Cook beef in remaining oil, stirring frequently, until all liquid is evaporated and beef is brown on all sides, about 25 minutes; drain fat.
  3. Return onion and garlic to Dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients except onions and cheese. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  4. Add white onions. Cover and simmer until beef and white onions are tender, about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove bay leaf and cinnamon. Garnish with feta cheese, if desired.

What is the dumbest thing you have ever done?

I drove out into the middle of a forest on a mountain.
Accompanied only by a man that I barely knew.
Without telling anyone where I was going.
To a place with no cell phone service.


I was 18. He was 25 and attractive.
I had known ‘of’ him (he worked at my company, in a different department), but I didn’t really actually know him. We both ended up at a party one night and, after chatting, we exchanged numbers.

He asked if he could take me hiking, and I said sure!

On Saturday, I packed up and he drove us for 2 hours into the wilderness of Mt. Baker. Halfway up, I realized… shit! I hadn’t told anyone where I was going (which you ALWAYS do if you’re going to be in the wilderness).

And my cell phone was out of service now.

And… who really was this guy next to me?!

I started to panic, as my anxiety fueled brain came up with bizarre ideas of what could happen.

“He could totes murder me and leave my body in the middle of the woods. This place is 119,989 acres… nobody would ever find me. And nobody knew I went with him for the day. If I were a murderer this would be, like, my dream come true.”

Luckily, I played it cool and halfway up the mountain blurted “Yo, don’t murder me bro!”

So smooth.


It turned out fine. He and I still go hiking together.
But, in all fairness, it was one of the dumbest/ most naive things I’ve done.

Always tell people if you’re going into the wilderness.
Don’t go off alone, out of cell phone service, with a man you barely know.

What is the most offensive thing you overheard someone sitting near you at a restaurant say?

I was in Chattanooga working at a franchise restaurant as a waiter after the mortgage crash some years ago.

We advertised specials on the weekdays and it would draw in a crowd that was less affluent. That’s fine, I get that people like to eat out and I provided them with the same outstanding service (I was always #1 or #2 in tips).

We had this one lady that would come in every few weeks, eat her food, and then complain to have it comped. There was nothing wrong with the food, etc. Of course I wouldn’t get tipped, either. The folks she would eat with were invariably embarrassed, but did nothing.

After enjoying this (not!) several times she came in again. They sat in my section. I notified the manager we had a comp. coming.

I took their drink and appetizer orders and, when I returned, I asked if they were ready to order their meal. When it was her turn I had to say it…

“And what free meal will you be ordering this evening?”

The table was silent. The manager on duty looked at me like I’d lost my mind but was smiling. In fact I think the whole restaurant got quiet as the end of my employment drew near.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, loudly and indignantly.

It was so quiet you could hear the dishwasher run in the back.

“Well,” I said most matter of factly, “in my times serving you you’ve always complained and gotten your food and drinks for free when in reality there’s absolutely nothing wrong. I don’t get it. You’re not homeless, you’re well-dressed, showered, and obviously didn’t walk here (or anywhere, I’d guess), so you must like going out and eating for free. It’s happened here and probably going to happen again tonight. I thought I’d just clear the air a bit.”

Yes, if I had to do it over again I’d have rhymed off what she had ordered and not paid for, LOL.

She wasn’t happy, as you may imagine, and got rather loud in that very quiet establishment.

Good news is I don’t think she came back.

Bad news was neither did I.

The Enduring Stellar Lifecycle in 30 Doradus (Composite: Infrared + X-ray)

2 7
2 7

Have you ever had to lie to save your life?

“If I don’t call my mom right now, she’ll call the cops.”

Some background:

My mother devised a system of codewords and numbers that if used in certain ways meant different things. My older brothers would sometimes party with their friends in some not-so-great areas, so there were things that could be texted or said over the phone that saved them from bad situations. Maybe a rival gang showed up, the cops showed up, or there were unknown drugs on the scene (hey, we’ve all smoked a little weed).

The words were: breakfast sausages, kitty litter, tampons/pads/period (any could be used), ice cream, garbage, recycling

The numbers were 1–10.

”Breakfast sausages at 10?” Meant “Something is happening here and I feel unsafe”.

My mom would question “Does that work” for “do you need me to come get you”. Yes meant she came, No meant she alerted the cops who would usually just drive by.

So, how did this help me?

I was at a party where a guy was very insistent on getting me alone, and much bigger than I was. Upon getting me into a bedroom alone, he proceeded to push me down on the bed, and get on top of me. Over the noise of the party, screaming wasn’t working so I struggled, kicking and wiggling. When he grabbed my hair and yanked me up, I caught an old school alarm clock familiar red numbers and then started “freaking out”.

”Oh my god it’s so late I’m going to be f****in killed!” He stopped for a second, confused, and I said “I need to call my mom right now or she’ll call the cops! I was supposed to be home an hour ago!”

Immediately he was off of me and my phone was in my hand. No one wants cops at a party. My exchange with my mom went a little something like this:

”Hey mom, super sorry that it’s so late. I hope I didn’t worry you I lost track of time.”

”I thought you were going to stay with Theresa tonight after your party?”

”Oh crap yeah mom I’ll switch out the kitty litter tomorrow by 9. I’ll make sure I’m dropped off early so it’s done before the garbage is collected. Can you grab me some tampons at the store tomorrow?” (My would-be assailant is looking rather uncomfortable)

”I’ll throw on a robe and be there in 5. Be ready for me to scream.”

My mom proceeded to yell some rather nonsensical things at me over the phone, as I’d requested with “tampons”. “Garbage” was that whoever I was concerned about was near me, potentially being able to hear the phone conversation or read texts. “Kitty litter” meant I needed to leave ASAP, “9” meaning without cops.

My would-be assaillant was very uncomfortable and I left the room without a word, my mom yelling on the phone, and an overly exaggerated wince on my face. I reconnected with my friend and told her what happened, she walked me out with her boyfriend and ended up telling me that same guy had told her he thought we’d “really connected” and wanted my info.

In the end, I lied. But I would’ve been raped if I hadn’t.

It’s a system I’m glad to pass on to my daughter!

Reefer Madness 1936 | Full Movie | Louis Gasnier | Cult Classic | Dorothy Short | Kenneth Craig

Find cheaper hobbies

When I lived in Indiana I owned a speedboat. I named it “Going Coconuts”.

Boats are expensive. Ugh, not only did we buy it, but the upkeep, storage and all the rest was expensive.

We would ride it, perhaps 16 times per year, and the cost per use was prohibitively expensive. Oh, we were warned… but I guess it is one of those things that you have to experience to understand.

Speedboat
Speedboat

When we moved out of Indiana for Mississippi, we ended up selling it to a retired couple. They were nice and berated us for not hanging out with them and spending a meal or two with them. Ugh. Never had the time, I guess.

Listen to me.

Do not invest in a boat unless you plan on living in it, using it for business, or intend to waste money. Other than that, I would advise… do not buy a boat.

Find cheaper hobbies.

A word to the wise.

Today…

How do I tell my parents that I know they put a camera in my room?

How do I tell my parents that I know they put a camera in my room?

  1. Say absolutely nothing to your parents.
  2. Do all your normal things in the normal way.
  3. Once or twice a week, get a sneaky look on your face, tiptoe up to the camera, and cover the lens with black tape.
  4. After 15–20 minutes, remove the tape, and go back to doing normal things
  5. Enjoy that they are bursting to know what you do during the black-out periods, but can’t say anything for fear of outing themselves
  6. If they are so f**ing shameless that they ask what happens in those times, go all aggrieved innocence, and say “Why, have YOU been SPYING ON ME?”. Turn the whole thing around and make them the Bad Guys.
  7. Prepare some scorched-earth options, such as:
    1. Stop speaking to them
    2. Avoid all eye contact
    3. If you have to speak, use a dull monotone
    4. When they finally get up the courage to ask what’s wrong, say only “You have not apologised for spying on me”
    5. Stick it out – do NOT start speaking to them again until they apologise for spying on you.

Chic

Have you ever walked into your home and known something wasn’t right? What happened?

I was in 6th grade — still a snot-nosed kid — and I just got dropped off at my home after a good ole boy scout meeting. It was early evening, dark outside, and my folks and my brother were all out. When I entered my home’s foyer, the family dog, Ginger, a collie mix, came to me, which was normal, but I noticed a little dog poop on the floor. At the time, my dog was middle-aged and did not have accidents inside the house. This was the moment that I knew something was not right. But I ignored it…

All the lights in the house were on. This should had set off another signal that something was not right, since my parents were always bugging my brother and I about turning off lights to keep the electric bill down, but I ignored it and went into our kitchen to get something to eat.

In the kitchen there was a door that led to our backyard patio. The door was wide open and one of the windowpanes in the door was broken. I could see a piece of firewood on the patio, which I surmised was what broke the window. This was the second moment when I felt that something was obviously not right. But I think that we all have the tendency to try to rationalize things as being normal when they are not. And I remember thinking, “Hmm… That’s strange… But my parents must know about this…” Clearly, I was not thinking clearly. If my parents knew about it, why would they keep the door wide open, and not cover the window? But I ignored it.

Leaving the poop on the floor for someone else to clean up, I wanted to go upstairs to my bedroom. But when I got to the staircase, I got a strange sensation. As I looked up to the hallway on the second floor, I got the feeling that I should not go up there.

Again, sort of ignoring the warning signs, I instead go into our family room to watch TV. But in this room I see a pillowcase and bunch of books from our bookcase littered on the floor, and our TV is rolled away from the wall where it was plugged into. (This was the 80s, so it was a big CRT TV on wheels.)

Now I am finally putting it all together. I go back into the kitchen, pick up the phone, and call the police. (In this case, since it was the 80s, I dialed the police, which in an emergency takes way too long.) I tell the dispatcher that someone broke into my house. The dispatcher asks for my address and says, “Are you in the house?” I reply, “Yes.” And she responds, “Get out!”

I call for Ginger, grab her leash, and put it on her, and we go outside and stand on our driveway to wait for the police. I lived in the suburbs. There were streetlights, but the neighborhood had lots of big trees, and our back yard had a 1/4-acre wooded area, so it was dark. And now I am getting a little freaked and thinking, “When will the cops get here?” I look back at my house and through the kitchen window, I see movement. It’s a tall figure passing through the kitchen. I can’t see facial features, but it looks like a man in a flannel shirt. I’m guessing that the person is exiting through the kitchen’s door to the patio. I feel like I should pursue the man, but there are no lights in our backyard. As I muster up the courage to pursue him, a police car arrives. I tell the lone officer that I think the perp is in the backyard. He shines his flashlight around the yard and into the woods, but we do not see or hear anything. When more police arrive, they search the house and yard and dust for fingerprints. A detective tells me that I was very brave to go inside the house (clueless was more like it). But he also says that I should never enter my home if I think that it has been broken into or try to apprehend a criminal.

Lesson of this story: If something does not feel right, don’t try to rationalize it. Something is most likely wrong. Get out of there!

The thief got away with all my mother’s good jewelry, my parents’ silverware, plus one of my hand-held electronic games. We believe that he wanted to take the TV, but realized it was too big to carry. We think our dog was frightened when the perp broke into the house, and that’s why she pooped indoors. She was mid-sized and not super-aggressive, but she was territorial, so we were a little surprised that she did not scare the person off. Someone speculated that she was maced. But her job was not to be a watch dog… The house was only empty for a 1/2 hour — maybe 45 minutes — so the punk that broke in must have been staking out our home. We don’t know where the burglar was hiding when I entered the house or if he was a violent person. My brother thinks the crime was committed by someone who lived in the neighborhood.

Saved Gen Z

What’s the shadiest tactic you’ve witnessed HR use at your job?

I have been at the receiving end of one such shady tactic and I think it’s important that people should be aware of this.

This is regarding the Notice Period.

I landed a job in a service based IT company and after salary negotiations the HR told me that she will email the offer letter and asked me to go through it thoroughly and revert with questions. Everything was as per what we agreed and I accepted the offer.

Important thing to note is that the offer letter which was emailed to me had a notice period of 90 Days.

After few months the projects we were hired for were done and we were waiting for new projects. Things started to go south at this point and I started to look for another job. It was really difficult to find another job because of the 90 day notice period. No company would process my profile after I mentioned my notice period As 90 days.

After a couple of months the HR called me to her cabin and said that i was of no use to the company as there were no more projects and told me that I have a months time to look for a new job. I was taken by surprise and told her that the employee and employer have a notice period of 90 days to each other. At this point she told that it is 30 days and not 90 days. I immediately pulled my phone out and showed her the soft copy which was emailed to me. It had 90 days. The whole time the HR had a smirk on her face. Then she opened the hard copy, the copy on which I had signed during induction, and showed me the notice period. It had 30 days!!

It was then I realized what had happened. 90 days notice period would discourage employees looking out for a job but if the company wanted to fire them they would have to pay salary for only 30 days.

I know people reading this will feel that it was my mistake not to read the document before signing. And I completely agree with that. It was stupid on my part. But let me explain the situation to you all, in fact while signing I briefly started glancing at the document, I looked at the finances and the Job Title section when the HR interrupted and told me that the CEO was waiting to meet me and that I should sign the letter soon as we don’t want to keep the CEO waiting. The Notice period section was buried somewhere in the 12th page. Obviously I had no time to look at it.

After talking to a lot of people I realized and was surprised at how many sign the offer letter without reading and assuming it’s the exact copy of the emailed copy. Don’t commit the mistake which I did.

Lesson to learn: When you are signing the offer letter during induction, take your time, go through it thoroughly and only then sign it.

San Francisco today

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

Back when I worked for a computer magazine, the employees had a great sense of pride in our work and would often stay and work till seven, eight, ten at night, for which we were paid no extra and given no comp time. But that magazine went out on time with no errors except those introduced by the witless top editor after everyone who might have corrected them had gone home.

One day, however, we got a memo that everyone was to be at work by eight in the morning, at risk of being docked or fired. This rule was adopted by the managing editor, who was disturbed to find the staff trickling in at various hours of the morning.

The immediate result was that nobody stayed even a minute after five p.m., regardless of whether the necessary work had been accomplished. But we were all on time in the morning. Working only 8 hours a day, but working very hard, we could not meet deadlines and keep quality high. Plus, the esprit de corps vanished that day. We were no longer working for a cause, we were working for a clock. For a check.

But the managing editor would not back down from this destructive policy. Fortunately, I quit soon after, and the magazine was sold to a conglomerate, so the managing editor was never held accountable. Meanwhile, I stayed home and wrote the novel version of Ender’s Game.

Bumped from a flight

Banoffee Pie (England)

Banoffi Pie was invented in 1971 at the Hungry Monk Inn in Jevington near Eastbourne!

IMG 2365 best banoffee pie recipe
IMG 2365 best banoffee pie recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 bananas, sliced
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Mix Graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and ginger until well blended.
  2. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
  3. Cool in refrigerator.
  4. Use one of the following three methods to prepare the toffee.
  5. Pour toffee into pie crust. Allow to cool.
  6. Slice bananas over toffee.
  7. Whip the cream stiff, then spoon it on top of bananas. Refrigerate before serving.

Oven Method:

  1. Pour sweetened condensed milk into 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake at 425 degrees F for 1 hour or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.

Stovetop Method:

  1. Pour sweetened condensed milk into top of double boiler; place over boiling water. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 1/2 hours or until thick and caramel-colored, stirring occasionally. Beat until smooth.

Microwave Method:

  1. Pour sweetened condensed milk into a 2-quart glass measuring cup. Cook on 50% power (medium) 4 minutes, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Cook on 30% power (medium-low) 20 to 25 minutes or until very thick and caramel-colored, stirring briskly every 4 minutes during the first 16 minutes and every 2 minutes during the last 4 to 10 minutes.

Lied to…

An overhead view of people on 36th St. between 8th and 9th Aves., New York

An overhead view of people on 36th St. between 8th and 9th Aves., New York. Manhattan’s Garment District has been the center of the American fashion industry since at least the turn of the twentieth century – in 1900, New York City’s garment trade was its largest industry by a factor of three. The entire fashion ecosystem, from fabric suppliers to designer showrooms, exists within an area just under a square mile. Native New Yorker Margaret Bourke-White was in her mid-twenties when she took this picture. She would later become Life magazine’s first female photojournalist and, during WWII, the first female war correspondent. The two cars shown are a 1930 Ford Model A 4-Door Sedan, left, and a Ford Model A Sports Coupe, right.

1 19
1 19

Both have to be on board

Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick is a hugely significant figure in the history of cinema, directing 13 major feature films including Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and the ground-breaking 2001: A Space Odyssey. But prior to his film career, the young Kubrick was an apprentice photographer at Look magazine. First using a camera for his school’s publication, he was offered an apprenticeship at Look after he submitted a photograph. This picture of people arriving at the Chicago Theatre, North State Street, Chicago, is drawn from a set of pictures the 21-year-old Kubrick took for the Look series “Chicago – City of Extremes”. The theatre production in question, starring Jack Carson, Marion Hutton, and Robert Alda, was John Loves Mary, a farce.

3 18
3 18

Optionality

Confederate prisoners at Seminary Ridge during the battle of Gettysburg.

Confederate prisoners at Seminary Ridge during the battle of Gettysburg. Until 1863, both sides in the American Civil War of 1861-1865 used a parole system for prisoners. A captured soldier vowed not to fight until he had been exchanged for a soldier fighting for the opposition. But in 1863, when this picture was taken, the parole system proved untenable, because Confederate authorities would not recognize a black prisoner as equal to a white prisoner. The direct result was that the number of troops being held in prisons increased massively, on both sides. Just over 400,000 soldiers were taken captured and placed in prison camps during the American Civil War. One in ten of all deaths during the war occurred in a prison camp – a total of more than 55,000 men lost their lives incarcerated.

4 17 1
4 17 1

Big Kitty

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BxECe5WOgDw?feature=share

Newsies at Skeeter’s Branch

“11 a.m. Newsies at Skeeter’s Branch, Jefferson near Franklin. They were all smoking. St. Louis, Missouri.” As a photographer working for social reform, Lewis Hine found a number of advantages in photographing “newsies” – boys who sold newspapers on street. Unlike the work he did photographing child workers in mines, factories and mills, Hine could photograph the boys without either seeking permission from employers, or, more typically, circumnavigating them. The photographs could be achieved with more time, and with more focus and attention on the subjects he shot. To achieve this sense of direct connection, Hine would bring his camera down to the eye level of his subjects. Not only taking photographs of child workers, Hine also talked to them and sought to document and record their experience. n aggregate, he created a body of work that displayed an unacceptable standard of living for many thousands of children and which ultimately achieved a change in cultural understanding of what it means to be a child, and in the law.

18 9
18 9

Blind date

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XjMb23DQVw0?feature=share

Mulberry Street

17 13
17 13

Mulberry Street was at the very centre of Manhattan’s Little Italy, an ethnic neighborhood that followed from the mass immigration to New York of Italians after the 1880s. By the turn of the twentieth century, nine out of ten people in the Fourteenth Ward of Manhattan had an Italian background. Mulberry Street itself took its name from the Mulberry trees that grew around Mulberry Bend – the point in the street where it curved around what was then the Collect Pond. This scene, shot in 1900, shows something of the breadth of activity of Little Italy – vegetable stalls; barefooted children; shoe, boot and clothing merchants; a wagon of barrels and sacks; furniture removal men; and blankets, quilts and rugs left out to air – or to sell.

Never give up

CONFIRMED: Israel Planning to Dislocate ALL 2.3 Million Palestinians from Gaza Strip

World Hal Turner 26 December 2023

2023 12 27 19 01
2023 12 27 19 01

Advertisements are now appearing in Israeli publications touting “Gaza 2030” showing the entire Gaza Strip as a luxury beach front Resort . . . and no Palestinians.

One such ad, shown above, shows what is said to be the actual planning for the Gaza Strip once the Palestinians are forcibly dislocated from their homes.

While rumors of this forced displacement of civilians (a War Crime) have floated for weeks, for the very first time on Christmas Day, the world got confirmation:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Likud Party conference, that Netanyahu confirmed during the Likud Party session that “work is underway to find countries that want to “absorb the residents of Gaza as refugees.”

So apparently, there it is: Confirmation that ousting the Palestinian civilian population by dropping 2,000 pound bombs on them from fighter jets, is now (and likely has always been) the actual plan.

Casablanca (1942)

This is a favorite of mine. Enjoy.

https://youtu.be/AJ5JiRKf52Y

US spies clueless on Chinese intentions – WSJ

Washington is beefing up its resources targeting Beijing over a decade after losing most of its local assets

The US is still struggling to rebuild its spy capacity in China over a decade after losing all of its agents in the country, current and former intelligence officials told the Wall Street Journal on Monday.

The report described a “titanic, but mostly secret shift at the CIA and its sister US spy agencies” refocusing Washington’s $100-billion-a-year intelligence apparatus from “fighting insurgencies around the world” to “preparing for a possible ‘great power’ conflict with China and Russia.”

Beijing is the top priority for the CIA, director William Burns told the Journal, explaining that his agency had “more than doubl[ed] the budget resources devoted to the China mission over the past three years” and established a China Mission Center as a standalone entity coordinating those activities.

These include a new unit focused on emerging technologies and interfacing with the US private sector. Several US intelligence agencies have also established units focused on analyzing open-source intelligence, while electronic surveillance has become Washington’s main information source inside the country, where Beijing’s own surveillance apparatus makes meeting and recruiting human sources increasingly perilous. 

Even attempting to recruit officials when they travel to third countries has proven difficult, a former senior official admitted, describing how US agents who believed their cover to be intact in a Latin American country were actually followed and filmed by Chinese observers as they tried to recruit a target.

Current and former US intelligence officials acknowledged the CIA’s mission was crippled by the loss of as many as 30 Chinese assets between 2010 and 2012 due to a glitch in the agency’s covert communications systems and a betrayal by one of its Chinese operatives.

The former official, calling the losses “horrendous,” acknowledged “doubts about whether there’s been much of a recovery since then,” the discoveries having put a chill on recruitments that extended far beyond a single country.

The individual explained their reasoning: “Why would I take a call from a US person, I know that Chinese people got bullets in the back of their head.”

While the US maintains a network of spy satellites and cyber-surveillance tools targeting China, the agency has never recovered its on-the-ground intelligence capability in the country, and even now relies on President Xi Jinping’s public statements to gain working knowledge of his plans, the Journal’s sources admitted.

Burns has nevertheless suggested the US knows Xi’s plans for Taiwan, considered a breakaway province by Beijing and increasingly fortified with US weapons against a hypothetical invasion from the mainland. Xi and his military leadership “have doubts about whether they could pull off a successful, full-scale invasion of Taiwan at an acceptable cost to them,” the CIA chief told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum in July.

Hooverville


A “Hooverville” shantytown in Central Park, New York. The Great Depression that followed the stock market crash of October 1929 saw massive rates of joblessness and homelessness across the United States. People without jobs were people without the means to pay rent. Suddenly, civic lodging houses built for the homeless were filling up to capacity. Shanty towns – some housing as many as 15,000 people – began to grow up in close proximity to soup kitchens and other sources of free food. Such spontaneous towns were known colloquially as “Hoovervilles,” after Herbert Hoover. Hoover was the Republican President in 1929, and responsibility for the Depression was laid largely at his door. The Hooverville in Central Park developed on the site of the park’s lower reservoir. At one time drained and set aside to become a lawn, the reservoir project was derailed by the impact of the downturn. When it resumed in 1933, the Hooverville was gone, but not before it had gained notoriety, standing literally in the shadows of the opulent buildings that line the park, including The Beresford – opened mere months before the stock market crash. IMAGE: BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

Kittens abandoned in icy water! Meow gradually weakens, A miracle saved the lives of four kittens

https://youtu.be/5zVmaeBS7fo

Can American submarines bypass China’s surveillance and enter China’s territorial waters?

Presently?

No. The Chinese can detect, track, follow, and “lock on” to any and all American submarines. This includes the highly vaulted USN “stealth” submarines.

This has been demonstrated in numerous ways, and though back channels to “key players” in the Pentagon. The public displays of this ability has been disguised as other events.

Oh, I am confident that the guys at NAS China Lake NWC will come up with methodology and techniques. When that will happen is unknown. But I am sure that some ideas are being researched and some preliminary studies are being conducted.

I have a reasonable expectation that some technologies will be fielded before 2030.

There are (highly likely) “black” projects currently in development that will eventually result in some great engineering direction. Of that I have no doubt. But it would be silly to assume that the Chinese are unaware of them. By the time they hit pilot field trials, China will already have counter-measures in place and fielded.

China, as of the time of this writing, has a very strong and significant undersea detection ability that spans the entire Pacific Ocean. This includes the Western coastline of the Americas. I do not know about the rest of the globe, but it can be inferred that the waters in and around Australia are under this umbrella of coverage, as are the Indian Sea, and the Northern navigable ocean.

So, to answer the question, more specifically…

Can American submarines bypass China’s surveillance and enter China’s territorial waters?

No. Any American submarine in the Pacific Ocean, near Australia, near the Indian Ocean, and in the Arctic Ocean can be detected by China.

If China determine that it is a threat, it will warn it away. This will include non-destructive methods such as the “sonic bomb”, and the “sonar ray cannon”. The warning usually is enough to cause the skipper to scamper away, as has already been demonstrated. In the event that the skipper is too recalcitrant, China has the ability to suppress the undersea vessel with extreme prejudice.

SOME IMPORTANT NOTES

Technical abilities of all military systems are hidden. The closest that the layman can get to understanding what they are is to either work with publicly available guesswork (such as JANES), or to actually have experience in these technologies.

  • If you regurgitate public domain evaluations (such as JANES) you are apt to copy the misinformation purposely fed to the periodical.
  • If you offer your personal experience in these matters, you are apt to be called a “fake news shrill” by a host of miscreants.

No one knows the true and real capabilities of the USN and the PLAN. However, people who have worked in these regimes, can make educated guesses and extrapolate towards highest probability conclusions. This is what I have done here.

The alternative is to rely on the public discourse, which is highly inaccurate, and intentionally misleading. If you feel that the anti-China disinfo is of better value to you, then go quite ahead and ignore this answer. No skin off my back.

Men cannot be bored

Workers build the Statue of Liberty


Workers build the Statue of Liberty inside French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s workshop, Paris. The idea for the Statue of Liberty was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s. The Parisian sculptor wanted to create a gift for the US nation in the wake of the abolition of slavery – referenced in the broken chain at the feet of the statue. Construction commenced in 1877, and Bartholdi brought in engineer Gustave Eiffel to help with the statue’s inner framework. In 1885, the completed statue was shipped to America, assembled and dedicated the following year. IMAGE: ALBERT FERNIQUE / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Confused and messed up

What was the best revenge you’ve ever gotten?

Not me but happened to a friend of mine: she worked in a large law firm in Dublin, Ireland. Her boss was a total prick, probably a psychopath. During the recession they cut people’s wages and even stopped serving coffee at meetings in order to cut costs – not that any of the senior partners took wage cuts. It is very expensive to live in Dublin; the situation was so bad that there was a constant stream of young, under-paid, financially struggling solicitors entering his office and begging for a pay-rise, any kind of pay-rise. With every one of them he pointed to a tray on his desk filled with c.v.’s and said if you don’t want to work here I have a large bundle of applicants who would be happy your take your job. No one got a raise.

Things came to a head when my friend entered an open competition for a position with the state-run Residential Tenancy Board, a kind of mediation body for disputes between landlords and tenants. It was known that my friend, along with several others in the same firm had sat the exam, and she scored extremely high, placing near the top of the panel. It was rumoured that the boss had applied as well. At the end of the office day he approached her desk and basically accused her of rummaging through another colleague’s desk and stealing his notes for the exam – something along the lines of “How can you prove to me that you didn’t go through Brian’s desk, and read his notes?” (Not that he gave a shit about Brian). This is a lawyer, asking another lawyer to prove her innocence under the presumption of guilt, that she was guilty until she could prove herself innocent. She knew this situation was untenable and said well I wouldn’t do that because it’s immoral, and illegal but it now seems clear to me that it might be best if I work somewhere else – she basically quit there and then in the most tasteful and honourable fashion. He exploded on the spot, demanding to know who would take over her cases and workload. She replied, “Well, you have a large bundle of c.v’s on your desk, hire one of them.”

Broken families

A portrait of Abraham Lincoln


A portrait of Abraham Lincoln, without beard, aged 37. It would be another fourteen years before Abraham Lincoln became the 16th President of the United States. Here, in an image by law student Nicholas Shepherd, Lincoln is photographed serving as a member of the US House of Representatives, just before he resumed his legal practice in Springfield, Illinois. Notably, Lincoln is clean-shaven. He grew his whiskers in 1860 as a direct response to a letter from an 11-year-old girl, Grace Bedell, who believed Lincoln’s lack of beard was impeding his political career. IMAGE: NICHOLAS SHEPHERD / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Delusion

Ukraine Claims Sinking of Russian Naval Ship in Port

World Hal Turner 26 December 2023

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2023 12 27 18 56

Ukraine claims its aircraft hit — and sank — the Russian naval vessel “Novocherkassk” while the ship was in the port of Feodosia on Crimea.

Numerous confirmations of a very large explosion in that port, came in via video on Christmas Day, but whether the ship was hit, or an ammunition dump exploded, is in dispute:

The ship, allegedly loaded with Iranian ammunition, was reportedly blown up and as a result, fire broke out in the port. Here is a file photo of the ship:

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2023 12 27 18 59

According to Russian-affiliated media, residents reported hearing loud bangs, and seeing plumes of smoke. Traffic on the Crimean bridge was blocked.

Sergey Aksenov, the head of Russian authorities in Crimea, stated that “an enemy attack was carried out in the Feodosia area and the port area was cordoned off.”

Ukraine also claims there were 300 crew aboard and “they are all dead” but that does not seem to comport with the fact that a ship, in port, would not likely have its full crew aboard.

Do not be a coward

What did China’s Xi warn top EU officials about, and what are some of the specific issues causing tension?

China sternly told (not warn) EU chief to sort out what caused trade deficit for EU.

(my word) 1, EU-Netherlands is not allowed to sell EUV & now DUV too to China. China is willing to buy these expensive equipment. EU follows USA. EU is the problem of its trade deficit. Not China.

2, When European firms make money in China & bring back money to Europe, has EU factored in this money into the equation to determine trade deficit?

Germany cars make lots in China. Not France’s cars. Now France asks you EU chief to investigate China, do you EU know it is purely a dog-fight between France & Germany which has nothing with China?

3, If EU is so afraid of trade deficit, then stop buying from China. Buy things from other countries. Then there wont be any trade deficit with China. Simple. China wont force EU to buy.

In short, China sternly told EU chief not to play politics. Do something practical for Europeans.

So many hoes

What has happened to the 1960s hippies, and where are they now?

My uncle was hippie in the 1960s, and continued that lifestyle throughout the 70s and 80s. He was particularly enthusiastic about the drugs and promiscuity. As he was born at the beginning of WWII, not the end, he slightly preceded the baby boom. After his first prison stint, he ended up living in San Francisco where he rode a Matchless chopper and fully imbibed the counter-cultural lifestyle. In many ways he wasn’t just a hippie, he was one of the original hippies.

My uncle was a particularly skilled guitarist and poet. He also had a powerful singing voice, and made numerous attempts to launch a music career. As he aged, he slipped in-and-out of heroine addiction, and consumed other drugs as well. His drug use destroyed most of his opportunities.

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My father disappeared from the scene while my mom was pregnant. After my mom’s divorce from my step-father, I went to live with my grandparents on a small farm in Thermal CA. My uncle lived in the other house. There was a constant parade of counter-cultural relics passing through the ranch. As a kid I might be throwing a football with a Hare Krishna one day, and getting a boxing lesson from an outlaw biker the next. Once my uncle took me to a nearby farm where a bunch of his hippie friends lived. I was about 12 or 13 and was sent out to help pick tomatoes. Living on a farm I had done farm work before, but that day was special because I was picking tomatoes with topless hippie girls.

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image 505

Kind of like this except fewer guys and the girls were topless.

He had been married several times, and spent 20 years with a woman he met in San Francisco in the early 70s. They had two kids together, but didn’t marry because that would have cost her AFDC benefits.

His drug use lead to drug trafficking and by the late 70s/early 80s my uncle had evolved into a full-on hippie-outlaw. He trafficked hard drugs and committed other crimes. The summer before my 9th grade I was working for him on dry-wall taping job. One of his biker buddies showed up 2 of the least attractive biker gals I’d ever seen. They were all bad skin and bad tattoos. “Today’s the day you lose your virginity,” he said pointing at a gal who looked like an inked up version of Calisto from X-Men comics.

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This was not as appealing as the topless hippie chicks picking tomatoes.

He showed up at my mom’s apartment around 4AM the next morning. After partying the afternoon away with the gals I avoided losing my innocence to, he stole some type of commercial vehicle, which he sold down in Mexico.

In the 1980s, he was arrested for narcotics trafficking. The police raided the house and arrested his “ol’ lady” and a couple of his kids. He wasn’t there. The DA had a witness against him, but that witness “disappeared.” He would eventually plea to a lesser charge in exchange for charges being dropped against his “ol’ lady” and sons. He serve a short prison sentence at Soledad.

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When he came out of prison in 1988, he was healthier than I’d ever seen him before. A couple years of structure, nutrition and daily workouts in the weight pile had done wonders for him. While in prison, he shared a cell with a minor music celebrity. This musician wanted to purchase some of my uncle’s songs. But those deals fell through.

By that time the family farm was a distant memory. My uncle was gifted a house from his father, all he needed to do was pay the monthly mortgage payments which were only a few hundred dollars a month. But as he fell back into drug addiction he lost the house his “ol’ lady” had kept afloat while he was in prison.

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image 502

After losing the roof over their head, the “ol lady” who stood by him through prison stints and infidelity decided she had enough. She went to live with her mom and became a home-healthcare working. The state of California paid her to take care of her own mother.

By the 2010s, my uncle was living with one of his sons at a hotel on Indio Blvd, a street made famous when Reverend Jimmy Swaggart got caught there with a hooker.

The hotel he lived in was next to the rescue mission. He was living on disability.

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image 501

He had tried drug rehab a couple times but always fell back into his old habits. His son was employed by CA as a home healthcare worker…taking care of his father. My cousin was basically paid to stay home smoking dope with my uncle and play video games.

He fell ill. My cousin told me that his “guts exploded.” and he died in his hotel room next to the rescue mission.

Speaking cat language

Coney Island’s Luna Park


A ride at Coney Island’s Luna Park. When Frederic Thompson and Elmer Dundy built their A Trip To The Moon ride for an exposition in Buffalo, New York State in 1901, they had a hit on their hands. The centerpiece of the ride was an airship powered by wings which flapped, named Luna. Moving the ride to Coney Island’s Steeplechase Park for 1902, Thomson and Dundy then leased more land and created Luna Park, using 1,000 spires, a quarter of a million lights, and $700,000. On its opening night, 60,000 people paid ten cents each to enter Luna Park – rides cost extra. But in 1908, Luna Park was eclipsed by Dreamland, with a million lights. Dundy died in 1907, and Thompson went bankrupt. Luna Park continued to exist, but successive owners struggled to realize any potential it possessed. In 1944, it was wiped out by fire. IMAGE: GEO. P. HALL & SON / NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY / GETTY IMAGES

A man of Japanese ancestry


A man of Japanese ancestry teaches his grandson to walk at Manzanar War Relocation Authority Center, California. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, around 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes, leaving behind all their business and goods, and were transferred to concentration camps, known as “relocation centers.” Around 80,000 were native-born American citizens. This image by Dorothea Lange was taken at the Manzanar camp, northeast of Los Angeles. More than 10,000 people were detained at the 500 acre camp. Like all such camps, Manzanar was treated as a military installation, with towers, barbed wire perimeters, and armed guards. Before Manzanar closed at the end of 1945, one hundred and forty-six people had died as camp internees. Documentary photographer Dorothea Lange created a significant body of work in the Great Depression, working for the U.S. Farm Security Administration. Born Dorothea Nutzhorn, her parents were second generation immigrants from Germany. Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1941, she resigned it in order to photograph the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans. Most of her images were seen as critical by the military, and were impounded for more than five decades. IMAGE: DOROTHEA LANGE / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Woke society

Mulberry Street


Mulberry Street was at the very centre of Manhattan’s Little Italy, an ethnic neighborhood that followed from the mass immigration to New York of Italians after the 1880s. By the turn of the twentieth century, nine out of ten people in the Fourteenth Ward of Manhattan had an Italian background. Mulberry Street itself took its name from the Mulberry trees that grew around Mulberry Bend – the point in the street where it curved around what was then the Collect Pond. This scene, shot in 1900, shows something of the breadth of activity of Little Italy – vegetable stalls; barefooted children; shoe, boot and clothing merchants; a wagon of barrels and sacks; furniture removal men; and blankets, quilts and rugs left out to air – or to sell. IMAGE: DETROIT PUBLISHING CO. / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Too many SIMPS

Newsies


“11 a.m. Newsies at Skeeter’s Branch, Jefferson near Franklin. They were all smoking. St. Louis, Missouri.” As a photographer working for social reform, Lewis Hine found a number of advantages in photographing “newsies” – boys who sold newspapers on street. Unlike the work he did photographing child workers in mines, factories and mills, Hine could photograph the boys without either seeking permission from employers, or, more typically, circumnavigating them. The photographs could be achieved with more time, and with more focus and attention on the subjects he shot. To achieve this sense of direct connection, Hine would bring his camera down to the eye level of his subjects. Not only taking photographs of child workers, Hine also talked to them and sought to document and record their experience. n aggregate, he created a body of work that displayed an unacceptable standard of living for many thousands of children and which ultimately achieved a change in cultural understanding of what it means to be a child, and in the law. IMAGE: LEWIS HINE/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Reality for men

Nikki Haley says she will stop China from killing Americans with fentanyl. Is the PRC doing this? If so, how?

Fentanyl is an extremely important drug. The World Health Organisation includes fentanyl in its official list of the world’s most essential medicines. Fentanyl plays a particularly important role in pain management for cancer patients. The suffering of cancer patients worldwide would be greatly increased, if not for the wonders of fentanyl.

Of course, fentanyl should be used only as prescribed by doctors. It may be noteworthy that no other country in the world has a fentanyl crisis the way the USA is having it. But it is also noteworthy that before fentanyl became popular among US drug addicts, the USA had already been having a massive opioid crisis for years and years – again, far outstripping the rest of the world.

Basically, nothing much has changed in the USA, except that the drug addicts moved from one kind of drug to another drug. Drug abuse is deeply embedded in the culture of the USA. Sadly, the habit of blaming others for its own problems is also deeply embedded in US culture.

No one should be surprised that most of the active pharmaceutical ingredients for manufacturing fentanyl comes from China. By far, China is the world’s largest manufacturer of APIs, generally speaking, for all kinds of medicines. China keeps the world alive, with its constant supply of modern medicines. China also keeps healthcare costs down for all countries, because of its tremendous economies of scale, as it manufactures medicines for hospitals and clinics all over the world.

Privilege

Airport security officers, what was the weirdest things that you saw through the x-ray?

Not a security officer, but many years ago I had one of my weirdest experiences with an x-ray scanner on a flight home from Canada.

I put my little carry-on shoulder bag on the conveyor belt; it went in, paused for inspection, and then the security officer asked me if I had any metal in the bag.

So I rummaged through the bag, removing several items and putting them in a tray. Then I sent the bag through; it paused for inspection, and then the security officer asked me if there was any more metal in the bag.

So I rummaged through it again, pulled out a number of items with a small amount of metal, and put them in the tray. Then I sent the bag through a third time – and sure enough, it stopped, and the officer had a quizzical look on his face.

At this point I said “Look, I’m a radiologist. If you let me see the image, I can probably find exactly what you’re looking at.”

So they put the bag through again, and a very bright red object came into view. I was puzzled myself – until they stopped the conveyor belt.

Imagine a glass of water. What happens if you push it forward steadily, and then suddenly stop? The water level sloshes back and forth for a moment.

This was exactly what I saw on the screen, and when I recognized it, I laughed out loud.


I have had asthma for most of my life – relatively mild, fortunately. Nowadays, I have a maintenance inhaler (corticosteroids) to try to prevent attacks, and a rescue inhaler, to open up my airways in the event I do have an attack.

But when I was first diagnosed, inhaled corticosteroids did not exist, and I was basically prescribed the rescue inhaler for maintenance, which isn’t ideal (and not all that safe).

As a supplement, I was treated with a saturated solution of potassium iodide; this loosened up the mucus which tended to clog my airways – and probably didn’t do my thyroid any good, but again, you use the meds you have.

The solution came in a little squeeze bottle with a dropper tip, and I was supposed to add several drops to a glass of juice or water. The bottle was upright in my shoulder bag when it went through the scanner. When the bag suddenly stopped, the liquid sloshed back and forth a bit.


Why was my medicine so incredibly bright on the x-ray? When you have IV contrast during a CT scan – or during an old-fashioned catheter angiogram, or any other procedure except MRI – what makes the contrast actually show up is the iodine in it.

So I had basically been sending a little bottle of super-concentrated contrast material through that airport x-ray scanner, and just hadn’t made the connection until I saw the way the liquid moved when the conveyor belt stopped.

I pulled it out, and showed it to the officer; he was skeptical, so I told him to put the bottle through the scanner by itself. When he realized that it was indeed the “metal” he was looking for, I explained why it looked so different from ordinary liquids on x-ray.

I stopped using potassium iodide shortly afterwards, and haven’t needed to explain radiographic contrast at an airport for quite some time. But it was certainly a unique experience.

The “Street of Gamblers,” Chinatown, San Francisco.

The “Street of Gamblers,” Chinatown, San Francisco. Two men and one woman on board the American brig Eagle were the very first Chinese immigrants to San Francisco. From 1849, Chinese people were drawn by the laboring opportunities for the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, as well as the California Gold Rush – though racial discrimination was pronounced and enshrined in law, culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892, which outlawed immigration from China for the next decade. San Franciscan studio photographer Arnold Genthe was drawn to San Francisco’s Chinatown, capturing many hundreds of photographs of its people – often without their knowledge. The pictures are true to the culture Genthe saw – although he also cropped out Western elements. Here, Genthe has captured the essence of a Chinese hutong market transposed into San Francisco, crowded with men wearing black chángshān shirts and sporting the Manchu queue hairstyles – mandatory for all Chinese men until the 1910s. Excepting Genthe’s images, very few photographs remain of San Francisco’s Chinatown prior to the earthquake and fires of 1906. Most photographic collections were lost, but Genthe’s survived, stored in a bank vault.

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What are the biggest lessons you have learned in the corporate world?

6 years of work experience and worked with 2 CEOs. I have doubled my salary every 2 years with only one job change. I am not a hard worker and rarely the smartest in room. My growth is not exceptional or commendable but good enough to make me one of the top paid among my peers.

  1. Take ownership. There is no blame game in corporate. If it succeeds, its everyone’s effort. If it fails, its your fault. Its not a school to push the blame on someone. Your seniors will respect you for integrity.
  2. Be always smarter than your manager. If you are, then your job is secure and he will respect you. If you aren’t, be ready to listen to his taunts and degradation.
  3. If it needs to be done, it has to be done. A mail pops in just before you have to leave after a 10 hour day. And it says urgent. Either you can ignore it or sit for another half hour to complete it. Your decision decides your promotion.
  4. Don’t take a day off unless needed. Your hangover doesn’t count as a reason. If its a reason, stop drinking. Stop everything that makes you tired next day to miss office.
  5. Be cheerful with everyone from security guard to VP. It will give you 2 benefits: 1. You would be presented as a positive and cheerful employee (and it matters) 2. You can get things does easily.
  6. When in office, do office work. Its ok to file IT returns or check quick social media but don’t start making business plans for your startup or start editing photos for your candid photography page. 6–8 hours of solid office work everyday will take you long way.
  7. Know your process, know your peers, know about every (most) work getting done in your building. Don’t be a stalker or a nagger. Be a curious candidate who knows what he and his peers are doing. Will help you solve any problems you face in work sometime.
  8. Know your company well. Sounds childish? Trust me, most of us do not know what your company does fully. What are the product segments, who are its competitors, where is the headquarter and who is the CEO.
  9. Know the current affairs. While this doesn’t directly affect your work, there are moments when you would get a chance to interact with top management and the topics leapfrog from politics to macro economic factors. You shouldn’t be a sitting duck. Your small talk can have a very large impact.
  10. Focus on big picture. You are just an ordinary s/w engineer or a junior analyst? Doesn’t matter. Look at your process like your lead or manager sees. Focus on the big picture. See like a bird and work like a worm.
  11. Sometimes its donkey work. Do it. I work with senior directors of billion dollar companies who make their own slides. And many times they have to spend time on adjusting the logos or changing the fonts! Part of the job. They have secretaries but on a tight schedule, you are your boss.
  12. Never blame your company. Never. if you feel you are excellent worker and your current company is not supporting you, then you are free to take a walk outside. Search for a better company. And if you can’t find a job, well then, its your mistake. You are not competent enough.
  13. There is always growth. You have to be ready for it. Every company has a CEO and he/she was once a junior like you. The CEO worked his way up by hardwork, talent and beating all the competition. You can also be that CEO if you put 10–12 hours a day for 10 years in a row. There ain’t any shortcut.
  14. Never expect a pat on the back. If you want to go up the ladder, do not strive for pat on backs or acknowledgements for short term projects. To quote Tywin Lannister “Jugglers and singers require applause”. Rise above the competation.

Workers build the Statue of Liberty

Workers build the Statue of Liberty inside French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s workshop, Paris. The idea for the Statue of Liberty was Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi’s. The Parisian sculptor wanted to create a gift for the US nation in the wake of the abolition of slavery – referenced in the broken chain at the feet of the statue. Construction commenced in 1877, and Bartholdi brought in engineer Gustave Eiffel to help with the statue’s inner framework. In 1885, the completed statue was shipped to America, assembled and dedicated the following year.

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13 14

Who are some of the most lucky persons ever?

During WWII a young American officer had to take a bathroom break. Returning to the bomber he was supposed to ride, he found another officer had stolen his seat… the plane left without him. He had to take another plane, instead.

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The original plane he was supposed to go on was shot down by the Japanese, killing everyone on board including the seat-stealer. The next plane this man took, instead, suffered a severe technical malfunction as its electrical generator failed and caused the plane to lose power and communication. It had to return to base, but it was attacked by eight Japanese fighter planes on the way. The plane was badly damaged, but it managed to evade the enemy fire long enough to land safely in Australia.

Who was this lucky man who escaped death in the air twice, once by a full bladder and the second time through sheer luck and the skill of his pilot? His name was Lyndon B. Johnson, and he would later be elected president of the United States.

Has a hotel maid ever walked in on someone at an awkward moment?

I was on a 2 month roadtrip with my family; preteen son and daughter, and wife. We had an RV but would pit stop at hotels or motels sometimes for the hot showers.

I was awake first and went out to do some roadside repairs under the RV. When i crawled out i learned the wife had checked out early. I was dirty and wanted to get clean before another long drive. I asked the front desk to let me back in the room to clean up and they gave me the key. I grabed my bag and headed to the shower. The family was in the rv getting themselves situated. I had the room to myself.

When i walked out the shower nude, looking for a towel the housekeeping staff was in the room cleaning. The door was propped open. The two ladies were changing the beds and had already removed the towels. I walked out nude and dripping. No towels…😬 The ladies eyed me up and down with suprise. One found a towel and handed it to me as they quickly excused themselves.

A “Hooverville” shantytown in Central Park,

A “Hooverville” shantytown in Central Park, New York. The Great Depression that followed the stock market crash of October 1929 saw massive rates of joblessness and homelessness across the United States. People without jobs were people without the means to pay rent. Suddenly, civic lodging houses built for the homeless were filling up to capacity. Shanty towns – some housing as many as 15,000 people – began to grow up in close proximity to soup kitchens and other sources of free food. Such spontaneous towns were known colloquially as “Hoovervilles,” after Herbert Hoover. Hoover was the Republican President in 1929, and responsibility for the Depression was laid largely at his door. The Hooverville in Central Park developed on the site of the park’s lower reservoir. At one time drained and set aside to become a lawn, the reservoir project was derailed by the impact of the downturn. When it resumed in 1933, the Hooverville was gone, but not before it had gained notoriety, standing literally in the shadows of the opulent buildings that line the park, including The Beresford – opened mere months before the stock market crash.

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12 15

What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

Let me begin by saying nurses have a very stressful job. I probably couldn’t go it as a career. I respect the profession. You should too the next time you’re in the ER. BUT they are not the only varsity members of the healthcare team.

I am an X-ray tech to sum up what I do. Almost every routine xray….not ct or MRI can be done with a portable X-ray machine. So one day years ago a doctor ordered an abdomen X-ray on a patient staying in the hospital. I arrived to bring the patient to the X-ray department. The lady said she was feeling so bad could I please go get the portable machine and X-ray her in her bed. I said of course, I’d be right back. The patient’s nurse was in the room and instead of not saying anything or being glad I was taking the patient’s comfort in consideration she tells me that the patient MUST leave the room and go to X-ray. I told her it would be right back and get it the X-ray right away. The nurse said the patient had to go to the X-ray department. The patient started CRYING! the nurse said she was sorry but the doctor needed a good X-ray. I didn’t want to bicker in front of the patient so I asked the nurse to step into the hall. Again I told the nurse the plus side of me xraying the patient in her bed. The nurse said she used to be an X-ray tech and she knew a portable X-ray was not as good detail as a X-ray in the department, blah blah blah. Again stating she used to be a tech and she knows a portable Abdomen X-ray cannot be diagnostic. To which I said, only to her, “well ma’am, if you were a tech and was not able to do a portable abdomen X-ray and get a diagnostic image, then you made the right decision in changing professions.”

I know that pissed her off but I didn’t raise my voice or say it in a smarmy way. Her implying, in front the patient, that I wasn’t qualified to do my job pissed ME off.
So I get a call from the charge nurse asking me what happened. Told her exactly what I wrote above. This was a Friday night. Monday when I get to work my director walked me to HR and he, the nurse, the director of nursing and HR guy told me I had to apologize to the nurse. As pussified as I viewed them, especially my director, I normally would have except they were claiming I was insubordinate to the RN. I-am-NOT-subordinate to a nurse. I will and do defer to a nurse in the case of patient care, meds, their role in an trauma or code situation, but NOT “listen and obey me”. I can’t do what they do but they (at least one) can’t do what I do. So I refused. Since it was an issue of being accused of being insubordinate…I said I will resign before I acquiesce under that stipulation.
The next week I was at a better hospital, more pay and a legend in Baton Rouge X-ray.

thank you for all the upvotes. I wish y’all had been with me when I told my wife I had quit.
“YOU FUCKING DID WHAT?!”

The hanging of the conspirators in the assassination of Lincoln

The hanging of the conspirators in the assassination of Lincoln, at Fort McNair, Washington D.C. The assassination of Lincoln in April 1865 by John Wilkes Booth was part of a conspiracy to bring down the Union government. The plot would have seen the simultaneous killing by conspirators of the President; Vice-President Andrew Johnson; and Secretary of State William Seward. Only Booth succeeded. While Booth was killed before he could stand trial, other conspirators were taken and imprisoned. Three months after the assassination, on July 7th, four of them – Lewis Powell, David Herold, George Atzerodt, and Mary Surratt – were hung at Fort McNair. The scene was captured by Scottish photographer Alexander Gardner. The gallows was constructed specifically for the occasion. Mary Surratt, whose Washington boarding house was a primary location in the conspiracy, became the first woman to be executed by the US federal government.

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Do you have any good advice or life lessons that may help others?

Almost all family fights revolve around either Money or Ego/Dominance

Hunger always leads to irritation and a lot of fights so ensure you have a handful of Chocolates with you to prevent low glucose and irritability

Never force your Kid into something he or she is not good at or will not be good at. Dont thrust your ambitions on your kid.

If you have had a bad breakup and you are in College , its better to hire an expensive call girl for a 3 day session rather than flunking after becoming devdas. Most heart breaks are solved this way (Per 2010 Standards)

Limit Coffee and Tea and avoid Aerated Drinks entirely. Drink only Water whenever possible.

Mayonnaise, Extra Cheese, French Fries and Drinks are all to be avoided when eating fast food. They are the ones which lead to diabetes and weight gain. Instead you can order more Coleslaw and Beans.

Never get into trouble with Cops till you get your First Passport. Always be humble and never mouth off a cop.

Be open about watching Porn or doing something. Dont hide such things and pretend to be a goody goody. Such people often cheat on their wives.

Never try to find out if Ghosts are real by taking a camera and visiting an allegedly haunted house.

Never use a Credit Card except for Insurance and Medical Emergencies.

If your Peers force you to smoke, its worth losing the friends than losing your lungs.

Never raise your hands on your kids or Parents or Spouse or Girlfriend

Never cheat a Girl by promising marriage out of lust. It never goes well. Better to watch Pornhub

Never tell a lie that harms you in the long run. Simple lies are fine.

Ensure a BMI of 27.5 at the most if possible if you are a male and 26.5 if you are female.

Ensure you have health insurance at all times if possible

Never invest in a Property where the Total EMI is more than 40% of your combined salary.

Old Age Retirement Communities are not bad places but in India -7 out of 8 are Cheats. So be careful.

The More “I Love You” you tell a girl the shorter the relationship is likely to be.

Even if a Girl wants Physical Sex, think a 100 times before participation. Laws and Time are not on your side.

For Girls – Think 1000 times

Never get into Political discussions with Family Members and Friends. Thats what Quora is for.

The “Empire State Express”

The “Empire State Express” (New York Central Railroad) passes through Washington Street, Syracuse, New York. The Empire State Express was the flagship train of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. It also had world renown as the first passenger train with a speed scheduled above 50 mph, as well as undertaking the longest scheduled nonstop run, between New York City and Albany, for 143 miles. Trains have run on the roads of Syracuse, New York since 1859, earning the city the sobriquet “the city with the trains in the streets.” As well as the obvious safety concerns, the situation also brought noise, dirt and pollution to Syracuse citizens. At peak points, around sixty trains ran along Washington Street – though that era finally came to an end in 1936 with the arrival of an elevated railroad and a new station on Erie Boulevard East. The final train to run on Syracuse streets was the Empire State Express – eastbound.

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Western Culture

How Japan’s lost decades are being turned into a ‘Lost Century’

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Since 1992, Japan’s economy has been in huge decline. It is no longer the economic powerhouse of the 1980s that shook the world with innovations and the excellent capabilities of Japanese businessmen, allowing Japan to dominate global markets. The myth of Japan being an unstoppable economic force has long been dead. The Japanese economy since the asset price bubble collapse has been characterized by rising debt at an unrelenting rate, an aging population associated with low productivity, and zombie companies propped up by government loans.

Japan’s hope for an economic revival is waning as the country shows no real signs of turning things around, instead falling further behind other growing Asian economies year after year. In this post, I will highlight key points showing how Japan may become the first nation to reach “lost century” status.

The lost innovation era

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Since Toshiba’s fall, the cracks in Japan’s economy started to show even more as other Asian nations like South Korea, Taiwan, and China began surpassing Japan in key areas. This accelerating loss of global market share further aggravated the decline.

This outcome holds a sobering lesson for any nation closely tied to the United States. No matter how loyal you are to the master, it won’t save you from their opression if they see the necessary reason to do so, especially when the American Capitalists see their revenues falling.

At the same time, talented Japanese technicians and engineers have increasingly found opportunities abroad as other Asian countries have surpassed Japan in key tech sectors. Many now work in Taipei, China, Singapore, and throughout the ASEAN countries, where they see more financial opportunities compared to Japan. This exodus shows how other nations have attracted Japanese talent that could have benefited Japan domestically if better opportunities existed. Ultimately, the blame lies with Japan itself for failing to sustain an attractive and thriving environment for their people since that’s what they got for pleasing the master.

Zombie firms

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When the asset price bubble burst and the stock market collapsed, many major Japanese companies were at risk of bankruptcy. Japanese banks and the government bailed out these businesses with loans so they could avoid folding. While this allowed the companies to survive, they became “zombie companies” – failing businesses reliant on bailouts to operate, with no impetus to innovate.

The rise of zombie companies has been a key driver of Japan’s economic decline, as they contribute little productivity while occupying market share. Typically it’s better to allow failing firms to go bankrupt so new entrepreneurship can flourish in a creative destruction process. However, Japan feared the short-term pains of major corporate bankruptcies and preferred lending money indefinitely to decaying keystone companies.

Aversion to change and status quo bias have prevented Japan from undertaking major reforms. Biting the bullet on corporate failures, as painful as it would be initially, would better incentivize startups and productivity. Economies thrive when inefficient businesses can fail and nimble innovators have space to experiment and grow. Propping up zombies may seem safer, but it locks in stagnation. Japan remains trapped by indecision and fear of change.

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In fact, the problem of zombie companies in Japan appears to be worsening rather than stabilizing. Instead of declining, the number of zombies propped up by cheap credit is rapidly growing, especially in 2021 and 2022 as many firms faced bankruptcy due to COVID-19. This perpetual bailout mentality is a critical factor behind Japan’s ongoing economic stagnation and the despair many younger generations feel about the future.

The country’s lack of sovereignty is the most important factor

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Japan is known not just for economic stagnation but also as a loyal puppet of the United States, to the point of eben rivalling Europe. Its foreign policy and military fall heavily under U.S. influence. On Japanese sites like Yahoo Japan, users joke about the U.S. military presence being an omnipotent god towering over Japan’s actual government. This dynamic has been evident in Okinawa, where protests demanding removal of U.S. bases led to a referendum supporting their ouster by 70% of voters. Yet the bases remain despite longstanding issues like pollution, as Japan has not asserted autonomy over land usage. More impartially, the U.S. military itself produces immense emissions rivaling top polluter nations if it was a country. It would be known as the seventh country for being top polluter, just imagine how cancerous their impact is towards the world.

Japan’s lack of independence in foreign policy has allowed the United States to continue imposing unfavorable trade deals, similar to the Trump agreement where he forced Japan to open up access for American farmers in the Japanese market and dump goods without any tariff imposed on them. At the same time, this kind of control is what is stopping Japan from reviving economically, because if Japan was independent, then it could work with Asian partners to establish an Asian Monetary Fund and implement trade deals in their own currencies rather than the US Dollar.

In fact, Japan desperately needs China and Vietnam as they are the only key that could help Japan survive, but of course under the ruling LDP elites, such a partnership will never happen. And even if someone tries to steer Japan toward more regional trade and financial cooperation with the East, then the next day he will be assassinated.

Not a single store

Does beer expire if not opened?

Oh yeah!!! If you leave bottled beer in the sun for a month, its brutally skunky. When I was underage, I left a case of beer hidden in a field until I could retrieve it, a month later. Not a wise move.

The weirdest incident was when I went over to my best friends parents farm for Christmas Eve. His father was quite the character, he could be incredibly frugal, but was also quite funny. My best friends parents don’t drink beer. But my best friend and I made up for them.

When I came in they asked me if I wanted anything to drink. I said I’ll have a beer, not wanting to put them out, and not knowing that they didn’t drink beer.

To give some context, up until 1961 Canada allowed any beer bottle shape. Then they switched to a standard stubby bottle, and every brewery had to use the identical stubby, so that they could be reused, instead of recycled. In about 1983, they started allowing any shape bottles again. Most breweries switched to a long neck bottle, with a twist top cap.

The father went down into the root cellar and came up with two long neck beer bottles. They were a little dusty, but I didn’t think anything of it. I tried to twist off the cap, and I couldn’t, the father handed me a bottle opener, and I popped the cap. OMG, the stench, it bubbled and frothed out of the bottle. The father was laughing so hard, I thought he couldn’t stand up. It was a long neck from before 1961 and this was probably 1984.

He said he had bought the beer for company, decades ago, and stored it in his cold room/root cellar. He hadn’t used it, and when organizing this Christmas, he had found it, and wondered if it would still be good, like whiskey kept in a cool dark place for years.

He got his answer. But I wondered how much it had cost him. He had opened, a sealed case of beer, that was probably at least 25 years old. How much could he have sold it for.

So I am here to tell you, beer can go bad within a month in the hot sun, and is definitely pungent after 25 years in a basement.

Six were killed

Oklahoma’s Fort Sill – the burial place of the Native American, Geronimo – housed static kite balloons, inflated with hydrogen such as this one. The balloons were deployed for the observation of artillery attacks, and were secured with guiding cables by groups of ground staff. Six troops were killed in the accident captured here on camera, at Henry Post Field at the Fort. The hydrogen in a balloon was ignited by a what is believed to have been a static electricity charge, created as the folds of the balloon fabric were rubbed together. Thirty more troops were injured.

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Have you ever found something unexpected inside of something you bought used?

Not me but a guy I worked with at my local hospital.

Mick was an ex-Para and also ex-Foreign Legion. His hobby was going around car-boot sales and buying up old brasses (vases, pots, decorations etc), cleaning them up and selling them on. He bought a load in bulk and while checking them he heard something rattling around inside a tall vase. When he tipped it out it turned out to be a Victoria Cross complete with ribbon and clasp! For our American cousins it’s the British equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Being a military man Mick immediately knew what it was-now he could have kept it or sold it, but knowing what he did (and being an honourable bloke) he decided to track down the owner, or at least his family. He found the recipients grandson and after speaking with him on the phone they arranged to meet up at a pub. The grandson had brought paperwork and photos to prove that it was indeed his grandads. It turned out that, when he was a child, he loved wearing his grandads medals while playing ‘Army’ (which he wasn’t allowed to do, kids eh?) and had somehow lost the VC, for which his dad had, understandably, never forgiven him. Mick told him where he’d found it and it turned out that the grandsons parents had kept a large brass vase by the door that they put umbrellas in-it had been rattling around inside the vase for over 30years!

Was there ever any examples of countries that became worse after the removal of a dictator, to the point where the people think life was better under the rule of said dictator?

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«While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas» (Thomas Sankara).

Have you ever heard about Thomas Sankara?

In 1983 Upper Volta was one of the poorest countries in Africa, then a coup installed Thomas Sankara as president. Sankara changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso and started a number of reforms. «His domestic policies were focused on preventing famine with agrarian self-sufficiency and land reform, prioritizing education with a nationwide literacy campaign and promoting public health by vaccinating 2.5 million children against meningitis, yellow fever and measles». Sankara improved the living conditions of the Burkinabé people, redistributing agricultural land, planting trees to prevent desertification, creating a widespread program for building roads and railways, which brought jobs and modernization, strengthening the healthcare and education systems. He also outlawed FGMs, forced marriage, and promoted women to the head of the state and at all levels of the administration. Finally, he unilaterally reduced the Burkinabé international debt (mostly based on old interests that had piled up) and renounced international aids where not strictly necessary in order to escape the control of the IMF and World Bank.

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In doing so, through, he caused the enmity of the international finance, but also of the Burkinabé middle class and of the old tribal chiefs. These united forces and in 1987 assassinated Sankara, substituting him with Blaise Compaoré, who remained in office through heavily doctored elections, until 2014, when he finally had to flee to Cote d’Ivoire. Despite being nominally democratic, Compaoré undid everything that had been done by Sankara, worsening the human rights conditions, the economy, and the overall living conditions.

Bannock Bread (Scottish)

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3abf56831bdf5122a0ccd1f3f456aa32 1

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1/2 cup water to make a thick dough

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients together well. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender.
  2. Mix in the water and knead until the dough is very smooth, about 15 minutes.
  3. Grease a cast iron frying pan, including the sides, and press the dough into the pan.
  4. Bake on top of the stove over low heat. Watch carefully so that the bread does not brown or burn before the center is cooked.
  5. When the bread is free from the pan, turn the loaf over and continue to cook. The total cooking time will be about 10 minutes on each side.

Florence Thompson with one of her children, Watsonville, California

Florence Thompson with one of her children, Watsonville, California. Thompson was only 32 in this picture by Dorothea Lange, an outtake from the photo session which generated the iconic “Migrant Mother” image. Born in 1903 in what was then Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma, her parents were displaced Native American Cherokees. Marrying at 17, she and her husband began a family in California. When her husband died, Florence was left with six children at the age of 28. She went on to have four more children, three with a Californian man, Jim Hill. At the moment Dorothea Lange encountered the family, their car had broken down while journeying to find crop-picking work. Hill and the boys in the family had walked into town to get parts for the car.

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Purity

Have you ever had a work colleague who was disliked by most of the other staff, but you knew just how much integrity, honesty, and honour they really had?

‘Disliked’ is perhaps too strong of a word. . .

John was a former U.S. Marine, and a karate black belt, and we were colleagues at a large language center in Bangkok.

The alpha male teachers initially assumed John would blend in with them, but they were so wrong.

He was polite, friendly in his own way to them but was quickly bored by their macho bravado and sexual escapade stories. That they demeaned others (foreigners and Thais) to swell their egos did not sit well with him.

The alphas, perhaps sensing that John was a true alpha, left him alone. They said that they disliked him but never explained why. Perhaps it was insecurity?

Some of the center’s academic management cringed each time a teachers’ meeting was held, knowing that John would be there, ready to call them out about unnecessary rules, regulations and for demands made on hourly-paid teachers.

If they insisted on changing teaching methodology or administrative procedures, John’s very valid, direct questions and comments usually exposed their lack of teaching experience and empathy. He made them accountable.

If explanations were clear and reasonable, John accepted them. He wanted what was best for students and teachers.

If he was proven wrong (even by himself), he readily admitted it. He also apologized if he inadvertently upset others with direct personal comments.

He was popular with students because he was what they thought an excellent, caring teacher should be. His standards were exacting and fair, and they knew he wanted them to succeed.

Gossip was never a thing for John. He may have made negative judgments about others, but he usually kept them to himself (occasionally expressing quiet sarcasm but only to close friends).

He had a wicked, subtle, sense of humor that went over most people’s heads. He had his vices, too, but again, only his closest friends knew them.

Why were many of his colleagues uncomfortable around him?

Because he never wavered in his integrity, honor and honesty.

Have you ever had a car that a mechanic said it’s unfixable and told to sell him the car or junk it but turned out to be a minor fix?

I had a 1999 Buick Park Avenue with the 3800 engine. That engine was considered to be bullet proof. I bought the car with 184k already on it. It was a great road machine, 30mpg, and I loved it. I used to go into the northern suburbs to babysit my Grandson one day a week. By then the car probably had about 300k on it but it still ran very well and it was not rusted out. I stopped to get some take out breakfast on a rainy day. The car started ok but when I got on the freeway it didn’t want to get up to speed. I made it to my son-in-law’s house and into their driveway. When I left to head for home, the car would start but when I put it in gear it would die. It wasn’t showing a code so we didn’t have a clue. At that time, my son-in-law did some of my mechanical work so he said that he would take a look at it. They had an extra vehicle so they loaned that to me. Well he tore into it and checked all of the obvious things. Then he took the dash apart. He was stumped. After checking with some of his buddies, it was decided that the computer had gone bad. So he found a professional that came out to their home and replaced the computer. Nothing changed. The professional put the old computer back and wouldn’t take any money. He said that he didn’t solve the problem and he would not take any money. So I was being advised to give the car up, let it go for salvage instead of pouring more money into a lost cause. I told him that I hear you and I know you are trying to keep me from wasting my money. I just don’t believe that a car that has been running perfectly dies so suddenly without any obvious sign of a problem. I think it is going to turn out to be something simple that is hard to detect. So he got in touch with an experts’ expert. The expert showed up and he knew that there was another fuse box under the backseat. So they tore the backseat out and tested. Sure enough they found a dead circuit. They managed to trace that to a wire on the firewall that was corroded. They replaced that wire and the problem was solved. I drove that car to 366k. It was still running great but it had a broken leaf spring and the bushings were shot in the undercarriage. At that point I was going to be a volunteer driver so I felt that it was time to upgrade. I hold all of the cars that I have owned since to the standards of that ‘99. I loved that car.

Portrait

Portrait of Art Hodes, Kaiser Marshall, Henry (Clay) Goodwin, Sandy Williams, and Cecil (Xavier) Scott, Times Square, New York. Although born in the Ukraine, Jazz pianist Art Hodes was brought up in Chicago, and spent most of his career in “The Windy City”. Hodes became known for the Chicago Jazz style, but in order to find success, he had had to move to New York, in 1938. Here, Hodes and his River Boat Jazz Band – Joseph “Kaiser” Marshall on drums, Henry “Clay” Goodwin on trumpet, Sandy Williams on trombone and Cecil “Xavier” Scott played clarinet and tenor sax – are playing on a horse drawn cart to promote their concert that night – with special guest Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden. Writer and (self-taught) photographer William P. Gottlieb spent the ten years from 1938 to 1948 interviewing and photographing the leading, largely New York-based, jazz musicians of the time, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday. A columnist for the Washington Post, Gottlieb started to take his own pictures when the Post wouldn’t pay a photographer.

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How often do you think about the people you have met throughout your life?

-MAYBE TOMORROW-

When I was fourteen years old, my favorite food in the world was pizza.

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There wasn’t a good pizza shop in Lampeter, Pennsylvania, which was where I lived at the time. Most, if not all of my friends lived in or hung out in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. At the center of Strasburg, is Pizza City. The owner, Sam, was an over-the-top friendly Italian, with a keen eye for bull-shit.

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Every day after school I’d smoke weed and head to Pizza City with a group of friends. I always ordered one crispy slice with a cup of water. Thinking I was cool, I would ask Sam for a free slice after I had ordered. That signature smile would fade and he’d look right through my bloodshot eyes and into my soul.

“Maybe tomorrow.”, was all Sam would say.

For years, Sam fed us and always encouraged us to be the best versions of ourselves. He asked us how our grades were and offered good advice.

At the end of my tenth-grade year,

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my principal recommended that I attend inpatient drug rehabilitation to my parents. At seventeen years old, I was admitted into a two-week program in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. I kept a journal of poems and dreams from my stay at that facility.

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It was a really scary time and my only escape was to write about it.

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I always believed that Sam was against drug use, especially in children. When I got out of rehab, I started getting high immediately. I never went back to Pizza City. I never associated with any of my friends from back then because I was ashamed of who I’d become. I was a homeless heroin addict and didn’t want them to see that. As the years turned to decades things only got worse. My stays at facilities were no longer measured in days, but months.

Last year, I finally got clean. I still thought about Sam and Pizza City. After all, it’s where I grew up and my memories of Pizza City are nothing but fond. This past Sunday, after church, I decided to stop in with my family. I wanted Sam to meet the boys and Jessica and see that I had finally turned it all around. I knew how happy he’d be for me.

When we walked in we were kindly greeted and offered a booth. As my family sat down, I walked up to the counter looking for Sam. Just as I asked if Sam was around, Jessica called my name. I was told by the lady behind the counter that he was and to give him a minute. I walked over to Jessica and she pointed out a picture that was above our booth.

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Sam, passed away in 2010. But if Sam passed away, who was the kind lady fetching for me? As it turns out, that little baby from twenty-five years ago, is also, Sam. It was Sam’s son, Sam that was being fetched.

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I think about the people I have met throughout my life all the time. Some played a huge part and some played a small part. Sam, was a great role model and a fantastic pizza guy. He was a huge part of my teenage years.

I asked Sam that day if I could share a story. A story about a pizza man that saw the good in all of us kids. A story about a man that played a small part in my recovery with the promise of a free slice. After we talked, I asked Sam about maybe getting that free slice. His only response?

“Maybe tomorrow”

Leon

Boomerang Saturday Morning Cartoons | 2008 | Full Episodes w/ Commercials

Two hours long. You can scan it for some yucks. Enjoy if you have the time.

What is the coolest psychological trick?

  1. The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it’s to post the wrong answer.
  2. Eye pupil rises to 45% when an individual looks at somebody they love.
  3. If a song is not going from your head, then try thinking about the end word of the song.
  4. If you want people to take you seriously, just say what you’re saying is what your father taught you.
  5. When you nod your head while asking, it tends to make others more willing to help you.
  6. When it’s hard to convince someone to do something: give them options.
  7. Ask for something huge before you asking for what you really want.
  8. One good way to build trust is if you admit when you’re wrong, especially on little things.
  9. For an interview, be either the first or the last one to attend in order to stay fresh in the interviewer’s brain.
  10. If someone is talking or preoccupied, you can hold out your hand and they’ll give you whatever they’re holding.
  11. Copying the person you’re with will make them like you.
  12. You can be twice as rich by deciding you need half as much.
  13. People will be more favorable to your idea if they think it’s THEIR idea.
  14. Staring at peoples forehead irritates them quite a lot.
  15. When high-fiving look at the opposite person’s elbow, that way you would never miss.

The U.S.S. Recruit

The U.S.S. Recruit, a wooden battleship built by the Navy in Union Square, New York City, to recruit seamen and sell Liberty Bonds from 1917 to 1920. In order to drive up recruitment to the Navy – and to train those so recruited – the US military commissioned the construction of a full and seaworthy battleship in the middle of Union Square, Manhattan. The ship was staffed, with a captain, and was equipped with wireless and quarters for officers and other crew. It also had searchlights – illuminated at night. As well as functioning as a successful training and recruiting unit – more than 25,000 men joined the US Navy via Recruit – the ship was also deployed as an event and reception location, hosting, amongst other occasions, a visiting group of Native Americans, and a christening. The ship remained in Union Square for the duration of the War and beyond, finally being decommissioned and dismantled in 1920. The six guns it carried were wooden replicas.

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Have you ever witnessed a judge go completely ballistic and “lose it” in court?

Oh yes. There’s a woman from Cape Cod named Gina Clark. Gina set up a charity called “Touched by Angels,” in which the charity supposedly offered help to families in crisis; handicapped child in need of special equipment, or families who needed help paying for their child’s funeral. The awkward part was that the family had to basically fund-raise on their own. They had to involve all their friends, and have their friends collect money, which then was SUPPOSED to go to the family in need. However, after going around, begging their friends, and participating in all these things the charity wanted them to do, the “charity” wound up basically charging the people for their services, and the people wound up getting next to nothing.

Anyways, she ripped off one of my friends, who was promised a wheelchair ramp, and used minivan. (For what it’s worth, all my friend really cared about was the wheelchair ramp. The minivan would have been nice, but she really NEEDED that ramp.)

Gina Clark eventually got busted, and served a minimum amount in jail, and part of her sentence was to actually pay the money to those families that it was collected for. Everyone on Cape Cod knew about the case, so when I happened to be in court one day, and Gina Clark was brought in front of the judge, I was interested to see what happened.

Apparently, she was crying poverty, and supposedly couldn’t pay. The judge got PISSED when he looked at her assets, and saw that she and her husband had two high-end cars, and two Harley Davidsons. The judge lit into her, and told her if she didn’t sell those Harley Davidsons to pay those victims, she was going to jail. His face was actually red, and his voice was shaking.

The entire courtroom broke out into spontaneous applause.

The Flintstones | Fred and Barney Go Bowling

What was the rudest thing a guest has ever said or did while visiting your home?

I watched a cousin package up and take all the white turkey meat home with her on Thanksgiving Day.

My dad has a large family. Individuals take turns holding the Thanksgiving gathering. This particular year my parents volunteered to host. Then my father went full overboard and invited cousins and their families. The end result was that over sixty people would be attending. Needless to say, mom was not happy.

In my dad’s family, the host provides the turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Not to mention plates, cutlery, cups, sauces, and at least some of the drinks. So dad stepped up and contacted a friend who managed a local restaurant. He ordered all the food and it was excellent. The turkey was pre-sliced and laid out in long aluminum serving trays. It was separated by dark and white meat. There were trays of dressing and serving containers of the other items. Attendees were expected to bring a side dish.

It was controlled chaos. Fortunately the weather was mild and the kids could be thrown outside. Tables were set up in the sunroom. Tables were set up in the garage. People ate in shifts. Mom was a nervous wreck and exhausted. But everyone enjoyed themselves.

Late in the afternoon people began packing their stuff up to leave. It is typical at these functions for individuals to fix a “take home” plate. Turkey, dressing and veg. Maybe a slice of cake or pie. No biggie.

At a certain point everyone was gone. The next issue was maneuvering the leftovers into the fridge. I began transferring turkey into a storage container. My mother walked over and told me, “There’s no white meat left.” I looked at her in total shock. “Teresa took all of it. Before others could even get some.”

I was stunned. She had made multiple plates, just of turkey, then waltzed out the door.

Now it wasn’t like she had a family to take the food to. She is single. It isn’t like she needed the food. She has an excellent job and owns her own home.

But she is known to be a tightwad. She was taking the meat home to freeze.

I wish I had known. I wish mom had told me. But she knew better because I would have stopped her. Others would have had the chance to have helped themselves.

She didn’t have the decency to leave my parents, her host, a portion. Instead, she was a classless, spoiled brat.

Adaptation

Did you ever have a teacher go completely berserk at your school to the point where someone had to step in?

Yes.

I still think about that teacher from time to time, now some 20+ years later.

When I was in high school, there were five different levels of English class, depending on academic ability. Often, academic ability and behavioral problems go downhill proportionately. That is, the lowest-level class also had the most students with the most behavior problems.

I was in the highest level class. In my sophomore year, we had a student teacher for a few months. She was a very nice young lady… very quiet, but very smart. Loved to read and talk about books. I can say now, with the experience of being a teacher myself, that, in retrospect, she wasn’t really “teacher” material. She was far too kind, too soft-spoken. She was just a woman who was trying to earn a living via her hobby: reading.

But that’s not what teaching is about.

She loved her student teaching experience, because her skill set (knowing a lot about literature) fit the needs of the students in her class (wanting to learn a lot about literature). Then her time as a student teacher was up, and she was gone for the rest of the year.

The next year, she returned as a full-time teacher. This must have been her first teaching job after college. She said hello to those of us she recognized in the hallway on her first day. She seemed happy.

A few weeks later, she left her room in the middle of a class, got security to escort her back into her room to get her stuff, and was never heard from again. Another teacher had to take over that class from that point on. Our newspaper teacher, who was really tight with the 10 students in her newspaper class, told us exactly what happened: She (the new teacher) had a total mental breakdown in the middle of class because the students were so disruptive and disrespectful. She swore at them before crying and leaving the room.

As often happens with new teachers, she was at the bottom of the pecking order for which classes she got to teach. She ended up with the lowest-level English class, full of students with behavior issues who didn’t give a damn about literature.

This was not a good fit for her skill set. Those students needed more of a drill-instructor type of personality, not her soft-spoken style. The administration set her up for failure, and she failed.

I hope she didn’t give up on teaching completely, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did.

When being terminated from a job, have you ever warned the company of something important that only you knew how to do, and your advice has gone unheeded?

I worked in a department with three others and a manager at a radio station. Correction media company which owned multiple radio stations. We entered the contracts for the adverts. I had a inbox that never was less than about 10 cms tall for the two stations I was responsible for.

The morning was spent entering as many contracts as possible. The afternoons finalising which advert played in which break for the following day. Certain companies could not be in the same break as other ones and while the computer was supposed to do most of it the more it was over sold the longer it took me to fix it. The further behind I was in loading the contracts the more likely I would be oversold and spend even less of my day loading the contracts.

Any way my manager was told to fire one of us. She obviously didn’t know how to choose and spent a good month walking past us to her office warning us if we didn’t pull our socks up we would be out of a job. We all were stressing over the threat of being fired. I was already arriving early, leaving late and not taking all my breaks.

One day I came to my senses, they needed me more than I needed them. I would be able to get another job, the world would not come to an end.

I went up to HR and explained that I wanted to take voluntary redundancy as there was too much work for the four of us and there was absolutely no way I still wanted to be there when they reduced the staff to three. No doubt nothing that my manager hadn’t told them already.

I was happy to leave. A year or so later happened to bump into my old manager who admitted she quit about three months after I left. I was not surprised at all. Senior management were idiots. If you were on air staff or a sales rep you could do no wrong. But those contracts weren’t worth the paper they were written on until they were loaded into the computer system, which is what my job was and they treated us like we should be grateful just to work for them. As I said – idiots.

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

My son was in algebra class. He was trying hard to get a passing grade and trying to pay attention. Every day the boy behind him would very slightly bump his desk in the back of my son’s chair. He would ignore it but some kids sitting near by would laugh. This went on for weeks and weeks and my son just wanted to pass algebra. One day this boy behind him began very slightly touching his hair with a pencil. My son turned around and told him to knock it off. He told him this off and on before. As soon as my son said that the teacher called on my son to “STOP TALKING”. Then of course the nearby students would laugh again. So finally this boy brushed my son’s hair one last time and my son jumped up out of his desk turned around leaning over this boys desk. He put his hands on this boys desk and screamed into his face “LETS GO OUT SIDE $##@HOLE!! COME ON! LETS TAKE THIS OUTSIDE NOW!” Of course the teacher was yelling at my son to stop but my son was not listening to the teacher at all. The boy just sat motionless and not responding to my son. The teacher came over and sent my son to the office for the rest of the day. I told him I was sorry this happened and my son said “It was worth every minute of it”. The next day he came home and I asked if the boys bothered him again. He said no the teacher had assigned new seats to everyone. I laughed and said “Did he put that kid right in front if his desk!!??” My son said “No, he put me there”. So what happened after that? Well, this boy began to follow my son around asking if he wanted to hang out. My son didn’t though.

How I look at the U.K. after 7 years in China

What are things you shouldn’t do in life?

  1. Don’t abandon someone suddenly after giving them attention. It kills them.
  2. Don’t waste your time by stalking your ex on fb or checking people’s ‘last seen’ on WhatsApp. If they want to talk to you, they will. If they don’t, they won’t, even in a hundred years.
  3. Don’t compare yourself with anyone. You and the rest are so different, that when you realize it, a comparison won’t even be possible.
  4. Don’t ignore your body and health.
  5. Don’t miss out on important engagements – Birthdays, weddings, your child’s first performance, your dad’s retirement party, reunions – its these events that make the fondest memories.
  6. Don’t take things personally. Even if you know its personal, don’t take it personally. Then you win.
  7. Don’t be rude to your parents. Or siblings. When everyone else will run for cover, its your family that will stand with you as you drench in your storm.
  8. Don’t force someone to be in your life. Let them go, if they want to.
  9. Don’t find reasons to be unhappy. It doesn’t pay to be sad. It pays to be joyous.
  10. Don’t underestimate the power of people. Network.
  11. Don’t let anyone make you feel badly about yourself. Always know your good things and your flaws. Accept them. Correct them. Or don’t correct them. But don’t let anyone else capitalize on them.

Dr. Frankenstein on Campus (1970)

Full Movie.

Also known as Flick. This Canadian-produced comedy horror movie finds a third-generation descendant of the monster-making madman Frankenstein (Robin Ward) performing bizarre electronic mind-control experiments on the students of a Canadian university under the auspices of his sponsor, Dr. Preston (Sean Sullivan).

When the doc isn’t hard-wiring the kids’ brains into the department’s newest computer equipment, he’s making time with a pretty coed (Kathleen Sawyer). Complications ensue when a group of students decide to frame the doctor for selling pot, leading him to use the computer to remote-control a karate champion and chop-socky his enemies to death. Only when the doc loses his control box do things really get out of hand, leading to a whiz-bang climax which reveals the doctor’s true identity. Dated and silly, with needless subplots and numerous drug references, this is occasionally enlivened by some interesting special effects.

https://youtu.be/clnU5Lmxv7c?list=PL0HqN0pcSsIL5KsTe_QklrEzYia123VQz

Uncle Franks Jacket

When I was growing up, I referred to my Maternal Grandfather as “Uncle”. Mind you, this was in a Irish Catholic household, and unless you were the first husband, and the father of the mother, you became “uncle”. Not grandfather.

So…

My grandfather on my mother’s side was “uncle”, not “grandfather”, because as I surmise today (as a much older man) he was not my mother’s father.

Ok.

They, like my father’s family had separate bedrooms for the man and the woman. My grandmother had her bedroom, and my “uncle” had his own bedroom. This was actually quite common in my family, as the men-folk from both families all started to snore when they turned 40 or so.

LOL

The poor women would never get any sleep unless that arrangement occurred. Yeah. It was never really explained that way to me. It’s just that you figure out these things over time as you age. Otherwise, it’s just a “family affair”, and something that you are supposed to “understand” and absorb like osmosis.

Jeeze!

That was not the only room that the women and the men folk didn’t share. Oh no. They also did not share the bathroom.

The men’s bathroom, for the people on both sides of my family was in the basement. This also included my father. Who had a little cubby hole under the basement stairs. As well as all my uncles. Later on, when I was much older, and my father was in his 70’s this arrangement continued with his new wife. She had her own bedroom, and bathroom, and so did my father. And his bathroom was in the basement… yet again.

Anyways, one day we (as kids, I was perhaps 14 at the time) were visiting my maternal grandmother, and she and my brother was in “uncle” Frank’s bedroom. And going through his credenza. And she was all Hell bent on giving away some of “uncle” Frank’s old items that he never wore.

And he just stood there. Really kinda emotional.

He had a leather jacket, “bomber “highwayman”style with a logo on the back that dated to the 1940’s and my grandmother was giving it to my younger brother Daniel. It fit him perfectly.

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But, it was painful to watch because my “uncle” Frank did not want to part with that jacket. It’s not that he ever wore it, but it held some important memories and emotions to him, but my grandmother seemed oblivious to his emotional state.

I didn’t understand.

Two years later… he died. I was working in the mines, and it was mentioned as an off-hand remark at the dinner table one weekend. “Oh, by the way… Uncle Frank died”…followed by “please pass the peas”, and “How’s your cheerleader project going…” (said to my sister).

Odd. Really odd.

I have never been able to go though the emotional disconnect with “uncle” Frank and my grandmother, as all my uncles and aunties. When I checked on ancestry dot com, he is officially listed as my maternal grandfather… so what is up with that? Eh?

It only seems to point to another man being my mother’s father. But I’ll never know the truth.

An “official” father, but referred to as an “uncle”. Hum… Was a different “father” involved?

Anyways… here’s to Frank.

You were certainly unappreciated, and not as well respected (I believe) that you deserve. Perhaps it’s an Irish-American thing, but this little post will allow you to live on somewhat… in the minds of thousands of strangers.

As far as the leather jacket was concerned, yeah… my brother loved it and wore it all the time in his high school years and into his college years. It was a “truckers leather jacket” (highwayman) and fit him well.

highwayman leather jacket 1940s
highwayman leather jacket 1940s

And Frank. When you reincarnate… please never allow yourself to be P-whipped by anyone. It’s not becoming. Your clothes are YOURS. No one else’s.

Today…

What’s the best answer a witness ever gave to a smart lawyer?

I think I may have answered a similar question before but the best response I’ve heard was from my wife. She was a senior manager in Children’s Social Services in the UK. She was involved in a very unfortunate case about a social worker with Schizophrenia which came before the Family Court. Due to the social worker’s condition it was felt that her child needed to be taken into care for their protection. In challenging this, the social worker’s barrister quoted from a manual providing guidance to social workers. My wife challenged his defence saying that he was taking the particular section out of context and what was really intended was something quite different.

The barrister then challenged her in the sort of language beloved of smart-arsed lawyers ‘Oh, you are blessed with this wonderous gift denied to us mere mortals that you can look at the written page and and read the mind of the author when they wrote it’.

My wife then replied……

‘If you look at the author’s name on the front page of that document, you will see that I did indeed produce that guidance. ‘

The judge was covering his mouth with his hand to hide his snigger.

How did you get over the narcissist?

Deactivated or deleted all my social media – this removes the temptation to look.

Deleted their phone number and any trace of them that I could – photos and any other memorabilia I had.

Went on a long holiday on my own somewhere warm by the sea, sparsely populated and that I’d never been to before.

When I got home, I came out of my very early retirement (at 50) to throw myself back into my work in law and business so that I could direct all of my energy & emotion & passion into something positive that ended up making me quite a bit of money. I was so busy that I didn’t have the time to feel sorry for myself or miss her.

I got fit. I was never obese and had been quite fit & athletic up to my 40’s which was a hold over for my military service, but I was middle aged and starting to feel it. I worked out 5 times a week like a mad ba$tard, walked 3–4 miles every day, dropped 42lbs and looked 10 years younger. I’d never felt better, more energy, less aches and pains and my libido went through the roof 😁

Two years and six months later my life was completely different and I didn’t care about the Narc anymore.

I will admit that despite all of this I do still miss her sometimes… for maybe about ten seconds – or at least I miss the illusion and dream of who she led me to believe she was. But in focusing on myself I was able re-establish my own identity again which then reinforced the fact that it wasn’t my fault. That I wasn’t to blame for what happened.

Because some people are just wrong in the head and can be quite toxic & poisonous to the people they latch onto.

The moral of this story is that when you leave the narcissist, you have to focus on YOU! Fuck them, try and forget about them as best you can and work on yourself. It doesn’t matter what you do or where you are, but if you concentrate on levelling up and doing whatever you can to better and improve yourself, you will eventually heal and no longer give a $hit about the Narc.

And your life will be better too!

I promise.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and Butter Pudding
Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients

  • Butter for greasing
  • 5 slices white bread, crusts removed, thinly spread with butter
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 2 pieces lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 medium eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 8 ounces heavy cream, lightly whipped

Instructions

  1. Thoroughly grease a 6-cup round ovenproof soufflé dish.
  2. Lay a slice of buttered bread, butter side up, in the base of the dish, sprinkle on a few of the raisins, and repeat until bread and raisins are used up, reserving enough raisins to sprinkle on the top.
  3. Slide the 2 pieces of lemon rind down into the dish on opposite sides from each other.
  4. Place the granulated  sugar in a mixing bowl, break in the eggs, and beat for 1 minute with a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer.
  5. Add milk and mix well. Pour over the bread and push the bread down so that it gets soaked, then sprinkle the brown sugar on top.
  6. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F and after 5 minutes of preheating, place the pudding in oven.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes until the dessert has risen well and the top is crusty and golden brown.
  8. Serve immediately with whipped cream.

Secret Door Reveals Killer’s Darkest Secrets | Documentary

https://youtu.be/HdcLC243YnU

How would China react if the United States declared a naval blockade?

The world—American or otherwise—should bear this in mind.

Chinese ports handled 300m containers last year.

To put the number in context, American ports struggle with 50–60m, with the 10% increase during covid provoking loud creaks of protest from the antiquated system, resulting in transpacific shipping rates going up by an order of magnitude, or >10x.

China is the truly the world’s factory. It imports plenty, and exports plenty.

A naval blockade of China equals a naval blockade of the world, tradewise.

What happens to the >1t in annual revenue that American MNCs generate from within the mainland? Note this is not visible from bilateral trade figures.

What happens to Wall Street?

Good luck with that foolhardy scenario, which will lead to material collapse of civil society everywhere, because China is indispensable to the global supply chain.

Cheese and Onions

Serve with potatoes.

Cheese and Onions
Cheese and Onions

Ingredients

  • 7 or 8 large onions, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 14 ounces extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

  1. Put half of onions in a microwave proof dish and add water.
  2. Microwave about 15 minutes, drain and put into a glass casserole dish.
  3. Put half of cheese on top of onions. Repeat with remaining onions, adding them to dish when cooked in microwave and adding remaining cheese.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until cheese is browned to your taste.
  5. Serve with mashed potatoes.

What is the rudest thing somebody said to you when you were obviously pregnant?

I was eight months pregnant, and I was huge. I was at the grocery store and I had just gotten in line and was putting the items on the conveyor belt when a very strong contraction hit, you know, the stop you in your tracks kind. While I was standing there trying to catch my breath and wait for the pain to pass, the customer behind me, who was apparently in a hurry, told me to “move my fat a@&^$” on so she could go. The cashier, who knew me figured out what was happening, had already reached out to her supervisor and was closing down the line so she could help me, when the customer said really loudly, “That fat cow just peed on the floor”, ( my water hadn’t broken, but it had started leaking). Hilarious chaos ensues, I’m hunched over the counter being yelled at by the customer, the cashier and my friend are both yelling at her, and the supervisor is trying to herd the yelling customer and the others, who are trying to see what’s going on, to another line to get them checked out. The last thing I remembered was being called a “fat cow”, everything else receded into the background. What I remembered of that incident was what the cashier and my friend told me when they visited me in the hospital. The cashier later told me my friend ripped that woman a new one while the paramedics were putting me into the ambulance.

ITS BEGUN: FULL SCALE WORLD WAR IN 2024

What should you do when someone has taken your assigned seat and refuses to move on an airplane?

This happened to me. A woman wearing a hijab was in my seat. I politely said “excuse me but I think this is my seat.” The man next to her, by the window, very sternly said “no, this is my wife and she will stay here.” He was middle eastern. I say this not because I’m racist but because I realized there was a culture concern here. I showed him my ticket, but he very rudely proclaimed that his wife was not moving. The poor wife never spoke, but kept her eyes down the whole time.

The flight attendant came over to see what was going on. The husband was very rude to her as well and said his wife would not move. After some more conversation, in which the man wouldn’t budge, the flight attendant looked at me with a bit of desperation in her eyes. I knew that if things escalated, the man and his wife would be removed from the plane and we’d all be delayed. She asked me if I would consider changing seats with the woman, whose assigned seat was a couple of rows back.

I looked at the rude man and said, “No, I don’t mind. All he had to do was ask me.”

Part of me wishes I had made a thing out it, because his rudeness should not have won, but ultimately I didn’t want the plane to be delayed. The person I felt sorry for was the embarrassed, subservient wife.

Fear

Rare Ferrari Daytona Found After 40 Years In Japanese Barn

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Many thought this car didn’t even exist.

Ferrari had, in fact, only ever commissioned one street version of its Daytona with a full aluminum body. Completed in 1969, the car was exported to a Japanese dealership in 1971 and then featured in the January 1972 issue of Car Graphic, a Japanese motoring magazine.

After passing hands several times, it ended up in the barn of its last owner, Makoto Takai, some time around 1980.

The car is in “barn find” condition and is being put up for sale unrestored. The odometer displays just over 22,000 miles. RM Sotheby’s expects the car to fetch up to 1.7 million euros ($2 million), according to the auction catalog.

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Women Who Were Filmed Being Murdered By Cartels..

https://youtu.be/C8YgimvEE1w

What did someone say in court that made you burst out laughing?

It’s jury selection for a medical malpractice case. It’s tedious, and the judge appears to be asleep. Lawyers have questioned a dozen potential jurors already. “Do you know anyone on the witness list?” “Have you ever been harmed by a medical practitioner?” “Has anyone you know been harmed by a medical practitioner?”…he’s reading the questions off a clipboard and making notes from time to time.

They get to one juror and before questions even begin he’s giving lawyerman the eye, like “Tread carefully, sir.” Lawyer doesn’t seem to notice.

“Do you know anyone on the witness list?”
“Yes.” Eye.
“Who do you know?”
“The doctors listed as expert witnesses for the prosecution.” Eye.
“All the doctors listed as expert witnesses?”
“Yes.” Eye
“How do you know them?”
Juror sighs. “Through my…profession.”

He’s clearly trying not to provide extra info, but lawyer plows on. I’m already smirking. I don’t know what’s coming, but I sense a train wreck. The lawyer looks at the juror expectantly. The juror finally says, “I’m an investigator.”

“Of what?”
“Insurance fraud.” Oh snap.

“CHAMBERS NOW,” says the judge. Oh hell, I guess he wasn’t asleep after all.

They ended up dismissing the whole jury pool—we’d been hopelessly tainted. The judge was pissed. I just thought it was hilarious.

15 Brutal Hells Angels Rules That Are Mandatory

https://youtu.be/wTeefV0dLzY

What are some ugly truths of life?

A forwarded story.

One day,a bus driver went to the bus garage, started his bus and drove off along the route.

No problem for the first few stops,afew people got on , a few got off and things went generally well.

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image 492

Google image

At the next stop, however,a big hulk of a guy got on. Six feet height, built like a wrestler,arms hanging down to the ground. He glared at the driver and said, “ Big John doesn’t have to pay!

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image 491

Google image

The driver was five feet three,thin, and basically meek.

Naturally,he didn’t argue with Big John,but he wasn’t happy about it.

The next day the same thing happened. Big John got on again,made a show of refusing to pay, and sat down.

And the next day, and the one after that..

This went over the driver,who started losing sleep over the way Big John was taking advantage of him.

Finally he could stand it no longer.

He signed up for body building course,karate,judo and all that stuff.

By the end of the summer,he had become quite strong and the big thing is that he felt really good about himself.

So on the next Monday, when Big John once again got on the bus and said, “Big John doesn’t pay!” The driver stood up,glared back at the passenger and screamed, “And why not?”

With a surprised look on his face,Big John replied, “ Big John has a bus pass.”


Like the story above, most often in life, without realising the basics of the problems,we work hard finding solutions at the cost of time, effort , money and relationships. But in reality the problems are not that big. This is an ugly truth of life.

TikTokers Who Captured Their Final Moments

As a superior: Did an ex-employee ever say something to you that made you fire him on the spot? What was it?

I had a patient with Shy Drager Syndrome. Nothing at all wrong with her mind, but she had very limited use of her body. She was a very nice person who used to drive a school bus. She was in her mid 40s. She was incontinent of bowels and bladder.

There was a CNA (certified nursing assistant) on my hall who was kind of tough. She had a harsh demeanor and some patients and other employees were a bit afraid of her. I wasn’t.

One day I heard a commotion down the hall. I went down there to find my patient crying and the CNA speaking to her in a very loud and rude voice. She had had a bowel movement in her briefs and had tried to make herself more comfortable because she hadn’t been checked by said CNA and I’m sure it was cold and lumpy and uncomfortable.

The CNA was loudly berating her for everyone to hear. She was saying. “You’re disgusting, Margaret! You are so nasty! Do you think I want to deal with this mess that you made”??? Oh hell no. I was livid. I called another CNA to please tend to the patient while I had a talk with the bully CNA.

She didn’t want to hear what I had to say and gave me attitude so I told her to gather her belongings and clock out. I told her that she was no longer employed by us. I advised her to find a line of work where she wouldn’t have the opportunity to terrorize helpless human beings who depended on others for care. She gave me the side eye but left with no issues.

News travels fast and soon the whole facility knew that I had just fired her. They advised me to have someone walk with me to my car that night. They feared retribution. I was called Monday by the administrator to discuss the situation. He was in agreement with me. Problem solved.

What was the weirdest thing you have seen in plain sight?

When I was 16 I was driving to a friend’s house for the first time with only an address (pre-GPS – pre-cell phone). It was the dead of night and I was having trouble reading the numbers on the houses so I got out of my car, left it running to read the numbers on a house. I read it and realized I wasn’t close so I ran back to my car only to discover that I had apparently hit the door lock on my way out. I stared in horror at my locked car, running, with lights on, in the middle of the road. Finally I went to the house I had looked at and explained the situation. My window was cracked so I asked if I could borrow a coat hanger to try to lift the door lock. I was 16, the man was a full adult and taking pity on me he not only got a hanger but came out to the street to try to unlock my car for me – which was so huge for me as a teenager! As he is is working on it the street lights up. We both look up and a HUGE craft is sailing over us trailing PURPLE fire! I was speechless. We both were. After it passed, the man turned to me and said ‘I’m so glad you’re here… no one would ever believe this….’. He succeeded in unlocking my door and I told everyone this crazy story about a space ship that flew RIGHT OVER ME.

A couple of days later the local paper had a story about it. Apparently it was a satellite burning up during re-entry. Nevertheless it is the most astounding thing I have ever seen with my own eyes.

Probably a long shot that the man who helped me that night will see this but OMG you saved my life that night. 30 years later I still feel immense gratitude, I’m sure 16 year old me did not express that adequately and I’m glad that someone else saw this with me!

Scientists Think There Could Be LIFE on Europa and It’s Even Weirder Than We Thought!

What instantly makes a person less attractive?

So I went to market yesterday with my mom to buy some vegetables for home. I always purchase vegetables from a specific vendor, as he gives me fresh vegetables in lower price than the market and his respectful behavior towards me. A person came out from a BMW car with his small daughter to buy vegetables. I asked mom to look at his car and said that it costs around 80 lakhs. He was in hurry and asked the vendor to pack 1 kg of tomatoes and cabage with some other vegetables. And then he asked to sum the bill. The vendor said ₹135 . He gave him a 100rs note and started leaving towards his car.

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image 49

Then the vendor yelled – Bhaiya ji aur 35 rupay.

Brother you need to give me more 35 rupees.

He – Aree ho jayega rakho tum.

Keep it. It is sufficient.

Vendor- Nahi bhaiya, nhi hoga. Mera khareedi bhi nahi hai utna.

No Brother. Even my purchase is not that much.

He – Tu na kisi aur ko thug na.

You, deceive someone else okay.

Vendor – Nahi, bhaiya meine aapko bahut kam rate lagaya hai. Aapko itne kam mein koi nehi dega.

Nope brother, I have gave you these in less price possible. Nobody is gonna sell you vegetables at this price.

He – Aree hojayega tum rakho na.

Come on ! Keep it na

Vendor – Bhaiya agar aapko nahi lena hai toh aap rakhdo, parr mein itna kaam mein nahi de sakta.

Brother, if you don’t wanna take it then let it be, leave these vegetables. I can’t give you in this cheap price.

After that the person threw all the vegetables in front of the vendor and said ‘rakhle apna Sabji, sadh jayega magar koi nahi lene wala ‘.

‘Keep your vegetables, nobody is gonna take this and it will be rotten’

Me – Aree aapne aise kyu feka Sajiyo ko, usne jab aapko diya tha toh ache se diya na

Why did you throw these vegetable ?! When he sold you the vegetables, he gave you with respect right.

He – Bhai tu apne kaam se kaam rakh.

Bro, you mind your business.

Me – Aap unke boss nahi ho jo aap unse aise vyabhar karoge. Aapko nahi lena tha toh ache se bhi lauta sakte the.

You can’t behave with him like that as you are not his boss. If you wouldn’t want to take vegetables, you could’ve given it back with respect.

He – Yeh kya tera Mama lagta hai ? Tu kyu uska wakil ban rah hai.

Is he your uncle ? Why you are being his advocate!

Me – Han yeh mere mama lagte hai, aur mein banunga uska wakil. Tumhe kuch problem hai

Yes he is my uncle and I will be his advocate. Have any problem?

To divert the argument between us my mom yelled at me to keep quite and said , ‘Bhai Saab aapko toh sabji lena nahi hai, parr hume late hora hai. hume sabji kharidne dijiye’

‘ Brother, you don’t need vegetables, do you ? We are being late so please let us shopping for home.

That person threw daggers at me and finally went away.

Like what’s the benifit to maintain a BMW car when you don’t have money to buy vegetables.

So coming back to the question

What instantly makes a person less attractive?

Abusive behaviour of a person towards the people who stands on the road side whole day to provide us service and feed his family. Towards those people who considered as lower class according to our so called society. Showing your rude behaviour to others won’t make you look either rich or cool. It certainly makes one less attractive no matter how much rich he/she is or how great he/she looks.

Spreading kindness is not that expensive. But the love that we get in return is priceless.

5 Times TikTokers Messed With The Wrong Cartels

Watch this.

Now read this…

From a follower…

This is legit; Gordon Duff claimed years ago that the Mexican cartels (heavily involved with Mossad) own the entire legislatures of many southern states. NM and Az are 100% cartel.

Connecticut and New Hampshire are also fully controlled.
Flabbergasting, right?

2 of the richest, "whitest" states and yet cartel controlled.
As I knew years ago: the US isn't even a country anymore, just competing, very dangerous factions vying for control. The US military (Navy and Army deadly rivals) is still the top faction for now holding it all together.
Intel agencies half compromised. Irish/catholic and Mormon mafias fight for control FBI and CIA.
But for how much longer?

The "jews" are just minor players despite what everyone seems to think. But definitely the money guys.
Interesting times.

And this shows up on Hal Turner.
As the Domain said: by 2024 the US won't be in a position to make war on anybody.
Looks like something is definitely happening at the border, regardless.

https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/en/news-page/news-nation/flash-u-s-border-being-over-run-by-cartel-trucks-in-arizona

Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cheddar cheese originally came from the English town of Cheddar, where it was made as early as the sixteenth century.

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2023 12 27 19 57

Ingredients

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
  • Paprika

Instructions

  1. Cover and simmer onion and celery in butter in 2-quart saucepan until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour, pepper and mustard. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.
  3. Add chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  4. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese; heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until cheese is melted. Do not boil the soup after the cheese has been added, as the soup may separate.
  5. Sprinkle soup with paprika.

The TERRIFYING Last Minutes of Lynyrd Skynyrd

I was in university when this happened, and we were all big fans. We were shaken to the core! Fact.

A large Pickle Barrel

I grew up (in my elementary school and high school years) in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. And in this small town, was a fair and relatively calm life that in many ways resembles Mayberry RFD… A “small town America”.

We had a “cigar store Indian” at the local Hardware Store.

We had kids riding bicycles and had newspaper routes.

We had PTA clubs, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. And Friday football games.

And we also had a small family store with a large “Pickle Barrel”. This was a wooden barrel that was perhaps one yard high, and filled with pickles and vinegar. And if you wanted a pickle, you would just reach in, and give a nickel to the old man at the cash register.

I believe that these things disappeared during the 1980’s. But the death knell occurred under the “food safety standards” of the Clinton administration.

Anyways… I well remember the days when my father would place 25 cents (a quarter) on the counter, and would buy all of us some nice delicious pickles. These weren’t small either. They were HUGE!

And I do miss those days where I would hold a pickle in my hands and munch away happily. Sigh… a long forgotten time.

Today…

Have you ever been to a wedding where the bride said “no”?

Yes. The bride felt “pressured” into the marriage. Traditionally, the bride or her parents hire me. It’s quite rare for the groom or his parents to hire me, but it happens infrequently.

Leading up to the wedding (it was a destination wedding), there were several hints that the bride wasn’t interested in choosing a dress, the flowers or any of the aspects in the planning process. I found this odd and one day about a week prior to the wedding, asked why? The bride felt inadequate. Everything was decided for her. She felt uncomfortable speaking her mind or making a decision. Her fear that the marriage would be a “follow the leader” lifestyle was the reason for this.

After saying “I don’t,” I took her from the altar to the dressing room to give her a moment while stunned guests and family members sat open mouthed.

We needed time to decide if this was “what she really wanted” without the audience. I should add that I’m also a Premarital Counselor with Two Together In Texas, so I’m familiar with awkward situations.

The bride told me, “If the rest of my life will be spent saying yes, I prefer to say no now. My family loves him. He’s successful and a good catch. However, his parents make most of his decisions. He works for his father and I may never measure up to his mother.”

I decided to bring the groom and both sets of parents into the dressing room. This bride needed to voice her concerns and find a resolution or peace. She had waited two years to speak up and it was two years too long.

The end result was they worked it out. They found a middle ground to move forward, and the marriage went on. I flew to California to baptize their baby and the family is doing well. They are happy and well adjusted.

The mother in law now allows the bride to do things her way and the mother no longer pushes her daughter to do what she thinks is best. The mother viewed this wedding as the one “she never had.” The mother in law wanted everything perfect. The bride wanted happiness and the groom simply wanted to please his mother, her mother and finally, the bride. The bride or groom should come first. They are the life partner. They are the person who will stand beside you through thick and thin, and they deserve a voice in decisions and especially the planning process.

The bride wanted a mariachi band at the reception. Both sets of parents were against this idea and found it to be “tacky.” I found a short notice mariachi band and the bride was absolutely thrilled.

Quite frankly, if a marriage isn’t going to work out, I prefer for someone to say “I don’t” and discuss with them their reasons to before announcing a cancellation of the wedding to the guests or finding out if a resolution can be found.

My reasons for addressing an issue on wedding day are that divorces are emotionally devastating. What began with joy ends with sorrow.

Couples should discuss things that bother them long before committing to planning a wedding, although it’s easy to get “caught up in the planning.”

Couples should feel comfortable communicating their feelings and open to discussing issues that are disturbing before planning a life together. I believe in Premarital Counseling because it offers couples an opportunity to discuss their future together.

Weddings aren’t all about the parents. They are all about the couple, regardless of who is writing the check.

This Is What Women Will NEVER Understand About Men’s Dating STRUGGLES!

What is the brutal truth about life after marriage?

As I write this, Christmas is just one week away.

If you’re not familiar with Christmas, among other things, it’s usually the biggest gift-giving day of the year, at least for us Americans. Also the celebration of the birth of our Savior and all that jazz…

Anyway, this is how gift-giving works between my wife and me—a veteran married couple. This is also how it works between most veteran married couples I know:

We just tell each other what, exactly, complete with pictures and Amazon links if necessary, we want our spouse to get us for Christmas.

Sometimes, we even buy it on their credit cards, since we share finances anyway.

Sometimes, we even buy it ourselves, wrap it, put it under the tree, and tell our spouse that we “took care of it.”

There have been times when my wife opened her Christmas present from me, and I was just as surprised as my children were when we saw it. I got you a new pair of running shoes. Nice.

In the past, I attempted to deviate from my wife’s official Christmas list. You know, to surprise her. I was trying to be romantic.

It rarely went over well, particularly if I attempted to get her clothes or perfume.

Just stick to the list, married guys. Perhaps it’s not as romantic, but it’s still the best option. If you want to deviate from the list, make sure you get everything on the list, too.

This year, my wife requested something that I had to purchase in a showroom and have delivered at a later date to the house. I facetimed with my wife while I was in the store, to make sure I was getting the exact one that she wanted. It’s being delivered on a day when she works from home. She’ll have to be there to receive it. And they say romance is dead…

Licking blocks of ice during the heat wave, NYC, (1912)

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6 7

What is the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?

Uhm lets see… another ambulance story.

I was called to the 6th floor of a 6 floor tenement building for a “seriously unwell child”. A woman was waiting downstairs, and she said “I’m going out, but I think my son is dead. He’s had a cold for a week.” And she left.

I had the jump kit (a first aid kit) and my partner had the oxygen and suction- I went up the 12 set of stairs two at a time (oh, to be young and foolish again…) so I got there before he did. A man was there with 4 kids who all looked very scrubby but also very alive. He said “He’s on the sofa”. And then, they went back to eating.

The little boy was 4 or 5. He was so hot to the touch, and although he had a pulse, he wasn’t breathing. He was wearing red flannel cookie monster pajamas… I will never forget them.

I grabbed him in my arms, started mouth to mouth, and headed back down the stairs. The father actually said “Hey! Shut the door!”

I was busy. I met my partner halfway down. He took one look at the kid and said “Oh Fuck, we gotta get him out of here…”

I jumped in the back, but we were only 5 minutes from the hospital so I just kept him in my arms and did rescue breathing. I didn’t want to delay … my partner was there in less than 3 minutes. His heart was still pumping.

I brought the lad in, the staff took over. We were getting the truck ready when the doctor came out and said “which of you tech’d him?” I told him I did. (Tech-ing means you’re the one with the patient)

He said “You’re going to need a lice treatment.” I sighed.

He said “We can do it inside”. Now that was weird… but when I got inside, he said “I needed to talk to you privately… he died of bacterial meningitis. Did you do mouth to mouth?” Of course I had, he was a little kid. Bacterial Meningitis is spread through saliva and nasal secretions. I was (potentially) screwed.

So, they did blood work and I had to take evil antibiotics that turned everything yellow (INH and Rifampin) for a year. I was there for at the hospital for hours before I got sent home with a month off work to make sure I didn’t have bacterial meningitis too.

Now, I’ve driven way too fast, driven on roads that weren’t safe to walk on never mind drive, worked on cars while traffic buzzed past, turned over an ambulance (wasn’t my fault, honest), gone into burning buildings, gotten blood and lots of other “body stuff” on unprotected skin, walked into domestic violence situations, gone into freezing water to get some one else out, extricated people from a car on the edge of a ravine, been to a plane crash, extricated people from a burning car, talked people down who were holding guns to their own head- but all those times, I could see the risk in front of me. Had I taken the time to look at the kid’s rash, I might have seen the risk but his condition and the complete apathy of his parents drove me to not see the risk- and not assessing for the risk in what you’re doing is the single most dangerous thing anyone can do.

They were 5 minutes from the hospital, and no one cared enough to bring the kid there. Did I tell social services about the apathy of the parents? You can be sure I pursued the matter like a slightly yellow hell hound.

His name was Joshua.

Failed attempt at Serbia color revolution

If your employees are ordering their work shirts that you are paying for, and your overweight employee insists she needs a tapered size medium, which you know it won’t even button on her, what do you say?

Well I was the uniform manager for a marching band and what we did worked fairly well. We kept an assortment of sizes on hand and when we got a new member, we had them try on those in stock uniforms until we found their best fit. Then we would place the order to replace the one they were issued from stock. There is a lot of variation in cuts of shirts, and one company’s medium might be another company’s large. If someone comes in who looks like a large and says “oh I’m a medium,” say “Here is one try it on; be aware these tend to run small so you may need to move up a size from what you usually wear.” The employee gets to save face, and you don’t have to be rude and say “Oh I can tell by looking at you a medium will never fit.” If I were ordering a large number of shirts, I would first order a selection of sizes for people to try on. Then launder those sample shirts and put them away to issue later to new employees as they come in. If these are something more fitted than a T-shirt or polo shirt and this were going to be a large order, it might be good to have a representative from the uniform or shirt shop to measure people and order one that best fit them.

An Ojibwe Native American spearfishing, Minnesota, (1908)

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10 7

If we give a house to every homeless person, will that solve homelessness?

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image 567

A few years ago our city decided to try to alleviate the homeless problem.

They bought a large two story motel that had become a bit rundown located along a major freeway.

They spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars fixing it up and remodeling every room into small studio apartments.

Then they let homeless people to live in the apartments.

We would drive by the apartments periodically and every time it looked more rundown.

This went on for a couple of years until one day it was burned to the ground. A news story said one of the homeless people decided to build a fire in one of the apartments. I guess he just like the look of a campfire.

Eventually, the building was demolished and the city sold the land at a significant loss.

Giving a house to every homeless person is not financially feasible. No government entity can afford that.

And, even if it was, it would not solve the homeless problem.

The only way to fix the homeless problem is to help a homeless person, who wants help, become stable and productive so they can eventually afford their own home.

Homelessness isn’t solved in mass. It’s solved one homeless person at a time.

This Is How Dating Apps RUINED Dating For Women!

In your opinion, who is the most tragic figure in history?

Generalissimus Jiang Jieshi (蔣介石), also known with the Wade-Giles Romanization Chiang Kai-Shek.

image 53
image 53

Born 31 October 1887, he was a professional soldier and one of the most genuinely talented soldiers China has ever produced. His tragedy was to live in one of the most tragic eras of China ever, to encounter superior enemies, and having an army full of rotten and corrupt subordinates. He fought a hopeless war of which he had no hopes of winning, yet he did it with utmost courage.

The death of Sun Yat-Sen (Sun Yixian) in 1925 had left China in a power vacuum and interregnum, and the land collapsed into anarchy known as Era of Warlords. China became a Warlordistan. The control of the country was divided among former military cliques of the Beiyang Army and other regional factions from 1916 to 1928.

Chiang raised the National Chinese Army, allied with the Communists led by Mao Zedong, and crushed the warlords, unifying the country. And alas, the Communists proved an unreliable ally – and the Empire beyond the sea, even more unreliable. Japan attacked China in 1931 after the Mukden incident.

The Japanese army was superior in technology, fighting spirit (dao), discipline and logistics. The Guomindang army of Chiang suffered from poor equipment, corruption, lack of patriotism and poor logistics – it was an “army of lions led by jackasses”, but its commander was the alpha lion.

Way too little has been written about the China-Japan war 1931–1941 and China’s part in the World War Two. But China has been one of the main theatres – and one of the main sufferers – in the war, and the Japanese praised the Chinese soldiers, insisting them be second only to the Australians in their will to fight.

Meanwhile Mao Zedong conspired to overthrow Guomindang (or Kuomintang, if you prefer the Wade-Giles Romanization), and after the liberation of China, the civil war re-emerged. The Guomindang army was tired, consumed and exhausted, while Stalin eagerly supported the Communists, finally overcoming the Guomindang 1949. Chiang and the Nationalist refugees fled to Taiwan.

The Communist Chinese propaganda has done all it could to stample Chiang as an unpatriotic American stooge and a traitor, while the Guomindang in Taiwan set up a Western-style state under Christian and Confucian principles.

But nobody could deny Chiang was a true Chinese patriot. His last will was that his body be buried in his hometown Fenghua.

Loyal Husband Finds Out Wife Participates In “Events” While He’s Away Working (She’s Toast!)

What is an appropriate response when a coworker calls you out for being late?

When I got into IT I got in the habit of showing up early to prepare for my day. I spent a lot of time traveling to various facilities as a computer support tech so I’d come in to check email and make sure there wasn’t something I needed to do in the office before loading up and hitting the road.

Many of my younger coworkers would clock in on the hour but our business manager, who didn’t clock in, had a bad habit of showing up 15 minutes late each day. (She also had a tendency to leave 5 or10 minutes early, but that’s another story for another time.) One week the IT Director and our boss, the Deputy IT Director, were both out of town so the business manager decided that she could show up whenever she felt like it.

She was at least a half hour late on Monday through Thursday, including 45 minutes late on Wednesday, so when she showed up at 8:15 on Friday morning I exclaimed, “Gee, Linda, this is the earliest you’ve been late all week!”. Everyone got a laugh out of it but Linda, apparently, didn’t think it was funny because she called my boss at the seminar that she was attending to complain.

The next thing I know my boss is calling me and asking what I said to set Linda off. So I told her what had been going on all week. She told me that Linda was offended by my comment and asked if I’d be willing to apologize, and I just laughed and laughed and laughed. Then I said, “No.”

If Linda had told me to eff off, or kiss her butt, or just about anything else I would have taken it in stride but her calling the boss, when she was in the wrong, pissed me off. I’d asked your coworker if he/she signs your paycheck and when they answer in the negative, tell them when you come in is none of their business. But I can understand where they’re coming from, especially if you have a problem getting to work on time.

Jewish women and children arriving at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, Poland, (1944)

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11 7

In what ways has your spouse changed after getting married?

This is going to be fun. But let me tell you, its more like what I thought she was like and how she actually is…

  • When we first met through parents, she looked like a shy girl next door. She was smiling and feeling awkward a lot. After we got married and a little more comfortable, she walks around house naked, has 0 level of shyness.
  • I thought I was getting cold feet. She was being forced. Turned out she had insisted to her parents that she wanted to get married, like literally told them in a complete sentence, ‘Dad, I want to get married. I don’t have any boyfriend right now. Search a groom for me.’ I’m not even exaggerating, her parents tell this story all the time.
  • I thought she didn’t like talking. WRONG. She NEVER shuts up. If she does, I’ll wake up. Lol, I’ve started to enjoy it.
  • She’s frigid. WRONG. Once comfortable, she’s a freak.
  • She’s so slow and, unhappy person. Wrong. She is hyperactive and becomes happy just about at nothing.
  • She doesn’t like me. Big time wrong. Turned out, she has liked me since day 1. She loves me.
  • She’ll probably never fight or argue. Wrong. Loveeess to argue, though I don’t like to admit it much, she’s usually right about things. And people too.
  • Is probably passive aggressive. Wrong. Tells me when things bother her, almost immediately.
  • Is dumb. Wrong. She’s really smart.
  • She does not feel much. Wrong. All of her emotions are intense.
  • Is very serious. Wrong. Very very wrong. Can’t go on a day without lame jokes. Lame jokes are lifeline to her. She knows they are lame but loves it.

As for the changes, she hasn’t changed much. Can motherhood be included? Anyways, it suits her well.

She’s staying at her parents place with our boy. I miss her. Its been just a day though. I guess, I’ll call now.

Unusual Abandoned Cat Came Into Shelter And Amazed People With Its Size

My Mom…

My Mom once told me that she walked into a room where a couple of friends were discussing her, they didn’t know she was there. She shook her head, smiled and walked away. 🕊

My Mom also told me that she had a friend who talked bad about her, she never knew that Mom found out, Mom never mentioned it. She smiled and walked away from this friendship. 🕊

She told me she had family who chose to shift her out of their life because she stood up for herself for a change. And because she stopped crossing oceans for them when they would not even help her cross a bridge. She smiled, shook her head and walked away. 🕊

So I asked her how she could just walk away from people that betrayed her while pretending to be her friends or family? 🕊

She answered that every time she came to a crossroad like that, she had to decide who will be going forward on her journey with her. This showed her who she cannot take along with her. 🕊

So she explained to me that you should never get mad at a person who betrays you, even in the name of friendship or family. Just gracefully bow out and enjoy your journey with all the new people God puts in their place. 🕊

Duck Dynasty, (1926)

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12 7

What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?

10 years ago I was an IT consultant, traveling every week. I would also always book a Marriott hotel if one was close to the customer, all paid for on my American Express card.

Marriott awards you points for your stays with them. Once I had at least 100, 000 points I’d call them and request gift certificates. 100, 000 points would give you $1,000 worth of gift certs to pay for your hotel.

Back then, at the end of your stay, someone would come around in the middle of the night and slide the invoice for your stay that week. That invoice would show they charged my AmEx card for whatever the cost was.

Now that invoice was completely processed then. While it says it charged my card, they actually didn’t really do that until the afternoon after you checked out.

So what I would do is I’d go to the front desk with my invoice and my gift certs and tell the clerk that I would rather pay for my stay with the certs rather than my card. Then they’d issue me a new invoice showing I paid in certs. However I still had the original invoice. That would be the invoice I’d submit in my expenses. So every couple of months I’d be reimbursed $1000 so I could pay my cc bill, but since I actually paid in certs that 1000 bucks was essentially free money I’d drop into my savings. I and every one else I knew did it all the time, it was really an awesome little loophole

Beef Steak and Kidney Pie

steak ale prop
steak ale prop

Ingredients

Filling

  • 3/4 pound calf kidney or beef liver
  • Salted water
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds beef steak, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 cup beef bouillon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Pinch of marjoram, crushed
  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Pastry Topping

  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

  1. Filling: Clean and split kidney; remove fat and large tubes. Soak in salted water 1 hour.
  2. Dry and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Mix flour, salt and pepper; roll kidney and beef pieces in flour mixture.
  3. Melt butter in heavy pot and sauté shallots. When shallots have taken on a little color, add beef and kidney; brown lightly, turning.
  4. Add bouillon, bay leaf, parsley, cloves and marjoram. Stir; cover and simmer 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until meat is tender.
  5. Add mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. If liquid is too thin, thicken with smooth paste of flour and cold water.
  6. Grease a deep 10-inch baking dish. Place pie funnel in center. Add meat mixture and allow to cool in refrigerator.
  7. Meanwhile, prepare Pastry Topping. Place pastry over meat, sealing pastry edges to edge of dish. Make vents in pastry to allow steam to escape.
  8. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes; lower heat to 375 degrees F and continue baking 15 minutes, or until crust is golden.
  9. Pastry Topping: Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas.
  10. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans sides of bowl, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons water if necessary.
  11. Gather pastry into a ball; shape into flattened round on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Roll out to fit top of casserole.

How lucky are we?

My best friend had a defective heart. I don’t know the exact term for that, but her heart was on the right side of her chest among several other defects. She couldn’t walk farther than 200m, and her finger tips would always turn black.

When she was born, the doctor gave her a life expectancy of 2 years. She surpassed that. Her parents took her to all the best hospitals in the country. Another estimation: 10 years old. She surpassed that too. She completed high school, she got into college. And she always was a cheerful girl to be with. (Sometimes, her mother kicked my ass out of the house because when we hung out, we laughed too much. Laughing would consume oxygen from her heart and her brain so she would suffer from headaches afterward).

One day, when she was at the university, her heart collapsed. Her doctor demanded her to drop college because it was too much for her. She came back to our hometown, and became an at-home teacher for the kids, and still was a cheerful girl.

After that another year, her heart collapsed once again. She was hospitalized. Her doctor informed her parents that there was nothing more they could do. Her family should consider to unplug the machines and bring her home.

Her mother called me. She said “We are bring [my friend’s name] home”. I rushed into the hospital. Her mother was on one side of her bed holding her left hand, I was on the other side holding her right hand when they unplugged her.

That moment, her mother collapsed to the ground and screamed: “I’ve lost her! From now on, I don’t have anyone to take care of anymore!”

At that moment, I know that just being born normally to be able to live a normal life is extremely lucky. Also, having someone you love by your side, even that means you have to take care of them all the time is also lucky.

Live your life in full bloom.

Flipping Burgers, (1938)

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16 6

What feature in your car did you not realize you had until someone else told you about it?

Well, not the above but the other way around. In 2014 we were looking to buy a replacement for my wife’s car, and were at the Skoda garage checking out a very-nearly-new Fabia. It had been the showroom’s demonstrator model for a few months, had just a couple of hundred miles on it, but the salespeople had been showing that vehicle to people day in, day out.

We looked in the boot. My wife’s a bee-keeper and a “must have” for her was to be able to get a bee-hive in the back. To do that meant taking the rear parcels shelf off, which I did myself to see how easy it was to do and to replace, since this would be a common action. Putting it back, I noticed you could put it back either in the “conventional” position, or in a half-way house lower position. “Hey, “ I said. “That’s a nifty feature – allows you to put larger items on the parcel shelf but still have it hiding stuff underneath.” At that the salesperson looked in, looked at the shelf, the boot, then went over to his colleague and said “Come over here. We’ve found a brand-new feature!

We bought the car, still got it now. Don’t think we’ve ever used the parcel shelf in “half-way” position.

Very good

What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

“That’s just not convenient.”

My father had been terminally ill for a decade. He was a perfectionist in everything in his life and no detail was ever missed. He was also very stubborn. If there were ever odds almost insurmountable, he always prevailed. This was part of why he’d been terminal for so very long.

One day before, my father agreed that it was time to bring hospice in and make final arrangements. My parents had two other daughters, I was the only one who lived in the same town. Because of my location, he wanted me to be at those meetings.

I was working in the executive offices for a local bank. The woman I reported to was exacting in everything and expected perfection to be performed with minimal preparation and no clarifications. She wanted a mind reader who loved emergencies and placed her on a pedestal.

After that phone call, I was shaken up. It wasn’t unexpected, but you are never really prepared for the situation when you are facing it.

“Something has come up. It’s a delicate family matter,” I said.

“That’s just not convenient,” she said. “Even if it’s life or death, it’s not convenient. I have a series of reports that are due today.” This was news to me. “And I’m expecting that you will be here long after hours.”

“It actually is life or death,” I said. I was about to elaborate when she cut me off.

“Is it your life or death?”

“Honestly, no.”

“Then it’s not convenient.”

“I’m afraid that poor planning on your part really isn’t my problem.”

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“No excuse for you and your lack of planning. I’m quitting as of,” I looked at my watch, “about two minutes from now. Just long enough to get my purse and log off the computer.”

“You can’t do that,” she said.

“Can and did.”

I grabbed my purse and left the building.

I replaced the job with a much nicer one in about two days.

My father passed less than two weeks from my exit. The new job, and I only worked it for two days when he died, not only let me have the time off to complete his arrangements and his funeral, sent flowers. One week later, HR from the bank called, offered me a raise and an apology. “I’m sorry. That’s just not convenient.”

What was the most bald-faced lie you have ever heard a witness say under oath? How did you react?

I once attended a court case to support a friend. Her sister was accused by a nasty neighbour of breaking into the nasty neighbour’s home, stealing items, and trying to assault her (on more than one occasion).

My friend and her sister were both black women. It was no secret that the neighbour was this old racist woman who routinely called the police on the sister and her boyfriend when they were minding their own business. When the woman invited her sister (my friend), and her kids to come to visit and swim in their pool, also to use the tennis courts and fitness room that was shared by the condo complex. The boyfriend was also black.

When called to testify the nasty neighbour gave detailed dates about the break in and mentioned her “fox fur coat, some diamond jewellery and several hams and frozen meat”, being taken from her home. She swore that she came home to see the women and her boyfriend running out the back door at night with the merchandise in a leather suitcase.

When the lawyer for the woman questioned the woman and her boyfriend, who each took turns on the stand, it was proven that the neighbour lied by showing that:

  • My friend’s sister, who worked as a passenger flight attendant, was working on a flight that was on its way to Singapore during the very night and time when she was supposed to have broken into the neighbour’s home. (It’s hard to break into a home when you’re two hours into a 12 hour flight that is 39,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean.)
  • She and her boyfriend were also vegetarians who never ate meat nor wore nor owned leather and fur since they both believed that “meat is murder”, and to wear animal furs and leather was “cruel and inhumane”.
  • The boyfriend was also on his way to Singapore flying from India the afternoon before, to meet up with his girlfriend after a business trip for three day vacation, before they’d fly back to Canada. He proposed marriage while they visited Singapore (she said “yes” and did marry him). So they were in Singapore the day before “the break in” at the neighbour’s home and they didn’t return until three days later.

The lawyer for my friend’s sister and her boyfriend also presented pictures of the very “stolen” items in question taken by the police when they were recovered from pawn shops and a consignment store. The items were pawned by a young white man, a known drug addict with a lengthy arrest record who happened to be the neighbour’s nephew whom the neighbour gave money to on a regular basis (not helping him at all).

Before the judge dismissed all charges he ordered the neighbour to be taken into custody for “fraud, perjury, aiding and abetting a criminal” and a few other charges.

In the end the neighbour lost her house and all her savings when my friend’s sister and her boyfriend sued the neighbour for slander and defamation of character. They won a large sum in court and the neighbour ended up spending four years in prison for additional charges which included drug possession on top of what she was already convicted of.

I guess nasty racist people get what’s coming to them after all.

College students pile into a Volkswagen Beetle, (c. 1965)

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How tough is a stand up comedians life?

For those that do it full time, very tough. They have to stand up in front of the crowd and make them laugh. Do you realize what it takes to do that? Then there is the travelling and eating crap food and nerves. For those starting out it is not easy at all. For those on top, well, they have to keep coming up with acts to stay on top. As I did both, a standup comedian and professional drummer in a band, playing in a band was far easier. Below is a little of my stand up act.

I was a part time stand up comedian for awhile along with being a professional drummer. I auditioned for a few shows in local comedy clubs. They must have liked me, I got jobs. I was usually the start off guy, first one out. I had my own shtick. The guy who showed up at the wrong event.

I’d walk out then somberly say, “ I realize this is a sad time for most of you, but Mary, bless her soul loved humour.” Then I’d look behind me and kind of look around confused, then I’d turn to the audience. “Um, Mary’s passing surprised many, especially Mary. I think she’d like some humour at her funeral. She often said that “to laugh at something heartily means that you think it’s funny,” and I heartily agree. I always thought Mary was a deep thinker and that proves it right?

“She was 81, poor Mary. Actually, a woman’s life expectancy is 80, so hey, good for her. Now a man’s life expectancy is 76. If I make it to 76, I’m going to have a sex change. Right? I’ll beat those odds. So I hope to add a bit of humour to Mary’s funeral, wherever she is,” and I look around again for Mary.

Suddenly a sharp whistle from the stage side. I’d stop and walk over with my mic.

“This is not a funeral home. This is a comedy club,” the stage manager would tell me so the audience would hear.

“What? This isn’t Roses Funeral Parlour?” I would say surprised. The crowd would start laughing.

“Do you see Mary anywhere?” he’d ask.

“Actually no,” I would say looking around. “How much do you pay here?”

“$250.” he’d tell me.

A few seconds of silence then I’d say, “Sure, what the hell, Mary won’t miss me,” then I’d walk back center stage where people would be giggling.

“Okay, who here had a good shit today?” Well the crowd would laugh. Somebody always raised a hand, I’d try to pick a girl.

“You did, great, good for you. I won’t ask you details okay?” The girl would laugh.

“So do you know there are many types of shits? There’s the peanut butter shit; that’s the one where you can use up to three rolls of toilet paper, the upside down volcano shit, the totally air shit which isn’t even really a shit though it felt like it was going to be one,,” the shart which is a shit that felt like air but wasn’t, the bombing raid shit and the ghost shit.” Then I’d stop and go back to the girl.

“Okay, I was just wondering what came out that made it such a good shit? We all want to know don’t we folks?” I’d say looking around and people would start applauding. Of course the girl would laugh and hide her face in her hands. “Okay forget it. Tell me privately later. People, I’m going to tell you what the best shit of all is. It’s the Ghost Shit!”

“This is the one when you have to go so bad and there’s no restroom around. It’s turtling so bad it’s stretching your underwear. Suddenly, by some miracle, you find a restroom. You fly in there and sit on the toilet after near ripping your pants off. And ….. it starts.”

“Like the RMS Titanic, this thing is moving out with no effort and it seems like it’s going forever. You are wondering how this thing is going to go down that little toilet hole. It’s embarrassing if you are at someone’s house and you come out of the bathroom and ask, “Hey, have you got a plunger? A good one? One with a lot of suction?” You always get a strange look when you ask that don’t you?

Anyway, so the Titanic has left the dock and you are feeling suddenly very hollow inside, and relieved. You grab some toilet paper and wipe. Nothing! Not a speck of shit on your ass. Puzzled, you stand up and look at the toilet. It’s looking back at you innocent as hell. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE TOILET! What the hell? You look around; nope, not on the floor! It’s nowhere but you felt it by God! That ladies and gentlemen is the Ghost Shit, or maybe I should have called it the Houdini Shit.

Crude yes but it got me back to the comedy clubs. People loved me talking about shit because they all go through it every day.

I used to be hired to give speeches at weddings. Just before the actual person would rise to give a toast to the bride, I would jump up and interrupt him.

“Thank you, thank you. Ah, the lovely bride. Leona, you’re looking great.” That was never the brides name. I’d make one up and the people would laugh. I did the same skit to friends of my sisters who were getting married.

“So, a toast to the bride huh? I’m supposed to come up with some funny stories about her, and some heart warming ones.” Silence from me for a few seconds as the people would snicker. “I have nothing,” I would say, “but I do have a few, should we say naughty stories of Leona. And I promise I will say nothing of that disease you had a few months ago,” I’d say looking at her and pretend I was zippering my mouth.

That would be the cue for someone to say, “That’s not Leona, that’s Shirley!”

I would look up surprised, then look around.

“This isn’t the Wright Patterson wedding?” I would ask. Yes, I know, that’s an air base. I’d be told no it isn’t.

“Jesus,” I would say, “Um, were you going to say something?” I’d say to the guy who originally was going to give the toast to the bride, and I’d run out.

I had fun doing them and I had a few different ones so I’d change them around. I wrote my own material. You can tell? That’s good.

When I started to get quite busy in my pro drumming career I left the comedian stage. I missed the laughs. But I’d do them at get togethers at friends houses and parties.

Being a comedian is a nerve wracking but fun gig. Loved the laughs.

Cab stand in Madison Square Park, New York, (ca 1900)

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How do you deal with being too poor?

When I was doing my graduation, I stayed in a hostel, which provided lunch and dinner but no breakfast. You had two options for breakfast: Go out to a restaurant nearby and have a hot breakfast or eat what most of the students ate – mashed banana and flattened rice (it is called poha or chura in India). I chose the second option since the first option was too costly. The food in the hostel was neither good in quality nor enough in quantity. So most of the times, I was famished.

I used to pity myself till I had a discussion about hunger with one of my classmates. He was worse off than me. His father was dead and his mother used to serve tea and water in a government office in a desolate tribal village. In short, he had enough money to have just one meal a day. I asked him what he did when he felt hungry. He said he would drink water.

This classmate of mine was a good student but did not have a clue about what to do after his graduation. In those days, IT was booming in India and I convinced him to do get a Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He got into one of the best Universities of India.

I did not meet him when we were doing our Post Graduation since I was at a different University. I met him a year after both of us had started our careers. He came to meet me. He was working for the largest software company of India and was on his way to his first foreign assignment. I felt very happy at how he had been able to turn around his fortune. He had started from a village which did not have electricity and his relatives and friends had not even seen life outside their village.

I am not in touch with him. But I searched the net and I found this photo. He is happily settled with his family in the USA.

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image 520

So how do you deal with being too poor? Work hard and have patience. Things will turn around.

Unemployed men outside Al Capone’s soup kitchen in Chicago during the Great Depression, (1931)

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Is the US a hegemony?

Is earth round? Does waves rush to the shores?, Do the sun rise in the east?

Let me see, the US has a doctrine, it’s call Monroe Doctrine. It says no power big and small cannot come near North America and when USSR wanted to arm Cuba nuclear missile, the U.S. threaten to start a nuclear war! And duly blockade and sanction Cuba for 62 years straight! Is that hegemonic?

The U.S. has invaded 68 nations and counting since its nation is formed after doing genocide on its inhabitants and rightful owner the native Indians. Is that hegemonic?

It has cause millions upon millions of deaths due to regime change, coup orchestration by the U.S. it send out millions of CIA and NED officials around the world to destabilise nations so that they can set up puppet and sham governments to act on U.S. behalf and for US interest! Are these actions hegemonic.

Are all these actions that in total caused up to 100 million deaths, hegemonic? Or according to your media it is doing Mother Teresa role!

What did your father say that made your jaw drop?

In my second year of university, I was summoned to a police station without knowing why. My father drove me and had to wait outside the office while I was being questioned.

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image 521

The reason why I was summoned was quite a surprise.

Together with a good friend and a girl I was seeing at the time, I had smoked some weed and drank a couple of beers, and much later that night my friend had been robbed by a couple of low-lifes. So he called the police and explained his predicament.

The problem was: (1) my friend was drunk at the time; (2) round about that time my friend was starting to show the first signs of the paranoid schizophrenia that would later ruin his life.

So my friend told the police a story that did not make sense, and after a couple of questions, the story had gotten even worse: he claimed that before he was robbed, he had taken hard drugs together with the girl and me, and that the girl was actually a drug dealer. But he had forgotten the girl’s name.

Not mine, of course.

So instead of focusing on the robbery, the police men focused on the “hard drugs” and the “drug dealer.” And I was the one who would tell them the girl’s name. Which I didn’t.

After a lot of repeated questions and repeated threats — in which they refused to acknowledge the mental condition of my friend — they called in my dad, and explained to him that I blatantly refused to give them the girl’s name. To which my father said:

“This is ABSOLUTELY the right thing to do, and I am VERY proud of him. I would do the EXACT same thing.”

The police men did not know what to say, and not much later I was released after paying a ridiculous fine. When we left the office, they kept staring at my dad, a grey-bearded man with fierce eyes and thundering charisma.

Lightning had struck.

And the hammer had spoken.


SOURCES: the first drawing is taken from the book Nordiska Gudar by Johan Egerkrans; the second image us my own.

World War II propaganda posters in Port Washington, New York, (1942)

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What are the biggest lessons you have learned in the corporate world?

Here’s mine:

  1. people hire people they like. so be likable.
  2. Focus on giving key people you work with what they want. At the end of the day, all people want to hear is “i’m going to fix your problems”.
  3. Trust your intuition. People will try and fill your day with shit that doesn’t matter, do what YOU know does matter.
  4. Make some friends, even if just to keep your sanity.
  5. Don’t participate in shit talking. If a co-worker decides you are their confidant, just nod along with them—but never engage directly in the shit talking. You’ll save your own reputation and as a bonus you won’t feel shitty about yourself.
  6. Say NO more. people respect people that can say no and don’t rollover for everything. Saying YES to everything just leaves you running on an endless treadmill.
  7. Under-promise, over-deliver. always.
  8. Make every effort not to give concrete deadlines, because you won’t be able to meet them anyway. Your credibility will falter. Unfortunately you’ll probably have to give them at some point.
  9. Don’t try and be the best. Instead, make friends with people in a position of power and be at least competent.
  10. Learn empathy. In reality, people don’t really care what gets done if you make them feel important and like they are achieving things. People just want to be heard, man.

A lot of these suck to admit….but it’s the way things are. Whether that’s because of some bullshit implicit social contracts or just the way we’re wired….its what corporate life is really like.

Which life is more enjoyable? Bachelor life or married life?

I had what seemed like the ideal bachelor life. Oh, and terror of getting trapped in marriage.

I mean, I was living the dream in college.

Living in a fraternity house with my buds.

Cute girls constantly around.

Parties every weekend.

More alcohol than common sense.

My parents paid for my college expenses. I worked every summer to make money for my personal expenses. So when school started I could focus on it and having fun.

Like I said I was living the dream.

But a weird thing happened. As I faced graduation the fun had worn thin.

I was tired of being hurt in relationships and hurting others.

I hoped there was more to life than one continual party.

I longed to share life at a deeper level with someone.

And I knew I needed to stop drinking so damn much.

Shortly before graduation two things happened that changed my life.

I went through a spiritual experience that transformed me.

And I met the most beautiful girl I’d ever know. Unfortunately, she had zero interest in getting to know me.

We eventually started dating. My persistence won out. And a year later married.

I look back over my life and think of all the blessings of marriage I’d have missed as a bachelor.

Someone to love and who loves me. Even sometimes when I’m, shall we say, less than lovable.

Sharing life together. The good, the bad and the ugly. And most of all the beautiful.

Raising our children that filled our lives with occasional frustration and even more love.

Conquering life together. Strengths making up for weaknesses. And glad she didn’t keep score.

Caring for each other in sickness and enjoying each other in health.

Laughing, crying, rejoicing and celebrating.

And at night, when I drift off to sleep, holding her hand and feeling a contentment I simply never could have imagined.

So for some, singleness works.

For me I can’t imagine having missed marrying my wife. And for her? I think she feels the same. At least on most days.

You’ll find a depth of life in marriage you cannot experience outside of it.

When Kidnapped People Realize They’ve Been Found

What’s the weirdest item you have found on your property?

My house has a two person jacuzzi tub with mirrors on three walls around it. When I was looking at the house there was a four post canopy bed with a mirror inside the canopy. Needless to say, the previous owner had his thing.

When I was moving in I found in the basement a bar with cuffs on either end hanging from the ceiling and two eye bolts in a board on the floor that would have made this a perfect place to tie someone up spread eagle. I strongly suspect that is what it was used for.

I have a room that used to be a bar (previous owner took the bar itself with him despite it being a built in). It has a dropped ceiling and the lights are above with clear panels to let the light thru. I was moving ceiling tiles to change a bulb and got hit in the face by what I’m guessing was a home made sex swing that was bolted to the rafters above.

I’ve been in this house 3 years and I still occasionally find a secret panel in a wall. It seems anywhere there was an extra bit of space he put a removable panel to make a hidden storage space.

And despite all that, the single most surprising thing I found in this house is the light switch in the bathroom that has power going to it but doesn’t seem to actually switch anything in the house! What do you do about a mysterious switch?

We also found a stack of acrylic paintings in the basement, all very amateurish. Subjects ranged from creepy little girls to 70’s psychedelic nude ladies. Realtor told the owners to pick them up, or they would end up in the trash. They showed up a year later asking for them

Bonus, junk removal guy loved the 70’s nudes, asked to keep them.

Marilyn Monroe’s USO performance, (February 1954)

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Why does life sometimes seem so ambiguous and unclear?

  1. If you keep trying to force your growth, it’s going to end up stunting your growth.
  2. Most people live in the past. About 90% of their thoughts are from the past.
  3. Life seems incredibly hard sometimes and inner peace feels so far away.
  4. Life hits different the moment you make peace with your vulnerability.
  5. Not everything is meant to be rainbows and sunshine and that’s okay, that’s part of life.
  6. Flaws are fulfilling, perfectionism is draining.
  7. The strength of your success is measured by the strength of your desire.
  8. Sometimes it’s not easy to bear the noise of silence.
  9. Their is nothing wrong with you, you just have a tendency to look for something wrong.
  10. Confusion almost always comes before clarity, but sometimes Chaos is peace that has not been faced.

Miss America, 1924 – Ruth Malcomson.

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What is the reason for the negative press about China in the Western world? Is it due to their authoritarian government or are there other factors at play?

It has nothing to do with “authoritarian government” it has everything to do with China not playing by U.S. “rules” that requires China to be submissive and subservient to the U.S. if you are observant you will noticed that the nations that the U.S. and the west have been giving negative press are all nations that refused to be submissive and subservient to the west.

The west merely represent 13% of the world? In fact the west is controlled by the the U.S. which represents 4% of the world. Should the 96% or the 87% of the rest of the world kowtow and let the west walk all over them? And dictate what they do? Who they make friends with? What they buy, how much they ought to pay? What religion they believe or what cloths to wear or what food they eat?

Let me give you an American answer! Over our dead body! It ain’t gonna happen!

The Global South is drifting away as we speak. No nations will buys your shit anymore. We decide our own fate. China certainly won’t. But so is 175 out of the 195 nations on earth. The faster you westerners get this, the better it is for you. Stop thinking about decoupling or de-risking China, the world is decoupling and de-risking from the U.S. and the west!

Your media and your government can lie and fabricate all you want but the bus has left the station. Authoritarian or CCP or communist or dictator are all excuses not reason for hating China and Chinese. These are narratives for the simple mind. It is demonising because it can’t get its way. Like a toddler throwing tantrum, that is what it is. Frankly if you are a westerner, your government is trying to hoodwink you! Not U.S. because we are not fools. We know lies when we see it.

Sidewheeler Tashmoo leaving wharf in Detroit, (ca 1901)

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What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

When I was younger, I was the Assisstant Manager of a Pizza Hut. I was moved to this particular store with the expectation that the Store Manager who was there had set me up to become the next Store Manager. When he resigned I was passed over for a 23 year old nobody with no experience or work ethic. He worked 25 hours a week and had me do most of his duties on top of my own. He would often show up in the middle of dinner rush with his posse, ask how things were, I would tell him it was terrible and we needed help, he’d see that we did, and say things like “Sounds good” and walk out.

Week after week people in my Store were getting overworked and burned out. I constantly hounded my Area Manager to let me hire people, often being turned down. He woul even turn down temporarily allowing neighboring stores to send their workers to my Store to keep up with demand. So week after week we would have at least 1 person quit.

Even when I was allowed to hire ONE person, that person would freak out on day one because of the workload pushed upon all of us. They would typically last 1 day, maybe a week, before quitting.

One day we were told we were having a store meeting with the Area Manager so I typed up my resignation letter preemptively and attended. We were told how terrible our customer service scores were (mostly hold time issues or delivery time issues because we couldn’t keep enough people to staff the whole store, so delivery drivers were cutting and boxing pizzas, answering phones and taking orders, THEN delivering them) and how we needed to shape up. I spoke up and said we desperately needed more employees and I was waved off again. So I finished my shift that night, put my resignation letter in the fax machine with my end of day paperwork, locked the door, and dropped my security key and door keys in the mail slot. The next day I was inundated with phone calls from the Store Manager and Area Manager, which I ignored for a few hours. Then I picked up, the Area Manager begged me to come back and said he’d do anything if I came back.

“A raise?”

“Sure, whatever you need.”

“4 more employees?”

“No, you know you’re not getting that.”

*hangup*

I never talked to them again.

Titanic sinks on April 15, 1912. Newspaper boy Ned Parfett sells copies of the evening paper bearing news of the disaster.

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As a car mechanic, what is the craziest discovery you have found on an automobile?

As a car mechanic, what is the craziest discovery you have found on an automobile?

I’m not the mechanic, but I know of one crazy discovery. My father purchased a brand new GMC Suburban in the 1980s and gave me his old pickup truck so I would have a vehicle while attending college. He occasionally heard a strange knocking noise while driving that Suburban, but neither he nor the dealer could ever figure out what was causing it. Since he didn’t hear that noise very often, and the vehicle ran great, he just kept driving it and eventually simply ignored that occasional knocking noise. The transmission needed to be rebuilt when it was 9 years old, so he took the Suburban to a shop that pulled the transmission and rebuilt it. While reinstalling it, the mechanic spotted a small hand-held air impact wrench hanging from a bent welding rod between the engine and firewall. He called my father, who then went back to the shop and took photos of the impact wrench and welding rod before and after they were removed. The wrench had “Property of GM” engraved on it.

Since it appeared the impact wrench had been hung there while on the assembly line, my father took the photos, impact wrench, and bent welding rod to the dealer who had sold it. The dealer wanted to send everything to GM, but my father would only agree to let him send copies of the photos. A GM lawyer called him the following week and offered to pay $500 for the return the impact wrench and welding rod, provide and release all prints and negatives he had taken of them to GM, and for his wife and him to sign a non-disclosure agreement concerning any and all possible “manufacturing flaws” involving that Suburban. My father made a counter offer of $5000. The lawyer said the most he was authorized to offer would be a $3000 manufacturer’s credit towards the purchase of a new GM vehicle. My father countered again by asking for both the $500 and $3000 credit towards a new GM vehicle. The lawyer agreed and then arraigned to have the dealer handle the exchange and witness my parents signing a non-disclosure agreement. My parents then negotiated with the dealer to buy a new car for my mother, and then applied that $500 check and the $3000 manufacturer’s credit towards the purchase of it.

After that impact wrench was removed, my father never heard that knocking noise again. Since I knew about this “manufacturing flaw” before they signed that non-disclosure agreement, I’m not bound by it. But my surviving parent could be subject to significant financial penalties for discussing this story, so I am posting this anonymously to prevent any possible repercussions. However I seriously doubt GM would want to have people going through records more than three decades old just to determine who my parents are.

Clam seller on Mulberry Bend, New York, (ca 1900)

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What is the strangest reaction of someone who has just been fired?

I’ve told this story elsewhere but it fits here as well.

In a prior life I worked for a major multi-national and the division I worked in was managed by somebody based in Europe (let’s call him George). But he had direct reports in a number of cities around the world including New York. So during one of his visits to New York he speaks to Fred and tells him that things just aren’t working out so he should find another job. Nothing out of the ordinary and not adversarial in any way.

So about a year later George is in New York and sees Fred sitting in his office wearing jeans and track shoes, feet up on his desk reading a newspaper. So he says “Fred, why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to find another job?” And Fred’s response was classic “Yes but my contract requires one year’s written notice and I’ve never received anything.”

To make a long story short, George was off to HR and after a discussion with legal Fred got a year’s salary plus the cash value of all the benefits he would have rec’d during the year. Given how senior Fred was I’m sure that check would have been at least $400 K (and more likely quite a bit north of that).

What is the least intelligent thing you’ve ever seen a tourist do?

I kid you not.

So way back in 1984 I worked a summer in Yellowstone national park. During training I learned a lot about dangers in the park. For example, bison kill many more people than grizzly bears. That being said at least one person a year is kill in the park by a grizzly bear.

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image 523

But I digress.

The dumbest question that a tourist asked me was a question that they warned me I would be asked and I laughed like it was a joke. They seriously said no you will get asking this and please don’t embarrass the tourists who ask it.

So a couple days into the Job I am standing there and this nice looking middle aged American woman who seemed she had all her senses came up to me and looked me straight in the face and asked,

“Where do they put the animals at night”?

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image 522

I was gobsmacked!

This woman actually thought that all the animals were gathered up at night and put in cages. Just like I was warned, someone asked me the question I thought I would never hear.

And no, she most certainly wasn’t the last tourist to ask me that!

Hard to believe!

Nerds make the best husbands

How do you deal with negative experiences?

My two week notice was a long time coming. I was sick of working in finance, at that company, and for that boss. I slept terribly the night before, having fevered dreams of a squandered future. But I knew I needed some upheaval. I was forging a sad, bitter storyline that would haunt me forever.

As I embarked on my new journey as a writer, I unpacked my new life, and all the stories from that dark chapter, all the moments of pain and frustration, came with me. As with many of you, these scenes replay more vividly on my lesser days. It’s as the incomparable Frederick Nietzsche wrote, “When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.”

Old embarrassments — losing my temper with someone 20 years ago, making ill advised comments, and moments of rejection — come bubbling up for no reason. Why could I see these scenes so easily and with 8K clarity while the amazing moments hid in the shadows?

Per Dr. Daniel L. Schacter, we remember the past so vividly because it’s a means of envisioning the future. We use it as a modeling tool, a form of mental time travel, where our mind anchors moments in time. The word “anchor” is key — because many of these images and stories become crystallized and of cognitive convenience.

For example, you might experience something I do when reading books: anytime there is a scene with a bar, I can’t help but see the same bar in my mind — to the point of it being annoying. If there’s some type of battle scene, I always see an old field I played in as a kid. This is the mind anchoring and why it’s so easy to recall the same negative moments over and over.

Per research by psychologist, Dr. Linda Levine, we tend to interpret past events through an emotional filter of the present. The same facts on paper suddenly look different. Negative moods — such as being tired, annoyed, or frustrated — evoke specific and detailed bad memories that often hit harder. Good moods — such as being well rested, jovial, excited, or in good humor — tend to evoke broader and more general memories. Unfortunately, negative memories are much more powerful and easily evoked.

We tend to apply a filter of our self-concept — who we’d like to be, and what our “ideal self” is and how we’d hoped to be perceived. Which is why our subconscious searches for contradictions to this ideal self.

For example, I’m generally a pleasant and nice person. Which is perhaps why my mind dredges up instances of me being unpleasant. I hate thinking of those times because when I do, I feel like I’m standing right there in that same room 15 years ago, watching my former self act out and be nasty with someone I loved.

The mind tells me, “Remember this person? You could be this person again if you don’t behave.” So how to we rewire this toxic pattern?

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Rewriting your narrative

A few years ago, I thought, “Why am I beating myself up all the time?” I had so much to be thankful for. I’d brought plenty of good into this world, been a good friend and family member. I’d fought hard to win a better future but still bludgeoned myself over bygones that nobody else remembered.

I met with a therapist a few years ago and had tremendous improvement in dealing with negativity. He was a silver haired man, with black rimmed glasses and a quiet, friendly demeanor, and a PhD hanging on his wall.

As we began talking, he nodded his head in understanding and began giving me homework assignments anchored in cognitive behavioral therapy which, per the American Psychological Association, is as effective (or more) than other forms of psychotherapy and medications in dealing with negativity.

He said, “We often tell our life story to ourselves in excessively harsh terms, and jump to instant conclusions at our own expense.”

One exercise he gave was to practice reframing the stories with less certainty. Instead of saying X results in Y, explore alternative causes and remove unhelpful thoughts.

For example, during college, I was dumped by woman I was totally in love with. I deserved it. I was being irresponsible and drinking all the time and she finally had enough. For years, I was sure that my poor decisions had cost me my soulmate. But I learned this was totally unfair thinking.

Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be. Perhaps she was just losing interest and this was her way out. And if I’d stayed with her, I’d have never met the incredible woman I now have. Even more so, the concept of a soulmate felt a wee bit irrational and limiting.

When you map out events, and deconstruct the narrative you tell yourself, it can look entirely silly sometimes. The exercise also helps reframe the memory more constructively. I can confidently say getting dumped caused me to stop partying so much and may have saved me from myriad legal and health problems.

Another strategy was to build a mental rolodex of positive memories in your mind that you can return to. Doing this, and rapid fire indulging these memories can counteract your negativity instinct, and tends to put me in a much better mood.

A quick forewarning, I’d make sure to write this list out. I initially thought I’d be able to manage it in my mind, but it was much harder to build out and think through.

Here are a few from my list:

Picking up my 8-week old golden retriever from the breeder. He was a fat marshmallow shaped dog with a permasmile, who brought me so much dang joy in life.

Having Christmas mornings as a kid with my grandparents and the love they surrounded us with.

Going on walks with my beloved partner on St. Pete beach and sitting quietly with her in the sand and drinking a beer while we read books.

Helping raise money at events for wounded soldiers, and volunteering with the Special Olympics.

One last strategy is exploratory processing, which takes the opposite approach. You list out the painful experience just after it happens and leave two lines below it. Then, after one month, you return to write in the blank what you learned. Then, six months later, you list something positive that came from the mistake.

For example, when I bought my house, it was a complete circus and the inspection went poorly and I fought with the builder and the realtor. The entire experience crashed my hopeful vision of home ownership. I put this down on the list as my first entry. Then, I came back a month later and wrote about how the experience taught me the importance of having a home inspection (which I almost skipped doing).

Then, at the six month mark, I put that this experience still resulted in me owning a great home that I can now rest in knowing is safe. I know that it has given me and my partner new friends in the neighborhood. The house has also appreciated significantly in value.

Remember, it’s entirely normal and common to have tons of negative memories that pester you. Most major life changes are precipitated by bad experiences and it’s easy to carry those stories with you.

Consider compiling a list of positive memories to return to and combat that trend. Reframe your experiences by exploring the possibilities of how they came to be, and how you might be irrational and excessively harsh in reviewing them. Lastly, use exploratory processing just after something goes wrong. Approach the experience with curiosity rather than judgement. Something good usually comes from all of the chaos we endure.

Do NOT be that guy

What habits do you have as a result of being in the military?

  1. I keep my hair short. Very, very short. Before joining the Navy, I was already doing so, but for the past twenty years, I have been unable to go much longer than a couple of weeks—or, in the warmer months, a week or so—before it feels as though something is wrong. Oddly, I don’t mind skipping a shave for two or three days, but actually wearing facial hair (beard, long sideburns) is out of the question.
  2. While I’m not fanatically neat, I do try to keep items off the floor. Gear should be stowed somehow, whether in a desk, in a cabinet, on a shelf, or even on a table. The deck should be kept clear.
  3. I understand the distinction between a command (Do it now!) and an order (Get it done!).
  4. I am almost never, ever late, even to social engagements, as gauche as that may be. And “on time,” in my book, means approximately six to ten minutes early (no more).
  5. Generally, I am far more situationally aware and cognizant of potential risks and dangers than I was before joining. People don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan.
  6. A day without some kind of PT is somehow misspent.
  7. I still lace up my shoes in a crisscross pattern, with no “bridge.”
  8. Most of the year, regardless of whether I’m dressed formally or informally, I wear a T-shirt of some kind as an initial layer. If the temperature goes past about 75°F or so, I’ll wear either a T-shirt or a polo shirt. But even in the heat, I don’t like wearing a dress shirt without an undershirt.
  9. I tell time with the 24-hour clock and write the date in the day-month-year format. This dovetails nicely with living in Europe.
  10. Having qualified as an Expert with the 9-mm pistol and a Marksman on the M-16, I have contempt for gun nuts who brandish their weapons in public, exhibit no discipline or respect for them or consideration for others, and lack the faintest idea of what they are talking about.

A German soldier after being captured by American troops near Nicosia, (1943)

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What is something that needs to be stopped?

Last year, Carl Sergeant, 49-year-old politician, took his life after losing his job as secretary

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The cause? False sexual abuse allegations.

The sentiment of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is being jettisoned. Now, mere accusation alone is enough to ruin someone’s career. Do you understand how dangerous that is?

Quote from BBC News:

“The family wish to maintain the fact that Carl maintained his innocence and he categorically denied any wrongdoing. The distress of not being able to defend himself properly against his unspecified allegtions meant he was not afforded common courtesy, decency or natural justice.”

You can’t make the cost of sexual interest the complete desolation of a man’s career, his reputation and even his life. We can’t keep branding people who sent a risqué text or blew kiss a pervert.

We’re now witnessing the birth pangs of the sexual reformation, the fallout from the sex abuse scandals that have plagued the entertainment industry, politics, and are now spreading throughout society as a whole. Third-wave feminists have been largely discredited over the past five years – just 18% of women in the US identify as feminist. Even less in the UK. Rights that actual feminists fought for a hundred years ago have been achieved, which is why radical feminists and SJWs need to hijack or invent new outrages to push their primary narrative and create more gender division.

Remember Zaira Wasim? Last year, she said she was scared when a man sitting behind her was touching her waist with his legs. At first, she ignored it, thinking it was due to turbulence, but didn’t tell anyone about it – not even the crew. Zaira put this allegation on a man named as Vikas Sachdev, a 39-year-old father and husband.

He was arrested. His wife defended him as innocent, but to the baying mob, allegations were all that were required to pass judgement.

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Now don’t get me wrong, if sexual abuse is admitted or proven, those people should be punished to the full extent of the law. Hollywood and political peadophile rings should be exposed. But trial by a social media mob outage isn’t justice, and it sets a horrific precedent. Women are now jumping on the MeToo hashtag bandwagon so they can smother themselves in attention-seeking victimhood – not because they’re actual victims, but in one case because a man looked at them.

Another story was whipped up about Adam Sandler touching Claire Foy’s knee on a talk show.

In another instance, an MP was outed after he described a woman as “attractive, intelligent and charming”

Another case involved Michael Fallon trying to kiss a woman.

See the trend here? Everything is being conflated, to the point where making a pass at a woman is placed in the same context as actual rape.

There has to be an understanding that mere accusations alone are not proof. We have to put a check on this call of instantly believing the accuser without any regard for evidence.

How did Yuri Knorozov manage to decode the Mayan writing system all by himself?

It’s one of those David vs Goliath academic tales that’s as absurd as it is commendable.

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Knorozov was a Soviet linguist – not a guy you’d expect to crack a Mesoamerican code. He got intrigued by the Mayan glyphs while rummaging through old dusty books in the off-limits section of the library. The glyphs hadn’t been fully understood for centuries.

The declassified Dresden Codex landed in his lap. It had been through hell: World War II bombings, water damage, and general neglect. But this old thing was a Rosetta Stone waiting for its sober lover.

While World War II suppressed the free exchange of scholarly thought, Knorozov was insulated and incubated over in Mother Russia. He faced another kind of battle, though: stifling Soviet oversight and scarce resources.

But undeterred, Yuri used his noggin. He hypothesized that the glyphs weren’t just individual pictures or symbols. They were indicative of phonetic sounds, a theory vastly different from what the scholarly mainstream believed.

Where many saw walls, Knorozov saw doors.

He hammered away at this theory, marrying the dots and bars of the Mayan numeral system to the text surrounding them. It was as if he spoke directly to the ancient Mayans, bridging a chasm of silence that had lasted since the fall of their civilization. Bit by bit, he began matching sounds to symbols.

His breakthrough publications hit in the 1950s. And like most disruptors, he was met with academic side-eye. It was the ‘newbie rocking the boat’ scenario. Many Western academics clung angrily to their dated theories, as if they were good luck charms.

But as time marched on, so did progress. Others began taking swings with the bat Knorozov had crafted. Additional findings corroborated his theories. The wall of mystery surrounding Mayan writing was getting holes punched into it, letting light in.

By the time of his death in 1999, Knorozov had seen his theories widely accepted. Mayan glyphs were readable, weaving tales of kings, conquests, and the cosmos.

What Yuri Knorozov did single-handedly is akin to solving a 1,000-year-old crossword puzzle without any clues, which makes you wonder, how many other historical whispers are just waiting for their translator?

From my home in Portland, OR, I look at Knorozov’s story as a beacon of hope for every solo scholar out there staring at an uncracked code. Keep at it. You might just be onto something.

A Samurai, (1881)

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As a doctor, was there ever a procedure you refused to do?

Yes, but it had nothing to do with the procedure being inappropriate; it was an issue of consent.

I was called by a clinician to put a drainage catheter into an abscess, a pretty standard procedure; I was told that the patient had been reluctant, but had agreed to go ahead. Naturally I spoke with the patient myself, and discovered that she had not given any kind of meaningful consent; instead she had said something like “whatever”, just to get rid of the clinician, whom she described as a moron.

I called him up, with the patient in the room (but not listening in on the phone); I explained that I had spoken with her in person, and she was clearly unwilling to have the procedure. He then described her as a “seed person”, his term for someone who distrusted conventional medicine and preferred natural remedies; while I sympathized with his preference for proven treatments, it was clear that his attitude towards her was one of contempt, and that she had picked this up. He asked if he could speak to her; I told her he wanted to talk with her, she absolutely refused, and I conveyed this to him – softening her language slightly.

I then wrote a lengthy note in her chart, summarizing my discussion with her, quoting her comments, and explaining that as she had no intention of giving consent for this procedure, I was not going to perform it. I felt that she needed it, and I had explained this to her as clearly as I could; but as I was not her parent or legal guardian, I was professionally and ethically obligated to respect her wishes.

The right of a mentally competent adult patient to refuse treatment is absolute, whatever the consequences. My job is to explain those consequences as clearly as I can. The patient’s job is to make the choice.

What is the best thing I should learn from you?

1. Trust dogs. They always know who to stay away from.

2. Eat whatever you want, and if someone calls you fat, eat them too.

3. If you are not happy where you are, move. You are not a tree.

4. Drinking can cause memory loss, or even worse, memory loss.

5. Don’t let compliments get to your head and don’t let insults get to your heart.

6. You don’t have to attend every argument you are invited to.

7. You don’t have to settle for the bare minimum. Try selective dating

and you’ll meet the one who’s going to love you back.

8. Don’t be ashamed of yourself – that’s a job for your parents.

9. Don’t complain about getting old, not everyone gets the privilege.

10. Never make someone a priority who only makes you an option.

11. Never look at another man’s clock and never count another man’s money.

12. Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.

13. Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.

14. Don’t complain about growing old. Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again.

15. Don’t give up your dreams, keep on sleeping.

Daredevil, (1917)

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What did a judge say during sentencing that made you say “You gotta be kidding me”?

An ex of mine, we dated for 3 months. He was significantly older.

In that time he got progressively more controlling. One day he heard a rumour I was cheating on him.

How I was meant to, I don’t know as I was always either at work (and replying to his messages) or with him.

He decided to throw me around and threaten me with 2 knives. Both of which he pressed against my throat. He also threatens to kill the friend he decided I was sleeping with. Luckily he gets angry enough and storms out of my home as there was no way I could physically move him and I lock the door.

I call my mum to come and get me away, she calls the police. All the time he is banging on the door threatening me and my friend. He keeps accusing me of calling “my other boyfriend” and how he will kill him when he gets there. He realises I’ve called the Police and goes for a walk away from my home.

I show the Police the knives and give a statement at the Police station. He is arrested and pleads guilty to the Police.

The Police Officer I was speaking to unofficially advised me to submit a request against Claires Law which eventually informed me that he had been connected to 5 other women in domestic violence cases. The last one whom he attacked with an axe, he went to prison for 3 months for that incident. These are just the reported cases, I have no doubt there are more who did not report him.

My case was deemed only to be a Magistrates case. The Magistrate on hearing the guilty plea gave a 12 week suspended sentence for 1 year so he could work on his mental health, a Restraining order for 3 years and “compensation” of £150.

I can’t believe the magistrate had a clear domestic abuser who showed clear escalation patterns increasing in violence to women ranging from stalking, assault and sexual assault and gave such a ridiculous sentence. It showed a lack of respect for female lives. I was advised not to attend court, it’s probably a good thing as I doubt I could have stopped myself shouting at the magistrate.

I had to flee my home, upend my entire life, develop ptsd and the perpetrator got a slap on the wrist.

A Nihang Bodyguard, (c.1865)

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When Evil Parents Realize They’ve Been Caught

Damn! Damn! Damn!

Holy FUCK!

https://youtu.be/31AZ3x17Aq0

Curb Market in NYC, (ca 1900)

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27 Minutes Of Rude Karens Vs Judges!

GOD! The USA is so messed up!

Observer on Iwo Jima, (1945)

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A Massive Cat Abandoned at the Shelter Gets Adopted Within Hours

Crowded Bunks in the Prison Camp at Buchenwald, (April 16, 1945)

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Why were students in China forced to learn classical Chinese?

In the first place, I would like to say that you are right, to some extent. I agreed with you that we are somehow forced to learn some very entry level Classical Chinese, during the compulsory education stage (year 1 to year 9). This is the fact about Chinese education.

In the second place, since you asked why. I will try my best to answer your question.

The importance of classical Chinese:

In the narrow sense, Classical Chinese is the language which was actively used between Spring and Autumn period through to the end of the Han Dynasty (5th century BC to 2nd century AD). It soon became the formal written language in the Chinese society all the way until the 1910s when the Qing Dynasty was overturned. More than 2000 years of history was documented by using classical Chinese. It carried the invaluable heritage of our civilisation. In my opinion, it means much more to us than Latin to the European society.

In the broad sense, Classical Chinese is contrary to the Morden Mandarin, including classical Chinese (narrow sense), poems, novels written in the vernacular Chinese etc. It draws a whole picture of our great 5000-thousand-year civilisation, keeping people with hopes even in the darkest time of our nation.

Why government decided to introduce classical education.

China is a civilisation state instead of a national state. Anyone who recognises Chinese culture is considered as Chinese and could be integrated into the mainstream society, even he is not a Han Chinese. That is said Chinese people was united by a common written language, a universal value and a general social norm, even they may speak different dialects, live in a different region and have a different clan. This is also the most powerful argument to against the claims such as Cantonese is a distinct language instead of a Chinese dialect. The reason why schools in China teach both classical and Mandarin is, I think, it works better if taught together. Mandarin is the main structure and classical is a supplement of it. Mandarin is superficial which could not teach students some fundamental and abstract concepts. For example, people who only received Mandarin education would probably not able to understand the connections between the full moon and home sick (like a metaphor), autumn and depression etc. Therefore, promoting classical education would further strengthen the sense of national identity bound by the language and culture. That is the how to keep the nation united for more than 2000 years (Since Qin Dynasty firstly published a set of national standards). That is the political concern of the government. And this is also the answer to why not only Han Chinese, other ethical minorities are (not forced but encouraged) learning Chinese.

“月落乌啼霜满天 江枫渔火对愁眠” (The moon is setting. The crows are crying. The atmosphere is heavy with a chilly autumn frost. The maple trees and the lights of the fishing boats are reflected in the water. Yet I am unable to sleep because of sorrow.)This short poem was filled with culture symbols such as “moon, crow, autumn, red leaves and fishing boats”. Those culture symbols was consistently used till today, they speak themselves without the need of explanation. But it almost undecipherable for people without classical education.

Social response

In fact, there is far less unfavorable voice against teaching classical in school rather than that of English. Ministry of Education is planning to make the English language an elective subject in the College Entrance Examination (aka. Gaokao), but removing classical content is out of the question, definitely. Personally, I, although not excel it, rather enjoy learning classical than modern Mandarin. It is so concise, splendid, touching my soul so deeply. I was hoping one day I could like those famous poets, to put own feelings into such powerful words. People used to say ‘a picture speaks a thousand words’. Some classical quotes certainly could do the better job in the appropriate circumstance. Many Chinese leaders would like to quote some classical or come up their own.

President Jiang Zemin’s calligraphy, quoting national hero Lin Zexu’s poem. (were it to benefit my country I would lay down my life; what then is the risk to me)

China’s Premier Wen Jiabao wrote on the blackboard after 2008 Sichuan earthquake. “challenges make a nation much stronger”

Chinese also tend to use classical to name their children, their company etc. A name with good meaning would give people a better first impression. Actually, not only Chinese, people from East Asia and Vietnam will also use Chinses classical when giving the name. e.g. all Japanese emperor’s title of reign is based on Chinese classical.

Lastly, China, together with Korea peninsula, Japan, Ryukyu and Vietnam, shared a long history bound by classical Chinese language. All most all the history was written in classical Chinese. Due to some political concerns, both Korea and Vietnam abolished Chinese, making it a great loss in their culture. Now people living there could not understand what their ancestors wrote when they are visiting their historical sites. I can never imagine this happens in China one day, when our children visiting forbidden city and asking what exactly did the emperor write on the wooden boards. What a ridiculous thing?

Ps. It is rather funny to ask in such way. Forced?

It could be better to rephrase the question to ‘why Chinese student nowadays still need to learn classical Chinese

What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

He sacked a colleague the day my colleague was leaving for a family holiday. My boss (and owner of the business), Paul, just liked to show people he had the power. He was often petty and a micromanaging control freak. He seemed to like me, so most of the time he left me to do my thing.

My colleague, Ian, had become a friend, and we’d hang out after work. He had been planning an overseas family trip for some time, and had been talking about it for a couple of months in advance of the date. He had requested leave, which was approved, before making the booking. He was a friendly, genuine guy, and most of us in the office shared his enthusiasm for his holiday. We could see he was looking forward to taking his family away.

He was due to fly out on a Saturday. On the Friday, Paul called Ian into his office and told him he had changed his mind, he was revoking the leave. Ian tried to argue that the tickets were non-refundable, everything was booked, his wife had taken leave, and they had permission to take their children out of school. Paul wasn’t swayed. He made it clear, cancel or be fired.

Ian asked what was so important that he needed to stay, Paul didn’t give a real answer. He just shrugged and said, “it’s my company, my call.”

Ian called his wife, and then decided to do the holiday. He didn’t want to lose the money or let his family down.

He came and told me just before lunch what had happened, and suggested we go for a farewell lunch.

I was incensed! I immediately wrote a handwritten resignation, left it on Paul’s desk, packed my things, and went to lunch. I told Ian and some other colleagues at lunch that this was also MY farewell.

As lunch wrapped up, the others drifted back to the office, and it was just Ian and me, commiserating over a beer, when Paul came in, in a fluster. I had never seen him in such a state (I later realized it was because he was no longer in control). Paul loudly tried to convince me to stay, offered me everything (other than more money!). I just said no, calmly. He left saying something like “you’ll be back when you can’t find another job.”

I called in on another friend on my way home, and had a job offer that afternoon.

Beer Battered Fish and Chips

Beer Battered Fish and Chips
Beer Battered Fish and Chips

Ingredients

  • 2 to 4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into fingers
  • 1 pound fish (cod, halibut, polluck, etc.) 500g
  • 1 (12 ounces/355mL) can beer
  • 1 egg, beaten until fluffy
  • 2/3 cup milk 150 mL
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil 5 mL
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 5 mL
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 mL
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 mL
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 375 mL
  • 1/2 cup second flour amount for dipping 125 mL
  • 3 cups canola oil for deep frying 750 mL

Instructions

  1. Pat potatoes and fish dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat oil to a frying temperature of 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). To cook potato chips properly, it is important to maintain this frying temperature. You may wish to increase the temperature slightly before adding potatoes as oil temperature will drop when food is added. Fry 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. While potatoes are frying, prepare batter for fish.
  3. To prepare batter: Mix together beer, egg, milk and canola oil. Add baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt and 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) flour all at once, mixing only enough to dampen the dry ingredients.
  4. Remove potato chips from the canola oil with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and season to taste.
  5. Coat fish pieces in 1/2 cup (125 mL) flour before dipping in batter. Gently place in hot oil to deep fry. Cook until golden, about 6 minutes.
  6. Remove from oil with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.

Have you ever overheard a conversation that you wish you could forget you heard?

When my grandmother found out she had terminal cancer, she gave away a lot of her things to her children and grandchildren. She gave my cousin her 6 year old car, she gave me her expensive vacuum cleaner, she gave my mother an 8 foot tall grandfather’s clock, that had been hand made by my mothers great grandfather, those are the only three I remember, but she had two children and six grandchildren, so you can see by the gifts, that they weren’t terribly expensive, but had some value.

She still owned her own condo, and had some savings.

Shortly after my grandmother had died, and the will had been read, I over heard my uncle talking to my mother. My grandmother had split the estate between my uncle and mother. My uncle wanted everything that my grandmother had given away, to be given back to the estate, as he felt that they were just loans. Then the estate would be split between him and mom. If the grandkids ( including his own kids) wanted what they had been given, they could buy it from the estate.

I was shocked, I had always loved my uncle, he had never seemed like a greedy man. But inheritance seems to bring out the worst in people. My mother and uncle fought for the first time that I ever knew of, and some nasty things were said.

Evidently he approached his kids to get the gifts back, and they formed a united front, and told him he was wrong. So he backed off. I would have never have known that he had a greedy side to him, if I hadn’t overheard that conversation. He died about 10 years later, and I never looked at him, quite the same as before I overheard that conversation.

Have you ever overheard a conversation that you wish you could forget you heard?

When my grandmother found out she had terminal cancer, she gave away a lot of her things to her children and grandchildren. She gave my cousin her 6 year old car, she gave me her expensive vacuum cleaner, she gave my mother an 8 foot tall grandfather’s clock, that had been hand made by my mothers great grandfather, those are the only three I remember, but she had two children and six grandchildren, so you can see by the gifts, that they weren’t terribly expensive, but had some value.

She still owned her own condo, and had some savings.

Shortly after my grandmother had died, and the will had been read, I over heard my uncle talking to my mother. My grandmother had split the estate between my uncle and mother. My uncle wanted everything that my grandmother had given away, to be given back to the estate, as he felt that they were just loans. Then the estate would be split between him and mom. If the grandkids ( including his own kids) wanted what they had been given, they could buy it from the estate.

I was shocked, I had always loved my uncle, he had never seemed like a greedy man. But inheritance seems to bring out the worst in people. My mother and uncle fought for the first time that I ever knew of, and some nasty things were said.

Evidently he approached his kids to get the gifts back, and they formed a united front, and told him he was wrong. So he backed off. I would have never have known that he had a greedy side to him, if I hadn’t overheard that conversation. He died about 10 years later, and I never looked at him, quite the same as before I overheard that conversation.

What did someone do during military boot camp that made you say “You gotta be kidding me”?

They taught us how to wear boots. At the beginning of the session, the tough looking DS looked at us the only way a DS can do it.

I thought what the hell? Put them on and lace them up. Oh no. There was the Army way.

We found out how important the simple sock was in the Army.

“Socks must be pulled up TIGHT! No wrinkles or seams. Loose socks in your boot can be a painful thing and cause blisters quicker than your daddy’s willow switch. Pull them up tight. Keep them dry. Wet socks are not a soldier’s friend. If a soldier’s feet are unusable because of blisters, that soldier is unusable. Take care of those feet. Also, mark those socks.”

We had to make sure there were no wrinkles on the inner sole where the foot goes in.

“If there’s a wrinkle in your boot lining, give ‘em back and you will be issued new ones. Wrinkles cause blisters. Make sure your boot is TIGHT around your foot. Do not let your feet ‘float’ in boots. Floating feet cause blisters!”

“The boots are laced diagonally with the excess lace tucked into the top of the boot. Metal cleats and side tabs are not authorized for wear. Steeled toed boots are not authorized for wear. THAT gentlemen is why these are NOT steel toed boots. If they were, you would be crippled within two weeks. There should be at least a 3/4-inch minimum additional length at toe. DO NOT soak boots in water or bake in an oven to break-in. Boots should be worn in gradually at first with ever-increasing walking or marching distances while remaining comfortable.”

“The back of your boots must also be shined. Just because we’re looking at you from the front, wise asses, doesn’t mean we won’t give the about face order.

“The tongues of your boots will lie flat all along the top of your boots, not squished in like a piece of toilet paper shoved up the crack of your ass. Squished tongues cause blisters. We don’t want blisters around here. Blisters mean there’s a man out and the rest of you do twice the work. If I find a squished tongue in your boot, and I’ll check at times, it’ll be YOUR tongue lying on top of your foot under the laces!”

“If you do not follow these instructions, you will get my right boot up your ass and I’m telling you now, IT WILL HURT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

This DS had at least size 13 boots. We understood.

When A Kidnapper Gets Caught Red Handed

Our Casanova

78% of American divorces are initiated by women.

Think about that for a moment.

There was this guy that I went to college with. He was a real life Casanova. I mean it, a day did not go by without out him bedding (or boning) a new girl. He went through them like a sick person goes through tissues. And all us “normal” guys were terribly jealous of him.

I swear that of the 60 or so girls on our dorm floor, he must have had sex with perhaps 45 of them. Pretty damn impressive… seeing that I was a virgin throughout my college years.

This was in the 1970s. And yeah. I was the nerd bodybuilder planning to be a spaceman.

Virginal. No distractions.

On. My. Grind.

Ah. Memories.

During one of our Friday dorm parties, while I was a tripping on blotter (Acid = LSD), I noticed one of the girls on our floor; a particularly beautiful girl, flirting with him.

And myself, with all my inhibitions set to “off” went up to her and asked her point-blank.

“Why are you flirting with him”?

And I never forgot her answer.

“It’s fun”.

Duh.

Of course, this was a decade before Cindy Lauper sang “Girls just wanna have fun”….

And while I remembered the answer, I didn’t manage to put two plus two together. i still couldn’t figure out girls. Ah, perhaps it was because I was so fixated on “my grind” and trying to fly spaceships etc….

Which happened… well, sort of… don’t ya know.

But yeah.

Guys… men… we are too simple. If a woman wants something she gets it. Even at the detriment of her relationships, marriages, or physical health.

Keep your life simple.

Accept that women do what they want… FIRST.

And continue to do so until they hit an unyielding wall, And, as a man… our rules, relationships, structures and beliefs are that wall.

(Read that twice.)

And when that point comes… be prepared to… walk away.

Better for you.

Better for her.

Don’t fight it. Accept it.

And with that truth, we start with today…

As a therapist, what’s the most horrible thing a patient has confessed to you that no one else knows about?

‘That no one else knows about’ does not apply to my answer. But the most horrible thing was a schoolgirl aged about 15 came to see me when I was School Psychologist at her school. At the end of the session she said she had written a diary and had it with her and would I care to read it, as she wanted me to know what it was about.

I took it home to read that night in preparation for seeing her the next day. It was full of clearly suicidal thoughts. She was an alcohol user, too, and had already done some self-harming. I had to cope with the revelations overnight, spending my night not so much in sleep as in deep concern. To add to the difficulty, her mother’s sister had not long previously committed suicide. This would be a further load on her mother.

I did see her and was obliged to speak with her mother and get permission for referring her to an agency with more specialist capacity to help her. There was some opposition to the idea, but in the end the permission was given.

But knowing what she had revealed and not being able to do anything about it immediately was very stressful.

Head of the Household

What were you doing wrong all along?

Boiling eggs.

I grew up in West Africa. We didn’t just boil eggs; we superboiled them. We threw them on the stove, boiled them for 15 or 20 minutes or so, then took them out very satisfied that the egg was well cooked.

It was as though we wanted to let the yolk know that we hated it, along with its ancestors, parents, siblings, and extended family. The yolk, understandably would come out of this process looking pallid, forlorn, and dejected. The pale yellow would be covered in an equally pale grey, with the overall appearance of a strange, lost planet.

image 466
image 466

Why did you have to treat me so?

For my eternal fortune, at the age of 15, I moved to the United States, a land that was said to be paved with gold. I didn’t find much gold, truth be told, but I found the concept of a hard-boiled egg, which made me wonder whether there was such a thing as a soft-boiled egg.

Is it like when I accidentally “undercook” my eggs?

I googled it and found a chart like this:

image 465
image 465

Oooooooooooh!

I’ve never looked back.

This is what I made tonight.

image 464
image 464

This, my friends, is what you call perfection. The yolk is smiling at you suggestively, sending you an amorous look, beckoning you.

Come hither!

How can you resist? Of course you will kiss and treasure and savor it.

C’est ça, la douceur de vivre.


Yes, yes, it’s me in the picture. I’m wearing boring socks tonight. Deal with it.

What was a red flag that made you stop talking to a person immediately?

My grandfather on my dad’s side, as a child me and my younger sister would visit our Nan and Grandad every other week just to spend time with them. My Nan loved having us at times, my Grandad however was a different story. He would always drink every time we went round there and constantly sat on the couch.

On one occasion I was play fighting with my Nan in the living room once and out of nowhere he screamed at me from the top of his lungs to “take it in the other f***ing room!”. My mood was instantly killed and I remember hiding from him in a cleaning cupboard because I was terrified. There was another time where I accidentally turned off the lights for the living room, he screamed at me saying “Turn those f***ing lights back on or I’ll throw you onto the street!”. When my mum came back to the house that night I was hiding behind her and she had never seen me so clingy so she knew something was wrong.

When we got home that night I told my parents what he had said to me about the lights and how he had made me cry on multiple occasions that I began hiding in the cleaning cupboard. My younger sister was also a witness for every occasion he was horrible to me so she confirmed my story to them. After this they decided he wasn’t going to see us as much as he used to.

We found out many years later that his drinking caught up with him and he was suffering from cirrhosis. He also had a cancer in his leg that he’s now recovered from. When the whole family found out about his cancer, all my uncles said they wouldn’t miss him if it killed him because of how terrible of a dad he was when bringing them up.

I also recently discovered that before I was born, My Grandad and Nan had asked our parents to look after their house while they went away. They forgot to mention to our parents that they owed this criminal some rent money, so one night this crook comes breaking the door down and demands the money. My parents being completely ignorant to the truth of course refused to pay the rent and so they contacted my Nan and Grandad asking what this guy’s business is. They tell my parents the truth but then refuse to pay the rent, saying they assumed their son (my dad) would’ve payed it for them. They had both already refused to pay the rent so as a result this crook gives my dad a sucker punch to the face in front of my uncle’s daughter who was there at the time.

Because of this, most of the family don’t associate or even think about him anymore. My mother has real beef with them both because of the incident with the rent, when I told her about the threat my Grandad gave me and how my Nan said nothing to defend me, that was the icing on the cake for both my parents and as a result we talk to them less.

We’re in an okay place now but we hardly talk to them anymore, we only see them once a year now, sometimes there are years we don’t see them once. My uncles each have different reasons for not associating with him anymore but I’d be here all day if I wrote them out.

Will Chinese, Japanese and Koreans ever co-exist? And for that matter, can the world and China ever co-exist at all? As far as current events go,that seems impossible.

Of course it can and it will.

But first the U.S. that orchestrated the break up of the world and the creator of animosities amongst us must accept reality first and recognised that it no longer has the ability and the means to war monger any more.

The western media must accept that sowing hates is not good for humanity, spewing hates hurt humanity and destroying earth. They need to know that lying is lowdown and simply despicable and it makes many people ignorant and naive.

Westerners need to reject them and condemn them and stop reading or listening to them. Westerners must want the truth not lies, propaganda, fabrication and half truths to fit bias hateful narratives. The western media so discord and hatred on anyone or any society that refuse to be submissive and subservient to the west.

The U.S. led them into this depth of crisis it must lead them out of it. Otherwise the 87% of the global south will leave you behind, they are moving on. Germany, Japan, Korea must stop being a faithful brain dead U.S. lackey and a lowly dog.

UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, grow some balls or forever be US dog, you deserve to sink with the world’s biggest trouble maker the U.S. Another dozen or so dog nations. Rise up and abandoned the U.S. EU abandon NATO.

Together you helped the U.S. bring the world into a chaotic, dangerous place ready to erupt into another world war but one that can end the entire human race. Act before it is too late. Let there be strong pillars of powers working together doing good and not keep one power doing bad.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Ding Tai Fung Cucumber Salad I Heart Umami 700x1050 1
Ding Tai Fung Cucumber Salad I Heart Umami 700×1050 1

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
  • Minced fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. Mix lime juice, water, sugar and salt in non-reactive bowl.
  2. Cut cucumber lengthwise into halves, then seed and thinly slice. Add cucumber, onion and pepper to lime juice mixture; toss.
  3. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour.
  4. Sprinkle with cilantro.

What’s the most obnoxious instance of America-centric behavior you’ve ever witnessed?

Not most obnoxious but a good example of why Europeans view Americans as obnoxious.

We were in a resort sauna in the Italian alps with 3 other couples (2 German, 1 Swiss) and single German woman. We’d enjoyed a couple of peaceful and wonderful rounds together.

A few minutes in to our 3rd round we heard them coming – Americans! They were talking and cackling very loudly. They opened the sauna hot room door and looked around – holding the door open, letting the heat out and cold air in. They received a loud round of ‘close the door’ in 3 different languages.

A few minutes later an American couple entered the sauna in their swimsuits. One of the German women told them that swimsuits aren’t allowed in saunas. The American’s scoffed and said certainly not and proceeded to sit down. I tried to explain to them that suits are indeed not allowed because of bacterias and odors. And that they also should have showered before entering the sauna. They slowly began to get the picture. They eventually left and we later learned that they’d complained to the resort mgmt about the no swimsuits rule and us.

Here’s the thing. There were numerous places in the hotel information stating that the sauna area (large changing and shower area with two saunas and a turkish bath) was a nude area and that suits were not allowed in the saunas or turkish baths themselves. And that this was a QUIET area.

There were big signs entering the spa and sauna area that said ‘SILENCE’, ‘QUIETNESS IS EXPECTED’ and ‘IN THE SPA YOU SHOULD TALK LIKE YOU ARE IN CHURCH’ and other sayings. If you closed your mouth for a few seconds you’d realize that there were a number of conversations happening but you couldn’t hear them. Except for Americans.

There were signs above the hooks where people hung their robes that stated not to wear swimsuits in the sauna. This is also standard throughout much of Europe.

The hotel manager told me that this was not an unusual event with Americans. I understand people being uncomfortable with the nudity element and that’s fine and those who are uncomfortable just don’t use the sauna. FWIW, about half of Germans and other Europeans aren’t comfortable with it either and simply don’t use public saunas. I have a fear of heights so I won’t go on most chairlifts or trams which means I can’t see many spectacular areas of the Alps. That’s life.

I think it takes a special kind of ignorance to not realize how loud and obnoxious Americans are, given how often it’s written about. Yet Americans continue to act loud, obnoxious and ignorant.

image 463
image 463

It has to crash

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/11Hw5OxFYmM?feature=share

I fired my therapist and I regret it now. I’m having a hard time thinking she won’t be in my life. What would she think if I emailed saying never mind?

Because I worked with persons with Borderline Personality Disorder I was used to being fired. I enjoyed the phase of therapy where I could ask “remember all the times you wanted to fire me and the couple of times you actually did?”

As I type I remember seeing a guy with BPD who fired me and stayed away for three weeks. I had a hunch, so I kept his slot open. When he returned he told me he fired me for “not caring.” That was because he was pretty sure I was yawning at the last session. It was a great starter for talking about interpreting vs. over-interpreting social cues from other people.

It finally became a joke between us. “Any cruel evil unfeeling bastards yawn at you recently? Obviously torture and death is the only answer for them.”

One of my favorite techniques with Borderline folks in recovery was wild humor like that. They often lived and felt in extreme ways and had a hard time finding their “middle.” Taking a feeling to a silly and impossible extreme could prompt a response of “well, maybe not that bad.”

Developing the ability to scale feelings is critical for folks with BPD.

Long story short, make an appointment with your therapist and get on with it.

Can India afford to ban Chinese products?

I was in a Video Conference yesterday. There was this slick controller from Cisco. I picked it up and turned it around to see the sticker that said: “Made in China”.

We have all heard the phrase. So much so that it has become a cultural meme, like this creative advertisement.

image 462
image 462

Every machine, and I mean it in the broad sense of the word, people use, almost certainly, has components made by the most populous nation of the world.

We are at a stage where manufacturing is synonymous with China. China’s total exports in 2017 were more than the GDP of India, at ~$2.26 trillion.

[1]

image 461
image 461

US is close with $1.5 trillion, but there is the catch.

US exports are primarily expensive stuff like airplanes, gems, assembled cell phones etc. But China makes the “cheaper” things — the components of your phones, the clothes you buy, the filaments in your bulbs, the shoes you are wearing right now.

More than a decade ago, a US family tried to rid themselves of all things “made in China”

[2] . Here are some excerpts from their experience.

When our son, then 4, needed new shoes it took me two weeks of frantic mall trips and phone calls across the country before I located Italian-made sneakers. (They cost almost $70, an obscene amount, and I bought him just that one pair of shoes all year to compensate for my excess.)

We boiled water for coffee every morning after our drip machine broke and the only affordable replacements we could find were made in China. Kevin stole —he likes to say borrowed—sunglasses from the lost-and-found at our kids’ preschool when he needed new ones and the only ones that fit our budget were made in China. We were barred from the market for humane mousetraps (I made my own), birthday candles (we used votive candles on our cakes instead) and the monster trucks and light sabers that our son dreamed of all year.

As December approached, we made lousy homemade Christmas presents, spent too much on toys from Germany and waited for the year, and our boycott, to fade into history.

And Chinese manufacturing has become even more pervasive and ingrained in the last ten years. Good luck with your attempt!

What’s the most embarrassing misconception you’ve ever held?

Originally Answered: What’s the most embarassing misconception you’ve ever held?

When my best friend and I were around 16 years old, we always did homework at her house, as my house was usually occupied (my mother was… friendly).

Anyway, one afternoon, we were in the middle of English Lit. homework, and I asked her if she had a dictionary. She said, “I have an Onary, but not Webster’s.”

I had never heard of an Onary dictionary before, but I figured it was no big deal. She told me where it was, and I went to the bookshelf and grabbed it.

The front cover was missing. Across the first page, in bold capital letters was ONARY.

I started laughing, and I couldn’t stop. She came over and started laughing, too, asking me what was so funny. I said, “Sardee, your dictionary is missing the front cover. It’s a Webster’s dictionary.”
She said, “I don’t get it. It says ‘ONARY’, right there.”

So, I grabbed a piece of notebook paper, laid it next to the book, and wrote DICTI.

I’ve never seen someone go from confused, to embarrassed, to doubled over in silent laughter, so fast in all my life. She and I laughed so hard, for so long, that our stomachs ached for days, afterward. Every once in a while, over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to bring it up, and it’s never failed to make us giggle. In fact, one of her sons, just yesterday, asked if anybody still bought dictionaries, because we can just Google everything, now.

I couldn’t even answer him. I just got up, told him to go ask his mother, and walked outside. Two minutes later, here comes Sardee. I just looked at her, and she said, “Shut up.”

She’s kinda awesome. Even if she was dippy in high school.

Power

Was the battle of Stalingrad really as bad as shown in the movie Enemy at the Gates or was it an exaggeration?

Originally Answered: Was the battle of Stalingrad really as bad as in Enemy at the Gates or is this overexaggeration?

Really as bad?

Oh, you sweet summer child.

Was there any cannibalism in the movie? There was at Stalingrad.

Did you see any wounded with gangrene and maggots crawling in their wounds? No? Maybe a bit too much for Hollywood, eh?

How about extended scenes of vicious and literal hand-to-hand fighting, with the combatants using knives, spades, teeth and whatever else came to hand on each other. No? Maybe those were left on the cutting room floor?

I don’t recall seeing anyone crawling along on their hands and knees with their intestines hanging down and getting tangled in their legs, while their enemy jeer and laugh from cover a few yards away.

And we never saw anyone pouring their toes out of their boots, with a lovely long lingering reaction shot of the rotting frozen flesh on their own face because of frostbite.

I don’t recall seeing anyone screaming as they were burned to death, either. And the film doesn’t really convey that ‘roasting flesh’ smell too well. Human flesh smells like pork!

‘Enemy at the Gates’ is an entertainment product. It’s designed to be able to be watched while eating popcorn. War, on the other hand, is the worst thing that organised groups of humans can do to one another. So don’t compare the two. A movie cannot be compared to reality.

What’s the most incredible coincidence that ever happened to you?

My late husband died 11 years ago. I have a box full of his things. One of the things he loved having was this old alarm clock. There was certain dings and scratches on it that made it unique. At one point it broke and he took it apart to solder some wires together. It was obviously a homemade repair, but you couldn’t tell once it was put back together. Well after he died, we ( our son and I ) moved several times. At one point our things were being stored in a friends garage. For some reason, i never got my husband’s beloved alarm clock back, it some how got mistaken for junk and was tossed out. I was very upset over the loss of his alarm clock. Several years later i was living on another side of town and a friend stopped by on mothers day to show me a box of things she found in a dumpster. ( a weird hobby i know) I noticed immediately an old alarm clock exactly like my late husbands. I picked it up and examined it, and i recognized the dings and scratches on it. So i flipped it over and unscrewed the bottem to inspect the inside where my husband had made repairs on it. It was unmistakably my husbands old alarm clock, and my friend graciously handed it over.

SF Hardware stores are all closing…

Doctors, what is something a patient didn’t mention that turned out to be important?

This is a really odd story.

I was in clinic, seeing patients when one of my colleagues came up to me. He was a pleasant fellow who always looked like an un-made bed. Shirt rumpled, tie askew. I hasten to say, he was an excellent physician.

“Maureen, can I curb-side you?”

“Sure. Whatcha got?

“Twenty-year-old woman with complaint of throat pain. I saw her a couple of days ago. I investigated everything I can think of but she’s back with the same complaint. Now telling me she can’t swallow”

“Trauma? Fever? Weight loss?…”

“No.”

We puzzled and puzzled.

“Probably send her to GI for a scope.”

“Maybe just do a quick x-ray to see if anything obvious is going on structurally.”

Off the young lady goes to X-ray.

Colleague sticks his head into my office.

“You have got to see this.”

I take a look at the film.

We both shake our heads.

“How did that get there?”

On the film, plain as day, is the outline of a toothbrush, lodged in her throat.

“What did she say when you showed her the film?”

“She said that she wondered where that went.”

“What’s she look like?

“Painfully thin.”

“I’m guessing an eating disorder. She was trying to induce vomiting and went too far and lost her grip. She’s too embarrassed to tell you.”

That turned out to be correct.

So, yes, the fact that she had lodged a toothbrush, deep in her throat, would have been useful to know.

Where is the praise?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MA1C2WEvUxU?feature=share

What has happened to the 1960s hippies, and where are they now?

Mostly they’re aging and retiring.

When my parents first met, my dad was living in a teepee in the woods, and my mom was living on a commune that could only be reached by boat.

When my older brother was conceived, they decided that being that remote would not be safe in case of complications with the pregnancy, so they moved somewhere a bit closer to town. They got some land, cleared it, dowsed and dug a well, and my dad started building our house.

My brother was born. I was born. The foundations of the house were laid, and the bottom floor was built. 4 rooms total. We moved in. My sister was born. Dad kept building. When I was about 4–5, we got electricity. That meant an electric pump, and running water.

When I was 11, the second floor was mostly done, which meant more rooms. I got a bedroom to myself. Mom got a job “in town”. We got an indoor toilet. That flushed.

The third floor got done when I was in high school. Mom worked as a youth counselor in town. We gradually got to be more “in the world”.

The folks split after my first year of college. Dad kept the house, Mom moved into town.

Dad finally finished the house and sold it. It was really way too big for one guy to live in. He died about 15 years ago.

My mom is 70 now. My brother owns an organic farm; she helps him out with canning and preserving his produce, so those old back to the land skills still see some use. Mom does grief counseling and hospice care as a volunteer. They never really lost their hippie ideals, but they modified them as dictated by circumstance and life.

As a doctor, has a patient ever surprised you in any way?

The first time I met her, she was in jail. She was wearing a bright orange jumpsuit and plastic slides. The officer undid her handcuffs so I could examine her and he waited outside the exam room.

She was pregnant. I always ask my incarcerated patients why they are in jail (mostly in case it was for killing their former obstetrician). Invariably they will say “it’s for violating parole“ and eventually we will get around to why they are on probation in the first place.

Her’s involved a significant amount of theft.

I was immediately disturbed and put off by her handmade swastika tattoo.

She was always polite and respectful. She was released from jail prior to giving birth. She gave birth to a beautiful baby and was a conscientious mom and did a nice job breast-feeding.

She saw our lactation educator many times to help with the breast-feeding. After a year her baby self-weaned.

But she kept pumping. And pumping. And pumping. Once a week she would drive 30 miles to the nearest NICU and drop off a freezer full of breastmilk.

SHE DID THIS FOR TWO YEARS.

For two years she helped feed a NICU full of small and sick babies of every ethnicity and multiple nationalities.

She still has the swastika tattoo. Every year I see her I always look for it, hoping she will have had it covered up. I’ve never asked her about it.

I do hope that one day she covers it up.

But she is reminder to me that our worth is not simply equal to the worst thought and the stupidest decision we’ve ever made.

We are more than that.

Is America hoping for a war between China and Taiwan so they can rush over there as heroes?

US politicians want a Taiwan war. No doubt. Because MIC & politicians who buy MIC stocks feed on wars.

Warmonger Americans also want war because they think it is noble to support Taiwan democracy. Without understanding what is behind the war.

Let me share an article:

On the surface, it is noble, for a foreigner, to support Taiwan independence, in name of democracy or whatever.

Since WW2, 82% of riots/wars incl independence movements in the world are actually instigated by USA+allies. So as to control other’s strategic sovereignty, economy & natural resources. It is modern-day colonization without occupying other’s land.

No country will tolerate secession & subversion. I am sure not your country either. They will use military to stop secession when necessary. Biden deployed 10,000 armed personnel in the 2021/1/6 riot. UK also said they may use military to deal with Scotland independence.

In case of war, there are blood & deaths. If you cannot feel this pain, go to Ukraine & stay there for 6 months.

There may be legitimacy for independence. But we must know the history first. Otherwise we may accidentally support a devil instead of the righteous. Let me take the example of Tibet independence.

Before CPC China liberated Tibet in 1959, Mao Zedong had a 1-country-2-system, allowing Tibet to run their old system which was a slavery system. 5% of rich Tibetans OWNed 95% of Tibetans. Slaves sometimes fought with dogs for food. The worst part of cruelty was that owners could arbitrarily peel off (pretty) skins from slaves for crafts & gifts to foreigners. Pretty probably means young people’s skin. There is a museum in Tibet today to show this cruel history.

USA instigated Tibet independence in 1959 after USA lost the Korea war in early 1950’s.

When suppressing Tibet independence movement, China liberated Tibetan slaves at the same time. Today Tibetans have education & income, and can own business & property. It is only now they are treated like a human.

Next time when you as a foreigner support Tibetan independence, do not ask the 5% but the 95%. Do not ask those who live on political donation/corruption overseas & shout empty slogans. Instead ask those who work hard to earn an income to support life.

Likewise, dont ask the corrupted separatists in Taiwan who are, like the 5% of Tibetan, will only tell you China is bad, bad, bad. Try to independently learn Taiwanese history. Listen to the story of both sides – China & Taiwan. Ironically, it is the rebels whose propaganda stir foreigners’ emotion.

Remember: no country will allow secession & subversion. Not your country either.

Also remember: when there is war, there will be blood & deaths.

Never Ever

What did your mother say that made your jaw drop?

When I was in the eighth grade I had to bring home a report card with an F on it. For Spanish. Courtesy of Mrs. X.

I was a pretty good student, but I despised Mrs. X. She had the maturity of my fellow classmates and a mean streak a mile wide.

She was quite popular. Her mocking of the customs and ways of various Hispanic cultures always drew laughs from my fellow eighth graders. She taught us how laughably stupid and lazy Mexicans are for instance.

She also liked to gossip about other teachers. She once insinuated that a certain English teacher who was an ex-nun was probably lesbian.

I would rebel against her obnoxiousness by not doing homework and shrugging my shoulders when asked a question in class. I would aim for a 60 on all of the exams to show her I could do better if I wanted to.

I showed my report card to my mother who had to sign it. She saw A’s, one B (Math), and the F.

She asked me who my Spanish teacher was. I told her “Mrs. X.”

My mother said, “She’s an asshole.”

This is where my jaw dropped. My mother never swore!

She signed the report card and handed it back to me. Then she explained.

My mother was an RN at an urban hospital. She had trouble sometimes communicating with Spanish-speaking patients. She enrolled in an evening adult-ed conversational Spanish course at our local high school.

The teacher of the course was Mrs. X.

Ten minutes into the class my mother walked out. She thought Mrs. X was one of the most loathsome and obnoxious people she had ever met.

The weird thing is that my mother seemed almost proud of my F.

But she said “asshole.” That was the jaw dropper.

Lack of incentive

As a doctor, have you ever treated a patient you absolutely despised?

Absolutely. Many times. But one in particular comes to mind.

minor identifying features have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.

A young mother in her early 20s broke up with her abusive boyfriend. A week later he ambushed her on her front porch, stabbing her over 30 times before stabbing himself once in the stomach. She coded shortly after arrival to the trauma bay but we were able to get her back. She had been stabbed so many times in the neck that the ragged end of her esophagus was dangling out. We rushed her to the OR and she ultimately survived and went home, but that is a story for another day.

Shortly after she came in, her ex-boyfriend arrived. His injury was not immediately life threatening but did require an operation, so after stabilizing her, I took him to the OR too, where he got a relatively minor operation. He remained in the hospital for several days after, however, because he was on suicide watch. So I rounded on him every day as I would any other patient, did wound care and other standard post-op care. He was polite, said “thank you, ma’am,” and we never discussed his ex-girlfriend or the circumstances that brought him to the hospital.

Does that mean I liked him? OH HELL NO. I thought he was the scum of the earth. I found myself thinking he should have stabbed himself as many times as he stabbed her. Better yet, just stab himself and leave her the hell alone. Oh, I despised him to the core.

So did one of my med students. So after the 3rd or 4th day rounding on him, she couldn’t take it anymore.

”How can you be so nice to him after what he did? He’s a horrible human being! He deserves to die!” she burst out.

”Maybe,” I replied. “But there are agents of justice and agents of mercy in the world, and we need both. As a doctor I am an agent of mercy. My job is to care for my patients and trust that the agents of justice will do their job just as well. Which I do.”

THE FIVE GLOBAL CONFLICT FRONTS OPENED BY THE US.

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The war in Ukraine is one of the fronts in which the United States, in command of NATO, does not generate results in its favor

(Photo: Flickr)

Dec 14, 2023

The crossroads at which the Western establishment led by the United States finds itself has materialized in the concern of a political sector inside and outside that country. The war in Gaza threatens to reduce US arms supplies to Taiwan, as does the war in Ukraine. In recent days, US President Joe Biden has been seeking war aid for Ukraine and Israel (Biden seeks ‘vital’ war aid for Israel and Ukraine ), including more money for Taiwan.

A note (https://www.geopolitika.ru/en/article/five-fronts-against-unipolar-globalism ) by the Russian philosopher and geopolitical analyst Alexander Dugin refers to five potential or real fronts on which multipolarity and unipolarity confront each other.

Below they are presented along with the approach that Misión Verdad has made regarding these cases.

1. UNSUNG DEFEAT IN UKRAINE

After the Minsk Agreement (2015) served as a mechanism to buy time, the so-called “collective West” led by the United States went to war against Russia in Ukraine since March 2022. Analysts such as Dugin describe that (https://www.geopolitika.ru/en/article/five-fronts-against-unipolar-globalism ), essentially, it is about a civil war between Russians: patriotic Russians against Atlanticist Russians who have betrayed their Russian identity, but the Atlanticist “Russians” are being used by the unipolar forces of the West.

The confrontation continues to generate negative results and perspectives for the Western side. According to an analysis (Zelenski no logra ganarse al Congreso de EEUU y el paquete de ayuda a Kiev sigue estancado ) by The Washington Post, the efforts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during his second visit to Washington in three months, “did little” to change the opinion of Republican congressmen, who oppose continuing to finance the escalation of the war.

During that same visit, and meeting with the Ukrainian leader, President Biden promised Kiev a new $200 million military aid package, while noting that it could be the last. Days earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that he believes Ukraine’s front-line position could worsen if the West does not increase arms supplies. He detailed that kyiv is in a “critical situation” as members of the Atlantic Alliance were unable to meet the growing demand for ammunition. “We have to prepare for bad news,” he declared on December 3 in an interview (tagesschau24: Exlusiv-Interview mit NATO-Generalsekretär Stoltenberg – Nach dem Großangriff Russlands ist die Lage für die Ukraine kritisch | ARD Mediathek ) with the German television channel Das Erste.

In an interview (The AP Interview: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says the war with Russia is in a new phase as winter looms ) with the AP, Zelensky admitted that his fighters were unable to make significant progress in their failed counteroffensive. “We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact,” he asserted, blaming the West for not having provided sufficient weapons.

He also expressed fear that events in the Gaza Strip could jeopardize the flow of military aid to kyiv.

In this way, the Ukrainian conflict would be overshadowed by the destruction of Gaza implemented by Israel with the support of Western powers.

  • Researchers Diego Sequera and Ernesto Cazal published a series of articles ( I, II and III) with a geopolitical balance of the war in Ukraine.

2. GAZA: “ISRAEL IS THE WEST”

Precisely, the second American war front is in Western Asia.The genocide against the Palestinian population carried out by Israel has the support of the West; This has been demonstrated not only by the forms but also by the concepts.

Last November, the official US military magazine Army University Press published an article (https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/military-review/Archives/English/Online-Exclusive/2023/Dostri/Hamas’s-October-2023-Attack-on-Israel-UA.pdf) written on behalf of the US Department of Defense calling for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the destruction of Lebanon.

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The destruction of Gaza is not only advancing with irreversible damage to its buildings (15%) but also to its arable lands (22%)

(Photo: France24)

The article, written by an organic intellectual of Zionist nationalism, Omer Dostri, proposes as an “ideal option” that Israel reoccupy Gaza in the long term, ethnically cleanse hundreds of thousands of Palestinian residents, exponentially expand the size of the extermination zone and establish settlements inside Gaza.

Dan Cohen, American journalist and documentary filmmaker, notes (El Pentágono propone limpieza étnica y colonización de Gaza y destrucción del Líbano) that the text adds to the numerous statements that, in the case of a war crimes trial, would serve as clear evidence of the intention to carry out a genocide, which is notoriously difficult to establish. establish. The fact that this call was published on behalf of the Department of Defense and in the main media branch of the United States Army raises doubts about American culpability in the Gaza genocide, which is being carried out mainly with factory-made bombs and missiles. of the North American country, and about what the true intentions of its government are.

Israeli occupation forces have attacked residential buildings, schools, hospitals, ambulances, medical personnel, rescue and first aid teams, journalists, United Nations employees, mosques, Christian churches, infrastructure, and have cut off electricity and communication services. According to data (Centro de Satélites de la ONU: el 18 % de las estructuras en Gaza fueron dañadas – SANA en Español) from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the death toll as a result of Israeli bombings against the Gaza Strip increased to 18,608, while another 50,594 people have been injured. 18% of the total structures and 22% (In Gaza, ‘an estimated 22% of agricultural land’ has been destroyed since the start of the conflict) of the arable land in the Gaza Strip have been damaged as a result of Israel’s aggression against this Palestinian enclave.

The destabilization of the Arab and Islamic world is a necessity of the West and its advance requires a systematic genocide of the Arab population like the one carried out in Gaza. Washington’s supervisory role, demonstrated in the recurring visits of the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has to do with maintaining control over an eventual overflow of elements of the Palestinian resistance, gas fields (Los recursos energéticos en la ecuación del exterminio israelí) such as Leviathan and the India-Middle East economic corridor -Europe (IMEC, its acronym in English).

Disinformation has been the usual currency in the exercise of extermination, numerous fake news have served to bestialize (“Peor que el ISIS”: desmintiendo la propaganda israelí) the affected Palestinian population (What really happened on 7th October?)

  • Two research papers by Sequera ( I and II ) have been published on this portal to describe the plot, in addition to a recent interview with analysts Christian Nader and Javier Couso conducted by Ernesto Cazal.

3. IN AFRICA “UNIPOLARITY” IS TESTED (OR BETRAYED)

Dugin states that “the bloc of anti-colonial countries in West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Central African Republic, Gabon) is united against the pro-colonial (Atlantist) regimes and against Macron’s globalist France.” However, Washington’s hand is not far from that front, maneuvering to retain control of the region (or at least dispute influence with the multipolar powers) and depose the influence of France. This would demonstrate that unipolarity is not so much a Euro-Atlantic vision as a purely American one.

Three Sahel countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, signed (Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso establish Sahel security alliance) a pact in September to establish an architecture of collective defense and mutual assistance for the benefit of their populations.

After the coup d’état in Niger against President Mohamed Bazoum by officers at the head of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), the confrontation against Paris was manifest.

The coup plotters alleged that the decision was due to the “continuous deterioration of the security situation” and “poor economic and social management.”

With the destruction of Libya (Níger: secuelas de la caída de Gaddafi en el Sahel africano) as a turning point, the Sahel region has become the epicenter of armed conflicts caused by terrorist groups throughout the entire strip; These opened larger markets for the smuggling and trafficking of weapons, drugs, slaves and raw materials, and facilitated the rise of the illicit economy (Terrorismo y crimen organizado: tráfico y contrabando de armas en el norte de África y el Sahel) around the energy and mineral enclaves of the area, while mass displacement increased and a trail of chaotic destruction in its wake.

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Supporters of the military junta that took control of Niger through a coup d’état marched towards the capital waving Russian flags and denouncing France, the former colonial power

(Photo: Sky News)

The Undersecretary of State, Victoria Nuland, visited the African country (EE.UU. busca desplazar a Francia en el Sahel) in order to anticipate the increase in Russia’s influence. The rejection of the French could lead to their total expulsion (Aumenta la presión de Níger por la salida del embajador francés) from the continent and the subsequent security vacuum, which seems an irreversible process, even when force is used, either directly or through the Economic Community of West African States ( Cedeao).

The formation of the mutual defense pact by the three Sahel countries attempts, precisely, to confront the threats from ECOWAS, which has a history of successful military interventions (Historial de intervenciones militares de la CEDEAO en África) through its military arm.

In the region, the dispute between the unipolar order and the emerging multipolar order has been expressed (Níger, neocolonialismo y la geopolítica militar en África), one led by the Euro-Atlantic Axis with the United States at the head and the other by China and Russia, among other countries. The latter have dedicated themselves to establishing cooperative relations in the areas of diplomacy and international relations, economics, finance, trade and security—the Asians have been forging them for three decades. Washington, for its part, has become involved in the fields of financial investment in strategic resources and its military deployment has filled almost the entire African continent with AFRICOM (África marca el rumbo a América Latina hacia la multipolaridad)

  • To expand on the complex African geopolitical dynamics, you can consult the works published by Eder Peñaand Diego Sequera.

4. NATOIZING THE PACIFIC AND PROVOKING CHINA

The global dispute fueled by the United States reaches close to China’s borders, as demonstrated by the continued interference in the conflict between the Asian country and the island of Taiwan, recognized as part of its territory even by Washington, which has maintained an “ambiguity strategic” increasingly difficult to demonstrate.

It is essential for China’s foreign relations that its “One China” (The One-China Principle and the Taiwan Issue) policy be recognized. Its territorial reunification process, adopted by the National People’s Congress through the Anti-Secession Law (Text of China’s anti-secession law) of 2005, reserves to the government the right to use “non-peaceful means” in the event of an eventual declaration of independence from Taiwan, after accepting that the Taipei administration represents an autonomous province.

For its part, since 1949, Taiwan has claimed the government of all of mainland China, in addition to the archipelago of the same name, which keeps alive the conflict that Washington constantly encourages through political, economic and military support.

After the United States switched diplomatic recognition of Taiwan to China in 1979, it continued to sell weapons to the island under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act. The key was to sell enough weapons so that Taiwan could defend itself against a possible Chinese attack, but not so many that it would destabilize relations between Washington and Beijing.

However, it has sold him more than $14 billion in military equipment.

Last August, Biden approved an $80 million grant (EE.UU. está armando (ya no tan) silenciosamente a Taiwán) from American taxpayers under a program called Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which until now had been used to send military aid to Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, among other countries. The novelty (Los últimos pasos pro-Taiwán de EE.UU. que avivan el conflicto con China) is that it had only been granted to countries or organizations recognized by the United Nations, and Taiwan is not.

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Map demonstrating US military pressure against China. In red the defense systems installed by Beijing, in green the bases and presence of the United States and its allies

(Photo: The Economist)

Not only has Biden used discretionary powers to approve another $500 million in operational readiness to Taiwan, but ground battalions will receive training in the United States.

He has sought to increase the siege of China by strengthening the Seventh Fleet (Home) in Japan, it is the largest in the North American country with 40,000 troops, 70 ships and submarines and about 300 aircraft. Such a deployment, which seeks to otanize (Cómo se prepara China ante una escalada en Taiwán) the Pacific region, has been seen in the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq wars (1991), and would be focused on supporting South Korea against Pyonyang and Taiwan against China in possible armed conflicts.

A BBC report (The US is quietly arming Taiwan to the teeth) indicates that the United States is running out of time to update and equip the Taiwanese army, especially knowing that the equipment is old, there is no island counterintelligence in the rival country and, perhaps most importantly , taking into account its inferiority in every sense compared to China.

So much so that China has its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the largest in the world with 340 ships compared to the United States’ 280 ships. In recent years, the PLA has advanced construction of dozens of warships, including the Type 052D and Type 055 destroyers (Tipo 055 – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre), the Type 075 amphibious assault ship (Buque de asalto anfibio Tipo 075 – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre), and the 80,000-ton Fujian aircraft carrier (Fujian (18) – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre), according to a Pentagon report (2022 Pentagon Report on Chinese Military Development – USNI News) published in November 2022.

In addition, Taiwan plays a fundamental role in the supply and value chain of the American industry, specifically in the race for the semiconductor market, fundamental for technological development.

TSMC, short for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, is the world’s largest chip manufacturing company (https://misionverdad.com/home/eder/Documentos/MV%20MMXXIII/_blank), with a global market share of 54%, while Taiwan’s UMC comprises only 7%. Voices from the US political establishment have proposed destroying its facilities (EE.UU. dispuesto a destruir las fábricas de semiconductores de Taiwán) in the event that China exercises military control of the island.

The most recent works of Misión Verdad in this regard can be consulted here:

The latest pro-Taiwan steps by the US that fuel the conflict with China (Los últimos pasos pro-Taiwán de EE.UU. que avivan el conflicto con China)

The US is (no longer so) quietly arming Taiwan (EE.UU. está armando (ya no tan) silenciosamente a Taiwán)

How China is preparing for an escalation in Taiwan (Cómo se prepara China ante una escalada en Taiwán)

MILITARIZATION OF DIPLOMACY: ESSEQUIBO CASE

The Global North continues to search for oil and Venezuelan territory is in its sights.

About 10 years ago, the oil company ExxonMobil activated an oil and gas extraction plan in the territorial waters of Essequibo, a geographical space in dispute between Venezuela and Guyana as a result of the imperial dispossession of the United Kingdom during the 19th century.

Venezuela has responded to the Guyanese claim, lacking legal and historical support, demanding dialogue and bilateral agreements stipulated in the so-called Geneva Agreement of 1966. However, acting as a subsidiary of the oil transnational (Guyana, Inc.: filial de la ExxonMobil) and supported by the United States, Guyana has resorted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the last two UN Secretaries General referred the dispute to that international court without taking into account the endorsement of the Venezuelan side.

Between 2015 and 2016, the Venezuelan government denounced to the international community the so-called “operation pincers” with which the United States, through Colombia and Guyana, would provoke a military conflict against Venezuela that would facilitate its subsequent intervention.

Within this framework, the United States Southern Command has arranged to include the neighboring country in its military maneuvers known as “Tradewinds”, in the Caribbean Sea, since 2015, just when ExxonMobil began to illegally explore (¿Quién está detrás del escalamiento diplomático por el Esequibo?) the deposits and sign contracts with Georgetown.

The US military arm is the one that manages (Guyana como enclave militar del Comando Sur en la cuenca del Caribe) diplomatic relations with increasing prominence; This is demonstrated by the face-to-face and discursive belligerence of his boss, General Laura Richardson. It was this official who received and introduced (EE.UU. busca potenciar su presencia militar en Guyana) the new American ambassador in Georgetown, Nicole Theriot.

The most recent version of “Tradewinds” featured 21 countries, including three European nations (France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom).

They gathered in Guyana for the second time since they took place to carry out various activities on land, air, sea and cyberspace, distributed in different locations in the country, many of them along the Essequibo River.

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Guyana illegally granted concessions to ExxonMobil in territorial maritime space disputed with Venezuela

(Photo: El Universal)

Also this year, as a sign that his diplomacy is always linked to the conflictive imprint, Secretary Blinken visited Guyana and discussed energy investment issues for its companies and territorial security. There has already been a precedent for interference dressed in diplomacy: in 2019 the Lima Group, a group of countries aligned with the regime change operation against Venezuela directed from the United States, issued a statement (Declaración del Grupo de Lima) recognizing the alleged Guyanese sovereignty over the territory of Essequibo. This led to notes of protest from the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela against the signatory states of the statement and led to the majority of the signatories recanting (Países rectifican posición tras nota del Grupo de Lima sobre Venezuela).

After the overwhelmingly positive result of the consultative referendum on December 3, the Venezuelan State decided to take the first actions to protect Guayana Esequiba.

President Nicolás Maduro ordered state companies to explore and exploit oil and minerals in the area, which caused the president of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, to say (Presidente de Guyana muestra intransigencia y apela al Comando Sur

) that he accepted the fact as hostility.

The war scenario is designed by the United States.

The Organization of American States (OAS), the spearhead for interventions and interference, has expressed itself (▷ Almagro respalda a Guyana y exige a Venezuela cumplir el fallo de la CIJ sobre el Esequibo #1Dic – El Impulso

) around the dispute, supporting Guyana, which seeks to mobilize the focus towards what the ICJ rules, whose decisions are known to be biased towards the North. Global, and recognized in case of being harmed.

  • Misión Verdad published numerous works regarding the Essequibo case, here
  • are six of them.

— WE ARE A GROUP OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS DEDICATED TO ANALYZING THE WAR PROCESS AGAINST VENEZUELA AND ITS GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS. FROM THE BEGINNING OUR CONTENT HAS BEEN FREE TO USE.

WE DEPEND ON DONATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS TO SUPPORT THIS PROJECT, IF YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO MISIÓN VERDAD (Apóyanos)

The TRAP of the HIGH-VALUE woman: every restaurant serves water

Have you ever gotten roadside help from somebody unexpected?

This is actually a story about my daughter. She was 17 and had bought a second hand Acura Integra sports car with her own money. No, dad was very remiss in not teaching his lovely daughter how to change a flat tire, so one night she gets a flat and limps into a Walmart parking lot. She knows where things are in the trunk, but is a little unsure how to use them.

Suddenly, a van pulls up near her and 4 guys pile out. She said later she was frozen with terror thinking they were going to abduct her and rape her. Instead, one of the men asked if she had a flat and was help on the way.

No, she replied, she was going to fix it herself, except she really didn’t know how.

While she was talking the other guys opened the back of the van and pulled (as she described it) a lever-style jack out as well as a power wrench. In seconds, her car was lifted up from the side; the wheel removed and her replacement tire back on. All done in about 30 seconds.

They were the pit crew for a race team and were stopping at Walmart for some snacks when they saw her predicament and came over to help.

They advised my daughter to have dad show her how to change a tire.

edit: I neglected to mention that my daughter had AAA but given their response time and her not having a cell phone she was prepared to try to change the tire herself. Given enough time she’d have figured it out since she is extremely bright, but the fellows coming by was a godsend to her. They basically made it into a lark to help a damsel in distress.

It was just one time…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FSyyGUzwnv8?feature=share

I’m a stepparent to two children, I pay all of the bills and support everyone financially. My significant other’s family and the children’s fathers are telling them I’m unimportant, my opinion doesn’t matter, etc. How should I handle this?

My dad’s father died when he was 9, in 1946. He had an older brother, and two younger sisters.

A few years later, his mother married a man named John. John told the kids “I am not your father, I cannot replace your father. Call me John, or whatever you want.”

John was a hard worker- he only missed a day of work when he was injured at work, and only stayed home because they made him. John was not an overly affectionate man- he was in Special Forces in WW2 and had terrible PTSD. He did however take the kids fishing with him, taught them to play cribbage, he was very handy and made sure the boys could fix things. He was protective of the girls, and would stand on the front porch waiting for them when they went out, not resting until they were home safe.

He made sure the boys stayed out of trouble, made sure they behaved, respected their mother, and worked from the time they were 14. Although very “street wise”, neither boy was ever in any trouble.

His whole working life, he always turned his entire pay over to his wife, and she gave him an allowance. He never once complained.

When someone said “Your children…” to him, he would say “they are my wife’s children”.

We called him Grandpa John.

When I was married, and after my grandmother had died, I asked him about him saying that. He said “Their father deserves the credit for who they are, and it’s wrong to make anyone forget him. You only have one father.” I asked if he loved the kids… and he said “I worked hard to make sure they had everything, I took care of them.” To him, this was the proof of love.

He also said “It was a privilege to raise them, they are good people. I was lucky to be able to be there to help”.

When I was a kid, and Grandpa John taught me to play Cribbage- if I missed points when counting my hand, he would take them saying “If you don’t want em, they’re mine”. He never let me (or my brothers) win; we either won fair and square, or not at all.

My dad is now 84. He is so much like Grandpa John- he is a strong man, who plays cards (just as John taught him), who fishes (just like John taught him), who can fix *anything* (just as John taught him), He missed rare days at work, served in the military, and would be waiting outside for me whenever I went out in the evening- he didn’t rest until he knew I was home, safe.

I beat my father once at Gin- once- in my whole life. The last time he and I played cribbage, I missed “His Nibs”- and my dad took the point, saying “If you don’t want em, they’re mine”.

He is, in reality, as much (if not more) John’s son as he was his father’s son. He respected and loved John, not because anyone told him to, but because John earned it.

Your step-kids will look back on their lives and see that *you* are the one who paid the bills, *you* were there when they woke up afraid, *you* were the one who waited on the front porch until they were home safe. You were the one who said “He’s $20, stop for Pizza on the way home”.

Just be a man of integrity. Don’t argue with anyone, don’t withdraw your love or support, just be there for the kids.

Just as no one needed to tell my Dad how important John was, no one will need to tell the children you are raising. And, one day, you will see in them how important you have been. And in reality, they are the only ones who matter.

What is the most shameless thing you have ever seen a teacher do?

More like the most disgusting. When I was in eighth grade, we had a male history teacher. He was in his thirties with a receding hairline and a weird smile.

When we started the beginning of the year, he was sort of like a goofy soccer dad. Very funny and interactive with the class. Nothing ever seemed weird about him, and all the parents always liked him.

As we moved along the year, he started doing strange things. He’d walk up behind female students and rub their shoulders or go way too close to them when trying to “help” with a problem. People always were uncomfortable but he didn’t go to an insane extent.

When we reached the “two months left of school” mark, we were taken on a field trip to the park for a class picnic. My friend and I went off to a table away from the class so we could talk with one another without other people hearing. I remember we were laughing about a joke her brother said when the history teacher came up to us and told me that our, at the time, English teacher needed me.

I didn’t think much of it and went up to my English teacher. Yes, of course, I realized that I shouldn’t left my friend alone with the history teacher, but at the moment I wasn’t thinking.

After I talked with my English teacher for a bit, I walked back to the table but realized they were both gone. I was confused and went back to my English teacher and told her that the two were missing. She grabbed the other teachers and began to look around for them.

I followed them as they spread out. While they were searching, I realized the two of them might be in the parking lot grabbing something from the bus. I went over and checked the bus and nobody was in there. The parking lot was mainly deserted so I went and checked the van parked slightly away from the bus. I peeked through the window, and to my horror, I saw my history teacher r*ping my friend, who was yelling through her tears. I was absolutely appalled. I threw open the door and started screaming at the top of my lungs. I slammed my fist into the groin area of my history teacher, grabbed my friend, and hauled her out of the van.

The rest of the teachers ran towards us as I told them what happened. The history teacher started yelling as the others called the police and screamed at him. It was all chaos.

To this day I am still scarred. Thankfully, my friend turned out okay and I still talk to her now. She’s happily married and has healed from this experience.

Remember, just because they’re an authority figure doesn’t mean you should trust them. People are messed up.

What one thing did your father do that left your mother sobbing?

It was the day before Thanksgiving. My mom was in the hallway sobbing and frantically searching the Help wanted section of the newspaper. I was only seven and my brother was four. I was confused about why my mom was crying so hard. I asked her and she said she needed to find a job. I thought that was strange because my dad had a good job and my mom stayed home and cooked and cleaned. Who’s going to take care of us I thought to myself.

Thanksgiving was a weird and somber day. All the food was there, but it was quiet. Silent even.

My mom found a job overnight so she could be home with us during the day. My dad stopped playing with us. He stopped talking to us. He stayed late at work a lot. My mom was always tired and took naps whenever she could. I was at school most of the day, so that helped, but the house started to get dirty and she started to bring home fast food instead of cooking delicious meals. This went on for a few years. My mom got really skinny.

And then, when I turned ten, my mom quit work and stayed home again. The house was clean again. We had good food to eat and my parents were happy again.

My mom told me years later that my dad had had a nervous breakdown. We were very close to losing the house and everything we owned. My dad had come very close to trying to commit suicide thinking that his life insurance would be enough to save every thing. My mom was crying that day because he told her his plans and my mom told him she would go to work and help save the house, but she couldn’t do it by herself. She loved him so much that she went without sleep to save him and everything we had. They were married 47 years until death did part them. My mom lived another 3 years afterwards and is buried next to him.

Traditional woman

Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken get so bad?

As a KFC customer for almost 40 years, I suppose I’m also contributing to the problem.

Ever since I first had KFC in the mid 1980s, I’ve been trained to look for their special deals or coupons which would make their meals about 30% cheaper than their regular pricing. With the deals, the iconic boxes and buckets haven’t gone up in price as much as everything else. 9 pieces of regular chicken went from about $7 in the mid 1980s to $10–12 today when it should be about $25.

Hence they had to reduce the sizes of their chicken pieces, as they charge by the piece, and slash ingredient costs until it’s basically just salt for seasoning. Honestly, plain battered fried chicken is already pretty good, so I can see how they can get by with mostly salt and dispense with the expensive spices.

As a customer, I would expect ever lower inflation-adjusted prices to compensate for the reduction in quality. I would still come for the deals if it’s cheap enough. They know it and I know it.

Now, they’re making barely passable food loaded with insane amounts of salt that people like me still eat out of nostalgia when yet another coupon comes across. The usual patrons are at least my age or older and their sad looking sit down tables are still mostly empty and straight out of the 1980s.

While each KFC location can still pull upwards of $1–2M in sales a year, I don’t know how they’re going to survive in the coming decade when the older generations like me literally can’t handle the salt anymore. The Millennials and younger crowd have grown up used to fancy fried chicken like the Korean double fried or Dave’s hot chicken. They’re not taking well to KFC at any price.

What was the most unexpected knock you got on your door?

In 2016 during a night in March around 2 AM, I was woken up by hard knocks my front door. As I made my way towards the door (which was partly glass), I noticed a police uniform. I opened the door and saw a police officer standing out there telling me he’s performing a wellness check. I look at him in a weird way, asking him why he would come in the middle of the night to check on me and my family. He explained to me that an Uber driver reported taking a strange guy from near our premises around 8 pm. The guy looked weird and acted strange enough to alert the Uber driver. He asked the Uber driver to simply drop him off in the middle of a street without specifying which house exactly. During the drive, he didn’t make any conversation with the driver.

Now for the back story. The passenger was my brother, who has hurt his eye during his army service. His iris was damaged, so it looks like he has an expanded pupil. He had just landed that evening after a flight from Europe (me in the US) and was jetlagged and tired. He simply rested during the drive and almost fell asleep. He didn’t know which Airbnb house the company rented, so he needed to walk a little to find it. When I explained this to the officer, we both had a good laugh at now, 2:30 AM and then he left.

After all this, I still appreciate the Uber driver, who did the right thing. I wish everyone cared enough about strangers they never met or knew.

What is something that you found out about your parents after they died?

After my dad died, my mother was incredibly lonely, so I would take her on road trips, and we would visit all the places that her and dad had visited together.

As we drove, she told me their history, from the day she met him, their first date, how he asked her out, their first kiss. They were married 75 years ago, and my mother was a virgin on her wedding night.

She told me of them scrimping and saving to buy each other, and later us kids, gifts. How happy they were when they saved enough money.

She told of how once a month they would have enough money for a 26 of whiskey or rum, and they would invite our neighbors, their best friends over, for drinks and toast. Then two weeks later, their neighbors would have saved up enough to invite them over. My parents had a pan with holes in it, with handles, that they sat on top of their propane stove, to make toast. Their neighbors had this newfangled electric toaster. My mother loved the evenness of the toasting on the toast, from the electric toaster. The neighbors were polite enough to say that they loved the toast from the pan.

When my father died, my mother had me spread the ashes at the site of their first house, by the stream in the country. She had told me so many joyful stories of those days. Like the day she found out she was pregnant with my older brother.

Her wish was to have her ashes spread there too.

What do you think are the reputational consequences of the Chinese spy balloon’s reveal in early 2023?

Your U.S. joint chief of staff in the military CONFIRMED THAT IT IS A WEATHER BALOON officially and you still choose to call it a fxxking “spy balloon” either you are dumb, idiotic or you are a jerk. But chances is that you are an average Joe a typical China and Chinese hater pretending to ask a question!

Shoot it down? Of course no. It no different from shooting down you neighbours kid party ballon blown of course into your air space! Do you know you look and sons like a 50 IQ per just for asking that? If you are normal you will question what your nation uses a billion dollar fighter jet to shoot down a thousand dollar balloon travelling 20 KM an hour!

Grow up will you? No wonder the U.S. is bankrupt and imploding. It is due to people like you.

You have to bite people from time to time.

What’s something you can’t believe you had to explain to another adult?

When I first left Hawaii I moved to San Diego. One of the first things I wanted to do was establish a checking account. This was the mid 80’s.

I took my travelers checks and had to catch a bus to a bank. I looked at the desks as I entered and they were all empty so I approached a teller and let her know I wanted to speak to someone about opening an account. She told me she could help. So I pull out my travelers checks and my wallet and place them on the counter. She glances at the tc’s and asks me, “What country is that from?” – wait, really?

“This one.”

“Which one?”

“This one. They’re from this country. Is there an account manager available?”

“I assure you, I can help. Can I see your ID?” I hand it over. “And do you have your passport?”

“For what? I don’t have a passport.”

“Because you’re from overseas. I need a passport.” again- what?

I’m not from ‘overseas’. I’m from Hawaii. It’s a state.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, think again. Hawaii is a state.”

“Ma’am, you have foreign money and a foreign ID. I need a passport.”

So, at 21, I stepped back and yelled, “I NEED TO SPEAK WITH A MANAGER!!”

A young man steps up from behind me and asks what the problem is. I try to let him know that I’m trying to open an account when the teller interjects and tells him I have no passport, I’m from ‘overseas’ and I have foreign money. Before I have a chance to show him my ID he kindly lets me know that I need a passport to open an account when coming from out of country. So, I’m done. I grab my things and head for the door.

At this point it looks like the manager is returning from lunch. He stops me on the way to the door and asks if he could help. I show him my ID. “This is a state ID, issued in the State of Hawaii. The 50th state of the United States.” He say, “Yes, ma’am, I know what this is. What’s the problem?”

Teller pops over, “She needs a passport.”

Manager, “For what?”

“Because she’s from overseas!”

“No, she’s not. She’s from Hawaii.”

“But, that’s overseas.”

“Actually, it’s a state.” To which she looked totally confused.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I won’t be able to open an account here.”

He tried to stop me but I was done.

Why are so many Americans moving to the UK?

I took my Inuit husband to England. I borrowed my Mother’s car and took him to a pub. I had not been back for a while, so when, near 11pm, I did not hear the familiar “Time, Gentlemen, please” I assumed that licencing hours had been changed. After a while the publican came to each table and said, quietly “If you wouldn’t mind drinking up and leaving soon I would appreciate it. The police are outside.” So we left and got in the car. A police officer came over and I wound down the window. “Excuse me, Madam,” he said politely, “Did you know that your tax disk is out of date?” This is a circular piece of paper which fits in a holder on the windshield to prove you have paid the road tax. I explained that it was my Mother’s car and I knew nothing about it, but I scrabbled in the glove-box in case it was there. It wasn’t. “Well, perhaps it is just at home, then” suggested the officer, “could I have the name and address of the owner?” I duly gave it and was told that he would drop round in a few days to make sure. We drove home. My husband was astonished and suggested what would have happened if we had been in Canada. My Mother rushed into the nearest town the next day in my Father’s car and paid for the missing tax disk.

A couple of months later I was speaking with my Mother on the phone and she told me that a policeman had shown up just a day or so before this call. He had a cup of tea and chatted, and then mentioned the tax disk which had been duly inserted in the holder. He took a look at it and left.

That is policing as it should be, and it is the reason that the British police can do their job unarmed. In the UK, the police are our friends, there to protect us. They do not shoot and ask questions after.

P.S. Yes, this happened a number of years ago, and now police can check using the number plate.

Caught

What is a secret which you would not tell anybody in real life, but would on Quora using anonymity?

Dear teenagers ,

Please don’t confuse between Love and Hormonal influences.

When I am 16 years old , I met a guy 26 years old man in Facebook. I liked all his post mainly composed of love

His post said : Love isn’t all about Romance .

I am impressed and created a fake profile to speak with him. He found that is fake.

When he asked me about it , I am forced to reveal my identity . I proposed. My first greatest mistake of my life !

The moment I proposed his speech and attitude changed . He took advantage over me . He asked for my photos .

That night he started sexy talks over phone .

At first I could not understand what he was saying . He said imagine I am there and pressing your chest … And even worser …

I was confused . I started to rethink whether he is the guy who posted such beautiful stuffs in facebook.

The next day I shouted at him and asked him not to speak with me then after .

But he blackmailed me that he will say all this to my Parents. He recorded that night talk and threatened me .

But I stood bold . I said its better to get beatings from my parents than to be the feast for your lust .

Teenagers on Quora,

I see some having crush on Quorans just for thier writings here . You will never know how they are In personal life.

Don’t confuse between Love and Lust

And

Don’t confuse between reality and social – virtual world .

Remember, Don’t be an object for men’s lust .

It’s ok to get punishment for your sin than to hide it with greater sin .

Why has the West, particularly the US, been upholding the democracy, human rights, and freedom to commit genocide on millions of civilians and children such as in Gaza?

It’s what happens to a rogue empire when it begins to collapse inwardly

It becomes a Nation of Factions and Partisanship

The US is struggling in a Multipolar World

More and more Nations now stand up to the US and say “We have had enough of your hegemony. Either you treat us better or we go to Russia and China”

Yet Israel is an old buddy and the Jewish lobby, a Lobby of corrupt and greedy people who are middlemen to various corrupt deals involving Israel and USA can use the pressure of this corruption and cause Biden serious problems in the elections because Wall Street is heavily controlled by the Jewish Lobby


So on one side the US is losing the goodwill of the Arabs who are too rich to be bribed, who can get nuclear architecture from Russia and China completely bypassing the West and who can get weapons and trade from China and Russia entirely bypassing the West

Iran simply says to the Arabs “Look guys , either you allow me to get a two state solution by funding Houthis and Hezbollah and Hamas or i turn them on you”

Arab States are happy with the recent peace with Iran so they say “Either Iran gets defeated which is good for us or Israel gets humbled and US gets humbled which is ALSO good for us”

Its a win win for them

Meanwhile Israel knows the US is losing Arabia and know that if they burn bridges with Israel, they lose the entire middle East

Israel is the only anchor for US influence in the Middle East where Arab Nations are fast asking the US to go f*** themselves every day

So they cannot be forcefully impeded by USA


So there you have it

The Strongest Nation in the world now a stinking cesspit with a Senile Biden, a Stupid Birdbrain Nikki Haley and that Faggot Lindsey Graham in charge of decision making

Losing the Middle East and clueless how to stop it

Too scared of losing Israel and thus allowing open butchery and murder of kids and women and losing the goodwill of the entire non western world

A HELPLESS NATION CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF WEAKNESS AND CORRUPTION

Pearl Quickly SHUT HER Down For Saying This…

Who was the most frightening child you’ve ever met, that you have no doubt would grow up to be a dangerous adult?

After working closely with children as a teacher, I have to say that, although in many cases family problems/neglect or abuse by parents, carers, etc is to blame, there are also some children who are just born “bad seeds”. I had one little boy in a class one year. I knew his parents socially and had his older brother in my class in previous years. The older brother was a nice, well-behaved kid – sometimes naughty, but what kids aren’t, sometimes? Just a normal, well-adjusted child.

His younger brother, on the other hand, was a nightmare. Because I was a friend of the family, I got to see this little horror in action. From the moment of his birth, he was a cranky and demanding baby who had no patience and if everybody didn’t jump to his will he would throw a huge tantrum. As he grew older, and particularly once I could observe him daily in my classroom, I saw him become, what I can only describe as cunning. He knew tantrums didn’t work with me: I usually walk away and once they realize they have no audience they calm down. Instead, he began a campaign of terror. Always when he thought I wasn’t watching. He was very intelligent,and when it suited him he could charm the birds from the trees. But on an instant he could turn into a raging maniac. Instead of using that intellect to learn, instead he used it to lie, steal, cheat, and physically hurt other children who were smaller than him, destroying their work and generally causing me to have to concentrate on him more than any of the others just to keep him under some sort of control. The day came when he skipped class. I could hear a commotion in the playground, where the school had set up a henhouse for the children to have contact with farm animals. I could hear chickens in distress. A number of teachers, all followed by their classes, ran to see what was going on. The hens were all milling about and scared and there were five dead hens. E. was still holding one screaming chicken, laughing as he swung it by its legs. The school then told the parents that this behaviour was beyond our capacity and to take him out.

His parents took him to a child psychologist and he was diagnosed as having “Defiance and Anger Management Disorder” and he was sent to a specialist school that deals with children with out of control behaviour.

I lost touch with the family for a number of years after that, but eventually ran into the older brother, who had by now joined the Australian Air Force and was a pilot in training. We chatted for a while, and of course I asked him how E., his younger brother, was doing.

He told me that E. only got worse as he got older. He had gone to Juvenile Detention for attacking people and was now in jail again for attacking an old age pensioner with a pair of scissors. His brother said he feared for when he got out – he said that E. was dangerous and couldn’t be trusted not to hurt people. Not because of anything they did to him. Just because he enjoyed hurting other living things. The family couldn’t keep pets, since E. would always torture them to death.

Ten years after running into the older brother, I again heard of E. He is currently in jail for attempted murder. His live-in girlfriend was found beaten to a pulp, and she lives now with multiple disabilities. The judge said he had never seen anybody treated so callously, and that E. had an absolute lack of apparent remorse for his actions.

So it is not always nurture. Sometimes nature is to blame.

Exposure

If somebody slaps my father in front of me, what should be my response in this situation?

When I was in high school, I was a cheerleader. My father drove a school bus. One evening, we were at the school waiting to board the bus to attend an out-of-town game. A student at the school that was heavily into drugs and other assorted activities came to the school.

I was standing, talking to my father at the moment this student approached us. He produced a pistol, stuck it under my father’s chin and pulled the trigger. The gun just “clicked”. He sneered at us and said “Darn. Wish it had been loaded.”. That is my last cognizant thought of the evening.

Later, friends relayed the “rest of the story” to me.

The police were called. Upon their arrival, my father was asked where the offender was. He pointed and said “Under that cheerleader.”. Obviously, I had taken serious offense at this jerk’s actions and beat the living daylights out of him. The police pulled me off of him and took him to jail. Again, I have no recollection of those events.

I cannot condone you taking the action I took. It would completely depend on the circumstances.

What has been the biggest plot twist that happened in your life?

When I was 11 years old, I was diagnosed with Aspergers.

The psychologist told me I would never hold a real job, drive a car, or even be capable of basic self-care around the house.

Where I come from, healthcare is incredibly poor because only the lowest-qualifying doctors move to this environmentally contaminated area because nobody in a reputable city will accept them.

Basically, my diagnosis was based almost entirely upon my uneducated sociopath mother’s lies, slander, and manipulation. The rest of my diagnosis was based on the outlandish and outdated belief that it’s abnormal for a girl to be extremely quiet, but have very articulate speech and an interest in science and video games.
Yeah, they literally assumed I was mental because I didn’t fit their sexist views.
Needless to say, doctors in this area are among the most unprofessional in the entire country.

My childhood consisted of endless bullying and harassment from my mom, brother, stepfather, classmates, and teachers. My mom always called me a “retard” and told me to “act like a normal kid, you fucking freak.” She also belittled me by telling me that I DESERVED the bullying that everyone gave me.

Years later, I survived multiple suicide attempts and turned 18.

Despite being labeled as an “autistic retard”, my mom forced me to immediately enter college when I wasn’t ready and all I wanted to do was navigate through basic adulthood with a job before making such a huge commitment to education.

I psychologically cracked.

Most of what happened is now a blur.
But I can remember the part when I silently walked out of class in the middle of a lecture.
I continued walking silently outside and made my way toward my mom’s car.
(Yeah, she actually allowed me to get a license and drive myself occasionally. But only because her friends with “normal” kids started giving her shit about having a retarded kid.)

I got in the car and sobbed violently.
My life was over.
It’s all a prison and I want out.

My grades were all horrible because I saw no point in doing anything when my mom always told me that I would NEVER be allowed to have my own life and that if I attempted to escape from her, she would finally have me legally declared mentally incompetent so I would have no human rights to make my own decisions in life.

A few weeks later, I left my mom’s house without any notice and used my meager savings account to get an apartment. I spent 8 months submitting job applications to every place in town that would hire my age. I literally only got three interviews the entire time. I was forced to work online as an adult cam model to survive on less than $800 a month. Keep in mind that this job was very difficult due to being naturally ugly and constantly being degraded.
At the end of these 8 months, I was finally hired for a shitty part-time job.

At this point, it probably sounds like nothing will ever improve.

But here’s the plot twist…

Today, I’m 22 years old and I have a stable job in a manufacturing facility.
Most people are unable to survive on the meager wages of this job, but I’ve managed to do far more than just survive.
I’m thriving.
I didn’t need a roommate or a partner to help me move up in life.
In only two years of working this job and supporting myself living alone, I was able to build my credit and save up money to buy a nice convertible car and a HOUSE.
A freaking HOUSE.
I did it on my own with no guidance from anyone.
I researched everything carefully and worked hard and because of that, I succeeded.
But aside from material things, I also gained something else that my mom and all the other cruel people said I would never have.
Friends.

I still go through cycles of depression, but my friends are understanding of my struggle and it helps to know that they still believe in me.

The moral of this story is to never lose hope.
Even if everyone in your life hates you and makes a joint effort to keep you trapped, always keep an ounce of hope guarded in your mind.
If you have to use anger from injustice to re-ignite your hope, do it.
Do it until you succeed and then find peace.
As long as you have even the smallest amount of hopeful defiance,
you have the power to create a plot twist in your life.

Words have no meaning in modern America.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7U68b2CxJgs?feature=share

What was the moment you realized that life had passed you by?

Monday, November 26, 2012.

I had been out of prison for one month after a 15 year incarceration for murder. The conviction of murder requiring “intent” and “aforethought” in my state, I can say with a straight face and clear conscious that I did not commit murder, however I absolutely knew when my spouse took the stand to testify against me that I would be convicted of it. Since I am a “manslaughterer” by the legal definition of the word, I didn’t quibble and just took the sentence. It was coming either way, and I knew it.

On that Monday I took a psychological battery for vocational rehabilitation to see what they could help me with. I walked 4 miles one way at 7AM for the appointment. It was overcast, in the low 40’s when I started out, and I was hopeful. After taking a many hours long series of tests, I had a brief interview with a psychologist. I was warned beforehand that he was there to ask me a few questions but not for a counseling session, so I was to keep that in mind.

Every question he asked me I thought about in depth before I answered. I wanted to give this well educated, intelligent man the exact shade of phraseology I knew he needed for an accurate assessment. At the end, he asked if I had any questions for him. I said I had one, “When does being free start to become easier than it is now?” He looked at me straightaway in the eyes and said with absolutely zero expression of emotion, “This isn’t a counseling session. If you need a counseling session you can make an appointment.”

Freedom was not all it was cracked up to be, to put it very, very mildly. On that date I was down to my last few dollars I had saved whilst in prison ($700 in 3 years, crocheting blankets and working 250 hours a month at .30¢ an hour), I had no job, was being pestered to get a job immediately by Parole Officer who provided to date zero help in that department, and everything I was qualified, trained and educated for was worthless in a professional pursuit. I was given a list of over 50 companies who hire felons, but only 4 would consider a violent felon. I was told to spend at least 8 hours a day looking for a job. Between 10 to 20 times a day I had to replay for horrified managers what I did which sent me to prison. By the end of the day, I seemed like an apathetic sociopath who couldn’t care less about what I did. My family hadn’t deemed me worthy of help, I was in a strange new city in a halfway house, I knew very few people and they were all busy with their own life anyways.

What had most galled me was how the civilisation in general had changed. I was deeply, deeply bothered by the callous disregard of fellow humans by virtually everyone I met in every walk of life. For the last 10 years or so that I was in prison I noticed that the rookie inmates were particularly inconsiderate and selfish, and I attributed that to the fact that I was 10 years their senior, and that they were just young kids afraid and wanting to fit in. When I was released, I immediately noticed that in fact these selfish, inconsiderate and thoughtless inmates were just an accurate representation of their age group, and that this is what society had become.

Around noon, I was walking home on a bridge which went over the freeway. I looked over the edge. I could feel the spirit of despair and crushed dreams with no hope for relief calling me down to the pavement below with a promise for a sweet release from this place. For about 4 or 5 seconds, I just looked over the edge. I calculated all I have going for me and all I had relinquished so far in this life.

All I had was a promise from the Russian Orthodox Church which told me that after a well run race I would be awarded a rest and a peace the likes of which I could not imagine.

I walked on.

On my way home I thought first about what I had been educated 20 years for, and what I could do with it.

Zero.

Then I thought about what I had done in the past and wondered if I could do it again.

Nope.

Then I started considering my resources to find a job and realised that I had exhausted all of the leads I’d generated to no avail.

Empty.

Upon reaching the halfway house, I realised that every plan I had focused on my whole life was now worthless. Before I was arrested I’d hoped to become a tenured and published professor, and eventually move on to politics. In prison, all my hope every day was that life out here would somehow be better than life inside. It isn’t. It’s just different. After prison, I had hoped that my mind, education and experience could come together and be utilised in a positive way. I found that absolutely no one wanted to hear what I had to say except out of politeness. It had been all I could do to keep from jumping off the bridge when I saw into what this world has morphed.

Now I am a chef in a 4.75 star restaurant. Life is much, much harder and less pleasant than it has ever been out here. I don’t have a purpose. Not like my sister who is a world authority in her medical field. Nor like my brother in law who writes policy in the federal State Department. Nor like my Grandfather who helped save us all from the Soviet Union, put a man on the moon, and taught Jimmy Doolittle how to take a B-25 off of the USS Hornet.

I could have been any of these things and more, but I decided to overreact and lash out in abject rage in a total panic and go to prison. So, I can’t complain. At least I’m breathing, and at least God forgives me. He and His Church are all I have. Everything else can be stripped of me easily, and probably will. But I have faith in Him, His promises of life to come, and that the life here is of some merit simply unknown to me. Because of that, there is always hope that while if life has passed me by, at least I may someday cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.

What is something that your mother has done that is unforgivable?

My mother has done a great deal of unforgivable things. Here’s one:

Our family of eight moved from California back to New York in the middle of the night. I was 9 at this time. We drove, we had a beat-up station-wagon and it was pretty tight quarters.

One of the reasons for the move was my oldest brother was facing juvenile hall for some property he destroyed. My mother just couldn’t have HER oldest (and most likely best loved) son go away. I’d like to state here that my brother had problems, big problems. He was a sadist and probably a psychopath and definitely a pedophile. He was the eldest kid; there were six of us.

I believe another one of the reasons for the late night move was my Dad lost his job and we were running out on the rent. I’m not positive but it’s a pretty good guess. My Father was laid off from his job as a defense contractor.

We never got a hotel room because we couldn’t afford it, so we all slept in the car for the entire trip across country. Uncomfortable even if everything was Kosher. Which it was not.

One night I woke up to find someone pulling down my pants. Fortunately I was able to pretend to be asleep and move away from him, I realized during this situation (attack?) it was my oldest brother. So nothing happened technically, but we had just begun this trip, I was worried about him making another attempt to molest me. Of course I didn’t know THAT word at that time.

The next morning I got my mother alone and told her what happened, she said “What are you trying to do, start trouble?” I was speechless and afraid. So now if I tell my Father, (who was a good man) I would indeed “start trouble.” I should have gone to my Father first, but I was unaware (at the time), how skewed her opinion and vision of who and what her first son was. By the way, he was 16 at the time.

I have another older brother (he was 11 at this time) He is wonderful, loving, caring and trustworthy. I told him about the “problem.” He promised to keep me and my crazy brother separated by sleeping between us for the whole trip. For his trouble he was smacked and bothered by my crazy brother the whole trip. But he did just that, stayed between us, although our plan was met with objections from my oldest brother, he and my mother tried repeatedly to switch us around. I’m sure my Father thought this situation was nuts, but that was life with my mother all around.

My mother continued to take my brother’s side over the years, no matter what! He beat us up and terrified us just to entertain himself. He even turned on her, throwing glasses at her and a myriad of other things. I had to place him under citizens’ arrest twice, once when I was 13 and the other time I was 18. He was raving drunk both times, terrorizing us, breaking windows and furniture, hitting us. My Father did what he could to protect us, but my brother was a big, violent loud-mouthed drunk. The cops told me if I wanted him arrested, I would have to get him outside of the house or they couldn’t touch him. Although I’m loathe to have cops handle anything for me, I had no choice. I had little brothers and a sister to think about.

I’m so grateful to my brother (the normal one, lol.) for his protection, especially at his very young age. He remains to this day one of my very best friends as well as someone I can always count on.

A good man

What is the craziest thing you have ever said or done at an interview and still gotten the job?

Presence of mind was one thing I didn’t think I had until this happened:

Interviewer: Good morning Mr. Anonymous. I’m sure you’re familiar with a typical consult interview, so I won’t beat around the bush. Tell me a little about yourself before we dive into the puzzles and cases.

Me: Blah blah blah…er…blah…er…blah

Being my first job interview, I managed the impossible. I screwed up right at the start and ended up describing why I wanted to do consulting, instead of talking about myself. Beads of sweat started forming on my troubled forehead. With a bemused look on his face, the interviewer continued.

Interviewer: Uh, o…kay. I’ll go on to the puzzle now. Okay, so tell me…

He proceeds to describe a puzzle I had heard and solved recently. I have trouble keeping my emotions away from my facial expressions, so I broke into a wide smile, thinking that the moment to redeem the dismal ‘tell me about yourself’ had come! Needless to say, my poker career ended almost as soon as it had started.

Me: <Laughing> Sir, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve heard this one before…<I then proceed to give an outline of the solution>

Interviewer: Oh, haha, okay. I guess I’ll have to ask you another one I guess. Okay, so…

He then proceeds to describe a puzzle that sounded so tricky and convoluted that the beads of perspiration on my forehead now gushed forth with renewed fury in rivulets of nervousness down my face and neck and arms and legs. A Ganga of tension clouded over my face. The interviewer finishes asking the question and there is an ugly silence that ensues. I could almost hear the atoms in the left part of my brain screeching to a sudden halt and completely and stubbornly refusing to budge towards any analysis whatsoever. I had no idea what the solution was. I didn’t even know where to start!

But then the creative right part of my brain swooped in, with fluttering heroic cape et al.

Me: <Smiling broadly> Sir, I hate to admit it, but I’ve heard this one before as well!

Interviewer: <A look that registered appreciation of my unbelievable ‘honesty’ and shock at the probability of it all> Wow…No puzzles today, it seems. I guess we’ll move on to a quick case then…

And then, after blindly stumbling and bumbling through the case and then shockingly recovering to somehow solve it, I cleared the interview and got the job!

Why haven’t the French (& Belgians) filled (Garbage etc) the craters from WWl to enable farm land to be recovered?

Mostly they have.

A few years ago, I stayed at a hotel just outside Ypres (in Belgium) which more-or-less stood dead on what was the front line, back in 1914–18. There was a bunker in the garden, and lots of photos of what the immediate area looked like during the war (a muddy, blasted, hellscape).

Next door was a water park, across the road were fields.

If you look at aerial shots of, for example, the Lochnagar crater, which was right on the front line, and which was created by a massive underground explosion on the first day of the Somme battle (July 1916), you’ll see that it’s surrounded by fields of crops.

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The areas that haven’t been reclaimed are the ones where the fighting was so intense, that there are still significant amounts of explosives, posion gas, etc, buried in the soil. Just down the road from Lochnagar is the Canadian (well, Newfoundland) memorial, at Beaumont-Hamel. There are areas there that are fenced off, and clearly marked as dangerous, becasue there are still explosives in the ground. Whilst the line of the Newfoundland trenches has been kept intact, and they are still there, along with no-man’s land, and that area has been turned into a memorial, the site of the German front line 100–200 yeards away has been cleared and reclaimed as farmland.

So, most of it has been cleared, but certain areas (the ‘zone rouge’) have not.

Think about that. We were so clever in our destruction of each other that we literally rendered the earth uninhabitable, for over 100 years.

This Is Why Marriage Is An “L” For Men!

“Their opinion on the fact that women initiate divorce 80% of the time is essentially… “a woman is always justified in whatever she does, and is also never at fault”. That is literally the default setting and opinion of most modern day woman. Ridiculous.”

What did a teacher say that broke your heart?

“You need to stay away from Kate.”

I was in 5th grade and my teacher told me I needed to leave my best friend alone. I was confused. I asked her why and was told me and Kate are no longer friends.

I was heartbroken. I didnt understand why this was happening. I kept trying to make eye contact with Kate to find out what was going on but she ignored me.

At lunch I was forced to sit alone. Kate was sitting with all our friends. Tears silently poured down my face as I tried to eat. My dad had just died of cancer a few weeks ago and now I had lost my best friend.

My face must have shown my grief when i got home that day. My mom, who was usually too self absorbed to notice me, asked me what was wrong. The tears started again as I choked out that I wasn’t allowed to be Kate’s friend anymore. She got immediately concerned and asked why, but the sobbing took hold and I ran to my room.

While I was in my room I heard my mom make two phone calls. One was to my teacher. My mom demanded to know what happened. I guess my teacher told her that Kate’s mom didn’t want us to be friends anymore. My mom was pissed. Me and Kate had been besties since 1st grade. Kate’s mom had never liked me but I never saw this coming. My mom asked why they didn’t call her. The teacher said she didn’t think it concerned her.

I guess my mom had hung up because next thing i knew she was yelling at Kate’s mom. “How could you do this after she just lost her dad? Shes already holding on by a thread!”

Then the conversation took an interesting turn. “What do you mean Kate thinks she’s too bossy?! She could have just talked to Sami. This was the extreme option. Can’t she just talk to her? Maybe they can work something out.”

So there was the truth. Kate didn’t want to be my friend. My mom was more pissed at my teacher for not calling her. I refused to go back to school. I couldn’t deal with it. I later ended up in the hospital for attempting suicide.

The teacher could have handled it differently. I was treated like a criminal basically. Everyone seemed intent on keeping me away from my friend that day and it hurt me deeply.

Edit: Wow! Over 5 thousand upvotes. Thanks everyone!

And I need to add something after reading certain comments.

I was just a child and I was hurt. I didnt realize I was getting on her nerves. I would have most certainly changed if I did. Im still unsure if my “bossiness” was the reason why she didnt want to be my friend all of a sudden. It could have just been an excuse to get away from me but we will never know.

I wasn’t some kind of mastermind bent on making Kate’s life a living hell. I didn’t know that I was acting a bad way because I was never taught about right and wrong. I was just myself with her, just like anyone else would be with their best friend.

How much real-life damage could a modern U.S. Special Forces soldier do to a small-town police force if provoked like Rambo’s character?

Originally Answered: How much real life damage could a modern U.S. special forces soldier do to a small town police force if provoked like Rambo’s character?

Micah Xavier Johnson, 25 years old, Army Reserves, Delusional

2016 shooting of Dallas police officers – Wikipedia

Dallas, Texas has a far superior police force to a “Small Town”, and Micah was young, delusional, rambling and scribbling gibberish at times with meanings still yet to be deciphered, and went in without a plan besides to shoot white cops, and in general a very far cry from a clear headed special forces operator with years of experience (one of the best if we are equating this person to Rambo)

Even still, he managed to kill 5 police officers and shoot 9 more, not to mention 2 civilians.

The largest police force of any city has a ratio of about 57 cops for every 10,000 residents, or .57% of the population. The next largest is a ratio of .43%.

San Jose on the other hand, has a ratio of .09% of the population belonging to the police force.

Based on what I have looked up

How Many Police Officers Does a City Need?

Over 87% of all cities in the US have a police force of under 40 members. Strange when considering New York’s is tens of thousands strong (.175% of population) The reason for this is that the smaller the city, the lower the ratio of crime to civilian numbers.

The Average Size of a Police Department | Synonym

The lower the population of a city, the lower the ratio of officers to the rest of the population.

San Jose has over a million people with a police force accounting for only .09% of the population, so a small town of say 4,000 people probably only has a police force accounting for around lets say .2% of the population at an absolute maximum? And even that is an extremely high estimate implying this small town has an abnormally high crime rate, despite this meaning that there are likely only about 8 officers in total.

8 officers in total for a small town of 4,000 people [on a high estimate], and a delusional, young army reserves soldier with no real plan besides shooting white cops, no escape planned out, proved his capacity to shoot them all out with a rifle while remaining largely stationary, in a shootout.

So how effective would a seasoned, trained, special forces operator, in their right state of mind [more or less] fair against a similar police force?

One of the officers might be able to survive by remaining hidden or fleeing if our modern day Rambo [with superior training than when that movie was made] is only allowed to use a knife.

Otherwise?

(Ironically Keanu Reaves training for John Wick was a better training video than the easily available ones on youtube)

Police force will get decimated. The operator will go in with a plan of action-

Luring the police force to a certain area for example and setting off a bomb or something- And then targeting the remainder with extreme and calculated force.

small EDIT: Thankfully no one has complained- But upon re-reading my answer, since we are talking about calculated killing of police officers, some of the terms I used- “Wiping them out”, “Blowing them up”- came back as callous to me, so I re-worded a bit to remove those terms. Targeted killing of police is a major issue that does not often get talked about, especially more recently with gang’s and initiations and the like, and I don’t want to give the impression that I do not have the utmost respect and appreciation for officers. Managing a hotel overnight (the closest one to downtown which has several clubs) surrounded by multiple popular bars and breweries within 5 minute walking distance, I have had to rely on officer assistance multiple times in the last year alone and the last thing I want is for an officer, past or present, to read this and think that I would make light of a highly trained military individual targeting a police force.

So thanks to everyone willing to put their lives on the line daily to keep people safe who cannot otherwise do it themselves, by picking up a badge knowing that it can just as easily become a target.

As a doctor or nurse, what has been your most disgusting encounter with a patient?

The most disgusting, and the most remarkable!

I was working at my first job post-graduation, as a brand new RN, young and impressionable. It was a 36 bed Ophthalmology unit, and there weren’t always enough eye patients to keep every bed occupied. During times when we had an ongoing number of empty beds, the docs would head over to the local psychiatric hospital and examine the patients for cataracts. Medicare would cover the cataract surgery if the chart documentation said that the psychiatric condition was exacerbated due to the patient’s impaired vision. After these visits we would have an onslaught of psychotic patients to admit and prep for surgery. Back then, in the 1970s, cataract extraction involved a four-day hospital stay.

We nurses admitted and cared for many patients with varied psychiatric diagnoses during this time, ranging from catatonia to manic disorders, schizophrenia, multiple-personality disorder, severe hallucinations — pretty much any mental disorder which rendered long term psychiatric hospitalization necessary. It was often our observation that, sadly, these patients were not well cared-for at the psychiatric hospital, and it unfortunately became routine for them to come to us malodorous, disheveled, needing a bath, and often with soiled clothes. We would get them showered and shampooed, apply lotion to their dry skin, give them physical exams and blood work, including gyn exams and Pap smears for the female patients, and begin eye prep for their cataract surgery.

So one morning I arrived at work and was given my assigned rooms, which included a new patient who had just arrived from the psych hospital. I braced myself for the usual, but what I found was beyond the pale. The patient was a 40 year old female. She did not speak, move or react, just stared ahead. Her need for hygiene was beyond anything I had ever seen. She smelled like an extremely ripe mixture of urine, feces, sweat, glandular and sebaceous secretions, stinky feet and unwashed clothes. Her dark skin was scaled and crusted. Her filthy and malodorous hair had once been carefully braided into tiny braids all over her head. Someone had once cared enough to do that. But it was so long ago that her hair had since grown about three or four inches into a neglected, uncombed, never-since washed, unkempt afro with the tiny braids imbedded at the ends.

I looked across the room to my other patient, her roommate, to see if she was at all put-out by the stench. She was in a long white nightgown, a rather pale tiny pretty elderly lady, who nodded hello and smiled sweetly at me. She was already getting up out of bed, and said she would attend to her own needs this morning so I could concentrate on her roommate.

First things first, the psych patient needed cleaning up. She would have contaminated the entire operating room! Ok to keep things brief I will only say she came alive when I explained I was going to give her a shower and tried to get her out of bed into a wheeled shower chair. She screamed and fought tooth and filthy nails, became dead weight when I tried to get her to transfer to the chair, wouldn’t cooperate with me one iota. Her breath was horrible every time she screamed at me. After much exertion, I was able to wheel her into the shower. I soaped and re-soaped and scrubbed her face and body, taking multiple times to do this, she was so encrusted with filth. The worst part was her groin. There was probably over a year’s worth of layers of soiling herself and never being cleaned, each layer dried and stuck to the layer underneath and to her skin and pubic hair. The hot water exacerbated the stench and I had to keep putting my head outside the shower curtain for fresh air. There were clay-like clumps of feces all along the bottom of the shower, which housekeeping would have to deal with when we were through. I must have gone through at least a dozen towels and washcloths, which were in a wet brown pile.

Once her skin was clean, I sighed, not knowing how I would ever attend to that head of hair. I decided the best thing would be to cut off the little braids, so I used my bandage scissors to do that. I trimmed and cleaned her filthy black fingernails and toenails too. All through the shower I was explaining what I was doing and trying to keep the patient as placated as I could, and by now she was considerably calmer. Her hair was thick with the texture of a Brillo pad, and so dirty that it was impossible to get any lather going. But I persevered until finally I had rich suds, which I fingered and rubbed into every bit of her hair down to the scalp. By now she was no longer trying to push me away, if not exactly cooperating.

Finally we were done. I was soaking wet. I dried the patient off, got her to put on a clean gown, rubbed her extremeties with lotion, then her feet also and put on clean socks. I wheeled the patient to the sink and brushed her teeth as best as I could, with very marginal cooperation.

I got the patient back into bed, now clean, and proceeded to give her the eye drops which would begin the prep for cataract surgery later that day. I was exhausted and needed to rest.

But first I needed to turn my attention to her roommate, who was also my patient and had been quietly waiting during all this time.

Since the roommate was going for cataract surgery also, I pulled the curtain back to administer the roommate’s drops as well, and I saw that she had washed up by herself and donned a modest white habit, and I realized she was a nun. So I gave the nun her eye drops and reminded her not to have anything by mouth prior to surgery. I told the nun that I would be back later with additional eye drops, and to check on her. The nun smiled and thanked me.

I turned to leave. As I reached the door, she said the most remarkable seven words I have ever heard: “You gave the Lord a shower today.”

Korean Spinach Salad

Korean Spinach Salad
Korean Spinach Salad

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 pound fresh spinach
  • 3 hard-cooked eggs, diced
  • 6 to 8 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
  • 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, sliced

Dressing

  • 1 cup oil
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Trim and discard tough spinach stems. Rinse leaves well; pat dry and break into bite-size pieces in a salad bowl.
  2. Add remaining salad ingredients. Mix dressing ingredients together.
  3. Toss salad with dressing.

No brothers?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jtzDbLJW3R0?feature=share

What do people living on SSI/SSDI do all day?

I have a friend. Let’s call him “Carl.”

Carl used to be a firefighter. He pulled people out of burning buildings. He risked his life all the time.

Then one day, an illness that had been lurking in his genes brought him to the ground. His tendons and muscles were slowly calcifying—turning to stone. All of them. His knees. His back.

His heart. His lungs.

And since this was a genetic disease, it was not covered by his firefighting pension plan. He had to go on SSI/SSDI.

The drugs that he took to slow (not stop, slow) the progression of his disease eventually gave him fourteen more incurable conditions, including heart disease, seizures, and diabetes. He’s had several strokes. He also cannot go outside because his immune system has to be suppressed. Going out around people always means he catches something.

So what does he do all day?

It takes him about three hours to get up, get cleaned up, and get dressed and get his breakfast, using his walker because his ankles are now frozen solid. It takes him two hours to do a single load of laundry. He does spend most of the day playing video games and watching TV, but that is because it takes him at least an hour to get to the bathroom, and there is no way he could actually work.

This man was a fireman. He saved people from burning buildings. Now he lives like a pauper, mostly on the charity of his family and friends because SSI/SSDI is not enough to allow him to do anything but die under a bridge.

He saved people from burning buildings. He’d have saved you, if you’d needed it.

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

I was working for a major car rental company as a tripper (drove cars from the service Centre to the rental lots). They paid us minimum wage, which was about $3.40/hr. back in the mid 80s, and decided they we playing us too much, as sometimes we had no cars to trip and they still had to pay us. It’s about 15km to the downtown Vancouver rental lot, so they figured it would take us 20 to 30 minutes. They decided to pay us by the trip, $1.75 iirc. Oh, this was a Toronto decision based on our work load in May and came into effect mid June. Demand rate was constant and now we were highly motivated to make s many trips as possible. We were tripping about 5 or 6 cars an hour, we were speeding a lot, crashing at least once a month (company self insures so all their cost). Usual the crashes were minor but we totalled 10 cars that summer (their were 5 core and 2 or 3 fill ins, so everyone had at least one major). Record was 8 mins in rush hour. They seemed up paying us about $10 an hour, their accident rates went up. I became a rental rep the next year and quit the next year as the idiocy from Toronto continued.

What is the saddest aspect about you or someone else in your family?

huWhen my mom was 16 she was raped by the son of a prominent member of her community. He denied it was rape and said she was a willing partner. The police chose to believe him over her.

She got pregnant from the rape and, because abortion was illegal, her parents sent her to a Christian home for unwed mothers. The understanding was she would give her baby up for adoption immediately after birth. She got no say in this. For whatever reason, there was a delay and she got to spend 15 minutes with her son before he was taken from her. It broke her heart.

After she recovered from her pregnancy she went home. Two things had happened while she was gone. First, her parents got their friends to start a rumor that she was away because she had an illness that required special treatment. The other was that someone started a second rumor that she had to go away because she was pregnant and had a baby, with the implication that she was promiscuous.

Guess which one took off? When she got back to school most of her classmates shunned her as a bad influence. She lost most of her friends. Members of her own extended family picked this shunning up. It followed her to college when she graduated. It was more than she could take and she had a mental collapse, ending up in a psychiatric hospital. (It is also possible that she was already bi-polar.) She dropped out of college because she could not handle the stress and deal with her PTSD and depression.

When she met my father who was in the Air Force and from another part of the county, she told him about the rape. She told him about the baby. She told him that no one believed that she had been raped. He believed her. He said he saw no shame on her and eventually they married. His service had them move from her hometown.

HOWEVER…every time she returned to town for the holidays, she would go through the shunning, the snide comments, and insults from her family and the townspeople. My parents separated when I was 24 and she moved home…to the same thing again but now her own mother was doing it too. She endured this until she died when she was 69, which means she was subjected to that shaming for over 53 years.

This is the side of “pro-life” no one talks about. Not only is there no plan for the children after they are born, but in the conservative communities that support this policy, the women who are unmarried will be slut-shamed for life.

What are some examples of assassination attempts gone wrong?

A group of hitmen refused to kill a victim as she was a woman and let her free to get her revenge.

image 467
image 467

In 2015, the Australian Noela Rukundo (who’s the lady in the photo) went to Burundi to attend the funeral of her stepmother who passed away only a couple of weeks back.

Straight after the funeral when she was going out to get some fresh air, she was quite suddenly kidnapped at gunpoint and shoved into a vehicle. She was blindfolded and driven to a safe house somewhere in the country.

Inside the building she was tied up, and a sack put on her head and was asked by her captors:

“You woman, what did you do for this man to pay us to kill you?”

Wh-what are you talking about?” said Noela, she was shaking uncontrollably.

“Balenga (Noela husband) sent us to kill you.”

“What? My husband will never do that, y-you’re lying!”

Her captors smirked and giggled. She then heard a phone dialling and a voice coming from a loud speaker:

“Kill her”

It was her husband. Noela fainted.

She was woken up much much later by her captors on the side of a road and they told her she was free. The men explained they didn’t believe in killing women, and they knew her brother and was friends with him. But they would keep her husband’s money and tell him that she was dead.

Not only was she freed, she was given a phone, recordings of the captors’ phone conversations with her husband and all the evidence she needed to take Balenga to court.

Although pretty messed up and a little dizzy, with the help of the Kenyan and Belgian embassies, she got a trip to Australia, where she planned her revenge.

Meanwhile back in Australia her husband had told everyone she had died in a tragic accident and all her friends mourned her at her funeral at the family home. On the night of February 22 2015, just as the Balenga waved goodbye to the last of his neighbours who had come to comfort him, Noela approached him.

“Is it my eyes?” screeched Balenga. “Is it a ghost?”

“Surprise! I’m still alive!” said a very angry Noela.

“ oh my god oh my god, I’m sorry for everything please forgive me” replied a rather shocked Balenga.

But Noela took none of his apologies. The police swooped in and captured Balenga, who ultimately pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison for incitement to murder.

During the investigations, it was found out that Balenga wanted to kill Noela because he thought she was going to leave him for another man, which apparently was not going to happen.

Balenga was sent to 9 years of prison while Noela lives with her 8 children somewhere in the same city I currently live at, Melbourne.

Who is the most evil person you have ever met?

This is probably a bit cliche to say but the first person that comes to mind for me is my ex girlfriend from 2017. Out of all the women I’ve had relationships with, she was by far the worst one. She was very controlling and manipulative. I was with her for 8 months and it was the worst 8 months of my life. We basically fought every day over anything. Most things that upset her. I felt like I couldn’t say certain things or do certain things without it possibly upsetting her. Anytime I tried to defend myself she would gaslight me and make me feel like the bad one. She would say things like “I don’t like what you said earlier” or “this happened and you didn’t do anything about it”. Right before I finally chose to break up with her I had her sleep over my house for a night because I just wanted a nice night with her and I could tell all night something was wrong. I could just sense it. When we were at my house she hardly spoke to me and when she did she said “I think I’m going to go home in the morning” Next morning I got up and without thinking made myself a cup of coffee.. but my mistake was not making one for her. She of course went tf off on me for it. At that point I had it, I was done. I couldn’t do it anymore. I’m not going to get treated like a servant when I’m just trying to be a good boyfriend and you refuse to see it.

People must hear you hiss

Today is a video that discusses the importance of instilling fear in others. Please watch it. Cobra’s need to hiss.

The United States is leading the West into a great collapse, and the longer that it is delayed, the more horrific the fall will be. Mark my words.

My mother was living with her “husband” after she divorced my father. This man and her did not ever get formally married as both were Catholic. However, they did everything else together. In sin, I suppose.

He was reasonably wealthy. He owned a coal company. And I got along reasonably well with him.

He had something like 18 sons. No daughters. And his boys were loose cannons, but a lot of fun. Oh well. LOL.

Anyways, as time went forward, he got older and older… more and more frail. And in the Manor where my mother and him lived, he has one of those staircase elevators installed. It was kindly neat and all that, but as soon as he passed on, my mother insisted that it be removed immediately. She didn’t want that thing in her house at all.

Fifteen years later, she too was old and feeble, and I was there taking care of her. It got to the point that she no longer could walk up the stairs by herself. SO she slept downstairs in a bedroom that we built just for that purpose.

The bedroom was really nice, by the way, with a bathroom, and an attached study. Mom picked out a massive desk for the office, but to everyone’s dismay discovered that it wouldn’t fit in the office. Oh well. We then parked the credenza outside.

She only got to use the bedroom for a few months before she passed on. Maybe ten tops. But that is good enough for me.

When you die, you leave behind the things that you no longer need.

Today… remember. People need to hear you hiss.

US Congress unanimously approved the Patent Restriction Act. All of China’s patents are at risk of invalidation overnight. Huawei’s 20000+ patents could be deemed invalid. All countries at risk as the US can claim a national security threat. Fair?

Patents serve ONLY one purpose;

To prevent a competitor from duplicating your technology / products.

By invalidating patents, then ALL patents become worthless paper. This is simply because any nation still using them restricts it’s own industry. To ignore patents by one is to ignore patents by all. To remain competitive, once the patent protection fails, all patent protection fails. It’s a global “domino effect”.

There will be a serious of STRONG and DANGEROUS consequences of this action.

  • Initially, the weaker industry (nation / product / technology) will start to copy the previously protected items.
  • This in turn, will provide an outward appearance of “catching up” to the dominant (nation / product / industry).
  • But, this will be short-lived. Innovation, especially in the contemporaneous fields (that are at battle) require manpower, innovative talent, and massive capital investment. The industry that presently maintains this lead will continue to maintain this lead, while the nation / industry falling behind will require massive changes and investment just to “tread water”.

This is [1] an obvious desperate move, [2] constructed by the ignorant, that will have [3] a long-term negative impact on the industries of the West. Particularly the United States.

Consider India.

India invalidated protections on American patents. This resulted in the export of “dirt cheap” medicine and pharmaceuticals. In the USA, a single pill of Viagra costs $20. (Of course, you can shop around, but that is the baseline price.) But you can buy them on-line, out of India for $1 each. Seeing that it costs $0.00000009 for each pill, the profit is still enormous for Indian companies, and American companies lost market share.

Consider China.

All those fancy-pantsy gizmos and gadgets in the latest American weapons systems, electronics, and medicines are now “up for grabs”. China will own EVERYTHING. Americans will still pay premium prices, and the protectionism measures will be “ramped up”, but China really will OWN EVERYTHING.

From Viagra to Oreos. From McDonald’s to Starlink. From Harley-Davidson to Heinz ketchup. This legislation by “Congress” pretty much is the DEATH BLOW to United States product dominance.

Last Word

To those of you who do not work in any tech industry, some words need to be said.

A patent is NOT a set of instructions on how to use technology. It is a description of the invention. It can include it’s basic properties and premises that it works upon, but patents will not provide enough information to duplicate that technology.

The United States can, at will, invalidate any patents it wants. But that does not give it that technology. It just allows it to copy the technology IF IT HAS THE MEANS to do so. If it has the manufacturing technology, the design technology, and a thorough understanding of the underlying principles.

For all you ‘Merica types out there is internet land, I’d advise you all to stop and think.

  • China is a beautiful woman. A 10 in any man’s book.
  • A patent is like a photograph of that woman.
  • But claiming that ownership of that photo is the same as being married to the chick is silly.

Come back down to earth, and realize that you just cannot reconstitute a technology from the words on a patent. All you can do is pin up that picture up on the wall for everyone to look at.

What has your child done that is technically “wrong” but you were proud of them for doing it?

My mom, dad, and Grandpa were the ones who were proud of me for sticking up for my sister.

So a little back story, my sister has Scoliosis and she had a bully in fourth grade who kept physically assaulting with her. She kept telling the teachers and even the principal but they never did shit about it, and she told us every time this guy would attack her.

So one day, I actually witnessed one of his attacks on her so I went up to him, pinning him to a wall and punched him the face a few times and told him, if he ever messed with my sister, I will give him a beating of a lifetime. Dude ran to the bus after I letted him go.

So I rode the bus home, and warned my mom she was going to get a call from the school about me taking matters into my own hands after witnessing this guy hurt my sister. She was shocked that I did that. But she said she would support me.

Guess what, first period, I get called to the Principle’s office by the school announcer, I just decided to go and face judgment day, my home room teacher and my counselor were there as well, along with the kid I punched a few times. I rolled my eyes at the kid, as I sit down.

So what happened next, I get confronted by three people at once, they were firing shots at me while I just sat there looking at the kid who I beat up. Soon enough, my mom was called in to meet with them that day, while I was in ISS. But she didn’t arrive till 7th Period with my grandpa, my dad who was a police officer, and my sister’s note book of all the dates this kid bullied her and when she did tell a teacher and the principal at which time.

I remember seeing the color being wiped away when she saw my dad in his uniform, but they frought hard in support of my actions. But at the end, we had to threatened the school with a lawsuit. But that was two weeks later. I was punished with OSS for two to three weeks.

So when it was over, My mom took me to the mall and got me Dairy Queen and a sword from Isle of Misfits, got a few lego figures and a Lego set. My mom did tell me to next time, prep before taking action. And try not to do that again unless I have to, but she was proud of me. Along with my dad and my Grandpa.

Anyway my OSS was lifted after the lawsuit was threatened and the bully of my sister was punished OSS for the time I was in OSS. My Teacher, Principle, and Counselor apologized to me but I just told the Principle to next time, to do her job, and I told my teacher and counselor that it’s going to take some time for me to forgive them.

All was well, the bully never messed with my sister and was even moved out of the classroom she and him were in. People in her grade knew not to bully her otherwise if Teachers or Principles don’t do anything, her big brother will do something about it.

Beggar’s Chicken (China)

Beggars Chicken
Beggars Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
  • 1 (1-inch square) piece fresh ginger root, pared and cut into thin slices
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

  1. Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for another use. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper toweling. Place chicken on large piece of greased extra-wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Rub or brush 2 1/2 tablespoons of the soy sauce completely over chicken. Rub or brush the oil completely over chicken. Pull skin at neck end under chicken and secure with small skewer. Tuck wing tips under thicken.
  2. Combine remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, the sherry, sugar, five-spice powder, onions and ginger. Pour mixture into cavity of chicken, holding tail end of chicken up slightly so liquid does not run out of cavity. Secure tail end of chicken with small skewers. Wrap foil around chicken, sealing securely.
  3. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Gradually mix in enough water to make a firm dough. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface until about 1/4-inch thick (dough must be large enough to completely cover chicken.
  4. Place foil-wrapped chicken onto center of dough. Fold dough over chicken, pressing edges and ends together to seal completely. Place chicken in well greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
  5. Bake chicken in preheated 450 degrees F oven 1 hour.
  6. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Bake 2 1/2 hours longer.
  7. Remove chicken from oven. Using mallet or hammer, break pastry. Remove chicken from pastry and place on serving plate. Carefully remove foil and skewers.

Yield: 4 servings

What are some common scams that tourists should be aware of when visiting Japan? How can these scams be avoided?

It’ll be extremely rare to see a scam in Japan as a tourist in Japan, except in one location: Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Some scams exist for many Japanese people, like the Ore-ore scam

targeting the elderly, but many you won’t experience. (I’ve dropped my wallet in the middel of the street in Tokyo before, and had it returned with all my money inside of it.

Essentialy, the scam is that some cute girl or a muscular foriegner who speaks English tries to entice you into a bar, and get you drinking. If you’re alone and looking for company, you could get a drink (if you hadn’t checked the prices), and then when you get the bill, instead of something like $20 you were expecting to pay, you “ordered” the $2000 drink according to them.

Because you don’t speak Japanese and are intoxicated, if the police get involved you’ll most likely be blamed for not paying up.

They’ll take you to the ATM with a kind, muscular “escort” to help lift the burden of money off of you, and you’ll probably regret your existence while doing so.

Biggest thing is make sure you see a menu, and don’t go in because of a cute girl or because of some random promoter who speaks English.

I really enjoy going to Rocky Bar Mother and Bar Psy are really great to go to there, with drinks and awesome music if you like it. I take my friends there on occasion, so it’s something I’d highly recommend.

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image 425

What are some unwritten social rules everyone should know?

  • Dress well no matter what the occasion.
  • Always carry cash.
  • Always getup when you’re sitting and someone come to greet you.
  • Always comment on good things don’t keep in heart.
  • If the phone is on the speaker inform.
  • Chat to anyone who is sitting alone at a party or in a group.
  • don’t have the impulse to sit near look-alike you. If everyone fulfils this, people who represent any minority will end up sitting alone.
  • If feasible, avoid the plan to go outdoor if you have a runny nose.
  • Do not swipe left or right if individual shows you a photo on their phone.
  • Wave your hand rather than calling his or her name if someone is far or on phone or earphones plugged in.
  • Offer a glass of water to the delivery man.
  • People know the worth. If successful wear shirt of 300 it seems 3000 and if unsuccessful wear 3000 it seems 300. Don’t show off.
  • When anyone gets shouted at don’t look at them. It’s more awkward.
  • Always open the door for the person coming behind you. Doesn’t matter if it is a guy or a girl.
  • Stop being late, it’s irritating.
  • When someone starts talking about their conditions, don’t start talking about yours.
  • Never ask a shy person what’s wrong or ask them ‘why aren’t you talking more?’ It only makes them feel more awkward.
  • When visiting someone’s house, carry something.
  • When you open a gift, just say thank you. Don’t say, “It’s too expensive!”
  • Being vegetarian or non-vegetarian is a choice. Don’t ask anyone why it’s so.
  • Do not sympathize with anyone in public. This will embarrass a person more than be laughing at.
  • Don’t expect others to understand how hard you are working and living. Everyone doing.
  • If you like working with smart people, be prepared to be used by them too. As well as Worshipped and learn from them too. Your attitude.
  • Don’t make suggestions; But when it comes to house, car, marriage don’t give advice. Because these are very important things & if something goes wrong you’ll be blamed or they may stop talking to you.
  • Greeting Etiquette = The 6S- Stand, See, Smile, State, Say, Shake
  • Don’t look at your phone when others are talking to you.

What’s something unusual you said or did during a job interview that got you hired?

It happened during our campus placements. Company had shortlisted 20 students for interview round and intended to take only 2.

I had cleared first 2 interviews and was being interviewed with regional head of the company..

Interviewer: ” So tell me.. What will you do if any better company with same profile but better package offers you the job?”

Me: “Sir I will take that job.”

Interviewer: ” This means you are not loyal to us. Even if I offer you the job there is no guarantee that you will join our company. So why should I offer you one?”

Me: “Sir if you are talking about being loyal, so let me ask you, if you find another candidate better than me then you will offer him the job. Isn’t it. So going by your logic company is not loyal to me. But let me tell you it isn’t about being loyal. Everyone wants best for himself. You want best people to work for you and I want to work for the best. Don’t you believe you are best in the industry??”

Result : Selected..

Chinese teen and 20’s fashion

What work secret did you accidentally find out that changed everything?

I had a charismatic boss who managed by walking around trying to intimidate employees. He didn’t bother me because my job was essential and I got along well with the conservative types and the weirdos.

We used a lot of darkroom equipment and chemicals. Because the chemicals contained silver, they were expensive, and this boss was cheap.

I found out by accident that he instructed accounts payable not to pay the suppliers. We were supposed to find new suppliers. And then when they were not paid, move to new suppliers.

I did not like this.

This plan made me crabby.

So, I called a couple of the suppliers from home to tell them the plan. They called other suppliers, competitors, and everyone else. That’s all I did. I called two suppliers.

Suddenly no supplier would fill our orders unless they were paid in advance. I told the boss that we had to pay up front. He waved this problem away, as he often did. I wrote him a note. Left it on his desk. He didn’t read it.

We ran out of supplies. The darkroom work and all typesetting stopped. All three art departments stopped, apart from planning.

The boss had a meltdown when he discovered all those employees were unable to finish work. He called a supplier from my phone. The supplier required payment for all previous invoices, so the boss called another supplier. He got the same message. And again.

Just then, the 80-year-old office manager arrived. She took the phone out of his hand and told him to leave the building and stop annoying people. He left. She continued the conversation to say that she would courier a cheque over immediately and when it cleared, we would appreciate the supplies.

As she was leaving, I heard her say that the she was going to kill that man before she retired.

She was unsuccessful.

He lives.

Lost In Space | 1920 Universe

This 1920 universe is AI generated madness. Well worth the time to visit.

What are few things only mature people can tell you?

  1. Not everyone will live long. Stay happy and useful to humanity as much as you can.
  2. Life is not Disney Island, always strife for the best and prepare for the worse.
  3. Nobody can love you unconditionally except your mum and in few cases, your family.
  4. You can simply avoid future problems by listening to your instincts and warnings from your loved ones.
  5. Most people won’t support you in life until there’s no option but to join the crowd.
  6. Discipline will take you farther than talent.
  7. Everybody is fighting their own demon either publicly or privately. Never envy anyone.
  8. Don’t look down on anyone, life can switch up within a minute.
  9. Money is not everything, it incredibly betters your life but doesn’t solve all life problems. Still have it anyway.
  10. You don’t have to get to the level of Elon Musk to change the world when your little kindness can.

Have you ever called in sick but you were convinced or threatened by your superiors to come to work? Did it end well for you?

I was assistant manager of a fabric store. Some days I would open the store and other days I would close. One morning I woke up with the flu. I felt horrible, as you can imagine. I was supposed to close that day, so I called very early and told the manager I couldn’t come in, hoping to give them the whole work day to find someone to close.

The manager said she was just about to call me to open because the other asst mgr had forgotten she had to take her kid to the dentist or something. I said, definitely not because I have the flu and can barely get out of bed. The manager said she REALLY needed me to come in. I explained I had a fever and was dizzy but she said I didn’t have a choice, they needed me to come in. I was like, seriously? I can’t believe you want me to come and work with the public when I’ve got the flu. She wouldn’t budge, so I got dressed and went to work.

One of the things I had to do was open the safe and count all the money to make sure the total matched the night before, and bring the cash drawers out to the registers. Any time I wasn’t in the office, it was policy to lock the safe, even if I was only going to be gone for a minute, and even though the store was closed and doors locked. I counted the drawers but I was having trouble counting the rest of the money because I couldn’t concentrate, I was so dizzy. I kept losing track and having to start over.

Finally, since it was getting close to opening the store, I decided to take the drawers out to the registers and then come back and try to count the cash. I closed the safe and carried out the drawers, just as a regional manager came through the door. She went straight to the office. When I came into the office, the safe was standing open. I was shocked because I knew I had closed it. The regional manager asked me why the safe was open, when I knew it was the policy to lock it when I left the office.

I said I was certain I had closed it. She said, yes, it was closed but not locked. I tried to explain I wasn’t even supposed to be there because I was sick, but she interrupted me and said they were going to have to let me go. I was stunned, as I was one of the most knowledgeable employees in the store and had never missed a day of work. I was standing there swaying and trying not to pass out, and wondering how I was going to support my kids now.

The RM told one of the other employees to call someone to replace me so the store wouldn’t be short-handed. I grabbed my stuff and headed for the door. The RM said, “Where do you think you’re going? You have to stay until someone comes to take your shift. If we can’t find anyone, you’ll finish the day.”

I looked at her with an incredulous expression. “Are you kidding me?? I’ve just been fired for dragging my sick ass out of bed to cover for someone who can’t be bothered to keep track of their appointments. I’m going home and going to bed!” Then I walked out.

I hope she got the flu.

STAR TREK ORIGINS (1920) | FULL MOTION VIDEO

What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?

This happened during college. I was down with viral fever and had to take a break for three days. My best friend, a girl, was in constant touch via phone and she sounded dull. When asked what the problem was, she said it was nothing and I thought she worried about my health. Day 4, I return to college and I learn that a guy from a different department was teasing her (in an abusive way) and was stalking her everyday. And she, being a very reserved and not so brave, did not even tell it outside. I went and punched the mofo right on his face and broke a couple of teeth. His friends came for his help and started attacking me and my friends came in from nowhere.

Once this gang war was done, I and that guy were taken along with our friends to the principal’s office and he started hurling scoldings one after the other. I was a bright student and was always in the good books of every professor and thus it came as a shock to everyone.

They called all of our parents and my dad came. Even my friend was taken into account here and her mom was called to the college (She didn’t have a dad). Everybody – My head of the department, my principal started scolding me and gave my dad a transfer certificate to fill up for me to take me out from the current college and put me somewhere else. They also told me I had spoilt my career now due to this and for also having a relationship (typical Indian brains ya know, roam around with a girl and she is your girlfriend). My dad remained calm and filled up the form and asked if there are any more procedures to be done. The principal and HOD were stunned (they were apparently just trying to scare us) and asked him if he wasn’t worried about my future. I still remember what he said “If I was him, I would have done the same, what he did was right. No one should stand by when a woman is being harassed. I want my son to be on the front lines to stand up for any sort of injustice. I know the girl for the past 14 years and she and my son have been friends since then”.

Everyone got a month’s suspension and the opposite team got two months suspension, except for that guy who harassed her, he voluntarily got a transfer to some other college. I came out of college as a guy with triple placement and being the highest paid recruit of that year.

When driving back home in the car, dad leans in and asks “You love her or what?”

Me : *Facepalm* Typical Indian parents.

P.S : But dad was the best and he was right, This happened 4 years back and am now engaged to that friend of mine 😉

Doctor Who | 1920 Universe | COLORIZED

Priceless . . . US Navy Refusing to Deploy Brand New Littoral Combat Ships to Middle East; Houthi Anti-Ship Missile concern!

Nation Hal Turner 22 December 2023

lcs littoral combat ship FILE PHOTO large
lcs littoral combat ship FILE PHOTO large

The US Navy says it doesn’t have enough warships to launch Operation Prosperity Guardian against the Houthis in Yemen.

According to John Conrad (maritime journalist), the US built 24 littoral combat ships for coastal warfare, but the US is now refusing to deploy them.

Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones “cause US concern.”

HAL TURNER EDITORIAL OPINION

According to Wikipedia, these Littoral COmbat ships cost between Four-Hundred Twenty million and four-hundred eighty million dollars, each.

We built at least 24 of them. 

Do the math:  24 x $420,000,000= $10.08 BILLION . . . .  and now the Navy that bought them – for coastal warfare – isn’t sending them into battle over fear of anti-ship missiles?????   WTF?????

So did we simply throw that money in the garbage?  We have ships we can’t use . . .  so what do we do with them now?

You know, you can’t make this stuff up.   The level of stupidity is amazing. 

Maybe, though, it’s not stupidity; maybe it’s corruption?  Whose beak got wet from that $10.08 Billion?  Whose palms got greased?

And nobody looked or asked about it because the ships were, in fact, built.

Except now, we’re afraid to put them into battle, and guys like me are starting to ask why we even built them, and why can’t a “modern” warship defend itself from anti-ship missiles?”

The Fantasy Of Missile Defense In Ukraine

In October 2022 I mocked western media propaganda that was depicting Russia as unable to sustain the war:

Russia, Having ‘Run Out Of Missiles’, Launches Barrage On Ukraine

Back in March I had warned that Lies Do Not Win Wars. Here is another practical example.

After allegedly having ‘run out of missiles’ and, more importantly, patience, the leadership of the Russian Federation decided to de-electrify Ukrainian cities with a ‘barrage of missile strikes’.

But first came the propaganda blubber: …

There followed 25 headlines by western media which claimed that Russia was running out of missiles.

More recently we see frequent claims by the Ukrainian government that it shot down 43 of the 32 drones Russia launched that day as well as 5 out of 3 supersonic missiles.

Laughable nonsense.

But slowly, slowly the Ukrainians and media have turned to describing stuff more near to, but not yet, reality:

Russia has fired 7,400 missiles, 3,700 Shahed drones in war so far, Kyiv saysReuters

Russia has launched about 7,400 missiles and 3,700 Shahed attack drones at targets in Ukraine during its 22-month-old invasion, Kyiv said on Thursday, illustrating the vast scale of Moscow’s aerial assaults.

Ukrainian air defences were able to shoot down 1,600 of the missiles and 2,900 of the drones, air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said in televised comments. “We are faced with an enormous aggressor, and we are fighting back,” he said.

Shooting down drones, which are relatively slow and fly low, is not so difficult or expensive. One often only needs to have some machine guns in place on the path along which a drone is flying.

Shooting down missiles is something entirely different. Due to their flightpath and speed one needs expensive missile defense systems. The anti-missile missiles these systems fire come at a high price. One Patriot missile comes at about $2,000,000, more for newer ones. Routinely two are fired against any potential target.

If the Ukraine has really shot down 1,600 missiles, which I very much doubt, one can easily calculate the enormous costs of such an endeavor

There are reasons why Patriot missiles are only produced in the hundreds per year, not in the thousands.

No country in the world can sustain such an onslaught without running out of defenses or going bankrupt.

Several months ago a U.S. delivered Patriot system in Kiev came under attack. Set to automatic mode it fired (video) 32 missiles for no observable hits on the imaginary targets. Scott Ritter has said that the U.S. Marines are not allowed to use the automatic mode of their Patriot systems because that is known to fail. But the Ukrainians were not trained to fully handle the manual mode.

And now they are telling us that they shot down 1,600 missiles?

How probable is that?

Posted by b on December 22, 2023 at 12:53 UTC | Permalink

What are some things that make or have made you lose faith in humanity?

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image 421

A few days earlier, I had ordered food from an online ordering service. The time must have been around 9:30 PM. Approximate delivery time given was 10:00 PM.

I was not famished literally and didn’t realize the order was delayed until I got a call from the ordering service’s customer care. It must have been around 10:15 PM.

Customer Care Agent: Hello, am I talking to Mr. Yatin?

Me : Yes.

CCA: I am talking from S****y. This is regarding your order sir. The delivery guy informed me that the order cannot be delivered as it is in very bad condition.

Me: Bad condition? As in?

CCA: The delivery person’s bike slipped actually. He says the order is not in a deliverable condition. Do you wish to talk to the delivery guy?

Me: Sure, connect us.

So now Me, CC agent and the delivery boy we now on conference.

After I was put in conference, I could only hear strange shouting sounds on the other side.

The shouting was like, “You idiot piece of s##t! Can you be any more careless? Do you think the material is free?…. Blah, blah, blah….”

Finally the delivery guy spoke.

Delivery guy (Shouting sounds still in background): Sorry sir, the delivery packaging is damaged, and I cannot deliver it.

CCA: Yatin sir, do you want a reorder or a refund? As you can see there is some damage to your order.

By this time I realised that the shouting sounds were in the background of the delivery boy.

The shouting continued, “It’s because of you careless guys that our reputation is spoilt. Careless fellow! Now if reorder is asked from us who will borne the loss?!! I will not give reorder!”

I understood that delivery boy had gone back to restaurant, and had to hear all this because my order was damaged.

I was not having it. I asked the delivery boy something which no one gave a f**k about.

“Bhaiya (brother), are you hurt after the accident? Do you required first aid? Keep the order aside and get first aid if required.”

The guy in a crying tone said he is okay and is sorry for messing up my order.

I asked him to handover his phone to that dumb restaurant owner. And I gave him a piece of my mind. I told him that delivery boys are human beings. They are not robots. Accidents can happen. No need to shout on anyone. It’s not only about your food that represents you, it’s you. I think so you should worry less about your ratings and more about your behaviour ratings. Try to have some general courtesy and not get blinded by professionalism.

He defended himself saying he did not mean any disrespect to me personally. I told him that I will not give any rating as I did not get any food. But whoever he is disrespecting, is a ‘person’ after all and mistakes do happen. He apologized for his behavior.

I still asked the delivery guy if he was fine, he said yes and thanked me. I asked him to be careful in the future and not rush so much as it will be fatal to his life.

The customer care refunded me and that’s all.

Numbers and stars can blind the best of us, is what I realized from this.

What’s the fastest you’ve wiped a smirk off of someone’s face?

Not me, my younger brother Kenneth (by ten years).

I was 21, he was 11. It was a Friday, I was off and took him to the lake. We planned to spend the day there, but about 12:30 we’d skipped breakfast so we went to this burger place to get some lunch. Ordered some burgers. They had one pool table there; Kenneth was watching four college kids play, back then it was 25c to play and they were playing for a dollar a game. Challenger pays for the game.

He said, “Gimme a buck and a quarter.”

All right, sure. I have an idea what’s coming. He walks over, and says he wants to play, he’s got his money. The guy who had won the last game is saying he doesn’t want to take a kid’s money, so I said, “It’s my money, don’t worry about it, just let him have a game.”

Okay. Four guys about 20, shaking their heads and grinning. Kenneth breaks hard, and sinks a ball. Runs four more after that, then barely missed a bank shot. Grins are gone.

The other guy takes his shot, misses, and Kenneth runs the rest of the table. It was hilarious, now all of those guys are drinking beer and laughing every time he sinks a tough shot, “no fucking way!” and “Jeezus Christ!”

He picked up the two bucks, said, “Thanks, dude,” then put a dollar back down. “Anybody want to play?”

They all did. One after another, they all lost a couple of bucks, along with the waiter, and two more guys who came in. We were there for hours, until it was too late to go back to the lake. He made about twenty bucks. Funniest buck and a quarter I ever spent. Kid had been shooting pool in our garage since he was four and standing on a box.

What are the most profound jokes ever?

A man dies and goes to hell. Once there, he finds that there is a different hell for each country, so he tries to seek out the least painful one.

At the door to German Hell, he is told: “First they put you in an electric chair for an hour. Then they lay you on a bed of nails for another hour. Then the German devil comes in and whips you for the rest of the day.”

He does not like the sound of that, so he checks out American Hell, Russian Hell and many more. They are all similarly gruesome. However, at Nigerian Hell a long line of people is waiting to get in. Amazed, he asks, “What do they do here?”

He is told: “First they put you in an electric chair for an hour. Then they lay you on a bed of nails for another hour. Then the Nigerian devil comes in and whips you for the rest of the day.”

“But that’s the same as the others,” says the man. “Why are so many people waiting to get in?”

“Because of the power cuts, the electric chair does not work. The nails were paid for but never supplied, so the bed is comfortable. And the Nigerian devil used to be a civil servant, so he comes in, signs his time sheet and goes back home for private business.” Tolu Ogunlesi

The Khachaturyan case:

This is a disturbing incident of three teenage sisters stabbing their own father to death, while he was dozing in his armchair at the family home in northern Moscow.

image 424
image 424

(Image Source: Getty Images)

The sisters attacked him with a knife, hammer and pepper spray, inflicting fatal wounds to his head, neck, and chest. He had 30 knife wounds in his body when he was found. The girls then called the police and were arrested at the scene.

Why did the sisters kill their own father? What was the motive?

It was during the evening of 27 July 2018, Mikhail Khachaturyan, 57, called Krestina, Angelina and Maria, (aged 19, 18, and 17 respectively), one by one to his room. He scolded them for not cleaning the flat properly and sprayed pepper gas in their faces. The sisters plotted against the father after this incident took place.

The investigation soon uncovered an extensive history of violence in the family. Khachaturyan had regularly beaten his daughters over three years, torturing them, keeping them as prisoners and sexually abusing them. They reported the attack to police and admitted carrying it out, saying they believed their lives were at risk if they did not take action.

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image 423

(Image Source: Social media; EAST2WEST NEWS)

The case quickly became sensational news in Russia. Human rights activists argued that the sisters were not criminals but victims, as they had no means of getting help and protection from their abusive father. However, there are no laws protecting victims of domestic violence in Russia.

Under legal changes introduced in 2017, a first-time offender who beats a family member, but not badly enough to put them in hospital, will face only a fine or up to two weeks in custody. Police in Russia usually treats domestic abuse as a “family issue”, providing little or no help at all.

The sisters’ mother, who had also suffered beatings and abuse from Khachaturyan in the past, had approached the police years before. So did the family’s neighbors, who were highly afraid of him. But there is no evidence that the police acted on any of these appeals for help. According to psychiatric assessments, the girls lived in isolation and had been suffering from post-traumatic stress (PTSD).

During the investigation, the sisters were all charged with premeditated murder. Angelina and Krestina face up to 20 years in prison. Maria, a child at the time, could be imprisoned for up to 10 years.

The decision to bring murder charges has been met with protests. In Moscow, hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of the Investigative Committee law enforcement agency. Activists were continuing to picket their offices almost daily. Demonstrations have also taken place at Russian embassies or consulates around the world, and Russian cultural figures have spoken out in defense of the sisters.

The high-profile case has divided Russian society into those who say that Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan acted in self-defense and those who view them as murderers. Independent polling said that 41% of Russian respondents support the Khachaturyan sisters, while 29% don’t support them.

What do you feel about this disturbing incident? Do you see them as murderers? Or do you feel they acted in self-defense?

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

It wasn’t me that “picked a fight with the wrong person” but certainly one that I witnessed first hand.

So my wife, my friend Barry and his wife left a theatre heading for a bar, with the 2 ladies were walking maybe 20-30 metres in front chatting away – as women tend to do 😛

Next thing, they stop short next to an alleyway behind the theatre and my wife shouts out “f**k off a—hole” and starts to back off.

Barry and I arrive on scene and we see 3 guys – knives pulled waving them around.

Being “Mr Laid Back”, Barry asks “so whats going on here guys?” to which a—hole#1 responds politely “This is our robbery buddy so f**k off or we do you as well”.

Barry shrugs his shoulders, does a half turn as if to walk away then the rest was like the scene from Jason Bourne (movie 1) in the US Embassy scene……blur, blur, arms, hands, legs, blur blur and done, literally 5 seconds and 3 knife-wielding scumbags lying on the floor with broken wrists, unconscious and bloody (or all three).

What I didn’t say was Barry looked and dressed like a city gent, weighed about 120kgs and stood just under 2m tall. He was also previously an unarmed combat instructor for the police, an expert in Ju-Jitsu, Karate and Krav-Maga and worked “in the field” for the security services.

they certainly picked a fight with the wrong person……..

A good friend to have on or by your side at any time, and unfortunately now, sorely missed.

<RIP big man>

No right answer

20 Unspoken Rules For Men:

1. Never shake a hand sitting down.

2. Protect who is behind you, and respect who is beside you.

3. Never insult the cooking when you are the guest.

4. Never eat the last piece of something you didn’t buy.

5. Never make the first offer in a negotiation.

6. Don’t take credit for work you didn’t do.

7. Take blame, and give credit when due.

8. If you are not invited, don’t ask to go.

9. Always aim for the head.

10. Don’t beg for a relationship.

11. Dress well no matter what the occasion.

12. Always carry cash.

13. Listen, nod, and most of all make eye contact.

14. Show restraint in expressing anger, no matter what. Being angry is a waste of energy.

15. Weather it is dinner, drinks, or both, avoid placing your phone on the dinner table.

16. Never pose with alcohol.

17. Proper grammar will get you far in life. Leave the foul language for the less educated.

18. Ask more than you answer.

19. You can tell a great deal about a person by their handshake, so make your strong and firm.

20. Speak honestly. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Chris Williamson: Why Men & Women Are Giving Up On Love

Has a doctor ever been disgusted by something they saw on a patient?

Well, I still get a bit nauseated thinking of this…I once saw a woman who reported “itchiness” in her groin. Expecting some type of rash, I had her undress and lay back on table. I inspected her groin only to find her entire pubic hair area filled with crawling small bugs! Pubic lice! I was careful not let my disgust show but got a treatment creme and smeared a LOT of it on the entire area. I prescribed a similar medication and simply assured her that the infestation and itchiness would get better after a while. She seemed grateful. My nurse and I then promptly sealed off that exam room and had it thoroughly cleaned. Despite that I felt “itchy” the rest of the day and gave myself a thorough shower when I got home. Despite feeling “disgusted”, one has to be professional. Sometimes harder than others!

Have you ever known personally someone to disappear from the face of earth? Are you looking for them?

I sure have known someone who seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth. But I’m not looking for them anymore.

It’s my brother who disappeared. He was on vacation with his wife and my parents, when he decided to take a short solo hike. Our folks and his wife decided to sit in the shade and wait for him to return. He said he would be back within an hour. But he never returned.

They were in Mesa Verde National Park. The path he went down is called the Spruce Treehouse Path, and it was steep and paved and busy, as people flocked down to see the Spruce Treehouse, an abandoned dwelling in excellent condition. My brother was fascinated with the dwellings and wanted to see one up close and personal. The rest of the group settled on the porch of one of the museums in the park. None of the three were in good enough shape to make it down the steep path and then climb back up again. His wife offered him a bottle of water, but he declined, saying he’d only be gone for a short while. He started to walk off and then his wife called out to him, he turned around, and she snapped the last picture that she would ever take of Mitchell Dale Stehling.

And that was it. The last time anyone in my family saw my brother alive. After two hours had passed, my mother became alarmed, she just knew something was wrong, so they raised the alarm and a short search by rangers was conducted. He couldn’t have gotten very far, in such a short period of time, the rangers told the three. And nobody ever stays lost for long. Either they are found, or they manage to make it back on their own. But Dale wasn’t found that night, nor the next day when the search went into full force. The mountain came alive with people. Search and rescue people came and went searching for him on foot. There were people on horseback, on ATV’s, in helicopters all scouring the mountain side for my lost brother. In addition, a FLIR equipped jet buzzed around the mountain with its heat seeking device looking for Dale.

The massive search effort lasted about a week. The head ranger had my folks put up in one of the cabins in the park, and brought them food, and drink, an no good news at all. There was no sign of Dale, not even an indication that he had even been in the park. In the meantime, my poor dad got sick as a dog and had to see a doctor there. The search was scaled back after a week, and my mother and father drove home alone in their motorhome, while Dale’s wife drove home to Texas with her children, who had driven to Colorado the moment they learned their dad was missing. My mother’s description of how she felt driving down out of the mountains and headed toward home, leaving my brother behind somewhere in the wilderness, just simply broke my heart.

I didn’t learn that Dale was missing until two days after he was gone. I don’t know why nobody thought to call me, but I don’t hold it against anyone, because I can only imagine the chaos and emotional turmoil each person went through in the first days when my brother went missing. I wanted to fly out and help with the search, but my folks asked me to please stay in Texas and guard the home front. Offers of help of all kinds began flooding in, and our church took up a special donation to help offset some of the cost of travel and lodging and being unable to work for a week or so. So I stayed home and worried and cried, and took phone call after phone call from people wondering about Dale.

The night my parents came home, we all gathered at their house. We all hugged and cried and expressed our disbelief that something like this could happen in our family. We wondered aloud how and why Dale had managed to get off trail and get lost. We wondered if he was attacked by someone or something. We all feared the worst. For about two weeks I held out hope that Dale was alive, but then that hope faded slowly away, and I came to realize that he was likely deceased. Yet we didn’t know for sure where he was or what had happened to him. Did he just decide to walk away from his family who all loved him dearly? Did he commit suicide out there some how? Were drugs involved? Did he fall off a cliff, or suffer a heart attack or get bitten by a snake? The questions kept coming with no answers in sight.

The years dragged on. I can tell you that I learned all about grief during those years. Dale and I had been very close, visiting or calling one another nearly every day. We shared our deepest secrets with one another, and he and I just became closer when our brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and left the family fold. It was just him and me then, and you couldn’t get us apart no matter how hard you tried. I was simply and plainly, devastated by the loss of my dearest friend and brother. I wish I had a penny for every tear I have shed since Dale went missing. For years If I wrote about Dale, the ending was always the same. We didn’t know what happened to him, and we didn’t really expect him to be found as one year rolled around to the next. We were left hanging for many years.

Now there is a different ending when I write about Dale. And that is because of one off-trail hiker in the park. People are not allowed to deviate from the paths that run through the park. But this guy did, and he stumbled upon the skeletal remains of my brother over seven and a half years from the day he went missing. He left a note for the rangers, wanting to remain anonymous for obvious reasons. In the note he said he had found a human body, and had looked through the clothing and found ID. He named the person according to the ID found on him, and gave a good indication of where it was located. He also noted that he had already contacted the media, so the rangers needed to act quickly and go and retrieve that body. And that is exactly what they did.

The rangers and coroner hiked for well over four and a half miles into the wilderness, where they finally found my brother’s remains. They found his skeleton completely intact with the skull still on the neck and clothing still on the bones, shoes still on the feet. His cigarettes and lighter were still in his pocket as well as his wallet which contained his ID, driver’s license and credit cards. He was in a sitting position, with his legs straight out in front of him, leaning against “a lone tree in the bottom of a canyon” in an area that had been thoroughly searched when he first went missing.

Dale’s bones and clothing were examined by a forensic anthropologist. This person said that there were no indications of animal attack before or after his death. The clothing was completely intact and not ripped or torn anywhere. All the bones were accounted for, except the vertebrae which had been removed from his back a bunch of years before he went missing. His spine was fused during a back surgery. The coroner named the date of death as June 9, 2013, the very day he went missing.

Dale’s bones were returned to his widow. She had them cremated so that his ashes could be buried where he always said he wanted to be his eternal resting place. Which was under a big live oak tree on his property. There were visitation and funeral services for my brother, and a private burial after.

I have written about his funeral and burial before, so I won’t get overly emotional and write it all again. Suffice it to say, it was unique. I attended both, driving my parents to all of it. We attended the burial, and I watched as my brothers ashes were sprinkled into a hole in the ground at the base of a tree. My emotions were all over the place that day. I was so glad that the story had an ending, although not a happy one. It was good to know that his remains were back in Texas, and in the place where he always said he wanted to be buried. But the services made if feel like we had lost him all over again, and I cried for days and days.

I would give anything I owned to be able to wash this horrible event from our lives and to have my baby brother back. But God had other ideas, and I know where Dale resides right now. I can’t have my brother back, but I know I will see him again when we are reunited in heaven some day in God’s time. I have come to be able to cope with his death because I realize that this is but a short separation, really. We won’t be apart for all of eternity. Nope, because one day God will take me home too, and that is when I think life really begins. I imagine sharing heaven with my favorite person in the world. We will jump and shout and sing in the angel’s choir, together again for all eternity.

And that, I believe, is one heck of an ending to this story.

Star Trek as a SOVIET Sci-Fi movie directed by Andrei Tarkovski (ai generated)

What is that one picture that describes the lowest point in your life?

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image 408

I was 16, and at my grandfather’s life celebration. He’d passed 2 weeks before. That’s my dad and the daughter of a close friend.

I was trying to come to terms with a sexual assault that had occurred nearly a year before. My relationship with my dad had deteriorated to the point where we were hardly speaking, even though we were living in the same house. My dad is a good person, but he’s very broken and endured horrific abuse as a child and teenager. He’s also mentally ill, and at the time he was suicidal and angry. I’d also just lost my Poppy.

I was also suicidal and angry. My parents’ marriage was in tatters, I was in such emotional pain from the assault, and had just started college. I was working two jobs and paying my own way. My mother and I were constantly fighting. I’d just been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and the treatment and recovery was wreaking havoc on my body and emotions. I wanted it all to stop. I was going to drive my car into a tree. I went out driving one night and sped up, and right before I swerved to hit the tree, I remembered my little sister and brother. And my dog, Woof. My sister was only 11, how awful for her would it be if I died? My brother was 14, it would have completely destroyed his life if I left. Woof wouldn’t understand what had happened to me, he’d just think I left him. I pulled over and broke down and cried. I drove home and told my mom I needed help.

I broke down crying on the kitchen floor and told her that if I didn’t get help, I was going to kill myself. She helped me make a therapy appointment for the next week, and I’ve been working hard ever since.

That was one of the lowest points of my life. There have been points just as low in recent years, but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t leave my family. If I can’t stay alive for myself, I have to for them.

After nearly 4 years of therapy, medication, a clinical depression and panic disorder diagnosis, a short stint in the psych ward when I had a panic attack so bad my then-boyfriend thought I was having a heart attack, and removing myself from my home situation, I’m proud to say that I’m getting better. I’m still not quite on the level of being okay, I still have my bad days and moments where I just want it to stop, but I try to no longer entertain those thoughts. I’m still working too much and not sleeping enough, but I’m also still in college and one step closer to achieving my goals. And I’m still here.

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image 407

I made it to 20, and for the first time in a long time, I feel anxious but a bit more prepared for what’s coming next.

EDIT: August 29th, 2023 – roughly 4 years from my OP

This answer has started getting a lot of new comments in the last few weeks, so I thought I just come back to say: I’m still here! I am 24 years old now and STILL ALIVE! The last 4 years have been wonderful, and horrific at times. I have new medical diagnoses, and a much better relationship with my parents. They’ve both grown a lot in the last few years, as have I, and I am lucky to have a much better relationship with both of them.

Thank you everyone for continuing to comment, and boost me, and being there. I come back to this post often to read the wonderful things you all have written whenever I need a boost, or a reminder that I do have a purpose and place here. To anyone who’s been in a place like this before, please know that it does get better. All of the things that I’ve experienced were more than worth it. Because I stayed, I got to watch my little brother graduate from college. Because I stayed I got to watch my little sister graduate high school and go off to college. Because I stayed, I met some of the most wonderful people. You have so much left to experience, so much left to do, and so many people to love, and be loved by. It sounds cliche but I promise, it does get better.

Why PsycHacks REFUSES To Date AMERICAN Women!

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, “What is politics?”

Dad says, “Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I earn the money in this family, so let’s call me the capitalist. Your mom says what we spend the money on, we’ll call her the government. Both of us are here to take care of your needs, so we’ll call you the people. Our nanny is representative of the working class. And your baby brother, we’ll call him the future. Now, think about that and see if that makes sense.”

So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what dad had said.

Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper. So the little boy goes to his parents’ room and finds his mother sound asleep and his father missing. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny’s room, but there he sees the father in bed with the nanny and he can’t get their attention. He gives up and goes back to bed. The next morning, the little boy says to his father, “Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.”

The father says, “Good, then tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.”

The little boy replies, “Well, capitalists are screwing the working class while the government is sound asleep. Meanwhile the people are being ignored and the future is in deep shit.”

Actionable things

What were the worst two minutes of your life?

Ragging.

It’s real. I have never spoken about it before this, but here I go. First year of engineering college was very difficult for me specially knowing the fact that I suffer from ADHD, thus I became an easy target for the seniors of our college. I remember telling a room full of seniors that I will complain about them and within first month it was known that no body from the second year is allowed to talk to me. Things became real one night when this one senior of mine slapped me 20 times in a room full of 20 people who did not even protest or say a thing. Then he used his slippers. Oh, what a night that was. And those two minutes when he was slapping me were the worst.

Then he told me that I won’t be allowed to enter any committee of the college and he would ensure that my life would be hell in college.

After this happened, I still had the guts to take the morning 9am bus and face him where the entire hostel was there. I never spoke to him or any of the seniors from our hostel again. I made some real friends after that incident who were in the room but did not say a thing because of fear. They came to me later to support me.

A similar incident happened six months later but this time all my friends were there to support me and nobody could touch me. Thank you, all of you.

A year later I was the President of Technical Club of our annual fest, Chairperson of Association of Computing Machinery at our college and held a lot of positions at other clubs.

Later when I got into Directi (highest paid internship and PPO from college) and then Flat[dot]to, Flatchat and Unacademy – I realized one real thing. Living your life and doing great is the best revenge.

Those seniors still like every Facebook post of mine these days 🙂

Maybe initially I was working so hard to prove something to them but eventually I realised, they are not worth it.

Do it for yourself, for your parents, for your brother, for your friends. The people who love you and whom you love.

Focus

Why are Sichuan girls so pretty?

It has to do with beauty standards. Sichuanese women aren’t objectively prettier than anyone else, they just fit many Chinese beauty standards better on average – beauty standards are highly variable from place to place and have changed a lot throughout history. Sichuanese women often have characteristics like thin pointed noses, heart shaped faces, larger breasts, lighter skin (Sichuan is located in the Sichuan basin so it’s really foggy), larger eyes, and double eyelids which fit modern Chinese beauty standards.

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The traditional Chinese beauty standards preferred smaller eyes, monolids, smaller breasts, rounder faces, and flatter small noses. The only constant beauty standard is the strong preference for light skin. So this means Sichuanese women being considered attractive is a modern stereotype and you can’t find any historical sources treating them as prettier than women from other regions of China.

Sichuanese women are usually short and a low height for women was the historical beauty standard since it made women seem “fragile” compared to men (we are talking about a very patriarchal society, after all). In modern China, people seem to be a little mixed on this. Taller women are generally preferred and considered more “beautiful” but shorter women (as long as they are not too short) may be considered “cute” by some. For men, they have to be tall because short men are not considered attractive in general. (Are shorter men liked more than tall men anywhere in the world? Sorry, short kings 🙁)

Different generations

“When I was 17 …”

When I was 17 I decided I wanted to reach out to my biological mother through the adoption agency. I heard nothing back initially and when the agency advised me to focus on my leaving cert, I did and I continued on with my life.

Then, 5 years later, out of the blue a letter arrived. This letter would change my life.

I can only assume my mom was upset at the thought of me reconnecting with my biological mother, i dunno maybe she thought I’d leave home and be somebody elses son but no matter what was about to unfold with my biological mother my mom is, and will always be my mom. I feel very lucky to have been chosen by her, that’s sort of how i always felt, like i had been chosen to be their son.

After weeks of letters back and forth the day arrived. The first time i met my biological mother it was only for about 10 minutes in an room at the agency. I was actually ok but Anna (my biological mother) was a nervous wreck. For 22 years she carried this secret with her that no one knew about, not even her close family.

I have my own little guy now and I can’t begin to imagine how hard it must have been for my biological mother to give me up, I mean, I can barely cope with being away from him when I go to work and that’s just for 8 hours. I don’t know what it must have been like for 22 years.

I’m happy to say she is now a part of our lives, I even gained two brothers, another sister and grandparents as a result.

I sometimes wonder what if I hadn’t reached out. That letter that changed my life in such a positive way would still be sitting, unopened, unanswered, in a filing cabinet.

Dressing

As a doctor, what was your most ‘now that was stupid’ moment with a patient?

I once cared for a middle-aged patient who presented to emergency with a dildo-related very embarrassing situation.

He purchased the toy for one of his sexcapades.

Curiosity hit. And he shoved the damn thing in his pooper, high-high up!

“Me first” attitude didn’t do him much good.

Funny feelings subsided fairly quickly and the horror struck when he couldn’t get it out.

His drainage was jammed, the toy was slipping further up and after about 24 hours of wishfully waiting for it to naturally pass, it hurt bad enough to seek medical help.

The official party line, that he vehemently iterated, was I just fell onto it, how else do you think it got up there!

Needless to say, emergency surgery was necessary and he landed in the ICU with sepsis related post-op complications. It took him loooong before being able to use the toilet normally!

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** NOT the patient’s X-ray, but it looked similar**

  • Though I have seen some really absurd stuff in the ER, including a gun-shot to the penis, this surely wins the now-that-was-stupid award..

Russian “Special Flight Squadron” Lands in DC – Ukraine War to End; Russia lays out terms of surrender

World Hal Turner 22 December 2023

Russian officials arrived in Washington, DC Thursday morning to discuss the terms of Ukraine’s SURRENDER.

This is the aircraft that brought the Russian Delegation to Washington, DC:

Special Flight Squadron
Special Flight Squadron

The “Special Flight Squadron moves Kremlin officials traveling on important matters.

TERMS

The terms given to Washington, DC for Ukraine are:

Complete Ukraine surrender.

Complete surrender of all military equipment.

Russian territory will range from Karkhov to Odessa, and gives Russia complete control of Black Sea coast.

Western Ukraine cannot join NATO, or have __any__ military aid.

Russia does not care who controls western Ukraine, and have openly offered it to Poland.

Put bluntly, the Ukraine war is over and Ukraine lost.  Completely.   

They can no longer defend themselves in any meaningful way.   If hostilities are not halted, Ukraine will simply be slaughtered and, believe it or not, Russia does NOT want to do that.

Notice this information isn’t anywhere on the mass-media news?

Notice the Washington Post STOPPED PRINTING it’s “Ukraine War Update Section?”

No reporting that Ukraine has lost – – – and not a word about Russia’s victory.

THIS personifies what the so-called “main stream” media has become: A mouthpiece for government.

The mass-media acts as a stenographer for what government wants you to know. They report “the narrative” as opposed to the “news.”

EDITRORIAL OPINION

Russia won against billions of dollars of the best equipment and NATO-trained troops, it got exactly the farmland it wanted. It lost about 30k troops and killed 300K+ Ukrainian soldiers plus NATO “advisors.”

Russia’s Military industrial capacity has tripled. NATO’s reserve equipment and arms is non existent now.

The 20 percent of Ukraine they conquered are Russian and Russian speaking; so not only do those people NOT hate Russia, they support them!

Energy prices have tripled in Europe and as things stand now, Europe is on the verge of a economic collapse.

NATO and the US have been proven to be a “paper tiger.”

So many people in the West, in its media, and in its governments thought that Ukraine was one counter-offensive away from victory.  It was all lies.  Deliberate lies.

One wonders how all those folks are going to deal with Ukraine’s defeat.

Have you said something that has changed someone’s life?

It was in 1987, a widow of a railway employee who died accidentally, who was barely of 33-34 years approached me to open an account. She was not even able to sign her name. Those were manual banking days. I got her account opening form except signature(which she could not sign) and advised her to learn the signature by her next visit, then only I would open her account. In a sheet of paper I wrote her name “Girija” in hindi and asked her to learn to write her name. I opened her account at my risk and confidence on that poor lady. I didn’t know why my inner sense told me to do so.

She came within two days promptly learnt to sign, so relieving my tension for pending account opening form. She got some fixed deposits from her husband’s settlement funds.

Some days after she, looked terrified, came with an old person. It seemed as if she was trying to convey me some message. I got the chance and learnt that the person accompanied was her father in law(FIL) and he had snatched all her gold and silver jewellery and threatened her to get his name in fixed deposits or else she alongwith her children would be thrown to streets.

She had two young kids of 7(boy) and 11(girl) and she being illiterate, no other source of incime other than her husband’s pension and those deposits. How could have I saved her from her FIL.

I asked them to get seated and silently approached branch manager and asked him to get them inside and tackle him by opening FDs in both names but tactfully favouring FIL & Girija “ payable to latter or survivor”. The cunning chap was satisfied by getting his name in the first place while we were satisfied to get a poor lady saved from clutches of a butcher.

She remained obliged to me always and after about one year she was before me for a withdrawal of Rs.50000/— .to my utter surprise, for the purpose of engagement of her daughter. Sparing my busy time, I tried to convince her whether she wanted to repeat her past. Her daughter wanted to learn further and family wanted to marry her. May God don’t do that, if something happens in her daughter’s life also, she would as be worse as her own, so give her some education at least matric, make her self dependent and then think of marriage.

Believe it or not, a lady who was under veils, in the guardianship of eagle-eyed FIL, stood against all the family members to stop her daughter’s engagement with an oath to educate her daughter so that she might not see her reflection again in her daughter.

I thanked God to give her so much courage to face the old custom of child marriage when she fought against all odds to save her daughter. She was all in tears and thankfulness for me when she reached the branch for redepositing the withdrawn money.

Even after my retirement, I still remember that lady, her innocence but boldness when the question of safety of her daughter, in all, God enabled me to save a girl child.

If a passenger plane window breaks in flight, do things really get sucked out or is that just movies?

.

Unfortunately for these nine passengers, this flight was no flick.

United 811, 24 Feb 1989, is a tragic case of explosive decompression. The skill of the pilot, David Cronin, age 59, prevented a far greater disaster. Captain Cronin was on his second to last flight before mandatory retirement at age 60. He had flown 28,000 hours, 1,700 in the Boeing 747, which was the aircraft on this flight.

United 811 was climbing out from Honolulu on its way to Auckland, New Zealand, carrying 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants and 337 passengers. The crew were maneuvering around thunderstorms, passing through 22,000′, when there was a loud bang and the aircraft shuddered violently. Cronin called for an emergency descent and the First Officer—who was flying that leg— started to lower the landing gear which is standard procedure in such a descent. Cronin waved him off the gear, saying they’d never get back to Honolulu. By that action alone, he saved the aircraft and all still in it.

They declared an emergency and Honolulu Center began moving traffic out of 811’s way, vectoring them to the longest runway at Honolulu International, some 60 miles away.

Cronin sent the Flight Engineer down to assess damage on the main deck. The FE reported that a large portion of the right fuselage had blown off. The downing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland two months earlier was fresh in the crew’s minds. They believed this was the work of a bomb.

It was not. As the pressure differential grew acute at 22,000′, the forward cargo door had blown off, slamming into the fuselage, buckling and bursting it. Nine passengers, eight still belted in their seats, were blown out ++, one of them into the number three engine. The others were hurled against the right wing’s leading edge. Death for these unfortunates would have been instantaneous.

  • Response to Commenters: We have no way of knowing how much life was left to these poor people once blown from the aircraft. I decided to be merciful. You can be sure that the families would argue a lot of painful life was left in the litigation against United, Boeing and P&W.

In any case, the bodies of those that fell to the ocean surface were never recovered. One flight attendant was nearly blown out, but clung to a seat leg until passengers and crew pulled her to safety. She was, nevertheless, severely injured.

What followed was brilliant flying by Cronin, drawing on his 28,000 hours of flight experience. Engines three and four were vibrating heavily, showing fire and he ordered them shut down. The 747 was now flying on only two engines, both on the left wing, making it difficult for Cronin to hold heading and altitude. He ordered the FE to dump fuel since the plane—with a full load for the 16 hour flight to New Zealand—was far over its maximum landing weight.

For that reason, Cronin flew a shallow final approach hoping the landing gear would not collapse upon touch down. He did not have benefit of leading edge slats since those on the right wing would not extend. The damaged flaps would only go to 15 degrees. He waited until the last moment to lower the gear with all its drag.

Landing hot at 200 knots (normal landing 100 – 120 knots) he braked, applying full thrust reverse on engines 1 and 2, and did not overrun the runway. The cabins were evacuated in a remarkable 45 seconds, tho every flight attendant sustained some injury, the worst being a broken shoulder.

About 18 months after the accident, the U.S. Navy recovered the cargo door from an ocean depth of 14,000′—a remarkable feat in itself! With this critical piece of evidence in hand, the NTSB concluded that faulty handling by the Honolulu ground crew was to blame for the door’s failure.

However, the Campbell family of Wellington, New Zealand, having lost their son, Lee, was not satisfied. They undertook their own investigation. They found that design of the locking mechanism on the door was, in fact, the culprit. The FAA accepted this and recommended 747 cargo doors** changed from outward-opening doors, to a so-called “plug” door, the kind you and I see as we enter the cabin of an airliner. The kind that can’t blow open in flight….##

Incompetent cargo door design seems to have been something of an Achilles heel in the construction of wide body airliners, excepting the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar. Only after several instances of explosive decompression in DC-10s, killing nearly 1,000 people, did the FAA get off its ass and press its buddy Douglas to effect necessary changes. Some of the good ‘ol boys at FAA should have done time for their disgraceful, indeed criminal, lax supervision.

And for me, it’s sad that a sterling pilot like David Cronin could not continue to fly while he was fully healthy. For without his skill, it is unlikely that United 811 would have made it back to Honolulu.

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** Krishna Kumar Subramanian refined my answer re the FAA Airworthiness Directive on cargo doors. Apparently, cargo doors on the new 747–8 are the same doors—modified per the Campbell’s findings— as on the United 811’s B-747–122 some 27 years ago.

## Benjamin H. points out that a “fail-safe” plug door would require more cargo space in the cargo hold. This explains why airlines, for economic reasons, would want to stay w/non-plug type door. Thank you, Benjamin.

++ Thanks to Ned Abbey for informing the author that “blown out” is the correct term here, not “sucked out” as I originally termed this ghastly event.

If Texas beef and pork are so good, why do they have to drown it in sauces and chemicals to make it taste good? In Argentina, meat is so good, all it takes is a bit of salt to bring out the fantastic taste.

They… don’t? What? Good meat doesn’t need help from sauces. And Texas is known, well known, for not adding sauce.

This is Texas brisket, before the smoker.

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What you see there is kosher salt and ground black pepper (14 gauge, to be specific). That’s it. The end. Then 12–15 hours on the smoker over post oak at 180F–210F and it’s ready to eat.

This is Texas brisket as it’s served.

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Note the distinct lack of sauces anywhere near it. Putting sauce on that is sacrilegious. Stay away from my barbecue with your sauces; if you don’t like the taste of smoked meat and you feel like you need to cover it up with sauce, eat something else.

However, when I smoke a pork shoulder to make tacos, I do add a little additional seasoning.

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This stuff is magic, and really brings out something special in a pork butt. It’s cheap, at the local grocery store, and is an excellent blend. Served just so.

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On white corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, lime, and some salsa verde if you want. But it doesn’t need it. Good meat speaks for itself, it doesn’t need help.

I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but it couldn’t be more wrong.

What is the most obvious case of a patient ‘faking it’ that you have ever seen?

My mom had a muscle spasm in her shoulder. They hurt, I know. She went to the doctor and was prescribed muscle relaxers.

The following Sunday, her shoulder was hurting again, and she was out of the muscle relaxers, so she decided to go to the ER. My dad and I told her to take some Tylenol and call her doctor in the morning, but that wasn’t good enough.

My dad drove her to the ER, dropped her off at the door and went to park the car. He walked in and she was nowhere to be seen.

She didn’t tell the triage nurse “I have a muscle spasm in my shoulder”. Oh, no. She told the triage nurse that her arm hurts and it hurt to breathe. They immediately took her back and hooked her up to an EKG, started an IV, drew blood for testing, etc.

She KNEW it was a muscle spasm, not a heart attack, but went along with a bunch of unnecessary tests and time wasting for the staff, all because she wanted attention.

Can you use deadly force to protect yourself?

Let me give you an example

In 2007 – Four thieves broke into a House in Hosur. They were from Rajasthan or North India and they had deadly weapons like the Aruva or Long as it is popularly known in the courts.

The Owner and his son – woke up and fought the thieves and they ran away but one guy was hit on his head with a tyre iron (Used to change lorry or tractor tyres) and he went a few feet away and collapsed near a drain.

There were 12 witnesses to the entire scene. The victim had a rambo knife and a bihar knife in his lungi as he lay there collapsed and unconscious.

Police arrived forty five minutes later – took the statements – took the victim to the hospital where he was pronounced DOA.

The Police booked a Murder (302) and 201 case against the Owner and his son.

The Magistrate Court refused to dismiss the case on grounds of Self Defense claiming that a Rambo Knife and Bihar Knife did not indicate self defense.

The Sessions court refused to dismiss the case

The High Court – thrice refused to dismiss the case

The Accused served 17 months in Prison until they got bail from the High Court.

Eventually in 2015 – The Accused were sentenced to Life Imprisonment

Finally in 2018 January – the High Court stayed the decision and acquitted them by observing that – (a) The Victim did not have any relation with them (b) The Victim did not have any work in that locality at that time – Of course this was all nonsense.

The main reason was because The Karnataka Police arrested the other thieves in 2016 and during their interrogation observed and found their statements where they confessed to a robbery in Hosur where their partner was killed.

On January 2018 – the Two were released from Prison. Not because of the courts and not because of the Exemplary Law enforcement but because some Decent cop at the Karnataka Police side was able to help them out and a very good and decent Chennai Lawyer was able to connect the issues.

So as you can see – A Father and Son defend their property from Thieves and murderers- they serve collectively 4 Years and 5 Months in prison

Do you know the first thing the Father said when he was released?

“Next time – i will bury the body and if the police come – we will hack the cops and bury their bodies as well”

A Law abiding man – was so angry – i am sure he would have slaughtered an entire police station and all the judges in tamilnadu.

They filed a civil suit which is still pending and is likely to be pending upto 2035.

Conclusion –

India is worse than any other country except maybe Uganda or Rwanda. The Law means nothing and the Laws in CRPC or IPC mean Zilch.

The Magistrates and Judges are among the most fifth rate in the planet. They rule like Panchayats.

Unless you are linked to the Big 4 – (a) Minister (b) MP/MLA (c) IAS (d) Big Businessmen or VIPS – You are unlikely to get any justice and no matter what – even if you use Deadly Force to protect yourself from Bin Laden – you will face murder charges and even be convicted of murdering Bin Laden.

Get the hell out if possible. If not – just mind your business and pray to all the gods not to put you in a situation which involves requiring using Deadly Force for Self Defence

That’s how…

What’s the scariest experience you’ve ever had when picking your child up from school?

It wasn’t my child but my cousin.

I was 15 years old. I was staying with my aunt yet again as my mother decided she needed another break from me and went on another bender.

My aunt was more of a mom to me. As a result I was very close to her family and called her mom Grandma and her sister Aunt. Anyway Grandma was living with my Aunt. She had dementia and was having a particularly bad day. My aunt asked me to pick up my 10 year cousin from school which was only a block away. I did this often as my aunt tried to shield my cousin from her mothers episodes. She gave me some cash to stop at the small ice cream place near her school to keep her away longer.

I got to my cousins school expecting to see her on the playground where all the kids played while waiting to get picked up. She wasn’t there but I wasn’t worried as I knew she sometimes helped the teacher clean up the classroom after school. I went to her classroom and she wasn’t there either! No one was.

Starting to get worried I started roaming the hallways peeking in the classrooms looking for her. She was nowhere to be found!

I ran to the principals office freaked out by then and told the secretary I couldn’t find her! The secretary immediately made an announcement over the PA system telling my cousin to come to the office. 10 minutes passed. She never came.

We went to the teachers lounge and got the teachers to help look for her. I’ve never been so scared! My aunt trusted me with her daughter and I didn’t know how to call her and tell her she was gone.

30 minutes later we heard a shout. One of the teachers had found her. She was in the library reading. She had gone to check out a book when school had let out without telling anyone and the librarian had locked her in.

I hugged her hard and told her to always tell someone where she was going. It was for her safety. She started crying and apologizing over and over. I told her it was okay. Her principal gave her the same lecture and we left.

My aunt hadn’t called yet to say it was safe to come home so we went for ice cream and then to the local park. An hour later my aunt called and told us to come on home. Grandma finally went to sleep.

After my cousin went to bed that night I told my aunt what had happened. At first she seemed upset but then said they were lucky to have me there. I was shocked. I didn’t receive compliments very often. She gave me a hug told me I was a good person and a great sister to my cousin.

My cousin always made sure she was on the playground after school after that.

Appreciate NOW

Only in China

The sheer logistics of trying to feed a nation of 1.4 billion people are insane. Take this building right here — it’s a pig farm. A 26-story pig farm named Ezhou farm. It’s one of the biggest ‘only in China’ moments for me.

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Basically, China has been having some pretty major geopolitical tensions with many of its neighbors lately, and there have been a lot of issues with the ongoing trade war with America. So China wants to be less dependent on imports of vital things such as food.

As a result, it has started building absolutely MASSIVE pig farms on an industrial scale unseen anywhere in human history. It’s pretty crazy. Also, I gotta say, pretty impressive.

So yeah, 26-story pig farms are a strange phenomenon I’ve not seen anywhere else. Anyone who’s ever enjoyed Chinese cuisine knows it cannot survive without pork. So if ever war breaks out and trade routes are blocked, China is ensuring it’ll never run out of pork chops.

How many German women did Russian soldiers impregnate after the fall of the Third Reich?

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Some sources claim that Red Army soldiers impregnated about 200,000 of the about 2,000,000 German women its soldiers raped during their advance into Germany in 1945. Quite a few German women were murdered during the mass rapes and looting or committed suicide afterwards, so the numbers could be off by several thousand.

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Senior Red Army officers attempted to crack down on ill-disciplined Soviet soldiers and numerous enlisted men and some officers were either shot or sent to serve in penal units for lacking discipline on and off the battlefield. Discipline tended to be mostly excellent in Red Army Guards divisions and mechanized and tank corps. Red Army infantry units that had to use ill-trained and often ill-disciplined conscripts, often soldiers who had witnessed German atrocities in the Soviet Union, probably committed the preponderance of the rapes on German soil. The dead German women in the photo posted below probably committed suicide with cyanide capsules. It is unclear if they were raped beforehand or simply feared the Soviet soldiers so much that they took their own lives to avoid mass rape and murder.

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Why are a lot of Nigerians so extroverted, fun, and friendly compared to other countries?

If they say Nigerians are among the happiest people on earth I don’t think we will argue. An average Nigerian mentality is just cruise. People that make fun of their own Misery’s. Humor is a gift you get for being a Nigerian, slightly higher than the line for insanity. I won’t be wrong if I say it’s our coping mechanism. Fun is a way we know how to keep on pushing and a way to look beyond our imperfect country. With how our country is if we don’t laugh at life we will go mad.

Who turns a protest into a party? Nigerians

Who replys with ffb on their president’s post on Twitter? Nigerians

Who creates happiness out of nothing? Nigerians

Who turns every situation into a comedy? Nigerians.

Nigerians use banter and humor to hide how fucked we all are in this country.

Nigerians are warm, friendly, kind, fun, witty and merry. Despite all the troubles , all our pains. We are sensitive to all the Issues we have and our heart silently scream in pain. Yet we still force a smile and make jokes out of everything.

If only we have good leaders, Nigeria would have become the best place on earth

Waiting to Be Put to Sleep, She Sat Crying Silently in Her Cage At the Shelter

How does spending the majority of one’s life in prison feel?

I was arrested when I was 17 and was released from prison when I was 46. So I spent well over half my life in prison.. When I was sentenced I remember being shocked. I didn’t cry like you see some of these teenagers do when sentenced. My dad had taught me that whether I did something bad or good to own it. But yet my whole family and some friends were in tears. I spent my first 5 years at MSP and really there I was just trying to survive.. But even though I didn’t like being in prison I became used to prison life. When They transferred me I was happy. For one I was leaving that place Second a different prison would be a change of scenery. I also spent the whole time on the transfer bus looking out the window. Seeing farms made me a little homesick

So I spent from 1993- 99 at Farmington Correctional Center. There were others that I knew from MSP there already Time passed pretty quick there. It wasn’t as violent even though you could not let your guard down. Anyway one day, some friends came to see me . One of my female friends told me. “You are different . Your eyes used to be full of life and you were always smiling as a teen-ager” I told her that I still smiled. “She said it wasn’t the same.

Anyway by now I had settled down into prison life .Every time I got a parole hearing I hoped for the best but expected the worst.. You laugh and joke with people in prison that you have become cool with. Not because prison is funny, but it helps keep your sanity. You miss out on birthdays weddings and holidays. You know this as each happened but push it to the back of your mind. . Oh you may say something to a friend like “ Guess what? My Brother is getting married” He will probably say something nice and then you dont speak about it much .And the days, weeks, months and years pass. On my 36th birthday my celly and best friend in prison made a meal to “celebrate” and I reflected on the fact that I had been in prison half my life. I have tried to convey how it feels but the only way you will know for sure how it feels is if you experience it. I pray that never happens .

Partners

What are the most profound jokes ever?

A jobless man applied for the position of ‘office boy’ at a very big company.

The employer interviewed him, then a test: clean the floor.

“You are hired.” – the employer said. ”Give me your email address, and I’ll send you the application to fill, as well as when you will start.”

The man replied, “I don’t have a computer, neither an email.”

“I’m sorry,” said the employer, “if you don’t have an email that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist, cannot have the job.”

The man left with no hope. He didn’t know what to do, with only $10 USD in his pocket.

He then decided to go to the supermarket, bought a 10kg tomato crate, then sold the tomatoes door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded and doubled his capital.

He repeated the operation 3 times and returned home with $60 USD. The man realized that he could survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and returned late. Thus, his money doubled or tripled everyday. Shortly later, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

Five years later, the man’s company was one of the biggest food retailers. He started to plan his family’s future, and decided to have a life insurance.

He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied: “I don’t have an email.”

The broker replied curiously, “You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Do you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?”

The man paused for a while, and replied: “An office boy!”

Are you shocked that Burger King is closing over 300 restaurants?

I went to one of the few remaining Burger Kings in the City of Toronto this month. It’s in the Woodbine Centre in Rexdale. It’s a mall that’s clearly on its last legs as it has not one, but two liquidation outlets, although I’m astounded that the Hudson’s Bay Company (which just closed a flagship store at Yonge & Bloor) is still operating there. It appears the mall area is being completely redeveloped because it was obvious several of the stores there were at the end of their lease term from all the clearance signs.

I had not eaten at a BK in about two years. The last time I went there was when things started to open post-pandemic and I ate at the one on Yonge Street. I don’t eat at BK often because they’re inconvenient. They used to have a location across the street from where I worked, but when that complex was redeveloped they lost their lease and didn’t move back into the new food court. There’s an A&W there now. Similarly, BK closed down when the Royal Bank Plaza redeveloped its food court too.

I think my Whopper Combo set me back about $14 (Cdn.). That’s pricey – more than A&W’s Mama Combo.

So, BK is inconvenient (in bad locations) and no longer a really good value for money. A lot of fast food places are finding the same problem now – they’re in places no-one goes anymore, or they’re really old (the one on Yonge Street dates back to the 1980s). Here in Canada, they’re facing massive competition from A&W which has outlets everywhere, sometimes only a few blocks apart. You can get a sandwich and drink from Timmies for about $11. Five Guys serves better burgers (more expensive though) and they’re actually a little more convenient for me.

For example. there’s a BK at Eglinton Square, which I visit from time to time. I never eat there. I often forget it’s there. There’s a food court inside Eglinton Square but the BK is a stand-alone about 100m from the mall entrance. It’s also just across the street from an A&W, and just down the street from a joint Wendy’s/Timmies.

Again, Whoppers are lovely, but they’re certainly not anything I’m going to pay a massive premium for. I talk about going to Niagara Falls a lot and BK has a massive presence there in wonderful locations – Clifton Hill and the Fallsview Casino. However, they charge another 50% on top of normal prices (there is one on Lundy’s Lane that charges regular prices). BK also used to have locations in Cineplex theatres and had the same pricing strategy. There are three Timmies in locations in Niagara Falls similar to BK’s, but they charge regular prices.

What is the most humiliating thing you have ever seen happen to a receptionist?

Before I came to Thailand, I worked in Corporate America.

Her name was Laurie, and she was a really hardworking, patient receptionist, a young, very attractive woman of 21 who was going to night classes to further her education. Few knew that.

She was first contact for phone calls, visitors, deliveries and dealt with the everchanging schedules for five VPs and their unit managers.

She also had to contend with men hitting on her, both staff and visitors. She was good at it and could usually send them on their way with no hard feelings.

Except VP3. He never stopped pestering her. He had gone through a bitter divorce in which he had to give his ex almost half of the wealth and his children for marathon cheating.

Laurie looked like a younger version of his ex.

The humiliating event was orchestrated by VP3. He had a very powerful client that paid the company millions. The client called, Laurie informed him that VP3 was in a meeting and would return his call within the hour. She hand delivered the message to VP3.

But he didn’t make the call. He accused her of not telling him and blackmailed his secretary into backing him up. He didn’t do this quietly: he called HR and the other VPs to the open conference room and berated her in front of them.

Laurie attempted to defend herself, but VP3 was relentless and knew the company wouldn’t dare take her word over his. When he couldn’t force her to publicly admit wrongdoing, nor would she grovel, he loudly fired her with no severence pay.

But Laurie was no fool. She had kept copious records about work and VP3’s harassment. She had many friends in the office who would testify on her behalf.

Within a month, she had filed a suit against the company and VP3. The company offered a hefty sum to make it all go away.

But karma wasn’t finished.

Fast forward about six years. That really important client filed suit against VP3 and the company for mismanagement.

I enjoy imagining the reaction when the company lawyers informed VP3 et al that Laurie was one of several attorneys opposing them and had depositioned numerous previous and current employees. The court threw out the ‘conflict of interest’ motion.

I heard that the company and VP3 had to pay a stunning amount.

One never knows who that ‘lowly’ employee may be one day!

What is the most cruel thing you saw a parent do to their child?

I was the weird kid. Throughout elementary and middle school my mother kept my hair as short as a boy’s and dressed me in my brother’s hand me downs, even though I had an older sister as well. My early struggles with depression made schoolwork difficult, and I landed myself a spot in special ed. I was teased and bullied mercilessly.

One day, around the 3rd or 4th grade, I was getting dressed for school and couldn’t find one of my sneakers. I searched frantically, knowing the sort of trouble I’d be in, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. My mother was livid. She was not about to reward my irresponsibility, she screeched, with a day off from school! Her solution? I was dropped off wearing bedroom slippers.

Big, fluffy, orange and black bobbly-headed Garfield slippers with ping-pong ball googly eyes.

The other kids descended on the feast like vultures.

“Look at Baby Bacon!” (Rhymes with Meghann)

“Hey Bacon! You must really love Garfield!”

“Bacon and Garfield, sitting in a tree…”

The teacher at last called my mother to come pick me up, insisting I was being disruptive. My mother completely lost it. After a spanking I spent the afternoon confined to my room, with instructions to find the shoe before I came out for any reason whatsoever— bathroom, water and dinner included. I panicked and dismantled everything, from my bed to my closet to my bookshelf. Finally I found the shoe amidst a jumbled herd of discarded My Little Ponies in the rubbermaid bin where my mother collected my old toys for goodwill. She must have accidentally gathered it up while cleaning.

She had put it there. Not me.

A few weeks ago, I attended a traditional Thanksgiving family gathering. I brought green bean casserole and mac and cheese and we enjoyed our time together.

But the next day, my mom came to town (divorced parents) and I felt obligated to host a second “Thanksgiving.” I say “obligated” because (a) I can’t cook and (b) I suck at hosting. But it just didn’t seem right for her to travel so far and not enjoy a home-cooked meal with her family on Thanksgiving weekend.

So I invited my mom and stepdad, aunt and uncle, and my brother/sister-in-law/kids that we had just seen the day prior. I didn’t have the skills to make a Thanksgiving dinner, so I announced a chili night…the one delicious thing I CAN make.

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And I’ve gotta tell you…it wasn’t that great. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I nearly ruined the entire double batch of chili when I forgot to turn down the temperature and left it to boil for 15+ minutes.

I made cornbread, put it in the microwave to stay warm, and then forgot to bring it out until after everyone was done with their chili.

I bought disposable bowls in an attempt to simplify cleanup…then watched the chili grease seep through the bowls.

I busted out a small fire pit for the kids to roast marshmallows, then struggled to actually START a fire in it. Three people later, we had a “meh” flame.

And at the end of my mediocre night of hosting, my 8-year-old daughter told me, “I wish I could rewind this day and do it ALL OVER AGAIN! It was the most fun EVER!!”

It turns out that while I was burning chili and forgetting cornbread, she was making silly “music videos” with her cousins with a karaoke microphone, an old iPod touch, and one cousin flickering the lights on and off for “effects.”

While my bowls were failing at the ONE JOB they had, my family was BSing each other over board games.

And while our fire was holding on for dear life, the kids (and a few adults!) gathered around it, debating the perfect amount of toasting and stuffing oversized marshmallows into their mouths.

Friend, don’t wait until you’re ready and able to host an elaborate gathering to invite people over. Don’t wait until your house is clean…or you tidy up your yard. My yard is 20% grass, 70% weeds, and 10% dirt right now…and the kids still found a million ways to play there.

Your family doesn’t need a spotless house. Your friends and neighbors don’t need an Instagram-worthy dinner and sides display.

They need to talk with you, to laugh with you, to tear up pieces of cardboard to start a tiny backyard fire with you.

Just make what you can, be who you are, and open your door. Because you need those things too.

What is the brutal truth about life after marriage?

I’ve been married nearly 18 years. I am very happy to be walking through life with my spouse. But there are some brutal truths.

  1. You don’t magically change, and neither do they, into a different person simply because you get married. You don’t change your mind about major issues – one of the saddest ends to a marriage was seeing 2 friends who loved each other divorce acrimoniously because he hadn’t believed her when she said she didn’t want children.
  2. It is not “happily ever after.” Life throws up bad stuff and stressful stuff. Sometimes your spouse can support and comfort you, but sometimes they don’t have the right skills or emotional bandwidth. They are also humans and dealing with their own crap. I tell my spouse whether I need a hug and a “there, there,” practical advice or to be left alone for a few hours to read or watch something escapist. Because me reacting badly when he offers help triggers his snarkiness which really doesn’t help!
  3. It’s likely that you will be attracted to other people. That crazy infatuation period has a chemical shelf life in your brain, so if you let it pass without taking actions that impact the marriage (assuming it’s a marriage you want to stay in), it’s all good. If you do cheat, you should do so knowing that there is a strong chance you will get caught and it’s going to be very painful for your spouse and is very likely to end your marriage.
  4. You need to let some stuff ride. I have a couple of absolutes that are marriage enders, so does he. Everything else is a negotiation, and sometimes it’s just letting go of something that you’d never do if you lived alone. Like how clean/tidy the place is, for example.
  5. If you were unhappy and discontented before marriage, getting married doesn’t fix that. Active additions to sex, gambling, spending, drugs, alcohol, work, food, etc. don’t magically stop because someone gets married. If someone isn’t doing and continuing the work to not fall into these behaviours, you have something to be very worried about. If I start using again, I can’t imagine my marriage surviving and I’d put my spouse through hell before it ended.
  6. The other brutal truth is that a good marriage will eventually end with one of you dead. Selfishly, I’m hoping I’m the one who goes first so that I don’t have to deal with the grief I’m going to feel if I lose my best friend, my love, and the person who can make me laugh like a four-year-old!

Retrofuturistic Voyages: Star Trek in the Roaring Twenties

Can you tell me about a time that you sued someone in civil court and won?

my husband and I just won a civil case against a building contractor that flooded our property while building other houses in our neighborhood. But the story gets better. Because this started at the beginning of Covid (April 2020) I was home all the time. He drained a swamp to build a house and sent the pond through a culvert into our easement that emptied into our backyard. Destroyed the culvert, never repaired it, built a house next to the easement (on the other side), ran over destroyed easement with large bucket caterpillar, then threatened to kick my husbands ass when we confronted him. He tried to mansplain water flow to me, as well. Well, with all my free time, I was able to watch what was happening, so if he violated code I would call the city. Sounds petty, but hey, I had a flooded backyard, and a guy who screamed “asshole” at me every time I walked my dogs.

then one day his survey guy shows up. On my property. I told them and him to get the fuck off my land. Survey next door all you want, but get your feet off my property. They told me no, they own my land. I laughed and laughed, and then told them that’s not how property ownership works. And that by state law they had to 1) give me notice of intent to survey and 2) give me 24 hours. the surveyors told me they did not. Then THEY called the police on me. For some dumb reason, the cop told them (the contractors) to put a Protection From Harassment on me. So they did. It was granted. Ooooo, the lies they told in that! Things like I threatened to shoot them in front of the cops, I put grease on their work vehicles (wtf) and I stole things from the construction site. All types of crazy shit. Okay. I’m still at home and I’ve got a phone with a camera and now one of the best lawyers in the state. I took thousands of pictures of my property, their property (from a distance, lol) everything that negates what they said in the their PFH.

we just went to court several months ago, he hasn’t shown up for the last several hearings and we won. I won $30,000 in defamation for him lying on the PFH and my husband won $20,000 because he was mentioned in it. The total amount included repairs to property and lawyer fees.

PS- when we went to court for the PFH we subpoenaed the cop who told them to place it and the chief of police. It was suddenly dismissed by their side. But the city wanted to charge me for the officers time, and have the court sanction me. We fought it and won, obvi. But the best thing about that part was the city lawyers were scared of my lawyer that at their firm it went from a low lawyer to his boss then finally to a managing partner in a matter of days once they realized who my lawyer was because my lawyer told me he knew him. That law firm wasn’t leaving anything to chance and still lost.

I laugh about this once a week. The loser contractor now lives in a trailer his dad owns, is divorced from his wife (business partner) and all three owe us close to $100 k.

if he had stopped the flooding and apologized, this would never have come to this.

What is a common mistake people make without realizing it?

Last night I saw a camera lens online that I wanted.

It was used. There were no bids.

I put in a bid at just over $425.

There were 2 hours left in the auction. An hour goes by. No bids. I’m excited. It’s an amazing lens.

Suddenly. <ding>

$430.

Oh so you wanna go?!?!?!?

Me: $440

Him: $455.

Oh you think you are a baller, huh?!?!?!?

Then this escalates into a full blown bidding war. I am ignoring phone calls as I pound on keyboard.

We get to $725. He puts a bid at $730.

I then have an epiphany.

Dude. Do you really want to bid more than that for a used lens? You can buy it new for $790.

I bowed out.

There are many situations in life where we don’t even realize that we are trying to “win”.

The problem is that we are trying to win the wrong game.

In life, we often find that the price of winning is losing.

Why A Lot Of MODERN WOMEN Are DELUSIONAL | And The Male LONELINESS Epidemic

What’s something most people don’t know about the Holocaust?

As someone who studies and talks about the holocaust, I often get a question- “why didn’t the Jews fight back”.

The answer is sad. For those that were murdered in the gas chambers they didn’t think they were about to die. They thought they were being showered before registration into the camp. By the time they realized what was happening, they were in a dark room quickly filling with Cyanide gas.

But- the Jews that knew very often fought back.


Operation Reinhard was a 2-year long effort to kill every Jew the Germans could find. In 4 extermination camps, almost 2 million people would be gassed and killed from late 1941 – late 1943. In 2 of these camps though, there were revolts, and thanks to these revolts- there were survivors.

I am going to focus on Sobibor because I think it is very interesting and even badass.

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Sobibor was an extermination camp where 250,000 had been murdered. As 1943 was coming to a close the camp prisoners noticed that prisoners from Belzec (another extermination camp) had been sent to Sobibor and murdered after they dismantled and shut down their own camp.

The prisoners knew they would soon be killed when Sobibor was shut down so they came up with a brilliant plan.

Out of this, a resistance group was formed. They brainstormed ideas but soon got very lucky when a number of Soviet POWs arrived at the camp as more laborers, among them Alexander ‘Sasha’ Pechersky.

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Sasha impressed everyone. During one of his first work details, he was placed outside the camp to cut down trees. When the SS guard started whipping Jewish laborers for cutting too slowly Sasha protested.

The SS guard, amused by this, challenged Sasha to a challenge. If Sasha could cut down a tree in 5 minutes he would win a pack of smokes. If not, he would get 25 lashes. Sasha agreed and 4.5 minutes later the tree was cut down. When the SS guard offered smokes Sasha said “thanks but I don’t smoke. The SS guard then returned with bread and butter and Sasha said “no thank you, the rations I receive satisfy me fully”.

This act of defiance became a rallying cry in the camp. Pretty soon Sasha was one of the leaders of the resistance.


After a plan to tunnel out of the camp failed, they settled on an all-out revolt.

What took place is brilliant.

On October 14th 1943 the time was now. The camps commander, who was gifted at rooting out conspiracies, had left the camp with his aides. This was the time for the prisoners to strike.

They would designate combat teams in every barracks. These combat teams were the strongest men armed with crude weapons.

The prisoners then lured the SS guards to various locations. They would say “hey we have some new coats confiscated, come pick one out” and stuff like that. SS guards were lured to tailor shops, storerooms, shoe shining places, and other buildings where combat teams lie in wait.

First the camp commander SS Untersturmfuher Johann Niemann had his head split in by an axe. Then, every 6 minutes for the next hour an SS Officer was killed.

No alarm was sounded so far- things were going well. There was a problem though. Karl Frenzel, the most feared of the SS, had been late to his appointment and was thus still alive. Additionally, many killings had been far too public.

At this point, Sasha was sure the plot would soon be discovered as bodies were located.

Sasha then gave a speech to the assembled prisoners.

Our day has come. Most of the Germans are dead. Let’s die with honor. Remember, if anyone survives, he must tell the world what has happened here!

The prisoners charged- using the pistols and rifles they had stolen. All-out chaos broke out as the prisoners got to the gate and nearby fences and clamored over.

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The remaining SS Guards realize what is happening and open fire. Combat breaks out between the guards and prisoners. Hundreds of prisoners are slaughtered but many guards are gunned down from prisoners returning fire.

A few hundred get over the fence and head for the forest. Landmines kill many as others are gunned down.

In total, 150 are killed in the breakout, well over 100 were killed by mines in the forest, and a further 107 are hunted down and killed in the following days.

208 escaped with their lives though, and 58 would survive until the end of the war to testify what happened at Sobibor.

Sasha would steward a group of 50 Jews through the forest before abandoning them and making his way to the Red Army. He would survive the war and die in 1990 at the age of 80.

These 58 survivors would be the only people to survive Sobibor.

Treblinka had a similar revolt/escape where prisoners looted the armory, used grenades to destroy the camp, and made a dash for the gate. Here too almost everyone was killed but 70 managed to survive.

1.8 million Jews were sent to Treblinka, Belzec, and Sobibor. Of those 1.8 million, only 178 survived. 50 escaped Belzec during its operation, 58 escaped Sobibor during the uprising, and 70 escape Treblinka during their uprising.

This means these camps killed 99.992% of those sent there. Truly horrific.

The way it ALL ENDS: the five endgames that all women face

The West is in really BIG trouble.

Will Biden Start World War III?

“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

I’m sure I could lead off this piece with a dozen quotes from various luminary thinkers through the ages about the wisdom of striking your enemies at moments of great weakness, confusion, or disarray. But I won’t, because I think the concept is sort of obvious, even to those who are not great thinkers.

Boxers and fighters know it.

Corporate raiders know it.

Lawyers and politicians know it, too.

You could even say capitalizing on vulnerability is in the collective DNA of nature.

Whenever possible, predators tend to seek prey of the old, sick, weak, and stupid variety — rather than specimens in the prime of life, at the peak of their strength and courage.

Point being, the U.S. is increasingly showing weakness, division, confusion, and vulnerability to the world. And no, this did not start all of a sudden with Joe Biden’s election. I would argue that it’s been escalating under the last few administrations, to one degree or another. But to my eyes, it’s increasing exponentially under the “leadership” of America’s first invertebrate president…

And I think this could tempt our enemies and adversaries — China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, ISIS, whomever — to test us (and our allies) more and more over the course of Biden’s tenure, on multiple fronts, including militarily.

This is not hard to imagine when you zoom out and look at things from 30,000 feet

Aside from the questionable condition and readiness of certain parts of America’s military, or some of our more anemic foreign policy moves of the recent past…

I’m just as concerned with how a number of other things we’re doing (or allowing to be done) domestically could invite increasing challenges from abroad, or perhaps even violent attack one day. I’m talking about things like:

LAX BORDER SECURITY — Between all the mixed messaging, catch-and-release policies, surreptitious transportation of illegals into the interior (many of them infected with SARS-CoV-2, mind you), and the cessation of border-wall construction, the U.S. has seen an absolute explosion of illegal immigration since Biden’s election.

Case in point: May’s total of over 180,000 apprehensions hadn’t been seen in a single month since April of 2000, the year that set the current annual record for illegal immigrants (1.68 million). So far in 2021, we’re on pace to see as many as 1.86 million illegals on the year, a new record. And an increasing number of them are coming in from places other than central America, including Haiti and Africa.

REJECTION OF POLICE — Reversing a 40-year trend that saw spending for law enforcement more than triple, at least 20 major U.S. cities have now reduced or re-directed funds away from their police forces. Some of them have pledged to cut cop funding by as much as 50%. All told, more than $840 million has evaporated from police coffers in the last year and a half or so.

This had contributed to an unprecedented wave of retirement among cops, creating record vacancies on police forces across the nation. Baltimore alone needs at least 259 more officers on the street, and is begging Washington for federal agents to help with enforcement. The Philadelphia force has 268 vacancies, and is expecting more in the near future. There are many other American PD’s in similarly dire straits, too.

ACCEPTANCE OF CRIME — From abiding lawless “autonomous zones” to giving rioters free rein to destroy property and granting criminals tacit permission to swipe merchandise off store shelves without penalty, the force of law in America is being eroded by the day.

Yet even as crime increases, many kinds of criminal prosecutions are declining across the country. In fact, a movement is afoot in multiple U.S. cities to stop trying entire classes of criminality. Baltimore, as just one example, is no longer prosecuting low-level drug possession, prostitution, or traffic misdemeanors.

And did you see what happened in St. Louis recently? A judge was compelled to let an accused murderer go free because the prosecution failed to show up for trial. The same week, two other murder cases were also dismissed because of unprepared or absent prosecutors. Disgraceful.

PUNISHING U.S. INDUSTRIES — Biden nixed the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would’ve been a tremendous boon for American energy independence, but removed long-standing U.S. sanctions on the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which increases Europe’s energy dependence and undermines our credibility in the region. Biden has made moves against the domestic coal and oil industries as well…

He’s also aggressively pushing mass-adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), despite America’s overall reluctance to fully embrace them, and the fact that China leads the global EV battery market. The precarious domestic steel and aluminum industries are vulnerable, too, as Biden weighs lifting the Trump-era tariffs that helped bring them back from the brink.

TOLERATING SOFT AGGRESSION — Biden’s response to repeated Russia-based hacking has been notably impotent. Instead of an iron-fisted ultimatum (or an actual counter-hack), he presented Putin with a list of 16 domestic infrastructure targets declared “off limits” to attack. The implication being that everything else is fair game.

The coronavirus pandemic could quite rightly be classified as an act of foreign aggression, too. Mounting evidence suggests that it was developed in a Chinese lab, and whether its release was accidental or intentional, China clearly encouraged its spread around the world, effectively weaponizing it.

Then there’s the PRC’s repeated threatening actions against Hong Kong and Taiwan (and in the South China Sea), Russian actions against Ukraine, North Korean missile tests, etc. All this tallies up to an awful lot of soft aggression against the U.S. and its allies, most of it unanswered in any meaningful way.

All of these things, and more (like declining standards for U.S. troops) project an image of decreasing strength

They suggest an inability to secure and lead our own nation (much less the world) competently, and an unwillingness to do the hard, but necessary thing. This softer image does not make us safer, it makes us more vulnerable.

I don’t see any of it getting better under the increasingly feeble-minded and tone-deaf Joe Biden, either — a man with a lifelong reputation for poll-watching, China-favoring, family-first, flip-flopping “leadership.” This is not just my opinion. You can look this stuff up. Shanghai Joe’s been among China’s top advocates in Washington for nearly his entire tenure in U.S. government. He’s also on record being on both sides of about just every major issue…

And don’t get me started on his family’s cozy and colorful (main color: dollar green) relationship with China and other powerful foreign entities. My read on this is that Biden can be bought, one way or another — and that he has been, many times over.

Bottom line: In my view, the policies of President Biden and his party are waving red flags in front of some very powerful bulls. And if China, Russia, or anyone else has a mind to attack us, I think they’d be very tempted to do it under his watch.

My great hope (yours, too, I’m betting) is that we get through Biden’s tenure without full-on war — and back to a more independent, self-sufficient America with some steel in its spine, both domestically and globally.

But the way things are going, the hope of such a thing may be all we end up having.

A rare but desirable quality in date-able women

What is the rudest thing you have ever seen someone do?

I was at a grocery store checkout once, and I saw these three college kids having a field day with a poor clerk who was trying to bag up their groceries. The whole thing, apparently, started when he dropped a bottle of wine they were buying. He apologized, cleaned up the mess, and rushed back to get them another bottle.

While he was gone, they started talking about what a “complete idiot” he was. They proceeded to make fun of the way he looked, the way he was dressed, his weight, his glasses, you name it. When the poor guy got back, they didn’t let up. They started insulting him right to his face, calling him a whole litany of terrible things until they had him on the verge of tears. The kid was only about 16; he was terribly overweight, and I could see how he was probably an easy target for any bully. I was bagging up my own stuff, but I was completely mesmerized by this entire exchange. Suddenly, the kid must have said something because one of the guys reached out and popped him across the face. It wasn’t a punch or a hard slap, just some wussy little pop meant to humiliate him. To my amazement, the kid didn’t walk away. He just stood there red faced with tears welling up in his eyes. The dude reached out and popped him again and, for some reason, this was the funniest thing that these guys had ever seen in their lives. They were laughing like there was no tomorrow.

I kept looking around for a manager, thinking someone needed to say something, but I finally realized that no one was going to. Then it hit me: Why couldn’t I say something? I reached out and grabbed the kid, and pulled him out of the way. I stepped up to the guy, pulled a 20 dollar bill out of my wallet, and told him that I would give it to him if he would hit me like that. He stared at me for a second like I had lost my mind before asking what my problem was.
“You’re my damn problem,” I responded. “Hit me in the face like that; I dare you.”
Well, there were three of these guys, but they didn’t look like they had ever been in a fight in their entire lives. I am a little over six feet tall, and I weigh around 225. I don’t consider myself to be a tough guy but, needless to say, they didn’t want any part of me. Instead, they simply started gathering their things and headed for the door. I pulled the kid out from behind me, and ordered them to apologize. They laughed at me, and hurried for the parking lot. Well, I was a lot angrier that day than I thought.

I followed them out of the store all the way to their car doing my best to start a fight. They got very quiet, and not one of them had anything to say. Instead, they just kept their heads down, and refused to make eye contact.

I let them leave, and then pulled the kid aside and told him to never let anyone push him around like that. In the future, he needed to, at least, walk away and find a manager. At this point, the kid just broke down in tears and sobbed on my shoulder. It turned out that his dad had died only a year earlier, and he and his mom were all alone in the world. At that point, I really wished I had put one of those bastards in the hospital. Instead, I gave the kid my card, and told him to call if there was ever anything I could do for him.
I never saw or heard from him again.

What are your thoughts on adults who still live at home with their parents without paying rent or contributing towards the household expenses?

We asked our adult son to live with us however long he could stomach it. He had just had a disastrous brief marriage and a divorce, was quite broke from the wedding rings, the wedding itself, buying a condo for he and his wife, etc. He had also bought himself a used Audi which self-destructed and led him back to driving a 20 year old Honda, worth only a few hundred dollars.

With the new marriage, he had started a new job where there was a potential for future growth. The learning curve was tough. He was working 10 hour days and then studying to learn the job more thoroughly until midnight, rinse and repeat. In addition he was emotionally almost catatonic from his grief over the breakup.

He is living with us now. It has been about two years so far. I think he will be here until January when he plans to get an MBA from one of the top schools to further his career. No wife, no kids, no girlfriend, no debts, now is the time if he is going to do it.

My son is an easy keeper. He is a complete neat freak, always leaving the room looking better after he leaves it than what it was when he entered it. Same with the kitchen. He will walk in to make his lunch and when he leaves the kitchen is spotless. And he is quiet as a mouse.

So, I am not sure this arrangement would work out for every adult child, but in our circumstances it does. We respect him as an adult and he respects us. And we are happy to help him get back on his feet financially and build up his savings.

This is why so many men today are blue pill

Jesus H Christ

What is the most badass thing a private has said to a general?

I was a corporal, not a private. I was sent to Fleet Hospital 5 for a gallbladder removal. They took out my appendix, by mistake. As I lay in my bed, belly full of stitches, my Sergeant Major came to visit, and shared that he would be back the next day because Norman Schwarzkopf was visiting. He was touring medical facilities before the war kicked off.

The hospital gave us magazines to read- people would send them via the any servicemen mail program. I had a Time magazine that asked an important question. Why was nearly the whole Marine Corps in theatre before the army deployed a far smaller amount of servicemen.

The next day I get my painkillers and they put me on my ass. In hindsight, the Navy may have upped my dose so I wouldn’t complain to anyone about how they screwed up my surgery.

So there I am, flying on pain killers, when the General walks in with his entourage. My SgtMaj was there, bringing up the rear. Schwarzkopf approaches my bed, and I am in and out of consciousness. They really shot me up with painkillers, bad. He looks at me and says “What’s a Marine doing in a bed that could be used for one of my soldiers?” I looked him right in the eye, pointed at the Time magazine on my tray table and answered “What soldiers?”

From the look on his face, my SgtMaj May have literally shit himself. The color definitely drained from his face.

The exact opposite happened with Gen. Schwarzkopf. He turned red. I mean really RED. Then, something amazing happened. He cracked a smile. Then, he cracked a joke. For the life of me, I don’t remember what he said, but I was cracking up, and crying from the huge surgical wound. Schwarzkopf noticed his jokes were causing me major discomfort- so he doubled down and told more jokes.

In retrospect, my badassery was chemically induced, but it showed off a side of a 4 Star general, most corporals don’t get to see. My abdomen still twinges when I hear the name Schwarzkopf, and I hope he is still laughing about my interaction with him, wherever he is.

Who was the most disturbed child you have ever seen?

image 422
image 422

Susan Wiley.

Nicknamed Genie, she was abused for the entirety of her life. From birth until the age of 13, she spent her entire life in a room.

Susan grew up with an extremely abusive father who would beat her if she ever let out a sound. She was beyond neglected. Left in her room to rot. It’s amazing she somehow survived. Her parents had three other children, two of whom had died. The detective at the scene described her room as so:

“Genie ‘slept in a crib formed with chicken wire attached with a latch,’ he said. ‘It was a cage for the child. The window was covered with aluminum foil to reflect out the sunlight. The room was as dark as a coal mine at midnight.’”

One baby died because the father could no longer tolerate the crying child so he wrapped her up, put her in a drawer, and left her to die.

As a result, Susan never learned many of the basic physical, mental, and social abilities we have. She could barely walk, she didn’t know where to pee and poo. She was never taught language. She couldn’t speak or understand language when social workers found her.

Then she became the psychology obsession of the world. While yes, they helped her to a certain extent, in my eyes, she was seen more as a experimental specimen and not a fragile, vulnerable human child.

The rest of her life, she lived in multiple foster homes. In those homes, she was again abused and neglected.

Today, she’s in an adult care facility.

I tear up whenever I think of her story. People can be so, so awful.

What are top 10 professional life hacks?

  1. Don’t say “anyone.” Otherwise, everyone’s going to be waiting for others.
  2. Sound decisive. Be punctual. People respect you for it.
  3. Greet: hello/mornings/evenings/night (with a big smile)
  4. Don’t complain either about your colleague or senior with anyone- puts you in bad light.
  5. till 28–30 focus on learning and gaining skills
  6. Stop getting away from responsibilities, or, like, how will I do it? It sounds great when you willingly do things. Do more than is expected. And sometimes take credit as well.
  7. Always talk about your abilities with respect. If you share your weaknesses, they will find it hard to remember your pluses.
  8. Take ownership of your mistakes. When you realize you erred, it’s natural to panic. Instead of reacting instantly, stop and take a deep breath (or several times). Then, begin brainstorming possible solutions.
  9. Learn to accept constructive criticism.
  10. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
  11. Always get out of your comfort zone. Ex: Don’t ask for permission, beg for forgiveness. Get coffee with a new person once a week.
  12. Be hygienic. Always smell nice. Always have neat hair and/or clean nails.
  13. Understand what others want or the office politics, and don’t react to everything that people talk about. act wisely. Mind your own business, but keep your ears open.
  14. Talk less and listen more. Always let your seniors believe that they are in power.
  15. Always report about your task and targets via mail, never believe in anything that has been communicated verbally, and ask for mail all the time as it becomes part of your proof.
  16. never discuss problems discuss solutions.
  17. If you’re the second last person to leave the office, please check with the other employee to see if he/she needs any sort of help.
  18. Have self-pride. Wherever your name is attached, it should be perfect work done with effort. If you do good work, more work will come in.
  19. आप अपने आज का पहला दिन या पहला साल किसी दूसरे के 10 साल के Effort के साथ Compare नहीं कर सकते।
  20. Have a great team and trust them. Discuss and ask, and together, brainstorming brings new ideas to the table.
  21. Always have a sense of ownership if nobody takes responsibility you have to. 99% of people are replaceable and 1% are irreplaceable, and all organizations depend on that. Be that 1% that never gets replaced. (Either reach or make your personality so good that it attracts. Ex: If you see a flower pot fallen on the stairs and ignored, you should take ownership and put it back. This is the attitude that we need.
  22. Sir, Mam, Sorry, GM etc. are just the words which you should use. if you’re not feeling like using then too. It all shows manners and respect towards the person which increase your’s too.
  23. Explain in detail and give pointers.
  24. Never ever compete with a guy who works 24/7. There will always be somebody who knows/works better than you. Work efficiently as much as required for the day. That’s enough. Have work life balance.
  25. Never be close friends with your colleagues unless you know them since your college days. Most of them are friends with you because they need you.
  26. Never be loyal to the employer. You are just another employee to them.
  27. Have every word/promise written in mail . Anybody can turn their back at you.
  28. Never show your anger to anybody in office.
  29. play the game. Play politics
  30. never tell people whom you hate or find annoying.
  31. make friends with secretaries and PAs.
  32. Never lose an opportunity when a senior leader asks you for inputs- that’s the time for you to create visibility.
  33. Never discuss problems, only discuss solutions. You will begin to stand out earlier on.
  34. When you join a company, work really hard in the first 6-8 months & win the trust of your seniors. Once the confidence is developed, no one can ever doubt or complain about your performance & thats going to give you a good stay in that company.

What is the worst thing a woman can do to a man?

I can’t reveal my name, because this about my father’s sister .

My aunt was married and had an average married life with little but not very upsetting ups and downs. They’re blessed with a boy and girl. My uncle, her husband loved them more than anything. They were the apple of his eyes.

Once they deciced to get a gold necklace for the baby girl and he hunted down every jewellery shop in the town to find the perfect necklace for his girl. But he found none of the necklace worthy enough of his daughter and had a custom made for her. This is just an example how much he loved his daughter.

Over the years when the children were about 7–8 years old, they had a petty fight and my grandmother added fuel to the fire. My aunt totally under the influence of my grandmother divorced my uncle and left taking their children along with her.

She fed the children with all the lies about their father. And like we all know how a child’s mind is like a clean slate and she wrote gibberish on it, about their father. They eventually hated him.

Now after 26 years, I once saw my uncle’s profile on Facebook, I saw he shared childhood pictures of my cousins. I saw him mourning his departure from his own children, children he loved so dearly. He contacted my cousins many a times even though he was restricted to do so by the court, and my cousins shooed him away.

He was broken beyond repair. He married again to have children but wasn’t blessed. My aunt tool everything he had but what devasted him the most was separation from his children.

I think that’s the worst thing a woman can do to a man, separating him from his children and making them hate him.

Edit 1: He was restricted by the court to meet his own children because my aunt asked for the custody of the children and demanded no alimony and child care from my uncle. Initially he had a permit and he met his daughter during her school hours to which my aunt claimed that he tried to kidnap his own daughter. After that he was restricted to meet his children. The children now hate their father like anything, though I never quite understood what did he do wrong. He wasn’t alcoholic, nor a womanizer, loved his wife and children a lot, even helped my aunt in household chores. I wish I could do something but I really have no say in their lives.

What are some great examples of coincidence?

  • Enzo Ferrari And Ozil
image 428
image 428

Enzo Ferrari, the founder of Ferrari company died in 1988 on the 14th August. About 2 months later on 5th October 1988, Ozil was born. He is arsenal footballer. They have unbelievable resemblance

  • A falling baby saved twice by the same man
image 427
image 427

In the 1930s in Detroit Joseph Figlock saved a baby who fell from from a window. A year later Joseph was passing when the same baby fell , he caught her again.

  • Twin brothers,killed on the same road,two hours apart.
image 426
image 426

In 2002,Seventy-year-old twin brothers were killed by accidents on the same road in Northern Finland.The first one was hit by a lorry while riding his bicycle ,he died 1.5km from the spot his brother was killed

  • The woman who couldn’t sink.

Violet Jessup.

She was named Miss Unsinkable. The stewardess and nurse was on the HMS Olympic when it struck the HMS Hawke, she was also on HMHS Britannic when it sank. She was also on the RMS Titanic when it sank after hitting an iceberg.

As a landlord, what is the dumbest thing you’ve ever had a tenant do?

This is about a fellow tenant.

Over the course of a few months someone was leaving hateful notes on my front door and yanking the silk flowers off the wreath hanging on my front door. By the end of this story the wreath is bare.

Overall I’m a nice person and usually get along very well with my neighbors, so I was very puzzled regarding what this was all about.

I reported the matter to property management then the police became involved.

In the end it was discovered that a neighbor living 10′ across the hall was very angry with me. She was receiving phone calls, probably telemarketers, companies selling auto warranties, etc. BUT SHE THOUGHT I WAS PRANK CALLING HER! I never figured out why she thought it was me!

Fortunately, I was able to let her daughter know. Her daughter reimbursed me for the wreath and not long after she was moved to assisted living. Whew! That was a mess.

Burmese Curried Pork (Weta Hin)

Burmese Curried Pork Weta Hin
Burmese Curried Pork Weta Hin

Ingredients

  • 1 (2 pound) boneless pork shoulder
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped gingerroot
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
  • 1 stalk fresh lemon grass, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • Hot cooked rice

Instructions

  1. Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 2-inch cubes.
  2. Place onion, garlic, gingerroot, turmeric and red pepper in blender container. Cover and blend on medium-high speed, stopping blender frequently to scrape sides, until smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Heat oils in Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Gradually and carefully pour vegetable mixture into oil. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring, occasionally, 15 minutes.
  4. Add pork, tomatoes, lemon grass and fish sauce; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until pork is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Serve over rice. Garnish with snipped fresh cilantro if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

What is the craziest office scandal that happened at your job?

I worked for a company where one of the married supervisors started going for lunch with one of his pretty young workers. The lunches got longer and longer, and then he had to start working late to get all of his work done.

Then he had to rent an apartment close to work, so he wouldn’t have to drive all the way home after working late.

Eventually his worker got pregnant and he had to make a choice. He got divorced and married his mistress.

When she announced at work that she was pregnant and getting married to her already married boss, it was quite a scandal.

His new bride had to quit work for maternity leave. She insisted that he have no female workers on his crew, and that he not work over time, she phoned during every lunch and he had to answer. This was before cell phones.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she was suspicious of her new husband.

He got promoted into a marketing position, and wasn’t in the office very much. For some reason his wife made him find an office job and I lost track of him for twenty years.

He started work at the same company I worked for, and I asked how his second wife was doing. ( She had been my coworker) and he said that he was on wife number 3.

It wasn’t as big of a surprise as you would think.

FEAR is the basis of RESPECT: people must hear you hiss

Must watch. This is the key content of this post.

Tiny treasures. Lost in time.

As a boy, living in Pennsylvania, I possessed the normal (and perhaps natural) brick-a-bract and flotsam and jetsam that accompanies most boys in the 1960’s. Model airplanes. Cubscout uniforms. Bottle collections. Debris that I picked up here and there. Scale models. Baseball playing cards, and the like.

Some of my most prized treasures consisted of my arrowheads… and my Indian-head pennies (and Buffalo Nickels). These were kept in an old Mason Jar on a shelf in my room.

Every now and then I would take them out. I would hold them. Fondle them. Feel the weight of them, and look at the details on them. I would then put them back, and go on with my life.

Eventually I went to university. During that time, my brother was selling odds and ends of mine for money or trade. I started to notice that things were missing, but since I hadn’t been “playing with them” for four years or more, it just didn’t seen significant to me.

…At that time.

Tiny treasures. Lost in time.

My unappreciated fragments of my life, discarded by others who cared not for their significance to me personally. They just did not care.

This trend continued throughout my life.

Tiny treasures. Lost in time.

Things that were important to me. Things that mattered to me. Things that represented memories, thoughts, ideas, and my personality… discarded by others who did not share my emotions about them.

Tiny treasures. Lost in time.

Today.

Frozen

Have you actually ever heard someone say ‘Do you know who I am?’ indignantly?

Yes. The first year that they opened Buckingham Palace for tourists, I happened to be in London and got tickets. We had the girls and the wait was long so we walked behind the annex and let them move around. There was a gift shop I bought a catalog from.

When our ticket time was close to the front when we came back. There was a lovely Japanese women who was working the crowds and checking tickets. There was a fiftyish woman who tried to walk by her. She politely asked for her ticket. It if course was for a much later time. I only want to (looks at the catalog) buy one of those. The guide politely refused.

Then it came. She loudly screeches, “Do you know who I am. I am a millionaire in the US.”. I quickly interjected that most of us were at her age. I knew I had to shut her down before she got going and the guide was terrified she was so antagonistic. “Luckily you do not need to go in there if all you want is the guide and told her where to buy one.” She of course stormed off. I apologized for my fellow countrywoman. I told her you have to nip them in the Bud or you have an incident. The philosophy is to create such a scuffle you let them through. That is not wise when other people are waiting in long cues. Could not believe it.

What’s something a flight attendant did to you that you will never forget?

I was on a flight to Mexico City, my daughter and I were sitting in business class. My daughter was 6 then and she was reading a kids book, the flight attendant started talking to her since her niece read the same books.

She was nice and asked for a pic with my daughter and the book etc. When we deplaned, I forgot my ipad on the back of the front seat. I didn’t realize that until 5 hours later which was the time of our layover so I only realized it when I had to go through the security point again.

I went to lost and found and they had nothing, I called American Airlines and they had nothing. Then one day later I got a phone call from the flight attendant telling me she had my ipad.

The passenger on the return flight found it and gave it to her. She should have turned it into security, but she knew if she did that I would not see it again, instead she had someone check on my details and get my number so she sent it via FedEx to me and made sure I got it when I was back in Miami.

My daughter chose a nice art craft thing in Oaxaca and we sent it to her as a token of appreciation. She went out of her way to make sure I got my ipad returned to me and for that I will always be grateful.

Edit 1: Thanks all for you nice comments and upvotes, even to the skeptics that thought this didn’t happen. Trust me it did. Thanks!

This is DISGUSTING and Biden is about to sign it into law

What is the rudest thing you have ever done that you are glad you went through with?

My brother called me to let me know our dad was in the ER and it didn’t look good for his survival. I drove like a bat out of hell the 120 miles to get there. In the ER waiting room sat my brother & his wife, who knew nothing and had not been given any info or updates on our dad in over 2.5 hours.

I went up to the admitting desk to ask for an update and was told to sit down…that the clerk at the desk was busy and couldn’t deal with me. Unacceptable response so I just marched into the actual ER room to find my dad. Brother and SIL followed.

Found my dad and he is basically gray with no one attending him. The attending comes up to me and starts screaming at me. I asked him what was wrong with my dad, (who has a heart problem and has a pacemaker). The Dr responds in a horrible accent and terrible English that my dad has vertigo. It took several tries to figure out what he was saying and even the nurses were having a problem understanding him.

I lost it and didn’t care if I got arrested or not. I loudly proceed to tell the Dr that my dad is gray, not green, indicating heart problem & that my dad had his last heart surgery at this hospital 1 year prior. That I want a heart monitor on my dad ASAP.

The smug Dr asked me where I my medical degree. I smiled and again, loudly said that I didn’t have one but that I had a law degree. That I hoped he enjoyed his sojourn in the US because by the time I’m done suing him, deportation will look like a good option.

He quickly put on a heart monitor on my dad and it showed my dad was having a heart attack as they attached it. Luckily, they were able to treat him and he lived many years after that.

3 things:

  1. This was at a top nationally ranked hospital
  2. I filed a complaint with the BoD and the Dr was let go due to his repeated negligence.
  3. I was bluffing — I don’t have a law degree!

Respect is earned not demanded

Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwiches

image 107
image 107

Ingredients

  • Peanut butter
  • Sliced bread
  • Butter
  • Chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Spread peanut butter on one piece of bread and put another slice on top to make a sandwich.
  2. Butter the outsides and cook on skillet until golden brown.
  3. Flip and cook the other side.

Notes

Chocolate chips can be added to the peanut butter if desired.

What was the most memorable thing a patient has said while drifting into sleep under anesthesia?

I knew a girl who had this happen to her:

This girl had to have surgery, it was her 9th but 7 of the surgeries were done when she was a baby (all by the same surgeon). She has these tubes called shunts that drain the excess fluid from her skull to treat a condition called Hydrocephalus. Well after she went into the ER with abdominal pain (she had appendicitis) they checked her shunts to make sure they weren’t what was causing the pain. They were working but unfortunately one of them needed to be fixed later because it was disconnected. (Her neck muscles kept the space open to let fluid out.)

A few months later she returned to the surgeon who had done those 7 surgeries (she sees him every year for a checkup) and surgery was scheduled.

The day of the surgery arrived. She checked into the hospital with her parents and was wheeled back to the OR. The anesthesiologist told her to breathe in the laughing gas. He asked if it was working. She said “No…no…no-yes! Yes! Yes!” As she said that she began to lose consciousness which frightened her so she began to cry out “I’m scared! I’m scared! I don’t wanna die! I don’t wanna die!” The anesthesiologist removed the mask and said “It’s ok, you’re ok, you’re not going to die.” But she was still crying and scared.

To try to soothe her, her neurosurgeon came to her side and said, “Hey, why can’t dinosaurs talk?”

“Why?” She asked

“Because they’re dead!” She burst out laughing and passed out.

She woke up perfectly calm and not the least bit anxious.

How do I know this story?… That girl… is me.

*Drops mic. Walks away*

In all seriousness though, I remember every detail of that. It was very scary. I later told my surgeon that I remembered all of this by saying, “Hey I have a joke for you!”

He asked “Is it about dinosaurs?”

“…yes.” I said smiling sheepishly.

“I fell unconscious really quickly.”

“That would be the propofol. Either that or you were so tired of my bad jokes that you passed out.”

I laughed “Maybe.” I said.

So there’s my weird story! I hope you liked it!

(I’m ok by the way. My post op appointment is on the 15th.) I’ll update on Monday if you guys want, let me know in the comments!

Update:

I had my pst op appointment today. Everything went well.

I was waiting in an exam room with my dad when my neurosurgeon popped his head in the door and said he’d be in in a few minutes and asked if I was behaving myself. (He was kidding of course as I was just sitting there.)

A little while later he came back and asked how I was doing. I said I was doing well, he examined my scar, and said that other than a large amount of scabing (which will eventually come off) everything looked good. He instructed us to come back in 6 months and asked what I planned to do over the summer.

We shook hands and then I headed back to school.

Are all men a 10?

This is How Delusional Modern Women have Become ft.

What is the strangest court case you’ve come across?

Florida has a strange social dichotomy.

As you drive through the state, you’ll see a pattern of strip clubs and adult cinemas sandwiched between churches, Jesus billboards, and gruesome pro-life medical photos.

It feels like the state can’t make up its mind on what it wants to be. Consequently, our cities have super strange laws and weird rules around adult entertainment.

For example, in Tampa, you can’t drink alcohol at a fully nude strip club. Yet if the dancers have (tiny) tape over their nipples and crotch, you are free to drink your face off.

In 1983, it was even stricter, with a full anti-nudity ordinance in place.

Someone went to an exotic club and then filed a complaint about strippers showing too much skin. Which invites the question, “Why are you even going to the club and getting mad about what you paid for?”

In reality — it was probably part of an investigation, reserved for a few senior police officers who went “undercover”. I’m sure they enjoyed the investigation very, very much.

Three exotic dancers were dragged into court and put on trial for indecency.

The actual court case

The women weren’t even dancing nude. They were wearing crop tops and tight, short shorts while dancing on tables. Their underwear was visible.

A freelance photographer, Jim Damaske, was given a call by legal aid, “You might want to stop by this trial on Tuesday. You’ll be able to capture a very unique shot.”

The photographer wasn’t disappointed. The below photo was part of the trial and evidence. It was not a stunt intended to disrespect the judge:

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image 11

The 20-year-old dancer was trying to show that her underwear wasn’t too revealing.

The decency law stated that underwear could not substantively reveal a woman’s privates, including highlighting any lines or curvatures of her lady parts.

Initially, the lawyer for the three dancers suggested the women would be happy to dance in the courtroom in their work attire — as a form of evidence. Judge David Demers ruled this was too much. He was also apprehensive about the defendants bending over in court.

Judge Demers had only been elected 4 months prior and worried about compromising his position as judge.

The defense lawyer suggested that the women could bend over at their law firm, photos could be taken, and brought into court. Judge Demers insisted it would need to take place in court in order to count.

The women did not see this case as a joke.

Indecent exposure can bring a large fine and up to a month in prison. Typically, the law would apply to someone running around naked in public. Or, if a man stands in his home and presses his junk up against a window towards the street — that would count as well.

Three decades later, the judge was interviewed about the bizarre scene.

image 104
image 104

He is aware he’ll always be remembered for the photo.

He said that when they took the photo, “I looked at the girl and thought, whatever happens, I shouldn’t have any facial expression. Don’t smile, don’t frown. Do nothing. Because whatever it is, it will be misinterpreted.”

“When you look at the photo,” said Demers, “my face is as blank as possible — and that was pretty deliberate.”

Why even sue dancers?

This was likely a moral crusade of a district attorney or other official with strong conservative convictions.

It failed.

The women won their case.

The photo was so compelling that Playboy magazine featured it in their photos of the year collection. Also, I have to mention — look at the stenographer’s face:

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image 10

She’s thinking, “What sort of bizarro land career have I taken up?” And then, she has to decide what exactly she will write to document this event in court.

I also couldn’t help but wonder if the dancer was making eye contact with the judge. And was she smiling?

In all seriousness — this case was yet another example of my local tax dollars going to a grotesque waste. Tampa Bay has all manner of crime issues and our legal system is prosecuting strippers for stripping.

We have more strip clubs per square mile in Tampa Bay than any city except Las Vegas. The adult industry generates huge, huge revenue for our city, and stuffy politicians can’t stand it — unless they are the one getting the lap dance.

I’m proud to be American but we are the epitome of hypocrisy. We do so much moral posturing and pass stupid indecency laws — while also hosting the largest pornography industry in the world.

Or perhaps this is right on brand with being American. We only operate in opposing extremes. We are both the most brilliant and stupid people you will ever meet.

She’s a 8?

How did the Romans deal with infected blade cuts? Did they use worms like in the movie Gladiator?

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image 103

You might think that the ancient Romans were clueless about medicine and hygiene, and that they just let their wounds fester and rot. Well, you’d be wrong. The Romans actually had some pretty advanced techniques and knowledge for their time. They were not afraid to cut, stitch, and cauterize wounds, and they used various substances to clean and heal them. They were not barbarians, after all. They were civilized people who built roads, aqueducts, and colosseums.

One of the things they used to treat wounds was opium. Yes, you heard that right. Opium, the stuff that makes you high and addicted. The Romans knew that opium had pain-relieving properties, and they used it to numb the pain of surgery and injuries. They also used scopolamine, a plant extract that causes drowsiness and amnesia. They would mix these substances with wine and give them to the patients before operating on them. This was their version of anesthesia. Not bad, huh?

Another thing they used was vinegar. Vinegar is a type of acid that kills bacteria and fungi. The Romans would soak a cloth in vinegar and apply it to the wound. This would disinfect the wound and prevent infection. They also used honey, wine, and olive oil as antiseptics. These substances have natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and they also help keep the wound moist and promote healing. They would mix them together and apply them to the wound, or use them separately. They were like the original Neosporin. 😁

Now, you might be wondering, did they use worms like in the movie Gladiator? The answer is no. They did not use worms to treat wounds. That was a Hollywood invention, not a historical fact. The movie Gladiator is a great film, but it’s not very accurate when it comes to depicting ancient Rome. It’s full of anachronisms, errors, and exaggerations. For example, the gladiator fights were not as brutal and bloody as they are shown in the movie. Most of the time, the gladiators did not fight to the death, but to the first blood or surrender. They were valuable assets, not disposable slaves. And the emperor did not sit in a box and give thumbs up or down to decide their fate. That was a later invention, too. 🙄

The use of worms to treat wounds is actually a modern practice, not an ancient one. It dates back to the American Civil War, when some doctors noticed that soldiers who had maggots in their wounds healed faster and better than those who did not. They realized that the maggots ate the dead and infected tissue, leaving the healthy tissue intact. They also secreted substances that killed bacteria and stimulated healing. This was called maggot therapy, and it was used until the discovery of antibiotics. Nowadays, it’s still used in some cases, especially when antibiotics are ineffective or unavailable. It’s not as gross as it sounds, trust me.

This is How Unattainable the 1% MAN is For Women

The Boiling Hot End to a Cook Accused of Poison in Henry VIII’s England

On April 5, 1531, hardened London spectators of public punishment gathered at Smithfield, joined by others who were too curious to stay away. An execution had been announced of a type that none had witnessed in their lifetimes, nor ever heard of.  The condemned man, Richard Roose, was to be boiled alive.

Roose was not the sort of criminal that usually met his end at Smithfield, located just beyond the London Wall. He was convicted of high treason, yet he had not sought to harm King Henry VIII nor his queen, Catherine of Aragon, nor any royal councilor. He had not tried to overthrow the kingdom’s government. Roose, a cook, was accused of murder by poison.

His two victims were an obscure gentleman in the household of Bishop John Fisher, Bennet Curwen, and a destitute widow who accepted the bishop’s charity, Alyce Tryppytt. The target of the poisoning was assumed to be Fisher himself, the Bishop of Rochester. Ironically, Fisher did not eat the soup—sometimes described as porridge—that Roose prepared and so was unharmed.

Roose admitted to the poisoning but claimed it was a joke gone wrong, an accident.  There is no testimony for us to examine, because Roose had no trial, by command of the king.

In the words of the Greyfriars Chronicle of London, a contemporary document: “This year was a cook boiled in a cauldron in Smithfield for he would have poisoned the bishop of Rochester Fisher with divers of his servants and he was locked in a chain and pulled up and down with a gibbet at divers times until he was dead.”

Roose’s crime, the legal method of his condemnation, and finally the form of punishment create a bizarre chain of events that, in a more modern age, might well have raised questions of motive in several parties, including that of Henry VIII. Although there is no question of who did the killing, this is still a tantalizing Tudor murder mystery, and reveals some of the peculiarities of the early modern age, when laws existed and homicide was considered a heinous crime, but there was no trained police force nor forensic science.

Why did Henry VIII demand this punishment of a lowly cook? Why was Roose executed as a traitor when his crime was murder of commoners? The answer lies in the King’s complex feelings for Bishop Fisher.

John Fisher was made bishop of Rochester by the King’s father, Henry VII, in 1504. Fisher performed the funeral services for Margaret Beaufort, the king’s mother, and Henry VII himself when they died, within months of each other, in 1509. In the first 20 years of the reign of Henry VIII, Fisher was considered “the greatest Catholic theologian in Europe, without any rival,” writes Eamon Duffy.

But by the time of the crime in question, King Henry was no longer proud of Bishop Fisher, 62 years of age. It would be safe to say he considered him an enemy. And it would have made the King’s life much easier if Fisher had lost his—if he had consumed the soup.

In 1527, when Henry VIII, desperate for a male heir, began his public quest for an annulment from 42-year-old Catherine of Aragon to marry the delectable young Anne Boleyn, Fisher became one of his most serious obstacles. The question of the royal marriage was a theological one, and if Europe’s most respected theologian had agreed in the rightness of King Henry’s cause, it would have done a lot to bring about the annulment. But Fisher took the side of Catherine of Aragon. The marriage was legal and could not be dissolved.

In 1529, Bishop Fisher announced at the trial of the royal marriage that it would impossible to die more gloriously than in the cause of marriage, as John the Baptist did. In that same year, when a proposal came to Parliament to dissolve the smaller abbeys—the beginning of Henry VIII’s destruction of the Catholic monasteries—Fisher “openly resisted it with all the force he could.”

Enter one Richard Roose. One of Fisher’s earliest biographers, Richard Hall, wrote in 1655 the most complete account of the poisoning. He is the only source to say that Roose was not the chief cook in Fisher’s household, which is significant: “After this the Bishop escaped a very great danger. For one Richard Rose came into the Bishop’s kitchen, being acquainted with the cook, at his house in Lambeth-marsh, and having provided a quantity of deadly poison, while the cook went into the buttery to fetch him some drink, he took his opportunity to throw that poison into a mess of gruel, which was prepared for the Bishop’s dinner. And after he had waited there a while, he went on his way.

“But so it happened that when the Bishop was called into his dinner, he had no appetite for any meat but wished his servants to fall to and be of good cheer, and that he would not eat till toward night. And they that did eat of the poisoned dish were miserably infected. And whereof one gentleman, named Mr. Bennet Curwen and an old widow, died suddenly, and the rest never recovered their health till their dying day.”

An inquiry began at once. Although a salaried police force did not yet exist in England, criminal investigation was taken seriously. Justices of the peace, appointed by the monarch, received and investigated complaints; coroners viewed dead bodies and ordered arrests. Now if a suspect was bound over for trial, freedom was unlikely. Defendants charged with felonies or treason did not exist. In fact, murder trials rarely lasted more than 15 minutes.

Roose was soon apprehended, and admitted to adding what he believed were laxatives to the soup as a “jest.” No one believed him. The always skeptical Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys wrote a slightly different version of events to his master, Charles V, the nephew of Catherine of Aragon:

“They say that the cook, having been immediately arrested… confessed at once that he had actually put into the broth some powders, which he had been given to understand would only make his fellow servants very sick without endangering their lives or doing them any harm. I have not yet been able to understand who it was who gave the cook such advice, nor for what purpose.”

We share Chapuys’ frustration. Who gave the cook these powders and told him that they would sicken and not kill anyone? If that information was obtained, it was not shared with the public. No transparency.

Sir Thomas More, the lord chancellor, informed Henry VIII that there were rumors that Anne Boleyn and her father and brother, Thomas and George Boleyn, were involved in the poisoning attempt. The king reacted angrily, saying Anne Boleyn was unfairly blamed for everything, including bad weather.

The murder motive and the question of a larger plot were soon obscured by Henry VIII’s drastic actions. He decided that Roose should be condemned by attainder without a trial—a measure usually used for criminals who were at large. Roose was sitting in prison! Nonetheless, Parliament passed “An Acte for Poysoning,” making willful murder by means of poison high treason even if the victim was not head of the government of the land. And boiling to death became a form of legal capital punishment. This crime was especially heinous, the king’s representatives said, and thus called for such measures.

Several biographers have noted King Henry’s extreme fear of poison. Although the monarch’s paranoia became infamous in later years, there was some basis for concern. Everyone had heard the stories of murder by cantarella in Rome during the time of the Borgias. Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, died—perhaps of poison slipped into his food at a banquet—during the reign of Henry VII. Cantarella was believed to have been arsenic trioxide.

If poison was ever suspected as the cause of death at this time in England, there was no way to scrutinize its damage within the corpse to confirm. And should the poison itself be obtained, the field of analytical chemistry was four centuries away.

Not surprisingly, rumors ran wild. Poisoning was rumored (never proven) to be the cause of the deaths of Queen Anne, Richard III’s wife; the eventual death of Catherine of Aragon; and the agonizing death of Henry’s son, Edward VI. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, written in the reign of Henry’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, employed poison. Shakespeare wove it into five other plays too.

But there was more to this than royal terror of a poisoned dish. As historian K.J. Kesselring wrote in The English Historical Review, “This may explain the severe, exemplary punishment of boiling, but not the need to label the offense treason.”

In April the crowds of Smithfield witnessed Roose’s death. According to an eyewitness: “He roared mighty loud, and divers women who were big with child did feel sick at the sight of what they saw, and were carried away half dead; and other men and women did not seem frightened by the boiling alive, but would prefer to see the headsman at his work.”

The story of the king and the stubborn bishop doesn’t end there.

When, after the king married Anne Boleyn, Bishop Fisher refused to swear an oath of supremacy to the king, he was arrested. The pope made Fisher a cardinal to protect him, but it only enraged the king more. Once the monarch had ordered a savage punishment of the man who tried to kill Fisher, and now Henry VIII wanted Fisher gone.

After a difficult imprisonment, Fisher was beheaded on June 22, 1535 on Tower Hill. The crowd gasped when they saw him on the scaffold for he was “nothing…but skin and bones…the flesh clean wasted away, and a very image of death.” In his speech to the crowd, Fisher is said to have shown a calm dignity.

According to Fisher’s biographer: “And here I cannot omit to declare to you the miraculous sight of his head, which after 14 days grew fresher and fresher, for that in his lifetime he never looked so well…. the face looked as if it beholdeth the people passing by and would have spoken to them. Which many took as a miracle.”

In 1886, the Catholic Church made John Fisher a saint.

How to Build a Working UFO | Alien Reproduction Vehicles (ARVs)

What has an employee said that immediately caused you to fire them?

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image 102

Monday morning and it’s cold and raining. I had asked everyone to be in an hour early because we were getting an early delivery of concrete. Three of my most trusted employees made it in like I asked. Although, a little hungover from the night before, at least they were present. Now Tony the fourth guy I have on my payroll was nowhere to be seen. I kind of half expected it. I could never rely on him, but this was the final straw. I ring him up and the phone rings out. I try him again and he picks up. At first he doesn’t say anything, then suddenly I hear sobbing down the phone. “Is everything alright,” I asked feeling a little concerned for him. I hear sounds of dry heaving over the phone. “I’m sick. I so bloody sick. He continued to repeat how sick he was in between inconsolable crying. I was beginning to feel bad for him. “Jesus Tony, you sound awful, how sick are you?” I asked. There was a momentary pause over the phone. “Well boss, I woke up naked from a heavy night drinking and my sister is in bed beside me.

He is now an ex employee.

Be a job recruiter

What is the most outrageous “fee” you’ve ever been charged?

Ah airlines!

Gotta luv them.

I was traveling overseas. When I do, I have a special little leather bag on a long string that’s just the right size for my passport, which I never let out of my sight while out of the country. It’s about four inches by five inches by maybe a quarter in thick, if that. Basically flat.

I string it around my neck so I don’t lose the passport. I usually tuck my tickets and ID in there as well because it’s almost impossible to pickpocket.

Flying to Switzerland, I have a small overnight bag and my laptop computer. Woman at the counter says “Whoa there big fella! You have three bags. We have to charge you $100 for the extra bag.”

I stared at her. “What three bags?”

Of course, she pointed at the carryall, the laptop, and then my little passport holder around my neck.

I said “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

She said, “If I can see it, it’s a bag, no matter the size.”

So I stuffed it into my slacks. “Can you see it now?” I asked.

She glowered and said “No.”

I said “Have a nice day.”

What a bunch of tools to consider a passport holder a “bag”.

Police officers, what are some of the most interesting conversations you’ve had with the people you’ve arrested?

I was working a 12 hour shift as a gate guard on a military base. 8 PM to 8 AM, in this case. ’Round about midnight, it got VERY boring, so I came up with all sorts of ways to keep awake and keep moving. I’d tune the radio in my little weather shack to NPR, Go out into the middle of the street, and ‘air-conduct’ the orchestra in my mind. Got pretty good at it, actually.

One night, about 3 AM, a Jeep Cherokee came round the corner onto the base entrance road. I snapped to attention, checking the plates and glancing at the decal on the vehicle. The Base Commander. I gave him my best parade ground salute, and waved him through, but he paused, rolling down his window and staring at me for a few seconds.

“Petty Officer Harrison, what in the name of the Most Holy God were you doing?”

Now, I can imagine it must have looked terribly odd, to see his gate guard waving his arms and poking at invisible things in the dead of night, with classical music blaring in the background. Don’t know what he made of it. Maybe he thought I was hallucinating, or something… But I gave him my best sheepish grin, saluted again and replied.

“Tchaikovsky, sir. Variations on a Rococo Theme

for cello and orchestra. The second violin is a bit behind the beat…”

He sighed, shook his head, gave a vague sort of wave and said. “Carry on, then.” and drove off.

Two days later, a new standing order was published. “All gate guards will be issued batons and metronomes at the beginning of the night shift, in order to keep that pesky second violin in line. Said equipment will be returned to the Armory at the end of the shift along with the duty weapon.” The look of disbelief on the department head’s face was priceless… 🙂

In what unconventional ways have people managed to work little and earn a lot?

image 110
image 110

In 2012, the United States discovered suspicious Chinese access to the country’s critical infrastructure.

After some research, security officials found the culprit. It was not a Chinese hacker, but a Verizon employee, simply called “Bob.”

Bob did not have criminal intentions, as everyone initially suspected.

He did not feel like working hard all day and had found a creative way to enliven his day with more pleasant things.

The 40-year-old programmer had managed to outsource his work to Chinese programmers. He had physically sent his RSA token to a Chinese company so that Asian programmers could use his credentials during his working hours pretending to be him.

image 109
image 109

This is an RSA token. It is a security id, a kind of “ID card” of the employee.

Chinese programmers received less than 20% of his six-figure salary.

Over the years, Bob had become a highly regarded employee for his “clean, well-written” code. He was called ‘the best developer in the house.'”

In reality, however, he spent his days on Facebook, Ebay, and Linkedin, watching many cat videos.

At 4:30 p.m., before the day was over, he would send a report to management.

After the investigation, Bob was obviously fired, and presumably his Chinese colleagues also lost their jobs.

Which, in my opinion, was not smart on the part of the company. Because the Chinese had really shown themselves to be trustworthy.

What was the downfall of the “popular kid” in your school?

All of my classmates were “popular” from my outside-of-the-social-circle view. But here is what I know caused the “downfall” of two of them who were particularly popular. I graduated in 1998, and this is all from what happened when we were still in high school, what I’ve heard through the grapevine in the 22 years since, and what they post on Facebook:

Martha – Was one of the most popular girls in school, mainly because puberty had been very kind to her. She was dating a man in his 20s when she was a junior, so she was either 16 or 17. She was in his car one night when he flipped it over twice on the highway. It was a single-car accident. I believe alcohol was involved. She never came back to school after that. She survived, but was never quite the same. The man she was with died. Later, the rumor came out that her parents didn’t even know she was dating him. Had he survived, he could have been arrested for statutory rape.

Kyle – The school’s token “surfer dude.” I grew up near the beach, and surfing was a popular pastime with the rich kids. He was the most popular one in that group, and he even looked the part: dark tanned skin, bushy blonde hair, fairly “ripped,” etc… So he was popular with the girls in school. That popularity lasted beyond school and, sometime in his early 20s, he got caught sleeping with someone else’s wife and got the crap beat out of him. As in, an extended hospital stay for facial reconstruction kind of beating. The assault even made the local news. I’m not sure if the guy who beat him did any jail time, but I know that, according to all of our mutual friends, Kyle’s life hasn’t been very great since then. Everyone just describes it as “sad.” Did you hear about Kyle? It’s so sad, what’s happened to him…

I’m on time everyday, work at a fast pace do everything correctly, get complimented on my work but always get fired within the first few weeks and get told it’s nothing to do with my work I’m just not the right fit why does this keep happening?

I had a friend who was let go before his three month probation period was over. He was competent, I had worked with him before, and he always got his work done on time, when I worked with him.

His wife was suspicious that somebody was finding out where he got a job, and phoning in a bad reference. I don’t think that was the case, but its possible.

You know how some people have whats called a resting grumpy face. Well he had a resting happy face. It looked like he was always smiling. So when his boss would explain something serious to him, he would be smiling like he had not a concern in the world. He also had a sense of humor that alternated between dry and sardonic, that many people didn’t get.

Some people were insulted by his humor, because they didn’t get it. Then they would ask for an apology, and he would have the biggest smile, while he apologized.

I think that was his problem. But he didn’t even know he was constantly smiling. So he was totally unaware of the effect it had on people.

If you sat next to a famous celebrity in a restaurant, would you start a conversation? What would you say?

No. I assume you mean at a separate table.

I’ve been in restaurants with famous people—I’ve been on film sets WORKING with famous people.

One time—long ago, on lunch break from working on the film “Pump Up the Volume” [1991] —was director John Waters—having lunch with porn star Traci Lords—an odd pairing, I thought—but not too odd.

I just noticed and didn’t bother them.

When I was a young fan—in film school—being exposed to the NYCity celebrity scene—I got a few autographs—Robin Williams, Peter Frampton, Monty Python Terry Jones, Charles Durning, Mike McGear [Paul McCartney’s brother], Joey Ramone.

But once I was in the business—it seemed kind of weird.

Especially with people I worked with—Christian Slater, Robert Englund [Nightmare’s Freddy!], Paul Dooley, and others.

Funny thing is—I’ve met far more celebrities “off the clock” than I did working in the business.

And oddly—I’ve been in LA for over 32 years now—and I think I met more in New York than I have here.

Being on foot in NY is more common than being on foot in LA—where I’m mostly in a car. This allows accidental meetings to take place more often.

Just not talking to women

Grilled Lasagna Sandwiches

Grilled Lasagna Sandwiches
Grilled Lasagna Sandwiches

The recipe ingredients are per sandwich.

Ingredients

  • 2 slices bacon or ham
  • 2 slices mozzarella or Swiss cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Tomato paste
  • Bread
  • Oregano

Instructions

  1. Spread sour cream and tomato paste on bread and sprinkle on a little oregano to flavor.
  2. Fry bacon or ham and put it between two slices prepared bread.
  3. Butter the outside of the bread, fry, and eat.

What are some ways to predict whether or not someone will be successful in the future?

One of the best things I did with my kid.

On his 18th birthday, I sat him down in front of the television and played him a video of his three-year-old self.

He burst out laughing so hard he had tears rolling down his cheeks.

The video was an experiment based on delayed gratification, known as the ‘Marshmallow Test’.

In a classic experiment from the 1970s, a psychologist named Walter Mischel placed a treat in front of children and offered them a choice – they could either enjoy the treat now or wait a brief period to get two snacks.

When the experimenter left the room, many of the kids couldn’t wait and ate the treat (often a cookie or marshmallow), but a portion of the kids could delay the urge to enjoy the treat and wait for the reward of getting more delicious goodies.

What Mischel concluded was that the kids able to delay gratification had several advantages later on over the kids who could not wait.

The children who waited performed better academically than kids who ate the treat right away.

He found kids who delayed their gratification also displayed fewer behavioural problems and had much higher SAT scores.

His findings have since been largely debunked for not taking into consideration socio-economic factors. The latest research suggests there is a lesser correlation between the results showing willpower, and a greater emphasis on delayed gratification being an indicator of intelligence.

I don’t know if it matters to this, I only did it as a bit of fun.

In the video, I sat my son down at the kitchen table and placed two bowls of sweets in front of him; one bowl had five sweets, the other just the one.

I told him he could have the one sweet now, but if he could wait for five minutes – and I pointed at the minute hand on the clock and showed him where it needs to go to – then he could have the bowl with five sweets.

I then left the room.

His facial expressions were hilarious.

The angst.

His face alternating from contemplation to expectant glee and then more angst.

He employed diversion tactics… looking away, checking the sweets, looking at the door, checking the sweets, studying the clock, checking the sweets.

Rubbing his eyes, checking the sweets.

His 18-yr-old self was in kinks at this 3-yr-old child.

He couldn’t remember doing it and it brought him to tears of joy.

It was brilliant.

I recommend all parents do this… for the fun of it alone.

Five minutes later, I returned.

He had not eaten the sweets.

His face was a picture of delight.

He grabbed the bowl with 5 sweets and stuffed them in his pockets.

Smiling like a lemon shark.

Then, an afterthought… he went back to the table and took the single sweet too.

A brief life

What do you wish was socially acceptable?

I had a friend in my school. In Class 10th, the registration forms for boards were getting checked by our class teacher. He was calling each student roll-number wise and asking their details. When his number came and he was asked, “ Father’s occupation”, he replied, he is a house husband.

Our Sir mocked him saying, “So, he packs your tiffin boxes, hahaha!! ”

My friend also laughed at it, taking it a good joke.


Actually, my friend lives in my colony. His mother is a nurse in a reputed govt. hospital and his Dad stays at home, doing all the works a genuine housewife does.

They are well economically. The husband is damn caring. Each evening, he goes hospital and takes his wife to home, lifting her bags in his hands. Both are happy.

But the man is nothing but a laughing stock in our colony. No man, literally no man is his friend here. No one talks to him as he is busy in his house chores too and he doesn’t do “manly” activities. He washes clothes, wipes the floor, maintains bills, buys groceries etc. But he is mocked behind his back. People say words like,

E kouno kaam na Kari… jeevan bhar aapan mehraaru ke kamaayi khhat rah jaayi.

He’ll never do any work and will keep feeding on his wife’s earnings forever.

But have we ever asked any women like, “Why she’s a housewife?”

In fact society’s eyes start glittering when they hear that this woman is a housewife.

But being house husband is shameful, malicious, atrocious, non-manly thing.

What do you wish was socially acceptable?

That if a couple has agreed to their terms that one will work and others will stay home, then we must shut our mouth if the gender is not suitable to our eyes. Neither housewife nor househusband is a pity task if the couple has decided to work this way.

Stop judging.

Show us the cross…

When did you realize your parents were bad at parenting?

my father was a great parent, but he was often not home, and when this incident happened, he was fighting the Korean War. I was not quite five when I discovered that my mother was basically a piece of garbage. Dad traveled a lot with his work after the military, and my mother would have never done any of this stuff when he was around.

Going back to age 4, we were shopping for new Easter dresses. I saw a pretty pale blue flowered dress that I really wanted. I was born blind in one eye and you could tell. I was skinny and had kinky black hair while my older sister was very pretty and blonde

My mother told me I could not have the blue dress because ugly little girls should wear brown and dark green so people would not notice them. I threw up on the floor of the store. She bought my sister the blue dress I got a dark green checked dress, that was so ugly. I have torn up any picture that ever showed any sign of it.

Now if this was the only thing my mother ever said to me like that, it would be OK but it wasn’t. But she never hurt my feelings again because I thought she was a drunken piece of garbage. In fact, I kind of got a kick out of the things that she said. My favorite was when she told my too much younger sisters, that they should be very careful or they might end up like me, not a normal woman. My little sister laughed at her and said“yeah, we might grow to be lawyers too. shoot me now“

My husband told me that my father‘s funeral was the worst display of emotion that he had ever seen because my father had five children who adored him and overtly mourned his passing. I did not see a tear at my mother‘s funeral.

if I could change things in my childhood, I would want a mother who loved me and a mother that I loved.

Absolutely priceless…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YYlAaPL41b0?feature=share

Do people eat the red layer outside the cheese, or do they peel it off? What cheese is that?

Ah, the classic cheese question. The red layer you’re referring to on the outside of cheese is known as the rind.

image 12
image 12

The first thing to know is that not all cheese rinds are created equal. Some are edible and tasty, others are purely functional. But let’s talk about the red rind, specifically.

That red layer is often found on a type of cheese you might see on a pub menu or nestled in a fancy charcuterie board: Gouda, Edam, or sometimes even Cheddar. It’s a wax coating, and it serves a grand purpose. The wax prevents the cheese from drying out and also protects it from unwanted nibbling critters while it ages to perfection.

So, should you eat the wax? I’ll stop you right there. No. Wax is not meant to be eaten. It’s like the shell on a peanut; it’s part of the packaging. You’re supposed to peel it off and discard it. Now, some might argue that there might be a cheese or two where the outer layer is dyed but isn’t wax. It’s rare but in these cases, you can eat it. However, the real star is what’s inside.

Now let’s go a step beyond. Some cheeses do have rinds that you’re meant to eat. Think Brie or Camembert with their soft, white mold rinds; they’re part of the experience. The rind adds texture and flavor complexity that cheese lovers seek out.

But back to the red wax. When you’ve got a chunk of Gouda and you’re really getting down to it, you’ll cut away the wax as you slice off delectable pieces to enjoy.

To wrap up—pun intended—most red layers on cheese are like a book cover for your cheese, telling you a bit about what’s inside and keeping it in good condition until you’re ready to dive into the story. It’s not part of the meal, it’s just a protective layer. Peel it off, toss it aside, and enjoy the cheesy goodness within.

Enjoy your cheese adventures, and remember, just because it’s wrapped up doesn’t mean it’s meant to be eaten. Happy cheese hunting!

What do you love about life, and what is the reason?

Right now, as I type this, I’m in Florida helping care for my mom. My dad and I have been doing 12-hour shifts with her, because she needs round-the-clock care. Between that and all the thousand things around the house that need tending to that my dad isn’t able to, I haven’t been sleeping much.

Last night at about 5am my mom started having trouble breathing, so I called 911. We just heard from the hospital 10 minutes ago. The cancer has spread to her lungs and brain. She really wanted to make it to her birthday in 6 days. The doctors don’t think she’ll make it.

So I’m not maybe the best person to talk about loving life right now.

And yet…

A few days ago, my wife and I spent a couple of hours at the Festival of Lights in Cape Coral. They had hot cocoa and a campfire with marshmallows.

When I stumbled out of bed this morning (well, technically this afternoon), the first thing that happened was my mom’s cat sat at my feet, meowed at me, and headbutted me to say hi.

image 101
image 101

Right at this very moment, I’m looking out the window onto my parents’ patio, where three squirrels are chasing each other across the screen roof, and it’s delightful.

I was born just barely early enough to see humanity walk on the moon—-some of my earliest childhood memories are sitting in front of a B&W TV watching the Apollo launches. Odds are good I will see humanity walk on Mars. Isn’t that amazing?

I am surrounded by love. I’m spending Christmas with my Talespinner. My life is filled with creativity and joy—I write books with some of my lovers, my wife and I created the Borg Queen xenomorph parasite cosplay from an idea she had three years ago, I’m teaching myself CNC machining and laser engraving.

I live in a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity in human history. We can fly through the air. Every day, we learn more about the universe.

This photo:

image 100
image 100

was taken by a probe that landed on a comet. We have the capacity to launch a probe that can travel for years and then arrive precisely on a small rock traveling at 84,000 miles per hour, which is about like a person in Boston shooting a rifle and hitting a golf ball in midair in Moscow. (Bizarre how many people think science is “just another belief system,” eh?)

And, I mean, I get it. The world isn’t all roses. Right now, far too many people in my country are too uneducated in history to recognize when they’re being lied to by yet another populist grifter selling them the same old tired lie that all their failures are the fault of somebody else.

We have a political party that takes gleeful, sadistic delight in mendacious cruelty, and a voting populace that sincerely believes it’s okay to vote for the Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party because surely the leopards won’t eat their faces—only the faces of the Mexicans and the gays and the trans people, right?

image 99
image 99

There is pettiness, and cruelty, and meanspiritedness. There are people who make voting choices because they want to hurt other Americans just to own the libs.

But viewed on a large enough scale, the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. We may be in the “one step back” part of the “two steps forward, one step back” cycle, yet this too shall pass.

I want to be here to see what happens next.

Saving the cub

Disney Left Out the Most Gruesome Aspects of the Original Snow White Story

Oh, Snow White, that classic, if a little retro, fairytale of good triumphing over evil. It’s a sweet story of an innocent young beauty who is banished by a vain, cruel, and jealous stepmother and who, with the help of seven lovable dwarfs, ultimately finds everlasting true love. Walt Disney turned the fable into the first full-length animated musical feature film in 1937. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is to this day one of the top-10 films of all time (adjusted for inflation), beloved by generations of children.

It turns out the American animator left out a few gruesome details. Disney’s well-known Snow White is a sanitized version of the original German Brothers Grimm fairytale, which was a lot more, well, grim.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm didn’t actually come up with the story of Snow White or Cinderella, Rapunzel, or any other storybook princess associated with their (and now Disney’s) name, for that matter. The Grimms were German scholars, researchers, and authors who collected folktales that were part of a rich oral tradition, having been passed down from generation to generation of women telling the stories to pass the time. In 1812, they published the collection as Nursery and Household Tales.

Despite its title, the book was not originally intended for children. The text included violence, incest, sex, and perhaps most deadly of all—footnotes. In the Cinderella story, for instance, the stepsisters cut off their toes and heels in order to fit into the glass slipper.

In “Little Snow-White,” as the original story was called, the Evil Queen asks a hunter to take Snow White into the forest to kill, as happens also in the movie. (In the original version, the child is also only 7 years old, as opposed to Disney’s 14. Neither seems old enough to consider marriage.)

In the Grimm version, the Queen orders the huntsman to bring back Snow White’s internal organs, saying “Kill her, and as proof that she is dead bring her lungs and liver back to me.”

He kills a boar instead, and brings back to the Queen the boar’s lungs and liver—which the Queen thinks belongs to Snow White and so promptly eats. Ewww!

“The cook had to boil them with salt, and the wicked woman ate them, supposing that she had eaten Snow-White’s lungs and liver,” as the Grimm brothers wrote.

The Queen tricks Snow White three separate times in the Grimm version. The first time, she has Snow White try on a corset, which is so tight, Snow White passes out. (The dwarfs save her by cutting the laces.) The second time, she sells Snow White a poisonous comb, which the young girl puts in her hair, causing her to pass out. (The dwarfs take it out.) The third time the Queen tricks her with the same poisonous apple we see in the Disney film.

Having fainted and presumed dead, young Snow-White is placed in a glass coffin in both book and movie. When the Prince happens by in the Grimm version, he insists on taking the deceased beauty away, even though he’s never met her. The dwarfs hesitantly agree, but as they are carrying her coffin out of their house, one of them stumbles. Jostled from her resting place in the coffin, Snow White spits out the apple lodged in her throat and is immediately revived. Without the influence of the Prince’s kiss.

In movie and in folklore, Snow White and the Prince fall in love and get married (never mind that in the original tale, Snow is only 7 years old). In the movie, the seven dwarfs chase the Evil Queen into the forest, where she tumbles off a cliff—with a push from a convenient lightning strike—and falls to her death.

In the book version, the Queen attends their wedding where she is meted out a just punishment of dancing to her death. (Perhaps this last was thought up by a 19th century noblewoman forced to dance endlessly to the 1812 version of Bruno Mars’s “Marry You.”)

The more Grimm version of the Queen’s death goes like this: “They put a pair of iron shoes into burning coals. They were brought forth with tongs and placed before her. She was forced to step into the red-hot shoes and dance until she fell down dead.”

You can see why Disney wanted to clean up that unsavory image!

As a police officer, has someone you pulled over ever threatened to call “Daddy”?

I am working as a police sergeant in a small city in the midwest. A man comes in, wearing a very nice suit. A young woman is standing next to him. He tells me that about an hour ago one of my officers pulled over his 16 year old daughter. The gentleman says the officer told the young woman she would have to give him oral sex or he would write her a ticket that would cause her to lose her probationary license. The man wanted the officer terminated immediately or he was going to call his friend “the mayor” and have both of us fired.

I asked to see the citation he is holding. I asked if his daughter would be willing to give a sworn statement so I have evidence of the situation I can use for further action? He agrees. I bring a court reporter and an audio recorder. I date and time stamp the start of the tape and ask her describe the situation that occurred when she was issued citation number XXXXXXX on this date.

She gives a full complete account just like the details her father had given to me a few minutes before. When she concludes her statement, the court reporter asked her to sign a promise that all information is true and factual to the best of her with the understanding it may be used in criminal actions in this matter.

At this point I only know what I have been told by her father and her. But I knew something the father and daughter do not know. About a month prior to this event the police department installed cameras in all the squad cars. Whenever the red lights are activated the camera starts recording and microphone mounted on the officer’s shirt picks up audio and puts it on the tape (it was the initial use of squad cameras, we used VCR tapes, But the officers had no ability to over write or erase recorded tape).

The court reporter took the dictated statement to the girl and had her sign, and her father had co-signed because she was underage, the court reporter then took the statement upstairs to the clerk of court for filing.

I went to to the Evidence Room and watched the video tape of the traffic stop that had been recorded on our new squad cam system. 15 minutes later I came back to the interview room. The father was mad this was taking so long. I explained we had some new systems and I was reviewing how they matched up with his daughter’s testimony. I put a tape in the VCR and played every second of the traffic stop from the time the lights were turned on till officer ended the recording by manually shutting off the record feature by turning off his red lights and camera. The officer was professional and told the reason for the stop and requested the driver’s license, registration and insurance card from the driver. He went back to the squad with no further discussion other than to tell her to remain in her vehicle while he checked her status and wrote her citation. He came back to her car explained the citation, she asked”Isn’t there something I can do to get out of this ticket?” The officer said, “no, the citation has been issued, pay the listed fine or appear in court on the date shown, just slow down in the future, please use caution merging back into traffic. And then the officer walked back to his squad as the young lady drove away.

No sexual offer from the officer to void the citation, no discussion outside of the details of her responsibility to handle the fine or appear in court. And a standard warning to use caution merging back into traffic.

The father stood up, looked a little embarrassed. He said they had taken enough of my time and they should be going. I told him he was free to leave but his daughter filed a false police report. And Juvenile Probation Officers from the county were enroute to the station to charge her as a minor and determine if she should be placed in protective custody. I urged the father to remain and meet with JPO. I looked at the young lady and told her how lucky she was this happened when she was only 16 years old. An adult making the same false accusations would face felony charges. I told the father they could remain in the interview room until JPO arrived. If they tried to leave she would be taken and place in our juvenile holding area.

He was most cooperative at that point.

Now I believe the young lady thought a dramatic story would deflect any anger her father felt towards her for the citation. I am sure she did not realize how this would spin out of control and her father would make an official complaint. But if we did not have cameras the officer would have been been pulled from street duty and placed on an administrative assignment till Internal Affairs had completed their investigation. If they failed to find evidence enough to charge the officer I am sure Daddy would have have made loud and angry complaints to his friend the mayor.

There are many, many cases throughout law enforcement, public employees and private business where males in positions of authority have pressured women. It still happens today. Remember many but not all are true. I used this story for many years to convince officers that the need to document what they do correctly outweighs the same amount of time one of them does something bad.

And when they do we catch them, punish them and fire them. Camera system are expensive and keeping the recorded files is a logistical nightmare…but it is all worth it. Maybe we could require all politicians to wear cameras every day?

What do you think of the US’s recent sanctions on China, Turkey, and UAE firms?

What do I think?

I don’t think, I know. each sanction lead to more sanctions and each new sanction will create an anti sanction action. Countries throughout the world will pad themselves with measures where sanctions will be nullified and totally ineffective. More sanctions is pushing a new world order in that everything western and U.S. will be replace and alternate anti sanctions mechanisms and systems that make future sanctions not work any more.

That is what all sane and sensible people will do and react when you fxxked them up. They have dumped the dollar faster, they will stop using SWIFT, they will not accept western standards and set up their true world standards, the will avoid western banks, the will stop depending western financial institutions and system. They will ignore western rating agencies, they will stop depending on the west swiftly and speedily. That is what I know happened.

To me the U.S. are losing its unfair advantage. And each new sanctions is like another nail in coffin of the western rules based international order. I am certain the U.S. sanction because it getting desperate to keep its rules based international order but instead it is speeding the demise and implosion of the U.S.

That is what is happening in the world each time the U.S. sanction.

U.S. Military Has More Unfeasible Plans For Ukraine

Yesterday the Biden administration ‘declassified‘ laughable numbers about alleged Russian losses. It did not help. Zelenski’s mission to get more money from Congress has failed:

Following a roughly 30-minute meeting with Zelensky – their first one-on-one encounter – House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Biden administration’s response to congressional Republicans’ demands has been “insufficient,” and reiterated his stance that a deal remains unlikely without a “transformative change” at the border.

The Republicans also asked the White House for its strategy in Ukraine. But as the New York Times reported yesterday, there is none.

U.S. and Ukraine Search for a New Strategy After Failed Counteroffensive

American and Ukrainian military leaders are searching for a new strategy that they can begin executing early next year to revive Kyiv’s fortunes and flagging support for the country’s war against Russia, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.

The United States is stepping up the face-to-face military advice it provides to Ukraine, dispatching a three-star general to Kyiv to spend considerable time on the ground. U.S. and Ukrainian military officers say they hope to work out the details of a new strategy next month in a series of war games scheduled to be held in Wiesbaden, Germany.

That the counter-offensive had failed has been obvious since mid of June. A reason for the failure were fake war-games during which the parameters were skewed until the games showed that Ukraine would win:

Logic dictates that any responsible use of the KORA simulation system would have predicted the failure of the 47th Brigade’s attack. According to The Washington Post, the officers of the 47th Brigade “planned their assaults and then let the [KORA] program show them the results – how their Russian enemies might respond, where they could make a breakthrough and where they would suffer losses.” The KORA simulation allowed the Ukrainian officers to coordinate their actions “to test how they’d work together on the battlefield.”

Given that the Ukrainian force structure was insufficient to accomplish the mission-critical task of suppression, there was no chance for the Ukrainian forces to accomplish the actual assault requirements of a breaching operation – the destruction of enemy forces on the opposite side of the obstacle barrier being breached. The Ukrainians, however, came away from their KORA experience confident that they had crafted a winning plan capable of overcoming the Russian defenses in and around Orekhov.

When one examines the structure of a KORA-based simulation, it becomes clear that the system is completely dependent upon the various inputs which define the simulation as a whole.

Now the U.S. is sending one of its generals to take command of the Ukrainian army and will launch more war games. To what outcome will their parameters be skewed.

Apparently the time since late June was insufficient to come up with a new strategy for Ukraine. This will not do:

Some in the U.S. military want Ukraine to pursue a “hold and build” strategy — to focus on holding the territory it has and building its ability to produce weapons over 2024. The United States believes the strategy will improve Ukraine’s self-sufficiency and ensure Kyiv is in a position to repel any new Russian drive.

The goal would be to create enough of a credible threat that Russia might consider engaging in meaningful negotiations at the end of next year or in 2025.

At the same time, Ukrainian officials are examining strategies that build on their successful deep strikes on Crimea last fall. They are searching for creative ways to keep Russia off balance with attacks against arms factories, weapons depots and train lines for moving munitions, and to score symbolic victories. One Ukrainian former senior military official declined to discuss the proposals but said the new plan is being refined and is “very daring.”

The plan is that Ukraine will go into defense mode while committing more terrorism. But why would Russia let Ukraine build real defense lines? Ukraine is starved of artillery ammunition. It does not have the troops to hold all lines.

And whatever line it can build will break under intensive fire.

In the Summer of 1943, after German attack on Kursk had failed, the Soviets went into an offensive mode that did not stop until its troops captured Berlin. The German army retreated to defense lines, then retreated again and again – all the way back to Berlin. It took nearly two years, but the outcome was obvious as soon as the attack on Kursk had failed.

I expect something similar to happen in Ukraine.

The U.S. is starting its typical mission creep:

Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the top American commander in Europe, has been taking a bigger role in coordinating with Ukrainian officials.

The Pentagon has also decided to dispatch Lt. Gen. Antonio A. Aguto Jr., who commands the support of Ukraine from a base in Germany, to spend lengthy periods of time in Kyiv. General Aguto will work more directly with the country’s military leadership to improve the advice the United States is offering, American officials said. While the White House has opted not to have U.S. military advisers in the country permanently, General Aguto’s frequent rotations in and out of Kyiv would inch toward the end of that restriction.

A three star general does not come alone. He has a full group of staff, dozens, which will now become military advisors on the ground in Ukraine. They will also become priority targets.

And what do those advisors know about an industrial warfare that Ukraine soldiers do not know. Well, nothing.

Yves Smith as well as Simplicius have further thoughts on this.

I for one see no change yet of the trajectory Ukraine is on. It is losing badly while its propaganda is still claiming victory. Consider this from today’s Washington Post:

Loud explosions jolted many residents out of bed around 3 a.m. in central Kyiv, followed by air raid alert sirens a few minutes later. Ukraine’s air force said that antiaircraft defenses shot down all 10 ballistic missiles that were launched at Kyiv. That assertion could not be independently confirmed.

Multiple missile impacts happened BEFORE the air alarm went on. But the Ukrainian military claims to have shut all incoming missiles down. That does not sound like a plausible time line to me. I, in fact believe that the few air defense system Kiev was give, like its artillery, pretty much out of ammunition.

With no further aid coming from the U.S., and potentially also not from Europe, it is high time to shut the war down.

Posted by b on December 13, 2023 at 15:04 UTC | Permalink

How did World War II soldiers survive?

WW2, the deadliest conflict in human history. Yet there are some incredible stories of survival by soldiers. I’ll give two.

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image 106

One was Alan E. Magee. He was a gunner on a B-17 bomber.

He was on a mission over France in 1943 when his plane got hit by German flak and started to go down.

He tried to bail out, but his parachute was damaged and he couldn’t open it. So he decided to jump anyway, hoping for a miracle.

He fell 22,000 feet without a parachute and crashed through the glass roof of a train station.

He survived with only some broken bones and cuts. He was captured by the Germans, who were amazed that he was still alive.

They treated his wounds and sent him to a POW camp, where he spent the rest of the war.

He was liberated in 1945 and returned to the US. He lived until 2003, when he died at the age of 84.

There’s another guy who might be even luckier.

His name was Alistair Urquhart, and he was a Scottish soldier in the Gordon Highlanders regiment.

image 105
image 105

He was captured by the Japanese in Singapore in 1942 and sent to work on the infamous Death Railway in Thailand.

He endured torture, starvation, disease and beatings for years. He was then put on a cargo ship that was torpedoed by an American submarine.

He survived the sinking and spent five days floating in the ocean with sharks and corpses.

He was rescued by a Japanese whaling ship and taken to Nagasaki, where he was forced to work as a slave laborer.

He survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 and was freed by the Americans shortly after.

He returned to Scotland and lived until 2016, when he died at the age of 97.

Women’s Dating Standards have Ruined Relationships

Number of close relationships…

What was the most satisfying conversation you had with someone who tried to intimidate you?

What was the most satisfying conversation you had with someone who tried to intimidate you?On first impressions, Frank was a nice guy. He extended his hand the moment he walked in my door, “How the devil are you?” he said, all bright and cheery.

Frank spoke and acted like he was my new best friend.

I’d asked for a move back to street duties – a year of pandering to our self-aggrandising chief had been enough. I’d got my wish and Frank was taking over my job, Sergeant of the Safer Streets Scheme. Despite the title, it was a political role. Allegedly, its remit was to make our streets safer – in reality, it was to make our chief look good.

I handed the reins over to Frank.

Within a day, he was badmouthing me behind my back. Within a week, he wasn’t doing half the things I’d shown him. Within a month he was taking credit for several of my long-term operations.

Within three months, they promoted him.

But that’s okay because they promoted me too.

A few years later, my boss urged me to apply for a post at headquarters. It would mean another promotion if I got it. They accepted my application and the next step was an interview.

I don’t know how he found out I’d applied, but I got a phone call from Frank.

Frank informed me he had also applied for the position and that we were the only two to go forward for an interview. He boasted that with his ‘superior CV’ he was pretty much guaranteed to get the job. It wasn’t a friendly call; Frank was trying to mess with my mindset. He tried to belittle me with insults.

The good thing about that kind of behaviour is, if you have a little emotional intelligence, it’s easy to deal with.

When people are nasty to you, do this one thing — imagine the person is talking about themselves and go-ahead and agree with everything they say.

It works on two levels.

First, you don’t get upset. In trying to cause offence, bullies tend to say things that would upset themselves and what upsets them is the truth. More often than not, people like Frank are merely describing themselves.

Second, the intimidator gets no fulfilment. Their goal is to upset you, but by agreeing with them you show you are not concerned by their words — there is nothing so dispossessing as indifference. You own them.

So that’s what I did.

The day after his interview, Frank called me again.

“Congratulations,” he said, all bright and cheery as if I was his best friend again. “I’ve just been told I didn’t get the job, so well done.”

There is a sweetness in settling an old score, and Frank deserved the bombshell I had for him.

“Frank,” I said, “you must have had a terrible interview because I decided I didn’t want to work at headquarters and withdrew my application last week. That means you were the only person in the process and still they didn’t want you!

Italian Sandwiches

6117 4k
6117 4k

Ingredients

  • 4 sub buns
  • 4 Italian sausages, sweet, mild or hot
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 jar pizza sauce

Instructions

  1. Grill sausage until done.
  2. Slice buns open like a hot dog bun.
  3. Spread some pizza sauce inside, then place a sausage and cover with cheese.
  4. Wrap with foil and place over coals or on grill just long enough to melt cheese.
  5. Add mushrooms or whatever other garnishes are desired and available.
Italian Sandwiches 2
Italian Sandwiches 2

What is an experience you had with a client you’ll never forget?

I had a messy divorce with children. Wife left the children at home alone while she traveled out of state to see her new internet boyfriend. The children ran out of food and were scared to be home alone. They called the court appointed attorney ad litem. She called me. She told me – send your client to pick up the children immediately. She told me that she was going to set a hearing and tell the judge about the wife leaving the small children (all under 14) home alone for days with no food. I called Dad. He said “I am getting read to pick up my date and I am going to have sex tonight.” I told him to cancel his date and go get his kids. He refused. I asked him if I could have his mom (grandma) pick them up since they were home alone and hungry. He said no and refused to allow me to ever talk to his mom again. I had to call the court appointed attorney ad litem and tell her what was going on. She had to find someone else to pick up the children that night. I had represented 3 generations in this family for many years about all their legal issues. His mom kept calling — but I could not talk to her since he had instructed me not to do so. She was so angry at me. She “stalked” me for over a year. I really wanted her to know what her son did – she would have “kicked his butt”! Plus, he never paid his legal bill. This case was a real disaster and I’d spent hours working on it. As I recall his legal bill was over $10,000. I withdrew from the case. I was so mad. I had worked for months to get him primary custody. I worked hard to get the court appointed attorney ad litem was on Dad’s side. I actually watched the trial because I was so pissed. Dad came off as a total jerk with his new attorney. Mom’s attorney “got her to clean up” and ditch the internet boyfriend. Mom had a really good attorney who worked with her client to make her seem like a great parent. Mom was given primary custody of the children.

My Christmas wish is that grandma see what I wrote and understand why I withdrew and what her son did. This was probably 20 years ago and the kids are grown. I don’t know if grandma is alive. But due to this crummy client I never got another call from anyone in that family again.

In Texas, we have attorney-client privilege. If a client says you cannot talk to anyone, then you cannot. You cannot even defend yourself when they call you and scream at you. It can be frustrating at times.

Well stated

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

Many years ago I had a nut case of a Regional Manager named Bob. Bob got a bonus based not only on sales, but lowering expenses

At this time, phone calls were not free, even local calls cost around 10 cents per minute. Bob walked by my office while I was on a call with a customer and waited for me to finish. Then he said to me “asking the customer how he was doing today cost us 10 cents, stop wasting money”. Thereafter everyone made calls only when he was not around, and productivity dropped

The office was in New Jersey where it was at that time illegal to have self serve gas stations. One day he announced that all our gas receipts had full serve noted, and we were wasting money by not using self serve. Any receipts not marked self serve would be rejected. We all drove across the border to NY in order to pump our own gas, for 20 cents more per gallon.

He posted a sign stating that if you made more than 4 photocopies of something, you must go up 6 floors to the copy center and use the massive copy machine, not the local one. He said it saved .03 cents per copy! Someone posted an analysis showing the electricity for the elevator up and down cost more than .12 cents.

Yes, Bob got fired.

If the Titanic had never hit that iceberg, what would the rest of its ocean going career have been like? How long a life was it likely to have?

For the answer to this question one need look no further than Titanic’s sister ship, RMS Olympic. What most people don’t realize is that, as the older sister, Olympic was much more well known. All those superlatives we associate with Titanic — ship of dreams, floating palace, world’s largest moving object, etc. — were originally lavished on Olympic. In 1911, when she was launched, an entire issue of the trade publication The Shipbuilder was devoted to Olympic, with barely a passing mention of the other sister then under construction. Before the sinking Olympic was far and away the more famous sister and arguably the most famous ship in the world.

Unlike her ill-fated little sister, Olympic apparently WAS unsinkable. She had three serious collisions in her career, the first of which (with the warship HMS Hawke) left her severely damaged but still afloat. The second such incident was in 1916 when Olympic turned and rammed a German U-boat that had tried to sink her; the U-boat attempted to dive but to no avail — Olympic’s propellers tore open the sub’s pressure hull like it was aluminum foil. The liner emerged from the encounter with a slight dent on her lower prow and a legendary reputation as the only civilian vessel to sink an enemy warship in World War 1. Finally, in 1934, Olympic collided with and sank the Nantucket lightship LV-117 in heavy fog. Again Olympic escaped serious damage.

Olympic transported thousands of troops to and from the theaters of war in WW1, earning the undying devotion of those who traveled upon her. They called her “Old Reliable” because she always brought you home. Others referred to her affectionately as simply “Oly.” Captain Sir Bertram Fox Hayes, Olympic’s longest-serving commander and a towering figure in British maritime history (he was in command when they sank the U-boat), called her, “The finest ship, in my estimation, that has ever been built or ever will be.”

But alas, all good things must come to an end. The Great Depression hit the shipping companies hard, and by then Olympic was over 20 years old and showing her age. When White Star merged with Cunard she was retired. She was sent to the scrapyard in 1935. Fortunately some of her interior fittings and panels were preserved and can now be found in the White Swan Hotel in Alnwick, England.

She was shakin’

What is your freaky “I think social media is listening to my conversations” experience?

A YouTube user, Neville, posted a video that completely changed the way I look at Social Media.

He and his wife suspected Facebook was listening to their phone calls. They started noticing ads popping up that were eerily similar to the things they’d been talking about the day before.

They decided they would do a test.

They didn’t own a cat. They hadn’t had a cat in 20 years. They never talked about cats.

They set up a phone call, where they both repeated the words “cat” and “cat food” over and over again during a 10-minute phone call.

A few days later:

Both his and her Facebook feed were filled with cat food commercials.

image 108
image 108

After seeing this video, it primed my awareness to it, and I immediately began noticing the same pattern on my own Facebook feed. And this has since been tested by other users who confirmed similar creepy results.

Social Media Apps can and do listen to your phone calls.

Why?

The more targeted they can make their ads, the more they can charge companies for those ads. To make more highly targeted ads, they want to get right inside of your head and know everything about you.

If you don’t want Facebook (or any app) to listen to your calls, you need to go into your settings on your phone, find the app, click on permissions, and disable access to the microphone.

Social Media companies will get as much information as possible about you with little regard for what is right or wrong. Just as long as it is legal (enough), they’ll do it.

Lots of toys

Chinese houses tend to be quite different from those in the West.

For one thing… they are smaller.

They also (well many of them) are in huge complexes with yards-people, security, surveillance, electronic gates, walls, and facial recognition.

They tend to be stone… polished marbles, granite and other types over cement, and tend to be opulent.

For the longest time, I progressively moved into larger and larger homes, with my last two on the 300+ sq/m side. These are enormous by Chinese standards, and honestly, I found them to be too big for our little family.

But you know what?

As you move into larger homes, so does your possessions. They start to fill up the house, and before you know it, you need extra storage rooms to hold all your “stuff”.

So right now, we are living in much smaller homes.

Oh, sure the place is small and tight… with an over abundance of toys… I’ll tell you what. But it’s all we need.

Downsizing… or “right”-sizing has advantages if you look at the bigger picture.

And today…

If China decides to invade Taiwan by force, what is the most likely military scenario? Would there be a ground assault, or would a maritime blockade be deciding? Would China have to face the entire US navy?

Both would be counter productive

The Chinese are pastmasters in strategy

The Chinese will move only when there is a perfect wind. They need to be absolutely sure that the Taiwanese will approve of an eventual unification. Even if the Taiwanese openly reject Independence at any time and prefer Status quo until eventual Independence, China would gain enormous face

I predict the following scenario:-

  • Revolt by Taiwanese Army against the Taiwanese leadership on charges of corruption
  • Taiwans defences under complete control of the Army faction
  • Arrest of Senior Leaders of the Taiwanese Government
  • Permission to China to fly over Taiwanese Airspace and for Chinese Navy to land in Taiwan for “Securing peace and avoiding Civil War”

This is the only scenario where China will be able to walk into Taiwan and have the Full support of the UN and 90% of the world

Every law will support China in this scenario

If any Japanese or Korean or US vessel interferes, China can LEGITIMATELY declare war and have the whole world back China because TAIWAN IS INVITING CHINA

Even if the US allege that this is a coup de at, the law says it’s still Chinas problem to solve the issue because of the ONE CHINA POLICY

At this stage, North Korea can legally threaten South Korea and checkmate Seoul while Russia can checkmate Japan in the Sea of Japan

Both would be within their rights as Allies of China because Japan, Korea and US would be the aggressors NOT CHINA

It would be like if Kashmir had a separatist movement and Kashmiris begged the Indian Army to help

Nobody can stop the Indian Army because India is within the law


That would be the scenario China would typically envision

I am certain China has a very strong group ready for such a rebellion within Taiwan

Take over Taiwan by revolution and then legitimately arrive in Taiwan to solve the crisis which would be fully legal due to the One China Policy

It’s a Legal masterpiece

The US can at best sanction China and do what they did to Russia but China has had time to slowly plan alternates


Even if Taiwan declare Independence, this would be Chinas counter plan

My husband is in the military, he isn’t allowed to talk about what he does overseas. He shuts down about his feelings and is very cold towards me. Divorce is not an option. What should I do?

I can answer this one and I’ll give you the no-frills version: Your husband obviously has a high security job. He cannot talk about the work he does or he will lose his job and possibly go to prison. My late husband had that kind of job in the Army. You just don’t ask. My thought was that if he didn’t tell me anything, I couldn’t accidently repeat it. He would come home from work and I would ask “How was your day?” and he would tell me if so-and-so was in a bad mood or if they had a surprise inspection or if the soda machine was out of Coke, but NEVER any specifics of the job. Sometimes he’d tell me it was a rough day or a quiet day, but nothing else. You have to understand this and accept it. If you can’t, then divorce. The other thing I want to address here is you say is he shuts down and is cold. He doesn’t have much choice. If you are badgering him about details about his job all the time and he has told you he cannot tell you, then stop. Just stop. Who would want to come home to someone asking the same questions over and over when they’ve been told they can’t know? When he comes home, ask the simple, easy questions. “How was your trip?” “Did it go well?” Don’t even ask about the weather, since he might not be able to even tell you where he was. I believe it takes a strong person to be a military spouse, and not everyone can do it. You need to decide if this life is for you or not. Just some info: My soldier was gone a lot during one of our stateside assignments. We lived in one state for almost 5 years and he was gone at least 2.5 years of that time. Not usually more than up to 6 weeks at a time, but many of those trips were ones where he could not even call home. Make some friends, get a job, get some hobbies (I read all the books in the fiction section of the tiny post library, among other things.) And, most of all, love him when he’s home.

What’s the last thing you did to “pay it forward”?

I was at a restaurant with my son. It was around 2:00 p.m., and the store was relatively empty, so we were relaxing, chatting, going over the menu, and pretty much inclined to just settle in, take our time and enjoy, not only the food, but chatting with our server…you know, a nice, relaxed family time together.

About 15 minutes later, a couple walked in, he in a blue suit, and she in wedding gown and veil. A bit surprised, I smiled, they returned it, he with a grin, she with a brilliant, happy smile. I was confused, though. Bride, Groom, obviously directly from the ceremony – alone?

So, I’ll admit it, I eavesdropped, just a little – enough to determine that no one came to their wedding. They were alone.

This made me sad, and my son kept saying, “Poor kids.” So, I did it. I ordered them a bottle of champagne and asked our server if, since it was slow, the kitchen could whip up some kind of wedding cake or dessert.

I wish you could have seen their faces! I’m actually tearing up now remembering it! They toasted me and Chris, and asked if they could take a picture with us. So, Chris and I are in a wedding photo album, somewhere in Ohio.

It turns out, they were both in “the system,” both were 18 and had just been dropped by the system. I’m not sure how they met, but they decided that, having no family, they’d make one of their own.

Great kids! Absolutely stellar human beings – and so sweet!

What’s the most inaccurate thing your child has ever been taught in school?

The School phoned me up as my son was being extremely disruptive and arguing with the teacher in class. I was to come down and speak to the hear teacher abotu this and what can be done etc etc etc.

Now, to be fair on her, she did not know the details at this time, but she was right in that he should not have been acting up like he did.

Now, I got to the school, asked at reception for the Head Teacher, and we both went to her office, where my son was sat down. looking a bit like he was up for it I have to admit, and I was really annoyed and so we asked WTF has just happened and why was he arguing with the teacher?

It was all down to the teacher telling the class, that Evolution is not proper science, because it is only a theory! – My son, correctly pointed out that somethign in science only makes it to a theory once it has been shown to be right. Now, so far, I have not mentioned that he was 9.

I started to laugh and I then sided with my son 100% and I said to the headteacher that the teacher was clearly wrong, and that my son would have just been arguing because he was being told wrong information. The Head did agree with me that the teacher was incorrect on this. The head said that she will have a talk with the teacher, however, this to me was simply not good enough!

I argued, that we need to go back to the class NOW, and you need to enforce the fact that the teacher is wrong and that my son is absolutely correct. The head did NOT want to do this, however, I then told her that if she did not, then I will go to the local papers and I will do whatever I can to get hat teacher fired. ( Yes, I am a git at times ).

So yeah, the teacher was absolutely horrified that the head was correcting her and that a 9 year old child had made her look like a moron.

I am NOT going to allow that level of ridiculous nonsense to be taught to my kids.

I dont care if they want to believe in any religious stuff, but if they do, then they need to have solid reasons to do so, and of course, when you understand how science works, it kind of stops you from believing in such hocus pocus as religion.

My son wants to be a carpenter. He has a 3.78 GPA. I keep telling him that he is wasting his life by working in construction instead of going to college to get a real well-paying job. What should I do?

I graduated high school with an Honors Diploma, 3.98 GPA. I went to a trade school for HVAC and Refrigeration. Took right at 18 months to complete and get my technical degrees.

While in HVAC classes, I decided to doubled up and got my digital and analog electronics certifications. I was in trade school right at 2 yrs. Came out debt free.

Those 2 years a worked at a local factory.

1 month out of school, I landed a job at one of the largest hospitals in my state, as a boiler/chiller operator.

Within 1 yr at that job I moved up to lead hvac tech. Stayed there for 10 yrs.

I took every class they offered in my field. Left that hospital with certifications in building automation controls, deep knowledge in commercial HVAC, chillers, high pressure steam boilers, etc.

Moved on to a higher paying job with my states goverment general service department. Worked there for 6 yrs, gained even more knowledge and certifications.

I now part of a commercial HVAC service business. Have seven people in the company, all with extensive knowledge in commercial HVAC service work. Each of us making well over 100k a year.

I was the first in my family to not go to a traditional 4yr college.

My parents supported me in that. With that support, I was able to do what I was passionate about. I was the first, in my family, to get a job within my choosen field, without major debt.

25 yrs later, Im also the first in my family to stick with my degree and advance it/add to it, still without taking on any debt.

All this to say, support your son in what he wants to do.

Getting into the trades is looked down upon, but if it wasn’t for the trades, the world we live in, would not be remotely the same.

If he feels he can make it work, support him.

And if he fails, stand beside him with a supportive attitude and not a “I told you so” attitude.

Our kids need to make their own successes and failures.

As parents, when our kids hit a certain age, we have to let them fly on their own and hope and pray our guidance and teachings was enough to mold and shape them into productive, happy members of society.

This isn’t to say we stay totally hands off.

My two oldest children (22 and 20) still ask advice on things.

I give my life experiences on the subject matter they ask, and what worked for me. It’s up to them to take the advice, modify it to their life and run with it.

“The Stand”: US Biological Laboratory Leak Leads to 99% Global Fatality

What is the nastiest lunch you’ve seen your co-worker eat at work?

Canned Co-worker

image 143
image 143

I proudly was the nasty co-worker in the teacher’s lounge. I worked with a woman who thought she should be in charge of everyone because her husband was campus security. On more than one occasion she had let me know that she thought my lunch was “odd.” I had changed my eating habits, increased my exercise resulting in a major weight loss that was being recognized. This other woman was larger than the size I was when I embarked on my health journey. I am not fat-shaming, I am just pointing out that she was not a role model for healthy eating and lifestyle. The things I was eating were working for me.

I was in the teacher’s lounge getting my cup of coffee before I sat down to eat. The only place to sit was next to Mrs. Campus Security. I sat down, then opened my lunch box, pulled out my can opener and a can of pork and beans.

I had only one bite out of the can when I heard in a disgusted tone, “You’re not really going to eat out of the can?”

“Why, do you want some? I can scoop some out for you.” I said in reply, trying to ignore her rudeness and half a pan of lasagna that she was eating.

“That is the grossest thing I have ever seen anyone eat for lunch. You’re eating those nasty greasy beans out of a can… cold!”

“Yep, that was my plan to eat these ‘taste’ nasty beans right out of this can.”

I thought that would be the end of the conversation. All through lunch she had a comment about, “How gross I was for eating beans” or “How my beans smelled bad.” When I finished my beans, I pulled out my treat: a can of peaches in fruit juice.

I started to open the can when I heard, “You got to be kidding me! Are you going to eat those out of the can too?”

I couldn’t resist the moment and began singing a song by Presidents of the United States of America, “Peaches come from a can they were put there by a man in a factory downtown…” The other staff began laughing at the song. We were all tired of listening to Mrs. Campus Security grumble.

We had a staff meeting that afternoon, after school, that controlling lady was still complaining about my lunch. Her still being riled about my lunch led to me being inspired; I decided, right then and there, that I needed to eat the same thing daily while sitting next to her for the sheer entertainment factor.

The next day, she flipped out when I casually sat next to her, then had the same lunch as the day prior. Now, I started making comments about, how flavorful the can makes the beans. I loudly scraped my can sitting next to her while railing on about how delicious they were. The day after that, I did it again. I did it every day for a month. A few days into my inspired entertainment, the other staff realized what I was doing, they started to bring pork and beans for lunch also. Mrs. Campus Security quit coming into the teacher’s lounge during lunch because of being grossed out by us co-workers. The rest of us enjoyed our lunch period much more after her departure.

According to BBC, despite decades of high growth rates, China’s growth is expected to slow significantly in the coming years, affecting the global economy. What do you think?

Let me use an analogy:

China is like a man who put on a lot of fat and muscle in order to become strong. Now it wants to improve its health by losing fat while keeping muscle through a tough diet and training regimen.

Chinese society and its economy are now going through that transition.

Up until about 2016, growth in China was easy because it was fueled by manufacturing and rising real estate prices. Most exports were made for foreign brand companies like Apple. Following this growth model, China was able to grow stronger in manufacturing by building multiple supply chains and developing its technology.

With Trump’s election in 2016, the U.S. made it clear that it would not allow this growth model to continue because it believed that China was getting a free development ride at the US’s expense. Trump started with import tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S., and when that did not generate the desired results, he called for U.S. companies to lesser their reliance on Chinese manufacturing by moving to more friendly and compliant nations like Vietnam and India, a policy which Apple has been following.

The Biden administration has continued this policy and added to it by adding technology sanctions to U.S. IP and chips, and has encouraged companies like TSMC to build chip fabs in the U.S.

What we are learning now is that the Chinese government and Huawei in particular have been secretly preparing for this worst-case scenario for at least five years and have been building their own technology, manufacturing and supply chains which are completely free of western IP. Now, the Chinese are positioning themselves to sell their own indigenously-developed technologies and products worldwide under their own Chinese brands instead of western brands. The Chinese will compete by offering what are now considered expensive high-end features in Western products as standard features in Chinese products.

Chinese companies are already doing this with electric vehicle automobiles and mobile phones, and will do it with other products. There will be a very bloody price war between Chinese and Western brands, and in order to survive, western brands will have to accept lower profits.

Domestically, the Chinese government has worked off its dependency on real estate to fuel domestic growth, which is why Evergrande, Country Garden and other real estate developers are in such trouble.

Make no mistake, this is a tough and painful transition, but there are good reasons for the short-term sacrifice.

China has always been about the medium- and long-term, never about the short-term.

Erased from History

Stuffing Balls

stuffing balls
stuffing balls

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 3 sticks butter, melted
  • 4 (14 ounce) cans creamed corn
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • 2 (16 ounce) bags Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing
  • 9 beaten eggs

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a saucepan melt 2 sticks butter. Add onion and celery and sauté. Add creamed corn, water, poultry seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. In a very large bowl, pour this mixture over stuffing mixture. Toss lightly then stir in eggs. Shape into tennis ball-size rounds. Place on a sheet pan. Brush with 1 stick melted butter.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes.

The Wrath of Khan (1982) “Kirk’s Response”

https://youtu.be/gl_y5wTeJtk

I sold some sneakers for $130. A seller bought them and “accidentally” sent me a $1,385 check. Are they scamming me into making me cash out a check with money they might not have?

The check they sent you is fake. It probably looked like a money order. The scam goes like this: They buy something from you and send you payment for too much. They tell you to go ahead and deposit the check, but to send them the balance. They may even tell you to keep a little extra “for your trouble.”

So you (the mark) deposit the bogus money order and send a check to the “buyer.” The bank quickly discovers that the money order is fake, and debit your account for the amount. You’re out the $1,200 or whatever you sent to the fraudster.

I had this happen a few years ago. I was selling an old TV for $25.00 on Craigslist. I got an email asking if it was still available. It was. He was on vacation in England, so he’d have his “assistant,” who was somewhat local (100 miles away) send me a check and pick up the TV.

A few days later, I got a money order for $1,300 in an envelope with a Sacramento return address. Then I got an email from the “buyer” telling me his incompetent assistant had sent me the wrong money order. Could I please deposit it and send a check for the excess? I could keep an extra $25.

I replied that I’d just send them the check back and wait for one in the correct amount. The “buyer” began to get angry, sending me emails threatening legal action if I didn’t comply with his demands. Out of curiosity, I called the credit union printed on the money order—they were several hundred miles away, in San Diego. They told me it was not anything they had issued. Shocker.

I looked up the physical address on Google Earth the “buyer” told me to use to send the “refund” to. It was a mail drop in London, probably with some sort of forwarding arrangement.

After several angry, threatening emails from the “buyer,” the whole thing just faded away. I still have the bogus money order as a souvenir.

Sadly, just like the venerable “Nigerian Prince” scam, there will be people who fall for it.

Hopefully, gentle reader, you won’t be one of them.

What Happened to the President? in The Walking Dead – What We Know Now

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

When I was married to my first husband, my family hated him so much they managed to get me kicked out of church. From across the state.

There was an AME church directly behind where we lived and I attended there. I wasn’t raised AME. I don’t raise my hands like I know the answers. I don’t dance around. I just wanted to worship with fellow Christians.

Despite me being white, these people accepted me in and made me feel comfortable. Some of the older folks actually got between me and some younger people who didn’t want me there and we’re going to “make me leave”.

They explained that skin color has nothing to do with WHO we are… that how they acted tells everything about WHO they are. And it was unacceptable.

The folks apologized to me and would look for me each week.

I didn’t want any trouble. I didn’t want to be a distraction. I just wanted to worship. And I didn’t care who was around me.

I don’t care what color someone’s skin is. I never have. It’s about who we are, not what we look like.

When I wouldn’t show up, usually because my first husband used to beat me mercilessly, they came by to get me.

The ladies saw me in a pathetic state and they would get the men… who explained to my husband how it was unacceptable. Sometimes in forceful terms.

They helped me escape.

THAT was the most Christian loving thing I’d experienced… and I’m a preacher’s kid.

What was a time when someone absolutely deserved to be fired?

I’d just finished 37 years of working in IT. I wrote a tiny piece of code used in the Internet. I ended up working in a warehouse. Their internet connection sucked and was made far worse by my boss’ insistance of watching videos all day causing print jobs to fail and produce scanners to act up.

Using ordinary user computers I’d bring up the DOS prompt and show her the crappy network numbers. She forbade me from doing it, saying I was “hacking”.

She was constantly on the phone with her Pastor. Once a month she’d be doubled over with cramps, throwing up all over the offices but refused medication because it was “sinful”.

My coffee consumption is measured in pots. The coffee pot was a one minute walk away but she’d be constantly complaining “you’re taking your coffee break now???” until I made it clear that I wasn’t taking the mandatory 15 minute coffee breaks and often working through lunch, threatening a “work to rule”.

The last straw was when she went on vacation, failed to show up when she was supposed to, failed to contact her supervisor and left me trying to do two jobs.

Her replacement was even worse. When I informed management I was fired by her for insubordination for identifying an unsafe working condition.

Has another parent ever gotten mad at you for saying ‘no’ to their child?

Yes. A parent was furious and called to scream at me when I said their child couldn’t play right now. Their child had knocked on my door, and I politely told the little girl she could come back and play tomorrow.

Her mom called and went off on me. She said I was selfish and a bully and that I let everyone else play at my house but her child. I tried explaining that her child had literally played at my house every single day for the last few months. I told her that during the last month, I fed her dinner almost every day and also took her with our family to the park, movie theater, and school functions.

I then stated that I was a single mom of 3 and needed a day to myself to catch up on household chores and run errands. I said I had been working 7 days a week and also needed a couple hours to just lay on the couch and rest with my family. She screamed that I should be ashamed of myself for making her kid sad. Now, keep in mind she was married, only had one kid, and never invited my kids over to play even though she was unemployed and home 24/7.

I later learned that mom was an addict and she wanted her kid out of the house so she could do drugs with no interruptions.

What is the most disgusting thing a bully has ever done to you?

This probably isn’t considered “disgusting” to others, but it was to me. I was hired as a bartender/night manager for a small beer and wine pub-type place by the owner, whose adult kids worked at his restaurant next door. His daughters were nice – I was actually referred by his younger daughter who’d been a customer of mine at another place I tended bar. But his son – WOW! I don’t know why he hated me on sight, but he did. Unfortunately, he was the cook and I had to deal with him whenever one of my customers ordered food, and he would go out of his way to insult or belittle me.

It was my last shift before Christmas and I wanted to be a little “extra”, so I put on a super cute red and white outfit with black boots and a Santa hat. I felt incredibly festive and cute and was really looking forward to my shift. I was, that is, until I walked into the restaurant to get my till. He came out of the kitchen as I was standing there, and he literally started laughing hysterically, pointing at me and saying awful things about how he couldn’t believe I’d worn that and how stupid I looked. Somehow I was able to hold back the tears until I was back at my bar alone, but I bawled, hard. He was always mean, but that night he was especially cruel.

For the record, my customers loved my outfit and tipped me generously, being that it was so close to Christmas. And yes, I did try to speak to the owner about his son’s behavior several times, and each time he said he’d take care of it, but it never got better, which is why I quit as soon as I found another job.

What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?

My niece and I were standing in line at the grocery store check out. There were 2 Spanish girls behind us talking away in Spanish about how they were running the streets and what guys they were hooking up with . My niece who is as white as can be pulled out her food stamps to pay for her groceries. The two girls behind us started making fun of her because she was on public assistance and were calling her all kind of derogatory names and jokes. Now my niece grew up with Spanish people and also took Spanish in school so she turns around and responded to the girls in Spanish that at least she could afford to take care of her family instead of running the streets like they obviously did. They were so dumfounded they just looked at her and couldn’t respond. We just gathered up our groceries and walked out while the check out lady was laughing hysterically at the two girls.

Do you know anybody who faced cancer or any other terminal illness and never complained about it, or never asked, “Why me, lord?”?

I guess that woud be me.

I was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer the week I turned 34.

Tumors were all over my bones and broke my spine, hip and cracked my ribs. Several of my vertebrae collapsed and I now have kyphosis.

My disease was stable for almost four years, but slowing tumors started growing again in my spine, and this past year have spread many to other bones plus my liver and lung.

Recently a skull tumor spread into my brain and I have partially lost control of my right foot. Several of the tumors in my spine are currently threatening my spinal canal. Since that area was radiated before, it cannot be radiated again, which means that there is a very high chance I will be paralysed from the arms down before I die. That’s if I don’t die before of liver failure.

At this point I’m hoping my liver will fail before I am paralysed. I dread that so much.

That’s for the physical hardship, there’s also knowing I won’t be there for my young daughter as she grows up, that my parents will see their daughter die before them.

So to sum it up: because I’ll be missing out on more than half of my life (based on my predicted life expectancy at birth), because I’m leaving behind an 8 year-old daughter, because I could be almost entirely paralysed the last weeks or months of my life, because this is something that my child and family will have to witness… I feel like I would have good reasons to complain and feel sorry for myself.

And yet I don’t.

Don’t get me wrong, I am mad it happened and definitely wish it never had.

But it did and it does every day to too many people. You draw the short straw, or maybe just feel like you do because we don’t know what everyone else goes through. I do grumble about my uncooperative leg (now also known as “dead weight”). I do cry and often feel sad beyond words but honestly don’t feel any point in wondering “why me?”

My body reacted in such a way that made it possible for rogue cells to grow. I was otherwise young, relatively healthy, and with no cancer history in my family. It was very unlikely to happen but it did. The bodies of some people just react that way. Why not mine?

I do hope for the best, in other words a treatment that will buy me some time, but I’m also very aware of the limitations of our current medical knowledge and its unability to cure my type of cancer. (And please don’t suggest random cures in the comments, at the time of this post NOTHING has been proved to cure my particular disease).

As a terminally ill person, my thoughts converge toward what matters most: practical end-of-life arrangements, of course my daughter and leaving some sort of legacy behind. Things like expecting a miracle cure or indulging in self-pity would just feel like wasted time at this point.

What is the most inappropriate experience you have had with a neighbor?

This just happened to us, last month. It was my wife’s birthday, and some flowers were delivered to our house in a box. Thinking they were from our daughter, my wife took them out, and arranged them in a big vase along with a bouquet that I had brought home for her earlier that morning.

And, then, she noticed the card in the box … which read “Very sorry for your loss. Margret and Victor Voss” (names changed for privacy). We don’t know Margret & Victor and we hadn’t experienced any loss. So, she looked at the delivery label – which had OUR address on it, but not HER name. It was addressed to “April Andrews” – another name we didn’t know. And, again – OUR address.

So, I went online to the flower company website and did a live chat with their Customer Service. I explained the situation to them, and said that we didn’t know April Andrews. And, I asked them what they wanted us to do. They told us to keep the flowers, and that they would straighten out the problem. It was, after all, actually my wife’s birthday.

Well, a day and a half later … our doorbell rings. And, there stands a woman we didn’t know, but who apparently lives down the street in a house whose number is a transposition of our house number. She introduced herself as April Andrews and said that she understood that, “We have her flowers … seeing as how her father just died.”

So, instead of the flower company “taking care of the problem” by finding out the correct address from the senders and delivering another bunch of flowers – what they did was notify the local flower shop who originally made/delivered the bouquet. And THEY chose to “take care of the problem” by driving back over to the Andrews house and POINTING them up the street at our house as the place where they left the box.

Again, the flowers were now 2 days old and intermixed with others. We didn’t have any simple way to just “turn them over”. And, we were told to keep them. (I had the chat transcript in email to prove it).

But, now we have a neighbor whose first impression of us is “the people who stole their dead father’s sympathy flowers.” Real damn nice!

We did give her the card.

As a doctor, what was your most ‘now that was stupid’ moment with a patient?

Glad you asked. I have about 500 of them but most cannot really be shared. This one ended up in the newspaper so I think we are pretty clear to talk about it.

About 30 years ago (when I was a paramedic) there were several guys in their late teens and early twenties fishing in a lake near town. This lake is a pretty large, man-made reservoir and a place for boating, sailing, camping and fishing. It also happens to be the scene of about 375 of the 500 “now that was stupid” moments I mentioned above. These guys were fishing from the shore and I guess the fish weren’t biting all that much so they were able to spend more time on their other pastime; drinking beer. Well, as young boys will, they started thinking about what funny thing they could dare each other to do and of course one of them suggests eating their bait. Their live bait. Minnows to be exact. These small fish (about the size of a carnival goldfish) could easily be swallowed whole with a half can of Keystone Beer. After one or two rounds one of the guys decides to take it up a notch and he pulls out a red ear sunfish he caught a few minutes before. They look like this.

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image 142

His was just slightly smaller than this one but not by much. Notice the very spikey dorsal fin on this fish. They tend to deploy them like that when they are alarmed or threatened. A good example of that “threat” would be an 18 year old boy attempting to swallow you whole with a river of beer. The perch made it about a third of the way down his esophagus before becoming lodged. He swallowed it head first (because he didn’t want to get poked by the fins…. Smart) but his swallow was too slow and the fish too large and it got stuck. The tail of the fish was visible in the back of the throat so his friends tried to grab it with needle nose pliers and pull it out. That was a mistake. The dorsal fin then entered the esophagus and the fish was incredibly lodged. And alive. Very alive. And the tail was flapping back and forth over the glottis causing a major airway issue.

He was taken by ambulance to the ER and he nearly died. His friends succeeded in tearing most of the tail off the fish but it was still alive. He ended up with a cricothyroidotomy and a trip to the OR to have the fish removed surgically. As his friends messed around with the fish in the back of his throat he vomited of course. Lots of beer. This was even more of an airway issue.

So, if you’re thinking about swallowing a live fish of any size remember this. The surgery is a massive deal and fish are not sterile. Those fins often contain a deadly mix of bacteria (especially catfish) and occasionally even venom. After the acute phase of treatment….assuming you live…. You are still facing a long road to recovery. Holes in your esophagus allow gastric contents through as well and that is a major problem for your lungs and heart. Better by far to stick to those little yellow cracker goldfish snacks with beer.

Which century would you least like to live in?

6th century and the Dark Ages climate pessimum.

The Dark Ages were not only dark – they were cold as well. In 535 Krakatau erupted and pushed in so much volcanic ash that the average temperature sank with several degrees, and historian Prokopios describes 536 as a “year with no summer” and the sun shone gloomily and did not warm. These events are recorded also by the Barbarian poetic epics. The Kalevala records this as Louhi stealing Sun and Moon, and the Eddas record 535 as Fimbulvinter.

Not only did crops fail and people all around Europe die from hunger, but in 541–542 the Justinian Plague swept over Europe and killed 50% of Europeans, whose immunity had been compromised by malnutrition and hunger. This plague – caused by the same Yersinia pestis bacterium as the Black Death in the 1300s, was a worse catastrophe than the Black Death itself, and finally killed off the Antiquity.


6th century was the worst century of the whole Dark Ages. The Frankish Kingdom was wrecked by the petty civil wars of the Merovingians, Britain lapsed back to Paganism due to the Anglo-Saxon conquest, Hispania was wrecked by the wars of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Visigoths, and Italy was wrecked by the Eastern Roman Empire reconquest – Rome again belonged in the Empire.

The climate change, which had begun in the 3rd century, had reached the pessimum by 550 AD. After that, climate again began to warm, reaching the global average by 750 AD.

What’s the one big no-no that will make you walk out of an auto dealership?

My now ex-wife and I were shopping used vans. In one used car business, we found one of the make/model vans we were interested in. But the price was almost double what we’d budgeted to pay. Along comes a salesman, we chat and tell him it would need a deep discount for us to be able to consider it. We did the test drive, liked it but got no assurance that it could fit our budget, so we made to leave. He said we should let him give us a quote for their best price. We agreed, told him we didn’t want to do the whole back and forth with the manager thing, and he agreed. So we go inside the building and wait to get this quote. And we wait, and we wait. I had the feeling there was a hidden microphone at the table where we were seated, which was verified by the fact that after I said “Let’s go” they magically appeared with the quote. It was $500 off the $20k listed on the window of the van. I handed back the quote in disgust and we continued out the door. I swear three people came after us, yelling “Wait, wait!” at the back of our heads. They even knocked on the windows of our car as we were pulling out. Car dealers, don’t ignore the things we tell you, lie and use sleazy tactics to try and sell.

Respect

What are the consequences of being too good at your job? Can you get fired for it?

In a corporate setting, my best buddy, a successful consultant, once faced an intriguing challenge. He was called in to assess a project that was significantly behind schedule and plagued with bugs. The project had been in development for almost a year, with parts being tested by end-users, only to find them too buggy to put into production. Additionally, several critical functions remained unimplemented.

My buddy’s task was clear: take the project’s current state and chart a path to completion using the existing staff. Upon analyzing the original specifications, he realized that the project was essentially a straightforward database application with a few user forms required for various tasks. Taking the project home on a Friday, he dedicated his weekend to it.

On Monday, he returned to present the completed project to the manager. To the manager’s surprise, all screens worked flawlessly, with no bugs in sight. All user interfaces were in place and functioning exactly as they had been originally whiteboarded.

At first, the manager hesitated, assuming these were mock-ups. However, upon realizing that my friend had accomplished in a weekend what the manager’s team had struggled with for a year, the situation took a turn. Instead of accepting the code, the manager paid my friend for the hours claimed and forbade any further communication with the project staff or associates.

This incident underscored an important lesson that my buddy had learned over the years as a consultant: often, in complex problems, there’s a simpler solution waiting to be discovered if you’re willing to look for it.

What was a gift that made you speechless?

What was a gift that made you speechless?

Not just speechless, but left in tears, as well.

About 2 months ago, I received a card in the mail from my uncle (Mom’s youngest brother). In the card was a check for $250.

His wife had read something I posted on Facebook, as a comment to a friend of mine. It was about being so broke that we didn’t have any food right then and would be using old gravy packets to make “soup”. I tried to make it sound like a joke, but my Uncle saw through it. Things weren’t quite that bad but they were close. I’m trying to support 3 other people who either won’t work or won’t pay to live in my house (long story but two are family) on less money than I need to do that. Although two of them have food stamps and buy food for the household, it’s still running me into bankruptcy.

Here’s what killed me though – My Uncle was fighting Stage 4 cancer at the time and he apologized in his note that he couldn’t send more!

With all he was going through, he took the time to think of me!

That check arrived on a day when I was so very low because I just didn’t know how I was going to get any food in the house to last us until the food stamp cards refilled.

I wrote him a thank you letter, and I’m glad I got it sent out right away. Less than 3 weeks later, my uncle died. I didn’t know just how sick he was until the day before he died, when his daughters posted a photo of him in a bed in a hospice. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know.

I’m still in shock that he’s gone, and still grateful beyond words to him for his help.

10 Great advice for teenager

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image 131
  1. Don’t get addicted to porn, smoking, alcohol, internet or sex.
  2. Do not hide anything from your doctor, he is not your father, he will not scold you
  3. Don’t fall into debt. Pay all your bills early before they become a headache.
  4. Smile frequently, 30 seconds every 30 minutes, this will increase your productivity and mental energy.
  5. Give thanks for the food you were given at someone else’s house.
  6. Never wait for the perfect moment to do something, do what’s on your mind right now and learn how to do it better as time goes on.
  7. Make your bed as soon as you get up.
  8. Throw away the things you no longer use, or even better, donate them. Also start getting rid of all the clothes you haven’t worn in the last 3 months.
  9. Find a hobby that you like too much.
  10. Have a list of all the good things about you, read it daily when you wake up.

What’s the most disturbing crime between loved ones you’ve heard of?

Cody Johnson was a 25-year-old country boy who loved cars and the wilderness.

He was looking for a church-oriented woman he could share his life with. He met the tall, pretty brunette, Jordan Graham and they began dating.

You would have never guessed they had issues if you saw their smiling pictures on Facebook. They presented a great front and Cody didn’t grasp the depth of their problems.

Cody was head over heels in love with Jordan. He cooked for her and brought her gifts and gave her tons of much attention.

A week after meeting Jordan, Cody told his mother, “I think I met the woman I’m going to marry.”

However, Cody’s friends grew concerned as the relationship seemed one-sided. They’d never seen the two of them kiss or hold hands. Jordan was cold and distant.

Jordan was extremely religious and wanted to wait until marriage before having sex. Cody was fine with it.

But he could hardly get her to kiss him. She reassured Cody that she loved him.

One year into dating, he proposed and she said yes — which is where the path to ruin began.

The wedding plans

Jordan’s friends said she was excited anytime they talked about planning the wedding, the party, and all it involved — but never said anything about Cody.

On her wedding day, as Jordan walked down the aisle crying, onlookers smiled, but her maid of honor, Katrina Martinez, was horrified.

She knew Jordan and knew this wasn’t a “good cry”.

Jordan had been asking Kristina in the weeks leading up to the wedding if she should go through with it.

Katrina told Jordan, “I can’t make that decision for you. You need to talk to Cody.”

Cody’s best man knew there was trouble beforehand too. He said he told Cody not to marry her. Something was off.

He could tell Jordan wasn’t in love with him.

But Cody was blinded by his own feelings.

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image 132

The day before getting married, Jordan had a massive meltdown, telling her friend she’d “Made a mistake”. But then changed her mind and moved forward.

Ominously, they had a custom song made for their wedding and one of the lyrics said, “You helped me climb higher for a better view. You’re my safe place to fall.”

The murder — 8 days later

They attended church on the Sunday morning of July 7th, 2013. On the way out, witnesses said she’d told her husband she had a “big surprise” for him.

Prosecutors later alleged Jordan had promised to do something sexual with Cody. He made excited comments to friends before they left. And they later found a blindfold at the crime scene.

The next day, Cody’s work called and asked where he was. His boss, Cameron, was excited to congratulate him on the wedding.

Cody didn’t answer his phone so Cameron went to his house looking for him.

Nobody answered the door. Cameron sensed something was wrong and broke the door in.

Nobody was inside. He said the home gave him a terrible vibe.

He wandered through the quiet house and eventually found Cody’s phone on the ground in the garage — which was totally unlike him. Cody always had his phone.

Cameron rushed to the police station and reported Cody missing.

The cops immediately wondered why his wife wasn’t the one reporting her husband missing. A friend finally got ahold of Jordan and asked her if she’d seen Cody.

She said she didn’t know but later told cops, “He went out with a bunch of friends I’ve never met. I don’t know anything more, any of the whereabouts or anything.”

Friends and cops were immediately struck by how unemotional Jordan was with Cody’s disappearance.

When friends came to her house to provide support and comfort, she grew agitated that they were there rather than upset Cody that was missing.

At one point, she got upset and threw her wedding ring across the room — which caught sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

Then, there was a random email that Jordan received from a mysterious man named Tony The Carman, “Hello Jordan. My name is Tony. There is no bother in looking for Cody anymore.”

Cody is gone. Call off the search. He fell off a cliff at Glacier National Park.”

She took the message to the cops.

Search parties went out. Jordan participated and drove with her friends to the park.

During the drive, she was happy, singing songs and hanging her hand out the window, flying it in the wind. You’d have never known her husband was missing.

At the park, Jordan led her group to the exact location of Cody’s body. She said she “Just had a feeling he’d be there.”

His body was at bottom of a steep, remote cliff, in terrible condition.

She told her friends, “Cody told me he wanted to see this spot before he died.”

This drew even more scrutiny to Jordan. She started fudging details and changing her story during an interrogation.

Jordan didn’t help herself when authorities asked, “How did you locate his body so fast?”

This time she said the spirit of Jesus Christ led her to his body.

Cody’s best man said, “I almost instantly thought Jordan did something.”

At Cody’s funeral, Jordan sat in the front row, playing on her phone, smiling and unaffected.

People who only passingly knew Cody were more emotional than his own wife. It was at this point that her friends all concurrently knew that Jordan had murdered her husband.

Cops later confirmed that the mysterious email from Tony the Car Man had been sent by Jordan on her dad’s device.

The partial confession

Jordan admitted to pushing Cody.

She said they’d been in a fight. She said she was so upset that when he turned his back to her, she shoved him hard in the back, sending him over the edge.

He fell 300 feet to his death, landing headfirst.

There wasn’t even a struggle or self-defense argument made. She said she just did it because she was angry.

But because of so many other lies, mounting evidence, and a complete lack of caring for her dead husband, it was an obvious case of murder.

She entered a guilty plea.

On March 27th, 2014, Jordan was sentenced to 30 years in prison with no possibility of parole.

Cody’s mother is inconsolable and his family is still coping with the loss.

Cody was murdered eight days after their wedding ceremony. It’s hard to imagine how things could go so wrong so fast.

It’s even harder to fathom how someone could find breaking a person’s heart harder than killing him. But stranger, darker things have happened.

Rest in peace Cody. You didn’t deserve it.

What’s the most savage way you’ve seen someone get fired?

One of my old managers was a great guy but didn’t take crap from anyone.

There was a guy we worked with that was a total jerk. He liked to act all rough and tough whenever the manager, AGM or I weren’t around (I was a lead/MIT)…He especially had a history of intimidating the young shift leaders and other coworkers (especially the females). He constantly denied this but we had no reason to doubt our leadership team.

We heard through the grapevine that he was going to call out for a weekend as he felt entitled that he didn’t have to work weekends and we were assholes for scheduling him. That Friday night he texts the manager to say he was going to be out for awhile due to a “family emergency” and we better not put him on the schedule him until he says it’s ok too.

Two weeks goes by and my manager texts him to come in and we would go over his new schedule. The guy came in expecting us to give him the schedule he felt he deserved…instead he handed him a blank calendar and said that was the best we could do…basically he made the guy drive in with the sole purpose of firing him…the look the guy gave was priceless.

Is it cruel to give a bath to a cat?

First things first, anyone who has ever attempted to bathe a cat knows that it can be akin to a kind of very small, domesticated warfare. Cats generally do not like water. Not only is this aversion instinctual, but it’s also part of their self-grooming pride. They spend a significant slice of their waking hours meticulously cleaning themselves with their tongues, so in their eyes, getting dunked into water is completely unnecessary.

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image 13

Now, is it cruel? It can certainly seem that way, especially with all the hissing, clawing, and Olympic-level gymnastics they do to escape a bathtub.

However, there are exceptions to the no-bath rule. If your cat has rolled around in something toxic or sticky, or if they have long fur that’s become matted and dirty beyond the help of their own tongue, a bath isn’t just kind, it might be necessary for their health.

The key is technique and preparation. Unlike dogs, most cats aren’t going to jump into a bath with wagging tails and excited eyes. You have to be methodical. Prep the area with all the tools you’ll need – shampoo, towels, a non-slip mat, and perhaps even a cat bathing bag if you value the skin on your arms.

Warm water is a must. Not hot, not cold – think baby bath temperature. And always talk to them in a calm voice. Granted, they might not listen because they’re shrieking louder than a banshee, but at least you’ve done your part to maintain a façade of serenity.

After the bath, the tricky part might be drying them off. Some cats tolerate being swaddled in a towel; others might handle a blow-dryer on a low, quiet setting. Above all, ensure they’re fully dry before they saunter off because a damp cat is a cold cat, and a cold cat is a grumpy cat.

So cruel? Not inherently. But bathing a cat should be done with careful consideration and only when necessary.

And remember, while a picture of a wet cat might fetch a good number of likes on social media, your cat’s dignity and your unscratched arms might be more worth it.

What office rule made you say “You gotta be kidding me”?

This happened at all three banks where I was previously employed, before I retired.

The rule was that we were to answer the phone after the second ring. No exceptions. The tellers, New Accounts Representatives, anyone except the men. Well, I answered after the first or second ring, if I was available, and didn’t already have a customer at my desk. If I was opening accounts, doing a Stop Pay, preparing paperwork for a Foreign Wire Transfer, and the other hundred things you help customers with, yes, I would let it ring .

If you get in your car, make the trip to do some banking in person and are sitting at my desk , I am NOT going to be so rude as to ignore the customer in front of me to answer questions on the phone. (Examples: can you see if my Social Security has been deposited? What are your CD rates? Do you have any specials? Can you do a Stop Payment for me? Why is my account negative? My mother died and I am checking to see if she had any accounts with you. How late can I make my loan payment? What is the cutoff time for a Wire Transfer?)

I wouldn’t do this if a guest was in my home, so the same etiquette should be at work.

I once closed a newish account because, as I was being helped at the teller window in the lobby, the teller actually paused the transaction to answer the phone and do bank business with the person on the phone. Unacceptable!

I noticed the loan officers, the President. Vice President never answered the phone when they had a customer at their desk (and most likely could not answer questions about accounts anyway, which is the Operations side of the bank). They were on the Loan side of the bank.

What would you do if your neighbor came to your front door in a barely controlled rage?

I briefly mentioned this in a different post but that most angry neighbor that ever came to our door was my husband’s Commanding Officer.

He was livid with anger. He was shaking he was so upset.

When I asked him what was wrong, sir? he yelled that my 5-year-old twin boys had come to his quarters and pulled every plant from his carefully tended garden. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, even a few stalks of corn.

After my husband and I got him calmed down I called the boys into the room and ask them if they had done that. They surprised me by proudly declaring they had.

It turned out, that afternioon while I was shopping and they were home with the maid, the 10 and 12 year old boys next door had told my little ones that the Commander was transferring (was well understood by two Army kids) and his garden had to be completely cleared. And that he would pay a dollar a piece to them to do it.

He gave them each a dollar and headed for my next door neighbor’s house. I don’t know what happened to those two boys.

I bet it was not pretty.

The Stand (1994): Super-Flu Virus. The Dark Man is Coming.

What is the best habit you’ve taken up from another person?

A guy went to a restaurant for lunch.

He asked waiter about the menu and placed his order.

After a while a family came on the table next to him & placed their order.

To the guy’s dismay, they got served FIRST.

They started laughing and eating. One of them bragged how he knows someone in the hotel.

The guy called the waiter and asked.

The waiter calmly replies: Yours is a special order being prepared by the Chief chef. Theirs is a regular order prepared by the students in attachment because the top chefs are preparing your order. That’s why it’s taking time.

Please have some juice in the meantime, he said and left calmly.

Short after six waiters brought this guy’s order. Unknown to the guys, the hotel owner was his long lost friend who recognised him and decided to surprise him.

He changed his simple meal to a Five-star meal. The people next to his table were shocked. They couldn’t stop staring and started mumuring why he got such VIP treatment.

This is life.

Some people are ahead of you, eating their meals, mocking you & talking how they are better than you. How well connected they are.

You are waiting for your meal and wondering why is it taking so long. You endure the taunts, mockery and humiliation.

May be you are going through stress, anxiety or depression.

Don’t worry…

The owner of the world has seen you and he doesn’t want to serve you a simple meal.

Yours is a special order hand made by the top chefs. That’s why it’s taking time.

When it comes the laughing party will be silenced for good.

The Stand (opening scene)

Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?

I worked for a mid size firm in the technology field for 25 years. Over time technology changed and eventually the system i supported was outdated. I never was really interested in learning the new stuff I was aging and I was pretty much burned out in that job. As time went on my system was phased out and eventually eliminated. I knew my time was up. I waited for that pink slip for over three years whilst doing nothing but surfing the web, catching up on current events and social media. By that time I was so bored, felt so useless and the days dragged on so long I was ready for that pink slip. When it finally came I was so relieved I was ecstatic. It took me several years to find another job that paid 1/4 of what that job paid and I worked my ass off for that tiny wage. But at least I felt worthwhile and somewhat useful. It’s not all about the money.

As a police officer, what is the dirtiest thing you’ve seen a fellow police officer do?

Three or four years ago, I, along with several of our day-shift officers, was dispatched to a theft call at a local grocery store. The complainant, an elderly lady, told us that while she was shopping, a man grabbed her purse from her shopping cart and ran from the store. She was very upset, as she had quite a bit of cash in her purse, along with some jewelry and other valuables. We went out into the parking lot and a woman told us that she had seen a man run from the store with a purse and that he ran around the corner of the building toward the back. I sent three officers around the back of the store to look for the suspect and told two other officers to canvas the parking lot and try to locate any other witnesses.

I then drove around to the back of the store where the officers were looking in every possible hiding place for the suspect. After a few minutes, one of the officers shouted that she had found something. She was holding up a purse matching the description of the purse the complainant told us had been taken. The purse looked as if it had been ripped open to make it easier to quickly search for valuables. While some of the items remained in the purse, most of the contents, including the valuables appeared to be gone.

I radioed one of the officers in front of the store and asked him to bring the complainant around to the back. When she arrived and got out of the police vehicle, I showed the lady the purse that was found and asked if it was hers. She took it from me and frantically started looking through the the remaining contents of the purse, discarding what appeared to be trash and items of insignificance as she searched. “It’s not here!” She told me. “My mother’s wedding ring set isn’t here!” She was distraught. “It appears that the thief took everything of value,” said one of the Officers. “Maybe we can get a description and find it at one of the pawn shops.” The woman was inconsolable. She explained that the ring set was the only thing she had left to remember her deceased mother. “How would he have found it?” she asked, “It was hidden in the lining.” She showed us where the ring had been concealed in the lining of the purse. We had to admit that it had been well concealed and it seemed unlikely that a thief who was in a hurry to get away would have taken the time to check for anything hidden. However, the purse had been torn, so it did seem possible that the ring fell out of the purse when the thief tossed it as he made his escape.

“Where did you find the purse?” I asked the Officer who had located the item. “It was right there, in that dumpster,” the Officer replied, pointing to a large dumpster behind the grocery store. We all walked over to the half full dumpster and took a peek. “It was right here,” the Officer told us, gesturing to one end of the container. Another Officer who was peering into the dumpster contents reached in and retrieved a pen that appeared to be expensive. “ Was this in your purse, Ma’am?” The Officer asked her. “Yes it was,” the lady replied. “My grandson gave me that pen about six months ago.” “Well,” I said to to the officers, “Who wants to go dumpster diving?”

The chances of finding the ring set seemed remote, but we decided that it was worth the effort. We agreed that each of us would take a turn digging through the dumpster for 20 minutes at a time. After gloves were passed around, the first officer went in. After 20 minutes, we switched out and the next Officer took the plunge. After about ten minutes of foraging, to our dismay, from the bowels of the dumpster came a cry of triumph from the second Officer, “Found it!” The Officer popped up out of the dumpster, proudly clutching the ring set. I’m not sure who was more pleased; the lady, who probably thought she would never see the ring set again, or the three of us who had not yet taken a turn digging through the dumpster. The lady was in disbelief (so were we), and very grateful. With tears in her eyes, she insisted on giving us a reward. I explained that while we appreciated her generous offer, we did not accept rewards and that we were just pleased that we had been able to help her. After several more minutes of discussing the miraculous recovery of the ring set, obtaining a description of the thief and a list, description and value of the stolen items, the lady left the scene.

As the five of us stood near the dumpster, I noticed for the first time how truly filthy the two Officers were who had climbed into the dumpster. “I can’t be sure until we have an expert make a determination, but it’s my guess that those uniforms will need to be incinerated,” I told them. “You guys did a great job today,” I told them. “Go home, take those uniforms off and put them in black plastic bags and then take at least three hot showers. See you tomorrow.”

The actions of those Officers that day were by far the dirtiest thing I have ever seen a fellow police officer do.

Thanks,

Captain John Sharp

The Stand – Explosion in the last scene “I brought you the fire” (S01E08)

Isn’t it a sad thing for the Chinese that the Koreans would rather make friends with white people than them?

Let me help to makes western admirers amongst orientals and Chinese nations such as Japan-and South Korea, people from greater China such as Hong Kong and Taiwan and neighbours such as Phillipines and Vietnam see light.

I am qualified to advise and share my experience. I was born in Malaysia and now a Singaporean who were a starry eye west admirer for say the first 20 years of my life.

Today I am a practical and pragmatic person who sees things differently. If your nation is a direct neighbour or in Chinese neighbourhood, try to comprehend the following.

China has been around for 5000 years as your neighbourhood and during 4800 out of the 5000 years China were really really strong. In fact so strong it could if it wants to, to walk right into your nation and claimed it for good. But they didn’t. Japan, Korea, Philippines, India and others remained a fully sovereign nation. Appreciate that.

Just look at the nation that lies and spread fear about China, the U.S. it is barely 247 years old yet it started as a 13 states union and in less than a hundred years it stole another 37 states from its neighbours. And what did the U.S. do in Asia! It murdered 3 million Vietnamese, a million each in Philippines in Mindanao, Laos and Cambodia, and at least 2 million suspected communists in Indonesia and colonised the Philippines for close to 50 years.

And they do that as a nation 10 thousand miles away from Asia! China is stone’s throw away from your shores yet you are independent! So be logical and honest about who is the aggressor and who respects your sovereignty? If you are fair China has a 5000 years gentleman. The U.S. is a 247 years hoodlum you never want to get close with

Next let me help you know your future. China is the world’s most humongous market. Your nation is blessed to have such a huge market at your door step. They can buy your products and resources and yet supply you with value for money product at a song.

They are not the despicable west who wants to change your way. They even say their socialism with Chinese characteristics is not exportable and urge you to seek your best political and social system going forward. US says it is their way or the highway! In fact the murdered 5 million Indo Chinese to make them democratic unsuccessfully.

Go to the U.S. to have fun and travel around, do business with them as they are a big spender. But whatever you do remember who really is with you and where is your future with. Most of all remember where is your nation is geographically and China will always be there! It cannot be floated away and so are you stuck there.

Don’t ever let your nation be another Ukraine, the U.S. want your people to die and your nation to be destroyed just to poke China in the eye, just like how they used Ukraine to poke Russia in the eye, unfortunately one time too many. Don’t let them have even one CIA or NED officials in your nation. And don’t ever be used as a cannon fodder.

Grow up and know right from wrong. Korea for example, whether you stay rich and get richer depends on China not the U.S. The only thing the U.S. can help you is simply to get your nation destroyed! China will always be there, it will grow to be 4–5 times the size of the U.S. economy before then of this century. And as a market for Korea, it will be bigger than your next 20 biggest market! So get real, grow up like me, be a realist and be smart.

Vote in pro Chinese candidate. Vote in a leader that has no inclination to do shit for the U.S. And telll the US. that you are a friend and a partner of China, and that you want them as tourist and investor. But under no circumstances will you allow them to interfere in your nation and in Asia. Asia is for Asians. If you have issues involving the US is a sure way to implicate issues and create discord.

The Search for Noah’s Ark and the Aliens in the Book of Enoch

Alien Abductions in the Book of Enoch and the Search for Noah’s Ark Enoch warned the Giants and the Watchers of the world. Repent or feel God’s wrath. They ignored his warning.

The floodgates of Heaven burst forth and water rushed over the Earth, destroying everything. The only thing to survive is a single vessel, a huge ship: the Ark. 5 months later, the waters recede and the Ark made ground on a mountaintop. A man named Noah emerged, and civilization began again.

Some version of the Noah’s Ark story exists in almost every religion and every culture on Earth. But did Noah and the Ark really exist? There’s evidence that they did. So much evidence, that it was classified by the CIA for almost 50 years.

But why classify it? Well, there are two problems with the Noah’s Ark story. One, the Ark is much older than anyone thought. And two, the man named Noah? He wasn’t a man. At least, not a man from Earth.

What are few things only mature people can tell you?

  1. Never use a person to forget another.
  2. Don’t go back to less just because you are too impatient to wait for better.
  3. You’re not required to set yourself on fire to keep other people warm.
  4. Don’t ruin a good today by thinking about a bad yesterday.
  5. People should fall in love with their eyes closed.
  6. Attracting what’s right for you will require you to finally let go of what isn’t.
  7. Someday you will look back and know exactly why it had to happen.
  8. When a version of you ends, so will the connections attached to it.
  9. The happiest you’ve ever been won’t be the happiest you’ll ever be.
  10. You either get busy living or get busy dying.

Greenland Final Comet Planet Killer Scene | HD clip

What’s the worst accident that you’ve witnessed at work?

“What’s the worst accident that you’ve witnessed at work?”

Back in 1998 to 2000 I was an IT consultant supporting the computers at The RAND Corporation. My first office was a bull pen with a window facing the tunnel where Interstate-10 becomes CA-1 the Pacific Coast Highway.

I heard a crashing noise through the window. I looked towards the tunnel. Out of the tunnel came a couple of cars tumbling as they decelerated from freeway speed to zero. Unfortunately one person was not wearing seat belts. The body flew out of one of the cars. One of the other cars smashed into the road at that point where the person had hit the road. Most of the body was ejected away from the wreckage. I had nightmares for at least a year.

I asked for a different office. My new work station was in a janitor room with a window. I worked in a room with mops, cleaning chemicals, a tape drive for computer backups and a couple of computer terminals. The window looked the other direction out of the building so I could see palm trees and most of Santa Monica Pier.

Actually at the office the worst accidents were cuts from metal edges. Go get a tetanus shot. Maybe a stitch. As data centers improved it got to be rare that anyone would get cuts.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Air Traffic Control Scene with airport deleted scene included.

Soldiers, what is the most useless piece of equipment you were issued?

See…here’s the the thing.

Generals love new toys, especially cool looking toys that their soldiers get to wear. They love adding things to improve their soldiers. Sometimes those things are, in fact, cool and useful!

They do tend to forget however that soldiers are human and must then carry, in substandard conditions, that cool piece of gear.

Thus I give you the most useless piece of gear I was ever issued.

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image 141

The IOTV deltoid protector.

Looks cool? Check.

Actually protects the soldier? Check!

It’s a win!

Not quite.

I was issued these lovely pieces of equipment and then promptly sent to Iraq in May.

You might not know this, but it’s REALLY hot in Iraq and that heat ramps up around April. Given my position as a SAW gunner, I was already carrying 95lbs of kit, not counting an assault pack, in temperatures that were quickly approaching 95–125 degrees. And my 1st Sgt informs us that we’ll all be wearing these beauties on patrol. I am not impressed for three reasons:

1: It was already hot as hell and one of the few places my sweat could soak through and cool me off was my shoulders. Now those would be covered. I’m up to 120 weather on patrol.

2: Several studies have shown that infantryman carrying more than 1/3 of their body weight suffer severely adverse consequences to their ability to fight effectively. I was already carrying 95lbs. 3–4 lbs might not sound like much but when your body armor is already creating incipient back problems, those pounds add up. Imagine getting up off the ground from a prone position, rushing 10 to 15 yards and throwing yourself bodily down on the ground with a 90 pound rucksack on your back. Then imagine someone asks you to add more weight to that.

3: Of all the places that I would choose to get shot if I had to, I’d love to get shot in the shoulder. I could fight more effectively with one hand then I can with a wound in my abdomen, very little in my shoulder is vital, and frankly the benefits just weren’t there given the cost required of me.

Fortunately my chain of command saw sense and after about two weeks of using deltoid protectors we were given permission to remove them from our kit. I put mine away and didn’t even look at them for the rest of the deployment. I did have to pay for one I couldn’t find when I got out… Those things are expensive for such a useless piece of equipment!

Chernobyl (2019) Nuclear Reactor Explosion Scene

What is the strangest way you found out a friend was wealthy?

In 1978, I saw a guy dressed like a bum in a bar. He asked several people to buy him a beer, and they refused and make negative comments about him. I felt a little sorry for him the way he was being treated. He came up to the bar, sat beside me and asked me to buy him a beer. I brought him a few and we talked. I found him to be quite intelligent. He then said he had the next round and would buy me a beer and I could keep the change. He put what I thought a 1 dollar bill on the counter. The bar tender gave him change for $100.00. At first, I refused to take his money until he told me who he really was.

He was a millionaire and half owner of a racetrack. He explained as a rich millionaire. He had no real friends. People only pretended to be his friend because his is rich and hoping to get his money. He had no wife or girlfriends for the same reason. His rich backstabbing associates were no better. He said money is not everything and that he has a sad and lonely life. He said sometimes he will dress and act like a bum to see how people will treat him if they thought he was not rich. Some people heard what he was saying. The next thing we had, people flocked around us. He said see. At first, they didn’t want anything to do with me. Now that they know, I am a millionaire. Now they want to be my friends. I didn’t know who he was at first. But still treated him with respect and ended up with $98.00.

The China Syndrome (1980) – Reactor Scram Scene

What is missing in India as compared to China? Write 5 majors.

The word “missing” is not that appropriate here I think. I have to say in the beginning that listing things that are better in China as compared to India doesn’t mean that China is superior to India. There are also numerous things that China needs to learn from India.

First and foremost, there’s the talk about infrastructure. The roads in China are always smooth as silk. Railways that seem like they could host a ballet. And don’t even have to mention the power supply. In comparison, India is often grappling with pothole-ridden roads, crowded and aging railways, and power outages.

Then comes the education scene. The level of education among the labor force in China is something we all can learn from. It’s not just about degrees; it’s about a certain finesse, a skill set that makes the workforce a well-oiled machine. In India, they’ve got the brains, but sometimes it feels like they need to fine-tune the engine a bit.

Diligence. Chinese folks are known for their hard work, their commitment to their craft. It’s like they have an extra gear that many missed. Not to say that people in India aren’t hardworking, but sometimes, that extra pinch of diligence can make all the difference.

Public Safety and Discipline. China is known for its strict enforcement of laws and regulations, resulting in low crime rates and a generally safe environment. Public spaces are often well-maintained, and there is a strong emphasis on social discipline. In contrast, India, like many countries, grapples with issues such as crime, traffic management, and maintaining public spaces with the same level of discipline.

Business Environment. China has often been praised for its business-friendly environment and efficient bureaucratic processes, attracting significant foreign direct investment. India, despite improvements, has faced criticism for bureaucratic red tape and regulatory complexities that can hinder the ease of doing business.

Lastly, sanitation. China has been on a cleanliness drive that’s nothing short of impressive. Public spaces are spick and span, and the streets seem to sparkle. In India, while they have been making strides, there’s still room for improvement.

China’s Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the Lingdingyang waters.

Down Periscope (1996) Out of Context

As a teacher, what is the harshest truth a student has ever taught you?

Well, this is not exactly a teacher-student lesson, but a lesson which put me right in my place. I’m a physicist and have a solid base in mathematics. So when my younger brother asked me to solve this, I took one look at the problem and blurted instantly: “oh come on, man! You find this crap hard? Try solving Schrodinger’s equation to start with!”

“Just solve it, Neil!” He insisted.

I was at my usual coffee shop, having breakfast and was a little annoyed at the way I was interrupted. Nonetheless, I decided to switch on my Show Off Mode and solve the damn thing.

I grabbed a serviette that the waiter had given me and scribbled him the answer and sent it through Whatsapp. As soon as it got sent, I sat back and smiled, quite content and proud with the answer that I had given him.

So, here’s the question

image 140
image 140

And here’s my answer:

image 139
image 139

Well, 3 unknowns and 3 simultaneous equations, piece of cake, right?

Half an hour later my brother messaged me back.

Noel (My Brother): Shit, man! What a nerd! I totally see the physicist in you taking over.

Me (gloating with pride): So, did you get it?

Noel: Sure did! But I solved it in a different way.

Me: Aaaaannd you got the same answer?

Noel: Yes, I did!

Me: Wow, really?

Noel: Well, all the figures appear twice in the first three diagrams and if you add them all up you get, 2(x+y+z) = 10 + 20 + 24 = 54. So x+y+z = 54/2 = 27!

Me (my pride nosediving): Hey, that’s not bad!

That’s the day I realized there’s always a simpler explanation to everything. You just need to keep your mind and ears open to get it!

Land Of The Lost – Pool Scene

Western media claims that China’s 9-10 percent GDP growth rate was too high and that it will experience a hard landing, but China’s 6.5-7.0 percent GDP growth rate is low. Why was it reported differently?

Once upon a time, maybe even until the early 2000s, the Western Media had CREDIBILITY

They followed the five principles of INVESTIGATE JOURNALISM

  • Find the evidence
  • Establish the facts based on the Evidence
  • Try to destroy the facts yourself to see if they can stand up to scrutiny using the RED TEAM BLUE TEAM ANALYSIS
  • Build the Narrative
  • Write about and Talk about the Narrative

It’s why their coverage of the Vietnam War or the 91 Gulf War or the 99 Kosovo Crisis was so appreciated and admired

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image 138

Today or even over the last decade, they have started a different course

  • First Build a Narrative based on what Money Interests & Politicians want (Russia is losing, China is collapsing etc)
  • Then start selectively FINDING AND TWISTING facts to fit the narrative
  • Then start FINDING the evidence to fit the narrative and IGNORE all the contrary evidence
  • Attack anyone who tries to counter the narrative by going personal on them and accusing their integrity or morality or accuse them of racism and bigotry
image 136
image 136
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image 137

The Best example was the Ukrainian Crisis :-

First the Narrative was Putin has missiles only for 3 months

That was obviously nonsense

Next was the Narrative that Putin and his economy was collapsing

That was nonsense too

Next was Putin’s ISOLATION

That turned out to be nonsense too

Now it is the fact that Putin has lost 300000 men so far

Again that is nonsense of the highest order

The Narrative becomes lesser and lesser credible and more and more bizzare and weird

The Western Media finds so called ‘Experts’ who will shamelessly fall in line with the narrative even if they know they will be embarrassed later

So many Military experts have been humiliated by their predictions on Putin and yet without a shred of shame, they still go around talking and giving expert opinion

The Real experts like Brian Berletic, Scott Ritter, Colonel Kassad, Doug Macgregor etc have been saying the perfect truth for over a couple of years now

They still follow the old method of journalism


With China the Narratives have changed

First it was Uyghur Genocide

That was nonsense

Next it was Slave Labor

Again Nonsense

Next it was Cultural Genocide

Again Nonsense

As each Narrative becomes more and more unbelievable , the newer narrative becomes even more bizzare

Like this China and the Hard Landing

Every ‘Expert’ who predicted a collapse of China and there have been 60 of them across the last 34 years – have missed their deadlines by almost a decade at least

In 1990, they said China would collapse before the new Millennium (1/1/2000)

Then they said in 2003, that by 2011 China would collapse

Then by 2015 (In 2005)

Then by 2025 (In 2010)

Every single time they are proven wrong

Every single time they double down and give a new date

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image 134

Even now when China, for a $ 19T economy delivers a 5% growth against a very low global demand and a real estate slump, it’s regarded an economic weakness whereas every economist of repute regards it as EXCELLENT RESILIENCE

Yet when India with its $ 3.53T economy manages 6.5% growth , it’s regarded as a boom when any economist can see that it’s a result of spending and inflation mostly

Likewise UK or Germany are completely ignored

So the Mainstream Media doesn’t any longer have the CREDIBILITY they so enjoyed

Their Economic Experts are shameless men who don’t care how many times they are proven wrong

They are ready to risk their reputation again and again and have lost all their credibility

They all have Political Agenda now

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image 135

The best way to handle them is like is like our friends the Afghanistan Taliban

Their simple response is “If you publish lies about us, we will burn your daughter alive while you watch”

Crude but Brutally effective 😁😁

Worked well with Laura Ingraham who was so terrified she stopped entirely

Mosquito Bites Will Ferrell

Did another parent ever tell you something about your child that you didn’t know?

The kids in my daughter’s nursery get a milk carton every day in school during milk and fruit time. The milk comes in a paper carton with a small straw attached to it which is wrapped in a small plastic cover.

We just found out today that one of the kids at the beginning of the year struggled with opening her wrapped straw from the cover so my daughter helped the kid unwrap it. And because pretty much all the kids struggled with it, they all gave their milk cartons to her so that she could unwrap it.

So apparently, every day during lunch the kids form an orderly queue so our little one can unwrap each and every kid’s straw in the classroom.

My daughter is lactose intolerant so does not drink milk. She brings her bottle of almond milk with her from home. She unwraps every single kid’s milk carton before she goes about drinking her own almond milk. When the teachers told us that today, my wife cried a little bit inside! Very proud of our LO!

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

I grew up in a small, rural area in the midwest. Our school bus was the only one with racial unrest. A handful of black children went to the school and all rode this particular bus to school. They had to endure a great deal of harassment, including name calling.

At the beginning of one school year, a new family moved in. The mom was white. The dad had some mixture of black blood. They had a number of children including two middle school-aged boys. The trouble on the bus began almost immediately.

A tall, high school-aged white boy walked up to one of these boys (he was probably about 5’7″ with sandy, curly hair) and said, “Move over n—–.” The new kid replied, “Say it nicely.” The big, white kid repeated, “Move over n—–!” He now had an audience and was enjoying this. The new kid repeated, “Say it nicely.” By now everyone was watching to see what would happen. The big, white kid shoved the new kid to show him who was boss. The new kid calmly stood up, and beat the living daylights out of this big, white kid with his bare hands. He, then, calmly sat down and said, “Say it nicely.” I don’t remember anyone bothering him, or his sisters, ever again.

1K Upvotes! Thank you, everyone. And, yes, this is a true story. I was an eye witness to this event, and was sitting in the next forward seat of the bus. All I had to do was turn around in my seat to see this played out in living color.

“Blood” here refers to family background or lineage. Obviously, I am not referring to the color of blood in a person’s physical body. We often speak of ‘Irish’ or of ‘Italian’ blood.

Seeing The Future Of The Strong Independent Single Women

Chicken Cordon Bleu

A slightly unconventional, but delicious, recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Cordon Bleu

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 thin slices ham
  • 3 slices Swiss cheese, halved
  • 1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
  • 3/4 cup margarine*, melted

Instructions

  1. Place chicken breasts on a cutting board; cover with waxed paper, and lightly pound to flatten the breasts. Do not cut through meat. Discard waxed paper.
  2. Lightly salt and pepper the breasts. Place a slice of ham and 1/2 slice of Swiss cheese on each breast. (Cheese may need to be folded to fit on breast.) Roll the breast, jellyroll style; secure with a wooden pick.
  3. Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
  4. Melt margarine* and dip rolled breasts in the margarine, then in the cracker crumb mixture.
  5. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Notes

* We use butter.

Land of the Lost – Giant Crab

If employers rejected me, does it always mean I am worthless or incompetent?

Originally Answered: If employers rejected you, does it always mean you are worthless or incompetent?

Well….

No. Definitely not.

Take this example, of a clearly worthwhile human being who was rejected for employment by Cadbury in the UK.

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image 133

Now, Mr. Jones CLEARLY had great worth and was a fine example of a human being. It’s possible his approach to Cadbury when seeking employment could have been improved somewhat, but how could you call him either worthless or incompetent?

  • He had submitted a very creative sketch of an “Everlasting Chocolate Bar”; who couldn’t get on board with that idea?
  • He obviously had some good feedback from his various eBay transactions that he was able to provide as proof of his worth.
  • Who’s really to say that he actually never did “super-secret spy work” that he legally couldn’t talk about?
  • And consider the kindness and thoughtfulness it took for him to “pay it forward” and include a £5 note with his application so that the hard-working human resources clerk could have lunch!

See? An employment rejection letter sent to a very worthwhile and competent human being.

Congratulations, Mr. Jones!

The wasteful television

You know what?

I don’t have a television, In fact, I haven’t had one since around 2004.

It’s not that I can’t afford it, it’s just that I am not interested in one. I occasionally watch movies, but those that I do watch are downloaded torrents, and I watch them either on the laptop of on one of the (too many) pads that we have lying around the house.

Sure, there are television shows in China, and I could watch them, but they are all kind of silly and are of no interest to me. Shrug.

Were I to purchase one, it would be a big waste. Just running all day as “background noise”. With perhaps a video or kids show every other day. Ah. We have different priorities.

Sometimes I wonder if I am an outlier. Or is this just the way that society has changed? I don’t know. I really do not know.

Maybe it was me that changed.

Or perhaps… just perhaps… I am no longer addicted to that propaganda box. And once away from that “drug” I find that I no longer need it.

Ah. I “cut the cord”… so to speak.

Today…

Why are sanctions on Russia so weak that Russia is constantly laughing at those sanctions?

The sanctions are actually quite deadly, if it was some other country.

The US used SWIFT as weapon on Syria, Iran, and Russia in recent years.

Banning someone from SWIFT should be the strategical threat, like nuclear weapon. However, the US probably really doesn’t have any more conventional method to force the “enemy states”.

When the atomic bomb got dropped, the world suddenly realized that it’s not that devastating.

With enough countries being considered as “enemy”, they are now able to form their own environment. It means that they are able to establish an internal circulation, so that the sanctions from the western group became virtually invalid.

Iran now is able to sell its oil to China or with currencies other than USD. This does not only lowered the usage of USD in international tradings, but also partially took the right to price the oil. Petrol dollar is the foundation, at least one of the supporting pillars, of nowadays US economic hegemony.

It’s the same for the Entity List of US government. When there were only a few companies and organzations on it, they were technically isolated from the world, and it was devastating.

However, with enough companies being sanctioned, they are able to support each other. US government sanctioned Huawei, so that TSMC cannot make chips for Huawei. However, conveniently, the US sanctioned SMIC too, which is a Chinese chip maker in Shanghai. Now SMIC is able to hold hands with Huawei with no hesitation.

It used to work because after the collapse of USSR, there was only 1 world leader. It was either the US way or the highway.

Then the US pushed Russia into the corner and hoped Russia to kneel before it. This reached a peak when the US successfully launched a color revolution to overthrow the pro-Russia authority. What the White House didn’t expect is Putin putting his pride aside and holding hands with China.

Russia has sources, China has manufacturing, and both countries are vast.

They are forced by the US to became the leader of the “evil world”, and started to provide sanctuary for countries which have nowhere to go.


Logic of the US: You are my enemy if you are not my friend.

Logic of China: We may not be friends, the least we could do is to coexist in peace.


The US on one hand doesn’t want China to be in its group, because China is not Japan or South Korea, it doesn’t just do whatever the US wanted; on the other hand, the US doesn’t want China to be in other groups, including forming its own, because that will weaken the control power of the US group over the world.

You cannot have everything.

It might be the case in the 90’s because the US was the only super power.

But time has changed.


Maybe one day Russia would turn against China, but that would for sure be after the decline of the US.

The Tiny Cell called “Little Ease” was the Most Feared Room in the Tower of London

little ease
little ease

The story of Little Ease begins with a prison break from the Tower of London.

In 1534, a man and woman hurried past a row of cottages on the outer grounds of the Tower. They had almost reached the gateway to Tower Hill and, not far beyond it, the city of London, when a group of yeomen warders on night watch appeared in their path.

In response, the young couple turned toward each other, in what seemed a lover’s embrace. But something about the man caught the attention of a yeoman warder. He held his lantern higher and within seconds recognized the pair. The man was a colleague, fellow yeoman warder, John Bawd, and the woman was Alice Tankerville, a condemned thief, and prisoner.

So ended the Tower’s first known escape attempt by a woman. But Alice’s accomplice and admirer, the guard John Bawd, was destined to enter the Tower record books too: he is the first known occupant of a peculiarly infamous cell used during the reigns of the Tudors and early Stuarts.

The windowless cell measured 4 square feet (1.2 meters) and bore the faintly prim name of Little Ease. Its effect was simple. The prisoner within it could not stand nor sit nor lie down but was forced to crouch over, in increasing agony, until freed from the suffocating, dark space.

In 1215 England outlawed these kinds of grim practices through the passage of Magna Carta, except, however, by royal warrant. The first king to authorize it, and he did so reluctantly, was Edward II. He submitted to intense pressure from the Pope to follow the lead of the king of France and demolish the Order of the Knights Templar, part of a tradition begun during the Crusades.

King Philip IV of France, jealous of the Templars’ wealth and power, had charged them with heresy, obscene rituals, idolatry, and other offenses. The French knights denied all, and were duly tortured. Some who broke down and “confessed” were released;  all who denied wrongdoing were burned at the stake.

Once Edward II ordered imprisonment of members of the English chapter, French monks arrived in London bearing their dreaded instruments. In 1311 the Knights Templar “were questioned and examined in the presence of notaries while suffering under the torments of the rack” within the Tower of London as well as the prisons of Aldgate, Ludgate, Newgate, and Bishopsgate, according to The History of the Knights Templar, the Temple Church, and the Temple, by Charles G. Addison. And so the Tower—principally a royal residence, military stronghold, armory, and menagerie up until that time—was baptized in pain.

Did the instruments remain after the Knights Templars were crushed, to be used on other prisoners? We cannot be certain, although there is no record of it. The next mention of a rack within the Tower is a startling one—an unsavory nobleman made Constable of the Tower pushed for one to be installed. John Holland, third duke of Exeter, arranged for a rack to be brought into the Tower. It is not known if men were stretched upon it or if it was merely used to frighten. In any case, this rack is known to history as the Duke of Exeter’s Daughter.

It was in the 16th century that prisoners were unquestionably tortured in the Tower of London. The royal family rarely used the fortress on the Thames as a residence; more and more, its stone buildings contained prisoners.

And while the Tudor monarchs seem glittering successes to us now, in their own time they were beset by insecurities: rebellions, conspiracies and other threats both domestic and foreign. There was a willingness at the top of the government to override the law to obtain certain ends. This created a perfect storm for torture.

“It was during the time of the Tudors that the use of torture reached its height,” wrote historian L.A. Parry in his 1933 book The History of Torture in England. “Under Henry VIII it was frequently employed; it was only used in a small number of cases in the reigns of Edward VI and of Mary. It was whilst Elizabeth sat on the throne that it was made use of more than in any other period of history.”

Yeoman Warder John Bawd admitted he had planned the escape of Alice Tankerville “for the love and affection he bore her.” Unmoved, the Lieutenant of the Tower ordered Bawd into Little Ease, where he crouched, in growing agony.

The lovers were condemned to horrible ends for trying to escape. According to a letter in the State Papers of Lord Lisle, written on March 28,  Alice Tankerville was “hanged in chains at low water mark upon the Thames on Tuesday. John Bawd is in Little Ease cell in the Tower and is to be racked and hanged.”

Today no one knows exactly where Little Ease was located. One theory: in the dungeon of the White Tower. Another: in the basement of the old Flint Tower.  No visitor sees it today; it was torn down or walled up long ago. Besides Little Ease, the most-used devices were the rack, the manacles, and a horrific creation called the Scavenger’s Daughter. For many prisoners, solitary confinement, repeated interrogation, and the threat of physical pain were enough to make them tell their tormentors anything they wanted to know.

Often the victims ended up in the Tower for religious reasons. Anne Askew was for her Protestant beliefs; Edmund Campion for his Catholic ones. But the crimes varied. “The majority of the prisoners were charged with high treason, but the taking of life, robbery, embezzling the Queen’s plate, and failure to carry out proclamations against state players were among the offenses,” wrote Parry.

The monarch did not need to sign off on these kinds of requests, although sometimes he or she did. Elizabeth I personally directed that torture be used on the members of the Babington Conspiracy, a group that plotted to depose her and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots. But usually, these initiatives went through the Privy Council or tapped the powers of the Star Chamber. It is believed that in some cases, permission was never sought at all.

Over and over, names pop up in state papers of those confined to Little Ease:

“On 3 May 1555: Stephen Happes, for his lewd behavior and obstinacy, committed this day to the Tower to remain in Little Ease for two or three days till he may be further examined.”

“10 January 1591:  Richard Topcliffe is to take part in an examination in the Tower of George Beesley, seminary priest, and Robert Humberson, his companion. And if you shall see good cause by their obstinate refusal to declare the truth of such things as shall be laid to their charge in Her Majesty’s behalf, then shall you by authority hereof commit them to the prison called Little Ease or to such other ordinary place of punishment as hath been accustomed to be used in those cases, and to certify proceedings from time to time.”

After Elizabeth and the succession of James I came the most famous prisoner of them all to be held in Little Ease, Guy Fawkes. Charged with plotting to blow up the king and Parliament, Fawkes was subjected to both manacles and rack to obtain his confession and the names of his fellow conspirators. After he had told his questioners everything they asked, Fawkes was still shackled hand and foot in Little Ease and left there, though no one knows for how long.

And after that final burst of savagery, Little Ease was no more. A House of Commons committee reported the same year as Fawkes’ end that the room was “disused.”

In 1640, during the reign of Charles I, the practice was abolished forever; there would be no more forcing prisoners to crouch for days in dark airless rooms, no more rack or hanging from chains. And so, mercifully, closed one of the darkest chapters in England’s history.

What are your thoughts on U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo saying that Nvidia can sell artificial intelligence chips to China, but just not “the most sophisticated ones”?

It’s called the Calcium Carbonate Protocol

In the 1950s and 1960s, China needed Penicillin very badly plus Sulfonamides

The US used a harsh Korean War rule to restrict all shipments of Penicillin and Sulfonamides to RED China and passed a law demanding that Hongkong, Singapore and Philippines have END USER CERTIFICATES for shipments of these drugs

So THE US MAKERS SIMPLY ADDED CALCIUM CARBONATE TO THE DRUG MIX and sold the same penicillin plus calcium carbonate for 40% extra cost which the Chinese paid

It was deemed very legal in federal and circuit Court and UPHELD in 1967 as ‘Fair Business Practice’

So ultimately when there is demand, there will be a supply

Nobody can change that

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Raimondo is no fool

Privately she knows none of these policies would work and she knows that she is butchering the same FREE TRADE principles that kept the US as the world’s most reliable nation all these years

Yet the fact is Chinas growth has stunned them all

That China is narrowing the tech barriers at such an astounding rate is something nobody expected

In the 2018 paper to the Congress, the Technological Independence of China was predicted to be 2048 , in THIRTY YEARS

Trump later said he had pushed that further

Yet in 2021, the same experts reassessed and claimed Chinas Technological Independence could be as early as 2035

Now it’s 2032, DESPITE THE EXPORT MEASURES

In fact the stronger these restrictions are, the more likely China will need to break strangeholds and that would lead to newer Independent Technology


Today China can buy Less Sophisticated AI Chips from Chinese Entities

The Quality is same as NVDIA

Tencent for instance makes excellent high quality AI Chips at the lower and mid levels of computing power that are now the lock, stock and barrel for Russian and Belorussian markets and even the Saudi markets

Only the last two generation or the most sophisticated AI Chips made by NVDIA has no rival in China domestically

It is these Chips that China wants

If China doesn’t get them, NVDIA will sell them to China by producing a slightly less sophisticated version (Maybe throw in a few transistors less) with say 97% efficiency and sell them to China by passing the sanctions and winning legally


You see the problem

If US sells China everything openly, China will beat US by 2030 in every field of emerging technology like AI and Quantum computing

If US restricts exports to China, China will develop it’s own high tech supply chain and that may delay it’s ascendancy until 2035 but after that China no longer needs any Tech from the West and the whole world will have a Multipolar world where US can no longer use it’s technology as a bargaining Chip

Either way the Writing is on the Wall

Zydeco’s Pork Tenderloin Etouffee

2023 12 10 17 11
2023 12 10 17 11

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce oil
  • 1/3 pound diced onions
  • 1/3 pound diced celery
  • 1/3 pound diced green bell peppers
  • 1 teaspoon garlic puree
  • 2 ounces tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 quart veal stock
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • Pinch of thyme
  • Pinch of chili powder
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of black pepper

Instructions

  1. Sweat onions, celery and bell peppers in the oil.
  2. Add the tomato paste and garlic.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Brown pork in a sauté pan.
  5. Add sauce and reduce.

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

My uncle was an outlaw, an honest-to-goodness criminal who did multiple stints in prison. He was a biker, but he wasn’t stable enough to be a member of the Hells Angels. He was a small guy who looked a lot like Charles Manson.

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People didn’t mess with him because he was prone to violence, skilled at fighting, and willing to use weapons when he had to. He fully embraced the criminal lifestyle. Around Christmas, the largest of his pot plants would usually be decorated as a Christmas tree.

One evening on my grandparent’s farm, he decided to make a bonfire out of an old date-packing conveyor belt. The flames must have reached 50 feet or more into into the sky, and were likely visible from any nearby farmhouse. The fire department sent a truck out to extinguish the fire.

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But my uncle wouldn’t let them put out his bonfire. Faced with an angry, shirtless, tattooed guy who looked like Charlie Manson. They called in the Sheriff’s Department.

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A youngish Hispanic Deputy got out of the car. My uncle thought he could push this guy around like he did the fire department. This young deputy had been a college wrestler. When my uncle tried to stop the fire department again, this deputy gave my uncle a first class attitude adjustment.

He was wearing the bruises from his arrest when my grandmother bailed him out of jail.

Lucky Luciano Put a Hit on a Rival Mob Boss using Fake IRS Agents

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Born Salvatore Lucania (but better known as Lucky Luciano) in Sicily in November 1897, the future brains of the New York mafia took the name Charles Luciano after he was arrested for dealing heroin and his parents disowned him. By the 1930s he was known as “Lucky” Luciano, although no one can say with certainty what first prompted the nickname.

The leading theory for his being known for his remarkable luck was his surviving a savage beating in October 1929. Luciano was not only beaten but stabbed by a group of men who then dumped him on a beach on Staten Island, left for dead. A police officer discovered him, and Luciano was taken to the hospital. As a result of the attack, he had a deep scar on one side of his face and a permanently drooping eyelid.

His attackers’ identity was murky. Sometimes Luciano said it was three police officers who beat him, other times it was thugs sent by mafia boss Salvatore Maranzano because Luciano worked for a boss that Maranzano was at war with. Whatever the reason for the attack, within two years, Maranzano was dead and out of Luciano’s way in his meteoric rise to the top.

The 1920s were in many ways flush times for the underworld, thanks to Prohibition, which handed the Italian, Irish, and Jewish gangs lots of opportunities to make money. But the New York City underworld was in the throes of a deadly rivalry between two men: Sicilian immigrant Joe Masseria, known as “Joe the Boss,” and the more recent arrival, Maranzano, driven out of Italy by Benito Mussolini, who hated the mafia. Following restrictions on immigration by Italians to the U.S., mafia members fleeing Mussolini applied for political asylum, saying they were oppressed by fascism.

charles lucky luciano excelsior hotel rome
charles lucky luciano excelsior hotel rome

Luciano worked for Masseria–which is why he was beat up and left for dead–but he was weary of the turf wars, because they were keeping people from making money in not just rum running but gambling, racketeering, robbery, and prostitution. He was part of an up-and-coming gangster class, along with Frank Costello, who despised the “old country” ways of the Sicilian bosses they called “Mustache Pete’s.”

Luciano had been a criminal since his early teen years. He dropped out of school, and at 14, took a job delivering hats, but there was heroin hidden in the hats. He later explained his fondness for crime by saying, “I never was a crumb, and if I have to be a crumb, I’d rather be dead.” After a prison term of one year for drug possession, he flourished in an East Harlem gang, and was mentored by Arnold Rothstein, the racketeer who is believed to have fixed the 1919 World Series.

Luciano decided to double-cross his tiresome boss Masseria, so he made a deal with Maranzano to kill him and in return take his place and cease hostilities. He invited Masseria to a lobster lunch in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on April 15, 1931. “Before dessert arrived, Luciano left for the toilet,” wrote Selwyn Raab in Five Families. “Mysteriously, Masseria’s bodyguards vanished from the restaurant as four of Luciano’s killers suddenly appeared and riddled Joe the Boss with a volley of gunfire.”

But if Lucky Luciano thought that matters would improve after he took his boss’s place, he was wrong. It was set up that there’d be five families controlling their own gangster turfs in New York City.  Maranzano, however, declared himself capo di tutti capi, boss of bosses, and imposed a lot of rules on everyone. Now Luciano decided that he needed to eliminate the boss of bosses.

Doing so wouldn’t be easy. Maranzano was always accompanied by a fleet of bodyguards, he drove a bulletproof Cadillac, and his office was in a fancy building overlooking Grand Central Station, with the address of 230 Park Avenue (later the Helmsley Building). But Luciano was able to learn that his target was having tax problems and Maranzano had instructed his bodyguards to not carry guns to the office because, any day now, the Internal Revenue Service was expected to descend on him.

At this point, Luciano turned to his old friends, Jewish gangsters Meyer Lansky and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. When he was a child, Luciano lived on the Lower East Side, on 1st Avenue between 13th and 14th streets. He became close friends with his neighbor Lansky and then Siegel.

For the hit on Maranzano, they came up with the idea of outfitting a group of men in suits and ties–and guns and knives.

Saying they were with the IRS, the assassins showed up at Maranzano’s 9th floor Park Avenue office on September 10, 1931. At that point, Maranzano was fanatical about only employing Italians, and he insisted that the whole mafia do business with exclusively other Italian gang members. None of the “IRS agents” looked at all Italian, so Maranzano believed they were genuine and went into a room with them. There he was killed.

And with that, Lucky Luciano rose to power in the New York City mafia, and as the man who put the “organized” into organized crime, eventually became the Number one gangster in the entire United States.

What are some of the common mistakes that home buyers make when dealing with real estate agents or purchasing property in general?

A few.

One: Just because the bank approves your $800,000 loan doesn’t mean you can afford the payments.

Two: Buying a fancy custom home that has unique designs and architecture.

Per my inspector, those homes have the most problems and leaks of any of them. If you buy a standard house design, or one in a neighborhood with a bunch of similar houses all clearly built by the same builder, you set yourself up for success more. Those homes, even if they seem boring, are proven models and have been built over and over by the builder. All the problems have been worked out.

Three: assuming a fixer upper is going to be easier than it is. When you walk through a house, you may see a few items that you can easily fix. Make a list of those items, count them up, and when you get home—triple it. If you can still manage that much work—have at it.

Four: carpeted floors. It tends to get super smelly and is harder to clean.

God forbid you have carpet in your bathrooms or by water sources.

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image 86

Then, you are just asking for it. I can smell the mold from here.

In 2025, The U.S. Will Finally Begin Preparing To Fight A Nuclear War With Russia

by Michael

A point of view out of the United States. Trust me, it's bad, but NOT dire. Do not freak out. -MM

Will the upgrades that are coming to our strategic nuclear arsenal be ready in time?  Right now, hopelessly outdated Minuteman missiles that first went into service in the 1970s form the backbone of our strategic nuclear arsenal.  The silos where they stand ready to be launched still use rotary phones and 8 inch floppy disks in many cases.  Once they are launched, the brand new S-500 anti-missile systems that the Russians have deployed will be able to intercept them.  Meanwhile, the Russians have introduced a brand new intercontinental ballistic missile known as the Sarmat.  A single Sarmat carries enough firepower to destroy an area the size of Texas, and our anti-missile systems are not able to deal with this new threat.  The balance of power has fundamentally shifted, and so we desperately need to update our capabilities.

Unfortunately, this process will not even begin until 2025.

So we better hope that we do not get into a shooting war with Russia during the next couple of years.

The U.S. has been developing a brand new ICBM known as “the Sentinel”, and it is desperately needed

The control stations for America’s nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles have a sort of 1980s retro look, with computing panels in sea foam green, bad lighting and chunky control switches, including a critical one that says “launch.”

Those underground capsules are about to be demolished and the missile silos they control will be completely overhauled. A new nuclear missile is coming, a gigantic ICBM called the Sentinel. It’s the largest cultural shift in the land leg of the Air Force’s nuclear missile mission in 60 years.

These upgrades cannot happen fast enough, because right now the infrastructure of our strategic nuclear arsenal is constantly breaking down and falling apart

The silos lose power. Their 60-year old massive mechanical parts break down often. Air Force crews guard them using helicopters that can be traced back to the Vietnam War. Commanders hope the modernization of the Sentinel, and of the trucks, gear and living quarters, will help attract and retain young technology-minded service members who are now asked each day to find ways to keep a very old system running.

This is something that I have been warning about for years, but most people didn’t want to listen.

Now our military is in a race against time, because the clock is ticking.

Overall, 750 billion dollars will be spent to overhaul our strategic nuclear forces, and it is being projected the silo work for the Sentinel could begin “as soon as 2025”

The Sentinel work is one leg of a larger, nuclear weapons enterprise-wide $750 billion overhaul that is replacing almost every component of U.S. nuclear defenses, including new stealth bombers, submarines and ICBMs in the country’s largest nuclear weapons program since the Manhattan Project.

For the Sentinel, silo work could be underway by lead contractor Northrop Grumman as soon as 2025.

I am glad that they are moving forward.

But if work will not even begin until 2025, when will it finally be completed?

Until the Sentinel is ready, the Russians will continue to possess a major strategic advantage over us, and they know it.

If the war in Ukraine spirals out of control, we could easily find ourselves facing a nightmare scenario.

The Russians have been steadily gaining ground in Ukraine in recent weeks, and over the past few days they have started to gobble up significant chunks of territory.

The Ukrainians are running out of warm bodies to throw into the fight, and that is a major problem.

They are also running out of ammunition and equipment, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just made a trip to D.C. to beg for more money

Zelensky is in D.C. to ask Congress to pass $61 billion more for Ukraine, on top of the $113 billion they approved early this year. However, it looks increasingly likely that any more funding for Ukraine will have to wait until next year.

The Biden administration requested the funding as part of a $106 billion package, which includes only $13 billion for securing the border, but Republicans say it does not go far enough, and are calling for a number of reforms to reduce the number of asylum seekers and illegal border crossers, which recently hit 12,000 per day.

Johnson said at a Wall Street Journal event on Monday that Democrats and the White House must agree to some or all of the border-security measures outlined in H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act.

Even with all of the money that we have given him already, his forces are still losing.

And even if we give him what he is asking for now, Russians forces will continue to advance.

Zelensky is holding a losing hand, and as the Russians advance he is going to become very desperate.

And very desperate people do very desperate things.

Eventually, I expect that events in Ukraine will force the U.S. and Russia into a showdown.

When that day arrives, will the U.S. be ready?

Earlier today, I came across an article about a calendar that is being sold in Russia that shows “a Russian soldier outside the US Capitol building in Washington DC with a drone and helicopter overhead”…

A Russian veterans organisation is selling a 2024 calendar featuring a muscle-bound Vladimir Putin.

The calendar continues a series of propaganda images including one showing a Russian soldier outside the US Capitol building in Washington DC with a drone and helicopter overhead.

Many Russians believe that a war with the United States is inevitable.

And as I have repeatedly warned my readers, the Russians have been feverishly preparing for such a conflict for a long time.

Thankfully, the U.S. is finally starting to get prepared as well.

But if work is not even going to begin until 2025, will the much needed upgrades to our strategic nuclear arsenal be completed in time?

How has China’s shipbuilding industry contributed to the expansion of its navy?

The first thing to understand is that commercial shipbuilding and building warships are completely different businesses.

Commercial shipbuilding is like building a family car. The technology, equipment, and quality standards used in the two businesses are very different.

Just because a country has strong commercial shipbuilding capabilities does not necessarily mean that it has strong warship manufacturing capabilities. For example, South Korea has huge commercial shipbuilding capabilities, but it does not have strong warship construction capabilities. Their naval equipment is almost entirely dependent on American technology authorization.

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China has huge commercial shipbuilding capabilities (accounting for 60% of the world’s total). Will this help their warship manufacturing?

Helps keep costs down during peacetime.

China’s large shipyards are typically dual-use, meaning they are building container ships at the same time they are building Aegis destroyers.

The commercial business dilutes the shipyard’s operating costs, and various costs are allocated to commercial projects. This makes them offer very low prices when building warships. The Burke III destroyer costs approximately US$2 billion, while China’s similar Type 052DL destroyer costs only US$500 million.

Obvious advantages in emergency situations.

1. Numerous facilities

In order to build very large commercial ships, China has countless giant shipyards and gantry cranes. They have 50 giant docks and supporting large equipment that can build aircraft carriers. The only one in the United States is Newport News Shipbuilding.

2. Large supporting production capacity

Warships require not only shipyards, but also countless raw materials. From the most basic steel and non-ferrous metals to diesel engines and steam turbines. In order to satisfy commercial business, China has huge production capacity for these things.

3. Abundant talents

The shipbuilding industry has limited automation and a high proportion of manual work. A large number of skilled shipbuilders were needed. In order to meet the annual shipbuilding needs of 20 million tons, China maintains a team of 180,000 to 200,000 skilled workers (some surveys say that including various small shipyards, the number exceeds 500,000). The United States only has a shipbuilding business of 100,000 tons per year and only has 18,000 skilled shipbuilders.

When the Navy needs it, they can clear out commercial projects and put all their resources into warship manufacturing. The picture at the beginning of this article shows the ability of a Chinese shipyard to build 6 052D destroyers and 2 055 cruisers at the same time (5 ships are being built on the slipway, and 3 ships are outfitting equipment).

Imagine that starting tomorrow, China and the United States begin to build warships with all their strength. The materials, facilities and personnel required by China are all complete. As long as they get the order, they can immediately start construction of 10 aircraft carriers, 20 Aegis destroyers and 8 nuclear submarines at the same time.

However, the United States has limited resources and can only start construction of one aircraft carrier, two Aegis destroyers and one nuclear submarine immediately. At the same time, the United States needs to urgently build large shipyards, purchase and install large cranes, purchase equipment and train workers, and gradually expand production capacity within 2-3 years.

By the time the U.S.’s manufacturing capabilities reached a level similar to China’s, China had already built ten times as many warships as the United States.

Solution to the Fermi Paradox Found! Scientists Hope They’re Wrong

Have you ever seen an employer fire someone without realizing what a crucial role the employee played?

What is the pettiest thing you’ve seen a cheap person do at a restaurant?

Years ago I had a blind date. We had talked on the phone and the guy asked if he could take me to lunch. Not MEET me for lunch, but take me. He was inviting me so I assumed he would pay.

We met at a casual inexpensive chain restaurant. I had something modestly priced – it was probably around $7 (like I said, years ago). When the bill came, he told me what my share was – he actually said, “You had the french dip plus an iced tea, so your total is…..” I was pretty surprised but I figured that the cost of my lunch was worth finding out what a cheapo he was so I wouldn’t waste any more time dating him. But here’s the kicker – he had a Buy One Get One Free coupon! So his meal was free and I paid for mine! That was enough for me. He walked me to my car and asked if he could see me again. I said, “No” and he looked surprised and asked why. I said that anyone as cheap as he was shouldn’t date. Thank goodness he never called again.

What’s the most you’ve ever tipped someone, and why?

$500 tip on a $12 meal. It was at a diner in New Jersey. When my father was about 80, he lost interest in eating. My brother and I finally insisted he have dinner at a restaurant every night. My father reluctantly agreed. He found a local diner where he felt comfortable. Over time, he became very friendly with a waitress there. She treated him like royalty (in fact, all the staff did). He was by no means wealthy, but he always left a generous tip. The waitress would give him cookies to take home and was genuinely happy to see him every day. Many times when I would go with him, I would see her smile when he came in, run over to hug and kiss him, and just take wonderful care of him. It was one of the only joys for the last years of his life. Earlier this year, my dad died. When I went back to handle his estate, one evening I went to the diner for dinner. I told the waitress that my dad had died (she suspected as much, having not seen him for over a month)…and after eating there, I left her a $500 tip. She deserved every penny and more.

Tracking him through “discarded DNA,” police arrest a 72-year-old “suburban grandfather” suspected of being the Golden State suspect

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For years a serial killer and rapist traumatized the entire state of California, committing at least 12 murders, before coming to a seeming halt some 40 years ago in his horrific spree of violence. For victims and families of victims, not knowing who committed the crimes caused lasting emotional damage.  That changed on April 24, 2018.

“In a perfectly executed arrest, my detectives arrested Joseph James DeAngelo, 72 years old,” said Scott Jones, Sacramento County Sheriff, at a press conference. Police were able to match DeAngelo’s DNA to evidence from the investigation, saying they used “surveillance and discarded DNA.”

USA Today published a story saying that police investigators submitted the DNA of someone whom they believed was the suspect, gathered at a crime scene, to Ancestry.com, not officially as police detectives but as a regular customer of the genealogical research site, and were then able to narrow the search through matches to relatives of the person with the mystery DNA, using “trees.”

This use of Ancestry.com is raising questions. In a story published by the Associated Press, Steve Mercer of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender said there aren’t strong privacy laws to keep police from trolling ancestry databases. “People who submit DNA for ancestors testing are unwittingly becoming genetic informants on their innocent family,” Mercer said, adding that they “have fewer privacy protections than convicted offenders whose DNA is contained in regulated databanks.”

However, the arrest of DeAngelo is also sending shock waves of relief throughout California. He is believed to be responsible for 12 murders, 45 rapes, and more than 120 residential burglaries between 1976 and 1986.

According to an interview in the Los Angeles Times, Jennifer Carole, the daughter of 1980 victims Lyman and Charlene Smith, “said she had long thought that the person who bludgeoned her father and stepmother to death had probably died in the following decades. To find out he was not only alive, but living among them in Sacramento, was an overwhelming revelation, she said.”

“In my mind I thought he was dead the whole time,” Carole said to the press. “I’d compartmentalized it. But to find out … he’s been in Sacramento, where all my family lives … it’s unbelievable. How can he have just been here?”

A cold-case unit with the Ventura County district attorney renewed their efforts to find the Golden State Killer within the last two years. The FBI offered a reward of $50,000 for information leading to an arrest in 2016. “We all knew we were looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert.

A series of rapes in an area east of Sacramento in 1976 were first linked by the authorities because of their proximity and the similar description of the rapist — a white male with blond hair who was close to six feet tall — and the sadistic rituals that he inflicted on his victims. His targets were women home alone and women at home with their children. The suspect went on to rape women with their husbands present and then the two of them would be murdered.

Neighbors of DeAngelo, whom the Washington Post described as a “suburban grandfather” in a headline, said that he kept to himself and sometimes yelled at people over infractions like mowing their lawns too early in the morning, but gave absolutely no indication of anything more frightening. He showed an interest in model airplanes, some say. He was the father of three daughters and had a number of grandchildren.

DeAngelo was a police officer in Auburn, California, in the 1970s but was fired after being accused of shoplifting a hammer and dog repellent. He retired last year after working 27 years at a distribution center for Save Mart grocery stores, the chain confirmed.

Public interest in the Golden State Killer was sparked this year with the publication of the true-crime book I’ll be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, written by Michelle McNamara, who died in April 2016 before finishing it. The book, published in February 2018, was completed after her death by a journalist and researcher recruited by her husband, the comedian Patton Oswalt.

The Golden State Killer was believed to have tracked the movements of his planned victims. He wore gloves and a mask and spoke in an angry whisper. Investigators at the time suspected he had military or law enforcement training.

The New York Times wrote, “Mr. DeAngelo was arrested by investigators using some of the same tactics employed by the suspect to stalk his victims — the police surveilled his movements, studied his routines, and pounced when he left his house.”

Eagles – Hotel California (Live 1977) (Official Video) [HD]

If war erupts between China and the Quad countries, who would win?

Let’s see

First would be the Cost of War

China would need to spend 1 Billion RMB a day to fight in the South China Theatre across the Taiwan Straits and Sea of Japan

Quad would need 2.5–3 times this or around $ 400 Million a day to be able to equal China given the cost and scale of production that is severely lagging

This means a 100 day war would cost China around 100 Billion RMB ($ 14 Billion) versus a whopping $ 45 Billion for Quad

Assuming a 3 year war, that would be 1 Trillion RMB ($ 140 Billion) for China versus $ 450–500 Billion for Quad

I am sure only one guy will be coughing up all that money and that’s USA

India, Australia, Japan combined won’t cough up $ 1 Billion

Since China now pays for its food and fuel in RMB , it can easily afford 1 Trillion RMB

The US needs to print $ 450–500 Billion and already the strain of printing $ 170 Billion for Ukraine is showing

Next would be the Logistics

Quad has an arsenal of 960 Missiles combined on their patrolling vessels and carrier groups (720 US, 240 Others)

Add another 320 with Japan and Korea and maybe 160 from Taiwan

That’s 1440 Deployable Missiles

China has 2400 Missiles on its Patrolling Vessels and Carrier Groups plus 1200 Land Battery Missiles plus 800 Intermediate Range Launch Missiles all aimed for the South China Sea

That’s 4400 Deployable Missiles not to include 90–110 from North Korea

That’s 3:1 in Chinas favor in just the South China Theatre

Let’s see the Weapon Supply status

Japan, Australia and India are Net Importers of weapons with a near zero indigenous supply line in most naval equipment or aerial equipment or even Intelligence gathering

If India risks it’s limited advanced equipment imported on this theatre, Pakistan can have a field day and so can the PLA on the Arunachal Front or the Ladakh front

Same with South Korea

Thus US has to supply all the intelligence gathering equipment and by chance some fall into China, that’s years of priceless IP reverse engineered

Today US has 20 key pieces of equipment over the Baltics handing intel to Ukraine against 90–120 key pieces handing intel to Russia and owned by Russia

Even if the US manages to quadruple it’s Ukraine strength and bring in 80 pieces of key intel gathering equipment like advanced radar etc, China has close to 250 and that’s 1:3

China will always have the Intelligence advantage


Bottom line is NO

QUAD will lose

QUAD cannot win

Quad will rely on a shock attack and HOPE China has an internal coup and regime change within 60 days

It didn’t happen in Russia and it’s more unlikely to happen in China

The US is too far away and China aint Iraq or Afghanistan

Others are too insufficient to take on China


In its theatre, China is not likely to be defeated

The only thing that can change this equation is if SOMEHOW Russia can be convinced to fight against China on another front

The one bodyguard assigned to Ford’s Theater to protect President Lincoln abandoned his post for a drink on the night of the assassination–and wasn’t fired for it

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On the night of April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln decided to take in a production of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theater, in Washington, D.C. The one policeman assigned to guard the president on that fateful night left his post—to go next door for a drink.

Whether from hubris or humility, Lincoln was unconcerned about his safety, even amid near constant death threats. In August of 1864, he survived an assassination attempt, when someone fired a shot at him as he rode a horse—all by himself. (His hat was recovered the next day, with a musketball hole through the side.) It seems impossible to imagine today, but the president was known to go to plays, to church, and on walks without security.

John Parker was a carpenter and machinist born in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He moved to Washington and joined the Metropolitan Police Force when it formed in 1861. He was not an exemplar. The force cited him for conduct unbecoming an officer, drinking (and sleeping) on the job and frequenting a whorehouse, according to Smithsonian magazine. He had 14 disciplinary infractions on his record. Somehow he managed always to get off. When a four-man detail was created to protect Lincoln in 1864, Parker was selected to join the team.

Parker was late to his assignment on April 14, showing up at Ford’s Theater at 7 P.M. instead of 4. Lincoln and his party arrived at his box in the balcony at 9 P.M., after the play had already started. The actors stopped mid-scene while the orchestra played “Hail to the Chief.” Lincoln bowed to the actors, and the play carried on.

Parker was stationed outside Lincoln’s box, in the passageway by the door, a good place to guard a president but a lousy place to take in a play. The bored Parker moved down to the first balcony to better see the performance. During intermission, he went next door to the Star Saloon for a drink with Lincoln’s coachman and footman.

As it happens, John Wilkes Booth was also at the Star Saloon, having a shot of whiskey before his nefarious mission. When Booth arrived at Lincoln’s box, the chair in the passageway was empty. Booth went into the box, shouted “Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged!” and shot Lincoln in the back of the head. Booth leaped to the stage, exited the theater, and escaped on his horse. (Booth would be tracked down and killed within two weeks.)

It is of course possible that even had Parker been at his station, he might not have stopped Booth’s assassination of Lincoln.

“Booth was a well-known actor, a member of a famous theatrical family,” Ford’s Theater historical interpreter Eric Martin told Smithsonian magazine. “They were like Hollywood stars today. Booth might have been allowed in to pay his respects. Lincoln knew of him. He’d seen him act in The Marble Heart, here in Ford’s Theater in 1863.”

But Parker’s fellow guards never forgave him, nor did Lincoln’s widow.

“It makes me feel rather bitter when I remember that the President had said, just a few hours before, that he knew he could trust all his guards,” William H. Crook wrote in his memoir. “And then to think that in that one moment of test one of us should have utterly failed him! Parker knew that he had failed in duty. He looked like a convicted criminal the next day. He was never the same man afterward.”

Parker was charged with failure to protect the president, though the charge was dropped. The public did not know of his culpability, though Mrs. Lincoln did. Remarkably, Parker stayed on the White House security detail, at one point being assigned to Mrs. Lincoln, who confronted him as recounted in the 1868 memoir Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave, and Four in the White House, by Elizabeth Keckley.

“Why were you not at the door to keep the assassin out when he rushed into the box?” Mrs. Lincoln said.

“I did wrong, I admit, and I have bitterly repented it, but I did not help to kill the President,” Keckley recalled Parker saying. “I did not believe that any one would try to to kill so good a man in such a public place, and the believe made me careless.”

To which Mrs. Lincoln responded, “I shall always believe that you are guilty,” and sent him away with a wave of her hand.

Parker stayed on the Metropolitan Police Force three more years before finally he was fired for sleeping on the job in 1868. He turned back to carpentry and died in 1890 of pneumonia, an all but forgotten man in the drama of Lincoln’s assassination.

Have you ever seen a new employee stealing from the workplace?

The grocery store I managed allowed cashiers a margin of error of $5.00, plus or minus. Most of the cashiers were usually within $1, either way, but a newbie that the store owner ordered me to hire — she was a friend’s granddaughter — was short a total of $16 dollars — $1, $5, $5, $5 — over her first four days. The cashiers were rarely on the money (zero balance) and most were proud when they were 25¢ or less off either way, so I found it odd that this girl was off by whole dollar amounts on each of her first four days.

So I put a camera on her.

She was scheduled to work a six-hour shift and at the end she was, you guessed it, $5 short. So I reviewed the video and watched her pocket a dollar here and there; she’d appear to be putting it in her drawer but each time her hand would go into her pocket. She did this five times and I knew that I had her.

I went to the owner and he called her into his office before her next shift. He told her what I’d found and that she was, obviously, fired, but he wanted to know why she did it. She said she didn’t want to work as a cashier. She didn’t like the pay, or the hours, or the “stupid people”, and she thought she deserved more for putting up with it all. She also said she didn’t pocket more than $5 because she knew she’d get in trouble if she did. She felt that she was “allowed” to take that $5 each day.

The owner was dumbstruck and decided to lower to amount cashiers could be over or short to $1. And he never forced me to hire anyone else.

How do people with low IQs (≤80) perceive things in everyday life?

I used to teach Special Education. And, I’m here to tell ya that I’ve had arguments with a nine year old kid with a 40 IQ about how to spell a word.

Joey, brain damaged at birth, was capable of learning the correct spelling, just barely capable, but he was entirely convinced that his version of the word was the correct spelling. I took a very long time to gradually get him to change that view, because I could see that it wasn’t about how to spell a word, it was about nurturing in Joey what was plainly there: his love of correct spelling. He was proud of his version, doncha know! And also, of versions of other, much more important things too.

Joey the Saint

Joey had a fixation — he was an assembler of trophies. His father was in business selling trophies and plaques, ya see, and Joey would make bowling, golf, baseball, etc. trophies out of the pieces his father could not use in the business and gave to Joey to play with. These were scuffed or dented, but to Joey they were GOLD. He made some of the goofiest looking amalgams — football players in full stride with a football tucked in one arm and a tennis racket in the other, for instance. And it was always catch as catch can, but Joey didn’t care. He just loved assembling them, thought they were very marketable, thought of himself as a businessman like his father. Oh, he was full of esteem about it, let me tell ya. It was, you see, just about the only thing Joey could do well “in his own eyes.” With a 40 IQ, Joey was looking at a future like a life sentence without a chance for parole.

But Joey was happy.

And Joey taught my class, in one stroke, something more important than ANYTHING I ever taught anyone in that class.

One day, Joey came to school with three big boxes. His father helped him bring them in. And his father and I stood there and watched Joey teach us all. Joey opened the boxes, and out came a special, unique statue for every kid in the class. 18 statues made by Joey who couldn’t spell the word “statue.” 18 statues that were to Joey, by his own inner logic, as precious as fingerprints that could only be assigned to one and only one person. 18 statues in boxes that Joey knew so well that he could dive into the boxes after saying each pupil’s name and instantly pull out Pedro’s statue, then Anna’s statue, then Cathy’s statue . . . 18 statues with names assigned to them. Joey knew which was to go to whom.

Silently, for Joey could hardly talk, he gave each statue out like it was a soul. And every kid there opened themselves to Joey’s vision of the moment and took their statues into their hugging arms like each trophy was a newborn babe. Joey gave everyone a symbolic kiss on the forehead to take home. Everyone deserved a symbol of “job well done,” thought Joey. And 18 kids with almost no chance to succeed in life, hummed with delight.

And no one I’ve ever seen in my whole life was as happy as Joey that day. He so innocently beamed his love.

That’s my goal in life. Be as happy and as wrong . . . and as right as Joey.

Addendum. So very grateful for all the heartfelt responses. When I wrote this decades ago, Joey was so much fresher in my mind. I now see that writing style as a bit “much,” but I dare not change a word. Also, the title question is not my doing, so I cannot justify changing it either.

This essay’s success is due solely to Joey — not my writing.
This essay is his, not mine.

Has someone ever been fired because of you?

Yes.

I worked for a financial call center. I excelled there and loved my job. I was there for nearly 3 years and during the last 6 months my attendance suffered greatly. I had pain from a hernia and had taken time for those occasions and had repair surgery, so I had STD for that. I was also going through a very bad divorce and the emotional distress was so extreme that I couldn’t eat or sleep. I worked odd hours of the night because I was working during UK operating hours and by the time I would finally fall asleep, I’d have to be up 2 hours later.

My manager knew all of the issues impacting me, yet, never thought to look into how to help my situation at work (being an exemplary employee). I was one day called in to HR and was terminated. I later found out that I could have taken another short term for stress, and had I been informed sooner, it could have saved my job.

I explained these things to HR, but it was too late. Apparently, my manager had become intimidated by me and the success I achieved in a short period of time and didn’t want to help me, I learned.

After my termination and the walk of shame, being escorted out, HR summoned my manager to discuss what I had to say. That woman began text messaging me, upset that I would place any kind of blame on her. I told her that I was no longer an employee and to stop messaging me. She still messaged me.

Next day, I contacted HR about her harassment of a non employee and she was terminated.

Instant karma!

The only unsolved skyjacking case in U.S. history might have a break: “D. B. Cooper” is Robert Rackstraw, a Vietnam vet and ex-CIA operative, investigative team claims

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On November 24, 1971, on a rainy afternoon in Portland, Oregon, a man approached the flight counter of Northwest Orient Airlines. He wore a dark raincoat, a dark suit with a skinny black tie, a neatly pressed white shirt, and loafers. He appeared to be in his forties, nearly six feet tall, with receding hair. “He looked like a business executive,” witnesses said later.

Using the name Dan Cooper, he used cash to purchase a one-way ticket to Seattle on Flight 305. The man, who carried a black attache case, sat in the last row of the Boeing 727 for the 30-minute flight, seat 18-C, ordered a bourbon and soda. After the plane took off, he handed an attractive flight attendant a note, which she slipped in her pocket and ignored.

A bit later, when the flight attendant passed by him, the man leaned toward her and whispered, “Miss, you’d better look at that note. I have a bomb.”

With that, the legend of D. B. Cooper was born.

Hours later, in the Seattle-Tacoma airport, Cooper, now wearing sunglasses, boarded a second plane empty of passengers and with only a flight crew. After he showed the flight attendant on the first plane the bomb in his attache case and she conveyed the note’s contents to the pilot, his instructions had been followed.

He now had four parachutes and a briefcase containing $200,000 in $20 bills. (What he did not know was that while the plane circled the Seattle airport, FBI agents photographed the money.) It was now night time, and rain was getting heavier.

The man had more detailed orders to be followed: the plane would follow a southeast course to Mexico City at the minimum airspeed possible at a maximum 10,000 foot altitude. The landing gear would have to remain deployed during takeoff and the cabin be depressurized. As with all of his communications, he was quite polite.

According to the FBI document on the case: “Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, a little after 8:00 p.m., the hijacker did the incredible: he jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money.” Two aircraft from a nearby air force base had been following the airliner, but saw nothing.

Extensive searches on the ground found no trace of Cooper, his parachute, or the money. The FBI says, “Calling it NORJAK, for Northwest Hijacking, we interviewed hundreds of people, tracked leads across the nation, and scoured the aircraft for evidence. By the five-year anniversary of the hijacking, we’d considered more than 800 suspects and eliminated all but two dozen from consideration.”

It is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in FBI history. Despite theories put forth in books, documentaries, symposiums, and an enthusiastic website, no one has proven the identity of D. B. Cooper (a journalist mistakenly turned “Dan” into “D.B.” and it stuck). None of the photographed money turned up until 1980, when a boy found three packets of the ransom cash in a stream near Vancouver, Washington.

One of the most widely believed theories was that Cooper died in his audacious jump from the plane. He had a parachute that couldn’t be steered, he jumped at night into a heavily wooded area, in the rain, in clothes certainly not practical for such an act. On July 8, 2016, the FBI announced that it had “redirected resources allocated to the D.B. Cooper case in order to focus on other investigative priorities.”

But in late January 2018 a startling claim was made to the media: D. B. Cooper was actually a former CIA operative named Robert Rackstraw, alive and well and living in Southern California.

A team of private investigators hired by TV producer Tom Colbert that has been working on the mystery for several years said they cracked a code proving the infamous hijacker is, in fact, a man who has ties to the San Diego area named Robert Rackstraw, and he is still alive. Rackstraw is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and, according to the investigators, an ex-CIA operative.

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2023 12 13 19 04

Portion of Brian Ingram’s 1980 discovery

The code was contained in a Dec. 11, 1971, letter the cold-case team got their hands on that they say was sent by “D. B. Cooper” to several major news outlets. The taunting letter, which the newspapers did not publish at the time and officials said were a prank, was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

“The letter, which went to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times and The Washington Post, contains strings of letters and numbers at the bottom of the page,” according to the Seattle Times.

A code breaker on Colbert’s team, Rick Sherwood, was able to decode the letters and numbers, and he said they pointed to the three Army units Rackstraw was connected to between 1969 in 1970 when he was in Vietnam.

The encryption was meant to serve as a signal to those in his units who knew the code that he was alive and well after the jump, Colbert said. He also taunted law enforcement by including “SWS” in the letter, which stands for “Special Warfare School.”

According to the website dbcooper.com, “Colbert said Pentagon records he obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show detailed skill sets Rackstraw received from Green Berets in 1968, including 400 hours of Special Forces classes, HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) parachuting, psychological operations (PSYOPS) and other training.”

In addition to claiming to have found the real D.B. Cooper, Colbert said he has strong evidence that the FBI deliberately worked to keep the hijacking case unsolved —due to Rackstraw’s CIA ties.

Although his CIA employment is not confirmed, Rackstraw, 74,  was not an angel by any definition. He was charged with murdering his stepfather but acquitted in a trial in 1978.

He once reportedly tried to fake his own death by using a Mayday call and bailing out of a rented plane–it quickly unraveled. He was even arrested in Iran and deported back to the United States, which certainly doesn’t happen every day.

According to the Washington Post, “he faced charges of aircraft theft, possession of explosives and check fraud … Colbert said Rackstraw was convicted and spent more than a year in jail before being released in 1980. Rackstraw’s attorney said he couldn’t confirm those details.” Those who feel that D. B. Cooper was a polite mastermind who behaved like a business executive are unconvinced that Rackstraw, who hit lists of possible Coopers in the late 1970s, was this man.

When tracked down recently by a TV crew, Rackstraw, when asked if he were the real D. B. Cooper said, “What difference would it make?” Rackstraw’s attorney has said that he denies any part in the skyjacking.

He was 28 at the time of the skyjacking, and one of the original flight attendants, when shown photos of Rackstraw, said he did not resemble the man she saw on the plane in 1971.

In a press conference in front of FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., Colbert said, “The FBI may hold the strings, but Rackstraw holds the ripcord. And thanks to his coded bragging, it’s now been pulled. We’ll be waiting for him at the drop zone.”

Last Chance To Get Out Of Dodge?

by Michael

More doom and gloom out of the United States. Ugh. Not. That. Bad. Don't buy into all the fear mongering. -MM

Time is running out.  Lately, I have been hearing from so many people that believe that 2024 will be the year when our society goes over the edge.  Our financial system is teetering on the brink of disaster, crime is absolutely exploding all over the country, homelessness is rising at the fastest pace ever recorded, food banks are facing unprecedented demand for their services, and I believe that 2024 will be the most chaotic election year in the entire history of our nation.  And of course all of this is happening in the context of a global environment in which war, pestilences, economic problems, famine and natural disasters are all on the rise.  A “perfect storm” is raging all around us, and millions upon millions of Americans have become deeply concerned about what our immediate future will look like.

So where will you be when things finally hit the fan?

During the past several years, we have seen a mass exodus of conservatives from blue states.  For example, Fox News is reporting that 65 percent of those that have recently moved to the state of Idaho are Republicans, and only 12 percent are Democrats…

Data published by the Idaho Secretary of State’s office shows that out of the nearly 119,000 people who recently moved to the state, 65% registered as Republicans, compared to just 12% registering as Democrats.

The data, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital, show that out of the roughly 20,000 Americans who moved from Washington state to Idaho, 62% registered as Republicans, compared to 12% as Democrats, 24% as unaffiliated and 2% as “other.” The percentage of registered Republicans originally from Washington who recently moved to Idaho is actually higher than the state’s overall percentage of registered Republicans, which sits at about 58%.

And for those moving from the state of California, the numbers are even more dramatic

Out of the nearly 40,000 people who left California for Idaho, a whopping 75% registered as Republicans, the data reviewed by Fox News Digital show. Only 10% of the California pool registered as Democrats, 14% as unaffiliated and 2% as “other.”

Wow.

Real estate agents in Idaho are urging potential clients to “escape liberal hell” and to get to the state “before the coming collapse”

The Seattle Times noted that real estate ads advise residents in states such as Washington to “escape liberal hell” and move to Idaho.

“Time is not on your side, flee the city NOW before the coming collapse!” another ad for a house listing in Idaho states, the outlet reported.

Perhaps you are thinking that you should move to Idaho too.

Unfortunately, for many Americans it is already too late, because property values in some areas of the state have more than tripled.

Of course property values have also skyrocketed in desirable areas in many other red states as well.

Meanwhile, mortgage rates have also soared, and as a result home payments have risen to absolutely absurd levels during the Biden administration

WSJ analysis of the housing market:

Average monthly new home payment
when Biden took office: $1,787

Average monthly new home payment
today: $3,322

You can still try to relocate.

But it will cost you much more than it would have a few years ago.

Renting is also an option, but we have just been through a period of time when rental prices have also jumped substantially

After suffering through a three-year period when rents jumped by 30% or more in many U.S. cities, renters are now starting to enjoy small breaks like this.

Ultimately, if you were planning to relocate, you should have already done it by now.

But the good news is that conditions are still at least somewhat relatively stable as we approach the end of 2023.

So if you want to get out of Dodge, you can still do it.

In fact, for many of you this may be your last chance.

But don’t wait too long, because the clock is ticking.

At this point, most Americans can feel that something has gone horribly wrong.  The warning signs are all around us, and conditions are getting worse with each passing day.

Even Warren Buffett can sense that a really big shift is coming.  During the first three quarters of this year he sold off a whopping “$28.7 billion of stock”

Warren Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway sold $28.7 billion of stock in the first three quarters of 2023 in a move that some economists have interpreted as ringing alarm bells for the American economy.

According to the company’s earnings, the Nebraska-based firm of the legendary investor and billionaire, known as the Oracle of Omaha, sold a net $10.4 billion of stock in the first quarter of the year. In the second quarter, it sold close to $13 billion of shares and bought less than $5 billion. In the third quarter, it sold about $5.3 billion worth of stocks.

As Buffett is considered one of the greatest investors of all time, as well as one of America’s richest men, his moves are closely observed and analyzed.

He didn’t make so much money by being stupid.

Buffett may not fully understand all of the specifics, but he realizes that something is up.

As our society crumbles, most of the population is not going to be able to handle it.

The suicide rate just continues to go up, and psychologists are reporting unprecedented demand for their services…

For the third consecutive year, many psychologists across the country say they are seeing patients struggle with worsening symptoms, many of them needing longer treatment times.

Those are among the findings of an annual survey by the American Psychological Association, released this week. The APA first launched this survey in 2020 to gauge the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on practicing psychologists.

A majority of psychologists reported that more people are seeking mental health care this year, adding to already long waitlists. Over half (56%) said they had no openings for new patients. Among those who keep waitlists, average wait times were three months or longer and nearly 40% said that their waitlist had grown in the past year.

When conditions get really bad, we are going to witness a national emotional meltdown of epic proportions.

Where will you be when that occurs?

Global events just continue to accelerate, and 2024 is less than three weeks away…

Abandoned in space in 1967, a U.S. satellite started transmitting again in 2013
Nov 28, 2017

After learning that a satellite that’s been silent for decades has suddenly started sending out new signals you may, of course, suspect that the device has been hijacked by aliens now trying to communicate with Earth. Perhaps they’re warning us that they are planning an invasion!

It’s possible such thoughts ran through the mind of Phil Williams, an English amateur radio astronomer based in Cornwall, who was the first person to pick up the strange signals coming in as “ghostly sounds” in 2013. It turned out that the transmitted messages were coming from an abandoned LES1 satellite, but experts needed three more years to authenticate that this was indeed the American satellite that was “lost” in 1967.

LES1 was one of several units produced and launched into space by the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in between 1965 and 1967. These units, primarily designed for testing new satellite communication technology, were each labeled with numbers, running from LES1 to LES9.

As it turned out, the launch of the first four satellites did not go that well. LES1, in particular, failed to reach most of its planned objectives. Contact with the satellite was completely lost two years after its launch, and it has ever since revolved around our planet, staying entirely out of touch. Things went better for the later four, LES5 to LES9 units; the LES7 unit was canceled as the program was then coming to an end and there was no more funding for it.

What surprised everyone in 2013 is that LES1 started sending signals in repeats of every four seconds. Phil Williams has suggested that a failure in one of the device components is what perhaps caused it to start sending signals again.

The designated frequency of the signal is 237 MHz. However, the satellite manages to send the transmissions only when its solar panels are directly exposed to light. The signal reportedly ceases once the craft’s panels fall into the shadow of the satellite’s own body. “Tension in the solar panels jumps, and it can do the phantom signal,” Williams has stated.

It is probable that the satellite’s on-board battery is entirely diminished by now, so what powers the transmission of the signals is a bit of a mystery. As to whether LES1 poses any threat, there is apparently nothing to fear. This is yet one more piece of space junk spinning around in orbit.

What’s more striking is that the electronics used in LES1 were produced five decades ago and though they’ve been exposed to the severe conditions of space, they still appear to be in some sort of working order. And five decades ago is a long time in terms of the technology and its development.

LES1 was launched more than a decade before the probe Voyager-1 was launched into space to explore the outer realms of the solar system. And the electronics used back in the 1960s were way simpler than those used since, hence, perhaps, their durability.

The news of this out-of-date satellite coming back online after so much time staying silent has certainly surprised everyone within the scientific community. The satellite was launched February 11, 1965, from Cape Canaveral. It ceased sending signals just two years later. Still, this is not the only case of a satellite having been lost and then found again.

It also happened to the much more costly Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft (SOHO), which disappeared without a trace back in 1998. SOHO stopped sending signals while conducting its mission of observing the sun. NASA astronomers eventually located the lost craft and re-established contact with it as it was helplessly spinning in space.

In the case of SOHO, it was reportedly a glitch in the software that led to the craft’s malfunction. The satellite was eventually fully recovered, and it continued its set mission. But in the case of LES1, it all seems a lot more strange and way more unexpected as such an old piece of equipment had been long forgotten.

The Feed Bag Chicken Gumbo

pot of chicken sausage gumbo 1200
pot of chicken sausage gumbo 1200

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 chicken breast halves
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen okra
  • 1 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
  • Dash of red hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon gumbo file (mixed with water until gooey)
  • 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups uncooked rice

Instructions

  1. Place chicken breasts in a kettle with enough water to cover. Cook until done, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken to a platter. Strain chicken broth.
  2. Return broth to kettle. Add celery, green pepper, onion, okra, corn, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, Cajun Seasoning, hot sauce and gumbo fil paste. Bring to a rolling boil.
  3. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and return to kettle. Add tomatoes. Bring back to boil. If soup is too thick, add chicken broth.
  4. Cook rice according to package directions.
  5. To serve, place desired amount of rice in serving bowl. Add gumbo.
  6. Serve immediately.

What is the dumbest life decision you’ve seen somebody makes?

“Susan Shannon trying to rip off her old friend”

52-year-old Washington woman, Susan Shannon (pictured below), wanted to destroy the life of her old friend, a successful US Army colonel, David Riggins, and possibly make some big cash out of her bogus claims, but she never expected the outcome of her decisions.

In 1986, Sussan and Riggins were both cadets at West Point, the U.S. military base in New York. While Sussan dropped out of the military, Riggins excelled. But just before he received a major promotion in 2013, Sussan started dropping bombs on her blog which haunted Riggins.

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In her blog posts, she claimed she was brutally r-aped by Riggins while the two were cadets. Her claims got to the authorities leading to Riggins’s dismissal, this hurt him badly because he was just about to receive a life-changing promotion when the chaos started.

Once he left the military, Riggins fought back and sued her for defamation. Following several probing, investigators discovered that Sussan had made everything up.

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She was asked to pay $8.4 million in damages to Riggins: $3.4 million in compensatory damages for hurting his reputation and lost wages, and $5 million in punitive damages. This will keep her a pauper for life.

More:

How Susan Shannon Destroyed Colonel David Riggins’ Career

What do you regret not buying when you had the opportunity?

In the fall of 2008, a few months into the Great Recession, my family was actually in a pretty good spot, financially. My wife and I were both working full time, we were renting an apartment, and we had only one kid at the time. We were saving to buy a house.

One night, I convinced my wife that we would be stupid if we didn’t take advantage of the stock market crash. I’d been interested in purchasing stocks, we had about $30,000 in savings for our house, and stocks were at near record lows. She agreed to let me spend just $1,000 on stocks.

The idea was to start with $1,000, and buy a few more stocks each year. We never followed through with that. We ended up opening college funds for our kids and IRAs for ourselves instead, but my original stock account from that night still remains.

I considered buying some stock in Apple. I was still a PC user then, but I really liked my iPod. I wanted to purchase stocks in companies whose products I used.

But I decided against Apple. I went with Disney and a few other companies instead.

My original $1,000 investment is worth about $3,500 today.

The day I decided against Apple stock, it was selling for around $13 a share. I could have bought 77 shares for $1,000 that day.

Today, those shares would be worth almost $16,000.

Had we skipped the house and put all of our savings into Apple shares that day, we could have sold all of that Apple stock today and bought a half-million dollar house in cash.

Oh well.

What was a Christmas bonus you got from your company that made you speechless?

I was downsized from a company I had been with for a pretty long time. Every year I would work really hard to make my goals so my bonus would be maxed. The cap was $1000. The CEO of the company had 4 houses, several race horses, and 3 private jets. The company made a ton of money. I moved on to another, much smaller company about the middle of September the same year. Needless to say, my bonus that I had been working for most of the year evaporated. I didn’t give it much thought beyond just being grateful I found another job that paid me equally. Christmas came around and I didn’t think much about it because nobody had ever mentioned anything about bonuses and I had only been there about 4 months. The last payday before Christmas the CFO popped in and just casually asks everyone if they’d received their bonus, tells everyone not to eat too much, and he’ll see us all next year. I didn’t even bother to look up. During lunch a coworker asked me what I was going to do with my Christmas bonus. I told her that I didn’t get one and that was to be expected since I had just been there a short time. She told me I should check my bank because the CEO was very generous and isn’t the type to leave someone out. So, I checked. There was my paycheck direct deposit and holy crap! Another deposit for $10,000 from the company! I later found out that mine was a gesture compared to some others. I’ve been there 8 years and counting now. The cash bonuses fluctuate more now than they did back then, but I’ve never gotten anything disappointing. I’ll be there the rest of my life.

Albert Einstein’s Strict List of Conditions for his Wife to Follow

Apr 16, 2019

Samantha Flaum

Albert Einstein’s relationship with his wife was a bit rocky to say the least. In contemporary times, prenuptials seem to be almost as common as vows. Before you walk down the aisle and say, “I do,” you first have to sign here, here, and here.

Contracts are not a new element of marriages. The act of getting married is, itself, a legally binding contract — provided it meets the requirements of the state or country in which the ceremony takes place. For example, according to New York City Bar, in New York, as in many other jurisdictions, “If either of you are still legally married to a former spouse, or do not meet the age requirements, then you are not legally married.”

Throughout history, marriage contracts have been negotiated between rich and influential families, with papers signed outlining the gains and losses of each party in the union — such as dowries payed and lands redistributed. To this day, you need to obtain a license to have a marriage legally recognized.

Today, a growing number of engaged couples wanting to avoid upset in any potential future dispute sign a formal prenuptial agreement — a private contract that both parties agree would be a fair way to split their combined assets.

It outlines dos and don’ts, haves and have nots, should the couple choose to split up in the future. They’re an increasingly popular element of a marriage, especially in the celebrity realm.

In some cases, postnuptial agreements come into play. These are agreements in which the couple draws up a contract after they are married, outlining certain requirements for the continuation and betterment of their union.

History provides an unfortunate example of a celebrity postnup that only served to make matters worse: it was written by Albert Einstein to his first wife, Mileva Marić. Einstein met Marić in 1896 at the Zurich Polytechnic, Eidgenossische Technische Hoschule, when she was studying for a teaching diploma in mathematics and physics. FemBio notes that Marić was the “second woman to finish a full program of study at Department VI A: Mathematics and Physics.”

Over the years, the friendship founded through their shared work interests developed and eventually lead to marriage in January 1903.

Their union was blessed with two sons, Hans and Eduard; but speculation exists, based on letters sent to each other, about a first child, born out of wedlock the year before the couple was married. Her fate is unconfirmed.

After 11 years of matrimony, though, the couple agreed that there was no longer any romance between them. Einstein and his wife agreed to approach the subject logically. They didn’t want to divorce recklessly, so for the sake of their children’s continuity, they decided to stay together.

According to Walter Isaacson in his book Einstein: His Life and Universe, Albert Einstein’s wife had some behavioral conditions to follow, which he outlined in the following list:

“You will make sure: that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order; that I will receive my three meals regularly in my room; that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for my use only.”

“You will renounce all personal relations with me insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons. Specifically, You will forego: my sitting at home with you; my going out or travelling with you.”

“You will obey the following points in your relations with me: you will not expect any intimacy from me, nor will you reproach me in any way; you will stop talking to me if I request it; you will leave my bedroom or study immediately without protest if I request it.”

“You will undertake not to belittle me in front of our children, either through words or behavior.”

Concise and direct, the list drives a hard bargain. It sounds particularly harsh considering it was issued from a husband to his wife. Mileva agreed to his conditions anyway.

Logic can’t dictate such a strong emotion as love, or lack thereof. A few months went by before Mileva changed her mind. Taking their two sons, she left her husband in Berlin and moved back to Zurich. They officially divorced five years later, having not seen each other all that time.

He may have been able to calculate the amount of energy contained in a given mass, but Einstein couldn’t write the perfect formula for maintaining a marriage.

YouTube is strike crazy

You-tube gave me another strike. I tried posting a Rufus video. Apparently the rescue of a person on the side of a Chinese skyscraper is a violation of policy.

Ugh!

The United States is truly bat-shit-crazy. You know there is so much that you can do in China that is just against the law in “the land of the free”; the United States.

Yet…

If you ask the vast number of people about the United States, they will regurgitate the narrative that “America is the freest land in the world”.

When it really isn’t.

I’m just disgusted.

…With the United States.

Sigh.

Today…

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to do for your kids?

I raised my kids in rural Alaska, and their walk to the bus stop, for the short period that they attended public school, was just over a mile up a trail through barely tamed wilderness.

When the first 2 went to school, both at the same time, it took only a few weeks for them, 5 and 7 years old, to decide that “Only babies need their MOM to walk them to the bus.”

Despite my suspicion that this was something inspired by older children on the bus just being mean, and the general hazard of bears, black AND brown, moose, feral dogs, occasional escaped *herds* bison from the bison farm and even the rare wolverine to be seen on this trail to the road, I agreed that they could walk on their own if they sang the Bear Song the *whole way*. Bears and other wildlife do tend to move off if you keep making noise. The lyrics of the song go: “I am OLD and TOUGH and STRINGY! I am SMALL and BONEY and QUICK!” (to be repeated endlessly).

Of COURSE I could not let them go alone…

So the weirdest thing I have ever done was camo up me and two infants in front and back pack, and stalk my own small children every morning, slinking (as much as a person with two infants in packs can) through brush with a shotgun, in case of aggressive wildlife. Fortunately young children are not especially observant!

What happened to you on Christmas Day that made you want to take all your bought Christmas presents back?

Years ago we had Christmas dinner with a family from our church. There had been problems in that family with one parent’s alcoholism. We were invited and we shared buying the meal. When we got there we realized the seven-year-old daughter had gotten IOUs from Santa for toys and a man’s sock with unwrapped, fleecy from the sock, hard rock Christmas candy in it. They had a can of this candy that had come from the father’s work and they poured it in one of the dad’s socks.

We were young and also had young kids and didn’t have much money. My husband and I went to the only store open in my area, Walgreens, and bought this child a Barbie and Barbie car, Barbie clothes and Barbie suitcase. It was a plastic and cardboard closet case, that folded out into a bedroom,kitchen and living room area. I got the doll-sized kitchen, bed and sofa and a Barbie artist set. Fortunately, everything was half price and it was everything that this child wanted and was on the IOUs.

I used my next two weeks’ grocery money. When we got back to the house we threw the toys in the snow. I had used the excuse to leave that I had to go home, for butter, for the rolls that I’d made for the dinner. Fortunately Walgreens also sold butter.

When we got inside we told the child that Santa had come. He had just dropped the toys outside because they had a wood stove and he was too big to get down that chimney. The look of joy on that child’s face was worth any sacrifice in groceries the next month. We took back the sweaters my mom had given us and we had to be frugal, but it was just fine the next month for groceries. This girl is now an adult whose kids call me grandma. I was the one who didn’t give but received the love of a child, who spent the rest of her childhood often with us.

If America stopped importing goods from China, could the country survive? If China stopped exporting goods to America, could the country survive?

Why don’t your think logically?

For example why does America import from China?

So America need to import because it does not have the ability to make stuffs that it needs at the same price to its consumers. So it looks around and the nation that can make stuffs America need happen to be China. The next closest alternative is selling it 50% more costly and unreliable.

So if you are America you 3 have a simple choice. One make them yourselves but to do that you need your people to earn half, CEOs to give up 80% of their income and rebuild your infrastructure and retrain your citizen. Can you do it and yet spend billions war mongering and maintaining 800 based around the world? I doubt so? But you need to decide?

If the answer is yes do it. If no should you get another nation to do it at 50% higher cost and cause a double digit inflation for Americans? You as an American must decide. And your voters will decide too! If you prefer to do that and hurt yourself go on! Do it. But if you won’t accept the consequences you are left with only one choice. Buy from China!

If the US stop buying from China, China will lose a good size market. It will lose some opportunities but it won’t kill them. Nor will it drive them out of the market.You can argue that China will benefit other more appreciative customers!

175 nations out of the world’s 195 country have China as their biggest trading partner not because they loved China or adores the Chinese. But simply because China is a humongous market that even dwarfs America. And China has built the most efficient and effective manufacturing facilities to build and manufacture anything faster, cheaper and better than others. So these nation’s also buys the most from them too!

The U.S. is no different. Most of the U.S. biggest companies sells more to China than it sells in America! America’s trade with China is big but it is a small proportion of its total trade.

So in conclusion if the U.S. wants to make its own stuffs it needs to overhaul the U.S. politics, economy and culture. Chances is it can’t. And it won’t. So it is either accepting double digit inflation and lowering its real income substantially or live with buying from China. If it want to stop selling to China, it will hurt the Americans more than it will ever hurt China! But Trump did and Biden could not stop this madness that harm the U.S. economy.

After 5 full years of the trade war, China is fine and dandy. It is growing at 5.5% in 2023 with a 0.8% inflation the U.S. may grow by 1.5% with a 5.0% inflation. Go figure it by yourself if your question makes sense or even make you look clever or not?

SCTV Monster Chiller Horror Theatre: The House of Cats

Goddess of democracy or puberty puppet?

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Politics isn’t a teenager’s playground. And yet in Hong Kong, it had become precisely that.

Never in history has a political movement been driven by a cabal of wet-behind-the-ears teenagers. Famous among them is Agnes Chow Ting who has just fled into self-exile in Canada. She forms the terrible trio with two other teeny-boppers, Nathan Law, (on the run in the US), and Joshua Wong (now rotting in a Hong Kong jail where time hangs heavy). They comprise the hardcore of the now-disbanded political party, pretentiously and stupidly named Demosisto, whatever that means.

These young hot heads were put on the pedestal by the Western press, with Wong going for Time’s Person of the Year nomination. Chow, otherwise known as the goddess of democracy or modern-day Mulan, made the BBC list of 100 women and another list of the 25 most influential women drawn up by the Financial Times, ironically unaware that Mulan was a celebrated female Chinese patriot. Agnes is no patriot. If anything, she qualifies as an out-and-out traitor who prefers learning Japanese to Mandarin, blissfully ignorant of the hideous truth that Japan had slaughtered 35 million Chinese and brutalized China during its invasion of the country. She is historically illiterate and culturally rootless.

These herd-minded fifteensomethings remind me of a popular Chinese saying that “When a village dog barks, other dogs start barking in unison, without knowing why.” Their “noble” fight for freedom is but the antics of puberty-perplexed teenagers who opted for the excitement of the rough and tumble of politics forsaking skull-numbing schoolwork. Their political misadventure is, above all, a tragic educational failure.

Suddenly, these juvenile new political arrivals found themselves the center of world attention, intoxicated with a false sense of their own importance, absorbed in their own absolutism, but empty at the core. They prided themselves on blindly opposing anything remotely mainlandish. A farce has been cunningly twisted into a noble fight for freedom, despite Hong Kong drowning in freedom as the freest city in the world.

The Hong Kong unrest is the story of a beautiful city made ugly by political manipulators. This high-wattage movement is a political perversion indulged by kids too young to know their own minds or the ways of the world. Their activist high jinks have been mischaracterized as acts of political courage.

These lost young souls, besides being an educational failure, are the products of an act of sabotage by a Western press pushing them over the edge, turbocharged by a surge of manufactured social anger. It has all the sound and fury of a political movement, but utterly devoid of serious substance. They talked robotically and acted robotically as rebels without a real cause.

Nothing says Hong Kong freedom like the proliferation of political parties. At one point, no fewer than 17 political parties splintered its Legislature. This once apolitical city was swimming in a sea of politics, with an abundant display of copycat political behavior. New York had its Occupy Wall Street movement and we soon followed with our own Occupy Central. And when the Color Revolutions overseas faded they were reborn in Hong Kong as the yellow Umbrella movement. Our “revolution” consisted of mindless parroting that was a distorted, abused form of freedom. Of all places Hong Kong was the last to need an extra dose of freedom. The young were worshipping the wrong gods. We have no use for a goddess of democracy.

Thankfully, the pendulum has finally swung. With Agnes Chow in self-exile, the sorry saga is reaching its finale. Goodbye false goddess. Hello real Mulan.

Oh my goodness

Camper’s Chili

Make a hearty Camper’s Chili following the tip for precooking the ground beef. Ready-to-add canned extras are all that’s needed.

2023 12 10 21 00
2023 12 10 21 00

Prep: 20 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 ounce) can Progresso® kidney beans, undrained
  • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
  • 1 soup can water
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

Instructions

  1. In a 2 quart saucepan, cook beef, onion and salt over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.

Notes

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Cook the ground beef ahead and freeze. Pack in the cooler and it will be campfire-ready to make the chili.

Family Ties – Uncle Ned

What life experience have you had that you wish conservatives could experience to gain some insight into human empathy?

I was a trauma surgeon and ICU physician. I owned my own practice on the central coast of California. I worked hard, and was paid well, but for the next few years most of my money would go towards paying off a bad divorce and med school debt, rather than a lot of savings. So I lived relatively frugally, but quite comfortably, in my little one bedroom apartment, driving my Nissan, enjoying the beach, enjoying life in general.

And then it happened. A freak illness—which I can’t even remember, I have amnesia—put me in the ICU for four months. Complications from the illness stole my right leg. I was so weak, I couldn’t turn myself over in bed. And yet I had to learn to walk again, use a phone, drive.

I had no income for the foreseeable future, maybe ever, and no dependable means to pay rent when my savings eventually wore out. My father and brother threw what they could of my things in trash bags and put them in a tiny storage unit. Most of my things, including all my furniture, got tossed. My animals, thank god, all found temporary homes. When I got out of the hospital, and then out of rehab, buried in medical debt despite insurance and still as helpless as a newborn kitten, I went to live with my elderly parents for a month.

But every Friday through Monday, Mom (as is her way) announced she needed her space, and that meant I had to find someone else to stay with for the weekend. Someone whose house could be navigated on crutches. Someone who wouldn’t mind sharing their food or helping me off the toilet. I stayed with a stranger—a friend of a friend—an older woman whose husband had just passed from Parkinson’s disease. I used his wheelchair. We watched old musicals and every morning she laid out hardboiled eggs, fruit, and a Bible chapter for my breakfast.

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On Mondays, I went back to my parents’ house and waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs to the porch to be let in. When the front door finally opened, I had to tuck my crutches beneath one arm and crawl on my hands and knees up the steps.

I was homeless.

I was a homeless doctor through no fault of my own, utterly dependent on the mercy (or lack thereof) of my loved ones and strangers. And what if there had been no mercy? What if God had taken my family as well? What if there were no friends of friends to put out dishes of raspberries? Or take care of my animals? What if I’d had no sister to live with later on, while I was doing physical therapy? Or no savings to pay, first for physical therapy, and then my prosthetic leg?

I am a trauma surgeon and an ICU physician. But that experience taught me I am so, so much more.

I am the sign beneath the overpass.

I am the voice from the curb.

Feed me.

Shelter me.

Help me.

I am you.

SCTV | Great White North – How to beat the Russians

Why do some intelligent people fail to achieve their potential?

One of the smartest, perhaps the smartest person on the planet, Kim Ung-Yong, was doing calculus and speaking five languages before age five. By age eight he was doing math at NASA and finished his Ph.D. prior to age fifteen.

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(^ him at age five)

It’s all a bit over the top.

None of this was by his own decision. After the discovery of his genius, an I.Q. of over 200, he was placed on an ultra-fast track program for his life.

After accumulating a mind numbing pile of academic accolades, he worked at NASA for years until he abruptly quit.

Here you have the smartest guy in the world, someone whose intelligence dwarfs most Harvard students’, and he walks away from it all.

Why? He wasn’t happy. It was all too much intensity for him. He felt like a machine and just wanted something normal.

He now works in a normal university faculty position as a professor. A prestigious job for most people. But for him? Not so. Kim is still periodically targeted by Korean news outlets for being a “failed genius”. With all of his gifts he was expected to change the world and innovate within several science fields.

It begs the question, who decided Kim was supposed to change the world? It certainly wasn’t him.

Mr. Kim might not be someone most of us can relate to. But he is analogous, ground zero even, for the problems intelligent people face with regards to “potential.” Just because someone is smart, strong, creative, doesn’t mean they want to be king of the world.

Some people are happy with a low key life. Happiness is the great equalizer. If they are happy, your expectations no longer matter.

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

The entry to the office in which I worked was near the lifts and most of us had to walk past our boss’s office to get to our desks. There was also a door next to my desk which could be used to exit only. The people who worked near me and I would regularly go out that door when we went to lunch or left for the day.

We all worked flex time, had to arrive between 8am and 9.30am, take a lunch break of 30 minutes to 2 hours and leave between 3.30pm and 6pm. We each had a time sheet which we would fill in and submit every second Friday. At the end of each fortnight we could carry forward up to ten hours credit or debit.

Our boss decided that as he couldn’t see us leaving the office, we MUST be cheating on our time sheets, so he implemented a time clock. We all had to log in and out when we arrived or left, which meant that none of us could leave via the door next to my desk -we had to go the longer route past his office. The time clock was supposed to reveal that we were all cheating, but in fact it revealed that we were all working longer hours than we had been claiming. It was only a few minutes each day, but if, for instance we arrived at 8.47, we would enter it as 8.50. If we left at 5.03 we would enter 5.00. All of a sudden we were all being credited with an extra 10 minutes or so per day, almost an hour a week. Every couple of months or so we were each able to take an extra day off courtesy of the time clock.

None of us were cheating on our time sheets, we were professionals who in fact were understating our hours.

That was a LONG way from the most offensive thing he did. He was a mean, nasty, petty little man.

What is something that someone said to you during your grieving that stuck with you?

My husband died suddenly when I was 31 and our children were just babies, aged seven and three. In the surreal and painful days immediately after his death, our house filled with visitors, mourners, love, and grief.

One of the women who came to hold my hand had been widowed just a couple of years earlier. She was older than I and her children were grown, but she was a relatively young widow, only in her fifties.

As I sat next to her on the couch, talk going on all around me about my beautiful young husband, it suddenly occurred to me that this woman might have some advice. I turned to her and asked, “What did you do when your husband died?”

Her thoughtful answer: “Oh, I just worked until I couldn’t.”

That advice actually got me through a lot. I worked and took care of the children. I frequently visited my mom in another city, as I always had. I took the children to my in-laws’ as my husband and I had done, and continued our relationship. Fearing insomnia and overwhelm from grief, I made sure I was exhausted when I lay down to sleep.

Work can be a balm for a sore heart. Staying busy allowed me to process grief in bits and pieces, so I didn’t crater completely. I was able to put my mind on my children and my job until I was emotionally stronger.

I’ve always been grateful to my friend for her answer. She may not have any idea how much it helped me.

TAXI, Iggy And The Pacman Machine

What are the experiences of female soldiers in the Finnish Army?

Let’s say it gave me perspective to understand the men’s lot in the society and in the life. Finland has this wonderful concept of conscription which means if you are male, you must serve. I do not call that as a male privilege.

Make no mistake, conscription is slavery. It is little better than chattel slavery. But for a country with large area and small population, it is the only eligible way to set up a credible size military. And it is different when you are a volunteer and when you are coerced. When you are a volunteer, you have a motivation and when things fcuck up, it is only your own naïete to blame. When you are coerced, it is your gender to blame.

Okay. Being referred to surname only basis was at first somewhat embarrassing, but also comforting: it meant my gender was now a non-issue. I realized now that the only thing which matters is my performance. Do not play the feminine card and ask for excuses for weaker physique. Be a team player.

Since conscription is a true cross section of the cohort, the materiél of the intake cohort is also a cross section of the society. The military did not only get the best of the boys to serve – it also got the worst, and it meant those boys with which you really would not like to have any interaction at any price, such as antisocial cases, former schoolyard bullies, psychopaths and sociopaths, alcoholics, drug addicts, petty criminals, thieves, weakly talented and hygienically challenged. Let’s say be curt and say the boot camp was a sheer hell. I regretted many times I had put that letter in the mailbox, but if I had quit, my dad would never have talked to me any more.

Once I had gotten in the specialist training, the going became much more sensible. The minimum intelligence for a military engineer is Stanine 6, and most of the boys were intelligent. Everything began to make sense, and I began to re-gain my motivation. I then volunteered for officer training, and was approved. Little did I know the boot camp was merely a mild prelude of what was to follow.

The academy was training from hell. Instead of brainwash (as in the boot camp) the method was now indoctrination, and while the negative motivator in the boot camp had been insults and denigration, in the academy it was now the fear of expulsion off the course. The training was physically extremely strenuous and we worked many all-nighters. But the cadets were incredibly bright lot, and from the first day on I really felt I was among my own. The team spirit was indomitable. In the end none in our company was expelled, and from my cohort in all companies, only four (two from being sick, one from getting engaged in a fight and one from failing in the examinations).

The military service gives you a great reality check in the life and what the life looks like at the other side of the gender fence. But if you are fit and if you can swallow your pride and identity as a unique snowflake, it gives you also a chance to really become a sociable person and a team player. I cannot stress the importance of the team work.

Like Eöwyn states in the ‘Lord of the Rings’, the women of this country learned long ago, those without swords can still die upon them. The military service gives you the skills to handle firearms safely and basis on learning to shoot and do the maintenance on them, and also the survival skills. They cannot be over-emphasized. Many people who come to the boot camp have never slept a night in the forest in a tent. Survival skills will benefit you for the rest of your life.

Do not stress your body too much and learn to know its limits. If your body fat percentage falls below 15, you will experience amenorrhea (cessation of the menstrual cycle). It is not fun. Moreover, the joints of women are more flexible and more easily sprained than those of men. But women tend to stand pain better than men – after all, childbirth is a painful event.

The military is not a place for romances. Do not attempt to socialize with your service mates. Treat them as your brothers. They will treat you as a sister.

Do not think it was all wine and roses. The Finnish suck is not a kindergarten – it is more like a sick crossbreed of a prison and lunatic asylum. What really picked on me was the inefficieny, stupidity and clowniness – everything had been designed according the dumbest thinkable recruit. But you may also learn special skills, leadership skills, and getting along with people.

In the end I decided the military wasn’t for me and went for the academia. Many Finnish female ex-soldiers head to become nurses or teachers – it is about learning to care of your fellow human beings and protect and instruct them.

All in all, it was an experience, but one of socialization. Without really having to learn on how to get along with all kinds of people, I might not have made it across the Atlantic in a sailing boat.

Why are wealthy Chinese seeking to launder funds overseas?

Unlike most European countries, Canada and the United States, China still has pretty strict capital controls which means it’s difficult to export money out of the country. This is essentially so the Chinese government can hoard U.S. cash (in the form of Treasury instruments, about $800 billion worth) which allows it to prop up the local currency, the yuan. In essence, its easy to convert dollars (or euros for that matter) to yuan but practically impossible to convert yuan to foreign currency except in limited amounts.

There are severe punishments for failure to declare foreign currency income if you’re a Chinese business. Now, there’s a lot of dollars flowing into China (the net is about $290 billion a year). The Chinese government likes to do all domestic transactions in yuan and use U.S. dollars (and euros) only for foreign transactions (and only when necessary).

Now, if you pay taxes in China, you pay them in yuan, but if your company earns foreign currency you’re supposed to convert it to yuan (unless you get permission to reinvest it) so that the government can build up a surplus of U.S. currency for public projects and the occasional foreign debt repayment.

So with all that money floating around, it’s not terribly difficult to divert a million here or there for other uses. The problem is that you have to do this on the sly and around official channels. If you get too much foreign currency, then you draw the attention of foreign tax officials, who are wondering where it all came from and why you aren’t paying local tax on the money. Foreign officials also aren’t above informing the Chinese government of violations of their capital control laws.

So let’s say you’re a Chinese company with timber holdings in Canada. It’s a good business and quite lucrative, but all your profits are supposed to be repatriated. No problem, just claim a few million in expenses for consulting companies and divert that money to an entity you own and hope the Chinese officials don’t catch on.

But this gives you another headache. Moving money through legitimate channels is easy to trace making it likely the Chinese government will catch on, or that local tax officials will start looking for that money. Naturally, this means you prefer to deal in cash. Offer some people discounts on full or partial cash transactions and you rake in the foreign currency. The problem now is to make it seem like it came from a legitimate source.

And that’s where the laundering comes in. You take the garbage bags of cash you’re collecting on the sly and get a confederate to take it to a B.C. provincial casino to gamble with it. Once you’ve gambled a little, the friendly cashier will be happy to get you a certified cheque (cashier’s check for Americans) which you can then take to a bank. You then work with a crooked real estate broker to get some inflated Vancouver property. From there, there’s lots of things you can do, like take a mortgage out on the property. The bank doesn’t even care if you default. That makes the money look legitimate and something earned outside the normal course of the lumber business.

Are there rural areas in Australia?

Can I ask you something before I answer this? Do your parents let you out by yourself? Because if so, that’s child endangerment. Neglect. And abuse. Now that that is out of the way…

See this map thingy here?

image 79
image 79

That’s Australia, that’s how it would look if it was in place of the entire continental US. Just about the same size, actually. Australia is 70,000 sq km larger than the contiguous US (if you don’t count the Great lakes, and since nobody lives on the great lakes. Or grows anything there, i don’t). Pretty neat, huh? Just one more cool thing we have in common. In fact, if you turn Australia upside down, it would almost look like the US. Or we would almost look like Australia. Either one.

Now, the continental US has 330 million people. We still have wilderness, and lots of rural areas. Australia has 25,884,430 as of Thursday, October 21, 2021. So about 1/13th the population. In the same amount of land.

Here’s a map of the population density of Australia:

image 78
image 78

You see the orange areas, both light and medium orange? That’s all rural areas. Very rural. Most of the yellow area is less than rural, possibly even uninhabitable, given its current state ( I’m fairly certain that part is so unexplored, there’s a full country of dinosaurs in there) . So yes, Australia has a lot of rural-ness. So there…what’s that, you say? You’re colorblind? Oh…well …I give up. Have a peachy night.

Is the claim that “Western Europe is rich thanks to its colonies” true?

Yes, to a large extent it is true, and it is rather obvious when you think about it. There is a certain amount of resources in the world and they cannot be used in two places at once. We can take Britain as an example. There are some things that the British just wouldn’t have been able to do historically if it wasn’t for their colonies.

image 76
image 76

In 1937 the British Empire exported 340,587 long tons of bauxite, which is the primary source of aluminium. This was becoming a strategic resource and was a highly lucrative trade. How much of this originated from Britain? 0%. 300,707 long tons (88.2%) of the British exports came from the colony British Guiana. If the native population had reaped the benefits of exporting this material, they would have been incredibly wealthy, there were about 2 tons of bauxite per person living there in 1937. But all that wealth went to great Britain, which used it to build infrastructure and other things in Britain.

Another important resource was chromium which is vital for making ships and other objects that needs to resist rust. The British Empire extracted a vast amount of chromium ore, 502,633 long tons in 1937, how much of it in Britain? 0%. From Rhodesia 53.9%, from South Africa 33% and from India 12.4%. Mind you the conditions for black mine workers in South Africa were essentially slavery.

For copper it was Canada and Rhodesia, diamonds in the Gold Coast and South Africa. The British Empire also produced 19.7 million troy ounces of gold, 10 of which was in South Africa none of which was in Britain. The Entire world produced 34.6 million troy ounces of gold, which means that the British produced 57% of all the gold in the world, 0% of which was done by the British.

We can continue, but I think you get the point. In 1937, British colonies allowed Great Britain to rob quite literally over half the gold in the world, before this state of affairs, it would be fair to say that in the 1800s Great Britain was the largest narco state in the world, when they exported opium to China to the point at which it was near collapse.

There is nothing voluntary or mutually beneficial about these trades, Africans were colonized with military force, and when China refused to trade in opium they were attacked twice, and eventually invaded and had their government palace looted and burned by British and French soldiers.

Western Europe, has spent hundreds of years robbing much of the world blind, through slavery, resource extraction and forced trade agreements through warfare. This wealth did not disappear into thin air. Westminister palace in London was built for the sum of billions of modern day pounds, British influence into the financial systems is long lasting and still benefits it, the legacy of that theft created billionaire families which exist today, and still maintain their wealth. Most importantly, all the wealth of these countries never went to the local population, they suffered in some cases over a hundred years of continuous enforced stagnation and poverty, were denied education, were denied industrialization, and now has to content with so called free market mechanisms without any of the things they we already have.

So yes, western Europe benefited enormously from colonies, and this is honestly just scratching the surface of the true extent of what the colonies actually meant.

What is the reason that China does not join the Group of Seven (G7) or the Group of Twenty (G20)? Why does it want to form its own group like the BRICS+?

G7 is really a “who to sanction next? Who to carpet bomb club headed by the U.S. amongst fellow native slaughterers and fellow despicable former colonial masters setting up a framework call the western rules based order to continue virtual colonialism”

China must never get anywhere near this hegemonic archaic imperialism tainted plunderers gathering. G20 China is a part of This grouping but it is making sure no single nation can and will abuse its position as a member in doing bad but as a group it is a force of good. Helping to eliminate real poverty. And not become U.S. tool of world subjugation.

BRICS are representing the world’s alternative powers. Brazil, Russia, India, China presents the global south ensuring the world’s largest population and now the largest GDP too to have an alternative or a sustainable future that the G7 cannot forced and coerce nations to be submissive and subservient to them. G7 can do what it likes but BRICS will counter if it sees the G7 as being vindictive or working against the interest of the developing world.

To put it in a simple apology. The west used the world to strip it of resources and capital through to barrel of the gun and after 300 years, it used the so call international rules base order to virtually colonised the world for another 80 years or so. That brings us to today. 2023. The 87% of the worlds nation or 180 out of 195 nations or so collectively know as the global south has a choice either to be real partners of equal rights with the west or go on their own!

So in summary G7 represents the U.S. dogs nation, BRICS represents the rest. And G20 is simply the top 20 nations representatives from both groups. From now till around 2050. There will be alternatives that are fairer, better, more representative of all corners of the world and a clear multi polar world. That no nation can dominate, not U.S. not China nor anyone else. Organisations like SWIFT, World Bank, IMF, Rating Agencies, metal and farm exchanges will have to go or become impartial. US dollars will be a currency amongst many currencies.

That will be the new world. Get use to it.

What is the most random but kindest thing you’ve been told?

Sometimes all we need is a break. I’m a single mom of three boys, dad died of suicide when they were 7,6 and 4. A day after I got the phone call, I received another telling me my eldest needed major back surgery. We went through hell traveling 200 miles a few times before the surgery. Brothers in tow. We did this while mourning, me working full time with little support, broke and scared. My mother asked me why I don’t just give up, collect welfare and stay home with my kids. She said exactly “You just can’t do it. Why don’t you give up”?

My employer made accommodations to have my son before and after surgery be able to come to work with me. He was having bowel and bladder accidents and after surgery, recovering on pain meds. Without her allowing him a comfortable space for me to keep an eye on him, we would’ve lost our apartment and car because I couldn’t have worked. She was so good to him, bringing treats and checking on him herself while I was busy (she’s a doctor). I had a hard time through the 12 years with her. That year was the worst. Months later I was in a car accident and was hurt pretty bad. The month after, my youngest had to go back and fourth to a specialist 100 miles away for bladder and kidney issues. She asked how I was when my eldest went back to school and I broke down. I cried, hard. I was afraid it would always be so hard, and that I’d screw my beautiful boys up.

She said “You are one of the smartest, most hard working I know. The difference between you and the other people I associate with is that you don’t have help, money or a nanny. You are an excellent mother and your children are so well behaved. You’ll be just fine.”

Coming from a doctor who had an autistic son and twins, who had a medical degree (at the time I had just a GED), who was a very dry, hard person, it meant the world. She helped me persevere. She saw the potential I could not see in me.

They’re 20, 19 and 16 now. They love their mom so much and recognize the struggle. They are genuinely good kids and I’m proud of what I did rather than looking and what I couldn’t.

If it weren’t for those words, I’m not sure we’d be were we are, in our own home, me graduating with a degree in just three weeks, them starting college and working.

I love that woman.

Family Ties – Sin Against Capitalism

Why do the Republicans not want a single payer, universal health Care system for the USA?

I have a newphew who lives with us. He’s a grown man, but due to health issues he cannot work anymore. He weighs less than 100 lbs and often has pain. He has Medicaid.

I have a very good job with a major corporation. I have health insurance for my family – the ONLY plan I can “choose from” from my employer – which is a “High Deductible combined with a Health Savings Account” plan. I pay hundreds a month for premiums. And, put thousands a year into my HSA.

Last month, my nephew and I BOTH went into the hospital for serval days for unrelated illnesses. We both went in, very sick, through the ER. I came out with a $3200 bill left to pay, and had to pay an additional $100 for prescriptions on my way out the door. I then had to followup with my regular doctor which cost me an additional $800.

By contrast, my nephew showed his Medicaid card, and nobody ever charged him a dime after that., Nobody talked to him about money, bills, costs, or anything of the like. He had more procedures done, though stayed one day less than I did. On the way home with him, we stopped and got 5 prescriptions for him – also at no cost.

WHY THE FUCK doesn’t EVERYBODY in America want their healthcare to work that way?

Which semiconductor company is making the chips for the Russian military?

Moscow Center of Sparc Technologies, they produce Elbrus processors.

image 81
image 81

There processors are a few years behind global leaders (they use 28-nm technology as of 2021), but they are sufficient for military purposes. Russian military also uses unique analog-based systems.

Pure and enduring

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

I can’t say it backfired “terribly”, but it did backfire in that it ruined everything.

I was a waiter at a pub and one day one of my fellow servers was having a really shitty day. Some personal stuff, but that just made the normal rude customers seem even worse.

I had read an article that said that laughing on purpose produces some chemicals in your brain that actually make you happier.

I pulled her aside set the timer on my watch (no smartphones then) and said: “Hey, we are going to laugh for one minute”. We did. It took her a while but in the end, she was laughing just because I was laughing. It made her feel better.

We did this often after that. We even did it in front of the customers in the dining area, and guess what, they all started laughing too. We started doing it at our shift meetings, all voluntarily laughing for no reason. It was great.

Then the owner heard about it and made it “policy” that every shift meeting we have to laugh for one minute. That killed everything. Making it a rule or policy destroyed anything that was fun about it.

We never laughed again.

What happened

Was Michael Jackson really an innocent person?

It is very unlikely.

I love Michael Jackson’s music and, with no exaggeration, think he might be the most talented person to live in the 20th century.

However, I’m fascinated with the cognitive dissonance some people have on accepting what is right in front of their eyes. It speaks to the power of Jackson’s stardom.

Now, if you are someone who adamantly defends him, I want you to hear this out. Pause your assumptions.

First, a common defense I’ve seen is that, “There was no evidence.” In molestation trials, there is rarely physical evidence to begin with, unless something was recorded. It is typically circumstantial evidence and eyewitness testimonies.

There’s been a string of molestation cases against MJ over the years. In one, a former accuser, Jordan Chandler, correctly told police where a birthmark and spots were on MJ’s genitals and rear-end. He literally drew a picture that matched it. The case was so damning that MJ paid more than $20 million to avoid trial. I don’t care how rich someone is: you don’t pay that kind of money if you have nothing to hide.

Others have testified to seeing Michael touching boys inappropriately. His housekeeper testified to catching him in the shower nude with a young boy. His security guard, Ralph Chacon, also testified to seeing indecent acts being performed on a boy.

When they raided MJ’s house, they found two magazines with photos of nude boys— but they fell into the grey area enough to be considered “art”. Feel free to see for yourself. These are the titles:

The Boy: A Photographic Essay
Boys Will Be Boys

These books were endorsed as recommended reads by NAMBLA (The National Associated of Man-Boy Lovers). They are popular with pedos because they are legal to own and Jackson had them in a locked cupboard.

A huge mob of superfans began running social media campaigns after the Leaving Neverland documentary came out. The testimonies in it were compelling, heartbreaking, and excruciatingly detailed. This is one of the men, James Safechuck, as a kid with MJ:

image 77
image 77

The other accuser, Wade and MJ:

image 8
image 8

Notice how all of the boys MJ hung out with were these cutesy boy-models. There are countless photos of him walking around holding hands with these boys, which isn’t damning on its own, but looks pretty bad in context to everything

MJ paid off families multiple times. He was accused multiple times over decades. He openly admitted to sharing his bed with boys. Latoya Jackson even warned people that MJ was doing this in the 90s.

There are certainly one-off cases of people using false claims against celebrities for payouts. But there is way, way too much smoke here for there not to be a fire.

Just to recap:

He’s had five separate accusers over the years and multiple employees testify against him, multiple payouts, borderline child (boy) erotica found in his home, a boy who drew a picture matching the description of his nether regions, an admission that he shared beds with boys—all of whom were modelesque looking.

We can have a conversation about injustice against black men in the US—because that is a real thing. We can have a conversation about unfair targeting of celebrities. But this is not the hill to die on.

MJ had the most elite lawyers money could buy and was enshrouded in an unrivaled aura of fame. He wouldn’t have made that $20 million payout if his counsel didn’t think he was in serious, serious trouble.

If any of us had been accused under the same conditions MJ had been, we’d have been convicted in a heartbeat.

Quartermaster’s Stew

Quartermaster’s Stew is a time-honored Scouting recipe that is easy to make.

2023 12 10 21 02
2023 12 10 21 02

Serves 6 to 8 scouts

Ingredients

Stew

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 cans mixed vegetables (save liquid)
  • 2 cans potatoes (drain off liquid and discard)
  • 1 packet stew seasoning mix

Optional

  • 1 can stewed tomatoes
  • Sliced fresh mushrooms
  • Additional vegetables, such as beans, corn

Instructions

  1. Heat Dutch oven on fire, add small amount of cooking oil, and brown ground beef. Drain grease.
  2. Stir in stew seasoning mix, add a bit of water, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add vegetables with liquid.
  4. Chop potatoes into small chunks and add to stew. Add small quantity of water if need to cover contents.
  5. Place oven on bed of charcoal – 8 to 10 briquettes (more in winter) on aluminum foil, shiny side up.
  6. Cover with lid and put 2 to 3 times as many coals on top. Cook about 15 minutes.
  7. Add tomatoes and mushrooms.
  8. Cook until potatoes are tender and stew is bubbly and hot through – 15 to 20 minutes depending upon heat level, stirring occasionally.

Newhart 4×19 He Ain’t Human, He’s My Cousin

What did you find while snooping that you wish you had never found?

When I was about 12 we were living with my great aunt (my mother’s father’s sister. She had a chest of drawers that sat in the hallway it had been there as long as I can remember. I knew, from quick peeks every now and again that it was full of old paperwork. One day they left me home alone for a short time (maybe 30 minutes), I started going through it. I saw some papers that had my mom’s maiden name on them. After reading them I figured out my mom had had a baby before me. Later, I told my mom what I had done and what I found. She explained to me that her father had gotten her pregnant through raping her for years. They (her aunts) sent her to a home for unwed mother’s and she had given the little boy up for adoption. I think about him from time to time but would never try to find him. I just pray that he was adopted by a loving family.

What is the most amazing thing you overheard because people didn’t think you understood their language?

Do you QSL?

A story about my stepkids.

Waay back in time I used CB radios…a lot !You can blame one of my uncles for that…he was ex army…different regiments becuase of his skill sets…anyway.

My step kids found out and wanted to know what ‘CB’ is / was.

So I explained about it being a two way radio that you could talk to people on…then I realised the the opportunity for a history lesson, ( I’m sneaky like that ;-).

So I started by telling them the history of HAM radio and how ships back in the ‘old days’ used radio ! By using the phonetic code, Morse code, the ‘Q’ code and later using the ’10 code’ as used by the American Police.

I had to give a demonstration of using Morse code…by tapping out SOS…they were fascinated !

So I started to teach the kids Morse etc…just by tapping out the letters / numbers.

Well…as kids do in situations like this they just ran with it…so I ended up making them a morse key and a buzzer to practice on. I also made some ‘flash cards’. The other trick I used was when a car etc passed us….’Quick ! what’s the code’? meaning the phonetic code’! So they would rattle it of quickly ( it helped with their spelling as well…( I told you I was sneaky ! ).

That progressed onto using Morse code as well as the ‘Q’ code.

Right…so were at the local supermarket…and I’d said to the kids they could ‘talk’ to each other…so their standing about 15/20 feet apart…and tapping out Morse code messages to each other.

Other people in the store soon caught on and were fascinated by the kids ( who were oblivious to the attention they were getting ). Right up until a new ‘voice’ joined in.

‘QSK’

Kids faces were a picture…they knew it wasn’t me…the ‘hand’ was different, besides…they could see me in the queue and my hand were in view !

‘QSK’

The kids looked at each other, pretty much gobsmacked !

So my girl took charge…and replied by tapping out ( of course I’d taught them how to respond ! ).

‘QSK, QRZ, QRA, QTH, QSL’.

Their was a sound of muffled laughter followed by more tapping, telling them his name ( Stan ) and that he was in the ice cream section ( which they couldn’t see ).

Soon enough I’d passed along the line and paid for our shopping and joined the kids, where we were standing ( and still replying to the ‘messages’ )…then an elderly guy walked up…and looked at the kids ( with a HUGE grin on his face…and introduced himself as ‘Stan’.

Turned out that Stan was a radio operator in WW2, sometimes dropped behind enemy lines…I swapped telephone numbers and a few days later we invited him to dinner, where he told us about some of his adventures during the war.

Why do people describe an emergency stop in a US Navy aircraft carrier as a traumatic and intense event even though passengers endure much greater deceleration when cars make gentle stops at traffic lights?

Full reverse

I was present for an emergency stop test in the engine room of the JFK back in the early 80s. I have first hand knowledge of doing this.

But how do I explain this experience to the average Joe or Josephine?

Your question related this to deceleration forces and cars, so I’ve been mulling over how to answer in the same terms. Here is what I came up with. Please fasten your seat belts.

A ship has no brakes. Normally it coasts to a stop. This takes about five miles for a carrier at full speed as someone else alluded to in another answer. You can do this in a car coming to a red light if you want to. It will irritate the other drivers, but who cares right?

I knew someone who drove like this. She was old in the 1970s. Real old. In her 90s. I mowed her yard. She had this old 50s something Chevy she bought new. Each spring she would buy a few cans of blue spray paint and give it a new coat. She did an amazing job.

One day, I was admiring the car. It did not have a scratch on it. No dents. No dings. No bent chrome. No rust. She bragged to me that she still had the original brake shoes. She made them last by planning ahead. She knew where the stops were and could just let off the gas beforehand and coast to a stop.

She was sweet and fierce. She fed me little cakes. If you got out of line she would slap you up side the head, hard.

That sums up an aircraft carrier nicely.

Now imagine a car with no brakes. You coast to a stop just like ships do. Everything is fine until some guy ruins your day by pulling out in front of you.

What do you do, You have no brakes?

YOU CRAM IT INTO REVERSE AND STEP ON THE GAS.

In cars, that would likely break something even if you have a straight shift, but you can do it if you are:

  • In the dirt.
  • Aided by brakes.
  • Have fancy foot work.

I can hear the comments now. Impossible.

  • It’s not.
  • I’ve done it.
  • Yes it is likely to tear things apart.

I’ll refrain from giving the details of when, where and why I did this. I am not sure what the statute of limitations is.

On an aircraft carrier, you are doing just that when you do an emergency stop. In the engine room, things are absolutely screaming in protest.

  • The ship starts shaking.
  • The throttleman and boiler console operator are working desperately together to keep from breaking stuff.
  • People are calling off times and pressures as everything starts vibrating.
  • Dust and dirt falls on you from the pipes and wiring above.
  • Hands grab tight to things bolted down to keep standing.
  • The ship’s tires start losing grip. That’s the screws (props) as they try to catch water so hard it boils. Yes, the water boils (cavitates). As the pressure is lowered, it turns to steam.
  • A few might wet themselves just a little.
  • 82,655 tons of metal that wants to keep on truckin’ protests loudly.

And it does not take miles to stop. It happens in a few ship lengths. Remember, a mile is only five lengths of a US aircraft carrier. Yes, it is intense.

We did this without any equipment on the flight deck. No planes. No green, red, yellow, white, blue, brown, or purple shirted guys running around. Everything tied down tight.

Bonus memory

The night I reported to the ship it was dark and rainy. I walked up to the watch at the pier and showed my orders. He pointed toward this dark shadow. I was confused.

“Is the ship behind that warehouse?” I asked.

He laughed and said, “That warehouse is the ship”

You really can’t appreciate the size of a US Carrier until you walk up and get swallowed by it.

For Man and Nature: Building a Community of Life Together

Remarks by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People’s Republic of China

At the Leaders Summit on Climate

22 April 2021

Honorable President Joe Biden,

Honorable Colleagues,

It is a great pleasure to join you at the Leaders Summit on Climate on Earth Day. I wish to thank President Biden for the kind invitation. It is good to have this opportunity to have an in-depth exchange of views with you on climate change, and to discuss ways to tackle this challenge and find a path forward for man and Nature to live in harmony.

Since time of the industrial civilization, mankind has created massive material wealth. Yet, it has come at a cost of intensified exploitation of natural resources, which disrupted the balance in the Earth’s ecosystem, and laid bare the growing tensions in the human-nature relationship. In recent years, climate change, biodiversity loss, worsening desertification and frequent extreme weather events have all posed severe challenges to human survival and development. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has added difficulty to economic and social development across countries. Faced with unprecedented challenges in global environmental governance, the international community needs to come up with unprecedented ambition and action. We need to act with a sense of responsibility and unity, and work together to foster a community of life for man and Nature.

We must be committed to harmony between man and Nature. “All things that grow live in harmony and benefit from the nourishment of Nature.” Mother Nature is the cradle of all living beings, including humans. It provides everything essential for humanity to survive and thrive. Mother Nature has nourished us, and we must treat Nature as our root, respect it, protect it, and follow its laws. Failure to respect Nature or follow its laws will only invite its revenge. Systemic spoil of Nature will take away the foundation of human survival and development, and will leave us human beings like a river without a source and a tree without its roots. We should protect Nature and preserve the environment like we protect our eyes, and endeavor to foster a new relationship where man and Nature can both prosper and live in harmony.

We must be committed to green development. Green mountains are gold mountains. To protect the environment is to protect productivity, and to improve the environment is to boost productivity — the truth is as simple as that. We must abandon development models that harm or undermine the environment and must say no to shortsighted approaches of going after near-term development gains at the expense of the environment. Much to the contrary, we need to ride the trend of technological revolution and industrial transformation, seize the enormous opportunity in green transition, and let the power of innovation drive us to upgrade our economic, energy and industrial structures, and make sure that a sound environment is there to buttress sustainable economic and social development worldwide.

We must be committed to systemic governance. Mountains, rivers, forests as well as farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts all make indivisible parts of the ecosystem. Protecting the ecosystem requires more than a simplistic, palliative approach. We need to follow the innate laws of the ecosystem and properly balance all elements and aspects of Nature. This is a way that may take us where we want to be, an ecosystem in sound circulation and overall balance.

We must be committed to a people-centered approach. The environment concerns the well-being of people in all countries. We need to take into full account people’s longing for a better life and a good environment as well as our responsibility for future generations. We need to look for ways to protect the environment, grow the economy, create jobs and remove poverty all at the same time, so as to deliver social equity and justice in the course of green transition and increase people’s sense of benefit, happiness and security.

We must be committed to multilateralism. We need to work on the basis of international law, follow the principle of equity and justice, and focus on effective actions. We need to uphold the UN-centered international system, comply with the objectives and principles laid out in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, and strive to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We need to each take stronger actions, strengthen partnerships and cooperation, learn from each other and make common progress in the new journey toward global carbon neutrality. In this process, we must join hands, not point fingers at each other; we must maintain continuity, not reverse course easily; and we must honour commitments, not go back on promises.

China welcomes the United States’ return to the multilateral climate governance process. Not long ago, the Chinese and US sides released a Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Crisis. China looks forward to working with the international community including the United States to jointly advance global environmental governance.

We must be committed to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities is the cornerstone of global climate governance. Developing countries now face multiple challenges to combat COVID-19, grow the economy, and address climate change. We need to give full recognition to developing countries’ contribution to climate action and accommodate their particular difficulties and concerns. Developed countries need to increase climate ambition and action. At the same time, they need to make concrete efforts to help developing countries strengthen the capacity and resilience against climate change, support them in financing, technology, and capacity building, and refrain from creating green trade barriers, so as to help developing countries accelerate the transition to green and low-carbon development.

Colleagues,

The Chinese civilization has always valued harmony between man and Nature as well as observance of the laws of Nature. It has been our constant pursuit that man and Nature could live in harmony with each other. Ecological advancement and conservation have been written into China’s Constitution and incorporated into China’s overall plan for building socialism with Chinese characteristics. China will follow the Thought on Ecological Civilization and implement the new development philosophy. We will aim to achieve greener economic and social development in all aspects, with a special focus on developing green and low-carbon energy. We will continue to prioritize ecological conservation and pursue a green and low-carbon path to development.

Last year, I made the official announcement that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. This major strategic decision is made based on our sense of responsibility to build a community with a shared future for mankind and our own need to secure sustainable development. China has committed to move from carbon peak to carbon neutrality in a much shorter time span than what might take many developed countries, and that requires extraordinarily hard efforts from China. The targets of carbon peak and carbon neutrality have been added to China’s overall plan for ecological conservation. We are now making an action plan and are already taking strong nationwide actions toward carbon peak. Support is being given to peaking pioneers from localities, sectors and companies. China will strictly control coal-fired power generation projects, and strictly limit the increase in coal consumption over the 14th Five-Year Plan period and phase it down in the 15th Five-Year Plan period. Moreover, China has decided to accept the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and tighten regulations over non-carbon dioxide emissions. China’s national carbon market will also start trading.

As a participant, contributor and trailblazer in global ecological conservation, China is firmly committed to putting multilateralism into action and promoting a fair and equitable system of global environmental governance for win-win cooperation. China will host COP15 to the Convention on Biological Diversity this October and looks forward to working with all parties to enhance global governance on biodiversity. We support COP26 to the UNFCCC in achieving positive outcomes. As we in China often say, “It is more important to show people how to fish than just giving them fish.” China has done its best to help developing countries build capacity against climate change through various forms of results-oriented South-South cooperation. From remote sensing satellites for climate monitoring in Africa to low-carbon demonstration zones in Southeast Asia and to energy-efficient lights in small island countries, such cooperation has yielded real, tangible and solid results. China has also made ecological cooperation a key part of Belt and Road cooperation. A number of green action initiatives have been launched, covering wide-ranging efforts in green infrastructure, green energy, green transport and green finance, to bring enduring benefits to the people of all Belt and Road partner countries.

Colleagues,

As we say in China, “When people pull together, nothing is too heavy to be lifted.” Climate change poses pressing, formidable and long-term challenges to us all. Yet I am confident that as long as we unite in our purposes and efforts and work together with solidarity and mutual assistance, we will rise above the global climate and environmental challenges and leave a clean and beautiful world to future generations.

Thank you.

Why do so many people still think Ukraine is going to win this war when obviously they are doomed? Is this misinformation or just people being stupid?

Why do so many people still think Ukraine is going to win this war when obviously they are doomed?

It’s a religion now.

The god is democracy; not the concept or the practice, just the word “democracy”.

The US is the prophet.

The EU and other US “allies” are the priests.

Zelensky is the messiah.

Ukraine is the promised land.

Is this misinformation or just people being stupid?

This is normal behaviour for religious people. When faced with facts, we do not renounce our deity. We do not say “Oh, this has really opened our eyes to the truth.” We draw together, expel the unbeliever and say this tribulation has made us stronger and more pure.

Although, unlike other “traditional” religions, this one in particular is actually quite flexible. Because soon Tsai will be the messiah and Taiwan the promised land.

What is the most important life lesson you’ve learned so far?

When I was 13, I wanted a six pack. I did sit ups and curls intermittently with no plan or rigor. By 14, I’d given up.

When I was 16, I picked up boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I wanted to be great at fighting. By 17, I’d decided in my head that great fighters have been doing this since they were 8, so I’d given up.

When I was 18, I wrote blog posts and started multiple businesses, I’d take them to a level of significance but nothing actually significant. By 19, I’d decided in my head I wasn’t going to make 6 figures at it anytime soon, so I’d given up.

Everything I wanted to get or do or be, I gave it one year tops before giving it up.

Now I look back and ask myself “Where would I be right now if I’d stuck with it? What if I’d had that foresight?

I work out every day now.

I write every day now.

I train to fight multiple times per week.

I’m following the things I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, because I now know the dividends I will get are going to have outstanding returns in 2 years, 5 years and 10 years from now.

1% better a day doesn’t look like much in 30 days, but it transforms you completely over the course of years.

The most important lesson I’ve learned in life is to play the long game.

The you in the past wants you to do better than they did, and the you in the future wants you to be better than you are. Don’t let yourself down.


Edit: When I wrote this I had no idea the kind of response it would get.

I want to write to each and every one of you who’ve commented to thank you personally for how much it means of you to comment on this (and as you might see, I’ve tried).

If there’s anything I can do to help the future you be better, please feel free to message me or ask me to answer your questions. While I can’t respond to everyone or answer every request, I’ll do my best.

Mister Ed Plays Baseball

Why are Chinese manufacturers’ products not as good as Japanese manufacturers’ products but less than half the price (electronics)?

I think that is fast changing and in 5 years you can hardly see the difference. Japanese has a 35 years head start but all economies do the same. They copy, learn, innovate and move up stream. And now they are worried other nations steal their idea. China is no different from the USA and Japan. Both went through the same path. To say China steal is very rich and so is to say China’s product is inferior.

These days China offers 3 value for money items. One is poorer quality but very cheap. Many in the 3rd world need to make do with this. And one who is very good quality but for rich and wealthy individuals and then there is the run of the meal products. In between the first two.

Why are sanctions on Russia so weak that Russia is constantly laughing at those sanctions?

Russia is a Surplus Food Producer and a Surplus Energy Exporter and has a massive raw material reservoir

How on earth could anyone with 1/10th of a brain hope to sanction such a country ?

It’s what we on Quora from Day 1 have always been saying

Myself, Bill Chen, Cai Lei, Venkata Krishna (Venkata Rao), Boris, Ivan, Alexander Finnegan, Li Pengli, Patrick Koh, Peter Okuhira, Donald Canton, Paul Denlinger, Bill Zhang, Robert Vanrox, Keshto Pat

It’s basic economics

Basic demand & supply

In fact the sanctions have rebounded very badly on Europe itself

Have you ever watched justice be served to a rude airline passenger?

I was in Shanghai, expecting to board a flight home after a long week. The flight was due to leave around 23:00. As I waited in the public area, I heard a comment about the flight, so I went to the counter and asked what had happened. The polite young girl with great English said that there was an issue with the aircraft and that there were no code shares available, so the flight had been cancelled.

Obviously I was unhappy, but I couldn’t blame it on the girl. I asked what I should do as I had no hotel booking and didn’t want to spend the night in the airport. She called up somebody. A woman came along in a golf cart and loaded my bags, driving me off to the other end of the terminal, where a group of tourists were going ballistic about the cancellation. She smiled at me and said ‘sit here’ so I stayed seated in the golf cart while the angry, drunk mob of tourists vented.

A few minutes later, she came back and drove us out to the carpark, where a late model black BMW was waiting. I was loaded in and driven to a nice new hotel near the airport. Upon arrival, I was greeted by staff and taken to a beautiful room. The attendant said that my stay and breakfast were free and that a driver had been arranged for the morning. As the attendant was walking out the door, he turned and said ‘Don’t worry sir, those other passengers are spending the night in the airport’!

Why do people say that Americans go bankrupt by hospital bills since most people don’t really pay them at all and nothing really happens too?

In 2009 I was taken to court by a hospital over a $200 balance and told by a judge I had 30 days to pay, or I was going to be arrested and put in jail. It was the peak of the Bush economic implosion, my business failed after 15 years of success, I had lost my house and car, and had been selling off everything, including my plasma, to rent a tiny house without air conditioning or heat. I was destitute, and the thought of jumping in front of a train so my family could cash in on my still paid up life insurance and my wife could receive my social security death benefit was becoming more of an option every moment. Here I was in court facing a judge that didn’t care about my situation and a smug collection attorney that worked for the hospital that treated my pneumonia caused by having no heat and they didn’t care at all. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t pay that bill in 30 days. I would be lucky if I could feed my children in 30 days. I did what I had to do, sold what I had left, beds, toys, family heirlooms, practically everything but the clothes on our backs. I borrowed a piece of crap car from the only friend I had left, and we snuck out of town into hiding. We managed to make it back to my hometown where I had friends from grade school and one gave us a place to stay, another gave me a job for cash daily. We survived like that for a year and I finally got back on my feet enough to contact the collection attorney office and arrange to make payment in full. I called the Sheriff and discovered that there was a warrant for my arrest where we used to live. I contacted that attorney again and told them I would pay them with a 7-11 money order and mail it to their office immediately if they took care of that warrant. They couldn’t do anything because only the judge had the power to discard the warrant. I had to continue to live anonymously for the next 3 years, no known address, no W-2, registering my kids in school under my mother’s maiden name until I afford a lawyer in another state to clear it up for me. 4 years of my life were taken from me over my inability to pay a $200 hospital balance. Don’t tell me nothing happens if you don’t pay a hospital bill.

**edit**

I have decided to disable comments. Apparently the concept of my particular situation is somehow lost in translation. I’ve been called names and grown tired of explaining how this is possible. Rather than continue to engage with these commentators, I will simply step away. Thank you to those that have shown empathy and support.

Hart To Hart | Long Lost Love | Season 5 Episode 8 Full Episode | Classic TV Rewind

https://youtu.be/Kqm-LV1YKcI

Welcome to the NEW DRAGON

2022 was a dumpster fire.

2023 was a cracked sewer pipe…

But 2024 is going to be different. How different, remains to be seen. But I have hope; I am optimistic.

It is the year of the DRAGON.

Chinese Horoscope 2024 – Year of the Dragon

The Chinese zodiac marks the start of a new cycle with the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, when one animal gives way to another. On February 10, 2024, the Year of the Dragon begins.

The Dragon is a powerful and auspicious creature in Chinese mythology, representing courage, creativity, and innovation. 2024 promises to be a year full of possibilities and opportunities.

According to the Chinese zodiac, the Dragon is the most powerful and auspicious animals. It represents strength, wisdom, luck and prosperity. The dragon is also associated with one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water. Each element gives the dragon a different personality and destiny.

The Year of the Wood Dragon 2024 is also known as Yang Wood on Dragon, or Jia Chen 甲辰 in Chinese. The fixed element of the Dragon (Chen) is Earth (Wu 戊), which represents stability, honesty and loyalty. The variable element of the Dragon in 2024 is Yang Wood, or Jia 甲, representing growth, creativity and flexibility.

The Wood Dragon is the most creative and visionary of the dragons. They are optimistic, ambitious and adventurous. They like to explore new ideas and challenge themselves. They are also generous, compassionate and loyal to their friends.

Therefore, the Year of the Dragon in 2024 is expected to be a time of visionary leaders, innovators and problem solvers. 2024 is also predicted to be a great year to start new projects, explore new opportunities and create value for yourself and others.

Some of the most promising sectors for business growth in the Dragon Year 2024 are fintech, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and solar energy. These industries are driven by innovation and demand for cutting-edge solutions. To succeed in these competitive markets, businesses need to embrace new technologies and communicate their value proposition effectively.

The year of the Wood Dragon 2024 is special because it is a rare combination of the dragon’s power and the wood’s creativity. It is a year of innovation, vision and growth. It is a year to pursue your dreams, express your ideas and expand your horizons. It is also a year to be generous, compassionate and loyal to your friends. The next Year of the Wood Dragon in the Chinese zodiac will be 2084, which is 60 years from now.

A Black and White Cat Kept His Owner Awake Until the Ambulance Arrived

Happy 2024

2024 01 01 19 10
2024 01 01 19 10

WTF??????

What is the best piece of advice you could give someone about life?

Mr. Andrew Carnegie arrived in America in 1848, with no money and with no formal higher education.

His parents decided to move the Carnegie family to the United States after a famine hit the Scottish countryside.

At thirteen years old, Carnegie found a job that would pay him $1.20 for a 70-hour week.

During his free time, Carnegie read books loaned to him from one of the local libraries.

These books impacted his life so much that later he donated millions of his money to building over 2,500 public libraries and educational institutions around the world.

image 577
image 577

When Carnegie was about 18 years old, Thomas Scott, the owner of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, employed him as a telegraph operator at a salary of $4.00 per week.

By age 24, Mr. Scott saw great potential in the young Carnegie, and promoted him to superintendent of a division of the Railroad Company.

Mr. Scott eventually became Carnegie’s mentor, a relationship that changed his future.

image 576
image 576

The experience Carnegie gained working closely to Scott was a vital ingredient in his success in the steel industry.

Years later, Carnegie sold his company to JP Morgan. That was what made him the wealthiest man on earth, and the philanthropist he later became.

To answer your question, what is the best piece of advice you could give someone about life?

1.- What are you filling your mind with?

Are you consuming your free time with worthless social media? Carnegie read books. He invested continuously in his personal growth.

Stop wasting your time!

2.- Are you trying to figure out how to do it alone! Who do you take advice from?

Carnegie was inspired by Mr. Scott. He listened to his advice. He was a hard worker. He was coachable.

Don’t try to do it alone!

Meaningful

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/URkqD59wmj4?feature=share

Rhodes Runzas

rhodes runzas
rhodes runzas

Ingredients

  • 12 Rhodes Texas™ Rolls, or 24 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
  • 4 cups sliced cabbage
  • 1 cup sliced yellow onion
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Sauté cabbage and onion in oil. Cover and steam for 40 minutes.
  2. Brown ground beef in a large pan, and drain well.
  3. Add cabbage, onion, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
  4. Flatten each Texas roll, or 2 dinner rolls into a 6-inch circle. Divide filling among 12 circles (about 1/3 cup).
  5. Place 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese on top of filling. Pull edges around filling and pinch to close.
  6. Place on a large sprayed baking sheet, pinched side down. Brush tops with melted butter.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Russian missile strike kills 200 foreign Mercenaries, Intelligence officers, military commanders.

What was the most satisfying display of instant karma you have ever seen?

In January 2019, Copdy Litz made a 10-foot snowman with his fiancée and his sister, and then posted this on Facebook:

image 579
image 579

It received a lot of admiration online as well as from his neighbours. However, when something marvellous attracts admirers, it also brings jealous assholes. Same thing happened with this snowman.

Turns out that one day when Copdy was away, a douche driver tried to destroy the snowman by ramming their car into it. To their horror, however, the result wasn’t as amusing as the driver was expecting.

When Copdy returns home, he sees this:

image 578
image 578

Tyre tracks leading to the snowman but they stop abruptly and the imprint of a bumper can be seen exposed in the snow. The snowman is still standing. Any idea how?

Do you see that black-brown part where there’s no snow? Well, that’s a thick tree stump used as a base for this snowman, but it was concealed by the snow. Hence, when the driver decided to ram their car into the snowman, they had no idea of the surprise they were in for, and ended up crashing their car into the sturdy stump. That’s why you see the imprint of a bumper on the snow and no more tyre tracks beyond the snowman.

[1] Sadly, the driver fled the scene after this surprise they received, and therefore, there’s no photo to show the damage on their car, but I bet it must be a good one (lol).

Copdy Litz later revealed in an interview that the purpose of using a tree stump as a base for this snowman was to teach vandals a lesson because such incidents were very common in his region. For sure other vandals must have learned the lesson.

Anyway, this display of instant karma seems pretty satisfying to me. If only I could see the damaged car, I’d be more satisfied.

Glitches In The Matrix People Can’t Explain

Wow!

What is your most “you’ve got to be kidding me” experience at a car mechanic?

I bought a car in TX. Private party. In winter. To drive to MN. On turnpike it was getting cold. I stop at Goodyear shop near a hotel. “I want radiator flush, engine block heater installed, -20 antifreeze”

got estimate, signed, walked to hotel, called with room info as next day Saturday they were open till noon. Next day 11:30 am check out, walk over. “owe did not have correct size front plug replacement block heater. So we put a lower hose heater in. We charged your card, here are keys we are closing early”

I KNEW lower hose not recommended. As angles all wrong. Warmed water flows to radiator first. NOT engine. But what can I do? So I will drive. Go to local Goodyear shop have it corrected.

50 miles hose blows apart. I had bought gallon antifreeze as knowing how shops screw filling empty radiator. But gauge looked great. Using knife I tighten hose clamps, add gallon antifreeze strait, limp to rest stop, gallon water, next town.

Get to local Goodyear. “we are not in same Goodyear chain as that place. But we will give you $5 off new hose, new frost plug heater, installation and full antifreeze replacement”. I did it myself.

10 American Cities That Are DEAD Forever

What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

Many years ago, I worked in a small sewing factory that made water ski vests. When I was hired, I was paid by the hour but was told that I would get raises based on my work, and the sky was the limit. I soon discovered that there was a very low cloud cover.

I got a small raise after one month. I was assigned to do the finishing job, but devised a new method and could complete 600 vests a day. The other workers could not keep up with me, and I had to learn all of the other jobs so that I would have at least 300 vests ready to finish.

Minimum wage increased; new employees were now being paid 10 cents an hour less than I was. I asked for another raise based on my performance and was told that if I kept doing what I was, I would get a raise in 6 weeks.

A month later, the owner brought in an “efficiency expert” who looked at my finishing job and suggested “improvements”. The improvements made me do twice the work for half the numbers.

The next day, I tried to talk to the owner about it. He told me to try it for six weeks, and I would get a raise. But, I was two weeks away from my promised raise. I said, “I quit!”

A couple of weeks later, I ran into my supervisor. She said she had to do my job until they could train someone else. After two hours of doing the “improved” method, she realized why I quit and went back to my method.

I also ran into the person they trained to replace me. She could complete 50 vests a day, instead of my 600.

The business went bankrupt 3 months later. There was a riot and police were called when the boss showed up with no paychecks on payday 🙂

What is a slap-in-the-face job offer?

I once responded to a job ad that advertised a pay rate of $10–25 per hour.

I showed up to the business to do an interview with the owner. The guy was busy so I had to wait 30 minutes past my scheduled time. Apparently, the guy didn’t even remember what was on my resume, nor did he seem to care. He didn’t even ask about my skills and mostly just talked up about himself and his business.

Finally at the end of the interview, he offered me the current minimum wage ($9.25 at the time, it was going to increase to $10 in a few months) and that we can “sit down and talk” about increasing the rate after a month.

This was an IT software and hardware repair shop and I had a master’s degree in computer science with several years of work experience. I wasn’t looking for a massive salary rate, but a side gig that paid reasonably well. I wasn’t going to work for minimum wage and then hope to God this business owner was going to be convinced to double the rate after one month.

I was really surprised by the salary rate, but I caught myself before I might have reacted negatively and said, “I’ll think about it.” I probably would have accepted it at $15 an hour, but minimum wage for a position that requires some technical knowledge, did not make any sense to me.

I thought about it and there were just too many red flags:

  • He didn’t read my resume, which isn’t respectful of my time to go to an interview.
  • Did not even offer the pay rate mentioned in the advertisement. He lied.
  • Clearly a sign that this guy is going to be very stingy, so the 1 month “sitdown” salary evaluation meeting did not look promising at all.
  • Doesn’t seem to be able to keep employees for very long. This was based on what I asked during the interview.

Needless to say, I followed up with an email saying that this wasn’t what I was looking for.

Update: Some bonus info I recalled recently. I remembered him mentioning in the middle of the interview that he had a mortgage to pay as if to get sympathy. I realized after the interview he was already thinking about making that shitty offer.

All empty stores all San Francisco

Have you ever caught someone in the action of stealing packages off your doorstep?

I used to be an Amazon Flex driver on the weekends to make some extra money. The base pay was $18 an hour and if I did my deliveries quickly, I was making more than $25 an hour.

They have a program where you sign up to be an “independent contractor” and get paid for delivering a certain number of packages in a prescribed amount of time. It was a lot of fun even though you have to basically fight other people online to get a run.

One day I was out making deliveries and I noticed a car pull over at a house where I had just dropped off a package. I thought to myself that it must be the homeowner and stopped to deliver the next. But, I kept an eye on the car and sure enough, they were following me and grabbing my packages.

I called the police and kept on delivering. Within 5 minutes, a police car pulled them over and as soon as I saw that they had them stopped I turned around and went to speak with the officers.

Come to find out that they had followed me out of the station and began taking my packages from the start. I looked in their car, and they had grabbed 9 of my packages! Had I not called the police, who knows how many more they would have gotten. They were arrested on the spot and taken away in handcuffs.

I was incredibly angry, because not only had they stolen my packages, but now I had to go back and deliver them all again!

It screwed up what should have been a very simple day, but I was thrilled to know that these porch pirates got what was coming to them!

1940s Life

People all over the world see the US as terrorist, look down on the US and have a bad image of the US, but why are only the Americans not aware of this?

Americans thinks the world thinks the world of them!

They are full of it!

Can you believe that the U.S. thinks people in Iraq welcome them warmly after they carpet bomb Baghdad killing civilians including women, children and babies! What Iraqis are doing is the lured them into the lions den and sniped them and bomb them into smitten! But U.S. officials and some Americans think the Muslim and Arab communities loved them!

The critical question

When being terminated from a job, have you ever warned the company of something important that only you knew how to do, and your advice has gone unheeded?

About 20 years ago I worked for a huge Multinational American Call Centre that had opened a centre in Belfast. I worked hard and got several commendations and promotions, eventually being in charge of Annual leave for all the Call Centres in the UK. Problem was, the call centre didn’t want to spend money on software to track annual leave.

So I made it, on excel, as they didn’t support Access, go figure. Anyone who knows, will tell you access was far better for something like tracking annual leave for over 2000 employees across 3 sites on, but I am damn good at excel, and I made it do things its really not designed to do.

For 3 years I told them that it wasn’t fit for purpose and I needed proper software. Eventually we got a new director and they seemed to take note of what I was saying. So they looked at what I was doing, how I was doing it, and then decided to outsource it to a team in a South African Call Centre and Lipa City in the phillipines, apparently paying the two teams was less than my salary. They asked me to create an instruction manual for the tracker so that these guys could do my job, and they would move me to another department.

Once completed, they terminated me, paying me 10 weeks severance for my time served plus owed leave. I warned the centre Director he was making a mistake, he just laughed.

4 weeks later I got a phone call from a friend who still worked there, the Leave tracker had crashed as the teams running it weren’t doing the daily maintainence in the manual, they had also deleted the back ups to save disc space. There was no record of who had taken what leave and who had what leave left to take. So with 3 months left in the financial year, they ended up having to give all 2316 members of staff their full leave entitlement again (turns out payroll didn’t bother recording what they had paid to whom and for why).

I phoned the Director and simply said, “I warned you what would happen, but you decided you knew better, good luck.” He simply hung up, no response. 3 weeks later he was terminated for costing the firm millions in additional payments for all the extra leave.

I lasted just short of 8 years, he lasted just short of 8 months.

Not a lady

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VMAFAuibDlI/frame0.jpg

What is a slap-in-the-face job offer?

I worked for a large aerospace company in the Midlands. I never worked more than my contracted 38 hours/week, travelled away from base once a month and needed an overnight stay 2-3 times a year.

I was approached by a large consultancy to work for them and had a first round of informal meetings. Their HR person then phoned me and asked me about my current salary and expectation. Before I answered, I asked her to confirm what had been hinted at in the first meeting, 50–60 hours per weeks, 2–3 overnights a week. Yes she said. In that case, current salary +20%. She went quiet and then asked why I expected that much. Extra hours and nights away. We are only allowed to offer 7% over current. I replied “I’m sorry, but that fails the Tesco test.” What’s that she asked. “I could work the extra hours stacking shelves in my local Tesco for minimum wage, make more money and still sleep in my own bed.”

She Changed Her Face In Front Of The Camera Within 10 Seconds

2023 was a strange year

2024 01 01 19 13
2024 01 01 19 13

What is the difference between a king and an emperor?

A king is ruler of a sovereign country. An emperor is the ruler of the whole continent, considered to be higher than any other secular rulers. The Islamic equivalent is caliph, the Zoroastrian equivalent is shahanshah and the Hindu equivalent is maharaja.

Traditionally there were two Emperors in the Christian world: the Holy Roman Emperor (Western Emperor) and the Eastern Roman Emperor (Eastern Emperor).


Once the Eastern Roman Empire fell in 1453, the Russian grand prince Ivan III the Great assumed the title of Czar (from caesar) and Peter I the Great nominated himself as the Russian Emperor.

The French Revolution was basically a re-enactment of fan fiction of Rome. First they deposed the King, then they declared Republic (which went pear-shaped in five years instead of 500) and finally Napoléon imitated Augustus and declared himself the Emperor of France. By doing this, he juxtaposited himself with both the Habsburgs (Holy Roman Empire – itself more or less a fan-fiction of the Western Roman Empire) and Romanovs (Russian Empire – a fan-fiction of the Eastern Roman Empire). Naturally there could be only one, so Napoléon had the Holy Roman Empire abolished in 1806. Instead, the Habsburgs would claim the title of Kaiser des Österreiches (Austrian Emperor). Which made sense, as Czech was a kingdom, Hungary was a kingdom, Croatia was a kingdom and the rest of the Austrian lands were principalities.

Finally Germany unified under the Kingdom of Prussia in 1870. Since Germany was a hodgepodge quilt of kingdoms, princedoms, republics and city states, King Wilhelm declared himself as the Kaiser (Emperor) of Germany (from caesar).

All European Kaisers and Czars fell in the WWI. Ever since 1918, there hasn’t been an Emperor in Christian lands.


Also China and Japan have had an Emperor. The Chinese emperor was deposed in 1912, China becoming a republic, but Japan has maintained its emperor (mikado). The current Emperor of Japan is Naruhito, and his reign is called Reiwa.

Peculiar

2024 01 01 19 15
2024 01 01 19 15

When did you realize that you had grown up?

I know the exact moment when I realized I was an adult.

It was the Christmas of 1998. I was in Beijing. I was one of those spoiled rich brats who went on a joyride with my fancy friends in my fancy car that my dad bought me. So that night, although none of us were Christian, it seemed like a good idea to celebrate some random holiday, drive to a dance club and have some fun. We were fully prepared to get drunk and party until dawn.

I was driving with 4 other friends in the car and I got into an accident. I was very scared, it was completely my fault. We realized no one was hurt and tried to leave. But the police arrived at the scene before we could drive off. And things got really serious.

I remember this old police officer, he had this “seen it done that” attitude, and asked “Who’s the driver?” I said that it was me. And he asked “Could you explain to me what happened?” I said “I want to wait until my dad is here.” And he asked again: “Are you the driver?” I said I was. And he replied, “If you’re old enough to drive and get yourself into this mess, you’re old enough to explain to me what happened and take responsibility.”

He was not mean, he was not angry with me or anything. He just said it as a matter of fact. And that’s the moment I realized I was an adult.

Why I choose to raise my child in CHINA and not the WEST

Why isn’t anyone talking about the Zhaoxin KX-7000 CPU?

Nobody was talking about Chinese EVs until they took the world by storm at the Munich car show this year.

It was all Tesla, and more recently, the Germans and Koreans. The Japanese were not in the game at all, preferring ICE hybrids.

No one was paying attention to the charging infrastructure put in place in China, or the huge number of models from diverse manufacturers no one outside of China had any experience with.

My friend says there are at least 100 Chinese EV brands operating today.

100! China today is where the US automobile industry was pre-war.

Why isn’t anyone talking about the CPU? Because this is the English medium, and there is an automatic filter on any news that puts a positive spin against the narrative of the Chinese being a backward sub-human species who cannot innovate and therefore copy and steal exclusively from the west.

Read the Chinese to keep up with the Chinese.

Don’t read ABOUT them.

Otherwise, be prepared to be surprised/shocked repeatedly by the Chinese.

This Just ΗΑPPΕNED In The Netherlands, Υet Something Εven More Bizarre Is ΗΑPPΕNING IN AMERICA

Have you ever had such a close call it makes your skin shiver everytime you think about it? If so, what happened?

It was 1989 in Richmond Virginia. Even though I was in my first year as a cop with the police department I was assigned a new recruit from the academy to be his field training officer. This young man was an immigrant from Jamaica. He said that his mother had read my future and that I needed this to keep me safe, and he handed me a bloodstone. As I was looking at it we got an alarm call for an industrial site that was a quarter of a mile away from where we were parked. I turned the key to the patrol car and nothing happened. I decided we would get out and run the distance to the site. When we were about two hundred yards away the building exploded, blowing the both of us back ten to fifteen feet. I still have scars on my left forearm that I instinctively put over my eyes. When we went back to the car it turned over the first time. My trainee looked at me and said, “My moms be looking out for you!”

If the car had worked we would have been there when the building exploded, and we would have both been dead.

Never break this rule

What aspects of life in middle ages Europe do movies always get wrong?

My mother-in-law always pointed out that, if Hollywood were depicting medieval Europe accurately, between one-third to one-sixth of young adult women between the ages of sixteen to forty should be visibly pregnant when they waddle into range of the camera and every shot of urban areas should be swarming with young children (the majority of which will eventually die before reaching adulthood). You should have at least four children visible in every scene in which at least one adult is visible.

It was a world without legal birth-control, and women had a large number of children if they weren’t nuns. Walking down a medieval street, you would have seen swarms of children—think Rwanda-level disparities in the young compared to adults. Margery Kempe in the early 1400s, for instance, had fourteen children by the time she was forty. A reasonable guess at the normal number would be for an average married medieval woman to have ten children, of which fewer than a third would survive to adulthood. The most common cause of adult female mortality in the medieval world appears to be death in childbirth.

During each woman’s pregnancies, I believe there is little visible bulge until the the last few months of pregnancy. After that, she should be visibly pregnant. The swarms of children should be everywhere, running in the streets, crammed into alleys and houses, and pouring through doorways constantly.

Visiting the USA After 5 Years Living Abroad

What is the most selfish act you have ever witnessed?

A little background — I was working in a chain drug store in Southern California, the only employee who came to work, on Christmas Eve. We were a 24-hour store, so, having cleaned everything, and faced all the stock on the shelves, I was thinking how to murder the “dancing Santa” (bad recording, 2 1/2 feet tall, and poorly made).

10:30 (22:30 for 24 hour clocks) a guy comes in, freaking out. His wife has recently left him for her “hot stud boyfriend”, with whom she has a brand-new baby. They are divorced, but she got the kids on holidays. He had bought and wrapped the presents for the kids (daughter, son), and dropped them off at her boyfriend’s house — left them on the porch, because she refused to open the door until he left. He gets home, and finds the kids waiting on his front porch. His ex-wife’s mother had just dropped them off, and left them alone, because ex-wife, new baby, and “Hot Stud” were going to his parents for Christmas, and she didn’t want the kids “getting in the way”. Grandma had plans of her own, and refused to take the kids with her.

Ex-wife left him with two kids with no change of clothes, no presents, not enough groceries, on Christmas Eve. And there was no way he could not make her sound like the totally selfish bitch she was.

Semi-happy ending. I abused the hell out of my authority as the manager, and “store-used” or “over-ride discount”ed everything we needed to put together a Christmas for his kids.

Each of them got a ream of paper, the largest box of Crayola (crayons) we had, a generic fuzzy toy, and two other toys that he thought they might like. Each present was individually wrapped in a different paper, with big fancy (store-bought!) bows, and a Christmas card on each present, plus each one got a good sized bag of “stocking stuffers”. (Pocket sized toys and games, candy, fruit, nuts, etc). Then I threw in (from me) a couple of bags of Christmas candy and chocolates.

It’s Christmas Eve, and your mother has her mother drop you off at your father’s house — who isn’t even home — because she doesn’t want you, because she has the new baby that you aren’t even allowed to touch.

I really, really hope she got what she deserved.

Why are so many AMERICANS moving to CHINA?

What was something small you went to the doctor for that turned out to be very significant?

A few weeks before my nineteenth birthday, I was sitting to the right of my mom. When I went to look at her, she pointed out that my left eye did not track with my right eye, which made it look like I had a lazy eye.

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image

The next day, after we had all laughed it off (because it did look quite goofy), my mom made an appointment with a neuro-opthalmologist. We went in on a busy Saturday and after he examined my eye, he requested that we make another appointment on a day when he would have more time to dedicate to me and the testing that would have to be done.

About two weeks later, my mother and I went to his other office and he examined my eye. He asked me if I had experienced any double-vision recently, and I realized I had. So, he explained the possible reasons for the eye (which he diagnosed as sixth cranial nerve palsy): it was an infection, or, in very rare cases, a brain tumor. He ordered a chest x-ray, blood work, and a head MRI.

The blood work and chest x-ray went well and nothing was found. Going into my MRI, my mother was optimistic, but I just had a feeling that the diagnosis was going to be bigger than a little infection. After the MRI, my mother and I got lunch and were high in spirits. When we returned home, I got to work on my classes (they were online- thanks, 2020). A few hours later, my mother ran into my room, very upset, and told me to come to the phone.

My doctor was on the other end. He told me that I had a mass in my brain that was pressing against my sixth cranial nerve. He suggested that it was a very rare form of bone cancer in my brain called chordoma that had grown on my skull base, in the middle of my head. I was diagnosed two days after my nineteenth birthday.

Since then, my diagnosis was confirmed and I had surgery to remove the tumor. I had many complications, like infections and brain fluid leaks, but I made it out. There was about 5–10% of the tumor left, so I underwent proton radiation therapy to kill the rest of the cancer. In a few weeks, I will have been in partial remission for a year 🙂 I also had eye surgery about ten months ago to correct my eye, which was stuck looking inward since my first surgery. Since then, I’ve been dealing with a lot of other issues because of my tumor and treatment, like chronic nerve damage/pain, Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, but I have a wonderful team of doctors who have provided me with great treatments.

I was a freshman in college when I was diagnosed, and now I’m going to be a junior. I’m studying psychology and music, and I participate in my college’s choirs, theatre productions, and student life team. In the future, I’m hoping to get my Master’s degree in mental health counseling and work as a therapist for adolescents and young adults with disabilities, rare disease, and cancer. I would also love to perform professionally in my city’s symphony orchestra/choir and maybe even audition for America’s Got Talent.

Remembering 2023

From HERE

If I were to pick the first biggest reason 2023 will be remembered (if it isn’t because of the brewing World War III that seems to be on the verge of breaking out) it will be as the year that A.I. became a reality.

No, I’m not talking about generalized artificial intelligence, but I am talking about A.I. that’s useful enough to start taking jobs away.  This won’t be the first time that’s happened.  Google Translate® has cratered the market for interpreters/translators.  Why?  Even if Google Translate© isn’t right, it’s probably close enough for 99% of tasks that people used to use translators for.  I mean, I can now ask, “What is this growth in my armpit?” in Swedish.

Translator wages have been flat, and in the United States (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) there is the need for a total of 14,000 in the country at a stagnant average wage of about $50,000 with roughly 10% unemployment in the field.

Finding out

Bohemian Goulash Soup

Bohemian Goulash Soup
Bohemian Goulash Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, diced
  • 6 cups beef broth or bouillon
  • 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat butter or margarine in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion until golden.
  2. Stir in paprika and vinegar.
  3. Add meat, broth, marjoram, caraway seeds, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix well. Cook gently, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender.
  4. Dilute flour with a little cooled liquid from pot. Stir into soup.
  5. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender.

Yield: 6 servings

Go and get it

Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations

NYT

image 2
image 2

By Mark MazzettiAdam GoldmanMichael S. Schmidt and Matt Apuzzo

  • May 20, 2017

阅读简体中文版

WASHINGTON — The Chinese government systematically dismantled C.I.A. spying operations in the country starting in 2010, killing or imprisoning more than a dozen sources over two years and crippling intelligence gathering there for years afterward.

Current and former American officials described the intelligence breach as one of the worst in decades. It set off a scramble in Washington’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies to contain the fallout, but investigators were bitterly divided over the cause. Some were convinced that a mole within the C.I.A. had betrayed the United States. Others believed that the Chinese had hacked the covert system the C.I.A. used to communicate with its foreign sources. Years later, that debate remains unresolved.

But there was no disagreement about the damage. From the final weeks of 2010 through the end of 2012, according to former American officials, the Chinese killed at least a dozen of the C.I.A.’s sources. According to three of the officials, one was shot in front of his colleagues in the courtyard of a government building — a message to others who might have been working for the C.I.A.

Still others were put in jail. All told, the Chinese killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 of the C.I.A.’s sources in China, according to two former senior American officials, effectively unraveling a network that had taken years to build.

Assessing the fallout from an exposed spy operation can be difficult, but the episode was considered particularly damaging. The number of American assets lost in China, officials said, rivaled those lost in the Soviet Union and Russia during the betrayals of both Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen, formerly of the C.I.A. and the F.B.I., who divulged intelligence operations to Moscow for years.

The previously unreported episode shows how successful the Chinese were in disrupting American spying efforts and stealing secrets years before a well-publicized breach in 2015 gave Beijing access to thousands of government personnel records, including intelligence contractors. The C.I.A. considers spying in China one of its top priorities, but the country’s extensive security apparatus makes it exceptionally hard for Western spy services to develop sources there.

At a time when the C.I.A. is trying to figure out how some of its most sensitive documents were leaked onto the internet two months ago by WikiLeaks, and the F.B.I. investigates possible ties between President Trump’s campaign and Russia, the unsettled nature of the China investigation demonstrates the difficulty of conducting counterespionage investigations into sophisticated spy services like those in Russia and China.

The C.I.A. and the F.B.I. both declined to comment.

Details about the investigation have been tightly held. Ten current and former American officials described the investigation on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing the information.

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image

The first signs of trouble emerged in 2010. At the time, the quality of the C.I.A.’s information about the inner workings of the Chinese government was the best it had been for years, the result of recruiting sources deep inside the bureaucracy in Beijing, four former officials said. Some were Chinese nationals who the C.I.A. believed had become disillusioned with the Chinese government’s corruption.

But by the end of the year, the flow of information began to dry up. By early 2011, senior agency officers realized they had a problem: Assets in China, one of their most precious resources, were disappearing.

The two nations are jockeying for influence on the global stage, maneuvering for advantages on land, in the economy and in cyberspace.

The F.B.I. and the C.I.A. opened a joint investigation run by top counterintelligence officials at both agencies. Working out of a secret office in Northern Virginia, they began analyzing every operation being run in Beijing. One former senior American official said the investigation had been code-named Honey Badger.

As more and more sources vanished, the operation took on increased urgency. Nearly every employee at the American Embassy was scrutinized, no matter how high ranking. Some investigators believed the Chinese had cracked the encrypted method that the C.I.A. used to communicate with its assets. Others suspected a traitor in the C.I.A., a theory that agency officials were at first reluctant to embrace — and that some in both agencies still do not believe.


What we consider before using anonymous sources.Do the sources know the information? What’s their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source.

Learn more about our process.

Their debates were punctuated with macabre phone calls — “We lost another one” — and urgent questions from the Obama administration wondering why intelligence about the Chinese had slowed.

The mole hunt eventually zeroed in on a former agency operative who had worked in the C.I.A.’s division overseeing China, believing he was most likely responsible for the crippling disclosures. But efforts to gather enough evidence to arrest him failed, and he is now living in another Asian country, current and former officials said.

There was good reason to suspect an insider, some former officials say. Around that time, Chinese spies compromised National Security Agency surveillance in Taiwan — an island Beijing claims is part of China — by infiltrating Taiwanese intelligence, an American partner, according to two former officials. And the C.I.A. had discovered Chinese operatives in the agency’s hiring pipeline, according to officials and court documents.

But the C.I.A.’s top spy hunter, Mark Kelton, resisted the mole theory, at least initially, former officials say. Mr. Kelton had been close friends with Brian J. Kelley, a C.I.A. officer who in the 1990s was wrongly suspected by the F.B.I. of being a Russian spy. The real traitor, it turned out, was Mr. Hanssen. Mr. Kelton often mentioned Mr. Kelley’s mistreatment in meetings during the China episode, former colleagues say, and said he would not accuse someone without ironclad evidence.

Those who rejected the mole theory attributed the losses to sloppy American tradecraft at a time when the Chinese were becoming better at monitoring American espionage activities in the country. Some F.B.I. agents became convinced that C.I.A. handlers in Beijing too often traveled the same routes to the same meeting points, which would have helped China’s vast surveillance network identify the spies in its midst.

Some officers met their sources at a restaurant where Chinese agents had planted listening devices, former officials said, and even the waiters worked for Chinese intelligence.

This carelessness, coupled with the possibility that the Chinese had hacked the covert communications channel, would explain many, if not all, of the disappearances and deaths, some former officials said. Some in the agency, particularly those who had helped build the spy network, resisted this theory and believed they had been caught in the middle of a turf war within the C.I.A.

Still, the Chinese picked off more and more of the agency’s spies, continuing through 2011 and into 2012. As investigators narrowed the list of suspects with access to the information, they started focusing on a Chinese-American who had left the C.I.A. shortly before the intelligence losses began. Some investigators believed he had become disgruntled and had begun spying for China. One official said the man had access to the identities of C.I.A. informants and fit all the indicators on a matrix used to identify espionage threats.

After leaving the C.I.A., the man decided to remain in Asia with his family and pursue a business opportunity, which some officials suspect that Chinese intelligence agents had arranged.

Officials said the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. lured the man back to the United States around 2012 with a ruse about a possible contract with the agency, an arrangement common among former officers. Agents questioned the man, asking why he had decided to stay in Asia, concerned that he possessed a number of secrets that would be valuable to the Chinese. It’s not clear whether agents confronted the man about whether he had spied for China.

The man defended his reasons for living in Asia and did not admit any wrongdoing, an official said. He then returned to Asia.

By 2013, the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. concluded that China’s success in identifying C.I.A. agents had been blunted — it is not clear how — but the damage had been done.

The C.I.A. has tried to rebuild its network of spies in China, officials said, an expensive and time-consuming effort led at one time by the former chief of the East Asia Division. A former intelligence official said the former chief was particularly bitter because he had worked with the suspected mole and recruited some of the spies in China who were ultimately executed.

China has been particularly aggressive in its espionage in recent years, beyond the breach of the Office of Personnel Management records in 2015, American officials said. Last year, an F.B.I. employee pleaded guilty to acting as a Chinese agent for years, passing sensitive technology information to Beijing in exchange for cash, lavish hotel rooms during foreign travel and prostitutes.

In March, prosecutors announced the arrest of a longtime State Department employee, Candace Marie Claiborne, accused of lying to investigators about her contacts with Chinese officials. According to the criminal complaint against Ms. Claiborne, who pleaded not guilty, Chinese agents wired cash into her bank account and showered her with gifts that included an iPhone, a laptop and tuition at a Chinese fashion school. In addition, according to the complaint, she received a fully furnished apartment and a stipend.

Cheating GF

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HytNH3FVC7k?feature=share

AI generated

2024 01 01 19 21
2024 01 01 19 21

The NORD Sea

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eEL8mZbElFQ?feature=share

What is a slap-in-the-face job offer?

Once, I was truly between jobs: had quit the old one, and a signed contract to start the new one in 2 months.

I was looking forward to spending 2 months doing nothing but sleeping, playing pool, drinking, and having fun.

Then an ex-colleague and friend called: the little firm he worked at was having serious IT problems; could I come in and consult/fix things?

So I put on a suit, pack a CV, head down to their office, and quickly see the worst computer setup I have ever witnessed on Wall St. Like, it’s a bundle of ancient Windows boxes doing God knows what. They couldn’t do things like keep the system running, never mind managing risk, or managing orders, or any normal business function.

I figure $40K for me, plus $20K in real server hardware, and they can have this on the road to fixed in a month.

My friend and I go into the CEO’s office, lay out my CV, I present a rough plan and cost estimates. The CEO just grabs a black marker and starts crossing out everything in my CV he feels is inapplicable: stuff like “Yale University” and “computer science.” Then he says “Your resume says you’re unemployed, $10K should be enough!”

My friend turns green with embarrassment, but I just get up and walk out. Through the trading floor of frustrated people yelling that the system has crashed again and they can’t enter trades.

Orange creamcicle

Sometimes the simple and mundane are the things that we remember, and the memories that we cherish.

The very last ice cream that I shared with my father occurred about two months prior to his death. It was nothing “special”. We were riding in the car together, and he saw a Dairy Cream restaurant and suggested that we get an ice cream cone. They had “orange creamcicle” on sale, so he bought us two and we ate them outside in the warm September sun.

To outsiders, it was just two grown men eating ice cream outside, and really there was nothing overly special about that event.

But for me, it was a memory that I will always treasure.

Enjoy what you experience. because it is all so fleeting….

Today…

Kindness: What is the kindest act you have ever witnessed?

I was broke and had just received a food stamp card. In the grocery store I picked up about $8 worth of food. Standing in line I took the card out of my wallet, noting the lonely $20 bill that represented my net worth. When my turn came I swiped the card and waited. The clerk said “I’m sorry but there is only $1 available on your card.” I was in shock, because this was my first time using it. Falling back on my fine command of the language, I said nothing. I was confused, embarrassed, and a little sick. Finally I just backed away mumbling that I must have left my money on my yacht. As I was leaving a man stopped me and said, “you just dropped this $20 bill” and handed it to me. I thanked him profusely for his honesty. I also thought what a careless idiot I was. I managed to fumble away the last of my money and only the honesty of a stranger saved me. Well I stopped at another store on the off chance some mistake had been made at the first place, and that turned out to be the case. With tremendous relief I started to put the card and my recovered bill in my wallet. I found to my amazement that my original $20 was still there. I realized that the stranger had given me the bill, while preventing my embarrassment or any refusal of his generosity. This is not meant as a greatest example of kindness, but to mention that a major part of his gift was the lift it gave my spirit to know of such kind and generous people. The last thing you need during hard times is cynicism.

Why do so many foreigners go to China and think China is good?

It’s a nice place. I lived there for eight years (2012–2020) and miss it a bit, now that I’m back in Britain. What shocks me so much is the hideous, made up distortion of news reporting about it in the West, But I suppose that the US has to get something for the $400m Congress has voted for anti-China propaganda. It is just humiliating that it gets so much and so few push-backs.

All linked to…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7RDdRuJxyO4?feature=share

What did you find while snooping that you wish you had never found?

When I was 9 years old, my mom surprised me and my little sister with a trip to Florida. We live in the Midwest, so any spring break trip to somewhere warm is greatly appreciated. I was so exited to have a story to tell my friends when I got back to school. One night, my best friend’s parents came over to talk to mine. They moved to the driveway, and told my sister and I to stay inside. While they were talking I heard my dad’s text notification. He had left his phone inside. Curious, I looked at what the message said. I cant quite remember what that message said, but when I scrolled up, I read a message I should not have seen. It was from my friends dad, who was now standing in the driveway. It read,

“do your girls know ours are coming on the trip, too?”
“No, we are going to surprise them”, was the reply from my dad.

I was so shocked! My best friend and her sister were coming to Florida with me! I worked so hard to conceal the fact that I ruined the surprise, up until we were at the airport. We got out of the car, and my friend was there, so excited that she got surprised. I faked a reaction, but I was so mad at myself for ruining what my parents worked so hard to keep hidden. I haven’t told a soul to this day.

My boyfriend threatened to leave me because I am too negative. He told me he doesn’t want to hear anything negative anymore, so I don’t tell him anything. We talk superficially, and I feel no love. How can this work?

You need to seek counseling. Negative people are often happier with negative people. Then you can both talk about the worst case scenario, or see the cup as half empty. I have friends like this, and I try to only hangout with them in a group, so I don’t get to depressed.

Yet my friend is truly happiest when he can complain about something. Even if he has to really reach for the negative. Like I made a ton of money last year and paid off my debts, but when you make that much money, so much of the extra money just goes to taxes. Then a half hour rant on taxes.

I am truly happiest when I am positive. My wife is the most upbeat person I know, next to her, I am a gloomy gus.

Find out if you can be happy, if you have a positive attitude, if so get counseling and save your relationship. If not, cut him loose, and find someone who likes to complain about things.

People who are being mean to you…

What is the weirdest thing you have been stopped for by airport security?

Not me personally, but something I saw.

Returning from a service call in Honolulu, the lady in front of me at the TSA line had serious trouble lifting her (obviously very heavy) carry-on onto the x-ray conveyor. It set off all sorts of alarms when it went through, and the TSA guy did a manual inspection as a result. When he opened it up, the suitcase’s contents were revealed: it was completely full of cans of Spam (the processed meat product). I was absolutely convinced that they actually contained something more nefarious and that she’d likely be arrested, but the TSA guy simply zipped the case back up and sent her on her way.

I was next in line, and, noticing the puzzled look on my face, the TSA guy explained that Spam is considered a gourmet delicacy in Japan, where it sells for around 3–4x what it does in Hawaii. As a result, there is a steady flow of Japanese tourists to the islands, who pretty much pay for their vacations by doing what she did. I was born and raised in the UK, where Spam has a reputation for being gross and disgusting, and something you would only eat if you can’t afford any nicer form of protein.

What is the best thing you saw someone do when they got fired from their job?

It happened to me actually.

Management was changed and they appointed new guys ex consultant of the company who pretend know everything – based on the textbook. I am the last two managers that stay in the company when management changed.

So, this new guy did all micro management you can imagine to make most of the people left very nervous and stressful. I managed to stay for another few months until I have felt enough is enough.

Just few days before I intended to put my resignation letter, this new guys and HRD call me to the meeting room and let me go with severance payment – a payment package…

What a wonderful world it was and few friends that knew I am about to gave up congratulate me for being fired…..LOL

How do I impress my boss?

This is something I learned very early in my career. I always feel thankful for my former boss who taught me this lesson.

How to ask questions.

The first day I joined the company, after handing me all my personal devices and necessary office items, he led me to my cubicle and told me to self-study the system and come back to him by the end of the working day with questions. So I did. I brought back my two-page-long questionnaire and handed it to him. He read it, then told me to sit down. “Alright, question one, ‘What does (feature) x do?’”, he read my question out loud, “What do you think it does?”, he asked. I answered him with the thoughts I gathered when I studied the system. “Correct!”, he said, “Now, you see, with the way you first asked the question, if I answered it, it would have taken me five minutes to answer, but if you had asked ‘Does x do this’ including what you’ve learned, it would take me just seconds to answer ‘Correct!’ and I also would know that you actually studied and understood it. When you ask questions that you need answers to, make sure it takes the least time for the person you ask to answer. Yes/No is preferred.”

I took that advice seriously.

Instead of asking ‘What does that mean?’, I ask ‘Does that mean [my understanding]?’. Instead of ‘What should we do in this situation?’, I ask ‘In this situation, I propose the solution as below, do you have any directions or adjustments?’. Instead of ‘What time do you want the meeting to be?’, I ask ‘I checked your calendar, you have three open slots x, y, z; which one do you want to set up the meeting with Mr. A?’

This lesson has been a great help in my work, not just with my bosses, but also with other team members/ clients as well.

Cajun Sausage Roast

2023 11 09 14 29
2023 11 09 14 29

Ingredients

Roast

  • 1 (3 pound) pork loin roast
  • 1 pound smoked Cajun sausage
  • 1 small onion, chopped fine
  • 1 small green bell pepper, chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

Seasoning Mix

  • Granulated garlic
  • Dried chives
  • Parsley flakes
  • Black Pepper
  • Salt

Instructions

Seasoning Mix

  1. Mix granulated garlic, chives, parsley flakes and black pepper to make seasoning mix. Add salt to mix.

Roast

  1. Cut the whole loin into smaller roasts, about 6 inches long. Cut a hole through the center of each roast, along the center axis of the roasts and insert the sausage. If the cross-section of the roast is big enough, cut two parallel holes. Open the holes to the size of the smoked sausage and pour about 1 tablespoon Seasoning Mix into the long holes and push something through the roasts to distribute the seasoning. Slide the smoked sausage through the longitudinal holes in the roasts until about 1 inch of sausage protrudes from each end.
  2. Dust inside and outside with seasonings and salt. Allow to sit and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  3. Place the roasts on a rack inside a covered roaster.
  4. Pour the cut-up onion and bell pepper into bottom of roaster and place, uncovered, in a 425 degrees F oven for approximately 30 minutes or until seared lightly on the outside.
  5. Cover roaster and continue to cook with a meat thermometer until done inside, about 160 – 165 degrees F on meat thermometer.
  6. Remove roasts, trim end faces of excess sausage and chop fine.
  7. Add cornstarch dissolved in cold water.
  8. Add soy sauce and thicken sauce over medium heat.
  9. Adjust color of sauce with Kitchen Bouquet and adjust seasonings.

Could you share a story about a time when you felt like you were the dumbest person in a particular situation?

After I left the workforce, my wife continued working. I normally waited to get up until after she left to keep out of the way. This oneorning, I hear the door close as she is leaving. I get up heading in to start the coffee. On stepping into the kitchen the 1st thing I see is her phone on the charger. Run to the window to see her on the road and gone. I run back to the bedroom to grab my phone to call her to come back and get her phone. When her phone rings I compound the idiocy thinking who would be calling her this early? They need to get off the phone so…she…can…answer…my…call. Then to cap it all, as I’m closing my phone cancelling the call, I’m looking around to see if anyone saw me. 2 of the cats were dying laughing and the other 2 shaking their heads as if thinking what an idiot.

What is the lamest “benefit” you’ve been offered by an employer?

“Getting in on the ground floor.”

I’d been laid off at a position that did not pay well, but the work was easy. I was interviewing with this other company, and the guy (owner? one of the owners?) would not proceed with the interview unless I filled in my salary from my previous job, so I did.

He offered $3K more per year.

BUT… whereas my old job was 37.5 hours per week, this guy was expecting 55–60 hours per week. The benefit was that they were a small company, and their product was going to be big, and I’d be one of the people who benefited when someone big bought out the product.

Calculating the hours, I told him that, on a per-hour basis, he was offering me between 69% and 76% of what I was getting at the previous job, to which he restated his script about getting in on the ground floor.

A few days later, I got another, much better offer. It was an hourly contract, but 84% MORE than the previous job, and about 2–1/2 times (per hour) what he was offering. I took it.

A day or two after that, he called asking if I was still interested, and I told him I took another position “at MUCH higher pay,” I said, and definitely put the weight/emphasis on the word much. I didn’t tell him how much, but again, he tried to sell me on his “Getting in on the ground floor” shtick.

I couldn’t believe he was still trying to sell me on that.

What was it like to eat a hamburger in the 1950s?

Two juicy 100% U.S. Beef patties with two slices of melted American cheese.

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Sandwiched with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and A&W classic sauce all on a lightly toasted bun… it doesn’t get better than this – we believe!! Because our country imported almost everything in the old days. (And still do very much in 2023).

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1963 in fact was the year that put American popular food into our collective psyche.

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Now here’s a genuine all-American brand serving all-American fare. And Malaysians fell in 💕💕😘 with new food that truly touched the hearts.

1963 was the first time that burgers were sized ‘papa, mama, baby burger’ – 🥰 cute! (Come to think of it, burgers don’t exist before A&W Malaysia.)

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It was a year that a drink sensation was introduced — in big frosted glass mugs – the A&W Root Beer and Root Beer Float – the two most lovable, must-drink beverages ever since the country’s independence 1957. (Today there are A&W canned root beer in convenience stores everywhere.)

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A&W Root Beer and Coney Dog and Curly Fries are synonymous with A&W and vice versa. To borrow a line, “we’re still loving it, mucho!!”

I’d like to think that the burger in “1950s America” would not vary too much from today’s A&W ‘Papa Burger’.

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The bear is back!

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New A&W retro outlets in Malaysia give you the charming ‘American diner experience’…

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… who says you can’t bring back the good ol’ days?!!!

In many countries in Europe, how do they manage to give employers 4 to 5 weeks of holidays and many other benefits that in America don’t exist?

Do you know which is the laziest nation in Europe, the one that works the fewest hours? Let me give you a little hint, this is their capital:

Berlin

A study by OECD released recently showed in no uncertain terms Germans are the laziest nation in Europe in terms of hours worked. They have the largest economy and one of the largest per capita incomes in EU and worldwide. It gets weirder.

Do you know which nation works the most hours? The most hardworking nation in Europe, clocking in almost 50% hours than Germans in a given year is obvious at this point: Greeks. For every two hour a German works in a year, a Greek works three. For that they’re labeled as the lazy wealth moochers of the south that live easily on their spectacular seaside and glorious history.

Something doesn’t quite add up, does it? It turns out that hours worked is only relevant in a few low added value professions, such as store clercks, recepcionists, call center operators, night guards and the like. Those are professions that are necessary, but they’re low skilled, don’t pay well and don’t add much value to the economy.

What drives a modern economy forward are innovators and engineers who push the boundaries of what is possible. Their productivity is almost inversly proportional to horus worked. You only have that much creative energies to do something new and you need time to recharge. You don’t work as well when you’re tired and simply sitting at work comitting time theft does not equal to productivity. Germans work hard, very hard, during the time they’re at work. But when they clock out, always on time, they leave the job behind and enjoy themselves so their next work day is strong and productive once more.

The same goes for holidays. Germans are notorious for long holiday breaks and this again improves productivity. Your best becomes better if you’re well rested and you’re more willing to give your best to a company that appreciates your effort and talent.

By contrast, Americans often view workers as a nuisance they have to pay for and treat them accordingly. Why would you give your best for a company that only gives you enough not to run away to be treated like a slightly less smelly dropping instead. All of Europe is far ahead of USA on this matter and four weeks of holiday are the statuatory minimum given to all, not some great benefit to droll upon. Five to six weeks are not at all uncommon and you can go well beyond that in certain occupations (i.e. working with radiation, mental hospital employees, etc).

Cat story

A tuxedo cat named Andrew was found in a Bronx park, malnourished and in pain. A local rescuer and Little Wanderers NYC provided medical attention, including tooth extraction, for Andrew’s severe oral infection. After treatment, Andrew became affectionate and was taken into foster care where he enjoyed being indoors and bonded with his caregivers. He developed a close bond with a foster volunteer named Jeff, following him around and showering him with affection. Andrew’s transformation and loving personality have made him a permanent member of Jeff’s family, and the two share a special bond.

What if the Industrial Revolution had started 2,000 years ago rather than 200?

It actually did.

Unfortunately, there is this thing called van Loon’s law. It dictates: The level of technological progress in any society is inversely proportional to the number of slaves in the said society.

So you have to first get rid of slavery before any technological advancement will happen. In a slave-owning society, all technology will remain as mere curiosities and gadgets.

Heron’s aeolipili – the first functional steam turbine. It remained as mere clever gadget as there were enough slaves in the Hellenistic world to do all the tasks of slaves.


So first you had to get rid of slavery. The only way to get rid of slavery is a religion which prohibits slavery. There have historically been four of them: Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. So the technological revolution could have begun only in those cultural spheres.

Slavery ended in Europe with Christianization – first in the Roman Europe by the Dark Ages and then in the Northern Europe at the end of the Viking era. This dictates the earliest point when technological evolution can begin for good.


Once you get rid of slavery, you need to invent rudimentary technology – i.e. harness the forces of the nature – wind, tide, water etc. You need to develop metallurgy and chemical engineering, and material sciences. Anything which saves human labour, as the price of human labour is now the bottleneck. The Dark Ages were actually a serious period of gadgeteering, and laid the basis for the real technological revolution.

I mean, as fun as it is to whip the woman who is your sex slave in the night, to grind the quern-stones at the day, windmills and watermills are just far more efficient to produce flour.


The thing with science fiction writers is that most of them are engineers, and the heroes have open budgets and do not need to worry about economy. But to develop technology, you need a stable economy. You need to develop Capitalism first. Sorry, no such thing in the bazaar economies. And Capitalism began to evolve in Italy by 1200, and was fully developed by the 17th century. Before that, only gadgeteering.


The third requirement is the rise of sciences. That began with the emergence of universities in the 11th century. To develop sciences, you need a religion which separates between mysticism and philosophy and which recognizes an objective reality, to discover the connection between philosophy and mathematics, to discover the connection between mathematics and engineering, and to develop a system where all these things merge. This happened in the Late Middle Ages.


The Industrial Revolution happened just at the right moment. It could not have happened any earlier. You need to get all the required secondary powers in action first – only then can the real thing happen. The 200 years of Industrial Revolution was preceded by 2000 years of Religious, Philosophical, Technological, Scientific and Economical Evolution.

“We are watching ARMAGEDDON unfolding before our eyes” Col. Douglas MacGregor

Very dangerous prospect for the whole world, not only for US.

For those of you over 40, what is it that confuses you the most about young people?

I teach teens in France, and I guess many of the particularities of this generation initially confuse or surprise me, I find myself able to roll with it.

I have been especially surprised to hear that, generally speaking, they don’t have any interest in movies, books, TV series, or music. It is surprising to me that even music isn’t of interest to them!

Some like video games, but for the most part, they spend more time on social media than anything else.

The implications of that, and how society will develop with them, leaves a lot to think about.

But as a teacher, I figured I have to deal with that reality. So, for example, I have them do a project where they have to make a tutorial video in English (I teach English). This was something they got excited about, put effort into, and they made great videos! They know how to use their phones, and add special effects, music, off-voice…. they were able to be creative with it. I stopped trying to use current music, films, TV or books. It just wasn’t getting their attention.

The young generation isn’t void of creativity, but they seem to have taken over control of their social conditioning. I mean, they are watching each other create and spread ideas, values, and ethics. I was raised watching cartoons, TV shows, commercials (and reading cereal boxes!) that were carefully geared towards conditioning me to adhere to certain values that my government and the biggest corporations wanted me to integrate.

The kids today have been able to break off from that, and I suppose that scares some older folk. Like it means chaos rules and will lead to destructive movements in society. I’m not so sure. I’m observing with curiosity.

Ex-CIA: Their New Plan is TERRIFYING!

Two Middle East Outlooks

Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor and dimwit, had written a laudation of his own and his bosses foreign policy for the November print edition of Foreign Affairs. The piece was finalized before the war in Palestine had begun.

The Sources of American Power
A Foreign Policy for a Changed World

Excerpts:

Indeed, although the Middle East remains beset with perennial challenges, the region is quieter than it has been for decades.

The progress is fragile, to be sure. But it is also not an accident.

[The president’s] approach returns discipline to U.S. policy. It emphasizes deterring aggression, de-escalating conflicts, and integrating the region through joint infrastructure projects and new partnerships, including between Israel and its Arab neighbors. And it is bearing fruit.

This disciplined approach frees up resources for other global priorities, reduces the risk of new Middle Eastern conflicts, and ensures that U.S. interests are protected on a far more sustainable basis. Challenges remain. The Israeli-Palestinian situation is tense, particularly in the West Bank, but in the face of serious frictions, we have de-escalated crises in Gaza and restored direct diplomacy between the parties after years of its absence.

Alastair Crooke, who has personally negotiated prisoner exchanges between Hamas and Israel, has published a rather bleak outlook.

Escalations Cannot Be Stopped – The White House Is Rattled; Escalations Might All Fuse Into ‘One’
The reality of the necessity of war is permeating widely the consciousness of the Arabic and Islamic world.


It is no coincidence that Netanyahu flourished a map of Israel during his General Assembly address last month in which Israel dominated from the River to the Sea – and Palestine (indeed any Palestinian territory) was non-existent.

Tom Friedman in his NYT reflections may fear that just as NATO’s impaired performance in Ukraine has ruptured ‘the NATO myth’, so too the 7 October Israeli military and intelligence collapse and what happens in its wake in Gaza ‘might explode the entire pro-American alliance structure’ in the Middle East.

The confluence of two such humiliations might break the spine of western primacy. This seems to be the gist to Friedman’s analysis. (He likely is correct).

Hamas has succeeded in smashing the Israel deterrence paradigm: They were not afraid, the IDF proved far from invincible, and the Arab street mobilised as never before (confounding western cynics who laugh at the very notion of there being an ‘Arab Street’).

Well, that is where we are – and the White House is rattled.

This is what worries the White House Team. They are deeply unconfident that an Israeli invasion of Gaza will put ‘Humpty’ together again. Rather, they fear that events may go badly for the IDF, and further, that the images relayed across the Middle East of Israel using overwhelming force in a civilian urban setting will revolt the Islamic sphere.

In spite of western scepticism, there are signs that this insurrection in the Arab sphere is different, and resembles more the 1916 Arab Revolt that overthrew the Ottoman Empire. It is taking on a distinct ‘edge’ as both Shi’a and Sunni religious authorities state the duty of Muslims to stand with Palestinians. In other words, as the Israeli polity becomes plainly ‘Prophetical’, so the Islamic mood is turning eschatological, in its turn.

That the White House should be floating kites about ‘moderate’ Arab leaders pressing ‘moderate’ Palestinians to form an Israeli-friendly government in Gaza that would displace Hamas and impose security and order shows just how severed is the West from reality. Recall that Mahmoud Abbas, General Sisi and the King of Jordan (some of the region’s most pliable leaders) pointedly refused even to meet with Biden after the latter’s Israel trip.

The anger across the region is real and threatens ‘moderate’ Arab leaders, whose room for manoeuvre is now circumscribed.

So hotspots are proliferating, as are attacks on U.S. deployments around the region. Some in Washington claim to perceive an Iranian hand, and are hoping to expand a window for war with Iran.

Should Israel enter Gaza (and Israel may decide it has no choice but to launch a ground operation, given the domestic political dynamics and public sentiment), it is likely that Hizbullah will incrementally be drawn further in, leaving the U.S. with the binary option of seeing Israel defeated, or launching a major war in which all the hotspots become fused ‘as one’.

In a sense, the Israeli-Islamic conflict now may only be resolved in this kinetic way. All efforts since 1947 have seen the divide only deepen. The reality of the necessity of war is permeating widely the consciousness of the Arabic and Islamic world.

Posted by b on October 27, 2023 at 13:44 UTC | Permalink

UH OH! China “Will Support Iran”

World Hal Turner

Chinese Premier Li Qiang came out before assembled media Thursday to say only this:

“China will continue to firmly support Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and will strongly oppose any external forces interfering in Iran’s internal affairs.”

Analysis

This Israel-Hamas thing is getting worse by the hour.

Ground invasion or not, Israel is. . . fucked.

Just a matter of time before Iran outright attacks, with the support of Russia, China, Syria. Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, etc.

I think they already realize they have the upper hand against Israel AND the US..

The biggest news we have heard in a long time is that China will support Iran in the liberation of Palestine. That’s a big deal. It doesn’t get any bigger.

This is shaping up to be the USA, Israel, and the EU against everyone else.   I think we cannot win.

We are watching and documenting the start of WW3 right before our eyes.

Why are people Leaving America?

Everything you said is truth. Things are getting more and more unaffordable here in the US and inflation and crime is killing many small businesses.”

What moment in your life were you at the right place at the right time?

A bar order changed my life. “14 Bier bitte (14 beers please).”

I was celebrating (with friends) the severance package I had signed a few hours earlier.

After 5 years, my time in Germany was coming to an end. I already had 2 interviews lined up back in the US.

From the barstool to the left came a voice. “Excuse me.” I turned to look in the eyes of a rather scruffy absent-minded-professor type.

He smiled and said, “you seem to have a slight English accent…or maybe American?”

“American,” I confirmed. He continued, “you wouldn’t happen to be looking for a job would you?”

Crazy I thought. “I just signed my severance contract 3 hours ago.”

“Can you write?” he replied.

“I think so. My grandfather was a journalist, my mother taught English.”

I’ll spare you the details. He hired me. I never went back to the US. That special lady I had met 7 months earlier came back from her studies in the UK.

Love developed. Babies arrived. We moved to France. Babies grew into fascinating persons.

Any other bar, any other night and it never would have happened this way.

Lucky boy am I .

Have you ever seen an employer fire someone without realizing what a crucial role the employee played?

One employer I had decided to make me redundant…which was a BAAAAAD idea.

Keeping it short ( I hope ). I was managing a Photolab ( in a pharmacy ) in SE London…I literally built it up from where it was originally bringing in ‘maybe’ around 10% to 12 % of the total takings of the shop…to where it was bringing in over 80% of the takings. I did that by making certain that the quality we produced was the best for ( literally ) miles around. We had company reps from the midlands who would bring their films into us…because they couldn’t find anywhere to beat us.

At one stage we had the top boys from Kodak visit us, because they were ‘concerned’ at the amount of photographic paper we were going through…sometimes 20 rolls a week. A roll of paper is 175 Meters long…that’s over 1500 prints per roll, or just over 23,000 prints ( 6 x 4 ) a week. It turned out that there was only one Kodak lab in the whole of southern England that beat us…and that by less than 3 %…and that was at a popular seaside resort…Brighton.

Sorry for the long back story.

Almost the first thing they did was make one of the two guys on the counter redundant. Then not long after that they made my assistant redundant as well. You’ve probably worked out where this is going already. If there’s only one person working the lab or the counter what happens on days off? Or when you go to lunch…or if your ill?

Answer? I haven’t got the foggiest idea…we were never told.

Then shortly after that…I was made redundant.

Not really a surprise…I had figured out which way the wind was blowing well before this. In all fairness when they told me I was being made redundant I did tell them that in my ( exceptionally modest and humble opinion ), the lab would be closed within three months since they had no one to run it properly…they ( of course ) just ignored that.

I had a new job within two weeks…paid almost as well…and without all the hassle.

The big problem they had now was that there was now only one person to run the counter side of things…and the lab. That’s assuming that the ‘last guy’ didn’t bother with inconsequential things…like a trip to the loo, or tea breaks or lunch breaks, day’s off, holidays, emergency’s at home or just being to damn ill to come to work.

Oh, I forgot to mention something else.

He wasn’t trained to operate the lab.

He told them. ‘I’ve got no health and safety training for photolab work…you know…for all that unimportant stuff…like the electrical hazards, hazardous and corrosive chemicals etc.’ He had no first aid certification, no fire hazard training. And nothing else either, like the day to day maintenance of the machinery, let alone the longer term maintenance.

There was also the minor ( but vital to maintain quality ) chore of balancing the master channel on a daily basis, plus ( on an ongoing basis ) all the print and film channels. He had no idea where to even begin with that…absolutely not his fault at all…he was counter staff…not trained lab staff.

And…then he told them something else, he was colour blind…not exactly great for printing colour films.

He was told. ‘Use the scanner, that’ll do the job’.

‘Uhuh…I can’t do that’. ‘HUH? Why NOT’!

‘It’s been disabled in the software and disconnected from the motherboard…I don’t even know what it looks like, I wouldn’t recognise it if it got up and smacked me in the face, and I don’t know how to hook it back up and get it working again…of course there was one person here that could do that…but you got rid of him, and even if I did get the scanner working again the quality and delivery times will nose dive, the two people you made redundant did everything manually…that’s why the quality was so good, and why we were doing so much trade’. ( my assistant and I could print faster and more accurately than the scanner could do the job ).

Then, obviously trying to be ‘helpful’ ( IE sticking the knife in ) he added. ‘We could always get an engineer out from Kodak to reconnect it, but, since it’s not a breakdown…it’ll be chargeable’.

Not done.

How do I know all this ?

I’m at home one evening and I get a phone call from the ‘last guy’. ‘Hey! how’s it going’? ‘Pretty good’ was the answer…’How’s the lab doing’? ( I love this bit ) ‘What lab’?? ‘Umm…THE lab’. ‘Like I said…WHAT lab’?! ‘It’s CLOSED’??? ‘Well…I suppose you ‘could’ put it that way…the whole shop is closed…permanently’. ‘Pardon’?

It turned out that not only had the lab closed because ( surprise surprise ), nobody knew how to operate the printer properly or maintain it…but when the customers found out I’d been laid off they expressed their disgust by voting with their feet. The whole shop became a wasteland…hardly anybody went in there now.

Now that might not have been so bad when I first started there, and the lab brought in maybe 10 to 12 % of the total takings…but by the time I was laid off…the lab was bringing in around 80% of the total takings…of the entire shop.

Remember I said the lab would probably be closed within three months?

I was wrong…it took 6 WEEKS! before it…and the whole SHOP was closed.

The new company thought they were getting their hands on a gold mine, and to be honest it would have been…if they hadn’t messed it all up.

What’s an unforgettable statement that your boss told you?

In my mid 20’s I had a job at a recording studio. I was “the girl”. I was completely in charge of all things office.

This place was part of an advertising agency.

We had the whole bottom floor and most of what we did was recording jingles.

So there were the jingle writers And the musicians and the sales people. All in all it was pretty much fun.

One day the pay checks were given to me to hand out and I happened to notice that everyone made more money than I did. I marched upstairs and asked WHY. I knew full well I did more work than anyone else there. I was told that “They were creative and I was not.”

My husband and I had already been doing glass work. I called him, told him to come get me. when he got there I said I am quitting my job. I want you to quit yours,too and we will do glass work full time.

He did and we rented our first studio which was near UWM on Milwaukee’s upper East Side.

We are still doing glass work today, 45 years later. hundreds of projects all over the country.

So thanks for telling me how uncreative I was.

Why Men NEED Sex

This should be taught in schools/colleges, the differences between Men & Women so that people can better go about relationships & know why the opposite gender behaves how they behave instead of thinking that there’s something wrong with them. i.e men have 17 times more testosterone than women hence men will tend to have a higher sex drive!

Is China still rising or already dying?

Assuming the World was born on 1/1/1946

  • The Chinese Economy resembles a 48 year old man. Not young anymore but certainly not old or dying
  • The Japanese Economy resembles a 77 year old man. Prematurely aged 20 years thanks to the Plaza accords or would be a healthy 57 year old
  • The Indian Economy resembles a 43 year old. Down on his luck and having a last chance at some development and growth.
  • The US Economy resembles a 75 year old. Having sucked the youth of every Economy to keep from growing old or slowing down his ageing
  • The Russian Economy represents a 34 year old, reborn after dying as a 88 year old and still unsure of how to go forward but strong enough to fight the world

What office rule made you say “Really?”

This was maybe ten years ago, back when I worked in a warehouse.

One fine day when I arrived at work there were no chairs at my workstation. A manager was out there and told me they had removed the chairs because the people who worked the previous shift spent too much time sitting around instead of doing their other tasks, but I could go into the office and bring a chair out to the warehouse every day when I came in.

When the next person on the shift came in I told her what was going on with the chairs, and her response was, “What is this, junior high?” I was more amused than exasperated, and life continued with me bringing out a couple of chairs at the start of work every day.

Soon afterward our senior manager became tired of people losing pens all the time and announced that anyone who needed a pen would have to ask her for one personally. I myself was very methodical about how I used my pen, always putting it down at the same place on the table where I worked and expecting it to be there whenever I needed it. Other people (mostly our regular vendors) were less careful with pens, and it didn’t take long before my pen disappeared, along with most of the others.

Now, these were not expensive pens, so the savings our tightfisted manager gained from controlling their distribution could not have been that much. More importantly, our senior manager’s schedule didn’t overlap with mine very much, and if I had better things to do with my time than ask the senior manager for a pen every time I needed one, surely that was more true for her.

So, I took the matter to Human Resources, mentioning both the chair and pen situations in an email. The next morning an HR person called me up on the phone and got some more details about everything. About five minutes later I heard the rumble of plastic wheels on the concrete floor of the warehouse, and there was the middle manager with an extra chair in one hand and a fistful of pens in the other. Sounding a little contrite, he dumped the pens on my table and said if I needed more to please let him know.

Often when I hear people talk about HR, it’s in the context of how HR is on the side of the employer instead of the employee. So I offer up this one instance where HR came through for the little guy.

The chairs in the warehouse stayed in the warehouse afterward. And, more importantly, I never had to waste anyone’s time by asking my senior manager for a pen.

A distorted view of life…

What are the benefits of universal healthcare?

I’m in Australia.

Years ago I fell off a truck and dislocated my shoulder. I called an ambulance and they turned up. One guy said “I’m trained for resetting that”, so he did, me lying on his trolley bed on the pavement, they then took me to hospital for X-rays to make sure there were no further issues.

I don’t know how much it cost, I didn’t see a bill.

Years later I caught double pneumonia. 15 days in hospital with several courses of strong antibiotics and lots of rest.

I don’t know how much that cost – never saw a bill.

And a couple of years ago my 93 year old father in law was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and fitted with a pacemaker that same day, spend a night in hospital and came home with an internet connected heart monitor so they could check on him from the hospital.

We never knew how much that cost … he never got a bill.

That’s universal health care for you.

We also get low cost and no cost pharmecuticals

I don’t mind the 2.5% levy added to my tax bills at all – it’s good value.

What facts about the United States do foreigners not believe until they come to America?

One observation I’ve made is that people from Europe have no concept of the ridiculous expanse that is the US, and to be fair the idea that you could take a day trip to another country when you’re in Europe blows my mind as well. I met a couple from France who thought they were going to go to Maine, New York, DC, and Orlando (Disney) all in one weekend. Just for reference, it would take you nearly 24 full hours of driving to get from Maine to Orlando.

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image 130

In case you can’t tell, below is the US compared to Australia.

If you had to be in a medieval army, which role would be the safest?

You would not even be in a medieval army if you wanted to be safe. You would have joined a medieval army because you wanted to get rich quick – there was no other way to make easy money.

First of all: avoid all sieges. High risk of dying from dysentery as either besieger or besieged.

A longbow archer was very safe, and paid well, except that archers could not get “first pick” of battlefield booty. It was a trade off. Even so, you might get lucky especially if you got to sack a big town.

image 129
image 129

You won the lottery by either capturing a nobleman, his horse, or his fine armor. Capturing a common knight was not bad except that, quite often. knights went into deep debt to finance their war service

Even so. knights sometimes had rich relatives (so don’t get mad and kill Sir Deadbeat)

A surgeon would have been pretty safe and, if captured, you would be treated well.

This is VERY UGLY

How did your cat pick you?

We live about a quarter mile away from the nearest road, back through the woods, so it’s rare for any stray domestic animals to wander back here, but on the evening of May 26 this year, this tortoiseshell came strolling up the porch steps and looked in the window.

“Oh no,” we thought. “I hope it goes away.” We already had two cats and didn’t want a third. That lasted about 20 minutes. Then, “Well, I guess we need to feed her something. We can’t let her starve.” So she got a meal off us. When she was still there the next morning, we named her. That was it. That’s when you can no longer say a cat doesn’t own you.

I already had a jet black longhair named LBK adopted from a colleague who was moving 1,200 miles away and didn’t want to take her from Georgia to the snows of Vermont. My wife has a blue tortoiseshell rescue cat she calls Biscuit. So we named our porch cat Triscuit—not after the cracker but sort of an organic chemistry joke (bis-, tris-, Biscuit, Triscuit). Students of o-chem will get it.

Triscuit was very emaciated when she came to us. She weighed 3.2 lb; the basal half of her tail was almost hairless, like an opossum tail; she had a prolapsed rectum, worms, and diarrhea; she smelled bad. But I’m a sympathetic sap, especially for underdogs (and undercats), and she captured my heart. After several trips to the vet and a special rehab diet, my free cat has so far cost me only about $780 since May. She’s now up to 4.3 lb—just $180/lb. She’s worm-free, and she’s growing some hair on her tail. She just might live.

Cajun Stuffed Peppers

2023 11 09 14 32
2023 11 09 14 32

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat
  • 1 (16 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • 1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 6 to 8 bell peppers
  • Sliced cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook meat, tomatoes, onions, chopped peppers and tomato paste. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes until done.
  2. Cook rice. Mix rice into meat mixture, then simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Clean peppers. Boil in large pot until peppers turn darker green. Dry peppers on paper towels. Cool.
  4. Stuff peppers with meat and rice mix.
  5. Serve with a slice of cheese on top.

Why do Americans think they’re strong when they lose to countries like Vietnam and Afghanistan, and they think they can take China?

Anyone can think they are superman! Just that most are smart and humble. China is a very pragmatic and rational nation. It knows no nation has a right to exist and enjoys full sovereignty. China never sees itself as a nation that is strong. It knows very very well that should anyone threaten China, it will fully defend itself completely and hurt the attacking nation. Very very hard.

Humanity

If you were sentenced to death and the judge said to you, “I will let you choose the method of your death”, what method would you choose?

Bullet to the Occiput with a 9X19 Parbellum slug by a professional when I least expect it

Death takes 0.53 seconds and before you drop to the floor you are dead

It’s best description was by Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List

However that was expected

I want it unexpected so that there is no fear or surprise

You are just powered off

What was the nail in the coffin for an employee or a co-worker?

Me to a new hire, “install this wing flap actuator on that left wing and what ever you do…do not drop it, it’s very expensive.”

New hire, “Yes, sir. No problem”.”

Two minutes later, a loud, crashing thud can be heard from over by the left wing.

Me, “NEW HIRE? Did you just drop that actuator?”

New hire “No sir, I just dropped a tool. It’s alright.”

Me as I go over there to examine the situation. “Then why is there a dent on this mounting lug of the actuator?”

New Hire, “uhh, I don’t know, must’ve come that way. It’ll be alright. It’s fine. It’ll still work.”

Me, “Lives are at stake when we work on these aircraft and when mistakes are made we have to own them and immediately correct them. This actuator will not work and neither will you. Remember this lesson on your next job.”

Men and women

How did you get your most satisfying revenge on someone else that truly deserved it?

In college I lived in an apartment building and my next door neighbor was the rudest, most angry and disagreeable person that I had ever met. One day after classes I rode my bicycle home and went to store it in the small storage shed in front of my car. I noticed that someone had clipped the right rear corner of my fairly new car. I looked at the Cadillac next to my car and saw a indentation on the rear quarter panel at the same height as the damage to my car. The color on the damaged quarter panel matched the color of my car exactly.

I approached my mean, nasty and disagreeable neighbor, showed him the damage and he immediately claimed that I must have hit his Cadillac and threatened to sue me, get me evicted and on and on.

He worked in a bank in a troubled part of town. I drove by the bank and noticed a massage parlor in a single wide trailer about 2 blocks away.

I went to an adult book store and purchased an explicit picture magazine titled “Beautiful Black Asses”, went to a card store and bought a very feminine thank you card and an envelope big enough for the magazine. I signed the card “Thanks for everything honey – Candy” and mailed it to his apartment with the massage parlor’s name and address as the return address. I was aware that his wife got home first every day and retrieved the mail every day.

A couple of days later I heard a LOUD screaming exchange between them and the wife took off in his Cadillac, burning rubber all of the way. She and the Cadillac were gone for about a month before she returned but, their relationship seemed chilled until I graduated and moved away a year and 1/2 later.

Shifa Hospital Bunker – How Would They Know?

Big claims:

Israel claim Hamas headquarters is hidden under the Shifa Hospital in Gazanews.com.au – October 31 2023

Israel-Gaza war: US says Hamas has command centre under Al-Shifa hospitalBBC – November 14 2023

But how would they know?

Top Secret Hamas Command Bunker in Gaza RevealedTablet – July 29 2014 (!!!)

The Israelis are so sure about the location of the Hamas bunker, however, not because they are trying to score propaganda points, or because it has been repeatedly mentioned in passing by Western reporters—but because they built it. Back in 1983, when Israel still ruled Gaza, they built a secure underground operating room and tunnel network beneath Shifa hospital—which is one among several reasons why Israeli security sources are so sure that there is a main Hamas command bunker in or around the large cement basement beneath the area of Building 2 of the Hospital, which reporters are obviously prohibited from entering.

I bet 100 to 1 that nothing Hamas is present in the well known bunker beneath the Shifa hospital.

Posted by b at 9:53 UTC | Comments (2)

Punishing the men she likes…

What is the biggest life lesson you have ever learned?

Dad: What are you searching in that drawer?

Mom: I couldn’t find my saved money, I need to pay the deliveryman.

Dad: Don’t worry, you’ll find it. How much for the deliveryman?

Mom: 5 thousand rupees. I ordered some groceries and essentials for the house.

Dad paid the deliveryman and we eventually got busy with our daily work.

The next day, Mom, Dad, and I were cleaning the kitchen, when my mom shouted.

Mom: Look, I got my money, it’s in the cupboard. I was so foolish, I searched the whole house for it.

Mom looked so happy because she saved it for her friend’s birthday gift.

But the situation was something else.

Dad got out of the house to smoke a cigarette and I ran behind him.

I said “Why did you do that?’

Father asked: ‘Do what?’

I replied “I swear I have seen you taking the money out of your wallet and putting it in the cupboard.

Dad smirked and replied: “You know she was everything for me! I can’t see her getting sad over the little money she lost yesterday. Because I think we need to care for the person, we love the most!”

Dad takes out a handkerchief and starts putting off his sweat.

I said “Dad, now why are you using mom’s handkerchief? Is it a sign of your care towards Mom too?”

Dad “Nope, because it still has her fragrance”

This was something that changed my whole point of view not only towards life but also towards love too.

Hope you’ll like my answer,

Yours truly,

Ankita

image 131
image 131

Why is heroin so addictive?

“I’ll just do a little this time”.

Every heroin addict’s go to line. The problem is the drug is too brutal and won’t let you do a little this time.

Heroin messes with your brain big time.

It is an opioid, which means it comes from the same plant as morphine and other painkillers.

But heroin is different because it gets to your brain faster and stronger than other opioids.

It does this by changing into morphine once it’s in your blood, and then attaching to these things called opioid receptors in your brain.

Opioid receptors are like switches that control how you feel pain and pleasure.

When heroin hits them, it turns them on full blast, making you feel a rush of euphoria and relaxation.

It also blocks out any negative feelings like depression or anxiety.

Sounds awesome, right?

Wrong. Because heroin is so good at turning on your opioid receptors, it also tricks your brain into thinking that heroin is the best thing ever.

Your brain starts to associate heroin with happiness, and forgets about other things that make you happy, like food, friends, or hobbies.

Your brain also becomes less sensitive to heroin over time, so you need more and more of it to feel the same effect.

This is how addiction happens.

You become obsessed with getting and using heroin, and you can’t stop even if you want to.

You also start to feel sick when you don’t have heroin, because your brain is used to having it all the time.

This is called withdrawal, and it sucks big time.

Withdrawal can feel like death. It can make you feel like you have the flu, but worse.

You can have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, sweating, chills, anxiety, insomnia, and more.

Withdrawal can also make you crave heroin even more, because you know it will make you feel better.

The white horse is one of the most addictive drugs out there.

It hijacks your brain’s reward system and makes you dependent on it for feeling good.

It also makes you sick when you don’t have it, and makes you want it more than anything else in the world.

Possibly the worst thing is that even being sober for 20 years, you always remember that first high. That first rush. So the urge never really leaves…..

Do you know what happened to the smartest student in your class?

The smartest student in my class used to be nicknamed “Rain Man” in math class because of how fast he was able to make calculations. But he wasn’t just the best in math. He was also the best in the language classes and in history class – any class except physical exercise really. He wasn’t much use there.

Everyone thought he would go on to become a university professor. But he didn’t. He started distancing himself from academic pursuits in high school and instead started reading poetry and wanting to be an artist. When he was evaluated for military service and got a stellar score on the IQ test, the officers asked him what he wanted to do after high-school, and he told them he wanted to study literature or write novels.

Most likely the issue was that he came from an academic family, with both his parents being university professors, which made that career path seem like nothing special to him. He wanted “more”, whatever that was.

At college, he would become increasingly erratic, often not showing up for class and failing to read appointed materials. But he would still pass all exams with high marks by making an effort at the last minute.

The “artist” aspiration hadn’t died out though. He was pursuing writing as well as music, eventually forming a band, but he never really made an impact. He wasn’t even a bad music artist but he also just wasn’t outstanding like he was at school. His commercially unsuccessful “artist” career saw him moonlighting at random shift jobs to get by, including as a night receptionist.

It would be seven years until he realized music and literature weren’t going to get him anywhere. If he had just managed to put his head down and work diligently on a more weighty subject of study, be it mathematics or medicine or political science, I’m sure he would have had a brilliant career and made a splash in his field. As it was, he was already in his 30s without any really useful qualifications while others were getting promotions and buying real estate.

In the following years, he first learned Chinese and went to live in China, then came back again, took up coding with the intention of making AI models but also lost interest in that before really getting there. Nowadays he’s still struggling to even get a decent job – something I think no one would have expected back then at school. And who knows what’s next?

I guess I should know because I am this person. I was the smartest kid in my class. In this game of “professor or suicide”, I’m thus far neither. But being gifted hasn’t served me particularly well. Since everything was easy for me throughout my education (well, except P.E. and crafts), I never learned to really struggle. I learned that I could win without struggling. Therefore, I proceeded to avoid anything that might seriously put me to the test. And at the end of the day, intelligence is really no match for effort.

The silver lining is that I’m more and more beginning to realize that I don’t need a brilliant career, neither in academia nor as an artist. In hindsight, I was pursuing both more out of vanity than anything else. Unusually smart kids have a tendency to accrue lofty expectations from all around; from parents, teachers and classmates alike. Everyone tells you: “you could do this” and “you should do that” and “you’re gonna be a star” and it’s easy to become inebriated with this praise and forget to stop and be honest with yourself about what YOU actually want – not what others want for you or even what you want for your own idea of you. Finally doing so has been quite liberating.

Filtering out all the good men

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YDMWjBpmu78/frame0.jpg

Is it true that in China, people with European appearance are valued and they are paid a higher salary, for example, if it is an English teacher?

This is an illusion. The Chinese used to think that having a European appearance meant they would be good at teaching English, but they later realized they were wrong.

Professional ability is linked to your salary, not your appearance.

If you can provide an English major certificate or education certificate, you can earn a good salary at English teaching institutions in China, but of course, there will be many people competing with you. Education requires teaching experience, not just talking to oneself in the classroom. Engaging in the teaching profession requires mastering teaching methods that students can understand. You must first be able to communicate with students in Chinese. Not everyone is suitable for the teaching profession, and whether to stay or not ultimately depends on the graduation rate data of students. People who lack a competitive advantage cannot enter higher education schools and can only teach their children some simple English conversations in kindergartens. Of course, the salary will be much lower than that of school teachers.

China’s second language ~ third language education is civilian education, not aristocratic education.

Generally speaking, the China government requires Chinese students to master at least 1~2 foreign languages. Because English-speaking countries dominate the world, China has popularized English education in the compulsory education stage.

There are many foreigners engaged in English education in China because it is easy to find substitutes, and the competitive pressure of practitioners is also the biggest among all language education. Meanwhile, due to the popularization of English education in China, the job of English teacher is also the easiest to find.

Language teachers such as Russian, Japanese, Korean, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic are relatively lacking.

As far as I know, some teachers of small languages have already earned salaries of $1000~$5000 per hour. (一万到五万一堂课)

Some infrastructure contractors, in order to make their employees understand the local language, offer considerable salaries to language teachers who attend classes during training.

In fact, in recent years, the salaries of Arabic language teachers and French teachers have been very good. Because there are many Arab countries and African countries (French speaking area) along the the Belt and Road. Since there is a demand for business, of course, relevant language education talents are needed.

What is the most bizarre thing a coworker has done to get fired?

We hired a lady to organize our archives before they were digitized. This was in 2000. She was just required to work 8 hours a day, and only needed to interact with coworkers for about an hour a day. So she decided to work 3:00–12:00 and our Mom and Pop small company saw no reason why she couldn’t do her job at night.

She was doing a decent job, and nobody had a problem. But we reached a point, where she had to start working days, so she could tell people what was going on.

She had stored all of her rolls of fim in garbage cans, and paper records in recycling boxes.

The first day she wasn’t there when the cleaners came to clean her office, they emptied all of her film and paper into shredders, and hauled it away.

Not one person in the office could figure out why she not only used her garbage can for storage, but brought in extra garbage cans and filled them.

She was livid and blamed the cleaning staff for emptying the garbage and recycling as they were required to do by contract.

They didn’t exactly fire her. They laid her off, and said that now that there was no data to archive, they didn’t have a job for her.

Delusional expectations

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kFvqKKr4yxc?feature=share

Have you ever known someone who has gone missing?

Sara Anne Wood was just 12 years old when she was abducted within view of her home on Aug 18, 1993. I was friends(from camp) with her brother Dusty and it hit everyone so very hard. This was an incredibly nice family from Central New York in a very small town. Back then, kids had heard ghost stories about kids being snatched but very few took it seriously. Sara’s case changed that for many and the resulting publicity made sure that new tools for the public and law enforcement would save more missing kids since.

The man who admitted to abducting and killing her also confessed to another murder- a 12 year old boy, Jimmy Bernardo. He confessed to another murder(Jamie Lusher) but like Sara, the body has never been found. The killer has given incorrect information for the recovery of Sara Anne Wood and Jamie Lusher many times. FBI psychologists are unsure what is keeping the killer from revealing the information since he seems willing to put it behind him. He will serve every day of his pitiful existence behind bars but it isn’t enough for the pain he has brought to so many in this world.

I have not named the killer out of respect for my childhood friend’s family who feel the killer has garnered too much fame already. It’s easy to search, but do me a favor if you choose to look it up. Please also learn about all of the positive changes brought about by Sara Anne Wood’s case. Those changes have saved/found many thousands of children since.

Note to Dusty & the Wood family: I hope you find peace and closure. We have not forgotten Sara and will never stop looking.

I am so so so SO very glad that I no longer live in the USA.

It’s all loony town.

What was the most embarrassing medical procedure you have had?

When I was 16 I developed a kidney abscess. It was treated over several weeks and dissipated. First off, I had to sit in a room with a bunch of 70 year old men waiting for my Urologist. Then, the Dr was flummoxed how a teenage girl could get this, so proceeded with different types of tests. One was testing my Ureters. In the hospital, I was naked from the waist down with a paper drape, filled my bladder with something and iodine and literally put a stopper in so that I couldn’t pee. Then, they left the room. It was just me and a male tech who was in front of some machines with screens. The room had swinging double doors. Every once in awhile someone would come in, and my nether regions were on full view to anyone coming in, and anyone passing by. When I was done, I had to wrap the paper drape around me and sprint to the bathroom across the hall to piss like a Russian race horse! I’m pretty sure I leaked that liquid all across that room and the hallway. Yes, this was very embarrassing.

These girls are delusional…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B08AYgQgiak?feature=share

When you think your child is too quiet on his own, what was he actually doing that surprised you?

One of my girls had been diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, developmental delays and schizo affective disorder.

She attends a day program for adults that provides socialization along with life skills training. They also take the clients out into the community to do contract jobs supported by staff. She came home beaming and said she was working in a local grocery store. I assumed stocking shelves, sweeping, etc.

About her third day she came home excited as usual got a snack and went to the bathroom.

I cleaned up the table, put away leftovers, and generally spent a fair amount of time puttering around.

Then I realized she was still in the bathroom and it was very quiet.

I called her name.

No answer.

I checked the door.

It was locked.

I banged on the door, yelled her full name and demanded she open the door immediately!

NO! I’M NOT DONE!

What are you doing?

It’s a surprise. Go away!

Now I’ve had pretty awful bathroom surprises from kids. Things like blood all over from an accident doing something I’d warned them about, to diarrhea, to bathing the dog in the tub with the associated water and mud sprayed around.

I said I was counting to 10 and the door had better be open or I’d pick the lock. Yeah, I’ve had to do that on more than one occasion.

At 9 she opened the door beaming and sweaty. See mom! I cleaned it all by myself! The floor around the toilet, the sinks, inside the toilet and the mirrors! Now I need to wash my hands.

Everything was spotless. I had forgotten most stores have at least employee restrooms. That was what she was doing at work.

She then said it was nicer at home than the men’s room. It was disgusting and stinks.

I was floored! Never have I had a child do such a thorough job cleaning anything! I gave her hugs. I told her I was sooo happy with the sparkling clean bathroom.

Then she asked me, Mom, can you teach me how to clean the tub? They don’t have that at the store.

I was shocked. She actually wanted to do more cleaning!

I told her I was so proud of her, and then later made her promise that if she wanted to clean the bathroom again would she please leave the door open. I explained that the surprise was fantastic, but some cleaning supplies were smelly and she could get sick.

She looked disappointed and asked how she could surprise me if the door was open.

I promised if she said she was working on something special I’d stay in the kitchen and make cookies.

I get a clean bathroom, the kids get fresh cookies, and my husband eats raw cookie dough. Wins all the way around!

China SHOCKS The US With Terrifying Nuclear Space Missile

https://youtu.be/qpazF5l5YOo

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

I got a call from a friend, who had literally just been informed that he was laid off. And he was wondering if I had also gotten the axe.

I was on vacation for a week. It was Tuesday or Wednesday, and I was on my way to a dog show to help some friends set some things up. My friend had been walked into the office that morning and been told that his last day would the the following Friday. The severance was good, he had already been thinking about retiring, and his wife was having pretty bad health issues. So he just said cool, and planned on wrapping up the things he was involved with.

So I checked, and did have a voicemail on my phone. I listened to it, and yes, a manager I knew had called VERY EARLY that day and asked that I call her back when I had the time, sometime today. Given that my friend had been laid off, and what the situation at the company was, yeah, I knew I was going to get the boot as well. Not my first time, so I just sat back and made a list of what I needed to do. Then I called my friend back, told him about the voicemail and we commiserated. And finally I called the manager back and got the bad news. No big deal.

Being laid off sucks. But keep your wits about you, be open to doing something different, make smart financial decisions and just keep movin’ on.

What are some good examples of “life isn’t fair”?

In May 2016, Amber Heard, who is now divorced from Johnny Depp, shared photos claiming he abused her. People quickly condemned Depp, especially when he was cast in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Many thought he shouldn’t be hired due to the accusations. Meanwhile, Heard was praised as a survivor and advocate for abused women.

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2023 11 16 08 24

Depp, who had built a good reputation over the years, faced a backlash. People didn’t want to work with him, and he was labeled as an abuser. He received hate from fans, the media, and almost everyone.

However, this year, Depp released tapes that changed how we saw the situation. Heard admitted to hitting him and throwing objects at him, even causing injury. She mocked him, knowing people would likely believe her over him.

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2023 11 16 08 2c5

Depp, in essence, is saying, “Imagine if I, as a man, claimed to be a victim of domestic violence. How many would believe or support me?” The story shows how we often quickly judge someone as a villain, even when they might not be at fault.

Women are attracted to bad boys. How can I act like or be a “bad boy”?

I was the bad boy and what you’re trying to make is a mistake.

Let me explain why.

Most girls in their 20s and even 30s have some kind of masculine ideal. This ideal is anything but healthy. They want the sociopath or the aggressive jerk or whatever is considered nowadays a good representation of masculinity.

The definition of a “good masculine sexual partner” is more of what you’d find in “Fight Club” than “Breakfast At Tiffany”. And yes, I was one of them. I acted as a jerk, I was emotionally imbalanced, I got into a lot of arguments and fights and I was emotionally and physically violent.

And this got me laid. A lot. The fact that my life was chaotic and broken, ironically, made a lot of very beautiful woman want to save me.

And here’s the thing …

If you want to screw your emotional balance, make your life a mess and be in that position for the sake of getting laid you are an idiot. This is because the “bad boy” image that works to get women turned on is kind of the opposite of what works in every other area of life.

Everywhere else consistency, maturity, dignity, integrity are rewarded. In the business world nobody will put up with the “bad boy” bullshit. In the academic world the same. Most realms of life are a meritocracy where your hard work and effort are going to get you what you deserve. Dating is one of the few fields in which the least you care and the more counter-intuitive you act, the better results you’re going to get.

But it is not worth it.

This is because while being a bad boy may get you female attention, being a bad boy is generally not a good life strategy and there is a LOT MORE to life than getting laid. I remember how at some point in my life I was an emotional mess, smoking, drinking, going in bars each night, sleeping with two girls at the same time (not in the same bed) and many people were “admiring me”.

In reality, I was crying out of frustration and desperation often because I was in a hole and no one was pulling me out. While I was getting girls to take off their panties, I had no money, my business partners wanted nothing to do with me, my friends who showed integrity and character have been replaced by superficial relationships and the future looked really bleak.

So honestly, what you want is the most immature thing you can do.

Trust me, treating life as a bad-boy (and I’m not talking about buying a leather jacket but actually being a “I-Don’t-Give-A-Damn” type of person) has a far higher downside than upside. While there are always going to be ladies who will (1) want to save you from yourself (2) think they can change you (3) be attracted because you’re different, the people who don’t want to have sex with you won’t really be impressed by what you’re doing.

So here’s my advice.

Act as a man and stop trying to emulate the dysfunctional bad-boy image. The rogue, the sociopath, the psychopath, the out of control wreck are and were always female fantasies for better or for worse but actually being one sucks.

Instead simply focus on acting as a man. The same traits that you consider boring nice, as a nice guy, are exactly the traits required to succeed in most fields. I’m not saying to be a wimp but I’m saying that being dysfunctional for the sake of mediocre sex (because deep inside you’ll always know that that’s not love but rather fascination) is a very bad trade-of.

Why We’re Leaving The United States

Bathtub Mary

Bathtub Mary.

This is a New England “thing”. Don’t ya know.

It looks a little like this, only in a old claw-foot bathtub…

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2023 11 08 21 23

Wikipedia says…

A bathtub Madonna (also known as a lawn shrine, Mary on the half shell, bathtub Mary, bathtub Virgin, and bathtub shrine) is an artificial grotto typically framing a Roman Catholic religious figure.

These shrines most often house a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary but sometimes hold the image of another Catholic saint or of Jesus. Infrequently, more than one figure is represented.

While often constructed by upending an old bathtub and burying one end, similar designs have been factory produced. These factory produced enclosures sometimes have decorative features that their recycled counterparts lack, such as fluting reminiscent of a scallop shell.

The grotto is sometimes embellished with brickwork or stonework, and framed with flowerbeds or other ornamental flora. The inside of the tub is frequently painted a light blue color, particularly if the statue is of Mary because of her association with this color. Over time, distinguishing characteristics of these shrines can become blurred. Instances occur of shrines whose statue is missing and conversely of grottoes being removed, leaving a statue in place. 
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2023 11 08 21 54

What’s something a flight attendant did to you that you will never forget?

One time, I was traveling with my little sister on a nine-hour flight. We were harassed by a drunk man in the middle row for the entire flight, which was incredibly uncomfortable. He kept staring at us, trying to touch us with his arms and legs, and getting up to stand next to our seats and stare and laugh, trying to get closer with his face.

There were still six hours left before we reached our destination. I spoke to the flight attendants and burst out crying because it was so uncomfortable. My little sister was also crying. The flight was full, so they couldn’t move us or him. The flight attendants tried to talk to him, but it was no use. He became weird and slightly aggressive.

There were still a few hours left to go. The flight attendants had a male flight attendant from business class come down to us and talk to us and comfort us. He stood behind our seats for the rest of the flight.

The other flight attendants were so sweet. They kept coming with snacks and sweets for us, and they even went to their private locker and gave us their own snacks and candies that they had brought. They wanted us to write down the whole incident so that the pilots could see it. The pilots then decided to call the police.

Cajun Pork Butt

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2023 11 08 11 49

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) boneless pork shoulder butt roast
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
  • 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon steak sauce
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Instructions

  1. Place roast in a shallow baking pan; cut 8 to 10 small slits in roast.
  2. Combine remaining ingredients; press into slits and over top of roast.
  3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
  4. Cover and bake 1 3/4 hours longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
  5. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

A co-worker who is not my supervisor snapped her fingers at me and told me to hurry up. What should I do?

I worked in Theatre for many years. Out-of-work actors often earn stop-gap money waitering. Here are two neat reposts.

A famous (I’ll leave her anonymous) actress had been difficult in a high-end restaurant all evening. Nothing was good enough for her. Eventually the waiter handed her the dessert-menu. The actress barked angrily at the waiter: “What the hell is Banana cream pie?”

The waiter politely replied: “Which word, exactly, is causing you difficulties?”

Another actor/waiter pal had a difficult patron snapping her fingers at him and yelling: “Boy! Over here, boy!”

The waiter, ever so calmly said to her: “Madam, if you tell me where you lost your dog, I’ll gladly help you find him.”

Come up with a calm, elegant put down; it’s much more stylish than taking other people’s bad manners to heart and getting rattled. You also end up with some terrific anecdotes.

What are the most famous last words in history?

It’s gotta be this guy:

image 90
image 90

James French

He was a convicted murderer in the 1960s and was sentenced to death via the electric chair.

But his last words were pretty hilarious,

“How’s this for your headline? ‘French Fries’”

image 89
image 89

Pun + capital punishment = Savage

What is a polite response when someone says they don’t like your home?

I bought a huge house backing onto a stream, and on the other side of the stream was a golf course. My next door neighbors were a famous professional hockey player, and a neurosurgeon on the other side.

It had a carpeted garage with built in oak cabinets.

It had a thousand square foot master suite, walkin closet, and ensuite. The Jacuzzi was surrounded by windows that actually opened, it was on the third floor.

I was having Christmas one year and a very competitive relative, who had a nice, but not awesome house, was asking for a tour of the house.

The windows around the Jacuzzi were open. He said, you can hear traffic with the windows open, I like my place better.

I would never dream of finding fault with someones house, especially when they asked for a tour. I was stunned. No mention of the grand entrance way, with the sweeping spiral staircase, that split in two directions. No mention of the mountain view from the 20 foot tall windows. No mention of the finished walk out basement that allowed you to play in the stream. Just criticism of the one tiny flaw he could find.

I being the polite person I was, just said, I have learned to live with it, when I have the third floor Jacuzzi windows open. He didn’t have a third floor, and the year before, he complained he couldn’t use his Jacuzzi, because the hot water tank wasn’t large enough to fill it. So I knew the working Jacuzzi bothered him.

You couldn’t hear the traffic on the bottom two floors, because of the houses and trees blocking it. You could only hear it, when the windows were open on the third floor, and just barely then, because the road was a km away.

Have you ever walked into a room and seen something that made you go, “Nope,” and turn 180 degrees and walk away? What was it?

1989 or 1990, one of restrooms in highschool.

Walked in, saw handiwork of someone’s halloween prank. Red liquid / Gel / Syrup / idk was everywhere. Walls, floor, stalls, sinks, ceiling… everywhere.

Executed a perfect 180, and ran into couple of guys carrying a skeleton (liberated from nearby classroom).

Year before that, had a few smoke bombs left over from 4th July, decided that student population of Library wing needed a bit of drama. Wrapped paper matches around fuses, lit matches, and calmly walked out and left building.

Nothing happened, no alarm, no mass exodus, etc. Being young and stupid, I revisited the scene od the crime. Opened door, walked around corner, and there were 3 teachers and resource officer standing by sinks / drowned smoke bombs. Executed a perfect 180 to leave, and was told to stop before could get out. School resource officer found the matches on me…

Was told was same matches that were used. I glanced at drowned non-incendiary devices and told him “Nope, these are white with red heads, those are all black”. Was asked why had them, replied “just had them by mistake after asked to change partners in Chemistry after lighting my Bunsen.”Mr Maeker, chem teacher, confirmed that I was asked to move, but did not disclose his class used *wood* matches.

Who was the most unfortunate person in the history of mankind?

The story of Joe Arridy comes to mind, marked by misfortune from the very start.

Born to parents who were related and faced with severe learning difficulties, having an IQ of just 46, Joe didn’t even start talking until he was five.

image 8
image 8

School was a bust; after just one year, the principal told his parents to keep him home.

His family life was rocked when his dad got laid off, and unable to cope, they sent Joe to a state institution. But that place offered no refuge, instead, Joe found himself the target of cruel bullying.

Life threw another horrific punch when, as a teenager, Joe was attacked by a group of boys. That awful incident got him sent back to the institution, where he’d already suffered so much.

At 21, Joe hit the road, riding the rails like many did during the tough times of the Great Depression. It was a rough existence, and sadly for Joe, it led to the most unjust chapter of his life.

Accused of a gruesome crime; the r*pe and murder of a young girl in Pueblo, Colorado. Joe’s fate was sealed by a confession that was disjointed and filled with inaccuracies.

No physical evidence linked Arridy to the crime scene. His conviction was based solely on the questionable confession and the loose testimony of witnesses and was only pardoned posthumously.

He went to death row but carried a strange kind of joy, one that stood out in the grimness of prison life. He was fond of a toy train, a symbol of his childlike innocence, which he spent most of his days playing and kindly gave it to a fellow prisoner right before he was executed.

image 7
image 7

On the day of his execution, Joe didn’t grasp the finality of what was happening. He left behind a bit of ice cream, which he requested for as a last meal, asking for it to be refridgerated for later, not realizing there was no coming back from where they were taking him.

The sobering story of Joe is a stark reminder of life’s unpredictable harshness and the importance of compassion and unwavering justice in our society.

And to also remind people who have it a little easier in life than others to be eternally grateful.

What is the strangest failure you have ever seen on a car?

I worked at a nursing home as a physical therapist and one of my clients was a retired cable TV executive with end-stage Alzheimer’s. After he passed away, I went to his wife’s home to offer my condolences and as I was leaving, I saw an older Cadillac in a covered carport behind the home.

A 1975 baby blue Sedan de Ville with a white vinyl top and a 500 ci V8 under the hood. I was fascinated and asked the widow about the car. She said it was her late husbands and that he had purchased it brand new. But before he was able to enjoy the car he developed Alzheimer’s and was no longer able to drive.

I told her if she ever wanted to sell it to let me know and left.

She contacted me later when she was moving and said she would like me to have it since I worked with her husband at the end of his life. We settled on a price and I bought the car with 24,000 original miles on the odometer. As I was leaving, the wife handed me a box of brand-new original floormats that had never been opened.

After driving the car around for a few days, I discovered a constant “thumping” that would increase with speed. After taking the car to a mechanic, he explained to me that the tires were original from the factory and although there was plenty of tread left, the tires had developed flat-spots from sitting in the driveway for years.

I replaced the tires and the car now has about 60K. Rides like a Cadillac.

Biden neocon war drums beat louder

As an American, I can tell you firsthand that folks are so unengaged in these events and their consequences. It appears that we believe we’re undefeatable. Our hubris will destroy us.”

Should the government continue to make prices or fix prices?

I like the Chinese Method

China adopts a strategy that is not exactly the Socialist Price Fixing but more of a Price Control

And purely for foodstuffs

China has in place a market mechanism for prices to rise and fall, a sort of a farm futures index

China also engages in buying 44%-77% of all the grain produced and Pork Produced and all other Agriculture produced in China , minus a few products like Fruits or Pears Or Shrimp etc

They pay according to the market index

Then when and if prices rise higher, they release foodstuffs from their storage and increase supply and this automatically lower prices to acceptable levels

This is because China has a storage capacity of 33 months for Grain at a 3.28% wastage

This is astounding for a Country that in 2007 had a 11 month storage capacity with 18% wastage


Now this is technically against Economic Laws

However Adam Smiths Free Market didn’t include manipulations

In the West, Agro Futures and Prices are pretty much capitalist controlled and can surge and fall in a way controlled by cartels

It’s worse in Africa , far worse

And Pakistan, by God it’s atrocious


Surprisingly India has a good old fashioned system like the State Purchases and Mandis that keep prices controlled


So my belief is Government should practise staunch capitalism and free market as long as :-

  • The market is dictated by PURE DEMAND AND SUPPLY and not by Cartel players
  • Education & Food & Health & Transport are excluded from pure capitalism and treated as Public Services

To the best of my knowledge only 17 Nations practise the above including China & the GCC& Scandinavian Countries

Uh oh… Big mistake

If you had one wish, and you can’t ask for more wishes, what would it be?

I’m in a second-hand furniture store.

It smells like mothballs, and the woman at the counter is at least 126 years old.

What’s this? An antique lamp. Looks old. I pick it up and wipe off the dirt and…

*POOF*

A genie.

He’s big. Blue. Sounds a lot like Robin Williams.

He says I get one wish and can’t ask for more wishes. I get it. The United Genie Association (UGA) doesn’t want one person taking all the wishes. They want to share the love. It’s a noble idea… but it’s one I can sidestep.

“I WISH… to be given the option to accept the same thing that every person wishes for when they find this lamp”.

Boom.

Someone wishes for a million dollars a week later… I’ll accept it too.

Someone wishes for the power of flight a month later… I’ll accept it too.

Someone wishes for world peace a year later… I don’t want that (not because I’m against the cause, but what are we going to do with TWICE the world peace?).

I haven’t asked for more wishes.

I’m just being offered a gift now and then.

Checkmate genie.

Now get back in the lamp. There’s an antique apothecary table I’ve got my eye on, and I want to get back to my shopping.

If your car is stolen, and then you just so happen to stumble across it parked in the street, are you legally allowed to steal it back then and there without calling the police or anything in the USA?

Yes you can. My cousin had her car stolen while at work. While riding the bus home a few days later, she saw it in a grocery store parking lot. She jumped off the bus keys in hand and sure enough, it was her car. Still hadsome of her belongings in it. Still had her registration and other documents in the glove box too. So she hoped in, locked the door and called the nonemergency police number to report she found it. It started up fine so they said she could drive off with it. As she was on the phone with them, someone came out of the store (with a cart full of groceries) and screamed at her that it was their car and to get out ECT. She cracked the window just enough to tell them it was her car, they stole it, and that they were idiots for leaving HER registration in the glove box. She then said I have the cops on the phone if you want to talk to them. They took off running. Left their groceries behind. She proceeded to load them into her car and drive off with the $200 worth of food. She said she took it as payment for stealing her car. She said what are they gonna do? Call the cops and say “Yea the lady who’s car I stole a few days ago took back her car and stole my groceries”

Stop watch is a ticking…

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Zn3_hUFVas0?feature=share

If China wanted to retaliate against Britain for the Opium Wars, without other alliance interference, who would win (modern day)?

The UK is already in a fairly bad way.

China could destroy the UK economy at the stoke of a pen.

Pull HSBC’s banking licence in China. HSBC is a UK bank. It’s got several trillion in assets and relies heavily on Asia and China now. HSBC withdrew from the US market as they were caught money laundering for terrorists and drug cartels.

The UK government would bail HSBC out and need to print 900–1500bn to do so.

GBP would suffer mega inflation.

Next up sanctions to push that inflation up some more. Without Chinese imports and exports to China their inflation would go up another 10–25% that would cause loss of faith immediately and they’d be looking at £50 bread. Massive riots would happen at this stage.

Biden Threatens War With China Over The…Philippines?

How deluded are these people if they think the US can talk down to China about anything at this stage, let alone human rights…

In WWI, how long did it take to dig a full scale typical WWI trench for any sized unit, and how did they not get shot, mowed-down, or barraged while they were digging it, considering they were in the wide open and on a huge front?

Obviously, the exact timing depended to a significant extent on the nature of the ground but, in the British army, a man was considered capable of moving, on average, a cubic foot of earth in three minutes. It was assumed that the rate would start at a cubic foot every two minutes in the first hour and then decline to a cubic foot every six minutes by the fourth hour. The work rate also slowed as the trench was dug deeper as the earth had to be lifted further. Reliefs should be provided at least every four hours.

A contemporary example I have seen suggests that forty men, using 40 shovels and 20 picks, could dig a:

forty rifle trench, 18″ command, traversed, recessed, and with head cover, in easy soil, in seven hours.

It is further noted that the minimum practical distance between men working was 5′ if a pick was being used and 4′ otherwise.

A full trench would be 6′ 6″ deep, being constructed of a 1′ 6″ parapet (above ground level), a 3′ drop to the fire step and then a two foot drop to the bottom of the trench. Initially the trench would be 4′ 6″ deep (including the parapet) and a minimum of 18″ wide. As soon as time allowed, the area behind the 18″ fire step would be dug out another 2′ and 2′-3′ wide to create the passage trench, the bottom of which would now be 6′ 6″ deep.

image 10
image 10

Of course, when under fire, they didn’t start building the full trench all at once. It would have started as a shallow scrape around 6′ x 2′ x 1′. That’s 12 cubic feet and would have taken around 40 minutes to dig. The scrape would then, successively, have been deepened so that it could accommodate a kneeling man (3′ deep) and then a standing man (4′ 6″ deep).

A scrape is defined, in considerable detail, thus:

[The soldier should] tear up and collect any vegetation within arm’s reach, and heap it up loosely as a screen at full arm’s length to the front.

(Lying on the left side of the body, and using the pick or blade of the grubber, according to the hardness of the ground, he should quickly hack the earth loose in a furrow, about 1′ 6″ feet away on the right side, from as far back to the right rear to as far forward to the right front as he can reach.

Then holding the grubber by the handle close to its head, thumb pointing towards small end of handle, and, using the blade as a scoop or hoe, he should scrape the loose earth out of the furrow and heap it up close in front of his left eye and shoulder. He should hack loose another strip of earth along the near side of the original furrow, so that the grubber will strike into ground which is probably softer than the crust, and can thus be undercut and wrenched up from below. He should continue to scrape loose earth towards the parapet and hack off the crust until the furrow is about 1’ 6″ feet wide. Any lumps of earth available should be used to build up the near edge of the parapet as steeply as possible.

Each new lot of loose earth should be disposed so as. to thicken the parapet in a direct line between his head and the point from which the most accurate fire appears to come, or, if the enemy’s fire seems to come from every direction, he may extend the parapet right-handed in a general horseshoe round the front of he trench, keeping. the past of the parapet over which he intends to fire about 6″ lower than the remainder, and of bullet-proof thickness if possible.

When the depth of the trench reaches about 6″ at the front end and 12″ at the back, and the parapet is 6″ high and bullet-proof, some vegetation, if any is available, should be scattered over the parapet to conceal the earth thrown up. The soldier is then ready to join the firefight.

The following diagram shows the evolution of the scrape (A) through successive digging to the full trench (E).

image 104
image 104

When sapping or extending an existing trench, the working face, and thus the number of men that can be employed, is obviously limited and it was expected that a trench could be extended by between one and two feet per hour.

Do you have any childhood memories that you didn’t understand until you were an adult (or teen)?

Before I was old enough to go to school my best friend was a little boy named Lester who lived across the street. We were almost inseparable. Then, just before starting school, we moved away. We visited Lester and his family a few times over the next couple of years, and then my parents started saying it was too far away and making other excuses for not visiting. After a while I got used to not seeing Lester any more, but I never forgot him.

After I had grown up, finished college and gotten married, my wife and I went back to my hometown and visited my mother. While looking through Mom’s old photo albums I came across an invitation to one of Lester’s birthday parties. Mom then told me the truth about Lester for the first time. One day she and Lester’s mother had taken us to the doctor together for our regular checkups. My results came back normal, and Lester’s showed he had leukemia. He still looked healthy when we moved away, and for the next couple of years. But then he became visibly ill and my parents didn’t want me to know, so they found reasons to stop the visits. But Mom secretly kept writing and talking on the phone to Lester’s mother for several years afterwards, and knew that he died not long after our visits stopped.

Even though it had been many years I was very shaken and saddened by that news, and to this day I wish I had been told what was happening and had a chance to say goodbye. All this happened in the late ’50s and early ’60s (I was born in 1955). Then, a few years ago, I decided to try and find out what had happened to Lester’s family. Mom had died in 1999 so my only recourse was to search online with what I had from my own memories. After a long search I finally came across a picture of Lester on a genealogy website and sent an email to his cousin. She put me in touch with her mother, who was one of Lester’s sisters. We exchanged several emails with memories of Lester, and though she wasn’t much older than him she vaguely remembered the little boy across the street (me) who had been his friend. I scanned several photos of him and me together from Mom’s photo albums and emailed them to her, including a few in which he was wearing the same clothes as in the picture they had put on the website. She was glad to know someone outside the family still remembered her little brother with fondness.

I’m 68 and I still wish I could have seen him once more, but this experience at least finally gave me a little closure.

Loving Two girls…

Why is almost everything in America made in China including the national flag and the clothes the president is wearing?

Thanks for the a2a. Why? Those of us old enough to remember all the manufacturing jobs going to China know that capitalistic greed is the reason. Owners and CEO’s thought paying Chinese workers rock bottom prices was more cost effective than to continue producing product in the US.

I don’t blame China. They needed the jobs back then. They took those low wages because it was better than none. It was better than starving in the Great Leap Forward. They were just providing for their families, same as the rest of us. I don’t begrudge them their success and rise to greatness.

In fact, I am impressed and absolutely thrilled with how far China has come. By the way, you get what you pay for. Pay them low wages and you might get low quality. Pay them well and you may see high speed rails and virtual reality. What you get from China is really up to you.

But don’t resent China or the people. Resent the factory owners. Resent your bosses that took your job out from under you. Blame the true villain instead of the straw man.

Pearl WARNS Modern Women About This

This is very harsh, but very true. Sadly.

https://youtu.be/hdCEjGjqd9Y

Why did not more countries join the Soviet Union?

Rats reach giant sizes in the battlefield of Ukraine as they feed on corpses of the dead soldiers and they’re never out of new meat.

The Western Siberian oil basin is the largest oil and natgas producing region in Russia. One would think that locals benefit from cheap gasoline.

Residents of Orenburg, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, and other neighboring Russian regions who live close to the border go on gasoline tours to Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan filling tanks and canisters with much cheaper gasoline. For A-92 the difference is about 50%; for A-95: 30-33%, for diesel fuel: 30-37%.

What gives? High taxes to pay for war in Ukraine.

In Russia, the share of taxed in the liter of gasoline is much greater than in Kazakhstan. The excise tax on diesel fuel in Kazakhstan is 540 tenge (90 rubles), while in Russia 9,556 rubles per 1 ton (the share of excise tax per liter of fuel is 8 rubles).

The excise tax on imported gasoline in Kazakhstan is 1,839 rubles per ton while in Russia it’s 13,262 rubles, or about 10.3 rubles per 1 liter.

As a result, the share of the tax component in the liter of Russian gasoline at the moment, taking into account the excise tax, mineral extraction tax, and VAT, is over 70%!

Therefore, Russians pay extra for gasoline in order to dispatch fellow citizens to feed rats in Ukraine! Lucky rodents.

In the Perm Krai, an 11th-grader was given military summons right at school after celebrating Conscript Day. “Rats are hungry,” said the representative of the conscription office.

The Hamas delegation led by a member of the Politburo of the militants Abu Marzuk arrived in Moscow. They plan to discuss with their Russian counterparts how to conduct surprise targeted raids and kidnappings, share secrets about how to fool intelligence services, and receive additional lessons in paragliding.

But you do not worry, I’m sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who first came to power two years after Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus killed all his competitors. These elderly men are birds of the same feather and flock together. Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has regularly entertained Taliban, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas as they have one crucial thing in common – they have dedicated their lives to fighting America’s hegemony .

During the Civil War in Sri Lanka, Mossad sold weapons to both sides of the conflict. Likewise, after seeing Hamas out of the door, Putin will meet with a delegation from Israel.

Military service is advertised on buses. Russian state agency plans to have ads on space rockets. In case aliens will see the phone number in the outer space and decide to become heroes of Russia.

The Head of the General Staff of Russia’s friendly India stabbed Brutalsky in the back and turned the knife one hundred and eighty degrees.

“Russia’s geopolitical importance will decline over time, even though it is a nuclear power.”

Flashing his nuclear head has been Putin’s favorite pastime for the duration of two years. Having an Indian general say publicly that they’re not impressed with the endowment and that the size doesn’t matter is appalling.

  • Russia depends on India. India can squeeze Russia for discounts as they have to sell oil somewhere while India has many options where to buy it.
  • After the start of Special Military Humiliation, the whole world stopped being afraid of Russia witnessing the low level of training of the military and the lack of modern weapons.
  • India is now considered a space power with its own lunar mission, while the Russian moon probe crashed and burned, the mission unaccomplished.

Sergey Shoigu should issue a threat that they would nuke the Taj Mahal and invade Goa on the pretext that thousands of Russian creatives are engaged in non-conservative and non-traditional activities there.

Rule One

What makes Japanese engines so reliable?

Many years ago I worked at a Toyota factory in the USA. One day we had some visitors from GM taking the factory tour and the visitor’s center was hospitable and had them meet some of the engineers and technical people (I was in IT and honestly had the best personality to deal with visitors so was invited along).

The GM people asked us to see our rework yard. I had no idea where or what that was so I asked my colleagues what it is and where it is. They were as confused as me.

When asked, the GM folks told us it’s the lot where they keep cars that come off the assembly line with defects so that they can be patched up and sold.

So we took them to the small warehouse area where we keep the dozen or so cars that come off the line with a minor issue that we can fix and make it as good as every other car. More often than not it was an issue with the stitching on the seat or a steering wheel or something like that, and we would just replace the part that was imperfect.

GM guy: “Where’s the rest of it?”

Me: “This is it. What do you do?”

GM guy explained they had a large lot for cars that come off the line with faulty body work or engines or transmissions, and they’re patched up so they can be sold. Then he said “what do you do with your defective cars?”

We explained that it rarely happens, and when it does we study it, figure out what went wrong, fix the issue so it won’t happen again, and then either keep the car for further study and training purposes or crush it. Nothing that comes off the line with a serious defect leaves the factory.

And that’s why Japanese engines (and vehicles) are known for reliability. Yes, tolerances are tight and yes, Japanese companies avoid untested technology. But that’s secondary.

The main reason is that anything defective that gets produced is studied, not sold, and then improvements are made so it won’t happen again.

The Japanese do make bad cars sometimes. They just don’t sell them.

Not everyone can say that.

Edit: Thanks for your awesome comments everyone. This is the sort of thing that makes Quora fun.

Second edit: Since Edward Deming keeps getting mentioned in the comments I feel I should address his influence on Japanese industrial processes. I’m no expert on Deming but from what I’ve read he’s clearly a remarkable man who had a tremendous impact on Japan’s postwar industrial development. With that said I feel it’s wrong to entirely credit him with Japan’s reputation for building quality products. He could have made the same contribution in other countries and received different results. Deming planted the seed and the Japanese nurtured the plant. Deming certainly deserves accolades for his contribution but the main credit for Japanese quality goes to the Japanese themselves. By all accounts Deming was a very humble man and certainly would agree. The world is a poorer place without him in it.

Iran Defense Minister to USA: Ceasefire in Gaza or be “Hit Hard”

World Hal Turner

Iran’s defense minister said Sunday that the U.S. would be “hit hard” if Washington doesn’t push for and implement a cease-fire in Gaza.

“Our advice to the Americans is to immediately stop the war in Gaza and implement a cease-fire, otherwise they will be hit hard,” Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Why are the Chinese not as aggressive like Indians?

  • Chinese people, by nature, are very calm/collective/and incredibly hard-working.
  • I have never seen/met even one Chinese in Canada/or China who is boastful, talks too much, and delivers nothing. Their talk is zero percent, and delivery is almost 100 percent. I have worked with Chinese Canadians at different levels for nearly fifty years.
  • By nature, they are very humble.
  • They are not gossipy/very goal-oriented.
  • And they are wired to work very cooperatively and team-spirited.

To describe Chinese: There used to be one advertisement. It used to say: Let your fingers do the talking.

Regardless, It was an advertisement for OLD TIME: Yellow Pages, before the internet. Some people may remember these Yellow Pages in the phone books used for publicity for all kinds of things/services/almost everything.

For Chinese people, I have a similar thing to say: Let the achievements of the Chinese do the talking.

  • I have observed and tried to implement/copy some of their trademark habits.

To win from the Chinese is almost mission impossible.

I could write many things about others, but these are my impressions/observations, it may upset some people.

And

It is sufficient to say that China and the Chinese will rule the world for a long time from now onwards.

A word of caution:

Yes, I am very aware of the lifestyle of rich kids: A present is small numbers but eventually will put one nail in the coffin. It happens to every race/country/company: To become complacent/wasteful/lazy/let it go. It is a usual growth curve, stagnation, and dying of wealth and power.

  1. Yes, I am aware of the shortcomings/evils/of the riches, too. There is a start of problem of obesity.
  2. Yes, there is an onset of flaunting new riches, too.
  3. Yes, there is the onset of being complacent.
  4. Yes, there is the onset of being lazy.

Yes, some of the new affluent Chinese kids are becoming obese/lazy/show off/useless/they come to the West to live in penthouses/fancy cars/big money in the bank by the daddy/and blow away dady money.

One line sums up: China and the Chinese: Let their achievements do the talking.

No race can compete with them: They are killing -machines in every field. And most of our neighbors are Chinese, and our kids went to school with their kids.

There is zero tolerance for not excelling in academics in a Chinese household.

I want to share something: One of our kids was neck to neck-with the Chinese kids in school. Chinese, by nature, as said earlier, keep to themselves, do not discuss their game plan, and work very hard. They surprise the competition with the result.

They did the same thing with China: They closed the doors to outsiders and put their houses in order. When they opened the doors, the world had a big surprise.

Go to China, see it yourself: Come back to the “Developed” so-called first world and see it yourself.

Rest assured, the world will not be the same: Life will be insensitive for the rest.

It is NOT only their industrial might: It is also relatively crime-free/corruption-free/full equality of women/and not wasting money in useless wars. During my six visits, I found that most people in China hope for a bright future.

Sadly, the West was in gloated form, complacent form, and ignorance form, and China’s bashful behavior of not flaunting took the whole world by surprise.

And

Due to the Chinese’s very reserved nature, not flaunting, keeping a shallow profile, however, the fact of life in Canada is they own massive real estate. In one city where I make most of my living, Chinese money is behind in all gigantic projects. And in other words, China owns an enormous share of Canada. (Please note this statement is based on my gut feelings/observations.)

It is also a myth that most Chinese are atheists. There is no truth to it. The Chinese have found the real God (Do your good Karma and do not worry about the results). Their massive churches are not ONLY for praising the LORD. There is all mutual business, comparing notes about the kids’ super achievements, kids helping kids, and parents exchanging their business cards. In the end, yes, it comes to Praise the Lord.

I have worked with almost all the races on the earth in Canada. Rest assured, NOT even one race except the Chinese can work together. You do not need supervisors/guards on any other race; if one tries to come out of the hole, the other members of his race pull him down, except the Chinese, they will lift the one who is trying to get out, and the same way the whole pit will be empty. Moral: That is why the Chinese are the wealthiest community in almost every country. (The hole is a metaphor for the poverty of comers; helping each other is a metaphor for a deep bond for each other, coming out of the hole to enjoy prosperity.) These were all metaphors and my observations.

Here is a bit more information on the author:

Something about myself and my family: I was born a few years ago; India was independent in 1947in the Punjab region of India, in a Hindu/Punjabi family. I did a BSc with two extra B.A. subjects and a BEd MSc from Punjab University Chandigarh. Now, it is in the U.T.

I moved to Canada in the early 70s when I was in my early 20s, enrolled in a grad program at U of Guelph, and finished my MSc with almost double the courses than expected and a lovely thesis on an industrial problem of that time.

I became very interested in learning about China and the Chinese in primary school. Our teacher was very impressed with China/Buddhism/Culture/and so on. He sowed powerful seeds in my mind about the great civilization of China. I vowed that one day I would visit China. I saw it six /visited times, and I just scratched the surface. Then COVID hit the world, and my continued journey stopped. Hopefully, I will start again to explore China.

I have been in Canada for close to fifty years. My wife and I raised our kids. Now, we are blessed with grandkids.

I hope it helps.

Sam Arora: MSc Food Science U of Guelph, Canada MSc Dairy Science U of Punjab, NDRI, India

Beautiful Shanghai: The area is called The Bund. In the background, the Pearl Tower salutes China’s rise to the Unofficial Chairman of the board(In my view). China and the Chinese showed the world that everything is possible with super hard work, And that is the real essence of Hinduism: super Karma.

Most Chinese people do not believe in reducing anyone’s height. They increase their very quietly and with total devotion.

What are shocking historical facts they don’t teach you in school?

image 102
image 102

It is possible that in the eighteenth century, the US may have adopted the metric system of measurements if it were not for a series of unfortunate events that befell Frenchman Joseph Dombey. Mr. Dombey was sent to America in 1794 to help the Americans reform the imperial system of measurements inherited from the British. The Americans had with the help of the French defeated the British and might be interested in a non British measurement system.

Dombey took with him copper prototypes for the newly devised meter and kilometer, which he intended to present to Congress. Unfortunately, his ship was blown off course to Guadeloupe where French royalists imprisoned him. H, Dombey was released only to be captured by pirates who stole his measurements and held him for ransom. While in captivity the unfortunate Frenchman died of a fever- thus depriving America of the the opportunity to adopt the metric system.

What is in the needle that soldiers injected wounded comrades with in Vietnam War movies? Did every soldier get issued one?

image 101
image 101

The morphine syrette used in WWII and Vietnam had a wire loop pin with a guard in the end of the hollow needle that was used to break a seal where the needle was attached to the tube. After breaking the seal, the wire loop pin was removed and the hollow needle was inserted under the skin at a shallow angle and the tube flattened between the thumb and fingers. After injection the used tube was pinned to the receiving soldier’s collar to inform others of the dose administered.

In the infantry, usually the medics carried them however some soldiers did carry some in case needed.

Today’s wounded soldiers suck on lollipops.

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image 100

The new treatment offers an alternative to the morphine needle you see in the World War II movies, with medics jabbing a syrette into a soldier’s leg or arm.

The Fentanyl lollipop offers medics a faster way to ease the pain of a battlefield injury as the drug can be absorbed more rapidly through a lozenge in the mouth than from a needle injected into the muscle.

The absorption is actually faster through the blood vessels in the mouth. You don’t have to worry about shock which will constrict the blood vessels in a major muscle in a leg or an arm.

What’s the most disrespectful thing a doctor/nurse did to you or your newborn after you gave birth?

I was young and unwed. The doctor I saw attended me nicely, tried to counsel me, teach me about babies, etc, assuming at 17 I wasn’t capable.

After my beautiful baby was born and about 3 months old, at a routine check up, the doctor began asking me odd questions about wanting my freedom, needing money, etc., until he finally got around to saying he wanted my baby. Said he could do more for her than I ever could blah blah blah.

I was dumb struck. Insulted beyond belief. Scared me, too.

I told him he wasn’t her mother and could do any more than I could because he could never be her mother.

An odd response, I suppose, but I believed it then and still today. I was young, naive, resourceless, etc., but I knew he could never love her like I did (and do).

What is the best excuse you have given to the police for speeding?

I got pulled over in Florida on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County. FHP trooper came up to me and asked me how I was doing. I replied, “Well, honestly, I was doing pretty good before I met you.” He laughed and replied, “Oh yeah. Ninety five. Ninety FIVE!”

Now it just so happened that he pulled me over right in front of an interstate marker sign. So I pointed at it and said, “But look right there. The sign says 95.” He laughed and then pointed to a piece of paper lying beside me on the passenger seat. “What’s that right there,” he asked. Um. A ticket. “Let me see that.” I handed it to him. He looked at it, then said to me “You’re going to screw around until you lose your license.”

Then…he let me go. I couldn’t believe it. I think he realized with the ticket he was about to give me, coupled with the ticket I already had, actually would result in a suspension of my license. I think that because I gave him a good laugh, he decided to cut me a big break.

I was grateful. And I still believe in miracles.

What is the most embarrassing moment of your life?

When I was 17-years-old, I was working as a waitress in a hotel restaurant.
I was clumsy as hell and uncomfortable serving people. I started as a kitchen hand so I was used to being in the back and safe from the patrons.

One day, a group of four from England, came in wanting to be seated. We only had one table available and we hadn’t cleared it yet so as they walked toward the table. I’m panicking about getting it prepared for them.

One of their party is an older gentlemen probably in his 40s and he’s quite handsome. He looked a little like Mads Mikkelsen.

​He was just like this and pretty fetching in my eyes. So, I apologized to his group and there were really gracious about it. They were lovely, lovely people. However, just as I’m removing a water jug from the table and one of the other girls is cleaning it, I bang into the gentleman as I’m turning and I spilled water all the way down the front of his shirt and all over his trousers.
I’m instantly horrified and I’m pretty sure I actually stopped breathing. He just said, “Ooops!”

He grabbed a serviette and starts dabbing at his shirt and without thinking and TRYING to be helpful, I also grab a serviette and I “dab it on his crotch”. Realizing the mistake I’ve made, I just drop the serviette and walk away back into the kitchen followed by the other waitress who is pissing herself by laughing hysterically while I’m nearly crying.

I had to return to their table to give them their cutlery, and as I’m placing it on the table, my hands are visibly shaking from my shame and embarrassment. However, the people at the table are so friendly, they’re laughing and joking so I feel less shitty about accidentally molesting the nice man. They were staying at the hotel so I saw them a couple more times during breakfast and dinner again the following night. Every time the group came in, they stopped to say hello and asked how I was.

To this day, I cringe and I still see the embarrassed look he gave me when I had my hand on his crotch. Oh, floor…please swallow me!

What is an example of a person practically falling into a movie career and becoming famous (with no prior experience)?

Johnny Depp. He had zero acting education or prior experience. He simply accompanied his band mate (!) to an audition for A Nightmare On Elm Street before a band rehearsal and waited in the lobby. Director Wes Craven spotted him, noticed his boyish good looks and said “You! Get in here right now.”

I’d say that qualifies as practically falling into a movie career.

Johnny Depp in A Nightmare On Elm Street:

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What are some of the best examples of ‘work smarter, not harder’?

It was the year 1980.

A programmer named Tim Paterson worked hard writing code for a new operating system. Later that year in August 1980 Seattle Computer Products, shipped the first version of the operating system.

One day, a young energetic guy with large eyeglasses walked into the company searching for the operating system named 86-DOS.

He negotiated a non-exclusive license for $25,000 and took it to the computer giant named IBM. He showed the demo, offered a few modifications that they were requesting and closed a deal.

A few weeks later, in May 1981, this bright guy named Bill Gates who worked on a startup named Microsoft went back to Tim Paterson and hired him to further develop the software.

On July 27, 1981 he paid another $50,000 for the full rights, totaling $75,000 and renamed it to MS-DOS.

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A month later, Microsoft was shipping MS-DOS on IBM personal computers, and within a year Microsoft licensed MS-DOS to over 70 other companies!

Eventually this work turned Bill Gates and Paul Allen into the world’s richest men.

This my friend, is one of the best examples of “Work Smarter, NOT harder!”

What’s the cleverest cheating you’ve ever seen as a teacher or student?

I’m not sure that this counts as cheating, but a couple students did exploit a loophole.


It was about 2000, and I was teaching a large (~200 students) circuit theory course at the University of Washington, in Autumn quarter, in the big lecture hall in Bagley Hall. As the time for the second midterm approached, students began clamoring, “Professor Sahr, how can we get extra credit on the exam?” I kept telling them, “just study for the exam, okay? And do your best. No extra credit!”

But the students kept whining and whining, and finally (exasperated), I said this: “Okay, any students who cross Drumheller Fountain on the day of the exam get 10 extra points.” The students said “awwww, you’re no fun.”

You can probably see where this is going.

At any rate, the day of the exam arrives, and the weather just sucks. It’s mid November, and (unsurprisingly) it’s raining cats and dogs, and the wind is blowing. As I stagger over to Bagley Hall, I notice that Drumheller Fountain is on — there are these water jets in the middle of this 100-foot-diameter fountain which is (by the way) about seven feet deep. And I think to myself, “why in hell is the campus running the fountain right now?” because the wind is blowing the spray all over the place, and making a miserable day even more miserable.

Anyway, I get into the auditorium, and I look around. Everyone is kind of bedraggled, because of staggering through the rainstorm outside. Obviously there’s a lot of water on the floor, because of the 200 or so students tracking it in with their wet feet and clothes.

But it seems to me that there was kind of more water than I would expect, even on such a rainy day. Glancing further around the room, I notice something weird off to the side: it’s a rubber raft. As I look up into the seats, I see the hundreds of students, but then I notice two students sitting next to each other, and *nobody* is sitting near them. These two students are wearing orange survival suits, and it dawns upon me that these two idiots have crossed Drumheller Fountain in that rubber raft.


They got their 10 points, of course.

When was the last time you used science to help you out in a desperate situation?

I had a friend of my father-in-law’s reach out to me in desperation. His daughter was about to graduate from U. Buffalo with a major in cinematography. She was working on her final project and her Mac crashed on her. He implored me to help her out as best I could.

I got her laptop and pulled the drive. I popped it into an external enclosure and it had 10k available. A hard drive should have 15+% free so the computer can write temp files to it. 10k is REALLY bad. Then I heard a click come from it. This is desperation time, now. A click from a hard drive usually implies a “head crash”. This occurs when the magnetic reader inside the drive makes contact with the platter that has the data written to it. It’s usually a fatal situation.

It was about 9PM on a Saturday. I broke out a bottle of Jameson’s and knuckled down for some serious thinking.

OK, the reader is making contact with the platter. I need to make the platter smaller, so the head comes off it. Come on, science, help me out here. What makes things smaller? COLD! I took the drive and stuck it in my freezer (in a ziploc baggie). Then, I built a box that could hold the drive, and I attached a bunch of computer fans to it, pointed down where the drive will lay. After a couple of hours, I removed the drive from the freezer, stuck it in the box with the fans, and fired it up.

NOTE: the fans were there, not for cooling, but to prevent condensation from forming on the drive and its controller card.

I fired it up and was able to recover the entire contents of the drive. I finished the bottle and powered down the drive. Just for S&Gs, I turned it back on and it failed HARD, like it’s never gonna work again, “hard”. I just managed to recover it as it was on its final death throes.

I told my FIL’s buddy to send me another (bigger) drive and that I was able to recover everything. He asked, “How? I thought it was completely dead.”

“SCIENCE!”

Somewhere out there is a cinematographer who owes her college graduation to me, Jameson’s, and science!

Is there any toilet in Boeing B-52 Stratofortress?

The B-52 does have a toilet, but it is very basic and primitive. The toilet is located behind the offense compartment, which is where the pilot, co-pilot, and electronic warfare officer sit. The crew members have to use a bag to defecate and dispose of it when the bomber’s mission is over.

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There is no privacy, as there is no door or curtain. The toilet is also very close to the classified communication servers, which can be awkward and uncomfortable.

The B-52’s toilet is not very convenient or comfortable, but it is necessary for the crew members who have to fly long and demanding missions. Its pilots and crews have to follow strict procedures and protocols, such as pre-flight checks, post-flight checks, flight planning, flight testing, and flight training, to ensure the safety and readiness of the aircraft.

Its pilots and crews also have to deal with varying atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, pressure, and humidity, which can affect their health and comfort. The B-52’s toilet is one of the few amenities that the crew members have on board the aircraft.

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image 98

So the B-52’s toilet is not very convenient or comfortable, but it is necessary for the crew members who have to fly long and demanding missions.

What is the strangest experience you ever had in an elevator?

When I was 19 years old I was in an elevator in a high rise building at night on my way to the 50th floor.

At the 5th floor, the elevator stopped, a man got in and pressed the ground floor button. Once the doors shut he suddenly grabbed my purse! I stood there looking at him while he frantically started pressing the first floor button.

I explained to him the car would go all the way up to the 50th floor first but he ignored me and kept pressing the button.

We slowly went up. It was quiet and creaky. Old elevator in an old building. No cameras (that I know of).

About halfway up I asked if he could take the cash out and leave me the purse so I would not lose my pictures and identification. He said “sure”, took the cash, handed me the purse. I mumbled thanks.

When we got to the top and the doors opened, he said “please stay in the elevator until I get off”.

So I stood there in my corner, nervous, but also calm while we went all the way down to the first floor where he got out. The doors shut and I went back up to the top floor.

He got about $60.

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What are some weird facts about North Korea?

1.Elections.

  • In the country, there are elections every five years, there is no other candidate in the elections.

2.Owning cars.

  • In North Korea, only rich people, powerful people and government officials can on cars including luxury cars.

3.If you commit a crime, the rest of the family would go to jail.

  • In North Korea, committing a crime would lead your Innocent family to be in jail as well if they didn’t commit a crime.

4.There is an abandoned propaganda village within the border of South Korea to attract south koreans who desire to defect to north korea.

5.You will find almost every empty roads in that country.

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  • In North Korea, almost every roads in that country are very empty with few cars and people.

6.Don’t talk to locals when you’re a tourist.

  • When you’re tourist, you’re not allowed to talk to locals citizens of that country.

7.Western products are not allowed in that country as well as products from South Korea.

  • Because of the sanctions by the international community, products from the outside world including k pop music and products from South Korea aren’t allowed in that country.
  • Despite the ban of these products by the North Korean government from the outside world, people smuggle them and they are sold in black markets.

8.People aren’t allowed to wear jeans in that country.

  • Jeans aren’t allowed in that country because the North Korean government thinks that they are western made clothes.

What is the most outrageous order you have seen while working for In-N-Out Burger?

Years ago I was on a tour with a bunch of classmates in Northern California.

Naturally, we had to stop at In N Out and since most of my classmates were from the East Coast, it was their first In N Out experience. They quickly learned that you could order as many hamburger patties as you liked for your burger and one guy decided to push the limits.

In true first timer fashion, he ordered an 11×11, meaning eleven patties and eleven slices of cheese between the same bun. The burger cost him more than 20 bucks and for some reason he ordered fries as well. He couldn’t finish the damn thing and ended up wasting a good portion of it. This was before camera phones and social media, so he was even able to get a picture and brag about it. The glory of ordering an 11×11 was lost to a rubbish can that day.

Fortunately, In N Out won’t put more than 4 patties on a single burger any longer. That’s my understanding anyhow.

Are nuclear-powered submarines the most deadly weapons ever made?

No, but they are certainly among the most powerful and formidable weapons in the world. Nuclear-powered submarines are not weapons themselves, but platforms that can carry and launch various types of weapons, such as torpedoes, missiles, and mines.

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Some of these weapons can be nuclear-armed, which means they can deliver a nuclear warhead to a target, causing massive destruction and radiation.

Nuclear-powered submarines have several advantages over conventional submarines, which are powered by diesel engines or batteries. Nuclear-powered submarines can operate at high speeds and depths for long periods, without the need to surface or refuel. They can also travel long distances and access remote areas, such as the Arctic or the South China Sea. They can evade detection and countermeasures, thanks to their stealth and maneuverability. They can provide a credible and persistent deterrent, as well as a rapid and flexible response, to potential adversaries.

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Nuclear-powered submarines also have some drawbacks and limitations, which make them less than the most deadly weapons ever made. Nuclear-powered submarines are very expensive and complex to build, maintain, and operate. They require highly skilled and trained personnel, as well as strict safety and security measures.

They are vulnerable to accidents and malfunctions, which can result in radiation leaks, fires, or explosions. They are also subject to international laws and norms, which regulate their use and proliferation. They are not invincible, as they can be detected, tracked, and attacked by other submarines, ships, aircraft, or satellites.

I’d appreciate an upvote if you found this answer helpful or informative.

What is the best tip you have regarding anything?

In any military, young recruits are often highly idealistic — as many of us are with any new profession.

These recruits have played Call of Duty and watched Full Metal Jacket. They love battle and are excited to go full Rambo and blow things up.

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And then they experience war for the first time.

They are shot at. They see a friend bleeding to death, knowing they can do nothing to save them. The recruits learn the hard way that war is true horror.

In the US Army, there’s a phrase, “Standard Operating Procedures are written in blood.”

It means that every stupid rule a cadet is drilled on, is there for a massive reason. Other units have learned these lessons in a very, very difficult way.

No, not all of your life’s lessons will be written in blood — but you may pay a steep price if you don’t listen to people wiser than yourself. They’ve seen things.

Cajun Pot Roast with Maque Choux

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2023 11 08 11 51

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast
  • 1 tablespoon dried Cajun seasoning
  • 1 (9 ounce) package frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Instructions

  1. Rub entire surface of beef roast with Cajun seasoning.
  2. Place roast in 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Top with onion, corn and bell pepper.
  3. In small bowl, combine tomatoes, pepper and hot pepper sauce; mix well. Pour over vegetables and roast.
  4. Cover; cook on LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours.
  5. To serve, cut roast into slices.
  6. Serve corn mixture with slotted spoon.

Presidential Talents

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5enU2jXd1ZI?feature=share

Building up for Christmas

Today is Christmas. We don’t really celebrate it very much here in Southern China, but it still is a reminder of great and grand times that I grew up with as a boy. This included such things as month-long cookie baking, Christmas breads, Christmas meals, Christmas carols, and Pitiza.

Vintage and throwback Mothers Day ideas 300x200 1
Vintage and throwback Mothers Day ideas 300×200 1

Yeah. It goes much further than a Christmas tree and piles of presents and shopping.

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0b6a60d8bb53677b17bcfc325201f363

It includes work luncheons. It includes drunk work parties, and long breaks, and card games.

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2023 11 21 20 09

The USA has come a long, long way from what it used to be. That saddens me.

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2023 11 21 20 08

Today…

How do you tell if someone is a true friend?

My best friend told me once that if I ever moved away from home, she’d stop visiting home and fly to wherever I was.

When I mentioned that I want to move to the UK, her response was “Ooh, that’s not too far from northern Europe! We could take a trip to Norway from there!”

She’s studying abroad right now with a month to go and she told me “I don’t want to leave here, but I can’t wait to hang out with you.”

No matter how far apart we are, she keeps planning herself into my life.

At the same time, though, we can go for days without talking.

She was gone for a month with no internet or phone service and when she finally got back to civilization, she texted me like nothing had ever changed.

We can tell each other anything.

I can say things like “I almost wet the bed last night” and “I think guys with mustaches can be incredibly attractive” and “Want to hear the world’s only placenta joke?”

And I know she won’t judge me… not too harshly, anyway.

We can talk about gossip and neuroscience and our dreams and geology and Hamilton all without pause. There’s nothing we can’t share.

We laugh. We cry. We eat large amounts of Taco Bell.

We stay friends no matter how many time zones apart we are or how many days we go without speaking.

We can be completely honest with one another and there’s no doubt it comes from love.

We keep planning ourselves into each other’s lives.

That, to me, is a true friend. One who isn’t a friend out of convenience but out of devotion.

One who stays your friend even when it’s difficult or when the geography doesn’t line up.

One who wants to be around you, and is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.

I’d say I got lucky. I’ve had the same best friend for almost twelve years.

She’s a true friend.

The 3% club

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8TW46aJEJiY?feature=share

Taiwan elections

For those who do not keep up with what’s going on in Taiwan, the pro US pro independence DPP is now lower in the polls after a coalition by the opposing blue and white camps

https://www.8world.com/greater-china/taiwan-election-2296816

This means that it is now more likely that the status quo will be upheld, which is better for the region and future developments. As i have pointed out before in another comment

Nope there is a third scenario, one i think the Chinese government is aiming for

That is to advance China itself, economically and technologically beyond the level that the US has any chance of holding at the island chains, thus forcing the abandonment of the chains and resulting isolation of Taiwan. This is happening even now but requires time to complete hence tactics are aimed at dragging it out

The US economic power is collapsing which is why one should never be provoked when against a increasingly desperate opponent. Simply let them die off

Economic power (specifically industrial power as financial paper pushing does little) is the lynchpin of military power, so when it goes down, the military goes down with it and that is not even taking into account the corruption such as the $1300 cup.

Taiwan’s DPP talks up a big game but that is predicated on US support. The US has pulled back to the 2nd island chain because trying to hold the first chain is untenable, thus the attempt to pull the Philippines, South Korea and Japan to be the sacrificial pawns while the US tries holding at Hawaii (and standing on the soapbox made by the corpses of their “allies”)

Once US support dies off due to a lack of funds, obvious tech disparity and a numerical disadvantage, the Taiwanese will have 2 possible choices

i) Give up (this is the most likely given the current Taiwanese do not support their children going to war)

ii) Try a “heroic” last stand (which gives the mainland under One China, the legitimacy to launch a full scale attack)

Also do keep in mind that there are the possibility of burner accounts. What are burner accounts? They are accounts that are made with the specific idea of portraying themselves as part of whichever side/camp/group and will then suddenly turn around to support the other side at moments they find critical. The most famous recent one is bellingcat

Catfish Muffuletta

Catfish Muffuletta is a very tasty sandwich made from one round loaf. Depending upon appetites, it can serve from one to four!

catfish muffeletta
catfish muffeletta

Yield: 1 to 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup giardeniara marinated garden salad, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons pitted olives, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 (8 to 9 inch) round loaf Italian bread
  • 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch arugula
  • 1 pound sliced provolone cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season catfish fillets with salt and pepper. Fry fillets in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place fillets on a plate to cool and drizzle with lemon juice.
  2. Drain giardeniara and place in a small bowl. Add olives, parsley, garlic and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and mix until combined.
  3. Slice the bread in half horizontally and pull out most of the soft white part in the middle. Spread half of the giardeniara mixture in the hollow of the bottom piece of bread. Arrange the fillets in a single layer over the vegetables. Top with layers of tomato slices, arugula leaves and provolone slices, if using, and remaining giardeniara mixture. Place the other half of the bread on top, pressing firmly into place.
  4. Using a serrated knife, cut the sandwich into wedges and serve.

Notes

The wedges can be individually wrapped and served at a picnic.

So you don’t want the job

US Congress unanimously approved the Patent Restriction Act. All of China’s patents are at risk of invalidation overnight. Huawei’s 20000+ patents could be deemed invalid. All countries at risk as the US can claim a national security threat. Fair?

How stupid is this?

What about apple? They have 95000 patents around the world.

If the US disregards patents so will the rest of the world, so not a single patent is worth the paper it’s written on, that includes ALL US patents around the world.

It looks like the US politicians once again showed us how bright they are, no wonder the country is going down hill fast.

What is the bravest thing you have ever seen someone do?

I watched my father care for my mother for six years as she slowly succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease.

He gradually took over all the housework and cooking while dealing daily with her hurt, her rage, her confusion and her fear. He protected her from herself. He made sure that she kept the weekly hair and nail appointments that she so loved. He went shopping with her for the pretty clothes she adored.

When he finally acquiesced to his children’s insistence that our mother be placed in a nursing facility (because we were worried that his health was suffering from the strain of her care), he visited her twice every day. He paid aides to apply her makeup and arrange her hair every day. When the facility requested that he take her jewelry from her, including her pins and diamond engagement ring, he had a jeweler make up copies using cubic zirconia so that she never knew that she wasn’t still wearing her own lovely things.

And at her memorial service, the room fragrant with dozens of heavy bouquets of gardenias which were her favorite flower, my stoic father fought to keep his composure as he spoke of his love for the lively, witty, beautiful woman who had spent almost sixty years at his side. He called their time together a privilege, and recounted as though it had happened yesterday the first time he ever spoke with her, on a staircase at their university.

The manifestation of my father’s commitment and devotion to my mother in those unimaginably difficult years is the bravest thing I have ever witnessed.

* Sigh *

And he is going to prison in FLORIDA.

What are some of the best examples of sarcasm?

The best sarcastic response I have ever witnessed was by a colleague. But first, a little background to set it up.

When I worked at a law firm, one of my many functions was to head up the student practicum program. Basically, people studying IT at a local college needed three months of work experience as part of their graduation requirements. So I would interview them and select a few and they’d get an orientation. Once done, I would then take them around and introduce them to the team that they would be working with.

I kept it light and fun, because these students are nervous and I want them to feel comfortable. There was one student I was taking around, and when I got to the network manager’s desk, I said “This is Aaron, the network manager. You have to watch him, because he can be sarcastic.”

The student turned to Aaron and said, “Oh yeah? Say something sarcastic.”

Without missing a beat, Aaron extended his hand and said “Pleased to meet you.”

I couldn’t stop laughing.

What office rule made you say “Really?”

When I worked for an engineering consulting company as a project engineer, my boss came up to me when I had been there a few months.

He told me that the office rule was that nobody could wear jeans.

As an engineer, I had never been told that jeans were not allowed. Now, if I were management, or met with clients, or worked for a law firm or a finance person, I could see that, but engineering is notorious for being casual to the point of being borderline slovenly because engineers DO go to the field and nobody wears a suit on a construction site. In my position, I didn’t have to meet with clients all that often.

And I wasn’t slovenly—I was wearing a blouse and sweater with the jeans, which weren’t torn and were conservative in appearance (not ripped, not overly tight or had loud design details). The only difference between those jeans and any other pair of pants that would have been acceptable was the fabric.

That same company had a policy of not providing a coffee pot for the employees. Just about every company I’ve worked for at least provided the pot, and sometimes the employees would pitch in for the coffee stuff. The only reason our office got coffee at all was because we shared our office with the construction arm of the company, which DID provide coffee for their people (I dare you not to provide coffee for a field guy). One of our managers, when visiting our office asked why we had a coffee machine, and that’s the answer he got—it wasn’t ours.

The cheapest ass company I ever worked for. The company I work for now, I could probably literally show up in sweats if I wanted to and nobody would say anything. But I’m not going to push that.

Oh, and they provide coffee. And tea and apple cider and hot chocolate, and when we have our monthly office meetings, they kick in for lunch as well.

A certain tier of guy

What is currently stressing you out?

I’m dumping my therapist.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when she asked if I was autistic.

“I just wonder if that’s why I’m having a hard time communicating with you.”

She continued that she wasn’t qualified to diagnose me, but I should look into it. No referral to someone who could diagnose me. No recommendations on resources. Just the assertion that I could be autistic because I apparently don’t communicate well.

When I reminded her that I probably have ADHD, which could explain those symptoms, she cut me off.

“They’re totally different.”

But they really aren’t. They have some key differences, but a ton of the symptoms overlap. Trust me. I’ve done my research.

She’s done this a lot—made alarmist statements with basically no course of action. In that same session she also told me I put up a lot of barriers in the therapeutic process.

“Can you give me an example?” I asked.

“I can’t think of any, but I sense it.”

I mentally rolled my eyes.

It’s been several months of frustrations. I told her I wanted to discuss relationships and she said she doesn’t read about relationships so she couldn’t help me. I told her I was struggling to find a place to start with doing inner work and she said “Just pick somewhere.” I told her I didn’t think quitting my job was a good suggestion and she said I was “resistant to getting out of my comfort zone.” (Note that in the last case, I told her I really like my job and didn’t want to do anything else.)

We haven’t clicked since day 1, but I kept going because I was sorely optimistic that maybe it just needed time.

But it didn’t need time. It’s been like six months and I feel as stuck as ever. I dread going to therapy because I feel like I’m going to listen to 50 minutes of her talking about her own life mixed in with advice that doesn’t do anything for me.

I’m stressed about actually pulling the trigger though. I don’t like change. I don’t like potentially hurting others. And I don’t like setting boundaries.

Hence why I’ve let this drag on for 6 months.

Tomorrow’s the day. I’m sending an email to let her know I’m done. I already booked an appointment with a new therapist to motivate me into doing it.

So, y’know. Best of luck to me. Hopefully I can find a therapist who actually helps.

Update: sent the email to end the relationship and booked my appointment with a new therapist!

Is it true that as long as the US has such strong allies in Asia as Japan, India, South Korea, etc., China’s actions will always be limited?

That is your dream. Not at all a reality. What is really true is that as long as the U.S., Japan and South Korea do this their economy will tanked and they will disintegrate into a bankrupt. China will let you have a long strong rope to hang yourselves.

Also Japan, South Korea and India are polite Asian people who have been living with China 5000 years. And they are still a nation in its own right! The U.S. neighbours Mexico lost half its land to the U.S. in a mere 100 years!

These 3 nations knows that! The saw it with their own eyes. China will do what they always do. Protect Asia for Asians.

Cat learns some Mike Tyson boxing moves…

This is BY FAR the funniest video that I have ever watched!

I got fired. My ex-boss is now asking for the whereabouts of important files. How should I respond?

LOL, when I was 25, I was an experienced herdsman for a pretty large dairy farm in my area.

The boss was too cheap to buy a computer, so I used my own, and often worked at home going through records of the cattle, creating the new lists as needed. Long story short, we had a falling out, and I offered to update the files before I left, which he rejected. A week later, he was at my door demanding I update the files.

I offered for a price, to be paid in advance. he became angry and stormed off.

I never heard from him again.

This will come back and BITE you chicks!

Have you ever had such a close call it makes your skin shiver everytime you think about it? If so, what happened?

I’m a very adventurous hiker & sport participant. I flew hang gliders for years, but I also have scuba dived, sky dived, skied double black Diamond runs, winter camped in snow caves, white water canoed, gone on looonng-g-g hiking trips into the back country & spelunked (explored caves). It’s hard to say which sport is the most dangerous BUT for sure no one should do any sport without multiple safeguards & precautions. Dangerous sports are not for risk takers.

I’ve rarely had a close call. I can say when I did, twice, it was because I ignored safety precautions personally because I was with “experts” I put my trust in!

Despite spending a lot of time in the back country, I nearly killed myself when I ignored obvious important basic precautions the first time I went with world class expert spelunkers deep inside (one mile!) a very dangerous cave with steep drops into an unseen abyss or flowing rivers that disappear further into the ground, & cliffs requiring technical climbing expertise. Precaution #1. Don’t split up. We drove up in two cars, my ride wanted to leave early. He led me down a wrong path to the exit & we were lost in a very wrong part of the maze of the cave. We were supposed to lay a string trail from the cave entrance to follow out. My guide was over confident…. He’d been in the cave so often! He left me (!) to try to retrace to where we left the correct route as I lay in a fetal position trying to get warm… Luckily he found the route, luckily he found me, luckily I’m here to write this!!

Low value man

What’s the bravest thing you have ever done?

This incident happened when I was studying in my 10th grade. A male teacher hit my back with a throw ball deliberately. I was quite annoyed with the behavior. I chose to remain quiet. He came near me. I could sense that he was going to do it again. After a certain argument, I gathered my courage to shout at him – “Behave yourself” in front of 50 odd students. Humiliated teacher, stormed out of the place. The next day I was punished in front of my classmates for back-answering my teacher. Note that, none of my teachers knew what had happened behind the scenes and not one student was ready to narrate the incident. I was portrayed as a bad girl.

I did a little secret investigation(Well, I was 16 then, it was a big thing for me) on that teacher. Asked my junior friends, the students who attended his tuition classes. Turns out that, the teacher was lustful and many girls had similar experiences as mine, but no one had dared to speak up. I handed over all the information to the head mistress. The teacher was interrogated and after the certainty of the issue was proved, he was suspended. I felt really proud that I had the guts to stand up for myself.

You Won’t Believe Nightlife in Kigali, Rwanda!

What’s a sign of maturity that really shouldn’t be?

Franz Kafka wrote, “Most men are not wicked. Men become bad and guilty because they speak and act without foreseeing the results of their words and their deeds. They are sleepwalkers, not evildoers.”

This speaks to an immutable sign of a child masquerading as an adult. Just as a toddler innocently comments about how fat someone is, the immature man litters his remarks with no thought of a world containing feelings besides his own. There callous impulsiveness matches that of a kid snatching candy from a Halloween bowl.

There is profound virtue in choosing restraint in the face of an easy chance to hurt someone’s feelings.

A good and kind person speaks difficult truths with care and love. And they know what should remain unspoken.

They see a world containing many people, all with differing needs and vulnerabilities. This is beauty. This is someone cementing themself as a person who belongs in your life.

Woman EXPOSES The INEVITABLE Problem With Dating Modern Women | TRAINED/GROOMED To Be Masculine

Kara used to earn as much as $20k in a month, but has pulled back on work since becoming a mother—leading to painful identity issues. Her husband Drake has picked up the slack, but gender roles loom large in their at-home dynamic. Modern Dating is confusing for men and women.

Kuwaiti FM says no ties with Israel unless Palestinian issue solved

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reiterated on Sunday Kuwait’s refusal to normalize relations with Israel “unless a future Palestinian state is established in line with international resolutions.”

He made the remarks at a press conference held at the headquarters of the foreign ministry.

The minister added that it is his responsibility to maintain Kuwait’s security and interests abroad by maintaining relations with friendly, brotherly and allied countries.

“The Palestinian issue is our first issue, without any ambiguity … Kuwait has never deviated from the path,” he said, adding that the war Israel waged against Gaza is retaliatory, not defensive.

The Kuwaiti top diplomat called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, providing assistance to the besieged enclave and ultimately resolving the Palestinian issue through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

The principle of marginal utility

What was the most outrageous repair quote a mechanic has ever given you to fix your car?

I needed a car in a hurry and spotted a 5 year old Saab 9-5 turbo for sale online at a great price.

Called the owner, lady answered, husbands old car he was working and had a work vehicle so it was up for sale. It all sounded great so a buddy drove me there and i bought the car after a test drive.

Drove the 50 miles home without an issue until i reached the turnoff for my hometown when the car went into limp mode and the Check Engine light came on….. crap….luckily i was near a small industrial park so i pulled in at the front of a newly opened mechanics shop.

I’d met him once before at a friends unit in the same park but didnt know him. Told him what happened and he said leave it with me.

I started googling this model Saab and read many horror stories about failed turbos and blocked oil traps resulting in engine rebuilds… i was worried…..i had no car, it was going to cost me a fortune….

1 hour later i got a call, car is fixed. Shocked i went back out and sure enough it was running perfectly. I asked what was wrong and he said a pin hole in a breather pipe on the turbo caused a sensor malfunction. He replaced it with a new piece of hose and redirected it so it didnt rub on the exposed metal.

I asked what i owed him, he said 20 cents for the part…. He said don’t worry about it its a lovely car and it only took me 5 mins to fix.

Proof that there are gentlemen in the autotrade.

Beauty in China

GF Abandoned Me At An Absolute Lowpoint, Only For Me To Have The Last Laugh When She Was “PUT AWAY”!

I’ve heard so many stories like this, and it is unbelievable to me. Women who leave their boyfriends after losing their job or suffering some sort of injury; wives who abandon their husbands when they are diagnosed with terminal cancer. It’s absolutely despicable! I thought they were supposed to be the compassionate ones. Why does it seem like they are, actually, the more diabolical ones?”

My ex called me about a year after our divorce went through. Of course I let it go to voicemail. She was arrested and in a mental hospital. For the next month, I got 2 calls a day. Each one maxing out the voicemail limit, saying the same strange things over and over. And of course, she “didn’t do anything wrong” and the cops framed her. Then the calls tapered off for a few weeks and one day finally, they stopped. Never answered her. Never heard from her again…”

Just how brutal was Genghis Khan?

How brutal was Genghis Khan? The guy was a one-man wrecking crew on a continental scale. He and his Mongol horde were responsible for the annihilation of entire empires, like the Khwarazmian Empire, which was wiped off the map in about two years. We’re talking about cities falling one after another, populations being massacred, and cultural legacies destroyed.

The Mongols employed psychological warfare, making sure their atrocities were well-known to instill fear in their enemies. They had a simple policy: “Surrender or face decimation.” And by decimation, we mean the wholesale slaughter, rape, and enslavement of entire populations.

Been there and done that…

Why do Chinese people love Mao, when he literally killed many of their ancestors and people (more than 15 million)?

Who says so! The western media? Did you count the body? The U.S. wanted to break up China into 100 bite size nations and chew on it like candy in 1945. The lost miserably. And had to do shit it Taiwan up till now. 74 years later!

Can you trust anything from western media? 15 million? Why not say 150 million. After all it is just another zero in their typing machine! Stop being a fool. Grow some grey matter, it is good for you. You really want gore details?

How many African slaves were tortured, lynched to death? Raped and killed? How many slaves baby were thrown to feed crocodiles? How many American natives were culled like sheep by white Caucasian cowboys? How many Japanese had to die to avenged Pearl Harbour? How many Vietnamese women and children were Agent Orange or Nepalm burnt alive? How many Muslims died from your cowardly Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya carpet bombings? How many Latin and African lives are lost die to US actions by CIA?

10 million? 100 million? The trouble U.S. Chinese are hell of a lot more intelligent than ignorant and naive Yanks. To Chinese and indeed 5–7 billion others Mao did what is right to save China from U.S. becoming USSR, or Yugoslavia or Middle East. Broken into tiny nations with U.S. puppet!

Stray Cat Paws At The Window Every Day Until Lady Adopts Him | The Dodo

Why does Russia have a strong military if it doesn’t have enough money and resources to use it?

Russia has a lot of natural resources such as oil and gas, coal, gold, manganese, uranium, copper, nickel, iron, chromium, graphite and so on.

The European countries to the West need those resources and are constantly expanding NATO eastwards, threatening Russia’s security.

This is why Russia needs a strong military to defend itself.

But Russia is not a poor country as you are trying to imply. In fact, Russia has the fifth largest GDP PPP in the world behind China, US, India and Japan.

Women RUINED The Gym For Everyone

What is the best way a friend has showed you that they are a true friend?

Many years ago, my husband was in a terrible car accident and ended up with a broken neck. At the time our two daughters were 13 and 10 years old. My husband had to be transferred to a larger hospital about an hour away. I and my husband both have great families who live nearby. I depended on them to make sure our daughters were taken care of while I was at the hospital with him, along with many of his family members. I came home, after finally getting word that he was going to survive and had a very life threatening surgery to stabilize his neck, which did save his life. When I got home, I found my lawn mowed, brand new pillows and a new phone line installed where my husband would be spending the first part of his recovery downstairs in our home. All was done courtesy of my brother’s best friend who I had always considered to be a second brother to me. I also found out that he had picked up my girls and bought them dinner and just made sure they were well cared for and feeling secure during such a hard time and while our families were busy supporting us at the hospital. Friends like him are too precious to ever take for granted.

How to make your kitty happy

What happened to make you not want to be a boss anymore and stop being a boss?

When I was almost 50,i reached what for me, was the top goal professionally – becoming the VP of IT in my division. “I made it”! Woo-hoo! After 20y of hard work and risk, I made it to the top.

Just one thing – I categorically, absolutely HATED the job. Plus I worked for a four star Ahole of a boss.

After 7 months I stepped down and took a 70k a year pay cut to go back to being a senior software engineer, a job where I loved the work and was gifted at it. I never even looked at the ladder again let alone climb it. I retired in 2020 as a senior software engineer with no regrets at all.

Brutal truths

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PC7d4V0OP3w?feature=share

Are your twenties really the best years of your life?

Do you know why everyone says the 20s are the best years?

Because most people stop living after they turn 30. And many stop living even while they’re in their mid-20s.

Many people graduate college with degrees they didn’t really want. They just got the degree their parents wanted them to get, or the degree they thought they should get in order to find a stable job, or the degree that was easiest to tolerate for four years.

Many people leave college and settle into a job they don’t really enjoy. They pick up the first “good job” that presents itself, get comfortable, and decide to start working their way up the ladder there.

Many people begin living life beyond their means as soon as the opportunity presents itself. They don’t save money, they spend money. They pick up an expensive car payment. They blow it on bar tabs and once a year trips somewhere so they can forget about the other 51 weeks they spend doing something they don’t really enjoy.

Many people get married because they think they have to. Or they get married because nothing else exciting is going on in their lives and they think, “This is what being in your 20s is all about!” They get married because they would rather be with someone else than be alone. Etc. etc. (And if you’re getting married for the right reasons, by the way, congrats.)

Many people start having kids. They want to buy a home. They want to provide for this family-in-progress—and so now there is absolutely no possible way for them to leave their job or career path because they have too much overhead. It becomes a financial no-no.

The reason everyone says your 20s are the best years is because most people create a safe and comfortable lifestyle before they even turn 30.

And then as soon as they turn 30, they’re done. They don’t have any more “goals.” They don’t work on acquiring new skills. They don’t find ways to go outside their comfort zone. They stop reading. They stop learning. They stop, essentially, looking at life as an opportunity for growth, and instead repeat the phrase, “I am so old.”

That is the opposite of how I ever want to live my life.

I realize the above are sweeping generalizations, but the sad part is they are true. In a lot of cases, the majority of people stop. They just stop. They find what’s comfortable and then they’re done. Life becomes a countdown to dusk, instead of a journey toward the sun.

And the worst part?

They look back and say, “Your 20s are the best years of your life!”

Every year has the ability to be the best year of your life.

It’s up to you what you choose to do with it.

Driving in a sports car

Cajun Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2023 11 11 20 14
2023 11 11 20 14

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 8 slices crusty Italian bread
  • 6 tablespoons pepper jelly
  • 8 slices pepper jack cheese
  • 8 slices Muenster cheese
  • 2 links andouille sausage, grilled, each link cut into quarters and split lengthwise*

Instructions

  1. Spread 2 tablespoons butter on one side of four slices of bread.
  2. Spread pepper jelly on one side of the remaining slices of bread.
  3. On the slices of bread with pepper jelly, place two slices of pepper jack cheese and two pieces of grilled andouille sausage.
  4. Cover the andouille sausage with two slices of Muenster cheese and top with the remaining slices of bread, butter-side out.
  5. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
  6. Place sandwiches, butter-side down, in the skillet and spread the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over the tops of the sandwiches.
  7. Cook sandwiches, in batches if necessary, for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden and the cheeses are melted.
  8. Serve immediately.

Notes

* May substitute any other smoked sausage for the andouille

An empty offer

My friend wants to have a party to celebrate him paying off his mortgage. We are in our late 30s. Why do I feel like it’s a subtle flex? I think it’s unnecessary especially getting your friends to celebrate this. What do you think?

I have been to two mortgage parties. At each, the couple spent about as much as one mortgage payment, to supply food and booze, to maybe 50 friends and family. Everyone was ecstatic for them.

I personally have never held one, but I think they are a great idea. Sometimes it feels like the only time old friends get together is at funerals. This brings everyone together, for happy times.

Men no longer are accepting rude behavior

Fido bolts

I’ll bet you all never knew this…

In China, if you hit a dog or a cat, or any pet for that matter, and the owner comes out and makes a claim against you for killing or wounding their pet, the insurance company will pay no questions asked.

It is automatic.

Most insurance is no-contest up to 3000 RMB, and many (but not all) go up to 5000 RMB for the death of a beloved pet involved in a car accident.

You would NEVER see this anywhere else.

So, consider this scenario…

In China, Fido bolts across a busy road. He gets hit, the car and driver slows for a minute but then continues to drive on.

A day later, the owner finds the crushed bones of Fido.

He files a police report, which NORMALLY causes the AI cameras in the region to identify what actually happened.

And just like the Tom Curse movie “Minority Report” the car is identified, the driver is identified, and the time of death is established.

The driver is contacted. He apologies, and his insurance is notified.

There is a insurance pay out to the aggrieved pet owner.

This would NEVER happen in the USA. But it’s pretty common in China. It’s an accident and there are no civil or criminal penalties for the driver, but the aggrieved pet owner needs to be compensated, and this is the way China does it.

The USA needs to “up its game”, don’t you know.

Today…

What is one remarkable thing you’ve witnessed at a funeral?

I’ve been to some interesting funerals.

At one, the funeral of an elderly woman, her only child used the eulogy to mock and insult her to the startled crowd. Also, there was no body and no mention of one. We showed up to a bare room where her child stood at the podium and went on about her shortcomings for about forty-five minutes, until we were dismissed. No gravesite was ever disclosed. To this day we have no idea what happened to her.

At another, a relative leaned over a coffin and contemplated the deceased as he took a long, loud slurp from a Super Big Gulp.

image 88
image 88

via The Blaze

And, although strictly speaking this took place after the funeral, I should mention my spirited aunt who tormented my uncle from Beyond. She informed everyone as she was dying that she’d reincarnate as a bird and peck out the eyes of those who’d done her wrong. After the funeral, which was in early spring, her husband came home and a bird was nesting in the back porch overhang. It chose to dive bomb him at the worst (best?) possible time, and for the rest of his life he swore the bird was his dead wife returning to haunt him.

Worst deal ever

What is the greatest display of accuracy with a gun you’ve ever seen from someone at the firing range?

It wasn’t at the firing range, but here’s mine…

My grandfather was a WWII sniper. It was always funny to me…he had the worst eyesight you could imagine, and I remember seeing pictures of him as a little boy with glasses thick as milk bottles. But by a very wide margin, he was the best shot I’ve ever seen.

One example is something that happened when I was a little girl. We used to go to an annual state fair, and one of the attractions was a turkey shoot. Basically, it was a wooden maze that a live turkey would run through…the body was hidden, but as the turkey ran, he’d bob up and down and his head would be visible for a fraction of a second every now and then. Contestants would pay to take a shot – you stood maybe ten yards behind the maze and you had one shot…if you hit it, you won the (dead) turkey and some sort of cash prize.

We watched other shooters…apparently it was a big test of manhood among the locals, and all the heavy-duty serious shooters were out there, many in camo with various military or law enforcement patches. Definitely some seriously mean looking dudes. The tool of choice seemed to be an expensive looking shotgun, and while some of the shooters seemed to come close, the turkey always eluded them. Many shooters tried, but the turkey was still alive – I started to think maybe the whole thing was rigged somehow, and that there really was no way to win.

Thing is, the crowd was loud enough that you couldn’t really tell where the turkey was at any moment. It might make a beeline for the exit, or it might linger in the maze. It might hear something and keep its head up, or it might not…very unpredictable, and shooters would have to spot the turkey, swing their weapon and get a shot off in almost zero time.

Many of the shooters seemed to use a technique where they’d just pick a small area of the maze and keep their guns focused there. Didn’t seem to make a difference…the movement was just too fast to acquire the target and get a shot off.

My grandfather watched the event too, shaking his head at each of the shooters and telling us what they were doing wrong. At one point, my father suggests that grandpa should show them how it’s done…only issue is that he doesn’t have a shotgun.

Out of pure coincidence, grandpa had taken my older brother to the range a few days prior, and my brother remembered that his .22 was still locked in the trunk of the car. Grandpa starts considering it, and he asks the folks running the event if he can shoot a .22 instead of a shotgun. There was discussion whether this was allowable, but before you know it, my father and older brother head off to fetch the .22.

Grandpa takes out the .22 and the crowd sort of laughs…here’s this feeble 70-something with thick dark glasses and a pretty well worn .22 that might just as well have been a slingshot. People try to explain to him that he needs a shotgun, and one or two of the shooters even offers to lend him one…I remember him laughing them off with, “well, what kind of contest would that be? I have to at least give the poor bird a fighting chance.”

Of course, by now, grandpa’s pride was at stake, and there was no way he was putting down that .22.

Grandpa pays his fee and lines up. He draws a crowd, and with the help of my dad, he gets down into a kneeling stance, and suddenly he looks a little more like he knows what he’s doing.

I was maybe ten, and grandpa looks at me and tells me to stand close, but not too close, and to put my fingers in my ears. I remember him telling me he wanted to make sure I had a good view, and someday I’d either tell my kids about grandpa’s amazing shot, or I’d be telling them what a silly old man he was…either way, he wanted me to witness it.

The buzzer goes off, the crowd starts yelling and the turkey starts its run through the maze. I remember seeing its head bob up and down a few times, and then as it got about halfway through the maze, I hear grandpa’s shot ring out.

We didn’t see the turkey after that…it wasn’t clear if it had been hit or it just ran to the end of the maze with its head down.

Then I heard someone in the crowd: “the old man hit it!”

And sure enough, grandpa hit the turkey with one shot from his lowly .22.

The crowd was going crazy, and I asked grandpa how he did it: “easy – I just watched for the gleam of the sunlight in its eyes.”

I thought he was kidding, but when the bird was fetched, we found out that grandpa managed to put a bullet exactly through the eyes of the turkey…in fact, the bullet went in one eye, and out the other. If I hadn’t seen grandpa shoot before, I would have thought it was pure luck, but I knew better.

We didn’t know it at the time, but grandpa had pancreatic cancer – he died within the next six months…this event, grandma complaining about having to go home and roast a turkey even as she beamed with pride, and the twenty dollars grandpa gave each of us as thanks for believing in him, were some of my fondest memories of my grandfather.

I’m sure there are others that could make that shot, but when you consider his age, physical condition, primitive equipment, and the stress of the situation, it was one in a million in my book.

Preach it dude!

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

I was just a girl, probably about 10. My Dad was driving the family to my Grandmother’s place for Sunday dinner. Dad stopped behind a car at a red light when it happened…

Now to know my Dad was to love him. He was all of 5 feet tall, had polio as a child so was bent over with a hump back and had an undeveloped leg in a brace. He was a talker, could converse with anyone. He sang and played the guitar, he boxed with my little brother and built a mean fire when we went camping. He couldn’t chop wood or put up a tent or anything that required muscle, but he could and did, entertain his friends and family as they did it for him. Not one person ever resented helping my Dad. He had a way of making everyone feel comfortable, like he’d known them forever. So… he was a gem.

This day was just like every other Sunday. Except for what happened at that light. I don’t really remember what caused the problem but my Dad did something that pissed off the guy driving ahead of him. This guy slams his vehicle into park and gets out of the vehicle then starts stalking over to Dad’s door. My Mom is worried but not him. He got out of his door, walked all 5 feet of himself up to this brute, stuck out his hand and said something like “I seemed to have annoyed you somehow.” I don’t remember the conversation but I do remember the guy shaking my Dad’s hand and apologizing for getting mad over nothing. Yup, took the wind right out of his sails in a few seconds. Quite the guy.

What is a personal story of a moment that made you truly appreciate the quality of life? What happened?

I became friends with Gordon in Grad School. Gordon suffered from Acromegaly. Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when your pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood. When this happens, your bones increase in size, including those of your hands, feet and face.

He never had friends and had been shunned his whole life. I heard a voice (as I do when it is very important) that said to befriend him. I did, going out for chicken drive-thru, having long talks and visiting each other’s houses. His mom was very curious of me.

I wanted to have a graduate party, about 100 students, at my Dad’s house. Guess whose name was at the top of the flyer? Three hosts, including Gordon. Supertramp was on the record player and it was a great time.

Wonders of wonders, Gordon announced he was going to throw a party. It was word of mouth since there was no internet. Gordon had timed it so his parents were out of town. I arrived early to help. He was busy setting out nuts and such. Unfortunately, it was pouring down raining, hard. Gordon lived in an outer suburb of the city, so it was a drive.

7:30 came and went. Nobody showed. Nobody.

I started to talk to Gordon that it was raining hard, and people do not like to drive in the rain, etc. He listened but was still busy.

At 8:00, there was a ring on the doorbell. Then another, then another.

EVERYBODY was there. He was so happy and I was happy for him.

The next day I went to help clean up. All good.

Later he told me his parents wanted to know why there were shoe prints in the bathtub.

I have had success in school, business, and my marriage, but one of the proudest moments was seeing Gordon’s face that night.

Quantity vs. Quality

What is the strangest reaction of someone who has just been fired?

I was working at the corporate headquarters of a major Consumer product goods company in the late 80s. They were undergoing the threat of being purchased by a tobacco company, which was going on at the time (late 80s and early 90s). As such, they were having a significant 14% layoff to improve their position in a potential hostile takeover. (and it did work!), Well, there was a lot of hurt and pain the morning people came in to discover they were pink-slipped. One guy and there was some concern from a PR perspective, was a guy who had worked at this company for over 40, yes, 40 years! He was a year out from retirement(meaning he planned to retire the following year) , and the company was giving generous severance packages. Well, the guy under the terms of severance was getting the maximum full year of 100% pay for 52 weeks. Basically, he was retiring with full pay and retirement benefits but was able to do so a full year early. He and his wife had planned a world cruise to the year after his retirement. Evidently, the first call he made was to his wife to book the ship and pack because we are going this week! He was so gleeful that he had to be escorted out of the building because his utter joy was inappropriate for so many in that office who were now unemployed and hurting. They were also concerned that at his age, he might have a heart attack from his ecstasy and how the press would report it!

What is your best badass firearm story?

I was at an outdoor shooting range and had been talking to the guy next to me during cease-fire breaks. He had his granddaughter with him and he was shooting an old .22 revolver at a 25 yard target. Two men came in and went down to the 10 yard range and were blasting away at their targets, often hitting the ground in their haste. At the next cease-fire, they packed up and walked down the shooting line to leave. The guy next to me said something to them about maybe slowing down their shots and focusing on accuracy. They informed him that they were rookie cops and that they knew what they were doing because of their extensive weeks (days?) of training. He replied that he was a retired Louisiana cop and held up 2 of his targets that he had pulled from the range. He had been shooting heart shapes into the target with that old revolver. As they left, I heard one of the rookies tell the other, “We just got schooled, didn’t we.”

The best badass story I ever heard was in the news here maybe 20 years ago. A guy was running the register at his little convenience store when a punk came in and pulled a pistol demanding money. The store owner started complaining about being robbed several times and that he needed to get a gun. Then he asked the robber how much he would take to sell him the pistol. The robber gave him a price, the owner paid him, took the gun, and turned it on the robber and told him to put his hands up. The story made the news because the police thought it was such a great “dumb criminal story” that they pulled the robber out of his cell at each shift change and made him tell the cops coming on duty what had happened. His lawyer threatened to sue the police department for embarrassing the guy.

It is so messed up.

What was your most glorious moment in a classroom ever?

I never got amazing grades in my science class. Or any classes really. I was a very distracted student. Class was boring. I enjoyed daydreaming in the back.

But I won the school science fair in 9th grade.

Almost as fun as winning the science fair?

Enjoying death stares from all the smart kids.

I was told that the smartest girl in our class, Liz, who went on to study at MIT, was pissssed. Both of her parents were doctors. She fancied herself a descendant of Science.

The quote that got back to me was, “I can’t believe I lost to Sean.”

But alas. Lose she did. Yours truly, Captain Dumbass, topped a future MIT Grad.

What was my experiment, you ask?

Well, for context, this was back in 1998 after a bunch of major oil spills had occurred and the news had lots of terrible stories about wildlife dying, covered in the tar-like oil.

My experiment measured the use of different types of animal hair in oil spill cleanups. I used hair from barber shops, llama farms, horse farms, and beyond in the experiment, which was done in the backyard in a kiddy pool.

Several types of fibers ended up testing with better results than the synthetic buoys used during actual oil spill cleanups.

After winning regionals at a local university, we traveled to states a month later, where about 50 science experiments were featured.

I think I was the dumbest guy at this science fair, but I placed 3rd somehow.

The guy who placed 1st, a 15-year-old, designed a roof that doesn’t blow off during hurricanes. He brought his own wind tunnel and everything.

Yeah, he kinda deserved the gold.

But I was happy with 3rd. And for having trolled the smart kids at my school back home.

Who’s the real one that is oppressed…

What was the worst day of your life and why?

May 6, 2008. My husband of 28 years came home early from work one day, sat down at the table and told me he was just fired for having an affair with a 25 year old girl at work. In that moment, with that one sentence, everything inside me shut down and I was in shock, numb. Until then, I had truly believed he was my best friend and I was a lucky woman.

We ended up losing our dream home, went bankrupt, sold everything of value and cashed out our retirement to survive (I have a good job but his salary was 4x’s mine). We now live in a small apartment like we did when we first got married. Those are just “things” though. What hurts most is how it affected the future of our (then) teen children. We couldn’t help them through college or keep them on health, dentist, and car insurance. All for a few quick fucks.

He is extremely remorseful and worked long and hard to win my heart back. Our marriage counselor considers us a huge success story. I have forgiven him and all seems happy now. But secretly, whatever it was that went numb inside me on May 6th at that breakfast table, has never come back to me. I’m afraid it never will.

I hope if you are married, or even happily employed, that this post will make you think twice should you need to.

Which was the most important airplane of WW2?

This guy:

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image 84

The PBY.

And his British brother

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image 83

The Sunderland Flying Boat

The only crucial battle of WW2 that the Axis almost won was the Battle for the Atlantic. This plane and the others that performed anti-submarine patrols enable the flow of men and materials from America to Britain.

Some people prefer to go to an office every day rather than staying at home all day. Do you think this is because they like what they do?

  1. When I was growing up, I saw my father going to office every day. He would eat his breakfast at 9 and leave for office by 9.30. It was a six days week during that period. Since he was a civil servant, he had to many times go for work even on Sundays and holidays.
  2. When I was in school and then in college, I seldom missed my classes. It was fun going to school and college and meet with friends and participate in all activities.
  3. When I joined my job, everyone in office used to come in time without fail. There were many who wouldn’t even avail their full quota of casual leaves (15 in a year). There were a few instances when due to Deewali or some other vacations, there were continuous holidays for 4–5 days. People used to wait for offices to open.
  4. Even today, in most government offices, there is no concept of working from home. All government employees go to office every day.
  5. During the covid pandemic, most of the private sector companies introduced the concept of work from home. It was the need of the hour and was very convenient for the employees. Lots of people shifted to their home towns and worked from there. It became a new normal.
  6. Now that the things have gotten back to normal, a number of people are still preferring to work from home. I know a few youngsters who resigned their jobs when the companies asked them to report to office for work. They became too comfortable perhaps working from home.
  7. Maybe I am old school, but for me staying home all day is not done. I want to go to my office and work.

You need to get out

In what moment did you realize your life would never be the same?

I was 14. No friends. Each day I dragged myself home to where I lived with my schizophrenic Mother, just the two of us. I would be in trouble for something: I lived in a perpetual state of confusion as I often couldn’t remember what she told me I had done. She told me I was stupid and needed to go to a special school because I didn’t know what I had done wrong. In the past she had often slapped me until my nose bled and beat me with the metal pole of a fly swatter, but that stopped the summer before high school. She told me she didn’t love me repeatedly for months. According to her I was a horrible daughter. Her friends from church had stopped coming weekly to yell at me and slap me senseless as well. I knew when she sent me away with my Aunt and Uncle the summer that had passed she had read my diary, where I detailed all the abuse and talked about wanting to die. She denied reading it, but it stopped the physical abuse so now it was just verbal and believe it or not that hurt just as bad. I was unloveable and alone.

She didn’t work and depended on government assistance. She just sat at home chain smoking and playing cards. During the week I woke myself up, made breakfast, went to school. She complained about the smell of eggs in the morning and of course I was useless. I had a hard time socializing, and she decided she didn’t like the friends I’d managed to make the previous year, so put me in a very small private Christian high school the church paid for. As a low income, single parent house I was a freak among higher income two parent families. So I spent my days an outsider and bullied at school and then came home to be bullied some more. I got in trouble once because someone told her I walked around with my head down and never smiled! I remember trying out and making the school play that year. I was so proud. My Mother decided to use that as leverage for her every whim: if I did anything wrong (sang doing dishes) she threatened to not allow me to be in the play. It got so bad I just quit the play rather than have it continually be held over my head as a threat.

A school councillor regularily made me talk to him. I refused to give anything up. He persisted. He asked me if I was abused: as she was no longer hitting me I said no. I had no words to explain the verbal abuse. Being stupid and unloveable didn’t seem to qualify. Then one magical day a girl at school approached me and we became friends. A few weeks later she asked me if I could spend the weekend at her house. Her house was beautiful and she lived with her parents and siblings and it was loud, noisy and chaotic. On the Saturday of this weekend sleep over, my new friend had to take piano lessons so I was to hang out in her room until she got back. I was surprised when both her parents wanted to speak with me while she was gone. They informed me that the school had asked them to be my foster parents and presented me with a ‘contract’. They gave me 30 minutes to decide if I wanted to live with them.

I was 14 years old. I had no friends. My Mother was the only family I had ever known. I knew I was stupid. I knew that I was worthless and unloveable. 30 minutes was a ridiculous amount of time for a decision that would change the course of my life that I was too young to make. I didn’t know these people at all. But a voice in my head screamed at me to do it, with everything it had. So I took that leap of faith. I jumped off the cliff away from everything I’d ever known.

My roller coaster ride wasn’t over my any means, but to this day I am so grateful I left. My life 30 years later is wonderful and I often wonder where I would be if I had stayed growing up in that house.

What did prisoners of war eat?

I spent several weeks in a Prisoner of War camp in Central Bosnia. Conditions were bad and so was the food. We basically ate the same things every day:

Breakfast.

A small slice of bacon with bread. The bacon was as tough as leather and full of bones. If you were lucky, one of your roommates was working outside and brought you some Turkish coffee.

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image 78

This slice of bacon looks much better than the ones we ate. (Photo: Rainer Zenz, wiki:de)

Lunch.

Most of the time, there was no electrical power and our food had to be heated over a small fire in the backyard. Our captors just threw a bunch of tinned food into a big pot of boiling water. There were two different meals: peas with beef and beans with beef. You always had to be careful when you opened the tins because they were under pressure. Once, I opened a tin and the content just sprayed over my T-Shirt.

Dinner.

We either had another slice of sh*tty bacon or tinned sardines with an onion. Both, the bacon and the sardines, were extremely salty which caused you to drink a lot of water during the night. This was a big problem because there were no toilets in the rooms. If you needed to pee, you had to knock on the door (waking everyone up), shout the number of your room to a guard, and wait. There was only one toilet for all of the seventy prisoners and it could take an hour before someone came to open the door.

Partner, not a job

Was the Soviet Tupolev Tu-22 bomber a failure or success?

Massive success.

The aircraft itself was pretty crappy but that didn’t matter as kinks would be worked out later.

It’s main job was to attack targets in Western Europe and its speed could not be matched by NATO interceptors stationed in Europe except the British Lightning and the F-104 Starfighter … BUT …

The Lightning had a short range and was only operated from British soil, it couldn’t go after the Tu-22. And the F-104 was a very good interceptor but the Europeans used it in the low-level fighter-bomber role, so again not a real threat to the Tu-22.

On top of that, the Tu-22 was a versatile aircraft that could carry a wide range of weapons.

But the most important aspect was psychological.

The fucking commies have a bomber we can’t intercept !!! and NATO collectively shit its pants.

Think about all those billions wasted on modern NATO Air Defences while Khrushchev had already decided to go with ballistic missiles instead of bombers.

With a large arsenal of relatively cheap missiles, the Soviets could have taken out expensive NATO Air Defences and then mop up the rest with cheap (and often crappy) bombers.

The Soviets couldn’t keep up with the West financially so they came up with a wide range of ploys to force the West to spend money on expensive systems that could be easily circumvented … and usually NATO fell for it (they still went broke in the end, but that is another story).

What is your biggest regret in life?

I don’t like to share my personal life with anyone, so writing this anonymously. Though I have made some mistakes in life, this one really tops the chart.

So me any my father were never really close, although he cared for me but never really showed it (like most indian dads) and I was the same as well. It was my final year engineering exams when I received a call from home, it was my sister who said that dad just fainted and we are taking him to the hospital. I reached as soon as I could, he suffered from brain haemorrhage. Though the doctore saved him, he was not able to walk or speak properly after that. He was 57 at the time.

After 3 years went by, we had accepted this fate and were living peacefully. My dad was now able to take care of himself(doing his day to day activities that is) and he used to exercise as well, since the doctors mentioned it was very important for him to keep his body moving.

One fine day he complained to us that he is having some chest pain so he’ll skip exercise, we all thought it was due to gas so didn’t pay much thoguht to it. This continued for 3–4 days after which I had an argument with him and I shouted these exact words to him “You are just finding excuses to not exercise, there’s nothing wrong with you. You are just being lazy.”

Guess what! Next morning he started sweating really bad and fainted. We took him to the hospita and found that he was suffering from a heart attack and doctor said that it must be going on for about 4–5 days now. He asked us how come we didn’t notice any symptoms and we were all blank and cried like anything.

He was not so lucky this time, after being in the ICU for 15 days, he didn’t make it. Life has never really been the same since, beacise all I can think of now is our last coversation in which I shouted at him. That’s my last interaction with him, the amount of pain and guilt I feel now, if I could give everything I have just to change that one moment where I shouted at him, I would not even think twice.

But I can’t, after that day I’ve realised the importance of words and parents as well. Although they may not always show but we(their children) are the best thing that ever happened to them.

Please guys, treat your parents with the love and respect they deserve, because you don’t know which conversation is going to be the last one.

What facts about Japan do foreigners not believe until they come to Japan?

1. They are extremely punctual. For eg: I had a dinner planned with my labmates at sharp 6.00 PM. I was in my room till 6.00 PM and I wondered where everybody has gone as no one was to be seen. Suddenly, I remembered that there was a dinner at 6.00 PM and immediately I rushed downstairs. I reached at there around 6.02 PM and saw everybody there in their seats waiting just for me and they had set a plate with the food for me. When I sat down, then they sang their prayer and started eating.

2. People politely line-up in front of the metro unlike in Delhi metro where people cover the whole door just to get inside (at least that was my experience when I traveled in Delhi metro during my visit there) and it is considered rude to speak in the metro.

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3. Even if train is delayed by 15-20 seconds, a message is displayed “Sorry for the inconvenience”

4. Technology is used even in toilets to keep the seats warm and bidets are there. There is also an audio track to mask the unappealing sounds you emit 😛

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5. Has excellent garbage management: For eg. Mon, Thu – Burnable, Wed- Non-burnable, Fri- Bottles and plastics to be kept in street corner

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image 68


6. You can find almost everything of daily use in the 100 yen shop. Not to mention the cheap electronic goods in Japan.

7. There is a 10,000 yen note. And the travel is very expensive. For eg: a ride of 2 km by taxi costs 710 yen in Tokyo.

Manipulated…

Some say China-U.S. tech competition has forced U.S. tech companies to abandon a dynamic market, putting them at the forefront of the confrontation. So how do you see tech competition between China and US?

Thanks for the request.

U.S, tech companies are unfortunately being squeezed by our own government. The Chinese market is existential to these companies. . . . and its the U.S. government banning them from this market.

Biden is continuing trump’s sanctions of China’s tech companies – that latest salvo being the ban on U.S. tech companies from selling to China the latest version chips. But for what end?

Bottomline, on a head-to-head confrontation, the U.S. just can’t win because ultimately, you need to be able to sell what you produce. And this has to be through China because they are the market.

And by banning U.S. tech companies from the Chinese market now is allowing Chinese startups to take over the vacuum left open and effectively replace the U.S. tech companies not just in the Chinese but the global marketplace over the long term.

After you let him use YOUR the “back door”?

Not “our” back door.

HER back door.

What was the best revenge you’ve ever gotten?

Back in the ′90s, a new neighbor moved in to the house just down the block. He was a single guy in his early 40s, seemed to be one of those guys who worked with his hands and kept mainly to himself. But… it wasn’t very long before we (as in the ENTIRE block) found out that he was a jerk.

He had a beautiful vintage ‘69 Ford Mustang GT 500, with (what I found out later) one of the fastest engines ever commercially made. Here’s one below, and you have to admit, it looks absolutely stunning, eh?

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image 81

Well, the neighbor in question definitely thought so as well, especially the over-powered engine. But in a suburb, where can you show off the power of the engine, really?

How about EVERY MORNING AT 5 AM when he went to work.

Every morning, that lunatic would pull out of his driveway, rev up the engine and demonstrate why that car could go 0–60 in 3.3 seconds! That car (and he) would go straight down the length of the block in practically 2 seconds and burst out onto the cross streets until he disappeared in a tell tale cloud of smoke and exhaust. Our neighborhood had become a 5 AM RACE TRACK.

To put it lightly, the entire neighborhood was NOT impressed. The sound of that car engine could be heard from two blocks away. I think practically all of the residents went to him in the period of a week asking him to not drive so recklessly and dangerously and wake up the entire block every weekday (and some weekend) mornings.

He would fake concern, and assure everyone he won’t do it again. And of course, he did it again and again. We complained to the cops, and they gave him a warning several times, but at the time there were no laws on the books in Montreal about sound decibels between 11 PM and 5 AM. Needless to say, we were stuck.

This went on for about two months until winter set in, and I and several neighbors were assembling the local outdoor hockey rink. As we were filling in the rink, making the ice and so on, we were talking about the jerk when an inspired idea suddenly flashed in our heads. Looking at the wooden boards that we used to make the ice rink, a devious plan came to mind. We rushed back to my kitchen as soon as we could, and started to work on the math. Later, we went door to door to see who we could conscript to help with our evil plans.

(By the way for all you car enthusiasts and collectors, I have NO idea why this guy was using such a classic car as a daily driver, and why drive it in the winter either.)

A few more weeks we all waited (by this time, the secret neighborhood revenge task force grew to about 30 households) for an ESPECIALLY cold day in Montreal (-20C and below) and waited for the chance to execute our plan… and then the forecast came of one especially cold night and day. The time had come.

Seeing as the neighbor always went to work at 5 AM, he almost always went to bed around 9 PM. Assuming that he would take about an hour to get ready for work, that gave us a window of around midnight to 3 AM for our plan. And like clockwork, at the stroke of midnight, 30 people came out, with small shovels, wood brackets (the ones we use to make local rinks), buckets and several hoses from the houses surrounding the target house. We all worked efficiently and effectively seeing as we never did anything like this before. Brackets went up. Snow got piled in. Water poured in.

Did I forget to mention again that it was -24C that night?

By 3 AM, we were all done. Our act of vengeance was complete, and had a few more hours still to harden and solidify. And yes, you’ve probably guessed what we did… and at 5 AM, we heard a very loud man ranting and raving, wanting revenge on whomever that did this, screaming that he was going to do horrible things to the people that did THIS to his beloved car.

Oh, as for what we did… imagine the next two pics COMBINED to see what we did to that beloved ’69 Ford Mustang GT 500.

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Yes, we turned his car into A HUGE ICE CUBE.

Needless to say, when life resumed on the street around 7 to 8 AM as people were going to work, we were greeted to a pretty pissed-off guy hammering at iron-strong ice walls surrounding his car. He wouldn’t even look at anyone as people passed by, and only kept muttering to himself something pretty nasty.

It was about three days before he managed to get his car completely free, and that involved a LOT of hot water, hours of labour and god knows what else he had to do. Add on that he had to get back to work each day, the mornings were peaceful as there was nary a roar or sound of anything.

The cops came and asked for statements from everyone in the area to find out who could have done something so terrible, but no one pointed at anyone, and everyone reiterated about how that neighbor had been a jerk from day two. He even went door to door, absolutely furious and demanded that someone tell him who did this. I think someone must have called the cops on him because he was threatening too many people. Needless to say, his complaints fell on deaf ears, and even the cops, who I think figured out that this was a group event, brushed his rantings away and threatened him with arrest and told him to calm down or else. Overall, a pretty satisfactory conclusion.

Well, there was a slight miscalculation though… the hot water (then cold) had to drain somewhere, and went down the street turning half the block into an ice rink for a while. Still, aside from a few bags of sand and ice, plus the help of the city and ANOTHER warning from the cops about how he was endangering the street, it was still a successful operation with only a minor inconvenience.

For the next few months, the mornings were quite peaceful. No more 5 AM revving or barreling out of the neighborhood like a bat out of hell. And in the spring, a For Sale sign popped up on his lawn. By the summer, we greeted a brand new family to the neighborhood, and life went on in a sleepy (no longer sleep-deprived) suburban neighborhood in Canada.

What’s the most morally disgusting thing you’ve ever seen someone do?

An acquaintance of mine took his daughter’s college savings away so that he could buy a boat. He did this the year before she went to college to “teach her responsibility” after they had an argument.

After they got into a (relatively minor) fight he told her she had two choices:

1) They could transfer ownership of an almost-paid-off car to her.

2) Let her keep the college fund they’d been growing (they told her this fund was for her, her entire life).

She chose “Keep the college fund”. He changed his mind, took that option away, made her take the car anyway, and kept the college fund for himself instead. Perhaps 2) was never an option, but he hoped she’d choose the car so he wouldn’t feel like such a jerk for taking her college money away.

Shortly after taking her college fund away, a brand new fishing boat appeared in his driveway. It looked a hell of lot like he just wanted an excuse to get his boat.

I am still in abject disgust.

She was a fantastic student and had been told throughout her life that her college would be paid for if she had good grades.

If my daughter had great grades and had the desire to go to a good school, even if I was poor, I would work 3 jobs to make sure she could have the best education.

School always came first in my family so I didn’t understand his actions. Bad grades were quickly punished. Good grades forgave many sins.

Natchitoches Meat Pies with Pepper Jelly

Pepper Jelly is also very good over cream cheese and served with crackers.

natchitoches meat pies recipe 181af2
natchitoches meat pies recipe 181af2

Yield: about 90 to 100 meat pies; 9 to 10 half-pints Pepper Jelly

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper
  • 1 cup chopped green onion
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Crust

  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1/3 cup Crisco shortening
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup milk

Pepper Jelly

  • 2 cups finely chopped bell peppers
  • 20 to 25 jalapeno peppers, some but not all of the seeds removed
  • 7 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
  • 1 (6 ounce) box Certo pectin

Instructions

Filling

  1. Cook ground sirloin and pork until it crumbles. Add salt, black pepper, red pepper and green onions. Stir in all-purpose flour. Set aside to cool.

Crust

  1. Sift self-rising flour into a large bowl. Cut shortening into flour. Add egg and milk. Form dough into ball.
  2. On a floured board, roll about a third of the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough in circles about 3 inches in diameter. Place a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture on each circle. Dampen edges. Fold over filling. Crimp edges with a fork and prick with fork on top. Deep fry at 350 degrees F until golden brown.
  3. Serve with Pepper Jelly.

Pepper Jelly

  1. Chop peppers very fine. Place peppers, sugar and vinegar in a tall pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 7 to 8 minutes, then add both pouches of Certo pectin. Boil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Put into sterilized jars and seal.
  2. Serve Pepper Jelly with Natchitoches Meat Pies.

Notes

You may need to repeat the crust recipe three or four times to use all of the meat mixture.

Freezes well. Place uncooked pies on cookie sheet in freezer until set. Put in recloseable plastic bags and freeze.

Attribution

Source: The Advocate – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

What is the most epic thing anyone has ever done?

This is both inspirational and thought-provoking.

His name is Wang Enlin. He is a Chinese farmer. He was a primary school dropout.

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image 82

In 2001, his farmland was flooded by chemical waste from a nearby chemical company. The chemical pollution made the land unusable . Wang had written to the local officials about the pollution but he had no idea what law the company had broken by polluting his land.

‘I knew I was in the right, but I did not know what law the other party had broken or whether or not there was evidence.’

  • He decided to study law by himself, so he would be able to sue the company.
  • He spent 16 years educating himself about the law, from 2001 to 2017.
  • He studied law books in a local bookstore.
  • He sued the company and had won the first round of the legal battle against Qihua Group which is a state-owned chemicals company.

Truly, knowledge is power.

xoxo…

How did we become so intolerant?

Westerners have ALWAYS been incredibly intolerant.

It’s not a new thing. The difference is that in the past many didn’t interact with others.

Today we can see the absolute intolerance of westerners.

Only they are allowed to have views non whites must only agree with the supreme master race.

Any views ew that deviates from theirs is propaganda.

We saw with Ukraine that most western people are fine with literal outright Nazis.

We saw with Brexit that most British want an ethnostate.

We saw with Iraq that they literally think that they have the right to decide everything and anything as nonwhites have no agency according to them.

What are the most embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions that your teacher has ever made in class?

Took a friend’s child (11m) to swim class. The instructor was a 19 yo college varsity swimmer. First class of the day, heard her talking about her new swimsuit and how her BF got it for a romantic trip they were taking that weekend, but since she had not done laundry, she pulled it out early.

She always swam a couple of hard and fast laps before starting class, finishing with this dramatic pop out of the water to stand infront of where her class gathered. This day was no different. Turns out her suit was a joke swimsuit, made with dissolving threads. It was intended to fall apart in the hot tub of where ever they were going for the romantic weekend. She did her normal dramatic pop out of the water to stand on the deck in front of her class, and let’s just say those 11-year-old boys got quite the education that day.

What is the luckiest thing that happened to you?

Showed up for a college English class just as the class was starting. There was only one seat left by the time I got there.

That seat was next to a very hot woman who was way out of my league. So far out of my league that I didn’t bother talking to her. Why set myself up for failure, you know?

Over the next few classes, people kept sitting in the same seats, even though they weren’t assigned or anything. I started to talk to the woman, mainly because the professor had us discuss some things with people near us. Eventually I got comfortable talking to her and forgot she was so far out of my league. Then, after class one day, I offered her a ride to the other side of campus, even though it wasn’t a large campus. I told her I wanted to show her my new car (which was true). She accepted, we started talking more.

Finally, I asked her out; she accepted. We dated for five years, got married, had three kids, one dog, bought a house, and now she’s sitting next to me, trying to figure out how to set up some new speakers she got for Christmas.

All because I was the last one in class and had to take the one seat that was left. Otherwise, I would never have sat next to someone like her.

Cheating Wife LOSES IT After Husband Puts Her Through The Ultimate Mental Gymnastics Before Divorce

Tactically Interesting.

"It's always the dad that ends up broken about the actions of his daughter..."

Why did you leave your last job?

I was the company’s first employee. It started with just me and the owner working from his living room. He promised me as the company grew so would my paycheck. Two years later… I am running the whole back end of the company out of two warehouses and he is running the front end and doing the administration side. As he travels the world I step up and run it all. He bought his wife and father each a Lexus. I was still living with my grandparents and driving an old beat up car because I couldn’t even afford a studio apartment anywhere in our county but my annual review was coming and since the company and his pay had grown exponentially, I expected a large raise.

My annual review was nothing short of perfect, but all I got was a $0.25 per hour raise. It was bull****. He cried when I gave him my notice, but in my opinion, he kind of asked for it. I would have gladly stayed if he kept his word and my pay really had grown as the business did. After I left apparently there was a power struggle with all the employees in both warehouses all fighting over who would be in my position and it fell apart. He begged me to come back and help it get under control again but that was a big NO.

Harsh truths about men and divorce

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OJsrqi7UCjo?feature=share

Xi calls for letting internet better benefit people of all countries

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for letting the internet better benefit people of all countries when he addressed the opening ceremony of the 2023 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit via video.

Xi said that the vision of jointly building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, which he proposed at the second WIC in 2015, has garnered widespread international recognition and positive responses.

The vision answers the questions of our times related to resolving the development deficit, addressing security challenges, and enhancing mutual learning between civilizations, Xi said.

Xi stressed that the international community needs to deepen exchanges and practical cooperation to jointly advance the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace to a new stage.

He called for prioritizing development to let the fruits of internet development benefit more countries and people.

Xi emphasized the need to improve public access to information-based services, bridge the digital divide, and improve people’s livelihood with internet development.

Calling for building a more peaceful and secure cyberspace, Xi stressed the need to respect cyber sovereignty and each country’s way of internet governance and the need to oppose seeking hegemony, bloc confrontation and arms race in cyberspace.

Xi went on to underscore the need to crack down on cyber crimes, strengthen data security and personal information protection, and properly respond to the risks and challenges brought by sci-tech development to rules, society and ethics.

China is willing to work with all parties to implement the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative and promote the safe development of AI, Xi said.

He also called for building a more equal and inclusive cyberspace. He stressed the need to better promote the shared values of humanity.

Xi underlined more high-quality online cultural products and efforts to fully showcase the outstanding achievements of human civilizations and actively promote civilization preservation and development.

What are some signs that someone may be incompetent?

After working for several companies, I came to a grim conclusion. In most organizations, only ~10% of people are truly high performers. They have great attitudes, are self-starters, smart, and great to work with.

25% are hard-working, competent, and carry most of the company’s workload. About 50% are lazy and just cross the minimum standard of work. 15% are completely incompetent and shouldn’t be at the company.

Many in this bottom 65% are gone at 5:01 PM despite being on a performance improvement plan. And the thing that stinks: many of them once held promise in the eyes of the interviewer. Nobody wants to hire and manage a dud.

Many in that bottom wrung are managers too. They slid up to their own level of incompetence (the Peter Principle). There’s another key distinction between the top 35% and the bottom 65%.

Their attitude.

The high performers don’t grimace when something goes wrong because it means more work. They don’t pout or complain incessantly about their job.

They are all in. They are there to crush their goals.

I noticed this in particular with the Indian coworkers who were there on a work Visa. They were the ultimate in keeping their head down and working, never complaining, and investigating problems thoroughly.

They appreciated the opportunity in front of them. They weren’t spoiled and had grown up in a competitive academic environment.

What was the biggest scandal at your work?

The head of my department was anonymously accused of sexual harassing a female senior student. Immediately an investigation was started, and he was put on hold.

When first days, and then weeks passed, it became obvious that in this kind of case, you are presumed guilty until proven innocent. I always thought it had to be the other way around.

(Stupid me.)

The weird thing was that although the accusation had been filed anonymously, the student was named in the document — she had not filed it by herself. After a round of interviews, it also became clear that she had not been harassed at all.

In fact, she was totally shocked by the way she had been questioned, as if she had been almost forced to “admit the accusation.” But nothing had happened, which she had repeated over and over again, and still the same questions came.

From the beginning, I was involved in the case as a confidant, and after reading the accusation, it became crystal clear who had written it. (And it wasn’t the girl.) This was a retaliation of the darkest evil, written by people who wanted to get rid of the man, and this was the easiest way.

They tried to erase his every accomplishment by making him a sexual offender. And it actually worked.

Because although he was totally cleared in the end, many people had already decided that he was a sexual predator before the outcome of the investigation. And that type of people usually don’t change their mind afterwards.

And although he was declared innocent, soon after he was “asked” by the dean to step aside as the head of the department (to save the faculty from losing face), and a new head was appointed.

Presumed guilty—proven innocent—total erasure.

Check.

Meet the Fattest Military in the World

What did a family member say or do that you don’t talk to them anymore?

I was running late to a family gathering at my older brother’s house. When I got there I saw my cousins step son going under the water in the pool.(my cousin leaning on the fence,) watching this happen and does nothing. Turns away, my son, the same age and build as the other boy, dove in to help. He can swim, but not well enough to handle a panicking person. I was on my way to the pool, removing my boots to help the first boy, when I saw my son I panicked. Knowing he wasn’t going to be able to help, but become someone else needing help. Meanwhile no one is paying attention except my ex wife. So now I have to get undressed, leaving my underwear on. My clothing would have been too heavy to swim with a child in each arm. By the time I got to the edge my ex was there with 2 towels. And I said, “see, that’s what I’m talking about. He treats those kids like shit. And he just walked away seeing him go under”. Not more that 10 seconds later my aunt was jumping down my throat, saying I was just an ass…… and then it was the rest of my family. I said I am speaking out in defense of a child and you are calling me messed up. But he can watch the kids go under, yelling for help and turn around? I never went to another family function again. And recently decided that I am going to just disown the entire lot.

How “modern” American / Western women sound…

What was your best random conversation with a stranger?

Mumbai Airport, Jet Airways ticket counter:

She: Do you have any specific seat preference, sir?

Me(lightly): A seat beside a cute girl would be great.

She(smiling): Sure, you can take that chair and sit beside me.

Slightly taken aback by that unexpected response.

Me: Not now, but maybe some other time. You can give me your number and I would definitely call you next time I’m in the city.

She: That’s private.

Me(delivering my well rehearsed dialogue): Ultimate privacy is a myth. God sees everything. The cloud records everything. NSA files everything. So, live transparently and don’t waste useless energy hiding yourself.

She(placing the ticket on the counter): Here’s your ticket, sir. If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again. Till then have a nice journey.

Me(with a wide smile): Thank you.

Later in the flight while I was reading a novel, my attention diverted towards something scribbled at the back of my ticket which I was using as a bookmark. To my horror I saw this:

A half written name and mobile number with a smiley.

One of the security staff must have torn and kept the other half. I re-winded that conversation and cursed myself a million times for not paying attention.

Now, every time I travel through Mumbai I just glance through the Jet Airways counter once, just in case….

Simping

What has an intern done that blew your mind?

A bored, 25-year old intern in Microsoft – named Wes Cherry wrote Windows Solitaire (Klondike) in his spare time and never got royalty for it!

The story in his own words:

I wrote it for Windows 2.1 in my own time while an intern at Microsoft during the summer of 1988. I had played a similar solitaire game on the Mac instead of studying for finals at college and wanted a version for myself on Windows…

At the time there was an internal “company within a company” called Bogus software. It was really just a server where bunch of guys having fun hacking Windows to learn about the API tossed their games.

A program manager on the Windows team saw it and decided to include it in Windows 3.0. It was made clear that they wouldn’t pay me other than supplying me with an IBM XT to fix some bugs during the school year — I was perfectly fine with it and I am to this day.

A few people have paid me “a penny” as a joke. I’d get them in the mail, or in person if someone introduced me as the author of Solitaire and the obligatory no royalties conversation came up. I think I’m up to about 8 cents now.

(source: reddit)

Microsoft thought that Solitaire will train people how to use mouse, a newly introduced input device back then.

Initially he programmed a Boss Key into the game, which would instantly switch out the game with spreadsheet looking display. He knew already how addictive the game is. But, Microsoft told him to remove that feature.

He is also creator of Pipe Dream which was part of Microsoft Entertainment pack. Although, this time he was paid a few thousand $ in stocks for that (those worth millions today!).

After his internship, he joined MS Excel team.

Today he is growing apples (fruit!) on an island west of Seattle.

In 2004, Microsoft’s Chris Sells described Solitaire as the most-used Windows application in the world surpassing MS-Office itself!

To celebrate Solitaire’s silver anniversary, Microsoft arranged a Solitaire tournament on the Microsoft campus on May 18, 2015.


Hats off to this genius intern, who took the internship to another level just out of self-interest!

Do you behave like a child sometimes? How does it feel?

I was baking a banana bread yesterday. When I took the loaf out of the oven, my finger accidentally touched the hot baking pan. I exclaimed, “Sonofabitch!”. My husband heard and rushed into the kitchen, “What’s that?”. I showed him my finger, “The hot baking pan burnt me!”, faking a cry. “Lemme see!”, he held my finger and gave it a ton of small kisses. “Better?”, he asked. I nodded and grinned like a little girl.


Sometimes, there is a helicopter hovering over our property. When my husband hears it, no matter what he’s doing, he will drop it, rush out to the backyard, and look up to watch the helicopter. Then he will come back inside, and announce to me with a grin, “It’s a helicopter!” like a seven year old boy.


We definitely are two kids living together (three, if we count The Teenager), and it’s pretty good. I recommend it!

Current dating landscape

As a doctor, have you ever seen anyone outside the hospital who made you think, “You need to go to the hospital now”?

Several times, but then, I’m a doctor.

I was once told that a patient in our waiting room was disruptive and probably drunk or high. I got him back to my office, and began to ask him questions. He talked about working all day outside. At that point, something struck me as odd. I asked him how long he had been in our office—less than ten minutes.

It was the hottest part of the Texas summer, and his clothes were dry. There had not been time for them to dry out. He was not sweating.

I got staff to help call EMTs. He went to the hospital with heat injury. He had been in heat stroke. He told us later that the hospital thought he might have kidney damage from it, but he recovered.

Everyone knows cold can kill you. Not as many know that heat can. If you are out in the heat and someone who has been sweating stops, or starts acting crazy, get help. People die from heat stroke, and pretty quickly.

Men Giving Delusional Women REALITY CHECKS

Damn!

What was your most embarrassing moment as a foreigner in another country?

I will never forget it. K.K. Lim had taken me to breakfast at a restaurant in Singapore known for their Laksa. It really is delicious. We were eating and talking and having a pleasant time.

When it was time to leave I pushed back from the table, forgetting the stool I sat on had no back. I proceeded to fall off of it, flat on my back. Did I mention it was a popular restaurant with high traffic? Lots of people to witness my embarrassment.

K.K. was afraid I was hurt and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to show my face there again, but I was fine. Extremely embarrassed, but fine.

Has your dog ever tried to tell you something important?

Yes!

We’ve had a pretty stable routine the last three years, my dog and I: Before we both go to bed, I walk her, then come home and brush my teeth. While I’m brushing my teeth, she goes to the bedroom ahead of me.

A few months ago, we came back from our final walk of the day, and I went to brush my teeth, expecting her to go upstairs to the bedroom. But she didn’t. She just stared at the basement door.

I didn’t think much of it at first. I finished brushing and began walking up the stairs, expecting her to follow me. I was only about two steps up before she started barking at the basement door. I told her to “knock it off,” thinking that she was barking at some other dog’s barking in the distance outside that I didn’t hear. She does that sometimes.

But she wouldn’t stop. She seemed distressed.

So it finally dawned on me that she was trying to tell me something. Something was in the basement that she wanted me to see.

So I opened the basement door and went down the stairs. Sure enough, she was right… there was a problem. I’d left the door to the outside from the basement wide open. I was taking things out of the basement earlier, and I totally forgot to close the door completely. The wind must have opened it all the way.

Had she not let me know about it, it would have been open all night. God only knows what woodland creatures would have found their way into my basement that night.

I rewarded her with a piece of bologna… her favorite treat. Well, really, any meat that humans normally eat makes her really happy.

Elon Musk: Taiwan is an integral part of China; the country will incorporate Taiwan 100 percent

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Succeeding to American billionaire Elon Musk’s public indication that “Taiwan is an integral part of China,”which drew backfire from Taiwan authorities according to CNN, in a recent media video, Musk once again voiced his opinion about the Chinese island, which has gained widespread support from the Chinese public.

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And the video has gone viral:

China does feel very strongly about Taiwan.

They’ve been very clear about that for a quite long time.

It’s like one of the states.

Their view is it’s fundamentally part of China.

They’ll incorporate it 100 percent likely.

How can I tell my daughter’s friend she can’t come to our house every single day?

I understand the frustration. A couple of my kids had friends that were constantly underfoot. After talking with my kids, there were good reasons those friends didn’t want to go home, and were just looking for a safe haven to shelter in.

At that point, I stopped treating them as guests, and started treating them like my kids. If there were chores to be done, then everyone did chores. If there was homework, everybody sat down and did homework. If we had errands to run, everybody got in the car and we did errands. If any guest balked, they had a simple choice to make—they could participate with us or go home. Easy peasy.

Yes, it jacked up the food bill. Oh, well. I still have children and grandchildren who are no blood relation to me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When in doubt, be kind. But being kind doesn’t mean giving over control of your home to someone else.

Is all this talk about countering “Russian propaganda“ actually propaganda itself? After bringing a Nazi into parliament, Justin Trudeau was blabbing on about Russian propaganda. What in God’s name is he talking about?

Absolutely there was a university of Adelaide study that most of the pro Ukrainians were bots while pro Russians online were actually people.

It’s classic gobbels and conditioning of the public.

It’s essentially two legs bad four good chant. Politicians say it because most Canadians will immediately buy it and believe it.

What would happen if I ate everything from the McDonald’s menu for the rest of my life?

A few years ago, I was teaching Earth Science to college undergraduates, and I had brought in a bag of small oranges and a bag of larger grapefruit—because you can stack them in various ways, as a visual aid to demonstrate how atoms are packed together in mineral crystals. Sort of like this:

Anyway, when class was over, I offered the fruit to anyone who wanted some. . . and a student came up and took an orange. She happened to mention that this would be the first time she had ever eaten an orange.

I said “Whut?” or something like that. Who the heck reaches the age of twenty without so much as trying an orange at least once?

In the ensuing conversation, it came out that my student’s mother evidently either couldn’t cook, or didn’t want to cook. . . and my student had been raised on fast food throughout her childhood and teenage years—burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and so on. (For the record, I don’t remember if she had only eaten McDonald’s food specifically, or if she balanced her diet with other fast food chain menus.) She had never tried—or had only recently tried—all the fruits and vegetables that I pretty much took for granted as I was growing up.

You might think that someone who’d grown up on a diet of nothing but fast food would weigh 800 pounds and have lost all her teeth to scurvy, or something like that. But this student was of normal height and weight, and had no obvious medical conditions that I could detect. As a professor I try not to pay too much attention to my students’ looks, but as such things are commonly reckoned she was not bad-looking at all—and pretty smart as well; she did quite well in the class.

So I’m damned if I know how she did it, or what kind of trick metabolism she must have had—but it is evidently possible to eat McDonald’s food for many years and suffer no obvious ill effects. I still wouldn’t recommend it, though.

As I recall, she enjoyed the orange.

RICH Chinese LEFTOVER Women Are Not Attractive to AVERAGE Men Despite Women Being Outnumbered

Can you say something that would make me think about it for hours?

A Chinese man had brought a dog home from an animal shelter after adoption.

The dog was caring and obedient; however, one night the owner found the dog awake. The dog stood outside the man’s fenced bedroom door. He had been staring at the man while he was asleep.

The man shrugged it off, thinking that the dog was getting used to his new surroundings. But when the pattern was followed night after night, the owner was scared for the dog.

The owner used to play with the dog to make sure he was exhausted at the end of the day and would eventually sleep at night.

But the dog would stay awake and gaze at him every night.

The man showed him to the vet, but the dog was declared healthy.

Finally, the man went to the shelter from which the dog was adopted to seek closure.

The shelter workers revealed that the dog’s previous owner wanted to get rid of him as he had a pregnant wife and he found it difficult to take care of the two.

The owner waited for the dog to fall asleep and then left him at the shelter.

When the dog woke up, he realised that he had been abandoned. Deeply traumatised by it, he found it difficult to trust his new owner and feared being abandoned again if he fell asleep.

Upon learning this, the owner broke into tears. He removed the fence and shifted the dog’s bed beside his own. He believed that this would help build the dog’s trust, lost after being abandoned.

Have you ever had a teacher with literally no common sense?

I had a teacher in the 5th grade who kept calling me Jessica. I’ve dealt with this my whole life. Usually, my go to is to politely say, “Excuse me, but my name is Jerrica actually. It’s not Jessica.” That is what I said to this teacher the first day of school. He didn’t respond.
He called me Jessica EVERY SINGLE DAY. I corrected him, and he would laugh at me or just shake his head.

At one point, he even said “No, Jessica is your name, stop trying to change your name.” I had a few friends in class try to explain to him that my name is in fact JERRICA. He told them to stop encouraging me.

I asked my mother what to do about this predicament. She, being the wonderful and supportive woman that she is, suggested that I ignore him until he called me by the correct name. So that’s exactly what I did.
It got to the point that he was literally crossing out my name on my assignments, writing Jessica on them, and taking points off of everything I handed in with my actual name on it. I would end up with zeros for the day for “being obstinate and refusing to participate.”

I had a D in his class but was an A/B student in everything else. He requested a conference with my parents, and he requested that they both attend as my father was in his opinion the more reasonable parent.
As soon as he sat down he started in about me, using the wrong name. “Jessica ignores me in class.,’’ “Jessica does not complete assignments.,” “Jessica is disrespectful.”

My mom asked him what he was talking about and if, in fact he knew how to read. My dad said “I don’t know who Jessica is, but I’m sorry you’re having issues with her. My kid’s name is Jerrica.” He apparently told my parents they shouldn’t have given me such a difficult name, and that this still should not have resulted in the behaviour I exhibited in his class. To which my wonderful father replied, “If your name was Joe and I called you Steve every day for four months, you would be pretty pissed off too.”

I got a grudging, half-hearted apology from my teacher and ended up with a B for my final grade. He never used my name after that, but he did stop taking points off when I wrote it on assignments!

Three takeaways from Wang Yi’s U.S. visit

A meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House, two rounds of talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken across two days, strategic communication with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and separate sit-downs with members of the U.S. strategic and business communities.

This is what China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has achieved during a closely-watched three-day visit to Washington that concluded on Saturday.

During the visit, the two sides had “in-depth, constructive and substantive” strategic communication on many issues of common concern, and jointly sent a positive signal of stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relations, said Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China’s foreign minister.

Here are three key takeaways from his visit.

Road to a San Francisco meeting

Throughout the visit, the Chinese foreign minister stressed, more than once, the importance of following through on the common understandings reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart when they last met

on the sidelines of the G20 Bali Summit in Indonesia.

During the Bali meeting on November 14, 2022, the two heads of state conducted their first face-to-face talks since Biden took office in January 2021. Xi said China and the U.S. should respect each other, coexist in peace, pursue win-win cooperation, and work together to ensure bilateral relations move forward on the right course without losing direction or speed, still less having a collision.

Biden, on his part, told the Chinese president that the U.S. respects China’s system, and does not seek to change it; that it does not seek a new Cold War; that it does not seek to revitalize alliances against China; that it does not support “Taiwan independence,” and does not support “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan;” and that it has no intention to have a conflict with China. The U.S. side has no intention to seek “de-coupling” from China, halt China’s economic development, or contain China, he added.

In the roughly one-hour – more than double than originally planned – meeting with the U.S. president on Friday, Wang said his visit is aimed at communicating with the U.S. side to follow through on the Bali meeting, and proceed toward a San Francisco meeting, so as to prevent bilateral ties from further deteriorating and bring the China-U.S. relationship back on the track of healthy and steady development at an early date.

During the talks between Wang and Blinken on Thursday and Friday, both sides agreed to make joint efforts for the meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco, which is set to host the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in mid-November.

“The road to San Francisco will not be a smooth one, and it will not be left to ‘autopilot,'” warned the Chinese foreign minister when he was hosted by the Aspen Security Group, a policy program of a namesake think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

Wang urged real efforts on the part of the U.S. side to eliminate interference, overcome obstacles, enhance consensus, and accumulate results to make the meeting happen.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said that the U.S. side, in conducting its so-called Indo-Pacific strategy, has been making trouble for Beijing on the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue, among others.

“So the key is to watch whether the U.S. side can really follow its words with actions,” the scholar told CGTN.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington, D.C., the United States, October 27, 2023. /Chinese Foreign Ministry

Need to restart dialogue

The Chinese foreign minister’s trip followed Blinken’s Beijing visit in June, as well as a visit to China by a bipartisan delegation of the U.S. Senate led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this month, and was partially coincident with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s week-long stay in China that is still underway.

Wang stressed the importance of keeping communication channels open between the two sides during his talks with Blinken. In the coming days, both sides will hold separately China-U.S. consultations on maritime affairs, arms control and non-proliferation, and foreign policies.

“China and the United States need dialogue. We should not only resume dialogue, but also have in-depth and comprehensive dialogue,” he told reporters while standing next to the U.S. secretary of state before their formal talks, which eventually lasted over seven hours across two days.

The call was shared by U.S. strategists, who told Wang in their meeting on Saturday that the U.S. strategic community does not agree with the rhetoric about the so-called failure of U.S.-China engagement and wants the two sides to restart dialogue in various fields.

To stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations, both sides should also have objective understandings of each other’s strategic intentions, Wang told Blinken, in his latest call for following through one of the common understandings reached between the two presidents at the Bali meeting.

Wang Yiwei, the expert on international relations, said it is important to put a strategic framework in place for the two largest economies to manage their relations.

“If ‘competition’ is the word [to describe the bilateral relations], then the competition should be an orderly one, not one with no bottom line, no principles or no rules,” he said.

It should be in line with the expectations of the international community, and be responsible for globalization and the international market, he added, referring to the U.S. rhetoric of “de-coupling” or “de-risking” its supply chains from China.

People-to-people exchanges

During Wang’s visit, China and the U.S. also agreed to further increase direct passenger flights between the two countries, on top of the commitment made during Blinken’s June visit.

Hours after the talks between the two top diplomats, U.S. officials announced that flights between the U.S. and China will increase to 70 per week starting November 9.

The Chinese civil aviation authority said the increase in flights will help facilitate personnel, economic and trade exchanges between the two countries.

In terms of promoting people-to-people exchanges, the two sides also agreed on a China-U.S. Coordination Meeting on Disability Affairs to discuss the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in disability affairs in the coming days.

Structure

Louisiana Cajun Style Hot Tamales

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2023 11 09 17 12

Yield: approximately 25 dozen tamales

Ingredients

Meat Preparation

  • 10 pounds beef shoulder meat
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Water

Cornmeal Mush

  • 2 pounds shortening
  • 3 pounds cornmeal
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Meat

  • 3 large onions
  • 2 garlic buttons
  • 2 bottles chili powder
  • 1 small bottle red pepper
  • Salt
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Instructions

  1. The night before you make your tamales, wash each corn shuck and place in water to soak overnight.
  2. Boil meat until done and falling off bone, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. While meat is cooking, make mush in heavy skillet. Get shortening hot and add salted cornmeal. Stir meat until golden in color. Make a paste by adding soup off the meat and stirring until smooth.
  4. Take meat off bone and grind together with onion and garlic. Add chili powder, red pepper and salt.
  5. Put shortening in skillet and fry until onion is cooked, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste and soup from meat making it soft. DO NOT GET IT TOO SOFT.
  6. Spread meal mush on shucks about 1/4 inch thick with a flat knife. Then put meat on top and roll into tamale shape.

Notes

DO NOT UNDER-SALT THIS DISH. Cornmeal requires a lot of salt.

Date Planning

What’s the most inappropriate thing someone has done in a church service?

What was the most inappropriate thing someone has done in a church service?

Around twenty years ago, when I was pastor of a former congregation, there was a young woman named Anna,* who attended the church. At the time, Anna was in her mid-twenties, but had the mental functioning of a young child. She was brought to church by a kind and caring couple who had a heart for helping people like Anna, and as Anna began inviting her friends to church, we soon found ourselves with four or five of Anna’s friends attending on a regular basis. We had a ministry to some wonderfully unique people dropped right in our laps.

Most of the church did a wonderful job of ministering to these folks. They loved them and were very patient with them. Along with Anna, I fondly recall Mike, who like Anna lived in a group home. Mike would slip into my office at the church and leave little action figures for my then small children. My boys couldn’t wait to get to church and see what Mike had left them. On any given Sunday, there would be Star Wars or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures in a zip lock baggie on my desk. Mike was a real character and he possessed a sweet and caring nature. Later, his family moved him to a group home in Chattanooga, Tennessee and I eventually lost touch with him, but he will always be remembered as the Boo Radley of that little group.

During all this, Anna asked me if she could sing in the church choir. I referred the matter to our church choir director, a kind and compassionate man, and he saw no problem with it. The choir, around twenty members, welcomed Anna as one of their own. Anna couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, but it was a joy for her to be up there with the choir on Sunday morning, and her sheer delight of singing along with the choir made it a blessing for all of us.

Not long after Anna began singing in the choir, a cantankerous church member named Madge, whom I have written about here before, came to me one Sunday morning before church with yet another complaint, which was no surprise, as I could always tell when Madge was complaining; her lips were moving. The conversation went something like this:

“Pastor, it’s embarrassing that this woman, Anna, is singing in the choir.”

“Awe, come on Madge; she enjoys herself.”

“I don’t care! She’s an embarrassment to this church!”

“Madge, didn’t Jesus say something about letting the children come to him for such is the Kingdom of Heaven?”

“Yes, he did, but she’s still an embarrassment.”

With that, she huffed away and that was the end of it. Her comments and attitude towards Anna and her friends were among the most inappropriate things I have ever seen during a church service or at church.

Eventually, Anna’s family moved to another town, and we later left that church and I was called to another congregation. However, for the last twenty years or so we have kept in touch with Anna. We consider her a very special friend. Last April, her family brought her to our part of Virginia for a visit and my wife and I took her out to dinner. Here we are enjoying some time with our old friend Anna.

Friendships come in all forms and with all sorts of people.

*Not her real name.

What changes would you like to see in the education system?

I’d love for the adoption of stuff my economics teacher taught me in University.

She was a bit mad and a self declared Marxist.

She did not however colour everything with marxism.

What she DID do however was to pretty much say question everything.

  • Do some calculations.
  • Does it pass the smell test.
  • Check later on things you think to be true and see if they are no longer true.

She also later on ended up being the person who ran a short how to write your dissertation class. She did a very good section about critical writing.

  • Who wrote it
  • Why did they write it
  • What possible bias is there?
  • What was the methodology?

We see people on Quora literally do this all the time Kanthaswamy Balasubramaniam

He writes quite a few things and almost always does 1–3 of the above things sometimes all of them backing them up with calculations a lot of the time.

Same thing with Carl Hamilton he questions things and quantifies things.

If more people did that? Politicians wouldn’t get away with half the shit they do. Yet here we are with people literally saying it’s true because the BBC said so!

Reuters a WESTERN News agency counted the number of protesors in Hong Kong.

How Reuters counted a quarter million people at Hong Kong’s protests(Backstory is a series of reports showing how Reuters journalists work and the standards under which they operate.)

Yet westerners continue to say 2 MILLION.

So let’s go through the thought process above with the 2 million protestors.

  • Do some calculations.
  • Does it pass the smell test.
  • Check later on things you think to be true and see if they are no longer true.

2 million is almost 1/3 of the population.

2 million cannot fit into such an area as other than telephone box challenges you can’t fit more than 3 people per square meter.

So let’s critically read the Reuters source.

  • Who wrote it
  • Why did they write it
  • What possible bias is there?
  • What was the methodology?

Reuters – Western news source so according to westerners themselves unbiased. If anything anti China.

They wrote it to check on the massive claims.

The possible bias is they side with the protestors.

The methodology was putting cameras at bridges and certain buildings and counting people passing every few minutes.

Meanwhile the 2 million claim? It came from Jimmy Sham

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image 71

Let’s do the above with Jimmy Sham.

  • Who wrote it
  • Why did they write it
  • What possible bias is there?
  • What was the methodology?

Who is Jimmy Sham. He’s a anti government rioter, he was encouraging violence there are speeches you can still find videos of them on Yandex but not google.

Jimmy Sham claimed he’d been attacked for well over a minute by 6 men with hammers. Yet he managed to recover within a few days with only a slight cut to his forehead. Jimmy Sham also produced fliers documenting his attack 2 days before the ‘attack’ Hong Kong leaflets at the bottom state the date of printing.

Why did he write it – To claim more support than there actually was. PORI at HKU (they parted ways) found only 16% had any real support for what the protestors wanted.

What possible bias? – Again he’s anti China.

What was his methodology – He made it up.

Yet westerners are convinced Jimmy Sham is completely credible and Reuters isn’t.

Do women who don’t date broke guys dislike poor people?

Here’s what I learned from dating/marrying a poor guy: the idea that since he’s not working, he’ll clean and get groceries and cook, is completely lost on men.

They honestly think they can watch TV and play video games all day then when you get home, complain that there are no Doritos and the dishes are all dirty. With a straight fucking face.

And have the nerve to accuse you of assigning them “busy work” when you realize they aren’t going to do it on their own so you still have to be in charge and make them a damn list because they don’t mind wearing the same dirty socks for a week.

There was a time I would have gladly supported the family if I was getting the home handled as part of the deal, but taking care of a fully grown child in addition to everything else is too much to ask.

You broke? If she’s paying the rent and buying the food, you better be cooking it and not just ordering pizza on her card and leaving the laundry in a pile because you put it through the machine but couldn’t be bothered to fold it, sort it or put it away because you had a raid starting.

What was the cruelest weapon of war?

Trust.

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In the Second World War and under the ruthless command of Surgeon General Shirō Ishii, Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army conducted a string of depraved experiments on Chinese civilians.

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Shirō Ishii.

One of the most heinous of these experiments saw soldiers gift chocolate to Chinese schoolchildren. Why was it heinous? Because the chocolate was laced with anthrax. Killing unsuspecting children with chocolate was far from the only cruel experiment undertook by Unit 731, though.

In another example, they went around villages offering “vaccinations” on the pretence that they would protect inhabitants against a rising epidemic. The truth was actually the reverse; they were creating epidemics by injecting residents with the live, deadly forms of pathogens like cholera. The cruelty in these examples is clear; they were taking advantage of people’s good faith and stabbing them in the back.

They were, in essence, weaponizing people’s trust.

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An older, post-war Shirō Ishii.

Whilst Shirō lounged around in his pristine mansion, eating, relaxing and bathing without a care in the world, the civilians condemned to hellish terror by him were spewing their guts up, writhing in agony and taking their last breath. However, none of that would be enough to see him face punishment.

Understandably even in that era, the kinds of experiments conducted by him would not have been green-lit by most other countries, meaning that Shirō had unique information that other countries coveted. Using that, he was able to get immunity from prosecution in exchange for divulging everything in relation to his research.

With that, Shirō was allowed to go free and live out the rest of his life despite the trail of death that he’d left behind him. The kick in the teeth is that the information he provided proved to be of little use anyway, so he really did get off scot-free in the end. After the war, he opened his own medical clinic and became well-liked in the community, caught religion and lived out his remaining years in peace.

Is it wrong to seek pleasure? Why?

It can be.

For a simple example, if you binge eat a huge delicious unhealthy brunch, you’ll likely get a double crash: your dopamine and blood sugar levels fall at the same time, leaving you on the couch groaning. If you drank a few mimosas, consider it a triple crash.

A more extreme example is ecstasy. I’ve never done it but my ex did and I was around a bunch of people who were high as a kite on it.

It’s super bizarre to watch. Everyone is touchy-feely, warm, and excessively friendly. However, not in the way that someone on cocaine is, talking fast and moving around a lot. Ecstasy produces a massive release of dopamine. They’d always do it and then go to raves and dance until 4 AM. It was nuts.

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Consequently, it carries a huge dopamine hangover and makes people sadder and less motivated for weeks. I saw it several times with my ex. She was miserable, mean, and incredibly hard to be around.

Nothing is wrong with seeking healthy sources of pleasure, but moderate it and resist the urge for chemical sources of it. The price of entry isn’t worth it.

Following last year’s meeting in Bali, the heads of state of China and the United States will meet face to face again. What will the two heads of state talk about at that time? What changes will it bring to Sino-US relations?

Nothing will happen.

Biden’s invitation to Xi Jinping to visit the United States was just a delaying tactic by the United States. For two reasons:

  • For the needs of the new round of elections.
  • Currently, the United States is deeply tied to Israel. In the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it has strongly supported Israel despite the opposition of the world, and even put aside its support for Ukraine. Therefore, under the current world situation, the White House first compromised with China and gave China some “verbal promises”, such as “reiterating the one-China policy”, “no arms sales to Taiwan”, requiring China to purchase U.S. debt, stabilize the U.S. dollar market, and stabilize the U.S. economy, to trick China into lifting certain sanctions against the United States. After the situation in the Middle East slows down in the future, the White House will go back and tear up the agreement.

The United States is so shameless, so China will not have any illusions about the United States.

If snipers aren’t forbidden in warfare, why not use a ridiculous number of sniper teams in an infantry division? Say 30%, in the 2nd Iraq war for example.

I think another way to ask your question: why don’t more Infantry use a scope on their rifle?

This is my M-4 (I’m in the middle) for Ought-Three Invasion of Iraq, April 4th, 2003, modified with a 14x Leopold scope:

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So, if you want to spend a little bit of money, you can change your Army issue rifle into a “sniper rifle” of sorts. That Leopold scope was better than binoculars, and was always ready. I still had an M2 laser to aim, and believe it or not, I could even still use the Iron-sight. That scope was extremely useful tactically. Just being able to check out whether movement at 500 yards was friend or foe was priceless.

Let me help you with some myths about snipers you might be entertaining:

Myth buster #1.

Snipers are great at choosing a target, but they are not a mass casualty producing weapon. Mortars and Artillery are still today doing 60–90% of the killing. It’s true snipers can call in the artillery/mortars, and that makes them even more deadly, but you still have to realize any soldiers on the battlefield with a radio and a hiding spot can and does do the same thing.

Myth buster #2.
There are tactical snipers and there are sniper teams. Tactical snipers are just a dude with a scope, in any Platoon. They will usually be in a Scout Platoon, but could be Infantry/Mortars as well. That is just a dude with a scope, and I agree with your question: units should have more dudes with scopes… Sniper teams are ultimately wasted resources, who do not assault or help with the attack beyond suppression. However, it is a gamble; sometimes they spend weeks hiding, and hit a high value target. If you kill the enemy General, then the gamble of wasting your manpower for a week payed off. If you are a 30 man infantry platoon, dividing out a third of your force just to have three OP-sniper teams waiting in a hide, is ultimately wasteful. Most of those sniper teams will do nothing, and come home having accomplished nothing.

My favorite Scout Sniper in Iraq, switching to M16 so he can help assault:

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Navy SEAL Sniper Team who do their own thing, and do not help assault:

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Myth buster #3.

Wait until we fight an equal Army, like China or Russia, who actually takes ground from us; wait until you see what Infantry do to captured snipers. When your Army retreats, those sniper teams are stranded. If those enemy have any suspicion about whether that sniper has had success on the battlefield, those Infantry will make him squeal before they say goodbye.

What was a loophole that you found and exploited the hell out of?

There were many people that had done this so I can not take credit for it but it was amazing. There was a certain bank that would give you 5% rebate for purchases. So the trick was I would buy gift cards with the credit card and then take the gift cards and pay the credit card bill with an online bill paying service. This would lead to about 3.5% profit. It got to the point I was spending the whole credit limit of the card each day to buy the gift cards. I had a $19,000 limit on the card. So 4 times a week I would spend $19,000 on the card, come home and pay it off with the gift cards and then go out and do it again. There were some people that did this for over a year. I was only able to do it for about 4 mths before the credit card company shut it down. It was nice while it lasted.

China urges joint efforts before highly-anticipated Xi-Biden meeting

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Ahead of the highly-anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, a Chinese official on Monday called for joint efforts from both sides to bring bilateral relations back on track.

China hopes the U.S. will act on its commitment of not seeking a new Cold War with China, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in response to a query about the upcoming China-U.S. summit meeting.

China doesn’t seek to change the U.S., nor should the U.S. seek to shape or change China, Mao said.

The Chinese government has confirmed that Xi is set to meet with Biden in San Francisco, where the two leaders will also attend the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

Mao said China views and handles its relations with the U.S. in accordance with the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping. Major-country competition runs counter to the trend of our times and provides no answer to the problems in the U.S. or the challenges in our world.

“China does not fear competition, but we do not agree that China-U.S. relations should be defined by competition,” said Mao.

Speaking of concerns, the U.S. needs to respect China’s concerns and legitimate right to development, rather than emphasizing its own concerns at the expense of China’s interests, Mao added.

“To seek to remodel other countries in one’s own image is wishful thinking in the first place and typical hegemonism which is going nowhere,” she said.

Mao stressed that the Taiwan question is China’s internal affair and resolving it is a matter for the Chinese that brook no foreign interference.

“Successive U.S. administrations have made clear commitments on the Taiwan question,” Mao said. During the summit meeting in Bali, the U.S. said explicitly that the U.S. government doesn’t support “Taiwan independence,” Mao noted.

“The U.S. needs to honor its commitment to one China and oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ with concrete actions,” Mao pointed out.

Over the South China Sea issue, China is committed to settling relevant disputes through negotiation and consultation with relevant countries and will not waver in our determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mao said.

“China will neither take any inch of territory that is not ours, nor give up any inch of territory that belongs to us,” Mao said, urging the U.S. to stop creating pretexts and interfering in the disputes between China and relevant countries over territorial and maritime rights and interests.

Noting the world is paying close attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Mao said China stands on the side of equity and justice, stays in close contact with relevant parties and is committed to deescalation and protection of civilians.

“We hope that the U.S. will follow an objective and just stance and play a constructive role in halting the conflict,” said Mao.

You have a real problem

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/b-VLanBvFt0?feature=share

Did your parents buy you your first car, or did you pay for it yourself?

I started working at age 8. Mowing lawns and collecting bottles and newspapers to sell at recycling.

At age 12 I had two paper routes, one morning and one evening, and still mowed lawns.

At 15 I was working at a grocery store after school and on weekends. I took drivers ed in school and at that time you could get a provisional license within 180 days of your 16th birthday.

Could only drive dawn to dusk. I told my parents as my 16th birthday approached that I wanted to buy a car. They said no, and how could I possibly pay for one. They had no idea I had almost $10k stashed in a secret place in my dresser.

On my 16th birthday I climbed on my bicycle, with twenty $100 bills in my pocket, and headed for the Volkswagen dealership 14 miles away.

When I arrived I spotted a Bahama Blue 1968 VW on the lot. A salesman came out and asked if he could help me. I asked about the car. He asked where my parents were. I told him they were at home. He went inside and came back with a sales manager. Manager said, “Son, you can’t buy a car because you can’t sign for a loan unless your parents do it or you’re 18”.

I responded “Who said anything about a loan? How much is the car?”

It was a dealer demo and had 2,500 miles on it. I’d done my homework and knew the going prices. “I’ll give you $1400 cash, right now.”

The manager said, “But you can’t buy a car at 16!” Wrong. “I can’t borrow money but state law says I can own a car in my name.

If you won’t sell me this one, I’ll just go somewhere else.” After much consternation and discussion, a few phone calls to the owner of the dealership, they wrote up the sale.

I had called an insurance agent earlier in the week, and called him with the info. Told him I’d be right over to pay him if he’d issue a binder for the dealer.

He did, and I drove from the dealership to the agents office and paid him. A full year of insurance in ‘68 was $120. Drove home and my asshole father had a fit, but he couldn’t do anything. I moved out on my 18th and never looked back.

Put 235,000 miles on the Beetle. Wish I still had it!!

What is the most romantic thing someone said or did to you?

A close friend of mine shared a story that always warms my heart. She had been going through a tough time, dealing with the stress of her job and personal life. One evening, feeling particularly down, she decided to take a long walk to clear her head. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the time and soon found herself in a part of town she wasn’t familiar with, after dark.

Just as she started to feel uneasy, she noticed someone approaching her. It was a colleague from her office, someone she’d only spoken to in passing. He had seen her walking and, concerned for her safety, decided to follow at a distance to make sure she was okay. When he caught up to her, instead of just offering a ride home, he suggested they grab a cup of coffee at a nearby café.

They ended up talking for hours. He listened to her troubles, shared some of his own, and offered a comforting perspective that helped her see things in a different light. It wasn’t a grand gesture or a dramatic declaration of love; it was a simple act of kindness and empathy at a moment when she needed it the most.

Years later, they’re happily married. She always recalls that night as the moment she realized she’d found someone truly special. Someone who, without even knowing her well, showed her kindness and compassion when she needed it most. She often says it was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for her, not because it was extravagant, but because it was genuine and heartfelt.

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

Yes, After a recent merger, I was on a MGT call with the new CEO(. He was like…’Alright team, all of the changes will be done by May 23rd (3 weeks)’. I was not aware of any of the changes, and knew immediately that I would be part of the changes. I was in the early stage of a house sell and purchase and knew that losing my job would create a problem for the new loan, so I immediately rescinded my offer on the house, and never signed the sell contract. Sure enough May 23rd, I got the call at 9 a.m. that my job was gone. Best thing ever! I could not stand the new CEO.

I took the summer off, travelled with my wife, and then looked at 3 offers in sept, increasing my income and stock significantly. Fast forward to a year later. I sold my house for $250k more than I had verbally accepted in 2021, and was able to get my dream house on the golf course!.

Everything worked out well and 2 years later, I am killing it with my new company!

Is it perhaps time for the UK to start dissolving its links with the submerging USA and consider applying for membership of the emerging nations group BRICS? Why stay on an obviously sinking ship, after all?

The U.K. is sinking and there’s no lifeline.

Joining BRICS. This means China and Xi will have nothing to do with the U.K. There’s just absolutely nothing in it for China. The U.K. brings nothing to the table.

As for the U.S., the U.K. can’t afford to decouple. Better to feed off crumbs than nothing at all. The U.S. has nothing to spare especially now that we have to spend billions to support Israel.

Boxing kitties

How should war time enemy collaborators be treated after the war is over?

I heard this, if memory serves, from a Frenchman whose grandfather was in the Free French forces.

Said grandfather once remarked this:

It was 1945, merely months after the Germans were thrown off my country, and every man I could talk to was in the Resistance. Everyone. Then I wondered, if there had been forty million people in the Resistance, how the hell had the Germans kept France occupied for years?

The truth of it is, when a country is occupied, most people are minor collaborators. For most places, life goes on as it did before the occupying troops arrived, only the authority changes. To keep on with the French example, for the most part, you’d live just like you would a few months earlier, except the police on the streets would be reporting to Germans and sometimes a few German soldiers would be visible passing.

The reason for that is as varied as the people who lived like this. Some feel apathy, others cowardice. Others do not want more blood to be spilled, some see no personal incentive to fight on, some see no point in it all. But for this reason or the other, people do nothing.

Things become problematic when, if, their allies, or the intact parts of their country, come to break the occupation.

Because when that happens, everyone wants to pretend they fought valiantly, like lions, for the freedom of their country.

And so, as the liberation forces approach and the occupiers pack up and leave, they band into gangs, seeking among themselves scapegoats, people whose collaboration with, or apathy towards, the occupiers were more visible than others. They use accusations of collaboration to settle old grudges and deal with jealousies. Societal order breaks down utterly and is replaced by mob rule of the worst sort, where women can be accused of being German whores because of some jealous bastard, where accusations of war profiteering and snitching run galore, where a man’s life is one convincingly accusatory voice away from destruction. Instead of justice, there are executions, humiliations, beatings meted out to those decided by a mob, oftentimes without a single Resistance member involved, so that its members can feel good and pretend they were helping the liberation all along.

If anyone wants to see what happens when the court of public opinion is the only court available, let him look at any occupied area just after the Germans left. He’ll find arbitrary judgment meted out by people who want the status of having been with the Resistance without suffering through its pains, meted out by people just brave enough to look into the eyes of whichever poor man or woman was the next target of the mob, but not brave enough to look into the barrels of German carbines.

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This is sickening.

Ten thousand people were executed summarily without even the barest farce of a trial in France alone. Hundreds of thousands were humiliated, accused, cast out, by people no better than they were. And this is merely a single country. Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, all repeated the same scene.

Just how callously, no, not callously. Just how bloodthirstily a movement supposedly for the good of its nation has devoured the members of which it arbitrarily declared traitors is a horrifying sight.

The answer to how, with this context, is clear.

By whatever punishment the law allows, in a fair trial.

Or we will have this instead:

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And if anyone here is thinking that this is not a deeply troubling sign of profound injustice, let me remind you.

The way the victims of the mob were picked, that could just as easily be you.

Bad luck

What is the appropriate, legal way to react when a street gang approaches your car at night as you are pulled up at a red light and starts vandalizing it?

Run them down.

These are not “squeegee men” just being annoying and obnoxious, and they are not merely delinquents running past with a key to your door and taking off laughing to one another.

They were throwing rocks (legally deadly weapons, assuming you’re talking about decent-sized rocks, not pebbles), surrounding the car, and making you feel it was not safe to leave.

John Locke opined that it was justified to kill someone who tries to steal from you, because a man who will violate your right to property won’t stop at your right to life. This isn’t the way the law works, generally, but… when it comes to using force in self defense, the relevant question is twofold: 1) Do you, subjectively, have a sincere belief that your life is at risk? 2) Would a reasonable person in your circumstances believe his/her life was at risk? Note that “Is your life actually at risk?” is not one of the questions.

So, you don’t have to think like a juror. You don’t have to give these thugs the benefit of the doubt [Note: it’s been mentioned to me before that “thug” is sometimes taken to have racial connotations, but you don’t say what race they were and I don’t care – white thugs, black thugs, Latino thugs, Asian thugs, or Purple-People-Eater thugs are all thugs]. You don’t have to make the generous assumption that all they want is to commit petty vandalism.

If they are surrounding your car and willing to use physical force, then you are at their mercy – the only thing stopping them from escalating to physical battery, rape, or murder is their supposed good will… and you have no obligation to rely on that.

So honk once for warning, count to three (out loud if you prefer, but silently is fine), then gun it. Any injury will be in self defense.

As for the stop light – non-criminal regulations (and even many criminal statues) yield to the affirmative defense of “necessity”. Basically, the law considers human life and well-being more important than slavish obedience to the law, so if you run a red light to get away from assailants, the law considers that justified.

Disclaimer:

This answer is not a substitute for professional legal advice. This answer is a response to a generalized fact-pattern based on the personal recollection of the posting attorney, and not a response to any specific case or based on any diligent legal research. This answer does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor is it a solicitation to offer legal advice. If you ignore this warning and convey confidential information in a private message or comment, there is no duty to keep that information confidential or forego representation adverse to your interests. Seek the advice of a licensed attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction before taking any action that may affect your rights. If you believe you have a claim against someone, consult an attorney immediately, otherwise there is a risk that the time allotted to bring your claim may expire. If you act on any information contained within this answer, you do so at your own risk.

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

Two weeks after I started working for a company Walmart pulled their contract with us. They were 60% of our production.

Things got crazy fast as the owners tried to find new customers and cut costs. One night a coworker and I were working late when he came into my office and showed me the new budget schedule our boss accidentally left in the copier. It listed all our names and salary by month.

Mine however showed salary for me only until April then nothing. Being the astute finance professional, I knew what that meant. I got my paper out on the street seeking new employment.

As March rolled around with no new job in sight I was understandably worried; then luck shined down on me. My boss’s boss suddenly took ill and suddenly I was needed again, at least temporarily.

This gave me some breathing room but I knew my days were numbered. I continued my searched. Then one night, again working late, that same co worker stopped by and showed me a legal bill showing charges associated with the sale of the company. Now we both knew the end was near and a race against time.

A few months later we were all called into the lunchroom where we were told the company had been sold. As accountants we were told to close the books one last time before being let go. Everyone filed out quietly and returned to their work areas. As I sat in my office contemplating my next move I got a call from the recruiter I had been working with. Good news he said, you have a new job! As I like to tell the story, I was unemployed for 20 minutes.

I closed the books one last time for company A on Friday and started my new job on Monday. I firmly believe somebody up there was watching out for me.

Be careful

What are some of the dark lessons that life showed you?

My story starts nice – neither poor nor abused or depressed. My father worked in a PSU and was doing well financially. My mother was a house wife and is the sweetest. We resided in a tiny town in Middle India. I am the eldest son of three children. I studied well, got into an NIT – premier engineering institute in India.

But my under-graduation was a waste. No, I wasn’t one of those never-wanted-to-do-engineering type of person. I like engineering but like many young and naive people, I didn’t like working hard. I slacked a lot. In the first year, I got 2 backlogs. I did not clear them up in summer hoping to clear them up along with other semesters. I wanted to enjoy my first summer. But it only got worse after that. I accumulated 8 backlogs by the end of my graduation. During this whole time, I was least worried. Seniors had told us grades didn’t matter, ideas did. And we worshiped these words. Only, I did not create any relevant ideas either. I lied to parents constantly and they never knew that my marks were so bad. I even made fake marksheets to show them. I started smoking, drinking and was having fun doing all these. I bought a second hand bike during my third year too.

I participated in lots of extra curricular things though. I was member of the writing club, the Rotaract club, and also a dance club. I used to dance well. Despite my poor academics, I was sure I would make it in life. I thought i was smart, talented and witty and had lots of start up ideas too. And I knew seniors far dumber and with more backlogs who have had awesome careers. I fell in love with a girl too. We started dating and by the end of Btech, we were soulmates.

It should not be a surprise that the only job I grabbed was a 15k per month NGO job. But to me, it was shocking. “I was so smart. How come no company took me!” All my friends left after the course and I had to stay back to clear my backlogs. Slowly reality started hitting me. It was still hard to admit that there were difficult backstories to all these senior-success stories. Hence, I was still adamant not to join a stupid NGO job. I told my parents I am not interested in job and took money from my dad saying I wanted to prepare for UPSC. I tried working on my start up ideas during that time but I realized that it was not easy. No one was ready to fund and I wasn’t skilled enough to build it all on my own. So I thought I will just try UPSC instead while clearing my backlogs. A month passed by.

Then the worst happened. My father suffered a stroke and passed away that winter.

I couldn’t even meet him once, all because I was too fucked up to go home. I hadn’t been home since my third year summer. My family was devastated. While my dad’s salary was good enough, he didn’t have any major savings per se. My mom was old. And my sister was studying in a private Btech and my brother was about to give his high school finals. Everything came crashing down.

I went to mom and said, “I am sorry, Mom. I couldn’t be what you wanted me to be.” But as expected, my mother told me that she only wanted me to be her son and nothing else. She told me I can prepare for UPSC as long as I want and have no pressure to take a job since dad’s savings would work for atleast 2–3 years. She would be very happy to see her son as an IAS officer. And if I didn’t get selected, I could get a job anywhere after passing from an NIT. I was so devastated after hearing this I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t lie anymore but I couldn’t tell her the truth either. That her son was a failure. That no company would take him. That I wasn’t capable enough for UPSC. That I had no goals.

But I knew I had to be strong. I calculated dad’s finances and realised we can go by a couple of years with that if we spend carefully. I started looking for job. I tried to contact the NGO just so that I had 15k in hand atleast. Luckily, they agreed to take me after my summer. I tried getting other IT jobs at the same time. I kept preparing for UPSC but as you know, it’s not easy.

After my summer was over, No company took me, so I continued to work in the NGO. As I said, I wasn’t skilled either. So, I took courses from course-era and udacity to build my skills on the side. I took projects in Freelancer to get some extra money. I was working 20 hours a day with hardly any sleep. My UPSC exams were not up to the mark. But I kept trying. During all these time, I released all my anger and frustration on my gf. My gf and I had constant fights. At the same time, her family wanted her to get married and with her words, it seemed like she wanted to too. And you can’t blame her, the way I was treating her, I would have dumped me too.

And one day finally, she told me that she cannot fight anymore. She asked me to cut all contacts with her. I did.

I cried that night for the first time since father died. I realized what I had lost. But I thought that I wasn’t in a position to fight for her. I wished I could stop her. But I didn’t know how.

The next three years were extremely hard. I moved from the NGO to an IT company but the salary was only 25k per month. Our economic condition was the worst. There were leaks in our home. I stayed in a small shared dormitory to make ends meet. I couldn’t buy anything new for my family even on festivals. I was so broke. My sister was in her final year and I was hoping that atleast she would get a decent job to support the family. My mother was thinking of keeping our house and land in mortgage to make ends meet as my brother will start bachelors soon. I was feeling defeated at that point of time.

I had appeared UPSC 3 times. The last two times I had cleared the prelims but couldn’t clear the mains. This 4th time also, I cleared the prelims and was hoping to get further.

I was depressed and suicidal by now. I stopped all kind of social interactions. I avoided meeting my friends. And only talked to my mom and my siblings daily.

But finally, in 2016, the UPSC results did carry my name. I joined IOFS.

Now, my sister works in a good PSU, just like dad. And my brother took up commerce stream. My mom is happy and healthy. We repaired our house and there’s no question of mortgaging it.

What lessons life taught me?

That just because everything is good now, it won’t stay like that for ever.
That just because something worked out for someone else, it won’t work out for you too.
That grades are important.
That hard work matters.
That UPSC can be cleared.

Why MEN have MIDLIFE CRISES: you have to practice being selfish

What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you?

Killing someone.

Yep, you read it right. Killing someone, taking some innocent teenage girl’s life, is the worst thing to happen to ME. Quite ironic, isn’t it? So here’s what happened.

It was about the 27th of March, 2007. It was a windy Tuesday evening, and I was driving my minivan down a foggy lonely road, and was going well below the speed limit, because I couldn’t see anything. I was listening to Lazarus by Porcupine Tree, and merrily making my way to my family, when I suddenly saw a teenage girl, whose name I later found out to be Laura, crossing the street oblivious to my van, and by the time I saw her and hit my brakes and turned my car, I had hit her. I immediately leapt out and raced to look at her, and she was fine. She was on the ground, but there was no bleeding, and she looked conscious but bruised. She got up by herself, and apologized for crossing the road without looking. I was proud of myself for braking in time, but I apologized for not seeing her too. She said that she had a bruise on her abdomen, and a pain in her leg. I suspected a minor fracture, and wanted to call 911, but she asked me to take her to the hospital myself, as she said she was in pain. Just as she said that, I thought to myself, how can a girl get into an accident so easily. I braked, and I swerved. She still got hit. What if she wanted to get hit? What if I take her to the hospital, and she accuses me of something that I can’t defend myself of, and not calling the cops would make me look guilty. So, I called the cops. They came, dealt with me and my insurance, and took her away to the hospital. I went on my merry way home, and forgot about it.

2 days later, I get a call. A call from the police, saying that Laura had died of internal bleeding. I was speechless. The doctor apparently said that she could’ve been saved if she was in eariler, but that was not certain either. I went over to the police, where the family of the girl was waiting for me. As soon as they saw me, they started blaming me for their little girl’s death. They said that I stole a life, that I was probably drunk, and that I should’ve gotten her myself. The cops pulled me aside and asked me to ignore what they said, because calling the cops is always the best option. It didn’t really leave a mark on me at the time, until I was driving home one day, and Lazarus started playing. I stopped the car and broke down. I had taken a life, an innocent 17 year old life, just because I was scared that she was going to set me up. I had nightmares about it for years.

I went to a therapist, and she asked me to get rid of my van, not listen to Lazarus, and to not blame myself for her death. Everyone kept telling me that it was no fault of mine, but in the end, I know that it was me who stole a life. It was me, who stole a daughter from a lovely couple, and a sister from a 6 year old kid. It was me, who killed her.

I know that I shouldn’t really blame myself for it, but it was me who hit her. It was me who didn’t take her to the hospital. It was me who didn’t bother listening to her complaints about being in pain. If I could, I would trade my life to get Laura back. But since that’s not possible, I’ll just be in this regret forever.

That, by far, is the worst thing to happen to me.

Ignore Yellen’s Pleas! China Sells $62 Billion in US Bonds, Adds 7.82 M Ounces Of Gold Reserves

https://youtu.be/bTYWh5fiM5g

One arm duty

When I was in prison, I worked on the “hoe squad”. This is what “hard labor” actually is. We march out to the fields carrying hoes. Wearing our white prison clothes, we then form a line and then beat the ground relentlessly tearing up the grass to dirt.

However…

If you are sick or ill, you can get “one arm duty”. You end up being set apart and then you just putz around off to the side.

In general, the only time that I got “one arm duty” was after I had a heart attack on the “chain gang”. Though, the doctor who saw me; the “prison doctor” gave me two aspirins and told me to visit him the next Monday morning.

Yeah. It was not fun, but little “perks” such as “one arm duty” were highlights of my days in the ADC. Other highlights included being allowed to eat some wild onions, and then mix them with the black beans we ate during dinner.

So remember guys… no matter how bad things might get, there is always some good that can be found about. Beans with onions! Good times! Good times!

Today…

100% the truth

What if I went to North Korea and spit in Kim Jong-un’s face? Would America come save me?

This is what happened to University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier when he stole a political flag from his hotel hallway.

Wikipedia

Otto Warmbier

Otto Frederick Warmbier (December 12, 1994 – June 19, 2017) was an American college student who was imprisoned in North Korea in 2016 on a charge of subversion. In June 2017, he was released by North Korea in a vegetative state

and died soon afterward.

Otto Warmbier

image 63
image 63

Born

Otto Frederick Warmbier

December 12, 1994

Cincinnati, Ohio

, U.S.

Died

June 19, 2017(aged 22)

Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

Education

University of Virginia

Detainment

Country

North Korea

Detained

January 2, 2016

Charge

Subversion

(through attempted theft of a propaganda poster)

Sentence

15 years’ imprisonment

Released

June 12, 2017

Warmbier entered North Korea as part of a guided tour group on December 29, 2015. On January 2, 2016, he was arrested at Pyongyang International Airport

while awaiting departure from the country. He was convicted of attempting to steal a propaganda poster from his hotel, for which he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labor.

Shortly after his sentencing in March 2016, Warmbier suffered a severe neurological injury

from an unconfirmed cause and fell into a coma, which lasted over a year.

North Korean authorities did not disclose his medical condition until June 2017, when they announced he had fallen into a coma as a result of botulism and a sleeping pill. He was freed later that month, still in a comatose state after 17 months in captivity. He was repatriated to the United States and arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 13, 2017. He was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center

for immediate evaluation and treatment.

Warmbier never regained consciousness and died on June 19, 2017, six days after his return to the United States when his parents had requested his feeding tube

to be removed.

A coroner’s report stated that he died from an unknown injury causing lack of oxygen to the brain.

Non-invasive internal scans did not find any signs of fractures to his skull.

In 2018, a U.S. federal court found the North Korean government liable for Warmbier’s torture and death, in a default judgment

in favor of Warmbier’s parents after North Korea did not contest the case.

In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump caused controversy after saying that he believed the word of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that Kim was not responsible for Warmbier’s death. In response, Warmbier’s parents criticized Trump for making excuses for Kim and “his evil regime”.

A DAMN! good woman

What do you think of San Francisco’s cleanup in preparation for China’s visit?

I saw this news.

image 8
image 8

The APEC summit is about to begin in San Francisco. The key reason why this APEC summit is so important is the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In order to welcome Chinese visitors, the city of San Francisco swept and flushed all streets in just 48 hours, clearing away all homeless people, tents and garbage on the roadside. Decorations are placed on the roads where visitors pass, and some roads are even screened.

image 7
image 7

For the visit of a head of state from another country, what San Francisco did seemed a bit out of line. When was the last time they did this? No one seemed to remember at all.

image 6
image 6

I checked the Chinese newspaper data in 1972, and there was this news:

“In preparation for US President Richard Nixon’s visit to China, the Beijing Municipal Government launched a city-wide cleaning campaign. Citizens, students, and soldiers took to the streets. They cleaned up garbage, planted trees, and painted walls. In just one week, Beijing had a completely new look.”

image 5
image 5

In fact, until the end of the 20th century, whenever important American figures visited China, Chinese cities would do the same thing.

However, I have never heard of Americans doing this.

Now,you must know that it is China’s head of state Xi Jinping who is visiting San Francisco, the United States.

Not the foreign minister, not the economic minister. The last official visit was in 2013, under President Obama. In 2017, President Trump also had an unofficial visit. many years have passed

In the past few years, relations between China and the United States have been tense, and the Chinese President’s visit to the United States again undoubtedly revealed a lot of information. I personally predict that relations between the two countries will soon ease.

With such an important visit, the city of San Francisco was understandably nervous. However, this incident also highlights the fact that the status between China and the United States has undergone subtle changes.

More than ten years ago, former head of state of china, Hu Jintao, visited the United States. Ten years ago, current head of state Xi Jinping visited the United States.

The United States was in good shape at that time and did not need to “make America great again”, nor did it need a “trade war”, nor did it need “trade decoupling” or “risk reduction.” There are not so many homeless people on the streets of the United States, and prices in the United States are at a good level.

During these visits, the United States responded very appropriately. Whether in Washington or other cities, daily life went on normally. Americans confidently present the face of their country to Chinese leaders. No matter what the Chinese head of state sees on the streets, good or bad. It doesn’t matter, this is America, and this is the confidence that comes from the United States.

After all, at that time, the visit of Chinese leaders was, to the United States, a visit by a “backward competitor” to a “leading country.”

But over the past decade, a lot has changed.

From the United States:

1. Social divisions and the widening gap between rich and poor have led to the election of a president like Trump. Under the slogans of “America First” and “Make America Great Again,” a series of actions that harmed allies and irritated China and Russia took place one after another.

2. The United States launched an “easy-to-win” trade war and prices soared. The 2020 pandemic has added to the nation’s chaos. Many people have lost their properties, and there are more and more homeless people on the streets and drug addicts. American cities have become cluttered.

3. In 2023, in order to deal with domestic inflation, the Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates. This has caused heavy economic losses to America’s global allies. In the Russia-Ukraine war, the United States lagged behind and was unable to truly contain Russia. The international influence of the United States has declined rapidly.

From China:

1. After ten years of economic growth, China’s overall economic strength has almost become equal to that of the United States. Although the GDP figure is still lower than that of the United States, the GDP calculated by PPP has already exceeded that of the United States. Key data such as social car sales and power generation also prove this.

2. In the economic war between China and the United States in the past few years, China has quickly adjusted after experiencing initial damage. Not only did they successfully respond to the pandemic, but they also expanded exports and boosted economic growth during the pandemic.

3. Amid the containment of trade wars and decoupling, China has attracted 151 countries around the world through the “Belt and Road Initiative” and successfully resisted the “de-risking” actions of the G7 countries led by the United States. China’s export volume will continue to increase in 2023.

4. China did not fall into the quagmire of the Russia-Ukraine war and did not have continuous military expenditures. On the contrary, they obtained more stable and cheaper energy, and a broader trade market.

This change was vividly demonstrated in the last diplomatic game between China and the United States. After Blinken’s aggressive speech, Liu He said: “The United States is not qualified to talk about strength with China.”

For the first time since the Cold War, the Chinese are sending a historic signal: The United States is no longer the only superpower.

Now, behind the seemingly eye-catching economic data in the United States are the debts of companies and individuals that are about to explode, as well as the high interest rates. After two years of debt stimulus and one year of interest rate hikes, the U.S. economy is like a fat man taking stimulants, with his face flushed and his strength boundless. In fact, he could fall down at any time.

China not only avoided global inflation, but also successfully resolved its domestic debt crisis. China is one of the very few countries that has not followed the United States in raising interest rates in the past six months. Although their economy is not as bright as in previous years. But it was very smooth and without any crisis. In the third quarter, major global financial institutions raised their economic expectations for China. In front of the United States, China is very comfortable and still has a lot of cards in its hand that it has not played.

The changes in the forces of China and the United States and the changes in the situation faced by both sides have made this meeting very delicate. In fact, the United States needs this meeting more than China.

In the end, the changes on both sides led to a change in Americans’ mentality towards China’s visit.

They have many more ideas than they had ten years ago:

There are too many homeless people on the streets of San Francisco, so much trash and drug addicts that they cannot be seen by the Chinese head of state.

It would make our great America appear weak and in disarray.

We must work hard to present a strong and beautiful image of the United States to continue to maintain the strong image of the United States in the past.

Not only will this prevent our president from losing face in front of Chinese leaders, but it will also prevent the Chinese from seeing more of America’s weaknesses and raising the price in negotiations .

There is an old saying: every dog will have his day.

Many things have changed

How does America compare to Europe in terms of work hours and vacation days?

I was on a contract in Boston USA for 4 years (back in the 2000’s) and at the end of the contract they offered me a full time job, Green Card, etc.

I asked what are the terms? 5 days leave at the end of the first year, no overtime payments, no company car……

I said I have worked for this company in France for over 20 years and you want me to give up my 65 days annual leave, being paid when I have worked longer hours and a reduction in salary, no job protection and having to take out health insurance.

No, fucking way! I’m going back to France.

Australia Just Destroyed America’s Plan For China!

What made you forbid someone from ever entering your home again?

Few reasons. One I don’t like liars, sitting at my kitchen table talking a bunch of smack gossip, another is telling me how I should do things when you have a zero clue of how hard it is being disabled. Trying to be the boss of me when you can’t even manage your own self. Stealing from me cause you might like what I own. My own grandmother came down to visit and stole my dried flower arrangement out of my bedroom, didn’t ask just five finger discounted it and got half way to the car when I saw it missing from my dresser. My father had an anger issue and to make him feel more manly, he’d make the 30 minute trip to my place actually looking for a fist fight. Mother read me the riot act when I had the nerve of buying a new fridge. So these days, I don’t even allow you on the property you can’t be trusted.

What was the moment you cancelled the friendship with your best friend?

Two of my best friends in high school were dating, all four years. I love them two like genuine brother and sister (still do). Herein, the dude I will refer to as “bro” and his girlfriend “sis”. Nearing graduation, bro moved a state away (close enough to still come to school on time every morning) and almost immediately starting acting different. He had a new friend group who were terrible influence and became close with this other girl and we all kind of knew where this was going but didn’t want to believe it.

We graduated together, they were still together.

He and I went to trade school together, so we hung out on campus. My sis and I live in the same city so we hung out all the time (no, we never had feeling for each other anything beyond “siblings”). All the accusations of him cheating started to be noticeable. One day we sat in his car during lunch and I said to him, “If you cheat on my sis you know that’s the end of this friendship, bro. I love you but I hate the idea of what you’re getting yourself into.” He nodded…it kind of felt like he knew what he was doing was wrong but he was deep in it. He never told any of us two what he was doing but we ended up finding out from someone out of our friend group that he was planning on leaving my “sis” for this new chick.

He ended up doing so, and we lost each other as friends. Sis and I are still close. I haven’t talked to my ex-best friend in over 15 years. Things happen but seeing how he was treating her and lying to the both of us was ridiculous. No need to be leading people on like that. If you’ve moved on, actually move on.

Yup. Married.

What is the thing most people in the world misunderstand about Americans?

Certainly, the most surprising thing for me when I lived in the US was finding that many Americans believe that, for practical purposes, the rest of the world doesn’t really exist.

To be fair I don’t mean that it is really non-existent, but that Americans think of the rest of the world in pretty much the same way someone in Europe would think of Pluto. It’s something you’ve read about, you know its there. But when it unexpectedly gets downgraded to not really being a planet any more it doesn’t really matter because Pluto can’t really have any effect on your everyday life.

And that’s how a large number of Americans regard the rest of the world – yeah, it probably exists, but it isn’t of any really practical relevance.

Let me give you an example of how this works. During the recent pandemic both the UK and US had idiot leaders who screwed up the pandemic response. But no one in the UK would think that the pandemic had just been made up to make Boris Johnson look bad. After all we saw how it spread around the world, first China then spreading all over Italy and other countries. So, it would be insane to suggest this worldwide problem was all make believe to humiliate Boris.

But large numbers of Americans have no qualms about believing that it was a lefty hoax to make Trump look bad. Its not that they believe the whole world is in on the plot its that since the rest of the world doesn’t really exist and so whether they also had the pandemic or not just doesn’t matter. It’s the same for the recent Israel-Palestine war. After it starts Trump announces that there are Hamas terrorists flooding across the US-Mexico border, because of course Hamas really want to attack the US. After all they can hardly really just want to target Israel, since it doesn’t really exist. To a subset of Americans, it just unthinkable that two sets of people could really have a war of their own. It must somehow really be about America because only America is actually real.

What’s the shadiest tactic you’ve witnessed HR use at your job?

I joined a startup during the initial days of my career. after everything was discussed, I was given the offer letter. I accepted it and went to Mumbai, India to join the firm. After 1 week from the day of joining, I asked the HR for my appointment letter, which he should have given me on day 1. Since a startup and all young people around, I was OK with the delay. After 2 weeks, I was given the appointment letter, where it was mentioned that if ever I resigned from the organization or they terminate me from the firm, I will not be able to join any other firm in the same sector for a period of 1 year. (let me tell you, I am an engineer, with a masters degree in the relevant field.) This was mentioned under the competitive clause. I argued with the HR manager, asking him why didn’t he inform about this earlier, to which his answer was everything cannot be written on the offer letter.

I didn’t accept the letter and asked him to change the clause or else I won’t accept the letter. Now the problem with them was they were not in a position to leave me as I was the only person from that specific field and that field was giving them a good revenue, and I was never gonna accept the letter. Time flew and I was working without the appointment letter.

1 year later, I resigned as the organization was in a loss and was not being able to pay even our regular salary. I found another job in a well-established firm in the same field. So the last day, HR came to me and told that he will not be able to pay the whole amount of my salary, he gave me a cheque of 1/3 of my total pending amount. I was furious but was of no use as I knew this coming and I knew the financial status of the organization. They promised me to settle the amount in next 45 days.

Days passed, no sign of payments. When I called up the HR to know the status of the pending amount, I was told that as I didn’t sign the appointment letter, he cannot pay my salary. I knew what to do. I kept calm and didn’t reply anything. a few weeks later, I asked him my salary slips, I told him I needed those for my PF, and to my surprise, he instantly gave all my salary slips. Now the ball was on my court, and after receiving my Salary slips, I asked him for the pending amount. he told his same answer about my appointment letter; to which I replied, how can he issue salary slips to an employee who was never a part of the organization (which he mentioned earlier to me that I was never a part of the organization as I haven’t signed those papers). he was shocked to my answer, and he fumbled up. I took advantage of the situation and asked to pay my pending amount or else I have no option but to take the matter to the court. within 2 days the amount was credited to my account.

First date – Coffee

What is a good example of quality over quantity in war from history?

Quality over quantity?

In 58BC, Julius Caesar entered Gaul with ~30,000 Legionarys and Auxillia troops to conduct “punishment” campaigns against the Celts and Germanic tribes. Eight years later, rather than subduing the responsible tribes, he had conquered all of Western Europe.

Caesar never had more than 50,000 total troops at any one battle and yet his Legions killed over 1,000,000 Celts and German warriors in battle, as well as captured another 1,000,000 for enslavement.

This was accomplished through the excellent generalship of Caesar and the training & discipline of his Legions and Auxillia (foreign support troops, who were trained to equal level with the Legions).

The disciplined and ordered men of the Legions were able to stand and hold back relentless charges of undisciplined tribesmen, until the Celts had tired themselves out, before moving forward against the exhausted enemies, killing everyone before them.

Caesar’s final battle in Gaul, to subdue the revolt led by Vercingetorix at Alesia in 52BC, Caesar and his Legions had built and defended a “tactical doughnut”,where ~70,000 Romans besieged Vercingetorix’s army inside Alesia of ~75,000, while defending against up to 250,000 Celts who attempted to free Vercingetorix.

image 59
image 59

It was quality of leadership, training, discipline, engineering and construction excellence that defeated sheer but undisciplined numbers.

Flamin’ Cajun Riblets

Deliciously seasoned pork ribs that will delight the taste buds!

pork riblets scaled 1
pork riblets scaled 1

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork loin back ribs
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 cup bottled chili sauce
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Serrano pepper*, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons bottled hot pepper sauce
  • Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle the ribs with Cajun seasoning rubbing it in with your fingers.
  2. Cut ribs into single rib portions.
  3. Place ribs in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker.
  4. In bowl, mix chili sauce, onion, Serrano pepper, tapioca, lemon peel, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce.
  5. Pour sauce over ribs.
  6. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  7. Serve at once or keep warm, covered, on warm setting or lon LOW heat setting for up to 2 hours.
  8. Remove any bones without meat. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Notes

Because hot chile peppers, such as Serrano’s, contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with chilies as much a possible. When working with chile pepper, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

50 MOST DISTURBING Moments Caught On Camera Vol. 10

A rewards program

We had a rewards program in Canada called Air Miles. Both my wife and I collected them before meeting, then merged accounts after getting engaged.

One of the grocery chains gave you 10 times airmiles for prescriptions on the first Tuesday of the month, we had both been taking advantage of this. Then they dropped it to 7 times rewards, any time of the month.

Whenever a store was renovated, they offered massive air miles, at just that store, to get people to come back after the renovation. These were super deals, like spend $200 and get 700 airmiles. Every first Tuesday of the month was 10 times airmiles on groceries. You normally got 1 for $20, but on Tuesdays you got one for $2. They would also have air mile specials on particular grocery items. For example buy 5 packs of flavored rice cakes for $15 and get 100 air miles. Buy frozen chicken wings for $10, and get 100 airmiles. Air miles were worth 15 cents a piece at the time, then dropped to 14 cents, then 11 cents.

But when they were 15 cents a piece, spending $10 for a kg of chicken wings earned you $15 worth of airmiles. They were paying you $5 to buy the wings.

Back to the renovation sales. I had 6 of the grocery stores within 3 km of me. Most within 2. They renovated them one after the other, and the sales each lasted 3 months. Then the next one would start.

So I would hold off groceries, until the first Tuesday of the month, then buy $200 . This got me 700 airmiles, with the coupon, plus 100 airmiles for the 10 times airmiles, plus, I would buy 5 boxes of chicken wings, and 5 bags of rice cakes, which gave me another 600 air miles, plus all the other individual sales. From this one shopping trip averaging $220 , I would get about 2500 air miles, worth $375.

Plus whatever we got for prescriptions. Other companies also offered airmiles, but not as great a deal. But if you shopped at 6 different companies, and you earned more than 6000 airmiles, you got an onyx card, which meant you could get 10 percent more for your airmiles.

So for two years, we got about $5000 worth of airmiles each year..

The trick was to only use them on package vacations, which is where you got the 15 cents per airmiles, and the 10 percent discount.

So we would pick a $6000 tropical flight and all inclusive hotel two, because we were onyx, we would pay $5400, and we would pay that out of our airmiles. At the time, that gave us a spectacular vacation, for buying stuff that we would use anyway.

With the renovations we got two years earning $5000 worth of airmiles, then down to about $3500 worth, then down to $2000. Then they stopped offering airmiles all together.

But, we got two years of free vacations, and another 10 of half price vacations.

I knew people who didn’t work the system, who only collected $300 worth of airmiles over 10 years, and said it was a ripoff, but it worked for us. It was nice while it lasted.

In the Irish Sea

In April 1985, an extraordinary event took place over the Irish Sea, captured by Adrian Meredith in what would become the only photo of Concorde flying at supersonic speed. Adrian, who was flying a Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado jet, had the opportunity to participate in a planned rendezvous with the legendary Concorde.

The Tornado, a versatile and powerful combat aircraft developed and used by the RAF, was primarily designed for air defense, ground attack, and reconnaissance missions. While it could match Concorde’s cruising speed, its fuel consumption rate was significantly higher, allowing it to sustain that speed only for a matter of minutes.

Despite the Tornado’s capabilities, capturing the iconic photograph posed a unique challenge. To maximize its speed and keep up with the Concorde, the Tornado was stripped of all non-essential equipment. The crew made every effort to maintain the pace, racing to catch up with the Concorde as it soared through the skies. However, due to the Tornado’s limited endurance at high speeds, the crew had to make the difficult decision to break off the rendezvous after just four minutes. Meanwhile, the Concorde, an engineering marvel of its time, continued its journey, gracefully cruising towards its destination at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

Despite the Tornado’s formidable capabilities as a combat aircraft, it could only briefly keep pace with the Concorde’s supersonic flight. The juxtaposition of these two aircraft highlights the distinct roles they played in aviation history—the Concorde as a pinnacle of supersonic passenger travel and the Tornado as a versatile military workhorse.

Together, the Tornado and the Concorde symbolize the remarkable advancements in aviation technology during the late 20th century. Their fleeting rendezvous over the Irish Sea and the remarkable photograph captured during that encounter stand as a testament to the ingenuity, dedication, and pursuit of excellence that define the aviation industry.

This is a real mess…

Is it true that the power of the US prevent China from invading all of Asia?

That is what the west thinks. That is what a hubris superiority complex western Caucasian xenophobic racist thinks!

The truth is China is very happy the west especially thinks this way! Do you know why?

Chinese is always 3 steps ahead of these type f westerners. We like the west to be burnt all their cash here and go bankrupt. Parading aimlessly flexing its muscles at 100 billion a month! We loved the stupidity.

We spends nothing and enjoy our popcorns while you implode. So YES IT IS TRUE CHINA CANNOT FIGHT YOU. FLEX YOUR MUSCLES. TILL YOU DISINTEGRATE INTO OBLIVION. GOOD LUCK. HAHAHAHA. WHAT A BUNCH OF FOOLS.

She said this

What happened at a job that made you say “I quit” right on the spot?

Nothing dramatic.

After working my ass off during the pandemic, I was promised an additional bonus. I received a “low performance“ review conveniently timed a day before my bonus was to be paid. The low performance feedback canceled my bonus. Given all the other bullshit I was putting up with, I broke and quit.

I had a nice month off and my new job pays significantly more. Never work for people that don’t appreciate you, there are always others that will.

Why is China the only country able to withstand US sanctions?

Three reasons:

  1. China’s government is very strong, very capable and very intelligent. It has outsmarted the West at every turn.
  2. China’s economy is deeply integrated into the world economy. Most nations cannot decouple from China.
  3. The USA is limited in what it can do with sanctions. If it goes too far, it will destroy its own economy and financial system.

Have you ever discovered something about your pet that shocked you?

About three years ago, I wanted a cat. I love tuxedos; I really think they are something special.

His name is Othello. Apparently, he got into a fight in the county shelter one county up from us and was transferred to my county. That should have been my first warning he was trouble. He has a tiny triangle of his left ear that’s missing (it’s not even visible in this one.)

But he was warm, sweet, and cuddly. Just beautiful.

Two weeks in, we are at my mum’s house. I’m trying to bake, but Mr. Tux here decides he wants snacks from the plastic shelving where we kept the pet supplies. A two-hour battle ensues, where I pull him down and five minutes later, he’s back up there again. I finally pulled everything about 6 feet away from the shelving, thinking it will stop him jumping up there.

I go back to what I was doing, and then I hear a crash.

“Darn that cat…” as I walk over there to scold him for the 85th time.

He was hanging off the side of the pet shelf by both front feet, having leaped the 6 feet across the room. I asked him if he thought he was James Bond or something.

I have also discovered:

He can open flip lids with his nose or his paws. I made this crucial mistake when I got his adoptive brother, who was a kitten at the time. I bought kitten food for Mercury and after a half hour’s consideration, trying to outwit my cat again, bought a container with a flip lid. I mimed having paws when I bought the darn thing. I thought I was smart. I left for a night and came back in the morning. There’s the kitten food, spilled all over the floor. The two of them obviously thought I wasn’t coming back and decided to fend for themselves.

He will destroy any package left within reach. He destroyed all the dry soup packets my mother had downstairs in the basement. No idea on that one.

He has busted the screen on my porch TWICE in order to get out into the Great Wide Open. I don’t mean going through it – I mean prying it loose from the wood surrounding the bottom.

I cannot leave one gap in the lid of the food bucket (NOT a flip lid) I keep the kitty kibble and the snacks in, or he will pry the lid off in ten minutes or less. He checks every night. One night, my sister was over and I didn’t attach the lid properly. My sister and I were watching a movie and we heard the lid clatter to the floor. 10 minutes.

He has been known to eat puppy food and dog biscuits.

When angry, he hits things -the curtains, the side of the fridge, the wall, any paper bag that’s handy. Just beats his paws on whatever surface is nearby. He pitched a fit last summer when he broke the screen the first time and I would not let him out. A full on temper tantrum, beating on the door and howling like he was being tortured.

I don’t dare leave food out anywhere he can find it. Anything I make is put away in the fridge or weighted down under stuff he can’t shove off. I have been known to booby-trap stuff so I can hear lids falling if he attempts to knock them around!

He eats plants. We now have one. I experienced to strategize locations to put this one so he wouldn’t nibble it to demise. For his security, i’ll n’t have any toxic plants in the house.

He really loves everybody but me personally. Folks come to your house, and he’s Mr. Personality. Loves everyone. Leaps into laps, cuddles, nice little kitty. I will be mother, and clearly we’re caught with each other, so he doesn’t just like me all that much because We curb his widespread enthusiasm for destruction and mayhem.

I love him dearly and he tends to make life interesting, but oi. I invest half my entire life outwitting him. it is tiring.

Scam artist goes to the police

Have you ever been seen naked by somebody or saw somebody naked accidentally?

My friend Monica.

She was a good friend, but nothing like that between us. One day I came to visit. Her mom let me in (they lived in a 8,000 sq ft house) and said she’s upstairs. So up I went and there was no Monica.

So I sat down to wait and suddenly out of the bathroom comes butt naked Monica. She yelped. I laughed. Even though Monica was very easy on the eyes, I never saw her like that and it just ended up as a funny story between us.

I haven’t seen her in years, but my daughter is named after her, so that’s how much I cared for her.

Have you ever tried heroin?

Dear god no. Closest I’ve ever come is Dilaudid (injectable hydromorphone), which the hospital gave me whilst I was spewing blood when I went to visit my Talespinner.

Hated it. In fact, I hated it with every fiber of my being. If words could adequately convey my fiery hatred for the way it made me feel, you, Gentle Reader, would spontaneously combust upon reading them.

It’s not just that it made me vomit, though it definitely did that. It’s everything about the subjective experience. It made me feel like I was wrapped in a too-warm blanket made of steel wool and television static. It made me feel like I was floating just a little outside my body, but in a skin-crawling, American Horror Story way, not a fun way. It made everything around me feel blunt and dull, like all the color and texture had been bleached out of the world.

It sucked.

Why isn’t China going bankrupt yet? They have a gigantic real estate bubble, when will this pop?

Have patience my friend. Wait for another 50 thousand years. Then perhaps, may be, with a lot of luck your dream might come true. For now go bury your head in the sand.

He Took the Most Unwanted Cat At the Shelter In the Night, the Cat Had a Surprise!

What is the smartest thing your cat has ever done?

I was asleep in bed, about 2am, when Spider (My cat, not my choice of name) came into the bedroom, placed his mouth by my ear, and Miaowed, LOUDLY. I woke up, suddenly, and not too happily! I tried to push him away, but he repeated himself, then stood up and walked to the end of the bed, and looked back at me. When I tried to lie down, he came back, caught my hand in his mouth, and gently, but firmly, pulled me towards the door. Eventually I gave up, and got out of bed, as he ran to the bedroom door, paused, looked back at me, and waited until I followed him. Eventually, he got me to the French doors in the living room, where he sat, looking at me and then at the light switch, until I turned the light on to illuminate the patio outside. There his baby kitty sister was sitting, in the rain, not coming into the house. I called her, but she just looked at me, until I opened the door, and picked her up. Although she was purring madly, her leg was swinging oddly, and it was obviously badly broken. I pushed her gently into a basket, pulled my clothes on, and called for a taxi to take me to the emergency vet.
Without his intervention, she would have been stuck outside for at least another five hours, in the pouring rain, badly injured. The vet said that, without prompt attention, she may well have been dead by morning. Spider had saved her from, at best, considerable pain and suffering, at worst, a painful and cold, wet death. It took considerable surgical skill to save her leg, but without him, she may well not have had that chance. He was a lovely cat; He died aged 18 of acute kidney failure, and I miss him a lot!

Waking up

Why is a partner at a Chinese semiconductor investment fund calling the U.S. ban on certain chip exports to China “great news”?

It’s simple

Today YMTC makes products that are maybe 75% as good as NVDIA

Other Chinese Entities make products that are around 60% of the quality of products of entities like Samsung & SK Hynix

Spending $ 100 on NVDIA chips means $ 88 goes to US or Taiwan or other such companies

Spending $ 100 on YMTC chips means $ 61 comes to Mainland China

That’s 5 times more money than otherwise

And these Companies, they won’t use this extra revenue and put in a Swiss Bank account somewhere

They will use this money to invest into more researchers, more hours and match the same quality of the superior western brands

Today there is a vast stockpile in China to handle maybe 30 months of inventory

That gives a transition gap of approximately 2 1/2 years or until 2027 January

This is a big boost to the Chinese local entities because you can’t rely on Government largesse for ever

The Haunting REINCARNATION CASE of Blake Hocken | Reincarnated Children

What’s something awesome you’ve noticed about Chinese people?

When Shanghai was under lockdown due to severe COVID-19 outbreak in April 2022, many residents resorted to group purchases for daily necessities. Among the coordinators of these purchases, one young volunteer showed maturity and a sense of responsibility beyond his age.

Cai Hanxiao, a second-year high school student in Shanghai.

Cai Hanxiao, 17, a second-year high school student living in the city’s suburban Qingpu district, voluntarily took charge of group purchases for the residential community he lived in, helping more than 600 people obtain daily supplies.

Cai shared his experience on Chinese video sharing platform Bilibili. He said, after the residential compound was put under lockdown, like everyone else he had to cook himself. After only a few days, he ran out of fresh vegetables.

Then, Cai posted a massage in a community chat group to find residents who also needed vegetables. After some answered his call, Cai created a new group for collective purchasing.

He pooled together 80 orders and negotiated with a supplier. A deal was made, and the vegetables were delivered to the doorsteps of residents the following day.

After that, more residents joined Cai’s group, and demand grew rapidly. The goods on his purchase list expanded from vegetables to meat and milk.

The young man admitted, at first, organizing group purchases affected his studies. But later he optimized the work flow and started using a mini-program which enabled people to sign up for a group purchase automatically, which saved a lot of time.

“I want to show you high school students are not nerds that know nothing but how to solve problems on exercise books. We can help people solve practical problems in real life.” Cai said.

I know who I would choose

What are some things money can’t buy?

Ever heard of an open heart surgery?

The one where doctors open the heart, repair it and seal it back. Everything seems so simple on paper, isn’t it?

It was a random Tuesday morning when we visited the Operation Theatre of the CTVS (Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery) department, not knowing what was to come.

One of our senior professors was operating, and she was being assisted by some Resident doctors and nurses.

The surgery was Triple Valve Replacement. It basically involves replacing the damaged heart valves.

Sounds so easy!

The patient’s chest was cut open, the underlying bone was drilled and when they reached the heart finally, I was thrilled beyond expectations.

We all have heard heartbeats on a stethoscope, but to see it beat right in front of you is an altogether different feeling!

A number of different tubes were connected to the heart then. Lots of different liquids were made to run through the tubes.

And then, they put an ice solution over the heart.

This is called cardioplegia – the phase where the heart is stopped from beating. It is during this stage that the actual valve replacement is done.

The tubes help in supplying blood to the heart during this time.

Throughout this entire time, our Professor kept teaching us important stuffs related to the surgery. She could have chosen to ignore us and continue with the tiresome surgery, but she didn’t.

She showed us the important blood vessels and valves. She taught us the mechanism of cardioplegia. She showed us which incisions to make and where.

And all this while, she kept on standing and operating.

After 3 hrs at 1 pm, it was lunchtime for us. But the surgery was nowhere near complete. So me and my friends decided to stay till the end of the operation.

We didn’t expect the surgery to go on too long.

But here’s the thing. We finally came out of the OT at 5.30 pm, having missed our lunch as well as our afternoon classes!!!

But what did we gain?

Our respect for our Professor ma’am increased by leaps and bounds. Her surgical team members kept on changing every few hours, but she never left the OT table throughout the 8 hour period.

If this isn’t patience and dedication then what is?

Coming to the question.

What is something that money can’t buy?

It’s patience.

Master patience, and it will open the doors of greatness for you.

What men want…

How does it feel to get fired from your job suddenly?

I am eligible for answering this question.A quick background about me.

A good developer with task completion abilities with 4.5 years of experience as of now

Year late 2015 joined the Pune based company this was my second company…Joined as a developer performed pretty well in initial 3 months of probation…They chose me to send on-site for 2 months

I was on cloud 9 and happily went to on-site UK ,performed exceptionally well there and returned to India.Now was into regular job activities of development stuff…

Suddenly HR and Dev manager calls me for a meeting and said you are in PIP..I was taken by shock because in the recent time I was the one who has delivered the most work from team.

They assigned me tasks for 1 month and said we want 100 percent completion the actual time that will be fair to complete the task was 3 months but they given me only one month..I delivered 80 percent and wanted a week extension but they were adamant that you have not completed in one month hence we have to let you go.

Later few of my friends from HR told me that they wanted you out from company and it was a trap.

On the day it was around 6 pm half collegaues were already gone.i got informed that today is my last day.

Gone out of the office cried with a friend for 10 mins and then told myself let’s bounce back and will get a new job in 7 days.

Cleared my stuff started applying for new jobs set the deadline for 7 days.

On the 5 th day I had the job offer in hand with 50 Percent hike

Conclusion-

Always keep ur skills updated.

Be selfish about yourself

Don’t trust anyone blindly anyone means anyone

Never fear from change and be adaptable

Measurements

Why does the United States always smear China and blame China? Is it because the United states does not understand China?

To the rest of the world especially the entire Global South we are clear as hell, why!

Because they are envious and fear China will overtake them and lose their hegemonic powers. The rest are all excuses and made up face saving lies. Frankly it should stop right away.

The more it demonised and blame China the more we see it as China doing well. Most culture including the west I believed, don’t take kindly to a person who bad mouthing someone. It shows that such person are weak and insecure. That is how the world sees the U.S. now.

Don’t do it. It looks bad on you. It makes you look weak. Fooling your own people weakens them. And fooling them int being ignorant and naive of the biggest consumer and producer on earth is like committing suicide! Yes you are right Americans in general don’t know and understand the real China.

But don’t blame them. The U.S. has been spreading lies and demonising China since 1949, 74 years straight! So today’s American has been lied to from their grand parents generation to their parents generation and they were fed misinformation to doubt, hate and fear China.

For a start 99.99% don’t know why 1949. Let me help you starting with this. After world war 2, the US at its strongest point in history go all out to fxxk up China. It is knee deep to ensure a puppet rule China do that it can break up China into 100 tiny nation. But at its strongest. Point it failed to do that even when China is at its weakest and the U.S. is at its strongest.

What about now! China grew from an economy the size of Zambia to the biggest in purchasing power term. The growth of China in the last decade is bigger than the entire G7 by 35%! It can toast the US from coast to coast if the U.S. choose the end of life options.

So the U.S. do the only thing it can do. Talk and do shit. Hence Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghurs, Taiwan, Xinxiang and any shit it can find. Is it helping? Frankly no. Not at all. It counts on fooling people around the world. But instead it only fool their own yanks. But that is good, they can hide their own weakness and failings by blaming even their migraines on China. After all after lying about China 74 years to its citizens. They will buy anything.

Smart girl

Why do people not hate the human race like I do? I see the human race for what it is which is why I don’t like it.

Other people don’t hate the human race like you do because you don’t see the human race for what it is.

You see a small sliver of the human race for what it is, and that, plus your own confirmation bias, blinds you to the whole of the reality.

The human race is not all one thing. It’s a blend of light and shadow, good and evil. It’s trendy and oh so fashionable among a certain kind of person to see the dark and think that makes you somehow more knowledgable or informed, but it doesn’t. A nuanced, balanced approach must see the whole.

Seeing the whole means recognizing the evil but also celebrating the good. Hate is easy. It costs to love.

We do not see the world as it is; we see it as we are.

—Anaïs Nin

By age 22, you should be mature enough to realize this

  1. Worrying about what someone else is thinking, saying, or doing will not make your life better.
  2. Celebrities, politicians and the mainstream media don’t live in the same truth as you do.
  3. The person you marry can be the biggest financial decision you will ever make. The right one: an asset who will build with you. The wrong one: a liability that will destroy you. Choose wisely.
  4. There’s literally nothing appealing about going out to bars, drinking and partying all through your 20s. Use this time to create a solid foundation for yourself and your future self.
  5. Choosing a life partner based solely on looks and your sex urges is going to cost you in the end.
  6. Nobody is going to pay attention when you are dead and most likely, they are not even paying attention now. So why be concerned about making mistakes?
  7. The person you see in the mirror who has gone through a lot, the toughest times and is still standing. That’s the same person who deserves all the best from you.
  8. No amount of love from others will ever be enough. To fill the yearning that your soul requires you work on a daily basis to make sure you are in love with yourself.

Pussy realities

What are the cleverest scams you have come across?

My husband recently rented a beautiful mansion on Maui via AirBnB. He did it on the AirBnB website. The owner asked him to send the money ($6,000) by a wire transfer because she lives in Europe. Red flag! He contacts AirBnB which confirms the listing is legitimate and it’s common to wire the money that way for international owners. So, he wires the money.

The next day the listing is gone and redirects to a Russian no service page. Apparently someone hacked AirBnB and created a fake listing within it.

Fortunately, our bank stopped the transaction so the money never left our account.

How does evolution help explain why we have cognitive errors?

Fast but inaccurate heuristics that fail with Type 1 errors have positive survival value.

So think of the brain, first and foremost, not as an organ of rationality but as an organ of survival, like fangs or claws. The brain is a pattern recognition and categorization machine, and when you think about it that way, it becomes patently obvious why cognitive errors exist.

Cognitive errors are often the result of overly promiscuous pattern recognition or of category errors (or both).

When you live on the savannah, you frequently find yourself in situations where the only thing standing between you and being a leopard’s dinner is very fast pattern recognition. You don’t have time to consider and analyze whether that flash of orange you just saw from the corner of your eye is a charging leopard or not, and whether you should be categorizing it as a threat.

While your buddy Grog is sitting there evaluating the evidence, your adrenal glands are screaming WAAAUGH A LEOPARD IS ABOUT TO EAT MY FACE and you’re booking it out of there.

Result, you live to transmit your genes. Your rational, analytical buddy, the late Grog Grogson, does not.

And these fast heuristics evolve toward Type 1 errors (false positives), not Type 2 errors (false negatives). If you mistakenly think a gazelle is a leopard and flee, you’re still alive. Your buddy Thok who mistakenly thinks a leopard is not a leopard, well…

So the people who survived the savannah had brains optimized for fast but low-resolution heuristics for identifying threats and aggressive, promiscuous pattern matching. Surprise! We no longer live on the savannah, but we still have those traits, legacy code in our firmware.

What is a legitimately nice thing you can do regularly for people?

My professor has not been able to sleep well. He has been getting very dizzy lately. I bought him a fuzzy purple pillow and gave it to him. “Fuzzy pillows fix everything,” I said. He hugged me. It probably won’t fix his insomnia but he knows I care.

I am notorious for waking up late. Because of this, I never check the weather and I never have time to grab coffee in the mornings. When I picked my friend up for school, she always brought me a jacket on cold days and a thermos of coffee ready for me.

When I moved to Thailand, I was very lonely. A group of guys could see I was lonely and asked me to hang out. I couldn’t speak Thai, and they couldn’t speak English, but they took me to dinner most nights though we couldn’t say a word to each other. That meant everything.

The ladies in the office at my school will see my eyes linger on something they’re eating. They know I don’t know what it is. They always bring me a bowl of whatever they’re eating without me asking because they want me to try it. They gave me a whole pomelo last time. It makes my day.

My fruit lady always asks about my family in America. She remembers every detail about my family every time we talk as she cuts my pineapple for me. I’m always amazed she cares enough to listen, remember, and ask more questions.

The opportunity to be kind is everywhere. The smallest acts of love have the greatest impact. You just have to look for them.

HIGH ALERT! Putin and China just changed EVERYTHING with this move, and Biden has NO response

https://youtu.be/LMAnSrXuYHs

Creole Pot Roast with Dumplings

2023 11 09 17 04
2023 11 09 17 04

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, divided
  • 1 (3 pound) beef pot roast
  • 1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups sliced onions
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 2/3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento

Instructions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides.
  2. Add tomatoes and onion; cover tightly. Cook over low heat for 2 hours.
  3. Stir in curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook an additional 1/2 hour.
  4. Place pot roast on serving platter and keep hot.
  5. Add 1 cup hot water to broth in pot; bring to a boil.
  6. Blend together flour, baking powder and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
  7. Cut in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, using a pastry blender or 2 knives.
  8. Add milk, parsley and pimiento to flour mixture. Stir until moist.
  9. Drop batter by tablespoonsful into boiling broth. Cover; cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.
  10. Place dumplings around pot roast.
  11. Strain broth and serve as gravy.

Dating Matchmaker quits working with women, modern women are DELUSIONAL, men go ABROAD

I’ve seen videos of women giving the long lists of their requirements and, just because I’m a math geek, I’ll look up the statistics and do the calculations. In a lot of these cases, statistically, these men don’t even exist. They’re looking for a winning lottery ticket.”

What was your “I am surrounded by idiots” moment?

My wife went to a local DPS (Department of Public Safety) office, and I escorted her, to renew her driver license. While at it, she decided to change her name to match the name on her Certificate of Naturalization when she became a US citizen.

After my wife filled out the required paperwork, the clerk says that in order to change the name, my wife must present a valid court order/document to prove that she had officially changed her name. According to the clerk, the Certificate of Naturalization is not a valid court approved document. Below is a sample of the Certificate of Naturalization.

image 62
image 62

Anyone with half a brain would realize that it says “United States District Court” in the lower right-hand corner, especially after we pointed it out several times, but not this particular DPS clerk.

Needless to say, we asked her to call her supervisor. Fortunately, the supervisor knew that a Certificate of Naturalization is the real deal and told the clerk to change the name, but not before hearing several “but, but, but…” from the clerk.

Be well, live well everybody.

Americans had the bazooka, Germans the panzerfaust. What was the Japanese equivalent?

The lunge mine.

image 61
image 61
image 60
image 60

To use the mine, the soldier would remove the security pin, and then charge the enemy armor, just like in a bayonet charge, making the top of the mine collide with the objective. The weapon needed to be held by the center with the left hand and by the bottom with the other hand. When the legs of the mine hit the objective, the handle was pulled forward, cutting a pin and making the detonator move forward to the detonator charge. This would set off the mine, blowing up its user and, probably, the targeted enemy armor.

The mine was capable of penetrating about 150 mm of RHA

at an angle of 90º, and up to 100 mm at an angle of 60º. However, the mine would almost always impact at 90º because the impact angle with the objective would be decided by the weapon’s user, and he would probably aim for a 90º armor plate.

The nature of the weapon was similar to a panzerfaust in that it was a single use type weapon. Unlike the panzerfaust the operator was a single use soldier. There were no records I could find of it being used successfully. Of course I don’t know how there would be any feedback on its effectiveness.

The NVA used it as well with some reported success in Indochina against the French and the US later in the South.

What is the strangest way you found out a friend was wealthy?

In the parking lot at Walmart. I saw a motorhome identical to mine. So I was looking at the twin of my motorhome when the owner walked up and looked at me curiously. I introduced myself. I explained I owned the same model and I was having some mechanical issues. We all got along well, so we exchanged emails and decided to keep in touch. Well we started camping together, a couple of times a year. Our motorhomes were old. Our new friends lived simply. They cut coupons. Shopped at thrift stores. After years of getting together, California had an earthquake and our friends had to leave early to “check the cars” . I was puzzled. My friend explained he had a car collection. On racks in California. I guess he felt after years of knowing us he told us he had been a CEO of a Silicon Valley technology company. They knew by then we liked them for who they are. Not what they have.

The Marijuana Menace 1938 | Crime, Drama, Propaganda | Colorized Full Movie

Bubble Gas Tank

When I was in college, I went to visit my father in Erie, Pennsylvania. I rode my motorcycle to visit him, and parked it outside. I didn’t get along with his wife (my step-mother) and went inside.

On that day, my step-mother was visited by her older brother. He brought his two sons. They were slightly younger that myself, being in High School.

Now, while I was inside with my father, those two kids poured bubble liquid into my motorcycle gas tank. Laughed about it. And of course, the action truly busted up my motorcycle.

Sigh.

Anyways… the entire family claimed that “I deserved it” as I didn’t have a lock on my gas tank. Not even remotely true, but I had to grit and take it.

Went without a motorcycle for about a month, while my bike was fixed.

It sucked, but those little snits were able to get away with it.

I swallowed and took it.

Sometimes due to situations, you take the hits.

You walk away.

It does not mean that you are weak. It’s just a pothole that you must endure. You learn from it.

I did.

Todays…

What are some of the ugly truths about divorce?

My future ex-wife didn’t like Navy life. She met a fellow at work who was a year or two younger, was decent looking, had a new Corvette and a line of shit as long as your arm. She asked me to move out while she “got her head screwed on straight”. A week later, she filed for divorce, and moved in with Mr. Wonderful. “We don’t have anything in common, and you don’t have anything I want”, she said. (Oh, OK). In California it takes 6 months for a no-fault divorce, but both parties must have a financial settlement on the table in order to proceed to “final”. She dragged her heels all the way, saying “no, no, no” to every settlement I put forward, but finally we hammered it out after 8+ months. About 4 months later, she called. “Let’s be friends. We have so much in common.” (Mr. Wonderful wasn’t so wonderful any longer).

I said, “We tried that for 10 years. I didn’t like the way things worked out”.

Strange “Coincidence?” Hong Kong Flu Re-Emerges from 1968 — in far eastern Russia

World Hal Turner 07 November 2023

2023 11 10 18 03
2023 11 10 18 03

The first case of Hong Kong Flu since the 1968-69 “pandemic” has emerged in the Sakhalin Region of far eastern Russia.

1968 flu pandemic, also called Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968 or Hong Kong flu of 1968, global outbreak of influenza that originated in China in July 1968 and lasted until 1969–70.

The outbreak was the third influenza pandemic to occur in the 20th century; it followed the 1957 flu pandemic and the influenza pandemic of 1918–19. The 1968 flu pandemic resulted in an estimated one million to four million deaths, far fewer than the 1918–19 pandemic, which caused between 25 million and 50 million deaths.

The 1968 pandemic was initiated by the emergence of a virus known as influenza A subtype H3N2. It is suspected that this virus evolved from the strain of influenza that caused the 1957 pandemic. 

Although the 1968 flu outbreak was associated with comparatively few deaths worldwide, the virus was highly contagious, a factor that facilitated its rapid global dissemination. Indeed, within two weeks of its emergence in July in Hong Kong, some 500,000 cases of illness had been reported, and the virus proceeded to spread swiftly throughout Southeast Asia.

Within several months it had reached the Panama Canal Zone and the United States, where it had been taken overseas by soldiers returning to California from Vietnam.

By the end of December the virus had spread throughout the United States and had reached the United Kingdom and countries in western Europe. 

Australia, Japan, and multiple countries in Africa, eastern Europe, and Central and South America were also affected. The pandemic occurred in two waves, and in most places the second wave caused a greater number of deaths than the first wave.

The 1968 flu pandemic caused illness of varying degrees of severity in different populations. For example, whereas illness was diffuse and affected only small numbers of people in Japan, it was widespread and deadly in the United States.

Infection caused upper respiratory symptoms typical of influenza and produced symptoms of chills, fever, and muscle pain and weakness. These symptoms usually persisted for between four and six days.

The highest levels of mortality were associated with the most susceptible groups, namely infants and the elderly. Although a vaccine was developed against the virus, it became available only after the pandemic had peaked in many countries. 

The H3N2 virus that caused the 1968 pandemic is still in circulation today and is considered to be a strain of seasonal influenza. In the 1990s a closely related H3N2 virus was isolated from pigs. Scientists suspect that the human H3N2 virus jumped to pigs; infected animals may show symptoms of swine flu.

Russia now reports The first case of Hong Kong flu was recorded in the Sakhalin region, according to the website of the regional Rospotrebnadzor

According to the department, the virus is characterized by rapid and sharp development of infection, which lasts a long time and often requires symptomatic treatment. The infection affects the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and oropharynx, causing inflammatory processes.‌‌

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

Yes. I know a guy who is an accountant. Imagine the geekiest-looking accountant that you have ever seen in your life. Coke bottle glasses, nerdy clothing, white as a sheet. He and his wife were walking down a street in Hollywood, just two nerds out for a stroll. Perfect targets for any street hoodlum. Sure enough some two-bit street thug stepped out in front of the two with a cocky self-assured grin and a knife in his hand, and he ordered them to give him all their money.

Quick as a flash, the accountant grabbed the guy’s wrist which held the knife, gave it a turn, and literally flipped the guy over, breaking his arm in the process. While the guy lay there screaming , the accountant looked down and asked the guy if he wanted some more. The guy just kept screaming, so the accountant let him go and walked on with his wife.

Okay. The backstory on this accountant was that he grew up on a Midwestern pig farm with five older brothers. From the time he was 8 years old he had to carry 50 lb buckets of feed every morning before school. After school he had to work the farm until it was time to go in, do his homework and go to bed. His older brothers were mean. When they weren’t fighting with each other, or getting beaten up by their dad, they were picking on this guy. As a result of his upbringing this guy developed skeletal muscle strength which is hardly ever seen these days. Not only that, he learned to fight guys that were just as tough as he was and who were all bigger.

I have seen this guy working on his own house knocking down walls with a sledgehammer held in one hand. I’ve even seen him lift the front of one car off the bumper of another during a minor fender-bender. To say this guy was strong was an understatement.

He managed to conduct his life in a very civilized manner. He was a great musician and a very talented writer as well, but I have seen more than one guy step out of line around him, and watch The Farm Boy come out. When that happened it usually didn’t take more than a look for everyone to start behaving better.

Men’s most powerful tool

Damn!

What did a family member say or do that you don’t talk to them anymore?

I was 18 and my girlfriend had committed suicide. I went to my dad and told him what happened. At this point my stepmother and I were at odds, always fighting and never getting along. This had been going on for years. My dad knew this and told her to lay off. The moment my dad left for work, she comes in my room and says that I deserved what happened and that it was my fault she killed herself. I was shocked. I packed my bags and left the same day. I had had enough. I called my dad and told him what happened and that I was leaving.

I haven’t spoken to her since and I don’t want to.

Boudin

Boudin is one of the most famous Cajun recipes. This excellent version has no liver. This is a great dish to make and it freezes well. Many people cut the casing off the boudin before eating it. This dish is a good one to learn because once you have mastered its preparation you can use almost anything in the place of the pork. Some of the most popular are chicken, shrimp, crabmeat and crayfish. Bread is a traditional but not as good replacement for the rice.

boudin2
boudin2

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean pork, minced
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1 green or red bell pepper
  • 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups water (approximately)
  • 3 cups rice, cooked
  • 20 inch long sausage casings

Instructions

  1. Put pork into a pot along with the onions, bell pepper, parsley, garlic and seasonings. Add just enough water to meet the level of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the cooked rice. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
  3. Tie the 4 sausage casings at one end and stuff them with the mixture. Twist each 20-inch length into three equal lengths. Tie open end.
  4. The boudin can be cooked covered in a little water, grilled or pan fried in a little butter.
  5. Cut the sausages and serve 2 to each person.

What do you do if the boss tells you, “Don’t come to me with problems, come with solutions”? Is it time to start looking for a new job?

Yes, and no.

I had a manager who said exactly this this to me. He dismissed all my solutions out of hand, as they might cost money. This was a guy who a. stuck me in an office where I couldn’t work, as it wasn’t safe for me to be alone in a building with mental health clients, without an emergency alarm. He refused to install an alarm and so I had to go to work every day for a year with no work to do. Less than a week’s salary would have paid for an alarm. B. He rented and paid for the complete outfitting of an office for the family therapists, with a cctv and so on, despite them telling him it wasn’t suitable. The office reminded unused, the equipment was stolen and replaced TWICE, and they never moved in, in the end -as it just wasn’t suitable.

Come to me with solutions, was complete and utter bullshit from beginning to end.

The only reason I stayed, was it was a permanent and pensionable job, and I was a skint single parent.

We were overjoyed when he retired. I was still so angry with him years later as he’d made my life a misery for so long that I couldn’t attend his funeral. And if you’re Irish, you’ll realise what a big huge bloody deal that is.

What is the most clever life hack you’ve learned?

  • Golden spending rule: If you can’t afford two of it, you can’t afford it.
  • When you’re thinking about buying something you don’t necessarily need, imagine the item in one hand and the cash in the other. Which one would you take?
  • If you have trouble choosing, flip a coin. While you’re waiting to get the result, your mind automatically starts to wish for what it wants. Then you can choose easily.
  • Honey does not go bad; if it has gone solid it has just crystallized and can become liquid again with just a little heat.
  • If you put something down temporarily, say out loud “I’ve put the screwdriver by the microwave” or whatever.
  • Read the three and four star reviews for the most reliable information on Amazon items.
  • When moving house, always set up your bedroom/ make the bed first so when you’re exhausted and just had enough you can fall into bed. Nothing worse than being exhausted and having to make the bed before getting into it
  • If there’s a jar or container you can’t open, run the lid under hot water for about 30sec. Dry it so you can get a good grip, then open. It really works.
  • Secretaries, tech support, and janitors are the true power in an office. Make friends with them and you’ll be able to get anything you need!
  • When a friend is upset, ask him one simple question before saying anything else: “Do you want to talk about it or do you want to distract from it? ”
  • It is important to know when to stop arguing with people, and simply let them be wrong.
  • If someone offers you something you want, take it. Don’t decline every kind of offer out of politeness.

Bingo truths

The male and female struggle in the United States (West) is REAL.

When was a time someone tried to contradict you about an area in which you are an expert?

Many years ago I was visiting one particular North Sea Oil Production Platform as a consultant employed by a specialist contractor. On arrival onboard the platform all the people from the helicopter, who were not regular crew, were directed to heli administration and informed we could not leave without watching a safety briefing video. Some six or seven of us settled down while the helicopter clerk loaded the video player and pressed play.

I was hot and tiered from the early check-in and the long flight. I dozed off after about ten minutes watching the video. I must have been asleep for about five minutes before the clerk noticed. He practically slapped me awake and proceeded to scream in my face. He accused me of being stupid and having a death wish, which was justified, but then began to scream insults and to question my parentage which was far too much.

When he eventually asked if I considered it beneath my dignity to absorb information designed to save my life and did I regard myself above listening to the video that I lost my temper. I stood up without saying a word and marched to the front of the room. I stood next to the video screen and quietly asked him to look at the screen himself.

I will never forget the expression on that man’s face as it dawned on him that it was me appearing on the screen giving the safety briefing. He looked from my face on the video screen to my face standing next to the screen and back to the video just as if he was watching a tennis match. He turned bright red and stuttered an apology.

When I sat down to watch the rest of the briefing he sat at the rear of the room and chewed his finger nails worrying if his job was safe. When the video finished and everyone else had left the room I let him know that he had been correct in chastising me but to tone down his language if anything similar happened in the future.

The War Is Lost – Zelenski Will Leave – The White House Has Failed

What a difference a year makes …


biggerbigger

Time’s big new story is quite revealing:

‘Nobody Believes in Our Victory Like I Do.’ Inside Volodymyr Zelensky’s Struggle to Keep Ukraine in the FightTime – Oct. 30, 2023

That offensive has proceeded at an excruciating pace and with enormous losses, making it ever more difficult for Zelensky to convince partners that victory is around the corner. With the outbreak of war in Israel, even keeping the world’s attention on Ukraine has become a major challenge.

 Quoting a soldier on the front of the counter-offensive, the Economist agrees:

“Left Handed”, an infantryman fighting at the front between Robotyne and Verbove, says Ukrainian losses have increased to alarming levels, in part due to the work of drones. The plains of Zaporizhia have turned their back on life, he says. “It’s hellish. Corpses, the smell of corpses, death, blood and fear. Not a whiff of life, just the stench of death.” Those in units such as his own had more chance of dying than surviving. “Seventy-thirty. Some don’t even see their first battle.”

Still, Zelenski is urging them on:

But his convictions haven’t changed. Despite the recent setbacks on the battlefield, he does not intend to give up fighting or to sue for any kind of peace.

On the contrary, his belief in Ukraine’s ultimate victory over Russia has hardened into a form that worries some of his advisers. It is immovable, verging on the messianic. “He deludes himself,” one of his closest aides tells me in frustration. “We’re out of options. We’re not winning. But try telling him that.”

Zelensky’s stubbornness, some of his aides say, has hurt their team’s efforts to come up with a new strategy, a new message. As they have debated the future of the war, one issue has remained taboo: the possibility of negotiating a peace deal with the Russians. Judging by recent surveys, most Ukrainians would reject such a move, especially if it entailed the loss of any occupied territory.

The war is lost. They know it. But they are unwilling to give up.

Zelenski’s people put the blame everywhere but on the those who have caused the mess. It was the ‘victory’ messaging by Zelenski and his crew that has led the public into utter complacency.

As Strana headlines (machine translation):

Ukraine is losing the war with the Russian Federation due to the inadequate perception of the situation by society — commander of the Armed Forces of UkraineStrana.news – Oct. 30, 2023

Strategically, Ukraine is losing the war because of the inadequate perception of the situation by society.

This opinion was expressed by the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmitry Kukharchuk in an interview with Channel Five.

He claims that at the beginning of the war, all Ukrainians were ready to defend the country, there were many volunteers. But after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kiev, the situation changed.

“Immediately after that, I noticed that there were theses in the media that we are fighting with homeless people, that the Russian army does not know how to fight, that in principle victory will be in a week or two, a maximum of a month. That first in the spring, then in the summer, then in the autumn, then in the winter, without specifying which winter, we will go to the Crimea. That the victory is basically victorious. So people were put in a warm bathroom. We have broken down the vision of reality. But it didn’t happen in Russia. They began to realize that the war was not going to be easy for them. They realized that they would have to fight for a long time, ” Kukharchuk believes.

He also says that the Russians are “getting stronger” every day, and if Ukraine really fought the “degenerates”, it would have defeated them long ago.

“That’s why we’re losing. They have these processes going on, and their public readiness is much higher than that of our society. And when they talk about a nuclear bomb, a war of all against all, for some reason it seems to me that they are ready for these processes, ” the battalion commander added.

Napoleon, Hitler and several other folks who had sought war with Russia, had to learn to never underestimate the depth of its resources. Now NATO, the U.S. and its European proxies, are learning that lesson.

Zelenski still hasn’t. He won’t concede:

The cold will also make military advances more difficult, locking down the front lines at least until the spring. But Zelensky has refused to accept that. “Freezing the war, to me, means losing it,” he says. Before the winter sets in, his aides warned me to expect major changes in their military strategy and a major shake-up in the President’s team. At least one minister would need to be fired, along with a senior general in charge of the counteroffensive, they said, to ensure accountability for Ukraine’s slow progress at the front. “We’re not moving forward,” says one of Zelensky’s close aides. Some front-line commanders, he continues, have begun refusing orders to advance, even when they came directly from the office of the President. “They just want to sit in the trenches and hold the line,” he says. “But we can’t win a war that way.”

When I raised these claims with a senior military officer, he said that some commanders have little choice in second-guessing orders from the top. At one point in early October, he said, the political leadership in Kyiv demanded an operation to “retake” the city of Horlivka, a strategic outpost in eastern Ukraine that the Russians have held and fiercely defended for nearly a decade. The answer came back in the form of a question: With what? “They don’t have the men or the weapons,” says the officer. “Where are the weapons? Where is the artillery? Where are the new recruits?”

In some branches of the military, the shortage of personnel has become even more dire than the deficit in arms and ammunition. One of Zelensky’s close aides tells me that even if the U.S. and its allies come through with all the weapons they have pledged, “we don’t have the men to use them.”

Since the start of the invasion, Ukraine has refused to release official counts of dead and wounded. But according to U.S. and European estimates, the toll has long surpassed 100,000 on each side of the war. It has eroded the ranks of Ukraine’s armed forces so badly that draft offices have been forced to call up ever older personnel, raising the average age of a soldier in Ukraine to around 43 years. “They’re grown men now, and they aren’t that healthy to begin with,” says the close aide to Zelensky. “This is Ukraine. Not Scandinavia.”

The Ukraine’s old problems, foremost corruption, persist:

Amid all the pressure to root out corruption, I assumed, perhaps naively, that officials in Ukraine would think twice before taking a bribe or pocketing state funds. But when I made this point to a top presidential adviser in early October, he asked me to turn off my audio recorder so he could speak more freely. “Simon, you’re mistaken,” he says. “People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow.”

Knowing that the ship is sinking, this its probably what I would do too. Bring anything available onto my personal life raft and prepare for cutting its lines to the mother ship.

The Time piece is a signal. It announces the end of Zelenski’s regime. I am sure that the National Security Council, as well as the State Department, is feverishly looking for an alternative – and for a face saving way to install it.

Someone seems to protect and promote Alexey Arestovich for exactly that purpose (machine translation):

After leaving the Presidential Office with a scandal in January 2023, Arestovich, although he began to criticize the actions of the authorities, nevertheless did it carefully until recently.

But right now, he’s just slamming the ruling team.

Arestovich focuses on two things: the military decisions of the country’s leadership and its domestic policy.

The second version: Arestovich enlisted the support of Americans who want to see more political diversity in Ukraine and are not interested in Zelensky’s monopolization of power.

In favor of this version, they also use the fact mentioned above that the tightening of the rhetoric of the ex-adviser to the president’s Office began after his trip to the United States. Also in this regard, they recall his interview with Gordon in early October, where he says that if the West decides to end the war without reaching the borders of 1991 and Zelensky resists this, then the president of Ukraine will be “changed” in the elections.

“It is possible that Arestovich is supported by a certain part of the Western elites, who care about the breadth of opinions in Ukraine. They say that the country can speak not only with Zelensky’s voice, but there are also different critical opinions, ” political analyst Ruslan Bortnik comments to Strana.

In its grand strategy the White House had sought to pivot to Asia. But the U.S. is – first in Ukraine, in a completely unnecessary conflict the U.S. itself has caused, and, with Gaza in flames, again in the Middle East.

In a recent talk in Australia John Mearsheimer takes a deep dive into this dilemma (video). He doesn’t foresee a good outcome.

Posted by b on October 31, 2023 at 8:12 UTC | Permalink

I’m exercising my Rights

What event was the equivalent of a bomb being dropped on your relationship?

I was hesitant to write this as it is somewhat personal but it might be therapeutic, I’ve already shared so much and I suppose I can without naming anyone:

I went on my partner’s laptop and stumbled across a strange message on her Facebook browser that made me scrunch my eyes —strange.

It was pictures of my partner with another family I didn’t know.

She was holding a guy’s toddler, standing (closely) next to him, and his parents behind them, and she had no wedding ring. Behind them was the Disney Castle.

The direct message was from a woman (his sister) that said “___ told me not to post these on Facebook because things were complicated.”

That was the moment—my eyes widened and I realized something was amiss. “… things were complicated?!?!?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the picture. That part fucked me up.

Many of you are in relationships. Just imagine the person you love, that you might be sitting next to right now, suddenly appearing in a picture at a theme park (like the above) with another family, “with” someone else. Nobody in that picture you recognize. And everyone appearing to be very familiar with each other.

It would mind fuck you pretty hard, too.

And the more I dug into it, the worse it got.

It was a full-blown affair.

It caused an avalanche on the relationship.

You feel this rush of fury at having been lied to. You are disgusted with the person. You suddenly see all the pieces to the puzzle coming together in your mind, the nights “out with the girls” and “crashing at a friend’s house,” and all the strange subtle behaviors you’d been blind to.

“How could I have not known?”

After discovering the cheating, the sequence of events probably mirrored the same pattern others have experienced.

You confront the person.

They deny, deny, deny.

Finally, they fess up after you wave the obvious evidence in their face.

Then there is this rush of apologies, they are so sorry, they never meant to hurt you, they really want to be with you, the other person isn’t the one, please forgive them, pleasepleaseplease.

As she says this, more evidence and damage seems to rain down behind her. It gets worse with each apology.

From there, it gets ugly fast. The fan is set to max speed. And shit is thrown upwards.

It’s a terrible situation. Because here you have this person that you deeply love. That you have a lot of history with. That you have a shared identity with. And come to truly think of as an ally; a better half.

But now – you have to face a dark, undeniable reality that cannot be ignored, that things aren’t what they once were, and this person isn’t the person you thought they were.

It is the deep, painful cut of betrayal that takes years to heal.

Everything that came before this event gets called into question.

“Were they lying then?”

“What else were they lying about?”

“How did it start?”

“Does this person really love me like they said they did? Then how could they do all of this?”

In my case, things couldn’t be reconciled. It went far beyond the realm of repair.

It was a terrible, messy breakup but ultimately it was the right thing. Even though I’ve now come to fully forgive this person, she isn’t someone I could ever trust or be with again.

It sucks, though.

You never think you will be “that person” who gets had in some relationship, who gets run around on and completely duped.

It’s a terrible, hurtful experience and I hope none of you go through it.

What was the funniest thing that happened to you in college?

I had an exam on English when I was in college, around 19 years old. The night before I had helped my sister prepare for her in-class essay with the same teacher in English. My sister had problems with the course, and I excelled so my teacher suggested I help her.

Anyways, in the middle of my exam my teacher walks up, and without thinking, says “Thank you for last night” and walks away. Everybody in the class looked up at me. It was the middle of an exam, so I couldn’t explain so I just sort of turned around to my friends, gave them the look – look and went back to the test.

Authority and Leadership

As a part of the judicial system, what is the hardest you have ever laughed in court?

I was in traffic court as a witness in another matter. The judge was hearing a case where a 14 year old was driving a motorcycle without a license because he was too young. He was accompanied by his mother. She was small but loud, and the 14 year old was big (looked 18). Throughout the morning she had been nagging him about one thing or another—wasting my time, lazy good for nothing, etc. The young boy was quiet and appeared contrite.

When their time came, the mom again reminded the boy to be quiet and not say a word.

The clerk read the case. The judge looked at her notes and pronounced judgment. “Case dismissed with 60 days suspended sentence on the condition that the defendant does not ride the motorcycle until he turns 16 and gets a license.” This was the least the judge could do.

The mother erupted with anger. “60 days suspended sentence. Are you crazy. He has to go to school. He has to do chores.” Clearly, she did not understand what suspended sentence meant.

The judge then stated. “Are you finished? I could make it contingent on selling the motorcycle.”

Mom: “That’s crazy. You’re nuts.”

The judge: “Suspended sentence contingent on selling the motorcycle and you (indicating to the mom) get to spend the night in jail for contempt of court.”

The boy, who hadn’t said a word all morning. “Thank you, your honor.”

The entire court erupted in laughter.

The level of disappointment

Were you ever treated poorly when you wanted to purchase an expensive item until they found out you were rich?

Not treated poorly but rather taught not too.

As a teen way back in 1979 I went to work for Neumann Marcus in Dallas. It was still owned by the Marcus family and known worldwide for its service and exclusivity.

our trainer stressed treating everyone, no matter how they looked or were dressed, with the same respectful diligent service. He gave the following example of his personal experience, I don’t know if it was true but it makes the point.

It was a rainy day in downtown Dallas and the store was not busy. He was working in epicure, I don’t know about now but back then they had the most amazing food and specialty kitchen wares. A man in shorts, a wrinkly shirt, baseball hat and unshaven wanders in. His thought was “looked what came in to avoid the rain”.

The man was looking at a very expensive grill and asking questions. He politely answered them but eventually wanted to get rid of him. He asked the man if he had a Neimans card. He said no so he suggested he go over to the Credit dept and they could give him on on the spot.

The man left. When he returned he said “I’d like 2 of these. One sent to my house in LA, one to my house in Malibu.” My trainer was pleasantly surprised. Surprise turned to shock and embarrassment when the man handed him his new Neimans card and he saw the name. “Of course Mr. Sinatra. I will take care of everything.”

Winners and Losers

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UMjYwXFBd80?feature=share

What are the cleverest scams you have come across?

The phone rings. My elderly uncle picks up. A young woman is on the line.

“Grandpa?” asks the young woman.

Being a grandfather of 20 children, Uncle answers, “Yes,” then he thinks of who the caller may be.

“Is this Beth?” he asks.

The young woman quickly admits that she is Beth, and then she starts crying,

“I am in Florida with my friends. We get in trouble and I am in jail. Can you send me money for bail?”

My uncle is alarmed. Why is Beth in Florida? What has she done? Before he can ask her a question, the young woman says, “Please don’t tell my parents. They will kill me.” She cries even harder now.

My aunt enters the room to find her husband frantically scrambling for his credit card. She gets suspicious and asks him what is going on.

“Beth is in jail in Florida. We need to send her money,” he explains to her.

My aunt rolls her eyes and grabs the phone from him,

“This is grandma. We are not sending money. Please rot in jail. Bye.”

The cleverness is not the scam itself, but the ability of the scammer to improvise. They prey on vulnerable elderly and toy with the few items they cherish in their twilight years – family, health, and savings. I have a feeling the caller could have swayed the conversation in whatever way was most effective once she identified my uncle as an easy target.

Boudin Blanc with Muenster Cheese

2023 11 08 11 24
2023 11 08 11 24

Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless pork butt, cut in 1/4 inch dice
  • 1 pound mixed boneless chicken, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • 1 pound pork fat back, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 pound Wisconsin muenster cheese, cut into 1/4 inch dice
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Grind meats and fat through meat grinder using plate with small (1/8 inch) openings.
  2. Place ground mixture in large bowl of standing mixer and add all ingredients except cheese and salt. Mix with paddle attachment. Fold cheese into the farce.
  3. Case sausages in pork hank, twisting to form 4-ounce links.
  4. Dry for 1 hour in walk-in cooler.
  5. To poach, bring 4 to 5 gallons of water to a boil. When boiling, turn off heat.
  6. Add sausage and cover with lid. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until sausages reach interior temperature of 145 degrees F.
  7. Cool sausages on sheet pan lined with kitchen towels.
  8. Store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Notes

To reheat: Grill, broil or bake sausage until hot. The sausages can be made into patties and sautéed until cooked through.

The chef serves sausage with Spaghetti Squash “Choucroute” and whole grain mustard.

The MOCKERY of the Western Male…

Cultural Programming at it’s worst.

The world has passed the point of danger

Well, the world has passed the point of danger.

Oh, sure it might still happen, but the world has successfully polarized. There are two halves, and there is an East that is growing and thriving, and a West that is dying.

The West still might cause problems, start wars, and all the rest, but the East is NOW, TODAY, far too big and far too formidable.

I anticipate some crazy shit once a new political change hits the USA, but the real truth is that they will have their hands tied, and their dicks lobbed off. If the neocons still maintain power, then a very short and brutal war may occur, but I am of an opinion that the worst is over…

For this reason, I am scrapping up my posts on the march towards war. We passed that point. So “New Beginnings” is coming to a draw; coming to a close.

A new daily will emerge…

Correcting Society Ills

In this new series, I will continue to include topical subjects. Some war. Some Geo-politics. A lot of social stuff, and fluff.

But the point is that the West still, seriously STILL has to undo the damage of the psychopathic idiots that ran the nation(s) into the ground.

The biggest issues have to do with the crazy progressive rules, and lifestyles that have really destroyed the fabric of society in the West.

So you will see videos and articles about the relationships of men, women and families and how they are coming to grips with the promiscuity, and LGBQ+ lifestyles.

The most obvious are the trends of…

  • Passport bros
  • Body Counts
  • Cheesecake factory girls
  • Progressive lifestyle
  • His and her careers
  • Collapse of society, and reconstruction

Of course… I will include REAL intel on Geo-Politics, as well as REAL intel on the “Prison Planet” and “Domain”. But all will continue to buried inside the massive deluge of “other stuff”. And you all KNOW WHY I do this, right?

Stand by…

Here is a definitive assessment of Obama by Norman Finkelstein, taken from an interview by Danny Haiphong: “Obama doesn’t say anything. He’s such a zero that he’s a minus one…. He does know the game (basketball). Once you get past the basketball court, you might as well talk to an avocado.” And it’s not even an insult.

-PM

Todays…

If you happen to find an armed intruder inside your house at night while you are armed with a gun, would you order him to drop his weapon or you would just let the lead fly from your gun?

Unlike a lot of the Internet Tough Guys and keyboard commandos chiming in on this question, this has actually happened to me, although it was during daylight hours.

I confronted an individual who was in the process of breaking into my apartment with a crowbar. He had just climbed thru the window when I aimed my shotgun at him and told him to freeze. He dropped the crowbar, dove out the window and ran like hell instead. I made a snap judgement not to shoot based on my gut reading of the circumstances. Had things gone down any differently, I would have had a big mess on my hands. Triple aught buckshot from 10 feet isn’t pretty.

I then called 911 and reported the incident. They took the crowbar and were able to lift the perp’s prints and arrest him… he was a frequent flier in the criminal justice system. The cops sounded like they had a pretty good idea of who he was just from my description. Anyway, he took a plea deal and I never had to go to court — either as a witness or to defend my actions.

In all, this was pretty much an ideal outcome for everyone. The situation was resolved without any shots fired, and justice was administered with due process. I was fully prepared to shoot, but am grateful I didn’t have to.

While my time in the military prepared me mentally and physically to take a life if necessary, doing so is something I would prefer to avoid. Dealing with the aftermath of a justified shooting, both legally and emotionally, would be a traumatic experience I would not wish on anyone.

In my opinion, self-restraint is the most important skill an armed citizen must nurture.

Stuffed Jalapenos Texas Style

2023 10 18 15 38
2023 10 18 15 38

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound shredded jack cheese
  • 1/2 pound shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 pound hot sausage (such as Owens or Jimmy Dean)
  • 1 1/2 cups Bisquick
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 package Spicy Shake N Bake
  • 20 to 30 jalapeno peppers (fresh or canned)

Instructions

  1. If using canned jalapeno peppers, drain well. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise down one side only and scrape out the seeds.
  2. Mix Bisquick, sausage and Cheddar in a large bowl, using your hands.
  3. Put the beaten egg into a shallow bowl, the Shake N Bake into a shallow bowl, and a baking rack on a cookie sheet, both coated with cooking spray.
  4. Stuff each pepper with shredded jack, then stick the halves back together, if separated.
  5. Wrap a handful of the sausage mixture around the pepper in the shape of an elongated egg.
  6. Dip into beaten egg and roll in Shake N Bake to coat evenly.
  7. Place on baking rack.
  8. When the peppers are all ready, bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until crisp.

When we opened the outdoor playground…

What will happen to the United States if China’s technology continues to advance?

I’ve worked with Chinese tech companies. Their engineers and scientists are devoted to their families, employers and country.

China has the capacity to leap frog the US in many different technologies. Take your pick, they are on it.

The Chinese government places a high value on a highly educated population. Engineering and scientific professionals are leading a revolution in advancing scientific innovation in China.

Their current leader, Xi, was a chemical engineer before becoming involved in his political career. In fact, many Chinese politicians are former engineers, refreshing thought isn’t it?

The motivations for innovation in the US and China are a key point in China leap frogging the US. Both countries reward success in innovation with financial incentives.

But, the Chinese have a greater sense of pride in their country and it’s future.

The US is presently extremely divided politically, current leadership is seeking short term monetary goals over the advancement of scientific innovation.

China may take the lead in further technological and scientific breakthroughs in this environment.

What are common scams in India?

The Old Menu Scam

I have seen many people fall into this scam.

So some time back, I stopped at a highway side food joint to grab a bite before continuing on with the journey. After going through the menu, I decided to order a sandwich.

The order arrived within 5 minutes and I happily munched on it as I was hungry. Everything was fine until now. Now comes the shocker!

When the bill arrived, I observed that they had jacked up the prices to Rs 130/- whereas I clearly remembered seeing Rs. 100/- on the menu. I called the waiter and asked to him to get the menu card. The menu card clearly showed Rs 100/- printed against the item that I had ordered.

I immediately summoned the manager who gave this stupid reason for the discrepancy, “mam , this is an old menu. The rates have been revised since the implementation of GST”. I was like WTF. Why wasn’t I informed about this before. He then brought a new menu card which was hidden somewhere under the cashier’s table and handed it to me.

I had an argument with the manager and I refused to pay the revised fare. The manager relented in the end and took just Rs 100/- for the sandwich.

If not a scam, this can be termed as a very unethical way to squeeze money out of your customers. This particular junction had the advantage of being on a highway where people are in a hurry and will not bother to check the rates twice. Also, the food joints on a highway don’t need to build a loyal customer base as the visits are few and far between.

I have seen similar things happen to people before, even before the implementation of GST. They just show you a menu card and later on charge a higher fare saying that the rates have been recently revised and the new menu cards have not been printed yet. Now, I do make it a point to ask the waiter about the menu.

The Reason why Men are Walking Away from Dating (Ep. 252)

There is a major backlash from the LGBQ+ movement initiated by Obama in the West.

Why will China never overtake the USA?

This question is clearly written by a Chinese hater who is totally indoctrinated and highly naive person who knows little truth and facts today.

I am sorry for you, the person who posed this question China has overtaken the U.S. in a host of measures today in 2023.

Let’s start with the most important one life expectancy. China overtook the U.S. life expectancy by 2021 and maintained it in 2022 at 77.8 versus the U.S. 77.0 years old.

Next the most important real purchasing power GDP taking cost of living into consideration China’s PPP overtook the U.S. in 2014 and over the last 8 years grew into an almost 50% lead over the U.S.

Another important area is growth. China alone is growing at 38.6% of entire worlds growth over the past decade. Meanwhile U.S. and all its G7 nations add up to only 25.6% growth of the world.

Next nations that has China as the biggest trading nations. Almost 170/195 nations has China as their leading trade partner, meanwhile the U.S. has less than 20/195 nations cite the U.S. as their biggest trading partner.

Another important facts is China has the lead in 37/44 key and strategic technology for today and tomorrow’s products while the U.S. leads in only 7/44. China is clearly today’s leading technology innovation leader in the world today. US is a distant second.

Next consumer power. China is by far the biggest consumer on planet earth. It’s middle income numbers is now 700 million and dwarfs the U.S. 3 times! Chinas market alone is 30% if the world market!

In military. China now has more men, tanks, boats and planes to combat the U.S. if need be. More importantly it just defends China whereas the U.S. needs to be offensive to many countries in the world. In high tech military China alone has a hypersonic missile technology that can hit the U.S. from anywhere at the speed if 10 times the speed of sound. It makes the dozen or so US aircraft carriers obsolete and sitting ducks.

I could go on another hundreds of points but this suffice. The U.S. is the leader only in name. Or at least by western media claims only.

A much better question will be, now that the U.S. has clearly become second fiddle to China, can it reclaim back its hegemony ever again? And the answer is it is impossible and the more it tries as it is doing now the faster China will grow against the U.S. Even India will overtake them by 2050 at the latest. The U.S. system and its philosophy will always deteriorate its economy. It simply needs to overstretch and over interfere resulting in ever growing. deficits and debts

Since it needs to watch its back perpetually it will always needs to overspend militarily and one can argue, the more it does the more enemies it has and the more it needs to defend itself. The U.S. is on a one way road into oblivion. In ten years US will have lost the dollar hegemony power and its has to worry if it can stay as it is now as a USA. Chances is before 2100 the United States will be a group of divided states.

Can the Mate 60 chip developed by Huawei prove the failure of the US technology blockade against China? Can the United States finally succeed in preventing China’s technological upgrade?

It should be obvious to you that the US sanctions only accelerated China’s self-sufficiency in semiconductors. The US has totally failed by using sanctions instead of competing. The US technology strength is being weakened because of the hostile environment against the Chinese in the US and Chinese in the US are leaving to work in China.

The US couldn’t believe the results of Canada and Japan’s results of opening up the Mate 60 Pro chip to find zero US content so it too opened up the 9000s to find the same results so it remains mum.

The best the US can do is to claim it invented the transistor so obviously China copied.

Have you ever unintentionally stolen something?

My daughter and I once walked out of pet store carrying a very large dog’s tug of war rope. At that time we had a 115 lb lab / great Dane mix. We picked up the rope as soon as we walked into the store but then began browsing and were distracted by a litter of ferrets. We were playing with them and totally forgot that we had the rope. Walked out of the store, chatting and generally having a good time. Suddenly, there’s a voice behind us and a young man following us who said, “Excuse me, were you planning on paying for that rope?” My poor daughter was mortified! She was about 15 at the time and was so easily embarrassed that this just tipped her right over. She dropped the rope and darted across the hallway to lean up against one of the other storefronts. I think she was trying to pretend that she wasn’t with me! LOL I personally thought it was hilarious and picked up the rope, turned the young man and apologized, telling him how we had been distracted by the ferrets and I was so sorry that we had walked out with the rope without paying for it. he just laughed and said that he didn’t think we were trying to steal it as she was waving it around in the air as we were walking. I will never forget the horror on her face! I was happy to realize that I would never get a phone call about my daughter shoplifting.

He fainted after the kiss

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S_nHR-BH0PY?feature=share

Have you ever seen a mass exodus after a respected employee quit or got fired?

This actually happened to me many years ago. I was a property manager of 80 units. My boss and I had a heated exchange and in haste he fired me on the spot. He asked me to stay until he could find a replacement. “Sorry Charlie!” I cleaned out my desk and handed him the keys, and I left the property of my own volition….

I was off-site the rest of the week. My now former boss was blowing up my phone. “Where are you?” then it was, “You are needed in the office?” I ignored his calls. He then messaged me on Facebook and said it was “with great urgency that we talk”. As it turned-out 2 members of the office staff (there were 3 all together) quit! The residents had started a petition to reinstate me – 60-plus signatures in all. He would not cave and subsequently received somewhere around 15 to 20- thirty day notices in effect terminating their leases. Additionally, some of the residents (refused to pay their rent. The community quickly became unstable and increasing hostile towards him. The morning shift manager at Tiger Mart next door to the complex – a tenant of mine, refused him service.….

He offered me my job back. I let him sweat for a day, then accepted and returned to my job. I was never so moved by an experience as I was at that job, not because my boss had given me my job back, but, rather, because the tenants did!

Ukraine: Financing The War About Hegemony

First some news bits about Ukraine. We will then come to the real issue the war is fought about.

Headlines Politico:

Ukraine is ‘freaking out’ as McCarthy chaos threatens US aid

In Kyiv, officials are at a loss as to what might happen next. Their staunchest military ally suddenly looks unreliable, despite assurances from President Biden and others the U.S. will remain steadfast until Ukraine’s invaders are defeated.

“We are freaking out. For us it is a disaster,” said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a senior Ukrainian MP who chairs the committee on the country’s integration with the European Union.

The Ukrainian government heavily relies on foreign financial and military aid to keep the economy running and expects to receive $42.8 billion from international donors in the coming year. A big chunk of that would come from the United States.

“Unfortunately, some [U.S.] lawmakers found it possible to seek trade offs while further aid to Ukraine is in the air,” Vladyslav Faraponov, head of the board of the Institute of American Studies, told POLITICO. “The key message that Kyiv needs to deliver is that we can win together and do it as soon as possible to save a lot of good men and women.”

So the real problem is that Kiev has no chance to win. See for example The Times which talked with (archived) Ukrainian mortar crews near Robotyne, where the Ukrainian counteroffensive is stuck:

The KAB [glide bombs], as well as mines, underground fortifications and a deluge of suicide drones, have pinned down Ukraine’s assault brigades. It is why last month’s penetration of Russian fortifications failed to lead to a full breakdown in their defences.

All over the Robotyne-Verbove line, Ukrainian forces are bogged down.

The U.S. public is no longer convinced that the gargantuan spending on Joe Biden’s private war makes any sense:

The two-day poll, which concluded on Oct. 4, revealed that only 41% of respondents agreed with the statement that Washington “should provide weapons to Ukraine,” while 35% disagreed, and the remainder were uncertain.

Support for U.S. weapon shipments is down from May, when a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 46% of Americans backed sending arms, while 29% were opposed and the rest unsure.

A few more month and a majority will reject any new money or weapon shipment. But don’t fear. Congress critters will find ways to dump more money into a hole:

On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said it would take about “$60 or $70 billion” to get Ukraine through 2024, not the $24 billion.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), chair of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, said the package they’re considering would fund the war for 15 months, bringing it into 2025. The package would help the Biden administration’s plans to continue supporting an open-ended conflict.

David Ignatius, the CIA’s unofficial spokesperson at the Washington Post, reports of two opinions in Kiev:

The conflict is bleeding the country out. Ukrainians I spoke with during a four-day visit know they can’t keep fighting forever seeking what might be an unachievable victory. But they won’t stop, either.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, an opposition member from embattled Odessa on the Black Sea, presses members of the ruling party of President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I am very concerned,” he says. “Why? Take a look at the front. It doesn’t change. For a year it doesn’t change. But it was paid for by a huge amount of lives. … Ukraine can’t fight ‘as long as it takes.’ That will be a catastrophe.”

For Ukraine it already IS a catastrophe.

But if Ukraine seriously questions whether it can survive a fight that might take many years, then it needs to think about a way to freeze this conflict on its own terms — with a security guarantee from the United States as part of that deal.

The Ukraine can not freeze the conflict on its own terms. The U.S. can not give Ukraine any reasonable security guarantee.

A security guaranteed would leave the U.S. at the grace of lunatics in Kiev. They would be enabled to launch, at any time, a new conflict with Russia. A conflict the U.S., with nuclear weapons, would then be obliged to join. No Senate will ever approve such a treaty.

Ukraine won’t sue for peace. As many people have told me this week, it’s too personal. As a superpower, the United States can try to steer this conflict toward a settlement that protects Ukraine and doesn’t reward Russian aggression. But don’t ask Ukrainians to give up their cause. They won’t do it.

If the U.S. stops financing Ukraine its people will have no choice.

But the war is about more than Ukraine and the U.S. will finance it because its neoconservative leaders believe in its larger cause.

The war in Ukraine is a proxy-act for the U.S. in support of its quest for global hegemony.

For Russia, China, and much of the rest of the world, the war is thus about the elimination of that quest.

As President Putin explained in his recent Valdai speech in Sochi:

The Ukraine crisis is not a territorial conflict, and I want to make that clear. Russia is the world’s largest country in terms of land area, and we have no interest in conquering additional territory. We still have much to do to properly develop Siberia, Eastern Siberia, and the Russian Far East. This is not a territorial conflict and not an attempt to establish regional geopolitical balance. The issue is much broader and more fundamental and is about the principles underlying the new international order.

Lasting peace will only be possible when everyone feels safe and secure, understands that their opinions are respected, and that there is a balance in the world where no one can unilaterally force or compel others to live or behave as a hegemon pleases even when it contradicts the sovereignty, genuine interests, traditions, or customs of peoples and countries. In such an arrangement, the very concept of sovereignty is simply denied and, sorry, is thrown in the garbage.

That is why the war is going to be a long one.

Putin though has no doubt who will win:

Russia was, is and will be one of the foundations of this new world system, ready for constructive interaction with everyone who strives for peace and prosperity, but ready for tough opposition against those who profess the principles of dictatorship and violence. We believe that pragmatism and common sense will prevail, and a multipolar world will be established.

Will it? I certainly hope so but there is doubt that it will be during the next five or ten years.

Posted by b on October 6, 2023 at 14:46 UTC | Permalink

China’s ‘Long March 9’ Is About To TAKEOVER The Space Industry

Awesomely excellent.

Did a teacher ever try to embarrass you in class but you had a brilliant response?

This is a funny story!

My sister is 4 years older to me. I was 12 years old when I was in 7th grade. She & her classmates were 16. One of her classmates was very close to our school principal. So, she got the principal to allow her to teach my 7th grade class for 1 class period (45 minutes).

She knew my sister well. My sister was always at the top of her class. I had the reputation of being lazy and talkative and distracting myself & other students. Well, when I knew that my sister’s friend would be teaching my class, I decided to be a good boy and not give her a hard time.

I had an excellent memory, then. I remembered everything instantly when I paid attention. So, I put my head on my desk, closed my eyes, and paid attention to everything she said. I was in the very front of the class. So, she could see me the whole time that she was taking/teaching.

My plan to please her backfired! She angrily called on me, by name, and asked me why I was sleeping in class. I was shocked! I told her that I wasn’t sleeping but that it helped me to pay attention when I closed my eyes. This was true. The whole class knew it.

But she didn’t believe me. She asked me what I remembered & understood of the last 20 minutes of her lecture. I recited every main point, in order. Then, I explained what each point meant. Now, she was in shock 😆

I put my head on my desk and closed my eyes again. She didn’t call on me again. But she changed her attitude toward me, pretty much forever, after that day. She is currently the principal of that school.

What China’s rare earths should be controlled by the West?

Recently, European Commission President Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen made a statement suggesting that Western countries should control China’s rare earth resources.

This statement was interpreted as an attempt to strip China of its control and operation over rare earths and other precious minerals.

The remark immediately sparked vigorous discussions online.

Experts believe that addressing the global rare earth issue requires collective efforts and collaboration among all parties for mutual development.

Von der Leyen’s statement reflects the European Union’s dependence on and concerns about China’s rare earths. Rare earths are critical raw materials for the high-tech industry and play a vital role in economic and social development.

While countries like Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina have the largest reserves of lithium, China possesses abundant reserves of rare earths and advanced extraction technology with improved environmental costs.

Statements like “We restrict Russian energy prices” and “We want to control China’s rare earth resources” reflect a historical legacy of domination and would be better off directly stating “robbery.” In the past, advanced technologies were predominantly controlled by the West and gradually shifted into China’s hands. It is not that the West no longer desires control, but rather they are no longer capable of exerting it.

When it comes to China’s energy and mineral resources, slogans are ineffective. Control can only be achieved through actual capability.

https://youtu.be/XvYkwvWxDC8

Who is the most evil person you have ever met?

At one point in my life I was a flight paramedic in New Mexico. The owner of the flight service had decided he was going to sell the company, so he hired a consultant to make his company more attractive for selling at a better price.

This was a disaster.

The consultant immediately began “inspecting” each flight base, and insulted every employee therein, implying we weren’t working hard enough. (The medical teams could be required to work 48 hours without a break; our working conditions were covered under an 1886 Interstate Commerce Act – yup, Pullman Porters. The pilots couldn’t work more than 12 hours, covered under FAA regulations.). I would occasionally get off shift and walk zig-zag to my car, my ears had such bad disequilibrium and I was so sleep-deprived.

But wait, it gets worse. This wolf-in-sheeps- clothing started calling pilots before they were about to begin flying technically difficult missions, pressuring them and distracting them. Essentially starting fights via phone call. You can imagine what this did to institutional attitude of “safety first”: Four months later, a company plane crashed in the Lincoln National Forest outside Ruidoso, NM with all souls on board lost: The pilot, the medic, the nurse (whom I had trained); the patient and the patient’s mommy. The medic’s death orphaned three little girls: Their daddy had taken off a long time ago.

But wait, it’s worse: Four months later, the company has a *second* fatal crash, a helicopter in El Paso. My husband was supposed to have been on that shift as medic. The FAA pulled the company’s ticket to fly, and the company was sold for a tenth of it’s former worth.

The consultant? He had been hired by at least one other, larger air medical company for these “services”. Wherever he went, fatal crashes occurred.

Yeah, evil.

Fred Rogers Interview on David Letterman | Irish Girl Reaction

Fred Rogers, affectionately known by children across America as Mr. Rogers was previously unknown to me until I watched him for the first time on this channel. In Ireland, we grew up without this gem. Frederick McFeely Rogers, known as Fred Rogers , was an American television host , puppeteer , Presbyterian minister , and educator . He was the creator of the children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , which ran for three decades on PBS public television . Mr. Rogers did not do a lot of interviews, but on this occasion he made an exception for David Letterman.

The Late Show with David Letterman was an American late -night talk show created and hosted by David Letterman and broadcast on CBS . The show aired for 22 years and was produced by Worldwide Pants Incorporated , the production company managed by Letterman, and by CBS Television Studios . Among America’s Top Late Shows, this show ranks second in cumulative average viewers per time and third in average episodes per time.

Russian President Confirms “Burevestnik” Cruise Missile Success

World Hal Turner

Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed the successful testing of the Burevestnik” cruise missile in the Arctic.  This new missile has a nuclear-powered engine, giving it unlimited range around the world, while carrying a nuclear bomb.

Once the missile is launched, it will continue to travel, even orbiting the earth, until such time as the Russian military instructs it to hit a particular target. Thus, there is NO DEFENSE from this weapon.

According to Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense, the missile’s dimensions are comparable to those of the Kh-101 cruise missile and it is equipped with a small-sized nuclear power unit. The claimed operational range is orders of magnitude greater than that of Kh-101. As shown in an official presentation, the missile starts from an inclined launcher using a detachable rocket booster.

Pavel Ivanov from VPK-news states that the cruise missile is one and a half to two times the size of the Kh-101, the wings of the Burevestnik are rooted “on top of the fuselage, rather than below it like on the Kh-101”, and also notes that there are “characteristic protrusions where air is most likely heated by the nuclear reactor”. According to Ivanov, the mass of the Burevestnik is “several times to order of magnitude” greater than that of the Kh-101, which eliminates Tu-160 and Tu-95 as potential carriers of the missile.

According to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Burevestnik is a nuclear thermal rocket with a solid-fueled booster engine. The length of the missile is 12 m (39 ft) at launch and 9 m (30 ft) in flight. The nose has the shape of an “ellipse 1 m (3.3 ft) × 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in size”.

Military expert Anton Lavrov in the Izvestia article suggested that the design of the Burevestnik uses a ramjet engine, which, unlike the more traditional propulsion systems for nuclear weapons, will have radioactive exhaust throughout its entire operation.

Stratfor, an American geopolitical intelligence platform, assumes that Burevestnik utilizes a turbojet engine and a liquid-fueled booster.

According to James Hockenhull, the UK’s Chief of Defense Intelligence (CDI), the Burevestnik is a “sub-sonic nuclear-powered cruise missile system which has global reach and would allow attack from unexpected directions”. Per Hockenhull, the missile would have “a near indefinite loiter time”.

Can I cover most of the cost of my Alaska trip by panning for gold?

Probably not, unless you’re really lucky.

Here’s what you don’t know: You don’t make money in gold mining by panning. The reason you pan is to find a stream with enough gold in it to justify setting up your sluice box. So…if you want to haul a sluice to Alaska you could – if you were once again really lucky – pay for your trip.

Just so you know: very few of the people who participated in either the Alaska Gold Rush or the California Gold Rush made any money. John Nordstrom, who participated in the Alaska Gold Rush, needed two years to earn $13,000 – which, of course, was a hell of a lot of money in 1899, when he came back to Seattle. (You’re thinking that name sounds familiar. You would be quite correct. Mr. Nordstrom pooled the money he made with that a Seattle shoemaker named Carl Wallin made up there and opened a shoe store they called Wallin & Nordstrom at Fourth and Pike in Seattle. From there the mighty Nordstrom department store empire was born.) The guy who made the most money from the Alaska Gold Rush was Clinton Filson, who stayed in Seattle and sold equipment to the participants heading for Alaska. His business is still in operation, selling clothing to hunters and loggers.

Life in China – The cost of Living in China

What is the perfect thing to say when someone is being rude to you?

My father went with my mother and bought a high-end vacuum cleaner at a store they had frequented for over 30 years. It is important to note this store had a customer promise “satisfaction guaranteed, or money refunded.”

When they got home with the vacuum, my father uncrated it and put it together. The next day, my mother went to use it and it did not turn on. She checked the cord, the electrical outlet (with another item, which worked). She unplugged it and left it for my father to examine when he got home. He could not get it to turn on either.

Two days later I went with him to the store (I was about 8 years old at the time). He brought it back to the sales desk where it was purchased (back then they did not have customer return desks at this store) and stated the problem. The salesperson would not give him a refund or an exchange (my father wanted an exchange). The salesperson went into a long speech about it was on the manufacturer, that they had never had one returned with a problem before, and asked if my father sure it was not something he had done, etc. etc. (I can’t remember all of what he said, but he did go on a long time about it).

My father patiently waited until the salesperson had finished their spiel, and asked does the “satisfaction guaranteed, or money refunded” – while pointing at the sign that stated this above his head – no longer apply?

The salesperson then went into his previously stated issues again, without answering my father’s question about the guarantee.

My father then asked again – so you are refusing to exchange or provide me a refund? The salesperson said yes.

My father then showed the salesperson his store credit card, and sated he had been a customer for over 30 years. My father then stated that he has spent tens of thousand of dollars in the store.

My father then stated again that he would like to exchange the vacuum. The salesperson still said no.

My father then took a pair of scissors that were on the counter and cut his store credit card into pieces onto the counter.

Right at that moment a manager was walking by, noticed what was going on, and asked my father what the problem was.

My father never raises his voice, he is the calmest person I know – but I could tell he was very frustrated and disappointed. There was an angry strain in his voice, which shocked me to hear. He told the manager he was refused an exchange or refund by the salesperson for this vacuum (he held it up), which he bought a few days ago, but it did not work. He also informed him about his customer history at the store. The manager dismissed the salesperson curtly and told my father the problem would be corrected.

My father was not having it. He told the manager it was too late; that he had been disrespected as a long-time customer, the store did not uphold its guarantee, and that he had already cut up his store credit card. He told the manager to keep the vacuum and that he would never step inside that store again.

Then he turned and we left.

I asked my father on the way home why he left the vacuum. He said that it did not work – so why take it home. I said that must have cost him a lot of money. He said the money was irrelevant and that it was not that much. I then asked why he would not take the managers offer to help. My father then explained that he and my mother bought most of what we have in the house from that store. He said that the main reason they always shopped there was because of the good service and the guarantee – although this was the first time he had to use the guarantee.

He said he liked the store – but he was disappointed with how poorly they handled the situation – especially as it was his first complaint. He said as a long-time customer, if this was how they dealt with problems – he would never shop there again. And he never did.

He sat me down later that day and explained that salespeople will most often be very nice when you are buying something, but the true test of a store’s integrity (I had to look the word up later), is when you have a problem. He said if I ever have a problem with obtaining good service due to a faulty product – it is best to never shop there again, as it shows they do not care about you as a customer.

Edit: My fault and apologies, but I did not want to make this a long rambling story. Nonetheless, many people have commented that the fault of one salesperson should not condemn the store. While I can understand that viewpoint, there were two people involved, one was the salesperson and the other his supervisor. They were both there together and the supervisor did not correct the salesperson. Yes, the event did catch the eye of the manager and he said he would correct the situation – but the damage was done.

Likewise, I find it interesting the way some people get very heated over this story and criticize my father’s behavior. Some answers are judgmental, rude and insulting. Yet, these people fail to recognize that people are individuals and may and can behave differently then they would. Everyone has their own opinion, which is as it should be, but I find it weird that they believe everyone should behave as they do or the other person is wrong. Whether poor service in a store or restaurant, it is everyone’s choice to never go back to that establishment – not anyone else’s. Accept that fact instead of becoming judgmental. Sometimes, a person’s trust gets broken beyond repair.

Thanks.

Zelensky, EU; desperate and frightened during Granada summit

As a landlord, what is the best thing a tenant did for your property or best thing they left behind that helped you get a higher rent for the next tenant?

I had a tenant who was a carpenter by trade. He built a nice built-in entertainment center in my living room. Shortly after moving in he was doing a kitchen remodel for someone and brought home the nice, oak cabinets they were foolishly replacing. He installed them in my house free of charge. I essentially got a free kitchen remodel out of it. I did him the solid of buying him upgraded appliances for the kitchen after that.

He did this on a couple other occasions too where he’d come across something of value from a job site and bring it back and install it at my property, greatly upgrading the house. He installed new light features, stair rails, closet shelves. He also built me nice shelves in the garage. He never asked me for any compensation either. I would have loved to credit him or something but back then I was new and in the red with the mortgage on the house and what I charged for rent so I couldn’t afford to offer him much. He didn’t care, he said “way I see it I live here and it’s making for a nicer home for me.”

Whenever something would break or need repair, he’d just fix it himself. Not a single maintenance call was needed in the four and half years he lived there. Unfortunately the guy had a checkered past and a few run-ins with the law. He went to jail (relatively short stints) a few times while there and I’d cut him some slack getting caught up when he’d get out, never trying to evict or remove him. Unfortunately he got himself in too deep finally and got locked up with a ten year sentence. Sadly that was the end of him, but no joke he probably added $100K of value to my property from what he did there.

Are the people of Palestine simply reacting to nearly 80 years of swindling, brutalization, and repression by evil Zionist oppressors? Will Palestinian courage prevail over American supplied Zionist steel?

It happens

Sometimes you decide it’s better to die than live in a certain way

That’s when things become dangerous

At this stage you decide, since you have decided to die already, you will take down as many people as you want

Women, Children, Old Women, Old Men, Generals, Wives of Generals, Grandkids of Generals, Ordinary Civilians – you just don’t care anymore

That’s how Taliban fought

That’s how the legendary Viet Minh fought

The Mighty US Army could frontally kill many Vietnamese but a video of a single US Marine with his belly ripped open and being fed his own intestines would give the Viet Minh a larger win especially as journalists in their own country called these marines murderers

Ready to die but kill as many as possible before doing so

It’s why peace is never easy in the middle East


Most people aren’t ready to die

It’s unlikely that Taiwanese would be ready to die. They are too practical.

Ukranians and Russians are less practical but still would probably surrender if the going is too tough

It’s the Palestinians , because of the Fundamental Islamic belief in Jannat, who are ready to die provided they kill


If Israel do brutally crush Gaza , these Palestinians may die, in fact they WILL DIE

Yet their death will anger the Muslims in all of the Middle East and those living in Israel

One day a Israeli Generals 18 year old son, walking to a movie with his girlfriend will be stabbed to death by an angry arab boy, in revenge for his fathers actions in Gaza

Another day, in a Salon, two ordinary women coming for a hairdo would be blown up by another 15 year old girl with a rough IED into pieces

Israelis can never be at peace. Never happily take a meal. Never enjoy life without always fearing some attack somewhere

So they will leave Israel and take citizenships in US and Europe

Plus every Islamic Nation will condemn Israel for destroying Gaza and any hope of peace with Israel will be thrown out of the window

Thus the Palestinians with their death would deliver a huge win for their cause against Israel than keep living without power, concrete in blown out buildings


So my guess is Palestinians know they can’t win a conventional war against Israel

Yet they also know that if Israel invades Gaza and kills them all and takes over, then Israels biggest nightmares will start and so will Americas

There are 52 Million Muslims in these Countries and assuming even 1% decide to take revenge for Gaza, that’s 520,000 furious Muslims ready to die but take down as many as possible from WITHIN ISRAEL, US and Europe


So my guess is Israel may finally invade Gaza and they may win the battle but with their sacrifice Palestinians will win the war

Unless Israel is smart, decides not to escalate and do their usual bombing to atom routine for 3–4 days and then once Hamas calls a ceasefire , go back to status quo

Or

NEGOTIATE A PEACE

That would be the best way to keep up survival

Man Goes VIRAL After Refusing To Pay For Woman’s Dinner

Would a British person who moved to the US or Canada notice a big improvement in living standards?

In 2002 I moved to Canada with my heavily pregnant wife and 3-year-old daughter, looking for a new life and yeah, maybe a better standard of living. I’d been working in various Tech Support roles in London, earning a little over £50k a year, so we were doing pretty well for ourselves. I’d been in contact with agencies in Toronto and they’d said I’d have no problems finding work and with my experience, etc., I should expect $80k+, so not quite the same, but close enough to make it work.

But things didn’t quite work out as we planned… Without a degree, my experience was irrelevant. I hadn’t needed a degree to fix computers in the UK, but it turns out that in Canada, I did. So all those $80k a year jobs vanished from view, and I ended up at a temp agency earning minimum wage ($6.85 an hour) moving things around a factory. My wife got part-time night-shift work to boost the family income to the point we didn’t starve and between us we were able to provide 24-hour child care to our young children.

After 8 years I’d had enough, and we came home. I do miss Canada massively, but TBH we’re doing better here now than we were doing there.

So why the personal pre-amble? My opinion on the standard of living in Canada is heavily coloured by my experiences – and struggling every day to pay rent and feed my family doing lower-paid temp work certainly makes my experiences different from someone else who went straight into a good job from day one. So now you know why.

I‘ll focus on the big, important concerns – let’s start with housing.

Houses are generally bigger than in the UK, but a lot of that is because many houses in Ontario have basements, and that’s true across a lot of North America. I converted mine into an extra bedroom, a workshop for me and a large playroom for the kids. But rents are also a little more in comparable areas – a family home in Toronto will cost about the same to rent as one on the outskirts of London, but elsewhere, you’ll probably pay more in Canada. So bigger houses, but they cost a little more.

image 6
image 6

Here’s the house we finally managed to buy. $150k in 2005. Big enough for a family of 4 and detached as you can see, which is nice, but not really “better” than the same money would have got you in a comparable British city. Middlesbrough, perhaps?

Bills. Phone bills are cheaper, cable costs about the same, hydro (electric & water) is a little more than the UK – but that’s probably due to the cost of running the AC for 4+ months of the year. DIY tends to be cheaper in Canada – Home Depot definitely beats B&Q, so keeping your house running is cheaper if you’re a bit handy.

Cars are obviously larger on average, but that certainly doesn’t make them better. Sure there are lots of pickup trucks around, but mostly in Canada it’s cars, mini-vans and modern cross-over style SUVs. New cars are cheaper than the UK, and quite a bit cheaper, but used cars are not. In the UK, you can spend £500 a get a decent runner with a long MOT that might last a few years. No chance of that in Canada. Remember that Top Gear episode where they tried to buy cheap cars in Florida for under $1,000? Yeah, that’s real. Anything even driveable decent is $2,000 + taxes (don’t get me started on that!) and when every penny counts, it’s quite an eye-opener. Ever heard of an Eagle Vista Wagon? Nope. Neither had I, but that’s what I drove for two years because it’s all I could afford.

image 5
image 5

Here she is – what a beauty!

Car running costs seem cheap because gas is cheap, but car insurance is not. Oh, so not! Even after several years of driving experience in Canada, insurance cost several times what I paid in the UK. Doing the maths, driving in Canada only gets cheaper than the UK, once you start doing more than 12,000 miles a year. That’s when the cheaper cost of gas drops the cost per mile below UK levels.

Food is not really cheaper than the UK, even if you shop at Walmart all the time. Yeah, portions are larger, everything has more sugar in it, and quality is objectively poorer – although I’m not sure how that affects the standard of living – but your overall food budget will be about the same. Take-out is marginally cheaper I guess, but restaurants are probably a little dearer when you factor in the almost mandatory tipping.

Appliances are about the same. You do get a bigger fridge for your buck, but then your bottles of juice and bags of milk take up more space, so it evens out. Computers, TVs, all that stuff, about the same cost.

But all this is just financial stuff. Basically I’m saying that overall, things probably cost the same. So I’d say it’s pretty even so far.

What really matters in standard of living are the non-materialistic things…

Holidays. Brits get 20 days minimum, but in Canada, I got 10 days a year, and only managed to get up to 15 days after 4 years’ service. Might be different for higher-paying white-collar jobs, but down at the low end of the employment market, it’s a big difference. That’s a big ol’ win for the UK.

Countryside/open spaces. Canadians seem to think that 12:00 is a good time to hit the beach, which meant we had three hours pretty much to ourselves on our trips to the beach, and that’s bloody wonderful I can tell you. Then the natives turn up with trucks full of meat for their big BBQ and we head off into the woods. Big forests, open spaces, and a lot of them can be quite quiet. It’s different, it’s wonderful, but is it better? Spend a morning hiking to the top of Snowdon, or take an Autumn drive around Scotland. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the UK is just as beautiful to my eye as Canada – a little smaller and more crowded, but just as lovely.

TL;DR – it all comes down to money. If you were to get a similarly paid job in Canada, would you notice a difference? Probably not. In some areas, yes, but in others definitely not. All depends on what’s important to you.

But if, like me, you slipped down the ladder a few rungs, then you’d definitely notice a drop in your standard of living.

Thanks for reading this far 🙂

Edit #1: This was my first ever answer on Quora and I’m blown away by the response. 5k likes in 24 hours is amazing. I never expected that. Thanks to you all.

And just to clear up a couple things I noticed in the comments – I wasn’t on minimum wage for 8 years! I ended up with a not horrible $50k working in the auto industry and we did OK for a while… until 2008 of course. That kick-started the spiral that led me back to Blighty. Cheers all.

Edit #2: Not even two weeks in and over 8k likes. Amazing! Thank you all so much for your likes and comments. If I’d have known this answer would be so well received, I would have spent more than 10 minutes on it, and maybe explained a little more.

On the subject of “checking before I moved”, well… I did. I contacted several agencies in Toronto, sent them my CVs, had productive chats on the phones, all over the course of several months starting before I even booked our flights. They all said the same thing: “Yeah, there’s loads of jobs, with your experience you’ll do fine.” I believed them…

I went to visit my first choice agency – the conversation went something like this:

Her: “Ah yes, come in Mr. Hall. Let’s have a look at you resumé. Yes… yes… all looks good… yes… oh, you don’t mention your degree.”

Me: “Um… I don’t have one. I mean, I went to University, but I didn’t actually graduate.”

Her: “Oh. Oh dear… And why was that?”

My internal monologue: “Because I decided to be rock star instead, OK? And how did that work out, Stevie? Shut-up – she’s looking at me funny because I’m mumbling to myself!”

Me: “Uh… personal tragedy, um thing, you know… Is that going to be problem?”

30 minutes later I’m standing on a cold Toronto sidewalk crying into a box of Timbits and wondering if I should have accepted that $8 an hour job at a cat-food factory she finally offered me after I begged…

Cheers folks.

What steps should be taken to update and close the loopholes in the current set of rules on exporting advanced computing chips to China?

You realize that by sanctioning Chinese companies in the tech space, you are telling them to develop their own technologies, standards and supply chains which eventually become completely independent from western companies, regulations and sanctions, don’t you?

What are some unwritten social rules everyone should know?

  1. When with your friends/partner don’t fiddle around with your phone. Give them your “energy” and not just presence.
  2. If you are invited to someone’s place always take something along. Could be as simple as a bottle of wine or as elaborate as a home made cake.
  3. Say thank you, please and sorry when needed. Nothing wrong in being polite.
  4. Help someone with the door if they have their hands full when entering a mall, shop, restaurant etc.
  5. When someone asks you for stock/financial advice tell them you don’t know better than them! Avoid stock tips, you can ruin someone’s life.
  6. When someone is talking, really listen. Look into their eyes time to time and nod. Does not matter if it’s a guy or a girl
  7. Give credit where credit is due. Take responsibility if things don’t work out too.

Why do so many people defend China?

Can only speak for myself.

I live in Hong Kong, have lived in China, have been to Xinjiang. And it drives me nuts when I read something about China that is simply not true.

Should I just let it slide when people say that I had been oppressed in China and just didn’t realize it all that time, the whole 12 years? That there is no freedom in Hong Kong anymore and permission is required from the CCP to even take a pee? That Uighurs in Xinjiang have vanished by the millions, their organs harvested, and kept in pods as human batteries to generate power after the collapse of the 3 gorges dam?

Ok, got a bit carried away but you get the idea. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Some of it is just ignorance. But there’s also a lot of malicious propaganda from instigators with a certain agenda.

I do let certain things slide, have to pick your battles. Sometimes I joke about it and hopefully some people will see the absurdity in some of these narratives.

But yeah, without these narratives I probably wouldn’t even be writing on Quora and would be wasting my time on something else instead.

What have wealthy people learned that non-wealthy counterparts still don’t get?

  1. Money Makes Money – You must re-invest what you have earned if you want to make more.
  2. Wealth Does Not Come From Your Job – It is the best way to make capital at first. But true wealth comes from the passive income you make.
  3. It Takes More Money Than You Think – Millionaires do not lead the lifestyle that they are imagined to. Most people would need ~ $20 Million to lead a lifestyle close to what they imagine.
  4. It Takes Time – Get-rich-quick schemes do not work. If you want to be rich you must invest your money and be patient.
  5. Some Debts Are Good – Leveraging a debt can be of huge benefit if used right.
  6. Rich People Do Not Look Rich – Most of them are comfortable being who they are. They do not need clothes to show off.
  7. It’s Not What Ultimately Matters – Sure, money makes things easier… to a point. After that its about what you do not what’s in your bank account.
  8. Most Wealthy People Do Not Have Much Cash – Their bank accounts are often rather small. It’s their assets that make them reach the high net worth they have.
  9. Where You Are Does Not Define Your Actions – The wealthy can still make money on vacation. Their actions are not bound by their situation or location but by their standards to themselves.
  10. Money Is Always A Means To An End – The question is, do you know your end? What will you actually use the money for? Why acquire so much?

Have you ever accidentally found out that you were about to be fired?

I went into work one morning and I tried to log into my computer but couldn’t. I called the help desk and was told that all my credentials were disabled by my manager, but I still had access to the HR website. I immediately went onto the site and filed for a LOA to take care of some health issues I had been putting off and leave the office.

On the drive home my manager calls and wants me in his office for a meeting. I told my manager that I am in LOA and would be out for 6 months. This gave me time to get my health fixed, stay on the insurance, collect short term disability, and look for a new job.

Georgia Guidestones Darkest Secrets Revealed | Destroyed by a villain or a hero?

On July 6, 2022, a bomb detonated on a 5-acre plot of farmland in Elberton, Georgia. The explosion destroyed a large monument that had stood on the property for over 40 years. Known as “The Georgia Guidestones”, it was four monolithic slabs of granite, weighing over 230,000 pounds, that contained a set of rules for a more peaceful and orderly society. The identity of the builder was a mystery for 40 years, but today I’ll tell you who he was.

But why did he want to keep his identity a secret?

Probably for the same reason the Georgia Guidestones were destroyed. Because, according to the Guidestones, the way to a perfect society is through a one-world government, genetic and racial purity, and massive global depopulation. In other words: A New World Order.

What is the best comeback you used on someone?

Not me, my former Colleague…..

Many years ago (40+) I worked for a grocery store, Fry’s Food Stores, relatively large chain on the west coast. I started off cleaning floors, with another guy about my age (16 or 17 yrs old).

These were the days when stores were not open 24 hours a day, so stocking and subsequent cleaning was a little different than today. Carts with products we wheeled to the head of each isle, and the stockers would work on one end of the store, towards the other end. When they were done with an isle, we would break the boxes down, put them onto the carts, then push the carts back to the shipping and receiving area. Once we got a few isle cleared, we would start to clean and/or strip & wax. I believe this one day it was cleaning only, so it goes fast.

Nearing the end of our shift, we were done with the store and had some time to burn, so we started moving the carts around and running the floor machine up in down the areas in shipping & receiving area. One of the “older” stockers from the produce department was getting ready to clock in. He looked at us and said “What are you cleaning this area for, it just going to get dirty again”.

My colleague, never skipping a beat said “Why do you wipe your ass after taking a shit, it just going to get dirty again”. Priceless!! The stocker stood there a minute, shook his head and walked off……

The Satellite War: If I Compare Both, CHINA is The Winner

Has the launch of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro with a 5G Kirin 9000s processor signified a failure on the part of the US in its trade war against China?

It’s not about the “trade war”, it’s about the technological blockage war, so the answer is “negative”.

Back to what the question may attempt to address, and in any case war is war, the launch of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro is another indicator that the US cannot win that “technological blockage war”. Not even that ‘China’ need to pump money into Huawei to achieve that in the process.

Back to the fundamentals, China has the human capital and money resources to face the ‘US challenge’, and in history, China had achieve ‘break through’s’ time and time again from atomic and nuclear power, satellite and ICM technologies, GPS and space … etc. So, there’s plenty of example in history to ‘demonstrate’/’illustrate’ that ability.

So, it’s only another example.

There are more to that. Have you wondered why ‘Huawei’ had pick this timing? Why provoke the US? It’s not just a ‘sales drive’ since even without such high profile, Huawei can still mostly achieve its sales target as it still has many fans in China. That’s something to think about.

Do people realise that China is an authoritarian country?

Every Country is an Authoritarian Country

Every Country enforces obedience on its populace. Its why you have laws. It’s why you have police. Its why you have courts.

The degree of authoritarianism is what is the debate here

The West says China tramples personal freedom and the authoritarianism is high

China says it favors community over individual and says individual freedom may be restricted for communal prosperity


To be frank, the Americans had only four areas of freedom compared to a Chinese in the mainland

  • To be able to criticize the Governing authorities and speak freely against anyone with no restraint
  • To have men marry men and women marry women
  • To choose their leadership by voting everyone into power
  • To have homosexuals adopt children

That’s it

Every other Freedom, China has been rising for many years for its people

Today US is not following these freedoms

People who question things are blocked, shadow banned, even taken to task for free speech

Voting is a joke with electoral system being heavily panned


So i dont think there is any free country today

They are all authoritarian by various degrees

What is the lamest “benefit” you’ve been offered by an employer?

I got hired by a chip manufacturer and the HR lady was bragging up the stock options that the company offers:

HR Lady: “Noone else offers these.”

Me: “What’s the purchase price?”

HR: “29.95″

Me: “Huh. What’s the split price?”

HR: “30.00″

Me: “So when would I ever exercise that option?”

HR: “Any time you want.”

Me: “You’re not understanding. The purchase price is a nickel under the split.”

HR: “But then you have 2.”

Me: “Yes. But 99% of the time I can go buy it on the open market for under the option price. There’s a very narrow window where you can actually exercise this option before the split.”

HR: “But then you have 2.”

Me: “Yes, I realize that. Let me explain this another way…”

Don’t remember what I said after that, but the response was “But then you have 2.”

I gave up after a while, disappointed.

After about a month on the job I was outside on a break and fire trucks and ambulances started rolling into the parking lot. All of the emergency response staff were wearing gas masks. After a while the stretchers started coming out. 14 of my coworkers were taken to the hospital via ambulance.

By this point I was already at the evacuation point watching from there. I kept looking around and waiting for the people to start coming out, but they never did. I finally went to the security officer at the front desk who confirmed that there was no evacuation. So I decided to go home “sick”.

The next day our morning meeting was fun. The boss confirmed there was a hydrogen bromide leak. I asked him why there was no evacuation and he said that “all evacuations needed to be approved by the VP of Production.”

Well la-ti-dah! What about us poor schleps on the graveyard shift? We’re supposed to just sit there patiently breathing poisonous gas while someone calls the VP of Production out of bed to get his almighty approval?

I went on a soap box tirade directed at the company and quit right there.

I wish this was an isolated incident but I have numerous past employer stories involving massive safety violations, unfair treatment of employees, and even outright wage theft. Unfortunately this sort of exploitation is common for blue collar workers, and it hasn’t gotten any better over the years.

My Social Security Nightmare/ What I learned in Manila Embassy

Have you ever judged someone and realized you were wrong?

Oh my, yes!

Steve seemed such a surley man. Unsuprisingly older than me by a couple decades since this was my first professional job as a newly minted college graduate, he seemed to growl at me whenever I saw him.

With the confidence only available with youth, I judged him.

I judged him mean, old, and a bit scary.

Imagine my horror when after about a year on this entry level job when I was reassigned to work for Steve. Of course, the reality was that I knew nothing about him.

What happened over the course of the next year was one of those special times of life that changes who you are forever. I learned that while I knew nothing about him, he knew quite a bit about me. Turns out that this wasn’t some corporately bland reassignment, but, rather, he asked to take me on as a project.

As I got to know Steve, it turned out that the gravelly voice, which I can still hear in my imagination as I write, was just his voice. And the surley demeanor I had judged so harshly was a product of a direct and unassuming style this loquatious post-adolescent did not yet grok.

One teaching moment in particular is one I’ll never forget. I carry this lesson with me every day.

You see, I’d made a mistake. Not a huge one, but a clear screw-up. I had a plan for spin control. I was confident in the plan. The lies were off-white lies at best.

But Steve believed in me enough to ask questions gently. And after he had twisted me into a logical knot, he said, and I’ll never forget his words, “Tony, you can do better than this.” He proceeded to teach me the value of not spinning and just dealing with my own limitations as a human. He showed me the real value of honesty: building trust.

And, Steve was right. I came clean and it was all ok. And, a few months later when I made a yet bigger mistake, that was ok too.

I got to know Steve better over the next couple of years. I learned that we shared some basic interests and religious faith, but he was not the type to over-share or brag. Sadly, when I had this incredible access to him, I never fully understood Steve.

But, I understood far better when he died.

Just a couple years after this priceless mentoring, Steve was stricken with brain cancer. He was far younger than I am right now, so even in death he taught me to value every day.

But this wasn’t the last lesson he had to teach. Not hardly.

I was invited by his widow to his funeral. I had known of his faith, but not quite the extent to which he walked the walk. I’ve omitted a great deal of detail, but Steve had not had an easy life. In my mind, he was doing all he could to just survive and raise his own family. I assumed his faith was like my own: sincere, yet mostly a coping mechanism.

In the shadow of his recent death, some mutual acquaintances filled in some details. There was far more to the man than even I suspected. My admiration was already deep. My tears were quite real.

Steve had been an elder at a prominent church for many years. The details of his service to others would make this long answer far too long. The debts others expressed dwarfed my own sense of gratitude.

But, the funeral blew me away.

You see, it was a large church. Very large. That day, it was filled to the rafters. I have never been to anything like it since. The love expressed for Steve that day over powers me even as I write this.

And there, in that pew, I knew i wanted to be like Steve.

Not for glory or acclaim—not at all. Just to have left this place a better place than I had found it. And, as I traverse my new career in coaching, I am still chasing his example.

Thank you, Steve, for teaching me how to be real. I’ll never forget you. I’ll never achieve what you did, but I am so much happier for trying.

And, I even learned from misjudging you.

Do you think that China is strong enough?

Janet Yellen wrote that if China could commit to investing in US Treasury Bonds until 2026 and take a $ 1.1 Trillion Position by 2026, Inflation in US could be reduced to 3% within 6 months

In 2009, the Chinese agreed to such a request from USA

This time they told Yellen to go f*** herself

Yet that alone shows the power of a Nation like China

That a mere $ 270 Billion purchase of bonds could bring down US Inflation by 3% indicates a level of strength very few nations could possess

Yellen counted very heavily on the Chinese agreeing to her request and was very angry when she came back home


Putin visited Xi before his SMO began

Every Industry in Russia or most industries continued to operate despite a 72% fall in Supplies from Western Vendors

The Reason : CHINA

Investments by Western Countries replaced by China

Western Brands replaced by Chinese Brands

A Yuan Buttress helping Russia steer through foreign trade from April 2022 to December 2022

One Nation capable of standing against US and EU combined and preventing Russia from going under for those crucial 10–12 months before Russia found it’s feet


Thus China is VERY STRONG ECONOMICALLY

Apart from Paper Propaganda and a few articles on how China is collapsing, China is easily among the strongest economies in the world and among the more resilient economies


Militarily?

Only time will tell

Let’s wait and watch

MY HEART…First Reaction – Oliver Anthony – I Want To Go Home & Doggon It!

I moved to Long Beach this summer. The homeless crisis is heartbreaking. I have seen and spoken to many since I have been here and the mental health issue is so apparent. This is all around us, but we are more worried about spending billions on witch-hunts and funding things that are none of our business.

What is the story of a famous person who rose from poverty and achieved success?

I’ve always loved the story of a man named Henry Sy. Born in Xiamen, China, Sy was poor as dirt. His father, his mother, his siblings, all of them could barely survive the next day. So his father took a gamble and moved the family to the Philippines. It was the 1930s, and Henry had to make ends meet in a strange country where he did not speak the language.

For the first years of his young working life, little Henry worked as a shoeshiner, polishing the boots of “his betters” until they shone brightly. The money he made with this, he saved up. Whenever he tried to get customers in front of Mercury’s Drugstore, however, the owner would shoo him away. Undeterred, Henry would find another spot, and continue his work.

As the years went on, Henry kept working hard, living frugally. He saved up his money, and invested it wisely, step by step growing his fortune along the way. Soon, he owned a store, next, a chain of stores, and eventually, he owned an entire mall. In the end, his chain of malls would dominate the entire Philippines. Henry Sy became the countries richest citizen, by far…

and in none of these stores, there would ever be a Mercury Drugstore. Watson’s, sure, other pharmacies were allowed. But not Mercury. Because they didn’t let little Henry shine shoes in front of them when he was a wee lad.

Is China’s DF-26 missile a real threat to U.S. aircraft carriers?

Yes.

The US sent spy planes and satellites to watch the publicly announced test.

In November of 2020, US Admiral Phillip Davidson, Commander of Indo-Pacific Command verified that China hit a moving ship in the SCS with a DF-21 and a DF-26 hypersonic missile.

Notice that the US Pentagon is no longer claiming that the Chinese have to slow down the missile. The Chinese figured out how to see through the plasma sheath with radar and IR for terminal guidance.

This is something new. The US military calls these new class of missiles, ASBMs (anti-ship ballistic missiles).

However, the name is somewhat of a misnomer. They’re quasi ballistic missiles. They don’t follow an exact ballistic path that is easily calculated and susceptible to interception.

This type of missiles can see. So they can evade incoming anti-missiles fired from US ships or bases.

So yes. They’re a real threat to US ships, not just carriers.

The DF-21 has a cruise speed of mach 6. Then speeds up to mach 10 for terminal phase. At 100 miles away, the DF-21 will hit a ship in 47 seconds. That isn’t a lot of time for the radar operator to talk to the captain then order an intercept. In fact, that isn’t any time at all since once the order is given, it takes time for the operator to actually launch the missile. Then it takes time for the missile cover to open, for the data to download to the missile, for the missile to light it’s rocket engine, and for the missile to get up to speed.

A DF-21 will hit with the explosive power of around 1.4 tons of TNT or 2,800 pounds of explosive equivalent.

A DF-26 will hit with the explosive power equivalent of 24,000 pounds of TNT.

You decide what happens when that much explosives goes off inside a ship. Bear in mind that a normal anti-ship missile has a warhead of 600 pounds. You can find the ships with holes in them. Then figure out what happens when you increase that to 2,800 pounds or 24,000 pounds. Yes. the DF-26 hits with the equivalent of a MOAB.

The real question isn’t is it a threat. The question is will there be a ship left after it hits. And in the report to Congress last year, The USAF/MIT study said that this is a game changer. Without a proper defense, if a ship gets hit, it will be sunk.

Is the war that has just started in Israel anything to do with Putin’s need for distractions?

Don’t make me laugh

This would serve more as distraction to the West than Russia

The West bankrolled $ 140.81 Billion to Ukraine in the last 19 months plus trained 70,000 Ukrainian Soldiers plus combined gave Ukraine :-

  • 1.03 Million Rounds of 155 mm Artillery Shells
  • 17,000 UAVs Military Grade
  • 1100 Infantry Fighting Vehicles
  • 760 Tanks (Including 453 T 72, 124 Leopard 1, 92 French Tanks & Swedish Stridsvagn 122, 48 Abrams & 14 Challengers)
  • 3.53 Million Rounds of Small Arms Ammunition
  • 688 Missiles with upto 300 Km Range plus Air Defence
  • 60 Himars Launchers
  • 91 Air Defense System including 8 Patriot Complexes, 12 Iris Complexes and 50+ S 300 systems in former communist countries

Look at this list of equipment

It’s virtually an ENTIRE ARMY

Four Fronts – Kremeyvka Salient, Orekhovo Front, Bakhmut & Kremenneyva

After 125 Days

Territory Gain :- 188 Sq Kilometers

Loss of Territory (Kupiansk) : 507 Sq Kilometers

Net Gain Loss :- (-) 319 Sq Kms

The Ukrainians haven’t still managed to cross the grey zone

They have to reach 3 defensive fortified lines plus one fortified line to reach the Sea of Azov Or Melitopol

They haven’t managed a clear 10 Kilometer forward gain in positions and need 526 Kilometers to reach their objective

In ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE DAYS!!!!

Meanwhile their losses :-

  • 90,000 Killed or horribly wounded enough to miss action for minimum 6 months
  • 290 Tanks destroyed
  • 700,000 Rounds Ammunition spent at 6000 Rounds a day
  • 650 Infantry Vehicles
  • 39 Himars Launchers
  • 91 Missiles (Range upto 300 Kms)
  • 360+ Air Defence Missiles
  • 73 Assault Boats
  • 4500+ UAVs

Easily between 35% to 45% of their entire equipment and at least a fourth of their BEST FIGHTING MEN

For 188 Sq Kms gains and not one concise territory to consolidate positions


You think I am quoting from TASS Or Sputnik right?

Nopes

CNN, Politico, Reuters, Washington Post & Institute for War


Meanwhile the Russian Economy?

From a 15% contraction expected in 2022, now it’s growing by 2.3% even by IMF predictions

Strong and Resilient as ever

Happily now selling Oil at $ 91/ Barrel against a $ 60 Price Cap laughing loudly


So it is the West who need an off ramp and a distraction badly indeed

Girls, Bars and Love in Phnom Penh

It’s a view about what is going on in the rest of the world while YOU were sitting away in your nice sterile cubicle, attending Diversity meetings, and grabbing a number #3 burger during lunch. The rest of the world is far more interesting and colorful out there. Savor it.

This is a “monger” video about this asshole going to Cambodia for prostitutes. He just went to Cambodia and filmed the night life. Very colorful.

Ugh!

Not badmouthing the girls. Not badmouthing the guys.

Just making a statement on lifestyle.

Do not be offended by some of the things you see here. The point that I am trying to make is that YOU can decide your lifestyle. If sitting in a grey cube, staring at a flickering monitor, and living for the weekend appeals to you… embrace it. But the rest of the world thinks that lifestyle SUCKS. I did that for far too long. BIG FUCKING MISTAKE.

Am I interested in visiting Cambodia. Yeah, sure.

But not for the chicks. I really want to check out the culture. Especially the spicy beef on those long French rolls that you get at the street pavilions.

You know, I have been interested in Cambodia and Laos ever since I was in 5th grade and Nixon went and bombed them to shit. Then, later on, I had some interns that came from Cambodia. I’d like to meet up with them and tour their little family factory and warehouse. Maybe have some “cooperation” together.

If NATO was formed to counteract the Soviet Union, why wasn’t it disbanded when the Soviet union was?

NATO wasn’t formed to counteract the Soviet Union.

NATO is an expansion of the Western Union (Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Britain) and the WU was a military and ECONOMIC alliance.

When NATON was created in 1949, it’s goals were to prevent a resurgence of Germany and to improve economic ties between countries.

Don’t forget about the Berlin Blockade of 1948. This PROVED the Soviets were not up for a military confrontation.

Article 2

The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being. They will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them.

Back in 1949, the economic aspect was far more important than the military one.

As Europe began to move towards an integrated economic policy and later towards a union, the economic policies of NATO were largely forgotten … BUT THEY STILL EXIST.

Russia is right when they talk about the tandem EU/NATO. The European institution, economically and politically, were all created under a NATO umbrella … there was nothing else back in 1949.

So when the Soviet Union fell, the EU didn’t even exist. There was a large economic forum in place in Europe, but a lot of political decisions were taken at NATO level. European economies depended to a large extend on NATO’s integrated policies: economically, militarily, and politically.

NATO was the perfect platform for international cooperation before the EU came into being.

Once you realize NATO is also an economic alliance it becomes pretty clear why it couldn’t be disbanded. And it also becomes clear why expansion was profitable for all involved. NATO didn’t expand because “countries feared Russia” (look at the timeline, relations were good UNTIL NATO expanded), NATO expanded for economic reasons.

The EU is relatively transparent, NATO is nor. NATO invested 150 billion Euro in Eastern European infrastructure. NATO always upgrades your infrastructure when you become a member (that’s how Greece and Turkey were bribed back in 1952).

In return, NATO countries, mainly European ones, got to invest massively in Eastern Europe. Much lower wages resulted in huge profit margins.

Just look at how many “German” cars are produced in Hungary and Poland. All that was a direct result of NATO expansion. The average monthly income in Germany is 4,200 Euro a month, in Poland 1,400 and in Hungary 1,300.

Cheap labour results in huge profit margins which in turn regenerates more tax revenue. Those 150 billion paid themselves back with interest. But the main requirement was a good infrastructure.

History makes a lot more sense when you look at it from an economic point of view.

Why is Xi Jinping always bashing America so much?

He’s not “bashing” America. He’s simply exposing the truth about America. There is nothing he has said about America that is incorrect. I can repeat some of the talking points and see if you can refute any of them:

  • Unsustainable $33 trillion national debt.
  • Crumbling infrastructure.
  • Unaffordable health care for millions of Americans.
  • Rampant homelessness — approaching one million Americans.
  • Declining public education.
  • Declining life expectancy.
  • Growing poverty.
  • Mass incarceration — highest number and highest per capita rate in the world.
  • Rampant gun violence — on average, one mass shooting every day of the year!
  • Fentanyl epidemic.
  • Over one million Americans died from Covid needlessly.

It’s America that is bashing China with all kinds of propaganda lies such as Uyghur genocide, Uyghur forced labor, Chinese aggression, spreading authoritarianism, etc.

UPDATE:

After 8 hours, this answer has received a whole bunch of stupid comments and NOBODY has even tried to refute any of the points in my answer. This alone tells you something.

I’ve disabled comments to prevent any more stupid comments. If you can’t say anything intelligent, then don’t say anything at all.

What really happens when a car salesman takes your offer to his manager to get the deal approved? Does the salesman actually go to bat for you or do they scheme on how to come back to you with a better deal for the car dealership?

In 1972 my Dad let me tag along to “Wild Bill’s” Dodge in order to buy a new emerald green Dodge Coronet. Wild Bill was a local tv commercial superstar! II remember the transaction to this day. The cigar smoking salesman wanted $3440 for the car, but my Dad was firm at $3400. The salesman then said only the owner could approve that low a deal, so he would have to call him at home!

Out came the phone book, because the salesman had never called him at home before, and the salesman made a big production out of reading off the number and dialing it. “Yes Bill, he says, they won’t do $3440, I told them it’s crazy but he wants $3400 even.”

At that moment I see someone exit the break room and recognize Wild Bill sitting there having a cup of coffee. I whisper to my Dad, that Wild Bill is not at home talking to this salesman, he’s 50 feet away drinking coffee. My Dad smiles and says to me “let them do their thing”

$3400 later we had the car, plaid fabric seats and all!

Why the West is Afraid of China

Thank you for bringing the one and only Carl Zha to your show. He is a great analyst and has a good sense of humor.

In the military, what was the most savage verbal correction you witnessed?

Didn’t witness it, but knew it was happening.

In the mid-2000s, I was a civilian contractor working for The Pentagon Channel, originally part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. I created TPC’s first podcasts.

The podcasting operation grew to more than 20 different regular podcasts — audio and video — and had about 19 million downloads over its seven-year run. I personally produced nine of the shows.

We also uploaded the videos to YouTube.

One morning, I went in extra early to upload a new episode … only to see a warning from CYBERCOM that YouTube was blocked for our office. A lot was hanging on this particular upload, and my boss was able to track down someone I could talk to at CYBERCOM.

I called the Air Force Master Sergeant listed on the Post-It Note he gave me. Got him on the line and explained my problem.

The Master Sergeant was a condescending male appendage.

He angrily told me there was an unusually high number of computers spending a lot of time during business hours accessing YouTube. We broadcast 24 hours a day, and business hours were when we were uploading video.

He lectured me on how NO military office needed access to YouTube nd that he’d personally shut down our access in accordance with regulations. I tried to explain that uploading video to YouTube was critical to our office’s mission.

He was about to lecture me some more … but I had another call. I knew exactly who it was.

I put the Sergeant on hold … which he huffed at.

The incoming call was from a speaker phone. Another civilian I knew at the Pentagon asked why the video wasn’t uploaded, and I explained the situation. A second voice came on the phone.

“Terry, this is Captain Kirby. Can you give me that sergeant’s name and number?” he asked with frightening calm.

I did.

“Tell him to stand by for a phone call,” Captain Kirby said and hung up.

I pick up the line with the irate Master Sergeant who’s already wound up to tear into me and cut him off.

“Stand by your phone for an incoming call,” I said. I didn’t witness what was said or who said it. But I knew it would be glorious.

Then-Captain John Kirby would retire as a two-star admiral in a few more years. He’d go on to become the official Pentagon Spokesman, later the State Department’s Spokesman, and is currently the Biden Administration’s National Security Spokesman. You see him delivering live press briefings on national security issues at the White House.

But on that particular morning, Captain John Kirby was the long-time Public Affairs Officer for Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff … the most senior officer in the U.S. military.

The video that I was blocked from uploading? The premier episode of the Chairman’s Podcast — a more-or-less weekly podcast in which ADM Mullen was interviewed on top policy issues affecting the military and the troops across all branches of the services.

Chairman Mullen was incredibly media savvy and was extremely keen on creating this podcast.

I suspect Captain Kirby called the sergeant … but he may have just let the admiral know what was going on, and the Chairman picked up the phone himself. Either way, I knew the sergeant was about to get a Mark II bunghole installed via phone lines.

I spent a couple of minutes refreshing the YouTube page before we suddenly had full access restored.

And I began uploading the Chairman’s Podcast.

That’s when my phone rang again.

It was a very contrite Master Sergeant, I suppose he was still a Master Sergeant, I didn’t ask. Anyway, he went into a very long, detailed apology about blocking our access and for his tone of voice toward me.

I never had another problem in the two years we produced the show.

Before the CIA spies were exposed in China

China has been publicly announcing the arrests of several spies working for the CIA, an unconventional move for a country not best known for message clarity.

The China Academy

Oct 6, 2023

“Drug Panic,” “God’s Scalpel,” “Old Classmates in Washington,” “CIA Spy School,” “Sexy Spies,” “Target – Beijing Olympics,” and “Double Agent,” these gripping chapters of the spy novel Fatal Weakness, upon its first release in 2004, led many spy fiction enthusiasts to believe that its author, Yang Hengjun, a former employee at China’s Foreign Ministry, was next in line to become one of China’s bestselling writers in this genre. His fans were awed by his vivid description and attention to detail at portraying the life of a double agent. They later discovered that all it took was for Yang to report on his own life, as Fatal Weakness fits better in the category of autobiography than novel.

For the past two months, China has been publicly announcing the arrests of several spies working for the CIA, an unconventional move for a country not best known for message clarity. Previously, China’s state media would only go so far as saying that a person is harming national security and therefore warrants an arrest. What prompted the sudden change of tone? Most importantly, wouldn’t openly revealing that even government officials lack faith in the country hurt the government’s reputation even more, further fueling the already rampant suspicion around its former Foreign Minister Qin Gang’s removal?

To answer these questions, it would be necessary to examine all the “accidents” that have killed Chinese scientists in the past five years, as this provides insight into the urgency Beijing faces to take a more assertive position. Whether these incidents were truly unfortunate accidents or the successful operations of secret agents is up to you to decide.

On July 1, 2023, Feng Yanghe, the brain behind the AI software used in China’s military simulations, died in a car accident in Beijing at the age of 38.

On June 22, 2023, China’s leading botanist Zhang Dabing passed away at the age of 56 from a car accident. He was a prominent scientist in China’s hybrid rice field and transgenic biosafety monitoring field.

On September 21, 2022, genius rocket engineer Li Yuchong died in the United States at the age of 30, a week after he announced his decision to forgo offers from the US and return to China.

On June 14, 2019, Ning Bin, one of the driving forces behind China’s digital signaling systems across the railway, died at the age of 60 from a car accident. He was working on a control system for a super high-speed train running at 1,000 km/h.

On December 1, 2018, renowned quantum physicist Zhang Shoucheng died in the US at the age of 55, purportedly from depression, three days after his team announced a breakthrough in 5G chips. His discovery of “angel particles” in 2017, particles that are both matter and anti-matter, ended one of the most intensive searches in fundamental physics. Before his death, it was widely speculated he would be the next recipient of the Nobel Prize. His scientific life was put to an abrupt end on the same day Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada. Meng is the senior executive of Huawei, the company Zhang and his team had collaborated with since 2009.

A month later, Chen Shuming, head of the R&D team for chips of advanced weapons, died in a car accident on December 31, 2018.

The list goes on and on, with examples found in all areas involving leading science and technology. Beijing has never confirmed nor denied people’s suspicions that these were premeditated assassination attempts coordinated by a network of spies that have infiltrated key positions in the Chinese government. However, as the list grows longer, the silence becomes increasingly unbearable to many.

Remarks by CIA Director William Joseph Burns that the agency has “made progress” in rebuilding its spy networks in China served as both verification of people’s suspicions and validation of Beijing’s perceived incompetence. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that if Beijing prolongs this silence, we will witness its reputation being slowly shredded to pieces. In an apparent effort of self-consolation, Chinese netizens even pushed a story online about the Macao Garrison Special Operations Company being awarded a first-class collective merit citation in 2014 for defeating an alleged CIA assassination attempt on Snowden when he was transiting through Hong Kong en route to Russia. To their disappointment, the narrative was later denied by Macao authorities. It is conceivable that the recent string of reports on spy arrests is the long-awaited response to an anxious populace that has borne witness to some not-so-clandestine espionage activities.


For more reporting on spies arrested in China, please check out our newsletter series here:

Why has China’s GDP surpassed that of the United States, even though the US still leads in other areas such as technology and innovation?

The U.S. leads in certain technologies at best. China leads in 37 out of 44 most strategic and key technologies for today and tomorrow’s technology frontier according to a neocon funded research project in Australia call ASPI or Australian Strategic Policy Institute. If that is the case. The U.S. leads only in 7 out of these 44 technologies.

The U.S. no longer leads the world for at least a decade now! China has 3 more unmatchable advantages. One it has 1.4 billion highly competitive population who are very intelligent, very hardworking, extremely disciplined and both industrious and driven people.

Two, Chinese political system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is extremely effective and efficient. It evades costly and hurtful perpetual politicking and it allows meritocratic policies by attracting the most capable and qualified leader. As compared with the U.S. clearly popularity contest among popular but unqualified leader.

Three, China focuses fully and comprehensively on growing the real living standards of it’s citizens and does not get distracted by the U.S. forever war investment and focus of interference throughout the globe. China’s military strategy only focus on defending their home land and hitting the enemy lands if it is hit at home. It needs to spend a third of the U.S. to match their huge and damaging military spending!

China is highly sustainable, the U.S. is simply not. In fact the more the U.S. wants to stop China the faster the U.S. will go broke and implode.

Horseshoe Sandwich with Idaho® Fingerling Fries

The Horseshoe is a regional specialty in the Springfield, Illinois area. It is an open-faced sandwich on toasted bread that can utilize a variety of meats, topped with French fries and a creamy cheese sauce.

2023 10 18 15 39
2023 10 18 15 39

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

Sandwich

  • 4 toasted slices Texas toast
  • 6 Idaho® Russian Banana Fingerling potatoes, sliced into fries
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Freshly ground Italian seasoning blend
  • 4 grilled hamburger patties, sprinkled with steak seasoning and seasoning salt before cooking
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Cheese Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Lay out potato slices onto cookie sheet lined with foil.
  2. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and use brush to evenly coat them.
  3. Grind Italian seasoning over potatoes until there is a nice, even dusting of seasoning.
  4. Place in oven heated to 425 degrees F. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until fries are cooked throughout and lightly brown.
  5. Place onion, mushroom and pepper in foil. Place butter on top and sprinkle with freshly ground Italian seasoning. Tent foil and close. Place in oven. (They should be softened by the time the fries finish cooking.)
  6. While the fries and vegetables bake, start on cheese sauce by melting butter in a small saucepan. Once melted, add flour and stir to make a roux.
  7. Add milk and basil and stir constantly until it starts to bubble. Continue stirring for two to three more minutes until it begins to thicken.
  8. Add shredded cheese gradually, stirring constantly as it melts.
  9. Lay out toasted bread on plates, topped with hamburger patty. Spoon vegetables on top of burger, followed by a layer of fries. Top with cheese sauce.

Notes

Grilled vegetables, such as green peppers and onions, are also common on a Horseshoe sandwich. Alternate meat suggestions include smoked ham, pulled pork and grilled chicken breast.

China’s $100 Billion Move That Left Australia STUNNED!

In a surprising turn of events, China has unveiled a staggering $100 billion project that could send shockwaves through its trade relationship with Australia. Today, we’re breaking down the intricacies of this development and exploring its potential global implications.

The implications of China’s new mega project are vast, with potential ripple effects touching every corner of the global iron ore industry. Join us as we unravel the layers of this complex narrative and project its potential future impacts on Australia, China, and the broader international community.

https://youtu.be/YrdyA18FcPM

Why do so many people defend China?

People on the internet think I am a blind supporter of China. Some even think I am paid by Chinese propaganda department to write pro-China answers! (Hell! It would be great to get paid for narrating facts, but sigh … so far, no payment. Not even a job offer :p).

For reasons unknown (and probably very biased) stating plain and simple historical and current facts offends a lot of people. Comparing the actions of countries offends people.

Here are a few examples.

Example 1. Hong Kong Riots

Last year (in 2020) Quora was overflowing with certain people expressing their support for Hong Kong rioters, claiming they are fighting for “freedom” and that secession is a right of people.

I wrote a couple of answers stating the plain fact that at least Indians should stop expressing their “deep concerns” for Hong Kong rioters, considering how India is handling the freedom movement in Jammu and Kashmir: no internet connectivity (since more than 8 months now) for the region, curfew almost daily, and lots of reports of rapes committed by the military. A lot of people were “offended” because of my comparison.

I also compared Hong Kong rioters with American civil war. The northern states of USA refused to let the southern states break free of the union. If “freedom” is the right of people, northern states should have allowed the southern states to break free.

Similarly, UK should have allowed Ireland to be free.

Somehow, when India, USA and UK does it, it’s all justified and acceptable. But when China does it (and on top of that, China didn’t even use lethal force against those rioters), suddenly China is at fault! I don’t understand the logic here.

Example 2. China’s Island Building In SCS

I wrote that every nation has a right to defend itself and no nation has a (moral) right to display aggression and policing at other nation’s borders. This too, offended a lot of people. People mentioned “freedom of navigation” and whatnot. I pointed out that USA has not ratified UNCLOS and therefore has no right to implement it on others.

There was a long debate about how USA and western powers have “freedom” to roam in their warships close to Chinese shores, but China has no right to install weapon systems on islands in South China Sea.

Some US guy went on a long argument with me in that answer, claiming that although USA has not signed UNCLOS, it still has the right to implement it on others. The most remarkable thing is that he claimed he was not even being biased and was completely transparent and morally fair in his claim!

Example 3. China – Australia Trade Dispute

I wrote that a customer is not and should not be forced to purchase from any seller, therefore China is not forced to purchase ore and food products from Australia, considering that Australian government went on a smear campaign against China (proposing to find Covid-19 origin only in China) and banning Huwawei.

Some people got offended, and claimed that China should be forced to buy from Australia, but Australia is “free” to not buy from China. Some people also claimed that China is “weaponizing trade” and that they must be “put to their place”.

All I can say about it is that their logic is incomprehensible for me.

Example 4. China – US Trade War

I wrote in an answer that if US is so concerned about trade deficit, they have all the right to stop buying from China and shift their imports to some other country. Similarly, China has the right to stop buying from USA and start buying food products from South America.

Similarly, I wrote that both countries have the right to place as many tariffs as they want, on their imports. Both are free in what they do within their borders.

This offended a lot of people. They claimed that it is China’s “legal responsibility” to avoid placing tariffs on US goods but USA is “free” to place as many tariffs as they want on Chinese goods.

Example 5. Chinese Loans And Investments In Africa

Someone asked if Chinese loans and investments in Africa were attempts by China to colonize Africa. I posted some pictures of African colonialism and showed what colonialism really looks like.

Some guys started arguing in the comments that China is “exploiting” Africa with their loans and whatnot. I simply stated that nobody is forcing African countries to get loans from China. They are free to get loans from IMF and World Bank if they want. If they are getting loans from China, they know the conditions. They are written clearly in front of them. If African countries and China, both agree on the terms and conditions, why is someone else trying to run around amok with arms flailing and crying foul?

They claimed that Africans are “simple minded” (yes, they were indeed simple minded, or else they would not have been enslaved by the western powers for centuries) and do not “see through” the traps. I asked if their countries have better loan offers for African countries, they should present the offers. Somehow that further offended them and they quit in rage, claiming I work for China’s propaganda department.


So. That’s my story of being “pro China”.

US House Resolution #145 Is Retaliation Against South Africa For Hosting BRICS Summit

What are things that girls wish guys knew about them?

Here I go again.

  • When I tell you I’m upset or worried, I don’t need you to fix it. I just need you to listen and let me know that my feelings are valid.
  • Periods are more than just blood and cramps. They can affect my whole body and mind, and PMS is a real thing.
  • If you want me to wear makeup, don’t expect me to be ready in five minutes. It takes time.
  • Just because I’m nice to you doesn’t mean I like you romantically. And just because we talk sometimes doesn’t mean I’m “leading you on.” I can have friends who are guys without wanting to date them.
  • When we talk about the issues that women face, it doesn’t mean that we don’t think men have issues too. It just means that we want to talk about our own experiences from our own perspective.
  • Yes women might are attracted to chiseled jawlines six-foot-tall men, etc. But that’s not the “ideal dream guy.” Just because women find you good looking, doesn’t mean every woman around will want to date you. We have other things in our priority list (Girls in their early teens might be an exception, but that’s about it).
  • It’s scary when you run up to us or try to get our attention out of nowhere. We’re in fight-or-flight mode the second we know a stranger is paying attention to us.
  • Don’t try to be a smartass all the time. It’s not attractive. And please don’t flex in front of us. We don’t care.
  • It’s not “manly” to raise your voice.
  • Scents are meant to be discovered, not announced. Take it easy with the body spray.
  • Honking at us doesn’t work. Please stop.
  • The best thing you can do for a girl on her period is buy her chocolate, (maybe) some wine, and her specific brand of tampons.
  • Acting all sad because we’re not replying and literally begging for it is not adorable. You’re chat was probably archived the second you started begging for our attention.
  • Just because we ask for your help to get something done doesn’t mean we couldn’t do it all by ourselves.

Chinese J-20 fighter production now at over a 100 per year?

Japan and Korea won’t join the fight against China”

What was your scariest “Idiot at the Gun Range” moment? What was the funniest?

Many years ago, I desired my concealed handgun license in Texas. To acquire it back then, you had to complete a class (6–8 hours) and demonstrate the ability to safely handle a firearm and shoot with an acceptable level of control. This required a shooting test at a range… firing maybe 50 rounds in front of an instructor (10 rounds of 5 shots each) and getting above some very low percentage of hits on a target that is just 10 yards away. Really… it was a “Can you hit the broadside of a barn?” kind of test.

We wrap up the classroom work and go together (class had 20 or so students) to the range that has 5 lanes. The guy who is assigned the lane next to mine (he’s on the far right of the 5 lanes) is easily over 80 years old and apparently carries a revolver, but wanted to take the test with a semi-automatic pistol (it gives you more options), so he rented a small caliber pistol from the range for the test. He can barely load the weapon and is limp-wristing his shots, so it jams repeatedly. The first time it jams, he pivots around to show me, pointing the barrel straight at my face. I dropped to the ground and he tracks me with the gun to the floor until he realizes that he’s doing something wrong, then freezes. The weapon is still pointed at 2–3 other students in other lanes. One lady in lane 1 or 2 screamed. I came around behind him, grabbed his shoulders so that the weapon was pointed back down range and had him put it on the bench (then turned it to point downrange when he placed it pointing back at the students in the other lanes). I waved for the instructor and he came over… his only concern was clearing the weapon and RELOADING it for the old guy. I looked at him and he gave me a “give the old guy a chance” look. On the next round the old guy’s gun jammed again and he waived it at me again, asking for help. I again ducked, got behind him and took the weapon from him this time. I cleared it, sat it down and walked out of the range. I told the instructor “That’s twice I’ve had a loaded weapon pointed at my face. I’m not going back in there until he is disarmed. That guy is going to kill someone and it’s NOT going to be me.” Several of the people in the first few lanes followed me out. Amazingly, the instructor went down to the old guy, reloaded his weapon and had him finish the test (and PASSED him)

I’m not sure who was scarier… the old guy taking the test or the instructor who certified him to carry a concealed weapon for another 4 years without basic safety knowledge or having enough wits not to point a loaded weapon at other people MULTIPLE times on accident.

What is the strangest reaction of someone who has just been fired?

Technically I was “laid off,” not fired, after 31 years at the company. I was only working part time (10 hours/week), and was planning to retire fully in a year or two. Instead, I got laid off. They paid me almost a full year’s salary and gave me over a year of medical and other benefits. I collected unemployment for the next year and because of a legal action for deceiving customers by my state against the bank that held my mortgage, they had to write off my mortgage payment each month that I was unemployed.

So when I was told I was laid off, and the salary/benefits package I would receive, I immediately bought a bottle of wine, gave it to the head of HR, thanked him profusely, and left. That year was far and away the best one (financially) that I ever had. And to top it off, I had gotten divorced a year earlier. With all my free time and lack of financial concerns, I had time to date. I met a wonderful woman, and we have been together almost thirteen years now.

What do you think of people that are hoarders?

In 2016, an elderly Lady in Brooklyn New York took hoarding to the extreme when the remains of her son were found amongst the rubbish that filled her home.

Rita Wolfensohn was legally blind and lived with the corpse of her son for twenty years, believing he was missing. The son’s body was discovered when a relative went to the house to collect clothes for the woman while she was at the hospital.

In one of the bedrooms, she found a Skeleton with its jeans, socks and a shirt still on. The room and the rest of the house smelt like rotten food, so any smell of a decaying body would have blended with the already rancid smell.

Police believe the son died of natural causes, and it was possible Rita believed that her son had left and never came back. I don’t understand how someone can live this way, but I don’t like to judge either because depression plays a big part in hoarding cases.

China’s supply chain has developed 7nm process chips, which can produce 95% of the world’s chips!

Intel’s CPUs are still on 10nm.

Going to the farm

I once had a dog, a Siberian Husky. It was my sisters dog, but she never took care of it. Instead, I inherited that role. His name was “Frisky”, and was a “good boy”. But the rest of the family thought of him as a burden. Which was bad. He was a good dog.

One day, my father came to the back yard, and asked me to get him.

So I did.

He told me that he was going to take Frisky to a farm “where he could run about freely”. I believed him.

But, you know, what did I know? I was only 16 at the time.

Frisky looked up at me. Very skiddish.

I comforted him. And he seemed to be ok. He believed me. It’s gonna be fine, I told him.

My dad got him. Loaded him into the car.

And that was the last time I saw him.

Unwilling participant.

Yet my brothers and sisters, many decades later, berated me. Arguing how I couldn’t possibly realize what was going on. They knew. Why didn’t I?

Sigh.

I have remorse.

Today…

What is something you absolutely despise about your country?

Look at these statistics, let them sink in for a moment.

image
image

I have seen countless times:

  • An obese parent in front of me at the grocery store, with an obese child under the age of 10. Their grocery cart is full of pure junk food.
  • An obese person in a wheel chair ordering fast food.
  • People eating candy bars for breakfast on a daily basis.
  • Coworkers, who complain about their diabetes, with a bowl of candy by their monitor that they pick at all day.
  • I know of at least 3 people with diabetes who had their foot (or other limb) amputated because they couldn’t control their eating.
  • Children, under the age of 10, who weigh over 150 lbs (68 kg). These children are stretching their skin out and effectively ruining their bodies.

Our health education is pathetic. Our Physical Education and Gym programs are skeletal at this point.

Our country literally subsidizes food that makes people fat. We are essentially paying people to get fat.

It bothers me because people’s lack of discipline (or caring) ramps up healthcare costs that I have to pay for in tax dollars.

It bothers me because people don’t care about the way they look. They are willing to just let go.

But more than anything I am concerned for people’s well-being. You don’t always get second chances on heart attacks and strokes.

We are a prosperous country. But the scourge of prosperity is obesity.

I don’t despise obese people but I do despise it as a health epidemic in our country.

What is one mistake you made that you would like to warn others not to make?

My business was failing and I couldn’t understand why.

Things were NOT looking good since day one.

My mind was spinning out of control day and night trying to understand what was wrong.

In 2014 I found what seemed a great opportunity. I managed to negotiate an unusual deal with one of the best “warehouse” retailers in the USA. I had a signed agreement to purchase their overstocks… at unbelievable prices.

This was my math:

  • Regular price of the item: $100
    Warehouse discounted price of the retailer: $90
    I could get their items at 10% to 20% of their price.
    My price would be between $9 to $18!
  • Yes, that’s over 90% OFF the retail price!
  • Reselling these items, even at huge discounts to my customers could easily double or triple my money. It seemed like a priceless opportunity.

So I rented this HUGE warehouse:

I called it the Red Barn Outlet.

Located in a very busy street, with huge traffic count, we opened the doors to our customers.

We had great products and unbeatable prices, yet, we didn’t had the expected volume of sales.

I did marketing — and found little to no improvement.

I even hired amazing helpers:

Nothing helped…


To answer your question: What is one mistake you made that you would like to warn others not to make?

The laws of work have changed!

I learned this lesson in a very painful way.

  • Retail has changed.
  • Our Economy has changed.
  • The world has changed.
  • We have changed.

Today we have retail on our fingertips!

There’s an app for that!”

I was competing with a disrupted business model and as a small business owner, there’s NO way to win.

I was playing on the OLD Economy and as a consequence suffered a slow painful death because of disruption.

Today I teach people and businesses how to anticipate disruptive trends because I understand how painful it is.

This is my warning:

Hard work is not good enough anymore.”

Tactics win battles; strategy wins wars.

Texas Roasted Potatoes

Serve this side dish at your next cookout.

2023 11 04 10 29
2023 11 04 10 29

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds red potatoes, quartered
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Toss together all the ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Place on a baking sheet.
  4. Bake for one hour (turning frequently) or until lightly browned.

Time-Slip Artifacts: Modern Objects in the Ancient World – Volume 1

I do love this show. Enjoy this fun show.

Is Hamas together with Hezbollah strong enough to beat Israel in a war?

Not a strictly conventional war

However they can ensure Israel never enjoys a minute peace.

They can ensure Israelis ultimately prefer to leave and migrate to other countries for a peaceful life

They can keep dying and keep replenishing their numbers and ensure money from sympathetic yet cowardly countries and their billionaires


It’s an effective strategy

Hezbollah attacks Israel, kills IDF Soldiers and occupied families

Israel bombs Lebanon blindly, kills mostly ordinary civilians

Hatred against Israel is reinforced

Arab Preachers will ensure hatred against Israel is maintained in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Syria

It keeps the Middle East divided and hostile and ensures it’s what the US wants


The only way to defeat Hezbollah and Hamas is the way Khalistan Or LTTE were defeated

BY THE PEOPLE

The way to do that is to give the Palestinians what should have been given decades ago to them

Development, money, prosperity etc

Today 99% of the Palestinian Youth pick up a gun because they have no other option

Tomorrow with prosperity and development, only 60% will pick up a gun

Then 40%

Then 20%

Same happened with the LTTE

Same with the ETA in Spain

Same with the Uyghur Separatists

Same with the Chechen Militia

The Chinese saying “Full bellies quell revolution, empty bellies forment it”


Why this isn’t happening is because of Democracy

Israeli politicians know they won’t win 10 votes if they hand over the original territories of Palestine back to the Palestinians

US Politicians will lose control in an area where they are already losing control by the day

Neither side think Long term and decide to kick the ball down the road for the future politicians

It’s why most countries that won against terrorism/rebels were Autocracies Or Dominant Party Democracies – China, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka

Josep Borell, EU foreign policy chief, accuses China of treating Europe as a US puppet. How can this perception on the part of the Chinese be changed?

Until you grow balls! Until you tell the U.S. if you blow Nord Stream pipeline Germany will blow away Alaskan pipeline!

Until you tell off the U.S. when it becomes a jerk. Ask them to fxxk off and say over your dead body will you listen to them. Get rid of your current leaders ASAP. They behaves shamefully.

China don’t hear words. China sees action. And the see a wimp and a weak government push around by Uncle Sam. So why talk to EU?

What steps should be taken to update and close the loopholes in the current set of rules on exporting advanced computing chips to China?

There are two parties here.

The American seller, and the Chinese buyer.

Absent of government policy, is the American seller willing and motivated to sell to the Chinese?

Why yes. Absolutely.

The Chinese are one of their biggest and best customers, and have helped prop up the stock price for decades, because the Chinese are not only volume shoppers of value, but also the high-margin cutting edge. That’s a significant STREAM of revenue on the table.

The American seller will try every trick in the book to preserve their bottomline, from lobbying the Congress and the White House, to tailoring specific products for the Chinese to circumvent sanctions. The quick and dirty will be to ship product to a subsidiary market, for example Korea, Japan or Taiwan, and re-export the chips through a third party. As a country, China isn’t being sanctioned like Iran or Cuba, so this will appear like normal trade flow.


That’s the seller. But what about the buyer? China has plenty of friends. Is Nvidia going to say no to a million-piece GPU order from Qatar, just because it’s destined for data server/AI farms within a Chinese-run business park? What if the Saudis make another million-chip order and ships it along to Shenzhen because they have a stake in a Chinese subsidiary’s AI project? The possibilities are endless. Nvidia can’t very well demand geolocation tracking of their sold product, can they? Chips can’t be repaired anyway and can be easily transported by air, so warranty claims can be easily dealt with.


The fundamental issue is this.

Does America want to continue doing business with the Chinese, the world’s biggest single market?

If the answer is a firm no, we can talk ironclad rules.

But the half-hearted “this is national security dual use tech” approach manned by a tiny office within the Department of Commerce won’t work, not when they are trying to fix corporations with more money than God, able to buy the services of legal teams that run rings around legislation and policy.

Such is the nature of American capitalism.

Singaporean PM warns danger in seeing one-China question as ‘democracy vs autocracy’

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday warned of dangerous consequences in framing the one-China question through the narrative of “democracy versus autocracy.”

Lee gave the warning at the closing dialogue of the Asia Future Summit in Singapore.

Recognized by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971, there is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

Speaking during a Q&A session at the closing dialogue of the summit, Lee called for countries to make clear that they will not change this “very fundamental basis of the international understanding.”

“One China is the basis on which nearly every country in the world recognizes the PRC, and has informal, unofficial relations with Taiwan,” he said. “And I think that has to remain the fundamental basis on which the relationships are maintained and the status quo is justified.”

Lee continued by saying that to describe the question of one China as “a question of democracy versus autocracy” is “dangerous.”

The Asia Future Summit was jointly held by Singapore’s flagship media, The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao and The Business Times, on Wednesday and Thursday.

Speakers across the world shared their views on geopolitical hot spots, economic issues, and social governance during the event.

Millions Of Men Finally Get The Cheat Code To The Dating Game

I personally want to thank every modern girl that hopped online to tell us how much they want to be railed by Chad and Tyrone and after they hit the wall, look for guys they ignored for a decade to suddenly want him only for his money and free validation, because now us guys who have red pilled know exactly what play they wanna try the moment we see them and tell them” not interested”. All is becoming right in the world.”

Do you think China’s subsidies for electric vehicles are “distorting” the car market of the European Union as claimed by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen?

This claim or accusation about China subsidizing EV cars is just a loser’s speech.

We Chinese are already surprised about Chinese EV cars being sold in EU with twice of the prices than in China.

Meanwhile, Europeans (mostly Germans) are also surprised about VW EV cars being sold in China with half of the prices than in Germany.

Tesla cars made in China are also cheaper than anywhere else, because of China subsidizing Tesla?


If anything, China’s subsidy about EV cars is “after” the cars got purchased.

There is something in China called “car purchasing tax”, and it’s about 9% of what you pay to the dealer. EV and PHEV cars can enjoy deduction on purchasing tax.

Also, about 45% of gasoline price in China is all kinds of tax and fee. However, the government doesn’t charge car electricity for the same amount. The 45% includes road maintenance fee, which means that it’s now entirely afforded by gasoline and diesel vehicle owners.


Mercedes is still doing good in China, but not the EV part.

In August alone, Mercedes sold 70.8 thousand cars in China, and accumulated sale of over half million cars (527.7 thousand) from January to August in 2023.

However, for EV cars, like EQE, the sales numbers from Jan to Aug are: 289, 421, 730, 48, 1254, 613, 591, and 941.

Only 1 EQC was sold in August.

The 19th highest EV/PHEV sales brand in August is Arcfox, and it sold 1868.


Europeans were too arrogant to develop their EV technologies.

They spent very little in this field, and was convinced that their petrol and diesel cars would keep dominating the world.

It’s why they are left behind.


Plus, this time’s farce is proposed by France, rather than Germany.

Von der Leyen is being supportive to this because she’s an US dog, and would do anything to screw China.

Some Germans have waken up, put down their pride and chose to cooperate with Chinese.

Meanwhile in France, car manufacturers are dying. They need to find a way to stop Germans from getting stronger.


Just like many other topics in EU, this, according to my personal opinion, will not go anywhere.

They would not have a result within 2023, and they will keep arguing in 2024.

If not because of their low efficiency, they would not be in such an embarrassing situation at the first place.

What was the reason for the sudden attack on Israel by Hamas killing innocent people?

Sudden?

Please

This was planned for a long time

It’s execution was FLAWLESS

I repeat FLAWLESS

Military Style than Militant Style

Multiple Incursions, Hostages, Point attacks – coordinated to precision after distracting them by rocket strikes

The vaunted Israeli intelligence was caught off guard completely.

That means a lot of Planning

So it isn’t SUDDEN at all


Why?

Many possibilities

First, the US possibly knew about the attack and turned a blind eye and didn’t warn the Israelis to divert attention from Ukraine and the disaster unfolding out there

It worked. Yesterday the whole coverage was on Palestine and Israel and not on Ukraine or even Chaiyina (China)

Second, Hamas backed by someone powerful, possibly Iran with Hezbollah waiting, decided to take advantage of a West that was completely swamped with Ukraine and an Israel that was desperately short of munitions (Israel gave 360,000 Shells to Ukraine, forced by USA) and decided to launch a strike and escalate things

An Escalation would allow the Russians, Chinese and the Global South to raise hypocrisy slogans against the West comparing Palestinians to Ukranians

If Israel does march into Gaza, the UN would become a battleground of anger and rage

Third, the US plans major war in the Middle East. They plan to launch Israel against Syria & Iran. It could be why China invited Assad and maybe tipped him off


It’s a delicate place today for the world

Especially India

If India support Israel as our friend Achal Gautam says in invading and destroying Gaza, that’s a billion Muslims who will hate India

Many Oil and Gas Producers and the biggest and richest vendors for key projects like Ports or Bridges

Plus most Muslims including the Azeris & Kazakhs and Turkmens and Kyrgyz people will flock to Russia, China and the CSTO

Hell even Turkey will rage against NATO

It would be the worst thing for Israel to blindly attack Gaza in an act of war

It would be fantastic news for Russia and China if Israel invades Gaza

Huawei releases a disruptive quantum chip, disrupting the global semiconductor industry!

This shouldn’t be a surprise as Huawei has been continuously innovating, researching and improving its technology. It has thousands of researchers and scientists continuously doing their best. This undoubtedly will make US/EU to try to surpress and annihilate it.

Should China and Russia send the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to help Palestine overthrow the apartheid regime?

In the past 1900 years, in my impression, the Arabs have not failed the Jews. The destruction of ancient Israel was not caused by the Arabs, but by the Romans. It would be unfair for Israelis to blame the Arabs for the destruction of ancient Israel. The persecution of Jews before and after WWII came from the Nazis in Europe, not the Arabs.

However, the Jews have really done things that are sorry to the Arabs in half a century.

Palestinian Arabs are human beings and should enjoy equal human rights … You can’t go bullying them like that…

As for whether it will become the sixth Middle East war…it is too early to tell. The scale of armed conflict is not that large. This was just a raid, not a full-scale attack. China and Russia will be diplomatically concerned, but will not intervene by force.

And a military raid was not the outcome the Arabs wanted.

All this proves only one thing:

As long as Israel does not abandon its own national exclusionary ideology based on Zionism, and as long as it continues to defend its current policies throughout the Palestinian areas, Israel will always be a country that lives in the shadow of fear, betrayal and repentance.

Iran, from West Asia, and Saudi Arabia, from the Arabian Peninsula, are both large among Muslim countries.

After Iran and Saudi Arabia reconcile, and the Muslim countries put aside their previous infighting, there will be a strong and unified Middle East.

We can understand that the Muslims in the Arab world are most eager for China to raise the anti-American flag due to the continuous aggression and plunder of the Western world, but the demise of the United States will not happen overnight, nor will it happen only militarily, but also economically, culturally, politically, etc., and there will be a slow process.

Maya Angelou always advise the African-American elite to read The prince of Machiavelli, because, she said, without a proper understanding of this book, you won’t understand the western elite. The Prince is their bedside book. it contains the main principle all imperialist applies: “If you want to control the people, separate the people and you can rule them. Divide them and you can conquer them.” Simply put, “divide and conquer.”

If 1.3 billion Muslims were united, it would be a huge force in the world.

Gone are the days when Israel relied on the US to dominate the Middle East. A declining Uncle Sam will not be able to bless Israel for long.

Therefore, the Israelis, if they are smart enough, must be mentally prepared to negotiate peace with the Palestinians and return to the 1967 Palestinian-Israeli borders, otherwise they will not be able to survive in the Arab state crevasse.

Sad Looking Cat Gets Adopted And Purrs For The First Time Ever | The Dodo

Watch this really sad shelter cat become a purring kitten with his new mom after finally getting adopted.

Can the Mate 60 chip developed by Huawei prove the failure of the US technology blockade against China? Can the United States finally succeed in preventing China’s technological upgrade?

Huawei has just unveiled its Mate 60 chip, a stunning feat of technological innovation that shows how the US has failed to stifle China’s rise in the global arena. The US has been waging a relentless campaign of sanctions and restrictions against Huawei and other Chinese firms, hoping to cut them off from the vital resources, software, and markets they need to thrive. But instead of crippling China’s technological ambitions, the US has only spurred them to become more self-reliant and creative.

The Mate 60 chip is the crown jewel of Huawei’s HiSilicon division, which makes chips for smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets. The chip is based on the most advanced process technology in the industry, the 5-nanometer node. It boasts a powerful octa-core CPU, a Mali-G78 GPU, a dual-core neural processing unit (NPU), and a 5G modem. The chip also supports features that enhance the user experience, such as multi-screen collaboration, smart charging, and more.

The Mate 60 chip is a remarkable achievement for Huawei, especially considering the US technology blockade. Since 2019, the US has put Huawei on its Entity List, which bans US companies from supplying it with software and hardware without a license. The US has also pressured its allies to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks, citing security concerns. As a result, Huawei has lost access to Google’s Android operating system, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips, and other essential components and services.

But Huawei has not given up. It has poured resources into its own research and development to overcome the challenges. It has developed its own operating system, HarmonyOS, which can run on various devices and platforms. It has also increased its self-sufficiency in chip design and production, relying on its HiSilicon division and other partners. Moreover, it has expanded its global presence and cooperation, especially with countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The Mate 60 chip is not only a breakthrough for Huawei, but also for China’s overall technological development. The chip represents China’s progress in mastering the core technologies of the semiconductor industry, which is crucial for its economic growth and national security. The chip also demonstrates China’s ability to innovate and compete in the global market, despite the US attempts to contain and isolate it. Furthermore, the chip reflects China’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, as it seeks to provide high-quality products and services to consumers around the world.

The Mate 60 chip developed by Huawei proves that the US technology blockade against China is doomed to fail. The US cannot stop China’s technological upgrade by imposing unilateral sanctions and restrictions. On the contrary, these actions have only motivated China to enhance its self-reliance and innovation capabilities. The US should realize that cooperation is better than confrontation in the field of science and technology, and that both countries can benefit from mutual learning and exchange.

What is the oddest weather you’ve experienced?

One afternoon in 1985 on a nice sunny day when I was working outside about half an hour North of Toronto I felt a sudden hot gust of wind, a very strong gust.

I turned around and looked at where the wind came from and I saw the sky, it was swirling all around, kind of like waves hitting a beach.

But that’s not what surprised me, it was the colour of the sky that I’ll never forget. It was green! The clouds were literally forest green, swirling around with dark gray clouds, in a fluid way that I had never seen before.

The clouds were also very close to the ground and were coming towards me fast.

I called out to my coworkers who hadn’t noticed yet and said we had better take shelter. They turned around and the colour drained from their faces, we looked at each other and ran across the field to the main building which was made of brick.

Not two minutes later day turned to night and it started pouring rain. All we did was look out the window at the raw violence of the storm until it passed less than half an hour later.

Little did we know at the time that just a few miles North of us a category F4 tornado had just devastated the city of Barrie.

It was totally unprecedented at the time, none of us believed our ears when we heard it on the radio.

Canada doesn’t have tornadoes, and certainly not category F4 tornadoes!

We were all in disbelief, that is until we got home and saw the destruction with our own eyes on television.

It was the only thing everyone talked about for over a month.

Foxconn has repeatedly requested to OEM for Huawei Mate60, but Huawei has sternly rejected it.

Huawei is now no.1 mobile phone manufacturer and it doesn’t need Qualcomm anymore to supply the chips. Qualcomm has betrayed Huawei by giving up Its relationship with Huawei and Huawei doesn’t need Qualcomm as an OEM anymore as its quality is below Huawei’s standard. Now that Huawei can mass produce the Kirin 9000s chips it certainly doesn’t need Qualcomm but domestic China’s OEM instead.

US Deploys at least nine B-2 Stealth Bombers to Europe

World Hal Turner

The United States on Friday allegedly deployed at least nine (9) — and reportedly “dozens”–  of B-2, nuclear-capable, Stealth Bombers to Europe on Friday.  Those aircraft are specifically designed for a nuclear first-strike.

Video posted publicly, reportedly shows the deployment as it took place:

<video not available>

This deployment came just one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said publicly that if an enemy launches a nuclear attack upon Russia, “hundreds of our missiles will be in the air against ALL our enemies, in ALL directions — and there will be no survivors”

Surprise Attack Stuns Israel; WaPo: Ukraine Despair War Unwinnable; EU Granada Summit Shambles

Surprise Attack Stuns Israel; WaPo: Ukraine Despair War ‘Unwinnable’; EU Granada Summit ‘Shambles’; Huge Rus Missile Drone Strikes Topic 987

Palestine Is Striking Back

October 5 2023:

Over 800 Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa compound during Jewish Sukkot holiday

More than 800 Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday morning under the protection of Israeli forces.

Rabbis, heads of settlement associations, and far-right university lecturers were among 832 people who forced their way into the religious site compound, a source in the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem told The New Arab’s Arabic sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Israeli forces imposed severe restrictions on Muslim worshippers entering Al-Aqsa and those under 60 were prevented from accessing the site.

It comes during the Jewish religious holiday of Sukkot, which started on 29 September and ends on Friday. The holiday has seen thousands of Israeli extremists storm the Al-Aqsa compound, with almost 1,500 entering the site on Monday.

Israeli extremists also continued on Thursday to hold provocative marches both inside Jerusalem’s Old City and outside its walls, attacking Palestinians and their property.

They also beat and spat at journalists in a market area near Al-Aqsa, where shops were forced to close for the sixth day in a row.

The Old City is home to Al-Aqsa as well as the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The Al-Aqsa compound is the third holiest site in Islam and the most important Muslim place in Palestine.

October 7 2023:

Escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

This morning, the Islamic Jihad group announced the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, igniting another local war against Israel. They formally cited regular oppression and attempts on Al-Aqsa as reasons, where local Arab worshippers have been repressed repeatedly (in addition, there have been raids against the Islamic Jihad in Jenin over the past few weeks).

The operation began quite dramatically: a naval landing was carried out in the north of the Gaza Strip, and there are also reports of airborne landings – someone parachuted into rear cities.

After three hours of fighting, the group successfully captured a military base in the town of Kerem Shalom: there are enough images on social media of killed IDF servicemen and captured equipment (there are also photos of a burnt “Merkava” tank). This is a huge base on the border with Egypt. To put it mildly, the trophy is very valuable.

▪️As of now, fighting is still ongoing in Netiv HaAsara, Berri, and Sderot. Panic has gripped the population of bordering villages, with footage of people fleeing on foot. The Israel Defense Forces began retaliatory strikes only after 10 in the morning. The Israeli Ministry of Defense has stated outright that Hamas has gone to war with them, and at 10:30, the official start of the Iron Swords counter-terrorism operation was announced.

This is likely to escalate. It is impossible to predict when or how this will end.

Posted by b on October 7, 2023 at 9:05 UTC | Permalink

Israel-Hamas War Update. Israeli General captured by Hamas. 200 Israelis and 232 Palestinians killed

Hamas coming in on hang-glider parachutes was pretty awesome not going to lie.

According to research, China leads the world in 37 out of 44 technologies and the gap is widening. Do you believe that the world is safe with future technology in the hands of China?

Yes.

A lot lot lot safer under the Chinese than the west.

What did the west did with technology for the last 400 years?

They use the technology to loot and plunder the entire world. Many of the loot are in the western museums today! Or worn on the crowns of western monarchs till today.

They use the technology to enslave Africans and coloured people to do menial task for the west. They snagged islands like collecting sea shells and corals. Hawaii, Guan, Falklands, Gibraltar and another hundreds of islands are still under the west.

They carry out genocides to steal continents such as the Americas and Australia. They abused, steal, raped and murder throughout the entire world. They colonised and destroyed the people living there and stole everything of value!

They continue virtual colonialism after physical colonisation is not possible through what they termed international rules based international order. They took control the entire worlds economy, and wealth. They continue to use the technology to threaten every nation and non Caucasian societies including Slavs and non European citizens.

And you question if China can be trusted with the technology? What kind of logic apart from racist rhetoric do you have?

Why did Hamas think attacking nuclear-armed and USA-allied Israel would be a good idea?

Desperation.

For years, the Arab states have been moving towards normalizing relations with Israel. Hamas counts upon the support of Arab states, both material and financial, to exist, since it has very limited means of its own.

Normalized Arab-Israeli relations would be the coup de grace for Hamas and the “Palestinian liberation” movement. Because a precondition of normalized relations with Israel would be ceasing support to Hamas.

Part of the reason why Arab states were warming up to Israel was that Arab leaders have been losing faith in the Palestinian forces for decades now and an improvement for the Palestinians was nowhere in sight.

Regardless of where you stand on this conflict, it’s hard to argue that Palestinian forces have had much in the way of success recently (or ever, for that matter), having lost land to Israel almost continously since Israel’s inception. The reasons for this are not surprising. Palestine isn’t really even a nation, at this point, it’s two paltry strips of impoverished land run by a corrupt elite and barely educated militants with no resources of their own. They are facing a prosperous, well-organized nation state with a highly competent military and the direct support of the world’s premier powers. It was never going to turn out well for them.

And I suppose the Arabs were tired of tying their money up in so clearly a lost cause. Oh sure, they still outwardly broadcast support for Palestine for religious reasons and internal appeasement (most Arab Muslims are extremely against any reproachment with Israel), but I suspect they have been planning a move away from being active stakeholders in the Israel-Palestine conflict for a while.

So why the attack from Hamas now? Well it’s an obvious attempt to sabotage the normalization of relations across the ME, which would have sounded the death knell for them. I cannot imagine the Hamas leadership were going to stand idle and let the war coffers they plunder empty out. So they attacked Israel, performing the attack in a way that would cause the most severe reaction from the Israelis. Massacring Jews, abducting Jews, the whole shabang. They were trying to force Israel into the largest possible retaliation against them (they might have succeeded), and thereby force the Arab powers into taking a stance against said Israeli retaliation. That’s my only explanation for this attack. Otherwise, the immediate tactical value of killing a few hundred Israeli civilians eludes me.

And it seems to have worked…for now.

Many of the Arab nations previously moving towards normalized relations with Israel have now performed a sudden U-turn, mostly for reasons of posturing (and possibly gaining leverage out of the situation). But I don’t think this will last long. Some of the Gulf states didn’t even openly side with Palestine this time, the UAE came out with this statement;

“The UAE calls for the exercise of maximum restraint and an immediate ceasefire to avoid serious repercussions,”

I imagine most of the Arab powers see that the writing is on the wall for Hamas. There is no possible way that having poked the Israeli bear, Hamas is going to be able to effectively resist any Israeli-counter operation. Afterall, the Israeli army is a world-class professional fighting force, and Hamas is a glorified militia at best, fighting on very little land, completely trapped and encircled. Or to be brief, they’re f*cked.

I suppose once the Arab countries can extract some personal benefit/concession out of the situation, they will perform another U-turn and go back to ditching Palestine. I can see Saudi Arabia’s shallow declaration of support for Hamas disappearing once the Saudi’s can get some sort of security deal with the US in exchange for re-normalizing relations with Israel.

Regardless, the long-term outlook for Hamas is poor. This was a desperate, flailing attempt to gain some short-term ground in “reuniting the Ummah” and gain an [im]moral victory against Israel.

But in time, I think, they will come to regret it.

HE’S BASED !! Oliver Anthony – Rich Mans Gold | REACTION

Thanks for a great video and reaction! I love the message, and you wound it up wonderfully! God bless you, and yours!

World should be prepared for sustained high inflation in US — Global Times

The outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has driven up oil prices again, while a potential oil crisis could risk putting the Fed’s inflation fight in jeopardy, adding uncertainties to the global economic recovery.

The US and Venezuela have progressed in talks that could provide sanctions relief to Caracas by allowing at least one additional foreign oil firm to take Venezuelan crude oil for debt repayment, Reuters reported on Monday, citing five anonymous sources.

The timing of the news seems delicate, as it comes at a time when oil prices keep rising on market fears of the Middle East conflict exacerbating supply tightness. On Monday, global benchmark Brent Crude rose 4.2 percent to $88.15 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 4.3 percent to $86.38 per barrel.

Both Brent Crude and WTI remained around their Monday closing levels during Tuesday’s trading. The regained upward momentum contrasted with a drop of more than 8 percent in global oil prices over the previous week.

Apparently, the US releasing information through media outlets over potential sanctions relief on oil-exporting country Venezuela serves as a reminder to the market that even if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict brings uncertainty to crude oil supply in the Middle East, the US may be able to affect oil prices in other ways.

If the US does ease sanctions on Venezuelan crude oil, then an immediate effect would be an increase in supply to the world oil market and a fall in oil prices.

However, even though it is not clear how oil prices will unfold, US anxiety about high oil prices triggering high inflation is almost certain. At a time when the Fed’s monetary tightening policy has approached its limit, if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict leads to a sustained rebound in global crude prices, then it will certainly disrupt the interest rate hiking cycle of the Fed.

If the Fed continues to hike interest rates to curb inflation, the US economy will likely slip into a recession. A worse scenario for the Fed could be that the economy falls into a recession with the inflation rate still high.

While some may argue that since neither Palestine nor Israel is a major oil-producing country, the impact on the oil market is limited, and the conflict may not last long. Yet, market fears about the Middle East situation are not unfounded. There are no reliable indications of whether the conflict will end soon or lead to wider regional instability. If it escalates to involve more Middle East nations, it could threaten crude supply by the surrounding major oil-producing countries. The Middle East is home to some of the world’s biggest oil producers, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as key transit routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, which is known as the world’s most important “oil chokepoint.”

The US will try its best to avoid the worst-case scenario. Diplomatic efforts may convince Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela to increase their oil production to relieve its inflation pressure. But it needs to be reminded that given the past oil crises in the Middle East that caused great volatility in the global crude market, the psychological impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the crude market shouldn’t be underestimated. As long as the conflict remains unresolved, the impact will remain.

Also, since the Biden administration has already released several batches of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the purpose of reining in high inflation, the remaining stocks may not be as sufficient as they were during previous oil crises. It is disturbing to think how few tools the US has left to affect inflation.

Can the Fed’s monetary policy withstand the test of this round of oil market volatility? If the Fed changes the pace of rate hikes because of the Middle East situation, then the risk of a US recession will increase significantly.

At that point, even the world economic recovery will face greater difficulties. That will also create more challenges for the Chinese economy, especially in terms of the spillover effect of US rate hikes and China’s cooperation with the Middle East. In this sense, essential preparations are needed for the potential shocks.

King Abdullah II of Jordan Orders Humanitarian Aid to Gaza; IDF Says “no”

World Hal Turner

King Abdullah II of Jordan, in coordination with the Egyptian Government, has reportedly ordered the Delivery of Humanitarian Aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Border Crossing.

However the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is continuing to state that any Supply Trucks that attempt to enter the Gaza Strip through Egypt will be Destroyed.

The government of Israel needs to remind it IDF that THEY do not make policy; the civilian government makes policy.   The government of Israel also needs to remind the IDF that THEY do not get to starve people to death, which, now that Israel has formally declared “War” would be a war crime.  A crime against Humanity.

Hal Turner Editorial Opinion: We all see and know the ferocious and horrifying situation that now exists in Israel with the ongoing war.  Israel absolutely, positively, has a right to defend itself and its people.   On this, there is no disagreement.  None.   At all.

Israel does NOT, however, get to throw out all the rules of war — or humanity — and starve 2.3 Million people to death in Gaza.  That’s not a tactic, that’s Genocide – and it is not allowed. Period. Full stop.

What were the worst two minutes of your life?

I was 20. I was going to college and working.

It was late one night after a summer rain. I came upon a light truck that had slid off the road and flipped.

I stopped and ran to the truck and found a 16 year old kid impaled on a fence post and bleeding out. He was dying and he knew it. He was crying, calling for his mother and saying I don’t want to die over and over.

I told him I was going for help and he said please don’t let me die alone. I stayed with that kid, held him as he died.

It really messed me up. The cops thought I was a victim too because I had his blood all over me.

The paramedics gave me a shot and took me to hospital. They told me that’s the only way I’d let him go. Maybe I thought if I’d hung onto him he’d be all right.

I’d never met the kid but I would have given my life if he could have lived.

They kept me in the hospital a few days. Cops and paramedics came to see me. We talked a lot. The first time you come across a scene like that is a horror. If you aren’t ready for it, it’ll mess you up. I went down the drain in a haze of booze and drugs.

I had a bad case of PTSD. Every time I closed my eyes, that kid was there. In his eyes was the plea don’t let me die and there was nothing I could do.

Six months later I was in rehab.

I worked with a shrink. For another six months. I haven’t had a drink or drug since.

The nightmares are rare now. I learned how fragile and precious life is and, how quickly that can change in a matter of seconds.

How did Amazon fail in China?

Thanks for the A2A.


Answer: The Chinese market and regulations were vastly different. Amazon’s business operations worldwide were essentially stripped downed clones of their American operations. In the early days (early 2000s), Amazon China either didn’t have the authority, or simply arrogance prevented them to adapt-and-improve to the local reality. By the time Amazon China wanted to adapt-and-improve in the early 2010s, it was already too late. AWS is a different case, thou.

Just give an example:

Amazon and eBay arrived on China’s e-commerce scene in its formative years in the early 2000s. Amazon and eBay started off with absolute dominance. However, in the early 2000s, e-commerce in China was tiny, especially outside B2B. One common obstacle was the lack of credit cards. Buyers had to submit payments via wire transfers from their nearest post offices. In case of a fraud, it was nearly impossible to recover the losses.

Then, Alibaba/Taobao, a minor player at the time, launched Alipay, an online payment escrow service. Very soon, Taobao wiped eBay out who also happened to be in online auction business.

Why did eBay or Amazon not preempt AliPal? After all, eBay owned PayPal.

There were a whole bunch of missed opportunities for Amazon China in the following years.

China is Decoupling From the US

Damn! This is great.

If there is one video that you MUST watch from start to finish, this is it!

Carl Zha talks to @TheRedPillDiariesOfficial about how the US attempt to decouple from China has actually led to China decoupling from the US which only results in more isolation of the West from the rest of the World. US money printing and financial sanctions also led to acceleration of de-dollarization in the rest of the world.

How did you get revenge on your boss?

I was the editor for a small daily newspaper in texas. I had four reporters and a photographer on my team.

Newspapers are notorious for not paying overtime, even though it is the law in most cases.

They forced the employees to work 50–60 hours a week and to turn in a 40-hour time card, so they got paid no overtime. The bad thing was, I was the one who had to tell them to work. The only option was to work without pay or get fired, and people needed a job so they stayed.

I secretly kept meticulous records. I had each employee fill out their real hours on a time card and give it to me. I took notes of every conversation.

I eventually got fired because a story that I didn’t know about didn’t get in the paper. Should not have been that big of a deal, but I was relieved.

My first order of business was to contact the labor board in the state. I gave them all the actual hours, and copies of the time cards the employees were forced to sign. Along with notes about conversations I had.

A few weeks later the paper was fined several thousand dollars, had to pay every employee, including me, backpay with overtime. The company fired my boss as well. That was a good piece of revenge

What are things men have to go through that women either do not understand or have empathy for?

Today, I took my dog to the dog park. It’s his favorite place in the world. I sat there and was watching him run around with the other dogs.

A young girl, maybe six years old, walked up to me. She said hi and asked if I wanted to see something.

I said “sure.” There were maybe six other adults there, so I knew I was somewhat protected by witnesses. She said she could “run as fast as a velociraptor.” It was really cute. She took off about 20 yards and ran back.

I said that was really cool and asked where she learned about velociraptors. She said “school.” I thought it was nice to hear a kid talk about something they learned in school.

I asked which school she goes to. But before she could answer, I stopped her. I interrupted “never mind. Don’t answer that.” I immediately got up and walked to another bench.


I don’t think most women could understand how nervous I was for that minute. I was terrified of being labeled, had she told her adult supervisor that I asked her that question.

I think any woman would feel perfectly comfortable having a conversation like that with a six year old boy. But no man is completely safe in a situation like that.

How do I respectfully and tactfully tell someone that I can’t split the bill at a restaurant when their portion is way more than mine?

I got caught once at a dinner out with people from work. I heard one check and thought we’ll we can do the math, and I ordered according to my means. I don’t drink alcohol, and watched evryone else had a pre-dinner cocktail, then several bottles of wine with dinner, plus they each ordered dessert. So I knew what I owed plus 20% of my own tab. But the lead of tne event, a little tipsy announces “let’s divide the check 11 ways”. I took a deep breath, and said but Mary Kate, I didn’t have any cocktails or wine, or dessert. I was surprised when a waiter stepped forward and supported that he kept jote that I had NOT had any of those extras. So therexwas silence and eye rolling, but I gave my amount including tip. Then they equally divided the rest. I saved myself 65.00. Tvwas awkward but I offered some folks rides home for free. I was never invited to another girls night out, but others did approach me at work quietly saying they didn’t drink more than one cocktail and felt stuck paying the big excess. So for the rest of my life I Che k before going out, how are we splitting the bill tonight? Then I can decline in advance. I’m not cheap, but careful with my money I work hard for, and when the money is to cover everyone else’s booze, no thanks.

UK Rail Thoughts

Expensive high speed railway farce of UK shows it isn’t a competitor to China

In the 19th century, Britain was the nation which invented the railway. The landmark invention of the steam engine, known as “Stephenson’s Rocket,” was a creation which revolutionized the world and became a pinnacle of building the modern, industrialized world, connecting nations and enabling trade like never before. It was through the genius of this innovation that Britain excelled against its competitors and established itself as a global empire, a scientific, technological and military giant which allowed it to dominate and subjugate countless countries, including China.

Yet, Britain today pales in comparison to its historical achievements, as it struggles to even muster the organization, funding and political will to build a second high speed railway. This project, known as High Speed 2 (HS2), has proven to be one of the most controversial, politically contested and expensive infrastructure projects in British history, with a report from Channel 4 stating its costs could spiral upward to 108 billion pounds ($131.6 billion). The railway was designed to connect Britain’s largest two cities, London and Birmingham, cutting transportation time to just an hour, but it was also envisioned to extend to other major cities including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh, connecting all the economic centres of the country.

That isn’t happening. As the costs of construction continue to grow, and as the date of completion continues to get pushed back, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has lost the political will to pursue it and decided to effectively scrap the northern link, instead proposing to shoehorn the trains onto existing lines.

There are several factors which have contributed to this scaling back, but all are the government’s fault. This includes disastrous policy choices including full-throttle escalation of the war in Ukraine, which the government has devoted billions to, and the subsequent onslaught of inflation and economic stagnation, mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also more subtly, the government’s decision to, at the behest of the US, pursue an antagonistic foreign policy toward China against its national interests.

How are China and HS2 linked? First of all, at the end of 2019, the Boris Johnson government proposed to the press that China Railway Corp be used as the contractor for HS2. This was the most effective, reliable and cheapest option available. Not only would the project have been completed far earlier, but it would have also been far less expensive. The following year, Britain reset its foreign policy on China at the influence of the US, and the whole thing went out the window. With that policy shift, Britain began effectively sabotaging its own infrastructure development to suit US preferences. The costs of Britain banning Huawei from its 5G network, to take just one example, have been astronomical.

China’s high speed railway record speaks for itself. Meanwhile, Britain is struggling to connect just two major cities just 117 miles (188 kilometres) apart, China has built a comprehensive high speed railway network within the scope of just 15 years, which as of 2022, spans 42,000 kilometres and is still growing. It is possible to travel across the entire country in just seven hours from Shenzhen to Beijing. In 25 years, Britain has only managed to complete one high speed network (HS1), which is in fact a transnational route which goes to France, the Netherlands and Belgium, making it a joint collaboration rather than a distinctly “British” achievement.

The fundamental reason behind Britain’s failure to move ahead with high speed railway is that its infrastructure is a series of privately owned, for-profit franchises, without any subsidies, which substantially drives up the costs and also limits investment in the infrastructure simultaneously. Even without considering the High Speed Rail, the quality of British railways is astonishingly poor and behind most of its European counterparts. This model has also been bad for the workers, which has led to routine industrial action and strikes throughout the year of 2022-23, making services unreliable. This contrasts sharply to China’s state-led model of development which is superior to the British railway system in every single way.

This makes the comparison ironic given that Britain sees China as a “competitor” and a “threat to its economic security.” Britain is a stagnating, declining country while China is the world’s second largest economy, and rather than learning from China’s development successes and courting Chinese investment, the UK has made the bizarre choice to “cut its nose off to spite its face” and antagonise Beijing to suit US interests.

But what have they got to show for it? The answer is a single high speed rail route spanning into the cost of more than 100 billion pounds which has taken decades to build and has to be scaled back from its original plans. This is the country which invented the railway, but now finds itself falling behind at an alarming rate. This means shunning Chinese companies was one of the most expensive and short-sighted decisions taken by politicians in recent years, among many other things.

Saudi Arabia Rejects US, Gives $70 Billion Order To China!

“I like watching the US suffer it’s like seeing a bully get punished, it’s amazing.”

https://youtu.be/tEWQ61LaIkw

What was the most British thing anyone ever said?

My wife and I were walking with our youngest over the old bridge between Lichfield Cathedral and the market place. A lovely spring day. I’m British, my wife isn’t.

A young man came dashing past the end of the bridge, a police officer in hot pursuit. They both vanished from view rapidly.

We stopped to read the information board about the historic bridge. A few minutes later, the suspect and the copper came walking back, a little out of breath. We overheard their conversation.

Copper: “Sorry for running after you like that, mate. But you were running away.”

Suspect: “Yeah, sorry about that, mate. I shouldn’t have run, but I didn’t want to get caught.”

My wife stood open-jawed. I didn’t quite see why it was so unusual. I mean, just because they’re trying to arrest you doesn’t mean police officers should be rude or unsympathetic. Just because they may have done something the law may forbid doesn’t mean someone has to be abusive.

We continued to eavesdrop.

Copper, leading suspect to a park bench, where they both sat down, “Are you ready to give me your name and address, or do you want a bit of a breather first?”

Suspect, “You don’t have a cigarette, do you?”

Copper, pulling a packet of fags from his breast pocket and handing it to the suspect, “Here you go.”

As he lit the man’s cigarette, the police van arrived. Copper: “Just finish your smoke and we’ll finish the details at the station.”

I told my wife there was a good chance the cop didnt smoke, but kept a handy packet to help put people at ease.

She’s told friends and family in several countries about that. It is, she says, absolutely the most British thing she’s witnessed: a cop apologising for arresting someone who apologised for trying to run away.

If this story has failed to entertain or amuse, all I can say is sorry. And what could be more British than that?

What are the biggest lessons you have learned in the corporate world?

Going Anonymous, because most of my colleagues are my followers and vice-versa.

I’m a male professional. I have had only 2+ years of experience in one of the fortune 500 companies.

Sharing my top 6 learning so far, being honest:)

1. To ensure that your peers, immediate supervisor, or your manager don’t take your effort and time for granted.

2. I have learnt to document, I mean, putting everything on emails, which is a must!! Trust, team work, and other fancy words come next. This is one of the most important lessons I have learnt, after many betrayals from my peers.

3. Don’t expect your supervisor or lead to talk for you, say for example: nominating you for awards or acknowledging your efforts in front of the team. Instead, if you really expect awards,remember you have tongue!

4. I have good relationship with many female co-workers. But, if something goes wrong, say for example an argument regarding work or something. If they want to take it further and make your life miserable, you’ll be the victim for sure, trust me.

5. Whenever I have had discussions with my manager, I have gotten very angry because of her bad review comments. FYI, I have not received any negating feedback from the stakeholders (Also, not any appreciation) . But, after each discussion, I have worked on my skills and added them to my resume. Remember, at last, only that matters is what is in it for you and am hoping to get a new job with a good hike.

6. Don’t show that you badly want to be in the job, although you have debts to pay, pretend to be confident. Otherwise, you’ll end up doing loads of work, which you are not supposed to do.

Rich Men North Of Richmond [ @TheMarineRapper Remix]

Nice remix.

UKRAINE SOLD WEAPONS TO HAMAS – USED AGAINST ISRAEL

World Hal Turner

During the intense fighting which broke out yesterday between HAMAS and Israel, astonishing things took place.  Despite the most advanced intelligence and surveillance systems in the world, Palestinians allegedly broke through into Israel — somehow un-noticed by all the surveillance gear.

One Israeli Border Guard told me “Our systems could see if a Bird was flying-in; yet authorities would have us believe they couldn’t see dozens of Palestinians on motorized para-gliders in the air?  It’s simply not possible.  They let this happen on purpose.”

Another Israeli told me “MOSSAD knows when these people, HAMAS, take a dump in the bathroom, yet we’re supposed to believe MOSSAD had no idea this gigantic operation was being planned?”

Israel has the best intelligence on its neighbors of any nation on earth. Israel has lots of “assets” embedded in these various “terrorist” organizations, as well as SIGINT (including U.S. satellite data) which allows Israel to always have a finger on the pulse of these organizations.

There is no way in hell that a coordinated, major attack involving about 1,000 Hamas fighters, sea-based/ land-based/ aerial attacks could have been planned, coordinated, and executed without Israeli intelligence getting wind of it. 0% chance.

Others had similar statements of anger and disbelief.  One IDF soldier who saw Palestinians use a Drone to destroy an Israeli Merkava Tank said “Where did the Palestinians get drones with armor-piercing explosives?  That technology is being used in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.  How did it suddenly appear here, in Israel?” 

Other IDF soldiers pointed to Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) being used against Israeli Security Forces.  He said “These are weapons being seen on the Ukraine battlefields, how did they get into the Gaza Strip?”

Then, in the midst of the fighting, this video came out: HAMAS thanking Ukraine for selling them weapons to be used against Israel:

The most raging questions had to do with alleged “electronic jamming” that was said to have taken place as the Palestinians with para-gliders flew across the border into Israel.  According to numerous sources on both sides, “electronic warfare” technology was allegedly used to jam Israeli radar and other surveillance gear.  Said one Israeli “Only the Russians have gear to carry out such effective jamming – how did the Palestinians get it?”

That seems to be the most burning question right now since videos are also out showing armed Palestinian fighters para-glding into a massive “RAVE” party inside Israel:

The answers all see to point to yesterday’s outbreak of violence as “payback” to Israel, from Russia, over Israel’s support of Ukraine, and over Israel’s supplying of weapons and technology to Azerbaijan, which used it against Armenia again over the past two weeks, to seize Nagorno-Karaback and send 100,000 Armenians fleeing for their lives.

If this conclusion about Russia is correct, then one might ask, how much farther all this fighting in Israel may go?  Will Israel still exist when this is over?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

One official with whom I spoke overnight told me “Israel is suffering from Desertification of its land; the ground water table is receding 25 meters a year and soon, there won’t be enough arable land to support the continued existence of Israel.  But . . . quite coincidentally . . . there is now rich, arable land, in the center of Europe, where half its population has either fled or been killed, that would suit a relocation of Israel:   Ukraine.   Maybe they’ll all move there.” 

Gee.  What a coincidence.

As for those asking “Why are the Palestinians so violent towards Israel?”  the answer has been on maps for years, right in front of everyone’s eyes.  Below is the reality from the time “Israel” was created in 1949, until today.   The White areas are “Israel” and the Green are “Palestinian.”  Look at what has happened to the Palestinians in their own land, since 1949:

The Palestinians have been systematically purged from their land, their homes, and their freedom.   THAT is the root of this hatred.  It’s not going away.

They never show you this map on the news. That’s because it provides the crucial context necessary to anyone wanting to understand the Israel/Palestine situation.

How do I become very successful in my early twenties?

A young man with mental health problems just walked into the coffee shop while I was writing on Quora.

He’s strong and looks normal, but he can’t stop talking to himself.

He’s talking continuously to himself, and every few steps he takes, he does a quick ‘Michael-Jackson-turn’ and then continues walking forward.

Witnessing this individual with no self control helped me not only to feel grateful but also helped give me the answer to this question.

I have written several times about my own mind-battles. I’ve always struggled with ADD and possibly dyslexia. The consequences of this “lack of brain control” made me a terrible student academically.

Failing classes at school killed my self-confidence. These struggles shaped my childhood.

So, where am I going with all of this?

There’s a hidden secret to success, but it demands an open mind to understand it and humility to implement it.


So, to answer your question, how can you become very successful in your early twenties?

I could answer this with a huge list of “best practices,” but as I’ve learned NONE of those work if you don’t first master yourself.

What do I mean?

Some examples:

  • Are YOU in control of yourself, or are your fears controlling you?
  • Are YOU in control of your life, or is your need to please other people controlling you?
  • Do you know your strengths and your weaknesses, or are you hiding and ignoring your weaknesses with distractions or numbing addictions?
  • Do you struggle with depression, anxieties or other emotional issues?

But hold on!

Remember what I said before?

There’s a hidden secret to success which demands an OPEN mind to understand, and HUMILITY to implement it.”

Open: Learn to listen!

Humility: Stop hiding and being defensive!

That’s the fastest road to success!

It wasn’t until I stopped running and hiding who I really was that change started to happen in my life. Over the years, I had developed the strength to fit into this competitive world, but I was fooling myself, not everyone else.

Maturing and accepting who I was, and starting to work on those strengths and weaknesses is when I started to grow to my fullest potential!

There’s still a long journey ahead…


Whether we recognize it or not, we’re all imperfect human beings. There’s NO person on earth who doesn’t struggle with some kind of mental/emotional issue.

Well, excuse me… except you!

If you are or feel “perfect,” go on and keep doing what you’re doing… good luck!

For those of us who have been humbled by the battlefield of life, this is your way to success:

Self-Awareness is your best friend!


Like a wild horse — you may be the fastest “horse” in the world, but if you are not ‘tamed’ you will NEVER win the race!

The Uncomfortable Study That Ended Affirmative Action | 𝘋𝘳. 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

Interesting stuff. I remember reading a few years ago about some other work this professor was involved in. It had to do with the etymological implications of contemporary media figures and their pseudonyms, and ended up concluding that Destiny was a woman’s name.

How would a 1950s-style American cheeseburger and fries stand up to todays? Were the milkshakes real back then?

My Father, Grandfather and Uncle were partners in a restaurant business in the 1950–70’s. This was before fast food existed. My grandfather had started teaching me how to cook when I was 4-5 years old. This is around 1960. When I was 10, I started going there on Sunday and did some bits of work. A year or two later I was working there evenings and weekends, peeling potatoes and making fries, food prep, waiting tables, washing dishes and floors.

I learned how to make milkshakes and all the desserts. Milkshakes were one scoop of ice cream, fill to the line in the metal cup with homogenized milk (no 2% in those days) and two squirts of syrup. The ice cream flavor and the syrup matched the flavor the customer ordered. We had Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla and that was typical of the selection in those days. The contents of the metal cup was usually larger than the glass that we served it in, so after we filled the glass, we took both the glass and the remaining in the metal cup to the customer’s table.

I also cooked and ate hamburgers regularly. My father ground the meat and he put some seasoning and egg into the mixture. When he was done, we manually made balls of meat, flattened them into hamburger size and put them in a stack, first a burger, then a small sheet of wax paper. I think the size was about 7 inches diameter and 1/4 inch thick. These would shrink when cooked to about 5 inches diameter and 1/2 inch thick. We put these stacks of burgers in the freezer. Each time someone ordered a burger, we would take one out and fry it up. The buns were simple buns like hamburger buns you’d buy at the grocers. I think the meat tasted much better than any fast food we have today. It tasted like a hamburger you’d buy in a good restaurant, you could taste the meat. The cheese was also real cheese, not the processed stuff you have today. It came with a slice of onion and tomato, 2 slices of real bacon was extra. Condiments were mustard, relish and ketchup.

Historically, what are some of the strangest and most absurd military plans that actually worked?

I think this has got to be the story of the Dutch minesweeper HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen. It was 1941, when the Japanese suddenly attacked Dutch East Indies, as well as other colonies in southeast Asia. The minesweeper found itself suddenly in danger of the sophisticated Japanese aircraft and patrolling ships.

The remaining Dutch Navy was ordered to link up with the Australian navy, but Abraham Crijnssen was stuck all alone in Indonesia, armed with a single 76mm gun turret and two 20mm auto cannons. It had no chance to fight off really anything. So the crew decided to camouflage the entire ship, as an island. They cut down a bunch of jungle foliage, and painted what they couldn’t cover as sand or rock.

They only sailed at night, because during the day, the water ripples would have been visible from the air. During the day they simply anchored close to shore appearing as a small island – one of many along the Indonesian shore.

She arrived in Australia in March 1942, without being detected by the Japanese.

Iran President warns Israel against warmongering

October 8, 2023 – 23:24

TEHRAN – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the Israeli regime against making warmongering steps, saying that equations in the region have changed.

President Raisi also spoke over the phone with Esmail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas political bureau, and Ziyad Nakhala, the secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad Movement.

The Iranian president also issued a message on the situation in Palestine. He welcomed the Palestinian operation against the Zionist regime of Israel, saying that the operation frightened and startled the world of oppression.

He said the Palestinians took the initiative and showed that the steely determination prevails over all kinds of weaponry.

The Iranian president underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran invites all the world to observe the truth that the accumulation of oppression and injustice against the Palestinian people, the continuation of insults to the women and prisoners, and sacrilege to Al-Aqsa Mosque cannot last forever and will be met with resistance by nations.

“Undoubtedly, the Zionist regime and its supporters are responsible for endangering the security of the nations of the region and must be held accountable. The Islamic Republic defends the legitimate defense of the Palestinian nation,” he said, according to IRNA.

Raisi asserted, “The honor of the nations is not obtained in reconciliation with oppression; And it is impossible to normalize the captivity of the free nation of Palestine.”

President Raisi also asked the Muslim governments to join the Islamic Ummah in supporting the Palestinian nation honestly.

Underlining that belligerence is detrimental to the Zionists, Raisi warned, “The Zionist enemy should also know that the equation has changed; Warmongering is detrimental to the Zionists. The Palestinian nation is the winner of this field.”

Palestinian attack turned the collapse nightmare into certainty: General

A senior Iranian general has said that the Saturday attack by Palestinian resistance groups against Israel turned the nightmare of collapse of Israel into a reality for the leaders of the Israeli regime.

In a message about the Palestinian attack, General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of joint staff of Iran’s armed forces, said, “Al-Aqsa Storm turned the nightmare of collapse of the Zionist regime into a certainty for the leaders of this regime, and proved that some desperate efforts like the normalization charade will not be able to slow down or postpone the process of the decline and collapse of the spider web.”

General Bagheri was referring the Palestinian attack, code-named Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, which caught the Israeli regime off guard.

The Iranian general described the operation as “hybrid and proud” that took down the false redoubtable image and power of the occupying regime of Israel.

“The Palestinian resistance fighters, in this surprise operation that they prepared from the air, sea and land against the positions of the Zionist army, brought to the fore brilliant scenes of the resistance and standing of a suffering and oppressed nation,” General Bagheri said in the message.

He added, “A nation that, after several decades of imposed oppression, now with the support of the young motivated generation relying on Islam and under the shadow of trust in the divine promise, has achieved such a power that it has astonished the analysts and military strategists of the world.”

He pointed out that at some point, the defenseless nation of Palestine used to defend themselves with stones, but today they reached a point where they are able to pull off complex hybrid operations using thousands of rockets and missiles to denigrate the Israeli missile defense system Iron Dome.

“These defense weapons, when combined with the spirit of martyrdom of motivated Palestinian youth, produce such a power that it brings the Zionist regime to a collapse like a devastating deluge,” the Iranian general said.
He said, “The stormy movement of the Al-Aqsa Storm is the product of the holy anger that the Zionist enemy has planted in the oppressed Palestinian nation and must now reap.”

General Bagheri congratulated the Palestinian resistance fighters on their “proud victory,” expressing hope that the Al-Aqsa Mosque will soon be liberated from Israeli captivity.

“It is a divine promise that oppression won’t last long and the will of the oppressed people of Palestine will defeat the oppressors,” he concluded.

Spontaneous” move.

Iran has said that the Palestinian operation against Israel is a “spontaneous” move.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani reacted to the current developments in occupied Palestine and the attack by the Palestinian resistance groups against the Zionist occupiers, saying Operation Al-Aqsa Flood was a spontaneous move by the resistance groups and the oppressed Palestinian people in defense of their inalienable and undeniable rights.

He added that the operation was the Palestinians’ natural reaction to the war-mongering, provocative and incendiary policies of the Zionists, especially the usurping regime’s extremist and adventurous prime minister, according to a statement by the Iranian foreign ministry.

Kanaani said the oppressed Palestinian people’s inalienable right to defend themselves, their land and their sanctities against occupation, aggression, daily violations and organized terror on part of the Zionist regime is a natural and legitimate right in line with all recognized international standards and the fundamental principles of international law.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman added that on the one hand, the continuation of the desecration of Islam’s holy sites and the first Qibla of Muslims by extremist and racist Zionists in recent months and weeks, and the persistence of the Zionist regime’s policy of killing, committing crimes and doing acts of aggression against the oppressed Palestinian people, especially women, children and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails amid the silence and inaction of the international community and the fake human rights defenders have left the Palestinian nation and resistance no way but to resist and rely on their inherent strength in the face of the Zionists.

Kanani noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms the inherent and legal right of Palestinians to defend themselves vis-à-vis the crimes of the usurpers of Palestine that have been going on for 75 years. He said Iran also holds the Zionist occupiers and its supporters responsible for the continuation and escalation of violence and atrocities against the Palestinians. He underlined that Iran calls on Muslim countries to support al-Aqsa Mosque and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

Small portion of Resistance Power

Ali Akbar Velayati, the secretary general of the global assembly of Islamic awakening, has reacted to the Palestinian operation against Israel, saying that the operation showed only small portion of the power accumulated by the Resistance Axis.

In a message to Esmail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas political bureau, and Ziyad Nakhala, the secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Velayati hailed the Palestinian operation against the military positions of the Israeli regime.

He said that the photos coming out of the operation showed a great conquest that startled and astonished the enemies and stratified Muslims all over the world, especially in the West Asia region.

“The era of domination and tyranny of the Zionist terrorist regime is over and what is happening today in the occupied territories is a small manifestation of the accumulated power and authority of the Islamic Resistance Front in Palestine,” Velayati said.

He added, “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, which is a response to the ongoing crimes of the Zionist regime in the occupied territories, will definitely fundamentally change the balance of power in the occupied Palestine and will put the Zionist regime in a more vulnerable position.”

He noted, “This victorious operation, which will definitely facilitate and accelerate the collapse of the Zionist regime, promises the impending destruction of the Zionist regime.”

Velayati also said that “this great and strategic victory is a serious warning” to all those who seek to normalize relations with Israel.

Iran FM speaks with Turkish counterpart

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, about the situation in Palestine.

The reviewed the situation in Palestine and underlined the importance of respecting the rights of the Palestinian people.

In this call, Amir Abdollahian called the resistance movement spontaneous and the result of the continuous crimes of the Zionist regime against Palestine, according to a separate statement by the Iranian foreign ministry.

The Iranian foreign ministry emphasized the necessity of solidarity and cohesion of Islamic countries in supporting the Holy Quds and supporting the oppressed and resistant Palestinian nation.

New rules for war

A member of the Political Council of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement hailed the Palestinian forces’ recent military operation against Israel as a monumental milestone that has defined new regulations on the struggle with the Israeli enemy.

In an interview with Tasnim, Mahmoud Qamati paid tribute to the Hamas fighters for their bravery after launching the Al-Aqsa Storm operation against the Zionist regime outside the Gaza Strip.

“Today, we are witnessing a new chapter, a qualitative leap, a military upheaval, and a change in the war patterns and in the rules of military battle against the Zionist enemy,” he said.

Hailing the Palestinian resistance forces for “stabilizing their military power” by infiltrating into the Zionist settlements and the areas occupied by the Israeli regime, Qamati said the major development has marked a new, monumental and historical model in the history of confrontation with the Zionist enemy.

The Zionist regime’s army is neither capable of defense nor offense, is absent in the battlefield, and has practically fallen into a state of passiveness, the Hezbollah official stated, noting that the Zionist settlers are in panic because there is no army to take care of them.

Qamati also said the unprecedented surprise operation by the Palestinian forces has dealt a crushing blow not only to Israel, but also to the United States and the West, the staunch supporters of the Zionist regime.

Why don’t Chinese people use chopsticks made of steel? It would save lots of trees. Are there forks, knives, and spoons in China?

What’s this 1942?

Today less than 6% Chopsticks in China are made of wood and bamboo

Plastic Chopsticks are most commonly used and form around 53% of Chopsticks used in China

Stainless Steel Chopsticks come next. Around 24% of Chopsticks in China are Stainless Steel

Porcelain Chopsticks are typically used in Chinese Homes and upscale restaurants and form around 17% of the Chopsticks used in China

‘Others’ count for a mere 6% and that includes Wood, Bamboo, Jade and a variety of other materials


Another fun fact

Almost 70% Wooden Chopsticks made in China are EXPORTED

Guess who uses them?

J A P A N

Japanese use almost 37% wooden Chopsticks

Texas Tra$h

2023 11 04 10 32
2023 11 04 10 32

Yield: 9 cups

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups Rice Chex
  • 2 cups Wheat Chex
  • 4 ounces shoestring potatoes
  • 2 cups pretzel sticks
  • 1 cup salted nuts

Instructions

  1. Combine butter, Worcestershire sauce, salt and garlic powder. Blend well in skillet.
  2. Add remaining ingredients.
  3. Put into a baking dish.
  4. Bake at 250 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Col Douglas Macgregor – “Their Army Is No More!…”

https://youtu.be/on6cgx-QQ1c

What major mistake did the Confederates make to lose the war?

The Union made a number of unforced errors that drastically prolonged the war and still won anyway. The Confederacy did surprisingly well and still lost anyway. That should tell you everything you need to know.

Seriously, no bullshit, the South had no path to victory from the start. An impoverished, agrarian nation with poor logistics declaring war on a far more industrialized, cohesive nation just starting to come into its own as an industrial power? Here’s your sign.

From the South’s perspective, the only winning move was not to play. The moment they commenced hostilities (and boy, the way they commenced hostilities was a barrel full of stupid), the end was preordained. They had this weird idea that Europe, who they believe could not survive without their textiles, would intervene on their behalf, and that’s a miscalculation you could write entire books about.

Turns out the English hated slavery more than they loved cheap cotton, much to the surprise of folks who basically made white supremacy into their equivalent of a state religion, and without a patron it wasn’t whether the South would lose, but when.

All of this should have been obvious. But like one of my high school teachers said, though he didn’t put it quite this succinctly: Slavery makes you lazy, and racism makes you stupid. (He contended that laziness and stupidity, directly traceable to the institution of chattel slavery, still persist in the South to this day.)

Americans get poorer as Washington throws cash at Ukraine and migrants

US families are undergoing a third-straight year of falling income, but politicians think taxpayer money is better spent elsewhere

As Uncle Sam continues to pump billions of dollars into Kiev’s flagging fight against Russia and provide tempting handouts to illegal migrants, why is the average American worker forced to live paycheck to paycheck?

Here’s a question that most people have considered at least once in their lives, and probably a lot recently: How much annual income would you need to feel financially secure? For the average American, the magic number comes out to be $233,000 a year, according to a survey by Bankrate.

To bring the ’99 percent’ back down to Earth, the US Census Bureau released some sobering data that dashed those elusive six-digit dreams. Inflation-adjusted median household income fell to $74,580 in 2022 – a 2.3% decline from the 2021 average of $76,330. This marks the third-straight annual decrease since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, taking a wrecking ball to the heart of the economy.

The bad news doesn’t end there for US consumers, who are now struggling with the consequences of a foreign conflict in a distant land and a wide-open border. Those factors have prompted the cost of living to surge higher than it has in over four decades amid runaway inflation. In June 2022, the year-over-year inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, hit a jaw-dropping 9.1%, the highest it’s been since the administration of former President Ronald Reagan.

A significant reason for the increase in inflation happened on March 3, 2022, when President Joe Biden signed an executive order to ban the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal to the US. This decision has had disastrous results for the local economy. Since Biden’s inauguration, the cost of gasoline alone had jumped at one point by 100% (as of September 27, the average price of regular gas was $3.832 per gallon, according to the AAA , while gas prices were an average of $2.3 per gallon when Biden entered office), forcing just about everything else to skyrocket, including the number of poor people.

The poverty rate in the US exploded last year, the first increase in 13 years, according to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the rate was 12.4%, up 4.6 percentage points from 2021, according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), a method for tallying government welfare programs and tax credits designed to assist low-income families.

Meanwhile, the Expectations Index, determined by consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions, sunk to 73.7 in September. That follows a drop to 83.3 in August. The worrisome part is that an Expectations Index below 80 generally indicates an impending recession.

An economic tragedy is already quietly happening for millions of American consumers who are now living paycheck to paycheck precariously and who have been forced to use the payment method of last resort to make ends meet: the almighty credit card, with its exorbitant interest fees. On this score, the US economy has broken yet another record, although not in a way that could be considered something to cheer about.

US credit card debt rose by $45 billion to $1.03 trillion in the second quarter from the first quarter, a 4.6% quarterly increase,” The Street reported . “It’s the first time in US history that household credit card balances topped the $1 trillion mark as the number of credit card accounts expanded by 5.48 million to 578.35 million in the quarter.” When consumer debt suddenly equals the amount the US spends on its military-industrial complex, you know there’s a problem.

Clearly, the US has some serious domestic issues that need to be resolved, but instead, it would rather fund a totally senseless proxy war against a nuclear power halfway around the world.

Washington has given Ukraine close to $100 billion in aid, with more in the pipeline, since Moscow launched its military operation in February 2022. The cash, however, has not only been used to fund Ukraine’s military. Billions of dollars have subsidized participants of the Ukrainian economy, like farmers and small business owners, market players whose counterparts in the US desperately need help, too. A recent study conducted by the Council on Foreign Relations shows that more than $30 billion – around 40% of total US aid to Ukraine as of July 31 – has been financial or humanitarian assistance that is not directly connected to military support. Military funding comes out to around $50 billion.

As if that were not enough, the Biden administration continues to welcome illegal migrants at a price that is more than what is being spent fighting a proxy war against Russia in Ukraine. Yes, you read that right; the annual cost of providing care for the millions of illegal migrants entering the US is $150.7 billion, according to the Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers (FAIR).

In August, US Border Patrol recorded 232,972 migrant encounters along the southwestern border, a jump from 183,494 in July. The number of crossings for September is predicted to be higher than the previous month.

So here we have two concurrent events – a disastrous military conflict in Ukraine and a leaky US border – that are sucking away precious funds from the American taxpayer. It’s important to note that the king’s ransom that is being handed over to support these deranged Democratic agendas will never be returned, not in our lifetime. Instead, it will just be added to the unsustainable US national debt load, which is currently at $33 trillion, according to the US Debt Clock . That is an astronomical sum of money that we or future generations will someday be forced to deal with, and probably sooner rather than later.

What American citizen could possibly believe that any of this government funding has been a good investment for the American people? Well, they’re representatives in Washington, DC, for one. In May, ‘conservative’ US Senator Lindsey Graham, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev, pronounced joyfully that “the Russians are dying” and aid to Ukraine is “the best money we’ve ever spent.” Aside from discounting the chances that such an “investment” could have towards unleashing World War III, Graham never thought for a second that such funds could have gone far at rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure, like that non-existent wall on the US-Mexico border. It would have been a wonderful work program for the US economy.

In short, it’s just another day in the discombobulated American empire, which, much like its ancient Roman precursor, could learn the lesson of overexpansion and overspending in the most brutal way imaginable – with its total and complete dissolution.

Israel long war. Saudi-US deal in jeopardy. Breaking BRICS+. $100B to Ukraine, one-and-done. U/1

A painful passing

When I got out of Prison, I suddenly came down with two maladies. The first was Ball’s Palsy (where my face was paralyzed, and I couldn’t close my eyes), and the second hit me about two weeks later. I had terrible kidney stones. And man oh man was it painful.

Because I had no money, and was transitioning from prison, I went to the hospital emergency room and they gave me a number to call to get some medicine for the pain.

And when I called that number, the receptionist answered the phone and accused me of wanting drugs and said that I could come in, but they weren’t going to give me anything for the pain.

I endured that pain for a week before I passed the stone, and it was a mighty bad situation. The pain was HORRIBLE.

Never the less, the thing that I remember was not the pain; the stone; or the egress from prison. I remember that holier than thou bitch at the reception desk that was giving me a hard time.

For all you Karens out there, I have a message for you all.

FUCK

YOU.

Good, now that I got that off my chest, let’s do todays post…

What are a few bitter truths of life?

Robert Sandifer’s life began in two overlapping hells.

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The first hell smoldered outside of his home, the streets of the South Side of Chicago, infamously dangerous, and marred by a blistering gun violence that persists to this day.

These streets are so dangerous that Google actively censors the imagery that populates on Google Streetview.

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Robert Sandifer’s second hell raged in his own home.

He was born to a prostitute mother who had dozens of arrests, and who was addicted to cocaine before, during, and indefinitely after his birth.

Sandifer’s father was wholly absent, serving a long prison sentence for felonies related to brutal gun violence.

He received severe physical beatings that started long before he could speak, that left him with terrible bruises and bloody lesions.

At age 3, Child Protective Services opened an investigation after finding cigarette burns on his body, caused by his mother’s boyfriends.

CPS tried to save him. They moved him to his grandmother’s house, but that home was a 3rd hell, already overflowing with as many as 20 kids at a time, many of them from similar circumstances.

Sandifer quickly became a product of his environment, adopting a violent lifestyle, beating children mercilessly on the playground, stealing their money, and their food. He began burglarizing homes, breaking into cars.

He dropped out of school at age 8 and roamed unsupervised in the gun-born, blood-soaked streets of The South Side.

Sandifer was assimilated into a notorious gang, The Black Disciples, who embraced and celebrated his violence.

At age 10, he was arrested after being caught driving a hijacked car, not the first he’d stolen – nor the last.

After Sandifer’s arrest, his family requested that he be kept in juvenile detention for his own safety and for that of the public – but they were denied – Sandifer was too young for juvenile detention.

And thus – he was released to his Grandmother’s custody.

And into the arms of The Black Disciples.

On a fateful 28th day of August, his gang ordered him to take out a hit on a rival gang member.

Sandifer arrived at his target’s house, he positioned himself behind a parked car on the opposite side of the street.

And opened fire.

His bullets plunged into the crowd, hitting several bystanders, and ultimately killing the wrong person – a 14-year-old girl Shavon Dean.

3 days later, Robert Sandifer was taken under a bridge, told to get on his knees, and shot, execution-style in the back of the head by members of his own gang to silence him.

At the time of his death, he had committed 23 felonies and 5 misdemeanors.

At his funeral – the only picture his family owned of him was his mugshot.

He was 11-years-old.

The bitter truth of life: some kids never stand a chance. People really do not understand just how bad it gets.

Have you ever sabotaged food because someone was stealing it?

Yes I have. I was a single mom struggling to keep my head above water so I would take leftovers for my lunch. This one co-worker would help himself to my lunch, then tell me how delicious it was. I tried explaining my situation to him, but he still continued to eat my lunches. I even bought an insulated lunch box so I didn’t have to put my lunch in the employee refrigerator. He would steal my lunch while I was away from my desk. And still brag about it. Now this coworker was from a different department than I was and made almost twice as much as I did. One day I had enough. That night as I was preparing my lunch for the next day, I included a healthy dose of mineral oil. Mineral oil is edible, it has no taste or smell, but it is a very good laxative. It took the guy about a week to figure it out. He went to HR and tried to get me fired or at least pay his lost wages ( he had to leave work 2–3 hours early all week.) HR talked to me and when I told them my story and how long it had going on, they made him reimburse me for all my lunches he ate. They verified my story first, of course. Later an email went out to all employees that theft of any food would be grounds for termination.

Is a California poppy extract-related product legal to sell in China?

Illegal, in China, selling drugs is illegal, exceeding 1 kg will be sentenced to death.If you know Chinese, you should know that.

In June 2021, 215.37 kg of drugs were hidden in 67,000 tons of soybeans exported by the America to Qingdao port, China, and were intercepted by Qingdao Customs. Relevant personnel have been punished.

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I hope you can understand Chinese hatred of drugs. Qingdao is an eastern port city, and it is obligatory to prevent drugs.

In 2017, Mianyang city Sichuan Province, southwest of China, a thief broke into a house to steal.When he find drugs on the ground,he gave up the plan and report to the police, confessed his crimes and discoveries, and helped the police officers catch a large drug-making-trafficking gang.

Yes, even thieves also despise drug dealers,they also join Antidrug.

Lone Star Bacon and Cheddar Fries

67aa71c90c60143eee828c8addba65ba
67aa71c90c60143eee828c8addba65ba

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (3/8 inch) regular cut fries with skin on
  • 2 ounce shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 2 strips cooked diced bacon
  • 3 ounces sour cream
  • Finely chopped green onions, for garnish
  • Jalapeno peppers, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Deep-fry regular cut fries (350 to 360 degrees F) for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
  2. In fry serving basket, arrange hot fries.
  3. Top with cheese and bacon.
  4. Garnish with sour cream and green onions.
  5. If desired, garnish with jalapenos.
  6. Serve immediately.

What are some small things that matter a lot?

It was a hot summer afternoon in the month of May.

I was riding on my bike to home. A man who may be in his early 50s asked me for a lift. He was sweating profusely and needed to reach home. As his house was on the way I was going in, I gave him a lift.

He explained to me that, his sugar levels are dropping and need to reach home fast. I dropped him off at his home and he thanked me whole heartedly. I got back home and forgot about it.

After a month, a small hotel was opened nearby. I went there to try it out. I was checking out the menu and someone tapped on my shoulder from behind. He was the same man whom I gave lift earlier.

He asked me if I had recognized him. I said no. He explained that I gave him lift a month ago. Then, I recollected him. He asked me, what would I like to eat. I was surprised.

He giggled and said that, he is the owner of that hotel and as a token of gratitude I can have anything for free. I politely refused it but he was stubborn in his offer. So, I gave in.He asked the chef to make the best of the dish I ordered and was given for free.

That day, I realized, the good you do however small, goes far.

Any small help you do to people will for ever be engraved in their minds forever and it comes back to you in the ways you can never imagine.

So, don’t stop doing good and spreading smiles!

Why don’t more people move to Wyoming?

This map of Wyoming offers one of the reasons:

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The areas shaded in green are owned by the federal government. Although Wyoming is large, the federal government owns about 47% of the land. So, some of the most beautiful parts of Wyoming are not places to which people are moving because there is very little private land for them to buy and live on.

But the problem is even deeper than that. These federal lands contain timber, pasture, and minerals which are leased or sold to those industries, but those leases and timber sales are prone to fluctuate with political fads for or against use of federal timber, minerals, and grazing. Even aside from that, the bureaucracies in authority over these lands do not take responsibility for maintaining the jobs in these industries. Since they have often not worked in the private sector, they either do not understand or do not care how delays and unpredictability in their decisions kill private-sector jobs.

Another reason for the low population in Wyoming is the 75,000-person tipping point in urban population. There is a pattern in the United States: cities tend to grow faster once they have reached a population between about 50,000 and 100,000. At this population, there is enough demand for specialized services in medicine, law, finance, engineering, management, entertainment, air transport, and other professions to support higher-paying jobs in these industries. There is also enough population to entice specialized types of businesses to locate there. Some of these are businesses that hum along below the surface of your local economy, but are important in helping other businesses thrive: machining, transportation, calibration, training and testing. Some of these businesses are retailers and national food chains that make a place more inviting to new residents. No Wyoming city has broken through this tipping point, although Cheyenne may be doing so now.

A third factor: By geographical accident, Wyoming’s neighboring states tended to have urban clusters near their borders with Wyoming which hindered any Wyoming city from reaching this population tipping point. Specialized, high-paying jobs and businesses are less likely in an area within 150 or so miles of existing firms. Denver and Salt Lake City are large cities with trade areas which include much of Wyoming. But the smaller cities of Rapid City, SD, Billings, MT, and Idaho Falls, ID also have large parts of their trade areas within Wyoming. Have a look at the map of United States trade areas and influential cities. All of Wyoming is depicted as being within an out-of-state city’s trade area. The map has flaws. Certainly Casper, Wyoming should qualify as having a trade area if Butte, Bozeman, and Helena, Montana and Alliance and Valentine Nebraska do, but the map nevertheless makes a valid point about Wyoming’s lack of urban areas with trade areas.

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In the long run, Wyoming will be one of the nation’s faster-growing states and will develop larger urban areas. It contains major freight rail lines and major interstate highways. It has cheap electricity, low taxes, and lots of money in the bank from all the mineral wealth. It has major electricity transit lines and energy pipelines. Culturally, it has a good work ethic and an openness to newcomers. It has enough water resources to accommodate lots of population growth.

Which incident did you consider to be an absurd hoax but later found out to be crazily true?

Many, many years ago I received a letter in the post. It was a recorded delivery and I had to sign for it to confirm delivery. I was intrigued and opened it immediately. It was a summons to appear in our local small claims court. I was being sued for £6,000. There were no details about the charges or any explanation of what the case was about other than the name and address of the complainant. I was mystified as I didn’t recognise the name. Lets call him Mr Smith.

In the three weeks before the stated date I convinced myself that one of my sons was playing an involved joke on me. I quizzed them all mercilessly but nobody would admit to knowing anything about it. As the date drew closer I determined to go to court just to find out which of my boys was the perpetrator of this rather involved joke.

Court day arrived and I went into the court building and presented my summons to an attendant, still expecting to be told it was a forgery. I was wrong. I was politely directed to a small waiting room and told my case would be called in 10 minutes. I was stunned.

When I was escorted into the courtroom the Sheriff (a lay judge in Scotland) asked me if I had a legal representative. I explained how I thought that the summons was a joke and I had no lawyer. He said that I could ask for a deferment to get legal advice if I choose but he didn’t think that was necessary. I sat down still stunned and confused but by now rather scared.

The Sheriff now asked the other side to outline their case. I listened in stunned amazement as the story unfolded.

Apparently some 6 months previously I had sold Mr Smith a tenpin bowling ball and drilled the ball to suit his hand. I had explained to him the need to keep the ball clean of lane oil on a regular basis. Mr Smith had taken me at my word and had left his bowling ball soaking in a bathtub of hot soapy water overnight. Feeling that the finger and thumb holes were wet when he fished the ball out of the bath in the morning he had decided to dry out the ball. Fifteen or twenty minutes in the microwave should dry it out nicely.

Some time later the ball had exploded. The force of the explosion was enough to destroy the microwave and send the door of the microwave flying upward with enough energy to punch through the ceiling and the floor of the room above his kitchen. Unfortunately the room above his kitchen was his neighbours bathroom. The microwave door not only punched through the floor but punched through the actual bath. Really unfortunately the poor woman was taking a bath at the time.

She was suing Mr Smith for the damage to her bathroom from the flying microwave door as well as the water damage to her carpets from the bath full of water. She wasn’t suing for the shock of a microwave door suddenly puncturing her bath although it must have been a terrific shock.

Mr Smith was suing me for the same amount on the basis that I had sold him a bowling ball without specifically telling him not to put it in the microwave.

By this stage several people in the gallery were laughing and the sheriff was definitely smiling. I was still worried but feeling considerably less scared. We all sat politely until Mr Smith’s lawyer had finished. The Sheriff then drew himself very straight and without a trace of a smile said that he was here to apply the law of the land and not to educate idiots. Case dismissed.

WARNING something BIG is happening in Ukraine, Putin stays quiet

Something big is about to happen in Ukraine. Is Putin about to launch a pre-winter offensive now that Ukraine has exhausted all of its resources? Logistical signs are showing newly built railway tracks and large troop movements on the Russian side. Also multiple reports over the past 48 hours show an increased number of young Ukrainian men racing to get the hell out of Ukraine.

How has living in China changed you?

it’s aged me!

I was in my mid-20’s when I came, and after 30+ years here I’m already 57. If I stay here a few more years I’ll be 60. No one cares!

I don’t know which changes are due to maturing and which are due to living in China, but I can say how I’m generally different than Americans who haven’t lived in China.

  • I’m less emotionally invested in news reports, especially about politics. If you’ve lived in a place or have a job that’s occasionally the focus of the international media (as China manufacturing has been) then the discrepancy between what’s reported and what you know is obvious. It makes you skeptical at first, then cynical. Apathy soon follows.
  • I don’t take it for granted that multi-party democracy is superior to one-party rule. I tend to look at the results not the process.
  • I accept rapid, sweeping, head-spinning change as the norm. instantly accepted and accommodated.
    • Yesterday we used paper currency to purchase things. Today we use cash cards. Tomorrow we’ll buy everything with our phones…. oh wait… we’re using the phones now, today, not tomorrow. OK, ok. I got it. Yesterday we used cash cards, today we use phones, tomorrow well use something else.

      I don’t remember when I stopped carrying cash and then stopped using my cash card. But that’s where I am now. That’s where everyone is—even beggars on the street accept mobile payments.
    • Got a meeting in the next city… ? Better schedule 1/2 a day to get there. Then, all of the sudden, you realize you’re always arriving early to meetings. Everything started moving faster like this. Now that half a day gets you from Shanghai to Beijing by train. And if you start in the morning in Shenzhen, you can have an authentic Hunan lunch in Hunan, and be back in Shenzhen for an authentic Cantonese dinner.
  • I’m more appreciative of people in general, Chinese or expat. I don’t love everyone, but I value my relationships and feel grateful for the respect and assistance I’ve been given. I often feel like the big bang has distributed the universe’s molecules with my wellbeing in mind.

Koreans React To ‘Mr. Rogers’ For The First Time

Why are many Indian Ph.D. graduates from top institutes now choosing China for their postdocs? How is the life of an Indian post-doc in China? Do the Indian postdocs settle in China?

Money!!!

Chinese programs in Universities today get more funding than even USA, as US focuses on Private Funding

In 2022, US Universities spend $ 208 Billion in University Research against $ 346 Billion by China

You write a good paper for your PHD in Biotechnology, you could get offered an Research Associate position for 25000 RMB a month that’s around ₹ 34 LPA plus housing against a mere ₹7.6 LPA in India

That’s equivalent to $ 83,666 a year in US that’s higher than the US median of $ 64,712 for a Research Associate in PPP terms

China pays highest in PPP terms for most research today barring Norway and Switzerland and Taiwan


Life of an Indian Post Doc in China

My son is one

He is doing research for a Private Company on a 5 year grant (2023–2028)

Here are his observations:-

  • Knowing Rudimentary Mandarin is very important. The Lab assistants, the research students do their best in mandarin. The english is pretty accented. Luckily most Universities offer you Mandarin elementary classes for free if you are doing research there.
  • Softwares and Settings are programmed to Mandarin. You have to set it to English. Then print in English and Mandarin.
  • Money is pretty good. Housing is pretty good.
  • You will have two security reviews by the Government.
  • If you do research funded by the Government Or research classfied as National Research , you get a ID that gives you some powers. You get clout with cops. Now technically these IDs are only for National projects but like India, my sons director has managed to wrangle these IDs for these guys as well.
  • Very easy to get a Chinese girlfriend if you are unmarried. Unlike Singapore where girls are steady since secondary school. My son has 3 Assistant Researchers from Vietnam, Indonesia and Kerala. All have Girlfriends in less than a year.
  • Research is very well funded. You want to buy a $ 300,000 machine, you get approval in a matter of 2–3 days

It’s damn good


Settling down in China ?

Not encouraged

Finish your grant, extend your grant, live for 15–20 years in China and then go home or to Singapore

Meanwhile train as many Chinese as possible

Most people who settle down in China are married to Chinese Mainlanders and have kids and full families

They become Chinese themselves, speak like mainlanders, act like mainlanders

They are eligible for Citizenship of China


Are Indian Postdocs selecting China?

Yes

China beat Japan to the fourth position in 2023

It’s US, Germany, UK and China at fourth position beating Japan which was at fourth place until 2023, France is sixth, Middle East & Africa is seventh (no idea how), Singapore is Eighth and Canada is ninth

However in absolute numbers only 8.63% Postdocs go to China with almost 39.44% going to US and 71% going to US, UK and Germany

However this is a huge increase because in 2006 only 0.51% Postdocs sought careers in China meaning a Eighteen fold increase in a mere 17 years

Men DESTROYED Modern Women’s Beauty Standard

Rating women’s attractiveness is dramatically affected by make-up. I’ve seen them transform from as much as 2’s to 9-10’s. Truly amazing results.

https://youtu.be/pf3qHed8TtA

How has living in China changed you?

A few years back I had to change my careers. At that time I took a big change and moved halfway across the world to China.

I lived there for 3 1/2 years. I was there for 3 years in NE China in a small rural area. Then about 4 years later I move back but to the big city of Shanghai(but only for about 1/2 a year).

That’s the background story now to your question.

My first 3 years in China was very humbling. I was in a rural area still governed by old rules and ideas. I met a friend who lived in South China in a big city and she told me that I experience things that she never experienced while there. Each person’s experiences are so different. In the rural areas you live like the Chinese, but in a big city, you live like a foreigner in China.

When I say humbling it’s because I learned to live on very little. I spent $200 a month for food, shopping and traveling. When I went back to China in a big city you definitely can’t live on that. I learned to appreciate what I had and how to make do with what I had.

I discovered that my own culture lack respect for elders. That we are far behind when it comes to public transport. (China is far ahead of us). I gained a love for food, Chinese eat all the time (but are skinny). They eat tons of vegetables and meat as well…but it’s fresh produce…which my own country lacks…we eat way too much processed food. Of course, I learned how to use a squatty potty.

Now, when I went back to China 4 years later…so much has changed. They are so advanced when it comes to technology. While China was a humbling place for me for my first 3 years. It was not so the second time around…why? The simple answer is that times have changed. Don’t get me wrong I loved Shanghai and appreciated it, but I learned that sometimes you can’t go back…memories are better left in your mind.

China will always be a part of me. It has changed me so much more than I can ever put into words. But for me, “humble” is what learned from all my experiences in China.

No Handyman Jobs! People are BROKE!

I guess I was spoiled with the abundance of jobs these past few years. Well, I guess that has come to an end…

https://youtu.be/eJTOxnL_nBw

If a drone is flying on my property and I have already notified that I do not want it to be flying on it, can I destroy it without legal repercussion?

Ok, so here’s my experience.

A few years ago, a kid in our neighborhood got a drone for Christmas. He started flying it around people’s houses. The first time. I was sitting on my deck and it flew to the edge of the deck. I waved and it flew away. The next day, the same thing. After a few days, the kid got bolder. He started to fly it right over the deck. There was also one time that I was doing dishes in the kitchen it was hovering right outside the kitchen window, watching me.

This went on for about a month. I would see it right outside my windows or around my yard. I knew it was just a kid but it was getting kind of creepy. I wasn’t sure if I could be heard on it but I tried telling the drone that the fun was over and please don’t come back. Guess what? It came back the next day again. I didn’t know who the drone belonged to so I called the PD and they really didn’t know what to tell me. At this point, drones were just becoming popular and there wasn’t really any protocol. I asked around the neighborhood and no one seemed to know where it was coming from. I tried to follow it but it was faster than me and was piloted over houses and through other yards that I couldn’t go through.

Another month passes and now this kid is just taunting me. I tried throwing things at it, putting up a sign asking them not to fly it near my house anymore, my then-husband actually had it in his hand at one point but those things are pretty strong and he wasn’t able to keep a hold of it. We would flip it off when we saw it or curse at it, anything we could think of. I even fired a few warning shots with a BB gun. Nothing worked.

Finally, we were just done. The last day I ever saw it, I was again sitting on my deck and I hear the familiar drone sound. I tried to ignore it, hoping it would go away. I could hear it getting closer to me but I just kept my head down, pretending to read my book. The living room window was open so without looking up I yelled “It’s back again!!”. My then-husband walked out onto the deck and the drone moved towards him. He pulled out his pistol and pointed at the drone. No shots fired, it wasn’t even loaded and the drone high-tailed it out of there. Within 15 minutes, a very angry father and 2 police cruisers were in my driveway. The father wanted us arrested for threatening his kid. We explained what had been going on and the cops had several reports over the last few months from me as well (including pictures of the drone in various places around my house, date and time-stamped). Basically, nothing happened. The gun was registered to a licensed gun owner, no property was damaged, and the documentation from the police department showed that this kid was a nuisance. The cops went and had a talk with the kid. I found out later that other neighbors had the same issue with the drone so the cops had not only our complaints but many others. I don’t know what happened to the kid but I do know I never saw that drone again.

***EDIT***

A lot of people are commenting about the police not doing their job and yes it does seem that way. However, we have to remember that this was the first year that drones became really popular and it was the IT thing to have. People were having a lot of fun with their drones but there weren’t any clear laws that the police could follow. Also, you couldn’t trace them so you had a basic idea of the surrounding area where the drone was coming from but unless you actually saw where it went “home” to, there was nothing you could do so I believe that the police did the best they knew how at the time.

I don’t even blame the parents that much because the kid was like 13 or 14 years old. When I figured out who the drone belonged to, I knew exactly who this kid was, and quite honestly, he was an entitled little sh**. His parents were actually pretty nice people who tried their best but had very little control over their kids. The father showed up with the police because the kid made the father believe that a gun was pulled on him while cutting through our yard. That was not the case and when given all the facts, the father was still upset but it didn’t have a whole lot to say anymore.

And before you come for me, yes, most times kids are a product of their environment but sometimes the parents are doing everything right and the kid will still be a jerk. My kids are 21 and 17 and I have been involved in many of their activities over the years and have seen it all.

The Real China Shocked This British Man

Whenever I hear the China collapse theory, I always ask the person if s/he wants to take a bet, just provide a time frame when you think China will collapse and I bet you two whiskey that it won’t. I had been winning so many whiskey in the last 15 years, but none of those losers pay up.

Do the majority of people in China wish to remain communists, or if they had a choice, would they want democracy?

Seriously, do you really think the people in China really care whether China is a Communist or a Democracy if all there is to it is just some meaningless labeling.

Is like categorizing races by color, when you call it white I saw pink, when you call it yellow I saw light beige, when you call it black I say are you color blind, do you know what black looks like?

Chinese people in general are very much pragmatic, results orientated and doesn’t give much crap to whose camp they are in as long as they prosper and live a better live then the past. Also, Chinese history and philosophy never taught them life is simply black and white we know it has at least if not fifty shades of grey in between.

Furthermore, if one look at the Tai Chi symbols we see the black and white are not shown as antagonistic to each other, whilst they may be opposite to each other in direction but they intertwined in a circle with the opposite instead of a straight line in between a square. It also house a fraction of the opposite too, all for the purpose of equilibrium and in layman term it is call Win-Win or Harmony.

Life cannot always be a equal sum game, it has many elements and each play an important role, if one element does not survive well or is missing rest assure others will also get affected adversely by it. In science term, it is what we call a Eco System.

Balance reduce conflict, hegemony are always short lived and unintelligent, longer it stretches it more violent is the snaps when it breaks.

So is it really true that there are no democracy in a Communist system and when a country is not run by Communist does that mean they have no tyrant, no dictator, no ruthless regime, no poverty, no corruption and their people live a much better happy life?

Whats’s the big fucking deal about democracy if the leader doesn’t really practices it. “For the People, To the People, By the People” my arse when I see what’s going on in their land of Oligarchs Plutocracy.

What are some things you genuinely like about living in China that back home still needs to catch up to?

That is a great question indeed.

  1. Safety – yesterday, today and tomorrow.
    At first, right after moving to China I was truly amazed that there are so many chairs for valets randomly placed on the sidewalks. In Russia these chairs will end up at someone’s country house.
  2. Small businesses
    In Russia shops, restaurants, coffee-shops etc. belong to the large chains, you cannot find a small bar with homemade food for example. And places like that are my favorite in Beijing.
  3. Infrastructure – in Russia you hardly can:
    – get anywhere by subway and pay under 10 kuai for it,
    – get anything delivered to your house,
    – pay for the stuff via wechat,
    – get foot massage in the middle of the night,
    – pay for electricity and water using your own terminal, etc. etc.
  4. Variety of entertainment choices
    The only places that are really good for eventful life would be Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, other cities cannot be ever compared to Beijing: lots of events, activities and parties. Russia does need to get on this level.
  5. Taobao
    This is the most genius thing ever – I am a big Taobao fan and would love if a platform like that will be developed in Russia someday.

China moves into position to support Syria

So happy to see China & Syria are working together! Stronger united against the Empire!

School Bus Driver Rant

As a school bus driver, I would like to explain something.

My job is to transport your child from point A to point B safely, on time and ready to learn.

That is all.

What do I mean when I say safely? Let me explain. Safely means I pre-trip my bus daily to ensure it is running properly and that it hasn’t been tampered with. Safely means my eyes are constantly scanning all 7 mirrors, blind spots, and the road in front of me.

I’m NOT a babysitter.

I’m NOT a mediator.

I’m a BUS DRIVER.

I would absolutely love to be able to watch and hear each and every little thing that goes on in the 40 feet of school bus behind me, but while I’m watching Johnny jump across the seat, I just missed a car pull out in front of me. And oops, while I’m yelling at Susie to keep her hands to herself, the light changed and now I’m slamming the brakes to stop in time at the intersection. And what’s that? Now Joey has a nose bleed? And now someone dumped all of Katie’s stuff out of her bookbag, and “bus driver, Bobby is flicking me”, and “bus driver, Lily said she doesn’t like me anymore”, and what’s that? While I’m looking in the mirror behind me reprimanding your perfect children, a car just ran my reds and Sally almost got run over!

It’s Never Ending to us…

And that doesn’t even include the way the children speak to us. I’m pretty certain they don’t speak to other school faculty like that. And certainly don’t speak to their parents the way they speak to us.

So please, parents, tell me … where do you want me to look? Behind me? In front of me?

Would you prefer I pull over each and everytime someone yells “bus driver”? Because then YOU will complain that the bus is never on time, and trust me if I did pull over everytime, we wouldn’t even make it out of the school parking lot before I’d have to stop. Incase you didn’t know, your children are not perfect…no one is.

Would you rather I continue down the road watching what’s going on BEHIND me more than what’s going on with other vehicles on the road around me? Because I can assure you, if I’m not scanning every angle around the bus, there WILL be an accident, and then I will again be to blame, because I should’ve been paying attention to the road.

Now, on top of that, we see your children for less than 30 minutes a day, in most cases. Please teach your child to respect the bus driver, and to behave themselves when riding the bus…because we want to return them to you, SAFELY.

~ Unknown

Russian & American In China Are SHOCKED What They Experienced

What is the craziest request you have gotten when you were buying something (car, boat, bike, furniture, etc.) from someone who was so deeply attached to the item it felt like they were losing a part of their family?

Not crazy at all, just unusual and — under the circumstances — quite touching.

A 1969 Ford F250 was advertised for sale located in a town about 400 miles away. I called and spoke with the elderly original owner. He was not an enthusiastic seller and seemed to be throwing up obstacles to buying it. For one thing, he asked the questions, not me. The conversation went like this:

Me: Hello, I’m calling about the F250 for sale. Is it still available?

Him: Yes. What do you want with it?

Me: Uhhh, well, sir, I was thinking about buying it.

Him: Why?

Me (looks at phone with a WITW? expression): Because I need a truck.

Him: What do you need a truck for?

Me: To haul tools and material.

Him: That’s good. How old are you?

Me: (Young in spirit but wise beyond my years. More or less.)

Him: That’s good. How’s your driving record? Any accidents or tickets recently?

Me: No wrecks, no tickets.

Him: Will you put different wheels and paint and interior and engine in it?

Me: Gosh, no. I want it all original. Like it is now.

Him: Okay, you can come look at it. My address is…

I went all that way, looked, endured another vetting from him and was finally judged worthy of his treasured pickup that he could no longer drive because it had manual steering and he could no longer turn the steering wheel. As I drove away in the truck he’d named Whitey back in 1969, I glimpsed him in the rear view mirror crying unashamedly.

But wait, there’s more.

I drove directly to the other side of town and viewed a second 1969 Ford F250 for sale by its elderly original owner who also subjected me to a lengthy qualifying interrogation. Satisfied, he sold me the truck he’d named Rita in 1969 and helped me disconnect the driveshaft then attach a tow bar so I could pull her home with Whitey. After I had remote lights rigged up on his Rita, I got into Whitey and pulled away. In the rear view mirror I glimpsed Rita’s original owner crying unashamedly.

Nearly 10 years later Whitey and Rita are still exactly as they were the day I brought them to their new home. It was a good day, as have been all all the rest with them. As their original owners requested I have kept them exactly as they were: working trucks, now 50 years young, in original condition and carefully maintained. I even built them a canopy to protect them from the sun and inclement weather.

When you speak this way, your reality evolves…

Fair video. Fits in with my affirmation campaigns.

If the one child policy was such a disastrous idea, then why didn’t the Chinese experts object to it?

Was it a disastrous idea though? Who said?

Sure it wasn’t a comfortable idea for the people. I haven’t had children yet. But I do want to have two. One is scary in many way. What if something happens to him or her? What if he/she wants to join the military… and not come back?

But if I insist on having a second child, I would end up paying a fine. Then I would be liable to pay for the child education. The first child will get free ride from K-12 and university.

In fact, I can have as many children as I would like. I just have to afford raising them all with minimal government support.


Why the one child policy?

Look at China in the 60s – 80s

It was a simple life. Classism may have been at the lowest in Chinese history. To be a well respected person, you can be a teacher, a village chief, a policeman, a small government official, a factory manager, etc…

This simple peaceful life was made possible by the One child policy.

Do you know that unemployment was low? Job selection wasn’t great, but as long as you were willing to work, someone could find you a job.

Despite the scare of Western invasion and atomic bombs, it was a relatively safe society. Petty crimes were plentiful, from pickpocketing, theft, to scam artists. But it was unlikely your house would be broken in at gun point.

All these wouldn’t be possible if the population was left to balloon unchecked. Far more crime, homeless, desperate people out for blood, and money.

If I went back in time to 1970s…

Knowing the future is a hell of an advantage. I would start trading goods, then collaborated with the government’s economic expansion programs.

Humble start, this was how many Chinese entrepreneurs in the 70s and 80s had their start.

Moving up, buying a truck. One man transportation company in the 90s.

Eventually able to have enough money to open a factory. TV production company in the 80s.

Not really a photo of China, but of 1980 computer stores in the US. My computer store would look like this.

I would get into computers as early as 1975. This was around the time Bill Gates and Steve Jobs founded their companies.

I would even go to India in 1974 to meet the penniless backpacker Steve Jobs and offered him his first initial investment before he even knew he was to found Apple. He would be indebted to me for life.


Two prospects regarding to One Child policy:

  • One Child Policy: Boosted economy. I could be rich, easily affording 4–5 children if I wanted to.
  • Booming population: China would still be a shithole like any of the third world country China’s BRI is helping now. Raising one child and keeping my family fed would be very hard.

I actually knew people in China who had more than one children after 1980. They were not jailed or anything. Their neighbors and friends were supportive of their decisions.

Putin at Valdai, civilizational world order is here to stay

I thought Putin was exceptionally clear, rational, even handed, well spoken, honest, and painfully accurate about everything he said. He has my vote for US president.”

Have you ever judged someone and realized you were wrong?

Oh my, yes!

Steve seemed such a surley man. Unsuprisingly older than me by a couple decades since this was my first professional job as a newly minted college graduate, he seemed to growl at me whenever I saw him.

With the confidence only available with youth, I judged him.

I judged him mean, old, and a bit scary.

Imagine my horror when after about a year on this entry level job when I was reassigned to work for Steve. Of course, the reality was that I knew nothing about him.

What happened over the course of the next year was one of those special times of life that changes who you are forever. I learned that while I knew nothing about him, he knew quite a bit about me. Turns out that this wasn’t some corporately bland reassignment, but, rather, he asked to take me on as a project.

As I got to know Steve, it turned out that the gravelly voice, which I can still hear in my imagination as I write, was just his voice. And the surley demeanor I had judged so harshly was a product of a direct and unassuming style this loquatious post-adolescent did not yet grok.

One teaching moment in particular is one I’ll never forget. I carry this lesson with me every day.

You see, I’d made a mistake. Not a huge one, but a clear screw-up. I had a plan for spin control. I was confident in the plan. The lies were off-white lies at best.

But Steve believed in me enough to ask questions gently. And after he had twisted me into a logical knot, he said, and I’ll never forget his words, “Tony, you can do better than this.” He proceeded to teach me the value of not spinning and just dealing with my own limitations as a human. He showed me the real value of honesty: building trust.

And, Steve was right. I came clean and it was all ok. And, a few months later when I made a yet bigger mistake, that was ok too.

I got to know Steve better over the next couple of years. I learned that we shared some basic interests and religious faith, but he was not the type to over-share or brag. Sadly, when I had this incredible access to him, I never fully understood Steve.

But, I understood far better when he died.

Just a couple years after this priceless mentoring, Steve was stricken with brain cancer. He was far younger than I am right now, so even in death he taught me to value every day.

But this wasn’t the last lesson he had to teach. Not hardly.

I was invited by his widow to his funeral. I had known of his faith, but not quite the extent to which he walked the walk. I’ve omitted a great deal of detail, but Steve had not had an easy life. In my mind, he was doing all he could to just survive and raise his own family. I assumed his faith was like my own: sincere, yet mostly a coping mechanism.

In the shadow of his recent death, some mutual acquaintances filled in some details. There was far more to the man than even I suspected. My admiration was already deep. My tears were quite real.

Steve had been an elder at a prominent church for many years. The details of his service to others would make this long answer far too long. The debts others expressed dwarfed my own sense of gratitude.

But, the funeral blew me away.

You see, it was a large church. Very large. That day, it was filled to the rafters. I have never been to anything like it since. The love expressed for Steve that day over powers me even as I write this.

And there, in that pew, I knew i wanted to be like Steve.

Not for glory or acclaim—not at all. Just to have left this place a better place than I had found it. And, as I traverse my new career in coaching, I am still chasing his example.

Thank you, Steve, for teaching me how to be real. I’ll never forget you. I’ll never achieve what you did, but I am so much happier for trying.

And, I even learned from misjudging you.

How did Huawei replace over 13,000 components in its range of products with local substitutes in response to US trade sanctions?

In a short sentence, the completeness of the supply chain.

In brief exposition, this is the bitter fruit of embargo.

No, I’m not referring to Donald the Orange’s tariffs and dismantling of Huawei.

I’m talking about the 30-year EMBARGO that the US enforced on China after the breakout of the Korean War, along with the withdrawal of Soviet tech support as relations cooled heading into the 60s.

In fact, the Cultural Revolution’s deurbanization was a direct policy response to having the economic rug pulled under by foreign forces.

China learned a very important lesson: Any weakness in a supply chain can and will be exploited.

The Chinese prioritized the control of key enabling heavy industries, beginning with steel manufacture, before using policy tools to encourage the organic growth of eco-systems downstream.

The Chinese were not happy with assembling a shoe from components. Rather they focused on being able to make every component, down to the dye and synthetic materials suitable for footwear.

This process was repeated up the tech ladder, and by the 2010s, the Chinese had the most complete supply chain in the world, encompassing all categories of the UN industrial sector classification. China remains the only country to maintain this milestone.


China’s strength is hardware, and the world’s greatest concentration of hardware engineering talent—whether it is chips, IC, antennas, speakers, motors—are found on the mainland, and overwhelmingly Chinese.

These are world class talent who’ve delivered on big projects, and thoroughly up-to-date with their field of expertise. I daresay set them loose on any problem and they will find solutions, because the intensity and breath which they attack problems is unrivaled. The Chinese have the scale to apply multiprong strategies in parallel*, while the competition iterate sequentially. This is the famed China speed, and China has made up plenty of ground in recent decades expertly harnessing economies of scale.

America uses its heft to force compliance, through the threat of market access withdrawal. But the Chinese market is already bigger than the US, especially hardware components, just because China is the world’s factory. Huawei is able to find enough domestic partners who don’t mind losing the US market, because there are enough customers within China. Besides, this is a matter of survival for entire industries, and it is imperative to break the tech embargo.


Huawei’s telecoms gear isn’t like cellphones, because they are tethered to the mains. Power efficiency isn’t a make or break consideration, and there is no need for the latest and greatest off the cutting edge node, chip-wise.

This makes domestic substitution a breeze compared to say, the Kirin SOC, because hacks are always available, especially under the umbrella of Huawei’s immense patent portfolio.


In the final analysis, I’d say it boils down to the quality and quantity of talent, and it shows in the remarkable speed of the turnaround.

欺负华为没人?

门儿都没有。

Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that he had observed snow for the first time in the campaign in the Soviet Union.

The original plan for Operation Barbarossa was extremely sketchy for such a massive operation. One of the odder aspects of planning was that the endpoints for the invasion were never set forth, and became vaguer and more nebulous the further along planning got.

The first battle plans, prepared for the OKW by General Erich Marcks in mid-1940, actually did set forth a terminal line of the invasion. Marcks proposed the “A-A line” as the operational objective. This was to run from the northern city of Arkhangelsk on the Arctic Sea through Gorky and Rostov to the port city of Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga on the Caspian Sea. This assumed that the European portion of Russia and its satellites was the only part of the country of any interest and importance. There, the German Army could stop and set up a defensive line beyond which whatever was left of the Soviet Union could be allowed to wither away, as it would pose no threat.

After the Marcks Plan (as it came to be called), though, the idea of any kind of ultimate objective for the Wehrmacht disappeared. The debate instead degenerated into one of whether or not it was even important to get to Moscow, let alone reach any points further east. The prevailing theory – primarily Hitler’s – was that the entire Soviet Union would capitulate after a few decisive border battles destroyed the Red Army, failing that Hitler issued a directive to pursue the Soviets.

As of 6th October 1941, there has been no “pursuit” in the Soviet Union or at least none that has lasted very long. Every step has been contested, every river has been defended, every city has been fought over and sometimes even been boobytrapped after the Red Army has left. The defense has been uncoordinated and lacking in effectiveness on many occasions, but the Red Army has been fighting all the way. Now, the best campaigning months of 1941 are already gone and it is only going to get worse before it gets better again. Given all that, the astounding underestimation of the effectiveness of Red Army opposition during the planning stage of Operation Barbarossa has not really hampered German operations yet, it just has required adjustments to compensate for a slower rate of advance than anticipated. The tanks still run, the trucks still carry supplies, the horses are still fed from grain in the fields.

However, everything is about to change forever, and the men on the front line see why after dark as the snow begins to fall around them. The lack of effective antifreeze for trucks or tanks, the lack of chains for wheeled vehicles, the absence of winter clothing which was considered superfluous in June – all of a sudden these omissions loom large.

Late Night Flight

While drinking, a Pilot bet he could land outside the bar, 2 hours later he touched down in central New York in a stolen aircraft. Years later he repeated the stunt because someone wouldn’t believe him.

In September 1956 after drinking heavily at a bar in New York City, Thomas Fitzpatrick made an intoxicated barroom bet that he could travel from New Jersey to New York City in 15 minutes.

At 3 a.m. he stole a single-engine plane from the Teterboro and flew without any lights or radio before landing on St. Nicholas Avenue near 191st Street in front of the bar where the bet was made.

The New York Times called it a “fine landing” and a “feat of aeronautics”. For his illegal flight, he was fined $100 after the plane’s owner refused to press charges.

In October 1958 just before 1 a.m., Fitzpatrick again stole another plane from the same airfield and landed on Amsterdam and 187th after another bar patron disbelieved his first feat.

For his second stolen flight, judge John A. Mullen sentenced him to six months in prison. When asked why did had undertaken the 2nd flight Fitzpatrick told the police “he had pulled off the second flight after a bar patron refused to believe he had done the first one”

Fitzpatrick was a Marine during the Korean War and received a Purple Heart. He has three sons and was married to his wife, Helen, for 51 years working as a steamfitter. He died in 2009 at the age of 79.

Fitzpatrick has a mixed drink named after him for his feat called the “Late Night Flight”

Oh SH*T, The Collapse Has REALLY Begun

The threat of a US recession is escalating fast as corporate bankruptcies and debt defaults pile up. As the Federal Reserve continues to hike interest rates, small businesses are starting to collapse and close down. There’s going to be a tipping point where job losses will accelerate and consumer spending will crash.

What is the best case of, “You just tried to scam the wrong person,” that you’ve witnessed?

I got the “You owe money to the IRS and are going to jail” phone call. I knew it was a scam because not only does the IRS not call you, but I could hear multiple voices in the background…classic boiler room. Duh! So I decided to play along. I let the guy go into his spiel and about halfway through I started crying. When I say crying, I mean REALLY wailing, gasping for breath, totally panicked! The guy has to stop talking in order to calm me down as I’m really losing it. As soon as he calms me down, off he goes again, telling me if I don’t pay, I’ll go to jail. Well, I just lose it again…crying, wailing, the whole nine yards.

Again, he tries to calm me down. Finally, with hitching sobs, I calm down enough to ask him how much I owe the IRS. When he tells me it’s $24,000, well, you know, I just lost it again. Crying. Wailing. Sobbing. What am I going to do?? OMG, I’m going to lose my house! I won’t be able to feed my kids! I’ll have to give away my dogs! Oh, noooooo! Noooooo! He calms me down (again) with the suggestion that he might be able to reduce what I owe to just $12,000. Which, of course, just sets me off again. Where, oh where am I going to get that kind of money?? I’m going to lose everything! Death! Doom! Destruction!

Finally, for the last time, he manages to calm me down enough to where I can ask him one final question…before I gave him my credit card number, would it be okay if I ask my husband first? After all, he IS a tax attorney. Dead silence for the space of about five seconds, then he let loose a torrent of profanity such as I’ve never heard before (and I’ve heard a lot) while I’m laughing my ass off. He then warns me that, “I’ll be sorry” to which I reply, “Not as sorry as you, you thieving, scum-sucking piece of humanity!” He hung up on me then, and surprisingly enough, I’ve never gotten another IRS phone call again.

It was the highlight of my week!

What are the biggest culture shocks people face when coming to Germany?

I’ve been in Berlin for about two months now.

Here’s my longish list:

  1. I started learning German before coming here. People said I was wasting my time, that everybody here speaks English. That’s not true. Many Germans don’t speak English. Also, a number of people (usually officials or clerks) were upset that I don’t speak their language yet, as if my not having learned the language yet in the span of two months is some grave offense.
  2. Maybe it’s only this year but the summer isn’t really summer. There are hot and cold days. Sunny and overcast days. Clear and rainy days. A day can start sunny and end in rain. You can walk out in your shorts and have to wear pants and a light jacket by the end of the day. Also, the days are unbelievably long. The sun rises before 5 AM and sets at around 10 PM.
  3. WWII and the Holocaust. I am of Jewish descent. Many of my ancestors were taken to Auschwitz and other camps to be exterminated. I remember the first time I saw a stolperstein or “stumbling stone” in Berlin (these are brass plates inscribed with the names of Jews and information about the dates of their deportation and extermination, inlaid in the pavement outside their last place of residence) I froze. My heart sank, and a deep sadness welled from within me.
  4. Ethnic Diversity here is wonderful. There seem to be people from all over the world, all co-existing. Yes, there have been some glitches, but seeing this melting pot of diversity brings hope to the heart. Plus, you can have authentic food from almost anywhere—from Mexican to Vietnamese to Turkish to Lebanese to Korean, etc., etc.
  5. Many, many people are tattooed, so much so that un-tattooed individuals seem rarer than tattooed ones. And so much so that I sometimes wonder if even the businessmen and women, under those fine tailored suits, are hiding some large and colorful dragon or tiger adorning their skins.
  6. I assumed Berlin would be cleaner. Before I came I had a vision of Germany as a glinting-clean place. And although it’s not filthy, there’s some waste strewn about in parks and on the streets—empty beer bottles and food leftovers and dirty plastic packaging, etc.
  7. And speaking of beer bottles, people drink alcohol. A lot of it. I see many people walking around with some kind of drink in their hands, or people sitting outside bars or even in parks with an unbelievable amount of empty bottles by their side. Or in supermarkets, walking out with cartfuls of booze.
  8. Maybe I notice it more because I’ve never lived in a place with so many churches, but there are so many of them here. Imposing ones with rising spires and crimson bricks and huge bells resonating blocks and blocks away. Having grown up in Israel, I find it hard to imagine how the visions of a carpenter in the Middle-East, over centuries and millennia, transmogrified into these massive, gothic places of worship in a completely different culture and milieu.
  9. The other day we went to a pleasant park and there were a bunch of kids playing in the nude, splashing each other with water and running around in the sand giggling. My son took off his clothes and joined them, and I thought, how wonderful that no one is embarrassed seeing naked kids playing around, that they are granted this easy, unconscious freedom that in many other parts of the would would have been considered inappropriate.
  10. Sex seems to be less of a big deal here. I’ve seen a number of adverts in the street depicting some form of sex in illustrations. In the US, there would have been a lecherous quality to it, some kind of cleavage or exposed thighs, something to suggest and tease and taunt. But here there is something unassuming about its depiction—a couple or even a threesome lying in bed covered in blankets, a cartoon of a man with his loins covered by a popping champagne bottle and a smiling woman by his side. Unassertive—as if this, too, is a natural part of life and there’s no need to make a fuss about it.
  11. Organic food is available in most supermarkets and is not necessarily exorbitantly priced. In fact, almost every little place that serves food will have some kind of organic lemonade or soft drink.
  12. Although I am not vegetarian, when I came here I imagined würste (sausages) everywhere, and a dearth of other, non-pork based offering. But, in fact, it is very easy to get vegetarian food here. From vegetarian gemüse kebap (Turkish food—vegetables in bread) to vegetarian asian dishes, to tofu, grain- or legume-based meat substitutes in supermarkets, it is not only possible to be vegetarian here, but even easy.
  13. The streets and the curb are wide and spacious, oftentimes cobbled and shaded by evenly-distanced stately trees. Having grown up in Israel and lived in India, this was novel for me—this European expansiveness.
  14. Some people can be incredibly proper and strict here. I’ve been scolded for standing out in the street when the bus came, and then for standing in the wrong place inside the bus as I was paying. In some places and settings people are expected to behave in a certain ways, and are frowned upon if they are not.
  15. The bicycle is a serious mode of transportation with its own lanes and a substantial number of riders.
  16. Drivers are not as courteous as in other places—in less trafficked streets with no stoplight, and unlike the US, cars will mostly not stop when they see a pedestrian, and one has to wait for an opportunity to cross.
  17. Things are well made. The walls of the apartment I’m staying in are almost as thick as my outstretched arm. The woodwork is precise and sturdy. Some of the buildings around look like they’ve been in existence for centuries, and that they will last for many centuries more. There is an assuring sturdiness in the material existence here—like things are dependable and robust. Also, it is not difficult to find objects that are Made in Germany or Europe—be it knives or rucksacks or wallets, etc.—that look like they will last for a lifetime. I like that.
  18. Almost all shops are closed on Sundays.
  19. Parcels are left with neighbors. If you’re not in and you have a package, it will be left with one of your neighbors, who will then, perhaps later in the day, come knocking on your door and claim the package with a slip.
  20. People have been incredibly helpful. When I arrived, a neighbor helped carry our luggage from the street. Another neighbor helps me whenever I need something in German translated. I’ve had people in the street, after asking for directions, pull out their phones, search for the place, and give me clear instructions. Of course, as with everywhere else, there are also unfriendly people, but the friendly and helpful ones have left a greater impression on me.

Boeing is Panicking! Brunei and China Order 30 Aircraft | Boeing Completely Loses The Chinese Market

In May 2017, China successfully conducted the historic first test flight of the C919 aircraft, which marked the complete break of Boeing and Airbus’ half-century monopoly on large commercial aircraft. Soon after, China’s C919 aircraft attracted cooperation intentions from many countries.

Up to now, China’s orders for C919 aircraft have exceeded an astonishing 1,061 aircraft, but I think this is just the beginning of the emergence of China’s C919 aircraft. At this year’s 20th China-ASEAN Expo, China’s C919 aircraft once again became the focus of attention.

Among them, Brunei spent US$2 billion to purchase 30 large passenger aircraft from China, including the much-anticipated C919 aircraft. As more and more countries purchase China’s C919 aircraft, Boeing in the United States begins to panic and even begs to regain the Chinese market.

https://youtu.be/7kIH65mOefQ

What’s the most useless map ever made?

One day at the end of the School year, my teacher was throwing out some old junk. One of which was this old globe that was so inaccurate, I’m surprised it wasn’t thrown away as soon it came off the assembly line.

Some Countries don’t exist at the same time.

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As far as I know, Tibet did not exist at the same time with a unified Independent India, Southeast Asia with a unified Vietnam, and what’s that little country north of Mongolia?

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Oh that’s right, It’s Tannu Tuva! You know the country that was annexed into the USSR during the middle of WW2. Because the Partition of India took place after the World War ended (1947). The inconsistency with time are the least of this Globe’s problems.

Making major countries the same shade of blue as the OCEAN!

As you saw above, China is the same color of the Ocean, but that’s not the only one.

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image 206

The color they chose for Turkey just makes it look like the Black Sea is part of the Mediterranean if you’re not looking close enough.

Same goes with the Great Lakes area.

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image 207

Since the State of Michigan is sandwiched between massive lakes, it should be a different color to make it stand out more. Well the designer didn’t think so, because instead of the Great Lakes, it’s just ONE Great Lake.

Plus New York makes lake Ontario and Erie look like an extension of the Atlantic. So does Quebec.

But this doesn’t go with what makes the map the most useless.

They got the freaking hemispheres on wrong!!!!

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image 208

I’m pretty sure Australia is not directly south of Ethiopia!

South America is just floating in the middle of the Ocean.

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Though Southern Africa actually fits well with the Northern Hemisphere part of South America.

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This Globe has to be the most Useless reference of the World ever!

Have you ever let your dog loose on someone who was on your property and refused to leave? Is it legal to do so?

I got Montana at a church fundraising garage sale for $1.15. She was a Rottweiler/GSD mix and the owners were selling the puppies for $3. After three hours of wheedling my mother, and scrounging as much change as I could from the car, I paid for her quite proudly. She’d been the runt of the litter, and all her litter mates had long been snatched up. I brought her home, and made a bed for her in the bottom drawer of my dresser. Took her to the vet the next day to get her all of her shots. Did basic obedience training with her and all the requisite fun things a teenage girl could do with a dog.

Flash forward three years and I’m off at school across the state, and she’s at home with my mother, grandmother and younger brother. Due to her general quirkiness, she never barked or growled unless she felt that her family was in danger. She was quite content to roam the backyard, playing chase along the fence lines with the dogs that neighbored on either side. About three am my mom hears the neighbor’s golden retriever barking up a storm, then hears the fence rattle. Thinking it was a raccoon or opossum, she laid back down. Then Montana is growling right under her window. That’s when she hears a lot of cussing, more growling and then a whimper and the fence on the other side rattle. Now there’s even more cussing and growling as the other set of neighbor’s black malamute is in on whatever is happening now. Mom grabs a flashlight and the cordless phone, calls 911 and rushes out to find out what’s happening. That’s when she sees a man vaulting the far side of the fence in the neighbors yard, only to be confronted by a massive Great Dane. Montana comes slinking to her, whimpering with cuts running down both her flanks. Grabbing her leash, she takes my dog out to greet the police, explaining what happened. Apparently they caught up with the guy a few blocks away, having been bitten by about four different dogs. Mom took my brave girl to the vet immediately. The cuts were superficial and shallow, needing nothing more than some cleaning. She had a chemical burn on her backside because he’d sprayed her with either mace or pepper spray. Montana was handsomely rewarded with a steak for doing her job protecting the family, and no one ever set foot in our backyard without permission again.

Do the majority of people in China wish to remain communists, or if they had a choice, would they want democracy?

Not the slightest chance of that

There is anger against the CPC by some people, especially in the big cities however none of these people want democracy or voting

They simply want more capitalist reforms by the CPC

The Majority are very satisfied and happy with the CPC

Especially the younger generation

They regard US democracy as a JOKE

They are so proud of their country and it’s growth and the CPC that they only want reforms, reforms and more reforms

Here are the main suggestions

  • The Average Age of a Party Member is 49 and they want it to reduce to 40
  • The Average Age of a Politburo member is 56. They want it to reduce it to 50.
  • 70 Investments were banned by the CPC between 2017–2023. They want these investments regulated.
  • They want flexible and productive work hours to enhance maximum output instead of the rigid slogging workstyle of the older generation

They have contempt for the USA

Especially the 17–30 year olds born post 1993

Chinas future

They are brilliant, they have the midset to be the BEST in the world


The Older generation in their forties and fifties, born between 1973–1983 are more of the WHY IS THE US SO UNFAIR rather than any contempt for the US

They have a lot of relatives in US and the West who migrated from 1965–1990

They have contempt for the Russians and Russian Technology

They are also a bit colonial and sub consciously believe they are not in the same league as the West deep down

They MAY have no problem if China becomes a democracy but they wouldn’t want it as a choice


The even older generation in their 60s and 70s, born between 1945–1965 are steeped in Patriotic Ideology. They remember the old days and the way the CPC took China to the top

It’s for their sake that China still has the name Communist when it’s anything but communist

They would abhor any democracy

Xi has created a very nationalistic patriotic generation of Youngsters brimming with confidence

The CPC needs to make some changes though in the next 10 years to ensure the Youngsters connect to the party and that wave of nationalism is retained at it’s same fervour

But Democracy? Especially Western Style?

Good God No!!!!!

Could China force all countries to use their yuan instead of American dollars for trading internationally if they took over from America economically and militarily?

No to both questions,

  • Economically,

Countries opt for local currencies in bilateral trade due to several reasons that align with their own interests:

  1. The high interest in the US dollar has driven up the cost of purchasing US dollars.
  2. Foreign exchange transaction fees associated with using US banks are expensive (3%), and the SWIFT system not only takes several days to settle transactions but is also subject to US monitoring for unilateral sanctions, even when the transactions involve purely business matters.
  3. A surplus of expensive US dollars is circulating in the global economy, with many countries selling them back to the Federal Reserve Bank where billions are used to fund the record national debt and crowding out private investment by keeping the interest high.
  4. There is a concern that the US dollar could face a collapse if the Federal Reserve Bank ceases its policy of increasing interest rates, as this could exacerbate inflationary pressures and erode the currency’s value.
  • Military,

In contrast to historical colonial powers and the dominant influence of the United States, China lacks the ambition of global control through culture/racial superiority, military endeavors, and covert activities. Instead, China offers an alternative vision to the world by fostering connections among people through infrastructure development and trade.

The Real Reasons I Left United States (and won’t go back)

I really enjoyed this video.

Real Talk about why I don’t like living in the United States anymore and why I can’t see myself ever returning. I had invested a lot of time and money to research and travel the world to find where I best fit in, which culture I feel more comfortable in. After almost 6 years of continues life abroad, I really can’t see myself ever going back.

What are some strange things that only happen in China?

The sheer logistics of trying to feed a nation of 1.4 billion people are insane. Take this building right here — it’s a pig farm. A 26-story pig farm named Ezhou farm. It’s one of the biggest ‘only in China’ moments for me.

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image 4

Basically, China has been having some pretty major geopolitical tensions with many of its neighbors lately, and there have been a lot of issues with the ongoing trade war with America. So China wants to be less dependent on imports of vital things such as food.

[1] As a result, it has started building absolutely MASSIVE pig farms on an industrial scale unseen anywhere in human history. It’s pretty crazy. Also, I gotta say, pretty impressive.

So yeah, 26-story pig farms are a strange phenomenon I’ve not seen anywhere else. Anyone who’s ever enjoyed Chinese cuisine knows it cannot survive without pork. So if ever war breaks out and trade routes are blocked, China is ensuring it’ll never run out of pork chops.

Who are the most professional and skilled foreign soldiers you have served with?

Let’s start with the worst:

Unfortunately, some stereotypes might be true. When I served in the German army we trained for a week with Italy’s famous “Folgore” parachute unit. Although they were considered elite in Italy, they really sucked.

When we went with them to the shooting range my job was to count the targets they were hitting, which weren’t many. With one guy it took me a while to figure out that he was missing his target by at least 5 meters- at a 150 meters shooting distance.

These guys failed at everything they did, except for one thing: The last night of their stay we went to a bar with them and after a few German beers they started singing Italian songs. Very well and beautiful and not like our “barbaric” German singing.

I also trained a lot with French units. Most of them were really decent fellows, but their officers were completely useless. They were unable to motivate their soldiers and always seemed to be screaming at them. As a result the French troops we trained with didn’t perform as well as they could have.

Although I trained with British troops on several occasions, they didn’t leave an impression with me. Neither good nor bad. Later on my German army unit got their a** kicked by a British Special Air Service unit during an exercise in Denmark. I didn’t participate in this exercise and therefore these SAS guys are not in my ranking.

In Bosnia I fought for the Croats. They were all decent soldiers and what is very important, they were eager to learn. The Croatian army during the war lacked material and sometimes professionalism, but they more than compensated these flaws with outstanding bravery and high motivation. Especially their leadership was exemplary.

Later I fought in Kosovo with the Kosovo Liberation Army. I trained the unit that I fought with, so of course, they did ok. What I often saw in battle was that with the right guidance one could really make a difference. Sometimes we had soldiers from other units under our command and although we first thought that they were completely useless, watching our guys fight it out, these soldiers started to give their best.

I trained twice with US Army units and both times it was a pleasure. First time with a battalion of the 82nd Airborne in Italy and later I had the privilege to attend the German commando course with a US Army Special Forces unit. While the Airborne soldiers, although very good soldiers, were not really a match to our German “Fallschirmjäger” platoon, the US Army Special Forces (SF) were amazing.

They somehow weren’t that good at achieving many tasks during our training inside the barracks and were also not the fastest team on the obstacle course, but as soon as they were in the forest they showed admirable infantry skills, very good adaptation to the terrain, speed and stealth.

These SF would make the first place on my ranking if it wasn’t for a couple of Dutch LRRP’s (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) soldiers who also attended the same German commando course. They were good at everything and in the end had the highest score from all attendees.

They were also very modest, quiet and polite, almost shy, and these are qualities one doesn’t find very often with elite soldiers. Therefore I rank them first.

If a drone is flying on my property and I have already notified that I do not want it to be flying on it, can I destroy it without legal repercussion?

I will answer with my experience in this. There was a drone that would come over my house three times a day and roughly the same time each day. I put out a sign said please stop recording my house and yard for a couple of days but it kept coming. Thay is when I noticed a police car parked in the lot behind my house while the drone was there. So each time I’d check and see on my camera if the cop car was there and every time the drone came around sure enough. So new sign unless you have a warrent stop filming my house and yard. At this time I checked with courts for any investigation warrents for me and my property and none. So I then went out and threw rocks towards the drone each time it would take off. But still coming back. So I set the trap. I sat out front and waited for this thing to come flying over my back yard with a rather large rock. I nailed it the first try. It broke and landed in the back yard. It took three days for the cops to get a court order to come and retrieve it. Seems in the attempt to get me into trouble they had to show the footage of the drone and the warning to stop recording was enough to exonerated me for damage to the drone. They have not been back since.

Man Didn’t Want This Cat. Now They’re Inseparable Swimming Buddies

At first this man didn’t want a cat, but his swimming buddy Frosty changed everything. It took time for them to develop the bond, but when they did, a cat dad was born. Soon, Stefan discovered Frosty’s affinity for swimming, He was super curious about water and started jumping to the shower, and then the bath and finally the swimming pool.

https://youtu.be/-wSl9unZ7wE

What’s something commonly eaten in America that British people find strange or disgusting? I’m looking for foods that are viewed as normal in America that British people can’t understand.

So what the bloody hell is this?!

Biscuits and gravy is a popular breakfast dish in the United States, especially in the South.

No.

No.

NO!


I don’t care that you have your own version of English – that is an abomination.

That quite clearly consists of a scone:

With some kind of weird elephant ejaculate on top.


So not only is the name utterly wrong to British ears (if you ask someone here if they wanted “biscuits and gravy” here you will either a) end up in a mental institute, or b) be hounded out of town like a demon), but:

The actual thing doesn’t look much better.

I mean seriously guys – that stuff looks pretty damn unappetising, and that’s a “glamour shot” taken from some recipe website!


So America – let’s recap:

  • You’ve taken a food item traditionally eaten in the UK with cream and jam – and decided it would be better with some weirdass sausage-jizz-sauce.
  • You gave it a name which makes it sound bloody awful to British people

In case you haven’t gathered – this is not a popular food item in the U.K.

And we would rather it stayed that way – it looks ghastly.


EDIT:

From some of the very angry comments, it seems like some of you Americans just can’t seem to take a light-hearted ribbing, or a smidge of sarcasm. The whole point of the question is that us Brits don’t understand why you like it.

And for crying out loud:

  • yes, I know you call biscuits “cookies”. That’s part of the bloody joke.
  • Yes I have tried it. Calling me ignorant isn’t going to help.
  • Yes some British stuff is weird too. But we’re not talking about us – the question is about America.

Some people are treating this answer like I did a big squishy turd on your beloved flag.

It must be that sarcasm is hidden away in the ‘u’ in humour….

Which countries have the most brutal and horrific history?

This answer isn’t really about saying what one single country has done the worst, but I do want to share below on the cruelty of humankind that many people don’t know about.

Graphic content below but I want to make this known because so many people around the world have heard of Hitler, Nazis, concentration camps but they have not heard of the Asian holocaust that took place around the same period. In western schools, history classes do not teach people about this part of the world.

This is regarding what the Japanese did during their occupation of China and Korea and the war crimes they committed to the surrounding Asian countries, including some Pacific Islands they invaded: Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, East Timor, New Guinea, Indonesia, Guam, Nauru, Wake Island, Attu and Kiska Islands, and Kiribati.

They even had some prisoners of war from the west such as America, any forces against them at the time etc.

Hundreds of thousands of women from my country in Korea were forcefully abducted (called comfort women) during the Japanese occupation in WWII. They endured torture beyond imagination if they did not sexually submit to these vile men and were forced to have sex with 60–100 men every single day. Their innards rotted because of the STD’s and they were destroyed, unable to have children even after they were rescued. They have still not been compensated for the war crimes that they endured and majority have died.

Pregnant mothers were cut open and rape victims were sodomized with bamboo sticks and bayonets until they died in agony.

On top of this they literally tore the unborn from women’s wombs and speared them alive with bayonets in front of them. They’d crush the infant’s skull against concrete floors. They would actually do this for fun.

They tied sons and daughters up and tore them apart, spearing them and forced their own parents to watch.

They raped and pillaged women of all ages, even toddlers to old women in the most vile, disgusting way imaginable. They would often disembowel them while in the process, leaving them to die in agony.

They conducted unspeakable evil torture and experiments on LIVE prisoners from these countries even children and infants in UNIT 731. Torture methods such as vivisecting pregnant women without any anesthesia, centrifuging and killing people in pressurized chambers, and slowly burning and freezing people alive. They artificially created what is similar to the ‘bubonic plague’ to see the effects on the prisoners. They were forced into X-rays until they perished and hung people by their thumbs or tongues etc. These torture tactics were deliberately planned to see death happen SLOWLY, not fast as the scientists wanted to observe the resilience of the human body.

Unbelievably Inhumane Japanese Torture Methods Used During World War II

(image deleted – too unsettling)

Bodies of slayed, raped, mutilated women in China.

(image deleted – too unsettling)

Carcasses of babies and children piled up

Despite this, Japan still presently denies what has happened and even believes that it is a rumour. The young people as shown in this video are absolutely clueless on the whole tragedy, or are so far removed in cognitive dissonance and lack of care it is astounding. There is even a middle aged woman in the video who even says “Well I’m not sure if it’s a rumour or not…” which is an absolute lunacy and an embarrassment of the failure of the country in not properly educating their citizens of what truly happened. One young girl even says “Well, I wonder when they will ever get over it…” How are people supposed to get over it when there are still thousands of victims still alive who didn’t receive any form of compensation for what they have been through??!

Their government still warps their history books and deliberately tries to hide the evidence of what truly happened. There are active groups within Japan who refuse to accept what happened and truly believe that it is just a ‘rumour’ to make Japan look bad.

Below is a real life account by a South Korean comfort woman on the horrors she went through. It is heartbreaking to watch but quite educational. She sadly passed away early January of this year, fighting until her last breath but still never receiving any compensation or apology from the Japanese. They don’t even recognize that she went through this or who she is.

(Video no longer available on YT)

What Japan did wasn’t just an invasion or occupation, it was a literal carnage, hell on earth genocide. They didn’t have to go this far as majority of the Koreans and the people they invaded were helpless farmers, uneducated servants, and innocent people who were not trained in war at all. They did this because they did not see these people as human, and their goal wasn’t simply to occupy, but to desecrate the spirit from within. They knew when you destroy someone’s spirit from inside out, the enemy will bend the knee and yield to the point where they do not have the soul to fight back. On top of this, it was just pure, raw sadistic savagery because all of these helpless people surrendered and begged for mercy yet they were still tortured for absolutely no reason.

(Video no longer available on YT)

Presently Japan is one of the most wealthiest and prosperous Asian countries in the world yet they cannot even fully take responsibility for their own committed atrocities. It shows the savage barbarism that still resides in some of these people and makes one question just how this is even acceptable. Instead they choose to warp their own history books, flat out deny it existed and have refused to offer sincere, acceptable compensation/apology for the people who are still alive. They are waiting until every last victim is dead so they no longer have to worry about it. They are not truly ashamed of this past, they just see it as an eyesore they want to bury. Keep in mind Japan has very strong political parties that strives to ensure this shameful past does not reach the masses to retain their false honour. Still to this day, they praise their war criminals in shrines.

From the invasion of China in 1937 to the end of World War II, the Japanese military regime murdered near 3,000,000 to over 10,000,000 people, most probably almost 6,000,000 Chinese, Indonesians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Indochinese, among others, including Western prisoners of war. This is more than the estimated Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe controversially claimed that “there was no evidence to prove” that the women had been coerced into sex.

“The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is engaged in an all-out effort to portray the historical record as a tissue of liesdesigned to discredit the nation,” wrote Mindy Kotler, director of Asia Policy Point, in 2014.

Mr. Abe’s administration DENIES that imperial Japan ran a system of human trafficking and coerced prostitution, implying that comfort women were simply camp-following prostitutes,” Kotler continued. “The official narrative in Japan is fast becoming detached from reality, as it seeks to cast the Japanese people — rather than the comfort women of the Asia-Pacific theater — as the victims of this story.”

Japan’s Textbooks Reflect Revised History

Japanese Broadcast Official: We Didn’t Commit War Crimes, the U.S. Just Made That Up

Why is it so hard for Japan to say sorry?

China criticises Japan after Shinzo Abe honours war criminals as martyrs

Letter threatening to hunt Koreans sent to South Korean embassy in Japan: media

The Harrowing Story Of Filipina Women Enslaved In Japan’s Wartime Rape Camps

Edit: Since I’m getting quite a lot of people who clearly don’t seem to understand and may not have read or researched in depth in this matter. They are saying that ‘Japan does not need to offer apology or compensation for what people of their past did etc’

It’s more complicated than that.

Please read the links again. Even if they can’t take full responsibility for their past, they SHOULD take responsibility for the future by not warping textbooks and giving power to political parties who enforces the dangerous fallacy of denying any of this ever happened or triviliazing everything that has happened. They should make sure to teach the correct history not just for educational purposes but to ensure their citizens fully know and accept their own history and in hopes that it never happens again. This is also to help not silence the voices of the people who did suffer in the past and to not spit into their graves and ruin their legacy by spreading false lies.

Also the comfort women and people who were forcefully taken into labour camps as prisoners, many are still alive who didn’t actually get any compensation or even sheer RECOGNITION. They suffered their entire lives without anyone hearing what they have to say with nothing from Japan. This isn’t just about wanting Japan to go up to a stadium and saying ‘I am sorry’ and stepping down. Words are meaningless and worthless when not backed up by actions.

They are hypocrites by warping textbooks and also praising their own war criminals. Imagine what the world would say if Germany praises Nazis and gave strong political power that has the power to make Germans never even hearing of the Nazis or even contemplate if it was just a rumour or not. Think about how insane that would be.

So why do they need to apologise? Because unlike Germany what they are doing is absolutely deplorable and morally bankrupt by continuing to CONTRIBUTE to the legacy of the abomination Japan was in the past. You don’t see Germany do the same about the Nazis and for good reason. It means Japan hasn’t learned and is not truly remorseful. By Japan I am talking of the FACES of Japan which are the politicians who represent that country. The rest of the Japanese experience their trickle down effect so while it’s not saying it’s their fault, they end up indirectly contributing to supporting these vile politicians. So yes the people who represent JAPAN who hold the power of influence does need to sincerely apologise and stop contributing to what they are presently doing.

As I am getting tired of having to repeat the same information again and again, any comments that say things along the lines of ‘Japan does not need to apologise’ or those questioning or defending the existence of any of these crimes, their war criminals will be either ignored, deleted or blocked. It is extremely disrespectful to the victims and deplorable. The links are already here clear as day for reading and one can also do the research themselves. Also for anyone who brings up another atrocity and pitting them against each other, STOP. This post isn’t about pitting one atrocity against another, it is disgusting to even keep doing that and seriously lacks any insight into the original point of my post.

Otherwise thank you for reading and have a nice day.

TLDR: Japan did some truly horrific shit that many people including the present day Japanese citizens are unaware of. What they did is abysmal carnage from the Antichrist itself.

Also, piece of shit apologies that require uttering words and throwing money at victims isn’t a true apology when they are still in 2019 warping textbooks and none of their youths know anything about their crimes.

Why do you think Germany forces every citizen to learn about their nazi history and Japan doesn’t ? It is to deliberately ignore and not acknowledge their past due to their pride and selfishness. I’d equate this to even pathological narcissism and psychopathy due to how far they have gone in managing stomping this knowledge out of their own present day citizens.

Edit 2: As I am still getting very disrespectful, deranged comments on here pitting atrocities against each other, saying that I am spreading lies and others spewing ignorant hatred against Koreans, here’s my final message.

Instead of blaming others, look at what Japanese Nationals do. Stop diverting the attention away by blaming the mistakes of other countries yet not acknowledging the corruption of the Japanese government

Japan’s leaders are still stubbornly refusing to admit their war crimes

What Japanese history lessons leave out

Japanese people often fail to understand why neighbouring countries harbour a grudge over events that happened in the 1930s and 40s. The reason, in many cases, is that they barely learned any 20th Century history. I myself only got a full picture when I left Japan and went to school in Australia

The Germans in contrast have personally done everything possible to make people aware of their Nazi past. Japan doesn’t scratch the surface of what it means to have true honour while Germans go to great lengths to do humanitarian work and to allow their citizens to understand the FULL facts. This is what true compensation and remorse actually is, not the dogshit excuse of what Japan does by also denying people, correct history. End of.

We must remember Nazi crimes, says Merkel

Westoids get rid of this sick mentality

Disappointed that china isn’t collapsing and Chinese people are not starving with 50 cent hoes selling their body to you?

A channel which is ironically named “Economics Explained” is possibly the worst when it comes to it. Western propganda is not just limited to mainstream media, but to nutwits like these.

Imagine if a Chinese made a video “sorry to disappoint America/India isn’t collapsing ..yet”. What wud their reactions be.

In all honesty, the best channel for economics is Xiao Lin, light years better than these sick bas***ds.

Meanwhile Indian videos on China’s economy are even more hating than that of westoids.

Like seriously westoids, get a forking life other than hating a new country every decade. Last decade was Russia, last to last was Iraq. You guys got no job other than invading countries and telling “we love the people hate the government” then getting sad why that country hasn’t collapsed yet?

Original San Antonio Chili

2023 10 18 16 01
2023 10 18 16 01

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup suet
  • 1/4 cup pork fat
  • 3 medium-size onions, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 quart water
  • 4 ancho chiles
  • 1 serrano chile
  • 6 dried red chiles
  • 1 tablespoon comino seeds, freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Place lightly floured beef and pork cubes in with suet and pork fat in heavy chili pot and cook quickly, stirring often.
  2. Add onions and garlic and cook until they are tender and limp.
  3. Add water to mixture and simmer slowly while preparing chiles.
  4. Remove stems and seeds from chiles and chop very finely.
  5. Grind chiles in molcajete and add oregano with salt to mixture. Simmer for another 2 hours.
  6. Remove suet casing and skim off some fat.

Notes

Never cook frijoles with chiles and meat. Serve as a separate dish.

What is the toughest difficulty you have ever faced in life?

The pain was beyond anything imaginable.

Chiang Mai Thailand 2013. I had a rare form of Tuberculosis cysts lodged in my spinal cord and on my right kidney. The doctors didn’t know how I contracted this deadly bacteria. I was too ashamed to tell them it was from drug abuse and the unhygienic practices that came with it.

It felt like a hot knife piercing my back continuously for months as I lay immobilized on the bed of my apartment. I could not hold down food and went from 220 lbs to 163 lbs. There was no sleep, only my body eventually shutting down from the pain.

My mother was an LPN and flew in to take care of me because I could not afford a hospital. My poor mother, I screamed at her to take my life. I switched from fentanyl to methadone to morphine, but none of them worked – they only made the pain worse because my feeble body could not process the drugs. It was gasoline on the fire raging inside me.

Once a week or so, my mother would help me to sit up, place a back brace on me, and help me move six feet to the bathroom so I could attempt a bowel movement and a brief shower. Every inch of every movement was excruciating pain; I had no more tears; it was hollow bellowing, and even cursing was painful. And then back to bed. That simple exercise would be an hour of horrific suffering.

After three months of strong antibiotics, I could finally eat and hold it down. With a back brace and cane, I could stand and walk briefly. The photo above was from this time, taken with my beautiful mother. You can see the back brace under my shirt and the cane I used to walk.

2023 10 31 10 46
2023 10 31 10 46

This life I have today is beyond anything imaginable

I never thought it possible. I thought I was doomed to the bondage of self, and the slavery of active addiction.

Now, I live a lifestyle of sober recovery – drug and alcohol-free at 56. I train daily in the gym, go for power walks and jogs in nature, and have a purposeful, meaningful life.

I Just Got an Email That Left me SPEECHLESS. WE’RE AT DEFCON 2

This is really good, from a prepper. DEFCON 2. Holy Shit!

What are things about corporate life no one tells you about?

  • Your appraisal is dependent on last 2 months efforts and not 12 months
  • You ask for a raise, and your boss thinks you’re looking for a job change
  • You complain about administrative issues and your manager thinks you’re trying to be a rebel
  • Don’t share secrets with your colleagues, they might be sharing your secrets with colleagues or managers
  • Your office friend is not your real friend and they won’t swear by your death bed
  • If you die tomorrow, there is a replacement within a week
  • Your efficiency is decided by number of hours you clock in vs number of productive efforts you place in
  • A junior person can outsmart a senior person but he will still be called junior
  • Your mistakes will always be discussed during appraisals
  • Your best performance will be discussed when you want to quit
  • If you finish your work on time and leave early, this is getting noted in the system as you don’t have enough work. [Your efficiency is not counted 90% of the time.]
  • Hiring is done based on communication skills and not on management, writing, negotiation, programming, analysis, attitude and mindset
  • Your CTC, Variable, Bonus and Take home salary are different components (understand the difference)
  • Utilize your earned and casual leaves when you get time
  • Find your interests and do some certification courses from LinkedIn, Coursera, edX etc
  • Documentation is king
  • Lazy ones are the smartest but are difficult to manage
  • Love your job and be committed to the work. Period.
  • Your salary will increase by 1.5x, 2x or 3x only when you switch companies
  • At age 20–30 skill set is primary and salary is secondary.
  • If you find a mentor in your current company, listen to him/her and always consult when you get stuck
  • Be open to change and learn how to become smarter
  • Try to be 1% better than yesterday
  • Kill the boredom, go for a walk when you don’t have anything to do at office or talk to your colleagues and find out how they do what they do
  • Be happy and learn the financial management, this will help you stay afloat after 10–15 years

Chen Si.

He works at a logistics agency in Nanjing, China. He also spends his free time saving other people’s lives.

Let me tell you his story.

In 2003, a very close relative of Chen’s committed suicide after watching his sons argue over who would take care of him. The incident was deeply traumatizing. Having to lose someone he held so dear to his heart just because his sons didn’t seem to show enough respect and compassion for him. Chen also read in the local newspaper that the Nanjing-Yangtze River Bridge was a major suicide hotspot — in fact, by 2006, about 2,000 people were estimated to have killed themselves by jumping off the bridge since the year it was constructed (1968). He then became greatly determined to devote the rest of his life saving those of others trapped in hopelessness by foiling suicide attempts.

In response, Chen began to patrol the Nanjing-Yangtze bridge either on his motorbike or on foot, continuously on the lookout for people willing to jump from it.

He has been there almost every day, even on holidays and weekends, regardless of the weather.

He has kept a lookout for signs of depression, for example, in the way some of them walk, which Chen describes as “passive with no spirit or direction”.

Chen also keeps a diary documenting the people he has encountered and the reasons why they wanted to kill themselves.

  • Some had been greatly shamed for not being successful enough in school.
  • Some had broken up with their boyfriend or girlfriend.
  • Some had wasted away their money on needless things.
  • There was also, for example, a migrant worker who was drowning in debt because he couldn’t pay off the $15,000 bill for his daughter’s leukemia treatments.

Chen also gives out suicide prevention pamphlets to potential jumpers, detailing emergency contacts.

And not only does he simply pull people off the bridge. In fact, he has spent 10,000 yuan ($1,457 in dollars) renting a two-room house not far from the site, which he calls “a station for the soul to rest in”.

He sits with people and lets them share all their suffering in their stories, which in a way ignites friendship, trust, and newfound confidence. Chen also occasionally brings victims back to the bridge as volunteers, helping others see a way forward in life.

Throughout his time engaging in this, Chen has stopped over 300 people from ending their lives. That is an example of being a hero without having to fight. An example of generosity and compassion at work without the necessity for bloodshed. Sometimes the best heroes simply dedicate themselves to lending a hand to people who feel like they’ve got nothing left for them. Chen Si isn’t called the “Angel of Nanjing” for nothing.

Not all heroes wear capes”, they say. That is most definitely true.

Footnotes

[1] Chen Si – Wikipedia

What are some of the oldest contracts still in place that include some regular payments, like a lease that requires the user or tenant to pay something?

Every October since 1211 the City of London has paid rent to the Crown for two pieces of land even though nobody knows their exact locations.

The Ceremony of Quit Rents is the oldest legal ceremony in England apart for the Coronation of the Monarch. It takes place between St Michael’s Day (October 11th) and St Martin’s Day (November 11th) every year in the Royal Courts of Justice in London where the City pays the King’s Remembrancer.

The King’s Remembrancer is the oldest judicial position in England and was created in 1164 by Henry II to keep track of what was owed to the crown.

For the first piece of land, called The Moors, the City pays two knives, one blunt and one sharp.

The Remembrancer’s duty is to test the knives. The billhook is tested on a hazel tally and should make a mark representing the payment. The sharp axe then splits the tally in two, one for each party as a receipt. The Remembrancer then calls “Good service”.

This is called a split tally where in order to record debts a stick was marked with a number of notches and then split lengthwise. This way the two halves both record the same notches and each party to the transaction received one half of the marked stick as proof.

The second quit rent is for the use of the forge in Tweezer’s Alley, somewhere near The Strand. It is believed that the first tenant, Walter Le Brun, was a blacksmith who had set up his business near the tilting ground of the Knights Templar sometime around 1235.

The rent for this land is sixty-one nails and six horse-shoes. The horseshoes used are believed to date back to 1361 and are probably the oldest horseshoes still in existence. After the payment is received, the shoes and nails are then loaned back to the City of London for the next year.

When presented with the horseshoes and nails, the Remembrancer calls “Good number”.

There are also other quit or peppercorn rents. In Medieval times when a piece of property was deeded over as a reward for service a nominal rent was often charged as a reminder that the tenant didn’t own the property outright. A single peppercorn (or a single rose i.e. rose rents) was among the most popular forms of this style of rent but there were various other interesting forms of payment, such as a frog, a roast pork dinner, the donation of a petticoat to a poor woman, or even a raw calves head and a pair of gloves.

What do you dislike most about the U.S.?

Hi.
I am an Australian who is married to an American and, due to the nature of my work, lived ALL OVER the US over a decade.

Half my family are American and many of my closest friends.
In short, I’m very fond of the United States and support my nation’s close affiliation with them.

So please forgive me if I’m blunt.
This is NOT an American bash, it’s an honest expression of the one thing that [SOME] Americans do that never fails to trigger me.

We saved your asses in World War Two”.

Americans often tell us bluntly, over and over how they “saved our arses” in both World Wars.

I assure you, EVERY SINGLE Brit, Aussie, Kiwi or Canadian reading along can hear those words spoken in an American accent as they read them.

That’s how often we hear it.
Almost weekly.
Certainly once a month.

Wars that we ourselves stepped up and fought in the protection of others.
Wars that wouldn’t even have affected us directly.
Wars we fought for YEARS before the United States.

Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand particularly could have turned their backs on Western Europe.

Britain herself could have closed her borders and looked the other way.
Hitler had no designs on the UK – He admired them.
All they had to do was stand back and allow the holocaust to happen.

But of course they couldn’t because fighting Nazi Germany was the right thing to do.

We didn’t make Britain wait 3.2 and 2.3 years to enter either great war.
We were there from day one.

We didn’t charge Britain for our goods or help.
We didn’t keep a tally and make them pay it back for seventy years.
We didn’t insist they realign their trade preferences to favour our markets setting their still very young colonies prematurely adrift or cost them their empire, wealth, dignity or preeminence as a world power.

We didn’t use Britain’s plight as a springboard for our own wealth and dominance or spend the following century diluting their culture with Pan Americanism and shallow consumerism.

CANZUK didn’t ask for anything.
We just went because we’re family and that’s what family does and despite what some of you are going to assert in the comments, yes, America, though you are the black sheep you are also family.

Speaking for Australia, from a population of six million (2/3 of which were women, children, the elderly and infirm), a full one million Australian men served in the military during the Second World war.

Let that sink in.

We had, from our far-flung nation gathered together the fourth-largest air force in the world and the fifth largest navy and lost so many men in every theater of both World Wars that we had a noticeable lack of them right into the 1980s.
Indeed, by the time American boots had touched the ground in North Africa and Europe, CANZUK had already sacrificed literally millions of men.

It’s SO, rude.
I’m not even sure you understand just how disrespectful it is and how much damage it does [at street level] to our relationships with the US.
Honestly – it’s there in the pit of all our stomachs whenever we even engage with an American.

I will leave you with this quote from the memoirs of one of your own.
American journalist Ernie Pyle who was killed in action by the Japanese in April 1945.

His account of D-day and the liberation of Paris.

One cannot help but be moved by the colossus of our invasion. It was a bold and mighty thing. One of the epics of all history. I hope that we can rejoice in victory but humbly. The dead men would not want us to gloat.”

Peace.

Do people realise that China is an authoritarian country?

Probably. So?

I don’t live in China. But I do live in another country that is often said to be authoritarian (Singapore). And what else can we say about Singapore?

It’s ranked in the world’s top five richest countries (by GDP per capita). It’s ranked among the world’s top five least corrupt countries. Its public transport system is often ranked as the world’s best. It’s also ranked as the world’s no. 6 most peaceful country. It has one of the world’s highest average life expectancies. It’s ranked No. 1 for infrastructure. Singapore is ranked the 2nd safest city in the world. Singapore students are the world’s best in science, math and literacy. Its economy is ranked the 4th most competitive in the world. Singapore has the lowest infant mortality rate in the world. Homelessness is very rare here. Singapore’s rate of death by drug overdose is 81 times lower than in the US. There hasn’t been one gun homicide in the past 17 years.

Etc etc etc. I could go on and on. Basically Singapore is a very successful country across a wide range of different indicators and criteria. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it – what exactly is so bad about authoritarianism.

Yeah, yeah, you can’t smoke pot; you’ll be caned if you are a rapist, and you have no right to utter hate speech to bully anybody. Sounds quite good to me.

Which is the best thing to import?

Cigarettes 😀

You do the maths. I used to be able to buy them at HKIA for $90HKD a carton. The airport staff said you have to pay duty if you take more than 2 cartons. I said yes and filled my suitcase.

I’d take them to the UK and sell them for £35–40 a carton. I’d sell them to somebody who looked like he’d stab you in the face. First time I met him he wanted to rob me, but realised I could supply him regularly. Anyway he’d sell them for £50–60 a carton (it’s about £50 for 100 a carton is 200).

The trick was to land late at night, if you did this the customs agents were usually not too attentive and wanted to go home.

Same thing with France, I’d go for a razz now and again and come back with a car filled with cigarettes.

It was easy money and made me my seed money to get my business off the ground.

What are some sad truths about life?

Chris Langan was born with a freakishly potent brain, having arguably the highest IQ of any living person.

Langan began speaking at six months old and went on to skip several grades. He had an adult vocabulary by age 10. He breezed through college-level tests as an adolescent. He took his SAT several years early and got a perfect score in half the allotted time and took a nap.

Today, he is a rancher. He never finished college. Most of his adult years were spent as a bouncer at a bar, and in manual labor jobs.

image 202
image 202

It all stemmed from his rough childhood. He grew up in a poor family. His mother married multiple times before he turned 12. One stepfather committed suicide. Another was psychopathic and abusive.

His stark upbringing created behavioral problems and a persisting contempt for authority. Combine this with inadequate mentorship, resources, and an absent professional network and he never weaponized his extremely rare gift.

The sad truth is that there are many like Langan, who are like the gifted child working on a 3rd world farm, born into poverty and dealt a common, cruel blow to the chance of success.

TikTok on the cost of living | RANT ON INFLATION | EVERYONE IS BROKE AND TIRED

Hi guys, just to clarify I do not own any of these videos I just thought it would be interesting to see how people are dealing with the cost of living, sending prayers and well wishes to you ”

MM talks about Domain

I had another interview. This was on a website that discusses soul, and astral travel, and all manner of similar items. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the video. Enjoy!

I hope that you enjoy it.

I don’t think that I was at my best. But I did try anyways.

Here’s the post for today…

Very valid

What work secret did you accidentally find out that changed everything?

AAAHAHAHA!

Oh, I’ve got a good one. After joining a new company, I rose quickly from trainee to project manager. However, my pay didn’t rise with my title or responsibility. I was also being forced to work overtime off the clock (illegally). I had a sit down meeting with my boss, and told him that I expected to be paid more given that I had far more responsibility. I was told that I’d need to gain experience in the new department and that they didn’t have money in the budget for raises. I knew this to be nonsense, because there was no way that the guy I replaced was making the pittance that I was. I also asked for a filing cabinet for my office. I was told that one had recently been vacated and to take anything I needed out of that office. I found the file cabinet, which was a rusty piece of shit. But, it’s what I had to work with. I didn’t know how valuable that filing cabinet would be.

I started cleaning out the crap that the last person had left in the filing cabinet. It was mostly a bunch of accounting stuff; invoices from receivables, things like that. At the very bottom of the filing cabinet was a stapled set of papers. On it were the names of the company’s employees with a number beside each one. I tried to figure out what the numbers meant. Office number? No, some of them were the same. That ruled out employee number too. In fact there were decimals. Wait, could it really be? No. Yes! This was a list of the hourly rate of every single employee in the building, from CEO to Janitor. Jackpot.

Now that I new how much everybody was making, I knew exactly what I was worth to them and what they could “afford”. But they had just turned me down for a raise. How was I going to leverage it? Well, by securing another position, which I did. I interviewed at another company, got another offer that was at least above what I was making in case things didn’t work out and put in my notice. About a week went by. Didn’t hear from them. Maybe they were broke and couldn’t afford to pay me any more. But sure enough, one afternoon I got called into the Vice President’s office. “Why are you leaving us?”. I told him that I thought my additional hours and responsibilities were worth more money and I was right, another company offered more money. “Can we at least make you an offer? We can move things around.”

They came back with a substantial raise, in fact more than the other company was offering by a fair amount. But I knew what every employee was making, from the newest project manager to the people I replaced. I was going all in. I told him I had to turn his offer down. Another day went by. I get called into the Vice President’s office again. “We like what you’re doing. We have increased our offer.” I said I would look at it. I waited two days before getting back to him, just a few days before starting my next job. I told him if he added another dollar an hour it was a deal. He said he’d see if the other board members would agree, and it was officially offered on paper that afternoon. It was a dollar more per hour than the people I had replaced, and a 50 percent increase in salary. Information is everything, and somebody left the wrong information at the bottom of a rusty filing cabinet.

“Oh, just one more thing. My filing cabinet is a piece of shit, I want a new one.”

“Done.”

I made sure it was empty when it got hauled out.

“War with Iran would be SUICIDE and the U.S. will lose” – Scott Ritter

Former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter lays out how a U.S. backed war against Iran would bring devastation to both the United States and Israel. Ritter says Israel would be destroyed if it tries to face off against Hezbollah and Hamas simultaneously.

What is China’s planned strategic nuclear arsenal?

Enough to flatten any nation or a few nations which dare to nuke China completely and comprehensively. Ensure that it can send its reciprocal strike with minutes of the enemy’s strike. China won’t be the first to you. But it must retaliate in kind with equal proportion.

Just so you know? How many Nuclear Arsenals? It for China to know and for their enemies to find out the hard way. 300–30’000 that is what China has. Don’t doubt China. A nation that last 5000 years will still be around after you care gone.

Texas Tavern Burgers

2023 10 28 12 33
2023 10 28 12 33

Yield: 10 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine and cook 1 cup onion and butter until onions are clear and tender.
  2. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients except beef, salt and pepper.
  3. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Cook ground beef and remaining onion until brown. Add to mixture.
  5. Salt and pepper to season.
  6. Spread on toasted buns.

Why is it challenging for U.S. companies to cut ties with China despite potential risks?

It is simple.

The US needs deflation causing supplies to keep inflation down. If it cuts China supplies your inflation can balloon to between 25–50%.

The U.S. needs a market to sell most of its products. China a lone is bigger than the next 10 markets put together. It’s consumer market alone is roughly 30% of the world. But what is worst is 70% of world produce is made in China. If you add these China commands 50–60% of world market. Any U.S. companies deprived of this market literally goes bankrupt.

You should not even think of cutting out China let alone do it. Anything you do will hurt the U.S. 10 times what it will ever hurts or harm China. That explains why the U.S. trade war on China starting in 2018 is such a duff decision. From 2018–2021 the U.S. economy grew 5.5% in total while China’s economy over the same period grew 5 times faster at 26.5%! No question who won!

Now this Chip war has shown clear signs of bankrupting the entire host of US chip companies from designing to producing and developing. The U.S. expected China to collapse and it is supposed to take a generation or 25 years for China to catch up. It took 3 years! Now China will produce chips at a third of the U.S. cost! The whole nonsense of Chip ban may cost 10 trillion when it tally up the losses.

But a nation that lost in Korea, failed again in Vietnam and disastrous in Iraq and replaced Taliban with Taliban after wasting 5 trillion dollars in Afghanistan will never learn their lesson to be humble.

In technology it has failed miserably in trying to deprived China of GPS. China developed a higher resolution, accurate to a meter version that now is in use by 187 out of 195 nations. Next to ban China from entering the U.S. space station. The result is China now has the only functional state of the art technology Chinese Space Station.

What is the landmark deal Russia and China signed regarding grain and oil?

image 171
image 171

Moscow will sell to Beijing, 70 Million Tons of Grain over the next 12 years for an approximate value of 65% of thr market price of grain pegged to a maximum value of 2.5 Trillion Rubles

PAYABLE IN RMB!!!

This means 36% of the World’s Grain will now be quoted and paid for in RMB

It was 4.7% in 2021

That’s a 720% rise in a mere 2 years

China gains huge food security plus currency domininon

Meanwhile

Russia extended a 10 year deal to sell Oil at a 30% discount pegged to a maximum equivalent of 750 RMB a barrel

And the best news

The Malacca Blockade is worthless now

China can get 100% Energy from Russia & the Middle East plus Food Security and delivered through Safe routes

main qimg ddf9554e9188c421e84cb51c26b83772 lq
main qimg ddf9554e9188c421e84cb51c26b83772 lq

The Duran: Germany is FINISHED

This is very interesting. Europe is going down with the United States.

Texas Breakfast Burritos

2023 10 19 08 45
2023 10 19 08 45

Ingredients

  • 12 flour tortillas, warmed
  • 1/2 pound bacon
  • 2 tomatoes, cubed
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons salsa
  • 6 eggs

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon until crisp.
  2. Using same pan with a little grease, cook onion.
  3. Crumble bacon coarsely and return to pan.
  4. Beat eggs; stir into pan. Cook until eggs are set.
  5. Fold in cubed tomatoes and salsa.
  6. Fill warm tortillas with egg mixture.

Grandma gives high-five to passport bros

China Aims to Use Particle Accelerators to Build Chips and Evade EUV Sanctions

By Anton Shilov

China’s semiconductor ambitions call to use particle accelerator.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), China plans to use an innovative approach to manufacturing processors by harnessing particle accelerators, potentially positioning itself as a global leader in advanced chip manufacturing. SCMP says the method seeks to evade traditional lithography machine limitations and US sanctions on EUV technology, potentially reshaping the semiconductor industry landscape. 

The Chinese research team, led by Tsinghua University, is developing a unique laser source using particle accelerators. Their goal is to sidestep the constraints of conventional lithography machines, which are pivotal in microchip production. The proposed particle accelerator will be roughly the size of two basketball courts, between 100-150 meters in circumference, and will serve as a high-quality light source for chip fabrication. 

Professor Zhao Wu from Stanford University introduced the underlying technology, termed steady-state microbunching (SSMB). SSMB captures the energy emitted by charged particles during acceleration, transforming it into a continuous, pure EUV light source. Compared to the prevalent ASML EUV method, SSMB boasts superior power and efficiency, potentially reducing chip production costs.

“An SSMB-EUV light source has been designed at THU, with designed EUV power higher than 1kW, and some key technologies are nearly ready,” said team member Professor Pan Zhilong at a presentation at an academic workshop in January 2022.

This ambitious project contrasts with the strategies of companies like ASML, which focus on miniaturizing chip-making machines. Instead, China’s vision involves creating a giant factory that houses several lithography machines, all centered around a single accelerator. This design aims to enable competitive manufacturing processes (such as 2nm and beyond) that will be used to make high-performance chips without using traditional extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography scanners.

“As a completely new light source, the experimental verification of the technology has been implemented. But it is necessary to build a solid SSMB light source research device operating in the EUV band,” said project leader Professor Tang Chuanxiang from Tsinghua University.

“Then we can [use the device to] cultivate scientific and industrial users, and polish the SSMB technology.”

According to the report, Tsinghua University’s team has made significant strides in this domain; they have successfully trialed the technology and are now scouting locations for the project’s construction, the report claims. Their achievements could pave the way for China to bypass potential future sanctions and emerge as a semiconductor powerhouse.

However, the journey to realizing SSMB-based EUV lithography machines remains long and challenging. Professor Tang Chuanxiang heads the project and emphasizes the need for continuous innovation and collaboration across industries to develop a functional lithography system. 

“There is still a long way to go before our independent development of EUV lithography machines, but SSMB-based EUV light sources give us an alternative to the sanctioned technology,” said Tang. “It requires continuous technological innovation based on SSMB EUV light sources and cooperation with upstream and downstream industries to build a usable lithography system.”

China Will Take Revenge Against US Discriminatory Practices On Huawei This Way!

The​ question​ is, what kind of inquisitive mind thought​ it would​ be possible to stop the technological advancement of a country of 1.5 billion people​ that work diligently hand-in-hand to build and better their country​ that has over 1 billion people as citizens, and over half of that as Middle​ Class? US economic experts advising their government should​ re-educate themselves.

https://youtu.be/RdMwv9z0VwE

Does US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo seriously think that the US Congress can use legislative tools to stop Huawei from doing research innovation and launching new products?

It’s not just her. The entire US government is having delusions of grandeur. They think that all the US needs to do is pass a law and it will magically happen anywhere in the world. This is massively deluded behavior. Much like the insane Emperors of Rome.

Does US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo seriously think that the US Congress can use legislative tools to stop Huawei from doing research innovation and launching new products?

That was the playbook.

Huawei’s mobile devices consumer division was kneecapped and decapitated through sanction, suffering a 90% drop in shipped volume in the last 4 years.

That’s a 100–200b dollar swing in revenue, just for handsets. To put that in perspective, that’s equal to 1–2 Boeings at its 2018 peak.

The US was trying to kill Huawei, and bury the telecoms business by bleeding revenue off its high margin consumer division.

That’s way grander than “stop Huawei from doing research innovation”.

Huawei is still under sanction, and Bloomberg’s recent name and shame of Taiwanese companies helping Huawei/SMIC with foundry infrastructure is a thinly veiled attempt at threatening companies not to deal with Huawei, even though the contracts they have entered into do not fall under current sanction.

Gina is free to suggest sanction escalation and fix Huawei like America did to Russia and Russian oligarchs, but Beijing will retaliate this time. And there is ~1 trillion in annual S&P 500 revenue generated from the mainland to aim for. The Chinese don’t have a significant presence stateside.

Personally, I think the ship on Huawei has already sailed. I won’t be surprised if Huawei breaks 100m phones shipped annually in the next 18–24 months. I also won’t be surprised if Huawei introduces new WIFI and telecoms standards in the next 5 years that end up being adopted in Apple phones. Neither Apple nor Google are capable of driving hardware standards revolution.

I can’t think of any easy-to-implement/low cost cards that the Department of Commerce can still deal when it comes to Huawei.

Do you?

Has someone helped you selflessly while you were in some adverse situation?

When I was a child of 8, my mom died suddenly. Our next door neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Cardin, sat outside on their front porch every night and I went over and sat with them for endless hours. They were so kind. I thought they were old. They were in their sixties, I guess. I always felt welcomed. They served me iced tea. They played cards with me. When I turned 18 and my dad died, I moved in with an older sister. I don’t remember ever saying goodbye to them. Years passed, I married, divorced and remarried and moved to another town nearby. I always remembered their kindness. One day I was walking through a local cemetary and reading the tombstone inscriptions (which I love to do). There they were: Geraldine and Louis Cardin. I knelt down in gratitude. The next weekend was Mothers Day. I laid a bouquet of flowers at the grave of Mrs. Cardin and thanked her for her kindness and comfort. They never touched me, never hugged me. They just let me sit beside them while I talked to them and they talked to me. I cannot remember one conversation, only that I felt at peace in their company.

Carl Zha on Huawei, ‘Chinese Spies’ and Chinese economy on Redacted

What feature in your car did you not realize you had until someone else told you about it?

Years ago I bought a golf diesel car. It belonged to my girlfriends father. He had fallen asleep and clipped a pole. Damaged the passenger side.

I asked what he wanted for it and he insisted it was only worth $600 because that’s what the dealer said it was worth. I bought it and replaced the door and rear axle and had a little body work and paint and pin stripping done. Cost me $800. Now the car had 50K miles on it so just barely broken in for a diesel.

The first time I drove it at night the climate control section of the dash was black. I thought you know that should be illuminated.

So I got into the dash and found the plug to the climate control unplugged. Plugged it in and it worked fine. Actually it looked like the neon lights at a fair. Red, green, blue colors. So I’m over at my girlfriends and sitting in the car when her father came over and we’re talking and he looks into the car and is stunned to see the lights.

Owned the car for a couple of years and said he just carried a flashlight to see the controls. He had no idea it was supposed to be illuminated.

Egypt just dropped a BOMBSHELL in the Israel Hamas War

Much respect to Egyptian Gov. for not bowing to the US.

Why do Europeans hardly buy American cars?

I love American cars – I have owned Chevy El Camino, two Dodge Ram Vans and one Ford Econoline.


The thing is that American cars are designed for different ecosystem than European and Japanese. American cars have ridiculously over-powered and under-efficient engines, which are extremely reliable, but they are terrible gasoline guzzlers. I mean, the American cars drink petrol like an alcoholic cheap plonk.

Moreover, the American cars are large and they have been designed for straight roads and long distances. They are excellent in Scandinavia, but next to useless in Central Europe.

In Europe, petrol is an import ever since the USA destroyed all the surviving Fischer-Tropsch plants in Germany after the WWII so that Europe could never be self-sufficient on liquid fuels. It means petrol is expensive, and it is heavily taxed. Petrol prices are approximately the same per one litre than they are in the US per one Yank gallon. So this is an incentive to a) maximize the thermal efficiency of an Otto or Diesel engine and b) to get as frugal and economic car as possible.

Moreover, the distances are short (which means a lot of acceleration and deceleration) and the roads are old (some date all the way to the Roman era) and follow the contours of nature. Which means they can be awfully winding, especially at the Pyrenees, Alps and Scandian mountains. Thus the agility is favoured over speed or comfort.

European cities are old, the streets are narrow and they certainly aren’t going to be re-planned with automobiles on mind. Finding a parking lot can be a pain and many city streets may have centuries-old cobblestone instead of asphalt. American car aren’t exactly the optimal vehicles there.

BLOCKADE FAILED! Germany Halts Dismantling of Chinese 5G Equipment!

Recently, the launch of the Huawei Mate 60 and the resurgence of 5G technology in China, powered by the domestically produced Kirin 9000S, have demonstrated that Huawei has successfully overcome the long-standing blockade imposed by the United States.

Although some US lawmakers have made strong statements about increasing sanctions on Huawei, US Secretary of Commerce Raymond has already affirmed that chip supplies to China will continue. Additionally, ASML, a key supplier of lithography machines, has announced their commitment to providing equipment to China until the end of the year.

Furthermore, Germany has also changed its position. Despite the “red-green-light” coalition government’s emphasis on the “security risks” associated with Huawei’s 5G equipment and their efforts to suppress Huawei through legislation and orders to remove Huawei’s equipment, the German government has covertly allowed German telecommunications operators to use Huawei’s 5G components.

According to reports from Chinese media and Germany’s Die Welt newspaper, a German government official privately acknowledged that the new 5G network in Germany incorporates technologies from China and German operators still rely on security-critical components provided by Chinese suppliers, implying that the German government has effectively permitted the use of Huawei’s 5G technology.

Huawei operates globally in 170 countries, with 30 commercial 5G contracts and over 25,000 5G base stations deployed without any major security incidents. Moreover, Germany’s ban on Huawei’s 5G components lacks substantial evidence to prove security risks, indicating that Germany is attempting to find faults where none exist.

However, this ban has faced opposition, with individuals stating that Germany’s 5G network has developed a deep reliance on Chinese suppliers, making it challenging to remove this dependence in a short period of time.

https://youtu.be/2WjHIkLrjXU

Have you ever unintentionally stolen something?

I accidentally stole a car once.

A friend was flying in to LAX, and I was going to meet her there for lunch. Another friend insisted I borrow his Prius (this is important to the theft), saying that he didn’t want to have to rescue me if my car broke down. (Fair worry—my then car was really on its last legs!)

I stopped at a McD’s on my way out of town to get some coffee, and when I walked back out of the restaurant, I unlocked the car using the fob, hopped in, and left. I drove to the airport, but when I parked and went to get my book out of the back seat, my book had disappeared!

It turned out that I had gotten in the wrong Prius!

When I finally figured this out, I went immediately to the airport’s little “police station” (a trailer at the far end of the airport’s circuit) and confessed to my crime. Yes, the car I was in had been reported stolen, but they contacted the owner who kindly agreed to just let me bring it back, which I did after having lunch with my friend.

Both these Priuses had a keyless entry and ignition system, and the way the owner handled hers was the only reason this could have happened.

Her car was the same color as the one I was driving, and she was parked two stalls away from me in the crowded parking lot. When I came out, I headed to the wrong one, not even noticing that there was another Prius nearby. I unlocked my car remotely, opened the door and sat down.

Here’s the thing: she had locked her car with a physical key when she parked it, but had left the fob in the console, forgetting that the Prius won’t lock if it detects the fob inside the car. So her car was unlocked.

I started the car with the pushbutton instead of with the key, and it started since it knew the fob was inside the car, and voila—grand theft auto!

Is there any credible evidence that Ukraine’s 2014 revolution was due to a CIA coup?

Victoria Nuland, Asst. Sec. of State for Europe, phone call to US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, in which they discuss how they’re going to set up the new Ukrainian government in 2014.

The video link is provided below. Here’s your smoking gun right here.🔫

And isn’t it interesting that the only administration in which Nuland could NOT find a position was the Trump administration. I’m no fan of DT, but it’s an interesting fact nevertheless.

She was in on Clinton, Bush, Obama, and now Biden administrations — a 33 year “diplomatic” career —including a very high level and indeed dangerous position today (Oct 2023) as Asst. Sec of State. She was Dick Cheney’s Deputy National Security Adviser from 2003 to 2005.

Interestingly, Wikipedia makes no mention whatsoever that Vitali Klitschko was a Ukrainian presidential candidate in 2014, instead providing page after page of information about his boxing career.

On this one, we got real, real lucky.

High level covert operations are NEVER this easy to get evidence on.

What observation have you made about China which most others missed?

Foreign media tend to portray Chinese plans and projects as stemming from a small, tightly centralized regime in Beijing. Foreign press back in the 2000s (when they were still enamored with the ‘Chinese model’ of economic growth) were often quick to praise how the strong, centralized decision making of China and it’s technocratic bureaucracy were key to driving economic growth where the ‘decentralized and slow democratic’ decision making of the decadent rest was going to be their death knell.

One could say that this is more of a linguistic issue where press reports simply referring to Beijing or the CPC created the impression that it was literally just Beijing and the Central Committee of the CPC calling the shots. Thereby creating the assumption that in order to address any issue in China, one must fly to Beijing and meet with the top man there. Or perhaps its a throwback on how the press reported on the USSR by making references to the “Kremlin” every time policy decisions were taken, forgetting that the Soviet States of Hungary, Poland, Romania etc had their own governments with their own powers who also called some of the shots.

This is flawed to say the least.

The Chinese governmental structure endows its provincial governments with surprisingly vast powers to the extent that Provincial governments alone can pursue their own foreign investments and trade deals with only minimal oversight from the center as long as such deals adhere to the loose guidelines issued by the center.

The same goes for the gigantic State Owned Enterprises in China which are permitted to initiate and pursue their own economic activities under the loose framework of the central committee’s guidelines.

As other Chinese Quorans have pointed out, One would do well to remember that China can better be thought of as a continental level entity with it’s own mini nation states inside its borders.

When the BRI was initiated, the central committee simply set out the guidelines for the project, which you can read here:

携手构建人类命运共同体(一带一路论坛)

President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the forum pointed out that our promotion of the “Belt and Road” construction will not repeat the old routine of geo-game, but will create a new model of cooperation and win-win; it will not form a destabilizing small group, but will build harmony. A coexisting family.

This fully demonstrates that the construction of the “Belt and Road” is an important exploration and practice for countries along the line to jointly build a community of human destiny.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has coordinated the two major domestic and international affairs, coordinated development and security, and carried out a great-state diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a proactive manner, and put forward a series of new ideas and concepts. We advocate the establishment of a new type of international relations with cooperation and win-win as the core, and strive to build a community of human destiny.

President Xi Jinping said in a keynote speech at the 2017 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos in January this year that as long as we firmly establish the common sense of human destiny, work together and work together to help each other and overcome difficulties, we will certainly make the world a better place. Be beautiful and make people happier.

The concept of the community of human destiny highlights the inclusiveness of the new international order

The community of human destiny is based on the thinking of various new elements in the development of the world in the 21st century. In response to the philosophical and historical propositions of “where does man go?”, from the perspective of reforming and improving the international order, A vision for the evolution of global governance.

After the Second World War, the world as a whole maintained peace and development. Its main guarantee factors were the construction of the international order and the in-depth development of economic globalization.

However, with the increasing challenges in the process of economic globalization and the increasing diversification of international actors, the current international order cannot effectively cope with various problems, and the risks of security disorder and development imbalance are increasing. Global governance calls for reform and innovation.

source: 携手构建人类命运共同体(一带一路论坛)

The paper goes on to talk in general guidelines about Eurasian infrastructure and trade development in loose terms:

In 2013, Comrade Xi Jinping formally proposed the “Belt and Road Initiative”. China is focusing on the periphery as the primary direction, promoting the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and providing important new public goods to the international community, especially the developing countries in Asia and Europe.

In August 2016, Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out at the symposium on promoting the construction of the “Belt and Road”: taking the “Belt and Road” construction as an opportunity to carry out cross-border interconnection, improve the level of trade and investment cooperation, and promote international cooperation in capacity and equipment manufacturing. It is to revitalize the world economy by increasing effective supply to generate new demand.

His keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the “Belt and Road” International Cooperation Summit further emphasized that China will thoroughly implement the development concept of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, constantly adapt, grasp and lead the new normal of economic development and actively promote The supply-side structural reforms will achieve sustainable development, inject a strong impetus into the “Belt and Road” and bring new opportunities for world development.

In the context of the continued downturn in the world economy, China’s support for countries along the line to promote industrialization and modernization through the “Belt and Road” initiative to meet the urgent needs of countries to improve infrastructure levels will inevitably activate the growth potential of countries along the route, which will undoubtedly help stabilize the world economy. The situation and the promotion of global economic growth.

McKinsey, the US consulting firm, estimates that by 2050, the contribution rate of countries along the Belt and Road Initiative will be more than 80%.

To say that there are a thousand and ten thousand, China is going to build a development concept of practicing the community of human destiny through the “Belt and Road”, so that all parties can work together to fill the development of Asia, Europe, and the mainland, and create a common development and prosperity of all countries. New Era.

携手构建人类命运共同体(一带一路论坛)

That is pretty much all the center does: establish the guidelines and groves for the project but leave it to other actors to decide how they carry them out.

Chinese provincial governments and their regional local elite have their own significant powers which they can use to resist parts of the agenda from the center which they don’t like (at least temporarily). I remember reading how one of the provincial governments stubbornly resisted Beijing’s calls to reduce pollution levels stemming from the province by pointing out how that would slow down economic activity in the province.

Similarly, when the CPEC project started, a Chinese SOE began development of Gwadar port and it’s special economic zone as part of the BRI initiative.

But right across from Gwadar, a Chinese provincial government began their own special economic zone in Oman, directly in competition with Gwadar!

Our Prime Minister Imran Khan would learn this lesson well when his incompetent team failed to brief him on how the Chinese political structure worked.

So when Imran Khan recently went to China on a state visit to Beijing to renegotiate some of the CPEC projects, he was met by bewildered officials in Beijing who pointed out that the central committee doesn’t exactly negotiate the deals for the BRI. SOEs and Provincial governments do. What exactly did Imran Khan want Beijing to do on an issue where Beijing wasn’t directly involved?

Most BRI contracts are not between governments but instead between Chinese companies and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to facilitate projects for the larger BRI initiative.

In that context, when the new government claims it will renegotiate contracts, as well as terms and conditions, it is forgetting to mention that it will have to do them with Chinese companies and SOEs, not with the Chinese government.

Secondly, because CPEC is an overland project, any arbitration that happens i.e. if the government were to try to renegotiate any contract in place, they will have to refer to the BRI court in Xi’an, which falls under Chinese law.

That means either the government must engage a law firm to represent it on each contract it wants to renegotiate or try to contest cases itself.

Worse still is the fact that the government has practically no idea what it wants to renegotiate in the first place.

That is the crux of the problem Pakistan faces: the state simply does not understand the conceptual basis of BRI or CPEC and, hence, cannot even define what it means.

Chinese companies raise that money in their own country from institutions like the Silk Road Fund, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Export Import Bank based on guarantees provided with regards to project completion through contracts signed by the Pakistani government.

Pakistan owes that money to Chinese financial institutions and not the government — let’s be crystal clear about that. The Chinese government will also not waive that borrowing away because it is project-based debt financing.

Was Imran’s visit to China a failure? Yes. Here’s why

The crux of the problem as far as Pakistan is concerned is that we have become so accustomed to reading about China through English print media or viewing the Chinese through a prism set by others, that we have no idea where policy decisions in China are stemming from. Or who exactly to talk to in the PRC.

So we default to our own logics: If we’re a strong man, authoritarian country we expect to take our problems to Xi to have them addressed. Or if we’re a country who sheds limelight constantly on the ongoings of their president, we tend to equate the other country’s president with the same power structure.

It would be useful for other nation states and companies besides Pakistan as well to perhaps narrow down on who exactly they are dealing with when they deal with China.

And perhaps do some linguistic adjustments so we move away from stuff like “China is building ports in the Arabian sea” – wait! Who is China? Xi himself ordered the ports built? Like specifically? Or do you mean a variety of different actors ranging from provincial governments to SOEs are pursuing their own economic activity under loose guidelines from the center rather than as part of some ominous grand design.

To be fair, maybe I’m being too harsh on Pakistani leadership. Certainly the military seems to know who to deal with in China, having negotiated independent contracts with the Xinjiang government, Chinese SOEs and so on.

There is also a tendency to get lost in the weeds when reading foreign press on China sense the idea of “large, centralized, authoritarian behemoth moving steadily in an organized manner towards American interests” sounds way more ominous and fearful than “oh hey, one of the Provincial governments in China is building a port in Burma to expand their provincial trade”.

The idea of an ominous, all power, omnipotent central leadership in Beijing calling all the shots sounds very enticing. Particularly for media centers operating out of nations that wish to portray China as the next big threat to their interests.

Its just not true. And we should probably learn that lesson well in our future dealings. Others would be well advised to do the same.

The point isn’t that the central government is powerless vis a vis localized power centers. Or that the central government is all powerful. But that the truth lies in a nuanced middle ground between both polar opposites. And there needs to be more specificity about who we are referring to in China when discussing policy decisions stemming from the PRC.

Happily, power in its operation

Often is given

More than it allows.

Out of its many empires, one empire,

Whether or not power knows,

Puts in its hands its one life’s simple portion.

  • Power, by Josephine Miles

Rehearsal by Josephine Miles | Power by Josephine Miles

Please dial the number of the department you wish to talk to”

Image source: Has democracy failed? A lesson from China – Formiche.net


Small correction:

“Just a small note – neither of this countries was ever part of the USSR – all of then was separate countries albeit dependent of the Soviets.

USSR republics was the “stans” countries (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan etc), Ukraine, Belorusia, The Baltics, Georgia and Armenia, but not Poland, Hungary or Romania.”

Angel V

AMERICAN RAPPER REACT TO -I’ve Got to Get Sober

Damn it man…this dude writes and cuts right to the bone. Wow.

What interesting thing did you read?

Meet Brian Mwenda, a Kenyan man who has been playing a high-stakes game of make-believe in Kenya’s legal system.

Stunningly, Mwenda is said to have argued and won not one or two, but 26 cases, pitting his wits against bona fide legal eagles and leaving courtrooms in awe. And he did all this without a law degree or any professional certification. He’s a fraud.

Now, authorities have finally caught up to him, and he’s facing a slew of charges for impersonating an Advocate of the Kenya High Court. But the man’s record is flawless, a clean sweep of victories.

It begs the question, should he be behind bars or standing at a podium accepting an award for extraordinary legal acumen?

Mr. Mwenda might just be a legal prodigy, an undiscovered gem in the world of law. Or Kenya seriously needs to reevaluate its legal education and certification processes.

After all, if a fake lawyer can outwit the pros, what does that say about the system?

If he was given the right to defend himself and he eventually won, it’d be his 27th triumph, an untainted record in a courtroom career founded on a lie.

If that happens, Brian Mwenda wouldn’t just be defying the laws of his land; he’d be defying reality itself, turning what should have been his downfall into yet another improbable victory.

Teachers Are Fed Up Of DUMB Gen Z Kids..

Wholly shit.

What do liberals not understand about Trump supporters?

There are a lot of things I do understand about Trump supporters.

Trump supporters are angry, tired, and frightened. They live in a world that’s passing them by. They keep hearing about how the economy is booming, but they’re struggling to make ends meet.

They see foreign students coming in on H1B visas to work at tech companies for what seems like ludicrous, unfathomable amounts of money, money they don’t see in a decade, and they’re wondering where their share of the pie is.

They hear people sneeringly talk about “flyover states” without seeming to know or care those are their states, their homes. The people they care about are mired in drug and alcohol addiction and struggling to pay the mortgage while Instagram 20somethings jet off to Maui and get sponsorship deals with companies that make bottled water.

They see liberals bending over backward to support gay men and lesbians and Black criminals and trans people and illegals, talking about treating everyone with compassion, and they’re like, what about me? Where’s the fucking compassion for me?

They bought into reassurances that if they were willing to work hard, they’d make it. They’d get ahead. Hard work and grit would be rewarded. Now the lumber mill’s closed and the mine’s closed and city folks keep going on about how coal mining is actually bad and wrong, and they’re like fuck you, we had a deal, I busted my ass and you took it all away.

They were told there was an order to things, a way things worked, and yeah they were never top dog on the heap, but at least they weren’t the bottom either, and now everything’s changed and men in makeup with long nails who’ve never done a days’ work in their lives are being put ahead of them? Are you kidding me?

I get it. I understand that. They were sold a bill of goods, and now the world has shattered around them and they’re stuck in podunk nowhere with no way to keep a roof over their head and the neighborhood they used to be proud of is trashed by meth dealers and everyone else is going on about how wonderful life is and what losers they are, and they’re pissed about that.

That’s not hard to understand at all.

What’s hard to understand is why they think a grifting self-described billionaire who lives in a penthouse, shits in a gold toilet, and wouldn’t ever in a million years allow any of them into any of his resorts is “one of them” and totally, like, gets them.

That’s the part that I don’t get.

Why the West FEAR China (China is UNLIKE Japan in the 90’s)

What is the reason that many products sold in stores (e.g. Macy’s, Target, Marshall’s) say “Made in China” on them when there is often negative news about China in the media?

America loves China’s consumer goods. As long as China was “the world’s production factory” the United States left China alone for the most part. There was the occasional “free Tibet” protest or Tiananmen Square protests, but nothing like what I see today.

What changed? China. China began to rapidly develop its infrastructure as well as its education sectors such as Science and Mathematics. They were obsessed with STEM learning before it was cool. Their military and space program excelled. They tackled poverty and literacy, created jobs and basically pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.

They no longer had to be the world’s factory. They still produce a massive amount of consumer goods, but as China develops toward first world status some of those factories relocated to Southeast Asia. Vietnam will likely earn persecuted country status by the time my grandchildren come of age. That’s if the U.S. is still influential in world affairs.

They hate China because China is no longer the sick man of Asia. China is strong and influential. The U.S. is terrified of losing their hegemony to China. They are an emerging world power that can offer developing countries a different path from what the United States traditionally offers. It’s all a part of a circle really. Nations rise and fall and have done so for millennia past. They will continue to do so for as long as Earth continues to exist. The U.S. will fall and China will rise. A hundred years from now and it will likely be another country’s turn.

What should Indonesia do to ensure the success of its first high-speed railway project?

If you are in Southeast Asia like me, you should have realized how happy and proud Indonesians are recently.

The media in Southeast Asia is full of reports about Indonesia’s high-speed rail.

In Indonesia, everyone from the president to civilians is happy for the opening of the high-speed rail. Even those against the media can only say irrelevant nonsense.

Indonesia’s high-speed rail has achieved initial success. This is the first high-speed rail in Southeast Asia. They are worthy of pride.

Our Malaysian neighbors have some nasty things to say in the media. But I know that they are actually very envious of Indonesians, and they also want a high-speed rail from Kuala Lumpur to Penang.

Currently, there are several high-speed rail projects in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Japan’s high-speed rail project in Vietnam is in a quagmire, and its high-speed rail in India has made no progress. Only China’s high-speed railways in Indonesia and Laos have been successful.

If Indonesia wants to maintain this success in subsequent projects, it only needs to maintain its original approach and trust the Chinese as always, and they will help Indonesia create miracles.

Evil Captain Kirk Wants to Hang Spock – 1967

A favorite scene.

Have there been any diplomatic incidents between the US and China since 2016, when the escalating trade tensions between the two countries began?

If there is, 99% of any incidents are man made. To be precise US lies, innuendos, concoctions, fabrications, made up haft truths or total garbage.

Take the weather balloons. Intentionally blown out of proportion. Pardon my punt. Imaging some hundred million Americans fixated over lies by the media and opportunistic politicians making hay on sunshine demonising and accusing the Chinese of spying a most ridiculous and frivolous claims but it sells media! Finally shooting it down with a hundred million jet at a million a pop on a float away balloon worth a thousand bucks!

So think about how ridiculous it is? In todays world where if China wants to it can zoom in from space at high resolutions on very square meter balloon China need to spy the US using a brightly coloured 2 school bus sized with a huge Chinese flag pasted moving at 5 miles an hour, visible by naked eyes m? It is laughable and shameful if you ask most of the world. But guess what some Americans think it is real! What a spun!

But Chinese people laugh their eyes wet thinking how silly you guys can get. Blinken your Secretary of State even postpone a state visit of utmost importance pretending to be affected by the balloon!

The tensions if any are all US made. A nation allowing fictions to exist and lies to demonised other nations cannot amount to much. But the US has no shame or pride. When General Mike Milley your joint forces chief announced officially that after days of disruption and chaos, up to a billion dollars, that it is what it is. A weather balloon! No more no less. Guess what! No apology, no one took responsibility, no one U.S. made to pay, no acknowledgement!

This is a nation that has carpet bombed nations, use agent Orange on villagers destroy thriving economies by mistakes and false flag operations. 3 million Vietnamese died and half a million U.S. agents dead or injured due a war started by lies in the Gulf of Tonkin!

So, sure one cannot expect much! But guess what they dare to call US exceptionalism and even worst Americans believed it!

In every revolution, there’s one man with a vision

“If change is inevitable, predictable, beneficial…doesn’t logic demand that you be a part of it?”

How do you think the rising US containment efforts on China and its allies in many hi-tech fields, including export controls on some key equipment, will affect China’s economy?

It won’t it will never and it will hurt and harm the U.S. several folds more that it can hurt and harm China.

It is no different from the U.S. picking a big rock and threaten China that if China do better than the U.S. you will throw the rock on your own foot!

China is a humongous market now. It is several times bigger than the U.S. and worst it produce 75% of everything needed by the world. If you stop selling to China which is say 40–60% of your market. You will go bankrupt. And if you think China cannot make it you better be super careful that the can’t and they will never be able to do! If you are wrong you will not only lose their need but you will also lose entire worlds need too.

Frankly the U.S. is a party not the only party to make most of the products. It simply cost the US too much to stop China. It is cheaper and more sustainable to work with China as an equal and finding a win win solution. The U.S. cannot forced China’s hand and will. China is too strong, too influential, too rich and too capable to fight you if you fight them.

So grow up.

Is it an offence to get around the sanctions imposed on Russia? If yes then which exactly activities are punishable and how?

Offence?

If something is an Offence, then you need someone to determine what constitutes an Offence and thats called DESIGNATED AUTHORITY

So unless US is the Ruler of the World, how can it be an offence to get around Sanctions Imposed by Russia for economic reasons?

Lets say India needs 96 Million Tonnes of Crude this year – 71 Million Tonnes of Sulphur & 25 Million Tonnes of Sweet ]

We normally buy Spot from the Market and have no long term contracts like other Nations have.

Suppose tommorow we are offered Crude at 30% Cheaper Rate, Why cant we buy Crude from Russia if it means a savings of several billion dollars?????


Punishment would simply mean US Sanctioning the Country that dares Trade with Russia

It might work or It might fail

For instance say India which produces its own Food is Sanctioned , tomorrow if it comes to Energy Crisis and Massive Recession vs Freezing of our USD Assets – A Sane man would rather choose Asset Freezing and fight legally in the UN , rather than force an Energy Crisis and Massive Recession

Say China is Sanctioned. It would rather be sanctioned than compromise its National Integrity and Face by conceding to the US demands.

However a Country totally dependent on US would have to Kowtow or totally Dependent on Imports from Europe would Kowtow

In 1997 – 82.9% Nations depended on US and European Imports primarily (159 out of 188)

In 2007- 59.7% Nations depended on US and European Imports Primarily (119 out of 199)

In 2017 – 32% Nations depended on US and European Imports Primarily (66 out of 205)

In 2022 – 28% Nations depend on US and European Imports Primarily (58 out of 207)

So the Sanctions are becoming weaker and weaker because More Countries can survive primarily even despite US Sanctions. (US/EU also includes Canada , UK and EU and NATO nations)

Almost 101 Countries have changed their primary trading Partner from US / EU/ UK/ Australia/NZL/Canada in the last 25 Years alone. Most of them have moved to CHINA including the EU themselves.

Stupid Sanctions like those against Russia tend to cause more negative impacts to the US than positive Impacts

Russian teenage genius joins Huawei .sparking concerns in the United States.

China and Russia, march forward hand in hand to make our world more stable, prosperous and peaceful.

I’ve noticed that cops in Asia like in Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, and even China seem friendly and approachable, while the West seems to have issues like corruption and brutality. Why does Asia seem to have better relations with cops than the West?

Take Singapore.

There are NO ghettos in Singapore.

NONE.

ZERO.

ZIP.

ZILCH.

How many cities can make a simple claim like that?

In Singapore, there are few exclusive districts, and those are the remnants of colonial history. In a modern new town, the expensive private apartments are within a stone’s throw of 1,2,3 room public flats. The children go to the same schools, and the parents shop at the same supermarket.

This raising of baselines across the board prevents organized crime from festering, because the fertile ground of poverty and the disadvantaged is uprooted.

Singapore is low crime, and most people have a healthy respect for the law, and especially officers in uniform. My grandma won’t indoctrinate her grandchildren in 21st century Singapore to “beware of cops”, because it isn’t 60s Hong Kong anymore. The SPF is one of the cleanest and most efficient police outfits in the world.

As a reminder, beat cops are armed with guns, but officer-involved shootings are very rare. We can go years between shots being fired. How does the SPF reduce violent arrests, and the risk of injury to both suspect and officer?

Through displays of overwhelming force.

Not all guns blazing, but the deployment of teams of officers to handle on-the-ground situations. Like these:

This round-island ability to concentrate policing power allows the senior officer to control and manage the situation, particularly the safety of the innocent public, the suspect/s, and of course the officers themselves.

In other words, gentler policing SOP.

This is a luxury that not all police forces can boast. Singapore manages by keeping crime waves at bay with effective policing and stiff laws.

At the end of the day, it is the economic and social fabric that keep crime from festering. And Singapore’s remain healthy.

Note: This is what passes for policing elsewhere.

Nurse Dies Of Illness; Experiences Infinite Reality And Told Why We’re Here (NDE)

What is considered a bad duty station in the U.S. Army?

There is an island in the Aleutions just east of Attu called Shemya. The AirForce has a landing strip there. The Army used to run a listening post there as well. It was considered a hardship tour, so the duration was one year. However, being under CONUS jurisdiction meant that overseas and hazard pay were not offered, base only. As for social life, the joke ran “there’s a woman behind every tree on Shemya; but there are no trees.” A good wind could carry a person off the island if one is not careful. Guide ropes were installed over the winter months to ensure safe passage between the barracks, the workspace, or the messhall. Being in the high latitudes subjected one to auroras, and other geomagnetic storm effects. Stereo gear just didn’t last long up there. Its isolation put Shemya on the bottom of any iteneraries for the top brass, so their presence was rare, thankfully.

Due to its proximity to the international date line, you could see tomorrow on a clear day!

What is something a guest in your house did that made your jaw drop? How did you react?

I let a friend stay at our summer house all winter. All they had to do was pay the utilities. A flag went off in my head when she said “why do I have to pay for the utilizes?

we get back in May-the first thing we are greeted to (in order):

  1. oven is a disaster
  2. phone call they will turn off our electric for non payment
  3. her son (who wasn’t supposed to be in there) carved his name in our cocktail table
  4. deep gouge in the oak flooring
  5. my new water pik is gone
  6. ALL MY WINE THAT WAS HIDDEN WAS GONE
  7. Instead of cleaning out the fireplace she used the trap door which took us all day to clean out
  8. she left the place filthy.

I was so angry I wouldn’t answer her emails or phone calls.

She then dialed on someone else’s phone and I picked up-she asked why I wasn’t taking her calls. I told her everything especially our wine being gone.

Her reply was ““so you are going to RUIN our friendship over a few bottles of cheap wine?”

I said THEY WERE CHEAP TO YOU SINCE YOU DIDN’T PAY FOR THEM.

Don’t call me again and hung up. I hope she sees this post.

US MILITARY SILENTLY AMASSING AROUND IRAN

They are about to do something really stupid. ”

I’m selling my car through Craigslist. A potential buyer whom I’ve never met wants to buy the car and pay with a cashier’s check. They say they’ll mail me the check. The person hasn’t seen the car or driven it. Is it safe to accept a cashier’s check?

Scam scam scam.

Here’s how it works:

  1. A scammer sees a high-ticket item with resale value online.
  2. The scammer offers to buy it, sight unseen, with a cashier’s check, money order, or credit card.
  3. You deposit the check or money order, or run the card.
  4. The scammer has a mule, who may or may not know it’s a scam, pick up the item.
  5. The bank notifies you that the check/money order was a forgery or the card was stolen. They take the money out of your account.
  6. You try to go after the scammer to realize they used a fake address, a disposable cell phone or VoIP line, and a fake name—you have absolutely no way to find them. And the mule who picked up the item? If you can find that poor sucker, he tells you the scammer paid him money to pick up a bunch of items, but then the check the scammer paid him with turned out to be a fake.

Optional bonus round:

  1. The scammer sends you a cashier’s check or money order, but the amount is wrong. You agreed on a price of $2,500, the check is for $2,800.
  2. The scammer says “Oh, I’m so sorry, I made a mistake. Can you wire me the $300 I overpaid? Tell you what, it was my fault, just wire me $250, keep the extra $50 since I screwed up.”
  3. The bank tells you the check was a fake and takes the money out of your account. (This can sometimes take 6 or 8 weeks to happen, by the way.) Now you’re out the car, you’re out the money, and you’re out $250 that you wired to the scammer…
  4. …which, when you try to get the wire transfer back, you discover actually went to a recipient outside the US, and you are completely utterly 100% screwed. There is no way in hell you will ever see that money again.

Super playoff round:

  1. You get a message from an “insurance fraud investigator,” “funds recovery specialist,” “online fraud recovery agent,” or something along those lines. He tells you that your name came up as part of a fraud investigation and he can get your money back in return for a percentage.
  2. You negotiate some percentage, say 10% or 15%.
  3. He tells you to send him $150 to pay up-front expenses, fees, duties, “recovery tax,” or some other bullshit fee. He explains that the fee will come out of his percentage, so it’s all good.
  4. You send him the $150.
  5. You never hear back from him. It was the same scammer all along. Now he has your car, your money, the extra $250 you sent him, and he’s just taken you for another $150 on top of that.

Double Jeopardy round:

  1. You get an email or phone call from Interpol, or the FBI online crime task force, or US Boder and Customs, or whatever.
  2. They tell you that a car registered in your name was used to commit a crime and since you’re still the registered owner, you’re legally liable.
  3. They say that an arrest warrant has been issued in your name, and you will be arrested…
  4. …unless you agree to waive your right to a trial and just pay the fine.
  5. They tell you the fine will be $1,000, payable by money wire.
  6. You wire the money. It was the same scammer all along. Now he has your car, your money, the extra $250 you sent him, the $150 you sent him on top of that, and another $1,000.

Double Jeopardy round variant:

  1. You get an email or phone call from Interpol, or the FBI online crime task force, or US Boder and Customs, or whatever.
  2. They tell you that a car registered in your name was used to commit a crime or found abandoned, but either way it’s been impounded, and they’re calling you because you’re still the registered owner.
  3. They say that you will get your car back if you pay the impound fee. Maybe they even send you a photo of the car.
  4. They tell you the fee will be $150, payable by money wire.
  5. You wire the money. It was the same scammer all along. Now he has your car, your money, the extra $250 you sent him, the $150 you sent him on top of that, and another $150.

Yes, I’m dead serious, this actually happens, and people actually fall for it at every step along the way.

Which empire was more powerful: The Ming or Manchu (Qing) Empire?

In terms of absolute strength, the Qing Empire was more powerful than the Ming Empire

The Qing Empire had a much stronger army. The Qing Empire had twice the territory and four times the population of the Ming Empire.

During its most powerful period, the Ming Empire still faced threats from northern nomads. They built a whole new Great Wall to deal with this.

The Qing Empire completely dealt with the surrounding threats, and their military controlled almost the limit of geographical control.

From the perspective of global relative strength, the Ming Empire was stronger.

In the 15th century, the Ming Empire was the most powerful empire in the world.
At that time, the Byzantine Empire fell, England and France were in the Hundred Years War, and the Spanish Empire had just begun to expand.
Technically, economically, and in terms of strength, there was no power in the world that could rival the Ming Empire.

In the 18th century, the Qing Empire was not the most powerful empire in the world.
Although it has vast land and population, it has lagged behind in terms of social structure and technology. After Europe completed the Renaissance and circumnavigated the world, it began global colonization and the industrial revolution. In particular, the British Empire developed rapidly, and the strength of European countries surpassed the Qing Empire.

Apollo 20: The Secret Mission to the Moon to Salvage an Ancient Alien Spacecraft

This is fun. Not sure if true or not. Check this out.

It is fun to watch.

Egypt Claims It Warned Israel Of Upcoming Attack

Will this finally end Netanyahoo’s rein?

Egypt says Israel ignored warnings Hamas planned major offensiveYedioth Ahranoth – Oct 9 2023

Egypt warned Israel of a pending Hamas attack ten days before terrorists breached the border and took control of military bases, and communities, killing more than 700 and taking 150 captive including women and children.

“We have warned them an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big. But they underestimated such warnings,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the content of sensitive intelligence discussions with the media, told The Associated Press.

The Egyptian official said the Israelis were concentrated on the tension on the West Bank and did not consider the Gaza ruling terror group to be a threat despite repeated warningד

that the Egyptians though were not being taken seriously.

One would hope so. But the story will certainly be denied. And due to the war Bibi may still keep his seat.

Posted by b at 15:42 UTC | Comments (351)

What will be the global impact if the West sanctions China over Taiwan in a similar way they sanctioned Russia?

Since Ukraine fell into crisis, Tesla has recovered from a low of 700 dollars to close to 1,100, a rally of more than 50 percent.

Similarly, the first world’s stock markets have mostly chugged through like nothing has happened.

The turmoil in the commodity space though, tells a different story.

This is because the sanctions are designed not to hurt the first world financial markets too much. The first world control the world’s money flow.

Unfortunately, China is a totally different problem. Any meaningful sanction on the same wide-ranging scale as those being thrown at Russia will roil financial markets around the world.

For a start, Apple will lose 90+ percent of its production and 25 percent of sales if it withdraws from China just like it did in Russia.

When Apple goes, so does the rest of the market. The mother of all asset bubbles will burst, from stocks to real estate to crypto to bonds.

The yuan will devalue sharply, and the forex game of cards will go up in flames, especially the ntd, krw and jpy, which will have to devalue even more or risk oblivion.

A weird new world will be in flux, with assets in the first world devaluing sharply, but consumer goods skyrocketing along with unemployment.

All these point to massive social unrest within weeks or months of taking such a decision, which is difficult to walk back because market sentiment is not easily reversed once the trust evaporates.

No amount of money printing can save the day because China controls the real economy of goods and component production.

REPORT: Qatar to Cut Oil/Gas Supply if Israel Invades Gaza

World Hal Turner

Qatar is now threatening to cut their oil supply to the world if Israel invades Gaza.

Emir Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani of Qatar threatened to stop gas supplies to the world if the bombing of Gaza did not stop.

You can bet Saudi Arabia among others will be right behind.

Hal Turner Editorial Opinion

Thankfully, illegitimate President Joe Biden and his incompetent Regime, sold-off about two-thirds of the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to stabilize gasoline prices, which skyrocketed when they imposed Sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.

So if the Arabs DO cut-off oil supplies, the United States no longer has a massive 714 Million Barrel reserve from which to draw to keep the country going.

Some 80 million of you voted for this!   All you folks who thought Trump was mean (Orange Man BAD!) . . .  and voted for Biden . . . . YOU did this.

Ground beef is very cheap. So why are burgers then usually so expensive?

You’re correct, ground beef is fairly cheap and the cost of the ingredients that make up a burger is relatively low. The cost of all of the ingredients used to produce a restaurant’s hamburger might be a couple of bucks.

So why is my hamburger $15.00, you ask?

Restaurants have other costs, as well as the cost of food. The young lady who greeted you at the door, escorted you to your table and handed you a menu has to be paid. So does the young fellow who took your order, brought you a drink and delivered your burger. Someone had cook the burger, shred the lettuce, slice the onions and tomatoes and prepare the secret sauce that’s slathered on your bun and they get a paycheck. The plate, fork, knife and glass you used need to be washed, which means there’s someone doing that job as well and they need to be paid too. Finally, there’s the owner and his investors. They all demand a profit from the sale of your burger. If there’s no profit, there’s no point in being in business. So they tack a profit onto the price of your burger because they want to be paid too.

There’s also the rent that has to be paid on the building, the electricity and gas that were used to cook your food, light the dining room and power the AC that’s keeping you cool and comfy. A portion of those things are paid for via the sale of your burger. Sell enough burgers and the restaurant stays in business. Don’t sell enough, or sell them too cheaply and you close the doors.

Understand?

Satellites Show Location of USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group Heading toward Israel

World Hal Turner

European Space Agency (ESA) imagery shows the USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier and its Strike Group, moving south past the Island of Sardinia, enroute to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, closer to Israel.

Iges released by the ESA show the ship and its group:

              

Alongside the Ford—USA is sending the cruiser USS Normandy, destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, USS Roosevelt.

The Ford and its Strike Group are being sent to “Make certain Iran does not escalate the ongoing hostilities in the region.”

When HAMAS, which is fighting Israel, got word the Carrier was on its way, they issued a statement saying the ship does not make them afraid.   One government official – I won’t say from which government — told me “It isn’t coming to scare them; it’s coming to kill them.”

That aside, there is real danger for that ship and its Strike Group, if a confrontation develops. You see, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, has, in its possession, a known quantity of twelve (possibly many more) P-800 “Oniks” anti-ship missiles, built by Russia.

The Oniks missile is either land-launched or air-launched.   It has a range of 120 to 300 km (75 to 186 mi; 65 to 162 nmi) depending on altitude (Yakhont export version). But Russia has also made a version for itself with a Range of 500 lm.

It flies very close to the surface of the water, with an operating altitude of 10 meters (32 ft) or higher.

But its real danger is its speed.  The missile travels at Mach 2.6, which means 3180 km/h which translates to 1998 mph  (884 Meters per second)  The human eye — in general — cannot even see this thing moving . . . it moves so fast.

The missile has already been used against Ukraine and Ukraine had a lot to say about these missiles:

The Oniks has proved to be a difficult threat for Ukrainian Air Defenses. Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat mentioned (to Wikipedia) that the flight profile of the missile is of particular concern; “Onyx missiles are designed to destroy watercraft, and ships, it flies at a speed of 3000 km per hour, that is, very fast,…On the march [cruising], it can rise high, and when entering the target, it can actually fly 10-15 meters above the water to destroy the ship.” He concluded that it was “impossible” to shoot them down with available anti-air means.

Which brings us back to the USS Gerald R. Ford and its Strike Group.

They will be in “the eastern Mediterranean.”  

One hopes they will remain far enough off shore to be out of range of these missiles.   But the farther offshore they must stay, the less flight time for their fighter jets without refueling.   So the Ship has to try to strike a balance between getting as close as possible so fighters can have good range, or putting themselves farther away for their own safety, which lowers fighter jet range.

OTHER SHIPS, EVEN CLOSER!

Other US Navy Ships are even closer to the threat of these missiles.   The ships and 3,000 US Marines onboard, are in the Persian Gulf! 

Unless, of course, the USS Gerald R. Ford and several (or ALL) of the ships in its Strike Group, are being set-up to be sunk, to provide an excuse for the US to go to war.

No, such a thought isn’t far fetched, the US knew the Japanese were going to attack Pearl harbor, and they let it happen on purpose.   

Who knows if the same, sick, mentality, is at play in the federal government today?  Another “Gulf of Tonkin” type situation, perhaps?

I guess we’ll see.

The Gerald R. Ford and its Strike Group should be in the eastern Mediterranean Sea later this week.  The other vessels are already in the Persian Gulf off Iran’s coastline.

Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?

I worked for a 150-person manufacturing and assembly plant. We made small engines and parts for aircraft.

I was the HR person.

While doing a payroll audit after we switched to a new system, I found this guy on payroll. He was supposed to mow the grounds and provide janitorial service.

Except we had a service do it all for over 8 years. So this guy was paid a not-so-bad hourly rate and just never showed up. For 8 years. We never could find him to tell him he was terminated.

A few months later, we found a small room in the upper mezzanine of the warehouse. We found a small color tv, a cot, a refrigerator and microwave, a desk and chair, a radio, and easy chair, clothes, etc.

From the things we found on the small desks in the room, we figured he had been living in the room rent-free and he went unnoticed for years.

We finally caught him sneaking in late one evening and escorted him off. He was actually pretty clever.

Brian Berletic: China is Ready for War as South Korea and Japan Join Alliance with US

Brian Berletic of The New Atlas discusses Biden’s latest escalation with China, this time in the form a new military alliance with South Korea and Japan.

China develops new record-breaking ‘Jiuzhang’ quantum computer prototype

Chinese scientists have developed a new quantum computer prototype known as “Jiuzhang 3.0” with 255 detected photons, pushing the boundaries of photonics quantum computing technology on a global scale.

Led by the renowned Chinese quantum physicist Pan Jianwei, the research team has successfully accomplished this quantum computing feat, achieving a speed that is 10 quadrillion times faster in solving Gaussian boson sampling (GBS) problems compared to the world’s existing fastest supercomputers.

Gaussian boson sampling, a quantum computation intractable for conventional computers, was employed in this study to provide a highly efficient way of demonstrating quantum computational speedup in solving some well-defined tasks.

The study was published online in the journal Physical Review Letters on Wednesday.

Lu Chaoyang, a member of the research team and professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), said that a series of innovations, including a newly developed superconducting nanowire single-photon detection scheme with fiber loop-based configuration, increased the number of detected photons for “Jiuzhang 3.0” to 255, greatly improving the complexity of photonics quantum computing.

“By demultiplexing photons into time bins through delays, we’ve achieved capabilities of pseudo photon number resolving,” Lu added.

According to the state-of-the-art exact classical simulation algorithm, “Jiuzhang 3.0” is a million times faster at solving GBS problems than its predecessor, “Jiuzhang 2.0.” Moreover, the most complex samples of GBS that “Jiuzhang 3.0” can calculate in just one microsecond would take the world’s fastest supercomputer, “Frontier,” more than 20 billion years to complete.

Quantum computing, a new computing paradigm, features extremely fast parallel computing capability.

It has the potential to achieve exponential speedup through specific quantum algorithms compared with classical computers in solving problems of great social and economic value.

Therefore, the development of quantum computers is one of the biggest challenges in the current scientific and technological frontier of the world.

In 2020, a USTC research team led by Pan, established a quantum computer prototype named “Jiuzhang”

with up to 76 photons detected, marking the first milestone China reached on the path to full-scale quantum computing – a quantum computational advantage, also known as “quantum supremacy,” which indicates an overwhelming quantum computational speedup.

In 2021, the team further developed the “Jiuzhang 2.0” with 113 detected photons and a 66-qubit programmable superconducting quantum computing system named “Zuchongzhi 2.1,” making China the only country to achieve a quantum computational advantage in two mainstream technical routes – one via photonics quantum computing technology and the other via superconducting quantum computing technology.

Girl Dies of Hypothermia; Shown Past Lives & Gets To Choose Her Future (NDE)

This young girl’s story is so authentic and original. Thank you!

What did someone do that made you think they were really smart?

I worked with an older geophysicist with a PhD from MIT. He did a lot of research for us. We needed to compare the force generated on a hill side, using 200 grams of dynamite, to the force felt on that hillside by an earthquake, that was rated at 5 on the Richter scale, a certain distance and depth away.

We hired a PhD physicist as a consultant, to write us an unbiased report.

After 3 days, he admitted to us, that he could not find a way to compare the two, unless we could give him a method that did the work for him. Very embarrassing.

We approached our MIT PhD, and asked him if he could work out an equivalency. He looked at us, stunned that we didn’t see how obvious it was. He tried to explain, but he was talking so fast, he lost us.

He then went to his white board, and broke the Richter scale down to its basics, then broke the dynamite down to its basics, in Joules, which is kg m squared per second squared.

Then derived a formula that tied them together.

He did this in less than two minutes, and only took that long, because that was as fast as he could write.

I was impressed, that he even remembered how to calculate the force used to measure the richter scale, without looking it up. But for him to solve in two minutes, what our high priced consultant, couldn’t solve in 3 days, says a lot about the difference in quality of PhDs.

He was the smartest functional man that I ever met. I knew smarter people ,but they couldn’t fit into society.

I know that once I was out of school for 10 years, I couldn’t work things out from basic principles, without researching it. Yet he could after 45 years.

What will it take for the U.S. to sanction China the same way that it has sanctioned the Russian economy and restricted Russia’s ability to issue sovereign debt? Has China become too powerful to sanction?

America CAN sanction China, but the cost of doing so won’t be low like doing the same to Russia.

America must pony up the cost, like Apple losing 90 percent of its manufacturing capacity, or Americans losing access to Tiktok or half of Walmart. Jp Morgan and Goldman Sachs will lose access to greater China. Many companies will lose their biggest market, including Volkswagen which sells half its production to the Chinese today.

Yes, 50 percent.

Apple sells more iphones in Greater China than it does back home.

Let that sink in.

Sanctioning China won’t land exclusively on chinese laps. It will hurt the first world too and directly affect the quality of life.

When it comes to China, even America must count the cost. China on the economic battlefield is what Russia on the military front means to the Americans.

Plenty of respect, that is.

Plenty.

U.S China Technology War Panics US as it Sanctions Middle East on AI!

I love China, from East Africa Kenya, and the whole of Africa stands with China”.

https://youtu.be/E6feth6M3Us

Why do so many people like China?

I was once part of a government delegation to Italy to partake in a conference being held by energy industries world wide. It was a pretty diverse event. There were speeches by energy experts on a variety of energy related topics. Panels that debated the future of the energy industry (the Nuclear Energy proponents vs Anti Nuclear energy lobby had some fiery debates!). We had some activities in which we would come up with our own amateurish proposals to resolve energy issues in the developing and developed world.

Perhaps the most time was dedicated to the exhibitions where different industries set up their booths which would offer company products and services to prospective clients.

The exhibitions weren’t really of much interest to us. The company employees knew Pakistan was “small fry” (back in 2007 we didn’t have much purchasing power or budget dedicated to energy related issues). So we Pakistanis were largely ignored by the American and European execs who were more interested in the big fish like Saudis, India, China, Brazil etc. We just mostly meandered about.

During one of our strolls, we passed the Chinese delegation. All serious, taking notes, being engaged by this stunning Italian woman from Shell i think who was explaining some kind of product to the head of the Chinese delegation.

We stood a bit to the side and listened in politely, when the head of the Chinese delegation caught our eye, offered a friendly smile and handshake and asked if we were waiting for them to finish up.

“Oh no no, please continue.”, we replied. “Just wanted to say hi, we’re from Pakistan”

The Chinese gentleman’s face lit up instantly. “Pakistan!” He shook my hand warmly “Our brother!” he exclaimed.

It was quite a moment. I remember every tiny detail from it even till today. The Italian lady’s surprise at how warmly we were being greeted. The other booth employees turning around to see what all the fuss was about. Their own looks of surprise at how the small fry, largely ignored Pakistani delegation was being treated so warmly by the most watched delegation of all, the Chinese.

It’s these small moments, these isolated incidents of human magic that people tend to miss out when they get confused over why China is so well liked by many of the developing world nations. Over the course of the conference, i interacted with other delegations from Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and so on and they all had the same respect and positive impression for the Chinese delegation. Whether it was a delegate from Africa or Asia, no matter what their country’s size and importance, they were treated warmly and with mutual respect by the Chinese as if their country was the same as China in size, importance and power.


Several analysts and commentators want to see something empirical, some hard data that quantifies this respect, that explains scientifically why China is held in a high opinion by developing world countries. They look at investments and trade, look at China’s growing foreign worker and student populations, analyze the spread of Chinese media.

And of course, they do hold true on their own. You can see from this entire thread the vast variety of reasons why people like China (economic might, non-interference in other country’s affairs, an affinity for Chinese culture etc).

So take my answer as one part of the entire canvas of reasons being presented here when i say that a lot of developing nation people, be it government employees or just common folk everywhere, like China because the Chinese still consider themselves as one of us. Not imperial overlords or racial superiors or strict masters and so on. But comrades to the developing world, partners in our struggles and a developing country just like us who share in our troubles, concerns and visions for a mutually beneficial future.

I’m no China expert so i can’t explain where this comes from. Perhaps its still the old Communist ideology at play? Back during the cold war years, the USSR and Chinese communists partnered with a lot of the developing world back then as we struggled to overthrow the colonial and imperialist powers (as well as their local feudal, tribal and monarch proxies). I’ve met old Leftists in their senior years today who tell me about how they would go to the USSR and China back when Pakistan was a dirt poor country to get training, education and what not. Revolutionaries and Leftists from Pakistan, other Asian countries, Africa, Latin America etc would go to the USSR and China in cheap, patched up suits with tattered shoes and not a dime to their name and be greeted warmly by their comrades in Beijing and Moscow and given the top notch treatment. Nations that managed to overthrow their tyrants in a successful coup would send delegations to China and the USSR who would come back full of praises for the hospitality and camaraderie of the Chinese and USSR brother Leftists. Whereas the “Free World” would only choose to associate with our feudal lords, our Shahs, our Kings and our dictators and not step foot in a single street populated by the common man.


I don’t even have to wax poetic about the old days of the Cold war. In my own experience working side by side with my Chinese coworkers, this same feeling of partnership and camaraderie is on display as well. The Chinese who come to work with us, work side by side with us, in the same heat, the same muck, the same mosquito, freezing temperatures, rain and what not. The same hectic schedules and daily annoyances are shared by us equally. We also eat at the same table, play football in the evening with each other and exchange movies and TV shows in USBs with each other.

When i told all of this to my friend who works in the Gulf at an MNC he wouldn’t believe me. His experience with Gulf Arabs and the Western Expats there has been nothing like this. Even students and workers that i know who went to South Korea are a bit amazed when they hear this.

Outside of the work place it’s the same story. Western Expats in Pakistan tend to live in huge, well guarded, walled off compounds with these giant electric generators and might as well be living on another planet given how cut off they are from the rest of the populace. Meanwhile, just 2 days ago, i reversed my car past a Chinese couple getting on their motorcycle in a busy, crowded bazaar typical of any major Pakistani city.

The Chinese live, walk, breath, eat and work among us, on our streets, our cities, our home soil. They face the same problems we do whether its load shedding, low gas supply or slow internet. And when we see them share the realities of our lives, it creates this mutual bond and sense of respect between us. They could have chosen to live in their own huge compounds and indeed, the Pak government is trying to force the Chinese expats in Pakistan to live in compounds away from ordinary Pakistani citizens due to security concerns. But the Chinese refuse. They CHOOSE to live with us. Despite the dangers they face. And that makes all the difference in the world for us.


I had similar positive experiences with the Chinese in Egypt and the African delegations and Middle Eastern delegations were absolutely delighted with the Chinese, how willing to explore the local culture they were, how respectful they were of us and how they would engage with us in social activities and general chit chat everywhere, whether at work or leisure. In the meantime, we didn’t even see the European delegations to Egypt even once (separated for security again i guess).

And my own visit to China a long time ago was no less positive for me. Senior government, military and diplomatic officials would engage with us, discuss with us, seek our view point, offer their own. They would even share stories from their personal lives and listen attentively when we told our own. We were given a royal treatment, housed in comfortable hotels, provided medical assistance immediately if someone got sick, accompanying us to the hospital to make sure we were ok, guiding us in the city. Whether it was common citizens or senior officials, they treated us like equals with a lot of protocol.

Maybe I’ve lost a few folk at this point who have no idea what i’m talking about because they can’t relate. But as a Pakistani, our country is associated only with poverty, violence, terror and instability abroad. No one is impressed when we say we are from Pakistan. No one cares either. So much so that we have become accustomed to it, built our lives around it.

So when i was at that exhibition and the Chinese delegate warmly shook my hand, proclaimed my country a brother in front of the entire exhibition to the surprise of onlookers, when the citizen of a country touted as the next super power of the world gives respect to the citizen of a country that’s touted as a failed state in western publications, it creates an impact on our lives.

I know there are thousands of more like me. In 10, 20, 30 years we will be senior officers, politicians or executives in our own countries. And when we see a Chinese official ask us for a favor, a Chinese company bid us for a project maybe some of us will think back to when the Chinese gave us so much respect on so and so occasion. And we will favor the Chinese because of it. Don’t believe me? Just look at the bonhomie between the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who was so dazzled to hear that the Chinese were referring to rapidly implemented Pakistani Projects as “running at Punjab speed” as a compliment to his administrative skills, that he granted several projects to Chinese companies without bidding or on very favorable terms.

Based on how i saw the delegates from Africa, Middle East, Asia also be impressed at the humble, respectful and partner like attitude of the Chinese during their interactions with them, i have no doubt the same kind of positive image of China will be created in the minds of those delegates as well. And when they rise to senior positions, they will also hold the same positive image of China and favor her. All that influence and positive image built across the globe for no cost and without needing 12 Aircraft carriers.

There was once a time i thought that maybe our positive experience of China was because of us mostly experiencing China’s “Golden Generation”. By Golden Generation i mean a generation of people who are born when their country is poor and life is hard, enter young adult life when their country is rising rapidly and go into their senior years when their country is a global power. Kind of like the US’s golden generation. This Golden generation has all the power available to a citizen of a super power but at the same time the same humbleness and respectful nature of a modest power. A person from this generation could become king of the world and still rise to meet a person of more modest means.

I would resign myself to the fact that as younger Chinese came of age who had never seen the struggles of China when she was a poorer country with less power, and he grew up only knowing China as a great, powerful nation then perhaps the Chinese too would become more arrogant and assured of their greatness like the US has become. But my interaction with the Chinese youth of Quora has put to bed such fears as i find them as respectful to us, the people of the developing world, as i found their parents and older siblings etc.

I hope this answer didn’t sound too much like rambling or disappointing due to lack of quantifiable data and science. And i hope this answer isn’t interpreted as a diss of people from the West with whom i also have great experiences. But as someone who as worked in Data analysis so long, i can tell you, some things aren’t there in the data. Some things are in the mysterious, murky sphere we call the human aspect. And in that aspect, you’ll find that this mysterious pull and attraction China has on so many people in the developing world from Africa, Asia, Middle East is based on the smallest, but oldest of all things: Respect. Equality. Partnership. Camaraderie.

What is the strangest reaction of someone who has just been fired?

This happened to a friend of mine. He’s a PhD in Mathematics and was working for Silicon Valley firm writing mostly encryption algorithms, but some firmware stuff as well. Very very well paid — but not the most social person in the world. Being around people causes him anxiety. This isn’t a minor thing for him — it’s a real pathology.

Anyway, He’s a Los Angeles guy — and hated living so far north. His employer worked with him and let him work remotely 4 out of 5 days a week — he would just need to show up for “face” time once a week. Basically show up Sunday, sleep in the company flat, drive home Monday.

That was grinding him down after a year. His employer dropped that down to once a month. After six months, this was still too much and he decided to turn in his resignation on the next “face” day.

He drove up there, spent the night in the company flat, got up to go to the office with his “notice” papers and his boss calls him in.

They’re laying him off. This means, he keeps the stock options he’s earned (would have lost them if he quit), he gets 3 years of paid medical insurance and a 3 year severance package per his contract.

He sent me a pic of himself after he got the news. The biggest sh*t eating grin I’ve ever seen on him —ever — in front of his “beater” pick up truck. .

This was about 20 years ago.

Has anyone at your workplace ever been fired for something they said or did?

A very long time ago, when I was new to working in Corporate America, an employee was reprimanded for refusing to do an assigned task given by a new supervisor and then fired for insubordination.

Sheila had worked in the unit for most of her 7 years with the company. She was hardworking, never missing a day, and knew every aspect of the department’s purpose and work. She was ‘right there’ when any of us needed info or help, something that our supervisors were not always able to do.

She SHOULD have been the supervisor, but she had 3 strikes against her: she was still in school (no paper), she was female (most management positions were filled by males), and she was black (the company had a 7% minority hire, mostly in lower positions).

The new supervisor had worked with us for 6 months when he told Sheila that he wanted her to change a major procedure. When she asked why, he became belligerent and refused to discuss it.

Sheila knew (to summarize) that the new procedure would create a multi-level bottleneck in our area and would ultimately lessen efficiency within a third of the company.

When she attempted to explain this, the supervisor accused her of insubordination and threatened her with termination.

He then began a whisper campaign against her. In hindsight, it was based on racism and misogyny that others (especially in management) seemed happy to join.

Sheila did as she was told, and we all watched as our department’s efficiency rapidly fell and began to adversely affect other units.

When the problems couldn’t ‘work themselves out,’ the supervisor accused Sheila of sabotage.

Some of us went to Personnel (HR) in support of Sheila to no avail. Sheila produced the supervisor’s written instructions, but he continued to call her an incompetent, vindictive, ignorant saboteur and in private, added racist/misogynistic terms.

Sheila was fired based on that man’s accusations and in spite of her denials and proof.

Sheila landed a great position with a competitor within days. (She ultimately lured 4 of the department’s best to join her several months later.)

The supervisor crowed that she had been a spy all along, but as the effeciency still fell, management FINALLY saw that department disruption came from the ‘incompetent, vindictive, ignorant’ supervisor.

He was moved to a different position within the company with no reprimand.

This was my first exposure to how unfair and hateful some ‘management’ can be.

Who are some generals that had a high regard as battle strategist geniuses but actually aren’t?

Erwin Rommel is probably one of the most over rated so called geniuses. Rommel had a good sense of tactical employment of certain equipment particularly tanks, but he was greatly aided by the fact he mostly fought an outpost of Britain, rather than the full might of any of the allied armies, and his tactics were never tested by the Soviet armored branch, unlike most German generals.

Furthermore, he was operationally inept and strategically an imbecile. Rommel was the ultimate “i know better than you”, and circumvented the command chain to get his way. For example, he appealed directly to Hitler in order to launch the attack on Egypt, that totally failed and cost the Axis their foothold in Africa, and undermining the Wehrmacht plan made to occupy Malta and cut off the British navy.

At the strategic level Rommel never understood Germany’s actual position, and certainly did not contribute to it. He left this entire theater of command on June 5th despite the Germans knowing that an invasion of France was imminent. He had also previously spent massive resources on creating additional anti air borne defenses, none of which had an impact on the outcome of D-day.

Rommel was defeated in Africa, defeated in Italy and defeated in France, before he was a high level leader he was an insubordinate divisional commander who got lucky mostly. His ghost division was called such because no one knew where it was or what it was doing. That is not a good thing.

Despite all this, Rommel is often mentioned as one of the greatest generals in World War 2, but I really see no reason for this, when von Rundtstedt and even the self aggrandising Mannstein, clearly had far more success and skill than Rommel did.

Star Trek – Two Captain Kirks

Spock makes his way to the control room with a phaser…only to find two identical Captain Kirks (Whom Gods Destroy)

Who benefits from the ban on Huawei by Western nations?

Huawei and China. It force China to speed up dominating the industry and make all the money. It no longer need to share with the west and U.S. The U.S. has to pay and lose in trillions of dollars to build big white elephants, subsidise a dozen countries and the entire industry for decades to come!

Meanwhile it has to contend with poorer technology, higher inefficiency and humongous cost of connectivity! It loses competitive edge and allow its people to fall behind in technology!

But you know who else benefits. Your media and your politicians. The media sell hate and the profit. Your politicians show hates and the win votes!

So who benefits? China, the Chinese people, the global south, the U.S. media and the U.S. politicians.

Who lose? Americans. The U.S. taxpayers. Your U.S. companies, your U.S. dog nations, you U.S. slave vassals, your cronies nations! Too bad karma. You guys deserved it.

Are Humans the First Civilization? The Silurian Hypothesis

Another fun video.

What is the most ridiculous thing that happened to you in your career?

I had applied for a job with a company where my friend worked. She had sent me the posting even though I was extremely under qualified and the job was 400 miles away.

I applied, not thinking I actually had a chance. The posting was for a SysAdmin, and at this point in my career I had only worked in computer repair shops. I had some server experience and did some side work for a few clients, but I wasn’t a full SysAdmin by any stretch of the imagination. But what could it hurt to apply. The worst they could do is throw out my resume. So I was surprised when they called me for a phone interview.

I got through the HR interview no problem. I have a good work ethic and am generally a pleasant person, so it was a breeze. Next came the tech interview. The guy who was leaving called me and was immediately concerned about my complete lack of experience as a SysAdmin. We went through the technical interview and I figured that would be the end of it. He asked some pretty tough questions about things I had never done before. So I didn’t think I did that well.

Surprise! I got another call from HR. They wanted to interview me in person! Wow, was I shocked. I agreed and immediately started packing a bag for a road trip. I left early the next morning and drove the 400 miles in one day. I crashed on my friend’s couch and went in to work with her the next morning for my interview.

Again, I was interviewed by a technical person, this time a consultant. Again, he grilled me on a bunch of technology that I had never used before. I answered to the best of my ability, but more than once I had to admit that I didn’t know the answer. Again, I didn’t think I did very well. I basically got the “We’ll call you if we’re interested” response when I asked what the next steps were.

I chalked it up to just being a road trip. I spent the rest of the day exploring the city and taking in a few museums. I had a good time with some friends in the city and then headed home the next morning. This was a Wednesday.

The very next day, Thursday, my phone rang. “Hello, this is X from company Y. We were really impressed with you and would like to offer you the job.”

I almost dropped my phone I was so shocked. All I could do was stutter out a “Ok. I’d love to take it.”

Then the twist. “We absolutely need you to start on Monday. Is that going to be a problem? If you can’t we’re going to offer the job to a local candidate.”

I looked around at my house full of stuff that wasn’t packed and replied the only way I could. “Sure. Looks like I’m moving to Washington DC tomorrow.”

So I did. It took about a month of crashing on my friend’s couch before I found a place to stay and move all our stuff down there.

It was surreal to say the least. In one week, I went from being unemployed in Cleveland to getting a job in DC that I wasn’t qualified for and moving my entire life 400 miles away.

UN GIVEN 24 HOUR WARNING, IRAN SENDS TANKS TO BORDER, SYRIA AIRPORT BOMBED

What is the nicest thing a stranger ever did for you?

Two months ago, I got a call that my home was on fire. I rushed home with my 4 year old, found my house uninhabitable and all of my pets deceased. While the fire marshal was finishing up paperwork, and I was covered in soot and tears, a man came up to me with condolences and placed $200 in my hand and said he’s sure I could use it. We had never met; I found out later that he lived in the neighborhood and just felt the need to help.

This man’s actions impacted me in a big way. Of course $200 wasn’t going to rebuild my house, but it did cover getting us pajamas, a change of clothes, toothbrushes, and other essentials that we needed immediately, as well as a hot meal, with some left to spare. Most importantly, it gave me one less thing to worry about at the moment.

Moving forward, I want to be more like that guy. Offering thoughts and prayers through Facebook when people go through tragedies is nice, but actually being present and offering assistance is what makes a difference. Thanks, stranger!

What are some interesting facts about the FBI?

Operation Abscam was the sting of the decade. In 1978, the FBI set up a fake company to snare New York gangsters selling stolen art. The company was called “Abdul Enterprise” hence the name Ab(dul)Scam, and owned by a fake Arab Sheik looking to invest in art.

They recovered two paintings worth 1 million dollars, and during the operation they were introduced to more criminals dealing in stolen stocks and bonds, which stopped 600 million dollars in fraudulent securities.

It was through this operation they were introduced to politicians willing to take bribes. The sting brought the FBI to Washington DC, where their criminal contacts introduced them to shady politicians willing to take bribes for the Sheiks business which was a fake Casino in Atlantic City.

These politicians wanted to arrange a meeting between the Sheik and a US congressman who could make happen any private legislation the Sheik wanted for the price of 50,000 dollars.

This led to the arrest of one senator, six congressmen, and more than a dozen corrupt officials.

The sting was surrounded in controversy because it raised many question regarding the FBI tactics being considered entrapment.

This infamous sting was the inspiration behind the movie American Hustle.

This Cat Was Left Behind When His Owner Moved Away | The Dodo

Oh my goodness!

What did someone say/do that made you close down your account and go to another bank?

Citibank. Went to the bank to deposit a ~$26k check into a checking account with many times that amount, then pay my credit card bill which had all the charges from a 15-day Disney vacation.

They deposited the check, but put a ‘hold’ on it, making only $100 of the balance available. Then they debited my checkbook, to pay the CC balance in full.

About a week later the statement arrived. The CC was paid in full, ~48 hours before it was due, but somehow managed to accrue >$100 in interest charges. — First time for that.

The checking account also generated about a dozen overdraft charges despite the balance never dropping below $100k! — It’s not like there was a six-figure minimum balance on that account.

And to top it off, every one of my $25k 7-day certificates of deposit forfeited their interest for the week that included that fiasco.

I went to the branch on the next business day. I waited patiently in the line for the teller. When I got to the window, I quietly explained that they had messed up. The teller *insisted* that they followed procedure. I asked for the manager to come out and explain their procedure in more detail.

I listened to 5+ minutes or doubletalk in stony silence. The manager finally saying he could reverse the charges & credit the interest “… this one time as a courtesy.” I allowed him to proceed and complete the tasks.

When I had the corrected receipts in my hand, and in my wallet, I said to him: “Now I want you to close all of my accounts.” There was indignity & quite anger in his face.

He asked me to step aside into his office. I politely declined saying that until you hand over my money, I’m still a customer. I waited 45 minutes in your line and I’m not giving up my spot so you can hide me away from the people who are still in line. I think they deserve to know how badly you treated me, and maybe some of them will get the idea to leave the bank too.

He tried to maneuver me away from the window. I refused to budge. He tried empty threats, even up to calling the police. I told him go ahead. I have witnesses. Then I said, he *SHOULD* call the police because I want my funds in *CASH*.

He then tried to explain how that much cash would generate a CTR, and I’d be investigated by the IRS. I said, that’s fine. I’m clean, you’re dirty. I welcome the sunlight.

Within an hour I walked out of the bank with a thick manilla envelope under my arm and was walked to my car by the armed security guard. I had informed the manager that my safety was *HIS* personal responsibility until I drove off the bank property. The reason was that because of his incompetence, several people in the lobby *KNEW* that I would be leaving the branch carrying substantial cash, and that the potential for me being robbed once I walked out the door was non-zero.

I left the parking lot and drove to the First Union branch nearer my house, asked for the branch manager, told him a short version of what had just transpired, and in less than 30 minutes walked out with a brand-new leather-bound checkbook, and started earning 0.25% more interest on my money.

I had been increasingly frustrated with Citibank in the months leading up to that fiasco. To be fair, it was their electronic banking that had lured me into doing business with them in the first place. Their systems integrated with Quicken better than any other I had used up to that point. BTW this all happened between September 1997 & August 1999. The Disney vacation was from the last day of school in June 1999 thru the 8th or 9th of July. It was a big deal for the kids when we pulled them from school early that day and they got to say to their classmates “I’m going to Disney!”

So, literally every time I visited the Citibank branch to conduct business, I walked out feeing like something was wrong. They always did things out of order from the way I presented them to the teller. It was mildly frustrating most of the time. Irritating on many occasions; and maddening when I’d make large deposits & purchase one or more of their $25k 7-day CDs. The $25k CDs were nice because although they were illiquid for the first 14 days after the 2-week hold the most I could forfeit was the interest on the last week — in theory. There were a number of occasions when they would deduct 8 or more days of interest, when I cashed more than one at a time. I’d get to the office, plug the amounts into Quicken and there would be a ‘discrepancy’. That necessitated another trip to the bank to get it corrected. Or a phone call and an up to 60 day wait.

The bank offered these products to attract deposits. They worked, but they inevitably tried to cheat me out of hundreds if not thousands of dollars in interest earned. But in all candor it was the $400plus in *OVERDRAFT* charges on a well-funded account that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Several years ago Costco ended their arrangement with American Express and switched to Citi. I wasn’t happy. But they gave me a new Blue card with my Costco photo on the back. I only used the card at Costco. And each February I’d await my ‘love check’ aka “My Costco Rewards Voucher”. It usually came by April.

About a year ago, I hadn’t been to Costco for a while and so the automatic $50 payments I made to avoid any possibility of a missed payment fee had accumulated. I had visited Costco on the 92nd day following my last bill and the charge was less than $150. But true to form, the bank had cut me an unrequested paper check on the 91st day (supposedly) recorded the charge on day 92, then hit me with a $35 late fee for not receiving another check before the close of the 3rd statement! Can you imagine?

That was the last time I used the Citi card for *ANYTHING* — except… Now, when I go to Costco, I show the Citi card to prove my membership, but I pay with my Chase. Then when I finish shopping, I stop at the lunch counter and buy a Costco signature Hotdog & Pepsi for $1.50 which comes to $1.61 with the tax. When I return home, I schedule a ebill-pay check to be sent to the bank 15 business days later.

And lastly, I disabled electronic statements, forcing them to send me a paper invoice for $1.61 each month. I did this when they failed to send me an email statement or notification then had the nerve to again charge me $35 after a minor error on my part that had left me with a $0.50 *CREDIT* balance which I was allowing to roll from month to month. That was until the bank decided that since the credit was less than $1.00 they were entitled to absorb it and not issue me a check. They also absorbed my then insignificant Rewards balance ~$5.00 as a co-consequence of the late fee assessed. That too earned them another phone call and cost them >90 minutes of agent time, and a replenishment of the rewards balance.

In 2022 my accrued rewards were $0.12 I don’t expect a voucher, but I will call them to inquire why it wasn’t sent. Come to think of it It’s May 16th. I think I’ll do it tomorrow morning.

Twenty plus years and I’m still mad at them.

“Citibank SUCKS!!!” and you can quote me on that.

As someone who supports China’s model of development and other areas where we need to learn from China, did you find anyone else close to your thoughts?

Rule no 1

We need to ACKNOWLEDGE China IS SUPERIOR in these areas

That’s Rule No 1

You have nutters who claim we have nothing to learn from China and if these people are the majority than India will be the perpetual loser like always

We built so many toilets, We built so many trains, IMF says we are No 1, ABC says we are No 2 etc etc

India is a country where mediocrity dominates

The Cream is in US or UK or Canada or Australia or Europe or Singapore or Malaysia

Achievers think differently

They always look at others strengths and decide to incorporate them and grow and develop

Mediocrities think differently

They bury their heads in the sand, and keep quoting random nonsense to feel good

India sadly belongs to the latter groups


Thus Rule No 1 is to say

Alright these are Chinas strengths, these are Chinas weaknesses

Let’s try to achieve Chinas strengths without going into Chinas weaknesses


The Basic Truth

China and India started together in 1982 and today China is six times larger

That is a truth that’s out there

That means China did something right or infinitely better than us

That means China has to be superior to us in many areas

That’s Logic

We have the same populace at the end of the day

We don’t have a single viable achievement where we have beaten China

Not one

So obviously China did something better


How many actually say this?

Say that – Wow!!! China is indeed better than us in so many aspects. Let’s learn from them.

My guess is very few

Most of us can’t accept this very basic thing


So this answer isn’t for an Indian sadly

Indians today aren’t built to assess others strengths and evaluate the same

Nopes

The West: China Is Collapsing!

Great video! Some people choose to be so ignorant of China even when there are so many vlogs of those exploring the country.

This is worth viewing.

The Split In Israel And The War Of Al-Aqsa

What is the reason for the ‘Al-Aqsa Deluge’, as Hamas had named its terror operation against the Zionists?

On October 8 Alastair Crooke, one of most experienced Middle East hands, wrote in AlMahadeen:

“Israel” has shattered into two equally weighted factions holding to two irreconcilable visions of “Israel’s” future; two mutually opposing readings of history and of what it means to be Jewish.

The fissure could not be more complete. Except it is. One faction, which holds a majority in parliament, is broadly Mizrahi — a former underclass in Israeli society; and the other, largely well-to-do liberal Ashkenazi.

Mizrahi are mostly the original Middle Eastern Jews and often on the religious far right, Ashkenazi are mostly liberal European ones. The current Netanyahoo government is the first which includes far-right Mizrahi ministers.

Most Mizrahi follow the Sephardi religious rites. They want an religious state based on Jewish law.  They are as radial as ISIS.

The high court of Israel has 14 Ashkenazi judges and one Mizrahi one. It is one of the reasons why the Netanyahoo government wants the parliament to be able to vote down high court judgements. There have been large, U.S. sponsored ‘regime change’ protests in Israel against that move. The leaders of the military and security services, mostly Ashkenazi, have also opposed the government move against the court.

I therefore think that it is quite possible that there was intelligence pointing to the Hamas attack, but that it was not revealed to let Netanyahoo fall into a trap. We have however no evidence that there were reasonably precise intelligence warnings, or that they were held up.

There are already demands for Netanyahoo to go. If only for his long term sponsoring of Hamas as a counterweight to the more secular Fatah Palestinians. Should he no longer be prime minister the courts will take up the three bribe cases against him which are currently pending. He would likely end up in jail.

Another reason for Hamas’ success was the fact that three of the four infantry battalions, with 800 soldiers each, that usually guard the Gaza strip,  had been moved to the West Bank to protect right-wing Zionist settlers during a religious holiday. This allowed for Hamas’ easy breach of the fence.

Back to Alastair Crooke on the real motive of the Al-Aqsa flood:

Well, the Right in Netanyahu’s government has two long-standing commitments. One is to rebuild the (Jewish) Temple on ‘Temple Mount’ (Haram al-Shariff).

Just to be clear, that would entail demolishing Al-Aqsa.

The second overriding commitment is to the founding of “Israel”, on the “Land of Israel”. And again, to be clear, this (in their view) would entail clearing Palestinians from the West Bank. Indeed, the settlers have been cleansing Palestinians from swaths of the West Bank over the past year (notably between Ramallah and Jericho).

On Thursday morning (two days preceding Al-Aqsa Flood), more than 800 settlers stormed the Mosque Compound, under the full protection of Israeli forces. The drumbeat of such provocations is rising.

This is nothing new. The First Intifada was triggered by (then) PM Sharon making a provocative visit into the mosque. I was a part of Senator George Mitchell’s Presidential Committee investigating that incident. Even then, it was clear that Sharon intended the visit to fuel the fire of religious nationalism. At that time, the Temple Mount Movement was a minnow; today it has ministers in Cabinet and in key security positions — and has promised its followers to build the ‘Third Temple’.

So, the threat to Al-Aqsa has been building for two decades, and today is reaching an apex. And yet US and Israeli intelligence didn’t see resistance coming, and nor did they see the settler violence building in the West Bank?

What happened on Saturday was widely expected and clearly extensively planned.

There is by the way no archaeologic evidence, none, that a Jewish ‘Temple’ ever existed in Jerusalem. If it did, it was most likely not on the hill of Al-Aqsa but one of the six other ones.

Al-Aqsa is holy to all Muslims, Shia and Sunni alike. Its destruction would inevitably lead to war. The West is clearly underestimating what forces calls like this one can rise:

Khalid Aljabri, MDد

.خالد الجبري

@JabriMD – 11:52 UTC · Oct 13, 2023

Friday sermon from the Grand Mosque in Mecca prays for the “liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque” in Jerusalem.

This is significant for two reasons:
• Audience of 2 billion Muslims.
• Such sermons have been significantly censored under MBS. Today’s sermon was likely pre-approved.
Video

Israel has used White Phosphorus on the people in Gaza, another war crime. Israel has given all people in north Gaza, 1.1 million human beings, 24 hours to move to south Gaza. That is impossible and will not happen. It is an attempt of ethnic cleansing.

Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz – 10:52 UTC · Oct 13, 2023

If there were two million Jewish people trapped by Christians in a giant open-air prison and placed under total siege, being told that half of them had 24 hours to relocate into the other half or be killed, nobody would have any confusion about what they were witnessing.

If Israel makes, as announced, a ground attack on Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon is likely to attack Israel. The U.S. has allegedly let Syria know (via France) that Damascus, and President Assad personally, would be attacked if that were to happen. This is a miscalculation. It is far from certain that Assad, or even Iran, has the means to hold Hizbullah back.

A U.S. attack on the government of Syria would bring Russia into the war. Iran would also respond which is exactly what some of the neocons want.

The war could easily escalate further from there.

Posted by b on October 13, 2023 at 15:46 UTC | Permalink

Wife Self-Deletes After Husband Discovers All 4 Kids Aren’t His

Paternity fraud should be a felony.

Do you think America is falling apart?

I live in a wealthy suburb on the outskirts of Silicon Valley in California; trees, flowers, birds, mostly nice neighbors of diverse backgrounds. On the surface, it seems a wonderful place to live, and in many respects, it is, however, if I look out my front window, I see this:

image 172
image 172

The electricity is distributed via overhead lines, due to an underinvestment in infrastructure: last month, I lost power for over 36 hours because it got a little windy (the world headquarters of Apple, Facebook, and Google are within a ten mile radius of my place). When I ride my bike to the local supermarket this evening, I will have to be careful not to slip on a large and growing patch of gravel on a road that hasn’t been repaired for many years: this, in one of the wealthiest parts of the wealthiest country in the world.

image 80
image 80

The above is a map of the SF Bay area, a densely populated part of California with an almost continuous ring of urban development. As you would expect, the traffic can be pretty bad, so you might expect that there would be a single circular light rail system linking the many cities around the bay; there is not: if I want to travel from my place to Fremont by rail alone, the quickest way with the most frequent service is via San Francisco. US infrastructure is truly abysmal.

Why is America in such poor shape, with its crumbling roads, crappy power distribution, and pitiful public transport systems? It is because Americans have been propagandized for decades into believing that “liberty” is the ultimate virtue, and this “liberty” is so valuable that it justifies the cost of living as a selfish asshole under a dysfunctional government. “Raise taxes to pay for public infrastructure?” “Jeez Louise; over my dead body! Taxation is theft, government is bad!” For much of the 20th century, America defined itself against the collectivist USSR, and the fatuous argument was made that since everything was under the control of the state in the USSR, the US government should do as little as possible, apart from outspending the evil Commies in national defense.

The infrastructure is just one symptom of America’s degradation: the streets of major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles are filling up with homeless drug addicts, leaving the sidewalks littered with tents, needles, and human waste. Next to nothing is done for these people because it is seen as “their problem” that they are mentally ill, and lack access to mental health services and affordable housing. The irony is that there are so many of these people now that they have become everyone’s problem. Retailers in downtown SF are closing down their stores because the conditions in the streets are keeping paying customers away, whilst the cops barely regard shoplifting as a crime.

2023 10 19 08 53
2023 10 19 08 53

The only way this person lying on the ground can guarantee access to shelter and minimal medical care is to go to jail. Land of the free…

The US is run by an oligarchy of libertarian fantasists, who have spent so long sucking hallucinogenic bile from the withered teats of Ayn Rand that they have lost all contact with reality. The government is not entirely to blame for the current situation; a lot of the social problems are the result of the narcissistic counter culture that started in the 1960s, but now that these problems are getting worse, the question is, can the government continue to pretend that they don’t exist, or that there is somehow a “free market” solution to mass shootings, drug addiction, and homelessness?

Living in my little enclave, with its fragile electricity supply, and crumbling roads, it’s easy for my neighbors and I to think that things aren’t so bad, but in under an hour, I can travel to SF and see scenes exactly like the one in the last photo. Whilst people are constantly harping on about whether the Democrats or the Republicans are better or worse than each other, they are ignoring the fact that both parties have done nothing to seriously address the severe decay that is undeniably afflicting America’s social and physical fabric.

Edit: My apologies to those who may have wished to leave reasonable and informed comments; I got tired of being notified of comments that were rude and stupid, and there are already plenty of comments in the thread that disagree with my point of view.

Edit 2: There appears to be evidence that it was uninsulated overhead powerlines, such as the ones in my photo, which led to the fires in Maui, which killed hundreds of people.

Have you ever conned a car salesman who thought he was going to con you?

Not me, but my Uncle Bill sure did.

He himself was a salesman at our local Ford dealership back in the 1960’s. He was a good and honest man. Around 1967 he had several customers reject the deals he was making with them and instead buy cars from another dealership about an hour away, in Amarillo, thinking that they were getting a much better deal. However what was really happening was that other dealership was quoting them a lower initial purchase price but “making it up” with their financing interest rates. Several times, when they came back and talked with my uncle to tell him that they’d “beat his price”, he showed them how they were going to end up paying a lot more for their purchase than they would have with him once all the finance costs were considered, and they got angry about how they’d been tricked, but of course then it was too late.

So, one day he made a trip to Amarillo to that other dealership and posed as something of a ‘rube’ customer. He started trying to make a deal on a new 1967 Ford Mustang coupe, 289 V8, 3-speed manual. Ford called the color “Dusk Rose” but to look at it, it was obviously “Pepto Bismol pink”. He played the usual games with the salesman, going back and forth “to check with his manager” and all that. (As an aside here, if you’ve ever wondered if sales offices are bugged so that they can hear the private conversations that happen while they’re out of the room, you can stop wondering now. They are. What they’re actually doing when they go “talk to their manager” is running a credit check on you to find out if you’re “worth their time” and listening in. They like nothing more than to have a couple in their office and hear that one of them “is in love with” the car they’re considering. They know they’ve won at that point.)

Anyway, my uncle took advantage of all that back and forth, took advantage of what he knew was the actual dealer cost of the car, took advantage of the bug, “talked to himself” while the salesman was gone about how much he liked the car and hoped he could get a good price, and kept at it until the salesman offered to sell him the car at a price that my uncle knew was hundreds less than what the car had actually cost the dealer. The salesman wrote down the deal, and my Uncle Bill reached over and snagged the paper.

Salesman, as he reached into a desk drawer to get the finance agreement forms: “Mr. Garrett? How much would you like to pay down on this car today?”

Uncle Bill: “Oh, I’ll just pay the full price in cash. Right now. No trade in.”

Salesman, now flustered and getting angry: “But you kept haggling about price and wanting it lower!”

Uncle Bill: “I never said I couldn’t afford it, I just said I didn’t want to pay that much.”

The salesman, and the dealership, were so mad at him that they practically threw the keys at him and refused even to wash the car for him prior to delivery. Uncle Bill paid for it and drove it home.

Back then, in our small town, everyone knew “the pink Mustang” and thought it was funny/ugly. Turns out, that Dusk Rose color was very rare and only a very few of them were built (gee I wonder why?) – but documented originals are quite valuable now.

I miss him.

Leaked CIA Documents REVEALED China Has Powerful SPACE WEAPONS

The Chinese Space Program has often found itself at the centre of allegations and accusations, primarily originating from the United States. More recently, the international community was stirred by the disclosure of a classified document, which brought to light China’s formidable space capabilities, notably featuring a device that can be referred to as a ‘satellite hijacker’—an asset reportedly within China’s grasp. Today’s episode will cover a leaked CIA documents contents and a potential arms race in space.

What did you assume was exaggerated until you experienced it?

Grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Im an African American male, okay? I come from the DEPTHS of the hood. In the hood, we don’t eat this. In my culture, we don’t eat this.

Well when I graduated college, I moved to Austin Texas. I have a Caucasian wife, okay? She always talked about this. Her family talked about it and even random people. I was like ummm how good can this be because it sounds pretty gross.

One night, 8 years ago, we made it for dinner. And just know that 8 years later, im still dipping my grill cheese in tomato soup at least 4 times a month.

Happy addict.

What is the highest form of freedom?

My grandmother, who is now 96, marched out of Auschwitz in broad daylight after taking off her striped uniform and changing into normal clothes.

A Polish friend who worked in the camp as a secretary and wasn’t corrupted by the racist propaganda had risked her own life to bring her the outfit.

Out she walked, past guards with rifles, attack dogs, and hatred so intense it would make your skin crawl with fear.

Her parents, and almost all living relatives, weren’t as fortunate.

The rest of the war, she spent in hiding.

“At that time,” she explained to me during a recent visit, “we couldn’t set goals, let alone pursue them. We were deprived of our agency, of freedom.”

That’s why she always encouraged me to go as far as possible in life.

Because the highest form of freedom— the ability to actualize your dreams, to create a life of meaning, purpose, and wellbeing—is not something to be taken lightly.

Whatever you choose to do with yours, never forget that it’s a gift of the greatest magnitude.

Parents Took $120k Loan On My Name To Fund Spoiled Sister Studies & Claimed It’s My Responsibility

His family STOLE HIS money. They needed to pay it back.

Pro-Israel Propaganda Is Stupid

It is somewhat amazing how low the quality of western propaganda has become. Especially when it relates to hobbyhorses like Israel.

Here is NBCnews testing not only the stupidity of its viewers and readers but also demonstrating the fatuity of its ‘journalists’.

‘Top secret’ Hamas documents show that terrorists intentionally targeted elementary schools and a youth center

Documents exclusively obtained by NBC News show that Hamas created detailed plans to target elementary schools and a youth center in the Israeli kibbutz of Kfar Sa’ad, to “kill as many people as possible,” seize hostages and quickly move them into the Gaza Strip.

The attack plans, which are labeled “top secret” in Arabic, appear to be orders for two highly trained Hamas units to surround and infiltrate villages and target places where civilians, including children, gather. Israeli authorities are still determining the death toll in Kfar Sa’ad.

The documents were found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists by Israeli first responders and shared with NBC News. They include detailed maps and show that Hamas intended to kill or take hostage civilians and school children.

One page labeled “Top Secret” outlines a plan of attack for Kfar Sa’ad, saying “Combat unit 1” is directed to “contain the new Da’at school,” while “Combat unit 2” is to “collect hostages,” “search the Bnei Akiva youth center” and “search the old Da’at school.”

The attack happened in the early hours of October 7, a Saturday.

What do Zionist children do on a Sabbath, before dawn? Are they sitting in school? Do they visit a youth center?

If Hamas terrorists maneuvered around schools to kill children they came at the wrong time and the wrong day.

At least to me that does not seem to be the most plausible explanation for their carefully planned operation.

The Israeli army is going all in. The plan is to push all people in Gaza into the desert of Sinai:

“This is thought out… There is a huge expanse, almost endless space in the Sinai desert, just on the other side of Gaza. … The idea is for them to leave over for the open areas where we, and the international community, will prepare the infrastructure, ten cities, with food and water… just like for the refugees of Syria that fled the butchering of Asad…. There is a way to receive them all on the other side for temporary time on [sic.] Sinai… and Egypt will have to play ball.”

That is from an ex-deputy foreign minister of Israel. If he says “for temporary time” he likely means centuries.

There are clashes in the West Bank where Israel is trying to incite a third intifada. Some 43 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank over the last six days. Nine of them during the last 24 hours. There are also clashes and artillery exchanges along the boarder with Lebanon.

People who try to flee from north to south Gaza get bombed along the evacuation route.

The Times and The Sunday Times @thetimes – 12:41 UTC · Oct 14, 2023

A convoy of vehicles heading south after Israel ordered more than one million Palestinians to leave the north was struck at about 5pm yesterday

Israel also bombed the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza. Neither was unintentionally.

Israel can do that because western politicians and ‘journalists’ are covering its ass.

They live in the wrong quadrant.


bigger

Posted by b on October 14, 2023 at 13:39 UTC | Permalink

Girls Standing In The Middle of Tokyo to Sell Themselves.. Japan Has A Serious Developing Problem.

Why are so many young women in Japan recently “standing” in the middle of Tokyo? We find the answer to this question through the story of Yuka in this video, and the important message of takeaway in which this alarming phenomenon has for all of us, when visiting, or considering any social issues regarding Japan.

https://youtu.be/yo3IUSfTiMY

The Split In Israel And The War Of Al-Aqsa

What is the reason for the ‘Al-Aqsa Deluge’, as Hamas had named its terror operation against the Zionists?

On October 8 Alastair Crooke, one of most experienced Middle East hands, wrote in AlMahadeen:

“Israel” has shattered into two equally weighted factions holding to two irreconcilable visions of “Israel’s” future; two mutually opposing readings of history and of what it means to be Jewish.

The fissure could not be more complete. Except it is. One faction, which holds a majority in parliament, is broadly Mizrahi — a former underclass in Israeli society; and the other, largely well-to-do liberal Ashkenazi.

Mizrahi are mostly the original Middle Eastern Jews and often on the religious far right, Ashkenazi are mostly liberal European ones. The current Netanyahoo government is the first which includes far-right Mizrahi ministers.

Most Mizrahi follow the Sephardi religious rites. They want an religious state based on Jewish law.  They are as radial as ISIS.

The high court of Israel has 14 Ashkenazi judges and one Mizrahi one. It is one of the reasons why the Netanyahoo government wants the parliament to be able to vote down high court judgements. There have been large, U.S. sponsored ‘regime change’ protests in Israel against that move. The leaders of the military and security services, mostly Ashkenazi, have also opposed the government move against the court.

I therefore think that it is quite possible that there was intelligence pointing to the Hamas attack, but that it was not revealed to let Netanyahoo fall into a trap. We have however no evidence that there were reasonably precise intelligence warnings, or that they were held up.

There are already demands for Netanyahoo to go. If only for his long term sponsoring of Hamas as a counterweight to the more secular Fatah Palestinians. Should he no longer be prime minister the courts will take up the three bribe cases against him which are currently pending. He would likely end up in jail.

Another reason for Hamas’ success was the fact that three of the four infantry battalions, with 800 soldiers each, that usually guard the Gaza strip,  had been moved to the West Bank to protect right-wing Zionist settlers during a religious holiday. This allowed for Hamas’ easy breach of the fence.

Back to Alastair Crooke on the real motive of the Al-Aqsa flood:

Well, the Right in Netanyahu’s government has two long-standing commitments. One is to rebuild the (Jewish) Temple on ‘Temple Mount’ (Haram al-Shariff).

Just to be clear, that would entail demolishing Al-Aqsa.

The second overriding commitment is to the founding of “Israel”, on the “Land of Israel”. And again, to be clear, this (in their view) would entail clearing Palestinians from the West Bank. Indeed, the settlers have been cleansing Palestinians from swaths of the West Bank over the past year (notably between Ramallah and Jericho).

On Thursday morning (two days preceding Al-Aqsa Flood), more than 800 settlers stormed the Mosque Compound, under the full protection of Israeli forces. The drumbeat of such provocations is rising.

This is nothing new. The First Intifada was triggered by (then) PM Sharon making a provocative visit into the mosque. I was a part of Senator George Mitchell’s Presidential Committee investigating that incident. Even then, it was clear that Sharon intended the visit to fuel the fire of religious nationalism. At that time, the Temple Mount Movement was a minnow; today it has ministers in Cabinet and in key security positions — and has promised its followers to build the ‘Third Temple’.

So, the threat to Al-Aqsa has been building for two decades, and today is reaching an apex. And yet US and Israeli intelligence didn’t see resistance coming, and nor did they see the settler violence building in the West Bank?

What happened on Saturday was widely expected and clearly extensively planned.

There is by the way no archaeologic evidence, none, that a Jewish ‘Temple’ ever existed in Jerusalem. If it did, it was most likely not on the hill of Al-Aqsa but one of the six other ones.

Al-Aqsa is holy to all Muslims, Shia and Sunni alike. Its destruction would inevitably lead to war. The West is clearly underestimating what forces calls like this one can rise:

Khalid Aljabri, MDد

.خالد الجبري

@JabriMD – 11:52 UTC · Oct 13, 2023

Friday sermon from the Grand Mosque in Mecca prays for the “liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque” in Jerusalem.

This is significant for two reasons:
• Audience of 2 billion Muslims.
• Such sermons have been significantly censored under MBS. Today’s sermon was likely pre-approved.
Video

Israel has used White Phosphorus on the people in Gaza, another war crime. Israel has given all people in north Gaza, 1.1 million human beings, 24 hours to move to south Gaza. That is impossible and will not happen. It is an attempt of ethnic cleansing.

Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz – 10:52 UTC · Oct 13, 2023

If there were two million Jewish people trapped by Christians in a giant open-air prison and placed under total siege, being told that half of them had 24 hours to relocate into the other half or be killed, nobody would have any confusion about what they were witnessing.

If Israel makes, as announced, a ground attack on Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon is likely to attack Israel. The U.S. has allegedly let Syria know (via France) that Damascus, and President Assad personally, would be attacked if that were to happen. This is a miscalculation. It is far from certain that Assad, or even Iran, has the means to hold Hizbullah back.

A U.S. attack on the government of Syria would bring Russia into the war. Iran would also respond which is exactly what some of the neocons want.

The war could easily escalate further from there.

Posted by b on October 13, 2023 at 15:46 UTC | Permalink

MAJOR RED FLAGS: SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT HERE…

JESUS.

What would happen if a high-ranking admiral or general visited a military base without telling anyone first and did not like how things were being done there?

Originally Answered: What would happen if a high ranking Admiral or General visited a Military base without telling anyone first and didn’t like how things were being done there?

Admiral Rickover no-notice visited a nuclear boat in civilian clothing, was admitted, and began touring the boat. As he approached the reactor room a second class (E-5) stopped him from entering.

When the Admiral went to push past the man, he picked up a very large wrench and offered to split the Admiral’s head open.

Later 0, during a post-tour discussion, the Admiral asked the sailor if he recognized him (the Father of the Nuclear Navy) and if so, why the young sailor wouldn’t let the Admiral enter the reactor room.

The sailor said “Because, sir, you didn’t have the boat’s Reactor Room badge. No one comes into my reactor room without the proper pass, not even you.”

The next day the young man was spot promoted to E-6.

I was told this story by a roommate that was an MS1 (cook) on the boat at the time.

What is the main point of Confucius’ Analects?

The key sentences in the Analects are:子罕: 無意無必無固無我:Have no preconceptions, do not insist on a certain course of action, don’t be obstinate, keep your ego out of things. The other one is: 里仁:君子之於天下也無適也無莫也義之與比:There is nothing in the world you have to be for, there is nothing in the world you have to be against; the only standard is what is appropriate for the situation at hand.

These were balanced by 禮 cultural standards. You should maintain a balance between 智仁勇 thinking, feeling (kindness), and courage. In all matters, 中庸 keep a balance, don’t go off far ends, never become an extremist.

In a nutshell, that’s it. I could go on for days, but that gives you the key points.

A large group of Russian soldiers in the border area in 1939 are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a small hill

A large group of Russian soldiers in the border area in 1939 are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a small hill:

“One Finnish soldier is better than ten Russian”.

The Russian commander quickly orders 10 of his best men over the hill where a gun battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, then silence.

The voice once again calls out: “One Finn is better than one hundred Russian.”

Furious, the Russian commander sends his next best 100 troops over the hill, and instantly a huge gunfight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again Silence.

The calm Finnish voice calls out again: “One Finn is better than one thousand Russians!

The enraged Russian commander musters 1000 fighters and sends them to the other side of the hill.

Rifle fire, machine guns, grenades, rockets, and cannon fire ring out as a terrible battle is fought…

Then silence.

Eventually, one badly wounded Russian fighter crawls back over the hill and with his dying words tells his commander:

“Don’t send any more men… it’s a trap. There’s two of them!

What gives you peace of mind?

  1. Pay no attention to criticism or to authors of lies. They wouldn’t be doing it if you hadn’t created something to make them jealous.
  2. When people troll you, this means that you’re important. Pretend that you’re depressed, but smile inwardly because deep inside, you know that you’re somebody significant.
  3. Have a good reason to put a smile on your face. Even when you’re hungry or broke, that’s not a good reason to frown, for you never know when your help is arriving.
  4. Happiness can be faked. This is probably a good thing for your health because your subconscious mind can’t tell the difference.
  5. You can probably tell who your best friends are since they’ll not be easy to find. However, you can easily tell who your fake friends are since they’ll bring themselves to you.
  6. It’s important to connect with as many friends as possible, but the most important way to have inner peace is to connect with yourself.
  7. Whatever happens in your life, try to remain as calm as possible, despite all that’s going on around you.
  8. People who can control their emotions are stronger than fortresses. Most of the problems that take away our inner peace come from reacting to situations we shouldn’t react to.
  9. Don’t look for internal peace externally, where everybody is looking. To have peace, you have to look for someone who already has it. Unfortunately, most people don’t have inner peace, so you must change your focus to rely on your internal resources.
  10. Despite all the noise, there’s still a central place where you can find peace. The heart is a central place where you can find almost anything that needs to be found.
  11. You will never have peace watching the daily news, for it is the bad news that sells for TV stations and makes a slave to negative news. A person who watches much TV will always wake up with a headache, hangover, or depression.
  12. Happiness is the secret to inner peace. Avoid people or situations that deprive you of happiness.
  13. Nothing is as infectious as a good laughter, yet most people want to look depressed for no particular reason. Why don’t you lock yourself in a room and laugh even when there’s no particular reason to laugh?
  14. Whatever situation you find yourself in, there’s no good reason to lose hope. Hope is like advance payment on something valuable you’re eagerly awaiting.
  15. In most cases, you have innate peace inside of you, but other people come and take it away through discouragement, bad news, and idle talk because they don’t have peace in the first place and they don’t feel comfortable when you have it.
  16. When people tell you something negative, the best thing to do is to remain calm. Try to assess it, and if it doesn’t make sense ignore it. The worst thing you can do is to react to it, but the best thing you can do is to avoid negative people.
  17. Inner peace is more valuable than all the peace in the world, because when you have it, you can think more clearly and know how to react to situations and problems.
  18. The natural inclination for humans is to dominate and control others. Know that if you’re a person given to this instinct, you’re courting misery, unhappiness, and grief, for the same people you seek to control, will turn upon you and tear you apart, the moment they realize you’re also human.
  19. The number one killer for peace of mind is when you lose sleep as a result of another person “getting there” quicker than you. No two people are the same. No two people have the same abilities, and no two people think the same way. Don’t feel jealous because someone else is succeeding where you failed. Instead, be happy for them and your own success will arrive faster than you think.
  20. The number two killer for peace of mind is anger. Anger is like a tornado, destroying everything in it’s wake including you and your loved ones.
  21. Pay attention to what you eat. Neurochemicals in the brain that control mood, peace of mind, love, happiness, anger, and other factors, depend on the kind of food you eat, your particular environment, and the people you live with. Changing any or all of these factors, can greatly boost your inner peace that you didn’t believe existed.
  22. There’s a reason why people take a break. Although worrying your head off won’t solve any problem, you might find it reasonable to find a solitary place where you can spend time alone. Enjoying solitude, meditation, and prayer, especially where there’s a body of water like the sea, river, or lake, are great ways to get away from people and all the noise, mobile phones, internet, social media, and rejuvenate your life. Find time to connect with your soul, and understand better what’s ailing you.
  23. The phrase that “music heals your soul” can’t be more true. I’d say that making music your close companion is a great way to relax, whether you’re depressed or not. Music relaxes the mind and body, soothes the nerves, recovers your lost energy and focus, and immunizes you from the stresses of life.

DID YOUTUBE SABOTAGE US? WHY IM CLOSING MY 808,000 SUBSCRIBER CHANNEL

Changes going on.

Which single soldier, not a General, has had the greatest effect on a battle in history?

A Turkish artilleryman lifts a 215 kilogram shell singlehanded for loading in a cannon. Corporal Seyit (Seyit Onbasi) is famous for having carried three 215 kg shells to an artillery gun during the Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles on 18 March 1915. Born in a village of Havran, he enlisted into the army in April 1909. After serving in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 he was transferred to the forts defending the Mediterranean entrance to the Dardanelles. Following the heavy naval bombardment of the forts guarding the Narrows on March 18, 1915, the gun he was serving in the Mecidiye fort remained operational but its shell crane had been damaged. Seyit carried three 215 kg artillery shells up to the gun enabling it to continue firing on the attacking Allied fleet. One of the shells reputedly hit the British pre-dreadnought HMS Ocean, most probably contributing greatly to the repulse of the Allied naval assault.

After that Seyid was promoted to corporal and publicised as an iconic Turkish hero. He was discharged in 1918 and became a forester and later coal-miner. He took the surname Çabuk in 1934 with the passing of the Surname Law. He died of a lung disease in 1939. A statue of him carrying a shell was erected in 1992, just south of Kilitbahir Castle on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Edit: There are some skeptics who think that this story might have been invented for propaganda reasons. First of all, the Ottomans were not as sophisticated as the Allies or the USA regrading propaganda strategies. When it comes to propaganda, misinformation and psychological tactics for manipulating the masses, the Western countries are way ahead of the Turks. Secondly, the only eye witnesses were the few soldiers operating the gun. Nevertheless, according to military records, the crane of the canon was broken and the rounds fired. The battleship Ocean was hit by a cannon shell exactly at a position where it was facing this particular fort. (The picture was shot after the war, to imitate the moment.)

“What’s happening In the Middle East is Shocking…”

https://youtu.be/Nq3EVT_QKvs

What are the implications of China’s declining semiconductor imports?

Stockpiles!!!!!

Nothing else but Stockpiles

You see, when Trump imposed the Huawei Ban, China and Chinese entities were very concerned that they would be next

Thus they began stockpiling massive quantities of Chips & Semiconductor equipment

From 2020–2022 , China kept on buying Chips from the world though it’s demand thanks to the lockdown was down by almost 45%

That’s a huge chunk of chips purchased and equipment purchased between 2020–2022 when the total demand was far lesser both within China and outside China

Hence China has a Supply Glut of Chips & Semiconductor Equipment

This surplus has to be first utilized for China to begin placing orders again

Meanwhile China is also developing it’s own industry in Chips and Semiconductors

Thus the fall in imports is unlikely to be ever reversed

In all battles in history, which battle had the filthiest, dirtiest, and the harshest battlefield?

My vote goes to the battle of Passchendaele.

Imagine you’re the unlucky bastard who gets to be positioned behind the machine gun. While most of your brothers in arms have died long ago from climbing out of the trench, you remain shackled in place to provide them supporting fire, watching them each die in the process. What was once your childhood friend Richard presently sits motionless forty paces before you, in the middle of no mans land, tangled in a mess of barbed wire. The flies have largely left him alone by now.

At the same time, you get to fire endlessly at young men your age, of a different uniform, charging blindly towards you. You used to scream at the top of your lungs for them to turn back, to stop running forward. You stopped trying a few hundred kills back.

You’ve witnessed technological marvels unlike anything else you’ve ever seen before. Airplanes. Flamethrowers. Automobiles and tanks. And yet, just a few days ago, you saw your friends beat down an enemy using a primitive spike-covered club, like a caveman might.

Over the permanent ringing in your ears you gained from endless rounds fired and near misses of enemy grenades, you hear a corny, empty song of patriotism for the fourteenth time that day off of a distant gramophone. It’s words cruelly mock you anymore.

You’re covered in fine layers of semi-dried mud, thrown up in your face from a distant artillery hit. It’s the cleanest substance presently adorning your person. Your boots and wraps are wet from the blood, urine, and vomit. Some of it is your own. You can almost remember the last time you took a bath.

The cloth near your ankles has been shredded from the rats, who grow more brazen and hungry every day. The last one you saw was the size of an opossum, and took a nasty bite out of your left leg. Bartholomew, the man who helps feed bullets to your iron beast, stabbed it with his bayonet and tossed it in the pile: the sixteenth one he had killed that day alone.

Your nose has grown numb to the overwhelming odor. The winter season approaches, and everything’s become colder. All your aches and pains hurt more with the cold. Until now, things have been relatively dry, which means you have yet to drown in your own trench from the rainfall.

The sound of a shell impacting the ground crosses the land. The color of the air begins to turn a funny color again. You quietly put on your gas mask and hunch over your weapon. You first heard that this war would be over before Christmas. You then heard that this would be the war to end all wars. You now wonder if this war would ever end, or if it’d merely become the introductory section to the new era: the era of modern warfare.

Death cannot come soon enough for you.

What is wrong with Social Justice?

Well, to start with, nobody in the world actually wants social justice.

There. I said it.

Okay, lots of people sincerely believe they want social justice; the people who say they want it aren’t lying, exactly. It’s way more complicated than that, and a lot happens between “I’d like to live in a just world” and “I am going to work to make a just world happen.”

Buckle up, this answer is gonna get loooooong.


Let’s start here: The real world is complicated. Really, really complicated. You might think getting your scanner/printer to work with Windows is complicated, but that’s peanuts compared to socioeconomic and geopolitical reality.

And people, even smart people, handle complexity poorly.

Topical case in point: What’s happening in Israel and Gaza right now.

If you want to understand what’s happening, you need to know quite a lot of history from the 1940s on. There’s a lot of “there” there: the Israeli offer, turned down by the Arabic population; the reasons Egypt and Jordan closed their borders to the Palestinians; the history of Hamas, which is both a terrorist organization and also a government (and before that, the Muslim Brotherhood); the way Egypt has deliberately played the Gaza refugees as political pawns…it’s complicated and ugly and no side has totally clean hands, but even understanding where the balance lies requires a pretty thorough history lesson…

…and oh God that’s, like, sooooooo complicated, whyyyyyyy can’t someone just tell me who the good guys are and who the bad guys are?

That’s the thing: a lot of people want to treat actual, real-world political situations like football matches or WWF wrestling, with a clearly defined good guy and a clearly defined bad guy, so they know who they’re supposed to root for.

Even people who start out genuinely, sincerely interested in social justice can easily get bogged down.

That’s the heartbreaking thing about, you know, empathy and compassion. When you sincerely want to leave the world in better shape than you found it, you soon find yourself fighting an uphill battle. Injustice doesn’t exist because someone woke up one day and said “Hey! You know what? I think I’ll be a dick to other people today!”

Injustice exists because entrenched economic, social, and political systems with roots thousands of years deep have entrenched ways of doing things because the people atop those systems benefit from doing things that way.

Fighting against that is hard. It grinds you down. However energetic and idealistic you were when you started, it pulverizes you.

Nobody has infinite time. Nobody has infinite energy.

Which is fine, except that most people want to believe themselves to be one of the good guys, on the side of Truth and Righteousness and Justice, even when we don’t want to—or can’t!—do the work of getting there. It’s not enough to say “You know what? I’m not informed enough about this to have a reasonable opinion.” Oh, no, no, we want to take sides but we don’t want to invest the time or labor in making sure we pick the right side.

We just want to know who to blame.

Knowing who the bad guy is helps define us as the good guy. If we’re against the bad guy, that makes us good, right? Right?

So what do we do?

We develop heuristics. Cognitive shortcuts. Quick and dirty rules of thumb to simplify complex situations and help guide them toward the ‘right’ team to root for. These fast and easy heuristics, at least in theory, cut through all the tedious drek of having to learn all that history and become informed of the goals and grievances of all the players and untangle a knotty and nuanced tangle that’s been all balled up for decades.

But here’s the thing:

Heuristics are not subtle. They’re fast intuitive guidelines that substitute for actual understanding. They feel right, but that doesn’t mean they are right.

Those heuristics—“believe women,” “always side with the most historically oppressed,” whatever they are—gradually become rules, then social tribal markers, then symbols of moral purity. Heuristics become adopted by tribes as ways to tell the in-group from the out-group. If you see a hashtag like #believewomen, you can probably make a pretty good guess about the politics of the person who subscribes to it.

Before long, it actually becomes morally wrong not to obey the heuristics.

Enforcing moral purity becomes a way to feel powerful, to feel like you’re accomplishing something, in the face of the overwhelming hopelessness and despair that comes from fighting an entrenched system day after day and ending each day with nothing to show for it.

What it feels like to care about justice

Say your crusade is animal welfare, for example. You’ve fought for years and what do you have to show for it? There are even more factory farms now than when you started. Consumption of animals is up, not down.

But then let’s say Bob, your staunch and stalwart ally, your comrade in arms, reveals that he’s not a vegan…he thinks it’s okay to eat fish. And…and…and eggs. And he wears leather belts.

You can’t end factory farming, you can’t stop the senseless slaughter of animals…but hey, you can rally the troops against Bob, because he betrayed the cause! You can destroyed his reputation and cast him out! Look! Look! You accomplished something!

This is inevitably what happens in social justice circles. We end up here because:

  1. People want a morality simple enough to fit in a hashtag; and
  2. Any morality simple enough to fit in a hashtag cannot capture reality, and therefore is rather limited as a tool to change reality.

People tend to think of “social justice” as a left thing, but this process knows no political bounds. Those on the right do it just as often—they simply don’t call it “social justice.”

But the same things still apply: they have a way they want the world to be; changing the world requires tremendous amounts of effort and work; people don’t have limitless resources; they fall back on simple rules to tell them who the good guys and bad guys are; those eimple rules become tribal markers; before long, it becomes morally unacceptable even to question those simple rules.

We see the world not at it is but as we are. We invent narratives to describe the world, and to tell us who the good guys are, and who we should be in order to think of ourselves as good. Anyone who can co-opt those narratives can control the lines between Us and Them, the boundaries that define our tribes.

So here we are. We’re terrible at nuance, we don’t have tome to get informed, so we let the hashtag mentality do the work for us.

What are the main successful experiences of the Belt and Road Initiative in the past 10 years?

The UK colonized many nations to procure the raw materials to fuel it’s empire worldwide

They enjoyed 80% of the cream and barely gave 20% to the Colonized Nations, of which 15% was taken back vide Taxes and Protection and payment for British Troops

Chinas BRI is a modified version of the same thing UK used to do but a fairer economic sharing platform

China gets Raw materials worldwide through the BRI to fuel it’s mammoth economy and production machine

However instead of the unfair British division, China enjoys maybe 60% of the cream and ensures 40% to the BRI Nations of which maybe 20% is taken back vide Infrastructure projects, Power Projects etc

This while Britain gave only 5% of the Cream to the Colonies, China gives 20%

And while Britain paid most of the Cream to Corpulent Rajahs and Maharajahs, China spends a lot on building Schools and Roads and Bridges

Plus China also uses BRI Countries to outsource it’s low grade manufacturing


Hence BRI is essentially a ‘You help me fuel myself and i help you grow’ mode of economics

Here are some stats from Chinas forum in 2023:-

  • China sources 66% Rare Earths vide the BRI and controls the Production
  • China controls between 30–45% of the Tungsten, Nickel, Copper and Mercury vide the BRI
  • China sources Wheat, Soybeans, Pork, Beef and Eggs vide the BRI
  • China supplies Chemicals, Machinery, Low Cost Goods, Medium Cost Goods, Textiles and Semi finished goods vide the BRI to various nations. Almost 70% of the supply of these come from China including Paper & Ink
  • Chinas Energy needs from Enriched Uranium, Uranium Ore, Oil, Gas come vide the BRI at an average discount of 31% from World market prices. Thus outside of interest, China saves at least $ 70 Billion a year on market prices

Thus Chinas BRI is definitely not a Utopian Charity

It is a business arrangement where Chinese win big time with supplies, raw materials, chance to invest their money and prevent accumulation & gain soft power

Yet the BRI nations in return get money from sales of goods plus a lot of modernization at minimum cost (China averages $ 2.19 Million per Mile against $ 17 Million for the US)

Its the best deal for BRI nations today if they want to grow

Best example is Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam which have all seen a CAGR of around 12.2% a year with the BRI over the past 10 year

26 out of 50 African Nations show a CAGR of 6% or more with BRI

Why Is Another Young American Woman Arrested And Jailed In Dubai ? A Critical Review.

Stupid American… the “ugly American”.

What would be the focal point for a possible WWIII that encompasses the major world powers, as per Ray Dalio’s warning?

Right now, there are at least 4 potential trigger points. Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, North Korea, and China. Any of these could flare up because of an accident or false narrative. WW2 had the Japanese taking a risk by attacking Pearl Harbor, but that was being fought by China much earlier than that. Vietnam was the Gulf of Tonkin false narrative by the US accusing Vietnam of attacking its destroyer. We stayed for 10 years and lost. Iraq was the infamous WMD that proved a false narrative by the US. Afghanistan was the witch hunt for Ben Laden that took 10 years and we stayed for 10 more years only to leave ignominiously. Ukraine is the invasion of Ukraine by Russia because the west continued to move east with NATO. All had reasons for the start of a conflict that potentially could have become much wider, most because of a false narrative by the US, leading one to suspect the US wanted a conflict.

Texas Beef Brisket

2023 10 19 08 47
2023 10 19 08 47

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds beef brisket
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1 bay leaf, crushed
  • 1 (10 ounce) can beef broth

Instructions

  1. Make a dry rub by combining chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, sugar, dry mustard and crushed bay leaf.
  2. Season the raw brisket on both sides with the rub.
  3. Place in roasting pan and roast, uncovered, for one hour at 350 degrees F.
  4. Add the beef broth and enough water to make 1/2 inch liquid in roasting pan. Lower oven to 300 degrees F, cover pan tightly and continue cooking for 3 hours or until fork tender.
  5. Trim the fat and slice meat thinly across the grain.

What do the mainland Chinese think of the Palestine issue?

They see as a western nation hypocrisy. Screaming human rights but doing human wrongs. The see everything wrong about US and UK unilateral decisions. They decide to plant Jewish people in the middle if Arab land to do U.S. and western shit on Arabs and Muslim nations and the Palestinians must be happy about it.

The wonder why the people who truly own this land has to give it all up and agree to live as slaves and asylum seekers in their own lands. The Palestinians are the living in the world’s biggest open prison in a land they owned. Who the fxxk gives the US and UK to give something that don’t belong to them away!

The cannot understand why the west can be so foolish to think that Palestinian must be happy and contented in such a terrible outcome for them! Surely they ought to expect incidents like what happened if the Palestinians got a chance? Why do the west not expect that?

Blind? Foolish? Do they see Palestinian as sub humans? Like their African slaves? 4/5 of a human? Imagine instead of choosing Palestinian lands it choose Wales or Burgundy or Texas, will the people in these region accept their fate lying down? I doubt so.

I think they will do what Hitler does! Why do they think Palestinians must accept this fate!

Chinese people cannot understand why the west thinks it can get away with it. That is what the Chinese thinks! I think the Chinese is pragmatic and highly intelligent. They see an unworkable solution while the West thinks it can do what they wish!

Russia Signals The Unthinkable, U.S. Warns Iran, Oil Crisis Coming

Wing Dings

Wing Dings are a Texas specialty!

2023 10 28 12 37
2023 10 28 12 37

Ingredients

  • 1 cup beer
  • 1/4 cup unsulphured dark molasses
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • Juice of 1 medium lime
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon aniseed, toasted and ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 dozen chicken wings

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease a large baking pan or dish.
  3. Combine everything except the wings in a large, heavy pan. Simmer them over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, until they have reduced to a thick sauce.
  4. While the sauce simmers, prepare the chicken wings.
  5. With a butcher knife, remove the wing tips, then cut each wing in half at the joint.
  6. Add the wings to the sauce, and stir to coat them.
  7. Ladle the wings and the sauce into the baking dish.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes, then stir the wings in the sauce.
  9. Turn the heat up to 425 degrees F and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the sauce glazes the wings.
  10. Serve the wings hot with Ranch dressing, if desired.

US-backed Terrorism Targets Vietnam & Myanmar in Wider War on China

  • Two terrorist attacks this month (June 2023) in Southeast Asia have been carried out by groups backed by the United States government and its allies for decades;
  • This includes a singer murdered in Myanmar and a series of armed attacks carried out on police stations in Vietnam killing 9 including several civilians;
  • British state media, the BBC, and US government-funded media platform Radio Free Asia have attempted to spin and even justify this terrorism as part of a much wider pattern promoting and defending terrorism as a means to counter China’s rise and punish nations working closely with China;
  • The opposition in Myanmar has openly been backed by the US and UK for decades – fighting to reinstall Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy back into power;
  • In Vietnam, the ethnic Montagnards had fought alongside US invaders in the Vietnam War, and since then have worked closely with the US through the National Endowment for Democracy toward separatism;
  • Much of this context is omitted from Western state-media accounts of the terrorism;
  • Both Myanmar and Vietnam’s current governments have close relations with China. Vietnam, while depicted in the Western media as “anti-China,” has worked with China to build infrastructure within its borders and access Chinese rail projects to bring their products all the way to Europe;

US Encircling of China Explained

The US claims that it is not seeking conflict with China – but a look at what the US is doing all along China’s peripheries reveals the US is already in a conflict with China and has been for decades.

The US pursues this conflict – admittedly – not out of national security concerns, but to preserve what it itself calls its “primacy” in the Indo-Pacific region.

China’s New Maglev, High Speed Rail, & What it Means for Belt & Road Partners

China has unveiled a 600kph maglev train that will eventually be used on lines connecting China’s major cities. It is part of the nation’s much larger high speed rail (HSR) network.

I discuss China’s HSR network, the foresight required to implement such an ambitious infrastructure drive, and how the West is trying to foil it both within China’s borders and beyond them as HSR lines begin moving outward as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Bully or Builder? China Finishes Vietnam’s First Metro Train

While the Western media attempts to convince the world China is “bullying” its neighbors in Asia, upon closer examination it is clear it is instead building projects with its neighbors.

This includes with Vietnam which does have a complicated relationship with Beijing – but has not let that get in the way of progress – including cooperation in building the country’s first metro train.

China’s Laos High-Speed Railway is Already Delivering

The Western media continues its attack on China depicting the nation as a global threat. However, what the West says about China and what China itself is doing are two entirely different stories.

The high-speed railway being built between Kunming, China and Bangkok, Thailand is a perfect example of how China is helping the rest of Asia rise with it. The only thing being threatened by China and Asia’s rise is the West’s unwarranted influence over the rest of the globe.

Inflection EP20: China Builds Up ASEAN, the US Bullies it…

While the Western media insists China is a threat to global peace and prosperity, an objective look at China’s role in ASEAN development versus US coercion, political sedition, and even proxy conflict reveals the true threat to both Asia and the rest of the world.

Inflection is a weekly show featuring Angelo Giuliano and Brian Berletic, discussing recent headlines and in-depth discussion of topics shaping the shift from West to East and unipolarism to multipolarism.

Inflection EP23: As China Rises, Southeast Asia Rises

The US is obsessed with containing the rise of China. But China is not rising on its own. With its rise, all of Asia is rising with it.

The notion of the globe’s center of power shifting from West to East is at the heart of Washington, Wall Street, London, and Brussel’s growing desperation and aggression toward China – the engine of Asia’s rise.

Inflection is a weekly show featuring Angelo Giuliano and Brian Berletic, discussing recent headlines and in-depth discussion of topics shaping the shift from West to East and unipolarism to multipolarism.

The US Just Did Something CRAZY!

Biblical collapse coming to the West.

REFLECTION

“My parents were married for 55 years. One morning, my mom was going downstairs to make dad breakfast, she had a heart attack and fell. My father picked her up as best he could and almost dragged her into the truck. At full speed , without respecting traffic lights, he drove her to the hospital.

When he arrived, unfortunately she was no longer with us.

During the funeral, my father did not speak; his gaze was lost. He hardly cried.

That night, his children joined him. In an atmosphere of pain and nostalgia, we remembered beautiful anecdotes and he asked my brother, a theologian, to tell him where Mom would be at that moment. My brother began to talk about life after death, and guesses as to how and where she would be.

My father listened carefully. Suddenly he asked us to take him to the cemetery.

Dad!” we replied, “it’s 11 at night, we can’t go to the cemetery right now!”

He raised his voice, and with a glazed look he said:

“Don’t argue with me, please don’t argue with the man who just lost his wife of 55 years.”

There was a moment of respectful silence, we didn’t argue anymore. We went to the cemetery, we asked the night watchman for permission. With a flashlight we reached the tomb. My father caressed her, prayed and told his children, who watched the scene moved:

“It was 55 years… you know? No one can talk about true love if they have no idea what it’s like to share life with a woman.”

He paused and wiped his face. “She and I, we were together in that crisis. I changed jobs …” he continued. “We packed up when we sold the house and moved out of town. We shared the joy of seeing our children finish their careers, we mourned the departure of loved ones side by side, we prayed together in the waiting room of some hospitals, we support each other in pain, we hug each Christmas, and we forgive our mistakes… Children, now it’s gone, and I’m happy, do you know why?

Because she left before me. She didn’t have to go through the agony and pain of burying me, of being left alone after my departure. I will be the one to go through that, and I thank God. I love her so much that I wouldn’t have liked her to suffer…”

When my father finished speaking, my brothers and I had tears streaming down our faces. We hugged him, and he comforted us, “It’s okay, we can go home, it’s been a good day.”

That night I understood what true love is; It is far from romanticism, it does not have much to do with eroticism, or with sex, rather it is linked to work, to complement, to care and, above all, to the true love that two really committed people profess “.

Peace in your hearts.

You Won’t Believe What Ugandan Women Think About Black Americans

My African sisters looking beautiful and sounding intelligent. On another note, most human beings are unique so lumping a group of people into a stereotype isn’t always advantageous.

What was the strangest piece of evidence ever shown to a judge in a courtroom?

One day, Saskatchewan farmer Cecil George Harris was out in his field when his tractor got stuck. Unfortunately, while trying to extricate it, he got trapped beneath one of the tractor’s large wheels.

He wasn’t found for nine hours, by which time he was near death even though he was still conscious. He was taken to the hospital, but he died two days later.

The question was, how should his estate be handled. He had never gone to a lawyer to prepare a will.

But while lying there, trapped and knowing he was going to die, he had the foresight to scratch something into the fender of his tractor with his penknife.

In case I die in this mess I leave all to the wife, Cecil Geo. Harris.

The fender was entered into evidence in the probate court as a holograph (handwritten) will. It was approved for probate. The fender was stored for years in the county’s courthouse and instead of going to the archives it was sent to the University of Saskatchewan Law School for safekeeping, where it now appears.

What is one thing that I can learn from you today?

Treat someone who’s never been treated well as a genuine human.

This Spring I had a few moments in New York City, and a bit of spare cash. Nothing too large that’ll make a difference, but an amount that could buy a meal at Halal Guys.

I saw a man having his head in his palms, sunken with the weight of the world around him. What most people never ever have to experience is having a social net you thought existed fall below you, and then continue falling in life without having a single moment to grasp or gain your balance. Things like this can really screw with any mental problems that may never have existed, and also create anxiety that comes with the insecurity of the most basic human support.

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main qimg e8afcfee13f42e8d61cb7b51491c2f5c lq

Out of respect, I didn’t take Jake’s photo, but he looked like this

“Hi sir, what’s your name?” I asked him. He replied Jake, and whether I had any spare change.

I told him, “How about this. Let me get you something nice to eat. You must be cold out here by yourself, right? Does that sound good to you?” One thing I remember was how a lot of homeless people never eat food given to them as they don’t know if someone tapered it or poisoned it, which is a real concern.

“Bless you, sir. That’ll be amazing, thank you.” He replied

We went to Halal Guys and I learned that he was in the military, but he fell upon some hard times. He used to work as a mechanic of sorts but lost it all in a divorce and “money mismanagement”. He didn’t have a family to really go back to so tried to find work in New York but couldn’t and ended up on the street. He told me he was planning to leave soon, and I kept on listening to what he was saying.

I think the look on his face as I got him chicken over rice was something that I rarely see in people, which is a form of gratitude you can never express unless someone lends you a hand as you fall through every social net.

I told him I had to catch a train, but he shook my hand and kept saying “God took you to me, sir. Bless you, bless you.”

Now, regardless of whether his story was true, it doesn’t really matter. I knew this man had to fight off his own demons.

There’s a word in Russian called umilinie (умиление) which roughly translates to “tenderness”. My professor once called the tenderness “melting of the heart”, and that’s what the other man felt at the moment.

I had given him one moment of peace as a human being, and that was all I cared about. When you treat someone well who usually doesn’t and give them some of your time, you’ll truly see someone’s heart melt from a moment of humanity.

Last Gasp of Western Hegemony

The US-NATO group are drowning in debt. The ability to wage war is limited by their debt. They have no military industrial capacity, just corruption. Russia and China are free of debt and have extreme advantage in any war.

Why is it so hard for China to make a fair trade deal with America?

As long as it is win win for China and for the U.S. China will sign a deal. But the U.S. cannot say you must buy what we like to sell you and you must sell everything we want at a dirt cheap prices and pay us in dollar!

The U.S. says your products cannot be spied on but we have a right to spy on each and every one of your phone!

The U.S. says when the U.S. introduce G1 to G4 you must trust us blindly but when China build G5 we must not only use your initiative but we will forced everyone else to stop using you too!

The U.S. says you must make all simple chip products and sell it to us as dirt cheap prices and we sell you cars and planes at astronomical prices and don’t you dare make these products!

To China this is wrong and unfair so it’s says go sell to one of your cronies. No thanks U.S.! China say over our dead body will we listen to you! China do what is good for China and the Chinese people. And it will always do so. If you don’t like it tough! Go bang your head against the wall!

What’s the most inaccurate thing your child has ever been taught in school?

The state of Virginia has a “Standards of Learning” end of grade testing, called SOL’s (yeah, that’s what I thought too).

Anyway, my nephew was taking the test (or a practice test that uses old questions) that asked what the Native Americans foraged for in the spring. The answer wasn’t there.

My sister happens to specialize in edible native plant of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My nephew not only knew what was growing in the spring in Virginia, but he could name them and find them in the wild.

His answer was counted wrong and the correct answer, according to the State of Virginia, was berries. My sister asked the school system to identify just one berry that ripens in Virginia in the spring. They couldn’t.

Edit: I was a CTE high school teacher for a little while (Career & Technical Education) and I certainly got things wrong. Everyone does. But I would share the correct answer, apologize if I felt it necessary, and if it was something graded, I would change the grade. I also rarely used a textbook with the exception of specific practice sessions.

As a CTE teacher, I had much more autonomy than math, science or English. They were strictly controlled. Our department was lucky but the state was slowly tightening down on our classes too.

The SOL test wasn’t graded by a teacher or even the school. It was strictly controlled by the state. Each question has to go through a review process and be approved and the grading isn’t subject to revision by the local school.

What is the general situation in China? Are majority of the Chinese people happy?

There are four things that can be regarded negative , as part of the feelings by the people of China

#1 Blaming the Lockdowns – Many Mainlanders especially in the Big 4 Cities blame the lockdowns, kind of like Indians blaming Demonetization. The impact of the Lockdowns was maybe 10% of the Impact of demonetization but China is such a rich and prosperous country now that the slightest slowdown annoys the hell out of the people

#2 Cautious to Invest – Gold & Jade Investments in China have piled up almost by 41% in the last 3 years by Individuals. That’s because Chinese Mainlanders are not having many areas of investment and it’s either Gold Or Banks. They don’t seem to trust the share market and the real estate market is in a glut. Thus China has almost $ 16-18 Trillion in Savings against $ 4.82 Trillion that the US has

Chinese Individuals thus need more Venture Capitalists and Technology Investments to invest their funds in

#3 Generation Gap – The Gen Z of China work smart rather than hard. The policies of Chinese companies still mirror those of the 2000s which focus on time rather than value of work. Rather than the TARGET ORIENTED approach, the approach is TIME ORIENTED meaning working 54 hours a week seems more important than meeting performance targets

The Gen Z feel that if they can work 35–40 hours a week and achieve the same targets , they can enjoy the remaining 14 hours a week

Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba, DJI, Baidu etc already changed their workstyles to make them flexible and based on Targets

Yet 60% of Chinese Employers still have the TIME ORIENTED mentality and pay on a PER HOUR basis

#4 Inability to understand Hostility of the West

Many Chinese are unable to understand why the West is hostile to them and why the sanctions.

This is because the CPC is too nice and doesn’t promote hate against the West in their propaganda

Luckily in this area the CPC has worked tirelessly to ensure alternate economic routes

If exports to the US fell for a Chinese company, Russian markets are a virtual monopoly for the Chinese now (Indians failed to capitalize this market in any way) plus newer markets in South America plus Middle East

Likewise if Investments from US have dried up, Germany and Russia have tripled their investments into China, making up potential deficits


Yet the key thing about China is the TRANSPARENCY in the Country

No lies, hidden from the public, the Positive Side l

  • Costs are very low, Rents, Food are at their lowest. Savings potential is at 43% , highest in the world against 7% in USA
  • Rapid Development
  • Excellent Education
  • Very good employment despite the slowdown without creating Government Jobs like India or SL
  • Rapid Technology development
  • Growing Soft Power of China and Tourist related power in Thailand and other places

So Chinese are extremely content though they wouldn’t mind some reforms which the CPC is likely to implement in the coming 6–24 months

Project: STARGATE. The CIA Mars and… Time Travel.

Lots of fun in this video!

What made your “jaw drop” during a job interview?

As a new PhD , I interviewed for an entry level academic position. The afternoon prior to the interview, I flew in to a large airport, rented a car as instructed, and drove nearly 200 km out to a university in a rural setting. The next morning, a gray, dreary day, I found my own breakfast and then went to the University, let’s call it University A, to find the interviewer. His first question was, “Are you sure you can tolerate living here?” Odd question, but I could imagine the location probably could have been a problem for some candidates like me, who got his degree at an urban university. I grew up in a place that looked and felt nearly identical, so I was on board. The rest of the morning went well.

For lunch four of the professors and I piled into an older car. The senior professor was in the front passenger seat. The younger two professors and I were in the back seat. Before we start moving, the senior professor turned around, looked me in the eye, and asked, “What do you think of Professor X at University B?” I knew Professor X well. He was a mentor of mine when I was a contract teaching hire at University C several years prior. Both Professor X and this senior professor were well known experts in our field. My Mama told me to always say something nice in such situations. So I made a single sentence that Professor X was a wonderful man to have the privilege of learning from. The senior professor said nothing more the rest of my two days of interviews. Though I did not realize it at the time, the interviews were over when I made that statement. I did not get the job.

I found out later that the senior professor considered Professor X to be his mortal enemy. They had started at this same University A as entry level professors many years prior. After gaining their tenure together, Professor X left for University B while the senior professor stayed. Both became prominent in the same field. But somewhere along the line, their relationship failed. I unwittingly stepped into the crossfire. I never asked Professor X about this, considering it to no longer be important. I also found out that the position was available because the senior professor was running off a young professor that he disliked. A year later at a conference, I met the candidate who won that position. He looked like he had a big dark cloud over his head.

Soon after this interview, I interviewed at another university much farther away. The people were bright and kind. The students were excellent and enthusiastic. The location was also a long way into a scenic rural setting with many gray, dreary days. By the time my flight arrived home back East, their job offer was waiting for me. I still work there, more than three decades later.

The man who lives with the 17 tiny kittens he rescued is experiencing an explosion of happiness.

What has President Biden done to bring the US one step to the situation of World War Three? A weak president leads to war. A strong president prevents the war before it starts.

WWIII will not happen, but the United States is essentially on the road to collapse. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which was a federal system, it was the turn of the United States, which was a federal system.

As far as the current world situation is concerned, the United States will certainly support Israel without a second thought. In fact, Hamas has already achieved its goal. What happens next:

  1. The EU is forced by the United States to support Israel as it supports Ukraine, but they forget that there are 50 million Muslims living in Europe.
  2. The national image that Israel had previously created for itself collapsed straight away.
  3. The Arab countries will further turn against the US and the West and de-dollarisation will further accelerate.
  4. Further shaking up the US petrodollar system
  5. Ukraine is being collectively ignored by the Western bloc, and the longer the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues, the better for Russia.
  6. The U.S. doesn’t have the time or the strength to compete with China

In short, the United States has lost so badly this time that there is no room for redemption.

If the only reason China is a threat to the West economically, why doesn’t the West, instead of building war machines to invade China, build up their own economy?

The US is broke, its strategic oil reserves are running on fumes, and it is out of ammo. Ditto for the EU, except the EU is already an economic basket case. The US seems to have this fixation that conflict creates a win for the US so it continues to fund its MIC with only window dressing for its infrastructure and economy.

What Ukraine has shown the US is that it is not invincible and that Russia is not only stronger than the US thought, but more adaptable to the changes in tactics and technology. Ukraine has been a black hole for US and EU wealth and it is no longer in a position to strongly support its domestic needs. The US keeps printing money and raising interest rates, a sure formula for the failure of the US economy.

But, your point is well taken, the US should have been doing that for the last 20 years or so and it would be in a better condition domestically, economically, geopolitically, and relations with other countries. At this point in time, the US is almost beyond repair.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Israel’s attacks in Gaza were beyond the level of self-defense. How do you see it?

Look

Israel sucks at fighting terrorists

It hasn’t resolved anything in the last 40 years

The Idiots couldn’t negotiate with the PLO and later created the Hamas and ended up making the Hamas their enemies as well

Like I said THEY SUCK AT THIS

Just like their masters the US


They keep killing Civilians and always the Terrorists never die

They change from one form to another

So it’s time Israel starts NEGOTIATIONS and uses the Arab Nations to use their leverage with the Hamas

I firmly believe if Israel agrees to the Two State Solution, the whole world including Russia, China, India and even Iran would cooperate in fighting against the Hamas

Even the Hezbollah believe in a Two State Solution now.

Were you aware that a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a Canadian surveillance plane taking part in a UN operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea?

2023 10 20 15 39
2023 10 20 15 39
  1. The red circle is China, the green circle is Canada 
  2. The red arrow is where the “interception” occurs. 
2023 10 20 15 3e9
2023 10 20 15 3e9
  1. The red circle is China, the blue circle is North Korea 
  2. The red arrow is where the “interception” occurs. 

The Canadians said they were in “international airspace,” but the Chinese said the plane was near the Diaoyu Islands and that this airspace was China’s airspace.

I don’t want to discuss which one of them is telling the truth.

At least I’m not a fool.

Canadian planes flew from 10,000 kilometers away between mainland China and Taiwan. They said they were to monitor North Korean cargo ships, not to provoke China.

Are Canadians smoking too much marijuana?

The Chinese Navy actually let them fly back intact. This is so merciful.

By the way, the Canadians say that their “Operation Neon” is to uphold the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

But the Chinese say they have never signed such a mandate in the Security Council.

We know that the authorization of the Security Council requires the signature of the five permanent members.

What Canada means is that they are carrying out an operation authorized by China.

Canadians are so stupid.

Why The American Dream Is Dead

Clearly stated. Really crystal clear.

If the assumption is correct that airplanes are more efficient than high-speed trains over long distance, why is China building so many railways as opposed to airports relatively speaking?

Simple. It’s all in the numbers.

A Chinese hsr train is formed from 8-16 carriages, capable of carrying 500-1,300 passengers. Up to 8 trains per hour serve the busiest routes at peak times, which can average 100 services per direction per day.

That’s 260,000 carrying capacity a day, both ways, or 95 million a year, for a single route.

An airport serving the route will have to handle more than 470 Boeing 777 flights a day.

That’s 1 takeoff or landing every 3 minutes, which is obviously untenable.

China has more than 160 cities with population more than 1 million. This number is expected to grow, with Chinese urbanization at 55-60 percent, quite some distance from the 80-85 percent typical of the developed world. The density of Chinese populations make high speed rail a viable proposition.

Airplanes are not more efficient than trains. However, they make more sense for longer trips, with the average air trip being 1,400 km. Hsr trips rarely extend beyond 800 km, and make the most economic sense below 500 km.

The Chinese hsr network is built to handle huge numbers, particularly over the Chinese new year holidays, the largest human migration known to man. China does not have enough planes to handle that kind of demand.

And yes, hsr trains run on electricity, a much greener option than avgas.

Man Dumps Bride Months Before Wedding After Learning She Participated In Group Activities For YEARS

Jesus H Christ

I would like to say a few things here.

  • Honesty is the foundation of a long-duration relationship
  • People, however, are permitted to have secrets. It is a human need.
  • When confronted with this situation, there are many ways to handle it. This man saw it as no-starter, unfortunately. I believe that the issues could have been worked out.
  • There is nothing wrong with alternative lifestyles, or what-have-you, but if you are married, you lose part of yourself and join with another. For good or bad.
  • Apparently everything was perfect with them, except for this one issue. Could the issue be resolved, or mitigated? I do not know.
  • For men, “respect” is the biggest and most important aspect of a relationship. Not sex. So I see this as a sequence of lies on the gals part because she showed him no respect.
  • Like I said, I would have done things differently, now as an older man. But when I was younger, maybe not…
  • All in all, the most disturbing thing about this video is NOT that she was having group orgies for the entire time they were living together and him being clueless. It is that she hid that part of her life from him, and told her rotating partners, that he was just fine with it. These lies are what broke up the relationship.

People! Accept who you are. Good and bad. Say things as they are and let the world howl. This goes for both the guy as well as the girl.

The girl, obviously was ready to settle down; get married, have kids and a stable family life. But that is not going to happen if she wanted to continue a free-wheeling 20’s single lifestyle. She wanted what she was clearly not ready for. Sigh.

What is the most savage revenge you’ve seen a renter get on a sleazy landlord?

I rented a caretaker apartment that was attached to a horse stable. The owners were an elderly couple who lived in a house behind the barn. The owners were fantastic people and I got along with them splendidly.

One day they advised me they were selling the property. A few weeks later after the property sold I met the new owners. I immediately did not get a good feeling about the owners. Within the 1st month I started noticing things in the apartment were not where I had placed on. I confronted the new owners who denied going into the apartment. One day, I left for work and did the old tape on the door trick. When I came home sure enough the tape was broken. I again confronted the owner who stated somebody else must have gone into the apartment. I also had some property in the barn that suddenly turned up missing. I asked the new owners about the property and they denied taking it. I ended up finding the missing property in one of their storage sheds hidden underneath some tarps.

I had been dating my girlfriend for several years and at that point we decided to move in together at her place. The caretaker apartment was rather old and the door locks used old style keys that you could not have duplicated at your local hardware store.

I immediately moved out and took the keys with me. I got a call from the owner demanding that I return the apartment key. I advised him I didn’t have the key and told him I left it on the kitchen counter. The owner started yelling that if I didn’t return the key he would sue me for theft and the cost of putting new locks on the doors. I chuckled and said that “Someone must have gone in and stolen the key off the counter. Maybe it’s the same person who stole my property that I found under the tarp in the storage shed.” There was silence and then the phone hung up. I never heard from him again.

….

Captain MM

After I left the Navy, and before I got married to my first wife, I spent a period of time single… living alone, in Florida… and being a “beach bum”. I went out on a lot of dates. Met many girls, and had a lot of fun. Fun that was unfortunately short lived. I was just a “boy toy”.

At that time, as a “beach bum”, I had long blonde hair, a super tan, and a really laid back attitude. In short, I was “Captain Ron”. LOL

But seriously. I was “Captain Ron”.

2023 10 28 10 15
2023 10 28 10 15

Anyways, I was in love with a girl. She lived in another state, and I wanted to marry her. It was a long distance relationship. And so I went and packed up and bought an engagement ring and wanted to surprise her with a visit, a ring and then bring her back down from Pennsylvania to Florida.

Well… I walked in on her… with a “close friend” having sex.

The standard boiler plate of next steps occurred.

  • Denial
  • Confrontation
  • Emotional screaming and yelling
  • Decisions
  • And departure

I returned back to Florida alone.

2023 10 28 10 20
2023 10 28 10 20

And you know, I went into the store and returned the engagement ring to the very attractive girl behind the counter.

And she disappeared in the back, and I noticed that all the 20-something girls were peeking though the curtains and whispering amongst themselves.

There were so many “ahh sounds” and a lot of sad pity on my part.

The really noticeable thing about this event was that I really didn’t appreciate what I was (at that time), and how these young 20-something local chicks thought of me. I was that blue-eyed, beach blond, mellow fun dude… LOL!

2023 10 28 10 25
2023 10 28 10 25

An attractive subtype…

Sigh.

Not the grizzly old cuss that I am today, I guess.

Enjoy who you are in your various stages of life. You might be surprised on all the opportunities that you might miss out on. Be brave. Be aware, and for god sakes, have some fun!

Today…

What’s the best revenge you’ve gotten after being fired or let go from a job?

I have only been fired once in my entire adult life. I was working as a Case Manager for a national company with remote digital presence, but no brick and mortar offices in our state. Another local nurse wanted my position and started planting weevils in ears up the chain of command. Long story short she was committing a bunch of tomfoolery and blaming it on me without my knowledge at the time.

She got my position, but was fired within 3 months because she was caught committing aforementioned tomfoolery. Her misdeeds were of such a nature as to make finding another job within the field very difficult. She was caught partially because her accusations caused a state level investigation and audit. Which cleared me and cost her, her job.

Brilliant planning on her part.

Fast forward 2 years and she applies for a job at another local facility. One that I happen to be the associate clinical director at. She has been on a suspended license with remediation and stipulations after reactivation, and basically unable to work for 2 years. She walked in to the interview, saw me sitting behind the desk, whispered “Oh, Shit!” and just ran out of the building. I didn’t have to say a word.

Texas-Style Egg and Potato Skillet

Scramble Mexican favorites, like potatoes and tortilla chips, for a fast and tasty breakfast skillet or simple supper.

texas style egg potato skillet
texas style egg potato skillet

Prep: 5 min | Cook: 15 min | Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 thick slices (4 ounces) turkey bacon, chopped
  • 1 medium baking potato, diced 1/2 inch
  • 8 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup pico de gallo or chunky salsa
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Cheddar cheese
  • 6 flour or whole wheat tortillas (8 inch), warmed (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until edges begin to brown. Pour off drippings.
  2. Add potato; cook and stir until potato is tender and browned and bacon is crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Pour eggs over mixture in skillet. As eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with an inverted turner, forming large soft curds. Continue cooking – pulling, lifting and folding eggs – until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly.
  4. Stir in pico de gallo; heat through.
  5. Sprinkle with cheese.
  6. Serve with tortillas, if desired.

Notes

Lighter Option: Recipe can be made with reduced-fat cheese, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories: 379 Total Fat: 18g Saturated fat: 6g Polyunsaturated fat: 3g Monounsaturated fat: 6g Cholesterol: 277mg Sodium: 1046mg Carbohydrates: 32g Dietary Fiber: 2g Protein: 21g Vitamin A: 462.9 IU Vitamin D: 57.7 IU Folate: 91.8mcg Calcium: 167.9mg Iron: 3.3mg Choline: 188.7mg

What’s the most offensive thing you’ve heard when someone assumed you didn’t understand their language?

Bought some string in a nice little stationery store in Munich back in 1999. The clerk was counting out my change in German, marks and pfennigs, and stopped and said, auf Deutsch, “Why am I even counting out the change to you? You don’t understand anything.” I smiled. Though I understood well enough, my German wasn’t good enough to let him have it.

My ex was visiting Croatia with her Croatian friend about fifteen years ago. Guess both of them looked like Americans. While walking along the water somewhere together two local, uh… gents were walking toward them, discussing amongst themselves, and quite graphically, the sexual adventures/positions/at one time “crimes against nature” they would enjoy with the two gals. As they passed one another her friend shouted in Croatian “DO YOU TALK TO YOUR MOTHER WITH THAT MOUTH?!!” They nearly melted in embarrassment.

Tucker Carlson Has Us SCARED With This One!

At what point (if any) will China surpass the United States in economic and/or military power?

Simple 2014.

It’s done. It is almost a full decade since China is the real superpower and U.S. is a has been. I know if you are a westerner or especially if you are proud American it sounds ridiculous. But. Let me point out facts and not hubris or blind pride.

China’s growth today is 36.6% and the U.S. together with the entire G7 is a mere 24.6% of the worlds growth. China overtook the U.S. where it counts most the real purchasing power GDP or PPP. Today China is roughly 18.5% and the US is 15.2%. Of worlds economy. While the U.S. is one of the biggest spender China is the biggest savers.

In infrastructure the Chinese has the biggest ports, the biggest ports has the most ships and it has build 120 thousand miles of high speed railway criss crossing China the U.S. build 100 kilometres.

On influence. China gets support almost the entire Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Caribbean and Africa. The U.S. has support from roughly 15 nations. The Anglo nations, their vassal states Germany, Japan and South Korea. Some former colonial powers and some small Eastern European enemies of Russia. In most UN votes China always almost has support in excess of 150/195 nations.

In military, China has more arms, more ships more planes and more troops by a very long shot than the U.S. The Chinese close knit relationship with Russia will make the U.S. rather weak if pitted against both of these nation. The U.S. has lost 4 wars against smaller and weaker nations, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

On sustainability China has 175 out of 195 nations as its biggest trading partners and the U.S. has 29/195 nations as its biggest trading partner. The U.S. debts and deficits is simply unsustainable. China is growing at a rate of 3–4 times a year for the past 40 years against the US. And its standard of living has grown 30 times in the past 40 years and the US has stagnated since 1960!

On the present and future technology, in a recents Australian research from ASPI, China leads in 37/44 most crucial and strategic technologies while the US lead in only 7/37. China’s registrations of US patent office has doubled the US for the past decade.

For me China has absolutely and totally overtook the US by 2020 but it start overtaking the US in 2014. What we are seeing is a decade or more of US refusing to accept the status quo. I suspect by the 2028 election the US and America will move from disbelieving to accepting this status quo.

Oliver Anthony – Rich Man North of Richmond (REMIX) -Vapor Reggae/Dub-

Reggae Dub.

Worth the time to check out.

Are the rich really different from you and me? Why or why not?

[I’m answering anonymously because I don’t want this to come up in a google search — it would suck if my family found it — but I’m sure plenty of regulars will know who wrote this. Please don’t out me.]

I spent a few years of high school attending Brillantmont International School in Lausanne, Switzerland.

My classmates were 100 of the wealthiest kids in the world. I don’t mean hedge fund money — I mean Middle East royalty money. I mean kids whose entire addresses were: People’s Palace, Khartoum, Sudan.

Were they different from the kids I went to public school with in middle class suburban New Jersey? Not in any way that mattered at age 15. (Except they all smoked. I mean upwards of 80% of my classmates smoked. Just crazy.) At 15 it was about boys and sex and alcohol and dieting and who was going where on winter break. The clothes were nicer, the vacations more luxe, but the status games were all the same.

As an adult, here’s the biggest difference I notice, and this really only applies to people who grew up with money:

There is a sense of security that comes with growing up with wealth. A sense that no matter how bad things get, there is a safety net. Even if the net is actually gone — even if somehow you’ve lost all your wealth, your family has disowned you, whatever — it is hard to shake that sense that somehow, some way, things will work out.

Some of my rich friends think they can empathize with poverty. Maybe, but I don’t kid myself that I can. Even when I’d severed ties with my family and had been sleeping on a beach with my belongings for a few months because I couldn’t afford to eat *and* pay for a bed. Even after I’d been robbed a couple of times and put in worse danger a couple of times…

When I got sick — really stupid sick that would have cost me a limb if I hadn’t finally gone to a doctor when I did — I didn’t for a minute think I’d lose my leg. Somewhere deep down I knew that whatever was going to be required, the resources would be there. Whether it meant calling home or a family friend or an old classmate… the idea that the world would let me drown because I couldn’t pay a bill was just never on my radar. It was too far outside everything life had taught me up until then.

I’d have to be on the street for a very long time before I’d be convinced that no one was coming to save me. Of all the privilege that I enjoy, I think that one would be the hardest to shake.

What court case result made you smile?

Rustling. That’s what I called it.

A man, who had sold my client a herd of Texas Longhorn cattle, had returned months later, carted them off, and could not or would not account for their whereabouts.

I was in court. It was a trial to the judge (without a jury) for “conversion” and violations of the D.T.P.A. (Deceptive Trade Practices). I had the bad guy, the chief rustler, on the stand. He was squirming.

The key to the whole case was an award winning Longhorn bull named “Squanto.” We called him “Squanto the Wonder Bull” at the office.

Eventually, he admitted to taking the herd… Finally I asked the chief rustler, “Where exactly is Squanto?” In a flippant remark the defendant laughed and said, “Hell, I don’t know. Probably in a can of spam by now,” and laughed again. He thought he was pretty funny.

About an hour later the judge ruled for us but did not award triple (3x) damages as required by the law in Texas. My client, who was crazy angry about his lost herd, wanted to appeal. So we appealed.

Months later in the court of appeals my client, the other lawyer, and I appeared for argument. What surprised me was that the chief judge of that court was on the panel of three judges. He was old, very crippled, and brilliant. He assigned himself to the cases he was interested in and always made a difference.

I went first. I made an impassioned plea. I talked of the Texas Rangers, the Alamo, and the treatment of rustlers in early Texas history.

They wanted nothing to do with me.

The three judges were silent, dead silent the whole time. They said nothing. They just watched me and nodded. I did not know whether to sh#t or go-blind I was so unhorsed. I thought I was a dead man. They were supposed to ask questions, seek clarification, or ask me if I had a case on X, Y, or Z. Nothing. When I finished the chief judge thanked me without comment. I sat down silently and waited.

Now generally when a lawyer begins to speak in the court of appeals we say something to the effect of “May it please The Court … I am X and I represent the Appellant Disney, or GM, or Joe Blow.”

The lawyer for the rustlers did just that. He said, “May it please The Court, I am …” and that’s all he got out of his mouth.

The chief judge leaned forward in his chair, as far as his crippled body would allow him, and said, “We know who you are and who you represent. What we don’t know is where this herd of Longhorns is, Sir.”

There was silence. I mean the kind of silence you sense rather than hear, like when you know a predator is approaching in the woods. Then the chief judge looked at the transcript of the trial and read aloud, “Hell, I don’t know. (Squanto) is probably in a can of spam by now.”

Those judges weren’t in the trial court. They didn’t see the flippant attitude of the witness. They didn’t hear him laugh. They didn’t know he had been sarcastic. The Court Reporter had not noted “laughing” or “sarcastic” in her notes, which she was prohibited from doing. The Judges could only read the words on the paper, and the words were clear — Squanto had been rustled and made into spam.

”Sir, you and your client are here in our Court trying to justify stealing this man’s cattle and taking his prize bull, Squanto, to slaughter for ‘Spam.’ Is that right? IS THAT RIGHT?” The lawyer was dumbfounded. Speechless. So was I.

For the next 20 minutes those three old judges waged a holy war on that lawyer and his rustler clients and defended our Longhorn herd, Squanto the Wonder Bull, and “mom and apple pie” like they were the judges’ own children. I have never seen another reckoning like that one, not in a trial court and certainly not in the appellate courts.

I got the award. I got the Judgment. We collected the money.

The Rangers would have hung those rustlers. We could not.

But we never saw Squanto or his herd again …

I don’t know why Squanto’s demise set those old judges off, but it did.

As lawyers, we discuss the fact that Judges and Juries are forgiving at times, but never if you injure a baby, an old person, or a helpless animal. This was a great reminder.

I smiled that day. I smile now, and every time I see a can of spam I think of Squanto the Wonder Bull.

That’s not the only story that makes me smile, but it is a favorite.

Your friend in Texas,

Jim


Update: It’s still happening: $26K Reward Offered for Information on 489 Missing Steers

If Putin drops a nuke on Ukraine, will China stay friendly to Russia at the cost of parting ways with the West?

China has already parted ways with the west.

What hard lesson should you learn sooner than later about corporate life?

Long ago, a mentor warned me that, “Human Resources is there to protect the company — from you.”

A manager I supported could not have been a bigger HR nightmare. For example, I was sitting in a clear-glass meeting room with him and three other employees.

A female coworker walked by on the outside of the room. A coworker said, “Oh is Becca pregnant?”

This manager said, in a deep southern drawl, “If she was with me, she’d stay pregnant.”

On another occasion, I heard him say, “I hate the Japanese cuz’ they bombed Pearl Harbor. I hate the Jews cause they killed Jesus.”

Why was he still at the company? He made the company buckets of cash and was great at his job. He epitomized the predicament of the high-performing jerk.

Most HR departments aren’t worth their weight and everything they do is bound in red tape. Ignore any talk of “we are family” — they’ll still show you the door. Ignore any employee awards. I saw a woman win employee of the quarter (for the entire company) and get let go two months later.

I’m not trying to scare you or sound cynical. Just be hyper-realistic as you go into this world and you’ll position yourself to thrive.

And choose wisely when making an HR complaint. People that do often end up with a cleaned-out desk.

Is there any chance that China will dominate the Nobel Prize in 20 years?

Unlikely

China is a master at derivative research today. The world’s best in fact

It’s what morons mistakenly call REVERSE ENGINEERING which is actually dramatic process improvisation

Derivative research is building on existing research

The US were masters of derivative research from the 1950s to late 1970 before they started Pioneering Research

The US derived mainly from European Researchers until then and even today Europe is the master of Pioneering or Original Research

Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia are the leading countries for original or pioneering research


Chinas research is very PRACTICAL

The Universities fund research based on the value of the research to China

Original Research Or Pioneering Research doesn’t have any viability for a minimum 15–30 years

They need astronomical budgets for very little real life improvement

China prefers to identify research and BUILD ON IT

Most of Chinas Hypersonics, Space Communication, Rocketry is a result of Phenomenal improvement of US Original Research done in the 1970s-1980s and abandoned then as UNVIABLE


Another reason is Chinese are world class ENGINEERS

They handle every problem as an ENGINEERING PROBLEM Or a DESIGN PROBLEM

They are masters at this. The Best in the world on large scale

The Huawei Mate 60 is the best example

Huawei and SMIC solved the problem like an ENGINEERING DESIGN PROBLEM than a Physics Problem at electron level

Thus Chinas focus on Physics and Maths is entirely to develop an ENGINEERING BASE


It would take a longer time, maybe 30–40 years for China to finally focus on Original Research and win a few Nobel Prizes


The World’s leading nations by Original Research are :-

  1. Europe -50. 43%
  2. USA – 31.40%
  3. UK – 7.88%
  4. China – 3.79%
  5. Others -8%

The World’s leading nations by derivative research are :-

  1. China -35. 56%
  2. USA – 26%
  3. Japan – 14.98%
  4. Europe – 13.33%
  5. Others – 11%

China’s Technology LEADS the World (Americans in Shock)

Yes. I forgot how unique and technological China has become. It is so commonplace. I forgot that the West doesn’t really have this…

In this video, we take a look at China’s amazing technology and how it’s far surpassing America’s in terms of innovation, convenience and creativity. China’s amazing tech is making America jealous, and many Americans are in shock. They won’t believe it!

What is the best thing you have done today?

I did something today that will make me smile for entire life.

I frequently visit a coffee shop near my flat in Delhi for coffee. I am visiting the shop for more than 1 year now.

A couple of months ago, a 13 year old boy started working there. It made me furious on the shop owner because he is promoting child labour without hesitation.

I asked him :“ Don’t you know it’s a cognizable criminal offence to employ a Child for any work?”

He said : “ Yes, I know but you’re seeing only one side story”.

He explained that the child is from Bihar and belong to a very poor family. Last year, his family which included his father, child and his sister came to Delhi to earn some money in order to put food in their bellies. His mother died when he was born. His father is doing a job of a security guard while his sister is working as a maid in a house.

The child is getting a salary of Rs 6000/month at the shop.

I went home but I was not able to stop thinking about it.

I wanted to do something for him but I don’t know how to tackle the situation.

In July, he was not on the shop for a couple of days, so I asked the owner and got to know his sister died due to some health issues. It made me feel worse.

After a few days, he joined the shop again. I started talking to him daily to know more about him and his aspiration. He studied till 3rd class but left study to help his family.

I asked him if he wants to study? He said nothing but his glittered eyes gave me the answer.

Slowly, he became my friend. He used to ask me about what do I do and how I learned these things. I used to answer him in the best understanding way.

I don’t know but it created a great bond between us. I was really desperate to help this kid.

A few days ago, I was drinking coffee with a few of my friends. I was asking them a logical question (Which I saw in a video

of Ted-ED)

No one gave the right answer but that kid was listening to all things and said : “Bhaiya, mein batau?” (Bhaiya, may I tell?)

I was shocked, how sharp he was to give the correct answer. I gave him 50 rupees as a reward and left the place.

I decided that I will give him a better life whatever it takes. I started telling his story to people in my network so that if someone will come forward to help me.

One of my friends came forward who is working in an MNC and his wife is doing some a Non-profit work.

Today, that kid got admission in a boarding school.

It will only cost us 40,000 Rs/year and I will pay his salary of Rs 6000/month to his father.

After a few days, he will be in school and I cannot express my happiness and satisfaction.

I want to work more for children if some people come forward and make it possible together.

Rajnish Prajapat

Which was the most tactless tourist you have ever seen?

I was at Notre Dame in Paris. My friend and I were eating lunch on a bench. There was a group of American young adults with 2 chaperones. They were eaching McDonalds (In France? go figure) And way, the finished before Peggy and I did. The got up and left their trash all over the place with a trashcan right there.

Now remember, this is in France at a gorgeous cathedral that is world famous with tourists from all over the world. Me, being me, I got upand loudly said, “Hold it. Stop right there. All of you.” They all turned to me as if I was a crazy lady. Any way, I let them have it about leaving their trash around like their mothers where here to pick up after them. I told them they needed to pick up every piece of trash they had left and put it in the trash can. This wasn’t their country and they needed to respect it.

I think the shock of me, an American loudly calling them downfor being pigs (and yes I did call them that) totally embarrassed them enough to have them clean up the area where they had been sitting.

I went back to my lunch, still ticked that they were so disrespectful of France and Notre Dame that I almost snapped at this lady that came over to us. She said that she appreciated what I’d done and handed us tickets for the underground and to be able to climb to the top of one of the towers. I tried to refuse, but a gentleman behind her said it wasn’t allowed since we had shown we weren’t the normal Americans.

Even to this day, I am still aghast at how the chaperones didn’t bother to have them clean up after themselves. I can only imagine what the entitled kids who didn’t even consider cleaning up their trash are like today.

Will the “Uyghur Genocide” Propaganda dies out in incoming years?

Incoming years? Nah it’s already on life support and flat lining.

Reddit yeah? It’s got a terrible reputation of being filled with ignorance and racists.

Yet on Reddit there have been frequent pushbacks. You can see the major turning point was Rushan Abbass.

As such the 10000+ post omg China bad started getting pushed back by people doubting.

For a while it was treading water as those 10000 post threads deleted anything that went against their narrative.

People then started noticing the massive deletions.

Their last omg genocide post has 600 posts of which the majority called bullshit. The op ended up deleting the thread.

If you can’t convince even the cesspit that is Reddit and Reddit is calling you out… then it’s over.

I mean shit. On Reddit hongkong (no space) there was a yellow (HK rioter faction) saying anybody in Hong Kong who went to Shenzhen or used Chinese products was a traitor.

He got downvoted into oblivion. The burning of a man in HK really had a huge change against many of them.

How heavily does Apple depend on China, and what would happen if China decided to seek revenge for the Huawei ban by kicking Apple out of their market and supply chain?

This is a highly improbable scenario, as China has shown restraint and rationality in dealing with the US-led tech war, which seeks to curb China’s rise as a global powerhouse in innovation and technology.

China’s strategy to cope with the US sanctions on Huawei and other Chinese companies is to pursue a dual path of self-reliance and openness. On one hand, China has stepped up its efforts to develop its own core technologies, such as chips, operating systems, cloud services, and 5G networks, to lessen its dependence on foreign suppliers and enhance its competitiveness. On the other hand, China has also reaffirmed its commitment to opening up its market and promoting trade and investment with other countries, especially those that share its vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Apple is one of the beneficiaries of China’s openness and pragmatism. Apple depends heavily on China for both its production and sales. According to Apple’s latest financial report, China accounted for about 20% of its total revenue in the third quarter of 2023, making it the second-largest market for Apple after the Americas. Moreover, Apple relies on China’s vast and sophisticated supply chain to manufacture most of its products, such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, and AirPods. According to a recent study, about 90% of Apple’s suppliers are based in Asia, with China being the largest source country.

China has no interest in disrupting Apple’s operations in China, as it would harm both sides’ interests and undermine the global economy. Apple is an important contributor to China’s economic development, employment, innovation, and tax revenue. According to a report by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Apple directly and indirectly supported 4.8 million jobs in China in 2019, including 1.8 million iOS app developers. Apple also invested $6 billion in research and development in China in 2019, making it one of the largest foreign investors in China’s high-tech sector. Furthermore, Apple paid about $13 billion in taxes to the Chinese government in 2019, making it one of the largest taxpayers among foreign companies in China.

China also appreciates that Apple is a valuable partner in promoting global cooperation and mutual understanding. Apple has been actively participating in various initiatives and projects that support China’s social and environmental goals, such as poverty alleviation, education, health care, renewable energy, and cultural preservation. For example, Apple has donated more than $50 million to support education programs in rural areas of China since 2013. Apple has also committed to powering all of its facilities in China with 100% renewable energy by 2025. Moreover, Apple has been showcasing China’s rich and diverse culture through its products and services, such as featuring Chinese artists on Apple Music, offering Chinese language courses on iTunes U, and celebrating Chinese festivals on App Store.

It is evident that China has no reason or incentive to kick Apple out of its market and supply chain. On the contrary, China welcomes Apple’s presence and contribution in China, as it benefits both countries and the world at large. China hopes that Apple will continue to uphold the spirit of openness and cooperation, respect China’s laws and regulations, protect users’ privacy and security, and play a positive role in enhancing bilateral relations and global governance

How does the communication between a person with a low or average IQ and a person with a high IQ look like?

During my two decades in sales, I observed many interactions between people with obviously large gaps in IQ scores. They were often very emotionally loaded, and the gaps may sometimes have far exceeded 3 SDs.

I could observe three things consistently happening there.

  • For those on the high end of the IQ continuum, the opposite party appeared as irritatingly slow-moving. It’s like they only understood every tenth of the words that were said, at best. The same thing had to be repeated over and over again just to be sure that even a fraction of it would stick.
  • Those on the lower end typically saw the opposite part as arrogant or neurotic jerks who couldn’t talk about one thing at a time and constantly jumped from one unrelated thing to another. Someone needed to keep them focused on the task and not waste everyone’s time on irrelevant asides.
  • After some to and fros in the discussion, a threshold happened where the innate human ability to find common ground and cooperate for a particular common task—we got to the top of the food chain as social animals, after all—broke apart, and these guys entered the zone of “anti-social” toward each other. Someone else was needed not simply to mediate but to use power to break up the clinch and show them to each his corner in the rink. The enmity, though, lingered, often forever.

Afterward, if forced into shared social settings, each of the two often pursued different coping strategies.

The underdog often veered toward violence. It was either physical—throwing objects, overturning tables, getting into fistfights when drunk, or grave verbal assaults in public. Insults typically were sexually tinged.

The “smart guy” most often tried to escape the company of the underdog, even to the point of not mentioning him when talking to others. When forced into a shared company (board meetings, sales sitdowns, training sessions), he often insulted his enemy in an indirect way. He made oblique jokes about him addressed to the rest of the crowd and fell back before the other guy had time to process and react.


Below, a painting from the sunset years of Soviet rule by painter Ilya Glazunov. He was covertly anti-Communist but managed to stay on the good foot with the censorship. The title is, “The Campfires of October.” In Soviet parlance, “October” was short for “The Great October Socialist Revolution” by Lenin and Co. in 1917.

You see a glamorized Lenin, his right hand at organizational matters inside the Party Yakov Sverdlovn, and the founder of the Communist secret police Cheká, Felix Dzerzhinsky. Behind them, a night of Communist rule envelops Russia for the next seven decades. In the darkness, you see the spire of Petropavlovsk Fortress like a syringe needle ready to inject the poison of progressivism into the mind of the nation.

A campfire casts an infernal light on Lenin’s face. During the first chaotic months of Communist rule, campfires in the streets were an everyday feature in our cities. They marked the checkpoints of the Red Guards on the lookout for counter-revolutionaries and bourgeois scum.

The trio sports the typical cold, calculating look of a “high-IQ” individual prepared for a fight, through the lens of their “low-IQ” opponents. It’s not entirely clear to me how both are distributed across the “progressive vs conservative” divide. But I see the pattern in ongoing propaganda, east and west.

“Law and order” has a strong appeal to the low IQ crowd. Pecking order doesn’t require you to be a rocket scientist. It’s all in your face. Entrenched frameworks and their well-armed guardians are easy on your processing power. You’ve got plenty of time and room to figure out what is what. And if things turn too complicated, you can always join the army and the police force and help make things plain and simple again. “Dirty Harry” works, folks!

“Equality and justice” is the grazing ground for the high-IQ bunch. Everyone has their own idea of what is true equality and high justice. Agreeing on common action needs tons of negotiations, painful compromises, quick decisions, and nimble footwork. That’s a high-IQ game.

What is certain is that the top guys in both camps are “high-IQ” individuals who use social dynamics for their own benefit. That’s how you get American billionaires leading the crusade against the “globalist elites.” On the other side, it’s the “conservative Communists” like Stalin and Mao who have no time for any wokeness and “culture wars”.

Oliver Anthony – I Want To Go Home (REACTION)!

The voice of the voiceless.

I live in Washington state and watching our farmland get turned into amazon warehouses is heartbreaking. Another great reaction, God bless”

What did your boss do or say to you that made you quit your job?

Briefly: after the regional manager called the store manager “stupid,” over the phone, the store manager quit. But not just him—his wife, who was the shift manager, and his cousins, who basically made up the rest of the staff for our little cinnamon roll shop.

It was Christmas, 1995, and I found myself all alone at dinnertime in a mall. Rolls needed proofing, baking, dough needing making, dishes washing, and don’t forget the sales!

I was seventeen, nearly eighteen years old and had been working there for a year. I loved the product, I knew my way around the shop, and even at rush hour in a booth that should take at least three people to man, I was holding my own for an hour until the regional manager showed up to help me finish the shift. I knocked it out of the park that day, and I was always a good employee, getting along great with the rest of the workers, including the regional manager’s wife, who had been my manager at some previous point.

I didn’t bring up the rather loud phone conversation for the rest of the night. It was just professional working the whole time, and when the evening was done, I washed dishes while he counted money and didn’t bother him then.

Finally, it was time for me to go. He thanked me perfunctorily and asked if I could work extra shifts the next day. He was going to call some other stores he managed and fill in with other worker until he found a new manager and employees. That made sense.

“Given how well I performed today,” I offered, “and since we need a new experienced shift manager, might I get a promotion?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

I don’t want you to be a manager.”

One more employee quit that day. Who wants to work under that kind of person?

What is the purpose of the US sending its senators to China regarding the micron ban, and do they intend to withdraw sanctions on Chinese entities before demanding the withdrawal of sanctions on Micron?

The upcoming senatorial meeting is unlikely to address any new issues. Longstanding problems like Cold War sanctions and the Taiwan red line have been extensively debated in previous meetings without finding resolutions. The same lack of progress is expected this time, including discussions on the Micron issue. These meetings, initiated by the US, appear to primarily aim at garnering attention from the American public in anticipation of the upcoming election, as they mark the first congressional visits in four years. Given the prevailing anti-China sentiment in the US, it seems improbable that this trip will result in significant outcomes. Mr. Xi, who is currently focused on addressing China’s domestic challenges, is unlikely to view this unproductive gathering favorably.

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

I was working as a Test Electrician for a small industrial place that did custom order emergency power generators. Think hospitals and grocery stores.

We were paid hourly and tracked our time on a hand written time sheet. X number of hours on PO YYY.

This chugged a long nicely. The Timesheets were hanging on the wall of the shop, the shop supervisor could see them at any time, errors were quickly seen and corrected and the work got done in a timely fashion. Guy running the shop was a retired E8 Marine who knew how to keep things organised.

He retired.

Company hired in a older gentleman who had an MBA and not a lot of sense.

He did not like keeping track of the hours worked every day so instead he implemented time cards and a punch clock. He also would walk the shop floor with a clipboard to keep track of who was working on what and when.

So, previous system all the data collection and collation is done in one place. New system the time worked and the place worked is being tracked in two very different processes.

We also have folks getting paid by the time card times, not the hours recorded on the Time Sheets.

This chugs along for a month and then we all get gathered together one morning and are told, explicitly, that over time is not paid if not authorised in writing and tardiness of more than 6 minutes at the start of shift or return from lunch will result in pay being docked an hour.

Could you be more stupid?

So instead of working that extra bit to get a job finished up before the end of the day, folks are cleaning up 30 minutes before quitting time so they can be ready to punch out at the hour. Instead of coming in 10 minutes late and taking a short lunch, they just show up an hour late. Instead of coming back from a lunch late, they don’t come back.

Unhappy workers, unhappy customers since the products are not getting out on time, unhappy accounting since the costs of various product lines are no longer the same as before because hours are not being counted accurately.

Doofus MBA was gone by the end of the second month and the E8 was back from retirement. He claimed he hated it but his wife said he was just moping around the house and jumped for joy when the owner called to beg him back to work.

China suspends European and American chip orders, US chip technology suffers heavy losses!

I told you all that this was going to happen. Duh!

If a drone is flying on my property and I have already notified that I do not want it to be flying on it, can I destroy it without legal repercussion?

Depends. In most places it’s not legal to invade a person’s privacy. So if the drone has a camera and it’s flying low over your property it would not be unreasonable to think it’s taking pictures, possibly seeing into windows or into a privacy fenced area where you reasonably have an expectation of privacy.

So I’d not attack the drone, but rather attempt to identify who owns it and have a photo of it flying in a manner than suggested it is being used to invade your privacy.

Flying low across a property line in an invasive manner would be a type of “tresspass” which is most countries is a 1st time warning second time arrested sort of thing.

LINK to USA Court Ruling

The character of the Trespass is critical.

Just flying over someone’s back yard isn’t a trespass. Lets say you have an outdoor shower under the cover of a back porch, inside the “property taxed living area of the home”. So the drone flies under the porch cover and takes video of your wife naked in the shower. Is that act a criminal trespass? Most likely.

Conversely, your wife is sunbathing naked in the back yard plainly visible from the perimeter of the property and anyone who looks over the top of the privacy fence. Oh, well, she really had no reasonable expectation of privacy. Now if you live on 20 acres in the country and have no privacy fence, she would be reasonably sure that in her own back yard a mile or more from any other persons lawful access she can sunbathe. And no its not reasonable to say what about a person selling magazines walking around to the rear of the home? That is a trespass I think, as there is no reasonable cause and claiming you heard a child crying out probably won’t get you out of it.

What’s the most ridiculous adult tantrum you’ve witnessed that you couldn’t believe?

We were on Legian Beach two nights ago watching the sunset…

We were also having some drinks while we were waiting for the fire dance to start. The sun goes down and at precisely 7.00 pm, the fire dance kicks off… and it’s awesome!

A very talented team came out and began a wonderful performance of a combination of Balinese dance combined with your classic fire handling.

I’m just getting into the show when the music starts going weird… it sounds like shrieking in between the beats. It’s really off-putting… even the dancers hesitate for a second – I look around wondering if anyone is confused only to see a big bunch of people milling around in the middle of the seating area and that’s the source of the shrieking.

It turns out that a woman has come down front to take a photo of the fire dance and she obscured some guy’s view for a moment and he LOST. His. F#(k!ng. MIND! He was shrieking at her so hard that his voice broke repeatedly… it was embarrassing to watch.

I was irritated as hell. He was so loud and outraged that you just couldn’t focus on the dance. There was a palpable aura of chagrin from the audience. The distraction and disturbance must have been even more frustrating for the dancers (and the woman who made the photo faux-pas).

The group of people milling around were there to (apparently) try to calm him down and make sure he didn’t physically attack the woman. She could be heard apologising profusely to him but he wasn’t having it. This screaming went on for 2 minutes? In the end, people were telling him to shut the hell up or F3ck off! and he wound up storming off STILL screaming at the top of his lungs…

Who does that?

Who turns a moment of thoughtlessness by a stranger into a drama that interrupts the evening of 100’s of people AND proffessional dancers?! Couldn’t he just tap her on the shoulder if he was angry that she obscured his view for a moment? The performance he put on was incredible for all the wrong reasons. It was a childish screaming tantrum for what?

What did he even achieve with it?

He irritates the crowd, interrupts and nearly ruins a performance for everyone, humiliates someone for a minor error and then misses out on the rest of the performance when he storms off and everyone thinks he’s an angry violent loud man-child who never learned self-control. I *swear* some of the crowd applauded when he finally stormed off…

How bad is living in China ?

It is really bad :

Because I have some grey hair I am treated in the same embarrassing way every time I get on a city bus or on the subway …… younger people get up and offer me a seat.

Recently I had problems with a tooth. One morning I went to one of the dental hospitals. They did xrays and preformed a root canal in a 2 hours. It cost me 1/6th of the price of a root canal I had done 30 years ago in North America. Just terrible prices.

I am invited out to eat or to go to some celebration a few times a month. I never have to pay for the meal, while I am offered beer and cigarettes. I do not smoke so I decline the cigarettes but accept free beer.

Oh how terrible to invited out by the locals constantly. I have been to at least 25 weddings, more then dozen birthdays and half a dozen 100-day celebrations for babies.

There are 100+ channels on the TV, with a few in English as some western movies. The nightly news reports on all the major news around the world. I have internet access 24/7 and spent way too much time browsing the internet from Europe to North America. It is a terrible way to waste time.

I often visit my daughter who works 300km away in another Province. Being so far away, I am forced to take the train which takes 1hr 30 minutes to make the trip with 2 or 3 stops along the route. I could drive my car but that would make for a much longer trip.

The really bad thing in China is access to food.

  • We have 2 farmers markets within 2 city blocks. These are markets where the farmers come into the city around 6-7 am every morning to sell that days fresh crop of fruit vegetables and meat.
  • This in addition to 2 grocery stores and a Walmart in the area.
  • Then on my small city block, we have 14 restaurants, open 7 days a week.
  • There are even the evil food chains – KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Starbucks, plus all the Chinese ones etc
  • We have the French Carrefour and Auchan super stores and the Germany’s Metro cash & carry stores.
  • Worst of all, we have these applications on our smartphones (80% of folks own a smartphone). Where we can see menus of hundreds of restaurants in our area, order food and they deliver it to your door usually within 30 minutes.

If we need to go to the bank, we can not go 365 days of the year. There are about a dozen days a year when the banks are closed.

Schools are much more demanding on students compared to North America, with homework every night.

  • However they do get a month off in summer.
  • My daughters students spend some of their summer travelling. The US and Europe for some, others within China or to nearby places like South Korea or Thailand.

So far no one has noticed any difference due to the Trump Tariffs, but according to western media China is under some sort tremendous pressure. Or maybe there were talking about the tropical storm? In either case it was a lot of wind.

That is how bad it is living in China.

Please have pity on our oppression, as we say in my group of expats who live in China as well, some for over 20 years.

Of course we live a large city. The situation differs in rural areas as it does in most countries.

The Canadian couple that were recently killed by a grizzly bear took all the proper precautions. Why didn’t they survive?

Because life isn’t fair. A spokesperson for the Alberta government said, that since they had banned grizzly hunting, the population has exploded. He said that going into the woods, isn’t like it was before, when Grizzlies had a fear of man. What we have always thought of, as being bear smart, might not be as safe as it once was.

We have grizzlies venturing back out onto the prairies and ripping open grain bins. Probably because there isn’t enough food to support all of the Grizzlies in the mountains.

The bear that killed the couple and their dog was emaciated, had bad teeth, and probably wouldn’t have survived the winter, if she didn’t get whatever food she could. She was desperate.

She was a small older bear, one that had never shown up on surveys, so probably wouldn’t have been included in any bear counts. She was likely forced out of her territory by a larger bear. This was a bear that had never caused any trouble until she was starving.

The couple did everything right. They had a satellite phone and checked in regularly, and used it to call for help. They each had a can of pepper spray, and used one. Their food was hung up, out of a bears reach.

They and their dog were in their tent, shortly after dark, when they were attacked, so they didn’t blunder into the bear.

There have been 7 people killed by Grizzlies within 100 km of me, in the last 16 years.

They ended grizzly hunting 17 years ago. In the 26 years before ending grizzly hunting, there were no fatalities, within 100 km of me, and only 3 in all of Alberta.

Many were mothers defending their cubs.

So as the spokesperson says, what we always considered best practices, might not be enough to keep you safe anymore.

The End Of US Dollar Hegemony | Jeffrey Sachs

Yes, we have greatly abused the privilege of having the U$ Dollar being the main currency. And broken every Fiduciary rule with our unilateral sanction practices. We deserve whatever the blowback will be from having allowed our Leaders to carry on the way they have.”

Israeli Radar KNOCKED-OUT in the North. Americans Confirmed Killed, Wounded, Kidnapped/Captured in Israel. Nuclear Intentions

World Hal Turner

As of 10:51 AM EDT on Sunday, October 8, 2023, it is confirmed that three Israeli Radar stations in the north have been attacked and destroyed. Israel has no radar to monitor into Lebanon.  It is also confirmed that Americans have been killed, wounded, and captured/kidnapped inside Israel.

Overnight, after what was “Day one” of the HAMAS-Israel fight, an actual TSUNAMI of propaganda came flooding out onto the Internet and into the mass-media.  The shear volume of propaganda is extraordinary.  It is making it very difficult to discern what is truth and what is fiction.

There is an INTENSE effort to promote and propagate Israeli victims – and that’s OK I guess; they are, in fact, victims of an actual conflict.  But there is also an absolutely unparalleled effort to suppress and censor anything factual about the Palestinians.  It is almost as if the public is being manipulated into seeing ALL Israelis as “victims” and ALL Palestinians as animalistic perpetrators.

Official sources are very reluctant to provide Intel today.  It’s like a giant lid has been slammed shut on factual information; only “the narrative” is allowed out.

I have had to adjust the manner in which I obtain information.

Here is what I can __confirm__:

My former colleagues in the Intel Community, from my years working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), confirm that over a week ago, uniformed, flag-wearing, ID-carrying regular  UKRAINIAN Army Troops attacked Wagner PMC Troops . . . .  in . . . . . . SUDAN.    You know, Africa!

I also found out that Mossad has been sabotaging/burning/blowing-up Iranian Drone Factories to stymie Iran helping Russia.

I also found out that planeloads of Israeli military weaponry were sent to Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan in the days and weeks before Azerbaijan launched another military attack upon Armenia last week, grabbing Nagrono-Karaback and forcing 100,000 Armenian Christians to flee for their lives.

What is taking place inside Israel right now, is payback.  Payback from Russia for Israel helping Ukraine.  Payback for the planeloads of weapons to Baku, Azerbaijan, and Payback for Israel blowing up Iranian drone factories. 

It is also payback from Iran for all the air-strikes by Israel against Iranian forces in Syria for the past two years. 

Lastly, it is also payback from Armenia for what Israel helped Azerbaijan facilitate in grabbing Nagorna Karaback.   

The most interesting part?   Iran used the $6 Billion released by the Biden administration two weeks ago, to fund today’s outbreak of hostilities!

I also found out this payback, is not going to stop.   It __is__ in fact,  “war.”

Moreover, I can now positively __confirm __:

This morning, the Israeli Security Cabinet invoked Article 40A of the “Law on Emergency Situations” — WAR.

So this morning, it is absolutely “official”  Israel is at war.   This is the first time that this Article has been invoked in Israel since the 1973 war.

Israel has decided to commit troops to a GROUND INVASION of the Gaza Strip.   Door-to-Door.  House-to-house.

This is going to be an absolute bloodbath.

I can also positively __ confirm__:

Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Alexander Ben Zvi told the Russian Government:

“Israel sees Tehran as one of the culprits of the Hamas attack.”

 He then went on to tell Russia  “This is how we quietly approached the threshold of the real use of Israeli nuclear weapons against Iran, and a demonstration of what the term “threat to the existence of the state” means . . . from the Russian “Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence.”

I can now also positively __confirm__: 

There are some 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip.  About half being men.   If that half – or a good portion of it, were to come out into Israel bearing arms, the Israelis would be over run.   Thus, the Ambassador to Moscow told the Russians that Israel is considering the use of smaller, “Tactical” nuclear bombs against Gaza, in case Israel is over-run.   Same with the West Bank.

Finally, the Israeli Ambassador to Moscow told the Russian government that since Israel sees Iran as being primarily responsible for the ongoing onslaught, Tehran would be hit with much larger “Strategic nuclear bombs” as would . . . . Damascus, Syria, for being the Coordination point for HAMAS and Iran.

(Biblical: Damascus a ruinous heap?????)

Ergo, there is now actual and active discussion within the Israeli government of the potential use of nuclear weapons.

If Muslims begin to actually over-run Israel, where its existence is threatened, then Israel is already making known it will use the Samson Option and take a lot of people out.

HEZBOLLAH MASSING TROOPS

 Hezbollah in Lebanon is already massing troops and moving rocket launchers.   Hezbollah made clear yesterday that if Israel launches a ground war into the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah will attack from the north.

This morning, Israeli combat aircraft are in the skies over Lebanon all the way north to Kersewan, Lebanon.

 There have been some mortars fired into Israel from Lebanon, and corresponding response with artillery fire from Israel, but these incidents do not even rise to the description of a skirmish.

RADAR KNOCKED OUT

The big news this morning is that THREE (3) Israeli radar stations in the north were successfully attacked from Lebanon and as of 10:51 AM EDT here in the United States eastern time zone, those three radar stations are OFFLINE. 

 For a brief time today, Israel had no effective radar coverage of its northern border.   They have since moved portable, truck-mounted, military radar into new positions to restore coverage.

TALIBAN to JERUSALEM?

The Afghanistan Taliban reached a deal with Iran that is satisfactory, wherein Iran WILL allow Taliban armed forces to cross the country with the intent of entering Israel to grab Jerusalem.  But the Taliban ran into several obstacles along the way.   

Iraq did not respond to the Taliban request for permission to cross Iraqi territory.

Jordan flatly and explicitly BARRED the Taliban from entering their country.

So from a political perspective, the Arab states are now seen as acting as a shield for Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

IN AND AROUND GAZA 

Hamas says that their fighters are still fighting in southern Israel, including in Ofakim, Sderot, Yad Mordechai, Kfar Azza, Be’eri, Yatid and Kissufim.  Mind you, this is __Israeli__ territory.

“Israel will evacuate all residents living in towns near the Gaza border within 24 hours”

Israel has put itself in a bind with Gaza over the years so this isn’t so easy.

Gaza has been set up as a walled off open air prison, where the good inmates get to come out in daylight hours and do stuff like janitorial work for the chosen (their words – not mine) to eek out an existence. Then back through the gates by dark.

In theory, Israel can’t blow up a whole walled off city they created and kill every one because then everyone would scream genocide. But apparently everyone is cool with the status quo open penitentiary setup for some reason.

So the initial thinking is that Israel will just bomb here and there and level enough buildings to make everyone think they got payback and that will be that. It has always been that way.  But no one is quite so sure this time.  It may end up being an actual Genocide of Gaza.

The Israeli army issued orders to close all resorts near the border with Lebanon.

Most interesting this morning so far:  : US weapons left behind in Afghanistan were used to attack Israel.

A high-ranking Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commander said US weapons left in Afghanistan by the Biden administration were found in the hands of Palestinian groups active in the Gaza Strip.

POLAND EVACUATING NATIONALS FROM ISRAEL

Poland has announced it intends to evacuate its nationals from Israel.  Poland threatens: If any Polish aircraft is targeted or Polish nationals feel in danger after their aircraft enter the airspace.”
Article 5 of the 31-nation NATO alliance will be activated and raids will be launched across all of Palestine.

EUROPE WARNED OF COMING RIOTS

Intel sources are now urgently reporting that Muslims will be on the rampage in Europe shortly; burning every major city in protest of the coming Israeli offensive into GAZA.

The authorities running Gaza know they cannot withstand a full Israeli military onslaught, so they have reached out to Muslims in Europe to have THEM cause trouble, making the Gaza problem, Europe’s problem too.   The thinking is that Europe will be able to call-off a full blown Israeli wipeout of Gaza.

Intelligence sources say worst hit will be Paris, Brussels, London, and Marseille.

No Way Out! Rafah Border Crossing into Egypt Closed after Israeli Air Strike

World Hal Turner

The only way out of the Gaza Strip in Israel was the Border crossing at Rafah into Egypt.  That crossing is now (temporarily?) closed after an Israeli air strike; thereby trapping 2 million Palestinians.

Israel has given HAMAS until *today* to surrender and release all the hostages, or the Gaza Strip will be flattened. Yet Israel targeted a particular house in the town very near the Rafah Border Crossing to kill the leader of the Nasser brigades.   It was after that air strike that the Rafah crossing was closed by Egypt out of fear of more strikes.

The Israelis believe Rafah will be re-opened.  But believing it, and seeing it actually happen are two different things.   Without Rafah being open, the 2.3 Million Palestinians in Gaza are trapped and being hit with ongoing air strikes.

With the exits closed, the Palestinians trapped, and air strikes ongoing against those same people, some folks are saying this looks like a Genocide fixing to take place.  

Passions are running almost out of control.  The Palestinians see this conflict as a way to liberate Palestinian lands grabbed by the Israelis for years, and to then force the creation of a Palestinian state.  Other groups agree with that view, and as such, we are seeing Hezbollah in Lebanon calling-up fighters to the Lebanon Border with Israel’s north.  We are also seeing Arabs in Iraq and Syria moving fighters toward the Israel border (West Bank and Golan Heights) in the east of Israel.   Gaza is still fighting in the south of Israel.

So with fighters attacking in the south, massing in the east and in the north, this situation does not bode well for Israel at all.

The Israelis see this situation as an existential threat to their nation and the wholesale slaughter of their innocent people.  That view is well-based in reality; we’ve all seen the brutal, indiscriminate slaughter of Israeli civilians and it’s horrifying. 

The two sides, Israel and Palestine, seem intractable.

If it comes down to a simple, brutal fight, millions in Gaza may be killed.  This week!   THAT would compel Arab nations in the region to come full blast at Israel and try to wipe it out of existence.  The numbers favor the Arabs.

Which leads us to Israel’s “Samson Option” to go down fighting, and take as many with them as they can, using nuclear bombs.

If Israel did that, certain other nations of the world would recoil in horror and erase Israel from the globe.  And when THAT starts, other nations will hit those attacking nations with nukes and we’ll see World War 3 happen and be over in about eight hours, with the entire northern hemisphere radioactive for decades.

What we are all seeing right now could very well be dispositive of all these issues between Israel and Palestinians; but dispositive with gigantic booms and millions dead to finally decide the issues.

With the US southern border being left open by Traitorous Democrat politicians, “Sleeper Cells” of terrorists have been crossing into the US at-will, for two years of the Biden phony-presidency.  This is what happens when election fraud steals a US Presidency, as happened in November 2020, and a dementia-addled man is installed as a puppet, while unknown, unseen, Bureaucrats actually run things.

Vast numbers of military-age young men crossed illegally into our country and are now pre-positioned here in the US to attack us from within. The bleeding-heart Democrats and their useful idiot Republicans who want cheap labor, are personally to blame for this taking place.  

As things escalate in the Middle East, enemies from around the world could use that as a “go-signal” to attack us here, inside the US.

My fellow Americans are the most heavily-armed civilian population on this planet.   We may need our fellow Americans to step up and defend our own land, as all hell breaks loose in the Middle East.

Americans should clean their weapons, zero their sights, increase their ammunition supplies, and be mentally prepared to do what needs doing if, God forbid, the need arises to defend ourselves, our families, and our land from those who would harm us.

Gas-up your vehicles, have spare gas cans for your electric generator, and have emergency food, water, medicines and other supplies just in case.  Don’t wait. Do it now.   Once the troubles start, there will be panic buying here, the same way there was panic buying in Israel which wiped-clean the store shelves.

This situation halfway around the world may not SEEM to be our problem, but there are many around the world ready to MAKE IT our problem; and they CAN.   Worse, our politicians, ever eager to mind OTHER PEOPLE’S BUSINESS, are already sending our troops, planes, ships, men, and military supplies into Israel.  So we are already being set-up by our own politicians to be “in”
the fight, which will make you and me targets in our own land.

We’re already seeing minor protest-skirmishes between Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israeli people here in the US and over in Europe.  These expressions of support are mostly peaceful – for now.   But there have been isolated incidents of actual fighting and it is clear  that the POTENTIAL exists here and in Europe for the sides to start actually fighting.

If Civil unrest erupts as folks take sides here in the US and in Europe, that will only add to the danger for all of us.

Be ready with guns, ammunition, food, water, medicine, fuel and be vigilant.

No rational person wants to see any of this taking place.  I certainly don’t want to see all this trouble taking place. But it __is__ taking place and we had all be ready for how bad this could actually get.  If it happens, it will happen very fast.

RELATED

King Abdullah II of Jordan Orders Humanitarian Aid to Gaza; IDF Says “no”

REPORTS: GAZA GROUND INVASION TONIGHT; IDF FIRING ARTILLERY INTO LEBANON NOW

Five secrets of men

LOL. This is great.

Being a fine Rufus

“On a chilly California afternoon, Deputies Anderson and Arbuckle, with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, pulled into a Denny’s restaurant for lunch. They noticed a young woman sitting all by herself in the parking lot, and she seemed distraught. And it looked like she had a really bright-colored polka dot suitcase that apparently carried everything she owned.

Deputy Anderson knew something was wrong, so he approached her and politely asked her some questions. The young woman was all by herself… stranded, with no transportation. So the officers invited her into the restaurant with them and asked her to join them for a meal, which they paid for out of their own pocket.

But something kept nagging at Deputy Anderson. He wondered how she was gonna get back home. After the meal, the deputies had her follow them out to their squad car, and they drove her to the nearest Greyhound bus station. Deputy Anderson then bought her a bus ticket so she could get back home.

The officers’ story about the young woman touched everyone in the department, and it was posted on their website. In the story, it said their “actions demonstrate adherence to the Mission, Vision, and Values of our Department, most notably a concern for the community and treating the woman with empathy and respect when she was in a bad situation.”

Credit: FB: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office

What is your opinion on the current state of trade relations between the US and China? What does each country stand to gain or lose?

The U.S. stands to lose the most if trade dispute or decoupling happens by a very long shot. It is simple China’s market is way way way bigger than the U.S. Chinas growth today is bigger than the entire G7 put together. China’s middle class is at least 2 times that of the U.S. plus the fact that China is the worlds factory. It influences the intermediate products hence its commands in excess of 50% of global demand when added together.

Try to imagine yourself as a businessman, you pick a fight with a customer who buys 50% of everything you sell. That is the ridiculousness of the U.S. trade war and decoupling. No wonder during the trade war period from 2017–2021 China grew by 26.5% while the U.S. grew by less than 5% in 4 full years! And now you understand why inflation shot up and why the U.S. is literally begging China to open up post Covid-19. And why Biden is sending overtures to cut tariffs on both sides.

Trump says trade war is easy and not only he destroyed the U.S. economy he lost his reelection bid and doubles US homelessness while hurting the Middle Class badly through inflation.

China’s exports to the U.S. though it is big it is a small portion of China’s world wide trade. Hence it barely affects China. For 2023 forecast GDP, China will grow by a minimum of 4.5% and U.S. is projected to grow by a mere 0.5%.

The last thing the US ought to do is to pick a fight with China over trade. China is not only the most humongous market and for nation like US that needs trade and business, it is suicidal to do just that. But short term political gains is the U.S. priority over longer term sustainability.

The media assisted the politicians to good wink the American people who are ignorant and naive about this fact and that is why here in QUORA there still Americans that thinks the trade war and decoupling is good for the U.S.

What was your first clue you were no longer as young as you thought you were?

I’m 61. My best friend, same age, was on a train station with his son – the platform was very busy, and someone backed into my friend, turned aggressively and pushed his face within a few inches of my friend, evidently looking for a confrontation.

My friend told me later that only one thought occurred to him: “Oh no, there could be trouble here, I must protect my son”.

In fact that son, who’s 6′2 and a very good amateur boxer, lifted the stranger off his feet, moved him calmly a yard away, put him down, looked him squarely in the eye, and just said, “No, mate.”

The stranger looked down, apologised, and shuffled off.

Later, on the train, my friend said a lady of perhaps 25 looked up (he was having to stand, a crowded train) – and said, “Would you like my seat?” My friend said he actually looked over his shoulder before realising that the offer was for him.

Sobering stuff.

12 Behaviors of a highly confident person

  1. They don’t say yes to make someone happy if they really don’t want to.
  2. Even when they fail in the initial stages, they believe in themselves and they only listen to themselves.
  3. They do not pay attention to things without work, but when they listen then very carefully.
  4. They know what needs to be done and what needs to be left out.
  5. They gives priority to their health over any work.
  6. They don’t do anything just to get attention.
  7. They are not afraid to go wrong and take the steps that should be taken.
  8. They know when to give up and how long to keep trying.
  9. They don’t complain about having fewer resources.
  10. They are not just involved, they are more productive in less time.
  11. They do not prepare a list of much work, but in the work they pick, they give constant dedication.
  12. They don’t just take risks, they take very calculative risks.

Brainwashing a Nation!

America spends 500 million tax dollars a year spreading negative news about China. They make up fake news, they pay foreign news channels to demonize china and their own people don’t know what is true and what is propaganda. Welcome to the world of the United States of Fake news on the world stage and you as a tax paying American are paying for it. How does it feel to pay for your own brainwashing?

China-Russia Arctic shipping route

HONG KONG—China’s goal of becoming a major player in the Arctic has long been frustrated by its neighbor Russia, which has closely protected its dominant rolein the region.

Now, along with the ice that encases the earth’s northern pole, Moscow’s resistance is beginning to thaw.

Faced with economic isolation over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is turning to China for help developing the Arctic as Western energy companies are trying to pull outof Russian projects. The newfound cooperation is most evident in surging shipments of crude through the Northern Sea Route, which traverses the Arctic from northwestern Russia to the Bering Strait.

The volume, while still small compared with what is carried via southern routes, has shot up in recent weeks. Russia asserts the right to regulate transit on the route. It says the demand has driven it to permit larger tankers without so-called ice classification—stronger hulls and other reinforcements to sail the ice-filled waters—raising fears of spills in the remote region. The first of two larger tankers arrived at a Chinese port in recent days, each carrying more than one million barrels of oil.

Russia has joined with China in naval exercisesand maritime security arrangements in the far north, and looked to it for aid in technology such as satellite data to monitor ice conditions.

When it comes to the Arctic, China “doesn’t have to care so much about official Russian policy anymore,” said Marcus M. Keupp, an economics lecturer at the military academy of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich who studies the region.

For China, which declared itself a “near Arctic” nation in 2018 despite being more than 900 miles from the Arctic Circle, Russia’s new welcome provides a long-sought opportunity. Beijing has wanted to expand its role in the Arctic to increase access to shipping routes, natural resources, climate and other scientific research opportunities, and expand its military and strategic clout.

It has proposed a “Polar Silk Road” as a component of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s broader Belt and Road infrastructure initiative that would make use of the shorter distance to ship goods via the Arctic, avoiding chokepoints at the Suez Canal and Malacca Strait.

Except for Russia, Arctic nations are all Western democracies that have grown increasingly cautious toward Chinese investment. Security concerns led Denmark to thwart a Chinese plan to build three airports in Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. Canada blocked a Chinese company from buying a gold mine in its Arctic region in 2020after military officials raised security concerns.

Russia hasn’t always welcomed China to the region. At one point, it opposed China’s application to become an observer on the Arctic Council, the body of eight Arctic nations that is the leading forum for addressing regional issues, and previously blocked Chinese ships from conducting Arctic research.

In 2020, even with ties between Beijing and Moscow at their warmest in decades, Russian authorities arrested an expert on the Arctic on suspicion of providing intelligence to China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s invasion of Ukraine has changed Moscow’s approach. Western sanctions have forced Russia to lean more heavily on China to prop up its economy, support its war effort and maintain its longstanding goals of developing the Arctic.

Putin signaled the shift during Xi’s visit to Moscow in March, describing “promising” cooperation with Chinese partners to develop the transit potential of the Northern Sea Route.

“Russia certainly has the manpower, and it certainly has regional knowledge, but it no longer has capital or technology,” said Keupp of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, who edited a 2015 book on the route. “It’s to China’s big advantage because it can now really exert influence and economic pressure on Russia and develop this route according to its own needs.”

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country “always adheres to the basic principles of respect, cooperation, mutual benefit and sustainability in its participation in Arctic affairs.” The Russian Foreign Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

As Western companies are trying to pull out of their projects in Russia, Moscow has sought help from Chinese companies to develop ports, mines and other infrastructure in the Russian Arctic. Russia changed its Arctic policy document in February. Russia’s policy, which previously focused on “strengthening good-neighbor relations with Arctic states,” now emphasizes access to all foreign states—a move that further opens the door to China. …

Have you ever fired an employee who then retaliated against you or the company? What happened?

I reported an employee once who was subsequently fired. She filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the company and me personally. What she didn’t know, and her attorney never asked, was if I had proof of what I’d reported for. And I did.

She was a clerk and had duties that were, for lack of a better term, timely. She had to get items off her desk before 10AM, 1PM and 2PM. Those items needed to go to another department, who would then pass them onto the warehouse. This wasn’t a difficult job and she’d been hired as an 8:30–4:30 employee with an hour for lunch.

One of the other employees in her department came to me (as office manager) and requested that I say something to her about taking half hour or longer breaks in the morning and afternoon, which were making her late in submitting her paperwork each day. Keep in mind, by paperwork, it wasn’t real paper, it was coding and analyzing from a computer program.

After that, I kept an eye out for two weeks. Every day at 10AM, she would disappear into the Lady’s Lounge (we had a wonderful ladies room there that had a sitting area with sofas, etc.) and would take a nap on the sofa. With no clock to wake her, she would sleep for anywhere between 20 minutes and 45 minutes. She would also repeat this at lunch, and at her afternoon break. I witnessed this numerous times and spoke to her about it three times before I decided this was too much of a burden on the other people in her department, who had to pick up her slack. I took it to the Secretary of the Corporation, who was also the head of our Human Resources department. He wrote her up, found out she was still doing it, and fired her, citing my verbal and written warnings, as well as his own. I have to add, I asked her about narcolepsy, asked her about her living arrangements, whether she was able to sleep at night…everything I could think of. This was about 20 years ago, but the laws on discrimination haven’t changed much in that time.

When I was deposed for her lawsuit, no one asked me if I had any proof, and I certainly wasn’t going to volunteer it. It was a civil case and she was asking for a LOT of money. I’m not a lawyer, but somewhere along the line, her attorney asked for something that prompted ours and mine into asking me if I would show my proof in court, in front of a judge. As I said, I have no idea what type of hearing this was, but here I was in court, with pictures of her sleeping on the sofa. My camera at the time was a 35mm Canon A1 and I had taken the pictures every day for 2 weeks. She never woke up, and my camera clearly had the date and time on every picture. I had 33 pictures I’d taken, and it deflated her legal team. I know the case against me was dismissed that day, and I believe the whole thing was dropped by the end of the week.

What is the most inappropriate experience you have had with a neighbor?

Many years ago I bought my first home in a small town called Oakley in California, back then I think they had a population of about 20,000 people not including the Lamas, and the Sheep, the Chickens, the Emus, that was another 100 inhabitants in the town of Oakley. Oakley was not yet a city and was unincorporated so a lot of things were allowed.

I had met my next door neighbors, an older lesbian couple, they were very friendly and helpful and offering any assistance that I may need, I thanked them for that because I was a city boy and unfamiliar with suburban lifestyles. We shared this old fence that was in fair condition but it was going to need attention soon. One day I was mowing the tall weeds down on my backyard lawn, it was in the middle of a hot summer day, temperatures in that town would get up to 100 or more and it definitely felt like a hundred this particular day.

As I was mowing I accidentally bumped one of the slats of our tattered wooden fence and the wood slat leaned over to one side exposing my next door neighbor in the nude laying in the sun. Oh my what a goddess she was, dark glistening skin, hoping that was sweat beading off her perky breast, it was a Kodak moment for sure, but she must’ve suddenly realized the lawn mower was no longer moving because she immediately sat up and looked at me for a quick second then realized its just the guy next door and laid back down as if it were nothing?

So I pushed the wooden slat back into place finished mowing the weeds in my lawn, then later drove a couple screws to hold the wooden slat temporarily in place, and life went on, we would wave at each other from a distance and never mentioned anything about it.

Texas-Style Beef Sausage Rolls with Jalapeño and Cheddar

texas style beef sausage rolls
texas style beef sausage rolls

Yield: 21 rolls

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 4 jalapeño peppers, de-seeded and diced
  • 6 ounces sharp or medium cheddar, finely diced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 3 (10 inch) sheets puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add onions and brown for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow the onions to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, combine beef, cooled onions, bread crumbs, jalapeños, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly as to not overwork the meat.
  4. Lay one square of pastry on a board or work surface. Use a third of the beef mixture to form a log down the center. Fold the pastry over the beef mixture on one side, then brush along the edge with egg mixture to create a “glue”. Continue to fold the roll over so it’s fully encased in pastry, and the edges line up on the egg glue line, then press the pastry lightly to ensure a good seal. Repeat steps with each pastry square.
  5. Flip each beef roll so it’s seam side down, then cut into 6 to 8 pieces. Place the pieces onto a sheet pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. You may need to rotate the tray during baking to ensure even browning.
  6. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving (based on 90% lean ground beef): 250 Calories; 129 Calories from fat; 14.3g Total Fat (6.4g Saturated Fat; 2.7g Monounsaturated Fat); 35.4mg Cholesterol; 363.6mg Sodium; 15.4g Total Carbohydrate; 0.8g Dietary Fiber; 13.4g Protein; 2.04mg Iron; 117.2mg Potassium; 0.02mg Thiamin; 0.09mg Riboflavin; 3.1mg Niacin (NE); 0.1mg Vitamin B6; 0.9mcg Vitamin B12; 2.4mg Zinc; 9.2mcg Selenium; 28.5mg Choline

This recipe is an excellent source of Protein, Niacin (NE), Vitamin B12 and Zinc. It is a good source of Iron.

U.S. Senate Delegation to visit China while U.S. House of Representatives in disorder

So glad that US internal turmoil is the karma of her bringing the same to the world for too long. Writing on the wall.

What problems does the Chinese economy face in its technological catching-up of advanced economies?

Good News

The Problems that China faces are not Economic Or Market Driven in nature. They are Political.

It’s like trying to hold a massive dam with a 7*3 door

It will crack and collapse as Market forces and Economic Forces crush the Political forces into oblivion. May take a year, five years or maximum ten years.

Why is Chinas Technological surge so fast?

I mean what took US 30 years has taken China just 9 Years.

Sure you may say US already gave them the blueprint but you can’t give a blueprint to a random person and ask them to build the Empire State Building right?

The Answer is DEMAND

China had massive manufacturing requirements and thus evolved Industrial Robots

China had a massive demand for distribution of workers from Semi Rural and Semi Urban areas to big manufacturing centres and thus evolved the rapidly growing High Speed Trains Network

China needs more Robots and AI to integrate the Country having reached a basic level of development and this evolves the Chinese AI revolution.

China wages rise and Low grade manufacture may be affected, thus evolve Chinas surge in Logistical Robotics

Every Technological development is demand based.

Like how US developed in the 1920–2000 period or UK in the 1750–1920 period

Demand based Technological growth is the only real technological growth that drives a Nation forward.

It’s why Shanghai thrives as a Port whereas Hambantota crashes.

It’s why 21% of the BRI projects are unable to stand , because they are Political Ego driven projects not demand based.


Any other Country having demand based technological growth?

None.

You either have Saturated Nations like Western Countries where Pocket Forces cause technological growth (Latest Car, Latest Iphone, Latest Nikes) which is much slower than Demand based technological growth.

Or

You have nations like India or Mexico or Bangladesh where Politics dictates a pesudo technological situation by hook or crook

It’s why GPay works so well but why Bullet train would be a fiasco and why our Airports are all heading to White Elephant Status while our Ports do much better.

It’s why we don’t develop Drone Technology or Robotics or AI at even 10% of Chinas speed. For us these are Gimmicks, there is no Demand.

Political Gimmicks!!!


What Problems does China face?

Stifling Core or Critical Technologies

Chinas growth in AI and Robotics is alarming the West

Yes US and Japan may be ahead of China bit Chinas rapid growth is worrisome in every way.

Huaweis Cloud Computing Architecture is as advanced as any US equivalent at 1/3 the cost.

So the West decide to stifle the Core Technologies that US or the West Develops that China uses.

Throttling the Free Market

It derails projects by a few years and causes problems


How does China handle this?

Economically!!!

Core Technology Companies need Chinese Markets badly. Not just the Profits or Revenue but also the Technological demand based advantage

Without it they will stagnate

And China will bridge the gap faster

So on one hand China invests in its own Core Technologies, brings in Overseas Chinese experts back home, creates more facilities for youngsters and has all technology firms pumping 30% profits into Research

On the other hand Intel, Qualcomm, Renesas and NVDIA actively bypass US Sanctions to keep doing business in China so that they can keep their edge for a longer time.

Boston Dynamics refused to sell Robots to China, and today Chinese Tech companies have replicated to near perfection, four of their best models at 1/2–1/4 the price.

Had they sold liberally, China may have taken 10 more years to do the same.


So how does Technological Growth actually get disrupted?

Internally.

Usually it’s Religion or Social Justice that destroys a rapidly growing Technological base.

This leads to Democratic Divide which leads to Stifling Tech development

So tomorrow if US can being a religious divide in China or pressure Paupers and Unworthy Rabble to demand equality in all areas – then China will be truly stifled

It’s this Human Rights nonsense


So Right now China has no fears whatsoever

It is following the perfect path

A Path the US cannot win under any circumstances

What is the craziest story of a criminal’s plan backfiring hard on him?

I’m not usually a fan of crime stories. Even when the criminal is caught, I end up feeling sad for the victims: Nobody is a winner in a murder case.

The shows are also super predictable. The husband is almost always the killer. He’s your standard self-serving sociopath with narcissism and vindictiveness running through his veins.

Money, or some new young sexual interest, becomes a convenient excuse to kill someone and ruin the lives of an entire extended family. I still don’t understand why people can’t just get a divorce.

Occasionally, I stumble across a crime story that’s plain delicious. It drips with karma and, in this case, an epic set of last words.

A long workday with an unfortunate end

Susan Kuhnhausen was a 51-year-old emergency room nurse in Portland, Oregon. Her job often entailed holding down out-of-control patients. She’d just ended a 13-hour shift and was getting a haircut at a local salon.

Around 6:37 PM, she arrived at her small house and disabled the security system at the entrance.

She walked into her house and dropped off her things in the kitchen. She’d recently thrown her husband of 17-years out of the house. He had a drinking problem and was abusive for years.

Still wearing her blue scrubs, she walked out front to get her mail.

Susan came back in and noticed something was off. Things had been moved. Curtains were now open and slightly fluttering as if they’d been touched. Things on her table weren’t where they’d been left beforehand. She lived alone. Nothing should have moved.

She walked through the house uneasily, looking down hallways, inching along quietly.

Susan walked past her bathroom. She turned into her bedroom and as soon as she walked in, she saw a bearded man holding a hammer. He charged her and swung his hammer, hitting her on the side of the temple. She fell with him jumping on her. She shook him off her back.

Susan was regularly trained in self-defense at her hospital. They taught her how to disarm and break the hold of unruly and mentally ill patients. She knew that if she stayed close to him he wouldn’t be able to swing his hammer properly.

They tumbled into her hallway wrestling. Susan was a larger woman and had the gift of natural strength. Susan locked both hands on his wrist that held the weapon and was able to shake it loose.

Then, they started wrestling and they fell to the ground and she got on top of him, locking her arms around his neck in a sleeper hold.

She held him tight. When she released him his throat had been crushed.

Not knowing if anyone else was in the house, Susan ran next door to see her neighbor Anne, asking her to call the police. Ann later said that Susan was remarkably stoic given the circumstances.

When Anne called the 911, they asked her what the neighbor’s injuries were and she said, “No, it’s for the burglar”

The transcripts from the 911:

Neighbor: She hit him in the head several times. That’s the hammer he had with him. She struck him, and she strangled him, and she thinks he’s dead.

Dispatcher: What did she use on him? She strangled him. What else did she do?

Neighbor: She put a chokehold on him.

Dispatcher: I’ve got help on the way. Stay on the line.

Neighbor: She has a hammer here.

Dispatcher: Don’t touch it. Don’t touch it. Just leave it there.

The would-be assassin was pronounced dead at the scene. He’d been sent by her husband. Their marriage was falling apart and he wanted her dead. He’d paid the assassin $50,000 to go to the house and kill her, giving him the security code to get inside.

She was later treated for injuries and made a full recovery:

Her husband was given a 10-year sentence but he died in prison a few years later. I don’t wish death on anyone but if you break into someone’s house with the intent of killing them, all bets are off.

And if I’m being completely honest, my favorite part of this story was the assassin’s final words, “Wow. You are strong.”

What happened in a courtroom that gave the judge a belly laugh you will never forget?

I was on a jury for a personal injury case. It was my first time at jury duty, and as an engineer, I was interested in the whole process, taking notes, watching the attorneys’ actions, and the judge’s reactions, and general control of the courtroom. I found the whole process fascinating.

When we got to the end of the testimony, they dismissed us into the jury room. It was Friday at 10:30am, and we’d been there since Monday. It only took us about 30 minutes to walk through the instructions, the testimony, and then a unanimous verdict. The foreman was about to knock on the door to tell the bailiff that we were ready when I called out, “Wait!” I explained that if we waited for 15 more minutes, the bailiff would be in with a menu, and they’d get us lunch (that day was a local sandwich shop that had excellent submarine sandwiches). We all agreed that would be worth it, so we waited 15 minutes, ordered lunch, ate, and then told the bailiff we were ready with a verdict.

We returned to the jury room after the verdict was read (to pick up our belongings), and then the bailiff came in to ask if anyone would like to meet with the judge and ask any questions about the process. I certainly did! No one else was even vaguely interested, so they all left the room. The bailiff brought in the judge, and when he saw me, he started laughing, “I knew you would be one of the people to stay and ask questions!” Evidently while I was watching the folks in the court, the judge was watching the jury! That was belly laugh #1.

Belly laugh #2 – the judge and bailiff had a bet that we would/would not be done with the verdict before lunch. IIRC, it was the judge who had lost, and had paid the bailiff $20. When they told me that, I told them we had decided on a verdict before lunch, but didn’t tell them until after we had our food – the judge gave a great guffaw, and told the bailiff to pay up!

REACTING TO OLIVER ANTHONY‼️- “I want to go home”

Amen honey! So good to see our young folks GET THIS AND DEEP!

https://youtu.be/a7YrDtDXm58

What is the lamest “benefit” you’ve been offered by an employer?

Years ago, I did a very brief stint as a departmental admin at a large urban university.

At the HR orientation, we were given a lot of the classic rundown about the history of the school, various policies to know, to do X if Y ever happened, etc. And then they got to talking about the overall compensation packages that this school provided. Essentially, and apologies that this won’t be word perfect after >10 years but it should be fairly close, these were the broad strokes:

“The pay here isn’t very good, but we make it up to you with our very generous benefits”

Now, what were those benefits that were so generous, you ask? The two most memorable were:

  • Partial tuition remission for most graduate programs
  • Large amounts of paid time off

Now, on the face of it, those two are pretty good, right? Well, yes and no. However…

Tuition remissions, even FULL tuition remission, is only in any way useful if you’re actually taking advantage of it. If you’re not looking to take courses, even if “someday” you might want to, for every year you’re not actually doing it, I’m pretty sure you’d rather have that salary $$…no?

As to the PTO, as it turns out, this was a very normal amount of vacation time and then large amounts of sick time. Now, as with many such institutions, if you leave your position you can only get cashed out for your vacation time. So as with the tuition remission, this is a “very generous benefit” that’s only of any use if you actually need large amounts of paid sick time.

At that point in my life, I didn’t have any need of tuition remission, nor any need of large amounts of medical leave.

I instead had a need of money.

[Thankfully I got out after just a few months, because the above was just the tip of the iceberg for why that was the worst freaking job I’ve ever had]

What is the lamest “benefit” you’ve been offered by an employer?”

What does it say about he leadership of the US/Russia/China, that life expectancy in the US was 76 years in 2000, and is still 76 y (despite big technical progress), 67 y in Russia, 2000, and now is 73 y, and 69 y in China, 2000 and now 78 years?

Yes on average Chinese live 2 full years more than the American’s. Go figure!

And to think just a mere 73 years ago their average life expectancy is a mere 39 years ago!

Let me address the many in QUORA that slur China to no end! Tell us what us wrong with a civilisation that can do that! Oh yeah they also took out 1 billion from abject poverty during the same time. And yes the grew from an economy the size of one nation in Africa to. The largest real purchasing power economy on the planet!

Still think demonising China sounds clever? What about your own neocon funded ASPI concluded that China leads in 37 out of 44 most strategic technologies! Or what about having close to 800 million middle class consumers! What do you say? still parroting western narratives that China U.S. authoritarian, it is failing nation and its economy collapsed for the thousandth time since 1949!

At what point do a brain dead Caucasian Chinese hater and China hater quits? Do you prefer to be seen as a pathetic naïveté loser hanging to lies, half truths, fabrications that 95% of the world clearly sees as nonsensical hate wish? Or do you quit while your families still see you sane?

Is China’s goal to decimate the US economy, and in their weakness, allow the Russians to come through and steamroll the USA with nukes?

No, China’s goal has been to raise the standard of living and GDP of all of China’s 1.4B citizens and to be the leader in many industrial sectors through its Made in China 2025 development program. Since the Chinese government sets economic and development policy, it has encouraged Chinese industries to move up the value chain and let more labor-intensive industries relocate to other countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand.

Since the Communist Party of China has control of society and major state-owned enterprises, it is able to channel China’s human and economic resources much more effectively than any G-7 country can. This means that China has an advantage in how quickly it can change, and in the scale of the change.

China is an elephant which can tap-dance.

But this feature was not introduced to decimate the US or to help the Russians steamroll the US with nukes.

This system developed because Chinese society is the most competitive in the world, and for this reason, Chinese believe that China needs to work hard to be competitive in a rapidly changing international economic environment.

Americans and Chinese have completely different attitudes to change. China’s economy and society have changed more in the past 50 years than they have at any other time in China’s long history. This means that Chinese are comfortable with new technologies, with working hard to stay competitive, and constantly adapting.

Americans, for the most part, do not like change. Instead of learning, embracing change and continuously adapting, most Americans reject change. Many implicitly believe that the rest of the world should embrace the American way, so that Americans don’t have to change. The division in US politics is all about rejecting change instead of embracing it. Many Americans view the future with fear and trepidation.

This includes many US government policymakers. This is also the reason behind questions such as this one on Quora.

It is fear based on laziness and ignorance.

The simple truth is that we are architects of the future, but many in the west are too lazy to do the work.

The only place they are not lazy is in finger-pointing.

What’s the most offensive thing you’ve heard when someone assumed you didn’t understand their language?

I worked for a few years in a Chinese restaurant while in my teens and twenties. All the guys from the restaurant lived and worked together.

We were out in an Asian restaurant in Chinatown one night and a very well dressed Chinese man comes to the table and approaches one of my friends speaking to him in Cantonese, of course. I’m the only non-Asian at the table.

The guy exchanges the usual pleasantries with my friend, then asks him why he’s eating with white people. They move on to another subject, but then he returns to dirty, barbarian white people line. He tells my friend he wants to pick up dinner but won’t pay for the “Lofahn”.

I can see my friend is pretty embarrassed as he knows I understand everything that was said. I was going to thank the guys for all his kind words and compliment him on his astute observations.

Unfortunately, this would have caused my friends at the table to lose face, so when he was leaving I wished him a good night in Cantonese leaving him to wonder if I knew…

Britain’s Plan To Disrupt Hong Kong Is Doomed To Fail, Experts Confirmed!

How stupid is the UK? Really!

https://youtu.be/ABYWz7r44MY

World war 3 has passed

The threat period of world war 3 has passed.

Oh, sure, it might still happen, but it is increasingly unlikely with each month. The risk and threat level has passed.

The owners of the American “leadership” realize that alternatives to a global conflict with Russia, China and their buddy nations is not going to happen, as the USA would be smashed by catastrophic blows.

We are now is the LONG-SLIDE towards reconstruction surgery of the world’s governance system. The rest of the world are puking out the Western ideals, and governance. This pooling mess of hot blood stained vomit which going to get obvious and very unsightly as time progresses.

Most of the MM readership will be spared for horrific consequences that many of the West will need to endure.

The “news” will present a real mess. But, do not fall for that.

Everything is starting to settle out. It will appear that the world is in one giant blender, but that is not the full story. There is a sorting going on. There will be winners and losers. But it will not be like many fear.

The world War 3, started in 2007 (with the breakdown of American society) and the global war that started in 2014, peaked in 2022. A bit early. Welcome to the reconstruction phase.

I would now like to compare what we experienced with what John Titor has to say…

American civil war and breakdown

  • Titor said 2004, and fought in 2011
  • I observe / claim it began around 2007

There is a civil war in the United States that starts in 2005. That conflict flares up and down for 10 years.

World War 3

  • Titor said nuclear strikes occurred in 2015
  • I claim that it began in 2014. No nuclear strikes but a biological assault on china in 2019. NATO hot war with Russia in 2022.

In 2015, Russia launches a nuclear strike against the major cities in the United States (which is the “other side” of the civil war from my perspective), China and Europe. The United States counter attacks. The US cities are destroyed along with the AFE (American Federal Empire)…thus we (in the country) won. The European Union and China were also destroyed. Russia is now our largest trading partner and the Capitol of the US was moved to Omaha Nebraska.

Things to ponder. Eh?

Today…

The Real Africa that they do not show you…

Why are Europeans not as fat as Americans are when Europeans eat white bread and pasta and butter all the time?

I went to Europe early this year. Paris, Rome and Barcelona. I asked my wife “Where do they hide the fat people?” Things I noticed:

  1. I did not see anyplace that was “all you can eat”.
  2. The food I bought in the street was fresh and delicious. The strawberries were the size of grapes but so delicious and were meant to be eaten right away meaning no steroids or preservatives. I had some Brie cheese and I could taste the cow.
  3. Food portions were small but I never left a table hungry.
  4. My Fitbit said I met my goals as far as number of steps taken: at least 10,000 per day. In Positano, Italy it said I climbed the equivalent of 60 floors. In the US, I barely make 3,000.
  5. Refrigerators are small. You don’t buy two weeks worth of food full of preservatives so they still look good after two weeks. We bought everything we needed to eat each day.
  6. You walk everywhere. Burn those calories.

Netanyahoo’s Strategic Dilemma

Israel is a colonial settler state in permanent conflict with the suppressed natives.

It thought it could survive in that state, or even extend its settlements, by deterring opposing forces with its superior military.

Hamas has breached that deterrence myth by inflicting, in one day, more casualties in Israel than it had experienced in any previous wars.

Natanyahoo is under pressure to restore the deterrence, to again provide the Zionists with a feeling of superiority.

He can not do that.

Any land attack in Gaza means urban warfare in an already destroyed city with large underground facilities. During the taking of Bakhmut the Wagener forces had in total some 40,000 casualties (dead and wounded). The other side had more than 70,000. What price would the IDF have to pay to ‘destroy Hamas’?

The other factor is of course Hizbullah and other resistance groups, which may well attack Israel from the north and various other directions. Hizbullah has loudly said it would do so should the IDF enter Gaza. It has some 100,000 missiles – more than enough to exhaust Israel’s air defenses. Its longest reach missiles can attack any major city within Israel. There have already been daily fire exchanges at the norther border.

The 2006 war in Lebanon has shown that Hizbullah is dug in and very able to defend itself. It has since gained more experience by fighting ISIS in Syria. Neither U.S. air force attacks nor a land force invasion can hinder Hizbullah from firing its missiles.

(Syria, as well as Iran, will not intervene in the war unless they are directly attacked.)

Netanyahoo must attack Gaza to restore deterrence. He can not attack Gaza because the urban warfare would cause large Israeli casualties. He can not attack Gaza because Hizbullah would then destroy the myth of the superior settler state even more than Hamas has done so far.

Israel, with the help of the U.S., has tried to push the population of Gaza into Egypt. From Egypt’s standpoint that would be a humanitarian solution, at least as long as others pay for it. But it would cause a serious strategic problem. Resistance by Hamas and others against Israel would continue indefinitely, but Egypt would be held responsible for it. It can not and will not take on that burden.

Netanyahoo’s next idea was to starve Gaza. But the world will not let him do that. At least not beyond a certain point. Even the UN Secretary General has visited the Rafah crossing. Other global organizations, like the WHO and ASEAN, have spoken up. Pictures of starving people will make it impossible for the west to support that ‘solution’.

Meanwhile Hamas fighters will continue to sit in their tunnels, ready to defend their land, and likely with enough provisions to hold out for months.

Israeli settlers, with the support of the IDF, are rampaging through the West Bank. They are killing more Palestinians and further enrage the global public against their deeds. This will escalate.

Israel’s decision making is paralyzed. It will for now continue to talk of a ground invasion but will not launch one. It will also continue to starve Gaza.

But something will soon break. At any minute there might be a new large atrocity in Gaza or a pogrom in the West Bank. Any miscalculation in the north could launch that front into a hot war. Hizbullah could start to ‘preemptively’ invade Israeli proper.

But Israel’s Jewish public is still demanding a war of revenge. It still needs the restoration of its deterrence and superiority.

But what if that turns out to be impossible to achieve?

Well. Then something else must change.

As Adam Shatz summarizes in the London Review of Books:

Vengeful Pathologies (archived)

The inescapable truth is that Israel cannot extinguish Palestinian resistance by violence, any more than the Palestinians can win an Algerian-style liberation war: Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs are stuck with each other, unless Israel, the far stronger party, drives the Palestinians into exile for good. The only thing that can save the people of Israel and Palestine, and prevent another Nakba – a real possibility, while another Holocaust remains a traumatic hallucination – is a political solution that recognises both as equal citizens, and allows them to live in peace and freedom, whether in a single democratic state, two states, or a federation. So long as this solution is avoided, a continuing degradation, and an even greater catastrophe, are all but guaranteed.

Posted by b at 14:52 UTC | Comments (306)

RICH MANS GOLD! INSANE Reaction Oliver Anthony

Why did China sell missiles to the terrorist group Hamas?

The Steel Casings used in 60% of the Missiles on earth comes from China

It’s either Grade 7 Or Grade 8 Customized Light Steel Alloy Plate (LSAP)

It can be used for reinforcing I beams or making missile casings

Likewise the Electronics for basic primitive rockets almost entirely come from China

They can all be purchased retail across the market and can be used for do it yourself drones to basic rockets capable of 40–50 km range depending on the fuel thrust

I know because that’s the justification China gave when the West said Russia was being provided with Chinese weapons

China said – we give the steel, the basic raw materials and chips. How the Russians use them isn’t our business

They can be used to make Deep Freezers or can be used in basic rocketry


The Hamas likely buy their raw materials from China on the open market by playing secondary orders from Saudi or Turkey

Delivery comes through Jordan or Egypt

It’s just basic steel plate and basic electronics, so nobody cares what it’s being used for

Chemicals also flood through Egypt into Gaza from China.

Chemicals that can be used to make explosives but also ball point pen ink


So China never sells Weaponry to Hamas

The Hamas uses Chinese Raw Materials and makes their own primitive, crude but effective weaponry


Advanced guidance electronics come from Iran

Chinese won’t go that far to sell more advanced electronics to Hamas. These have END USER CERTIFICATES and if Jordan or Egypt sell such electronics to Hamas , they will get into a lot of trouble.

You may convince the world Hamas is making ball point pens and cheap electronic stuff

Can’t convince the world, Hamas is building EVs or High Altitude Drones right?

Plus plenty of Drones come from Iran who have a near independent supply chain and some of the finest reverse engineering on earth

Iran also supplies a lot of Missiles but that’s mostly to Hezbollah


Plus a third source is from Ukraine via the BLACK MARKET through the Balkans

A $ 55,000 box of 10,000 Rounds of 9 Ammunition sells for upto $ 400,000 on the black market without an end user certificate

Hence a Ukrainian Unit could remove 50 Boxes and sell them for $ 20 Million and pocket the entire sum

Who will audit or count the rounds every day?

$ 20 Million is CHUMP CHANGE for Saudi Billionaires or Emiratis or Qataris

That’s 500,000 Rounds of 9 mm Ammunition

That can sustain gunfire for 50 days at 10,000 rounds and day and kill at least 400–500 Israelis

A $ 1250 tagged M14 Rifle goes for upto $ 5000 In the black market , so a corrupt Ukrainian unit happily sells 1000 Rifles for $ 5 Million and claims the rifles were damaged


So

A. They buy raw materials from China and build their own rockets and other stuff like chemical explosives

B. They get Drones and Better Chips from Iran

C. They get other stuff from black markets and other war surplus from Europe

Real Texas Chili

This classic Texas chili (no beans, no onion, no tomatoes) was created by native Houstonian Carter Rochelle, a professional fund-raiser. Former New York Times food editor Craig Claiborne once pronounced this chili his favorite and published the recipe in two of his cookbooks.

2023 10 18 17 04
2023 10 18 17 04

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Serve with pinto beans and chopped onion on the side to mix in as desired. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, warmed flour tortillas or corn bread.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless beef stew meat (chuck or round)
  • 6 ounces beef suet (hard white fat), cut into pieces (see note)
  • 3 or 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
  • 8 tablespoons Masa Harina (Mexican corn flour)
  • 6 cups hot water
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon or beef bouillon cubes
  • Red chiles, crushed or dried and chopped, to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Remove gristle and most of fat from meat; cut into 1/2 inch or smaller cubes (some of the beef should be chipped or flaked).
  2. Place suet in large skillet or heavy kettle and render it (cook until fat melts).
  3. Skim residue off rendered suet; discard residue.
  4. Add meat to hot fat and sauté until lightly browned.
  5. Add garlic, salt, black pepper and chili powder. Mix well and let seasonings permeate meat a few minutes.
  6. Sprinkle in Masa Harina and mix, stirring rapidly until smooth.
  7. Add water, vinegar, bouillon and chilies. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is very tender; some of the meat should virtually dissolve into the chili.
  8. If chili becomes too dry while cooking, add a little water from time to time.
  9. Correct seasonings.
  10. When done, skim fat from surface. (You can refrigerate overnight and scrape hardened fat off before reheating.)

Notes

Because of health concerns, many chili cooks substitute 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening for rendered beef suet, which is a highly saturated fat.

If a startup has a great product, then why don’t people buy it still?

Originally Answered: If a startup has a great product why don’t people buy it still?

Startup mistake:

I have a great product. Come and buy it!”

I have the best business idea. You should invest in it!”

My product is the best in the market. I deserve your money!”

I’ve made this mistake so many times, it’s painful!

It’s probably one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting their business.

The challenge is to make decisions RATIONALLY, not emotionally.

Entrepreneurship is complex because we act on our emotions, but we should make all decisions with data. Without the proper guidance and discipline, it’s very easy to make mistakes.

Now, there’s no negative judgment of failures, just lessons and growth. You’d be surprised, though, how history repeats itself over and over again down through the ages. The most successful companies and entrepreneurs have learned this the hard way.

Examples:

1957 — Ford Edsel

Ford invested $400 million into the car, but Americans wanted smaller, more economic vehicles. FAILED.

1975 — Sony Betamax

Sony kept Betamax proprietary, meaning that the market for VHS products quickly outpaced Betamax. FAILED.

1985 — New Coke

The “Pepsi Challenge” ads were responsible for Coca-Cola trying to create a product that would taste more like Pepsi. FAILED.

1993 — Apple Newton

Apple’s great idea was ahead of its time. The technology wasn’t there yet. FAILED.

2006 — Microsoft Zune

The Zune was targeted to take over Apple’s iPod. It didn’t. FAILED.

2006 — HD-DVD

HD-DVD was the hi-def replacement to DVD, but Sony led with Blu-ray built into their Playstation console. FAILED.

2009 — The Nook

Amazon’s Kindle is cheaper and syncs up easily with Amazon’s account. FAILED.

2014 — Amazon’s Fire Phone

Amazon’s Fire Phone released in 2014 looked competitive. Amazon discontinued the phone 13 months after its launch. FAILED.

2019 — Google+

Google+ was one of the most ambitious bets in the company’s history,” Eric Schmidt wrote in his book, How Google Works. It was believed that it would be a Facebook killer. FAILED.


To answer your question, if a startup has a great product, why aren’t people still buying it?

People don’t buy products or services — they buy results, benefits and solutions.

PUSHING your products and services to the consumer is a recipe for failure.

Startups commonly fail because they waste their most scarce resource (cash) on advertising and promotions. The ‘in’ reality is that marketing goes in one ear and right out the other.

Solution?

  1. Figure out your niche in the market; DON’T try to sell to everyone.
  2. Understand their hurts and their frustrations. Why is it that they will buy your product? Example: people don’t buy eyeglasses, they buy vision, the benefit!
  3. Learn to feel like them to a point to deeply understand them.
  4. Communicate their problem in their language. Listen to them, don’t guess what they want — talk to them. What you think they need is very commonly not what they want.
  5. Test your market BEFORE scaling.

What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

He was irritated to come out to a secretary’s desk and find she wasn’t yet seated. She was in the lounge putting away her coat and then fixed herself a cup of coffee, and she sat down at 8:36 — instead of 8:30.

It happened to be a morning of extreme stress and he really needed all hands on deck that morning. Got it, but he was very short-sighted. The 6 minutes didn’t change the course of the day, but his Memo to Staff certainly did.

He circulated a memo to all staff which said something to the effect of:

The day begins at 8:30. Not 8:36, or 8:40, or when you found a parking space, or when the coffee was ready. If you need more time, plan your day accordingly and make your cup of coffee, and find your spot, and hang up your coat, earlier than normal. 8:30 means in your seat, at your desk, ready for the day’s work to begin. Not coming through the door.

Okay — we got it. Well, I was a paralegal at the time, and I put in SO many more hours than the 40 hours I was paid for. I arrived early, left late, frequently delayed lunch, often didn’t take breaks on busy days preparing for trial.

His memo so back-fired, that every single employee was grumbling, not just the secretary. As it happened, I was the most affected (in a positive way, actually) by this policy memo because I was the staff member who had the MOST lost-time from working beyond my schedule. I was never late, so he didn’t have a problem with me, but he also abused my time more than anyone else. There were months where I never took so much as a coffee break. Often ate lunch at my desk while working. Seldom left at closing time. Often came in on Saturdays or Sundays to help get ready for Mondays. I just always shrugged it away and took it as “part of the industry.” A trial litigation practice is stressful and schedules need to be fluid.

He didn’t appreciate that, so we responded as a group of 16 employees with total solidarity.

We were AT our desks at 8:30 a.m. We LEFT our desks promptly at 5:30. We took our breaks and our lunch hours exactly on time.

It was a disaster.

I was the first to respond. “Sorry, I can’t help right now. My lunch is 12 to 1, and I have to stand up at 12, and sit back down at 1, so this copy project would make my lunch “12 ish to 1 ish.” I’ll start on this at exactly 1:01 p.m., when I’m back at my desk.”

I also left at exactly 5:30 p.m. I stood up, put the cover on my typewriter, and cleared my desk. He said “Can you just—-” and some paperwork in his hands.

No, I’m sorry. My day begins promptly at 8:30 and ends exactly at 5:30. I’ll help with that tomorrow.”

I left.

Everyone did the same. All week.

No I’m sorry, I’m required to take a 10 minute break in this hour.”

No, I’m sorry, my lunch begins in 15 minutes at 12:00, and that’s 30 minutes of dictation you want transcribed. I’ll begin exactly at 1:00 when I’m IN MY SEAT and AT MY DESK.”

He realized the petty nature of his Memo to Staff within 2 business days, and sent around an apology memo within a week of disastrous results.

He then sent us all out for an extended lunch of 2 hours — on the house. He didn’t come.

His memo said “Go complain about your boss over a 2 hour lunch — on me.”

Oliver Anthony – I’ve Got To Get Sober | REACTION!

What was a red flag that made you stop talking to a person immediately?

I had a friend who I knew smoked Marijuana among other things. I chose not to partake of any of this so he would walk away do his thing then come back. No big deal… well it had a few months since we had been able to hang out and decided to meet up at a local festival. I was having gall bladder issues at that time. The day we were to meet I was in the middle of a very severe “attack” but chose to go anyway because I missed him so much. I told him this when I arrived. After about 2 or so hours he said he wanted to go “smoke” so I sat listening to a band while I waited. And waited… and waited. Over an hour waiting on him while I was very sick and in pain. I finally left. I later found out that he decided to go drop acid instead. He forgot I was there because he was so messed up. That was the last time I saw him. If drugs are more important than our friendship then I don’t need you in my life.

David Cross: Why America Sucks at Everything – US American Reacts

Have you ever seen a drill instructor compliment a recruit?

Of course they do.

I LOVE YOUR TINY LITTLE VOICE, WHY DON’T YOU SAY IT LOUDER FOR MY FRIEND TO HEAR TOO?

Drill Instructor Sergeant Ferry was the most merciless individual ever known to man. He would punish you for something as simple as not sitting properly and play mind games with recruits just to kill time. Sergeant Ferry had little tolerance for any sort of discretion and was the most hated man out of all the Drill Instructors in our platoon since he was the designated disciplinarian or otherwise known as the Kill Hat.

During Recruit Training, there was one particular class where we were educated on the benefits of knowing a foreign language then told to sign up to take the Defense Language Proficiency Test, if we claimed to be bilingual. I signed up to take the DLPT for Vietnamese and was promptly removed for one entire morning along with a few other recruits from other platoons to take the exam. The Drill Instructor escorting us to the Receiving Building where testing was held, was none other than Drill Instructor Sergeant Ferry.

While we were waiting for the proctors to set up the computer lab, Sergeant Ferry had a few remarks for us.

“If you pass this test, you will earn the chance to get paid extra money every month, and probably go on missions requiring speakers of your language.” he growled.

“Be the one to fail and I will make sure your life is absolutely miserable when you return to your platoons.”

Luckily for me, I passed the DLPT and could not have been happier as I walked back to my platoon’s squad bay alone after a well deserved lunch.

Later on that evening in a rare moment of sanity, Sergeant Ferry was loudly lecturing the platoon on the importance of being a well-rounded Marine. At some point in his speech he said, “IF YOU KNOW A SECOND LANGUAGE LIKE VIETNAMESE, YOU CAN GET PAID FOR IT IF YOU PASS A QUALIFICATION TEST AND GET EXTRA MONEY IN YOUR PAYCHECK EVERY MONTH!!”

While he did not mention my name at all, I felt that was his way of saying “Good job Vu for passing the exam!” without stating the obvious.

After completing the Crucible a month later at Camp Pendleton, the contract Private First Class Marines in the platoon were asked on which Drill Instructor they would like to pin them in the promotion ceremony that was held before our Warrior’s Breakfast. I chose Sergeant Ferry to pin me as a PFC.

As he was pinning on the chevrons onto my collar, Sergeant Ferry said in a hoarse voice, “Getting promoted to Private First Class and getting paid extra for speaking Vietnamese? I’m damn proud of you Vu”.

He shook my hand with an iron grip and I felt humbled as he walked to the next Marine.

Is China’s WhitePaper a global rescue plan or a global threat?

It’s a great question, there is a new White Paper and China is “threatening” to lead the world into a different place – who benefits and how?

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

I’m a nurse. When I was a mere student (many years ago now), I was doing my stint in A&E (ER for my American friends). It was a Saturday night. I had requested it specifically, as I wanted to see some “exciting” cases. I was put onto triage with a qualified nurse, to see how the system worked.

The department I worked in was in the city center, so a lot of “walk in” patients. About 8pm, in walked 2 young lads in their late teens, early 20’s. One with a broken nose, the other with a possible fractured jaw. They had been “set upon by a group of guys in the city”. They were seated, awaiting X-ray. We also informed the special constable on duty attached to the department (auxiliary police) about a possible assault case.

About an hour or so later, an old guy in his late 70’s to early 80’s walked in. He had what we call a “boxers fracture”.. basically, a fracture of the hand that is normally sustained by punching something. What we found interesting, is that the old guy was not medically trained, but came to us saying “I’ve got a bloody brawlers fracture, haven’t I?”. How did he know? He said he had been “set upon” by two young lads who had tried to mug him.

Well, I finished my shift, went home and on Monday morning heard the rest of the story.

The old man and the two young men had seen each other in the X-ray dept. The old man had started shouting, saying “those are the ones that attacked me”. The police had been called, the two men questioned and arrested.

A week later, I came in for one of my last shifts in the department and, in the staff room, there was a newspaper cutting from the local press saying something along the lines of “Hurricane Harry wins his final bout”.

The old man, at about 84, had only just stopped training local boxers. He was an ex prizefighter, had been an army middleweight champion during the war and devoted his life to boxing. Set upon by two young lads, he decided to teach them a lesson in respecting your elders haha.

China’s First 28nm Lithography Tool to Be Delivered This Year

By Anton Shilov

China’s most advanced domestic scanner.

Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment (SMEE), China’s most successful lithography scanner manufacturer, reiterated plans this week to deliver its first scanner capable of producing chips on a 28nm-class fabrication process by the end of the year, reports TechWire Asia, citing newspaper Securities Daily, which in turn cites an unnamed source.

For SMEE, its SSA/800-10W scanner is a breakthrough since the most advanced scanner that the company has today is only capable of 90nm and thicker fabrication processes. A 28nm-capable lithography tool will over time enable Chinese chipmakers to rely on domestic lithography equipment for a range of mature technologies.

The move is part of China’s broader goal to achieve semiconductor self-sufficiency and reduce its dependence on foreign technology. But the question remains as to whether SMEE can produce this scanner in mass quantities, and when it can make such scanners available to substitute for machines from ASML, Canon, and Nikon.

The latest export regulations from the U.S. government prevent Chinese chipmakers from accessing tools and technologies essential for creating non-planar transistor logic chips under 14nm/16nm dimensions, 3D NAND chips with over 127 active layers, and DRAM ICs with a half-pitch smaller than 18nm. Restrictions from the Netherlands, Japan, and Taiwan that went into effect earlier this fall further isolated Chinese firms like SMIC and YMTC from advanced tools. These limitations impede their ability to produce chips using their newest manufacturing processes, notably SMIC’s 14nm/12nm and 2nd generation 7nm as well as YMTC’s 128-layer and 232-layer 3D NAND.

As a result, China needs advanced domestic lithography tools to ensure that its chipmakers can produce chips on even fairly advanced process technologies, such as 14nm. For now, it looks like Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment is on track to reveal its 28nm-capable SSA/800-10W scanner, which it will ship either to SMIC or a chip research intitute.

After it does this, it will still take some time for the chipmaker to integrate the new scanner into its production flow. However, it will only do this only if SMEE can produce a sufficient number of such tools.

What is something that people commonly think is true, that is actually a myth?

There is a myth that is way popular.
It’s not a myth, actually, it is a myth within a myth.

Myth-ception.

You must have heard this statement before:
“NASA invested $1,000,000 to develop a pen that works in space, while Russia used a pencil.”

Why did I say this is a “Myth within a Myth” (Myth-ception)?

Here, I’ll explain:

  • Facts that show that the statement is a myth:
  1. Before a proper Space-Pen was developed, astronauts from both the USA and Russia used pencil in space.
  2. NASA never spent the $1,000,000 to develop a pen that works in zero-gravity of outer space by themselves.
  3. Russia itself, along with the USA, uses a space-pen today.
  • The fact that busts the myth present within the myth:
  1. A normal pen can work in space!

Who told you that a normal ballpoint pen won’t work in space?

Let me explain it to you properly.

In the initial days of space flight, scientists were unsure about whether or not normal pens would work in the hostile conditions of outer space. And the capsule in which astronauts were sent into space had very little space to send only the essential stuff. So, they couldn’t send some normal pens along with pencils just to try.

They couldn’t risk the situation by sending only pens instead of pencils. What if an astronaut inside the ISS (International Space Station) takes a pen but it doesn’t work? There is no stationery shop floating outside the station to buy another pen or a pencil. If the pen they took wouldn’t have worked, no instruments would be available to write.

Hence, all of the astronauts had to take pencils with them. No pen was given a chance.

In 1967, during the launch rehearsal test of the 1st Apollo mission, a cabin fire took place. This fire killed all of the three astronauts present in that crew.

After this incident, engineers tried eliminating all of the flammable items in any space mission. The pencil was one of them.

But what do you use if a pencil is eliminated?

Then NASA turned towards the man named Paul C. Fisher. This man had patented an “Anti-Gravity” ballpoint pen in 1966.

Fisher was the person, who invested his own $1,000,000 to make a space-pen, independent of any organization. NASA approached his company after the pen was launched.

Now, some people think that the pen itself costs a lot. But the thing is, the cost of a million dollars was spent to make the pen. NASA actually bought the pens for a cheaper price (around $6 per pen).

Now I will come to why we don’t use normal pens in space (even if we can).

What I think is, after reading all of this history, people just assumed that normal pens don’t work in space. But the situation is a bit different.

I did an analysis of the mechanism of all types of pens and came to an amazing conclusion.

For you to understand that, you will have to know how a space pen works. And for you to know how a space pen works, I will have to explain how a normal pen works.

  • Basically, pens are divided into 5 main categories:
  1. Fountain pen
  2. Rollerball pen
  3. Felt tip pen
  4. Ballpoint pen
  5. Gel pen

Now, I will tell you the mechanism of each type of pen.

Fountain pens

To understand its mechanism, it can be divided into three parts:

  1. The Nib
  2. The Feed
  3. The Reservoir

Structure of a regular Fountain pen

To know how things look in real, I broke my own ink pen:

I’ll explain the function of these three parts, starting with the reservoir.

The reservoir contains a cartridge which holds ink. This part is broad and the ink can move independently under the action of gravity. The job of this section is to hold ink and supply it to the feed.

A pipe starts from the reservoir and it sends ink to the feed.

This pipe has 4 thin channels — 3 for ink and 1 for air.

Now you would ask, “Why a channel for air?”

Well, let me make it clear with an example.

Take a plastic bottle and fill it with water.
Make a tiny hole on the cap.
Invert the bottle so that the cap is facing down.

Does water start flowing?
NO.

That is because of the atmospheric pressure (air stops the flow from below).
It is just like pressing the hole with a finger. Water won’t flow out of the hole (even if gravity is supporting you in this case).

You will have to squeeze the bottle to get water out of it.

The reason for the water not flowing out is the absence of air above. If water gets out of the hole, a vacuum will be created above (since the water level has to go down). We know that this is impossible. There must be some way, by which air will be filled in the upper section as the water level keeps moving down.

You can do this by making a hole above (on the base of bottle). Now, water will keep flowing from the hole made on the cap (without squeezing the bottle).

As water moves out from the hole, the water level keeps decreasing from above – this leads to the formation of vacuum – which, in turn, sucks air from the opposite hole.

A similar mechanism is used in the Fountain pen.

The only difference is that – the hole for air is made near the same point, where the three holes for ink flow are made (instead of making one on the opposite).

When you glide the nib on the paper, ink flows out from the three channels and air keeps getting from one channel. This air goes through the feed and reaches the reservoir. (This way, the air is filled in the space emptied by the loss of ink.)

Hence, constant flow is maintained.

Here is the structure of the feed:

Structure of the feed

The feed consists of three parts:

  1. Wings
  2. Fins
  3. Post

I have mentioned the function of each in the image.

Here is the structure of the nib:

Structure of the Nib

I have mentioned the main components, with their functions, in the image.

Now, coming to the main point.

Why did I mention that there are 3 thin channels for ink in the feed?

That is because these channels introduce Capillary Action in the fountain pen. The movement of ink through these channels happen due to capillary action, and not gravity.

See, the two components that drive ink downwards, inside a fountain pen, are:

  1. Gravity — inside the reservoir (Because it is broad, hence, no capillary action can take place).
  2. Capillary action — inside the thin channels of the feed (Because they are way thinner).

When the ink exits the feed, it enters the slit of the nib. The slit is also very thin. Hence, the ink flows from the breather hole to the tip of the nib, by Capillary action, again.

My point here is to explain that if we use this pen in a zero-gravity spaceship, it is bound to work for some time (thanks to the capillary action).
But… once the feed is emptied, the pen will stop to work. The ink in the reservoir (cartridge) will keep floating and won’t come down.

Also, there is another big disadvantage of taking a fountain pen to space.

You must remember the role of air in the functioning of an ink pen (as I have mentioned above). We know that a spaceship has an oxygen supply. But, if an astronaut takes a fountain pen outside the spaceship, the absence of the atmosphere will make the pen function-less.

Coming to the Rollerball pens:

This type is said to be invented in 1888.

The most common example of this kind of pen is Trimax.

To understand the internal structure of this pen, I had to break my own pen.

This answer required a high budget. LOL.

The upper section of my Trimax (a rollerball pen).
The Feed and The Nib

You can see that this pen has a lot of similarity with the fountain pen.

To show you how all of the parts of this pen look, in detail, I used my simple microscope to zoom at each part of the Feed and Nib:

A detailed structure of a Rollerball pen.
The visible parts were zoomed and pictured using my simple microscope.

You can see that the Fins part of the feed is similar to a fountain pen.

The main difference is created by the Post and the Nib.

Instead of having a pipe with four channels, the post of this pen is a porous substance, which transfers ink by suction.

This porous material was inserted in these pens, during their invention period, for easy writing on rough surfaces.

The Nib is the same as the ballpoint pen. I will explain the structure of the ballpoint Nib in the section of how ballpoint pens work.

I removed the ballpoint nib of this pen and this is what I was inside:

Inside the Nib of a rollerball pen.
(Imaged under my simple microscope).
It is the same extended porous material (that caries ink). Just a metal nib is added over it.

We don’t need a separate channel for air since the refill of the pen is open from above.

  • Talking about this pen to be used in space:

    We can say that the flow of ink can happen in the absence of gravity, through a suction-based cloth type material. But the main issue is the Water-based ink used in this type of pens.

    Water-based ink has a very low cohesive force. That is, the molecules in that ink aren’t attracted to each other at a large scale. So, we can’t assure a constant flow of ink. The pen may stop writing at a point.

Coming to the Felt-tip pen:

Common examples are Regular sketch-pens.

The mechanism is way similar to that of rollerball pens. The flow of water-based ink is maintained through suction, using a similar porous material.

The only major difference that I could notice was — they don’t have a ballpoint nib.

I showed you how the nib of a rollerball pen looks when you remove the metal nib. That is exactly how a nib of Felt-tip pen looks. The nib is nothing but the same continued section of porous material.

Why can’t we use these pens in space:
Same reason as with the Rollerball pen → the damn water-based non-viscous ink.

Coming to the main contestant — Ballpoint pens.

These pens have a simple structure. There won’t be a need to discuss the mechanism of a refill.

The only complicated part is — the ballpoint metal nib.

The mechanism of the Ballpoint metal Nib.
I have labelled all of the parts, with their functions.

In the image, I have also explained the working of the ballpoint pen.

I won’t be discussing the gel pens because they have the same mechanism as that of ballpoint pens. The only difference is in the ink. Gel pens use Water-based ink.

Coming to the main issue:

  • Why can’t we use a ballpoint pen in space?

    Who said that we can’t?
    We can!

    In 2003, an astronaut named Pedro Duque took a normal ballpoint pen with him, to confirm the fact. He found that the ballpoint pen worked pretty fine. He wrote 4–6 paragraphs in his diary and the pen didn’t stop!

    According to my analysis, this happened because of the Oil-based ink present in the refill of a ballpoint pen. This ink is highly viscous and sticks itself pretty well. Cohesive forces (among the molecules of this ink) is very high.

    So, for the pen to work, we need a small driving force that could maintain the flow of ink. The Capillary action inside the thin nib is enough for it.

    See, the refill of a ballpoint pen is thick and it can’t build a capillary action. On earth, this part relies on gravity.

    But… when you take this pen to outer space (zero-gravity), the small section near the nib will suck the ink under capillary action. This will drive entire ink because of the “stickiness” of that ink. It will have a continuous flow.

Now you would ask, “Then why don’t we use normal ballpoint pens in space?”

The thing is, zero-gravity is not the only issue. There are other problems like extreme temperatures (cold and hot), UV radiation, lack of atmosphere outside the spaceship.

The issue is the same: If astronauts take normal ballpoint pens with them and they stop working somehow, there is no stationary shop floating outside the spaceship. We can’t risk. Hence, the space-pen was bound to be made.

The Space-Pen:

Paul C. Fisher spent his $1,000,000 to make a pen that overcomes all of the limitations of other pens.

Every pen has some drawbacks, which pose a risk to be dependent upon. I have tried to mention all of these drawbacks from my analysis.

This pen uses refills which contain pressurized nitrogen gas inside them. The pressure forces the ink out of the nib even in the absence of Gravity and Atmosphere.

The ink used in this pen is extremely viscous (like jelly). So, continuous flow is maintained even in zero-gravity.

Also, the materials used while manufacturing is chosen such that the pen can write even in extremely hot and cold temperatures. The shocking part is that this pen can also be used to write underwater.

So, here we are.
At the end of the Myth-ception.

I hope that I was able to clear all of the myths, along with the myths present within the myths.

Sunny Dhondkar

This is funny

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Cx7hntWSueg?feature=share

Why is it a problem when 5 countries (BRICS) decide that they want to step away from using the dollar for their trade? They didnt say the whole world should do it, They are just doing it amongst themselves. Why does the US have a problem with that?

I’ll keep it simple. The US earns 1 trillion a year and spends 2 trillion right, they make up the shortfall by printing a trillion every year – they issue T bills. In the normal course of events printing the equivlent of your yearly GDP would create massive inflation and your economy would collapse.

However. The USD is used for most of the trade on the planet so all of that money gets to share the inflationary pressure – all countries suffer the inflation and so (given that all countries are ‘inflating’) there is no inflation. All of the currencies are inflating at the same rate.

When other countries (BRICS countries and more) move away from the USD that not only takes USD out of circulation (incresing inflationary pressure on what is left) but makes those (BRICS) countries more immune to the inflationary presssure.

So the problem that the US has with it is that it’ll totally fuck the US. Which is as it should be.

What is something that your mother-in-law said that you’ll never forget?

My ex-fiance’s mom and I were incredibly close. We used to spend all our time together when she visited, even when her son was at work.

Then, the heart-wrenching day came when I had to break the news about his infidelity. She was nearly as devastated as I was. We had planned our wedding for six months down the road, discussing every tiny detail with excitement. She often expressed how proud she was that I would officially become her daughter-in-law.

However, her son didn’t share her sentiments.

When we split, I never got to say goodbye in person because they lived far away. Within a week, I packed up and moved back to Spain to heal with my family. We exchanged messages, and she confessed that part of her was relieved we hadn’t met to say goodbye because she didn’t know how she would handle it.

Fast forward a year, we still keep in touch on WhatsApp (her son and I definitely do not!). I’m solo traveling in Australia, and she checks on me. She remembered my birthday and even shared what would have been my wedding day with me. She continues to be my mother-in-law in spirit.

This past Christmas, she sent me a message that brought tears to my eyes. In their family, everyone had a special bauble on her Christmas tree. She told me to add one because she considered me family. I bought a simple, beautiful one.

Christmas 2018, I thought about that bauble and how life changes. Two days later, she messaged me, asking about my trip to Bali for Christmas and New Years. She sent a photo of her beautifully decorated tree, saying, “Your bauble is still on my tree, and it will be every year xx.”

I was truly fortunate to have her as my mother-in-law.

Oliver Anthony is Single-Handedly Destroying the Recording Industry

Oliver Antony chose an unconventional path to fame and fortune. In the process, he showed other artists how to break the backs of the recording industry. All you need is strong vocals, a good message, and a Youtube channel to rake in millions of dollars without any censorship of your message.

What is an insane coincidence that you’ve experienced?

My last name is not exactly common. Especially in northeast Ohio where I grew up. In the Cleveland area, if you know someone with the last name of Breaux, they are most definitely closely related to me.

So, there I was working for Geek Squad. I arrived at a client’s house to perform some kind of repair on an older guy’s computer. I introduced myself and we made a little small talk on the way back to his office. He pointed me to the office chair and told me a little about the problem. When I booted up the computer, it needed a password so I asked him to type it in.

“I’ll just tell it to you. You look trustworthy. You might want to write it down, though.”

I grabbed my notepad and a pen and nodded to him.

“B”

“R”

“E”

“A”

“U”

“X”

I just stared at him, confused and a little freaked out. Why was this guy’s password my last name?

I must have just looked confused because he chuckled and said “It’s my middle name. Strange, I know, but I was named after a close family friend growing up in Detroit.”

My jaw almost hit the ground. My dad and grandfather were born in Detroit, my Great Grandfather had moved there in the early 1920s. I was pretty sure he was the only Breaux that moved up from Louisiana at that time.

After I collected myself, I showed him my ID badge and his eyes lit up and he got a huge smile on his face. It turns out, it was my great grandfather that he was named after. He remembers my grandfather as a child and used to play with him when their dads would visit each other. After my he and my grandfather joined the military to fight in WWII, they lost contact and never spoke again.

I may have spent much more than my allotted time at that client’s house, but I got to hear stories of my grandfather as a child growing up in Detroit. I wouldn’t have traded those stories for any number of extra clients that day.

What was it like having a Navy SEAL for a father?

Misunderstood.

My pops was an active duty SEAL for the first 30 years of my life. Many (most?) of his closest friends are former SEALs. Many of my friends and acquaintances were also raised by frogmen.

Note: I’m going to speak in broad strokes here, but I’ll do so with care.

*Understood Incorrectly*

Strictness Speaking generally, yes, they are tough dads. But probably less strict than most Marine fathers or the expectation many of you have. Perhaps family life is a welcome break from a day job that involves being hard.

You learn respect early. Talking back isn’t tolerated. But it isn’t extreme. Most SEAL communities are teamwork oriented, there are levels of compassion and understanding that underlie their tough outer core.

Put simply, they teach their children a lot of lessons that don’t involve kicking the shit out of kids on the playground.

Lineage Most team guys don’t pressure their kids to become SEALs.

In fact, I can’t name a single son who followed in his father’s footsteps.

Why? Well, for one, it is an extreme career path. You need to be near-born with a desire, a calling, a primal urge to pursue it. Anything less isn’t enough.

I’ll further speculate, many fathers may feel the same trepidation that a pro athlete feels when they see their son also pursuing a pro-sports career.

They know that their kid may be setting themselves up for failure. With SEALs as with a pro sports career: most are not cut out out for the task in front of them.

Also, serving screws a lot of guys up. Physically and mentally, SEALs see a lot of bad things and have a lot of bad things happen to them.

Quick tip: when you find out someone’s dad is a SEAL, don’t let your first question be, “Why didn’t you join like him?” The question is beat to death.

*Understood Correctly*

Quiet Warriors They don’t talk about what they do. Never heard anything. And believe me, I’ve asked.

Philosophy Someone who joins the SEALs has an underlying belief that evil exists in this world. And that becoming a SEAL will give them the best opportunity to help rid the world of darkness, help protect the weak from those who would do them harm.

Tangent to that, being allowed to operate with (arguably) the most elite group on Earth, is a privilege. You’re given access to high-level equipment, training, and above all, the most talented peers available. Service is, again, seen as privilege.

Consequently, humility is a strong value among team members. I’ve seen that humility frequently passed down to their children.

Values Driven They tend to pass along a strong sense of values and orientation towards right and wrong (again good vs evil). Most are conservative. Many are also religious (Christian).

Physical Fitness Most SEAL families are indeed athletic. Staying physically fit was always held in high regard, a sign of work ethic and self-discipline.

Overall, it is a great experience. I’ve only lived one life (that I know of) and given the choice, I think I’d repeat.

SEAL dads make pretty darn good dads.

What is the reason for the discrepancy between the Chinese government’s desire to have more tourists and the way it treats its own citizens?

The Chinese government treated its people way better that the U.S. treated its own people.

Let’s put things in perspective not be foolish to repeat US narratives on CCP, China and the Chinese people.

Freedom. The U.S. has 9 times more per million in jail than China! For a nation calling itself the land of the free, this is simply shameful. US has a law that disallow its people to drink a beer on the streets but allowed lethal military weapons and today the U.S. has more mass random shooting incidents in a week than China has in a decade! Freedom to shoot and kill but not free to drink a beer on the go! China allows you to drink alcohol and beer as long as you don’t disturb the peace but one is not allowed even a 4” blade in your pocket.

Living Standard. The U.S. has stopped growing in real living standards since 1960. Today it is fast deteriorating. Your inflation is 5 times higher than your income growth since 2020! The poor is getting poorer and up to a million live in tents on the streets. And 50 million has joined the poor from the middle class. China grew real standard of living 30 times in 40 years from 1980–2020 alone! China’s inflation is a shade below 2% and its growth is way past 6%! China’s middle class is today close to 700 million or more than twice the entire U.S. population!

Disparity of income. The Rich in the US is filthy rich and the poor is dirt poor. The U.S. has many companies which is too big to fail! Not China, even the richest man will be hold accountable and even the biggest company need to be held responsible. The U.S. 1% owns almost 90% of the wealth and the 99% share the 10%. The rich influence the government and dare I say owns the government! Not in China. People comes first.

Safety. In China one can roam the streets at 3 am in the morning alone! In U.S. chances of you being robbed or rape is very high. Even shot to death is likely. Cops in the U.S. can necked you to death and shoot you all due to the colour of your skin. If the cops don’t get you the racist or the mass random shooter can kill you anytime! If you lose your mobile phone. Chinese cops get it back to you within hours!

So grow up the U.S. government don’t care about you. They take care of big pharmaceutical companies and military industrial complex and National Rifles Association and weapons manufacturers! The U.S. government are put in place by these companies. They owned the government.

Travel and tourism. Chinas has more high speed railway than the entire world put together. US failed to complete 100 kilometres line from LA to San Francisco after 20 years. During this time China put up 120K miles of high speed railway! It is cheaper and more convenient to travel for everyone in China.

Free Medicine. China offers universal health coverage for everyone rich or poor. No one dies because the don’t have health insurance. The Rich pays more and the poor lays little or none. In the U.S. 35% of Americans. Cannot get treatment because they could not afford health insurance.

Free Education. In China if you kids qualify for college. Chinese government provide it free. In the U.S. your kids get into debts just for attending college!

Chinese government is so much better than the U.S. government in China. Admittedly one cannot attack their own capital like Trumps supporters did in Washington in China. But we don’t mind.

The Best Near-Death Experience I’ve Ever Heard

“The best NDE I’ve ever heard.” Rosemary Thornton had a near-death experience (NDE) while undergoing cancer treatment. She instantly found herself on the other side in a white room where she conversed with God and Angels before going to Heaven. Rosemary’s near-death experience (NDE) showed her what happens after death, what angels look like, and that there is life after death. Her near-death experience (NDE) provides more evidence/proof of an afterlife.

Could the US just not pay the bonds that China has as a sanction? What would the consequences be?

It is unconstitutional for the U.S. government not to recognize its debt and pay interest on it. After the Civil War, the Supremacy Clause and the 14th Amendment established an obligation for the federal government to recognize and pay its debts, even those incurred during times of insurrection or rebellion, such as the Civil War. This constitutional principle serves as a foundational element of the nation’s financial stability and credibility. Therefore, the US government must follow its own laws to pay the bonds owned by China.

The United States has not defaulted on the principal or interest payments of its government bonds. The U.S. government has a long-standing reputation for honoring its debt obligations, both to domestic and foreign bondholders. This commitment to debt repayment is a key factor in maintaining the country’s financial stability and credibility in the global financial markets.

To default on the interest payments for bonds held by China, the United States would need to amend the constitution, a process that has not occurred since 1992, and identify which bond is held by China, a task that is impossible to carry out. In addition, these actions carry severe repercussions for the United States, including the potential for substantial economic and financial upheaval, harm to its global standing, and interruptions in government services. China could respond by liquidating its entire bond holdings, causing a crash in the bond market. Given these considerations, it would be less painful for the U.S. to meet its obligations by relying on future inflation and higher interest rates while printing more money.

What is the strangest thing you’ve seen on public transit?

A new mom boards a city bus, holding her baby in her arms. She deposits her fare, and greets the bus driver.

The bus driver asks her how old her baby is. She turns the baby around so he can see it and says proudly, “Just a week old, sir”.

The bus driver takes a look at the baby and exclaims “Wow, that’s literally the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen!”

Crushed and angry, the woman walks down the aisle of the bus and finds a seat next to a man.

The man notices she’s fuming, and asks her “Ma’am, you seem upset. What’s the matter?”

“The bus driver just insulted me saying really mean things. He was not a very nice person at all.”

The man quickly replies, “Wow, I’m so sorry to hear that! Tell you what, you should go right back up there and give the bus driving jerk a piece of your mind and demand an apology. And while you do that, I’ll hold your monkey for you.”

First Time You Realized America Really Messed You Up – Part 1 – US American Reaction

Which popular career advice will be abandoned 10 years from now?

The old man was walking with his wife at the local shopping mall.

He analyzed the latest Amazon’s Pop-Up Shop and searched for music products and couldn’t find any.

He continued to walk around and has a déjà-vu, “WOW! There’s a huge opportunity here!”

What do you see, my love?” The old lady asked with eyes of admiration.

Imagine how many people walk here everyday… everyone loves music, and there’s NO music store in all the shopping mall! I’m going to push our son Luigi to open a music store here!”

Oh dear, you’re old but still a visionary genius! I’m sure Luigi will love the idea!”

They excitedly hurry home.

Son! Sit down right now and listen to me! You won’t believe the amazing opportunity I just found. Your future is guaranteed if you follow my wise advice.”

What are you talking about, Dad? Tell me about it,” Luigi asked, taking a seat.

I WANT you to open a music store at our local mall!” Old Mario said with authority.

But Dad… that doesn’t sound like a good business anymore,” Luigi refuted fearfully.

Don’t you be disrespectful to your father’s wisdom, Luigi! He’s offering you an opportunity of a lifetime!” Mom interrupted.

But people don’t buy music at a shopping mall any more, Mom. It doesn’t make sense!”

You listen to and obey the wisdom of your father. All those grey hairs are there for a reason! Your dad has already got a line of credit for you.”

Luigi had a bad feeling about this, but with no other choice he had to trust his parents.

He goes to the bank and takes a 100,000 dollar loan under his name and opens the music shop.

Four years of hard work and no results. Luigi is devastated. The market has changed. People don’t buy music CDs or cassette tapes anymore.


Moral of the story?

Luigi invested 4 years of his life into this venture, lost everything and now has to start all over again, but now with a financial burden of $100,000 that he must repay over time.

Mom and Dad feel deeply disappointed about Luigi’s incompetence.

Devastated and confused about his inability to make a living, Luigi must continue living with his parents while he reinvents himself to find a decent job.

How will Luigi get out of this financial mess?


Now, to answer your question, which famous career advice will be abandoned 10 years from now?

Go to college and pay with a student loan!”

The story above is obviously a sarcastic story of what’s happening to a whole generation of young adults.

  • Careers are changing, and parents are still forcing youngsters to study outdated degrees.
  • Jobs are changing, and parents don’t understand it.
  • Once graduated, many find themselves jobless and parents blame their child for incompetence.
  • Young adults need to start all over again to find a real path into the future, but now with a financial load that won’t go away.

At nearly $1.5 trillion, the student debt problem is out of control and will soon become a problem of historic proportions.

Elites ‘are in the grip of a pseudo-ideology of control’: Former CIA analyst

Former CIA analyst and Author Martin Gurri says the world is incrementally moving towards authoritarianism as elites embrace a fragmented “pseudo ideology of control”. Mr Gurri described protests as being “hollow ideologically”. “In the end, it’s the rule of experts, the rule of science, the rule of justice, as defined by the people in charge,” Mr Gurri told Sky News host James Morrow. “You need something to be that something; you can’t be something with nothing. “You’re not going to beat a pseudo ideology of control, until you work out an ideology of freedom.”

What was the best revenge you’ve ever gotten?

Many years ago I drove into NYC to visit a friend for the weekend. Sunday evening I started up my car to drive home and smoke came out of the front end, which is never a good thing. I called AAA and some thingamabob was busted (I don’t remember which part) and needed fixing in order to drive the car. Being a Sunday, not much was open, but I found a car repair place that could do the work, so I had my car towed there. They said yes they could fix the car, but mysteriously all the credit card machines were broken, so I’d have to pay cash. They wouldn’t even take a check. Of course ATMs had a limit to the amount of cash you could take out per day, and the daily amount was less than what was needed, so they said I had to stay in NYC until I had enough cash before they would do the repair. I felt like they were holding my car for ransom, but there was nothing I could do. Fortunately I could stay at my friend’s place, but this meant I had to take Monday off from work. There was something about this place which didn’t seem right, but I don’t know a lot about cars and I didn’t know what else I could do.

By Monday afternoon I had amassed enough cash for the expensive repair, which didn’t take long, and got on the road to drive home. I wasn’t too far from home when the new part stopped working and smoke came out of the car again. Once again AAA towed me, this time to my mechanic. He took one look at the part and told me they had installed an old broken down part instead of the new one I had paid for. He had to pull it out and now install the actual part I had paid for. I was furious. Fortunately he knew what agencies to report this to in the State of NY and said he’d prepare whatever statement was needed to support that I was ripped off.

The next day I started calling and filing reports and claims against this shoddy repair facility in NYC. So the agency that handles such things went there to get their records and while there noticed so many things that were in violation of standards that they ended up revoking their license and shutting them down! Also turns out they had had their eye on this place and my reports were the evidence they needed to put them out of business for good.

For good measure, they also got a certified check from the place not only returning all funds that I had paid, but also including all the costs I paid to my mechanic to actually do the correct repair as punitive damages.

So for ripping off an out-of-state woman, they ended up paying for my repair and getting their business shut down. Sometimes crime doesn’t pay. Revenge is sweet.

Russia’s sanctions-dodging is getting ever more sophisticated. What do you think about it?

Of course it is

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image 169

How much longer can a group of Nations keep threatening the world and sanctioning them unilaterally?

Of course everyone will take precautions

Russia started from 2014 itself. They bore the worst brunt of the sanctions from 2014 and it cost them almost $ 1 Trillion of GDP growth

That was a much tougher sanction package because Russia was completely unprepared

By Contrast in 2022, Russia was already slowly and surely capable of withstanding fundamental sanctions, had many alternate payment systems and had a very strong trade pact with China

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image 167

They had 8 years to ensure their Dollar Assets and Euro Assets were buried cleverly and untraceable. They had 8 years to ensure that every dollar of western assets in Russia was monitored strongly

The present Sanctions package was a Joke without China. If China had stood apart, Russia would be in big trouble because it had no alternate currency buttress or payment system or all those wonderful industrial supplies and components

Luckily China realized that they were next in line and decided this was the time to stand strong with Russia

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image 168

Once that happened, the Sanctions became near worthless to Russia but devastating to EU, UK and USA

Simple Example :- Russia refused to export Fertilisers to UK and US and shipped their entire stock to India and China. US immediately Comandeered all of the Canadian surplus and had no issues but UK suffered a 43% shortage and it’s translated in the shelves of supermarkets

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image 170

Plus Obama, Merkel, Cameron were intelligent leaders who knew restraint

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image 166

Biden, Blinken, Ursula, Scholz and Sunak don’t know their face from their arse.

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image 165

Putin and Xi can cook them for breakfast and run rings and rings around them

What is the most mind blowing fact about either World War?

This is probably the least known fact of World War 2, that you never have heard of, which is a shame because it’s quite interesting.

During WW2 millions of Poles became refugees after Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. The Soviet Union deported almost a million Poles and sent to freezing Siberia, where many died.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of Poles decided to flee, and they did this by crossing the Caspian Sea from Russia to no other country than Iran!

Over 116,000 Poles sailed across the Caspian Sea. The majority docked in the port city of Pahlevi, where they were fed and quarantined because many were carrying lethal diseases such as malaria and typhus.

When Polish refugees were loaded on to trucks to relocate from Pahlevi to Tehran, some Iranians threw objects at them. The frightened refugees thought they were being stoned — but they soon noticed that the objects were not rocks, but rather cookies, candies, and food.

They were warmly welcomed by both the Iranian people and government. Hundreds of buildings were built to house them, and Polish schools, businesses, and cultural organizations were established.

These refugees now had clean beds and plenty of food, after they had spent years in freezing and disease-ridden conditions.

Despite Iran being a country under occupation by the British and Soviets, and even though starvation and poverty were widespread, the refugees were warmly welcomed and witnessed the famous Persian hospitality and kindness first-hand.

The Polish refugees were nourished more by the smiles and generosity of the Iranian people than by the food dished out by British and Russian soldiers

– Polish scholar, Ryszard Antolak

After the war, many Poles decided to stay in Iran and build a life for themselves here in Iran.

Tehran also has a Polish cemetery (called Dulab) which houses the graves of more than 2,000 Poles.

What is the best thing you saw someone do when they got fired from their job?

I had worked with Frank for many years. we did application support for an IMS based system and Frank knew that system inside and out. when the word came that there was going to be downsizing, Frank was the least likely one to be displaced. He got along with everyone and did the job better than anyone. The manager that had to decide the person to leave picked Frank because he challenged her on some topics and he was not very subtle. So on Friday Frank was let go and got a severance package. then it was announced that they would fill the open slot via a contractor. Frank knew the head of the consulting firm and called him up. the consulting firm hired Frank Friday afternoon and on Monday Frank was back doing his old job, getting paid 30% more, was hourly instead of salaried and worked from home instead of coming to the office. That manager lasted a few more years, but eventually she was let go as well. Frank was legend and everyone loved telling that story of how he was able to turn getting let go into a huge positive.

Taqueria Guacamole

2023 10 18 17 06
2023 10 18 17 06

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
  • Coarse salt

Instructions

  1. Halve avocados lengthwise around pit. Remove pit with a large spoon, then scoop out flesh into a bowl.
  2. Squeeze the lemon juice into bowl.
  3. Add tomato, onion, and jalapeno.
  4. Mash guacamole with a fork to desired consistency.
  5. Season guacamole with salt, to taste.

Who is stronger, China or the United States?

Militarily? I would say on par, I know yanks will always say they are, but I don’t think so, a few years ago? Yes, definitely, but theses days,? Not any more, if they went to war? Neither could win, they will both be destroyed, actually in my view, the whole planet would be. Because it would definitely evolve into WW3, and the nukes will start flying.

industrially? Definitely China there is no doubt about that, simply because of numbers, and work ethics, they can build rings around the USA,

in technology? Also close on par, the USA might have a slight edge, but again it comes down to numbers, China just has so many more graduates.

so over all? I guess China gets the gold medal,

that’s the main reason why the USA is so toxic against China to try and keep them down, instead of improving themselves? They prefer to squash any competition, but this time it’s not working, their boot isn’t heavy enough, and the meddlesome bug is to tough.

AMERICAN COUPLE React To Americans Living Abroad: First Time U Realized America Really Messed You Up

What is the best thing you saw someone do when they got fired from their job?

In my early days of work whilst on a summer internship. I didn’t actually see anything… I learned about/lived it. A guy in my office was having personality difficulties with our boss. Basically, the guy was older, smarter, more approachable and more helpful to his co-workers and the boss resented it. The writing was clearly on the wall that the boss had it out for him so when the guy was fired it was hardly a surprise to anyone, particularly not a surprise to the guy that was fired. He packed up and left quietly.

Fast forward a week… the office was starting to smell pretty rank. Everyone was checking their desks for a ‘forgotten lunch’ and orders came down from the top that the fridge and break room needed to be cleared out and cleaned or you’d lose whatever it was that you had stored there. Being the summer intern that somehow became my responsibility. Nothing overly offensive was found that could be the cause.

Fast forward two weeks… the office was uninhabitable. Everybody was sent home. I think they were about ready to bring in corpse search dogs to see if they could locate the offensive smell.

At the end of the third week (since the firing… the week after we were told to leave the office) were were notified that we would be returning to the office the following Monday (I’m not sure if it was paid or unpaid… I was an unpaid intern so I just had to do the work I was given from the local university library. Other actual employees did maintenance work from home during this time, but I don’t think a lot of work got done.)

Long story short, the cause of the smell trickled down to everyone — somebody pushed one of the false ceiling panels up and deposited a bag of fresh prawns into the ceiling cavity to sit during that hot summer. Nobody claimed credit for it and no names were given, but the fired employee’s ex-clerk received a card from the fired employee telling the clerk that he’d moved on to another job and would be happy to serve as a reference should the need arise (I think the fired employee was trying to bring his clerk with him). The kicker was the card was one of those nostalgic 1950s cards with a giant photo of a shrimp cocktail on the front of it.

Message received. Ha ha.

What is the significance of the 10-year Treasury briefly breaching the psychological 5% mark?

Think about this simple maths. The U.S. is indebted up to 34 trillion dollars now! Within 5 years chances it’s that it’s debt level will exceed 50 trillion dollars! That is almost a certainty.

5% of 50 trillion dollars is 2.5 trillion dollars just to service you loan! That means the entire U.S. government budget by that time goes to paying interest alone!

No more money left for welfare services, infrastructure spending, healthcare services and every war it get into it will need to print and create money without basis. Americans must bear this in mind before you vote in your next president. And before you think the U.S. and fight another perpetual war!

China SHOCKED US! New LW-30 Laser Defense Tech Introduced

As China continues to invest heavily in research and development, its laser defense systems have become increasingly sophisticated, capable of detecting and intercepting a wide array of targets, including drones, missiles, and even low-orbit satellites. Today’s episode will cover China’s laser defense technology.

Tits up in American Samoa

Today I want to relate the events leading to why my wife and I left American Samoa.

American Samoa is an American territory in the South Pacific. It is a very beautiful island, but is way off the shipping lanes, and is really difficult to get to, thus it is not really a tourist destination.

American Samoa
American Samoa

I had an opportunity to build a hospital there.

Anyways, the social and societal organization there is very, very different from what I, as an American, realized.

Here’s a short recap.

  • Families are in the wife’s name.
  • Ownership is by the wife, the men own nothing.
  • Each village has a “pecking order” of hierarchy, all woman led.
  • If the leading female in a village dies, the next ranking female takes over.

Now, my “Boss” was a man in the leading family in the local village. And he provided me an apartment to live in and a car.

Pago Pago harbour utulei south american samoa 1
Pago Pago harbour utulei south american samoa 1

Then one day, there was a death in the village and the leading woman died.

Immediately, the next week was a reshuffle of power, and ownership changed hands. My “boss” was no longer in control.

We lost our apartment, and our car, and had to find a place to live. And it sucked!

No answers, but my “boss” gave me a place for free. He told me where to go, and later on that day I went to see it.

Ugh!

It was a open-air cinder-block room beneath a backyard chicken-coop/garage. And seriously, I wouldn’t even consider to have my dogs live there. No windows. Just an open square. The “door” was a piece of plywood with a hasp. The “bed” was a ancient well-worn hospital bed. One electrical outlet, and a century old fan.

Mold everywhere.

Moist. Damp. Dirty. Filty.

Something like this…

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341D35D800000578 0 image a 72 1463138700608

I looked around. Said “nope”.

She started to go to the building. I sad NO!

My wife who was trailing me as I entered the hovel was confused. But I spun her around. There was no way in Hell would I subject her to the indignity that I had just been exposed to.

I just left from the site, hopped in the car. Told my wife “we are leaving”, and then made the necessary arrangements.

We were out of there within 24 hours.

Do not; never expect the same levels of social norms, respect or allowances that you have grown up with. You might end up with one Hell of a surprise.

This was a “close one”, for once trapped there, we might never had gotten the opportunity to leave.

Today.

How was the Chinese Communist Party able to control the army and ensure that it would not carry out any military coup?

Sanwan’s adaptation (1937), Mao’s purge of “three gulfs” after the Boxer uprising

After the failure of the Autumn Harvest Uprising, Mao Zedong led the remnants of the army to the south, retreating towards the Xiang-Gan border. After the clear transfer to the Jing-Gang Mountain area, the troops arrived at the village of Sanwan, Yong-Xin County, Jiangxi Province on 29th September, 1927, when the commanding group of the Front Committee at that time decided to integrate the remnants of the army.

At the time of integration, there were less than 1,000 troops left in the remnants of the army, and there was no CPC organisation at the grassroots level of the army, so the army’s culture was no different from that of the warlords’ troops, and the soldiers’ ideology was chaotic, and they did not have any absolute sense of affiliation to the CPC.

The contents of the integration included the following:

  • Dispatch some of those who did not want to stay in the army, reduce the army to one regiment and rename it as the First Regiment of the First Division of the First Army of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army;
  • Establishing CPC party organisations in the troops, so that there were company branches (CPC party branches were built on the company), battalion and regiment party committees, and CPC party representatives above the company level;
  • To stipulate that officers and chiefs should not beat up soldiers, that officers and soldiers should be treated equally, and to establish soldiers’ committees to take part in the management of the unit and to assist in political and mass work. The troops were united under the leadership of the CPC Front Enemy Committee, of which Mao Zedong was the secretary, and a democratic system was carried out internally.

The Sanwan’s adaptation clarified the absolute leadership of the CPC over the army, and at the same time became a guarantee of the CPC’s armed seizure of power.

https://www.laitimes.com/en/article/61whs_6ia97.html

A PLA tradition: the democratic life meeting.

Within the PLA, officers and enlisted men are completely equal, and at company meetings, ordinary soldiers criticise their officers, who are mortified.

In the U.S. Army, it is unthinkable for the average soldier to criticise his commanding officer.


KMT army vs. CPC army in the Chinese Civil War:

1. The American-backed KMT army of Chiang Kai-shek was entirely a warlord army.

In the case of Chiang Kai-shek’s direct subordinate Hu Zongnan’s Seventh Corps, for example, some of the KMT officers mistreated and brutalised their soldiers to an appalling degree, as reflected by the regiment’s insurgent officers and soldiers:

  • its 430 regiment’s deputy battalion commander Chen × × when the machine company commander, soldier Liu Yanchun desertion was captured back, Chen × × Liu Yanchun hung up and beaten to death, the body was thrown into the field to feed the dogs, and then cut off the ears of the dead, hanging on the wall, and then gathered the company announced: “You see what this is? Whoever escapes again in the future will be dealt with in this way”.
  • its 351st regiment soldier Yue Quanfu disclosed: he was 16 years old, was captured by the head of the security force, the village with him at the same time to be captured as a soldier of 10 people. The 10 people, two were shot, one was beaten to death and fell off a cliff, and one was flayed alive by an officer because he didn’t ask for leave to relieve himself!
  • its 473rd regiment deputy battalion commander Wang × × pick up new recruits, met a few sick people can not walk, so they deceived them and said: “Who can not walk, say, I let you go home”. Four soldiers just turned their heads to go back, was called by Wang × ×, he let the four sick kneel on the edge of a cliff four or five feet high, copied a stick, a stick one, all beat them to the bottom of the ditch, then, long gone.
  • Its 158th Division officer Deng x x revealed that when he was a platoon leader, he once followed the mortar company commander to Sichuan to pick up new recruits, and saw with his own eyes that this company commander killed more than 20 recruits who deserted. Most of them were killed with guillotines, and others were killed by “splitting the bodies of five horses”. When one of the recruits ran away, he led men to the recruit’s house to catch him, and when he didn’t catch him, he set fire to the recruit’s house. Another time, when he failed to catch a deserter, he ordered four soldiers to carry the deserter’s family and put them on fire until they were burned to death.
  • Zhu x, chief of staff of his 55th Division, once ordered the commander of the company directly under him to “bury alive any soldier who makes a mistake”. This man once dug out a soldier’s heart on the spot during a punishment and hung two large bunches of them. Soldiers revealed that “he dug out the hearts of many soldiers”.
  • 349 regiment 2 battalion platoon commander Shi × × to sodomise a soldier, was rejected by the soldier, Shi × × even get a carrot to the soldier’s anus hard stuffing!
  • A division of a deputy division commander is a big sex maniac, his subordinates in the past only know that he often use his authority to force sodomy subordinates, who knows, through the denunciation of the revelation, by his sodomy of the subordinates was as many as 89 people, the anger of the uprising of the officers and soldiers have demanded that the deputy division commander’s crotch penis will be cut off!
  • According to statistics, of the 2,451 soldiers in the 144th Nationalist Division, 107 soldiers’ mothers were raped by their officers, 21 soldiers’ mothers were abused by their officers, and 185 soldiers’ mothers were forced to remarry; 57 soldiers’ wives were raped by their officers, 53 soldiers’ wives were abused by their officers, and 93 soldiers’ wives were forced to remarry; 159 soldiers’ sisters were raped and abused by their officers, and 175 soldiers’ sisters-in-law were raped and abused by their officers, and were forced to remarry; and a total of 850 soldiers’ mothers, sisters, and sisters-in-law were raped, abused, and forced to remarry by their officers.
  • Of the 2,451 soldiers in the division, 345 were hung up and beaten by officers, 289 were tied up and beaten by officers, 1,238 were clubbed by officers, 13 were stabbed with bayonets, 677 were beaten with rifle butts by officers, 1,362 were slapped by officers, 945 were beaten with belts by officers, 991 were kicked by officers, 53 were beaten to death, 20 were beaten to vomit blood, 22 were crippled, 1,298 were made to kneel, 535 were made to freeze, 1298 were made to dry in the sun, and 53 were made to faint. The number of people who were beaten to death by officers was 53, 20 were beaten by officers and spat out blood, 22 were beaten and crippled by officers, 1,298 were punished to kneel by officers, 535 were punished to freeze outside by officers, 128 were punished to be exposed to the sun, 1,302 were punished to starve by officers, one was punished to drink urine by an officer, one was punished to eat an officer’s sputum by an officer, 33 were shot and buried alive by officers, and one was shot and buried alive by an officer, but not dead. 33 people, 24 people buried alive by officers ……
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You tell me, how does such a warlord army get the support of its soldiers? How can such a warlord army gain the support of the Chinese people?

If this reactionary, inhumane Kuomintang army can win the Chinese Civil War, it will not be unless the days and nights are turned upside down and the Pacific Ocean dries up!

2. Mao’s army was an army of equal officers and soldiers.

First, on the way to catch up with the enemy. Mao Zedong asked CPC officers to grasp the ideological education of captured soldiers and new recruits.

For example: Mao Zedong knew that most of the captured Nationalist soldiers were from poor families, some of them were forced to be arrested by the Nationalists, some of them were here for money, and they had no idea why they were fighting the war. In response to this background of origin of the captured soldiers, CPC officers were required to provide one-on-one ideological education to recruits and captured soldiers.

CPC officers talked to the recruits and captive soldiers on foot and when they had the opportunity, talking about their family history and finally blaming it on the KMT, which was caused by the exploitation of the poor by the landlords and rich peasants they supported. If the KMT’s Chiang Kai-shek continued to exist, the poor would never be able to turn over a new leaf and would have to live in poverty for generations.

Every day, CPC officers had to report to the CPC Party Leader on the ideological work they had done with the masses, the reaction of the masses, and the ideological sentiments of the masses, before accepting the task for the next day’s work. The CPC party group leader then reports to the CPC party branch, and the CPC party branch then reports to the CPC party committee. The ideological situation of the fighters was firmly in the hands of the CPC Party leaders.

The thoughts of the captured soldiers were quickly transformed through the ideological education of the CPC officers.

Secondly, during the march of the army, the CPC officers set an example by carrying the luggage of the captured soldiers and new recruits. When resting at the end of the line, the CPC officers burned foot-washing water for the captives and recruits, and cooked food for the sick for those who were not in good health, so the CPC officers really treated the captives and recruits as their own brothers.

Thirdly, the captive soldiers also saw that the officers and soldiers in PLA were united, all of them had no salary, ate, wore and slept together without any special treatment, united with each other, and took care of each other as if they were brothers, like a big family.

Fourthly, in order to comfort the KMT captive soldiers and stabilise their minds, the CPC branch sent an official letter to the captive soldiers’ hometowns, stating that they had joined the PLA and that their hometowns should treat them as military families. This moved the captive soldiers and made them settle down; turning their guns to fight the KMT.

At the beginning of the Chinese Civil War, the KMT had 5 million soldiers and the CPC had 1 million; when the Chinese Civil War ended, the KMT was left with only 1 million soldiers, 4 million of whom surrendered to the CPC and joined the PLA.

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There is a detailed account of Mao’s army in “Red Star Over China” written by the American journalist Edgar Snow.Red star over China by Edgar Snow | Open LibraryRed Star Over China by Edgar Snow, unknown edition,

https://openlibrary.org/works/OL1774434W/Red_Star_Over_China


Xi walked into the dormitories of ordinary soldiers to see if their blankets were warm enough, and Xi ate a pot of rice with ordinary soldiers; has the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States ever done this? These are PLA traditions and have been so since Mao Zedong.

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7

Bisquick Cranberry-Apple Cobbler

2023 10 15 09 53
2023 10 15 09 53

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 1/2 cups Bisquick or Biscuit Baking Mix
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup chunky applesauce
  • 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat butter in 9 x 13 inch pan in oven until melted.
  3. Mix Bisquick, sugar and milk with wire whisk until smooth.
  4. Pour Bisquick batter evenly into prepared pan.
  5. Mix cranberry sauce and applesauce. Spoon evenly over Bisquick batter.
  6. Place apple slices on sauce.
  7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. Serve warm with whipped cream or rum raisin or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

What work secret did you accidentally find out that changed everything?

My best friend/co-worker Larry was the IT guy in the training department for a large computer corporation where we both worked. I was a course designer/instructor. The company had been doing quarterly layoffs for almost two years. When it was your turn to be laid off, security watched you pack your personal items then escorted you off the property.

One night during a software update Larry discovered the next layoff list on the boss’s computer (she hadn’t even bothered to password-protect it, but her incompetence is good for another story). Both he and I were on the list. The date was a week away.

In the bookcase of my cubicle were copies of every technical manual and instructor’s guide I’d written for this company. They were my proof of ability. I would need them when I went on interviews and was asked “can you show me something you’ve done?” I spent the next week slowly replacing each binder with an empty one. By the time we were laid off, my entire collection of authored books was safely at home.

Bonus, Larry called the local news to expose how the company was using layoffs as a quick boost to their quarterly earnings numbers (fewer employee expenses improved the net bottom line). They’d often lay off the most critical employees right before end of quarter and then hire them back as “consultants” a few weeks later. We were both interviewed on the news the afternoon we were laid off. Screwed our chances for being rehired but I wouldn’t have gone back anyway.

Oh yeah, and the company? Failed a year later after an even bigger scandal surfaced. They had sales reps creating huge fake sales orders, then right before end of quarter all that equipment would be “shipped” to a large storage facility. They were caught with millions of dollars of fake earnings from falsified sales.

Passport Bros Meet Filipina In The Provinces

No need to be nervous in the small towns in the Philippines. Almost everywhere I go, the Filipino people are the nicest, friendliest people I have ever met. Moved here from So. Calif. in 2010, found my sweet wife here, the Philippines is HOME for me now.

Why do some people tell the victim to “just leave” the abuser without providing a plan to leave, money and emotional support? Doesn’t “just leave” contribute to her going back?

Back in 1999, my then husband began to threaten to harm our children. I set in motion actions with only one thought-to protect my children.

January: I filed a complaint at his precinct (he was a police officer). They took away his guns-he had 10 (he told me 3) and enough ammunition to fight a battle (they told his brother in law that). He filed a complaint with them, saying he threatened to kill us. They told him “we know, he’s a psycho cop. But he’s ok. He loves his kids.” They had zero clue what went on in our home. His brother in law called Child Protection because he saw the police were not taking this seriously. Child protection came, saw it was a clean house with food in the cabinets and he was polite and calm. They never spoke to me or the kids. He told me if I said anything he will make our children orphans. I filed for an order of protection to get him out-his buddies faxed inletters swearing he was a nice guy, loves his kids-she was the bad one. I got denied. He refused to give me money for groceries, mortgage, utilities.

February: I went to put the child on welfare and food stamps. Why are you staying there, they asked. Take your children and leave. I had two sons with asthma and they all had special needs. Why should WE leave? He was the menace-take him out!! So the welfare people called child protection on ME. That’s right-because I didn’t want to take my asthmatic and special needs children to a homeless shelter 3 trains away in the Bronx! My parents didn’t want anything to do with my problems. We went to their home for two days and they threw us. You married him and had his children-now live there. Child protection came to my home at 11:30 at night. They saw the children and me living in the basement. We had a clean home and food (I told them my parents bought them food sincevhe gave me no money). The next day I called my therapist in tears-they will take my children away from me! All because I won’t leave the house! I can’t understand it-we have no where to go or any money. Why should we leave? He’s the threat!! She calmed me down. She made calls all day. By the end of the day, they closed my case-she had the faxes on her desk because I trusted no one.

March: I told my parents there was no more choices. I was getting a lawyer and divorcing him. My parents were horrified. They couldn’t believe he was starving his children. I showed them my temporary support which was running out. Their grandchildren were getting food stamps because their father wasn’t buying them food. My father called our rabbi to talk to him while we stayed in their house. Two hours later, the rabbi came to my father’s house. “It’s a terrible thing to see people change from human into something monstrous. I tried to talk to him about a man’s responsibility to his family.” “Rabbi, he doesn’t like you since Fort Dover, when he was in the hospital for a week and you saw him only once for 5 minutes.” “He told me. He spat on me for it.” My father and I lowered our heads in embarrassment. “I never advocate for divorce unless there is nothing left. Benny, I’ve known you for many years. Get your daughter a good lawyer, she’s going to need one.” I started to cry and the Rabbi put a business card in my father’s hands-it was my lawyer to be. My father and I went the next day and hired him. I told him everything that happened. My lawyer gave me his phone number-call him after 911 in an emergency. And get the children on as much welfare and food stamps as you can. I had to hire 3 servers at $200 a piece to wait at each exit of his precinct to serve him with the order to appear in court. On that day, I went to social services and gave the title of my home as a guarantee so the city can put a lien on my house against any financial support we got from welfare and food stamps. The children and me were finger printed and got ID cards that day. I got formal letters stating we were in need and were getting food stamps and money. The date was March 10-My then husband’s birthday. I chose the date. I wanted everything to have his birthday on it -the court papers, the welfare papers. It was my last happy birthday to him.

April: when the Jewish community and our friends found out about the pending divorce, we were ostracized. I went to Jewish agencies for help. I had no money for Passover. I got a $25 food voucher from an agency that helped the poor and aged. I went to another place that gave me such bad smelling food my father was outraged. He made me take him and the food back. He screamed at them in Yiddish how shameful this was to a poor girl with children. The man shrugged and said “she’s your daughter, you take care of her.” My father said “if only I had back the charity money I gave to places like yours” He put the box on the floor at the man’s feet and he ordered it thrown away. I asked my brother for money, and he gave me $200. But he always reminded me I owed him the money and anytime he needed a favor, he reminded me of the money.

May and June: I finally got approved to work at the Department of Education as a substitute. I accepted any job I could get, no matter where it was or what it was. Getting my money was harder. Sometimes I got my check in the mail. Sometimes I had to go back to the school. Sometimes it was at a district office. I had to drive to the payroll center to make sure all my checks were processed. Meanwhile, the city demanded I worked for their workfare program. No one gets welfare for nothing. I tried again and again to explain how subs worked. I had to wait for them to call me. I told my counselor she can call 65 Court Street to confirm how they call subs. I was told “no problem, you can go there and clean their toilets and wash floors.” Didn’t you want me off welfare? I can get hired by the Dept of Ed if I keep accepting jobs. If I’m washing floors somewhere else I won’t get hired. My counselor took it to mean I was too good to wash floors (if I had no prospects of a job I would have done it gladly). I was thrown off welfare.

July-September: I had been going to court, but he kept putting it off. I couldn’t miss a single court date, but he could show up and say he’s not ready, no lawyer-he fires his lawyer right there in court once! I was getting worried because I needed to keep getting called in to work-30 straight days in any school and I could get hired. I had 20 days and they stopped calling me. It was frustrating as can be.

October: the bank sent over two big guys to serve us with foreclosure papers on the house. The first met my husband who threw him bodily off the premises. I agreed to sign off on the papers if I could get 48 hours to pack our things and leave before they came to lock up the house. They saw what a bad spot I was in and that the idiot didn’t tell me the house was being foreclosed because he didn’t pay the bill in months. They gave me the 48 hours. I called a friend who had s vacant apartment. He didn’t clean it yet. I’ll clean it. I need it in 48 hours. He was ok with it. I called a moving company that specialized in last minute moving-especially in domestic situations. They sent over big guys in case he cane by to interfere. I threw clothes and toys in bags and boxes. I grabbed whatever I could that day. My father and I cried-my marriage was dead. I never told my father-this wasn’t a parole from prison, where I got timevoff for good behavior. It was a pardon-I was freed because of a terrible mistake that shouldn’t have happened. The next day I called Sub Central with my new address and phone number. We were trying to find you! I had to move suddenly. We have a job for you-and it could be permanent. Can you go there tomorrow? I cried with joy. Thanks to God-we had a safe place and I got a chance for a permanent job. It was the School I’m still working at-18 years later. I hung up and my children and I all hugged each other. I moved to this apartment with no job and borrowed money for the first months rent. I didn’t have anything for security. Now, I had a place and a job to take care of my children.

November: Family court once again. The case had been moved to another judge who refused to delay the hearings. She asked him “what did you do to support your children?” “I’m having a problem with their mother-“ “that’s not what I asked you. Did you buy groceries? Pay the phone? Electricity? Gas? Mortgage?” All the answers were no. The judge turned to me. “What did you do to support your children? I turned over all my papers from welfare, food stamps, my pay stubs, and a joint bank book stuffed with grocery slips and utility payments. His lawyer turned pale. The judge went through everything very carefully. “So, your wife put your children on welfare and food stamps while you didn’t do a thing?” “She didn’t put the kids on welfare (chuckling).” The Judge has him look at the papers. Yes I did – and they were all dates on his birthday. “You put my children on welfare-on my birthday?” “Yes, the same day you were served to come to court.” The judge flipped back pages. “You mean to tell me that you have been screwing around all this time while you had no idea how your children were living? You’ve been putting this off from March to now?” She threw her hands on her table. “I’m done talking to you. Let me see your pay stubs.” She reviewed his stubs and was about to order support of $400 a month. I asked to see his stubs first. I pointed out to my lawyer 3 pension loans he took out which come out of his gross pay check, thus reducing the net check to look less. My attorney stood up and said “why should the children have to have their money reduced because of his pension loans? We request you add those amounts in.” The Judge looks over the stubs and screamed “you think you’re so smart huh. I had someone from Sanitation do this last week. Know what I did? I threw the book at him. Like I’m going to do to you.” She reworked the figures. $636 semi monthly-and give me a list of expenses you borrowed-moving, apartment, clothes-anything you had to borrow. He’s going to pay you back for 1999. Every penny!” My husband jumped up out of his chair and yelled “you can’t do that to me! We’re on the same team! All the judges love me.” “The other judges don’t know you-but don’t worry. I’ll make sure they do.” The bailiff had to stand behind him and keep his hands in idiot’s shoulders. My lawyer stood up “your honor, we realize this had been quite a shock to the defendant. We know how hard it is to support a sexy sport car instead of a family (he showed pictures of him in the car). How about if the defendant pays my client $50 semi monthly until his debt is paid?” The other lawyer said ”yes, please!” So the idiot wound up paying me $50 twice a month for two and a half years! These $50 checks were in addition to the child support the court ordered.

December: I was formally hired by my School to work there full time. I paid back my father the money I borrowed. I caught up on my rent and paid security. My children were removed from welfare and food stamps. I bought my children clothes for the first time in nearly two years. We had a real holiday as a family that we didn’t have for so long. And their father told them that I was a bad mother because I took them away from him. It would be years before they saw the truth. I also got back into my house that had been locked up. He set fire to our wedding pictures, most of my old photos from School, books, whatever he could throw in. There was a huge black circle in the middle of the living room. I grabbed more of the children’s things, whatever I could salvage-and his grandmother’s silver items. He left all of them in the China cabinet. I took the Jewish books he left, anything I could throw in a box or bag. He broke my dishes in the kitchen sink. I took a few pots and pans I found. I took all the children’s pictures I found still hanging up. Oddly enough-he never opened my nightstand. I had, shall we say, personal items that a lonely woman keeps in a nightstand drawer. I decided to throw them out instead of bringing them home. I don’t know why. I stopped at the doorway. I looked inside for a last time. This horrible nightmare was finally ending. I knew I had more-the foreclosure sale, the divorce. But this prison that I loved because I raised my children in it, that I cared for, was finally closed. I saw the mezuzah still on the door post. I took it off-my father bought that for us. I gave it back to him.

Yes I know-I wrote a novel. I did it with a time line and great detail for a reason. Any moron who says just leave without a plan or money or support is just that-a moron!!! It’s easy to say “just leave”. And go where?????? If parents turn you out, your family and friends shun you-where do you go? The only person who helped me was HIS sister and her husband. She kept my important documents safe and $300 of emergency money for me. It was her husband who filed the complaint back then saying he heard their father say we were better off dead-and because he was a cop, he would get a slap on the wrist. No one-NO ONE stood up for me. Even my parents told me openly they were ashamed of me. My father gave me money for the sake of his grandchildren. The next person who says just leave and has no plan or idea on how to accomplish that action should be slapped. Because they were never standing at that black pit as I did. Just leave. Why not just say “jump into that black hole?”

Im sorry for writing a long answer. As you see, nearly 20 years later, I can recall it in great detail. Thank you for reading all the way through. If my story can help just one person-then it was all worth it.

No one wanted this cat, so I adopted him.

This is very interesting.

I adopted a cat and realized everything I thought I knew about them was wrong. In this video, I’m sharing my whole journey from the first week to what I’ve learned, and how Bepo is doing now.”

What hilariously stupid thing did a Trump supporter say that made you think, “Wow! I completely underestimated your stupidity!”?

One of the many encounters I’ve had with a Trump supporter was the time a woman commented on a local news station’s Facebook post with a picture of what she claimed was the 1938 Time Magazine Man of the Year cover. It was clearly photoshopped and had Hitler in an heroic pose with a caption calling him a great leader. She gave her own opinion that Time was a liberal hate rag that supported Hitler.

I knew it was fake because I’ve seen the real cover. It’s hard to forget. It’s a macabre illustration of a tiny little Hitler sitting at the bench of a giant pipe organ. Above him is a wheel with several naked corpses hanging from it. The caption reads, “From the unholy organist, a hymn of hate.”

I replied to her with a link to the official Time website archive page showing the real cover and the story calling Hitler evil.

You may have already guessed this, but she used the laugh reaction to my comment, called me an idiot and then said there was no way to know my cover wasn’t fake and hers was real.

Again, it was a link to the actual Time archives. She could have also done 10 seconds of research on Google, but no. She was more willing to believe this random, poorly edited JPG she found on Facebook was real and that Time Magazine in 1939 praised Hitler and somehow got away with it.

Her husband joined the conversation and attempted to prove his wife was right by telling me I have a woman’s name.

This encounter really drove home for me that we are in a lot of trouble as a country because a lot of people are completely stupid and unwilling to believe facts. A month or two later COVID hit.

Americans React To “When Americans Realise The Entire World DOESN’T Revolve Around Them”

In this video, we react to moments shared on Tiktok when Americans realize the whole world doesn’t revolve around them. These are hilarious but also somewhat eye-opening.

What are the reasons why people can’t access foreign websites freely in China? Does the Chinese government always block some foreign websites for no reason?

Oh, there are always reasons.

For example, up to 2009, Facebook was fully accessible in China. Then in July that year, a group called ETIM (which the UN categorises as a terrorist group) used Facebook to organise and instigate a riot in China. 197 people died and more than 1,000 people were injured.

The Chinese government asked Facebook to cooperate by identifying the ETIM members who had used Facebook to instigate the riot. Facebook refused. So the Chinese government banned Facebook, saying that otherwise Facebook might be used to instigate violence and organise riots.

As the years passed, it became clear that the Chinese government was not wrong. I say this, because of events in other countries make this clear and obvious.

What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

Well, the fight was with me, and I sort of picked it. Just wait for it, you’ll understand as I go.

If I recall correctly it was 2018 and I was at a bus stop, there was a young girl, I would say about 13 years old. It was pretty late at night, I had just finished a routine commute from the city I trained in to the city I lived. I’m standing outside of the bus stop, gym bag over my shoulder while in the distance I saw a person kind of walking all over the sidewalk. Not unusual, there were a few bars around, I had even popped into one for a drink before waiting for the city bus home.

As the person got closer, my assumption was confirmed that they were in fact a bit drunk. Not a big deal, being drunk in public isn’t necessarily a crime unless you go overboard with it. So I ignore it. He comes up to the bus stop, stops for a second and then notices the girl. He starts banging on the glass, asking her questions and telling her to smile for him. I think to myself “Well, he’s an asshat”, and then asked some advice on my phone (facebook) of what to do. I got a few responses right away, mixed, but overwhelmingly saying I shouldn’t do anything.

Here is where it got dicey, instead of just being on the outside of the bus stop continuing his belligerent ways, he proceeds to walk to the entrance of the shelter and continues to tell her to smile and she should talk to him. I see the girl is visibly upset, and now it’s getting to a confinement issue. So I said to the guy to leave her alone, she’s too young and that’s you are making her uncomfortable. He turns around in a rage, swearing at me, telling me he used to race cars and she clearly wanted him. I repeated what I had said, he starts approaching me so I backed up a couple of steps, put my gym bag down and tried to descale it. He said he was going to smoke me. He starts trying to get in my face and I put my hand on his chest and asked him “what are you doing? I don’t want to fight but you have to leave her alone.”

Anyways, he tried to push through my hand and by that point I had enough. I grabbed the back of his neck, pivoted and shucked him to the ground. I didn’t follow up with anything because at that point it was done. He got up, realized he was outmatched and left her alone.

I looked over at her after to see if she was okay, and she mouthed thank you. So I asked her if she wanted me to sit with her on the bus so he wouldn’t try anything else.

It sounds like a lame “fight”, but I’m not going to let a young girl get sexually harassed and potentially assaulted by some drunk guy.

Getting to the point of picking a fight with the wrong person. At that point I had been training in mixed martial arts for 8 years, had 3 fights against opponents that were supposed to be way better than me, and was training 6 days a week. I wasn’t worried about what could have happened because at our gym we are more self defence oriented and I knew to keep an eye out for weapons.

Biden Beg China for Xi Jinping Visit to America For Talks!

Today’s geopolitical landscape is vibrant and ever-changing. In this video, we explore the tense dynamics between the United States, China, and their respective allies. Engage with us as we unravel the threads of trade conflicts, technological competitions, territorial disputes, and the subtle, strategic game of international influence in the 21st century. Biden Beg China for Xi Jinping Visit to America For Talks!

What was the biggest coincidence ever?

In the late 1990s my then-husband, also a firefighter, became ill from a chemical exposure in a fire. We had just built a vacation home in a tiny town (population 231) in the Colorado Rockies. He retired and chose to live there full time because he didn’t know how much longer he had. (Firefighters can retire earlier because of a typically shortened life span. He passed away a few years later.)

I wasn’t ready to retire so I stayed in Bay Area and continued working for my fire dept as well as a safety trainer for a large semiconductor company. Every two weeks I went to Colorado for a week to spend time with hubby.

While in the mountains I made friends with our nearest neighbors. They told me their brother was retiring soon from the Navy and planned a wedding at their house upon his return. We were invited.

About a week later I was in California teaching a safety class at the company. One of the new hires had just gotten out of the Navy and when I introduced myself as living in Colorado, he said his family lived there, too! In fact, the following month he would be having his wedding at his sister’s house in the mountains.

Yep! He was my neighbor’s brother! AND when I showed up to the wedding in a new dress I bought in California, his sister was wearing the exact same dress!

We remained friends for years.

How To Reduce Stress For Passport Bros | Floyd Gets A Filipina | Philippines Vlog

Honestly the Philippines has over 7000 Islands so not very hard to discover a place like this off the beaten path. Most of the named products are copies but still provide good quality for a lower price. Once you discover the lower cost of living you never want go back home.

Always have ways to relieve stress creating a peaceful mind. Try to find a way to keep yourself cool in a hotter climate that can also stress people out. If you are overweight the heat will help lose weight fast in the first few months.

This is the time to try maintaining a healthy body. Don’t fall in love with the first women you meet having plenty of options available. When meeting women make sure your intentions clear at the beginning never misleading them.

No matter where you live each person has their preferences that attracts them to others. Don’t stress over this since there are plenty of people you can vibe with.

Remember you are a guest in another country so show respect at all times. I agree Thailand suits younger men better who enjoy the night life.

A positive attitude is key to having a wonderful time. Remember you are responsible for your own happiness. I wish all who visit or move overseas to enjoy a happy life for less money.

Why does China spend so much money to host the Asian Games?

For soft power purposes.

Athletes come, bring their coaches, family and support staff. So 12000 athletes maybe bring 50,000 people

They get a look into China the real one not the Washington version.

We can see how western media isn’t even acknowledging it at all.

Look at the BBC link it’s right at the bottom.

Add on bloggers and private people traveling to have a look? There’s potentially half a million people who get to see what it’s REALLY like.

These people will return home. These people will hear the usual propaganda garbage spouted against China

These people might decide to push back, at which they have a great thing to say.

I’ve been there. I’ve seen China up front and close, yet YOU know more than I do?”

I often say this to westerners who claim to know everything about China despite never visiting, not understanding the language or being able to read our media. They literally have no response to it other than I know better than you because (racist) reasons.

US And TSMC In Pain, As China’s SMIC Becomes World’s Best Chip Manufacturing Company!

Congratulations China and SMIC. Many of us around the world have been waiting for this day. Both the US and TSMC had been arrogant and thought no one could shake them.

https://youtu.be/c75Wwu0_IK0

What work secret did you accidentally find out that changed everything?

This is how I learned how crooked employers can be, right at the start of my career. 1984, first job out of university. Five young women were hired by Sperry Corp. We were working on a contract for the State of Texas which involved a lot of traveling and overtime to install and look after a new computer system.

We had to fill out two timesheets, one for our employer (single copy) and one for the State of Texas (triplicate). We were told to put eight hours per day on the employer timesheet but our real work hours on the State’s timesheet, because we were not going to get overtime pay from our employer. So, 40 hours per week for Sperry, 50+ for the State usually, since we often started by leaving on Sunday night and didn’t get back until Friday night. Travel hours were considered work hours. It was no fun, especially since we weren’t allowed any vacation time the first year.

If you’ve ever worked in IT, you know you get stuck working weekends and holidays when fewer people mind if the system is down. Thus we were working on Thanksgiving weekend doing testing, along with some seasoned employees, all male. It was boring and we had lots of time to chat. One of them said “at least you are getting overtime for this”. We wryly laughed – “ha ha NO.” Two of them replied, “Well you should be, you’ve been here less than six months and they automatically classify you as non-exempt for six months when you are new.” Then some comments about the bosses probably not telling us this and figuring we wouldn’t complain because we were female.

We quickly realized we had one copy of the triplicate time sheets for each week we’d been working, because we kept part of the State’s timesheet. Of the four of us ladies remaining, two did not want to make a fuss about it, and two of us decided to confront the bosses. We added up our overtime and had a plan going in.

Our supervisor and his boss and his boss’s boss actually admitted they hadn’t paid us on purpose! Because “the project didn’t have the budget.” Really brazen and condescending attempt at deflecting us. I pointed out this was still illegal and I’d go to the EEOC if they didn’t make good on what they owed. We said we wanted a paid week off at Christmas and cash to make up for the overtime, which they gave us. Our two colleagues who were afraid to complain got nothing. My friend and I had a nice ski vacation together with the proceeds.

I immediately found another job and moved away within a few weeks. Later I got to be an agent of karma: I rose to a position in my company where I had influence on decisions around large contract awards. When Unisys (formerly Sperry Corp) was competing for our business, I made sure my fellow decision-makers knew about my story. It’s bad business to cheat your employees!

stone knives and bearskins

Given Huawei’s chip break thru with the Mate 60 pro, would it make any difference to the future outlook of American chip manufacturers if the US was to abandon the high tech sanctions against China?

The United States will not give up its high-tech sanctions against China.

Not only the United States, but also Japan, South Korea and even Taiwan Province of China are the same. As soon as there is an election season, all kinds of stupid anti-China remarks will come out one after another.

Normally, they create rumours and smear China every day to brainwash their own citizens:

How China steals their technology? How China has taken away their jobs? How China threatens their national security ? Even rumours of genocide are created, so in the eyes of most American rednecks, China is “unforgivable”.

  • You see, there is such an evil country in the world, and it is righteous for us to be tough on it!
  • If you give up high-tech sanctions, you are pro-China and treasonous!
  • Every chip sold to Huawei will become a bullet that hits us!

If you’ve watched too many Western-style elections, you’ll know that it’s the same as a TV talent show.

Whether it’s Trump or Biden, they shout “CHINA” from the podium like a tenor voice, and the voters under the podium feel like they’ve been stimulated by a egg-vibrators in their G-spot, and they instantly orgasm, their minds going blank.

Inflation, health care, and Gun violence and drug-infested are not important, they just want to hear more “CHINA”, and keep on having orgasms, and keep on being happy, and descent into madness.

After enjoying the orgasm calm down and think about it, in the past, the United States to the Soviet Union, to Japan is not also such sanctions? The United States has already achieved success, there are success stories, and as long as the United States increases the sanctions against Huawei, the United States will not fail, and they will keep reassuring themselves in this way.. 🤣

Their election is a race to see who is more anti-China, so the White House will continue to impose technology restrictions on Huawei.

In any case, Biden must take a tough stance to avoid being labelled a “pro-China traitor” by Trump.

Reaction To Jimmy Dore’s TRUTH At The United Nations

On Tuesday the United Nations Security Council welcomed a very surprising speaker — comedian and political commentator Jimmy Dore! Jimmy explained about how the United States was behind the Nord Stream bombing and the western media all fell in line to push the lie that Russia or Ukraine or someone else was responsible. Guest host Craig “Pasta” Jardula and Americans’ Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss Jimmy’s UN appearance and Seymour Hersh’s startling revelation that the Nord Stream bombing wasn’t actually about the Ukraine War at all.

What’s something that you can teach me?

My mom was on welfare when I was ten years old. She had been taking a bus (public transportation) to school every day to become a dental technician. Her goal, which she worked towards and accomplished, was to get her family off of welfare.

On the day she was scheduled to graduate, her unemployed boyfriend was supposed to watch my brother and me. The plan was for him to pick us up and take us on a hunting trip with him and his friends. Not that we would have been allowed to shoot anything, but we were really excited.

He never showed up.

Mom called the neighbor and asked her to watch me and my brother, to which the neighbor agreed. I was really upset and disappointed that we weren’t going hunting.

As my mom was leaving for her graduation, I was crying and begging her to stay. She said she loved us and left.

When she got back, she asked me how my day was. I told her I hated her. That was it. That was all I said. “I hate you.”

I can only imagine the strength it took for her to hold back the tears as she got my brother and me ready to go for a walk.

Right outside the door, there was a brand-new bb gun sitting on the porch. We lived in Cherry Ridge Terrace which is located on a mountain in the woods of Barnesboro, Pennsylvania. There are tons of wooded trails around those parts.

She took my brother and me down a trail.

Located in almost every tree, shrub and plant, were empty aluminum cans. One by one, we switched off possession of the bb gun and shot cans out of those trees and shrubs the whole way down the trail.

It was so fun for us.

As it turned out, my mom had gotten a $50 graduation gift from her father and bought a bb gun before she came home from her graduation.

She walked that trail and put those cans all around before she came in the apartment, so she could take us hunting. And right before she did that, I told her that I hated her.

That was the last time I told my mom I hated her.

And when I saw this question, I called her and apologized for saying that I hated her, thirty years ago.

What I can teach you right now is something I learned ten minutes ago.

It is never too late to apologize for something.

Leon

What is the most satisfying passive-aggressive thing you have ever done to a really mean or rude person?

When I was 17, I went camping at a beach one day, and decided to make a sand throne, to relax in, except… it wasn’t made entirely of sand, because it would collapse the moment I sat on it. So, I gathered some large stones nearby, arranged them neatly to form a chair, and then covered it with sand to even out the gaps so that it would be comfortable to sit in.

After 2 hours of toiling under the hot sun, the job was done, and I sat in my throne with a great sense of fulfilment. After a while, I retreated back to my tent nearby to rest.

As I stared out of my tent to enjoy the view of the beach and admire my handiwork, a young boy, around 10 of age, went to my throne and walked around it, inspecting it curiously. For a moment, I thought he was going to sit on it. But then, a mischievous glint shone in his eye and he backed away from it a few steps. Then, he dashed and swung a mighty kick! And… collapsed, clasping his foot and crying for his mom.

I stayed in my tent, with tears in my eyes trying to hold back the laughter, thinking “Served you right! “. It wasn’t intentional, but making a “sand” structure with stones was definitely the most satisfying passive aggressive thing I did to a troll who goes around kicking sand structures.

Star Trek – I Have the Phaser, Captain

What do you, as a Marxist ideologue, actually do for the poor, except preaching revolution?

  1. I sponsor poor children in Thailand through an accredited international relief fund. I have been doing this for 15 years.
  2. I do pro-bono law work for the poor. I have saved single mothers from eviction, saved a person’s life, helped someone wrongly arrested and charged from going to jail and being away from his children, and others.
  3. I rebuild and repair computers and donate them to impoverished families.
  4. A socialist society would require less of me having to deal with evictions for poor mothers because the mother would be given her own place, free from that concern. There would not be the systemic injustices that cause so many legal problems for people. Most poor people would make a living wage so they wouldn’t be destitute. An equitable economic and legal system is far superior to charity. Until the beautiful day of communism, we all need to do what we can.

Is the Huawei Mate 60 Pro chip equal to the latest iPhone chip or even better?

In terms of raw flops for the CPU and GPU?

No.

But in terms of aggregate function, it is arguably THE smartphone SOC of 2023.

Why?

Well, it is the first mobile device with Bluetooth 6.x that can deliver lossless high fidelity audio at lower power than the current industry standard, Bluetooth 5.x. Huawei calls it Nearlink, and it is 100% Huawei controlled.

It is also the first mobile device that can make satellite calls, courtesy of a sophisticated antennae design that, according to my friend who has done a partial teardown, is the most complex he has ever seen. There are 9 separate segments on the frame of the mate 60.

The WiFi 6 speed can hit several Gbps, while the 5G mobile connectivity has been demoed above 1Gbps. These are class-leading numbers, with the signal processing improved through AI.

Wired/wireless charging at 88/50W are way better than what Apple offers, as does the battery capacity.

There is also a large language AI model built into the OS, making Hongmeng stand out among the 3 mobile ecosystems. The AI also enables the nifty camera, which takes some of the best mobile photography in 2023.

There is nothing like the features enabled by the Kirin 9000s chipset, even if we combine the best features of the Android and iOS universe into a hypothetical superphone.

Is that better?

You decide.

Nvida Shocked! Huawei’s Secret Weapons: Ai Chip Ascend 310 Explained

Huawei is becoming the company Apple wants to be… building its own modern ecosystem for the internet of things and huawei car integration. Let’s see who gets there first.

What do the Americans want from China in the end? What is their end game? When will they leave China alone?

I thought about this for a long time , a very long time

Yes it’s true that the West led by the US has become unusually harsh towards China. In fact the US is destroying it’s entire reputation in front of the world through it’s actions against China & Russia

So why?

First let’s get rid of the obvious NONSENSE theories here

Theory 1:-

That US doesn’t want China to be a threat in the future and become a Rival

This is ridiculous. It’s also highly improbable. US doesn’t think long term at all. US thinks only short term, typically from Election to Election Or Boom to Recession to Boom

That the US is doing all this , to throttle Chinas Growth seems foolish to me because the US gains nothing at all

If the US simply and quietly did it’s work without any threat of sanctions, the USD would remain a global currency for a century perhaps

So US destroying it’s own reputation by the day, it’s reputation as a free country, as a country of laws, as a country of responsible media and as a country promoting free trade – just to ensure China doesn’t grow to be as big as the US is downright foolish

Theory 2:-

That US wants to protect it’s Companies from Patent infringement

Again Nonsense

That’s not how the US works

These Companies, they have for several decades run their own businesses and have never come crying to the US Government for help

That the US doesn’t want China to become technologically advanced and sell more smartphones and laptops is illogical

Theory 3:-

That the US are doing this for National Security

Again foolish. US have Nukes. China has Nukes. In any struggle between two nuclear powers, the power heading for defeat will try to balance the equation by using nuclear weaponry

This US will never fight China in a major war and vice versa

The US has no conflict with China and the Sphere of Influence for the US is in the Atlantic & Pacific not the South China Sea or Africa

And for gods sake if you tell me this is because US cares about the Taiwanese people, I would tell you the chances of Netanyahu being a Hamas agent is higher than that

Plus nobody uses 3 nm Chips for Missiles or Space

Theory 4:-

That US wants to break up China and destroy the CPC

Again nonsense.

Why?

China is an economic and trade ally and helps make $ 2.3 Trillion a year to the US Economy by value addition. Why destroy that with breaking up China and destroying Status Quo?

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Sure you do have a handful of faggots like Lindsey or De Santis who are demented enough to have this illogical ideology

Yet they represent maybe 3–4% of the US collective of Politics, Press & Big Businesses

Theory 5:-

Politics & Elections

Again doesn’t make sense

US voters vote on various issues and Anti Chinese Rhetoric isn’t one of them. Hell, both sides make Anti Chinese Rhetoric don’t they?


This brings me to the real reason in my opinion

The US NEEDS CHINA to do something very badly and is using all these measures as bargaining chips

  • Taiwan
  • Tech barriers
  • Tarriffs
  • Propaganda

The US wants something from China in return for which the US is ready to go back to removing all of the above

That’s the only logical explanation of why US keeps threatening China and it’s businesses

It hopes these businesses and people will put pressure on China to somehow do what the US expects

This also explains why China isn’t reacting at all to all these provocations but quietly making firm statements

Its ECONOMIC

The US Economy is a time bomb waiting to explode. When it does it will take the economy of the entire world with it.

It will cause huge blows to every nation including China

Yet it will also finish the US as a global power completely

Unless China steps in

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China can invest $ 770 Billion today without needing a signature or getting into debt

China has $ 18 Trillion in savings alone

A Huge Swathe of Chinese Investments into USA , especially PUBLIC MONEY belonging to the Chinese People will allow the US to either delay this time bomb from exploding immediately (7–12 years) to around 40 years

It’s why so many US higher ups are visiting China again and again

It’s why no top ranked Chinese is visiting the US

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The US keep telling China, it’s in their own interest to prevent the US from the great economic collapse

Otherwise China would be badly burnt

Yet China may feel that it’s best to let US collapse even at great personal loss. This may be why China is busy with alternative settlements and alternative currency routes

I somehow seriously doubt Xi Jingping wants to be the Global Hegemon

All his moves are to secure Fuel, Energy and Food and Independence from the Dollar

I thought this was because the US is insane enough to sanction China but maybe it’s because China wants to put distance between the US Economic time bomb & themselves and their clients

I believe it’s why US have enmeshed the EU into this quagmire and also the UK and Japan and S Korea

If US experiences this Economic Collapse, these nations would be gutted completely. Hence they sink or swim with the US. That’s why they too put pressure on China yet have some major visit to China almost every month

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This is my hypothesis

Nothing else makes sense

Politicians have their ideology

Media Channels have their ideology

Businessmen may have their own issues with China

But a full concerted effort to target China and that too announcing everything months in advance all the time , looks stupid and completely ineffective

It looks like the US is desperately putting hook after hook into China and saying “If I go down, you go down”

China still doesn’t believe that and feels that if the US goes down, and if China survives – it would be a better world altogether


I am firmly convinced the US is having an economic nuclear bomb within itself and needs China to prevent the collapse which will damage the Global Economy heavily

All these moves are completely Anti Chinese but intended as bargaining Chips

Nothing else makes sense to me.

Have you ever encountered a lawyer who was so good that you were lost for words?

Originally Answered: Have you ever encountered a lawyer who was so good that your jaw dropped?

I had been the victim of a road rage incident when I was in my 20s. Long story short, I was in a left-turn-only lane; the perp was in the right-turn-only lane, and she wanted to go left. I made my turn, without ever noticing her, as there weren’t very many cars on the road, and went into a restaurant to pick up my dad’s dinner. She followed me in, kicked the chair out from under me, and kicked the crap out of me while screaming, “Do you know who I am?” Luckily, one of the waiters got her license plate number.

I had eight broken ribs, a fractured cheekbone, and she had ruptured all of my stitches from my gallbladder surgery that I’d had two weeks prior. She tried to have me arrested for assault, saying that I threw her against her car. I’ll come back to that.

At my first court appearance, the prosecutor took me into a room and wanted me to drop the charges against this woman. I obviously refused. The prosecutor said, “You are 22, you work as a hairdresser, and you live with your parents. You are nothing. Marjorie (the perp) is a pillar of the community, and is the child psychologist for the county, so I’d think real hard over this (let’s not forget that I had been the victim here).”

I did point out that I had brought a witness (the waiter), as well as notarized affidavits from several people who were in the restaurant at the time, and CCTV footage from the restaurant, too. She refused to allow them to be admitted. Wasn’t she supposed to help me?

The judge wanted me to let the perp have my car fixed (she broke a window and keyed the door) by some unlicensed guy, whom she had treated when he was in school. I agreed to an estimate, but I was going to get my own estimate as well.

My sister used to work as a legal secretary, and she took me to one of her old bosses. We went over all of the evidence, and he agreed to come with me for the second court date.

So, at the next date, the prosecutor called me back to a private room, before going into the courtroom, again trying to force me to drop the charges, but still wanted me for assault. My lawyer, Mark, said, “So you say that my client threw Marjorie over the hood of her own car and held her against a wall with her right arm, correct?”

The prosecutor said, “That’s what Marjorie told me.”

Mark: “Marjorie, how tall are you?”

Marjorie: “5’10”

Mark: Chole, how tall are you?

Me: “5’3″

Mark: “Marjorie, you are a big woman, easily close to 200 pounds, while Chole weighs 92 pounds, so how could she throw you?

Prosecutor: “That’s not important.”

Mark: “I disagree. Marjorie, you said in your sworn statement that Chole held you up against the wall with her right arm. Are you certain that you want to say that?”

Marjorie: “That girl is a wild animal; who knows what those people are capable of?”

Mark: “Well, Chole had emergency surgery two weeks prior to the incident, on her right side, and still cannot lift that arm past shoulder level, no thanks to you. Also, she’s left-handed.” Checkmate.

Marjorie, at this point, jumped up and started screaming about how important she was and I was just white trash, when Mark stood up, looked down at her (he’s 6’9) and said, “Lady, you might have convinced this prosecutor that you’re somebody special, but I have, in my briefcase, a filing, ready to go to the state board, along with all the evidence from this case, as well as sworn observations about your general behavior from your fellow psychologists and some of your neighbors. You will never be able to work again once I’m through with you, so I suggest that you sit the f**k down and admit that you lied and that you beat this ‘white trash girl’ for no g*****n reason.” Then, he turned to the prosecutor and said, “How dare you assume that someone is guilty because they’re not from this s****y town? What does that prove, or are you just bored and lazy?”

Marjorie had to pay for all of the damage done to my car, as well as the ambulance service, medical costs relating to everything that she did to me, and the damage she did to the chair in the restaurant. All of my charges were dropped and expunged.

Mark usually handled divorce cases, but he had way too much fun that night!

Flash-forward a few years, when I was at a luncheon with my mom. We ran into a friend of hers, who is also a child psychologist for another district. My mom mentioned my case, and the woman said, “We’ve all been waiting for that b***h to get knocked down a few pegs for years! She’s a nightmare to deal with, but she did lose her job shortly after your case was resolved.” The district didn’t want to have to pay out a small fortune if and when this woman blew her top again, so they forced her into early retirement.

Eliminate Apple Android compatibility! Huawei’s independent operating system shocks the West!

“”In today’s episode, we dive into the latest developments in the Huawei vs. United States tech competition. Huawei has made a groundbreaking announcement – its HarmonyOS will no longer be compatible with Android. HarmonyOS 4.0 has sparked intense discussions, with industry experts suggesting it could challenge iOS and Android. Huawei’s move to disconnect HarmonyOS from Android is a strategic maneuver in the global tech arena, countering U.S. dominance. We explore the implications and Huawei’s plan to create opportunities for global tech enterprises.

https://youtu.be/blnnMPkTITs

Russia ditches US Dollar and Indian Rupee, accepts Only Local Currency and Yuan

Russia is still sitting on 40 billion dollars worth of trapped Indian Rupees.

BRICS member Russia is evading US sanctions by accepting local currencies as payment for exports and not the US dollar. Russia’s third-biggest oil producer, ‘Gazprom Neft announced that the company has completely stopped accepting the US dollar as payment.

The oil exporter has ditched the US dollar and switched to accepting local currencies for cross-border transactions. This is the first oil-producing firm to completely switch from the US dollar to local currencies in 2023.

The development comes on the heels of the de-dollarization efforts initiated by the BRICS alliance. Saudi Arabia also confirmed recently that it is open to accepting local currencies for oil trade across the world.

Alexander Dyukov, the CEO of Gazprom Neft, said that the company has completely moved away from the U.S. dollar. He added that the firm will not be accepting Euros, which will eventually put pressure on the countries of the European Union. “We have virtually moved away from payments in dollars and euros,” he said to Tass.

Dyukov revealed that the oil firm will accept the Chinese Yuan and the Russian Ruble as payment moving forward. “We mainly use Yuan and Rubles,” he said. A spokesperson said that the company has no issues accepting and withdrawing foreign currencies from across the world.

However, the CEO stressed that the company is not open to accepting the Indian Rupee as payment. “No. We don’t use Rupees,” he said without citing why the INR is left out as a payment option. If many other oil companies follow suit, the US dollar could be in jeopardy. The means to fund the dollar’s deficit will narrow, leading to economic turmoil in the US.

ASEAN Rejects US As Biden Tried Disrupting Summit And Made These Silly Requests!

im from the Philippines and i firmly believe that without U.S. hegemony, the world will be at peace.”

https://youtu.be/qhI3NtjeKI4

When have you fired someone on the spot?

Quite a few years ago I worked for a large insurance company. I had an office on the fifth floor. In that office I had a decorative ceramic eagle worth about $200 sitting on my bookcase. One Friday afternoon it was there when I went home for the weekend. When I returned on Monday it was gone!

I trotted down to Building Security and explained the issue. They smiled and said, “Give us an hour.” I said, “Why?” They said, “Very few people know about the hidden cameras in the elevators!”

An hour later they called me. They showed me a video of one of my employees carrying out my eagle at 11:00 PM on a Sunday night! They happily printed out a hard copy of a frame that showed the theft.

On Monday morning I called my thief into my office. I had a little fun. I told him how shocked I was that my eagle was missing. He said all the right things about how terrible this was!

“Who would do such a thing?” I inquired. He quickly threw two other employees under the bus. Then I laid the picture out of this SOB doing the deed!

“I guess I’m fired” he said! “You guessed right,” I said.

Footnote- My superiors were not satisfied with that. They called the police and had him charged & convicted for theft!

It FINALLY happened (mask off moment)…

Thanks, Canada, for confirming what Mr. Putin has been saying all along.

https://youtu.be/8BhRpSTJklA

Why is Japan so safe?

“Remember, don’t talk to the hostesses, and don’t start a fight. Got it?” I asked my friends, making sure everyone also had a drink in hand.

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Girls holding signs, where sometimes a man may come in to “persuade” you to try it

“What happens if we lose you?” one of my friends asked.

“Look, you’re not carrying shrooms or weed. Don’t start a fight, and worst case they put you in a cell until you sober up. Then call me.” I grinned back. The Neon lights with the words “Kabuki-cho” illuminated behind me. Farther ahead, many girls with signs.

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Sorta like this now

They all nodded, some coming from downtown LA, some former military members, and some just like you, traveling Japan for the first time.

As a preamble, they wanted me to take them to the sketchiest part of Tokyo, which I find to be a contradiction.

After seeing a beer cans and some trash on the floor, I looked back at my group, shaking my head. “I’m so sorry guys. This area is not as clean as Japan, and it can get pretty bad.” Then I looked back up and winked at them.

The reason why it’s so safe is because of the culture.

People in Japan from a younger age are taught to think of the community first, and not themselves. There are pros and cons of this, which I’ll reserve for another post, but it starts from school as the students are expected to clean everything. If you do a bad job, you will be socially ostracized until you put in “your part”. Everywhere you go it’s pretty much handicap friendly, so if you have any disabilities people make sure you can go about your day.

The reason why it’s so safe is because there’s no incentive

It didn’t used to be this way. Japan has organized crime like any other country (Yakuza ring a bell?) but even they realized it wasn’t profitable to do violence so they pretty much resort to financial racketeering or money laundering and other “services”, but never violence.

The reason why it’s so safe is because of the police culture.

Japan has what some in the West would be almost a too trusting culture with the police. Kid is lost? Go to the local police station. Harassed? Local police station. Followed? Local police station. You get the idea.

You also don’t really have to worry about being injured going to the police. The police are liable if they do physically hurt you, so they have come up with ways to restain you without harming you.

The reason why it’s so safe is because the population is older and busy

If you look at Japan, the average age is almost 50. People don’t need to prove themselves when they’re older, and have it stable. Likewise, the younger generation are almost too busy with school, work, or other societal aspect that there’s almost no free time to do anything else. This obviously has major cons, but it does make it so that most people follow the rules and are rewarded on the “successful” pathway.

By age 40, you should be smart enough to realize this:

1. Stay silent. Not everything needs to be said.

2. Silence is better than unnecessary drama.

3. If you find someone smarter than you, work with them, don’t compete. Competition is a weakness.

4. The family you create is more important than the family you come from.

5. Your current job doesn’t care about you. They only pay you enough to kill your dreams.

6. Free yourself from society’s advice, most of them have no idea of what they’re doing.

7. It’s better to have 1 friend who’s;

• Happy for you

• Supports your win

• Encourages your dreams

Than a bunch of acquittance who are

• Lazy

• Self-centered

• Jealous of your success

8. You’ll be 10x happier if you forgive your parents and stop blaming them.

9. If you continue waiting for the “right time ”, you’ll waste your whole life and nothing will happen.

10. No one will ever come save you. Your life is 100% your responsibility.

11. Your inner circle should be more focused on money, success, and starting a family.

12. You don’t need 100 self-help books. All you need is actions and self-discipline.

What is normal in your country but weird in the rest of the world?

Iceland here.

  • If it’s 10degrees or hotter outside [50 degrees Fahrenheit, for Americans] we will go out in bikinis and sunbathe
  • Almost every family owns at least one summer cabin that is frequently visited
  • We say ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’ to everyone we pass on the street, depending on the time of day
  • We will often have long discussions (*hem* arguments) of what type of snow is snowing at the moment
  • The first real day of summer was three days ago and almost everyone took a break from work to go and enjoy it (it was around 14 degrees or something)
  • It snows from August to June
  • All the houses are built like fortresses so they can withstand the frequent earthquakes
  • We await the next volcanic eruption with excitement
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(Eyjafjallajökull, 2010)

  • Most of us watch football religiously
  • Dried fish is a delicacy
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  • We loudly announce when we go to the toilet and ask if we have permission to do so
  • Going on dates is a formal and a rare experience, not standard at all
  • Blind dates is something that doesn’t happen
  • In swimming pools we wash without clothes with everyone else of the same gender, no stalls
  • We drink a lot of milk —it goes with everything
  • We leave our babies outside in their prams -of cafes, our homes, in the garden, in our unlocked cars
  • We love sauces; we probably have hundreds of different types, also ice cream shops normally have about six different sauces
  • We will have barbecues in any weather
  • We drink lots of alcohol: beer, wine, you name it
  • It’s never cold inside our houses, ever
  • We party until way after midnight —if you are camping and want to sleep, don’t camp next to Icelanders
  • Believing in elves and trolls is normal and we have tons of stories that we’ve been told about them since we were young
  • We have 13 Santa Clauses
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edit : some more for y’all + pics on the original answer

  • We have a Christmas Cat that, if you don’t get new clothes for christmas, will come and eat you (particularly children)
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  • The christmas cat is owned by a pair of trolls called Grýla and Leppalúði. they are the Santa Clauses’ parents, who are also trolls.
  • Grýla kidnaps, cooks and eats misbehaving children.
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  • We have a day dedicates to eating these delicious balls of air
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  • The water quality is 500% and so when we visit other countries we are dying because the water tastes so bad there
  • We are taught from a young age that we should never ever ever step on the moss and if you do then u deserve to burn in hell (ok maybe not but that’s the idea)
  • Everyone hates Justin Bieber for that music video he did. (+We had to close down the park a part of it was shot in because the tourists were tearing up the moss.)
  • In winter we all wear the thickest coats you’ll see while still trying to stay fashionable and we all look giant
  • Conjugation is a thing so a noun has 16 different variations of itself.
  • Tourism is the top industry of Iceland
  • Ice cream is enjoyed whenever; in a snow storm or on a rare hot day; doesn’t matter
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What is the most clever way you have seen someone respond to road rage?

I was proud of myself for this…you be the judge.

While waiting to turn left into a busy street, the person behind me grew impatient and honked. Not wanting to be the person to face death by oncoming traffic so he could hurry, I put my car into park and got out.

I pasted a look of quizzical concern on my face, and slowly walked to the back of my car. I inspected the back and could find nothing wrong, so I turned to the guy who honked and said, “What is it? Is one of my lights out? Is one of my tires flat?”

He shouted, “I just want you to go!”, but it was busy, so I pretended not to hear him, so I cupped my hand to my ear and walked towards him.

“I JUST WANT YOU TO GO!!!!” he shouted.

“Oh, well, I’m turning left, and it’s kind of busy, so I’m waiting for a break. I’ll go then. I thought you were honking because you saw something wrong with my car. Thanks!” I cheerily shared.

I went back to my car, put it in drive, and waited for a safe time to pull out.

Why People Are Moving to Mexico City

Under-reporting trend.

Why don’t American teachers break up school fights anymore?

I used to until I was sued and faced legal action against my credential that was filed by my principal. The principal also convinced the boy’s father to file a criminal complaint and tried to get me arrested. It cost over $150,000 in attorney’s fees to fight the administrative actions and criminal actions. I ended up prevailing and in the end, after spending another $100,000 in attorney’s fees, I recouped my fees by filing suit against the parent of the student and the school district.

The back story was this male student who suffers from schizophrenia and has other learning disabilities was assigned to my science class. I was never informed about his medical diagnosis. He was enrolled in the intensive intervention program at our school that was for students who had behavioral issues. These students were supposed to have an aide with them in the mainstream classroom or they were supposed to be in the II room doing their work. They had a behavioral intervention plan for each student.

I was not given this student’s BIP because his mother, a teacher in the district and at another site, did not want his medical diagnosis shared with his teachers. She also did not agree with it and refused to administer his medication at home. To be allowed at school, he had to take his meds. The year prior, he had beaten two students so severely, they were hospitalized for several weeks and one almost died. So his meds were administered at school. He did not take them on the weekends so on Mondays he was always exhibiting extreme behavior. It also turns out that at times the voices he heard told him the meds were poison so he would pretend to take them and then spit them out when the school nurse was not looking.

I knew he was supposed to have a BIP and I made several requests for it by email. I cced the requests to the vice-principal and the principal and never received a response. By state and federal law, I was supposed to be given the BIP and made aware of anything that could possibly endanger myself or my students. I was supposed to be informed that the previous year he went into a psychotic rage and nearly killed two students in his PE class and it took 4 PE teachers to pull him off of the student both times. It was after the second attack that he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and placed in the II program and assigned an aide to be with him at all times.

Well, his case carrier let him go to his classes without an aide because none of the aides would deal with him. He had assaulted all of the aides that were available and so they refused to work with him. He was confined to the II room for the first 5 periods of the day. She sent him to my class 6th period because it was her prep period and she wanted a break. Since no aide would work with him, she did not send an aide with him, so I had to deal with him on my own. Of course I had no idea about the schizophrenia or that his constant talking was due to his talking to the voices of his imaginary friends that were real to him and that were telling him what to do.

One day those friends told him to beat the crap out of a female student that was half his size because she had disrespected him because she was looking at him funny. Of course she was at the back of the room and he was at the front and she wanted nothing to do with him. Nobody wanted to even talk to this kid. So he got up and walked back to her, and pulled her out of her seat and started beating her. When I got to her, he had her on the floor and she was in the fetal position. He was kicking her head repeatedly. I grabbed him in a bear hug from behind and walked him to the door. He was continuing to kick and so he and I went down. I just continued dragging him to the door and pulled him out the room. I left him outside and returned to the room and shut the door behind me. He was locked out side.

I called the office to come and get him and to send for paramedics for the girl. He spent the next 30 minutes pounding on the door and windows with his bare fists. He actually shattered several windows to the classroom. It took administrators 10 minutes to get to my classroom. They spent 20 minutes asking him to calm down and walk with them to the office. He charged them several times and hit and kicked them but they would not use any physical force to restrain him. Even after he broke the windows with his fists and cut his hands, they refused to restrain him. I finally had enough and called the police. They came and took him down and cuffed him. My principal was upset. But the paramedics were able to stop his bleeding before he bled out. Then they were able to treat the student he had kicked in the head several times. She had a severe concussion and needed medical attention now, not 30 minutes from now.

Of course in this day and age of cell phones, a few of my students filmed this. As allowed by state law, I confiscated the cell phones because filming inside of a classroom is a violation of state law, and filming fights is a suspendible behavior. I handed the phones to the admin and wrote the appropriate referrals.

The district policy is the admin is supposed to review all photos and videos with a parent present, copy any thing taken in a classroom then delete those images from the phone. Those copies are then saved as evidence for the basis of the suspension and depending on the severity of the offense and the number of previous offenses the student gets from 1 to 5 days of suspension. The phones do not get handed back under any circumstances until the videos are erased.

Well, the principal just handed them back immediately. I still wrote the referrals. I documented everything.

The next day. I get called to the office. I find the SRO wanting to interview me. I respectfully declined. I invoked my right to have an attorney present before answering any questions. I have attorneys for relatives and friends. When a police officer asks you a question about a situation you were involved in, they are not your friend. Anything you say can be used against you. You do not say anything without an attorney. What the officer did not say that I learned later was the father had filed a criminal complaint against me. The principal had encouraged him to do so. The problem was, he did not have custody of his son nor did he have legal educational rights. In fact, there was a restraining order prohibiting him from being on school grounds or within 1,000 feet of his son. Mom did not want to file a criminal complaint because she knew what would happen, absolutely nothing. She was a teacher and knew what the education code was.

In CA, a teacher may intervene to protect the safety of a student. So if it is mutual combat, I could legally intervene to prevent both students from harming each other. I am not legally required to but I can if I feel I can do so. If I am injured, I am covered by workman’s comp for injuries sustained in performing my duties. The top duty of any teacher is to ensure student safety. That takes a higher priority over teaching students. I have broken up fights before and have been injured and they have always been covered. I do it because I am a teacher and student safety is first.

The principal then filed an administrative action against me for violating the rights of a special education student. I did not follow his behavioral intervention plan. Had this been successful, I would have lost my job and my credential. This was made worse by the fact that the video taken by a student was posted to social media. It then made the local news.

Of course the story was one sided. I could not provide my side of the story. Anything I said would violate the student’s privacy rights under state and federal law. So, I was the teacher that assaults students for no reason. Nothing was said about the student that was on the floor, in the fetal position, having her head repeatedly kicked. Nothing was said about her traumatic brain injuries or the induced coma she was in for two weeks or her overwhelming fear of returning to the same school this monster of a student was at so she ended up transferring to a private school. By the way, this student who was the aggressor was never suspended because his special education rights were violated. He did this to at least 6 other students after this incident over the next 2 years and the district ended up paying out several millions to the parents of his victims. They finally got rid of the student by moving the program off of my campus to another one. This allowed them to fire this inept teacher. At the new campus, this student is confined to his II room and not allowed into any general education room. That principal has made sure of it. He has signed one school security officer to be with the student at all times.

My union would help pay for the legal defense, but only if I prevailed. So I did what was best for me, I hired the best attorney in the field of Education Administrative law. She has earned several awards and has won many cases that went all the way to the CA Supreme Court. I mortgaged my house and paid the retainer. I then shut up and let her talk for me.

My district told my principal to back down, she would lose. Since this was a legal action, I got a copy of all emails and I got this email. My principal did not realize I got this email and her response was she was not going to because I hurt a student and she needed to make an example of me. Their response was they would not pay for her legal costs, she was on her own and she had to pay for all of her attorney fees. They would not provide an attorney for her. She decided she did not need one. She went it alone. If you are dealing with a legal issue, never, ever appear before a judge without a competent attorney. If your boss tells you to drop it and you insist on following through on the legal action, it is a sign you are going to lose.

After 3 months, she lost. Then I took all the documentation of where she went wrong and filed suit. Then she realized she screwed up big time because the district told her to get her own attorney. She refused to settle out of court and so her costs went up and she lost. The district also lost because I went after them because she was their employee. I also went dad for his defamation and libel and filing a false police report. Because of the deep pockets law, I won an enforceable judgement against the district and the principal.

Now, as a teacher, I really do not want to take money from the education of students. So, I negotiated with the district. Since I won against the original criminal and administrative complaints against me, my union will cover much of the attorney’s fees for that. I also had to hire a criminal defense attorney. His bill was only $10,000 because he only had to file some paperwork with the DA to get the DA to make a decision to either charge me or drop it. The DA decided that at worse I was guilty of an infraction, and since I was protecting another student and had a strong defense that I was protecting her from certain death or permanent harm, what I did was legal, he would never consider filing charges because the case would be too weak and I would never be convicted. The district negotiated with the principal to cover my administrative attorney’s fee not covered by the union. This meant they told her they would withhold the money from her paycheck to pay my attorney or the principal would no longer have a job.

Then, the principal would buy 10 years of credit into my retirement plan with the state. This would come from her paycheck rather than from the district so students do not suffer. If she did not agree, she would not longer be working for the district. This will allow me to retire early and leave the state and seek employment outside of CA where education has not become so bad that the schools are run by the lowest common denominator and the students who want to learn and get an education are being left behind and whose safety is in danger every day.

In exchange, I signed a contract that I will never intervene in a fight. I will call the office and report it to an administrator. Last year, I had 8 fights in my classroom. Administrators are trained to not run to fights. They are supposed to walk because it demonstrates a calm response. My classroom is at the back of campus and it takes a minimum of 5 minutes to walk from the front to my room. The average administrative response time from the time I call to inform them there is a fight in my room to them actually arriving is 15 minutes. During that time I am supposed to evacuate the classroom of all students who are not participating and who will follow my directions. I have to supervise those students outside. The defiant students stay inside. Since I have done my duty, I am good. The students inside can hurt and maim each other all they want and they do. After the administrators arrive, a few ambulances are required.

The result, last May a police officer attempted to do CPR on a student that collapsed at lunch time. Other nearby students assumed the officer was assaulting the student or arresting the student and started a riot. They threw trash cans at that officer and the other responding officers that arrived within two minutes. The 4 administrators that arrived and told the students to disperse were ignored. The administrators sounded a lock-down and the students ignored it. They continue to attack the officer attempting CPR. The student died.

That student had tapped a mixture of pentyl and THC and she stopped breathing. It took 20 minutes for the police to to control the students, including arresting 30 of them, clearing the area enough to get the paramedics to the girl. They could not perform CPR during that time. The officer that tried to do CPR was taken to the hospital with a concussion after having two garbage cans slammed over his head.

Students learned if they fight the adults back down.

If I see a fight or a student assaulting another, I walk the other way. I am legal safe if I just call the office. If I intervene, I can lose everything. I can be sued, I can lose my job, I can lose my life savings. If I do nothing but just call the office, I am protected from all legal consequences. The worst that can happen is I get called to answer the questions from a few attorneys. I spend a few days at the district office with pay while talking to attorneys. I did that two months ago.

It went something like this. Did you see the fight. Yes. What did you do? I called the office to report it. Who did you report it to? I reported it to the attendance secretary who answered the phone and she said she would call security. I then waited in my room because I feared for my safety. I watched the fight through my classroom window. It took security 15 minutes to arrive.

Why did you not break up the fight? I did not feel I had the physical strength to do so without incurring injury to myself and I have a written contract with the school district stating I will not break up fights but will only report them to the administration because it is their job to break them up. Here is a copy of that contract.

The district hated that I brought that up but it gave me 100% legal cover. It was proof I did exactly what I was directed to do by a superior so they were 100% on the hook for my actions.

The truth is, your students are not as safe at school as district administrators want you to think.

Banana Custard Cobblers

2023 10 15 09 54
2023 10 15 09 54

Yield: 8 servingsIngredients

Custard

1 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup cornstarch8 large egg yolks3 cups whole milk1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise6 tablespoons (34 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature1/4 cup dark rum

Topping

3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup almonds6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces3 bananas, thinly slicedInstructions

Custard
  • Whisk sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks in large bowl to blend.Bring milk and vanilla bean to boil in heavy large saucepan.Gradually whisk hot milk into egg yolk mixture; return mixture to saucepan. Whisk over medium-low heat until custard boils and thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.Whisk in butter and rum. Cool slightly.Discard vanilla bean. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
  • Topping
  • Blend flour, almonds and brown sugar in processor to mix.
  • Add butter and process, using on/off turns, until coarse crumbs form. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to bowl; cover and chill.)Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.Place eight 1 cup ramekins or custard cups on baking sheet.Divide custard equally among ramekins, using about cup for each.Top each dessert with about 8 banana slices.Spoon topping over banana slices, dividing equally.Bake cobblers until topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes.Remove from oven and cool slightly, about 15 minutes.Serve warm.
  • What was a big mistake in WW2?

    Originally Answered: What was big mistake in WW2?

    image 127
    image 127

    This is the Lorenz cipher.

    Unlike its better known relative, the Enigma machine which was infamously deciphered by code-breakers at Bletchley Park throughout the war, the Lorenz cipher posed a much greater challenge. Utilising 12 wheels to scramble up the message being sent as opposed to the 3 or 4 rotors found in the Enigma machine, the Lorenz cipher was incredibly secure. As a result, unlike the Enigma that was used by the German standard armed forces, the Lorenz cipher was used only by high command with messages coming from Hitler himself. As a result, to crack the Lorenz cipher (or Tunny as it was code named by the British) would have the potential to change the course of the war.

    Not much headway had been made in breaking the Lorenz cipher through the war until a German operator made a catastrophic mistake on 30 August 1941. When a German receiving operator did not receive a message correctly, he asked the transmitter to resend the information and despite clear protocol against it, the two operators resent the message without changing their key settings (the settings that determine how the text is scrambled up). However since the message in question was 4000 characters long, the lazy German operator abbreviated several words, thus changing the length of the message. Since their key settings were both the same, the two messages had the same scrambling pattern of characters. Thus by comparing the locations where the message text changed, details of the way the rotors worked could be determined.

    These two messages were intercepted by the British who soon realised the importance of what they had discovered. This task of cracking Tunny was given to W T (Bill) Tutte who began to find repetitions in the cipher which allowed him to reverse engineer the Lorenz machine’s logical structure in what would be later described as “one of the greatest intellectual feats of World War II”. In order to support the painstaking decryption of German messages, the British Colossus was built in 1943 by Tommy Flowers, the first ever modern computer.

    image 126
    image 126

    The Colossus Machine

    The impact of the decryption of Tunny was enormous. It gave the British intimate details of Hitler’s most secret communications which was most notably vital in D Day where the Allies were able to deceive the Germans that they were going to attack at Calais as opposed to Normandy and at the Battle of Kursk in 1943, Germany’s last ditch attempt to reverse their fortunes on the Eastern Front and one of the largest battles in history. Involving 3 million men, without foreknowledge of German planning provided by the British, the Soviets would have been badly prepared defensively and could have lost this crucial battle and as a result, the war would’ve been prolonged. In fact, historians estimate that the breaking of the Lorenz cipher shortened the war by two years and thus saved millions of lives all due to the careless mistake of two lazy German operators.

    However this pivotal event is not well known due to the Official Secrets Act keeping the nature of the code breakers working to break the Lorenz cipher secret until 1974 and some former staff even today still refuse to break their vow of secrecy, preferring to take their knowledge to the grave.

    image 125
    image 125

    W T (Bill) Tutte, the man responsible for cracking the Lorenz Cipher

    Sweet cat is trying desperately to fit in, find a home

    Pago Pago Shirts

    When I lived in Pago Pago I bought a local Tee Shirt.

    23d14767ff27cb0329a019ed70359fe7
    23d14767ff27cb0329a019ed70359fe7

    I thought the polynesian pattern was interesting. So I bought it and wore it to work.

    Imagine my surprise when every local polynesian uniformly told me that the image was evil and hateful. Whoa! I was not expecting that.

    2023 11 17 06 24
    2023 11 17 06 24

    I was the outsider wearing a “Fuck You” tee shirt. Who’d know?

    I was totally surprised.

    I wore it once.

    Threw it away.

    Maybe like this clueless gent…

    2023 10 10 19 20
    2023 10 10 19 20

    Life is silly some times, eh?

    Today…

    What was a red flag that made you stop talking to a person immediately?

    I travel full-time via my FJ Cruiser and my RV. A year or two ago, I met a guy who turned out to be a federal agent. No, I was not being investigated, at least not for business/national security reasons.

    Before finalizing our first date, he casually mentioned that he had run the front plate on my FJ Cruiser, which absolutely horrified me. This isn’t some random guy using Google. This is a federal agent!

    It was also the way he said it. As if it was the most normal thing in the world to invade someone’s (especially a woman traveling solo!) privacy in that way.

    After he told me he ran my plates, I just stopped responding. I mean, next thing I know, he could be checking my IP address or something and figuring out where I was camping alone that night.

    It was creepy.

    So a week goes by and he blasts me for ghosting him. I respond, “Are you seriously asking me why? Dude, you RAN MY PLATES!”

    Instead of apologizing or acknowledging that that was kinda creepy, he proceeded to tell me that I was “asking for it” by sharing a picture of my rig. He told me the fact that I had a custom plate intrigued him, so it was 100% my fault for dangling the carrot (a custom plate) in front of his face.

    I blocked him after that. As far as I know, I’m not currently being stalked by any federal agents. But who really knows? The feds are pretty crafty.

    Swiss Bliss

    old fashioned swiss steak 3056883 Final 5ba96bcc46e0fb002534cbd6
    old fashioned swiss steak 3056883 Final 5ba96bcc46e0fb002534cbd6

    Yield: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 (2 pound) chuck roast, cut 1 inch thick
    • 1 envelope onion soup mix
    • 1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
    • 1/2 medium green bell pepper, sliced
    • 1 (20 ounce) can tomatoes, drained and chopped, reserving juice
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1 tablespoon A-1 steak sauce
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon parsley flakes

    Instructions

    1. Coat center of large sheet of heavy foil with butter and place into a 13 x 9 inch dish.
    2. Place meat across foil, overlapping each piece slightly.
    3. Sprinkle with soup mix, mushrooms, green pepper slices and tomatoes.
    4. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
    5. Mix tomato juice, steak sauce and cornstarch.
    6. Add enough water to make 2 cups liquid.
    7. Pour over meat mixture and sprinkle with parsley flakes.
    8. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 2 hours.

    World in chaos w/ Jeffrey Sachs (Live)

    Always a great discussion!

    What is the most outrageous thing you’ve heard said to or seen written to a judge?

    I had a black client who had been arrested in his house and white cops slammed his head into a dresser drawer just for fun, as witnessed by several officers in the house. As the dresser was pushed against a casement window on the front of the house, slamming his head into the dresser “blew” the window into the front yard with a shotgun-like explosion, witnessed by all the neighbors watching the police action from across the street. The black jailer saw the bruise on the client’s forehead when taking the mugshot.

    On the motion to dismiss for unreasonable police violence, all the cops lied and denied slamming the client’s head against the dresser. The judge and prosecutor acted as if the cops were not lying and the window blew itself into the yard.

    It was late afternoon and the only civilians in the courtroom was a fifth-grade civics class of 20 kids aged 10–11 years and their teacher. The judge had a reputation as a racist and a hard-ass.

    I turned during argument on the (hopeless) motion to the kids and asked the courtroom rhetorically: “Why in the world would police officers take the witness stand, swear on the Bible to tell the truth, and then lie?” Then I said, “Well, it makes winning their case a lot easier, and no one in authority stops them, and the officers know this.”

    So I was accusing the judge of “letting” the officers lie to win the motion. That is, the judge OFTEN knows officers are lying and so does the prosecutor, but they don’t stop it. The officers know this, so they lie. Not all and not always, but in cases like this, they all lied together.

    The judge got really pissed and started haranguing me, so I stoked his anger higher. The prosecutor could see how bad all this was starting to look to the appellate judges in any appeal and hung his head in defeat. My client walked out of the courtroom with a very sweet deal from the prosecutor to cut his losses.

    TikTok on the cost of living | RANT ON INFLATION | EVERYONE IS BROKE AND TIRED

    Hi guys, just to clarify I do not own any of these videos I just thought it would be interesting to see how people are dealing with the cost of living, sending prayers and well wishes to you.

    What common food, was prepared in a way that knocked your socks off? How was it prepared? What made it one of the best things you ever ate?

    The Chicago dog:

    When I was a kid, hot dogs were lame flavorless picnic fodder that got a squirt of mustard and ketchup and onions if you were daring, nothing more.

    One summer a diner opened near me that specialized in char broiled burgers and Chicago dogs. I’d never heard of a Chicago dog before, so naturally I had to try one. Man, what a life changing experience.

    It was a snappy Sabrett dog topped with mustard, sweet neon green pickle relish, diced onions, spicy sport peppers, tomato slices and a wedge of dill pickle. Every bite was overflowing with crunchy, spicy, sweet, sour, salty and savory goodness. In my 15 years of life it was literally one of the best things I had ever eaten. I still love them today.

    More than just a poem, the Chicago dog contains a lesson: ketchup doesn’t belong on a hot dog.

    It was brought to my attention that a true Chicago dog is made from Vienna Beef brand hot dogs and always includes celery salt. I’m down with both of those, so that’s what a true Chicago dog should be made with.

    If the United States freezes China’s assets, how do you think China will react?

    Tit for tat

    There are many American assets in China, estimated to be worth 2.2 trillion.

    The US companies that own these assets are not going to be happy with the US government if China were to freeze these assets.

    Do you think that the US companies owners and employees will vote for Biden next year if China freezes their assets in response to the US freezing Chinese assets?

    The old trick is repeated! Biden attempts to arrest Huawei executives with criminal charges!

    Jesus! These idiots cannot stop!

    Lavrov claimed at the UN General Assembly that Russia was misled by NATO at the end of the Cold War when it gave guarantees that it would not expand eastward. What was the situation back then that would have caused NATO to make such guarantees?

    Thought & Ideology

    The US foreign policy from 1948 to 1991 was centred around INTERNATIONAL LAW

    Diplomats, Army, Businessmen, Politicians worked as per INTERNATIONAL LAW and relied on their entire foreign policy from a derived paper from 1955 called ‘Peace during the Cold War’, penned right after the Korean War

    It taught a formula for maintaining peace and coexistence of different nations with different ideologies

    The core objectives of this ideology was :-

    • Strive for Peace always
    • No War Or conflict with Nuclear Nations
    • Preserving Human Spirits & Freedom
    • Ensuring Capitalism and Free Trade flow between allies
    • Economic Cooperation
    • Preserve and not endanger the Security of the United States and it’s allies

    Diplomats like McNamara, Kissinger, Baker etc were steeped in this doctrine and founded this doctrine

    Kennedy, Nixon, Bush Sr and Reagan followed this core ideology

    It was a healthy doctrine

    Barring a 7 year aberration with the Vietnam War (1968–1975).


    Thus James Baker easily promised not to expand eastwards

    He wanted a peaceful handshake with the Russians


    Post 1991, a new paper was published which reflected a NEW IDEOLOGY infecting the Americans

    A POST COLD WAR ORDER

    That was it’s early name

    INTERNATIONAL LAW quickly changed into what we know today as the INTERNATIONAL RULES BASED ORDER

    The core of objectives of this ideology were :-

    • The US has to lead the world into a permanent peace after the Cold War
    • The US must stop the rise of any nation that could lead the world into another cold war
    • The US must bring peace to Europe, the Middle East and Asia even at the cost of strategies that could heavily curtail freedom of thought and independence in those nations
    • The US must always maintain a lead in arms and troops and military power for the betterment of the whole world
    • Russia for its own people’s sake needed to be broken down further and controlled by the Rules based order to prevent it slipping back into anarchy and chaos
    • The Middle East and Europe had to be controlled by the USA for their own security and security of energy in the world

    This slowly became the leading ideology in USA with all diplomats born in 1966 or later (who are 57 years old or younger today) being steeped in this ideology and thought

    This was also called

    WDC as coined by Madeleine Albright – WEAKEN, DEMOCRATIZE, CONTROL

    Many Politicians, then in their 40s and early 50s endorsed this philosophy openly including Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Al Gore etc

    The US Ideology back then never considered Africa or China as serious

    This was the birth of the NEOCON ideology

    Bush Sr, Rice, Albright, Kagan, Nuland, Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Ned Price, John Kirby, John Kerry, Mitt Romney, Joe Biden have all been steeped with this Neocon Ideology or International Rules Based Order Ideology

    A Core part of this ideology is to bring peace to Europe by controlling Europe & to break down and weaken Russia

    To do this NATO had to keep expanding

    A Dramatic turnaround from the Old Ideology of INTERNATIONAL LAW


    Today this is the leading ideology but since this ideology doesn’t mention China or Africa or India or how to handle a tougher Putin, the Americans are clueless on how to continue

    Unless a new ideology for peaceful coexistence again develops , endorsed by 40–45 year old politicians and diplomats born on or after 1998 or Political Science Students born on or after 2006

    The US will slowly sink due to this Neocon policy

    Note most of the political ideologues of these thoughts are 65–70 years old at the very least


    The Ideology changed, thus NATO kept expanding

    That’s the Ideology that drives the US today

    Others who are steeped in this Ideology include :- Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer, Kishida and our favorite JUSTIN TRUDEAU

    As a dying person, what is your advice to the living?

    I can give you a first hand answer here.

    In 2009 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a grade 4 brain cancer, after surgery the oncologist came back with the sad news that the statistics look quite ugly, he gave me treatments for 9 months, and 6 months to one year to live.

    I was engaged preparing to marry in few months. We broke up, I didn’t see why I would leave a widow behind and break her heart.

    I had no desire to pursue anything further in life…

    It was a time of complete shutdown.

    I wanted to quit my job, however my managers managed to convince me to stay with a relaxed schedule…

    They started to teach me statistics again.

    An average of 1 year, means some people die in 3 years, while others die in 6 months, and that I should have the positivity to assume I’m on the long term survival side.

    By continuing to go to work, I kept myself busy, not thinking too much about my cancer.. I travelled , did some of the stuff I always wanted to do, visited places I always wanted to go.

    I started to revisit my friends, hang out with those I really liked, got rid of those who made me feel sad, or felt pity. There are those who just don’t know what to tell you, then it gets awkward…

    It is not something you want to talk about with everyone. You want to feel good, and not be down all the time.

    I started to be more of a minimalist.. I had no desire in all the nice stuff I had always dreamt of, as My life seemed to come to a stop

    However over time.. I started to realize that I’m happier .. I had special concerns for my parents, I started spending more time with my parents. With my family They are the joy of my life.. Too sad I never realized that earlier

    8 years later I’m still around, although the cancer hit back several times, and my left side is now paralyzed, I’m still active going to work, participating in charities, trying to keep myself busy and active.

    I was 32 when I was diagnosed, now hitting the 40’s I feel more mature, I’m guessing age is an important factor in how we take such news.

    After all life goes on, and it is how you take the news that makes all the difference..

    Keep busy, don’t let your mind wander too much.. No one knows when you are going to die..

    There’s a shock at the beginning, try to pass it, embrace the news and you will feel the tranquility after a while..

    My key messages would be:

    • no one knows when you are going to die, all doctors have are statistics.
    • Happiness is in the small and little things.. Time with family, reading a good book, listening to nice music, enjoying a movie.. Spending time on the beach, watching a sunset, nature, forest , a bird…
    • Through charity work I started to appreciate what I have, there are sooo many underprivileged people who would dream of what we take as granted, running water, electricity, food,medicine, family.
    • Each night I count at least 10 things I’m grateful for in my life.
    • I also started to keep a journal of the things that make me really happy and doing more of that.

    Lavrov: “If the West want war, they can have it. If you insist, let’s decide it on the battlefield.”

    God bless Russia and Mr Putin and mr lavrov… The Russians have the balls to tell the truth.. unlike the English and the yanks.

    What exactly is a midlife crisis? And how common are they?

    Originally Answered: What exactly is a midlife crisis? And how common are they ?

    I can only speak from my experience, but here’s a personal account of my own midlife crisis. I was about 34 and I had a strong and relentless urge to pursue an unrealized goal that had been bothering me for quite a while, in fact, over 10 years.

    Long ago, I had wanted to pursue nursing school, and due to circumstances such as an abusive ex-husband who prevented me from studies, I was not able to do so. When I finally escaped that decade-long relationship, it took a while for me to get back on my feet as I had to start from scratch to build my finances, portfolio, and confidence up. Time passes, I remarry and have a child and although things are great with my career and family, the thought of nursing kept nagging me at the back of my mind. I got increasingly upset at myself that I had let so many years pass and wondered when would be the time for me to do what I originally wanted to do.

    So in my mid-thirties I made the decision to apply to nursing school, quickly took all the prerequisites and I got in a few months later, even though it was extremely competitive. I had to scale back on my other jobs and my schedule became MUCH more complicated. My social life definitely dwindled to nothing! Most people would ask, why are you going back to school? Don’t you like being a photographer and music teacher? Yes, yes I completely love my jobs. But I also want to be a nurse, and I will forever think “what if” if I do not pursue this.

    Nursing school is demanding, and there is so much material to know that is compressed in such a short time frame. A typical day would be: wake up at 530am for hospital shift from 7am–3pm, study/edit until family arrives home, feed/play/bathe toddler and put toddler to bed, study/edit until midnight. Rinse and repeat. There were times I felt overwhelmed and perhaps I bit off more than I could chew. The amount of textbooks and notes I have from my studies, stacked on top of each other towers over me! However, I feel the most alive when I am caring for patients, and when they thank me heartily for the care I’ve given to them, my heart swells and that is the best feeling in the world. Therefore, my midlife crisis was a catalyst for me to take a leap and reach for my goal of becoming a nurse.

    What does it feel like to become poor after being wealthy?

    I can tell the experience of a friend. who married a woman who was multi-millionaire since birth. Saying that they were rich is an understatement. They only flew first or business class, he got a new Porsche or Mercedes every single year and they always lived in the best areas in Manhattan,

    I remember when he and his wife moved to New York they hired an interior designer from Milan to do the decoration. They spent around a million dollars only with the renovation and furniture for the apartment.

    They had it all, and not even in my dreams I would imagine that one day they would lose it all.

    However, like many other stories, they didn’t lose it overnight, but little by little.

    I never imagined they would lose all their money because apart of being filthy rich, they were really lucky.

    My friend’s wife grew up being a millionaire. Annual trips to Aspen with her family, then summer in Europe and everything we imagine rich people do. I was lucky to enjoy some of these perks when I was invited to one of their vacation homes.

    They had a lot of money but they didn’t work. After all, they never needed to do it. She received a monthly allowance from her family that I believe was around 700K to 1M per year so they would probably not bother to work 9 to 6 to make $100K more.

    They lived this life for around 10 years. Then, they had some disagreement with their family and they stopped receiving the allowance. They lived by their savings for around 3 years. During those years they lived a very good life, but not so lavish as before. After 3 years, when they were about to start selling everything so they could have some money, her uncle died. He didn’t have any kids so she received a good sum of money that was sufficient for around 3 more years.

    When their bank accounts were about to run dry again her mother passed away and she inherited, along with her brothers, around 4M each.

    For most people, it would be sufficient for a lifetime, but they made very bad investments along with some poor decisions and I don’t know how, but they ended up losing everything in around 3 more years.

    After losing all their money they started living with the money of a trust her parents left to her, Something around 5K per month. But they are on their 50s, they never worked and have no professional skills and they have to pay rent (as they don’t have a home), pay all their bills and above all, health insurance with that amount.

    I saw them around 6 months ago and they were miserable. My friend developed a neurological disease due to the stress he endured in the last years. His wife was making all decisions as he wasn’t able to do it anymore. Unfortunately, he is so sick that he couldn’t work even if he wanted to.

    I was really sad it happened to them because they were really nice people, It’s easy to judge them for never bothered to have a job or be wiser with their money, however, she was born in a different universe for most of us. What we see as a lavish lifestyle she sees as a regular day since birth.

    I asked them if they needed anything and obviously what they need is their old lifestyle back. They moved to a modest apartment in a different state.

    She told me that the biggest issue is that they don’t know how to live like that. She can’t imagine what’s like to do their own grocery shopping, and worst than that, go to Walmart with a shopping list. She said that if she spent a little more on things she like she might not have money for the supermarket next week.

    I would not dare to say that this experience was humbling to them because they were always nice people, the difference is that they were nice people with lots of money. The only positive thing I believe this experience brought to them is that they are no longer superficial. They used to see everything like poverty, sorrow, and problems from a different perspective, and I used to see them through a mask that looked like they were using all the time

    Now, for the first time, I was able to see who they really are. What are their emotions, their fears, their desires, and their regrets… For the first time in their lives they desire things, they no longer pull their credit card and immediately satisfy their desires and in that sense, they look like real people for me.

    Every time I visited them over the years I always invited them for lunch, breakfast or coffee and even though I’m not wealthy I always offered to pay, and 6 months ago, when I saw them for the last time, I invited them to have a coffee at Starbucks and that was the first time in more than 15 years that they said thank you after I offered to pay for our breakfast.

    It felt different. They don’t need to thank me for anything because during their life, just by inviting me to stay with them, they offered me much more than anything I’ve ever offered to them, but for the first time in their lives, they are learning to value every small good thing that life gives to them.

    *******************************************************************
    UPDATE
    *******************************************************************

    Thank you all for the upvotes and feedbacks to this story. In fact, I had two stories about the theme but Quora doesn’t allow to publish two answers for the same question, so, for those who are interested I’ll post the second story here.

    In 2007 I was hired by a medium size tech company. The company had around 150 employees and they were growing fast. When I was hired they told me they would be moving to better offices in two months and they really did it. The new office was really impressive. Huge, very modern to the point it made the cover of a magazine.

    My boss and her husband were the owners of the company. They were simply amazing. She was sweet, very polite and it was a pleasure to work for them. They were also very rich. In fact, she was so down to earth that it took me two months to realize that she was one of the owners of the company. It happened one day that we had a meeting with a client and she told me if I was OK to be squeezed on the back seat of her car, as another person was coming with us. I Imagined that she had one of those very small cars, but she showed up on a brand new convertible Porsche .

    Little by little, we became acquainted. They invited me to have dinner one night and I was impressed by how rich they really were, They lived on a mansion, the land was so big that they had a tennis court, swimming pool and a stable with 5 horses on their land. He also was a motor enthusiast and had 9 cars. They owned a farm and a beach house in another city, even though we lived in one of the most beautiful beach cities in the world.

    They made money fast because I was hired in 2007 and the company was founded in 2002 and it looked like they had a good lifestyle for some years.

    They were amazing people, very humble, very calm and you would never say they had so much money just by talking to them.

    I left the company by the end of 2007 because I received an offer to work in another place. I talked to them before accepting the offer, I explained my reasons and they were really supportive and told me that if I changed my mind the doors would be open.

    By the end of 2008, a former colleague contacted me asking for a reference as he was leaving the company. I asked why he was leaving the company and the told me that the company had gone into receivership. Basically, they were impacted by the GFC.

    They were so rich that I imagined that although the company had bankrupted they probably had a lot of savings.

    I never heard from them again until 2017.

    I had a health issue and I needed to see a specialist. When I got to the doctor, I was talking to the receptionist when I saw a sign with her name over her desk. (Let’s say Jennifer Parker – I’ll omit her real name). So I said to her. Hey Jennifer, what a coincidence, I had a boss with exactly the same name.

    Then she told me that she was not Jennifer, that Jennifer was the other receptionist, that she worked Monday and Tuesday and Jenniffer Wednesday to Friday. I saw the doctor and two weeks later I came back for my return and when I arrived who I see working as a receptionist there? My former boss.

    When she saw me she recognized me and told me that the other receptionist told what happened and when she saw my name she connected the dots.

    She told me what happened to the company, basically was a problem with the contracts they made and as they weren’t able to get a new loan from the bank they could no longer keep the company and pay their debts. With that, they lost everything, not only the company but literally everything.

    Their kids moved from private to public schools, they had all their cars, properties and assets confiscated and ended moving to a small apartment near the city. Her husband was able to get a new job (at nearly 60 years of age) and she had to go back to work to complement their income.

    It was a huge surprise for me because you always expect that these things will happen to bad people, but never to nice people like them. They were honest, decent, hardworking, family oriented, and everybody in the office liked them.

    Coincidentally I bumped into them again 3 months later in the mall. What surprised me the most is that they were able to go from a very rich to a very modest lifestyle without changing who they were. We sit together to have lunch in the food court and they were living like that was the life they always had. They were exactly the same people I met 10 years before, they were happy, making jokes with their kids (that were teenagers by then) and even when she told me what happened she didn’t do it with sadness.

    I don’t know how they managed everything so well. Going through an experience like that could be very damaging, but it looks like they had a way to cope with everything.

    It taught me a lesson that money can’t be trusted, life can be full of unexpected events with many things out of our control.

    Spock – McCoy banter and friendship

    Starlink lost over 200 satellites in two months

    Pay attention to this bit of news. -MM

    Starlink, a satellite constellation operated by aerospace company SpaceX, lost 212 satellites in the period spanning July 18th and September 18th, data compiled by satellitemap.space shows.

    Data shows the number of burned-up satellites steadily increasing over the past three years, but a significant spike can be observed starting the month of July.

    It’s unclear whether these satellites were scheduled to de-orbit or whether the burn-ups were a result of a failure. Cybernews has reached out to SpaceX for comment but has not received a response.

    Some experts questioned the accuracy of numbers posted on the tracker website, saying they appeared to be unusually high. According to satellitemap.space, its data is based on public tracking information published on space-track and elsewhere.

    Starlink satellites are designed to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their life cycle, which is approximately five years.

    SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. Over 5,000 have been sent into Earth’s lower orbit since then. Of those, about 4,500 are believed to be active.

    Satellites can also be vulnerable to electromagnetic storms, with strong solar flares recorded this summer as the sun enters a period of heightened activity.

    Destructive solar events have affected Starlink before. In February last year, SpaceX said it lost 40 new satellites shortly after launch because of an electromagnetic storm. When accounting for the rocket launch, it potentially cost the company about $100 million in damages.

    Steak with Gorgonzola Thyme Crust

    img 5811
    img 5811

    Yield: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 (6 ounce) beef tenderloin or small rib eye steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick
    • 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
    • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Wisconsin Gorgonzola cheese

    Instructions

    1. Heat broiler.
    2. Spoon Worcestershire sauce over both sides of steaks; let stand for 5 minutes.
    3. Sprinkle garlic and pepper over steaks. Place steaks on rack of broiler pan.
    4. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat source for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare steak.
    5. Remove pan from broiler. Sprinkle thyme, then cheese over steaks.
    6. Return to oven and broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

    China is Sending Armored Vehicles To Mali Africa ! U.S PANIC

    Nations like Mali have been overlooked in international forums, but as China’s prominence rises, Mali has found a key ally. This video explores China’s involvement in Mali’s development and security, delving into the intricate dynamics of China’s relationship with Africa and its potential implications for the global stage.

    What was the most expensive thing you ever got for free, because someone made a mistake and didn’t charge you?

    Back in 1983, I needed an upscale cocktail dress for a cosmetic industry function. I found a delightful $1200 silk dress marked down 50% to $600. It has a tiny rip by the zipper that I could repair but it was still way over my budget. (I was a very junior marketing person at the time, so not earning great.)

    I asked the sales clerk if they do better on the price due to the rip and she agreed to take another 50% off bringing it to $300. She retickets it over the original ticket and the 1st sale ticket. Still more than I could truly afford but I decided to buy it anyway.

    I go to the cashier to pay and she asked me if it came off the 50% sale rack. When I said it was, she says it is 50% off and rings $150 into the register, instead of the $300, even though it had multiple sales tickets on it. Lucky me, I’m thinking.

    But before I can pay, she notices the small rip and says she will deduct an extra $50 which now brings it to $100. I happily paid and left the store ASAP, just in case. Lol

    And I received many compliments for my dress at the event.

    If someone knocked on your door, with tears in their eyes, saying they haven’t eaten for days and beg you to give them food, would you?

    Walking into a McDonald’s one morning a young couple pretty dirty living rough approached me. The young man probably mid twenties asked if I could buy his girlfriend a egg McMuffin because they only had a handful of change not enough for the sandwich. So I asked them to come to the counter with me and asked them what on the board they would eat. The young man’s eyes went wide. Told me they had not eaten in three days. I said you can have whatever you like. The both asked for the big breakfast and a juice and a milk. I told them maybe they should order the sandwich she wanted as well. they were extremely happy they thanked me. They went and sat outside ate their meals cleaned up and moved on. Maybe they don’t even remember the event in their lives. But I was satisfied that I and spent my money wisely and am still left with a good memory of a McDonald’s breakfast when I was heading to get a seniors coffee.

    BEDAZZLED Clip – “Famous Writer” (2000) Brendan Fraser

    PLOT: Desperate to gain the affection of a beautiful co-worker, Elliot (Brendan Fraser) strikes a deal with the Devil (Elizabeth Hurley) — a drop dead gorgeous woman with a wicked sense of humor. In exchange for Elliot’s soul, she will grant him 7 wishes. But with each wish, he gets more than he asked for.

    Groovy living

    2023 10 05 10 19
    2023 10 05 10 19

    In the middle 1970’s I visited my fathers’ second cousin in Youngstown, Ohio. He had two daughters my age. And we stayed with them. Those girls were tall, blonde and nice. I’ll bet that they became amazing when they filled out and became grown women. I’ll tell you what.

    They lived in a nice suburb, and it was decked out in mod 1970’s style. Silver and velvet wall paper, lots and lots of shag carpeting. A nice avocado green kitchen with wood trim, and they even had a downstairs cellar pool table. I was stunned. They were so groovy!

    Times change. I know. Today, I want to dedicate some photos to the 1970’s era. Those of you that know… KNOW.

    What is the craziest thing you’ve seen in a private school?

    A little boy was beating on a little girl at a private school where I was working as a regular substitute teacher. None of the regular teachers were doing anything, so I went over and separated them. I was called into the office and told that touching children at their school was forbidden. I explained the situation, and they said it didn’t matter why, we were not to do it. Their ATTORNEYS had made it clear to them that no adult was to touch a child for any reason in their school building or on their property. Period. I went home and searched news services for anything that might have caused attorneys to insist that little boys be allowed to beat on little girls while teachers looked on. Yeh, there was quite a scandal, I couldn’t believe I’d never heard about it. I went into the office the next day first thing, and explained to the principal why standing by and letting that small child be physically terrorized was just as bad as what the attorneys were trying to prevent. He wouldn’t hear it. I walked out and never went back.

    Peppered Beef Puffs

    Beef Curry Puffs 16 768x512 1
    Beef Curry Puffs 16 768×512 1

    Yield: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    Steak

    • 2 pounds minced steak
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/2 cup packaged dry breadcrumbs
    • 6 shallots
    • Salt, pepper
    • (2 ounces butter
    • 1 pound packet puff pastry
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tablespoon water

    Mushroom Sauce

    • 3 ounces butter
    • 8 ounces button mushrooms
    • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup dry red wine
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 2 beef stock cubes
    • 1/2 teaspoon basil
    • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
    • Salt, pepper

    Instructions

    Steak

    1. Put meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, finely chopped shallots, salt and pepper into bowl; mix well.
    2. Divide meat into 6 equal portions. Shape into small loaves, pressing in lightly.
    3. Heat butter in frying pan, cook loaves on all sides until golden brown, remove from pan, cool.
    4. Cut pastry into 6 equal portions, roll out each portion to 9 x 5 inches rectangle.
    5. Put cold meatloaf into center of each pastry strip, brush edges of pastry with egg yolk mixture.
    6. Bake in hot oven for 10 minutes or until golden, reduce heat to moderate, cook further 15 minutes.
    7. Serve sauce separately.

    Mushroom Sauce

    1. Heat butter in pan.
    2. Add finely sliced mushrooms, sauté until mushrooms are tender.
    3. Add flour, stir until combined; cook for 1 minute.
    4. Remove pan from heat, add wine, water and crumbled stock cubes.
    5. Return pan to heat, stir until sauce boils and thickens; season with salt and pepper.
    6. Add basil and tomato paste, mix well.
    7. Simmer sauce uncovered for 5 minutes.

    What is the biggest culture in China?

    The culture of the Han people is the biggest culture in China.

    Han Chinese constitute approximately 92% of the population of China and 95% of Taiwan; 76% of Singapore, 23% of Malaysia, and about 17% of the global population – making them the world’s largest ethnic group, numbering over 1.3 billion people.

    image 8
    image 8
    • Malaysian Chinese children wearing Hanfu, to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival in Kuala Lumpur; Sept. 24, 2023

    Mandarin is the primary language of the Han people, and hence the official language of China, and with such a vast majority of the population identifying themselves as Han, you can find their influence at nearly every corner of China.

    image 45
    image 45

    The written history of the Han people dates back to 1,000 B.C., which is one of the longest unbroken written histories in the world aside from Jewish people. The ancestral homelands of the Han, where they live in the highest concentration, are along the middle and lower parts of the Yellow River Basin, the Yangtze River basin, and the Pearl River.

    With an agricultural and urban culture, it is not until recent years that you would find the Han people in mountainous or desert regions. Despite being such a large group, the Han people still share a common culture of celebrating traditional cuisine, clothing, and customs, which have been passed down from its ancient history.

    • All other ethnic groups – 56 officially recognized – in China outside of the Han’s are considered to be minority groups, and the largest minority in China is the Zhuang people, whose population today is around 18 million. They are mostly located in Southern China, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
    image 44
    image 44
    • Young girls from the Zhuang ethnic group
    image 7
    image 7
    image 43
    image 43
    • Han Chinese commemorating the 2,574th anniversary at the birthplace of Confucius in Qufu, eastern Shandong Province, China.

    Chinese people tend to honour tradition, but they also embrace many parts of Western popular culture. Thanks in part to the enduring influence of Confucianism, Chinese customs include a strong sense of family, a deep respect for hierarchy, a reverence for education and an appreciation for harmony over conflict.

    Why do so many people suddenly think it’s acceptable to continue to live with their parents into adulthood?

    You used to be able to work 40 hours and rent a HOUSE.

    When I first started going to college a huge 4 bedroom house that allowed pets was 1250 a month. Now its 1400 for a decent 1 bedroom apartment. A really shitty two bedroom is available for 1400 but no pets.

    Just 8 years ago when I first turned 18 and moved out — you paid first and last or first and deposit to move in.

    Now you have to pay first, last, full month as deposit, plus extra for the pets. If I had 5000 to move somewhere I’d be buying a house.

    Two people working 45 hours plus weekend side gigs dont even make enough to clear the 1600 monthly rent necessary for our barely adequate housing for myself and our daughter. I have a Masters in administration. I didnt pick something shitty, I chose to ignore passions and get a useful degree. Every year that goes by — the decent jobs now only schedule you 31 hours, because at 32 they’re required to pay benefits. Now, if you’ve been there 5 years but you’re sick for a week, they still fire you. Because now companies dont care. They don’t know your name. They have 15 people lined up for your job.

    Rent should be 30% of your income. Now? Its 85%. We pay for our food with our side gig money. We need a car for work but we share one. We have never had credit cards, because we could never even fathom spending money we dont have? So our credit, while not horrible, isnt good. We dont have enough credit nor enough savings to even consider buying a house, which are all absolutely overwhelmingly expensive even out an hour out of town. I got up to working 80+ hours a week before finally I couldn’t anymore and it was costing me raising my daughter. We never took vacations, only my daughter and dogs have insurance because it was too expensive for us adults. We cooked our own meals, we used our left overs, I meal planned for a month at a time. We had very few special occasions for treats, and I sought out all free and cheap kids fun stuff. Crafts and socializing. But then rent got higher. And higher. And I couldn’t work any more. My partner already worked an 8-6 5 days a week. I worked two jobs, 31 hours at my degreed office job. Another 45 at any restaurant that needed help.

    There is NO reason two people working for above minimum wage 40+ hours a week shouldn’t be capable of buying a home. Renting shouldn’t cost all of our money. We should be allowed to have pets.

    Like what the fuck.

    It didnt become “suddenly acceptable “ it became UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY.

    Bedazzled Elliot has a TINY problem

    Scene from the movie Bedazzled where a huge basketball star discovers he has a small penis.

    Have you ever talked a mugger out of robbing you?

    Back in the late ’60s, my father, a self-employed plumber, was working in a house in a Brooklyn neighborhood that wasn’t a very good one.

    My dad had no problems working in the poorer neighborhoods. He was especially compassionate about larger families in smaller homes with one bathroom.

    One day, while working in a house, he found he needed some tools from his car. Some guy came up from behind him and held a knife to his neck.

    Gimme the money,” he told dad.

    He rummaged through dad’s pockets.

    That’s not the money,” dad said calmly, “those are parts for my plumbing clients. My money is in my other pocket.”

    As dad went to get his money, the lady of the house came running out.

    Please, mister, don’t hurt the plumber! He has to fix our toilet!” she pleaded.

    You a plumber?” The mugger asked.

    Yes,” my father answered.

    My toilet’s been broken in my apartment for weeks,” the mugger added. “The landlord won’t fix it. My kids all gotta use the neighbor’s.”

    My dad said quietly, “Let me finish here and I’ll come to your house and see if I can fix yours.”

    The mugger removed the knife and stepped back.

    You’d do that—for me?”

    For you and your family,” my dad said.

    Dad wrote down the address and promised he’d be there soon. The mugger walked away.

    The lady of the house wanted to call the police. Dad said no, not to worry. He fixed their single toilet, and, sure enough, drove to the mugger’s apartment. Dad saw a bunch of children and no working toilet. Dad fixed the problem.

    The mugger shook dad’s hand and started to cry. He hugged dad and apologized over and over for trying to rob him. My dad hugged him back.

    He told the mugger, “Son, if you want to really help your family, don’t keep robbing people. If you go to jail, who will help them? Try to get a job. I know it’s hard.”

    My dad came home that night and told us this story over dinner. My brother and I thought our dad was losing his mind. I started to cry thinking my father was in danger.

    He could have hurt you, Daddy!”

    My dad pulled me to his side. “No baby, that man wasn’t looking to hurt people. He just wanted money for his family.”

    How can you tell?” I asked.

    When he put the knife to my neck, the blade wasn’t sharp. It didn’t leave a cut. He couldn’t have cut butter with it. He was looking for help.”

    My father was just like that. He was the sort who would pick up hitch hikers and swear he was going their way—even if it was really out of his way. I saw him stop a few times in the pouring rain to help people—someone changing a tire or needed a jump start for their battery. One man wanted to give dad money for helping, and dad, always with a smile, would say no.

    I miss my dad.

    Bedazzled – Rich

    Fun clip.

    The Politico reports that the infrastructure bill sends a message to China who had been outpacing the United States on infrastructure. Will this legislation put the United States on more of a competitive pace with China to may surpass them?

    BEIJING: The infrastructure bill touted by the Biden administration is not as wonderful as the Democrat Party claims it to be.

    The US$1 trillion bill will lead the US federal government into deeper sovereign debt while creating new infrastructure projects that will take decades to complete if approved.

    The government boondoggle will not free up funding immediately for the construction of new highways, bridges and railroad lines, since that requires contractors winning approvals from local, state and federal governments while they must obtain

    hundreds of inspectors’ permits and support from local community activists.

    Building a bridge in the United States is not a simple process even if Washington provides ample funding for it.

    I had witnessed the complexities of government-back infrastructure when I lived in Dallas from 2007 to 2010 and I was assigned to cover the Dallas County Commissioners’ Court public hearing every Tuesday morning for the Dallas Blog.

    You would often hear amazing ideas to construct major projects in Dallas County but then they got political. Even extending the highway a few extra miles required much public debates, while the landowners directly impacted sought big payouts from government agencies.

    But that was just the beginning. Contractors made bids to compete for the project and if they lost out they hired protestors to attend the Dallas County Commissioners’ Court to give speeches claiming the new project would become an environmental hazard or harm local communities.

    If Dallas County Commissioners voted in favor of the highway extension, they required an environmental impact report that took years to complete.

    Most construction projects from the moment they are approved to the time contractors start building took seven to nine years.

    I recall one time after two decades of waiting for approvals; contractors for a toll road extension in North Dallas were blocked from construction when an elected official at the Dallas County Commissioners’ Court announced he would block it since the leading construction firm failed to meet racial hiring quotas on the management side.

    But upon closer review, I learned from County officials that the elected official allegedly was upset the contractor never gave him a donation for his re-election campaign.

    I mention this tale to explain why the US will continue to struggle in playing catch up with China in regards to infrastructure. Beijing is way ahead and Washington will not be able to start construction on new projects for another few years at the earliest.

    You can review the Politico article with the link HERE.

    As reported by Politico:

    But a review of proposed spending in Beijing’s latest annual budget and five-year plan indicate that the U.S. faces an enormous challenge merely in keeping up. Here’s a number that is illustrative of the gap:

    China poured more cement from 2011-2013 than the U.S. did in the entire 20th century.

    Numbers from the National Bureau of Statistics show that China spent about $8 trillion on infrastructure investment in 2020.

    The U.S. spent $146 billion in federal money over the same period.

    A comparison of 2018 infrastructure spending as a percentage of GDP by 48 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries ranked China first at 5.57 percent compared to 0.52 percent for the U.S.”

    In recent years, China has constructed some of the world’s finest infrastructure projects. They had built very long sea bridges, road tunnels and highways reaching to many parts of the country.

    The building in China will keep going and the US will fall further and further behind.

    Star Trek – Throw The Switch

    Biden said that America will go to war if China invades Taiwan. If China does invade, and the US declares war on China, will the US military reintroduce the Draft?

    It is impossible for Biden to have made such a statement

    Impossible!!!

    That’s because the US officially follows the ONE CHINA POLICY

    This means China can never invade Taiwan because they are the same country

    It’s like India invading Punjab tomorrow


    So all US can do is to provide weapons to Taiwan and claim to help them defend themselves citing human rights and aggression

    It will be like a Civil War & extension of the 1931–1949 Chinese Civil War


    US in fact not fight against China at all

    They will give an excuse of Chinese aggression and get ASEAN to turn against Taiwan and get the entire South China Sea nations to join a Military Alliance with the United States by SACRIFICING TAIWAN

    That is the game plan of the US termed Operation Majullah coined by Pompeo in 2018

    • To provoke China into an invasion of Taiwan by 2023 (Assuming Trump won the election in 2020, so now 2025–2027)
    • To convince a terrified Philippines & Vietnam into joining US in a Military alliance and allowing NATO to expand to South East Asia
    • Persuading ASEAN to join NATO and finish the encircled shield against China and recommence a trade war with full cooperation of the ASEAN to hopefully break the CPC and it’s hold on China

    Of course Trumps defeat has set back Operation Majullah badly because this operation assumed Russia would be close to the US under Trump (Assuming he won 2020)

    Yet now Russia is firmly with China so that opens up a long trade route

    Plus the world had COVID so US is economically much weaker

    Plus the Ukraine war has draines the West of it’s influence and strengthened China and Russia and the BRICS

    So it’s a different world now and Operation Majullah would be redundant now

    “THIS IS IT! Most people have No idea what is Happening in Maui, Oprah & the Rock

    Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Oprah Winfrey face backlash for asking fans to donate to Maui fund instead of contributing more themselves The family of a woman who died trying to flee a wildfire on Maui is suing the county, the state and one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, alleging they neglected to maintain their fire-prone property.

    https://youtu.be/NFT2EW9B9hw

    What shocked you when you opened someone’s safe deposit box at the bank?

    In the early 80’s I was Operations Officer (in charge of all non-lending, non-trust functions) of the headquarters branch of a large, state-wide bank. 80 odd branch employees on the first three floors, senior management of the region and holding company on floors 7–11.

    This bank had grown and evolved from a family owned institution, and a solid chunk of the shares were still held by family members, and a number of the Directors and senior managers were related. A former President and Chairman had recently died, and his son, a Senior Vice President in charge of Commercial Lending, was his estate’s Personal Representative, but had not yet filed and received Letters of Administration. In addition, the owner keys could not be located, so it would need to be drilled.

    Under our state’s laws, a safe deposit box can be opened, an inventory of contents made, and certain time-sensitive items can be removed, such as a will or life insurance policy. As a large office with a disproportionate ratio of older customers, this was something we saw with some frequency. It required the bank’s Safe Deposit Custodian (a non-officer employee), an officer, and a locksmith. Unlike normal box access, the bank representatives had to be present, go to a private room in the Safe Deposit area with the estate representative, make the inventory and insure only authorized items were removed, and then re-secure the box contents pending further legal proceedings.

    Not this time. Me, the Custodian, the Senior Vice President son, the Corporate General Counsel, and a stenographer from the holding company cluster around the locksmith, who had the door open in about 30 seconds. We took the rather large size box upstairs to a Corporate conference room and opened it.

    It contained this somewhat crusty old gentleman’s most precious and important documents – 40 years or so of birthday cards, Christmas cards, letters and notes to and from his wife, children and grandchildren, school papers and projects, refrigerator drawings, and family pictures. Not a single will, stock certificate, or business paper.

    There was not a dry eye in the room.

    5 Scary Truths about The Digital Nomad Life

    This NEEDS to be said.

    Can China destroy the American Navy fleet if they get into Chinese waters?

    China can destroy any fleet anywhere in the world. Not only an American one. Not only near and around China, but anywhere.

    The idea that China has the ability, technology, capability and wherewithal to destroy a complete fleet of military grade vessels is well known, well established and incorporated in contemporaneous Pentagon planning scenarios.

    Just because China CAN, does not mean that it WILL.

    After all, the United States can eliminate hunger, and homelessness overnight simply by funneling a fraction of the USA budget dedicated to Ukraine towards the needs of American citizens. But, of course that’s NEVER going to happen.

    Questions like these used to raise my ire; get me infuriated by the ignorance of those questioning the obvious, and a general fury at that the troll and ‘bot attacks that invariably follow. But now, given the utter hopelessness of the Untied States on the global stage, I just shrug my shoulders and feel pity.

    It’s like this question:

    Can the United States drop a nuclear weapon on Beijing?

    Well. Yes it can.

    But it won’t.

    Or this question:

    Can the United States assassinate Alexander Putin?

    Well, it can.

    But it won’t.

    Or this question:

    Can I force my spouse to eat dog shit?

    Well, you can.

    But you won’t.

    In all the cases above, a hypothetical fantasy is generated. But the scenario will never occur where the test of validity were to be realized.

    Why?

    Because other factors come into play.

    So, let’s go back to the question at hand.

    Can China wipe out any American fleet that sails near China?

    Well, it is obvious. Of course it can.

    Will it do so.

    No. Other factors come into play.

    I know that there are ‘bots, teenagers, drunken misfits, and trolls that want to argue this point, but China is not stupid. It will maximize the damage through retaliatory measures it deems suitable, given the situation and scenarios that manifested.

    My PERSONAL opinion is that if China sinks one fleet, it will sink them all.

    The reason is simple; economies of scale.

    And that’s not all, folks.

    Not by a long shot.

    Sorry to say.

    So, let’s just keep our personal fantasies, and delusions to ourselves. Just because you own a shotgun, doesn’t mean that you intend to go Postal, perform a “suicide by cop” or have a Columbine mass shooting with it. Seriously. Those are just fantasies. Nothing more.

    China is currently working with the United States on a wide range of issues, and as the provocations by the neocon arm of the American government subsides, so with the over all prosperity of the (remaining) American middle class increase.

    It’s a win-win for everyone!

    Why are so many smart and diligent people successful in school but fail in real life?

    Here’s “School-Smart” vs “Street-Smart” in a LEGO analogy:

    School is like getting a very complex LEGO set:

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    The goal: “We expect you to put this Lego together,. We will show you how to do it! Follow the instructions and you will succeed!”

    So, we go from first grade through to sixth grade.

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    In each grade, we get a set of instructions to follow:

    For example, this is first grade:

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    Attention!

    If we fail to meet the required standards, we WON’T be able to move forward. If we DO meet the standards, we will be allowed to move to the next level — each level stacks upon the other, growing in complexity.

    If we complete elementary, we move on to middle school, and then to high school:

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    Once we successfully finish high school, we move on to college. We continue “stacking” up ALL the sets of instructions, meeting the standards.

    If we don’t do it EXACTLY as expected, we will fail!

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    Finally, the day comes …

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    We celebrate …

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    CONGRATULATIONS! We all get a “certificate” that proves we are capable of following very complex instructions.

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    Then, we face the real world …

    The real world is also like Lego, but with NO INSTRUCTIONS!

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    We feel confused and overwhelmed. “What should I do?” we ask ourselves.

    We urgently need someone to tell us what to do (boss). After all, we were all trained to FOLLOW instructions, indoctrinated, not really educated.

    What’s the difference?

    Indoctrination teaches us WHAT to think, not HOW to think!


    So, to answer your question, why are so many smart and diligent people successful in school but fail in real life?

    Being “school-smart” is radically different than being “street-smart.”

    Do you want to be “street-smart?”

    Consider this: We are now in an age where computers, algorithms and robots, are unbeatable at FOLLOWING instructions. If our value to the world is being good at following instructions, we then do NOT stand a chance at succeeding in today’s new economic environment.

    Who will win?

    “Street-Smart” in the new economy means we have extraordinary creative skills, meaning that we can innovate and think “outside the box.”

    Creativity CANNOT be automated!

    Computers, robots and algorithms CANNOT compete with us in creativity. Well, at least not yet …

    Schools MUST stop “standardizing” us. We are all different and that’s where success comes from, from our unique abilities and strengths that make us stand out in this competitive world.

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    We now live in a very different world. Our educational system was built and perfected to serve the Industrial Age. The Industrial Age was all about competing with efficiencies. Following instructions with excellence increased productivity. Today that work belongs to machines, not to us.

    Today the world belongs to CREATORS!

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    There are NO instructions ahead of us! The way we solved things yesterday is now outdated. Change is only accelerating.

    The sooner we understand this, the better chance we all have at succeeding in this world of exponential change.

    THE REAL REASONS WE LEFT THE UNITED STATES (and why we can’t move back)

    We left the United States for several reasons, but only one prevents us from ever moving back. Are we upset about it? NO! Our only regret is not leaving SOONER!

    Why is America the best place to live?

    Absolutely not the best to live in, I would say it’s the worst developed country to live in.

    Life for most people is about work, just running a hamster wheel hoping not to slip or you will be climbing out a hole. I remember life being a rat race just staying afloat and never catching a break. I imagine wealthy people don’t experience this but when 80% of the country are living paycheck to paycheck, obviously that’s not a good sign.

    Food prices are triple sometimes four times more expensive than what I have paid in Western Europe for the same goods. Yet our minimum wage is significantly lower, so when 1 hours minimum wage barely covers a couple items of groceries, imagine how those families are feeling the sting for housing, water, utilities. Many 1 bedroom apartments cost more than an entire 1 month minimum wage.

    You will prioritize work over family, because there is little choice in the matter.

    So little choice because a social safety net is not available to help you, I’ve exhausted this option to death on hard times and it just wasn’t there. All I got was a lot of wasted time and disappointment.

    Healthcare, higher education, child care is exhorbitant, they will drain your disposable income, along with the high costs of basic things that Americans believe they are getting a great deal for, for example in UK you get higher speed internet for a fraction of the price an American pays, I have cable with lots of channels, WiFi, and landline for £40 a month, my mom has the same with less channels for over $169 a month (that was 2014 prices).

    The worst part of living in the US is the limited choices for people at the bottom, social mobility is low. There is this illusion you can make your life anything you want, this is available to the well connected and rich but it’s sold off as something all Americans can achieve through hard work and it’s not obtainable.

    Another issue is just existing in the US is a price. If I don’t want to be homeless and totally ostracized by society, I have to pay a price…just the act of existing means I must pay for health care at the very least. If you happen to fall on difficult times, the fines, fees, interest, just pile up and it consumes you. I compare it to someone piling rocks on your chest and sternum to your lungs collapse. The thought of trying to maintain a bare minimum life style while problems are karate chopping you from all angles is exhausting.

    In the 2.5 years I lived in the UK, at my very worst I have never felt this level of despair and hopelessness. If I allow myself to slightly remember my past in the US, the whole thought conjures up loads of anxiety, and resentment.

    The USA is NOT Letting Citizens Renounce

    What you didn’t mention and should have mentioned is that the US is one of only 4 countries in the world who taxes their citizens no matter where they live or where they make their income. So the obvious reason the US is rejecting renunciation of US citizenship is to keep wealthy international businessman from escaping this always/everywhere tax system.

    What is the most incredible thing you’ve seen someone work out in their head?

    My father and I were just chatting and he offhandedly said he wasn’t an educated man. I said “Not formally but you’ve had a great practical education.” He said “What do you mean?” Dad had left school after the 8th grade but had worked for a company that provided the equipment to move water, pumps and pipelines and such for many years. I asked “If you have a pipe 18” in diameter under a pressure of 15 pounds per square inch, how many gallons of water a minute are you moving?” He looked at me a moment, stared off into space for another moment and then gave me a number. I smiled and said “See? I’d have to dig out my textbooks and calculator to get an answer and you just did that in your head! Serious practical education!” I think he was pleased at my expression of respect.

    How will the USA react when BRICS will control 80% of the world’s petrol production with new members?

    G7 is in denial. According to them BRICS is a “gang that can’t shoot straight” due to the fact that “all members have their own individual interests”.

    They even fail to realize what this sort of criticism says about their “rules based order” where everybody is supposed to jump or run on command, regardless of own interests, and they have a nerve to call it freedom and democracy.

    Giant lights flame: and check out Taiwan team’s arrival

    Wow! Just WOW!

    How do you respond to people who say money is everything?

    When my wife was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer, I found out the worth of money.

    It allowed me to buy time with my wife. She was given an 18 month prognosis by her Gynocological Oncologist. (Don’t be ashamed if you didn’t know that was a medical specialty, I didn’t either in April of 2016 when we met Dr. Steven Andrews. Now, his name goes to any woman who might need it.) She and I resolved to fight her cancer for two reasons:

    1. To have as much quality time as possible.
    2. For whatever her fight could teach her team for the NEXT woman.

    We knew there were limits to what insurance would pay. I accepted them, she wasn’t so sanguine. There were a couple of times she begged me not to go on because of what we were spending. I firmly said NO.

    In the end, due to the medical miracles Dr. Andrews and his team pulled out of their collective asses on a regular basis, Andrea’s 18 months became over 4 years. I held her hand when she took her last breath, kissed her cooling forehead, and called the home Hospice nurse to pronounce her death officially.

    The cost? 85% of our retirement savings. I will be living most of the rest of my life on Social Security. The worth? As the MasterCard commercials say: PRICELESS. She and I made memories together in many different ways, many of them during the time we weren’t supposed to get. Yes, hers are gone, but mine remain, and that is worth everything to me. I knowingly spent the money to keep her beside me as long as she was willing to fight.

    And Dr. Andrews may be a step closer to saving another lady later. I know he’ll give many more extra time with their loved ones.

    I bought time, and it was worth incalculablely more than the money I spent.

    In Malaysia, I noticed all the newly built buildings, public transportation, and park are not properly maintained after a few years. Everything looks run down. Is this a norm here or lack of funds?

    I’m sure you are aware, but I don’t live in Malaysia. I’ve only had the privilege of visiting thus far. While in Kuala Lumpur, which I assume qualifies as a large city, I was very taken with the architecture. In my opinion, it was like a mosaic of old and new. Colonial and modern. Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Some bright and colorful like the Chinese temples, others somber and stately like the buildings from colonial days, others bright and shiny like the Merdeka building and the Petronas towers.

    I can’t deny that some streets could do with some cleaning and anti-littering campaigns. But I also don’t expect perfection from a developing country and I certainly shouldn’t complain when I am a guest in the country and treated with such kindness from hotel staff and Grab drivers, to dear friends I cherish. Without fail I was made to feel welcome. Who am I to judge?

    If you are bothered by messy streets then I have a few suggestions. First, you could organize meetings to mobilize people in the area to have a community beautification day where any able bodies who are willing could pick up trash, sweep the streets, and make minor repairs to building fronts. Secondly, you could print and pass out pamphlets highlighting the importance of a clean community environment for the sake of disease prevention. Third, petition the government for funds to revitalize and gentrify the area and to pay more people for trash collection. In my state the cities employ people for the purpose of landscaping and garbage disposal. I’m not sure how that works in Malaysia though.

    If none of that helps then move. Seriously. If you are unhappy and uncomfortable there’s no reason to stay. And the people around you likely don’t appreciate the complaints without action.

    Is the EU’s Global Gateway project aimed at competing with China’s Belt and Road Initiative?

    Let me tell you the biggest thing that the EU’s Global Gateway project has accomplished in the past nine months.

    It organised a party. One party.

    It wasn’t even a real party. It was an online party.

    Despite being an online party, it cost $400,000.

    Next, guess how many people showed up for the party.

    Six. Only SIX.

    Well, that means the virtual party cost about $66,667 per attendee.

    Does this inspire you with confidence about how skilfully the EU will manage its budget around the Global Gateway? Do you even feel sure that the EU will actually build any infrastructure in the real world – as opposed to imaginary party venues in the Metaverse?

    At the moment, it is meaningless to speak of the EU Global Gateway competing with China’s BRI. They are just not doing the same sorts of things. China is building mega-sized ports, bridges, highways and railways. The EU is holding online parties for six pax.

    Zelensky at the UN, kicking and screaming

    The Duran. Very interesting.

    What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

    I didn’t actually witness it, but, saw the aftermath. My youngest daughter was a bit reserved and quiet. She had a lot of friends, though and they nicknamed her “Chipper”.

    One day I got a call from the Dean of Girls at her junior high school asking if I could come in. When I got there the first thing I saw was two hall lockers (the tall upright ones) with the doors caved in.

    The Dean told me that some of the boys had been getting grabby.

    “Chipper” was talking with some friends in the hall when a passing boy grabbed her breast. She never said a word, she grabbed him by the throat and proceeded to try to throw him through a locker twice.

    The Dean said, when she got there, the boy was crumpled on the floor with my daughter standing over him daring him to get up.

    I said: “I’m proud of her. But, I’m willing to pay for the damages.”

    The Dean smiled and told me the boy’s parents were on the way and they were going to pay for the damages.

    When I picked my daughter up to ride home. I said: “You made a bit of a mess”. She said: “He had it coming.”

    I said: “You’re right. How about we stop for ice cream?”

    As a Christian man, back in my Asian church, I never struggled with lust for women because I’m not really attracted to Asian women but at my new church with a lot of different ethnicities, I’m really struggling with lust for women. What should I do?

    Become a Muslim and marry four of them and have children with each of them.

    China Foreign Related Military tech.

    When China had no navy or air force, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps would dare to cross Yalu River in North Korea. After China has an air force, the United States only dares to sit across the 17 degrees north latitude. After China’s naval and air rocket forces are formed, we don’t have any more problems dealing with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. The Marine Corps is currently developing a hypersonic missile to increase its presence in Japan and South Korea. The question is, aren’t fixedly deployed missile bases vulnerable to missile bombings? When the island and the mainland China fire missiles at each other, which one suffers more? As a result, the Air Force basically has no chance in the Western Pacific. Warships can still run away, but aircraft are really useless. Guam was immediately taken care of by first wave of Dongfeng 26.

    local wars require detailed analysis. If it is a protracted all-out war, the United States will be exhausted. No matter how profitable the financial industry is, a real fight still depends on how many tons of steel are produced.The Chinese and American militaries are the only militaries in the world that have completed information transformation and have begun to move towards intelligent and unmanned armies. The problem with the U.S. military is that it wants to integrate the entire U.S. military into a digital command system. As a result, various practical factors and historical problems have made it bloated and complicated. The Chinese military is relatively late due to its military reform, confidentiality system and informatization changes. The outside world has always been blind to the internal situation of the military and has only a partial understanding. Although more and more new equipment and new technologies are being exposed, the People’s Liberation Army itself is becoming more and more mysterious.

    Taking the 1998 flood fight and the 1998 earthquake fight as examples, we can intuitively understand the PLA’s combat readiness and mobilization status and shortcomings. With the improvement of the country’s comprehensive strength, the military no longer needs to be on the front line all the time. After all, the COVID-19 epidemic is just a glimpse, and it is more of a big test for politics and society. China is the only industrialized country in the world with all industrial categories, and it continues to invest in upgrading industrial capabilities. The marginal costs brought about by large-scale production are reduced, and a large number of engineering talents continue to promote technological progress and efficiency innovation while solving one problem after another. We can regard the COVID-19 epidemic as a global biological and chemical war waged by USA. China has not only demonstrated unparalleled industrial advantages and political mobilization advantages, but also exposed some problems. As the “lighthouse of the world”, the United States wanted to show off, but its butt was exposed. The war has extended from a battle of blood and fire to a comprehensive contest of technology, political system, population quality, industrial system, culture and public opinion. The boundaries between the military and civilians are gradually blurring. War is no longer the exclusive preserve of military personnel. Everyone is colliding in the whirlpool of the emergency times. We firmly believe that in the end, it is people who determine the victory of a war .

    (1) Army confrontation in local wars

    Assuming that armies of US and China engage in one on one decisive battle. When we read the report of US patriot performance is really rubbish. On our hand we have these weapon.

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    PHL-191, a long-range guided rocket, can be equipped with 370mm guided rockets and 760mm tactical missiles.

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    The Huolong 280A tactical missile has a double-cone warhead, commonly known as a water-floating bomb. The existing air defense system cannot effectively intercept it. You think rockets are fired at each other, but they are actually derailed missiles bullying the “patriots”

    Strategic Bureau Chief created top ten ranking of weapon each country, US weapon rank first in all category except rocket launcher, no matter how the US try to deceive US, we know truth.

    In other words, if it is an army duel alone, it will be on a battlefield of 100-500 kilometers. The U.S. Army can only be bombed unilaterally.

    (2) Air Force comparison

    In terms of overall combat strength, air power has always been the core of the US offensive. Even as the navy most favored by Congress, the core of offense is still aircraft carrier-based aircraft.After equipping the complete J-20 and J-16 series with WS15, the Chinese Air Force is the only one capable of fighting against the U.S. Air Force. At this stage, the Chinese Air Force is only transforming from homeland defense to peripheral offense. Relying on military bases deployed around the world, the U.S. Air Force can achieve global strikes. The United States dismantled the F22 production line and concentrated on producing the F35. Today, after the J-20 was put into service in batches, it is a stupid move. But there were no problems at the time. The original design intention of the F22 was to hunt the Su-27 on the battlefield in Eastern Europe. However, as an air superiority fighter, the F22 does not have ground bombing capabilities. The mission of the U.S. Air Force is to seize air superiority and then blow up all obstacles in front of it. The Army is responsible for cleaning up the battlefield. Just like the Gulf War. This is will need an in depth analysis after this article, i will write about air battle between J-20 and F-35. I will also write a comprehensive J-20 reception anything related to J-20 after this article.

    (3) Navy comparison

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    To be honest before 055 destroyed entered service, the chinese navy has no chance of winning a navy combat.

    The 055 changed everything, or to be more precise, it was the YJ-21 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile carried by the 055.

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    With a range of thousands of kilometers, the 055 destroyer is no longer the escort of the aircraft carrier, but the firepower center of the fleet. Instead, carrier-based aircraft only need to focus on driving away enemy fighters and cruise missiles. The 112-unit vertical launch system of the 055 itself was originally designed for air defense and anti-submarine warfare. When the electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier and the J-35 enter service and become combat effective, the PLA naval fleet will form a dual-core attack queue. At that time, nuclear power was no longer enough. conventional ballistic missile The United States has been researching stealth anti-ship missiles over the years, but the cost of developing them is too high, and the U.S. Navy has never been equipped with them. Ten years ago, there were no surface ships that could threaten the Navy. As a result, they have been making do with subsonic anti-ship missile. To put it bluntly, except for strategic nuclear submarines that launch nuclear warheads. Submarines have always been a hobby of second-rate navies. Only in a silent ambush in a fixed water area is there a chance of winning. Once targeted by a destroyer or anti-submarine aircraft, it can only be passively beaten. Therefore, the role of German submarines in World War II was not to confront the British and American navies head-on, but to intercept merchant ships.

    Now the Fujian ship is about to undergo sea trials. If the Ford aircraft carrier has not solved the reliability problem of the electromagnetic ejection and arresting device after the Fujian ship is put into service and has achieved combat effectiveness, it will be really a reverse event, we will have the upperhand.

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    Academician Ma Weiming. Academician Ma recently issued a document that our country needs to build a new type of warship, a nuclear-powered all-purpose ship that integrates electromagnetic guns, laser weapons, microwave weapons, all-electric propulsion systems, and comprehensive management systems, and is also equipped with two electromagnetic ejection tracks to launch unmanned ships. Man-machine. Of course, this kind of warship is indispensable for its electronic warfare system.

    (4) Mainland coastline versus islands and aircraft carrier battle groups

    Put aside the Grand Theater Chess. The most likely local war between China and the United States is in the Western Pacific, that is, around taiwan island. In the ten years from 2010 to 2020, the equipment of China’s navy and air force has made a complete leap forward. And many people who don’t care about current affairs still have their mindset of the last century.

    With the Rocket Force’s hypersonic missiles, the Air Force’s fifth-generation electronic warfare aircraft and long-range supersonic anti-ship missiles, the Navy’s aircraft carriers and 055 large-scale drive and the sea-based hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile Eagle 21, and combat support long-range early warning radar space-based reconnaissance With the launch of satellites, the area within 1,000 kilometers of China’s coastline has become an absolute military restricted area. 1,000 to 4,000 kilometers is China’s advantageous area for firepower projection. The decisive factor is the range of the ballistic missile.

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    Dongfeng 17 not only glides in the atmosphere to avoid all existing anti-missile systems, but more importantly, it is low cost.

    Dongfeng 17 uses the propeller of Dongfeng 16 to glide through the atmosphere to reach a range close to that of Dongfeng 21 , so the manufacturing cost is low. In recent years, China has made breakthroughs in the integrated molding technology of solid rocket motor fuel, which no longer requires manual carving and decoration of gunpowder pillars. Production costs have been significantly reduced, and the result is that ballistic missiles have become the price of cabbage, and Dongfeng 17 has begun to serve in large quantities. Unfortunately, Dongfeng 31 and Dongfeng 41 are too big, so they can only rely on manual modification of the gunpowder pillars.If the production cost of intercontinental ballistic missiles is reduced much in the future and waverider warheads and scramjet engines can be used, the picture will be so beautiful.When the Dongfeng missiles of the Rocket Force and the YJ-21 of the Navy and Air Force can effectively destroy the aircraft carrier fleet, the only one problem left is positioning.The simplest way to locate an aircraft carrier is to send a ship to follow it. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union’s strategy to deal with the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet was to use destroyer tracking and anti-ship missile saturation attacks.

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    Of course, during wartime, the aircraft carrier fleet spreads out and starts attacking hundreds of kilometers away, so tracking is only a last resort.Therefore, there are shore-based long-range early warning radars , space-based reconnaissance satellite patrols, underwater submarine patrols with unmanned underwater vehicles, large-scale early warning aircraft in the air, stealth unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and even electromagnetic signal reconnaissance. Ballistic missiles themselves can also serve as reconnaissance vehicles. In short, use all means to locate the enemy’s coordinates. Similarly, the farther away from the coastline, the fewer means of reconnaissance, and the more difficult it is for the aircraft carrier to accurately locate it. It’s just that the aircraft carrier loses its threat to land when it is far away from the coastline. And China’s aircraft carrier fleet has broken away from the barriers of the land air force and rocket force, and the danger has also greatly increased.Aircraft carriers at sea can still operate, but air force bases, naval ports and missile launch sites on land can only be named one by one as long as they are within the missile range.

    (5) Hypersonic ballistic missiles

    In the 1990s, China is fully engaged in research on ballistic missiles under tremendous pressure of the superiority of US airforce and US navy. At last, the double-cone Dongfeng 21D with air rudder was built, making it a reality for ballistic missiles to maneuver against surface ships at the end. Then the Dongfeng 26 was further developed to cover Guam. Then the epoch-making Eagle Strike 21 was developed, which allowed surface ships and aircraft to carry ballistic anti-ship missiles, completely changing the rules of war.

    There are currently three technical paths for hypersonic ballistic missiles. Biconical warheads, waverider warheads and scramjets. The double-cone warhead can significantly increase the range and terminal maneuverability of the missile when it re-enters the atmosphere. In the 1980s, the United States used biconical warheads in Pershing medium-range ballistic missiles, but they were not water-floating warheads. They were retired after the United States and the Soviet Union signed a treaty limiting intermediate-range ballistic missiles. North Korea and the Houthis have also tested biconical warheads.

    Although it is not a hypersonic ballistic missile, it can achieve terminal limited orbit changes, which greatly increases the difficulty of interception by anti-missile systems. Currently, only China and Russia have biconical hypersonic ballistic missiles in active service. Russia currently only has one “Dagger”. On the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, russia conducted targeted clearing and attacks on the “Patriot” air defense system.

    It is obvious that Russia does not have much equipment and can only use it sparingly. The hypersonic ballistic missile that the United States is closest to successfully testing is also a biconical warhead. Yes, the United States has no active hypersonic ballistic missiles. That’s why he is so passive. Asfor the waverider warhead in active service, only China’s Dongfeng 17 is publicly available. According to public information, Dongfeng 17 does not fly out of the atmosphere after launch, but begins to glide laterally at the edge of the atmosphere, with a maximum speed of Mach 10 and an attack speed of Mach 5 at the end. The special thing about Dongfeng 17 is that it avoids the detection and attack range of the current mid-course anti-missile system, and its ultra-high mobility makes the terminal anti-missile system completely unable to intercept.

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    What is inconsistent with Qian Xuesen’s trajectory is that the Dongfeng 17 does not fly out of the atmosphere. It also has a vector nozzle that can maneuver laterally. Even if a missile launch is detected during the boost phase, the impact point cannot be predicted and it is even more difficult to track when maneuvering without thrust. As for rocket scramjet engines, China, the United States and Russia are all in the research stage. Traditional rocket engines come with their own fuel and oxidizer. The ramjet engine introduces compressed air into the rocket engine combustion chamber to save fuel. The problem is that the engine first requires rocket combustion to accelerate to supersonic speed and then start the sub-burn or super-burn engine. The best performance range of sub-fuel engines is around Mach 3, and the best performance range of scram engines is around Mach 5. Therefore, the best combination is the engine composite design rocket plus sub-burning and super-burning, three forms. Or accelerate the aircraft to supersonic speed and release the sub-fuel and super-fuel engine. July last year, China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University completed a multi-modal test of a ramjet engine.

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    Now you know why USA sanction NPU and hack NPU website.

    (6) industrial competition under total war.

    If we reach the stage of total war, the logic of war will shift industrial potential into industrial military. United states has completely failed on this.

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    The U.S. Congress has been requiring the U.S. Navy to speed up the manufacture of new surface ships and purchase at least three of the latest model “Arleigh Burke” class destroyers every year. However, the U.S. Navy still submitted the purchase of two ships in the budget list for fiscal year 2024. Planning Check.

    McCord, the U.S. military’s top budget official, said that’s because U.S. shipyards are barely able to build two destroyers a year, let alone three. In 2022, the United States will actually have only one Burke-class destroyer in service. China has 3 055 destroyers and 4 052D destroyers in service. The reason behind it is actually very simple.

    In 2022, the total tonnage of U.S. shipbuilding will be 600,000 tons, including approximately 100,000 tons of new warship tonnage. 2022, China’s total shipbuilding tonnage will be 40 million tons, accounting for 55% of the world’s total tonnage. In 2022, nine large warships with a capacity of 150,000 tons will be commissioned. The world’s total crude steel output in 2022 will be 1.8785 billion tons, of which China’s output will be 1.013 billion tons, accounting for nearly 54%. The United States is the fourth largest steel producer in the world, with a crude steel output of slightly more than 80 million tons, and the EU alone is less than 220 million tons. In 2022, India’s crude steel output will be 125.1 million tons. in 2022, China’s power generation capacity will be 8,534.25 billion kilowatt hours (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), a year-on-year increase of 9.7%; the United States’ power generation capacity will be 4,115.54 billion kilowatt hours, a year-on-year decrease of 1.4%.China’s railway mileage will be 155,000 kilometers in 2022, including 42,000 kilometers of high-speed rail. In 1916, the operating mileage of railways in the United States reached its peak, reaching 410,000 kilometers. Now, there are only more than 220,000 kilometers of railway mileage left in the United States. In 2021, the total railway freight volume in China was 4,773.72 million tons, and the total railway freight volume in the United States was 12.026 million tons. It is clear that the total mileage of American railways is longer, but the freight capacity is hundreds of times different. On the one hand, there is a gap in demand for industrial raw materials such as coal, iron ore. On the one hand, American railways are in disrepair, and their transportation efficiency cannot be improved. There were 868 rail freight derailments in the United States in 2021.

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    The weakening of basic industrial strength has hindered the progress of military industry. In the field of hypersonic ballistic missiles, which the United States is eager to catch up with, test launches of biconical missiles often fail. It is normal for weapons tests to fail. What is abnormal is the reason for the failure, such as launcher failure or rocket engine starting failure. Just like the Ford aircraft carrier, the electromagnetic ejection failure is understandable, after all, it is a new technology. It makes no sense that the weapon lifts frequently malfunction. After the Russo-Ukrainian War, it is not surprising that the United States turned to South Korea to produce 155mm artillery shells. In a total war, the first wave consumes active weapons, equipment and personnel. The rest depends on the reproduction capacity of weapons and the ability to mobilize personnel. Today, only the aviation industry can retain the face of American industry. The reason why we skipped the air force earlier is that in the Western Pacific, the air force must rely on the flight runways of air force bases on islands. As soon as the war started, the Rocket Force focused on taking care of them. they have room to take off. The only place that can allow the U.S. Air Force to exert its full strength is the United States itself.

    F35 Production Line

    Although the Boeing 737 max has brought shame to the United States, Boeing factories have repeatedly reported that workers’ quality has deteriorated due to marijuana use. Before the epidemic, Boeing produced more than 800 passenger planes per year. Lockheed Martin’s F35 production is also above 150 aircraft per year.

    For comparison, China delivered its first passenger aircraft C919 last year, and plans to have a production capacity of 150 aircraft in five years. The J-20 production capacity is estimated to be 30-50 aircraft. Where are the limitations? Training of production line and industrial workers. Taken together, in local wars, China has an absolute advantage in East Asia. China’s ocean-going offensive capabilities are improving, but the United States still has the advantage on blue ocean war. It is only a matter of time before China’s industrial strength is finally transformed into military strength in a full-scale war.

    Therefore, the United States has been fanning the flames around China and constantly provoking, but it does not want to enter the war by itself. It is best to replicate the situation in Ukraine, with South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia resisting harm from the front, and the United States standing behind and selling arms. Once China puts on a desperate posture, the US military will retreat on its own. In a total war, China will win the final victory, but it will only be a miserable victory. The United States has been standing still for 20 years. Even if China’s military technology keeps up, there is still a huge gap in weapons inventory.

    The United States wants China to enter the conflict in 2025, stimulate the return of financial capital to the United States, and take over the supply of U.S. debt. China wants to delay it until 2030, or at least until 2027, and is ready to defeat others without a fight.

    China is actually the only country in the world today that is preparing for a world war.

    The whole industrial category system manufacturing is not to brag, but to always be prepared to fight against the entire world in an isolated and helpless situation. It is no exaggeration to say that even in the event of a full-scale nuclear war, China can rely on strategic reserves to recover quickly. China’s history is too long and its imprint is too deep.

    (7) Informatization

    As the pioneer of the Internet revolution, the US military is undoubtedly the leader in military informatization. The Gulf War shocked the whole world. Traditional armies were powerless to fight back against armies empowered by information technology . What is informatization?

    Basically, soldiers are networked together and commanded in a unified way. US the only army back then who have this ability because at that time china Without an information-based society, there would be no information-based military. Just like there is no industrialized society without an industrialized army. Because of the core position of the military, although advanced systems and advanced technological weapons will be the first to be used in the military, without a responsive social environment, the military will also be dragged down by social realities and become a castle in the air. For example, the Chinese army has established a modern army by learning from the German-Russian military system and through its own exploration.

    However, the confrontation with the world’s largest industrial country on the Korean battlefield completely exposed China’s weakness in industrial strength and lack of professional military logistics support. On the ChangJin Lake battlefield, the volunteer soldiers who were short of ammunition, food, and clothing relied on their tactical proficiency and revolutionary will tempered by blood and fire to cut off the retreat of the US Cavalry Division at all costs.

    After blowing up the Watergate Bridge three times, the U.S. military air-dropped steel beam components urgently customized in Japan to the battlefield. After engineers urgently installed them with engineering equipment, the main force of the U.S. military retreated smoothly.

    Thirty years later, after arduous industrial construction, China has initially established a basic heavy industry system. In 1979, the People’s Liberation Army, which had been lacking training for a long time, faced the Vietnamese army. The quality and command of its individual soldiers were significantly different from those in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and they were even inferior to the enemy. But the military-industrial system established showed great progress.

    That is, the density of artillery fire exceeds that of the US military at that time. our army is not a volunteer army. In the subsequent two-mountain battle, the major military regions will conduct fire mainly with artillery firing. After the reform and opening up, China transformed from a planned economic system to a market economy, and the society transformed from an agricultural society to a modern industrial society. We thought we catch up.

    So when the trend of informatization was revealed in front of the Chinese military, how anxious it was at that time. We experienced hundreds of years of suffering when we were left behind in the industrialization era. Will we continue to fall behind in the information age? Back to the basic concept, what is informatization? The definition given by data scientist Shannon: “Information is something used to eliminate random uncertainty.” Definition of information war: It is a full-scale war carried out under the premise of network digitization and the extensive use of information technology and information weapons and equipment. The specific battlefield performance is-destroy upon discovery.

    For example, in a war simulation game, our teammates and enemy units can directly communicate with each other and cooperate with each other in real time on the small map without any barriers. It is extremely difficult to achieve on the actual battlefield. Indian air defense systems shot down their own rescue helicopters, and Iranian air defenses shot down civilian airliners. Identification of friend or foe is still a big problem today. Fortunately, China has caught up with the information age. Although we now criticize Lenovo, NetEase, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, etc., at that historical stage, these companies were undoubtedly the promoters of China’s information society. Huawei, BOE, Changxin, SMIC, BYD, DJI, MiHoYo, etc. The only possible Information war happened is when a war between USA and China broke out. Because only China and the United States have complete information industries in the world today. The United States uses Internet social tools to cause destruction around the world, while China builds walls and engages in Internet social governance. Other countries have no choice but to surrender the Internet and let the situation go unchecked. During the war disconnecting the Internet means completely losing the possibility of victory. China has benefited from an unprecedented wave of industrialization in the new century, and computers and mobile phones have begun to spread on a large scale. After 2010, society began to enter the mobile Internet era again. People realize that the so-called informatization is the “Internet of Everything”, the ultimate integration of the Internet and the Internet of Things. The popularization of sensors, mobile terminals and communication technologies has generated massive amounts of data, and big data applications have been born in order to process these data. Big data processing has promoted the progress of artificial intelligence (AI algorithm). In the past, the United States bullied small countries, but it actually did not reflect the power of informatization. The Russia-Ukraine war is also known as the “poor man’s version of information war.” First, the Ukrainian army used the US “Starlink satellite” to access NATO’s reconnaissance system. After the reconnaissance satellite long-range early warning aircraft discovered the Russian target, it sent the message to the frontline commander of the Ukrainian army team. The Ukrainian army team decided on its own to ambush the target. There is also the fact that the Russian military uses mobile phones to access the Ukrainian telecommunications network for communication, which is simply a living target. In the early days of the war, a large part of the casualty rate among Russian officers was related to miscomunication. The reason is not complicated. There is no digital communication equipment between Russian military tanks – this is not a problem due to lack of money but because without any concept of information technology. However, Russia is still good at learning war in war. Immediately carry out targeted electromagnetic interference. “Starlink” communications and electronic reconnaissance are greatly reduced. On the one hand, it reflects Russia’s profound accumulation of electronic technology, and on the other hand, it also illustrates Russia’s lack of war awareness – what has it been doing so long ago. A person who is fond of fighting but not good at preparation will only gain his progress after suffering losses.

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    “Murmansk-BN” integrated electronic warfare system. As the main combat equipment of the Russian army’s electronic warfare, this system can perform strong electromagnetic suppression on targets within 20 frequencies within 5,000 kilometers.

    Russia and Ukraine use a large number of drones for battlefield reconnaissance and calibration, plus a large number of artillery pieces left by the Soviet Union. The cannon has the same barrel, but its power has been increased by several levels. Because of the massive smuggling of a certain civilian four-copter drone from a large Eastern country, Russia densely arranged a large number of frontline observation points in front. How dense is it? The drones on both sides can collide with each other. The battlefield that was originally filled with the fog of war became transparent. On the one hand, the whole world was watching the war live broadcast. On the one hand, any tank concentration and assault on either side will inevitably lead to a salvo of artillery fire from the by opposite side.

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    image 48

    Last year, the Russian T72 crossed the river and was set on fire by artillery.

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    image 47

    This year, the Leopard 2 tanks and Bradley armored vehicles assisted by NATO were attacked by the Ukrainian army without air defense. They were greeted by Russian mines, artillery, Lancet cruise missiles, and armed helicopters in turn.

    The mine-protected vehicles assisted by NATO can only protect against roadside bombs, and can only be penetrated by the Russian army’s large number of mines.

    Now the Russian army has even played tricks, using cheap shuttles to attach mines, grenades, and RPG warheads to carry out suicide attacks in VR.

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    The thousands of FPV quad-rotor drones purchased by the Russian army cost about 1,000 per unit, and it is cheaper to procure parts and assemble them from Shenzhen Huaqiangbei.

    Comparing it to the Russian military’s own Lancet cruise missile, which costs US$100,000, it seems like it costs nothing.

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    The tanks and bayonets that military fans imagine, and the T80 vs. Leopard 2, cannot be realized on a battlefield where they are immediately destroyed upon discovery. The reason why Russia and Ukraine are called the poor people’s information war. For a big country, this kind of random flying of four-axis drones should not occur on the battlefield. Whether it’s electromagnetic suppression, laser irradiation, or anti-aircraft artillery. For China, even if its drones collide, it can still drown the opponent with its terrifying production capacity.

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    The Land Shield 3000 close-in defense gun is a modification of the 1130 close-in defense gun on a warship to an armored vehicle, with 11 Gatling tubes and 12,000 rounds per minute. Can intercept missiles up to Mach 4.

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    image 43

    Although the US military does not pay attention to the army’s air defense system, you cannot say that it does not exist.

    Ground-based electronic warfare systems are as dazzling to the Air Force’s electronic warfare aircraft as search lights in the night sky, waiting for them with an anti-radiation missile. Russia and Ukraine have been fighting fiercely for a year, and the air force has completely become a cheerleader. The Russian air force has the advantage but did not destroy the Ukrainian army’s air base and air defense system in the first time. It probably has no money. It has never gained control of the air, and the Russian Ka-52 only launched the “Vortex” anti-tank missile at the ultimate range of 10 kilometers when fighting the Leopard 2. The Russian military’s annual military expenditure of 80 billion US dollars is probably a lot of propaganda. There is also a question mark on where the US$50 billion in US aid to Ukraine was spent. Is it really written off? No way? Why are their firepower are so low?

    One thing that can be mentioned is that the United States is the pioneer of the information-based military. A large number of digital combat systems and joint combat systems have been developed. Basically, each military service has one set, and the theater joint command has another set. Later, in order to solve the problem of too many vertical layers, insufficient horizontal interconnection, and poor ability to identify friend or foe, the US Global Command and Control System (GCCS) was developed.

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    image 42

    Found the problem? Although it looks very cool, the US military has always wanted to develop a system, which is a center to command thousands of troops. Under the system with American characteristics, the sea, air, and ground forces compete for military spending. Unified command is inherently troublesome. On the battlefield in Iraq, there were situations where the presidential envoy, theater headquarters and military commanders were competing for command. Who would listen at this time? The final result may be that everyone listens to no one, and everyone goes their own way. Anyone who has been exposed to the project code knows that no matter how simple a system is at the beginning, it will be iterated over time, functions will be improved and hardware will be updated. In the end, it will pile up into a “hill of shit”. Imagine that when you sit in the position of the President of the United States and issue instructions to the nuclear base, you may need to broadcast signals. To issue orders to the Seventh Fleet Anti-Submarine Group – the Japanese Navy, a fax machine is required, and to issue orders to the Air Force’s F22 and F35 requires separate arrangements. Because the data links of different production years are incompatible, what about upgrading the F22? It couldn’t be done, because after the suspension of production, Lockheed Martin directly dismantled the production line to save costs. Where is the contradiction? The original design of the American command system is for an order to go directly to the soldiers. The soldiers do not need to think, they can just obey the orders. But an army is made up of individuals. Soldiers, officers, military services, theater commanders, the Department of Defense, and the White House all have their own agendas. A $1,000 coffee pot, tens of thousands of dollars of warship toilets, $6 million of Italian goats, and trillions of dollars of bad debts are expectable.

    (8) Intelligent and unmanned – the battlefield heading into the future

    While information warfare is still being hotly debated, military changes in the new era of intelligence and unmanned warfare have arrived.

    The predator swarm drones in the “Wandering Earth 2” are smarter and more maneuverable than in reality.

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    Question: In the movie, when the J-20 and Su-57 take off at the same time, why do the drones chase the Su-57?

    中国无人机“蜂群”作战系统亮相 !无人机密密麻麻对地精准察打_哔哩哔哩_bilibili近期,中国电科集团电科院开展了陆空协同固定翼无人机“蜂群”系统的相关试验试飞工作,验证了陆上发射和空中投放固定翼无人机“蜂群”开展对地察打、精确打击等各项任务能力。(海客新闻)

    https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV14i4y1j7jg/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=fae9e83d4aec1b716a9461884314dfa9

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    浙大Science Robotics封面 全自主微型飞行机器人集群_哔哩哔哩_bilibiliScience Robotics 2022年5月封面 论文标题:Swarm of Micro Flying Robots in the Wild https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abm5954https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1qv4y1K7Y6/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=fae9e83d4aec1b716a9461884314dfa9

    The two-seat version of the J-20 has begun to be developed, and together with the unmanned wingman, it constitutes the development direction of the new era.

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    无人机、排爆机器人、机器狗、无人车……_哔哩哔哩_bilibili无人机、排爆机器人、机器狗、无人车……_哔哩哔哩_bilibili

    https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1qT41137om/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=fae9e83d4aec1b716a9461884314dfa9

    UAV reconnaissance, guiding fire strikes; blasting minefields, EOD robots quickly clear minefields; commandos launch attacks, UAVs cooperate with fixed-point blasting; in addition, robot dogs go out to conduct reconnaissance, and no one Vehicles accompany the support… A combined brigade of the Army’s 80th Group Army conducted an all-element combined battalion real-force confrontation exercise. Multiple types of unmanned equipment were unveiled, and human-vehicle collaborative training was carried out.

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    Combined with the recent Ukrainian battlefield, the Ukrainian counterattack was tortured by landmines before it reached the Russian defense line. But for Zelensky, mobilizing troops may not be worth as much as unmanned vehicles. However, new smart landmines will be more widely used in the future, including automatic reconnaissance and friend-or-foe identification, automatic leaping overhead attacks, and one landmine can control hundreds of square meters of battlefield. Anti-smart landmines have become a new topic.

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    At the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show, the VT5U foreign trade light tank on display carries an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and console for unmanned driving, greatly improving battlefield awareness and reducing casualties.

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    At the Abu Dhabi International Defense Exhibition, “China Military Industry” exhibited the “Sky Shield” anti-drone system. On the basis of the original laser killing method, it adds killing methods such as high-power electromagnetic suppression and combination of projectiles and artillery, making it closer to actual combat.

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    U.S. Marine Corps – Logistics robot dog, material handling robot dog, robot mule, robot cow. It can carry more than 180 kilograms of weapons or other equipment for about 32 kilometers. Like a well-trained military dog, its structural design is highly flexible and can accompany soldiers in harsh terrains, including woods, rocky beaches, etc.

    We found that the United States was the first to apply drones on the battlefield. A superstar on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.

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    RQ-4 Global Hawk, which was put into service in 2000, is active in military hotspots around the world. The cost is US$4000-120 million. It was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2019 and will retire in 2022. Off-topic: Japan spent 61.3 billion yen to purchase three Global Hawks in 2014, with maintenance costs of 263.7 billion in the next 20 years. As a result, production delivery will only begin in 2020.

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    The MQ-1 Predator, an integrated surveillance and combat drone, is both famous and infamous. It first flew in 1994 and has participated in all U.S. foreign wars starting from Kosovo. Counter-terrorism and indiscriminate killing of civilians have become its labels.

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    MQ-9 “Reaper” drone

    What is strange is that among the drones that have been active around the world in recent years, there is a lack of U.S.-made drones. Chinese Wing Loong and Rainbow series drones active in the Middle East and Africa. In the Naka conflict , the Turkish TB-2 equipped by Azerbaijan stole the show. The Iranian “Witness-136” suicide drone purchased by the Russian army that bombed Kiev, Ukraine, also made a splash. As the world’s largest arms trafficker, the United States’ absence is really inappropriate. So, whose fault is this? Answer: The enemy is on Capitol Hill. The U.S. Congress has enacted legislation to ban the export of large drones. When the AVIC Wing Loong drones and China Aerospace’s Rainbow drones were dumped in the Middle East, they were not receptive. In order to satisfy the contradiction between the growing needs of gold customers for foreign military intervention and our country’s love of peace, we simply exported the production lines to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Let me tell you a little story. The tall drones were originally flown by retired pilots. Without it, because the airflow in near-earth space is complex and requires manual control by experienced pilots. Nowadays, highly automated civil aviation aircraft require the full participation of two captains during takeoff and landing, just for the sake of safety. The problem is that airplanes in third world countries are all bought on a case-by-case basis, and the pilots are all spoiled. Where do so many retired pilots come from? The customer is the king. Change it. Added autopilot function, one-click takeoff and landing, automatic cruise, simplified operation process, one handle joystick can solve the drone flight control. Just one standard – to satisfy customers with all fool-proof operations. Later the customer made another request. The flight was too short. And firepower was not enough. Changed is made, increased body size and fuel capacity, and added attachment points.

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    Rainbow 6 UAV

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    Wing Long 2 UAV

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    The Nigerian military used Wing Loong 2 drones to conduct air strikes against terrorists. Drones allow some small countries to do an offensive air force.

    Later, the customer made another request. Turkey’s TB-2 is too annoying. It’s not satisfying to bump into each other without shooting. It needs to be shot down. To meet the requirements, air-to-air missiles are installed to specifically counter UAVs. Through constant upgrading and improvement, Pterosaur and Rainbow formed a huge family pedigree. Wing Loong UAVs have begun to be sold back to the domestic civilian market. In 2021, communications were interrupted in some areas of Henan due to floods. Wing Loong drones took off from the Guizhou base and arrived in the disaster area to provide 5 hours of mobile communication services, and sent back radar in real time to scan the damage in the disaster area. While waiting for U.S. arms dealers to obtain export licenses, the world has changed. Wing Loong 2 sells for $5 million. Because Turkey’s TB-2 has weak industrial strength and its technology is not as good as that of Chinese companies, and the price is more expensive. India purchased 31 MQ-93s for US$113 million each. Even the domestically purchased MQ-9 is priced at as high as $30 million. If combined with the industrial production capacity mentioned earlier, it is actually not surprising. The cost is too high and the price is too expensive. As a result, there are less and less equipment, and the purchase price cannot go down. Regarding the performance of modern warfare, I recommend the annual update video produced by the owner of Bili bili station up. It should be noted that the tactical arrangements in the video are demonstrations by military fans based on public data and are not real military tactical details. For example, the J-16D’s decoy deception, and the two-seat J-20’s A-shooting and B-guided missiles with unmanned wingmen. In order to arrange for all of our country’s equipment in active service and under development to leave the country, we deliberately strengthened the enemy’s military quality and armament capabilities, and also thoughtfully supported the opponent’s space-based reconnaissance intelligence of Uncle Sam. For example, in order to intercept low-altitude penetrating cruise missiles, the J-8 was allowed to take up its duties as an interceptor aircraft.

    【第三次世界大战】第三集完整版!展示现代战争的多种打法,几十款国产武器同时亮相_单机游戏热门视频制作平台:虚幻5引擎,DCS,ARMA3,3DMAX 若想学习此类短片如何制作,可购买我主页中的课程~ 三战系列微电影制作目的为传播国内军事文化,提醒人们居安思危,关注国防力量发展,绝非鼓吹战争

    https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1gX4y1v7ud/?spm_id_from=333.337.search-card.all.click&vd_source=fae9e83d4aec1b716a9461884314dfa9

    (9) Industrialization
    The United States, which attracts talents from all over the world, still has a strong innovation capability. However, under the influence of decades of deindustrialization in the financial industry, the United States has lost its production capacity. Industrialization is not just about factory workers and engineers, but also a whole social system that revolves around industry.
    Including unified market, education and training, financial services, government policies, etc.
    When the relationship is good, American companies design and sell and capture most of the profits, while Chinese companies are responsible for production and make hard money. But after the United States regarded China as an opponent, the world gradually turned into two parallel production systems. However, if there is no technological generation gap in military equipment, only players that can expand production at low cost will have the last laugh. In a sense, quantity is quality. Defeating more with less and relying on technology to make a comeback can certainly win a lot of glory and leave a name in history. But the real masters rely on operations to accumulate strength, and then rely on size to get through.
    So what’s important?
    Scale, scale, scale.
    Han Xin ordered troops, the more the better.
    Hiding new technologies will only lead to others taking advantage of them.
    What is industrialization?
    Machine production machines and standardized assembly line production and improvement processes.
    When encountering problems, propose solutions, improve and then provide feedback, and continue to optimize.
    Achieve technological leaps and improve productivity through continuous iterative improvements.
    What advantages do industrialization, the entire industry chain, and system engineering capabilities bring?
    Give a few examples.
    An example, the balancing car was invented by an American company.
    But it has always been a toy for the rich. The unit price is 8,000 US dollars, and the annual sales volume has been stable at 30,000.
    After being acquired by a Chinese company, the price of the new generation product dropped to 14,500 yuan.
    Later, it cooperated with Xiaomi to develop and sell products priced at 1,999.
    Nowadays, Taobao sells a variety of balancing scooters ranging from 300 to 3,000.

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    Relying on its low-cost advantage, China’s bulletproof vests occupy 70% of the world’s market share. Because body armor is for civilian use in China, you can buy it casually on Taobao. American and Russian soldiers often privately purchase Chinese-made bulletproof inserts to put into their body armor. You’ll know how good something is after you’ve been shot a few times on the battlefield.

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    On the Syrian battlefield, heavy mortar shells modified with gas tanks imported from China have an impressive range, their accuracy also impressive. there is no problem in destroying a three-story building with one shot.

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    Rockets produced by the Palestinian Hamas organization.

    Laiyang Steel Pipe Factory: Although this is a seamless steel pipe, what I export is indeed a water pipe.

    After China converted the Varyag into the Liaoning ship, a lot of media asserted that the Chinese aircraft carrier would not be able to form combat effectiveness in a short time. Because only the United States and Russia can build the crown jewel of industry , the arresting cable , aircraft carriers that cannot take off and land carrier-based aircraft are just large flat plates. Then the Liaoning ship realized the take-off and landing of carrier-based aircraft after two months of service. Many years later, people discovered that the arresting cables for China’s aircraft carriers were supplied by Hebei Ju li Rigging Group, a private enterprise. Four months after the military tender, Ju li took out samples and passed the acceptance test.

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    After the military opened the tender, Ju Li raised his hand cautiously: That. The parameters seem to be similar to a product I exported to the United States.

    More famous is DJI’s quadcopter drone. Before DJI, there were some aerial photography drones in the United States. The cheap ones cost more than 300,000 yuan, and the expensive ones cost several million. Only the film industry dares to use this thing. The French company Parrot launched the consumer-grade AR.Drone quadcopter toy in 2010. It has 720P aerial photography function and is compact, lightweight and highly entertaining.

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    In early 2012, DJI launched the Phantom all-in-one computer. It has certain wind resistance, positioning and carrying capabilities. DJI has always emphasized that its products are flying cameras. The price is several thousand yuan.

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    in 2015, the American star startup 3D Robotics launched the solo drone to challenge DJI’s status. The solo drone comes with autopilot capabilities and sells for $1,700. However, problems such as unstable flight caused by the GPS system connection affected sales. 100,000 units were produced and only 22,000 units were sold. A few months later DJI launched the Phantom 3, with the professional version priced at US$1,300, and a few months later the price was reduced to US$1,000.

    In 2016, 3D Robotics exited hardware production.

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    Solo drone

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    Phantom 3 DJI

    Although DJI has always emphasized that it is a private company. But in the Middle East, pterosaurs and rainbows are used by governments to eliminate terrorists at targeted locations. Terrorists have also learned to use DJI Phantoms strapped with grenades to “air-strike” government troops. On the Ukrainian battlefield, DJI drones have become “Internet celebrities”. Russia and Ukraine both use it.

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    Picture above translated as follow

    Russian Embassy in China

    General Baruyevsky, former Chief of the General Staff of Russia: Ordinary commercial quad-rotor drones made in China are incompatible with traditional drones. The application of artillery and rocket launchers brought about a real revolution in technology, which actually completely solved the old problems in artillery reconnaissance, target designation.

    √ When the drone continues to hover over the target area for adjustment, the artillery can use conventional ammunition, with accuracy and efficiency comparable to precision-guided munitions, while the number of ammunition and artillery required to kill is greatly reduced.

    √ The Mavic quadcopter drone manufactured by the Chinese company DJI has in principle become a true symbol of modern warfare.

    Russia Embassy : 5 stars review from the costumer.

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    DJI tweet translation :

    All DJI products are designed for civilian purposes, serving people’s production and life, and are committed to benefiting society and making life better. DJI’s products are not suitable and do not meet the needs of military applications. We do not have applications technology in the military field.

    DJI: I’m not, I don’t have it, don’t talk nonsense

    When the Ukrainian counterattack was overwhelmed by landmines, frontline soldiers discovered new uses for DJI drones.

    A few hours after sunset, due to the difference in heat dissipation between metal and soil, there will be an obvious color difference under the camera of the drone carrying an infrared sensor, which can identify large-charge mines on the ground.

    I don’t know, will Russia and Ukraine be drooling over when they see this model?

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    DJI T50 agricultural drone, 50kg load capacity | coaxial twin rotors | front and rear phased array radars | two sets of binocular vision | high-definition FPV | integrated aerial survey, flight and defense.

    DJI, you still said you don’t know military technology?

    Well, drones, phased array radars. Something feels wrong. Why are civilian drones equipped with phased array radars? Because it’s cheap.

    (10) Sky Eye – Active Phased Array Radar

    The Ministry of Commerce and Customs has recently implemented export controls on gallium and germanium rare metals and compounds. Exports after August 1 need to be declared. Gallium and germanium are both core raw materials for semiconductors. Among them, gallium production accounts for more than 90% of the world’s total production.

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    image 15

    Is it because China has abundant reserves or has mastered core technology? neither. Because gallium is a rare metal, there is no abundant mine. It can only be obtained from the companion products of bauxite. The average gallium content in bauxite is 50 parts per million. So the production of gallium requires an entire alumina production line.

    The largest downstream demand for alumina is electrolytic aluminum. It is well known that electrolytic aluminum is a large consumer of electricity. Cheap electricity is needed. In 2022, China will produce 40 million tons of aluminum, accounting for 60% of the world’s total production. It is this 40 million tons aluminum industry that produces 400 tons of gallium.

    Gallium has an important compound, gallium nitride What we come into contact with most every day is gallium nitride fast charging. It has properties such as wide direct band gap, strong atomic bonds, high thermal conductivity, good chemical stability (almost not corroded by any acid) and strong radiation resistance. The GaN material series has low heat generation rate and high breakdown electric field, and is an important material for the development of high-temperature and high-power electronic devices and high-frequency microwave devices.

    Therefore, gallium nitride also has a very wide range of application scenarios in the field of military equipment. The most typical phased array radar. Radar is the clairvoyance and ear of the modern military. In an information-based battlefield where discovery means destruction, the performance of radar directly determines whether the enemy fires first or a sitting duck. We know that radar is a device for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. Early radar can detect the direction, distance and height of obstacles and other information by emitting electromagnetic waves and receiving echoes reflected by obstacles. However, the positioning effect for high-speed moving objects is very poor. Later , pulse Doppler radar was created based on the Doppler effect (the received frequency of waves becomes higher when the wave source moves toward the observer , and the received frequency becomes lower when the wave source moves away from the observer), which can accurately locate moving objects. Later, based on the interference of waves, phased array radar was invented. Phased array radar is a combination of Doppler radars.

    The most intuitive way to experience the power of phased arrays is in the science fiction movie “The Wandering Earth 2”, in which nuclear warheads are arranged through phased arrays to concentrate the energy of the nuclear bomb explosion wave at one point.

    image 14
    image 14

    The difference between passive phased array radar and active phased array radar is that passive phased array radar has only one central receiver/transmitter. In active phased array radar, each radiation component has an independent transmitter and receiver. One is a cyclops and the other is an insect with compound eyes. Because of the huge gap in performance, passive phased array radar is just a transition before the development of active phased array radar. Because of the independent transceiver characteristics of phased array radar subunits, the beam direction can be quickly changed through phase difference, and the mechanical scanning of traditional radar has been changed to electronic scanning. You can also group any unit independently to perform multi-beam scanning. It has strong anti-jamming and multi-target reconnaissance capabilities. Phased array radar also has disadvantages, that is, high power and high heat generation.

    image 13
    image 13

    The phased array radar is a big house from the beginning, and a considerable part of the equipment is used for heat dissipation. Can only be used as missile and aircraft early warning

    After the phased array radar is installed on the destroyer, it will become the famous “Aegis” air defense destroyer. In 2007, when China’s KJ-2000 was put into service, it was said to be a generation ahead of the American early warning aircraft because it installed a huge phased array radar on the aircraft. The powerful attack capabilities of the American F22 “Raptor” fighter jet are also related to the pioneering use of active phased array radar. It turns out that the huge radar can be installed in the radome of a fighter jet because of the use of gallium arsenide. Gallium nitride is an important raw material for the next generation of active phased array radar.

    At the 2018 Zhuhai Air Show, Chinese military industrial enterprises launched an air-cooled active phased array radar for fighter jets. Later, it was directly installed on the “Fierce Dragon” Block III fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan. As we know earlier, active phased array radars have high power and heat, so fighter jets are usually equipped with a liquid cooling system in their radome. Some simply use onboard fuel to dissipate heat for electronic components. Therefore, generally heavy fighter aircraft have space to install source phased array radars. But the Xiaolong is a light fighter and a cheap version. Is there something wrong? Remember the properties of gallium nitride mentioned earlier? High thermal conductivity. As long as the power supply and cooling requirements for the replacement of gallium nitride radar can be met, the detection range of active phased array radars on several types of fighter jets has the opportunity to be doubled.

    image 12
    image 12
    image 11
    image 11
    image 10
    image 10

    Above picture is phased array radar multi target tracking high speed military radar is sold online casually in china the price 1 million yuan.

    So it’s not surprising that DJI drones are equipped with phased array radars.

    Hence the monster below.

    image 9
    image 9

    20 tons AEGIS Unmanned warship. Each ship is equipped with 8 vertical launch missiles and 2 torpedoes.

    The Iranian Navy has considered launching suicide attacks on U.S. warships using missile speedboats. If dozens of these small boats, which cost tens of millions of dollars, surrounded warships worth billions of dollars, or were equipped with towed sonar and spread out to hunt submarines in the vast sea area, the picture would be too beautiful.

    Is it easy to get a job in China?

    Any job?

    Pretty easy. The government puts a lot of effort ensuring that if you are sincere about getting employed, there will be a job for you.

    But a good job?

    image 59
    image 59

    No. It is very hard.

    There are also people who start working straight from high school, or perhaps they go to trade schools instead of the standard university route.

    Unfortunately, the competition is just as fierce.

    image 58
    image 58

    And just for reference, do you know what this graph from China: Number of university graduates | Statista

    means?

    image 61
    image 61

    It means China needed to create 7.585 million new jobs in 2019.

    Remember that China is changing rapidly. The people who are retiring from low-end manufacturing or agriculture aren’t doing the same jobs as the 20 year olds in hi-tech and STEM fields.

    Competition is fierce.

    Ranch Round Steak

    2077caab3c77906b7b00eea380916c17
    2077caab3c77906b7b00eea380916c17

    Yield: 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 (3 pound) round steak
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
    • 1/4 cup shortening
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

    Instructions

    1. Cut steak into serving size pieces; trim away excess fat and pound to tenderize.
    2. Combine flour, dry mustard, salt and pepper; use to coat meat. Reserve remaining flour mixture.
    3. In skillet, brown meat, half at a time, on both sides in hot shortening. Push meat to one side; stir in reserved flour mixture.
    4. Combine water and Worcestershire sauce; stir into skillet mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until meat is tender.
    5. Remove meat to platter.
    6. Skim excess fat from gravy. Drizzle gravy over meat and serve.

    What Elon Musk just did in Ukraine could change EVERYTHING

    Could Elon Musk end the war in Ukraine with this one move? Democrats are calling for an investigation into how Starlink is used in the warzone. Redacted Correspondent Dan Cohen dives deep into the details.

    Worthless scrap of paper

    Prior to my “retirement” I had opened a number of bank accounts in China. I did this, at that time unknowing of my future, as a “good thing” to do, “just in case”.

    Talk about foresight! Eh?

    I had two bank accounts.

    I opened up an account at BOC in Shanghai and placed $40,000 in it. I deposited a cashier’s check in it, and used a “passbook savings account”. I was told that it would take three months to clear, and that I had to keep the receipt in the book to “lock” the exchange rate of 9.5 RMB to USD. This brought me (the potential of) 380,000 RMB. Ah. Enough to buy property in China.

    The other account was in Shenzhen and much smaller; being only $5000.

    Well…

    BOOM! I am “retired” and stuck in Arkansas.

    My father needed to hire an attorney to get me out of the mess, and tried to extract the money from BOC. Good luck! No one could take it out except myself.

    He needed my thumb print.

    When he held the BOC passbook, he discarded the receipt. He thought it was a “worthless scrap of paper”.

    So, even though I couldn’t hire an attorney, and my bank was frozen, no one else could seize the money.

    Good going China!

    So I still have money in China; a life in China…and hope in China.

    Meanwhile, everything else was gone; stolen and discarded.

    All of this while my properties, and belongings were systematically looted, stolen and acquired by all the “friends” and “family” surrounding me.

    Jackals.

    Seriously.

    Now, eventually I get out of the USA. I am in China, and I use the $5000 to start a new! Fantastic, and I related this story to youse guys earlier.

    But of the $40,000 in Shanghai?

    Well, my well meaning father, discarded that little receipt in the passbook as unimportant. And when I opened up my bank account, I discovered that it only had 220,000 RMB in it. Not the 380,000 RMB I was expecting.

    Why?

    That little “junk” slip of paper was my proof of a 9.5 conversion rate. Not the 5.5 conversion rate at the time of retrieval.

    I lost one FUCK of a lot of money in the process.

    The point in this little story is that …

    …”if you are handling other people’s affairs, keep everything. Do not discard even the most trivial item. You probably are understating its importance.”

    Today…

    Are Huawei phones now a real challenge to Apple’s iPhone?

    Have you ever wondered why we don’t have too many commercial operating systems outside of Windows and MacOS?

    I don’t include Linux which is by no means a commercial operating system despite its many advantages

    Have you wondered why China and India are unable to make a PC Operating system despite so many skilled students and so much of a software base

    Its because a commercial OS needs to be compatible with your processor

    The Processor is INTEL Or AMD and they need to ensure your OS is compatible with their processor

    This was a huge argument in an ANTITRUST case against Microsoft that the plaintiffs lost

    Without that compatibility , you can never control an ecosystem or have an OS that controls the entire ecosystem

    You can have secondary systems that can never replace MS Windows or MacOS

    Tomorrow if India develops an OS on par with Windows, India will be throttled by Intel and AMD

    They will cite security concerns, backdoor etc and simply prevent the Indian OS from freely competing

    Thus India needs to develop a processor as well

    This processor better be on par with the Intel or AMD or people simply won’t buy the processor and thus by association, the Indian made operating system

    Say India develops a cutting edge web browser

    The same has to be integrated & compatible with your search engine for maximum efficiency

    Google and Bing both have maximum integrated compatibility with Chrome and IE, so your browser will not be able to host these search engines efficiently

    That’s goodbye to a good technology right there

    Thus you need a search engine of similar standard and a web browser of efficiency plus an Operating System plus your Hardware

    THE WEST CONTROLS IT ALL

    Rather US controls most of it


    Let’s say India develops an App that can beat Facebook

    Or an app that can beat Twitter

    Android and iOS can simply refuse to give a bundling agreement for that App citing security reasons or other reasons

    Tik Tok got a bundling deal with IoS and Android in 2014 for 25 years until 2039 along with WeChat and Alipay and other apps

    Telegram got a similar deal until 2033 (15 year deal)

    It’s why both Android and iOS cannot remove these apps from their playstores

    Today both Android and iOS no longer do bundling deals for long term periods, but only for 12 month periods and renew them (Since 1/1/2020)

    So Indian Twitter and Indian Facebook could be throttled simply by refusing to bundle them or integrate them into the Android or iOS ecosystem

    If indeed these apps became a threat to the US equivalents, India would become a major security threat in 20 minutes


    The Whole world accepted this dominance of the West and their complete control over the Information and Communications Ecosystems

    Including many Chinese companies

    Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo all happily kowtowed to the Western dominance and slogged hard to make 8% and hand over 92% to the west

    Thousands of excellent apps and games are unable to leave China because they can’t get bundling deals with Android and iOS outside the mainland

    Then ONE MAN CAME ALONG who said THIS IS RIDICULOUS

    He dared to envision his own ecosystem

    • The Chip – the Kirin designed entirely by Mainland China
    • The OS – The Harmony
    • The 5G Modem – To deliver highest speeds
    • The Networks – To ensure the lowest latents

    Once the Huawei ecosystem was in place, a flood of competition would be unleashed

    Chinese Apps would roar into the global market where they had been throttled before

    Baidu would finally compete with Google on a one on one platform and combat MSM propaganda in neutral nations

    Chinese Digital Payment systems would soar across and surge through the Global South


    They throttled Huawei

    They simply cut off the source of chips

    Huawei had the design but they couldn’t get the chips made because the world’s only makers TSMC and Samsung wouldnt due to sanctions

    The excuse was Huawei had business with the Govt of China. So did Oppo but Oppo was a meek obedient boy

    Then Huawei tried to get the chips made in SMIC

    They retaliated by cutting off access to EUV machines

    Yet Huawei managed to mass produce 5 nm Chips with the 7 nm process using very innovative stacking using DUVs

    Now Huawei has the Chip and the OS

    The US and the West couldn’t succeed in throttling Huawei

    Now the next step is probably to stop DUVs

    It’s why SMIC is stockpiling and also accelarating it’s own lithography progress


    So it’s not the phones

    It was never the phones

    Tomorrow if Huawei dropped their Chip idea, signed a 20 year deal with Qualcomm and dropped their OS idea and modem idea – US would lift the sanctions in 10 seconds

    It’s the ECOSYSTEM that Huawei brings with it that will finally break the US (Western) dominance and bring in a new player and country after virtually 30 years of control

    If Huawei triumphs, the world as we know it changes

    India could take inspiration and proceed on our own path to develop our own Ecosystem

    So could other players


    That TERRIFIES THEM

    Is the Chinese government determined to have Chinese technology replacements available for all US technologies so China-made products can become completely technologically independent of the US?

    In the industries of yesterday, there will eventually come a time when China isn’t affected by American sanctions. That will happen within the next 10-20 years, as Chinese manufacturing go from the current 30+ percent to over 50 percent of global output, and the Chinese patent portfolio matures.

    Now, turn the coin on its head and ask yourself a simple question.

    What happens in a world where the Chinese option is the cutting edge?


    Tesla entered into partnership with panasonic just a decade or so ago to build its first gigafactory. Panasonic, a Japanese company, had the best and most mature battery tech then. Similarly, yuasa, another Japanese company, was chosen by Boeing for the 787.

    Today, the best batteries using novel chemistries and materials are Chinese, promising unbeatable energy densities at great prices. Many ev makers have entered into partnership with a variety of Chinese battery makers, and that includes Tesla. China will become the go-to for batteries in the coming decade, driven by economy of scale.

    Shocking change in just 10 years no?


    In nuclear fission, China has leadership in gen 3 reactors, with the indigenous hualong in mass production and a steady stream of projects in the works. More importantly, China has the world’s first and only gen 4 gas cooled demonstrator online and plugged into the grid, promising even greater safety and reliability.

    Expect commercial availability within the decade.


    Same story in photovoltaics. China is already the biggest maker of solar panels and related modules, with leading edge options. My friend in the industry says it’s practically impossible to make a project viable without Chinese panels, not without massive subsidies or tariff walls. That’s how good the Chinese are.


    The best hsr system is Chinese, despite China being 50 years late to the game. Better than the Germans and Japanese? Yes, because the installed length is already greater than the rest of the world combined, and serve a broader range of conditions and latitudes. The ride comfort and stability is second to none. Try it yourself if you don’t believe the claim.


    Make a guess how many containers Chinese ports handled last year.

    300m.

    That’s 3, followed by 8 (eight) zeros.

    America just about crumbled with a modest 5–10 percent increase above the 50m they usually deal with, as a direct result of covid induced changes in lifestyle.

    Rates for China-US TEU went up more than 10x, an order of magnitude, at its peak. Ships were returned SANS empty containers, just to beat the logjam in American ports.

    Imagine first world American ports and infrastructure being unable to handle domestic demand, while China happily fulfilled GLOBAL demand with a future-proof, scalable automated port system.


    The Chinese are already leaders in digital payment, facial recognition, aspects of ai and big data, quantum computing, and many other technologies of the future. Some of the most exciting breakthroughs of tomorrow will happen in china, and revolutionize the world.

    Is the world prepared for that, especially served by a media that’s reluctant to report China in the slightest factual, and positive light?

    The first world may very well be caught unawares.

    Huawei 6G is coming, 100Gb per second transfer speed

    Good news that more and more Chinese researchers are leaving the States for China. It will help China.

    Have you, while repairing a computer, ever found anything that made your jaw drop?

    Back in 1996, I worked as a Field Technician for Lanier Business Systems in Houston, Texas. Specifically, I handled recording devices and systems, though on occasion I also handled copiers, printers, and fax machines. My territory was into the 610 loop and all overlapping zip codes. This included all the hospitals in the Houston Medical Center. Those that are technical people will figure out what is going on with this before I finish the explanation.

    So, for one of the hospitals, they had one of our dictation systems and one day, I get a call from the hospital administrator complaining that they haven’t had backups running on their system for six months. So, I head to the hospital, walk into the admin office, and begin working on the system. I go through the settings, and confirm it is setup to backup changes to the 3.5 in floppy drive. I checked the logs and confirmed the backups ran with no errors, or where there were errors is was able to resolve them and move on.

    I checked the disk, and it was blank. Completely blank, In fact, the disk wasn’t even formatted. Assuming that was the problem, I formatted the disk with Lanier’s proprietary encryption protocols, and confirmed I could copy data to the drive. I left the disk in the drive, and explained to the admin what I thought the problem was, and that I had fixed it.

    The next morning, she registered the same problem so I head back to the hospital, with a new disk drive. I pull the old drive install a new one, then proceed to run a few tests on the old drive with my testing equipment. Everything checks out, no problems on the drive, but I leave the new drive in just in case. Again, I explain to her what did, and felt fairly certain the problem was resolved.

    Next morning, I get another call. Same problem. At this point, I am scratching my head. I know the system is working, I was able to confirm the doctors are making recordings, i confirmed the backup are configured properly, so I talk to the admin and explain that I will come by this evening and confirm that the backups are running tonight.

    That evening, I head to the hospital and sit down at the monitor. She pulls the disk off the side of the system hands it so me and I insert it into the drive. ten minutes later the backup runs, I watch it, and after about fifteen minutes it completes with no errors. I sit down go through the logs, check the data on the disk. I confirm the backups are there, verify the data integrity. I even make certain that I can restore the data to the system. Everything looks great, I think the problem is solved. I hand the backup disk back to the administrator, and we talk for a few minutes. As, I am leaving, she puts the disk in a clip and slaps it onto the side of the system.

    I stop, and I stare at her for a moment, She looks at me, and asks what I’m waiting for. I look from her to the disk stuck to the side of the computer, back to her.

    I had spent three days troubleshooting this problem. I had confirmed that the equipment was completely in working order, and I knew for a fact that backups were running properly. I literally just confirmed that the backup was run, and the data was right there on the disk.

    Her actions had just made all those efforts pointless. She just erased everything off the disk and wasted all of my effort. Heck, she has been wasting her own efforts for six months and was getting frustrated because of what she just did.

    That clip is a magnetic refrigerator magnet. That magnet wiped the data from the magnetic disc in the floppy disk. She was the cause of all these problems, and has been doing it for six months. I had walked over, removed the disk and put it back in the drive. She looks at me confused. I pull up the floppy disk and it needs to be formatted. She asks me where the data went. I looked at her and handed her the refrigerator magnet.

    “Is it on here?”

    “No.”

    “Then where it is?”

    “Gone, you erased the disk.”

    She stares at me, dumbstruck, “What…what…what to you mean, I erased it. she mumbles curiously.

    I then explain to her that floppy disks are magnetic and are very sensitive to magnetic fields. That refrigerator magnet was strong enough when attached to metal object to erase the disk. She felt horrible.

    However, I spent the next several hours, backing up changes for six months of data onto a box of 3.5 inch floppy drives.

    I then explained proper disk storage, and told her to keep magnets away from the backups.

    After I was done, she was extremely appreciative, and apologetic.

    Additionally, I got 3 hours of overtime pay, and because the problem wasn’t caused by our equipment, which meant it wasn’t covered under contract. I made the company a nice profit. The base charges for such failures was $300 per hour, which easily covered my overtime pay.

    HE DID IT AGAIN! (OLIVER ANTHONY – I WANT TO GO HOME REACTION)

    What is the likelihood Xi Jinping will never meet with President Biden during Biden’s term?

    I watched a recent speech by Biden in Asia. It was a press conference in Vietnam. Biden was so bad that while he was still talking, his own US press secretary cut him off halfway by muting his microphone, declaring abruptly that the conference was over; and turning on jazz music in the room so that Biden’s voice could not be heard anymore. This was damage control. The US press secretary did it, to stop Biden from continuing to ramble on spouting nonsense in front of a roomful of journalists and media crews.

    The poor man is senile. He is still President, of course. But surely he is no longer making the real decisions for the USA. He is just the front, the puppet on stage – the people in charge are the ones behind the curtains pulling on the strings.

    It’s pointless for Xi to meet Biden. Xi probably knows it already. Any meeting with Biden would just be for ceremonial purposes and publicity reasons. Nothing will actually come out of such a meeting, because Biden doesn’t make decisions anymore.

    Xi is a busy man and I wouldn’t be too surprised if he decides never to meet Biden again. There’s not much point in such a meeting.

    I ADOPTED A CAT (because i’m lonely)

    In Chinese tradition, the emperor is seen as a model for all citizens. Did Puyi ever become that model citizen?

    Puyi has been seen in history as a villain of sorts. He was the last vestige of the Qing dynasty, a living testament to imperialism. He was called effeminate by many and impotent by some. He was selfish, shallow, and childish in his early years. He was also rumored to be cruel to others for his pleasure.

    However, we must view him with nuance and remember the time period he was born into. He was groomed from birth to be ineffective by the women in his family who wanted to hold onto their power to rule through him as their proxy. He was born into a family where opulence and excess was considered normal and expected even. But it was also a time where the peasants were deeply unhappy with an ineffectual government and orchestrated a revolution that toppled his world as he knew it.

    He united with the Japanese which made him a traitor in the eyes of the Chinese; but Japan had promised him the opportunity to return to a throne and that was the only life he knew. His early wives would tell you he was self centered and downright nasty when he wanted to be.

    While he was not a good man in many ways, he was not irredeemable either. Mao allowed him to be the gardener of the Beijing Botanical Gardens. Puyi sought, with his last years, to redeem himself and to become a better man. He once said that the Puyi of his youth was the enemy to the Puyi of his latter years. He often wept when shown examples of his past damage to China. He was overwhelmed when shown the horrors of Unit 731 and cried that those atrocities had been done in his name. His transformation so complete that he became a man of humility. He was reported to have accidentally knocked an elderly woman over with his bicycle and visited her in the hospital every day until she was released.

    In the end he found love with his last wife, Li Shuxian, being “all he had in the world,” and she reported in an interview that his love for her was such that when she was sick he would sit by her bedside all night, seeing to her every need.” He had come to be a man who took pleasure in simple things and in his love for his wife. He had indeed become the model citizen and died at the age of 61 of kidney cancer. His widow had his ashes placed with nine other emperors that had come before him. In death he had been returned to his family.

    China shocks Europe by canceling ASML’s $580 billion lithography order!

    https://youtu.be/s6gPPjQt4RE

    What’s it like to be one of the 55 ethnic minorities living in China?

    I am the Tujia nationality, and I belong to the eighth largest ethnic minority in China. We have 8 million people.

    1. Add points in the most important exam in China-the college entrance examination;(It used to be 20 points, but now it has been reduced to 5 points due to the improvement of educational facilities and standards.)

    2. To study for master’s and doctorate with a score lower than Han people, the tuition fee is exempt.

    3. Before the “one-child policy” was abolished, ethnic minorities (the ethnic minorities who joined the Communist Party of China are only allowed to have one child) can have 2 or more children, and the Han can only have one;

    4. Use and develop the spoken and written languages ​​of ethnic minorities. Most ethnic minorities only have languages ​​without a writing system. The GOV has developed a writing system for us;

    Orange-Chipotle Skirt Steaks

    orange chipotle skirt steaks
    orange chipotle skirt steaks

    Marinate: 6 hr to overnight | Yield: 4 to 6 servings

    Ingredients

    Marinade

    • Juice of 1 medium orange
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from chipotle peppers)
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Steaks

    • 1 1/2 pounds beef skirt steak, cut into 4 to 6 inch pieces

    Tomatillo Salsa

    • 2 medium oranges, divided
    • 2 cups chopped tomatillos (4 to 5 small to medium)
    • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
    • 2 to 3 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    Marinade

    1. Combine ingredients in a small bowl.

    Steaks

    1. Place beef steaks in food-safe plastic bag; turn steaks to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally.

    Tomatillo Salsa

    1. Grate 1/2 teaspoon peel from 1 orange. Cut this orange and half of remaining orange into segments. Chop segments into 1/2 inch pieces.
    2. Combine orange peel and segments, tomatillos, onion, chipotle peppers, cumin and salt in medium bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
    3. Cut remaining 1/2 orange into wedges; reserve for garnish.
    4. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade.
    5. Place steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 10 to 13 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 8 to 12 minutes) for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally.
    6. Carve steaks diagonally across the grain into thin slices; season with salt, as desired.
    7. Serve with tomatillo salsa. Garnish with reserved orange wedges.

    Oliver Anthony ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Intense Listening Sesh/Reaction – POWERFUL!

    What is the most touching act of kindness you have ever witnessed or experienced?

    I will try to make this brief. My husband and I are a “multicultural” pair; he was brought up in Scotland and I was brought up in Cleveland, Ohio. Some of the time during our marriage we have lived in Ohio, some of the time in Glasgow.

    Somewhere in the mid ’90s we decided to move again from Ohio back to Glasgow. I had three little children at that time — three girls, 7, 3, and 1. We had practically all our worldly possessions with us in 13 metal trunks and the usual baby paraphernalia. We flew from Florida to Glasgow, after flying from Ohio to Florida. The leg from Florida to Glasgow was a direct flight but lasted 10 hours. Needless to say we were very tired, stiff and sleep deprived.

    We saddled the family onto an airport bus to take us “home” after such an exhausting trip. After loading our 13 trunks into the hold of this huge bus our bus driver let everyone else off at the usual stop. Before letting our family deboard, he asked us, “Hey, where do you folks live?” We told him the exact location where our small house was located. He laughed and said, “Stay on the bus, I’ll take you to your door. No taxi I know of will fit all this stuff.”

    So that’s what this hero did. He pulled his massive 88-seater bus right into our cul-de-sac, right up to our door, and also helped unload the 13 trunks and our very tired family.

    It was an act of kindness I have never forgotten. Oh and I forgot to mention, it was 4am.

    What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

    I was working as the assistant accountant at a company and had to leave early one day as I was sick. My boss insisted on a doctor certificate to cover that half day so I managed to see my gp the next morning who gave me a certificate for 3 days off plus the half day. I objected but the doc said if you’re feeling better in a few days just go back to work.

    So 2 days later I’m feeling better and return to work. My boss was annoyed because instead of a few hours I’m now out 2 days so she says I need to go back to same dr to get a clearance to return to work.

    By this time it’s midmorning of the last day of the certificate. I’m fine. It’s the last week of month and we’re super busy and she wants me to drive 40 minutes each way to the dr to get a certificate and the chances of an appointment with the same dr is unlikely. And it’s going to cost me $80 for appointment.

    I had lots of sick leave accrued and it’s also November.

    I explained that we’d lose 1/2 to 3/4 of the day and I’d be out of pocket but nope she wanted me to go back to the dr.

    Previously no one had ever enforced a dr certificate if anyone came back early (unless it was workers comp). She told me that this was my “punishment” for leaving early when I was sick a few days before!

    When she said that, I made a decision. I said I wasn’t prepared to spend the money for the dr to reassess me for 1/2 day work. She said in that case you can’t work today.

    No problems I said. I’ll go do my Christmas shopping and I grabbed my handbag and sauntered out.

    I’m told her face just dropped and she bitched to the GM after I’d left and he laughed and told her she was the one who forced the issue.

    ”What Do You Have To Offer A Man?”

    I think this is THE fundamental question both men AND women should be asking… if you have a long list of demands, you better have a long list of qualities to offer.

    What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

    Employees will pay for personal calls on the company’s cell phone.

    This happened about 2003. The developer team took turns being “on-call” and carrying the company phone. Most of us had cell phones but we did not use them as much as we do now. My plan was expensive even though it was the minimum number of minutes, I think 60, per month. In any case, I rarely went over the number of minutes per month. The company phone, on the other hand, had an unlimited plan so there would be no overage charges. The business use of the phone required a lot of minutes.

    When it was my turn to carry the phone, I did not carry my personal cell phone at the same time. If I needed to make a call, I would just use the company phone. Most of us did the same thing. Cell phones were bulky and it did not cost the company anything extra. Also, we only made a few short calls on the work phone.

    Well our boss, the CTO, called a meeting and showed a new form for us to record our personal calls when we carried the company phone. He told us that it did not matter that the company’s unlimited plan made the calls free. It was the company’s phone and the company’s money. However, he appreciated that it was inconvenient to carry two phones so he was implementing a new policy that the person using the on-call phone for a personal call would log the call and reimburse the company the going rate. It was something like 20 cents per minute which was the normal per minute cost at the time. We were to use the form to pay the company for personal calls on the work phone.

    Most of us thought it was a little petty because the company’s plan was unlimited and a few short calls did not cost the company anything. However, we acknowledged it was a reasonable policy and we would just have to pay a little for convenience or carry two phones. Not really a big deal. Then I thought of something.

    I asked the boss, “Can we use the same form for the company to reimburse us for work calls on our personal phones?” He asked if we used our personal cells for work. “Of course, whoever is on-call often calls his colleagues for advice about a problem or how a system was configured. If we are not home, we take the call on our cell. As a matter of fact, twice this year I went over my monthly minutes and had to pay overage charges.” He replied that I would not pay extra if I was more careful to not go over my minutes. “Well, as you explained, it does not matter if I pay extra or not. It’s about keeping personal calls and work calls separate. So, can we use the same form or should we use a different form?” Without answering the question, he ended the meeting shortly thereafter.

    He never said anything more about the form, and the policy never went into effect.

    I admit that I did not like the guy because he viewed us as commodities instead of employees. The feeling was mutual and he fired me the next year. Oh well, I got a better job after that.

    China Tests New Laser Weapon That Destroys Planes In Seconds!

    Will China’s economic problems become a financial crisis for the rest of the world?

    No

    It won’t

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    The Debt crisis in China isn’t a shock to the global economy

    Evergrande crisis happened in 2021 and it’s 2 years old and yet Evergrande hasn’t fallen

    The Debt crisis is two years old, maybe three years old now

    So even if the big names begin failing, the systemic shocks to Chinas Economy Or the Global Economy will be much milder than a sudden unexpected shock


    The difference between US and China, is that in US, the Institutions which are privately owned and have very little regulations, lie and cheat and bury the information deep and keeps allowing more and more trouble to accumulate

    Lehman Brothers crisis in 2008 is an example as is the 1929 depression or the recent Silicon Valley Bank failures

    They pretend nothing is wrong, they pretend everything is hunky dory, they even manipulate the system like they did in 2008 with Moodys and S&P

    Then THERE IS ALWAYS A SUDDEN COLLAPSE AND A MASSIVE SYSTEMIC SHOCK

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    https://www.khilafah.com/the-2008-financial-crisis-cost-every-american-70000/

    Like in 2008 when there was a downward swing in investment indices by a whopping 60% across 2 years

    People lost homes, savings everything and plunged into poverty


    China is entirely different

    China has lots of regulations and State has a huge control which means no pretension, no burying of information

    The Chinese in fact start openly publishing info from Day 1 about such problems

    Evergrande problems were published 30 days before their first default while the real estate debt crisis problems were openly revealed yuan for yuan almost 3 months before Evergrande (which is how the West knew about it in the first place)

    As a result the system gets a DULL SHOCK rather than a SUDDEN SHOCK AND COLLAPSE

    This Dull Shock is absorbed slowly into the economy of China and by the investors, then smaller shocks happen and they too get absorbed

    Thus Indices will fall maybe 6–8% in China , maybe 10% over 5–6 years and then stabilize and recover

    The Impact will probably be 10% of the 2008 Crisis at the most

    Lehman collapsed in 14 days, Lehman Bros when it collapses will do so after almost 825 days to 900 days

    Lot of time to absorb the shock


    Experts gauge China will absorb it’s debt crisis at a cost of around 1.2% a year in it’s economic growth for around 5 years and 0.7% a year for the next five

    That’s around 13.5 Trillion Yuan

    Worst case, that’s more than double of the estimated value of impact of the debt crisis (6 Trillion Yuan)


    Chinas past growth and surging development will keep China protected from the debt crisis and get China off safely and with a nice soft landing

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    image 5

    Another 5 years if Xi had buried this and kept up illusions and kept seeing debt rollovers and price rise rapidly

    China would have had 6–6.5% growth for the next 5 years or so but then the impact would have been maybe 30–35 Trillion after a decade or so

    An example of the astute leadership of China which cares about long term prospects

    Unlike a problem with democracies which bury all the problems hoping the next party will deal with them

    How much of everything is made in China now? If so, how did this happen, and why do they make things there instead of here in the USA?

    Ask you CEOs why they think they are entitled to earn 100 times more that Chinese CEOs? Ask your employees and your unions what the push their salary to 5 times that of China? Ask your employees why they expects 10 times their benefits compared to Chinese counterparts? Ask why they are willing to work 25% less hours compared to the Chinese workers? Ask why are your education system turning out lawyers and bull shit artiste instead of stem engineers?

    Ask your government why your infrastructure is dilapidated and why are there no trainings and retraining of workers sufficient to meet today’s manufacturing needs? Those question get you real answers and make the U.S. face realities?

    China did not put a gun on the heads on 330 million Americans to buy Chinese products! The 330 million Americans chosed value for money like everyone on earth. The U.S. government and the U.S. people made wrong choices. They choose wars and war mongering rather than helping their manufacturers and factories. The citizens chose those leaders! If the U.S. citizens were to turn around and kicked out any politicians that prioritise wars over work kick them out of office they can make the difference.

    There are so many Americans here in QUORA who champion wars and worship power but ask why China makes everything? You need to choose wisely. You go around telling everyone you have a freedom to chose and are so proud of that freedom but you blow it every 4 years for 250 years long.

    You chose leaders that don’t care about you and in fact destroy you!

    Do Cats Miss Us When We Leave the House?

    What is the best case of “You just picked a fight with the wrong person” that you’ve witnessed?

    At my wife’s father’s wake, we told her uncle he wasn’t welcome.

    We had texted him and asked him not to show up early , as he wasn’t welcome but said that we would be leaving early so he could come later, but he came early anyway with his two sons and his screaming Harpy of a wife.

    We had rented the hall and paid for the food and bar.

    I stopped them at the door, expecting trouble. I asked him to leave and come back in a few hours when we would be gone.

    They tried to push past me and called my wife a c##t

    I reacted without thinking.

    I shattered his and his two sons noses with three strikes in about two seconds.

    They know I am a Wing Chun Gung Fu stylist who is also a 6′ 200 lb pro renovation contractor.

    They called the police.

    The police called them white trash and suggested they didn’t want to go in front of a judge considering their conduct.

    They backed down and left.

    One of the cops was Irish , he said he would buy me a whiskey right in front of the jack ass’s if he wasn’t on duty while they were holding their noses.

    P. S. I don’t advocate violence, but I have no regrets at this time.

    Love some, trust few, and do no great harm.

    Baby Wasn’t Able To Tell Parents About Cruel Sitter — But His Dog Could

    This is Vesna Vulović.

    She holds the Guinness World Record for the highest fall without a parachute and surviving. She is reported to have fallen 6.3 miles (33,330 ft; 10,160 m) from the sky when a briefcase bomb exploded onboard JAT Flight 367 and crashed into what was then Czechoslovakia in 1972.

    So, how exactly did she survive the fall? When the bomb exploded during mid-flight, almost all the passengers were sucked out of the airplane into subfreezing temperatures and fell to their deaths. Vulović was trapped inside the fuselage and pinned down by a food cart. She landed in a heavily wooded area with snow, which helped cushion her fall. Interestingly enough, Vulović’s low blood pressure allowed her to pass out quickly when the cabin depressurized and prevented her heart from bursting on impact. When applying to become a flight attendant, Vulović had concealed her low blood pressure from the medical examiners by drinking several cups of coffee.

    Vulović was the only survivor, and upon impact, had broken both her legs, parts of her vertebrae, and several ribs. She also fractured her skull and pelvis. After spending several days in a coma, Vulović awoke and asked for a cigarette. She had no recollection of the explosion or the crash. Her recuperation took a total of 16 months.

    BREAKING! China and U.S. headed for all out war, and Putin knows it

    What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

    “Any hotel expense over $XX must be approved by your Supervisor unless previously authorized (Daytona during Bike Week, going into hurricane devastated areas, or other known high cost areas, etc.)”.

    Sure, I’m on the road for 3–6 weeks at a time and only after working the planned for 8–10 hours a day (yes 50+work hours a week were the norm) would I be on the road to the next job which was often 100 or more miles away. Needless to say, there were many, Many nights where I arrived at a hotel at around midnight.

    Guess who went home at 5 PM back in the office? Yep, our supervisor. So, someone found his home phone number and we all began calling it when we arrived somewhere that wasn’t within the price range they expected.

    So they changed the rule to say “Don’t call your Supervisor, but you are responsible for finding a hotel within per diem limits”.

    Sure, but since it’s something you told me to do then I’m still at work. Do you Really think its worthwhile to pay me an extra hour’s pay just to save $10 for a night? Do you Really want me to add the two hours travel time to my pay-sheet because the only hotel in the price range was that far away?

    I just remembered another prime example backfiring: the company had a policy that if we screwed up a job then it was our responsibility to go back and fix it on our own time. (If we didn’t want to then we’d mysteriously find our services weren’t in such high demand for the next week or three). So, one fine Saturday morning after I’d finished installing the computer system for a well-known coffee chain, I got a phone call that said I had to travel 400 miles to Memphis and fix a problem with a printer that didn’t work. Obviously it not working must have been my fault. It didn’t help much to say that part of my checkout procedure was to get a number from a document the help desk printed to their new POS system’s laser printer.

    So, yeah, I’ll go back to Memphis on my own dime, BUT if it’s not my fault then I get paid. Traveled 6.5 hours to Memphis and walked into the coffee shop to hear the manager complain that his printer wasn’t working. I asked him what the help desk had him do. Turns out he didn’t call his help desk but just his contact at the company I worked for. I walked into the office, took a quick look and flipped the “ON” switch to the printer. Then I handed him the work order and told him he was going to be charged for 8 hours of travel to Memphis (400 miles at 50 MPH) 4 hours of overtime (our minimum charge and it was Saturday) and 8 hours of travel back to my house.

    “B-But it didn’t work, you installed it wrong!” Nope, here’s the printout and the confirmation number from your help desk printed to that computer saying everything worked. Your help desk would have asked you what lights were on the printer, IF you had called them first.

    A terrible day, so I spent the afternoon on Beale St. before heading home to pack up for the next Monday’s job in Charlotte or somewhere, who knows?

    Tucker Carlson ‘ You’ve No Idea What is Coming, start Preparing Now

    https://youtu.be/iiaU43WmfL8

    What classic car has the most available parts?

    When my daughter was 15 (2000) I asked her what kind of car she wanted. Her answer stunned me: an old VW Beetle. We decided rather than looking for a good one to buy we would buy a beat up old junker and restore it together. I acquired the catalogs from suppliers and was shocked at how cheap the parts were and could not find a single thing that was not available new. We stripped that old junker down, did the body work and painted it. Bought all new chrome and stainless steel trim, all new upholstery, head liner, carpet and replaced every piece of rubber on the car.

    When it came time to rebuild the engine I took a list of the parts I thought I would need to a local shop that specialized in VWs. He looked at the list and ask if I was planning on rebuilding the engine. When I said “yes” he responded that I was not going to do it, I was going to pay them to do it. I ask why? He said because this list of part is going to cost you 800 dollars and we will rebuild it for 875 dollars. Thinking it was a scam, I asked what if the crank is bad? His response was we are not going to use anything but the block, everything else is new including the heads . We picked up the engine and, as he said, it was 875 dollars.

    When she turned 16 I gave her driving lessons in her VW. She drove it through high school and well after college. she didn’t stop using it until she had her first child.

    Rather than let it sit we gave it to a friend who, 20 years after our rebuild, is still using it.

    Total cost of the junk car, parts, and materials, including the engine rebuild: $3,300. Never had a part that we couldn’t get within a couple of days (side note; for several years she claimed she could not drive an automatic [or any other car] because she only knew how to drive a VW.)

    Digging Dollar’s Grave! ASEAN Nations To Use Yuan As Their New Single Currency!

    https://youtu.be/lvsZlBlfvW8

    Anti-China Rhetoric Is Off the Charts in Western Media 

    The mass hysteria reflects the biases inherent in the world’s most powerful media outlets. 

    By Chandran Nair

    February 21, 2023

    A key feature of mainstream Western media today is the relentless China-bashing. It is off the charts and tiring, often involving regurgitated trivia or fabricated stories with no evidence to support callous statements about the country, demonstrating a deep lack of understanding. But such stories continue to be churned out with no end in sight.

    Countering this in international media by offering more balanced views for a global audience is near impossible as censorship is rife. There almost seems to be a global compact to control the narrative, a propaganda war powered by today’s digital technology.

    Just try looking for a positive story on China any day of the week in any of the leading global media outlets. Apart from reports in January about the Lunar New Year, there will hardly be any, and these too are likely to have a negative spin. It would appear there is a confidential memo circulating within Western media groups that guides reporters and editors to ensure there cannot be any positive news arising from a country with 1.3 billion people.

    Typically, the negative stories adhere to three core ideas, which inform the unspoken guidelines within these press rooms when it comes to reporting on China.

    First is the belief that China is a threat to the world and that this belief must be relentlessly reinforced at every available opportunity. How and why China is a threat is never explored; such is the deep-rooted and almost religious nature of the belief. Sound arguments do not matter. The basic tenets of good journalism are ignored when it comes to a China story. There is no need to explain or give evidence of why China is a global threat.

    Left ignored is the plentiful evidence that shows China is not a global threat – even if one can point to mistakes and overreach in certain areas. China has not invaded any country in decades, or imposed sanctions that have devasted the lives of millions in poor countries, unlike the West, led by the United States.

    Second is that China must be linked to every possible global event that affects the West. This provides an opportunity for the West to bash China while simultaneously burnishing its own credentials as the supposed arbiters of what is right and wrong in international relations. From the pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine war to carbon emissions; from rising sea levels to the scramble for rare earths; from the building of infrastructure in Africa to the production of vaccines – there must be an angle to demonize the country and instill fear in Western nations (and beyond).

    Indeed, media outlets are reverting to the “yellow peril” of the late 1800s. There is no subtle and nuanced approach to instilling fear like this. It is full-on and very often blatantly racist – but it is now acceptable for one to be racist about the Chinese in Western media, despite the fact that Black-White relations are very carefully described.

    The third part of this phenomenon, which is surprisingly not challenged by liberal readers of mainstream media, is the sentiment that everything must be done – even illegal and unfair methods – to arrest the rise of China. Never mind the rights of hundreds of millions of Chinese to have a better life after a century of poverty and deprivation.

    Headline after headline that capture this sentiment have normalized the view that there is a need to curb the rise of China, and that this is a legitimate geopolitical objective. There is no explanation about why or if it is even morally acceptable. It has become a feature of Western commentary on China to say that its rise is a concern and a threat. With this assumption unassailably in place, the West has the right to galvanize – and even bully – its allies and ask the absurd question, “what should be done about China’s rise?” – as if China does not have the right to carve its own place in the new world.

    There is even a school of thought in the United States that it was America that magnanimously allowed China its first baby steps into the globalized economy, and that in hindsight the U.S. was too nice to China. This view betrays everything that is imperial about the West and why it is unable to come to terms with the legitimate rights of other nations to grow and become powers in their own right. The assumption is that the rise of others is a gift from the West, and accordingly they must never challenge its supremacy. The deeply entrenched view in the West from centuries of domination is that it will decide which nations will be permitted to be participants in the global economy according to its self-serving “rules-based order.”

    Indeed, Western media seem wholly tied to the hegemonic competition view of geopolitics, constantly referencing the “Thucydides Trap” and being stuck in the Western canon as if there are no other ways of looking at geopolitics and world order. This view assumes conflict is inevitable and helps to demonize China while justifying the hegemonic position of the West – and the United States in particular – as a globally stabilizing force.

    Needless to say, this is an extremely belligerent position to take, and not something media should be egging on. Whatever happened to promoting multilateralism? And why are people who speak to multilateralism side-lined as idealists or China apologists? This flies in the face of fair reporting.

    So, how to fix this?

    First, people in China and the non-Western world must realize that when it comes to the workings of the mainstream media we are in a new era – a propaganda war the likes of which the world has never seen before, powered by today’s digital technology. The media war is real, and tech-driven, and it is not a fight for eyeballs to deliver fair, honest, and educational news. It is almost everything else but that, especially when it comes to China or enemies of the West.

    On one side is sheer propaganda aimed at the preservation of Western power. Participants include the most well-known brands in the Western media world, which are household names across the world.

    The idea that Western media is run by fair-minded people who are independent, driven only by a desire to talk truth to power, is a mirage. It is a myth, and it is a bitter pill that needs to be swallowed. The idea that the Western journalist is a paragon of virtue also needs to be banished from the minds of consumers of media.

    That is the first stage in enabling one to step out of the propaganda mist we are engulfed in on a daily basis, so that one can examine different viewpoints as news is consumed. This is not easy, given the current dominance of Western media outlets and their apparently collective mission.

    The next step is to dismantle the dominance of Western media.

    This too will be a long, hard fight. Mainstream Western media are the most powerful in the world and for close to a century, Western media have had a stranglehold on the dissemination of international news and viewpoints across the world. Many had their origins in colonialism, the preservation of empire and later the spread of Western ideas about how the world should be run. These outlets are a powerful economic force and dislodging them will require investments.

    Across the world there is an opportunity to contribute to this effort, not necessarily by building large media companies but by investing in media companies that are committed to fair and objective analysis, so that local audiences in the first instance have choices and are not inundated by the propaganda of mainstream Western media. This too will not be an easy task and there are many hurdles to overcome, but this is not the space to dive into those details. Ultimately, it is all about readers becoming more aware of global issues by having more non-Western sources to rely on, so they are not victims of the current propaganda war. This is beginning to happen as more alternatives flourish.

    It is an urgent need in the West too so that the mass hysteria generated by mainstream media is prevented from creating fear and pitting Western societies against the rest of the world. Today the target is China; tomorrow India and then maybe Africa.

    Merkules – ”Rich Men North Of Richmond” Remix (Reaction)

    Young Boy Looks Out The Window And Sees Sister Bring Dragged Into The Woods

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    At some point or another in most of our lives, we will have an opportunity to be a hero. Some people will take that opportunity and run with it, and that includes Owen Burns.

    Owen was coming home from school in the afternoon when he heard screaming. It was his sister, and at first, he didn’t feel that it was anything serious.

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    Eventually, he did turn and look out the window and what he saw on the outside was enough to make his blood run cold. It was a frightening issue but one that he decided to put out of his mind and do the right thing.

    Owen was getting ready to play Call of Duty on his PlayStation when his sister started screaming from the backyard. As any 13-year-old brother would do, he got irritated because he thought she was overreacting and just being annoying.

    When he looked out the bedroom window, however, he saw that his sister was being dragged away by a stranger. His sister was only eight years old and they were headed for the woods behind the house.

    Immediately, the teenage boy grabbed a slingshot and anything he could use as ammunition, including a rock and a marble. He took aim and got off a shot, hitting his sister’s abductor right between the eyes.

    He got off a second shot, hitting the man in the chest, and at that point, the man was swearing and cursing.

    This wasn’t something that was hidden from view, it happened in broad daylight at their home in Michigan. The mother, Maggie Burns, said that it is not common for kidnappings to occur in the neighborhood.

    Fortunately, the abductor was scared away and the 8-year-old girl was unharmed. They were able to capture the would-be kidnapper, a 17-year-old. They didn’t release his identity but they did say he would face charges as an adult.

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    According to John Grimshaw, a Lieut. with the police force, Owen saved his sister’s life, or from something seriously bad happening to her. They called his actions extraordinary.

    He also said that the young man should be commended for what he did. He used a regular slingshot that was purchased for three dollars on sale. He did practice shooting on occasion at old orange juice cans, and that helped him to improve his aim.

    Owen said that he only had one thing on his mind when he saw someone trying to kidnap his sister. He was afraid that the kidnapper would either kill her or use her as a sex slave.

    He said that the abductor had come behind his sister and grabbed her just like you would see in the movies, putting his hand over her mouth and his arm around her waist. He was trying to get her into the woods.

    That is when Owen grabbed his slingshot and started shooting at him. When the kidnapper finally let his grip on the little girl go, she ran into the house crying and said that she had almost been killed.

    Owen was angry at that point and ran outside to curse at the kidnapper. He threw a baseball in his direction but it missed.

    At that point, he tried to shoot him again with a slingshot but the rubber band broke.

    They then called the mother who had been at a relative’s house to help as she was on her way from work. She ran home, called the police, and it all stems from hearing her kids on the phone. The only thing she heard was the word, kidnapper.

    They found the 17-year-old kidnapper hiding at a gas station nearby. He was indicted in the County Court on charges of kidnapping and attempted criminal assault. They will also charge him with misdemeanor assault and battery.

    The police said that: “He had obvious signs of an injury consistent with those that would have been sustained from the slingshot strikes to his head and chest.”

    The mother was skeptical at first that Owen had hit the kidnapper in the face and chest from 200 feet away. When the police confirmed the injuries, they even said that the goose egg on his head continued to get bigger while they were speaking with him.

    Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and I would say Owen and is as close to a superhero as you can get.

    Office of Naval Intelligence Leak: China Building Naval Ships 232 Times faster than USA – “Lift to Invade North America”

    Nation Hal Turner

    The United States office of Naval Intelligence suffered a leak of an intel briefing slide, showing China now has naval ship building capacity 232 times greater than the USA.  This capacity can be used to build enough ships to “lift” an army to invade North America – successfully.

    This amazingly oversized capacity to build naval vessels has caused some analysts to raise the alarm that the United States cannot even hope to catch-up . . . for years.

    Other analysts have a more dire view: China is building this enormous amount of “lift” to be able to field a 200 million man army to invade and conquer North America, which it needs for food production and for its gigantic and growing population.

    The seeds for this dire analysis began under the Trudeau government in Canada, when it signed a Treaty with the China Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing to allow Chinese Troops into Canada – to “protect Chinese investments.” The Treaty made it explicitly clear that local governments in Canada would not be notified and could not do anything about the presence of such troops.

    By using Canada as a beachhead, giving China a foothold on north American, China can now pre-position armor and troops along the US northern border until they reach such mass that an invasion of the US would be almost a fait accompli!

    US Military in Recruiting Shambles

    In the meantime, the armed forces of the United States are in a Recruiting shambles.  EVERY branch of US Armed Forces have been missing their recruiting goals for the all-volunteer force, and have been missing those goals for years.

    The troubles plaguing recruiting do not come from lack of available people but rather a whole host of issues with those people.  For instance, a very large portion of American young people are “morbidly obese” to such a degree, that the physical strength and stamina simply cannot be restored to make them fit for military service.

    Other potential recruits suffer from a  host of disqualifying psychiatric issues: Men who think they’re actually women trapped in the wrong body . . . . women who think they’re men . . . . candidates with a history of suicidal ideation and/or actual suicide attempts and more.

    Also plaguing the pool of potential recruits is the mental inability to think critically; to make judgements, and act on immediate information.

    As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, a sizeable portion of the potential recruits are so physically weak and effeminate, they simply cannot be brought to military strength.

    Drug use is also a major factor in disqualifying potential recruits.  Psychiatric drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), addiction to Adderall, on top of others who are using illicit drugs like Cocaine, Heroin, or a

    plethora of other, exotic “designer drugs,” has disqualified very many potential recruits because withdrawal from such drugs can lead to long-term violent outbursts and unstable mental states.

    DEFENSE INDUSTRY IN SHAMBLES

    Adding fuel to the fire is the Defense Industry itself.  At present, the US Defense Industry is UNABLE to re-supply the most basic war-fighting products like Ammunition and artillery shells in sufficient quantities to re-stock what the US has already given away to Ukraine, never mind to fight an active war with a near-peer rival.

    Instead of hiring new employees to increase defense production, many defense contractors are having to LAY OFF workers because they simply cannot get the parts necessary to assemble replacement weaponry like Javelin Missiles!  American manufacturer’s “out-sourced” many jobs to overseas locations, and, in the case of China, that is now coming back to bit the US in its ass.

    For instance, China recently imposed economic Sanctions on Lockheed Martin and other American Defense Contractors, for supplying weapons to Taiwan. This means that Chinese manufacturers can no longer sell certain electronics to those companies; electronics  necessary to build and re-supply US military weapon systems!

    Not only is this affecting the US ability to continue providing weaponry to Ukraine, it is also affecting our ability to make weapons to defend . . . OURSELVES.  With the vast array and quantities of weaponry being “given” to Ukraine, it appears to some Defense Analysts that the US is being INTENTIONALLY DISARMED by its own federal government.

    COMMERCIAL ENTITIES UNABLE TO SERVICE or CUTTING-OFF US MILITARY

    Reverting back to the subject of ships for a moment, it became known this week that Danish shipping giant, MAERSK, is “backing away” from providing shipping services to the Department of Defense. 

    With most of US Ship-building gone from environmental regulations and Union Labor contract demands, the few shipbuilders the US still has, simply cannot meet the demand for new vessels or to timely repair existing vessels.

    The US has to rely on foreign shipbuilders for Hulls and for shipping services.

    MAERSK has not said why they are “backing away” from providing services to the Department of Defense, but they are, in fact, doing so.

    Are these companies being pressured by China or other foreign governments to cripple the US?   Are these companies being threatened with losing the ability to provide shipping services to foreign countries if they continue helping the US?  The answer to those questions is not known, but it __may__ be a possibility.

    Which brings up the issue of future US ship building and moving men and materiel.

    With China having 232 times the US ship building capacity, and with commercial ventures in the US unable to re-supply or even timely service existing ships, and now commercial entitities “backing away” from providing services to the US, it is starting to look as though we are being set up to be invaded and conquered.

    MILITARY-AGE MEN SOUTHERN BORDER INVASION

    All of the above brings us to the US Southern Border.   There has been an over Nine-hundred percent (900%+) increase in young, fit, military-age, Chinese men crossing illegally into the US via the southern border.  This is confirmed by FOX NEWS.

    Why the sudden surge of Chinese men?   Some analysts think they are a fifth column; wolves in sheep’s clothing, entering our country at the behest of the China Communist Party to lay in wait for an order to attack the US from within.

    And the US federal Government is making it EASIER for people to enter the country illegally!   The Biden regime has ordered gates in former President Trump’s border wall . . . . to be welded open!  YEs, you read that correctly, the gates are being welded open so even US citizens, concerned about illegals entering the country, can’t simply close and lock the gates.

    STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE, DRAINED

    The United States established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) after the Arab Oil Embargo of the 1970’s.   The SPR can hold a little over seven-hundred-million barrels of oil in giant caverns in Louisiana and Texas.   Yet the Biden regime has ordered the SPR to sell-off much of that reserve to artificially reduce gasoline prices in the USA.

    As of today, more than two-thirds of that 700 million barrel SPR, have been sold off and are gone.  There are presently no plans (and no money) to refill it.

    If the US is invaded, and we cannot import foreign oil because we’re a war zone where ships cannot safely come and go, we won’t have more than a month or two of fuel with which to fight and defend our own land.

    TREACHERY?

    This appears to be deliberate treachery on the part of the federal government, some of whom may simply have been bribed by China, or other countries, to sell-out our nation and prime us for invasion.

    This week, Congress beings Impeachment Hearings into President Joe Biden, who allegedly received potentially millions in bribes from China and elsewhere.  Congress has already revealed that Bank Wire Transfers to Hunter Biden, showing Joe Biden’s home address in Wilmington, Delaware as the recipient’s address, have been confirmed as having taken place.   At least $250,000 of such wire transfers are said to have come from Beijing.

    Also this week, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was Indicted and Arraigned in federal court, after being caught with some $458,000 cash stuffed into envelopes hidden in clothing in a closet, and in a safe, in his Englewood Cliffs home, along with 81.5 ounces of gold bullion in bars, allegedly for making military deals with and for, Egypt.

    Menendez is charged with Bribery.

    If Menendez took Bribes from Egypt to sell out US weapons, one has to wonder if he also took money from China to sell us out?   Or if he also took money from other countries?

    One also has to wonder if any OTHER Senators or Congressmen took such Bribes?

    It appears the United States of America is suffering a level of treachery from within, that may actually cause our nation to cease to exist.

    China Exposes New G20 Summit Hypocrisy and lies

    You won’t believe what Biden just said after all the sanctions the US imposed on China. Biden gave a statement thinking that he is trying to create good relations with China after the G20 meeting with China’s Premier League Biden said we don’t want to contain China instead we want to make sure we have a relationship that is on the up and up squared away but don’t be misled by this statement before you know the actual truth According to Forbes, the US has imposed a list of sanctions on China, and its motive is simply to contain China, so when it comes to words, the US has a lot to say to impress you, but when it comes to actions, you won’t find anyone more brutal in the world than the US, so the question is why is there such a big difference between the US’s actions and its words, let’s find out in this video we will discuss the reality behind the US’s claims to not contain China We will also analyze the impact of Biden and Lee’s G20 summit on US-China relations. Watch the video until the conclusion to find out if the US is being honest this time or if this is just another tactic to attain ulterior aims.

    https://youtu.be/w0MMrKvJZLQ

    COVERT INTEL: CLOSEST PUTIN ADVISOR SAYS “NUKE U.K. OFF THE MAP” TO STOP UKRAINE WAR AND WW3

    World Hal Turner

    One of the closest and most trusted Advisors to Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally told his boss that a “massive” use of nuclear weapons is necessary to actually “prevent” World War 3 and save humanity.  He urges the complete destruction of the United Kingdom as a warning to others to stop.

    Mediterranean Steak and Pasta
    with Tomato-Olive Sauce

    Whole-wheat pasta is served with beef Sirloin Tip Center Steaks and a tomato and olive sauce. This one will please the adults and the kids in your family.

    mediterranean steak pasta
    mediterranean steak pasta

    Yield: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces uncooked whole grain fettuccine
    • 4 beef Sirloin Tip Center Steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 4 ounces each)
    • 1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce with olives*
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
    • 1/4 cup finely shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese
    • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

    Instructions

    1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions; drain and keep warm.
    2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place beef steaks in skillet; cook for 11 to 13 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally. (Do not overcook.) Remove from skillet; keep warm.
    3. Combine pasta sauce and oregano in same skillet; heat until hot. Return steaks to skillet; turn to coat with sauce.
    4. Place steaks on fettuccine; spoon sauce over all.
    5. Sprinkle steaks with cheese, allowing cheese to melt. Sprinkle with parsley.

    Notes

    * You may substitute 1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce with olives for 1 (26 ounce) pasta sauce plus 1/4 cup chopped olives.

    What advice do you have for people who have been called weird?

    I used to coach swimming in the early 2000’s. It probably won’t surprise you that my most challenging group was the middle school boys.

    But where a few of them were difficult, others were in need of help. They were “different”. Consequently, they were bullied frequently at school. They would come in upset about how their day had gone.

    I identified with them on so many levels as I’ve spent my entire life having people tell me, “You are one weird guy.”

    I would reassure them that they were simply misunderstood and that they were in good company: some of the greatest people who ever lived were treated as weirdos.

    Frederick Nietzsche, another mega genius, was in this camp at one point too. He was, by very definition, different than his peers. People tend to attack things they don’t understand.

    image 12
    image 12

    Throughout his life, he proposed many wild and brilliant ideas, faced his own share of critics, and endured his own moments of social isolation.

    One line he wrote, that I encourage any who feel misunderstood to remember:

    And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.

    Humanity is filled with wild and shimmering variety. Those who see “different” and attack are afraid of their own authenticity.

    Don’t shy away from living your own truth.

    If you haven’t been told “You’re weird.” a few times along the way, you aren’t doing it right.

    CIA impressions

    When I first arrived in China, I lived downtown in Lohu. And to get around, I rode the subway. Very convenient, and super cheap too.

    I have many, many stories about those days.

    At that time, My hair was short, but I had a long beard. I also wore a red baseball cap (backwards) and wore tan cargo shorts, and a black cargo vest over my black tee-shirt. I didn’t think too much about it.

    My eyeglasses were tinted, giving me the appearance of wearing really dark sunglasses.

    The baseball hat was to cover up my bald spot, and the beard was to over compensate. The cargo shorts were the norm, being 90F at 90% humidity daily. And the cargo vest is, well necessary, for tissues, phone, charger, wires, and all the rest.

    I would ride the subway, and lean, casually on the side rails as the subway sped through the underground tunnels.

    One day, I noticed another fellow on the train. He was of middle east appearance. Swarthy, perhaps from Afghanistan, Pakistan or maybe Syria. And he just keep looking at me. I tried not to look back, but he was just sitting there staring at me. His mouth open.

    Open.

    O-P-E-N

    I would watch him in the glass reflection on the train. Yup. He was fixated on looking at me….

    I wonder why?

    2023 09 27 11 22
    2023 09 27 11 22

    Today…

    Did China ever buy Mig-29s from Russia?

    No, China has never imported MiG-29

    Historically, in 1990, the Chinese Air Force planned to import MiG-29s. But when they visited Moscow, a MiG-29 crashed during a demonstration.

    This makes the Chinese hesitant to sign purchase agreements.

    At this time, the Sukhoi Design Bureau quietly gave the SU-27 information to the Chinese (the SU-27 was still confidential at the time)

    The Chinese compared the performance indicators of the SU-27 with the MiG-29. In a short period of time, a consensus was reached: buy back SU27 at any cost.

    Facts have proved that the Chinese are wise. As a country with a vast territory, the range of MIG29 is too short and cannot meet the requirements. The SU-27 is more powerful and has a better design. An upgraded version of SU27 made by the Chinese: J16 fighter jet 

    The Chinese have developed and produced many upgraded models based on the SU-27, and their performance even surpasses the Russian version.

    Until China’s fourth-generation fighter jets entered service, the improved SU-27 fighter jets had always been the absolute main force of the Chinese Air Force.

    What is something that your mother-in-law said that you’ll never forget?

    My MIL raised 5 boys, I married the eldest Son, we had 2 sons so I was the only girl for a couple of years..when he died in a car accident 8 years later. I made sure my boys spent time with her. I remarried but still visited her thru the years. Forty-six years later, She is now 90, on one visit, we were just talking, when she said, I always wanted a daughter, but had the boys instead, I had to wait till you came to have my daughter. I had called her Mom all these years, i was so touched to hear that. Bless her.

    Cumin-Rubbed Steaks with
    Avocado Salsa Verde

    3443d757981d90bae33d132252411a07 salsa verde restaurant recipes
    3443d757981d90bae33d132252411a07 salsa verde restaurant recipes

    Ingredients

    • 2 beef shoulder center steaks* (ranch), cut 1 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 3/4 cup prepared tomatillo salsa
    • 1 small ripe, Fresh California Avocado, diced
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

    Instructions

    1. Press cumin evenly onto beef steaks.
    2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.
    3. Place steaks in skillet; cook 13 to 16 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally.
    4. Meanwhile combine salsa, avocado and cilantro in small bowl.
    5. Carve steaks into slices; season with salt, as desired.
    6. Serve with salsa.

    Notes

    * Two beef top loin (strip) steaks, cut 1 inch thick, may be substituted for shoulder center steaks. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally.

    The Blinken Doctrine: A two front war with Russia and China

    Blinken might be the worst American “diplomat” in American history. He’s drunk on American exceptionalism out of touch with the new realities of multipolarity.

    This is important. Pay attention.

    What is the craziest arrest you have ever seen?

    Back in my late teens, many moons ago, I saw cops arrest my friend to cover their asses late at night. Earlier, they had pulled over a motorcycle rider & passenger for riding on a bike with no lights on a back, unlit , dangerous windy road. But even though they were riding a black bike and wearing black (so basically invisible) the cops let them go…no ticket

    20 minutes later, I was standing by the side of the road waiting for my friend to back his car out of a tight space so I could get in. The bike rider came around a bend and plowed into my friend’s car. He & his passenger were killed instantly when they were thrown from the bike. The cops, when they showed up, arrested my friend after verbally abusing & berating him and threw him in back of the squad car. They then proceeded to pick up the money, laying on the road, that had fallen out of the rider’s pocket and we’re stuffing it into their own pockets. I brought that to the attention of the crowd that was assembling. Cops told me to mind my own business. Then they started yelling at my innocent friend some more who was beyond distraught.

    I finally opened the squad car door & let him out which then got me arrested also. Get to the station and I make my phone call. 5 minutes later the Chief walks in and all hell brakes lose as the cops on duty try to get their stories straight and throw my friend & I under the bus. The Chief sees me & demands to speak to me directly. I tell him everything that happened, including the cops taking the victim’s money. Of course the arresting cops call me a liar.

    One slight problem for them. The Chief was a family friend who had known me since I was a baby. His best friend was my grandfather who just happened to be a police Chief 3 towns over. Long story short, two of the cops lost their jobs over this.

    AUSTRALIA AND AUSTRALIANS

    The following has been written by the late Douglas Adams of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” fame.

    “Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of the bottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge into the girting sea.

    Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology, but they still call it the “Great Australian Bight”, proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory but they can’t spell either.

    The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other landmasses and sovereign lands are classified as continent, island or country, Australia is considered all three.

    Typically, it is unique in this.

    The second confusing thing about Australia is the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep. It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them.

    Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on), under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else.

    A stick is very useful for this task.

    The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants.

    A short history: Sometime around 40,000 years ago some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and a lot of them died.

    The ones who survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man’s proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories. They also discovered a stick that kept coming back.

    Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north.

    More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons), ate all their food, and a lot of them died.

    About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since. It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal and litigate (marks of a civilised culture they say), whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert – equipped with a stick.

    Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on ‘extended holiday’ and became Australians. The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside their boots every morning for fatal surprises. They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift for making up stories. Be warned.

    There is also the matter of the beaches. Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the world, although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching

    a beach sunset is worth the risk.

    As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a sour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger. Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick. Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string and mud.

    Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the ‘Grass is greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land “Oz” or “Godzone” (a verbal contraction of “God’s Own Country”). The irritating thing about this is… they may be right.

    TIPS TO SURVIVING AUSTRALIA

    Don’t ever put your hand down a hole for any reason – WHATSOEVER.

    The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.

    Always carry a stick.

    Air-conditioning is imperative.

    Do not attempt to use Australian slang unless you are a trained linguist and extremely good in a fist fight.

    Wear thick socks.

    Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.

    If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die. And don’t forget a stick.

    Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.

    HOW TO IDENTIFY AUSTRALIANS

    They pronounce Melbourne as “Mel-bin”.

    They think it makes perfect sense to decorate highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.

    They think “Woolloomooloo” is a perfectly reasonable name for a place, that “Wagga Wagga” can be abbreviated to “Wagga”, but “Woy Woy” can’t be called “Woy”.

    Their hamburgers will contain beetroot. Apparently it’s a must-have.

    How else do you get a stain on your shirt?

    They don’t think it’s summer until the steering wheel is too hot to handle.

    They believe that all train timetables are works of fiction.

    And they all carry a stick..

    Russia strikes Kiev’s depleted uranium stocks, Storm Shadow missiles depots, intelligence centers.

    “NATO is a suicide pill to the world. So if you want peace, pray for a Russian victory.” ~Scott Ritter

    Have you ever been pulled over by a police officer for an unusual reason?

    Yes I was pulled over by the police while driving in London. As I hadn’t done anything wrong I asked the one who wasn’t checking my details why I’d been stopped. He said his colleague happened to be interested in the make of car I was driving and noticed that the number plate didn’t seem to match the year it was manufactured.

    He e quite correct as it had been kept at factory for their use and so had only been registered for use on the road a year later. I thought it amazing that he’d noticed that while driving in the London traffic.

    What’s the hottest thing a teacher has ever said to you?

    Ms. Tan was this petite girl in her early 20s, she was athletic, tanned, had the most perfect brown-tinged hair right out of a shampoo ad, and most of all she had a certain “get-out-of-my-way” badass attitude matched with an inexplicably attractive resting-bitch face.

    She was the latest in a string of Physical Education teachers assigned to my class of 12 year old boys thoroughly enjoying the first blasts of puberty.

    We were all on the ground pretending to do sit-ups or something like that while she yelled at us like a drill instructor, except this drill instructor was in skin tight hot shorts and her fluorescent sports bra was shining through her translucent T-shirt. We were all really enjoying that.

    She was so caught up in her yelling that she didn’t watch where she was walking and she tripped over me.

    She was sprawled face first all over me.

    She was pressed so close to me I could smell her hair.

    The whole class erupted into a derisive but mostly envious “Ooooo~” and “WAAAH!”

    Instead of shooting up and telling everyone to shut the hell up, Ms. Tan locked her sympathetic eyes with me, smiled a smile I’d never before seen, and said:

    So sorry, looks like I fell for you”

    She laughed, and got up. She then told everyone to shut the hell up.

    I was the class hero for the entire year.

    Uncanny Valley Explained | Why Robots, Dolls and Mannequins are Creepy

    Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy!

    A pre-Hispanic mummy of between 600 and 800 years old, was found inside the backpack of a delivery man from a delivery company in the Peruvian region of Puno, near Bolivia. The 26-year-old Peruvian man who was caught with the mummy said, ‘Juanita’ was a kind of ‘spiritual girlfriend’ he kept it at home “and took it out to show his friends.”

    Drunk in Charge of a Mummy

    The police found three young men accompanied by a mummy that was inside a thermal delivery suitcase. The discovery occurred on Saturday, February 25, 2023, in the city of Puno, in southern Peru. The group of friends was surprised by the police authorities in a routine check while they were consuming alcoholic beverages at the Mantaro viewpoint of Puno.

    The 26-year-old had with him a delivery box from the company ‘Pedidos Ya’. Inside, there were human remains in a fetal position still bearing soft tissues with characteristics corresponding to a mummy.

    According to the BBC , the young man described the mummy as ‘a kind of spiritual girlfriend’ as he had been sharing his room with it for some time. The mummy was supposedly owned by his father, and was generally kept in a box next to the TV. It is unknown how the mummy came to be owned by his father.

    The Ministry of Culture specified through a statement that the remains – classified as a national cultural asset – were identified as a mummified adult man presumably from the eastern area of Puno. Sources from that office informed EFE that the individual would have been over 45 years old and approximately 1.51 meters (5 foot) tall, according to preliminary investigations.

    #PUNO Momia era trasladada en mochila de un delivery @pedidosya. @PoliciaPeru #terna intervino a joven y sus amigos libando junto a los restos arqueológicos de la época pre hispánica en el mirador Manto en Puno @MinCulturaPe @CNNEE @ReutersLatam pic.twitter.com/mI3cA2EOMb

    — Puno Sin Filtro (@PunoSinFiltro) February 26, 2023

    An Odd Housemate

    The authorities estimate that the human remains were 800 years old, and would likely come from the district of Patambuco. Apparently, they had been in the possession of the family for about 30 years, the authorities from the Peruvian Ministry of Culture informed various local media.

    The delivery man stated that the mummy was kept at his parents’ house and that he took it out to be seen by his friends from the neighborhood, according to the newspaper El Comercio .

    The police confiscated the mummy and turned it over to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture. The delivery man and his two friends, aged between 23 and 26, have been detained and are being investigated for possible crimes against the country’s cultural heritage.

    Why You Need to Leave America – 5 Signs You Can’t Ignore Anymore (It’s Time to GO!)

    Yup. Good video.

    What was the cruelest thing a company has ever done to you as an employee?

    I was working as a photo engraver for a major newspaper. It was a union job, so I was making a pretty good salary. I was a newlywed, having gotten married two months earlier. I was working the day shift, 8 AM to 4:30 PM. My wife and I were still learning how to live as a couple.

    Just before quitting time on a Thursday afternoon, I was told that starting next Monday, I was being moved to the graveyard shift, 1:30 AM to 8 AM. This meant that I would no longer be able to sleep with my wife. We made the best of the situation, but I was pissed that someone had enough control over my life that they could make me do something I did not want to do.

    I was working in a room by myself operating a huge graphic arts camera. People would bring work to me, but I primarily worked by myself. Each night I would come to work and try to figure out how I could get out of this mess. I realized I had to work for myself. I had a lot of time to think.

    After months of soul searching, I decided to go to law school. This would allow me to get out of the newspaper and work for myself. My schedule was work: 1:30 AM to 8 AM, go home, have a meal with my wife and then go to bed. We never figured out what to call the meals as it was breakfast for one of us and dinner for the other. I would sleep until 5 PM when my wife woke me for another meal. I would go to school, take classes from 7 PM to 10 PM and would stay out at school until midnight studying, come home and start the cycle all over again.

    It was rough, but worth it. Right in the middle of law school, my first child was born. I was now the sole income for the family, a law student, and a new father.

    I just retired from practicing law for over 35 years.

    China is exploring the use of a new EUV light source in making its own lithography facility

    China is exploring the use of a new extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source in making its own lithography facility but technology experts said such an ambitious goal may take many years to achieve.

    Over the past few days articles and videos have gone viral on the Internet in China claiming that Tsinghua University has made breakthroughs in steady-state microbunching (SSMB) technology, which can create an EUV light source with a power several times higher than that of ASML’s EUV lithography.

    They say the future launch of a SSMB accelerator, nicknamed “Lithographic cannon”, will help China bypass the export controls of the United States and the Netherlands.

    These came after Huawei Technologies on August 29 commenced the sale of its flagship smartphone Mate60 Pro, which used a 7 nanometer chip produced with Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) N+2 processing technology and ASML deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography.

    The SSMB technology in lithography can help China break the technological blockage of ASML.

    An article published by Acta Physica Sinica (a Chinese academic journal) has proposed to create SSMB-EUV lithography while Tsinghua’s research has already proved the feasibility of this idea.

    News about China’s plan to build an SSMB facility in Xiongan New Area near Beijing, with this project, if it’s successful, China can bypass the US sanctions.

    China should develop the SSMB technology because it can obtain neither the EUV lithography from ASML nor key parts needed such as lenses from German’s Zeiss and laser beam tools from the United States’ Cymer and German’s Trumpf.

    Currently, ASML’s EUV lithography is using a light source originating from a laser-produced plasma (LPP) source that has a maximum power of 500 watts. A ring-shaped SSMB accelerator can create an EUV light source with a power of about 1 kilowatt (1000 watts). Its circumference may range from 100 to 150 meters.

    Another EUV light source comes from superconducting radio-frequency free electron laser (SRF-FEL), which can achieve maximum power of between 1 and 10 kW. Such a facility can stretch out for as long as 200 meters. More technological breakthroughs are needed to achieve this.

    In general, the power of a laser beam should reach 250W for making 7nm chips, 350W for 5nm and 500W for 3nm. It needs 1kW to make 2nm chips.

    All these long-term developments have recently caught the attention of Chinese netizens, who wish to see China move on to making its own EUV lithography after the successful launch of Mate60 Pro.

    Coming Back Home After 3 Years In Thailand, here are my thoughts

    Very interesting.

    With top Chinese universities scrapping English tests, will China become more isolated or do we all need to learn Mandarin as China advances?

    Hi, Henry R. Greenfield. Thanks for the interesting question.

    Don’t worry about it.

    Put such thoughts out of your head.

    Chinese are very accommodating.

    We learn English so that you don’t have to learn Chinese.

    Some of us even give ourselves an English name so that you won’t have to struggle with our Chinese names.

    My former colleague in Dublin, Ying Xue, introduces herself as “Snow”, so that no one will struggle with her name.

    My former housemate in Dublin, Chu Jun, introduces herself as “Jennifer”, so that no one will struggle with her name.

    My former classmate in the States, Shi Ting, introduces herself as “Kelly”, so that no one will struggle with her name.

    See the pattern here?

    In my opinion, that’s pretty accommodating.

    Your facility with Mandarin – or lack thereof – matters not one whit to me.

    We can just converse in English.

    I admit, I’m not the Second coming of the Bard – to be honest, I don’t really get poetry, I can never tell great from doggerel – but I strongly believe that my command of the English language is at a much higher level than your grasp of Mandarin will ever reach, could ever reach, in this lifetime at least.

    And that’s not hubris speaking.
    Just common sense.

    So, rest easy.

    You will never need to learn Mandarin.

    Banish those fears from your mind.

    Take a deep breath.

    Wipe the sweat that has beaded your brow.

    Steady your hands.

    And enjoy what remains of your existence on this ball of rock.

    Life is too short to wallow in fear and hate.

    Crumb-Crusted Top Sirloin and
    Roasted Garlic Potatoes with Bourbon Sauce

    crumb crusted top sirloin roasted potatoes with bourbon sauce
    crumb crusted top sirloin roasted potatoes with bourbon sauce

    Yield: 6 to 8 servings

    Ingredients

    Roasted Garlic Potatoes

    • 2 large russet potatoes, each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges (about 1 1/2 pounds)
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

    Steak

    • 1 beef top sirloin steak, boneless, cut 2 inches thick (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
    • 1 tablespoon prepared spicy brown mustard
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    • 1/2 cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    Bourbon Sauce

    • 1/2 cup beef broth
    • 2 tablespoons bourbon
    • 1/4 cup Half-and-Half
    • Pepper

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

    Roasted Garlic Potatoes

    1. Place potato wedges in 15 x 10-inch metal baking pan.
    2. Combine oil, garlic, salt and pepper in small bowl. Drizzle over potatoes; toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer. Set aside.

    Steak

    1. Combine mustard, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in same small bowl; spread evenly onto beef Top Sirloin Steak.
    2. Combine bread crumbs and parsley in another small bowl. Pat mixture evenly over mustard mixture.
    3. Place steak on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat. Do not add water or cover. Roast steak and potatoes in 425 dgrees F oven for 25 minutes; turn potatoes. Continue roasting 15 to 20 minutes to medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness for steak and until potatoes are tender.
    4. Remove steak when meat thermometer registers 135 degrees F for medium rare; 150 degrees F for medium.
    5. Transfer steak to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10 degrees F to reach 145 degrees F for medium rare; 160 degrees F for medium.)
    6. Meanwhile prepare Bourbon Sauce.

    Bourbon Sauce

    1. Add broth and bourbon to roasting pan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until browned bits attached to pan are dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes.
    2. Add Half-and-Half; bring to a boil. Season with pepper, as desired. Keep warm.
    3. Carve steak into slices. Spoon sauce over beef. Serve with potatoes.

    Confession of the Day

    My dying wife asked me if I’d be okay if she had sex with her ex one last time

    My wife has a terminal disease. She is projected to live at most 9 months. I am of course destroyed. We’ve been together for a decade. I don’t remember life without her and I don’t know what I’m going to do when she’s gone. I have been doing my best to make the last days of her life good and grant whatever wish I can.

    The doctors said that she was likely to need a wheelchair in 4 or 5 months, then by month 8 she’ll be bedridden for the last few weeks. That’s if she doesn’t decline faster.

    Recently she sat me down and told me that one of the last things she wanted to do was have sex with a previous partner of hers. I of course was shocked and when I asked why the fuck she wants that. So basically she thinks that her most physically compatible satisfying lover was him. She gave a whole monologue about how sex sometimes is just physical and how emotionally fulfilling sex is with me but it was bullshit to get to that point.

    So now I’m left with this, deny my dying wife a wish for my own ego, or let her go fuck another man who she feels was better. Honestly I’m so pissed of and betrayed that she asked this of me. I feel like I’m put in a position where I have to say yes because she’s dying.

    I know what I want to say, but I don’t know if that’s right. I’m so hurt that sex with an ex was apparently so good that she needs to do it once before she dies.

    I just hate everything about this.

    Victor Davis Hanson warns America’s witnessing a ‘systemic collapse’

    It amazes me how many don’t see the country collapsing before their eyes.

    What was the best answer given by a bartender to a rude customer?

    My best answer to a rude customer didn’t require speaking.

    I had a foreign “dignitary” attempt to dine at the Japanese restaurant I bartended at. He showed up in 1 rolls Royce and his 7 wives arrived in a second one.

    He sat drinking at my bar, ogling (in a very creepy way) every female in the bar while his wives stood quietly lined up against the wall without any refreshment. He complained about everything, including the bar snacks we put out demanding that I go to some specialty store to get a specific olive mix for him to munch on while waiting for his table. I declined

    At one point in time, I bent over slightly to wash a glass and he just reached down my blouse to grab my breast. Without missing a beat, I grabbed a soda gun and sprayed the hell out of him with coke soda. Just happened that there were a couple of off duty cops sitting there so he was escorted out while a few of his wives snickered.

    The gallons of coke soda answered for me. Lol

    Will the reentry of Huawei into the market push Apple to prioritize innovation, or will their efforts primarily revolve around lobbying against Huawei through Congress and the federal government?

    First of all, “Huawei’s reentry” is possible only because they overcame all the U.S. sanctions and built a better chips on a 7nm platform two generation behind the leading edge 3mn chip that Apple has. . . and producing it without ASML’s EUV machine that people said they had to have. And Huawei’s can even do what Apple’s can’t – make satellite calls that is essentially 6G.

    So what do you expect any lobbying will do for Apple? Just as Biden expected Russia to topple with the SWIFT ban, all of Washington never thought Huawei could come up with its own chip. . . . and this soon!

    And most important of all, Apple doesn’t want really to get China upset because they’re the only ones in the world who could make Apple’s leading devices. They may pass on assembly of legacy devices to India or Vietnam to please Washington but no one is set up to even touch China on their high end production lines.

    Apple is indeed caught between the rock and a hard place, especially with the mobil market being down. They just canceled order for about 20% of the 3nm chip for which they were suppose to be taking up 90% of TSMC’s manufacturing run. So, it’s not just Apple that will be hurting.

    In the meantime, Huawei has increased their orders for more Mate 60 Pros. its uhheard of that a dated chip is outperforming and outselling the leaders and if even last for a short while, expect red ink to be outflowing.

    Shopping at One of the Last Open Sears Stores – Newport Centre Mall Jersey City, NJ

    Nice greasy and juicy hamburgers

    Here’s a fun fact, once you become a grannie in China, you get to wear a grannie “uniform”. These grannies all wear outlandish crazy floral patterned tops. And it seems to be the unofficial “uniform” of the grannie sect inside of China.

    2023 09 19 17 52
    2023 09 19 17 52

    I don’t know quite how it works, but seriously… all the grannies wear these God-awful floral tops; the busier, and more abrasive the better.

    Don’t you know.

    Let me tell you all the sad tale of my mistakes in cooking hamburgers.

    Grilled Hamburgers 2
    Grilled Hamburgers 2

    You see, as a teenager, my father was trying to lose weight, and at that time he believed that all the fat in hamburgers must be removed for it to be “healthy”. And so, whenever he cooked hamburgers, he would squeeze all the delicious juices out of the burger. Whether on the grill or in the pan. And the result would be a dry burger.

    I didn’t know any better. Being all of 12 or 13 at the time, and so I thought that this was the way that you cook hamburgers. You squeeze all the fat out.

    Stupid silly me.

    No wonder no one wanted me to cook the hamburgers at family get-togethers. I made dry and tasteless hamburgers.

    I feel so bad about it, and I wince when I remember that particular memory.

    7b54047ddbb6ac07e14c0de511841159
    7b54047ddbb6ac07e14c0de511841159

    Today, I leave all the precious juices inside the burger. Let it cook just that way. Don’t ever…ever…EVER squeeze out the juices! The juices are what you want in a fine greasy delicious burger.

    2df82f7cf0eed0928a362c84f7e1d06a
    2df82f7cf0eed0928a362c84f7e1d06a

    Go get yourself a nice burger. Make sure that it is tasty and delicious and do not skimp on the sides. Have a great meal and a great day!

    Todays…

    10 Sad realities of life you should know

    1. Almost everyone is bought and owned because someone controls what they want/need.
    2. You’re not other people’s priority; their priorities are to survive, then thrive.
    3. Even good people will close their eyes to get benefits at the expense of others.
    4. Lots of people have no principles, only desires that they’ll do whatever to achieve.
    5. Most people prefer being right over doing right. They put politics over common sense.
    6. Most people are stupid, and even intelligent people have moments of stupidity.
    7. People who signal their virtues are not virtuous; they are the opposite.
    8. You only need 3 control freaks to ruin a group of 30 good people.
    9. People don’t actually want to be equal. Those who claim they do seek safety or control.
    10. Otherwise reasonable people can become completely unreasonable inside a group.

    Southern Biscuit Pudding

    Southern Biscuit Pudding
    Southern Biscuit Pudding

    Ingredients

    • 6 cold biscuits
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup raisins
    • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
    • 1/2 cup evaporated milk

    Instructions

    1. Soak crumbled biscuits in hot water for a few minutes
    2. Add sugar, butter, nutmeg, raisins, beaten eggs, and milk, mixing after each addition.
    3. Pour into greased black cast iron pan.
    4. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until browned.

    Oliver Anthony – Rich Men North of Richmond REACTION | HE DID IT AGAIN! ANOTHER AMAZING SONG!

    He’s not singing country music, he’s singing music to the whole country, to the whole world! North of Richmond, VA is Washington DC!

    Pay attention to the reactions. The United States is a “powder keg”.

    What is the most offensive thing you overheard someone sitting near you on a plane say?

    Being disabled and looking like I do there are two things I always get to overhear. Going through TSA my name comes up red flagged. Meaning check him completely.

    A customs agent told me “it’s due to your Military career and past knowledge.”

    What the hell does that mean? I’m in a wheelchair and have metal in my leg, shoulder, and back. I am a wand beep show. All hands pat downs in a wheelchair. You need two hips to stand, so I can’t stand. Any chance I am taking over the plane? Gunpowder tests on hands AND ARMS. OK so the Navy/CIA service made me an enemy of the state or something?

    I think it is BS and it’s profiling but my wife said “no it’s not.”

    Then you have people whispering when we get on first. “Bet they fake it to board first…”

    I tore into a woman I heard say that. I yelled so loud the airport got quiet. Does it look like I’m faking it? I tried to get out of wheelchair and fell. Hurt. But I felt better with that. Maybe she’ll get it some day.

    My wife wasn’t happy about my antics but I’m so tired of it. And she knows. On the plane though I overheard a mom telling their kid there is no difference between disabled people and us. Except a part of their body just doesn’t work like ours. She had me in tears. The best explanation of a disabled person I have ever heard explained. And plainly so a child could understand it. The kid kept asking me if I needed any help?

    HURRAY FOR THAT MOM. YOU MADE MY DAY!

    With all these sanctions against Russia, I was expecting the value of the ruble to crash. Why is it stronger now than it was before the war?

    Thats mainly because The Ruble is not a very Publicly Traded Currency & Russia is a Net Exporter

    Putin did three strategic things:-

    • Firstly , he rose the interest rates to 20% Short term. That helped when a huge amount of rubles entered into the Banking system, reducing the Supply and subsequently making the Ruble more valuable.
    • Secondly, he had a rule where all Companies in Russia had to ensure 80% of all Foreign Payments were mandatorily in Russian Rubles. As a result – Companies within Russia had to buy Rubles from Russian Central Bank and this helped the Ruble gain traction and demand.
    • Thirdly, he announced that he would only take paymets for Gas in Rubles. Now while G7 governments keep talking nonsense as Politicians do, the Businessmen – ie:- The Refineries, The Gas Distributors etc had to assume the worst case scenario and be prepared and so they collectively purchased roughly 160 Billion Rubles over 4 days (Around Euro 1.53 Billion). If they really have to pay for Gas in Rubles – they will need around 1.5 Trillion Rubles but still…this Ruble purchase also took the Ruble rate up.

    In this way – the Ruble strengthened from 141 Rubles to a Dollar on 7th March 2022 to 93 Rubles to a Dollar on 28th March 2022.


    Meanwhile – Why exactly did the Ruble crash in value???

    Its not traded on any Exchange right? No Major Country carries Ruble reserves? Its not as if Rubles are sold in US or EU and they dumped the Rubles right?

    I believe this was because the West dumped their entire stock of Rubles

    Prior to 24th February – You had 900 Billion Rubles or around US$ 13 Billion with Foreign Countries in the form of Securities or actual Ruble Deposits.

    My guess is – the West dumped this entire $ 13 Billion or 900 Billion of Rubles with the intention of causing a major crash in the Ruble and create an economic turmoil in Russia.

    My guess was – Crash the value of the Ruble, Make Necessary Imports very expensive , mainly Drugs and Pharma and bring Putin to his knees.

    Sadly someone spoilt the party:-

    China has the largest Ruble Reserves outside of Russia ($ 55.1 Billion or around 1.5% of its foreign reserves). The West had hoped China would be panic driven to sell their Rubles as well which could have crashed the Ruble even further.

    Luckily China didn’t fall for the trap and instead kept their Rubles and even rose the price band between the Yuan and Ruble by 10% instead of 5% to prevent panic sales of Rubles.

    No Wonder the West is SO ANGRY WITH CHINA


    Its why i always say – A NON CONVERTIBLE CURRENCY is the Greatest Asset for a NET EXPORTER

    And another thing

    900 Billion Ruble dumping – caused a 13 day turmoil for the Ruble

    IMAGINE IF CHINA DUMPS $ 1.273 TRILLION OF US DOLLAR DEBT !!!!!!

    What are some things that have happened on your plane ride home that made it memorable? Why did those things stand out to you?

    I was flying home to Mom’s funeral. Had our 13 month old son with me. A young soldier took the aisle seat. We exchanged pleasantries and then I busied myself keeping N. occupied. Mealtime came and I noticed the young man talking to the flight attendant. Turns out he had told her to hold his meal and he offered to hold N. while I ate and then happily ate his own. When we landed he helped me with my carry-on luggage and wished me luck with the next leg of my trip. I’ve never forgotten that young soldier.

    Merkules – ”Rich Men North Of Richmond” Remix

    This is great.

    What psychological tricks and hacks are useful to know?

    1. If someone is trying to make you decide in a hurry, they are probably giving you a bad deal. Walk away.
    2. Sometimes pretending that you are naive gets you more information.
      1. Pretending is helpful many times.
    3. If you want to avoid office politics, say good things about coworkers behind their backs.
    4. Physical contact makes you more likely to say yes to a request.
    5. If you want to make someone feel uncomfortable, look at their forehead when you’re talking to them.
    6. When a group of people laugh, they tend to look at the person they like the most.
    7. Nervousness and excitement have the same body reaction, so if you’re nervous for a speech, instead convince yourself you’re excited. Its proven to give better speeches, too.
    8. Ask for something that seems small, but is related, to what you really want. Then, once they’ve agreed to the small thing, just work up with slightly larger requests until you achieve your goals.

    What screams “I’m educated, but not very bright”?

    I can reverse that. My father recounted the story of a massive brick chimney on the OSU campus. They wanted it down, so put it out for bids. The bids came in the thousands of dollars (a lot of money in the ‘50s), except one. An old guy with a beat-up pickup came by and bid $50. He chiseled out a number of the bricks, replacing them with wood blocks. When he’d replaced enough of them, he threw gasoline on it, lit it, and retreated. When the thing came down, he hauled away all of the brick (what he really wanted).

    What legal incident is most misunderstood?

    One of the great media injustices took place in 1994 — and it began a pattern of malignment that escalates to this day.

    The case was Liebeck v. McDonald’s. It’s one of the most widely recognized and highly misunderstood lawsuits in history. Most people know it as, “The greedy lady who spilled coffee on herself and wanted an easy payday.”

    It’s also the precursor to social media harassment campaigns — including a list of targets I hesitate to even mention — because I know people buy into the nonsense.

    Here’s what really happened.

    The lead-up to the legal showdown

    Stella Liebeck did indeed order coffee and spill it on herself. After pulling through the drive-through, she put the coffee between her legs, and the lid popped off. The coffee then spilled on her inner thighs and crotch region.

    What people often miss is that the coffee didn’t burn her — it completely scorched her body.

    McDonald’s was keeping the coffee far, far hotter than it needed to be, at temperatures that cause third-degree burns in an instant. Remember: Heat damage is also a proxy of exposure of duration — and there was little time to react (which was exacerbated by her old age).

    Liebeck spent more than a week in the hospital battling life-threatening infections.

    The media also conveniently ignore that there were more than 700 hot coffee complaints and lawsuits filed against McDonald’s in the lead-up to this case. More than $500,000 in payouts had been given to burn victims.

    But when the casual consumer scanned headlines and saw, “Woman Wins Millions After Mistakenly Spilling Coffee On Herself”, it turned McDonald’s into a martyr for lazy, greedy consumers — and the customer into an avatar of laziness and opportunism.

    It became so easy to conclude the woman was a fool for not knowing coffee was hot, and that she should have been more careful and taken responsibility for her mistakes.

    She’s lucky there was no Twitter back then.

    The court case was a hot mess too

    During my MBA program, we studied this case in corporate law class. I remember being so surprised at the number of contradictions to public perception within it.

    First, Liebeck never sued for millions.

    She asked for $20,000 just to cover her medical expenses (the costs her insurance didn’t cover). For six months, McDonald’s refused and instead offered her $800. Eventually, she hired a lawyer. His eyes went wide as he saw the facts of the case. That’s when their claim went way up.

    The jury was initially skeptical of Liebeck. They thought she was just another ambulance chaser.

    And then they saw the actual images of the burns

    Liebeck had permanent damage to her private areas. The images are hard to look at and I can’t even describe them without getting very graphic.

    Doctors performed several skin grafts. Liebeck’s physician testified in front of the jury that her burns were one of the worst he’d ever seen, as bad as people who’d been on fire.

    Conversely, McDonald’s defense lawyers were flamboyant and pompous. In one of the all-time great legal screw-ups, they responded to the fact that 700+ people had been burned by saying it was “little more than a rounding error”. Regardless of the company’s customer volume, it reflected a callous disregard for the harm they had — and were — causing.

    After the jury saw McDonald’s track record of burns, the arrogance of their lawyers, and their refusal to accept any blame, the tide turned.

    Even worse, Liebeck’s attorney cross-examined McDonald’s quality control manager and squeezed three painful confessions out of him:

    That their coffee was not served at a temperature safe for consumption.

    That consumers were not adequately warned of the burn risk.

    He also buried his foot in his mouth by saying he had more important matters to attend to than the burn injuries. He said they didn’t constitute a change in policy.

    Between these missteps and the facts of the case, the jury awarded Liebeck $640,000. However, the judge added punitive damages totaling $2.7 million, equal to two days of Mcdonald’s coffee sales.

    Punitive damages are a judge’s way of saying, “You messed this up so bad that I’m going to add extra damages just to send a stronger message to everyone watching this.”

    The aftermath

    Sadly, Liebeck never got the millions.

    She instead settled out of court for a half-million dollars. She spent the remaining 12 years of her life in poor health while her settlement only covered her medical care and a live-in nurse.

    She was never some dumb, greedy, careless woman who didn’t know that coffee was hot. The public’s misconception was a major disservice to someone who genuinely suffered.

    This should have been a PR nightmare for McDonald’s. Between the 700+ incidents and the pattern of lava-hot coffee, it was just a matter of time before this happened.

    McDonald’s was big enough to take the hit and was blessed with a rare media hall pass. Conservative political talk shows needed an anti-business case study to spin for election season.

    The public drew quick conclusions about this woman before even knowing the facts of the case. It highlights a continuing clouding of the truth — often about things that don’t even affect your personal life — yet damage someone else’s.

    In recent years, I’ve seen rampant campaigns to target and harass people on social media — Twitter especially — by people who don’t actually know what happened in some person’s divorce. I see Medal of Honor winners being targeted because of bogus campaigns about what happened on a mission — by people who have probably never been in combat.

    Taking sides is fun. It’s in our nature to enjoy combative feuds and pick a team. Just remember that we aren’t usually working with hard evidence or perfect information.

    It’s so easy to let your own experiences inform your opinion more than the facts.

    In short: stay empathetic. Know that even if someone made a mistake — you could easily have been them, looking out from their eyes, seeing all the people holding torches and shouting your name.

    What is the strangest failure you have ever seen on a car?

    I had an 86 Chrysler Laser.

    The first and only brand new car that I ever bought. About a month later I was driving down the highway doing about 60 mph and the engine shut down without warning. I managed to coast onto the shoulder and it would not start. I waited about 20 minutes and it fired right up! I took the car back to the dealership and they could not find any issues to get the problem to happen again. I picked the car up and while driving home the engine shut down again. S.O.A.B! So I had the car towed back to the dealership and they kept it for 2 days and still couldn’t find the problem. I went home and the next day it happened again. Shut down – wait 20 minutes – then start right up again. This went on for about a week and I was about to contact the dealer again to get this covered under the lemon law.

    Then a friend suggested that I replace the magnetic pickup. This is a sensor in the distributor that detects the rotation of the distributor shaft. If is faulty it can trick the computer into thinking there’s an engine failure and shutoff the engine.

    I bought the part, took off the distributor cap, pulled the magnetic pickup and there is was. Sticking on-end to the magnet was the tiniest sliver of metal no more than 1/16″ long! Probably left over from when the block was machined. I wiped the sliver off with my finger and put the original part back in and never had the problem again.

    Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm DISAGREE With Biden’s Export Control

    From a pro-USA source…

    In a complex tug-of-war between national security and economic interests, the United States is facing a conundrum in its semiconductor strategy. Discover why the CEOs of major American chip giants, Intel, Nvidia, and Qualcomm, are urging the Biden administration to rethink its stringent export controls on computer chips to China. These restrictions were initially imposed to curb China’s military modernization efforts, but their unintended consequences are starting to surface.

    Ukraine SitRep: Western Military Commentators Finally Accept The Obvious

    The Kuebler-Ross model of grief describes the human coping mechanism to deal with extremely difficult situations. It has five phases:

    • denial – “No, not me, it cannot be true”
    • anger – “Why me?”
    • bargaining – attempting to postpone death with “good behaviour”
    • depression – when reacting to their illness, and preparing for their death
    • acceptance – “The final rest before the long journey”

    With regard to the Ukrainian counter-offensive the last phase of the grief model has now been reached.

    While not all politician are yet there, the military and intelligence specialists, who are part of the western propaganda squads, have made their conclusions. From their mouth the truth is dripping to the media. While the headlines below may not express it, the content of those pieces, especially in the first four, is finally admitting the obvious. It didn’t work and the counter-offensive is done:

    Simplicius has taken several of the above pieces apart and finds that they finally admit that the issue is lost:

    Dire New Western Reports Call to Ditch NATO Tactics
    Plus a roundup of other grist from the Western propaganda mill

    Nothing of the above is new to Moon of Alabama readers. I may have helped to spare you the grief by not clinging to a the narrative but to the reality of the battlefield:

    This outcome of the counteroffensive against the hardened Russian defense lines was predictable (May 11!):

    In military books this is know as ‘echeloned defense’ with three lines of well prepared positions ten kilometer apart from each other. Each line consists of tank obstacles, mine belts, prepared anti-tank positions to monitor and counter potential breach attempts and well prepared artillery support from behind the next defense line.

    To crack such a nut without air support and without significant artillery advantage is nearly impossible.

    But the Ukrainians did even worse than I had thought. The delaying action by the Russian army stopped them before they even reached the first defense line.

    What may come next was predicted here on June 5, the day the counter-offensive was launched:

    I strongly suspect that the Russian military will let the Ukrainian attacks run their course to then launch its own larger scale attacks against weakened Ukrainian defenses.

    But to this day and while taking heavy losses the Ukrainian army is still running head first into a wall of Russian fire and concrete barriers. It may well keep going for another few weeks until the rain seasons sets in. That will lessen the chance of a renewed Russian attack. I have no idea yet of what might come instead of one.

    To cope with the situation and bad news the U.S. will now send in a new wonder-weapon, the ATAMCS missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometer (190 miles). They come in several variants but the U.S. army will only be willing to hand over its older ones and only a few. The missiles are GPS guided which is unlikely to work well as Russia has sufficient electronic warfare assets that will disturb those signals. Some of these missiles will just divert from their target. Some will be shot down by air defenses. Some will come through. The 230 kilogram warhead can create quite a mess if it hits a large headquarter.

    But keep in mind that the Russian forces are now regularly using FAB 500 glide bombs that come with nearly 500 kilogram of explosives.  The bigger FAB 1500 have been tested too and are ready to be deployed. The new ATAMCS missiles will thereby not change the balance of force.

    Former ambassador MK Bhadrakumar is sensing some diplomatic noise that might point to upcoming talks.

    Ice cracking sounds on frozen lake of US-Russia relations

    Talks may well follow but I would not expect any agreement. The Russian side will hold up its demands and the U.S. will still be unwilling to fulfill them. Not even a ceasefire will result from them.

    Posted by b on September 9, 2023 at 14:44 UTC | Permalink

    The road not taken: Dilemma in filling application forms for universities in China

    Dean of the School of Journalism and Information Communication at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) delivered a speech to the freshmen of the journalism major at the opening ceremony, in which he mentioned Zhang Xuefeng, a teacher who has recently become a hit on the Internet.

    After this year’s college entrance examination, Zhang, like many other teachers in high schools and colleges, provided candidates with suggestions on live broadcasting. But what made him stand out is that his suggestions to each candidate are very customized, with a very sharp and extremely realistic tongue.

    According to Zhang, one shouldn’t even think about finding a job at a big Internet company without a Diploma from Project 211 (a Chinese project of developing comprehensive universities and colleges, which, to some extent, symbolizes the quality of the universities and students).

    “I’m going to beat my son’s arse off if he wants to study journalism (in China),” he also said.

    As an online tutor who focuses on practical benefits, Zhang cares nothing less than helping students find satisfying jobs and living a stable life. His words, however, are very harsh in the ears of many who have already stepped into the university or even the society, because he talks down their past choices and future paths to nothing, and also reveals the cruel reality.

    In the dean’s speech, he said in response to Zhang’s view, “Going to university is not only about finding jobs. If it is that way, in today’s highly informationized society, even without going to university people can still achieve this goal.”

    Many people working on journalism refuted Zhang’s views before, thinking that he was too one-sided and shallow, and maliciously smeared the journalism major. At the same time, there are students of this major who agree with his views, and more are the parents of the candidates who regard his words as the Bible.

    As we can see, the biggest conflict that lies in front of the young generation is the conflict between a sure future and dream chasing.

    In East Asian countries, especially in China, voluntary application after the college entrance examination is regarded as an extremely important step in determining the direction of life, and everyone is afraid that their future will collapse if any mistake occurs.

    Students face not only the choice between majors, but also the dilemma of huge income differences, overflow in the talent market, and, probably, the only child supporting the whole family under the influence of the abolished one-child policy.

    From this point of view, Zhang is just starting from an ordinary student who has studied hard for many years, hoping to live a better life in line with his efforts. Scholars, nevertheless, talk the talk from the academic angle, which includes idealistic elements. In their eyes, Zhang is no more than a “cynic”. Life also has many turning points in store for you, all of which depend on both how hard you work and how lucky you are.

    Though experienced, Zhang can never ensure a student’s whole future life with his words. The final decision is still in their own hands.

    As far as I can see, the trial and error cost lies not only in whether you are in a well-established family, but also in how much you’d like to sacrifice the time, the pressure, and the fierce competition……every least expected incident may run over you and crush you down.

    It’s still ruthless to talk about dreams without mentioning their cost. However, a person who is willing to go through mature deliberation and take advice prudently, always deserves good results.

    Freezing Stray Cat Banged On The Door With His Paw, Begging For Help

    One evening a woman from Quebec City heard someone scratching at her front door. It turned out to be a cat, probably quite elderly, and it should be noted that the weather outside was already very cold. The woman did not think long and let the traveling cat into her house.

    https://youtu.be/3jTVOfD8xII

    Do they sell cats on wet markets in China?

    Hi, John McEnany. Thanks for your interesting question!

    I’m going to be tackling your question in three parts.


    Part One:

    Your question, as at September 10, 2023, at approximately 1308 hours (GMT +8), is:

    Do they sell cats on wet markets in China?”

    English might not be your first language, so you might have gotten your prepositions mixed up.

    “On” – we use this preposition when something (or someone) is touching the surface of something. For example: “Danny is dancing on the roof!” or “Milli has a tattoo of a spider on her right arm.”

    “In” – we use this preposition when something (or someone) is located inside of a defined space. It could be a flat space, like in a yard, or a three-dimensional space, like in a building or plane. For example, “Brett is studying in the library.” or “Can you put the potato in my bag, please?”

    The question should really read:

    Do they sell cats in wet markets in China?”


    Part Two:

    Now, to your question.

    I’ve been to more than a few wet markets in China (and the rest of East and Southeast Asia), but as of today, there hasn’t been a wet market that sells cats.

    If you’re looking to buy a cat in China, I would suggest going to a large pet store.

    The larger pet stores tend to have cats for sale.
    The smaller pet stores may only sell pet food and accessories.

    OR, you could go to a reputable cat breeder.

    If you’re one of those who are into “pure breeds”, a cat breeder might be your best bet.
    But the prices can be astronomical.

    For example, my cat-owning friend tells me that a Maine Coon can easily cost you 20,000 yuan (approximately $ 2700, USD).

    However, as someone who used to be the owner of three dogs (no, not all three at the same time), I would suggest that instead of buying a cat, you might want to go down to a local animal rescue and shelter to adopt a cat instead.

    Unfortunately, stray cats are still a common sight in many cities in China.

    But there are many animal rescue and shelter groups trying to change that.

    Last year, one of this groups opened “Cat Island” in Shanghai.

    This “Cat Island” is actually an artificial island with an area of about 800 square meters, located in Laogang town, Shanghai. According to the group, they intend to accommodate 200 to 300 stray cats in the future.

    The public can visit “Cat Island” to learn about how to control the stray cat and dog population as well as how to feed and take care of cats and dogs in general.

    You can also apply to “Cat Island” to adopt one of their stray cats.
    From what I’ve gleaned on Chinese social media, many cats that were initially sent to the island have already been adopted.

    If you live in Shanghai, you can try adopting from “Cat Island”.
    I’m sure they’d love to hear from you!


    Part Three:

    So, no, John McEnany.

    I’ve not come across a wet market selling cats yet.

    Like I said above, if you’re looking for a cat, it’s best if you go down to a local animal rescue & shelter and see about adopting a stray cat.

    I have come across stray cats that are loitering around wet markets, yes.

    But, no, you won’t find wet markets selling them.

    Wet markets tend to sell meat, seafood, produce, etc.

    They’re like supermarkets or grocery stores, but prices tend to be cheaper and many people believe that wet market stuff is fresher than what you would find in a supermarket/grocery store.


    Conclusion (a.k.a. TLDR)

    So, just a quick recap:

    If you want to buy a cat, you can do so at a large pet store or look for a breeder.
    However, I would suggest going down to your local animal rescue & shelter operation to adopt a stray cat instead – unfortunately, there are still a lot of stray cats in China and they all need warm homes and caring, loving fur-parents.

    Wet markets might not be able to satisfy your need for a cat, but they do sell stuff like vegetables, fruits, meats, seafood, and other food products, so if you’re looking for produce and stuff that’s cheaper than those sold at supermarkets and groceries, wet markets might be the place where you can get some really good deals.

    China SHOCKED Whole Industry: The New Twin-Tailed Scorpion Is Launched

    Wow, china’s unmanned two-tailed “Scorpion” drone has been launched with a capability of carrying many missiles. This UAV is a remarkable technology as the 3-engines drone is completely autonomous that can fly non stop for 35 hours using precision navigation system. It’s high aspect ratio and two vertical stabilizers guarantee its long range capability and excellent stability.

    China innovates technique for gallium-based semiconductors

    Researchers at the Zhejiang University in China have devised a new method that allows for easier and cost-effective production of gallium oxide, an alternative to silicon for semiconductors. The discovery assumes importance amidst the ban on gallium export to China.

    Silicon may be a significant component powering semiconductor-based applications. Still, the industry has evolved to use compounds such as gallium arsenide and indium phosphide in production processes over the years. Gallium oxide is the newest entrant in the arena.

    What is gallium oxide?

    Gallium oxide is a fourth-generation ultra-wide band gap semiconductor that can withstand a strong electric field and consumes little power. A band gap is the amount of energy needed to free electrons inside a semiconductor material, and an ultra-wide band gap allows the material to be used for high-voltage applications.

    Among other ultra-wide band gap materials, such as gallium nitride and silicon carbide, gallium oxide has many advantages. However, its production is much more challenging.

    Gallium oxide is the only material that can form single crystals at atmospheric pressure after solidification from a melt. This can drastically reduce fabrication costs, but the process needs large amounts of iridium to make a crucible for the melt.

    A four-inch crucible requires about 11 pounds (five kg) of iridium; since the price of iridium is three times that of gold, this increases production costs. It also raises concerns about intellectual property in China since Japan and the US have used the method.

    Chinese innovation amidst US ban

    Last year, researchers at the State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials at Zhejiang University made two-inch gallium oxide wafers. This year, they have improved their approach and made four-inch wafers.

    Their improved approach involved a casting method that uses up to 80 percent less iridium. This will help reduce production costs and make the process shorter and more manageable for mass production.

    The team has spun off a company that holds the patents for these improved methods and is currently working on using a temperature gradient to increase the size of the crystals produced.

    Due to their low energy consumption, gallium oxide semiconductors are ideal for use in communications, aerospace, radar, and electrified transportation like cars and trains.

    Last year, the US Commerce Department imposed an export ban on gallium oxide to China, citing concerns about national security since they can also be used for military purposes. The ban aimed to prevent China from gaining experience in next-generation semiconductors, where gallium oxide alone is expected to be a $1.5 billion opportunity by the end of the decade.

    Not only has China overcome the aims of the ban but, in a tit-for-tat response, imposed a ban on the export of gallium and germanium from August 1 this year.

    Inside Michael Imperioli’s History-Filled New York Home | Open Door | Architectural Digest

    Man oh man. I love his home!

    Are Huawei phones now a real challenge to Apple’s iPhone?

    Yes.

    Competition is always a challenge, right? More than competition, Huawei is a Cinderella story. Remember, it was ranked #1 before Donald Trump torpedoed it.

    Now, let’s use a little logic. If Huawei is able to manufacture enough chips to supply the global market, how long do you think it will take Huawei to rocket back to #1? It will have a reputation as the best smartphone on the planet, bar none. It will also have a reputation as the comeback kid.

    Do you suppose some people might buy one just to spite Donald Trump or America? That’s precisely why I bought mine.

    The Western media never stopped crowing about Huawei’s dependence on Google. In fact, more intelligent people might buy a Huawei phone to escape Google. That was part of my motivation. Unfortunately, my phone runs on Google’s Android program. No problem, I’m going to upgrade to a new Huawei, now that it’s running on Harmony OS.

    The iPhone may remain #1 in the U.S., but I predict it will fall to 2nd place (or worse) just about everywhere else.

    One thing helping the iPhone is the Apple ecosystem. If you own a Mac, as I do, an iPhone might seem a logical peripheral. Unfortunately, the U.S. tech sector is rotten to the core. I like Apple far more than Microsoft, but I still don’t completely trust it. It also seems like it has become just a little buggier in recent years.

    My dream is to someday migrate to a Chinese system, leaving all that U.S. crapware behind once and for all. Unfortunately, I use Adobe software extensively, and I don’t know how long it will be before Adobe software will be compatible with Harmony OS or some other Chinese operating system. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if it happens in the next few years.

    Oops, I almost forgot to mention 5G and 6G. China is clearly in the lead here. I don’t know how much that will affect the average person, but it’s certainly a good selling point.

    After being wowed by Apple for two decades, I never thought I’d abandon ship, but the Chinese can outperform and undersell Apple at the same time. As a U.S. citizen who’s getting tired of being screwed by the tech sector and my own government, I appreciate bargains, don’t you?

    The One and Only Authentic
    Southern Strawberry Shortcake

    2bc25d0a77890f191bb96e28e3ebec5d
    2bc25d0a77890f191bb96e28e3ebec5d

    Yield: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
    • 1 large egg, beaten
    • 2/3 cup Half-and-Half
    • Butter for spreading
    • 4 cups fresh, ripe strawberries, rinsed, hulled, sliced in half, and sugared, to taste
    • 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

    Instructions

    1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Add the butter and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the mixture until crumbly.
    3. In a small bowl, combine the egg and Half-and-Half and mix until well blended. Then add the flour mixture and stir until the mixture is thoroughly moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very briefly. With your hands, pat out the dough to about a 1/2 inch thickness, then, using a floured 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut out six biscuits.
    4. Place the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet and bake on the upper rack of the oven until slightly brown on top, about 10 minutes.
    5. While they’re still hot, split open the biscuits, spread lightly with butter, and arrange close together on a plate. Spoon berries and cream onto the biscuits and serve while still warm.

    HE EXPOSES THE SYSTEM! FIRST TIME REACTING TO ANTHONY OLIVER (Rapper Reacts Series)

    Shots fired! Shots fired!

    https://youtu.be/-UEJqnWY1A4

    Is the atomic explosion in Nolan’s film ‘Oppenheimer’ computer-generated?

    For the scene depicting the atomic detonation during the famous Trinity test in the New Mexico desert in July 1945, Christopher Nolan and his creative team did not rely on CGI. Instead, they recreated a real explosion using gasoline, propane, magnesium, and aluminum powder to enhance the blinding light and initial flash of the explosion.

    The explosion was filmed at 48 frames per second using 65mm IMAX cameras and Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio cameras. Additional detailed shots were captured using 35mm cameras at 50 FPS. All elements were shot in a way that made them appear much larger than they were and then composited together in post-production to create ‘a colossal event made up of many small pieces.’ The final product was assembled by overlaying 100 shots and over 400 practical elements, all crafted by a team of more than 150 artists.

    This is one of the reasons why I absolutely admire Nolan and his films

    Africa SHOCKS the world: EXPOSING France Oppression in Africa!

    The game is over, Africa is waking up.

    All troops From the West, will leave Africa.

    https://youtu.be/fppZGQ3QFFQ

    The historical plate

    When I was a boy, I had a friend named Jeff B. I spoke about him earlier. He was the kid with the great idea of growing “night-crawler” worms in his garage so he could become a millionaire. Anyways, today’s story is about his plate.

    You see, in his living room was a glass curio cabinet, and at the top of the cabinet, proudly displayed was a pretty normal ceramic dish. It didn’t look anything special to me. I’ll tell you what. But, they (his entire family) revered that plate.

    You see, that plate was used to serve George Washington back in the 1780’s.

    It served duck, maybe turkey… maybe chicken to the President.

    The telling of the tale seems to be blurred at this moment in time.

    Yupper. My local boyhood friend was in possession of a major American historical artifact. And it was there; right there in plain sight. Imagine that!

    That’s it.

    (crickets)

    I wonder how many great historical artifacts lie hidden in everyday homes, long forgotten and their histories lie undusted? Hum.

    Like a cache of 1950’s era men’s magazines. Or a box of world war I metals. Or perhaps, an original 1950’s barbie doll in a pristine box.

    Or, even more interesting…

    A metal fob found in a lump of coal, or the old “Indian tale” of a certain place in the woods with magical histories…

    Makes you think.

    Don’t you know…

    Todays….

    Southern Pork Loin with Fall Flavor Infusion

    This pork loin recipe is easy to make and has been a Southern favorite for generations. Apples and pork have always been a great duo and this crock pot recipe is no exception.

    pork loin fall flavor infusion
    pork loin fall flavor infusion

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds pork loin
    • 1 apple, cut in half and sliced
    • 3 tablespoons honey
    • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
    • 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced

    Instructions

    1. Slice slits into pork loin horizontally about 3/4 through meat.
    2. Fill each slit with an apple slice and drizzle honey over top.
    3. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
    4. Transfer pork loin to slow cooker. Layer onions over top.
    5. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.

    How did Chinese companies make so much money exporting to the US from Mexico and Vietnam?

    This is an interesting business phenomenon.

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    image 14

    1. China’s industrial transfer (active transfer)

    After 30 years of rapid development, China’s society has entered the level of a middle-to-high-income country.
    In 2022, Chinese people will buy 25 million cars, and per capita GDP will reach US$12,000.
    In this case, if you want a Chinese to turn a screw on the production line, or sew a shirt, their monthly salary requirements are often more than $1,000.
    But, it’s only $300 for a Vietnamese or a Bangladeshi to do the same thing. What do you think the Chinese company will do?
    Yes, as early as a few years ago, Chinese enterprises have already begun to transfer abroad. The first thing to be transferred is clothing, toys, shoes and other industries with a high proportion of labor.

    Just because an enterprise or factory has moved to Vietnam does not mean that it has no connection with China. For the production of clothes, toys, shoes, household appliances. They need upstream support. Equipment, computers, software, buttons, batteries, switches, wiring, paint, circuit boards, everything.
    from where? Can only be imported from China.

    Therefore, the transfer of industries is accompanied by a sharp increase in China’s exports to target countries.

    2. Decoupling of the United States and the European Union (passive transfer)

    Since Trump launched the trade war, the United States and the European Union have begun to “decouple” from China. They said “Hey! Let’s not do business with China, don’t buy Chinese stuff, okay?” In order to force importers and consumers, they imposed too high tariffs and created a sanction list with only one purpose, to prevent the sale of Chinese goods.

    However, what will happen to people’s lives without Chinese products?

    So they need to find a replacement. Some countries with large populations and low wages are the best choices: Mexico, Vietnam for example. They signed trade deals, lowered tariffs for these countries, and hoped they would replace China. It’s a pretty naive idea: New cheap suppliers replace old ones, with nothing to lose.

    However, businessmen in Vietnam and Mexico soon discovered that they simply could not make these items (or it was more expensive to make them than in China). The easier way is to import from China, label it with Mexican or Vietnamese labels, and sell it to Americans or Europeans.

    Another strange line appeared: China exported semi-finished or finished products, and Vietnam and Mexico completed the final assembly and outer packaging.

    Finally exported to America and Europe.

    3. Everyone wins The Chinese found that their exports were not reduced.

    From January to July 2023, China’s total exports increased by 3.1%.

    Vietnam and Mexico saw a massive increase in their exports and imports, and people made more money.

    Politicians in the United States and the European Union are finding that trade decoupling from China is paying off. Imports from China fell.

    All three parties are very happy.

    In this interesting story, there is no loser.

    Which movie that fared poorly at the box office when it was first released, introduced a character that went on to become a cultural icon?

    image 3
    image 3

    The Big Lebowski (1998). Jeff Bridges portrays Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, a passionate bowler, White Russian drinker, and consummate slacker.

    The Big Lebowski received mixed reviews when it first came out. The movie seemed a bit odd for audiences and reviewers to initially appreciate, especially in comparison to the Coen brothers’ previous hit film, Fargo, which received seven Oscar nominations and went on to win two Academy Awards.

    Peter Howell from the Toronto Star wrote, “It’s hard to believe that this is the work of a team that won an Oscar last year for the original screenplay of Fargo.” Doesn’t exactly tickle your interest, does it?

    image 4
    image 4

    Over the years though, The Big Lebowski has developed into a cult classic. Passionate fans of the film call themselves “achievers” (an ironic reference to the Dude’s lack of ambition), and several lines from the movie have become memorable quotes, such as:

    • “I’m The Dude. So, that’s what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or, uh, Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.”

    • “Obviously you’re not a golfer.”

    • “Hey, careful, man, there’s a beverage here!”

    • “That’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

    • “This aggression will not stand, man.”

    • “The dude abides.”

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    image 5

    As the film evolved into the cult status it has become, it spawned “Dudeism”, a way-of-life that celebrates The Dude’s philosophy and laid-back lifestyle.

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    image 6

    In 2002, what began as a Lebowski Fest in a local bowling alley in Louisville, Kentucky, has evolved into 4,000 people now attending the fest. In addition to the original fest, several other Lebowski fests have taken place in cities around the US.

    image 7
    image 7

    Jeff Bridges has described The Dude as his favorite role, and the only one of his films he feels comfortable watching.

    “It’s just a really good movie,” he told Vanity Fair in 2022. “The characters, the way everything is executed from the set design to the wardrobe, everything is just right.”

    image 8
    image 8

    The Big Lebowski, what began as one of the Coen brothers most misunderstood and underappreciated films, is now regarded as one of their best films. The Dude’s iconic repute is still alive and kicking.

    Why should adults be legally forced to wear seatbelts? Absolutely require anyone under 18 to wear one. But shouldn’t adults have the freedom to be stupid?

    In 1997 I witnessed a pickup truck flip and roll, and saw one person fly out of the truck. I was first on scene. A teenaged boy was sobbing, only a few scratches, asking me where his grandpa is. The boy said he was driving and got distracted.

    50-60 yards away I found his deceased grandpa, head totally caved in, blood spot from every pore in what was left of his face. His hands were clutched in an agonizing pose.

    I grabbed a blanket from my car to cover his body so that his grandson wouldn’t see him like that, nor bystanders who began to appear.

    I comforted the teenaged driver for 30 minutes until police and fire rescue arrived on scene. The boy was devastated, saying “I killed my gradpa” and “I’m so sorry grandpa “ all in the midst of his sobbing. I told the boy his grandpa was gone.

    Cops told me it was obvious the old man was thrown from the truck, which then landed on his head, causing instant death. The boy was wearing his seat belt; the grandpa was not.

    After that I insisted that everyone in my family buckle up. A year later, my sister in law rolled their family car 3 times, only a mile from where the old man died. Everyone was wearing a seat belt, and only got minor scratches and bruises, but their car was a mangled mess.

    My sister in law told me that when they left the house, she told everyone to buckle up because of what Uncle Danny said happened.

    That was 36 years ago. Once in awhile I still wake up from a nightmare of that sobbing teenaged driver, and the image of the smashed head of an old man I did not know.

    When I first saw the man’s face, I was stunned to realize that I was seeing blood drops from every pore in his mangled face from the impact of the pickup truck.

    I remember it like it just happened, all these years later.

    Please, wear your seat belt for your family, friends, the EMTs, and innocent people who might see your smashed head when they stop to help.

    What is the best personal submarine for sale?

    A Polaris Nuclear submarine for only $6.98.

    When I was a kid, they had all kinds of neat things you could send away for in comic books.

    I ordered the Big Bang cannon and scared the shit out of my family one night when I fired it off in my room. After that it was an outside cannon only. Worse was when I was 10, I fired off a .22 starter pistol in my room. That gun was confiscated. Then there was the black chewing gum that turned your mouth black when you chewed it. I gave a piece to my older sister Tracy when she went out with her friends. Funny! Younger brothers did things like that. My pal Earl ordered the X Ray Specs, glasses that you were supposed to see through things with, like girls clothing. Didn’t work. Earl was vastly disappointed. He wore them over to my house hoping to see through my sisters clothes.

    “Those are pretty stupid looking sun glasses,” Lori said to him. Earl felt stupid.

    I ordered the footlocker full of soldiers, tanks, boats and airplanes. A FOOTLOCKER FULL OF THEM! WOW. When I finally got the footlocker, it was about seven inches by two inches full of flat, tiny, half inch crap, not even to scale. Very poorly made. Disappointment was real though. This stuff was all junk but they made it look so great.

    I remember when I was ten I asked my mom at the breakfast table if I could get the little monkey advertised in the comic ads. My twelve year old sisters burst out laughing.

    “I’ll look after it,” I promised.

    “RJ, those things aren’t real. They’re all fake,” Lori said to me. But they actually were real. Live animals shipped to kids for $18.99, a lot of money in those days. Unbelievable.

    Mom laid the law down. NO MORE ORDERING FROM COMICS!

    But the dream of many boys was the Polaris Submarine. WOW! A real nuclear submarine! For only $6.98! Many boys dreamt of getting their sub and taking it down to the river where they could float around, dive, and shoot nuclear missiles and torpedoes. The ad actually said you could hunt for sunken treasure and explore the ocean floor. To good to be true? Yes it was. When the package arrived, you had to build it, ‘out of cardboard’. It would last two minutes in the water. It wouldn’t last an hour out in the rain in the back yard.

    Most of the ads were lies but they got away with it. Many children were disappointed. But still, it was fun to look at those pictures and dream.

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    image 14

    What is the likelihood Xi Jinping will never meet with President Biden during Biden’s term?

    Very High

    The Biden administration has made it very clear that China must operate in the manner in which the USA sees fit

    That China must develop in the manner in which the USA sees fit

    In short –

  • Make all the Washing Machines, Laptops, Smartphones, Microwaves and Televisions you wantMake all the Jeans, Toys, Textiles you wantMake all the low and medium grade components you wantHell even make all the Robots you want and High Speed Trains, EVs and Solar Panels and Green Energy
  • Yet at the same time
  • You cannot go ahead of us or our allies in the areas of Advanced Computing, Space, Quantum Computing, AI etc. You should always be No 8.You cannot modernize your Military technologicallyYou cannot pursue your own foreign policy and Geopolitics against our foreign policyYou cannot support anyone who doesn’t follow the Rules based orderYou have to buy more Bonds of ours and acknowledge the Dollar as the world’s only reserve currency
  • This was the BIDEN DOCTRINE TO CHINA
    Qin Gang and Blinken apparently discussed this where :- In exchange for China acknowledging the Biden Doctrine & relinquishing support to Russia & Forcing Putin to sue for peace by weaponizing the Yuan The US would remove tariffs on Chinese products, remove export controls on certain equipment, remove 215 Chinese entities from the blacklist and propose Status Quo for Taiwan with no support for Taiwanese Independence The plan was likely for QG to deliver an ultimatum to Lavrov and for Xi Jingping to gather Global South Leaders like KSA & UAE while US could persuade India and together force Putin to call a ceasefire in Ukraine
    The Old Fox Wang Yi likely told Blinken to f*** himself which is why Biden was so angry that he called XJP a dictator I believe Raimondo tried the same thing, asking China to trade and develop in a direction acceptable to the US I believe China again said GO SCREW That’s why Raimondo was so angry when she returned back
    Blinken, Yellen, Raimondo all pushed China to follow the Biden Doctrine and China said No each time which was why they all returned back in a state of fury So now Biden will say the same thing if he meets Xi Jingping

    Maybe Hu Jintao would have agreed

    Not Xi Jingping

    So Biden and Xi meeting is a pointless exercise

    There is no US Leader who is willing to ask China to do whatever it wants and COMPETE with China directly and win

    Why was the G20 summit so soft on Russia?

    Simple

    Ukraine is losing and losing badly

    It’s very unlikely that Ukraine can turn the tide in the next 45–50 days after which the rains descend in all their fury

    The West is very angry

    They expected a breakthrough by Ukraine and a belief that such a breakthrough would force the Russians to negotiate from a position of weakness

    It didn’t happen

    Instead Ukraine lost too many men and too much equipment

    • Bradleys, M113s, M777s, M109s, Leopard Tanks, Strykers all burning on the battlefields
    • Almost 70% of Ammunition used up. Ukraine had almost 700,000 Shells in June 2023, sufficient to use 8000 Shells a day for 90 days, yet they used up 270,000 Shells in the first 16 days of the offensive and are down to their last 200,000 Shells today
    • They have sent over 110 Drones into Russia but only 17 caused any damage and now they are short of Drones

    Plus the men they lost!!!

    image 17
    image 17

    See the horror here

    The Russians tag every dead Ukrainian now and they accurately estimate 4700 Dead in the past 14 days.

    That’s Dead

    Not Wounded

    The Estimate of the Dead Ukrainians in the last 3 months ranges from 40,000 to 70,000

    Almost all of these were NATO TRAINED

    They were not conscripts

    NATO trained 70,000 men and it’s likely most of them perished in the counter offensive


    So the West simply hang in there because they can’t lose face and they can’t appear to have LOST

    They spoke too much

    image 16
    image 16

    The West can’t really keep pursuing aggressive strategy here

    They tried begin aggressive, threatening people in 2022 and 2023 but that was because they hoped they would be in a winning position

    That’s not happening

    Now they need to end the conflict without appearing to look defeated

    And divert attention to Africa or China

    What is the best thing you saw someone do when they got fired from their job?

    Bernie Marcus was CEO of the Handy Dan Home Improvement Center chain when the parent company declared bankruptcy. Marcus was fired by a vindictive board even though the Handy Dan division was not in bankruptcy.

    “They threw me out of my office and put bars on the door. They searched my files. It was pretty terrible — one of those corporate things. You hear about them, but you don’t know what they are like until you live through one.”

    He was convinced to drop his lawsuit against the company by a mentor who encouraged him to get on with his life. Another friend advised him to open the store he had always dreamed of. And that’s how The Home Depot was born. He was fired from a top spot in hardware retailing and went on to redefine the hardware industry.

    What is the worst compliment you’ve ever received?

    In Japanese culture, when you reach 20 you are officially considered an adult. Cities across Japan have “Coming of Age

    ” ceremonies where 20-year olds would dress up in formal attire or traditional Japanese clothing to attend.

    This was over six years ago, but being in the U.S. at the time I had no ceremony to go to. Still, my parents and I decided it would be nice for me to dress up anyway for a family photo shoot.

    Putting on a furisode

    (long-sleeved kimono) or any kimono is a complicated art form impossible for amateurs to do. Fortunately for me, my best friend’s mom happened to be certified, and she offered to dress me free of charge.

    As she was tying the stings around my waist, she said:

    Serina, you have the perfect body type for kimonos! You’re going to look so good.”

    My genuine smile froze as she continued,

    They’ve always said people with a flat chest and no waist are ideal. It’s such a struggle to dress my daughter….

    -_____________________________-

    I died a little inside that day, but I still managed to smile for the camera.

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    image 15

    2

    What did a neighbor do to you that you will never forget?

    Two things (different neighbors).

    1. We purchased our first house in Hampton, VA in 1976 for $15,000. It needed painting and we were planning on starting on Saturday hoping we could get it finished in a couple of weeks. Talking to our neighbor who had a crew doing restoration painting. I asked him what the best paints were that was reasonably priced and told him what we were going to do. “When are you going to paint it?” “Starting Saturday.” “I can probably get some folks to help if you are buying the beer.” “Great!” “How much is the paint going to be?” “My price.” A crew of six showed up at 6 am Sat and were finished inside and out by 5 pm and ready to party.
    2. We moved into our new (to us) house in Burleson, TX on the day before Thanksgiving. As I am working on unloading the POD’s our neighbor walked over and waited for me to come back out. “I know that you are busy and don’t need me intruding. I just wanted you to know that you don’t need to worry about a Thanksgiving turkey. I am going to my mom’s tomorrow and deep frying two, I will cook one for you also.” He showed up the next day with Turkey, sides and a fresh baked pie.

      We have been blessed with good neighbors.

    What’s the most scummy business tactic you’ve ever seen?

    Another story of America. -MM

    Predatory towing.

    While this may not be the most life-ruining experience, it certainly causes you to fantasize about using baseball bats in ways you’ve never imagined after being a victim of such an atrocity.

    It still boils my blood thinking about it.

    Let me explain:

    I live in quite an affluent and liberal area – Montgomery County, MD to be exact. Montgomery County borders directly against Washington D.C., so the government basically fuels the entire economy and causes people to flock to the area. Of course, not everyone is rich, or even well-off. There are a lot of poor people in the area, including immigrants – a lot of whom are ‘undocumented’. These people are hurt the most by this specific brand of towing.

    Basically, here’s how it works –

    At first, a parking lot may be abused. Let’s say I want to visit a friend, but there’s no parking, so…eh, what the heck? I’ll just park in the grocery store parking lot nearby and walk over. Maybe Safeway gets tired of people taking up their parking spaces, but not doing any shopping. Let’s say it gets really bad after a while and there’s no spaces for paying customers to park, so they start to have cars towed away when people park there and walk “off premises”. Seems pretty logical, right?

    That’s the innocent example, but here’s what it snowballed into:

    A woman pulls into a McDonald’s parking lot – her son wanted a burger. She parks. He walks into McDonald’s, she walks to the post office 2 doors down. She comes out 7 minutes later to find her car, front wheels hoisted off the ground by a tow truck (one of the short ones with no bed, just a crane on the back). She is confused, scared, angry that someone is ‘stealing’ her car (as far as she understands it). She confronts the Shrek looking man who is operating the tow truck. He tells her (in his most practiced rude attitude) that ‘walk-offs’ are not allowed. He points to a sign in the far corner of the parking lot, under a tree. When examining the 18″x24″ sign (minimum regulation size).

    It basically says “2 hours parking only; if you park and leave you will be towed” then a bunch of fine print, but at the bottom it says “Towing charge $440; storage per day ~$40” (can’t quite make out the storage price). So, you get towed, you go pick you car up immediately, and it’s “$480 to get your car out” they say with a smile.

    The woman argues, saying she has a receipt for the McDonald’s. Her son is holding the food in the McDonald’s bag.

    He ignores her and says “The tow bill is $440 plus $40/day when you pick it up from Rockville (12 miles away), or I can drop it now for $250 cash.”

    She tries to argue more, but he continues lifting the car up. As she is yelling she doesn’t have $250 in cash, he walks to the truck, gets in, and leaves with her car.

    Scenario 2:

    In addition to pretty much all businesses having some sort of deal with towing (the business gets a kickback because the towing is so profitable), all apartment complexes have adopted a similar deal. Remember how I said immigrants are a large part of the population in Montgomery County? Do you know that immigrants usually live crammed in one household? Well…When you’ve got 8 hispanics living in a 2 bedroom apartment, and 6 of them have jobs, they all have cars to get to work. But the apartment complex only gives out 1 parking permit per adult resident allowed to live there – 1 per bedroom. So the hispanic family only has 2 parking permits, but they have 6 cars. What do they do?

    Well, the first night they likely make a huge mistake – they park in the lot without a permit. Towing is allowed to start at 10pm, so a “scout” or “spotter” shows up at 9:48pm walking around with a flashlight looking for parking permits in the window. You remember “oh crap! I need to move my car by 10pm!” You walk outside to see your car being towed up the hill at 10:02pm, gone. $480 at the tow lot in Rockville, 12 miles away. An entire week’s pay – gone.

    Scenario 3:

    You see your car being raised off the ground. You run up to the guy and start arguing. He says the “$250 cash and I drop it”. You pay him, he pockets it, and goes to hook up someone else’s car 10 feet away. Rinse and repeat.

    These towing companies quickly realized how profitable it can be to employ these predatory towing practices (a tow company could make $5,000 per tow truck in a night), and it became rampant in Montgomery County throughout the 2000s. There was very little regulation on the books. Around 2013 it really started getting atrociously bad. Even though there were some rules on the books by then, they were nearly unenforceable, or just plain not enforced. The use of “scouts” was made illegal, but hard to prove, so the towing companies kept using scouters because they are so profitable. Additionally, these tow companies will ignore some smaller rules – such as being required to have an ATM on premises. Another problem is them damaging your vehicle. You ever try to get an auto shop to admit they dinged your door while they were working on your car? These guys are 100x worse. I’ve seen all-wheel drive cars being towed (front wheels on the ground) that are jerking and bucking all over the place because the transmission is still in gear and it’s catching. I was once towed and they broke my windshield. In addition to the $300 tow bill, I got a “it was like that when we towed it” in respond to my cracked windshield.

    There is nearly zero recourse.

    Me, an angry white male who speaks proficient english, tried to file a complaint with the “Office of Consumer Protection (OCP)” in Montgomery County. The investigator (investigator XXY) told me things like ‘the owner is never in the office’ and ‘they haven’t responded yet’.

    BRO! You are literally THE government. It’s your job to police these guys.

    About 6 months later, my dad’s truck had been towed so we went to pick it up from one of these scumdumsters. As we were paying, an official looking guy comes in and starts talking all buddy-buddy with these chumbuckets. Stuff like “oh how’s Linda? And the kids?” I realize that he’s supposed to be some sort of inspector. I talk to him and find out he works for the OCP. “Oh, wow. Do you know investigator XXY by chance?” ‘I am investigator XXY!’ oh well fuck you then

    It’s starting to be cracked down on. Here are some articles that make my heart sing

    Montgomery County Looks To Crack Down On Predatory Tow Trucks | WAMU

    Drivers to Receive $214 After Ruling Against Towing Co.

    Illegal Towing Continues in Montgomery Co. Ahead of New Law

    Better Call Saul: Gale’s first appearance

    This clip is from season 4 episode 3. I fucking love gale. His death was genuinely the hardest to watch for me, he was such an endearing dork.

    A first comment on B’s site

    I write here just to address Pacifica’s point at @7, which is dead-on accurate I think. First comment ever here, but love this site B. So good.

    This is kind of a general plea, but we get so lost in the politics, and this team or that team, it’s as if we’ve failed to figure out that the whole damn system is rotten, both teams. As the Founding Fathers realized, this is what poisoned so many governments in Greece and Rome and throughout history.

    In any event, Trump was basically a 1980s Democrat who loves the country, hates wars, and just likes doing deals. Remember that MSNBC interview, where they listed out a bunch of positions and Trump is like, hey, you’re describing me, and they said no, that’s Bernie Sanders’ platform. LOL. He is very close to the Kennedy family, which is why he and RFK do not attack each other. I would love to see that combined ticket. I truly believe that 2016 was the last free election, and the deep state was so sure he was going to get beaten in a landslide they did not activate all their plans/contingencies.

    In any event, look at what Trump said on the campaign trail with regard to Russia. Why can’t we get along?? What idiot wants to start WWIII??

    Indeed. And then look how Trump dealt with China. Yes, he had very serious hawks on China on his team, but it really dealt with trade and business. Repeatedly, he made the comment that he doesn’t blame China for these crappy trade deals and eating our lunch, they are just doing what’s right for them, he blames our stupid leaders for allowing this to take place and completely hollowing out our industrial capacity. It is the fault of OUR politicians. That was completely respectful to the Chinese. (And of course, he would scapegoat this or that, such as Corona stuff, but that is just politics, even the Chinese get that)

    As Pacifica said, Trump can be manipulated by the oligarchs, but it’s even deeper than that. Understand how our entire system has been hijacked to work against the PEOPLE and for the benefit of the few at the top. Trump wanted no wars. Trump wanted to pardon Assange and Snowden any many others (he was threatened with immediate impeachment conviction if he did so). He wanted better labor deals and to secure the country.

    The guy was impeached twice for essentially nothing. The Democrats were firing at will. And HIS OWN PARTY hated him. Opened up all these idiotic investigations like Russiagate. FFS, that scumbag Paul Ryan wouldn’t even give him money to build the wall, which is the issue he won on. The deep state of McConnell, et al., had at their fingertips the ability to convict him with 20 GOP Senators standing at the ready if Trump went too far off the reservation. I think everyone has to remember that.

    If one studies his errors, just consider what was arrayed against him. The Soleimani attack. True, I did not like that, but Trump was the only thing standing in the way of a full blown war against Iran. The MIC had those plans ready and literally said let’s do it and put it before him. Trump said no.

    Sending weaponry to Ukraine. Again, the WHOLE system was saying he was a puppet of Russia, so of course he was boxed into that corner. If he said no, can you imagine the fury of the system saying, see, we told you so!!

    Pacifica, I’m not sure about MacGregor, and I’m willing to give some benefit of the doubt here b/c I really like his thoughts on Ukraine and military matters generally, but I do worry about any saber rattling with China. It makes no sense and is idiotic. They had nothing to do with the opiod plague. All one needs to do is look at the Sackler family and that whole rotten cabal and so many towers of power would come down if the people knew and the fury was put in the right direction. But certain ethnic clans and regulatory agencies would get nervous. There was a 25 page or so New Yorker article on that that was just brilliant.

    It’s amazing how much the system is against the people. You had Walgreens pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for ivermectin, which is essentially aspirin, but if you need some opiods, just come on up, no problem!!

    Sorry for the very long winded message. The American system is rotten to the core. The only people in the ring that actually care about the American PEOPLE and peace and lives throughout the world imho are Trump, RFK, and Sanders to some extent. I don’t trust anyone else quite frankly.

    And finally, with the weaponization of the court system and these ridiculous indictments, which themselves are an indictment on the American populace as to the stupidity to which they have devolved and the darkness or partisanship that should have had these grand juries laughing this stuff out of the room, we are in sad and dark times now. Even though Hillary clearly was rotten to the core and an absolute criminal, I never supported anything criminal against her, you open that pandora’s box and you don’t know where it leads.

    It’s why there’s a famous saying, grand juries are so retarded you can indict a ham sandwich. Very dark times ahead I think. The system is pulling out all the stops. I have no idea where this leads.

    Posted by: Johnny | Sep 9 2023 17:32 utc | 50

    Why are Chinese characters so fascinating?

    My Chinese friend asked me a question:
    As we all know, there are 7 days in a week, when you need to express the eighth day, how do you say it in English?

    This stumps me. There is no such word in English. I can only say “Monday next week”, or “the day after Sunday”.

    But the Chinese can create a new word “星期八” at will, and other Chinese people don’t need to learn anything. The Chinese people can immediately understand what he means.

    Another Chinese teacher asked me a question:
    If you went back to England hundreds of years ago and asked Queen Anne: “What are trains, wires, televisions, refrigerators, telegraphs?”
    Queen Anne will know nothing.

    But if you go back 2000 years ago and ask Qin Shihuang the same question.
    Qin Shihuang will tell you: Yes, I know the general meaning.
    train: a vehicle powered by fire
    Wire: A rope that can spread lightning
    Television: A machine that displays shadows by means of lightning
    Freezer: a box full of ice
    Telegram: Reports sent by lightning

    Since it was finalized 2000 years ago, the number of commonly used Chinese characters has dropped from 50,000 to 7,000, but its meaning has expanded countless times with the development of human science and technology.All professional words, including words that have not yet appeared in the future, can be expressed using these 7,000 Chinese characters.People can understand the meaning of these future words without detailed study.

    But the number of English words has expanded to 1 million in the past 300 years, 98% of which are professional words that ordinary people cannot master. Basically, every time humans discover new knowledge and items, English needs to create a new word. Moreover, people who have not studied cannot understand it.

    Chinese characters:This is a magical text whose underlying architecture can be infinitely expanded without incurring too much learning cost.

    FACES OF KENSINGTON (Zombies in the real life of the United States) Streets of Philadelphia – Part 2

    So sad.

    https://youtu.be/SBbN8IdSvUI

    Why do sanctioned Chinese companies dare to do business with another sanctioned Chinese company in China even though the international and US law are forbidding it?

    Whose law? US laws are for US people in the U.S. International must be written by all nations! Not one? Or a few Chinese or China hating ones!

    US don’t rule the world.

    Even though some in the U.S. thinks so.

    It may be a strong nation and likes to talk and behaves like it does.

    It is just a single nation amongst other nations.

    The U.S. has every right (though hurting itself) to stop buying any products from any nation. But to tell others not to is not the U.S. right. Some dog nations, slaves nations and cronies wants to do so is up to their cowardice and lack of courage but it don’t matter. It is their right to destroy their own nation.

    Take the UK for example. Today they don’t even have half the Chinese 5G capability spending more than twice to set up unworkable and inefficient 5G non Chinese systems and today it is the worst performing Europe nation. But it is theirright to destroy itself.

    Australia under Scott Morrison nearly self destructed Australia but the Aussies send him packing.

    Good bye!

    We the rest of the world must understand this and see to it that the U.S. cannot and won’t ever control the world.

    This is good for the world and it’s good for Americans too.

    US excesses are killing and collapsing the United States.

    SO, The Rumours are True! Oprah Shady Maui Deal with The Rock Exposed

    An AI Model Tested In The Ukraine war Is Helping Assess Damage From The Hawaii Wildfires Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Oprah Winfrey face backlash for asking fans to donate to Maui fund instead of contributing more themselves The family of a woman who died trying to flee a wildfire on Maui is suing the county, the state and one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, alleging they neglected to maintain their fire-prone property.

    Why is the yuan one of the worst performing currencies in the region?

    Simple

    Because China isn’t artificially modifying it’s currency and a low yuan helps the Chinese stay competitive

    As I have reminded you Japan was strongest when it’s yen was 291 to the Dollar

    It became stagnant and a zombie economy when it’s rate went to 115 a Dollar

    It was FORCED to do so by the US in 1985 as part of the Plaza Accords

    China won’t do that. EVER.

    The US hopes to weaken the Yuan and use that to pull out investments and force China to appreciate the Yuan by other means including purchasing US Debt

    China is already busy with establishing it’s own BLOC

    Tomorrow instead of wasting time with G20, Xi meets President Maduro of Venezuela and inks a Oil Contract paid fully in Yuan and Priced in Yuan

    If this works out then in 2024 – China will be purchasing 41% of Oil in Yuan or Ruble or Infrastructure Projects


    US hope for China to print money, bail out their real estate companies and buy long term debt in Dollars and Euros to keep the Yuan floating

    Like India has done, purchasing more US Debt than selling in the first eight months of the year

    China knows how dangerous that can be and prefers ECONOMIC FORCES to handle the same while taking care of it’s energy supply

    Family Guy British Radio

    INDY speaks

    Given matters in China have a bearing upon the SMO, a few items to consider….
    LINK HERE
    Tech war: China’s top memory chip maker YMTC making progress in producing advanced 3D NAND products with locally sourced equipment: sources
    YMTC’s top secret project, which aims to use Chinese-only equipment, has placed big orders with domestic tool suppliers, including Beijing-based Naura Technology
    The ramped up sourcing of local equipment comes after YMTC received fresh funding to the tune of US$7 billion from its state-backed investors, including the ‘Big Fund’

    Chinese chip maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC) is planning to use domestically sourced equipment to make advanced flash memory products after it was put on a US trade blacklist last year, according to industry sources.

    If successful, the strategy would represent a breakthrough in China’s efforts to become self-sufficient in semiconductor production after the country was denied access to advanced chip making tools over Washington’s concerns that the technology would end up in the hands of the Chinese military.

    LINK HERE
    Huawei Teardown Shows Chip Breakthrough in Blow to US Sanctions
    The company’s Mate 60 Pro is powered by SMIC’s 7nm chips, according to analysis that TechInsights conducted for Bloomberg News

    LINK HERE
    China is the breakaway global leader in new nuclear construction.

    China has 21 nuclear reactors under construction which will have a capacity for generating more than 21 gigawatts of electricity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. That is two and a half times more nuclear reactors under construction than any other country.

    India has the second largest nuclear buildout right now, with eight reactors under construction that will be able to generate more than six gigawatts of electricity. Third place Turkey has four nuclear reactors under construction with a presumed capacity of 4.5 gigawatts.

    The United States currently has one nuclear reactor under construction, the fourth reactor at the Vogtle power plant in Georgia, which will be able to generate just over 1 gigawatt.

    China is the de facto world leader in nuclear technology at the moment,” Jacopo Buongiorno, professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told CNBC.

    China is “the determined and pacing leader in global nuclear ambition at the moment,” agrees Kenneth Luongo, president and founder of the Partnership for Global Security, a nuclear and transnational security and energy policy non-profit. China is “leading, even racing ahead,” Luongo said.

    LINK HERE


    CHINA / SOCIETY
    China to employ multiple methods to enhance monitoring of marine environmental pollution: MEE
    By Shan Jie
    Published: Aug 28, 2023 10:47 PM

    In this aerial image, nuclear-contaminated water is released from the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean on August 24, 2023 in Okuma, Fukushima, Japan. Photo: VCG
    In this aerial image, nuclear-contaminated water is released from the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean on August 24, 2023 in Okuma, Fukushima, Japan. Photo: VCG


    The dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has raised concerns among Chinese citizens about the state of the marine environment. Chinese environmental authorities on Monday vowed to strengthen the monitoring of marine environmental pollution through multiple means, including conducting baseline surveys of marine pollution and utilizing satellites for monitoring.

    China has launched its third marine pollution baseline survey, with the goal of completing a thorough investigation and assessment by 2025, said Wang Juying, the director of the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, at the ministry’s monthly press conference on Monday.

    LINK HERE
    Thailand’s confusing election was a win for China
    Thailand’s election saw winner Move Forward pushed to the opposition. It vowed to reset foreign relations including that with China. The current Pheu Thai-led government won’t likely deliver that.

    LINK HERE

    Chinese scientists look to 6G to hunt submarines, testing device small enough to fit on drone
    Defence researchers say sensors can identify extremely small surface vibrations produced by a low-frequency sound source in the open sea
    UAV-mounted platform could work in concert with other submarine detection methods such as a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), microwave radar or laser

    LINK HERE

    China’s most advanced Fujian aircraft carrier on track for 2025 PLA handover, latest Weibo photos suggest
    Covers taken off all three electromagnetic catapults on the deck of the Fujian, social media photos posted by military buffs show
    Images indicate readiness for sea trials and systems testing, with warship likely to join the PLA within two years as scheduled, observers say

    Not included above…. Passenger traffic on the Laos High Speed Rail Network has more than doubled since the beginning of the year..

    INDY

    Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Sep 9 2023 17:54 utc | 61

    Huawei success a sign the US should rethink its containment policy

    Neither the markets nor consumers are easily surprised any longer by tech developments. Huawei’s deceptively low-key launch of its new “breakthrough” smartphone has turned out to be an exception, sparking patriotic jubilation on the mainland about a victory over American efforts to block China’s rise. At the same time it has caused consternation in the US over the apparent failure of a tech containment policy towards China, which has been progressively tightened under the Biden administration.

    Analysts and market observers believed that even if the US could not head off China’s tech rise in the long run, its policies would significantly slow it down – that it would take Huawei, for example, longer to reach the stage it now has. Most people are taken aback by its progress.

    The question for Western technology experts – and US security officials – is how Huawei developed the advanced semiconductors that drive its Mate 60 Pro. The device is powered by the new Kirin 9000s chip whose processor runs on the 7 nanometre technology, the kind of advanced chip the US seeks to deny China.

    Sales of the new phone may be largely confined to the mainland and China may remain five years behind but, in simple terms, it is within one technology generation of the West. Beijing has spared no expense to build a domestic semiconductor industry, including billions in reported subsidies for Huawei to develop a network of fabrication plants. The aim is to boost the domestic supply of high-end products such as 5G smartphones, according to a plan released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance last month.

    Huawei’s apparent breakthrough is in some senses symbolic. It is just one battle in a long war in which it will remain the weaker player. This is nonetheless a morale booster for China, a reminder of resilience and huge potential. That said, it still makes more sense, whenever the situation allows, for China to seek cooperation rather than fall back on total self reliance. Economically that does not make sense for any country.

    That is not to discount China’s achievement. It is a reminder, as many have said, that US containment policy may backfire. A major concern is possible fragmentation of the global tech development and supply chain, creating problems such as oversupply and incompatibility, or so-called Balkanisation of the tech sector.

    Technological development is going to be extremely expensive. Division of effort can help bring down costs and speed development. If Washington cites security concerns, unsupported by evidence, for trying to contain China’s tech rise it can only raise costs for everyone. In the light of Huawei’s new smartphone launch the US should come to terms with the need to revise its policy for everyone’s sake.

    What was your “I am surrounded by idiots” moment?

    Not me, but my daughter who was 17 at the time, was working at a McDonalds in a bad neighborhood. They had to constantly check the bathrooms for needles and passed out junkies (she actually found a nice Bowie knife in it one day and the manager let her keep it). So one day she steps outside for a break and finds a man laying on the sidewalk, bleeding from a stab wound (not from a Bowie knife), so she does what they were taught to do and calls for a manager, grabs some gloves and a towel and comes back outside.

    The manager (30 something male) is standing outside, wringing his hands, along with several older staff members and none of them will take the gloves. The manager is trained in first aid as part of his job, but he won’t calm down. So my daughter tells one of them to go back inside and call 911, and she puts on the gloves, takes the towels and applies pressure to the wound. She talks to the guy while they wait for the ambulance and keeps him calm, while her manager is trying not to pass out from hyperventilating.

    When the ambulance arrives, the paramedics assess the man and while one is getting the guy’s wound stabilized, the other one starts asking questions. When he finds out my daughter is only 17, he lost his crap on the manager and then commended my daughter for doing such a good job. He told her that she should be a paramedic because she was so cool under pressure. She laughed and told him she hates the sight of blood, but didn’t want the guy to die. She then went on break and had a little cry, then returned to work.

    What red flag did you have the week before your wedding that you wish you had heeded?

    I was a 20 year old newly licensed pilot flying solo from picking up my wedding dress one state over. There were thunderstorms in the area that my small plane should never fly in, not to mention i was a VFR pilot not qualified to fly in instrument conditions…so I landed at a small airport about halfway home. About an hour or so later the storms passed, and I called my fiance to see if the weather was clear at my destination (he worked as a fuel guy at the airport I was flying to). Earlier we had been in an immature fight where I thought he told me a lie, so there was some tension between us but we had put that aside for the moment. When I called him about the weather he said “yep it’s clear as a bell. Sunshine and rainbows.” So I took off and had about 45 mins in the air before getting there. The sky got darker and darker and by the time I landed it began pouring rain and lightning/thunder. I got there in the knick of time. When my fiance met me at my plane I said “omg! That was a close one! I was expecting rainbows and sunshine.” And he said “oh you believed me? I thought you thought I was a liar so why would I tell you the truth about the weather?” So he played with my life and safety in order to play a game and prove his point. My mother begged me to call off the wedding but foolishly I did not. It was a rough 9-month marriage before I got the hell away from him.

    Robin Trower – Too Rolling Stoned (REACTION)

    I love this.

    Why can’t India and China just fix their border? What will they lose by fixing it? It’s not like they will get any long term benefits with these border conflicts comparable to cooperation.

    Well, Mcmahon is long dead, and he is neither Chinese nor Indian.

    The problem with the Indian side is the rather inconvenient history of the Raj, which unilaterally drew the “border” that is at the heart of the dispute.

    Nehru singlehandedly upset the gameboard, when he overreached and concluded China was too weak to fight his well-equipped elite frontline troops, distracted by the Taiwan crisis, embargo by the US-led west, and rapidly cooling relations with the Soviets. He also judged that China would find resupply over the roof of the world challenging, unlike India which held the lowlands.

    Nehru’s forward policy reached its crescendo in 1961/62, with unbelievable rhetoric from New Delhi fueling provocative orders to establish guard posts NORTH of the Mcmahon line (in other words, the occupation of Chinese territory, even by Indian standards). Delhi granting asylum to the Dalai Lama in 1959 raised suspicion that India was complicit in the 1960 Tibetan armed rebellion and had evil designs on Tibet.

    By then, Nehru had rejected Zhou’s proposal for a East-West swap, despite China being prepared to accept the Mcmahon line as the basis of settlement. Instead, Nehru demanded China withdraw from Aksai Chin while retaining control of NEFA, today’s Arunachal Pradesh, as the essential condition for border negotiation.

    Nehru wanted the cake cut India’s way as precondition, before negotiations had even begun!

    The Chinese responded to Dhola Post after losing almost 80 men in early October to a skirmish with Indian troops. A massive attack was launched that decimated an Indian brigade. In the three-week lull that followed the battle of Namka Chu, India refused to negotiate, despite Nehru’s illusion of the Chinese unwillingness to attack being shattered. Mid-November exploded into full-blown war, with Chinese troops punching a hole through Indian lines that led straight to Delhi. The military loss was strategic and conclusive, despite China’s voluntary withdrawal.

    India, in particular, Delhi, has never forgotten the humiliation, and fear of the capital being overrun by China. No leader since has criticized Nehru for his strategic blunder and overreach. That is why the border remains frozen in time. India, for the foreseeable future, will not come to the table unless China gives up claims (and actual control) to east and west.

    Having shed blood to obtain the status quo, China will not agree to such terms as precondition for negotiation.

    India needs a superman to courageously forge a new path distinct from the father of modern India, and come to the table as an equal, if slightly disadvantaged, party.

    Unfortunately, he hasn’t appeared yet.

    Does the U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo believe that Huawei’s research and development is a threat to the US national security, which is why she wants Huawei to abandon it?

    Absolutely Gina Raimondo and the state department believe that the rise of Huawei is a security threat to America and the world.

    Let me give you an example of why Americans think like this. In 2012 I was in America and found a group of professionals who cycle twice a week. Everything was terrific. I purchased a second-hand mountain bike for $150 because I didn’t know how long I would stay. This is the bike I owned at the time:

    image 20
    image 20

    Everyone in the group had nice road/racing bikes that looked something like this:

    image 19
    image 19

    The first two months were incredible. All the males were very nice to me, the females wanted to introduce me to other females … it was love and humanity everywhere in the group.

    Keeping up with fast road bikes on a heavy aluminium mountain bike was too much for me. So, one stupid day I decided to buy the below bike so I can keep up with my cycling group:

    image 18
    image 18

    From that day forward people in the group started to distance themselves from me. People started to find me ‘rude’ and ‘arrogant’ all of a sudden. Females started to feel ‘intimidated’ in my presence. The males in the group started suggesting that maybe I was homophobic? maybe I’m misogynist?

    Then they started to worry about the ‘safety’ of members of the group because of my presence.

    Whenever I spoke people would become irritated, their faces would become red with anger.

    When I stopped attending the group cycle meetings they became even angrier and more contemptuous of me. When I returned to cycle with them the anger and hate increased even more.

    They didn’t want me in the group, and they didn’t want me to leave the group either. What I’m describing is the process of ‘ni*gerization’ that Western people put others through.

    Raimondo, with most of America’s institutes, are desperately trying to ‘ni*gerize’ China.

    Why don’t illegal immigrants try to go to Canada?

    What is the point of foreign actors playing Americans?

    I hate to say this, but the talent pool of American actors has been shrinking for years.

    Most American actors came into movies through stage (like Brando) or adult television (like Burt Reynolds). They trained with good acting coaches using innovative techniques.

    But now, most American actors come into movies from juvenile television. It’s a massive logistical problem, but it’s much easier to hire actors who have already had membership in the Screen Actors Guild than to try to get an actor who has trained on Broadway or at a university theatre program into the Screen Actors Guild.

    And teenage American actors get virtually no training. They come into adult acting with no real background in how to act, so, when you need someone really good, it’s a really small pool of talent.

    However, in Great Britain, where America draws most of its “Screen Americans”, teenagers who are on juvenile television are still in some sort of serious theatre program learning stuff like Shakespeare. They likely have theatre experience before they get into movies. They learn how to act.

    Take one of my favourites, Maisie Williams.

    image 9
    image 9

    Although she got her job as Arya Stark at the age of 14, she already had three years of experience at a performing arts academy. Prior to that, she already had dance and drama training. Americans of the same age would probably be more interested in polishing their resumes than their acting skills.

    Spike Lee noted that the film Selma featured British actors in all the lead roles, including playing Martin Luther King, Jr. He was somewhat upset that a black American didn’t get the role, but had to admit that he would be hard-pressed to name a young American actor who could carry the role.

    And it’s that way for many serious productions. The big American actors aren’t bad, but they don’t have the same sort of training on the whole. There are exceptions, like Robert Downey, Jr., who have outstanding acting chops, but they’re few and far between, and their number keeps shrinking.

    What do you dislike most about the U.S.?

    2023 09 11 20 53
    2023 09 11 20 53

    That’s right. $15,500 for one semester.

    What exactly are all those fees and charges? You’ll notice my tuition (the last one on the list) is only about $7,000.

    What’s the rest?

  • Rent—$3,345: I need a place to live, and the only way to get student loans/scholarships to cover my housing is to live on campus.Dining plan—$2,355: No kitchen means I need an on-campus dining plan. My plan is the cheapest they offer, giving me ten meals per week.STEP 161 supervision fee—$11: Presumably a fee to compensate my host teacher (or to pay for some aspect of that supervision) during my in-classroom observations.Student Capital Fee—$400: “The Student Capital Fee supports bonded facility debt service and facility operations as well as capital repair and replacement.” I have no idea what this means.LEAF Fee—$10: “The Student Leadership for Environmental Action Fund (Student LEAF) is intended to move the campus community toward a sustainability-minded culture. This fund finances environmental improvements in campus infrastructure and educational initiatives.”Student Services Fee—$444: “Student services and support are funded by this portion of the Student Fees.”Health Insurance—$1,290: You have to have health insurance on campus. You can fill out a waiver proving you have your own health insurance and have this fee removed (which I’ll be doing).Library Fee—$70.80: “Covers print and online library materials.”Online course fee—$45: An extra fee due to the fact that I’m taking one online course. “On-Line Course Fee-online fees pay for adjunct costs resulting from increased course sections and smaller class sizes; it also funds instructional designers, development and training to enhance online course offerings.”THEA 100 and THEA 275 course fees—$40 each: Supposedly to cover the cost of materials and anything consumable used in-course (which really doesn’t exist in these courses).Theatre program fee—$128: No clue. I’m guessing it’s to fund the theatre program, which is bizarre.Technology fee—$160.80: “Used for equipping new smart classrooms, staffing and maintaining computer labs, and providing students access to academic software.”Differential tuition for theatre—$144: Theatre classes are more expensive, so we pay more in tuition to allow the university to keep having them.Tuition WUE—$6,966: My actual tuition. “Covers classroom instruction, student services, administration and facilities. Based on cost and demand, differential tuition may be charged for certain classes (Sciences/SES/Art, Business, Nursing, Theatre).”
  • So that’s how we get to that beautiful number of $15,449.

    I’m only taking six classes—note that three (THEA 100, THEA 275, STEP 161) had extra fees attached in addition to the over $1,000 they already cost.

    And on top of that, I pay an extra $250+ dollars in a program fee and differential tuition to cover the mere act of being in my major.

    And, I already receive reduced tuition as a Wyoming resident. My tuition is, by default, 150% of in-state tuition, which is significantly less than out-of-state. Imagine what this bill would look like if I was from New York and not Wyoming.


    “Get a job!” you say. “Stop being a lousy freeloader! Work, save up some money, and pay for it yourself!”

    Let’s take a look at that— “pay for it yourself”. How possible is it for one to pay for their own college?

    I did some math. The minimum wage in Colorado is $9.30/hour. If you worked 40 hours a week making $9.30 an hour, you’d have $19,344 in one year. That’s assuming you work 40 hours every single week, with no time off.

    My student bill for one semester (four months of education time) is $15,500.

    I could take a whole year off from college, work at the minimum wage, and if I didn’t spend a cent of it I could pay for a little more than a semester of college.

    “Don’t get a minimum wage job, then!” you say. “That’s on you!”

    Right. The good ol’ “Just make some more money, then” argument. See, I’ve tried that. I currently have a few jobs that pay $20 an hour. If I worked 40 hours a week at $20 an hour, I could make around $41k a year.

    That’d be fine and dandy, except for the fact that I still have to go to school. At most, I can work 20 hours a week (and even that’s being optimistic).*

    If I work 20 hours a week at $20/hr (which is well over both the Colorado and federal minimum wages), I could make about $20K a year.

    Once again, that assumes I never have to get gas. Never go to the doctor. Never buy groceries (remember, my meal plan covers 10 meals a week. The average person eats 21). Never buy clothes. Never fix my car. Never buy shampoo.

    Even then, I could afford just over a semester of college.

    The days of “save your pennies from your summer job to pay for college” are long gone.


    “Well, you should’ve gone somewhere cheaper. That’s on you.”

    Right. Because it’s on me that the cost of going to a mid-range school three hours from home is so exorbitant.

    Sure, I could’ve gone to another school. Let’s consider my less expensive options:

  • University of Wyoming—AKA, the only 4-year school I can get in-state tuition at.Casper College—2-year community college.
  • Problem with both?

    I couldn’t get my degree.

    As in, neither school offers an equivalent degree program. I couldn’t study to be a theatre educator at either of these schools.

    So sure, I could go somewhere cheaper, but then why bother spending the money at all if I’m coming out with a degree I don’t even want?


    There are lots of others, too— “Your parents should’ve been saving up” (their savings went down with the economy, yo). “You should take out loans/apply for scholarships” (done and done. Still not enough). “Not everything in life is fair” (that’s not an argument. It’s just, like, philosophical bullshit). “You need to talk to your school’s financial aid department. There are resources to help you” (Oh, if only you knew…).

    I’m not saying college should be free. I’m happy to pay for it.

    I’m saying that it’s insane that college prices keep rising, and there’s no clear way for young people to pay for it. I’ve already taken on $10,000 in student loans from the past year. I’ve applied for every scholarship I can find.

    It’s still not enough.

    Jobs are requiring college degrees, but to get a college degree, you need a damn amazing job to pay for it (or parents who can afford it).

    It’s a vicious cycle. I don’t know what the solution is.

    I just know that it’s one of my top complaints about the US.

    I don’t need free college—I need affordable college. Please.


    *Ignoring the fact that few jobs will hire you for that much without a college degree, and that my current $20/hr gigs are really limited as to how many hours I’m allowed to work (one is max 5 hours a week).Footnotes[1]

    How Undergraduate Tuition and Fees are Used

    Southern Pan-Fried Chicken

    2023 09 16 11 31
    2023 09 16 11 31

    A country ham (such as a “Smithfield” ham) is salt-cured, smoked and aged well. Whole country hams are expensive; it is possible, however, to buy country ham steaks. But you may also substitute thick-cut, smoked, streaky bacon for the ham in this recipe.

    Ingredients

    • 2 quarts cold water
    • 1/2 cup kosher salt (regular table salt will make the brine too salty)
    • 1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
    • 1 quart buttermilk
    • 1 pound lard
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1/2 cup country ham pieces, or 1 thick slice country ham, cut into 1/2-inch strips (see note)
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions

    1. Combine the water and the salt, stirring until salt is dissolved.
    2. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour the salt water over.
    3. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
    4. Drain the chicken and rinse out the bowl it was brined in.
    5. Return the chicken to the bowl, pour the buttermilk over and cover and refrigerate 8-12 hours.
    6. Drain the chicken on a wire rack, discarding the buttermilk.
    7. Meanwhile, prepare the fat for frying: put the lard, butter and country ham into a heavy skillet or frying pan. Cook over low heat for 30-45 minutes, skimming as needed, until the butter ceases to throw off foam and the ham is browned.
    8. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ham carefully from the fat. (Reserve the fried ham for another use, such as snacking.)
    9. Just before frying, increase the temperature to medium-high and heat the fat to 335 degrees F.
    10. Blend together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or on wax paper.
    11. Dredge the drained chicken pieces thoroughly in the flour mixture, then pat well to remove any excess flour.
    12. Slip some of the chicken pieces, skin-side-down, into the heated fat. Do not overcrowd the pan; fry in batches, if necessary. Cook for 8-10 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
    13. Drain thoroughly on a wire rack or on crumpled (not flat) paper towels. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

    As a doctor or nurse, what’s the saddest scene you have ever witnessed?

    As an ED nurse years ago, middle of the night – MVA. We got the 6- or 7-year-old boy who had 2 broken femurs. Dad was dying in surgery at a huge trauma hospital in Portland. He had been driving drunk and went through the windshield. Mom didn’t have custody as she was an addict and lived who knows where. The room was flooded with people – two surgeons, police, nurses, etc. while I spoke on the wall phone to the surgical team at the trauma hospital. Went into my little guy’s room and I wrapped my arm around his head to shield him from the chaos and bright lights and leaned in to ask him how he was doing. He asked me if his dad was dead.

    I asked him what made him ask that. He said that he saw his dad and thought he might be dead. I told him, “Yes, I think he did die.” (I knew by then he had.) He said (without tears) “He can’t be dead.” “If he’s dead that means I have nowhere to live.”

    I got the very real feeling that this little man had been through too much in his short life already. We did a brief meeting before he went to surgery and I shared with everyone what he said. He did well in surgery and I found out that within 2 days he had 5 offers for actual adoption. One was one of the surgeons, one a firefighter, and one a paramedic, and two nurses. He ended up living three hours away with his maternal grandmother. I never forgot that little boy. Rough.

    I was rolled

    Oh, about nine years ago, I was “rolled”.

    Yeppur.

    You see, my wife and I went to a bar, and we “won” two bottled of “Red Label” whiskey, and we promptly started to drink them both. Ugh! (I do not advise that.) And anyways, eventually, I had to go vomit.

    Too much hard alcohol will cause your body to react and demand that the toxins be thrown out.

    And so, I tried to find the bathroom, got lost, and stumbled outside.

    Then, I promptly threw up in the grass, and just sat there afterwards trying to get my bearings.

    When a nice cute girl came out of the bar / club and came up to me, and grabbed my arm and led me back in. Was I lucky? She was cute. Wearing a baby-doll frilly dress and stockings.

    10359931550e6c76244959bc57aff46b
    10359931550e6c76244959bc57aff46b

    For a moment, I thought that my wife sent her.

    But no.

    She led me though a door leading to the back unfinished cement of the rest of the building, and up some cement stairs. Then, she reached in my jacket looking for wallet, cell phone and whatever.

    Found my cell phone, and then took it, and left.

    After a few moments, I in a daze, stumbled out and found my wife who was frantically looking everywhere for me.

    And it wasn’t until the next day that I realized that my phone was gone, and it was stolen.

    I was “rolled”.

    This is my little story, and a treasured, if embarrassing, memory. Learn from my mistakes.

    Today…

    What did your boss say to you during a meeting that resulted in you immediately resigning?

    When I was in college, I was a live-on-site apartment manager for an apartment complex with 80 units. When I was hired, not one person lived in the buildings. I was to fill the apartments with renters, as well as work on renovations to the apartments. I did all of this and managed to rent every apartment within a couple months, as well as do the renovations. I thought nothing of it — I was young and inexperienced and thought this was normal.

    The owner, Ed, and I got along well and treated each other with respect, even though we were very different people. The owner’s ultimate goal was to sell the apartment complex. Within a couple more months, Ed sold the apartment complex to a new owner, who I shall call Arsehole.

    After the property officially changed ownership, Arsehole came to visit the property, and me. When we met, I reached out my hand to shake his, but he refused my hand, saying, “I don’t shake hands with the help.”

    I admit, I was shocked. Being young and inexperienced in such things, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, “And I don’t work for assholes.” The look on his face was priceless.

    I turned and walked away to go to my car and go rent a moving truck. He (and his assistant) followed me as I walked, yelling that I couldn’t do this as they depended on me to run everything. I ignored them, got in my car, drove away, rented a truck and was gone from that job within a few hours.

    Later that week I called the former owner, Ed, and attempted an apology of sorts. Ed just laughed and agreed that the new owner was an asshole and that he didn’t blame me at all.

    Southern Fried Quail

    2023 09 16 11 11
    2023 09 16 11 11

    Ingredients

    • 10 to 12 quail
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour

    Instructions

    1. Dry and pick quail. Clean and wipe thoroughly.
    2. Salt, pepper and dredge with flour.
    3. Have ready a deep heavy frying pan with close-fitting lid half full of hot fat.
    4. Put in quail. Cook for a few minutes over a high heat, then cover skillet and reduce heat. Cook slowly until tender, turning the quail when golden brown.
    5. Serve on hot platter garnished with slices of lemon and sprigs of parsley.

    [HD] Twin Peaks – Jimmy Scott sings “Sycamore Trees” in the red room

    That moment you realize you have lost the battle and you are never going to escape the red room.

    Can anyone who lived in the US and China before advise the pros and cons of living in both countries?

    Thanks for the A2A. Oh boy, this is a bit relevant I suppose. I’ll talk to moving to these places, as opposed to being born and raised there.

    First off, I must stress this as deeply as possible:

    Most people do not make for good immigrants. Being an immigrant in itself is a skill set.

    It doesn’t matter what the target country is like, when a person goes about expecting to be treated normally or equitably. There is no such thing in the experience of being an immigrant. The very act of migrating means that one becomes an outsider trying to make their way in, and that will always be a special process. The fantasy of being “finally accepted” somewhere that better fits one’s personality is a road fraught with hurdles — achievable, but you will come out the other end a very different person. It is for this reason that most people migrate out of necessity or urgency, not out of adventure or comfort.

    As such, it should be obvious but it bears mentioning:

    There is a world of difference between visiting a place and living in it.

    I am going to presume that “living in a country” means more than being a visitor, but rather a full resident/citizen of a given place. To be more specific, it should refer to a person planning on retiring and dying in said place, and special attention will be placed to all of the personal needs that entails.

    With that said, I’m going to take this as a stream of thought. Categorization of the two countries is what rankings do. I am more interested in giving a personal take on both countries, because I think people are more interested in gathering advice rather than holistic approaches. So please keep in mind, I will be switching between the two countries in an erratic fashion here.


    First thing first, the USA is an immigrant country. This means that ideologically it establishes equal expectations for people who wish to become American, and to some degree the US holds itself accountable to this premise. This is often what immigrants are looking at when they try to imagine the American dream — here is a place in which one can work hard and succeed in life, regardless of origin or background.

    Sadly, America has long since diverged from its ideological foundations. Some may argue that it never diverged because it never met those foundations in the first place (usually these arguments are along the lines of Black history or American Indian history). Regardless, the reality is that the US is primarily driven by race-based tribes, and there is a long litany of racial suppression policies that continue to this day.

    This is the first hurdle that any prospective migrant to the US needs to realize — the dream is a dream, and it doesn’t just take effort to realize it (but really a lot of luck). For those who arrive with starry-eyed glasses, it can take decades for such individuals to accept the reality around them; some don’t even get to that point. To illustrate with examples, I like to cite this video because it perfectly highlights the dreamers versus the realists.

    Dreamers come in all colors. White dreamers are more prone to saying that they “don’t see color” or that “they don’t have a culture.” In Black spaces, dreamers are often the ones that code switch and perform socially as if they’re white.

    As usual, Boondocksreveals all.

    In all the stripes of America, dreamers are perhaps the ones most sold by Obama’s 2008 campaign. Back then there was a lot of commentary on how America had finally become a post-racial country.

    [1]It’s a very comforting ideal and one that is quite noble. I must profess, I was part of that too.

    For realists, they were (sadly) vindicated when the backlash against Obama culminated in the election of Trump in 2016. And that’s the difference — realists are just pessimists and see the US as what it is, not what people want it to be. Politically and socially, this is perhaps the strongest divide, the primordial reason why the culture wars exist.

    Many immigrants look at the US and eventually go “I don’t get why everyone is obsessed with race.” They just haven’t gotten the memo yet, which usually comes in the form of a rude awakening when someone treats them unfairly because of race. Much of an immigrant’s challenge in life is in trying to “see past the slight” and think of that as just human nature, or to cast it in light of how “things are back home” to justify their move to the US. At some point they either contend with reality (especially when seeing the reality of other people) or they seal themselves in a bubble to make reality go away. The latter strategy often comes to blows when they have kids, who may not end up thinking the same as their parents.

    A dour look, but it is not too bad. All countries have negative sides, and the reality is that most Americans see the mess that is American politics and instead do their best to not make it part of their lives. Easier said than done, but this is how most people swim, so it is easy to parlay on a day-to-day basis. Just be prepared to see race pop up pretty much constantly — the black guy pulled over by the cop, the weird clustering of Asian stores, the abundance of Latino gardeners…

    This isn’t to say everything is sunshine and roses for China. Now, neither is China some dystopian 1984 render fed by the press. But, it must be said, moving to China is not an easy process, and the primary reason why is that China is not an immigrant nation. All policies have a priority for Chinese people first and foremost, meaning the interests of immigrants are secondary, often optional to bureaucrats. The way this manifests is that immigrants are an afterthought in China’s systems, and while there might exist pathways for foreigners on paper, in practice people might not realize they exist. America might play pretend, but it has a far more mature system of handling foreigners. China doesn’t pretend and doesn’t have those systems, and any prospective migrant is going to do a lot of legwork to achieve parity with any Chinese citizen.

    For most immigrants into China, the most common reflex is to stick to the role of being an outsider. This means not commenting on the local politics, or otherwise not making spicy takes. There is an expectation for outsiders to abide by that saying — “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This is mediated by the degree to which migrants are seen as Chinese, with increasing adherence to Chinese cultural values a good (but not always perfect) rubric to one’s “Chinese-ness.” With sufficient exposure, it should become obvious that there is some tolerance, though it should also become obvious that Chinese people themselves usually take limited positions on politics, and usually within the scope of their own professions. It is usually fine to talk about how one’s own field is shaping up. It is less fine to talk about how someone else should work, despite being in a field one has little experience in. The reason is simple: You can’t be expected to know, so why are you shooting off your mouth?

    The inverse of this fortunately holds true though. Because outsiders are expected to not know, they are freely given a neutrality pass and accommodated for. Don’t know the standards of a banquet dinner? It’s okay, outsiders aren’t expected to know. Have no comment on the latest nationalist rage? It’s okay, outsiders aren’t involved. This neutrality/obliviousness pass is very powerful, though it doesn’t last forever (there is an expectation that people eventually figure out the rules). Regardless, I recommend everyone use it, especially in their first 5 years in China. This holds true for visitors as well, and in fact is probably more pronounced.

    The very rude awakening of living in China is that after that “probationary period,” that expectation to figure out the rules and culture starts hitting in full force. This is why the question “how long have you been in China for” is kind of a trap question to be treated with great caution — answer truthfully, but give yourself as much space as you can. I for one usually answered “since 2017” whenever I sensed that the other person wanted to know how to treat me (or rather, how much they were on the hook for guiding me). In cases where I needed to show that I wasn’t going to be a bother, I answered “on and off since 1996.” Both are true and you can always explain that away later (most don’t care), but always give yourself space in accordance to the situation. This is generally seen as prudence and/or social awareness, and this is generally a good thing (because it means you are aware enough to not be a liability in a guanxi network).

    As for what those expectations are actually headed towards, there is a bit of a social conversation in China on what space foreigners should exist in. The most commonly accepted, uncontroversial take is that any foreigner acting as a Chinese does, competing on equal footing with a Chinese person, doing jobs that other Chinese would take, in accordance with Chinese social norms, is most certainly a fine addition to China. This is because all foreigners bring something special (they are not locals, after all), and if such a foreigner otherwise removes all the friction of being a foreigner, then such an addition to a guanxi network is seen as a strict positive. There are very few people who would turn down such a foreigner, and this is also the pathway in which a foreigner has the best chance of being treated as any Chinese person., or Mark Rowswell. He is a big reason why Canada had one of the biggest cheers from the audience back in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    The rest of the debate splits into different camps. There is generally agreement that no one wants foreigners who otherwise hate China but stick around and exploit the “probationary period.” As for foreigners who can find gainful work as foreigners, most people are fine with that, but it will lead people to worry that changing government priorities might cause them to be out of a job. It is for this matter that not everyone is willing to engage such a foreigner as part of their guanxi network, though in most cases the allure of a foreigner’s own network or status is enough to bypass that risk.

    For the most part, Chinese still take it as flattery that others would want to adopt Chinese cultural trappings, if not the actual culture itself.

    The problem is, foreigners who do so stand out like a sore thumb. Anyone who wants to “blend in” is stuck in a conundrum, because on one hand that insists on adopting local behavior. On the other hand, doing that is contradictory to one’s own goals. Hence, China is currently incompatible with migrants who want the experience of being one of the masses.

    …unless if you look Chinese. Then, everything changes:

    1. There is no “probationary period” unless if people are notified ahead of time. They will assume you are Chinese first.
    2. Because there is no “probationary period,” there is no leniency normally afforded to foreigners. This will feel unfair.
    3. Likewise, because no one expects to treat you like a foreigner, it becomes possible to blend in. Stealth is the superpower of those who present Chinese, making it possible to see how Chinese people engage the system. This is the only way for a foreigner to have a truthful, firsthand picture of what it means to be Chinese.
    4. And, because people don’t expect you to be a foreigner, if you suddenly start speaking with not-native Chinese, people will stop, stare at you, and try and “figure you out.” This will feel invasive.

    Regardless, the attention that foreigners get in China is somewhat like being put under a microscope. It is deeply uncomfortable to a lot of people, and so this is a buyer beware situation — China is extra not for everyone. This problem doesn’t exist anywhere as much in the US, because once again, the USA is an immigrant country.

    One of the other perks of the US as an immigrant country is that it makes it easy to be involved in politics. The first and foremost point of concern is probably going to relate to how one can become a citizen and gain the vote. Fortunately there is a clear process to do so (albeit fraught with delays, as it may take years or even decades to become one); likewise for any kids born in the US, they are automatically US citizens by means of jus solis. Lately there has been backlash against these policies, and this is best expressed by the current fight that affects largely the Latinos (see What is DACA and Who Are the DREAMers?), but overall this remains true for people looking to join the US and become US citizens.

    While it is true that the vote in the US is actually not all that impactful, US political participation extends far beyond a simple vote. One can (and should) be involved in political campaigns, donate to causes and campaigns that are worth something on a personal level, and participate in political discussions in general. The US, by means of being a democratic republic, asserts much of its political foundation on the necessity of a rational, informed public, and other instruments of governance (particularly one’s guaranteed rights) are designed to protect citizens and promote the free spread of information. The ideological foundation of the US is quite solid.

    By contrast, participation in politics in China is first and foremost a question of if someone has joined the Communist Party of China. To do so is by itself a competitive process for Chinese people and is where the Imperial examinationof old continues its legacy. For foreigners, this is nearly impossible to access as one has to first become a Chinese national to do so, and the process for doing that is specific to each candidate (there is no established, regular process). So while in the US there is a designated space for foreigners to participate, in China there effectively isn’t. In terms of ideological foundation, clearly it is superior to be an American as a foreigner.

    …however, ideology is different from reality. For any human being on Earth, we must be cognizant of society. When we become employed, we must beware of office conduct and the opinions of our bosses. HR will always wield unfair powers over us. This holds true for China and for the US, and this is where it becomes untenable to access those guarantees in the US. How? In the US, most high skill workers enter the US on a H1B visa, which requires that the foreigner be recommended by an employer and gainfully employed there. If the foreigner stops being employed, they have about two months before they are deported. Due to the practicalities of being sponsored for H1B and the difficulties of this process, those two months basically don’t exist, and the H1B visa effectively makes the foreigner’s stay entirely dependent on the whims of the employer. And while an employer cannot fire an employee over any expressed political opinions, they can fire an employee on pretty much any cause (and they will find one). The end result is that almost all foreigners self-censor themselves. This self-censorship regime is further emphasized by US law, which bans expression of certain types of anti-government opinions.

    [2]It is usually beyond the capacity of most migrants to realize that these laws exist, though they are reminded of what is banned when they first apply for citizenship.

    Not all foreigners are censored though. Many who come to the US do so under political asylum, under strategic interests of the US, and they are usually free to speak loudly and proudly about their freedom to express political opinions. These opinions happen to always be extremely pro-US, which in turn sets the tone for all other foreigners who might not be so giddy about the state; those who abide by the state are welcome to all of the freedoms, while those who are not are to be monitored for suspected disloyalty.

    This is pretty much the same situation as in China. The methods are different in China, and I’d argue they are more blatant and upfront about it, but regardless it is hard to express an anti-China opinion in China as a foreigner, much like it is hard to express an anti-US opinion in the US. The difference is that the US pretends it doesn’t do this, while China just doesn’t pretend. Kind of a potato, potahto situation. My only political recommendation to foreigners is to not shake the boat. As an outsider, foreigners are always on probation, and this holds true pretty much in all corners of this Earth. There are always unacceptable opinions to any society, and one way or another a society will find a way to “deal with you” if you happen to cross those lines.

    In both cases I do not recommend a foreigner to participate politically. If you are one of the exceptions, you will know from all the social cues that you are excepted. Even then, don’t be stupid, don’t burn bridges, don’t make life hard for yourself.


    I think we’ve gone over a lot of the dour parts. So what are the good parts? Here I am going to break it down into simple lists, pointing out the good parts unique to each side first.

    For the US:

    • American food is fantastic. You may have heard the memes about American food being just hamburgers, hot dogs, and whatever frozen nonsense. That is true, yes, but only on a superficial level. Food in America goes far deeper; local cuisines are almost never talked about abroad but feature the same kind of depth one would expect in most cultures. And of course, America does have a diverse population from all across the world, and it is imminently possible to eat authentic food from all regions of the world if one is located in a major city. China can’t do this except in a couple places, and even then the foreign food is inauthentic and terrible more often than not.
    • American land is pristine. Now, both countries have a lot of wilderness to see, yes. But the US is obviously far less polluted now than China is today (different parts of the development-pollution Kuznets curve), and any foreigner should take full advantage of not only US parks, but the great expanse. Here I will wholeheartedly recommend Tēnn Khong Lîm’s Travel Stories. He has done a great job cataloguing the many sights to see in the US — albeit a point of criticism, he has a lot more work to do! As a personal recommendation, for those who are otherwise jaded by the usual scenes of nature, Alaska is a great place to change it up. Nothing quite like it.
    • American salaries are enormous. Yes, the job market sucks. Yes, there is underemployment. Yes, living costs suck. But, in the end the US is a developed nation with the world’s largest economy (probably), and the pay is definitely there for skilled foreigners. Life at the top 10% of America is truly easy and great. (I do not recommend migrating to the US if you will end up in the bottom 50% though.) All in all, let’s not forget the power of the USD either — currency conversions are usually very nice when one earns USD.
    • American internet is much more liberal. It’s not entirely uncensored (see culture wars, private moderation), but it hails from the Wild West days of the formative internet and that legacy persists to this day. This is especially true in comparison to Chinese internet, which obviously has the Great Firewall among other censorship effects. Now, there are some downsides to all this freedom (trolling in particular is bad), but the upsides are more numerous. Gamers especially should take note, as the GFW often shits on pings, whereas US internet is more of an uninterrupted experience.
    • American safety is better barring violence. What I mean here is that it is safe to drink the water, easy to trust food safety, easier to find top-tier healthcare, and easier to access more complete safety nets provided by the government. In China, these things are more of a work in progress.

    And for China:

    • Chinese food is deep. It doesn’t have the international breadth of the US, but China is such a huge place that internally it is like the entire Schengen area in diversity. Many of the subcuisines of China are top-tier cuisines in their own right, sporting wildly different techniques from their neighbors. It is said that it takes more than a lifetime to eat all the dishes in China. For this, I recommend Blondie in China, who goes in such depth that she can actually educate Chinese people on Chinese cuisine. Intuitively, let me put it this way: when an entire country sports foodie culture, many things suddenly become possible, and many more niches suddenly become viable. That will always lead to more diversity.
    • Chinese landscapes are curated. This is kind of a complex subject, but the long and short of it is that Chinese park architecture is more of a blend of the constructed and the wild, rather than the European picturesque (which is a constructed frame to which the wild can be viewed/owned). So while you might go to the US to experience more untamed wilderness, China delivers unparalleled curated wilderness, where instead of feeling like you are “away from all of it,” you will feel that you are “one with nature.”
    • Chinese cost of living is very low. What this means is that while you won’t earn as much money, your wealth will go a much longer way. For people who are say, lower-middle class in the US, moving to China vaults them straight to upper-middle class status. It is night and day, and especially for underserved minorities this can feel particularly liberating. There are tons of videos of people living in the most expensive areas in China, but go outside of the Tier 1 and 2 cities and it becomes obvious just how cheaply one can thrive on in China.
    • Chinese amenities are just better. In particular they are better planned, and this really is more of a black mark on the US. Lately it’s become quite common to see urbanist videos on Youtube about how US infrastructure sucks. But I want to also point out that in China, with ubiquitous metro, rail, bus, and bike services, it is exceedingly easy to get around as a pedestrian. More importantly, cities are often laid out with Communist principles (sometimes Soviet, sometimes Chinese), and so neighborhoods will all have corner shops and the like. 15 minute cities are honestly the norm in China, which makes it easy to handle just about everything with an electric scooter, further driving down living costs… hopefully the point has been made.
    • And finally, China has less violence. This is particularly important for women, particularly for American women, who usually have to worry about going alone at night. In China, these are not concerns; it doesn’t mean crime doesn’t happen (particularly assaults on women), it just means that it is such a low occurrence that most people do not plan their lives around it. Chinese people might say that “China is more dangerous than the US,” but they mean all the other things I mentioned before. They just do not have a concept that a place can be so violent as the US (which in itself is overblown by Chinese who have visited the US, as well as Americans — especially white and Asian ones).

    But in the end, I want to note that the two places are honestly quite similar:

    • Both are huge countries. Yes, 1.4 billion people is far larger than 330 million. But 330 million is also an amazingly high number. The real difference to me is that China feels more crowded than the US. Still, they are both huge and therefore people behave like they are in a huge country.
    • Both are powerful and influential. Moving to such a place is not going to be a case of “throwing your life away” in the rat race of competition. While China was certainly easily ignored some 30 years ago, at this point it has certainly become impossible to ignore. And of course, the US continues to be top dog.
    • Both are extroverted countries. I know a lot of people in the US think of China “as an Asian country” which causes them to reach to Japanese politeness as their mental model. This couldn’t be further from the truth. China is a place that rewards extroversion just like the US, and it punishes introversion as well (many in China will wonder if you are a 宅男/宅女 if you are a homebody, while in the US people will think you are antisocial).
    • Both are welcoming countries to outsiders. Yes, cities can be a bit lonely. But both places are warm and welcoming and quite outspoken about it, and while there may be some political hostilities towards outsiders, these are political backlashes, and they work against the common grain. Do not confuse that for the general hospitality of either nation. You will miss out on a lot otherwise.
    • Both countries have awful housing prices, but also huge houses. The awful housing prices are more of a global phenomenon — all big cities are being hit hard. But the huge houses are true for both places where there aren’t awful housing prices. This doesn’t quite make sense for China if approached with that Japanese lens, but again that’s a fallacy; in the Chinese countryside, the party has been providing much larger accommodation and so it is common to see rural people with new housing that has ceilings some 2.5+ meters high. (Honestly speaking, they are a bit too big.) In the US, most people underestimate how cheap it is to live in the “less desirable cities/states/areas.”
    • Both countries are deeply misunderstood. Hollywood paints a very strange picture of the US, but this is unfortunately the prime cultural export that seems to inform people abroad. Meanwhile China itself is painted usually in the colors of totalitarianism, and the people are almost exclusively talked about in terms of political repression, often not existing outside of it. In general, both places are talked about from geostrategic concerns first, and the daily lives of these people become buried underneath politically motivated statements.

    The nice thing is that really, both countries have a lot to offer for anyone; they are both very large nations with all sorts of experiences one can lose themselves in. The question at the end of the day is, are you willing to give up a lot to have a new life? That should be the first question any prospective migrant should consider, because more often than not, people are not willing to give up so much of themselves. It is always tragic to see a migrant who has moved and now regrets moving.

    Footnotes

    [1] The Myth of a Post-Racial Society After the Obama Presidency

    [2] Prohibition upon the naturalization of persons opposed to government or law, or who favor totalitarian forms of government

    “Get OUT now!” Syria tells U.S. to leave now and stop stealing its oil | Redacted w Clayton Morris

    Syria would like to remind the world that the United States is illegally occupying its country and stealing its oil. The nation has appealed to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Security Council President Ferit Hoxha for help. So what will the U.N. do? We ask journalist Syrian Kevork Almassian for his guess on what will happen and how this came about to begin with.

    What is the tackiest thing you have ever seen at a wedding?

    In a certain social class in Egypt, people deal with buffets as if they’ve been starved to death their whole lives. And surprisingly they aren’t really poor to begin with.

    Anyhow, in my cousin’s wedding, they went really big with the party, inviting every single person we know in Kuwait, and keeping the invitations open so that anyone can bring whoever they want with them.

    Let me just say that the moment we announced that the buffet is now open, people turned their heads and rushed to the buffet like there was no tomorrow:

    Being my cousin’s direct family, we stayed with him, taking care of things. When we entered the hall to finally eat, the scene was truly shameful.

    The floor was covered with food stains, the platters were almost empty, the tables were tilted. It was like a tornado had passed through the area.

    And while I haven’t seen this in this particular wedding, I know for a fact that some Egyptian mothers take with them these big, black garbage bags to stuff them with food and take it home.

    It’s like buffets are some sort of an eating contest!

    That wedding was a good lesson for us. Keep weddings limited to people you actually know and ones who care about you. And perhaps… don’t go with a buffet?

    That being said, that was the only wedding I’ve seen that was this disastrous; usually weddings around me are more organized and classy.

    Is it true that Apple vision pro will take over the iPhone, iPad and iMac in 2024 and will Samsung and Google and others be doing the same as well?

    It will take time for the Vision Pro to gain followers because right now it is relying on developers to port their apps to Vision Pro.

    Right now, Apple is in a weak marketing position because there are no new features for the iPhone 15 series except for the change to USB-C connectors. It looks like Apple is putting more marketing weight behind Apple Watch than the iPhone.

    This has left Apple severely exposed in its single largest market, China. Huawei has introduced the Mate 60 Pro, which enables satellite voice communications, and has much higher network connection speeds than Apple, Samsung and Google, who all rely on Qualcomm for their 5G transceivers.

    The current version of the Vision Pro is priced at $3500, which means that only early adapters will buy it. A cheaper version will likely not come out until 2024/25.

    I expect a lot of buzz about Huawei products even though they will not be readily available in the US due to sanctions.

    Tough times for Apple and Samsung.

    China’s economy is collapsing, isn’t it? Here’s Chinas real economic situation

    I always take the opposite to what the US and other Western countries said about the economy, technologies and Geopolitics concerning China. If China is doing so bad economically, it’s common sense that they let the enemy keep doing all the wrong things. When the US bark and scream about China, then the truths is that China is doing well economically.

    Can atheists explain the origin of the 7 day week, because it certainly wasn’t invented by man?

    Piece of cake

    Look into the sky. You will see seven objects in it that move relative to the other objects

    The Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. They’re all visible to the naked eye and have been known since ancient times in all civilizations.

    So in English we have

    SUN-day, MOON-day, and SATURN-day

    And in French, they have MARS-day (mardi), MERCURY-day (mercredi), JUPITER-day (jeudi), and VENUS-day (vendredi). In English we actually name those after Gemanic gods – Tiw, Odin, Thor and Freya. In French, you also have lundi (MOON-day) an samedi (SATURN-day). “Dimanche”, the French for “Sunday” means “God’s day”, i.e. the sabbath.

    The word “Month” is also based on “moon” because it’s roughly the time between full moons.

    Why would anyone with half a brain enlist in the United States military?

    I grew up in a small town and joined the Army when I turned 18 on a 2-year enlistment. I had many personal reasons, but perhaps the one that might resonate the most with you was the Army College Fund. I thought going to college would help me succeed in life, and it might also be nice to see a bit of the world first. At the time, the Army recruiting slogan was “be all you can be” and that seemed to fit.

    As a private (E-1) in basic training I was singled out and given more tests. Less than a year later, I finished jump school and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg. Then those test scores came through and I received orders to West Point.

    As a lieutenant (after ranger school) I was assigned to the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division at Fort Carson. The entire Army (regular, reserves, national guard) deployed to the Gulf for Desert Shield/Storm, except for our division. As a combat arms officer, with no combat experience, I figured my career was over. A JAG I knew recommended I apply for the Funded Legal Education Program (FLEP) and go to law school, so I did.

    As a captain I tried my first court-martial while assigned at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia supporting 1/75 rangers and part of the 160th SOAR, among other units. This became the foundation for much of my later career, both in the Army and after.

    As a major in the JAG Corps, I went on over 30 deployments while assigned to SOCEUR (during the Bosnia and Kosovo campaigns) then later back at Fort Bragg, I deployed again after 9/11 in support of 5th Group. It’s ironic, but I collected more hostile fire and hazardous duty pay as a JAG than I ever did while in combat arms.

    My last assignment was in Washington, DC, where I retired with 20 years of active duty. I then spent a few years as a trial lawyer and partner in a large law firm doing corporate work. The G.I. Bill allowed me to first get an MBA and then another degree at Georgetown. Altogether, four masters degrees and two doctorates (all paid for by the Army), healthcare and a lifetime pension. Not a bad result for a kid who started out just trying to learn something about the world and earn money for college.

    The Sopranos – Tiny Tears – Tindersticks

    I can never listen to Tiny Tears without thinking of the Sopranos.

    When buying a computer, why in the 90s were CD-ROMs included as a package but not anymore?

    There are actually two pieces of hardware that were ubiquitous in the 90s, but mostly gone now.

    The key reason for the demise of these devices is the flash memory in combination with USB. Diskettes were a way to transport small volumes of information (1.4 MB for most of the 90s) around cheaply and unreliably. The information could be overwritten and 1.4 MB is actually plenty of data, as long as you aren’t including images or music. Forget about video, but they were fine for text, power point presentations and the like. All in all they filled a useful niche of portable, short term data storage. You didn’t want to keep anything important exclusively on diskettes, because they had a high failure rate.

    CD was for larger amounts of data, a CD could contain 650 MB or hundreds of diskettes. It was also more reliable, you just couldn’t trust diskettes for more than a few months, but CDs last for 100 years (manufactured ones) or at least 20 years (home burned ones). The problem with CDs was the writing process was curbesome and they couldn’t be rewritten. If you wanted to put data on a CD more than once you lost about 20 MB for each session too. Rewritable CDs existed, but they failed rather often as well.

    So you had two technologies to transport data around. One was suitable for small amounts of data, but cheap, ubiquitous and easy to write on. The other was suitable for large amounts of data, but curbesome. The two systems worked well in unision and there was nothing wrong with the setup as such. They weren’t replaced because they sucked, but because the alternative was so vastly better.

    Enter the stick drive, which is faster than the diskette and just as easy to rewrite, but can easily hold as much or more data as the CD. In early 2000s they became cheap as well and diskettes and CDs no longer had a niche to fill. There is almost nothing you need a CD for and there is no use for a diskette either. Nowadays we usually move data around either on an USB stick or through the internet connection, ubiquitous fast internet came about slightly later than the stick drive and helped kill off other physical data carriers. External magnetic drives helped too of course, for reliable long-term storage.

    On top of that the humble USB connection also enabled inexpensive external CD/DVD burners, so there’s no point in having an internal drive any more. They’re all burners now, because the technology is so cheap it doesn’t make sense to make slightly cheaper read only devices.

    What has been the best decision you’ve made in your life?

    Losing weight was the best decision I made in life, it was a few years ago now and the only regret I have was not doing it sooner.

    I was obese from a very young age up until I was 28 years old, which affected me in a lot of ways. I was subjected to daily bullying and felt terrible about myself most of the time. In general, I was and still am (to a degree) avoidant of people because of what I went through in my childhood leading into my twenties.

    I never had close friends or dated women at all, I would not even approach because of the fear of rejection, which is what I was use to most of the time. The only thing that made me happy was food but at the same time it was making my life absolutely miserable because I was getting bigger and bigger trying to fill the void I constantly felt inside.

    It got so bad that I was planning on ending things and thought about it a lot. One day I made a promise to myself, that I would give losing weight my best shot before I would go ahead with doing something drastic so that is what I did.

    I went ahead and started small, building day by day and eventually after about 8 months of extremely hard work and dedication I lost 51kg!

    I truly believe one of the best things you can do for yourself in the short and long term is to take care of your body and to live a fit and healthy lifestyle, it changed my life in so many ways but most importantly it gave me the confidence I never thought I had, to stand up for myself and to prove all the people that put me down wrong in the best of ways.

    Holy SH*t,Something is Happening in Maui! Oprah & The Rock

    Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Oprah Winfrey face backlash for asking fans to donate to Maui fund instead of contributing more themselves The family of a woman who died trying to flee a wildfire on Maui is suing the county, the state and one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, alleging they neglected to maintain their fire-prone property.

    It looks like the very start of an American civil war.

    https://youtu.be/qKgGrNu-Qq0

    Details of Chinese Tsinghua EUV-SSMB photolithography plant emerge

    Tsinghua University has experimented with a large-scale EUV-SSMB photolithography plant in the Xiong’An new district are emerging.

    This is much larger than the EUV machines made by ASML, and can handle different light wavelengths simultaneously, unlike ASML products. It is also permanent, and will be able to handle much larger chip production than TSMC currently can.

    Right now the minimum light wavelength it can handle is 7nm, but it will move on to lower wavelengths in the future. The aim is to bring chip prices down to commodity prices.

    This has been made with Chinese IP and know-how; there are no plans to export the device.

    Can you take a boat across the Atlantic to the UK from America, instead of a plane?

    CROSSING THE ATLANTIC ON A CONTAINER SHIP

    I’ve never done it myself, but the coolest way to travel by sea is on cargo (usually container) ships. By Maritime Law, they are allowed to carry up to twelve passengers. If they have any more, they must provide a ship’s doctor.

    It works. Container ships are fast. Some thirty years ago, the head of public relations at French Line CGT – she happened to be the Chairman’s daughter – insisted that all their new-build container ships should include the maximum number of passenger cabins.

    The real reason? It was a very effective way to keep the crew on best behaviour – and sober.

    Europe to USA by container ship is very popular among those-in-the-know and bookings are much sought-after. To other destinations such as West Africa they are easier to obtain. Voyages to the Far East can be long, even via Suez or Panama, but I have little doubt they are possible too.

    London has a specialist travel agency which has been dealing in such unusual sea travel for at least 25 years. And there are no doubt equivalents in other major cities.

    Nancy Pelosi Ambushed By Illegal Immigrants | Ends Event In Pure PANIC

    During a public event, Nancy Pelosi found herself in a tense situation when she was unexpectedly confronted by a group of undocumented immigrants. The encounter quickly escalated, causing Pelosi to end the event abruptly due to the heightened emotions and concerns for her safety. The incident highlights the ongoing debate surrounding immigration policy.

    Do you like being an English teacher?

    Yes.

    Here are some of the things I like about it:

    • In most states, students are required to spend more time in English classes than in classes for any other subject. Thus, there are more English teachers than any other kind of teacher, and there always will be. Job security is very good for experienced English teachers like me. I needn’t worry about ever being unemployed for very long.
    • I get paid to read and write. What better way to demonstrate to the students the importance of reading and writing than by demonstrating it yourself? Silent reading time for my students is also silent reading time for me.
    • The reading lessons are very repetitive. If I read a new novel with my students, it’s because I wanted to “mix it up a bit” for myself. But all of the short stories and novels I teach are new to my students, even if I’ve already taught them a dozen times. It makes teaching them that much easier. I am currently teaching three novels at the same time, with students reading novels that correspond with their reading levels. I’ve taught all three novels a minimum of ten times at this point. I don’t need to re-read them to teach them. I have all of the materials for them already. At this point in my career, it’s really easy for me to teach multiple novels at the same time.
    • The grammar and writing lessons are very repetitive. I teach seventh and eighth grades. I usually teach the same concepts to both grades on the same day. The worksheets and other materials are different, but the lessons are the same. And, unlike in a subject like math, if a student doesn’t understand a grammar concept, they may still understand the next one. Failure to grasp something simple (like division in math) won’t completely derail every lesson afterwards. Didn’t figure out how to use a comma in seventh grade? Not to worry. We’ll cover it again in eighth. And in ninth. And in tenth. And literally every year from grades 1–12.
    • I have a sweet, sweet classroom library now. I built it myself over the summer. It takes up one entire wall of my classroom, plus a little of another wall, and has just under 1,500 books in it so far. Once word got around that I was making a classroom library, a lot of parents donated books to it. I also have a Keurig and a record player and some really comfortable reading chairs in my classroom. It’s a space I enjoy being in, which is good, since I’m in it most of the day, 180 days per year. I suppose teachers who teach other subjects could also have classroom libraries, but it seems like a natural fit for English teachers in particular.

    When I first considered teaching as a career, in my mid-20s, I wanted to pursue teaching science as a subject. But that would have required almost one full year of additional college courses, which I couldn’t do at that time. English teaching was the shortest pathway into the classroom for me, since I majored in Communication and minored in English during my undergrad. So it wasn’t my first choice, but, as with pretty much everything else in my life, it all worked out for the best. I’m happy with where I ended up.

    Why did Honduras cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan? Was this done to be in favor of China?

    Favorable to the people of Honduras!

    Honduras’ GDP per capita is only US$2800, ranking 128th in the world.

    Honduras lacks an industrial system and most industrial goods must be imported.

    As a poor country, Honduras could not afford to buy expensive Western industrial goods, and Chinese goods were the only option.

    China is the world’s factory, making everything in the world. The only thing China does not make – that is war!

    Honduras does not have diplomatic relations with China because of the Taiwan factor, and they must go through a third country to buy Chinese goods, and are charged transit fees by the third country. But after establishing diplomatic relations with China, Honduras can trade directly with China, eliminating the transit fees earned by third countries. Why no?

    In recent years, Panama, El Salvador, Dominica, Nicaragua and other countries have established or restored diplomatic relations with China, promoting the economic and social development of their countries and bringing tangible benefits to their people.


    98% of the goods offered to the public in Honduran stores are Chinese goods re-exported from third countries, and only 2% are produced locally.

    Most of Honduras’ groceries, cosmetics, clothing, plastic products, personal hygiene products, Christmas items and auto parts are Chinese goods re-exported from third countries.

    “Send Them Back!” – AOC migrant press conference DISRUPTED outside NYC Roosevelt hotel

    Disruption on all sides politically. The USA is a “powder keg”.

    What is the tackiest thing you have ever seen in a courtroom?

    I was sued by my landlord for late rent. The payment arrived to him on the 3rd of the month instead of the 1st, and despite the money order being dated from the last day of the previous month, he asked for payment of a 100 dollar late payment. I refusd to pay and he took me to court.

    I dressed in a dress shirt, black slacks, and a tie. I showed up 20 minutes early to court, registered with the bailiff, and waited for court to convene. My landlord didn’t show up until the last minute, and when he did he was dressed in shorts, sandals, and a Bahama Mama T-shirt.

    Court was called to session and my case was called first. I approached the well and was asked if I was prepared to present my case. I informed the judge that I was the defendant, and that I would have to wait to proceed until the plaintiff presented his case.

    My landlord, the plaintiff, dropped his papers on the way to the well. (I was not his only case that day.) When the judge noticed him, he guffawed and asked if my landlord was aware of court decorum standards.

    Long story short, my landlord was disrespectful to the judge, and the judge was not inclined to be overly sympathetic to him. I won the case, including court costs, and was told that I had dressed respectfully for court and that it helped my case.

    The landlord lost all his cases that day and had to make payment arrangements for late rent, and the judge split all court costs.

    What happened today that made your day a good one?

    A young man was brought into office by my colleagues and they left him with me. Usually a traffic violator is fined on the spot and thats it. But if they resist or make a scene… then they are detained in this office until the cops from police station arrive to collect them.

    I was told that “This fruit cart guy made the whole intersection jammed and refused to remove his cart away from fast lane and resisted”.

    He just sat there silent, while I called the police station to send somebody to take him… and got back to watching a gaming live stream on my laptop.

    But then I noticed him turning his head to the other side with his hand covering his eyes.

    He was wiping his tears.

    Something startled him, I assume. Maybe the behavior of cops or the thought of getting behind bars or maybe his cart that stood there in our compound. I don’t know.

    I felt so much for him that moment.

    What did you do exactly to land here and don’t lie? I asked.

    I was crossing a busy intersection when a traffic cop shouted at me and told me to get off the lane towards footpath. I refused as I wished to cross the road and I yelled back. Nothing else happened, I am telling you the truth.

    Okay… so you refused to obey and intentionally caused a traffic problem.

    Yes, I guess.

    ….

    Then why crying now?

    I want to go home, I need to buy groceries and wheat as well for my mother, for she must be hungry and eagerly waiting for me. That’s why I crossed the road hurriedly and got caught into this mess. I sell watermelons and barely earn enough to feed both of us.

    I checked his ID and asked a few more questions. This guy was anything but manipulative.

    By now, I had decided to get into this matter, though that’s above my pay scale as I’m just a constable but what the hell. I can do wonders when I want to. 🙂

    You want to go home? I smiled.

    Yes, I was hesitant to ask you out of fear when you called the police for me. Please don’t do that. Please let me go home. I want to go home to my mother, she’s alone.

    I stood up and went to the other room, few traffic officers were there including the one who brought him. I asked him nicely and requested to cut this kid some slack. He can be let go with a warning.

    I told my senior that the fruit cart guy regrets his actions and is apologetic.

    The senior looked at me.

    He is a good man, I know. But he also knows that I’m a good guy too and I don’t ask for such favors with some ulterior motives. And that… even being just a constable, I can make traffic warden’s life quite miserable if I wish to.

    So couple of minutes later…

    I told that young man to get up, take his cart and leave. He couldn’t believe it. Those expressions of gratification were soothing and awesome. He thanked all of us and left but not before hearing my advice.

    Remember this, you cannot disobey an order given by cops and you cannot resist. Just earn your living and go home. Stay out of trouble for you’d regret it in great deal. Your mother needs you, know that and act wisely from now on.

    I stood there outside for some time… thinking of him.

    Yes, a thought of his mother made me feel for him. But what primarily motivated me to help him get off the hook was…. that he shouldn’t be going to police station or spend a night there or even worse… Jail. He should not experience the company of bad guys there and learn the existence of a new and evil realm.

    He shouldn’t hate himself, cops and the society in general.

    He should remain what he is.

    Positive, innocent and hardworking.

    Warnings! Invasion of U.S. is about to get worse coming from Panama

    This is the story that the US citizenry needs to see. The migration to the US is funded and orchestrated. Wonder by who?

    How much of what China says about Xinjiang is true?

    China never say things that are not true. 100% of what they say is absolutely the truth. While the U.S. and the west remedy for Muslim extremism is carpet bombings Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and others killing millions of mostly innocent men, women and children China used a more humane approach saving lives and using a more successful and sustainable method.

    Chinese too faced a spate of Muslim extremist violence post 9–11 years. China use re-education to help the highly influenced Muslims who have the tendency to is likely to resort to violence for what they think is a just cause. This approach works better and compared with the U.S. approach almost no deaths occurred. And it made China safer yet addresses the Muslim issue and problem.

    The U.S. and the west instead of learning from this far better resolution felt compel to fabricate lies on China but China’s fairer and more effective solution is very well accepted and appreciate by the Muslim nations world wide.

    In my opinion almost no body believes in the genocide narratives and it exposed the lying and obnoxious behaviour of the US instead of dirt sticking on China it sticks on the U.S. as an untrustworthy nation. China never deny re-education. The did it and it was effective. Were some Chinese Muslims unhappy? I am sure there are but 99% of them appreciated how China handle it compared to the sadistic murder by the U.S. and the west.

    CAN’T BELIEVE IT: Gen Z Americans can’t answer these basic questions

    It’s really hard to watch this kind of video without shaking your head in disbelief.

    How do UK police compare to US police?

    Visiting New York and decided to walk from the station to the hotel. Promptly got lost. Saw a police man standing by his car. So thought I’d ask. He looked shocked and even nervous when I approached to say hello. And was very abrupt. He then didn’t understand my question asking for directions. If he wasn’t in a uniform I would of honestly assumed he was mentally challenged.

    Few years back was in London, again at a station with my 3 y/o daughter. 2 big police men all kitted up standing outside. My daughter saw the officers and got a little scared. I think partly as her 1st visit to London. One of the officers spotted her, smiled and walked over. Asked her a few questions about her visit and offered if she would like to try his helmet on.

    Although the Met has at the moment a terrible reputation. Genuinely feel the British police are far more approachable and helpful.

    When a stealth aircraft uses radar to scan enemy aircraft, does it also give out its own location?

    You might very well think that. And certainly, if it was broadcasting on full power while right on top of the enemy, then yes, it will be giving out its own location. But there’s an interesting ability that modern radars, such as the AN/APG-81 (below) as fitted to the F-35, have which means that this will not usually be the case.

    Until recently, radars were like single element searchlights sweeping out in the darkness, and were therefore clearly visible to the opposition, who were on the lookout for radars operating on specific wavelengths. The larger and more powerful the radar, the further away it could be detected, often well outside the range where it could detect an opposition aircraft. Frequency swapping helps, but the windows of opportunity it presents are often too short to have any meaningful effect.

    AESA radars, on the other hand, are basically a group of multiple individual radar emitters collected together in one unit. One individual emitter on its own doesn’t have a great deal of power and therefore does not have a great range, but when used in conjunction with the other emitters surrounding it, the range and detecting power of the whole is every bit as good, if not better, than a powerful single element radar.

    Now, here’s the clever bit. Each individual element on an AESA radar can be set to emit a different frequency from its neighbour (and to frequency shift at random times). This way, even when scanning on full power, the emission from an F-35 can appear almost indistinguishable from background radio noise, as no one frequency is being broadcast at any great strength. But the F-35 knows the frequency signature of its own radar, and can detect returns across this frequency range, while to an enemy scanner it will simply appear as noise. Of course, the closer the F-35 gets to the enemy, the greater the chances of its radar being detected, but that’s the same with any stealth adaptation. The hope would be that the F-35 would be able to engage the enemy (or otherwise complete its mission if it was simply intelligence-gathering) long before being detected.

    The other thing about the AN/APG-81 (and to an extent other AESA radars) is that they are also excellent passive detectors, with the interesting ability to pick up returns from other radars. So (for example) a Boeing E-3 Sentry flying well away from the front lines will be using its radar to search a wide area. The opposition will clearly be able to see this, as will the F-35, but the F-35, flying much closer to the front, possibly even over enemy airspace, will also be able to pick up the radar returns of the E-3’s radar reflecting off opposition aircraft, and being much closer these returns will actually be stronger than the return that makes it back to the E-3. The upshot of this being that the F-35 might actually be able to see the returns of enemy aircraft in the E-3’s radar that are too far away for the E-3 itself to see.

    Which means that in a hypothetical future war, as the enemy is setting up a long-range intercept of the E-3, an F-35 is setting up a much shorter range (though still many tens of kilometres away) interception of the enemy aircraft, all without emitting as much as a milliwatt from its own radar or receiving any other information from any source.

    Of course, quite how powerful this ability is in the AN/APG-81 is confidential, and at this point we simply do not know how well (if at all) AESA radars fitted to Russian or Chinese aircraft can mimic it. But it is an ability that just a few short years ago would have been considered firmly in the realms of Science Fiction.

    OMG First Time Hearing Oliver Anthony – Rich Men North Of Richmond | THE WOLF HUNTERZ REACTIONS

    The positive reaction to this by so many is telling. The criticism Mr. Anthony gets from certain celebrities is also just as telling. He is doing something right.

    A window to the murmurings of discontent inside of America. This is the moment in time that comes right before the beheadings.

    When will China have its own euv lithography machine?

    Question : When will China have its own euv lithography machine?

    Short answer: 2023 AD China already have own EUV machine (lab quality) and this is No red herring.

    .

    China Uni have conquered EUV light source few years back.

    And current China EUV machine although large as a building, crude (compare to ASML), use enormous amount of electricity but the end result is it is here :

    It is extremely likely soon within 3 to 5 yrs (2026 to 2028 AD) China will equalize world’s chip manufacturing with her in house China EUV, while using a big cruder EUV machine, yet China can still manufacture 3 to 5nm size, even smaller size

    .

    The refinement of the production machine will take more time and likely very few EUV machine of a building size will ever be build, since it is such awfully big size.

    Before the newer EUV models, commercial one gradually will shrink in size eventually. Nonetheless China will be making Chips of equal nm abet at cost of much higher expense.

    So likely initial phase, ~2027 the product will likely only be for internal consumption. Until mass production & efficiency is achieved.

    The release of the Huawei M60 Pro phone happened during US Commerce Secretary Raimondo’s visit to China, the first such visit in five years. What’s the message?

    I sincerely believe that this is an intelligent demonstration by China that jailing Huawei’s CFO was simply totally ineffective.

    But this Chinese demonstration is a little naive, because it assumes that Raimondo understands the difference between a Chinese phone and an iPhone: I highly doubt it.

    What’s more, I highly doubt that Raimondo knows that the Mate 60’s chips are mainly Chinese, but especially the SoC and modem.

    Raimondo doesn’t understand this, and she doesn’t care: she has a single message to get across, and nothing else.

    She’s come with the mindset that China is a technologically inferior country, and there’s no room in her mind for thinking differently.

    She’s not arrogant, she’s just ignorant of Chinese culture and doesn’t want to learn it.

    Why is China’s property market a leading negative for its economy?

    In my 46 years living in the U.S., I have experienced 4 severe real estate crashes, last one was 2007–2012, when prices dropped 50%-80%, 7 million Americans went into foreclosure and bankruptcies.

    Nobody wanted to buy any property at 80% discount, yet everybody rush to overbid to buy properties when home prices go up crazy.

    Be very careful when you ridicule other market’s real estate crash, because next is your own real estate, guaranteed.

    Real estate rises and crashes are normal healthy economic cycles, it is God giving you another chance to make $ millions, if you are smart enough and have the financial resources.

    LIVE: Report—Largest Poverty Increase On Record!

    Lee, don’t know how you muster the mental energy and resilience to continuously report on so much moral depravity, mendacity and governmental malfeasance, but I applaud you for doing so. I’m an atheist but nevertheless I like to believe there is a special place in the afterlife for the few honest Western journalists such as yourself.

    How bad is discrimination against Asians in the US?

    It’s real bad here in the USA now. Especially because of the western propaganda. First they were saying they purposely created the virus and then released it. Then they changed the story to. They created the virus but somehow it accidentally got loose.

    There’s actually been a few reports. About these dangerous untrustworthy people in this country deciding to play vigilante. And apparently some minority groups. Have you been developed the paranoia that they’re coming after them next.

    The people in this country deliberately expose their children to the virus and let them die. And the reason why was because both political parties wanted to see the other president go to jail. Whether that was Trump or Obama. That is the real reason why the virus spread so successfully here. Not the first time the people in this country treated their own children as expendable pawns for their own shady gine. And probably won’t be the last time.

    I strongly don’t suggest coming to this country. Especially when they’re falsely accusing your people of trying to kill everybody with a virus now. And if you come here try to stay together as much as possible. Try not to be anywhere by yourself.

    What was something that someone said or did that has changed you forever?

    Easy– I had just picked my wife up from the hospital after a 3 vertebrae spinal fusion. I was driving very slowly and carefully (picture an old lady driving a T-model Ford filled with nitroglycerin). As I was easing across some train tracks in my small hometown, moving at about the speed of smell, a plumbing work truck came up behind me. He was in a hurry, and gave me multiple exotic versions of ‘the finger”. He honked his horn, leaned out the window, screaming obscenities and suggesting anatomical impossibilities because of my slow speed. As a previous professional driver, I understood his hurry, but had a much more important personal reason to maintain slow-n-steady.

    As we cleared the tracks, he screeched around us, cut me off, and sped into the distance still “saluting”.

    Rather than be angry, it suddenly occurred to me that I’d done very similar things as a professional driver. You get in a hurry, and the job becomes more important than attempting to understand the potential plight of the other driver. I swore that I would never be intolerant of other drivers again, when it was my turn to be in a hurry. To this day, I still practice understanding that everyone has reasons for the way they drive, and every driver is a human being. It’s simple enough to conceive, but can be difficult to practice.
    Curiously, this event started a torrent or cascade effect for me. I now drive much more courteously, and it’s so much calmer of an experience. I don’t yell or “talk” to the other drivers when I witness a mistake, or am caused an inconvenience. I try to remember my needs that day, and assume that everyone else has similar needs.
    I recommend it.

    People Drove Past a Kitten Shivering from the Cold On the Side of the Road

    She squinted through the windshield of her car, trying to discern what it was. As she got closer, her heart sank.

    How does China’s potential ban on iPhones impact Apple’s share price?

    China is NOT banning Apple nor will it do so. In fact, all the leading companies are allowed to operate in China without the hinderance of the Chinese government – companies like Tesla, Samsung, Intel, Walmart, Costco, Starbucks, etc. In fact, the Chinese government deliberately encouraged the participation of those companies in the Chinese market place. The only requirement is that they follow Chinese laws.

    AND there is a good reason why.

    The Chinese government want those companies because they wanted foreign companies to force Chinese companies to innovate and be cost efficient to compete with those foreign companies. This will not only benefit Chinese consumers but will allow for the development of world class Chinese companies.

    Otherwise China will be like India – a poor country with businesses that produce second rate products protected by tariffs despite the country’s tremendous potential.

    That STRATEGY is paying off handsomely and China now have MANY leading edge companies.

    On a side note, Apple’s share price is falling because Huawei’s phone is expected to take away much market share of Apple not only in China but also overseas. This will affect Apple’s profitability.

    Southern Hamburger Pie

    2023 09 16 11 13
    2023 09 16 11 13

    Ingredients

    • 1 medium onion, chopped
    • 1 pound ground chuck
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 small can corn or green beans, drained (optional)
    • 1 (9-inch) frozen pie shell
    • 5 slices Velveeta cheese, about 4 to 5 ounces
    • 1 can flaky biscuits

    Instructions

    1. Begin thawing pie crust. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet on medium heat, breaking up the beef with the back of a spoon, and cook until onions are soft.
    3. Drain excess fat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    4. Add corn or green beans if using.
    5. Put meat mixture into the pie shell and evenly distribute the cheese over the top.
    6. Separate biscuits and layer in a circular pattern over the pie, covering it completely (you may not need all the biscuits).
    7. Cut a few small “steam slits” in the top and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

    Serves 4.

    Why is China advancing rapidly in technology?

    Because the US is sanctioning China.

    In the 2000s China took down semiconductors from its university courses, because the Chinese ministry of Education thought that such majors are useless and China can just buy chips from other countries since China had joined WTO.

    Big mistake.

    China has now reopened the major in Chinese universities and the graduates are being hired before they leave campus, because of Chinese companies’ sudden urge to innovate and build domestic chips due to US sanctions.

    Other industries are also on a similar quest for tech independence because they fear the US would do to them what they did on chips against Huawei.

    American products are just not reliable anymore.

    So innovation is on fire across the board.

    China is now ahead of the US in new patents filed and scientific paper quotations.

    Arriving with only the clothes on your back

    When I left my retirement in Arkansas and flew to China, the airlines lost my baggage. So when I arrived in China, all that I had was a backpack, some of my most important papers, my laptop computer, and what I was wearing.

    At that time, and to this day, I wear very comfortable clothes on planes during air travel. And given TSA back in the State’s, my clothes were simple;

    Black hospital scrubs, and black slippers with black socks.

    null
    null

    So, here I am arrived in China, with literally only the clothes on my back.

    And for the first month or so, I had to live and wear in them until I got settled in, reestablished, and start earning money again.

    In hindsight, it’s kind of funny.

    Everyone, including my wife, wanted me to toss those things and never wanted to see me in them ever again. As a result, she went on a spending spree and outfitted me right and proper.

    I don’t know what the fuck I was doing when I planned this cluster-fuck of a life, but I’ve got to tell you all, it’s almost a parody. Seriously.

    Did I have a sense of humor, or was my “crew” trying to make a point when they planned my pre-birth world-line template?

    I wonder…

    …how many meme’s have I personally experienced in this life? Hum….

    Enterprise Under Attack from the Suliban Part II

    Stra Trek Enterprise Season 2 Episode 16 Future Tense

    Carolina Hot Dog Chili

    hot dogging
    hot dogging

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
    • 1 large onion (about 1 cup chopped)
    • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
    • 1/2 cup ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon cider or white vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Place the beef, onion and 2 cups of water in a Dutch oven or soup pot over high heat. Bring to the water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and stir to begin breaking up the meat.
    2. Add the tomato paste, ketchup, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper, if using. Stir well until the tomato paste and ketchup are dissolved and the meat is mostly broken up.
    3. Continue to cook at a simmer, stirring about every 5 minutes, about 15 minutes. As the chili thickens, you may need to reduce the heat to medium-low or low so it doesn’t stick. Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days, or freeze in small freezer bags for up to 6 months.
    4. Thaw or reheat in a microwave, stirring often.

    If you want a finer texture, you can cool the chili at least 20 minutes and process in a blender or food processor for 30 to 45 seconds.

    Are India’s GDP numbers intentionally misleading, suggesting that the country is faking its economic data?

    I don’t really see GDP numbers too closely

    They may fudged be but by very small margins

    Say tomorrow we are at $ 4.981 trillion, then it’s possible we may fudge to somehow make it appear that we have reached $ 5 Trillion

    There is no conceivable way that any GDP number is off beyond say 2% at the most


    The Point is Economic Development can be seen with your own eyes and not on paper

    Take UP

    I visited UP and traveled to quite a few places

    I saw nothing to indicate bountiful prosperity

    There was nothing to indicate the hum of a busy growing economy

    Sure they had nice roads and a lot of nice commercial and techno parks but frankly it looked like more like

    If you build it they will come

    That’s what happens when you don’t develop your own populace with good secondary and tertiary education and instead rely on only investments under gun point or unrealistic concessions by the state

    Now Take Bangalore or Hyderabad or Chennai

    They are buzzing with activity and you can see that the economies are doing well

    The Problem in India is that a few cities and few hubs are carrying the weight of the entire nation


    There are 3 Key points in a booming economy

    • Unemployment is pretty low
    • Savings are pretty high (>= 36%)
    • Inflation is typically 50% of RORR

    India has neither of the three

    • Unemployment is way above the target 5%
    • Gross Savings are 30.20%
    • RORR is 7% and Inflation is 5.05% which is way above the 3.50% target

    That alone tells me there are pending issues that need looking into

    As a teacher, what’s the most personal thing a child has told you about their parent(s) that they definitely were not supposed to mention?

    I taught a shop class in an inner city high school…One day as the students were changing into work clothes I noticed some relatively new wounds on Jerome’s back…I politely and discreetly took him into my office and asked him what happened…He told me his step father had tied him to a metal bed spring and beat him with a coathanger…I knew where he lived so when school was out for the day I went to his apt and his stepdad was there…I proceeded to beat the living shit out of that evil man…And told him if he wasn’t gone before Jeromes bus got there I’d finish the job…AND call the cops…I drug his worthless carcass down to his pos car and he drove off…never to be seen again. Jerome stayed in my class for the full 3 years and graduated high school…Neither of us ever mentioned it…30 years later Jerome still calls me to visit ever so often…

    The US Bankrupting Itself on Wars -w/ Ron Paul, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

    Oh HELL yeah! The dignified and stately Dr. Ron Paul is one of the very best Americans living. Thanks very much for this, you guys.

    A laughable 89% of the Chinese people actually trust their authoritarian government! Where are the renaining 11% who do not?

    Laughable because you are ignorant and naive like a 5 years old kid. If you know the truth you will be the one of the 89% too.

    While the U.S. real standard of living deteriorated back to the 1960’s Chinese real standard of living grew 30 times in 40 years! While 35% in the U.S. has no health insurance, every single Chinese gets free health care. While the U.S. kids get into debts for just getting into college Chinese are provided totally free college tuition.

    Chinese average life expectancy overtook the U.S. in the last 2 years straight. While your infrastructure is crumbling China has the latest state of the art ports, airports, highways, high speed railways. While your trains travel at snail speed China’s high speed trains travel at 400 KM per hour.

    Do you still laugh now? To be honest everyone in the world is laughing at you. You want to know about the 11% so that you can orchestrate a coup? Organised a protest and a demonstration? Do a colour revolution? And you think the Chinese are fools to give you the information? Just because you have a IQ of a snail doesn’t mean others are the same like you!

    Tex-Mex Biscuits

    Tex Mex Biscuits
    Tex Mex Biscuits

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup enriched hominy grits or quick grits
    • 4 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
    • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
    • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (with or without jalapeno peppers), shredded
    • 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
    • 1/4 cup milk

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
    2. Combine dry ingredients; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    3. Stir in cheese.
    4. Combine sour cream and milk; add to dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Shape dough to form a ball; knead gently on lightly floured surface 10 to 12 times. Roll dough to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.
    5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

    Yield: 12 biscuits

    Have you ever applauded an act of vigilante justice?

    This is Kalinka Bamberski, who used to be a 14-year-old from France.

    During the summer of 1982, she briefly stayed in Lindau, Germany, with her mother and her stepfather, Dr. Dieter Krombach.

    On July 9th of that summer, Krombach killed Kalinka. The next day, Krombach told the authorities that he simply found Kalinka dead in the morning.

    Autopsies could not determine the exact cause of her death, and Krombach got away with the murder. This led Kalinka’s biological father, Andre, to grow suspicious and to investigate further.

    Despite the authorities’ failure to discern the exact cause of Kalinka’s death, there were multiple red flags in the original autopsy: Kalinka’s corpse had multiple injection marks, fresh blood stains and a “whitish substance” around the genitals, and indigested food near the throat suggesting that she died soon after a meal.

    Andre, rightfully suspecting that his daugher was raped, called for an additional investigation. This time, the authorities discovered clear evidence that, right before her death, Kalinka was injected with a drug named “Kobalt-Ferrlecit,” a substance capable of causing immediate discomfort and nausea in a victim. Andre pressed a case against Krombach, but the German courts judged that there was insufficient evidence for an indictment. Despite multiple red flags, Krombach was not indicted.

    In 1995, however, the French courts officially sentenced Krombach in absentia to 15 years in prison for manslaughter.

    Furthermore, later in 1997, Krombach admitted in a German trial that he had drugged and raped another girl using Kobalt-Ferrlecit, the same substance found in Kalinka’s corpse. Numerous other girls came forth, saying that Krombach had also raped them using the same drug. For this, the German courts took away his medical license, but did not sentence him to prison.

    Unfortunately, in 2001, Krombach’s French manslaughter conviction of 1995 was annulled by the European Court of Human Rights, the reason being that Krombach was not capable of defending his case in that French trial. Not only was the 1995 French verdict annulled, but all attempts to extradite him for retrial were rejected.

    But for Andre, the case was not over. Andre was deeply frustrated at the international legal system’s failure to bring justice; he decided he was going to take justice into his own hands.

    In 2009, Andre and three other men secretly kidnapped Krombach from Germany, beat him up, and left him tied up near a French police station, allowing the French authorities to detain him and honor their 1995 decision.

    Despite Germany’s requests to bring him back, French officials and courts ignored these complaints and officially re-tried Krombach.

    With other victims testifying that Krombach had injected them with the same drug to rape them, on October 22, 2011, Krombach was finally sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter.


    Kalinka’s father, Andre, was convicted and given a suspended sentence for abducting Krombach.

    But in my opinion? Andre Bamberski was a heroic father who spent 30 years of his life to bring justice for his daughter’s death. Yes, he broke the law — but refusing to convict Krombach earlier and ignoring the mountatin of evidence against him was a clear failure in the international justice system.

    For Andre’s determination and commitment, I applaud him.

    Prof. Richard Wolff on American Labor: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

    Pretty good and very interesting.

    If China is indeed collapsing, why is every leader visiting China? Why is the US commerce secretary visiting China?

    Reality vs Propaganda

    The USA imports almost $ 560 Billion of Goods from China

    Guess the retail value of these goods?

    $ 1.567 Trillion or almost $ 1.6 Trillion

    This means a US importer who pays $ 27.50 for a Jeans from China sells it for $ 69.99 retail

    A Laptop imported for $ 700 from China sells retail for $ 1199

    A Burnished Ebony Table Factory made. Imported with 6 Chairs for $ 121 from China sells retails for $ 249

    Hence $ 564 Billion of Imports from China makes around $ 1.6 Trillion to the US Importers

    1.6 Trillion Dollars Or around 6.5% of US GDP

    Now let’s do the opposite

    The US exports $ 165 Billion to China

    Guess their retail value?

    Around $ 255–260 Billion only

    Why?

    Because China exports low cost products manufactured with CONTINUOUS VALUE ENHANCEMENT from Market pricing and Brand pricing and Technology pricing

    A $ 37 Purse of Calf Leather retails for $ 360 with a Gucci brand name

    A $ 3.10 T Shirt retails for $ 43.99 with a Tommy Hilfiger Brand name

    However US exports products with almost ZERO VALUE ENHANCEMENT POTENTIAL

    Soybeans, Wheat, Corn, Semiconductors, Advanced Machinery etc

    There is very little value enhancement due to market pricing or Brand pricing or Technology Pricing

    Even a Boeing makes at the most a couple of million dollars commission to a Chinese Importer while earning nearly 100 Million Dollars to the US Economy


    You see right?

    No Nation on earth can export $ 564 Billion worth of goods to the USA

    It’s estimated that at thrice the manufacturing potential today – India, Vietnam and Mexico combined can export $ 338 Billion worth of Goods by 2030

    This that’s around $ 226 Billion of Exports but also around $ 700 Billion of final retail goods

    That’s the amount that US players and entities will be deprived off if US entirely decouples from China EVEN IN 2030 with India, Vietnam and Mexico tripling their Industrial Output

    Even then US Economy and it’s players will be deprived of $ 700 Billion Dollars which by 2030 could be around $ 1 Trillion with inflation

    That’s a lot of jobs, lots of payments GONE

    Meanwhile China?

    China may lose around $ 564 Billion of Exports in decoupling

    At 0.4% inflation

    That’s $ 580 Billion vs $ 1 Trillion


    So even in the worst case scenario of US entirely decoupling from China and India, Mexico and Vietnam tripling their Industrial output today – China would lose $ 580 Billion while US would lose a whopping $ 1 Trillion

    At normal Industrial output for these three nations, US would lose $ 2.4 Trillion or nearly 4.5 times as much as China stands to lose as an economy


    Same for EU

    Same for ASEAN

    Same for India

    Its why Raimondo visits China

    It’s why 27 Chinese entities were removed from a Blacklist recently

    The Media has been spinning fiction and propaganda so far and China hasn’t cared

    Now if China decides to take their revenge by drastically cutting off key exports of say $ 100 Billion, then US cannot source more than $ 30 Billion from other countries

    China loses $ 100 Billion but US loses around $ 210 Billion of value to it’s economy

    That’s 44% of the projected $ 470 Billion that the US Economy hopes to enhance itself this year at 1.8% growth


    So Raimondo says

    Please keep trading with us as usual. Ignore what we say in our media. Our contention with you is for the $ 10–15 Billion portion of our Trade, let’s keep the balance $ 685–690 Billion of Trade as normal

    That’s why China doesn’t need to visit everybody and reassure anyone much

    Everyone loses far far more by decoupling with China

    So ultimately it creates a slow down globally where China albeit having very low growth still beats the rest of the world

    Solving The Most Mysterious Children in History

    THREE STORIES: The Most Mysterious Children in History In 12th century England, two children were found lost in a forest.

    They spoke only gibberish, wore strange clothing and had bright green skin.

    When the children finally learned to speak English, they described where they were from.

    And that’s why, after almost 1,000 years, people still talk about The Green Children of Woolpit.

    In 1828, a teenage boy was shuffling through a public square in Nuremburg. He seemed confused and disoriented.

    He had trouble walking and speaking. When police finally approached him, he was holding an envelope containing two letters.

    And those letters sparked the mystery of Kaspar Hauser.

    In April 1922, in Brittany, France, 2-year-old Pauline Picard went missing. A massive search turned up nothing.

    The family was losing hope. A month later, Pauline was found wandering around a village over 200 miles away.

    Though her parents were overjoyed to have her back, they soon realized something wasn’t quite right with their daughter. These are three unsolved cases of the most mysterious children in history.

    POMPEO said ‘Covert operations, ousting democratically elected governments, inciting revolts and supporting transnational companies are run of the mill operations for the CIA.’ WHO GAVE THEM THOSE RIGHTS?

    We did, all us minions. America was once set up having a government described as ‘a government of the people, for the people, by the people’, but the people couldn’t be bothered and went home, leaving ‘those who shouldn’t be’ in charge. Industry filled the vacuum created by our conspicuous absence, which over time gave way to the American Industrial Military Complex which runs the country today.

    Now industry owns the puppet show called ‘Democracy’, which in no way should be confused with actual democracy, and yet we continually pretend they are one and the same, and that our vote counts, even though voting either left or right basically changes nothing of significance. Results may vary but the rich are always always always the primary beneficiary, either way they lean.

    We demand and receive empty platitudes, and are duly amused by military antics across the globe, ignoring the fact that such behavior merely mirrors us here at home, and that the same shit is pulled on our own, until folks like Snowden and Assange et al dare to shatter our deliberately cultivated ignorance. No matter, we have ways to deal with such moral assholes, as throwing them under the bus in various ways has become a time honored national pastime.

    So, when you want to look at who’s at fault, go look in the mirror. When you wish to look deeper, check out your family albums. We are the bloody problem, and as we are paying the price, with record numbers driven from their homes in this rich nation, and yet, still we refuse to accept responsibility for our democracy, knowingly leaving it in the manipulative hands of industry, which is exactly how to kill actual democracy, regardless of the puppet show which operates by the same name.

    Whether you love Trump or hate him, he reflects us, and had he actually run the country as we pretend to believe, he would have surely killed it, as would Biden. We need to wake the fuck up to the reality we have created, and make the necessary changes within ourselves which can then be reflected through our leadership, before it’s too late, if it’s not already.

    But who among us want to actually be the change we want to see?

    Who?

    What scary gut feeling did you have that turned out to be true?

    Many years ago, when I was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I had a work commute on a typical Monday through Friday schedule.

    One evening on my way home from work, I turned off a main street into the side streets that would lead me the rest of the way home. It was a very familiar drive and I knew each block well – which ones had a stop sign for me, which ones had stop signs for the cross traffic, and which ones had four-way stops. I was cruising the last few blocks toward home and had no more stop signs, so I was probably going about 35 mph when suddenly it was as if someone inside my head said, “Slow down!” It was so forceful and unexpected, I did just that. “Slower!” was the next command, and then again, “Slower!”

    I was just about to chalk it all up to being a little kookie after a long day, when suddenly someone driving a vehicle on the cross street blew through their stop sign at an alarming rate of speed. I am 100% certain if I had not slowed down, I would have been T-boned by someone doing a good 60–70 mph. The close call freaked me out. I’m not a religious person, but it sure felt like I had a guardian angel that day.

    Dead For 7 Minutes; Man Is Shown Past Lives During Incredible NDE

    Have you ever had a bad gut feeling about someone and it was right?

    Yes. My dad’s best friend growing up has a son my age. We were really close as kids but they moved away and I didn’t talk to him for years. When we were teens, my dad’s friend came to visit. Something about his son literally made my skin crawl. I was left alone at home with him and my three young siblings while the parents went out for the night and I was nearly frantic trying to ensure he did not have a moment alone with my siblings. When our parents returned I told them something was wrong with the son, and to please not leave me alone with him again. My dad was upset and demanded to know why I would say that, did the son do something? He honestly hadn’t actually done or said anything that I could pin this feeling on. So I told them, I think my animal brain just knows a predator when I see one. My dad thought I was being dramatic but my mom believed me and made sure we weren’t alone with the son for the rest of their visit. About a year later it turned out the son got caught in the act of raping his niece. He told the police he was glad he was caught because he couldn’t stop himself. My dad has never doubted my intuition since.

    Tony Confronts Tony Blundetto – The Sopranos HD

    When Tony B looks up after Tony S said someone got a look at the guy. That’s the reaction of someone who did it. Split second panic and then cool as a breeze. Steve Buscemi nailed it.

    What work secret did you accidentally find out that changed everything?

    I worked for a major retail company, in a team running the mainframe.

    One task was keeping the (huge, size of a car trailer) printers running.

    Some printouts were for the board, and these we were told to check for misprints and missing pages.

    We’d just been told that we couldn’t have any pay rises since there wasn’t any money in the budget. Inflation was running high, so not getting a pay rise really meant a pay cut.

    The company annual account report was printed and I was checking it before putting it in internal mail.

    I noticed that the IT department budget was underspent by half a million!

    No money for pay rises!

    Showed printout to my manager. He ran off with it to the copier. Multiple copies of the page showing the surplus in the IT department were placed around the department.

    We got pay rises.

    Ralph Cifaretto Refuses Tony’s Drink – The Sopranos HD

    Why is Huawei able to get a large number of chips to release new mobile phone products like Mate 60?

    SMIC has been making 7nm custom GPUs for the past 2–3 years, mostly for crypto customers who couldn’t get in the TSMC queue.

    This filled real market demand that other players didn’t, or couldn’t.

    SMIC used this opportunity to refine its process, on the quiet.

    Huawei, in the meantime, found willing partners to share talent and resources, in a concerted effort to save the high-tech industry on the mainland from American destruction through the threat of sanction.

    How did Huawei et. al. find the tools necessary for chip design, especially the GPU? What black magic did Huawei use to improve the transistor geometry? How did they penetrate the Qualcomm 5g patent wall? I don’t know. Neither does my friend in TSMC. It’s a separate ecosystem now, and quite independent.

    The fog of war has descended, but the outcome point to solidarity across the ranks, with competitors working together like they are part of a conglomerate.

    The Chinese are capable of cooperation on unheard of scale, because of long history.

    The Mate 60 Pro is merely a first step, lacking polish and maturity. What’s coming though, will be a deluge.

    Alien Artifacts on Mars: What NASA doesn’t want you to know

    This is fun. But don’t take too seriously.

    Is it true that Huawei phones are monitored by the Chinese government?

    Of course. The Chinese government really wants to know how many times you call your girlfriend every week, and which are your favourite games, and which pop stars you follow on Instagram, and most of all they are interested in the photos of your meals that you regularly post on Facebook.

    These are vital secrets so critical for the national security of the USA, so the evil communist spies from China will be watching intently. Remember that well, and be careful! The everyday events of your online life have the devastating potential to alter the direction of global geopolitics and the history of the world, basically.

    How Huawei Mate60 5G Overcome US Sanctions? | Time to invest in Chinese tech stocks

    100 sanctions. Imprisonment of it’s CEO. Mandatory shutdown of partner factories in the West.

    Huawei survived!

    This is really good.

    Are you worried that China’s new $40 billion state fund for semiconductor manufacturing will disrupt the global supply chain for advanced chips?

    Why worry US. Remember most Yanks still think Chinese live in caves and eat bats! To these hubris Yanks China can only make T-shirts and toys. And U.S. can deprived them technologies and send them back to the Stone Age.

    Well, what happened? While the U.S. is still in the midst of ordering and coercing Taiwan to build its chip plant to manufacture 7nm chips that it thinks China is unable to do. To the horrors of U.S. officials. It took a mere 3 years for China to. Make it and now inside the Huawei Mate 60!

    Where are the neocons who convince Biden to spend a trillion in losses, in subsidies, in coercions, in tax breaks, in new shining plants, in luring specialist to the U.S. only to see that China get it done in no time and made products that are not only comparable but better, faster and cheaper!

    Huawei may have developed its own 5G chip to bypass US sanctions

    Huawei, under tight US sanctions since 2019, started selling its latest Mate 60 Pro smartphone this week, raising speculation about its 5G capabilities. Some online reviews claim the device comes with the Kirin 9000s chip to support 5G and satellite calls.

    The US and some European governments have labelled the Chinese giant a threat to national security, despite the company’s denial. Huawei had restricted access to US components and software, including from foreign chipmakers.

    Early this year, Japan and the Netherlands joined the US effort to curb the export of advanced semiconductors. However, Huawei has been rumoured to be actively trying to overcome these sanctions to return to the 5G smartphone market, even resuming production on advanced chips with China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

    Why does it matter?

    Huawei’s development of its 5G chip may have implications for the tech industry, the global economy, and national security.

    The smartphone launch coincides with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s visit to Beijing, reiterating the Biden administration’s stance on export controls to China.

    If the new Mate 60 Pro is confirmed to have a 5G chip, that would mark a significant achievement for the Chinese tech champion.

    China’s ability to produce its own advanced chips would also announce a considerable advancement in technological capabilities and would mean a serious blow to current US measures aimed at slowing its progress.

    It could inspire the country’s largest tech firms to get around US sanctions, fueling the ‘whole nation‘ endeavor to produce Chinese innovation to beat the US.

    Breaking Bad – Shooting Tuco Scene (S2E2)

    Why do people support Bernie Sanders?

    I’ll tell you.

    In the United States, I was a conservative Republican working at a wage earning job. Then, while driving for my employer, on a delivery, on the clock, at a red light I was stopped. A person who was not paying attention smashed into my stationary vehicle and totaled it, and sent me to the hospital.

    The hospital bill was thousands upon thousands of dollars. My employer didn’t cover any of it. My automobile insurance replaced my new vehicle with an old one that barely ran. I ran up many thousands of dollars of medical debt that I couldn’t afford.

    Note: I spent one hour at the hospital, getting one scan. I received zero actual treatment, before or after that scan. It still cost me more than I made in a year. And no, the insurance didn’t cover it. Insurance that would have covered it, would have taken up half of my wages in a given month.

    Cut to a few years later. I am now happily married, living in Norway. Still an American citizen. My wife is Norwegian and the pay is much, much better here, because they have things called unions. I literally earn three times as much as I did in Florida, working the same type of job. Scratch that, I was in management in the USA. Here, it’s an entry level job, no promotion. I still make far more money than I did in the states.

    But the point is, whenever I need to see a doctor now, I just go. Whenever I need an operation, I can afford it. Whenever I am sick, I take time off. Because over here, in Norway, they have single payer universal healthcare.

    I’ve never seen a doctor more often than I have since moving to Norway. I’ve gotten medical conditions diagnosed that I never would have found the money for before. I’ve gotten sick leave from work when I have been ill. Seeing a doctor tends to cost less than I make in a day, and if I go over a certain amount in a year, I can pay nothing.

    Instead of getting bills from a doctor for thousands of dollars, I end up paying around 30 bucks out of pocket each time.

    The doctor earns plenty. They make slightly less money here, but are still among the highest paid people in society. The citizens are healthier, they live longer. They take their health more seriously. Norway spends more per patient than almost any other country in the world, and they cover every citizen, every resident, completely.

    Norway still spends only about half as much as US citizens are forced to spend on their healthcare.

    The reason is because healthcare is considered a right here, like getting a public school education. People don’t go without simply because they’re poor.

    And as a result, lifespans and healthcare outcomes and healthcare expenses are all a better outcome or a cheaper deal here in Norway.

    Bernie Sanders is one of the few politicians in my native United States who understands that progressive ideas like universal healthcare would greatly enhance the lives of my fellow citizens.

    I care about my fellow citizens, and I’d like for my son to be able to live in the USA someday, as he is born to a US citizen and he can certainly go far there.

    The problem is, if he decides to come to the USA; there won’t be a union fighting for him against corporate greed. There will be greatly reduced wages. And if he gets hurt, sick, or otherwise needs medical care, he will likely need to have far more money than he earns in order to get that care.

    That’s ridiculous.

    Of course, he could just get a college education (something that is free in Norway) and then he could afford the outrageous healthcare prices in the USA.

    But if he wanted to get such an education in the USA, he could find himself a hundred thousand dollars in debt just for college alone, in a shitty economic downturn, without even the benefit of having a place to live. Throw on a mortgage payment on top of that, and he would be downright stupid to deliberately choose the USA over Norway.

    The difference is that Norway governs for its citizens and certain things are prioritized here, like education and healthcare.

    Whereas in the USA most of the money you spend in taxes goes towards prepping for world war 3 and giving subsidies to already profitable corporations, and then giving them loopholes where they don’t have to pay any corporate taxes at all. And then billionaires pay for senators to give them even more tax breaks personally, and then they use that money that should be funding your government services to bankroll candidates for the Republican ticket that will never, ever do anything to help a working class person.

    I support Bernie Sanders because he’s spent decades representing working class people, without ever selling out. It’s a shame people keep rejecting him in favor of billionaires who bail themselves out on the taxpayer’s dime like Donald Trump.

    Norway isn’t alone. Basically any other modern, western nation has a universal healthcare system of some kind, and doesn’t shit on the poor like the USA does under Republican rule. Needless to say, I don’t think much of my former political party. They haven’t done anything for any working person in at least 4 decades. I was a fool to support them at all when I was younger. I believed their lies, basically.

    China’s Punishes Japan, Cancels $154 4 Billion Order!

    https://youtu.be/Xwrfk3eD3bc

    Is the Huawei Mate 60 Pro chip equal to the latest iPhone chip or even better?

    No

    The Mate 60 is superior to the performance of the Iphone 13 and is on par with the performance of Iphone 14

    Yet the Mate 60 is expected to be half a generation below the Iphone 15

    The Price of the Mate 60 however is at least 3000 Yuan lesser than the Iphone 15 and given the mild differences in performance between the two, the market for the mate 60 is likely to zoom and surge and definitely affect the market for the Iphone 15

    I believe Iphone will lose around 15% of it’s present market share in China to Huawei due to the Mate 60 and the Mate 60 Pro Plus to be released in 2024 April

    Saudi & Russia Have CHANGED The Game!

    How come some of these parents did not discipline their children at an early age and then as they get older and get more and more into trouble they end up having to either go to jail or prison because they weren’t raised up by parenting skills 101?

    I’ve often told this story:

    As a child, I was an incorrigible thief. Absolutely nothing could stop me.

    I stole books. We had no local library, no school library, and no money to buy books. And I WANTED TO READ! (That may have been why I developed the habit of re-reading books.) I also stole art supplies, but that wasn’t quite the same problem, because you didn’t need a new set of pastels every week. When I was caught, I was punished — usually beat, because that was punishment in Little Italy in the 1960s.

    My brother also stole. He tended towards candy and comic books. He also got beat when he got caught.

    When I turned 16 I got a job, and I never had to steal a book again. Within three months I had enough books (and money) to build my first bookshelf. My current bookshelf, which is about half the size of its maximum ever, is 13′ long and 7′ high. I built that one, too.

    I don’t steal art supplies, either. I order them online.

    My brother decided stealing was fun, and meant he didn’t have to work. He made a living illegally hooking up electric lines after the power was shut off; later, he added cable TV installations. And he didn’t need a full-time job, ever.

    Same parents, same beatings, same reason — poverty. When I had a choice, I stopped stealing. When he had a choice, he became a better thief. Good parenting helps, but nothing will tell you why a child turned out the way they did.

    Clear interference shown in docs leaked to Mintpress

    This is pretty good. Heads up!

    Why is the Huawei Mate 60 phone called “the world’s first phone that the CIA can’t monitor”?

    Theoretically, any cell phone that makes calls through a terrestrial carrier could be monitored by the CIA. It doesn’t matter whether the phone is made in the United States, South Korea or China.

    After all, their signals and data must eventually be aggregated into the operator’s computer room and lines.

    However, Mate60 is so unique that it is the first mobile phone in the world that can send short messages and make calls directly through artificial satellites. Previous similar products required the help of ground operators for transit.

    Some people may say: CIA will also monitor satellites! Of course.

    But what if these satellites are not operated by Americans?

    Yes, if two people hold Mate60 at the same time, they can rely on a series of artificial satellites in space for global communication that do not rely on the United States. Perfectly avoiding every link that the CIA may touch.

    The Future of the WORLD is here in CHINA!

    A new trend: Leading young Chinese physicists, engineers refuse to study, work in the US

    While many Chinese scientists and engineers have returned to China after working years in the US, there is a newer trend which just came to my attention: Young Chinese star physicists and engineers are refusing to go to US universities and companies for study and then work, and are choosing to do their post-graduate study and work in China.

    Why?

    They have seen how research and product patents are owned by US universities and companies, and are used against Chinese companies and interests if a tech war breaks out.

    They do not want their inventions used against Chinese companies and interests, so they choose to stay in China.

    Huang Qianqian 黄芊芊 is a leading student and researcher on electricity consumption in chips, who went to Beijing University for undergraduate work, and is now doing graduate work there. In spite of being offered full scholarships to US universities, she decided to stay in China to do her work. She already has several patents under her name.

    The US wanted decoupling; it is getting decoupling.

    Douglas Macgregor: They Moved Past The Border!

    https://youtu.be/L8QFXPEfn4c

    ISRAEL TO DEPORT ALL BLACKS BACK TO AFRICA!

    World Hal Turner

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for plans to immediately deport Blacks out of Israel and back to Africa.

    Plans should be drawn up to remove all African migrants from Israel after groups of Eritreans were involved in a violent clash in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says.

    He also wants the migrants involved in the demonstration to be deported immediately.

    His remarks came a day after rival groups of Eritreans clashed in bloody protests that left dozens of people injured.

    The groups, supporters and opponents of Eritrea’s government, faced off with construction lumber, pieces of metal and rocks, smashing shop windows and police cars.

    Israeli police in riot gear shot tear gas, stun grenades and live rounds while officers on horseback tried to control the protesters.

    The violence broke out near the Eritrean embassy when protesters were stopped from reaching the building ahead of a cultural event set to take place there.

    The issue of migrants has long divided Israel and the latest violence has brought it back to the fore.

    “We want harsh measures against the rioters, including the immediate deportation of those who took part,” Mr Netanyahu said.

    He requested that ministers present him with plans “for the removal of all the other illegal infiltrators,” and noted in his remarks that the Supreme Court struck down some measures meant to coerce the migrants to leave.

    Under international law, Israel cannot forcibly send people back to a country where their life or liberty may be at risk.

    About 25,000 African migrants live in Israel, mainly from Sudan and Eritrea, who say they fled conflict or repression.

    Israel recognizes very few as asylum seekers, seeing them overwhelmingly as economic migrants, and says it has no legal obligation to keep them.

    Stray Cat Follows Every Stranger and Asking to Take her Home Until This Happened

    Heartwarming.

    Media Say … Gloom And Doom In China

    The New York Times, and other western media, are running a ‘doom and gloom in Xi’s economy’ campaign.

    The latest entry is this piece:

    China’s Economic Pain Is a Test of Xi’s Fixation With Control

    The core claim is this:

    Consumers are gloomy. Private investment is sluggish. A big property firm is near collapse. Local governments face crippling debt. Youth unemployment has continued to rise. The economic setbacks are eroding Mr. Xi’s image of imperious command, and emerging as perhaps the most sustained and thorny challenge to his agenda in over a decade in power.

    But lets look at the sources the author quotes to make up ‘evidence’ for his claims:

    • Neil Thomas, a fellow at the Asia Society’s Center for China Analysis, said in an interview
    • Some experts say …
    • not all observers believe that China’s economy is in a sharp downward spiral. But …
    • Chinese internet users circulated an essay by a retired Hong Kong businessman, Lew Mon-hung …
    • Liu Shijin, a retired senior Chinese government economist, said …
    • said Alicia García Herrero, the chief economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis
    • said Bert Hofman, director of the East Asian Institute at National University of Singapore
    • said Ms. García Herrero, the economist
    • Some Chinese economists and former officials have warned
    • Lou Jiwei, a former minister of finance said in a recent video interview with Caixin

    The author of the gloom and doom piece is:

    Chris Buckley, the Times’s chief correspondent in China, where he has lived for most of the past 30 years

    If Chris Buckley lives in China why doesn’t he quote even one person who is really involved in China’s economy or policy making?

    Isn’t there any active Chinese politician or Chinese CEO or Chinese economist or Chinese worker he could quote?

    Why is he quoting an Asia Society fellow?

    Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with major centers and public buildings in New York, Hong Kong, and Houston, and additional locations in Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Paris, San Francisco, Seattle, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and Zurich.

    Why is he mentioning the disgraced Lew Mon-hung?

    In 2016, he was found guilty and imprisoned after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice by asking Leung, in letters and emails, to stop the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) from investigating him.

    Why is he quoting the Vice-something professor of this or that Liu Shijin?

    Former Vice-President (Vice-Minister), Development Research Center. Currently, Vice-Chairman, China Development Research Foundation.

    Why Bert Hofman, the Dutch ‘expert’ of the EU financed Mercator lobby?

    Why ask a Spanish ‘economist’ from a French investment bank?

    Natixis is a French corporate and investment bank created in November 2006 from the merger of the asset management and investment banking operations of Natexis Banques Populaires (Banque Populaire group) and IXIS (Groupe Caisse d’Epargne).

    Natixis provides financial data for the ‘Markets’ section on the news channel, Euronews. On October 26, 2010, Natixis Investment Managers (NIM) has acquired a majority stake in asset management start-up ‘Ossiam’.

    Why use some other outlets interview with the retired Lou Jiwei without giving this (2019) context?:

    Lou Jiwei, who has long been seen as a liberalizing force in China, an advocate of market reform and international openness. He served as finance minister, ran the country’s massive sovereign wealth fund, and has palled around with western economists since the 1980s. But recently he made a prediction that contained a startling phrase: At a forum in Beijing, according to reporting in the South China Morning Post, he said: “The next step in the frictions between China and the United States is a financial war (jinrong zhan). The U.S. has been hijacked by nationalism and populism, so will do everything in its power to use bullying measures [and] long-arm jurisdiction.”

    In this financial war, he continued, the U.S. will exploit its dominance of the international financial system to hurt China—and China will fight back.

    Now back to what matters:

    Godfree Roberts @GodfreeTrh – 11:17 UTC · Sep 3, 2023

    REALITY: Only four economies have ever grown by $1.5 trillion in a year, and 2023 will see the fifth. All five boom years are Chinese, of course. Its economy is booming and so are wages: 4.7% nominal rise last year, 4.2% after inflation. Bwahahah.

    FT: China’s economic slowdown reverberates across Asia https://ft.com/content/…

    bigger

    But it’s all gloom and doom in China. The NYT says so.

    Posted by b on September 6, 2023 at 8:23 UTC | Permalink

    Tex-Mex Baked Potatoes

    OIP Potato
    OIP Potato

    Ingredients

    • 4 baking potatoes
    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 (12 ounce) jar mild or hot salsa
    • 2 teaspoons chili powder
    • 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
    • 1 tablespoon chopped stuffed green olives
    • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
    • 1 cup thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
    • Sliced tomatoes

    Instructions

    1. Scrub potatoes; pierce skin with fork. Bake at 400 degrees F until tender, about 1 hour.
    2. Fifteen minutes before potatoes are done, sauté meat in hot skillet until all pink disappears.
    3. Add salsa and chili powder to meat. Cover. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
    4. Add green pepper and olives to meat mixture. Heat through.
    5. Cut baked potatoes open. Spoon hot meat mixture into potatoes. Top at once with cheese so that it melts slightly.
    6. Serve with lettuce sprinkled on top and with sliced tomatoes alongside.

    Apple In Tears: China Ban Iphone In Response to U.S Sanction

    In today’s video, we dive deep into the recent ban imposed by China on the use of iPhones for its government officials and its potential impact on the U.S economy. From Apple’s position in the global market to the ripple effects on allied industries, join us as we uncover the implications of this significant move.

    What was the stupidest thing someone has called the police on you for?

    Some years ago I was living in rural Texas. My housemates decided to raise chickens. They thought it would be “fun.” As someone who had to raise chickens in the past, I did not agree with them, but compromised because chickens were probably the least expensive and bothersome livestock they could mess with. Eventually, they got bored of the chickens, so I processed the chickens for future consumption in the front yard where the light was good. My neighbors called the local police and claimed I was conducting Satanic Rituals. Once again, this was rural Texas (no HOAs, large tracts of land with the Piney Woods for our backyards). All of these neighbors claimed to be descended from farmers and country people. They should have damn well recognized what cleaning a bunch of chickens looked like versus “Satanic Rituals.”

    Has a cop ever said something to you which was completely unexpected?

    Yes.

    About 15 years ago I was driving through a part of Miami, Florida in my work van, which contained lots of specialized tools. My company was based out of South Georgia, and we usually didn’t work this far South, but there I was, driving through unknown territory.

    I was on a very long street with stop signs every block, and I dutifully stopped at each one before proceeding. Of a sudden, as I stopped at one of the stop signs, a police car pulled up on the left side of me, lights flashing. An officer jumped out of the passenger seat and stood at my window, asking me where I was headed. I told him that I was heading to the interstate so I could make my way back North to Georgia.

    The officer asked what I had in the van, and I told him a bunch of tools. Wearing a pained expression, the officer told me that he and his partner had observed me stopping at every stop sign and then he said that it was several miles to the Interstate and that I was in a very rough part of town. In fact, the officer believed that my life would be in danger if I were to stop at every stop sign, as someone may jump on / in the van, shoot me, or whatever, and take the van.

    The officer ordered me not to stop at any of the stop signs between where we were and the interstate. He said I could slow down and make sure it was safe to proceed, but under no circumstances was I to stop and that if anyone tried to stop me or signal me to stop, that I should ‘floor it’ and get the hell out of there.

    The officer assured me that they were radioing my vehicle description / license plate # to other officers in the area to let them know what I would be doing.

    I thanked the officer and proceeded toward the Interstate, running every stop sign on the way.

    PASSPORT SIS Thought She Could Talk Down To Men In Africa Like In USA

    The arrogance of US women is astounding. I live in a poor country, but that does not mean that their education is bad. Very smart people here.”

    What is the extent of the U.S. dependence on China? Why is this allowed to happen? What can be done about it?

    Yes you are 100% correct. The U.S. is totally dependent on the Chinese in 3 main ways.

    Without the Chinese products the U.S. will suffer a 50% inflation at the very least.

    Without China producing stuffs productively and efficiently for them they cannot sell a thing in the world.

    Without access to the humongous Chinese market most U.S. companies will go bankrupt and out of business within a year.

    Just take Apple and Tesla as an example. Without the Chinese market it will suffer a good 30% less sales. Without China making their products they will be totally uncompetitive and lose the entire world market.

    What can be done about this? You can do something to avoid dependence on China but you won’t. And you can’t. You wanted the cake and eat it too. You see US wants to be the world’s baddest nation and fight wars upon wars upon wars. It needs to outspent the top 20 nations put together! If you do that much shit you need to watch your back, your side and your front, your top and your bottom too!

    There lies your problem. You need to spent all your money on wars you have no more money to produce anything. You thought that your CEO can earn 100 times China’s CEO, your workers must be paid 5 times more than Chinese workers and get 10 times the Chinese benefits and the customer will pay for your excesses! But the customer won’t! Not even American customers!

    It is that simple. The U.S. cannot have the cake and eat it too! The U.S. needs to choose being competitive or being hegemonic! It cannot have both. American need to decide!

    You want to compete with China, do the following. Close your 800 foreign military base, turn your dozen aircraft carriers into holiday cruise! Divert your trillion dollar military budget to building U.S. infrastructure, stop spending money talking shit and doing shit spend it on building relationship with your customers. Disband NATO, CIA and NED! Ban Industrial Actions and Trade Unions!

    Can you do this? I doubt so. So the U.S. will rather be dependent on China!

    The Sopranos || Feelin’ Good

    I am really starting to like these Sopranos themed fan videos.

    Blinkin is delusional

    Yesterday, Global Times critiqued the speech Blinken delivered at John Hopkins and said he decaled a New Cold War, “Blinken sounds a rallying cry for a ‘new cold war’ that US cannot win”:

    The growing US’ geopolitical competition with Russia and China marks the end of the post-Cold War world order, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, speaking at the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies on Wednesday. “What we are experiencing now is more than a test of the post-Cold War order. It’s the end of it,” he noted. “Decades of relative geopolitical stability have given way to an intensifying competition with authoritarian powers, revisionist powers.” This statement appears to be a rallying cry for a “new cold war.”

    Since the post-Cold War order is coming to an end, what kind of new world order does the US want? Various signs indicate that the US wants major power competition and camp confrontation in order to maintain its global hegemony, even at the expense of the interests of other countries, including allies, and partner nations. However, the reality is that major power competition goes against the trend of the times and cannot solve the US’ own problems and the challenges facing the world. It will only further divide the world, leading the world to slide toward a more dangerous cliff edge.

    Regarding Blinken’s remarks, there are two main points to consider. Firstly, Blinken was creating a sense of crisis in the world. The underlying message to US allies and other countries is that there are challengers, particularly China and Russia, who want to change the existing order. Secondly, Blinken’s remarks also reflect a sense of anxiety in the US. The US is attempting to slow down China’s rise through strategic competition, while hoping to sustain its hegemony without jeopardizing its own interests. However, it seems that the US has no clear solution to this dilemma.

    China is one of the beneficiaries of the existing system and does not seek to challenge or subvert this order. However, the US has viewed any legitimate demand made by China, even those that reflect the reasonable demands of the majority of developing countries, as a challenge and ill-intentioned sabotage….

    As for China, the US is attempting to stifle its development by imposing unlimited technological restrictions, but it is unable to completely decouple from China economically. For the US and its main allies, China is either their largest single trading partner or one of the largest. Today, the US is a reckless strategic aggressor, attempting to unite its relatively weaker strength with its allies to wage a new cold war. It should be noted that the power of US allies has declined significantly, and the unity of the “West” is crippled due to the US transitioning from a “blood donor” to a “vampire”.

    There’s no way the Outlaw US Empire and its vassals can contain China or the rest of the Global South. The degree of geoeconomic dependency noted in the final paragraph above is far too much for that Bloc to overcome. The attempts made so far beginning with Trump have illustrated the damage the Empire can inflict on itself in its ill-considered policy toward China and the world. The Outlaw US Empire’s illusion of “primacy” has faded into the mists of time and is irretrievable so matter what it tries.

    Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 15 2023 14:31 utc | 4

    An Elderly Cat was Scratching At People’s Door, Begging for Help

    My goodness!

    A cold slice of pizza in the morning

    I must admit that I enjoy a cold left over pizza in the morning. It goes good with black coffee. It doesn’t matter what kind of pizza, or how much, or what the toppings are. You can reheat it or not. Personally, I guess I am strange, I prefer the cold pizza in the morning. Who figures, eh?

    2023 09 02 13 44
    2023 09 02 13 44

    It’s an American thing.

    Pizza is an American food, and one of the things that I love, but cannot eat too much of. It tends to make my body rotund, and you guys know that I am in the process of losing weight.

    I am at 85Kg today.

    Last week I was at 90Kg, and (if you recall) my BMI listed me as obese. I said “NO!”, and then lost 5Kg in one week!

    I also noticed that I became weak at noon and needed a nap, and afterwards I really needed to urinate. I noticed that my urine became very thick and deep in color.

    My waist shrank.

    But you know, the rest of my body is still bony as ever. LOL.

    What I did was change my diet to “slight”.

    • Breakfast = 1/2 cup of black coffee.
    • Lunch = One small chicken burger or Baozi.
    • Dinner = Tiny dinner. Vegetables with meat and small portion of rice.
    • No snacks.

    Today, we are going to sponsor another meal with friends. The excuse is a shared birthday. We rented a room and we will be drinking a case of Shiraz, and 5 liters of Guoji wine. (37% alcohol).

    I’m sure to gain some weight. But I will not glutton out, We will enjoy fine seafood, BBQ chicken and other tasty morsels and sign and dance until midnight, and then take my daughter to bed.

    Then I will return back to my (now normal) routine.

    My affirmations agree with my new lifestyle.

    I’m one week into my latest campaign and the transformations are stunning. I am actually witnessing the slides manifest in real time. Not since my Majestic days have I experienced such “easy” changing.

    My daughter has really taken to boxing, and loves to spar with me. So I get on my knees and allow her to punch me relentlessly. It’s a father’s duty, don’t you know.

    She also loves Hip-Hop. Ah. She’s a natural.

    And sports; she loves basketball. And she can dribble like there is no tomorrow!

    Not too bad for a four-year old. LOL.

    While she understand my English, she has preferred to speak in Chinese. But lately, she has been speaking to me in English, and it makes me very happy. Still, it’s baby-English and she speaks it like it’s Chinese, but still, it makes me glad.

    I’m a proud father.

    The world continues to turn.

    The “news” has hit the stratosphere and now orbits the earth in some kind of lime-loop. And we all move on with our lives one way or the other.

    The editors and their owners are absolutely clueless.

    Typhoon hit yesterday. Today is a steady medium rain with small squall gusts. Much flooding. Some debris on the ground, and some trivial damage. Most of the trees are intact and remain rooted in place.

    We took a ride out to check out the damage. Trees are down. Flooding everywhere. Many shops closed. Leaves galore. Some damage to face scanners, cameras, and traffic lights. The thermal scanners are mostly intact, though.

    We drove in circles looking for a snack place that served coffee and hybrid / fusion food. Only one open was good, but the dishes served were too big. We wanted a light snack, not a banquet. Sheech!

    We swam the car home, dusted off the branches and leaves and ordered home-delivery. I ordered some Zha Jiang Mian for myself and a cup of coffee, the rest got some pigs feet, Chinese spinach and some rice. Ok. Fair enough.

    29873c7294b34f3ea322bfb5d710d29f
    Zha Jiang Mian

    Zha Jiang Mian is very much like American spaghetti. Only the sauce is very thick with lots or ground pork, and thickened with bean paste. You can eat it spicy if you want. Often it is served with these toothpick thin slices of cucumber, which you stir into the noodles.

    Its one of my favorites.

    I just cannot believe the Chinese expats being happy in the USA and not being able to enjoy such delicious Chinese food on demand. You have to make it at home. Sheech! What a pain!

    Today’s post…

    What is the significance of James Cleverly’s visit to China’s Vice President Han Zheng?

    This is what Cleverly thought he can do in China in one day:

    2023 09 01 21 46
    2023 09 01 21 46

    He thinks the U.K. is a peer to China and for the sake of the British people and the world, he wants China to work with the U.K. on climate change, prevent nuclear proliferation, and matter relating to AI and other technologies.

    It’s humiliating if you think so much of yourself and China politely listens to you and quickly send you off home without discussing any of these.

    Cleverly’s humiliating China visit was the perfect symbol of isolated, ill-led ‘global Britain’ | Simon Tisdall

    The foreign minister set off with the aim of both ‘standing up for our values’ and securing profitable trade. He failed at both, says foreign policy commentator Simon Tisdall

    What Cleverly can’t admit to is that the U.K. needs economic assistance and densely believes that the U.K. can get it from China while barking ever so loudly as a U.S. lapdog.

    LOL.

    Ha ha ha ha ha!

    China doesn’t care if the U.K. is ignoring China.

    It’s just that China is simply ignoring the U.K.

    LOL!

    (Burst of laughing loudly and rolling on the floor.)

    Cleverly hasn’t realized it yet that the U.K. is irrelevant to most of the world.

    What is the point of China giving basically free money to African nations, and building their infrastructures?

    China isn’t giving free money to African nations.

    Here are the Chinese goals and motivations:

    • The African nations are rich in natural resources, but are weak in infrastructure development, especially transport infrastructure. China is now the world’s leading manufacturing nation, and it needs raw materials and natural resources to keep Chinese factories busy. For this reason, it makes sense for Chinese construction companies to improve the transport infrastructure of the African nations;
    • The quality of government and governance in the African nations has been gradually improving, and the African farmers and miners of today are destined to become the African consumers of tomorrow. It makes sense for China and Chinese companies to improve their standard of living so that these Africans will eventually buy the output of Chinese manufacturers, instead of only supplying raw materials to Chinese manufacturers;
    • Because the African economies will become more important, it makes perfect sense for China to build goodwill with future African political leaders and business leaders and entrepreneurs. If they attend Chinese schools, learn Chinese, and understand Chinese culture, they will become future ambassadors for China in their home countries, and will be well disposed to building bridges between their government, society and Chinese official and business interests. These societies are also likely to have significant local Chinese populations which will serve as bridges between China and their new African home countries. Because China’s relationship with Africa has never been tainted by a history of brutality, racism and slavery, Chinese and Africans are able to deal with each other equally, and are not burdened with negative historical stereotypes based on racism and discrimination. This racism, discrimination and condescending attitude are something which western societies have great difficulty escaping from, which hinders the development of relations with the African nations and societies. For Africans, this mutual respect with China and Chinese based on pursuing their individual interests, and seeking shared interests when possible, is a breath of fresh air.
    • Chinese manufacturers have the know-how many African nations need to move up the value chain. Some of the lower value-added manufacturers, such as textile manufacturers, may move some of their operations to African nations since the Chinese government no longer sees China as being leaders in these areas, and is encouraging high-tech manufacturing development, especially with the Made in China 2025 plan. So far, most Chinese textile makers have been moving to Vietnam, Thailand and SE Asia, but it is likely that some will move their operations to African nations. This will help Africans to get their first step into manufacturing. In contrast, during the colonial period, the British, French and Germans never allowed manufacturing in Africa, instead preferring to keep Africans poor and underdeveloped. China and the Chinese have no such agenda.

    To sum up, China is not giving away free money.

    China is investing in the African consumer of the future, and sees them as important future Chinese partners.

    China Exposed the US Call to Ban Anti Satellite Missile Tests; Fake Arm Control!

    Chinese laser technology and rail-gun are more advanced than the U.S.’ ones, while Russia has the most advanced hypersonic missiles. The U.S. lags behind in those fields. That’s why, the latter tries to prevent these cutting edge technologies from destroying Western satellites in case of conflicts. The Americans also aim at slow down the progress of the Russian and China space industries. When Russia and China hadn’t such technologies, the U.S. didn’t offer peaceful use of space, because of Russia and China lagged behind American military and space technologies. It’s too late !

    https://youtu.be/EhTFmIswgVU

    The “government” is simply fucking with us…

    You’ve got to be kidding me…

    2023 09 02 12 20
    2023 09 02 12 20

    Beef Curry

    2023 08 25 21 45
    2023 08 25 21 45

    Yield: 6 to 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds beef round steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
    • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon curry powder
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 cup raisins
    • 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
    • 1 cup diced onion
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
    • 2 apples, unpeeled, cored and finely chopped
    • Fluffy rice

    Instructions

    1. Dry beef well with a paper towel.
    2. Mix flour and curry powder.
    3. Coat meat cubes with flour mixture.
    4. Place meat in slow cooker.
    5. Add garlic, raisins, sliced apples, onion, salt and pepper.
    6. Pour in broth and stir to blend.
    7. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours until meat is tender.
    8. Before serving, stir in additional curry powder to taste (up to 1 tablespoon) and chopped apples.
    9. Serve over hot fluffy rice.

    What surprises Americans when they come to Australia?

    Kangaroos! They are a lot bigger than what I’d imagined. These days what with YouTube one can get a good idea about their size, but when I went to Australia I had no idea. I also imagined them to be, you know, out in the bush or somewhere out there away from civilization, but no, I get up in the morning and look out the window and there a pretty big dog outside. Then it stands up and is about 8 feet tall, well maybe not 8 feet, but hella big. My brain sort of short circuits for a second until I realize I’m looking at a kangaroo! Big and in the suburbs of a large city!

    I burst out of the room yelling that there’s a giant kangaroo in the back yard! My friend, er… mate says, “Yup, he’s probably eating the dog’s food”. He doesn’t even bother to look. Later we go out the front door and there’s a couple more just standing there. I’m slack jawed and he just walks past them, gets in the car, and off we go. Kangaroos!

    Oliver Anthony – I Want To Go Home And Rich Men North Of Richmond (Reaction)

    2023 08 25 16 24
    2023 08 25 16 24

    What’s the craziest thing you have said to your boss?

    Originally Answered: What is the craziest thing you have ever said to your boss? And still kept your job? Or been fired?

    I have been asked to tell the following story many times, and it became so famous that I was even asked to record it for NPR.

    I worked for a high-tech company when high-tech was just starting to make an impact on the world. This was before the internet, even before everyone had PCs. We had one IBM PC for the entire department and it was a thrill to use it. I say this just to give an impression of how things have changed since then.

    Our company made high speed modems, but the fastest anyone could do in those days was 9600bps, and you paid 10,000 dollars a piece for each modem — and you needed at least two of them, one for each end. We had invented a mechanism that would double that rate to 19,200bps, which was like lightning at the time. The benefits were immediately apparent and every major company wanted them, damn the cost. Unfortunately, the techniques we were using were in their infancy and had lots of bugs. Even though we were selling them like ice cream on a hot day, they didn’t really work as advertised.

    A huge oil company bought a massive amount of product. Their plan was to link all of their gas stations across the US to their central site and have the managers report daily sales to the home office. This previously had been done by mail or phone and was slow and inefficient. With a modem system they could know what their revenues were to the penny overnight, or even several times during the day. They did some cursory testing on the devices and rolled them out. But they didn’t work.

    Our engineers worked day and night to fix the issues but it turned out to be intractable. There were grave concerns that we might never solve the problem. Our salesman for the company was a brave and confident expert with years of experience but he was becoming increasingly despondent. The customer was agitated and angry and threatening to return the product. This would have been a huge setback, possibly a death blow to the company. They were by far our biggest customer and by far the biggest sale we had ever achieved. And the salesman would not get his commission.

    I was the manager of the business unit, newly promoted into the role at the age of 26. I thought I was something special, and to be honest if not modest, I was a world-wide expert on these technologies and frequently flown around the world to solve problems. But what I didn’t know was that behind the scenes the senior managers of this customer were now DEMANDING a reckoning with our company. Our management knew it was the end if we did not have a solution, and we had no solution.

    The salesman set up a meeting with the Senior Vice President of this oil company, a man who probably had the power to overthrow third world countries or have people killed. Suddenly, the President of our company had pressing business in Europe. So did every other executive down the line until, casting about, they looked at me. I was to be the sacrificial lamb they would send to the slaughter. I was told to go “make nice” with the customer to buy more time. I was unaware of the political issues behind the scene. If I failed, I would be unceremoniously fired as a token of good faith. The salesman knew it. I did not.

    Thinking this was going to be yet another triumphant visit, and with a swelled head, I went out, bought a new suit and briefcase and flew from Boston to the West Coast. I didn’t even have anything to put in the briefcase except a pad and pencil since I wasn’t given any progress report, possible solutions or any token that might mollify them. Management was so certain of disaster that they thought it best I go completely in the dark.

    I was picked up by our salesman in his new Jaguar , along with our field engineer, both of whom knew the gravity of our situation and how dire things were. I was cheerful and humming in the car as I took in the sights. I was surprised by their gloomy silence until we got to the customer’s campus. I had never seen anything like it before. Oil money can buy anything, and this building was modern and massive, the lobby was an art museum with original paintings by the Masters.

    We didn’t even have to wait. As soon as we announced ourselves we were shown to a conference room. This is when I really got scared. The room was huge with an impossibly long conference table surrounded by the most expensive leather chairs money could buy. There were tuxedoed waiters with white gloves bringing crystal glasses for the pitchers of water. There was a stenographer with a real steno machine to take the minutes. The room was already filled with executives and lawyers speaking to each other in low voices and grim expressions. I knew then that I was doomed.

    Finally the door opened and the SVP came in. A hush fell over the room. Here was a man that everyone in that room feared and respected. You could feel the power and electricity coming from him as he strode in. He sat directly opposite me. I blinked stupidly as the sweat rolled down my sides. Next to me our salesman was gripping his Mont Blanc pen like a drowning sailor clutches at a piece of driftwood. On my right the SE sat stoically. No matter what happened, he would be safe — unless the company went broke because of this debacle.

    The SVP opened the meeting as if it were a legal proceeding, reading a summary of the problem and all the actions taken to date, emphasizing our failure to solve it. As he got into it he became angrier and angrier. He started pounding the table and he got red as he spoke of how much time and money had been wasted and spoke of “fraud” and “malfeasance” and “misrepresentation”. All of this vitriol was directed at me. He was further insulted that our company had the nerve to send me, of all people, not even a VP. Finally he pointed at me and said in a harsh voice, “If you can’t fix this problem today, right now, around town your name isn’t going to be worth squat!”

    And then he sat back in his chair. I can still hear the leather creaking. There wasn’t another sound in the room. Every eye was on me now, and what I would say next. I had nothing. I didn’t even have anything in my briefcase to fumble with for time.

    And then, without even thinking, I said, “Around town it was well known that when they got home at night their fat and psychopathic wives would thrash them within inches of their lives”

    I couldn’t believe my own ears. I couldn’t believe I had just said that. To my left, our salesman looked at me in horror and tried to pull himself away from me in his chair. The SE had his mouth open. So did all the important lawyers in their suits and suspenders. Even the stenographer looked up from her machine at me. I was well and truly fucked. The SVP wound up to scream at me and I flinched.

    Then he stopped.

    “Wait a minute,” he said, “I know that line…”
    “Yes,” I whispered, “It’s from Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ album.”
    He said, “I knew that. You like Pink Floyd?”
    “Yes,” I said, “It’s my favorite group.”
    “Mine too,” he said, suddenly smiling and getting up, “I saw the ‘Wall’ concert in LA in 1980. It was fantastic! I even caught one of Gilmour’s guitar picks. I have it framed in my office with the ticket stubs. Come on, I’ll show you!”

    And he got up and walked over to the door. I numbly followed. My ears were ringing and I knew I stunk of sweat and fear. The people in the room were dumbstruck. Everyone had their mouths open or were looking at us in absolute amazement. No one said a word.

    As we left the room, the SVP smiled and said to the room, “Oh, we’ll give them a few more weeks,” and he waved them off and we went down the hall. The rest of the visit passed in a blur.

    The salesman was pounding the wheel and laughing out loud on the trip back to the airport. “We gotta get you a great big steak,” he said, “You know, you can only get away with that once in your career.” The SE didn’t say a thing except, “I like Pink Floyd too.”

    When I got back to the office I was the hero of the hour.

    The salesman had called and related the story to everyone he could reach, and I was called into a meeting to recount the adventure. Everyone was laughing and slapping me on the back. It felt good to be the hero for once: tomorrow I would once again be the goat, I was sure. Over the next few weeks we had a dramatic breakthrough in Engineering and the problem was solved, the situation resolved, the customer saved. They went on to buy many thousands more modems.

    Pink Floyd saved the day.

    What’s a real fact that sounds made-up?

    2023 08 25 17 55
    2023 08 25 17 55

    In 2005, in outskirts of Istanbul Turkey, 1500 sheep were grazing in the field. It was early in the day when all the sheep were relaxing in the field eating there breakfast. The shepherd’s were watching the sheep graze, when they noticed one lone sheep break of from the herd and wander off on it’s own.

    This didn’t seem out of the ordinary as sheep tend to wander. They watched as the sheep made it’s way to a cliff edge, but before they even realised what was happening the sheep jumped to it’s death. This was obviously devasting for the shepherd’s watching, and they were definitely not preprepared for what happened next.

    Suddenly another sheep left the herd and made it’s way to cliff before following the first sheep to it’s doom. This caused another to follow and jump to it’s death causing a domino effect of suicidal sheep.

    main qimg d1a9c2231810618b0ce75407968a7b34
    main qimg d1a9c2231810618b0ce75407968a7b34

    The Shepherds tried in vain to stop the sheep from jumping, but it was like they were determined to follow their brothers into the unknown. The sheep began piling up at the bottom of the cliff, but as the sheep piled up in a mass of blood, guts and wool they began to cushion the rest of the sheep as they hit the ground.

    main qimg 41616e7418223a9f8c2a2ea96af45dd9
    main qimg 41616e7418223a9f8c2a2ea96af45dd9

    The whole herd, 1500 in total had jumped, but only 450 perished with the rest being cushioned by the first of the doomed sheep.

    THIS IS THE WORLDS ANTHEM! FOR THE PEOPLE! (Reaction) | Oliver Anthony-Rich Men North of Richmond

    Absolutely incredible! Oliver Anthony shines light on those hiding in the shadows. Those D’s wanting to C everything we do, while trying to cover up and hide everything they do. THIS is the voice we need!

    What screams “I’m upper class”?

    Many years ago my ex husband and I had our own pottery business.

    We sold a lot to members of the British Aristocracy (for some reason it seemed to appeal to them).

    We only ever realised who they were when they paid by cheque (credit cards weren’t really a big thing at the time).

    We had cheques signed by The Marquis of Bath, The Marchioness of Tavistock, Marquis of Salisbury, Earl Spencer amongst many others.

    They were the nicest, most down to earth people that you could wish to meet. All of them were very casually dressed and you would never know that they were aristocracy.

    My current husband 🤣 was on guard duty at Windsor Castle during the Falklands conflict. Very early one morning our beautiful late Queen Elizabeth passed him on the way to the stables, no bodyguards or companions. She stopped to talk to him, asking where he was from, about his family. She had no particular need to do so, nothing to prove to anyone.

    These people screamed class, without making any sound.

    Will Russia become the main bargaining chip in the US-China relations?

    No because:

    1. China does not see relationships as being transactional the way the US has;
    2. Russia deserves respect as a sovereign nation which makes its own choices, and if China sold out Russia, it knows that Russia would never trust China again.
    3. It understands that the US always views relationships as transactional, and that it would turn against China when expedient.

    Tucker: “We Have Proof Obama was Having Sex With Men, Smoking Crack…”

    There is a bunch of pictures of Obama with “a brother”, only before he had the sex change. That’s right. “Michelle is a trans man”.

    “Biden is the Obama’s third term”.

    BRICS: the China-India factor

    By Pepe Escobar

    After a long-running buildup pinpointed by immense expectations all across the Global South, Global Majority, or “Global Globe” (as coined by Belarus President Lukashenko), the BRICS summit in South Africa, on its first day, revealed a “lost in translation” incident that should be taken as a serious warning.

    The BRICS Business Forum feed on South African network SABC turned into a BRICS linguistic Babel. The voice of all the translators, simultaneously, was clashing on the feed. Explanations vary from the desire to forge a new Esperanto (not likely); plain incompetence from the sound engineering team; the isolation of the translators in a separate cabin, not warned to turn off their mikes; or last but not least, NSA interference, messing up with the translators’ mic frequencies.

    Whatever happened metastasized into a serious impediment for a South African – and international – audience, online, to understand what was being discussed. Even though “lost in translation” would not nullify the BRICS’s ambitious agenda for change, it certainly will be played up to the max by the usual Divide and Rule suspects to boost their already in effect all-round Hybrid War against BRICS.

    The Shakespearean de-dollarization drama

    Whatever the final concrete results of these potentially game-changing days in Johannesburg – I analyzed the key themes here

    – the basic facts are immutable.

    China and Russia, as the main drivers, are bent on expanding towards BRICS+ to resist imperial bullying, diplomatic and otherwise; build alternatives to SWIFT; promote economic self-reliance among members and autonomy from the sanctions dementia (which will only increase); and eventually forge an alliance against imperial military threats – with the possibility of BRICS+ merging in the future with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    The China factor is arguably the key vector in all these complex, intertwined processes. It’s no wonder that President Xi, in his only second state visit abroad in 2023 (after Russia), will convene a special meeting in Johannesburg with dozens of African heads of state.

    Chinese public opinion is absolutely riveted

    by the BRICS summit, with “interest surpassing the G7”. There’s extensive debate on the whole Empire-defying agenda – from de-dollarization to heightened influence in the energy market – and on the China-India divide, with New Delhi often pointed out as a hostile agent inside BRICS.

    Sherpas, off the record, as well as diplomats from the current BRICS five (soon to expand) have been extra-cautious to frame the whole debate not on de-dollarization – still a distant prospect – but on alternative trade/payment systems in local currencies.

    Yet in his address by videoconference – saluted like a rock star – President Putin was adamant: the de-dollarization process inside BRICS is irreversible.

    Yet it’s internal contradictions that stand out when it comes to BRICS+. New Delhi has been extremely cautious – even as sherpas let it be known that the main rules for admission have been agreed upon.

    The proverbial Divide and Rule spoilers have been spinning that Beijing wants BRICS+ to be a competitor to the G7. That’s nonsense. Chinese geopolitics is way more sophisticated – and would never present partners with an iron imperative. Beijing wants to solidify its de facto role of geoeconomics leader of the Global South by seducing the maximum number of partners, not intimidating them.

    Thus the importance of the China-Africa meeting. South Africa was the first African nation to sign up to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Beijing and Pretoria are celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations. Xi and Ramaphosa will be talking overall African economic integration, in detail, with all those heads of state.

    What does India really want?

    China’s vision for BRICS+ and especially for Africa is intrinsically linked to BRI, which after all is Beijing’s overarching foreign policy concept for the next few decades.

    India, for its part, has other ideas when it comes to configuring itself as a leader of the Global South. Earlier this year, New Delhi hosted a Voice of the Global South Summit, attended by over 100 nations. That might have conformed a sort of informal, multilateral alliance with diverse values but focusing largely on the same aims promoted by BRICS.

    If China rolls with BRI, India rolls with a sort of – complementary – counterpart: the International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC), where it’s one of the main actors alongside Russia and Iran. So here we have a top BRICS member and a putative BRICS+ member: India is very much keen on Iran’s accession.

    All of that in fact points towards integration of BRICS, BRI, INSTC and also SCO (Russia, China, India and Iran are all members). Once again, the devil will be in the “lost in translation” details. There’s no categorical imperative stating Chinese and Indian priorities may not converge.

    The RICs (Russia, China,India) have also noted that the overwhelming majority of Global South/Global Majority nations did not support – nor adhered to – the collective West wet dream of strategically suppressing Russia. Even though Russia is now the fifth-largest economy in the world by PPP (over $5 trillion) – ahead of imperial European vassals – the Global South’s perception of Moscow is as “one of our own”.

    All that adds extra power to the new Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) – which has to be courted full-time by the RICs. Global North late “initiatives” such as the American Build Back Better World

    and the EU’s Global Gateway

    are regarded as lush rhetoric at best.

    Even as China is bound to solidify its prime Global South role especially in Africa after the summit, India counts on a boost as well in its self-designed role as a North-South power. That may be seen as a hedging-your-bets sort of game, as the New Delhi establishment prides itself to be intertwined with the Global North when it comes to strategic goals (Quad? Really?) while remaining a Global South actor.

    Well, sooner or later something’s got to give. The Empire tailored its bogus “Indo-Pacific” terminology and strategy specifically to ensnare India. No one across Asia-Pacific has ever referred to the region in terms of “Indo-Pacific”. Yet, in one go, the Empire gets rid of China, the South China Sea and even Southeast Asia to accommodate in a catchy slogan what it regards as a geopolitical neo-colony at best and battering ram against China.

    It seems that New Delhi is developing a trend: never live up to its potential when it comes to exercising sovereignty to defy the Hegemon.

    Undermining BRICS+ from the inside

    Russia’s reach is way more ambitious – ranging from the post-Soviet space across the Heartland to the real Asia-Pacific, West Asia and, much like China, also Africa. All of these players rely on Russian energy, food, chemical fertilisers and a host of commodities. As far as all of them are concerned, there will be no “decoupling” or “de-risking” when it comes to trading with Russia.

    In his videoconference address to BRICS, Putin absolutely killed it on the connectivity front – expanding on the INSTC and the Northern Sea Route. Same when it comes to providing free grain to the poorer African nations. He also destroyed the “so-called” grain deal: Moscow would consider coming back, but only if its legitimate demands are met.

    In contrast to fast expanding Russian soft power, how could Beijing expand its own – which may be severely lacking in several areas? Setting up Confucius Institutes is not enough; ideally the Chinese should start promoting a string of Global South think tanks, from West Asia to Africa and Latin America, to analyze the ever mounting geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges to the multipolar road.

    For the moment, Beijing will turbo-charge institutional forms of South-South interactions, such as the Belt and Road Forum (the next one is in October); the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation; and the China-CELAC forum with Latin American and the Caribbean.

    But then again, inside BRICS, it all comes back to China-India. 2023 might become a turning point in their bilateral relations. New Delhi organized the latest SCO summit (unfortunately only online; rumors about internal dissent were never fully disproven). And will preside over the next G20 summit.

    And then there’s the toxic external factor: the already ongoing imperial Hybrid War against the BRICS. The usual suspects will go no holds barred to pit Beijing against New Delhi, especially after everything they threw against Moscow miserably failed.

    This multi-faceted Hybrid War has been designed to undermine BRICS+ from the inside, especially weaker nodes Brazil and South Africa, and including already mega-sanctioned Iran if it becomes a member. The Empire will go no holds barred to not lose key pivots to Latin American and African hegemony.

    As a whole, the RICs – and perhaps soon RIICs – should concentrate their attention on Africa. That doesn’t mean that a host of African nations should be allowed to join BRICS+ literally tomorrow; the question is to be able to help them in several crucial fields as the process of breaking from imperial/neocolonial control is now irreversible.

    The Empire never sleeps – at least those who really run the show: Crash Test Dummies impersonating Presidents is another matter. With Taiwan false flag dreams fast waning, all bets are off that the Empire might set up its next big war psyop in Africa.

    WHO THE F**K IS THIS GUY?!? Reacting To Oliver Anthony “Rich Men North Of Richmond”

    2023 08 25 17 21
    2023 08 25 17 21

    HUNGARY BLOCKS ALL E.U. AID TO UKRAINE!

    World Hal Turner 31 August 2023

    HUNGARY BLOCKS ALL E.U. AID TO UKRAINE!

    Hungary has vetoed the European Union’s intent to give more money to Ukraine until such time as Ukraine accounts for the 50-70 Billion EUROS already given!   

    Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said today “Of course I won’t give-=in to pressure.   Until we get a detailed, clear account of what the approximately 50-70 billion EUROS spent on Ukraine, was spent on, and until the OTP Bank is removed from the list of so-called International Sponsors of the War, there can be no question of making a decision about additional funds to finance armaments, or _anything_ related to Ukraine.”

    European Union Chief, Borrell, was literally in tears (pictured below) over the situation.   

    Borrell had tried to allocate more “Peace Funds” to Zelensky in Ukraine, but had to publicly admit he could not release the next tranche of funds to Kiev “because Hungary said no.”

    With European money now halted for Ukraine, it is only a matter of time before the Ukrainians completely collapse.

    Another Betrayal Saudi Arabia Dumps US, Backs Up China In The US China Rivalry!

    2023 08 25 17 45
    2023 08 25 17 45
    https://youtu.be/NVfM07YUMYA

    Russia Announces “SARMAT” ICBM’s Now on Combat Duty”

    World Hal Turner 01 September 2023

    SARMAT Being Loaded Into Silo large
    SARMAT Being Loaded Into Silo large
    Russia Announces "SARMAT" ICBM's Now on Combat Duty"

    Russia’s Sarmat strategic missile system has been put on combat duty, Yuri Borisov, the head of Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, said on Friday.

    “The Sarmat strategic complex has been put on combat duty,” Borisov said during an educational event.

    Russia tested the nuclear-capable Sarmat missile throughout 2022. Last December, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will maintain combat readiness and improve the country’s nuclear triad, which he called the main guarantor of its sovereignty.

    The Sarmat system is meant to replace RS-20 Voevoda missile systems. The new missile is capable of striking targets at long ranges using various flight trajectories and is guaranteed to overcome any existing and prospective anti-missile defense systems.

    Having the longest range of target engagement, Sarmat is also expected to reinforce the combat capabilities of the Russian strategic nuclear forces. The first test launch of the Sarmat missile was carried out on April 20.

    SPECIFICS

    The RS-28 Sarmat is a three-stage, liquid-fueled ICBM equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).

    The operational range of RS-28 Sarmat is up to 18,000 km allows it to target almost any location on Earth.

    The missile can be armed with 10-15 warheads or a combination of warheads and countermeasures, including dummy warheads to confuse enemy missile defenses.

    Additionally, the Sarmat can carry up to two dozen Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles, making it an even more formidable weapon.

    Each warhead of the RS-28 Sarmat is estimated to have an explosive power of up to 500 kilotons, equivalent to leveling a major metropolitan area.

    To put this into perspective, the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 had an explosive power of 15 and 21 kilotons, respectively.

    The destructive potential of the Sarmat is unparalleled, and it serves as a potent deterrent against any aggression directed towards Russia.

    RESPONSE TO U.S. “PROMPT GLOBAL STRIKE”

    Russia points out that the Sarmat missile system is Russia’s response to the Prompt Global Strike (PGS) concept developed by Pentagon planners.

    PGS proposes preemptive conventional massed cruise missile strikes to disarm an adversary and eliminate its leadership.

    This concept, unveiled after the US withdrew from the Antiballistic Missile Treaty with Russia in 2002, prompted Moscow to develop advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles and glide vehicles, and ultimately, the Sarmat.

    THIS SONG GOT ME EMOTIONAL! Oliver Anothny-Rich Men North of Richmond | Reaction *SONG OF THE YEAR*

    2023 08 25 17 48
    2023 08 25 17 48

    What little-known fact about a dangerous animal would change people’s perception of that animal?

    Cheetahs seem ferocious, they’re natural predators; carnivores. They typically stalk their prey, charge towards it, trip it up and bite its throat to suffocate it, you know, to make it nice for the eating.

    They’re the fastest land animal, too.

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    image 8

    Cheetahs are “instinctively shy” – they’re nervous and shy animals by nature

    So, when they’re kept in zoos, their anxiety keeps them from socialising with each other, and most importantly, from procreating. This puts them at a high risk of becoming extinct. (Risk of extinction is why they’re in zoos in the first place – to help get their numbers up.)

    For years zoos have been pairing cheetahs with their very own support dogs.

    These doggos are raised from very young ages alongside the cheetahs. They live companionably; the cheetahs take their social cues from the dogs, because dogs are very sociable animals by nature.

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    Cheetahs are so sensitive by nature that almost all of those who are held in captivity suffer from anxiety-related conditions, but dogs make it better, just by being their friends.

    [1]Footnotes

    [1]Jordan Zhouyi’s answer to What rare fact do you know about an animal that would change a lot of people’s perceptions of that animal?

    “We Have Never Seen Anything Like This” | Victor Davis Hanson

    Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow in Residence in Classics and Military History at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, a professor of Classics Emeritus at California State University, Fresno, and a nationally syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services. He is also the Wayne & Marcia Buske Distinguished Fellow in History, Hillsdale College, where he teaches each fall semester courses in military history and classical culture. Victor discusses current political and social events and ideas, and current and past cultural trends.

    2023 08 25 17 52
    2023 08 25 17 52

    Beef Ragout with Grilled Bread

    This dish can be made in a slow cooker or the stovetop. Canola oil is used to make both the ragout and grilled bread because of its neutral flavor and heat tolerance. The ragout is served with bread to soak up the hearty and flavorful broth, but it can be served with pasta or polenta instead.

    2023 08 25 21 46b
    2023 08 25 21 46b

    Yield: 6 servings; serving size 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) ragout

    Ingredients

    Ragout

    • 1 pound lean beef roast such as round tip roast 500 g
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil 15 mL
    • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning 15 mL
    • 1 medium eggplant, not peeled, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
    • 2 green bell peppers, chopped
    • 2 (15 ounce/426 mL) cans low-sodium crushed tomatoes
    • 1 cup red wine 250 mL
    • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 60 mL

    Grilled Bread

    • 12 slices whole grain Italian bread, sliced on bias, about 1-inch thick each
    • 1 tablespoon canola oil 15 mL

    Instructions

    1. In large, nonstick skillet, brown each side of beef roast in canola oil. Place roast in slow cooker.*
    2. Add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and red wine. Cook on LOW heat for 8 to 9 hours (or on HIGH heat for 4 to 5 hours) until beef is tender and has an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (65 degrees C).
    3. When beef is cooked, shred with a fork.
    4. To prepare grilled bread: Brush bread with canola oil and grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until toasted.
    5. To serve, top ragout with parsley. Serve with grilled bread.

    Notes

    * If preparing on stovetop, use a large pot (8-quart) and bring ragout ingredients, except parsley, to boil and simmer covered for at least 30 minutes.

    If I travel and visit China, does that also mean that my face is also permanently in the database of Chinese government? Do non-citizens effectively have fewer rights than citizens?

    In the US, if you go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get your driver’s license, the same thing happens, and US security services and intelligence agencies can access your photos and data.

    The same thing happens when you apply for your passport.

    Get over it.

    Rescue a dying kitten that the owner abandoned it front my clinic the kitten only breathing

    Sad, but then there is hope.

    A customer had become family

    We have a tendency to get all caught up within our own “little worlds”. We don’t realize all the great stuff “out there”, and when we do, we discover just how much we have missed. And it’s horrible.

    In the Arkansas ADC prison, there was a guy who was doing some “20 some”big time” years for telecommunication fraud. He was a “sparky”; an engineer with a great talent for telecommunications and the hardware, and software behind it. But he was locked up after some fifteen years when I met him.

    We would go on, and on about how he had this great improvement on telephone land line modems, and how he could double the speed of the transmissions. Sheech!

    Fifteen years had passed. We were using satellite, wifi, and cable. No one would even bother touching modems tied to land-lines. But he was locked up for so long that he was; his knowledge was, obsolete. And he did not realize it.

    Being prison; the ADC, there was no way that he could subscribe to magazines, or periodicals to be caught up on the news. It was a purposeful isolation bubble. He was unaware.

    I tried to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen. Brilliant, and stupid at the same time.

    Don’t be like him.

    Get out. Experience life. Enjoy some fine food, touch the bark of a tree and pet a cat.

    I believe in you.

    We start today on a happy note. Please watch this video…

    Hungry Cat Went to a Store with a Leaf to Buy Fish, Then the Seller Did Something Unbelievable!

    What a great story.

    Joe knew a lot of the people that came to his fish store. Many of his customers were regulars who had been buying fish from his family for years. But when one customer started coming around more often he was surprised. A cat came into the shop and checked out what everyone was doing. Then he eventually came back and sat on the counter with a leaf in his mouth. It took a while but they figured out that he was trying to use the leaf to buy fish like he saw people using money. What the seller did next is unbelievable.

    What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

    Once upon a time, there was an auto repair shop. They had about six bays and a good average turnaround rate. They were doing pretty well. One day when the new manager was walking around, however, he noticed something shocking.

    There was a guy… reading a magazine! He wasn’t working on a car or helping customers. He was just sitting behind a counter, eating up profits with his hourly rate.

    He knew full well who this guy was. This was the “parts guy”. When the mechanics needed a part—an oil filter, a water pump, brake pads, etc.—they’d go to the parts counter and request it. The parts guy would retrieve it from the shelves and give it to them. If the part didn’t work out, they’d give it back to him and ask for a different one. If they didn’t have the requisite part, he’d order it. He’d also order commonly used parts when they started getting low. He kept the parts shelves nice and tidy.

    But here he was in the middle of the work day, just sitting there! How often was he just sitting there? The new manager determined to find out.

    So, over the course of the next week, the manager tracked how much time the parts guy “worked” and how much time he just spent sitting around, chomping away at profits. He determined that 80% of the time, the parts guy did no work! He just sat there, reading a magazine or other material. Profitless!

    So he fired the parts guy and told the mechanics that now they were in charge of getting their own parts. There was some moaning and groaning, but they complied. What else could they do?

    Over the next month, the manager noticed a frightening trend. Their average turnaround time went up, way up! A repair that normally took a few hours now took a few days. A simple oil change went from less than an hour to half a day. Hell, even doing a simple tire plug could take half a day! And they were—gasp—losing customers!

    He determined to find the root of the plummet in productivity.

    To make a long story short, it was the missing parts guy. When the mechanics got their own parts, they’d grab them off the shelf and try them in their repair. If they didn’t work out or they grabbed too many, they’d just put them back any which way. They didn’t always put them back in the right place, or in the right box.

    So that made it harder for them to even find the stuff they needed. Nothing was in order anymore. Plus, no one ever ordered anything, so they were always out of what they needed; they’d order it when they needed it, instead of beforehand. Then they had to wait for parts delivery to get them the stuff they needed, which could take half a day.

    So, instead of eating away at profits, the guy who only “worked” 20% of his time allowed the rest of the staff to be more productive. His absence actually killed profits by a wide margin. He was hired back.

    And they lived happily ever after.

    Is the biggest risk China faces ”the freezing” of their USD assets?

    No!

    China has now de-risked from the possibility of the freezing of their USD assets, including:

    • a significant portion of their trade is now in currencies other than USD. Trade with MANY countries are now in Chinese RMB or local currencies including trade with Argentina, Iran and Russia. This will continue to increase in the future.
    • A significant portion of China foreign reserves is now in Gold or other foreign reserves. China has been decreasing its USD foreign reserves and this in itself is causing significant issues for the United States
    • China has now completed an alternative to SWIFT with its own CIPS and this will allow it to continue trade with other countries
    • for critical products – like corn, wheat, oil, etc – China has diversified its supply chains. Therefore, it’s economy will not be disrupted by whatever the Americans does

    BIGGEST advantage is that China is an economic powerful house producing most things that the United States and the west needs. All it has to do is stop the exports of critical inputs, machineries and or finished products AND it will shut down the economy of those countries. Given this possibility, it is doubtful that the United States will freeze Chinese USD assets.

    Star Trek Next Generation – Withdraw Understood !

    My Goodness!

    Not MM-MM.

    This was me today.

    main qimg 9e6b9fcf6cfe8aa57d728dbc87c343a9
    main qimg 9e6b9fcf6cfe8aa57d728dbc87c343a9

    Exactly 12 hours ago, I had a moment I am still processing. This stretch of highway has been paved so badly that every Fireman, EMT, and police officer on the scene said, “This happens constantly in this spot.” A short summer downpour caused the road to become so slick, that turning a corner at 20–25 mph caused the vehicle to lose control. I tried to correct the turn and brake, which caused the back end of the vehicle to face 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Everything was in slow motion as I watched myself fall off the road. I can still see the disorienting view turn sideways as I felt the impact of hitting the ditch. The passenger glass blew out and I realized that my head was hanging upside down near leaves and dirt. I began to shake. I’m shaking now. I’m not a dedicated seat belt wearer, but today, without thinking, I had clicked on the seatbelt before I began my drive. I could feel the adrenaline surge as I realized the only reason I was alive and not thrown under the vehicle was because I had unconsciously made that decision.

    A lady and three teenagers had walked over to peer in through the drivers side window. She asked me, as I saw that her hands were shaking from the sight, if I was ok. And to my shock, I was. I broke down crying as the first thing I said was, “This seatbelt saved my life.” She reached her hand through the drivers window and held my hand, rubbing it for security as she called for assistance. I must have hung there for 20–30 minutes before the firefighters cut me out of the tightly locked seatbelt. But I am so thankful for the lady who had selflessly held the hand of a crying stranger until they arrived.

    I was able to climb out on my own. I was assessed by paramedics and allowed to tow the truck home. I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. We are a middle class family who is down one vehicle in an economy that has not been kind to us. But I can still hear the ladies voice as she said, “You can always get another vehicle, but you can’t get another life.” We will all expire at some time. There are no exceptions. I have been reminded of this today. But it’s not today.

    What are some of the most mind-blowing celebrity facts?

    2023 08 14 10 45r
    2023 08 14 10 45r

    Have you ever wondered what that bar on the backs of trucks is for? Called the Mansfield bar, it was made mandatory after a horrifying accident involving actress Jayne Mansfield.

    2023 08 14 10 45
    2023 08 14 10 45

    On June 29th 1967, Jayne, her driver, lawyer and three kids were driving from Mississippi to New Orleans. The road was dark and visibility was poor as the drove in the early hours of the morning, and was unable to see the large truck in front of them. The 1966 Buick crashed into the back of the truck, slicing off the top of the car.

    The three adults including Jayne died on impact, but luckily the kids in the back survived. One of those kids is well known “Law and Order” actress “Mariska Hargitay.”

    2023 08 14 10 46z
    2023 08 14 10 46z

    As a result of the accident, the national highway traffic safety administration ordered all semis to have the bars installed.

    Have you met a person who you thought was ordinary but actually was from a powerful and wealthy family?

    Years ago in the early 90s I had a job in customer service for a telephone company. We had a girl start that was from somewhere down south and she had moved up into the Midwest because her husband got a job in the cattle industry. His job wasn’t normally a traveling job, but his first 2 years he had to do a lot of it to learn about the different livestock auctions, plants, etc. Just normal new hire stuff learning the industry.

    She wanted to go home for a long holiday weekend, but her husband couldn’t go because of her work schedule, so she asked one of their mutual friends if he wanted to go with her. He also worked there with us. (Totally innocent, this isn’t a cheating story.) She was always funny, down to earth, well dressed but not anything expensive. Think Younkers clothes instead of KMart, but not high end designer stuff. She had a nice new car but it was a low end base model compact. Everyone loved her and her down home southern attitude.

    Forward to next week, they had returned. The friend she took let us in on her secret.

    Her family was LOADED. They got to the city they lived in, Nashville I think. Her parents compound was walled, had live security on duty including the gate guard you see in movies. Garage full of Italian sports cars. A Rolls Royce with a chauffeur. In the front hall there was a hand-written check framed and signed by Jimmy Hoffa for 1mil. Uncashed.

    Turns out her grandfather had invented something to do with reefer units and was in the trucking industry. All the trucks with their family name I saw on the road were hers, but I didn’t know because she was married and had taken her husband’s last name.

    She chose to live a normal life with her husband and struggle like any other young couple instead of living off of her family’s wealth. She was just a sweet normal girl.

    China’s Next Generation Laser Weapons To Destroy US in 2.5 seconds Shocked The World

    https://youtu.be/sTr_mxT1Jas

    How did Americans get so fat?

    Back in the 70’s, there was a HUGE war in the food industry. It was fat vs. sugar, and in the end, sugar came out victorious. I mean, to fight fat, don’t eat fat, right? Makes sense!

    NO.

    The science wasn’t complete and the sugar manufacturers raised a lot of capital to get their message out… I mean, of course, “to buy politicians”.

    ALL of the evils perpetrated on the American people for as long as there have been any is due to political money. You can make anything a social issue if you buy the right congresspeople.

    So sugar was in and fat was out. Bacon was bad, but “diet candy” was good. This was all bullshit because no matter the form it’s in (glucose, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey, etc…), it’s all carbohydrates. If you have an excess of carbs and you’re not burning those empty calories, guess where that ends up?

    Plain and simple, if you have too many calories and you’re not using them, they will turn to fat. Any developing nation out there will tell you that rice, potatoes, and bread is the easiest way to get calories. Sugar just packs these calories more densely, but we’re programmed for it to taste good, so we just suck it up.

    Meanwhile, poor bacon, ham, and fried chicken are out here going, “NOO! We’re made with fat and protein! You can get calories from us, too!”

    Even salad is having a tough time of it. Go grab any random, name brand dressing off the shelf. I’m willing to bet within the first 5 ingredients will be either sugar, or something that ends in “-ose” (which is also sugar). Fuck, even our bread is unable to be labelled as bread in other countries because of the sugar levels. Subway in Europe sells sandwiches on cake.

    There’s something called “essential fats”. There is no such thing as “essential carbohydrates”.

    Penn and Teller had a show a while back called “Bullshit” that debunked all sorts of things. One episode was about weight loss. They had a stagehand who had recently lost a ton of weight. They pulled him out from backstage and said, “Tell the audience how you lost all that weight.”

    Dude looks straight into the camera and says, “I stopped eating so fucking much.”

    “Not the first and not the last” China-Russia joint naval patrol near Alaska — Global Times

    2023 08 14 10 42
    2023 08 14 10 42

    China and Russia’s third joint naval patrol that allegedly reached international waters near Alaska last week has touched the nerves of US media, which hyped the voyage as “highly provocative,” ignoring the fact that the US constantly sends warships and warplanes to China’s doorsteps for close-in reconnaissance and military exercises under the so-called freedom of navigation.

    11 Chinese and Russian vessels approached the Aleutian Islands and have since left without entering US territorial waters, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday, citing US officials.

    Four US destroyers and a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft shadowed the combined Chinese and Russian naval force, the report said.

    While the WSJ report quoted a US Northern Command spokesperson who said the patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat, it also quoted US experts as saying the voyage “is a historical first” and “highly provocative.”

    The US media reports came after China’s Ministry of National Defense

    announced on July 26 that China and Russia would soon launch their third joint naval patrol, which would see both sides’ warships sail into West and North Pacific waters following the Northern/Interaction-2023 joint exercises in the Sea of Japan.

    The operation is not targeted against any third party and is not related to any international or regional situation, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a press release at the time.Two Type 052D guided missile destroyers, two Type 054A guided missile frigates and a Type 903 comprehensive replenishment ship of the Chinese Navy are included in the flotilla, while the Russian Navy is represented by vessels including large anti-submarine ships and corvettes, according to media reports.

    The Northern/Interaction-2023 joint exercises and the subsequent joint naval patrol fully reflect the level of the strategic mutual trust between the two countries and further enhanced the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Russian militaries, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson at China’s Defense Ministry, at a regular press conference on July 27.

    China is willing to continue to boost pragmatic communication and cooperation with all parties and contribute positive forces in safeguarding regional peace and stability as well as deal with all kinds of security threats, Tan said.

    Despite that China and Russia announced the joint patrol, US media are attempting to hype the “China and Russia threat” theory, Zhuo Hua, an international affairs expert at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

    The China-Russia joint patrol in international waters in the North and West Pacific marks a positive force that helps safeguard regional stability and security of strategic routes in the Asia-Pacific region at a time when the US is enhancing combat readiness, rallying allies and partners in the region to change defense policies and expand militaries, which escalated regional tensions, Zhuo said.

    ‘Not first, not last’

    2023 08 14 10 43vvv
    2023 08 14 10 43vvv

    This is not the “historical first” that a China-Russia joint naval patrol flotilla has reached waters off Alaska as US media has claimed, as a similar case took place during the second joint naval patrol between the two countries in September 2022.

    At that time, only a lone US Coast Guard cutter was on the scene, compared to the USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold, the USS John Finn and the USS Chung-Hoon destroyers and a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft deployed this time, the WSJ said.

    The US media linked such an escalation in US reaction to the Ukraine crisis and the Taiwan question, but such speculation is purely groundless and is aimed at throwing mud at the normal military cooperation between China and Russia, analysts said, noting US’ hegemonic mindset and its double standard are the true reasons behind its anxiety.

    The international waters in the North Pacific including the Bering Sea are important because from here ships can access the Arctic, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Monday.

    With the global warming, the Arctic shipping routes could become key passages for civilian ships to carry out commercial activities, Fu said.

    While the joint patrols by China and Russia aim to safeguard the security of key strategic routes, the US wants to control the passages out of its hegemonic mindset, experts said.

    The US is nervous because the Bering Sea is close to Alaska, but the US should not forget that it frequently sends warships and warplanes to other countries’ doorsteps for so-called freedom of navigation operations, including to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits, sometimes alone and sometimes together with other countries’ forces, Fu said.

    While the China-Russia joint flotilla did not enter US territorial waters, US warships have in many occasions trespassed into Chinese territorial waters in the South China Sea.

    It is ironic that all US forces involved in shadowing the China-Russia joint flotilla have provoked China on Chinese doorsteps, observers said. The USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold, the USS John Finn and the USS Chung-Hoon destroyers and a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft have all made transits in the Taiwan Straits in the past, while the USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold and the USS Chung-Hoon have records of being expelled after trespassing into Chinese territorial waters in the South China Sea.

    It exposes the US’ double standard that only allows its military presence near other countries and not accepts other countries’ military presence near it, observers said, urging the US to reflect on itself.

    From a military perspective, the four US destroyers and a US patrol aircraft could only monitor the China-Russia joint flotilla of 11 warships, and were not capable of doing anything more than that, analysts said.

    “In the future, the Chinese Navy could conduct more far sea patrols like this, either alone or together with other countries. The Americans should get use to it,” Fu said.

    Before the China-Russia joint naval patrols, Chinese naval warships had already reached international waters near Alaska.

    Once such case was in August 2021, in which a four-ship Chinese naval flotilla led by a Type 055 10,000 ton-class large destroyer was reportedly spotted by the US Coast Guard in the US Exclusive Economic Zone, off the coast of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska

    .

    In 2015, five PLA Navy ships transited expeditiously and continuously through the Aleutian Island chain in a manner consistent with international law, the US Naval Institute News reported at the time. It was an “innocent passage” within 12 nautical miles of the Aleutian Islands, the report said.

    Chinese experts said this kind of far sea exercise serves as a countermeasure and a signal against the US hegemonic actions of frequently making provocations near China in the name of freedom of navigation.

    the GIRLS REACT to *Alien (1979)* IT’S SO SCARY!! (First Time Watching) Horror Movies

    https://youtu.be/8eXl59KHwvg

    What are some unbelievable yet true stories and facts?

    2023 08 14 10 40
    2023 08 14 10 40

    On June 3rd 2022, 3-year-old Ryker Webb went missing from his home in Montana wearing just his onesie. The area was in the middle of the wilderness, inhabited by Mountain Lions, Bears and on the evening he went missing, there was a severe thunderstorm.

    His distraught parents feared the worse until they got the call that he had been found. He was discovered two days later on the Sunday, and 2.5 miles from his house.

    2023 08 14 10 41e
    2023 08 14 10 41e

    A couple heard whimpering from their shed and found Ryker wrapped in a lawnmower-bag to keep warm in the nearly freezing temperatures. When they first found him they said he was hungry and tired, but for his circumstances he was a pretty up-beat mood.

    When they questioned him he said that he went for a really long walk and got tired. It is believed he seen the shed and took shelter during the thunder storm and stayed there for 2 days worrying about ever seeing his parents again.

    Damn, my kids wouldn’t survive an hour.

    What are your thoughts about the American missionary who died in North Sentinel Island?

    I think trying to spread his religion was a lie.


    A little context:

    John Chau, 26-year-old American evangelical missionary.

    2023 08 13 18 28
    2023 08 13 18 28

    He was unalived* by an isolated tribe he was trying to convert to Christianity.

    The islanders are notorious for being hostile for outsiders to even visit, let alone throw Bibles at, yet John clearly wasn’t one to apply self-preservation.

    One of the very few photos taken of the natives of the tribe, 1970s.

    2023 08 13 18 2s9
    2023 08 13 18 2s9

    It is illegal under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes regulations to visit without government permission – John did not obtain this. He seemingly had no respect for the law of the land.

    Two local fishermen would take him partway to the island and no further. They let him approach the island on a canoe by himself.

    For several days, he persistently made several attempts to communicate with the tribe from the safety of his canoe.

    He documented in his journal that they laughed at him, they stared at him, and yelled words he didn’t understand.

    On his second-last day a boy shot an arrow through his Bible. He didn’t take for the warning it obviously was.

    On his final day, he told the fishermen to leave without him.

    The next day they saw his body on the shore. Cautious attempts were made to retrieve his body but no one ever did.


    John was an adventurer.

    2023 08 13 18 29a
    2023 08 13 18 29a

    He was known among his friends for being a thrill-seeker. Throughout his youth he indulged in camping, hiking, et.c.

    My point being he went there for himself. Not just religion.

    There’s a reason why the government needs to give permission for outsiders to visit. There’s a reason why even the surrounding locals won’t set foot on that island.

    John ignored all the rules.

    He went there for himself, to fulfill his thrill-seeking, adventurist desires.

    He found the adventure he was looking for.

    What was the most racist thing you have experienced yourself?

    I moved to the U.S. 5 weeks later, COVID happened.

    All the dreams about off-roading trips, going to places, exploring America went out the window.

    Social distancing; lockdown. People went crazy buying hand soaps; toilet papers. There was a time even flour and yeast also shortage

    main qimg 2c89a1aca38cbe52fbce45fc76810b02
    main qimg 2c89a1aca38cbe52fbce45fc76810b02

    One afternoon, I was at the grocery store, suddenly I felt something hit my back. I turned around. It was a woman threw a toilet paper bag at me. She yelled: “Go fucking back to your country! You Chinese fuckers! You brought that fucking virus here!”

    I picked the toilet paper bag, put it back on the shelf, then I told her: “First of all, I am not Chinese. Second, in case you don’t know, airlines are shutting down, it’s quite difficult to travel right now. Third, you should apologize to me, because I think what you did is on tape” – I pointed at the camera. She ran away.

    I’m not sure when I will be able to forget that memory.

    2023 08 14 10 31
    2023 08 14 10 31

    Have you ever walked into a room and seen something that made you go, “Nope,” and turn 180 degrees and walk away? What was it?

    Yes. As a Captain and Company Commander in the Army Reserves I was running an errand in the rural south with one of my high-ranking NCOs, a Sergeant First Class. We needed to stop for lunch, so I pulled up to the sort of small country diner at which I like to dine from time-to-time in the countryside.

    My Sgt was African-American. Let’s call him “SFC T.” We were wearing our camouflaged combat fatigues.

    SFC T said, “I don’t think we should stop here, sir. This is the local KKK hangout.” I chuckled and said, “Sgt T, this is the 1990’s, not the 1960’s. What are you talking about?” And he replied, “Sir, look at the sign. See how it says ‘Karla’s Kountry Kitchen?’ See how they spell it ‘Karla’ with a ‘K,’ ‘Kountry’ with a ‘K,’ ‘Kitchen’ with a ‘K?’ And see how the ‘K’s are painted different colors than the other letters? It’s the local KKK hangout.” I laughed and dismissed his concerns, saying lightheartedly, “Sgt T, you are totally full of shit. Now get out of the car, we are going in for lunch.”

    Understand, I was an officer who ALWAYS very strongly respected, listened to, and relied upon my NCOs. But this was not a military matter and, although I knew racism still existed, it simply was beyond my comprehension that overt, hostile, potentially violent KKK shit could still exist in the 1990’s. In our area? Right out in the open amongst everyone? With a sign above the door? It was as if someone was telling me the earth had two moons.

    I opened the door to the cafe and took about three big steps inside, with SFC T right behind me. The place was packed. Immediately, all conversation ceased. Stone cold silence. Simultaneously, every single head in the entire restaurant turned to stare at us. And although no movie soundtrack of impending doom started playing in the background, my mood immediately shifted, from happy-go-lucky Captain anticipating a great country meal with one of my best NCOs, to fight or flight mode anticipating danger and potential violence.

    I needed go no farther. I looked over my shoulder and said quietly, “Sgt T, let’s get the f__k out of here.” So we turned, walked straight back out out, and jumped in my car. I cranked it up and drive off at high speed.

    Of course, I felt absolutely terrible. Terrible for not believing SFC T or listening to his concerns. Terrible for placing us, and particularly him, in a potentially dangerous situation. Terrible for being so incredibly naive as to have no idea that such bullshit still existed.

    I apologized profusely to SFC T as we were driving away. Frankly, he seemed more amused than anything, watching my eyes open and the light bulb go on in my brain.

    The more I thought about it, however, the more I found it a very valuable experience. Because I witnessed first hand how two intelligent people, coming from two different backgrounds and, particularly, races, can view exactly the same situation but see two totally different realities. Or, more precisely, one complacent fiction and one harsh reality. And I’ve never forgotten it.

    So 30 years later, when I hear people dismiss BLM protests, or fail to see as victims black men who die at the hands of police in questionable circumstances, I think of SFC T and Karla’s Kountry Kitchen. And I marvel at how many people still need to open their eyes.

    REACTING to *Aliens (1986)* THE GREATEST SEQUEL?? (First Time Watching) Sci-fi Movies

    https://youtu.be/sePAJdU7ZHU

    What are some mind-blowing facts that sound unreal but are actually true?

    Originally Answered: What are some mind-blowing facts that sound like ‘BS’, but are actually true?

    Liquor and wine are illegal in the U.S. unless they are radioactive. When tested, drinking alcohol is required to have at least 400 radioactive decays per minute for each 750 ml.

    Explanation: The United States government has decided that alcohol for consumption must be made from “natural” materials, such as grains, grapes, or fruit. That rules out alcohol made from petroleum. Such alcohol is chemically identical to natural alcohol and just as safe – there’s no difference in taste — so why this rule? The reasons have to do with history (keeping alcohol more expensive, a goal of the anti-alcohol lobby) and minimizing competition (a goal of the liquor lobby).

    How can you tell the difference between natural alcohol and alcohol made from petroleum? There’s no chemical difference. The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, charged with enforcing the natural alcohol rule, has only one reliable test: check for radioactivity. Natural alcohol gets its carbon from plants; the plants got the carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. As explained on the previous pages, atmospheric carbon dioxide is radioactive because of the continued bombardment of cosmic rays – particles coming from space that collide with nitrogen molecules and turn it into C-14, radiocarbon. Only one atom in a trillion carbons in the atmosphere is radiocarbon, but that’s enough to be detectable. (One of the authors of this book, RM, invented the most sensitive way to detect C-14, called “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry.”)

    Petroleum was also made from atmospheric carbon, but it was buried hundreds of millions of years ago, isolated from the radioactive atmosphere. Radiocarbon has a half-life of about 5700 years, and after a hundred million years, there is nary an atom of C-14 left.

    True, bootleggers could get some C-14 and add it to illegal liquor. But that’s beyond the skill set of most of them.

    Have you ever watched a movie in an empty movie theater?

    Yeah, on May 30, 1989, although my mom was with me.

    It was my birthday. Ever since I was a kid, I had wanted to see Cats on Broadway, so my mom decided to take me for my 16th birthday. She picked me up from my dad’s house, we made the hour-long drive into Manhattan… and saw the big “SOLD OUT” sign outside the Winter Garden Theater. I was bitterly disappointed — sold out on a weekday??

    Mom said, well, let’s get lunch and go to the movies instead, and asked if there was anything in particular I wanted to see.

    Actually, yes, I told her. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

    My mom was awesome. She didn’t even ask what it was about or anything. We went to the diner and got some burgers and milkshakes, then to a movie theater in Peekskill, New York.

    We were the only ones there, but we didn’t care. I loved it, and Mom loved it, too. My mother had this fantastic, loud, goofy laugh, and it echoed through the empty theater. I’m not sure which of us enjoyed Bill and Ted’s historical antics more, and by the time the credits rolled, I wasn’t so bummed that Cats had been sold out.

    That would be the last movie I’d ever see in the theater with my mom. She had 4th stage breast cancer, see, that had metastasized to the brain, and early the next year, they’d find her 3rd brain tumor. She died in November 1990, when she was 54 and I was 17.

    Thinking about that day makes me miss my mom something fierce, and especially that big, goofy Kay Truex laugh, echoing in a theater that we didn’t have to share with anyone else. I’m glad we were the only ones there, and that we spent that day in a crummy movie theater alone, rather than on Broadway with a crowd of people.

    It was just for us.

    Me and my mom on her 54th birthday, March 1990. I’m not sure it’s the last photo ever taken of us together, but it’s the last one I still have. Was she a historical babe or what?

    main qimg a1dcc11462c1bc3f6762aaeffdf2e364 pjlq
    main qimg a1dcc11462c1bc3f6762aaeffdf2e364 pjlq

    Scott Ritter: China is Ready for WAR Over Taiwan as Blinken’s “Diplomacy” Fails

    2023 08 14 10 35
    2023 08 14 10 35

    Why does the Chinese government publicly say that its gold reserves are 2,000 tons when most people believe that it is actually more than 7,000 tons?

    China has lots of secrets

    China discloses very little

    As to Gold, I am certain China has more than 2300 Tonnes as Reserves

    Yet 7000 is ridiculous

    Nobody can acquire so much Gold without a market shock

    In 2015, a very reasonable analysis predicted that China’s actual reserves would amount to 98.8 Million Troy Ounces or 3073 Tonnes

    This was based on buy patterns of Gold by China’s private players increasing 219% between 2009–2015 while China revealed it’s reserves to grow only by 62%

    So many experts reliably predicted China’s Gold Reserves were actually close to 3073 Tonnes and not 1658 Tonnes as claimed by China

    From 2015–2023 based on buying patterns China purchased directly through the Central Bank around 661 tonnes

    Private players purchases remain confidential and Gold purchases in Yuan with Russia and UAE remain confidential

    Assuming 25% of the buying by private players compared to 2009–2015 and 15% of the quantity of gold from Russia and UAE in Yuan than they did in Dollars

    That’s around 398 Tonnes roughly

    Thus China’s estimated real reserves could be = 3073 + 661+ 398 = 4132 Tonnes

    So China may have around 4132 Tonnes of Gold in its reserves

    Likewise China’s real reserves may be between $ 4–4.6 Trillion

    Why is the US so worked up over a 28nm equipment from China when it can make even 3nm chips?

    Ah

    That’s because this 28nm DUV Lithography machine is FULLY INDIGENOUS and has come to the commercial line in 3 Years and 10 months

    There are 15,800 components in this machine and everyone if them is MADE IN CHINA

    The Wafer layering is also Chinese

    The Final Tested 28nm Chip had a 94.1% yield which is only 1.7% lower than the 95.8% that a 28nm chip made with Western equipment delivers

    Even 7% was acceptable by the Chinese (88.8% Yield) so a 94.1% yield was OUTSTANDING

    The Chip is estimated to be priced at 4840 Yuan for a stack compared to 5410 Yuan for a stack of 28nm chips that use Western Equipment and are made in China

    That’s a 12.50% price cut

    Experts estimate that the same 28nm chips being made in Taiwan or Korea using Western equipment would cost 7200 Yuan or almost 50% higher than China’s price

    This Machine is now commercial which means by 2027 it will replace existing western DUV equipment completely and also have enhanced quality

    This means China have gained full Independence in their 28 nm Chips from any Western Control and technology

    Until now it was possible only for 90 nm Chips and above


    Thats not why the US is mad though

    This was something that was expected by the US the minute the same equipment passed protocol stage in 2018 May with a 59% Yield (Now 94.1%)

    It entered Commercial phase in 2019 December

    The US is mad because China can use these 28 nm Chips and stack them and get the equivalent of 14 nm and even 7 nm chips

    China has made massive strides in stacking

    It means China can now have fully Indigenous 14 nm Chips at 89% of the quality that the West delivers and Indigenous 7% Chips at 70.1% of the quality that the West delivers

    Now these stacked chips cannot be used commercially as their price would be too high (A 28 nm Chip stacked as a 14 nm would cost 91400 Yuan a stack against a mere 11260 Yuan that it would cost for a Western Equipment made 14 nm Chip in China and 16220 Yuan for a stack made in Taiwan)

    However they can be used in Defence applications and National Security related applications where China won’t mind the higher price in exchange for more flexibility

    Better to have 71% Quality home chips at 11 times the price for Defence Equipment than have none at all and have a 100% disadvantage with the West


    Thats why the US is hopping mad

    A Senator named Tom Cotton said this was all Bidens fault and he was too slow and gave too much time for China to catch up


    China still has a long way to go

    China is around 3/4 the way there

    It still needs the last 25% of the race against the toughest of circumstances

    9 things Australians are not being told about US military deal

    No, the astonishingly expensive tie-up between Australia and the US military deal is NOT about defense of the country, nor is it about bringing stability to Asia. The opposite is true, and Asians know it. The Australians stand to lose a great deal, not just in terms of money, but in the great relationships that they have built with the rest of Asia over many decades, and in the world’s understanding of the Australian character.

    THE TRUTH! Oliver Anthony Reaction – Rich Men North of Richmond

    2023 08 20 11 32
    2023 08 20 11 32

    Summer is a time for fun

    I remember growing up as a boy in Western Pennsylvania and walking though the woods. We had some virgin forests; these were deep and located in ravines. With massive old trees, land of endless moss and loom, and with the smells of rich and dark earth. It was dim, gloomy but so very much alive.

    pexels photo 338936 1160x673 1
    pexels photo 338936 1160×673 1

    We had timbered areas where the trees were cut down and soft off, and were now a wasteland with small plants and trees trying to reclaim the land. It was a lot like walking on Mars with an occasional “Christmas tree” here and there.

    We had light woods, and pine trees. Aspen forest which were fun to hike though, and areas what was nothing but undergrowth. We also had lands that were dense pine.

    aspen
    aspen

    We (us boys) would access these various areas, not by roads, but by the long forgotten railroad tracks of yore that wound in and out between the hills and took us to areas “well off the beaten path”. And there, often enough, we would find the remains of old highways and paved roads that were forgotten when newer and faster roads were built nearby.

    I imagine that boys and girls can still enjoy the natural aspects of life if they take the time to branch out and explore.

    cooking hot dogs over a campfire tim laman
    cooking hot dogs over a campfire tim laman

    Perhaps, if you have the time, make a day trip and see what lies just over that next hill. You might well be surprised.

    It doesn’t take much to have some fun.

    Buy a pack of hotdogs, some buns, and some disposable tubes of mustard, ketchup from a fast food joint. Bring a lighter.

    Woman chooses sausages in a vacuum package at the grocery store
    Woman chooses sausages in a vacuum package at the grocery store

    Beer is too heavy to carry, but a bottle of wine, or whiskey isn’t. Just take it easy and have a great time.

    Remember…

    Tomatoes and corn are ripe now, as are apple trees laden with fruit.

    What can emerging economies such as Thailand, Brazil, India, and Indonesia do today to help the US deter Chinese influence in Africa?

    Haha. Are you paranoid about China? If yes, you must be listening too much to western esp US propaganda.

    Brazil & India are a member of BRICS. Indonesia is applying to join BRICS.

    In total, about 44 countries are interested in BRICS with 20+ applying to join. Even France is asking to be an observer.

    All BRICS members & to-be-members have 1 thing in common: all suffered from US monetary & financial hegemony. All want dedollarisation & stay out of US SWIFT banking system.

    It is a global effort since Ukraine war to “beat” US monetary & financial hegemony.

    Now, you are asking these countries to “deter” Chinese influence in, say, Africa???

    I bet they all want Chinese has a bigger influence anywhere incl Africa. The bigger the influence is, the sooner they can beat US hegemony.

    Do you know 60% of Brazilians are poor? It is because US capitalists have sucked up Brazil’s natural resources. Brazil is the most zealous to beat US hegemony.

    Dont be paranoid about China. Dedollarization is not initiated by China. Just that China’s economy is stable & the world find confidence to use Chinese yuan to replace USD. That is all.

    Nothing to do with China. Everything to do with USA itself who shoot its own foot.

    Star Trek Next Generation – Earth Colony Turkana IV

    U.S. War Machine Is KILLING The U.S. Middle Class – RFK Jr.

    What can American politicians do to restore the middle class in this country? The first step, says Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is to stop warmongering all over the globe, spending countless billions on weaponry, building military bases and “flexing our muscle” in every corner of the planet. Jimmy talks to RFK Jr. about where the $800+ billion a year in “defense” spending could better be spent.

    2023 08 03 21 05
    2023 08 03 21 05

    I stood there dumbfounded…

    I lost my 35-year-old, soulmate husband unexpectedly on Memorial Day morning. I had gotten up to find him on the driveway of our home and had tried to revive him while waiting for EMS but it was too late. He had had a gran mal seizure and had what the medical examiner ruled a “Terminal Event” and was taken from me and his daughter that idolized him, that day. Needless to say, it was a horrible, traumatic day such that I wondered if I would ever be able to get out of bed again.

    After several months I had decided to try to return to work when I was met by a co-worker who hugged me and asked how I was and said she was so happy to see me. She then said to me “My family and I have been praying hard to you. We have been praying that you will get cancer really soon so you can be with him because we know how much you love him.” I stood there dumbfounded with the hideousness of that statement. She then handed me a CD she had made for me (that I only played years later out of curiosity) that was full of the most tragic and mournful music I ever heard. I made it through about two hours at work that day but then went home and did not return for several more months. What little bit of healing had been shattered by that comment. When I did finally return, I avoided her like the plague. She was just one of many wholly inappropriate comments made by those who I thought cared for me.

    People! Pleasssssssssse just give those new to loss, a hug and tell them you are sorry for their loss. Deem anything else inappropriate.

    EDIT: Thanks so much for all of the support. I really do appreciate it.

    This woman became famous at work for her strange replies to many things so I came to feel it wasn’t personal. Some examples: She stated it would have been much better if Elizabeth Smart had died instead of being found, because now she was “sullied and would never be wanted or accepted by people again.” She also came in one day telling everyone that her 14 year old daughter had “caught scabies” from holding hands with her boyfriend. The odd thing was she acted proud of it.

    Like my granddad used to say ”takes all kinds”.

    Sheet Pan Fish and Chips

    Please your palate with a Sheet Pan Fish and Chips recipe that’s full of flavor. This dish’s major perk is the convenience of a single pan for cooking (no frying required). And the great flavors of Old Bay® and McCormick® Tartar Sauce.

    fish and chips 4
    fish and chips 4

    Yield: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup buttermilk
    • 5 teaspoons Old Bay® Seasoning, divided
    • 1 pound cod fillets, cut into 4 x 2 inch pieces
    • 2 large russet potatoes, cut into wedges (about 1 1/2 pounds)
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 egg
    • 1 cup cornflake crumbs
    • McCormick® Original Tartar Sauce for Seafood

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
    2. Mix buttermilk and 1 teaspoon of the Old Bay in large resealable plastic bag. Add fish; seal bag. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
    3. Toss potatoes and oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with another 2 teaspoons of Old Bay; toss to coat evenly. Spread potatoes in single layer on foil-lined 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan sprayed with no stick cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, turning potatoes halfway through cooking. Remove pan from oven. Push potatoes to outside edge of pan. Set aside.
    4. Place flour in a shallow dish.
    5. Beat egg, another 1 teaspoon of Old Bay and 1 teaspoon water in a separate shallow dish.
    6. Mix cornflake crumbs and remaining 1 teaspoon Old Bay in another shallow dish.
    7. Remove fish from buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip off into bag.
    8. Coat fish in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture, then press into cornflake mixture until evenly coated. Discard any remaining flour, egg and cornflake mixtures. Place fish on a wire rack in center of pan with the potatoes.
    9. Bake for 15 minutes or until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork and potatoes are tender.
    10. Serve fish with potatoes and tartar sauce, if desired.

    Douglas Macgregor- Russian Counter-Offensive !

    https://youtu.be/UyHa63auEEc

    What did you eat when nobody invited you for Thanksgiving dinner?

    When my oldest daughter was about a year and a half I called my father to ask if my house mate could join our large family for Thanksgiving dinner. You see I had no car and buses did not run in our area on holidays. My father said NO. He preferred I not bring a guest. I said, I don’t have a ride. He said he was sorry and that we would be missed. I was embarrassed and heartbroken as I relayed the news to my friend. Later he was invited to join friends at a party where children were not allowed.

    Long story short, we shared a baked potato and I didn’t eat dinner with my family for another 10 years. In those years I hosted dinner for friends and strangers I knew to be alone for the holidays. The pain and loneliness of that long ago day still lives with me. My daughter is now 42, my father is gone and I host gatherings where no one is ever turned away!

    Sanctions Are Working / Have Failed

    Susan found and sent these:

    Spectator, Aug 6, 2022 – Sanctions are working – whatever Putin says

    2023 08 04 08 02
    2023 08 04 08 02

      Spectator, May 13, 2023 – Why the economic war against Russia has failed

    2023 08 04 08 0e2
    2023 08 04 08 0e2

    Similar headlines or sentiments will be found in pretty much any other ‘western’ magazine that still has some integrity.

    The catastrophic consequences  of  sanctioning Russia without any realistic assessment of its, and one’s own economies should have led to a serious clean up of all state and international bureaucracies involved in it.

    Alas, we have yet to see that anyone who was involved has been punished for these horrendous mistakes.

    The very same people are now involved in finding ‘solutions’ for the mess their shortsightedness created.

    It is no wonder then that people will vote for anyone other than those in charge.

    Posted by b at 6:31 UTC | Comments (289)

    Gonzalo Lira MISSING After FLEEING To Ukraine Border

    May God protect Gonzalo.

    https://youtu.be/7n_9ueVy20A

    The doctor broke down in the delivery room.

    2023 08 05 11 46
    2023 08 05 11 46

    The doctor went on to share the woman’s story, explaining that she had spent 14 years trying to conceive, trying “tried all treatments including injections and artificial insemination” to fall pregnant.

    2023 08 05 11 47
    2023 08 05 11 47

    Finally, she fell pregnant, carrying her baby to term despite having “a large tumour”

    “When she was pregnant, this tumour began to melt and everything was fine,” he said.

    “During the time of delivery, the husband rushed to me and stayed for seven hours until we decided to cut her abdomen.

    “She carried her child in her arms and smiled and then departed.

    “The mother died and the child lived, her husband fainted at the news of her death.

    The doctor channeled his grief into a powerful message, which feels particularly poignant in the lead-up to Mother’s Day.

    “Please respect women because they are dying to bring you new life,” he said.

    “If you suffer the pain of childbirth for hours and spend long nights in raising your children, it is the greatest sacrifice.

    “If you do not talk to your mother for any reason, please go and contact them now.

    “Show your love for women and respect them.”

    What are American customs that seem weird to foreigners?

    In case my Chinese countrymen haven’t mentioned:

    Drinking ice water ALL THE TIME. ALLLLL THE TIME!!!!!

    Regardless of temperature or occasion, summer or winter, you ask for a cup of water, and most likely, they’ll give you a cup of ice with some water in it. I have to specifically ask for “no ice” every time I visit a restaurant. My Chinese stomach can’t take it. Like many Chinese people, I grew up drinking hot tea or lukewarm/room temperature boiled water (which we call 白开水, white boiled water). Ice water (especially in winter) is said to be bad for you. If you ask for water in Chinese restaurants (in China), 9 out 10 times, they’ll give you a cup of hot water right out of the boiler, and that 1 time you get lukewarm water.

    But I understand all the health talks are just groundless old wives’ tales. There’s no scientific study to support ice water is bad for your body. If I seem defensive, that’s because I’ve mentioned this once before on Quora, and a wave of angry Americans came to tell me I was wrong and ice water is perfectly fine.

    Ice water is perfectly fine, Americans. I’m not saying it’s bad. No need to get angry with me all over again.

    I’m just saying it’s a weird custom for the Chinese, and I personally prefer lukewarm water or hot tea.

    What are some of the differences between wealth and money?

    Money is: When you are a Doctor or Lawyer or what ever (Business owner) making $450,000 per year and with full benefits but needing to work full time and even overtime to maintain that (60 hours+). You enjoy access to a country club in Beverly Hills for a monthly fee — and you go golfing in the summer — and you go hunting in Canada on yearly vacation.

    You also own a big house in Beverly Hills but with a mortgage and a boat at the Marina Del Rey Docs, but it’s financed. Your kids go to private schools and with tutors if need be. You drive both a Benz and a Ferrari but you drive your own cars. The cars are financed. Your wife doesn’t work. You have a private chef that comes over and cooks your family meals.

    With a safe stacked with cash incase of a rainy day, you don’t worry so much if you have to call in to work sick or if you need to take off for a few days.

    main qimg 369717d562b80ebe25a87d23b6773f42
    main qimg 369717d562b80ebe25a87d23b6773f42

    You have money to basically do what you want but to a degree. You own stocks and wondering if you have enough put away for early retirement or if you need to work ‘till 65 to be on the safe side. You worry about a stock market crash and wonder if that could affect your retirement.

    Wealth is: Owning 9 gas stations (inherited from your father). And your older brother has even more businesses than you do. Collectively, your family is like a financial empire (family wealth).

    You have private doctors that make house calls — what ever medical specialists you need. You don’t work a job. Your ‘job’ is only to look after your businesses. Not only are you set up for retirement but your children are also set up: financially stable, with their own retirement accounts. You prepare your children to run the family businesses when they come of age. You do not prepare them or encourage them to work a job. ‘You don’t work — you own.’

    You have what they call ‘generational wealth.’ Most of the financial assets you have are tied to a family trust. Having both accountants and lawyers on payroll, your most important lawyer charges $750 per hour for legal advice — and he’s totally worth it!

    You own a mansion in Beverly Hills, CA and another in the Hamptons, NY — no mortgage, all paid off. You employ a live in Butler and a live in Maid. And you have a chauffeur to drive you around while you ponder your next business venture — or while you just take a nap in the back seat.

    A trust says you have 25% ownership of that same country club in Beverly Hills and your siblings own the rest. Including the country club, the gas stations and maintaining both residences, you employ over 100+ workers; most are paid hourly rates.

    You have a safe — filled with gold!

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    You don’t have rainy days…

    You have basically the money to do what ever you want within reason.

    A nice portion of your wealth is sitting in the stock market but every time the market crashes you barely blink. From your dividend stocks alone you earn a healthy wage — $332,000 per year and that number seems to be gradually increasing more than inflation.

    You have free cash to buy more shares when the market corrects and prices come down, a trick you learned from your father.

    Tonight is the gala. You can donate money to your favorite political candidates.

    Africa Stands Up to US Cold War Bullying Against China & Russia, w/ Kambale Musavuli

    What would the average person look like competing against actual Olympians in the Olympics?

    This gave me second-hand embarrassment.

    On Tuesday (Aug 1st) during the women’s 100-meter race at the World University Games in China, the Somalian runner performed so badly it had to be a joke.

    Even when she stepped up to the mark you could tell she was not in tiptop shape like her fellow competitors.

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    On your marks

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    Get set

    Go!

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    Questions were asked, and it came to light that she was not a trained athlete and was actually the niece of Somalia’s Athletics Federation Chairperson. It couldn’t possibly be nepotism, right? No way.

    I do love to see what happens when people who abuse their little powers in their own countries try that shit outside.

    The Chairperson’s face was plastered all over social media, called a national embarrassment and suspended.


    What would the average person look like competing against actual Olympians in the Olympics?

    They would look pathetic.

    It should be acceptable to let hacklers of every sport be thrown onto the field every now and then to see how easy it is.

    People underestimate the sheer hard work and sacrifice athletes put in, just because when they’re competing against each other in sporting events such as the Olympics it does not look that impressive. Throw in an average person and we’d appreciate the difference.

    What’s the homework that your child was given by the teacher that shocked you?

    When my son was in first grade, the teacher sent home a math sheet that included a problem that went something like: “If a pyramid has five balls at the base, then four, then three, etc., how many balls are there?”

    My son went to work figuring that the base would have 25 balls, (5 X 5), then 16 balls (4 X 4), then 9 (3 X 3), then 4 (2 X 2) and then 1 ball at the top. Total = 55.

    She marked it wrong.

    Evidently the “right” answer was 15 (5+4 +3+2+1).

    When I saw this I brought the paper back to her and asked why it was wrong.

    When I explained to her that my son had solved for it as a 3-dimensional pyramid, she went beet red and admitted that she hadn’t recognized what he had done.

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    Needless to say, he was eventually placed in a G&T (Gifted and Talented) program.

    What’s the homework that your child was given by the teacher that shocked you?

    Oh SH*T! Now Kenya is INVADING Haiti?

    The U.S. government will provide Kenya with the “resources” – presumably this means money, weapons and training – necessary to lead an invasion of Haiti, pending UNSC approval. Kenya will conduct an assessment mission to Haiti in the coming weeks. So, we’ve outsourced the invasion of Haiti. Why? Redacted correspondent Dan Cohen reports on this.

    What did someone do or say at the bank that made you say, “You gotta be kidding me!”?

    Back around 1995, I received and Bank Draft for an insurance settlement. I opened a separate account with the draft and added $1000 cash. I was told the draft would take 10–14 business days, after a month, 20 business days i was told it would take 10–14 business days. I explained it was already 20 business days. I was told I knew nothing about banking and I should just wait. I asked for $500 cash out of that account and was told that the funds were not available in that account. I tried to explain I had put in $1000 cash and was curious how long cash took to clear. She brushed me off.

    I then told her I wanted to close my other accounts at that bank. A small savings account for Christmas had about $800. My checking had a over $5000. My two company accounts had in excess of $100000. I told her I wanted all cash because i didn’t know anything about banking. I let her know I would be back at 3 PM the next day for all my money. I went back to work. By the time I got there I had messages from 5 different people at that branch and other branches. I waited until one called again, the branch manager BM. “What are you closing all your accounts?”

    “I am not closing all of them yet, just those 4.”

    BM. “Why? What happened?”

    Me. “I was told I didn’t know anything about banking. I deposited a bank draft a month ago and the funds are not yet available. Also the $1000 cash deposited at the same time is not available for withdrawal. And by the way, I called the bank the draft was on, it cleared 3 weeks ago. But hey, I don’t know anything about banking.”

    BM. “I don’t know who told you that, I will look into it. And we don’t have that much cash at this branch to give you. Aren’t you worried about getting robbed with that much cash?”

    Me. “Only if someone at the bank blabs about it. Besides I will be bringing my own security. And I gave you 24 hrs to get the cash in the branch.”

    BM. “Come in tomorrow and let’s talk about this.”

    Me. “I will be there at 3PM to pick up the cash. I have already have the accountant opening accounts for us. My family and our company have been there over 50 yrs. But I have never been so disappointed in the bank. I asked the teller, how long it took cash to be available and she ignored me. I asked her twice. That’s when I told her to start closing accounts.

    The next day the bank arranged a transfer of the funds to our new bank. I closed my personal accounts and refinanced the home loan I had with them.

    I may not know about banking, but I do know what customer service is.

    China’s DJI Refuses India’s 1.5 Billion Rupee Order, Leaving India in Disarray.

    About DJI drones we must remember that at the start of his economic sanctions against China, Trump had ordered the DOD to get rid of all the Chinese products in their arsenal and replace them with more costly US products. A year after there was a ton of complaints from the military personel that the more costly US made military drones were underperforming the DJI drones that they were replacing. That’s why the DJI drones have 75% of the world market. Their quality/price ratio are unbeatable for all of their product line.

    DJI is wise to refuse India’s order of 1.5 billion rupees. BYD too knew how India works and demanded full payment prior to delivery of the electrical buses. India has been criticizing China but now trying to fool Chinese companies to grab money. Manny American companies have suffered a huge loss of investments because of India’s ‘money grappling’ policy. Foxconn a.o. are running away from India and back to China as they have great difficulties in India. One should be aware of the risk in investing in India as it may outweigh the benefit.

    https://youtu.be/9ypdASk3rsk

    Why did France cut aid to Niger right after these poor people just endured a military coup? Starving a nation without warning in the middle of a crisis, isn’t that an act of terrorism?

    Russia is there to give them Wheat without them needing Dollars

    Russia will sell them Wheat for Barter

    Russia will give them weapons, trained troops and Wheat in exchange for Gold and Uranium

    Behind the scenes is of course China ready to finance the entire deals in their stockpiles of US Dollars

    Why would Niger need French or US Aid now ?

    That cutting off Aid isnt gonna work anymore sadly

    Hell No! U.S. considers a military DRAFT to build up failing forces

    Are you prepared to send your loved ones to war? Members of Congress along with retired military are pushing the idea of a military draft in The United States. One retired colonel is calling for a hybrid approach using both a volunteer force and drafted force. How about we stop our imperial aggression around the world?

    What were some unexpected/ funny ways criminals got caught?

    2023 08 03 21 28
    2023 08 03 21 28

    Hitman outsourced a murder to a hitman, who hired a hitman, who hired a hitman.

    Chinese police charge six, including 5 hitmen with intentional homicide, after all the men tried to outsource the killing to each other. The intricate, would-be job was first contracted by real estate developer Tan Youhui in October 2013, who wanted to kill a rival developer who sued his company over a dispute over a development.

    Tan paid Xi Guangan around $282,800 for the job. Guangan then took the money, and used half to hire another hitman, Mo Tianxiang, to do the job.

    Mo Tianxiang then hired another hitman Yang Kangsheng and gave him a photo of the target, promising half of the money that was promised to him on completion of the Job. Yang then offered the job to another hitman with the same promise.

    The last hitman then outsourced the Job to Ling Xiansi, for a measly $14,000. Ling, rather than pass the job on to someone else, ended up reaching out to the rival developer to tell him about the hit out for him. Ling and the developer ended up faking the murder, staging an image of the developer with his hands tied, which then circulated through the chain of hitmen back to Tan, the businessman who hired the first hitman. By this time the developer had already reported his attempted murder to police. Who were able to quickly arrest the suspects.

    All five hitmen were sentenced to between two to four years in prison in a court in the Guangxi region, while the developer who requested the hit, was sentenced to five years.

    Things You CAN Do in China (You CAN’T Do in America)

    If you’re thinking of visiting China but feel scared about what you can and can’t do, then this video is for you! In this video, we’ll share with you some of the things you CAN do in China that you CAN’T do in America. Most Americans watching this video will be shocked! China is the true land of the free! Chinese people have much more freedom than in the west. Come to China and see it with your own eyes! and see the truth my friends.

    2023 08 04 09 17
    2023 08 04 09 17

    I love this guy

    In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write a famous author and ask for advice. Kurt Vonnegut (1922 – 2007) was the only one to respond – and his response is magnificent:

    “Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and Congiusta:

    I thank you for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don’t make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.

    What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.

    Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you’re Count Dracula.

    Here’s an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don’t do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don’t tell anybody what you’re doing. Don’t show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?

    Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash receptacals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what’s inside you, and you have made your soul grow.

    God bless you all!”

    Kurt Vonnegut

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    National fat shaming in Japan has led to them having a 3.6% obesity rate. Since ours in the US is 41.2% and climbing alarmingly, why don’t we adopt widespread fat shaming, since it clearly works great?

    That’s not why Japan has a low obesity rate. I’ve been to Japan; they are way too polite to be vicious to fat people (or anyone, really). They’re far more the passive-aggressive types.

    One thing Japan does have is a culture of walking everywhere. The streets are narrow, the cities are crowded, and nearly everyone takes buses and trains to get around, which means that they have to walk at the endpoints of every trip they take. The average Japanese person is walking six kilometers every day.

    2023 08 05 11 18
    2023 08 05 11 18

    Typical day: Walk to train station, get on train. Get off at your stop. Walk to work. Repeat in reverse later. You get quite a few steps in this way. This picture is pre-COVID, by the way; that’s how much they masked up even before the pandemic.

    Another thing Japan has is smaller portion sizes when you eat out. You’ll almost never have any leftovers. And you wouldn’t want them, anyway—will you haul them with you while you take the train home? You’d probably get discrete annoyed looks from the other passengers for stinking up the train car. You most likely walked into that restaurant, and you’ll be walking out, so lugging a box of food in your arms when you leave is kind of awkward. It’s the same with the sodas you buy from vending machines—a typical Japanese soda is 300–350 ml (10–12 oz), while the bottles from a U.S. soda machine are usually around 20 oz. Many machines will also sell you water, coffee, barley tea, or green tea, which won’t be very sweet. If you buy street food, you might be able to buy snacks from a few different places before it fills you up.

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    A meal I ate at a hotel in Japan. I took this photo just before I ate it. It was excellent but not huge.

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    Here’s another one from the same trip. I think this was a Chinese restaurant. This is a pretty typical portion when you eat out.

    There are some other things that probably help. Japanese employers are required to pay taxes to support the public health care system. A lot of obesity happens because people have sedentary jobs and work long hours, so the government decided to penalize companies that have too many overweight employees. Effectively, this means that companies with a lot of obese employees have to pay higher rates for their health insurance. Because companies hate giving away their money, they are motivated to find the cheapest, simplest way to keep employees thin. This might include mandatory calisthenics when you show up for work in the morning, removing unhealthy options from the company cafeteria, making their employees wear step monitors, or even just nagging them constantly. Maybe this is what the question means by “fat shaming.”

    To be clear, I don’t think Japan is better in every way, and there’s plenty about their society that America should not be copying. They have some health problems that are worse than the United States (e.g. stress, suicide, stomach cancer, smoking, depression, etc.). Still, they do a far better job than the U.S. at avoiding obesity, and it’s worth paying attention to what about their society is helping them to do that.

    It would be tough to get Americans to walk more, but city designs that make transit preferable to driving likely help. Perhaps there’s also a way to persuade our restaurants to (at least) offer smaller portion sizes for those who want them. I’m not sure how we’d “adopt widespread fat shaming,” though. I’m not sure Japan does it any more harshly than Americans do, and I don’t think it would help much.

    Smoked Sausage, Potatoes and Onion

    OIewewP
    OIewewP

    Ingredients

    • 1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage, sliced
    • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
    • 5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. Line a large baking tray with sides with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
    3. Put the sausage slices, onions and potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, paprika and dried thyme. Toss together and pour onto the baking tray.
    4. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, stirring halfway through, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.
    5. If desired, scatter the cheese over the top and return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

    **HE’S HAD ENOUGH! Oliver Anthony – Rich Men North Of Richmond | REACTION

    2023 08 20 10 50
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    United States stories…

    100% those stairs the guy built are garbage, but 65k to build stairs in that location? What are they building them out of unobtanium ? Concrete and labor ain’t that expensive.

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    BATTLE OF THE WORLDS Remastered Classic Full Action-Sci-Fi Movie

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    Enjoy this silly 1960 era science fiction charm.

    My icy cold Razzmatazz

    We continue…

    The voting in the USA was rigged. No doubt about it.'
    
    And not only at the last election, it has most likely gone on for two or three elections before that.
    
    There is only one cure. Paper votes, hand counting and representatives for all interested parties as observers.
    
    And it would be nice if you had a working judicial system as well.
    
    I cannot see how this is not going to end in bloodshed.
    
    It is just a matter of time, before people revolt.
    
    In a way I'm surprised it has not already happened.
    
    Posted by: g wiltek | Aug 15 2023 16:07 utc | 4

    When I was in training for my MAJ role at NAS China Lake, I had my first experiences with world-line travel. It wasn’t until later that I start to notice that my journeys would “stick”. I would find myself on a new world-line with new things, and old things that never existed.

    One of the things that I miss is the breakfasts with beans. In this present world-line it is with potatoes. Of course, to youse guys, it’s always been that way.

    One of the things that seem to be forever changed for me is the soft-drink Razzmatazz. It never existed on this world line. But back in the day, prior to me joining the Navy, it was THE soda that you all would drink. And while there were coke and Pepsi drinks, I always loved my icy-cold Razzmatazz.

    My favorite was a malted cherry soda that they made. It had a kind of cherry-butterscotch like feel to it. There was also a birch beer & vanilla, and a malted root beer. Sigh. But none of it exists on this world-line.

    All’s the pity.

    Today… have some fun.

    France Reportedly Thinks That The US Backstabbed It During Nuland’s Trip To Niger

    By Andrew Korybko

    AUG 15, 2023

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    2023 08 17 11 03

    France fears that the interim military-led government is willing to explore a deal whereby they’ll agree to keep Russia/Wagner at bay and retain the US’ bases in their country in exchange for Washington ensuring that ECOWAS doesn’t invade like it threatened to do. In that event, the full fury of the Nigerien people would be directed against France, which could either go it alone in trying to forcibly reverse last month’s coup in vain or chalk up the strategic loss and withdraw.

    Le Figaro cited an unnamed diplomatic source over the weekend who alleged that the US backstabbed France during Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland’s trip to Niger. The piece is paywalled but was summarized here

    . France reportedly fears that the US might tacitly recognize Niger’s interim military-led government in exchange for being allowed to retain its bases. Should that happen, then the US would proactively replace France’s security role in the Sahel before Russia/Wagner has a chance to.

    This concern is predicated on rational calculations. From the US’ strategic perspective, the anti-French sentiment that’s sweeping the Sahel will inevitably result in ousting that country’s military from this part of Africa, which could lead to a security void that would likely be filled by Russia/Wagner. Even if France resorts to force for clinging to its last regional bastion in Niger, whether directly and/or via Nigerian-led

    ECOWAS, then it’ll only exacerbate the hatred that locals feel for their former colonizer.

    A swift victory is doomed to be pyrrhic since another round of anti-French unrest would follow sooner or later to complete the decolonization process that the prior one couldn’t, while the outbreak of a larger regional war risks Russia accelerating its envisaged replacement of France’s security role in the Sahel. Both outcomes are contrary to America’s long-term interests, though some policymakers might find their potential short-term benefits to be alluring.

    It’s in this context that Nuland visited the Nigerien capital last week to “push for a negotiated solution” according to what she informed the press during a special briefing after her meetings there. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin reacted to this development by boasting that “the US has recognized a government that it did not recognize yesterday just to avoid meeting the Wagner PMC in the country.” While some might have dismissed his remarks as trolling, they actually convey a stark truth.

    Nuland’s trip was likely driven by her government’s desire to determine post-coup Niger’s intended relations with Russia/Wagner. She made contradictory statements about this during her briefing that were analyzed here , but the point is that this was probably the real reason behind her visit. If she assessed that no clear commitment had yet been made to solicit that group’s services, then it would be possible to make progress on the vague “negotiated solution” that she claimed to have in mind.

    Judging by Le Figaro’s report, France fears that the interim military-led government is willing to explore a deal whereby they’ll agree to keep Russia/Wagner at bay and retain the US’ bases in their country in exchange for Washington ensuring that ECOWAS doesn’t invade like it threatened to do. In that event, the full fury of the Nigerien people would be directed against France, which could either go it alone in trying to forcibly reverse last month’s coup in vain or chalk up the strategic loss and withdraw.

    The US already backstabbed France a few years back by stealing its nuclear submarine deal with Australia via the surprise unveiling of AUKUS so the precedent exists for it to backstab that country again in the Sahel by stealing its “sphere of influence” there through these means. In this particular case, American policymakers might have concluded that France’s military ouster from the region is inevitable so it’s better to proactively replace it with their own forces than risk Russia/Wagner filling the void.

    To that end, it makes sense to opportunistically exploit the latest events in pursuit of a pragmatic deal with Niger’s interim military-led government despite being at France’s expense. There’s no guarantee that it’ll succeed, but it’s strategicallysound from the perspective of the US’ New Cold War interests in Africa. America could present itself as a peacemaker that averted the wider war that France wanted to spark all while stopping the spread of Russian military-strategic influence on the EU’s Sahelian doorstep.

    The aforesaid reframing of Nuland’s trip in light of Le Figaro’s report compellingly explains France’s alleged fears of her country’s real intentions in wanting to diplomatically resolve the West African Crisis. The ulterior motive behind its latest “push for a negotiated solution” is to proactively replace France’s security role in the Sahel before Russia/Wagner has a chance to. In this way, the US could mitigate the strategic damage from the Nigerien Coup and arguably benefit from it to an extent.

    the GIRLS REACT to *Terminator (1984)* THIS IS TERRIFYING!! (First Time Watching) Sci-fi Movies

    Is America a Second Rank Power?

    Blame deindustrialization.

    Godfree Roberts Aug 16

    Since the Second World War most Britons have unquestioningly accepted the premise that Britain should continue to rank as a first order world Power while, on the other, insisting that living standards should continue rising and social services be protected from taxes to finance foreign policy commitments. The question is not whether Britain can continue to think and behave as a Great Power, but whether it can afford to. – F. S. Northedge, 1970.

    The good news is that there will be no war.

    The rather sad news is that America can’t afford one.

    1980s neoconservative policies – downsize government and privatize everything – have left the US a second-tier power, uncompetitive economically, industrially, scientifically and even militarily, as this STEM ranking suggests:

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    2023 08 16 20 04

    Why we fail

    There are at least seven reasons why the US failed in Ukraine. Says Correlli Barnett, “The power of a nation-state by no means consists only in its armed forces, but also in its economic and technological resources; in the dexterity, foresight and resolution with which its foreign policy is conducted; in the efficiency of its social and political organization. It consists most of all in the nation itself: the people; their skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative; their beliefs, myths and illusions. And it consists, further, in the way all these factors are related to one another. Moreover, national power has to be considered not only in itself, in its absolute extent, but relative to the state’s foreign or imperial obligations; it has to be considered relative to the power of other states”. Let’s break that down.

    The Power of Other States

    1. Armed forces. No serious military scholar imagines the US Army could challenge the Russian Army in Europe, nor the PLA in Asia – after being humiliated in Korea in 1951. Next year the PLAN will have 400 new warships armed with hypersonic missiles – which the US Navy’s 293 older boats neither possess nor can defend against.
    2. Economic and technological resources. Russia’s economy is the world’s fourth largest, its military sector is 800% more productive than America’s, its military technology is a generation ahead, and its generalship is the world’s best. China’s productive economy is 300% bigger and leads the US in almost all sciences and technologies.
    3. The dexterity, foresight and resolution with which its foreign policy is conducted. Ninety percent of the world’s people do business and sympathize with Russia or China, and their leaders are rock stars wherever they go. Ten percent of the world’s people support America, whose leader is pitied, even insulted to his face.
    4. The efficiency of its social and political organization. 80% of Russians support their government’s policies and 96% of Chinese support theirs. Barely 34% of Americans trust their government or support its policies.
    5. Skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative, beliefs, myths and illusions of the people. China’s and Russia’s recoveries reflect their people’s resilience, skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative and collective self-belief. The US has yet to recover from the GFC, struggles to staff a chip fab, and hasn’t given its workers a raise since 1974.
    6. Foreign or imperial obligations. Ukraine, on the heels of the Afghanistan imbroglio, suggests that the US is incapable of sustaining its obligations towards its allies. Its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear pact suggests that it is incapable of making agreements.
    7. National power relative to the power of other states. If America wants to match Russia or China militarily, Washington must double real defense spending through 2034 just to match the 2023 capabilities of either, not both, of them.

    America is overextended abroad, overinflated at home and its State competence is deteriorating in almost every way – from governance to justice to military to infant mortality – while it ignores its decline.

    Next Stop: Failed State?

    A failed state’s institutions are feeble and flawed. Often, the executive barely functions while the legislature, judiciary, bureaucracy, and armed forces have lost their capacity and professional independence. A failed state suffers from crumbling infrastructure, faltering utility supplies, educational and health facilities, and deteriorating human-development indicators like infant mortality and literacy. Failed states create an environment of flourishing corruption and negative growth rates, where honest economic activity cannot flourish. Encyclopedia Britannica.

    Even before Covid, there were more hungry children, drug addicts, suicides and executions, illiterate, incarcerated, poor, homeless people in America than in China. How long can post-Covid America, riven by factionalism and distrust, weakened by disease, and dying younger each year, compete with dozens of initiatives like this?

    The only real barrier to China’s bid to capture Eurasia’s vast Middle Space was the US occupation of Afghanistan. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline, TAPI, joining Central Asia’s gas fields to South Asia, was announced in 2018 but progress through the critical Afghan sector was slowed by the war. Since then, the scheme has been revived, opening the way for Chinese investment that could complete its capture of Central Asia. Alfred McCoy

    10 Reasons I LOVE China (in 10 minutes)…

    Is it true that China’s economy is 60% smaller than it is actually reporting?

    Wow!!!!

    Did you know this was exactly the same stuff published in the Soviet papers and East German papers and Czech papers and Polish papers in the 1970s?

    That the US Economy was exaggerated and 60% smaller that it really was

    main qimg 663ac1209b28add3bd7458db8a8939e5
    main qimg 663ac1209b28add3bd7458db8a8939e5

    Man , this is bad

    Back then in the 1960s to 1990s, Americans won by Competition, Ability and Achievement

    Back then the Soviets claimed victories in paper by publishing lies, lies and more lies and used brute force and twisting of data to claim a superior system (US)was collapsing all the time


    Today the opposite is happening

    US and the West are Soviet Russia and East Germany today

    They hate competition, They hate tolerance in any area other than Transgenders and Homosexuals, They are losing ability by the millisecond

    They claim victories by publishing lie after lie, most of which are bizzare and illogical and use the same brute force to claim a superior system is collapsing.

    Meanwhile China is becoming exactly what the US was in the 1960s – 1990s

    Critically truthful, Exploring Solutions openly, Admitting Problems openly, Keeping Victories as subtle as possible, Fostering Competition in every sphere, Tolerant of every race and religion provided they identify as Chinese first, Focus on Ability and Merit only.

    Russia too is following the same road now


    The Democracies are collapsing due to their fatal flaws

    The Meritocracies and carefully planned one party systems are flourishing


    So this Chinas Economy is 60% smaller is basically History going around in Propaganda and Lies

    A Testament to the theory that eventually all Democracies decline into a Mediocracy

    You Won’t Believe What China Have Done | American CEO’s Protest !

    A tiny microchip smaller than a fingernail is at the heart of a high-stakes technology war between superpowers.

    Advanced semiconductors form the brains powering everything from AI to hypersonic missiles.

    Now a global battle is unfolding between the US and China over who controls the future of these foundational chips.

    With national dominance at stake, the US has imposed sweeping sanctions to blockade China from cutting-edge semiconductor designs and manufacturing.

    But China is marshaling its vast resources to achieve self-reliance and circumvent restrictions.

    The race is on to shape mastery over the electronics underpinning 21st century innovation.

    Join us as we uncover the events, technologies, companies, and strategies fueling this multifront semiconductor conflict.

    2023 08 16 10 05
    2023 08 16 10 05

    The trajectory of global scientific progress and economic power hangs in the balance.

    Are there any other countries taking action against China for their treatment of Uyghurs?

    I’m from Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

    When the Uyghur topic arised a few years ago, it was also a trending topic here.

    Many people started to curse China because of this issue.

    But Indonesia is a neutral & non block country, which means we’re friends with many countries, including China, even North Korea.

    Indonesia, as well as many other Muslim countries has been sending alot of Imams (priests), delegations, and even students to China, including Xinjiang regularly.

    Guess what? None of Muslim countries condemn China on their acts, because later we realize that it’s only propaganda made by Western countries to weaken China & to create destabilization.


    As for me myself, I’ve visited Xinjiang 2 times before the Covid pandemic, I know that there were terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, which the members were mostly from Uyghur ethnic.

    The terror movement is called the East Turkestan (Islamic) Movement. It’s backed up by Al Qaeda & Taliban.

    The United Nations on their website also listed the Movements as a terrorist Movement, also they list most of the attacks on their website too.

    The US already know this issue, and they also bombed Uyghurs, who ran to Afghanistan after Chinese Central Government took control of Anti-Terror acts (because the local government failed to control them and the situation became worse)

    Note: This is an American news media, not Chinese media.

    So the US also bombed Uyghurs, but later accusing China for their treatments against the Uyghur, don’t you think that it’s hypocrisy?

    Nowadays Taliban is close to China, and they promised not to help Uyghur militants anymore, they even sending back the militants who ran and hide in Afghanistan.

    I can read a little bit of Mandarin, I use some Chinese social media and make friends with Uyghurs, so I know what happened and what’s happening from the Uyghur themselves.

    They said that those terrorists use Turkestan name because they want support from Turkic countries nearby, while those terrorists also killed their own Uyghurs who don’t wanna support them, as well as Uzbek, Kazakh & other Turkic people, also Tajik Muslim, Hui Muslim & Han people in China

    And they use “Islamic” name, obviously for supports from Islamic countries.


    On the early morning of Wednesday, 30 July 2014, an Uyghur Imam, named Juma Tahir, the imam of China’s largest mosque, (Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar), was stabbed to death by three young male Uyghur terrorists because he was strongly against the terrorists.

    Alot of Western Media covered this, but it seems that they forget it easily (or intentionally).


    These videos are the example of Muslim Scholars visiting Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region recently, there are Indonesian Scholars too in that event

    Beside of those videos, there are still alot of informal visits from Islamic Scholars & imams to China.

    In fact, tour to Xinjiang is available in Indonesia and it’s always fully booked, as I work at the one of the biggest Tour & Travel agency in Indonesia.


    Latest Xinjiang Muslim Festival in Indonesia, featuring tribes in Xinjiang especially the Uyghurs, and Indonesian ustadz (Islamic preacher), leaders, government, etc

    From 19 July – 10 August 2023 to celebrate the Islamic New Year, this is the re-stream from 2 August:


    As for now, there are some people who are still condemning China in Indonesia, but most of them are either from extremist groups (we call them kadrun), or just ignorant & uneducated people. Which later we found to have links (directly or indirectly) to the US’ Anti Chinese founding

    U.S Boeing Near Suspension in China as Tensions Between US China Escalate!

    2023 08 16 20 50
    2023 08 16 20 50
    https://youtu.be/pZAhDLwkp9c

    The TSMC Arizona project is one of the biggest FDI deals in United States history with Taiwan investing over $40 billion. It’s all part of the $52 billion dollar CHIPS Act to bring Taiwan’s flagship company to the US, but there are a plethora of problems amounting the question the entire legitimacy of this project. In today’s video we examine the top 5 biggest problems TSMC is currently facing and if this project will be a success.

    Beef Chili Cheese Fries

    2023 08 16 10 25
    2023 08 16 10 25

    Yield: 6 to 8 servings

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 2 cups chopped yellow onions
    • Salt and cayenne to taste
    • 2 pounds ground beef
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • Crushed red pepper to taste
    • 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
    • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
    • 3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 3 cups beefsteak or beef broth
    • 2 tablespoons Masa Harina
    • Vegetable oil for deep frying
    • 2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into shoestrings, rinsed in cool water and patted dry
    • 1/2 pound grated Cheddar cheese
    • 1/2 pound grated Monterey Jack cheese
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapenos

    Instructions

    1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until they begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
    2. Add the beef, chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and oregano. Season with salt and cayenne, and cook until all the pink in the meat disappears, 5 to 6 minutes.
    3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and 2 1/2 cups beef stock; bring to boil, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface.
    4. Combine the Masa Harina with the remaining 1/2 cup stock and mix to blend. Slowly add to the pot, stirring to blend. The mixture will thicken. Cook for 30 minutes, then season again with salt and cayenne. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
    5. In a heavy, deep pot or an electric fryer, heat 4 inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees F. Fry the shoestring potatoes in batches until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels, then season with salt and cayenne.
    6. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    7. Cover the bottom of a large, glass rectangular baking pan with the shoestring potatoes.
    8. Combine the Cheddar and jack cheeses. Sprinkle the cheese over the fries.
    9. Bake just until the cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.
    10. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the chili over the top of the fries.
    11. Garnish with the sour cream and jalapenos.
    12. Serve immediately.

    “U.S. bullying ends now!” – Putin issues stunning military plan

    Yeah. Give nuclear weapons to Iran, Mexico, and a host of other nations that are sick and tired of the USA.

    Ukraine’s Grifter Wars Through Gonzalo Lira’s Eyes

    Former Glasgow MP George Galloway said it best about Gonzalo Lira, whose re-arrest by Zelensky’s Gestapo was announced by American transsexual grifter Sarah Ashton Cirillo, who is now a staff sergeant in Zelensky’s Wehrmacht even though, as we previously pointed out, Sgt Sarah has not yet completed basic military training.

    In wishing Lira well, no matter what Lira’s motives were for staying in Zelensky’s Fourth Reich, Galloway spoke for most of us, who don’t take our marching orders from a transgender American who left his wife and children back in Yankee land to play act at being a girly spokesperson for the homophobic Ukrainian Wehrmacht.

    In acknowledging Lira’s chequered history, Galloway said that was not a massive problem for him or for his listeners, who were more interested in Lira’s bird’s eye view on the conflict, rather than on tips on how to pick up hot Ukrainian chicks or, indeed, chicks with dicks like Sgt Sarah. Galloway, with his excellent command of the English language, also doubted that Lira “inflicted strategic damage on Zelensky’s regime”, thereby implicitly agreeing with my earlier analysis that Lira should have got a kick up the transom and be booted across the Hungarian border.

    Leaving aside that Sergeant Sarah was a Federal informant, an agent provocateur, a gambler, a sexual deviant, a complete sociopath, and a terminal narcissist who pals around with terrorists, I, amongst others, have seen this D grade Hollywood plot play out a hundred times before.

    Ukraine has an unhealthy sprinkling of such grifters on both sides of the lines. Former USMC officer Scott Ritter, who previously defended Lira, now believes Lira is a liar and SBU asset as does Eva Bartlett for the same reasons she objected to the family of Syrian President Assad bringing competition for her begging bowl to Damascus.

    Brian Berletic, who posts informative videos under the New Atlas name, believes Lira is more fool than knave and, like Galloway, he admits he found Lira’s input helpful in his own analysis. To counter Berletic, there are a stream of twitter threads like these “exposing Lira” and all ‘kinds of “Putin shills,” some of whom, like Bartlett, Galloway was reduced to calling “flat earth fucks” because of their grifting, much of which, such as lying they were in Syria when they were not and stealing over $1 million of Iranian aid for Syria I have witnessed firsthand.

    To get a feel for some of the whack jobs MI6 and the CIA support in Kiev, consider this MintPress article which reports on Cormac Smith, MI6’s hired Irish field hand who tells us that ““Russians are fucking animals” and that the Russkies have committed genocide by admitting that they forcibly transferred “700,000 Ukrainian children” to Russkie land, a figure Smith obviously plucked from Sgt Sarah’s more than ample ass.

    MintPress goes on to discuss some of the usual suspects, such as MI6 asset Michael Weiss, the Henry Jackson Society, The Interpreter, the Atlantic Council, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bellingcat, the 77th Brigade, MI6 contractors Torchlight, and NATO fixer Chris Donnelly, all of whom are grifting in Ukraine.

    To me, all of those grifters are just noise. I go back to first principles, to the dreary steeples of Fermanagh and South Tyrone where the British fought a successful 40-year intelligence campaign against the Provisional IRA. As part of their war effort, MI5 bankrolled supposed former PIRA member Vincent McKenna’s Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT),who gave the IRA a series of very black eyes until grifter McKenna was jailed for raping his own daughter.

    When I asked two members of the IRA’s Army Council, their governing body, why did MI5 hire such a boomerang, they replied that MI5 were so hell bent on beating the IRA that they turned a blind eye to everything, child rape included. Using that and similar examples as my compass, it is, to me, beyond doubt that MI6 and the CIA have exotic and unhinged operatives working behind the lines in Syria, Ukraine and everywhere else; however, I doubt Lira is one of them. Rather, I believe he is one of those well-meaning fools I have come across who have paid either with their lives or by serving very long prison sentences for their folly in the killing fields of Ireland and Syria.

    The problem is that it can be hard to differentiate the wheat from the chaff, the fool from the knave. Jamal Daoud, a Jordanian living in Australia, complains here about an alleged former Hindu extremist terrorist, planning to bump him off. But they, in turn, reported Daoud to Syrian Military Intelligence for bringing Jonathan Spyer, an Israeli spy, into Syria. Because of all that, I bought Spyer’s book, which is published by Routledge, which more or less specialises in academic vanity publishing. Chapter 14, Undercover in Damascus, the relevant chapter of the book, is as forgettable as bland bread and served no benefit to Israel or its allies.

    And then we have the Sydney based Anglican priest, who is on an Israeli naughty list because of his long-standing friendship with nuclear missile whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu Barrett tried to manipulate for one of her $40,000 scams and whose face another “street artist” scammer plastered on murals all over Sydney when the priest was already in very hot water with his archbishop for bringing the church into disrepute with his activism. The end result of their “humanitarian intervention” was that the priest became homeless.

    That is not to say Israel does not want their legions of little helpers in Syria. It does and I have blocked some of them and observed some others of them up close. But they, like Lira and his critics, are not the main game and they are hardly even a sideshow. As Syria’s best secret service agents joined the colours, it was often the dross that stayed behind to mop up the bribes, often in cahoots with the grifters.

    When I told two former senior members of the IRA, whose brothers were murdered by the SAS that Assad had, despite Bartlett’s keening, invited Major General John Holmes, the former commanding officer of the SAS to Damascus, one of them thought it a good idea as, to him, bridges have to be built and the other thought it a bad idea as, to him, the only good SAS officer is a dead SAS officer.

    Schooled by such experiences, my own prognosis is quite simple and to the point. The main vectors in the Ukrainian shemozzle are the Armed Forces of Russia and their military allies on the one hand, and NATO and their lemmings on the other. All else is tinsel.

    Allied and perhaps even integral to the Russian Armed Forces are a number of spokespeople, the best known of whom are Russian President Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Russian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zakharova, all of whom tend to tell it as it is, not as Tinseltown’ transexuals would like it to be. Opposed to those spokespeople are Hollywood circus clowns like Zelensky and Sgt Sarah, as well as a bunch of supporting clowns in Washington, London, Paris and Brussels.

    The Syrian situation is slightly different as Syrian civil society and, indeed, Syrian military intelligence, have left far too many holes for domestic and foreign grifters to exploit. I have met many of these grifters and, not to put too fine a point on it but far better people were found in the back roads of Fermanagh and South Tyrone with bin bags over their heads and bullets through their brains.

    Lira, as my previous article described him, is simply a middle-aged Chilean Ukraine will try to trade at a premium, just like they have done with previous civilians they kidnapped. Though Lira is only an irrelevant sideshow, I wish him and his family the best.

    That said, this Ukrainian war will end with a resounding Russian victory that is already resonating across Africa and throughout Asia, from Syria in its West to China in its East. Cold comfort for Lira if he gets an OBE (one behind the ear) but, whether he lives or dies, his torture at the hands of Zelensky and transexual nut job Sergeant Sarah is one more score that has to be settled, one more vendetta that must, if necessary, be avenged in blood by the Russian Armed Forces.

    Tucker Carlson EXPOSES Ukraine Biolab SHOCKING Details

    The United States does this…

    2023 08 16 07 21
    2023 08 16 07 21
    https://youtu.be/ZMTznqsHmM0

    How Will Trump’s Fourth Indictment – And RFK Jr. – Influence The Election Season?

    Another month brings another indictment of Donald Trump:

    ATLANTA — Former president Donald Trump and 18 others were criminally charged in Georgia in connection with efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state, according to an indictment made public late Monday night.

    Trump was charged with 13 counts, including violating the state’s racketeering act, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath, conspiring to impersonate a public officer, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree and conspiring to file false documents.

    With so much alleged conspiring should we call all these indictments a conspiracy theory?

    This indictment is again too wide and borders on, like the others against Trump, criminalizing the retelling of rumors and free speech.

    Just consider this part:

    COUNT 29 of 41

    And the Grand Jurors aforesaid, in the name and behalf of the citizens of Georgia, do charge and accuse DONALD JOHN TRUMP with the offense of FALSE STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS, O.C.G.A. § 16-10-20, for the said accused, in the County of Fulton and State of Georgia, on or about the 2nd day of January 2021, knowingly, willfully, and unlawfully made at least one of the following false statements and representations to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs, and Georgia Secretary of State General Counsel Ryan Germany:

    1. That anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia;
    2. That thousands of people attempted to vote in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia and were told they could not because a ballot had already been cast in their name;
    3. That 4,502 people voted in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia who were not on the voter registration list;
    4. That 904 people voted in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia who were registered at an address that was a post ofiice box;
    5. That Ruby Freeman was a professional vote scammer and a known political operative;
    6. That Ruby Freeman, her daughter, and others were responsible for fraudulently awarding at least 18,000 ballots to Joseph R. Biden at State Farm Arena in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia;
    7. That close to 5,000 dead people voted in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia;
    8. That 139% of people voted in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Detroit;
    9. That 200,000 more votes were recorded than the number of people who voted in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Pennsylvania;
    10. That thousands of dead people voted in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Michigan;
    11. That Ruby Freeman stuffed the ballot boxes;
    12. That hundreds of thousands of ballots had been “dumped” into Fulton County and another county adjacent to Fulton County in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia;
    13. That he won the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia by 400,000 votes;

    said statements being within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, departments and agencies of state government, contrary to the laws of said State, the good order, peace and dignity thereof;

    Even the Washington Post write-up finds that a bit too excessive:

    The indictment takes an expansive view of the behaviors it alleges were acts “in furtherance of the conspiracy” — including, as an example, at least a dozen instances of Trump’s tweets alleging fraud and other claims. Such details from the indictment quickly drew criticism as potential violations of the defendants’ free speech protections.

    Trials over these indictments, if any, will likely start only next year and will take quite a long time. Any judgment in them will be appealed.

    All this will mean little for voters who mostly have made up their minds:

    Yet most Americans made up their minds about Mr. Trump long before prosecutors like Fani T. Willis or Jack Smith weighed in, polls have shown. He is, depending on the perspective, a serial lawbreaker finally being brought to justice or a victim of persecution by partisans intent on keeping him out of office. The Georgia indictment, powerful as it is in its language, has been priced into the market, as the Wall Street types would put it.

    “The accumulated indictments are kind of a white noise for voters,” said Sarah Longwell, a Republican political consultant who has organized opposition to Mr. Trump and conducts weekly focus groups with voters. “They can’t tell the difference between Georgia and Jack Smith because it all blurs together in one long news cycle of Trump’s-in-trouble.”

    I believe, like Trump, that the indictment will help him. First in the primary and then in the general election:

    Speaking to supporters in Alabama a couple of days after his last arraignment, [Trump] claimed he was looking forward to the next one. “We need one more indictment to close out this election,” he boasted.

    That is bravado — the sort of bring-it-on bluster that electrifies a Trump rally.

    Contrast that with the case and against the Bidens which will be laid out by a special prosecutor to the same public. As I wrote when the last bits about the Bidens-Burisma saga came to light:

    On the one side we have a case which shows the deep corruption of ‘the big guy’ and his family who are supported by the deep state they control.

    On the other side we have the underdog who thought he was doing the right thing but is now indicted by the deep state for, at that time, saying so.

    The media will shine the light on both cases. Each time they will mention Trump it will, independent of what they write about him, be positive for him by making the case of the lone guy who gets unfairly prosecuted by the deep state.

    Each time the Biden case will be mentioned it will remind the public of Biden’s corrupt dealings.

    Proceed through that for sixteen month and the outcome is assured.

    Now add to that the possible quirks of the Democratic primary. RFK junior has entered that race:

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has raised eyebrows as the first right-sympathetic populist to run as a Democrat since William Jennings Bryan. Launching with twenty paid staff and functioning now with seventy, Kennedy’s campaign has latched on to several issues important to mainstream Republicans—Covid tyranny, censorship, government surveillance—as well as to the dissident right: public health threats posed by chemicals in food and water, ending forever wars. The difference is the right frames these issues as matters of social cohesion and public order, while Kennedy uses the language of democracy and freedom.

    In the currant fashion RJK Jr. is not really a Democrat:

    When discussing the issues that animate him most—the environment, censorship, state and corporate collusion—he brightens. His hopeless intellectual humility and his hesitation to emphasize the most divisive ideological commitments of his own party while regularly taking up the language of his partisan opponents are setting up a general election that could divide populist voters almost entirely on the basis of aesthetics.

    During the primaries the Democratic Party mafia will do their best to eliminate him even when he is unlikely to be a real danger to Joe Biden’s candidacy.

    Should Trump then consider to run for president with RFK Jr. as his future vice-president he could form a quasi bi-partisan populist ticket that might well attract a larger majority.

    Posted by b on August 15, 2023 at 15:47 UTC | Permalink

    Taiwan is in BIG TROUBLE as China Vows Retaliation for DPP Visit to US

    China has rebuked the U.S. for its latest escalations on Taiwan, from a growing economic war to the DPP’s latest visit to the United States. Here’s what we know thus far about the potential consequences.

    The Perpetual Wars You Aren’t Supposed to Notice

    By William J. ASTORE

    In his message to the troops prior to the July 4th weekend, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin offered high praise indeed. “We have the greatest fighting force in human history,” he tweeted, connecting that claim to the U.S. having patriots of all colors, creeds, and backgrounds “who bravely volunteer to defend our country and our values.”

    As a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from a working-class background who volunteered to serve more than four decades ago, who am I to argue with Austin? Shouldn’t I just bask in the glow of his praise for today’s troops, reflecting on my own honorable service near the end of what now must be thought of as the First Cold War?

    Yet I confess to having doubts. I’ve heard it all before. The hype. The hyperbole. I still remember how, soon after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush boasted that this country had “the greatest force for human liberation the world has ever known.” I also remember how, in a pep talk given to U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2010, President Barack Obama declared them “the finest fighting force that the world has ever known.” And yet, 15 years ago at TomDispatch, I was already wondering when Americans had first become so proud of, and insistent upon, declaring our military the world’s absolute best, a force beyond compare, and what that meant for a republic that once had viewed large standing armies and constant warfare as anathemas to freedom.

    In retrospect, the answer is all too straightforward: we need something to boast about, don’t we? In the once-upon-a-time “exceptional nation,” what else is there to praise to the skies or consider our pride and joy these days except our heroes? After all, this country can no longer boast of having anything like the world’s best educational outcomes, or healthcare system, or the most advanced and safest infrastructure, or the best democratic politics, so we better damn well be able to boast about having “the greatest fighting force” ever.

    Leaving that boast aside, Americans could certainly brag about one thing this country has beyond compare: the most expensive military around and possibly ever. No country even comes close to our commitment of funds to wars, weapons (including nuclear ones at the Department of Energy), and global dominance. Indeed, the Pentagon’s budget for “defense” in 2023 exceeds that of the next 10 countries (mostly allies!) combined.

    And from all of this, it seems to me, two questions arise: Are we truly getting what we pay so dearly for — the bestest, finest, most exceptional military ever? And even if we are, should a self-proclaimed democracy really want such a thing?

    The answer to both those questions is, of course, no. After all, America hasn’t won a war in a convincing fashion since 1945. If this country keeps losing wars routinely and often enough catastrophically, as it has in places like Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, how can we honestly say that we possess the world’s greatest fighting force? And if we nevertheless persist in such a boast, doesn’t that echo the rhetoric of militaristic empires of the past? (Remember when we used to think that only unhinged dictators like Adolf Hitler boasted of having peerless warriors in a megalomaniacal pursuit of global domination?)

    Actually, I do believe the United States has the most exceptional military, just not in the way its boosters and cheerleaders like Austin, Bush, and Obama claimed. How is the U.S. military truly “exceptional”? Let me count the ways.

    The Pentagon as a Budgetary Black Hole

    In so many ways, the U.S. military is indeed exceptional. Let’s begin with its budget. At this very moment, Congress is debating a colossal “defense” budget of $886 billion for FY2024 (and all the debate is about issues that have little to do with the military). That defense spending bill, you may recall, was “only” $740 billion when President Joe Biden took office three years ago. In 2021, Biden withdrew U.S. forces from the disastrous war in Afghanistan, theoretically saving the taxpayer nearly $50 billion a year. Yet, in place of any sort of peace dividend, American taxpayers simply got an even higher bill as the Pentagon budget continued to soar.

    Recall that, in his four years in office, Donald Trump increased military spending by 20%. Biden is now poised to achieve a similar 20% increase in just three years in office. And that increase largely doesn’t even include the cost of supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia — so far, somewhere between $120 billion and $200 billion and still rising.

    Colossal budgets for weapons and war enjoy broad bipartisan support in Washington. It’s almost as if there were a military-industrial-congressional complex at work here! Where, in fact, did I ever hear a president warning us about that? Oh, perhaps I’m thinking of a certain farewell address by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961.

    In all seriousness, there’s now a huge pentagonal-shaped black hole on the Potomac that’s devouring more than half of the federal discretionary budget annually. Even when Congress and the Pentagon allegedly try to enforce fiscal discipline, if not austerity elsewhere, the crushing gravitational pull of that hole just continues to suck in more money. Bet on that continuing as the Pentagon issues ever more warnings about a new cold war with China and Russia.

    Given its money-sucking nature, perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn that the Pentagon is remarkably exceptional when it comes to failing fiscal audits — five of them in a row (the fifth failure being a “teachable moment,” according to its chief financial officer) — as its budget only continued to soar. Whether you’re talking about lost wars or failed audits, the Pentagon is eternally rewarded for its failures. Try running a “Mom and Pop” store on that basis and see how long you last.

    Speaking of all those failed wars, perhaps you won’t be surprised to learn that they haven’t come cheaply. According to the Costs of War Project at Brown University, roughly 937,000 people have died since 9/11/2001 thanks to direct violence in this country’s “Global War on Terror” in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere. (And the deaths of another 3.6 to 3.7 million people may be indirectly attributable to those same post-9/11 conflicts.) The financial cost to the American taxpayer has been roughly $8 trillion and rising even as the U.S. military continues its counterterror preparations and activities in 85 countries.

    No other nation in the world sees its military as (to borrow from a short-lived Navy slogan) “a global force for good.” No other nation divides the whole world into military commands like AFRICOM for Africa and CENTCOM for the Middle East and parts of Central and South Asia, headed up by four-star generals and admirals. No other nation has a network of 750 foreign bases scattered across the globe. No other nation strives for full-spectrum dominance through “all-domain operations,” meaning not only the control of traditional “domains” of combat — the land, sea, and air — but also of space and cyberspace. While other countries are focused mainly on national defense (or regional aggressions of one sort or another), the U.S. military strives for total global and spatial dominance. Truly exceptional!

    Strangely, in this never-ending, unbounded pursuit of dominance, results simply don’t matter. The Afghan War? Bungled, botched, and lost. The Iraq War? Built on lies and lost. Libya? We came, we saw, Libya’s leader (and so many innocents) died. Yet no one at the Pentagon was punished for any of those failures. In fact, to this day, it remains an accountability-free zone, exempt from meaningful oversight. If you’re a “modern major general,” why not pursue wars when you know you’ll never be punished for losing them?

    Indeed, the few “exceptions” within the military-industrial-congressional complex who stood up for accountability, people of principle like Daniel Hale, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, were imprisoned or exiled. In fact, the U.S. government has even conspired to imprison a foreign publisher and transparency activist, Julian Assange, who published the truth about the American war on terror, by using a World War I-era espionage clause that only applies to American citizens.

    And the record is even grimmer than that. In our post-9/11 years at war, as President Barack Obama admitted, “We tortured some folks” — and the only person punished for that was another whistleblower, John Kiriakou, who did his best to bring those war crimes to our attention.

    And speaking of war crimes, isn’t it “exceptional” that the U.S. military plans to spend upwards of $2 trillion in the coming decades on a new generation of genocidal nuclear weapons? Those include new stealth bombers and new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the Air Force, as well as new nuclear-missile-firing submarines for the Navy. Worse yet, the U.S. continues to reserve the right to use nuclear weapons first, presumably in the name of protecting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And of course, despite the countries — nine! — that now possess nukes, the U.S. remains the only one to have used them in wartime, in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

    Finally, it turns out that the military is even immune from Supreme Court decisions! When SCOTUS recently overturned affirmative action for college admission, it carved out an exception for the military academies. Schools like West Point and Annapolis can still consider the race of their applicants, presumably to promote unit cohesion through proportional representation of minorities within the officer ranks, but our society at large apparently does not require racial equity for its cohesion.

    A Most Exceptional Military Makes Its Wars and Their Ugliness Disappear

    Here’s one of my favorite lines from the movie The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.” The greatest trick the U.S. military ever pulled was essentially convincing us that its wars never existed. As Norman Solomon notes in his revealing book, War Made Invisible, the military-industrial-congressional complex has excelled at camouflaging the atrocious realities of war, rendering them almost entirely invisible to the American people. Call it the new American isolationism, only this time we’re isolated from the harrowing and horrific costs of war itself.

    America is a nation perpetually at war, yet most of us live our lives with little or no perception of this. There is no longer a military draft. There are no war bond drives. You aren’t asked to make direct and personal sacrifices. You aren’t even asked to pay attention, let alone pay (except for those nearly trillion-dollar-a-year budgets and interest payments on a ballooning national debt, of course). You certainly aren’t asked for your permission for this country to fight its wars, as the Constitution demands. As President George W. Bush suggested after the 9/11 attacks, go visit Disneyworld! Enjoy life! Let America’s “best and brightest” handle the brutality, the degradation, and the ugliness of war, bright minds like former Vice President Dick (“So?”) Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Donald (“I don’t do quagmires”) Rumsfeld.

    Did you hear something about the U.S. military being in Syria? In Somalia? Did you hear about the U.S. military supporting the Saudis in a brutal war of repression in Yemen? Did you notice how this country’s military interventions around the world kill, wound, and displace so many people of color, so much so that observers speak of the systemic racism of America’s wars? Is it truly progress that a more diverse military in terms of “color, creed, and background,” to use Secretary of Defense Austin’s words, has killed and is killing so many non-white peoples around the globe?

    Praising the all-female-crewed flyover at the last Super Bowl or painting rainbow flags of inclusivity (or even blue and yellow flags for Ukraine) on cluster munitions won’t soften the blows or quiet the screams. As one reader of my blog Bracing Views so aptly put it: “The diversity the war parties [Democrats and Republicans] will not tolerate is diversity of thought.”

    Of course, the U.S. military isn’t solely to blame here. Senior officers will claim their duty is not to make policy at all but to salute smartly as the president and Congress order them about. The reality, however, is different. The military is, in fact, at the core of America’s shadow government with enormous influence over policymaking. It’s not merely an instrument of power; it is power — and exceptionally powerful at that. And that form of power simply isn’t conducive to liberty and freedom, whether inside America’s borders or beyond them.

    Wait! What am I saying? Stop thinking about all that! America is, after all, the exceptional nation and its military, a band of freedom fighters. In Iraq, where war and sanctions killed untold numbers of Iraqi children in the 1990s, the sacrifice was “worth it,” as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright once reassured Americans on 60 Minutes.

    Even when government actions kill children, lots of children, it’s for the greater good. If this troubles you, go to Disney and take your kids with you. You don’t like Disney? Then, hark back to that old marching song of World War I and “pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag, and smile, smile, smile.” Remember, America’s troops are freedom-delivering heroes and your job is to smile and support them without question.

    Have I made my point? I hope so. And yes, the U.S. military is indeed exceptional and being so, being #1 (or claiming you are anyway) means never having to say you’re sorry, no matter how many innocents you kill or maim, how many lives you disrupt and destroy, how many lies you tell.

    I must admit, though, that, despite the endless celebration of our military’s exceptionalism and “greatness,” a fragment of scripture from my Catholic upbringing haunts me still: Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

    Why I’m Raising My Children in CHINA – NOT The UK.

    2023 08 16 10 09
    2023 08 16 10 09

    What I Wish My Dad Taught Me When I Was Little, According To 11 Me

    It’s impossible to teach everything. But it’s helpful to know what untaught lessons might be felt the most.

    by Matt Christensen

    Aug. 10, 2023

    A father’s influence on their sons is profound. As young men, we look first to our fathers to help lay the foundation for our own future growth and development. In an ideal world, they show us what to do, and what not to do. They help us distinguish between right and wrong. They encourage our strengths and nurture our struggles to prepare us for the future.

    But, as well all know, fathers aren’t perfect. Sometimes opportunities to teach life lessons, impart simple skills, or prepare for hard-to-swallow truths get lost in the chaos of life. It happens. And it’s easy to look back with longing and regret at those moments. No, the point here is to not dwell on mistakes. Rather, it is to learn about what you might want to prioritize. We asked a dozen men what they wish their dads taught them when they were still kids. Whether learning how to problem solve, develop confidence, or rock and roll, they all had something to say. Here’s what they told us.

    1. How To Be Present

    “I grew up in a relatively low-income family with my mother on disability and my father always working hard to put food on the table and clothes on our backs. At one time my family had to file for bankruptcy because of debt. But my father still managed a way to get us what we needed.

    My dad was a hard worker and taught me the meaning of hard work and perseverance.

    But the one thing I wish I had learned sooner from my father was the importance of experiencing life, moments, and relationships over working for the dollar. Make your living doing what you do, but be present and don’t live life stuck in the past or even the future. Learn from past mistakes, but be in the present and cherish experiences and family because time is the one thing you can’t get back.” – Adrian, 31, Missouri

    2. How To Know My Worth

    “My father never taught me to be confident in myself. Instead, he forced me, as a little boy, to be timid, weak, and feel inferior to others, especially my peers. He was abusive and manipulative, and as a result, I would doubt whether any actions or decisions I took were the right ones.

    Later on, colleagues would insult, hurt, and bully me, and I didn’t have the strength to defend myself.

    I did learn lessons from my upbringing, though. The one that stands out in my mind all the time is that I must cherish and value my own children. I should never mistreat them or allow anybody to make them feel inferior. I’m traumatized by what my father did, and I wish he would’ve taught me differently. But what I have learned are essential lessons that I will never forget for the rest of my life.” – Phillip, 37, Colorado

    3. How To Play Guitar

    “My father was a musician, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I begged him to teach me how to play the guitar like him, but I wasn’t very good, and he wasn’t very patient. He got frustrated easily and nudged me toward other interests.

    As a father myself, I certainly understand frustration. But I also know how wonderful it feels when your kids finally learn how to do something new.

    I did eventually learn to play guitar. I’m still not good, but I’m better than I was when I was younger. My dad passed away before I had any skills worthy of sharing, and I always wonder what it would’ve been like if he were my teacher and we actually got to rock out together at least once.” – Jim, 45, New York

    I begged him to teach me how to play the guitar like him, but I wasn’t very good, and he wasn’t very patient. He got frustrated easily and nudged me toward other interests.

    4. How To Fix Things

    “My dad was one of those guys who was very mechanically inclined. He had a blue collar trade for a career, worked on cars in his spare time, and fixed anything and everything that needed fixing around the house.

    I’m not wired the way he was, unfortunately. Fixing broken things and working on cars is not a skill of mine. If I could go back in time to being a kid again, I would have asked my dad to take time to bring me in on some of his repair jobs.

    To give me a shot at turning the wrench, so to speak. Not only would it have given me much needed knowledge, but it also would have given me much needed confidence when working with my hands, which happens a lot as a dad.” – Scott, 36, North Carolina

    5. How To Set Goals

    “When I was younger, I wish my dad had taught me about setting realistic goals. It’s a really important skill that could have helped me grow and become better. It would have made me more disciplined, determined, and adaptable from a young age.

    Breaking big goals into smaller tasks can make a big difference in how kids deal with challenges.

    If I knew this earlier, I would have been more motivated and faced difficulties with more confidence. Also, understanding the importance of setting timelines would have made me feel more urgent to get things done and not procrastinate. If my dad had taught me to celebrate even the small achievements, I would’ve felt better about myself and been more encouraged.” – Erik, 40, Texas

    6. How To Care

    “I wish my dad had taught me how to develop emotional intelligence. My dad wasn’t very present during my childhood. He was a traveling jeweler and usually out for two to three weeks, then back home for one or two.

    He didn’t show me how to play sports, read, or any of the ‘normal’ stuff.

    But the biggest thing he never showed me was how to care for the people I love.

    I didn’t need him to be constantly checking up on me, but to be involved in how I felt, what I thought, or even what actually interested me outside of buying me whatever game I wanted. I now know this was something that he just didn’t know how to do, which is why I’ve made it a priority.

    My kids will know that I’m interested in what they like, how they think, and the people they are going to become. And my wife will know I support her in whatever she does. Ultimately, their happiness and emotional health are priorities for me as a husband and father.” – Joshua, 33, Arizona

    7. How To Connect With People

    “Being a dad to two cool boys, 9 and 11, often makes me think a lot about what my own dad taught me growing up. One big thing I wish he’d shown me is how to connect with people.

    I’m an introvert and striking up a conversation with someone new feels like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded.

    It’s tough, and I see the same thing in one of my boys. I realized a few years back that I had a small group of friends and didn’t stay in touch as much as I should. This hit me hard and got me thinking about the importance of connecting and building relationships.

    I’m learning to get better at this, and I’m taking my boys on the journey with me. I want them to understand that making friends and keeping them close is just as important as acing a test or scoring a goal. It’s something I’m still figuring out, but hey, that’s part of being a dad, right? We learn, and we teach.” – John, 31, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    My dad was very much a ‘Let me do it’ kind of guy. He wanted to fix the problem, whether it was a broken appliance or hurt feelings, rather than explore it.

    8. How To Let Certain Things Roll Off Me

    “I wish my father had known about and been able to teach me about the mind, and not letting what others say and do get to me so much. Sometimes the things other people say and do make us change how we do something or what we think about something, which has interfered with my life quite a bit.

    Had I have been taught how to manage those types of thoughts, I’m sure some of life’s worst moments wouldn’t have weighed upon me so heavily, for so long, and I would have been able to move on from them sooner.” – Michael, 40, Michigan

    9. How To Problem Solve

    “Getting older has made me learn to appreciate the ability to understand how and why things work. I’ve taught myself a lot by taking things apart and putting them back together, and I realize now that I’ve been conditioning my problem-solving abilities.

    My dad was very much a ‘Let me do it’ kind of guy.

    He wanted to fix the problem, whether it was a broken appliance or hurt feelings, rather than explore it. Or help us learn about it. I appreciate what he was trying to do, but I think it hindered my ability to think for myself and really figure things out while I was growing up.” – Trevor, 40, Pennsylvania

    10. How To Nurture My Inner Child

    “I wish my father had taught me that most adults, even parents, still feel like kids themselves deep down inside. That the feeling of not being ready for adulthood never really goes away, and most grown-ups are still trying to learn how to do stuff the right way.

    Since becoming a dad myself, I’ve realized that the feelings I have, like not always knowing the right answers, or trying my best but still making mistakes with my kids, must have been there for my dad, too.

    I’ve realized that they must have occasionally felt like a child with adult responsibilities sometimes, just like I do. I also think that lesson would have helped me be a bit more calm and understanding with other people throughout my life.

    When I stop and think of other adults as basically kids on the inside, with the same insecurities and fears that I have, it’s a lot easier for me to have patience and compassion for them.” – Phil, 45, Ohio

    11. How To Manage Money

    “I wish my dad had taught me about stocks and investing when I was young. He rarely talked about money or his work as a director at a large financial institution. His passing in December 2001 left a void in my life and financial knowledge.

    As I grew older, my interest in finance intensified, and I felt unprepared to manage money.

    I took it upon myself to learn about investing through self-education and seeking advice from others. Now, as a father, I understand the importance of sharing knowledge with my boy. I aim to be open and communicative about finances, empowering him to make informed decisions.

    Though my journey to financial knowledge was self-driven, I hope to create an environment for my son where he feels supported and encouraged to learn about finance and investing, just as I wish I had been in my youth.” – Patrick, 45, Korea

    How China Space Program Is BIGGER, BETTER & ADVANCED Than NASA

    Armed with aggressive timelines, strategic investments, and an insatiable appetite for innovation, China’s space endeavors have propelled it into the forefront of the race to space. The nations remarkable successes, like landing rovers on the hidden part of the moon and building a growing space station, have caught the world’s attention and clearly show that China wants to be a leader in space exploration, challenging the long reign of the US. In today’s episode, we will cover how China space program is better than NASA in several aspects.

    What are some facts that a disturbingly large percentage of Americans are ignorant about?

    main qimg 7ec1f7e510b6fd17916a7ad87fed682c lq 1
    main qimg 7ec1f7e510b6fd17916a7ad87fed682c lq 1

    Black Wall Street in Tulsa Oklahoma, was one of the richest black community in all of America. Then in 1921, a group of white supremacists attacked the community with the help from the National Guard.

    Known today as the Black Wall Street massacre, where 35 square blocks were decimated. The community was home to 10,000 African American residents. It was a thriving community, with brick and wood frame houses, and a bustling place of commerce, with shops, night clubs and theatres. It was a vibrant place, and full of promise which is why it became known as Americas Black Wallstreet.

    main qimg 58a0b6d6fed3b7d3edbe103263712d38
    main qimg 58a0b6d6fed3b7d3edbe103263712d38

    Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed wiping out years of generational wealth. Hundreds had been killed and buried in mass graves as a heavily armed gang of looters and arsonists destroyed everything in there wake. One of the factors in the destruction of the community was resentment over the financial prosperity of the black community.

    What are the world’s weirdest court cases?

    2023 08 16 21 46
    2023 08 16 21 46

    In Charlotte, North Carolina, a Lawyer bought a really expensive box of Cigars and then insured them against fire. Within a month he had smoked all 24 of these rather fine Cigars, without even paying his first premium payment on the insurance policy.

    The Lawyer then filed a claim against the insurance company. In the claim the Lawyer claimed the Cigars were lost in a series of small fires.

    2023 08 16 21 4gg7
    2023 08 16 21 4gg7

    The insurance company out-right refused to pay, stating the obvious reasons for not paying out the insurance claim, and that the man has consumed the Cigars in the normal way. The Lawyer filed a lawsuit against the insurance company and won.

    The Judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous, but the judge stated that the lawyer had a policy from the insurance company, which it had warranted that the Cigars were insurable and guaranteed that they would insure them against fire, without defining what was considered to acceptable fire.

    Instead of having to go through a lengthy legal battle and costly appeals process they accepted the Judges ruling and paid the lawyer 15,000 dollars for the smoked Cigars.

    After the Lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson.

    The Matrix (1999) | First Time Watching | Movie Reaction | Asia and BJ

    Would a Russia and China alliance be an unstoppable force? With Russia’s oil and natural gas resources and China’s large economy and sheer population and both countries military power, arsenals and nukes

    2023 08 16 21 49
    2023 08 16 21 49

    Absolutely

    The Russo – Sino combination would produce an Economic Giant with :-

    • Combined Real GDP of almost $ 25 Trillion
    • Combined Food Per Capita of 575 Kg per Year (400 Kg per year being minimum desirable)
    • Combined Gold Reserves of 5000 Tonnes officially and around 6500 Tonnes unofficially
    • Around 4 Million Soldiers including Reservists
    • Capable of outproducing NATO at 17:1 in Ammo, 9:1 in Missiles, 6:1 in Ships and 6:1 in Choppers and Tanks
    • Oil and Gas Reserves

    However this isn’t just adding numbers

    China isn’t ready to split the world into camps

    China wants a multipolar world and wants both the East and West

    No matter what the West does, China is not burning bridges with the West because China still gets a lot of stuff from the West

    My guess is China will wait and if Taiwan becomes a major issue then China may finally formally cut off the West and form a major alliance with Russia

    Russia is ready even today

    It’s tired and sick of the West

    Putin and Shoigu are moderates but Medvedev, Lavrov, Surovikin, Prighozin are all extremists and tough hawks who want the West beaten and crushed

    So it all depends on Taiwan

    That would be the red line for China

    If US supports Taiwanese Independence, China will formally get into a United Nuclear Alliance (If anyone nukes China, Russia nukes him back and vice versa) and a United Military Alliance (Anyone attacks Russia or it’s friends and China supplies everything including soldiers )

    US politician Robert Kennedy Jr. has confirmed the existence of American biological laboratories in Ukraine which are used to produce banned biological weapons.

    Tuesday, 15 August 2023 2:40 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 15 August 2023 9:37 PM ]

    US politician Robert Kennedy Jr. (File photo by AFP)US politician Robert Kennedy Jr. has confirmed the existence of American biological laboratories in Ukraine which are used to produce banned biological weapons.

    "We have bio-labs in Ukraine because we are developing bioweapons," the Democratic Party presidential candidate told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in a video interview posted on the X social network (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday. "Those bioweapons are using all kinds of new synthetic biology and CRISPR (an acronym for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats in DNA) technology and genetic engineering techniques that were not available to a previous generation," the US politician, also known by his initials RFK Jr., said in the interview. "When the Patriot Act reopened the biolabs arms race in 2001, the Pentagon began putting a lot of money into bioweapons," Kennedy Jr. added. "But they were nervous at that time because if you violate the Geneva Convention, it’s a hanging offense," he explained. "So they were nervous about actually going full force into bioweapons development. So they transferred the authority for biosecurity to one agency in the HHS [the US Department of Health and Human Services]," the politician added. "But now, when you do bioweapons development, every bioweapon, it needs vaccine so you develop them side by side because in 100 percent of the cases when you deploy a bioweapon, there’s blowback. Your side also gets sick," he concluded. The Russian Defense Ministry revealed the existence of US military biolabs in Ukraine working on producing bioweapons as early as February 2022. In mid-April, a Russian parliamentary commission presented its final report on the investigations into the activities of the US-run bio-labs in Ukraine. The report concluded that the Pentagon’s military biological program had grown large in scale, being implemented under the guise of anti-terrorist projects and activities that were permitted by the Biological Weapons Convention. The parliamentary commission also pointed out that the activities of all the US-controlled laboratories involved Pentagon experts. However, the results of their work were confidential and government agencies in the host countries only had access to secondary research results. Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, revealed that the secret US labs in Ukraine were producing biological warfare. As a result of the illegal activities that were being carried out at US bio-labs in Ukraine, Russia last year asked the United Nations Security Council to establish a commission to investigate the reports that Washington and Kiev were in violation of the Convention prohibiting the use of biological weapons. In the meantime, Moscow believes that the US bio-labs in Ukraine are only a fraction of a global network of 300 similar facilities. However, the US government has now denied the existence of such military bio-labs. Instead, the US government has admitted to what it calls US-funded biological research facilities. Earlier this year, Russia said it had obtained documents in Lisichansk, in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), that revealed the US military-funded labs in Ukraine had been creating biological weapons components and testing them on the population of the country. "Russian troops have secured over 20,000 documents, reference and analytical materials, and interviewed eyewitnesses and participants in American military-biological programs" since the start of the war in February last year, said the commander of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov. The general said that the documents "confirm... the focus of the Pentagon on creating biological weapons components and testing them on the population of Ukraine and other states along [Russia's] borders."

    What are the lessons people most often learn too late in life?

    I am 67 years old. These are among the best things I have ever learned:

    1. You spend your first 20 years worrying what people think about you. You spend your next 20 years swearing that you don’t care what people think about you. You spend the next 20 years realizing that they aren’t thinking about you. A liberation!
    2. Any day on this side of the dirt is a good day. Some people didn’t make the cut last night. I was hit by a speeding taxi as I was walking to a bus stop. I spent a month in rehab with two broken legs, a brain injury, multiple back injuries and other fractures. The night before I was hit, a young, married couple was also hit. They both died. Practice gratitude.
    3. A woman I know spends most of her time thinking about how much she hates her thighs. She can give you a detailed report on what is wrong with them. She forgets all the places those legs have taken her, all the miles they have walked for her. It doesn’t occur to her that when she gets up in the middle of the night to pee, those very thighs walk her to the toilet. Spend more time appreciating what you’ve got— a heart that beats, a way to pick up your cup of coffee, the eyes that see that cup and know what color it is. Blessings abound.
    4. There are two kinds of people in this world – those who believe there is enough to go around, and those who don’t. Here is an example: If Margo is leaning up against the car kissing her boyfriend, and I think how nice that must feel, do I try to steal Margo’s boyfriend or do I go out and get my own boyfriend? I go out and get myself a boyfriend. I don’t need to steal Margo’s. I know that there is enough to go around.
    5. An old Native American woman was asked why she was always so happy. She said that she has two wolves in her heart and they are both hungry— one wolf is angry and evil, the other wolf is filled with love, and that’s the only one she feeds.

    India Just BURIED The Dollar, Saudi Arabia Is Next

    Yes. It is happening.

    A truth

    funny memes 4
    funny memes 4

    Can you give some examples of revenge being served cold and sweet?

    About 30 years ago, I lived in an apartment complex where the owner paid the heat, hot water and cooking gas. The owner was one of the cheapest people I knew and she refused to fix anything or hire a decent Super. Btw, she had paid off the complex 15 years prior so she was making good $$$ off the complex

    The boiler breaks and she has an old, used one, that she found in the newspapers, installed during the summer. By state law she was required to provide heat by November 15th. By the 23rd, it is brutal cold and we still didn’t have heat. I called her up to find out what is going on. Her response was that she was out of $$$ and for me to buy some electric heaters. Btw, that meant my expenses would up, since tenants paid for their electricity.

    I go to town hall, met with the appropriate officials, let them know what is going and file a complaint. I also let them know that there was a large elderly group of tenants in the complex.

    The official calls her, tells her that she is in violation and that she needs to get the heat on ASAP. She tells him off and refuses saying that she knows people. (She didn’t) He tells her that he will fine her $1000/day for each unit or $48,000 a day starting with that day. She tells him that he can’t do that and called him some choice names. What she didn’t realize that the town’s lawyer heard the entire phone call.

    The next day she was delivered a notarized invoice for $48,000 along with a legal document stating that this daily fine will continue until the heat goes on. Now she is in a panic since she now owes the town $48,000.

    But the best part of the revenge is that this happened on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Do now she had to scramble to find someone who could get the system working which she eventually did. But he charged her double claiming that it was interfering with him going away for the holiday.

    One last thing, the town official told her if she tried to harass me for reporting her, the town would go after her and would pay my legal bills if I had to sue her

    Couldn’t Be Easier Brisket

    2023 08 16 10 23
    2023 08 16 10 23

    Prep: 5 min | Bake: 2 to 3 hr | Yield: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3-4 pounds boneless beef brisket
    • 1 bottle chili sauce
    • 1 can Coca-Cola
    • 1 envelope dry onion soup mix

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 300 degrees F.
    2. Combine chili sauce, Coca-Cola and soup mix.
    3. Place brisket in a foil-lined baking pan*. Pour sauce mixture over brisket and cover with another sheet of foil sealing edges.
    4. Bake at 300 degrees F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until tender.
    5. Carve brisket against the grain and serve the pan juices as a sauce.

    Notes

    * or use a cooking bag for really easy clean-up.

    Now CHINA Missile Force Can Destroy US Asia Pacific Command in Just 7 minutes

    This audacious assertion unveils a stark reminder that in the realm of modern warfare, the boundaries of possibility are continually pushed, leaving the world to grapple with the implications of China’s missile might and its potential to reshape the geopolitical landscape in a matter of minutes. Today’s episode will cover China’s missile force power.

    Which Chinese fashion is still not adopted in Western countries?

    Hanfu.

    During my years in Australia, the States, Germany, and Ireland, I have seen Western women wearing the occasional qipao.

    But never hanfu.

    I guess because hanfu can be cumbersome and is generally impractical for modern urban city life.

    And maybe because most people in Western countries don’t even know it exists.

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    main qimg ab2d380d524ef3b13940811c9b017641

    MUST WATCH: Oliver Anthony “Rich Men North Of Richmond” Review

    The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)

    Today’s treat. Full movie with James Stewart. Please enjoy!

    Out of the blue, the grizzled farmhand, John O'Hanlan, receives an unexpected letter from an unknown solicitor in the far-off town of Cheyenne, Wyoming, informing him that he is the proud owner of the Cheyenne Social Club, now that his estranged brother, D.J., has passed away. Intrigued and eager to trade in the dusty landscapes of 1867 Texas for an easy life as a businessman, without delay, John sets out on a long trip with his best friend, Harley Sullivan, to create a better future for himself. But somehow, John's newest and only acquisition has both a good and a bad reputation. Either way, the establishment's inexperienced manager now holds the fates of its loyal staff in his hands: a beautiful sextet of dedicated, and above all, famous female employees. However, is John cut out to run this type of business?
    https://youtu.be/aRjhZSGaWbE

    Welcome to the Outer Limits

    The “news” out of the United States is reaching hysterical levels. And as far as China is concerned, it is absurd.

    On REDACTED, Clayton is reporting how Chinese soldiers drink blood…

    2023 07 12 21 08
    2023 07 12 21 08

    On another (that I just cannot find at the moment), that China has secret bioweapons labs and one was accidentally discovered in California… an army of Covid mice to spread it all over California… not that it would matter. California is mostly a waste as it is.

    Huawei phones read your brainwaves… don’t you know…

    5G destroys your brains… well it did until… American companies renamed their 4G. Calling it “5G”.

    India, Japan and the Philippines are going to stop China “dead in its tracks”… yeah. What ever you say.

    The bullshit is really deep these days.

    Meanwhile in China, actual troubling reports are coming forth.

    I sure as fuck hope that China can sidestep this massive insane buildup towards war, but I am starting to waver and have my doubts. I need to contact the DC and find out its take on all this…

    The USA is spewing wars everywhere.

    2023 08 03 08 20
    2023 08 03 08 20

    “President” Biden is taking a nine day vacation. You know the kind you take right before you know that you will die. And he placed Victoria Nuland in charge.

    Personally, I think she promoted herself. As there is NO ONE at the helm.

    Sheech!

    War time again

    2023 08 03 16 20
    2023 08 03 16 20

    The Chinese are buying up more and more property in Western nations. Is there any agenda behind this?

    These are Americans who work and live in US, just like you, 100% Americans, except they are Chinese Americans, nevertheless they are Americans just like Donald Trump and you.

    Chinese living in China can’t transfer enough money from China to buy properties in U.S. or any foreign countries, because China has strict $50,000 annual limit. It takes 10–20 years of transfers to buy an average home in California.

    The Chinese do it again

    An update on superconductivity for our science sipping barflies, “Chinese scientists successfully synthesize magnetic levitation-enabled LK-99 crystal”, although it’s not the great breakthrough that’s awaited. However, it is advancement:

    “Room-temperature superconductivity would enable long-distance lossless power transmission, leading to a new wave of global infrastructure development in the electricity network. Additionally, breakthroughs are expected in areas such as superconducting magnets, superconducting cables, and superconducting maglev trains, according to media reports.

    “The breakthrough in room-temperature and atmospheric pressure superconducting materials would undoubtedly bring about revolutionary changes in various fields, including energy, transportation, computing, and medical diagnostics.”

    The “news” against China is getting more and more hysterical, while the “reporting” seems to be nothing but lies and distortions. There MUST be an eventual peak inflection to this. When will the peak occur?

    It shows how pathetic and desperate the western news media houses are. The people all over the world are getting more informed and they are now not easily deceived by their blatant lies and deceptions anymore. Thanks to all these social media apps where fact-checks on faked and fabricated news could be shared at the speed of light to all corners of the world. The more the news media spew such silly news, the stupider they look. Even the old grannies today could differentiate them. A laughing stock!

    When will the peak occur? It is occurring NOW, and it will go downhill from here.

    Aside from labor costs in China being so cheap, can we outsource the work to Chinese and let them do it for us? This way, you don’t have to work to get paid.

    Actually that is what western nations has become all due to its own doing. You see the west thought that it could simply keep increasing its price each time it’s Union asked for a pay rise and it’s CEO wants another 10 million dollars dollars bonus!

    What it does not know is that when no one knows how to do what you do they have no choice paying higher and higher and higher. But close to around 2000 the world has become way smaller and there is really always an alternative product that is just as good.

    Hence when the western producer increase the price it lose customers and market to the point that it no longer makes business sense to produce it in the west and it has to be outsourced to the cheapest and acceptable quality producer. This is almost always China.

    Why China? First China has 1.4 billion hardworking, skilful workers who are discipline and highly intelligent working long hours and not demanding benefits and absurd salaries. Their automation robots amount to more than the world put together.

    Their infrastructure is state of the art and their government focus on making organisations efficient and effective. Together they are simply unbeatable and everything done in the west cost 10 dollars the rest of the world may do it for 5 dollars. And China does it shipped it back to the U.S. for 3 bucks!

    Many racist or superior minded individuals here like to fall into self delusions about cheap labour. But China’s labour is certainly higher than many nations yet it still remains the most competitive manufacturer on planet earth.

    Today China U.S. making for 50% of humanity.

    To do it yourself you need to reduce your CEO salaries by 90% workers salaries by 70% and you need to spent 100 trillion dollars for 10 years. You need to reduce your 800 military bases to 5 and cut your aircraft carriers by 10 and retrenched 1 million CIA and NED payrolls.

    Or in plain simple English. You just cannot and won’t do it.

    So stop talking shit about China. Just slapping tariff on some products from China caused you a double digit inflation and now a recession. Imagine China decoupling from you? The U.S. will nosedive into a 50 years recession! If I were you, I will be nice to China.

    Interesting video…

    How propaganda works and how US politicians get American voters to vote for them. Video put together by American university students to show the absurdity of it all.

    Russia forgives African debt

    Along with China, they are cutting the purse strings of the West from plundering the global south. More bad news for the USD.

    2023 08 03 14 01
    2023 08 03 14 01

    China’s first HSR designed for 350 km/h delivers 340 mln passenger trips in 15 years

    2023 08 03 10 54
    2023 08 03 10 54

    A train coded C2551 slowly pulled out of the Beijing South Railway Station and headed for Tianjin Binhai New Area Tuesday morning, marking the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway.

    As the first high-speed railway (HSR) with a design speed of 350 km per hour in China, the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway carried a total of 340 million passengers since it entered operation.

    Over the past 15 years, the daily frequency of trains running on the rail line has increased from 47 pairs to 128 pairs, and the shortest departure interval has been shortened from 15 minutes to 3 minutes, according to data from the China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd.

    Wang Manman, a resident of Wuqing District, Tianjin Municipality, takes the bullet train to work in Beijing every day. The quickest journey takes only about 20 minutes, and there are eleven trains for her to choose flexibly during the morning rush hour from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

    The operation of the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway in August 2008 was strong support for the hosting of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and has accelerated regional integration and development. It has also unveiled a fast-expanding modern HSR network in the world’s most populous nation, coupled with its booming economy.

    By 2022, China had 42,000 km of operational HSR, ranking first in the world, and the length of high-speed rail regularly operating at 350 km per hour neared 3,200 km as of June 2022.

    High-speed trains have changed people’s commute circle and lifestyle and greatly optimized resource allocation, noted Cheng Shidong, a transport official with the National Development and Reform Commission.

    THE MAN FROM UNCLE Season One Long Opening

    How US “democracy” really works…

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    Japanese Artist Creates Epic Anime Costumes For His Cats

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    If you’re a fan of cats, anime, and adorable cats dressed in tiny anime costumes, this one is going to be a treat. Apparently, there’s a talented Japanese man likes to create handmade anime costumes for his two cute cats and you can find his beautiful creations on his Twitter account.

    If you know your anime well enough, you might be able to tell that most of the costumes he creates are based on those seen in productions from Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation film studio. It’s also worth noting that all of his designs are made from scratch and with his own two hands.

    15 Reasons Appalachia Might Not Exist One Day

    This video made me cry.

    What would happen if the US defends Taiwan against China and gets defeated by China?

    My take is that the US will not dare fight China because it fears losing. It is no different from the supposed meanest and baddest mafia refrain from going after their strongest peers. Losing means losing everything.

    You see today a good majority of the world still thinks the U.S. is the head honcho. It still fears the U.S. somewhat, though much lesser these days. But what if it is proven without doubt that China’s weapons are much more superior and that in a war the U.S. lose?

    What if the Chinese jets simply blow off the F16 in the sky like swatting flies? What if 13 US carriers disintegrate by Chinese hypersonic missiles raining down on them at 10 times the speed of sound giving the U.S. 3 seconds notice? What if a million drones attack in unison and what if China takes Okinawa and Russia takes Hokkaido and Pyongyang takes Seoul and Tehran takes Israel all in a week? What is the dollar becomes a dime a buck? What next?

    The U.S. pretence is exposed the aura is gone. For good. It’s weapons will need to be on cheap sales. The U.S. cannot even bully it’s own slaves anymore. That is the real reason it will not fight if China takes Taiwan by force. It won’t and it is smart. China have nothing to lose. The U.S. has everything to lose.

    So the U.S. will do the only thing it can do. Talk a lot of shit. And rant and rave. Gang up it’s unholy alliance and pretend it cares. That is what the U.S. can and will do.

    White House PISSED at Tucker Carlson for Exposing THIS!

    Would you rather be rich in a poor country, or poor in a rich country?

    Without exception, being rich in a poor country is the way to go. I moved to the Philippines in 2011. Eleven years later my Filipina wife and I opened our first small day resort on the island of Leyte.

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    Though the resort is still under construction, people still want to stop by and enjoy the pool.

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    We’ve done a number of projects but this is the biggest and is scheduled to be fully functional with overnight accommodations and all the amenities in three years. Aside from using a backhoe to dig out the pool, everything is done manually using hand tools.

    These projects employ a dozen local workers and puts money back into the hands of those that need it the most.

    This project started in August of 2021 and my first milestone to have a working pool and pump room was achieved on February 16.

    I was raised poor in the richest country in the world. It sucks to be poor in a rich country. Better to be rich in a poor country.

    On 1983/3/30, the then China president Deng Xiaoping told US Congress leader O’Neill that USA’s 1979 Taiwan relations Act has interfered China’s internal affairs. USA has returned to Dulles ideology. What is Dulles ideology?

    What is Dulles ideology? God’s Mission. America has a mandate from GOD, the King of the Universe, to impose its will on “Godless communism” anywhere, everywhere, on earth, at gunpoint if necessary.

    Wild Rice Cheese Soup

    2023 08 02 20 05
    2023 08 02 20 05

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound Italian sausage
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 1 cup uncooked wild rice
    • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup
    • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 cup evaporated milk
    • 1 pound cubed processed cheese

    Instructions

    1. Fry sausage and onions in a medium skillet until sausage is no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
    2. In a small saucepan, cook rice in 2 cups of water until tender, then set aside.
    3. In a stockpot, combine sausage, onion, rice, soups, milk and evaporated milk. Cook over low heat until warm.
    4. Stir in processed cheese and heat. Stir occasionally until cheese is melted.

    China Issues STRONG WARNING to NATO: Stay Out of Taiwan and Asia or Risk WAR

    China has rejected NATO’s plan to expand into Asia and warned the Alliance that such a move risks all out war in the region.

    2023 08 03 10 06
    2023 08 03 10 06

    France opposes ‘decoupling’ after economic talks with China

    French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday that he opposes the “illusion” of countries “decoupling” from China and he does not believe the world’s second-largest economy constitutes a risk.

    He made the remarks after China and France concluded the 9th China-France High Level Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing on Saturday. The two countries reached a series of consensus ranging from finance to climate change and aerospace.

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    Le Maire said Chinese investors are welcome in France, especially in the field of electric vehicles, batteries and energy transition, citing an example of Chinese group XTC New Energy Materials that has invested with French nuclear giant Orano in batteries, French newspaper Les Echos reported.

    Le Maire told a press conference on Sunday that France wants to get better access to Chinese markets. France is on the right track, Le Maire said, opposing the “illusion” of countries “decoupling” from China.

    Why do Western leaders have no fears about starting World War Three? Are they not in touch with reality?

    Delusions of Grandeur

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    In 1986, Ronald Reagan said “There is no problem in lying to your people. As long as you don’t believe the lies yourself and fail to see the truth in front of your eyes”

    He was talking about USSR and East Germany

    Today that’s the case with the Collective West

    They believe their own lies

    They twist everything to keep believing in their own lies

    They will destroy themselves to keep believing in their own lies

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    Take Biden

    He is still living in the 1990s

    He still thinks Russia is a gas station and China is a cheap factory nation

    The Pentagon tries to tell him but he brushes them off

    He soon only ensures the YES MEN are heard from and his closest advisors are the same

    Like our Indians brainwashed by Whatsapp University, they are all brainwashed by their own lies and propaganda

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    main qimg 3494848144938ff6353b2f4abae4fdfa lq

    Take Nuland

    She has never made a diplomatic move in her entire life

    She believes the US is supreme and anyone can be threatened and she threatens everyone with dire consequences

    So most nations she threatens, hates her and hates the US and waits for the time to plunge the knife into the heart of the United States and twist the handle


    Even now they are deluded into believing World War III will be won by them

    They are deluded into believing that somehow Putin and Xi will be overthrown by their own Generals and US will triumph once again

    They don’t realise that XI AND PUTIN are probably the only ones who are keeping the hawks in their countries at bay

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    main qimg 68bf47b8cae9bd0a29a1acd6b5b592bd

    The Ultra Nationalists like Medvedev or even Lavrov and Kadyrov would happily launch nukes tomorrow and die if the Americans also die

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    main qimg 17c96277b32b7879d2ba62e162c0a1d1

    Anyone who knows China would know General Liu and his faction


    Luckily until now these fools don’t have the full power to start WWIII

    Macron isn’t quite as deluded as he pretends

    Erdogan is a wily fox who plays the middle well

    Austin is certainly more Pro Pentagon than White House now

    Sunak is a lickspittle but he is too Indian to not be cautious

    Gen Milley knows WWIII would be a disaster

    Sullivan is a political animal but not an idiot or an ideological fool

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    Obama controls a huge chunk of the party today and he certainly is no fool. He wouldn’t want Malia and Sasha to become vapor tomorrow.

    So does the Pentagon

    So push comes to shove, they can push off Biden and say “F*** off Mr President” or push the old man down the stairs after killing the cameras and say “He had an accident”

    Yet who knows?

    Ursula Van Der Leyen, Habeck, Baerbock, Nuland, Scholz, Marin are all spineless fools or doped to their eyeballs in Lies and Propaganda and they would burn themselves and their people in their delusions

    They can happily start WWIII

    So the only hope for humanity is for these insane creatures to be voted out or naturally die of some cause

    Collective strike of 500,000 people!Will this president step down early?May have a toughest new one!

    https://youtu.be/ezBTV_5x5us

    How is your experience in banking in China?

    It’s smoother than your dad’s bald head.

    In the first few weeks I was here I was required to create a new bank account. I took the subway to the bank headquarters with my passport and a nice little letter from my supervisor confirming I was a current student at my university.

    I filled in a form, she looked over my documents, did some typing, went to the back to get something, had me sign something, and BOOM, done! She handed me my new card.

    All this in twenty-something minutes.

    My little mind was blown to smithereens.

    In my country (Papua New Guinea) to create an account it would take two weeks (for the paperwork to be processed). You would go to the bank, fill in the forms and show them your ID, birth certificates, and any other docs they need. You’d be told to come back after two weeks to collect your new bank card when your account is ready.

    Even though I could still understand much of what this teller said to me in Chinese, she still made sure to type out what she said on a translator app and show me the message on the phone screen.

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    main qimg 2d77e8767db37efacff5342a0e61a57b

    I’ll even go far as to say I got special attention, which, being black, I was not really expecting. While I was seated waiting for my number to be called an assistant bank worker came to check if I have everything I needed, and to let her know if I needed any help. She also pointed out the direction of the washroom in case I needed it. Just doing her job, I know; still, I appreciated it.

    I had gone recently to do some transactions via Western Union, they handed me this form.

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    main qimg beec5e1debbae9ff241fc0757074910f

    That was wrapped up quite quickly, too.

    All in all, my experiences with banking had gone smoothly and quickly. You don’t even need a good command of Chinese to get your business done. They usually know English themselves or they’ll try to find some other way to communicate.

    Treasury Tsunami Coming – U.S. Deficit Spending A Big Disaster

    A massive treasury dump is coming and the markets aren’t prepared for a tsunami of bonds hitting.

    2023 08 02 19 43
    2023 08 02 19 43

    While the US government spending is nothing new, they are borrowing tons of money at high-interest rates. This creates two big problems. It could spark another banking crisis as well as create an even bigger inflation crisis down the road. Here’s what you must know!

    2023 08 02 19 40
    2023 08 02 19 40

    What the Hell…

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    1587303478 eqwqy9n13t
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    thrift shop 33
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    thrift shop 23
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    thrift shop 14
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    thrift shop 12
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    1587303430 4c3e05iuqd

    China buying clothes

    1905

    In 1905, a photograph was taken in Japan capturing the moment when a Geisha, a female Japanese performing artist and entertainer, washed her hair before styling it. Geisha are renowned for their expertise in traditional Japanese performing arts, including dance, music, singing, and the art of conversation. They possess a distinctive appearance characterized by long, flowing kimonos, traditional hairstyles, and oshiroi makeup.

    Geisha entertain at gatherings called ozashiki, frequently entertaining affluent clients. They also showcase their talents on stage and participate in various festivals.

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    main qimg dd2572534a8ef378d1cbb95faf78e004

    China’s latest victory! First chip cutting machine! Domestic production is 100% self-sufficient!

    2023 08 03 17 02
    2023 08 03 17 02

    China’s groundbreaking advancements in the semiconductor industry as wafer laser cutting equipment achieves full localization.

    China’s Hua Gong Technology has successfully manufactured the world’s first 100% domestically produced high-end wafer laser cutting equipment, a crucial component in semiconductor manufacturing.

    Wafers are made of brittle materials mechanical dicing of thousands or even tens of thousands of chips on a 12-inch wafer typically results in a heat-affected Zone and dicing line width of about 20 microns compared with about 10 microns for conventional lasers the reduction in dicing line width means that Wafers can achieve higher levels of integration making semiconductor manufacturing more cost effective and efficient.

    This breakthrough not only enhances China’s self-sufficiency in semiconductor equipment but also reduces reliance on foreign technology, countering US technology restrictions.

    The “news” against China is getting more and more hysterical, while the “reporting” seems to be nothing but lies and distortions. There MUST be an eventual peak inflection to this. When will the peak occur?

    Bill Chen

    Lives in Singapore

    This is a video from a purported “engineering” channel.

    But you may be shocked by the arresting headline:

    How Gotland-Class Submarines Transform NATO’s Approach to China and Russia

    My eyes popped when I saw it in my feed.


    Sweden isn’t even an official member of NATO and people are already incorporating Swedish military power into the wargame against the Russians and Chinese!

    The acceptance that war with Russia AND China being inevitable is frankly, either gut-wrenching terrifying or utterly mind-blowing.

    But a reading of the news over the past few years will convince even the skeptic that a consensus is being shaped among the first world citizenry, while the Russia-China axis is under constant dehumanization and presented as cartoon whims.

    Victory, it seems, is assured, and plans are afoot to upgrade readiness for real conflict in the near future.


    Part of the reason why I write about military affairs (particularly from the Chinese angle) is to draw the Western response.

    To describe the experience as sorely disappointing is too mild.

    I am gobsmacked flabbergasted by the repeated fairy tales thrown my way that bombers and nuclear subs lobbing tomahawks and other missiles will be able to sink the entire Chinese navy or disable the PLA, in a repeat of the 100-hour Iraq War. The rest of the American military then joins in the mopping up.

    In other words, a turkey shoot even more spectacular than the Korean War, where 1 American died for 30 Chinese KIA.


    The American-dominated media is suspending reality for the American people. No one has questioned the 200b increase in military spending since Donald took office. To put that figure in perspective, the increase is equal to two thirds of the Chinese military budget, the second largest globally. This is in tandem with massive increase of military spending in Europe, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and elsewhere.


    In a recent market research note, one recommendation caught my eye. It promoted the merits of the weapons sector—Lockheed, Raytheon, etc—and pointed to the massive inflow that’s been announced by many governments. As far as killing and maiming is concerned, it’s boom time, never mind the frothy market.


    There is no equilibrium right now. The American-led west has been upping the pressure since the Barack administration’s pivot east, to the point President Xi is openly exhorting the PLA to be ready for war at all times.

    These are dangerous times.

    I see two outcomes.

    One: The Americans realize the folly of their ways, and u-turning. I find that unlikely, given the dysfunctional politics that refuses to forego the God complex.

    Two: Provoking conflict between Japan and China over Taiwan, dragging Korea into the same mess. The entry of Russia into the issue of Taiwan is a stabilizer for the Western Pacific, because Japan will have to work through the strategic calculus of a direct northern neighbor that has an iron grip on Sakhalin.


    The risk goes up with time, as both sides ratchet up and escalate. This will continue until there is a clear winner. The best we can hope for is a continuous stream of economic crises emanating from the first world’s profligate and irresponsible ways, forcing leaders to focus on domestic discontent, rather than fixing “the enemy”.

    Five years ago, during Donald’s tenure, I would have put the possibility of war within the next decade at 20–30%. Today, it’s 60–70%.

    We, as in East Asians, should all make our own preparations for a uncertain and dangerous future.

    The Bellero Shield | Full Episode S01E20 | The Outer Limits

    https://youtu.be/V3FA5FF_ILY

    Won Ton Soup

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    f8213ef37b46fbfe65f812fd4cd11433

    How to Prevent Won Ton Wrappers From Drying Out: Keep won ton wrappers covered with plastic wrap until ready to use. Wrap any remaining won ton wrappers tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer.

    Make Ahead: Fill won tons as directed. Place in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze 1 hour or until frozen. Transfer to resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator before adding to hot soup to cook as directed.

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 pound ground pork
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
    • 2 green onions, finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons GOOD SEASONS Asian Sesame with Ginger Dressing
    • 1 egg, separated
    • 32 square won ton wrappers
    • 8 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
    • 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced water chestnuts
    • 2 green onions, sliced

    Instructions

    1. Mix meat, mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions, dressing and egg yolk until well blended. Spoon evenly onto won ton wrappers, adding about 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture to each wrapper.
    2. Beat egg white lightly. Brush onto edges of each wrapper; fold in half to form triangle. Press edges together to seal. Bring opposite corners of long edge of each triangle together, overlapping corners; brush with egg white to seal.
    3. Combine chicken broth, mushrooms, water chestnuts and onions in large saucepan. Bring just to boil on medium heat. Carefully add won tons; simmer 4 minutes or until filling is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
    4. Serve immediately.

    Yield: 8 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

    Military Veterans React to Oliver Anthony – Rich Men North Of Richmond

    2023 08 20 10 41
    2023 08 20 10 41

    The Third Man (1949, Film-Noir) Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli | Full movie

    HUNTED…By a thousand men! Haunted…By a lovely girl! Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.

    It is a GREAT MOVIE. Watch it if you have the time.

    https://youtu.be/UcfrHVrNLK0

    Earthquakes, and yellow kittens

    July 27, 2023. The USA hacked Chinese earthquake servers. No one could figure out why. Whatever the reason, China was incensed.

    August 6, 2023. Then, just two weeks later, a rare earthquake hit China in the exact area that represented the hacked server data.

    What are the odds?

    For a while there were three popular types of bluejeans in my High School. These brands were Levi’s, Lee and Wrangler. Today, only Levi’s seem to have maintained the brand recognition. What has Levi’s done that is different from the rest of the pack? I’m sure that it is an interesting story.

    You know, sometimes, I wish that I am just sitting down, watching a sports game on the television and drinking an ice cold beer.

    Have a great day…

    Snapshot of America

    What’s the fastest you’ve wiped a smirk off of someone’s face?

    Some years back I was on my way to work on the Tube when an enormous group of French foreign exchange students boarded, mostly mid-teens with a few adult supervisors. They took up virtually every seat and most of the standing room and there were only about a dozen people in the carriage who were not in the party.

    Some of the kids were saying “hello” or small phrases in English to the regular commuters and clearly were having a great time and really excited. Some of the commuters were responding back and it was quite a beautiful scene until the female supervisor (I refuse to call her a teacher) proclaimed to her students in French that there was no point speaking to any of us because their English was not good enough yet and British people are too stupid (her words) to speak English properly, let alone another language.

    Well, the tube was coming to my stop and my blood was boiling, so I stood up and in the most strongly projected voice I have ever managed spoke to everyone in perfect French offering then a lovely trip, suggesting a place on this tube to visit they may not know of and telling the children that I hoped they would think before judging other people in future.

    The supervisor was the colour of a boiled beetroot and completely silent, but the coup de grace was a little old lady who said “Bet you weren’t expecting that then, were you?”, causing stunned faces on even the commuters!

    Combined Russian-Chinese Naval Flotilla Forms “Surface Action Group” Off Alaska Coastline

    World Hal Turner 06 August 2023

    2023 08 06 18 42
    2023 08 06 18 42

    A combined Russian and Chinese naval force patrolled near the coast of Alaska earlier this week in what U.S. experts said appeared to be the largest such flotilla to approach American shores.

    Eleven Russian and Chinese ships steamed close to the Aleutian Islands, according to U.S. officials. The ships, which never entered U.S. territorial waters and have since left, were shadowed by four U.S. destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

    “It is a historical first,” said Brent Sadler, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and a retired Navy captain. “Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative.” A spokesman for the U.S. Northern Command confirmed that Russia and China had carried out a combined naval patrol near Alaska, but didn’t specify the number of ships or their precise location.

    Russian warships and Chinese research vessels have been observed in the Arctic region before.

    “But to see these combatants form up in a surface action group together and steam together, that’s what’s rare,” Rear Adm. Nathan Moore, who was Coast Guard commander for the Alaska region until last month.

    Life as a Slave

    What is your opinion on people who tell you not to visit China because “it’s dangerous”?

    I plan to visit China during 11–15 September with some Furniture Importers

    One Importer who never went to China before just called me a few days ago and said “Should I get some rice and dal and an electric cooker??”

    I asked “Why?”

    He says “I heard you only get Snakes and and Dogs to eat there”

    This is an educated man.

    That is the impression of China in India even today

    You have 20+ Indian restaurants in Shanghai alone including a place that actually serves you Nandu Rasam and Aviyal

    Another misconception is that Chinese are rude when Indians approach them

    The real reason is they are embarrassed that they can’t speak English in response

    The Young Chinese are different. They want to test their English on you and after answering you they say “Was it right?”


    They don’t even see YouTube

    It’s this inbuilt impression

    Experienced Importers are different. They have been to China and they know.

    Likewise I was corrected myself by a Saudi based Indian.

    I presumed every theft in Saudi would have the hand lopped off but that’s not true at all

    It’s actually a very stringent legal system actually hand you have different places where the thief can be let off including the victim accepting something akin to an apology

    I thought Sharia law was this primitive ancient tribal thing but the layered application of the laws are so fantastic

    A Thief who steals for hunger is different from a Thief who steals for greed

    The general opinion is a woman is stoned for adultery

    Again this is a myth

    Few women are actually stoned for Adultery. In most Sharia law instances , the stoning is more symbolic and more of Game of Thrones style shaming


    Back to the topic

    I feel these people have their notions like many have about India

    My son was asked by his friend who was visiting Bangalore for the first time (India also) whether he could come for a conference call at any time? Would power be available the whole day?

    Bangalore?

    In 2023!!!

    Their impression is India is this

    2023 08 06 11 11
    2023 08 06 11 11

    I keep thinking DONT THESE PEOPLE HAVE YOUTUBE?


    So my opinion when someone says going to China is dangerous is to simply watch YouTube

    That’s what I told this Importer also

    He did and sheepishly realized how mistaken he was

    JUST WATCH VLOGS AND YOUTUBE and that’s enough

    Be the Rufus

    Saudis Warn Citizens: “Leave Lebanon Quickly”

    World Hal Turner 05 August 2023

    Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens to leave the country as soon as possible, and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes.

    In a statement posted late Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, the embassy warned Saudi citizens not to visit areas where armed clashes were taking place, the official Saudi news agency SPA reported.

    The Saudi diplomatic mission also stressed “the importance of respecting the travel ban on Lebanon.” It was followed Saturday by Kuwait, which issued an advisory calling on Kuwaitis in Lebanon to remain vigilant and avoid “areas of security unrest,” though without asking them to leave the country.

    Deadly armed clashes have occurred in recent days in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, located on the outskirts of Saida, South Lebanon.

    Since July 29, at least 13 people have been killed and more than 60 injured in clashes between the mainstream faction Fatah and a hardline group in the camp, the largest of 12 Palestinian camps established in Lebanon in 1948 after Israel was created.

    Fatah has accused the armed groups Jund al-Sham and al-Shabab al-Muslim of gunning down a Fatah military general, Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi, in the camp.

    According to Maher Shabaita, the head of Fatah in the Sidon region, Palestinian factions in the camp have formed an investigative committee to find out who was responsible for al-Armoushi’s killing and will hand them over to the Lebanese judiciary for trial.

    A ceasefire between the Palestinian groups in the camp was announced on July 31 under the mediation of Lebanese parties.

    Saudi Arabia’s request is not just related to the fighting in Ain al-Hilweh. Many believe it could be linked to a possible Israel-Saudi agreement.”

    If an Israel-Saudi agreement is signed, Riyadh will certainly fear the reaction against its citizens in a country like Lebanon.”

    The Simpsons Maude cheating with the devil in front of Flanders

    https://youtu.be/KVo_6ySpLIk

    Ukraine Attacks Civilian MERCHANT Ship Near Kerch Strait

    World Hal Turner 05 August 2023

    2023 08 06 18 45
    2023 08 06 18 45

    Last night, Ukraine launched Unmanned Marine Drones to attack vessels near the Kerch Strait Bridge, and HIT a Merchant Oil Tanker Ship named the “SIG” about 30 miles from the Bridge.

    It began when Residents of a nearby town,  Yakovenkovo reported a loud explosion near the bridge..

    As reported during the live Hal Turner Radio Show last night, booth aerial and maritime drones were being used, and the belief was that the Kerch Strait Bridge was the target. 

    Russian Electronic Warfare dealt with most of the aerial drones, but Anti-Aircraft-Artillery (AAA) was used to down others.

    Just after the Hal Turner Show went off the air, an insider close to the Russian Maritime Fleet reported that a maritime drone collided with a tanker 30 miles from the Kerch Strait.  That is now confirmed and visually verified.  The photo above shows the ship on fire.  

    Below is what the vessel normally looks like:

    SIG oil tanker
    SIG oil tanker

    According to radio traffic, the Captain of the ship says it was hit in the engine room area, which is now flooded. The vessel cannot move independently. But, fortunately, the crew is alive and almost unharmed. The Russian rescue ship “Mercury” is already operating next to it, and a number of ships are heading to help.

    According to some reports, the SIG tanker was returning from Syria, where it delivered oil products. The tanker itself has been under US sanctions since 2019 for helping to circumvent sanctions imposed on Syria regarding the sale of their oil and gas minerals.

    On July 19, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that all ships calling at Ukrainian ports will be considered as carrying military equipment and will be considered targets.

    On July 20, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry made the same statement that they would have the same approach to Russian ships.”

    UPDATE 9:02 AM EDT SATURDAY —

    Video of the Drone impacting the ship has been released by the Ukraine government.  They saw in advance they were attacking an unarmed CIVILIAN vessel, and they attacked it anyway. A blatant act of state sponsored terrorism, INTENTIONALLY against a civilian target.

    What’s a rule your employer implemented that backfired terribly?

    While working as a teacher, a new rule was introduced for teachers coming in late. Rule states that: If a teacher is late by more than 10 minutes, they will be marked absent for the morning.

    So, what some teachers did – If they were late and saw that they were marked absent, they would walk out of the school and go for a movie (or some other kind of recreational activity) and came back for afternoon classes. This became a usual phenomenon, and led to a shortage of teachers in the first half.

    The rule changed to: If teachers come late by 10 minutes, their half-day salary will be cut. What teachers did – They will not come for the entire day.

    The rule changed to: If the teacher is late, then 2 days’ salary will be cut. What teachers did – The next day, no one came to school. The principal called each and every teacher and begged them to come to school.

    The idea to implement this rule came from the assistant to the school director, who was demoted and put as in charge of housekeeping. Some teachers used to travel for hours to reach school; occasionally, the teachers would arrive late. After the rule was implemented, everyone that arrived late took the day off, if it was determined that they were marked absent.

    These rules were retracted, and everything returned to normal.

    TSMC U.S Factory Seized Biden’s Re-election and U.S Jobs in Jeopardy!

    https://youtu.be/0Ms6teVIDFU

    What are the implications of China replacing the head of its nuclear missile force in a major military shake-up?

    Everyone is being replaced now

    China is slowly weeding out people who have :—

    • Pro Western Sympathies or belonging to the older faction
    • Children who are Citizens of the USA or who live in USA
    • People like our Quora’s Balaji Viswanathan. Centrists who believe the world order will always be with the West.
    • People who are scared of taking on the United States in finance or scared of dumping dollars in a zero sum game

    China is slowly including and cultivating :—

    • Hardcore Realists who know the ground realities and yet know what it takes to build a future they want
    • People who have their families in China or HK or Singapore and who don’t have a Western Link beyond that
    • People who are ready to take on the US and shake the old world order
    • People who have a blueprint to de dollarize and who have a strategy to deal with eventual US Sanctions

    Good news for India is , most Anti India Hawks are gone

    The new bunch don’t care if India exists or not

    Their focus is US and Taiwan now and they don’t have the 1980–2010 mentality of focusing on India because US was considered beyond their reach (Kinda like our Pakistan obessession)

    Rumours now say that Qin Gang was sacked because he wrote a paper on cooperation with the United States titled “Chinese cooperation with the US in the 21st Century”

    2023 08 05 21 44
    2023 08 05 21 44

    After meeting Blinken, he advocated China taking a step back for a few years and negotiate to keep US as a hegemon in return for China being firmly recognised as Number 2 ahead of the EU

    He advocated negotiating with the US to rise the Yuan to 10% of the Global Reserve by 2027 and for China to drastically cut investment in some sectors (AI, Navy) in exchange for US cutting military aid to Taiwan and promising not to instigate Taiwanese Independence

    Apparently Blinken told him such a proposal would find favor with Biden

    Essentially China’s version of the Plaza Accords

    Wang Yi apparently refused to even consider this and said no matter what happened, US would never keep China even at Number 2 and would use this to throttle China completely

    2023 08 05 21 4b4
    2023 08 05 21 4b4

    So Wang Yi met Blinken as did Xi Jingping and both told him “Not the slightest chance” and that angered Biden a lot and why he called XJP a Dictator

    The Central Bank Governor also seemed to support Qin Gangs point and capitulate to US in exchange for guarantees like not freezing assets etc

    Thus he too was sacked and the latest Governor is a total Pro Chinese meritocrat

    2023 08 05 21 4nr5
    2023 08 05 21 4nr5

    China is now clear that it’s CHINA FIRST

    China has made it clear that it’s no longer US First China Next that Qin Gang and some others proposed and which Blinken seemed to be receptive to but which I am confident was just another ploy like always

    So only people who are China First are on board now


    Top people, people with Merit but who put China first ahead of any other nation

    Source:— Fung Ching is a Retd Professor on Political Science on Zhihu who has ears to the ground and is usually the go to person who makes theories on what is likely information within the party

    He made a theory on the Lockdown and it happened exactly like that

    The mother cat had an accident on the road and the kitten’s cry for help. A miracle happened

    https://youtu.be/8vKJaOuGsc0

    You wanted it, and you might well get it…

    China has been facing export bans from the West doing nothing to retaliate but now it has the power to counter-attack to unleash painful consequences on countries which did the same for decades.

    China banned using micron’s products in China and also restricted exports of rare earth metals like germanium and gallium which are used in the chip and electric vehicle industry but China does not feel it’s sufficient to teach the West a lesson about its nasty and unfair restrictions and double standards as more is coming and China is the single most country which has both the power and capability to make the West suffer.

    2023 08 05 18 51
    2023 08 05 18 51

    The West clearly feels the pinch on China’s declaration to stop the exports of G&G metals.

    2023 08 05 18 5ur2
    2023 08 05 18 5ur2
    2023 08 05 18 52r
    2023 08 05 18 52r
    2023 08 05 19 00
    2023 08 05 19 00
    2023 08 05 19 0fg0
    2023 08 05 19 0fg0

    So what’s the secret weapon?

    Geopolitical analysts and experts on international relations fear a doomsday scenario, that of China unleashing a full-fledged trade and economic war against the U.S and its allies if China were to embrace the zero-sum game of protectionism.

    World Trade growth could face further deceleration pushing the world toward a global economic confrontation, which means China will completely stop trade with them (West) neither will it export anything nor will it import the consequences would be severe affecting Global growth and employment and potentially inviting a recession.

    But the U.S and the West will face the gravest losses for decades. They have been importing raw materials and finished products from China without having domestic production plans for those products the sudden export ban in China will literally halt everything.

    According to the United Nations Comtrade database on International Trade the U.S imported goods worth 582.76 billion US dollars from China these products include all household goods the U.S cannot produce itself but that’s not it the U.S exported goods worth 153.8 billion US dollars to China in 2023.

    No American export to China means Nasdaq and S&P going down. Stock market in frenzy as share prices plummet coupled with unemployment that could cause recession. EU and US growth rate is mere 2 percent and this number will further dwindle. This would translate like a doom in the West.

    Edward Snowden “i am HORRIBLY sorry for this.”

    2023 08 05 21 18
    2023 08 05 21 18

    What makes a good friend?

    It’s rare that someone calls you at 3am with an offer of employment or some other good news. 3am calls are usually unexpected bad news. So when my phone rang at 3am, I stared at the phone screen with a frown. It was my childhood friend calling.

    He had an accident on his way back from the night club. The collision led to a four-car pileup. He wasn’t hurt but his car was damaged.

    It was warm and cozy under my bed covers. But I didn’t tell him this. I didn’t also mention that it was an indecent time to call me. I didn’t yawn and ask him if there was no one else he could have called. For Pete’s sake, what was he doing at a night club so late? No, I didn’t ask him that either.

    “I’m coming,” I said. Police and other emergency services were at the crash scene. The vehicles were moved off the road and out of the line of traffic. I took my friend home with me.

    I left the country about a year after this incident. Someone called me at about 3am some weeks ago. 3am calls rarely bring good news. My dad was stabbed multiple times by a mugger who robbed him of his valuables. I was frantic with worry. How was he doing? He was at the hospital but was he getting the best medical care? Were the injuries life threatening? I reached out to my childhood friend. He didn’t ask me why I called him at such an ungodly hour. He didn’t ask why my dad was not mindful or careful. He only asked me for the address of the hospital and he went there to see my dad. He kept me constantly updated.

    That’s what a friend does. A friend is someone you can count on in times of adversity. They love you and support you unconditionally.

    What did the pyramids look like thousands of years ago?

    Bright and shiny, clad in white limestone with a golden top (pyramidion).

    main qimg 108037693df634b80e086fb3dc707efc lq
    main qimg 108037693df634b80e086fb3dc707efc lq

    They were situated in a green landscape close to the river Nile and surrounded by a temple district.

    Parmesan Chicken with Caesar Roasted Romaine

    2023 08 03 20 52
    2023 08 03 20 52

    Yield: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 4 (7 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
    • Kosher or sea salt
    • Freshly ground pepper
    • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino or Asiago cheese
    • 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
    • 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
    • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
    • 2 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
    • 2 large hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise
    • 4 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained, chopped
    • 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
    2. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place on prepared sheet.
    3. Combine cheese, panko, 2 tablespoons oil, parsley and 1 garlic clove in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
    4. Pat panko mixture onto breasts.
    5. Roast chicken until crumbs begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.
    6. Drizzle romaine with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 chopped garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper.
    7. Remove sheet from oven; place romaine around chicken. Roast until chicken is cooked through and lettuce is browned at edges, about 5 minutes.
    8. Divide among plates. Top lettuce with anchovies; garnish with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

    If Americans are overweight, why do they not walk and ride a bike instead of driving a car?

    Well, I tried to walk… and I sort of succeeded… but It made me reconsider the next walk.

    It was a warm and humid summer evening in Canton, Ohio. I was visiting from Colmar, France.

    On the night of my arrival, dinner alone featured a friendly server, comforting but unhealthy food, a lively crowd and four different craft beers.

    As I exited the restaurant, I was greeted by sticky air and exhaust fumes as I gazed out upon a two-mile strip of culinary and retail abundance.

    It was nice to be back in the States, but by 9.45 p.m. bed was calling. Having seen the four beers I drank foreshadowed in a dream, I had left the rental car back at the hotel.

    It was only a 15 minute walk.

    Carefree, I ambled along the strip from one monstrous parking lot to the next (there was no sidewalk).

    About 5 minutes into my stroll, I saw blue lights reflected into the cars in front of me and turned around to see what the problem was.

    main qimg a8a0ab18b88df721cc67ab778d04bf0d
    main qimg a8a0ab18b88df721cc67ab778d04bf0d

    That was when I found out the problem was me.

    Someone had reported me to the police as suspicious for walking through the parking lots.

    The officers were quite nice as they politely asked why I happened to be in a parking lot at this time of night.

    “Well,” I told them, “I found it strange that there’s no sidewalk, but since I knew I wanted to drink 3 or 4 beers, I left the car at the hotel. I’m headed back there now.”

    I showed them my room key card, they wished me a nice evening and said “sorry for the hassle, but nobody walks around here.”

    They Painted Her Yellow For Fun Then Discarded Her Crying in The Middle Of The Street…

    https://youtu.be/7SO5v251-_4

    Will India ever beat China in terms of development?

    Why not?

    You just need to answer four basic questions and once you find the realistic answers , if not beat China , you can at least surge forward and deliver genuine real development :—

    • How far behind are we in Development of our People and Country?
    • How do we develop a National Development Model that helps the nation and every Indian develop albeit at different rates ?
    • What kind of Leadership is required and how will we be able to ensure such leaders?
    • What’s the timeline and Where we will find the money ?

    Thats all it takes

    China in 1989 asked the same questions and appointed experts to answer. This was post the Tiananmen Square Propaganda1989 and the Birth of State Capitalism in ChinaIn the 1980s, Beijing allowed decentralized markets to flourish and private firms to prosper.

    The Answers were :—

    • We are at least 35 years behind in Development of our People and our Country. Our Standards are akin to 1954.
    • We develop a Capitalist and Mixed Economic Plan and aggressively develop our Cities and put our faith in manufacturing and use capitalism to develop our villages through socialism.
    • We choose from a line of Meritocracy based decisions and choose leadership based entirely on Ability and on the Maker Checker concept
    • Timeline is 50 years (2039) and we find the money in TRADE and CHEAP EXPORTS

    Thats it

    China managed it even earlier than 2039, the original target

    2023 08 03 20 08
    2023 08 03 20 08

    So if India can just answer , truthfully these four questions — then India too can develop genuinely well

    Sadly India’s answers ensure that the country never will progress

    • We are already at a very good level today and we have the maximum youth population and here are a few articles where IMF and XYZ say we are the greatest economy
    • Our Present Model is a golden example of success and growth. We don’t need anything else. Modi hain to Mumkin Hai. Jai Shri Ram. Gati Shakti. Vande Bharat. 10,000 Toilets built in a week etc
    • We don’t need Khangressi Leaders or Antonia Maino or whatever else WhatsApp tells us. We have the best leadership in the world. Demolishing Buildings, Carrying out Encounters, Getting a Royal Standing Ovation in US and France. Who could ask for better
    • We are already the best so we don’t need money. By 2050 we will overtake China. That’s what Adani says

    Read most answers in Quora and the same mentality is reflected

    An Inherent terror to acknowledge the truth

    Every answer has the overall feel that India is surging and is on its way to a massive development without any mention of any potential problems and a handful of Google articles of what’s expected by 2060 or 2560

    It’s like they all live in some Utopian Dream and some delusion filled fantasy playing with numbers like it’s Monopoly“India Will Be $25-30 Trillion Economy By 2050”.


    If India needs real development of its people and not today’s shoddy “Build Apartments and Shopping complexes in every street” style of development , India needs to answer the four questions truthfully

    The answers may vary from person to person but they must be realistic

    For example my take is :—

    • India is at least 30 years behind today in terms of Development of its people and Nation
    • We need a National Model that is a mixture of Welfare State and High Level Capitalism and that doesn’t allow Politics to compromise Economics.
    • We need leaders of ability and skill and vision and need to choose based on education and experience and their having a spine. We need zero focus on religion or religious nonsense.
    • RCEP with China and ASEAN and Massive changes in Labor Law and Overseas Ventures and introducing Wholly Owned Foreign Subsidiaries is the way of achieving the money. Timeline is 30 years (2050)

    Others can have different takes but they must be realistic

    Step one is to realize India has problems, huge problems and how to solve them

    Without that we have no chance except to live in this insane brainwashed bloat fest utopia where we juggle numbers from the air while paying ₹200/— a kg for tomatoes

    Gonzalo Lira detained and disappeared in Ukraine

    2023 08 05 21 13
    2023 08 05 21 13

    Is a group home for children always horrible? I am a single father raising my severely autistic child for the past 8 years by myself. I have him since he was two. I am tired, really tired and I want to move on.

    I can answer this. I had 3 children, oldest with cerebral palsy, middle child normal, youngest child with rare genetic syndrome that physically handicapped him later in life. I divorced their Dad due to alcoholism. I worked full time and have always worked. I paid a baby sitter for the oldest out of my own pocket to come in and sit with her after school because daycares wouldn’t service her. When I got home from work, I took over. My youngest was mentally normal and didn’t need as much when he was young. I qualified for zero assistance. I asked and applied. My youngest had to go out of state for treatment and it became impossible for anyone to care for my oldest child. My ex, her Dad did nothing to help. No visitation with her. He would take the youngest two. My family couldn’t help because they couldn’t lift her. Not to mention, my parents were older.

    She grew to a normal sized smaller adult and weighed 106#, I weighed 120#. I was lifting her because she was non ambulatory, non verbal, paralyzed on the right side. She was unable to feed herself and wore diapers. After taking care of her for 16 years and doing it essentially alone, I had to have help. I plainly couldn’t do it any longer plus try to do what my other 2 needed.

    I did finally get some assistance for at home through a state grant. Agency would send someone in to help. However, I ended up having items stolen, they would consistently call in sick and I wouldn’t be able to work. So that solution was not good. However, the help was only there while I worked. When I came home, it was my responsibility.

    Through applying for assistance and working with the state Medicaid department as an employee, I had been told over and over that she would qualify for everything as soon as she was out of my house. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. But my youngest was going to have to have surgery out of state and I couldn’t care for her or take her with me. Zero help.

    So I made the hardest decision I ever had to make and that was to place her in a group home. I placed her when she was 16 years old. She went to a fabulous group home. She had opportunities to live as a normal teen and do normal things. It was actually hard to catch her at home because when school started up, Friday nights were football games. They took her to movies, concerts, etc. She went to the beach with the group home. I still visited her. When she became sick with ovarian cancer 20 years later, the staff took turns and came to sit with her at the hospital even though I was there. She died 3 years later from cancer at age 35. But she had been institutionalized since age 16. It was the best thing I could have ever done. She loved coming home and I could go get her and bring her home for holidays. She didn’t spend the night because I had dropped her trying to transfer her from the chair to the bed to change a diaper. But, I was also able to visit as much as I wanted and we did.

    No one should ever shame a parent if they have never walked in their shoes. It’s not a walk in the park and it’s not giving up your child or disposing of them. There is only so much one person can do. The burn out is very very real when doing it alone.

    San Francisco Public Transit Is Completely Empty | Downtown Is a Ghost Town

    2023 08 05 21 10
    2023 08 05 21 10

    Who Woulda Thunk it: Pfizer Employees Given **Special Batch** of COVID Vax

    World Hal Turner 04 August 2023

    Australian Senate Cmte large
    Australian Senate Cmte large

    In testimony before an Australian Parliament Committee, Senior Executives of Pfizer admit their employees received a special batch of the COVID “vaccine” that had NOT been tested by the Australian authorities.  What Pfizer employees got was **different** from what was forced on the public.

    Video below from the Australian Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee reveals the scandal:

    2023 08 06 18 49
    2023 08 06 18 49

    Many people in the general public have wondered aloud if the Pfizer people, and the politicians/officials, all got harmless Saline solutions as their supposed “vaccine?”  Now, we know factually those employees of Pfizer **did** get something different than the public.   

    Why?

    Africa Is BREAKING FREE – Col Macgregor

    2023 08 06 19 15
    2023 08 06 19 15
    https://youtu.be/fbJl8icZ-Bo

    Philly Cheesesteak Sheet Pan Nachos

    philly cheesesteak sheet pan nachos
    philly cheesesteak sheet pan nachos

    Active: 50 min | Yield: 8 to 10 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound beef ribeye steak
    • Salt and pepper
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
    • 1 each medium green pepper and sweet red bell pepper, cut into strips
    • 1 (9 ounce) bag tortilla chips
    • 12 ounces (3 cups) part-skim Burnett Dairy® Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
    • 12 ounces (3 cups) Weyauwega Star Dairy Provolone cheese, shredded and divided
    • Optional toppings: sliced green onions and sour cream

    Instructions

    1. Freeze steak for 40 minutes.
    2. Thinly slice steak against the grain into strips; season with salt and pepper.
    3. Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak in batches; stir-fry until meat is no longer pink. Remove steak from skillet; keep warm.
    4. Sauté onion and peppers in remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender.
    5. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
    6. Add steak to skillet; toss to combine.
    7. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 15 x 10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
    8. Arrange tortilla chips in a single layer on prepared pan.
    9. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup provolone.
    10. Layer with half of the steak-veggie mixture.
    11. Repeat layers, starting with 1 cup mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone.
    12. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheeses are melted.
    13. Garnish with toppings as desired.
    14. Serve immediately.

    700 Lithography Machines to be Recalled from the Mainland China Market?

    2023 08 06 19 13
    2023 08 06 19 13

    ASML has a deep presence in mainland China, with over 700 lithography machines shipped and 15 offices and a repair center established over several decades.

    However, ASML’s operations in China will become more difficult after the Netherlands and the United States reach an agreement. If ASML is unable to provide normal shipping and after-sales service, can all of the mainland’s lithography equipment be repurchased?

    If such a situation really occurs, the Netherlands may not be able to bear the consequences.

    The Chinese Mainland Market is very important to ASML. With the rise of China’s semiconductor industry and increasing demand, China has become the world’s largest semiconductor Market.

    Foreign suppliers such as ASML are eager to sell large quantities of products in China to earn substantial revenue and profits, however these matters are not solely at the discretion of ASML.

    If the chip industry continues to maintain Global free trade, ASML can participate in the Chinese market in its own way but now the situation is different. The Netherlands and the US have colluded and set stricter export control rules for ASML.

    Starting from September 1st ASML’s high-end DUV lithography machines will not be able to be shipped to the mainland Chinese market as usual. This is not what ASML wants to see but ASML has little choice but to go with the flow.

    ASML may even face a situation where it has to repurchase equipment, the chairman of Yangtze memory Technologies once said. Please establish principles of Integrity In fairness if compliant equipment cannot be obtained or used, a time limit can be set for the repurchase of the equipment only then can it be fair.

    Chen Nanshang’s meaning is clear, if ASML’s lithography machines are purchased but cannot be obtained or if they are already installed in production lines but are remotely locked due to regulatory restrictions ASML must repurchase the equipment.

    Over several decades of operating in mainland China ASML has shipped over 700 lithography machines and established 15 offices and a repair center in China however the agreement between the Netherlands and the United States will impose more restrictions and difficulties on ASML operations in mainland China including shipping and after sales services for ASML.

    This is undoubtedly a severe challenge following chin Nanshang’s remarks, it is possible to repurchase all of the mainland’s lithography equipment if such a situation really occurs.

    The Netherlands may not be able to bear the consequences on the one hand this would mean that ASML would lose the huge Chinese market which would have a detrimental effect on the company’s revenue and growth on the other hand repurchasing the equipment would require a large amount of capital and resources which would have a negative impact on ASML’s financial situation and competitiveness.

    France desperate to hold on to Niger, and its uranium

    2023 08 06 19 10
    2023 08 06 19 10

    What did someone do or say at the bank that made you say, “You gotta be kidding me!”?

    I used to bank with Bank of America. Deposited a check from my grandfather. I was 35 at the time or so. I got a receipt that said I deposited it at 11:05 with Imelda for $1200.00. This was in Fremont, CA. I had $50 in the account, never had an overdraft, so there were no holds. At the time it was all the money I had and I needed it to pay rent. Next day I dropped by and said “When will those funds be available?”.

    Teller said “You didn’t make a deposit yesterday”.
    I said “Yeah I did…” and read off the receipt details. They told me they had no record of the deposit (despite my receipt) that they had lost the check and it was now my problem. They told me to get another check from my grandpa. I said “He’s a prick and he’s not going to do that”.

    They genuinely tried to tell me that I’d just lost those funds.

    I said “Are you high??!! I have proof I deposited it! It’s insured by the Federal govt, you moron! If you lost the check than Bank of America is going to absorb this loss, not some starving student who can’t pay rent”.
    (Edit:Oops. FDIC handles it when banks go out of business. Other agencies remedy losses like this).

    BofA branch manager told me to “be quiet”

    I got louder in the middle of the crowded bank “YOU LOST MY MONEY? I HAVE A RECEIPT FOR THE DEPOSIT RIGHT HERE! I CAME INTO THE BANK AND DEPOSITED IT AT THE COUNTER RIGHT HERE YESTERDAY AND YOU LOST THE CHECK ? ! YOU SAY YOU WANT ME TO EAT THE LOSS CAUSE YOU LOST MY CHECK ?? !!”

    He stammered… “please be quiet” the branch manager whispered, trying to hush me.

    He didn’t know I had 10 years of theater training. My voice BOOMED and probably heard in the parking lot. “YOU LOST MY CHECK ! ! ! !!! YOU LOST MY MONEY!! THE TELLER STOLE MY CHECK AND YOU SAY IT’S JUST GONE ? ! HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY HAS SHE STOLEN FROM THEIR ACCOUNTS???!!!”.

    Literally everything in the bank stopped. I think I had rattled the glass. People were now walking towards us worried. There was going to be a rush on the bank. Like this was going to make the news. His face turned red with panic.

    He told me “I’m going to put the funds back in your account but we reserve the right to remove it later if we want to”.

    I said “But it’s all liquid right now?”.

    He said “Yes”.

    I instantly left the bank. Drove to the nearest Bank of America (they’re everywhere), took all my money out ($1250 or so) and closed the account.

    NEVER. EVER. EVER do business with Bank of America. They’re consistently incompetent. I’ve heard other horror stories and there are better banks that don’t charge fees. I mean, BofA literally told me that they had lost my check AFTER I deposited it, I had a receipt, named the teller, the amount and the time of the deposit. I’d done everything right and they wanted ME to eat the loss?!!!

    CDC Confirms “Outbreak” of Dengue Fever in U.S.

    Nation Hal Turner 04 August 2023

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provisionally confirmed a major U.S. outbreak of dengue fever on Wednesday.

    At present, there are 225 cases of dengue fever in the U.S., and 315 in the U.S. territory of Puerto Ricoaccording to the CDC. Florida is bearing the brunt of the outbreak, with 96 travel-associated cases and two local transmissions.

    New York has also been hit with 23 cases, and one person has been infected locally in Texas. A majority of the cases in Florida were contracted during trips to Cuba, according to VaxBeforeTravel.

    Outbreaks of dengue have erupted around the world, with more than 100,000 people infected and 200 dead in Peru. The country is currently going through a “mega fumigation campaign” to rid the population of mosquitos that carry the disease.

    The disease is spread via mosquito bites, and symptoms include severe pain in the patient’s eyes, head, muscles, joints, as well as a high fever, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

    Severe dengue fever can cause internal bleeding and organ damage. Blood pressure can drop to dangerous levels, causing shock. In some cases, severe dengue fever can lead to death.

    Women who get dengue fever during pregnancy may be able to spread the virus to the baby during childbirth.

    San Francisco’s Tallest Building Is Literally Empty | Salesforce Leaves Quietly

    2023 08 05 20 16
    2023 08 05 20 16

    Do older people tend to let their homes go because they can’t do the work anymore?

    I have noticed that older people like me (76) tend to let their seasonal homes (summer cottages) go because they become overwhelmed by the work required to maintain that home. I spoke a few days ago with two long-time seasonal neighbors (85 and 86) on my remote northern Minnesota island who told me this was their last summer there. I thanked them for telling me that they had made it into their mid-80s before deciding to sell. There are things about living on a remote island that make it more difficult:

    • You have to have a boat or boats in the water between May and October and then have a place to store them during the winter. I have replaced my older and less reliable boats with two new ones that require very little shop time to fix motors.
    • Docks require maintenance, particularly when a flood like the one we experienced in 2022 does this to it.
    main qimg 33309012d59f2c6c63a3ebc1b66616cf
    main qimg 33309012d59f2c6c63a3ebc1b66616cf
    • Forest management involves the removal of dead trees and the protection of young trees from deer or beaver. I cut and split enough wood to fuel the sauna and wood stove during the season.
    • The cottage itself needs the same sort of maintenance any building does with special attention to water pumps and sewage. At a certain point it becomes necessary to put away ladders as an accident on the island would be disastrous.

    One of the issues as we age is that the kids who once helped up with the seasonal work are off in their own lives with their families. If they spend a week at the cottage, the last thing they plan on doing is rebuilding a dock or cutting and splitting trees. Although I have had an excellent summer at the lake (especially avoiding the southern heat dome), I know that the time will come when we transfer ownership. I do not look forward to that day.

    What are the implications of China replacing the head of its nuclear missile force in a major military shake-up?

    Wang Houbin.

    Wang Houbin
    Wang Houbin

    Unlike the West, this is a merit-based appointment. He was the former deputy commander of the Chinese navy, and he was the one that oversaw it’s growth, expansion, and maintained strict discipline throughout the nearly eight years of sea-based American provocations.

    He runs a “tight ship”.

    Without getting into too much detail, he is the sort of man that is loyal and “plays it by the book”. Much like (the fictional character) “Iceman” from the 1980’s era movie “Topgun”.

    In short; He is a steady hand, and strives for perfection.

    Also, he is LOYAL. He cannot be “turned”, and he is neither ideological, nor religious.

    As the head of the PLA Strategic (and tactical) missile force, he WILL NOT HESITATE to turn the United States into Radioactive glass if ordered to do so. He is the man who will do it, and he is the best qualified for this role.

    2023 08 05 19 31
    2023 08 05 19 31

    For whatever it is worth, those “in the know” inside the Pentagon realize what a big issue this is. They see a gradual and steady evolution (step by step) by the PLA to get on a deathly-serious and very lethal full-on WAR FOOTING.

    Oh, I’m sure it sounds great that you have a few guns in your house. So many American people can boast that they have a few guns in their house. But what REALLY makes the difference is the person is is trained, and READY to use them. The guy that won’t blink, and shoot you dead. Fully and completely dead.

    That is Wang Houbin.

    The unique case of ‘water scam’ which Air Asia is into.

    It’s the lowest one can fall to at 35,000ft.

    As per the mandatory regulation issued by DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation), a passenger on board is entitled to free drinking water in all domestic and international flights flying in/out of India.

    But Air Asia does not want you to have that glass of water so easily.

    main qimg d19b56edb5e1d66b6a2308017e292619 lq
    main qimg d19b56edb5e1d66b6a2308017e292619 lq

    Here is what they do.

    On my flight from Bengaluru to Kuala Lumpur, when I asked for regular water instead of the bottled one, the reply of the air hostess was –

    Sir we only have hot water with us, can I get you that?’

    By hot, she meant pipping hot. There was no way anyone can drink that, automatically forcing you to buy a bottle, which I had to.

    Technically they were right, its mentioned free, but nothing is written about the temperature part.

    That’s the day they proved, they are indeed the cheapest airline in the world.

    Netherlands Will Make the U.S Pay This Way After Becoming a Scapegoat!

    Netherlands Will Make the U.S Pay This Way After Becoming a Scapegoat!

    2023 08 06 18 59
    2023 08 06 18 59
    https://youtu.be/WtEth5wuFfY

    If someone became extremely wealthy, could they theoretically buy anything they want and never have to work again?

    I have three ultra wealthy friends. The first two are worth more than $100 million, and the third is a multi billionaire.

    The first sold his software company in his early 40’s, retired, and traveled the world for 2 years. He got bored and started a new software company, and sold it in his late 40’s. He got bored again, and started ANOTHER software company, but this one failed, but he only lost a few million. Just pocket change for him.

    I haven’t talked to him for awhile, but last time I did, he and his wife was doing the whole ‘Van Life’ thing you see on YouTube (he’s not a YouTuber tho). I guess that’s what you do when all of your kids are in college.

    He can buy just about anything, but he’s always been a simple guy. I’ve never seen him buy anything fancy since I’ve known him. He likes to drive his Buick SUV because it’s comfortable. Actually, his Van Life van is pretty fancy, probably the fanciest thing I’ve ever seen him buy. It was custom built for him and his wife and I think he paid over $200k for it.

    My second friend created a robotics company and just recently sold it so he could retire at 60 years old.

    He’s nothing like my first friend. He has a huge mansion, 2 planes (not jets), and a large collection of Lamborghini’s. His daily driver is a Huracán. He travels around the US doing track days with his Lambos. He’s driven on every speedway in the US, and most of them in Europe. He also got bored and started a new medical tech company. Last time I talked to him, he was complaining about the FDA.

    My third friend just recently became a billionaire when his fintech company IPO’d. He doesn’t consider himself wealthy as it’s all in company stocks, and hasn’t sold any. He mentioned that nothing in his life has really changed since the IPO (and him becoming a billionaire), except now he travels in a private jet when traveling across the US, Europe and Asia for work. I rarely see him because he works 5000 hrs a week, but that started before he became a billionaire. I’m still trying to get him to take me in his company jet.

    All of them can definitely buy just about anything they want (and one has).
    Theoretically, all three of them never have to work again, but all three are genius’ and their brains never stop working. I don’t think they can help it, nor do they want to. I think they’re happiest when they’re doing something new and interesting.

    Ukraine-Marine Drone Hits Russian Ship; Explodes

    World Hal Turner 04 August 2023

    Ukraine Marine Drone Hits Russian Ship large
    Ukraine Marine Drone Hits Russian Ship large

    Ukrainian sea drones attacked a navy base at one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Friday, claiming that both of the drones used in the attack had been destroyed. Ukrainian sources said a Russian naval vessel was damaged in the attack, however, and video posted online appeared to show a ship listing to one side.

    The overnight attack hit Russia’s Novorossiysk naval base on the Black Sea, and it reportedly forced a temporary halt to all ship movement at the key port.

    Clashes in and around Ukraine’s Black Sea ports — which are currently blockaded by Russian forces — and at least one major river port have escalated since the collapse of an internationally-brokered deal that had, for a year up until last month, allowed for the safe export of vital grain supplies from Ukraine.

    Russia pulled out of that deal and has since attacked the ports from which Ukraine’s significant grain supplies are exported around the world, driving global grain prices up more than 10% in the immediate aftermath and threatening to keep them on the rise. 

    Have you actually ever heard someone say ‘Do you know who I am?’ indignantly?

    My father believed in handshakes, not contracts and entered into a business agreement to do all the foundation work for a development of 9 luxury houses. Both my mom and I warned him to get a contract but he wouldn’t claiming the the contractor who hired him was also an honorable man.

    Needless to say, he didn’t pay even though my father believed he would pay one day. My parents cut their living expenses to the bare minimum, including their health insurance. Sadly my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer during this time.

    One day, I joined friends for a festival at the local seminary. Guess who I ran into? Yup the contractor being given the Royal treatment by several of the priests since he was a large donor to the seminary. I said hello to him and he ignored me, so I repeated myself. When I was ignored a second time, I asked him where his manners were (yes I was itching for a fight). He responded by asking me if I knew who he was

    My very loud response was that I knew who he was…that he was the lying thief who owed my father nearly $200,000 for work he had done. And that because of him a good woman, my mom was dying because my parents couldn’t afford medical treatment. Of course the priests tried to shuffle him away but I kept at it. The priests kept telling me that I was mistaken and that he was a good man.

    I asked him if he knew who I was and he said some bitch with no manners. I laughed and responded that I was the bitch that was taking him down with a big smirk and walked away laughing.

    What he didn’t know was that I had kept detailed records of all of my dad’s financial outlays for him, all associated labor costs, delivery costs of concrete & cinder blocks – all showing delivery to the contractor’s development. I found a lawyer to help us and the day before the festival, my mom signed the paperwork (as a co-owner of the business) to have a lein applied preventing the sale of any house in that development until my dad was paid in full. I also reported him to the IRS whistleblowers program for tax fraud.

    End result, my dad was paid in full. Eventually the contractor was found guilty of tax fraud, did prison time, paid a substantial penalty and was ruined. Evidently my dad was not the only one he screwed. And being the bitch with no manners that I am, I bought numerous copies of the newspaper edition that told of his conviction, and hand delivered them to the priests. Lol

    What is the best thing that has ever happened to you for being nice?

    Years ago, I was on my way back to my hometown. When an elderly couple tried to get on this bus as well, I immediately gave up my seat and helped them to get on.

    They were very impressed that I had actually given up my seat and thanked me about three times. They explained they’d wanted to get to their hotel for hours, but had to wait as there were many delays that day. I then made them laugh by saying we are very used to train and bus delays here in the Netherlands, so they’d better get used to it if they were planning on staying any longer!

    While we were on our way, they started asking me all about the Netherlands. Where I was from, what it was like to live here, and what I was up to. I told them I was on my way back after I’d met up with a professor to discuss my ideas about going to Oxford. He had, unfortunately, told me that my chances were very slim, as my grades were not that high.

    The husband of the woman suddenly sat up and asked me what my grades were like. I told him and he asked what I wanted to study. I explained to him that applied linguistics was the field I really wanted to get involved in, and I gave him my reasons, to which he replied:

    “You know, I used to be a professor of Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, and I would most certainly have admitted you. ”

    He gave me the courage I needed to apply to Oxford that semester, and guess what… I got in!

    THIS BROKE ME! | Oliver Anthony “Rich Men North Of Richmond | Reaction

    Todays reaction REALLY BROKE ME! Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond” really hit home for me!

    Kansas City Confidential (Film-Noir, 1952) John Payne, Lee Van Cleef | Colorized Movie, Subtitles

    Full movie.

    2023 08 03 20 49
    2023 08 03 20 49

    Film noir.

    World War III continues, evidence of micro-nukes, bio-weapons, full spectrum warfare are clear. Interesting things in Korea, Germany, and the Middle East

    Stay tuned. All of the subjects mentioned in the title has already been covered within the messy slush-file of MM articles. All intentionally buried within a safe coverage of delicious food, cats, music, and stories of the human condition. Impossible for computer algorithms and troll agents to root out and locate. It’s the MM way, don’t you know. What subjects?

    • Nordstream pipeline detonations
    • The Pentagon using the Musk satellites to ram the Chinese space station, and then China taking down all of them with an electromagnetic cannon
    • The UK launching a micro-nuke in Ukraine and caught red-handed by Russia
    • Bio-Weapons NATO general captured at a weaponized development facility (Ukraine) performing “gain of function” studies. Also known as “weaponizing the virus”.
    • China stopping the bio-weapon attempts to induce famine
    • China capturing and killing off all of the CIA and NED assets
    • North Korea missile attacks
    • Disabling an American nuclear sub that was “this close” to being captured outright.
    • Sinking another one that had to be recovered (F-35 splash into the South China Sea anyone?)
    • The Trump mega-flotilla that turned around and sailed back home
    • Covid-19, the tick-virus and the humanized swine-flu virus bio-weapons and the Taiwan “surprise” virus.

    And that’s all right off the top of my head. But I’m not trying to keep score. In this “game” of world war III, it’s impossible to keep score and absolutely meaningless. You have to keep in mind the objectives of all parties (as best as we can ascertain) and then observe the elements play out. And as they play out, we migrate to areas that will not be affected by the fallout (both figuratively and literally). Remember, the reason why everyone is so confused as to what is going on is simply because no one can see the full picture. There’s a plan. There’s always a plan. Keep in mind why things appear to be a world run by crazy people…

    • They might actually be crazy.
    • The Western “news” is a propaganda arm of the US government.
    • Actual “news” and events are not being reported on.
    • Trivial events are blown all out of proportion.
    • Real secrets are kept secret.
    • Counter intelligence operations are at full-speed.

    So just sit tight. The latest information from the Domain Commander is…

    • No change to the previous predictions; small to medium bads lie ahead.
    • Events are playing out within predictable patterns well known and understood by Domain (Historians).
    • Some humans will experience discomfort, but any areas of conflict and turmoil will be isolated and geographically segmented.

    Take care. Be prudent.

    Important note

    WordPress has “updated” it’s software, and messed up everything MM side.  Do not be frustrated, but much of the grammar corrections, formatting, and pictures were deleted or screwed up in this post, and I am too exhausted to repair what amounts to 10,000 words of text.

    Self-format if you must.

    Singapore and China sign 19 agreements to boost cooperation

    Singapore and China sign 19 agreements to boost cooperation at annual apex meeting
    
    The agreements were signed at the 18th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting, co-chaired by DPM Heng Swee Keat and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng
    
    China is where the world future lies :
    .

    Slow Motion Economic Train Wreck; Nearly 40% of small businesses in the US failed to pay rent in October

    .
    Small businesses in various states are struggling to pay their rent, a new report shows, with rent delinquency at nearly 40 percent this month. 
    
    The findings, published Tuesday by Boston-based business tracker Alignable, are raising more than eyebrows, as they illustrate the stark effect inflation is having on everyday Americans. 
    
    The survey of 4,789 randomly selected small business owners saw more than half of respondents say their rent is at least 10 percent higher than six months ago. 
    
    If you go back seven months, the majority said their rents had increased by at least 20 percent. 
    
    Moreover, the study found that roughly 37 percent of small businesses - almost half of all Americans working in the private sector - were left unable to pay rent in October. 
    
    Compounding concerns is the fact that several states, including New York and California, are well over the already-high national average. 
    
    Offering an explanation for the phenomenon, study author Chuck Casto wrote that small business owners are steadfast, but that their incomes are 'basically being eaten away by inflationary pressures' as grim figures continue to rock financial markets. 
    
    Alignable discerned that one-third of businesses are at risk of closing if revenue does not 'ramp up' significantly in the coming months, as consumers shy away from spending amid fears of an impending recession. As to the reasons for the short funds, poll-takers blamed higher rents, the impact of more than a year of high inflation, steeper-than-usual gas prices, increases in supply chain costs, rising labor expenses and shortages, and reduced consumer spending. 
    
    Worse, about 49 percent of restaurants were unable to pay their rent this month, up from 36, in September, while an identical 49 percent of car dealership and repair shop owners defaulted on their October rent.

    Chips Act Won’t Work

    It doesn’t make sense for the US to invest billions of dollars to support the manufacturing of semiconductors if they have to be shipped to Asia to be completed.

    Interesting story from MoA

    Down Time Recently the provider of this Website, Typepad, moved their systems to a new datacenter. It then announced an additional maintenance period to update the system’s architecture. That ended up in a mighty screw-up. For the last days Moon of Alabama was a casualty of it. After a while the Typepad engineers recognized the problems and decided, correctly, to roll everything back to the old version. It took a while, but finally most stuff is working again. There are two maxims in Information Technology. I. Never change a running system. Unfortunately there are circumstances, like growth pain etc, where one HAS to change things. That usually ends up in trouble. Another IT maxim is: II. Never change multiple things at a time. This is where the recent Typepad screw-up happened. Multiple components of the system were changed at the same time and did not interact properly with each other. Been there, done that. Back around 1995, I was working for a large international access provider who’s systems always had growth pains. Everything was well prepared for a down time and a major update of the architecture. A short maintenance period was announced and we proceeded with it. Every element had been tested before. But unbeknown to the software engineers the network providers, those with the physical access lines, had decided to use our announced down time for a change in their systems too. The two changes collided with each other and it took more than 24 hours to even find out what had happened. The roll back, not well planned, created more of a mess. We were down for 72+ hours. We had several million customers at that time. They weren’t happy. Typepad is now back and with it all the blogs that are running on it. I am pretty sure that there are still some bugs that will have to be cleaned up over the next days. But the service has, in general, been good over the many years Moon of Alabama existed and ran on it. It is relatively cheap and relieves me of setting up and administrating my own servers. That’s why I will stick to it. For now.

    Posted by b at 6:13 UTC

    .

    European Union Gets Nasty Dose of Reality over Natural Gas

    The European Union (EU) got hit with a double dose of nasty reality today. When the European Union “Sanctioned” Russian natural gas, they stopped buying it and had to look elsewhere, which sent the price skyrocketing for everyone.
    Then The EU decided it would impose a Price Cap on . . .  RUSSIAN . . .  natural gas, telling all other countries they must not pay over the price cap! Imagine the nerve of the EU trying to tell the entire world what price they MUST pay for someone ELSE’s natural gas?!?!?!
    Today, Qatar told Europe it will stop sending natural gas to Europe of they try to impose a price cap on RUSSIAN fuels!
    Europe is already in a massive mess over natural gas; it’s not only costing them triple or quadruple what it used to, there are actual shortages.
    If Europe alienates Qatar by imposing a price cap on RUSSIAN gas, and thereby gets cut off from Qatar gas – people in Europe might freeze to death this winter for lack of natural gas. Power plants in Europe would have no fuel to generate electric.   Europe would be plunged into the dark ages.
    Speaking of shortages, GAZPROM announced today that, by their measurements, Ukraine has presently stored 14.6 Billion cubic meters (m3) of natural gas.
    But the country needs 19 Billion m3 to get through the winter.  Ukraine doesn’t have that much . . .  and cannot get it, either.
    So it seems at first glance, people in Ukraine, will actually end up freezing to death this winter. So much for Ukraine “winning” it’s war with Russia.
    Maybe, if Ukraine surrenders now, they can settle things fast enough so that their people don’t freeze to death?
    Or is noble surrender too much to ask from the Zelensky tyrants in Kiev?
    .

    Interesting, though he’s got a problem with communism. I suppose it’s legacy fear. But check it out.

    .
    https://youtu.be/E4ZDEaqYQDs

    Russians Hack U.S. “DELTA Command & Control System” – Complete Ukraine Battle Plans Exposed

    . The United States “DELTA” Command and Control System is the computer network that the US uses for battle operations. It is constantly updated by military planners and intelligence sources with troop deployment info, weapons stock info, and complete attack plans. Russia has HACKED it; Ukraine’s battle plans totally compromised. Equally important, the DELTA system is also constantly updated with information about the OPPOSING forces, in this case, Russia. Here is what a Russian computer Hacker got access to, with videos proving he got access, and how it is likely to be dispositive of the entire Ukraine war, in Russia’s favor.

    Enjoy. https://youtu.be/f_DDvG-yv4c

    Iran Raises “Red Banner of Retaliation” Over Mosque; Saudis on High Alert

    Iran has raised the Red Banner of Retaliation over the dome of Jamkaran Mosque in Qom city, which amounts to a declaration of war. What caused the raising of the Red Banner is yet to be said. The last time the Red Banner was raised was when Qassem Suleimani was assassinated in 2020. After that banner was raised, Iran fired missiles which hit a US Base in the region, injuring many US military personnel. Whatever the present issue may be, Saudi Arabia notified its US Military contacts they expect what they call an “imminent” attack against Saudi Arabia by Iran.  They are not certain if the attack will be by missiles, or by Iranian Drones. US and Saudi air defenses are now on high alert.

    Fun. https://youtu.be/qHR8IdyTO1M

    New Fudan Report: US-China Chip War

    From HERE Securitisation of the US’s Semiconductor Industry Policy”. Its authors are Shen Yi (沈逸) and Mo Fei (莫非). The former is a controversial professor of international politics and the director of the Centre for International Cyberspace Governance at Fudan University. With a following of almost two million on Weibo as well as regular videos and opinion pieces discussing international relations, he has become a well-known public intellectual in China. Shen has previously written about his experience of being interrogated by the FBI and having his US visa revoked back in 2018. The second author, Mo Fei, is a PhD candidate at Fudan University’s School of International Relations and Public Affairs and a research assistant at the aforementioned Centre for International Cyberspace Governance. This report appears to have been written, or at least completed, in September, in other words, prior to the US’s most recent high-tech export controls. The authors, however, were aware that “the Biden administration plans to further strengthen export controls on China in the areas of artificial intelligence and chip manufacturing, and that it was considering establishing a system within the US government that would give it the power to directly block US entities from investing in China and require information disclosure.” The following summary and excerpts should therefore be read keeping this background in mind. On a side note, I may occasionally post special editions such as this one in addition to Sinification’s weekly format if and when I feel that a particular study is noteworthy, topical and too long to share as a thread on Twitter.


    Key arguments from this report:

    1. The US is making a strategic mistake in channelling most of its energy into outdoing China in the tech sector. Semiconductors only constitute a small part of the US-China rivalry.
    2. The US’s chip manufacturing capacity lags far behind that of East Asia. The CHIPS Act is unlikely to provide enough funding and incentives to change this.
    3. US allies will not be willing to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of America’s.
    4. China has the financial firepower, unrivalled capacity for government-industry coordination and absolute determination to accelerate the development of its chip industry, come what may.

    On the drivers and dynamics of the US-China chip war:

    “China's fundamental national strategy is to strengthen its national power, improve the standard of living of its citizens and enhance its international status through peaceful economic development. The US’s strategy towards China is to 'lock up' China's rise, curtail its international influence and increase its dependence on the US in the international system. Therefore, the essence of the strategic competition between the US and China is a struggle between economic development and domestic governance rather than a traditional hegemonic or military-security struggle.
    
    “The US, however, has rather simplistically focused on the nature of the strategic competition between the US and China as being a 'technological battle', and then even more simplistically determined that a series of [tech-related] policies will be able to successfully block the strategic challenge posed by China in a relatively short period of time and at a relatively low cost.”
    
    The US has [now] put anti-China national security concerns ahead of such economic interests as ‘cost’, ‘efficiency’ and ‘market’.
    
    Advanced semiconductors have become an outlet for the US to release its security-related anxieties about China and have been turned into a symbol … demonstrating the US’s superior strength and its gradually winning in the context of US-China rivalry. At the same time, in the absence of one single effective ‘tool’ to contain China's technological rise and as one of the very few holds the US [still] has in the economic sphere that can effectively handicap China, any action that can widen the gap between China and the US in advanced semiconductor technology will have the psychological effect of ‘easing the anxiety’ and ‘increasing the smugness’ of US policymakers. Each [US] crackdown on China's advanced semiconductor technology will release the US’s security-related anxiety about China in stages. [But] when new security-related anxieties reach a certain level, it will once again drive the US to take further restrictive measures against [the development of] China’s advanced semiconductor technology.”
    
    “At the [current] stage of the strategic stalemate between the US and China, the US can only add to the semiconductor technology embargo compulsively and frequently to demonstrate that it still has considerable coercive power and strategic advantages over China.”
    
    But the fact is that advanced semiconductors only constitute a small part of the strategic competition between the US and China.

    On the difficulty for the US to rebuild a chip manufacturing base at home, gain the backing of its allies and shut out China:

    “Global economic integration, the formation and consolidation of global supply chains, and China’s deep roots in the global economic system make it almost impossible for the US to replicate its Cold War strategy against the Soviet Union in its strategic competition with China.
    
    “History repeats itself but never in exactly the same way. The United States today does not have the same strategic capabilities as it did thirty years ago, and China is now already highly integrated into both the new international division of labour and the world’s science and innovation cycle. Even in the area of semiconductors, where the US is in a position of power and China is at a disadvantage, the US is no longer in a position to [simply] remove China from the supply chain of advanced semiconductors. The inherent vulnerability of the Biden administration's chip strategy leaves room for China's semiconductor industry to break out of the US’s siege. More specifically:”
    1. The Biden administration's semiconductor strategy runs counter to the global semiconductor industry’s development pattern and lacks an adequate domestic semiconductor manufacturing base to support it.”
      
      “US semiconductor manufacturing capabilities lag far behind those of East Asian countries. [This is explained by] the wave of de-industrialisation that began in the late 20th century in the US, coupled with the fact that most American IC companies have opted for a 'Fabless' operating model, focusing on design and outsourcing manufacturing.”
      
      “The US’s heavy reliance on East Asian semiconductor production capacity exacerbates the risk of disruption to the US chip supply chain, while also increasing the US's vulnerability in the context of its strategic competition with China.”
      
      “Now, for national security and geostrategic reasons, the US is planning to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to its shores … However, such a systemic change will be very difficult to achieve with just a single ‘chip bill’.”
      
      “The US’s current approach has seen it use mainly federal funding to invest domestically in high-tech R&D … to train new talent and to attract foreign firms to set up factories in the US. However, … if the US wants to restructure the [current] layout of the global semiconductor industry, US$50+ billion from the federal government will clearly not be enough to solve this issue.”
      
      “In September 2022, the Center for a New American Security released [a report] … which stated that the US CHIPS Act is designed to close the cost gap between producing chips in the US versus in East Asia, but that current financial support and related incentives were still far from sufficient to close the cost gap across the industry.”
      
      “The actual effectiveness of the CHIPS Act may differ quite significantly from the optimistic estimates (in favour of the US) that are now being made in a large number of studies; one cannot exclude a scenario in which the buzz is followed by business as usual.
      
      “Frankly speaking, although we still need to wait for [these measures] to be put into practice … it is arguably the ‘pull’ by the end customer that will prove more important than the ‘push’ by the US government’s industrial policies. If the end-consumer market proves unwilling to pay a premium [for these high-tech products] … the Biden government's semiconductor strategy … will not be able to [fully] restructure the [current] layout of the global semiconductor industry.
    2. The US’s influence within its chip alliances is not sufficient to convince its allies to follow the Biden administration's semiconductor strategy on the premise of ‘America First’ and ‘each country has to pay its own way [i.e. with no help from the US]’.”
      
      “[In reality,] the core of the US’s semiconductor strategy, is, on the one hand, to siphon off resources from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and other relevant semiconductor companies to make up for the technological shortcomings in its own semiconductor manufacturing sector. On the other, to convince its allies and partners, using its position of power in the high-tech world, to stop semiconductor technology deals and manufacturing cooperation with China.”
      
      “The Biden administration is [effectively] strengthening itself at the expense of others … thus increasing the vulnerability of the Biden administration's semiconductor strategy. In other words, US allies and partners have their own semiconductor strategies and are not willing to sacrifice their own interests in order to serve the US’s semiconductor strategy.”
      
      “[For example,] South Korea cannot [simply] decouple from China, just for the sake of cooperating with Washington in building up the US’s [new] supply chain, without taking into account the fact that China is South Korea’s largest semiconductor market … South Korea is ambivalent about the ‘CHIP 4’ alliance currently being assembled by the US.”
      
      “Taiwan, on the other hand, still has illusions about [the effectiveness of] its ‘Silicon Shield’ and does not want the US semiconductor industry to develop in the direction of self-sufficiency for national security reasons.”
      
      “There are deep-rooted conflicting currents in the underlying logic of Taiwan's semiconductor strategy with the US. Politically, Taiwan is investing in US factories to curry favour with the US on geopolitical issues. Economically [however], Taiwan's semiconductor industry … does not view the US ‘chip strategy’ favourably.”
      
      “In addition to [the Netherland’s] ASML, the Biden administration has also tried to pressure Nikon, a Japanese DUV equipment manufacturer, to stop exporting such equipment to China, but the Japanese have also refused. This shows that, when it comes to the technological embargo imposed on China, although the ‘public-private’ alliance formed by the US will cooperate with the US’s strategy, there is a limit to such cooperation. This can be explained by two factors: the pull of the Chinese market and a concern for US technological hegemony [among its allies].

    On the US’s tech crackdown on China and the the medium-to-long term prospects for both the US and China:

    “The specific technical details involved in the semiconductor industry are complex enough to ensure that [only] a small group of elite politicians in Washington can monopolise the content and future direction of these discussions, thereby making it easier to gain indulgence and support for their contrarian actions both at home and abroad.”
    
    “Take the latest US chip sanctions against China on 1 September as an example … The ban presents a remarkable internal paradox. It was initially intended to create additional barriers to the development of China's high-tech industry. However, it may well end up having the opposite effect. Ironically, in the medium to long term, US pressure is set to ‘force’ China's high-tech industry to develop a more solid industrial base as well as [its own] core technologies. Objectively speaking and from the US’s perspective, this will lead to [the emergence of] a more challenging, comprehensive, and thus more-difficult-to-contain, powerful adversary.”
    
    “In the short term, US tech-related policies targeting China will indeed create a window of opportunity. That is to say, a window during which China will be seeking to fix the adverse consequences caused by the US’s technology crackdown. For the US, this window will mean that the US is given more time to develop itself in a number of key and emerging technologies, including advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence, so as to gain the upper hand over China … But such a turn of events is far from being a given. In other words, in addition to restricting technology exports to China, the US government will also need to implement effective domestic policies to support and guide its efforts in these areas. However, if we look at the US’s performance on related issues since the 1980s, the picture is not particularly promising. Of course, the recently passed CHIPS Act provides some room for imagination. However, … in terms of the type of governance capacity required to steer and organise such large-scale strategic industries, the US government is not currently in a position to provide a convincing answer to observers.”
    
    In the short term, the most immediate and tangible effects of the Biden administration's tech-crackdown on China will be: (i) to create real obstacles for the development of related industries in China; (ii) to generate a public opinion wave of pro-US and anti-China rhetoric; and (iii) to use ‘hurting the US’s strategic rival’ as political leverage during the upcoming US mid-term elections and the presidential elections two years later.
    
    “In terms of [economic] weight, the US economy is still the largest in the world, but its lead over the second-placed has narrowed to the point where it is within sight and able to be overtaken. The US still has an overall advantage in terms of cutting-edge technology, but this advantage does not ensure that its use will simply lead to the continued development of its strengths and consolidation of its superiority. It will [probably] not be possible for the US to maintain its overwhelming technological dominance over the rest of the world. In other words, there is a lack of certainty surrounding the US’s ability to make further technological breakthroughs. Its traditional strengths are shrinking or even [already] lost, and its toolbox lacks an obvious ‘magic bullet’ like the US’s containment strategy during the Cold War, which could simply ‘solve the problem once and for all’ vis-à-vis the US’s main strategic rival. In fact, the anxiety that is spreading in Washington's policy-making circles is constantly forcing the US government to look for, and subsequently try out, any type of tool that can produce short-term results. Thus, for policy makers at least, it is a way of justifying domestically that ‘something has already been done’ and avoiding simply looking on [helplessly] at the gradual erosion of the US’s hegemonic powers.”
    
    “The specific condition [to the US’s success] is that the target of such a weapon [export controls] must have a sufficiently weak political will to abandon its intention to develop the industry in question immediately after the US’s strike … [However,] China has both the will and an unmatched capacity for industrial policymaking to drive and guide the development of its own alternative technologies [替代性能力]. Chinese companies and industries have long since begun the production of related products but are [currently] in the uncomfortable position of being constrained by the superior and more mature products of US companies. The subtlety of US bans is that it is the US government, rather than the Chinese government, that has helped these companies to achieve the effective exclusion of their competitors from the [Chinese] market [i.e. this will, according to the authors, allow Chinese companies, in the medium-to-long term, to grow even faster and invest even more in R&D].”
    
    “In terms of China's [overall] development, the development of its technologies, the development of its industries as well as a number of other dimensions, this [i.e. pressures from the US/West] does not really constitute a [catastrophic] threat akin to ‘the sky is falling’. Objectively speaking, the discomfort caused by the bans will be the best possible impetus to stimulate and push forward the upgrading of alternative industries and technological capabilities [in China]. China's [past] experience shows that once this short-term discomfort has been overcome and alternative capabilities and industries have been developed, what will follow is a complete rewriting of the rules of the game by China by virtue of the country’s superior production capacity. The potential outcomes of such a scenario are truly exciting.”
    
    “For [Chinese] policy analysts [政策观察者], it is important to maintain a greater degree of composure, resilience and patience when dealing with US policy decisions, and to analyse more systematically the [potential] discrepancies between policy intentions, policy content and, ultimately, policy effectiveness. For the Chinese government, the more pressing issue is to build [more] effective and refined countermeasures against US [policies], while maintaining the trend of opening up to the outside world and encouraging globalisation, so that the Chinese market and the benefits gained by US companies in China can be used more fully as leverage and, when necessary, a strategic weapon in China's competition with the US. This is a crucial and necessary part of expanding and improving [our] capabilities in the context of China’s rise.”

    Zhu hao (祝好), Thomas

    Comeback kid Lula in the eye of a volcano

    by Pepe Escobar, first posted at the Asia Times, and reposted with the author’s permission

    Lula wins but his room for maneuver will be limited by powerful forces aligned against his Global South agenda

    Luis Ignacio “Lula” da Silva may be the ultimate 21st century political comeback kid. At 77, fit and sharp, leading an alliance of 10 political parties, he has just been elected as Brazilian president for what will be a de facto third term after his first two from 2003 to 2010. Lula even staged a comeback-inside-a-comeback, during the extremely fast and tight electronic vote counting, reaching 50.9% against 49.1% to the incumbent, extreme right President Jair Bolsonaro, representing a difference of only two million votes in a country of 215 million people. Lula’s back in office on January 1, 2023. Lula’s first speech was somewhat anti-Lula; noted for his Garcia Marquez-style improvisations and folksy stream of consciousness, he read from a measured, carefully-prepared script.

    Lula emphasized the defense of democracy; the fight against hunger; the drive for sustainable development with social inclusion; a “relentless fight against racism, prejudice and discrimination.” He invited international cooperation to preserve the Amazon rainforest and will fight for fair global trade, instead of trade “that condemns our country to be an eternal exporter of raw materials.” Lula, always an exceptional negotiator, managed to win against the formidable state machine apparatus unleashed by Bolsonaro, which saw the distribution of billions of dollars in vote-buying; an avalanche of fake news; outright intimidation and attempts of voter suppression against the poor by rabid Bolsonarists; and countless episodes of political violence. Lula inherits a devastated nation that, much like the US, is completely polarized. From 2003 to 2010 – he rose to power, incidentally, only two months before America’s “shock and awe” against Iraq – it was quite a different story. Lula managed to bring to the table economic prosperity, massive poverty alleviation and an array of social policies. In eight years, he created at least 15 million jobs.

    Vicious political persecution ended up canceling him out of the 2018 presidential elections, paving the way for Bolsonaro – a project entertained by the hard-right Brazilian military since 2014. Collusion between Brazil’s Public Ministry and dodgy “justice” stalwarts to persecute and condemn Lula on spurious charges forced him to spend 580 days in jail as a political prisoner as notorious as Julian Assange. Lula ended up being declared not guilty in no less than 26 motions against him by a lawfare machine at the heart of the – deeply corrupt – Car Wash operation. Lula’s Sisyphean task starts now. At least 33 million Brazilians are mired in hunger. Another 115 million are fighting “food insecurity.” No less than 79% of families are hostages to high levels of personal debt. In contrast to the new “pink tide” rolling across Latin America – of which he is now the superstar – internally there’s no pink tide.

    On the contrary, he will face a deeply hostile Congress and Senate and even Bolsonarist governors, including in the most powerful state of the federation, Sao Paulo, which concentrates more industrial firepower than many latitudes in the Global North.

    Round up the usual suspects

    The absolutely key vector is that the international financial system and the “Washington Consensus”, already controlling Bolsonaro’s agenda, have captured Lula’s administration even before it begins. Lula’s vice-president is center-right Geraldo Alckmin, who can be catapulted to power the minute that deeply hostile Congress decides to fabricate some Lula impeachment scheme. It’s not an accident that the neo-liberal The Economist magazine has already “warned” Lula to shift to the center: that is, his government must be run, in practice, by the usual financial suspects. Much will depend on who Lula appoints as his finance minister. The top candidate is Henrique Meirelles, former CEO of FleetBoston, Brazil’s second largest external creditor after CitiGroup. Meirelles has expressed unrestricted support for Lula, for whom he previously worked as central bank chief.

    Meirelles is likely to prescribe the exact same economic policies as Bolsonaro’s top economic enforcer, investment banker Paulo Guedes. That happens to be exactly what Meirelles himself created during the rapacious Temer administration, which came to power after the institutional coup against President Dilma Rousseff in 2016. And now we get to the real juice. None other than US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland visited Brazil “unofficially” last April. She refused to meet Bolsonaro and praised the Brazilian electoral system (“You have one of the best in the hemisphere, in terms of reliability, in terms of transparency.” ) Afterward, Lula promised the EU a sort of “governance” of the Amazon and had to publicly condemn the Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine. All that after he had already praised Biden, in 2021, as “a breath for democracy in the world.” The “reward” for the accumulated performance was a Time magazine cover. All of the above may suggest an incoming, shady pseudo-Left government by the Workers Party – neoliberalism with a human face – infiltrated by all sorts of right-wing vectors, essentially serving the interests of Wall Street and the Democrat-controlled State Department. Key planks: acquisition of key economic assets by the usual globalist suspects, and thus no room for Brazil to exercise real sovereignty. Lula, of course, is too smart to be reduced to the role of mere hostage but his room for maneuver – internally ­– is extremely slim. Toxic Bolsonarism, now in the opposition, will continue to institutionally prosper dressed up as – fake – “anti-system”, especially in the Senate. Bolsonaro is a self-described “myth” created and packaged by the military, coming out in the open about a month after Dilma’s election victory that propelled her to a second term in late 2014. Bolsonaro himself and countless fanatic supporters flirted with Nazism; unabashedly praised known torturers during the Brazilian military dictatorship; and milked serious fascist leanings lurking in Brazilian society. Bolsonarism is even more insidious because this is a military-concocted movement subservient to hardcore neoliberal globalist elites and comprised of evangelicals and agribusiness tycoons while posing as “anti-globalist.” No wonder the virus contaminated literally half of a dazed and confused nation.

    Old China hand

    Externally, Lula will play a whole different ball game. Lula is one of the founders of the BRICS in 2006, which evolved out of the Russia-China dialogue. He’s immensely respected by the leaders of the Russia-China strategic partnership, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. He has promised to serve only one term, or up to the end of 2026. But that’s exactly the key stretch in the eye of the volcano, straddling the decade Putin described in his Valdai speech as the most dangerous and important since World War II. The drive towards a multipolar world, institutionally represented by a congregation of bodies from BRICS+ to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the Eurasia Economic Union, will profit immensely to have Lula on board as arguably the natural leader of the Global South – with a track record to match. Of course, his immediate foreign policy focus will be South America: he already announced that will be the destination of his first presidential visit, most probably Argentina, which is bound to join BRICS+. Then he will visit Washington. He has to. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Informed opinion across the Global South is very much aware that it’s under Obama-Biden that the whole, complex operation to topple Dilma and expel Lula from politics was orchestrated. Brazil will be a lame duck at the upcoming G20 in Bali in mid-November but in 2023 Lula will be back in business side-by-side with Putin and Xi. And that also applies to the next BRICS summit in South Africa, which will consolidate BRICS+, as an array of nations are itching to join, from Argentina and Saudi Arabia to Iran and Turkey. And then there’s the Brazil-China nexus. Brasilia has been Beijing’s key trade partner in Latin America since 2009, absorbing roughly half of China’s investment in the region (and the most of any Latin American investment destination in 2021) and firmly placed as the fifth largest exporter of crude for the Chinese market, second for iron and first for soybeans. The precedents tell the story. Right from the start, in 2003, Lula bet on a strategic partnership with China. He considered his first trip to Beijing in 2004 as his top foreign policy priority. The goodwill in Beijing is unshakeable: Lula is considered an old friend by China – and that political capital will open virtually every red door. In practice, that will mean Lula investing his considerable global clout in strengthening BRICS+ (he already stated BRICS will be at the center of his foreign policy) and the inner workings of South-South geopolitical and geo-economic cooperation. That may even include Lula formally signing up Brazil as a partner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in a way that won’t antagonize the US. Lula, after all, is a master of this craft. Finding a path in the eye of the volcano, internally and externally, will be the definitive political challenge for the comeback kid. Lula has been written off countless times, so underestimating him is a bad bet. Even before starting his third term, he has already performed a major feat: to emancipate a majority of Brazilians from mental slavery. All eyes will be on what the Brazilian military – and its foreign handlers – really want. They have embarked on a very long-term project, control most levers in the power structure, and simply won’t give up. And so the odds may be stacked against an aging neo-Ulysses from northeast Brazil reaching his Ithaca ideal of a fair and sovereign land.

    Really? In six days, eh? It is pretty weird that a Walmart Distribution Center in South Carolina, US. Is usually really busy this time of year. They have not hired anyone in months now. With it being seasonal time also, that is so strange to me!! Also the ones that are working there, are getting NO hours. This has been going on for months, since February. No departments are working full shifts. Check out the video and then monitor the prices at your local grocery store. Let’s watch the clown-show together. https://youtu.be/SXCtROaU-AE

    Brandon’s “Usable Nukes” Are the Fast-Track to Jopocalypse

    Mike Whitney • October 31, 2022

    “The Biden administration’s Nuclear Posture Review is, at heart, a terrifying document. It not only keeps the world on a path of increasing nuclear risk, in many ways it increases that risk.
    Citing rising threats from Russia and China, it argues that the only viable U.S. response is to rebuild the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal, maintain an array of dangerous Cold War-era nuclear policies, and threaten the first use of nuclear weapons in a variety of scenarios.” Stephen Young, Union of Concerned Scientists
    Maybe you’re one of the millions of people who think the US would never use its nuclear weapons unless the threat of a nuclear attack was imminent.
    Well, you’d be wrong, because according to the recently-released Nuclear Posture Review, the bar for using nukes has been significantly lowered. The new standard reads like this: (nukes can be used) “in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies and partners.”
    Defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies”??
    That’s a pretty broad net, isn’t it? That could include anything from a serious threat to national security to an ordinary economic competitor. And that loosy-goosy definition appears to be just what the authors were looking for. The hardliners wanted to fundamentally change US nuclear doctrine so the conditions under which nukes could be used was greatly expanded.
    The obvious objective of this dramatic policy-shift is to eliminate any obstacle to the free and unfettered use of nuclear weapons. Which is precisely what the neocons have always wanted; a green light to Armageddon.
    Now they got what they wanted. Here are a few of the changes in policy that suggest that a full-blown nuclear war is no longer a remote possibility, but an increasingly likely prospect.
    1– First-Strike Use: Biden refuses to rule out first-strike use of US nuclear weapons …in reversal of his campaign promise. This is from The Daily Mail:
    “… on the campaign trail, Biden had vowed to switch to a ‘sole purpose’ doctrine, which maintains that the US would only use nuclear weapons to respond to another nation’s nuclear attack….
    President Joe Biden is abandoning a campaign vow to alter longstanding US nuclear doctrine, and will instead embrace existing policy that reserves America’s right to use nukes in a first-strike scenario, according to multiple reports.” (Daily Mail)
    2– Nuclear Escalation: The Biden team has accelerated the deployment of modernized U.S. B61 tactical nuclear weapons to NATO bases in Europe. (The B61-12 carries a lower yield nuclear warhead than earlier versions but is more accurate and can penetrate below ground.) This is from Reuters:
    Russia said on Saturday that the accelerated deployment of modernised U.S. B61 tactical nuclear weapons at NATO bases in Europe would lower the “nuclear threshold” and that Russia would take the move into account in its military planning.
    Amid the Ukraine crisis, Politico reported on Oct. 26 that the United States told a closed NATO meeting this month that it would accelerate the deployment of a modernised version of the B61, the B61-12, with the new weapons arriving at European bases in December, several months earlier than planned.
    We cannot ignore the plans to modernize nuclear weapons, those free-fall bombs that are in Europe,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told state RIA news agency. (Reuters)
    3– ‘Tactical’ means ‘Usable’: Biden’s new regime of low-yield nukes (which can still blow up a city the size of New York.) are called “tactical” weapons because they are designed for use on the battlefield, which is to say, Biden no longer limits the use of nukes for national defense but also supports their use in conventional wars. (like Ukraine?) This is from Aljazeera:
    Tactical nuclear warheads were created to give military commanders more flexibility on the battlefield. In the mid-1950s, as more powerful thermonuclear bombs were being built and tested, military planners thought smaller weapons with a shorter range would be more useful in ‘tactical’ situations,” according to Al Jazeera’s defence analyst Alex Gatopoulos. (Aljazeera)
    4– Fasttrack to Nuclear War: Biden’s New Euro-Nukes have lowered the threshold for nuclear war. This is from MSN: Russia said on Saturday that the accelerated deployment of modernized US B61 tactical nuclear weapons at NATO bases in Europe would lower the “nuclear threshold” and that Russia would take the move into account in its military planning…
    The United States is modernizing them, increasing their accuracy and reducing the power of the nuclear charge, that is, they turn these weapons into ‘battlefield weapons’, thereby reducing the nuclear threshold,” Grushko said….
    Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said on Saturday on Telegram that the new B61 bombs had a “strategic significance” as Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons were in storage, yet these U.S. bombs would be just a short flight from Russia’s borders.
    “We cannot ignore the plans to modernize nuclear weapons, those free-fall bombs that are in Europe,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told state RIA news agency. (MSM) 5– Increasing the Reasons for using Nukes: The Nuclear Posture Review abandons Biden’s promise to ensure that US nuclear weapons would be used for the “sole purpose” of deterring or responding to a nuclear attack. Instead, the NPR states that the US will consider the use of nuclear weapons “in extreme circumstances to defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies and partners.”
    Sole purpose could significantly reduce the risk of unintended escalation and increase the credibility of more flexible and realistic nonnuclear response options in a range of importance contingencies.” (Federation of American Scientists)
    6– More Escalation: The US now reserves the right to use its nukes against non-nuclear weapon countries. This is from an article at Bloomberg News: The Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy rejected limits on using nuclear weapons long championed by arms control advocates and in the past by President Joe Biden.
    Citing burgeoning threats from China and Russia, the Defense Department said in the document released Thursday that “by the 2030s the United States will, for the first time in its history face two major nuclear powers as strategic competitors and potential adversaries.” In response, the US will “maintain a very high bar for nuclear employment” without ruling out using the weapons in retaliation to a non-nuclear strategic threat to the homeland, US forces abroad or allies.” (“Pentagon’s Strategy Won’t Rule Out Nuclear Use Against Non-Nuclear Threats”, Bloomberg) Here’s more from an article at the World Socialist Web Site:
    In the Defense Department briefing, this point is elaborated. The NPR, a department official stated, “establishes a strategy that relies on nuclear weapons to deter all forms of strategic attack. This includes nuclear employment of any scale, and it includes high-consequence attacks of a strategic nature that use non-nuclear means.”
    The publication of the document was rapidly condemned by arms control experts. “The Biden administration’s unclassified Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) is, at heart, a terrifying document,” wrote the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
    It not only keeps the world on a path of increasing nuclear risk, in many ways it increases that risk,” the UCS argued, by claiming that “the only viable U.S. response is to rebuild the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal, maintain an array of dangerous Cold War-era nuclear policies, and threaten the first use of nuclear weapons in a variety of scenarios.”…
    This marks a significant development from Trump’s 2018 National Defense Strategy, which largely referred to the use of military force to secure economic interests in the negative—asserting that it was China that was doing so. While this was the clear implication of the 2018 document, the definition of “national interests” advanced by the Pentagon’s 2022 document to include “economic prosperity” constitutes an even more open step toward advocating the doctrine that war is an acceptable means to secure economic aims.
    A section of the 2022 National Defense Strategy:
    These documents, which were not seriously discussed in the US media, make clear the fundamental falsehood that the massive US military buildup this year is a response to “Russian aggression.” In reality, in the thinking of the White House and Pentagon war planners, the massive increases in military spending and plans for war with China are created by “dramatic changes in geopolitics, technology, economics, and our environment.”
    These documents make clear that the United States sees the economic rise of China as an existential threat, to be responded to with the threat of military force. The United States sees the subjugation of Russia as a critical stepping stone toward the conflict with China.” (“Pentagon national strategy document targets China”, Andre Damon, World Socialist Web Site) he White House, the Pentagon and the entire US foreign policy establishment now march in lockstep behind the most fanatically-lethal defense policy in the nation’s 246-year history. The National Defense Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review and the National Security Strategy all embrace the same reckless warmongering policy that will inevitably lead to mass annihilation and civilizational collapse. The doves and critical thinkers have all been removed from the foreign policy apparatus while the madmen and warhawks drag the world inexorably towards catastrophe. God help us.

    War Without End

    Honey Garlic Pork Chops

    What is wrong with the United States of America?

    Philip Giraldi • November 1, 2022

    Prussian Major General Carl von Clausewitz famously drew on his own experience in the Napoleonic Wars to examine war as a political phenomenon. In his 1832 book “On War” he provided a frequently quoted pithy summary of war versus peace, writing in terms of politico-military strategy that “War is a mere continuation of politics by other means.” In other words, war-making is a tool provided to statesmen to achieve a nation’s political objectives when all else fails. One can reject the ultimate amorality of Clausewitz’s thinking about war while also recognizing that some nations have historically speaking exploited war-making as a tool for physical expansion and the appropriation of foreigners’ resources. As far back as the Roman Republic, the country’s elected leaders doubled as heads of its consular armies, which were expected to go out each spring to expand the imperium. More recently, Britain notably engaged in almost constant colonial wars over the course of centuries to establish what was to become history’s largest empire. America’s dominant neocons characteristically believe they have inherited the mantle of empire and of the war powers that go hand-in-hand with that attribute, but they have avoided other aspects of the transition in turning the United States into a nation made and empowered by war. First of all, what comes out the other end after one has initiated hostilities with another country is unpredictable. Starting with Korea and continuing with Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq as well as other minor operations in Latin America, Africa and Asia, American war-making has brought nothing but grief on those on the receiving end with little positive to show for the death, destruction and accumulated debt. Also forgotten in the rush to use force is the raison d’etre to have a federal national government at all, which is to bring tangible benefit to the American people. There has been none of that since 9/11 and even before, while Washington’s hard-line stance on what has become a proxy war against Russia over Ukraine promises more pain – perhaps disastrously so – and no real gain. If one has any doubt that going to war has become the principal function of both Democrats and Republicans in Washington, it is only necessary to consider several stories that have appeared in the past several weeks. The first comes from the Republican side, and it includes a possibly positive development. House Minority leader Republican Kevin McCarthy warned two weeks ago that the GOP will not necessarily continue to write a “blank check” for Ukraine if they obtain the House majority in next month’s election, reflecting his party’s growing skepticism about unlimited financial support for the corrupt regime in place in Kiev. McCarthy explained “I think people are gonna be sitting in a recession and they’re not going to write a blank check to Ukraine. They just won’t do it. … It’s not a free blank check.” America’s uncritical support for Ukraine, which has been a contrivance by the White House and media since the fighting started, has led to a growing number of Republicans, particularly some of those aligned with Donald Trump’s “America First” approach, to challenge the need for massive federal spending abroad at a time of record-high inflation at home. Since Russia launched its invasion in February, Congress has approved tens of billions in emergency security and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, while the Biden administration has shipped billions more worth of weapons and equipment from military inventories, all done with only limited or even no oversight of where the money and weapons are winding up. But, unfortunately, the GOP is far from unified on its approach to Ukraine-Russia. Congressman Liz Cheney demonstrated that her apple did not fall far from her father’s tree, taking some time off from trying to hang Donald Trump to denounce what she refers to as the “Putin wing of the Republican Party.” She put it this way: “You know, the Republican Party is the party of Reagan, the party that essentially won the Cold War. And you look now at what I think is really a growing Putin wing of the Republican Party.” Cheney criticized Fox News for “running propaganda” on the issue and in particular called out Fox host Tucker Carlson as “the biggest propagandist for Putin on that network… You really have to ask yourself, whose side is Fox on in this battle? And how could it be that you have a wing of the Republican Party that thinks that America would be standing with Putin as he conducts that brutal invasion of Ukraine?” Cheney notably did not address the issue of how the war developed in the first place because the US and UK preferred saber rattling to diplomacy with Moscow. Or why the United States feels compelled to tip-toe to the brink of a possible nuclear war over a foreign policy issue that is of no real national interest to the American people. And where did she make her comments? At the McCain Institute in Arizona. Yes, that’s a legacy of Senator John McCain another Republican who never saw a war he couldn’t enthusiastically support. Both President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have confirmed that the US is in with Ukraine until “victory” is obtained, whatever that is supposed to mean, while other Administration officials have indicated that the actual purpose of the fighting is to weaken Russia and remove President Putin. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre glibly spouted the party line when asked about McCarthy’s comments. She thanked congressional leaders for bipartisan work to “support Ukraine to defend itself from Russia’s war crimes and atrocities,” adding that “We will continue to work with Congress and continue to monitor those conversations on these efforts and support Ukraine as long as it takes. We are going to keep that promise that we’re making to the brave Ukrainians who are fighting every day, to fight for their freedom and their democracy.” Perhaps more bizarre than Cheney’s comments is the tale of a letter that was prepared by thirty Democratic Party progressives urging US support for negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine. The letter was prepared in June but not released until last week before being quickly retracted under pressure on the following day. Pramila Jayapal, who heads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said it was retracted because it “was being conflated with [the] comments” made by McCarthy over his warning about budget cutting for Ukraine. Jayapal referred to the letter as a “distraction,” but what she really meant was that her group had no desire to make common cause with the Republicans over any issue, including war and peace in an escalating conflict that is manifestly pointless. A clueless Jayapal also took pains to contradict the message put out by her own group, emphasizing that there has been no opposition to the administration’s Ukraine policy from Democrats in Congress. She said Democrats “have strongly and unanimously supported and voted for every package of military, strategic, and economic assistance to the Ukrainian people.” She doubled down on the White House message, affirming that the war in Ukraine will only end with diplomacy after “a Ukrainian victory.” So basically, anyone talking sense about Ukraine in Washington is being shut down by forces within the political parties themselves working together with a compliant national media that is mis-representing everything that is taking place on the ground. It is a formula for tragedy as the Biden administration has shown no sign of seeking diplomacy with Russia to end the conflict despite the president’s recent surprising warning that the world is now facing the highest risk of nuclear “Armageddon,” which he, of course, blames on Putin. Given all of that, in my humble opinion a government that is unable or unwilling to take reasonable steps to protect its own citizens while also avoiding a possible nuclear catastrophe that could end up engulfing the entire world is fundamentally evil and has lost all legitimacy. It should recognize that fact before submitting its resignation.

    To the Chinese, it brings back very bad memories to see Western powers sending fleets to China’s coasts, forming alliances against China, working closely with a brutally Sinophobic Japan, speaking of the breakup of China into Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., tolerating racist attacks on Chinese immigrants, trying to embargo China and cut off its access to markets and resources, speaking of the desire to overthrow China’s government (e.g. far-right scumbag Arkansas senator Tom Cotton and scumbag British diplomat Roger Garside, author of China Coup), vilifying and barbarizing China’s culture, political system, history, and even regional cuisines, and proclaiming the superiority of Western belief systems.

    Anyone who doesn’t understand why should really just exit any discussion of China because they don’t know anything about China’s history over the past 200 years. All of this is extremely familiar to the Chinese. In fact, it makes up most of China’s historical experience with the West. Major Western (British) diplomats visited China for the first time in 1793. Most of the 200 years after that were quite a miserable time for all Chinese.

    This is why the CPC has always refused to restore or reconstruct the Old Summer Palace (Yuanming Yuan) in Beijing, which was once world-famous, breathtakingly beautiful and something like China’s Pyramids or Hanging Gardens. It was looted and destroyed by the French and British in 1860, and today 47 Western museums exhibit and profit from its treasures. This is all that’s left of the Old Summer Palace, and it’s a depressing sight in the capital city of the world’s second-richest nation; but the dilapidated ruins are a reminder to new generations.

    x
    x

    Can you imagine that these charred pillars and scattered stones mark the spot where the emperors of China once lived and governed for 125 years? Not in ancient times, but from 1735 to 1860.

    I think the average patriotic Chinese is thinking, You did all of this before, and we were weak and you won. You really want to do this again? Well this time, we’re just as big as you are.

    The story of the Old Summer Palace increases the kinship I feel with China as an Egyptian, because my country’s stolen treasures also fill Western museums from Boston to Berlin.

    The West has always seen non-Western peoples more of less as barbarians, but I don’t think barbarians are people who practise polygamy, eat dog meat, worship idols, have no written language, or are ruled by an emperor instead of a parliament. Barbarians are people who have to brutalize and plunder every corner of the earth they ever go, simply because they can.

    These absolute sacks of shit.

    This is the Westboro Baptist Church. A Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas. Every day, WBC pickets approximately six locations. They claim to have picketed in all 50 states. What kind of events do they picket? Any events that don’t align with their homophobic, transphobic, anti-Catholic, anti-Orthodox, anti-atheist, Islamophobic, antisemitic, antiziganist, and anti-American views. Organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have accused them of brainwashing, and the church is often heavily criticized for resembling a cult (which it completely is). Some notable events that they picketed are:

    • Hundreds, possibly even thousands, of military funerals.
    • The funeral of Michael Jackson.
    • The funeral of Ronnie James Dio.
    • The funeral of Christina Green, a 9 year old victim of the 2011 Tucson Shooting. Luckily, they were unsuccessful because the Arizona legislature passed an emergency bill banning protesters within 300 ft of the memorial.
    • On October 5, 2011, Margie Phelps (daughter of the church’s founder) tweeted from her iPhone that the church would be picketing Steve Jobs’ funeral. Read that again. She used an iPhone to tell the world that they were going to protest STEVE JOBS’ funeral.
    • They tried to picket Leonard Nimoy’s funeral, but they couldn’t find it.
    • They picketed the funerals of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting.
    • They picketed the funerals of the Orlando nightclub shooting.
    • They protested the National Holocaust Museum, stating that the Jews are the real Nazis.
    • They also picketed the 9/11 memorials, with signs that said “Thank God for 9/11,” yet they also demanded that “teh gayz” be punished for causing 9/11.

    These slippery little shits use every loophole in the book (or rather, the constitution) to ensure that they can continue their heinous activities.

    These parasitic barrels of monkey nuts make me ashamed to not only be American, but a human being. I find some comfort in the parody of the church that was featured in Kingsman: The Secret Service.

    This is pretty important. Really. Please watch this video. https://youtu.be/6lSLks0XaAY

    They Won’t Be Able To Deny The Cold, Hard Reality Of What Is Happening To The U.S. Economy Much Longer

    by Michael They are trying really hard to convince all of us that everything is just fine.  But close to one-fifth of the U.S. population is skipping meals because food prices are too high.  And nearly 40 percent of our small businesses couldn’t pay rent in October.  Our leaders are trying to put a positive spin on things, but the truth is that we are witnessing a tremendous amount of economic suffering all over the United States right now.  The core consumer price index just surged to “the highest level since 1982”, and this is putting an enormous amount of financial stress on American families and businesses. This week, I was stunned to learn that a survey that was just released found that 37 percent of all small businesses in the United States could not pay rent last month…

    The survey of 4,789 randomly selected small business owners saw more than half of respondents say their rent is at least 10 percent higher than six months ago.
    
    If you go back seven months, the majority said their rents had increased by at least 20 percent.
    
    Moreover, the study found that roughly 37 percent of small businesses – almost half of all Americans working in the private sector – were left unable to pay rent in October.

    Prior to getting this news, if someone had asked me to guess the percentage of small businesses that are currently unable to pay rent, I would have responded with a figure that was far lower. So often, things turn out to be even worse than I thought they were. If those small businesses continue to be unable to pay rent, they will eventually be forced to shut down. So what will our communities look like if millions of small businesses suddenly close up shop on a permanent basis? Meanwhile, a different survey has discovered that 18 percent of Americans are now skipping meals because food prices have become so crazy…

    Over the last 12 months, nearly two in five American households (40%) received food or goods from a food bank (22% for Millennials), and the same amount (17%) stopped buying healthier foods (organic or high-priced healthy foods).
    
    Nearly one in five Americans (18%) say they skipped meals or didn’t buy groceries due to high inflation (including 28% of Gen Z and 23% of millennials).

    Skipping meals can be a positive thing, because fasting is actually really good for your health. But most of these Americans are not skipping meals for the health benefits. In addition, the same survey found that many Americans are not taking medications or seeing their doctors because prices have gone up so much

    Many have cancelled or postponed plans in the past 12 months to see a specialist (14%), take a prescribed medication (10%) or get an annual physical (11%) due to high inflation.

    If things are this bad already, what will those numbers look like next year at this time when economic conditions are significantly worse? The American people are going to become increasingly frustrated as our standard of living continues to plunge. All of us have to eat, and so many of the products that so many of us buy on a regular basis have gone up dramatically in price

    A year ago, a bag of potato chips at the grocery store cost an average of $5.05. These days, that bag costs $6.05. A dozen eggs that could have been picked up for $1.83 now average $2.90. A two-liter bottle of soda that cost $1.78 will now set you back $2.17.

    Sadly, this is just the beginning. Even though the Federal Reserve has declared war on inflation, food prices are going to continue to rise for a variety of reasons. And as the cost of living keeps becoming more oppressive, more American families are going to struggle to make it from month to month. Even now, nearly two-thirds of the entire country is currently living paycheck to paycheck

    As rising prices continue to outpace wage gains, families are finding less cushion in their monthly budget.
    
    As of September, 63% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck, according to a recent LendingClub report — near the 64% historic high hit in March. A year ago, the number of adults who felt strained was closer to 57%.
    
    “Consumers are not able to keep up with the pace that inflation is increasing,” said Anuj Nayar, LendingClub’s financial health officer.

    The worse things get, the more we will see people clamoring for the federal government to help them. In fact, one recent survey actually discovered that 63 percent of all U.S. voters are in favor of “inflation stimulus payments”

    A recent poll found that almost two-thirds of Americans are proponents of the federal government sending out inflation stimulus payments.
    
    About 63% of eligible U.S. voters expressed some degree of support for federal inflation relief checks being distributed, the Newsweek poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies showed. Of those who agreed the federal government should do so, 42% indicated they “strongly agree” while 21% said “agree,” according to the poll.

    Sadly, most voters don’t seem to understand that sending out more stimulus checks would create even more inflation. There is always a cost when the government gives out “free money”. If our politicians would have exercised discipline over the past several years, we would not be in the mess that we are in today. But now years of very bad decisions are catching up with us in a major way, and economic conditions are rapidly deteriorating. At this point, the vast majority of the U.S. population can see this.  According to one recent Gallup survey, a whopping two-thirds of all Americans believe that economic conditions in this nation are getting worse. So many people are talking about the possibility of a recession in 2023. If all we have is a recession next year, we would be extremely fortunate. Because right now the economy is starting to crack and crumble all around us, and the outlook for the months ahead is exceedingly bleak indeed. .

    1. 1+1 = 3 if you don’t use the condom.

    2. Alcohol increase size of the “SEND” button by 89%.

    3. Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

    4. Sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectations.

    5. Life is too short to be with the wrong person.

    6. Just because you love them, it doesn’t mean they’re right for you.

    7. Feelings that come back are feelings that never left.

    8. Everything’s not as easy as getting fat.

    9. Even a bad day is just 24 hours.

    10. It’s not your job to fix people.

    When an American conservative warns against a war with Russia, you all had best pay attention.

    The State Department is trying to get us into a war and the Pentagon is trying to keep us out. 
    
    - Ron Paul
    .
    War sucks. I’m not going to be nice about it. It honestly, and really sucks. People get hurt and die. Innocents are maimed. Bad things happen. The wealthy that create the conditions for war flee, and the poor that work for them are sacrificed on the alter of ideology. What ever it might be.
    .
    There is nothing valiant about war.
    .
    Wars are fought by young men precisely because they don’t know any better. They cannot imagine themselves spending the rest of their lives in a retirement home without arms or legs. Or having their homes blown to bits and pieces.
    .
    And most especially for Americans. As well as for Candians, Australians and Britions. They cannot imagine it’s THEIR famies dying, and their neighborhoods being blown to smithereens and destroyed. Safe and isolated. That’s the way it’s always been.
    .
    Right?
    .
    And ideology… well, that’s the medium on how you can control others.
    .
    In the United States, the ideology is democracy. In Syria the ideology is in religion. In the Ukraine, the ideology is pure Nazism. Ideology gets people killed. Or worse. Don’t you know.
    .
    I’m really not a fan of ideologs. I know that from time to time I have moved about the political spectrum, but when you get my age, you just no longer can zip back from one point of view to the other. It makes you dizzy.
    .
    So you just are happy with simple things.
    .
    Simple things, like a beloved cat. A pet dog that is happy as can be to see you. A fine book, and a glass of nice tasty wine. A delicious steak, hamburger, or tasty thick soup. A roaring fire on a cold snowy night. A warm dry bedroom while it pours rain outside…
    .
    Simple things.
    .

    2022 03 16 15 29
    Simple things.

    .
    You know, my social media feeds are all clogged up with the mindless hordes that reguritates the NSA talking points. You don’t have to get too involved in the termonology. It’s all the same and predictable.
    .
    The callouts are the same “stooge for Putin”, “Russia is evil”, “crushing democracy in Ukraine”. Sigh.
    .
    You can easily replace the word “Russia” with “5G radiation”, and the meaning would be the same.
    .
    Replace it with “China”, and the meaning would be the same.
    .
    It could be “vaxx”, or “Swine Flue”, or “Y2K” it’s all the same.
    .

    2022 03 16 15 39
    5G and Coronavirus.

    .
    If you do not agree with the United States official narrative, you are a traitor!
    .
    That’s exactly how all this works. Whatever the government says, must must agree with it. When the Trump administration was at war with China over technology, it was all about “evil Huawei”, and “arrest the evil CEO”, and “5G radiation destroys brain cells”.
    .
    I try to tell them that they are victims of Vault 7. But they are oblivious. Vault 7 is what is going on. Vault 7. If you don’t know what this is, then you are in a truly sad state indeed.
    .
    It’s not just controling your opinions. These algorithms control your thoughts.
    .
    As such they alter your body chemistry.
    .
    Once altered, you will NEED to take medicine to maintain your sanity, and your health. Your body chemistry changes. You start experiencing problems. You get anxiety. You suffer aches and pains. You get eating disorders, and start having helth problems with your liver, your kidnes, your stomach, and your heart.
    .
    Ask any one who is regurigating the American narrative if they are taking medicine. Any medicine, for any reason. Just ask.
    .
    So far, I have found 100% of the people who I asked say “yes” in the affirmative. America has become; seriously, a nation of zombies.
    .

    2022 03 16 16 21
    Americans today.

    .
    It’s stuff to think about.
    .
    Once I started to carefully vet what I read and watch, my life has really, substantially calmed down. That’s a fact.
    .
    Anyways. I tire of arguing with NPCs. So I penned this article. It winds the clock back in time to one month before the invasion of the Ukraine. By reading it, you can easily see how and why the war in the Ukraine started.
    .
    And NO, it’s not “Putin’s fault”.
    .
    It was planned to occur. And the planners were the United States Senate. And it’s all well known, and well understood. All you need to do is watch the historical archives from CSPAN.
    .
    I mean, come on, it’s all very damning.
    .
    They tell you right then and there. “America needs to start a war elsewhere. Not on American soil. And the Ukraine is the best place to have that war.”
    .
    This clip is from 2014.
    .
    .

    2022 03 17 10 47
    2022 03 17 10 47

    .
    This is an absolutely great article by Paul Craig Roberts. He’s a major conservative voice in American politics. He’s pretty good, and I have been following him for a long time. He tends to discuss American domestic issues with detailed and thoughtful analysis, and takes a hard, critical look at American international issues.
    .
    This article was written one month before Russia invaded Ukraine. And during that time, in January 2022, the big news was about how the United States refused to take Russia seriously. This is that article. It’s truly poignant now, as we see what an absolute clusterfuck the United States has created for itself. And because of the enormity of that fuck-up, this article is even more valuable.
    .
    I am presenting it here, right now, to help us all have a better contextual understanding on what the Hell is going on in the Ukraine and in the Geo-Political circles.
    .

    Does Russia Understand She Is Dealing with Lunatics?

    In advance of the January 10 meeting, Secretary of State Blinken and NATO functionary Stoltenberg stupidly reduced Russia’s Options to Two: Surrender or Use Force.

    If these idiotic accusations were not enough, Blinken accused Putin of intending to restore the Soviet Union. It is impossible to understand how a person this stupid was confirmed by the US Senate as Secretary of State.

    The last thing the Kremlin wants is all the problems of all of these countries. All the Kremlin wants is that they be independent countries, not US puppet states armed against Russia.

    My take on the situation is that from foolish statements such as the above by Blinken and Stoltenberg and other ill-considered remarks from the White House and media, the Kremlin has concluded prior to Monday’s meeting (January 10) that Washington will not take seriously Russia’s security concerns.

    I think the Russians have come to the conclusion that the West will not take them seriously until the Kremlin demonstrates forceful action.

    The Russians are just giving diplomacy one last chance before they destroy the military installations that the US has built in Ukraine.

    I came across this report from pravda.ru dated about a month ago (November 26) that Russian nuclear submarines were urgently sent to sea in a state of combat readiness.

    This does not mean that the Kremlin is preparing a nuclear strike.

    It is meant to forestall any stupid Washington response to Russian removal of perceived threats, just as the Israelis do routinely in their attacks on Iraqi, Syrian, and Lebanese territory.

    As I have reported on occasion, the Russians have had their fill of Washington and are not going to take anymore.

    The Russians have concluded that only decisive action on their part has any chance of sobering up Washington from its hubris and restoring a sense of responsibility in Washington at least equal to the sense of responsibility that kept a lid on Cold War tensions. If Washington is unable to recover a sense of responsibility, the possibility of Armageddon will again hang over our heads.

    My concern is that there is no one in the Biden regime or the decimated officer ranks of the US military that has five cents worth of intelligence.

    The people with their hands on US foreign policy are Russophobes with delusions of American omnipotence.

    Moreover, they believe their own propaganda, which prevents them from understanding the Russian view.

    I don’t know if the Kremlin is capable of imagining a government as lunatic as the American one.

    If the Kremlin does not understand they they are dealing with lunatics, the situation could quickly get out of hand.

    And he was correct… absolutely correct.

    One month later, Russia invaded the Ukraine, preventing a Ukrainian assault on the LDR and the DDR.

    And the Western press were all ready with a flood of anti-Russian “news”, and sanctions, and all the rest. It was all perfectly timed and implemented.

    And what became of it?

    Well, let’s see what ol’ Fred has to say…

    Snapshot

    By Fred Reed

    Everybody and his goat are talking about the Ukraine. Why not me? You might ask, But Fred, what do you know about it? To which I would respond, Look, this is journalism. You don’t need to know anything, just wing it, preferably using words you can spell. Admittedly this is more of a limitation than it used to be. Anyway, here goes:

    Why did Russia invade the Ukraine?

    Contrary to American media, the invasion was not unprovoked. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, America has been pushing NATO, which is a US sepoy operation, ever closer to Russian borders in what, to anyone who took fifth-grade geography, is an obvious program of military encirclement. Of the five countries other than Russia littoral to the Black Sea, three, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria, are now in NATO. America has been moving toward bringing in the Ukraine and Georgia. After Georgia would have come Azerbaijan, putting American forces on the Caspian with access to Iran and Kazakhstan. This is calculated aggression over the long term, obvious to the—what? Ten percent? Fifteen percent?—of Americans who know what the Caucasus is.

    Putin has said, over and over, that Russia could not allow hostile military forces on its border any more than the US would allow Chinese military bases in Mexico and China or missile forces in Cuba. Washington kept pushing. Russia said, no more. In short, America brought on the war.

    Among people who follow such things, there are two ways of looking at the invasion. First, that Washington thought Putin was bluffing, and he wasn’t. Second, that America intentionally forced Russia to choose between allowing NATO into the Ukraine, a major success for Washington’s world empire; or fighting, also a success for Washington as it would cause the results it has caused.

    From the latter understanding, America pulled off, at least at first glance, an astonishing geopolitical victory over Russia. Nordstream II blocked, crippling sanctions placed on Russia, many of its banks kicked out of SWIFT, economic integration of Europe and Asia slowed or reversed, Germany to spend 113 billion on rearming (largely meaning buying American costume-jewelry weaponry), Europe forced to buy expensive American LNG, and Europe made dependent on America for energy. All this in a few days without loss of a single American soldier. This presumably at least in part engineered by Virginia Newland who, though she looks like a fireplug with leprosy, seems effectively Machiavellian.

    Next victim, China.

    Divide and conquer. Or at least that’s the theory. At the same time reinstate the JCPOA and use economic baubles to try to pry Iran away from Beijing.

    Here we need some context. Everything Washington does internationally aims at maintaining America’s largely military near-hegemony over the world. This involves several elements:

    First, military dominance.

    This includes the many hundreds of bases around the world, naval supremacy, and the huge military expenditure. Thy latter will be maintained at any cost to domestic needs, and apparently it is going to be increased.

    Second, control of the world’s supply of energy.

    Washington is trying to starve Venezuela, with its vast reserves of petroleum, into submission. Submission means letting American-dominated oil majors exploit the country’s oil. Washington is doing the same with Iran and its enormous reserves. It has troops in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, has confiscated Syria’s oil lands, crushed Libya, and so on. Keeping the European vassals from buying more Russian gas through Nordstream II is part of this energy control and an important part.

    Third, and crucial, keep the EU from coalescing into a vast continent-spanning trade zone.

    This is exactly what China contemplates in its BRI, Belt and Road initiative. This is too much subject for a few paragraphs, but some thoughts: China is a manufacturing juggernaut in explosive growth. Economic power is the basis of all power. China has the advantage of inner lines of communication: it can build rail, fiber optics, highway,s and pipelines in Asia, where America has little access. China has money because it has a for-profit economy, and America doesn’t. The pull of China’s gigantic market and manufactures was beginning to loosen America’s control of Europe. Eurasian integration had to be stopped.

    Fourth, the dollar.

    Washington controls the dollar, the IMF, SWIFT, and in general the international financial system. It uses this control brutally as a weapon to impose sanctions, crippling the economies of such countries as Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and now Russia. Seeing this intimidates other countries. Washington may have gone too often to this well. Having made England, its chief bootlicker, confiscate Venezuela’s gold reserves, and now freezing Russia’s reserves, Washington has served notice that no country is secure from this treatment. Here I speculate freely, but this may prove America’s worst mistake since 1619 as it may greatly accelerate the search for other payment systems—CIPS from China, SPFS from Russia, and the upcoming digital yuan. Washington, methinks, is betting the farm.

    So much for the world…

    Meanwhile, America seems to be sinking into irreversible decadence that must eventually—I would say soon—affect its international position. As the world’s economic and, laggingly, technological center of gravity moves east to Asia, an internally collapsing America will be less able to maintain the empire.

    Consider:

    [1] Printing of money out of nothing.

    Washington’s printing of money, equivalent to the debasing of the coinage characteristic of failing societies, has resulted in high inflation and a potentially catastrophic national debt. This will cause political perturbation as voters seek to find which of the two essentially identical parties will not behave like the other one. Unrest will grow. Trust abroad in the dollar will decrease.

    [2] Enormous Trade Deficit.

    America suffers from a massive and growing trade deficit, largely with China, about which nothing can be done, certainly not soon, because America no longer makes things it needs. Manufacturing cannot be brought back, excep perhaps in niche markets like semiconductors, because the US no longer has the necessary engineers and trained work force, and American labor costs more than Chinese, so reshoring would increase inflation. The importation of cheap Chinese products keeps inflation down,.

    [3] Wall Street / Military seizing all the money.

    The heavy flow of national wealth into Wall Street and the military in addition to offshoring has led to real poverty in Appalachia, the Rust Belt, and the rural Deep South. This has produced some 100,000 opioid deaths annually in despairing populations. Simultaneously large and growing homeless aggregations appear in LA, Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, St. Louis, on and on, estimated at 60,000 in LA and 50,000 in New York, making the subways dangerous. Bush world conditions presumably do not make for political stability, as neither does the governmental inattention to them.

    [4] Massive Crime

    Crime is out of control, not a sign of a healthy polity. Some 700 homicides annually in Chicago, 300 in Baltimore, and similar numbers elsewhere are now routine, almost all of the killers and killed being black. To countries like Japan and South Korea this must seem barbaric. The situation is not First World.

    [5] Racial Problems

    America’s racial problem is grave. The southern border is open, the southwestern states either majority Latino or soon to be. This is not as bad as it could be as the races seem to get along, but it imposes heavy economic and other costs. At the same time across the country cities have huge black ghettos with appalling semiliteracy, no prospects for the young, all of this apparently irremediable. Racial attacks on whites and Asians grow in number and so, almost everywhere, do racial killings, mostly by blacks. Governments at all levels fear blacks who they know will burn cities if provoked, which leads tax bases to flee from cities, making things worse.

    This adds to potentially explosive resentment. There is a substantial White Nationalist movement, that wants no non-whites in America (a bit late for this), Republican Chambers of Commerce, that want more illegal Latinos for the cheap labor but won’t say so, and the high-tech sector, which wants more East Asian and Indian immigrants on which America, with a failing educational system, increasingly depends.

    The Overall Prognosis is Poor

    Overall, government is weak, unable to prevent crime, riots, and looting.

    Washington does not control, but is controlled, being a storefront operation for special interests.

    Elections do not change policy but only the division of the spoils.

    Presidents perform their three essential duties, protecting Wall Street, Israel, and the military budget, but not much else.

    Schooling is being dumbed down in stark contrast with China.

    Excellence everywhere is discouraged in the name of equity. Native white talent dwindles in the elite schools, from high-end high schools through CalTech, as Asian majorities predominate.

    Measures of talent, such as SATs and Medcats, are dropped or downplayed. English grammar and arithmetic are dropped as racist.

    None of this seems likely to improve America’s future competitiveness.

    Finally, the media are controlled.

    This allows Washington freedom of action abroad as enough of the public will believe anything they are told by television (The Russians are coming, the Chinese are coming, the Iranians are coming, the Guatemalans….)

    Internally censorship may keep the lid on, for now anyway, by keeping enough of the population from knowing what is going on.

    By preventing discussion of problems, or their mention, it assures that nothing will be done.

    I suspect this is having the effect of winding a spring.

    Where is all of this leading?

    Biden is playing as if this were 1960 and the US enjoyed rock solid military and economic superiority and the population were firmly behind him.

    This is the world he remembers, being an aging cold warrior. He seems to believe that he consequently can do what he pleases with no repercussions for America. This may be true, or true enough. Perhaps he believes that Russia will collapse in domestic rebellion or simply surrender to the US.

    It is not how I would bet.

    But—and this is sheer speculation—it is not clear what would happen if Russia cut off gas and petroleum and wheat and such things as neon gas from Europe.

    The West is accustomed to bombing remote countries, not to going without.

    Would Russia collapse under privation before Europe decided it wanted to trade with Moscow after all?

    If Biden and the hawks decide to play hardball with China, they may realize that America is an economic dependency of Beijing. If—again, very hypothetically—China cut off all trade with America, the US economy would die instantly.

    Almost everything on American shelves is made in China.

    An American public already very unhappy would explode, which it is on the point of doing for various reasons.

    Reflect on the Floyd riots.

    China would be hurt, but it has other markets and a nationalistic population more united than the American.

    Them’s my thoughts, probably worth what you pay for them.

    Speaking of China…

    Declining empires and their ‘forever wars’? “As the US and NATO struggle to deal with the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has issued a warning to the Biden administration not to repeat the mistakes made in Europe by attempting to create a Pacific version of NATO to contain and constrain China.

    He’s talking about the QUAD.

    He’s talking about AUKUS.

    Calling such plans “perverse actions” that “run counter to the common aspiration of the region for peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes,” Wang declared that if they were implemented by the US, “they are doomed to fail.”
    https://lnkd.in/eAJKmwJG

    More excerpts:

    ◉ The Chinese concerns are not imaginary, but rather drawn from a direct reading of the guidance published by the Biden administration in the Spring of 2021.

    ◉ A plain reading of that text clearly shows that the US was pursuing a NATO-like alliance in the Pacific solely focused on the issue of “holding China to account.”

    It is in this light that one must view partnerships such as the “QUAD”, a military partnership between the US, Japan, India, and Australia, and the newly constituted AUKUS alliance composed of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the US.

    Both the QUAD, and AUKUS organizations exist solely to coordinate a military response to China’s presence in the Pacific region.

    ◉ “Wang also criticized the US for expanding its ties, including military cooperation and weapons sales, with Taiwan.

    Such policies, Wang warned, “not only push Taiwan into a precarious situation, but will also bring unbearable consequences for the US side,”

    Wang clearly stated, “Taiwan will eventually return to the embrace of the motherland.”

    ◉ Many experts and observers were surprised by Russia’s decision to intervene militarily in Ukraine. When it comes to China’s readiness to go to war over Taiwan, there should be no such uncertainty.

    ◉ “The Russian side reaffirms its support for the One-China principle, confirms that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and opposes any forms of independence of Taiwan,” it reads.

    The fact that Russia signed on to such a statement knowing full well that China had committed to the use of military force to defend its claims regarding Taiwan underscores the seriousness of the Russian-Sino joint statement.

    ◉ China knows that any military action against Taiwan would bring with it economic retaliation on the part of the US and its allies.

    Like Russia, however, China holds significant cards in its hand, and any Western effort to punish it with economic sanctions would bring about a response which could cripple the economies of those targeted.

    China has already developed an anti-sanction law, that automatically goes into action once a sanction is imposed. It was specifically written with the United States in mind.

    Moreover, any military action against Taiwan would, in and of itself, have dire economic consequences for the United States, especially in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.

    Any military conflict involving Taiwan would have a crippling impact on the American military electronics market, dependent as it is on the computer chips produced by Taiwan.

    This is simply becuase ALL of the American military and high-technology IC chips have been outsourced to Taiwan. It is the sole and only source of supply for American military integrated electronics.

    How will a war in Taiwan affect the global consumer market? The effect would be negligible. The vast majority of IC chips are already produced in the Chinese mainland.

    What about the USD?

    The movement to de-dollarize will be unstoppable and one of the lasting impacts of this war, not just rogue states, but US allies will also join in.

    This must-read article in Foreign Affairs is a sobering read on de-dollarization as is this supporting article on sanctions in Quartz (https://bit.ly/3pN9Rfb)

    When I started writing about de-dollarization almost three years ago I was widely considered a “Cassandra.”

    I now have good company believing this, but admit that I take no joy in writing about a process artificially accelerated by the inhumanity of war.

    So here’s what is at risk, from FA:

    “These punitive sanctions may also backfire in another way. Biden’s flexing of American economic muscle will only embolden Russia and other US rivals, notably China, to deprive the US of the very power that makes sanctions so devastating.”
    
    “Russia and China will expedite initiatives to “de-dollarize” their economies, building alternative financial institutions and structures that both protect themselves from sanctions and threaten the US dollar’s status as the world’s dominant currency.”

    What is driving this is sanction fatigue, from Quartz:

    “[Sanctions are] economic warfare at an unprecedented level. It’s true that, over the past decade, the global use of sanctions has exploded to the point of making them routine.”

    With sanctions now “routine” nations are questioning their commitment to the dollar. It isn’t because they bear ill-will toward America but see reducing dollar dependence as “risk management.” They also see it as a way to bolster the use of their own currencies so are creating CBDCs.

    Pushing the issue will be the global impact on food and energy prices from the unprecedented size of Russian sanctions (Quartz):

    “But most of the time, [sanctions] are much narrower—aimed at certain individuals, institutions, or industries—or applied over a much longer timeline, or against a much smaller economy, as in the case of Iran. The speed, scale, and sweeping nature of the Russian sanctions make them the equivalent of an economic blitzkrieg.”

    Now a stunning admission from the FA:

    “Deteriorating U.S.-Chinese relations incentivize Beijing to join with Moscow in building a -credible- global financial system that excludes the US. Such a system will attract countries under US sanctions. It would even appeal to major US allies who hope to promote their own currencies to the detriment of the dollar.”

    And that is the part that is inevitable, this new bi-polar financial system will appeal to US allies!

    It should not be seen as a litmus test of friend or foe but instead “whose money offers the better deal?”

    The US cannot reverse this change, and it will lead to a weakening of its global standing.

    And so it is happening

    And there’s many others.

    The collapse of the USD as a “reserve currency” is nearing the end. It is collapsing vry fast. And will collapse even faster once the hyper inflation of the $30 trillion dollar bubble manifests, on top of the sanctions.

    This will spell out many changes to the lifestyles of those that live in the West, and the nations that maintain trade and use of the USD.

    The lifestyle of those in the West is about to change…

    Now, you cannot say that you have been warned. But, Jeeze! You were. You all should have listened to Mr. Putin when he said “if you put your fucking nukes on my border, I will be forced to use military-technical measures”.

    Sheech!

    So when you are paying your $54 / gallon of gas to drive to the fast food resturant to buy your $200 hamburger (minus cheese), don’t go a calling me a “Putin Puppet”. You all brought this fiasco upon yourselves. Suck it up with a big toothy smile, your wishes came true, you mindless oafs.

    The true and real actual United States GDP is about to come crashing down, and Americans will start living like trailer park trash in the rural hills of Kentucky. And that’s just the way it is.

    I stand by my belief that theres more things down the pipe. Never forget about who you are all dealing with…

    Illustrations depicting society life by Stephan Schmitz 55 New Pics 60f1374e7f90e 700
    America vs China.

    .

    Do you want more?

    You can find more articles related to this in my latest index; A New Beginning. And in it are elements of the old, some elements regarding the transition, and some elements that look towards the future.

    New Beginnings 3

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    A democracy of fools is no democracy.

    This article underlines and underscores a point that I have made time and time again. Which is that the United States isn’t a democracy, and every single item and shred of evidence points to something quite bad, and very sinister. We can parse one item such as the first Amendment being “blown out of the water” by the government funding narratives that it wants….

    Like all things USA, good news out of China is suppressed, while bad news is promoted with loud megaphones. Video 7MB

    The death of free media-1-2022-02-13_10.42.42

    Such activity is banned under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted on December 16, 1966, by UN General Assembly Resolution 2200A (XXI). The first paragraph in Article 20 stipulates: “Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.”

    What could be clearer? Still, maintaining a free hand has always been the main guiding principle for Washington and London.

    While agreeing to be bound by the Covenant, the United States adopted the following reservation:

    “Article 20 does not authorise or require legislation or other action by the United States that would restrict the right of free speech and association protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States.”

    What role does the American government play in providing for the civilian population?

    … to every evidence that the issues that are important to the civilian population has near zero influence on the elected officials voting records.

    In this article we will look at the purposeful dilution of voting-power of the citizenry. For after all, the vast bulk of amendments to the United States constitution has been wholly devoted to watering down the power each individual vote has.

    For after all, when the United States came into being, only the male head of households, who were land owners could vote. And they played an active role in governance.

    Not so today.

    I argue that the voting power has been diluted to such an extend that it is nonexistent. And without voting power direct to the government, democracy does not exist.

    Such is the United States today.

    Anyways, this here is a great article by Fred. Love his writing style, and his points are poignant.

    The Care and Feeding of the Rabble: Democracy its Own Self

    By Fred Reed for the Saker Blog

    Listening to Biden prattling about democracy, democracy, democracy, and how we must save American democracy from swarming threats to democracy, with the insistence and urgency of a starveling aluminum-siding salesman, I am filled with wonder. Convincing people that they live in a democracy is a lot of work, like pumping air into an inner tube with a leak. America is no more a democracy than it is a potted plant.

    Functional Illiteracy at Fourteen Percent in America: Department of Education

    Functional illiterates cannot fill out a job application, manage a checkbook, read a simple story in a newspaper, or use the social media. Those who can’t read don’t, and another large number who can barely read don’t either. At a low estimate they must amount to a quarter of the population. They vote.

    Democracy is best suited to towns of a few hundred people who, however dim of wit in many cases, may understand such questions as should we build a new school which will cost me so many dollars in higher taxes. Even here the more crafty and avaricious will likely prevail.

    Shocking Facts: 23 Statistics on Illiteracy in America

    A problem in democracies—“democracies”—is of course that the dim, the inattentive, and those who are both dim and inattentive, will always outnumber the bright and informed. However, the syndrome worsens as the domain upon which the electorate is to make judgement expands from town to state to country to world. The number of unintelligent is constant. The number who are insufficiently attentive rises with the complexity of things needing attention. A cardiac surgeon is no fool, but has work, medical literature he needs to read, family, and a hobby or two. Little time is left to worry about semiconductor sanctions against China or Washington’s desire for Russia to invade the Ukraine.

    Americans Know Literally Nothing About the Constitution

    “Take your pick from this bouillabaisse of ignorance:

    * More than one in three people (37%) could not name a single right protected by the First Amendment. THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

    * Only one in four (26%) can name all three branches of the government. (In 2011, 38% could name all three branches.)

    * One in three (33%) can’t name any branch of government.“

    People so innocent of political grasp can have only the most vaporous notions of pressing political questions. They are either fools with minds best suited for working as gardeners or so little engaged with the surrounding society as to achieve the effect of being fools while still able to find their way home at night. Still others are not unintelligent but not interested. None of these should vote.

    One in Four Americans Thinks the Sun Revolves Around The Earth

    “A quarter of Americans surveyed could not correctly answer that the Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around, according to a report out Friday from the National Science Foundation.”

    This is so astonishing that one might suspect it of coming from some crackpot blogger with no girlfriend living in his parents’ basement. But no. The National Science Foundation is about as respectable as they come. A quarter of the population are at the level of an undiscovered tribe living in the rain forests of the Amazon Basin and eating grubs fished from rotting logs. Little prospect exists that people in such darkness know much of anything else. Yet we encourage them to vote.

    Several Baltimore Schools Report No Students Proficient in Reading, Math

    “Six Baltimore City schools — five high schools and one middle school — were found to have not a single student who scored proficient in math or reading in 2016, Fox News reports.”

    Others schools had only a handful of literate students. Math results were as grim. These “students “will be around for another fifty years if they are not shot, virtually unemployable. Yet they can vote.

    The schools mentioned are all black, and similar figures would come out of similarly black schools in many other cities. What does this say about “democracy “in America?

    Gallup: Forty-six Percent of Americans Believe in Creationism

    The distribution of intelligence being symmetric, half of the population are below average. A man with an IQ of 90 is not actually stupid, doesn’t mumble or bump into things, and can successfully raise a family and drive a truck. Yet he is unlikely to grasp the foreign policy of the United States or, really, to have heard of it. If he has any knowledge at all of public affairs, it will be at the level of The Russians are bad, wherever exactly Russia is, so we need to spend more on Our Boys in Uniform.

    A lot of people get their news from television, the medium of the illiterate and semiliterate. Obviously, not everybody who watches television is illiterate, but everybody who is illiterate watches television. Many don’t watch the news at all, it being complicated and mysterious and talking about the inexplicable and unknown, such as Kazakhstan and Nordstream Two. The consequence is that if MSNBC and CNN say over and over that the Chinese are doing something terrible, most will believe it. Judging by the intellectual level of much of television, a sentence with a dependent clause will exceed the capacities of many. They vote.

    Lincoln famously said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” You don’t have to. Being a politician, he didn’t add that you can fool enough of the people enough of the time, and that is enough. This is the basis of American democracy.

    77% Of Students At One Baltimore High School Read at Elementary, Kindergarten Level

    ”In reading, 628 Patterson High School students took the test. Out of those students, 484 of them, or 77%, tested at an elementary school reading level. That includes 71 high school students who were reading at a kindergarten level and 88 students reading at a first-grade level. Another 45 are reading at a second-grade level. Just 12 students tested at Patterson High School, were reading at grade level, which comes out to just 1.9%.”

    Democracy? A democracy of fools is no democracy. It allows the very smart, concentrated in New York and Washington, the governing suites of major corporations and, nowadays, the distributed wunderkind of the tech firms, to run the country from behind the scenes. Whether intended or not, the drive to lower the voting age and enfranchise the ghetto populations serve only to further diminish the pitiable competence of the electorate and allow the elites to keep these untermenschen out of the hair of their betters.

    Pelosi says she backs lowering voting age to 16

    “I myself have always been for lowering the voting age to 16,” Pelosi said. “I think it’s really important to capture kids when they’re in high school, when they’re interested in all of this, when they’re learning about government, to be able to vote.”

    The less bright, less informed, and less experienced of life are easier to mold and manipulate. Who could be better than children?

    If America wanted a functional democracy, which it doesn’t, it would, first, raise the voting age to 25 or 30. The idea that adolescents of eighteen with no experience of life beyond libidinous frat parties, much less sixteen-year-olds, can vote intelligently is silly. (Not that I have anything against libidinous frat parties. They just aren’t qualification for voting)

    This would require a recognition that voting should be a privilege, not an entitlement and that government should be done by people able to do it.

    Second, a demanding version of the old literacy test would serve wonderfully. This should demonstrate at a minimum a reading fluency of political ideas express in standard English. A reasonable grasp of world geography and American government might profitably be required. Perhaps a measured IQ of 120 or better should be in the mix.

    This would make the bamboozlement and competitive shooing of the puzzled much, much harder, which is why it will never fly with the elites who find an electorate of the easily led congenial.

    These measures would also screen out various minorities disproportionately. They would also ignite the resentment against the bright and cultivated that forms the bedrock of American society.

    Comprehensive ignorance extends to groups many of whom are presumably well educated. Consider the following:

    Poll: 44% of liberals say more than 1k unarmed black Americans killed by police in 2019

    “According to the Washington Post database, regarded by Nature magazine as the “most complete database,” 13 unarmed black men were fatally shot by police in 2019. According to a second database called “Mapping Police Violence”, compiled by data scientists and activists, 27 unarmed black men were killed by police (by any means) in 2019.”

    This shows that forty-four percent of liberals are incompetent to vote. If the misestimate is reduced to five hundred, many more believe it. Similar numbers could probably be compiled for conservatives on other questions, conspiracy theories being promising candidates.

    Race is the most dangerous, destructive, and intractable problem facing America, yet these people are too stupid, lazy, inattentive, emotional, or worm-eaten by ideology to have even a faint grasp of what is happening. But they vote.

    If liberals, a category including academia, the media, and a great many of the highly educated believe such wildly erroneous numbers, it is likely that blacks, a group in large part poorly educated, believe these things at a higher rate. Do you suppose convincing them that they are being slaughtered en masse improves race relations?

    The very bright will always rule, though not always obviously. An IQ of 140 is said to be entry level for Wall Street. This excludes well over ninety-nine percent of the population. Mike Pompeo, while a wretched human being, was first in class at West Point and editor of the Harvard Law Review, Hillary a National Merit Fninalist, putting her in the upper .5 percent of test-takers in Illinois. Bill was a Rhodes scholar.

    Intellectual mediocrities will often be in prominent positions, Joe and Kamala being examples, in Congress and the White House, these being storefronts for the very smart. The brains, and the power, are in the shadows. But, methinks, a genuinely bright electorate would be less likely to anoint freaks and rogues.

    Interesting question: What would be the effect of requiring an IQ of 130, the cutoff for Mensa, to vote? The idea will arouse shrieks from an American public famously resentful of excellence except in football. (I am reminded of a fellow fourteen-year-old in Athens, Alabama who, seeing me reading a book on biology, said angrily, “You ain’t no gooder’n me.”) A test for voting of course runs against the current policy of enfranchising the mentally lame and halt. Would the upper two percent of the population do a better job of electing leaders? They would certainly be much more difficult to con.

    I will now go to the American Legion in Chapala, which makes really good huevos rancheros, which I will accompany with a double bourbon, and pretend that things aren’t as they are. Sometimes, it works.

    Conclusions and some thoughts

    Guys, it’s obvious that the United States is a Military Empire.

    I mean you have to be a fucking idiot not to know this, and anyone who runs around saying “America has freedom”, and “democracy is the best” really needs their head examined. They are ignorant fools, and thus deserve the life that a military empire will provide for them; serf-servitude or slavery. Take you pick.

    Now, I could insert a movie and video that clarifies this point. but I won’t it’s really very obvious.

    The point of this article is that the United States is not at all what it claims to be. And that it relies on media and ignorance to maintain.

    Media. Tell American how great, special and exceptional they are, while filling their minds with fear.

    Ignorance. Dumb down the educational system. Ban all sources of information, and provide only sources that the government controls.

    But the world is changing, and this kind of Military Empire is going the way of the Dodo bird. It’s not sustainable, and not practical, and once Asia implement global alternative for SWIFT, will become economically unfeasible.

    To understand what Americ is today, we should not look at the tanks, the military aircraft and the people living in tents in the big American cities, but rather see what America used to be like. When there was still hope for a brighter and better future, and where jobs were plentiful, rights still existed, and it was affordable jsut to be alive.

    At the time of my parents, one person could work in a job. They would be guranetted never to be laid-off, and obtain reasonable benefits to include free health care for thei family, month off for vacations, bonuses, and holiday parties at least two times a year.

    Families could buy and afford a house that would be apid off in ten years, and brand new cars in cash.

    Oldsmobile, 1958

    They could relax and drink at work, at home, at the restrurants. There were no bans in anything. In fact, an America could even buy tanks, military aircraft and cannons without anyone blinking an eyelash.

    The military was a place of honor. It was what you joined to defend your liberty and your freedom, and in those days, American really did have freedom. Americans didn’t need to wear seat belts, speed limits on roads were a rarity, school caferteris served generous helps of foods that included meats, and vegitables, where nothing was instant, pre-processed, or frozen.

    USAF, Florida, 1953

    While America has it’s own taboos, and traditions, people still were able to enjoy life and buildcompanies, magazines, and other venues without being crushed by the government, and other mega-corporations.

    Like the Playboy empire.

    Decorating the still furnished wall of the new Playboy Club in New York City are the shapely hostesses. The girls dressed in “Bunnie” costumes, (left to right), Elaine Gallo, Lynn Smith, Bette West, Laura Addams, Virginia Hebel and Morta Andersen had been trained to serve as waitress’ in the key club which had recently opened, ca 1970s.

    Try opening a similiar venue today.

    Do you think that it would be easy?

    Consider what America was like when Playboy started to publish and started prenting “the girl next door” soft-core semi-nudes in it’s pages. Consider what America was like. Yet, still the Playboy empire was able to manifest.

    Three young ladies prepare to have their pictures taken in Manhattan photo booths in April 1954.

    Different times, and different social norms. Yes. That’s for certain.

    But it’s more than just fashion and society. It is the very nature of the fabric of that society has changed. No longer run by talent, and patriots, the United States (as a nation) has been taken over completely by psychopathic personalities and sociopathic individuals who themselves have small armies of revenue-sucking toadies that combined siphon off money from the serf-slave electorate.

    Sure, then as now, people are people. They live, and love. They eat food, and they work in various capacities.

    Love on the balcony.

    But it’s the entire government strucutre has changed.

    In the 1950’s America was a “democracy”.

    Today, America is a Military Empire, and the actions and behaviors of the citizenry has been absolutely reflected by that change.  If you look at history; from the lens of history, you will see that in every case, all military empires develop a strange collection of civilian behaviors domestically, and that is reflected in the laws that that society manifests for it’s people to live by.

    Thus it should be no surprise that the American government is so pro-LGBT and so obscessed with everything progressive and novel.

    But that was not the case when the American government was healthy, and was an actual functioning democracy.

    Boy and his duck, 1953

    So what can you do about it?

    Well, historically these kinds of government eventually die off. They historical ways are well documented…

    • Internal revolt.
    • Defeat in a war.
    • Or collapse in stages to a much smaller entity.

    Most people have very little say in the three above mechanisms. So I advise fleeing to “greener patures” and safer havens.

    But…

    In any event, the best thing that a person can do is to be a Rufus.

    Rufus gives a guy a break. The poor guy cannot pay. So he give him all his food. The Rufus, while upset, puts the food back, and let’s the guy go.

    Be the Rufus. Video. 96MB

    Just say hi. You know, life will pass you buy. So smile more, and don’t over think. Most adults (not so much for teenagers and young people) will appreciate you talkign to them. SO say hi. Thell them what you think. Don’t do it for any other reason than to be nice.

    Maybe good things will come out of it. Be the Rufus. Video. 98MB

    Just, Be the Rufus. Video. 20MB

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts like this in my Corrupt America Index here…

    Corrupt USA

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    A short history of the Chinese hopping vampires

    And more…

    And now for some amusing history. I like to believe that the world is full of interesting tales, histories, people and events. Yet many of these things are hidden from view. It’s treated as just some arcane knowledge that lies hidden in an attic trunk, or the garage of a long dead relative. Just waiting there, so that one day, an inquisitive young ten year old (boy or girl) would venture into that dusty realm and explore and discover treasures worth appreciation.

    My curiosity was sparked by this vintage advertisement. Which makes me wonder if future historians will believe that everyone in the 1970’s wore swimming clothes when they operated a computer.

    Computing in the 1970’s.

    And speaking of the past. Have you ever wondered what modern Russian people think of the KGB and the days of the fading Soviet Union? We, it’s interesting, they think about it a lot. And there are some interesting meme’s floating around. Like this one…

    Russian starter pack 1980s

    An Anzio 20mm rifle. They’re legal to own in the US

    For when you really need to take down an armored vehicle. Legal to own in most States.

    An Anzio 20mm rifle. They’re legal to own in the US.

    Good Debt vs. Bad Debt

    Good debt: you buy a house. You now own the bank $300,000 and after your loan term you end up paying the bank $400,000 after interest. It took 30 years to pay that debt but since houses went up in price your initial $400k spent is now worth $500k.

    Bad debt: you see this nice new TV at best buy. It costs $3k, but its top of the line. Now, you don’t have $3k to drop on a TV, so you put it on the credit card. It takes you ~3 years to pay it off @ 20% interest. In the end you will pay about $4k for the TV, and in 3 years time that TV will most likely be worth 1/10 of what was paid.

    The idea that you need to avoid all debts is not practical to most people and not really good financial advice. The exception are people who can’t handle the responsibility of credit (which tend to be the people who get this advice, and tend to be younger people) or people who have jobs that are too inconsistent to keep up with regular payments (which tend to be poorer people).

    Johnny Depp was in a wedding band back in 1982

    Well, we all have to start somewhere.

    Johnny Depp

    What I really wanted when I was a boy

    I didn’t get it though. Sigh.

    A totally cool floor

    Well, at least I think so. Anyways.

    Cool floor

    Married with Children

    One of my favorite television shows of the 1980’s.

    A Stop at Willoughby

    The Twilight Zone is known for the weird, the macabe and the dark. However, this episode isn’t so black and white. Well, the show’s physically still in black and white, but in the case of Gart Williams, a tired and overworked advertising executive, life is a nightmare and The Twilight Zone offers relief every evening on his train ride home. Williams pictures an idyllic society, one that he feels at ease in. “A Stop at Willoughby” is about man’s search for paradise. Some call it heaven, Williams calls it Willoughby.

    “A Stop at Willoughby”

    The OTS-135 12.7mm Revolver: For when you need to blow a hole through Neptune’s rings

    A bit over-kill. I would like to see the holster fro this monster.

    Enjoy this little adventure.

    From HERE.

    The Hopping Vampires (jiang shi) are a type of undead creature found in Chinese folklore. Although its Chinese name is often translated as ‘Chinese hopping vampire / zombie / ghost), its literal meaning is ‘stiff corpse’. These creatures may be identified by their attire – the uniform of a Qing Dynasty official. Additionally, the jiang shi is recognizable by its posture and movement. The arms of these creatures are permanently outstretched, apparently due to rigor mortis, and they hop, rather than walk.

    As a result of the stiffness in their bodies, there are many ways to turn a corpse into a jiang shi, and as many ways to defeat them. These undead creatures appear in quite a number of Chinese films.

    What are Jiang Shi?

    While most jiang shi share the same type of attire, bodily posture, and mode of movement, variations also exist among these creatures. For example, some of these beings look like normal humans, while others are a little more decomposed as a result of being dead for a longer period of time. Yet others have been depicted with sharp teeth, long nails, and emitting a green phosphorescent glow. In some versions of the story, jiang shi are said to be able to grow stronger, thus allowing them to acquire skills such as flying and transforming into wolves.

    How a Jiang Shi is Created

    There are apparently many ways for a dead body to turn into a jiang shi. For instance, according to one version of the myth, a jiang shi is created when a person suffers a violent death, for instance, suicide, hanging or drowning. Such deaths cause the soul to be unable to leave the body, thus resulting in a reanimated corpse.

    Another belief is that a corpse may become a jiang shi if it is not given a proper burial. For instance, if a burial was postponed after death, a dead body may become restless, and return to haunt the living. Another supposed way of a corpse turning into a jiang shi is that it fails to decompose even after burial. Corpses that have been struck by a bolt of lightning or hopped over by an animal (particularly cats) are also said to turn into this undead creature.

    Some Truth to the Story?

    Stories about the jiang shi are not entirely without basis in fact. During the Qing Dynasty, efforts were made to return the bodies of Chinese workers who died far away from home back to their place of birth. This was done so that their spirits would not grow homesick.

    It seems that there were those who specialized in this trade and handled the transportation of the corpses back to their ancestral homes. These ‘corpse drivers’, as they are called, are said to have transported the dead at night. The coffins were attached to bamboo poles that rested on the shoulders of two men. As they went on their journey, the bamboo poles would flex. Viewed from afar, this would look as is the dead were bouncing on their own accord.

    It is from here that rumors about reanimated corpses began. Initially, it was speculated that the ‘corpse drivers’ were necromancers who were able to magically reanimate the corpses of the dead. Under the supervision of the ‘corpse drivers’, the dead would hop back home.

    This was done overnight to minimize the decay of the body. Additionally, travelling at night meant that there would be a lower chance of encountering the living, and meeting the dead is considered bad luck. For added measure, a priest with a bell is said to lead the procession, thus warning people of their approach.

    How to Defeat a Hopping Vampire

    The jiang shi are commonly said to come out at night. To sustain themselves, as well as to grow more powerful, the jiang shi would steal the qi (life force) of living victims. The living, however, are not entirely defenseless against these creatures. There seems to be several ways to defeat a jiang shi, these include:

    • the blood of a black dog
    • glutinous rice
    • showing it a mirror because it fears its reflection
    • chicken eggs
    • throwing money on the floor (they’ll stop to count it)
    • the urine of a virgin boy
    • holding one’s breath
    • sticking a Taoist talisman on its forehead
    • a rooster’s crowing

    During the 1980s, the jiang shi was a popular subject in the film industry of Hong Kong. While these undead were often featured as antagonists, they have sometimes been depicted as more human-like, and at times even served as comic relief!

    Now that was fun huh? Well, we’re on a roll. Let’s keep a rolling.

    Selected Alternative Media

    The art of Electronics (full PDF – FREE)

    This is the complete PDF of chapter 9 of the amazing work “The art of electronics”.  It is provided free with no encumbrances. No registration. No credit card “to verify if you are human” and other bullshit methods to squeeze money from you. It’s presented here for fellow geeks and mad scientists to enjoy.

    PDF of Chapter 9 ; VOLTAGE REGULATION AND
    POWER CONVERSION. HERE.

    Thoughts In The Middle Of An Economic Collapse?

    From Busted Knuckles

    It’s being done intentionally in case anyone was wondering.
    
    I see Gold and Silver are trying to break out.
    
    There’s a sign all is not well in Koo Koo land right there.
    
    Inflation is killing us, eating at our buying power.
    
    I saw an article last night that I am too lazy to find at the moment showing that Shadow Stats compared what the official inflation rate is compared to how they used to calculate it back in the 80’s and it would be right about 15%.
    
    Anyone who has recently bought groceries or fuel of any kind has seen that with their own eyes.
    
    I also saw where Homeland Security is still pushing the Domestic Terrorism button.
    
    Standing on it actually.
    
    TPTB would love nothing better for someone to snap and start shooting the place up so they could start with the Purge they already have unwrapped and sitting on the table waiting.
    
    People are quitting and getting fired left and right over the horse shit OSHA enforced Vaxx Mandate that we are all waiting to see some Black Robed Nazgul’s say is perfectly legal when anyone with a lick of sense can see through like cellophane.

    It’s either because [1] the Government is incompetent beyond rational understanding, or [2] they are criminally complicit in trying to destroy the lives and families of Americans. Either way, the USA is very toxic right now.

    Other comments…

    Just seeing a few holes in the grocery shelves, but nothing serious.  Gas is just under $4/gal (premium), and ammunition is outrageous when you can find it.  Help wanted signs everywhere with some restaurants short-staffed to the point of drive-thru only.  If Waffle House can only have one server and one cook, shit is baaad.  Same staffing shortages in retail as well.  It’s like 10% of the population just left the planet.  Just wish our local government retards would vanish.   New residential developments left and right.  Wondering who is going to pay those high prices for a house.  I’m hoping the asshole turning a corn field into a subdivision about 1/2 mile from me loses his ass.  Life seems to be normal, but even the wife senses “tension” (her word) when she’s out and about for provisioning.  I’m too old to wait too long, so whatever is going to happen I wish it would pop so I can have a little fun with it.

    And…

    Great vid that explains quite a bit fer the simple minded like me:
    
    https://rumble.com/vn7lf5-monopoly-who-owns-the-world-must-see.html

    Absurd

    But cool.

    Some Geo-politic stuff

    From HERE. Interesting website.

    The fight in Donbass is one of the major world’s flash points alongside Syria and Taiwan—where U.S. provocations threaten a major war with China.

    If the West forces a military confrontation with Russia in Ukraine, it can be sure it will face one with China over Taiwan simultaneously, neither of which it has any chance of winning.

    The Russians and Chinese have forged a partnership against Western, primarily U.S. aggression in the political, economic, and military spheres.

    “Idiots in the Pentagon Are Pushing the U.S. into a Military Confrontation with China over Nothing,” Says Former Top Policy Adviser

    From HERE.

    Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley claimed last week that China was close to a “sputnik moment” due to its successful test of a hypersonic missile. 
    
    However, U.S. space-based early warning systems can detect hypersonic missiles, marking them as no threat at all.

    General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned on Wednesday, October 27th, that China’s development of a hypersonic missile system is “very concerning,” calling it “very close” to a “sputnik moment” that triggered the space race during the Cold War.

    “What we saw was a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system. And it is very concerning,” Milley said during an interview with “The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations” on Bloomberg Television. “I don’t know if it’s quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it’s very close to that. It has all of our attention.” 

    Sputnik was the first artificial satellite launched into low Earth orbit in 1957 by the Soviet Union, which sparked the space race between the U.S. and USSR.

    Theodore Postol, professor emeritus of Science, Technology, and International Security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a former top policy adviser to the Chief of Naval Operations, says that the Sputnik analogy advanced by General Milley is off base.

    “The launching of Sputnik,” Postol said in an interview with CAM, “signaled at the time that the Soviet Union was able to compete with the U.S. in space and had been a surprise.” However, in the case of China and the testing of a hypersonic missile, U.S. intelligence agencies were “already aware about it and knew that China is very advanced in science and technology.”

    The hypersonic missile, furthermore, “does not threaten the U.S. population in any way or provide China any military-technological edge.”

    This is because the U.S. has “extraordinary space-based early warning infrared systems with the ability to detect hypersonic vehicles as they descend into the atmosphere and become heated to very high temperatures.”

    General Milley’s statement, according to Postol, reflects how “idiots in the Pentagon” and political appointees are trying to “push us [the U.S.] into military confrontation with China over nothing.”

    “Pushing us into military confrontation over nothing”

    Launched via rocket, the hypersonic missile can travel over 6,000 miles at five times the speed of sound (3,836 mph). It runs parallel to the earth’s surface and can skip off it like a rock before reaching its destination after heating up to a very high temperature.

    The space-based early warning system can see the hot spots of the hypersonic missile that’s moving when it dips into the boundary between space and the upper atmosphere. The exhaust from the hypersonic vehicle would also be recognizable.

    According to Postol, a more real threat to U.S. national security are ballistic missiles—that Russia and China both possess—which are more accurate and launch balloons in space that radar cannot peer through and detect. The balloons are decoys which in frictionless outer space are very hard to distinguish from the actual warhead.

    The U.S. military also cannot defend against cruise missiles that the Russians and Chinese have in their arsenals.

    Testing the hypersonic missile, according to Postol, may provide “a statement from China that they are a technological competitor to the U.S.,” but it will “have little or no meaning in terms of adding significant nuclear-strike capabilities.”

    “Someone gave Milley false information”

    Postol says that he “does not think that Milley is a liar, but believes that he was provided false information from someone within the U.S. military or intelligence agencies and didn’t know any better.”

    According to Postol, “Milley is both an unsophisticated consumer of intelligence and someone who is easily manipulated.”

    In October, “when a drone strike in Kabul killed ten civilians, Milley stated that the attack was just”—though later acknowledged it had been a mistake.

    “A dysfunctional system” and culture that “hypes threats”

    Trained as a nuclear engineer at MIT, Postol said that his experience as a scientific policy adviser to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jim Watkins, from 1982 to 1984, “left him with a low regard for the accuracy of information provided by high-level government employees.”

    This low regard has only intensified with time.

    When Colin Powell gave his infamous speech at the UN in February 2003 about Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq, Postol—then a Pentagon adviser—knew right away that every line in the speech was wrong and that Powell himself knew this.

    Recipient of the Leo Szilard Prize in 1990 from the American Physical Society for “incisive technical analysis of national security issues that [have] been vital for informing the public policy debate” and Norbert Weiner Award from Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility for “uncovering numerous and important false claims about missile defenses,” Postol earned the ire of the Bush I administration when he challenged the efficacy of the Patriot missile system—which had reputedly intercepted Scud missiles launched against Israel by Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein during the first Persian Gulf War.

    Since that time, Postol has been highly critical of the tearing up of arms control agreements like the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia reducing cruise missiles, and U.S. government investment in ineffective weapons systems that waste taxpayer dollars.

    In Postol’s view, the intelligence agencies have some good people working for them, but have developed into “rigid, dysfunctional bureaucracies with weak leaders who are often politicized.”

    Those who gain promotion “have their own motivations” and “do not always provide the best information.” They are “part of a culture that hypes threats,” and “provides higher ups with a storyline that is useful to the larger agenda which is to get more money from Congress.”

    By amplifying threats, the intelligence agencies want to “scare people” so they will “sanction huge military budgets” and big-ticket “defense projects that often add little to national security.”

    Syrian chemical gas hoax

    According to Postol, the intelligence agencies deliberately deceived the American public when they claimed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out chemical weapon attacks against his own people—a claim that was adopted as a pretext for military strikes against Syria.

    Postol reviewed key evidence about alleged attacks in August 2013 in the Ghouta district of Damascus and in April 2017 in the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Governate of Syria.

    In the case of Ghouta, Postol said that the Obama White House presented a false intelligence report like in the Gulf of Tonkin incident that could have caused the nation to go to war.

    According to Postol, what shows that the White House was lying is simple: The rockets that delivered the Sarin gas had a range of about two kilometers, roughly four to five times shorter than what was needed to execute the attack from Syrian-government controlled areas according to the White House map.

    In the case of the attack on Khan Shaykhun, Postol said that the Syrian air force bombed a building—a meeting place for extremist leaders—with a supply store in its basement that stored pesticides and other chemicals which released toxic materials when it was struck.

    The crater in the building had to have been caused by artillery rockets, and the scene was later staged to make it look like it was the target of a sarin nerve gas attack by Assad.

    Jeffrey St. Clair wrote in Counterpunch that “China’s successful hypersonic missile test insures that over the next decade trillions will be diverted from health care, climate change, education and infrastructure budgets into a bottomless Pentagon slush fund for developing, testing and deploying missiles that by definition (or at least according to the logic of MAD theory) can never be used.”

    This is how much food you can get for the cost of a pack of cigarettes in Australia

    Part of Australian social engineering.

    Australian cost for cigarettes

    This all-female football tournament in Pakistan might have the best backdrop in the world

    Pakistan is truly a beautiful place.

    A cabbage farm kinda looks like a field of alien pods waiting to hatch

    It does, doesn’t it?

    Some video time

    I would like to throw forth some videos now…

    Show some love… video

    Come on, ya gotta give out some love if you are ever going to expect to receive any. video

    In China, people work together. In China, people take the time to make the world a better place. I like to believe that this aspect of the Chinese people is very much a human aspect that has been bleached out of many people because their societies have become evil, corrupted by the greedy. Start now. Take charge of your life. Start now, clean up your little part of the world. Start now and make the difference.

    Stop waiting on others to do things. Instead, you go forth and do them yourself. video.

    Please be the Rufus. Help others. Take action when it is needed. Do not fear anything. Go forth and go great things. Video

    Show some humanity. Show some understanding. Show some kindness. Be the Rufus. Make a difference in the world around you. VIDEO.

    Help others. Be kind. Go out of your way to do nice and helpful things. Do not be afraid about being late for work, or getting sued, or what others will think. Take the initiative and be the Rufus… video

    Be the Rufus. Seriously. Be the Rufus. Like this cab driver does… video

    Or like this cab driver does…

    Video

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts like this in my Happiness Index here…

    Life & Happiness

    .

    Articles & Links

    Master Index

    .

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    A no nonsense comparison between the USA and China

    There’s all sort of idiocy on the internet today, as well as very powerful forces that are trying to convince people of this ideology, or that ideology. Well, here we are going to cut through all the nonsense and spell things out plainly and clearly. And it is going to make some people very upset. But I don’t care. Truth hurts. Deal with it, and move on.

    This article deals with things as they are. Not what we want them to be. It also deals with the truth as it manifests, not what we want, but what actually exists today.

    This article compares China and the USA. If you cannot handle it, then leave. Your tender sensibilities are of no concern to me.

    Governance

    China is a meritocracy. America is a kakistocracy.

    And that is the way it is. China is not communist “regime”. America is not a “free” republic, nor a democracy “on a shining hill”. And both nations are functionally different from their labels. So let’s look at what they functionally operate as.

    The United States

    There is a lot of bullshit floating about. When I grew up in the United States, I was taught that America was a republic, but when I asked my teacher why everyone called it a democracy, he told me that it was changed by amendment into a democracy by mandating popular elections. Republics don’t do that. Later on, in university, when studying history, I learned that all democracies evolve.

    Here’s the evolutionary stages for a democracy. This is not my opinion. It is history. If you cannot handle history, then leave.

    • Democracy evolves to an oligarchy.
    • And if the oligarchy isn’t destroyed by popular revolt, it evolves into a Military dictatorship.
    • If unchecked, a military dictatorship evolves into a military empire.
    • And all military empires devolve into a kakistocracy.
    • And historically a kakistocracy always collapses one way, or the other.

    This is where America is today. There is not a person who is alive who can deny this today.

    kakistocracy = a government of a state by its most stupid, ignorant, least qualified and unprincipled citizens in power.

    Now, let’s look at China.

    China

    Contemporaneous China was established by Chairman Mao as a Communist nation.

    This changed upon his death, and there were various factions fighting for power. Eventually, under Mr. Deng, China embraced capitalism, and democracy, while maintaining a single party rule. Thus it became a “Social Democracy”.

    Over the years, boundaries and limits have been placed on which elements of socialism fit the Chinese culture, as well as which elements of capitalism fit the Chinese culture.

    Today, we have a unique government style, very reminiscent of the government described by Robert Heinlein in Starship Troopers. (My article on this subject is an important read. Click on the link for more.)

    Government participation is voluntary. To join the government (the communist party) you must contribute to society without any profit motives. As they said in Starship Troopers, “Service guarantees citizenship”.

    So, if you want to vote in China’s democracy, you must first volunteer for the military, or any other volunteer government agencies. Then you must apply, and your membership is reviewed by your merit. There is a strict grading system, and your sponsor into the communist party is held personally responsible for any failings or errors you may make.

    Up the chain of command, every step toward leadership roles are though merit driven avenues. Further there are police; known as the “corruption police” that root out, and punish any communist party members that take bribes, involved in graft, do bad or poor behaviors, and they are punished MOST severely.

    There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world. And nothing like this ever in history.

    China is an absolute meritocracy.

    So to recap;

    • China is a meritocracy; a society governed by people selected according to merit.
    • America is a kakistocracy; government by the least suitable or competent.

    Middle Class

    Both America and China have different cultures, and different societies. But I like to judge the benefits of one society over the other by the size of it’s middle class.

    In this case, we will extract the size of the middle class in a binary fashion. Saying that aside from the top 0.01%, the society can be broken down into two categories.

    There is the poor. And there is the middle class.

    Where within the middle class are stratified levels or layers.

    But as long as you are in this middle range, you are doing well. Sure, you might not own your own private jet, but you won’t be starving either. An idealized nation will have everyone living without want or need; they would all be middle class. They would own their own home, always have enough food, medical care, and a role in society.

    Now keeping things real, “Middle class” is not a measure of how many houses, or cars that you own. It’s a measure of whether or not you need the government to assist you in meeting basic needs of food, shelter, and medical care.

    Using published information…

    Freedom and Responsibility

    The “talking heads” on all the media talks up a “great game” about how America has “freedom!” as if it actually existed. Freedom is not just words on a piece of paper that can be taken away by legislation, hello!, it’s something that you live with. And since it is something that you live with, comes responsibility.

    America and China differ substantially in this regard.

    America is a land of “anything goes” freedom with zero responsibility. The boundaries on the use of that freedom are defined by law. Limitations on what laws can exist is supposed to be met under the terms of the Bill of Rights, but that document has been riddled with so many exceptions that it no longer is a functional document. Thus you have a society where people can do anything, just as long as they are not caught by the police in breaking a law.

    China, on the other hand, treats freedom as something precious that is dished out in measured amounts to those who are responsible. This is measured by the “Social Scoring” system. If you are responsible, you are permitted great deal of freedom. If not, then you have your “wings clipped” and live a more restricted life.

    • America = All freedom. No responsibility, can act within the confines of law.
    • China = Freedom and responsibility are intertwined, and measured for compliance.

    Community

    I also like to measure society buy it’s communities. This measurement comes in many forms, but fundamentally it is a complex mixture of safety, social interaction with others, access to basic transportation, quality of life, costs of groceries, access to parts and public areas, and friendships.

    This is all very difficult to measure. So we are going to look at this in a broader sense. We will look at the most popular community structures in China and America and then compare them.

    In China, most people live in these housing complexes. These are enormous skyscrapers that are surrounded by a wall, and is secured by security police known as BaoAn’s. Within that complex is at least one park, multiple recreation areas, kindergarten and elementary schools, a police and local government administration office, a post office, and individual parking.

    While homes can be rented in these complex’s, most people buy a house. Thus securing a long term residence that allow direct participation with all their neighbors. Additionally, people in the building complexes are all on social media and share thoughts, stories, issues and needs in real time, as they develop.

    It is not at all unusual to see evenings filled with children playing in the open areas, the parks and the buildings. Old people walk on the sidewalks and walkways, and BaoAn’s mingle with the residence. This is normal China.

    In America, most people yearn for a home. They buy a home in the country, or suburb, and (if they are rich enough) a home / apartment in a city. In all cases, they are isolated from each other. If they want to be part of the community, they must make an effort to do so. It is not automatic, and thus many people tend to stay inside and isolate. The suburbs in America are some of the quietest and loneliest places on the earth.

    • China = An active community of participation.
    • America = A nice home in isolation with little community participation.

    Now, I could go on and on…

    I can site facts and figures. Like the percentage of people who drive, or the percentage of people who are employed, or the effort it takes in literacy. But that’s an easy and a silly way to measure things. You just cannot take things in isolation and measure them. You need to provide a “level playing field” and then measure from there.

    People use GDP, for instance. But GDP is flawed. And I will repeat my often used example…

    • Sally has one dollar and can buy two apples with it.
    • Tom has ten dollars, but can only buy one apple with it.

    According to GDP, Tom is more successful than Sally.

    We all need to measure our lives by our happiness. As well as by our purpose, and our relationships with the community.

    If you are not happy, but instead working for money; if you don’t have a purpose other than to make money; and if you have no sense of community, then you are very likely to be living in the United States.

    And of course, if you are happy, and you work as part of a community for the betterment of all, then you are probably living in China.

    Reality Check

    Of course, not everyone in America lives in suburbs, or in their own homes. And not everyone in China lives in these huge mega apartment complexes. And not everyone in America is isolated, and not everyone in China is part of the community. But the point is that the vast bulk of them are.

    And that is what we are talking about here. As America is balkanized, you will have an occasional little oasis of community, and one of prosperity and safety. But those numbers are dwindling. And China is a homogenized nation. Everyone speaks one language, and no one is hyphenated.  You won’t hear any Chinese calling themselves Hunan-Chinese, or Xinjiang Chinese.

    As I have said before, we have to see things as they really exist. Not as we want them to be.

    Personally

    Personally I think it is a good idea to have a choice in how you can live your life in different societies. It’s like being able to choose between steak or dog food for dinner. And if you are tired of dog food, you can smell that delicious steak and eventually go to a place where there is steak every day. Yum!

    Some people like to eat dog food. They eat it day in and day out. They are told that dog food is good, and that everyone knows that dog food is the best.

    Me; I like steak.

    Judging from the billions of pro-America articles out in internet-land, so many people love living inside of America. They have this thing called “democracy” and “freedom”. Though what it actually is, is really hard to nail down. If you ask them if the election systems actually work, most would say no. If you ask them if their representatives will represent them, they would also say no. And if you ask them if the bill of Rights is being followed, they would also say no.

    So, perhaps, America is just floating along on this vaporous cloud of ignorance and hope.

    Meanwhile China has “been there and done that”. They went through the changes and have arrived at a stable place. They carved out a life and made it stable, and rock solid.

    America is the land of the 0.1% of people. If you can become one of them, then this place is for you. Meanwhile, the rest of the nation toils to one day be able to reach that point. Maybe you too can be come a billionaire and fly into space!

    China is the land of the 90% of people. Everyone can get a decent life. Some better than others, but all within a fine band of comfort. And you know, it is possible, that one day, you will be able to fly into space. If not you, then your kids. But it is really possible.

    Today in the United States, the only think keeping the masses of people from revolting and hanging the government is the free welfare checks, and the television / internet. To me, it reminds me of Rome, where the rulers provided their citizens with bread and circuses.

    In China, as I have repeatedly tried to relate, it is calm and peaceful. No stress at all. None. Kids play, people talk. Nothing is frantic. Nothing is fast paced. The skies are blue. The trees are green. Flowers are everywhere. Malls are open, stores are bright and cheerful This is throughout China, not “only on the coast” as one supposed China expat said in a comment.

    Now for some videos…

    With this in mind, let’s look at a few videos that serve to illustrate these points.

    In a MERIT DRIVEN SOCIETY such as CHINA, everyone tries to do their best and excel. They work together. They study hard. They strive. (Video)

    video

    Yes they do, and this idea to be the best you can be, to be kind and to be helpful comes from how you are raised. Check out this next video. This is a Chinese preschool. (video).

    video

    In a SOCIETY DRIVEN BY GREED such as AMERICA, it’s every man for himself. And thus you have all sorts of crime and events related to fraud and deception. (Video)

    video

    “Is that your bike? No.”

    And so what does this guy do? He films it and does nothing. Not a community. It is just every man for himself. (Video)

    video

    But it doesn’t have to be this way…

    If you grew up in a land with a thousand tiny hands in your wallet, a leadership that are idiots, and where every person is scrambling for a “piece of the pie”, you can change that.

    No. I am not talking about revolution. Nor am I talking about leaving the nation that you are part of for somewhere else. I am instead talking about what you can do to make the world around you a little bit better.

    Participate.

    Meet your neighbors. Say hi. Smile. Buy coffee for coworkers. Clean up the trash on the street. Feed the dogs and cats. Make your home open, welcome and friendly.

    Use the “porch light system” for invitations. Tell everyone you meet in your community that when the porch light is on, that it is a welcome for them to come on over and have a cup of coffee and to chill out with you.

    Be the Rufus. (video)

    I love this Rufus doggie.

    video

    Be the Rufus!

    You can make the world a better place. Just help others. (Video)

    If everyone thought about others, their community, their purpose, and in making their little tiny part better, than we all will live a better life. Stop being alone and isolated. Reach out. Help others. Make friends. You will be surprised how much your quality of life will improve. Just participate in life.

    Video

    Do you want more?

    You can find more articles related to this in my latest index; A New Beginning. And in it are elements of the old, some elements regarding the transition, and some elements that look towards the future.

    New Beginnings

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    Articles & Links

    Master Index

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    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
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    What it is like living in China the real-life “Twilight Zone” episode

    Here, let’s just talk about some odds and ends for a change.

    What it is like living in China the real-life “Twilight Zone” episode

    I swear the disconnect between what is reported in the “news” in the West and what is actually occurring is so different it is mind blowing. And to underline; to underscore this, I am going to give a few examples on just how much bullshit if being fed to the cattle in the United States and Britain. It’s pretty enormous.

    Elections in China

    Now, you know, China is a Social Democracy that refers to it’s self as “Communist with Chinese Characteristics”. Just like Americans call themselves a “free Republic”. So anyways, there’s been elections this week. And in China that is a big deal. Wholly automated, Use QR codes and connect to the election system by your cell phone. Of course, it is efficient and quick, but only Communist Party members can vote. Like I said in my article about China being like the movie “Starship Troopers”. Service gives citizenship. So if you want to vote, you must volunteer to participate in society.

    So anyways, it’s really different from the clown show of elections in the West.

    Is it being reported? No. Not one single American or Western news organization is reporting on the elections inside China. Why?

    Banned news item on LinkedIN

    Well, the banned comments on LinkedIN tell the entire story. There are certain subjects that the American government FORBIDS to be discussed on any American internet platform. And one of those is elections inside of China.

    Which is probably why you won’t find any “news” about this in Western media. It’s erased as if it doesn’t exist, and the readership of those “news” articles continue to believe that China is a single party communist dictatorship. That doesn’t have elections.

    The United States censors anything that shows China to be a democracy.

    WiFi Dongle

    Well, long time MM readers will know of my struggles with Microsoft. Finally when I purchased the entire Windows 10 package and installed it complete on my laptop… it stopped working. Told me to purchase yet ANOTHER authentic Microsoft windows OS, and disabled most of my functionality on the system. I said “fuck this”, and installed Lunix on my new computer.

    And it is “cherry”. It works beautifully.

    Well, only one problem, though. The company that makes the chipset core in my computer is a company owned by Microsoft; Realtek. And they do not have official Microsoft approved drivers to run the wifi. SoI have to manually install third party drivers for the blasted wifi. Which is a real pain in the ass.

    I have been Learning Lunix commands and tying all sorts of work-arounds. Finally using a Ethernet dongle connected to my 5G router. And it seems to work, but it is a pain in the ass to be manually wired to systems when you carry a laptop. I need mobility.

    So I devised a plan.

    I would buy a Ethernet USB adapter and use it. I would use one that would be plug and play compatible with my Lunix system. So I went on the Internet and searched for “best internet wifi adapters 2021”, and ended up HERE after I selected the top pick.

    And here’s the item. Cost is $44 USD or 286 RMB.

    Amazon.com Wifi adapter for Lunix

    Well, the delivery time from the USA is around one to two months, It will arrive in early December, but Customs will need to clear it, and that will be another two weeks easy. So this is what I did…

    I went on Alibaba and looked up the factories that make the “guts”; the electronics of these gadgets. As you can see there are a bunch of them.

    Factories in China that make Wifi adapters

    And then I asked one of my engineers to search for the factory that make this particular “Made in America” product. Because, after all, according to Amazon.com this product is made inside of America with American know-how, American skills, and American everything. But, you know, I have been doing international trade for many decades. Politics aside, it’s all made overseas. So we went a looking.

    The bottom line is that we found the manufacturer that makes the guts for this “American product”. They are in Shenzhen.

    And we talked directly one-on-one with the engineer there.

    They have been manufacturing the inner workings for this “American product” for years now. Generally they started as an OEM supplier, and now they do their own design and their own products.

    And he told us that while they could give us the exact product that is sold in America, it would be a mistake for us to use it. The American product has special chipset modifications required by the United States government in the core PCB. He didn’t know what they were, but suspected they were “back door” access of all the signals going to and from the adapter.

    So instead, he would sell us the exact module without the American chipset addons. It’s all good, it’s just a different chip and different add on (parts delete) on the board. I said “sounds good to me”.

    Cost was $6 USD or under 40 RMB with local shipping.

    The United States has electronic access via “backdoors” in all American wifi products.

    Taiwan

    "There is almost no scenario in which the United States can successfully intervene in a war between China and Taiwan that will not leave our country in far worse shape than it is right now; in a worst-case scenario, American territory could be struck by nuclear missiles." 
    
    -Business Insider
    

    US officials who are ready to fight China over Taiwan don’t understand how much is at stake

    Many of America’s leading military and political figures have issued increasingly alarmist warnings in recent days about the potential for conflict with China, especially related to issues surrounding Taiwan.

    But before the US gets into a crisis that brings it to the threshold of war — or finds itself stumbling into one — policymakers and military leaders need to address some hard realities.

    There is almost no scenario in which the United States can successfully intervene in a war between China and Taiwan that will not leave our country in far worse shape than it is right now; in a worst-case scenario, American territory could be struck by nuclear missiles.

    In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific, warned that Chinese military developments looked to him like a nation planning for a war.

    Davidson added that he believed China would attempt to forcibly reunify Taiwan “in the next six years.” To guard against this possibility, Davidson asked Congress to provide a whopping $27 billion in additional funding over the current defense budget.

    One of the featured programs for this increase is the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Last year Congress allocated $2.1 billion for the initiative. This year Davidson is asking for more than double that amount, to $4.6 billion.

    The PDI’s main objectives will be to increase the number of ground-based cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles in areas closer to Chinese territory. That effort is already well underway.

    In October the US Marine Corps completed construction on its first new permanent base in the Indo-Pacific area since 1952. The Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have additional plans to establish new bases or expand existing ones at Tinian Island, Palau, Guam, and Australia — all along the so-called “first island chain” near China’s coastline.

    The expansion is designed to enhance US’ ability to conduct “island-hopping” operations and create the ability to rapidly construct military airfields in austere environments.

    The reason for this expansion, Davidson said, was to reduce or eliminate the time necessary for American military forces to engage Chinese targets.

    The admiral said that right now it would take US forces on the West Coast more than three weeks to get within range of China and troops from Alaska 17 days. But the “perfect speed,” Davidson concluded, was “being there.”

    Almost entirely absent from the hearing was any explanation of what’s driving the United States to elevate the risk of war by increasing the number of troops near the Chinese coast.

    As a freedom-loving democracy, the United States is a strong advocate for the independence and freedom of any people, including those in Taiwan. But to that laudable belief must be added a willingness to assess the world in a realistic way.

    Right now, both the United States and China are in a spiral in which one side expands its capabilities for war, citing rising threats from the other — which each then offers as justification for yet more military spending and preparation for war.

    China is building infrastructure to project its power westward to the first island chain at the same time US forces are moving infrastructure eastward toward the first island chain and Chinese coast. Every day increases the chance of an accident or miscalculation leading to war.

    Both the United States and China say they don’t want war, but both sides are accelerating and expanding their preparation for war.

    If the United States were to one day fight China for anything other than an unprovoked attack, we would be choosing a course which would — in the best-case scenario — cause extraordinary harm to our military and markedly degrade our national security; in the worst-case, we could lose a war, putting at risk our very freedom.

    It is crucial to understand that for China, the Taiwan issue is not merely a core interest, but an emotionally charged one. They are far more willing to pay extraordinary costs, sacrifice many men, and could risk it all to eventually compel unification with Taiwan.

    The issue does not directly affect our national security unless we get involved.

    If we eventually choose war with China over Taiwan, we will at best suffer egregious losses in ships, aircraft, and troops; in a worst-case, the war could deteriorate into a nuclear exchange in which American cities are turned into nuclear wastelands, killing millions.

    America should never take such risks unless our security and freedom are directly threatened. Fighting China for any reason short of that would be a foolish gamble of the highest order.

    If the USA gets involved in a war with China over Taiwan, the USA would lose. The magnitude of the loss is the only outcome in question.

    Poverty

    Two days ago, I received this comment from someone who read my article  “You must leave China now. China is not safe. America will destroy it completely and I will not be able to help you out”…

    He said;

    You keep pounding on points that no one disputes but which are irrelevant. What are you trying to convince Americans to do? Admire China? Be demoralized? Why would the Chinese care what we think of them? How is insulting America going to make us admire them, anyway? If it is to demoralize, then that, too is foolish — attacking your best potential ally while leaving everyone’s real enemy untouched.

    Butt-hurt because America is performing so poorly on all fronts. And all I have to say about this is that America has failed in taking care of the social issues that are fundamental to a functioning society. American is becoming more like Bangladesh than a “free and prosperous” nation.

    The MM readership will know that I was homeless for a period of time between when I left the Navy and then obtained my training at NAS China Lake. During this period of time, the general treatment of homeless people all over the country was to escort you out of the town, and if they cannot do that, then lock you up in jail until a social service can take you in.

    Do you want to know what they do in China?

    Everyone in China has an identity. They have a card, but also biometrics. When ever a beggar is found on the streets or a homeless person, the duty of the citizens are to contact the police who will then come to the beggar / homeless person.

    The police will then escort them to the local social services office. They will be immediately provided with a shower, clean clothes, a meal (or two as needed), a physical examination to include mental health, and an interview.

    During that interview they will determine if that person can stay or needs to return to their home town. You see, every ID card is associated with a local “home town” government. That government is wholly responsible for that person.

    If the person is mentally unstable, looking for work, transient but having difficulties, or whatever the issue, the interviewer will make the necessary arrangements to get the person help.

    Typically, in many cases, but not all, the person would be escorted to their home town and handed over to the local government there. They will immediately provide them with long-term housing, food, showers, and a simple but useful job. The person then need not worry about health care, housing, food, or being alone.

    This is how China takes care of it’s citizens.

    America just locks them up in prison / mental hospital / or allows them to be preyed upon in the wilds of urban streets.

    America has FAILED in providing to the needs of it’s citizens, while China has been able to handle and take care of it’s citizenry.

    Yahoo!

    The Internet empire Yahoo! has decided to close off China from all of it’s services. No reason is given, but I cannot help but assume that it is political in nature.

    Ah, yet another wall to isolate China from the Western World.

    My Grandfather’s House

    My fathers’ father lived on “Polish Hill” which is a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This is a hilly area, and all the houses are built on the sides of very steep hills, many actually being full cliff faces. Thus, when you enter the house, you would have a “ground floor” which consists of the living room and kitchen, a second floor which has a bathroom and bedrooms, and two to four basements.

    In my Grandfather’s house, there were two basements. A “main basement” which opened up to the “laundry room” with the mandatory (middle of the room) commode (ah, it’s a Pittsburgh thing) and his workshop.

    Now, tucked away in his workshop was this tiny “broom closet” sized door tucked away in the far corner. His workshop was filled with all sorts of electrical appliances and televisions that he would repair and work on, and old magazines and documents for the electronics world that he was a part of. He also had quite a large collection of pocket watches that he tried to repair, and various mechanisms that he would fix for a few bucks (money) here and there.

    But when you opened up that tiny broom closet door, you would find yourself at a old rickety wooden spiral staircase going down into the sub-basement grotto. There was a pile of old hardwood that was too valuable to discard, shelves of very dusty brick-a-brack, and other long forgotten treasures that a boy of ten would find absolutely fascinating.

    And I was ten when I discovered all these adventures.

    Yes, I would explore those dingy and dark areas with the radio playing “Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon”, wearing bell-bottom pants, while my mother and grandmother watched Laurence Welk on the television show, upstairs.

    Now, fast forward from the early 1970’s to 1981. I am living with my grandmother as I worked at a job in one of the steel mills there. I stayed with her for about three months until I could afford my own apartment.

    And She was cleaning out that subbasement. She was hauling away everything. Too much junk, worthless garbage and clutter, she said.

    I had picked up this dusty old mason jar (an old canning jar for home made preserves) and was looking inside of it. There were a few pennies from the 1920’s, a old faded scrap of paper with some unintelligible writing on it (in Polish no less), two or three old buttons, a few military pins, and a hand made key to some kind of a closet or drawer.

    When I showed it to my grandmother, she exclaimed “So THAT’s where that key was!”

    Apparently there was a drawer in one of the pieces of furniture in the second bedroom that has been locked for decades! So, my grandmother and I went upstairs and used the key and opened up the drawer.

    Inside was a bunch of jewelry / bracelets, and a couple of old coins. There was a couple of combs, a couple of old straight razors for shaving, and some silk handkerchiefs.  As well as a few old letters. There was a a very old and small diary and my grand mother picked it up and started to leaf though it, and then set it aside as we continued our explorations. There were some really old pictures of people that I did not know, and a really cool coin purse.

    Now this coin purse was all metal. It was a metal bag like thingy like chain metal armor, with a cool 1920’s era design. And it had this cure little chain and it would open by a clasp. She gave it to me and I actually thought it was really cool. Inside of it, was a few more old coins. Which included pennies with faces of Indians on them, and a nickel with an Indian on the coin!

    OK.

    Now for part two.

    Well, there was a penny in the purse, and I was messing around with my friends one weekend. And my brother had this metal (cast iron, actually) little bank mechanism thingy. You would put this penny in this part of the contraption (a representative of a guy holding a gun) and then press the latch and the mechanism would actuate a spring that would “shoot” the penny into a slot in the metal bank.

    And so, on that fateful day, I lost the penny that was in the purse that I found at the grotto under the sub-basement of my grandmother’s house.

    I never did get that penny back. I soon moved away after being laid off, and my life took on another direction. And somewhere, someone, took that bank that had perhaps ten or fifteen pennies, and opened it up and obtained that precious memory of when my grandmother and I discovered the key to her memories.

    Why China is building more nuclear missiles…

    From the article above…

    One of the featured programs for this increase is the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Last year Congress allocated $2.1 billion for the initiative. This year Davidson is asking for more than double that amount, to $4.6 billion.
    
    The PDI's main objectives will be to increase the number of ground-based cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles in areas closer to Chinese territory. 
    
    That effort is already well underway...

    Well, it should be obvious, for every new location where the USA places it’s missiles to attack China, China now needs to arm a nuclear salvo to rubble and glass-over those weapons sites so that they are impotent in a war scenario.

    Good going, Congress!

    Do not be under the impression that all the weapons are for the areas right next door to China, you God damn morons. It’s for YOU. It’s for YOUR homes. It’s for YOUR cities. It’s for YOUR country.

    China is NOT reactionary. They provide reactions on a event by event basis until it become clear that it is an all or nothing situation. Then, they take the necessary step to extinguish all enemy leadership and their support networks immediately.

    Jews! Jews! Jews!

    Lordy! One of my posts from 2019 hit the internet recently, and landed in the lap of some hard-right folks.  Aside from slowing my servers to a crawl, MM now came up (yet again) on American “watch lists”. Which is a headache in itself.

    Sigh.

    I have been getting a lot of comments about how “wrong” I am. And that Jews are the cause of everything! Jews started communism. Jews created Ebola. Jews are the reason homosexuality exists. Jews cause all wars. Jews, Jews, Jews!

    Sheech!

    I hope all this ruckus dies down soon. Because now a subgroup of “Chinese 5G is a plan to brainwash Americans to take vaccinations for a hoax virus” is starting to make the rounds. Who knows? Maybe the next thing will be “Donald Trump will win the next Presidential Election, and the China issue will be settled once and for all“.

    I need a beer.

    I am making more enemies than friends, it seems…

    You know, in my last Q&A I post an eight part question by a contributor. And the Domain Commander didn’t answer it, and this was at a time where everyone was sending me questions to ask the Commander. So I just took one of the smaller lists and tried to ask it. And the results were posted.

    Now the fellow who asked the question is upset, and doesn’t want me to throw him to the cornfield. Understandable, and now he fears that I have ill intent or beliefs about his intent.

    Sigh.

    Guys, Please understand that I had maybe 15 to 25 people throwing all sorts of multiple part questions at me to ask. I did not realize that I would become so famous. Some were very sincere. But some were just busy work.

    Now put yourself in my shoes. You get questions, you cut and paste them into a MS Word file, and the list grows and grows.

    Then you start the tasking. And it wears you out.

    Imagine ten people asking 15 questions. That’s 150 questions!

    Which ones are sincere? Which ones are critical? Which ones are important? Which ones are just busy work? I really don’t know.

    So what I did, was I got a group from the top of the question list, and started my “flight plan”, and I printed the result in the Q&A.

    Everyone, please I really sincerely want to make a difference in this world, and I sincerely want to answer your questions. If you have something pressing, please send to me at the laobanGBH@163.com email address, along with some background on the one singular question. I need to know why it is important to you personally.

    As to those that asked questions that I did not answer, please wait. I am still a human, though I have many faults and cracks in my personality. Do not be offended. I just need to set up systems to handle the huge influx of questions, participants, and “noise” that is being directed at me right now.

    Though, I will really get angry if someone sends me a tabulated spreadsheet of 200 multiple part questions like …

    “Question 145, part 7, subpart 4, section B”

    Which actually DID happen. Jeeze!

    I responded back to him, but I guess he used a throw-away email address. I haven’t heard back from him.

    Vaxx Stuff

    For all youse guys who are into the anti-mRNA vaccination protocols, might find this article of value. The title speaks for itself…

    https://www.conservativebeaver.com/2021/11/05/ceo-of-pfizer-arrested-charged-with-fraud-media-blackout/

    I don’t know if it is legit or not.

    System collapse

    All internet traffic to MM reached an unusually huge level and over taxed the system. Points of origination came from inside the United States, and I also received multiple DOS attacks. My system shut down, a secondary group of attacks came out of Hong Kong and overwhelmed my normal local internet as well.

    Thus the two locations Metallicman…

    • Hosting Servers inside of America
    • Point of origin servers inside of China.

    Have BOTH been simultaneously attacked by numerous DOS attacks. All on top of an abnormally large traffic stream.

    My guess that it isn’t about my fine taste in cheeseburgers. I’ll be willing to bet that it is about my predictions, and the Commander’s confirmation, that the USA is planning a first strike nuclear salvo against China. Can’t allow the rest of the world to know. Heh. Heh.

    I guess I am big stuff.

    You all know that I have been battling with getting the systems up and running, but right now, I am unable to do anything. All internet access is overwhelmed locally, and I am simply helpless.

    Well, as my cat taught me, “life is hard, then you nap”.

    Well, no need to fret about it all. I’m just going to get some beer and chill out. It’s a nice day out. Blue skies. Pleasant temperatures. Fresh air.

    So, as soon as a window of opportunity opens up, I will do what I can to get things back up and running again.

    -MM

    Have a good day you all and remember…

    You, I, we… we all are a community. Never forget that.

    We are all part of something much bigger.

    Do you want more?

    You can find more articles related to this in my latest index; A New Beginning. And in it are elements of the old, some elements regarding the transition, and some elements that look towards the future.

    New Beginnings

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    Articles & Links

    Master Index

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    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
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    The Götterdämmerung of the United States

    Definition of Götterdämmerungfc
    : a collapse (as of a society or regime) marked by catastrophic violence and disorder 

    In the 243 years since American independence in 1776, America has been at war in 225 of those years.

    Yet, it’s been centuries since anyone even tried to invade the United States.

    So why is America off gallivanting all over the world and fighting in wars if there isn’t a need to defend the territorial integrity of the United States?

    No one can provide an answer for this.

    Or to put it another way, for 92.5 percent of the time since 1776, the Americans have been at war, either of their own making like the annexation of the Philippines in 1899, as an intervening force in other wars like the Vietnam conflict or simply initiating regime change wars against those they dislike by covertly fermenting insurrections in South America using groups like the Contras.
    
    It's not a record that sits well with the mythology of a peace-loving America upholding the global world order or liberal values. America has been described by former U.S. President Carter and others as the most warlike nation on Earth and it's a description that is backed by the historical record.

    No answers are ever provided.

    Instead, they say things like freedom™, liberty™, and democracy™. They interject it along with other sentences equally impotent.  Like “Plants love Brando because it’s got electrolytes”. And along with some grunts, and sneers are phrases like “you know…”, and “Wht?”

    And then pull off their tops, stand on top of their pickup trucks and wave the United States flag shouting “Exceptionalism!” and “We’re the best!”

    Woo Hoo!

    It is the American elites who made deals with China at the expense of American workers. It’s not China that has failed to meet its obligations to American people: it has none.

    American elites have made these deals. They did so at the expense of standards of living for American workers.

    And small business owners. They did so even at the expense of national security and stability.

    It is these very elites that failed to modernize the ancient, decrepit infrastructure. They failed to repair the road and bridges, and they ignored the plight of millions of Americans.

    Americans as they fell into despair, and all the resulting addictions that result from it.

    And they needed help. They cried for help. They pleaded for help. They demanded help.

    Real serious help.

    They need community. They need leadership. They need meaningful, purposeful employment. they need reasonable costs, abundant food at reasonable prices. Affordable housing, and basic no-frills or politically motivated education. They need their leadership to stop crime. Support them instead of wasting the precious resources that America used to have in abundance.

    They need real representation.

    They needed people who would do real WORK. People who would demolish the ruined failed systems, and put in brand new, well funded, and expertly run systems.

    They need the basics. They need the fundamentals.

    • Affordable and healthy food.
    • Meaningful employment providing goods or services.
    • Affordable housing.
    • Low or no taxes, regulation, or rules.
    • A safe and secure environment free of crime, but not a police state.
    • They need to see a sizable amount of the tax money seized from them reinvested in their own lives.

    And they do not see this.

    And as a result the entire domestic interior of America is imploding upon itself in spectacular fashion. Today, you cannot tell the difference between Detroit and Damascus. Today, you cannot distinguish between an American “leader” from a poverty stricken banana republic dictator.

    Aside from the clothing their actions, attitudes, and behaviors are identical.

    Out of touch Government

    Just how out of touch are the elites in Washington DC from the people? It’s pretty damn astounding.

    Making U.S. Foreign Policy Work Better for the Middle Class is a sort of bipartisan report guiding the current, bewildered Crash Test Dummy administration. 
    
    One of the 11 writers involved is none other than National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. 
    
    The notion that a global imperial strategy and – in this case – a deeply impoverished and enraged middle class share the same interests does not even qualify as a lousy joke. 
    
    With “thinkers” like these, the Hegemon does not even need Eurasian “threats”.

    In case you all haven’t been paying attention, most American pay around 30% of their income to the Federal government, and an additional 16% (8 + 8) to it for “Social Security” promises. In exchange for this looting (46% of their paycheck) the American government has done nothing for them.

    Not now.

    Not in decades.

    It’s just been squandering it off in far-away lands, and blowing up mud huts, machine gunning sheep, and loudly proclaiming to be doing it all for freedom™ and democracy™.

    Yoo Hoo!

    China may be many things, but it was the corruption and misleadership of American leadership (not Chinese) that led to the destruction of the middle-class and the imbalances in bilateral trade.

    And there we have it.

    At the expense of the American citizenry, the American elites are trying to rule the entire world. Not like before. But this time, they will “Build Back Better” so that no other nation dare opposes their rule.

    Their plan is as clear as day, and their demands are astounding in their arrogance.

    “Obey us!” they order.

    “Follow our ‘rules based order’. The UN is useless and kneel before the great and almighty shining house on the hill.” they sneer.

    Of course, after the last debacle in July 2020, I was truly surprised. I was surprised at the calm and composed stoniness of the Chinese.

    If it was me, I would have sent the heads of those Jackasses back to the USA in a box. Genghis Khan style.

    Washington trying to rule the world!

    Are geopolitical analysts in the west seriously delusional enough to believe that Russia and China can be undermined?

    It was only one month ago that the world found itself trapped on a fast track to nuclear war between NATO powers and Russia over tensions that had been brought to a boil in Ukraine.

    Of course, it wasn’t only a Nazi-ridden Ukraine that was being used as a trigger for a major showdown, as evidence of Belarus regime change and even assassination attempts became publicized and MI6-Bellingcat antics were justifying new waves of anti-Russian sanctions across the trans Atlantic community.

    These antics even led to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic, media psyops attempting to lay blame on the Kremlin for cyber attacks on American pipelines.

    Additionally, a zero-tolerance policy towards the completion of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline appeared to be a non-negotiable red line for Washington up until recently.

    No matter where you looked, the spectre of nuclear war abounded for all to see and only companies specializing in the sale of bomb shelters were content with the direction of world events.

    And then something changed.

    Life is a drag when the (global) free lunch is over and on top of it you need to face not only the emergence of a “peer competitor” in Eurasia (copyright Zbig “Grand Chessboard” Brzezinski) but a comprehensive strategic partnership. You fear that China is eating your lunch – and dinner, and nightcap – but still you need Moscow as the designated enemy of choice, because that’s what legitimizes NATO.
    
    Call The Three Stooges! Let’s send the Europeans to patrol the South China Sea! Let’s get those Baltic nullities plus pathetic Poles to enforce the New Iron Curtain! And let’s deploy Russophobic Britannia Rules the Waves on both fronts!
    
    Control Europe – or bust. Hence the Brave New NATO World: white man’s burden revisited – against Russia-China.
    
    So far, Russia-China had been exhibiting infinite Daoist patience in dealing with those clowns. 
    
    But not anymore.

    Indeed. Something changed.

    Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that certain power brokers among the Great Resetting crowd of the west realized that a smoldering earth of radioactive decay was not one they wished to rule over (or under).

    Perhaps they realized that Russia had no intention of backing down in the game of nuclear chicken then being played.

    Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Russia’s advanced hypersonic nuclear missile delivery systems were not a part of the game theory-based computer models which war game scenario planners had based their military engagements on.

    And all that full spectrum dominance encirclement of Russia for the past 20 years was ineffective.

    Yeah.

    While a “limited nuclear war” sounded like an acceptable risk decades ago, it isn’t so today.

    There’s no such thing as this fantasy.

    Use one nuclear weapon, and your entire nation is engulfed in nuclear carpet bombing.

    It appears, from direct statements made by President Biden and Jan Psaki in July 2021, that the decision to pull back from the precipice of nuclear oblivion was a reappraisal of the situation.

    The geniuses in the Washington DC think tanks came up with an alternative method to bring both Russia and China to heel.

    This new strategic equation rests on two wildly foolish assumptions:

    • The belief that the foundations of the Russian-Chinese alliance contains fatal fissures which can be exploited by savvy American diplomatic maneuvering. And since everyone in Washington DC are experts, and capable, there wouldn’t be any problem doing this.

    And…

    • The belief that Russia somehow really desires to be popular and rejoin the “cool kids” of the G7 leading the international liberal order. After all, everyone in Washington DC is this way. So obviously everyone else int he world is like this. It’s “common sense” don’t you know!

    For these two assumptions to shape the calculus of western logicians playing on a “great game”show just out of touch from reality these Washington elites actually are.

    After all, it is believed by these ignorant sycophants that Russia, who shares a 2600 mile border with China, must certainly feel threatened by China’s “global ambitions”

    Biden stated on June 16:
    
    “Russia is in a very very difficult spot right now. They are being squeezed by China. They want to desperately remain a major power. They desperately want to be relevant.”

    It is thus assumed that Russia may yet be swayed into joining a real power block capable of countering China’s imperial Belt and Road Initiative.

    Oh…

    …brother!

    Americans can see though this farce…

    They have learned, over the years, decades and even centuries that the American government has little concern for them. For their ideals. For their culture. For their needs.

    The key players in the Heartland have clearly seen through the imperial propaganda fog; it will be a long and winding road, but the horizon will eventually unveil a Germany-Russia-China-Iran alliance rebalancing the global chessboard.
    
    This is the ultimate Imperial Night of the Living Dead nightmare – hence these lowly American emissaries frantically scurrying around multiple latitudes trying to keep the satrapies in line.

    Americans are ripe to start the lynchings of the elites.

    We are QUICKLY going downhill. The state of Florida may be the one that secedes first. There is not one person in my neck of the woods that isn’t seriously SERIOUSLY getting ready. All you hear at night is fully automatic gunfire - not the average - let me practice with my 9mm in the back, but full auto. And I know what it sounds like versus fireworks.
    
    ...
    
    The vibe - it’s about to fucking hit the fan - Seriously.

    So look at what you have.

    A nation ruled by mad-men.

    A nation ruled by mad-men.

    A pissed off and angry citizenry that are ready to go feral and unleash bloody Hell against the entire nation.

    An entrenched group of vampires living inside of Washington DC that act like leeches and who have sucked the life-blood of America dry. And now, like some kind of parasite are looking to start a long war of “distraction” for their personal profit and (possibly) enjoyment.

    And…

    And…

    It’s getting intolerable.

    China and Russia are united against the out of control American madness

    Ah.

    But it won’t be a long, drawn out war of “distraction”. It will not be another Syria. It will not be another Yemen. It will not be another Panama. It will not be another Afghanistan.

    As an expat in China. I can tell you that not only is China a serious, serious nation, but Lord Help you if you piss them off…

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, China-Russia build submarines like there’s no tomorrow equipped with state of the art missiles – and Su-57s invite wise guys to a close conversation with a hypersonic Mr. Kinzhal.
    
    Sergey Lavrov, like an aristocratic Grand Seigneur, took the trouble of enlightening the clowns with a between rule of law and their self-defined “rules-based international order”.
    
    That’s too much for their collective IQ. Perhaps what they will register is that the Russian-Chinese Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation, initially signed on July 16, 2001, has just been extended for five years by Presidents Putin and Xi.

    Oh…

    So far, the Washington elites think of war as some kind of remote video game. They believe that it can be fought remotely with drones, cruse missiles and though use of others. While the America military is used as an occupation force on the conquered lands.

    They can’t possibly imagine what the FUCK WOULD HAPPEN if the roles were reversed and both China and Russia would start doing the same thing to America…

    • Paying and having assassination squads against the American leadership.
    • Inciting riots, and blowing up American hospitals, ports, infrastructure, bridges, train stations, and warehouses.
    • Moving battle groups off the coast of New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Washington DC, Boston, and Miami.

    And that’s just for starters…

    …don’t even get me fired up about carpet bombing the USA with biological weapons, kidnapping industry leaders, and inciting riots in major cities. Heck! If America can get away with it, then it is “on the table” for Chinese use.

    But…

    But…

    Somehow, the Washington elites think that they can open up “Pandora’s Box” and be completely safe from the consequences.

    Metropolis

    As I said before…

    American “leadership” is bat shit crazy.

    Easy sailing in Asia, but the West is a major fuck-up

    America today is “ready to pop”. It is ready to explode. And I am not talking about “Black anger”. I am talking about “White fury”. Not at the blacks or other races. But directed at the tier after tier , after tier of corrupted criminal “leadership” of Washington DC.

    Only this time, it won’t be a few Trump “patriots” walking into the Whitehouse on a lark. It will be something much darker.

    As the Empire of Chaos is incrementally and inexorably expelled from the Heartland, Russia-China are jointly managing Central Asian affairs.
    
    In the Central and South Asia connectivity conference in Tashkent, Lavrov detailed how Russia is driving “the Greater Eurasian Partnership, a unifying and integrational outline between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans that is as free for the movement of goods, capital, labor and services as possible and which is open to every country of the common continent of Eurasia and the integration unions created here.”
    
    Then there’s the updated Russian National Security Strategy, which clearly outlines that building a partnership with the US and hitting win-win cooperation with the EU is an uphill struggle: “The contradictions between Russia and the West are serious and are hard to solve.” 
    
    By contrast, strategic cooperation with China and India will be expanded.

    New global realignments are forming. The world is growing and getting better, and that evil military empire; the United States, the scourge of the world for nearly a century is imploding.

    How that implosion will occur…

    …no one knows.

    But it wouldn’t take much to set it off.

    We all saw what happened when New Orleans levy collapsed. Imagine that happening in every single city simultaneously, and all transport routes for food, gas, and staples all collapse.

    It would be really bad.

    So it appears that America is really trying to start a war of “distractions”, and China is viewed to be the villain to demonize.

    China said ENOUGH!

    Yup.

    Any meetings where America comes and continues the same old litany of bullshit will not be fruitful. So China won’t have any part of them. The door is closed. Forgetaboutit.

    Yet the defining geopolitical breakthrough in the second year of the  may well be China telling the Empire, “That’s enough”.
    
    It started over two months ago in Anchorage, when the formidable Yang Jiechi out of the helpless American delegation. The piece de resistance came this week in Tianjin, where Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng and his boss Wang Yi reduced mediocre imperial bureaucrat Wendy Sherman to stale dumpling status.
    
    This searing analysis by a Chinese think tank reviewed all the key issues. Here are the highlights.
    
    – The Americans wanted to ensure that “guardrails and boundaries” are established to avoid a deterioration of U.S.-China relations in order to “manage” the relationship responsibly. That did not work, because their approach was “terrible”.
    
    – “Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng hit the nail on the head when he said that the U.S. “competition, cooperation and confrontation” triad is a “blindfold” to contain and suppress China. Confrontation and containment are essential, cooperation is expedient, and competition is a discourse trap. The U.S. demands cooperation when it is in need of China, but in areas where it thinks it has an advantage, it decouples and cuts off supplies, blocks and sanctions, and is willing to clash and confront China in order to contain it.”
    
    – Xie Feng “also presented two lists to the U.S. side, a list of 16 items requesting the U.S. side to correct its wrong policies and words and deeds toward China, and a list of 10 priority cases of China’s concern (…) if these anti-China issues caused by the U.S. side’s bent are not resolved, what is there to talk about between China and the U.S.?”

    And while all this is going on, Biden wants to drive a wedge between China and Russia so that China can be left alone and vulnerable. And to this end, he treats President Vladimir Putin as “another one of him”.

    With Biden stating:

    “Russia doesn’t want to be known as the upper Volta with nuclear weapons’. It matters. And I found it matters to almost every world leader-no matter where they’re from- how they’re perceived, their standing in the world. It matters to them.”

    To understand the thinking behind this second statement, it must be understood that a fundamental belief among all behaviorists (of which Biden is no exception being ruled by teams of them and being little more than a synthetic shell himself of impulses devoid of any actual substance himself), is that one of the fundamental drives of all soulless/blank-slates is the desire to be popular.

    Being popular and adapting to the force of popular opinions works in all anarchist mobs, school yards and especially politics (which is seen as the ultimate game of popularity for any substance-free rhetorician).

    The force of popular opinion will thus cause anyone to modify their beliefs, opinions, and behavior in conformity to whatever “norms” shape their environment.

    While one would think it obvious that Putin was NOT the sort of individual to fall prey to this shallow definition of “practical” human nature, Biden and his handlers appear to think otherwise.

    White House spokeswoman Jan Psaki amplified this view saying:

    “I think the president’s view is that Russia is on the outside of the global community in many respects… what the president is offering is a bridge back. And so, certainly he believes its in their interests to take him up on the offer.”

    So while the outcome of the Putin-Biden meeting resulted in some inarguably positive steps towards the creation of mechanisms to avoid blowing up the world….

    Such as re-activating START, and committing to solid rules of engagement in the Arctic and other Russian border regions.

    China has become the new primary target of western ire.

    Of course, China is not going to stand for this.

    Where Russia is defined as one among many authoritarian regimes capable of abrasive disturbances but ultimately controllable in the long run, the Chinese have been labelled a much greater threat to western unipolar hegemony.

    And China is not going to accept this.

    Why Russia would feel “squeezed” by this fact is an absurdity beyond belief.

    After all, China is not the one who has lit fires across Russia’s underbelly, promoted a decade of shock therapy, Balkanization, NATO expansion, funded color revolutionary tactics, or corralled the world community to impose sanctions onto her.

    The fact is that Russia and China enjoy a vastly increasing rate of trade now topping $100 billion annually (compared to the mere $20 billion of US-Russian trade).

    Both are de-dollarizing at accelerating speeds.

    Both are working on a common strategic philosophical concept of self-interest and economic value,

    These facts that unite both great nations in a solid unassailable partnership are what is keeping the oligarchs up at night.

    In his NBC Interview with Keir Simmons before meeting Biden, this is what Putin said of the Russian-Chinese relationships:

    “Can I be completely honest? 
    
    We can see attempts at destroying the relationship between Russia and China. 
    
    We can see that those attempts are being made in practical policies. 
    
    And your questions, too, have to do with it… 
    
    We (China and Russia) are neighboring countries. 
    
    One does not choose one’s neighbors. 
    
    We are pleased with the unprecedentedly high level of our relationship as it has evolved over the last few decades, and we cherish it, just like our Chinese friends cherish it, which we can see.”

    And the message has been clear.

    The point has been made: “The Chinese have long had enough of American arrogance, and the time when the U.S. tried to bully the Chinese is long gone.”

    Wang Yi’s three bottom lines to Washington. In a nutshell:
    
    The BRI
    “The United States must not challenge, denigrate or even attempt to subvert the socialist road and system with Chinese characteristics. China’s road and system are the choice of history and the choice of the people, and they concern the long-term welfare of 1.4 billion Chinese people and the future destiny of the Chinese nation, which is the core interest that China must adhere to.”
    
    [ FYI; in May 2021, the U.S. Senate pledged up to $300 million to spread information on the "negative impact" of China's Belt and Road Initiative, and develop "anti-Chinese influence" programs and a scheme to "train journalists" with the goal of censoring Beijing's successes from world view.]
    
    Chinese domestic growth.
    “The United States must not try to obstruct or even interrupt China’s development process. The Chinese people certainly have the right to a better life, and China also has the right to modernization, which is not the monopoly of the United States and involves the basic conscience of mankind and international justice. China urges the U.S. side to expeditiously lift all unilateral sanctions, high tariffs, long-arm jurisdiction and the science and technology blockade imposed on China.”
    
    [The invasion of Iraq in 2003 was based on a carefully constructed false narrative, something that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and later U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, acknowledged decades later.
    
    It is this consistent background that makes it essential that political leaders pause and independently fully evaluate the claims made by the United States and the secretive intelligence services who advise the U.S. decision makers. America's allies need to acknowledge that it has a history of violence and of the glorification of violence as a means of resolving problems.]
    
    China is a nation. Not a territory of the USA.
    “The United States must not infringe on China’s national sovereignty, let alone undermine China’s territorial integrity. The issues related to Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong are never about human rights or democracy, but rather about the major rights and wrongs of fighting against “Xinjiang independence”, “Tibet independence” and “Hong Kong independence”. No country will allow its sovereign security to be compromised. As for the Taiwan issue, it is a top priority (…) If “Taiwan independence” dares to provoke, China has the right to take any means needed to stop it.”
    
    [There is certainly evidence that China wants to protect its borders and maintain its sovereignty. This need has become more urgent as the pace of China threat rhetoric has increased. Despite the constant drip-feed of off-the-record security briefings generating China-scare stories in the Western media, there is scant genuine evidence that China wants to expand its borders. Unlike the United States, there is not a historical record of Chinese expansion or aggression.]

    And while all this has been going on in the International sphere, let’s not forget the turmoil that is brewing inside of America right now…

    We are the unwitting victims of a system so corrupt that those who stand up for the rule of law and aspire to transparency in government are in the minority.
    
    This corruption is so vast it spans all branches of government: from the power-hungry agencies under the executive branch and the corporate puppets within the legislative branch to a judiciary that is, more often than not, elitist and biased towards government entities and corporations.
    
    We are ruled by an elite class of individuals who are completely out of touch with the travails of the average American.
    
    We are viewed as relatively expendable in the eyes of government: faceless numbers of individuals who serve one purpose, which is to keep the government machine running through our labor and our tax dollars. Those in power aren’t losing any sleep over the indignities we are being made to suffer or the possible risks to our health. All they seem to care about are power and control.
    
    We are being made to suffer countless abuses at the government’s hands.
    
    We have little protection against standing armies (domestic and military), invasive surveillance, marauding SWAT teams, an overwhelming government arsenal of assault vehicles and firepower, and a barrage of laws that criminalize everything from vegetable gardens to lemonade stands.
    
    In the name of national security, we’re being subjected to government agencies such as the NSA, FBI and others listening in on our phone calls, reading our mail, monitoring our emails, and carrying out warrantless “black bag” searches of our homes. Adding to the abuse, we have to deal with surveillance cameras mounted on street corners and in traffic lights, weather satellites co-opted for use as spy cameras from space, and thermal sensory imaging devices that can detect heat and movement through the walls of our homes.
    
    That doesn’t even begin to touch on the many ways in which our Fourth Amendment rights are trampled upon by militarized police and SWAT teams empowered to act as laws unto themselves.
    
    In other words, freedom—or what’s left of it—is threatened from every direction.
    
    The predators of the police state are wreaking havoc on our freedoms, our communities, and our lives. The government doesn’t listen to the citizenry, it refuses to abide by the Constitution, which is our rule of law, and it treats the citizenry as a source of funding and little else. Police officers are shooting unarmed citizens and their household pets. Government agents—including local police—are being armed to the teeth and encouraged to act like soldiers on a battlefield. Bloated government agencies are fleecing taxpayers. Government technicians are spying on our emails and phone calls. Government contractors are making a killing by waging endless wars abroad.
    
    -John Whitehead

    Yes.

    To all my international readers, you have no idea just how messed up America has become.

    Really messed up.

    Slow motion train wreck

    I think most Americans are either [1] oblivious to what is going on, [2] worried as can be, or [3] just waiting for the “blow to hit”.

    And we can gauge this by looking at society.

    And that means American movies and media…

    Five Films About Post-Modern America

    Be forewarned, these five hit hard and cover nearly everything: rape, miscegenation, drugs, abuse, you name it. But they do accurately reflect the Current Year in all its misery.

    They are all depressing, disgusting, and upsetting. So I am not posting any links for further investigation. If you want to watch them, then you are on your own. Personally, I think all you need to realize is that there is a sizable Western population who’s lives resemble these expressions of video antagonism.

    Climax (2018)

    What might happen if you took a bunch of directionless, hedonistic, oversexed twenty-somethings, trapped them in a building, and gave them way too much acid?

    Nights and Weekends (2008)

    Nights and Weekends (2008)

    Long-distance relationships are unbearable, and truly unique to our time. This Joe Swanberg indie hit covers the phenomenon with unbearable accuracy.

    Storytelling (2002)

    Storytelling (2002)

    The best depiction yet of the horror of college and the misery of suburbia.

    Ken Park (2002)

    Ken Park (2002)

    It’s relentless in its depiction of degeneracy, but as critic Lee Marshall noted, “In a weird way this is a moral film.”

    The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)

    The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)

    Wonder what environments birth antifa?

    Conclusion

    Ok, there’s change going on.

    The “West” led by either the USA or the UK, and influenced by banking interests are steering this massive colossal cultural-industrial-military-and-bureaucratic fiefdom towards conflict. The handling of it is so profoundly inept and transparent, that only the most manipulated and ignorant fail to see it.

    Stuck on this massive block of rot and ruin are many innocents and good people. And due to their situation, and their knowledge their ability to change things is not really possible…

    …except…

    …in what they can do in their immediate reality This is their immediate area and zone of control.

    Please hang on. There are other forces and interests that see this situation as it has been presented and will not allow this ruin to become the rest of the world, nor will they allow it to continue for too much longer. So hold on tight. perform your centering and prayer campaigns. Be good. Do your best, and help others in your community. You all will get through this.

    Have some faith.

    Alright?

    Do you want more?

    You can find more articles related to this in my latest index; A New Beginning. And in it are elements of the old, some elements regarding the transition, and some elements that look towards the future.

    New Beginnings

    .

    Articles & Links

    Master Index

    .

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

     

    Why the United States Leadership has such crazy ideas about China

    Here, in this article I argue that the United States leadership is bat-shit-crazy. And their dealings with China confirms this. With each instance of interaction between the USA and China we see absolute ignorance, rudeness and irritating bluster that makes the entire world cringe. Why is this? Well, we will look at that right now.

    Background

    From MoA. The article discusses the second group of talks between the USA and China. This time taking place in China in July 2021. It was a second fiasco.

    U.S. – China Talks Point To A Longer Conflict

    The U.S. wants to slice and dice its approach to China. It will use all means to take advantage of China where it can, while restricting China in those fields were it can no longer compete with it.

    The Chinese reject that approach.

    The U.S., they say, should not see China as an enemy. It should stop lecturing China, accept it as an equal and cooperate with it in all fields.

    The U.S. is unwilling to do that.

    The USA is unwilling to accept China as an equal.

    Its media-military-industrial complex is already primed for a cold war with China. Trillions of dollars are to be made from it.

    China on the other side is ready to play hardball if it must.

    Today U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held talks with the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng, She also meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The later meeting, demanded to be the main event by the U.S., had already led to some squabble. Wang Yi is beyond Sherman’s rank and her main discussion, the Chinese insisted, should be with a person on her own level:

    The State Department emphasized Sherman will have “senior-level” communications but a statement from China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry emphasized that Sherman “will hold talks” with Xie and after that Foreign Minister Wang will “meet her.”

    Let me elaborate…

    The Department of State announced that Ms. Sherman is going to meet with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and others in Tianjin. However, a spokesperson from China’s Foreign Ministry made clear on Friday that Ms. Sherman is to negotiate with Mr. Xie, while Mr. Wang will receive her afterward. ( “会见”)
    
    For anyone who appreciates the richness of the Chinese language, “会见” can mean a meeting, but only in the context of gracing an inferior. This is the approach taken by the Foreign Ministry in the case of Wang’s meeting with Sherman. 
    
    When asked about Sherman’s visit on July 24, H.E. Wang remarked that China and the international community as a whole bear the responsibility to teach the US a lesson if the US has not learned to treat others as equals.
    
    Accenting Sherman’s visit is China’s sanctioning of prominent US figures, including former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. The action serves as both a retaliation in the face of US warnings over Hong Kong and as a heads-up for the upcoming Tianjin talks.
    
    From the Chinese perspective, Sherman’s Asia tour is assertive overall, as it seeks to solidify the encirclement of China. 
    
    But the Tianjin meeting will move ahead in [1] the context of China as an equal to the US; [2] that Chinese are not to be offended, and [3] the US cannot conduct foreign policy from a position of strength. 
    
    Professor Shirley Ze Yu's editors prepared a most insightful commentary ahead of Deputy Secretary of State Sherman's meeting with her counterparts ( or not) in Tianjin.
    
    Please check out their commentary here https://lnkd.in/enBjf4i

    On Saturday two ‘senior U.S. administration officials’ gave a preview of the talks:

    As Secretary Blinken has said, the U.S. relationship with China will be collaborative where it can be, competitive where it should be, and adversarial where it must be. 
    
    And we expect all dimensions of the relationship will be on the table for discussion during Wendy’s meetings.
    ...
    In Tianjin, [Sherman is] going to make clear while we welcome stiff and sustained competition with the PRC, everyone needs to play by the same rules and on the level – on a level playing field.
    
    She’s going to underscore that we do not want that stiff and sustained competition to veer into conflict. 
    
    This is why the U.S. wants to ensure that there are guard rails and parameters in place to responsibly manage the relationship.

    The second official added:

    So let me also put this meeting into the context of the administration’s broader China policy effort. 
    
    Since President Biden took office, we’ve put a lot of focus on strengthening our own competitive hand vis-a-vis China through many actions that we’ve taken domestically, investing in ourselves at home. 
    
    We’ve also rallied our allies and partners, including to advance an affirmative vision of the rules-based international order. 
    
    And we’ve confronted China when they’ve acted against our interests and values while working to cooperate with China on areas like climate change and nonproliferation.
    
    We know we’re stronger when we work with our allies. We know this makes us more effective when dealing with Beijing. 
    
    We aren’t seeking an anti-China coalition in our work with allies and partners, but rather trying to work together in a multilateral fashion to uphold the international rules-based order.
    
    ...
    With all of those actions underway, we’re entering this engagement from a position of strength and of solidarity.
    ...
    Even as we meet with our Chinese counterparts, we will also continue to hold China accountable. 
    
    These things are not mutually exclusive, and it should be clear that we are not afraid to impose costs for China’s behavior that undermines international norms.

    Yup.

    This describes how the rest of the world views the American position…

    My opinion is…

    As Peter Lee commented with his usual snark:

    chinahand @chinahand - 16:43 UTC · Jul 24, 2021
    "We're going to keep kicking your ass. Don't kick back, 'kay?" Our fate now that dime store Machiavellis, excuse me, generational talents, run the FP show.

    The emphasized words were not welcome in China.

    On Sunday Foreign Minister Wang Yi responded in an interview with an attack on U.S. exceptionalism:

    “The United States always wants to exert pressure on other countries by virtue of its own strength, thinking that it is superior to others,” 
    
    Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.
    
    “However, I would like to tell the US side clearly that there has never been a country in this world that is superior to others, nor should there be, and China will not accept any country claiming to be superior to others.
    “If the United States has not learned how to get along with other countries on an equal footing by now, then it is our responsibility, together with the international community, to give the US a good tutorial in this regard.

    Today, after the talk between Sherman and Xie, the Foreign Ministry published a series of strong response snippets by Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Feng:

    I especially like the one about the ‘rules based international order’:

    On 26 July, during his talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng made the comment that the U.S. side's so-called “rules-based international order” is an effort by the United States and a few other Western countries to frame their own rules as international rules and impose them on other countries. 
    
    The United States has abandoned the universally-recognized international law and order and damaged the international system it has helped to build. 
    
    And it is trying to replace it with a so-called “rules-based international order”. 
    
    The purpose is to resort to the tactic of changing the rules to make life easy for itself and hard for others.
    
    As well as to introduce “the law of the jungle" where might is right and the big bully the small.

    The SCMP summerizes this situation…

    China has for the first time given the US a list of red lines and remedial action it must take to repair relations.
    
    Including [1] lifting sanctions and [2] dropping its extradition request for Huawei financial chief Meng Wanzhou.
    
    Chinese foreign vice-minister Xie Feng told US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman on Monday morning that...
    
    ... US-China relations had reached a “stalemate”...
    
    ... and faced “serious consequences”.
    
    According to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
    “The foundational reason is that some people in the US are treating China as an ‘imagined enemy’,” it quoted Xie as saying.
    After the meeting, Xie said China gave two lists to the US.
    
    [1] One with one remedial action for Washington to take towards China.
    [2] And the other a series of Beijing’s key concerns.
    ...
    Xie said the Chinese side also “expressed its strong dissatisfaction towards the wrong remarks and actions of the US” in relation to...
    
    ... investigations into [1] the origins of Covid-19, [2] Taiwan, [3] Xinjiang, [4] Hong Kong and [5] the South China Sea.
    “We urge the United States not to underestimate...
    
    ...the strong determination, 
    ...firm will and 
    ...strong ability 
    
    of the 1.4 billion Chinese people to...
    
    ...safeguard national sovereignty, 
    ...security and 
    ...development interests,” 
    
    The state news agency Xinhua quoted him as saying.

    In its summary of the talks the Associated Press points to the basic difference in the approaches:

    High-level face-to-face talks between U.S. and Chinese diplomats on Monday highlighted sharp differences between the sides.
    
    Although the tone appeared somewhat less contentious than at their last meeting.
    
    ...
    
    Xie said China wants to [1] seek common ground while [2] shelving differences.
    
    This highlights a divide in the basic approach to their relationship. 
    
    The Biden administration has said it will cooperate in areas [1] such as climate.  But it will [2] confront China in others such as human rights. He described the relationship as collaborative, competitive and adversarial (at the same time).

    As the U.S. is for now rejecting the Chinese offer for burying the hatchet…

    … China will have to play hardball.

    It will not be cooperative in the fields where the U.S. wants it to be cooperative (Iran, North Korea, etc.).

    It will also be adversarial in fields where the U.S. has little ability to push back (rare earth exports, Boeing 737MAX re-certification).

    The U.S. hopes that it can find and press ‘allies’ into confronting China. But Europe already rejected that. (Not happening.)

    To others, especially in Asia, the U.S. looks like a declining power because it is a declining power and the economic interests of most nations now favor China.

    Under these circumstances I for one fail to see how the U.S. could win in a longer cold conflict.

    How long then will it take until the U.S. recognizes that and steps down from its illusion of supremacy?

    You do know…

    America has been very public in saying that the Chinese leadership will be assassinated. That military forces are being trained to invade China and the outlying islands. That secret hidden forces are being trained to perform dangerous secretive work to sabotage China. And that every action that China does that is positive, that America will try to undo it.

    And somehow, the American people are just fine with this.

    Ok! China won’t fight back you know. No worries. No problem.

    Right?

    Crazy!

    From what I see today…

    …never.

    The entire American leadership suffers from some kind of mental illness. They are so sick that they are beyond repair.

    Today, on the Chinese television and in social media everyone is playing the clip with the government authorities have stated that America is no longer reliable, believable and worthy of interaction with.

    That means…

    …all negotiations from now on are zero-sum efforts. They are not possible and cannot exist.

    I argue that this idea of natural superior to the Chinese derives from decades of constant reinforcement of what the Chinese are.  Over time, this reinforcement gets crazier, and crazier, until today it is unrecognizable from reality.

    Here is a movie that I believe represents the type of Hollywood movie fare that has shaped the political class in Washington DC today. You might read it and think “oh goodness! No one could possibly be that deluded as to believe such nonsense!”

    To which I counter…

    …you haven’t been to the USA lately have you?

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    A Chinese general goes berserk and has a system of tunnels dug all the way from China to USA, under the Pacific Ocean. The man who has discovered this is locked up because they think he is insane. US Navy soldiers go underground to repel the invaders.

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    The picture concerns upon Chinese communists (leader is Martin Benson as general goes berserk and who places atomic bombs) trying to destroy United States via some continued series of underground tunnels , made all the way from China under the Pacific Ocean , but some US Navy soldiers , scientists , military (Kerwin Mathews , Al Mulok , Ed Bishop) and a gorgeous geologist (Vivienne Ventura) discover the scheme and go underground to repel the invaders .
    
    It's a pulp movie of science-fiction genre in which there are noisy action , suspense , intrigue , tension and results to be quite bemusing . 
    
    The history deals with nasty Chinese people and American patriots who fight strongly to vanquish them . 
    
    In spite of lack luster and budget is quite agreeable and fun . 
    
    The plot is almost ridiculous and senseless but it's developed in fast moving and numerous surprises and that's why it is amusing . 
    
    The movie has precedent in those films of the 30s with Fumanchu (by Sax Rohmer) and Boris Karloff as heinous starring and nearest the series of the 60s (produced by Harry Alan Towers with Christopher Lee as the Chinese baddie) in which the ¨yellow danger¨ was a fearful enemy . 
    
    The motion picture takes part of a genre which in the 80s attained splendor , thus : ¨Red Dawn¨ (by John Milius with Patrick Swayze) , ¨Invasion USA ¨ (by Joseph Zito with Chuck Norris) and ¨Amerika¨ (by Donald Wyre with Kris Kristofferson) where the communists -Russkies generally- execute invasion on America . 
    
    Rating : Average but entertaining .

    Evil Communist Chinese woman using a powerful mind ray to seduce our young American hero.

    The Characters:

    • Cmdr. Shaw – His experimental underwater laboratory imploded, so he is assigned as senior testing official, U.S. Navy Forces Out to Pasture, Ashore.
    • Tila Yung – I bet she gets tired of servicemen asking what a pretty girl like her is doing in a hole like this.
    • Dr. Arnold Kramer – Part anteater, part scientist, and all-American. He’s also mad as a hatter, though I doubt he’s ever worn a felt hat and presumably has enough sense to avoid drinking quicksilver.
    • SgtMaj. Mulberry – “Sir, if you call me ‘sergeant’ one more time, I am going to get Bataan on your a**.”
    • Cmdr. Cassidy – Computer technician who flies a desk. Because this is 1967, his computer is so big that it dwarfs his house.
    • Dr. Kengh Lee – You look just about as Chinese as Tony Randall.
    • Gen. Chan Lu – You look more like Tony Randall than a Chinese person.
    So many opportunities to laugh at this film. Where does one begin? European actors in "yellowface" playing the bad guy renegade Chinese army. (Let's see here -- the bad guy in his lair always has an eccentric pet with him -- okay the guy has a parrot! Check that off the list!)
    
    A film obviously made in Britain pretending to be a Hollywood film, which takes place in Las Vegas (unconvincing cardboard set inside a sound stage, plus some actual second unit stock footage), San Diego (England), Oregon (England again) and Hawaii (more stock footage, plus various underground tunnels (more paper mache sets in a sound stage).
    
    Comically fake nuclear bombs. Laser guns mounted on bulldozers. Giant spinning tape reel computer banks...no wait, those were real at that time.
    
    Bad directing, jump cuts, dropped frames, one establishing shot where the camera drops off the tripod. Awkward staging. Hokey dialog. The whole plot totally ridiculous. Well, it is like a live action comic book. So why should I take any bit of it seriously? Well, the characters seem to be dead serious about the whole enterprise. (That's good. True camp does not work if you give a "nod and a wink" to the audience...though that one scene with the slot machines in the mental hospital was perhaps a bit over the line...)
    
    Yes, fans of The Batman or Green Hornet TV shows of this time period will be right at home here. Plenty of bright primary colors, swish pan transitions, and blaring cool-daddyo-jazz soundtrack. It's all here for the fan of 1960's camp and Cold War pop culture kitsch to treasure as an endemic artifact of its time, the likes of which we may never see again.
    
    Thank goodness.

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    The Plot:

    As the film begins, Las Vegas’ finest (meaning the police, not strippers, showgirls, or escorts) are called to the site of a disturbance. They find Dr. Arnold Kramer, eminent scientist, with his ear to the sidewalk, yelling about something digging underneath their feet. Arnold is not half as crazy as he appears to be. There are not giant ants making a nest under Las Vegas, even though I would happily pay money to see a movie about giant ants. What is slowly crawling below the Earth of free America is much more insidous.

    Hold on, I’ll tell you what it is in a minute.

    What is that sound under the ground? Dastardly Communists destroying the bedrock of society?

    Elsewhere, Commander Shaw is not enjoying his reassignment to shore duty following an accident of undetermined nature that destroyed his pet project, SeaLab VII, and killed twenty-seven men. Instead of actual research or having a ship to command, the Commander finds himself testing pipes. It’s not exactly rewarding work for one of the brightest minds in the U.S. Navy, but at least he is not a guest at one of the military’s correctional facilities, peeling potatoes next to mother stabbers and father rapers. Nor is he experiencing the hospitality of a state mental institution, like Mr. Kramer. He goes to visit Arnold, because the two have known each other for years. The visit causes Shaw to think that his old buddy is as crazy as the psychiatrists say.

    Later on, a random news report about a tragedy at a deep mine in Oregon gets Shaw to thinking. He takes a trip to personally investigate the mine collapse and discovers something fantastic: a mysterious medallion and an unexplained tunnel with smooth sides. Taking some samples back to the Navy lab only creates more questions. To find out what is really going on, the Commander leads two squads of Marines down into the hole. They discover a room filled with Chinese and atomic bombs! The Marines attack and easily defeat the Chinese in a decidedly one-side battle. The outcome is not surprising, since most of the Chinese are technicians who are only armed with clipboards.

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    What is surprising is that the Marines quickly set to work rendering the atomic weapons unusable. All of the bombs look like stainless steel milk tanks turned on their sides. Making them inert involves uncapping one end and reaching in to remove a small cylinder that is resting in a cradle. The cylinders appear to be 9 oz CO2 tanks. My trouble is knowing what they are, but not what they are supposed to be. They cannot simply be the fuse, because that would be easy to replace. Perhaps the cylinders are supposed to be the plutonium or tritium. If that is the case, then those Marines should not be handling the cylinders with their bare hands.

    Deactivating an atomic bomb is not the sort of thing that you should rush. Unfortunately, the return of a Chinese tunnel-making machine means that the Marines are out of luck and out of time. Commander Shaw and his compatriots finish removing the tritium cylinders from the bombs, but then have to deal with the tunnel-making machine. While not a military vehicle, it is not the sort of thing that a Marine wants to run into in a dark tunnel. It does not have a huge drill on the front, because the tunnels are created with a super boring laser thingamajig. So, the Chinese tunneling machines look like armored zambonis. The Marines do what Marines always do when faced with armored vehicles: they throw grenades at it until it explodes.

    Actually, that only happens in video games. When Marine infantry is forced to engage enemy armor, we like to use just about everything besides grenades. This makes everybody happy, except the crew of the armored vehicle. Especially thankful are the 0352 TOW gunners who finally get a chance to expend one of the missiles they have always wanted to shoot, but which are too expensive to use for training.

    Battle beneath the Earth.

    After conducting a tactical retreat from the Chinese tunnel, Commander Shaw returns to the laboratory so he and the other brass can plan their next move against the subterranean red menace. Gentlemen, this is not a matter for discussion. There is a Red Chinese tunnel under the United States! You should divert the Colorado River into it or else send in a lot of Marines to clear the artificial cave system room by room. Imagine how much fun a battalion of Marines would have in the Underdark. Well, except for encountering all sorts of weird creatures that could only be dreamed up by nerds with too much time. Having my skin turned into slime by an aboleth or my brain puréed by an illithid would suck (yea, mightily). On the other hand, a movie about a squad of Marines fighting beholders and cave fishers would be a lot of fun.

    I know that the SyFy folks read the site, so consider the suggestion officially submitted. It will probably be made, get turned into a series, become extremely popular with a group of hardcore fans, and then get cancelled after the first season. That’s just the way the SyFy cookie crumbles. To be honest, that’s the way that every SyFy cookie crumbles.

    Brave American hero easily takes over the unsuspecting evil Chinese soldiers.

    Anyway.

    While the Americans scramble to figure out what is going on under the purple mountains and fruited plains, the Chinese continue their tunneling activities. General Lu and Doctor Lee are only mildly concerned that the United States has finally discovered their tunnels. They are nearly ready to proceed with the final phase of their plan. The thermonuclear weapons are, of course, intended to be detonated below every major American city and military installation. I would guess that the Chinese intend to dig upwards and leave their little present inside someone’s basement, then set the timer and retreat to a safe distance until the “All’s Destroyed” signal. After the bombs are detonated, the Chinese are prepared to conduct a military invasion to overpower what is left of America’s military forces.

    This tunnel stretches all the way from China to the United States. Where are they getting their fresh air? Heck, where are they getting the genuine imitation Chinese restaurant decor?

    The Chinese might be master in technology, but are not a match for the American freedom and democracy!

    There is one huge, glaring problem with this movie. No, it is not the general premise. Nor is it the Marines (even the Private) all looking like they reached retirement age ten years ago. It’s not even the idea that the Chinese use big vacuum tube capsules like the ones you see in a bank’s drive-through to get from one end of the tunnel to the other. The biggest problem with “Battle Beneath the Earth” is that the Chinese do not look Chinese; not even by my standards. I am talking about the two main characters, Lee and Lu. The job that makeup did on the two actors makes it appear that they are old men who have had way too much cosmetic surgery. They look more Botox than Chinese.

    Battle beneath the earth.

    General Lu’s second in command does look Chinese, but the general shoots him for incompetence. Meaning that we’re right back to square one. Hrumpf!

    Back at the American lab, Dr. Kramer and the others are making good progress is replicating the Chinese tunneling technology. What they are having a problem doing is finding the existing tunnels. Even using the giant government computer, with its reels of magnetic tape and army of support technicians, proves fruitless. There is too much extra noise going on to pinpoint the relatively silent Chinese tunneling machines. What the scientists finally do is order the entire country to be quiet for ten minutes so the computers can listen for the Chinese moles.

    Dangerous underground Communist Chinese cars!

    Amazingly, it works. Mass transit grinds to a halt, construction workers stop jackhammering, farmers stop plowing, and rednecks stop fishing with dynamite. The last state to go quiet is Texas, which is probably on account of some idiot out in bumf**k digging out a stump. Stop digging for ten minutes, ya durn fool. The Chinese are coming! Nobody cares about that stupid stump. It’s almost time for supper anyhow.

    The moments of silence work. The computer maps out the network of Chinese tunnels under the ocean and the United States. Commander Shaw and Doctor Kramer know where the Chinese are at, meaning that our national foundation has a fighting chance. Hooray for American ingenuity! Hooray for the big-a** computer! Hooray for all the female employees in white blouses and gray skirts!

    Brave American soldiers hiding from the evil Chinese army.

    Remember when science was all about big rolls of magnetic tape, pretty women in tastefully fitting skirts, and beeps? Man, I miss those beeps.

    With the location of the Chinese tunnels mapped out, the Americans are finally ready to go on the offensive. Using a prototype tunneling machine built by Dr. Kramer using bits and pieces of the destroyed Chinese vehicle, the American forces intend to disrupt the tunnel at it’s most vulnerable point near Hawaii. I can hear the Marines now, “What? We have to go TAD to Hawaii? Oh, no!” Unfortunately, once the Americans descend into the tunnels things go terribly wrong. The small strike force is ambushed by Chinese troops and either killed or taken prisoner. In the end, it is up to the main characters to escape from their cell, hijack an underground atomic bomb train, and destroy the Chinese tunnel system.

    Oh, and Commander Shaw hooks up with Dr. Yung, because she is hot.

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    Things I Learned From This Movie:

    • Never, ever follow any advice that you get from the sidewalks in Vegas.
    • The Department of the Navy has jurisdiction over all military operations that take place below sea level.
    • Marines are trained to defuse nuclear bombs while they are at Boot Camp.
    • The space race was a Red Chinese herring.
    • Both paper and halogen headlights beat rock.
    • The only tool needed to arm or disarm a nuclear weapon is a 5.5mm allen wrench.
    • If a Chinese person and an elf conceived a child it would look exactly like Mr. Spock.
    • Atomic bombs make a ticking sound when they are about to explode.
    • Radioactive fallout causes the most beautiful sunsets.

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    Stuff To Watch For:

    • 19 mins – It’s a genuine Fu Manchu belt buckle with decoder ring! I got one of those in a box of Count Chocula cereal when I was a kid.
    • 26 mins – “Oh, don’t shoot them.”
    • 38 mins – Paint cans filled with soy sauce. How diabolical!
    • 47 mins – You’d think that they would have unrolled a spool of comm wire as they went.
    • 56 mins – Ah, back when the Air Force was so poor they couldn’t even afford paint for their aircraft.
    • 61 mins – I would have died laughing if she replied that she had a doctorate in home economics.
    • 68 mins – Their handheld fan technology is years ahead of our own!
    • 82 mins – You just passed those same guys, with that same cart, a few minutes ago.

    BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH

    Sheech!

    Where the American Diplomats Learned about China…

    All evidence that they picked up their knowledge from either B-grade budget movies made during the “cold war” or they found something stuck up their ass that they pulled out.

    This is the university that taught American “diplomats” how to act with the Chinese.

    Ok. Ok. I know it’s a bit of a stretch…

    But if someone else can posit why the American diplomats are not acting like diplomats, and instead like power-crazed bullies being rude and bellicose, I will listen. Right now I am of the mind that it must be a combination of mass psychosis, insanity, massive quantities of mind altering drugs, greed, and nonsensical illusions of their real power and ability.

    Or…

    The American government WANTS the Chinese to get angry. They WANT to provoke a conflict. They WANT to have a war.

    American illusions are shaped by fantastical notions that have no bearing on reality.

    Why would they possible want that?

    There are many reasons.

    • There’s no other options available. A war is the only remaining option in the American “playbook” to maintain a hope of survival. The future of America is bleak and an economic bubble is going to pop, and it might be any day now.
    • Maybe the USA has a “secret weapon” that they will engage once China falls and takes the “bait”.
    • Maybe America ACTUALLY IS stronger than it appears to us. Maybe all this weakness domestically and socially will magically end once a full-scale war is initiated.
    • Maybe America is convinced that China can be isolated and alone, and America can gather the rest of the world together and fight it as the leading superpower.
    • Maybe America is ruled by an aged senile passive figurehead, and the powers that control everything wants a war because their days of economic supremacy is over unless the Chinese banking system is extinguished.

    I do not know.

    What I do know, is that from the “front row seat” it seems like the United States government is just fucking useless, and that the only way for America to survive is to completely and totally scrap it’s form of governance and regress back to state control without a federal government.

    China is not weak. Nor is it alone.

    The rest of the world is not at all like it is portrayed in the American media.

    You only live twice…

    Well…

    I wish. For most of us, it’s thousands and thousands of recycled events. But that doesn’t refer to us as much to an old 007 James Bond movie. “You only live twice.”

    You only live twice.

    .

    The way that America was able to drag the entire nation into a war with Vietnam, and then again towards fighting country after country was because it maintained an artificial illusion of what the world is / was for the American population to consume.

    This is the primary driver why CNN, FOX, BBC and all the rest doctor the pictures to make China look like a dirty shithole, and the “news” always describe China (and the rest of the world as really terrible places to be.).

    But all in all, America is so absolutely mind-numbingly incompetent that it just doesn’t realize that it’s “too late”. China surpassed the United States in capability (full spectrum) decades ago.

    Decades.

    And now, America looks like some mangy old toothless dog snarling and snapping at a sleek, huge panther, that is deciding what to do with this piece of shit.

    America is so hopeless.

    Meanwhile…

    Here’s a delicious Chinese fish.

    Appreciate the good things in life.

    Delicious fish.

    OK, so what…?

    Something is seriously WRONG.

    I do not know what is wrong, but something is. The United States is treating China as if it is some minor small nation, and that American is going to “kick some ass” and “bust down some doors”. And I know China. China will blast the top 50 American cities into uninhabitable rubble as a result. Why can’t the United States leadership see this?

    Are they that stupid. crazy, idiotic, or insane? What is their GOD DAMN MALFUNCTION?

    Listen to me. It will not be like before. Everyone has learned.

     

    CHINA and Russia will blast the United States into the bronze age.

    I mean. They will REALLY do this.

    Really.

    But first they will collapse the American economy.

    Then they will isolate it politically, globally and through trade.

    Then they set fire to all the domestic problems, and then…

    … then if the results are not satisfactory they will light the fuse to the gunpowder.

    We cannot control the crazy.

    No we cannot.

    We can control our reality.

    We can only run our prayers, our affirmations and our campaigns.

    Death wishes by police is increasingly common in the United States today.

    We can be kind to others and control our immediate reality; our neighborhood.

    Never forget there is strength in numbers. Remember the rule of three.

    And you will be just fine. And let the crazies try to engage in a world that is increasingly hostile to them and their crazy selfish ideas.

    Never forget the rule of three.

    It just boggles the mind!

    The United States can’t make anything. Aside from some basic fabrication and some high-tech aircraft for military use, that’s about it. (And they source just about everything out of the country.) And yet they want to destroy the world’s factory.

    What is their malfunction?

    You cannot “bite the hand that feeds you”, nor should you pretend that you can make the parts in West-bumfuck USA at the same price and quality. It ain’t gonna happen.

    Maybe…

    Just maybe if you set up a plan, and work on the plan… perhaps in five years you can start getting some semblance of a kind of manufacturing capability. But the first products out of that factory will have incoherent quality, and all sorts of problems. I would suggest starting with rubber duckys, then work your way up to consumer appliances.

    Really?

    America is a nation for the wealthy and their fellow psychopaths.

    America is “top heavy” in government “leadership” and severely lacking in manufacturing ability. And yet it really wants to destroy it’s source of products, and yet… and yet… it doesn’t realize that it can’t get that ability back easily. Somehow it believe s that it “grow on trees” and factories and workers are easy to come by.

    What kind of deluded folk think like that?

    I only met one person like that.

    He was in a mental hospital in Rhode Island. He had other strange beliefs. Like he was the king of the world, and that God granted him unlimited power, and that he could not be destroyed or hurt because he was an agent for God. He was a crazy, childish, ignorant son of a bitch.

    Sigh.

    Seriously, I do not know what will happen in the future. I really don’t. But what I do know is that (increasingly) the United State looks like a crazy person that is going to run in front of the police and say “kill me… kill me!” and the police will not want to, but in the end, they will shrug their shoulders and simply shoot the mad man dead.

    Sad.

    But accurate.

    What’s Next

    I would brace for some non-violent retaliatory actions designed to suppress some of the bellicose nature that the American leadership seems to possess. If that fails, then expect a serious , SERIOUS “bitch slap” in your backyard. Sometimes the way to deal with a crazy, out of control child, is to paddle it’s butt so that it will never, ever, again “act up”.

    China, and Russia both realize this. Do not expect half-baked measures. Brace for well thought-out next actions.

    If the American “leadership” (and at this stage who can serious say that America has ANY kind of leadership) doesn’t listen to all the alarm bells, flashing lights, sirens and screaming hysterical people running for their lives…

    …then a “kill shot” will be necessary.

    One last thought

    Never forget.

    The rule of three.

    The ONLY way that you are going to survive this crazy period of time, and handle an insane world seemly run by imbeciles is to help others, be the best that you can be, and do great works…

    Do great works.

    Do you want more?

    You can find more articles related to this in my latest index; A New Beginning. And in it are elements of the old, some elements regarding the transition, and some elements that look towards the future.

    New Beginnings

    .

    Articles & Links

    Master Index

    .

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

     

     

     

    What the heck is going on inside of America?

    I am not in America. I live in China, and I am getting these occasional “feelings” that indeed something was wrong. Something inside of America is seriously wrong.

    Not “wrong” as in… The Fourth Turning is in process.

    Not wrong as in “get your SHTF” preps in order.

    Not wrong as in “Uh oh, the USA wants to start World War III”.

    Wrong as in “why are my cats hiding, and where is my dog? Hey! Where are the birds?” And why is the sky so dark? Wrong.

    Of course, I know all about the Fourth Turning. I know about the collapse of empires, and I am aware of the social upheavals that can occur when empires collapse.

    I’ve written about them extensively, and I have suggested that others get on a “lifeboat” and sail off away from the United States to safety. It’s just that I never…

    …in my wildest dreams…

    …thought that the idea that you need to abandon the USA would become a meme, or a widespread theme that many others, not just preppers, would embrace.

    And so, yeah. I knew all about the changes and the collapse and I have written about it extensively. It’s just that the full extent of what must be going on RIGHT NOW inside of the USA, just surprises me.

    It’s not just for preppers any longer…

    I suppose it all began when Nomen Nescio said this in a comment…

    “Yes, they still believe Democrats are the worst, Biden sucks, Pelosi is the devil, etc, but they still feel pretty burned right about now. 
    
    They went from FNC to Bongino to Infowars to Rush to Breitbart, back to FNC, over to NewsMax, on to QAN, and...
    
    ...finally, now, many have just found some new hobbies.”

    Does that mean that Americans have pretty much “given up” and succumbed? That they no longer believe in the “news” or in a political “savior”, or hope in change from the Washington DC establishment?

    What happened to the America that I grew up in?

    Yes, boys and girls, change is upon us all. But there has to be some kind of baseline of hope. Even if it is far away off in a far away land. There is always hope.

    When I was in my darkest days in Prison, I still had hope.

    Hope is what keeps us going on. Hope is what anchors us down and in place while the hurricane rages, and hope is what energizes us to calm down, accept things as a fleeting passage of time.

    Hope.

    In the America that I grew up in, it was a very calm and relaxed pace of life. The worries that seem to permeate modern society were absent.

    All my SHTF writings relate to a handful of survivalists who are paying attention to what is going on, and are thus taking the necessary steps to assure survival in a contentious and changing environment.

    But something unexpected is also going on.

    Mr Joe and Suzy Average seems to be accepting the prepper meme. Many want to “get out of Dodge”. And that is shocking (to me) and illustrative of the late stage of societal collapse that is in process.

    So it’s no longer “just” a small minority of Americans that want to bail (out of the insanity), but it is an ever growing proportion.

    And as this proportion grows and increase in size, very bad people; very crazy people, very silly ideological-minded people can use the fright and fear that these people hold, and manipulate it to bad ends.

    Then, I read this on the UNZ

    ...I thought of these curious examples because, recently, a 31-year-old wanted my guidance. Not the best idea, but sure, why not, so we chattered via Skype.
    
    A Vietnamese-American married to a Filipina, he was pondering moving to Vietnam.
    
    “How many times have you been there?” I asked.
    
    “Actually, none.”
    
    “Wow! Why not?”
    
    “I never had the opportunity.”
    
    “Have you traveled much?”
    
    “No. I’ve only been to Canada.”
    
    “Man, you’re in for a real culture shock. You might hate it! Just go there, and see how you feel. Who knows? Has your wife been to the Philippines?”
    
    “A couple times.”
    
    “Hey, why don’t you move to the Philippines? Your wife will fit in better, and you can get by with English. Many Filipinos speak English. They’re all over Asia, singing American music!” I laughed. “First, though, you must go there and see how you feel. Do you have money saved up to last a while?”
    
    “Yeah.”
    
    “You’re probably ten times richer than me, so just go there and see how you feel. Don’t overthink it. Just do it!”
    
    Why would someone with a decent job in the federal government consider moving to a country he knows almost nothing about? Because there’s no sanity or security left in America, and no meaningful resistance.
    
    Constantly cowed, everybody is hiding and, hunched over, guarding his cans of baked beans, with the only boldness unleashed pseudonymously online, nearly always against the wrong targets. Unlike Hamas or Hezbollah, Americans don’t even know who they must fight!

    Why indeed?

    Why would an American with a good job want to leave it for a nation where he has never been to?

    As in…

    "Hey! You know my mail is late again. Where is that pesky post-person? I'm sick of this. It's time for me to move to Greenland!"

    Maybe for something like this…

    I mean, I understand why I left the States. But I was different. I had no other options. No friends. No family. No money. No ties. No job. No job prospects, and forced to live as a third class slave. So I left.

    It made sense for me.

    Living in flop-houses, eating at soup kitchens, and living alone with no job, no job prospects, and shunned from society is not a life.

    And, of course, if I rode in a car …

    …and the driver owned a gun, or a cell phone…

    …or even had an outstanding warrant for jay walking…

    … I would immediately violate the law, just by being in close proximity of that person. And then…

    …boom!

    I would go back to prison as a two-time offender and looking at forever-prison as a consequence. I did not want to go back to the ADC. I did not enjoy working on the chain gangs, and I most certainly hated hoe-squad and picking cotton. And don’t even get me started on the institutionalized gruel that was “Global” that they fed us.

    Nope. I did not like it.

    The threat of a return to the ADC was part of the reason why I bailed out onto my lifeboat.

    But…

    But what of the rest of you all in the “bright and shining castle on the hill”? You still have work. You still have jobs. You have family, friends, clubs, associations and roots. You don’t have that same kind of Damoclessword hanging over your head. As I did. You all don’t need to leave. It’s just a tad bit uncomfortable for you. Not really lifestyle-threatening.

    Is it worth chucking it all away?

    What would your ancestors think?

    America was founded by hard-scrabble pioneers. Not prissy-boys who flee the first moment when someone says a mean word or two.

    Then he adds…

    “Something very evil is coming,” I wrote to a Pennsylvania acquaintance, “but it won’t just be in the US. 
    
    In Albania, there won’t be race riots, at least, as stoked by the Jews. I don’t know what your work or family situation is, but it would be wise to at least think about leaving the country, just in case life there becomes too dangerous or just unbearable.
    
    “You should also consider what to do should they shut down all airports and close all land borders. 
    
    You can also escape to a safer and saner place inside the country, of course, but you must think ahead about the possibilities. This is not paranoia. 
    
    All the ominous signs are there.

    Yes. I know all about the social re-engineering efforts.

    But, if people have jobs, a career, and a chance to build a life, it all fades into the background. You just go to your job. You put food on the table. You invest your money and you plan for your family and their future. You spend time with loved ones, and you don’t worry about life or “what might happen”.

    I just cannot imagine that the “woke” reality has saturated American culture to such an extent that people want to flee the USA.

    Why flee the USA when you have an entire life ahead of you?

    Seriously is all this “woke” culture all that bad? It’s not like you are being forced to wear golden stars of David on your lapels, or being chased down the streets by mobs with clubs. Is it?

    It’s not like you will lose your job for not having the right political viewpoint, or not getting a promotion because of the color of your skin. Is it?

    So what is actually going on?

    Yes, flee the USA for better opportunities. Flee the USA to avoid insurrection, riots, and discord. Flee the United States police state.

    But to flee it  because a minority of vocal woke activists are spouting nonsense is absurd.

    So what is going on?

    Woke folk.

    What is really going on?

    Is the “woke” culture far more invasive than it appears to me (sitting outside the USA), or has Americans become just too sensitive to handle a diversity of opinion?

    You just don’t leave a comfortable life with loved ones simply because of an expression that you read about on social media. You just do not.

    Chances are you might read about it, and maybe ponder it, but you won’t take action on it aside from a trivial Google search, or an article or two. You won’t be traipsing down to get a visa for the nation you want to go, and you won’t start emptying out your bank accounts. Will you?

    A worry free life with a big cat.

    So what is really going on?

    You are too busy making a life than to worry about chucking it all away and fleeing to a “third world cesspool” to quote Mike Pompeo about the rest of the world.

    Certainly the people that are “running” the United States today are bat-shit crazy, dysfunctional and insane. Their toadies might be more capable, but hardly, and the ship that they set in motion is far too difficult to steer, to navigate and to dock.

    All the “noise” in the daily media barrages cannot compete to the reality that you are working, that you have a paycheck and a chance at the “American pie”.

    President Biden says that “America is Back” and industry is roaring back to life.

    He continues…

    “In early March of 1975, I was still going to school and taking judo lessons. 
    
    (then...)
    
    By the end of April, I was on a military transport plane to fly to Guam, where I would live in a tent as a refugee. Normality can disappear in a flash.”
    
    His response, “I have thought long about where this is all headed. It is pretty obvious that the US is fucked five ways to Sunday. The masses just haven’t figured it out and are slowly cottoning on.
    
    “You asked about my family and work situation. I work in the construction field doing semi-skilled labor and maintenance and have started learning HVAC over the last couple years.
    
    “I’ve been with the same woman for about 13 years. We aren’t legally married but own a house together. I love her and her family very much. Her mother is widowed and in her 70’s. She has an aunt and uncle that live up the road from us. We look out for them a bit too.
    
    “At this point it’s hard seeing a way out. I’ve known a lot of people over the years that have had to flee. I’m old enough to have met Polish and Ukrainians that got out during or right after the War to Save Stalin. Same with people such as yourself. While traveling through Vietnam, I met old ARVN guys who stayed and were ‘reeducated.’ Certainly do not envy them.
    
    “Lancaster is a great town. However we did not escape the peace riots of this past summer. This area has been overrun by New York ‘creatives’ and their pets, the various lumpen proles that have moved down because the welfare benefits are good and the Section 8 voucher goes further.
    
    “The city council mayor and head of police are all avowed BLM and Antifa supporters. In essence I am behind enemy lines.
    
    “My lady is pretty level-headed and no dummy as far as certain non-PC topics are concerned. Working in health care and moving from small town PA to Baltimore will do that, I guess.
    
    “However she is reticent to leave the familiarity of family and friends for more rural, less populated areas. Ironic because most of her family and social circle are essentially on board with the whole raft of neo-Bolshevik BS that is being churned out by the multinationals and Zionist Occupied Government…
    
    “At the end of the day, I don’t see any real way to get out from under the falling limbs of this dying empire. If I were single, I would be holed up somewhere in the mountains of Appalachia. Possibly west Texas. Maybe overseas.”
    
    Although fleeing abroad entails its own complicated and drawn-out set of problems, just about every nationality, save Americans, have had to do so during the last 100-odd years. I’ve fled twice, and am still drifting.

    Why does everyone want to leave? What are they afraid of?

    Getting yelled at?

    Somehow I do not, or cannot, believe that people are terrified of hurt feelings.

    Why do Americans feel this way? It seems uncharacteristic.

    Perhaps it a general feeling of discomfort; a generalized anxiety disorder that has entangled vast swaths of the American population. And I do not make this statement lightly. Aspects of this is something that I have learned to live with ever since I was implanted.

    Since I moved to China, all my worry (for the most part) ended. The only time that I start worrying is when ever some jackass in the United States tries to lob bio-weapons at my home, discusses firing ICBM's in my front yard, or making arbitrary rules concerning my passport.

    Perhaps, living under the thumb of out-of-control psychopaths inside a military empire…

    …and see the entire nation decay and collapse as the entire nations is geared, not for serving the citizenry…

    …but rather to destroy the rest of the world at the pleasure of the oligarchy…

    …is the source of this discomfort.

    And like frightened rabbits, the citizenry are trying to run and hide from the voracious wolves that are running all over the fields untamed and unchecked.

    Gonzaga says:

    For American preppers there’s only one solution: move to a red state. 
    
    Most red states are in the South. So the best place to ride out America’s collapse is a region with a history of racial tension and antagonism towards the Federal government, a region with a Ford F-150 lifestyle totally dependent on cheap petroleum and cheap imports. 
    
    Hmm, but guns right?
    
    Call me crazy but my native California doesn’t sound so bad in comparison: https://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/2015/04/postcard-from-end-of-america-silicon.html. At least there’s some anti-anti-White Asians and Hispanics around. 
    
    Maybe I’ll go teach English in Asia or live in Europe for a while. 
    
    Call me a commie traitor but I have no ability/desire to become an Idaho potato farmer / small arms instructor.

    Others have different ideas.

    Americans from different backgrounds and parts of the country are saying the same things.

    Like Frans here…

    Franz says:

    Americans in the Bubble are the 21st century equivalents of the British Colonel Blimp. It’s good to snicker and make snotty remarks at them because they’ll be the last ones to see it coming and even then they STILL WON’T BELIEVE IT.
    
    I’ve seen well-off almost rich dudes go homeless. It happens because they can’t believe this sort of thing happens to them, only “losers”.
    
    A loser is any one of us whose luck runs out. Hope your luck holds, and don’t let the bastards get you down.

    PJ London says:

    Those who have never experienced the hospitality and happiness of ‘poor’ foreigners have absolutely no idea of life. Those with no experience of Albania, or Bulgaria, or Romania, Lesotho, Botswana, Chile etc. don’t have a clue.
    
    Mix with the working class (as well as the bankers) if you want to know what life is about.
    
    The hospitality of all Arab people is beyond belief.
    
    Ignore the USA-USA-USA mob, they are brainless and take their limited horizon as being the whole planet. Thank you for bringing light to those of us who have not the opportunity to visit the east and parts of Europe.

    What about those that have already left the USA. What are their thoughts?

    What about those that left the United States, what are their thoughts?

    TheBoom says:

    That is a key reason why I moved out of the US. 
    
    I see no hope for at least a few generations. 
    
    Whites are very uncomfortable addressing the blatantly anti White hate that is permeating nearly all institutions. 
    
    The JQ is completely off the table for 90 percent of whites. 
    
    Asians see what is happening so they increasingly mimic Jewish hatred of whites even though most don’t actually hate whites.
    
    Whites spring from one simplistic solution to another. 
    
    The most recent is Secession. 
    
    Thinking that Secession can happen requires not dealing with the reality of the country. Even if the country did break into two, that would just mean that the Jews had two countries to rule and spread anti white hate and degeneracy.
    
    I just can’t see being associated with a country that flies the BLM flag at its embassies and publically worships a repeat felon who died of a drug overdose. Sometimes societies are just too stupid to survive.
    
    It is a big world out there and there are pockets where things are much saner than the US and not under a Jewish stranglehold

    But according to the news media everything is just fine.

    Just hunky-dory.

    The news says that everything is fine.

    Emslander says:

    Don’t believe for a second that the majority of Norteamericanos believe the claptrap that is being promoted by the digital minesweeping social media or the coastal newspapers. That’s the mistake.
    
    Election results don’t mean much in the scheme of things, except in 2020. I live in a county that voted 75-25 for Trump. All of the counties in this region have similar numbers. I’ve obtained this information from NYT election data, so it’s not my wishful thinking. Every county in America outside of those where open blatant ballot box stuffing took place have similar results.
    
    Since Trump accomplished nothing governmentally important and even advanced policies I find disgusting, he has to be seen merely as an indicator of discontent with the Ruling Class. 
    
    The Ruling Class has corrupted the entire education system, has made economic progress meaningless and has insulted anyone with a modicum of traditional morality. A Trump vote was a protest vote, both in 2016 and in 2020.

    The article itself soon fell apart with the “Jews, Jews, Jews” narrative. Jeeze and I stopped reading.  But I am still wondering (pondering) about these various comments. It seems like these “proud” American are very unhappy. And so, I wonder how can that be?

    Joe Biden announced that “America is back!” to a hysterically joyous crowd, and all the indicators show that crime is down, unemployment is down, the Coronavirus has been tamed, and it’s the beginning of a “New America“. So what the heck is going on?

    The mutterings that I am hearing just don’t match the “news” that is being reported.

    Why is that?

    Fundamentally, the media must reflect the opinions and feelings of it's readership, or else the people reading it will leave. So eventually, "news" becomes an echo chamber for the readership. 
    
    Yet, what I am apparently seeing is that all flavors of the "news"; Alt-Right, mainstream to Alt-left are out of touch with what the vast majority of Americans feel.

    The speed of the collapse

    I admit that I am a little stunned that the collapse has moved ahead so quickly in what seems like a matter of months. For it has been less than six months that the general American population has suddenly embraced fundamental prepper beliefs, and most regard America falling into a SHTF situation.

    This is FAST.

    And while I have announced that I believe that the year 2020 was the climax of the Fourth Turning, I have never the less been stunned by the rapid conversion of most Americans to “abandon ship”.

    What is going on?

    Well, here are the four signposts of American Collapse that the Soviet Union experienced when it collapsed.

    Article from HERE. All credit, etc. This article from the Russia Insider archives and was first published on RI in June 2018. You guys all know the drill.

    "Having witnessed one collapse, and now witnessing another, the one approach I would definitely not recommend is doing nothing and hoping for the best."

    In thinking through the (for now) gradually unfolding collapse of the American empire, the collapse of the USSR, which occurred close through three decades ago, continues to perform as a goldmine of useful examples and analogies.

    Certain events that occurred during the Soviet collapse can serve as useful signposts in the American one.

    Thus, allowing us to formulate better guesses about the timing of events that can suddenly turn a gradual collapse into a precipitous one.

    When the Soviet collapse occurred, the universal reaction was “Who could have known?”

    Well, I knew.

    I distinctly remember a conversation I had with a surgeon in the summer of 1990, right as I was going under the knife to get my appendix excised, waiting for the anesthesia to kick in.

    He asked me about what will happen to the Soviet republics, Armenia in particular.

    I told him that they will be independent in less than a year.

    He looked positively shocked.

    I was off by a couple of months.

    I hope to be able to call the American collapse with the same degree of precision.

    So what to expect?

    It is difficult to concentrate on things that matter to you when your government is acting like an out of control lunatic.

    I suppose I was well positioned to know, and I am tempted to venture a guess at how I achieved that.

    My area of expertise at the time was measurement and data acquisition electronics for high energy physics experiments, not Sovietology.

    But I spent the previous summer in Leningrad, where I grew up, and had a fair idea of what was up in the USSR.

    Meanwhile, the entire gaggle of actual paid, professional Russia “experts”…

    …that was ensconced in various government agencies in Washington or consuming oxygen at various foundations and universities in the US…

    …had absolutely no idea what to expect.

    I suspect that there is a principle involved:

    [1] If your career depends on the continued existence of X, and if X is about to cease to exist, then you are not going to be highly motivated to accurately predict that event.

    Conversely, [2] if you could manage to accurately predict the spontaneous existence failure of X, then you would also be clever enough to switch careers ahead of time. Thus, you would no longer be an expert on X and your opinion on the matter would be disregarded.

    People would think that you screwed yourself out of a perfectly good job and are now embittered.

    What he is seeing…

    Some people say that it is time to pack up and leave.

    Right now I am observing the same phenomenon at work among Russian experts on the United States: they can’t imagine that the various things they spent their lives studying are fast fading into irrelevance.

    Or perhaps they can, but keep this realization to themselves, for fear of no longer being invited on talk shows.

    I suppose that since expertise is a matter of knowing a whole lot about very little, knowing everything about nothing—a thing that doesn’t exist—is its logical endpoint.

    Be that as it may.

    But I feel that we non-experts, armed with the 20/20 hindsight afforded to us by the example of the Soviet collapse, can avoid being similarly blindsided and dumbfounded by the American one.

    This is not an academic question: those who gauge it accurately may be able to get the hell out ahead of time.

    While the lights are mostly still on, while not everybody is walking around in a drug-induced mental haze, and mass shootings and other types of mayhem are still considered newsworthy.

    This hindsight makes it possible for us to spot certain markers that showed up then.

    And are showing up now.

    The four that I want to discuss now are the following:

    1. Allies are being alienated
    2. Enmities dissipate
    3. Ideology becomes irrelevant
    4. Military posture turns flaccid

    All of these are plain to see already in the American collapse.

    As with the Soviet collapse, there is a certain incubation period for each of these trends.

    Each incubation period ended up lasting perhaps a year or two.

    And during this incubation period, not much seems to be happening.

    But…

    … but when it is over everything comes unstuck all at once.

    1. Alliances

    As the Soviet collapse unfolded, former friendships deteriorated, first into irrelevance, then into outright enmity.

    Prior to the collapse, the Iron Curtain ran between Eastern and Western Europe.

    After the collapse; three decades later, it runs between Russia and the Baltic countries, Poland and the Ukraine.

    Whereas in the post-war period the Warsaw Pact countries derived many benefits from its association with Russia and its industrial might.

    But as the end neared their membership in the Soviet camp became more and more of a hinderance to progress.

    In effect, hampering their integration with the more prosperous, less troubled countries further west and with the rest of the world.

    Similarly with the US and the EU now, this partnership is also showing major signs of strain as Washington tries to prevent the Europe from integrating with the rest of Eurasia.

    The particular threat of unilateral economic sanctions as part of a vain effort to block additional Russian natural gas pipelines into Europe.

    As well as to force the Europeans to buy an uncertain and overpriced American liquefied natural gas scheme.

    Other issues include Huawei, 5G technology, and the BRI.

    All of this has laid bare the fact that the relationship between the USA and Europe is no longer mutually beneficial.

    And as Britain splits from Europe and clings closer to the US, a new Iron Curtain is gradually emerging, but this time it will run through the English Channel, separating the Anglophone world from Eurasia.

    Similar developments are afoot in the east, affecting South Korea and Japan.

    Trump’s flip-flopping between tempestuous tweeting and conciliatory rhetoric vis-à-vis North Korea have laid bare the emptiness of American security guarantees.

    Both of these countries now see the need to make their own security arrangements and to start reasserting their sovereignty in military matters.

    Meanwhile, for the US, being incoherent is but a pit stop on the way to becoming irrelevant.

    2. Enmities

    Enmity | Definition of Enmity by Merriam-Webster
    https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enmity
    
    Enmity (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed. Hostility implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression. Animosity carries the sense of anger, vindictiveness, and sometimes the desire to destroy what one hates.

    During the entire period of the Cold War the United States was the Soviet Union’s arch-enemy.

    Any effort by Washington to give advice or to dictate terms was met with loud, synchronized, ideologically fortified barking from Moscow:

    "The imperialist aggressor is at it again; pay no heed."

    This self-righteous noise worked quite well for a surprisingly long time, and continued to work while the Soviet Union was making impressive new conquests.

    The Soviet Union continued to advance, in space, in technology, science and medicine, in international humanitarian projects and so on, but as stagnation set in it started to ring hollow.

    After the Soviet collapse, this immunity against American contagion disappeared.

    Western “experts” and “advisors” flooded in, and proposed “reforms”.

    Reforms such as…

    • The dismemberment of the USSR into 15 separate countries (trapping millions of people on the wrong side of some newly thought-up border.
    • Shock therapy (which impoverished almost the entirety of the Russian population),
    • Privatization (which put major public assets in the hands of a few politically connected, mostly Jewish oligarchs)
    • As well as various other schemes designed to destroy Russia and drive its population into extinction.

    They would probably have succeeded had they not been stopped in time.

    Symmetrically, the Washingtonians considered the USSR as their arch-enemy.

    After it went away, there was a bit of confusion.

    The Pentagon tried talking up “Russian mafia” as a major threat to world peace, but that seemed laughable.

    Then, by dint of demolishing a couple of New York skyscrapers…

    …perhaps by placing small nuclear charges in the bedrock beneath their foundations (those were the demolition plans that were on file)…

    …they happily embraced the concept of “war on terror”…

    …and went about bombing various countries that didn’t have a terrorism problem before then but certainly do now.

    Then, once that stupid plan ran its course, the Washingtonians went back to reviling and harassing Russia.

    But now a strange smell is in the wind in Washington: the smell of failure.

    Air is leaking out of the campaign to vilify Russia, and it is putrid.

    Meanwhile, Trump is continuing to make noises to the effect that a rapprochement with Russia is desirable and that a summit between the leaders should be held.

    Trump is also borrowing some pages from the Russian rulebook: just as Russia responded to Western sanctions with countersanctions, Trump is starting to respond to Western tariffs with countertariffs.

    We should expect American enmity against Russia to dissipate some time before American attitudes toward Russia (and much else) become irrelevant.

    We should also expect that, once the fracking bubble pops, the US will become dependent on Russian oil and liquefied natural gas…

    … which it will be forced to pay for with gold.

    (Fracking involves a two-phase combustion process: the first phase burns borrowed money to produce oil and gas; the second burns the oil and the gas.)

    Other enmities are on the wane as well.

    Trump has just signed an interesting piece of paper with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. The deal (if we call it that) is a tacit act of surrender. It was orchestrated by Russia and China. It affirms what North and South Korea had already agreed to: eventual denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

    Just as Gorbachev acquiesced to the reunification of Germany and the withdrawal of Soviet troops from East Germany, Trump is getting ready to acquiesce to the reunification of Korea and the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea.

    Just as the fall of the Berlin Wall spelled the end of the Soviet imperium, the dismantlement of the Korean Demilitarized Zone will spell the end of the American one.

    3. Ideology

    While the US never had anything as rigorous as the Soviet Union’s communist dogma, its hodgepodge of pro-democracy propaganda, laissez-faire capitalism, free trade and military domination was potent for a time.

    Once the US stopped being the world’s largest industrial powerhouse, ceding ground first to Germany and Japan…

    … then to China…

    … it went along accumulating prodigious levels of debt…

    … essentially confiscating and spending the world’s savings…

    … while defending the US dollar with the threat of violence.

    It was, for a time, understood that the exorbitant privilege of endless money printing needs to be defended with the blood of American soldiers.

    The US saw itself, and positioned itself, as the indispensable country.

    A country able to control and to dictate terms to the entire planet.

    As such, terrorizing or blockading various other countries as needed.

    Now all of these ideological shibboleths are in shambles.

    The pro-democracy rhetoric is still dutifully spouted by politicians mass media mouthpieces, but in practice the US is no longer a democracy. 
    
    It has been turned into a lobbyist’s paradise in which the lobbyists are no longer confined to the lobby but have installed themselves in congressional offices and are drafting prodigious quantities of legislation to suit the private interests of corporations and oligarchs. 
    
    Nor is the American penchant for democracy traceable in the support the US lavishes on dictatorships around the world or in its increasing tendency to enact and enforce extraterritorial laws without international consent.

    Laissez-fair capitalism is also very much dead, supplanted by crony capitalism nurtured by a thorough melding of Washington and Wall Street elites.

    Private enterprise is no longer free but concentrated in a handful of giant corporations while about a third of the employed population in the US works in the public sector.

    The US Department of Defense is the largest single employer in the country as well as in the whole world.

    About 100 million of working-age able-bodied Americans do not work.

    Most of the rest work in service jobs, producing nothing durable.

    An increasing number of people is holding onto a precarious livelihood by working sporadic gigs.

    The whole system is fueled—including parts of it that actually produce the fuel, such as the fracking industry—by debt.

    No sane person, if asked to provide a workable description of capitalism, would come up with such a derelict scheme.

    Free trade was talked up until very recently, if not actually implemented.

    Unimpeded trade over great distances is the sine qua non of all empires, the US empire included.

    In the past, warships and the threat of occupation were used to force countries, such as Japan, to open themselves up to international trade.

    Quite recently, the Obama administration was quite active in its attempts to push through various transoceanic partnerships, but none of them succeeded. And now Trump has set about wrecking what free trade there was by a combination of sanctions and tariffs, in a misguided attempt to rekindle America’s lost greatness by turning inward.

    Along the way, sanctions on the use of the US dollar in international trade, especially with key energy exporting nations such as Iran and Venezuela, are accelerating the process by which the US dollar is being dethroned as the world’s reserve currency, demolishing America’s exorbitant privilege of endless money-printing.

    4. Militarism

    The Soviet collapse was to some extent presaged by the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    Prior to that point, it was still possible to talk up the “international duty” of the Red Army to make the world (or at least the liberated parts of it) safe for socialism.

    After that point the very concept of military domination was lost, and interventions that were possible before, such as in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968, were no longer even thinkable.

    When Eastern Europe rose in rebellion in 1989, the Soviet military empire simply folded, abandoning its bases and military hardware and pulling out.

    In the case of the US, for now it remains capable of quite a lot of mischief, but it has become clear that military domination of the whole planet is no longer possible for it.

    The US military is still huge, but it is quite flaccid.

    It is no longer able to field a ground force of any size and confines itself to aerial bombardment, training and arming of “moderate terrorists” and mercenaries, and pointless steaming about the oceans.

    None of the recent military adventures have resulted in anything resembling peace on terms that the American planners originally envisioned or have ever considered desirable:

    • Afghanistan has been turned into a terrorist incubator and a heroin factory;
    • Iraq has been absorbed into a continuous Shia crescent that now runs from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.

    US military bases are still found throughout the world.

    They were meant to project American power over both hemispheres of the globe, but they have been largely neutralized by the advent of new long-range precision weapons, potent air defense technology and electronic warfare wizardry.

    These numerous “lily pads,” as they are sometimes called, are the opposite of military assets: they are useless but expensive targets located in places that are hard to defend but easy for potential adversaries to attack.

    They can only be used for pretend-combat, and the endless series of military training exercises.

    Such as the ones in the Baltic statelets, right on the Russian border…

    … or the ones in South Korea, are meant to be provocative, but they are paragons of pointlessness…

    … since attacking either Russia or North Korea would be a suicidal move.

    They are basically confidence-building exercises, and their increasing intensity testifies to a pronounced and growing deficit of confidence.

    People never tire of pointing out the huge size of the US military budget, but they almost always neglect to mention that what the US gets per unit money is ten times less than, for example Russia.

    It is a bloated and ineffectual extortion scheme that produces large quantities of boondoggles—an endlessly thirsty public money sponge.

    No matter how much money it soaks up, it will never solve the fundamental problem of being incapable to go to war against any adequately armed opponent without suffering unacceptable levels of damage.

    Around the world, the US is still loathed, but it is feared less and less: a fatal trend for an empire.

    But America has done quite well in militarizing its local police departments, so that when the time comes it will be ready to go to war… against itself.

    This analysis may read like a historical survey detached from practical, everyday considerations. But I believe that it has practical merit.

    If the citizens of the USSR were informed, prior to the events of 1990, of what was about to happen to them, they would have behaved quite differently, and quite a lot of personal tragedy might have been avoided.

    A very useful distinction

    A very useful distinction can be made between collapse avoidance (which is futile; all empires collapse)…

    … and worst-case scenario avoidance…

    … which will become, as collapse picks up speed, your most important concern.

    Your approach may involve fleeing to safer ground, or preparing to survive it where you are.

    You may choose your own collapse markers and make your own predictions about their timing instead of relying on mine.

    But, having witnessed one collapse, and now witnessing another, the one approach I would definitely not recommend is doing nothing and hoping for the best.

    Humanity

    No matter what happens, or what crazy shit is going down in the United States, never forget your humanity. It’s not what happens that matter. It’s how you deal with them that does.

    Remember your humanity.

    Others might not understand

    Do not try to convince others to understand why you are doing what you do. It’s not their business; it’s not their reality. You are doign what feels best to you, for the good or the bad. And sure, they might think you crazy, strange or a little bit “off your rocker”, but so what.

    It’s your life.

    Do what you want and live your life as you see fit and let the rest of the world howl.

    Do what you want and live your life as you see fit and let the rest of the world howl.

    Everything follows cycles

    Empires come and go, and during the sunset period it is a time of harvesting what you can and then move on to the New Beginning. But some hate change, and they have made a nice cushy life for themself and they don’t want the change, and they fight it “tooth and nail”. But MM readers realize that when you see things go cyclic, you hop on the train and ride it out of town.

    Cycles are natural.

    Cycles are natural.

    What about war?

    Well, there is a lot of provocations being made by the United States on the international front. The aggression is spellbinding in breadth and with as well as intensity. And no one can predict the future, but maybe we can take a look at what happened with the former Soviet Union for some guidance.

    From HERE. It's titled "Russian Missile Tech has Made America's Trillion Dollar Navy Obsolete". With a sub-heading of "Times have changed and America can no longer project its military power like it did in Iraq. Those days are over.". All credit to the author and note it was formatted to fit this venue.

    For the past 500 years European nations—Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain, France and, briefly, Germany—were able to plunder much of the planet by projecting their naval power overseas.

    Since much of the world’s population lives along the coasts, and much of it trades over water, armed ships that arrived suddenly out of nowhere were able to put local populations at their mercy.

    The armadas could plunder, impose tribute, punish the disobedient, and then use that plunder and tribute to build more ships, enlarging the scope of their naval empires.

    This allowed a small region with few natural resources and few native advantages beyond extreme orneriness and a wealth of communicable diseases to dominate the globe for half a millennium.

    The ultimate inheritor of this naval imperial project is the United States, which, with the new addition of air power, and with its large aircraft carrier fleet and huge network of military bases throughout the planet, is supposedly able to impose Pax Americana on the entire world.

    Or, rather, was able to do so—during the brief period between the collapse of the USSR and the emergence of Russia and China as new global powers and their development of new anti-ship and antiaircraft technologies. But now this imperial project is at an end.

    Russian battle tanks.

    Prior to the Soviet collapse, the US military generally did not dare to directly threaten those countries to which the USSR had extended its protection.

    Nevertheless, by using its naval power to dominate the sea lanes that carried crude oil, and by insisting that oil be traded in US dollars, it was able to live beyond its means by issuing dollar-denominated debt instruments and forcing countries around the world to invest in them.

    It imported whatever it wanted using borrowed money while exporting inflation, expropriating the savings of people across the world. In the process, the US has accumulated absolutely stunning levels of national debt—beyond anything seen before in either absolute or relative terms.

    When this debt bomb finally explodes, it will spread economic devastation far beyond US borders. And it will explode, once the petrodollar wealth pump, imposed on the world through American naval and air superiority, stops working.

    Chinese hyper-velocity nuclear missiles.

    New missile technology has made a naval empire cheap to defeat. Previously, to fight a naval battle, one had to have ships that outmatched those of the enemy in their speed and artillery power. The Spanish Armada was sunk by the British armada.

    More recently, this meant that only those countries whose industrial might matched that of the United States could ever dream of opposing it militarily. But this has now changed: Russia’s new missiles can be launched from thousands of kilometers away, are unstoppable, and it takes just one to sink a destroyer and just two to sink an aircraft carrier.

    The American armada can now be sunk without having an armada of one’s own. The relative sizes of American and Russian economies or defense budgets are irrelevant: the Russians can build more hypersonic missiles much more quickly and cheaply than the Americans would be able to build more aircraft carriers.

    Russian aircraft.

    Equally significant is the development of new Russian air defense capabilities: the S-300 and S-400 systems, which can essentially seal off a country’s airspace. Wherever these systems are deployed, such as in Syria, US forces are now forced to stay out of their range.

    With its naval and air superiority rapidly evaporating, all that the US can fall back on militarily is the use of large expeditionary forces—an option that is politically unpalatable and has proven to be ineffective in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is also the nuclear option, and while its nuclear arsenal is not likely to be neutralized any time soon, nuclear weapons are only useful as deterrents.

    Their special value is in preventing wars from escalating beyond a certain point, but that point lies beyond the elimination of their global naval and air dominance.

    Nuclear weapons are much worse than useless in augmenting one’s aggressive behavior against a nuclear-armed opponent; invariably, it would be a suicidal move. What the US now faces is essentially a financial problem of unrepayable debt and a failing wealth pump, and it should be a stunningly obvious point that setting off nuclear explosions anywhere in the world would not fix the problems of an empire that is going broke.

    Chinese ICBM with MIRV nuclear hyper-velocity warheads with swarm targeting ability.

    Events that signal vast, epochal changes in the world often appear minor when viewed in isolation.

    Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon was just one river crossing; Soviet and American troops meeting and fraternizing at the Elbe was, relatively speaking, a minor event—nowhere near the scale of the siege of Leningrad, the battle of Stalingrad or the fall of Berlin.

    Yet they signaled a tectonic shift in the historical landscape. And perhaps we have just witnessed something similar with the recent pathetically tiny Battle of East Gouta in Syria, where the US used a make-believe chemical weapons incident as a pretense to launch an equally make-believe attack on some airfields and buildings in Syria.

    The US foreign policy establishment wanted to show that it still matters and has a role to play, but what really happened was that US naval and air power were demonstrated to be almost entirely beside the point.

    More Russian food.

    Of course, all of this is terrible news to the US military and foreign policy establishments, as well as to the many US Congressmen in whose districts military contractors operate or military bases are situated.

    Obviously, this is also bad news for the defense contractors, for personnel at the military bases, and for many others as well. It is also simply awful news economically, since defense spending is about the only effective means of economic stimulus of which the US government is politically capable.

    Obama’s “shovel-ready jobs,” if you recall, did nothing to forestall the dramatic slide in the labor participation rate, which is a euphemism for the inverse of the real unemployment rate.

    There is also the wonderful plan to throw lots of money at Elon Musk’s SpaceX (while continuing to buy vitally important rocket engines from the Russians—who are currently discussing blocking their export to the US in retaliation for more US sanctions). In short, take away the defense stimulus, and the US economy will make a loud popping sound followed by a gradually diminishing hissing noise.

    Needless to say, all those involved will do their best to deny or hide for as long as possible the fact that the US foreign policy and defense establishments have now been neutralized.

    My prediction is that America’s naval and air empire will not fail because it will be defeated militarily, nor will it be dismantled once the news sinks in that it is useless; instead, it will be forced to curtail its operations due to lack of funds.

    There may still be a few loud bangs before it gives up, but mostly what we will hear is a whole lot of whimpering. That’s how the USSR went; that’s how the USA will go too.

    Russian food.

    Mr. Wilder Comments

    From HERE.

    Our economy has been goosed in the last decade (and even more so recently) by:

    • Artificially, and permanently low, interest rates.
    • Rampant money printing.
    • A never-ending supply of “stimulus” packages and tax cuts to goose the economy.
    • An experiment in Universal Basic Income by paying out of work people more than they were paid working to not work.
    • Blatant political cronyism far in excess of the usual – your elected representatives are even trying to bail out Jeff Bezos’ so he can compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX®. This is actually happening (LINK).

    One hundred miles per hour sounded like it was really fast to me when I was driving a pickup truck that wouldn’t go that fast downhill on a mountain pass (topped out at 95). But the economy is so goosed now that we see $100 plywood sheets tumbling in the breeze as we cruise down the highway. The stresses from the velocity as we shamble and skitter between the lines are evident.

    What’s next, a $50 ribeye?

    When they film a post-apocalypse movie in Detroit, they have to use CGI to repair buildings.

    I didn’t use Texas, because I like Texas and Texans, so I picked Minneapolis because I think it’s on its way to becoming a quaint “Detroit on the Mississippi” where the primary source of amusement is Thunderdome Friday nights.  Large Marge, a frequent commenter, called me on this quip (edits only in formatting):

    A)  Military recruits from prison

    I am a former Corrections Officer.
    I worked at three penitentiaries . . . including a max.

    Some of the most intelligent individuals are prisoners.  The most intelligent of them are organized and exceptionally efficient in the use of violence and intimidation.

    Although better people than me might question their primary loyalties — gang/club? or Constitution? — I would expect them to continue to hone their adaptive skills in a military setting.

    In fact, I would anticipate them quickly establishing a hierarchy and running the joint in no time… while eliminating slackers.  Anybody they cannot eliminate, they recruit.  No middle ground, no spectators.

    Two of my ‘adopted’ sons are also Corrections Officers.  Both are Marines, one was a SEAL.  Intelligent, competitive, dedicated, observant.

    Ask around, you may discover your assumptions to be the opposite of reality.
    And assumptions can get somebody hurt.

    B)  Military recruits from inner-city slums

    Happens daily.  Pigment is no guarantee of inbred stupidity or ineffectiveness, however, it is a guarantee of tribal acceptance.

    Anybody not in the tribe is prey:

    If you are alone, they are five.

    If you are five, they are a faceless two hundred in a spontaneous leaderless non-thinking swarm . . . they act, then disperse into nothingness.

    Similar to recruits from prison, these folks are effective at violence and intimidation.
    Just do not expect complex thought processes resulting in traditional long-term ‘White Collar’ crimes.
    Complex planning is not required for crimes of opportunity.

    C)  These A and B elements are not exclusive.

    Expect cross-overs.

    Flyers can ruin your afternoon.

    Large Marge is, of course, right in every respect.

    The first point is that the general attitude is that all of the Left is represented by the soy-boy weakness we see from the Left’s poster children.

    It is not.

    A final thought

    If any alarm bells were ringing earlier, it should be considered to be foreplay.

    Right now, the Civil Defense sirens are blaring, and everyone should be running for their underground bunkers.

    There might be world War III any day now, or not.

    There might be riots in the streets, or maybe not.

    There might be a complete collapse of the US Dollar, or maybe not.

    Do not be lulled into complacency. There was a nice Memorial Day holiday. I hope that you enjoyed yourself, and worked on prudent measures to adapt to a changing environment. To quote from the above article…

    If the citizens of the USSR were informed, prior to the events of 1990, of what was about to happen to them, they would have behaved quite differently, and quite a lot of personal tragedy might have been avoided.

    And this one…

    But, having witnessed one collapse, and now witnessing another, the one approach I would definitely not recommend is doing nothing and hoping for the best.

    Of course, my opinion is well understood.

    From the movie “Aliens”…

    And my Video

    I am not in America. I am in China.

    It is my “lifeboat” while the USS Titanic American sinks under the waves.

    And for me, sitting in my lifeboat, I am watching the rats scurry all over the deck. A few are starting to jump into the cold, cold ocean. But most are still on the deck and starting to fight against each other.

    Yeah.

    That is the way it is, and to end up this article, let me provide a final glimpse of what my lifeboat looks like.

    Here is an end of article video for your enjoyment. It shows a little about what China is like where I live. HERE. 127MB.

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts like this in my New Beginnings Index…

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    The American deep state is going to plunge America into World War III, and most cities in America will become nuclear wastelands.

    Lately I have been really driven to throw things out. It’s almost like a real crush. I feel that I must send out as much as I possibly can, for some strange compulsion. It’s darn strange and tiring me out.

    Seriously.

    You all would be surprised at the rate my fingers are typing and the pace that these darn articles are coming out.

    It’s a good thing that I have to go to a couple of factories and give my typing fingers a rest. It’s wearing me out. I’m set up for some fun in my near future. Some great friends, some fantastic food. A goodly amount of booze, and some friendly environments from where I can make some new friends in. I’m trembling in anticipation, I’ll tell you what.

    I think that it’s a fair time to go play with some dice, make some new friends, and sing a song or two.

    Anyways, I would suggest that all of you all also take the time to spend with some friends and play some games. Talk a little bit, chat some and have a good time. Don’t forget the food. And don’t buy cheap booze. Life is too short to waste on cheap booze.

    And if you have the means, go ahead and make some new friends. There’s an entire world of interesting and colorful people to meet.

    The world is filled with all kinds of interesting and colorful people. Everyone has a story, and everyone likes food. So what is stopping you?

    Anyways…

    The thing that I have been trying to underline all week is a very simple point.

    Which is…

    Make no mistake. A war with a major military power will result in the complete annihilation of America.

    I’ve really been somewhat fixated in driving this point home. I don’t understand why. I don’t think that I have tapped into any kind of non-physical data stream or anything like that. But never the less, I am driven. Who’d figure.

    So…

    Don’t poke the Panda, or kick the bear.

    Not that anyone will listen to me. It seems that either the United States leadership has a death wish, or that they are seriously retarded morons without a lick of sense.

    Consider just how dangerous the “deep state” has become.

    Now… imagine that a serious REAL war takes place. Missiles are flying back and forth. Entire cites are blasted out of existence, and evil people at the local level take up arms to defend their little patches of land and territory. Here and there.

    What do you think the “deep state” would do?

    You just cannot assume that they would all disappear, or slink under a rock, or go a hiding in the bushes. they will still exist, and given their (former) levers of power… what do you think they would be capable of? And how far do you think that they would go to exert full regional control in a nation that is in the process of going absolutely mad?

    It’s bad enough that they are poking the bear and panda…

    …but they will utilize what ever happens to their own personal benefit.

    Military, Deep State and the American Naivety

    While only 11% of Americans trust Congress, a whopping 74% have a “great deal or quite a lot of” trust in the military, which also vastly outperforms newspapers (23%) and even the US Supreme Court (37%).

    Similarly, the CIA and the FBI get an “excellent” rating from 58% of Americans.

    While reverence to military is quite common all over the world — perhaps related to evolutionary fear — it behooves us to be a bit more critical and objective.

    Like the Old Testament characters who never asked Moses for evidence regarding the burning bush, Americans blindly accept all verdicts from the intelligence agencies.

    The rise of the colossal military and the “Deep State” are new phenomenons in American history, and a dispassionate scrutiny underscores the need for more vigilance on our part.

    Military-Industrial Complex – Eisenhower

    While many Americans consider it heretical to question the US military, none other than a five-star military general and US president did just that.

    In an extraordinary farewell speech in 1961, Eisenhower went on national TV and said,

    “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

    Such a speech would now be derided as a conspiracy theory and even labeled as treasonous.

    CIA – Truman

    Guess who thought that the CIA had turned into an American Gestapo?

    Harry Truman, the US president who created the CIA.

    He said in his biography,

    “Those fellows in the CIA don’t just report on wars, they go out and make their own (wars), and there’s nobody to keep track of what they’re up to. They spend billions of dollars on stirring up trouble. The CIA has become a government all of its own.”

    Former Director of the CIA, William Colby, described CIA’s culture in his memoir as follows:

    “cult of intelligence … that held itself to be above the normal processes of society, with its own rationale and justification, beyond the restraints of the Constitution …”

    Election Meddling and Coups by the CIA

    Since World War II, the CIA has meddled in more than 80 foreign elections around the world (doesn’t include coups and regime changes!).

    And the RAND corp has the nerve to refer to Russia as a "rogue state". I discussed this HERE.

    The US Senate’s Church Committee in 1975 documented several instances of US meddling in other nations.

    The operations included suitcases of cash to bribe politicians and voters, manuals for psychological warfare, sensational fake news, organized mass protests, armed violent oppositions etc.

    Starting in the 1980’s, the Deep State refined its plans for regime changes, resorting to the use of sophisticated NGO’s such as the USAID, NED and Open Society Foundations of George Soros, which all specialize in mass propaganda and color revolutions.

    When asked a few months ago, if we still meddle in other countries’ elections, CIA director James Woolsey grinned and responded, “myum, myum, myum.”

    There are incontrovertible proofs for some of the coups, thanks to declassified CIA documents – for example, the overthrow of democratically elected leaders in Iran in 1953 and in Guatemala in 1954.

    Assassinations

    Recently released “JFK Files” from the CIA archives show detailed plans to assassinate Fidel Castro that included exploding cigars and tuberculosis-laced diving suit.

    Other leaders targeted in these documents include General Trujillo of Dominican Republic and Patrice Lumumba of Congo.

    William Blum has done extensive research and documented numerous foreign assassinations – successful and attempted – by the CIA and/or the US military.

    Theoretically, nothing stops the killing machine in operating within the US.

    Even intellectuals like David Talbot — founder of Salon magazine and editor of Time magazine — are convinced that some from the top echelons of the CIA assassinated JFK.

    President Truman also seemed to suggest the same when he wrote an extraordinary op-ed in Washington Post one month after JFK’s assassination saying that CIA’s covert operations must be terminated.

    By the way, the phrase “conspiracy theorist” was invented by the CIA in 1967 to discredit anyone challenging the official narratives!

    Coddling Dictators and Tyrants

    Right now, the US arms/funds about 3 in 4 of all dictators around the world!

    How’s that for spreading freedom and democracy?

    The US has supported and installed numerous brutal tyrants and authoritarians all over the world in the last century.

    Suharto in Indonesia, for example, killed two million people, but was loved by the West, since he let western corporations exploit his people and plunder his country.

    Nazis and Jihadists

    After the defeat of Hitler, the US recruited more than 1000 Nazis, including high-ranking officials, to work against the Soviet Union.

    Under Operation Paperclip, the CIA brought numerous Nazi scientists into the US.

    As I explain in my book, Deconstructing the Syrian War, the US has trained, armed and funded Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Libya, Syria etc. to wage proxy wars.

    Drug Trafficking

    From 1950 to 1975, the CIA — using a fleet of planes and helicopters known as Air America — was involved in massive heroin trafficking from the Golden Triangle area in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos.

    After the Vietnam War, the Deep State in the 1980s used heroin in Afghanistan to fight the USSR and cocaine in Central America to fight leftist leaders. According to Gary Webb, the CIA also imported cocaine into the US.

    In 1998, a Congressman entered into official records a shocking document called “A Tangled Web: A History of CIA Complicity in Drug International Trafficking” that summarizes CIA’s nefarious drug activities from 1947 to 1996.

    Since the US invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11, opium cultivation there has exploded. Correlation or causation? As a NY Times investigation revealed in 2009, the biggest Afghan drug dealer was on the CIA payroll.

    Propaganda & Psy Ops

    America did this for “democracy”. What do you think that a leader would do to you and your family for his own personal power.

    CIA’s Operation Mockingbird was an extensive operation to infiltrate and control all the major news organizations.

    Over the decades, the CIA and the Pentagon have actively participated in over 800 major movies and 1000 TV shows to make sure that the right (propaganda) message reaches the audience!

    Declassified documents on MK-Ultra and other mind-control and brainwashing programs and experiments –LSD and numerous other drugs, hypnosis, electric shock etc. – are right out of a sci-fi horror movie.

    Wars and Lies

    Remember all the deceit and fearmongering that convinced us to go to Iraq war after 9/11?

    • Saddam was trying to buy Uranium
    • He had reconstituted nuclear weapons;
    • There will be “mushroom cloud” in the US
    • He had biological weapons in mobile labs
    • He could launch chemical weapons against Israel and British soldiers (in Cyprus) in just 45 minutes

    Through innuendos and bold lies, the Establishment convinced 70% of Americans that Saddam was responsible for 9/11 and even the Anthrax attack that followed.

    Go back in history, there are many such lies, including the Gulf of Tonkin claim that helped the US launch the Vietnam War.

    Wars and Corporatism

    America did this for “democracy”. What do you think that a leader would do to you and your family for his own personal power.

    Every American should read General Smedley Butler’s amazing testimony titled, “War is a Racket.”

    John Perkins’ book, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” is another must read to understand how banks and corporations drive geopolitics, coups, regime changes and wars in the 21st century.

    False Flag Attacks

    Somehow, it’s psychologically hard for people to think that their government might stage false flag attacks.

    However, as recently declassified documents show, the CIA had many such ideas – killing boatloads of Cuban refugees or blowing up ships and then blaming Fidel Castro;

    …carrying out “terror campaigns” – their own words – with bombs in Miami and Washington D.C. to frame Castro;

    …and buying Russian planes to attack US soldiers to start a war with the Soviet Union.

    Shockingly, these plans got approved all the way up to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and only got stopped by JFK or his brother.

    There are convincing evidence to prove the CIA carried out similar false flag attacks — Operation Gladio — in Europe in the 1950’s through the 1970’s to blame the communists and shift the political landscape to the right.

    In recent years in Libya, Syria and Ukraine, false flag attacks were used to launch the regime change operations.

    Wild accusations such as the Novichok poisoning in the UK by Russia also bear all the hallmarks of fake or false flag attacks.

    Torture and Human Experiments

    America did this for “democracy”. What do you think that a leader would do to you and your family for his own personal power.

    While our politicians are skilled at crying crocodile tears over human rights abuses by our geopolitical adversaries, the CIA runs secret torture prisons in many countries to avoid scrutiny.

    Sometimes we do it ourselves, like in Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib, Iraq.

    According to a 1994 government report, hundreds of thousands of Americans were subjected to unethical radiological, chemical, biological and medical experiments between 1940 and 1974.

    The US military even conducted biological warfare testing on the entire city of San Francisco!

    Nuking 1200 Cities

    Another deeply held American belief is that our elites always hold high moral standards, value lives and are compassionate.

    In September 1945, merely one month after Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the US military drew up plans to drop 204 atomic bombs on 66 cities in the USSR, who was our ally during World War II and still an ally at that time!

    Then a decade later, in 1956, the US military had detailed plans to drop 2,000+ atom and hydrogen bombs on 1,200 cities in Russia, China and Eastern Europe.

    This would have immediately killed 500 million people, 99% innocent civilians.

    Think about what kind of evil monsters and sociopaths would come up with such genocidal ideas.

    Also, if they had carried out their psychopathic plan, the nuclear fallout might have ended the entire human race.

    Perpetual Wars

    Since 9/11, the US/NATO wars have already cost $5.6 trillion and killed 5 to 7 million people, but clever propaganda hide or justify such atrocities.

    In the 1990s, half a million Iraqi children died from US sanctions, which Sec. of State Madeleine Albright said was “worth it.”

    Wars and conflicts are extremely profitable for the military-banking-intelligence complex, which uses the soldiers as pawns. 2.7 million Americans have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11; and more than 400,000 of them suffer from PTSD.

    If diplomacy, free trade and fair wages become the norm, we wouldn’t need 800 military bases in 140 countries to prop up friendly dictators, bully competitors, and enforce the Ponzi scheme of the Petrodollar regime.

    The unsustainable Empire thrives because we cannot question or challenge it.

    Mass Surveillance

    America did this for “democracy”. What do you think that a leader would do to you and your family for his own personal power.

    In the land of the free, Americans don’t mind NSA spying on them.

    While many assume that it’s to protect us from terrorists, Edward Snowden revealed that the mass collection of phone calls has been going on since 1985.

    If the spooks have dirt on every single American, it’s no wonder that no politician speaks out against the Orwellian nightmare.

    The attacks on Wikileaks and Julian Assange also reveal how much the Deep State hates transparency and accountability.

    Conclusion

    The zeitgeist in America demands blind support for military, defense industry and the intelligence community.

    Like fish in the water, Americans have lost the ability to notice the pervasive and omnipresent propaganda.

    However, we owe it ourselves to be more knowledgeable and objective in processing and reacting to information.

    We also need to be more cynical about our government and the mass media.

    Freedom, liberty and prosperity are not achieved and maintained through willful ignorance, blind allegiance and naïve faith.

    Now, when a full SHTF event occurs, these very same people will capitalize on the situation and turn it into their own personal benefit. You all need to be ready and aware of that. For this is what always happens after the dust settles and the war subsides.

    Where will you be when that happens, and will you be ready to handle the new leaders that rise up out of the ashes? Are you ready?

    I’m getting ready. I’m spending my time getting drunk and making all sorts of new friends. Because, as I have stated over and over again, it is your friends that will be able to help you when you need it the most. Nothing else.

    I’m spending my time getting drunk and making all sorts of new friends.

    Do you want more?

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    The Dunning-Kruger effect on an actual MAJestic disclosure.

    Many drive-by visitors to Metallicman often raise their noses and proclaim “I’ve seen it all before”, and then leave. They don’t stick around and really study what is being presents. They just assume that it’s just another ‘same old”, “same old”, and thus not worthy of their time.

    A lesser person might be upset.

    But I know, and most long time MM readers know, that this is all an illusion.

    The people who come and stay are here for the content, and the juicy nuggets of gold that you won’t find anywhere else.

    Arthur Schopenhauer famously observed that talent hits a target that no one else can hit, but genius hits a target that no one else can see.

    We now know that, through the Dunning-Kruger effect, each of us is limited by cognition: anything more complex than our minds can grasp appears as ludicrous bizarre gibberish to us.

    Let. That. Sink. In.

    Can you fly a “Frisbee”? If not, then why?

    Knowledge and skills are learned. And that includes the ability to reason, to plan, and to sort things out.

    This creates a framework of genius as that which notices the obvious but ignored. As explained in the biography of a famous gun designer, high cognitive ability seems mystifying until the results are seen:

    It is often said in the industry that small arms now are designed by committee. But the design process will always need that one unique person, the imaginative individual with a new way of looking at a problem. 

    Eugene Stoner was the man with the ideas who passed them on to the design committees. According to a long-time friend and colleague, Stoner was “the master of the obvious”. “When he came up with an idea you would ask yourself, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ But you didn’t.”

    Most people cannot see genius.

    To them, it appears as an oddity, something incomprehensible, and when it succeeds, they hate it. The last three centuries in the West have been a rebellion against genius, replacing it with inferior substitutes like navel-gazing novels, pop culture, and modern art.

    Face it.

    People who have genius capability are shunned and thwarted in society.

    Yet, early on, Western Civilization succeeded because it embraced genius. Under the kings, those of great potential were subsidized so that all could enjoy their insights.

    Not so today.

    Under democracy, they are treated with suspicion and thrust into the workforce, where they often flounder.  Individual genius is a fast train ticket to oblivion and poverty.

    If we are to rise again, much of our focus must be on finding good people instead of trying to regulate mediocre people with complex systems in the Asiatic model. In the meantime, it helps to recognize that genius is most commonly unrecognized except by those on its level.

    The Dunning-Kruger effect

    The Dunning–Kruger effect is a hypothetical cognitive bias stating that people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. As described by social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the bias results from an internal illusion in people of low ability and from an external misperception in people of high ability; that is, "the miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others". It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from people's inability to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their level of competence.

    -Wikipedia

    The Dunning-Kruger effect states that incompetent people are also incompetent in assessing their own performance.

    Let. That. Sink. In.

    Therefore, less competent people think their performance is competent, while smarter people focus on their own flaws.

    It explains, among other things, how in a society that places too much value on image, idiots and insane people are able to get ahead by overestimating their value and getting fools to agree with them.

    The essence of the Dunning-Kruger effect is that “ignorance more frequently begets confidence than knowledge.” 

    Studies have shown that the most incompetent individuals are the ones that are most convinced of their competence.

    At work this translates into lots of incompetent people who think they are superstars.

    And what is worse is that if you have a manager that doesn’t closely supervise work, he or she may judge performance based on outward appearances using information like the confidence with which these incompetent blockheads speak.
    An important corollary of this effect is that the most competent people often underestimate their competence. 

    This is a result of how you frame knowledge.

    The more you know, the more you focus on what you don’t know. For instance, people who can name 15 of the 50 state capitals tend to think “I know 15.” People who know 45 of the 50 state capitals tend to think “I don’t know 5.”1

    Dunning and Kruger, two researchers at Cornell University, described their findings in a paper entitled “Unskilled and Unaware Of It: How Difficulties In Recognising Ones Own Incompetence Lead To Inflated Self-Assessments” in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

    Their conclusions can be summarized this way:

    Incompetent individuals…

    1. Tend to overestimate their own level of skill,
    2. Fail to recognize genuine skill in others,
    3. Fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy,
    4. If they can be trained to substantially improve their own skill level, these individuals can recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill.
    Translation: 
    Without leadership at the top of the curve who is willing to call people on their incompetence, the incompetents will appear competent to other incompetents and be advanced, possibly even to the presidency.

    This causes a mathematical problem for democracies since most people are not particularly competent at leadership, government or logical argument, meaning they are both unable to assess the best leadership choices and sure that they’re right.

    It’s essentially similar to the Downing effect:

    One of the main effects of illusory superiority in IQ is the Downing effect. This describes the tendency of people with a below average IQ to overestimate their IQ, and of people with an above average IQ to underestimate their IQ. 

    The propensity to predictably misjudge one’s own IQ was first noted by C. L. Downing who conducted the first cross-cultural studies on perceived ‘intelligence’.
    His studies also evidenced that the ability to accurately estimate others’ IQ was proportional to one’s own IQ. This means that the lower the IQ of an individual, the less capable they are of appreciating and accurately appraising others’ IQ. Therefore individuals with a lower IQ are more likely to rate themselves as having a higher IQ than those around them. Conversely, people with a higher IQ, while better at appraising others’ IQ overall, are still likely to rate people of similar IQ as themselves as having higher IQs.
    The disparity between actual IQ and perceived IQ has also been noted between genders by British psychologist Adrian Furnham, in whose work there was a suggestion that, on average, men are more likely to overestimate their intelligence by 5 points, while women are more likely to underestimate their IQ by a similar margin.2

    That tendency could go a long way toward explaining why many successful societies have relied on strong leaders who had no problem beating down the incompetent with force.

    Unless suppressed, the 90% of humanity who per the “Bell Curve” are unskilled and unaware of it will take over and, being incompetent, run society into the ground.

    In addition, while people can be taught specific tasks, they cannot be taught to reason in general; education does not raise IQ and in the process of trying, becomes dumbed-down to the point where no one intelligent will get any benefit from it, which discriminates against the intelligent.

    Conclusion

    The conclusion is obvious.

    When you combine the Bell Curve, the Dunning-Kruger and Downing effects, and the natural tendency of human beings to compromise, you have a working explanation why human societies inevitably begin the pursuit of a “race to the bottom” once they become powerful enough to stop losing so many people to natural events, disease and war.

    A case in point is the United States…

    You do know that in the movie “Idiocracity”, all Starbucks coffee comes with a “full release”. LOL.

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    The real way the United States Constitution works and it’s not pretty. We are watching the collapse in real time.

     

    i don't know that the usa has any type of long range strategy... and i don't think they care who dies, or what mess they make of other places on the planet either... it seems the usa is intent on serving the god of mammon only.. this certainly works for wall st and the military industrial complex... i really don't think concern for the welfare of other nations, or the planet for that matter, are any considerations washington gives at this point... and to have the same brand of neo cons in bidens gov't as the previous bunch, is not a positive sign either.. it is hard to appreciate the constant hate towards russia these people have.. i find it impossible to understand in fact..

    Posted by: james | Apr 9 2021 17:00 utc | 1

    It’s a nice day out. And maybe too nice to complain about the mess the United States is today. But that’s life, don’t you know. Human constructions, nations and people, come and go. But the weather, society, the birds and the bees continue oblivious to whatever the United States does.

    Too nice a day to worry about the collapse of whatever the heck it is. But it’s happening whether we want to watch or not. Meanwhile it’s not only the “rank and file” citizenry; the “Joe Sixpack” in the “flyover states” discussing this, but also the “elites” in the posh enclaves inside the elite residential areas of the North east. And they so banter about…

    Here we have a couple of elites chatting about what’s going on.

    While (initially) laws might say that everyone is equal, what actually happens is that certain types of people (psychopaths) tend to gobble up all the “power” over time. Thus resulting in a society of “elites” who rule over the nation.

    These elites are talking.

    I found it interesting, not only for the way that they are approaching the current situation; all, but also for what they know, and what they are oblivious to. As people used to say in the hills “He might be smart, but he has shit for brains”…

    These people talk about life inside of the Washington DC “beltway”, and the various “alphabet” agencies while they live in their nice plush estates, inside their gated communities. You cannot blame them. They are not oblivious to what is going on in America, and in the rest of the world on the international scene, instead, they view it from a set of “eyeglasses” that is alien to the rest of us. thus their discourse, and bantering about has value and is valuable to us.

    It’s worth taking the time to absorb…

    Here's a pretty good read about what America is, and who the "leaders" are. It came from Culture News, and I edited to fit this venue. the author wrote long expansive paragraph-long run-on sentences that was difficult to read. But aside from that, and my own artistic flourishes in this particular article, the content remains intact. It's a good read. All credit to the author.

    Please note that I interjected quotes and comments from the “Joe Six-pack” audience at the start of each section, just to keep everyone grounded. They are in dialog boxes.

    The Codevilla Tapes

    The historian of American statecraft and spycraft and conservative political philosopher Angelo Codevilla talks about the ruling elite, Jonathan Pollard, and the rise of the techno-surveillance state—and the consequent demise of the American Empire.

    By David Samuels

    No one runs America.

    That’s the terror and the beauty of American life in a nutshell.

    It is the answer to the secret of how 300 million people from many different places can live together between two oceans, sharing a future-oriented outlook that methodically obliterates any ties to the past.

    All prior lived experience is transformed into science fiction…

    …or else into self-serving evidence of …

    …the present-day moral, intellectual, and technological superiority of the brave imagineers…

    …those who are fortunate enough to live here, in the “Now”, while all who came before them are cursed.

    It’s out of control

    Yes it is.

    Thanks for pointing out the planning of US aggression. One hopes this is all brinksmanship on all sides. 

    If the plan is to take Crimea, then the USA has completely lost its mind and is hellbent on extinction rather than face collapse of 'the greatest country in the history of the world.'

    It's understandable that those wanting to see the USA get its ears boxed are frustrated by Putin/Russia's strategy of repeatedly 'turning the other cheek.'

    Rather than weakness, we can see now how Russia has consolidated its alliances, developed advanced weaponry, and consistently worked within International Law and not the Rules Based International Order of Might Makes Right.

    The United States and its equally bankrupt allies/vassals face a three-front battlefield - Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Obviously the supply chain is a problem.

    So, dear friends, the question is: How batshit crazy are the folks pulling the strings?

    Posted by: gottlieb | Apr 9 2021 17:21 utc | 7

    No one can or does control such fantasy-driven machinery…

    … which seems incapable of operating in any other way than it does, i.e., in a space with no beginning and no end…

    … but trending always toward utopia perfection.

    Learning to accept imperfection and failure may be an emotionally healthy way for adults to negotiate the terrors and absurdities of human existence, but it is not the highway to the perfectibility of man or woman-kind.

    Because the large-scale explanations that Americans offer each other about how their country works, or doesn’t work, arise from working backwards from the expectation of some future storybook perfection…

    …Americans tend to be either childishly conspiratorial or cartoonishly stupid…

    …because those are the types of explanation that tend to win out…

    …once you stipulate an ever-more-perfect-and-glorious future…

    …as the inevitable outcome of whatever snake oil it is that you are pitching to the suckers.

    The Snake Oil Addiction

    To my mind, the most chilling sentence uttered in this whole affair was by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He said "that any attempts to start a new military conflict in Ukraine’s war-torn east could end up destroying Ukraine".

    Lavrov never speaks like this and the Russians do not bluff.

    Zelensky signed a decree recently stating Ukraine's intent to take back the Donbass AND Crimea! This means if Ukraine attacks, Russia WILL intervene and destroy Ukraine as we know it. I think it means Russian tanks will roll on Kiev to stop this war forever.

    Moves like recalling the US Ambassador are very ominous and usually prelude all out war between nations. Combined with Lavrov's warning, Russia is giving all possible signals it is ready for war with Ukraine AND the US.

    Posted by: Mar man | Apr 9 2021 18:03 utc | 13

    In today’s America, these explanations come in the form of shallow and sweeping identitarian polemics (“white people” or “globalists” run “everything”)…

    … indecipherable academese backed by graphed coefficients (people are motivated by “rational self-interest,” as calculated by academics)…

    … or as appeals to a glorified and abstracted historical past (“the Founding Fathers,” “the melting pot”)…

    …whose promises of future perfection may have seemed real enough to past generations, but must now grow ever more distant with every new iteration of Moore’s law.

    Who is in control?

    Martyanov is correct in the sense that the USA can only claim to be "universal" (empire) as long as it keeps the European Peninsula in its hold.

    psychohistorian @ 4 states that the USA would still be the world empire even if it loses Europe because it has the financial system. But this financial system, including the dollar standard, would mean jack shit without Eurasia. The Americans would lose, by definition of the term, the petrodollar if it were to lose Eurasia, plus most of the world trade. The USD would have nothing to back it up as the world standard fiat currency; at most it would still be a strong, well-respected fiat currency (a la Swiss Franc, Pound Sterling, Euro, Yen and now the Renminbi) which would probably still be the currency used in Latin America and the Pacific region - but the power to enforce economic sanctions the USA has today would be instantly over.

    Without its great foothold in the European Peninsula, the USA would certainly lose any serious claim to be a world empire. Maybe if it somehow would be able to keep the Middle East (through Israel and Saudi Arabia) - but that would probably be a Justinian version of the American Empire, not the Good Ol' American Empire of the times of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

    If it were to lose the European Peninsula, the USA would just have Japan, South Korea, Australia and other Western Pacific islands as its last serious footholds in Eurasia. It would be what I called here sometimes a "Byzantine" USA - essentially a Western Empire, with some footholds in the Western Pacific, memories of a glorious long gone past. It would not mean the end of the American Empire by any stretch of the imagination (the true end of the American Empire can only be achieved by internal conflicts/contradictions, not external), but it would certainly mean the beginning of another era (a much less glorious one) of its history, for sure.

    Posted by: vk | Apr 9 2021 18:19 utc | 15

    Which is not to say that America isn’t governed by an elite class, just like China, or Japan, or France is—only that the ability of that class to actually rule anything is even more constrained by the native culture.

    The idea that an advanced technologically driven capitalist or socialist society of several hundred million people can be run by something other than an elite is silly or scary…

    …the most obvious present-day alternative being a society run by ever-advancing forms of AI, which will no doubt have only the best interests of their flesh-and-blood creators at heart.

    Yet it is possible to accept all of this, and to posit that the reason that the American ruling class seems so indisputably impotent and unmoored in the present…

    …is that there is no such thing as America anymore.

    In place of the America that is described in history books…

    …, where Henry Clay forged his compromises, and Walt Whitman wrote poetry, and Herman Melville contemplated the whale, and Ida Tarbell did her muckraking, and Thomas Alva Edison invented movies and the light bulb, and so forth…

    … has arisen something new and vast and yet distinctly un-American.

    That for lack of a better term is often called the American Empire.

    Which in turn calls to mind the division of Roman history (and the Roman character) into two parts: the Republican, and the Imperial.

    The American Empire

    I guess the Russians made clear they mean business:

    "What happened and how this could be, that mighty Ukraine and her US handlers suddenly want to prioritize "political and diplomatic way". Well, here is some snippet of suddenly a much more peaceful mindset with a bit of explanation of this sudden (not really) change:

    The United States on Thursday said it was discussing Russia’s military build-up near the Ukrainian border with Nato allies as fresh reports showed Russia deploying ballistic missiles to the area. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that Washington was “increasingly concerned” about what has been described as Russia’s largest military manoeuvres in the area since the break-out of hostilities in eastern Ukraine in 2014. “Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed this week alone. These are all deeply concerning signs,” Ms Psaki told reporters on Thursday."

    And suddenly the Ukrainians become angels of peace: ""Liberation" of Donbass by power means will lead to mass loss of life among civilians and military personnel--this is unacceptable for Kiev, stated the Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak. "Being dedicated to universal human values and norms of humanitarian law (I am under the table trying to get up....), our state places the life of its citizens on the first place (I tried to get up, fell again...)",

    https://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2021/04/another-day-another-tune.html
    One could just as well say "tail between their legs" running...

    Posted by: Peter | Apr 9 2021 18:30 utc | 18

    While containing the ghosts of the American past, the American Empire is clearly a very different kind of entity than the American Republic was…

    …starting with the fact that the vast majority of its inhabitants aren’t Americans.

    Ancient American ideas about individual rights and liberties, the pursuit of happiness, and so forth, may still be inspiring to mainland American citizens or not…

    … but they are foreign to the peoples that Americans conquered.

    To those people, America is an empire, or the shadow of an empire, under which seemingly endless wars are fought…

    … a symbol of their own continuing powerlessness and cultural failure.

    Meanwhile, at home, the American ruling elites prattle on endlessly about their deeply held ideals…

    ….of whatever that must be applied to Hondurans today…

    …and Kurds tomorrow…

    …in fits of frantic-seeming generosity in between courses of farm-to-table fare.

    Once the class bond has been firmly established, everyone can relax and exchange notes about their kids…

    … who are off being credentialed at the same “meritocratic” but now hugely more expensive private schools that their parents attended…

    … whose social purpose is no longer to teach basic math or a common history….

    …but to indoctrinate teenagers in the cultish mumbo-jumbo that serves as a kind of in-group glue that binds ruling class initiates (she/he/they/ze) together…

    …and usefully distinguishes them from townies during summer vacations by the seashore.

    America is run by a class of people

    A quick consideration on the MIC question.

    It is patent that the USA, at this stage of its development, depends almost entirely on its defense industry - which is backed up and insulated from the law of capitalism by the State - on keeping its technological prowess.

    We already know that, as the world's financial superpower, the USA is destined to deindustrialize (because that's the price of keeping the USD as the standard fiat currency without incurring the danger of hyperinflation). As it deindustrializes, another part of the world must industrialize - in this case, Asia (China in particular). That's the conditio sine qua non for the financial hegemony to exist without quickly self-destructing, i.e. another part of the world has to industrialize, you can't have a financial superpower without an industrial superpower, as the commodities are what back up money (as Marx once said, the use value is the Träger des Tauschwerts, the surface over which the house of cards can be erected).

    By exclusion, the USA can only keep its status as the financial superpower as long as it keeps absolute control over the Seven Seas (most of trade still happens through the sea), which means a strong defense industry must be kept at the behest of the financial sector (Wall Street). The Defense industry is, therefore, the exception to the rule - alongside the electronics-communications system (which gives material form to the financial system, to the USD and the stock market) - over which the USA cannot escape. If it can keep recycling USDs through multi-billionaire defense contracts with other countries, the better, as it gives another life extension to the USD. This is what happen in the famous Petrodollar scheme, where Saudi Arabia denominates its oil in USDs by buying American T-bonds, but also American military weapons and systems, which keeps Saudi Arabia sovereign and intact to keep its oil reserves denominated in USDs, in a virtuous cycle.

    That's why arms sales are so important to the USA: it keeps, at the same time, its domination of the Seven Seas and therefore of world trade thus keeping its financial system the dominant one, and decelerate its inevitable deindustrialization process.

    Posted by: vk | Apr 9 2021 18:43 utc | 19

    The understanding of America as an empire is as foreign to most Americans as is the idea that the specific country that they live in is run by a class of people who may number themselves among the elect but weren’t in fact elected by anyone.

    Under whatever professional job titles…

    … the people who populate the institutions that exercise direct power over nearly all aspects of American life from birth to death are bureaucrats…

    …university bureaucrats,

    …corporate bureaucrats,

    …local, state and federal bureaucrats,

    …law enforcement bureaucrats,

    …health bureaucrats,

    …knowledge bureaucrats,

    … spy agency bureaucrats.

    At each layer of specific institutional authority, bureaucrats coordinate their understandings and practices…

    …with bureaucrats in parallel institutions through lawyers.

    They do so in language that is designed to be impenetrable, or nearly so, by outsiders.

    Their authority is pervasive, undemocratic, and increasingly not susceptible in practice to legal checks and balances.

    All those people together comprise a class.

    For themselves, and only for themselves.

    I’ve never commented before. I’m in South Africa, with family members in Palestine and family members who’ve lived through WWII. 

    I truly hope that Russia has a strategy to make the US Mainland (I also have many American friends I dearly love) carry some of the consequences of anglozionist adventures abroad.

    The world is imploding/exploding under the weight of Western hegemony.

    None of the people I love (including my dearest family and friends or myself) will probably survive consequences a conflagration of this type could unleash. But what option is there to responding to ongoing geopolitical abuse by the US-ZIO-EU? How sad! Five billion years of evolution and this is what it comes to?

    Posted by: Xerxes | Apr 9 2021 20:49 utc | 29

    Another thing that residents of the broad North American expanse between Canada and Mexico have noticed is…

    …that the programs and remedies that this class has promoted, both at home and abroad…

    … have greatly enriched and empowered a small number of people, namely themselves.

    While the broader American population continues to decline in wealth, health, and education.

    Meanwhile, the American Empire that the ruling elite administers is collapsing.

    The popularity of such observations on both the left and the right is what accounts for the rise of Donald Trump, on one hand, and of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on the other hand…

    … among an electorate that has not been historically distinguished by its embrace of radicalism.

    Add those voter bases together, and perhaps 75% of Americans would seem to agree that their country, however you think of it, is in big trouble.

    And that the fault lies with the country’s self-infatuated and apparently not-so-brilliant elite.

    Why Empires Fall

    Xerxes, Russia (or any other country) is unlikely to “make the US Mainland carry some of the consequences of anglozionist adventures abroad”. This could only happen in a “post-war/Nurenburg” type scenario, once the US has already been defeated. What they will do, and have been doing, is to separate from the US monetary system, work together with other resistance countries, and let the US isolate itself and fade as a result of this.

    Fortunately the US empire has been weakening, and other countries developing and strengthening and working together under an ostensibly fairer paradigm. The worm has been turning against the empire. This is something to be happy and hopeful about.

    Posted by: Featherless | Apr 9 2021 21:18 utc | 33

    Every student of history has their own theory about how and why empires fall.

    My theory is this:

    The wealth of any empire flows disproportionately to the capital, where it nourishes the growth, wealth, and power of the ruling elite.

    As the elite grows richer and more powerful, the gulf between the rulers and the ruled widens…

    … until the beliefs and manners of the elite bear little connection to those of their countrymen…

    … whom they increasingly think of as their clients or subjects.

    That distance creates resentment and friction.

    In response to which the elite takes measures to protect itself.

    The more wealth and power the elite controls, the more insulation it must purchase.

    Disastrous mistakes are hailed as victories or are made to appear to have no consequences at all.

    This is done in order to protect the aura of collective infallibility that protects ruling class power and privilege.

    What happens next…

    the US sociopaths want to do in Europe much the same as what they did in Iraq - but using different means/proxies:

    Create a situation of much chaos in a chosen country, as a relatively modern state dissolves, and use that as a pretext both to inject themselves even more into that region's affairs, and also to spread the 'contagion' of 'chaos' to other surrounding states..... where the US sociopaths who run the Empire will try (again) for regime changes in the surrounding nations (from Serbia to Georgia to the other Black Sea states) and beyond.

    that the puppet Zelensky has been off to Qatar and next Turkey is a sure sign that these mindless people in the US national security state are going to try once again using the psychopathic jihadists as one of their means to inject instability, terror and chaos into the region.

    on top of all that, as many commentators have already pointed out, as soon as Russia intervenes in a big way (if it does go that route), the Nord-Stream project is over with, Germany is without its gas and gas hub plans - plus there's now no gas/oil going to Europe via the Ukraine.

    So two birds with one stone: northern/central Europe is then even more dependent on the US for energy, as well as 'protection' from the big bad bear.

    Posted by: michaelj72 | Apr 9 2021 21:54 utc | 44

    What happens next is pretty much inevitable in every time and place…

    …Spain, France, Great Britain, Moghul India, you name it…

    … Freed from the laws of gravity, the elite turns from the hard work of correct strategizing and wise policymaking…

    …to the much less time-consuming and much more pleasant work of perpetuating its own privileges forever.

    In the course of which endeavor the ruling elite is revealed to be a bunch of idiots and perverts who spend their time prancing around half naked while setting the territories they rule on fire.

    The few remaining decent and competent people flee this revolting spectacle, while the elite compounds its mistakes in an orgy of failure.

    The empire then collapses.

    Sanity Check

    Interesting to see the sudden back-peddling by the Kiev mouthpieces. I see a few different things going on here. First, and the biggest, is that I have come to believe that Russia (and China) has finally had enough, what with the constant pinpricks of the Trump years and now the absolute vitriol and diplomacy-killing antics of O'Biden, and have decided that everything else has been tried, the only way the US will listen is if it gets its nose bloodied, and bloodied good. Too many years of no consequences. So with this in mind, I believe Russia (and perhaps China) are actually looking for a good opportunity to inflict pain.

    Posted by: J Swift | Apr 9 2021 22:51 utc | 50

    In the hopes of confirming or disproving my theory, I recently traveled out to a vineyard in Plymouth, Northern California. There I found Angelo Codevilla.

    He, who along with Michael Walzer of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the few American political philosophers who combines a deep sense of the Western moral and philosophical traditions with a hard-nosed sense of how the American political system actually works.

    While I am naturally more inclined toward Walzer-ism, I thought it would be fair minded to give Codevilla a hearing, despite the fact that he identifies as a conservative Catholic rather than as a liberal Northeastern Jew.

    As a sometime student of intelligence work, I will also admit to being an attentive reader of Codevilla’s book Informing Statecraft.

    Which together with Norman Mailer’s novel Harlot’s Ghost offers a fair guide to the karmic evolution of the U.S. intelligence community.

    Codevilla’s former boss in the U.S. Senate, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, had this to say about his protégé’s book:

    Woodrow Wilson once spoke of the demands that would be made on Presidents in the age to come; demands of a kind that could only be met by “wise and prudent athletes, a small class.” Such is Angelo Codevilla; one of the small class of intelligence analysts who has actually been there. Read him; although I plead: Do not invariably agree!

    What follows is an edited record of our conversation, which began when I arrived at the Codevilla vineyard in the evening and then continued the next morning, after the Codevillas invited me to spend the night at their house and then served me a delicious breakfast.

    ***

    The Ruling Elite

    David Samuels: In 2010, you wrote an article, which then became a book, in which you predicted the rise of someone like Donald Trump as well as the political chaos and stripping away of institutional authority that we’ve lived through since. Did you think your prediction would come true so quickly?

    Angelo Codevilla: I didn’t predict anything. I described a situation which had already come into existence. Namely, that the United States has developed a ruling class that sees itself as distinct from the raw masses of the rest of America. That the distinction that they saw, and which had come to exist, between these classes, comprised tastes and habits as well as ideas. Above all, that it had to do with the relative attachment, or lack thereof, of each of these classes to government.

    David Samuels: One of the things that struck me about your original piece was your portrait of the American elite as a single class that seamlessly spans both the Democratic and Republican parties.

    Angelo Codevilla: Of course, yes. Not in exactly the same way, though; what I said was that the Democrats were the senior partners in the ruling class. The Republicans are the junior partners.

    The reason being that the American ruling class was built by or under the Democratic Party. First, under Woodrow Wilson and then later under Franklin Roosevelt. It was a ruling class that prized above all its intellectual superiority over the ruled. And that saw itself as the natural carriers of scientific knowledge, as the class that was naturally best able to run society and was therefore entitled to run society.

    The Republican members of the ruling class aspire to that sort of intellectual status or reputation. And they have shared a taste of this ruling class. But they are not part of the same party, and as such, are constantly trying to get closer to the senior partners. As the junior members of the ruling class, they are not nearly as tied to government as the Democrats are. And therefore, their elite prerogatives are not safe.

    David Samuels:  As a young person moving through American elite institutions, I was always struck by the marginal status of those other people you mention, Republicans. Clearly, they were not as bright as me and my friends were, which is why they were marginal, even if they had an easier path to some kind of dubious status as pseudo-intellectuals in their second- or third-rate party organs. That hardly mattered, though. The New York Times was the important newspaper, and it was a liberal newspaper. The New Yorker was an important magazine, and so it was a liberal magazine. Right-wing types might look instead to the Conservative Review of Books, published out of Mobile, Alabama, or the Jesuit review of something or another. But nobody was quaking in their boots about how such places might review your work. All the cultural capital was on the Democratic side of the ledger.

    Angelo Codevilla: What a marvelous recitation of ruling class prejudice.

    Of course, you would not have judged them to be nearly as intelligent as you folks were. And you probably didn’t imagine that others would think you less intelligent.

    David Samuels: Let them rant and rave about their conspiracy theories and whatnot. They didn’t matter.

    Angelo Codevilla: Well, they didn’t matter. Because of the power that you wielded, because of the institutions that you controlled.

    Now let me give you an alternative. In France, with which you tell me you are acquainted, you have meritocracy in government and institutions. Meritocracy ensured by competitive exams. I, and a bunch of nonliberal democrats as myself, would be absolutely delighted if institutions like The New York Times, The Atlantic, were to open their pages to people who bested others in competitive exams. But of course, they’re not thinking at all of doing that. As a matter of fact, the institutions of liberal America have been moving away from competitive exams as fast as they know how.

    In living memory, and I’m an example of that, it was for a time possible for nonliberal Democrats to get into the American foreign service, and if they did as I did, and scored number one in their class, they would have their choice of assignments. But now, you have all sorts of new criteria for admission into the foreign service, which have supposedly ensured greater diversity. In fact, what they had done was to eliminate the possibility that the joint might be invaded by lesser beings of superior intelligence.

    David Samuels: There is a curious mélange of dispensations under which people are escorted into the grand ballroom of the good and the great, right? Category one were with high test scores. Then there were the children of people who had gone to these institutions in previous generations, whose parents have money and might be named Cabot or Lowell. Then there were the admissions categories that cover you in the opposite direction—4.8% African Americans plus at least one white person who grew up without shoes in the mountains of West Virginia. These covering cases were useful because they could be trumpeted as proof of how far and wide the net was cast. All of which went to show that the most meritorious people were all gathered together in this place, and were therefore fit to rule everyone else.

    Angelo Codevilla: Merit as defined by what?

    David Samuels: I have no idea.

    Angelo Codevilla Merit as defined by the capacity to be attractive to those at the top of the heap. In other words what you have is rightly called not meritocracy, but co-option.

    Now it is one of the fundamental truths of our co-option that it results in a negative selection of elites. That each group selects people who are just a smacking below themselves, so that generation after generation, the quality of those at the top deteriorates.

    David Samuels: Are you suggesting that the all-white Christian male elites, who largely inherited their status from their parents, were more deserving of their elevated status than their more diverse counterparts, like the people who ran American foreign policy under President Barack Obama?

    Angelo Codevilla: I don’t know that the statesmen of the 1920s and ’30s were any more meritorious than the folks under Barack Obama, because they themselves were not selected by any meritocratic criteria, as you suggest. However, I do know, having taught college for many years, that the amount of work that was done by college students 50 years ago or more was considerably greater than the amount of work that is done by college graduates today.

    David Samuels: As a graduate of two elite American universities, I am entirely willing to grant that point.

    Angelo Codevilla: Them that don’t work so much don’t learn so much, usually.

    David Samuels:  There is something funny to me about your description of these people as the “elite” or a “ruling class,” though. I picture grand country homes like in the Masterpiece Theatre production of Brideshead Revisited. But if you look at your American elite, you find earnest bureaucratic types living in collegiate apartments with Ikea furniture.

    Angelo Codevilla No. Not Ikea furniture.

    David Samuels:  You’re talking about a class of people who are academics or lawyer-bureaucrats living on federal government and NGO salaries.

    Angelo Codevilla They have far more money than people who don’t have similar government attachments. The fact is that proximity to government power has meant, and does mean, more money and greater possibility.

    David Samuels: I think about the tech oligarchs who park their multibillion-dollar fortunes offshore.

    Angelo Codevilla: I would dispute that.

    David Samuels: Really?  How many tens of billions of dollars has Apple parked offshore? How much money do Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer and Mark Zuckerberg pay in taxes?

    Angelo Codevilla: Apple and Bill Gates have secured their money, not so much by relocating, but by having become the biggest lobbyists in the country. That is the source of their financial security.

    The point of the ruling class is precisely the confusion of public and private power. This is, in fact, this is becoming in fact a corporate state. Which by the way was pioneered by one of my former countrymen by the name of Benito.

    David Samuels: So, when you’re talking about the ruling class, you’re positing a continuum between the Silicon Valley oligarchs with their hundred-billion-dollar fortunes and these public employee and NGO types.

    Angelo Codevilla: I am indeed. That is the meaning of the word party. The Democratic Party is in fact composed of the very people that you are talking about.

    Parties are by nature coalitions, each part of which benefits from the other. But they share certain things in common. One of them is contempt for Americans who are outside of their ranks.

    David Samuels: You call those contemptible people the “country party.”

    Angelo Codevilla: Precisely. Here, I’m borrowing an 18th-century British term.

    David Samuels: I thought it was a good term because it brings to mind country music.

    Angelo CodevillaThat too. Have you ever been to Branson, Missouri? Do you even know what it is?

    David Samuels: I gather it’s neither Aspen nor Hollywood.

    Angelo Codevilla: Branson, Missouri, is an entertainment center, larger in every way than Hollywood. It is located in Branson, Missouri, in the Ozarks. It is one of the homes of country music stars and starlets. It’s a huge complex of every kind of family entertainment, from bass fishing to theater, music, museums, anything you can imagine. Now the fact that you have never heard of it typifies the limitations of the ruling class.

    David Samuels: My oligarchical snobbery.

    Angelo CodevillaNo, no, no. You haven’t even risen to that.

    David Samuels: I’m a piker. I bet $5 on the trifecta at the dog track.

    Angelo Codevilla: It typifies the limitations of the ruling class mind, not even to understand that over which you are lording it.

    David Samuels: So, what role do the poor and disadvantaged people of America play in your scheme? As I’m sure you understand, the reason we members of the elite class accumulate so much money and power is to be good allies for those who are less fortunate than we are. At least that’s what they teach my children in these schools that cost $35,000 a year.

    Angelo Codevilla: You certainly do teach them that. It is a youthful pretense. It is a pretense to which the Roman patricians did not stoop.

    David Samuels: But eventually they did, right? Constantine got them. The nobles all made public displays of their Christian charity.

    Angelo Codevilla: No, no, go back. The Roman patricians call these unfortunates clients. Their relationship with their clients is precisely your relationship with the unfortunate and the poor. They are your pawns, the people whose votes you take.

    David Samuels: So, when I express my sincere concern about transgender rights, you would presumably accuse me of manufacturing a new category of clients—and at the same time, a new class of bigots for me to self-righteously oppose.

    Angelo CodevillaYou are not manufacturing a class, or rather you are exploiting that class’ weakness to turn that class into clients.

    Most of all, what you are giving them—which really in a sense they crave more than anything else—is a sense of grievance against the rest of America. Grievance is the handle by which you push these pawns into your cultural wars.

    David Samuels: What an ungenerous way to describe my noble instinct to help the less fortunate. Do the less fortunate truly have nothing to be aggrieved about, here in America?

    Angelo Codevilla: Whatever they have to be aggrieved about, that grievance serves your instrumental purpose. Their grievance is your happiness. If they didn’t have a grievance, you’d try to manufacture it. Their having a grievance is an occasion for you to, to sharpen it, to scratch it, and to make it more relevant to them than it otherwise would be.

    David Samuels: So, what exactly does the authority of the beneficent class I am supposedly part of, and which you seem to abhor, rest upon? There is the inherent rightness of my views, of course, which is proven by science—

    Angelo Codevilla: Well, no. It is founded upon your will to power.

    David Samuels: But look at all the wonderful benefits we elitists have to offer, like Davos in the wintertime. Why shiver out in the cold, Angelo?

    Angelo Codevilla: Let me crib my response to you. Verily, verily I say unto thee, they have their reward. Do people in your class know where that comes from?

    David Samuels: I’m a Jew, so I get a mulligan on quotations from the New Testament.

    Angelo CodevillaI read the first part of the Bible as well as the second, so you ought to read the second as well as the first.

    David Samuels: So people have insisted to the Jews throughout our history.

    Now tell me: How does your eccentric description of the American elites square with what we know to be the American democratic system? Congress makes the laws. The president of the United States is in charge of the executive functions of government. And then there’s the Supreme Court, which makes sure everything’s constitutionally kosher.

    What you are describing is a kind of semiconspiratorial extraconstitutional elite superstructure whose actions do not accord with American civics textbooks or what I read in the newspaper.

    Angelo Codevilla: Thank you! Right over the plate.

    You are describing, and the textbooks describe, what used to be the American system of government, which has not existed since the late 1930s. The last attempt to revive that system, to make it rise up out of the overlay of administrative agencies that the New Deal built, was the Supreme Court of Schechter Poultry vs. the United States, 1935, the essence of which decision was to say that a legislative power cannot be delegated. Were that maxim to be enforced, the FAA, the FCC, and on and on, all of these agencies would cease to exist because they are, quite literally, unconstitutional. Now the Supreme Court has held them to be constitutional under the fiction that they are in fact merely filling in the interstices of laws. However, your average law passed by Congress these days consists almost exclusively of grants to these agencies to do whatever it is they wish.

    Which is why, when Nancy Pelosi said of Obamacare that we would only know what it contained after it was passed, she was entirely correct. She was describing the way the American government works, which is in fact, to use your words, a vast conspiracy between the best lawyers on the outside and the best lawyers on the inside of government. They call each other, both on the inside and the outside, stakeholders. And the rest of us are what, scumbags?

    David Samuels: Deplorables.

    Angelo Codevilla: Deplorables, yes. But we’re not stakeholders, we who are neither regulators nor regulated entities, but rather ordinary people. We are not parties to this covenant.

    There’s a lecture given by James Wilson, the signer of the Declaration of Independence and the head of the first American law school, about the difference between American law and law everywhere else in the Western world. Elsewhere, law came from power. In America, positive law will be valid only if it was in accordance with the laws of nature and nature’s god.

    David Samuels: But that’s not the basis of the revolt of the deplorables, or the country party, as you call it.

    Angelo Codevilla: The basis of the revolt is simple. We realize that you hate us and therefore we hate you back. And we will take anybody, not that we found this man who fits our description, because Donald Trump didn’t fit anybody’s description of what they wanted. But we will take anybody who’ll take a swing at you.

    Which is why I originally wrote at the back of that essay, that this revolution would be for the better or the worse. Because of the urgency that the country class felt. For getting out of all of this.

    David Samuels: You seem to have had a marvelous life, though.

    Angelo Codevilla: Fraught with all manner of difficulties. I had several job offers just as I was finishing my comps, and then I got drafted. By the time I came out of the service, there were no jobs to be had. And so first I worked at a jerkwater college in Pennsylvania. Too awful for words, I got out of there, but I couldn’t find anything else. So I did the only thing that I could do, which is to pass exams. I got into the foreign service. And then from there to the Hill and then to Stanford to the Hoover Institution and then to Boston. While I was on the Hill, I also taught ancient and modern political thought in Georgetown.

    I probably would have done better for myself and my family if I stayed in the foreign service. Or, in the depths of my depression I got admitted to Berkeley Law school. But hey, you’re right. I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

    David Samuels: You got to write. You got to think. You got to see the kinds of things that were going to feed your writing.

    Angelo Codevilla: I got to teach a lot of students, several of them are teaching right now. And they’re doing good work. Books, we’ll see. I don’t think I’m going to write another book because the last one I wrote, hell of a good book, didn’t sell very much. But who knows. If I get some time off of the vineyard here, and I don’t get too many irrigation systems going wrong or things like that, I’ll write some more.

    ***

    The Rise of the Surveillance State

    David Samuels: You have some real knowledge of how the American intelligence community thinks and operates, from your days as a staffer working for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

    Angelo Codevilla:  Senate staffer in control of the intelligence budget. My senator was the chairman of the Budget Subcommittee of the Intelligence Committee. Which means that the budgets came through him and therefore through me. And back then we had markups and we could punish those who were not forthright with us, and we did.

    David Samuels: How do you understand the seemingly unchecked growth of this globe-spanning American surveillance apparatus, and how do you understand the danger of that apparatus being turned to domestic political purposes?

    Angelo Codevilla:  There’s always danger inherent in secrecy. And you know secrecy of course is central to intelligence operations. Secrecy most often is used not for the good of the operation, but to safeguard the reputations of those who are running the operations.

    The agencies, like all bureaucracies, have always tried to aggrandize themselves, build their reputations, in order to make and spend more money. Get more high-ranking positions. Get more post-retirement positions for their people in the industries that support them. They’ve done exactly what bureaucrats in other agencies have done, neither more nor less.

    But the business they’re in, which involves surveillance, is uniquely dangerous, because surveillance is inherently a political weapon. Inherently so. And there is never any lack of appetite for increasing the power of surveillance, and for increasing the reach of surveillance.

    Fortunately, especially in my time on the Hill, we had pretty good resistance against bureaucratic attempts to increase the reach of government surveillance over the rest of the country.

    Then along came 9/11, and congressmen, senators, who didn’t know any better, were rather easily persuaded, and for that matter Presidents—George W. Bush being exhibit number one—were very easily persuaded, that giving the agencies something close to carte blanche for electronic surveillance would help to keep the country safe. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was amended in 2008 to accommodate the practices which had evolved extralegally under George Bush, which essentially allowed the agencies to wiretap at will, so long as they claimed that this was for foreign intelligence purposes. In this regard, they claimed that what they were doing was within the spirit, if not the letter, of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which stated that any warrantless collection of electronic intelligence, bugging and other means of collection in finding intelligence, could capture the communications of U.S. persons, only incidentally in the course of capturing the communications of foreign targets.

    The 2008 amendments legalized this practice, and added the capacity of the agencies to compel communications companies to help upstream collection of emails etcetera, which would then be recorded. The act, rather the amendment, contains an even longer list of apparent restrictions on how these intercepts of Americans may be used. But these restrictions are basically for show because, essentially, once the foreign intelligence surveillance court authorized a particular operation the practical means of judicial review of what has happened, of how it is being carried out, are so complicated as to be unworkable. And besides, what the hell do judges know about the substance of these things?

    Therefore, to get to the point of your question, this increased power and lax attitude conserving it posed a temptation to use these tools for the convenience of the administration in power, which was made much more likely by the increasing identification of the senior ranks of the intelligence community with your ruling class. To the point that these people, being ordinary sentient human beings, believe what the people at the top of their class are saying about the opposition.

    David Samuels: We are good, and they are bad.

    Angelo Codevilla:  We are good and these opponents of ours, which mean to take over our positions, are bad people, they are dangerous to the country, and therefore why not look for every possible means of keeping them out of office?

    David Samuels: You were directly involved in the drafting of the original FISA law in 1978.

    Angelo Codevilla:  That’s correct.

    David Samuels: In the aftermath of the Church Committee revelations, yes?

    Angelo Codevilla:  Right. Now you use that term “the Church Committee” in the context that it was something that was antagonistic to the intelligence business. It was not. The Church Committee was a joint operation between, let’s call it “the left” inside the intelligence community, specifically the CIA, and their friends on the Hill. The result of it was that the left component of that bureaucracy has control of the CIA now.

    The drafting of FISA was a cooperative enterprise between the Democratic majority, at that point, of Congress, the staffers being all Church Committee staffers, every one of them. And the ACLU. What I’m calling the establishment left. They were the drafters.

    But the impetus of the drafting came from the FBI, primarily, and secondarily from the CIA, the NSA. The reason for their pressure was that the left had sued individual members of the FBI for having wiretapped them during the Vietnam War, in their communications with North Vietnam, communist Czechoslovakia, the KGB, and so on. Now they didn’t like that, and they wanted to make sure that nothing like that ever happened again.

    So the point of FISA from the standpoint of the left was to keep that from happening again. The point of FISA from the standpoint of the FBI etcetera was never to be in a position to be sued again.

    David Samuels: Right. A judge signed it. So now it’s legal.

    Angelo Codevilla:  Right. What the FBI etcetera demanded was preauthorization. We will not do any wiretapping unless it is preauthorized. Unless we are ipso facto clean.

    Now the objections to FISA were primarily of a constitutional kind, mainly that wiretapping for national security was an inherent part of presidential power. The president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. And that was a true objection.

    I however made a different objection, although I agreed with the constitutional objection. I said that pre-authorization, pre-clearance of wiretapping, would be an unendurable temptation for people in the agencies to do whatever the hell they wanted. They would be exempt from the prudence that the fear of being sued would impose.

    My objection caught the eye of the American Bar Association at the time, which organized a debate on that subject at the University of Chicago Law School, with me on one side, and a local law professor by the name of Antonin Scalia on the other.

    Scalia took the position that the danger, which I described, which he found real, was minor compared to the need to get the agencies doing their job vigorously. We see how the future turned out.

    I must note that Scalia is a southern Italian. And I am a northerner.

    David Samuels: When you saw the Snowden revelations about Stellar Wind and these other collection programs which then were retroactively legalized—what was your response?

    Angelo Codevilla:  “What else is new?”

    David Samuels: Along with the impetus of 9/11, do you feel that the technology itself fundamentally—

    Angelo Codevilla:  Sure. Technology itself increased the possibilities. And it would have taken real self-restraint for people to say, “No. We could do this, but we won’t.”

    David Samuels: We fear the future threat to the constitutional order.

    Angelo Codevilla:  We ought not to have such powers.

    David Samuels: Please remove me from temptation, said no one, ever.

    Angelo Codevilla:  Well as a matter of fact, Christians do “lead us not into temptation” all the time.

    David Samuels: You do say “lead us not into temptation,” but I am not aware of the Christian prayer that says “please take away the chocolate cake while I’m in the middle of eating it.”

    Angelo Codevilla:  Well, St. Augustine said exactly that, you know, “Lord make me pure, but not yet.”

    ***

    Are Assange and Snowden heroes or villains?

    David Samuels: I was an early and avid supporter of Julian Assange, who is now the devil for both the Democratic and Republican elite factions and appears to have vanished into a dark hole. But I have always defended him, because I felt that at the heart of his project, and no one else’s project, was a fundamental insight into how information was controlled and moves in the modern surveillance state, and how to confront it using the actual tools that are now in play.

    When people said, that’s not journalism, I have always looked at them and said, “Yeah, it is. Or at least, it’s more like journalism than most of what passes now for journalism. It is a method for making public the fundaments of how the country is actually being governed.” I don’t know how you’re supposed to have a democratic society without that kind of transparency into the bureaucracies that spy on us and lie about it—and have turned a supine press into these pathetic hand puppets.

    If you look at the universe of government bureaucrats and contractors and all the rest, there are now well more than a million Americans with some form of top secret or higher security clearance. Now I can accept that something is properly a secret if only five people know it, or if 40 people know it, or even 400 people. But there is no such thing as a secret that is shared by 1 million people. That is an anti-democratic exercise of power by a bureaucracy.

    Angelo Codevilla: I agree with everything you said, up until the time you got to numbers. Because military operations involve a lot of people. Some intelligence operations are essentially military operations which put people’s lives at risk. The line must be drawn where the military is involved.

    However, every word you said concerning Julian Assange, I agree with. Every last word.

    David Samuels: Did you understand Edward Snowden to be a knowing Russian agent? As someone who was used and manipulated by the Russians?

    Angelo Codevilla:  I do not know. What is fairly clear is that Snowden entered government service with the idea of doing something like what he did, which certainly removes him from the category of whistleblower. He is certainly no innocent.

    But regardless of his motivation, I am glad that he existed. And I’m glad that he did what he did.

    The United States does not suffer, and has never suffered, from a lack of knowledge about the rest of the world on the basis of which to make foreign and defense policy. OK? And that is a fundamental fact. And because of that, all the fancy arguments that you must sacrifice this and that for the sake of intelligence, I think are false.

    David Samuels: One of the minor scandals that startled me in the late Obama/early Trump interregnum was the unmasking scandal, which struck me as much more significant than people seemed willing to credit at the time. I mean, the fact that someone leaked an intercept to David Ignatius may be a crime, but it was hardly news to me. I mean, people leak stuff all the time. That’s how Washington works.

    What struck me as much more significant was the defense that “oh, actually most of these unmasking requests came from Samantha Power, in her job as U.N. ambassador.” And then it turned out it wasn’t her sitting at her desk all day long unmasking hundreds of names of U.S. citizens. It was someone she deputized in her office. She didn’t even know about these requests, or most of them, or so she claimed.

    It was news to me that ordinary low-level bureaucrats and political appointees now sit at their desks all day reading raw intercepts targeting American civilians, collected under the pretext of gathering foreign intelligence. A 26-year-old assistant can sit there all day long reading your email, based on the three-hop rule. I don’t think that’s what—

    Angelo Codevilla:  What the authors of the FISA had in mind.

    David Samuels: Authors of FISA, authors of the U.S. Constitution, you can pick your authors. Yet that has became normative reality, right?

    Angelo Codevilla:  Look. Most people who have a title in Washington don’t do their work. There’s always the chief assistant to the assistant chief, they’re the ones who do the work. And so yeah, they get deputized.

    David Samuels:  So now we have this surveillance apparatus that Snowden, James Risen, and others have detailed, which provides daytime reading material for bored 26-year-old assistants, which means that material can easily be repurposed for—

    Angelo Codevilla:  Any purpose under the sun.

    David Samuels: That is a very powerful weapon for this bureaucracy to have.

    Angelo Codevilla:  That’s the point.

    ***

    When Jeff Bezos Has Dinner With the CIA

    David Samuels:   The guys working in the White House whether under Obama or Trump aren’t writing the code for their surveillance systems. Neither are the nice people at the CIA. They’re all writing checks to Silicon Valley.

    I saw the other day that Jeff Bezos, who’s one of the most dedicated champions of democracy and the free press in America, the guy who says that democracy dies in darkness, I saw that his company, Amazon, provides all the data storage for the CIA. Now as a reporter and as a citizen, that makes me confident—

    Angelo Codevilla:   Ha, ha.

    David Samuels:   —that Jeff Bezos’ newspaper, The Washington Post, is reporting without fear or favor every day on Jeff Bezos and all these CIA and DoD contracts with Amazon, because they have such a strong incentive to make sure that everything’s on the up and up. And by the way, Amazon is definitely not listening in on your private conversations through the listening devices—in the form of digital assistants like Alexa, Echo speakers, and doorbells with spy cameras in them—that it is installing by the millions in American homes.

    Angelo Codevilla:   May I give you a quick answer to your larger question?

    David Samuels:   Yes.

    Angelo Codevilla:   It depends on who goes to dinner with whom. That’s how Washington works.

    David Samuels:   That can’t be your answer, so let’s take it from the top. There is a company called Amazon, which now has monopolistic position A, in the field of books and all printed material distributed in America, and B, in a whole host of other industries ranging from diapers to blow-up pool toys. It looks like a classic monopoly trust. You have Google, which has a near-monopoly over the search function, the leading portal to most information on the internet, and holds a monopoly on search advertising. You have Facebook, which controls 78% of entries onto the internet now through their platform. So, you have these three monopolistic companies, right, one of which also owns the only major newspaper in Washington, D.C., and which control the movement of information throughout the entire society.

    Now, another arm of Silicon Valley controls storage and access to the information that the government agencies gather on the society. And all of the money earned from both these pursuits flows back to these people, who are richer than any class of people in America since the robber barons. They got so rich by sucking out the life’s blood from five dozen different industries that employ people and destroying the 20th-century press, which played a key role in maintaining our democracy.

    Now I look at that, and I say the power is out there. You look at it and you say no, my lad. It’s about who has dinner with who in Washington.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Oh no, no, no. You misunderstand me. The ruling class transcends Washington. Part of it is in Silicon Valley, it’s in every major university town in America. It’s in Sacramento. And then you ask, what is it that ties it together?

    David Samuels:   Right, the poor associate professor of gender studies with his or her little espresso machine.

    Angelo Codevilla:   The poor associate professor of gender studies, number one is not so poor. Number two, she gets her living from the same partisan connection that Jeff Bezos does. She is part of the same party as Jeff Bezos, who has God knows how many billions.

    David Samuels:   A large fortune.

    Angelo Codevilla:   But his power as you have pointed out substantially consists of his connection with government. Although I must say one thing contrary to an absolutist view of the ruling class. That the four major trusts that you mentioned are in large part—have in large part grown naturally, organically. They’re securing themselves by government power. But the government did not force anybody to shop with Amazon.

    David Samuels:   Ah! As a matter of fact, Google and Facebook secured their monopolies and their ability to commit massive and ongoing copyright violations thanks to a little-known provision of the Communications Decency Act, which was passed by Congress in 1996 in response to a series of moral panics that engulfed America at around that time. Those included the McMartin nursery school witchcraft case

    Angelo Codevilla:   Oh ho ho ho ho. I remember that.

    David Samuels:   There was a generalized hysteria about pedophiles running nursery schools and satanic rituals involving small children. And this became part of a hysteria so significant that Congress had to pass a law. And the law specifically targeted this phenomenon which was almost entirely imaginary, even if in a few specific instances it might have also been real, as is always the case. Except for the Jews baking matzo with the blood of Christian children, of course. We didn’t actually do that.

    Angelo Codevilla:   You didn’t?

    David Samuels:   No. Matzo tastes bad enough as it is.

    So the Communications Decency Act was set up to prevent pedophiles from sharing pictures of child sexual abuse over the newfangled internet. In response to which, two farsighted members of congress, Ron Wyden and Christopher Cox, who fancied themselves experts on the digital frontier, wrote into the Communications Decency Act a section stating that internet providers shall not be considered to be publishers and that if you provide internet service or platforms or hosting you are not subject to any of the liabilities that traditionally attach to publishing information.

    Now, all of a sudden, thanks to the wisdom of the U.S. Congress, two classes of publishers were created. One class, traditional publishers, had to spend a lot of money on fact checkers, editors, lawyers, and other people because they could be held legally responsible for the information that they published in their newspapers. Another class of publishers, internet publishers, like Google at the time and Facebook as it emerged, were free from all of these potential torts. So Facebook or Google could put up any damn thing they wanted—

    Angelo Codevilla:   Yeah, except the fact that Google and Facebook supposedly exercise no control.

    David Samuels:   That’s clearly a lie, especially now. They are obviously not the telephone company.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Very interesting. At which point, one can challenge that exemption.

    David Samuels:   Except it’s now too late. They ate the 20th-century American press.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Let me give you the tiniest, tiniest glimmer from the margins, the very, very remote margins, of all of this, so you can understand my perspective. Q: There is a dream that unites progressives and bureaucrats and wealthy technologists. And where does that dream come from?

    A: It’s a dream peculiar to this class. Other classes have been united by different dreams.

    Q: Is it a substitute for religion?
    A: Yes.

    When I started working for the Senate, some folks at the agency figured out that I wasn’t a run-of-the-mill staffer. So I was visited by one of the old boys who took me up to the director’s office—the director wasn’t there at the time. He took me up via the director’s elevator, he had a key. And showed me all around and was very, very clubby with me. Then they took me to his house, which is overlooking the Potomac, with these large wolfhounds sitting about. And essentially, he said the equivalent of “all this could be yours.”

    David Samuels:   My son, if you play the game.

    Angelo Codevilla:   If you play the game. I said to myself, “Hmmmm, what did the Lord say to all this?”

    But it really is a matter of who has dinner with whom. I have worked in Washington long enough to know that people would sell their souls for invitations to be at certain tables. To be allowed to speak with this person or that. In the end, it’s all social.

    And how do you become social? You express the same thoughts, you have the same tastes. You vacation in the same places. You love the same loves, you hate the same hates.

    David Samuels:   This is a very Italianate explanation.

    Angelo Codevilla:   No, it’s not. You have the wrong idea about Italy. I’m from Northern Italy. I believe this is a hardheaded explanation of a soft but powerful reality.

    David Samuels:   These are all people who are connected to the power of government.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Either physically, i.e. economically, or emotionally—power. The dream of sharing power. The gender studies professor not only gets her money eventually from government, but she dreams of being part of a world-transforming enterprise.

    David Samuels:   Here, I agree with you. There is a dream that unites progressives and bureaucrats and wealthy technologists. And where does that dream come from?

    Angelo Codevilla:   It’s a dream peculiar to this class. Other classes have been united by different dreams.

    David Samuels:   Is it a substitute for religion?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Yes.

    David Samuels:   Is that its primary emotional charge?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Well, I don’t know about primary. Look, the primary element is, as we Christians were taught, pride. That is the sin of sins. There is nothing that moves human beings quite so much as the desire to be on top of other human beings.

    David Samuels:   It’s interesting. I’m a Jew. But there are things that are lacking in our tradition, just as there are things that are very well developed in our tradition. You know, decent food can be lacking in our traditions.

    Angelo Codevilla:   However, not in Italy.

    David Samuels:   Oh, my God. The Jewish food in Italy is fantastic.

    Angelo Codevilla:   The Jewish food in Italy is fabulous.

    David Samuels:   I see that more as a reflection on Italy than the Jews.

    ***

    Henry Kissinger Meets the Demon Emperor

    David Samuels:   Judaism as it has existed for the last 2,000 years is an exilic tradition. The religion took the place of both the rituals in the Temple and the state itself. It was all ritualized. So for a 2,000-year-old tradition that’s remarkably elaborated and rich and subtle in so many areas, you have remarkably little discussion of political power—including the sins related to power, the proper ways to exercise power, all that was outside the experience of these people because they were politically powerless. Religion took the place of statecraft.

    Israel hasn’t necessarily helped. Why do Jews want political power? To keep themselves from being exterminated. Why does a Jewish state want a strong army? Because if you don’t have one, people are going to wipe you out. In the Middle East, that’s a pretty ironclad rule. These are not very subtle or complicated ideas.

    Angelo Codevilla:   But there are plenty of Jews in Europe who are very well acquainted with the theory and practice of exercising power.

    David Samuels:   Of course, but—

    Angelo Codevilla:   But these Jews were not real Jews. I mean, they were not religious Jews. They happened to be Jewish but they were primarily socialists or whatever.

    David Samuels:   Or Henry Kissinger.

    Angelo Codevilla:   What a fraud.

    David Samuels:   He is an egomaniac and he is highly manipulative and he is a flatterer and a courtier. But Henry Kissinger sure ain’t dumb.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Oh no. He’s very smart. Very smart.

    David Samuels:   And one has the sense, that if he had really spent the time working on a biography of Metternich, that it would have been fantastic, too.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Yes! Look, the man never had time to be a scholar. He was taken up immediately into the world of conferences and power. And he navigated it masterfully.

    David Samuels:   Plus, he had the emotional capacity to get down on his knees and pray to Jesus with Richard Nixon after five whiskeys. And you look at Trump and you’re like, that’s what’s needed here too. Right?

    Angelo Codevilla:   What would Kissinger do with Trump? Who knows. This man Trump is something else.

    David Samuels:   I have a name for Trump: The demon emperor. Because I feel like he’s like a figure that you’d find in some Chinese chronicle, right? There was a time of terrible chaos, social disintegration, and then a Mongol invasion. They breeched the Great Wall and did this and that. And in those moments, the Demon Emperor would arise and take power. He had the head of a pig and the body of man, and he was known for his vile excesses and the terrible rampages that he’d go on, and his desecrations of ancient scrolls. Everyone bemoaned him.

    But there was a certain virtue, at times, in certain moments, to having the demon emperor around. Yes, he raped 150 virgins in surrounding villages and all their families were very upset and there’s no reason he should have done that, and he defiles the very ground he stands on, and indeed, no one of noble birth would consent to marry his daughter. At the same time, he defeated the Mongols.

    So, the real question isn’t whether Trump is vile, but rather what has he actually done, aside from being vile?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Putting a parenthesis in the conversation, talking about Chinese epics. Are you familiar with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

    David Samuels:   No.

    Angelo Codevilla:   You should be. This is a book that describes the tradition between—or rather I should say the end of the Han Dynasty around 200 A.D. The book was written over maybe 200 years. And it is partly prose, partly poetry. And it’s considered one of the great classics of Chinese literature. The Chinese government a couple years ago did a—condensed it into 95, 45-minute TV episodes. Beautifully acted, with gorgeous costume. With English translations that read something between Shakespeare and Thucydides.

    Captivating.

    I started watching it, I couldn’t stop. I mean my poor wife was left alone. And it conveyed as deep an insight into Chinese character as I’ve ever seen. To get Westerners to empathize with Chinese characters takes some doing. And you can download it, it’s free. The Chinese government has made sure you can download it for free.

    ***

    The Progressive High Church Mass

    David Samuels:    Where does the ethos of a class come from?

    Angelo Codevilla:    Here I speak with the prejudices of an academician. Because the ethos of the academy changed, evolved. And what drove the change was the growing contempt of professors for our civilization. And you Jews ought not to feel that you are any less the enemy of these people than we Christians.

    I should say the defining feature of the ruling class is a certain attitude. And that attitude developed in the academy, and that attitude became uniform throughout the country because of the uniform academy. The uniformity of the academy transformed itself into the uniformity of the ruling class.

    David Samuels:    Because that was the institution that credentialed the otherwise uncultured American masses?

    Angelo Codevilla:    It credentialed the mind and the habits. The habits of the heart. It credentialed the habits of the heart. The habits of conversation. The habits of work. The habits of logic. The habits period.

    Can you imagine a bright kid coming in contact with that kind of intellectual fraud? The smartest ones will say, “hey, I don’t want to be part of this.” He’ll do something else. He won’t be taken in. Which means that this class will continue to degrade itself.

    David Samuels:    Just as it would be wrong to understate the importance of who has dinner with whom in Washington, it would be wrong to understate the extent to which the class you dislike is moved by an idea: The rational scientific functioning of the bureaucratic state. That’s their God. I may find this attachment emotionally bizarre, but that doesn’t make it any less real.

    Angelo Codevilla:    You’re saying the same thing in two different ways. Why is it that they have dinner together? It is that they believe that they share something terribly important. And that is precisely what they believe to be their stewardship of all things good.

    Once upon a time, thus moved, they believed that they were holier than thou. Now they simply believe that they’re trendier than thou. In other words, they share the most valuable thing, which is not devotion to God but devotion to their own corporate mission. Their own corporate status. Status and mission. Status being the priests of the salvific religion of science and progress.

    David Samuels:    Yeah, that’s right. There is a monkish sense of devotion.

    Angelo Codevilla:    You’re going far too far with using the word “monkish.”

    David Samuels:    They exist! These people exist.

    Angelo Codevilla:    Oh no, no, no. They exist but they’re very few.

    I taught in Boston for many years. And believe it or not, I put my kids in the highest-ranking schools in Boston, and I had to go to a parent meetings and school celebrations. And these were, in fact, secular masses. With, including, believe it or not, the breaking of bread.

    Bread! Simple bread, passing it around. There’s a kind of faux simplicity. You have fake Puritans too.

    David Samuels:    Now the idea of the worship of the corporate bureaucratic state, right? You have a religion that is capable of attracting, if not the adherence of the majority of the country, then maybe 40% of them.

    Angelo Codevilla:    No, no, no, no, no. Not 40%. This is an elite attraction. Which attracts people who naturally, very naturally, want to rise above others.

    Again, as a kind of professor, I came across hundreds of young people who very naturally ask the question, how can I rise in life?

    David Samuels:    That is my job. I am young, I am supposed to rise.

    Angelo Codevilla:    I am supposed to rise in my life, how can I do that? And I in good conscience explain to them that the paths are there and the ladders are being provided. And they will take you to these places. You will, however, have to adapt yourself to the mindset of these folks.

    Now, if you insist on being independent minded, don’t bother. But if you do insist on being independent minded, also realize that these ladders will not be available to you.

    A lot of kids will come and tell me how much they enjoy my classes and how much they like the ancients, the way I taught the ancients. And I said to them: “Look. There is no future for you in following the likes of me. I cannot give you the kinds of internships and prospects for employment and writing that others can.”

    David Samuels:    But they also were successful it seems to me, in inculcating parts of their faith in what you would describe as their client base. Right?

    Angelo Codevilla:    No, no, no, no, no. Clients, certainly not.

    David Samuels:    They win elections in some places.

    Angelo Codevilla:    Sure, they win elections. Not through faith but through pure clientelism. And don’t forget, especially nowadays, more and more nowadays, by fostering hate, by fostering resentment against others. If you are on our side, you’re on the side of the good. But more important than that, on the other side are people who hate you.

    This is especially true with regard to blacks. They want to put you back in chains! What utter nonsense.

    David Samuels:    Jews are subjected to the same kinds of disciplinary activity. Don’t you understand that the right wingers are all secret neo-Nazis who are planning to pack you off to the gas chambers? I’m an FDR-type liberal, but I find those attempts to trigger some fearful reflex to be incredibly demeaning and offensive.

    Angelo Codevilla:    People believe mistakenly that Jews are especially smart. American Jews have proven to be dumb, politically. What is political stupidity? Political stupidity means not knowing which side your bread is buttered on.

    Jews have taken to believing the leftist propaganda that the Christians are somehow their enemies. Where in fact, there is no group that is friendlier to Jews in America.

    The more Christian you are, the more let us say pro-Jewish we tend to be. And why? Well for this very simple reason. That if you read the Bible, you don’t grow up rooting for the Philistines.

    David Samuels:    American Jews come primarily from Poland and from Russia, where the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches often played a very nasty political role and also preached a pretty harsh supersessionist doctrine. They were not friendly to Jews. Now that’s very different from American Protestantism, and also American Catholicism.

    Angelo Codevilla:    The Christian faith has always been an outgrowth of Judaism. That’s not contention, that is a fact.

    David Samuels:    Any group that has a scar, you can press on the scar and profit.

    Angelo Codevilla:    Well, yeah. But Jews are supposed to be smart.

    David Samuels:    It’s embarrassing to be the object of this kind of primitive manipulation. And both sides do it. You know how they really talk about you, you know what they say behind your back. They’re gonna make your kids bow down to Jesus! Now vote for me.

    Angelo Codevilla:    Working on the Hill, I would see these Jewish lobbyists breaking their heads against the left. Whereas if they’d gone to conservatives, they would have been greeted with open arms and gotten exactly what they wanted.

    ***

    The Cruxification of Jonathan Pollard

    David Samuels:    You were working on the Hill when Jonathan Pollard was thrown in jail for life to cover up the crimes of Aldrich Ames and others.

    Angelo Codevilla:    Oh, that’s a really big subject.

    David Samuels:    Would you say that the treatment of Pollard happened independently of the fact that he was a Jew?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Oh heavens, no. No, no, no. Since you’re asking this question to me, you obviously have read that I did what I could to champion his release. Having nothing to do with the fact that he was a Jew, and everything with the obvious falsehood of the accusations on the basis of which he was sentenced.

    David Samuels:    Right.

    Angelo Codevilla:   He certainly committed espionage. And rightly merited prison for a couple of years. Instead he got a life sentence. Which ended up to be 30-something years. Why? Certainly not on the basis of the indictment. I mean, he was accused and pleaded guilty to precisely what he did.

    What I know, which a lot of other people did not know, is that given his clearances, he could not possibly have done the things on the basis of which he was sentenced. It was simply impossible for him to do that. And every time I pointed that out to people in intelligence, they would make an argument which was untenable. Mainly that the revelation of facts in reports is tantamount or can easily lead to the revelation of sources and methods.

    Nonsense! The compartmentation of American intelligence is premised precisely on the notion that this is not possible. Or extremely difficult. And although it is theoretically possible, one would have to show precisely how it did happen. And nobody even tried to do that.

    Furthermore, Pollard was sentenced on the basis of a memorandum, which is yet secret. For our judicial system, to sentence anyone on the basis of any secret proceeding is about as un-American as anything yet.

    David Samuels:    Have you read that memorandum?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Hell no!

    David Samuels:    Did anyone ever offer you a summary of its contents?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Well, sure! But it had been only in the most general terms, to which I would say, oh? Show me how that’s possible.

    You know, if somebody says, well and by the way, the snowballs in hell were not melting. I’d say, what? How is that happening?

    David Samuels:    How do you understand his treatment?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Oh horrible, horrible.

    David Samuels:    No, I’m asking why.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Why? Well, OK. The CIA has all kinds of social-political prejudices. The first thing I learned that I did not expect to learn when I went to my job on the Hill was just how controlled and defined by certain social norms the CIA is. That it is a kind of club that secures itself through co-option. And that co-option involves the furtherance of a whole bunch of prejudices.

    So, the straightforward political prejudices are, in no particular order: liberalism, prejudice in favor of the Arabs. You probably are not aware of the corporate prejudices that existed in the favor of the Soviet Union. And they were very, very powerful at CIA, as opposed to DIA or NSA.

    To give you an example of these political, pro-Arab prejudices and how they work, when specifically relevant to the Pollard case: When Israel bombed Iraq, the CIA came to us and they formed this committee, and railed at the Israelis for having spoiled this wonderful relationship we had with this wonderful man, Saddam Hussein. I remember at the time sitting next to Pat Moynihan who gave me the elbow and chuckle.

    I would say that the majority, by far, of the intelligence committee, laughed at—this is Bobby Ray Inman. And they were cheering on Israel. Hey, bomb more!

    But CIA was coming to notify us that in fact they were cutting off the flow of certain intelligence to Israel. And they were doing so in great anger. Now these items of intelligence which were being cut off were precisely the items of intelligence that Jonathan Pollard supplied to them.

    David Samuels:    They were hurt!

    Angelo Codevilla:   They were hurt! They were hurt and they took it out on Pollard. How far did this attitude which I just described blend over into anti-Semitism? I don’t know.

    David Samuels:    Right.

    Angelo Codevilla:   But if I were a Jew, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for me to think that it did. And even though I’m not, I sure would have my suspicions.

    So that’s the essence of my attitude, attitude and subsequent involvement, such as it was, in the Pollard case. I mean I saw number one, that the reason for the CIA’s anger was wrong. And in fact, the United States had every reason to cheer what the Israelis did. And most Americans did, as a matter of fact. And later on, the subsequent administration thanked the Israelis for having done precisely what they did.

    So the CIA was wrong in that regard. And they were doubly wrong in convincing that imbecile, Caspar Weinberger, to write that un-American memorandum. And that judge should be damned by his profession for having paid attention to it. You don’t sentence people on the basis of a secret memorandum. You just don’t do that in America.

    David Samuels:    The basis for his sentencing is still classified. So who can say for sure if his sentence was unjust.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Well, no. We can say. It doesn’t matter that it’s classified, because it alleges something that couldn’t possibly have happened. You can classify it, but that doesn’t make it any truer or any likelier to be true. In fact, it makes it less likely to be so.

    ***

    Secrecy and the Rule of Law

    David Samuels: Now this opens up the last subject that I wanted to talk about at some length. Which is, what happens when secret intelligence becomes the basis for actions within the domestic sphere. This seems to me like a gathering storm cloud over this country and the freedoms that most of us still believe are ours.

    Angelo Codevilla:   Right, quite so. Two things happen. The first bad, the second worse.

    The first is that policy or action made on the basis of information that is not generally available tends to be bad policy. Secret policy doesn’t get the kind of scrutiny that ordinary policy does. And the people who make it do not themselves feel the necessity to be as careful at all that they do as they otherwise would be. So you get sloppy policymaking. You get people riding hobby horses. Not thinking through what they’re doing. And you end up with unintended consequences.

    The second is that policymaking on the basis of information not generally available allows one to cut out one’s opponent, allows one to make policy partisan. More partisan than it would otherwise be.

    David Samuels:    Would you say that the Iraq War was an example of that?

    Angelo Codevilla:   Yes, in the following way. And we’re talking of course about two Iraq wars and then the criticism applies to both in a different way.

    The first Iraq War, that is the original invasion of Iraq, happened because the president was under entirely reasonable pressure to do something serious, something definitive, about terrorism. And he concluded in his heart of hearts that overthrowing the regime would have been most vocal in its advocacy of anti-Americanism, and anti-American terrorism, would eliminate one of the major sources of terrorism, and also send a healthy message to other regimes that were in their own ways fostering terrorism.

    But, when the subject was moving about inside the highest levels of government, great resistance was encountered to this. And the Bush administration found itself searching for a rationale for that invasion that would minimize opposition from within the government and the ruling class in general. And they sent up a whole bunch of trial balloons in that regard, and the trial balloon that got the least resistance was the trope about the weapons of mass destruction. About which the evidence was always terribly sketchy. But they found that to be the most bureaucratically tenable explanation, and so they went ahead with it. That was a mistake made intramurally, which compromised the eventual support of the larger population.

    So much for the first Iraq War. The second one, being the occupation, that was decided in an even less transparent manner. We know that there was intense lobbying on the part of CIA and State for the occupation. And lobbying by the Saudis for that same course. How all that interacted and how George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice and friends soldiered all of that out and came to that particular decision, we still do not know. And they ain’t about to tell us.

    And so, we ended up with an occupation which would ostensibly be for the purpose of democratization, but which number one, shied away from democracy because everyone involved realized that democracy meant that the Shia ruled. So as a fact, the day-to-day effort of the occupation, the one that cost so many American lives, had nothing to do with democratization. It had everything to do with preserving a role for the Sunnis.

    The U.S. government never fought that war with the intention of crushing the Sunni opposition. They never fought that war with the intention of crushing the people who were shooting at Americans. And then ended up, in fact giving up on that war and paying those very people, in what was otherwise known as the Surge.

    A whole bunch of idiots, Fox News conservatives count the Surge, the so-called Surge, as a great success. Great success in what?

    Again here, this is as good an example as you will find of the wages of making policy in a nontransparent manner.

    David Samuels:    There was one quote, I forget who it came from, but it came out of an interaction of one of the reasonably high-up war planners in the Defense Department and a journalist for, I think it was, The Atlantic. And the quote was that power creates its own reality. So it doesn’t matter what we say, because even if it’s not true now, by the time we’re finished we will make it true. And therefore there is no real difference between statements that are true or false, as long as we make them.

    Do you have the sense that a similar attempt to manufacture reality was at play in what at this point are the still-unknown interactions between the CIA, the FBI, and the Obama White House with regard to the surveillance of Donald Trump’s associates, and the attempt to suggest some vast Putin-Trump conspiracy to game American elections, and whatnot?

    Angelo Codevilla:   I don’t think that it went that far. Or I should say, I don’t think the people involved thought about it that deeply.

    David Samuels:    I would agree.

    Angelo Codevilla:   I think what you had was a small pooling of resources to tweak the news cycle with regard to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, which then turned into something very major.

    David Samuels:    After the election.

    Angelo Codevilla:   After the election. It was, like Watergate, a minor attempt to gain marginal advantage. Which then, unintended by the people involved at the time, became something very big, which escaped everyone’s control.

    I believe that there are a whole bunch of people in Washington right now who are quaking in their boots because the House Intelligence Committee has shaken loose some of the documents involved. Because in the long run there are no secrets in Washington. And one can then wonder about the quality of the people who imagined that the things they did could remain secret.

    It really was a marvel. The idea was that if we all say it together long enough and we shout it loud so nothing else can be heard, then it will become the effective truth, Machiavelli’s verita effettuale. But I mean, there is a limit to this. I have some close personal friends who are more on the left, and I said to them: OK. Where’s the evidence? Who did what when to whom? Where are the quids and where are the quos? What’s going on here? And all they could say is, “Well, the investigation is going on.”

    What is not clear is just how much of the reality will come into the public’s consciousness.

    David Samuels:    Whose fault is this?

    Angelo Codevilla:   The fault here is not of Democrats on the left. The fault here is of Donald Trump and his friends who have refused to enforce the most basic laws here. The most obvious one is Section 798, (18 U.S. Code), the simple comment statute. Now anybody in the intelligence business knows that this is the live wire of security law. It is a strict liability statute. It states that any revelation, regardless of circumstance or intent, any revelation period, of anything having to do with U.S. communications intelligence is punishable by the 10 and 10. Ten years in the slammer, and $10,000 fine. Per count.

    Now the folks who went to The Washington Post and The New York Times in November and December of 2016 and peddled this story of the intelligence community’s conclusion that Trump and the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia, these people ipso facto violated §798.

    Considering these matters are highly classified, and that the number of the people involved is necessarily very small, identifying them is child’s play. But no effort to do that has been made.

    David Samuels:    But doesn’t that failure in turn point to what is, to some extent, the root of this entire drama, which is that Donald Trump seems unfamiliar with and temperamentally at odds with the executive function that he has now assumed?

    Angelo Codevilla:   That’s certainly true. But you have to go beyond Donald Trump, to Republican power holders in general. These people far more than Donald Trump would be inclined to forbear for the sake of comity with the ruling class. And what kind of comity are we talking about? We’re talking about social comity. Because if you follow the law in this case, you end up putting former directors of CIA, FBI etcetera behind bars. They, and a whole bunch of their subordinates. Maybe a dozen people here would end up behind bars.

    David Samuels:    We’ve come to accept that certain classes of people are in fact above the law.

    Angelo Codevilla:   We have come to accept that.

    The election of 2016 was precisely about whether anyone in America is above the law. The reason why so many people did not vote for Hillary Clinton is the feeling that she and her ilk were above the law, were acting as if they were above the law, which happened to be entirely true. Now the fact that the Trump administration is acting according to the same premise, i.e., that some people are above the law, is evidence that the revolution that the voters wanted in 2016 has only just begun.

    ***

    Conclusion

    It’s interesting to read the opinions of others. Especial if they come from the Washington “beltway”. It’s almost like they are a completely different “animal” than what the rest of us are. I suppose it goes along with my belief that the super elite have evolved into something other than what the rest of us are. They are another creature entirely. It’s not that they are clueless. For they indeed have intelligence. I just wonder if they have scruples and understanding. That’s all.

    But that’s just me.

    One thing is for certain, they think that they are better than you and I. They are driving the United States into a massive war that does not have an exit. It’s crazy, it’s dangerous, and while they might be intelligent, they sure are out of touch with man’s humanity.

    And his humility.

    That frightens me.

    But they seem oblivious to it all. It’s like people coloring a coloring-book with crayons inside a large RV that is being driven by a drunk madman. These fools haven’t a clue as to what dangers are being toyed with. Sheech!

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts like this in my Oligarchy Index (which is part of my SHTF index) here…

    The Oligarchy

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    Law 3 of the 48 laws of power by Robert Greene; Conceal your Intentions

    Here we are going to look at Law #3 from the Robert Green book “The 48 Laws of Power”. This law discusses the principle of concealing your intentions from others.

    LAW 3

    CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS

    JUDGMENT

    Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelop them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

    PART I: USE DECOYED OBJECTS OF DESIRE AND RED HERRINGS TO THROW PEOPLE OFF THE SCENT

    If at any point in the deception you practice people have the slightest suspicion as to your intentions, all is lost. Do not give them the chance to sense what you are up to: Throw them off the scent by dragging red herrings across the path. Use false sincerity, send ambiguous signals, set up misleading objects of desire. Unable to distinguish the genuine from the false, they cannot pick out your real goal.

    TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW

    Over several weeks, Ninon de Lenclos, the most infamous courtesan of seventeenth-century France, listened patiently as the Marquis de Sevigné explained his struggles in pursuing a beautiful but difficult young countess. Ninon was sixty-two at the time, and more than experienced in matters of love; the marquis was a lad of twenty-two, handsome, dashing, but hopelessly inexperienced in romance. At first Ninon was amused to hear the marquis talk about his mistakes, but finally she had had enough. Unable to bear ineptitude in any realm, least of all in seducing a woman, she decided to take the young man under her wing. First, he had to understand that this was war, and that the beautiful countess was a citadel to which he had to lay siege as carefully as any general. Every step had to be planned and executed with the utmost attention to detail and nuance.

    Instructing the marquis to start over, Ninon told him to approach the countess with a bit of distance, an air of nonchalance. The next time the two were alone together, she said, he would confide in the countess as would a friend but not a potential lover. This was to throw her off the scent. The countess was no longer to take his interest in her for granted—perhaps he was only interested in friendship.

    Ninon planned ahead. Once the countess was confused, it would be time to make her jealous. At the next encounter, at a major fête in Paris, the marquis would show up with a beautiful young woman at his side. This beautiful young woman had equally beautiful friends, so that wherever the countess would now see the marquis, he would be surrounded by the most stunning young women in Paris. Not only would the countess be seething with jealousy, she would come to see the marquis as someone who was desired by others. It was hard for Ninon to make the marquis understand, but she patiently explained that a woman who is interested in a man wants to see that other women are interested in him, too. Not only does that give him instant value, it makes it all the more satisfying to snatch him from their clutches.

    Once the countess was jealous but intrigued, it would be time to beguile her. On Ninon’s instructions, the marquis would fail to show up at affairs where the countess expected to see him. Then, suddenly, he would appear at salons he had never frequented before, but that the countess attended often. She would be unable to predict his moves. All of this would push her into the state of emotional confusion that is a prerequisite for successful seduction.

    These moves were executed, and took several weeks. Ninon monitored the marquis’s progress: Through her network of spies, she heard how the countess would laugh a little harder at his witticisms, listen more closely to his stories. She heard that the countess was suddenly asking questions about him. Her friends told her that at social affairs the countess would often look up at the marquis, following his steps. Ninon felt certain that the young woman was falling under his spell. It was a matter of weeks now, maybe a month or two, but if all went smoothly, the citadel would fall.

    A few days later the marquis was at the countess’s home. They were alone. Suddenly he was a different man: This time acting on his own impulse, rather than following Ninon’s instructions, he took the countess’s hands and told her he was in love with her. The young woman seemed confused, a reaction he did not expect. She became polite, then excused herself. For the rest of the evening she avoided his eyes, was not there to say good-night to him. The next few times he visited he was told she was not at home. When she finally admitted him again, the two felt awkward and uncomfortable with each other. The spell was broken.

    Interpretation

    Ninon de Lenclos knew everything about the art of love. The greatest writ ers, thinkers, and politicians of the time had been her lovers—men like La Rochefoucauld, Molière, and Richelieu. Seduction was a game to her, to be practiced with skill. As she got older, and her reputation grew, the most important families in France would send their sons to her to be instructed in matters of love.

    Ninon knew that men and women are very different, but when it comes to seduction they feel the same: Deep down inside, they often sense when they are being seduced, but they give in because they enjoy the feeling of being led along. It is a pleasure to let go, and to allow the other person to detour you into a strange country. Everything in seduction, however, depends on suggestion. You cannot announce your intentions or reveal them directly in words. Instead you must throw your targets off the scent. To surrender to your guidance they must be appropriately confused. You have to scramble your signals—appear interested in another man or woman (the decoy), then hint at being interested in the target, then feign indifference, on and on.

    Such patterns not only confuse, they excite.

    Imagine this story from the countess’s perspective: After a few of the marquis’s moves, she sensed the marquis was playing some sort of game, but the game delighted her. She did not know where he was leading her, but so much the better. His moves intrigued her, each of them keeping her waiting for the next one—she even enjoyed her jealousy and confusion, for sometimes any emotion is better than the boredom of security. Perhaps the marquis had ulterior motives; most men do. But she was willing to wait and see, and probably if she had been made to wait long enough, what he was up to would not have mattered.

    The moment the marquis uttered that fatal word “love,” however, all was changed. This was no longer a game with moves, it was an artless show of passion. His intention was revealed: He was seducing her. This put everything he had done in a new light. All that before had been charming now seemed ugly and conniving; the countess felt embarrassed and used. A door closed that would never open again.

    Do not be held a cheat, even though it is impossible to live today without being one.

    Let your greatest cunning lie in covering up what looks like cunning.
    
    -Ballasar Gracián, 1601-1658

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW

    In 1850 the young Otto von Bismarck, then a thirty-five-year-old deputy in the Prussian parliament, was at a turning point in his career. The issues of the day were the unification of the many states (including Prussia) into which Germany was then divided, and a war against Austria, the powerful neighbor to the south that hoped to keep the Germans weak and at odds, even threatening to intervene if they tried to unite. Prince William, next in line to be Prussia’s king, was in favor of going to war, and the parliament rallied to the cause, prepared to back any mobilization of troops. The only ones to oppose war were the present king, Frederick William IV, and his ministers, who preferred to appease the powerful Austrians.

    Throughout his career, Bismarck had been a loyal, even passionate supporter of Prussian might and power. He dreamed of German unification, of going to war against Austria and humiliating the country that for so long had kept Germany divided. A former soldier, he saw warfare as a glorious business.

    This, after all, was the man who years later would say, “The great questions of the time will be decided, not by speeches and resolutions, but by iron and blood.”

    Passionate patriot and lover of military glory, Bismarck nevertheless

    gave a speech in parliament at the height of the war fever that astonished all who heard it. “Woe unto the statesman,” he said, “who makes war without a reason that will still be valid when the war is over! After the war, you will all look differently at these questions. Will you then have the courage to

    turn to the peasant contemplating the ashes of his farm, to the man who has been crippled, to the father who has lost his children?” Not only did Bismarck go on to talk of the madness of this war, but, strangest of all, he praised Austria and defended her actions. This went against everything he had stood for. The consequences were immediate. Bismarck was against the war—what could this possibly mean? Other deputies were confused, and several of them changed their votes. Eventually the king and his ministers won out, and war was averted.

    A few weeks after Bismarck’s infamous speech, the king, grateful that he had spoken for peace, made him a cabinet minister. A few years later he became the Prussian premier. In this role he eventually led his country and a peace-loving king into a war against Austria, crushing the former empire and establishing a mighty German state, with Prussia at its head.

    Interpretation

    At the time of his speech in 1850, Bismarck made several calculations. First, he sensed that the Prussian military, which had not kept pace with other European armies, was unready for war—that Austria, in fact, might very well win, a disastrous result for the future. Second, if the war were lost and Bismarck had supported it, his career would be gravely jeopardized. The king and his conservative ministers wanted peace; Bismarck wanted power. The answer was to throw people off the scent by supporting a cause he detested, saying things he would laugh at if said by another. A whole country was fooled. It was because of Bismarck’s speech that the king made him a minister, a position from which he quickly rose to be prime minister, attaining the power to strengthen the Prussian military and accomplish what he had wanted all along: the humiliation of Austria and the unification of Germany under Prussia’s leadership.

    Bismarck was certainly one of the cleverest statesman who ever lived, a master of strategy and deception. No one suspected what he was up to in this case. Had he announced his real intentions, arguing that it was better to wait now and fight later, he would not have won the argument, since most Prussians wanted war at that moment and mistakenly believed that their army was superior to the Austrians. Had he played up to the king, asking to be made a minister in exchange for supporting peace, he would not have succeeded either: The king would have distrusted his ambition and doubted his sincerity.

    By being completely insincere and sending misleading signals, however, he deceived everyone, concealed his purpose, and attained everything he wanted. Such is the power of hiding your intentions.

    KEYS TO POWER

    Most people are open books. They say what they feel, blurt out their opinions at every opportunity, and constantly reveal their plans and intentions. They do this for several reasons. First, it is easy and natural to always want to talk about one’s feelings and plans for the future. It takes effort to control your tongue and monitor what you reveal. Second, many believe that by being honest and open they are winning people’s hearts and showing their good nature.They are greatly deluded. Honesty is actually a blunt instrument, which bloodies more than it cuts. Your honesty is likely to offend people; it is much more prudent to tailor your words, telling people what they want to hear rather than the coarse and ugly truth of what you feel or think. More important, by being unabashedly open you make yourself so predictable and familiar that it is almost impossible to respect or fear you, and power will not accrue to a person who cannot inspire such emotions.

    If you yearn for power, quickly lay honesty aside, and train yourself in the art of concealing your intentions. Master the art and you will always have the upper hand. Basic to an ability to conceal one’s intentions is a simple truth about human nature: Our first instinct is to always trust appearances. We cannot go around doubting the reality of what we see and hear—constantly imagining that appearances concealed something else would exhaust and terrify us. This fact makes it relatively easy to conceal one’s intentions. Simply dangle an object you seem to desire, a goal you seem to aim for, in front of people’s eyes and they will take the appearance for reality. Once their eyes focus on the decoy, they will fail to notice what you are really up to. In seduction, set up conflicting signals, such as desire and indifference, and you not only throw them off the scent, you inflame their desire to possess you.

    A tactic that is often effective in setting up a red herring is to appear to support an idea or cause that is actually contrary to your own sentiments. (Bismarck used this to great effect in his speech in 1850.) Most people will believe you have experienced a change of heart, since it is so unusual to play so lightly with something as emotional as one’s opinions and values. The same applies for any decoyed object of desire: Seem to want something in which you are actually not at all interested and your enemies will be thrown off the scent, making all kinds of errors in their calculations.

    During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1711, the Duke of Marlborough, head of the English army, wanted to destroy a key French fort, because it protected a vital thoroughfare into France. Yet he knew that if he destroyed it, the French would realize what he wanted—to advance down that road. Instead, then, he merely captured the fort, and garrisoned it with some of his troops, making it appear as if he wanted it for some purpose of his own. The French attacked the fort and the duke let them recapture it. Once they had it back, though, they destroyed it, figuring that the duke had wanted it for some important reason. Now that the fort was gone, the road was unprotected, and Marlborough could easily march into France.

    Use this tactic in the following manner: Hide your intentions not by closing up (with the risk of appearing secretive, and making people suspicious) but by talking endlessly about your desires and goals—just not your real ones. You will kill three birds with one stone: You appear friendly, open, and trusting; you conceal your intentions; and you send your rivals on time-consuming wild-goose chases.

    Another powerful tool in throwing people off the scent is false sincerity. People easily mistake sincerity for honesty. Remember—their first instinct is to trust appearances, and since they value honesty and want to believe in the honesty of those around them, they will rarely doubt you or see through your act. Seeming to believe what you say gives your words great weight. This is how Iago deceived and destroyed Othello: Given the depth of his emotions, the apparent sincerity of his concerns about Desde mona’s supposed infidelity, how could Othello distrust him? This is also how the great con artist Yellow Kid Weil pulled the wool over suckers’ eyes: Seeming to believe so deeply in the decoyed object he was dangling in front of them (a phony stock, a touted racehorse), he made its reality hard to doubt. It is important, of course, not to go too far in this area. Sincerity is a tricky tool: Appear over passionate and you raise suspicions. Be measured and believable or your ruse will seem the put-on that it is.

    To make your false sincerity an effective weapon in concealing your intentions, espouse a belief in honesty and forthrightness as important social values. Do this as publicly as possible. Emphasize your position on this subject by occasionally divulging some heartfelt thought—though only one that is actually meaningless or irrelevant, of course. Napoleon’s minister Talleyrand was a master at taking people into his confidence by revealing some apparent secret. This feigned confidence—a decoy—would then elicit a real confidence on the other person’s part.

    Remember: The best deceivers do everything they can to cloak their roguish qualities. They cultivate an air of honesty in one area to disguise their dishonesty in others. Honesty is merely another decoy in their arsenal of weapons.

    PART II: USE SMOKE SCREENS TO DISGUISE YOUR ACTIONS

    Deception is always the best strategy, but the best deceptions require a screen of smoke to distract people attention from your real purpose. The bland exterior—like the unreadable poker face—is often the perfect smoke screen, hiding your intentions behind the comfortable and familiar. If you lead the sucker down a familiar path, he won’t catch on when you lead him into a trap.

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW I

    In 1910, a Mr. Sam Geezil of Chicago sold his warehouse business for close to $1 million. He settled down to semi-retirement and the managing of his many properties, but deep inside he itched for the old days of deal-making. One day a young man named Joseph Weil visited his office, wanting to buy an apartment he had up for sale. Geezil explained the terms: The price was $8,000, but he only required a down payment of $2,000. Weil said he would sleep on it, but he came back the following day and offered to pay the full $8,000 in cash, if Geezil could wait a couple of days, until a deal Weil was working on came through. Even in semi-retirement, a clever businessman like Geezil was curious as to how Weil would be able to come up with so much cash (roughly $150,000 today) so quickly. Weil seemed reluctant to say, and quickly changed the subject, but Geezil was persistent. Finally, after assurances of confidentiality, Weil told Geezil the following story.

    THE KING OF ISRAEL IGNS WORSHIP OF THE

    Then Jehu assembled all the people, and said to them, “Ahab served Ba‘al a little; but Jehu will serve him much more. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Ba’al, all his worshippers and all his priests; let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Ba‘al; whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshippers of Ba’al. And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Ba‘al. ”So they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent throughout all Israel; and all the worshippers of Ba’al came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Ba‘al, and the house of Ba’al was filled from one end to the other.... Then Jehu went into the house of Ba‘al ... and he said to the worshippers of Ba’al, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you, but only the worshippers of Ba‘al.“Then he went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside, and said, ”The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.“ So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, ”Go in and slay them; let not a man escape. So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Ba’al and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Ba‘al and burned it. And they demolished the pillar of Ba’al and demolished the house of Ba‘al, and made it a latrine to this day. Thus Jehu wiped out Ba’al from Israel.
    
    -OLD TESTAMENT, 2 KINGS 10:18-28

    Weil’s uncle was the secretary to a coterie of multimillionaire financiers. These wealthy gentlemen had purchased a hunting lodge in Michigan ten years ago, at a cheap price. They had not used the lodge for a few years, so they had decided to sell it and had asked Weil’s uncle to get whatever he could for it. For reasons—good reasons—of his own, the uncle had been nursing a grudge against the millionaires for years; this was his chance to get back at them. He would sell the property for $35,000 to a set up man (whom it was Weil’s job to find). The financiers were too wealthy to worry about this low price. The set-up man would then turn around and sell the property again for its real price, around $155,000. The uncle, Weil, and the third man would split the profits from this second sale. It was all legal and for a good cause—the uncle’s just retribution.

    Geezil had heard enough: He wanted to be the set-up buyer. Weil was reluctant to involve him, but Geezil would not back down: The idea of a large profit, plus a little adventure, had him champing at the bit. Weil explained that Geezil would have to put up the $35,000 in cash to bring the deal off. Geezil, a millionaire, said he could get the money with a snap of his fingers. Weil finally relented and agreed to arrange a meeting between the uncle, Geezil, and the financiers, in the town of Galesburg, Illinois.

    On the train ride to Galesburg, Geezil met the uncle—an impressive man, with whom he avidly discussed business. Weil also brought along a companion, a somewhat paunchy man named George Gross. Weil explained to Geezil that he himself was a boxing trainer, that Gross was one of the promising prizefighters he trained, and that he had asked Gross to come along to make sure the fighter stayed in shape. For a promising fighter, Gross was unimpressive looking—he had gray hair and a beer belly—but Geezil was so excited about the deal that he didn’t really think about the man’s flabby appearance.

    Once in Galesburg, Weil and his uncle went to fetch the financiers while Geezil waited in a hotel room with Gross, who promptly put on his boxing trunks. As Geezil half watched, Gross began to shadowbox. Distracted as he was, Geezil ignored how badly the boxer wheezed after a few minutes of exercise, although his style seemed real enough. An hour later, Weil and his uncle reappeared with the financiers, an impressive, intimidating group of men, all wearing fancy suits. The meeting went well and the financiers agreed to sell the lodge to Geezil, who had already had the $35,000 wired to a local bank.

    This minor business now settled, the financiers sat back in their chairs and began to banter about high finance, throwing out the name “J. P. Morgan” as if they knew the man. Finally one of them noticed the boxer in the corner of the room. Weil explained what he was doing there. The financier countered that he too had a boxer in his entourage, whom he named. Weil laughed brazenly and exclaimed that his man could easily knock out their man. Conversation escalated into argument. In the heat of passion, Weil challenged the men to a bet. The financiers eagerly agreed and left to get their man ready for a fight the next day.

    As soon as they had left, the uncle yelled at Weil, right in front of Geezil; They did not have enough money to bet with, and once the financiers discovered this, the uncle would be fired. Weil apologized for getting him in this mess, but he had a plan: He knew the other boxer well, and with a little

    bribe, they could fix the fight. But where would the money come from for the bet? the uncle replied. Without it they were as good as dead. Finally Geezil had heard enough. Unwilling to jeopardize his deal with any ill will, he offered his own $35,000 cash for part of the bet. Even if he lost that, he would wire for more money and still make a profit on the sale of the lodge. The uncle and nephew thanked him. With their own $15,000 and Geezil’s $35,000 they would manage to have enough for the bet. That evening, as Geezil watched the two boxers rehearse the fix in the hotel room, his mind reeled at the killing he was going to make from both the boxing match and the sale of the lodge.

    The fight took place in a gym the next day. Weil handled the cash, which was placed for security in a locked box. Everything was proceeding as planned in the hotel room. The financiers were looking glum at how badly their fighter was doing, and Geezil was dreaming about the easy money he was about to make. Then, suddenly, a wild swing by the financier’s fighter hit Gross hard in the face, knocking him down. When he hit the canvas, blood spurted from his mouth. He coughed, then lay still. One of the financiers, a former doctor, checked his pulse; he was dead. The millionaires panicked: Everyone had to get out before the police arrived- they could all be charged with murder.

    Terrified, Geezil hightailed it out of the gym and back to Chicago, leaving behind his $35,000 which he was only too glad to forget, for it seemed a small price to pay to avoid being implicated in a crime. He never wanted to see Weil or any of the others again.

    After Geezil scurried out, Gross stood up, under his own steam. The blood that had spurted from his mouth came from a ball filled with chicken blood and hot water that he had hidden in his cheek. The whole affair had been masterminded by Weil, better known as “the Yellow Kid,” one of the most creative con artists in history. Weil split the $35,000 with the financiers and the boxers (all fellow con artists)—a nice little profit for a few days’ work.

    SN BROAD

    This means to create a front that eventually becomes imbued with an atmosphere or impression of familiarity, within which the strategist may maneuver unseen while all eyes are trained to see obvious familiarities. “THE THIRTY-SIX STRATEGIES.” QUOTED IN THF JAPANESE ART OF WAR.
    
    -THOMAS CLEARY, 1991

    Interpretation

    The Yellow Kid had staked out Geezil as the perfect sucker long before he set up the con. He knew the boxing-match scam would be the perfect ruse to separate Geezil from his money quickly and definitively. But he also knew that if he had begun by trying to interest Geezil in the boxing match, he would have failed miserably. He had to conceal his intentions and switch attention, create a smoke screen—in this case the sale of the lodge.

    On the train ride and in the hotel room Geezil’s mind had been completely occupied with the pending deal, the easy money, the chance to hobnob with wealthy men. He had failed to notice that Gross was out of shape and middle-aged at best. Such is the distracting power of a smoke screen. Engrossed in the business deal, Geezil’s attention was easily diverted to the boxing match, but only at a point when it was already too late for him to notice the details that would have given Gross away. The match, after all, now depended on a bribe rather than on the boxer’s physical condition. And Geezil was so distracted at the end by the illusion of the boxer’s death that he completely forgot about his money.

    Learn from the Yellow Kid: The familiar, inconspicuous front is the perfect smoke screen. Approach your mark with an idea that seems ordinary enough—a business deal, financial intrigue. The sucker’s mind is distracted, his suspicions allayed. That is when you gently guide him onto the second path, the slippery slope down which he slides helplessly into your trap.

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW II

    In the mid-1920s, the powerful warlords of Ethiopia were coming to the realization that a young man of the nobility named Haile Selassie, also known as Ras Tafari, was outcompeting them all and nearing the point where he could proclaim himself their leader, unifying the country for the first time in decades. Most of his rivals could not understand how this wispy, quiet, mild-mannered man had been able to take control. Yet in 1927, Selassie was able to summon the warlords, one at a time, to come to Addis Ababa to declare their loyalty and recognize him as leader.

    Some hurried, some hesitated, but only one, Dejazmach Balcha of Sidamo, dared defy Selassie totally. A blustery man, Balcha was a great warrior, and he considered the new leader weak and unworthy. He pointedly stayed away from the capital. Finally Selassie, in his gentle but stem way, commanded Balcha to come. The warlord decided to obey, but in doing so he would turn the tables on this pretender to the Ethiopian throne: He would come to Addis Ababa at his own speed, and with an army of 10,000 men, a force large enough to defend himself, perhaps even start a civil war. Stationing this formidable force in a valley three miles from the capital, he waited, as a king would. Selassie would have to come to him.

    Selassie did indeed send emissaries, asking Balcha to attend an afternoon banquet in his honor. But Balcha, no fool, knew history—he knew that previous kings and lords of Ethiopia had used banquets as a trap. Once he was there and full of drink, Selassie would have him arrested or murdered. To signal his understanding of the situation, he agreed to come to the banquet, but only if he could bring his personal bodyguard—600 of his best soldiers, all armed and ready to defend him and themselves. To Balcha’s surprise, Selassie answered with the utmost politeness that he would be honored to play host to such warriors.

    On the way to the banquet, Balcha warned his soldiers not to get drunk and to be on their guard. When they arrived at the palace, Selassie was his charming best. He deferred to Balcha, treated him as if he desperately needed his approval and cooperation. But Balcha refused to be charmed, and he warned Selassie that if he did not return to his camp by nightfall, his army had orders to attack the capital. Selassie reacted as if hurt by his mistrust. Over the meal, when it came time for the traditional singing of songs in honor of Ethiopia’s leaders, he made a point of allowing only songs honoring the warlord of Sidamo. It seemed to Balcha that Selassie was scared, intimidated by this great warrior who could not be outwitted.

    Sensing the change, Balcha believed that he would be the one to call the shots in the days to come.

    At the end of the afternoon, Balcha and his soldiers began their march back to camp amidst cheers and gun salutes. Looking back to the capital over his shoulder, he planned his strategy—how his own soldiers would march through the capital in triumph within weeks, and Selassie would be put in his place, his place being either prison or death. When Balcha came in sight of his camp, however, he saw that something was terribly wrong. Where before there had been colorful tents stretching as far as the eye could see, now there was nothing, only smoke from doused fires. What devil’s magic was this?

    A witness told Balcha what had happened. During the banquet, a large army, commanded by an ally of Selassie’s, had stolen up on Balcha’s encampment by a side route he had not seen. This army had not come to fight, however: Knowing that Balcha would have heard a noisy battle and hurried back with his 600-man bodyguard, Selassie had armed his own troops with baskets of gold and cash. They had surrounded Balcha’s army and proceeded to purchase every last one of their weapons. Those who refused were easily intimidated. Within a few hours, Balcha’s entire force had been disarmed and scattered in all directions.

    Realizing his danger, Balcha decided to march south with his 600 soldiers to regroup, but the same army that had disarmed his soldiers blocked his way. The other way out was to march on the capital, but Selassie had set a large army to defend it. Like a chess player, he had predicted Balcha’s moves, and had checkmated him. For the first time in his life, Balcha surrendered. To repent his sins of pride and ambition, he agreed to enter a monastery.

    Interpretation

    Throughout Selassie’s long reign, no one could quite figure him out. Ethiopians like their leaders fierce, but Selassie, who wore the front of a gentle, peace-loving man, lasted longer than any of them. Never angry or impatient, he lured his victims with sweet smiles, lulling them with charm and obsequiousness before he attacked. In the case of Balcha, Selassie played on the man’s wariness, his suspicion that the banquet was a trap— which in fact it was, but not the one he expected. Selassie’s way of allaying Balcha’s fears—letting him bring his bodyguard to the banquet, giving him top billing there, making him feel in control—created a thick smoke screen, concealing the real action three miles away.

    Remember: The paranoid and wary are often the easiest to deceive. Win their trust in one area and you have a smoke screen that blinds their view in another, letting you creep up and level them with a devastating blow. A helpful or apparently honest gesture, or one that implies the other person’s superiority—these are perfect diversionary devices.

    Properly set up, the smoke screen is a weapon of great power. It enabled the gentle Selassie to totally destroy his enemy, without firing a single bullet.

    Do not underestimate the power of Tafari. He creeps like a mouse but he has jaws like a lion. 
    
    -Bacha of Sidamo’s last worlds before entering the monastery

    KEYS TO POWER

    If you believe that deceivers are colorful folk who mislead with elaborate lies and tall tales, you are greatly mistaken. The best deceivers utilize a bland and inconspicuous front that calls no attention to themselves. They know that extravagant words and gestures immediately raise suspicion. Instead, they envelop their mark in the familiar, the banal, the harmless. In Yellow Kid Weil’s dealings with Sam Geezil, the familiar was a business deal. In the Ethiopian case, it was Selassie’s misleading obsequiousness— exactly what Balcha would have expected from a weaker warlord.

    Once you have lulled your suckers’ attention with the familiar, they will not notice the deception being perpetrated behind their backs. This derives from a simple truth: people can only focus on one thing at a time. It is really too difficult for them to imagine that the bland and harmless person they are dealing with is simultaneously setting up something else. The grayer and more uniform the smoke in your smoke screen, the better it conceals your intentions. In the decoy and red herring devices discussed in Part I, you actively distract people; in the smoke screen, you lull your victims, drawing them into your web. Because it is so hypnotic, this is often the best way of concealing your intentions.

    The simplest form of smoke screen is facial expression. Behind a bland, unreadable exterior, all sorts of mayhem can be planned, without detection. This is a weapon that the most powerful men in history have learned to perfect. It was said that no one could read Franklin D. Roosevelt’s face. Baron James Rothschild made a lifelong practice of disguising his real thoughts behind bland smiles and nondescript looks. Stendhal wrote of Talleyrand, “Never was a face less of a barometer.” Henry Kissinger would bore his opponents around the negotiating table to tears with his monotonous voice, his blank look, his endless recitations of details; then, as their eyes glazed over, he would suddenly hit them with a list of bold terms. Caught off-guard, they would be easily intimidated. As one poker manual explains it, “While playing his hand, the good player is seldom an actor. Instead he practices a bland behavior that minimizes readable patterns, frustrates and confuses opponents, permits greater concentration.”

    An adaptable concept, the smoke screen can be practiced on a number of levels, all playing on the psychological principles of distraction and misdirection. One of the most effective smoke screens is the noble gesture. People want to believe apparently noble gestures are genuine, for the belief is pleasant. They rarely notice how deceptive these gestures can be.

    The art dealer Joseph Duveen was once confronted with a terrible problem. The millionaires who had paid so dearly for Duveen’s paintings were running out of wall space, and with inheritance taxes getting ever higher, it seemed unlikely that they would keep buying. The solution was the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which Duveen helped create in 1937 by getting Andrew Mellon to donate his collection to it. The National Gallery was the perfect front for Duveen. In one gesture, his clients avoided taxes, cleared wall space for new purchases, and reduced the number of paintings on the market, maintaining the upward pressure on their prices. All this while the donors created the appearance of being public benefactors.

    Another effective smoke screen is the pattern, the establishment of a series of actions that seduce the victim into believing you will continue in the same way. The pattern plays on the psychology of anticipation: Our behavior conforms to patterns, or so we like to think.

    In 1878 the American robber baron Jay Gould created a company that began to threaten the monopoly of the telegraph company Western Union. The directors of Western Union decided to buy Gould’s company up— they had to spend a hefty sum, but they figured they had managed to rid themselves of an irritating competitor. A few months later, though, Gould was it at again, complaining he had been treated unfairly. He started up a second company to compete with Western Union and its new acquisition. The same thing happened again: Western Union bought him out to shut him up. Soon the pattern began for the third time, but now Gould went for the jugular: He suddenly staged a bloody takeover struggle and managed to gain complete control of Western Union. He had established a pattern that had tricked the company’s directors into thinking his goal was to be bought out at a handsome rate. Once they paid him off, they relaxed and failed to notice that he was actually playing for higher stakes. The pattern is powerful in that it deceives the other person into expecting the opposite of what you are really doing.

    Another psychological weakness on which to construct a smoke screen is the tendency to mistake appearances for reality—the feeling that if someone seems to belong to your group, their belonging must be real. This habit makes the seamless blend a very effective front. The trick is simple: You simply blend in with those around you. The better you blend, the less suspicious you become. During the Cold War of the 1950s and ’60s, as is now notorious, a slew of British civil servants passed secrets to the Soviets. They went undetected for years because they were apparently decent chaps, had gone to all the right schools, and fit the old-boy network perfectly. Blending in is the perfect smoke screen for spying. The better you do it, the better you can conceal your intentions.

    Remember: It takes patience and humility to dull your brilliant colors, to put on the mask of the inconspicuous. Do not despair at having to wear such a bland mask—it is often your unreadability that draws people to you and makes you appear a person of power.

    Image: A Sheep’s Skin. A sheep never marauds, a sheep never deceives, a sheep is magnificently dumb and docile. With a sheepskin on his back, a fox can pass right into the chicken coop.

    Authority: Have you ever heard of a skillful general, who intends to surprise a citadel, announcing his plan to his enemy? Conceal your purpose and hide your progress; do not disclose the extent of your designs until they cannot be opposed, until the combat is over. Win the victory before you declare the war. In a word, imitate those warlike people whose designs are not known except by the ravaged country through which they have passed. (Ninon de Lenclos, 1623-1706)

    REVERSAL

    No smoke screen, red herring, false sincerity, or any other diversionary device will succeed in concealing your intentions if you already have an established reputation for deception. And as you get older and achieve success, it often becomes increasingly difficult to disguise your cunning. Everyone knows you practice deception; persist in playing naive and you run the risk of seeming the rankest hypocrite, which will severely limit your room to maneuver. In such cases it is better to own up, to appear the honest rogue, or, better, the repentant rogue. Not only will you be admired for your frankness, but, most wonderful and strange of all, you will be able to continue your stratagems.

    As P. T. Barnum, the nineteenth-century king of humbuggery, grew older, he learned to embrace his reputation as a grand deceiver. At one point he organized a buffalo hunt in New Jersey, complete with Indians and a few imported buffalo. He publicized the hunt as genuine, but it came off as so completely fake that the crowd, instead of getting angry and asking for their money back, was greatly amused. They knew Barnum pulled tricks all the time; that was the secret of his success, and they loved him for it. Learning a lesson from this affair, Barnum stopped concealing all of his devices, even revealing his deceptions in a tell-all autobiography. As Kierkegaard wrote, “The world wants to be deceived.”

    Finally, although it is wiser to divert attention from your purposes by presenting a bland, familiar exterior, there are times when the colorful, conspicuous gesture is the right diversionary tactic. The great charlatan mountebanks of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe used humor and entertainment to deceive their audiences. Dazzled by a great show, the public would not notice the charlatans’ real intentions. Thus the star charlatan himself would appear in town in a night-black coach drawn by black horses. Clowns, tightrope walkers, and star entertainers would accompany him, pulling people in to his demonstrations of elixirs and quack potions. The charlatan made entertainment seem like the business of the day; the business of the day was actually the sale of the elixirs and quack potions.

    Spectacle and entertainment, clearly, are excellent devices to conceal your intentions, but they cannot be used indefinitely.

    The public grows tired and suspicious, and eventually catches on to the trick. And indeed the charlatans had to move quickly from town to town, before word spread that the potions were useless and the entertainment a trick. Powerful people with bland exteriors, on the other hand—the Talleyrands, the Rothschilds, the Selassies—can practice their deceptions in the same place throughout their lifetimes. Their act never wears thin, and rarely causes suspicion. The colorful smoke screen should be used cautiously, then, and only when the occasion is right.

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    Law 13 from The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene; When asking for help, appeal to people’s self interest, never to their mercy or gratitude (Full Text)

    Ah. And this is true about anything. Find out what the person wants, and then appeal to that. This formula applies for those courting an attractive young lady, or a young man trying to get a job. It functions well when you are trying to get customers, or when you just want to get something done. Approach people, and then find out what they want or need. Then you appeal to that side of their personality.

    This is one of those chapters where people start screaming that they didn’t realize that you were such a dick, or that you were so cold, callus or calculating. But, it’s really not the case at all. To understand others is to have a strong EQ; a strong Emotional Quotient. Most women (not all, but most) have this. Men, well, sorry to say guys, we don’t. In fact, it’s only after we’ve been around women for long extended periods of time that we finally “get with the program”, and learn a few things.

    When someone comes to me for a job, I let them give me their pitch. They tell me about themselves, and all the time I seeing if they can fit in with my little team of go-getters. I see if they will “be a fit”. But also, I am seeing what they can “bring to the table”. What they can give me, as say compared to another applicant.

    To get what you desire, you need to make yourself desirable to others. To do that, you need to appeal to their self-interest.

    To get what you desire, you need to make yourself desirable to others. To do that, you need to appeal to their self-interest.
    To get what you desire, you need to make yourself desirable to others. To do that, you need to appeal to their self-interest.

    LAW 13

    WHEN ASKING FOR HELP, APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S SELF- INTEREST, NEVER TO THEIR MERCY OR GRATITUDE

    JUDGMENT

    If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

    THE PEASANT AND THE APPLE-TREE

    A peasant had in his garden an apple-tree, which bore no fruit, but only served as a perch for the sparrows and grasshoppers. 
    
    He resolved to cut it down, and, taking his ax in hand, made a bold stroke at its roots. 
    
    The grasshoppers and sparrows entreated him not to cut down the tree that sheltered them, but to spare it, and they would sing to him and lighten his labors. 
    
    He paid no attention to their request, but gave the tree a second and a third blow with his ax. 
    
    When he reached the hollow of the tree, he found a hive full of honey. Having tasted the honeycomb, he threw down his ax, and, looking on the tree as isacred, took great care of it. 
    
    Self-interest alone moves some men. 
    
    FABLES, AESOP, SIXTH CENTURY B.C.

    TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW

    In the early fourteenth century, a young man named Castruccio Castracani rose from the rank of common soldier to become lord of the great city of Lucca, Italy. One of the most powerful families in the city, the Poggios, had been instrumental in his climb (which succeeded through treachery and bloodshed), but after he came to power, they came to feel he had forgotten them. His ambition outweighed any gratitude he felt. In 1325, while Castruccio was away fighting Lucca’s main rival, Florence, the Poggios conspired with other noble families in the city to rid themselves of this troublesome and ambitious prince.

    Mounting an insurrection, the plotters attacked and murdered the governor whom Castruccio had left behind to rule the city. Riots broke out, and the Castruccio supporters and the Poggio supporters were poised to do battle. At the height of the tension, however, Stefano di Poggio, the oldest member of the family, intervened, and made both sides lay down their arms.

    A peaceful man, Stefano had not taken part in the conspiracy. He had told his family it would end in a useless bloodbath. Now he insisted he should intercede on the family’s behalf and persuade Castruccio to listen to their complaints and satisfy their demands. Stefano was the oldest and wisest member of the clan, and his family agreed to put their trust in his diplomacy rather than in their weapons.

    When news of the rebellion reached Castruccio, he hurried back to Lucca. By the time he arrived, however, the fighting had ceased, through Stefano’s agency, and he was surprised by the city’s calm and peace. Stefano di Poggio had imagined that Castruccio would be grateful to him for his part in quelling the rebellion, so he paid the prince a visit. He explained how he had brought peace, then begged for Castruccio’s mercy.

    He said that the rebels in his family were young and impetuous, hungry for power yet inexperienced; he recalled his family’s past generosity to Castruccio. For all these reasons, he said, the great prince should pardon the Poggios and listen to their complaints. This, he said, was the only just thing to do, since the family had willingly laid down their arms and had always supported him.

    Castruccio listened patiently. He seemed not the slightest bit angry or resentful. Instead, he told Stefano to rest assured that justice would prevail, and he asked him to bring his entire family to the palace to talk over their grievances and come to an agreement.

    As they took leave of one another, Castruccio said he thanked God for the chance he had been given to show his clemency and kindness.

    That evening the entire Poggio family came to the palace. Castruccio immediately had them imprisoned and a few days later all were executed, including Stefano.

    Interpretation

    Stefano di Poggio is the embodiment of all those who believe that the justice and nobility of their cause will prevail. Certainly appeals to justice and gratitude have occasionally succeeded in the past, but more often than not they have had dire consequences, especially in dealings with the Castruccios of the world. Stefano knew that the prince had risen to power through treachery and ruthlessness. This was a man, after all, who had put a close and devoted friend to death. When Castruccio was told that it had been a terrible wrong to kill such an old friend, he replied that he had executed not an old friend but a new enemy.

    A man like Castruccio knows only force and self-interest.

    When the rebellion began, to end it and place oneself at his mercy was the most dangerous possible move. Even once Stefano di Poggio had made that fatal mistake, however, he still had options: He could have offered money to Castruccio, could have made promises for the future, could have pointed out what the Poggios could still contribute to Castruccio’s power—their influence with the most influential families of Rome, for example, and the great marriage they could have brokered.

    Instead Stefano brought up the past, and debts that carried no obligation. Not only is a man not obliged to be grateful, gratitude is often a terrible burden that he gladly discards. And in this case Castruccio rid himself of his obligations to the Poggios by eliminating the Poggios.

    Most men are so thoroughly subjective that nothing really interests them but themselves. They always think of their own case as soon as ever any remark is made, and their whole attention is engrossed and absorbed by the merest chance reference to anything which affects them personally, be it never so remote.
    
    ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER, 1788-1860

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW

    In 433 B.C., just before the Peloponnesian War, the island of Corcyra (later called Corfu) and the Greek city-state of Corinth stood on the brink of conflict. Both parties sent ambassadors to Athens to try to win over the Athenians to their side. The stakes were high, since whoever had Athens on his side was sure to win. And whoever won the war would certainly give the defeated side no mercy.

    Corcyra spoke first.

    Its ambassador began by admitting that the island had never helped Athens before, and in fact had allied itself with Athens’s enemies. There were no ties of friendship or gratitude between Corcyra and Athens. Yes, the ambassador admitted, he had come to Athens now out of fear and concern for Corcyra’s safety. The only thing he could offer was an alliance of mutual interests. Corcyra had a navy only surpassed in size and strength by Athens’s own; an alliance between the two states would create a formidable force, one that could intimidate the rival state of Sparta. That, unfortunately, was all Corcyra had to offer.

    The representative from Corinth then gave a brilliant, passionate speech, in sharp contrast to the dry, colorless approach of the Corcyran. He talked of everything Corinth had done for Athens in the past. He asked how it would look to Athens’s other allies if the city put an agreement with a former enemy over one with a present friend, one that had served Athens’s interest loyally: Perhaps those allies would break their agreements with

    Athens if they saw that their loyalty was not valued. He referred to Hellenic law, and the need to repay Corinth for all its good deeds. He finally went on to list the many services Corinth had performed for Athens, and the importance of showing gratitude to one’s friends.

    After the speech, the Athenians debated the issue in an assembly. On the second round, they voted overwhelmingly to ally with Corcyra and drop Corinth.

    Interpretation

    History has remembered the Athenians nobly, but they were the preeminent realists of classical Greece. With them, all the rhetoric, all the emotional appeals in the world, could not match a good pragmatic argument, especially one that added to their power.

    What the Corinthian ambassador did not realize was that his references to Corinth’s past generosity to Athens only irritated the Athenians, subtly asking them to feel guilty and putting them under obligation. The Athenians couldn’t care less about past favors and friendly feelings. At the same time, they knew that if their other allies thought them ungrateful for abandoning Corinth, these city-states would still be unlikely to break their ties to Athens, the preeminent power in Greece. Athens ruled its empire by force, and would simply compel any rebellious ally to return to the fold.

    When people choose between talk about the past and talk about the future, a pragmatic person will always opt for the future and forget the past. As the Corcyrans realized, it is always best to speak pragmatically to a pragmatic person. And in the end, most people are in fact pragmatic—they will rarely act against their own self-interest.

    It has always been a rule that the weak should be subject to the strong; and besides, we consider that we are worthy of our power. Up till the present moment you, too, used to think that we were; but now, after calculating your own interest, you are beginning to talk in terms of right and wrong. Considerations of this kind have never yet turned people aside from the opportunities of aggrandizement offered by superior strength. 
    
    -Athenian representative to Sparta, quoted in The Peloponnesian War, Thucydides, c. 465-395 B.C.

    KEYS TO POWER

    In your quest for power, you will constantly find yourself in the position of asking for help from those more powerful than you. There is an art to asking for help, an art that depends on your ability to understand the person you are dealing with, and to not confuse your needs with theirs.

    Most people never succeed at this, because they are completely trapped in their own wants and desires.

    They start from the assumption that the people they are appealing to have a selfless interest in helping them. They talk as if their needs mattered to these people—who probably couldn’t care less. Sometimes they refer to larger issues: a great cause, or grand emotions such as love and gratitude. They go for the big picture when simple, everyday realities would have much more appeal.

    What they do not realize is that even the most powerful person is locked inside needs of his own, and that if you make no appeal to his self-interest, he merely sees you as desperate or, at best, a waste of time.

    In the sixteenth century, Portuguese missionaries tried for years to convert the people of Japan to Catholicism, while at the same time Portugal had a monopoly on trade between Japan and Europe. Although the missionaries did have some success, they never got far among the ruling elite; by the beginning of the seventeenth century, in fact, their proselytizing had completely antagonized the Japanese emperor Ieyasu. When the Dutch began to arrive in Japan in great numbers, Ieyasu was much relieved. He needed Europeans for their know-how in guns and navigation, and here at last were Europeans who cared nothing for spreading religion—the Dutch wanted only to trade. Ieyasu swiftly moved to evict the Portuguese. From then on, he would only deal with the practical-minded Dutch.

    Japan and Holland were vastly different cultures, but each shared a timeless and universal concern: self-interest.

    Every person you deal with is like another culture, an alien land with a past that has nothing to do with yours. Yet you can bypass the differences between you and him by appealing to his self-interest.

    Do not be subtle: You have valuable knowledge to share, you will fill his coffers with gold, you will make him live longer and happier. This is a language that all of us speak and understand.

    A key step in the process is to understand the other person’s psychology. Is he vain? Is he concerned about his reputation or his social standing? Does he have enemies you could help him vanquish? Is he simply motivated by money and power?

    When the Mongols invaded China in the twelfth century, they threatened to obliterate a culture that had thrived for over two thousand years. Their leader, Genghis Khan, saw nothing in China but a country that lacked pasturing for his horses, and he decided to destroy the place, leveling all its cities, for “it would be better to exterminate the Chinese and let the grass grow.”

    It was not a soldier, a general, or a king who saved the Chinese from devastation, but a man named Yelu Ch‘u-Ts’ai.

    A foreigner himself, Ch‘u- Ts’ai had come to appreciate the superiority of Chinese culture. He managed to make himself a trusted adviser to Genghis Khan, and persuaded him that he would reap riches out of the place if, instead of destroying it, he simply taxed everyone who lived there. Khan saw the wisdom in this and did as Ch‘u-Ts’ai advised.

    When Khan took the city of Kaifeng, after a long siege, and decided to massacre its inhabitants (as he had in other cities that had resisted him), Ch‘u-Ts’ai told him that the finest craftsmen and engineers in China had fled to Kaifeng, and it would be better to put them to use.

    Kaifeng was spared.

    Never before had Genghis Khan shown such mercy, but then it really wasn’t mercy that saved Kaifeng. Ch‘u-Ts’ai knew Khan well. He was a barbaric peasant who cared nothing for culture, or indeed for anything other than warfare and practical results. Ch‘u-Ts’ai chose to appeal to the only emotion that would work on such a man: greed.

    Self-interest is the lever that will move people. Once you make them see how you can in some way meet their needs or advance their cause, their resistance to your requests for help will magically fall away. At each step on the way to acquiring power, you must train yourself to think your way inside the other person’s mind, to see their needs and interests, to get rid of the screen of your own feelings that obscure the truth. Master this art and there will be no limits to what you can accomplish.

    Image: A Cord that Binds. The cord of mercy and gratitude is threadbare, and will break at the first shock.

    Do not throw such a lifeline. The cord of mutual self-inter est is woven of many fibers and cannot easily be severed. It will serve you well for years.

    Authority: The shortest and best way to make your fortune is to let people see clearly that it is in their interests to promote yours. (Jean de La Bruyère, 1645-1696)

    REVERSAL

    Some people will see an appeal to their self-interest as ugly and ignoble.

    They actually prefer to be able to exercise charity, mercy, and justice, which are their ways of feeling superior to you: When you beg them for help, you emphasize their power and position. They are strong enough to need nothing from you except the chance to feel superior. This is the wine that intoxicates them. They are dying to fund your project, to introduce you to powerful people—provided, of course, that all this is done in public, and for a good cause (usually the more public, the better). Not everyone, then, can be approached through cynical self-interest. Some people will be put off by it, because they don’t want to seem to be motivated by such things. They need opportunities to display their good heart.

    Do not be shy. Give them that opportunity. It’s not as if you are conning them by asking for help—it is really their pleasure to give, and to be seen giving. You must distinguish the differences among powerful people and figure out what makes them tick. When they ooze greed, do not appeal to their charity. When they want to look charitable and noble, do not appeal to their greed.

    Conclusion

    A perfect example of this law is in the television show (a spin off from Breaking Bad) called Better Call Saul. There is a scene (season 1, episode 2) where the big bad Drug Boss, named Tuco Salamanca, was going to kill these two tricksters that got in his way.

    From Digitrends….

    What is Tuco doing in the mix here, anyway? As it turns out, the reason is nothing more than a cruel cosmic joke.

    Rewind to the premiere: Jimmy hired two skateboarding siblings to pull one over on Betsy Kettleman, the wife of a county treasurer who stole $1.5 million from the state. Their mission was to skateboard into Betsy’s car, set up a situation where Saul can swoop in as her hero, and sweep her off her feet as his new prize client.

    The twins played their part perfectly, but they got the wrong car — the very, very wrong car.

    Tuco is thinking. Thinking.
    Saul convinces Tuco not to kill these two rascals. But to break their legs instead.

    .

    The car belongs to Tuco Salamanca’s grandmother — his “abuelita,” as he calls her — and when the brothers follow her home, Tuco finds nothing funny about the scam these two “biznatches” are trying to pull.

    He beats them down and ties them up, spilling some “salsa” on his carpet as a result. Before long, Jimmy McGill shows up at Tuco’s, and he’s one wrong sentence away from joining the bound-and-gagged brothers in Tuco’s basement.

    The second episode got off quickly with Tuco telling his grandma that she should just watch her stories while he deals with the two hustling skaters. Tuco knows how to get rid of a senior citizen in order to lay down a beating to those in need. 
    
    The two skaters have no idea who they are messing with still, as they insult Tuco’s granny and show no respect whatsoever to Tuco. 
    
    The two skinny boys should learn to read people a bit better if they are gonna be in the con game. When Tuco cracks the guys with granny’s walking cane, they must have realized at that moment that they were in over their nappy heads. 
    
    Lesson to all you would be scammers, don’t threaten someone unless you are 100 percent sure they will not attack you physically.
    
    While Tuco is handling his business downstairs, ‘grandma hit and run’ is enjoying a snack on her Hyman Roth lunch tray while watching her stories. She can’t ignore all the thumping and banging going on below her, so she checks it out only to be assured by Tuco that everything is fine and he is taking care of the matter. 
    
    What grandma is going to doubt her grandchild, especially after the two skaters have acted a fool at her home.
    
    Our boy Saul, better known as Jimmy McGill at this point, makes the mistake of being the one who knocks on the door of Tuco. Claiming to be an “officer of the law” was not the right move either. 
    
    Tuco puts the biggest pistol known to man in McGill’s face and brings him inside. McGill is nervous enough without seeing the blood stain on the rug, which granny is plenty concerned about as well. She just cares about the rug though.
    
    Jimmy uses his bronze tongue to wade into the issue of whether his clients are still alive. 
    Crazy Tuco seems to halfway believe the story that they just got the wrong house in a zany mix up. Jimmy wants to just leave as if none of this lunacy ever even happened. 
    
    It turns out that both clients are still alive and tied up in the garage. That’s good news, but the bad news is that the skaters are still really dumb. 
    
    The second the duct tape is off one of the guy’s mouth he starts to blame Jimmy for this entire mess. 
    
    If I’m laying on the floor tied up with tape over my mouth, I would take a few seconds before saying anything. The skaters were not doing too well before Jimmy arrived on the scene so they should have given him at least a minute to see where it went. 
    
    All three were on their way out of danger, but the loud mouth put them back in mortal danger.
    
    Out of the frying pan and into the fire of the desert went the three scammers. 
    
    Tied up in the desert is about 10 times worse than tied up in a residential garage. Neither situation is great, but the former is just more convenient to bury a victim. Jimmy McGill tries something that Saul would not use as much in the future, the truth. 
    
    He tells Tuco all about who the scam was intended for and that they just got unlucky by getting hit by his granny. The truth didn’t work very well and Tuco went on the offensive with a toolbox full of torture. 
    
    He was convinced that these guys were some kind of undercover police force, so Jimmy told the nut job just that. A man will say anything if he is about to have his fingers disconnected with a pair of pruners. 
    
    Lies were about as helpful as the truth since Tuco ordered them killed after Jimmy claimed to be with the FBI. 
    
    Lucky for Jimmy, Tuco’s partner Nacho Varga didn’t believe the story and convinced the maniac that they didn’t have to whack the lawyer. 
    
    Tuco agreed but still felt the need to defend his granny’s honor by wasting the skaters.
    
    If I’m Jimmy, I just walk away from this mess and get back to another money making idea. And that’s just what happened, except Jimmy felt the tinge of guilt since he was the one who enlisted the skate bros after all. 
    
    I was a little surprised at his change of mind, but he is not an evil guy of course. 
    
    It would have been a bad look for the hero to let these two get killed because of his plan. To be fair, they were the ones who screwed up and followed the lady and went in her house. I will likely be justifying Jimmy McGill’s actions just as I did with Walter White, all the way to the end.
    
    Jimmy spent the next few minutes trying to convince a neanderthal not to kill his guys. 
    
    Tuco is not very reasonable of course, so Jimmy put on quite a show. 
    
    He puffs up the drug dealer’s ego by making it out like Tuco is the judge in this case….which he is in fact. 
    
    Judge Tuco finally agrees to simply break a leg on each of the skaters after McGill’s impassioned lie about how their moms would be hurt if they were killed off. 
    
    Knowing a broken leg is coming isn’t easy on one’s mind and these two weaklings freaked right out. Jimmy carried them to the ER once they were free to go and was insulted by skater #1 saying McGill was the worst lawyer in the world. 
    
    Jimmy replied, “Hey, I talked you down from a death sentence to six months’ probation. I’m the best lawyer ever.” 
    
    He had a solid point.
    
    -Movie TV Tech Geeks

    And so Tuco followed that advice. He spared the crooks, but left them both with broken legs as a warning to others not to mess with him.

    Tuco puts the biggest pistol known to man in McGill’s face and brings him inside.
    Tuco puts the biggest pistol known to man in McGill’s face and brings him inside.

    .

    What follows is an impromptu trial, with windswept sand and cacti replacing the court room, with Tuco serving as judge, jury and executioner. Jimmy appeals to Tuco’s ego — “You want justice, but you’re fair!” — and talks the psychopath down from giving the kids Colombian neck-ties to a lesser Hammurabian sentence: “One leg each,” they agree.

    It’s a lucky break for everyone involved, even if the broken twins don’t immediately agree.

    Later, Jimmy goes on a date. It does not go well. Nearby diners crack into breadsticks, and the harmless act brings the sickening crunch of broken legs back to mind.

    From there, it’s a quick trip to the bathroom, an unhealthy amount of vomiting, and an even unhealthier amount of drinking.

    Such is the price that Jimmy (Saul Goodman) has to pay.

    You appeal to peoples’ needs and expectations if you want to see results.

    Do you want more?

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    When empires get an itch to invade a peaceful land.

    Empires are a real pain in the ass, don’t you know. They are always off concocting one war or the other. Bombing places into oblivion, and just threatening others with all sorts of trouble. They collapse trade, invention, scientific development, society, religion and the environment. But yet, it all continues.

    What stops all this madness?

    Internal collapse. That’s what historically ends the insanity.

    You can tell a empire from a normally peaceful nation by it’s “telltales”. Which are uniformly, and historically stable;

    • Military bases everywhere.
    • The most powerful military in the areas that they occupy.
    • The use of their currency for financial transactions.
    • On-going wars or conflicts.
    • Justification for war using “righteous and just” excuses.
    • Disruption of trade.

    Now, it’s pretty obvious to everyone (except the most bone-headed ignorant) that the USA today is a military empire and it is going “down” shooting as it collapses internally. The signs are all there and obvious.

    But we are not going to talk about THAT, right now.

    John Whitehead.
    John Whitehead.

    We are going to talk about something else. We are going to talk about the crimes of the empire when it is still functioning. Because, as soon as it collapses, everything is forgotten and forgiven (apparently). And that is really, really bad, and a serious problem. For how can you learn form your mistakes if you always conveniently forget the past?

    “Oh, let by-gones be by-gones.”

    Now, one of the big things about these military empires is that they are always invading the “little guy”. They are always invading and taking over smaller and peaceful nations. Either directly or indirectly (like the CIA and it’s many tentacles).

    Hey!

    Fun fact! Did you know that the United States is currently fighting eight simultaneous wars right now? Yeah. It is. Bet you cannot name them all. And you also wanna know something else? They are all smaller and unable to defend themselves from the nuclear super-power.

    Harry Dunn
    Harry Dunn

    Well…

    Perhaps it’s time for me to butt-in and say a few word about all of this. Eh?

    The scarlet pimpernel.
    The scarlet pimpernel.

    When the British Empire was at it’s peak, it too invaded nations on the slightest whim. And the excuses were the same as they are today “because we should take precautions”. And so, let’s look at one of those little nations states that the British Empire overran and conquered…

    The following is a reprint of an article titled “British Invasion of Madagascar” and Authored by John W. Osborn, Jr.. It is reprinted as found with only minor editing to fit this venue. All credit to the author and his work.

    British Invasion of Madagascar

    British forces were compelled to invade the island Madagascar off the coast of East Africa amid fears of a Japanese invasion.

    By John W. Osborn, Jr.

    “The first I saw of Madagascar and the last after adventurous months ashore was the eerie color of the soil,” 

    …a British novelist turned security sergeant would write a decade later. 

    “It gave to the sky, the vegetation, and the people a strangeness, even a deathliness which still shadows my recollections of the island. For the soil and the dust which rose from it to cake our skins and clothes, our eyelids and nostrils was not brick-colored or terra cotta but the color of dried blood.”

    Lying 240 miles off the southeast coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, at 226,658 square miles Madagascar ranks just behind Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo in size among the world’s islands.

    But with a population in 1942 of just 3.4 million, it had one of the world’s smallest densities, five persons per square mile.

    Only 25,000 were French, the rest a mixture of African with ancient arrivals from Malaya and Polynesia dizzyingly divided into 18 sub-ethnic groups such as the Antandroy, the “people of the bush brambles,” and the Tsmimihety, the “people who do not cut their hair.”

    Map of Madagascar.
    Madagascar

    Though discovered by Europeans in 1506, its French rulers did not bother to take possession until 1897. Under the rule of Vichy collaborators, the island was ignored and isolated for most of the war; however, events in the Pacific brought it briefly into the action.

    As World War II raged on all over the globe, the people of Madagascar lived their lives in peace and tranquility. Knowing full well that they were safe as being uninteresting and of little importance int he grand scheme of things.

    When he heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor in his London headquarters, the leader of the Free French, General Charles de Gaulle, asked an aide what he thought the consequences would be for France.

    “The Indian Ocean becomes a major theater of operations, and Madagascar suddenly takes on strategic importance. The Japanese will try to seize it,” 

    …the aide astutely answered.

    In Japanese hands, the magnificent harbor of Diego Suarez at the northeast tip of the island and the naval base a mile to the south at Antisare could choke off Allied supply lines to India and Egypt.

    De Gaulle appealed to the Allies to take Madagascar, but British Prime Minister Winston Churchill vetoed the idea.

    “Our hands are too full,” 

    …he cabled President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and told his chief of staff,

    “Madagascar must still have low priority.”

    But then the Japanese captured Singapore and Burma. They landed on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. With Ceylon threatened, the British war cabinet decided on July 12, 1942, to seize only Diego Suarez rather than all of Madagascar.

    “The rest of the enormous island was of less strategic importance,” Churchill later explained. “With the memories of Dakar in our mind, we could not complicate the operation by admitting the Free French. The decision was taken for a purely British expedition.”

    Churchill called the campaign for Madagascar …

    “our first large-scale amphibious operation since the Dardanelles.” 

    Operation Ironclad got underway just 12 nights later, winter clothing seen loaded amid rumors of a commando operation against occupied Norway. Rear Admiral Neville Syfret commanded the aircraft carriers Illustrious and Indomitable,the battleship Ramillies, a pair of cruisers, nine destroyers, six corvettes, and an equal number of minesweepers.

    Maj. Gen. Robert Sturges commanded 13,000 troops.

    During the effort to gain control of the port of Diego Suarez on the island of Madagascar, British soldiers come ashore with their equipment on May 5, 1942.
    During the effort to gain control of the port of Diego Suarez on the island of Madagascar, British soldiers come ashore with their equipment on May 5, 1942.
    “It was the nearest I would come to realizing a conception of ‘adventure,’” 

    …Sergeant Rupert Croft-Cooke later wrote. He had already had his share of extraordinary experiences, working in a circus, traveling with a horse-drawn gypsy caravan, and wandering Europe in an old bus. The writer was now heading for the strangest of all.

    The convoy rounded the Cape of Good Hope, spent five days docked in Durban, South Africa, to load supplies, then headed north into the Mozambique Channel separating Madagascar from the African mainland.

    Facing the British would be 8,000 unenthusiastic local conscripts along with Foreign Legionnaires and tough Senegalese soldiers from West Africa. “We were told in a whisper that we had agents ashore keeping us informed of every defensive measure of the enemy,” Croft-Cooke wrote. The top British agent on Madagascar since November 1940 was Percy Mayer, a businessman whose work took him all over the island, while his wife, much admired in what passed for society with her looks and piano playing, tapped out his messages to Durban in their bathroom.

    “But,” Croft-Cooke recalled, “when the last night came and we realized that in the small hours, the landing would start, the prospect, viewed in the tropical sunlight, suddenly seemed forlorn, uncertain of success, exceedingly dangerous.”

    The campaign for Madagascar opened at 4:40 amon May 5, 1942, with the attack at Diego Suarez.

    Fairey Swordfish and Albacore aircraft from the carriers bombed shipping at anchor in the harbor and destroyed most of Vichy’s 30 aircraft on the ground, while the fleet shelled the town and paratroopers descended. 

    Caught in town, Percy Mayer rushed from his hotel room into the street. Unluckily for him, he ran right into a Vichy patrol. When he was searched, secret messages were located on him. He quickly found himself in a cell at Antisare’s naval base, told he would be summarily executed, and was at least offered a priest.

    Only the air strikes had been real. The naval bombardment had been star shells and signal rockets, light instead of heat, the “paratroopers” merely dummies. The real attack was taking place on the island’s western side, at Courier Bay and Ambarata.

    “Firing at night is not to be contemplated, the entrance to the bay being considered impossible,” a French staff report confidently concluded. Royal Navy minesweepers were nonetheless able to skillfully navigate the shoals, reefs, and mines and then drop buoys for the troopships to follow.

    After coming ashore on Madagascar, British soldiers of the King’s African Rifles assemble on the beach.
    After coming ashore on Madagascar, British soldiers of the King’s African Rifles assemble on the beach.

    Commandos and East Lancashire regulars proceeded to scale the 50-foot cliff overlooking Courier Bay. “We moved up to a gun position which we could see clearly in the moonlight,” a Royal Artillery captain serving as a forward observer related. 

    “Strangely enough, all was quiet and deserted, no sentries were posted, and no sign of life of at all. As dawn broke, we saw some buildings and went in to investigate. There we found the gunners all in bed.”

    There was little initial opposition. “In sweltering heat, loaded like pack mules with ammo and grenades, we marched against a hot wind across the 8-mile isthmus to Diego Suarez,” one Commando remembered. When the Commandos and the Lancashire troops reached Diego Suarez at 4:30 pm they finally met bitter resistance.

     Sergeant Rupert Croft-Cooke and the 29th Independent Brigade, in the meantime, had come ashore at Ambarate. He dragged his motorcycle to shore, kicked it to life, then joined the advance up the single, dusty road 21 miles east toward Antisare.

    “There was no sound of firing, no glimpse of the enemy,” he wrote. “Ten miles or more distance were covered before we saw anything but red earth and florid vegetation.”

     “Soon after noon, the battle started,” he continued. He had been traveling 20 yards behind the Bren carrier that the 29th’s commander, Brigadier Fredrick Festing, was riding in. Known as Frontline Frankie, he was, as usual, hundreds of yards ahead of the column when firing suddenly broke out. The British rushed to cover behind the roadside trees and bushes. After five minutes, one of a half-dozen supporting Valentine tanks clanked up. As he walked toward it, Festing saw Croft-Cooke and yelled, “Been fired on much, sergeant?”

    “No sir, not at all.”

    “I’ve got to speak to that tank,” Festing said and started whacking the turret with his walking stick. More irritated than impressed, Croft-Cooke rode back down the road to rejoin his security section.

    The prospect of a Japanese invasion of Madagascar threatened the security of British interests in the western reaches of the Indian Ocean and along the coast of East Africa. However, Vichy French resistance to the British occupation of the island resulted in some difficult fighting before Madagascar was secured.
    The prospect of a Japanese invasion of Madagascar threatened the security of British interests in the western reaches of the Indian Ocean and along the coast of East Africa. However, Vichy French resistance to the British occupation of the island resulted in some difficult fighting before Madagascar was secured.

    Festing drove the Vichy defenders back with armor, then a bayonet charge. Hours later, descending a hill and coming to a bridge across a stream, the British vanguard came upon a dilapidated corrugated iron building with a sign that said “Robinson’s Hotel.”

    It was actually a store.

    “In every village of Madagascar, we afterward learned, there was a Chinaman’s store, usually a tin shanty,” 

    Croft-Cooke recalled. It was quickly taken over as field headquarters for Festing and Sturges, with Croft-Cooke in charge of the guard detail. All the while, the ancient Chinese proprietor served tea, chattering in his unique brand of French.

    Three miles from Antisare, the surprised British ran into a network of pillboxes and trenches the Vichy soldiers called the Joffre Line. Percy Mayer, still sweating out his appointment with the firing squad, had reported on it, but the information had never reached Sturges.

    “The firing was now intense and from all sides,” Croft-Cooke related. “Our own artillery and the French 75s were audible in the universal racket of mortars, machine-gun and rifle fire.” Festing threw in his armor, only to have it stopped by a 2,000-yard-long antitank ditch. The last four of the Valentines and two of the six light Tetrarch tanks making up the rest of the operation’s armor were knocked out by artillery fire. Their crews leaped out and fought Senegalese soldiers hand to hand to reach safety. Festing recommended Captain Peter Palmer, killed trying to save his wounded driver, for what would have produced the campaign’s only Victoria Cross, but he was instead awarded the Military Cross.

    A long day came to a merciful end at 6:30 pm. “Now, it was deep night, and the crowded stars of the southern hemisphere shone brightly,” Croft-Cooke wrote. To prevent snipers from crawling up in the darkness, the British set the surrounding grass on fire. “I watched the blazing hills and the black shapes of our men against them, and tried to realize that this was a battle, and not merely a rather fantastic night in a strange country.”

    Sturges prepared to launch a predawn attack, expecting “a good scrape which would end when we were at breakfast in Antisare.” Actually, he was having his breakfast at 7:30, still at Robinson’s. “It was quite clear that the attack had failed. It was an unhappy moment,” he admitted.

    There were more unhappy moments to come. Despite the fires, snipers got through—a naval signalman sitting next to Croft-Cooke fell forward without a sound, a bullet between his eyes. Then, Robinson’s came under heavy artillery shelling, sending everyone but the Chinese owner dashing to cover. Sturges headed back to the coast to board Syfret’s flagship Ramilliesat 2 pm, “hot, begrimed, and unhappy,” in Syfret’s words, and requesting a diversionary seaborne raid against Antisare.

    In less than 30 minutes, the destroyer Anthonywas setting out to race 100 miles around Madagascar with Captain Martin Price and 30 Royal Marines. One of them was Syfret’s valet, who begged to go, Syfret agreeing only with reluctance. He later admitted, “I did not expect a score to survive the night. The next hours were not happy ones.”

    Lieutenant Commander John Hodges took the Anthonyinto Antisare Bay in pitch darkness at 8 pm, hoping to make a surprise landing, but searchlights on shore came on. Hodges steadily maneuvered through a gauntlet of fire at 30 knots toward the docks. With no time to stop, he overshot the dock, reversed in by the stern while Price and his Marines jumped off, and then headed full speed back out to sea.

    Price divided his Marines to seize objectives. Those rushing the gate at the naval depot where Percy Mayer was taken for execution came under rifle fire. Grenades tossed in response soon had the commander emerging with a white flag. A bugler beside him started to sound the ceasefire. The Marines, mistaking it for an alarm, knocked him down and then apologized. Inside, 50 British prisoners taken in the morning’s failed assault on the Joffre Line were liberated, but not Percy Mayer. Luckily, he had not been shot: sensing defeat, the French had ostensibly paroled him.

    Price armed the prisoners and soon had Antisare under control, and despite Syfret’s fears, he had not lost even a single Marine. “This was a brilliant diversion,” wrote Churchill. Price was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for it. Sturges ordered a final assault on the Joffre Line at 8:30. Phone calls from Antisare reported that Price’s raid had broken Vichy morale, and at 11 pm, the burst of signal rockets illuminated the black sky, announcing that the Joffre Line had fallen.

    The last holdouts in Diego Suarez gave up in the morning. “It was as though we had won a hard game of rugger, and neither team appeared to have any ill feeling,” Price commented.

    Rupert Croft-Cooke saw nothing sporting about the score in losses, for 105 British had been killed and 283 wounded, while Vichy French losses were 145 dead and 336 wounded. “There was little for triumph in our entry,” he wrote. “We were angry at the idiotic obstinacy of the French, who had fought and killed many a good fellow. And why? Because an octogenarian marechal at home had ordered them to do so.”

    Another soldier was just as angry: Charles De Gaulle. He was in Washington, D.C., to mend relations with President Roosevelt when a reporter awakened him at midnight for a comment—the first word he had received of the invasion. For the moment, the British preferred to deal with the local Vichy authorities. They would find them as hard to handle as De Gaulle, but for a different reason.

    A Grumman Martlet fighter aircraft of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm No. 888 Squadron flies past the old Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Warspite off the coast of Madagascar.A Grumman Martlet fighter aircraft of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm No. 888 Squadron flies past the old Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Warspite off the coast of Madagascar.
    A Grumman Martlet fighter aircraft of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm No. 888 Squadron flies past the old Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Warspite off the coast of Madagascar.A Grumman Martlet fighter aircraft of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm No. 888 Squadron flies past the old Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Warspite off the coast of Madagascar.

    When the police, customs officers, teachers, and other assorted necessary functionaries were summoned to the town hall in Diego Suarez and asked by the British to continue working, they protested, one of them asking how it would endanger their pensions to, ironically, collaborate with the occupiers.

    The British made the gesture of threatening to jail them so they could claim later they served under duress. Croft-Cooke, for one, could not hide his disdain for such people “who, thinking that their pensions might be lost or their good name obscured in the eyes of their government, refused to admit the one consideration which should have counted with a Frenchman as it did with an Englishman: the defeat of the Boche who sprawled across France and of the Jap who occupied Indo-China.”

    Croft-Cooke got on with his own security work, freeing imprisoned Gaullists, rounding up Vichy sympathizers for questioning, and starting a dogged pursuit of two German agents. He even governed for a while as an acting district officer. “I came to like the Malagasy, his innocent mendacity, his primitive timidity, his talent for storytelling, his indolence, courtesy, and sweetness,” he later wrote.

    In the meantime, the British left the French in control of central and southern Madagascar, to his irritation. He wrote in 1953,

    “One day, I suppose, we shall be told why it was that having taken the only strongly defended port in Madagascar, we remained precariously within an area of 100 square miles before attacking and controlling the rest of the island.”

    Three years before, Winston Churchill had explained why. In the fourth volume of his World War II history, The Hinge of Fate,he included a telegram to Admiral Syfret regarding Madagascar. “It must be a help and not a hindrance. It must be a security and not a burden. We cannot lock up field troops there for any length of time,” it read. Syfret had, in fact, concurred. “I think, as far as our occupation of Diego Suarez is concerned, the French will adopt a policy of live and let live.”

    Before long, though, the Japanese again forced Churchill to change his mind, this time directly.

    “We had settled down to life in that scruffy little seaport as though we would remain there forever,” wrote Croft-Cooke. On the night of May 29, 1942, sudden explosions in the harbor shattered that tranquility.

    Ramillieshad a 20-foot hole blown it its side. An oil tanker was sunk. “Where had they come from? What did it portend?” worried Churchill.

    It had been a Japanese midget submarine. Attempting to escape after doing the damage, it ran aground on a reef, the two crewmen swimming ashore to be cornered and killed two days later.

    During the next two months, several more midget submarine attacks destroyed 34 ships totaling 150,000 tons. The (erroneous) assumption—the midgets actually launched from Japanese fleet submarines—was that the Japanese were operating from the ports still in Vichy hands: Majunga on the west coast, Tamatave on the east. The premier of South Africa, Jan Smuts, put particular political pressure on Churchill, cabling, “Madagascar is the key to the safety of the Indian Ocean. It all points to the necessity of eliminating Vichy control from the whole island as soon as possible.”

    The British first responded with bombing missions into Vichy territory by the South African Air Force. One aircraft with a pilot named Jones went down, and Croft-Cooke was sent on a rescue mission to get him back. Jones, though, had salvaged a machine gun from his wrecked bomber and was leading his crew to safety when they were suddenly faced with a French officer and 40 men.

    As operations to secure Madagascar continue in November 1942, British soldiers dismantle a roadblock that has been erected to impede their overland progress.
    As operations to secure Madagascar continue in November 1942, British soldiers dismantle a roadblock that has been erected to impede their overland progress.

    “I must ask you, gentlemen, to consider yourselves my prisoners,” said Jones, firing a burst from the machine gun into the air. The Malagasy accompanying the French officer scattered.

    The Frenchman responded, “I surrender unconditionally.” With his prisoner in tow, Jones reached the coast to be picked up by the Royal Navy. Croft-Cooke also found the German agents he was hunting. After receiving a tip, he nabbed them before dawn while they were sleeping in a hut.

    “The west coast ports were needed for control of the Mozambique Channel where our convoys were molested by the U-boats. The governor-general remained obdurate. Further operations had to take place,” 

    …wrote Churchill.  In the end, the decision was finally made to occupy the remainder of Madagascar in a three-stage operation named Stream Line Jane.

    Stream would be a landing at Majunga, followed immediately by Line, a march on Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, finishing with Jane, a landing at Tamatave. A convoy of reinforcements including the famed King’s African Rifles (KAR) sailed from Mombasa to rendezvous in the Mozambique Channel with Croft-Cooke and the 29th Brigade on the night of September 9, 1942.

    Another writer, Kenneth C. Gandar-Dower, was with the reinforcing troops that night. He had flown a rickety two-seater from England to India, later exploring Kenya and the Belgian Congo and publishing accounts of his exploits. The war provided him more opportunity for exotic adventure as a correspondent covering first the invasion of Ethiopia and now Madagascar.

    “The world was dark and empty for us—and Madagascar,” he wrote of that night at sea. “I did not know what lay ahead.” What did lie ahead was an episode that would go down in British lore as the Battle Before Breakfast.

    The invasion force appeared off Majunga at 3 am. “Between the troopships, something was moving, a little black blob that seemed to have no shape,” Gandar-Dower wrote. “After a while, I realized it was not alone. There was another, and another, and another.”

    They were assault craft carrying East Lancashire troops and Welsh Fusiliers to the beach nine miles out of town. When daylight came, his ship moved to 400 yards from shore, and he watched “little figures crawl slowly up cliffs of white chalk, following the convolutions of a winding track, halting, going on…. It was if we cut away half an ant hill, replaced by a pane of glass, and through the glass, were watching ants at war.”

    In fact, he was watching a feint attack like the one at Diego Suarez.

    Croft-Cooke was coming in with the real landing force, headed straight for the docks. “It took an hour and a half to reach the shore,” he related, “and before we had done, dawn had arrived. We could see Majunga in the rosy light of sunrise, a white city among palms. At first, it seemed peaceful enough, but as we were within earshot, we could hear the sound of machine guns, and we knew the French were resisting. We caught a glimpse of the Commandos hurrying up a narrow street and saw our men along the white sand of the beach.”

    The Commandos landed at 5:20, quickly overwhelmed the machine guns then swarmed into the town. Croft-Cooke followed, pushing his ever-present motorcycle through the surf and sand. “The fighting was almost over, but a few shots were still audible to give me the illusion of taking part in a fight for the town,” he recalled.

    The Commandos met only scattered resistance as they occupied the bank, post office, and residence of the regional administrator, and in 90 minutes, the battle—such as it was—ended with a dozen British dead. Commandos trying to flank the town had run into a far different, more determined opponent.

    “As we traveled up the river,” Fred Munson remembered, “the tide began to go out, and we began to run aground on a sandbank. The river was full of crocodiles, so before we could get into the water to lighten the craft and push them off the sandbanks, hand grenades were thrown into the river to keep the crocodiles at bay.”

    In Majunga, the garrison commander, Major Didier Martins, got caught in bed at the time of the attack but managed to get himself slightly wounded in the left elbow and, no doubt for the benefit of his Vichy superiors, made a show of presenting himself with a theatrically oversized sling.

    “Did my men fight well?” he asked.

    “Magnificently!” the British commander played along.

    As at Antisare, finding a bugle to call surrender proved difficult. A young British officer was sent to the Martins home for a white flag. He found Madame Martins hysterically barricaded in her bedroom.

    From outside the door, the officer explained why he was there and assured her that he was not going to rape her. The door finally creaked open, and a trembling hand passed out a broomstick and bed sheet. “A curious gaiety spread through the town at lunchtime,” Croft-Cooke observed. “We were openly welcomed, and the hope was expressed we should occupy the capital before long.”

    By then, the KAR and a South African armored car column had set out 250 miles southeast to do just that. They covered 131 miles in just 18 hours, only to be slowed to a crawl by the first of some 3,000 roadblocks Vichy forces were eventually to put up all over Madagascar. The KAR worked around the clock dismantling the obstacles and met their only serious opposition 150 miles from Atananarivo, at the mountain village of Ariba.

    Senegalese troops kept the KAR under heavy machine-gun fire until a sergeant named Odillo, whose British officer had been killed, led his platoon around the Senegalese and then came screaming down on them wielding three-foot-long, curved panga machetes.

    “After firing to the last, one of the Senegalese would jump out and try to scuttle through our lines. We dropped a number of them like rabbits,” the KAR colonel said. Four of the KAR died in the fight, while the eight wounded were laid without rancor or bitterness alongside Senegalese casualties, though neither would accept being put next to a Malagasy conscript.

    British colonial troops fire their field artillery pieces toward Vichy French entrenchments on Madagascar. Defending their government’s sovereign territory, the Vichy soldiers were defeated after several sharp fights with the British forces. This action took place near the village of Ambositra.
    British colonial troops fire their field artillery pieces toward Vichy French entrenchments on Madagascar. Defending their government’s sovereign territory, the Vichy soldiers were defeated after several sharp fights with the British forces. This action took place near the village of Ambositra.

    After 13 days, the column reached Atananarivo to be met by a Special Operations Executive operative, Royal Navy Lieutenant Peter Simpson Jones, standing by a Renault in a crisp, new tropical suit. He and a companion had delivered a radio set to another agent, but their dinghy had capsized in Madagascar’s notoriously shark-infested waters while they were rowing out for pickup. The companion drowned, but Jones was rescued by a fisherman. At his court-martial, at which he was sentenced to five years in prison, the Vichy prosecutor had suggested, “Don’t you think in the next world war,you might do better to join the artillery?”

    Percy Mayer’s piano-playing, radio key-tapping wife, who spent several anxious weeks expecting arrest, was also safe. Governor General Armand Annet had fled, and with no one to take the surrender, a British officer walked into the radio station to politely request airtime for a not quite historic announcement:

    “At 5 pm, our troops occupied Atananrivo. Everything is quiet. That is all.”

    Five days earlier, the Jane portion of the operation had taken place. With the surf at Tamatave too rough for landings in the dark, the plan was to intimidate the town into surrender with an overwhelming show of naval force. “They might bluff up to the last minute, but not beyond it. The guns would never have to fire,” Gandar-Dower believed, but he was proven wrong—for three minutes.

    That was how long the British bombardment went on after the French had rejected a 10 AM ultimatum. They hoisted a white flag at 10:03. Gandar-Dower sloshed ashore, bowler hat on head, camera in one hand, typewriter in the other, to witness a great deal of activity—soldiers in firing positions, rushing about, kicking in doors–but no action. “It was,” he wrote, “like a Hollywood assault, which was being held up by the failure of the other side to put in an appearance.”

    An old woman shuffled up to him to ask if the battle was over. It was, he said, and soon he and the British were marching into town, at their head, a young lady “in the shortest of bathing costumes and pair of first-class legs.”

    Even though Stream Line Jane had been successfully completed, the campaign for Madagascar would drag on for six senseless weeks. With a mix of defiance and delusion, Governor General Annet had sent off a crazed cable to Vichy: “Our available troops are preparing to resist every enemy advance with the same spirit which inspired our soldiers at Diego Suarez, at Majunga, at Atananarivo, where each time the defense became a page of heroism written by La France.”

    A British Bren gun carrier rolls down a street in the town of Majunga on Madagascar. By the time this photo was taken on October 5, 1942, the British were gaining control of the island. A month later the Vichy surrender went into effect.
    British troops affected widespread landing don the West coast of Madagascar, including the ports of Majunga and Morondava. At Majunga, opposition, which was only slight, was soon overcome and the civil and military authorities arranged the surrender of the town. British Bren gun carrier on the road in Majunga, Madagascar, Oct. 5, 1942. (AP Photo)

    He had fled 190 miles south to Finanarantsoa, and the KAR had set off in pursuit. Gandar-Dower followed in a confiscated Citroen truck, bicycle, and pirogue, admitting, “We saw little of the war, but met with a great deal of curious adventure.”

    Rupert Croft-Cooke was having his own adventure with a lieutenant and a half-dozen soldiers searching for a French lieutenant with 100 conscripts. Along the way, they had encountered crocodiles, chasing them off with rifle shots. They later came upon a female English missionary, alone, forgotten, and resigned to staying after over 40 years.

    “Five hours of being paddled up a crocodile-infested river in Madagascar to a collection of native huts does not prepare one for such an encounter,” Croft-Cooke wrote. Then he and the lieutenant finally had their discussion with the French officer:

    “You have, of course, some soldiers?” the Frenchman asked.

    “Yes,” the British one replied. “We have some soldiers.”

    “Naturally, they are armed?”

    “Naturally.”

    “Automatic weapons, I presume?”

    “Tommy guns.”

    “You have, perhaps, some other forces in the area?”

    “We have.”

    “With some artillery, no doubt?”

    “Certainly.” It was back at the coast.

    “Ah. You will excuse me a moment.” He immediately wired Annet, “Occupied today by British forces armed with automatic weapons and supported by artillery.” 

    The campaign became one more of annoyance than action as the stubborn Vichy put up hundreds more roadblocks. “When I shut my eyes and think of Madagascar, I see one enormous roadblock,” Gandar-Dower remembered.

    The French laid melon-sized rocks exactly 20 yards apart for miles and erected 18-foot stone walls. In the last significant action, the KAR turned an attempted ambush on itself, marching 30 miles around to attack from the rear, killing 40 and taking 800 prisoners. The Malagasy, always quick to run from battle, were now running away for good, deserting in droves. Even worse for the Vichy, law and order were breaking down. Croft-Cooke was an official witness at the execution by firing squad of a Malagasy for the unprecedented murder of a French settler.

    After a five-week march, the KAR reached Finanarantsoa, only to find that Annet had fled another 190 miles southwest. With the KAR still in pursuit and after almost being killed when his staff car was strafed from the air, Annet finally sent his aide, Captain Louis Fauche, to negotiate surrender. In a 650-mile march, the KAR had routed 6,000 defenders for a loss of five British officers killed, six wounded and 20 Africans killed, 76 wounded.

    Fauche agreed to surrender with the curious condition that it did not go into effect for another 10 hours, until 12:01 amon November 6, 1942.

    The reason turned out to be, to the very end, about career concerns. Having the campaign last for exactly six months qualified the French for medals, promotions, and even cash awards, but any chance was dashed days later. To cap the fruitless futility of it all in Madagascar, the Germans occupied Vichy France.

    Churchill was modestly satisfied with the campaign for Madagascar. “We had gained full military control over an island of high strategic importance to the safety of our communication with the Near and Far East,” he noted. “The Madagascar episode was in its secrecy of planning and tactical execution a model of amphibious operations. The news arrived at a time when we sorely needed success. It was in fact for long months the only sign of good and efficient war direction of which the British public were conscious.”

    De Gaulle was angered at being left out. Kenneth Gandar-Dower, by contrast, later wrote, “It was for me a fascinating experience, an isolated six weeks of strange adventure.” He admitted that it was “certainly more than an exercise, but very much less than a war…. The French consciously or unconsciously conducted their defense according to formula. The first was ‘maximum results for minimum expenditure.’ The second: ‘resist as long and as fiercely as you can without loss of life—either French or British.’” Gandar-Dower’s exotic adventuring and writing ended when his transport was torpedoed en route to Ceylon on February 12, 1944.  

    Rupert Croft-Cooke soon left Madagascar for his next and last wartime posting, India. He spent most of his postwar life in other out-of-the-way locales, including Morocco and Tunisia, after serving six months in prison for homosexual activity in England in 1953, but he was through with Madagascar. He later wrote, “I shall never go back to Madagascar with its blood-red earth and creeping shadows.”

    He continued with his prolific, if ultimately forgotten, writing and in 1953 published his account of events in Madagascar titled The Blood-Red Island. Tragically, Madagascar would become that, and not just from the soil. An uprising in 1947 against the French was crushed with perhaps 100,000 dead, and independence in 1958 was marked by more violence and tribal strife.

    Empires come and go.

    No empire stays around for long. They all have a half-life. This is simply because humanity cannot exist, let alone thrive under an empire. It just cannot.

    Empires come and go.
    Empires come and go.

    Some thoughts…

    It is easy, so very easy, to get caught up in the history of the past. So and so, directing troops of Mr. XYZ and using the artillery of ABC attacked the hamlet of ZZZZ. So exciting. So interesting. So fascinating.

    And the geo-political issues… well it is often simplified to “it had to happen, as other decisions were in motion”. Like “we had to invade Madagascar to stop the Japs (the Japanese) from invading Africa, or the Middle East, or the Mediterranean sea.” It was a necessity. They all argue.

    Now…

    Pause.

    Think.

    Look at a bigger, a much bigger picture.

    No, I’m not talking about the Japanese Empire fighting the British Empire. Or the Russian Empire fighting the German Empire. Or the American empire fighting the world.

    Nor, am I talking about the bankers and their control of the finances of the world. (For they tend to be the major players in all this nasty wars and fighting nonsense.)

    I am talking about something, much bigger.

    Something much bigger than earth-wide politics.

    There are so many people, involved in so many aspects of human society that it is one big enormous mess. Everyone is fighting and striving for the bits and crumbs left over on the ground. The “news” is off yelling and screeching one narrative after the other in rapid and rabid succession. And even though you have a kind of allegiance to one side of a complex social-economic coin, the truth of the matter is something else entirely.

    We are all puppets.

    The American oligarchy has created factions that they pit against one another so that the peasants (debit serfs = you) will not rise up and kill them all.
    The American oligarchy has created factions that they pit against one another so that the peasants (debit serfs = you) will not rise up and kill them all.

    And with all this confusion going on…

    …and all this turmoil, just how can anyone sort any thing out?

    The owners of the Earth have a say on what goes on…

    What if you were an extraterrestrial looking at this entire event. What if you were watching dispassionately. What would you think about all of this? What would you think of the British invading a tiny island (ok, maybe not so tiny) off the coast of Africa?

    What would you think?

    Why was the UK busy invading Madagascar?
    Why was the UK busy invading Madagascar?

    Why?

    Why was the British busy invading Madagascar?

    Why, indeed.

    What was all this about?

    At that time, the entire globe was plunged into war. Empires fought empires. And there were a bunch of them. Don’t you know.

    And afterwards…

    The British Empire collapsed in stages.

    Leaving only two empires remaining. The Soviet Union Empire, and the United States Empire.

    In the late 1980’s the Soviet Union Empire collapsed, and that left the United States Empire that maintained sole dominance of much of the globe.

    From the 1980’s to today (2020), forty years…

    It’s been non stop military wars, military development, military bases. All either open or covert. And while all this has been going on, the internal structure, and balance of what America was founded upon has rotted away. And what is left?

    Nothing much.

    Americans (and the rest of the world) are "burned out". They want all this fighting, bickering, and torment to end. They just want to live their lives in peace.
    Americans (and the rest of the world) are “burned out”. They want all this fighting, bickering, and torment to end. They just want to live their lives in peace.

    And now today…

    You all have a Casino owner for a President, and a cabal of war-mongering neocons that are gonna show the world that America is still the toughest bully in the world. Meanwhile, the media is full of fear, fear fear to control an increasingly upset population of debit serfs, and modern slaves in the urban centers.

    Conflict is all but certain…

    All of the indicators are pointing to this in alarm!

    From 2020 through 2025, will be a very testy and trying time for America and for Americans. However, things will start to get much better and by 2030, everything will be just fine.
    From 2020 through 2025, will be a very testy and trying time for America and for Americans. However, things will start to get much better and by 2030, everything will be just fine.

    We know what is going on.

    We know what is happening and why.

    But…

    You know, if I was an extraterrestrial, and my species was in charge of the earth I would look at things quite differently. I really would.

    An extraterrestrial head’s up.

    In fact, I would not care at all about the details. Let the humans fight among each other. Let them sort things out. My concern would be long term and everlasting damage. But even at that, there would be some leeway provided.

    I would do the following…

    • I would isolate the biggest troublemaker (the USA from the rest of the world).
      • Economically, and by trade.
      • By treaties with other nations.
      • Keep the citizens of that nation fighting among themselves.
    • I would allow the nation to collapse.
      • No support for new technology.
      • No intervention of any type.
      • Instead, I’d make new alliances with healthier nations.
    • In fact, all things being equal, I would permit limited global war engagement.
      • Sometimes it’s better to kill the rabid dog before it infects others.
      • Isolation of the battlefield(s) to the American nation.
      • Permit and encourage shunning or isolation of the rabid nation.
    • Change the system
      • I would permit and encourage the development of other forms of commerce.
      • And, other forms of finance.
      • And, other forms and systems of society.
      • Allowing traditional governance with a heavily monitored presence.

    Now, with this under consideration, is that not what is going on now?

    Sentience selection and sorting. A fight for the dominant sentience for humans. Shall it be “Service for self” (The American neocon, and Oligarchy preference), “Service for others” (Which is more Buddhist, and representative of China, and Russia.) or a continuation of the current state with a segregated humanity. One that has two sentience’s for mankind; a ruling “Service for self”, and a subservient, servant class “Service for another” sentience?

    What is going on today…

    Let’s look, shall we…

    For Americans

    it’s confusing. The rabid dog is barking up a storm, jumping around all over, and has started to rollover and over on the dirt, causing you and your fellow fleas great discomfort. To make matters worse, some fleas actually cheer the dog on. Telling everyone else that they have never had it so good, and that the dog must bark to preserve their “flea society”.

    It’s all a big mess on the back of that nasty rabid dog.

    America today.
    You are here.

    So to understand how to survive and get through the next couple of decades, understand that you all (if you are Americas) are fleas on a very sick and rabid dog. He’s running around everywhere, barking up a storm and digging holes all over the yard. The other dogs are afraid of him, and the farmer has got his shotgun out because he doesn’t want his prized poodle, and collie torn up by the rabid pit bull. Will he pull the trigger?

    For the rest of the world

    Well, you are a flea on the back of one of the other dogs in the yard. You know that the farmer probably will not shoot your dog. But that crazed rabid dog has been barking and snarling at your dog for some some time now. If the farmer does not shoot, the crazed rabid dog will tear your dog to pieces…

    Whats going to happen?

    Well…

    Time is our friend. Not our enemy.

    And the invasion by America of another nation will only accelerate the coming end of the United States. Not delay it.

    MAKE NO MISTAKE. Things are falling into place as they should. And do not get too caught up on all the details, and the lies spewing forth from the dying nation.

    A big reminder…

    What you think the universe is, what you think reality is, and what science is … well, it’s all wrong. The reality that we inhabit is quite different than what you all think. And when I say that things are happening and following a plan because that’s the way it is …

    … well, believe me. OK.

    Strange coincidences…

    Do you want more?

    Do you want to see similar posts?

    I hope that you found this post curious. Please take care. You can view other similar posts in my SHTF Index, here…

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    Bits and pieces concerning the American neocon desire for World War III, and some comedic push back on all the absurdity

    The cult of the Biblical end of the world and the rapture does not reflect the view of the majority of Christians. But rather it is a distortion of one of the books of the Bible, twisted, and taken way, way out of context. Mentioning it here in no way is intended to disparage any Christians, or anyone who following the writings of the Bible.
    
    It is placed here as informative background only.

    Yes, this year (2020) has really been something else. I mean it’s just been absurd.

    Well, there is a human role in what is going on, don’t you know. It’s not all coincidence, and chance. It’s all part of a huge scheme of things that are all caught up within yet an even greater scheme of things.

    And people like me and you, well we are trapped inside this car that is being driven by drunk madmen towards what appears to be… the end of the road.

    Yikes!

    Heads up!
    
    I am going to say some nasty things about President Trump. 
    
    Sorry, but anyone who favors WAR in any shape, size or color, and tries to justify it is going to get "bitch slapped" by me. War is not a game. War is serious, serious business. 
    
    Stop hiding behind the soft tones of a "police action" or a "hybrid war", or a "trade war". War is war is war is war.
    
    And anyone promoting it is a dangerous person.
    
    This post is about the association of the United States government with hard-core neocons and evangelical Christians, I consider it a very dangerous combination. Much akin to playing with matches inside of a warehouse full of dynamite.
    
    kapish?

    This post is going to be a little bit “off the wall”.

    It’s all about what happens when some ideologically motivated people, with insanely odd-ball and distorted views of their place / role in society, take the reins of power of the largest nation on the planet.

    We’ve seen this in the past with Roman emperors. Like Nero.

    Right?

    A review of some of the madness of Nero

    Nero.

    Short name.

    Insane.

    Yeah. He was a pretty crazy guy. That is for certain, and his antics made modern politicians seem tame by comparison. But you all must keep in mind that the worst Nero could do was sack a city. He didn’t have the power to lay waste to the earth a thousand times over.

    Here’s a review of what can happen when you have a psychopath in charge of a nation…

    • Nero Used Burning Christians To Light His Garden At Night
    The most famous myth about Emperor Nero says that the crazed emperor actually played a fiddle while Rome burned during the Great Fire of 64 AD. That’s patently false. Nero did a bunch of crazy things, but this wasn’t one of them. When the fire broke out, Nero was actually 35 miles away at his villa at Antium. When he got the news, he rushed back to the city to begin administering aid immediately.
    
    The reason that the “fiddling” myth arose was thanks to the Roman people’s belief that Nero was a pampered aristocrat who cared little for the plight of his people. He was considered to be so callous and carefree that he could play music while his people suffered.
    
    After the Great Fire, the public came to the (incorrect) conclusion that Nero had actually started the nine-day blaze that engulfed two-thirds of Rome. In order to throw the scent off his trail, Nero put the blame squarely on Christians. Nero took to persecuting believers with glee. He had them thrown to dogs, nailed to crosses, and on occasion, he dipped Christians in oil, set them on fire, and used the light to illuminate his gardens at night.
    • Nero Kicked His Second Wife To Death And Then Married A Guy Who Looked Like Her
    The case could be made that Poppaea Sabina was Nero’s great love. He divorced his first wife to marry her, then quickly impregnated her once they were married. Then Poppaea mysteriously perished before having their second child. Historians of the time claim that Nero actually kicked Poppaea to death. Modern historians are a bit more forgiving, and claim it's equally as likely that Poppaea perished of a miscarriage.
    
    At any rate, what is known is that some time later, Nero fell in love with a man named Sporus whose most striking feature was his resemblance to Nero’s late wife. Nero had the boy castrated and brought back to the palace, where he took to calling him “lady” and “queen.”
    • Nero Liked To Dress Up As A Wild Animal And… Well, There’s More
    As Nero’s reign progressed, so did his sexual peculiarities. Though he was content to simply hit up some brothels in his youth, as he got older, his tastes got a little more violent.
    
    According to Roman historian Cassius Dion, “Nero would fasten naked boys and girls to stakes, and then putting on the hide of a wild beast would attack them and satisfy his brutal lust under the appearance of devouring parts of their bodies.”
    • In His Quest To Consolidate Power, Nero Ended Both His Brother And His Mother
    Initially, Nero wasn’t expected to be emperor. However, after Emperor Claudius married his niece, Nero's mother Agrippina, Agrippina persuaded her husband to adopt Nero as his son. It was then - with Nero next in line for the throne - that Nero’s mother Agrippina supposedly poisoned Claudius and pinned the deed on another woman.
    
    This plan ultimately backfired, though, as once Nero took the throne at the young age of 17, he was warned by both his advisors and his friends to watch out for Agrippina. In an attempt to secure his hold on the throne, Nero poisoned his stepbrother Britanicus and then, fearing his own mother’s wrath, he had Agrippina taken out a few years after taking the throne.
    • He Panicked And Ordered His Servant To Slay Him
    In the final months of his short life, the emperor tried to flee Rome after some political hostility (and a healthy dose of paranoia). He made it as far as the port city of Ostia; unfortunately, a few of the officers in the city refused to listen when the emperor gave them commands, so Nero slunk back to the Roman palace. 
    
    In a move of Shakespearean-level drama, a courier arrived to tell Nero that the Senate had declared him an enemy of the state and that they intended to beat him to death at their earliest convenience. This was actually a miscommunication, as the Senate was only considering bashing in Nero’s skull. Ultimately, they decided to reinstate the emperor and sent a second envoy to let him know.
    
    Meanwhile, Nero had spent the intervening time trying to work up the nerve to take his own life. He reportedly paced around saying what amounted to “what an artist dies in me!” He tried to convince some of his buddies to end their own lives first to show him how easy it was. When the Senate messenger arrived to tell him everything was cool, Nero heard the sound of horses approaching, panicked, and ordered his secretary Epaphroditus to do the job for him. Epaphroditus obliged and stabbed Nero.
    
    For his loyalty, Epaphroditus was met his end in 95 AD.
    • Nero Had His Own Corps Of Personal Clappers
    Okay, so let’s be fair here - Nero might have been an okay performer. Some of his closest advisors supposedly encouraged him to perform publicly. According to some historians, however, the emperor had “a slight and indistinct voice, so that he moved his whole audience to laughter and tears at once.”
    
    In order to ensure that his poor ego wasn’t hurt, however, Nero pulled together a special squad of 5,000 soldiers, called Augustans, whose only job was to clap when Nero’s performances prompted it. These soldiers were also encouraged to get the audience involved in the shouting and applause, as well.
    • He Instituted Juvenalia, Games In Honor Of His Own Beard
    In 59 AD, when Nero was 22, he finally started getting enough facial hair to merit a shave. In honor of this rite of passage, the boy emperor instituted Juvenalia, or "the games of youth," literally a festival commissioned because Nero was going to shave.
    
    The festival distinguished itself as a showcase for the performing arts, consisting of every known kind of theatrical performance. Rome’s most prominent members were expected to join the cast and look like they enjoyed doing it. When some members put on masks to hide their identities, Nero demanded their faces be shown to the public.
    • Nero Emptied The Roman Treasury Rebuilding His Palace
    After the Great Fire, Nero opted to spend the expansive Roman treasury not on rebuilding the city at large, but on building an opulent 100-acre palatial complex that came to be known as the Domus Aurea, or the “Golden House.”
    
    At the center of the Domus Aurea was a 100-foot-tall bronze statue of Nero himself, which the emperor dubbed the Colossus Neronis.
    • Nero Seriously Breached Protocol By Giving Public Performances
    Until his mother’s passing in 59 AD, Nero wasn’t doing half bad as emperor. He spoke out for Rome’s slaves, he did away with capital punishment, and he even lowered taxes in the empire. Though he always had a reputation for hitting brothels and taverns and acting a fool, Nero was able to keep it together. Once Agrippina passed, though, the boy emperor quickly lost control.
    
    Around this time, with his popularity waning, Nero felt the need to increase his popularity. Just like any struggling star of today, the emperor began to perform in public by singing songs he’d written. Though his performances were a huge no-no because of his standing in the hierarchy, some historians suggest that Nero was actually encouraged to play in public by the Senate and his inner circle.
    • He May Have Been The Model For The Antichrist
    When Nero passed in 68 AD, there were some who believed that his “suicide” couldn’t have been real and that the mad emperor still lived. There were even several occasions when men who claimed to be Emperor Nero - men who resembled the ruler and sang to the music of the lyre - would arise in the public eye momentarily.
    
    Typically, these men were strung up and slain with a quickness.
    
    The image of Nero as dastardly was so pervasive that his actions might have contributed to the personification of the Antichrist in the New Testament, and the belief that when said Antichrist arose, he would do so in the form of the emperor.

    But…

    But…

    But, you say. “America is different.” “America is the shining light on the hill.”, and “America is special.”

    We know.

    We know.

    We know.

    America today

    It’s true that there is nothing in America today that comes close to these distortions, right?

    Or maybe not.

    After all, there’s no such thing as gender in America, and the amount of money that flows in and out of Washington DC is staggering. I would say that (while it is both substantively, and qualitatively, different) than what Rome was like under Nero, that the belief structure of the two rulers are disturbingly similar.

    For example… Both Nero and Trump believe(d)…

    • That God empowered them for their role.
    • That they have full control of the treasury and can spend it without limits.
    • That they can pretty much do what they want, and the Senate and Congress will not stop them.

    And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

    And so we have this modern incarnation of an ideologically religious leader who represents the largest and most powerful nation on the planet…

    The Trump neocon Administration

    The truth is that from 2016 though 2020, the Trump administration has been in charge of America. He has staffed his administration with hard-core neocons, and their vision of the world is a very different from the one that you and I have.

    They think differently.

    Their experiences are different from ours. They live differently, and their view of themselves and the world around them is quite different from the rest of us.

    They want WAR!

    If you think that the last 75 years of America have been war-like, all I can say is that “you haven’t seen anything yet.” Those predecessors to the Trump Administration were “pikers” in comparison. To them, war was business. You attack a nation, you secure it. You seize it’s resources, and then you move on.

    No. Not with these people.

    To them. War is a religious duty.

    You know, many of President Trumps followers do not follow him for his policy positions. Instead, they follow him because the evangelical Christian movement has assigned him as the savior of the American culture; the American society, and as the hope for the entire world.

    War is a religious duty.

    America has, over the last 75 or so years, really been involved in global war, and military activities. And while the last fifty or so years has been off fighting numerous small scale conflicts all over the world, the truth is that things are different now.

    For, this time, it’s a cadre of far-Right neocons in America that earnestly believe that their role is to start World War III.

    What?

    Yes.

    Since 2001, the US ‘war on terror’ has killed, injured and displaced millions across 24 countries, while America’s defense spending is nearly 40 per cent of the global total. In contrast, China has waged one foreign war in the past 50 years
    
    -Forget China, America is the biggest warmonger by far

    Yes, that is correct.

    They believe that it is their role to initiate this thing called “the rapture“.

    The Rapture.
    The rapture is an eschatological concept of a minority of Christians, particularly within branches of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all Christian believers who are alive, along with resurrected believers, will rise "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."
    
    -Wikipedia

    And during this rapture, Jesus will fly down from Heaven and grant blessings to the annotated, and punish the heathen. (And by “heathen”, I mean about 99% of my readership.) Unless you’ve been “birthed” in the “blood of our Lord”, you will spend life as the eternally damned.

    You think that I am exaggerating, eh?

    Hardly.

    First some supporting evidence

    The identification of the 45th president with an ancient Middle Eastern potentate isn’t a fringe thing, says @kathsstewart 
    https://t.co/VOPxWVGKJk
    
    — New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) January 1, 2019

    Most outlandish statements at least need some kind of background. You don’t think that I pulled all this out of my ass, do you?

    Do you think that I am making it up?

    And further, you must realize that I am not talking about everyone, or every Christian.

    A chilling op-ed in the NY Times by author Katherine Stewart, who has extensively studied and written about the Christian right, says that the far right have been pushing a meme for several years now that Donald Trump, conman and egomaniac, has been sent by God to be “a vessel for the purposes of the faithful” in the role of King of the United States of America.

    Oh…

    My…

    I will repeat…

    A chilling op-ed in the NY Times by author Katherine Stewart, who has extensively studied and written about the Christian right, says that the far right have been pushing a meme for several years now that Donald Trump, conman and egomaniac, has been sent by God to be “a vessel for the purposes of the faithful” in the role of King of the United States of America.

    Unbeknownst to people with even a tenuous grip on reality, prior to the midterms a thousand theaters showed “The Trump Prophecy,” a film about a firefighter who, in a blinding orgiastic epiphany, picks up a Bible and turns to Isaiah 45, “which describes the anointment of King Cyrus by God.”

    Do you get it, Isaiah “45”?

    Trump “45”?

    What more proof do you need, right?

    Stewart goes on, saying that evangelical author and speaker Lance Wallnau has said:

    I believe the 45th president is meant to be an Isaiah 45 Cyrus [who will] restore … us from cultural collapse.

    And in this telling it is not at all paradoxical that Trump is a non-believer intent on wrecking our democracy and government. Apparently the story of Cyrus is of a nonbeliever who becomes the first emperor of Babylon (“Babble-on” — it’s all starting to come together now, isn’t it?) and…

    … frees the Jews.

    Stewart provides numerous quotations from across the spectrum of the religious right leadership pushing this meme that God sent Trump to be King. This includs Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Ralph Drollinger who leads weekly bible study groups at the White House attended by Mike Pence and members of the Cabinet.

    In her article Stewart confirms our worst suspicions about what Trump’s core followers see in him:

    This isn’t the religious right we thought we knew. 
    
    The Christian nationalist movement today is authoritarian, paranoid and patriarchal at its core. 
    
    They aren’t fighting a culture war. 
    
    They’re making a direct attack on democracy itself.

    And, according to Stewart, Trump has been egging them on, goading their preachers for becoming too “soft” — as he openly muses about becoming “President for life”.

    "The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children" by Katherine Stewart. 
    
    https://t.co/tFb2w1QTi5 
    pic.twitter.com/ittduwioTd
    
    — Church and State (@ChurchAndStateN) January 2, 2019

    This all sounds so absolutely outrageous.

    But it’s more than that. It’s not just the evangelical Christian (political) base that supports this notion. It is about another group of very, very dangerous people.

    I am talking about a special group of people inside America known as “neocons”. You know these people. They are the ones in charge of the United States right now. And most specifically the observation that [1] many of these neocons are also [2] American evangelical Christians…

    And you all think that I am a little crazy. To repeat these beliefs.

    Because the beliefs of others will be strange, and appear strange to the uninitiated.

    You know what I mean. Me, going on and on, talking about intention, and world-lines and thought imposition, and slides to alternative realities. Well, my point is that everyone is different, and some people live really off the mainstream world-line paths into these realms of other possibilities. People call me “crazy”.

    But at least I have a documented “back story”. At least I can provide substantive proofs, understandings and relationships.

    Not so with these people. They have nothing. Instead they want you to believe blindly. “Have faith they say. Have faith they implore. Have faith and listen to me, they demand.”

    Some of these people are mad. “Mad” as in crazy.

    Mad as Hatters!

    Mad as a hatter means absolutely crazy. 
    
    The most famous illustration of the phrase mad as a hatter occurs in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, with the character the Mad Hatter. In the nineteenth century, milliners or hatmakers used mercury in the processing of hats, and many succumbed to mercury poisoning.
    
    -Mad as a hatter Idiom Definition
    Many Hard-Right Christians believe that Donald Trump is a savior of traditional conservative thought that will lead the United States into the “End Times”.

    And that means…

    Yikes!

    World War III and the rapture

    Some fun links from the collective minds of the dangerously insane.

    You see they equate [1] what is written in the Bible with global war. And that [2] the war will be nuclear, and [3] it will involve China and Russia, and [4] and it will be exactly what is foretold as “the rapture”, and [5] a savior will appear (maybe a prophet) who will do the bidding of God to bring the rapture to a climax. And [6] the “Jews” and the “Jewish nation” will be central to this event. As they are the “chosen ones”.

    Yah.

    And you think that I am crazy.

    Many Hard-Right Christians believe that Donald Trump is a savior of traditional conservative thought that will lead the United States into the “End Times”.

    And many of these people believe that President Trump is that “savior”.

    In Denial…

    Of course this connection between Donald Trump and the writings of the Biblical Book of Revelation has caused a kind of schism in the Hard-Right American evangelical Christians conservative movement. There was “push back” that has existed for years now, where the conservative Christians say…

    Oh no! We do not believe that Donald Trump is my savior and will lead us into the “End Times”. Donald Trump is my President, Jesus is my Savior.”

    And as such, an entire line of products (all made in China, of course) have promoted this narrative…

    “Push back” in the form of commercialism.

    China and Russia’s role

    Well that is well and good, I suppose.

    The point is that a percentage (how small is unknown) actually believe that the White House is occupied by a man who (call him a savior, or something else) is going to perform some Biblical level of activity that will result in the prophesies foretold in the Bible.

    • The world that we know it is going to end.
    • There will be a great purge of the righteous from the infidels.
    • A prophet will come and lead this effort.
    • Jesus will come down from Heaven and start a killing people left and right.
    • The world will be remade.
    • Those that are “annotated” will be spared. The rest will suffer terribly.
    Many Hard-Right Christians believe that Donald Trump is a savior of traditional conservative thought that will lead the United States into the “End Times”.

    Uh. Huh.

    Well, of course, with the 800+ military bases around the world, and the USA busily fighting eight simultaneous hot wars, and an active hybrid-war with China, it’s all someone else’s fault. I mean the USA is totally innocent, because Americans are “God’s people”, right?

    So, of course, it would be the evil and nasty Russians and China that would start it…

    Not America, Right? America would never try to provoke anything. Right?

    Meanwhile the march of American “color revolutions” for “democracy” is still on going. Today it is Thailand…

    Let me guess. “Targets the government”, and “demands for democratic reform”, and “want more freedom”. And so on and so forth…

    Yada Yada Yada.

    NED.

    Funded and trained by the United States government, as a line item budgetary allocation under the Central Intelligence Agency. All under the control of Mike Pompeo.

    Make a case against either Russia or China

    Apparently US think tanks believe they can occupy Beijing and overthrow CCP without even using nukes
    https://youtu.be/FxYwD_n21wI
    
    -Bo Chen

    Or course not all America feels this way.

    Only the small minority of neocons do. So they must “make a case” and validate their reasoning so as to get the rest of the nation to support them in a war. And that means a relentless propaganda onslaught. Which is pretty much what has been going on all 2020.

    The US military announced Friday that it is deploying armored vehicles and other military assets to Syria to protect US troops fighting ISIS amid tensions with Russia as President Donald Trump told a White House news conference that "we are out of Syria," saying the remaining US forces are there exclusively "guarding the oil."
    
    -US sending armored vehicles into Syria as Trump says 'we are out'

    But even that’s not good enough so the neocons want an excuse. And just like the invasion of Syria was searching for (nonexistent) WMD’s…

    … the Trump army of neocons are trying to blame China for the COVID-19.

    The thing is, everything goes right back to them directly. All of the lies, all of the distortions, all of the confusion, and all of the war-mongering can all be traced back (one way or the other) to a neocon associated with the White-house.

    You can go on and on…

    On the other hand, don't underestimate the crude simple mindedness of
    Washington's war monger armchair Neocons. They have had a hand in
    steering US foreign policy for decades now and they can't remember
    whether they are Israelis or Americans.
    
    -Len

    Down this endless “rabbit hole” of insanity, propaganda and nonsense. But, I really don’t want to go there.

    The Big Picture is that America is falling apart at the seams and desperately wants a scapegoat to distract the population from their misery. And right now, China is that scapegoat.

    The Little Picture is that this methodology is designed, concocted, and implemented by radical evangelical Christian neocons who have the power, and the resources of America behind them.

    And now for some perspective

    The following are some videos are this situation. They are on the lighter side. I mean, why not? You just cannot get too caught up in other people’s madness. Please enjoy.

    Let’s start with the idea that China does not lie.

    It’s pretty stunning to an American. Of course, all governments lie. It’s what government so, and China must be the absolute worst that is because they drink bat soup, are stinky and are book smart, but cannot do anything but copy things. Tight?

    Well…. right?

    Check it out.

    He’s a pretty funny guy. Check this out…

    And now for some words from other Americans…

    And this too…

    China does not want anything that the American media is saying that they want.

    And this too…

    And of course after a solid year of hate-hate-hate China, the American citizenry are nearly ripe for a war. You can hear it in the speech patterns, and this is something that the neocons want to happen. They want “blood lust”.

    The Chinese are helping people. That’s bad, and evil!

    This is pretty much the neocon “end game”…

    Quint and funny, eh?

    Well, let’s be serious. There is nothing different from the American nationalist; Mr. Trump and his fellow neocons and another famous nationalist. Mr. Hitler. Both came to power because the domestic issues were a complete mess. And both had tried to galvanize their nation against an external source.

    • Hitler’s war on the Jews.
    • Trump’s war on China.

    And with Hitler, all of Germany followed him. They followed him right up until the absolute collapse of the nation, and the absolute sacking of everything German.

    Do NOT be under the impression that history does not repeat itself. It does.

    The sacking of America

    After a period of time that involved ineffectual leaders, corrupt politicians, and a collapsing society, Rome was invaded. Numerous times. And sacked. Numerous times.

    As I watch the incredibly inept leadership at all levels) in America today, I am reminded of Rome and how oblivious the Roman elite were to the dangers outside the borders of the once great Roman Republic.

    Perhaps it’s time to remind everyone that losing in war can happen to anyone, and history has shown that the more oblivious the leadership is to the dangers of military consequences, the greater the collapse of that society, and the horrific consequences of the resulting purges and sacks of the population.

    And…

    America WILL be sacked.

    And you can well expect all the horrors of war; torture, rape, pillage, murder, destruction of things, and mindless retribution to be normalized.

    To sack a city is a concept imported from the latin languages [esp. French, mettre à sac] in the mid-16th Century to mean, essentially, putting a town or community ‘in the sack’, in the sense of taking its goods.
    
    -law - Why was the the sack of cities acceptable?

    Let’s not forget that as soon as the Russians moved into Germany, they allowed all their soldiers to rape every single German woman that they could find. This is history. And if you think that any war that America sets up will be yet another televised war in a remote, remote place that American can watch from their social media feeds, you are sorely mistaken.

    America will relive the German experience…

    One young officer coming upon a unit that had overtaken a column of German refugees fleeing westward later recalled: ‘Women, mothers and their children lie to the right and left along the route, and in front of each of them stands a raucous armada of men with their trousers down. The women who are bleeding or losing consciousness get shoved to one side, and our men shoot the ones who try to save their children.’ A group of ‘grinning’ officers was standing near by, making sure ‘that every soldier without exception would take part’.
    
    Women and girls were subjected to serial rape wherever they were encountered. Rape was often accompanied by torture and mutilation and frequently ended in the victim being shot or bludgeoned to death.
    
    The raging violence was undiscriminating. Often, especially in Berlin, women were deliberately raped in the presence of their menfolk, to underline the humiliation. The men were usually killed if they tried to intervene. In East Prussia, Pomerania and Silesia it is thought that around 1.400.000 women were raped, a good number of them several times. Gang-rapes were the norm rather than the exception. The two largest Berlin hospitals estimated that at least 100.000 women had been raped in the German capital. Many caught a sexually transmitted disease, and not a few fell pregnant; the vast majority of the latter obtained an abortion, or, if they did give birth, abandoned their baby in hospital. The sexual violence went on for many weeks, even after the war formally came to an end. German women learned to hide, especially after dark; or, if they were young, to take a Soviet soldier, preferably an officer, as a lover and protector. On 4 May 1945 an anonymous Berlin woman wrote in her diary: ‘Slowly but surely we’re starting to view all the raping with a sense of humor -gallows humor.’
    
    She noted with a certain satisfaction that the Russian soldiers tended to prefer plump and well-fed women as their victims after the initial fury was over, and that these, unsurprisingly, were usually the wives of Nazi Party functionaries.
    
    -2 million German women aged 13-70 were allegedly raped …
    If the German advance into the Soviet Union previously could be characterized as horrifyingly systematic and industrialized in its genocidal slaughter of the innocent, then the Soviet advance into Central Europe was brutal, primitive, and bestial in nature. Millions of German women joined their female brethren raped in Hungary, Romania, Poland, wherever the Red Army conquered; albeit with far worse excesses committed against the women from Axis nations such as Hungary, Austria and Germany. More Slavic Axis nations, such as Bulgaria fared somewhat better, though try telling that to a Pole. Eastern and Central Europe’s women were raped repeatedly and viciously, by desensitized individuals for whom killing had become meaningless, or bent on vengeance after witnessing Germany’s crimes in Eastern Europe. Many of these women either expired from their wounds, were killed outright once used up as mere objects, killed by their own families, or died at their own hand in shame. The Swiss Embassy in Hungary reported,
    
    The worst suffering of the Hungarian population is due to the rape of women. Rapes-affecting all age groups from ten to seventy-are so common that very few women in Hungary have been spared. They are sometimes accompanied by incredible brutalities. Many women prefer suicide to these horrors…The misery is made worse by the sad fact that many Russian soldiers are diseased and there are absolutely no medicines in Hungary.
    
    In addition, the Red Army did not reserve the wholesale rape of Central and Eastern Europe’s women to just foreign women. The Red Army’s men repeatedly raped liberated Russian female forced laborers. When the Red Army captured the Ravensbruck concentration camp, located 50 miles north of Berlin, Soviet soldiers gang-raped the surviving emaciated female concentration camp victims. Even teenage girls hailing from the western Soviet Union were not immune. The Russian archives detail these mass assaults, as reported by the deputy chief of the political department from the 1st Ukrainian Front, by members of the Red Army upon Russian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian women.
    
    “On the night of 24 February a group of thirty-five provisional lieutenants on a course and their battalion commander entered the women’s dormitory in the village of Grutenberg, ten kilometers east of Els, and raped them...an unknown senior lieutenant of tank troops went by horse to where girls were gathering grain. He left his horse and spoke to a girl from the Dnepropetrovsk region called Gritzenko, Anna, ‘Where are you from?’ he asked. She answered this senior lieutenant. He ordered her to come closer. She refused. So he took his gun and shot her, but she did not die. Many similar  incidents took place…In the town of Bunslau, there are over 100 women and girls in the headquarters….On March 5, late at night, sixty officers and soldiers entered, mainly from the 3rd Guards Tank Army. Most of them were drunk, and they attacked and offended against women and girls…This is not the only incident. It happens every night…On the night of February 14-15 in one of the villages where the cattle are herded a shtraf company under the command of a senior lieutenant surrounded the village and shot the Red Army soldiers who where on guard there. They went to the women’s dormitory and started their organized mass rape of the women, who had just been liberated by the Red Army.”
    
    Freed Soviet prisoners of war and male forced laborers fared only marginally better. They underwent screening processes at the hands of the NKVD, to “guarantee” they were not traitors, via political re-education instead of receiving desperately needed medical care. Others were immediately sent, with no training or medical attention, to flesh out the ranks of the Red Army’s woefully under strength Rifle Divisions.The Red Army and NKVD also rounded up German civilians by the thousands and forcibly marched them to the Soviet Union for use as forced labor. The NKVD processed back to Russian farms and factories 66,680 German forced laborers by March 9, 1945. The enslaved women faced not only backbreaking work, but also constant sexual assault and disease.
    
    There is no question the Red Army’s appalling behavior emanated from the Soviet leadership. Stalin implicitly authorized the Red Army to rape its way through Eastern Europe. Stalin’s cavalier attitude toward rape had earlier begun through the process of dehumanizing women, by referring to women employed by the Red Army as “campaign wives” (pokhodno-polevaya zhena) for the officers. Stalin’s casual attitude toward sexual exploitation and violence easily carried over to the treatment of civilian women in captured lands. The men joined in their officers predations upon these female populations. Ideology and propaganda played an important role. So did the low quality of the men serving in the Red Army’s ranks. Beginning in April 1943 former prison convicts joined teenage boys and other ill-trained conscripts in fleshing out the rifle companies. Revenge also has to be considered, with more and more White Russians and other recently liberated ethnic groups in the Red Army’s ranks men that had seen their villages destroyed and families and friends regularly killed by German soldiers during years under tyrannical Nazi rule had their chance to turn the tables.
    
    -The Red Army's Rape of Europe | The Globe at War

    And let’s never forget history…

    With this agreed, they divided up the spoils. The imperial palace, along with 25% of the city and Byzantine lands would go the the new emperor. The other 75% would be divided between the Crusaders and the Venetians equally. There was no mention of any expedition to Egypt.
    
    All seemed in reasonably good order that night when the Venetian Doge and the crusading nobles gathered in the imperial palace. Then the Doge made his announcement --his final act of vengeance on the Greeks for the blinding facial wound he had received as a youth. As a reward for all their suffering and hardships, the army would have three days to plunder the city! This they did with wanton abandon --killing, desecrating, raping, burning, destroying.
    
    After the 3-day debauchery, the army was brought to a reasonable state of control, although many resisted the order that their plunder should be delivered to three collection points throughout the city. A French count hanged one of his own knights for hoarding some loot; and Greek citizens were routinely tortured for hiding treasure.
    
    The first payment made from the plunder was the money owed to the Venetians: the Crusader's debt, which Emperor Alexius had promised to pay. These rest was divided equally with the Venetians, a sum of 400,000 marks, which one chronicler noted was seven times the annual royal revenue of the entire kingdom of England.
    
    Next came the division of the land. With the whole empire to hand out, there was more than enough. Commander Boniface of Monferrat (the patron of the late Alexius) received broad territories, including the island of Crete, which the Venetians were more than happy to buy from him with part of their treasure.
    . . . Historians who wax eloquent and indignant - with considerable reason - about the sack of Constantinople . . . rarely if ever mention the massacre of the Westerners in Constantinople in 1182 (only 22 years before) . . . a nightmarish massacre of thousands [about 2000 Greeks were killed in Constantinople in 1204, according to secular historian Will Durant], . .
    
     . in which the slaughterers spared neither women nor children, neither old nor sick, neither priest nor monk. Cardinal John, the Pope's representative, was beheaded and his head was dragged through the streets at the tail of a dog; children were cut out of their mother's wombs; bodies of dead Westerners were exhumed and abused; some 4,000 who escaped death were sold into slavery to the Turks.
    The Gauls
    The story of the first sack of Rome is steeped in myth and legend, but it most likely began when the young city became embroiled in a conflict with a band of Gallic Celts led by the warlord Brennus. On July 18, 387 B.C., the two sides met in battle along the banks of the River Allia. The Romans had yet to perfect the fighting style that would make their legions famous, and many of their men scattered at the first charge of the wild-haired, bare-chested Gallic army. The rest were butchered, leaving Brennus with a clear road to Rome. His men entered the city a few days later and commenced with an orgy of rape and pillage. Buildings were burned or plundered of all their valuables, and most of the Roman senate was put to the sword at the Forum.
    
    While the Gauls wreaked havoc on the rest of the city, the surviving Romans fortified themselves atop the Capitoline Hill. They repelled several Gallic attacks, but after several months of siege, they agreed to pay 1,000 pounds of gold in exchange for Brennus and his army leaving the city. Legend has it that Brennus used rigged scales to weigh out the ransom. When the Romans complained, he threw his sword on the scales and cried out “Vae Victis!” (“Woe to the Vanquished!”). The Romans rebuilt after the Gauls departed, but the defeat at the River Allia left deep wounds. For the rest of Roman history, July 18 was considered a cursed day.
    
    The Visigoths
    
    Rome recovered from the Gallic debacle and went on to flourish for nearly 800 years, but its second sacking in A.D. 410 marked the beginning of a long and excruciating fall. At the time, the Roman Empire was divided and on the decline. Marauding Germanic tribes had begun making incursions across the Rhine and Danube, and one of them, a group of Visigoths led by a king named Alaric, had already besieged Rome on two separate occasions. When the barbarians returned for a third siege, a group of rebellious slaves opened the Salarian Gate and allowed them to pour into the city. Alaric and his hordes proceeded to burn buildings, murder aristocrats and steal anything that wasn’t nailed down. Three days later, having stripped the city of all its valuables, they withdrew from Rome and disappeared along the Appian Way.
    
    The Visigoth sacking had been relatively controlled. Many of Rome’s most famous monuments and buildings were left untouched, and since the Goths were Christians, they allowed people to take refuge inside the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul. Nevertheless, news that the Eternal City had fallen sent shockwaves across the Mediterranean. “My voice sticks in my throat, and, as I dictate, sobs choke me,” wrote the Christian St. Jerome. “The city which had taken the whole world was itself taken.”
    
    The Vandals
    
    Use of the word “vandalism” to describe the wanton destruction of public property owes it origins to the Vandals, a Germanic tribal people who carried out a famous sack of Rome. The raid was triggered by the assassination of the Roman Emperor Valentinian III, who had previously pledged his daughter Eudocia to the son of the Vandal King Genseric as part of a peace treaty. Claiming the deal was invalidated by the Emperor’s death, Genseric invaded Italy and marched on Rome in 455. The Romans were powerless to stop his advancing army, so they sent Pope Leo to negotiate. The pontiff persuaded Genseric not to burn the city or murder its inhabitants, and in exchange, the Vandals were allowed to pass through the gates of Rome without a fight.
    
    Genseric and his band spent the next two weeks gathering up all the booty they could carry. They looted the city’s patrician homes of gold, silver and furniture, and even ransacked the imperial palace and the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. True to their word—if not their name—they refrained from destroying buildings or killing anyone, but they did claim a few prisoners. Chief among them was Valentinian’s daughter, Princess Eudocia, who was later married to Genseric’s son in accordance with their earlier agreement.
    
    The Ostrogoths
    
    After the ousting of the last Western Emperor in A.D. 476, Rome was ruled by a series of Germanic and Ostrogoth kings. The Eastern Emperor Justinian succeeded in recapturing the region during the sixth century, but the Ostrogoth resistance later returned courtesy of Totila, a magnetic leader who rallied the Goths under his banner and laid siege to Rome. According to the historian Procopius, Totila and his men gained access to the city in 546 by scaling its walls under cover of darkness and opening the Asinarian Gate. Rome’s small garrison immediately fled in terror, leaving it defenseless and open to plunder.
    
    The Ostrogoths spent several highly profitable weeks sacking the city, but despite having previously vowed to turn Rome into a sheep pasture, Totila avoided demolishing it when he departed in early 547. Even with most it buildings still standing, the once-great metropolis was rendered a barren ruin. It had boasted more than a million inhabitants during the glory days of the Empire, but by the time the Goths finally left, its population had dwindled to only a few hundred.
    
    The Normans
    
    Only a few years after his countryman William the Conqueror launched his 1066 invasion of England, the Norman warlord Robert Guiscard carried out a grisly sack of Rome. Guiscard—a name meaning “cunning” or “wily”—marched on the city in 1084 after receiving a plea for aid from his ally Pope Gregory VII, who was under siege by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. Guiscard easily captured the city and rescued the Pope, but his soldiers were greeted as enemies by the Roman citizenry, many of whom had thrown their support behind Henry. When the people rose up against him, Guiscard crushed their revolt and allowed his men to indulge their lust for rape and plunder. Fires broke out across the city, and many of its inhabitants were butchered or sold into slavery. Sources differ on just how destructive the three-day rampage really was, but some historians would later blame Guiscard and his Normans for demolishing many of Rome’s most priceless ancient monuments.
    
    The Holy Roman Empire
    
    “They wept a lot; all of us are rich.” That was how one of the participants summed up the events of May 1527, when a mutinous army under the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V savaged the city of Rome. The imperial troops were fresh off a campaign against the League of Cognac—with whom Pope Clement VII was allied—but they hadn’t been paid in months. To keep them on the march, their commander, the Duke of Bourbon, had promised them a chance to plunder Rome. The impoverished soldiers arrived on May 6 and launched an assault. The Duke was killed during the fighting, but his men breached the defensive walls and poured into the city. The Vatican’s Swiss Guard was all but annihilated during a famous last stand near St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Clement, meanwhile, was forced to escape via a secret tunnel and barricade himself in the impregnable Castel Sant’Angelo.
    
    Once inside Rome, the leaderless army devolved in a bloodthirsty mob. Buildings were looted and burned; men and children were tortured and killed; and women—even Catholic nuns—were raped or auctioned off at public markets. By the time the imperial army finally left the city, Rome was stripped bare and half of its 55,000 inhabitants were either dead or homeless. The cultural blow was equally severe. Scores of artists had been killed, and many priceless artworks were destroyed or missing. Some scholars have since used the 1527 sacking as the official end date of the Italian Renaissance.
    The Roman legend of the sack is that Brennus devastated the city in an orgy of chaotic looting and besieged those who remained in the Capitol before they were forced to offer an enormous ransom for their city. At this point, but before the ransom could be paid, Cammilus returned from exile, defeated the Gauls and drove them out.
    
    ...
    
    While the Roman account of the sack and the city’s salvation does appear to be somewhat heavily embellished. – which, given the notorious unreliability of Roman reports on casualty numbers is not very surprising-  the sack did have a profound effect on Rome, which can be seen projected into their legend. The vulnerability and paranoia derived from that disaster certainly informed later Roman behavior, particularly towards the idea of a continued Gallic threat and a near bloody minded determination not to submit to other powers in future.
    You're looking at this with 21st century eyes. Back then, pillaging and looting were part of war. It was customary to let your troops plunder for a few days (typically three) after winning a siege - doing so basically was how you'd pay your troops.
    
    A few examples of atrocities that shocked by the standards of the time:
    
    After the Romans defeated Carthage, they sold its population into slavery, and burnt and razed it to the ground. The event was unusual in that the Romans additionally salted the grounds for good measure.
    
    After the Crusaders captured Jerusalem for the first time, they massacred the Muslim and Jewish population wholesale, leaving few survivors behind.
    
    The Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade went down in history as one that a 20th century author described as having been "on a scale which even the ancient Vandals and Goths would have found unbelievable".
    
    The Mongols practiced the "promise" of wholesale execution, which is best described as a form of psychological warfare: they'd massacre every last person in cities that would resist them, bar a few survivors who were then let loose so they could spread the word that resistance should not be an option.
    
    During the Franco-Dutch War of 1672-1678, Turenne chocked Europe in 1674 by plundering the Palatinate far and wide, essentially burning the whole region to the ground, in an scorched earth effort to cause logistics-related problems to Imperial troops arriving as reinforcements.
    
    At the other extreme, history also tells us of milder sacks and unusually generous surrender terms:
    
    When the Visigoths sacked Rome, it shocked contemporaries but it was actually restrained by the standards of the time: there was no general slaughter of the inhabitants, the two main basilicas of Peter and Paul were nominated places of sanctuary, and most of the city survived intact - though stripped of its valuables.
    
    When the Vandals sacked Rome a few years later, they were a bit more thorough - staying 14 days vs three, with a bit more damage done. But Pope Leo I had convinced Genseric to not raze the city or kill the population wholesale - certainly a welcome concession.
    
    Saladin, in stark contrast with the First Crusaders, offered the Christians surprisingly generous terms by the time's standards when he reconquered Jerusalem. He went as far as allowing many families who could not afford their ransom to leave, against the wishes of his treasurers.
    
    Mindsets and the standards of troop behavior eventually evolved. Restraint was expected by the early 20th century. To illustrate this, consider how Kaiser Wilhelm II sent his German troops to China as part of the punitive expedition against the Boxer Rebellion: he instructed them to show no restraints and basically behave like Huns. The anecdote is particularly telling, but not because it shocked some at the time or because it was used a few years later for WW1 propaganda purposes. Rather, it's because behaving like Huns would have been such a matter of course a few centuries earlier that it would not have been worth mentioning. Times had changed.

    And now, let’s go back to reality

    The things that happened back in the past is what we call “history”. There are many people who mistakenly believe that “once in the past; always in the past”. They believe that “what you don’t know, won’t hurt you“. Ah, so dangerous.

    The past, and “history” tells us, and illustrates to us in a most graphic way, what the human race actually is.

    And we are oh… so very close to reverting back to a more feral existence. Once of great barbarism, and great pain and suffering. All it takes is one lunatic that is in charge of weapons and systems of great power and even greater control.

    There will always be lunatics.

    But it is our job, and our responsibility, as humans to police society so that these dangerous people never get near any levers of power. We need stable people who sees the big picture and who sees their role as something minor in the big scheme of things. Not as someone who believe that they are the hand of God and everything that they do will have the blessings of the angels.

    I have illustrated the that United States is run by a cabal of neocons.

    Whether President Trump is one such neocon is not clear. What is clear is that this cabal is driving America into dangerous territory and walking straight forward to dangerous situations. And while all this is going on, the rest of the world watches in horror and rising apprehension.

    And you know…

    The rest of the world aren’t some barefoot peasants riding bicycles, and using the water buffalo to plow the fields. they are pretty darn contemporaneous and equals with Americans. You all just don’t realize it. Because the PTB want to think otherwise.

    It makes it easier for them to launch their “dream war”. The one that the angels told them personally to launch. You know… “for democracy” and for the “American way of life”.

    Here’s a reminder of just WHO, and WHAT Donald Trump…

    … and Mike Pompeo…

    … and Steve Bannon…

    … and John Bolton want to destroy…

    …for “freedom”, and “the American way of life”, don’t you know.

    Take a good hard look at what they want to destroy. For the truth is, and YOU MUST FACE IT. They want to destroy average people, doing average things in average places…

    Again…

    I will repeat myself.

    Call it a “trade war”. Call it a “hybrid war”. Call it a “police action”. Call it “enforcing peace”. Call it “making the world safe”…

    A war.

    Is a war.

    Is a war.

    is a WAR.

    And this, ladies and gentleman is what they HATE, and what they WANT TO DESTROY…

    …this…

    Here’s a video of a pretty much average (but pretty) girl in China. She’s walking down a typical Chinese street with typical Chinese buses and Chinese kids and Chinese old ladies. This all must be DESTROYED for the “American way of life and freedom!”.

    And speaking about pretty Chinese girls…

    Here’s another video of some more pretty girls. A smart person appreciates the world around them as it is. They don’t try to “improve” it by killing people, forcing them to adopt their culture, or kill them outright because they enjoy watching cat videos that you hate. The neocons think that the world would be a better place if all these people were KILLED.

    They are so filled with hate, and the belief that they are better and smarter than every one else…

    …and that since they are all so much smarter than the rest of us, that they are doing the right thing by starting a global thermonuclear conflation. It’s what Jesus has personally empowered them to do…

    …to kill and slaughter people like this…

    This video clearly shows how dirty and filthy the rest of the world is. How they need to be killed and destroyed and their history erased, and so that they can be fed drugs again so that they would be easy to control and that “the American way” can manifest the real and true reality; One where they are the masters, and everyone else in the world serves them. Why? Because they are anointed by God.

    They are so terrible!

    They are drinking alcohol, and we all know that Donald Trump doesn’t drink alcohol. Why? Well, if you don’t know, you need to read the Bible. But let’s be real about this. Go to any evangelical church and ask them if it is ok and fine to drink alcohol. And they will tell you flatly NO! God’s chosen people do not drink alcohol.

    So yes…

    Even “normal” people like me and you are automatically damned. For we are sinners and in the “eyes of the Lord”, we are beyond redemption.

    This video shows how toxic the association of the Chinese people are with “normal” Westerners. Where now they drink hard alcohol in their coffee. And not avoid and abstain from the evils of the flesh like a good Christian would.

    In the mind of these evangelical neocons, “we gave Hong Kong a chance“. We failed, so now they must be destroyed and eradicated off the face of the world.

    Sounds so strange you know.

    That anyone at the other side of the world would have such a large ego that they could possibly believe that they have ANY association with such a far away and distant land. But, they do. They really and earnestly believe that they have a role in telling others how to live their life.

    What arrogance.

    Name another nation that tells others how to live their lives, run their businesses, or do things their way. Does China tell Americans “You MUST use this app.”, or say “You Americans cannot…”

    But the current American government does.

    Why?

    Because they believe that they have the power to do so, and that it comes straight to them by God himself.

    Here’s Hong Kong, China today. Well, do they look all that repressed after the CIA and the NED were kicked out of the country? Does it look like they need the “proud American soldier to rescue them”? Does it look like it needs a few bombs dropped on these party-goes to “straighten them out”?

    A video of a group of repressed Hong Kong Chinese that are terribly abused, and you can see it in how downtrodden they are. They must need to be given the harsh slap of “freedom” and awaken to a new life in the “blood of the annotated one”.

    And some more…

    … here’s some more Hong Kong folk that really need to stop their evil fornication and ways….

    Another video of more Hong Kong youth showing off their devil ways and evil mannerisms. Can you not see why they all must be killed? How else can the savior clean off the earth and make way for the chosen people? All these heathens must be killed off, don’t you know. (Maybe they would be better off having a nice “gig job” in the United States, eh? And living in a nice quiet suburb, with a nice home, nice car payments, and nice taxes… for democracy, don’t you know.)

    You must understand…

    These neocons do not see the world like we do. They do not see people, families, relationships, actions and activities. They see serfs, peasants, and the uncouth. And in their world, the earth must be cleaned and sterilized from these vermin to make the world a better place. A place for them and their families.

    Not for me and you.

    But for them. And them only.

    And while these kinds of blurbs on the “news” goes in one ear and out the other, combined… when everything is all added up, it makes for a very dangerous and threatening picture.

    It is a picture of some dangerous people, with some strange and warped ideas are trying to remake the world in their vision of what it should be.

    Heaven Help Us!

    Personally…

    I don’t want any of their “improvements”. I pretty much like things as they are already. I don’t need to have someone like Mike Pompeo or Donald Trump tell me how to live my life, or threaten me and my family because I cannot conform to their idea of perfection.

    This is what I have now…

    I don’t think it needs any improvement…

    This video is what China is right now. I just cannot imagine that Donald Trump, John Bolton, or Mike Pompeo could improve upon this. I really don’t think so.

    I think that China is just doing fine.

    It doesn’t need any “improvements” that are being discussed so earnestly on all the major and alternative American media outlets. China is doing well. It is clean, and prosperous. The people are smart and industrious. And they are doing things unfettered with the crime and corruptions out of the American landscape.

    China today is actually quite nice.

    Much nicer than many places in America.

    This video says it most clearly. China is doing just fine and does not need any more of that American bullshit. It doesn’t need to be saved. Or attacked… “for democracy”.

    Quick Update

    This October, Donald Trump is going to have a “special meeting” with the Presidents of Japan, India, Australia, and the US. I wonder what they are going to talk about.

    Conclusion

    Andy Browne makes a persuasive case that Trump's trade war with China is a failure: "On just about every metric that matters, China is ahead. At every turn, Trump seems to have been outplayed and outsmarted throughout the global trade war that began shortly after he took office."
    
    -Bloomberg New Economy: China is Winning the Trade War With Trump

    The human condition is still as primitive as it has ever been. We still exist and small bands of very wealthy leaders determine our fates.

    Do not think that anything has changed. It hasn’t.

    Right now, the President of the United States is no different from any other megalomaniac ruler from the past.

    You don’t need to use (the offensive example) of Hitler. Pick any other ruler of any other city or nation. Consider the cities in Hungry prior to the attacks by Genghis Khan. Consider the wars in Syria when the ISIS took over. Consider the former Yugoslavia. Consider what happened in many of those nations that the CIA has had it’s hand in…

    Sigh.

    And to be truthful, most Americans just want to live their lives, and be left alone. And that is the same with the people anywhere. And I can tell you all specifically, that is what China wants. they just want to be left alone and stop the crazies from hassling them because “they are empowered” to do so.

    Chinese people are like anyone else. Just like in this video. They just want to live their lives freely. Eat what they want to eat, go to school. Go to work, and have productive and meaningful lives. They don’t need some busybody who believe that GOD empowered them to kill all heathens to get int their face and fuck things up.

    Sigh.

    Big Sigh.

    I have to tell youse guys that I am horrified that any one in the present administration, regardless of political affiliation, is even considering doing ANY KIND OF ACTION against another major nation. It doesn’t matter if it is China, or Russia, or Germany, or Iran.

    The next war is going to be a “game changer”.

    it’s not going to be another “police action”, or isolated to the South China Sea. It’s going to be “in your face”, up front, and very, very personal.

    How personal?

    Keep in mind that when the victorious American servicemen came to occupy Japan, that they were NOT “enlightened” in the least. And they sacked that nation just like any other conflict in all of history. And it was the local non-military civilians that paid that price.

    Now. It is American’s turn “to face the music”.

    Being led by their savior and leader.

    Donald Trump in Bible prophecy? 
    January 20, 2017 by Gene Veith 
    
    Many End Times preachers are saying that the rise of Donald Trump was prophesied in the Bible …
    
    -Donald Trump in Bible prophecy? | Gene Veith

    And going up against hard working and determined people…

    China is a serious, serious nation that does not play.

    Do you want more?

    Do you want to see similar posts?

    I hope that you found this post curious. Please take care. You can view other similar posts in my SHTF Index, here…

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    Law 29 Plan all the way to the end (full text) from the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene.

    This is the free full text in glorious HTML of law 29 from Robert Greene’s work titled “The 48 Laws of Power”. This law is titled “Plan all the way to the end”. It is a great read, and contains a lot of wisdom on many levels. Indeed, anyone who has ever managed a project can attest to the validity of this law.

    LAW 29

    PLAN ALL THE WAY TO THE END

    JUDGMENT

    The ending is everything.

    Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others.

    By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop.

    Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

    TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW

    In 1510 a ship set out from the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) for Venezuela, where it was to rescue a besieged Spanish colony.

    Several miles out of port, a stowaway climbed out of a provision chest: Vasco Núñez de Balboa, a noble Spaniard who had come to the New World in search of gold but had fallen into debt and had escaped his creditors by hiding in the chest.

    There are very few men—and they are the exceptions—who are able to think and feel beyond the present moment.
    
    -CARL VON CLAUSEWITZ, 1780-1831

    Balboa had been obsessed with gold ever since Columbus had returned to Spain from his voyages with tales of a fabulous but as yet undiscovered kingdom called El Dorado.

    Balboa was one of the first adventurers to come in search of Columbus’s land of gold, and he had decided from the beginning that he would be the one to find it, through sheer audacity and single-mindedness.

    Now that he was free of his creditors, nothing would stop him.

    Vasco Núñez de Balboa could very well be represented by the Character Aguirre in “The Wrath of God”.

    Unfortunately the ship’s owner, a wealthy jurist named Francisco Fer nández de Enciso, was furious when told of the stowaway, and he ordered that Balboa be left on the first island they came across.

    Before they found any island, however, Enciso received news that the colony he was to rescue had been abandoned.

    This was Balboa’s chance.

    He told the sailors of his previous voyages to Panama, and of the rumors he had heard of gold in the area.

    The excited sailors convinced Enciso to spare Balboa’s life, and to establish a colony in Panama.

    Weeks later they named their new settlement “Darien.”

    Darien’s first governor was Enciso, but Balboa was not a man to let others steal the initiative. He campaigned against Enciso among the sailors, who eventually made it clear that they preferred him as governor.

    Enciso fled to Spain, fearing for his life.

    Months later, when a representative of the Spanish crown arrived to establish himself as the new, official governor of Darien, he was turned away.

    On his return voyage to Spain, this man drowned; the drowning was accidental, but under Spanish law, Balboa had murdered the governor and usurped his position.

    Balboa’s bravado had got him out of scrapes before, but now his hopes of wealth and glory seemed doomed.

    To lay claim to El Dorado, should he discover it, he would need the approval of the Spanish king—which, as an outlaw, he would never receive.

    There was only one solution. Panamanian Indians had told Balboa of a vast ocean on the other side of the Central American isthmus, and had said that by traveling south upon this western coast, he would reach a fabulous land of gold, called by a name that to his ears sounded like “Biru.”

    Balboa decided he would cross the treacherous jungles of Panama and become the first European to bathe his feet in this new ocean.

    From there he would march on El Dorado. If he did this on Spain’s behalf, he would obtain the eternal gratitude of the king, and would secure his own reprieve—only he had to act before Spanish authorities came to arrest him.

    THE TWO FROGS
    
    Two frogs dwelt in the same pool. The pool being dried up under the summer’s heat, they left it, and set out together to seek another home. 
    
    As they went along they chanced to pass a deep well, amply supplied with water, on seeing which one of the frogs said to the other: “Let us descend and make our abode in this well, it will furnish us with shelter and food.” The other replied with greater caution: “But suppose the water should fail us, how can we get out again from so great a depth?” 
    
    Do nothing without a regard to the consequences.
    
    -FABLES, AESOP, SIXTH CENTURY B.C.

    In 1513, then, Balboa set out, with 190 soldiers. Halfway across the isthmus (some ninety miles wide at that point), only sixty soldiers remained, many having succumbed to the harsh conditions—the blood-sucking insects, the torrential rainfall, fever.

    Aguirre the wrath of god..

    Finally, from a mountaintop, Balboa became the first European to lay eyes on the Pacific Ocean. Days later he marched in his armor into its waters, bearing the banner of Castile and claiming all its seas, lands, and islands in the name of the Spanish throne.

    Look to the end, no matter what it is you are considering. Often enough, God gives a man a glimpse of happiness, and then utterly ruins him.
    
    -THE HISTORIES, HERODOTUS, FIFTH CENTURY B.C.

    Indians from the area greeted Balboa with gold, jewels, and precious pearls, the like of which he had never seen.

    When he asked where these had come from, the Indians pointed south, to the land of the Incas. But Balboa had only a few soldiers left. For the moment, he decided, he should return to Darien, send the jewels and gold to Spain as a token of good will, and ask for a large army to aid him in the conquest of El Dorado.

    When news reached Spain of Balboa’s bold crossing of the isthmus, his discovery of the western ocean, and his planned conquest of El Dorado, the former criminal became a hero.

    He was instantly proclaimed governor of the new land.

    But before the king and queen received word of his discovery, they had already sent a dozen ships, under the command of a man named Pedro Arias Dávila, “Pedrarias,” with orders to arrest Balboa for murder and to take command of the colony.

    By the time Pedrarias arrived in Panama, he had learned that Balboa had been pardoned, and that he was to share the governorship with the former outlaw.

    All the same, Balboa felt uneasy.

    Gold was his dream, El Dorado his only desire.

    In pursuit of this goal he had nearly died many times over, and to share the wealth and glory with a newcomer would be intolerable.

    He also soon discovered that Pedrarias was a jealous, bitter man, and equally unhappy with the situation. Once again, the only solution for Balboa was to seize the initiative by proposing to cross the jungle with a larger army, carrying ship-building materials and tools.

    Crossing the mountains.

    Once on the Pacific coast, he would create an armada with which to conquer the Incas.

    Surprisingly enough, Pedrarias agreed to the plan—perhaps sensing it would never work.

    Hundreds died in this second march through the jungle, and the timber they carried rotted in the torrential rains.

    Balboa, as usual, was undaunted—no power in the world could thwart his plan—and on arriving at the Pacific he began to cut down trees for new lumber. But the men remaining to him were too few and too weak to mount an invasion, and once again Balboa had to return to Darien.

    Pedrarias had in any case invited Balboa back to discuss a new plan, and on the outskirts of the settlement, the explorer was met by Francisco Pizarro, an old friend who had accompanied him on his first crossing of the isthmus.

    But this was a trap: Leading one hundred soldiers, Pizarro surrounded his former friend, arrested him, and returned him to Pedrarias, who tried him on charges of rebellion.

    A few days later Balboa’s head fell into a basket, along with those of his most trusted followers. Years later Pizarro himself reached Peru, and Balboa’s deeds were forgotten.

    THE KING. THE SUFI. AND THE SURGEON
    
    In ancient times a king of Tartary was out walking with some of his noblemen. At the roadside was an abdal (a wandering Sufi), who cried out: “Whoever will give me a hundred dinars, I will give him some good advice.” 
    
    The king stopped, and said: “Abdal, what is this good advice for a hundred dinars?” 
    
    “Sir,” answered the abdal, “order the sum to be given to me, and I will tell it you immediately.” 
    
    The king did so, expecting to hear something extraordinary. 
    
    The dervish said to him: “My advice is this: Never begin anything until you have reflected what will be the end of it.” 
    
    At this the nobles and everyone else present laughed, saying that the abdal had been wise to ask for his money in advance. 
    
    But the king said: “You have no reason to laugh at the good advice this abdal has given me. No one is unaware of the fact that we should think well before doing anything. But we are daily guilty of not remembering, and the consequences are evil. I very much value this dervish’s advice. ”
    
    The king decided to bear the advice always in his mind, and commanded it to be written in gold on the walls and even engraved on his silver plate.
    
    Not long afterward a plotter desired to kill the king. 
    
    He bribed the royal surgeon with a promise of the prime ministership if he thrust a poisoned lancet into the king’s arm. 
    
    When the time came to let some of the king’s blood, a silver basin was placed to catch the blood. 
    
    Suddenly the surgeon became aware of the words engraved upon it: “Never begin anything until you have reflected what will be the end of it. ” 
    
    It was only then that he realized that if the plotter became king he could have the surgeon killed instantly, and would not need to fulfill his bargain.
    
    The king, seeing that the surgeon was now trembling, asked him what was wrong with him. And so he confessed the truth, at that very moment.The plotter was seized; and the king sent for all the people who had been present when the abdal gave his advice, and said to them: “Do you still laugh at the dervish?”
    
    -CARAVAN OF DREAMS. IDRIES SHAH, 1968

    Interpretation

    Most men are ruled by the heart, not the head.

    Their plans are vague, and when they meet obstacles they improvise.

    But improvisation will only bring you as far as the next crisis, and is never a substitute for thinking several steps ahead and planning to the end.

    Balboa had a dream of glory and wealth, and a vague plan to reach it.

    Yet his bold deeds, and his discovery of the Pacific, are largely forgotten, for he committed what in the world of power is the ultimate sin: He went part way, leaving the door open for others to take over.

    A real man of power would have had the prudence to see the dangers in the distance—the rivals who would want to share in the conquests, the vultures that would hover once they heard the word “gold.”

    Balboa should have kept his knowledge of the Incas secret until after he had conquered Peru.

    Only then would his wealth, and his head, have been secure.

    Once Pedrarias arrived on the scene, a man of power and prudence would have schemed to kill or imprison him, and to take over the army he had brought for the conquest of Peru.

    But Balboa was locked in the moment, always reacting emotionally, never thinking ahead.

    What good is it to have the greatest dream in the world if others reap the benefits and the glory? Never lose your head over a vague, open-ended dream—plan to the end.

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW

    In 1863 the Prussian premier Otto von Bismarck surveyed the chessboard of European power as it then stood. The main players were England, France, and Austria.

    Prussia itself was one of several states in the loosely allied German Federation.

    Austria, dominant member of the Federation, made sure that the other German states remained weak, divided and submissive.

    Bismarck believed that Prussia was destined for something far greater than servant boy to Austria.

    This is how Bismarck played the game. His first move was to start a war with lowly Denmark, in order to recover the former Prussian lands of Schleswig-Holstein. He knew that these rumblings of Prussian independence might worry France and England, so he enlisted Austria in the war, claiming that he was recovering Schleswig-Holstein for their benefit.

    In a few months, after the war was decided, Bismarck demanded that the newly conquered lands be made part of Prussia.

    The Austrians of course were furious, but they compromised: First they agreed to give the Prussians Schleswig, and a year later they sold them Holstein. The world began to see that Austria was weakening and that Prussia was on the rise.

    Bismarck’s next move was his boldest: In 1866 he convinced King William of Prussia to withdraw from the German Federation, and in doing so to go to war with Austria itself.

    King William’s wife, his son the crown prince, and the princes of the other German kingdoms vehemently opposed such a war.

    But Bismarck, undaunted, succeeded in forcing the conflict, and Prussia’s superior army defeated the Austrians in the brutally short Seven Weeks War.

    The king and the Prussian generals then wanted to march on Vienna, taking as much land from Austria as possible.

    But Bismarck stopped them—now he presented himself as on the side of peace.

    The result was that he was able to conclude a treaty with Austria that granted Prussia and the other German states total autonomy.

    Bismarck could now position Prussia as the dominant power in Germany and the head of a newly formed North German Confederation.

    The French and the English began to compare Bismarck to Attila the Hun, and to fear that he had designs on all of Europe.

    Once he had started on the path to conquest, there was no telling where he would stop.

    And, indeed, three years later Bismarck provoked a war with France.

    First he appeared to give his permission to France’s annexation of Belgium, then at the last moment he changed his mind.

    Playing a cat-and-mouse game, he infuriated the French emperor, Napoleon III, and stirred up his own king against the French. To no one’s surprise, war broke out in 1870. The newly formed German federation enthusiastically joined in the war on France, and once again the Prussian military machine and its allies destroyed the enemy army in a matter of months.

    Although Bismarck opposed taking any French land, the generals convinced him that Alsace-Lorraine would become part of the federation.

    Now all of Europe feared the next move of the Prussian monster, led by Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor.” And in fact a year later Bismarck founded the German Empire, with the Prussian king as the newly crowned emperor and Bismarck himself a prince.

    But then something strange happened: Bismarck instigated no more wars.

    And while the other European powers grabbed up land for colonies in other continents, he severely limited Germany’s colonial acquisitions.

    He did not want more land for Germany, but more security.

    For the rest of his life he struggled to maintain peace in Europe and to prevent further wars. Everybody assumed he had changed, mellowing with the years. They had failed to understand: This was the final move of his original plan.

    He who asks fortune-tellers the future unwittingly forfeits an inner intimation of coming events that is a thousand times more exact than anything they may say.
    
    -WALTER BENJAMIN, 1892-1940

    Interpretation

    There is a simple reason why most men never know when to come off the attack: They form no concrete idea of their goal.

    Once they achieve victory they only hunger for more.

    To stop—to aim for a goal and then keep to it—seems almost inhuman, in fact; yet nothing is more critical to the maintenance of power.

    The person who goes too far in his triumphs creates a reaction that inevitably leads to a decline.

    The only solution is to plan for the long run.

    Foresee the future with as much clarity as the gods on Mount Olympus, who look through the clouds and see the ends of all things.

    From the beginning of his career in politics, Bismarck had one goal: to form an independent German state led by Prussia. He instigated the war with Denmark not to conquer territory but to stir up Prussian nationalism and unite the country. He incited the war with Austria only to gain Prussian independence. (This was why he refused to grab Austrian territory.) And he fomented the war with France to unite the German kingdoms against a common enemy, and thus to prepare for the formation of a united Germany.

    Once this was achieved, Bismarck stopped. He never let triumph go to his head, was never tempted by the siren call of more. He held the reins tightly, and whenever the generals, or the king, or the Prussian people demanded new conquests, he held them back. Nothing would spoil the beauty of his creation, certainly not a false euphoria that pushed those around him to attempt to go past the end that he had so carefully planned.

    Experience shows that, if one foresees from far away the designs to be
    undertaken, one can act with speed when the moment comes to execute them.
    
    -Cardinall Richelieu, 1585-1642

    KEYS TO POWER

    According to the cosmology of the ancient Greeks, the gods were thought to have complete vision into the future. They saw everything to come, right down to the intricate details.

    Men, on the other hand, were seen as victims of fate, trapped in the moment and their emotions, unable to see beyond immediate dangers. Those heroes, such as Odysseus, who were able to look beyond the present and plan several steps ahead, seemed to defy fate, to approximate the gods in their ability to determine the future. The comparison is still valid—those among us who think further ahead and patiently bring their plans to fruition seem to have a godlike power.

    Because most people are too imprisoned in the moment to plan with this kind of foresight, the ability to ignore immediate dangers and pleasures translates into power.

    It is the power of being able to overcome the natural human tendency to react to things as they happen, and instead to train oneself to step back, imagining the larger things taking shape beyond one’s immediate vision.

    Most people believe that they are in fact aware of the future, that they are planning and thinking ahead.

    They are usually deluded: What they are really doing is succumbing to their desires, to what they want the future to be. Their plans are vague, based on their imaginations rather than their reality.

    They may believe they are thinking all the way to the end, but they are really only focusing on the happy ending, and deluding themselves by the strength of their desire.

    Athens

    In 415 B.C., the ancient Athenians attacked Sicily, believing their expedition would bring them riches, power, and a glorious ending to the sixteen-year Peloponnesian War.

    They did not consider the dangers of an invasion so far from home; they did not foresee [1] that the Sicilians would fight all the harder since the battles were in their own homeland, or [2] that all of Athens’s enemies would band together against them, or [3] that war would break out on several fronts, stretching their forces way too thin.

    The Sicilian expedition was a complete disaster, leading to the destruction of one of the greatest civilizations of all time.

    The Athenians were led into this disaster by their hearts, not their minds. They saw only the chance of glory, not the dangers that loomed in the distance.

    France

    Cardinal de Retz, the seventeenth-century Frenchman who prided himself on his insights into human schemes and why they mostly fail, analyzed this phenomenon.

    In the course of a rebellion he spearheaded against the French monarchy in 1651, the young king, Louis XIV, and his court had suddenly left Paris and established themselves in a palace outside the capital.

    The presence of the king so close to the heart of the revolution had been a tremendous burden on the revolutionaries, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

    This later proved their downfall, however, since the court’s absence from Paris gave it much more room to maneuver.

    “The most ordinary cause of people’s mistakes,” Cardinal de Retz later wrote, “is their being too much frightened at the present danger, and not enough so at that which is remote.”

    The dangers that are remote, that loom in the distance—if we can see them as they take shape, how many mistakes we avoid.

    How many plans we would instantly abort if we realized we were avoiding a small danger only to step into a larger one. So much of power is not what you do but what you do not do—the rash and foolish actions that you refrain from before they get you into trouble.

    Plan in detail before you act—do not let vague plans lead you into trouble.

    Will this have unintended consequences? Will I stir up new enemies? Will someone else take advantage of my labors? Unhappy endings are much more common than happy ones—do not be swayed by the happy ending in your mind.

    French Elections

    The French elections of 1848 came down to a struggle between Louis-Adolphe Thiers, the man of order, and General Louis Eugène Cavaignac, the rabble-rouser of the right.

    When Thiers realized he was hopelessly behind in this high-stakes race, he searched desperately for a solution.

    His eye fell on Louis Bonaparte, grand-nephew of the great general Napoleon, and a lowly deputy in the parliament.

    This Bonaparte seemed a bit of an imbecile, but his name alone could get him elected in a country yearning for a strong ruler.

    He would be Thiers’s puppet and eventually would be pushed offstage.

    The first part of the plan worked to perfection, and Napoleon was elected by a large margin.

    The problem was that Thiers had not foreseen one simple fact: This “imbecile” was in fact a man of enormous ambition.

    Three years later he [1] dissolved parliament, [2] declared himself emperor, and [3] ruled France for another eighteen years, much to the horror of Thiers and his party.

    The ending is everything. It is the end of the action that determines who gets the glory, the money, the prize. Your conclusion must be crystal clear, and you must keep it constantly in mind. You must also figure out how to ward off the vultures circling overhead, trying to live off the carcass of your creation. And you must anticipate the many possible crises that will tempt you to improvise. Bismarck overcame these dangers because he planned to the end, kept on course through every crisis, and never let others steal the glory. Once he had reached his stated goal, he withdrew into his shell like a turtle. This kind of self-control is godlike.

    When you see several steps ahead, and plan your moves all the way to the end, you will no longer be tempted by emotion or by the desire to improvise. Your clarity will rid you of the anxiety and vagueness that are the primary reasons why so many fail to conclude their actions successfully. You see the ending and you tolerate no deviation.

    Image:
    The Gods on
    Mount Olympus.
    Looking down on
    human actions from the
    clouds, they see in advance the
    endings of all the great dreams that
    lead to disaster and tragedy. And
    they laugh at our inability to see beyond
    the moment, and at how we delude ourselves.

    Authority: How much easier it is never to get in than to get yourself out! We should act contrary to the reed which, when it first appears, throws up a long straight stem but afterwards, as though it were exhausted ... makes several dense knots, indicating that it no longer has its original vigor and drive. We must rather begin gently and coolly, saving our breath for the encounter and our vigorous thrusts for finishing off the job. In their beginnings it is we who guide affairs and hold them in our power; but so often once they are set in motion, it is they which guide us and sweep us along. 
    
    (Montaigne, 1533-1592)

    REVERSAL

    It is a cliché among strategists that your plan must include alternatives and have a degree of flexibility. That is certainly true. If you are locked into a plan too rigidly, you will be unable to deal with sudden shifts of fortune. Once you have examined the future possibilities and decided on your target, you must build in alternatives and be open to new routes toward your goal.

    Most people, however, lose less from overplanning and rigidity than from vagueness and a tendency to improvise constantly in the face of circumstance. There is no real purpose in contemplating a reversal to this Law, then, for no good can come from refusing to think far into the future and planning to the end. If you are clear- and far-thinking enough, you will understand that the future is uncertain, and that you must be open to adaptation. Only having a clear objective and a far-reaching plan allows you that freedom.

    Conclusion

    Today we see the United States, led by Donald Trump trying unsuccessfully to “suppress” China. We see and watch China just continuing on as normal. Just smiling and investing money on new constructions and investments.

    Donald Trump might have a long term strategy, but it appears that all his actions are focused on the resultant opinions of the American electorate. This is a short-term strategy. It is seemingly focused on the results of the November 3rd 2020 election results.

    Meanwhile, the Chinese, though Xi Peng are investing in ten, twenty and fifty year duration projects along a vision that describes China in 2030, 2030 and 2050.

    While no one knows what will happen between these two nations, what we can be assured of is that China will be following the paths mapped out by the Chinese leadership today, while the Americans within America will run from one objective to the other without any apparent cohesive strategy.

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts along these lines in my Happiness Index here…

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    Law 31 – Control the options get others to play the cards you deal (full text) from the 48 laws of power by Robert Greene

    This is the full text of Law 31 from “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene. It is titled “Control the options to get others to play the cards that you deal. It is a wonderful addition to the laws that I have been collecting and posting herein.

    I learned this at one of the first jobs that I ever had. My supervisor advised me that I should never provide more than three solutions or options on a project. When I am presenting options to upper management, I was to offer three and only three options.

    All three would be an option that I would be satisfied with. So that no matter what they chose, I would be satisfied.

    One option would be an obvious option for rejection. It would have some fault or problem. Maybe it would be too costly, or two time consuming or have other issues that would make it unsatisfactory.

    The remaining two options would lie close together in value. They would be very similar in pricing, costs, trade-offs and timing. I would advise what I felt would be the best option, but it would be ultimately the decision of upper management.

    This strategy has worked over and over over the many decades in industry. And I tech it to all the junior engineers and interns in my employ. This law 31, lies very close to this experience of mine. For in my own way, I was controlling the options and having upper management play the cards that I dealt.

    LAW 31

    CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL

    JUDGMENT

    The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets.

    Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose.

    Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose.

    Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW I

    From early in his reign, Ivan IV, later known as Ivan the Terrible, had to confront an unpleasant reality: The country desperately needed reform, but he lacked the power to push it through.

    The greatest limit to his authority came from the boyars, the Russian princely class that dominated the country and terrorized the peasantry.

    In 1553, at the age of twenty-three, Ivan fell ill.

    Lying in bed, nearing death, he asked the boyars to swear allegiance to his son as the new czar.

    Some hesitated, some even refused.

    Then and there Ivan saw he had no power over the boyars.

    He recovered from his illness, but he never forgot the lesson: The boyars were out to destroy him. And indeed in the years to come, many of the most powerful of them defected to Russia’s main enemies, Poland and Lithuania, where they plotted their return and the overthrow of the czar.

    Even one of Ivan’s closest friends, Prince Andrey Kurbski, suddenly turned against him, defecting to Lithuania in 1564, and becoming the strongest of Ivan’s enemies.

    When Kurbski began raising troops for an invasion, the royal dynasty seemed suddenly more precarious than ever.

    With émigré nobles fomenting invasion from the west, Tartars bearing down from the east, and the boyars stirring up trouble within the country, Russia’s vast size made it a nightmare to defend.

    In whatever direction Ivan struck, he would leave himself vulnerable on the other side. Only if he had absolute power could he deal with this many-headed Hydra. And he had no such power.

    Ivan brooded until the morning of December 3, 1564, when the citizens of Moscow awoke to a strange sight.

    Hundreds of sleds filled the square before the Kremlin, loaded with the czar’s treasures and with provisions for the entire court.

    They watched in disbelief as the czar and his court boarded the sleds and left town.

    Without explaining why, he established himself in a village south of Moscow.

    For an entire month a kind of terror gripped the capital, for the Muscovites feared that Ivan had abandoned them to the bloodthirsty boyars.

    Shops closed up and riotous mobs gathered daily.

    Finally, on January 3 of 1565, a letter arrived from the czar, explaining that he could no longer bear the boyars’ betrayals and had decided to abdicate once and for all.

    The German Chancellor Bismarck, enraged at the constant criticisms from Rudolf Virchow (the German pathologist and liberal politician), had his seconds call upon the scientist to challenge him to a duel. 
    
    “As the challenged party, I have the choice of weapons,” said Virchow, “and I choose these.” 
    
    He held aloft two large and apparently identical sausages. 
    
    “One of these,” he went on, “is infected with deadly germs; the other is perfectly sound. 
    
    Let His Excellency decide which one he wishes to eat, and I will eat the other.” 
    
    Almost immediately the message came back that the chancellor had decided to cancel the duel.
    
    -THE LITTLE. BROWN BOOK OF ANECDOTES. CLIFTON FADIMAN, FD., 1985

    Read aloud in public, the letter had a startling effect: Merchants and commoners blamed the boyars for Ivan’s decision, and took to the streets, terrifying the nobility with their fury.

    Soon a group of delegates representing the church, the princes, and the people made the journey to Ivan’s village, and begged the czar, in the name of the holy land of Russia, to return to the throne.

    Ivan listened but would not change his mind.

    After days of hearing their pleas, however, he offered his subjects a choice: Either they grant him absolute powers to govern as he pleased, with no interference from the boyars, or they find a new leader.

    Faced with a choice between civil war and the acceptance of despotic power, almost every sector of Russian society “opted” for a strong czar, calling for Ivan’s return to Moscow and the restoration of law and order.

    In February, with much celebration, Ivan returned to Moscow.

    The Russians could no longer complain if he behaved dictatorially—they had given him this power themselves.

    Interpretation

    Ivan the Terrible faced a terrible dilemma: To give in to the boyars would lead to certain destruction, but civil war would bring a different kind of ruin. Even if Ivan came out of such a war on top, the country would be devastated and its divisions would be stronger than ever.

    His weapon of choice in the past had been to make a bold, offensive move. Now, however, that kind of move would turn against him—the more boldly he confronted his enemies, the worse the reactions he would spark.

    The main weakness of a show of force is that it stirs up resentment and eventually leads to a response that eats at your authority.

    Ivan, immensely creative in the use of power, saw clearly that the only path to the kind of victory he wanted was a false withdrawal.

    He would not force the country over to his position, he would give it “options”: either [1] his abdication, and certain anarchy, or [2] his accession to absolute power.

    To back up his move, he made it clear that he preferred to abdicate: “Call my bluff,” he said, “and watch what happens.”

    No one called his bluff.

    By withdrawing for just a month, he showed the country a glimpse of the nightmares that would follow his abdication—Tartar invasions, civil war, ruin. (All of these did eventually come to pass after Ivan’s death, in the infamous “Time of the Troubles.”)

    Withdrawal and disappearance are classic ways of controlling the options.

    You give people a sense of how things will fall apart without you, and you offer them a “choice”: I stay away and you suffer the consequences, or I return under circumstances that I dictate.

    In this method of controlling people’s options, they choose the option that gives you power because the alternative is just too unpleasant. You force their hand, but indirectly: They seem to have a choice.

    Whenever people feel they have a choice, they walk into your trap that much more easily.

    THE LIAR

    Once upon a time there was a king of Armenia, who, being of a curious turn of mind and in need of some new diversion, sent his heralds throughout the land to make the following proclamation: “Hear this! Whatever man among you can prove himself the most outrageous liar in Armenia shall receive an apple made of pure gold from the hands of His Majesty the King!” 
    
    People began to swarm to the palace from every town and hamlet in the country, people of all ranks and conditions, princes, merchants, farmers, priests, rich and poor, tall and short, fat and thin. 
    
    There was no lack of liars in the land, and each one told his tale to the king. 
    
    A ruler, however, has heard practically every sort of lie, and none of those now told him convinced the king that he had listened to the best of them. 
    
    The king was beginning to grow tired of his new sport and was thinking of calling the whole contest off without declaring a winner, when there appeared before him a poor, ragged man, carrying a large earthenware pitcher under his arm. 
    
    “What can I do for you?” asked His Majesty. 
    
    “Sire!” said the poor man, slightly bewildered “Surely you remember? You owe me a pot of gold, and I have come to collect it.” 
    
    “You are a pet feet liar, sir!’ exclaimed the king ”I owe you no money’” 
    
    ”A perfect liar, am I?” said the poor man. ”Then give me the golden apple!” 
    
    The king, realizing that the man was Irving to trick him. started to hedge. ”No. no! You are not a liar!” 
    
    ”Then give me the pot of gold you owe me. sire.” said the man. The king saw the dilemma, He handed over the golden apple.
    
    -ARMENIAN FOLKTALES AND FABLES. REIOLD BY CAHARLES DOWNING. 1993

    OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW II

    As a seventeenth-century French courtesan, Ninon de Lenclos found that her life had certain pleasures.

    Her lovers came from royalty and aristocracy, and they paid her well, entertained her with their wit and intellect, satisfied her rather demanding sensual needs, and treated her almost as an equal.

    Such a life was infinitely preferable to marriage.

    In 1643, however, Ninon’s mother died suddenly, leaving her, at the age of twenty-three, totally alone in the world—no family, no dowry, nothing to fall back upon.

    A kind of panic overtook her and she entered a convent, turning her back on her illustrious lovers.

    A year later she left the convent and moved to Lyons.

    When she finally reappeared in Paris, in 1648, lovers and suitors flocked to her door in greater numbers than ever before, for she was the wittiest and most spirited courtesan of the time and her presence had been greatly missed.

    Ninon’s followers quickly discovered, however, that she had changed her old way of doing things, and had set up a new system of options.

    The dukes, seigneurs, and princes who wanted to pay for her services could continue to do so, but they were no longer in control—she would sleep with them when she wanted, according to her whim.

    All their money bought them was a possibility. If it was her pleasure to sleep with them only once a month, so be it.

    Those who did not want to be what Ninon called a payeur could join the large and growing group of men she called her martyrs—men who visited her apartment principally for her friendship, her biting wit, her lute-playing, and the company of the most vibrant minds of the period, including Molière, La Rochefoucauld, and Saint-Évremond.

    The martyrs, too, however, entertained a possibility: She would regularly select from them a favori, a man who would become her lover without having to pay, and to whom she would abandon herself completely for as long as she so desired—a week, a few months, rarely longer.

    A payeur could not become a favori, but a martyr had no guarantee of becoming one, and indeed could remain disappointed for an entire lifetime. The poet Charleval, for example, never enjoyed Ninon’s favors, but never stopped coming to visit—he did not want to do without her company.

    As word of this system reached polite French society, Ninon became the object of intense hostility.

    Her reversal of the position of the courtesan scandalized the queen mother and her court.

    Much to their horror, however, it did not discourage her male suitors—indeed it only increased their numbers and intensified their desire.

    It became an honor to be a payeur, helping Ninon to maintain her lifestyle and her glittering salon, accompanying her sometimes to the theater, and sleeping with her when she chose.

    Even more distinguished were the martyrs, enjoying her company without paying for it and maintaining the hope, however remote, of some day becoming her favori. That possibility spurred on many a young nobleman, as word spread that none among the courtesans could surpass Ninon in the art of love.

    And so the married and the single, the old and the young, entered her web and chose one of the two options presented to them, both of which amply satisfied her.

    Interpretation

    The life of the courtesan entailed the possibility of a power that was denied a married woman, but it also had obvious perils.

    The man who paid for the courtesan’s services in essence owned her, determining when he could possess her and when, later on, he would abandon her.

    As she grew older, her options narrowed, as fewer men chose her.

    To avoid a life of poverty she had to amass her fortune while she was young.

    The courtesan’s legendary greed, then, reflected a practical necessity, yet also lessened her allure, since the illusion of being desired is important to men, who are often alienated if their partner is too interested in their money.

    As the courtesan aged, then, she faced a most difficult fate.

    Ninon de Lenclos had a horror of any kind of dependence.

    She early on tasted a kind of equality with her lovers, and she would not settle into a system that left her such distasteful options. Strangely enough, the system she devised in its place seemed to satisfy her suitors as much as it did her.

    The payeurs may have had to pay, but the fact that Ninon would only sleep with them when she wanted to gave them a thrill unavailable with every other courtesan: She was yielding out of her own desire.

    The martyrs’ avoidance of the taint of having to pay gave them a sense of superiority; as members of Ninon’s fraternity of admirers, they also might some day experience the ultimate pleasure of being her favori.

    Finally, Ninon did not force her suitors into either category.

    They could “choose” which side they preferred—a freedom that left them a vestige of masculine pride.

    Such is the power of giving people a choice, or rather the illusion of one, for they are playing with cards you have dealt them.

    Where the alternatives set up by Ivan the Terrible involved a certain risk—one option would have led to his losing his power—Ninon created a situation in which every option redounded to her favor.

    From the payeurs she received the money she needed to run her salon. And from the martyrs she gained the ultimate in power: She could surround herself with a bevy of admirers, a harem from which to choose her lovers.

    The system, though, depended on one critical factor: the possibility, however remote, that a martyr could become a favori.

    The illusion that riches, glory, or sensual satisfaction may someday fall into your victim’s lap is an irresistible carrot to include in your list of choices.

    That hope, however slim, will make men accept the most ridiculous situations, because it leaves them the all-important option of a dream. The illusion of choice, married to the possibility of future good fortune, will lure the most stubborn sucker into your glittering web.

    J. P. Morgan Sr. once told a jeweler of his acquaintance that he was interested in buying a pearl scarf-pin. 
    
    Just a few weeks later, the jeweler happened upon a magnificent pearl. He had it mounted in an appropriate setting and sent it to Morgan, together with a bill for $5,000. 
    
    The following day the package was returned. Morgan’s accompanying note read: “I like the pin, but I don’t like the price. 
    
    If you will accept the enclosed check for $4,000, please send back the box with the seal unbroken.” 
    
    The enraged jeweler refused the check and dismissed the messenger in disgust. He opened up the box to reclaim the unwanted pin, only to find that it had been removed. In its place was a check for $5,000.
    
    -THE LITTLE, BROWN BOOK OF ANECDOTES. CLIFTON FADIMAN, ED.. 1985

    KEYS TO POWER

    Words like “freedom,” “options,” and “choice” evoke a power of possibility far beyond the reality of the benefits they entail.

    When examined closely, the choices we have—in the marketplace, in elections, in our jobs—tend to have noticeable limitations: They are often a matter of a choice simply between A and B, with the rest of the alphabet out of the picture.

    Yet as long as the faintest mirage of choice flickers on, we rarely focus on the missing options.

    We “choose” to believe that the game is fair, and that we have our freedom. We prefer not to think too much about the depth of our liberty to choose.

    This unwillingness to probe the smallness of our choices stems from the fact that too much freedom creates a kind of anxiety. The phrase “unlimited options” sounds infinitely promising, but unlimited options would actually paralyze us and cloud our ability to choose. Our limited range of choices comforts us.

    This supplies the clever and cunning with enormous opportunities for deception. For people who are choosing between alternatives find it hard to believe they are being manipulated or deceived; they cannot see that you are allowing them a small amount of free will in exchange for a much more powerful imposition of your own will. Setting up a narrow range of choices, then, should always be a part of your deceptions.

    There is a saying: If you can get the bird to walk into the cage on its own, it will sing that much more prettily.

    The following are among the most common forms of “controlling the options”:

    Color the Choices. This was a favored technique of Henry Kissinger. As President Richard Nixon’s secretary of state, Kissinger considered himself better informed than his boss, and believed that in most situations he could make the best decision on his own. But if he tried to determine policy, he would offend or perhaps enrage a notoriously insecure man. So Kissinger would propose three or four choices of action for each situation, and would present them in such a way that the one he preferred always seemed the best solution compared to the others. Time after time, Nixon fell for the bait, never suspecting that he was moving where Kissinger pushed him. This is an excellent device to use on the insecure master.

    Force the Resister. One of the main problems faced by Dr. Milton H. Erickson, a pioneer of hypnosis therapy in the 1950s, was the relapse. His patients might seem to be recovering rapidly, but their apparent susceptibility to the therapy masked a deep resistance: They would soon relapse into old habits, blame the doctor, and stop coming to see him. To avoid this, Erickson began ordering some patients to have a relapse, to make themselves feel as bad as when they first came in—to go back to square one. Faced with this option, the patients would usually “choose” to avoid the relapse—which, of course, was what Erickson really wanted.

    This is a good technique to use on children and other willful people who enjoy doing the opposite of what you ask them to: Push them to “choose” what you want them to do by appearing to advocate the opposite.

    Alter the Playing Field. In the 1860s, John D. Rockefeller set out to create an oil monopoly. If he tried to buy up the smaller oil companies they would figure out what he was doing and fight back. Instead, he began secretly buying up the railway companies that transported the oil. When he then attempted to take over a particular company, and met with resistance, he reminded them of their dependence on the rails. Refusing them shipping, or simply raising their fees, could ruin their business. Rockefeller altered the playing field so that the only options the small oil producers had were the ones he gave them.

    In this tactic your opponents know their hand is being forced, but it doesn’t matter. The technique is effective against those who resist at all costs.

    The Shrinking Options. The late-nineteenth-century art dealer Ambroise Vollard perfected this technique.

    Customers would come to Vollard’s shop to see some Cézannes. He would show three paintings, neglect to mention a price, and pretend to doze off. The visitors would have to leave without deciding. They would usually come back the next day to see the paintings again, but this time Vollard would pull out less interesting works, pretending he thought they were the same ones. The baffled customers would look at the new offerings, leave to think them over, and return yet again. Once again the same thing would happen: Vollard would show paintings of lesser quality still. Finally the buyers would realize they had better grab what he was showing them, because tomorrow they would have to settle for something worse, perhaps at even higher prices.

    A variation on this technique is to raise the price every time the buyer hesitates and another day goes by. This is an excellent negotiating ploy to use on the chronically indecisive, who will fall for the idea that they are getting a better deal today than if they wait till tomorrow.

    The Weak Man on the Precipice. The weak are the easiest to maneuver by controlling their options. Cardinal de Retz, the great seventeenth-century provocateur, served as an unofficial assistant to the Duke of Orléans, who was notoriously indecisive. It was a constant struggle to convince the duke to take action—he would hem and haw, weigh the options, and wait till the last moment, giving everyone around him an ulcer. But Retz discovered a way to handle him: He would describe all sorts of dangers, exaggerating them as much as possible, until the duke saw a yawning abyss in every direction except one: the one Retz was pushing him to take.

    This tactic is similar to “Color the Choices,” but with the weak you have to be more aggressive. Work on their emotions—use fear and terror to propel them into action. Try reason and they will always find a way to procrastinate.

    Brothers in Crime. This is a classic con-artist technique: You attract your victims to some criminal scheme, creating a bond of blood and guilt between you. They participate in your deception, commit a crime (or think they do—see the story of Sam Geezil in Law 3), and are easily manipulated. Serge Stavisky, the great French con artist of the 1920s, so entangled the government in his scams and swindles that the state did not dare to prosecute him, and “chose” to leave him alone. It is often wise to implicate in your deceptions the very person who can do you the most harm if you fail. Their involvement can be subtle—even a hint of their involvement will narrow their options and buy their silence.

    The Horns of a Dilemma. This idea was demonstrated by General William Sherman’s infamous march through Georgia during the American Civil War. Although the Confederates knew what direction Sherman was heading in, they never knew if he would attack from the left or the right, for he divided his army into two wings—and if the rebels retreated from one wing they found themselves facing the other. This is a classic trial lawyer’s technique: The lawyer leads the witnesses to decide between two possible explanations of an event, both of which poke a hole in their story. They have to answer the lawyer’s questions, but whatever they say they hurt themselves. The key to this move is to strike quickly: Deny the victim the time to think of an escape. As they wriggle between the horns of the dilemma, they dig their own grave.

    Understand: In your struggles with your rivals, it will often be necessary for you to hurt them. And if you are clearly the agent of their punishment, expect a counterattack—expect revenge. If, however, they seem to themselves to be the agents of their own misfortune, they will submit quietly. When Ivan left Moscow for his rural village, the citizens asking him to return agreed to his demand for absolute power. Over the years to come, they resented him less for the terror he unleashed on the country, because, after all, they had granted him his power themselves. This is why it is always good to allow your victims their choice of poison, and to cloak your involvement in providing it to them as far as possible.

    Image: The Horns of the Bull. The bull backs you into the corner with its horns—not a single horn, which you might be e able to escape, but a pair of horns that trap you within their hold. Run right or run left—either way you move into their piercing ends and are gored.

    Authority: For the wounds and every other evil that men inflict upon themselves spontaneously, and of their own choice, are in the long run less painful than those inflicted by others. (Niccolò Machiavelli, 1469-1527)

    REVERSAL

    Controlling the options has one main purpose: to disguise yourself as the agent of power and punishment.

    The tactic works best, then, for those whose power is fragile, and who cannot operate too openly without incurring suspicion, resentment, and anger.

    Even as a general rule, however, it is rarely wise to be seen as exerting power directly and forcefully, no matter how secure or strong you are. It is usually more elegant and more effective to give people the illusion of choice.

    On the other hand, by limiting other people’s options you sometimes limit your own.

    There are situations in which it is to your advantage to allow your rivals a large degree of freedom: As you watch them operate, you give yourself rich opportunities to spy, gather information, and plan your deceptions.

    The nineteenth-century banker James Rothschild liked this method: He felt that if he tried to control his opponents’ movements, he lost the chance to observe their strategy and plan a more effective course.

    The more freedom he allowed them in the short term, the more forcefully he could act against them in the long run.

    Conclusion

    I cannot help but wonder if Donald Trump in 2020 is conducting an “Ivan the Terrible” technique in order to obtain full dictatorial powers in lieu of Congressional approval. It seems like he wants people to get sick. That he wants Portland to burn. That he wants people to arm themselves. That he wants the Post office not to deliver mail.

    I wonder if this is intentional so that some kind of “big event” will force the the people and Congress to grant him wide sweeping powers and control. I wonder.

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts that are similar to this in my Happiness Index here…

    Life & Happiness

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    To go to the MAIN Index;

    Master Index

    .

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE .
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
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    Please kindly help me out in this effort. There is a lot of effort that goes into this disclosure. I could use all the financial support that anyone could provide. Thank you very much.

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    Some selected favorite artworks by John William Waterhouse

    John William Waterhouse was an amazing artist that produced at least 180 artworks during his career. He is considered to be a “English , Victorian Romanticist painter and draftsman”. He was born in 1849 and Died on 2/10/1917.

    You can see his entire collection on the Art Renewal Center here.

    Like my post on Lawrence Alma-Tadema, you might want to consider this post to be an excurion into Greek mythology and Roman history through the artwork of renessance painters in Europe.

    The Lady of Shalott

    I have often admired this painting but really had little understanding about what was so appealing about it. To me, it was a sad woman in boat, alone and drifting off into the mists.

    This painting depicted an event or circumstance that was described in a poem.

    "The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892). It tells the story of a young noble woman imprisoned in a tower on an island near Camelot.
    
    -The Lady of Shalott - Wikipedia

    This poem depicted a sad and forlorn woman who was locked up and who had little freedom. That lack of freeom and the imprisonment was not obvious to anyone but herself.

    During the period of the 19th century in which “The Lady of Shalott” poem was written, women were not treated in the same way that they are today. History tells us the story of how women came to be “equal” to men, yet when reading this poem, we see that this was not the case for the Lady of Shalott.

    The women during this period were seen more as a possession rather than a person or a partner to a male. They were kept in the house and were sometimes not allowed to go outside and socialize. We see this neglect of women demonstrated many times throughout Tennyson’s poem.

    Kept as a sort of prisoner in a building, or castle, on the secluded island of Shalott, the Lady of Shalott is described as a “fairy” woman who has been cursed.

    For me, I could see this situation. Not only for the woman, in that time and plce, but for anyone who is trapped in a situation that they cannot get out of easily…

    Links…

    Consulting the Oracle

    An oracle is a priest or priestess acting as a medium through whom advice or prophecy was sought from the gods in classical antiquity.
    
    -Dictionary.com

    There were many other oracles in Greece, but the Oracle at Delphi was the most famous, and everyone who could afford to consult the Oracle at Delphi preferred to do so.

    Of course, there was a long waiting period to consult the oracle (sometimes several months), and there were a number of expensive, preliminary sacrifices. Most of the people who consulted the Oracle at Delphi were wealthy individuals or even heads of state.

    The long path leading up the mountain to Apollo’s temple, called the Sacred Way, was lined with treasure houses. These treasuries were filled with costly gifts that leaders and cities had given to Apollo. Some of these treasuries are still standing, and a very few of those precious gifts can still be seen in the museum at Delphi.

    When someone came to ask a question of the Oracle, he would need to make a preliminary sacrifice of a goat, and then purify himself in the nearby Castilian Spring.

    Then he would approach the adyton of Apollo’s temple.

    The adyton is a room inside the temple that was off limits; no one could go in. It is unclear whether those who were consulting the oracle were allowed to go inside the adyton, or whether they had to remain outside.

    The Pythia is usually conceived of as sitting on a tripod when she gave her prophecies.

    A tripod (as its name implies) was a three-footed stand, usually made of metal. Tripods had a round, metal band around the top, and they were usually used to hold a cauldron over the fire for cooking. But in this case, the Pythia would sit on it, almost like she was sitting on a three-legged stool, to give her prophecies.

    In the painting we see this tripod in use at the center of the room, but the oracle is not sitting on it.

    The Oracle by Camillo Miola (1880) in the Getty Museum
    The Oracle by Camillo Miola (1880) in the Getty Museum

    After the person consulting the Oracle asked his question, the Pythia would go into a trance; it was believed that Apollo himself possessed her.

    She would speak and a priest (or several priests) who were standing near-by would take down what she said and translate her words into a poem written in hexameters.

    It is usually assumed that the Pythia’s original words were coherent, but not very clear. Of course, there is no way to know for sure what her words were really like, but perhaps we can get a good idea from Cassandra’s prophecies in Aeschylus’ play, the Agamemnon.

    In that play, Cassandra gives several prophecies that make sense to the audience (because we know what is going to happen), but are so fragmented and confusing that the other characters in the drama do not understand them.

    Once the Pythia’s words were translated into hexameter poetry, the poem was written down and given to the person who sought the advice; it was always the responsibility of the recipient to interpret the oracle correctly.

    And the oracles, even in their final form, were always ambiguous. Frequently (though not always), the recipients did not interpret them correctly, and they suffered as a result.

    Saint Cecilia

    This is a true story that actually happened. As a result, the woman in the story became a Catholic Saint. As such, the story of St. Cecilia is not without beauty or merit. She is said to have been quite close to God and prayed often:

    In the city of Rome there was a virgin named Cecilia, who came from an extremely rich family and was given in marriage to a youth named Valerian. She wore sackcloth next to her skin, fasted, and invoked the saints, angels, and virgins, beseeching them to guard her virginity

    During her wedding ceremony she was said to have sung in her heart to God and before the consummation of her nuptials, she told her husband she had taken a vow of virginity and had an angel protecting her. Valerian asked to see the angel as proof, and Cecilia told him he would have eyes to see once he traveled to the third milestone on the Via Appia (Appian Way) and was baptized by Pope Urbanus.

    Following his baptism, Valerian returned to his wife and found an angel at her side. The angel then crowned Cecilia with a chaplet of rose and lily and when Valerian’s brother, Tibertius, heard of the angel and his brother’s baptism, he also was baptized and together the brothers dedicated their lives to burying the saints who were murdered each day by the prefect of the city, Turcius Almachius.

    Both brothers were eventually arrested and brought before the prefect where they were executed after they refused to offer a sacrifice to the gods.

    As her husband and brother-in-law buried the dead, St. Cecilia spent her time preaching and in her lifetime was able to convert over four hundred people, most of whom were baptized by Pope Urban.

    Cecilia was later arrested and condemned to be suffocated in the baths. She was shut in for one night and one day, as fires were heaped up and stoked to a terrifying heat – but Cecilia did not even sweat.

    When Almachius heard this, he sent an executioner to cut off her head in the baths.

    The executioner struck her three times but was unable to decapitate her so he left her bleeding and she lived for three days. Crowds came to her and collected her blood while she preached to them or prayed. On the third day she died and was buried by Pope Urban and his deacons.

    St. Cecilia is regarded as the patroness of music, because she heard heavenly music in her heart when she was married, and is represented in art with an organ or organ-pipes in her hand.

    Officials exhumed her body in 1599 and found her to be incorrupt, the first of all incurrupt saints. She was draped in a silk veil and wore a gold embroidered dress. Officials only looked through the veil in an act of holy reverence and made no further examinations. They also reported a “mysterious and delightful flower-like odor which proceeded from the coffin.”

    The church viewed this as a measure of sanctity, and incorruptibles -- people whose bodies mysteriously thwart decay -- were canonized into the tenets of Catholic mysticism. Incorruptibility became a component of beatification -- the process of becoming sainted.
    
    -How can a corpse be incorruptible? 

    St. Cecilia’s remains were transferred to Cecilia’s titular church in Trastevere and placed under the high altar.

    The Favourites of the Emperor Honorious

    Flavius Honorius was born in the east in 384, the younger son of the emperor Theodosius I (379-395) and Aelia Flavia Flaccilla. In his youth he was named Most Noble Child (nobilissimus puer), and in 386 he held the consulate. He was summoned by his father to Rome when he was five, but in 391 he returned with him to Constantinople, where in 393 he was proclaimed emperor of Rome.

    After the Visigothic invasion of Italy in 402, Honorius and the imperial court retired from Milan to the inaccessible and heavily defended city of Ravenna.

    Only rarely did later emperors reside for any length of time elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, palace intrigues resulted in Stilicho’s assassination in 408, and Honorius was left to deal with barbarians Alaric and the Visigoths.

    The indecisive emperor, influenced first by one adviser and then by another, vacillated between resistance and conciliation. The end result was the sack of Rome in 410.

    Here we see a painting of the emperior playing idily with pigeons while Rome collapses all around him.

    As for the feckless and timid Honorius, he generally took little part in public affairs. He was generally passive in nature, except when he was motivated to act by fear. He left military operations to his generals, but he did become involved in a controversy over the choice of a bishop of Rome in 418. 
    
    He eventually died of "dropsy" -- perhaps edema of the lungs -- in 423. 
    
    He left no issue, which resulted in the proclamation of Johannes, the Chief Secretary, after his death. Not until 425 did his nephew Valentinian III, the son of Galla Placidia and Constantius, restore the legitimate dynasty. 
    
    Even though the unity of the western empire was shakily maintained during Honorius' reign -- only Britain was lost for good (Honorius wrote to the Britons advising them to defend themselves) -- he left a legacy of fragmentation and feeble, lackluster leadership which eventually would result in the dissolution of the western empire.
    
    -Roman Emperors - DIR Honorius

    Flora and the Zephyrs

    A nymph called Chloris was kissed by the West Wind, Zephyrus, and was turned into Flora. This story is the subject of Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera.

    Flora, in Roman religion, the goddess of the flowering of plants. 
    
    Titus Tatius (according to tradition, the Sabine king who ruled with Romulus) is said to have introduced her cult to Rome; her temple stood near the Circus Maximus. 
    
    Her festival, called the Floralia, was instituted in 238 BC. A representation of Flora’s head, distinguished only by a floral crown, appeared on coins of the republic. 
    
    Her name survives in the botanical term for vegetation of a particular environment.
    
    -Britanna

    Zephyrus or Zephyros (Gr: Ζεφυρος) is the god of the west wind and spring. He is the gentlest of the winds. He lived in a cave in Thrace.

    Zephyr was the son of Astraeus and Eos, the goddess of the dawn and he was the father of the spring flowers. His mate was Podarge and together they created the two immortal horses of Achilles, Xanthus and Balius

    For centuries, poets have eulogized Zephyrus, the Greek god of the west wind, and his "swete breeth" (in the words of Geoffrey Chaucer). Zephyrus, the personified west wind, eventually evolved into zephyr, a word for a breeze that is westerly or gentle, or both. Breezy zephyr may have blown into English with the help of William Shakespeare, who used the word in his 1611 play Cymbeline: "Thou divine Nature, thou thyself thou blazon'st / In these two princely boys! They are as gentle / As zephyrs blowing below the violet." Today, zephyr is also the sobriquet of a lightweight fabric and the clothing that is made from it.
    
    -Dictionary

    The painting by Waterhouse depicts Zephyrus kidnapping Chloris…

    From whence he “kissed” her and turned her into a Flora.

    Oh, those lustful Gods.

    The Awakening of Adonis

    Adonis was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite in Greek mythology. 
    
    In Ovid's first-century AD telling of the myth, he was conceived after Aphrodite cursed his mother Myrrha to lust after her own father, King Cinyras of Cyprus. 
    
    Myrrha had sex with her father in complete darkness for nine nights, but he discovered her identity and chased her with a sword. 
    
    The gods transformed her into a myrrh tree and, in the form of a tree, she gave birth to Adonis. 
    
    Aphrodite found the infant and gave him to be raised by Persephone, the queen of the Underworld. 
    
    Adonis grew into an astonishingly handsome young man, causing Aphrodite and Persephone to feud over him, with Zeus eventually decreeing that Adonis would spend one third of the year in the Underworld with Persephone, one third of the year with Aphrodite, and the final third of the year with whomever he chose. 
    
    Adonis chose to spend his final third of the year with Aphrodite.
    
    -Wikipedia

    Those were lustful times back then.

    Waterhouse’s great mythological subject The Awakening of Adonis (Collection of Lord Lloyd-Webber) was painted in 1899.

    However, it was not finished in time to send to the Royal Academy that year, and was therefore held over to the summer exhibition of 1900. 

    On that occasion it was recognised as one of the artist’s most powerful and characteristic works and one that aimed, in the words of one reviewer, ‘at representing the passionate emotions of an historic tragedy in a highly dramatic fashion’ (Athenaeum, 1900, p.568).  

    The Awakening of Adonis takes its subject from the ancient fable, retold by Apollodorus, Hyginus and Ovid, which tells how Adonis was the child of Myrrha and her father Theias, the king of Syria. The goddess Venus had encouraged this incestuous union and, when Adonis was born from the trunk of the myrrh tree into which his mother had been transformed, it was she who took care of him, entrusting him to Persephone, goddess of the Underworld. 
    
    The child grew up to be so beautiful that Persephone found that she could not bear to return him to Venus, leading to a dispute between the two. 
    
    This was settled by Zeus, who decided that Adonis should spend four months of the year with Venus and another four with Persephone. 
    
    The remaining third of the year he might spend with whichever of the two goddesses he preferred. 
    
    Venus used the power of magic to cause him to want her rather than Persephone. 
    
    In Waterhouse’ painting the beautiful boy is awakened with a kiss from Venus in her Elysian pleasure-garden. 
    
    Cupid, the god of love, blows on a torch to rekindle a flame, and is accompanied by a band of putto holding flowers. White doves take to the air and the garden is fecund with roses (symbols of Venus) and anemone flowers that were said to grow from the blood of the dying Adonis. 
    
    The mythological legend of Adonis, as represented in the present painting, is therefore symbolic of the renewal of life, vigour, and desire at the arrival of spring. 
    
    – From Sotheby’s catalogue.

    A Naiad

    In Greek mythology, the Naiads are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.
    
    -Wikipedia

    Naiad, (from Greek naiein, “to flow”), in Greek mythology, one of the nymphs of flowing water—springs, rivers, fountains, lakes.

    The Naiads, appropriately in their relation to freshwater, were represented as beautiful, lighthearted, and beneficent.

    Like the other classes of nymphs, they were extremely long-lived, although not immortal.

    ...in Greek mythology, naiads supposedly drowned the young men with whom they became enamored.
    
    -Naiad | Definition of Naiad by Merriam-Webster

    Variations…

    • Nymph. Nymph, in Greek mythology, any of a large class of inferior female divinities. The nymphs were usually associated with fertile, growing things, such as trees, or with water. They were not immortal but were extremely long-lived and were on the whole kindly disposed toward men. They were distinguished according to the sphere of nature with which they were connected.
    • The Oceanids, were sea nymphs.
    • The Nereids inhabited both saltwater and freshwater; the Naiads presided over springs, rivers, and lakes.
    • The Oreads (oros, “mountain”) were nymphs of mountains and grottoes.
    • The Napaeae (nape, “dell”) and the Alseids (alsos, “grove”) were nymphs of glens and groves.
    • The Dryads or Hamadryads presided over forests and trees.
    • Myth. Myth, a symbolic narrative, usually of unknown origin and at least partly traditional, that ostensibly relates actual events and that is especially associated with religious belief. It is distinguished from symbolic behaviour (cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (temples, icons). Myths are specific accounts of gods or superhuman beings involved in extraordinary events or circumstances in a time that is unspecified but which is understood as existing apart from ordinary human experience.

    Good Neighbours

    I love this picure for it’s technique, attention to detail, and the timelessness of it. I think that it is a “treasure”.

    Hylas and the Nymphs

    Hylas, in ancient Greek legend, son of Theiodamas (king of the Dryopians in Thessaly), favourite and companion of Heracles on the Argonautic expedition. 
    
    Having gone ashore at Cios in Mysia to fetch water, he was dragged down by the nymphs of the spring in which he dipped his pitcher.
    
    -Hylas | Greek mythology | Britannica

    The story isn’t long, but it does seem important. It has continued to be represented in art and in story (though there have DEFINITELY been some changes made to make it fit into the new cultures), but it was also super important in ancient Greece, where sacrifices were made in a festival in his honor. Rituals were done in his name.

    This story is found slightly more fully in Book One of the Argonautica, and in that version, it is clarified that he walked off from the group hoping to get water to make a meal for his man.

    His man, of course, was Herakles.

    Now, we should sidenote here that Herakles definitely liked a sexy youth or two. Hylas is the most famous of his beloveds, but by no means the only one.

    This does not mean that Heracles was gay. It does not even mean that he was bi. These terms did not even exist. Although I think this topic is fascinating, I will suffice it to say that the relationship between Hylas and Herakles was very normal and even celebrated in ancient Greek culture. 

    So it would make sense that Hylas (the beloved and “passive” partner) would be getting water to make something nice before Herakles got back to camp.

    But, unfortunately for him, he was deep in Pegae territory.

    Now, most of them were away guarding the forest for a nymphaic jamboree they were planning on throwing for Artemis, but one chick was left to hold down the fort, I suppose and when she saw Hylas, standing there in the moonlight (moonlight is like mood lighting …) lookin’ all pretty and sexy, her heart just went pitter pat.

    It didn’t help that Aphrodite was there aiding the whole process (didn’t help Hylas that is).

    And if you have read about the nymphs, then you know, this is NOT a good situation our young man is walking into.

    The authors have already established that he’s kinda delicate, that he’s relatively passive in his relationships, he’s young, and he’s mortal.

    Said nymph may appear delicate, but she is super powerful compared to this dude, and no good can come from relationships where women hold more power than men – at least not in ancient Greek mythology.

    You already know what happens next, but I’ll spin in out all poetic like.

    Hylas, dipping like a dancer, kneels and drags his pitcher through the water. And as his arm went into the water, her arm came out and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer for a kiss.

    Truly, our source must have been a mouse watching from land, because the story ends there.

    We do not even know if she got her kiss, because when Hylas tumbled into the water, it was the last anyone ever heard of him.

    Sure, Herakles searched the island for a long time, but eventually, the crew of the Argo gave up and continued their quest without him.

    The moral of the story?

    Don’t be like Hylas.

    Saint Eulalia

    Eulalia was a Christian girl who had the cosmic misfortune of being born in Barcelona in the third century after Jesus, during the reign of Roman emperor Diocleciano.

    Diocleciano was the kind of emperor who didn’t like Christians and wanted them all to recant their faith.

    Unfortunately, Eulalia was of the mindset that she’s an independent girl who don’t need no emperor telling her who to worship.

    Diocleciano didn’t like that.

    So her ordered that Eulalia suffer 13 tortures, one for each of her years on earth. Yep, she was 13 when she was tortured to death and subsequently martyred. 

    ST EULALIA 13 TORTURES

    Her tortures were (because we’re a morbid bunch when fucked-up shit happened to ancient people):

    1. Imprisonment in a tiny prison,
    2. Being whipped,
    3. Tearing her skin in strips,
    4. Making her walk barefoot on burning embers,
    5. The cutting off of her breasts,
    6. Rubbing her wounds with rough stones,
    7. Branding her with cast iron,
    8. Throwing boiling oil and,
    9. Molten lead over her,
    10. Submerged in burning lime,
    11. Locked in a flea box,
    12. Rolled down a hill, naked, in a barrel full of knives, swords and glass, and finally,
    13. Crucified in the form of a cross.

    After all that she was decapitated and apparently a white dove flew from her neck. This is why there are 13 geese in the Barcelonan cathedral of Saint Eulalia. (doves, geese, whatevers).

    Holy smokes!

    And now, after all of that, she gets a relatively crappy festival compared to Merce’s amazing one? How flaky are the Catalans? Poor Eulalia goes through all that and then they try and replace her because she maybe didn’t chase off some insects? Give us a break!

    The Story and History of Saint Eulalia
    
    The story and history of Saint Eulalia. Saint Eulalia was a native of Merida, in Spain. 
    
    She was but twelve years old when the bloody edicts of Diocletian were issued. 
    
    Eulalia presented herself before the cruel judge Dacianus, and reproached him for attempting to destroy souls by compelling them to renounce the only true God. 
    
    The governor commanded her to be seized, and at first tried to win her over by flattery, but failing in this, he had recourse to threats, and caused the most dreadful instruments of torture to be placed before her eyes, saying to her: "All this you shall escape if you will but touch a little salt and frankincense with the tip of your finger." 
    
    Provoked at these seducing flatteries, our Saint threw down the idol, and trampled upon the cake which was laid for the sacrifice. 
    
    At the judge's order, two executioners tore her tender sides with iron hooks, so as to leave the very bones bare. 
    
    Next lighted torches were applied to her breasts and sides; under which torment, instead of groans, nothing was heard from her mouth but thanksgivings. 
    
    The fire at length catching her hair, surrounded her head and face, and the Saint was stifled by the smoke and flame.
    
    -St. Eulalia of Merida - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online

    Mariamne Leaving the Judgement Seat of Herod

    Things were totally and completely fucked-up in the old days.

    King Herod of Judea
    
    Herod I ( c. 74/73 BCE – 4 BCE/1 CE), also known as Herod the Great, was the King of Judea from 37 to 4 BC. At the time Judea was a client state of Rome. During his 33 year reign, Herod was an excellent administrator. But he is most famous for the Bible account of his killing the boys of Bethlehem.
    
    -Herod the Great

    Herod was an Idumaenean, from the Land of Edom, a desert region of nomads to the south of Judaea. His father was Antipater, who became a trusted procurator of Judaea, and his mother was Kupros, a woman of Arab descent.

    At that time the King of Judaea was Hyrcanus II.

    He was from the family of Hasmoneans, a popular nationalist, Jewish family who had been priests and Kings of the area from about the second century BC.

    Antipater was, in his new position and friendship with King Hyrcanus II able to secure good jobs for his sons.

    One of them, Phasael was made prefect of Jerusalem and the other son, Herod, was given the job of military prefect of Galilee.

    Herod, now moving in the royal circles, caught the eye of Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus II and, after divorcing his wife Doris, they became engaged to be married.

    However, in 40 BC things took a turn for the worse as the Parthians invaded the area and set up Antigonus, another Hasmonaean, as King.

    As Jerusalem fell, Herod escaped with his family but Hyrcanus and Phasael were captured.

    After making sure that his family were safe he set off for Rome where he persuaded the Roman senate to give him the title, ‘King of the Jews’, and to pledge himself to return and take Judaea back under Roman allegiance.

    He returned to the Palestine region and starting from Galilee he slowly took control of his kingdom.

    In just three years he succeeded in capturing Antigonus, and with his new bride Mariamne, the grandaughter of Hyrcanus, he began to rule his kingdom.

    King Herod began to rebuild the temple.

    He established new towns and harbours and brought neighbouring regions into his own kingdom and in alliance to Rome. However, this apparently successful story of how a member of an Idumaenean nomadic family became the ruler of a kingdom was unfortunately marred by Herod’s chronic insecurity.

    This was partly because the Jews did not like him because he was an Idumaenean.

    Although he practised Judaism, it was not thought that he gave it much priority.

    In modern terms he was a multi-faith enthusiast, giving credence to other religious ideas which in Jewish eyes diluted his conviction to the faith .

    Also against him was his overthrowing of Antigonus from the popular Hasmonean family.

    He tried to overcome this by marrying Mariamne, King Hyrcanus II’s grandaughter, and therefore a Hasmonean princess.

    He also curried favour with the people by placing Hasmoneans in important positions in his court.

    This had the affect of making people tolerate his kingship but it also made him feel under even more threat from the very people he had promoted. and led to increasing insecurity.

    Having reached the heights of Kingship, he never felt totally secure and he saw conspiracy and plotting from every quarter.

    (uh oh…)

    First to be killed on his orders was his brother-in-law and high priest, Aristobulus.

    While answering the charge of his murder in Egypt he gave the order to his uncle Joseph that if he should die, then his wife and her mother were to be executed.

    Herod managed to talk his way out of the murder charge, but on his return to Jerusalem found that his wife had learned his arrangement with Joseph.

    Needless to say Mariamne was none too pleased to hear of this arrangement!

    …!

    Herod began to wonder why Joseph had told Mariamne, and came to the wrong conclusion they were having an affair.

    In fact Joseph had told her of the plan in order to demonstrate Herod’s love for her.

    However, despite the total lack of evidence Joseph was executed.

    Herod was very much in love with Mariamne, but with jealous accusations from his other wives and Mariamne’s increasing coldness towards him, he eventually persuaded himself to have her executed too.

    He regretted it straight away and became filled with guilt, making himself mentally and physically ill.

    Thinking that Herod was about to die, Alexandra, Mariamne’s mother made arrangements to put Herod’s children by Mariamne, Alexander and Aristobulus, on the throne.

    She too was then executed for her presumption!

    Herod had 10 wives altogether and towards the end of Herod’s life, Antipater, the eldest son by his first wife began to realise that he was not favoured to take over from his father.

    He was deeply jealous of the sons of Mariamne, and in order to discredit them he accused his two step brothers of treachery and, believing him, Herod had them both executed too.

    Antipater must have thought he had got away with it, but just before Herod died, Antipater was executed as well, accused of trying to accelerate his death.

    Signing Antipater’s death warrant, Augustus Caesar remarked that he would rather be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son!

    Just before his death, Herod, realising that when he died there would be no great mourning, sent letters to the principle heads of every family in Judaism demanding their presence on pain of death.

    Having got them to Jerusalem, Herod ordered them to be locked up in the horse-racing ground.

    He then gave the orders to his sister that upon his death they were all to be executed.

    Thus making sure that the whole nation would mourn when he died, albeit not for him.

    (Talk about a fucked-up plan!)

    Fortunately, when Herod died, his sister released the imprisoned Jews and allowed them to return home. Herod died 37 years after being declared ‘King of the Jews’, leaving four sons, to whom was given one quarter of his kingdom each. 

    Diogenes

    Diogenes of Sinope (c. 404-323 BCE) was a Greek Cynic philosopher best known for holding a lantern (or candle) to the faces of the citizens of Athens claiming he was searching for an honest man.

    He was most likely a student of the philosopher Antisthenes (445-365 BCE) and, in the words of Plato (allegedly), was “A Socrates gone mad.” He was driven into exile from his native city of Sinope for defacing currency (though some sources say it was his father who committed the crime and Diogenes simply followed him into exile).

    Diogenes came to Athens where he met Antisthenes who at first refused him as a student but, eventually, was worn down by his persistence and accepted him.

    Like Antisthenes, Diogenes believed in self-control, the importance of personal excellence in one’s behavior (in Greek, arete, usually translated as `virtue’), and the rejection of all which was considered unnecessary in life such as personal possessions and social status.

    He was so ardent in his beliefs that he lived them very publicly in the market place of Athens. He took up residence in a large wine cask (some sources claim it was an abandoned bathtub), owned nothing, and seems to have lived off the charity of others.

    He owned a cup which served also has a bowl for food but threw it away when he saw a boy drinking water from his hands and realized one did not even need a cup to sustain oneself.

    It seems clear that Diogenes believed what people called `manners’ were simply lies used to hide the true nature of the individual.

    He was known for brutal honesty in conversation, paid no attention to any kind of etiquette regarding social class, and seems to have had no problem urinating or even masturbating in public and, when criticized, pointed out that such activities were normal and that everyone engaged in them but hid in private what he did openly.

    Diogenes was a widely misunderstood man.

    Pandora

    In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hesiod related it, each god co-operated by giving her unique gifts. Her other name—inscribed against her figure on a white-ground kylix in the British Museum—is Anesidora, "she who sends up gifts".
    
    -Wikipedia

    When Prometheus stole fire from the gods, Zeus created Pandora as a punishment for mankind. One would think Zeus had doled out enough punishment after sentencing Prometheus to spend an eternity chained to a rock while birds pecked at his liver, but it seemed the king of the gods had more in store.

    Zeus commissioned the god Hephaestus to sculpt a beautiful woman out of clay, and she was given gifts from a few gods before she was sent down to fulfill her purpose. Pandora was sent to be the wife of Epimetheus (Prometheus’s brother), and only brought one thing with her: a container full of all the world’s evils. 

    Of course, Zeus didn’t tell Pandora what was inside the box – instead, he told her to never open it, and then gave the key to her husband, because when you tell someone to not do something, you put temptation as close as possible. Can you blame her for sneaking a peek? 

    Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's Works and Days. In modern times an idiom has grown from it meaning "Any source of great and unexpected troubles", or alternatively "A present which seems valuable but which in reality is a curse". Later depictions of the fatal container have been varied, while some literary and artistic treatments have focused more on the contents of the idiomatic box than on Pandora herself. The container mentioned in the original story was actually a large storage jar but the word was later mistranslated as "box".
    
    -Wikipedia

    Like any rational creature, Pandora’s curiosity was piqued when she was given a secret container, told never to open it, and sent to earth to marry a stranger who held the key to this mystery vessel. Unfortunately, the temptation was just too much and it was this curiosity that unleashed all the world’s evils.

    The list of items released from Pandora’s box are a handful: illness, worry, crime, hate, envy… basically any bad thing you could think of. They flew out of the box like little bugs, and Pandora tried to shut it back up as quickly as she could. She did, according to some of the versions of her myth, manage to trap one important thing inside: hope

    It is disputed why Zeus would even put hope in a vessel of evils. One rationale is that Zeus wasn’t the worst, and snuck hope in there as some sort of nicety in the midst of all the other horrors. Another is that Zeus meant for hope to remain in the box, to make the people suffer even more, and make them understand why they should never cross him again.  

    When Zeus sent Pandora to Earth, he married her off to Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus. It seems odd that Zeus would gift a beautiful woman to the brother of someone he hated, but Pandora was supposed to be a punishment, so maybe it was part of his bigger plan. In fact, Prometheus warned his brother not to accept any gifts from the gods, but Epimetheus was too drawn in by Pandora’s beauty. She was crafted by the gods, after all.

    Zeus entrusted Epimetheus with the key to Pandora’s box, which he refused to give to her no matter how hard she begged. So, eventually, Pandora snuck it away from him as he slept and unlocked the box herself (other versions of the myth also say Pandora simply broke the seal of the pithos). 

    Nymphs finding the Head of Orpheus

    Nymphs Finding The Head of Orpheus is one of his most dramatic. The painting depicts two curious nymphs sitting by a small waterfall watching the head of Orpheus as it floats in a pool of water among the lily pads. A beautiful gift for fans of John William Waterhouse, Mythological Paintings, Orpheus, and Fantasy art
    
    -Nymphs Finding The Head of Orpheus

    Orpheus is a figure from ancient Greek mythology, most famous for his virtuoso ability in playing the lyre or kithara.

    His music could charm the wild animals of the forest, and even streams would pause and trees bend a little closer to hear his sublime singing. He was also a renowned poet, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece, and even descended into the Underworld of Hades to recover his lost wife Eurydice.

    Orpheus was seen as the head of a poetic tradition known as Orphism where, according to some scholars, adherents performed certain rituals and composed or read poems, texts, and hymns, which included an alternative view of humanity’s origins. Orpheus is widely referenced in all forms of ancient Greek art from pottery to sculpture.

    He had quite an interesting life…

    • A member of Jason’s expedition to find the Golden Fleece.
    • Orpheus married Eurydice (aka Agriope).
    • Eurydice died, in some accounts, on her wedding night.
    • Orpheus followed his love down to Hades, the Greek Underworld.
    • He was able to rescue her, provided he would not glance behind.
    • He did, and lost her.
    • He never got over her and roamed the forests of Thrace.

    Orpheus’ misery would soon end, though, when he was set upon by a group of frenzied Maenads (the female followers of Dionysos, the god of wine).

    They stoned him to the ground and ripped him to pieces for his lack of merriment.

    According to Plutarch (c. 45-50 – c. 120-125 CE), the Maenads were punished for their crime by being turned into trees. Other Thracian women had their bodies tattooed by their husbands as a warning not to repeat such a crime – a cultural practice in the region stretching from antiquity to modern times. 

    And thus…

    … in the forests of Thrace…

    …Nymphs find the stoned head of Orpheus.

    The Orange Gatherers

    It’s just a nice painting. I love the technique and the composition.

    At Capri

    And finally, I’ll end this post with another nice printing. There might be a story abhind it, but I don’t really know what it is. I just love the colors and composition.

    Do you want more?

    I have more posts in my Art Index here…

    ART

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    The new realism art movement, or why realism in art is important to the future of humanity.

    One of my all-time favorite websites is The Art Renewal Center. For there, you can go to the museum and see thousands of beautiful, and stunning, works of art by masters at the craft. No, I’m not talking about a photograph of dog piss on a cross in a jar, either. I am talking about art that stirs the emotions and causes you to stop dead in your tracks and stare at the work for hours.

    Art is a reflection of what it means to be a human.

    As the world unravels away from the old and enters a new state of being, we need to remember that it is our human-ness that will become the “valuable commodity” that will bring the world together. This “human-ness” encompasses many, many things.

    • Passion.
    • Kindness.
    • Strength of character.
    • Helpfulness.
    • Compassion.

    Here, in this post, I want to talk about art, but what art really is and what it represents. For real art is an expression of our human-ness. While progressive, modern reconstructive art is an expression of the exact opposite.

    Art, real expressive art, moves the soul.

    Realistic art is expressive and moves the soul.
    Realistic art is expressive and moves the soul.
    Excerpt from ARC Chairman Fred Ross's 2002 speech at the Salmagundi Club:
    
    In October 1977, I walked into the Clark Museum to see their thirty Renoirs, and after leaving the Renoir galleries walked out into a major hall, at the end of which was a painting that grabbed me body and soul. It was a life-size painting of four water nymphs playfully dragging a mythological satyr into a lake against his will. 
    
    Frozen in place, gawking with my mouth agape, cold chills careening up and down my spine, I was virtually gripped as if by a spell that had been cast. 
    
    It was so alive, so beautiful and so compelling. Finally, after about fifteen or twenty minutes of soaking up wave after wave of artistic and spiritual ecstasy, I started to take back control of my consciousness .... my mind started racing with unanswered questions. 
    
    My first thought was "I haven't felt this way about a work of art since I stood before Michelangelo's David. 
    
    Then I thought, "This must be one of the greatest old master paintings every produced. But no name or country or time would come to mind. Italian High Renaissance, 17th Century Dutch, Carravaggio, Fragonard, Ingres, Prudhon ... back further perhaps ... Raphael, Botticelli, Leonardo, no! no! NO! Not one of those names or times felt anything like what I was looking at.
    
    Then I approached the painting more closely, and saw the name mispronouncing it as Bouguereau at the bottom, and the date 1873 -- 1873?
    
    How was that possible?
    
    I'd learned that the greatest artists at that time were, Manet, Corot, Courbet, and Renoir ... that the techniques and greatness of the old master's had died out, and that nobody knew how to do anything remotely this great by the 1870's.
    
    Years of undergraduate courses and another sixty credits post graduate in art, and I had never heard that name. Who was he? Was he important? How could he not be important? Anyone who could have done this must surely be deserving of the highest accolades in the art world. 
    
    Then I asked the guard if they had any more works by him, and he asked somebody else, and I was led to a second work of a single female nude, seated by the water holding her knees. It was one of the finest nudes I had ever seen.
            
    In somewhat of a state of shock from this experience, I decided that I must find out if this artist ever comes up for sale at the largest auction house in New York, Parke Bernet who was years later bought out by Sotheby's. Was he deemed important enough to be sold at auction? 
    
    My only experiences collecting up to then at auction was to purchase a few etchings by old master's: Rembrandt, Durer, Breughel and Goya. But they were very famous names.
    
    I was at the Clark on Sunday October 2nd 1977, I stopped in at Sotheby's that Tuesday October 4th, and as fate would have it, there were three Bouguereau paintings being offered for sale that coming Friday. 
    
    I purchased one called Les Enfants Endormis, of two babies asleep in each other's arms. The hands of fate certainly seemed involved, for later I learned that these were the first Bouguereaus to come up for sale in the last eighteen months, and another was not to appear on the auction block until twelve months later. 
    
    So the timing could not have been any more precise for fortuitous. I remember too, there was an energy of excitement in the air, and I somehow knew that I would never again be able to purchase works by these artists at these prices. But I didn't know which ones to buy.
    
    And I still didn't know who he was. During the next few weeks I started researching Bouguereau and the entire period as much as I could using any free time I had.
            
    But almost immediately, I discovered that he had won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1851 at the age of twenty-six, and after winning nearly every accolade and award imaginable for an artist of his time, ultimately become the President of the Academy, Head of the Salon, President of the Legion of Honor. 
    
    He was in fact, considered the greatest French artist of his time, and Paris was the center of art world. 
    
    All this made me feel very good about my instincts, and that I had intuitively identified as being one of the worlds' greatest artists somebody who had generally been considered as such by most of the world during the final decades of the 19th century.

    It was sometime in the early 1960’s and I was with my parents visiting museums and other cultural structures. As my family went inside the museum, I stayed in the lobby. I stood on the steps and spend a timeless period staring at this enormous picture of a Satyr being pulled into a pool of water by water nymphs.

    My father chucked.

    He said “You like that picture, don’t you?”

    I don’t remember what I said back, but I do remember that I did not want to leave the museum. I didn’t even look at the Renoirs, except for a sculpture or two in the courtyard. None of them appealed to me. All that mattered to me was the image of the satyr and the nymphs.

    It haunted me during the drive home and all afternoon.

    I never forgot that image…

    Nymphes et Satyre Nymphs and Satyr 260 x 180 cms | 102 1/4 x 70 3/4 ins Oil on canvas Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Williamstown | United States

    Four nymphs tease and play with a satyr by trying to pull him into a lake. One nymph waves behind to three other nymphs in the distance, perhaps beckoning them to come and play with the satyr as well. The satyr half-heartedly tries to resist the nymph’s wiles, entranced by their beauty.
    As an aside, consider this interesting article in the New York Times, published April 7, 2000, by KATIE HAFNER:
    
    Lenn D. Lowry, the director of the Museum of Modern Art [let me repeat 'the director of the Museum of Modern Art'], has a vivid memory of the first time he was profoundly moved by a work of art. At age 7, during a visit to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass., he was separated from his parents.
    
    "While wandering in search of them, he came upon a huge painting, Nymphs and Satyr, by William Bouguereau. His parents found him a half-hour later, still staring at the 6-by-8-foot painting. 'I just remember being completely transfixed by it,' said Mr. Lowry, who is now 45.
    
    "The experience helped Mr. Lowry believe in the transformative power of art and what he calls the 'unique encounters that occur when one is fortunate to confront directly an extraordinary object.' Mr. Lowry, as well as other museum directors, wants to broaden the opportunity for such transforming moments by providing encounters with virtual art, viewed on a computer screen and brought to the art-viewing public via the World Wide Web.

    Nymphs are from Greek mythology. They are considered to be minor female deities, and have a duty to protect different elements of nature such as streams, mountains and meadows (pantheon). The male counterpart for a nymph is a satyr. A satyr is a creature also from Greek mythology having the torso and face of a man, ears and tail of a horse, and feet of a goat. They are known for being lustful and fertile creatures.

    Bouguereau captures an incredible sense of motion in this piece. One can feel the struggle for the satyr to keep his ground, and the nymphs’ joyous struggle to pull him in. The three-dimensional rendering of form and movement is reminiscent of some of Bernini’s most famous works at the Palace Borghesi in Rome, such as Pluto and Proserpine, and Apollo and Daphne.

    The following is the stunning philosophy statement from the founder of the website. It is reproduced herein in it’s entirety. Please give it a read.

    The Philosophy of ARC

    Why Realism?

    by Fred Ross

    Introduction

    Fine art at its best has the power to move one to tears, or grab your sensibilities and rivet you in the moment with an overwhelming sense of beauty and excitement. People often report the sensation of cold chills going up and down their spine. It may be the rare work that accomplishes this, but for those who have had this experience, many have credited it as the stimulus that set them on a personal lifetime quest; whether as an artist, collector or art historian. Other human activities can create a similar experience, whether in poetry, literature, dance, theatre, or music, but it is the experience of beauty in fine art and beauty and its relationship to fine art that is the focus of this essay.

    If you are reading this, in all probability you are one of the millions of art lovers who in the 21st Century are disillusioned with the Modernist paradigm which for more than a century has been the dominant way the concept of art has been taught and presented in nearly all institutions of higher learning throughout the world.

    If you are like us, it seems more than a little self-evident to you that works of art have infinitely more to say and communicate if they portray the real world, or use figures and objects from the real world even when portraying fantasies and dreams. You experience such “realist” works as infinitely more successful than any Modernist works.

    The success of Modernism seems like a form of mass insanity, a nightmarish anomaly from which we pray the art world will finally soon awake.

    For most of the 20th century, people who felt as we do, found themselves attracted to fine art in most if not all cases from having been to museums and fallen in love with a number of works of art created in the 15th through 19th centuries.

    Fine art took skill, talent, and an eye for not only beauty, but he human condition; the highs and lows of the human experience.
    Fine art took skill, talent, and an eye for not only beauty but the human condition; the highs and lows of the human experience.

    You may have wanted to become an artist yourself and were channeled by advisors into fine art courses taught in the art departments of colleges and Universities where you were promptly told that your instincts were all wrong.

    That such works had a place in their time, but that modernist works were far superior. What followed was an attempt to change your attitudes and beliefs and to convince you that works, which commemorated the destructions of some aspect of what used to be traditional Realism were the only worthwhile artworks and concepts.

    You were never told that these “educators” had never themselves learned any of those skills needed by all artists during prior centuries, and so were completely bereft of any of the experience, skills and knowledge for which you had assumed your tuition bills would be paying.

    They made you believe that they all could draw and paint but had chosen to abandon those skills due to some great epiphany.

    Jackson Pollak splatter painting.
    Jackson Pollak splatter painting.

    If you were true to yourself and your feelings and beliefs, you probably left that “art” department and considered doing something else with your life. Many of you went into commercial art. Others became art historians, but most found other fields entirely. A rare few of you searched out and found one of a handful of ateliers who actually still taught the methods of the old masters. To the best of our knowledge there were 7 such ateliers in 1980 and all of them were taught by students of Pietro Annigoni or Ives Gammell 1. Both atelier masters could trace their training seamlessly to the 19th century and beyond.

    By 2002 when the Art Renewal Center decided to add to their website a section of ARC Approved® Ateliers schools the number of such schools had grown to 14 with each having between 5 and 15 students. We added a map of the world where it became very easy to identify all the schools and to find the nearest one to any local. Within a few months the numbers of students able to find these schools started to grow geometrically, and today, just 14 years later, there are over 100 schools teaching the atelier style training and thousands of students.2

    So, what do all these students and educators see that Modernists do not? And why is it that most educated people who are not part of the art world seem to also prefer traditional realism?3

    The purpose of this essay

    It is the purpose of this essay to answer that question in the clearest most direct way possible. It is also to help establish for artists and the consumers of art, a set of criteria by which they can judge works of art. Where they can understand their own preferences. And if needed, to arm them with the facts, concepts and information to deal with the modernists, educators and apologists who are constantly attacking and denigrating the skills and subjects which enable fine art.

    The skills like with literature, poetry and theatre that enable us to communicate our shared humanity.

    We will accomplish this by delineating a simple way to understand and define what fine art is. We will also look in particular at the aesthetic foundation of fine art as it evolved during the 19th Century. As well as the Modernist juggernaut which almost lead to its complete suppression during most of the 20th Century.

    The future belongs to a sane, calm and productive humanity. A humanity that is in touch with it's role in the universe. Elements of this humanity will become evident in the works of humanity.
    The future belongs to a sane, calm and productive humanity. A humanity that is in touch with it’s role in the universe. Elements of this humanity will become evident in the works of humanity.

    The following information also advances criteria by which to view artists and movements, and help to determine why some works of art are experienced as beautiful and successful and why others seems to fall flat or are even boring. It will hopefully also satisfy the needs of practicing artists to determine what type of art and subjects they wish to explore and which skills and techniques they will need to learn and practice in order to accomplish this.

    As in all education, individuals should ultimately decide for themselves what makes sense and what is nonsense or babble.

    Beauty and Fine Art Versus Craft

    To determine a cohesive theory on fine art (or aesthetics) we need to answer this question: 

    What Makes Something Beautiful Or Aesthetically Successful?

    The purpose of fine art is to create beauty in the broader sense4, or to create works of art that are experienced as beautiful. Therefore, it would seem that the definition of fine art itself is inextricably tied to successfully defining beauty in art as opposed to beauty in the natural world. There are generally recognized works of art that are experienced as beautiful by most people. In addition, people are motivated to surround themselves with objects of beauty and to create art as a life enriching and life-affirming experience.

    In the fine arts there are two over riding kinds of beauty. There is beauty of form and there is beauty in thought, idea or subject matter, in essence its’ emotional, intellectual and spiritual thrust. What is the purpose or what are the feelings that the artist is attempting to capture or express? Then all the choices made of size, drawing, modeling, composition, color, design, perspective, etc., are all formal elements that make up the forms used by the artist to support and harmonize with the chosen emotional thrust. If the artist has chosen well and successfully marries idea and form, then it is possible for a great work of art to be created. Beauty in forms, minus any specific subject or idea, can and does exist in many objects created by human beings, but it is combining them with subjects and themes that makes a work fine art.5

    Some examples of things that are beautiful that do not have a specific subject would be:

    • Persian rugs,
    • English silver,
    • porcelain,
    • Russian enamel, 
    • haute cuisine,
    • high couture,
    • furniture etc.

    Beauty in such things is a different type of beauty and generally encompasses beauty of form without incorporating beauty of idea, subject or theme. It should be noted that there are many exceptions to this general rule. For example, the Gate of Paradise, the famous golden door of the Baptistery in Florence; spirituality, religious feelings of transcendence engendered by the architectural splendor achieved in great cathedrals temples or mosques.

    Lorenzo GhibertiThe Gates of ParadiseGilded bronze, 1425–52
Individual reliefs: 31 1/4 x 31 1/4 inches (78.74 x 78.74 cm)
Duomo Museum, Florence
    Lorenzo GhibertiThe Gates of ParadiseGilded bronze, 1425–52
    Individual reliefs: 31 1/4 x 31 1/4 inches (78.74 x 78.74 cm)
    Duomo Museum, Florence

    So how are we to differentiate fine art from these other human activities and achievements? The single clear element of differentiation is that all of these other activities at their best are the product of highly skilled crafts people who are creating objects with varying levels of skill and complexity. These objects may be experienced as attractive, handsome or elegant, and are also usually functional in some way. In some cases, even functionality isn’t essential.

    An example might be a finely knotted silk Persian or Indian rug, which may be hung on the wall as decoration instead of being walked upon; though it still may be useful to warm the room and perhaps improve the acoustics.

    We will call these other creative, often important, sometimes essential instances of human creativity “craft”, fine craft, or finely crafted. So what makes “fine art” different from “fine craft”?

    Fine craft produces objects that are functional, beautiful and well-constructed to last and to perform a needed or desired function and often to also delight the senses. It can even be demonstrated in things that don’t have a physical presence. If a mathematician solves a math problem in a way that is overly burdensome and complex his peers may feel that his proof lacks elegance.

    But if another mathematician finds a much more direct solution which is clear and bypasses half the steps, using a new creative path to come to the same conclusion, his peers will praise the elegance and even aesthetic beauty of his solution. Depending on the field of endeavor the sense of aesthetics or beauty can and will vary based on specific aspects of the goals that are sought.

    In each field there will be ways to determine beauty and elegance versus banality and ugliness, and while differences of motivation and taste would surely cause differences of opinion, most people who create or consume the output of each craft usually concur to a significant degree. But what is different about fine art? What does it seek to accomplish which makes it worthy of designating this art as fine art?

    The term “state of the art” is a wonderful phrase and aids us in understanding this difference. Every other form of craft has evolved and developed over the course of human history and the best and most exceptional examples in each field are held up prototypically and called “state of the art”.

    Of course that phrase is used in science, engineering, mathematical theories and computer programing and in all other technologies, many of which produce things of great value for humanity. It is a matter of opinion whether Fine art is superior to science or even crafts for that matter.

    Regardless, it has a different purpose and fills a different human need. That need is in its ability to communicate and capture and express ideas about life and living which people care about after their basic biological needs are filled.

    People need to share their lives and feelings with other people and this is done through communication which helps give meaning to our lives.

    Most communication is in spoken and written language.

    Fine art also communicates, which it does best when it successfully captures, depicts, and expresses our shared humanity: how we feel about ourselves, other people and the world around us. It may be seeking to capture an emotional state of mind like reverie, jealousy, joy, sadness, fear, etc., or it may attempt to tell a story like Ghiberti’s famous scenes from the Old Testament on the doors of the Baptistery in Piazza Duomo in Florence or Norman Rockwell’s Homecoming Marine.

    Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978)
Homecoming Marine
Oil on canvas, 1945
46 x 42 inches (116.8 x 106.7 cm)
    Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978)Homecoming Marine
    Oil on canvas, 1945
    46 x 42 inches (116.8 x 106.7 cm)

    If someone with little skill attempts a work of fine art it will likely be unsuccessful or awkward and fail, but an attempt at fine art was still made as opposed to an attempt at fine craft. Failure to achieve doesn’t turn fine art into craft or vice versa.

    All of the other crafts and sciences (other than pure research*) have a utilitarian purpose or a purely decorative purpose, but in fine art, human beings endeavor to look at themselves and others, to contemplate the nature of living as a human being, and to find ways of capturing, expressing and communicating with empathy, passion and compassion the road we all must take between birth and death. So, the purpose of fine art is similar in its goal to the purpose of poetry, fine literature or theatre.

    Based on the above, I posit:

    The visual fine arts of drawing, painting and sculpture are best understood as a language ... a visual language. 
    
    Very much like spoken and written languages, it was developed and preserved as a means of communication. And very much like language it is successful if communication takes place and unsuccessful if it does not.

    This simultaneously helps define the term “Fine Art.” So fine art is one important way that human beings can communicate.

    This realization conversely poses the question:

    Can it be fine art if it does not communicate or does not even attempt to do so?

    Communication can only occur if the language of the speaker is understood by those who are listening. An absolute necessity for communication is that the language employed has vocabulary and grammar shared by speaker and listener or by writer and reader and therefore logically by painter and viewer.

    The earliest forms of written languages used simple drawings of real objects to represent those objects as observed in Hieroglyphics and the earliest cave drawings. The origins of written language and the origins of fine art overlap in this nearly identical way. Without a common language there is no communication and no understanding, whether in writing, speaking or fine art.

    All three have the uniquely human purpose of describing the world in which we live, and how we feel about every aspect of life and living.

    As a language, fine art is like all of the hundreds of the spoken and written languages that are capable of expressing the enormous, limitless scope of human thoughts, ideas, beliefs, values and especially our feelings, passions, dreams, and fantasies; all the varied experiences and stories of humanity.

    The vocabulary of fine art are the realistic images which we see everywhere throughout our lives. The grammar is made up of the rules and skills needed to successfully and believably render the images.6

    Here are some of the rules of grammar which hold together the real objects or vocabulary of the visual language of fine art: finding contours; modeling; manipulating paint to create shadows and highlights with the use of glazing and scumbling which enhances the form through layers of pigment; use of selective focus; perspective; foreshortening; compositional balance; balancing warm and cool color; lost and found shapes and lines, etc.

    Now ponder this self-evident truth:

    Even our dreams and fantasies as well as all stories of fiction, which are not real, are expressed in our conscious and subconscious minds by using real images. 
    
    Only real images are used in our fantasies and dreams ... none which look like modern art. 
    
    Therefore, non-objective abstract painting does not reflect the subconscious mind. Dreams and fantasies do that and artwork can also do that; but only by using real images and assembling them in ways that feel like fantasies or dreams.

    Compare these now to two artist who are considered amongst the greatest Abstract Expressionists: William De Kooning and Jackson Pollock.

    William DeKooningWoman I1952/53Jackson PollockFull Fathom Five1947

    What is being communicated in these two Modernist paintings and which method of working is more successful way to communicate, realism or abstract?

    Universality

    Furthermore, the vocabulary of traditional realism in fine art has something which makes it unique, in one important way … the language of traditional realism cuts across all those other languages and can be understood by all people everywhere on earth regardless of what language it is they speak or write. 

    Thus Realism is a universal language that enables communication with all people, past ... present ... and future. 

    Modernist and abstract art is not a language.

    It’s the opposite of language because it represents the destruction of the language of fine art and is therefore the absence of language. The absence of language means the loss of communication; it takes away from mankind perhaps our most important characteristic … that which makes us human…the ability to communicate in great depth, detail and sophistication.

    And in the case of fine art; 

    The Modernist paradigm banished the only universal language that exists: realistic imagery, with the techniques and skills required to achieve it. This knowledge had grown, developed, and was carefully documented and preserved as it was passed down for centuries from masters to students.

    The artist tries to express his or her feelings about life and to communicate with others through their art. The artist has found a constructive way to deal with the truth of human existence, the knowledge that we all die.

    Instead of shaking their fist at eternity and being overcome by sadness, hate and depression, the artist “rages at the dying of the light” (to quote Dylan Thomas) seeking to overcome for themselves and their audience the basic loneliness of existence.

    They strive not to be engulfed by despairing the brevity of life, or the absence of meaning that we face in the wake of the certainty of death and the certainty of loss.

    This, together with the absence of meaning, is the central belief of Existential Nihilism. It’s no wonder then that Existentialism would espouse Modern art or that Modern artists would associate their work to Existentialism since the essence of fine art had always been to express things which people find as meaningful whether religious paintings of the early and High Renaissance or genre paintings of the 17th and 19th centuries.

    Fine art finds meaning instead, by using the infinite creativity of the human soul, and the untapped brilliance within the human brain to find endless ways of communicating with each other about our difficult and differing journeys and odysseys that can and do occur through life.

    We all are born helpless, utterly dependent, and profoundly ignorant about who we are and what lies ahead. We all yearn to be loved, to be understood, and we all need and want mentors.

    We want them to be kind and patient and to teach us what we need to know about life and navigating society.

    We want to be respected.

    During adolescence, we invariably explore paths to happiness which can be dangerous and destructive. We all want to find work that inspires us and is fulfilling.

    We want families and if we have children we want to be good parents and to offer better lives to them. We all must endure sickness and the eventual pain of death and witness those we love suffering.

    Human beings all have universal and shared characteristics as well as an infinite variety of unique and different traits that constitute our differing personalities.

    We all want and need love and companionship, warmth and friendship. We also have pride and are vulnerable to having our feeling hurt or to being ridiculed, or feeling envy or jealousy.

    Sir Edwin Landseer (British 1802–1873)The Faithful HoundOil on canvas, 1830
26 x 35 2/5 inches (66 x 88.9 cm)
Tate Britain, London
    Sir Edwin Landseer (British 1802–1873)The Faithful HoundOil on canvas, 1830
    26 x 35 2/5 inches (66 x 88.9 cm)
    Tate Britain, London

    Fine art can deal with all or any of the seemingly endless arrays of feelings and experiences that benefit, excite, terrorize or plague humanity. This is the broader sense of the definition of “beauty” that we use in the aesthetics of fine art.

    The artist is said to be successful, who can communicate some portion of human experience and do so with beauty, poetry and grace.

    As with prose, poetry or theatre, there are subtle and nuanced ways to express ideas and feelings and to captivate and inspire one’s audience, or there are blatant, self-conscious, awkward, inane, childish attempts which fail as works of fine art, as well as en endless continuum of degrees of success or failure.

    Often people ask how sad or negative subject matter can be beautiful.

    The beauty is achieved by poetically communicating some aspect of the human condition with empathy so that the viewer/audience can relate to how it might feel to actually live through some unhappy or horrible experience. Or perhaps they have already lived through such an experience which evokes similar emotions.

    The artist is telling a story that has strong meaning due to some aspect of their personal history.

    The viewer says to themselves either consciously or subconsciously, “I know how you feel brother, or sister.”

    Fine art helps people connect with one another and can even act as a pressure valve releasing tensions and can reduce the likelihood of conflict. Uncomfortable or unpleasant subjects may not be pretty but they can be very beautiful and we can learn from them.

    Modern works with their indecipherable meanings can do the opposite: alienate and agitate us. Often Modernist works are praised for doing just that. Their stated goals are often to shock or insult.

    Academically trained realist artists were accused of being elitist.

    But what could be more elitist than saying “only we enlightened” can understand what Rothko, Warhol, De Kooning and Pollock were saying. If we don’t like it, they say: “You all are too ignorant, tasteless and clueless to get it.”

    They call realist art simple and less sophisticated, because its meaning is too obvious and easy to understand.

    In other words, if a work succeeds in the primary purpose for which it was created, human communication, that very success becomes the reason it is denigrated. The living realists of today as well as all realist artists of the past were expressing universal themes and reaching out to all people of all time.

    We all have lives that include sadness and harsh realities; we all suffer loss and we all die. We all look to be comforted and we find comfort when communication takes place using the language of beauty, even when it deals with difficult material.

    What is elitist? What could be elitist about that? Realist paintings of the past as well as those today are intended to bring humanity closer together. Nothing could be less true about all of the “isms” of Modernism.

    Stanhope Forbes (British, 1857-1947)The Health of The BrideOil on canvas, 1889
60 x 78 3/4 inches (152.5 x 200 cm)
Tate Gallery, LondonWalter Langley (British, 1852-1922)MemoriesOil on canvas, 1906
109 x 133 cm
Ferens Art Gallery, Hull MuseumJules Giardet (French, 1856-1938)Soir du Bataille: Episode De La Bataille De Quiberon, Le 21 JuilletOil on canvas, 1795
581/2 x 933/4 inches (148.6 x 236.2 cm)

    Let us once and for all put a spike through the heart of the Modernist argument that realism is trite, petty, inane, and devoid of meaning. For if that is true of technically skilled, Realism, then it would equally have to be true of all poetry and literature which also uses a vocabulary and structure which are recognizable by writer and reader, speaker, and listener; as it is too by painter and viewer alike.

    In theatre the task at hand is whether the playwright, director and actors can enable the audience to “Suspend disbelief.” They endeavor to create a world in which the storyline of their play, or movie takes place. For this to work, the things that happen “the business” and the dialogue need to seamlessly work together in a manner that feels logical and believable. Even in magical realism, science fiction, and fantasy the goal is to make it all feel possible.

    We all know that the movie or live show has been carefully written and orchestrated. Each word that is said, every movement the actors make, and each element of the set design, backdrops, and props that appear and are seen or used, have all been planned, usually down to the smallest detail.

    The actors need to make it seem like they are saying their lines as if they were spontaneous responses to things that might be said in the situation or circumstance being portrayed. Indeed, some directors allow ad-libbing and extemporaneity from their actors to enhance believability.

    But, careful planning is the underlying “truth” of what is going on.

    For a theatrical performance to succeed as a work of art, it all must seem to be happening spontaneously as it would in real life. In that context, the writer can explore ideas about life that he or she chooses; whether it is about poverty caused by an indifferent or malevolent government or corporations, as seen in Grapes of Wrath, or the waste of life and the ennui and indolence that accompanies inherited wealth in The Great Gatsby, or the injustices and corrupt society and its effect on otherwise good people portrayed in Les Miserables.

    All these books have been made into successful theatrical productions and films that can be said to have reached a level of fine art through the language of theater with its similar vocabulary and grammar of realism.

    They have culminated in productions that suspend the audience’s dis-belief and they have each created their own unique forms of beauty.

    In poetry, two good examples would be Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, or Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, both poems are about confronting death and characterize how to live one’s life, knowing that the grim reaper lies just over the horizon. These two poems use the language of words to deal with difficult subject matter in a beautiful way and all the images conjured are ones from our experiences in reality.

    If the structure of the work of art is awkward or self-conscious, so that the details of how it is has been constructed is evident to the listener or viewer, the artist or author is thought to have failed. In theater, if the writing is fine, but the acting is terrible, then we might blame the actors or the director. But in every case you have the work of art constructed from elemental parts and assembled by the writer, director, composer, musician, actor, singer, dancer, painter or sculptor.

    The importance in understanding this underlying process becomes very evident if we now look at the debate that has occurred between Modern art vs. Traditional art. The modernist artists who are credited with the origins of Modernism are celebrated for pointing directly at the underlying reality of what fine art is constructed from. Cézanne, Manet and Matisse we are told showed us the “truth” that a painting is really just colored paint applied to a flat canvas, paper or surface.

    Henri MatisseSorrow of the KingGouache, paper, 1952
9' 7" x 12' 8" (292 x 386 cm)
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

    Modernism claimed traditional art, as taught in the art academies throughout the 19th Century, was engaged in lying to the public, trying to make the flat canvas look three dimensional; trying to use drawing, modeling and perspective to create illusions of space; trying to make you believe that you are perhaps looking into a room where people are doing something or at a landscape outdoors, etc. … all deceptions and lies. The job of the artist then, during Modernism’s 20th century ascendancy, was to make painting have value by focusing on the one aspect of what a painting was that no other art form had, which was the flatness of the picture plane. Focusing on the formal, underlying, fundamental components of art, became more important than focusing on why art existed in the first place, which was to communicate ideas, feelings, values and beliefs and all human experience.

    Art's purpose was to justify itself, which ironically pretty much cancelled out all of its purpose and value.

    Here is a quote from Clement Greenburg that makes this point:

     Realistic, naturalistic art, had dissembled the medium, using art to conceal art; Modernism used art to call attention to art. The limitations that constitute the medium of painting, the flat surface, the shape of the support, the properties of the pigment — were treated by the Old Masters as negative factors that could be acknowledged only implicitly or indirectly. Under Modernism, these same limitations came to be regarded as positive factors, and were acknowledged openly. Manet's art became the first Modernist pictures by virtue of the frankness with which they declared the flat surfaces on which they were painted. The Impressionists, in Manet's wake, abjured underpainting and glazes, to leave the eye under no doubt as to the fact that the colors they used were made of paint that came from tubes or pots. Cézanne sacrificed verisimilitude, or correctness, in order to fit his drawings and designs more explicitly to the rectangular shape of the canvas.
    
    It was the stressing of the ineluctable flatness of the surface that remained, however, more fundamental than anything else to the processes by which pictorial art criticized and defined itself under Modernism. For flatness alone was unique and exclusive to pictorial art. The enclosing shape of the picture was a limiting condition, or norm, that was shared with the art of the theater; color was a norm and a means shared not only with the theater, but also with sculpture. Because flatness was the only condition painting shared with no other art, Modernist painting oriented itself to flatness as it did to nothing else. 
    
    -Clement Greenberg  , 19607

    The truth was that there were no people, no landscape, no real objects to paint other than the concrete reality of the paint and the canvas. The artist, endlessly pointing directly to his underlying materials was the birth of Modern art.

    Cézanne flattened the landscape, Matisse flattened our homes and families and the so called abstract artists after them, like De Kooning, Pollock and Rothko, put it all in a blender and threw it at us, thus making flat color design the end goal of the artist.

    Expressing and communicating human emotions was not a worthy purpose for art, and so all human emotions were denigrated as petty sentimentality.

    The equivalent of this system of thought applied to written languages would be to say that all writing is untruthful and finding the truth can only be discovered by pointing directly to the underlying materials and structure of written words.

    All that is really there on the page are different shapes of straight or curved or squiggly lines. Since that is closer to the truth than placing meaning in those shapes and lines…than using them to make words and the words to form ideas … that too must be a lie and an unworthy purpose for the writer.

    Therefore, to bring the analogy full circle … the best book would be one that demonstrates this “truth” with page after page of meaningless shapes and squiggles…thus showing us the modernist’s profound definition of truth. How many books and poems would be purchased and read in which all that could be found between the covers were meaningless shapes on every page? 

    Modernism endows the meaningless with meaning. Each of us must decide for ourselves whether there is meaning to be found and if that meaning has great value.

    Is it petty and banal to show romantic or familial love and caring? Or is it petty banality to spend one's career insisting that the only paintings that have value are those which demonstrates that they are flat, or to focus as have the post-modernists on endlessly claiming to show the degradation of life via the degradation of art?

    What then is fine art?

    And for that matter, what is fine literature, music, poetry, or theatre? In every case human beings use materials supplied by nature (the clay, colors and materials of the earth and the movements and sounds of life) and creatively combine or mold them into something else which is capable of communication and meaning.

    It is that ability to communicate, whether subtle or blatant, complex or nuanced and modulated wherein the value of art lies and makes it worthy of the term “fine art”.

    Throughout history, people have found one way after another of communicating their thoughts, ideas, beliefs, values and the entire range of their shared experiences of living.

    When it comes to the visual arts, modernists like to say “why waste your time doing realism? It’s all been done already.”

    That would be exactly like saying “Why waste your time writing anything? It’s all already been written. There is nothing left to say.”

    Illustration

    Illustration is often thought of as a lesser form of art. Often we hear people say something like: “That’s only an illustration, it’s not fine art.” However, given the clear description of what fine art is, that no longer makes any sense. All fine art is illustration. What is different is what is being illustrated and then how well it has been accomplished.

    If you look at illustrations in young children’s books, often those illustrations are done quickly and the cost and time involved in creating them plays a big role when writer’s or publishers choose them.

    However, there are illustrations for books and poems which have been created by some of the greatest of artists. Gustave Doré illustrated Dante’s Inferno and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven. Edmund Dulac illustrated Edward Fitzgerald’s translation of the Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam, and Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling with illustrations inspired by the Bible. All of the early and High Renaissance artists illustrated scenes from the Old and New Testaments. 19th Century artists illustrated Shakespeare, poetry and myths and legends.

    MichelangeloCeiling of the Sistine Chapel CeilingFresco, 1508-1512 Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Italy

    The attempt to pigeonhole images that tell a story as illustration which has been separated in many art schools as a lesser form of art is strictly a tactic to further entrench Modernist ideology.

    Since all fine art is representational and since only realistic objects, figures and settings are capable of communication, one is drawn to the logical conclusion that all illustration belongs in the category of fine art. The differences are all qualitative: a difference in degree not a difference in kind.

    Once we recognize that, we can see that variation in quality can be enormous and it may even be useful but problematic, to make an attempt to create categories along a continuum of some sort based on quality, purpose, and success or failure of the art and artist to communicate or illustrate what was intended.

    There also can be qualitative differences in subjects and themes. Some themes are about more powerful emotions or moments during life that therefore have greater potential for achieving the beautiful. For example a painting illustrating wartime wives listening to a radio broadcast for the names of the men who were killed, has vastly more potential than a bowl of fruit or a painting of a can of soup.

    Therefore, illustration and fine art are one and the same and all fine art illustrates something.

    Gustave Doré (French, 1832-1883)Dante et Virgil dans le neuvieme cercle de l'enferOil on canvas, c.1860-c.1869
50 x 73 inches (127 x 185.5 cms)John William Waterhouse (British, 1849-1917)Lady of ShallottOil on canvas, 1888
Tate Gallery, LondonGabriel Joseph Marie Augustin Ferrier (French, 1847-1914)Chaperon Rouge, NDOil on canvas, 1906
58 3/4 x 35 inches (149.2 x 88.9 cm)
Tate Gallery, London

    Originality

    Let us talk now about modernism’s obsession with “being original”.

    In any field of endeavor the idea “that it’s all been done before” places an impenetrable wall of hopelessness in front of any creative pursuit. Imagine becoming a doctor and not being required to learn what is already known?

    Knowing doesn’t stop you from doing something new but it keeps you from wasting your time on searching for knowledge that already is known and readily available. It also decreases the chance of making very serious mistakes.

    The refusal to learn from the past will inevitably prevent anything new from actually being discovered, as breakthroughs are always built on the discoveries of those who came before. In the arts, the fear of doing what has been done before places a ball and chain on your mind and on the joy of creativity, one of the greatest joys in life.

    Only someone who has learned what is already known can strive to create fearlessly and will have any chance of actually creating something new. For invariably, humankind has a history of creative accomplishments going back thousands of years, so someone who is creative will surely stumble upon many things that have been thought of and done before in advance of achieving the truly original.

    And if we are honest, the most favored subjects are as old as humanity itself and there are unlimited and original ways in which they can be expressed again and again.

    Modernism in its need to banish anything seeming unoriginal, has banished all of the tools and skills with which original work was accomplished and then tells their artists without skills and without tools to go and create worthwhile works of fine art.

    Since there is no meaningful language in their art, a thousand words are needed to imbue it with meaning. Actually the words have to be incredibly creative and shrewd to convince otherwise educated and intelligent people that something of value is present when little or nothing is there.

    Modernists create art that is about art: “art about art,” whereas all the great art of the past was “art about life”.

    A painting should no more attempt to make the viewer conscious of the paint and canvas than the writer should make the reader conscious of the ink or type of paper being used, or for that matter than the film maker should make the audience endlessly aware of the kind of cameras being used or that the movie is actually composed of a fast moving series of still images.

    The resurgent realist artists whose ranks are rapidly expanding in the 21st century, consider their materials and skills as a vital means of communicating artistic subjects and ideas. Modernism banished the real world from the tools they could use. Of course, without the full vocabulary of the real world to draw and to draw from, the only way complex ideas could be presented to us by modernism is if people “in-the-know” explain to us what ideas were intended and then required us to believe it.

    Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)Portrait of Dora MaarOil on board, 1939
60 x 45 cm
Museo National Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, MadridFranz Kline (American, 1910-1962)TurinOil on canvas, 1960
803/8 x 951/2 inches (204.14 x 242.57 cm)
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

    Franz Kline’s harsh slashing black lines on a white ground, we’re told, represents how harsh life is and Picasso’s distorted human forms are meant to represent how distorted society is and how psychologically malformed mankind has become.

    Now, once we have been told that’s what he means and that’s what he’s doing, if we’re ready to be one of the savvy, then we can start to see it.

    Perhaps accuracy is better served if we realize that we had better see it if we don’t want to suffer derision and ridicule by the ruling cognoscenti in today’s art world?

    They say that modernism created a new way of seeing.

    Or is this new way of seeing really just pointing out the painfully obvious. Even if we give them some benefit of the doubt that someone needed to point out that the canvas was flat, how many times does it need to be proved? After all, any three-year-old who is taken to a museum knows that the canvases are all flat.

    How great then was it that Cézanne and Matisse spent the rest of their careers saying it over and over again?

    Or perhaps we should not give them the benefit of the doubt? Did it really need to be said and did it really need to be then taken to the extreme of abstract expressionism? Which, by-the-way, is neither abstract nor expressive.

    A blueprint is an “abstract” of the layout of a house or how the electrical system will be installed or it shows the footprint of the house in a carefully drawn representation of the piece of land it’s to be built upon.

    The word “bottle” when spoken is an abstracted representation of the object that can hold liquids. The written word bottle is a further abstraction of the spoken word. A painting of a bottle is another abstraction of that object and the more it looks like a bottle the more accurate the abstraction becomes.

    So the word “abstract” means the opposite of how it is used by Modern art and their apologists. Realist paintings are accurate abstractions of ideas, events and an endless number of other possible subjects.

    Globs and dribbles of paint on a canvas are actually quite concrete. They are the end product: a glob, a smear or a dribble of specific size and shape which has no other meaning besides what it is and clearly is expressive of nothing at all.8

    Is there any need in these abstract works to suspend disbelief? No, that would be a lie by their definition. Or is “belief” instead compelled, not by the acting, writing, drawing or painting, but instead by the intimidation of power and position?

    Prestige Suggestion

    Do students believe in this new inheritor of Western Art? Or does not believing in it threaten their grades and positions (and the wallets of those invested in such art.) It is amazing how the need to avow one’s belief repeatedly in something that was previously difficult or impossible to believe, will become increasingly easier when supported by figures of authority. A useful term for this phenomenon is “prestige suggestion.”

    What Modernists have done has been to aid and abet the destruction of the only universal language by which artists can communicate our humanity to the rest of, well, … humanity. They then have built up a labyrinth of justifications and blocked all other viewpoints. If the history of what actually took place is not to be lost due to the transitory prejudice and taste of a single era, then we must question any practice that deliberately suppresses documented evidence.

    Art history must not be reduced to little more than propaganda directed towards market enhancement for valuable collections passed down as wealth conserving stores of value.

    Successful dealers, who derived great wealth by selling works created in hours instead of weeks, had little trouble lining up articulate, eloquent and persuasive masters of our language to build complex portrayals presented everywhere as brilliant analysis to justify what are really very uncomplicated, unsophisticated and simplistic works; creations which arguably should have and would have been rejected out-of-hand but for their ingenuous sophistry, expansive jargon and artfully cunning patois.

    Any time people or brands or logos become the symbols of quality, value or expert authority, then other people when presented with those symbols will see quality, value or importance regardless of what is actually there.

    For example, a wealthy consumer will see a purse with the name “Prada” or “Gucci” on it and will automatically assume value and quality.

    Perhaps the price will be $5000 and if it’s on sale for $1200 they’ll believe they got a good deal and be proud to wear it or show it off to friends. Take the same bag without a label and try to sell it on a table on 42nd street with an $80 price tag and the same person may think it’s over priced and will try to talk the price down perhaps to $40, or not buy it at all.

    The Prada name and the fact that it’s being sold in Bergdorf’s or Bloomingdale’s tends to give it the prestige and assumed value which has been suggested into the mind of the consumer.

    Many years ago I took my son on a class tour they were giving at a General Motors assembly plant where we witnessed the assembly of a Chevrolet.

    Then another identical car came down on the same production line and they placed a different grill and hood ornament on it and labeled it Oldsmobile. A third identical car came through and they put a still different grill on it with a label calling it a Cadillac. Nearly everything about it was the same, but the Cadillac brand was double the price of the Oldsmobile and the Olds was selling for a third more than the Chevy.9

    There is a difference between value due to prestige suggestion and value due to intrinsic quality.

    Surely, in the search to define beauty, we need to understand that difference. We should be able to see through prestige and determine when we are in the presence of the truly beautiful, versus a work that’s the greatest quality is the prestige attached to the name of the artist or the movement.

    In this way a canvas with little intrinsic value that has the signature of De Kooning, Pollock, Rothko or Mondrian on it, are assigned high values because people with a PhD or the title of Professor or Museum Director next to their names have told us what to think about their worth.

    Then, major dealers or auction houses have assigned estimates of millions of dollars to their work. Most people do not feel themselves knowledgeable enough to know what has or does not have value, when it comes to pocketbooks, Persian carpets, or wristwatches, and much less so with works of art. This is “prestige-suggestion”. Even if their instincts are to reject something, they keep silent lest they expose themselves to ridicule for being considered ignorant, tasteless or out-of-touch, succumbing to “social pressure”.

    Art-Speak

    There is a second very useful expression identified that aids us in understanding what has occurred and how Modernism, after gaining ascendance, has been able to maintain its position.

    That term is called “Art-speak”. Art-speak is a contrived form of language, which uses self-consciously complex and convoluted combinations of words to impress, mesmerize and silence opposition.

    “Art-speak” is generally used by people in positions of power and authority and in combination with “prestige suggestion” is ultimately employed to silence contrary instincts and ideas to prevent people from identifying honestly what has been paraded before them.10 

    This is accomplished by brainwashing society through authority and confounding, with “art-speak”, the evidence of our senses about objects and ideas that otherwise any sane person would question.

    The “authority” of high positions, and the “authority” of books and periodicals, and the “authority” of certificates of accreditation attached to the names of the chief proponents of modernism, which have all worked in combination to impress and humble those whose common sense would otherwise rise up in opposition.

    Without a doubt they would clearly see this art for what it is, evident nonsense, if it’s supposed value had not emanated from the pretentious mouths and pens of those with such a preponderance of “authority” to back them up. Many students and even teachers have come forward to report how traditional realism has been virtually or actually banned from their art departments. They want to share their sufferings at the hands of Modernist educators, and ask what they can do.11

    Banning of ideas and not permitting free and open debate has been a problem throughout history. Most often relating to religion or politics it rears up in other fields as well. For example, global warming is often taught as settled science with the suggestion that only fools would listen to arguments questioning it despite mountains of conflicting evidence. John Stuart Mill’s remarks on speech suppression are as alive and accurate today as they were two hundred years ago:

     Where there is a tacit convention that principles are not to be disputed; where the discussion of the greatest questions, which can occupy humanity, is considered to be closed, we cannot hope to find that generally high scale of mental activity, which has made some periods of history so remarkable. 

    And:

     However unwillingly a person who has a strong opinion may admit the possibility that his opinion may be false, he ought to be moved by the consideration that however true it may be, if it is not fully, frequently, and fearlessly discussed, it will be held as a dead dogma, not a living truth. 
    John Stuart Mill's essay "On Liberty"
    from Great Political Thinkers by William Bernstein, p.569

    Without a dynamic living network of experts teaching technical knowledge in drawing and painting, it will never be possible for college and university art departments to have students who are able to enrich the debate and the academic environment for all students by producing works of art that are capable of expressing complex, vital and spirited ideas.

    To forbid these skills to be taught on campus in any real depth is as ridiculous as having a music department that refuses to teach the circle of fifths or only teaches three or four notes from which they insist all music must be composed. It is as absurd as having an English department in which all words that had recognizable meanings were forbidden and only writing without words or sentence structure would be admissible.

    If there was nothing to be ashamed in their teaching methods and in their results, they would welcome the chance to confront the ideas that they should be well equipped to refute.

    They have a solemn duty to maintain the integrity of thought made possible by what has been handed down to them by those artists, writers and thinkers before us, who established a vast, complex and rich system of training with which to teach and pass on a wealth of knowledge.

    Deliberately preventing access to this information is crippling to the goals of education and a severe obstruction to insuring a society based on freedom of thought without which progress is impossible. Where is it more important to vouchsafe these principles than at our nation’s colleges and universities who are training the next generation of leaders? Even if they don’t agree, they have a duty to expose their students to responsible opposing views in all fields and disciplines.

    While it is beyond the scope of this chapter to fully delineate the evidence and arguments on both sides of the Modernism vs. Realism schism in fine arts and aesthetics, for the purpose at hand, we are focusing on the realist position which in recent decades has had very few proponents, ceding nearly a century to an ascendant modernist leviathan. And that century has seen the greatest strides forward in every other field of human endeavor. If the proponents of realism are as correct as it seems, the art world is woefully behind our times and will need to do a lot of catching up.

    Relativism

    Modernist theory, as we’ve seen, looks to redefine the purpose of painting by means of:

    • Elevating the flatness of the canvas or the medium as the primary subject,
    • Explaining the transcendent value of their work with art-speak,
    • Maintaining their ascendant position with prestige suggestion.
    Yet there is another underlying idea that propels the Modernist hegemony. Simply stated it's called "relativism" which is at the heart of Existentialist philosophy.

    To this end, one hears employed several popular maxims. These sayings are then used for the purpose of contradicting the whole notion that one can actually define or describe either fine art or what is beautiful. The modernists then often rely on distorting the meanings generally ascribed to these expressions to help establish the value they then ascribe to modernist theory and the products created in their service, which are offered up as fine art.

    1. There is nothing good nor bad but thinking makes it so (William Shakespeare.
    2. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
    3. One man’s meat is another man’s poison

    These sayings have all been used over and over when it comes to the concept of beauty and aesthetics.

    When taken to the extreme in the visual arts the implication is that no matter what the object is, whether it is art or for that matter anything else, there is no way to gage good from bad, right from wrong, beautiful from ugly or elegant and graceful from ungainly and awkward.

    All that matters is that nothing matters. Therefore there can be no judgment or assessment of quality. This concept makes aesthetics unimportant. If everything’s value is a matter of opinion, than why discuss it? Everyone is right; which is the same as saying nobody is wrong. It is clear that this cannot be true. So many throughout history have taken so much time in trying to define what is beautiful and to differentiate between good and bad aesthetics and perhaps even more important, between what is right and what is wrong; a dilemma that confronts us constantly every day of our lives.

    Stated simply, in the visual arts as in all the other arts and in all other fields of human endeavor, it is necessary and important to be able to make judgments. Yes, to judge, and use words of judgment that has been deemed in many classrooms and philosophies as inappropriate. How could understanding goodness, beauty and truth be inappropriate? 

    Behind the wish to ban judgment is “political correctness.” 

    Political correctness worries that if one person is doing well than it must mean that someone else is doing poorly. If we celebrate accomplishment, we must then acknowledge failure; which means someone will feel badly or will feel inferior.

    One common solution for this reality is to point out that different people are good or better at different things and worse at others. But no matter how much we don’t like it, the truth is that there are also some people who are good at nearly everything and others who are not good at nearly anything.

    Fortunately, most people do have some talents that can be found. The upshot of trying to avoid and run from the truth (that there is good and bad, better and worse) is to force everyone to value and function in mediocrity.

    There are few things more depressing than that. We’ve all heard of some schools banning grades and competitive activities like spelling bees and even some sports. How likely will their charges be made ready to compete in the outside world after graduation?

    The way to help people who have special needs or who are born with less skills and talent should not be by limiting possibilities to succeed and achieve for those who have great talents and the work ethic to see them actualized. Brilliant achievements are unlikely to come from a society that refuses to recognize great works.

    Political correctness is a bit of a tangent, but like Modernism it sees the world through relativist lenses. All three of the popular phrases listed above, are succinct ways of expressing a belief in “relativism.” There is no good and no bad; no up or down. All things are relative to circumstances and position and the ultimate expression of this philosophy, called “Existentialism” is that “There is no truth”, and if there is no truth there is no beauty nor goodness. There are no absolutes of any kind.

    Of course the true believers in the absence of truth are always unable to explain the obvious paradox that the statement “There is no truth” is itself a statement of what they “firmly” believe to be the truth. It’s very similar to the paradox always discussed in logic courses which revolves around this avowal, “This statement is false” If it is true than it must be false and if it is false it must be true.

    It’s a circular argument that goes nowhere fast.

    Despite the frequency with which we hear this, it is also clear that nobody really believes that “there is no truth.” The simplest way to prove that someone does not believe it is to ask them if they would place themselves or their families in the middle of a major highway during rush hour. Would they bite into a light bulb or wear a shirt whose collar was made of razor blades or jump off the roof of a skyscraper?

    It’s really just hubris to claim there is no truth when everyone every day in a thousand different ways all people demonstrate that they believe in the truth and that they believe that some things are good and other things are bad.

    There may be categories of things for which people can have differing opinions as to their relative values or dangers, but there are many…very many things that people believe in absolutely.

    The very fact that they are there telling you there is not truth proves they believe in many things including the fact that you are a different person from them and that they can communicate to you using a common language and that the words have recognizable meaning.

    William Adolphe Bouguereau
    432 artworks
    French Academic Classical painter, teacher, frescoist and draftsman
    Born 1825 – Died 1905

    They believe that they can speak using their mouth and that people have ears and brains with which to interpret what they say.

    They believe that the sounds they make when they speak can go through the air and they believe pretty much in what they see around them. I hesitate to now point out that those common phrases are somewhat true and have their use depending on what is being discussed.

    For example, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” can be accurate in a circumstance where we are reviewing different things in the same category. To then say beauty or goodness is relative of one to the other will make sense. I prefer chocolate ice cream, my wife prefers coffee, and my daughter vanilla. 

    But all people will prefer ice cream to arsenic. There is no relative benefit between those choices for human beings everywhere. It’s an absolute: arsenic is bad and ice cream is good.

    Modern art seems to especially need these existential phrases as the raison d’etre for their “anything goes” mantra. However, if everything is art, than nothing is art. Relativism has led to “production” by some artists of things like blank canvases, empty rooms and piles of garbage, for which some of them have been celebrated as geniuses by Modernist art critics.

    The Turner Prize recently was an empty room with the lights going on and off every five seconds. 12 Another year the award went to a pile of excrement. 13 

    It’s hard to even have to say it.

    Realist philosophy would pretty much deny the credentials of such critics a priori since they are rejecting all of the basic parameters of what constitutes fine art. If we think about it, relativist existential ideology is at the core of all Modern art, and these artists are celebrated for work that is seen to articulate the idea that there is no good nor bad, no truth and basically no beauty as well.

    So I ask you how can a belief that there is nothing beautiful be the driving force to create beauty? 

    All human sentiment, which is regularly belittled by calling it sentimentality, is rejected by existentialism. Another word that describes much of the philosophy of modern art is “nihilism” which believes there is no meaning in life. Their art is a continuous stream of celebrating the absence of value and thereby all of the preferences and desires of humanity.

    The ultimate hypocrisy is that they then shower accolades, riches and fame, upon those whose art proves that nothing has value, paradoxically ascribing great value to it.

    It was inevitable that intelligent people would eventually identify the duplicity of this central underlying contradiction.

    Said another way, modernists ascribe great value to proving everything is worthless.

    As I have shown, we can readily prove that nobody actually believes that nothing has any value. It’s patently false. If it is false that there are no truths, then there must be truth; there must be good and bad; there must be value and importance in human sentiments and feelings; there must be value in communication between people and the forms of communication, which document and preserve our shared humanity. Therefore, there must be value in all of the fine arts, and for our purpose today, there must be value in traditional realism.

    I feel it’s important here to go back to “art speak” and “Prestige Suggestion” and show an example of how they sounds and work.

    As discussed, Modernism, in order to buttress the value of what it produces, employs experts at “art-speak” who articulate and promote modernism by the use of complex esoteric verbiage, which project an aura of value and importance onto objects that are clearly bereft of any sophistication. Imagine reading a review by a food critic expounding on the virtues of Jell-O.

    You are first told how this critic graduated the Culinary Institute with honors and travelled the world to learn about every kind of cuisine.

    He writes for the New York Times and has a TV show on food with a big following. Then, after learning about his credentials, the first review you read by him is about Jell-O, which he praises as great American cuisine.

    The Jell-O, he goes on to describe, is a perfectly nuanced colloidal melt-on-the-tongue stasis boiled to the moment of perfection when a moment less would tend it towards sineresis 14 and a few seconds longer would allow the jell to become too stiff, clearly showing true mastery of the chef’s use of vacuum pans and rare Bavarian rapid set pectin.

    Clearly the chef who created this delicate sensation must have used a double boiler for modulation, with a deft control of vacuum reduction.

    It’s all reminiscent of the finer aspects served by Wolfgang Puck or Gordon Ramsey. Surely a search of seven continents had produced the finest mix of simulated strawberry piquancy, capturing the eloquence of deep red Tudor and delicate Nova Scotia Wild straws.

    Taking my tongue out of my cheek, how much experience and education does one need to reject such nonsense out-of-hand? It’s Jell-O you’re being shown, which to many has considerably more actual value than a canvas with paint flung at it.

    Jean-Léon Gérôme
    1824-1904
    Orientalist painter, draftsman and sculptor
    Pollice Verso
    Thumbs Down

    And yet, the art world is filled with far more flagrantly absurd objects praised in ways which might be described as a convoluted quandary wrapped in an enigma and embedded in a paradox. “Art speak” generally demonstrates far more creativity in the writers who write it than it does in the artists whose product they have, described, explained and justified.

    Modern and postmodern works, absurd, nonsensical and mind-numbing, have taken control of the world’s formerly great art institutions. One can’t help but bring to mind echoes of infants playing with their own excrement. It seems, the simpler and more naïve the creation, the more sophisticated it’s purported to be.

    Barnet Newman’s huge canvas, from what is considered the high point of Modernism (1950’s and 60’s), is called Black Fire 1. It sold for an incredible $84,000,000, this past June, 2014. Here’s what the auction house’s specialist said about it; clearly far more masterful at art-speak than Barnet Newman is at painting:

     Black Fire I is a sublime Abstract Expressionist masterpiece that perfectly captures Barnett Newman’s radically reductive and uncompromising aesthetic.

    The Zen-like simplicity of Black Fire I embodies the spirituality, grandeur and solemnity that define all of Newman’s greatest works. Painted during a period of refrain after suffering the loss of his younger brother, Newman negotiated his emotions through the language of abstraction.

    Continuing the dynamic tension between light and dark that was first established in the Stations of the Cross, the composition of Black Fire I exhibits a similar weighty sense of the absolute.

    Through creating the Stations of the Cross, Newman had chosen to reject the allegorical distractions of color in order to create a pure, distilled emotional statement through the subtle nuances of spatial relationships and expressive brushwork alone.

    Newman’s decision to place black pigment on raw canvas gave way to Black Fire I and it was this deliberation that allowed Newman to communicate, at the highest degree, the universal dualities of existence: light and darkness, creation and destruction, form and formlessness. 

    Black Fire I holds an important place within Barnett Newman’s oeuvre, having resided in several distinguished American collections of modern art. It was featured in two important international group exhibitions shortly after it was created. 

    It is nothing more than a canvas half beige and half black with another black line going through the beige portion.

    Art history courses in nearly every university and college in the world are likely to have staff members ready to praise this canvas unabashedly, and thousands of students, many whose instincts tell them how absurd it is, have in recent decades had to shrink back fearful of the ridicule they’d receive if they gave voice to what they really thought.

    Of course after a long series of courses, lectures and books filled with “prestige suggestion” and “art-speak” and without any exposure to responsible opposing viewpoints, many of them start to convince themselves of what is not there.

    Before long black is white, up is down, and nothing is something.

    Ultimately there is a kind of religious fervor associated to this system of thought. If Modern art is so great, if blank canvases and splattered colors have so much meaning, why do they need the most complex and sophisticated language to imbue meaning into them? Thomas Wolfe saw through this decades ago when he published his book, The Painted Word, in which he basically expresses the same idea, that Modernism relies on the most sophisticated and advanced kinds of language and ideas to justify objects which clearly have no intrinsic value.15

    We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. When we look at a Rembrandt , Michelangelo , Bouguereau or John Singer Sargent we are awed by the inherent beauty and we then consider what we are feeling and try to find the right words to describe it.

    But with Modernist works by De Kooning, Pollock, Miro, Mondrian and dozens of others, clever critics, who are really just language manipulators, have built up ever more tortuous vagaries and conjured imaginings, layering their silver tongued alchemy, one sentence after another onto these “creations” which they proclaim as iconic, platinum and gold; when even lowly lead is missing. A new generation is now seeing blatant instead of brilliant; ingenuous not ingenious and sophistry not sophistication.

    If the macro story of humanity and the micro story of individuals are sentimental and unworthy for artists, then what is a fitting purpose for modernist and post-modernist philosophy?

    What is relevant? They will tell you: ‘form for its own sake” … “color for its own sake” … “Line or mass for their own sake.” That is art. There is nothing else that art should communicate or express. As if line, mass and color have wants and needs and an independent purpose of their own. They say they’re showing us how to see differently, but if we are true to ourselves, we all see what’s there and more-so what is not there. Clearly, “the Emperor has no clothes.”

    To the Modernists these abstract or minimalist canvases are far more worthy of accolades of merit than recreating scenes from the real world, or from our fantasies, myths or legends; more profound than imagery which shows our hopes, dreams, and the most powerful moments in life.

    Blank canvases, or empty rooms, or a mound of rocks are more “relevant” subject matter than the times during life that are most memorable, which describe and define our shared humanity. Simple shapes of color are preferred to subjects about people of color; strata of textured paper trumps showing the textured strata of life.

    Dribbles of paint are more compelling than a child learning how to dribble a basketball. Piles of garbage are considered more sophisticated than showing the transition from self-conscious adolescent to self-assured adult; and a light blinking on and off in an empty room attracts journalistic praise, while the blinking passage of life and time are but worthless sentimentality.

    These are the ignorant precepts of the prefects who hold our museums and college art departments in a hundred-year long grip of meaningless irrelevancies; boring us and our youth alike in a system where the highly skilled are scorned and the talented are passed over and disillusioned. The true artistic masters, until very recently, were dying off without a trained generation to protect, preserve and perpetuate that which had been preserved for so many centuries before.

    Sir Hubert Von Herkomer (German/British, 1849-1914)On StrikeOil on canvas, 1891
89 3/4 x 49 3/4 inches (228 x 126.4 cm)
Collection of the Royal Academy of Arts
    Sir Hubert Von Herkomer (German/British, 1849-1914)On StrikeOil on canvas, 1891
    89 3/4 x 49 3/4 inches (228 x 126.4 cm)
    Collection of the Royal Academy of Arts

    Modernism shakes its fist at the realist artists of today and the academic artists of the 19th century, claiming that their focus on the development of skills leads to constraining true creativity. They heap adulation on any artist who is focused on throwing off one or another of the definitions and parameters of classical, academic art, all of which are viewed as restrictive and limiting. 

    The sad irony is that Modernist ideology is far more restricting and limiting to creativity than any of the art and movements that came before it, or the new realist movement that has emerged today.

    Artists have been virtually (if not actually) imprisoned; whether we are talking about the chained constraints of “conceptual art,” or the drudgery of “deconstruction,” the “shackles of shock”, being mired in “minimalism,” or the vapid, inane impoverishment of works described as “abstract”. All are chains which have been “forged link by link and yard by yard”, paying lip service to composition and design, having long ago abandoned all of the parameters of fine art; but especially the paramount need to harmonize great subjects and themes with drawing, modeling, perspective, color, tone, and the expert manipulation of paint. And what are these subjects and themes?

    They are the ideas, values, beliefs and the endless range of human thought, feelings and experience.

    19th Century Overview

    In order to understand the need and search for beauty as indispensable to an artist’s compositions and choices of subjects, we need to see how that quest for beauty and the academic skills and techniques needed for artists to realize their creative ideas, were employed by the last generation of artists who believed in their critical importance: those of the late 19th Century. To state it another way: to comprehend how Modernism gained ascendancy for so long, we need to describe what the artists before them were actually painting and why. How did skill-based Humanist art fall into such decline?

    Without any doubt, the art world of the past century has seen a relentless effort to malign and degrade the status and the reputations of the artists and their artwork produced during the Victorian era and its equivalents in Europe and America. Their success in doing this had been nearly total by the end of the Second World War and continued nearly unabated and unopposed until the 1980’s.

    It continues in most ways to the present day. But, in the past thirty years it started to change, very slowly at first, but clearly picking up considerable momentum since the end of the millennium.

    I tend to think of 1980 as the first beginning of this change in attitude, when the Metropolitan Museum took some of their finest academic paintings that had been in storage since World War I and hung them in the new Andre Meyer Wing announcing their decision to the world and suffering considerable editorial drubbing by famous critics in major newspapers.

    Hilton Kramer of the NY Times led a widespread journalistic assault accusing the museum of taking corpses from their basement and excoriated them for daring to hang William Bouguereau and Jean-Léon Gérôme next to Goya and Manet .16

    That was when voices who supported the Met’s actions started to be heard even though they had been trying to be for years before.

    Over the past three decades, art historians have done a great deal of research and found an overwhelming preponderance of the evidence that shows that the modernist descriptions of this era are no more than misinformation and distortions fabricated in order to denigrate all of the traditional realist art produced between 1850 and 1920.

    Amazingly, Emile Zola wrote a novel called The Masterpiece (L’Oeuvre): a fictional account of how Impressionist painters were mistreated by the official academic masters who ran the Paris Salons. This totally made-up account of what occurred was then used and written into most art history texts as if it had actually occurred.

    For example, in his story The Salon de Refusé was formed due to a public outcry over the rejected impressionist artists when it actually was the brain child of Napoleon III who felt sorry for the mostly academic artists who walked out of the Salon lead by Meissonier who was famous for his precise cabinet and military paintings. To this day the heart of Modernist accounts of the art history between 1850 and World War I are based on this work of fiction.

    The truth was very different.

    Impressionism showed up in the Paris Salons nearly as soon as it appeared in the art world. They never suffered a tiny fraction of the suppression that realist artists actually have experienced in the 20th Century. Much of it has been conceived as retribution for what the Impressionists supposedly endured at the hands of realist academicians.

    The only problem is that the original causal events never happened and even if they had, the current realist artists couldn’t possibly have had anything to do with it. The information presented here suggests far more profound and underlying core reasons why this should never have happened and why it needs to be reversed.

    The suppressed truth about the fine art of the 19th century is that it was a time of explosive artistic activity unrivaled in all prior history. Thousands of properly trained artists pouring out of the great academies and master ateliers throughout the western world developed a myriad of new techniques and explored countless new subjects, styles and perspectives that had never been done before.

    These new works covered nearly every aspect of human activity. They were the product of the expansion of freedom and democracy with a profound respect for life, for humanity and for individual human beings, including their minds, their souls and their boundless creative potential. They helped disseminate the growing view that every individual was valuable, that all people are born with equal inalienable rights; especially the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

    The artists and the writers of the 19th century identified, codified, protected and perpetuated the great humanist values and momentous Age of Reason discoveries of the Enlightenment.

    Relevance

    The writers from that era, such as Honoré de Balzac, Victor Hugo, Mark Twain, and Charles Dickens, have been widely praised and celebrated, while the artists of the same period, communicating the same concepts and values … in stark contrast … have been mercilessly ridiculed and slandered.

    Working together, their generation played a direct role in helping to free the slaves, in bringing into awareness the damage the industrial age was doing to the environment, in bringing public outrage to child labor and unsafe working conditions, and implementing the process that would lead to equal rights for women and their right to vote.

    Their work laid the foundation for breaking up monopolies, protecting and assuring minority rights along with a nearly endless list of societal improvements. The modernists point to the fact that in the 19th century, these things needed to be changed, claiming it was a repressed society.

    In truth, all these injustices had been going on for centuries and all of human history before. But the 19th century was the start of the evolution that transformed society into the modern era. It was a society emerging from repression and oppression. Their developing self-awareness led to implementing all the forms of freedom we now take for granted: and history rarely gives the artists any of the credit.

    The writers of that time who described this period are today widely celebrated. The visual artists were addressing the same things as the writers and for this incalculably supreme accomplishment their recompense, has been for a century to dismiss their work, denigrate their technical skills, lie about the significance, meaning and importance of their subjects and to totally berate them and their achievements.

    Why?

    Because they didn’t lead the way to splattered paint, blank canvases or industrial size soup cans? They didn’t believe that proving the canvas is flat was the most important subject for fine art? Therefore they were all branded as “irrelevant”?

    Here we have a primary concept used by modernists, “Relevance”. These widely beloved 19th century artists are not considered “relevant”, and if they are not relevant, certainly today’s realists are even less relevant. Only works and techniques that shed all the former definitions and parameters of fine art were considered “relevant”. Only those artists that lead the way to abstract expressionism were worthy and “relevant”. Nothing could be further from the truth!

    As described above, the purpose of fine art is to communicate. It is successful if it explores the human experience, with poetry, beauty, and grace. If it is unskilled, awkward, and self-conscious, it fails.

    Therefore, to say that the realistic movements of the 19th Century were irrelevant to their times or to the major path of the fine arts through the ages, is utterly wrong and incorrect. They were, in fact, at the pinnacle of five hundred years of growth and evolution of their chosen field and had an incalculable impact on the social reforms that were to follow them.

    Even the symbolist movements of the 19th century was using modern concepts of psychology before the psychologists. 17 The modernists took art in a completely different direction.

    It will be for future generations to determine if that new road was important and meaningful or a dead end in which future progress within their genre was impossible. There are those today who believe it can only be saved by finding a way back to the place where the detour started.

    Some of the most significant events in human history were taking place between 1776 and 1914.

    The academic artists of that time were not only “relevant” to the times, and relevant to the major thread of art history, but they were relevant to the evolution of art itself, which as a visual language communicating humanity’s knowledge and passions, was growing and expanding by leaps and bounds, breaking ever-new ground and pushing the proverbial envelope.

    Their envelopes were however, filled with passion, reason, and exploring every region and element of life and living. Year after year, their work advanced in equal importance alongside the other arts and sciences.

    These artists were working at what will surely be considered one of the most important crossroads in the whole of human history. Their art communicated the magnitude of their era in every way.

    Does fine art still do that today after 100 years of contorting itself into the Modernist vision and limiting itself to Modernist constraints?

    Art history has generally been accurate in its description of fine art from the early Renaissance until about 1840 (With the advent of photography).

    For the most part, art historians have given the great and near great their due or at least reasonable notice. That was true until we get to the mid nineteenth century. From roughly 1848 onwards, all of the normal criteria for judging, describing, and chronicling the history of art have been unceremoniously abandoned by 20th century educators.

    Almost all the art text books that have been used since the middle of the 20th century have rewritten the history of the 19th century to fit the needs and prejudices of the “modernist” art world; which sees all of art history through a “deconstructionist” lens that defines as important, valuable, and relevant, only those works which broke one or another of the rules and parameters by which works of art were formerly valued and appreciated.

    Art history was seen as a long march from the “breakthroughs” of Impressionism, through a stream of different movements which led the way to abstraction, and was espoused with a strident religious fervor by the followers of this “new history” to be the greatest of all forms and styles of art.

    Then, with a double-think out of George Orwell’s 1984 they separated the analysis of all previous eras, (pre-19th Century), into its own separate history. It is as though there is one art history with one set of parameters, and then a new art history that built itself on destroying 19 Century’s relevance by attacking the very parameters they still use to praise all other earlier centuries. Indeed, they have created a supremely illogical schism.

    You can literally have art professors praising the anatomical perfection, the drawing and paint handling in Raphael or Botticelli , and then talk about the graceful harmonizing of subject and composition and the emotional power of a Madonna and Child by Fillippo Lippi with its brilliant coloration, or the drama and theatre achieved in Rembrandt’s Healing the Sick, and then with a double think that could have been written by the “Ministry of Truth” in George Orwell’s 1984 [which fabricated history] those same educators will rip into the petty sentimentality of the Victorian era and use the same criteria against artists like Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema , John Everett Millais , or French artists like Jules Breton or William Bouguereau .

    They criticize how overly perfect their anatomical handling is and how the very same kinds of sentiments and subject matter to these earlier periods are now viewed as sweet and maudlin, even though any truly objective viewing would have to see the work of the 19th century as equal or more successful when it came to harmonizing emotionally powerful subjects with the highest levels of skills and techniques. In fact, the 19th century was the pinnacle of artistic accomplishment.

    The artists and writers of the late 19th Century, incorporated in their work a new heightened respect for human dignity. They saw democracy and capitalism as the political and economic systems that could best work together to enable people to live more freely the lives they wanted.

    Without a system where it was possible to own private property with a form of government that protected people from the tyranny of despots or the tyranny of the majority it would not be possible to live free.

    For many of these artists, their compositions were a reflection of their beliefs and how they lived. William Bouguereau , who was considered perhaps the greatest living artist in France during his life, is one of the best examples, since so many other artists emulated and adored his work and his contribution to his field.

    He was accused of just working for his bourgeois and nouveau riche clients, but in truth he prided himself on being able to paint anything he wanted and the demand for his work was so great that most works were sold before the paint had barely started drying. He was a workaholic, painting 14 to 16 hours a day, producing over 20 paintings per year; most life-size and many multi-figured. He took a direct personal interest in his employees, his students and his colleagues and was widely known to help almost anyone who was in need who touched his life.

    On more than a couple of occasions, he insured a livelihood to the widows of colleagues of his who had passed on with very little to leave their wives and children. He was much beloved and respected, especially by his students. Bouguereau also played a central role in opening up the Paris Salon and the French Academies to women artists. Starting in 1868, he along with Rudolph Julian , Jules Lefebvre , Gabriel Ferrier and Tony Robert-Fleury , all amongst France’s most successful and famous painters, at that time, started holding regular classes and critiques for women. By 1893 all major art schools in France had courses for women, even the much renowned Academie des Beaux Arts in Paris.

    Bouguereau was born in 1825, after the great upheavals of the American and French Revolutions, two events which embody the breakthroughs of Enlightenment thought. Bouguereau and Victor Hugo were at the top of the list of the leading artists and writers of their day, whose work was to codify those advances.

    They bridged the gap from centuries of societies ruled by kings and emperors, empowered by “divine right”, that led to a civilization made of men and laws whereby governments could only gain legitimacy from the consent of the governed: justice, equality under the law, elections by popular vote; protection of human rights; the obligation of government and society to identify, organize, and protect those rights; freedom of the press permitting and insuring popular disclosure, debate and resolution of countless injustices still embedded in recalcitrant institutions which were still run by aristocrats and bureaucrats who fought to hold on to their power. Let me quote from Alexis De Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, written in 1835-1840, where he states:

     The society of the modern world, which I have sought to delineate, and which I seek to judge, has but just come into existence. Time has not yet shaped it into perfect form: the great revolution by which it has been created is not yet over; and amid the occurrences of our time, it is almost impossible to discern what will pass away with the revolution itself, and what will survive its close.

    The world which is rising into existence is still half encumbered by the remains of the world which is waning into decay; and amid the vast perplexity of human affairs, none can say how much of ancient institutions and former manners will remain, or how much will completely disappear. 
    
    -De Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America, opening of Chapter VIII  .

    It was not at all certain what kind of world would evolve, but freedom and security were essential for the pursuit of happiness, for only a free and secure people can build a civilization in which culture and the arts could flourish. So it was the writers and artists of mankind’s “first” century of liberty and freedom, the 19th Century, that considered it their duty and responsibility to organize, to codify, to popularize and protect the values, laws, and democratized institutions of society which would insure the perpetuation of liberty; a way of life so recently come to the affairs of man. How they accomplished this would surely effect future generations perhaps for centuries. The Western world moved from a world filled with edicts of the “sovereign” to a world ruled by “sovereign states.” Terms like the “general will” and “social contract” and “government, of, by and for the people” were disseminated everywhere throughout the newly “free” world.

    These revolutionary ideas were increasingly embedded in the educated classes, spreading rapidly to workers in the fields, and laborers in factories and shipyards, all of whom were to participate in the benefits of a newly free and democratic society as the 18th century origins led to 19th century codification and 20th Century implementation a process which still continues today. It started first narrowly, as with only land owners voting in the original US Constitution, and then ever more broadly until by the time the 20th century had finished dealing with two world wars, the great Depression and countless other horrors, we saw an evolution from an agricultural society to the industrialized and then the technologically advanced society of today.

    So it is these core beliefs of the Enlightenment, its ideas values and concepts that are so crucial to understanding the context in which the artists of the 19th century lived. They were, in fact, addressing the very heart of Enlightenment thought.

    Bouguereau painted young peasant girls with a solemn dignity and a hushed and reverential beauty. One of his works shows a strong but beautiful peasant girl holding a staff and looking at the viewer directly and unabashedly in the eye. She is standing her ground, so to speak.

    In another major work, a life-size gypsy mother holds her daughter and both are standing on a mountaintop looking down at the viewer. Their gaze, too, is direct but welcoming. In this painting Bouguereau is elevating these gypsies by silhouetting them against a vast sky with a low horizon line like you might expect in a painting of the Madonna and child. We are looking up to them.

    Their kind and welcoming expressions implies their acceptance of us; the viewer is asked to return this show of respect, which can only be properly echoed by our acceptance of them regardless of the lowly status of their birth.

    The very truth and reality of their birth once a negative, now elevates them to the heavens… a status wherein all of humanity now resides.

    In the 19th Century, all people doing any and all activities were considered worthy subjects and themes for the artists to address. Subjects included paintings of the poor and homeless, women thrown out in the cold by tyrannical husbands, or children toiling until late at night, enduring 16 hour work days.

    There were scenes of marriage and children and family life; scenes of schools and courts and hospitals and industry, parks and mountains and countless other topics. For example, a popular theme was of a hypocritical clergy preaching to renounce worldly possessions from their opulent apartments filled with art, antiques and personal servants.

    How revolutionary a theme this was for artists. When the French artists Vibert , Brunery and Crogaert satirized the clergy,18 and painted cardinals in sumptuous surroundings, playing cards with pretty young socialites, or hiring the services of a fortune teller, they were saying that the clergy was human and vulnerable to the same weaknesses and frailty of character as other people.

    But beyond that, to spoof the clergy represented our newfound freedom of speech. A modernist professor once said to me “how inane and silly to show cardinals in silly poses like that.” His prejudice blinded him from even beginning to figure out what Vibert had done … what rules of conduct he had broken from the prior rulers of society.

    We have been taught to elevate artists for breaking rules and conventions of perspective or for undermining realistic drawing, or daring not to follow prior precepts for creating art, but the academic artists who had been on the front lines of culture, helping all of us to win our freedoms and rights, were also helping to create a climate where it was even possible to consider breaking the rules of art; which by comparison is a weak and shallow accomplishment when compared to breaking the rules that lead to our freedom from oppression.

    In previous centuries, an artist might have had his head cut off for spoofing cardinals in this way. When writers spoke of modern art and the modern era during the late 1800’s this is what they meant by modern. And indeed these artists were pushing the envelope and showing a gutsy willingness to openly degrade the immorality of aristocracy, clergy and corrupt politicians as well as the unjust laws. This was really “sticking your neck out.”

    From exposing societal ills and portraying the value and equality of all people, it was but a half step away to explore the personal inner life of individuals and to value and elevate mankind’s hopes, fantasies, and dreams.

    For academic artists and writers of the 19th Century, humanity was what counted, and everything that made us human; how we see ourselves and how we see the world.

    Humanity was glorified and people of every type and shape, every nationality and color, every occupation and avocation, were represented in their work. We were what counted…we were what was important and we were the greatest of all subjects for the creative bounty of the top artistic minds on earth.

    Everything about humanity became the new fodder for the unique forms of communication produced by the writers prose, the poet’s pentameter, and the painter’s pigments. Glorified we were, as thousands of artists produced millions of images, often new and original, and the best of the best of these were masterpieces of the highest order.

    Returning then to Beauty and aesthetics

    The experience of beauty in fine art also described as Aesthetic sensibilities is therefore inextricably bound to subject and themes about humanity; about life and living and documenting how we see the world and how we feel about life. 

    It’s clear how this relates directly back to what fine art is all about and what things we as human beings consider beautiful and hold as sacred. Fine art like poetry, literature and theatre achieves beauty by capturing and memorializing those things we as human beings all share and hold dear.

    Art is celebrated because it helps us celebrate the human experience. And the creations that communicate some aspect of our shared humanity with beauty, poetry, grace and a respect for human dignity are our greatest works of art.

    Aesthetics in the fine arts is equally tied to the formal skill-based elements of drawing painting and sculpture listed earlier in this chapter. The subject and theme chosen by the artist must harmonize with all the other skill-based elements mentioned before and listed below.

    Endless numbers of choices and decisions must be made by the artist and a vast array of problems arise and need to be solved during the creative process by always constantly keeping in mind, the subject, theme and the purpose that they have given themselves for each specific work of art.

    Since we live in a 3-dimensional world, artists use objects from the real world as part of their visual vocabulary. The achievement of three-dimensional effects, then, increases the strength and success of artwork when using the visual language of realism. Some other factors, principles and parameters, which aid the highly skilled in their pursuit of beauty, are worth noting. Here is an incomplete list of elements for which decisions must be made or problems solved:

    • Subtle vs. obvious
    • Balance vs. unbalanced
    • Homogeneity of execution vs. disconnected, awkward and incongruent whether in shapes, forms, sizes, perspective, shadowing, light source, etc.
    • Integration of subject and form
    • Integration of subject and form
    • Selective focus often achieved through experienced blending of impressionist and academic techniques.
    • Accurate drawing skills as fundamental to painting
    1. Finding the correct contour lines
    2. Modeling them to create the illusion of three dimensional forms
    • Proportions
    • Foreshortening
    • Perspective
    • Lost and found edges or contours
    • Juxtaposing of positive and negative space
    • Glazing and scumbling
    • Brushwork studied color alternatives for creating shadows and highlights that go beyond strict modeling of light and dark.
    • Proper preparation of materials: choosing of panel or canvas; stretching the canvas treating the surface and preparing the ground.
    • Composition: from an infinite number of possibilities the artist must decide on placement of figures, what they are doing and what expressions should be on their faces, in their body language, and all other elements to include in order to best express the subject and enrich the image, theme or idea being attempted. Limiting those choices to avoid the work becoming too busy as too many objects can be distracting to the theme or idea being attempted.
    • Choice of clothing if figures are not to be naked along with which accessories.
    • Dramatic and powerful vs. soft and peaceful
    • Coloration choices and transitions
    • Light and atmosphere
    • Size of the work
    • Availability of models or other elements that will be needed for reference during the entire process.
    • Choice of medium: oils, acrylics, watercolor, pastels
    • Color palette and placement. Colors need to be mixed dynamically on the spot and countless decisions concerning colors and blending of color are made in real time while painting.

    Modernism has mostly ignored most of these. A work of art that successfully harmonizes subject and theme with all of the elements of painting and drawing listed above is likely to be successful. A work will not be successful, which is inconsistent, awkward, incongruent, lacking in homogeneity, unbalanced, poorly composed, or any combination of many possibilities in which these elements do not harmonize choices which can sabotage and undermine an artist’s goals.

    Modern art has eliminated nearly all of the above skills and qualities and made virtually every element formerly considered a virtue into a vice.

    Conversely, the vices have become virtues. Can both forms of art exist side by side in college art departments and in our museums? Their goals and beliefs are diametrically opposite from each other.

    Perhaps colleges and universities which are not prepared to support or suppress either one would be better advised to have different departments with different faculties.

    Ultimately in a world where freedom prevails: freedom to think, to speak and to create whatever kind of art we want for reasons of our own choosing, it will fall to those who acquire art to decide which kinds of art they prefer to beautify their homes, their cities and their world.

    People will decide which set of objects and beliefs they wish to elevate, protect and preserve as sacred memorials of their values, their lives and their culture that will pass down to their children and posterity.

    My hope is that would-be artists and art historians, by understanding the underlying principles of aesthetic beauty will be in a more informed place from which to examine and decide for themselves between the principles, values and beliefs behind the Modernist paradigm, and those that underlie skill-based and subject-based traditional and contemporary Realism.

    Traditional skill-based art in recent decades has had very few proponents, ceding nearly a century to an ascendant modernist leviathan. Ironically, that century has seen the greatest strides forward in every other field of human endeavor. If the proponents of realism are as correct as it seems, the art world is woefully behind our times and will need to do a lot of catching up.

    The new Realism movement now has thousands of artists. 
    
    That is a staggering turn-around from the handful who were working 30 years ago. 
    
    There are many upscale art galleries in major cities throughout the world who concentrate on art with images from the real world. ARC Living Masters and Associate Living Masters have taken great strides forward in reclaiming our century's long heritage in Realist fine art. 
    
    We are now seeing solid indications of the rich creativity developing at the heart of the 21st Century art world. 
    
    The exhilaration and optimism that flows forward from here could not be more thrilling or more exciting. 
    
    I can't wait to see the magic and beauty that is in store for us as these artists are inspired by an avalanche of original perspectives, innovative methods, and brilliant game-changing subject matter in a rapidly growing Realist movement… as artists share their ideas together seeding and cross pollenating a landslide of creative and innovative thinking that will lead us to ever more poetic, inspirational and beautiful artwork in the studios, salons and exhibitions in the years that lie ahead. 
    
    Just half way through the second decade of the first century of this the third millennia, we are truly at the very beginning of a new era that celebrates the beauty and poetry of the human soul.

    Fred Ross

    Fred Ross

    Founder and Chairman of the Art Renewal Center, Ross is the leading authority on William Bouguereau and co author of the recently published Catalogue Raisonné William Bouguereau: His Life and Works.

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    The USA and China are now entangled in the Thucydides Trap; this is the entire story.

    Trump’s anti-China rhetoric and actions, including crossing out the prefix “Corona” and replacing it with “China,” are part of a continuation of US empire building that began long before Trump seized power in the Electoral College coup of 2016.
    
    -Counterpunch

    My feeds are all clogged up with the hate-China narrative out of Washington DC. Ugh! It’s pretty sick and disgusting. Hate, hate, hate! What a messed up way to start the day!

    Additionally, the narrative that the Chinese accidentally released it from a weapons lab in Wuhan is an insult to my intelligence. I guess people don’t know the difference between a automobile factory and a local garage that does tune-ups.

    Hint; 
    
    Factories and R&D centers have loading bays, electrical substations, and internal water treatment centers. You can see these structures outside the buildings. They have fences, and security guards. They are huge!
    
    Vaccine centers, diagnostic centers, and testing centers are much smaller. They typically consist of a number of offices, and perhaps a small wing devoted to the lab work. They also usually have a parking lot. They tend not to have a fence or security guards.
    
    Now, boys and girls, repeat after me:
    
    Bio-Weapons Research Labs have fences and security guards. 
    Bio-Weapons Research Labs have fences and security guards.
    Bio-Weapons Research Labs have fences and security guards.
    
    They are not open to the public.They are not on a main public thoroughfare. They are military installations, protected by soldiers, fences, and set far back away from public scrutiny. 
    
    So please, stop parroting the Mike Pompeo / Alex Jones "talking points" that the COVID-19 was an "escaped" bio-weapons from a Chinese weapons lab. Jeeze!
    The Chinese narrative that the COVID-19 virus came from American military soldiers. The American narrative is that it was released from a vaccine clinic. Which is more likely to have infected the Wuhan "wet" market? Especially since there are videos of American servicemen in that exact market.
    The Chinese narrative that the COVID-19 virus came from American military soldiers. The American narrative is that it was released from a vaccine clinic. Which is more likely to have infected the Wuhan “wet” market? Especially since there are videos of American servicemen in that exact market at that exact time. Not to mention the strange things they were doing there. I mean, they ate in restaurants. They did not need to buy groceries to cook in their hotel room, and what’s this putting their hands and touching things so profusely?

    .

    But that’s how propaganda works, don’t you know. You keep hammering down the same lies over and over again until you start reacting to it instinctively.

    You hear it over and over. People talk about it, and make opinions about it. you start believing what you hear without thinking.

    Ugh!

    Just like billions of dollars had to flow to the software companies to “prevent” Y2K. Remember that? There was a nine month intense narrative that the world was going to collapse unless we immediately “fixed” the Y2K issue!

    The Year 2000 problem, also known as the Y2K problem, the Millennium bug, Y2K bug, the Y2K glitch, or Y2K, refers to events related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates beginning in the year 2000. Problems were anticipated, and arose, because many programs represented four-digit years with only the final two digits – making the year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900. The assumption of a twentieth-century date in such programs could cause various errors, such as the incorrect display of dates and the inaccurate ordering of automated dated records or real-time events.
    
    -Wikipedia

    Same thing.

    Say the lies over and over and over, until people instinctively react to them as truths. When in reality, it’s all just lies, manipulations and “smoke screens”. But all that doesn’t matter. Because right here we are going to tell you all what is going on. That is, what’s REALLY going on, and how all these things all fit together.

    And it isn’t pretty.

    “I love war,” Trump declared during a campaign speech in Iowa in 2015. He added: "I’m good at war. I’ve had a lot of wars of my own. I’m really good at war. I love war in a certain way, but only when we win.”

    The Thucydides Trap

    "There is no such thing as a Thucydides Trap. It is just an excuse by the democrat-controlled media to attack Trump and make him look bad."
    
    -Anonymous 

    To understand what is going on today between the United States and China, we should take a look at history. For history clearly describes the dynamics between an established nation, and a growing emerging nation. This dynamic is well documented, well understood, and quite predictable.

    • America is the “established” nation.
    • China is the growing nation.

    More than 2,400 years ago, the Athenian historian Thucydides offered a powerful insight into the causes of the awful  Peloponnesian War; a war that pitted military Sparta against democratic Athens…

    “It was the rise of Athens, and the fear that this inspired in Sparta, that made war inevitable.”

    The Peloponnesian War; a war that pitted military Sparta against democratic Athens.
    The Peloponnesian War; a war that pitted military Sparta against democratic Athens.

    Other writers identified an array of contributing causes of the Peloponnesian War. But it was Thucydides that nailed down the true causes and the heart of the matter.

    Thucydides, instead of looking at the minute details, focused instead on the inexorable, structural stress caused by a rapid shift in the balance of power between the two rivals.

    • Sparta was, for over a hundred years, the dominant city-nation.
    • Athens was growing, expanding, and eclipsing Sparta on every front.

    Thucydides identified two key drivers of this dynamic:

    • The rising power’s growing entitlement, sense of its importance, and demand for greater say and sway.
    • And the entrenched, well established nation that possessed the fear, insecurity, and determination to defend the status quo this engenders in the established power base.

    In the case about which he wrote in the fifth century B.C., Athens had emerged over a half century as a steeple of civilization. There, there were advances in philosophy, understanding of history, pleasures of drama, new types of architecture, political governance based upon democracy, and naval prowess.

    This shocked Sparta. For more than a century had been the leading land power on the Peloponnese peninsula.

    As Thucydides saw it, Athens’s position was understandable.

    As its clout grew, so too did its self-confidence, its consciousness of past injustices, its sensitivity to instances of disrespect, and its insistence that previous arrangements be revised to reflect new realities of power.

    It was also natural, Thucydides explained, that Sparta interpreted the Athenian posture as unreasonable, ungrateful, and threatening to the system it had established—and within which Athens had flourished.

    Thucydides chronicled the objective changes in relative power between the two. However, he also focused on the perceptions of change among the leaders of both nations. These perceptions, in both Athens and Sparta, led each to strengthen alliances with other nation-states in the hopes of counterbalancing the other.

    But entanglement runs both ways. When conflict broke out between the second-tier city-states of Corinth and Corcyra (now Corfu), Sparta felt it necessary to come to Corinth’s defense, which left Athens little choice but to back its ally. The Peloponnesian War followed. When it ended 30 years later, Sparta was the nominal victor. But both states lay in ruin, leaving Greece vulnerable to the Persians.

    And the eventual destruction of the Greeks at the hands of the Persians.

    Germany and Britain

    Let’s consider more modern times. Where people drive cars, have electricity, fly in the air in planes and have “manners”. Let’s look at the world right before World War I. Let’s consider a rising Germany to a content and powerful England.

    As Germany’s economy surpassed Britain’s, Germany would not only develop the strongest army on the continent. It would soon also “build as powerful a navy as she can afford.” In other words, Kissinger writes…

    “once Germany achieved naval supremacy … this in itself—regardless of German intentions—would be an objective threat to Britain, and incompatible with the existence of the British Empire.”

    Three years after reading that memo, Edward VII died.

    Attendees at his funeral included two “chief mourners”—Edward’s successor, George V, and Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm—along with Theodore Roosevelt representing the United States.

    At one point, Roosevelt (an avid student of naval power and leading champion of the buildup of the U.S. Navy) asked Wilhelm whether he would consider a moratorium in the German-British naval arms race. The kaiser replied that Germany was unalterably committed to having a powerful navy.

    But as he went on to explain, war between Germany and Britain was simply unthinkable, because…

    “I was brought up in England, very largely; I feel myself partly an Englishman. Next to Germany I care more for England than for any other country.” 

    And then with emphasis: “I ADORE ENGLAND!”

    However unimaginable conflict seems, however catastrophic the potential consequences for all actors, however deep the cultural empathy among leaders, even blood relatives, and however economically interdependent states may be—none of these factors is sufficient to prevent war, in 1914 or today.

    It doesn’t matter.

    China and America

    The warning lights and the alarm bells have been going off for some time now. It is well established that there would be some conflict or a deterioration of relationships between the two powers. Around 2009 it was unmistakable and this prompted some firm policy adjustments in America; in Washington DC.

    President Obama believed that this kind of global realignment was a natural historical progression. He argued that while America might “sunset” in various areas, China could be “managed” in such a way as to derive a kind of “partnership” where both the United States and China would win and profit in a kind of “give and take” international relationship.

    For a while, it appeared that the Thucydides Trap was avoided.

    But then…

    Donald Trump ran for President. His policy platform was MAGA, which means “Make America Great Again”.

    Donald Trump campaigned on a long list of extravagant promises: 
    
    End all foreign wars and reveal “who really did 9/11,” bring the troops home, pull out of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), ban all Muslims from entering the US, wall off the entire southern border at Mexico’s expense, end NAFTA, CAFTA, TPP and all trade treaties, bring manufacturing back to America, end NATO and all alliances (unless the vassals vastly increase their tribute payments, which they won’t), rebuild America’s infrastructure, demand and get vastly better trade terms from China, resurrect 1950s-style family values, and restore Americans’ pride in their history. 
    
    These are, in essence, the specifics behind Trump’s promise to “make America great again.”
    
    -Does the Presidential Election Matter?

    Trump’s chief rival target was China and he pledged to [1] bring back American jobs (from China), [2] stop the dependence on imported products (from China), to [3] rebuild and increase the size of the military, and [4] re-work and realign relationships with other nations for American self-interest.

    Sound familiar?
    
    Once Hitler came to power he wanted to make Germany great again. His chief villains were the Jews. And his actions were all about eradicating the Jewish treat to Germany.
    
    It's not that I am equating Trump with Hitler. That meme is so 2015. It's just that all nationalistic movements require an enemy to galvanize the people against. In the 1930's it was the "Jews against Germany".
    
    Today it is China against America.

    So Trump is in office, and he’s realigning all sorts of issues into his vision for the “perfect” world order.

    Neocon Administration

    Americans, tired of the social and economic onslaught and minimizing behavior of their leadership for the last three decades flocked to Donald Trump. They attended rallies where he would proclaim that he would [1] make America great again, [2] put Hillary Clinton behind bars, [3] build a wall around the United States, and [4] bring jobs back to America.

    He won the election.

    Once taking over the reins of power, he staffed his administration with “neocons”, individuals with a particularly warlike views and ideas.

    Neocon
    
    A small, but constant clique in the US administration that is responsible for most of the recent US military invasions around the globe. To quote neocon Pompeo: 'I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole'
    
    -Urban Dictionary

    Not only are Neocons very “hawkish” regarding war….

    … But they also believe in History, and the role that empires have in shaping history. In fact, they believe in Thucydides and his writings.

    If you were to ask any neocon about what is written herein, they would 100% agree with everything this article is saying …

    Among their intellectual ancestors neoconservatives count the ancient Greek historian Thucydides for his unblinking realism in military matters and his skepticism toward democracy, as well as Alexis de Tocqueville, the French author of Democracy in America (1835–40), who described and analyzed both the bright and the bad sides of democracy in the United States. 
    
    More recent influences include the German-born American political philosopher Leo Strauss and several of his students, such as Allan Bloom; Bloom’s student Francis Fukuyama; and a small band of intellectuals who in their youth were anti-Stalinist communists (specifically Trotskyites) before becoming liberals disillusioned with liberalism. The latter include Irving Kristol, Nathan Glazer, and Norman Podhoretz, among others.
    
    -Britannica

    And surrounded by his small army of War-Hawk Neocons, he set forth establishing policy.

    Trump is the embodiment of this looking-for-a-fight attitude. Not good. He has surrounded himself with over-age Cold Warriors, with generals, with the pathologically aggressive hangers-on from think-tank Washington: John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, Nikki Haley, Steve Bannon, and minor squibs of like outlook. He has pulled the US out of the arms-control treaties, START, INF, Open Skies. He has pushed NATO against Russian borders. In the Legion halls of Idaho, this may seem virile, the sort of thing that John Wayne would do. Back the commies down. Show them who is boss. No. It is just pointless and dangerous.
    
    -UNZ

    In sort order, once Donald Trump won the 2016 election, he immediately, from day one, started his program of MAGA. He did not waste time. He did not pause. He did not relax.

    America was (from the top down) full-on MAGA.

    Despite campaigning against endless foreign wars and a humanitarian-based foreign policy that promotes democracy, President Donald Trump appointed several internationalists and neoconservatives to his administration, including John Bolton and Mike Pompeo.
    
    Alex Jones has claimed that neo-conservatives, as part of a deep state, have been fighting a civil war inside the United States Government in order to gain control of the government and influence President Donald Trump – himself, Paul Joseph Watson, and David Knight also claimed this throughout Infowars segments, and that the recent missiles launched against Assad were a result of the neo-conservatives attempting to control Donald Trump.
    
    Stefan Halper, a neoconservative of the Bush Sr. era, colluded with Obama CIA Director John Brennan and FBI agent Peter Strzok to set-up Trump advisors Carter Page and George Papadopoulos as supposed agents of the Russia government, to initiate an FBI counterintelligence investigation and procure a FISA warrant to surveil the 2016 Trump campaign, Trump transition team, and well into the first year of the Trump Administration.
    
    -Neoconservatism and Donald Trump

    Key to that program was the suppression of China. Much of which involved actions and activities that were NOT reported in the American press.

    What does a neoconservative dream world look like?
    
    Neocons envision a world in which the United States is the unchallenged superpower, immune to threats. They believe that the US has a responsibility to act as a “benevolent global hegemon.” 
    
    In this capacity, the US would maintain an empire of sorts by helping to create democratic, economically liberal governments in place of “failed states” or oppressive regimes they deem threatening to the US or its interests. 
    
    In the neocon dream world the entire Middle East would be democratized in the belief that this would eliminate a prime breeding ground for terrorists. This approach, they claim, is not only best for the US; it is best for the world. 
    
    In their view, the world can only achieve peace through strong US leadership backed with credible force, not weak treaties to be disrespected by tyrants.
    
    Any regime that is outwardly hostile to the US and could pose a threat would be confronted aggressively, not “appeased” or merely contained. 
    
    The US military would be reconfigured around the world to allow for greater flexibility and quicker deployment to hot spots in the Middle East, as well as Central and Southeast Asia. 
    
    The US would spend more on defense, particularly for high-tech, precision weaponry that would be used in preemptive strikes. 
    
    It would work through multilateral institutions such as the United Nations when possible, but otherwise must never be constrained from acting in its best interests whenever necessary.
    
    -Neocon 101

    January 2017

    Donald Trump “hit the ground running”. He wasted no time in building up his team, staffing it with aggressive neocons and working on a strategy to suppress China. It’s an implementation of his campaign promises; Make America Great Again.

    Unlike President Obama, Donald Trump embraced (or fell into) the Thucydides Trap.

    The goals were simple;

    1. Reclaim American “greatness” in all fields, in all areas.
    2. Establish dominance in the Geo-political arena.
    3. Suppress China in such a way that they would always be “under the control or authority” of the United States.
    4. Do whatever is necessary to accomplish the above.
    Look familiar?
    
    1. Reclaim Spartian "greatness" in all fields, in all areas.
    2. Establish dominance in the Peloponnesian arena.
    3. Suppress Athens in such a way that they would always be under the control or authority of Sparta.
    4. Do whatever is necessary to accomplish the above.

    In so doing there were some issues that needed to be addressed and some resources that he had access to.

    Outstanding Issues

    There were things that China was involved in that were threatening the level of control that America had over China. Trump needed to collapse or mitigate those issues quickly. If he did not, China’s rise would pass the point of no-return. In the collective minds of the neocons, it was now or never.

    The primary issues at stake were…

    • Relationships in Africa. China was building relationships based on jobs, trade, and social improvements. The time-honored American technique of providing wads of cash to third-world dictators was no longer effective. This was giving China unique mineral and resource access, that America was denied.
    • Belt and Road Initiative. As long as the only way that China could maintain trade was via the sea-lanes, the United States could threaten the sea-lanes and completely collapse the ability of China to conduct trade. This threat has been real and substantive. The Belt and Road Initiative would be a land trade route. Completely bypassing the sea-lane trade routes, and rendering the American Naval threat moot.
    • Taiwan. Taiwan is a client state of China. Yet the American media presents it as an independent nation in the hopes that once China is weak, an American invasion of Taiwan can occur. The reason why this is so critical is that the United States needs a “safe haven” from whence to launch ground forces. Taiwan is the perfect staging location. Make no mistake, an invasion of China is a long-term dream of the neocon cabal. The first key step is to PUSH China into engaging Taiwan militarily.
    • Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a financial and technical hub, not to mention a gateway to the rest of Asia. As long as Hong Kong is stable, Europe will continue to conduct business with China. Therefore creating a unstable Hong Kong would effective disentangle Europe from China.
    • Trade. You would think that (with all the news discussing the trade imbalance) that this would be a significant issue. In the grand scheme of things, however, it really isn’t much of an issue at all. The majority of trade between China and the USA is between American companies, manufacturing products in their factories inside of China and shipping them to America. Not Chinese companies. Of that, less than 11% of exports from China goes to America. Looking at the entire issue, it’s really well blown out of proportion.

    The Plan

    Work on a plan to suppress China, for certain, was formulated prior to President Trump’s inauguration. 

    No one knows the true extent of the planning, or any details of the discussions involved. However, we can pretty much recognize that the people who helped formulate this war-suppression-strategy were…

    • Donald Trump
    • Mike Pompeo
    • John Bolton
    • Robert Lighthizer
    • Rudy Giuliani
    • Nikki Haley
    • James Woolsey
    • Frank Gaffney
    • Eliot Cohen

    All of these people advocate for military intervention to accomplish United States objectives.

    The only snag in their desires is military.

    You see, the thing is that every single simulation where the American military tries to take on China, the United States LOSES. Often, depending on the scenario, quite badly. Thus, if America takes on China militarily, in the South China Sea, the results would probably be disastrous.

    They cannot ignore this fact.

    So a direct military campaign was not the first choice of the “task team”.

    Instead they had to come up with a scenario or a plan that would be suppress China and meet all the criteria as discussed. While at the same time avoiding armed military conflict with a HEALTHY VIBRANT China. The Trump administration was faced with a “first”. Just how to suppress China, without using any overt military resources that might result in a nuclear response?

    They sat down and came up with an idea.

    “I love war,” Trump declared during a campaign speech in Iowa in 2015. He added: "I’m good at war. I’ve had a lot of wars of my own. I’m really good at war. I love war in a certain way, but only when we win.”

    Neocon Echo Chamber

    Their plan is based on what they believe China is.

    • Hard-line Communist.
    • Multitudes / hordes of impoverished people.
    • A deceptive media that hides the “true and real China”.
    • A population yearning for “freedom” and “democracy”.
    • A hated leadership that rules by sheer power.

    Well, since this belief system has been so ingrained in the consciousness of the neocon administration, the came up with a plan that would be able to attack this pre-concieved image of what China is…

    Since the people are large in number, and miserable, if you add additional strife and problems, they will revolt uncontrollably. They will topple the government. Then, in the confusion, the USA can establish and control the new leadership. As the USA has become experts in this kind of activity over the last number of decades. It’s an American strength that no one has figured out how to deal with effectively.

    The entire plan is based on illusions and falsehoods.

    I have been to China several times. I am also in contact with people in China. I can say this. Pompeo's belief that:
    
    ... the Chinese people hate the Communist Party of China that runs the country...
    
    - is simply not true.
    
    Among Chinese citizens there has recently been a huge upsurge in positive opinions about the Chinese system. This is due, in part, to its success in containing the Coronavirus.
    
    At the same time there has been a tremendous disillusionment with the United States due to its failure to manage the Coronavirus. There is almost a sense of disbelief that America has failed so badly in dealing with the virus.
    
    There used to be a saying in China that "Even the moon shines more brightly on America." That saying was demonstrated a genuine admiration for the United States and its accomplishments. But due to many things - including the institutional failure to deal with the Coronavirus - very few Chinese people say that anymore.
    
    A second thing that is spurring a positive belief in the Chinese system by its' citizens is China's ever increasing standard of living. People who have never been there might very well find themselves astonished by what is happening there. I have been there four times in the past ten years. Each time, the improvement in the material standard of living is not just noticeable but dramatic. The Chinese people can see this with their own eyes. Before the virus hit, many Chinese citizens had become wealthy enough to the West and they discovered that, increasingly, China was comparing favorably with the West in terms of their standard of living. This has increased the belief among Chinese citizens that their country is on the right path.
    
    There is a third thing that is important to note. There has been a recent rise in Chinese nationalism which is due - not only to the factors mentioned above - but due to Trump and Pompeo themselves. Contrary to common belief, the Chinese have a lot of access to Western media. Many Chinese study English and can read the Western media in English. They know the things being said by Trump and Pompeo which intended to malign China. Many Chinese are, not so much angry but, rather understand this is a sign of increasing weakness on the part of the United States.
    
    In short, the actions of Pompeo are not "inciting the Chinese to act against their government" but rather convincing the Chinese that American greatness is passing into history and China's time is arriving.
    
    Posted by: Mike from Jersey | Nov 18 2020 21:22 utc | 25

    The basic plan

    If China could be “broken” with all sorts of internal strife, starvation, misery, distress, and trouble, China would weaken.

    It’s people would revolt.

    And people would turn to “The shining city on the hill.” for help, “freedom” and “democracy”. These people would wave American flags, they would sing the American National Anthem, and they would display “Pepe the frog” in graffiti as they burned the cities down.

    As a result, the United States could capitalize on that situation.

    This would, if properly handled, result in forward staging bases on Taiwan, with a naval harbor there.

    • Create uprisings and strife at the two gateways for the Belt and Road Initiative. (HK and XinJiang)
    • Create Chinese starvation by decimation of all pork, chicken, wheat, and grain industries.
    • Offer CIA “incentives” in African nations.
    • An anti-China propaganda campaign would galvanize Americans against China and it’s products.
    • “Incentivize” American companies to bring factories back to America.
    • An anti-China technology campaign would destroy existing business relationships in Europe and across the globe.
    • A pandemic that would suppress China, but would ignore America.
    • Then prep for a hot war with the establishment of staging bases on Taiwan.

    This is an eight-year plan, and assumes two complete terms as President for Donald Trump. The time table would look something like this…

    First term in office 2016 through 2020.

    • Move the puzzle pieces and assets in place.
    • Start famines, trade disputes, regional classes, and strife.
    • Keep up an enormous program of anti-China propaganda.
    • Create “minor” military skirmishes in the South China Sea.

    Then… if China is NOT suppressed and under the control of pro-American forces by the end of the Trump first term (Fall of 2020). A different direction must be taken.

    In a strongly worded speech delivered as the relationship between Beijing and Washington plummeted to new lows this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that “the old paradigm of blind engagement” with China had failed. Mike Pompeo: "If the free world doesn’t change communist China, communist China will change us."
    
    -We must change China or China will change us, Pompeo …

    Announce this publicly, and create a military army to attack China. Enlist local nations to do “the heavy lifting” and provide staging locations.

    Mr Pompeo accused China's governing Communist Party of "exploitation, corruption and coercion". He was meeting counterparts from Australia, India and Japan - a group known as "The Quad" - to discuss an increasingly assertive China. Under the Trump administration, relations between the US and China have plummeted to their worst in decades.
    
    -Mike Pompeo lashes out at China at 'Quad' meeting in Japan
    • Build up a military coalition to engage Chinese military locally. (The QUAD).
    • Create a “need” for the American military to enter China to “save the people”.
    • Then create an “emergency”, blame it on China.
    • Go to war. But make sure that the QUAD does most of the fighting.

    Since America has “never lost a war”, the victory of America is a foregone conclusion. China hasn’t a chance (in the minds of the neocons).

    Additionally there is the possibility of a successful presidential successor that could implement successive states in a complete global realignment to fit the long-term neocon plan. Eventually turning China into a client state of America, like Japan, Australia, or Canada.

    Implementation

    This plan of course is secret / confidential. It’s not advertised. Though, it was moving forward with great rapidity throughout the first term of Donald Trump in office.

    I’ve covered all the elements in other posts in far greater detail. There you can see the details. Links are as provided herein.

    This is just an overview.

    • Create strife in HK. The “pro-democracy” protests were implemented by NED / NID insurgents under the guise of being “journalists”. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • Create strife in Xinjiang. Radicalized and CIA trained Muslim insurgents creating “fifth column“ activities. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • Forced Starvation. Destruction of the pork industry via drones and aerosol viruses, destruction of the chicken industry, the wheat and rice industries, and multiple waves of germ attacks. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • African Incentives. This is ongoing. Though lately a number of nations are demanding that China pay billions of dollars to them for COVID-19 damage. I cannot help but see a CIA hand in all this. <HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • Incentivize American Businesses. Enormous amounts of money has been handed to American companies throughout trumps first term of office, the greatest amounts came during the 2020 “COVID bailout”. However, no companies have shown any interest in returning operations to America. <HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • Anti-China propaganda campaign. This is hot and heavy. Apparently it’s working a full 30% of Americans hate China and blame it for all the American ills. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • Anti-China technology campaign. Well the arrest of the Huawei President and the suppression of 5G technology is only the tip of the iceberg. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • A Pandemic that would suppress China but ignore America. This is the highlight of the plan and really interesting. Three strains. A, B, and C. All unleashed on the world. Lethal strain B is for China. It is dangerous and lethal. However, Americans get the A virus. This virus is mild and safe. It self inoculates (or was intended to). It is designed for Americans to have “Herd Immunity”. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>
    • An Alliance of other nations. By building a coalition of nations, the entire group could gang up against China in bulk. This includes strong showings by Australia, Canada, and the UK. <HERE>
    • Establish American Bases on Taiwan. Ongoing and NOT public.

    In fact, the US is already engaged in “multi-domain” “hybrid warfare” with China.  This is warfare just below the threshold of direct military engagement.  On the ground this involves:

    • Economic Warfare: trade sanctions and tariff war, as well as technological warfare: attempted seizure of Chinese companies (TikTok); attacks on China’s international 5G contracts;  sanctions on the primary and secondary supply chains of key sectors of Chinese industry (e.g. Huawei’s semiconductor supply chain); attacks on Ant Finance’s IPO.
    • Legal Warfare, or “lawfare,” including over 380 anti-China bills in Congress, and 14 individual and state lawsuits  against China for over $30 Trillion in “Covid damages”; the long arm “legal” kidnapping of Huawei’s executive.
    • Diplomatic Warfare, including consulate shutdowns, harassment of diplomats, breaching of diplomatic pouches and compounds, and calls for regime change .
    • Military Brinksmanship and posturing in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan straits; complete encirclement of China with strategic weapons, surveillance, and 400 offensive bases (“The Pacific Pivot”), the use of airbases in Taiwan for military actions, and plans  to station intermediate range nuclear missiles all along China’s periphery[2].
    • Civil Subversioncolor revolution , urban terror, destabilization and delegitimation operations in Hong Kong  (and other places where China has interests), including millions of dollars of funneled for organization and training, and encrypted communications infrastructure built to coordinate anti-government activities.
    • Academic Warfare: through the FBI’s China Initiative, every 10 hours a case is opened against a Chinese student or researcher in the US (currently 2700 cases) and all Chinese students are considered potential “non-traditional” “collectors, spies” involved in a “thousand grains of sand” collection strategy.
    • Integrated Circuit Manufacture. The idea was to stop China from obtaining technology that America leads in. What has happened is that everyone, and their uncle is in a race to make the best, most advanced integrated circuits on the planet. And the Chinese central government is facilitating this with top down direction and resources to make this happen.
    • Information Warfare: last but not least, we are seeing total Information warfare.

    The stories about so-called “massive human rights abuses,” “Chinese concentration camps,” “Chinese-made-and-released Covid,” “China has harmed us economically,” “China has stolen its way to the top,” “China is oppressing independent Hong Kong,” are part of this information warfare.

    This is mass propaganda to incite people to hate China irrationally and unconditionally, to manufacture consent for war. The US military calls this information warfare, “the firehose of falsehoods ” and we are all being drenched with these lies.  

    This is necessary (in a “democracy”) to justify war against an enemy and to curtail any rational discussion or questioning.

    If things went as planned…

    If things went as planned, China would be a poisonous stew of conflict with all sorts of internal troubles, starvation, insurrections and conflicts. The workers would be sick and dying and the anti-China propaganda campaign would scare companies from trading (or continuing to trade) with China. No hot war would ever be necessary.

    The COVID-19 germ bio-warfare released at the most vulnerable time for social communicability on CNY eve, would completely turn China into a basket case.

    Meaning of Idiom ‘Basket Case’. 
    
    A basket case is a situation that is so nervous or anxious that they are completely incapacitated and thus are considered non-functioning.
    
    Something unable to cope with a situation; someone or something unable to function.
    The American military were housed at the Wuhan Oriental Hotel along with the Koreans, and the Iranian military participants in the Wuhan military games. This hotel was located one lock away from the Huanan Seafood Market, the "wet market" where the COVID-19 outbreak originated from.
    The American military were housed at the Wuhan Oriental Hotel along with the Koreans, and the Iranian military participants in the Wuhan military games. This hotel was located one lock away from the Huanan Seafood Market, the “wet market” where the COVID-19 outbreak originated from.

    Hospitals, civil services, and all government would be overwhelmed. People would be clamoring for peace and stability, and that would open up an opportunity for the United States to begin harassment in the area around Taiwan. HK would be in turmoil. Military actions would fracture Xinjiang, and alliances would crumble.

    If you recall, in February and March 2020, two carrier battle groups were being sent to that area…

    … up until they had to make emergency stops at Guam for COVID-19A lethal outbreaks.

    By the time the end of the Summer rolled around, American intervention in Taiwan would be in action. Success would flood the airwaves, whether true or not, and trump being a “War President” would take complete control of the government with landslide victories in both Congress and the Senate.

    Then with a solid control of the Washington apparatus, the subsequent phases of action could proceed. Which would of course mean military troops, on the ground, to “liberate” the Chinese yearning for “American freedom” and “American democracy”.

    Ah. But it’s gonna be a tough sell, don’t you know…

    But, the real China is nothing like what the neocons think it is.

    China is quite different than what the Neocon echo chamber says it is…

    • 95% of the Chinese population are proud of China and it’s leadership.
    • Almost 100% of the population has seen dramatic increases in their standard of living compared to their parents.
    • The population is hysterically patriotic.
    • China is a nation of nerds with over four times the number of STEM graduates than Americans.
    • China is ruled by merit.
    • China is self-sufficient in food, and most raw materials.
    • China is proud of it’s culture, it’s society and it’s history.

    Things didn’t go as planned

    No, things did not go as planned.

    They never go as planned.

    Someone should tell these neocons that you have to have a few “projects” “under your belt” first before you try implementing them. Things never go according to plan and if you go ahead and kick a dog, expect him to snap at you and bite your arm. China will not watch while all this happens and not train, prepare, plan and take action.

    While all this was going on, China knew what the neocons were planning. China and Russia shared intel data, and combined saw that America was an active and real threat. If China collapses, Russia would be next. If Russia collapses, China would be next. So what did they do?

    Then at the same time, they started to warn the United States to stop; just stop… please just stop…

    Among the myriad, earth-shattering geopolitical effects of coronavirus, one is already graphically evident. China has re-positioned itself. For the first time since the start of Deng Xiaoping’s reforms in 1978, Beijing openly regards the US as a threat, as stated a month ago by Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference during the peak of the fight against coronavirus. 
    
    Beijing is carefully, incrementally shaping the narrative that, from the beginning of the coronovirus attack, the leadership knew it was under a hybrid war attack. Xi’s terminology is a major clue. He said, on the record, that this was war. And, as a counter-attack, a “people’s war” had to be launched.
    
    Moreover, he described the virus as a demon or devil. Xi is a Confucianist. Unlike some other ancient Chinese thinkers, Confucius was loath to discuss supernatural forces and judgment in the afterlife. However, in a Chinese cultural context, devil means “white devils” or “foreign devils”: guailo in Mandarin, gweilo in Cantonese. This was Xi delivering a powerful statement in code.
    
    When Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, voiced in an incandescent tweet the possibility that “it might be US Army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan” – the first blast to this effect to come from a top official – Beijing was sending up a trial balloon signaliing that the gloves were finally off. Zhao Lijian made a direct connection with the Military Games in Wuhan in October 2019, which included a delegation of 300 US military... 
    
    -https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/china-locked-in-hybrid-war-with-us/

    They also watched with some degree of hope that the intel information was incorrect, and that the United States would stop. That the United States would end it’s anti-Chinese propaganda campaign, it’s anti-China technology assault, and it’s anti-China biological warfare programs…

    But America wasn’t listening…

    Trade. The “Trump Trade Negotiations” were all a “smokescreen”. No one in the Trump administration wanted any kind of agreement. None. Not at all. <HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE><HERE>

    Factories Returning. Well, no factories are returning to America. America is over regulated, the wages are too high, the quality of worker is too low, and the corruption at the state and local levels are absurd. <HERE><HERE><HERE>

    Famine. The attempt to destroy the Chinese food supply proceeded as planned. It’s just that the image of what China actually is was completely out of alignment  with what the Trump advisors expected. So even though the assaults went as planned, the were unable to induce a famine. <HERE><HERE><HERE>

    Africa. Africa is still in play.

    Propaganda. The Anti-China propaganda campaign seems to be working, though it’s giving everyone fatigue. On more than one occasion I have seen people complaining. They say “Get this shit off my feed. Heck you need waders to plow through all the muck.”

    Has anyone seen this from Rod Campbell of Australia Institute? He claims thousands of bot accounts controlled by US government spread the Wuhan bioweapons narrative nearly 5 million times in the first half of 2020: 
    
    https://www.facebook.com/HongKongGoodNews/videos/200057774713941/

    Technology. The Anti-China technology campaign is hit and miss. Certainly the drums are beating and there are skirmishes. Huawei, however is still in business, and many non-American companies, and nations are moving with the Chinese 5G model. But in July, he went all out, and went against all things china…

    Road and Belt. This requires Pakistan agreements and ports in the Mediterranean. Everything has been going well. That is up until a massive explosion that some have referred to as a “mini-nuke” totally and completely gutted the Lebanon port in Beirut. An interesting assessment;

    The Port of Beirut poses the biggest geostrategic threat to American power projection because China’s Silk Road is fast creeping towards the docks at Beirut Port. The US, having recently forced Israel to cancel its Haifa rail contract with China, has dampened the Chinese advance in the eastern Mediterranean, and what remains now in the path of the US is the Beirut Port. The US must either invade it to block the Chinese geostrategic mission creep, or else destroy it.
    
    https://thesaker.is/china-newsbrief-sitrep-3/

    And then it appears that a great accident destroyed it. Imagine that! What the coincidence!

    Moreover, the Port of Beirut also poses the biggest geostrategic threat for the US’s eastward-bound power projection where China and its new Silk Road operation is fast creeping westwards and is attempting to land at the eastern coastal strip of the Mediterranean, right where the Beirut Port docks. The US having recently forced Israel to cancel its Haifa contact with China has somewhat dampened the Chinese advance in the eastern Mediterranean, and what remains now in the path of the US is the Beirut Port. The US must either invade it to block the Chinese geostrategic mission creep, or else destroy it.
    
    Evidently, the US has chosen the latter option – with Israel assigned the task of accomplishing the destruction of Beirut Port. After all, for different reasons, both benefit greatly from Beirutshima.
    
    And so very timely is this destruction of the Beirut Port as the Lebanese government has very recently been in official talks with the Chinese over their offer to vastly invest in and develop the Beirut Port: a much needed gateway port and bridge into Europe for China, which represents an absolutely intolerable equation for the US’s hegemony in Europe. The Beirut Port’s rebuilding to its previous standard of activity will be contingent on strict conditions imposed by the US and Israel on the Lebanese government, if the port is allowed to be rebuilt at all, that is. Most certainly, the US is determined not to allow the Chinese any executive, investment or managerial access to it.
    
    ...
    
    And this larger US project has everything to do with the current US war on China, albeit presently a non-military war, but a war nevertheless, a war that the Pentagon is militarily preparing for – hence the ever increasing and breathtakingly high defense budget that Congress has been allocating to the US military throughout the terms of the last three Presidents.
    
    The US having lost Pakistan to the China sphere of influence, thus losing an attack dog bordering China, and having recently assigned Turkey as its new enforcer in the middle east, it now behooves the US to use its Mideast allies of both Turkey and Israel, two infamous terrorist states who regularly break international law with impunity: use them as spoilers and saboteurs against an advancing China and against any of Beijing’s Mideast regional allies. 
    
    Beirutshima is clearly an apparent US endeavor to push-back the Chinese advance in the highly strategic eastern Mediterranean, as the US attempts to simultaneously pivot eastwards itself through secured territories wherever China is successfully backtracked by the US and its regional henchmen.
    But, can this grand geostrategic plan really work for the benefit of the US? Can the US really succeed at remaining the only superpower in the world by the incessant knee-capping of China’s new Silk Road project?
    
    This is yet to be determined. But judging by the deep budgetary and societal crisis engulfing the US homeland, with no sign whatsoever of its deepening troubles abating, analysts doubt that the US has lungs large enough to last the whole race through with China. Here I will add that the US-China fight over the Beirut Port is not yet over. One wonders what went through the mind of the wily Chinese ambassador in Lebanon to witness the Beirut Port exploding as it shockingly did: to witness his pet project and assignment be destroyed right before his eyes and right before a signed agreement was made between him and the Lebanese government of Diab.
    
    -UR

    COVID-19. It is the pandemic where China decided to stop playing “defense” and go on the “offense”. This is the way that Donald Trump had decided to wage war upon China. This is how he planned to destroy it, create turmoil, and suppress it.

    But…

    But the Trump administration did not expect China to be so aggressive, and proactive. They expected them to be passive, and at best muster up some sort of United Nations complaint.

    Let’s talk about this…

    The COVID-19 bio-weapon attack

    "But... but war with China, or even Iran, is crazy! No rational country could even consider it!"
    
    Sure, no "rational" country would even contemplate it.
    I've got bad news for you.
    
    Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 18 2020 21:32 utc | 28

    America continues in it’s bio-weapon assault.

    The six prior viruses against food stuck and livestock were quite successful, but they did not create starvation. Which, I am sure, was a complete surprise to the neocons in the administration. I’m sure that they pretty much “chalked it up” to heavy totalitarian control by the Chinese government instead of the actual reason…

    … that China is pretty much self-sufficient in food, and has systems in place to mitigate shortages no matter how extreme.

    So Trump decided to release one against the Chinese people directly. I am also sure that the Trump administration felt that “this time” their suppression techniques would work.

    They took their time, selected the proper viral agent, and planned the timing directly. Nothing was left for chance. They released it at the exact geographical center of the population, and at the absolutely worst time of the year. They “felt” and believed that China would be unable to handle it, and that the worst elements would be contained within China, and that the rest of the world (those aligned with the USA) would get herd immunity with the very “soft” minor strain.

    [1] Location

    Indeed, they released it in the exact center of the population of China…

    The American COVID-19B bio-weapon was released in the geographic center of the population density of China.
    The American COVID-19B bio-weapon was released in the geographic center of the population density of China.

    .

    [2] Timing

    The timing was also significant. As it was during the peak social time, where the mass migration occurred within China. It is a time when everyone travels, where huge crowds are common and normal, and everyone is in very close proximity to each other.

    The very, extremely suspicious timing of the release of the bio-weapon.

    .

    [3] Anti-China propaganda campaign

    it's so interesting when people pretend to be ignorant when it is useful to them. I thought that was a specific American trait. So let's give the answer to the author asking the question:
    
    Once the Americans are indoctrinated into hating China, they will be willing to go to war with China and will be willing to accept wha the government will do in the name of "fighting China". Same how the Americans were indoctrinated into hating Soviet Union and Communism during the 50s and 60s and 70s. The government then can throw as much money into the military in the name of "fighting China" and the Americans will be fine with it.
    
    Posted by: Hoyeru | Nov 18 2020 19:52 utc | 2

    Further, the timing was such that it was coordinated with an anti-China propaganda campaign that was stunning in it’s size, magnitude and breadth of extent. When the incubated viruses started to manifest in Wuhan, the anti-China narrative exploded all across the world.

    So…

    So…

    So America launches a very dangerous bio-weapon attack on Chinese New Year eve.

    The timing was such that it would have spread like a fire inside a bone dry barn filled with hay. This was the time when everyone was traveling together in tight quarters. When everyone was drunk and hugging each other. This was the time when the virus could explode upon an unsuspecting China and devastate it completely.

    If China did not take immediate action, the entire nation would have turned into a complete “basket case”.

    But that is not what happened.

    China’s early conventional efforts seemed unsuccessful in halting the spread of the disease.
    
    Then on Jan. 23rd and after only 17 deaths, the Chinese government took the astonishing step of locking down and quarantining the entire 11 million inhabitants of the city of Wuhan, a story that drew worldwide attention. They soon extended this policy to the 60 million Chinese of Hubei province, and not longer afterward shut down their entire national economy and confined 700 million Chinese to their homes, a public health measure probably a thousand times larger than anything previously undertaken in human history. So either China’s leadership had suddenly gone insane, or they regarded this new virus as an absolutely deadly national threat, one that needed to be controlled at any possible cost.
    
    Given these dramatic Chinese actions and the international headlines that they generated, the current accusations by Trump Administration officials that China had attempted to minimize or conceal the serious nature of the disease outbreak is so ludicrous as to defy rationality. 
    
    In any event, the record shows that on December 31st, the Chinese had already alerted the World Health Organization to the strange new illness, and Chinese scientists published the entire genome of the virus on Jan. 12th, allowing diagnostic tests to be produced worldwide.
    
    Unlike other nations, China had received no advance warning of the nature or existence of the deadly new disease, and therefore faced unique obstacles. But their government implemented public health control measures unprecedented in the history of the world and managed to almost completely eradicate the disease with merely the loss of a few thousand lives.
    
    -American Pravda: Our Coronavirus Catastrophe as Biowarfare Blowback?

    (For some reason…) China went on full military alert.

    It went DEFCON ONE on CNY eve. This is something that no one in any of the mainstream American media, the Alt-Left or the Alt-Right media is talking about. China went DEFCON ONE. China’s military were all called up, and everyone was manning their posts, and that included ALL OF THE millions of reservists and militia.

    The last time that this happened in America was in October 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and unified and specified combatant commands. It prescribes five graduated levels of readiness (or statuses of alert) for the U.S. military, and increase in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to DEFCON 1 (most severe) to match varying military situations.
    
    -Defcon 1

    Everything went under lock-down, and then China took aggressive action on an entire slew of areas. Obviously the Chinese intel knew something was up, and had more information about what was going on than what we have been led to believe. China killed the pandemic and stopped it right in it’s tracks.

    Imagine that!

    But that is only part of the story.

    Strange American behavior…

    While all this was going on, the American leadership started to act really strange.

    The claim that the US Covid-19 response demonstrates that the US can "tolerate casualties" is one of the most asinine statements I have ever read. All that it proves is that the US is shockingly incompetent. Incompetence is not generally viewed as a strength.
    
    Posted by: David | Nov 18 2020 21:55 utc | 33
    [1] Don’t you all think that it was weird that Donald Trump and the CDC would insist on no one wearing masks?

    [2] Don’t you think that it was really strange that he wanted groups of people to conjugate together? It’s almost like he wanted everyone to get sick.

    Wasn’t that strange?

    [3] Don’t you think this was strange when there were just terrible videos out of China? With people having seizures, dropping dead on the elevator, and collapsing when they took their children to school? With guys going into convulsions, and women passing out on buses, and little children being rushed to hospitals.

    [4] Yet, Donald Trump and the CDC told everyone to stop watching videos out of China (Tictok), and meet together and do not wear a mask.

    Don’t you think it was strange?

    Yes. Trump unleashed the COVID-19A all over America. And yes he also gave it to his allies in Europe precisely so that everyone would get the “safe” virus. He wanted everyone to be exposed to the “safe” virus. Notice how the Military Allies of the United States, all of them followed the Trump “ok to wear a mask” narrative.

    How nice of him…

    He wanted American-friendly nations to be immune. He wanted everyone to get the “safe” light virus COVID-19A. He wanted his allies to get immune by getting the “safe” virus, while his enemies got the bad and dangerous virus.

    He wanted Chinese-friendly nations to get the bad version of the virus COVID-19B.

    • America & Allies = Herd Immunity with “safe” COVID-19A
    • China & Enemies = Saturated with the dangerous COVID-19B
    Map of the strains of the COVID-19 and the likely transmission paths. This map describes eight viral variations. But you can easily see that COVID-19B, the very lethal and deadly version hit China hard. The "light" version, the COVID-19A hit America, and Donald Trump wanted everyone to get it to obtain herd immunity.
    Map of the strains of the COVID-19 and the likely transmission paths. This map describes eight viral variations. But you can easily see that COVID-19B, the very lethal and deadly version hit China hard. The “light” version, the COVID-19A hit America, and Donald Trump wanted everyone to get it to obtain herd immunity.

    SO what is going on today?

    Of course, you all can disagree. 
    
    [1] You can believe that China was "lucky", and America was "unlucky". 
    [2] And that all the coincidences surrounding this speculation is just coincidences and nothing more.
    [3] Bad location for the outbreak.
    [4] Bad timing of the outbreak.
    [5] Bad coincidence that the key attributes of COVID are all patented in the Untied States.
    
    Just coincidences...

    The entire time while China was under lock-down, people were dying, and the anti-China propaganda campaign was reaching a fever pitch, what was going on?

    Coronavirus StrainNations affectedR0
    Covid-19A (safe)USA and Allies0.1%
    Covid-19B (lethal)China, Iran, North Korea10-15 %

    But America is NOT that “Shining house of the hill”. It is not run by strong leadership, and skilled and talented workers. It is something else, and the idea that America can allow everyone to obtain “herd immunity” is a foolish play.

    0.1% of the population of the USA = 32.8 million people dead.

    And sure, this is nothing compared to what Trump expected to hit China…

    15% of the Chinese population = 195 million people dead.

    But China is not what the neocons thought, and neither is the United States. And what is raging around the world is nothing like what was initially intended. It has become something else…

    USA deaths (2DEC20) = 1,464,725 Deaths.
    China deaths (2DEC20) = 4,749 deaths.
    
    And, of course, no one in the USA wants to believe these numbers. As thy make Americans look like a bunch of stupid jerks. So they lie. They say that China lies, while all the time, the American news doesn't report the WHO real numbers.  
    
    The Drudge report is saying that only ...
    U.S. DEATHS: 270,003...
    
    Links;
    US Daily Deaths | The COVID Tracking Project
    USA Covid-19 Cases and Deaths Statistics (Update Live ...
    CDC COVID Data Tracker
    United States Coronavirus: 13,610,357 Cases and 272,254 ...

    And now, in America it is chaos. Everyone is scrambling and confused. Some believe that Trump is right. Get the COVID-19A “Safe” it will be just a minor cold. The flu is far worse. While others are watching people die, and collapse. They think that Trump is an idiot Protests are going on. Shootings, and disruptions in food supply. People are unemployed and people are disobeying the need to self-isolate.

    But it’s not just that…

    The Chinese are avoiding fighting.

    That is America's strength. The United States is used to creating the "playing field" where they define the players, the place, the rules of engagement, and the terms of success. America is used to selecting the place. America is used to selecting the time. America is used to selecting the weapons. America is used to selecting the battles.

    China does not play that game.

    So China is redefining the narrative, and performing a “run around” all of the neocon’s efforts.

    Like this for the “pro-democracy” riots by the CIA/NED…

    (this) just came in on Whatsapp from a chauvinistic Chinese friend. 
    
    Does this also mark the end of Deng's 8 Coastal SEZs? 
    
    https://youtu.be/zcY3er58aRA
    
    This video conveys the news: *SEPARATE FOREVER* : HONG KONG 
    
    China has just announced that Hainan Island which is 35x larger than Hong Kong will be established as the new largest Free Trade/Free Tax centre to replace Hong Kong.
    
    The Chinese leadership used the Hong Kong riots which lasted for months, made Hong Kong no longer prosperous. They intend to let it be collapse, and replaced with: Shenzhen from the North and Hainan in the South.
    
    The special area of ​​Hong Kong was removed. It is now only a city from the Guangdong Province.
    
    Eventually, all foreign intelligence services will disband automatically, America and Britain will be confused, all their efforts have been in vain and wasted.
    
    ...
    
    Strategic! Hong Kong status will be diminished from special to just a city of China and replaced by Hainan 🇨🇳🇭🇰
    
    China is still keen to emulate Singapore which is cited in this video 

    Today, the NED / NID agents have been rounded up and interrogated. Here’s a particularity interesting take-down of a CIA agent…

    https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5lcA5Huc8PiGYPb0pWE47w

    All the protests, the violence, the riots and everything all stopped. How?

    • Anyone who cashes out the money dished out by the NED/NID for any reason has their Social Security balance zeroed out….forever!
    • Anyone arrested, caught on video or associated with the protest in any way have their social standing reduced to “black level”. They cannot buy plane tickets, use public transportation, or use banks. Schooling might be forbidden for their children, and all legal activity relating to normal day-to-day transactions will have to be done in-person in the office, not using APPs.
    • All HK protestors in HK are now being moved to Chinese mainland prisons for “punishment labors” and “organ harvesting”.

    Yes. We are in World War III

    Today the world is wracked with three strains of a bio-weapon designed, concocted in America and unleashed by the neocons in the Trump administration.

    • COVID-19A – Safe. Designed to grant immunity to Americans.
    • COVID-19B – Lethal designed to kill Chinese.
    • COVID-19C – A variation of B, designed to target Iran and North Korea.

    And now…

    • COVID-19A Lethal

    Oh, and by the way. none of the viruses in the COVID-19 family grants immunity. Once you get a mild strain, you are more prone to get a more dangerous strain.

    The world is FUCKED.

    It is FUBAR

    And so, it’s all a complete FUBAR. Yup. That’s just exactly how and why you know that it is an American military operation. Name one American military operation that was not FUBAR. Name one!

    Military slang from WWII, fubar is an acronym for "fucked up beyond all recognition ". " the house was completely fubar."
    
    -Urban Dictionary: fubar

    It’s a military operation. That is for certain.

    No it is not yet “hot”, but it sure is “warm”. People are dying and more people have died so far in America that during the Vietnam war. Just because nuclear weapons are not yet in play does not mean that it is not going to happen.

    China realizes this.

    Here's China's unofficial response via this Global Times editorial. I wish I could reproduce the art at the editorial's header as it's very spot-on:
    
    "There is no new wording in the report, which can be seen as a collection of malicious remarks from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other anti-China US politicians and senators. Right now, only a little more than 60 days are left for the current US administration. An official from the State Department explained that the report is not meant to constrain the next US administration.
    
    But the fact is the Department of State fears that the Biden administration will adjust US-China relations, and the release of the report is part of their efforts to consolidate the current extreme anti-China path.
    
    "But most Chinese scholars who have read the report believe it is an insult to Kennan by labeling the report as Kennan-style. Kennan, then US charge d'affaires in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word telegram to the Department of State detailing his views on the Soviet Union. At least, there was no special political motive in Kennan's report. But the latest report is trying to leave a legacy for the extreme anti-China policy adopted by the Trump administration and fawning on Pompeo, which is evil in essence.
    
    "The impulsive and capricious governing style of Donald Trump leaves sufficient room for politicians like Pompeo to give free play to their ambitions. The Department of State has become the governmental organ that has the most serious clashes with China, outperforming the CIA and the Department of Defense.
    
    "Diplomats are supposed to be communicators, but Pompeo and his team have chilled the communication atmosphere with China. In the China direction, today's US Department of State can close its door.
    
    "Surrounded by such deep hostility and prejudice toward China and the wild ambition of the secretary of state, how could the Department of State's Office of Policy Planning make out anything objective about China? Their observation ability, cautious attitude toward research, and sense of responsibility for history have been severely squeezed. They are just currying favor from their seniors and manipulating extreme paths, pretending to be 'thoughtful....'
    
    "Chinese diplomatic and academic circles look down upon the Pompeo team, which lacks professionalism, and acts like a group of gangsters suddenly taking official positions. They not only have messed things up, but also hope to build their nonsense as legacy. Pompeo's choice of opportunists like Miles Yu as advisor in particular has increased Chinese people's doubts over the 'amateurism' and 'immorality' of the Pompeo team's China policy....
    
    "The US' China policy is very much like 'drunk driving' internally while on the international stage it's like sailing against the current." [My Emphasis]
    
    There's not much more to add aside for asking barflies to read the entire editorial.
    
    Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 18 2020 20:12 utc | 13

    Neocons view war as necessary

    These neocons do not give up. They have a near religious vision of the world where America controls everything and everyone. Where American law is obeyed everywhere and where “American greatness” defines the human race.

    Many of Trump's followers view his role as near religious. They believe that God and Jesus are blessing all of his actions and that he can do no wrong.
    Many of Trump’s followers view his role as near religious. They believe that God and Jesus are blessing all of his actions and that he can do no wrong.

    Heck!

    They even made a coin to commemorate this event, or at least to keep the Wuhan bat-eating Chinese narrative alive.

    • What? You don’t think that this is all part of a long-term, well-thought-out plan? Something that has been on-going for years. (At least one year to design and produce a new coin, with 2.5 years being the norm.)
    • What? You don’t think that a narcissist like Trump wouldn’t create some type of monument or edifice to record his glories? Like a “special coin”?

    What can I say?

    The coincidences in America during this period of COVID-19 coronavirus are astounding!
As I have mentioned before, the various world-lines are all interconnected with rapid trans-reality communication. This leads to some odd and strange phenomena.  Nothing is more poignant than when it is associated with a global situation or catastrophe. As is the case with the COVID-19, coronavirus.

    .

    Do you think that this entire bio-weapons attack was not planned and unleashed upon China as part of a long-term plan?

    Donald Trump has a coin collection of all of his battles. Check it out, and guess which coin has been recently added to this collection?

    Can you possibly be serious?

    The signs are everywhere. Just little drips and drabs by the spooks involved in this activity. Check out this vehicle that was abandoned in the parking lot of an Airport in Australia BEFORE the CNY eve outbreak.

    This vehicle was abandoned (who abandons a BMW?) in an Australian parking lot BEFORE the Coronavirus is officially named as “COVID-19”.

    Just another coincidence

    Vehicle abandoned in an Australian parking lot BEFORE the COVID-19 outbreak in China on Chinese CNY. Remember, that it takes a minimum of six months to make a custom license plate in Australia.
    Vehicle abandoned in an Australian parking lot BEFORE the COVID-19 outbreak in China on Chinese CNY. Remember, that it takes a minimum of six months to make a custom license plate in Australia. COVID-19 wasn’t even officially named that until after March 2020.

    .

    The time-table is still in play.

    The Time Table is still active.

    Even though things are not going well in America now, the time-table for the grand plan is still alive and active. Some of the things, taken alone are meaningless. But taken as a whole in it’s entirety, show a very dangerous picture of events.

    • Trump, right on schedule, declared himself a “war President”.
    • Right on schedule sent two complete invasion carrier groups to the South China Sea.
    • Right on schedule, military leadership teams went into underground secure facilities.
    • Right on schedule, “low yield field nuclear weapons” were placed on military forces in the South Pacific.
    • Right on schedule, Australia military is working with American military “advisers”.
    • Right on schedule, Trump put Americans on notice to leave China and return to the USA.
    • Right on Schedule, all air travel between China and the USA came to an end.
    • Right on Schedule, demands for seizing Chinese assets and defaulting on Chinese loans.
    • Trump made “arrangements” for a transition of power if he were to lose the election. I have no idea what that means, but if the players like Pompeo are still in office, then that means that the situation will only get worse. They will continue their plans.
    • Right on schedule, FIVE complete carrier battle groups were repositioned in the North Pacific for “exercises”.
    • Right on schedule, TWO additional complete carrier battle groups are in transit to the South China Sea.
    • Right on schedule, the UK is going to add their carrier battle group to the American carrier groups in the South China Sea.

    All of this is worrisome.

    Eight (8x) carrier battle groups are hanging out all around China.

    Each carrier group with two carrier. A large and a "small" carrier.  Three in the south China Sea (one British) and five near Guam. Each group has it's own attachment of Marine assault forces and landing craft.

    Nothing good can come of this.

    Expect some “heat”

    I expect things to go “hot” sometime between 2020 and 2023. And when I mean “hot”, I mean a shooting war with America making the first action. It would be some structured military action against either China or Russia, and it involving “safe” low-yield nuclear weapons.

    And…

    And, China responding… to an exceptionally vulnerable America, upon America soil.

    Don't ever mistakenly believe that this event will be limited to the South China Sea. It won't. Any military action against China will result in military action against Americans inside of America.
    
    To think otherwise is wishful thinking and a rookie mistake.

    America is really fragile. If you think it’s a mess now, imagine what global thermonuclear war would be like…

    • A nuclear strike on Mono Lake will render all of California into a radioactive dry desert wasteland for centuries.
    • A nuclear strike on New York City would destroy all of American industry as all of the “big” American companies are “public” and listed on the stock exchange. Wipe out the stock exchange, and you create a situation where no one can get paid. Companies all over America will collapse.
    • A nation where it’s every man for himself, and where over half the population has guns cannot be considered to unify under a national emergency. COVID-19 taught us that.

    This is for certain if Trump gets a second term of office.

    A slightly better situation is that he is out of office and a new President takes over. Still, the situation is still in play and many things are set in motions that cannot be stopped…

    In any event…

    I also predict that it will not go as any one expects, and that America will be devastated, the globe would we completely turned on it’s head, and both America and China would suffer.

    • America, a nation that never experienced a “real” war on it’s soil, would be reduced to a balkanized nightmare similar to modern day Yemen, only without potable water, and reliable sources of electricity.
    • China, long used to war, strife, and conflict for the last 5000 years, would simply dust themselves off and rebuild all over again.

    Those nations that picked the wrong nation to align itself with would face similar hardships. Which is why I strongly advocate 100% neutrality in Geo-political efforts. If a nation is adjacent to one of the two powers, their smartest move would be to align with their closest neighbor.

    Let’s hope that this prediction does not transpire.

    Other opinions

    Or, I could just have an over active imagination. Right?

    To paraphrase some of the responses I have read…

    Everyone knows that America would never even contemplate such a thing. NEVER. After all, it’s currently fighting eight wars, has 800 military bases and 14 carrier battle groups. America is way too busy to devote time and effort to fighting China. Why fight China when it’s much easier to fight in Somalia, Yemen and Syria?

    And Trump and his advisors are fine God-fearing folk.  Trump holds “prayer meetings” in the Oval Office. With a God-fearing leader, Pompeo and Bolton would never advocate a war against China. The idea that a neocon wants war is well…silly.

    There is no such thing as The Thucydides Trap. It’s historical gibberish.

    Trump wants a fair trade arrangement where everyone wins, and the Chinese are just evil, bad and eat bat soup. They are filthy foul liars. They steal and are the scourge of the planet.

    Right?

    And there was an article from the BBC talking about stripping China of it’s Sovereign immunity because of the COVID-19, and we have this response.

    With my personal duty out of the way of attacking the trolls and hopefully driving them back under the bridges from whence they came, I would like to ask if there is any way to "strip a country of its sovereign immunity" without a war? 
    
    I mean, isn't that the whole point of wars? To eliminate or protect a nation's sovereignty? Isn't trying to eliminate another country's sovereignty by just passing a law kinda like trying to simplify math by passing a law to make π=3 ? If you want your sovereignty-stripping law to have any meaning, then you have to enforce it, and that enforcement will look a whole lot like a war, regardless of what you want to call it.
    
    Unlike Americans the Chinese are not stupid. They have long known of the approach of the obligatory scene of the Thucydides Trap and have been preparing for it as best they can (which happens to be some quite good preparations).
    
    ... 
    
    I'll let the empire's trolls in on a little secret: The Chinese can lose every single ship they send to the "Battle of the Xisha Islands" and still win the war. That's because industrial capacity is important in a major war.
    
    -Posted by: William Gruff | May 1 2020 15:48 utc | 33

    It’s like a baseball game…

    Yes, the USA can take their itemized list, and pencil off the playing field. And China will sway in the wind for a while. But you know what?

    China owns the ball the bat, the gloves, the players, the field, the dugouts, and the fencing. While the USA is so proud to have control over the score, it will be China that will control the game. And no wishful thinking is going to change the reality that you need people, factories and skills to make things.

    • Wall street does not make anything.
    • Diversity Officers do not create, build, repair, or structure things.
    • Lawyers and bankers do not put food on tables.
    • Bureaucrats do not provide public transportation, or hospital care.

    Thinking that you are accomplishing something by writing about it, comparing it in a spreadsheet, or endlessly debating it on social media is meaningless in the overall scheme of things. Real productive nations make physical things.

    And China…

    Hate it or love it, is a nation that makes and creates, and builds things. The United States, is a nation that destroys things, then indexes and categorizes the destruction.

    The future of the entire world belongs to the builders. Not the destroyers.


    Update – 12MAY20

    Apparently, since America launched the bio-weapon attack on the Chinese New Year Holiday, and China was forced to go into DEFCON ONE, it has stayed at that state or military readiness.

    There is no evidence that the Chinese military has “stood down” or relaxed their defensive posture.

    As such, Chinese high-yield nuclear weapons (SLBM with MIRV warheads) have been positioned all around the United States and ready to strike back were any additional neocon military “events” were to take place. This is reasonable. What is unreasonable is to think that China would not take any subsequent action.

    Which brings me to this report…

    "Reports coming in from some of my former colleagues during my years with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force indicate the US Military is concerned there may be a submerged Chinese missile submarine directly off the coast of San Diego, CA as of abut 4:00 PM eastern US time, Monday, May 11."
    
    -Hall Turner

    Ya don’t think?

    Gosh, how stupid can these people be?

    If you launch a WMD (Weapon of Mass Destruction) against a major power (COVID-19B Lethal), you can most certainly expect them to react. Or do you believe that they are political idiots with the brain of a snail? Do you think that they will continue to just “take the hits”? Do you think that they will go “protest” at the UN?

    Update – 13MAY20

    Messages are being sent to Trump.

    China fires its latest underwater nuclear missile into spotlight with science prize. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force is developing its third-generation SLBM JL-3, with a range of over 12,000km (7,450 miles), which would allow it to hit the United States if the missile were launched from the Chinese coast. https://lnkd.in/gE4MG7F

    Update – 23MAY20

    Trump is not listening to the messages though.

    The Trump administration has discussed whether to conduct the first U.S. nuclear test explosion since 1992 in a move that would have far-reaching consequences for relations with other nuclear powers and reverse a decades-long moratorium on such actions, said a senior administration official and two former officials familiar with the deliberations.

    Ai! It's like a bratty snot-nosed kid playing around with a loaded gun.

    Update 25MAY20

    And Trump is being obstinate about all this.

    Navy Sends Subs to Sea as Message to China

    The US Navy has mobilized it’s attack subs against China. I guess the four lone “boomer” subs are too much of a threat.

    The Pacific Fleet Submarine Force took the unusual step this month of announcing that all of its forward-deployed subs were simultaneously conducting "contingency response operations " at sea in the Western Pacific--downplaying the notion that Navy forces have been hampered by COVID-19.
    
    The sub force said the missions were mounted in support of the Pentagon's "free and open Indo-Pacific " policy aimed at countering China's expansionism in the South China Sea.
    
    At least seven submarines, and likely more--including all four Guam-based attack submarines, the San Diego-based USS Alexandria and multiple Hawaii-based vessels--are part of the effort.
    
    The action also highlights the Pentagon's desire to be flexible and unpredictable in "great power " competition with China and Russia.
    "Our operations are a demonstration of our willingness to defend our interests and freedoms under international law, " Rear Adm. Blake Converse, Pacific sub force commander, who is based at Pearl Harbor, said in a May 8 release.
    
    Attack submarines maintain an outsize stealth capability to sink ships with torpedoes, fire Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert surveillance while keeping adversaries guessing their location.
    
    The Navy recently has maintained a flotilla of warships in the Western Pacific as a show of force and proof that COVID-19 hasn't significantly degraded its capabilities, with the United States and China long trading barbs over military activities in the South China Sea and increasingly so over each other's pandemic response.
    
    China has been accused of intensifying its occupation of man-made islands and bullying other nations in the region while much of the world has been focused on the pandemic.
    
    Geopolitical intelligence platform Stratfor said that the U.S. and China have maintained a "robust operational pace in the South China Sea " amid heightening tensions and COVID-19--signs that point to continued escalation after the virus wanes.
    
    When the Navy advertises the presence of its usually unseen submarines, it's often to make a point with an adversary. The Navy released a photo of the Los Angeles-class sub Alexandria transiting Apra Harbor in Guam on May 5.
    
    As the U.S. military addresses COVID-19 at home, "we remain focused on our national security missions around the world, " Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the same day.
    
    "Many countries have turned inward to recover from the pandemic, and in the meantime our strategic competitors are attempting to exploit this crisis to their benefit at the expense of others, " Esper said.
    He accused the Chinese Communist Party of ramping up a "disinformation campaign " to shift blame for the virus and burnish its image. All the while, "we continue to see aggressive behavior by the PLA (People's Liberation Army ) in the South China Sea, from threatening a Philippine navy ship to sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat and intimidating other nations from engaging in offshore oil and gas development."
    
    Esper said two Navy ships conducted freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea the week before "to send a clear message to Beijing that we continue to protect freedom of navigation and commerce for all nations large and small."
    
    The guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill conducted a "FONOP " in the Spratly Islands, and the destroyer USS Barry sailed twice through the Taiwan Strait and through the Paracel Islands in disputed territory that China claims as its own.
    
    "These provocative acts by the U.S. side ... have seriously violated China's sovereignty and security interests, deliberately increased regional security risks and could easily trigger an unexpected incident, " the South China Morning Post quoted a Chinese military command saying after the Barry's Paracel passage.
    
    The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has been sidelined in Guam since late March after experiencing an outbreak of the new coronavirus among its 4, 800-member crew.
    
    U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor has been quick to note the ongoing deployment of other assets in the region, including transits of the South China Sea by the littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords, the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta sailing in the East China Sea and the destroyer USS McCampbell passing through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday.

    These are not to be viewed as a threat to the Chinese navy. Instead they are a threat to any one that ships products from China. This threat is that the United States will start sinking all cargo and container traffic out of China. As (until the BRI is completed) the entire world relies on Chinese sea container shipments.

    Update June 2020

    China has sped up it’s production of nuclear launcher subs, and has greatly increased it’s production of hyper-velocity missiles.

    China Just Added Two New Nuclear Missile Submarines to Its …

    2020-6-8 · They are also armed with Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles, wire-guided and wake-homing torpedoes and mines. Perhaps of greater concern, the Chinese have already test-fired an emerging JL-3 nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile with a reported range of more that 5,600 miles, according to a 2018 CSIS report. The missile is solid fueled.

    Update 18JUL20

    Now the Trump White-house is pushing the “America is invincible narrative”.

    American media are telling the world that Aircraft carriers are unsinkable, and that America with British support is going to “kick some ass” and “teach China a lesson”…

    That America has every right to perform “exercises” off the coast of China…

    And that China is no match for the superiority of American military…

    The sad thing is that Trump and Pompeo has purposely ignored internal voices warning that China has achieved peer-level capabilities and that the American military (while enormous) has greatly eroded in capability since the cold war. They warn that China is not someone that you casually attack and not expect some painful retribution.

    China is a serious, serious nation that does not play.
    China is a serious, serious nation that does not play.

    Update 25JUL20

    Trump STEPS UP the “game”.

    Pompeo makes a speech that pretty much says that everything that America did to suppress China did not work. That the old techniques must end, and a series of “new” techniques must begin.

    Overall, most of the world, doesn’t feel very comforted by the Pompeo speech.

    RTop/ed analysis of Pompeo's China containment policy plan, "The Elements of the China Challenge”:
    
    "Although it is hardly atypical of the President Trump administration, the document is significant because it represents yet another attempt by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to immortalize his Cold War confrontation between the US and China, bind the succeeding administration to it and most strikingly, institutionalize anti-Beijing ideas into American bureaucracy.
    
    "The push against China by the Trump White House is not designed to be a passing phase, but a permanent and defining change of direction, for which this entire term in office has sought to prepare. 
    
    This document aims to be a blueprint for long-term ideological struggle and a series of aspirations for maintaining hegemony, an affirmation of priority and a statement that things cannot “go back to normal”. But it makes no guarantee that the US can ever adequately understand China, or that it will succeed in its aims.
    
    "The reference to George F. Kennan in pitching this document is appealing given the historical parallels, but it is not an exact fit and this, in turn, helps shine a light on Pompeo’s own ignorance of China. It might be described in one simple sentence: China is not the Soviet Union and the ideological stakes are not quite the same." [Emphasis Original]
    
    While I'd agree that differences in ideology exist between China and the Outlaw US Empire, it is the Empire that's constructed upon and is living the Big Lie inherent within Neoliberalism, while China continues to perfect its already very efficient system of Collective Libertarianism through its revamped Democratic Centralism. The really big fundamental difference is that China has absolutely no need to lie to its people, whereas the exact opposite's true within the Neoliberal West. 
    
    After a lengthy period of public input, the government meets and eventually publishes its 5-year plan of development, which is contained within an even larger plan that's also been devised with public input and once put together is also published for public consumption. And since 2010, all plans have existed within China's UN 2030 Development plan, which is also available to the public. 
    
    In a great many respects. China is a more open society than the Outlaw US Empire. Why? Because it doesn't need to lie to its citizens because it fights against the corruption that provides the reason for such lies--China has no Financial Parasitism it must mask from its citizens whereas the Outlaw US Empire is drowning in a massive sea of corruption that is killing it. Clearly, Pompeo wants that to continue.
    
    Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 18 2020 19:59 utc | 7

    Further, delusional State Department policy planning paper sees the light.

    The Elements of the China Challenge (pdf)

    Axios calls it a “Kennan-style paper”. In 1946 George Kennan, then Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States to the USSR, wrote his ‘Long Telegram’ that defined U.S. Cold War policy towards the Soviet Union for the next decades. And we all know how that worked out.

    But the China paper which the State Department published is not comparable to the ‘Long Telegram’. It is a propaganda piece that reflects the naive views of the outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompous.

    Pompous’ premise is that the Chinese people hate the Communist Party of China that runs the country and that China is not a democracy. But that is not what the people of China believe:

    Charted below are the survey results from 20 countries, and they illustrate some startling beliefs — not least that 73% of Chinese consider China to be democratic, whereas only 49% of Americans believe the same about the U.S.

    Read this thread to find out why that is the case:

    ShanghaiPanda @thinking_panda – 9:24 UTC · Sep 15, 2020

    On twitter, as a Chinese, the most frequently asked question for me is, why don't you oppose the CPC? Why don't Chinese support western style democracy? Why do Chinese people support President Xi, who has no votes? Now, I'm going to tell them why.(1/N)

    Also this one.

    The recommendations of the State Department paper listed by Axios are not practical steps but pure ideology:

    The blueprint: The paper lays out “ten tasks” for the U.S. to accomplish.

    1. Promoting constitutional government and civil society at home.
    2. Maintaining the world’s strongest military.
    3. Fortifying the rules-based international order.
    4. Reevaluating its alliance system.
    5. Strengthening its alliance system and creating new international organizations to promote democracy and human rights.
    6. Cooperating with China when possible and constraining Beijing when appropriate.
    7. Educating Americans about the China challenge.
    8. Train a new generation of public servants who understand great-power competition with China.
    9. Reforming the U.S. education system to help students understand the responsibility of citizenship in a complex information age.
    10. Championing the principles of freedom in word and in deed.

    Note especially the points 7 to 10.

    They have nothing to do with China. They call for domestic propaganda, more domestic propaganda and even more domestic propaganda. How brainwashing and stupidifying one’s own people is supposed to challenge China is beyond me.

    Update 17AUG20

    Military action on the South-West Tier of the BRI.

    The Port of Beirut poses the biggest geostrategic threat to American power projection because China’s Silk Road is fast creeping towards the docks at Beirut Port. The US, having recently forced Israel to cancel its Haifa rail contract with China, has dampened the Chinese advance in the eastern Mediterranean, and what remains now in the path of the US is the Beirut Port. The US must either invade it to block the Chinese geostrategic mission creep, or else destroy it.[MORE]

    Seems that Trump authorized the use of 6kt mini-nuke to destroy the port of Beirut. This was conducted by aircraft of the Israel Air Force, and they apparently used two missiles.

    • Gabriel anti ship missile.
    • Israeli Delilah missile carrying a 6kt mini-nuke.

    Radiation readings in Europe has confirmed that a nuclear warhead was used.

    Radiation detected from a nuclear explosion.
    Radiation detected from a nuclear explosion.

    Trump has admitted to participation and direction of this attack. But he did not confess to using nuclear weapons.

    This effort puts a immediate pause on the Chinese Belt and Road initiative with a port on the Mediterranean sea.

    Update 25AUG20

    Trump and Pompeo are pushing, pushing, pushing…

    China has gone from “Most Favored Trading Partner” status in 2016 under President Obama…

    … to an “Enemy of America” under trump in 2020. It’s a 180 degree turn in a global relationship.

    US lawmakers have introduced a bill to change the way the federal government refers to the leader of China. 
    
    The ‘Name the Enemy Act’ would require that official US government documents instead refer to the head of state according to his or her role as head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This implies the new bill stands to prohibit the use of the term “president”.
    
    -President No More? US Moves to Ban Chinese Leader Xi Jinping’s Title

    And China, being what it is, is not blind to what is going on…

    Here are some of the key points.
    
    1. On the trade war front, Beijing won’t shut down US businesses already operating in China. But companies which want to enter the market in finance, information technology, healthcare and education services will not be approved.
    
    2. Beijing won’t dump all its overwhelming mass of US Treasuries in one go, but – as it already happens – divestment will accelerate. Last year, that amounted to $100 billion. Up to the end of 2020, that could reach $300 billion.
    
    3. The internationalization of the yuan, also predictably, will be accelerated. That will include configuring the final parameters for clearing US dollars through the CHIPS Chinese system – foreseeing the incandescent possibility Beijing might be cut off from SWIFT by the Trump administration or whoever will be in power at the White House after January 2021.
    
    4. On what is largely interpreted across China as the “full spectrum war” front, mostly Hybrid War, the PLA has been put into Stage 3 alert – and all leaves are canceled for the rest of 2020. There will be a concerted drive to increase all-round defense spending to 4% of GDP and accelerate the development of nuclear weapons. Details are bound to emerge during the Central Committee meeting in October.
    
    5. The overall emphasis is on a very Chinese spirit of self-reliance, and building what can be defined as a national economic “dual circulation” system: the consolidation of the Eurasian integration project running in parallel to a global yuan settlement mechanism.
    
    Inbuilt in this drive is what has been described as “to firmly abandon all illusions about the United States and conduct war mobilization with our people. We shall vigorously promote the war to resist US aggression (…) We will use a war mindset to steer the national economy (…) Prepare for the complete interruption of relations with the US.”
    
    It’s unclear as it stands if these are only trial balloons disseminated across Chinese public opinion or decisions reached at the “invisible” Beidaihe. So all eyes will be on what kind of language this alarming configuration will be packaged when the Central Committee presents its strategic planning in October. Significantly, that will happen only a few weeks before the US election.
    
    It’s all about continuity
    
    All of the above somewhat mirrors a recent debate in Amsterdam on what constitutes the Chinese “threat” to the West. Here are the key points.
    
    1. China constantly reinforces its hybrid economic model – which is an absolute rarity, globally: neither totally publicly owned nor a market economy.
    
    2. The level of patriotism is staggering: once the Chinese face a foreign enemy, 1.4 billion people act as one.
    
    3. National mechanisms have tremendous force: absolutely nothing blocks the full use of China’s financial, material and manpower resources once a policy is set.
    
    4. China has set up the most comprehensive, back to back industrial system on the planet, without foreign interference if need be (well, there’s always the matter of semiconductors to Huawei to be solved).
    
    China plans not only in years, but in decades. Five year plans are complemented by ten year plans and as the meeting chaired by Xi showed, 15 year plans. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is in fact a nearly 40-year plan, designed in 2013 to be completed in 2049.
    
    And continuity is the name of the game – when one thinks that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, first developed in 1949 and then expanded by Zhou Enlai at the Bandung conference in 1955 are set in stone as China’s foreign policy guidelines.
    
    -China: everything proceeding according to plan

    You all can buy all the guns and ammo you want. You can read all the social media that you are able to. You can stock up on food and toilet paper…

    … but you are wasting your time unless you invest in iodine pills, and Geiger counters. Any attack on either Russia or China will result in almost all American cities destroyed in large, enormous nuclear explosions.

    Update 26AUG20

    China launches four of it’s “Aircraft Carrier Killer Missiles” into the South China Sea. DoD can confirm that the Chinese military launched four medium-range missiles Wednesday from mainland China,” a defense official said.”The missiles impacted in the South China Sea between Hainan Island and the Paracel Islands,” the official added. “The launch appears to have been part of a previously announced exercise.”

    Update 3SEP20

    A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Wednesday 2SEP20 at 12:03 a.m. The test launch used an unarmed missile that traveled over 4,000 miles, at a speed of more than 15,000 mph.

    9SEP20 Update

    Apparently, the China Government agrees with my appraisal. From a message group that I belong to…

    Chinese propaganda getting good. Unlike West propaganda, Chinese includes evidence. exactly consistent with Uriah Heep's version. 
    
    Thanks Jeff, but Kevin it may be a conspiracy that Heep told it in real time and official docu youtubed 8 months later.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEo3qk-4yx8

    Head’s up. I’m Uriah Heep and that is my interview that they are talking about.

    10SEP20

    On September 19, 2020, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) published the Provisions on the Unreliable Entity List. That was one day after the U.S. Commerce Department announced its ban on American users downloading the Chinese app WeChat and video-sharing app TikTok.

    This article takes corresponding measures against the following actions of FOREIGN ENTITIES:

    1) Endanger China’s national sovereignty security, or development interests
    2) Violating the principles of normal market transactions, interrupting normal transactions with Chinese entities, or adopting discriminatory measures against Chinese entities, seriously damaging the legal rights of the entity.

    3OCT20 Update.

    After an entire year in blaming China for the coronavirus. Donald Trump (after a very bad public debate with his election opponent) announced that he has the COVID-19. And was flown to a hospital within a thirty minute drive of Fort Detrick (the presumptive point of origin of the COVID-19 and all American bio-weapons programs).

    Minutes before the announcement, American “doomsday planes” were launched. As they control communication with the SLBM MIRV’ s that are housed in the “boomer” submarines around the world.

    A look at the bigger picture is in order. Forget about all the “details”. Just name another President (any President) that [1] not only sent three assault carrier groups to the Chinese coast (with a total of five aircraft carriers), [2] launched a series of viral attacks simultaneously with [3] a hysterically-active anti-China propaganda campaign, and [4] went after Chinese industry to the extent that he did, [5] only to have nuclear ships, subs, planes, and ICBMs on active on-call status.

    Name one.

    If this is not a preparation for a full-scale nuclear war, I do not know what is.

    12 OCT 20 Update.

    It appears that President Trump might not win reelection. And as a result (I assume) there has been a flood of articles that basically state that no matter who wins the 2020 election, the American foreign policy will not change. It’s a dominant narrative leading up to the election date.

    “Biden will continue the Anti-China policies of Trump.”

    Imagine that!

    A typical screen capture.
    NIKKEI is a 100% American State Department media outlet designed to manipulation discourse in the Asian-Pacific Rim. It is down line from Mike Pompeo.

    .

    Seriously! This is absurd!

    Yet, why all the articles? Really?

    The latest article from the Moon Over Alabama is a piece titled “U.S. Elections Do Not Change Its Foreign Policies”. It’s part of a nine week long period of articles that pretty much posits that the hybrid-war with China will continue whether Trump is in Office or Biden. The articles argue the same points made by others. Over and over. It’s all a rehash.

    Screen Shot.
    Screen Shot.

    The MoA is perhaps the most logical. But all in all they are just nonsense. And they actually are NONSENSE. These articles assume a third grade reading comprehension, with a knowledge of recent history that evaporates within months.

    Listen up boys and girls…

    Elections DO change American Foreign Policy.

    Under Bush, and Obama China has “Most Favored Nation Status”. Today, the status with China is “Enemy” (especially considering the names of the bills being pushed through congress. Namely the “Name the Enemy act”.)

    That’s a pretty big change. I would say. Wouldn’t you? 

    But according to all the articles… “American foreign policy does not change when the presidency changes”. Yet, when Trump was elected the Foreign Polices all changed drastically. In fact, NOT ONE SINGLE POLICY stayed the same.

    So…

    … what is the true and real purpose of this nonsense?

    To convince people that nothing is going to change if Biden is elected? When the fact and truth is the exact opposite. As we used to say in the States “Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining.” 

    My points. 

    • [1] This entire premise is a big bunch of nonsense.
    • [2] This premise is being promoted in all of the media; mainstream, alt-right, alt-left.
    • [3] Our most treasured sources for alternative journalism have been tainted and corrupted to a point where they too, now regurgitate the ‘approved” government narratives. 

    Think!

    Think people!

    So for a fun exercise, can anyone tell me which foreign polices that Trump DID NOT CHANGE. As to provide some validity to this onslaught narrative? Because if all of these articles are correct, then there must be evidence to base it all on. So, what policies did President Trump leave intact?

    The answer is; NONE. He tore up of every single policy that Biden and Obama worked together on. Those that the did not tear up, he openly flaunted and violated. But now, amazingly, Biden is going to embrace the Trump neocon methodology?

    Give me a break!

    https://www.moonofalabama.org/2020/10/why-us-elections-do-not-change-its-foreign-policies.html#comments

    • Remember boys and girls, what’s the purpose of having a “democracy” if you cannot change the leadership when you are unhappy with their policies?
    • What’s the point if both political parties have the same point of view and the same policies?
    • What kind of government do you have then?

    Here’s a infographic showing the differences in the two political parties.

    The differences in the two political parties.

    Tracking this narrative on my LinkedIN account pretty much indicates that the (American government) ‘Bot’s are promoting this narrative. The exact same venues that had the ‘bot attacks on China all throughout 2020.

    • That Biden would embraced Donald Trump anti-China stance and policies.
    • That Biden did not care that Trump tore up every one of the polices and treaties that he developed in the previous 8 years of the Obama administration.
    • That there are no changes in policy during an election. That democracies do not change polices and elections have no no effect in policy changes.

    I cannot fully understand why the Trump Administration is promoting this narrative right now before the election, unless [1] it expects to lose, and [2] is trying to create a “fall-back position” where the neocons can argue that…

    "Biden MUST continue the Trump anti-China policies as it was what the American people expect."

    Never the less, the 2020 election will see drastic changes away from the Trump Administration neocon “war Hawk” ultimatums, to a much more balanced and cooperative foreign policy. The Republican party are “war hawks”, with a very small and dangerous group known as neocons that LIVE FOR WAR, and that is who is running the Trump White House. The Democrat party are “doves” that seek consensus and agreements. To believe that somehow Trump’s neocon administration has fundamentally changed the nature of American political discourse is delusional.

    After Trump withdrew from the World Health Organization — in protest of what he claim was a bias toward China — Biden this summer pledged to rejoin the U.N.'s health agency on his first day in office. Biden is a “globalist at heart,” wrote Natasha Kassam, a research fellow at Sydney’s Lowy Institute political think tank, in the Guardian.
    
    -MSN

    In truth, we can see that many (if not all) of the Trump Administration policies will end, be reversed or modified beyond recognition. All these stories out of the American media are partial and half-truths. Biden will need to deal with the Chinese situation. Primarily because Trump has made such a mess of things, and China is on the rise as a ascending power. Biden will need to sort out Americas role in this rise, for good or bad. But hopefully one that isn’t as contentious as Trumps has been.

    Such as indicated herein…

    Presidential candidate Joe Biden, were he to win the November election, would change U.S.-China policy, Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer said in a press briefing.
    
    -How a Biden Presidency Would Slowly Change U.S. Policy on ...

    And…

    Biden pledges to restore U.S. global leadership and reverse many of Trump’s foreign policy actions.
    
    -Where Biden and Trump stand on key issues

    And…

    Although transitions of power can always include abrupt changes, the shift from Trump to Biden - from one president who sought to undermine established norms and institutions to another who has vowed to restore the established order - will be among the most startling in American history.
    
    Biden's top advisers have spent months quietly working on how best to implement his agenda, with hundreds of transition officials preparing to get to work inside various federal agencies. They have assembled a book filled with his campaign commitments to help guide their early decisions.
    
    Biden is planning to set up a coronavirus task force on Monday, in recognition that the global pandemic will be the primary issue that he must confront. The task force, which could begin meeting within days, will be co-chaired by former surgeon general Vivek Murthy and David Kessler, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner.
    
    But there has also been a recognition of those around him that he may have to lean more on executive actions that he had once hoped. He can reorient various federal agencies and regulations, and he can adopt a different posture on the world stage.
    
    -CHRON

    Why?

    Because Trumps policies have been an unmitigated disaster.

    13OCT20 Update

    Fake anti-China ‘bots and accounts are being discovered, rooted out, and removed from industrial and career websites. This is from LinkedIN…

    Series of fake identities posting anti-China narratives throughout all of 2020.

    15OCT20 Update

    American “big data” are busy manipulating and massaging all data to make America look strong, powerful and healthy. This is being caught in bits and pieces, here and there. USA media will not cover it. I assume compliance.

    Well…

    This is obviously a fabrication. If this were true all the global stock markets would show signs of serious collapse. But they didn’t. So why is the data being revised backwards? The only thing that I can think of is to make America appear healthier than it actually is, economically.

    As far as I am concerned, all data from the United States and England are subject to the need for careful review. I cannot help but question it’s validity. And you shouldn’t either.

    Here’s another example, from the same source,…

    According to this, the United States is the best prepared. And China is just so-so prepared. This was written in 2020, but used 2019 data, while the United States was absolutely floundering from the COVID-19, and China was successfully returning to normal after it dealt with the pandemic.

    16OCT20 Update

    A second new virus (perhaps another) COVID has hit China, middle of October.

    It will probably be named COVID-20 in a few months. It is NOT a variation of COVID-19, as a “second wave”. It is a completely new, and completely different virus. By all reports it is much worse than COVID-19. More lethal. More contagious. More dangerous.

    It is being handled differently in different regions and provinces.

    Latest news in China is sudden lock downs of all restaurants and public venues starting last night at 10PM. This is for the tier one cities. This will be for a minimum of two weeks. Military is still on DEFCON ONE, of course, but the militia are notified to stand ready. 
    
    A different type of COVID is apparently breaking out in China. It is unlike the COVID-19, as it was a alpha genome, and this is a beta genome. What ever the fuck that means. I think it means pineapples and toasters. 
    
    It's not a modified staring of COVID-19 but instead a BRAND NEW virus.

    This NEW and UNUSUAL virus is apparently attacking both humans and pigs. It causes violent diarrhea and vomiting, and then your lungs fill up with fluid, it turns to cement and you die.

    • Middle of October 2020.
    • A totally new virus attacks China.

    Stand by. It’s too early to do anything about all this. All residences are in scanning mode. Masks are back on. Public establishments (in certain tier one cities) are shut down for two weeks. Military is still on alert. Militia are called on reserve status.

    • American media is clueless.

    17OCT20 Update

    From MoA. It discusses the fall-back positions (since the suppression of China) failed. Here, the concentration is on the QUAD alliance building. Which is nothing more than an Asian NATO like structure under the control of the US Military.

    U.S. Fails To Find Allies For Waging War On China
    
    The U.S. wants to counter China's growing economic and political standing in the world.
    
    The Obama administration had attempted a 'pivot to Asia' by building a low tariff economic zone via the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). It would have excluded China. The Trump administration rejected the TPP and withdrew from it. It launched an economic war against China by increasing tariffs on Chinese products, prohibiting high tech supplies to Chinese manufacturers, and by denying Chinese companies access to its market. 
    
    It has also tried to build a military coalition that would help it to threaten China. It revived the 2007-2008 Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and rebranded it as the U.S.-Australia-India-Japan Consultations Quad. The aim was to turn it into an Asian NATO under U.S. command:
    
    The U.S. State Department’s No. 2 diplomat said Monday that Washington was aiming to “formalize” growing strategic ties with India, Japan and Australia in a forum known as “the Quad” — a move experts say is implicitly designed to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. 
    
    “It is a reality that the Indo-Pacific region is actually lacking in strong multilateral structures. They don’t have anything of the fortitude of NATO, or the European Union,” 
    
    -U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said in an online seminar on the sidelines of the annual U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
    
    “There is certainly an invitation there at some point to formalize a structure like this,” he added.
    
    But it turns out that neither Australia nor Japan nor India have any interest in a hard stand towards China. All look to China as an important trade partner. They know that any conflict with it would cost them dearly.
    
    On October 6 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Tokyo for a meeting with the other foreign ministers of the Quad. He soon found that no one would join him in his militant talk:
    
    In a meeting with foreign ministers from Japan, India and Australia in Tokyo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged on Tuesday that they strengthen their quartet of democracies to resist an increasingly assertive China.
    
    ...
    
    If, as it appeared, Pompeo was pushing other members of the Quad to take the U.S. side in a confrontation with China, he did not score any ringing public endorsements, and his remarks clashed with those of his host. Pompeo aimed straight at the Chinese Communist Party in remarks before the four nations' top diplomats sat down to talk.
    
    "As partners in this Quad, it is more critical now than ever that we collaborate to protect our people and partners from the CCP's exploitation, corruption and coercion," he said.
    
    But Japan's chief government spokesman, Katsunobu Kato, insisted at a press briefing Tuesday: 
    
    "This Quad meeting is not being held with any particular country in mind."
    
    Australia and India were similarly reluctant to say anything that would potentially offend China.
    
    Pompeo's initiative has failed. 
    
    The former Indian ambassador M. K. Bhadrakumar explains why the Quad won't fly:
    
    China cannot be beaten since, unlike the USSR, it is part of the same global society as the US. Look at the sheer spread of the US-China battlefields — global governance, geoeconomics, trade, investment, finance, currency usage, supply chain management, technology standards and systems, scientific collaboration and so on. It speaks of China’s vast global reach. 
    
    This wasn’t the case with USSR. 
    
    Above all, China has no messianic ideology to export and prefers to set a model by virtue of its performance. It is not in the business of instigating regime change in other countries, and actually gets along rather well with democracies.
    
    ...
    
    The US created the ASEAN but today no Asian security partner wants to choose between America and China. The ASEAN cannot be repurposed to form a coalition to counter China. Thus, no claimant against China in the South China Sea is prepared to join the US in its naval fracas with China.
    
    China has resources, including money, to offer its partners, whereas, the US budget is in chronic deficit and even routine government operations must now be funded with debt. It needs to find resources needed to keep its human and physical infrastructure at levels competitive with those of China and other great economic powers.
    
    Why on earth should India get entangled in this messy affair whose climax is a foregone conclusion?
    
    ...
    
    China has no need to fight wars when it is already winning.
    
    The U.S. also tried to incite its European NATO allies to take a stand against China:
    
    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Saturday that China's increasing influence had created a "fundamental shift in the global balance of power" that should not be overlooked. In an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper, that was released in advance, the Norwegian official said that Beijing had the second-largest defense budget in the world after the United States, and was investing heavily in nuclear weapons and long-range missiles that could reach Europe.
    
    "One thing is clear: China is coming ever closer to Europe's doorstep," he said. "NATO allies must face this challenge together."
    
    That initiative will sink in Europe just as fast as the Quad initiative has sunk in Asia and for the very same reasons. China is not an ideological or military danger to Europe. It is an economic behemoth and relation with it need to be carefully handled. They require respect and talks and not saber rattling.
    
    China has overtaken the U.S. as the EU's biggest trading partner:
    
    In the first seven months of 2020, China surpassed the United States to become the biggest trading partner of the European Union (EU), said Eurostat, the EU's statistics organization.
    
    ...
    
    The EU's imports from China increased by 4.9 per cent year-on-year in the January-July period, noted Eurostat. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, the largest economy in the EU, China, Germany's biggest trading partner since 2016, surpassed the United States for the first time in the second quarter of this year to become Germany's largest export market, and Germany's exports to China in July have rebounded almost to last year's level.
    
    It is time for the U.S. to look into a mirror and to awake to reality. It is highly indebted country with a way too expensive but ineffective military. Over the last decades its economic role in the world has continuously declined. The constant militant positions and 'do as we say' attitude has alienated its allies. Without allies the U.S. has no chance to defeat China in any potential conflict.
    
    What the U.S. still could do is to honestly compete with China. But that would require humility, a strong industrial policy and a well paid and competitive work force.
    
    Neither of that is in sight.
    

    So…

    The fall-back position, for the fall-back position is to incite riots in Thailand via CIA sponsored NGO’s. Then seize control of the government, and allow American military to use their bases for staging locations in South East Asia.

    CIA is really pushing this NGO effort to destabilize Southern Asia as part of Pompeo “new way to deal with China” strategy. Nikkei is a “neocon publication” out of America. It is fully funded by the US State department and run by Mike Pompeo.

    China is Thailand’s largest and most important trading partner, its largest foreign direct investor, and its largest source of tourism with more Chinese tourists coming to Thailand each year than all Western nations combined.
    
    Thailand is also hosting one of the key routes of China’s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative with construction already ongoing for high-speed rail that will connect China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and eventually Singapore.
    Finally and perhaps most upsetting for the US is that Thailand has begun replacing its aging US military hardware through a series of major Thai-Chinese arms deals including the purchasing of main battle tanks, other armored vehicles, naval vessels including up to 3 submarines, and jointly-developed arms programs like the DTI-1 multiple rocket launcher system.
    
    Thailand has also recently replaced some of its US-built Blackhawk helicopters with Russian Mi-17V-5’s.
    To counter this, the US has mobilized opposition groups and NGOs it has funded in Thailand for years to now demand the current government step down and the nation’s constitution be rewritten, paving the way for US-backed billionaire-led opposition parties of Thaksin Shinawatra and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit into power. These are opposition parties that have long served US interests in the past and have explicitly promised to roll back Thai-Chinese relations should they take power again.
    
    US NED Was Behind Hong Kong’s Unrest, and Are Now Behind Thailand’s Unrest
    The US was indisputably behind the protests in Hong Kong with the political opposition and protest leaders confirmed to be recipients of US government cash via notorious regime change arm, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
    
    Many of the protest leaders literally flew to Washington DC or visited the US consulate in Hong Kong to receive aid, directives, and other forms of support.
    
    In Thailand too, virtually every aspect of the protests are funded by the US government.
    
    Worse still is that the US is attempting to stitch these various movements together to form a regional front against Beijing with Thai protest leaders regularly traveling to meet their US-funded counterparts in Hong Kong and Taiwan and vice versa while creating an online army with the help of US-based social media giants to stack public narratives in their favor.

    Neocons believe that war is justified as long as it guarantees that America can control the world. Thus, a neocon can see an “enemy” behind every bush, every action, and inside every cell phone APP.

    Historically, the original neocons were a small group of mostly Jewish liberal intellectuals who, in the 1960s and 70s, grew disenchanted with what they saw as the American reluctance to spend aggressively on the military. Many of these neocons worked in the 1970s for Democratic Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, a staunch anti-communist.

    Neocon is short for neoconservative, which adds the neo-, or “new,” prefix to conservative. Today, they stand within both American political parties. Arguing in favor of war, conflict and CIA intervention everywhere.

    One of the primary characteristics of neocons is the belief that America must rule the world, and maintain that rule by aggressive and free unencumbered use of military might.

    Mid-October Update

    Apparently, while the United States Navy was conducting “maneuvers” in the South China Sea, with the five carrier assault groups and Marine Landing / Attack forces, as well as with the entire British carrier fleet…

    …something else was happening simultaneously.

    Well reported in the mainstream press, but no one was putting “two plus two” together. These strange “tictac” shaped UFO’s started to appear and “move freely” all over American military bases inside of America. At THE SAME TIME as the American Navy was “probing the Chinese coastal defenses“.

    Whether they are “aliens” or not is a good question.

    One thing is for certain, and that is the technology involved in these craft are far up and above (perhaps centuries) more advanced than anything the United States has fielded. They can “pop” into existence out of no-where. They are immune to radar, and thermal signatures. They can accelerate to enormous speeds in a short period of time, and they are equally capable of underwater, air and space travel.

    The American Navy, who has tracked and monitored these UFO’s, has strongly suggested that these “tictoc” vehicles are of Chinese manufacture and use.

    Docs Show Navy Got 'UFO' Patent Granted By Warning Of Similar Chinese Tech Advances Patent documents indicate that the U.S. and China are actively developing radical new craft that seem eerily...
    
    -Docs Show Navy Got 'UFO' Patent Granted By Warning Of Chinese Technology...
    “Chinese Tictac” UFO that was buzzing and moving in and out of American military installations and airbases while the American Naval flotilla was busy probing the Chinese Coasts during the Summer of 2020.

    21OCT20 Update

    A second; MORE Lethal biological attack hits China in October 2020.

    Here in China is a semi-alert status since mid month. Everyone is on alert. Military are on full alert, but work and homes are as normal. The primary difference is that there are hyper-diligent monitoring of temperatures and GPS travel histories.

    Not well publicized (inside of America or in any of the main-steam or Alternative media of any type) except for a few paragraphs. There is a brand new, never before seen, absolutely novel in biology, virus.

    It’s supposed to be much worse than COVID-19. It attacks both humans and swine.

    It’s new, and not a second or third wave of the coronavirus.

    Though it is in the same family of viruses as the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the respiratory illness COVID-19 in humans, the scientists said SADS-CoV is an alphacoronavirus that causes gastrointestinal illness in swine.

    It’s called SADS-CoV, which is short for “Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome Coronavirus” and, yeah, it’s as bad as it sounds. The virus causes severe diarrhea and vomiting and has been especially deadly to young piglets.

    Reading between the lines…

    China has been on complete all-hands-on-deck military alert for all forms of warfare since January 2020. (You’d never know this if all you read is the American “news”.) They discovered a brand new and “novel coronavirus” this month. This discovery set a number of things in motion. First was the WHO which sent out an alert, and second was a rearming and re-posturing of all military and militia in China. If it wasn’t for their aggressive alert status, this virus would not have been detected, or preventative steps taken.

    Again…

    [1] Brand new, never seen before, virus. (Imagine that!)
    [2] More contagious than COVID-19.
    [3] More lethal than COVID-19.
    [4] More disgustingly painful than COVID-19.
    [5] Detected in China by the Chinese military self-defense monitoring teams.
    [6] The discovery triggered a global announcement by the WHO.
    [7] American scientists familiar with similar viruses provided supporting information.

    22OCT20 Update

    The Donald Trump three day excursion to a military Base for hospitalization for COVID-19, happened exactly at the same time that China discovered the second bio-weapon attack. The COVID-20.

    The United States is now flooding African Nations with anti-China propaganda.

    23OCT20 Update

    Big Surprise.

    CNN told the truth about the so-called respected “Chinese virologist” from Hong Kong. You know the one, that claimed that she was employed by the Chinese government to develop the COVID-19 as a Bio-Weapon. And did so at the Wuhan Virus Lab.

    Well, she lied. Not only that, but she is direct-linked to both Mike Pompeo, and Steve Bannon (both hard-core neocons):

    https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/pompeos-record-a-litany-of-failure/
    
    
    Excerpt: 
    To make his case for demonizing China, Pompeo will use any source of questionable legitimacy. One example was a paper written by Li-Meng Yan, a virologist and at the time of publication a postdoctoral student at Hong Kong University. Her paper claimed that the Covid-19 virus was created in a Wuhan lab. 
    
    Her finding was sensational as it seemed to authenticate Trump’s and Pompeo’s accusation that China should be held accountable for the pandemic. The popular media went wild with the story, even though those in scientific circles criticized the non-peer-reviewed paper as weak on science.
    
    Rapid Reviews: COVID-19, a collaboration between the University of California at Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, quickly solicited reviews of the Yan paper by four renowned scientists in the field and their conclusion was: 
    
    “This manuscript does not demonstrate sufficient scientific evidence to support its claims. Claims are at times baseless and are not supported by the data and methods used. Decision-makers should consider the author’s claims in this study misleading.”
    
    Those reviews followed the publication of the Yan paper by about two weeks. It’s a safe bet that the refutation is unlikely to attract the attention of the mainstream media. 
    
    An added side note in the comment section was the observation that the co-authors listed in Yan’s paper did not exist but were fictitious – in other words, a blatant lie.
    
    So what could have motivated Yan? By now, it has become quite clear that providing material for China-bashing can be very lucrative business. Gordon Chang showed that he could publish a book on China that totally missed the mark – instead of economic collapse, China is about to become the largest economy in the world – and instead of striking out, he became an anti-China media star for the last 20 years.
    
    Peter Navarro did even better. He wrote a book and a documentary titled Death by China, a complete work of fiction, with imaginary “expert” “Ron Varra,” who turned out to be the anagrammatic alter ego of Navarro himself. This China-bashing turned him from being a failed politician and outcast academic into the holder of a seat in the inner circle at the Trump White House. 

    25OCT20

    American military forces have been training to take and seize Chinese occupied islands in the South China Sea.

    Army paratroopers have practiced flying long distance then jumping onto China’s island outposts in the disputed waters of the China Seas. Seizing outposts—and the strategic airstrips they host—could give U.S. forces new bases from which to strike back against the Chinese.
    
    But the Chinese military scoffed at the idea. “The assumption that U.S. troops could capture China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea is no more than media speculation,” Xu Hailin wrote in Global Times, an official mouthpiece of the People’s Liberation Army.
    
    That’s untrue. The Pentagon actively is preparing for just such a contingency. Back in July, 350 paratroopers from the Army’s 25th Infantry Division flew in Air Force C-17 transports from Alaska to Guam and practiced dropping onto, and capturing, a simulated enemy airfield.
    
    American troops landing on a Chinese island would represent a serious act of aggression and a major escalation of any conflict, Xu posited. “If the U.S. military really reaches out to capture China's islands and reefs, it will declare the start of a total war with China.”

    How serious?

    Does the declaration of “a total war with China” means that China will “file a complaint” with the UN, or something else? Maybe they might shoot back! (Gasp.) Maybe they might do something that the neocons running the administration is not prepared for…

    ...In any event, Xu vowed that an American assault on a Chinese outpost would invite a devastating response. 
    
    “The U.S. troops will have to face an all-out counterattack from the People's Liberation Army and will certainly pay a heavy price for their reckless decisions,” Xu wrote.

    28OCT20

    Those state-of-the-art Taiwanese chip factories, are actually mainland Chinese operations. One of those things that no one in the mainstream, and alternative media mentions…

    I got this thread from a WeChat group, between two Westerners. Interesting history about TSMC,
     
    [Regaining The Edge In U.S. Chip Manufacturing: https://semiengineering.com/can-the-u-s-regain-its-edge-in-chip-manufacturing/?fbclid=IwAR3nVp4oNWMJNi-OCZQwAcSBN7goF0QnZy3mU5n6tAVhks6DzU1oVfIdEeA]
    
    Yeah can confirm x86 are stagnating due to the cisc designs of the architecture while the likes of arm and mips etc which uses risc design it can be made smaller and more efficient
    
    Morris Chang, the founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's first and largest silicon foundry, was not "Taiwanese". Chang was Zhejiangese, born in Ningbo.
    
    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is not a "Taiwanese" company. It is a Chinese company located in the Chinese province of Taiwan.
    
    Sun Yun-suan, minister of economic affairs and Premier of the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, was one of the chief architects of the ROC's "economic miracle" that enabled it to become one of the East Asian Tigers.
    
    Sun was not Taiwanese. He was Shangdongese, born in Penglai. Neither, of course, were Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo, who were also Zhejiangese.
    Sun recruited Chang to become chairman and president of the Industrial Technology Research Institute that spawned major semiconductor companies such as TSMC and the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park which would serve as a major electronics and semiconductor manufacturing hub.
    
    The plain truth is that TSMC is a Chinese achievement.
    
    All the figures involved were so-called "mainlanders" -- a pejorative term used by Taiwan independence Quislings to sow hatred between Chinese from the mainland region of China and Chinese from the Taiwan region of China.
    
    All the figures involved were patriotic Chinese nationalists and unwavering advocates of Chinese reunification.
    
    Indeed. Technology presents us with new opportunities.. Sad though our lot seem to be technophobes more keen in lining their pockets and keeping the starts quo of cleptocracy and "service industry Jobs" rather than innovating
    What happens when you more your capital abroad and focus on financial sector
    However with China developing the productive forces it opens up new opportunities for the proletariat to build themselves up
    
    -Jeff J. Brown

    29OCT20

    Reports on what occurred during the American lead naval sortie in the South China Sea in late Summer 2020, are coming in, in drips and drabs.

    Recall, that the US mobilized three aircraft carriers – USS Theodore RooseveltUSS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan – to patrol the Indo-Pacific waters, an act seen as a “warning” to China. Each carrier was teamed up with a “minor” carrier, making a total of 6 American aircraft carriers, plus the British HMS Queen Elizabeth (a “super” aircraft carrier). That is seven aircraft carriers along with their support ships. This is the largest naval flotilla of aircraft carriers in history.

    The ships eventually left the area, and we have been trying to figure out what happened.

    American & British Media – Very quiet.

    Very little information. Suspiciously little.

    Except that there is going to be a change in strategy. This new strategy would involve the use of AI controlled underwater weapons and drones. The use of a “traditional” assault force using a large force of carriers is not considered to be practical.

    Additionally large boost to the black budget has been approved and moving forward. It is supposedly considered to be “urgent“.

    Chinese Media – Subdued, but informative.

    (Note; If it is reported, it's NOT secret) FOUR paramilitary CIA officers drowned while on a secret mission to plant an underwater pod intended to track the Chinese military in the South China Sea, it has emerged. The men were reportedly caught in a tropical storm while attempting to place the device, which had been disguised to resemble a rock, off the Philippine island of Luzon.
    • The Chinese have intercepted clandestine troops in operations upon Chinese territory. It is unknown what has happened to them…
    Meet the HN-1, China's New AI-Powered Underwater Drone. The battle for future undersea AI dominance is heating up and China’s ambitions are not small in this domain.
    Meet the HN-1, China’s New AI-Powered Underwater Drone. The battle for future undersea AI dominance is heating up and China’s ambitions are not small in this domain.

    Curiously, from American Media…

    Just keep in mind that there were many, many events and actions that were NOT reported to the public during this entire period of time.

    Here is a nice interactive map of the (inferred) Chinese power projection in the South China Sea.

    Since 2014, China has substantially expanded its ability to monitor and project power throughout the South China Sea via the construction of dual civilian-military bases at its outposts in the disputed Spratly and Paracel Islands. These include new radar and communications arrays, airstrips and hangars to accommodate combat aircraft, and deployments of mobile surface-to-air and anti-ship cruise missile systems.

    30OCT20 Update

    You all might want to consider what the rest of the world thinks about the Trump Polices with China, and the Asian Pacific Rim. Here’s a great article out of Australia…

    The polls indicate, and most commentators believe, that Biden will win, but Trump is campaigning furiously, and the prospect of a legal imbroglio also looms. 
    
    Neither Biden nor Trump has made much of foreign policy in their campaigns. 
    
    Biden has said he would not be bluffed by China, and would not hesitate to “call it out” or retaliate against egregious acts, but the end of the Trump Presidency would certainly break the flow of “China is the enemy” that has characterized it. 
    
    Trump has surrounded himself with “China hawks”, and has personified the US anti-China campaign, but given his record it’s not impossible that a re-elected Trump would reverse policy towards China, if he came to believe that that was in the United States’, or his own, interests.
    
    Whoever wins, in the election aftermath it will be important for Australian policymakers to keep in mind that our position (Australian) and the US’s position are not the same. 
    
    We want a peaceful, prosperous and stable Asia-Pacific, or Indo-Pacific. 
    
    The US wants that, too, but also wants to be top dog in it. As a US academic visiting Australia said last year, “the US can not tolerate a peer competitor”. But China is one, and many in the US “feel the hot breath”.
    
    There are one or two things that can be said in response to the “peer competitor” line.` 
    
    One is “grow up”. 
    
    Another is “compete, don’t complain”, and there are certainly voices in the US saying just that. 
    
    The important thing for us to remember is that while we value our alliance relationship with the US, that is not the policy end-point for us. That end-point is a state of affairs in the Asia or Indo-Pacific under which we and other countries can live peacefully and prosper, in a stable environment.
    
    How can that be achieved? 
    
    Certainly not by following the tack taken by Pompeo, who can’t even bring himself to speak of the “Chinese Government”; rather he refers to the “Chinese Communist Party”. 
    
    It’s a great pity that at this possibly pivotal time we don’t have anyone at the highest levels of our Government with a strong personal relationship with a Chinese counterpart, as Prime Minister Hawke had with Premier Zhao Ziyang — someone who could effectively make the point that China’s actions in the South China Sea or in regard to the Uighurs aren’t really in China’s best interests, without making a public campaign of it.
    
    Perhaps our very able Ambassador in Beijing is saying these things anyway. And perhaps our goal of a peaceful, prosperous and stable Asia-Pacific can only come about if both the US and China can more fully accept that they have to live with each other, make room for each other, and not regard any step forward by one as a step back for the other, as Trump is said to be prone to do.
    
    We also have to look at our own bilateral relationship with China. Why is it now described as in its “most frozen” state ever, despite China still being our largest trading partner, and still buying huge amounts of iron ore at record prices, thus preventing our budget deficit from being even larger? Both sides have contributed to the present situation, and we need to recognize that if we are going to improve it....
    
    (more)
    
    ...But I firmly believe that what we must try to do is to include China in joint efforts and mechanisms and gradually re-build trust, rather than build alliances to defend against or contain it. 
    
    One reason is that efforts to contain or limit China simply won’t work; see what it’s already doing economically in Europe, Latin America and southern Africa, as well as in East and Central Asia, and with Russia. 
    
    Another reason is that it’s such a negative thing in which to invest our efforts and future. Of course it will be up to the Chinese how they respond. But we should have a go.

    2NOV20

    Just a few days before the election between Trump and Biden, the climate in the Asian Pacific Rim is…

    America's choice and Asia's future
    Whoever claims victory in the US presidential contest this week, Washington’s grasp over Asia’s future is on the wane.
    
    It’s not that the United States is no longer a great power unmatched as yet in its technological and military superiority. Despite all its self-inflicted wounds, through mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis and President Trump’s economically debilitating ‘America First’ strategy, it remains so. 
    
    The short-term costs of the Trump administration’s mismanagement have been huge, in terms of US deaths, the fragmentation of national cohesion and lost trade and income. But it’s the costs over the next ten years or more that cast a long dark shadow over US societal and economic strength and the role of the United States as a reliable anchor in an open multilateral global order. 
    
    The costs of COVID-19 continue to mount and the strategy that will see an end to it is still to be articulated. Nor is there a strategy in place to deal with the collapse in the US and the global economies that the pandemic has brought with it. In international cooperation on both strategic fronts, the United States is out of play.
    
    The world’s confidence in US power, the moral authority it once commanded and the capacity to deploy it are much diminished. Even the most energetic and driven administration won’t restore it easily, soon or perhaps ever.
    
    If Joe Biden had a 20-point lead across the board in the polls as the United States heads towards election eve — and the polls are narrowing not widening at the finishing line — most pundits would still be shy about calling the outcome until it’s all done and dusted. So burnt are they by Trump’s unexpected win in 2016 and scared by Trump’s refusal to be straightforward about conceding power.
    
    Yet US political trends and geopolitical realities are clear and key strategic calculations in Asia will be framed by them whatever the electoral outcome.
    
    There are few illusions in Asian capitals about what they would inherit if Trump should once more claim the US presidency. East Asian leaders have no inclination to sign up to an ill-disciplined brawl between the United States and China as they are being pushed to do by Trump and his deputies. 
    
    The priority in Asia is to deal with COVID-19 and navigate recovery around the probability that China, having dealt with the pandemic first, will also lead global economic recovery. As former Indonesian deputy foreign minister and ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal observes, they have no appetite for a New Cold War and ‘framing China as an ideological threat (constantly referring to “Communist China”, not just China)… [adopting] a blanket (rather than a la carte) attack against China: on the coronavirus, trade, investment, technology, TikTok, the World Health Organization, the South China Sea, Chinese companies and students, democracy, human rights, climate change — the list goes on. 
    
    If there is anything that is clear’, says Dino, ‘it is that China has de-ideologised its foreign policy since the 1980s. No one seriously believes that China’s political intention is to turn Southeast Asian nations to communism. 
    
    Indeed, China’s strategic intention is no longer about spreading communism (as was the case up to the late 1970s), but rather about strategic acceptance, economic engagement and political influence’.
    
    Nor is the happy assumption that a Biden win will lead to a simple American course-correction accepted anywhere that matters in East Asia. Biden has no power to reclaim the past dignity and authority of the US presidency. As former Australian prime minister Paul Keating said of the United States under Trump, ‘if you pawn the crown it is incapable of being redeemed at the same value’.
    
    Trump was no political aberration, chaotic though his administration may have been. He captured America’s contemporary populist spirit and unleashed its powerful political angst. Biden’s ambitious climate change agenda or the hope that he might return to negotiating entry to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement may stir still optimistic, liberal hearts. 
    
    But, apart from convincing allies and partners, including China, that he’s got the ticker for it, it’ll take time, require superhuman effort and it’s another matter altogether to pass the Pennsylvania test and sell a new global foreign policy strategy to the average American voter, let alone his own political operatives. American morale is already at a low level and has further to sink yet.
    
    As TJ Pempel says in our first lead article this week, ‘Trump’s policies were less a one-man aberration than an outgrowth of, and strongly supported by, the Republican Party. The past four years have exposed and exacerbated gaping US socio-economic divisions, the limitations of its political institutions, the contentiousness of its information channels, and the fragility of its democratic norms. Americans now inhabit separate tribes, value alternative priorities, are convinced of competing “facts” and are firmly convinced that eviscerating the other tribe is the path to a better America’.
    
    There’s gathering understanding in East Asian capitals that whatever happens in Washington this week, the solutions to the region’s problems will not be readily found there. The foundations on which confidence in regional stability and prosperity might be restored must be found in international cooperation effort in Asia itself that reaches out to, but cannot rely upon, the United States. This is a challenge for which there is little preparation or precedent.
    
    In a geopolitically fractured world, strategic competition between the United States and China ultimately limits both countries’ capacity to contribute constructively both to global recovery and renovation of the global order. 
    
    The United States, the world’s biggest power, has lost its appetite for multilateral cooperation and is at odds strategically with China, the world’s second largest power. Strategic competition between the United States and China ultimately limits both countries’ prosperity and capacity to contribute constructively to global recovery.
    
    As Elizabeth Ingleson points out in our second lead article this week, the ‘next US administration has a chance to abandon the framework of strategic competition and adopt a more nuanced policy of engagement … This would allow the two nations to work towards a multilateral approach to the climate crisis. By linking geopolitics and climate, the United States and China have an opportunity to improve the prospects of both’.
    
    But as Sheila Smith concludes in upcoming pre-US election preview the ‘intensity of rancour that has permeated US politics will not be solved in one election, and lingering resentments may impede the president’s ability to be attentive to the accelerating shifts in the regional balance of power. A distracted America may be Asia’s lot’.  
    
    The reality is that small and middle powers in Asia now have to play an unfamiliar leadership role. This ominous responsibility will remain long after the 46th President of the United States settles into the White House.
    
    Other recent articles in which you may be interested from the East Asia Forum are listed below. You can click the title of each one or visit www.eastasiaforum.org for daily content.
    
    Editors
    East Asia Forum
    2 November 2020
    
    The latest at the Forum:
    
    Reclaiming US credibility after the Trump tsunami
    TJ Pempel, UC Berkeley 

    8NOV20

    Joe Biden is elected, and Donald Trump and his neocon army will need to decamp from the White House. They will be forced to play their “war games” elsewhere, and the keys and codes to the enormous nuclear and bio/chemical arsenal will be handed over to others. Hopefully, people of a more sensible bent.

    We will see what will happen. I, for one, look forward to a return of sanity to the world.

    10NOV20

    China has been, along with Russia, suspiciously quiet about the election and the Biden Presidency. With various unofficial responses coming out of China that pretty much all say the same thing…

    China should not harbor any illusions that Biden's election will ease or bring a reversal to China-US relations, nor should it weaken its belief in improving bilateral ties. 
    
    US competition with China and its guard against China will only intensify. 
    
    But it's in the common interests of people from both countries and of international community that China-US relations become eased and controllable. 
    
    The two countries must work together and take joint actions to explore and work on realizing some kind of stability and predictability for their bad relations and managing bilateral ties from worsening to a destructive extent.
    
    -https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1206128.shtml

    11NOV11

    A pretty good write-up about what probably would happen to the China-USA relationship with Trump and his neocons out of the White House, and a Biden presidency in place…

    U.S.-China Business Under Biden
    Published on November 10, 2020
    Status is reachable
    Brandon Hughes, LLM, PMP
    Veterans Integration Program Apprenticeship at Goldman Sachs
    24 articles 
    Following
    
    What an amazing week it has been. Both United States (U.S.) and international citizens watched the 2020 President election with anxiousness and excitement. In the end, Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden became the projected winner of both the popular & electoral vote. While current U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to concede, preparations are already underway for a transition to a Biden administration. Below are a few thoughts from a career in U.S.-China geopolitical & business relations.
    
    An Easing of Overall Tensions
    This does not mean a Biden administration will be soft but likely use a more traditional foreign policy approach to China. This means focusing on human rights, promoting mutually beneficial policies, and taking a more piecemeal approach. What this means for business is that a return to more stable policies will support 3-5 year strategic planning. However, don't expect a return to the status quo overnight. In fact, some policies may never go back. Biden has signaled he will be tough on China in certain respects but business leaders can expect these policies to be much more transparent and telegraphed before implementation.
    
    Use of multilateral organizations
    U.S. foreign policy has long supported the use of multilateral organizations to put political pressure on areas of interest. Regarding China, this means a more coordinated approach to addressing Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and other political issues. This may or may not be effective depending on the level of commitment to policies but it will ensure that changes to policy are communicated well in advance.
    
    A Gradual Reduction in Trade Tariffs
    Similar to the easing of tensions, we may see a gradual reduction or repeal of trade tensions. A large portions of U.S. imports (by U.S. companies) were impacted in addition to export of raw material, agriculture, and high value added goods. These industries have been hit hard (if not decimated) due to the tariffs (and the overall approach to trade with China) and it's likely the Biden administration will take a "mending fences" approach. This applies to not only China but others as well.
    
    A Reprioritization of Human Rights
    This has been on the back-burner of current U.S. policy but it's likely that a Biden administration will put Human Rights on the docket in upcoming negotiations. This is long-standing U.S. policy and moderately effective in some cases. However, this may come in year 2 or 3 of Biden's term as addressing domestic issues and reestablishing relations will likely take priority in terms of policy issues.
    
    Reciprocal Easing from China
    China is unlikely to alter their next 5-year plan but you may see more "easing" of enforcement or legal barriers that have been impacting U.S. business. This may come as an easing of enforcement measures against U.S. shipments to China at the ports. It may result in a more open environment to business or an easing of doing business. However, like the U.S., don't expect an overnight change in priorities or stance. There is a lot to discuss before either side agrees to step back.
    
    Takeaways for Business
    U.S.-China relations will not change overnight nor will the policies. There are significant hurdles facing the U.S.-China relationships that are echoed on both sides of the political aisle. However, businesses can expect a more tempered approach to foreign & trade policy with China and a re-engagement in more multilateral institutions. This is positive news for multinational ventures as stability creates an environment for growth. Businesses who have held off the last 3 years should develop a China & APAC strategy to capture unique policy or growth opportunities that are presented. At the same time, businesses & investors should understand there are still considerable structural issues between the U.S. and China that may not be fixed and still impact bilateral policy. Overall, a Biden administration is positive news for those doing business with the world's 2nd largest economy. This means growth for revenues & growth for company value which ultimately reflected in growth for retirement accounts and investment funds.
    
    -https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/us-china-business-under-biden-brandon-hughes-llm-pmp/?trackingId=8uOp0h9f%2BrOjXuDsjMXc3w%3D%3D
    Biden and Xi Peng.
    Biden and Xi Peng after the conclusion of the US and China trade agreement. This agreement was unilaterally torn up by President Trump in early 2017. The conservative media in 2020 are promoting the narrative that Biden will accept and embrace the revised American stance with China that Trump and Pompeo have created. I strongly disagree. The Democrat Party is one of negotiation and give-and-take. It is not a hard-line unilateralist evangelical entity such has been the case by the neocon-led White House..

    24NOV20 Update

    Yes, Trump make it impossible for anyone (in America) to pay for Chinese goods.

    Remittances for Amazon.com, ebay.com, and paypal.com refuse to allow for payments to Chinese individuals, or banks. I have heard stores about how some of my Chinese friends have had their stores and markets closed on them without notice.

    It really didn’t become crystal clear until I started to ask my fellow American expats if they ever received the COVID-19 coronavirus stimulus check that they applied for. And the answer was no. No one received it, including yours truly. So I inquired. Yup. Any one inside of China or using Chinese institutions have their checks zeroed.

    And people wonder WHY so many mail-in ballots were for Biden. Heck, he just about threw away one million expats in that brilliant decision of his. Fucker!

    Why not plaster a sign that says things in clear English;

    No Money to anyone inside of China. Period, by order of Donald Trump.

    After all, it was by EO.

    29NOV20

    Seems that the “firehose of disinformation” that the Biden Administration is going to be harsher then the Pompeo/Trump administration is all just CIA bullshit.

    In the speech, Paulson lays out his recommendations for President-elect Biden’s China policy, arguing that competition without unnecessary confrontation should be our goal—because confrontation without effective competition has produced some poor results for the American people. He further recommends that the U.S. pursue a self-interested policy that he terms “targeted reciprocity.” By that, the U.S. should move from being reflexive, responding to anything and everything China does, to focusing on sectors where the U.S. is the strongest and most competitive. In turn, targeted reciprocity can be a negotiating tool and lever to help achieve real results in critical areas of the U.S.-China relationship, including trade and climate change. Below are Secretary Paulson’s prepared remarks.
    
    Download “Targeted Reciprocity” Full Text

    1DEC20

    Yeah. The world is slowwwwwlyyyyy catching on what a mess Donald Trump and his cabal of evil neocons hath wrought…

    COVID-19 is a bioweapon deployed against China by the United States to take advantage of the mass migration during the Chinese New Year. 
    
    To prevent/minimize the blowback from the virus possibly getting out of containment in China, a mild strain (CoV-A; antibody producing strain) was released among the population of the Western countries months before the deployment of the bioweapon strain (CoV-B) in Wuhan (and possibly Qom afterwards). It's akin to innoculating your population with cowpox before hitting the opposition population with smallpox. CoV-A has a much lower lethality rate (around 0.1%) than CoV-B (10-15%) which is why the data on how lethal COVID-19 is all over the place.
    
    Let's look at the evidence:
    
    1. Herd immunity: Only a few weeks after reporting how Chinese are welding their patients in their homes (February 6, 2020), at the same time as reporting mass graves near Qom (March 12, 2020). The Western (as well as Brazil and India) governments and media are all talking about herd immunity. With Boris Johnson saying that the UK would "take it on the chin" (March 5, 2020), Merkel stating that 60-70% of Germans would get the virus (March 11, 2020) to Bolsonaro saying that Brazilians are immune (March 27, 2020), with the media touting that the plan is not to stop the disease but to "flatten the curve" so that the medical system doesn't get overwhelmed. Despite COVID-19 being a 'never before seen' virus with unknown properties and lethality, it's almost as if they knew that the disease isn't that dangerous.
    
    2. Theodore Roosevelt, Captain Brett Crozier and the Vietnam outbreak: The USS Theodore Roosevelt is a carrier in the Pacific fleet stationed in the South China Sea. The captain of the ship Brett Crozier, after discovering some of his sailors displaying symptoms tried to get the carrier docked in Guam so that his sailors can be evacuated and quarantined. His email to multiple captains and admiral Baker was leaked to the press, and he was relieved of duty shortly afterwards by Naval Secretary Modly.
    
    The blame was on the shore-leave in Vietnam on March 5, but during that time, Vietnam cases plateaued at 16 for weeks, and cases did not increase until after the carrier left. The first wave of the Vietnam outbreak only had less than 300 infected vs. 1156 on the carrier. Furthermore there were no COVID related deaths in Vietnam during the first wave vs only 1 on the Theodore Roosevelt. 
    
    The scales of these outbreaks highly implies that the first COVID-19 wave in Vietname is actually transmission from the carrier to the Vietnamese population rather than the other way around. Furthermore, the low lethality rate in both cases means that it is the CoV-A variant. 
    
    The reason is obvious in hindsight:If China were unable to contain the outbreak the U.S. military would take advantage of the chaos and start a hot war while the Chinese are incapable of retaliating, it would thus be necessary to inoculate their own troops so they don't succumb to the bioweapon. Crozier was castigated because in raising the alarm with the media instead of the usual channels so the the story can be buried, China, by looking at the Theodore Roosevelt outbreak and Vietnam, not only confirmed their suspicions that Wuhan was a bioweapon deployment, but also how the U.S. and its co-conspirators plan to limit the possible blowback. So when Germany was raising noise about seizing Chinese assets in the EU for 'compensation' for the outbreak, the Chinese response is basically: "If the virus is from China, where is your patient zero?" Which brings us to the next point:
    
    3. Difficulty in locating "patient zero" in Europe: From months, the EU has been trying to find a patient zero to link back to the Wuhan outbreak without much success. The current theory is a 43 year old Frenchman who got it from Algeria in December, the link to Wuhan is tenuous at best. However, if we work from the two-strain theory, this difficulty is pretty easy to explain: not all patients who contract CoV-A are asymptomatic, those who have it and get tested would be a positive case for COVID-19. Finding patient zero involves working backwards from all known positive cases. Since CoV-A has been in circulation for months before CoV-B was deployed in China, finding a CoV-B patient zero linking back to China is practically impossible with CoV-A positives being around for much longer.
    
    4. False positives: Something mentioned over and over again is the high rate of "false positives" of the PCR test: how the outbreak is not as bad as reported because of the rate of false positives. This would fit perfectly with the two-strain theory: CoV-A and CoV-B should be almost genetically identical since CoV-A is suppose to prime the immune system to fight against CoV-B, if the intricate human immune system cannot tell the difference between CoV-A and CoV-B, there is no way the cheap dime-a-dozen mass produced tests used for mass testing would be able to do so. This would explain the high rate of "false positives" outside of China. Since the Western governments were (and probably still are) going for the "herd immunity" route, they would of course want CoV-A to be spread as much as possible while limiting the CoV-B. The more lethal CoV-B would of course have much more severe symptoms than CoV-A, hence people who test positive for COVID-19 with mild to no symptoms were informed that they are "false positive" so they can continue spreading CoV-A among the general population. The fault is not in the test kits but the people in charge of interpreting the results.
    
    5. Mask policy: Continuing on the previous point. While China started masking up pretty much from the start. The CDC and WHO were both against masks before they were for them. For example the U.S. Surgeon General tweeted on February 29: "Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!" Dr. Mike Ryan in the Geneva media briefing on March 30: "There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there's some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly." Remember Merkel's (March 11) and Bolsonaro's (March 27) mentioned above, at the end of March the prevailing strain detected outside of China, Iran and Italy would be the CoV-A strain, hence the deliberate and systematic campaign to mislead the public against mask use, they WANT the CoV-A strain to reach saturation in the population before CoV-B hits.
    
    However, if we look at the Swedish 'miracle' and the Vietnam outbreak, it seems the CoV-A strain spreads much slower than CoV-B. Sweden got lucky and closed their border before CoV-B got into the country, their positive COVID-19 are CoV-A cases (that they got from the U.S.) which spread very slowly even without a lockdown. Vietnam closed their border with China very early and the outbreak most likely came from the Theodore Roosevelt, which makes it CoV-A; with a lockdown the cases were brought down to zero pretty quickly. Given that there is no way tests that don't sequence the entire genome can differentiate between CoV-A and CoV-B, and the reluctance of the U.S. and its co-conspirators to implement a financially crippling lockdown for the mostly harmless CoV-A, once CoV-B gets a foothold in a country, due to exponential increase CoV-B would quickly overtake CoV-A. A lockdown would be counterproductive to the 'herd immunity' approach since slower spreading CoV-A would be much more vulnerable to quarantine. That is even assuming that CoV-A provides immunity:
    
    6. Chinese claims on reinfection: multiple studies from China has claimed that followup checkups on former COVID-19 patients showed that only a minority of them still carried antibodies against the disease thus longterm immunity does not exist in most people, while the UK studies claim that T-cells still remember the disease and thus longterm immunity exists. On the surface, it seems that these are merely academic, however if Wuhan outbreak was a bioweapon attack, it would explain the motives behind publishing these studies.
    Considering the number of countries going for 'herd immunity' back in March, the number of conspirators is immense; China calling the outbreak a bioweapon attack would be like Julius Caesar confronting the Roman senate on March 14th. However, by raising the specter of reinfection, it definitely shakes the faith of the conspirators in the plan: If CoV-B does not provide longterm immunity against CoV-B, what are the chances CoV-A would provide this immunity?. Absence a working vaccine, if CoV-A does not provide longterm immunity, a hard lockdown getting rid of both strains and abandoning the 'herd immunity' plan is the only way to get the pandemic under control.
    
    The big question is whether China is telling the truth about reinfection. China may be bluffing to create a schism between the garden variety blanket-distributor type conspirators and the 'from hell's heart I stab at thee' hardliners; the former would favor implementing a lockdown and taking the loss, the latter would call it a bluff and try to restart the economy assuming that 'herd immunity' will be achieved. 
    
    That's not to say that the UK studies can be trusted, after all, with their future tightly bound to the U.S., they are pretty much America's mouthpiece in trying to keep all the conspirators on the original plan: as long as the lethality rate doesn't get too high, most of the cases should still be the CoV-A strain. (The closer the death rate gets to the 10%, the higher the CoV-B/CoV-A ratio is.)
    
    Posted by: Sid Victor Cattoni | Dec 1 2020 21:41 utc | 26

    2DEC20

    What? You mean that Biden isn’t going to continue Trump’s Anti-China crusade? How can this be???? After all, since August 2020 through December 2020 the “news” has been all awash at how “tougher” Biden will be on China than Trump.

    (CNN)
    
    President-elect Joe Biden and his transition team are preparing for an early, all-out push to pass an ambitious new stimulus bill, while also drawing up plans for a flurry of executive actions aimed at delivering on campaign promises and undoing the Trump administration's efforts...

    7DEC20

    Two decades of endless war and a bloated Pentagon budget that has proven useless in preventing Covid–19 deaths, now 270,000 and counting, are a jarring reminder that America’s foreign policy is thoroughly broken: It actually makes America and Americans less safe. 
    
    Successive administrations have deployed the military in a costly, counterproductive, and indiscriminate manner, normalizing war and treating armed dominance as an end in itself. In consequence, the foreign policies of the United States are detached from any defensible conception of U.S. interests and from a decent respect for the rights and dignity of humankind. 
    
    Marginal adjustments to the current approach will prove insufficient. A deeper rethinking of American foreign policy is warranted. This must be an undertaking that puts the well-being of the American people ahead of ambitions to dominate the globe.
    
    President-elect Joe Biden appears to recognize the need for a serious reorientation. His just-named national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, recently said that Biden has tasked his foreign policy team with “reimagining our national security for the unprecedented combination of crises we face at home and abroad,” including pandemics and the climate crisis. Moreover, Sullivan said that American foreign policy has to be judged by a basic question: Does it “make life better, easier, and safer” for Americans at home? Our foreign policy, in Sullivan’s words, has to deliver for American families. 
    
    -A New Direction: A Foreign Policy Playbook on Military Restraint for the Biden Team

    23DEC20

    • Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese military continue to work together.
    It follows Russian  President Vladimir Putin’s statement in October that the idea of a  future Russia-China military alliance can’t be ruled out — a signal of  deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing amid growing  tensions in their relations with the United States.
    
    Until  that moment, Russia and China had hailed their “strategic partnership,”  but rejected any talk about the possibility of their forming a military  alliance.
    
    Putin  also noted in October that Russia has been sharing highly sensitive  military technologies with China that helped significantly bolster its  defense capability.
    
    Russia  has sought to develop stronger ties with China as its relations with  the West sank to post-Cold War lows over Moscow’s annexation of  Ukraine’s Crimea, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S.  presidential election and other issues.

    And Trump awards the highest military honors to the President of Australia for his anti-Chinese actions.

    • And Russia and China test fire their nuclear ICBM missiles.
    Russian Submarine Fires Four Nuclear Missiles | The Daily ...
    2020-12-14 · The Borei-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine Vladimir Monomakh launched four Bulava missiles at targets on a firing range in the Arkhangelsk region in northwest Russia,  the Associated Press reported.. Borei-class submarines are capable of  carrying 16 Bulava missiles. They displace 24,000 tons of water when  submerged, can go up to 29 nautical miles per hour (just over 33 …
    
    https://dailycaller.com/2020/12/14/russia-submarine-nuclear-bulava-missiles-borei...
    

    2021 New year

    I have received some interesting information concerning the directed energy beam weapons employed by China.

    • They operate underwater, just like they do in the air.
    • They can completely destroy the electronic systems of all types.
    • All three aircraft carriers sent to the South China Sea during the Summer of 2020 were nuclear powered.
    • The American stealth submarines are also nuclear powered.

    The Chinese directed energy weapons systems can cause the American Navy nuclear power systems to go haywire, go into a SCRAM mode, and melt down.

    Obviously, no one wants mini Chernobyl meltdowns off their beaches, but were the USA to initiate a hot war in the South China Sea, you can well expect that to be the reality for the United States Navy.

    15JAN21

    Declassified White House docs reveal America’s self-doubt over a potential military conflict with China

    With Donald Trump set to leave office, newly released documents  show his strategy towards Beijing has largely failed, and that the US  isn’t confident over its ability to contain China in certain areas  should a conflict arise.     
    
    Following the departure of  White House Deputy National Security Advisor Matthew Pottinger and with  the Trump administration coming to an end, a number of documents have been declassified  setting out its ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy or, more specifically, its  gameplan to attempt to contain China over its four years in office.
    
    The  documents are hardly comprehensive, yet reveal ambitions to contain  Beijing in the political, diplomatic, economic and military spheres,  including a blueprint of what the US would do in a potential war  scenario. 
    
    According to the papers, the US has aimed to sustain its “primacy” in the region, “support activists and reformers” opposed to Beijing (such as the Hong Kong protesters), create a counter to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and economically integrate the region towards the US, enlist allies against China in the form of the Quad and assist “the rise of India”. 
    
    But what about in the event of a conflict? 
    
    The documents spoke of aiming to prevent China “dominating the first island chain”  – the scope of islands extending from Japan to Taiwan and around the  South China Sea – via air and sea, and to maintain uncontested supremacy  over the “area beyond”. Military analysts have described the former objective as being modest in expectation.
    
    If  anything, the file reveals the comprehensive failure of the Trump  administration’s strategy towards the region during his tenure in  office. Not only have attempts to bolster America’s economic presence  failed completely, largely owing to the contradictory priorities of the  White House, but in addition the document illustrates subtle doubt  rather than confidence that the US is capable of defeating China in this  “first island chain” region. 
    
    The US, above all, is  seeking naval containment of China, and in line Beijing has utilized the  Belt and Road Initiative to counter it by diversifying its energy  supply routes.
    
    Throughout its tenure in office, the Trump  administration has been unable to accept China’s status as a rising  power, and these documents reveal how this resulted in a set of policies  aimed at attempting to quell the country’s rise through various means. 
    
    These  methods, however, have not yielded much success, largely because of the  US’s understating of the dynamics which underscore Beijing’s centrality  and importance to the region as an economic power, and the erroneous  belief that it can easily divide the world into cold war blocs and force  countries to undercut their relations with China on the premise of  values alone. 
    
    The idea that the US can somehow displace Beijing  again as the region’s economic centre of gravity is not realistic, and  events such as the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic  Partnership underscore that.
    
    While it is obvious that the economic balance of power is shifting  against America, what about in the military sphere? The documents show  the US is looking at the region in two distinct areas; that “first island chain” and “the second one”, which constitutes the wider Pacific. 
    
    It  believes that it should be able to dominate the latter in the event of a  war, but can only at best try to prevent China from dominating the  former completely, acknowledging that Beijing likely already has the  upper hand in the South and East China Seas, and around Taiwan. 
    
    Based  on this, it seems apparent the US would logically aim to defeat China  
    in such a conflict via an attempt at a naval embargo, given a physical  invasion could never be possible. 
    
    This would involve choking off China’s  access to the wider ocean and key maritime points such as the Strait of Malacca. 
    
    This  strategic planning by the US subsequently sheds light on the BRI. 
    
    By  strengthening infrastructure across the Eurasian landmass, China is  diversifying its supply chain routes and reducing reliance on areas that  can be dominated by the US Navy. 
    
    For example, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Gwadar Port  gives Beijing a passage to the western Indian ocean which would bypass  US attempts at containment. 
    
    This has coincided with China’s first  overseas military base in the East African country of Djibouti and a  port it is working on  there, which would be used to protect its interests in this area and  thus thwart any US military planning. As the Indo-Pacific strategy has  sought to militarize China’s periphery and enlist partners, Beijing has  responded.
    
    In this case, the declassified documents reveal the  wish-list of a dying administration that has thrown many things at China,  with few sticking. It shows the scale of the challenge America faces.  Despite the erratic nature of Trump, one should logically expect many of  these ideas to be retained and form a template for incoming president,  Joe Biden. 
    
    Objectives such as sustaining US military primacy in Asia and  sharpening initiatives such as the Quad will not go away anytime soon,  even if there is a substantial lack of realism in them. 
    
    Yet the  element of doubt in how a conflict with China could be managed only  alludes to the shift that is taking place. If America is not confident  it could defeat Beijing in the first island chain, then what does that  mean for the future? And for Taiwan? 
    
    China’s bet in fortifying  its presence in the South China Sea, while diversifying its strategic  options with the BRI, seems well placed. And that’s why it isn’t Beijing  that is fighting an uphill battle to establish a localized dominance on  this side of the world.

    24JAN21

    As Trump leaves the Oval Office, people are comparing his office to President Biden’s office. One of the big stand outs is the huge amount of military articles in the office.

    Do you want more?

    Yah, I do hope that you enjoyed this post. I’m gonna place it in my China Index, My Trump Trade Wars Index, and my SHTF Index. You can access these indexes directly here…

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    Americans today are living within a failed state.

    This is a pretty good article written by George Packer that was printed in the Atlantic and has pretty much been circulating everywhere. My friends from both sides of the political spectrum are discussing it, and urging me to read it. So I have, and I found his points… oh so delicious. Here is his article and I think that you all would see that he makes some good points no matter what side of the political spectrum you are on.

    The COVID-19 event, regardless of what caused it, has exposed America for what it is. And the picture is decidedly not pretty.

    You might not agree with everything that he has to say. You might not like the dish of food that he serves to you, but you must admit that the COVID-19 has exposed America to be fully and completely incapable of governing during a serious emergency. And while the idea for “Make America Great Again” is laudable, it is unfortunately beyond the reach of everyone inside the monstrous American government.

    It’s a good read. All credit to the author.

    We Are Living in a Failed State

    George Packer

    When the (COVID-19) virus came here, it found a country with serious underlying conditions, and it exploited them ruthlessly. Chronic ills—a corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted public—had gone untreated for years. We had learned to live, uncomfortably, with the symptoms.

    It took the scale and intimacy of a pandemic to expose their severity—to shock Americans with the recognition that we are in the high-risk category.

    America responds to the COVID-19

    The crisis demanded a response that was swift, rational, and collective.

    The United States reacted instead like Pakistan or Belarus—like a country with shoddy infrastructure and a dysfunctional government whose leaders were too corrupt or stupid to head off mass suffering.

    The administration squandered two irretrievable months to prepare.

    From the president came willful blindness, scapegoating, boasts, and lies. From his mouthpieces, conspiracy theories and miracle cures. A few senators and corporate executives acted quickly—not to prevent the coming disaster, but to profit from it.

    When a government doctor tried to warn the public of the danger, the White House took the mic and politicized the message.

    American Citizens caught in the middle.

    Every morning in the endless month of March, Americans woke up to find themselves citizens of a failed state. With no national plan—no coherent instructions at all—families, schools, and offices were left to decide on their own whether to shut down and take shelter.

    When test kits, masks, gowns, and ventilators were found to be in desperately short supply, governors pleaded for them from the White House, which stalled, then called on private enterprise, which couldn’t deliver.

    States and cities were forced into bidding wars that left them prey to price gouging and corporate profiteering.

    Civilians took out their sewing machines to try to keep ill-equipped hospital workers healthy and their patients alive. Russia, Taiwan, and the United Nations sent humanitarian aid to the world’s richest power—a beggar nation in utter chaos.

    Presidential Leadership

    Donald Trump saw the crisis almost entirely in personal and political terms.

    Fearing for his reelection, he declared the coronavirus pandemic a war, and himself a wartime president.

    But the leader he brings to mind is Marshal Philippe Pétain, the French general who, in 1940, signed an armistice with Germany after its rout of French defenses, then formed the pro-Nazi Vichy regime. Like Pétain, Trump collaborated with the invader and abandoned his country to a prolonged disaster.

    And, like France in 1940, America in 2020 has stunned itself with a collapse that’s larger and deeper than one miserable leader.

    Some future autopsy of the pandemic might be called Strange Defeat, after the historian and Resistance fighter Marc Bloch’s contemporaneous study of the fall of France.

    Despite countless examples around the U.S. of individual courage and sacrifice, the failure is national. And it should force a question that most Americans have never had to ask: Do we trust our leaders and one another enough to summon a collective response to a mortal threat?

    Are we still capable of self-government?

    A major crisis

    This is the third major crisis of the short 21st century.

    The first, on September 11, 2001, came when Americans were still living mentally in the previous century, and the memory of depression, world war, and cold war remained strong. On that day, people in the rural heartland did not see New York as an alien stew of immigrants and liberals that deserved its fate, but as a great American city that had taken a hit for the whole country. Firefighters from Indiana drove 800 miles to help the rescue effort at Ground Zero. Our civic reflex was to mourn and mobilize together.

    Partisan politics and terrible policies, especially the Iraq War, erased the sense of national unity and fed a bitterness toward the political class that never really faded.

    The second crisis, in 2008, intensified it.

    At the top, the financial crash could almost be considered a success. Congress passed a bipartisan bailout bill that saved the financial system. Outgoing Bush-administration officials cooperated with incoming Obama administration officials. The experts at the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department used monetary and fiscal policy to prevent a second Great Depression.

    Leading bankers were shamed but not prosecuted; most of them kept their fortunes and some their jobs. Before long they were back in business. A Wall Street trader told me that the financial crisis had been a “speed bump.”

    Ah, but the American middle class…

    All of the lasting pain was felt in the middle and at the bottom, by Americans who had taken on debt and lost their jobs, homes, and retirement savings.

    Many of them never recovered, and young people who came of age in the Great Recession are doomed to be poorer than their parents.

    Inequality—the fundamental, relentless force in American life since the late 1970s—grew worse.

    This second crisis drove a profound wedge between Americans: between the upper and lower classes, Republicans and Democrats, metropolitan and rural people, the native-born and immigrants, ordinary Americans and their leaders.

    Social bonds had been under growing strain for several decades, and now they began to tear.

    The reforms of the Obama years, important as they were—in health care, financial regulation, green energy—had only palliative effects.

    The long recovery over the past decade enriched corporations and investors, lulled professionals, and left the working class further behind. The lasting effect of the slump was to increase polarization and to discredit authority, especially government’s.

    No one noticed.

    Both parties were slow to grasp how much credibility they’d lost.

    The coming politics was populist. Its harbinger wasn’t Barack Obama but Sarah Palin, the absurdly unready vice-presidential candidate who scorned expertise and reveled in celebrity. She was Donald Trump’s John the Baptist.

    Trump came to power as the repudiation of the Republican establishment.

    But the conservative political class and the new leader soon reached an understanding. Whatever their differences on issues like trade and immigration, they shared a basic goal: to strip-mine public assets for the benefit of private interests.

    Republican politicians and donors who wanted government to do as little as possible for the common good could live happily with a regime that barely knew how to govern at all, and they made themselves Trump’s footmen.

    Like a wanton boy throwing matches in a parched field, Trump began to immolate what was left of national civic life.

    He never even pretended to be president of the whole country, but pitted us against one another along lines of race, sex, religion, citizenship, education, region, and—every day of his presidency—political party.

    His main tool of governance was to lie.

    A third of the country locked itself in a hall of mirrors that it believed to be reality; a third drove itself mad with the effort to hold on to the idea of knowable truth; and a third gave up even trying.

    The American government

    Trump acquired a federal government crippled by years of right-wing ideological assault, politicization by both parties, and steady defunding.

    He set about finishing off the job and destroying the professional civil service.

    He drove out some of the most talented and experienced career officials, left essential positions unfilled, and installed loyalists as commissars over the cowed survivors, with one purpose: to serve his own interests.

    His major legislative accomplishment, one of the largest tax cuts in history, sent hundreds of billions of dollars to corporations and the rich. The beneficiaries flocked to patronize his resorts and line his reelection pockets. If lying was his means for using power, corruption was his end.

    This was the American landscape that lay open to the virus: in prosperous cities, a class of globally connected desk workers dependent on a class of precarious and invisible service workers; in the countryside, decaying communities in revolt against the modern world; on social media, mutual hatred and endless vituperation among different camps; in the economy, even with full employment, a large and growing gap between triumphant capital and beleaguered labor; in Washington, an empty government led by a con man and his intellectually bankrupt party; around the country, a mood of cynical exhaustion, with no vision of a shared identity or future.

    COVID-19 exposed America for what it is.

    If the pandemic really is a kind of war, it’s the first to be fought on this soil in a century and a half.

    Invasion and occupation expose a society’s fault lines, exaggerating what goes unnoticed or accepted in peacetime, clarifying essential truths, raising the smell of buried rot.

    The virus should have united Americans against a common threat.

    With different leadership, it might have.

    Instead, even as it spread from blue to red areas, attitudes broke down along familiar partisan lines. The virus also should have been a great leveler. You don’t have to be in the military or in debt to be a target—you just have to be human.

    But from the start, its effects have been skewed by the inequality that we’ve tolerated for so long.

    When tests for the virus were almost impossible to find, the wealthy and connected—the model and reality-TV host Heidi Klum, the entire roster of the Brooklyn Nets, the president’s conservative allies—were somehow able to get tested, despite many showing no symptoms.

    The smattering of individual results did nothing to protect public health.

    Meanwhile, ordinary people with fevers and chills had to wait in long and possibly infectious lines, only to be turned away because they weren’t actually suffocating. An internet joke proposed that the only way to find out whether you had the virus was to sneeze in a rich person’s face.

    When Trump was asked about this blatant unfairness, he expressed disapproval but added, “Perhaps that’s been the story of life.”

    Most Americans hardly register this kind of special privilege in normal times. But in the first weeks of the pandemic it sparked outrage, as if, during a general mobilization, the rich had been allowed to buy their way out of military service and hoard gas masks. As the contagion has spread, its victims have been likely to be poor, black, and brown people. The gross inequality of our health-care system is evident in the sight of refrigerated trucks lined up outside public hospitals.

    Right now…

    We now have two categories of work: essential and nonessential. Who have the essential workers turned out to be?

    Mostly people in low-paying jobs that require their physical presence and put their health directly at risk: warehouse workers, shelf-stockers, Instacart shoppers, delivery drivers, municipal employees, hospital staffers, home health aides, long-haul truckers.

    Doctors and nurses are the pandemic’s combat heroes, but the supermarket cashier with her bottle of sanitizer and the UPS driver with his latex gloves are the supply and logistics troops who keep the frontline forces intact.

    In a smartphone economy that hides whole classes of human beings, we’re learning where our food and goods come from, who keeps us alive. An order of organic baby arugula on AmazonFresh is cheap and arrives overnight in part because the people who grow it, sort it, pack it, and deliver it have to keep working while sick.

    For most service workers, sick leave turns out to be an impossible luxury. It’s worth asking if we would accept a higher price and slower delivery so that they could stay home.

    Dangerous parasites

    The pandemic has also clarified the meaning of nonessential workers. One example is Kelly Loeffler, the Republican junior senator from Georgia, whose sole qualification for the empty seat that she was given in January is her immense wealth. Less than three weeks into the job, after a dire private briefing about the virus, she got even richer from the selling-off of stocks, then she accused Democrats of exaggerating the danger and gave her constituents false assurances that may well have gotten them killed. Loeffler’s impulses in public service are those of a dangerous parasite.

    A body politic that would place someone like this in high office is well advanced in decay.

    Political Nihilism

    The purest embodiment of political nihilism is not Trump himself but his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner.

    In his short lifetime, Kushner has been fraudulently promoted as both a meritocrat and a populist. He was born into a moneyed real-estate family the month Ronald Reagan entered the Oval Office, in 1981—a princeling of the second Gilded Age.

    Despite Jared’s mediocre academic record, he was admitted to Harvard after his father, Charles, pledged a $2.5 million donation to the university.

    Father helped son with $10 million in loans for a start in the family business, then Jared continued his elite education at the law and business schools of NYU, where his father had contributed $3 million.

    Jared repaid his father’s support with fierce loyalty when Charles was sentenced to two years in federal prison in 2005 for trying to resolve a family legal quarrel by entrapping his sister’s husband with a prostitute and videotaping the encounter.

    Jared Kushner failed as a skyscraper owner and a newspaper publisher, but he always found someone to rescue him, and his self-confidence only grew.

    In American Oligarchs, Andrea Bernstein describes how he adopted the outlook of a risk-taking entrepreneur, a “disruptor” of the new economy. Under the influence of his mentor Rupert Murdoch, he found ways to fuse his financial, political, and journalistic pursuits. He made conflicts of interest his business model.

    So when his father-in-law became president, Kushner quickly gained power in an administration that raised amateurism, nepotism, and corruption to governing principles.

    As long as he busied himself with Middle East peace, his feckless meddling didn’t matter to most Americans. But since he became an influential adviser to Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, the result has been mass death.

    In his first week on the job, in mid-March, Kushner co-authored the worst Oval Office speech in memory, interrupted the vital work of other officials, may have compromised security protocols, flirted with conflicts of interest and violations of federal law, and made fatuous promises that quickly turned to dust.

    The federal government is not designed to solve all our problems,” he said, explaining how he would tap his corporate connections to create drive-through testing sites.

    They never materialized.

    He was convinced by corporate leaders that Trump should not use presidential authority to compel industries to manufacture ventilators—then Kushner’s own attempt to negotiate a deal with General Motors fell through.

    With no loss of faith in himself, he blamed shortages of necessary equipment and gear on incompetent state governors.

    To watch this pale, slim-suited dilettante breeze into the middle of a deadly crisis, dispensing business-school jargon to cloud the massive failure of his father-in-law’s administration, is to see the collapse of a whole approach to governing.

    It turns out that scientific experts and other civil servants are not traitorous members of a “deep state”—they’re essential workers, and marginalizing them in favor of ideologues and sycophants is a threat to the nation’s health.

    It turns out that “nimble” companies can’t prepare for a catastrophe or distribute lifesaving goods—only a competent federal government can do that.

    It turns out that everything has a cost, and years of attacking government, squeezing it dry and draining its morale, inflict a heavy cost that the public has to pay in lives.

    All the programs defunded, stockpiles depleted, and plans scrapped meant that we had become a second-rate nation. Then came the virus and this strange defeat.

    Our fight against the COVID-19

    The fight to overcome the pandemic must also be a fight to recover the health of our country, and build it anew, or the hardship and grief we’re now enduring will never be redeemed.

    Under our current leadership, nothing will change.

    If 9/11 and 2008 wore out trust in the old political establishment, 2020 should kill off the idea that anti-politics is our salvation. But putting an end to this regime, so necessary and deserved, is only the beginning.

    Facing a stark choice.

    We’re faced with a choice that the crisis makes inescapably clear. We can stay hunkered down in self-isolation, fearing and shunning one another, letting our common bond wear away to nothing.

    Or we can use this pause in our normal lives to pay attention to the hospital workers holding up cellphones so their patients can say goodbye to loved ones; the planeload of medical workers flying from Atlanta to help in New York; the aerospace workers in Massachusetts demanding that their factory be converted to ventilator production; the Floridians standing in long lines because they couldn’t get through by phone to the skeletal unemployment office; the residents of Milwaukee braving endless waits, hail, and contagion to vote in an election forced on them by partisan justices.

    We can learn from these dreadful days that stupidity and injustice are lethal; that, in a democracy, being a citizen is essential work; that the alternative to solidarity is death. After we’ve come out of hiding and taken off our masks, we should not forget what it was like to be alone.

    Do you want to see similar posts?

    I hope that you found this post curious. Please take care. You can view other similar posts in my SHTF Index, here…

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    Awesome Movies – Galaxy Quest (1999)

    Any geek can proclaim “Live Long and Prosper.” An even lesser geek will  require you to “Use the force.” A truly hardened, experienced, and  involved geek however will tell you “Never give up, and never  surrender.” 
    
    -doblu

    If you love Star Trek, then you would love and appreciate Galaxy Quest. You see, there is a reason why this movie (which is NOT set in the Star Trek universe) is considered one of the best Star Trek movies.

    It’s a comedy, ai, that is certain. But it appeals and has appeal to anyone of us who has fallen in love with the characters, the narrative and the tropes of the Star Trek universe.

    Galaxy Quest is special. It really is. Galaxy Quest has everyone in the theater laughing. It cut across ages and backgrounds with a very simple premise…

    …you are what you believe yourself to be.

    You are  what you believe yourself to be.
    You are what you believe yourself to be.

    Which is, after all, the exact same premise that the movie “Bronco Billy” was based upon.

    'Galaxy  Quest' couldn't be better. It's not a mockumentary, it's not a Star Trek  parody. It's pure comedy based on the Star Trek legend with excellent actors and absolutely brilliant production.
    
    The visuals are  magnificent. You would expect nothing but mediocre stuff for a space  comedy, but this is not the case with 'Galaxy Quest'. These are the best  effects for a space movie, since 'Starship Troopers'!
    
    The story  is also very original and interesting. Not only jokes on thin air, but a  great story nonetheless. The triumphant ending is beautiful, it  elevates you! In fact, it would easily compete with the some of the best Star Trek stories of all time.                                   
                  
    - atzimo           

    This movie is not only about the television series, but it is also about the fans.

    Indeed, science fiction conventions can be a lot of fun, and a real hoot. If you ever have the chance to check one out, please do so.

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    At shows you will meet all kind of folk.

    You will meet the seemingly useless get-a-lifers, the just-for-fun guys, and the not-so-rare I’m-only-in-it-for-the profit gang.

    Never give up, never surrender!

    You will meet actors who loved the whole shebang, actors who loathed it, and actors who didn’t have a clue what was going on.

    Fandom is a very big place, with room for all sorts of people.

    This film  was amazing.  I saw the trailers and swore I'd never watch it. A couple  of friends overruled this after watching it in the theaters, and I'm  glad they did.
    
    Not only is this film an amusing spoof of Science  Fiction Fen-dom, it's a brilliant action-adventure/science-fiction film  in its own right.  The only other film I can think of that is a  righteous satirical look, yet a splendid example of the genre, is the  Fifth Element.
    
    Galaxy Quest Has It All. Beautiful women in scanty  clothing.  Love interests.  Computers.  Space ships.  Ugly and evil  monsters.  Blasters. Arcane martial arts.  Dynamite catch phrases.  And  best of all, the very population that is satirized is the group that  Saves The Day.
    
    The dialogue is brilliant - you'll find yourself  quoting from this film regularly.  The acting is marvelous.  Tim Allen  doing William Shatner doing a Heroic Spaceship Captain is worth the  rental all by itself, not to mention Alan Rickman's memorably dry  performance as the I-Am-Not-My-Strange-Looking-Alien character.
    
    The  first thing I thought upon leaving the theater was that I had to see  this film again.  The first thing I thought upon seeing it again was  that I would have to own this movie.  Check it out - you won't be sorry.                                       
                  
    - tygirrl           
    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    And Galaxy Quest got it right–the conventions, the costumes, the geeks, the groupies, even the mocking “mundanes” who attend cons looking for kicks. It took notice of all the science fiction cliches, acknowledged them, and then twisted them to its own comedic purposes.

    Galaxy Quest captured not only the silliness of fandom, but the inspiration of it.

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    In the end, the demoralized and cynical actors found strength and meaning in the same characters which stereotyped them.

    The fans of SF, are what makes this movie classic!
    The fans of SF, are what makes this movie classic!

    The geeks saved the day. The good guys won. The bad guys provided entertainment to masses of fans. Things blew up. And isn’t that what science fiction is all about?

    This is what I would call a PERFECT film. 
    
    As a long-time Star Trek fan I  have waited for a movie which had that total feelgood factor, not a spoof, but a humorous and heartfelt homage.  
    
    A film which shows fans in a good light, in a way that, of course, we can laugh at ourselves, but in an unoffensive and entertaining manner. 
    
    I never thought it would arrive, and so in GALAXY QUEST, I found one of the best films in cinema  history. 
    
    Everything is spot on. The story is fantastic, and telling it  from the point of view of normal people was great.  Making them play  those stereotypes that we know and love was just the tip of the iceberg, and everyone played the parts superbly. 
    
    The special effects speak for  themselves.  When the Protector leaves space dock...Wow.   When she goes  through the minefield...Wow!  When Tim Allen faces the biggest rock  monster since The Never Ending Story...Wow Wow WOW! 
    
    The score is also  great, capturing the adventure of the old Star Trek shows, and the epic  scope of the story at hand. And then there's the way everything just comes together at the end into a sensational package of laughs, thrills, sometimes bitingly moving scenes, and a genuine feeling of warmth inside. 
    
    Go and see this, buy the DVD, whatever.  Just see it. Never give  up, and never surrender! 
    
    - selfy_nagus 

    The entire cast was excellent, especially Tim Allen and Alan Rickman doing their best Shatner and Nimoy impersonations. Special credit must go to the four actors who played the naive aliens. Their wide-eyed innocence reminded me of the quality that drew me, and draws children of all ages into the world of science fiction.

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    This movie didn’t rely on vulgarities or overt violence. It didn’t need to resort to meanness or cruel jokes, either. While it poked fun at science fiction and its fans, it never resorted to the kind of mockery you see in other films.

    A beautifully-crafted film, Galaxy Quest is a love letter to sf fans of  all sorts everywhere. The characters are perfectly drawn, the story is  well-written, and there's the right amount of goshwow to make the whole  thing work perfectly. And it's funny as hell in all the right spots.
    
    Tim Allen is amazing. He's got his Shatneroid character down perfectly.  He's a vain, pompous clown who finds out what a laughingstock he's  become, and when he gets a chance to redeem himself, he pounces on it.
    
    Sigourney  Weaver is a delight. Sexy without trying, her character Gwen DeMarco is  as far from Ripley as you can get. Alan Rickman is flawless as  Alexander Dane, massively talented Shakespearean actor who's been stuck in this Spockish role for years because he played it too well. Darryl Mitchell is great as Tommy "Laredo" Webber, and Sam Rockwell is  hilarious as Guy, the hack actor stuck in the middle of something that scares him silly.
    
    The two actors who really stand out are Tony  Shalhoub and Enrico Colantoni. Tony plays Fred Kwan with understated  glee, while Colantoni plays Commander Mathesar with a smiling  earnestness that makes you firmly believe everything he's saying.
    
    The  supporting cast is incredibly talented. Robin Sachs is perfect as  Sarris, Patrick Breen essays his role as Quellek beautifully, and Missy  Pyle amazes as Laliari.
    
    But it's still Tim Allen's movie above all else, and he makes the most of it.
    
    A  final note: this movie wouldn't have worked nearly as well if not for  the production design work of four of the greatest artistic talents in  science fiction: Simon Bisley, Brom, Wayne Barlowe and the lengendary  Berni Wrightson. Barlowe is an expert in xenobiology, and designed the  Thermian's native form. Wrightson's quite possibly the best horror  illustrator of all time, and Sarris and his minions are his work.
    
    My  favorite moment in the film? the point where Alan Rickman gets his  first look at the NSEA Protector II for the first time... his look of  astonishment is a joy to behold.
    
    Like The Last Starfighter, this is a popcorn movie with a message. See it with your kids. 
    
    - Ludwig_Meyer 

    Galaxy Quest is a solid, funny movie. Go see it. Take the kids. Go see it and see it twice.

    On the way to adventure!
    On the way to adventure!

    Some Dialogues

     Brandon (Justin Long)
    → I just wanted to tell you that I thought a lot about what you said.
    
    Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen)
    → It's okay, now listen--
    
    Brandon
    →  But I want you to know that I'm not a complete brain case, okay? I  understand completely that it's just a TV show. I know there's no  beryllium sphere...
    
    Jason Nesmith
    → Hold it.
    
    Brandon
    → ...no digital conveyor, no ship...
    
    Jason Nesmith
    → Stop for a second, stop. It's all real.
    
    Brandon
    → Oh my God, I knew it. I knew it! I knew it! 
    This movie is a true classic.
    This movie is a true classic.
     Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver)
    → What is this thing? There's no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of chompy, crushy things in the middle of a hallway!
    
    Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen)
    → Gwen —
    
    Gwen DeMarco
    → No! I mean, we shouldn't have to do this! It makes no logical sense! Why is it here'!
    
    Jason Nesmith
    → Because it's on the television show.
    
    Gwen DeMarco
    → Well, forget it! I'm not doing it! This episode was BADLY WRITTEN! 
    [Witnessing Fred Kwan having sex with Laliari] Oh, that's not right! 

    But wait! There’s a documentary…

    “Never Give Up, Never Surrender,” the “Galaxy Quest” documentary, highlights the magic of the 1999 film.

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    The flick earned its “cult classic” status by putting sci-fi superfans in the role of the hero and perfectly balancing the subtleties of comedy and drama. 

    The fans of SF, are what makes this movie classic!
    The fans of SF, are what makes this movie classic!

    “Never Surrender” features intimate interviews with almost the entire cast of the original film (excluding, of course and sadly, Alan Rickman, who died in 2016), including actors Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Justin Long and Sam Rockwell. The film also interviews writers, the film’s director and other behind-the-scenes people who made the film possible. “Never Surrender” even features cameos from sci-fi legends like “Star Trek” actor Wil Wheaton and “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof.

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    This documentary explains why, despite an initially disappointing turnout at the box office, “Quest” has become one of the most beloved sci-fi movies of all time. It was even dubbed “the best ‘Star Trek’ movie” by Wheaton in the documentary, despite being, well, not a “Star Trek” movie.

    “Galaxy Quest” isn’t unique because it’s a sci-fi parody. Other films, like “Spaceballs,” spoofed “Star Wars” and other sci-fi classics, but there has always been something unique about “Quest.”

    The "Captain" of Galaxy Quest.
    The “Captain” of Galaxy Quest.

    As the documentary explores, the film isn’t a campy or “cheesy” spoof movie; it isn’t strictly a comedy (though I believe anyone would be hard-pressed to watch it without cracking up at least once).

    There are some movies that are better watched while you are not eating.  'Galaxy Quest' fits into this category as I made the mistake of watching  it while having dinner and I almost choked several times. This is one  of the funniest smart comedies I have seen. The film is brilliantly  executed and it brilliantly spoofs the science-fiction-spaceship genre.  But the film isn't mere silliness as it does have a soul and tells an  action adventure story of 5 has-been stars of a famous Star-Trek-type TV  show that got cancelled two decades ago. The screenplay is great and  the dialogues are witty fun. There is no crude humour or  over-the-top-out-of-context joke.
    
    The special effects wonderfully  add to the spoofiness. The monsters and aliens are a 'treat' to watch.  An intelligent comedy isn't easy to make as the maker has to pay close  attention to line delivery, characterization, situation, comic timing  and direction. 'Galaxy Quests' fulfills all criteria from start to end.  Tim Allen as the pompous hero, Alan Rickman as the whiny has-been  'Shakespearean'-actor-forced-to-play-an-android, Tony Shalhoub as the  funny Fred, Sam Rockwell as the terrified-of-being-the-first-one-to-die  Guy, Enrico Colantoni as the gullible Mathezar and last but not least,  the incredibly sexy Sigourney Weaver as the tired-of-playing-dumb-blonde  Gwen (the total opposite of her famous Ripley character) play their  parts.
    
    I'm glad that I bought this film on impulse yesterday as  most American spoofs I have seen, like the abysmal Scary Movies (puke)  or the silly Screams (yawn) and the ridiculous Naked Guns (okay this  last one was kind of funny) hardly have anything more to offer than  silliness. Actually I was given the choice between this and 'Naked Gun  33 and a Half' and i'm glad I made the right decision. 'Galaxy Quest'  definitely surpasses these films by several miles as I wouldn't even  mind calling it one of the best comedies. 
    
    - Chrysanthepop 
    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    The documentary is pretty good.

    It’s a movie with real heart. While you might giggle as a panicked, rambling Rockwell says, “My character isn’t important enough for a last name, because I’m gonna die 5 minutes in,” while descending to an alien planet, you may soon have tears in your eyes as Quellek the Thermian dies in the arms of Alexander Dane, or Dr. Lazarus (Rickman).

    "It's  this little movie. It's not a part of a franchise. It was just made by  pure heart alone by a lot of people, and because of that heart, I think,  it had a massive, lasting impact," 
    
    -Roth Cornet, a producer on the  documentary.
    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    And the documentary similarly has a few tender, teary-eyed moments. For example, with the mention of Rickman, who passed before a proposed “Galaxy Quest” series on Amazon could be realized, it is hard to not feel sentimental as the cast, one by one, describes what it was like to work with him and how badly they all miss him. “If you love Alan Rickman, that’s the moment for me, when we talk about Alan passing. I got choked up,” Cornet said

    The documentary has a few surprising, heartbreaking and hilarious tidbits about Rickman you can look forward to. 

    Sigourney Weaver in Galaxy Quest.
    Sigourney Weaver in Galaxy Quest.

    The team behind this documentary has considered it a passion project and has pushed to make it happen, Cornet said. “Something like this highlights [that] when people love something and they come together, it can really, really, really have a huge impact on their whole life, even just a little movie about a TV show. And we’re making a documentary about a movie about a TV show,” she added about the meta nature of the documentary, which dives into a movie about actors in a “Star Trek”-esque television show. 

    Cornet added that the creators aimed for the documentary to be “an hour and 25 minutes of delight.” And in my humble opinion, it is just that. 

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.
     By Blake French: 
    
    As I walked out of the theater in which I  screened "Galaxy Quest," I thought how surprised I was to have enjoyed  what seemed as a cheesy family spoof. But the film turned to be an  action adventure with some really hilarious moments. I loved the film.  It has qualities of a successful science fiction drama, but also  contains a variety of comical characters that had the whole audience  overwhelmed in laughter. "Galaxy Quest" is right up there with "Toy  Story" in merit, it entertains adults and children alike, standing out  as one of the year's best family films. 
    
    The story details the  adventures of a canceled television science fiction fantasy cast,  similar in content to "Star Trek." "Galaxy Quest" is the name of the  program. In their years, the stars, including Jason Nesmith, Gwen  DeMarco, Fred Kwan, Alexander Dane, and Tommy Webber, were some of the  biggest, most popular names in TV. Now, their means of making a living  is signing fans' autographs for a price and being cast in amateur  presentations.  
    Never give up. Never Surrender.
    There is very detailed character development  here. The characters are wonderfully cast and brilliantly portrayed.  Unfortunately, most family films don't contain the patience for such  necessary material. We bond with these characters; they are likable,  funny, energetic and independent.  These individuals are the key of  success to this kind of movie.
    
     The real plot begins when strange people come to Jason beging for him to  save their existence from a powerful evil force who wishes to wipe them  out of the universe forever. Naturally, at first our television star is  skeptical, but when the strange people turn out to be humble aliens and  transport Jason to their spaceship, he realizes this is something  serious. The aliens begin to explain that they think he and his "Galaxy  Quest" team are the only people in the universe who can save their race.  He rushes to the members of his old cast and tries to justify his  experience. He says that there are extraterrestrial creatures who  require the help of their "Galaxy Quest" characters. None of his friends  believe him, but once again give in when they find themselves  transported off earth, onto the creature's spaceship.  Of course, the  aliens don't realize that their hopeful heroes are simply out of work  actors, but who needs to tell them? So it is up to Commander Peter  Quincy Taggart, Lt. Tawny Madison, Tech Sergeant Chen, Dr. Lazarus of  Tev'Meck, and Lt. Laredo to save the day for our innocent and haunted  alien life forms. 
    
    "Galaxy Quest" is a slapstick comedy that is  smart, and does not go over the edge with its humorous material. It  leaves room for several other essential elements such as happiness,  romance, honesty, excitement, and contains a dramatic purpose. The story  is very original, and contains a firm theme of action in its premise.  It also has lots of outstanding visual effects and sight gags that are  effective and interesting to watch.  
    The Galaxy Quest team discovers that things are going really bad.
    The Galaxy Quest team discovers that things are going really bad.

    A Television Show?

    Paramount is currently putting together a television version of the 1999 Dreamworks film!

    Hopefully, this show will be even better than the show in the film. Or not, and that will totally be its appeal! Whatever happens, today is an awesome day for sci-fi comedy fans everywhere. Paramount, we salute you.

    Galaxy Quest.
    Never Give up. Never Surrender!

    Deleted scenes included on the DVD:

    • Tech Sargeant Chen helps an engineering crew solve a difficult problem without offering any insightful help whatsoever.
    • Alexander is presented his living quarters: an empty room save a bed of spikes and a daunting toilet.
    • An alternate version of a scene in which its revealed Jason and Gwen were old flames.
    • Guy overreacts when his foot gets caught in a rock, and Jason does his “rugged pose”.
    • Alexander uses an acting method to figure out the rock monster’s “motivation”.
    • Gwen rips open her uniform to seduce two enemy soldiers, before crushing them with a door. (Part of this scene was featured in the trailer.)
    • General Sarris revives himself and attacks the crew while crash landing.
    The Galaxy Quest team.
    The Galaxy Quest team.

    Remember…

    Never give up and never surrender!

    Galaxy Quest.
    Galaxy Quest.

    I do hope that you appreciated and enjoyed this little post. I have more in my Movie Index, here…

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    Business Lessons from The Sopranos.

    For those of you who are unaware, “The Sopranos” is a classic American television series. It’s a show about many things, family, business, and relationships. I don’t like when people refer to the show, a show about the Mafia. For me, it’s a show about family. A family who, through generations, happen to be apart of the Italian-American Mafia.

    There are two series that (I believe) are excellent in regards to life, business and family. The first is “The Sopranos”, and the second is “Breaking Bad”.

    “The Sopranos” has literally redefined television as we know it. It has broken all rules, and set new standards for television excellence. Everything is flawless, the writing, directing, and for me, most of all, the acting.

    Watching this show you’ll find yourself realizing that these characters are NOT real. The acting tricks you into thinking there is a real Tony Soprano, or any character. This show is also very versatile. Some people don’t watch the show because it’s violent, it’s not all about the violence, it’s about business, family, and many deeper things that all depend on what you, as a fan see.

    In this post, I will like to emphasize the connections and lessons that one can learn about the world of business from that show. As they are particularly memorable and substantive.

    On Opportunities;

    In the show episode “Down Neck”, Tony Soprano starts to remember his childhood. He remembers when he first discovered that his father was part of the mafia, and he remembers how his parents interacted with each other.

    Tony’s family told him that his dad was “in Montana being a cowboy” when he was in jail. Sometimes you just have to laugh and cry at the same time, you know?
    Tony’s family told him that his dad was “in Montana being a cowboy” when he was in jail. Sometimes you just have to laugh and cry at the same time, you know?

    In the first season episode, Tony remembers a fight that his father had with his narcissistic mother. The fight was an argument between his mother and his father. You see, his father had a “ground floor” opportunity to move to Reno and set up Mafia operations there with a long-time associate.

    His mother, always negative and demanding, refused to let him go. She carried on so. She was relentlessly negative and even threatened to take the children and flee if he left.

    Eventually she won.

    It’s discovered later that were his father to listen to himself and not take the counsel from his narcissistic wife, that the entire family would be billionaires now.

    Tony Soprano's father and uncle "Junior".
    Tony Soprano’s father and uncle “Junior”.

    This is a scene that has played out countless times throughout history. It is one where the father; a “breadwinner” for the family wants to seize an opportunity, but his partner refuses.

    It’s a case, some might argue, that a “bird in the hand, is better than two in the bush”.

    But, is it actually true?

    Is it true in every event, all the time?

    Tony Soprano as a young boy watching his father.
    Tony Soprano as a young boy watching his father.

    What is different is that when opportunities present themselves to the family “breadwinner” it is of a different form that a mere “pipe dream“. For it involves the labor and reward structure for the person who has the idea.

    The difference here is that it’s not just an idea, and not just a dream. It’s a business opportunity that involves work alongside people that you know, and (perhaps) trust.

    Look, if you have a dream, it’s up to you to follow it.

    If you have a dream, you must follow it. Not wait for the approval of others.

    Do not be held back by others, especially those you love and care for. Your selection of life partner (husband or wife) will have the biggest impact on your overall satisfaction in life. It will be more influential than anything else.

    Look, if you have a dream, it's up to you to follow it. Do not be held back by others, especially those you love and care for.
    Look, if you have a dream, it’s up to you to follow it. Do not be held back by others, especially those you love and care for.

    Speaking about relationships…

    On client relationships:

    "When you're bleeding a guy, you don't squeeze him dry right away. Contrarily, you let him do his bidding, suavely. So you can bleed him next week and the week after, at minimum."

    Let’s look at a tale of two designers.

    One designer (Mr. Bob) was determined to maximize the profit of every project he undertook. Now this isn’t at all easy. He had to haggle over each and every charge and task into great detail and often was involved in seemingly endless arguments. He nick-picked every cent, and argued every clause.

    You don't want to bleed a guy out all at once. You need to handle him suavely.
    You don’t want to bleed a guy out all at once. You need to handle him suavely.

    This quest was accompanied by massive arguments with clients, and yes the occasional lawsuits that would manifest from time to time.

    On the other hand, (Mr. John) is a completely different designer with a completely different temperament.

    Instead of fighting “tooth and nail” over every single point and issue, he would do the opposite. He tended to concede every (more or less) reasonable point to his clients. Of course, he would end up making less on each job. In fact, he would sometimes even lose money from time to time.

    Which one never had repeat business? Which one worked with the same clients for decades?

    Take a guess.

    Do not fight over every last concession. Build a partnership of mutual respect, and bleed him slowly on your terms.

    Of course, clients don’t want to be bled, but they do appreciate a little suaveness.

    James Gandolfini is mesmerizing as Tony Soprano, a lynchpin in the Italian Mafia. However, instead of seeing Tony as just a one-dimensional thug, we see that he has a life outside of his criminal activities, and that's what makes this show different from it's competition. It's a different side to the story of criminals, that they have normal lives when not breaking the law.
    James Gandolfini is mesmerizing as Tony Soprano, a lynchpin in the Italian Mafia. However, instead of seeing Tony as just a one-dimensional thug, we see that he has a life outside of his criminal activities, and that’s what makes this show different from it’s competition. It’s a different side to the story of criminals, that they have normal lives when not breaking the law.

    On creative road-blocks:

    "My advice? Put that thing down awhile, we go get our joints copped, and tomorrow the words'll come blowing out your ass."

    Paulie’s advice to frustrated amateur screenwriter Christopher is classic. It is pretty much exactly the same as every book on creativity ever written.

    Sometimes you all just need to have your joints copped, and enjoy yourself.
    Sometimes you all just need to have your joints copped, and enjoy yourself.

    If you’re struggling with a problem, put it aside and inspiration will come when you’re not expecting it.

    While it may not be possible to follow Paulie’s prescription to the letter… heh heh … the idea that you need to reset your brain is always good strong advice.

    Sometimes you all just need to have your joints copped, and enjoy yourself.

    The show is mainly about Anthony "Tony" Soprano and his life as a father, husband and leader of a mob in the 21st century. The show is (as far as I know) realistic, compared to many other mafia shows and movies I have seen. The actors fit like a glove to their parts. This show made me realize how good many of these actors are in other shows and movies. This show has it all; humor, action, drama, good music, good actors, good "behind the camera" people and a good plot. The show displays all sides of the mob business; "business", private life, the cops/FBI point of view, the victims side of the story and much more.
    The show is mainly about Anthony “Tony” Soprano and his life as a father, husband and leader of a mob in the 21st century. The show is (as far as I know) realistic, compared to many other mafia shows and movies I have seen. The actors fit like a glove to their parts. This show made me realize how good many of these actors are in other shows and movies. This show has it all; humor, action, drama, good music, good actors, good “behind the camera” people and a good plot. The show displays all sides of the mob business; “business”, private life, the cops/FBI point of view, the victims side of the story and much more.

    On the creative professions:

    "Event planning? It's gay, isn't it?"

    On The Sopranos, and within that world of Dons and “Hit Men”, interest in certain things, including but not limited to event planning, fashion design, literature, and certain psychological theories, are considered awful effeminacy.

    A similar macho attitude often obtains in corporate boardrooms when it comes to design, and other creative professions.

    A lot of executive decision makers are comfortable with spreadsheets. Show them colors and shapes, on the other hand, and you can see the panic in their eyes.

    When dealing with people of different interests and backgrounds, you need to understand that not everyone views things from the same point of view. Part of being a success is making these other fellows comfortable with their “softer” sides.

    You need to deal with people on THEIR terms.

    While the show has often been criticized for the negative stereotype of Italian-Americans as mafiosi, and to an extent this is undeniable, I can see so many positives from the show. The portrayal of strong family values, friendships, love and compassion; could this be present in a coarse television show about gangsters? Yes. Furthermore, other burning issues are discussed such as terrorism, social inequality and injustice, homosexuality, drugs etc. This is no shallow, dull show about tough guys and violence. It has so much more. Many of the issues we see on the show are very real.
    While the show has often been criticized for the negative stereotype of Italian-Americans as mafiosi, and to an extent this is undeniable, I can see so many positives from the show. The portrayal of strong family values, friendships, love and compassion; could this be present in a coarse television show about gangsters? Yes. Furthermore, other burning issues are discussed such as terrorism, social inequality and injustice, homosexuality, drugs etc. This is no shallow, dull show about tough guys and violence. It has so much more. Many of the issues we see on the show are very real.

    On professional behavior:

    "You don't think. You disrespect this place. That's the reason why you were passed the fuck over."

    There is a reason for corporate dress, behavior and career advice. It is a tool that separates the janitor and street garbage man from the corporate division head, and the board-room .

    To fully appreciate this difference not the level of respect that the most successful people in a company place on behavior and relationships. Those that mast that behavior end up mastering that environment.

    Corporate dress, behavior and career advice are tools that separates the janitor and street garbage man from the corporate division head, and the board-room .
    Corporate dress, behavior and career advice are tools that separates the janitor and street garbage man from the corporate division head, and the board-room .

    Corporate dress, behavior and career advice are tools that separates the janitor and street garbage man from the corporate division head, and the board-room .

    On appropriation:

    "Fuckin' expresso, cappucino. We invented this shit. And all these other cocksuckers are gettin' rich off us."
    
    "Oh, again with the rape of the culture."

    By his own admission, Howard Schultz was inspired by the coffee houses of Venice and Milan when he created his own little version in Seattle.

    This image is just some people having a meal together right? Yet the context, and the situation, along with the understated currents running through the series creates a masterfully powerful image.
    This image is just some people having a meal together right? Yet the context, and the situation, along with the understated currents running through the series creates a masterfully powerful image.

    The designers of the graphical use interface at Apple were influenced by work developed at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center.

    And some people think that the Flintstones are just the Honeymooners except set in the Stone Age.

    Imitation, influence, and iteration are crucial to design development. The only requirement is that the goal is transformation, not replication.

     The Sopranos really approaches the bloodthirst of the Gods, their cruelty, their indifference to mere mortals...and their so, so human traits mixed in with their almost unbearable inhumanity. But don't forget they sometimes show great wisdom and kindness too. The Gods and the Sopranos mingle with us mere mortals, but we say a little prayer of thanks when they pass us by. They know things we don't.
    The Sopranos really approaches the bloodthirst of the Gods, their cruelty, their indifference to mere mortals…and their so, so human traits mixed in with their almost unbearable inhumanity. But don’t forget they sometimes show great wisdom and kindness too. The Gods and the Sopranos mingle with us mere mortals, but we say a little prayer of thanks when they pass us by. They know things we don’t.

    Do not try to replicate. Try to transform.

    On the unintended consequences of technology:

    "It sounds to me like Anthony Jr. may have stumbled onto existentialism."
    
    "Fucking internet."

    Okay, advanced technology may have introduced the idea of a godless universe to the Soprano household. Many American software engineers, however, believe that advanced technology is our best proof that God exists — and that He lives in Cupertino, California.

    Sure.

    What ever you say.

    It's just "a guy" arguing around some cardboard boxes. Right? The proper use of technology AT ALL LEVELS can create a unique and powerful venue for other purposes. You need to be able to master your craft and do so carefully.
    It’s just “a guy” arguing around some cardboard boxes. Right? The proper use of technology AT ALL LEVELS can create a unique and powerful venue for other purposes. You need to be able to master your craft and do so carefully.

    Technology is a double-edged sword. Use it carefully.

    On commitment:

    "I  came home one day, shot her four times. Twice in the head. Killed her  aunt, too. I didn't know she was there. And the mailman. At that point, I  had to fully commit."

    If you’re going to make something big, make it really big. If you’re going to make it simple, make it really simple.

    Or really small, or really fancy.

    Any thing worth doing is worth doing well.
    Any thing worth doing is worth doing well.

    If you’re going after a project, if you’re trying to win a competition, if you’re serious about getting the job done, don’t bother unless you’re willing to fully commit.

    On bacon and eggs;
    
    The Chicken was involved, but the pig was committed.

    Any thing worth doing is worth doing well.

    On aesthetics:

    "Not in the face, okay? You give me that? Huh? Keep my eyes?"

    Designers like to think that it’s not about how it looks. It’s about how it works, or how it communicates, or how it changes the world. All true, except it’s also about how it looks.

    Have some dignity even through the worst of life.
    Have some dignity even through the worst of life.

    The artifacts we make are the Trojan Horses that deliver our ideas to an unsuspecting public. Making them look beautiful — or engaging, or funny, or provocative — is anything but a superficial exercise.

    We all get whacked now and then. Just make sure you get to keep your eyes.

    Have some dignity even through the worst of life.
    Have some dignity even through the worst of life.

    On pizza

    Take that shit outside! Don't ever disrespect the pizza parlor.
    
    -Christopher Moltosanti, after getting his button in season 3

    What does pizza have to do with design? What doesn’t pizza have to do with design.

    Never forget the importance of pizza.

    Never forget the importance of pizza.
    Never forget the importance of pizza.

    Keeping our creative focus:

    "I'm not a cat! I don't shit in a box!" 

    Uncle Junior’s response to using a bedpan. Sometimes we got to breakout of what’s expected of us and maintain some dignity.

    If anyone here thinks the Sopranos is just about murder and the mafia then it skimmed over your head completely.

    The pleasure of watching this show is that the barrier of the TV screen protects us. I think the writers are constantly reminding us of the moral dimension involved. The Sopranos is at the bottom of it, deeply moral. It's about actions, and codes. If you get hung up on the violence, you probably had better watch something else and leave it at that. Go drink some Kool Aid and chill.
    The pleasure of watching this show is that the barrier of the TV screen protects us. I think the writers are constantly reminding us of the moral dimension involved. The Sopranos is at the bottom of it, deeply moral. It’s about actions, and codes. If you get hung up on the violence, you probably had better watch something else and leave it at that. Go drink some Kool Aid and chill.

    On choice:

     "There's an old Italian saying: you f--k up once, you lose two teeth." 

    Adriana in the clutches of the FBI and this time they get very serious after she is filmed disposing evidence of a crime.

    She admits that Matoush the drug dealer killed someone in her office and she cleaned up after the fact even though the killing had nothing to do with her.

    The FBI tell her that unless she can get Christopher to flip, she will be arrested and charged.

    She tells Chris what’s happened and he tells her they’re both dead and have no way out of the predicament she’s put them in…

    "That's a bad decision."

    It’s gone. Black. Nothing.

    The world of “The Sopranos” was never kind to a rat, even when it was our beloved Adrianna. After revealing to Christopher that she was an informant for the Feds, Adrianna met her demise. Christopher informed Tony, who had Silvio take Adrian for a ride in what may have been the show’s best episode – “Long Term Parking.”
    The world of “The Sopranos” was never kind to a rat, even when it was our beloved Adrianna. After revealing to Christopher that she was an informant for the Feds, Adrianna met her demise. Christopher informed Tony, who had Silvio take Adrian for a ride in what may have been the show’s best episode – “Long Term Parking.”

    When does Adriana know she’s going to die?

    Is it when Silvio drags her out of the car, pulling her into the isolated woods, so she can crawl away from him pitifully? Is it when he pulls over, not at the hospital, but in the middle of nowhere?

    Is it on the car ride over there, when she hears him talking about how resilient Christopher is—and must realize on some level that he’s talking about how Christopher will be in the wake of her death, not after the foiled suicide attempt that was the excuse to get her in the car?

    “Heartbreaking” is the word that kept popping up in online forums in the days after this episode aired.  Probably no Sopranos episode  pulled at the heartstrings like “Long Term Parking” did.  
    
    I remember  two or three weeks after Season 5 ended, I caught myself moping around  the house, feeling kinda down.  This in itself was not very surprising—I  always went through a period of withdrawal after a season wrapped up.   But I felt particularly raw that summer of 2004—and then I realized what  it was: 
    
    I was still bummed out over the death of Adriana LaCerva.
    
    I’m not normally prone to overly  emotional responses to the deaths of fictional characters.  So why was I  so downcast over the demise of this big-haired Jersey girl?  The  answer: because David Chase wanted me to be.  
    
    “Long Term Parking” is a  powerful, resonating hour in and of itself, but much of its resonance  also comes from its connections to long-running threads, associations  and images from over the course of the series.  Some of the bells that  ring in this hour are set off by mallets that began their swing years  ago.  Almost everything in this episode—every twist, every scene, every  line of dialogue—is anchored to something that we’ve viewed or heard or  understood in previous episodes.  
    
    If we are shaken by “Long Term  Parking,” it is because the hour taps so deeply into our experience of  being embedded in SopranoWorld over the last 5 seasons. 
    
    - Long Term Parking (5.12) 

    Is it when Tony first calls her and tells her Sil is on his way to take her to the hospital? Is it when Christopher gets up and says he needs to clear his head before they make any big moves? Or is it when the FBI tells her it’s time to wear a wire or get Christopher to turn—or go to jail?

    Me, I think Adriana realizes what’s happening on that car ride to the woods.

    Adriana realizes what’s happening on that car ride to the  woods.
    Adriana realizes what’s happening on that car ride to the woods.

    You see Drea de Matteo’s face, and there’s a moment where her tears switch over from tears for Christopher to tears for herself, for the life she’s never going to get to lead (even if that life might have involved getting fat and moon-faced or watching Christopher grow a horrifying mullet and mostly ignore their kids as they race through a gas station parking lot).

    I suspect that she knew all along this was one possible way this car trip would end.

    The one-way car trip.
    The one-way car trip.

    I expect that she knew fairly soon into it that option B—the one ending in her death—was a larger possibility than she wanted to admit. But there’s this moment of perfect, crystalline acting, when you can see the switch flip, and you can see she knows what’s about to happen.

    It would be a mistake to classify Adriana as innocent—she’s clearly culpable in the various bad things she’s done over the years, and she knows more than she lets on to the FBI.

    Adriana realizes what’s happening on that car ride to the  woods.
    Adriana realizes what’s happening on that car ride to the woods.

    But she’s an innocent, someone who’s just a little bit naïve and lacks the sense of, say, Meadow, who ostensibly knows enough to flee this life. This life is all Adriana has ever known, and it’s all she will ever know, and even as she paints a vision for Christopher of the life they’ll lead together away from New Jersey, it seems like some part of her doesn’t really believe it, even as the rest of her is giving the hard sell.

    So that leaves Adriana, in a car, somewhere on the highway in the wooded landscapes of New Jersey.

    Adriana's last moments in the words of New Jersey as the leaves fall all around them.
    Adriana’s last moments in the words of New Jersey as the leaves fall all around them.

    The leaves are falling, and a song about California’s on the radio, and she’s imagining a point where she simply skipped town, ditched the two warring factions in her life that almost never saw her as a human being.

    (The mobsters, ultimately, treat her more warmly than the FBI does, on average.)

    She looks out the window, and she thinks back on everything that led to this point, all of the moments in her life that got her into this car, with the man rambling endlessly about how her fiancé is going to bounce back.

    And she knows.

    And it all blows away like ashes.

    Mistakes, in business, can be fatal.


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    Who Made the Coronavirus COVID-19 virus?

    I have been quite clear that the United States has been conducting biological warfare with China for the last four years. But others refuse to believe the train of evidence. They cannot reconcile the idea that the USA would wage covert germ warfare on a nuclear armed nation. But things are changing. Here’s an article by a detractor to this belief that begrudgingly admits that just maybe the USA is that reckless in risking World War III.

    And that maybe I am right.

    That the USA has been conducting germ warfare against China, and does not care if there is some “leakage” of the virus out of China. The goal is to suppress China at whatever the cost.

    This is a reprint of the article titled ” Who Made Coronavirus? Was It the U.S., Israel or China?”, it was published on March 6, 2020 by Enrique Suarez for the Strategic Culture Foundation. It has been edited to fit this venue. All credit to the author.

    Who Made Coronavirus? Was It the U.S., Israel or China?

    It might be possible that Washington has created and unleashed the virus in a bid to bring Beijing’s growing economy and military might down a few notches.

    I’ve had to delete YouTube off my phone to avoid all the anti China stuff since the virus kicked off. 
    
    There is a massive offensive happening to try poison people’s minds against China. 
    
    Reality is I’ve actually never had a bad experience in China and I’m going in and out 10 years.  
    
    -Derek Kenny

    The most commonly reported mainstream media account of the creation of the Coronavirus suggests that it was derived from an animal-borne microorganism found in a wild bat that was consumed by an ethnic Chinese resident of Wuhan. But there appears to be some evidence to dispute that in that adjacent provinces in China, where wild bats are more numerous, have not experienced major outbreaks of the disease. Because of that and other factors, there has also been considerable speculation that the Coronavirus did not occur naturally through mutation but rather was produced in a laboratory, possibly as a biological warfare agent.

    Where did it originate?

    I got the insight today that this global crisis makes one thing very clear.   
    
    To everyone's probable disbelief in the Western world, China and other Asian countries opted for drastic measures to save the people's lives, regardless of economic impact. 
    
    The West is so concerned about economic and consequent political fall out that they compromise lives .. ultimately it will shoot in their own feet...but meanwhile unnecessary lives will be lost. And who will take the responsibility? 
    
    -Peter Buytaert 

    Several reports suggest that there are components of the virus that are related to HIV that could not have occurred naturally. If it is correct that the virus had either been developed or even produced to be weaponized it would further suggest that its escape from the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab and into the animal and human population could have been accidental. Technicians who work in such environments are aware that “leaks” from laboratories occur frequently.

    Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab.
    Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab .

    There is, of course, and inevitably, another theory.

    There has been some speculation that as the Trump Administration has been constantly raising the issue of growing Chinese global competitiveness as a direct threat to American national security and economic dominance.

    It might be possible that Washington has created and unleashed the virus in a bid to bring Beijing’s growing economy and military might down a few notches.

    If there is a way to cripple a country without warfare, this is how  it's done. I don't doubt there is a pandemic occurring, but the sheeple  will buy into this more than what actually occurs from a health  standpoint. Don't get me wrong, people will die from this, but it will  absolutely cripple our economy.  God help us and continue stocking up. 
    
    -  Bill Krejci  

    It is, to be sure, hard to believe that even the Trump White House would do something so reckless, but there are precedents for that type of behavior.

    US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo switches disease name to ‘Wuhan virus’ opposed by World Health Organization (WHO) and Beijing to encourage racism towards Chinese, Chinese Americans and China as it spreads in the US, expect more hate crimes in the coming days and month against Asian.  

    Stuxnet.

    In 2005-9 the American and Israeli governments secretly developed a computer virus called Stuxnet, which was intended to damage the control and operating systems of Iranian computers being used in that country’s nuclear research program. Admittedly Stuxnet was intended to damage computers, not to infect or kill human beings, but concerns that it would propagate and move to infect computers outside Iran proved to be accurate as it spread to thousands of PCs outside Iran, in countries as far-flung as China, Germany, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia.

    American and Israel designed  Stuxnet was intended to take out the computers of Iran, but "leaked" and took down half of the global internet.
    American and Israel designed Stuxnet was intended to take out the computers of Iran, but “leaked” and took down half of the global internet.

    Inevitably there is an Israeli story that just might shed some light on what has been going on in China. 

    Israel has a vaccine!

    Scientists at Israel’s Galilee Research Institute are now claiming that they will have a vaccine against coronavirus in a few weeks which will be ready for distribution and use within 90 days. 

    The institute is claiming that it has been engaged in four years of research on avian coronavirus funded by Israel’s Ministries of Science & Technology and Agriculture.

    Israel’s Ministries of Science  & Technology and Agriculture.
    Israel’s Ministries of Science & Technology and Agriculture.

    They are claiming that the virus is similar to the version that has infected humans, which has led to breakthroughs in development through genetic manipulation, but some scientists are skeptical that a new vaccine could be produced so quickly to prevent a virus that existed only recently.

    They also have warned that even if a vaccine is developed it would normally have to be tested for side effects, a process that normally takes over a year and includes using it on infected humans.

    If one even considers it possible that the United States had a hand in creating the coronavirus at what remains of its once extensive biological weapons research center in Ft Detrick Maryland, it is very likely that Israel was a partner in the project. Helping to develop the virus would also explain how Israeli scientists have been able to claim success at creating a vaccine so quickly, possibly because the virus and treatment for it was developed simultaneously.

    The biological weapons research center in Ft  Detrick Maryland.
    The biological weapons research center in Ft Detrick Maryland.

    In any event, there are definite political ramifications to the appearance of the coronavirus, and not only in China.

    American Political Ramifications

    In the United States, President Donald Trump is already being blamed for lying about the virus and there are various scenarios in mainstream publications speculating over the possible impact on the election in 2020.

    If the economy sinks together with the stock market, it will reflect badly on Trump whether or not he is actually at fault. If containment and treatment of the disease itself in the United States do not go well, there could also be a considerable backlash, particularly as the Democrats have been promoting improving health care.

    One pundit argues, however, that disease and a sinking economy will not matter as long as there is a turnaround before the election, but a lot can happen in the next eight months.

    National Security and Iran.

    And then there is the national security/foreign policy issue as seen from both Jerusalem and Washington.

    It is difficult to explain why coronavirus has hit one country in particular other than China very severely. That country is Iran, the often-cited enemy of both the U.S. and Israel.

    The number of Iran’s coronavirus cases continues to increase, with more positive tests confirmed among government officials last Saturday. There were 205 new coronavirus cases, bringing the government claimed total to 593 with 43 fatalities, though unofficial hospital reports suggest that the deaths are actually well over 100.

    That’s the highest number of deaths from the virus outside of China.

    No less than five Iranian Members of Parliament have also tested positive amid a growing number of officials that have contracted the disease. Iran’s vice president Masoumeh Ebtekar and deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi had also previously been confirmed with the virus.

    The usual suspects in the United States are delighted to learn of the Iranian deaths.

    Mark Dubowitz, a Washington DC neocon and his Foundation for Defense of Democracies  (FDD) is active in pounding the drums of war against Iran.
    Mark Dubowitz, a Washington DC neocon and his Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is active in pounding the drums of war against Iran.

    Mark Dubowitz, Executive Director of the Washington-based but Israeli government-connected Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) boasted on twitter Tuesday that…

    “Coronavirus has done what American economic sanctions  could not: shut down non-oil exports.” 

    An Iranian government spokesman responded that…

    “It’s shameful and downright inhuman to cheer for a  deadly Virus to spread – and enjoy seeing people suffer for it…”  

    Dubowitz followed up with an additional taunt, that Tehran has “spread terrorism” in the Middle East and “now it’s spreading the coronavirus.”

     The US сould be the prime  culprit behind Covid-2019 outbreak that hit China and then Iran, head of  its elite Revolutionary Guards claimed, threatening that the virus will  eventually be turned against those who unleashed it.
     
    “It is possible that this virus is a product of a  biological attack by America which initially spread to China and then to  Iran and the rest of the world,” Hossein Salami said on Thursday.
     
    He vowed that Iran would “fight” the virus and cautioned that the illness “will return” to the United States, if Washington was indeed responsible for the outbreak.
    
     Though such conspiracy theories have been circulating for a while, there’s still no official proof it could be true.
    
     The Head of Iran’s Civil Defense Organization, General Gholam Reza Jalali,  said earlier on Tuesday that media fear-mongering over the new  corornavirus in the country bolsters claims that the virus is a  biological attack on China and Iran. He said that some reports indicate  that it could be a hostile state, but added that his suspicion requires  laboratorial investigation and a study of the virus genome.
    
     Iran has been one of the countries hit hardest by Covid-19 outside of  mainland China where it originated. As of Thursday, the Islamic  Republic has reported 3,513 confirmed cases and 107 deaths attributed to  the virus. Some 15 of those who have succumbed to the coronavirus died  in the last 24 hours, according to Iran’s Health Minister Saeed Namaki.
    
     The country has shuttered all schools and universities until the end  of the country’s calendar year on March 20 in an effort to stop the  spread of the virus.
    
     On Tuesday, state media announced that the head of Iran’s emergency  medical services was being treated for coronavirus. Numerous high-level  Iranian officials have fallen ill to the virus. Recently, 23 lawmakers  tested positive for the illness in the Islamic Republic.
    
     Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a member of a council that  advises the supreme leader, died after falling sick from the disease.  His death follows those of two other high-profile Iranians who  contracted the virus – a former ambassador and a newly-elected member of  parliament.
     
    - Сoronavirus May be a Product of US ‘Biological Attack’ Aimed at Iran and China, IRGC Chief Claims -  RT News 

    Who made the COVID-19?

     Even before the toll in China reached the current 3,045 dead and  80,711 infected, the Chinese Communist Party had called the pandemic a  biological weapon of the USA following the revelations of Asian  scientists on the anomalous “modeling” of the S protein.
    
     As reported first by Veterans Today and then by Gospa News, the  American journalist Jeff Brown, founder with other international  journalists and authors of the Bioweapon Truth Commission, an  independent research organization on the history and innovations of  biological weapons, has supported this thesis, that with the passing of  the hours finds more and more supporters. 
    
    -Veterans Today

    So, you have your choice.

    [1] Coronavirus occurred naturally, or [2] it came out of a lab in China itself or [3] even from Israel or [4] the United States.

    If one suspects Israel and/or the United States, the intent clearly would have been to create a biological weapon that would damage two nations that have been designated as enemies.

    But the coronavirus cannot be contained easily and it is clear that many thousands of people will die from it. Unfortunately, as with Stuxnet, once the genie is out of the bottled it is devilishly hard to induce it to go back in.

    Back to America…

    Nothing to see here ... carry on ... it's less to worry about then the common flu 
    
    - C D 

    Now it appears that it has boomeranged back to America.

    The Post I’m stationed at told us today they’ve been briefed today and  it’s just like the flu and to wash our hands and not worry. 75K is a  huge number that would get out. I’m sure some have it but I have trouble  buying that number. Anyone else on active duty please chime in if  you’ve heard or seen otherwise.
    
    -  Jonathan Weaver 

    The United States government, being what it is, is actively lying to the people, covering up events and trying to tell everyone that the flu is much, much worse.

    Meanwhile, the United States is unraveling.

    I work maintenance for an intercity apartments had the cops called and  they were talking amongst them selves saying Kroger and several others are paying off duty cops for security. I mentioned corona virus they shut up after that. The stores know.
    
    - Shawn May 

    And finally this, from a conservative blogger who bought into the Trump narrative hook-line-and-sinker…

     Further perspective:
    
     In the US-alone flu season, we saw at LEAST 220,690 new cases per day, on average. Over TWO-HUNDRED THOUSAND.
    
     The peak day WORLDWIDE for COVID-19 was 15,100. Just 6.8% of the US  AVERAGE for flu. (That day was an extreme outlier, because it  represented China changing reporting standards from confirmed-by-testing to diagnosed-by-symptoms.)
    
     As of 3/5/2020, new COVID-19 cases WORLDWIDE: 2,800. 1.3% of the average US flu cases.
    
     If you truly believe you’re going to die from COVID-19, you either 1)  have some extremely high risk factors like being an 80 year old man  with diabetes and a bum ticker, who’s been french-kissing your  girlfriend from Wuhan; or 2) you already died from the frickin’ flu.
    
     Sure things could change. The virus could mutate again. We could  import a bunch more infected people and turn them loose. But as things  stand…
    
     1. Eat decent food.
     2. Wash your hands often.
     3. Avoid sick people.
    
     Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the same basic precautions you be be taking  to avoid the flu and common cold (which I’ll remind you is often yet  another coronavirus, too; and for most people COVID-19 is amounting to a common cold).
    
     People need to stop losing their shit. 
    
    -Bear Buss

    Yeah. It’s just like the flu. Right?

    Just like the “common cold” right?

    Nothing to worry about.

    You don’t need to wear a mask.

    Right…

    Author

    Philip M. Giraldi is a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer who served nineteen years overseas in Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Spain. He was the CIA Chief of Base for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and was one of the first Americans to enter Afghanistan in December 2001. Phil is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a Washington-based advocacy group that seeks to encourage and promote a U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East that is consistent with American values and interests. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.


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    A Postcard From Pre-Totalitarian America; A Warning for what is Coming.

    After around three decades of increasing progressive Marxism and “Woke” nonsense, the assaults seem (or appear) to have subsided somewhat. It’s no longer “in your face” as badly as it was under the Obama Administration. But, I am here to tell you that it has not subsided, that it is not going away. It is only in remission, and we can expect that the dangerous stew that is brewing inside our schools, inside our institutions, and inside our government is going to boil-over. Maybe not now, and maybe not under a Trump Presidency, but it will decidedly boil-over and it will affect YOU.

    Here is an interesting article from a Russian Immigrant that is in the university setting and comments on what it is like being around all these “woke” progressive Marxist idealists… the very ones that will be running America very shortly. Please pay attention, and understand that America is destined for change…

    It might be calm and methodical, or radical and abrupt with many painful days. But whatever form it takes, it will be uncomfortable. Read this and consider what it means when every company, every school, every bureaucracy, every organization and at every government level these people are in control

    This is a reprint of “Postcard From Pre-Totalitarian America” by Rod Dreher . It was written on 18FEB20. All credit to the authors and please note that it is edited to fit this venue.

    Postcard From Pre-Totalitarian America

    Woke! ‘The fanatical glimmer in their eyes really scares me’

    Last year, I spoke to a Soviet-born scholar who teaches in an American public university. I’m using a quote from our discussion in my forthcoming (September) book, Live Not By Lies. This morning, she sent me this e-mail, which I reproduce here with her permission:

    I know from your blog that the work on your new book is going well and I’m glad because, boy, it’s so needed.

    I’m observing some disturbing developments on my campus, and we are really not one of those wokester schools for spoiled brats one normally associates with this kind of thing.

    This academic year I’ve had an opportunity to work with some early-career academics. These are newly-minted PhDs that are in their first year on the tenure-track.

    What’s really scary is that they sincerely believe all the woke dogma.

    Older people – those in their forties, fifties or sixties – might parrot the woke mantras because it’s what everybody in academia does and you have to survive.

    But the younger generation actually believes it all.

    Transwomen are women, black students fail calculus because there are no calc profs who “look like them,” ‘whiteness’ is the most oppressive thing in the world, the US is the most evil country in history, anybody who votes Republican is a racist, everybody who goes to church is a bigot but the hijab is deeply liberating.

    I gently mocked some of this stuff (like we normally do among older academics), and two of the younger academics in the group I supervise actually cried…

    Because they believe all this so deeply, and I’d even say fanatically, that they couldn’t comprehend why I wasn’t taking it seriously.

    The fanatical glimmer in their eyes really scared me.

    Back in the USSR in the 1970s and the 1980s nobody believed the dogma.

    People repeated the ideological mantras for cynical reasons, to get advanced in their careers or get food packages. Many did it to protect their kids. But nobody sincerely believed.

    That is what ultimately saved us.

    As soon as the regime weakened a bit, it was doomed because there were no sincere believers any more.

    Everybody who did take the dogma seriously belonged to the generation of my great-grandparents.

    In the US, though, the generation of the fanatical believers is only now growing up and coming into its prime.

    We’ll have to wait until their grand-kids grow up to see a generation that will be so fed up with the dogma that it will embrace freedom of thought and expression. But that’s a long way away in the future.

    I’m mentoring a group of young scholars in the Humanities to help them do research, and I’m starting to hate this task.

    Young scholars almost without exception think that scholarship is entirely about repeating woke slogans completely uncritically.

    Again, this is different from the USSR where scholars peppered their writing with the slogans but always took great pride in trying to sneak in some real thinking and real analysis behind the required ideological drivel.

    Every Soviet scholar starting from the 1970s was a dissident at heart because everybody knew that the ideology was rotten.

    All of this is sad and very scary.

    I never thought I’d experience anything worse, anything more intellectually stifling than the USSR of its last two decades of existence. But now I do see something worse.

    The book you are writing is very important, and I hope that many people hear your message.

    Folks, Americans are extremely naive about what’s coming. We just cannot imagine that people who burst into tears in the face of gentle mockery of their political beliefs can ever come to power.

    They are already in power, in the sense that they have mesmerized leaders of American institutions.

    I’m telling you, that 2015 showdown on Yale’s campus between Prof. Nicholas Christakis and the shrieking students was profoundly symbolic.

    Christakis used the techniques of discursive reason to try to establish contact with these young people.

    None of it mattered.

    They yelled and cursed and sobbed.

    The fact that he disagreed with them, they took as an assault on their person.

    And Yale University caved to them! 

    This stuff is so outrageous that we can’t wrap our minds around how these people will ever come to rule us. Listen to what these people who grew up under communism are saying! 

    Nadine Gordimer said:

    “All the young are candidates for the solutions of communism or fascism when there are no alternatives to despair or dissipation.”

    The religion of social justice is rushing in to fill the vacuum. Nice liberals, and nice conservatives, cannot allow themselves to think of where this might go. Solzhenitsyn knew better:

    If the intellectuals in the plays of Chekhov who spent all their time guessing what would happen in twenty, thirty, or forty years had been told that in forty years interrogation by torture would be practiced in Russia;

    …that prisoners would have their skulls squeezed within iron rings, that a human being would be lowered into an acid bath; that they would be trussed up naked to be bitten by ants and bedbugs; that a ramrod heated over a primus stove would be thrust up their anal canal (the “secret brand”); that a man’s genitals would be slowly crushed beneath the toe of a jackboot; and that, in the luckiest possible circumstances, prisoners would be tortured by being kept from sleeping for a week, by thirst, and by being beaten to a bloody pulp…

    … not one of Chekhov’s plays would have gotten to its end because all the heroes would have gone off to insane asylums.

    So did Dr. Silvester Krcmery, a Slovak Catholic lay leader in the underground church, who suffered isolation and torture in a communist prison for his faith and resistance.

    In the memoir he wrote after communism’s fall, Krcmery warned future generations that the past could be prelude to the future if they were not vigilant:

    We are so often naive in our thinking. We live, contented and safe, with the idea that in a civilized country, in the mostly cultured and democratic environment of our times, such a coercive regime is impossible.

    We forget that in unstable countries, a certain political structure can lead to indoctrination and terror, where individual elements and stages of brainwashing are already implemented.

    This, at first, is quite inconspicuous.

    However, often in a very short time, it can develop into a full undemocratic totalitarian system.

    Hannah Arendt, in her 1951 study The Origins of Totalitarianism, said these factors in German and Russian society made them susceptible to Nazism and Bolshevism, respectively:

    • Loneliness
    • Social Atomization
    • Loss of Faith In Hierarchies And Institutions
    • The Desire To Transgress And Destroy
    •  Indifference to Truth, and the Willingness To Believe Useful Lies
    • A Mania for Ideology
    • A Society That Values Loyalty More Than Expertise
    • The Politicization of Everything

    If you think we’re not going on full-tilt on these things, you aren’t paying attention.

    Some people seem to think that the Arendt list is somehow faulting the Left. It’s not, at least not intentionally. She said these factors were present in both Germany, which went to the hard right, and Russia, which went to the hard left. I think these factors are present in our society, period. Some of them are stronger on the Left, it is true, but I think they’re all simply present. Is loneliness a Right or a Left thing? Is social atomization?

    Rod Dreher is a senior editor at The American Conservative.

    Conclusion

    I read this article with a great degree of sadness. Americans are within a propagandized bubble. Outside of that bubble, everything is dark, evil and dangerous. Inside that bubble you are either ‘woke” or an enemy.

    Americans live within an artificial bubble. The inside of the bubble is a narrative that is increasingly defined by the American mainstream press. Many can see what bullshit is is, so they try to find other sources for news. Outside the bubble is a complete fabrication that the mainstream media controls. It's all a big lie.
    Americans live within an artificial bubble. The inside of the bubble is a narrative that is increasingly defined by the American mainstream press. Many can see what bullshit is is, so they try to find other sources for news. Outside the bubble is a complete fabrication that the mainstream media controls. It’s all a big lie.

    I am outside the bubble and I see all of this quite clearly.

    Outside the Bubble

    I am in Communist China, but it doesn’t resemble anything like what Americans fear it to be.

    Yet, it almost went off-the-cliff.

    There was a big show-down between the hard-line Communist / Marxist elements and their armies of progressive idealists during the “cultural revolution” and it could have gone downhill really fast.

    Instead they embraced other things… like traditional conservative Chinese values, the idea of working hard and achieving things through merit, and contributing instead of fighting the government.

    And..

    … and now today, China is a nation of traditional conservative pragmatists, and all those Marxist idealists are off in re-education camps. Like the Falin Gong, the “pro-democracy” pawns, and the Muslim religious extremists.

    You don’t hear about all that.

    America is about “democracy!” China doesn’t have it. So it’s bad.

    People! The world is not what CNN, and FOX tell you. It is something all together different. Now, I can talk until I am blue in my face, but you will never be convinced until you experience things FIRST HAND. I implore you to do just that.

    So, just recognize that the world “outside” of America is not what you are led to believe and expect.

    Meanwhile… on the inside of this bubble….

    Inside of the Bubble

    Radical idealists are now infiltrating all the organs of power. The government and the political factions are permitting this, and soon, once they have regained full control of the levers of power, they will implement their ideology.

    • First will be the disarming.
    • Then will be the collections of people on the lists.
    • Then will be the FEMA camps.

    What comes next will not be recorded for history.


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    A Fun Movie; The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967).

    As I stay inside my apartment while the coronavirus wrecks havoc all through China, I have little else to do but watch movies. Now, for various reasons, I have taken a shine to the older 1960’s and 1970’s movies. And in this case, a relatively unknown vampire-comedy. And this one is simply amazing!

    I well remember watching it on television with my father. He was a big Sharon Tate fan, and now that I am older I can well understand why. But more than that, I loved how it carred me away and sucked me into the movie with the “atmosphere”, and the story line.

    My most memorable scene is where they are locked inside the parapet tower.

    Brilliant movie - beautifully shot and with Polanski's eye for detail.  Very funny/quirky and atmospheric. I loaned it to a work colleague who  thought Polanski only made horror films like 'Rosemary's Baby', she was  amazed when confronted with this one. 
    
    She thought it was great. 
    
    Everyone  is always very impressed with the ballroom scene with all the mirrors  and the vampires dancing. The colours are fabulous and the outside  scenes remind one of s Christmas card. 
    
    If it's ever on t.v. it's always  on around midnight or after, so I had to buy the DVD. Definitely one to  watch late at night when you're alone!! It took me years to find it on  DVD. I think the one I eventually bought was an import. 
    
    - funnybunny-7 
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    Today, being much older, I have come to love Roman Polanski’s “The Fearless Vampire Killers,” which is surprising to me now because for most of my life I thought it was so-so.

    You see, I missed the original release back in 1967, but I was only nine years old then. And the version released in the U.S. was a truncated travesty of what Polanski intended. It was a remake for American audiences by a jack-ass who thought that all Americans were simpletons bumpkins.

    No shit!

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
     When I think about R.Polanski the first thing coming to my mind is -  "the master of fear and horror", and I knew it that "Fearless vampire  Killers" is rare example of comedy by this great director. Yeah, I was  worried before seeing this movie, not as much about "geting it", but  more so about simple thing - could this movie be entertaining for "21st  Century Boy".
    
    First thing that striked me was beautiful music by  Komeda. I was in total awe. The music was scary, but at the same time so  light and funny - just like for a good fair story. And then the  beautiful winter scenery that was so fake - almost cartooning. Few  minutes into the movie, and I could say "that's what I call movie  poetry". 
    
    The story is so simple. The old bat researcher,  professor Abronsius and his assistant, Alfred, go to a remote  Transylvanian village looking for vampires. They stay in house where no  one speaks about vampires, but the garlic is hanging everywhere.  
    Sharon Tate.
    Sharon Tate.
    Simplistic story is so right for this movie, because acting, scenery,  music, cinematography are all in top shape here. For composition I think  this is one of the best movie done by Polanski, next to "Tenant" for  sure.
    
    And this movie is also a rare occasion to see Polanski in  comedic role. He and Brach make unforgettable duo. I was totally  entertain when in came to comedy in this movie, but the thing that  surprise me the most was the action factor. There is one scene that is  great example of that - when Polanski character is looking through  keyhole and is so scared of what he see that his face is screaming  "terror". It's sure funny, but in a way mad-scary too. And when I think  about this movie - this scene sums it up for me.
    
    Its very funny,  but little outdated movie. For me one a few really cinematic fairy  tales, that keeps magic all the way to the end. Its up there with  Repulsion, Tenant, and Tess when in comes to greatest work of this  director. 
    
    And just think about brilliant ending, so funny, so  mad. It's a shame Polanski hasn't made another comedy. Don't get me  started with Pirates - the most unfunny movie in history. But "Fearless  Vampire Killers " is movie magic - pure and simple. 
    
    - fidomax 

    And, I am not the only person that was upset with the hack-job on this movie.

    I’ve read that the movie was considered an almost complete fiasco because the executive producer, Martin Ransohoff, best known for “The Beverly Hillbillies,” wanted a very different film.

    Yeah.

    He wanted to change the film. He wanted to “improve” it to fit the bumpkin American mentality that he envisioned all Americans had.

    So, in short order, he [1] cut 16 minutes out of Polanski’s 107 minute cut (Just under 1/5 of the entire movie.), and [2] inserted a short screwy cartoon before the titles (so people would know it was supposed to be a comedy…)

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    Ransohoff thought Polanski botched it that badly, and [3] even re-dubbed some of the actors. You know, so that they would sound more “American”. I’m sure that he wanted thick “bumpkin” Southern drawls and accents. He also [4] added the awful tag line to the title, “Or, Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck.”

    This must have been the version I saw on TV in the early seventies that I thought was so terrible.

    Thankfully this abomination doesn’t seem to be in circulation anymore. Good thing. Let the rats in the film vault feat on that monstrosity.

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    However, despite its flaws “The Fearless Vampire Killers” gained a cult following over the years, partially due to the morbid fascination with the murder of Sharon Tate, but also because the movie is really very, very good.

    Paramount’s Robert Evans recognized this back in ’67 and thought Polanski the right director for “Rosemary’s Baby.”

    He was right and the success of that film showed Hollywood what a master of the language of film Polanski actually is.

    This is a wonderfully fun movie. It's got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
    This is a wonderfully fun movie. It’s got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
    When I first saw this film on TV in the early 70s, I thought it was so  cheesy I gave it very little attention.  
    
    Then in the early 90s it was  released on laserdisc in a letterboxed version and I bought it on a  lark. After I viewed in the first time I still didn't think much of it  and thought maybe I wasted my money.  
    
    But then, as the years passed, I  would look at it every so often and now I love the film.  
    
    It is an  acquired taste.  
    
    You first have to love vampire films -- the  old-fashioned, Gothic kind.  Next, you need to appreciate Polanski's  style and his understated approach.  It's also best to watch this film  late at night with the lights off, and especially with a snow storm  outside.  Give it a chance and this film will creep up on you. Hopefully  it will come to DVD soon. 
    
    - stew100 

    Now, let’s be honest. This isn’t the best horror/comedy movie. The truth be told that Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein holds that position.

    However, second place has just got to go to this one, and there’s no shame in being second here.

    I don’t know too much about Roman Polanski’s career (I think I know more about his personal life): I’ve seen Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown, and this movie is the third of his that I know about that I’ve seen. maybe there were others, but I cannot recall them at the top of my head.

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    I would never have imagined from those two movies that he could direct comedy. Because of that I came into FVK very skeptical. At first, I thought that the laughs were few and far between. I kind of took it as a light-hearted serious movie.

    I also thought that Polanski’s direction was too showy for a comedy.

    But as the film went on, the comic moments began to build. And the showy direction ceased seeming showy and began to seem wonderful. If you find yourself not laughing a lot, it’s understandable.

    Just sit back and enjoy Polanski’s amazing direction. And the laughs, although, to many, they may seem too few, those that there are are enormous.

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    I’d also like to praise the actors, including Roman Polanski himself. The set design, especially in the castle, is more than amazing. It’s simply beautiful.

    The title "fearless vampire killers" it's not  so good as "Dance of the Vampires",outside U.S. this is the original title
    
    I  always will remember this film as "Dance of the Vampires"  ALSO,CONGRATULATIONS to Mr Polanski for the Palme D' Or, he deserves  it(without him  just cinema "boring")
    
    I enjoyed poetic scenes  such as like moment in Sarah's bath comparing the textures of first soap  bubbles, then falling snowflakes, and finally crimson blood. when  Alfred(Polanski) carries his master across the castle battlements remind  me of Polanski early short films.  
    This is a wonderfully fun movie. It's got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
    This is a wonderfully fun movie. It’s got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
    Krystov Komeda's music has been  acclaimed as "the most innovative and haunting score ever devised for a  horror movie" by the heavyweight Aurum Film Encyclopedia. 
    
    Krystof  Komeda's wondrous music, with its weird choral effects and little  melodies Komeda's score communicates the Kafka-like isolation of the  setting and the characters
    
    Polanski chose some of the finest  English cinema craft artists to work on the film: cameraman Douglas  Slocombe, production designer Wilfrid Shingleton Polanski engaged noted  choreographer Tutte Lemkow, who played the actual Fiddler in FIDDLER ON  THE ROOF, for the film's climactic Danse Macabre minuet.
    
    Sharon Tate as Sarah was delightful(we should remember her in a good way,as a decent actress and person,her scene with Polanski  is really cool ,especially "the bite scene") Jack MacGowran as  Professor Abronsius is  just great Polanski's films often deal in contrasts of master and  servant, the empowered and the powerless. The supposedly benign  Abronsius  bullies Alfred for his own purposes, just as the vampires  consider all of humankind a resource to be harvested.
    
    The  character called Shagal got the best lines in the movie,when A woman  thrusts a crucifix in his face, only for Shagal - a Jewish rather than a  Christian vampire - to go "Oy-yoy! You got the wrong vampire" and bite  her anyway Count Von Krolock  (Ferdy Mayne, who plays the Count)he looks  really as a Nosferatu or a man that needs Transfusion!.
    
    Also  funny is Herbert, the openly gay vampire who is interested in Alfred  rather than Sara, the sexual deviations implicit in early Hammer films  like The Brides of Dracula (1960) and Kiss of the Vampire (1964) are  brought out. 
    
    - patita-1 

    Right from the main title sequence this film is really quite wonderful.

    Christopher Komeda’s score is weird and haunting.

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    The day-for-night shots of the snowy countryside are a bit distracting, but you know they kind of fit the fairy tale quality of the film’s isolated, late 19th century Transylvanian winter never land.

    The movie is extremely well-mounted with wonderful sets, especially the vampires’ castle.

    Oh, young love. Eh?
    Oh, young love. Eh?

    All the performances are excellent. Jack MacGowran’s Professor Abronsius is an absolutely incredible characterization, unlike anything else MacGowran ever did on film.

    The same is true of Alfie Bass’ Yoine Shagal, possibly the world’s first Jewish vampire, and a terrible lecher.

    Sharon Tate was probably never lovelier than in this movie, and Roman Polanski is very good as Alfred, in fact amazing when you consider he was also directing.

    It is a tour de force on his part.

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    Finally, Ferdy Mayne’s Count Von Krolock is a king vampire equal to any screen Dracula, while Iain Quarrier is also appropriately creepy as his gay vampire son, Herbert.

    Well, what is this movie about? To begin with: although the vampire was  best popularized in the modern era by English writers, it is really a  myth of Eastern European Roman Catholicism. (I could explain that better  - and why the English so well co-opted it - but obviously not here.)  
    
    This type of Catholicism (which finally produced a Pope in John Paul II)  now only thrives (and none too well) in Poland - Polanski's home  country. 
    
    During the Second World War, Poland was utterly decimated.  
    
    First, a large portion of its wealthiest citizens, who happened to be  Jewish, were exterminated. 
    
    The Polish catholics themselves were split  radically between anti-semitic nationalists (who also, mistakenly,  thought the Nazis would save them from the Russians) and pro-Communists  who, mistakenly, thought the Russians would save them from the Nazis.  
    
    Obviously, this was a no-win situation for the Poles. 
    
    And yet the first  cinematic impression of this disaster arrived in the form of - a comedy -  Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be Or Not To Be" (later remade by Mel Brooks).
    
    Does  the reader really need to know all this to appreciate this movie?  actually, yes. This film is laughter at death's door. 
    
    The funniest and  most memorable line in the film is from the Jewish vampire, responding  to a threatened crucifix: "Oy vey, have you got the wrong vampire!"  Funny? - Hilarious. Unfortunately, if this Vampire had any  grandchildren, they all died in Auschwitz.
    
    Why am I playing such a  heavy hand here? Because this really is a great horror-comedy, far  better and far more important than the studio hacks at MGM who released this film (after chopping it up) could ever have understood.
    
    There  is unfortunately no rumor that there's a director's cut in the vaults;  it is well to remember that Polanski nearly disowned this film on release, and really only reclaimed it after the brutal slaying of his wife, who plays such an important role in the film.
    
    But even as shredded as it is (pay especially close attention to the discontinuities  involving the Professor), this is still marvelously written, directed, and photographed - truly frightening at moments, utterly hilarious at  others, but always grounded in a particularly Polish sensibility which  is now, alas, a thing of the past; - the preservation of a culture that,  at its best, was among the best in Europe. 
    
    - winner55 

    Like the drinking of blood (I would imagine!), appreciation of “The Fearless Vampire Killers” is very much an acquired taste.

    I don’t know what to say to those that don’t like it except, Why don’t you try watching it again? It might grow on you as it did me.

    The famous Ballroom scene.
    The famous Ballroom scene.

    This movie also has one of the best one-sheet posters from the sixties, with art by Frank Frazetta.

    All in all, this is a great movie, and I cannot praise it enough.

    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    It's sad to say, whenever people ask me for a good vampire movie, one I  do recommend is The Fearless Vampire Killers, they always look at me and  ask "What's that?". 
    
    But the 3 people I've shown it too loved it and I  think that has got to say something about this great vampire classic.  
    
    Writer, director and co-star Roman Polanski made the first real vampire  spoof and what a great movie! 
    
    If you think about today's spoofs,  everything is always a reference to something that's in pop culture.  This movie is just pure comedy, taking what was so typical at the time  of the weary travelers who happen upon a creepy castle with the even  creepier host, yet act completely oblivious when strange things happen. 
    The ballroom scene is amazing. It is just one of the great things that I really enjoy about this movie.
    The ballroom scene is amazing. It is just one of the great things that I really enjoy about this movie.
    Instead, how about we have two vampire slayers, one who is calm and  experienced vs. the inexperienced and nervous? While we're at it, why  not add a ball into the mix? Dancing vampires, it just doesn't get any  better than this.
    
    In the heart of Transylvania Professor  Abronsius and his apprentice Alfred are on the hunt for vampires.  Abronsius is old and withering and barely able to survive the cold ride  through the wintry forests, while Alfred is bumbling and introverted.  
    
    The two hunters come to a small Eastern European town seemingly at the  end of a long search for signs of vampires. 
    
    The two stay at a local inn,  full of angst-ridden townspeople who perform strange rituals to fend  off an unseen evil. Whilst staying at the inn, Alfred develops a  fondness for Sarah, the daughter of the tavern keeper Yoine Shagal.   
    The environment is amazing, and can take you away to another time and place. You can feel the cold wind on your face, and the pack of wolves snapping at your heels.
    The environment is amazing, and can take you away to another time and place. You can feel the cold wind on your face, and the pack of wolves snapping at your heels.
    After witnessing Sarah being kidnapped by the local vampire lord, Count  von Krolock, the two follow his snow trail, leading them to Krolock's  ominous castle in the snow-blanketed hills nearby. 
    
    They break into the  castle, but are trapped by the Count's hunchback servant, Koukol.  Despite misgivings, Abronsius and Alfred accept the Count's invitation  to stay in his ramshackle Gothic castle, where Alfred spends the night  fitfully. 
    
    After finding Sarah the next day, they come up with a plan to  destroy the count and save Sarah, but with a midnight ball in the mix of  vampires, the plans might be a bit harder than they realized.
    
    I  think one of the funniest scenes in film history is when Roman Polanski  is being chased by Count Krolock's feminine vampire son, Herbert. 
    Frozen stiff. Poor fellow, but then again it's actually pretty funny in a dark comedic sort of way.
    Frozen stiff. Poor fellow, but then again it’s actually pretty funny in a dark comedic sort of way.
    The  seduction scene before that was too funny, but let's add Roman running  around in a circle oblivious that he did just go around in a circle and  runs right back into Herbert! 
    
    The comedic timing was just gold! 
    
    Sharon  Tate is also in this film and she is just beautiful, you could see how  Roman would fall in love with her on and off screen so easily. It's  really sad that we lost her so young and so tragically, you see the  talent that could have been. 
    
    I also love Jack MacGowran, he's calm  exterior to Roman's scaredy cat routine was the perfect balance the film  needed. 
    
    I nearly die laughing each time I see the scene where they are  in the Count's bedroom about to stake him, but Jack gets stuck in the  window and Roman chickens out on killing the count. 
    
    He has to go around  the castle to pull Jack out but gets distracted by Sharon Tate and when  he finally realizes that he left Jack in the same room with blood  sucking vampires, he just reeks with the "Oops!" face. 
    
    The ballroom  scene is so memorable, again, the comedic timing is great. Another thing  about this film is that it also has some great scares in it too, some  great make up effects with the Count. 
    
    I highly recommend this film; I've  been watching it since I was a little girl, I still love watching it  all these years later and can't wait to show it to others as well. 
    
    - Smells_Like_Cheese 
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
    Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

    Conclusion

    This movie is a bit dusty and not something that you would turn to automatically. However, it is a great little gem of a movie and well worth a nice visit. It will carry you away to a different time and place and it is rather charming in it’s own sinister comic way.

    For me, it took me away for the germ warfare, the masks and goggles, and the latex gloves. It took me away from the disinfecting and the isolation and being cooped inside as the beautiful day with blue skies and lush green trees beckoned to me outside.

    I am sure that it will take you too to a nice place far away from your normal life.


    I hope that you enjoyed this post. I have other posts regarding movies and you can view them in my movie index here…

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    Awesome Movies – The James Bond 007 classic – Thunderball.

    How can movies stand the test of time? I really don’t know. But in my mind, this 007 James Bond flick seems to get better with age. There are so many things that I love about this movie. It’s just stunning.

    This movie fits the public narrative perfectly. Men watch the movie as escapist entertainment where they can envision themselves in the same role. Shooting bad guys, seducing women, and looking good while going on exciting adventures all over the world, and riding in nice sports cars.

    And, it’s true, too. Women feel the same way in the roles that portray the women as well.

    Thunderball - this film's undersea battle is still rated among the top ones of all time - but I liked the "moments"- remembering how everyone on campus had a mink glove or access to one, after this film - fun memory.
    
    And  how many of the "gimmicks" were brand new at the time - the amazing jet  pack flying suit is still a topic of conversation and excitement for  those who now chase the hoverboard;  and then neat "discipline" gimmick  for  the embezzling Spectre agent #9 
    
    - and Domino's brother's lookalike  surgery,  and the bombs and their robbery, and the famous " Do you mind  if my partner rests here for a moment 
    
    - she'd "Just DEAD" when the  villainess is shot by her own men aiming for Bond 
    
    - and then Domino's  "  I killed him - I'm glad I killed him"  line when she gets Largo .  
    
    A  perfectly perfect take from  " you killed him - I'm  glad you killed  him"  quoted from Melanie  in Gone with the Wind , to Scarlett, when   she shoots the home invading soldier as he tries to harm her - "right  between the eyes" as her paw would have taught her. 
    
    - Elle Shopper Lady 

    The pre-title credits sequence was set in Paris, France at the funeral of JB (SPECTRE operative No. 6, French Colonel Jacques Bouvar (or Boitier)), who had murdered two agents, Bond’s colleagues.

    Bouvar had faked his own death (reportedly passing away in his sleep) and dressed up as his own widow (Rose Alba/Bob Simmons).

    After the funeral and aware of the ruse/disguise, James Bond (Sean Connery) hurriedly followed her/him to his French chateau, where he fought and then strangled and broke Bouvar’s neck with a fire-poker (# 1 death, #1 Bond kill).

    From the roof, Bond escaped by using his jet-pack rocket belt to fly him to his parked Aston Martin DB5 vehicle nearby, accompanied by French agent Madame La Porte (uncredited Mitsouko). He avoided pursuit by activating his car’s rear armored shield and rear-firing water sprayers.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    Thunderball has something for everyone. What woman would not be able to see themselves in this role? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    The high-ranking SPECTRE No. 2 villain, white-haired, black eye-patch-wearing Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), was introduced in Paris, entering the building of the philanthropic International Brotherhood for the Assistance of Stateless Persons.

    In a large, secret inner chamber, he met for a debriefing with unseen, ruthless Persian cat-petting SPECTRE No. 1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld (uncredited Anthony Dawson) and other SPECTRE agents – “a dedicated fraternity” of international terrorists.

    While  I liked "Goldfinger" a little better, "Thunderball" is certainly a  solid, entertaining and worthy part of the James Bond franchise. This is  especially impressive considering this movie was made over 50 years  ago. In "Thunderball", it feels as though the elements of what makes a  Bond film a Bond film begin to emerge. While some things strain  credulity (by this film, the paradox of James Bond's renown as a secret  agent is becoming apparent), "Thunderball" does a nice job of capturing  the style of James Bond without completely abandoning a sense of  realism. And of course, the Bond women (eg, Domino), exotic locations  and cool cars don't hurt when it comes to coaxing an audience into  willfully suspending disbelief. 
    
    - Norman Oro UCLA 93 

    One of the agents, suspected of embezzlement, was promptly eliminated by electrocution in his chair (# 2 death) and disposed of into a hole in the floor beneath him.

    No. 2, in charge of SPECTRE’s “most ambitious” NATO project, reported that his blackmail plan was a ransom demanded from NATO of $280 million/£100 million pounds – his assistant Count Lippe (Guy Doleman) was in the South of England making preparations, at a health clinic named Shrublands, near the NATO air base.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    Getting your top secret orders. Yikes! Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Bond was also at the Shrublands for a rest-cure, receiving a massage from pretty blonde physiotherapist Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters), where he met Lippe and noticed a small, suspicious red tattoo on his left arm (a possible Tong sign – the Red Dragon from Macao).

    Bond snuck into Lippe’s room where he found nothing, but was spotted by face-bandaged neighbor Angelo Palazzi (Paul Stassino), reportedly recuperating from a car crash.

    During another appointment with Patricia, Bond forced an unappreciated kiss on her.

    The  title says it all!  I've been a James Bond fan for many years, mostly  for the Roger Moore films but I do like the Sean Connery films, as well  and "THUNDERBALL" is one of them.  I love the film for the beautiful  scenery since a lot of the movie is filmed in the Bahamas.  I also love  the beautiful actresses that play in the film, especially Claudine  Auger, who plays Domino, the main Bond girl.  Boy, is she beautiful,  especially when she's in a bikini, underwater, snorkeling or scuba  diving.  
    
    Those scenes made me resume swimming, completely submerged  underwater, now with a mask & snorkel.  I also like the wonderful  acting job of Sean Connery in his 4th film as James Bond  as well as the  supporting cast.  Also, praise goes to the crew on the fantastic job  they did in making this film, especially Terence Young in his 3rd &  final time directing.  Lastly, I love the fantastic underwater battles.   To sum it up, this is a terrific movie & I recommend it to every  James Bond fan out there because, believe me, you'll enjoy it! 
    
    - Rob Holly 

    She strapped him to a motorized traction table (“the rack”) to stretch his spine (she joked: “First time I’ve felt really safe all day”).

    After she left, Count Lippe entered and turned the controls to the red danger zone to kill him.

    Patricia saved Bond after he passed out. She asked for him to keep silent about the incident – his price for cooperation was her seduction in the Turkish steam bath room (# 1 tryst).

    To retaliate, Bond sabotaged Lippe’s steam-bath cabinet and trapped him inside. In his room, Bond rubbed a soft black mink glove over the naked back of now sexually-liberated Patricia (# 2 tryst).

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    In this movie we have all the elements of adventure. Weapons, romance, unique and unusual places, and a scheming evil genus. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Meanwhile, NATO’s French pilot Major Francois Derval (Paul Stassino) was being seduced by voluptuous, red-haired ‘black widow’ mistress – a SPECTRE agent named Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi).

    When he was leaving for the airbase, a look-alike Major Derval was outside his door, and sprayed him with lethal gamma gas (# 3 death).

    The look-alike was SPECTRE agent Angelo, who had undergone plastic surgeries over two years to face-replicate and impersonate Derval.

    He had also studied films, reports, and taken voice lessons.

    He greedily demanded (or extorted) $250,000 rather than $100,000 to complete the task.

    He appropriated Derval’s watch, ID disk, and bag, and departed for a training sortie at the NATO air base.

    This  is my favorite Sean Connery Bond film.  Thunderball is loaded with  style, slick action, great stunts, beautiful scenery, beautiful women,  and Sean Connery.  
    
    This film continued the practice of great opening  action sequence, a 'larger-than-life' villain in Largo/ AKA No. 2  (Adolfo Celi), a collection of vicious henchmen and woman - Count Lippe,  Fiona, Vargas and Janni (played by Guy Doleman, Luciana Paluzzi, Philip  Locke and Michael Brennan), an elaborate plot and a beautiful leading  lady (Claudine Auger who plays Domino)  Bob Simmons, the main Bond  stuntman opens the film as the villainous aCol. 
    
    Jacques Bouvar AKA  SPECTRE No. 6 who is dispatched by Bond.  
    
    The scape by jetpack sets the  stage for the great action film that follows.  Largo and SPECTRE have  downed a UN Vulcan fighter and stolen two nuclear warheads and hidden  them in the Caribbean.  
    
    Bond must intervene before the UN pays a ransom  to SPECTRE.  Along the way, Bond romances, fights on land and  underwater, and finally squares off on a hydrofoil.  
    
    The one change here  is that the villain is not killed by Bond - someone else (Domino)does  that that favor.  
    
    The cast of British actors (Bernard Lee, Desmond  Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell) return as the MI-6 crew with Rik Van Nutter  playing Felix Leiter in this film.  
    
    The hi-lights of this film include  the incredible underwater photography and action sequences, the  villainous and voluptuous Fiona, the Vulcan crash and cover-up, and the  incredible fight on the hydro-foil, the Disco Volante.  
    
    There are two  quintessential Bond scenes: SPECTRE's HQ and MI-6' briefing room which  are a treat for all Bond fans.  
    
    This loud, action-filled and very  entertaining Bond film raised the level that future Bond films would  have to meet.  This one is great! 
    
    - Jaime Contreras 

    “Derval” commanded a routine NATO flight of a Vulcan jet bomber at 45,000 feet, armed with two atomic bombs (MOS type).

    As the noisy plane took off, Bond was still seducing Patricia with the mink glove, although they were interrupted when Bond left to snoop on Count Lippe – who was supervising the return of Derval’s corpse (face-bandaged to look like Angelo) in an ambulance back to Shrublands (it was later claimed that “Angelo” died of a heart-attack).

    Bond unwrapped the corpse’s facial bandages, and then avoided a second attempt on his life by one of Lippe’s henchmen.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    James Bond interacting with the office staff. He always has such a way with the girls. You can tell, eh? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    During the NATO flight, “Derval” took the co-pilot’s seat, gassed five other crew members with the lethal gamma gas canister (while wearing a separate oxygen supply/mask) (# 4-8 deaths), and deliberately crash-landed the plane near the Bahamas in the Caribbean.

    Nearby, on his luxury hydrofoil yacht the Disco Volante (Flying Saucer), Emilio Largo ordered underwater lights switched on to guide the plane to its proper landing strip location, where it gently sank to the bottom.

    Wearing scuba gear, Largo swam to the submerged plane, and cut “Derval’s” air-supply hose to drown him (# 9 death) (punishing him for his extortion demand), when he was trapped in his seat-belt.

    From an underwater hatch, three of Largo’s henchmen took a submersible craft to the NATO jet to unload and transport the two massive thermonuclear weapons back to the yacht, and then covered the jet with a camouflage net to hide it.

    We  just recently decided to delve into the Sean Connery James Bond films.  
    
    We went into Thunderball appreciating that it was a landmark film in  terms of cinematography for the time; it's the only film I've seen that  outdoes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in terms of underwater  choreography. 
    
    We also knew that Thunderball wasn't on any top ten Bond  films lists so we didn't expect too much from it, aside from  entertainment. 
    
    It certainly delivered in that department and we were  swept away in an undersea adventure that was tastefully and masterfully  executed. 
    
    I particularly enjoyed that Domino had a bit more complexity  than the standard Bond girl. 
    
    It's not one of the best of the Connery era  but it's certainly a great entry and far, far better than the campy  nightmares that the Roger Moore films became. 
    
    Even though many people  site Goldfinger as the best Bond film of all time, I actually enjoyed  this one a bit more.
    
    -  ashbwell 

    As the yacht returned to its base in the Bahamas, SPECTRE No. 1 ordered the execution of Count Lippe.

    Bond was summoned away (to London), and bid goodbye to Patricia, promising to reunite with her “another time, another place.”

    As he drove off, he was followed by Lippe – SPECTRE assassin Fiona also rode behind them on a rocket-firing BSA Lightning motorcycle. She fired two deadly missiles at Lippe’s car, which exploded and crashed, killing him (# 10 death), and then submerged her bike in a nearby lake.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    James Bond negotiating with a pretty evil chick who does not have his best interests at heart. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    In the British Secret Service conference room in an important briefing held by “M” (Bernard Lee), with nine 00- agents in attendance (including Bond), the group was told about recent troubling developments regarding SPECTRE’s possession of two NATO bombs.

    A ransom of £100 million pounds sterling was demanded of the British government within seven days – otherwise, SPECTRE threatened to destroy an unspecified major city in either England or the United States (later revealed to be Miami).

    To signal their cooperation with the ransom, the Big Ben clock was to strike 7 times at 6 pm the following day.

    The problem was that there was no indication about where the Vulcan jet had crashed or landed.

    There  is only one 007, and that is the Scottish actor, Sean Connery. Seeing  this one again over the summer was wild and wooly. Yes, they made movies  a bit differently in the early 60's, but that's ok. With 'Thunderball'  you get what you paid for. 
    
    Relentless action, supercool  locations(Bermuda/Virgin Islands) and ultra sexy 'Bond Girls'. Alot of  the action scenes toward the end are all underwater. Connery has fun  with this installment, as the series was still new at the time. Who can  forget the 'shark scene'? This is first class entertainment, and far  from 'politically correct.'
    
    Everyone who is cool in the film smokes  and drinks, as well. 
    
    Connery appeared in a total of 7 Bond movies. This  one was so good, they re-made it in 1983 and called it "Never Say Never  Again"!  True Bond fans will rank this one high on their list. So sit  back, crack open a cold one and watch the remastered version on your  flatscreen. You will not be disapointed! 
    
    - metalhead Ted 

    The mission, code-named “Thunderball,” was to work with NATO, the CIA, and all allied intelligence units.

    In the briefing packet was a picture of Derval with his sister Dominique in Nassau, Bahamas. Bond was specifically assigned to Station C (Canada), although he requested that his assignment be changed to Nassau.

    Bond claimed that he saw the dead pilot Derval at Shrublands (although the situation was confused because Derval was also seen boarding the Vulcan), and he wanted to interrogate Derval’s sister Dominique, presently in Nassau.

    With only four days to complete his mission, Bond quickly flew there.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    Everyone has to report and defend their actions to the higher ups. James Bond is no exception. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    While free-diving near Dominique “Domino” Derval (former Miss France Claudine Auger), Bond saved her from drowning when her flipper was caught in coral.

    Bond and his own local dive assistant, bikinied native Bahamian Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick), faked a conked-out motor and Bond asked Domino for a lift to Coral Harbor, where he invited her for lunch by the pool.

    The  film is different from the recent Bond films, but they are from a  different era and cannot be compared.  Sean Connery is absolutely  charming and charismatic.  Daniel Craig is equally perfect for the  modern 007 roles.
    
    I love 60's cinema, the 70's less so, and the  80's just kinda stunk.  It's film's like this that make me love the  60's.  There are certain special effects that are available for modern  film that weren't around then.  There is a scene where Bond is escaping  with a rocket backpack and you can actually see the supporting cables.   This does not take away from the movie.
    
    I won't give away any  plot points, but Sean Connery is what really makes this movie special.  I  admit to Daniel Craig being my favorite 007 agent, but Connery comes in  as a close second.  If you can tear  yourself away from modern effects  and try to appreciate this film (and the others) for what they are, I  think you will be pleasantly surprised. 
    
    - J.AllenTop Contributor: Poker 

    He learned that she was the bored, love-starved mistress/kept woman (“niece”) of a possessive “guardian” (Emilio Largo) who owned a yacht and an opulent estate on the island.

    He knew her nickname was “Domino” – observed on a bracelet on her ankle.

    At a party that evening in a casino, attended by Bond, Domino, and Largo, Bond challenged the villain to a game of cards (with raised stakes to 500 pounds) and won, then briefly shared a drink and dance with Domino, before Largo interrupted and invited Bond to dinner at Sunday noon at his private beachside villa-estate in Palmyra.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    James Bond always has so much fun, now don’t you think? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    The next day, Bond was returning to his hotel room (#304), but avoided directly entering, and came through Paula’s adjoining room (#306) instead.

    He listened to a tape recording, hidden in a hollowed-out Nassau Directory.

    It had recorded someone’s entry into his room.

    With a silencer in his hand, he answered a knock on the door from CIA agent Felix Leiter (Rik Van Nutter), punched him in the stomach to quiet him before he said 007, and also roughly dealt with Largo’s henchman Quist (Bill Cummings) – scalding him in his bathroom shower before sending the disarmed assassin back to his superior.

    I  fondly remember this movie when seeing all the James Bond -Sean Connery  movies for free with my brothers up in the above theater balcony with  special seating as my father held a second job during that decade  (1960's and early parts of the 70's) as the Motion Picture Machine  Operator.I was pretty young though at the time (just 7 years of age).Dad  was also a Commander too in the long past before I was born just like  James Bond.
    
    I especially liked the C.I.A. Fulton equipped B-17 Flying  Fortress 44-85531 in the movie and pointed that out to father after  watching it on cable television with him a few years before he passed  away in 2004 as he was an Aircraft Commander/Pilot of the B-17's during  World War II.Sean Connery as James Bond was a character that my father  and I too adored.
    
    To me Sean Connery is James Bond and no other actor replaces him as that for me.
    
    Seeing this again brings me back to happier times.
    The DVD was shipped quickly and it plays well. 
    
    - x9078ljk4+ 

    At Palmyra, a disgusted Largo ordered Quist – after his failed mission – to be thrown into a swimming pool containing sharks (# 11 death).

    Bond met with local MI6 ally-contact Pinder (Earl Cameron) and was taken to a base of operations behind a marketplace, where “Q” (Desmond Llewelyn) provided him with the latest multi-purpose gadgets, many for underwater use.

    In approximately 55 hours, the British government was planning to drop the “blood money” ransom (off the coast of Burma) in the form of blue-white diamonds worth £100 million pounds.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    This is an old movie and the technologies are dated. However that in no way detracts from the movies. Instead, it only adds to it’s charms. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    At night, Bond donned scuba gear and swam under Largo’s yacht — where one of Largo’s sentry-frogmen discovered him and fired a spear-gun.

    Largo watched Bond struggle underwater, after turning on lights and activating closed-circuit video cameras, and saw that Bond cut the man’s air-hose.

    Largo ordered hand-grenades dropped on him as Bond was taking photos of the hull of the boat (with his infra-red camera).

    Bond was stunned, but escaped unharmed, and evaded a search-boat – letting them think he had been killed by its propeller.

    After he came ashore, he hitchhiked and was picked up by Fiona Volpe (wearing a ring with an Octopus symbol, similar to the one worn by Largo) in a light blue Mustang and speedily driven at 100 mph back to his Nassau hotel.

    The photos were developed at Pinder’s base, revealing an underwater hatch beneath Largo’s yacht.

    Bond guessed that Largo’s entire operation was concealed underwater, and that the Vulcan plane was submerged.

    Another  excellent James Bond film looking at men of international crime.  A  very realistic villain emerges here in this fourth James Bond film.
    
     Bond's crime nemesis Emilio Largo has a seaside home in Nassau out of  which he runs a nuclear weapons theft operation.  His small crew are  able to conceal the warheads easily,  and almost escaped detection if it  weren't for Bond's excellent tracking instinct and bravery.
    
    True  to the 007 film franchise formula,  this movie has all the gizmos and  equipment that 1950's and  60's Westerners were convinced would be in  high demand such as hydrofoils and jetpacks and that sort of thing.   Unfortunately the jetpack has fallen into disfavor as a mainstream idea.   Though a lot of the tech in Thunderball has  fallen into disfavor,  still it was very cool nonetheless to journey back through the era  before I was born and see how people embraced the future.
    
    In  summary,  this 007 movie follows on the heels of other excellent ones  that set the bar very high. Also, the underwater photography and ensuing  action sequences are really excellent,  which adds immensely to the  enjoyment of the move.  
    
    I would consider watching this again after a  short time just for the shocking diving action sequences the end of the  film alone. However,  there are other aspects of this movie that kept my  attention as well,  such as the feeling that Ian Fleming's work  inspires us not to underestimate the deviousness and creativity of  criminal minds.  
    
    Though we sent a man to the moon, and are optimists by  nature,  the plot stays grounded in the reality that Bond almost doesn't  prevail at several junctures against a nuclear madman.  
    
    To Fleming,  Broccoli,  and Saltzman's credit, they seem to convey an important  subtlety well: though the MI6 team thought failure was unimaginable,  it  also doesn't mean mission accomplishment was guaranteed, or failure is  impossible. 
    
    - Aye Aye Captain! 

    The next day (Sunday), a search by helicopter for the missing plane near Nassau was unfruitful.

    While shooting skeets at Largo’s oceanside villa of Palmyra, Fiona vowed to assassinate Bond when the time was right: “I shall kill him.”

    Later that day as a guest at Largo’s villa for lunch, Bond was shown around and also shot skeets.

    Largo bragged about his pool with Golden Grotto sharks (“the most savage, the most dangerous”). Because he was busy, Largo also invited Domino to accompany Bond to the Junkanoo, the “local Mardi Gras” that evening, to keep him occupied.

    A sex scene done properly. You do not need to show pornographic activities to titillate.  Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    A sex scene done properly. You do not need to show pornographic activities to titillate. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Meanwhile, in her hotel room waiting for Bond, Paula was chloroformed and abducted by Largo’s goons (and Fiona).

    The assassinatrix noticed Bond’s photos of the yacht’s hull. During the Junkanoo celebration that night, after learning that Paula had disappeared, Bond snuck away (Leiter kept Domino occupied) and infiltrated Palmyra, at the same time that Pinder had requested a power blackout to cut the electricity.

    He located Paula being questioned by Largo’s silent, sadistic black-dressed henchman Vargas (Philip Locke) in an underground room.

    Thunderball  is one of the best of the James Bond movies. Although it was filmed in  the 1965, the technology and action scenes still look good 50 years  later (I bought the DVD in 2017). In this film James Bond is played by  Sean Connery, who I think did the best portrayal of Bond. The plot  revolves around the stealing of nuclear bombs by Spectre, the nefarious  group that opposes Bond in several other of the films. 
    
    The underwater  fight sequences are spectacular – even recent films have trouble topping  them. 
    
    The Bond girl in this movie is played by actress Claudine Auger;  excellent casting. A classic Bond film throughout; much better than many  of the other Bond films. I think Thunderball and Goldfinger are among  the best two Bond films made. 
    
    - Lee Gimenez 

    When Bond attempted to rescue her, he was too late – she had already heroically committed suicide by self-administering a cyanide capsule (# 12 death).

    As Bond fled, he shot one of Largo’s men (# 13 death, # 2 Bond kill) to get the group to shoot at each other, and engaged in a fist-fight with one of the men.

    The two fell into a second swimming pool (Largo deployed the metal pool cover, and then opened a tunnel hatch to the other shark pool).

    Bond stabbed his opponent in the gut (his bloody wound soon attracted the hungry sharks and he was consumed) (# 14 death), and then swam through the tunnel to narrowly escape.

    Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    I can see me doing this. Can’t you? (Actually, I’ve done it many times, don’t ya know.) Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    After contacting Pinder and being driven back to his hotel, Bond found Fiona naked in the bathtub of Paula’s vacated room.

    After making love with the “wild” woman (“You should be locked up in a cage”) (# 3 tryst), the two dressed up and planned to return to the all-night Junkanoo celebration.

    However, Fiona (revealing her true identity as Largo’s assassin) betrayed Bond and held a gun on him, to escort him to Largo’s presence with support from other thugs.

    After  the first three attempts, they finally got all the right ingredients to  making a great bond film. 
    
    A Nato Vulcan bomber carrying two atomic  bombs has crashed in the caribbean, SPECTRE has informed the British  Government that they hijacked the plane's cargo, unless a ransom of 100  million is paid in seven days a major city in england or the U.S will be  destroyed. 
    
    So MI6 calls in all it's agents, but only one will have the  lead. 007,  and awaiting Bond in the Bahamas is Fiona Volpe. 
    
    A SPECTRE  executioner, she's the one who orchestrated the Vulcan hijack, as a  matter of fact, as she and Bond are dancing in a street cafe. 
    
    One of her  men is about to shoot Bond, but he swings her around, and Volpe gets  shot in the back instead of Bond, a very deadly and sexy assassin. 
    
    Paula  Caplain, she is another MI6 agent. But sadly Fiona Caplain and Largo's  men kidnapped her from her hotel room, and Bond was too late to rescue  her. Emilio Largo, SPECTRE number 2. 
    
    Owner of a luxurious yacht, a  niiiiice house. And owner of the two missing bombs, and last but  certainly not least is Domino Derval. The sister of NATO pilot Major  Derval, she is also Largo's girfriend. 
    
    But grows tired of his  overbearing ways, and soon becomes attracted to Bond. As a matter of  fact, she ends up being the one who kills Largo. 
    
    This movie has it all,  the pre-title sequence. Where bond kills another SPECTRE agent, at a  funeral, then gets away via a jetpack. Bond also has his way with the  ladies, but is also decisive when need be, a cold blooded killer. 
    
    This  movie doesn't focus on gadgets, but it does use them. Me personally, i  think this is arguably the better of the early Bond films. 
    
    - Ben Milton 

    But Bond escaped from their car when they were held up in festival traffic, although wounded in the lower right leg as he ran into the crowd.

    He was chased through a carnival parade by five henchmen, and Fiona caught up with him at the open-air Kiss Kiss Club where patrons were being entertained by a female fire-dancer, and a bongo-band played.

    As Fiona danced with Bond and asked him to surrender, while steering him closer to an assassin, she was shot in the back and killed by her own bodyguard (with a bullet meant for him) (# 15 death).

    The Bad guy with the pretty seductress.  Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    The Bad guy with the pretty seductress. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    With only about 15 hours until the drop of the ransom, Bond took another helicopter search with Felix Leiter for the submerged plane, spotting something at a shark-infested location called the Golden Grotto.

    One shark was shot to distract the other sharks, as Bond dove down with one scuba tank to investigate.

    Inside the downed plane, he found the bodies of the dead crew members, including “Derval” (Angelo, the counterfeit NATO pilot).

    Bond engaged in a second dive with Domino, an opportunity to become more intimate with her underwater (# 4 tryst) although discreetly hidden when they ducked behind some coral and bubbles exploded to the surface.

    Later he commented: “I hope we didn’t frighten the fish” before kissing her.

    She stepped on poisonous sea egg spines as they came ashore, and after treating her, he delivered the news of her dead brother Francois, and offered his dog-tag and watch: “It’s a long story and it involves your friend, Largo…Largo had your brother murdered, or it was on his orders.”

    Of  the first four Bond films this one is a powerhouse from the get-go.   Even the pre-credit section gets you going with the music, the art, the  visuals.  Thunderball really put it all together for this franchise. It  was, and still is, literally a thunderball of a production.  Everyone is  included in this and everyone shows up and delivers.  There is a real  serial moving story here from beginning to middle to end.  From the Bell  Rocket Belt, to more of the Aston Martin, to the gadgets and sheer  style.  Who can forget "Huit pour la banque. Pass the shoe."  Bond has  been his best in the casinos.  It is a real education.
    
    This  franchise has always been big on Fords, too, and used the hot car(s) of  the time such as the Mustang.  Part of the "special relationship" we  have had with our British cousins.
    
    I did not see any AMPAS marks  on the jewel box, but there is no way this should not have won an OSCAR  in some category -- especially a whiz-bang technical category.
    
    This surpasses the third very impressive installment, "Goldfinger," and is probably one of the best ever of the Bond Franchise. 
    
    - lidz 

    As Bond asked for her help and trust, he explained how hundreds of thousands of people might die.

    He admitted he didn’t know when the bombs would be loaded on the Disco Volante, and wanted her to detect them with his geiger counter gadget.

    Bond turned and shot Vargas (pointing a gun-silencer his direction) in the stomach with a harpoon gun, impaling him to a palm tree (# 16 death, # 3 Bond kill) (“I think he got the point”).

    You might be cool, but you will never be as cool as James Bond.  Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    You might be cool, but you will never be as cool as James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    As she was leaving, Domino told Bond about a canal, a bridge, and a flight of steps that led into the ocean, on the far side of Palmyra – a perfect entry-point that Bond soon swam to.

    He noticed SPECTRE diving gear stashed there, swallowed a homing device, and awaited darkness.

    When Largo’s army of frogmen arrived, Bond knocked one of them out, stole his scuba gear, and swam with the group out to the yacht, where Largo ordered: “Once we pick up the merchandise, head for our target area, Miami.”

    Their plan was to retrieve the bombs from a hidden undersea cave compartment with the submersible, and then threaten to detonate one of the bombs at a wreck near Miami.

    During the retrieval process, Bond’s cover was blown (he was recognized by Largo), and he was forced to kill one frogman (# 17 death, # 4 Bond kill).

    Trapped and stranded inside the underwater cave, Bond looked for an exit and emerged deep in an island cavern.

    While  many rank GOLDFINGER as the best Bond ever, THUNDERBALL has always been  my favorite.  To me it had all the Bond ingredients (gadgets, lots of  sharks, the Aston Martin, scuba diving, gorgeous babes & plenty of  action) as well as a cohesive plot.  Spectre remains one of the most  formidable villains in Bond history, even after all these years.
    
    The  underwater brawl between the Spectre divers and the Navy(?) divers  remains a classic climactic scene in all of the Bond movies.  I'm just  guessing that they were Navy (SEALS?) as usually Army guys are not  trained in scuba operations.
    
    Connery's final Bond movie, NEVER  SAY NEVER AGAIN, was more-or-less a remake of THUNDERBALL.  There were a  few variations here & there, but the basic plotline & many of  the elements remained the same.  This goes to show just how enduring  THUNDERBALL was to the Connery Bond movies. 
    
    -D. Roberts

    Back onboard the yacht, Largo caught Domino using the geiger counter “toy” given to her by Bond and threatened: “There is no escape for you.”

    He menaced her with torture unless she revealed the extent of Bond’s knowledge, but was called away to activate the bombs.

    Onboard a Coast Guard search helicopter, Leiter used Bond’s homing device signal to locate him.

    Bond also indicated his exact whereabouts with a red flare gun. A cable was lowered to him for rescue.

    Bond warned that Largo’s target was Miami, and that one bomb was being transferred from the yacht to a wreck off Fowley Point.

    Bond. James Bond. You might be cool, but you will never be as cool as James Bond.  Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    Bond. James Bond. You might be cool, but you will never be as cool as James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    With support from the CIA and the US Coast Guard aqua-divers in red (parachuting from planes into the waters around Miami), an intensely fierce underwater battle was fought near the wreck against Largo’s frogmen-henchmen (in black) (unknown number of deaths).

    Bond joined the Coast Guard divers, wearing an underwater jet pack propulsion unit (with high-velocity exploding spear-heads) strapped to his oxygen tanks.

    During the bloody struggle, he cut the air-hoses of a few frogmen and also speared one of them (# 18 death, # 5 Bond kill).

    Yes, that's what Bond says to the just bedded villianess
    once he's captured. You gotta admire the style of it.
    
    Though a little slow at times expecially in the underwater
    scenes this fourth Bond adventure is pushed forward
    by the music, the cast, and great locations. 
    
    Bond gets off
    lots of good lines and the girl is especially beautiful.
    The villian, Largo,is one off the top five baddies in the
    series.
    
    The title sequence is one of the best with Tom Jones
    Giving his all and falling unconscious in the
    recording booth after holding the last note of the hit
    title song. Way to go Tom! 
    
    - Paul Kyriazi 

    Bond then removed his tanks, used his re-breather device, and detonated an explosive canister to kill three more pursuing henchmen within the wreck (# 19-21 deaths, # 6-8 Bond kills), and then helped to turn the tide in the battle.

    Blood in the water attracted sharks to the scene, as Largo’s men were routed and then surrendered.

    When Largo swam away with two of his remaining men, Bond killed one of them with a harpoon-gun (# 22 death, # 9 Bond kill), and pursued an escaping Largo to his yacht.

    Underwater, Bond held on as the Disco Volante weighed anchor (with one stolen disarmed atomic bomb still onboard), but was under attack by cannon-fire from the US Navy.

    Largo created a smoke screen and jettisoned his yacht’s rear cocoon to increase the speed of the separate hydrofoil. The cocoon section of the yacht, with a machine gun and deck cannon, exploded and killed all onboard (many deaths, number unknown).

    Bond being the quintessential man. Bond. James Bond.  Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    Bond being the quintessential man. Bond. James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    During a life-and-death hand-to-hand struggle between Bond, three crew-members, and Largo in the hydrofoil’s cabin, Bond threw one crew-member overboard, and knocked the other two unconscious.

    He was saved from being shot by Largo, when Domino (who had changed allegiances), was freed in her cabin by Kutze (who had disarmed the bombs), appeared from below deck, and harpooned him in the back with a spear (# 23 death).

    Can  you imagine a film getting any better whether it is the women,the  villains,the locations or even the plot this one has got it all.One  might think it is outdated now but then look again this film is the  stepping stone to any action movie that is to be made in the coming  years.
    
    Sean Connery stamps his signature yet again as James Bond 007  in the fourth installment of the Bond franchise.Director Terence Young  makes it more tongue and cheek than any other Bond movie.There is no raw  filth or even gore but the story is so perfect that it makes you forget  about its tiny if at all faults.
    
    There are some memorable moments in  this film like the opening jet pack sequence,gunfight at Largo's house  during a blackout and the final underwater battle.Simply breathtaking  and proof of quality film making which today is seriously considered by  Jerry Bruckhiemer/Joel Silver and Steven Speilberg.
    
    Adding to the  movie's good points is also John Barry's superb score which to this day  haunts me as it is quite memorable.I also took a great liking to the  leading ladies because they can not get any sexier to me.
    
    The plot  revolves around Blofeld's organization hijacking nuclear warheads and  demanding a ransom.The beautiful location of the Bahamas a used  extensively where Bond tries to unravel the doomsday plot. 
    
    - Anisha Dharmadasa 

    (Domino: “I’m glad I killed him.” Bond (relieved): “You’re glad?”).

    With Largo death-locked to the jammed steering, they jumped overboard to escape from the yacht’s explosion when it ran aground and struck a reef (# 24-25 deaths, # 10-11 Bond kills).

    Kutze was left at sea with a life preserver, while in a yellow raft, Bond inflated a red balloon tied to a rope that was snagged by a US Navy Boeing B-17 plane with a skyhook, and the two held onto each other during their rescue.

    Rescuing the girl. All in a day's work for James Bond.  Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    Rescuing the girl. All in a day’s work for James Bond. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Film Notables (Awards, Facts, etc.)

    The fourth film in the series. This was director Terence Young’s third and final direction of a Bond film. (He did not direct the third film, Goldfinger (1964).)

    The code name for the MI6 mission, Thunderball, was also the film’s title.

    This was originally intended to be the first Bond film but a series of legal disputes delayed its release.

    This was the first James Bond film shot in wide-screen Panavision.

    The film’s remake was Never Say Never Again (1983), one of the unofficial James Bond films. However, Sean Connery portrayed Bond in the film it was his seventh and final appearance on the screen as the character. He claimed it was his favorite 007 performance.

    Lighting up a cigarette while the secret agent beside you has a gun trained on him. This is a scene you won't see today. It's usually the police pointing guns at you, and usually because you are smoking cigarettes. That devil stick!
    Lighting up a cigarette while the secret agent beside you has a gun trained on him. This is a scene you won’t see today. It’s usually the police pointing guns at you, and usually because you are smoking cigarettes. That devil stick!

    This was the only Bond film in which all nine 00- agents appeared together in London, England, where M summoned them to a briefing about SPECTRE’s plot.

    Molly Peters (as Patricia Fearing) was the first Bond girl to appear nude (in silhouette) – in the steambath scene. And Martine Beswick, as Paula Caplan was the first Bond girl to appear in two Bond girls as different characters (she was fighting gypsy girl Zora in From Russia With Love (1963)).

    With an Academy Award win, the second (and last win, to date) for Best Special Visual Effects.

    With a production budget of $9 million, and gross revenue of $63.6 million (domestic) and $141 million (worldwide).

    Thunderball had the highest domestic box-office earnings of the Bond films (to date) – when adjusted for inflation. Its domestic unadjusted gross of $63.6 million was $600 million when adjusted. Goldfinger (1964) was a distant second with $51 million (and $531.7 million adjusted).

    I  wanted to watch the original early films of Bond, beginning with Dr.  No. It's great to see Sean Connery evolve from film to film to become, I  feel, the best Bond there ever was. 
    
    I'm progressing in order from Dr.  No, to From Russia with love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You only live  twice, Diamonds are forever, and the later semi-Bond "Never say Never  again". 
    
    I know many fans of Bond dislike the last film Connery did, but  perhaps they were expecting too much from a then, pretty weathered,  franchise. 
    
    I still have to watch the final two Connery films and am not  expecting too much from "Diamonds" and even less from "Never". 
    
    But that  doesn't take away from the talent and artistry of Sean Connery and I'm  more into those last films to simply watch how he slowly bows out of the  James Bond role forever. 
    
    It's sad film history to watch sometimes, but  I'd rather watch these first Bond films again and again than to tolerate  the works of Roger Moore and the others. 
    
    Daniel Craig is a fresh  approach to the role, but he lacks the warmth and humor that Connery  brought to the role. 
    
    I'd love to see one final film where Sean Connery  has taken over the position of "M" and guides newer agents along, making  them the best they could be. Sort of like an episode of "NCIS", I know,  but it would be entertaining to see, none-the-less. 
    
    - Richard Behmer 
    What's a James Bond movie without action and excitement? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    What’s a James Bond movie without action and excitement? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Bond Villains:

    • Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi)
    • Count Lippe (Guy Doleman)
    • Angelo Palazzi (Paul Stassino)
    • Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi)
    • Ladislav Kutze (George Pravda)
    • Quist (Bill Cummings)
    • Vargas (Philip Locke)

    Bond Girls:

    • Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters)
    • Dominique (“Domino”)
    • Derval (Claudine Auger)
    • Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick)
    Thunderball  is one of the better James Bond movies in the set of Bond.  I have  heard the rumours about the underwater fight scene being edited but in  my personal viewpoint still an amazing fight scene and very well filmed  for the movie.  
    
    The movie plotline was actual very believeable about  stealing a weapon and holding it for a money trade off in exchange for  where the weapon is located.  
    
    I also would like to add that I thought  Sean Connery was in one of his best phsyical shapes as James Bond base  on the fight scenes and action stunts unless they used a stunt man.  
    
    I  thought every actor did a great job with what they had to work with and  the added benifit of the dance scene and all that music going on very  impressive turn out.  
    
    I look forward to many more James Bond movies and  writing up much more reviews of them to come as I watch them.  So watch  this one with an open mind and make up your own mind weither you enjoy  it as much as me or not. 
    
    - Jack D. Lowry  Top Contributor: James Bond 
    After killing the bad guys, it's time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Don't you think? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.
    After killing the bad guys, it’s time to relax and enjoy the fruits of your efforts. Don’t you think? Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Number of Love-Making Encounters:

    There were four love-making encounters.

    Film Locales:

    • Paris, France
    • Shrublands Health Farm/Clinic
    • (and the) nearby NATO airbase in south of England
    • London, England
    • Nassau
    • The Bahamas and other surrounding islands
    • Miami, Florida
    The bad guy with the beautiful chick. A James Bond standard.
    The bad guy with the beautiful chick. A James Bond standard. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Gadgets:

    • A Bell Textron jet pack rocket belt.
    • Devices in Bond’s Aston Martin.
    • Angelo’s/”Derval’s” separate oxygen supply and gamma gas canister.
    • Largo’s Disco Volante (with an underwater hatch, hidden video cameras) and his yellow submersible submarine.
    • A modified waterproof (underwater) Rolex watch with geiger counter.
    • An underwater infra-red camera for nighttime photos.
    • A miniature pistol that fired distress signal flares (bright red).
    • A miniature (pocket-sized) underwater re-breather device good for four minutes.
    • A harmless radio-active homing device in the shape of a pill.
    • An underwater jet pack propulsion unit with exploding, high-velocity spearheads.
    • A sky-hook.
    Bad guys look great with patches, or monocles. Having a pretty chick in a nice slinky dress helps as does piles of money at a casino table.
    Bad guys look great with patches, or monocles. Having a pretty chick in a nice slinky dress helps as does piles of money at a casino table. Thunderball is a classic James Bond 007 movies. It is a movie that has something for everyone, and ages well. It gets better with time.

    Vehicles:

    • A silver Aston Martin DB5 (with rear armor shield, and rear-firing, high-pressure water cannon-sprayer).
    • Vulcan jet.
    • Hydrofoil Disco Volante.
    • A gold BSA Lightning Motorcycle (with missiles).
    • Domino’s Boehler Turbocraft dive boat.
    • Volpe’s light blue Mustang.
    • A Bell helicopter.
    • A US Coast Guard helicopter.
    • A US Navy Boeing B-17 plane.

    Number of Deaths (Bond Kills):

    There were a total of 25+ deaths in the movie, of which James Bond killed 11.

    Conclusion

    This is a great movie, and fantastic escapist entertainment for men and women alike. Childish millenials need not watch it, as they are far too easily offended by normal adult interactions.

    "When arrows meet".
    “When arrows meet”.

    Not to worry, a transgender, role-reversal Bond flick is in the works. They will continue their narrative that White Males are the scourage of the universe, dumb, stupid and a bane on society.

    Don’t waste your money on this new progressive propiganda. Enjoy these older flicks before they are banned from distribution. Because, if history is any indicator, they WILL be banned.

    The New “modern, progressive” 007…

    You can tell why liberal Hollywood selected her. If you morphed Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama together, this is what the result would look like…

    The new "face" of 007. She's modern, she's progressive, and she's LGBT friendly. She is the new woman that will lead America towards the social utopia as promised by the "great ones".
    The new “face” of 007. She’s modern, she’s progressive, and she’s LGBT friendly. She is the new woman that will lead America towards the social utopia as promised by the “great ones”.

    If you enjoyed this post, please check out some of my other posts in my Movie Index…

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    It is now official; The United States cannot be saved. It must be permitted to consume itself from within.

    The United States is beyond saving. It has passed the threshold whereas punitive and preventative measures will no longer make a difference in the future course of events regarding American evolution.
    
    Instead, it will continue to collapse. It will start to burn and then consume itself in the process. Eventually it will burnout. Perhaps in a decade or two. In the interm will be some testy and spicy times. 
    
    This is the case because the Justice Department found that Hillary Clinton didn't commit ANY crimes.

    MSN reports the Justice Department has released their findings in the Clinton investigation, finding what they expected to find. Namely and to wit: nothing.

    A Justice Department inquiry launched more than two years ago to  mollify conservatives clamoring for more investigations of Hillary  Clinton has effectively ended with no tangible results, and current and  former law enforcement officials said they never expected the effort to produce much of anything. 
               ... They included the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One  matters, along with the FBI’s handling of the investigation into Hillary  Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of  state and alleged leaks by former FBI director James B. Comey. 

    This settles the matter. We’re not to speak of it again.

    A review of the crimes…

    • Lying Under Oath in a Deposition
    • Lying Under Oath to a Grand Jury
    • Lying Under Oath as a Lawyer
    • Abuse of Power
    • Obstruction of Justice
    • Treason
    • Sedition
    • Corruption
    • Coercion
    • Graft
    • Bribe Solicitation
    • Taking Bribes
    • Bribery of Cabinent Members
    • Bribery of State Officials
    • Commercial Bribery
    • Commercial Bribery Recieving
    • Illegal Gift-Taking
    • Falsifying Business Records
    • Misapplication of Property
    • Criminal Use of a Computer
    • Misuse of Franking Privelege
    • Recieving Dual Compensation
    • Recieving Unlawful Gratuities
    • Malfeasance of Office
    • Perjury
    • Subornation of Perjury
    • Perjury by Inconsistent Statements
    • Criminal Trespass
    • Witness Intimidation
    • Witness Tampering
    • Jury Tampering
    • Tampering With Physical Evidence
    • Tampering With Public Records
    • Ethics Violations
    • Intentional Interference in the Administration of Justice
    • Refusing to Assist a Judicial Officer
    • Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree
    • Hindering Prosecution in the Second Degree
    • Unlawful Contact in the First Degree
    • Misrepresentation
    • Civil Contempt of Court
    • Criminal Contempt of Court
    • Contempt of Congress
    • Contempt of the American People
    • Deception
    • False Information or Report
    • False Accusation
    • False Testimony
    • Factually False Testimony
    • False Swearing
    • Unsworn Falsification
    • Misappropriating Funds
    • Misconduct
    • Marital Misconduct
    • Serious Misconduct
    • Professional Misconduct
    • Official Misconduct
    • Notorious Misconduct
    • Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance
    • Obstruction of the Judicial Process
    • Misuse of Confidential Information
    • Interference With Official Proceedings
    • Recklessness
    • Grand Larceny
    • Extortion
    • Embezzlement
    • Vandalism
    • Blackmail
    • Cruelty to Animals
    • Obstruction of Highways
    • Substance Abuse
    • Evidence Suppression
    • Illegal Foriegn Campaign Funding
    • Aiding and Abetting Espionage
    • Aiding and Abetting Foriegn Dictators
    • Aiding and Abetting Arsonists
    • Aiding and Abetting a Known Felon
    • Aiding and Abetting Terrorists and Terrorist Organizations
    • Terroristic Threatening
    • Providing Material Support to Terrorists
    • Engaging in Transactions with Terrorists
    • Improper Exports of Sensitve Technology
    • Attempted Intimidation of Prosecutors
    • Failure to Declare Income
    • Failure to Investigate Drug Trafficking
    • Scheme to Defraud
    • Real Estate Fraud
    • Voter Fraud
    • Mail Fraud
    • Wire Fraud
    • Interstate Transportation to Defraud
    • Destruction of Business Records with Intent to Defraud
    • Criminalizing Frauds on Financial Institutions
    • Use of State Police for Personal Purposes
    • Illegal Loan Extraction
    • False Reports by Medical Examiners and Others Investigating Suspicious Deaths
    • Improper Futures Trading
    • Illegal Use of the Executive Branch
    • Character Defamation
    • Destruction of Evidence
    • Political Espionage
    • Money Laundering
    • Criminal Negligence
    • Possesion of False Papers
    • False Acknowledgment
    • False Declaration Before a Court
    • Wrongful Handling of Public Documents
    • Concealing or Covering Up of Material Fact
    • Misprison of Felony
    • Criminal Deception
    • Disclosure of Confidential Information
    • Failure to Account for Public Money
    • Recieving or Concealing Stolen Goverment Property
    • Failure to Deposit Federal Monies
    • Wrongful Solicitation of Embezzlement or Gifts
    • Use of a Public Building to Solicit Political Funds
    • Accepting Fee for Federal Employment
    • Offering to Procure an Appointive Public Office
    • Taking Illegal Kickbacks
    • Racketeering
    • Investing Racketeering Income
    • RICO Conspiracy
    • Conspiracy
    • Conspiracy to Conceal
    • Conspiracy to Murder
    • Conspiracy to Engage in Racketeering
    • Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal Government
    • Wrongful Destruction of War Records
    • Malicious Injury to Property
    • Acquiring an Enterprise Through Racketeering
    • Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property
    • Offering Gratuities or Graft to a Public Official
    • Soliciting or Accepting Illegal Gratuities
    • Offering Gratuities to a Witness
    • Seeking or Accepting Illegal Compensation
    • Influencing or Injuring Officers, Jurors or Witnesses
    • Obstructing Agency Proceedings
    • Obstructing Criminal Investigations
    • Threatening Victims, Witnesses or Informants
    • Harassing Victims, Witnesses or Informants
    • Retaliating Against Victims, Witnesses or Informants
    • Falsely Making or Forging a Public Record
    • Falsely Making or Forging a Document
    • Uttering or Publishing a False Public Record
    • Transmitting a False Record to the United States
    • Misuse of Government Files
    • Desecration of Federal Ethics Laws
    • Judicial Intimidation
    • Conflict of Interests
    • Illegal Campaign Activity
    • Misuse of Corporate Assets
    • Ordering Politically Motivated Audits
    • Ordering Politically Motivated Investigations
    • Timing of War Influenced by Political Considerations
    • Foreign Influence Peddling
    • Regular Influence Peddling
    • Providing False and Misleading Testimony
    • Misapplying Funds
    • Criminal Violation of the Privacy Act
    • Evisceration of the Right to Habeas Corpus
    • Misuse of Taxpayer Funds
    • Interfering with a Court Order
    • Theft of Government Property
    • Abuse of Taxpayer Financed Travel
    • Anti-American Espionage
    • Jeopardizing National Security
    • Aiding and Abetting Drug Traffic
    • Aiding and Abetting Organized Crime
    • Aiding and Abetting Terrorism
    • Murder by Accessory by Witness Tampering
    • Murder by Accessory by Forgery
    • Solicitation to commit murder by accessory
    • Accessory to Multiple Deaths
    • Accessory to Murder in the Second Degree
    • Accessory to Aggravated Murder
    • Accessory to Felony Murder
    • Accessory to Criminal Libel
    • Accessory to Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution
    • Accessory to Arson
    • Accessory to Criminal Negligent Burning
    • Accessories After the Fact
    • Accessory to Abduction
    • Accessory to Causing Mental Harm to a Child
    • Custodial Interference in the First Degree
    • Child Endangerment
    • Cruelty to Persons
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Indecent Exposure in the Second Degree
    • Indecent Assault
    • Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
    • Malicious Wounding
    • False Imprisonment
    • Sexual Abuse of Employees
    • Lewd and Lascivious Conduct
    • Exchange of Promotions or Benefits for Sexual Favors
    • First Degree Sexual Assault
    • Second Degree Sexual Assault
    • Third Degree Sexual Assault
    • Fourth Degree Sexual Assault
    • Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
    • Statutory Rape
    • Sexual Battery
    • Intent to Rape
    • Suspicion of Rape
    • Rape
    • Forcible Rape
    • Oral Copulation
    • Misdemeanor Sexual Assault
    • Sexual Misconduct in the First Degree
    • Criminal Sexual Conduct by Force and Coercion
    • Unlawful Sexual Contact
    • Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor
    • Consensual Digital Penetration
    • Lewd Proposal
    • Sexual Battery
    • Penetration by a Foriegn Object
    • Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender
    • Deriliction of Duty
    • Corrupting Public Discourse
    • Contributing to the Delinquincy of a Minor
    • Unfit to hold a law license
    • Conduct Unbecoming a President
    • Impersonating a Public Servant
    • Squandering the Public Trust

    There’s a pretty good collection of information HERE.

    According to the “experts” in the Judicial department, the FBI and the DOJ, Hillary Clinton is completely and absolutely innocent of any charges. There is no need to investigate further.

    Let the just, and righteous woman live her life free of worry or concern. For she is innocent.

    Some thoughts…

    This reminds me of the movie “The Lawnmower man“.

    There is a scene where a (very “sooped up”) lawnmower/tiller machine autonomously chases a guy into his house and up the stairs. It chews up everything. And, of course, kills the guy.

    The detectives come to the crime scene and are aghast of all the gore and blood. The house is all torn up. Walls, floors, furniture are all reduced to kindling, and all soaked in gore and entrails.

    But, just then, the “Lawnmower man” snaps his fingers and the detectives completely change. It’s like night and day.

    Nothing here.” They say as they are standing ankle deep in blood, gore and splinters. “It’s obviously just a suicide, it’s an open and shut case.”

    Some links to more details on these crimes…

    Yeah, but this isn’t Hollywood. It’s America and this is real life.

    Here’s some links going into some detail about the crimes that he was part of. After all, even she thought that she was guilty.

    "... former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a 2016 email to then-Acting Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, 
    
    If that f**kin bastard wins, we’re all going to hang from nooses! You better fix this s**t!” 
    
    -  WikiLeaks - Hillary Clinton Email Archive 

    Of course, Snopes proved that this email is just Fake News. So you can believe them, right?

    The Judicial Opinion

    Hillary Clinton did not commit any crimes. It is all a “witch hunt” against an innocent woman.

    What this means

    If the Average American can do hard time for operating a lemonade stand in their front yard, serve years as a felon for jay-walking, and spend decades in prison for having photos on their computers…

    … while people like Hillary Clinton can break every law on the books and still be found absolutely innocent…

    … then the Justice system no longer functions as an agent of justice. It has another role.

    Deal with the situation.

    As such, Americans can either [1] accept this fact, or [2] change it.

    Knowing what I know of Americans, there will be a period of discomfort and then everyone will just soak the ground with kerosene and light it up. There will be no safe, and secure ways out of the mess that currently exists.

    So you all might as well rest easy.

    The future is all mapped out and Mr. Sessions, or Mr. Barr will not matter any longer. You might as well forget about “Q” and all the Alt-Right hyperbole. Nothing is going to get done. The USA is a big crime syndicate.

    It is now official.


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    When foreign interventionism goes terribly wrong; how the CIA botched up the integration of China into the USA sphere of influence.

    Globalists Wanted to Exploit Asia, but China Surprised Them.

    So, here I am, checking out my various social media feeds and see all sorts of chaos and tumult. And, as I get past the sensationalism, and the horror, I see a common thread. Some how and in some way, the United States, through various agents, agencies, or funding venues, lie at the root of all the unrest.

    Is this what it seems to be?

    The kicking, thrashing, and screaming of a dying empire? Or is it something else? In my mind, it seems an awful lot like the American empire is dying, and it is NOT going away quietly in the night. It is going down, and thrashing about everywhere in shrieking pain.

    Thus…

    This post.

    This post is about an ingenious plan that went awry and altered the trajectory of history. And we, well, we are living during this fourth most Tumultuous period in American history.

    The previous three periods were…

    • The Revolutionary War
    • The American Civil War
    • World War II

    This plan was doomed to fail from the get-go, simply because it relied on far to many assumptions about non-Americans. And now, well, we are starting to witness that failure in all it’s ugly glory.

    What do all these presidents have in common? They all believed that they could take control of China and annex it just like they did to Japan in the 1980's.
    What do all these presidents have in common? They all believed that they could take control of China and annex it just like they did to Japan in the 1980’s.

    The plan was conceived and implemented over a century by many of my colleagues and (or course) their predecessors. These people were, collectively, the smartest and the most visionary people in the world.

    A mere 25 years ago, the plan seemed to have come to fruition, and western intellectuals talked not only about the end of the Cold War, but the “end of history.”

    The first stage implementation of the NWO - The New World Order, where the Earth would be divided into shared "estates".
    The first stage implementation of the NWO – The New World Order, where the Earth would be divided into shared “estates”.

    We were all so excited about the imminent New World Order (which is now referred to as the “international rules-based order”). Everything was lining up and falling into place.

    Then Asia happened.

    The Big Grand Plan

    After WWII, we Americans, established an unprecedented system to control half the world. As such by 1992, we were confident about bringing in the other half.

    We were so close to total global control and domination.

    So close…

    We were so close to total global control and domination.
    After WWII, we Americans, established an unprecedented system to control half the world. As such by 1992, we were confident about bringing in the other half.

    In the early 1990s, China and India represented not only 40% of world’s population but also a vast pool of consumers and diligent workers. At the same time, my colleagues also appreciated the opportunity to make trillions of dollars.

    It was win-win.

    Unlike the average westerner who saw Asia only as a land of poor and uneducated people, we understood its potential. After all, for the first 1800 years of the last 2000 years, the two largest economies in the world were … China and India.

    The gross world product (GWP) is the combined gross national product of all the countries in the world. Because imports and exports balance exactly when considering the whole world, this also equals the total global gross domestic product (GDP). According to the World Bank, the 2013 nominal GWP was approximately US$75.59 trillion.
    The gross world product (GWP) is the combined gross national product of all the countries in the world. Because imports and exports balance exactly when considering the whole world, this also equals the total global gross domestic product (GDP). According to the World Bank, the 2013 nominal GWP was approximately US$75.59 trillion.

    Of course, bringing more than 2 billion people into our system would also mean sudden loss of jobs, drastic reduction in wages, and a painful drop in the standard of living for many Americans and Europeans.

    No matter, however.

    We deliberately ignored or downplayed these inevitable ramifications. We all figured that we would deal with the complexities of these issues later on… down the road.

    So, how did our plan turn out? Let’s look.

    First, the original plan for the New Global Order. This is the blueprint that was established and how it was intended to be set up as.

    This is the original plan for the New Global Order. It was drawn up in the 1940's. 1942 to be exact.
    This is the original plan for the New Global Order. It was drawn up in the 1940’s. 1942 to be exact.

    India

    India worked out splendidly, just as we planned. Although India was hesitant about opening up their economy — understandable, given their experiences with British colonialism — we gained their trust by helping millions of Indians emigrate to the West.

    In return, India privatized most of their major industries, including their media, and allowed us to become major shareholders. Now, India is tightly integrated into our system.

    China

    But then there’s China.

    The biggest prize slipped away from our fingers. Most people don’t realize that the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989 was actually a “color revolution”. It was manufactured by the CIA, MI6 and social engineering experts, Gene Sharp and George Soros. Indeed, we even had recruited China’s Gorbachev – Zhao Ziyang, the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party.

    Alas, the strategy failed, and Zhao Ziyang ended up spending the rest of his life in house arrest.

    After that, we decided to pursue a patient approach, since we didn’t want to lose China’s efficient and cheap factories. Furthermore, we assumed that:

    • As China got richer, its people will NATURALLY get rid of the communist party, and replace it with “democracy”.
    • Western products will ALWAYS dominate the Chinese consumer market
    • Chinese manufacturing will FOREVER remain stuck in the low/medium-end of the value chain, since (everyone knows) innovation is impossible in an authoritarian society
    • China will become, at the best, only a regional power. After all, throughout its history, China had never demonstrated much desire in foreign relations.
    Americans are seemingly looking more and more like a parody of idiocracy."
    Americans are seemingly looking more and more like a parody of idiocracy.”

    Well, guess what?

    Yup. Every one of our assumptions turned out to be wrong. China’s GDP grew 27-fold from 1989 to 2017, and yet 84% of Chinese are happy with their socialist government. Also, what was supposed to be just a factory for the West, became the largest trading partner for more than 130 countries.

    Confounding our expectations, China has become #1 or #2 in many areas of hi-tech industries including solar energy, electric vehicles, smartphones, supercomputers, Artificial Intelligence and mobile payments. 9 out of the top 20 most valuable internet companies are now Chinese.

    Most Americans have no idea that there is prosperity in Xinjiang. All that they know is that China is bad and eats dogs. China is communist and represses everyone, and the Muslims in Xinjiang want "freedom" and "democracy" most urgently.
    Most Americans have no idea that there is prosperity in China. China’s GDP grew 27-fold from 1989 to 2017, and yet 84% of Chinese are happy with their socialist government.

    The fact that a Chinese company, ZTE, made the world’s first 5G phone call earlier this year should be a “Sputnik Moment” for us.

    Worst of all, China has proved the benefits of public banking.

    Without the government getting into debt, Chinese public banks give massive long-term loans for infrastructure at extremely low interest rates. This has enabled China to build 25,000 Km of high-speed railway systems, modern cities and other infrastructure projects that benefit the Chinese people.

    Such socialistic model makes our private banking system look bad!

    We shouldn't spend tax money on Americans in America. No! The money should be spread out all over the globe to fight for Democracy! Yessur!
    America is trying to grapple with a changing global power base. In order for us to control the rest of the world, we need to invest that money in military might around the world to control others, other nations, and obtain advantage for the American way of life! Yessur! We shouldn’t spend tax money on Americans in America. No! The money should be spread out all over the globe to fight for Democracy! Yessur!

    Finally, we never thought that China would develop a grand vision such as the Belt and Road Initiative (the modern Silk Road).

    While we build military bases around the world, China is building high-speed railways, highways, seaports, airports, power plants and pipelines in 65 different countries. If this continues, there’s no doubt who’s going to have more global influence in the near future.

    The biggest threat to western dominance is the Made in China 2025 plan. If they achieve expertise in semiconductor chips and a few other industries, we Americans will lose our global hegemony.

    “China must be stopped” is the rallying cry of the oligarchy elite.

    Hows Stuff Works is for fags. Electrolytes are what plants crave. Duh.
    Hows Stuff Works is for fags. Electrolytes are what plants crave. Duh.

    Rest of Asia

    Something remarkable has been happening all over Asia (I will narrowly use the word here to refer to only Asia Pacific. Technically, Asia extends all the way from Russia to the Middle East).

    After WWII, Japan succeeded in a brilliant way, which inspired the Asian Tigers – South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. However, the wild fire of enthusiasm really caught on when China lifted 700 million people out of extreme poverty and created the world’s largest middle class.

    No. 66 Middle School in Urumqi, northwest China is home to 2,400 children from 13 different ethnic groups. They are all part of a Chinese government programme helping ethnically diverse students in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to receive higher quality of education. Known as the Xinjiang Class, the programme was introduced in 2000 to offer children living in the region’s remote areas the possibility to attend a top junior high school (ages 12-15), preparing students to then attend a senior high school in one of 17 cities across the country.
    No. 66 Middle School in Urumqi, northwest China is home to 2,400 children from 13 different ethnic groups. They are all part of a Chinese government programme helping ethnically diverse students in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to receive higher quality of education. Known as the Xinjiang Class, the programme was introduced in 2000 to offer children living in the region’s remote areas the possibility to attend a top junior high school (ages 12-15), preparing students to then attend a senior high school in one of 17 cities across the country.

    Now, every country from India to Indonesia to Vietnam feels optimistic and confident that they can succeed as well, and many of them are consistently growing at breakneck rates of 6-7% per year. Economists say that 88% of the next 1 billion people to enter the global middle class will be from Asia. Thus it’s no wonder that Asians are now far more optimistic than westerners about the direction of their countries.

    Asian countries – including even North Korea – have realized that wars and conflicts only get in the way of prosperity. This is, of course, very bad for our divide-and-rule strategy — we were hoping to use Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India to contain China.

    Map of China and Japan. Showing the location of the "contested" Senkaku / Diaoyu islands. If Japan can control these islands, then the United States can place a military base there, right next to China. Therefore it is a critically important location from which American can control China.
    Map of China and Japan. Showing the location of the “contested” Senkaku / Diaoyu islands. If Japan can control these islands, then the United States can place a military base there, right next to China. Therefore it is a critically important location from which America can control China.

    If Asia continues to enjoy peace and cooperation, the geopolitical center of gravity will shift dramatically. Many people don’t realize that, in terms of purchasing power, China is already larger than the US. In nominal GDP, by 2030, China will be bigger than the US, India will be bigger than Germany, and Asia will account for 40% of global GDP.

    By 2050, the top five world economies might consist of four Asian countries.

    While the rising Asian middle class is a lucrative consumer market for our corporations, we dread the rise of multi-national Asian corporations in a decade or two.

    In other words, we want Asians to be rich enough to buy Colgate and Pampers, but not too rich to mass produce toothpaste and diapers; we don’t mind Asians becoming the CEOs of Google and Microsoft, we just don’t want them to develop their own search engines and operating systems. We want to be in control. Us, and us alone.

    Who knows what this will lead towards, if the rest of the world is prosperous?

    For this reason, China must be stopped. The New Silk road must be thwarted. China needs to be put back into it’s rightful place as a servant to the American consumer and puppet to the global leadership.

    Steps are being taken.

    The US involvement in the HK "Democracy Now" movement.
    Uyghurs in Xinjiang

    We have Hong Kong “fifth column” actions in progress.

    We also have radical Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Both of these efforts will stymie the development of the Silk Road and enable the United States to maintain a global leadership role.

    The key to containing China is to deny trade along the “Belt and Road Initiative”. This means that every effort must be taken to militarize the portals in XinJiang with the Uyghur Muslims, and in Hong Kong with the “pro democracy” students. By making those two areas unstable (by the CIA, and NED operatives), the United States can prolong the implementation of the Chinese “Road and Belt Initiative” long enough for the United States to build military bases surrounding China to contain it. You know, for “democracy”.

    Conclusion

    In the early 1970s, David Rockefeller and Henry Kissinger convinced the Chinese elites to open up their economy.

    Then we created the WTO in 1995 and enlisted 128 countries, knowing very well what it would do to American/European manufacturing.

    Letting China into the WTO in 2001 accelerated the outsourcing of jobs from Europe and the US. To hide the devastation, we created the housing bubble on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Now, we’re also effectively using mass immigration and other social engineering tools to keep people distracted.

    I will admit that, blinded by hubris and greed, we misjudged the rise of Asia, especially China.

    America will still be able to control the world, it's just a slight setback while the superior knowledge and skills of the American leadership arrange the globe to fit our needs.
    America will still be able to control the world, it’s just a slight setback while the superior knowledge and skills of the American leadership arrange the globe to fit our needs.

    However, let me remind you that we have brought down many empires over the last 250 years. We’re not going to simply sit back and let revisionist powers rewrite the world order. This is why the next decade will be both fascinating and dangerous.

    China's Silk Road.
    China’s Silk Road.

    A Final Note

    I wrote this “tongue in cheek” from the point of view of someone in favor of the United States maintaining global control. But, this is not the 1960’s and the world is indeed a dangerous place. The United States is going through “death spasms” and if we are all not careful, it could bring the rest of us down with it.

    I do not like this situation. I am fearful of it. If there is anything that I could advise, it would be for people to calm down, have a few beers and stop trying to control other people. Let everyone else prosper. If they are doing well, good for them. It’s not your problem. Stop trying to fight, fight, fight.

    There’s enough to go around for everyone.

    This is what New York City will look like if America tries to initiate another proxy war with a major nuclear-armed superposer. They are a serious, serious nation. They DO NOT PLAY.
    This is what New York City will look like if America tries to initiate another proxy war with a major nuclear-armed superpower. They are a serious, serious nation. They DO NOT PLAY.

    Links about China

    Here are some links about my observations on China. I think that you, the reader, might find them to be of interest. Please kindly enjoy.

    Fats about China
    The US involvement in the HK "Democracy Now" movement.
    Uyghurs in Xinjiang
    How the USA can win a trade war.
    Chinese reaction to the Trump Tariff Wars.
    China's Global Leadership
    Popular Music of China
    The logistics of relocating a facotry from China back to the USA.
    Hong Kong and the NED CIA operations.
    Chinese weapons systems
    Chinese motor sports
    End of the Day Potato
    Dog Shit
    Dancing Grandmothers
    Dance Craze
    When the SJW movement took control of China
    Family Meal
    Freedom & Liberty in China
    Why are Americans so angry?
    Evolution of the USA and China.
    Ben Ming Nian
    Beware the Expat
    Fake Wine
    Fat China
    Business KTV
    How I got married in China.
    Chinese apartment houses
    Chinese Culture Snapshots
    Rural China
    Chinese New Year
    Trade Wars
    How to get work in China if you have HIV.

    China and America Comparisons

    As an American, I cannot help but compare what my life was in the United States with what it is like living in China. Here we discuss that.

    SJW
    Playground Comparisons
    The Last Straw
    Leaving the USA
    Diversity Initatives
    Democracy
    Travel outside
    10 Misconceptions about China
    Top Ten Misconceptions
    A polarized world.
    America's sunset.
    Trump trade wars  - Phase One
    Asshole

    The Chinese Business KTV Experience

    This is the real deal. Forget about all that nonsense that you find in the British tabloids and an occasional write up in the American liberal press. This is the reality. Read or not.

    KTV1
    KTV2
    KTV3
    KTV4
    KTV5
    KTV6
    KTV7
    KTV8
    KTV9
    KTV10
    KTV11
    KTV12
    KTV13
    KTV14
    KTV15
    KTV16
    KTV17
    KTV18
    KTV19
    KTV20

    Learning About China

    Who doesn’t like to look at pretty girls? Ugly girls? Here we discuss what China is like by looking at videos of pretty girls doing things in China.

    Pretty Girls 1
    Pretty Girls 2
    Pretty Girls 3
    Pretty Girls 4
    Pretty Girls 5

    Contemporaneous Chinese Music

    This is a series of posts that discuss contemporaneous popular music in China. It is a wide ranging and broad spectrum of travel, and at that, all that I am able to provide is the flimsiest of overviews. However, this series of posts should serve as a great starting place for investigation and enjoyment.

    Wolf Disco
    Part 1 - Popular Music of China
    Part 3 -Popular music of China.
    Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
    Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5B - The popular music of China.
    Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
    Part D - The popular music of China.
    Part 5E - A happy Joe.
    Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5F - The popular music of China.
    Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 10 - Music of China.
    Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

    Parks in China

    The parks in China are very unique. They are enormous and tend to be very mountainous. Here we take a look at this most interesting of subjects.

    Parks in China - 1
    Pars in China - 2
    Parks in China - 3
    Visiting a park in China - 4
    High Speed Rail in China
    Visiting a park in China - 5
    Beautiful China part 6
    Parks in China - 7
    Visiting a park in China - 8

    Really Strange China

    Here are some posts that discuss a number of things about China that might seem odd, or strange to Westerners. Some of the things are everyday events, while others are just representative of the differences in culture.

    Really Strange China 1
    Really Strange China 2
    Rally Strange China 3
    Really Strange China 4
    Really Odd China 5
    Really Strange China 6
    Really Strange China 7
    Really Strange China 8
    Really Strange China 9
    Really Strange China 10
    Really Strange China 11
    Really Strange China 12
    Really strange China 13
    Really strange China 14

    What is China like?

    The purpose of this post is to illustrate that the rest of the world, outside of America, has moved on with their lives. That while they might not be as great as America is, they are doing just fine thank you.

    And while America has been squandering it’s money, decimating it’s resources, and just being cavalier with it’s military, the rest of the world has done the opposite. They have husbanded their day to day fortunes, and you can see this in their day-to-day lives.

    What is China like - 1
    What is China like - 2
    What is China Like - 3
    What is China like - 4
    What is China like - 5
    What is China like - 6
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 9

    Summer in Asia

    Let’s take a moment to explore Asia. That includes China, but also includes such places as Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and others…

    Summer Snapshots 1
    Summer Snapshots 2
    Summer Snapshots 3
    Summer Snapshots 4
    Snapshots Summer 5
    Summer Snapshots 6
    Summer Snapshot 7
    Summer Snapshots 8
    Summer Snapshots 9
    Summer Snapshots 10
    Summer Snapshots 11
    Summer Snapshot 12

    Some Fun Videos

    Here’s a collection of some fun videos taken all over Asia. While there are many videos taken in China, we also have some taken in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea and Japan as well. It’s all in fun.

    Some fun videos of China - 1
    Fun Videos of Asia - 2
    Fun videos of Asia - 3
    Fun videos of Asia - 4
    Fun Videos of Asia - 5
    Fun videos of Asia - 6
    Fun videos of Asia - 7
    Fun videos of Asia - 8
    Fun videos of Asia - 9
    Fun videos of Asia - 10
    Fun videos of Asia - 11
    Fun videos of Asia - 12
    Fun videos of Asia - 13
    Fun videos of Asia - 14
    Fun Videos of Asia - 15
    Fun videos of Asia -16
    The best way to cook marshmallows.

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Introduction to the art of Peter Ferguson.

    “Meticulously painted, Ferguson’s darkly humorous narratives evoke an achronological magical realism, featuring composite cities and landscapes comprised of everything from from 16th Century European towns to early 20th century Americana (or Canadiana as the case may be),” the gallery says.

    1
    “Meticulously painted, Ferguson’s darkly humorous narratives evoke an achronological magical realism, featuring composite cities and landscapes comprised of everything from from 16th Century European towns to early 20th century Americana (or Canadiana as the case may be),”

    “Combining grandiose narratives of the great ages of exploration with a distinctly paranormal bent, Ferguson’s work subtly hovers the line between fantasy, surrealism, and realism without ever falling into either of them fully. Norman Rockwell meets H.P. Lovecraft.”

    2
    “Combining grandiose narratives of the great ages of exploration with a distinctly paranormal bent, Ferguson’s work subtly hovers the line between fantasy, surrealism, and realism without ever falling into either of them fully. Norman Rockwell meets H.P. Lovecraft.”

    Peter Ferguson was born in Montreal, Canada in 1968. He set his sights on an illustration career after seeing the movie Star Wars, deciding that he would like to draw spaceships.

    After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto in 1992, he began his career as a professional illustrator, using oil as his medium of choice.

    3
    After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto in 1992, he began his career as a professional illustrator, using oil as his medium of choice.

    Peter’s brilliant ability to conceptualize clients’ ideas as well as his distinctive characters gave him a running start in the editorial and book publishing markets. Since signing with Three in a Box Inc, Peter’s career has grown steadily.

    His clients include Marvel Comics, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Mojo, Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Peter has also illustrated the covers of the popular Sisters Grimm collection.

    4
    Peter’s brilliant ability to conceptualize clients’ ideas as well as his distinctive characters gave him a running start in the editorial and book publishing markets. Since signing with Three in a Box Inc, Peter’s career has grown steadily.

    Peter is also a highly sought after fine artist, who’s vividly imaginative works read like a lucid dream of an alternate history, recalling the aesthetic of Dutch Renaissance painting, old National Geographic photography, and 18th century British Naval history.

    5
    Peter is also a highly sought after fine artist, who’s vividly imaginative works read like a lucid dream of an alternate history, recalling the aesthetic of Dutch Renaissance painting, old National Geographic photography, and 18th century British Naval history.

    Meticulously painted, Ferguson’s darkly humorous narratives evoke composite cities and landscapes from 16th Century Europe and early 20th century small town Americana (or Canadiana as the case may be).

    7
    Meticulously painted, Ferguson’s darkly humorous narratives evoke composite cities and landscapes from 16th Century Europe and early 20th century small town Americana (or Canadiana as the case may be).

    Combining grandiose narratives of the great ages of exploration with a distinctly paranormal bent, Ferguson’s work subtly hovers the line between fantasy, surrealism, and realism without ever falling into either of them fully.

    8
    Combining grandiose narratives of the great ages of exploration with a distinctly paranormal bent, Ferguson’s work subtly hovers the line between fantasy, surrealism, and realism without ever falling into either of them fully.

    Luminously painted and complex in their composition, his paintings retain an air of both melancholy and wonder at days gone past.

    9
    Luminously painted and complex in their composition, his paintings retain an air of both melancholy and wonder at days gone past.

    He has an enormous gallery on line with all sorts of interesting and amazing art. You can find it HERE (it opens up in a separate link).

    Ferguson’s work subtly hovers the line between fantasy, surrealism, and realism without ever falling into either of them fully.

    11
    Ferguson’s work subtly hovers the line between fantasy, surrealism, and realism without ever falling into either of them fully.

    Canadian painter Peter Ferguson has been working had a career as a professional illustrator since graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto in 1992. He has been very successful over the years and has had many clients such as Marvel Comics, The Wall Street Journal, and has illustrated the covers of the Sisters Grimm collection.

    10
    Canadian painter Peter Ferguson has been working had a career as a professional illustrator since graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto in 1992. He has been very successful over the years and has had many clients such as Marvel Comics, The Wall Street Journal, and has illustrated the covers of the Sisters Grimm collection.

    His personal work is an imaginative mixture of the fantastical and bizarre. The fusion of technical skills and imaginative depictions of characters within the work seems to indicate that strong cultivations of narratives are the premise behind his extraordinary oil paintings.

    Links

    Art Related Index

    This is an index of art that I have found profound, interesting, beautiful or enlightening. In any event, I find that art soothes my soul. I enjoy painting figurative and portraits in oils using the more traditional Flemish technique, but it never really brought me the kind of money I need to live off of. Such is the life of a painter today. Please enjoy.

    An experiment of a bird in a vacuum jar.
    Robert Williams
    Todd Schorr
    Mitch O'Connell
    Greg (Craola) Simkins.
    Mark Ryden
    Alan MacDonald
    Tokuhiro Kawai.
    Jesus Helguera.
    Michael Tole
    Martin Wittfooth
    Ania Tomicka
    Bob Dob
    Chris Peters
    David Lebow.
    Jason Limon.
    Iva Troj.
    Kisung Koh.
    Kayla Mahaffrey.

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Introduction to the art of Todd Schorr.

    Today’s artist is the one the only, the amazing painter that turns pop-culture into surreal art, Todd Schorr! Everything he gets his brushes on are simply amazing. All his paintings have so much detail that every time I look back at the paintings I always notice something new to trigger my amazement.

    Todd Schorr 17
    Schorr began doing professional illustration while still in college, and soon after graduating in 1976 he moved to New York City where he provided work for a wide variety of commercial projects including album covers for AC/DC, movie posters for George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, and covers for Time magazine that now reside in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

    Artist Todd Schorr has earned broad recognition as a master painter. The style and influences of his complex narrative painting have been attributed from a multitude of sources from Northern Renaissance to 18th and 19th century Romantic painters.

    Todd Schorr is an American artist and one of the most prominent members of the "Lowbrow" art movement or pop surrealism. Combining a cartoon influenced visual vocabulary with a highly polished technical ability, based on the exacting painting methods of the Old Masters, Schorr weaves intricate narratives that are often biting yet humorous.
    
    -Wikipedia
    Todd Schorr 16
    Every viewer brings their own personal perceptions to a depiction of say, Fred Flintstone, but the context he’s been placed in and how he’s been altered physically, triggers new associations in the viewer that didn’t exist before. Conversely, if a depiction of a generic cave man was used in the composition, it might not generate the same intimate emotional response.

    Todd Schorr is a living American artist and one of the heavy weights of the “Lowbrow” (pop surrealism) art movement. Keep that phrase “pop surrealism” in mind when you’re looking at his art. Similar to Alex Grey, Todd Schorr‘s pieces are vivid, colorful, and packed with impressively complex and detailed images. Thematically, his art deals with some prominent pop culture themes ranging from fairy tales to television and movie references, from alien encounters to not-so-subtle commentary on modern society.

    Todd Schorr 15
    Todd Schorr was born in New York City in 1954 and grew up in Oakland, New Jersey. His parents enrolled him in art classes when he was five, and understandably he claims influences from movies such “King Kong” and the early animated cartoons of Walt Disney and Max Fleischer were (and apparently still are) a driving force in his creative visions.
    "There is still a persistent reluctance on the part of  many of these larger institutions in acknowledging this art, but I  really feel they’re shooting themselves in the foot on this point, and  fail to realize the broader audience this art has the potential to bring  in. 
    
    I recently witnessed a rather humorous situation at the Museum Of  Art in New York where the gallery displaying surrealist art was  jam-packed with onlookers, while the gallery containing work of recent  conceptual work was occupied solely by a young mother changing the  diaper of her baby infant. Does that not tell you something?"
    
    -Todd Schorr quoted in Arrested Motion

    Todd Schorr was born in New York City in 1954 and grew up in Oakland, New Jersey. His parents enrolled him in art classes when he was five, and understandably he claims influences from movies such “King Kong” and the early animated cartoons of Walt Disney and Max Fleischer were (and apparently still are) a driving force in his creative visions.

    Todd Schorr 14
    Todd Schorr is a living American artist and one of the heavy weights of the “Lowbrow” (pop surrealism) art movement. Keep that phrase “pop surrealism” in mind when you’re looking at his art. Similar to Alex Grey, Todd Schorr‘s pieces are vivid, colorful, and packed with impressively complex and detailed images. Thematically, his art deals with some prominent pop culture themes ranging from fairy tales to television and movie references, from alien encounters to not-so-subtle commentary on modern society.

    By the late 1960’s and early 1970’s Schorr was drumming in bands and found further influences in the psychedelic music posters and underground comics coming out of the west coast art scene. In 1970 he visited the Uffizi gallery in Italy and began to formulate an idea of combining cartoons with the painting techniques of the Old Masters.

     “Like any artist of worth, it took many long years of struggle and  investigative thought along with trial and error as well as constant  honing of technique to reach the point where I felt I had created a  language which, when spoken well, would command some semblance of  purpose. I work in what is best described as a surreal style but  filtered through the mind and eyes of what is, for better or worse,  uniquely American.”Todd Schorr 
    Todd Schorr 13
    Schorr works in acrylic, creating complex narrative paintings of his favorite childhood characters — Popeye, Tony the Tiger and King Kong — with a technical bravado borrowed from the Old Masters.

    In 1972 he entered the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of The Arts) with designs towards being a painter, but he was directed instead to the illustration department.

    Schorr began doing professional illustration while still in college, and soon after graduating in 1976 he moved to New York City where he provided work for a wide variety of commercial projects including album covers for AC/DC, movie posters for George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, and covers for Time magazine that now reside in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.

    Yeah, Schorr's stuff is just uh-maze-ing.  Really on a whole other  level, there also HUGE.  I think that first one I posted is 90-something  inches across.  
    
    -Comment found on Universal Monster Army
    Todd Schorr 11
    Fantastic imagery, cartoon characters, and other pop culture icons rendered with an exacting technique and colorful palette defines the signature style of Schorr’s artwork. His iconic work to date is “A Pirate’s Treasure Dream”, 2006, which depicts a plethora of zany phantoms and animals (such as Donald Duck, Coco the Clown, and a Worry-Bird), all parading around — none other than – the lusty Los Angeles Lowbrow (art movement) collector Long Gone John.
    AM: One of the things that people love about your work are  your many references to pop culture. Can you tell us a little about the  significance of this aspect of your paintings?
    
     
    Schorr: I consider myself a cultural anthropologist and use pop  culture reference points in my work because they strike an emotional  resonance with people while also forming a common pictorial language  that’s accessible to just about everyone. They get the viewer’s  attention and pull them into the little scenarios that I’ve laid out  before them on my canvases. Every viewer brings their own personal  perceptions to a depiction of say, Fred Flintstone, but the context he’s  been placed in and how he’s been altered physically, triggers new  associations in the viewer that didn’t exist before. Conversely, if a  depiction of a generic cave man was used in the composition, it might  not generate the same intimate emotional response. I try to get the  essence of the pop culture elements I’m referring to but alter the  perception of that image. 

    Schorr works in acrylic, creating complex narrative paintings of his favorite childhood characters — Popeye, Tony the Tiger and King Kong — with a technical bravado borrowed from the Old Masters.

    Often, they pay humorous homage to his baby boomer childhood or a revered painter, as in “Parade of the Damned” (2005), based loosely on the 1562 Flemish masterpiece by Bruegel called “Mad Meg,” which depicts a harridan who drives everyone around her crazy.

    Todd Schorr 0
    Schorr, 54, grew up in New Jersey, immersed in the world of cartoons, commercials and Hollywood horror films. But it was after he went to Europe as a teenager and visited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, that a light bulb went on: “If I could learn how to paint in the techniques of the Old Masters but use as subject matter my favorite cartoons, I would have the best of all worlds,” he told himself.

    In Schorr’s version, the monsters all come from the world of pop culture: Frankenstein and King Kong join a cast of fiends as they casually make their way toward the mouth of hell, where they’re warmly welcomed by Morticia of the Addams Family.

    Sometimes, his works have a distinctly sociopolitical undertone, as in “The Hydra of Madison Avenue” (2001), a bacchanalia display of old Saturday morning TV commercial characters — Tony the Tiger, Smokey Bear, Mr. Clean — all sprouting from a many-headed beast as the Jolly Green Giant struts alongside a pink fairy tale castle spewing a cloud of black smoke.

    “There’s an undercurrent of malice going in,” acknowledges Schorr, speaking by phone from Los Angeles. “The way I’m presenting it, it’s a serious presentation, but it has an absurdity built into it. I’ve got these ridiculous cartoon characters, but I’m trying to paint them the way an Old Master would paint them.”

    The painting is at once deeply personal and sociopolitical: “It’s about advertising, of course,” he says. “You cut the head off, and it keeps coming back. I have mixed feelings about advertising. I think it’s a horrible profession, but at the same time it has given us all these fascinating characters.”

    Schorr, 54, grew up in New Jersey, immersed in the world of cartoons, commercials and Hollywood horror films. But it was after he went to Europe as a teenager and visited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, that a light bulb went on: “If I could learn how to paint in the techniques of the Old Masters but use as subject matter my favorite cartoons, I would have the best of all worlds,” he told himself.

    Todd Schorr 10
    Sometimes, his works have a distinctly sociopolitical undertone, as in “The Hydra of Madison Avenue” (2001), a bacchanalia display of old Saturday morning TV commercial characters — Tony the Tiger, Smokey Bear, Mr. Clean — all sprouting from a many-headed beast as the Jolly Green Giant struts alongside a pink fairy tale castle spewing a cloud of black smoke.

    From December 2001 through February 2002 the exhibit “Secret Mystic Rites: Todd Schorr Retrospective” was organized by the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, Florida. The museum used Schorr’s painting “Clash of the Holidays” on the invitation which provoked some outrage, with various South Florida civil leaders accusing Schorr of blasphemy.

    Fortunately the controversy died down after meetings between local, state, and museum officials determined that the cost of the county’s heretic burning permit  exceeded the city’s budget for the month.

    This resulted in a later ruling by the Florida Supreme Court which reduced the sentence for blasphemy from burning at the stake to simple drawing and quartering, under the logic that the threat of fire damage to the Everglades superseded the rights of local preachers to protect their flocks from outside influence.

    Todd Schorr 9
    The art world is very much tied to fashion and fads, and many young artists easily stray into these traps to gain acceptance and what they perceive as popularity. Consider yourself a very fortunate artist indeed if you manage to find just one or a couple of patrons that truly love your work and stick with you through thick and thin.

    In most ways, Todd Schorr is living every artist’s dream: His beastly cartoon paintings are plastered throughout the Internet, where they are studied, discussed and analyzed for meaning on hundreds of art blogs.

    AM: Many of the younger artists we talk to list you as one of  their inspirations or influences. Being a dedicated artist is not easy,  especially in this economic time. We know you also had some struggles  when you gave up a lucrative illustration career to focus on your own  personal art. Any advice for the younger generation of artists out  there?
    
    Schorr: If a person has artistic inclinations and has something that  by compulsion needs to be expressed, they will somehow find an outlet  and hopefully be able to make a living from that talent. Unlike  commercial art, where you can target the type of client or market you’d  like to work for, the “fine art” gallery world is such an unpredictable  mess of agendas and “of the moment” fashion posturing, that it’s folly  to suggest any one path to success.
    
    However, here are a couple of important thoughts to consider. Stay  true to your vision and what makes you unique while constantly seeking  to evolve and improve on previous efforts. Don’t follow trends. The art  world is very much tied to fashion and fads, and many young artists  easily stray into these traps to gain acceptance and what they perceive  as popularity. Consider yourself a very fortunate artist indeed if you  manage to find just one or a couple of patrons that truly love your work  and stick with you through thick and thin. 

    Hollywood celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and David Arquette collect his massive canvases. Tycoons, such as Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, commission his work, while less well-to-do devotees settle for covering their bodies with tattooed replicas of his iconographic images.

    Todd Schorr 8
    Indeed, he says, if those Flemish Old Masters were living today, they’d be painting cartoons too. And, who knows, he adds, but maybe art lovers of the future will revere paintings of King Kong, Tony the Tiger and Cap’n Crunch.

    Today Schorr lives the life of a reclusive billionaire, quietly depicting the reality of a twisted cartoon otherworld while tossing scraps of lobster to his trained pack of hyenas which provide a secure front line between himself and the frothing mass of groupies camped at his gates.

    Todd Schoor is brilliant!!! If you like his style, check out paintings  by Robert Williams. Robt. Williams pioneered the multi-layered, low-brow  painting style. 
    
     -Comment found on Universal Monster Army 
    Todd Schorr 7
    Although the label “lowbrow” may be shunned by other artists of his generation, Schorr actually validates the colloquial term and summarizes the genre’s basic traits. In other words, he takes what are often considered to be low cultural references and elevates them into significant artifacts that pulsate with intellectual viability.

    There may not be a more dedicated and industrious artist than Todd Schorr. His work ethic is legendary, his output exemplified by dogged attention to detail and skill in technique.

    Such a notable career, when taken in sum, encapsulates a unique, personal vision of a conjured world in which he establishes surreal appeal by creating phantasmagorical images that mesmerize the viewer in their meticulously painted execution.

    Todd Schorr 6
    Hollywood celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and David Arquette collect his massive canvases. Tycoons, such as Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, commission his work, while less well-to-do devotees settle for covering their bodies with tattooed replicas of his iconographic images.

    Although the label “lowbrow” may be shunned by other artists of his generation, Schorr actually validates the colloquial term and summarizes the genre’s basic traits. In other words, he takes what are often considered to be low cultural references and elevates them into significant artifacts that pulsate with intellectual viability.

    Yeah, Robert Williams is pretty much THE MAN when it comes to lowbrow  art, he kind of coined the term (as it applies to this movement of art)  back in the early '80s,  not to mention his stuff is weird with a  capital W.  I'd post some of his work but it rarely prominently features  movie monsters.   
    
      -Comment found on Universal Monster Army  
    Todd Schorr 5
    “Like any artist of worth, it took many long years of struggle and investigative thought along with trial and error as well as constant honing of technique to reach the point where I felt I had created a language which, when spoken well, would command some semblance of purpose. I work in what is best described as a surreal style but filtered through the mind and eyes of what is, for better or worse, uniquely American.”

    Schorr is a seminal figure in what’s known as the lowbrow school of art, an underground movement centered in Los Angeles that draws on an iconography of cartoon characters and baby boomer images from TV and pop culture. Other artists in the movement, which is also known as pop surrealism, include Camille Rose Garcia, Gary Baseman and Mark Ryden.

    Since 1994, they have been steadfastly promoted in the pages of Juxtapoz Arts & Culture Magazine, a pop surrealist San Francisco-based publication.

    Todd Schorr’s artistic journey is one that hardly conforms to the time-honored stereotype of Bohemian artist. It is rather a post-war tale bracketed by an America infatuated with the limitless potential of consumerism.

    Todd Schorr 4
    Todd Schorr is a living American artist and one of the heavy weights of the “Lowbrow” (pop surrealism) art movement. Keep that phrase “pop surrealism” in mind when you’re looking at his art. Similar to Alex Grey, Todd Schorr‘s pieces are vivid, colorful, and packed with impressively complex and detailed images.

    His formative years were spent in a world surrounded by the atomic and space ages, by Saturday morning cartoons and racks of comic books at the local drug store, a land populated by Revell models, Mad Magazine, Testors glue, Mickey Mouse and Rat Fink.

    My kind of guy.

    Further fueling his developing image bank were the seemingly endless icons from television’s early years: Robbie the Robot, Mighty Joe Young and reel upon reel of animated toons from the likes of Tex Avery, George Pal and Max Fleischer.

    Todd Schorr 3
    Todd Schorr is an American artist and one of the most prominent members of the “Lowbrow” art movement or pop surrealism. Combining a cartoon influenced visual vocabulary with a highly polished technical ability, based on the exacting painting methods of the Old Masters, Schorr weaves intricate narratives that are often biting yet humorous.

    The compulsion to replicate these characters led to a formal art education and exposure to a new set of influences drawn from the world of advertising and commercial art.

     Todd Schorr (born January 9, 1954) is an American artist and one of the most prominent of the group that has been dubbed "Lowbrow (art movement)" or pop surrealism. An early work is the cover of Patrick Adams Presents Phreek. 
    
    Fantastic imagery, cartoon characters, and other pop culture  icons rendered with an exacting technique and colorful palette defines  the signature style of Schorr’s artwork. His iconic work to date is "A Pirate's Treasure Dream", 2006, which depicts a plethora of zany phantoms and animals (such as Donald Duck, Coco the Clown, and a Worry-Bird), all parading around -- none other than – the lusty Los Angeles Lowbrow (art movement) collector Long Gone John. Todd Schorr is one of the most "successful"/most expensive living artists in the Lowbrow (art movement) scene. 
    
    Schorr studied Illustration and graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art. His art and illustrations have been included in Time, New York Times, and Juxtapoz Magazine, to name a few. He is married to fellow Lowbrow artist, Kathy Staico Schorr.  Both live and work in Beverly Hills, California. 
    
    -Art and popular culture
    Todd Schorr 1
    Artist Todd Schorr has earned broad recognition as a master painter. The style and influences of his complex narrative painting have been attributed from a multitude of sources from Northern Renaissance to 18th and 19th century Romantic painters.

    “The artwork I respond to is art that’s entertaining but also (makes) you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up,” he says. “It should be kind of thrilling. A total visceral response.”

    Indeed, he says, if those Flemish Old Masters were living today, they’d be painting cartoons too. And, who knows, he adds, but maybe art lovers of the future will revere paintings of King Kong, Tony the Tiger and Cap’n Crunch.

    “This work is going to be tremendously important 100 years from now,” Schorr asserts. “It’s so much an art of our time and place.

    Movies that Inspired Me

    Here are some movies that I consider noteworthy and worth a view. Enjoy.

    The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.
    Jason and the Argonauts
    The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)
    The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

    Stories that Inspired Me

    Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.

    Link
    R is for Rocket
    Space Cadet (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Correspondence Course
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    The Last Night
    The Flying Machine
    A story of escape.
    All Summer in a day.
    The Smile by Ray Bradbury
    The menace from Earth
    Delilah and the Space Rigger
    Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby’s Is a Friend of Mine
    Life-Line
    The Tax-payer
    The Pedestrian
    Time for the stars.
    Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
    Starman Jones (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein.
    The Lottery (Full Text) by Shirley Jackson
    The Cold Equations (Full Text)
    Farnham's Freehold (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    Invisible Boy (Full Text) by Ray Bradbury
    Job: A Comedy of Justice (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    Spell my name with an "S" by Isaac Asimov
    The Proud Robot (Full Text)
    The Time Locker
    Not the First (Full Text) by A.E. van Vogt
    The Star Mouse (Full Text)
    Space Jockey (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    He who shrank (Full Text).
    Blowups Happen by Robert Heinlein
    Uncle Eniar by Ray Bradbury
    The Cask of Amontillado

    My Poetry

    My Kitten Knows

    Art that Moves Me

    An experiment of a bird in a vacuum jar.
    Robert Williams

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    A serious reassessment on the American oligarchy; the contempt, arrogance, and audaciousness is mind boggling.

    I believe that it is time for all Americans to take a serious re-look at what America stands for; our “democracy”, and our way of life as it exists today. Is it really all that great?

    Is America living up to the grand ideals set forth in the “Great Experiment of 1776”?

    Or, it is just going to be yet another big mistake heading towards the “great collapse” of society?

    I think that a serious reappraisal of [1] what America is, [2] what notions it is founded upon, and [3] how it is structured needs to be re-thought out. It is time to take a good long hard look at [4] what America has become, and [5] how we got here. And [6] what needs to change once [7] corrective measures have been put in place.

    I ask this.

    Really, is democracy; “rule by popularity” ideal for Americans?

    A typical American, inappropriately dressed (obviously), shopping at Wal-Mart. Really, is democracy; “rule by popularity” ideal for Americans? Or should America be run by talented people who earned their role through merit rather than popularity? Think about it.

    Can the Constitution be protected from “well meaning”, or “the greedy”, or “evil” such as President Wilson, or FDR, or Obama from rewriting and re-interpreting it to fit their various nefarious ends?

    Well, can it?

    Because if we cannot, using the current governmental structure, then we must change it into something different.

    Indeed, simply hoping that our progeny will be “ever vigilant” is just wishful thinking, and history has proven, for certain, that it does not work. And at that, we must well understand that it will NEVER WORK in the future.

    Can the Constitution be protected from "well meaning", or "the greedy", or "evil" such as President Wilson, or FDR, or Obama from rewriting and re-interpreting it to fit their various nefarious ends?
    Can the Constitution be protected from “well meaning”, or “the greedy”, or “evil” such as President Wilson, or FDR, or Obama from rewriting and re-interpreting it to fit their various nefarious ends?

    What’s going to stop another Wilson, another FDR, another Obama, another Bush from rewriting the Constitution, or reinterpreting it to fit their nefarious ends? What’s it going to take?

    What is it going to take?

    But my thoughts are this matter are perhaps a little too harsh to the general American public. No one wants to hear that a democracy is flawed, or rather so flawed that America will collapse upon itself within a decade. No one wants to hear this.

    Americans have a Pavlovian response to the phrase “freedom and  democracy,” and it’s no surprise that so many of them are rooting for  the protesters in Hong Kong. 
    
    -World Affairs Blog

    Well, others, better word-smiths than myself have some things to say about this subject. One of the best comes from Mr. Noonan in his article titled “A Clean Break“. He wrote this article on 29 September 2019, and I personally think that it is brilliant. He isn’t so prone to offending people as I am.

    For I earnestly believe that America has neither "democracy" nor "freedom". We just parrot the words without talking a good look around us at what America has devolved into.

    Here I present it for your viewing pleasure.

    This article is copied as written without much editing aside from some paragraph formatting and the fonts used in this template.  
    
    I added some "pull away" text for highlighting and maybe interjected on or two personal comments along the way (though you will be able to easily see that they are from your's truly.)  
    
    I have added my own pictures to help illustrate some of his fine points.
    
    After reading the article, I would suggest the reader go to his original article and read some of his other works. This fellow is brilliant and a word-smith.  
    
    All credit to the author Mr. Noonan writing in Blogs for Victory.

    A Clean Break

    September 29, 2019M.

    As the last few weeks have played out in politics, it has forced me to do a complete re-assessment of how I’ve looked at the world for my entire adult life.

    To be sure, this reconsideration has been ongoing for about a decade, or maybe a little more, but it has really crystalized out recently. It is time for a complete, clean break with what went before and to chart a new path forward.

    Although rated worse than any other institution in the country, federal  lawmakers are not alone in facing mass disdain by a US electorate who  increasingly thinks that the system has stopped working.  
    
    - Poll: 80% of Americans Think Government, Banks, Corporate Media are Corrupt 
    As the last few weeks have played out in politics, it has forced  me to do a complete re-assessment of how I’ve looked at the world for my  entire adult life. To be sure, this reconsideration has been ongoing  for about a decade, or maybe a little more, but it has really  crystalized out recently. It is time for a complete, clean break with  what went before and to chart a new path forward.
    As the last few weeks have played out in politics, it has forced me to do a complete re-assessment of how I’ve looked at the world for my entire adult life. It is time for a complete, clean break with what went before and to chart a new path forward. Maybe the American Constitution is flawed in some very serious ways, and it is up to use to seek out those flaws and eliminate them completely.

    What Hunter Biden did is nothing new; it isn’t in the least remarkable.

    He was merely the recipient of what people in his position routinely receive: a special deal which allows him to be very rich for little or no effort.

    Hunter Biden was merely the recipient of what people in his position  routinely receive: a special deal which allows him to be very rich for  little or no effort.
    Hunter Biden was merely the recipient of what people in his position routinely receive: a special deal which allows him to be very rich for little or no effort.

    This way his life can be devoted to what really matters: hanging around with other rich people, attending conferences and galas and generally having a swell time.

    And if he decided to follow in Daddy’s political footsteps, the way would be cleared for him in some safe (Congressional) seat.

    If you start looking into it – as Matt and I did in our  2007 book, Caucus of Corruption  – you just see that it is everywhere. In that book, for political  reasons, we concentrated on the Democrat side of the aisle (given that  our goal was to show the absurdity of the Democrats 2006 campaign  against a so-called “GOP culture of corruption”), but we could easily  have written it about politics, in general.
    If you start looking into it – as Matt and I did in our 2007 book, Caucus of Corruption – you just see that it is everywhere. In that book, for political reasons, we concentrated on the Democrat side of the aisle (given that our goal was to show the absurdity of the Democrats 2006 campaign against a so-called “GOP culture of corruption”), but we could easily have written it about politics, in general.

    If you start looking into it – as Matt and I did in our 2007 book, Caucus of Corruption – you just see that it is everywhere. In that book, for political reasons, we concentrated on the Democrat side of the aisle (given that our goal was to show the absurdity of the Democrats 2006 campaign against a so-called “GOP culture of corruption”), but we could easily have written it about politics, in general.

    Corruption is everywhere in the United States.

    What it really shows is that people who go into politics – with a few very rare exceptions – are in it for themselves.

    The advent of legalized corruption launched by the  Supreme Court empowers the superrich to fund their own presidential and  congressional campaigns as pet projects, to foster pet policies, and to  represent pet political enclaves. You have a billion, or even several  hundred million, then purchase a candidate from the endless reserve  bench of minor politicians and make him or her a star, a mouthpiece for  any cause or purpose however questionable, and that candidate will mouth  your script in endless political debates and through as many television  spots as you are willing to pay for. All legal now.
    
    To compound the political felony, much, if not most, campaign  financing is now carried out in secret, so that everyday citizens have a  decreasing ability to determine to whom their elected officials are  beholden and to whom they must now give special access. As recently as  the 2014 election, the facts documented this government of influence by  secrecy: “More than half of the general election advertising aired by  outside groups in the battle for control of Congress,” according to the  New York Times, “has come from organizations that disclose little or  nothing about their donors, a flood of secret money that is now at the  center of a debate over the line between free speech and corruption.”
    
    Of this handful, the largest by far is WPP (originally  called Wire and Plastic Products; is there a metaphor here?), which has  its headquarters in London and more than 150,000 employees in 2,500  offices spread around 107 countries. It, together with one or two  conglomerating competitors, represents a fourth branch of government,  vacuuming up former senators and House members and their spouses and  families, key committee staff, former senior administration officials of  both parties and several administrations, and ambassadors, diplomats,  and retired senior military officers.
    
    WPP has swallowed giant public relations, advertising, and  lobbying outfits such as Hill & Knowlton and BursonMarsteller, along  with dozens of smaller members of the highly lucrative special interest  and influence-manipulation world. Close behind WPP is the  Orwellian-named Omnicom Group and another converger vaguely called the  Interpublic Group of Companies. According to Mr. Edsall, WPP had billings last year of $72.3 billion, larger than the budgets of quite a number of countries. 
    
     – From the Gary Hart article, Gary Hart: America’s Founding Principles Are in Danger of Corruption 

    Corruption is part of democracy.

    They want power and money and attention and fame and praise and so they go into politics – and almost invariably, if they are even modestly successful at winning office, wind up richer than they did when they started.

    And it has been going on for a long time, folks; throughout all the Western democracies.

    They want power and  money and attention and fame and praise and so they go into politics –  and almost invariably, if they are even modestly successful at winning  office, wind up richer than they did when they started. And it has been  going on for a long time, folks; throughout all the Western democracies.
    When you study the motivations of those in politics, you discover what drives them. They want power and money and attention and fame and praise and so they go into politics – and almost invariably, if they are even modestly successful at winning office, wind up richer than they did when they started. And it has been going on for a long time, folks; throughout all the Western democracies.

    Just a small quote from Chesterton about 1910 will suffice to show it:

    There are, I believe, some who still deny that England is  governed by an oligarchy. 
    
    It is quite enough for me to know that a man  might have gone to sleep some thirty years ago over the day’s newspaper  and woke up last week over the later newspaper, and fancied he was  reading about the same people. 
    
    In one paper he would have found a Lord  Robert Cecil, a Mr. Gladstone, a Mr. Lyttleton, a Churchill, a  Chamberlain, a Trevelyan, an Acland. 
    
    In the other paper he would find a  Lord Robert Cecil, a Mr. Gladstone, a Mr. Lyttleton, a Churchill, a  Chamberlain, a Trevelyan, an Acland. 
    
    If this is not being governed by  families I cannot imagine what it is. I suppose it is being governed by  extraordinary democratic coincidences.

    extraordinary democratic coincidences.

    Funny, huh? How people from the same family can keep winding up on top. Either they are families of geniuses, or someone is making things happen.

    You know that is all bullsh**.

    I know it is, too.

    They know it as well.

    But, it just keeps happening and happening because, well, that’s just the way it is. And it wouldn’t be so bad if they were at least any good at being an oligarchy!

    But they aren’t.

    But, it just keeps happening and happening because, well,  that’s just the way it is. And it wouldn’t be so bad if they were at  least any good at being an oligarchy!
    After you study this issue, you discover that it just keeps happening and happening. And the reason why, is because, well, that’s just the way it is. And it wouldn’t be so bad if they were at least any good at being an oligarchy!

    Back in Chesterton’s day, there was the cold, hard reality that Winston Churchill was at least as talented as his father, Randolph. There was something there – there was, that is, a justification for Winston getting a leg up (and he did) to enter politics based on his father’s previous efforts.

    These days, you get to benefit even if the previous person in line was a complete, rotten failure. And rotten failure is all we’ve gotten – and I’m getting very ecumenical in that, by the way. I’m not excusing anyone on partisan grounds any longer.

    To be sure, the Republicans I voted for in the past were at least  better than the Democrats I voted against (with the exception of McCain:  knowing that I’m the co-author of Worst President,  please understand that I believe McCain would have been even worse than  Obama proved to be). 

    But they were only better in degree, not in kind.

    Republicans are corrupt.

    I mean, let’s face some cold, hard facts here: President Bush the Younger was re-elected with 51% of the vote in 2004 and came into his second term with high approval ratings and a Republican Congress.

    With all this, he couldn’t even manage to de-fund Planned Parenthood or NPR!

    I  mean, let’s face some cold, hard facts here: President Bush the Younger  was re-elected with 51% of the vote in 2004 and came into his second  term with high approval ratings and a Republican Congress. With all  this, he couldn’t even manage to de-fund Planned Parenthood or NPR!
    I mean, let’s face some cold, hard facts here: President Bush the Younger was re-elected with 51% of the vote in 2004 and came into his second term with high approval ratings and a Republican Congress. With all this, he couldn’t even manage to de-fund Planned Parenthood or NPR! He did not care for the conservative cause(s), he only campaigned on them to hood-wink all of us for voting for him. He knew which levers to push, and which buttons to push.

    It could have been done, easily, in a budget reconciliation between House and Senate and there would have been nothing the Democrats could have done about it.

    On a more personal level, how can public service be promoted  as an ideal to young people when this sewer corrupts our Republic? At  this point in early twenty-first-century America, the greatest service  our nation’s young people could provide is to lead an army of outraged  young Americans armed with brooms on a crusade to sweep out the rascals  and rid our capital of the money changers, rent seekers, revolving door  dancers, and special interest deal makers and power brokers and send  them back home to make an honest living, that is, if they still remember  how to do so.
    
    Our ancestors did not depart Europe and elsewhere to seek  freedom and self-government alone. They came to these shores to escape  social and political systems that were corrosive and corrupt. Two and a  quarter centuries later, we are returning to those European practices.  We are in danger of becoming a different kind of nation, one our  founders would not recognize and would deplore.
     In addition to the rise of the national security state,  and the concentration of wealth and power in America, no development in  modern times sets us apart more from the nation originally bequeathed to  us than the rise of the special interest state.
    
    There is a Gresham’s  law related to the republican ideal. Bad politics drives out good  politics. Legalized corruption drives men and women of stature, honor,  and dignity out of the halls of government. Self-respecting individuals  cannot long tolerate a system of election and reelection so dependent on  cultivating the favor of those known to expect access in return. Such a  system is corrosive to the soul.
     
     – From the Gary Hart article, Gary Hart: America’s Founding Principles Are in Danger of Corruption 

    This was “better” than a President Kerry who probably would have increased PP funding, but not really better in that the taxes of pro-life Americans were still going to fund something they consider abhorrent…and which Bush and the entire GOP campaigned on getting rid of.

    I know some will say that this is just our GOP screwing it’s base and that the Democrats don’t do that. But, they do.

    Both the republicans and the democrats are corrupt to the core. They only care about themselves and their little tribe of corrupt underlings. No one else.
    Both the republicans and the democrats are corrupt to the core. They only care about themselves and their little tribe of corrupt underlings. No one else.

    Democrats are corrupt.

    Obama was elected in 2008 with 53% of the vote and came into office with a Democrat Congress and a filibuster-proof Senate majority…and he couldn’t even get the single payer health system Democrats say they want.

    It would have been easy.

    The GOP could have done nothing to stop it. Enact a 10% payroll tax to fund it and just start passing out the cash to people who need health care.

     A former senator from Colorado, Gary Hart, has written an extremely  powerful and accurate critique of the unfathomably corrupt and crony  state of the U.S. government in 2015. It covers several very important  angles, including how appalled and disgusted our founders would be at  the current state of affairs. How a once great republic has devolved  into a thieving oligarchy in which the pursuit of money at power at the  expense of the public good has been elevated into something that’s not  just tolerated, but actually celebrated and encouraged amongst an ethics  deprived status quo. 
    
    -Liberty Blitzkreig

    That you and I know it would have been a disaster is neither here nor there – our side had lost the election and the Democrats won all the power they could possibly need to make all Democrat dreams come true…and they couldn’t do something like that.

    Once you are in politics, it's all on for party on good times. You swindle and funnel money left and right and no one gives a damn about the American people. This includes both sides of the Congress, and all their cronies from the war-mongering generals to the intellectuals pushing climate change, and radical social change down our throats.
    Once you are in politics, it’s all on for party-on good times. You swindle and funnel money left and right and no one gives a damn about the American people. This includes both sides of the Congress, and all their cronies from the war-mongering generals to the intellectuals pushing climate change, and radical social change down our collective throats.

    They instead wound up with the abomination known as Obamacare which even if it had worked as planned would still have left millions out in the cold and cost like the devil – but they couldn’t even write something that worked!

    Meanwhile, not only did Obama not end the wars they campaigned against in 2008, he started new one’s…

    • droning the living sh** out of every poor, brown skinned person they could target (well, those they weren’t letting in as unvetted refugees, that is).
    • A public works bonanza that didn’t create any public works.
    • A slew of new spending which improved nothing.
    This is what the Democrat voters get for  investing their time and  effort? Yep – in other words, nothing: but lots  and lots for whomever  is the crony. Democrat cronies made out like  bandits. But your average  purple-haired Democrat wanting more safe  spaces? Not much.
    This is what the Democrat voters get for investing their time and effort? Yep – in other words, nothing: but lots and lots for whomever is the crony. Democrat cronies made out like bandits. But your average purple-haired Democrat wanting more safe spaces? Not much.

    This is what the Democrat voters get for investing their time and effort? Yep – in other words, nothing: but lots and lots for whomever is the crony. Democrat cronies made out like bandits. But your average purple-haired Democrat wanting more safe spaces? Not much.

     By that standard, can anyone seriously doubt that our  republic, our government, is corrupt? There have been Teapot Domes and  financial scandals of one kind or another throughout our nation’s  history. There has never been a time, however, when the  government of the United States was so perversely and systematically  dedicated to special interests, earmarks, side deals, log-rolling,  vote-trading, and sweetheart deals of one kind or another.
     
     What brought us to this? A sinister system combining staggering  campaign costs, political contributions, political action committees,  special interest payments for access, and, most of all, the rise of the  lobbying class.
    
     Worst of all, the army of lobbyists that started relatively small  in the mid-twentieth century has now grown to big battalions of law  firms and lobbying firms of the right, left, and an amalgam of both. And  that gargantuan, if not reptilian, industry now takes on board former  members of the House and the Senate and their personal and committee  staffs. And they are all getting fabulously rich.
    
     Frustrated, irate discussions of this legalized corruption are  met in the Washington media with a shrug. So what? Didn’t we just have  dinner with that lobbyist for the banking industry, or the teachers’  union, or the airline industry at that well-known journalist’s house  only two nights ago? Fine lady, and she used to be the chairman of one  of those powerful committees. I gather she is using her Rolodex rather  skillfully on behalf of her new clients. Illegal? Not at all. Just smart  . . . and so charming.
    
     There is little wonder that Americans of the right and many in  the middle are apoplectic at their government and absolutely, and  rightly, convinced that the game of government is rigged in favor of the  elite and the powerful. Occupiers see even more wealth rising to the  top at the expense of the poor and the middle class. And Tea Partiers  believe their tax dollars are going to well-organized welfare parasites  and government bureaucrats. 
    
     – From the Gary Hart article, Gary Hart: America’s Founding Principles Are in Danger of Corruption 

    And as far as the social disintegration we’ve seen over the past 60 years – we’ve been blinded by the Democrats pushing the disintegration that we haven’t noticed the Republicans letting them do it.

    And when they have power to roll it back, doing nothing of the sort.

    And as far as the social disintegration we’ve seen over the past 60  years – we’ve been blinded by the Democrats pushing the disintegration  that we haven’t noticed the Republicans letting them do it. And  when they have power to roll it back, doing nothing of the sort.
    And as far as the social disintegration we’ve seen over the past 60 years – we’ve been blinded by the Democrats pushing the disintegration that we haven’t noticed the Republicans letting them do it. And when they have power to roll it back, doing nothing of the sort. They just smile for the cameras, enjoy their high-priced meals in fancy restaurants, free hookers, and retire for their closed “boys clubs”.
     The Administrative state and its  regulators, a creation of previous congress’s, have grown into a  bureaucracy so entrenched that worker’s can’t even be fired. They lurk  in the darkness of their own regulations and use their powers to punish  those who fail to comply. Regulators are great for making and executing  rules and regulations, and taxing, but not so good at designing those  regulations to advance unproven political theories, that most often come  undone.
    
     The unrealized dangers of delegating  rules and regulations making, is that Congress removes itself from accountability. Legislators govern by theory, proposing ideas that are  then delegated to an agency charged to “make” it work. To ensure their  schemes work, Congress politicized the Federal judicial benches,  including the Supreme Court, to support their legislative agenda  regardless of the unconstitutionality, through judicial activism. Judges  don’t make laws! 
    
    - Why Should We Accept Corrupt Government? 

    Their actions are disgusting.

    And now we see in the Epstein case the reason why it might have all been allowed to happen: Lord only knows how many of the high and mighty are caught in that web…

    …but what better way to get out from under that rock than by making the rock legal?

    Hey, Paul Ryan, you’re the guy in charge of the House. You’re the Speaker of the House.  You had half a decade to figure out what to REPLACE Obamacare with and you came up with … bupkis?
    Hey, Paul Ryan, you’re the guy in charge of the House. You’re the Speaker of the House. [1] You had half a decade to figure out what to REPLACE Obamacare with and you came up with … bupkis? [2]. Hey, Paul Ryan, you had more than a hundred days to fashion a piece of legislation after you knew President Trump won — even with all the “budget resolution”, three tranche, inside baseball baloney and it came as a surprise that the Freedom Caucus wasn’t on board? [Pro tip: Check with your own caucus first. OK, that’s better.] Hello, America, Paul, babe — that was your job. We gave you one stinking job — to fashion a clean repeal and replacement of Obamacare — and you were surprised the Freedom Caucus wasn’t genuflecting and kissing your ring? A week out, you tell the President you “have the votes” and the day of the vote you come to the White House and say, “Uhhh, maybe not. Maybe not, Mr. President. Poorly played, Paulie. Very poorly played. [3]. Hey, Paul Ryan, this shit is on you not the President. You suck at your job.

    By making you, a normal person, the bad guy if you point out some of the disgusting actions?

    • Illegal immigration to provide votes for Democrats and cheap labor for Republicans.
    • Wars which don’t end in victory or defeat.
    • Enforcing immorality against popular wishes.
    • Providing government sinecures to anyone who will toe the line – and who won’t be got rid of no matter how corrupt or stupid they prove.
    • Accepting money from foreign entities who want the United States destroyed.
    Will you fucking Republicans stop criticizing President Trump for following through on his campaign promises?  He ran on them. He told you what they were. He won on them. He is delivering on them and you snowflakes act like you just discovered them.
    Will you fucking Republicans stop criticizing President Trump for following through on his campaign promises? He ran on them. He told you what they were. He won on them. He is delivering on them and you snowflakes act like you just discovered them.

    Both sides, all the time – and on top of being this stupidly destructive, raking it in for themselves, their families and their friends. It is time to bring an end to all that. By peaceful means if possible but, ultimately, by any means necessary.

    Our peaceful means are “President Trump”.

    President Trump is the hero of the common man.

    Trump isn’t part of the system, you see.

    Dimwits look at his billions and go, “he must be one of them”. But, the bottom line is that he’s not.

    He’ll hang out with them. Be friends with them. But he never was of them. He made his own way and got his pile of money…and then looked around and saw, from the 1980’s, what was happening to his country and started to wonder why, and if there were anything he could do about it?

    He essentially first let Bill Clinton have his chance.

    Then Bush the Younger.

    Then even Obama.

    But he found out something – it didn’t matter who was in charge, they were all in on it, together. That is, regardless of stated political philosophy, the primary goal of nearly everyone in politics was personal enrichment and making sure no outsider pushed his or her way in.

    Trump found out something – it didn’t matter  who was in charge, they were all in on it, together. That is, regardless  of stated political philosophy, the primary goal of nearly everyone in  politics was personal enrichment and making sure no outsider pushed his  or her way in.
    Trump found out something – it didn’t matter who was in charge, they were all in on it, together. That is, regardless of stated political philosophy, the primary goal of nearly everyone in politics was personal enrichment and making sure no outsider pushed his or her way in.

    Trump decided to push his way in.

    And now he’s there – and outside of a precious few (Cruz, Paul…and, oddly, McConnell), he’s nearly alone fighting for one thing: us.

    The United States of America.

    We, the people.

    And everyone inside is furious and terrified and so are lashing back as much as they can hoping that something, anything will turn up to get rid of Trump.

    And, make no mistake about it, they are already planning on punishing us for electing Trump. They don’t propose to allow this sort of thing to happen again.

    And, make no mistake about it, they are already planning on punishing us for electing Trump. They don’t propose to allow this sort of thing to happen again.

    And everyone inside is furious  and terrified and so are lashing back as much as they can hoping that  something, anything will turn up to get rid of Trump. And, make  no mistake about it, they are already planning on punishing us for  electing Trump. They don’t propose to allow this sort of thing to happen  again.
    And everyone inside is furious and terrified and so are lashing back as much as they can hoping that something, anything will turn up to get rid of Trump. And, make no mistake about it, they are already planning on punishing us for electing Trump. They don’t propose to allow this sort of thing to happen again.

    The “big con game” is up.

    I’ve mostly stopped arguing with liberals these days – first off, it is pointless but, secondly, I’m starting to pity them; nearly as much as I pity that shrinking number on the right who still stand aloof from Trump: they simply can’t shake free from the line they’ve been fed.

    And none of us can get high and mighty about that: to one degree or another, all of us were suckered at one time or another.

    No other government is as corrupt as the United States government.
    No other government is as corrupt as the United States government.

    All of us believed in some aspect of the con being used to keep us confused, frightened and divided while the Ruling Class stays fat and happy.

    All of us. Including myself.

    But for those of us who have awakened from the con, it is time for a clean break – a refusal to accept that anything over the past 60 years was any good…a desire, that is, to move forward in an entirely new way, unshackled to whatever we might have said or done in the past.

    We have learned all about the great con game, and we are fed up. We know know what is going on and we are pissed, and desire real, substantive change. But for those of us  who have awakened from the con, it is time for a clean break – a refusal  to accept that anything over the past 60 years was any good…a desire,  that is, to move forward in an entirely new way, unshackled to whatever  we might have said or done in the past.
    We have learned all about the great con game, and we are fed up. We know know what is going on and we are pissed, and desire real, substantive change. Now, for those of us who have awakened from the con, it is time for a clean break – a refusal to accept that anything over the past 60 years was any good…a desire, that is, to move forward in an entirely new way, unshackled to whatever we might have said or done in the past.

    We can see what happened; we can see what needs to be done – we can’t trip ourselves up (nor allow our opponents to slow us down) by fussing over what views we might have expressed previously.

    Our desire is a Constitutional Republic of free people – our means of getting there must be “whatever works”, not adherence to a dogma which might, upon review, only have been a means whereby the con artists kept us in line in the past.

    I, for one, will only defend what I find defensible and will attack whatever I see as wrong.

    Republicans Are Terrified Because Their Candidates Are So Fucking Lazy. As a number of Democrats win high-profile special election victories in deep red districts, fewer and fewer safe Republican strongholds seem to be off limits.
    Republicans Are Terrified Because Their Candidates Are So Fucking Lazy. As a number of Democrats win high-profile special election victories in deep red districts, fewer and fewer safe Republican strongholds seem to be off limits.

    We still have a magnificent window to win this thing and fix our nation – naturally, the first requirement is protecting President Trump.

    We need a complete review of EVERYTHING and ask “is it good”

    But the next step is just as important: a complete review of everything and asking the question, “Is this good?”.

    We’ve already learned that so-called “Free Trade” wasn’t what many of us thought it was – take that as your template and ask yourself, “is this thing I’ve adhered to really in the interests of a free people? Or is it something which only serves the well-connected?”.

    As Lincoln once said, it is time to think anew and act anew: not to create something different (nothing can be more magnificent than the United States, as far as human effort allows), but to recreate what we had, but even better than before.

    It is time to think  anew and act anew: not to create something different,  but to recreate what we had, but even better than before.
    It is time to think anew and act anew: not to create something different, but to recreate what we had, but even better than before.

    And if that mission requires us to knock a few off their pedestals, then that’s just what will have to happen.

     The problems of government are systemic.  The reason for government should be a primary concern of anyone wanting a  better government but this cannot be accomplished with people of  socialist persuasion who scream, yell and interrupt other speakers in an  effort to kill free speech. 
    
     Trump has thrown a wrench into the gears  of socialisms advancement. Socialists are reeling in confusion but don’t  count on them staying there. A revolution is coming. The question is,  who’s going to lead it, them or us? 
    
    - Why Should We Accept Corrupt Government? 

    SHTF Related Index

    This is a collection of my posts related to prepping, SHTF (Shit Hit The Fan), CWII (American Civil War 2), Fourth Turning (Strauss–Howe generational theory) and other posts related to the very sad and sorry tatters that America is today. Actually, I am a little stunned that I have written so much about these matters. But America today is very ill and there are things that really should be said.

    Here are the posts.

    SHTF and Related Index

    The Tale of the Killdozer.
    The use of technicals for genocide.
    The Climax of the Fourth Turning in 2025.
    2025 - the Fourth Turning Crisis - A nuclear response
    Why are Americans so angry?
    Evolution of the USA and China.
    The grim future.
    Is it clear enough for you?
    SJW
    r/K selection theory
    Pictures of a gun-free utopia.
    Link
    Historically, how preppers failed during periods of turmoil.
    Universal Background Checks
    What is planned for American Conservatives - Part 2
    What is going to happen to conservatives - Part 3.
    What is planned for conservatives - part 4
    What is in store for Conservatives - part 5
    What is in store for conservatives - part 6
    Civil War
    The Warning Signs
    Line in the sand
    A second passport
    Link
    Make America Great Again.
    What would the founders think?
    The Ninth Amendment
    How they get away with it
    Snopes
    Taxiation without representation.
    Link
    Parable about America
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Democracy Lessons
    We can no longer build. As we enter the Fourth Turning.
    A polarized world.
    America's sunset.
    Asshole
    Types of American conservatives.
    America is no longer a nation. When you cannot enforce a border, enforce laws, and prosecute criminals, you no longer have a nation. America is no longer a nation. It might still be the remains of a once great empire, sort of like Rome was after the Vandals sacked it, but as a functioning nation, it is no longer. When you cannot enforce a border, enforce laws, and prosecute criminals, you no longer have a nation. I argue that the United States is no longer a nation. Forget about being a nation that follows the Constitution. Rather, I argue that it is not longer a nation in the crudest, simplest, and most primitive terms. What it is is up for debate. But, a nation... no it is not.

    Some prepper humor…

    Nuke from orbit.

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
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    Experts Now Recommend Nuking Everything From Orbit

    This is sarcasm. It comes from The Babylon Bee, and when I first came across the article I almost "shit my pants" it was so funny. If you are unaware of where the humor is in this, I would suggest you watch the movie "Aliens". It will put this meme in better context than I ever can explain.
    
    All credit to the original posters. 

    Yeah. The United States is really, really messed up now. The government cannot function. Corporate big-wigs are pushing radical Marxism and a progressive socialist ideal that makes Pol-Pot look like a teeny-bopper, and hard core criminals are immune from justice. It’s all a massive cluster-fuck. Experts Now Recommend Nuking Everything From Orbit.

    Experts Now Recommend Nuking Everything From Orbit – July 23rd, 2019

    WORLD—In the wake of a string of increasingly bizarre antics from a rapidly declining western civilization, experts recommended nuking everything from orbit. 

    Should world leaders approve the plan, the nukes will be launched sometime in the next week, weather permitting. 

    “Our new strategy for eradicating the potential for more of the absolute insanity as we have seen over the past weeks and months is to just wipe the whole thing out,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper declared in a press conference at the Pentagon.

    “We explored plans ranging from releasing biological weapons into public areas around the world to just sinking everyone into the sea. But based on computer simulations, a barrage of orbital nukes from our defense satellites is the most effective plan for just wiping everything out in order to let someone else have a shot.”

    Esper went on to state the first barrage of nukes would include some 325 different ICBMs targeted at the world’s most densely populated areas, while a second salvo would target more rural areas to wipe out any survivors.

    “It’s the only way to be sure.”

    The Babylon Bee

    SHTF Related Index

    This is a collection of my posts related to prepping, SHTF (Shit Hit The Fan), CWII (American Civil War 2), Fourth Turning (Strauss–Howe generational theory) and other posts related to the very sad and sorry tatters that America is today. Actually, I am a little stunned that I have written so much about these matters. But America today is very ill and there are things that really should be said.

    Here are the posts.

    SHTF and Related Index

    The Tale of the Killdozer.
    The use of technicals for genocide.
    The Climax of the Fourth Turning in 2025.
    2025 - the Fourth Turning Crisis - A nuclear response
    Why are Americans so angry?
    Evolution of the USA and China.
    The grim future.
    Is it clear enough for you?
    SJW
    r/K selection theory
    Pictures of a gun-free utopia.
    Link
    Historically, how preppers failed during periods of turmoil.
    Universal Background Checks
    What is planned for American Conservatives - Part 2
    What is going to happen to conservatives - Part 3.
    What is planned for conservatives - part 4
    What is in store for Conservatives - part 5
    What is in store for conservatives - part 6
    Civil War
    The Warning Signs
    Line in the sand
    A second passport
    Link
    Make America Great Again.
    What would the founders think?
    The Ninth Amendment
    How they get away with it
    Snopes
    Taxiation without representation.
    Link
    Parable about America
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Democracy Lessons
    A polarized world.
    Asshole
    Types of American conservatives.

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Asian Nazi Chic – When being politically correct is against the law.

    Asians and Nazis are two things that you would think wouldn’t really go together. That is because there just aren’t any well known (in the West) associations between the two. You would assume that there would be no way that they’d fit together to create a single perfect shape.

    Ah, but Asia is all about the Yin and yang.

    It’s all about rain clearing the air so that the beautiful day can manifest. It is about war clearing the bad so peace can come about. It is about the woman that complements the man, and the good that comes about from the bad.

    Japanese pop boys band dressed in Nazi clothing. They are considered to be very stylish and very popular. Not in the USA, obviously.
    Japanese pop boys band dressed in Nazi clothing. They are considered to be very stylish and very popular. Not in the USA, obviously.

    In Asia, you won’t find things that you cannot talk about. Things you are forbidden to do. Lifestyles that are considered too odd or strange to show in public. And yes, things that others might find repulsive has a home in Asia. Because being politically correct is often against the law.

    Nazi chic is a thing, and yes in Asia (all over Asia, actually) a very popular thing.

    Asian Nazi Chic wedding.
    Asian Nazi Chic wedding. Notice it is the white colors against the black colors. The man against the woman. The soft of the woman against the steely hard of the man. It’s all about the Yin and the Yang.

    Being able to dress as you like, free of anyone or any government telling you otherwise is called freedom.

    It’s terribly refreshing, if a bit disturbing.

    Asian Nazi fashion. It's not uncommon to see young people dressing like this and goose-stepping down the streets. No one bats an eye. Though, seeing a "white water buffallo" (American woman) would most certainly invole stares and snickers of polite laughter and disgust.
    Asian Nazi fashion. It’s not uncommon to see young people dressing like this and goose-stepping down the streets. No one bats an eye. Though, seeing a “white water buffalo” (American woman) would most certainly invoke stares and snickers of polite laughter and disgust.

    Asian Nazi Fashion

    Every few years we hear of some incredibly bizarre subculture that startles us away from our comfortable life inside of Starbucks, and McDonalds.

    Often it is so unlike what we would find on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, or on Oprah Show.

    They would behave, dress and act in ways that we would find absolutely disturbing and outrageous. Ways that are most certainly banned in the more sensible sections of New York City or San Francisco.

    A popular Nazi themed dining establishment. I wonder if they have some mustard and good beer?
    A popular Nazi themed dining establishment. I wonder if they have some mustard and good beer?

    In the United States and Europe it’s just not a very good idea to don the ornamentation of the Third Reich. Unless you want to send a very specific message, that is: I’m a fascist and antisemitic, and damn proud of it.

    Many just can’t wrap their minds around these obscure behaviors.

    They argue “there ought to be a law“, and “how dare these people flaunt the unwritten societal rules of behavior“. But they don’t. They just go on living their life, oblivious that others in far-away places like Pasadena, and Martha’s Vineyard are repulsed by their actions.

    Meanwhile the Asians are all just smiling inside.

    I think that they (deep down inside) love to watch the horror creep on the faces of the elite millennials from their protected cribs in the United States. Maybe it’s kind of a game to them. Like “look what I can do, and you cannot”. Sort of like that.

    Nazi themed parade in Thailand. Pretty girls with toy automatic weapons, and Nazi style clothes make up this very popular parade. As they are all very fashionable.
    Nazi themed parade in Thailand. Pretty girls with toy automatic weapons, and Nazi style clothes make up this very popular parade. As they are all very fashionable.

    They are living life on their terms. Right or wrong and totally oblivious to who it offends.

    It’s called freedom.

    Others, living as LGBT, or who identifies as a transgender potato, are just as free to live their life as they see fit. Aren’t they? But most Americans wouldn’t have anything to say about that. Now would they?

    They don’t. They are protected. They are privileged.

    Nazi themed clothing store in Hong Kong. What? You think that hte youths protesting in black and wanting Trump to "liberate them" are being honest? Being a Nazi is high Chic in Hong Kong. It's engrained in the culture.
    Nazi themed clothing store in Hong Kong. What? You think that the youths protesting in black and wanting Trump to “liberate them” are being honest? Being a Nazi is high Chic in Hong Kong. It’s ingrained in the culture.

    Alternatively, if they want to be a full-functioning male, but enter the ladies room in a middle-school, and it is allowed by the local government, they why should anyone else have a problem with how someone else dresses? Heck, they would be fully supported by the government, the educational establishment, the school board, and the media. You know this is true.

    If they want to shit on the sidewalk in San Francisco, well fine and dandy. If they want to wear hats that look like a woman’s neither regions, well then let them.

    Asian Nazi fashion themed Asian gal on the public bus.
    Asian Nazi fashion themed Asian gal on the public bus.

    Live and let live.

    Or is that too repulsive a point of view to accept?

    People, you cannot pick and choose "types" of freedom. You are either free, or you aren't. It's black and white. Either everyone is free to do as they wish, or no one is.
    
    If you are in a situation where SOME people can do what they wish, while others cannot, then you are on the dangerous Marxist road to the elimination of all freedoms and all liberties. Hey! How about cracking open a history book why won't ya?
    America used to be "free". Free to act as you want. Free to dress as you want. Free to say things that you want. All with full knowledge that someone might be terribly offended by your actions. Yet today, in our society, there are two rules of behavior. They go like this; What I like, is ok. What I don't like should be banned. It's what the Antifa and the BLM stand for.
    America used to be “free”. Free to act as you want. Free to dress as you want. Free to say things that you want. All with full knowledge that someone might be terribly offended by your actions. Yet today, in our society, there are two rules of behavior. They go like this; What I like, is ok. What I don’t like should be banned. It’s what the progressive liberals and their military arms the Antifa and the BLM stand for.

    Fashion exists everywhere.

    To close our eyes to other cultures, and other ways of doing things is really not smart. If we are so easily offended about such a silly thing as how people dress, then perhaps we really need to take a serious reappraisal of our life. Our priorities are seriously out of wack.

    • Do you get all upset because the person in the other car is listening to 1970’s era Disco?
    • Are you furious when you discover that there are no lilac colored doggie collars in Pet-Smart?
    • Do you totally freak out when your transgender supervisor comes to work wearing bright red lipstick, and eyelashes?
    Why not go in and get a hamburger and fries at your local McHitler in Thailand? It's good eating for sure, and have a nice Bavarian beer with free refils while you are at it.
    Why not go in and get a hamburger and fries at your local McHitler in Thailand? It’s good eating for sure, and have a nice Bavarian beer with free refills while you are at it.

    People! Different places have different cultures and different ways of doing things. If you want to live in your closed and shallow life and be fearful of the world outside of Starbucks, it’s up to you. But, it will hurt you.

    We need to accept the fact that different people are different, and different and being different is a GOOD THING. If you don’t believe me, just ask a Chinese person what they thought of the universal-blue clothing that Mr. Mao made everyone wear.

    Being different is a good thing.

    Nazi clothing, and regalia are all high fashion in Hong Kong. YOu don't hear about it in the Americas because you aren't SUPPOSTED to know about it. You are spoon fed what you are to know and nothing else. Remember, the most dangerous propiganda is that propiganda that we want to believe.
    Nazi clothing, and regalia are all high fashion in Hong Kong. You don’t hear about it in the Americas because you aren’t SUPPOSED to know about it. You are spoon fed what you are to know and nothing else. Remember, the most dangerous propaganda is that propaganda that we want to believe.

    People are different. Different is good. It adds color to our life and permits us to view things in a completely new light. Instead of being in an echo chamber where everyone else tells us what we want to hear.

    You should not be offended by something as silly as clothing. Really!

    Young fashionable men in the Southern Americas. Love the shoes. Don't you, or are you terribly offended by this as well?
    Young fashionable men in the Southern Americas. Love the shoes. Don’t you, or are you terribly offended by this as well?

    Culture and Fashion

    Now this trend in Asia, in the big picture, isn’t really that strange. It certainly isn’t as bad as any other things that many others find offensive. Take the United States for instance. These things are considered normal…

    Yet, for all the craziness that Americans take for granted in their own life, they are absolutely horrified by this trend on the other side of the globe.

    Fashion can take numerous themes for instance, like this Nazi Angel chick.
    Fashion can take numerous themes for instance, like this Nazi Angel chick.

    To them, this one; this love of Nazi style uniforms, really stands apart.

    It is about as politically incorrect that you can get. And many of the PC-crowd in the USA, and Europe are absolutely horrified by it.

    Which is really silly. Especially what passes for as “normal” in the United States today. Normal in the United States today…

    Halloween costume of a girls being burned at the state, and this offends no one? Yet, someone dresses up in a uniform that is over 75 years old, and everyone loses their collective minds. WTF?
    Halloween costume of a girls being burned at the state, and this offends no one? Yet, someone dresses up in a uniform that is over 75 years old, and everyone loses their collective minds. WTF?

    This subculture in Asia is called “Asian Nazis” and it’s basically what it sounds like. It’s a bunch of young kids with an affinity for militarism, anti-semitism and a love for all things Hitler.

    It’s sort of like the Obama-worship subculture in the United States. Only not so rabid, and hyper-monitized.

    Normal in the United States today…

    Obama as a diety for worship.
    Obama as a deity for worship. For many, this is a far more repulsive than any act of putting on historical period clothing. This worships… a person as a God. This is an abomination.

    America has it’s very own fashions and trends that people in other nations find offensive.

    Normal in the United States today…

    A woman (I think) of Walmart. This is considered normal, and fashionable in America. Yet in Asia this would be considered to be absolutely revoliting and hideous.
    A woman (I think) of Walmart. This is considered normal, and fashionable in America. Yet in Asia this would be considered to be absolutely revolting and hideous. But in America, this is considered “normal” and acceptable. It is a sign of being free and living a life in liberty with the ability to “do yer own thang”, and what not.

    More HERE.

    What’s going on.

    Over the last few decades or two, groups of fashionable young people in Asia have discovered Nazi clothing and paraphernalia.

    Apparently, they’ve also decided that “hey, this is pretty stylish, I wanna look like this!” without realizing that they were connecting themselves to the propagators of the Holocaust and, you know, the entire World War II thingy.

    Why not a Nazi Barbie doll? It's all the rage with the youth in Asia.
    Why not a Nazi Barbie doll? It’s all the rage with the youth in Asia.

    They don’t know that they are being offensive to Americans and Israelites.

    In their world, people are free to live the life as they choose. As long as they are not bothering anyone, they can be themselves. It’s called liberty. It’s called freedom. You all should give it a spin. It’s actually really nice once to get used to the concept of “live and let live“.

    This is what happens when you regulate things so that no one is ever offended…

    This is what "freedom" is in the United States. You are free to obey others and free not to be offensive.
    This is what “freedom” is in the United States. You are free to obey others and free not to be offensive. It’s the price you pay for living in a modern progressive utopia.

    Trends

    In Japan, the latest example of this incredibly strange fashion style happened with the pop group Pritz, who performed in public in 2014 while wearing dark clothing and symbols that were unmistakably inspired by the Nazis. Although they apologized and claimed that they didn’t know what they were doing, examples of subtle Nazi love are found in several Asian countries.

    In Thailand in 2007, students held a Nazi-themed parade, and another school held an SS sports rally in 2012. At a top Thai university, students painted a giant mural depicting Hitler with other superheroes, while some students delivered the sieg hiel salute. Nazi-themed pop groups are also popular.

    In China in 2003, the Chinese retailer Izzue decorated all 14 of their stores with swastikas. After complaints from foreigners (Mostly Americans, and Canadians.), the company’s marketing manager said: ‘This is Hong Kong, and Chinese people are not sensitive about Nazism’. With comments like that, it looks like this bizarre-and somewhat offensive-subculture is here to stay.

    In South Korea, there are Nazi-themed bars, and in China, it was fashionable to dress up like Nazi officers for wedding photos. Whether there’s an extreme case of “lost in translation” going on here or whether Asians just think that style takes precedence over historical tragedies, we’re not sure.

    It's sort of like how the NFL now has African-American themed anti-white people rally's during the half-time show. No one gets offended, and they just continue without any "push back".

    What a time to be alive…!

    Yeah, it’s completely crazy.

    Nazi cosplaying is taking place all over the continent, too, from Tokyo to Hong Kong, plus parts of China, South Korea and even Burma. There’s even a Tumblr account dedicated to ‘Nazi chic’ (their words, not mine!) called Fun With Asian Nazis.

    Asian Nazi fandom on the march in Thailand. This is what freedom and liberty looks like. It is ugly. It is messy and it is offensive. This is what the real deal is. The places where no one is ever offended exist. These places are called "prison".
    Asian Nazi fandom on the march in Thailand. This is what freedom and liberty looks like. It is ugly. It is messy and it is offensive. This is what the real deal is. But, of course it will offend the more sensitive in the audience. You know the types, the busybodies that were never spanked as a child in Kindergarten, or the school play-yard bully, or the folk that led a protected life until their first ob in corporate America.

    There is but one thing that’s crystal clear: If you’re planning to go abroad, try to leave your offended and outraged pants back home because vacations are for de-stressing, not clawing your eyeballs out in horror.

    Get your head out of the sand…

    The rest of the world are not encumbered with limits on their behavior. Right or wrong, a limit on a behavior is a restriction on freedom.

    These limits, while constructed with the best of intentions, eventually stifle creativity and life. Look at how well it has worked out for North Korea, Stalinist Russia, Modern Iran, and Mr. Mao’s China.

    All of them started to place little, simple rules, you known to make life better… for the children.

    And while you go about your day-to-day life in the United States, watching the goings on, keep in mind that the rest of the world is living their life oblivious to your problems, and restrictions.

    As such, here’s a window to what the rest of the world is like…

    Please kindly note that this post has multiple embedded videos. It is important to view them. If they fail to load, all you need to do is to reload your browser.

    KOREA

    JAPAN

    CAMBODIA

    CHINA

    JAPAN

    The reactions from Americans

    A typical American reaction to this Nazi fashion in Asia.
    A typical American reaction to this Nazi fashion in Asia.
    Thai students practicing freeom in a prade much to the digust and horror of CNN and the NGO's stationed there. These busybodies wanted to interrupt the parade, but the police threatened them with severe consequences if they did anything to interrupt the festivities.
    Thai students practicing freedom in a parade much to the disgust and horror of CNN and the NGO’s stationed there. These busybodies wanted to interrupt the parade, but the police threatened them with severe consequences if they did anything to interrupt the festivities.

    Posts Regarding Life and Contentment

    Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.

    What is going on in Hollywood?
    Why no High-Speed rail in the USA?
    Link
    Link
    Link
    End of the Day Potato
    Dog Shit
    Tomatos
    Link
    Mad scientist
    Gorilla Cage in the basement
    The two family types and how they work.
    How to manage a family household.
    Link
    The most popular American foods.
    Soups, Sandwiches and ice cold beer.
    Pleasures
    Work in the 1960's
    School in the 1970s
    Cat Heaven
    Corporate life
    Corporate life - part 2
    Build up your life
    Grow and play - 1
    Grow and play - 2
    Baby's got back
    Link
    A womanly vanity
    Army and Navy Store
    Playground Comparisons
    Excuses that we use that keep us enslaved.

    More Posts about Life

    I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.

    Being older
    Things I wish I knew.
    Link
    Travel
    PT-141
    Bronco Billy
    How they get away with it
    Paper Airplanes
    Snopes
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    1960's and 1970's link
    The Confederados
    Democracy Lessons
    The Rule of Eight

    Funny Pictures

    Picture Dump 1

    Be the Rufus – Tales of Everyday Heroism.

    Be the Rufus - 1

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Some fun videos of Asia; to include China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. (Part 16)

    We continue in our video exploration of Asia. This episode has some really great and noteworthy entries. Especially the Chinese reaction to the Trump Trade War.

    Before we get moving on to the videos, let’s talk a little about the screen splash above. It is from the music video by Kid Rock called “First Kiss”. It is a tribute to the care-free and easy life of the 1970’s when people would go about and have fun and drink together.

    Scenes from the Kid Rock song tribute to the 1970's lifestyle in the song "First Kiss".
    Scenes from the Kid Rock song tribute to the 1970’s lifestyle in the song “First Kiss”.

    Morning & Evening group exercises are still a common sight

    When the Chinese government co-opted the “Dancing Grandmother” network, no one knew what to expect. They thought that at the bare minimum that it would tone down all the noise and obstreperous racket that infested the Chinese cities. Well, by making it part of the “healthy China” initiative, it has become very popular.

    Read about this program, and why it exists here; (Don’t fret the link will open up into another tab. It’s a good read, I’ll tell you what.)

    Fat China

    Anyways, it is just as popular as ever and everyone from elementary and middle school ages to 90-year old grandmothers participate in the group dances (and learn a few dance moves in the process).

    China responds to the Trump Trade War

    China wants and desires very much to be on friendly and peaceful relations with the USA. In many ways, traditional conservative Chinese are very much like their American counterparts. They understand why Trump is doing what he is doing and feel that he is a formidable businessman. Not the “joke” that CNN, and the UK Guardian make him out as.

    That being said, the attitude in China is that if you want to have some competition (say in sports, or in this case) in business, then they will fight to win. The Chinese will unleash everything, and they do fight to win.

    So While Trump is instigating the “tariff wars”, exerting influences on up-and-growing tech companies (like Huawei), negotiating with other nations to stop doing business with China, and using CIA dirty tricks in Hong Kong, the Chinese are not sitting back. They released the brakes on the yuan-USD conversion and let the market decide. So far, the value of the yuan is falling relative to the USD, and now everything made in China is 30% cheaper relative to what it was before Trump.

    But it’s more than that.

    You might not like China. You might be under the impression that China is hard-core Marxist (it’s not), or you might be under other misconceptions as spread by the Western media. But one thing is very clear to anyone who has had any dealings with the Chinese; they don’t play around, and they fight to win.

    The Chinese fight to win.

    Here’s one of the more popular movies this Summer and you should look at it from the point of view of the Chinese in a “trade war” with the West…

    Look at it as a friendly, but serious, message to Trump from Beijing.

    Oh, you don’t think that it has anything to do with trade? Watch the clip again, and pay attention to the English dialog…

    Who do you think you are?
    
    You collect money from me. You don't share it.
    
    Do as I say.
    
    You are not qualified to make deals with me.

    And the discussion continues…

    If you quit, you can take this business too. I can get anybody to take care of it.

    And then, the sheer arrogance of the Westerners reaches an explosion point when he says…

    Will somebody get this yellow piece of fat to get out of here!

    After that we see how the Westerner battles and demolishes the Chinese man. It’s strong. It’s vicious, and he dies.

    He’s dead. The Westerner has won.

    Then, it’s payback time.

    Get together in Thailand

    In the United States, at least during the 1960’s, the 1970’s, and well into the 1980’s mu friends and I would go cruising in our cars up and down the town streets. We would then go to specific spots. Much like the “Moon Tower” in the movie “Dazed and Confused” where we would party.

    Which always involved beer, and often some kinds of other libation.

    Hanging out
    Hanging out. During the 1970’s we would all hang out together with friends and go drinking, singing, and dancing together in the countryside. At that time we would listen to Led Zep, and other classics of the 1970’s.

    I don’t know if this is still an activity in the Untied States.

    For some reason, I don’t think so. Simply because it would be one of the first things that busy-body democrats would try to regulate, fine, fee or make laws against.

    Yah. You know this is true.

    First Kiss by Kid Rock
    Screen shot from the song “First Kiss” by Kid Rock. It’s a tribute to the days when young folk would go riding around the town and hanging out with each other. While many Americans wish and yearn for those day again, they are not gone. They might be banned or difficult int he USA, but the rest of the world still celebrates those times…everyday.

    Well, it’s still a popular pastime in the rest of the world. Here’s what it’s like to gather with your 20-something friends and play around with along the Thailand-Cambodian border…

    Everyday China

    This next video takes place in Shanghai at night. yeah it’s super-typical. But what I would like to point out is some of the very common elements that are found all over China, that you might miss if you were not aware of it all.

    When you watch the video, please pay attention to the painted road markings on the road. Notice that they have incorporated solar powered LED lighting that flashes to alert people. Notice the body cameras, radios, and lighting on the police officers. Notice the streets how clean they are and devoid of trash, as well as notice that there isn’t any graffiti anywhere.

    You will also notice the raised walkway surfaces on the sidewalk. This is common all through China. It is for blind people so that they can make their way around town.

    Watch the video and look for those things…

    Hiphi – The Chinese Tesla

    Of course, the vast bulk of storage batteries, electric motors, automotive controls, and complex wiring systems are all made out of China. (Outsourced from the USA since the mid 1990’s.) Therefore, it should not be any surprise that China is leading the world in the production of electric and hybrid vehicles.

    Bet ya didn’t know that.

    Not only are there more vehicles (on a quantitative basis) made in China, but there are far more models, types and variations. Heck, here in tiny Zhuhai, almost all the buses have been fully “green” (all electric) for two years now.

    I like them that way. So quiet.

    Big difference from the noisy gas-powered behemoths that lumber along.

    Here’s one of the car brands. I place it here not because it’s the best or anything like that. I just like the design and the style. Oh, by the way, you can’t buy it in the USA. It’s going to be another ten or so years before the automotive regulations catch up with the innovations out of China. (That’s why the implementation of LED’s on American cars took 15 years, don’t you know. And, only five years in Germany and the UK.)

    We become conditions to accept our chains.

    This video is addressed to my fellow Americans, not all of them, but rather to the trolls who don’t read anything that I post. Those that don’t study the issues. Those that refuse to look at things from a third-person point of view and are not listening to my warnings.

    – Warnings –

    • China is growing and it is not what you think it is.
    • China is a serious nation, run by serious people who got into positions of power through merit, not popularity.
    • China plays to win.
    • America was established as a Republic. But, today it is an Oligarchy.
    • We have grown used to the loss of liberty and freedom that America now represents. We do not realize that America today is the absolute opposite of what it was first established as.

    Most Americans live a life in ignorance and fear. They don’t realize just how far down into tyranny they have fallen.

    For instance, we pay taxes, and watch as the government overspends it. That is NOT in the benefit of the citizenry.

    We believe that we own houses and cars, yet both are subject to confiscation by the government. That is NOT ownership.

    We must submit to regulations, pay various fees for the most simple tasks and ask permission to do anything from selling lemonade in your front yard, to fishing.

    People that is NOT freedom.

    Americans do not realize how conditioned they are to their life as a serf. They have no idea that all these things are all chains and bindings that restrict their freedom.

    Like this video aptly illustrates…

    I have many more videos, but I just cannot put them into a single post. It will bog down your computer terribly. So to watch the rest of the videos in this post, please continue…

    Continued-graphic-arrow

    If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

    Links about China

    Here are some links about my observations on China. I think that you, the reader, might find them to be of interest. Please kindly enjoy.

    Popular Music of China
    Chinese weapons systems
    Chinese motor sports
    End of the Day Potato
    Dog Shit
    Dancing Grandmothers
    Dance Craze
    When the SJW movement took control of China
    Family Meal
    Freedom & Liberty in China
    Ben Ming Nian
    Beware the Expat
    Fake Wine
    Fat China
    Business KTV
    How I got married in China.
    Chinese apartment houses
    Chinese Culture Snapshots
    Rural China
    Chinese New Year

    China and America Comparisons

    As an American, I cannot help but compare what my life was in the United States with what it is like living in China. Here we discuss that.

    SJW
    Playground Comparisons
    The Last Straw
    Leaving the USA
    Diversity Initatives
    Democracy
    Travel outside
    10 Misconceptions about China
    Top Ten Misconceptions

    The Chinese Business KTV Experience

    This is the real deal. Forget about all that nonsense that you find in the British tabloids and an occasional write up in the American liberal press. This is the reality. Read or not.

    KTV1
    KTV2
    KTV3
    KTV4
    KTV5
    KTV6
    KTV7
    KTV8
    KTV9
    KTV10
    KTV11
    KTV12
    KTV13
    KTV14
    KTV15
    KTV16
    KTV17
    KTV18
    KTV19
    KTV20

    Learning About China

    Who doesn’t like to look at pretty girls? Ugly girls? Here we discuss what China is like by looking at videos of pretty girls doing things in China.

    Pretty Girls 1
    Pretty Girls 2
    Pretty Girls 3
    Pretty Girls 4
    Pretty Girls 5

    Contemporaneous Chinese Music

    This is a series of posts that discuss contemporaneous popular music in China. It is a wide ranging and broad spectrum of travel, and at that, all that I am able to provide is the flimsiest of overviews. However, this series of posts should serve as a great starting place for investigation and enjoyment.

    Part 1 - Popular Music of China
    Part 3 -Popular music of China.
    Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
    Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5B - The popular music of China.
    Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
    Part D - The popular music of China.
    Part 5E - A happy Joe.
    Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5F - The popular music of China.
    Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 10 - Music of China.
    Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

    Parks in China

    The parks in China are very unique. They are enormous and tend to be very mountainous. Here we take a look at this most interesting of subjects.

    Parks in China - 1
    Pars in China - 2
    Parks in China - 3
    Visiting a park in China - 4
    High Speed Rail in China
    Visiting a park in China - 5
    Beautiful China part 6
    Parks in China - 7
    Visiting a park in China - 8

    Really Strange China

    Here are some posts that discuss a number of things about China that might seem odd, or strange to Westerners. Some of the things are everyday events, while others are just representative of the differences in culture.

    Really Strange China 1
    Really Strange China 2
    Rally Strange China 3
    Really Strange China 4
    Really Odd China 5
    Really Strange China 6
    Really Strange China 7
    Really Strange China 8
    Really Strange China 9
    Really Strange China 10
    Really Strange China 11
    Really Strange China 12
    Really strange China 13
    Really strange China 14

    What is China like?

    The purpose of this post is to illustrate that the rest of the world, outside of America, has moved on with their lives. That while they might not be as great as America is, they are doing just fine thank you.

    And while America has been squandering it’s money, decimating it’s resources, and just being cavalier with it’s military, the rest of the world has done the opposite. They have husbanded their day to day fortunes, and you can see this in their day-to-day lives.

    What is China like - 1
    What is China like - 2
    What is China Like - 3
    What is China like - 4
    What is China like - 5
    What is China like - 6
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 9

    Summer in Asia

    Let’s take a moment to explore Asia. That includes China, but also includes such places as Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and others…

    Summer Snapshots 1
    Summer Snapshots 2
    Summer Snapshots 3
    Summer Snapshots 4
    Snapshots Summer 5
    Summer Snapshots 6
    Summer Snapshot 7
    Summer Snapshots 8
    Summer Snapshots 9
    Summer Snapshots 10
    Summer Snapshots 11
    Summer Snapshot 12

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Some fun videos of Asia; to include China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. (Part 13)

    Let’s continue on our exploration of videos and things about Asia. However, firstly, let’s comment on the splash screen above. It’s from the 1990’s situation comedy on television (anyone remember watching television?) called “Seinfield”.

    Seinfeld is a situation comedy which ran from July 5, 1989 to May 14,  1998. One of the most popular and influential TV programs of the 1990s,  it epitomizes the self-obsessed and ironic culture of the decade. In  2002, TV Guide ranked Seinfeld as the greatest TV show of all time. The  show was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. 
    
    The show stars Seinfeld as a  fictionalized version of himself, and mostly focuses on his personal  life with a handful of friends and acquaintances, including best friend  George Costanza (Jason Alexander), friend and former girlfriend Elaine Benes.
    Seinfield cast on the set of Seinfield.
    Seinfield cast on the set of Seinfield. I loved this show when it came out, and it was always a subject of light water-cooler banter during the coffee breaks at work.

    I think that this funny comedy is a monument to itself. Yet, the trivia associated with it is quite noteworthy…

    Larry David famously  instituted a policy of "no hugging, no learning", meaning that the show  must avoid sentimentality and moral lessons, and the characters must  never learn or grow from their wrongdoings.   
    As Kramer (Michael Richards)  became more popular, his entrance applause grew so prolonged that the  cast complained it was ruining the pacing of their scenes. Directors  subsequently asked the audience not to applaud so much when Kramer  entered.   
    Seinfield in the puffy shirt.
    Seinfield in the puffy shirt. Did you know that you can buy this shirt on the internet? Yup, you can. I think that it would make a great thing to wear on casual Friday. Just make sure that your coworkers have seen Seinfield and knows what the shirt is all about.
    Jerry Seinfeld turned down an offer from NBC that would have made him $110 million for a tenth season of the show.   
    Michael Costanza, Jerry Seinfeld's friend after whom George is named, filed a $100 million lawsuit against Seinfeld, Larry David,  and NBC, claiming invasion of privacy and defamation of character.  Costanza claimed damages due to the show's alleged use of his likeness.  The case was dismissed with the judges adding that the statute of  limitations on the case had run out, as Costanza did not sue within one  year of the show's debut in 1989.   
    George and Kramer on Seinfield.
    George and Kramer on Seinfield. In this episode, George poses for some sexy photographs.
    The Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas)  is based on the actual owner, Al Yeganeh, of a take-out soup business  in Manhattan on West 55th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. Just  like in the sitcom, his soups were known for their excellent quality,  but Yeganeh was also famous for the unusual way he treated his  customers. Instead of calling him a Nazi, local patrons called him a  terrorist, presumably because they knew Yeganeh was born in Iran, not  Germany. Yeganeh was so angered by the episode (Seinfeld: The Soup Nazi  (1995)), that he forbade the use of the "N word" in his restaurants.  Even the slightest reference to this show would push his buttons (it can  be seen in an interview he did with CNN). So when some cast members and  writers from this show bravely visited the restaurant after the episode  aired, Yeganeh claimed that the show had ruined his life.   
    The puffy shirt used in episode 5.2, Seinfeld: The Puffy Shirt (1993), is currently placed in the Smithsonian. A doll-sized replica was included with the fifth season DVD set.   
    George orders soup from the soup Nazi.
    George orders soup from the soup Nazi. Ah, the best soup in New York City, but the cook is something else entirely…
    John O'Hurley  (Peterman) recalls attending a friend's 40th birthday party and being  recognized at the buffet line. A man came up to him to say "that would  be grounds for dismissal.", one of his J. Peterman lines. During their  conversation, O'Hurley learned that this guy was not only a fan of  Seinfeld but a fan of the real J. Peterman catalogue, too. He would  actually read the over-the-top item descriptions to his wife in bed. He  thanked O'Hurley for finally giving him a voice to use for the catalogue  readings. The fan was none other than Tom Hanks.   
    Jerry's (Jerry Seinfeld) girlfriend's infamous "man hands" in episode 8.3, Seinfeld: The Bizarro Jerry (1996), were actually those of James Rekart.   
    Seinfield's girlfriend has "man hands" Yikes!
    Seinfield’s girlfriend has “man hands” Yikes! This is yet another classic show. It would probably be too politically incorrect today.
    ABC Entertainment executive Lloyd Braun lent his name to a character appearing in three episodes, season five, episode seven, Seinfeld: The Non-Fat Yogurt (1993), season seven, episode ten, Seinfeld: The Gum (1995), and season nine, episode three, Seinfeld: The Serenity Now (1997), and is an old childhood neighbor and nemesis of George Costanza (Jason Alexander).   

    Now, moving forward, let’s go back to Asia…

    Please kindly note that this post has multiple embedded videos. It is important to view them. If they fail to load, all you need to do is to reload your browser.

    Thailand School

    Here’s a cute music video of an elementary school in Thailand…

    Videos about the Protests in HK

    All these (so called) “pro-democracy” protests in Hong Kong get a lot of air-play in the United States. I can’t but help that they are instigated by Donald Trump and his CIA operatives to stir up and instigate some “backyard” conflict for China. You know, just like how the CIA agitated the protests the last time Obama visited HK.

    The American news media, whether it is CNN, or (even) Rush Limbaugh all parrot the same line.

    They parrot the same old narrative; [1] It’s organic and “grass roots”, [2] all they want is “freedom” and “democracy”, and [3] that they are fighting against Communism. The videos and movies on you-tube all support this narrative. It’s a nice narrative, and everyone in the USA is repeating this.

    The only thing is…

    The narrative is nonsense.

    What do they actually want? Well, for one thing, they want universal suffrage. You know where everyone can vote, with no age limits, or limits on the number of times that you can vote, or whether you are a citizen or not. Pretty radical stuff.

    Sounds like the American democrat platform, I’ll tell you what…

    While Hong Kong is part of China, it operates autonomously. It has it’s own laws, and own systems, and own ways of doing things. Many of which are freakishly different from the mainland Chinese way.

    So… very… predictable… How do we know? It’s all recorded in the history books. You all should read them some time.

    SJW

    And, this is what happens when no one puts their foot down and squashes the SJW movement…

    Link

    Tear down the Chinese Flag

    One of the often promoted videos is how the “Chinese people” joyfully tore down the Chinese flag in Hong Kong. Then they discarded it into the water, and danced around joyously.

    What they don’t tell you is what happened afterwards…

    Residents are sick of the SJW Kids

    Almost all of the protesters are Social Justice Warriors in their early 20’s attending school or otherwise unemployed. Their desire for social upheaval is disruptive to the crowded Chinese community, and the residents are rather fed up with their protests and the interruptions in their lives.

    Just like how the black-clad Antifa stopped traffic, and broke apart stores and ships, these SJW troops are doing the same thing. The only thing is, in America they did it in enclaves where the local leadership wanted them to protest and supported the protests. Say Berkley and Baltimore, for example. Not in places where they would get shot. Like in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. That is the big difference between China and the USA.

    The Chinese do not accept this kind of nonsense. So they fight back as these two videos indicate.

    First, we have a pissed off mother. (Though she is blaming Japan for initiating all the violence.)

    Then we have some pissed off office workers…

    You will note that this narrative is not promoted in the Western press. At best they might mention that “Pro-Chinese” people lash back at the protesters. But what is really happening is that shop owners, workers, people going to work, and street vendors are all really pissed off that their nice orderly life is being torn apart by these kids.

    Hands are NOT tied…

    The Chinese government is not ham-strung by an aggressive media propaganda machine, and public opinion. They have lived through numerous SJW uprisings and they know what can happen with they are not squelched rapidly and forcefully.

    People die.

    President Xi Peng saw this personally… up front and up close. He will NOT permit to happen on his watch. No way. No how.

    If you don’t know what I am referring to, then read this article (opens up in a separate window.).

    When the SJW movement took control of China

    To this end, they have practiced, planned, and have worked on solutions. Here is one such video on what to expect if the local HK government fails to contain the radical Social Justice Warrior elements…

    Make no mistake. The Chinese government will shoot to kill if order is not stabilized soon.

    Make no mistake. The Chinese take these protests as a very serious threat, and they are prepared to fight against the protesters.

    And while I can show you the reader, video after video of Chinese SWAT and paramilitary forces training inside Hong Kong in riot and capture duties, perhaps this recent video of HK police can convince you that the Chinese do NOT mess around…

    I have many more videos, but I just cannot put them into a single post. It will bog down your computer terribly. So to watch the rest of the videos in this post, please continue…

    Continued-graphic-arrow

    If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

    Links about China

    Here are some links about my observations on China. I think that you, the reader, might find them to be of interest. Please kindly enjoy.

    Popular Music of China
    Chinese weapons systems
    Chinese motor sports
    End of the Day Potato
    Dog Shit
    Dancing Grandmothers
    Dance Craze
    When the SJW movement took control of China
    Family Meal
    Freedom & Liberty in China
    Ben Ming Nian
    Beware the Expat
    Fake Wine
    Fat China
    Business KTV
    How I got married in China.
    Chinese apartment houses
    Chinese Culture Snapshots
    Rural China
    Chinese New Year

    China and America Comparisons

    As an American, I cannot help but compare what my life was in the United States with what it is like living in China. Here we discuss that.

    SJW
    Playground Comparisons
    The Last Straw
    Leaving the USA
    Diversity Initatives
    Democracy
    Travel outside
    10 Misconceptions about China
    Top Ten Misconceptions

    The Chinese Business KTV Experience

    This is the real deal. Forget about all that nonsense that you find in the British tabloids and an occasional write up in the American liberal press. This is the reality. Read or not.

    KTV1
    KTV2
    KTV3
    KTV4
    KTV5
    KTV6
    KTV7
    KTV8
    KTV9
    KTV10
    KTV11
    KTV12
    KTV13
    KTV14
    KTV15
    KTV16
    KTV17
    KTV18
    KTV19
    KTV20

    Learning About China

    Who doesn’t like to look at pretty girls? Ugly girls? Here we discuss what China is like by looking at videos of pretty girls doing things in China.

    Pretty Girls 1
    Pretty Girls 2
    Pretty Girls 3
    Pretty Girls 4
    Pretty Girls 5

    Contemporaneous Chinese Music

    This is a series of posts that discuss contemporaneous popular music in China. It is a wide ranging and broad spectrum of travel, and at that, all that I am able to provide is the flimsiest of overviews. However, this series of posts should serve as a great starting place for investigation and enjoyment.

    Part 1 - Popular Music of China
    Part 3 -Popular music of China.
    Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
    Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5B - The popular music of China.
    Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
    Part D - The popular music of China.
    Part 5E - A happy Joe.
    Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5F - The popular music of China.
    Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 10 - Music of China.
    Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

    Parks in China

    The parks in China are very unique. They are enormous and tend to be very mountainous. Here we take a look at this most interesting of subjects.

    Parks in China - 1
    Pars in China - 2
    Parks in China - 3
    Visiting a park in China - 4
    High Speed Rail in China
    Visiting a park in China - 5
    Beautiful China part 6
    Parks in China - 7
    Visiting a park in China - 8

    Really Strange China

    Here are some posts that discuss a number of things about China that might seem odd, or strange to Westerners. Some of the things are everyday events, while others are just representative of the differences in culture.

    Really Strange China 1
    Really Strange China 2
    Rally Strange China 3
    Really Strange China 4
    Really Odd China 5
    Really Strange China 6
    Really Strange China 7
    Really Strange China 8
    Really Strange China 9
    Really Strange China 10
    Really Strange China 11
    Really Strange China 12
    Really strange China 13
    Really strange China 14

    What is China like?

    The purpose of this post is to illustrate that the rest of the world, outside of America, has moved on with their lives. That while they might not be as great as America is, they are doing just fine thank you.

    And while America has been squandering it’s money, decimating it’s resources, and just being cavalier with it’s military, the rest of the world has done the opposite. They have husbanded their day to day fortunes, and you can see this in their day-to-day lives.

    What is China like - 1
    What is China like - 2
    What is China Like - 3
    What is China like - 4
    What is China like - 5
    What is China like - 6
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 9

    Summer in Asia

    Let’s take a moment to explore Asia. That includes China, but also includes such places as Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and others…

    Summer Snapshots 1
    Summer Snapshots 2
    Summer Snapshots 3
    Summer Snapshots 4
    Snapshots Summer 5
    Summer Snapshots 6
    Summer Snapshot 7
    Summer Snapshots 8
    Summer Snapshots 9
    Summer Snapshots 10
    Summer Snapshots 11
    Summer Snapshot 12

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Some fun videos of Asia; to include China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. (Part 12)

    Thank you for continuing with me in the adventure.

    But first, let me explain the photo splash at the top of the page. That picture is of two of the band members from the 1980’s hit rock/pop group “Tears for Fears”.

    The Seeds of Love is the third studio album by the British rock/pop band Tears for Fears,  released on 25 September 1989.. The album, which reportedly cost over  £1 million (GBP) to produce, retained the band's epic sound while  incorporating influences ranging from jazz and blues to The Beatles, of  which the latter is most evident on the hit single "Sowing the Seeds of Love". 
    
    -Wikipedia
    Tears for Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love

    Sometimes I really wonder about what is going on in the Western world these days. Back in the 1980’s, yes things weren’t perfect, but at least you knew that there were two genders, that a water fountain was GMO free, and that the English Queen was not transgender.

    Now, today, you haven’t a clue. The news media completely and absolutely lies about everything and changes the narrative left and right. For instance, consider the latest mass-murdering shooter…

    The Liberal Progressive socialists in charge of the American mainstream media and the software giants have rewritten the narrative of the events that transpired.

    He was a Obama-following Antifa member, and now his history was changed to a crazed Trump QANAON.

    There’s only one thing…

    Real Conservatives, if pushed to violence, would not strike out at innocents. They would attack the instigators, the leaders, and those that finance what ever problems that they are dealing with. This fellow attacked innocents. Ergo – not a conservative.

    Leftists Change Shooter Patrick Crusius’s MyLife Page

    No kidding!

    You have this Antifa progressive Obama follower who shoots up a ton load of people in a Walmart. Immediately the news media is blaming Trump for “Right Wing” Violence. When it was no such thing. Now, plastered all over the internet is the rewritten narrative that he was a Right-Wing Trump following kook and guns must be banned.

    Perhaps, a little peek at what the news media did and handled this is in order, eh?

    Some history…

    A Walmart in Texas was shot up in August 2019 when a gunman rampaged through the store using an AK-47 clone. The event is known as the Cielo Vista Mall shooting in El Paso, Texas. He left a manifesto where he claimed to be a follower of Trump and wanted to kill all the illegal aliens in Texas.

    Sounds pretty damning. Why it fits exactly the mainstream press narrative of a typical Trump supporter.

    Then they got the guy.

    Washington Examiner reporter Anna Giaritelli posted the name and a photos of the alleged shooter, sourced to law enforcement. “A law enforcement official in El Paso told me the Walmart shooter is in custody. His name is Patrick Crusius of Allen, a town in Texas outside of Dallas. He is pretty young, having just turned 21 years old this week.

    A law enforcement official in El Paso told me the  Walmart shooter is in custody. Patrick Crusius of Dallas. Just turned  21 years old this week. pic.twitter.com/CEJh6rYij1
    
    — Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) August 3, 2019

    But don’t ya know, Patrick Crusius has a profile on MyLife.com.

    MyLife is an American  information brokerage founded in 2002 as Reunion.com. 
    
    MyLife gathers  personal information through public records and other sources to  automatically generate a “MyLife Public Page” for each person, described by MyLife as a “complete Wikipedia-like biography on every American.” 
    
    While people can edit their data, the software organization MyLife can change and rewrite a person's profile at will.

    So, you would think that the American mainstream news media would take this information and disseminate it to the public? Nope…

    On 3AUG19, at 2:46 PM the website MyLife had this profile for the deranged killer Patrick Crusius. It was quite clear. His original profile at 2:46 said he was a registered Democrat.

    Look for yourself…

    The deranged killer Patrick Crusius is a progressive democrat.
    The deranged killer Patrick Crusius is a progressive democrat.

    While he was in jail, right after the police caught him, there were some changes made to his profile. How? I do not know. What I do know is that his political affiliation was changed from Democrat to Republican on the day of the mass shooting.

    Here is the changed profile. Check the dates and times. Notice what they wrote on the Summary…

    Leftists rewriting history
    Mall shooter has had his past history rewritten.

    Yes. The leftists wrote;

    "Before becoming a mass shooter / murderer, Patrick was a registered Republican, and Evangelical Christian. A former campaign worker for Donald Trump, he was also a QANON conspiracy theorist, and INCEL. "

    Ethnicity was changed to African American, as well. WTF?

    Now, if that wasn’t bad enough, it was changed yet again…

    Leftists rewriting history yet again.
    Leftists rewriting history yet again.

    By Saturday night it continued to be revised. Now including anti-Jewish racial slurs and all sorts of the things that fit the CNN black & White narrative of what a Conservative is.

    Progressive Democrat Socialists rewriting the MyLife profile for a mass muurdering Antifa member.
    Progressive Democrat Socialists rewriting the MyLife profile for a mass murdering Antifa member.

    Now what can we take from all this nonsense? Well…

    Do Not Believe What You Read on the Internet

    As far as his political leanings are concerned… traditional conservatives do not harm innocents. Only progressive leftists do. Don’t believe me? Crack open a fucking history book won’t ya?

    Last minute commentary…

    It seems strange to me that all of a sudden this push for gun bans and Red Flag laws, and "Alt Right" violence. It is almost like the time-table for the Hillary / Socialist take over of the country never reset after the election of Trump. 
    
    It's like everything is just following the same timetable that was put in place under Obama.

    Here are six posts that discuss this matter in detail…

    What is planned for American Conservatives - Part 2
    What is going to happen to conservatives - Part 3.
    What is planned for conservatives - part 4
    What is in store for Conservatives - part 5
    What is in store for conservatives - part 6

    OK. That being said, let’s move on out of the 1980’s and into contemporaneous Asia…

    Bring back the Summer, lover…

    I really like this.

    I haven’t figured out what it is. Is it a movie? A cartoon? A music video? A narrative? Or what. Whatever it is, I like it.

    Imagine this in the USA… not!

    You would NEVER see this in the United States. It would be considered cultural misappropriation.

    Remember, boys and girls, China is a meritocracy. You must strive to be the best that you can be, or go begging in the streets. There is no room for sloth, welfare moms, and freeloaders.

    Remember everyone…

    Universities in the United States have been discriminating against Asian students because their success makes racial minorities look and feel bad. Do not think that there will not be some kind of blow-back to their social re-engineering efforts. Ah. You do not mess around with the Chinese. Fools.

    As we used to say in Pennsylvania…

    You can put on lipstick, curl the hair, wear eyelashes, and put on a nice dress… but a pig is still a pig.

    Diversity quotas are like putting lipstick on a pig. It might sound good, it might make the pigs happy, but very few people will actually find the pig beautiful.
    Diversity quotas are like putting lipstick on a pig. It might sound good, it might make the pigs happy, but very few people will actually find the pig beautiful.

    Welcome to YiChang…

    China has so many cities. Many (so called) towns would pass as large cities in the United States. Here’s an example of the small town of YiChang. Check it out why don’t ya…

    Religious girls in Thailand

    Just look at these beauties. They are so very yummy.

    You know as I get older I really realize that it is our actions that complement our inherent attractiveness. It is how we behave, and how we interact with others that define our overall appearance.

    Chinese Aviation

    Aviation. I love it whether it is my very own background in American Naval Aviation, or aviation elsewhere, it is an interest and a passion of mine. Yes it is. Sort of like cats, dogs, and pizza. It’s like how I feel about pretty girls and red wine. I love it all.

    Here we have a nice video (micro-video natch) concerning Chinese aviation.

    Moving up… stay up

    The Chinese culture is one of merit. That permeates the entire society. Anyone who tries to cheat, or get special privileges is pretty much shunned. They are known as “Fu er di” and pretty much considered the rich spoiled kinds of society.

    Oh yes. The wealthy buy spots for their children in (the easy to bribe) American colleges, but the vast bulk of Chinese society is based upon merit. Every movie, and every song reinforces this notion.

    Here is just a small snippet of how this all manifests within the Chinese society.

    Yeah. You show that gal that you moved way past her…

    Hong Kong Protests

    Yeah. There are these “wanna have democracy” protests in Hong Kong. The American media promotes it as a some sort of a “proof” that China is gonna fall apart any day now. Yah right.

    Don’t hold your breath.

    China and Hong Kong are totally separate entities. Sort of like how Pago Pago in American Samoa is different from Kokomo, Indiana. (Bet ya didn’t know that Pago Pago is a part of an American territory.)

    Yup. Hong Kong has their own government and their own laws, and pretty much Beijing allows them autonomy in their affairs. If it didn’t, you would see many changes in Hong Kong that would better fit the traditional Chinese social model. Hong Kong is NOT run in the way Beijing prefers.

    Of course, you would never know this, or even have a clue to this situation by only reading American news media. Their role is to keep Americans ignorant of the true situation, huddled and fearful, and easily manipulated to follow heard and group behaviors.
    Screen shot of Drudge Report American news aggregator, taken Sunday 4AUG19. What a load of nonsense.
    Screen shot of Drudge Report American news aggregator, taken Sunday 4AUG19. What a load of nonsense.

    Now, that being said, here’s a video from the Hong Kong government about the situation.

    You’d NEVER see this on American mainstream media. It doesn’t fit inside the narrative.

    Actually there is so much information regarding this, that I am afraid that I will need to post 4 or 5 videos about the protests to help put things in context. This is done in the next part – part 13…


    I have many more videos, but I just cannot put them into a single post. It will bog down your computer terribly. So to watch the rest of the videos in this post, please continue…

    Continued-graphic-arrow

    If you want to go to the start of this series of posts, then please click HERE.

    Links about China

    Here are some links about my observations on China. I think that you, the reader, might find them to be of interest. Please kindly enjoy.

    Popular Music of China
    Chinese weapons systems
    Chinese motor sports
    End of the Day Potato
    Dog Shit
    Dancing Grandmothers
    Dance Craze
    When the SJW movement took control of China
    Family Meal
    Freedom & Liberty in China
    Ben Ming Nian
    Beware the Expat
    Fake Wine
    Fat China
    Business KTV
    How I got married in China.
    Chinese apartment houses
    Chinese Culture Snapshots
    Rural China
    Chinese New Year

    China and America Comparisons

    As an American, I cannot help but compare what my life was in the United States with what it is like living in China. Here we discuss that.

    SJW
    Playground Comparisons
    The Last Straw
    Leaving the USA
    Diversity Initatives
    Democracy
    Travel outside
    10 Misconceptions about China
    Top Ten Misconceptions

    The Chinese Business KTV Experience

    This is the real deal. Forget about all that nonsense that you find in the British tabloids and an occasional write up in the American liberal press. This is the reality. Read or not.

    KTV1
    KTV2
    KTV3
    KTV4
    KTV5
    KTV6
    KTV7
    KTV8
    KTV9
    KTV10
    KTV11
    KTV12
    KTV13
    KTV14
    KTV15
    KTV16
    KTV17
    KTV18
    KTV19
    KTV20

    Learning About China

    Who doesn’t like to look at pretty girls? Ugly girls? Here we discuss what China is like by looking at videos of pretty girls doing things in China.

    Pretty Girls 1
    Pretty Girls 2
    Pretty Girls 3
    Pretty Girls 4
    Pretty Girls 5

    Contemporaneous Chinese Music

    This is a series of posts that discuss contemporaneous popular music in China. It is a wide ranging and broad spectrum of travel, and at that, all that I am able to provide is the flimsiest of overviews. However, this series of posts should serve as a great starting place for investigation and enjoyment.

    Part 1 - Popular Music of China
    Part 3 -Popular music of China.
    Part 3 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    part 3B - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 4 - The contemporaneous popular music of China.
    Part 5 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5B - The popular music of China.
    Part 5C - The music of contemporary China.
    Part D - The popular music of China.
    Part 5E - A happy Joe.
    Part 5F - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 5F - The popular music of China.
    Post 6 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 7 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Post 8 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 9 - The contemporaneous music of China.
    Part 10 - Music of China.
    Post 11 - The contemporaneous music of China.

    Parks in China

    The parks in China are very unique. They are enormous and tend to be very mountainous. Here we take a look at this most interesting of subjects.

    Parks in China - 1
    Pars in China - 2
    Parks in China - 3
    Visiting a park in China - 4
    High Speed Rail in China
    Visiting a park in China - 5
    Beautiful China part 6
    Parks in China - 7
    Visiting a park in China - 8

    Really Strange China

    Here are some posts that discuss a number of things about China that might seem odd, or strange to Westerners. Some of the things are everyday events, while others are just representative of the differences in culture.

    Really Strange China 1
    Really Strange China 2
    Rally Strange China 3
    Really Strange China 4
    Really Odd China 5
    Really Strange China 6
    Really Strange China 7
    Really Strange China 8
    Really Strange China 9
    Really Strange China 10
    Really Strange China 11
    Really Strange China 12
    Really strange China 13
    Really strange China 14

    What is China like?

    The purpose of this post is to illustrate that the rest of the world, outside of America, has moved on with their lives. That while they might not be as great as America is, they are doing just fine thank you.

    And while America has been squandering it’s money, decimating it’s resources, and just being cavalier with it’s military, the rest of the world has done the opposite. They have husbanded their day to day fortunes, and you can see this in their day-to-day lives.

    What is China like - 1
    What is China like - 2
    What is China Like - 3
    What is China like - 4
    What is China like - 5
    What is China like - 6
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 8
    What is China like - 9

    Summer in Asia

    Let’s take a moment to explore Asia. That includes China, but also includes such places as Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and others…

    Summer Snapshots 1
    Summer Snapshots 2
    Summer Snapshots 3
    Summer Snapshots 4
    Snapshots Summer 5
    Summer Snapshots 6
    Summer Snapshot 7
    Summer Snapshots 8
    Summer Snapshots 9
    Summer Snapshots 10
    Summer Snapshots 11
    Summer Snapshot 12

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles sequentially by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    Picture Dump 1

    Here are some pictures that I have collected from all over, and for Lord only knows why. Before I discard them off my HD, I’ve decided to share them with all of you out there is Internet-person land.

    SHTF Romanian Style

    Picture dump of the Romanian armed revolt.
    Soldiers and armed civilians occupy the office of ousted Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu in the capital Bucharest on Dec. 26, 1989, the day after he was executed.

    The Progressive Dream

    This is pretty much what all the progressive socialists and SJW’s think that world will turn into once they are the boss and are given the ability to tell everyone else what to do. Hum. Do you all think that this is what’s going to happen? Nope, neither do I.

    Swiss Bf-109’s

    Swiss Air Force markings.
    During World War II, the “neutral” Swiss traded with Nazi Germany. This picture describes the markings on their BF-109’s.

    Conan gives his advice on life…

    Conan
    Conan gives his advice on life. He describes how life works and how much he enjoys “smelling the flowers”.

    Three types of men

    There are three types of men.
    There are three types of men. Which type are you?

    Hillery explains her plans to her followers…

    Hillery Philsophy
    Hillery explains her governmental philosophy to her “followers”. We need to take things away from the people so that they can be ruled over by a benevolent, smarter government. Yes. Just like how she and her husband did all those years in government.

    Hoe squad at the ADC

    Hoe squad at the ADC
    Hole squad at the ADC. This is Cummins. Yup, this is what it is like. This is what Hard Labor is like in Arkansas and it is anything but easy.

    Enlarged detail in the “Drone Hoax”

    NSA spent a lot of time disparaging the MAJestic disclosure.
    NSA spent a lot of time disparaging the MAJestic disclosure. This is for C.A.R.E.T. and MAJestic. Whatever. This is an enlarged view of the underside of one of those pesky “drone hoaxes” that are (wink – wink) just a hoax.

    SHTF imagery

    SHTF
    SHTF and CW2 is never pretty. Luckily we have photographs of what it looks like, though it seems that many are now getting placed behind paywalls for some reason or the other making them inaccessible.

    The Four Conspirators

    Hanging of the four conspirators
    Hanging of the four conspirators involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

    Saint Joseph’s Church

    Saint Joseph's Church
    I often read nonsense about China on American forums. As someone who is living in China, I find many of the so-called reports from “experts” to be just made up lies. LIES. So when I read about church cross removal in China, well, the first thing that I do is go to the nearby church and see what is going on. In every instance, what is going on is absolutely nothing. The cross still stands proud and high.

    How the business-world works

    The real world.
    It doesn’t matter what kind of business you are in, they all work this way. From getting a hamburger, to ordering a F-35 fighter jet. This is the way it works, and no denials or creative solutions is going to change that.

    Norman Thomas Quote

    Norman Thomas quote
    Norman Thomas quote; the American people would NEVER knowingly adopt socialism.

    Symbology Coincidences

    Symbology
    There seems to be a lot of coincidences in regards to symbology.

    Anon discovers vote fraud…

    Vote Fraud.
    Discovered and proven. Taken to the police to act on. No action taken. The government in power wants vote fraud, and the opposition parties is supportive of that.

    Suburban ideal

    Dream house in America.
    Nice duplex from the early 1960’s. This was the dream house for many a young couple.

    Time for some soup…

    Serious eats.
    Slow cooker Chicken Tortilla soup. Now, wouldn’t you just love to have a bowl of this most delicious soup? I know that I would.

    MK-ULTRA Film Purge

    MK-ULTRA
    The United States government attacked it’s citizens in a large series of tests used to control the minds of people. When discovered, they immediately erased and destroyed as much documentation that they could. Precious few photos or documentation remains. This is one such photo.

    Leave on time…

    Always leave the office on time.
    Always leave the office on time.

    The CIA heads for the hills…

    The CIA leaves Cambodia.
    After the CIA messed up Cambodia and allowed the Communist insurgents to take over the nation, there was wide-spread panic. This photo depicts American military protecting the CIA assets as they evacuate the Cambodian capital city.

    Intention Imagery

    Pizza on the beach.
    If you want to create a vision board for intention generation, you cannot go wrong with using this image. Nothing is finer than a pizza pie on the beach on a fine day.

    Bill Clinton?

    Bill Clinton
    I was once told that this was a photo of Bill Clinton. I mean it sort of looks like him, but the mustache doesn’t quite fit. Maybe it’s his body double.

    She’s a real cow…

    She's a real cow.
    I know that some people want to get all costumed up for sex, but this I am afraid, is a little extreme. Don’t you all think?

    The Pearly Gates

    Let bygones be bygones.
    I have met many people who earnestly believe that they can be bad and ask for forgiveness so that they can reserve a seat for themselves in Heaven. I’ve got news for you all. It doesn’t work that way. Forgiveness is earned over time.

    Now for the rest of the story…

    Cambodian troops
    Once the CIA failed, and the Cambodian government collapsed, the American instigators fled the country. What remained, the military and the police were ordered to turn in their weapons to the new progressive communist government of Pol Pot. Once, the weapons were turned in and collected, the soldiers were rounded up, collected. They were cataloged and photographed. Then they were killed. Killed dead. That’s progressive socialists for you.

    China on the dark side of the Moon

    Chinese lunar rover.
    China has landed a lander on the dark side of the Moon. This is a real difficult feat as there just isn’t any kind of direct way to communicate with Earth based command and control. Instead, an orbiting satellite must relay remote commands to the lunar rover. Pretty cool stuff.

    Being a boy in the 1960’s

    THis is what boyhood was like.
    This is what boyhood was like. He has his toy pistol and holster (now banned by the Democrats), his little red wagon which was a boyhood staple. As well as the all-metal tricycle that was eventually displaced by a plastic one in the 1970’s.

    Grilled Ruben Sandwiches

    Grilled Ruben Sandwich.
    Beer goes great with a grilled Ruben sandwich. As does the proper dipping sauce of Thousand-Island dressing, and a nice pickle along the side. Personally, I believe that a fine frosty beer would go great with this sandwich. Don’t you?

    The Seven Rules of Life

    The seven rules of life.
    The seven rules of life.

    Chicken, Beer and slaw…

    Chicken, beer and coleslaw.
    Life is too short not to enjoy chicken, beer and coleslaw. I think that we owe it to ourselves to enjoy life to our fullest, and that means good food, great drinks and fine friends.

    Dickenson’s Political Spectrum

    Political chart
    This is the Dickenson’s political chart of political philosophies.

    BLT with peaches on the side.

    BLT
    The primary characteristic of a well-made BLT is the abundance of bacon and fresh delicious tomatoes. You also must make sure that the bread is properly toasted. For only the properly toasted bread will serve to complement a mighty proper icy beer.

    Consort Ranking for Chinese Kings

    Managmeent of Consorts in China.
    This is how consorts are traditionally managed in China. In China, the King often had a great selection of women to choose from to mate, and “consort” with. They followed some strict rules of internal society, and it pretty much followed a pyramid like structure.

    Prerequisites for Draining the Swamp

    Facts and rules.
    Unless active and proactive tasks are undertaken to drain the swamp, it will never be drained. It will only get worse, and eventually will come a point of collapse. Also known as the SHTF and CWII events. Who is currently active in these areas today?

    How to cut a club sandwich.

    How to cut a club sandwich.
    When making a club sandwich you need to be very careful and cut cross-wise. That way you can have four tiny triangle shaped bites of delicious sandwich.

    Purchasing Power of the USD

    The USD has very little worth.
    The USD has very little worth. If you think that a 22 trillion dollar debt is going to make things better, then you are sorely mistaken.

    The American Dream

    The American Dream.
    The American dream is one with a family eating together in the backyard on a nice sunny Summer afternoon. It is a time of togetherness, clean and cheerful clothes and mowed grass. Not to mention the very delicious hotdogs.

    When things go wrong…

    When things go wrong. Poor guy.
    When things go wrong. Poor guy.

    Tired Car

    Tired Car
    Tired Car

    Progressive Liberal Militia to go after Deplorable Nazi Racists.

    Berkley California Liberal Militia.
    Berkley California Liberal Militia. They are armed and equipped with multiple round magazines that are against the law in the State of California, but apparently progressive Marxists get a pass in obeying the law. This group was formed to fight against deplorable racist anti-progressive forces.

    Posts Regarding Life and Contentment

    Here are some other similar posts on this venue. If you enjoyed this post, you might like these posts as well. These posts tend to discuss growing up in America. Often, I like to compare my life in America with the society within communist China. As there are some really stark differences between the two.

    What is going on in Hollywood?
    Why no High-Speed rail in the USA?
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Tomatos
    Link
    Mad scientist
    Gorilla Cage in the basement
    The two family types and how they work.
    How to manage a family household.
    Link
    Soups, Sandwiches and ice cold beer.
    Pleasures
    Work in the 1960's
    School in the 1970s
    Cat Heaven
    Corporate life
    Corporate life - part 2
    Build up your life
    Grow and play - 1
    Grow and play - 2
    Baby's got back
    Link
    A womanly vanity
    Army and Navy Store
    Playground Comparisons
    Excuses that we use that keep us enslaved.

    More Posts about Life

    I have broken apart some other posts. They can best be classified about ones actions as they contribute to happiness and life. They are a little different, in subtle ways.

    Being older
    Things I wish I knew.
    Link
    Travel
    PT-141
    Bronco Billy
    How they get away with it
    Paper Airplanes
    Snopes
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    1960's and 1970's link
    Democracy Lessons
    The Rule of Eight

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

    • You can start reading the articles by going HERE.
    • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
    • You can also ask the author some questions. You can go HERE to find out how to go about this.
    • You can find out more about the author HERE.
    • If you have concerns or complaints, you can go HERE.
    • If you want to make a donation, you can go HERE.

    When Hollywood was capable of making decent movies; The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

    Here is a movie that I loved as a kid. There are people who think that it is a piece of Satanic propaganda. I disagree. I just think that it is a chunky tongue in cheek, campy, pseudo horror flick from the 1970’s.

    Here’s my take on this masterpiece of camp.

    They just don’t make ‘em like The Abominable Dr. Phibes* anymore. In fact, they just don’t make ‘em like Vincent Price  anymore, either. Dr. Phibes, first off, is the definitive role that  Vincent Price was born to play, and second off, is firmly embedded in a  different time. He belongs to the era of 1950s EC Comics horror titles  such as “Tales from the Crypt,” “The Vault of Horror,” and “Weird  Fantasy.” 
    
    -All Horror

    A Satanic Movie?

    Well, well. It turns out that the Church of Satan founder Anton Szandor LaVey has claimed that the main character in this Vincent Price film was based on him.

    I would have never even associated Vincent Price with any kind or works of Satan. He was, after all, just an actor who played Satanic roles to the “T”.

    The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a 1971 British dark comedy horror film, produced by Ronald S. Dunas and Louis M. Heyward, directed by Robert Fuest, written by William Goldstein and James Whiton, and starring Vincent Price and Joseph Cotten. 
    
    Its art deco sets, dark humour, and performance by Price have made the film and its sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again cult classics. 
    
    -Wikipedia.

    Anyways, this character’s name is Dr. Anton Phibes and he’s an organist, researcher, medical doctor, biblical scholar and ex-vaudevillian who has created a clockwork band of robot musicians to play old standards at his whim.

    Now, in hindsight, seeing as how nearly all of these things match up with Satanist LaVey, I can kind of see his point. Kinda.

    Though, this movie isn’t going to be useful for recruiting anyone to follow Satan, I’m afraid.

    “I won’t do another Phibes film unless Robert Fuest directs it. He’s the only person in the world who is mad enough to direct the Dr. Phibes films. He’s a genuine, registered nut! He even looks like a madman. He’s all over the place, like an unmade bed. What imagination he has. They were all his ideas…. Bob has never done anything that was nearly as good as the Dr. Phibes films.”
    — Vincent Price, 1979

    The Movie

    Dr. Phibes main ballroom.
    The film begins with a dark figure playing gothic music on a huge pipe organ. The audience for this recital of sorts seems to be having a wonderful time…until you look a bit closer. They are all mannequins seated in positions that give the illusion that they are enjoying themselves in a lavish nightclub. Then we see the first appearance of Vulnavia (Virginia North). Though she never speaks a word through the entire movie, Vulvania has quite an impact. Vulnavia and the organ player proceed through a highly ritualized chain of events, gliding through loading an automobile with a large box, driving to a swank part of London and arriving at a large British mansion.

    The sets in this movie are amazing and lavish.

    This movie is one I can’t be quiet about. It’s one of the strangest and most delightful films I’ve ever seen.

    Dr. Phibes (his particular field is never given) is an underground  aristocrat in early 20th-century London, who is bereaved of his late  wife Victoria after a fatal car crash. Phibes himself is also presumed  dead by the authorities, since his own car went off a cliff when he was  en route to his wife. Victoria died on the operating table, the doctors  unable to help her, and now Dr. Phibes has sworn vengeance against the  doctors he blames for his wife’s death.
    
    So what, he’s going to  hire lawyers and sue for malpractice? Oh no, much too common. He’s going  to kill them off one by one! To do so, he’s going to hatch contrived  murder traps based (very loosely) upon the ten plagues of Egypt  mentioned in both the Quran and the Bible. What, do you expect him to  take a gun and shoot them, like a bourgeois commoner? Nope, his traps  involve several species of animal, in between intricate mechanical  devices that must have cost a fortune to research and manufacture for  this single use. He also has a pendant necklace for each victim, which  he will hang around a wax bust of its target after a successful kill and  melt with a blowtorch. 
    
     -All Horror 

    Dr. Anton Phibes died in Switzerland, racing back home upon hearing the news that his beloved bridge Victoria (an uncredited Caroline Munro) had died during surgery.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 2
    On team Phibes, we have his mute but fashionable assistant, Vulnavia (Virginia North). When she isn’t running errands for Dr. Phibes transporting cages of deadly animals around London, she’s dancing up a storm with him in his underground ballroom or providing moral support playing a violin that’s color-coordinated to match her current outfit.

    The truth is that Phibes has survived, scarred beyond belief and unable to speak, but alive. He uses all of the skills that he’s mastered to rebuild his face and approximate a human voice.

    Oh yeah. Aside from all that, he also may or may not be a tad bit insane.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 3
    The police, led by Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey), keep a stiff upper British lip as they scurry around England trying to put together clues to all the steampunk devices and menagerie of exotic creatures. They’re pretty far behind the mad Dr. Phibes and don’t catch up very quickly. The targeted doctors themselves aren’t exactly elusive prey either, as they’re all dupes who spend more time nurturing obsessions with stag movies or model trains than taking the police warnings seriously. When caught, they have a tendency to sit politely and accept their deaths rather than do something so un-British-like as get up and run away, because they haven’t been excused.

    Now, Phibes believes that the doctors who operated on his wife were incompetent and therefore must pay for their insolence. So he does what anyone else would do: visit the Biblical ten plagues of Egypt on every single one of them.

    Now people, listen up! That’s how you get revenge, and do it properly.

    The Tale of the Killdozer.

    Phibes is, of course, played by Vincent Price. No one else could handle this role. Or this movie.

    There’s hardly any dialogue for the first ten minutes of the movie. Instead, there are long musical numbers of Phibes and his clockwork band playing old standards. In fact, Phibes doesn’t speak for the first 32 minutes of the movie.

    Anyone who asks questions like “Why?” and says things like “This movie makes no sense” will be dealt with accordingly.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 4
    But we haven’t gotten around to Phibes himself yet! He’s disfigured from his own accident, so he wears a mask that bears a remarkable resemblance to Vincent Price, and he’s rendered unable to speak, so he has to plug a huge-horned Victrola into a cord on the side of his neck and mime along with his own dubbed dialogue. He completes this eccentric performance by being a fashionable man-about-town, and his disfigurement doesn’t stop him from having unbounded pride in his appearance, as his face is plastered as a logo on the walls of his mansion and even the tinted windows of his car.

    After the first few murders, Inspector Trout gets on the case. He becomes Phibes’ main antagonist for this and the following film, trying to prove that all of these murders — the doctors and nurse who had been on the team of Dr. Vesalius (Joseph Cotten!) — are connected.

    Phibes then stays one step ahead of the police, murdering everyone with bees, snow, a unicorn statue, locusts and rats, sometimes even right next to where the cops have staked him out.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 5
    Dr Phibes spends his free time playing an organ in his underground lair, accompanied by a whole orchestra of automatons dubbed “Dr. Phibes Clockwork Wizards.” His other pursuits include delivering rambling eulogies to his late wife, to whom he has built a shrine. In a career with some serious ham and cheese in it, Dr. Phibes is one of Vincent Price’s hammiest roles!

    Vulnavia

    Dr. Phibes is assisted by the lovely Vulnavia. We’re never informed that she’s a robot, but the opinion of others, she actually is. Both she and the doctor are the most fashion-forward of all revenge killers I’ve seen outside of Meiko Kaji and Christina Lindberg.

    Writer William Goldstein wrote Vulnavia as another clockwork robot with a wind-up key in her neck. Fuest thought that Phibes demanded a more mobile assistant, so he made her human, yet one with a blank face and mechanical body movements.

     "Easy does it. I think it's a left-handed thread." 
    
    — Policeman unscrewing a victim impaled by a unicorn horn,  The Abominable Dr. Phibes 

    I still like to think that she’s a machine, particularly because she returns in the next film after her demise here. Also — Fuest rewrote nearly the entire script.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 6
    The Abominable Dr. Phibes is a cult classic today, even amongst the non-horror muggles. The film plays a strident note in between camp and grotesque, with art-deco sets and baroque flourishes everywhere. While there isn’t much to the story beyond “madman kills people in obsessive revenge,” the style trumps the substance. One minor quibble is that the scenes involving animals, in those pre-CGI days, didn’t get the animals full cooperation and seem to be more cuddly than threatening. And of course, the whole thing is dated and intentionally corny, so if you like your horror serious, this isn’t the film for you.

    The Key to the Heart

    After killing off everyone else — sorry Terry-Thomas! — Phibes kidnaps Dr. Vesalius’ son and implants a key inside his heart that will unlock the boy. However, if the doctor doesn’t finish the surgery on his son in six minutes — the same amount of time he had spent trying to save Phibes’ wife — acid will rain down and kill both he and his boy.

    Against all odds, Vesalius is successful.

    Dr Phibes -misc
    The Abominable Dr Phibes is a camp masterpiece. It has a sublime elegance – what other film could offer up a scene where a man’s blood is drained to the accompaniment of a woman in furs standing outside playing a melancholic violin solo. There is such a droll sense of humor at work here – like the moment Vincent Price’s deformed title doctor pours a glass of champagne and then tips it up to his neck to drink, or puts a finger dipped in the vegetable juice to his neck to taste the flavor. There is the joyously droll moment where Maurice Kaufman is impaled against the wall on the horn of a unicorn head fired from a cannon, with the bumbling police then having to unscrew the body from the wall, while arguing over which way the thread of the horn’s screw runs.

    But… Poor Vulnavia.

    Vulnavia, in the middle of destroying Phibes’ clockwork orchestra, is sprayed by the acid and killed while the doctor himself replaces his blood with a special fluid and lies down to eternal sleep with his wife, happy that he has had his revenge.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 8
    The Abominable Dr Phibes is a camp masterpiece. It has a sublime elegance – what other film could offer up a scene where a man’s blood is drained to the accompaniment of a woman in furs standing outside playing a melancholic violin solo. There is such a droll sense of humor at work here – like the moment Vincent Price’s deformed title doctor pours a glass of champagne and then tips it up to his neck to drink, or puts a finger dipped in the vegetable juice to his neck to taste the flavor. There is the joyously droll moment where Maurice Kaufman is impaled against the wall on the horn of a unicorn head fired from a cannon, with the bumbling police then having to unscrew the body from the wall, while arguing over which way the thread of the horn’s screw runs.

    The Ten Plagues

    If you’re interested, the ten plagues Phibes unleashes are:

    • Blood: He drains all of Dr. Longstreet’s blood
    • Frogs: He uses a mechanical frog mask to kill Dr. Hargreaves at a costume party
    • Bats: A more cinematic plague than lice from the Biblical plagues, Phibes uses these airborne rodents to kill Dr. Dunwoody
    • Rats: Again, better than flies, rats overwhelm Dr. Kitaj and cause his plane to crash
    • Pestilence: This one is a leap, but the unicorn head that kills Dr. Whitcombe qualifies
    • Boils: Professor Thornton is stung to death by bees
    • Hail: Dr. Hedgepath is frozen by an ice machine
    • Locusts: The nurse is devoured by them thanks to an ingenious trap
    • Darkness: Phibes joins his wife in eternal rest during a solar eclipse
    • Death of the firstborn: Phibes kidnaps and the son of Dr. Vesalius

    I love that this movie appears lost in time. While set in the 1920’s, many of the songs weren’t released until the 1940’s. Also, Phibes has working robots and high technology, despite the era the film is set in.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 7
    Vincent Price gives the best performance of his life as a madman, seemingly trapped inside his own face, all the time delivering hilariously flowery eulogies to his dead wife via speaker-phone. There is that marvelously wicked little chuckle he gives, sitting sniffing a daisy as he watches one victim go down in a plane. He’s perfect. The scenes in the house as Price and the lovely never-speaking Virginia North sweep across the ballroom floor, amid painted Art Deco cycloramas and a clockwork orchestra have a beautiful, elegant sophistication. There is also a superb score.

    There’s nothing quite like this movie. I encourage you to take the rest of the day off and savor it.

    A Satanic Film?

    How does Phibes live up to being a Satanic film? In my opinion, Phibes embodies one of the nine Satanic statements to its utmost: Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek.

    Indeed, the men and woman whose negligence led to the loss of Phibes’ wife were never punished. Phibes had to become their judge, jury and yes, destroyer.

    The abominable Dr. Phibes 10
    If you are planning on spending some time this weekend watching a movie, whether in the comfort of your own company, or with a sweetheart or friend, I’d like to recommend The Abominable Dr. Phibes for your evening’s selection. In this cult horror classic directed by Robert Fruest, screen legend Vincent Price is the eponymous Dr. Phibes, a reclusive genius who can build incredible musical automatons, play a mean organ, waltz till the cows come home, and still manage to exact his carefully cultivated plan of vengeance, all while wearing great capes.

    On the other hand — or hoof, as it were — Phibes is the exact antithesis of the ninth Satanic sin, Lack of Aesthetics, which states that “an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness.

    It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is.

    Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.” So much of what makes this film is that Phibes’ musical art is just as essential as his demented nature and abilities.

    Music is the core of his soul, not just revenge.

    Vulnavia from the first Dr. Phibes movie.
    If you are planning on spending some time this weekend watching a movie, whether in the comfort of your own company, or with a sweetheart or friend, I’d like to recommend The Abominable Dr. Phibes for your evening’s selection. In this cult horror classic directed by Robert Fruest, screen legend Vincent Price is the eponymous Dr. Phibes, a reclusive genius who can build incredible musical automatons, play a mean organ, waltz till the cows come home, and still manage to exact his carefully cultivated plan of vengeance, all while wearing great capes. Assisted by his stylish, silent accomplice Vulnavia (Virginia North), Phibes carries out murderous revenge, styled (if a little loosely) after the Ten Plagues of Egypt, on the various medical professionals he believes botched his wife’s medical treatment and caused her untimely death.

    Back to Dr. Anton LaVey

    Another point of view comes from Draconis Blackthorne of the Sinister Screen: “This is an aesthetically-beauteous film, replete with Satanic architecture as well as ideology. Those who know will recognize these subtle and sometimes rather blatant displays.

    Obviously, to those familiar with the life of our Founder, there are several parallels between the Dr. Anton Phibes character and that of Dr. Anton LaVey – they even share the same first name, and certain propensities.”

    So maybe it is a kind of homage to Satanist Dr. Anton LaVey.

    Conclusion

    Homage or not, it’s a great movie, and a fun watch. It’s not like anyone is going to be seduced to the dark side by this movie. It’s just plain campy fun.

     This film is an intriguing tale of revenge. The sets are “70s  spectacular” and the performances by Price and North are extraordinary.  There are a few elements that really make this horror movie work:
    
     • The murders are done in very creative and ingenious ways, using intricate devices and techniques. (Somebody watched The Abominable Dr Phibes before writing the horror movie Saw I’m sure)
    
     • Vincent Price pulls no punches in his over-the-top portrayal of the  good doctor, and makes him believable, as only Vincent Price could.
    
     • Humor and levity intermix with horror and intrigue, and this rescues The Abominable Dr Phibes from being a total cheese-fest.
    
     • The style and, well, “bigness” of the visuals, characters and music  result in this not just being a great Vincent Price movie, but a work  of art where every element fits together just right.
    
     The Abominable Dr Phibes showcases the brilliance of 70s  style and of the mastery of Vincent Price. Many of the younger folks may  have missed him altogether, which is a shame. I do think, though, that  one of the best contributions that the freak-show Michael Jackson has  made to the world is introducing Vincent Price to a whole new generation  of horror-buffs by using his voice in the pop music hit “Thriller” from  the 80s. Now, watch The Abominable Dr Phibes and REALLY get a taste of what made this man great. 
    
    -Horror Freak News

    Some cool links

    Torrent Links

    You can watch it for free if you don’t mind waiting a half an hour to half a day to download the torrent.

    For those of you who are unaware. Torrents are parts of files that are spread out in tiny packets all over the internet. You use a "Bit Torrent" client to vacuum up all those little bits and pieces of the file. It then assembles the file into a movie that you can watch. The time that this takes can vary from a few minutes to weeks depending on how popular or obscure your searched file is.

    You will need an application to manage the download. I recommend the free application VUZE. To download the video is thus easy. Install VUZE, and then click on one of the following torrent links.

    Depending on where you live, you might not have the freedom to access these sites and the ISP might block them from access, or the search engines might black out their search results. Americans, in particular, might have some real problems. Therefore, I listed the most accessible torrent sites available to Americans. Pirate Bay and 1337X. I think that Kick Ass Torrents is still blocked for all Americans.

    Google and Bing will most certainly block certain websites, and avoid others at the request of the United States government. From “Uncle Sam’s” point of view, you go after the “low handing fruit” that the vast bulk of Americans use. Then ridicule the outliers as “misfits”, “deplorables”, and “Nazi’s”.

    Kick Ass Torrents
    The international website “Kick Ass Torrents” was seized by the Department of Homeland Security. The reason being that they offered royalty free downloads of copyrighted movies and music. Thanks to President Obama, visiting any of these websites is a federal crime that Americans are forbidden to visit. Even for a nano-second.

    As far as privacy is concerned, Bing will alter the behavior of the Search Engine if you live in the EU.

    Movies that Inspired Me

    Here are some movies that I consider noteworthy and worth a view. Enjoy.

    The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.
    Jason and the Argonauts
    The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973)

    Stories that Inspired Me

    Here are reprints in full text of stories that inspired me, but that are nearly impossible to find in China. I place them here as sort of a personal library that I can use for inspiration. The reader is welcome to come and enjoy a read or two as well.

    Link
    Space Cadet (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    Link
    The Last Night
    The Flying Machine
    A story of escape.
    All Summer in a day.
    The Smile by Ray Bradbury
    The menace from Earth
    Delilah and the Space Rigger
    Life-Line
    The Tax-payer
    The Pedestrian
    Time for the stars.
    Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
    Starman Jones (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein.
    The Lottery (Full Text) by Shirley Jackson
    The Cold Equations (Full Text)
    Farnham's Freehold (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    Invisible Boy (Full Text) by Ray Bradbury
    Job: A Comedy of Justice (Full Text) by Robert Heinlein
    Spell my name with an "S" by Isaac Asimov
    The Proud Robot (Full Text)
    The Time Locker
    Not the First (Full Text) by A.E. van Vogt

    My Poetry

    My Kitten Knows

    Articles & Links

    You’ll not find any big banners or popups here talking about cookies and privacy notices. There are no ads on this site (aside from the hosting ads – a necessary evil). Functionally and fundamentally, I just don’t make money off of this blog. It is NOT monetized. Finally, I don’t track you because I just don’t care to.

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