I drink coffee. Oh not like I used to. But by adaptation.
You see, coffee culture in China is much different than what I have grown up with in the United States.
In the 1960’s, coffee was the cheapest thing you could get. A cup was a solid dime. that’s ten cents, and it was served on bang-on-the-table ceramic mugs. Unlimited refills were the norm.
At work it was offered free to the staff.
At home it was a fixture of life.
Well… that and beer. And cigarettes.
Then during the 1970s, the price of coffee went sky-high.
Some companies offered coffee vending machines that held small cups of very strong coffee.
By the 1970s, it was still inexpensive, but the company started charging the people to buy the coffee. We would have “collections” and then mandatory “deductions” from our pay for our contributions. We drank them from a coffee service.
Greed hit America in the 1980s.
The prices of coffee rose and rose, and with that came changes in how we drank coffee.
I would prefer to make my own. Sometimes over a fire, but mostly however I can and available at the time.
But then came Starbucks…
Starbucks started making huge profits, and became a “thing”. People who normally would have spent a quarter (twenty five cents) for a cup of coffee started paying a few dollars for the same thing. Coffee became romanticized.
The Chinese saw that the ENORMOUS profits can be extracted by selling on image though coffee; the Starbucks model. And they all wanted a piece of this.
Thus… China embraced this.
Drinking Starbucks coffee inside a coffeehouse became fashionable. And thus the price of coffee (out of Starbucks) became much more expensive. More so than anywhere in the West.
And then something happened…
Everyone started opening up their own coffee franchises.
Luckin Coffee (瑞幸咖啡)
As they grew, so did the hatred and I mean visceral hate that how dare the Chinese dare take away coffee market-share!
And it was eroding FAST!
And thus came the flood of the anti-Luckin propaganda. Probably originating from a unity of the anti-China neocon cabal, and the Starbucks mega-corporation. Working together as a serious attempt to CRUSH and DESTROY the growing coffee threat to American dominance in coffee.
Tons of propaganda.
Here’s a typical “report”…
Read the propaganda HERE.
Yeah… “why its business model is inherently flawed“.
Uh huh.
Sure.
It was everywhere in 2019.
Here’s another…
Read this nonsense HERE.
…
In 2019 they WARNED “Stay away from Luckin”.
Tons of articles. Literally thousands a day…
And with all the negative press, Americans came to believe that investing in Chinese coffee franchises were a highway to disaster.
And many in the West believed the propaganda.
So they shied away from investing.
But NOT the Chinese.
And so regardless of the propaganda spewing forth, Luckin prospered.
And thus… the enormous Chinese market pushed Luckin to become one of the top coffee franchises in China.
It’s 2025.
Six years after the anti-Luckin barrage.
Luckin is PROSPERING.
And REMAINS a serious contender to Starbucks.
Stealing or siphoning away perhaps as much as one half of Starbucks potential revenue streams.
Today, Luckin is one of the most popular brands in China.
- Overview: A Chinese-born coffee chain that has rapidly expanded since its founding in 2017. Known for its tech-driven approach, Luckin focuses on affordability, convenience, and fast delivery.
- Popularity: Gained massive popularity through app-based ordering and heavy discounts.
- Unique Features: Focus on takeaway and delivery, competitive pricing, and frequent promotions.
But you know, there are many others…
Manner Coffee (Manner咖啡)
- Overview: A Shanghai-based coffee chain known for its minimalist design, high-quality coffee, and affordable prices. It has gained a cult following among young professionals.
- Popularity: Rapidly expanding in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen.
- Unique Features: Focus on sustainability, BYO cup discounts, and small store formats.
Seesaw Coffee (Seesaw咖啡)
- Overview: A Chinese specialty coffee chain that emphasizes artisanal coffee and a third-wave coffee culture. It has a strong following among coffee connoisseurs.
- Popularity: Growing presence in major cities like Shanghai and Beijing.
- Unique Features: Focus on coffee craftsmanship, barista training, and unique store designs.
Pacific Coffee (太平洋咖啡)
- Overview: A Hong Kong-based coffee chain that has expanded into mainland China, offering a mix of Western and Asian-inspired coffee drinks.
- Popularity: Popular in business districts and among office workers.
- Unique Features: Blend of Eastern and Western coffee culture, loyalty programs.
M Stand
- Overview: A Chinese coffee chain known for its trendy, Instagrammable stores and innovative coffee drinks.
- Popularity: Popular among young, urban consumers.
- Unique Features: Creative menu items (e.g., cookie-shaped cups), modern store designs.
The Chinese coffee brands are cheaper than Starbucks, and often of higher quality as they don’t over roast for production consistency. Resulting in a more complex coffee taste and that is beneficial. As most Chinese coffees offer unique flavors and variations of coffee.
Of course, you can still get Western brands in China…
McCafé (麦咖啡)
- Overview: McDonald’s coffeehouse chain, offering affordable coffee and snacks. It has gained traction in China due to its convenience and brand recognition.
- Popularity: Widely accessible due to McDonald’s extensive network.
- Unique Features: Affordable pricing, combo deals, and convenient locations.
Tim Hortons (Tims China)
- Overview: A Canadian coffee and donut chain that has entered the Chinese market with a focus on localization and affordability.
- Popularity: Growing presence in cities like Shanghai and Beijing.
- Unique Features: Canadian-inspired menu, affordable pricing, and localized offerings.
% Arabica
- Overview: A Japanese coffee franchise that has gained popularity in China for its sleek design and high-quality, single-origin coffee.
- Popularity: Popular in affluent urban areas and among coffee enthusiasts.
- Unique Features: Minimalist aesthetic, focus on specialty coffee, and Instagram-worthy stores.
Now, I was raised in a home where everyone had a pot of coffee on the stove. And when friends came over, you would warm up the pot on the stove and pour a cup of really thick coffee to share.
Ah those days are gone.
But today, drinking coffee in China is different, and I tend to enjoy the ice cream coffee infusions that seem to be very popular. Oh, sure, I still enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee, but iced coffee seems to take the lead in China and everyone drinks it.
As do I.
Now and again.
Enjoy your joe. Guys.
Enjoy your joe.
Today…
Has anyone ever gotten over a cheating scandal/affair and continued to live with the significant other who did it? Is betrayal something you can really ever get over within a relationship?
When you are cheated on the person had not only lost trust but also respect. Both I believe can be earned again but would require much work an bs effort on both parties. If the cheater does not take accountability for their actions, show remorse and change their ways then I would say no the relationship can’t survive.
Personally I would/ am having a hard time trusting them. Everything they do seems suspicious now. Working on making myself stronger and ready to stand on my own two feet again b4 I walk. The lying and mean deflections thrown at me when this came to light died me there is no love, respect or care. Ask yourself…are you happy? Are they staying bc of the family home/assets? Many factors to coinage consider when determining if it can work out after.
Sincerely wishing you the best possible outcome for YOU! Whatever u choose to do, please keep your own self at the top. YOU are the most important factor when making ur decisions.
Family Style Calzone
Yield: 12 servings or 24 sample servings
Ingredients
- 1 egg, separated
- 1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, snipped
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 1 (15 ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 (16 ounce) pouch Pantry Pizza Crust & Roll Mix (including yeast packet)
- 1 tablespoon Pantry Italian Seasoning Mix
- 1 1/4 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
- 4 ounces sliced pepperoni, divided
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Separate egg over Small Batter Bowl using Egg Separator; beat lightly. Set egg yolk aside, covered, for later use. Chop olives using Food Chopper. Snip parsley with Kitchen Shears. Grate mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Add olives, parsley, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese to Batter Bowl; mix well with Classic Scraper. Set aside.
- In Classic Batter Bowl, combine Pizza Crust & Roll Mix with yeast packet and Seasoning Mi. Add warm water and stir until mixture forms a ball.
- Turn dough out onto well-floured Cutting Board. With floured hands, gently knead dough 8 to 10 times. Divide dough in half using Handy Scraper. Flour both sides of dough using Flour/Sugar Shaker; roll out one piece of dough to edge of Cutting Board using Dough and Pizza Roller. Place dough in bottom of Rectangular Baker, shaping to cover bottom.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese over dough to within 1/2 inch of edge. Layer half of the pepperoni over cheese. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over pepperoni. Top with remaining pepperoni and mozzarella cheese.
- Roll out remaining dough and place over filling. Press dough all around edge to seal with bottom crust. Brush surface of dough with reserved egg yolk using Pastry Brush. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Using V-Shaped Cutter, cut a decorative X pattern over surface of dough, creating holes in top layer, for steam to escape.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
1 (16 ounces) package hot roll mix can be substituted for Pantry Pizza Crust & Roll Mix, if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories 320, Total Fat 15g, Saturated Fat 8g, Cholesterol 50mg, Carbohydrate 30g, Protein 16g, Sodium 860mg, Fiber 0g
Attribution
Pampered Chef
My boyfriend screenshot and saved my 16-year-old daughter’s photo in a swimsuit. I broke up with him. Did I do the right thing?
That is a tricky question because i have a girlfriend that has a 13 year old girl and she is very pretty and yes i do have pictures of her usually that my girlfriend sends me and i save them but i do not hide them. I am against relationships with under age girls and massage thinking she is pretty, there is no sexual attraction and that’s what you really want to know if your boyfriend has. I would have been questioning him he may not be guilty of anything unless he is trying to hide it as for me i do not have any screenshot of her daughter. Most of the pictures i have is when my girlfriend get money from me and will buy her a dress or shoes for something along that line and send me a picture. There is really no more to say
Exposition (Green Flag #1)
What’s the most humiliating thing a doctor has ever said to you?
He told me I was perfectly healthy, then he held my hand, while I sobbed my denials, then looked me in the eye and told me I needed a therapist.
The kindness was the worst part. He was absolutely wrong, and oh-so-sure I was ‘in need of help.’ I was in need of help. My tonsils were rotting under a lovely pink layer of seemingly healthy skin. How an ENT could have missed this I don’t know, but I was already sleeping on the pavement walking between buildings for classes–I remember someone asking me if I was ok, and telling them the bricks were just so lovely-warm… It was February. In Virginia.
A month later I couldn’t go 12 hours off antibiotics without running a fever. Student health sent me to a different ENT and he spotted the problem. He put me on 60 days of penicillin (I’m not kidding) to get me healthy enough for surgery, after which the surgeon told my mother my tonsils were the nastiest necrotic mess he’d ever seen.
It’s just an awful thing, being told to get therapy by an expert who doesn’t believe you’re sick. Doctors do it a lot. I’ve had it happen several times, but that was my first.
What’s the fastest you’ve wiped a smirk off of someone’s face?
I was at a (get this) Church social club for kids when some random kid asked me how old I was
“Eleven”, I replied. His reply, as he punched me clean in the mouth, was “All the best kids are 13!”
My brother looked over a few minutes later and came to ask what had happened as he’d noticed me with a bloody lip.
The wannabe bully boy shouted over to me as he left grinning at the end of the session “Don’t forget, all the best kids are 13”
“Wrong!” Said my brother, who was waiting by the door “the best kids are 14!” as he floored him with one punch.
Never had any crap from him again.
Investor alert: China is drinking a lot more coffee, and taking the supply chains off our exchanges
The inspiration for today’s intro.
What’s Really Going On In the South China Sea Between the Philippines and China
December 4, 2024 Ms. Cat
What’s Really Going On In the South China Sea Between the Philippines and China
by Tina Antonis
Maritime clashes between the Philippines and China had been mostly over the Philippines’ military outpost, BRP (BRP—Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas, which translates to “Ship of the Republic of the Philippines”—the ship prefix for the Philippines) Sierra Madre, in the Spratly Islands, which is disputed by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan (a province of China, as recognized by the United Nations’ Resolution No. 2758), and Vietnam.
The BRP Sierra Madre was intentionally run aground on a reef near the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands, in 1997, so that the Philippines could stake their territorial claim.
The WWII-era ship is rusted out and on its way to disintegrating. In December 2023, the Philippines allocated funds to replace the ship with a permanent structure. Coincidentally, in September 2023, Blake Herzinger, a research fellow at the United States Studies Centre of the University of Sydney, penned an article titled, “It’s Time to Build Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre.”
This outpost would be “manned by combined rotational forces from both the Philippines and the U.S. Marine Corps,” according to Herzinger. In it, he admits that doing so, “would be a provocative move, and it would not be without significant risk.”
In October 2023, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFU) admitted that their resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre were carrying materials that were used in the maintenance and repair of the ship. China had been accusing the Philippines of using its resupply missions to send “illegal building materials” to reinforce the dilapidated ship on several occasions. In June of this year, The Financial Times revealed that the Philippines had “secretly” reinforced the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal.
On March 5, 2024, in response to an incident at the Second Thomas Shoal, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that “Article IV of the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of its coast guard, anywhere in the South China Sea.” At the time, the crash was “not the time or reason to invoke a Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States,” according to Philippine President Bongbong Marcos. Invoking the Mutual Defense Treaty by the Philippines could lead to an armed conflict between China and the U.S. Military.
Recently, these clashes have been occurring at the Sabina Shoal, another disputed atoll in the Spratly Islands. In May, the Philippines claimed that China was carrying out “small-scale reclamation” and anchored the BRP Teresa Magbanua at Sabina Shoal to “catch and document the dumping of crushed corals over the sandbars” (China denied this). The Philippines had been using the BRP Teresa Magbanua as a staging area for their resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre at Second Thomas Shoal.
A new Philippine Coast Guard vessel was sent to Sabina Shoal, according to Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson for the National Security Council of the Philippines, on September 26. However, he declined to comment on the specifics of their intentions or plans citing operational security concerns.
Behind the scenes, an information operation has been going on. Information operations, also known as influence operations, involve spreading misleading information and obtaining tactical knowledge about competitors to get the upper hand. Think tank representatives, financed by the US government and corporate sponsors, have been working with the Philippine Coast Guard on ”assertive transparency,” or what the Philippines calls their “transparency initiative.”
With grants from the U.S. State Department, between 2022 and 2024, the Stratbase ADR Institute held a series of roundtable discussions highlighting the importance of multilateral cooperation and strategic alliances in addressing regional “security challenges” and “public diplomacy,” or the act of “influencing foreign publics” to support “U.S. foreign policy goals.”
On January 5th, 2023, Stratbase, together with the US Embassy in the Philippines, hosted a town hall discussion where experts and scholars shared their assessments and recommendations on the various Indo-Pacific strategies and the foreign policy of Marcos Jr.’s administration.
It was here that Ray Powell introduced his “Project Myoushu” strategy, which was inspired by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). CSIS receives funding from the U.S. government and other governments allied with the U.S., non-governmental and nonprofit organizations (NGOs & NPOs), defense contractors and other corporate donors. Another such event occurred on March 8th, 2023, where Ray Powell gave a presentation in which he described using “independent analysts, storytellers, influencers, media, and embedded journalists.”
Powell, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former Defense Attaché (the Defense Attaché System is part of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the “Pentagon’s top spy agency”), is the team lead of SeaLight, at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation (GKC). The creation of Stanford University’s GKC was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), an organization within the Department of Defense.
Stanford University has contracts with the U.S. government. The center’s goal is to assist the U.S. government in rethinking how it approaches “national security” matters.
The “transparency initiative” tactic highlights China’s “gray zone activities”, in the South China Sea. One aspect used is embedding journalists on these resupply missions.
The original purpose of embedding was to control journalists, according to Helen Benedict, a professor at the Columbia Journalism School. Citing award-winning Australian journalist Phillip Knightley’s book “The First Casualty: The War Correspondent as Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Iraq” which describes how the U.S. government invented embedded journalism in response to critical coverage of the Vietnam War.
As civilian casualties in Afghanistan reached 5,000, the Pentagon sought a media strategy that would bring attention back to the military’s role in the war, especially the role played by ordinary American service members. This would require bringing war correspondents on side.
Another aspect of this “transparency initiative” is using civil society organizations, such as the Atin Ito Coalition, led by Rafaela David and Edicio dela Torre, to draw attention to the South China Sea. Rafaela is also the executive director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN). CYAN has been financed from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which gets the majority of its funding from the U.S. Congress. With its origins dating back to the late 1960s, when the Central Intelligence Agency faced criticism for secretly supporting activists and opposition groups in nations that appeared to be leaning closer to the Soviet Union.
Following the revelation of those CIA plots, the agency faced criticism for what some perceived to be devious manipulation of sovereign states. Congress established the NED in 1983 after years of discussion about whether and how the financing should continue.
Edicio dela Torre is the current President and Vice Chairperson of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). The PRRM was started in 1952 by Chinese rural education advocate Y. C. James Yen with financial assistance from the United States and the Rockefeller family. In 1983, Yen was awarded the People to People Eisenhower Medallion.
The People-to-People Program was initiated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, with initial connections to the U.S. government through the United States Information Agency (USIA).
The USIA’s public diplomacy activities were ultimately transferred to the U.S. Department of State, while its propaganda operations were transferred to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which has since become the U.S. Agency for Global Media. In the 1950s, during the Hukbalahap Rebellion, the CIA covertly funded the PRRM through front organizations such as the Asia Foundation (formerly the Committee for a Free Asia) and the Catherwood Foundation.
On September 15th, Powell appeared on 60 Minutes, along with the Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Romeo Brawner Jr. In the 60 Minutes episode, Teodoro refused to confirm if the Typhon missile launcher—a mid-range missile system capable of reaching mainland China—would be permanently stationed in the Philippines.
Three days later, Philippine army spokesperson, Colonel Louie Dema-ala, said training was ongoing, and it was up to Philippine authorities and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC) to decide how long the missile system would stay.
Presently, the Typhon is situated in the Taiwan Strait and faces the South China Sea on the northern island of Luzon. In early September, the U.S. announced that it wants to deploy another Typhon missile launcher “around Japan’s southwestern islands, which are near Taiwan”. While the U.S. claims that these missile launchers are to “strengthen deterrence”, their deployment has only provoked tensions in the area.
While 60 Minutes did state that “in 2016, an international tribunal at The Hague ruled the Philippines has exclusive economic rights in a 200-mile zone that includes Sabina Shoal” and that “China does not recognize the ruling”, their statements were misleading. The South China Sea Arbitration did not rule on sovereignty, and China does not recognize it because the Arbitral Tribunal lacked jurisdiction.
“The Arbitral Tribunal violated the principle of state consent, exercised its jurisdiction ultra vires and rendered an award in disregard of the law. This is a grave violation of UNCLOS and general international law, Wang said.”
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international treaty that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is not an agency of the United Nations. The PCA rents space in the same building as the UN’s International Court of Justice.
A Congressional Research Service report, dated August 2023, stated that the U.S. has not declared its position regarding sovereignty over any of the geographical elements that comprise the South China Sea.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that about 80% of global trade is carried out by sea, both in terms of volume and value. Of that amount, 60% of marine trade travels through Asia, with approximately one-third of all shipping occurring in the South China Sea. Because the Strait of Malacca connects the South China Sea and, consequently, the Pacific and Indian oceans, China, Taiwan (the United States does not officially support Taiwan’s independence), Japan, and South Korea depend heavily on its waters.
China’s economic security is intimately linked to the South China Sea, as the country has the second-largest economy globally and more than 60% of its trade is conducted by water. If the U.S. were to attempt to enforce a blockade in the South China Sea, they would risk retaliation from China.
A war with China would not only interrupt international trade, it’s highly probable that the United States would lose due to China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities. Anti-Access refers to any action, activity, or capacity, usually long-range, that is intended to prevent an advancing military force from accessing an operational area.
Area denial is described as any action, activity, or capability, usually short-range, that is intended to limit an adversary force’s freedom of action inside an operational area. Long-range artillery and rocket weapons, air defenses, littoral anti-ship capabilities, and layered, integrated long-range precision-strike systems are all part of the threat A2/AD defense architecture.
China’s advanced A2/AD system includes missiles and hypersonic weapons, which the US lacks defense against. China is also developing microwave-photonic radar systems to track incoming hypersonic missiles, potentially enabling defense against powerful militaries’ latest offensive technologies.
The Philippines, has succeeded in garnering support from Western countries through military assistance, funds to upgrade military bases and infrastructure, modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, defense agreements with at least 18 countries (minilateralism), joint military exercises in the South China Sea, and the addition of four new EDCA (under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, American military personnel, planes, and ships may station themselves periodically in the Philippines at predetermined places) sites—three in north Luzon facing Taiwan and one in Palawan facing the South China Sea.
China sees this “coalition of the willing” as undermining “regional security and peace.”
The Philippines should seek détente with China and practice quiet diplomacy, as their “transparency initiative” has only escalated tensions in the South China Sea, instead of risking World War III.
You’re NOT Behind: Why Everyone SEEMS To Have More Money Than You
How does China’s J-20 compare with its US counterpart F-35?
You Americans just deceive those allies who bought your planes, don’t deceive yourself.
Yes, the F35 does not pursue the ultimate flight speed, nor the ultimate performance, but all-around.
The result became a four-dimensional image.
The maximum flight speed of the F35 is only Mach 1.6.
OK.
The new J35 supersonic cruise has Mach 2.3.
And the F35 is now difficult to continue production because China has restricted the export of key raw materials.
Is the F35 really considered a fifth-generation aircraft? It’s not even as good as the F22 from over forty years ago.
The F22, a fifth-generation aircraft, is a fifth-generation old aircraft with a maximum speed of Mach 2.25, a normal supersonic cruise of less than Mach 2, a maximum range of only more than 2,000 kilometers, and a maximum combat radius of 800.
The J20’s normal supersonic cruising speed exceeds Mach 2.5, and its maximum speed is Mach 2.8. Now there is also a two-seater J20S.
Oh, I forgot.
Now the United States cannot produce F22.
Because the production line is gone.
China has just overtaken Japan as the worlds top car exporter. Could Japan possibly take back the spot sometime in the future?
Japan’s auto industry is lost – its global position almost to be completely and permanently toppled.
What is happening in Japan is also happening to the other home of the global auto legacies – Germany.
The auto industry defines these two most industralized countries for the last half century . . . . with its sphere of influence extending beyond not just the economics. . . . but the social and political.
Even up to this mid-year, Akio Toyoda can still be seen peddling – and leading the charge of his fellow auto makers – in promoting the hydrogen car and retaining as much as possible the place of the ICE cars for the future. This is until he was replaced and no mention of the hydrogen has been heard since. But there is BMW still promising the notion of the water-engine car as an alternative to EV is still alive.
The main driver for this resistence to EV? Japan and Germany have the huge ecosystem of manufacturing ICE cars that will have to be “replaced” – i.e., millions of workers fired and massive plant closures to transition to a new EV ecosystem requiring new sets of resources, increasingly to be software assuming a greater proportion relative to hardware – a transition from analog to digital.
Japan’s and Germany’s halfhearted effort at developing its EVs have shown them to be at least 5 years behind China . . . . and even further behind if taken within the context of developing the supply chain to have a semblance of independence from China’s.
German, Japanese and Koreans are seeing their Chinese market share declining or collapsing that they were so dominant just 4 years ago. And losing position in the world’s largest market means losing their global positions as Chinese EV are now waging its offensive to takeover overseas markets.
China is on the ascendancy in dominating the global auto industry and there is very little the Germans and Japanese can do to change the trajectory because in reality this transition is not just to the EVs but to the SMARTCARS, the extension of the digital age from the smartphone. Western media has focused on the jaggernaut of BYD but is not making the world aware of the greater significance of the software Chinese EVs are being incorporated with.
Huawei is implementing its Harmony operating system as an alternative to Andriod and by extension its NearLink technology and alliance – to replace WIFI and bluetooth – as their technologies for China’s IoT platform and ecosystem. Note that the two hottest selling EVs in China are those from Huawei and Xioami. This is making EVs with software to be the central focus of mobility in the IoT ecosystem of smart devices of the future. This is China now defining and setting industry standards not just for the future of mobility but for all future smart devices .
Modern Women LOVE to Destroy MEN’S Hobbies | Pearl Daily
Is it reasonable for a wife to accept another man’s invitation for just her to go to his house for a swim at 1am, & for her to go wearing only a bikini & a totally translucent gown. Is it reasonable for a husband to get upset in such a situation? Tx!
It’s unreasonable for the wife to accept the invitation and all that entails as well as wrong.
But an invitation to go swimming with another man alone at 1am is rarely the beginning of this unreasonable act. Someone has not been present in the relationship to even consider the spouse would or should have no problem with it. And something want south before the invitation for your wife to consider wanting to accept instead of being offended by it. Don’t let anyone play dumb with you. Find out what those something’s are and go from there. Actually this is really too far.
The main contents of this issue of China Military News:
The new submarine is unveiled for the first time! Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the army, we will forge ahead on the road to strengthening the army and fight a decisive battle; the navy and air force of the Southern Theater Command are on combat readiness patrol around China’s Huangyan Island; the Navy’s Sichuan ship is officially launched; approaching the field command post of a brigade in the Eastern Theater Command; a direct visit to the PLA’s winter training ground; Xinjiang Military Region border guards: guarding the Karakoram Mountains with loyalty; the Eastern Theater Command’s “Red Sharp Knife Company” – unmanned equipment is refined and powerful; China’s space station is operating well, and its application results are fruitful…
Main content of this episode: President Xi Jinping emphasized: “Building a strong modern navy is an important symbol of building a world-class military, a strategic support for building a maritime power, and an important part of realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” “In the journey of the new era, in the struggle to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the task of building a strong people’s navy has never been as urgent as it is today.” From the first aircraft carrier Liaoning to the first domestically-produced aircraft carrier Shandong, and then to the first domestically-produced catapult-type aircraft carrier Fujian, the Chinese Navy has continuously made major breakthroughs! 2024 is about to come to an end. Looking back on this year, the Chinese military has made sonorous steps and written countless glorious chapters on the journey of strengthening the army. From the continuous emergence of new weapons and equipment, to the actual combat training on the PLA’s military training ground, from the responsibility of joint exercises and training between China and foreign countries, to the firm protection of sovereignty, Chinese soldiers have forged an indestructible Great Wall of Steel with their blood and loyalty.
Me and my ex share several mutual friends. He is constantly bad mouthing me behind my back and calling me his “left overs” and sharing intimate details about me and my body. It’s taking everything in me to not call him up and defend myself. Should I?
Don’t call him. Apoligize to the mutual friends for them having to hear those things. Some of them will believe them. They are not your friends. Others probably know you better and sense what they are saying isn’t true. The rest are hanging onto every word weather they believe them or not, and are waiting for the fireworks to begin wanting to be entertained by the melt down they are waiting for. They are not your friends either.
Once you can tell your friends keep them close. Go no contact with your EX., and all of the rest.
You’ve a new life to build, a life without any of them in it.
What is the most American thing ever?
I was working at the time for a Chinese American man who decades ago paid for his passage to America by working on a cruise ship. He got here with virtually just the clothes on his back, and through years of hard work, starting as a bus boy in a Chinatown restaurant, he worked long and hard and eventually became a very successful businessman in San Francisco.
This man, a few years ago, purchased at a charity auction the right to sing our national anthem at one of the San Francisco Giants home games. He spent weeks and weeks with a singing coach practicing. He asked me to come with him to the game to videotape him singing.
I should point out that my friend is a pretty good singer. But he does have a heavy accent.
The moment comes. He walks out onto the field. The band starts playing. He starts singing the Star Spangled Banner in his accented voice. Then in about the middle of the song the fact that he was standing there singing in front of nearly 70,000 people hit him and the delayed stage fright caused him to forget the words.
“Ow” I thought. “This might get ugly. How will this crowd react?”
But they didn’t get ugly. A few people in the crowd realized what was happening and picked up the song from where he lost it and began singing, and then more and more joined in. Soon it was my friend, with the entire crowd helping, singing the rest of our national anthem. To me that was one of the most American things that I have ever seen.
EDIT: Wow, 5.000+ upvotes. My thanks go out to everyone who has taken the time to read this and even more thanks to those who have upvoted it. I am so happy that this story has struck a chord with readers. Thank you!
Sky High Biscuits with Raspberry Butter
Yield: 15 servings
Ingredients
Raspberry Butter
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
Raspberry Butter
- Combine the butter and raspberries in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Chill, covered, for several hours before serving.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Biscuits
- Mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Add the milk and egg, stirring just until moistened. Knead the dough lightly on a lightly floured surface. Pat 1 inch thick. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Arrange the biscuits in a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until brown.
- Serve warm with the butter.
Notes
Bake the biscuits on a greased baking sheet for crusty biscuits.
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories 247; Fat 17 g; Sodium 393 mg; Dietary Fiber 2g
Attribution
Pampered Chef
Why does my wife put me down for everything I do?
Your wife puts you down to feel better about herself. Your wife doesn’t have feelings for you and doesn’t respect what you do for her. Your wife is never going to be satisfied with whatever you are going to do for her. Your wife wants you to put more effort into pleasing her.
Your marriage is not going to work with this kind of toxic mindset of your wife. Nothing is going to be enough for your wife. You have to talk openly to your wife that you are invaluable to tolerate her behavior. If your wife doesn’t change her behavior positively towards you, then you have to leave her. If you have children together, then coparenting should be done with the help of law.
It all depends upon how you handle this situation if your wife doesn’t improve. Your wife is toxic, and kindly think about your marriage future.
106. Hoe_Math – The Michael Sartain Podcast
Timebomb
Submitted into Contest #18 in response to: Your fingers tensed around the object in your pocket, ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice.… view prompt
Joshua G. J. Insole
General
Now
There were too many to fight. He was outnumbered ten thousand to one. He watched as they all raced towards him, vengeance in their eyes and murder on their lips. They came in a mob, clamouring for his blood, each wanting to say, “I helped kill him. I was part of it.”
He stood perfectly still, hands in his pockets, not flinching or recoiling in the slightest. His hand brushed against the thing in his pocket, and his fingers clutched at it; ready, waiting.
The throng thundered down on him, not knowing what was to come. He grinned. Even after it was over, they still wouldn’t understand. They’d trample the ground into dust, confusion written across their faces, unsatiated blood lust driving them mad.
He could do it now, of course. But where would the fun be in that? Where would the showmanship be? No, best to wait until the last possible moment. To delay the act until they were just about to get him, and then…
Of course, Dara wouldn’t have done such a thing. She would have completed the mission and then gotten out of there in the blink of an eye. Nothing more than a stirring breeze that lifts the curtains. Silent like a breath, swift like a falling raindrop. She probably wouldn’t have even used it (and would likely tell him off for utilizing it, calling it a “waste of precious resources”). Dara would have only employed it in an absolute emergency.
But Raiden wanted to use it. Why have it and not use it? It would be like being a millionaire, but not spending any money. Naturally, he didn’t need to use it, oh no. He was good at his job, and he knew it. If his actions had necessitated the use of the thing, he wouldn’t have come so highly recommended at all.
But, as it was, Raiden was at the top of his field.
Well, almost.
Then
“Oh no,” she said, shaking her head vehemently. “No. No.”
“But, Dara, he’s the best—”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, second best—”
“Hang on, a second,” said Raiden.
“Look, I’m just saying—”
“I said, no,” said Dara, folding her arms across her chest. “Am I not the captain of this crew?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“But?”
“Ah, maybe we oughta forget it,” said Raiden, turning to walk away.
“Wait!” said Franky, grabbing him by the shoulder. “Please. Wait?”
Raiden nodded. “Sure. But don’t ever touch me like that again, you hear?”
“Don’t threaten my crew, you—” the word that came from her mouth made both of the men wince.
“Wait. Just… wait,” said Franky, standing in the middle of them, hands raised in case either one of them decided to go for the other. “Dara, he is very good. You know that.”
“I’m the best,” scoffed Raiden, folding his arms and rolling his eyes.
Franky ignored him. “He comes with a certain… reputation—”
“Yeah, I’ll say,” said Dara with a snort. She turned away with a childish glare.
“Look, guys, I know you don’t like each other, but—”
“Ya think?” Raiden and Dara said in unison, with the same sarcastic inflection. Looks of horror flashed across their faces when they realised, and they both turned away in disgust.
“Look. Guys,” said Franky through gritted teeth. “I know you don’t like each other, but we don’t have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice Franky, didn’t I teach you anything?” said Dara.
“Yeah, Franky…” mocked Raiden.
“Oh my God, you two are the absolute worst, do you know that?” Franky turned to his captain and pointed at her leg, which was currently in a cast and was resting on a raised cushion. “Do you honestly think you can pull off a mission with your leg like that?”
“Can do it better than him,” she said, pointing to Raiden with her chin.
“Really, Dara? Really?”
She squinted at him, and her eyes shot daggers, but she said nothing.
“And you,” said Franky, turning to Raiden. “I know how broke you are. You think that debt collectors don’t talk? I know for a fact that there are three scumbag moneylenders out there that want your head on a platter!”
Raiden paled as the colour drained from his face. Dara started to laugh, but Franky shot her a glare that told her she shouldn’t. “You both need each other. And don’t you dare argue with me,” he said, looking from one to the other, goading them into saying something to the contrary. “And, perhaps most importantly, I need both of you. I can’t make ends meet if we can’t take any jobs, Dara… and he’s the best out there. We both know he is. Hell, he knows he is, the cocky sonofa—”
“Hey!”
“Sorry.”
“It’s true.”
An awkward silence fell upon the room. Slowly, Franky lowered his hands. “So, do we have an understanding?”
Dara and Raiden glared at each other, and then flicked their eyes back to Franky.
“Fine,” mumbled Dara.
“Fine,” said Raiden.
“Great!” said Franky, more enthusiastically than he felt. “Well, done, guys. I really think that you’ve—”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s talk shop,” said Raiden, shushing him.
“Agreed. Let’s get on with it. Shut up, Franky.”
“I—” started Franky, looking from Dara to Raiden exasperatedly, but then he gave up and sighed, visibly deflating. “Oh, fine.”
“Okay, so, let’s go over the plan…” said Dara, clicking a button and bringing up the holographic map that hovered in the centre of the room.
Now
Raiden pulled the object out of his pocket with the flourish of a well-practiced magician. He saw the look of urgency in the eyes of those nearest to him as they sprinted towards his location. The gleam of fear that flashed across their faces told him that they knew he was about to pull something off, like a rabbit out of a hat… they just didn’t know what.
The natives of Raghajiv bent their heads low and really threw themselves into their sprint, hoping to catch the blasphemous thief.
Then
“They want what?” asked Raiden, astounded. “Are they crazy?”
“Yes. Crazy rich,” said Dara. “What’s the matter, is it too big of a job for—” she adopted a mocking, babylike voice “—the great Raiden?”
“No, of course not! It’s just… this is gonna upset a lot of people, you do realise?”
“Obviously,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That’s why they’re hiring a crew to do it for them. If it was an easy task, they’d do it themselves, wouldn’t they? Besides, the added danger means they’re adding a few more zeroes to our paycheck, which is always appreciated.”
“How much are they paying?”
“That’s for me to know, Raiden. You’ll get your previously discussed share, as agreed. Now, let’s talk details…”
Now
Raiden rolled the glass orb in his palm precariously. The object was delicate and prone to shattering – it had been designed so. For when the outer shell cracked, it would spill its contents across the ground and into the atmosphere, creating the desired effect.
He watched the horde close in on him like a wildfire. The moment was drawing nearer. Almost there, he told himself. Almost… almost… Three, two, one and—
Raiden smashed the orb onto the floor at his feet.
Then
“Any idea why they want it?”
Dara shrugged. “None of my concern. As long as they pay up, they can smash it for all I care. Let ‘em chop it up and eat it. Let them deface it. I don’t care.”
“But, it’s a religious symbol,” said Raiden, treading carefully.
“Oh, what? What happened in those years that we stopped working together, Raiden? You didn’t suddenly see the light, did you? You haven’t gone all wacko on me, have you?”
“Hey, no. I’m not… a believer,” he said, taking care with the word. “But I wouldn’t talk about the followers like that. I mean, who knows? Right? I mean—”
“Do you want the job or not, man? You might be the best, but there’s a thousand others out there who are good enough who’d do the job without asking this many questions. Plenty of people need the cash.”
“Whoa, whoa, Dara. Of course, I want the job!”
“Then stop talking as if you don’t.”
Now
It felt as if all the air was suddenly sucked from the surface of the planet. Before the tinkling glass had even finished falling to the ground, a great aqua blue bubble had bloomed from the cracked container, blossoming outwards and encapsulating him. For a second it stayed there, hovering around him, crackling with electric life, psychedelic swirling patterns twirling into infinity across its surface… and then it erupted outwards, rocketing into the oncoming horde.
A subsonic BOOM rattled Raiden’s eardrums, and he felt all the hairs on his body standing on end as if with static. His lungs had the breath pulled from them, and he uttered a shocked little, “Oof!” Raiden felt like someone had gently hit him in the gut and winded him. A moment later, he was roaring with laughter.
The mob was still there – nobody harmed. But they were moving in slow motion towards him, their skins crackling with blue lightning. Somewhere in the crowd, someone was still shouting. “Geeeeeeeettttt hiiiiiiiimmmm!” The voice sounded incredibly deep and hilarious.
Giggling like a schoolchild, Raiden stepped out into the crowd, backpack heavy on his shoulders. The thing was right there within grabbing distance, and he could see the understanding in their eyes… but they couldn’t get it. He laughed again. This was brilliant! Raiden waltzed through the crowd, taking special attention to lock eyes with as many murderous gazes as he could. Every single one of them would murder him in an instant, if they had the chance. And here he was, right within their grasp, and they were, for all intents and purposes, statues.
Raiden pranced and danced around their slowly moving bodies. It was as if they were moving in zero gravity or trying to wade through a lake of custard. His laughter tinkled through the air like falling glass. This is fantastic, he thought. This is utterly fantastic!
Although he knew he should be making his hasty getaway, Raiden spent the next twenty minutes jumping and skipping through the pack of would-be assailants, laughing hysterically.
Then
“So, how will we deliver it? I assume people will be looking for it.”
“You assume correctly, Mr. Genius. We’re gonna have the handoff on Tartrak.”
“Tartrak? Dara, are you sure about this?”
“I know what I’m doing. And whilst I’m captain, you won’t question me. Just do your job, Raiden.”
“Well, okay…”
Now
The ship was waiting on the beach, rear ramp lowered onto the sand. Franky was waiting outside, leaning against the ship, arms crossed. He looked annoyed. “What took you?”
“Nothing,” said Raiden, stifling a giggle.
“Did something go wrong?”
“No, nothing at all. Went off without a hitch.”
Franky sized him up. “I hope you’re telling the truth. For your sake. Dara’s pissed. Did you get it?”
Raiden patted his heavy backpack. “Right here.”
Franky nodded, then scanned the horizon. “Nobody saw you?”
Raiden grinned. “Like I said. It went off without a hitch,” he said, avoiding the truth but not overtly lying. At least, not in his own eyes.
“All right. Climb in the back. We’re leaving Raghajiv right now. Heading to meet the buyers.”
“Is Dara…?”
Franky nodded. “Yep. Good luck.” And with that, Franky climbed into the cockpit and started the ship’s engines.
Then
“Geahek? Geahek? Dara, I—”
“Stop. I said to not question my authority.”
“I know, but, Geahek is a mean… whatever he is. And his gang? Dara, they’re wanted dead or alive on every major planet.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Dara hissed. “But he’s paying big bucks. Don’t you get it? If we prove we can handle Geahek without wetting our pants, the rest of the clients will just fall into place. The infamy.”
“I—” started Raiden, but then he gave up. He shook his head and sighed.
There was little use in arguing with Dara. He’d learnt that many moons ago. Once she had an idea in her head…
Now
Dara hadn’t been as angry with him as he’d anticipated. She was just happy he had the idol. She held the thing in her hands and rotated it around, getting a proper look at it. “Over three thousand years old…” she said, in slight awe. “I mean, I know it’s got massive importance, but it is only made from bronze. It’s not like it’s gold or crystal or whatever.”
“Dara…” said Raiden, looking at her as if she had two heads. “This idol is one of the central pillars of the entire Raghajiv religion. You are holding something that people have killed for and died for. Something that people believe in, something people pray to. There are thousands of people out there that think that when they die, they meet—” he gestured towards the statue.
“Wow,” said Dara, mockingly. “That was quite a speech.” She jabbed the idol in his direction. “You should get into politics, y’know.”
Before Raiden could retort, the pilot interrupted them. “We’re here,” said Franky, from up front.
Through the windshield, they saw the icy wastes of Tartrak, the dead planet.
Then
“It’s not too late to turn the job down, you know,” he told her on the ride to Raghajiv. “You can still—”
“Turn Geahek down?”
Raiden turned the thought over in his mind. “Nope. You’re right. That would get us killed. If you told Geahek you’d do it, we better do it, hm?”
Now
And now, here they were on their knees in the freezing snow, hands behind their heads, guns trained on them. Raiden wanted to say I told you so. No, probably shouldn’t, he thought. He looked out the corner of his eye and caught Dara’s attention. “Told you so,” he whispered smugly.
“Tiihuh,” she whispered through gritted teeth.
“Hm?”
“Tiihuh,” she repeated, keeping her jaw clenched.
“What?”
“Hnh hn tiihuh.”
“Oh, for goodness sake, will you just say whatever it is you’re trying to say?”
“I said, throw the timebomb!”
Raiden’s words caught in his throat.
“Throw it, Raiden!” shouted Dara, eyes urging. Around them, Geahek’s guards were shouting and bellowing orders.
“I, uh… I don’t have it.”
“What?”
“I don’t… I don’t have it. I might have, ah, used it back on Raghajiv.”
The guards were swarming around them now, a blur of black armour against the icy blueish whites of Tartrak’s wastelands.
“You what? You blithering idiot! You utter moron! You—”
And that was when one of Geahek’s guards struck him on the back of the head, and he blacked out.
Then
“I wonder what he wants it for,” pondered Raiden out loud. “Why chase down an ancient religious idol?”
“Who cares, as long as we get paid?” replied Dara, flippantly. “And don’t go off about the—” she did mock air-quotes “—significance of such an artefact. Let’s just do the work, get paid, and then go our separate ways. ‘Cause your face is already annoying me.”
“Your voice, too,” added Franky.
Dara nodded. “Yeah, and your voice.”
Now
“Lucky for you, we get to spend a lot more time together,” he said, smiling chirpily. “Silver linings, and all that, huh?”
“For God’s sake, Raiden, shut up.”
“Yeah, Raiden, shut it,” growled Franky.
From outside their cages came a tutting. Geahek stepped out from the shadows. “So much infighting, it’s a wonder you lot were able to pull of the heist at all,” he crooned, bouncing the idol in his hand.
“Why don’t you hurry up and kill us already?” snapped Dara. “Stop toying with us!” As the words tumbled out of her mouth, Raiden knew she hadn’t figured it out yet. There were the things on their legs, for a start…
“Kill you?” Geahek asked, frowning. “Why on earth would I kill you? You’re the best heist crew I’ve ever had!” he said with a boyish grin that bordered on the maniacal. “No, no. I’m not going to kill you, gosh no. In fact, what I propose is an… opportunity.”
“Oh, here we go,” mumbled Raiden, fiddling with the ankle monitor that was strapped to his leg. It flashed a red light, intermittently.
A look of unadulterated rage flashed across Geahek’s face, but he maintained composure. “I propose you continue working for me. And when I say ‘work’, I do not mean that you will be getting paid.” His eyes crawled over Raiden. “And please stop playing with that. It’s not a toy, and you won’t get it off.” Geahek’s voice dropped down a register: “Believe me.”
“What kinda work?” asked Dara.
“Well…” he said scrutinising the idol. “This wasn’t the only religious artefact I am after. And you weren’t the only crew I hired. The problem is that the others… they, ah, suffered casualties. In fact, you are the only crew that returned alive.”
“Oh…”
“I want you to go and retrieve the other artefacts.”
“Which others?” asked Raiden, an awful feeling rising in his chest.
“I think you know,” said Geahek with a wicked grin. “But here’s a hint for job number one: Quowiduw.” The exotic word rolled off his tongue perfectly.
Raiden closed his eyes and swore.
Dara looked confused. “What? What?”
“I’ll leave you to… discuss the proposition,” said Geahek, ignoring her. “Of course, it’s either ‘yes’ or it’s death, you must realise. Any who…” he said, and then swaggered through the doors, whistling a jaunty tune.
“What did he say?” said Dara, turning in her narrow cage.
Raiden sighed. “Basically, we either get killed by his cronies… or, we get killed by religious nuts. Or by mother nature.” He looked from Franky to Dara, in the cramped confines of their prisons. “Guys… we’re going to Muxel.”
Franky and Dara swore simultaneously.
At what point did you realize no one cares about you?
Yesterday, in fact.
Yesterday I turned 40 years old. Not a single damn person, including my friends and even my parents. Not one person, save for God the Father; wished me a Happy Birthday.
I do all the shopping and housekeeping for my parent’s, twice a week. Which means I leave my life, to go to their house and clean it for them. I do their grocery shopping too. My other siblings? Nowhere to be found, or even care. So, you’d think that I might matter to them. Right? You’d think a 40th birthday would be a big one.
I take care of church and help maintain their storehouse, and do all their shopping, bills, etc. I serve as a Worship Leader at my church. None of my team, none of my fellow church members, none of them wished me a happy birthday. These are people I see every week and who keep calendars on people’s birthdays.
No one threw me a party or sent me some money or remembered to say two simple words. No one, but God. That’s when I realized that I am far too kind and giving and generous for my own good and I need to set stronger and tighter boundaries. If ALL the people that I care about and value in my life, can completely forget about me on my 40th, what is considered a Milestone by most people. Not one person. It shows that I care more for them, then they do for me.
That cut me real deep. It really makes me question why I go out of my way to serve and help people, when no one even notices me. Pretty messed up. I sat in my truck with a chocolate cupcake and a Puppacino for my pooch and sang myself Happy Birthday with my dog howling next to me.
People suck. Especially the ones that you’re supposed to matter to.
EDIT 12/29/24 – Just in the last 2 days; I am amazed, humbled and completely taken aback by the level of outpouring love, support and belated birthday wishes, from complete strangers. The same love that I should have been given by the ones that matter most to me, instead I got it from the world; the one place I didn’t expect it. I’ve never written or done anything that went viral. I wrote this 2 days ago out of frustrating and venting and its had more attention and views than any other article I’ve written. And I write a lot. I just want to say to all the people that took the time to read this and sympathize with me and especially the ones who took the time to write a comment or a belated birthday wish. Thank you from the bottom of my 40 year old heart. I value this so much and it was so needed. Thank you, all of you!
Women Have Ruined Dating for Everyone ….
Felix
Once upon a time, in a lush forest, there lived a clever fox named Felix. Felix was known far and wide for his quick wit and cunning ways. He could outsmart any creature in the forest, from the craftiest raccoon to the most elusive hare. But Felix had one problem: he was always in a hurry. He dashed from one place to another, never taking the time to enjoy the beauty around him. His motto was, “Why walk when you can run?”
One sunny morning, Felix was trotting along the forest path when he spotted a turtle named Theo. Theo was the complete opposite of Felix. He moved at a glacial pace, taking each step with deliberate care. While Felix was always rushing, Theo believed in savoring every moment. He would stop to admire a flower, listen to the birdsong, or feel the warmth of the sun on his shell. His motto was, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
Felix, ever the trickster, decided to have a little fun with Theo. “Hey, Theo!” he called out. “How about a race? I bet I can reach the big oak tree before you even take ten steps!” Theo, unfazed by Felix’s taunting, smiled and said, “Sure, Felix. But remember, it’s not always about who gets there first.” Felix laughed, confident in his speed, and the race began.
Felix bolted off like a shot, leaving Theo in the dust. But as he ran, he couldn’t resist stopping to investigate a shiny object he spotted in the bushes. It turned out to be a discarded soda can, but Felix spent a good five minutes trying to figure out if it was treasure. Meanwhile, Theo plodded along, steadily making his way toward the oak tree. He didn’t get distracted; he just kept moving forward.
By the time Felix realized he’d been sidetracked, Theo was already halfway to the oak tree. Felix sprinted as fast as he could, but he kept getting distracted—by a butterfly, by a berry bush, by his own reflection in a pond. When he finally reached the oak tree, panting and exhausted, he found Theo calmly waiting for him, munching on a leaf. “Told you,” Theo said with a wink. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
The moral of the story? Life isn’t just about speed and shortcuts. Sometimes, taking your time and staying focused on your goals will get you further than rushing and getting distracted. And who knows? You might even enjoy the journey along the way.
What if your husband of 22 years left and said he didn’t want you anymore? After being with his ex for three weeks, he came back home. Should l forgive him?
My goodness that happened to me. He was the love of my life. I was devastated . It wasn’t an ex but someone he knew through his job. They were both studying for a state engineering licensing exam. At the library in the evenings. One night he wasn’t home by 9:15 as expected. I drove to the library. There they were , steamed up windows in his van. I was so upset. Not long after. I came home and the house felt weird. I opened his drawers, they were empty. I knew then he just left without being asked and without telling me. It was a kick in the gut. I loved him so much. Several weeks later, he knocked on my door with two bags of groceries. “I thought I’d come back home, I brought dinner. We sat and talked. I said “you want to come back? “. Yes, he said, I said “wait, I’ll be right back”. I went into my room and grabbed my wedding rings. I opened his had and placed the rings in his palm, then I held out my left hand. I said , when you put these rings on my finger, again, you are promising me that my heart will never be broken, you want our marriage forever, and you will never do what you did again, I love you , if you know in your heart that you love me and are committing to be with me , you will put them on my finger”, he reached out and took my hand, I looked at him. His eyes were down he turned my hand placed the ring in my palm, folded my fingers over them and said I’m sorry , I cannot make that promise. Then he got up and walked out the door. “Thank for the groceries” I said. I wasn’t surprised. At least he was honest this time! Two months later he came back to announce that he was going to Arizona where he grew up, with a girl he met who had a son. We spoke to each other several times over the years. He called me, I never called him. I was invited to his daughters wedding. Her and I were pretty close since I married her dad. He came alone, he sat with me and his daughters mother joined us later. He was the same charming man I always loved and knew I would love forever. He died after a major stroke a couple of years ago. I was devastated. I still love him with all my heart. I could have just said yes, come home, but I didn’t. He married three times after he left me and was divorced when he died. I made the right decision that day to bait him. My advice to you is to say no life cannot be happily lived backwards. It’s too late. Once they don’t love you and say so, they only come back because there is no one else. That’s not enough to rebuilt on. I’m sorry, I know how you feel. I feel your pain and understand your mixed feelings well.
What would you do if you found out that your fiancée let a guy climb in her bedroom after she put me on the couch?
There’s your answer. She put somebody else in her bed and put you on the couch. That means you need to walk away. Cause there is nothing there. I’m sorry to say and it might hurt. If there is a better future ahead of you, if there’s always a reason that something happens because when one door closes another, 1 will open
What was the lie that you let someone live with without correcting them?
My neighbor’s daughter died young and her boyfriend would stop in to look after her elderly mother weekly for the rest of my neighbor’s life. It was very kind.
I moved into the neighborhood a couple years before she died, and she was a porch-sitter and I’m a talker, so I would come talk to her on the regular and lend a hand if she needed something. Nothing heroic, just a little neighboly hanging out.
She passed and he turned up that Christmas with a gift and said “hey thanks for being a great neighbor to her,” and I said, “oh that’s so sweet of you, I LOVE chocolate!” What I did not say, because I thought it would never matter, was, “that’s so sweet of you, but in fact I am viciously allergic to nuts of all sorts, so thanks but no thanks!”
It is now five years later, and a man whose name I do not know, never see, and does not live in the area, is still leaving expensive, nutty assortments of chocolate on my doorstep every year. My kiddo is gleeful and I am resigned. It’s far too late to fess up even if I were to catch him in the act, plus I will be moving next year. Best to just let him enjoy his seasonal gesture.
Andrew Tate Explains Why Men Should NEVER Get Married
M28. How do I tell my mother she made a mistake birthing me? Her selfishness forced me into a world and gave me no knowledge of it. She is beyond stupid. How can I express, that I hate her for having “fun” and to tell her she should have aborted?
You know nothing about your mother. Maybe she considered abortion but decided she couldn’t kill a baby, because a fetus is a baby. You sound depressed otherwise you would not consider that you were forced to come into this world. Your words indicate to me that your mother might have raised you without a father, would it have been better if you had a normal upbringing with both parents? But really you are angry and depressed and you want to blame it on your mom. The last thing you should tell her is that you hate her. If you want to tell someone how angry you are, tell it to God. He know all things anyway. He knows every thought before it comes to your mind. He knows every word before it comes to your tongue. Since He already knows, you should talk to Him instead of blaming your mom.
Caramel
Submitted into Contest #18 in response to: Your fingers tensed around the object in your pocket, ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice.… view prompt
Agnes Sharan
They say our instincts act in a split second.
“Arrrrthhhuurrrr!”
My head was ringing, my jaw clenched. It was a cold windy night, the alley not any kinder. I pulled my coat tighter around myself. My body was fighting the cold, but the fear coursing through seemed to warm it enough to make my clenched fists sweat. I wanted to put my hand into my pocket but knew that won’t do me any good at this point.
“Arrrrthhhurrrr!”
I kept seeing him out of the corner of my eyes, grinning, his eyes lit up like he’s happy right where he is. He looked better than the last time I saw him, more alive. He didn’t look a day over how he looked then, brown eyes, caramel skinned, his clothes the same as that day. I suppose that’s just what happens when you go through something like that. It is what it is.
It was quiet, the stillness almost suffocating. I wanted to get it over with, but time seemed frozen just like the air around me. Some stragglers went past us, but other than the odd look now and then, they didn’t seem to suspect anything. So we waited, him and I, paused in that moment, feeling every breath leave my body, every whisper of wind through my hair, afraid to make any movement that might break this trance. But even as my eyes were wide open, I could see that day play out.
It was about a year ago.
“There has been a mistake. The officer will be punished suitably. We are truly sorry.”
He stood beside me, an officer hat in his hands. I couldn’t meet his eyes. Nor hers. I couldn’t imagine that this day will end like this. And the worst part is, it was all my fault.
Why did this happen?
I don’t remember who, I just remember a voice asking those words. The sweat in my clenched fists almost felt like his blood on my hands.
“We can’t begin to say how sorry we are. We got a distress call from someone passing through that there seemed to be a suspicious individual in the neighbourhood. Our officers on call were closeby and responded to it and it just so happened that he fit the description.”
“Arrrrthhhuurrrr!”
Have you heard a gunshot?
I have. I think its sharp, like a clap maybe? No, no, its dull, slipping past like a breeze. Honestly, you can’t really describe it. It is just a sound that rings around your head. It feels like it has a life of its own, and when it is through with you, all you are left with is wondering what ghosts it left behind.
I thought I’d never pick up something again that could make that sound. Never feel the cool metal beneath my fingertips.
“Noooo!!!”
Her voice rang in my head. It did ever since that day. The wailing of an inconsolable mother. A mother who lost her world in what to some was a split second instinct.
What could console her? Was there any punishment that would feel just in this world? Was there any in the universe? Her cries made me wonder every day.
A mandatory leave of absence sure doesn’t. Why else would I find myself here?
“What could you possibly have imagined a 10 year old capable of committing? Enough to warrant him a fatal wound?” The voice choked out the words. “He’s a child! H-He was …”
The words just buzzed in my ears. My throat felt clogged, like I couldn’t speak despite desperately wanting to.
It continued. “I was just there. I had asked him to wait out on the lawn for me, for just a moment. To wait, on OUR LAWN!” Eyes squeezed shut, fingers pressed tightly to stop the tears. “Why would you think my boy standing on our lawn made him the first suspicious individual huh? A 10 YEAR OLD! He listened to his father and simply stood there, and he was killed at his own house! What world are you protecting us from if you are the ones going around killing us?!”
I could stay silent no more.
“Now listen here, mister, that is no way to talk to an officer…”
“Jerry, shut up. Sir, again, as we explained, he made a sudden turn which was why the officer had to act quickly. We can’t discriminate between criminals based on age …”
“But you can based on colour. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”
Her voice rang out.
The man looked like he wanted to speak out. He then looked at me in the eyes, hazy with the need to defend his comrade but he could see that in the depths of this day, nothing else could explain why it happened. Nothing else could say why an innocent boy with a brown eyed smile had to die. Nothing but the caramel of his skin.
“We were just going to the park. My wife had gone ahead earlier to get the birthday picnic set up but she texted me about some things she forgot. I didn’t want him to see, that’s why I told him to wait out in the lawn. It would have barely been a couple of minutes. Just a couple of minutes.”
Hopelessness rimmed that voice. It crawled over my skin, making me want to throw up my insides.
“He turned around because he heard me close our door. He saw your guns and understood the danger it posed. He was scared and he looked for his father to protect him. Was that so wrong? In the end, though, it got him killed.”
It sounded like someone who had lost all purpose. Someone who just wanted to give up. But that was a year ago.
“You remember me, don’t you?”
This voice no longer belonged to the helpless father from a year ago. This was one that knew what its sole purpose in life is, and would do anything to get to it.
And it’s hands held clenched in the pocket of its coat the one tool that help it get to it.
I could see the recognition etched in his eyes, the face that came to me every night in my sleep, eyes that then seemed so hateful now filled with something I couldn’t quite understand. He was frozen, just like I, the midnight air speaking the words we couldn’t.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget a face from that day.”
His voice, I wanted to say, sounded smug. But there was something off about it, like my appearance after disappearing for a year didn’t affect him at all. And that bothered me.
He continued. “I saw it in your eyes that day, you know.” He smiled. “I saw them burning with a desire for justice. And I remember it every time I dream of firing that shot.”
It almost seemed like he was goading me, as though he wanted me to act before even I myself desired it. My fingers tensed around the metal, wanting to pull it out yet not wanting to give him the satisfaction.
“Do you now? A murderer who remembers his victim, how ironic.” I sneered at him. It only seemed to make him grin wider. I didn’t have to imagine I heard smugness in his voice to get triggered by his smile.
My clenched fists felt colder now with the metal in them exposed to the air. He held his hands up in mockery.
“Dad?”
“Dad?”
“Shh, Arthur, the doctors will fix you right up, its okay.” I looked away, holding his hand tighter in mine. My other hand was holding pressure to his chest, but even the slightest shift felt like he life was slipping away right beneath my fingertips.
“Daddy?” I couldn’t look at his eyes. He always had a light that in them I could look towards to make any day better. But today was different.
Because today, it was fading.
“I’m scared.”
I met his brown eyes, and in that moment, I wanted to scratch away my skin till it all but bled just to see if it makes his stop. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
He closed his eyes. “Sleepy, daddy …”
“Arthur”, I shook him, “Arthur?”
“Arrrrthhhuurrrr!”
The fear of God struck his eyes at that moment. He looked like he was about to turn, so I held the gun with both hands. “Don’t move!”
He froze, and it gave me a moment to see where the voice came from. He stood behind him, a boy of 7, maybe 8, and he was shivering. I’d like to say it was because of the cold but I but deep down, I didn’t have to guess the reason why. I looked away from him.
“Jim.” He spoke with his hands still held up. “Jim, what are you doing here?”
The boy’s eyes started to fill with tears. “M-mom told me to come l-look for you”, his voice choked.
“Go back to mommy, Jim, its going to be okay. Just go back to mommy.”
That’s when I turned the gun to the boy. All this time, he looked unbothered, but the fear in his eyes now looked exactly what I needed.
“Don’t!” he shouted, pleading in words he didn’t say. “He’s just a boy.”
I sneered. “So was mine! Now you’ll know how that feels!”
“Kill me.”
The words rang in my ears, but it didn’t make sense. Every day for the past year I dreamt of all the ways his face would look like pleading for his life, but none of those faces matched the man before me.
He smiled sadly. “You see him still, don’t you?”
“Daddy?”
Arthur stood beside the boy now, his caramel smile nowhere to be seen. Instead his eyes were fearful, just as they were that day.
“I do too. Every day. That’s why I resigned after the leave of absence. I kept remembering I chose to fire every time I picked up the gun. I knew you were looking into me, that one day you’d come for me. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of what I deserve.”
I felt as though my brain was finally putting together the pieces from tonight. Everything I found off about his demeanour, from his voice to him smile, it all made sense. For the look in his eyes that I couldn’t understand before, it was not smugness or fear. It was acceptance.
“Why should I believe you?”
He smiled, “I can’t tell you why.” His eyes turned, “Just let the boy go, I beg you. He doesn’t deserve it just as much as Arthur didn’t.”
I finally looked into the boy’s eyes. He was more human to me than anyone’s ever been in the last year, his light no different from my son’s. As I looked on, the ocean blue of his eyes changed color slowly. Now all that stared back was a brown eyed smile that slowly died every second my gun continued to point to it.
What am I doing?
You are no different from him.
My hands shook. But the man didn’t seem keen to use my moment of weakness to escape. He stood still, like a man who had nowhere else he wished to be.
“Go.”
The light in Arthur’s eyes were no longer dying. In fact, they seemed to start glowing. I put the gun back into my pocket.
“W-what?”
“GO! Before I change my mind!”
He kept his eyes on me while walking backwards, protecting the boy from my line of fire with his body. If only I could’ve done the same that day.
They were gone and I fell to the ground defeated. Where was the justice I sought? Why do I still feel like clawing my chest out? What could I do?
I screamed out into the night, until I could no more.
It was quiet now.
My hands hung limply by my side, my coat sifting softly in the breeze, brushing every now and then against my hand. My fingers were cold, the ground freezing. I put them into my pocket but there was no more room, so my fingers clenched around the gun. I don’t know how much time passed, only that I was down on the ground waiting for something to happen.
“Sleep, daddy …”
I heard my second gunshot. I still couldn’t say what it sounded like. But it was quiet now, and so I just closed my eyes and slipped into a dreamless sleep.
Man Catches Girlfriend CHEATING On Dating App And She Can’t Handle It…
M28. How do I tell my mother she made a mistake birthing me? Her selfishness forced me into a world and gave me no knowledge of it. She is beyond stupid. How can I express, that I hate her for having “fun” and to tell her she should have aborted?
Dude, you’re 28 years old. You can’t blame your mom for your issues.
Get some therapy. get a job. Go to the gym. Have fun by joining some safe groups. Hang out with friends or make some.
don’t blame your issues on your mother birthing you, you are too old for this… grow up!
How was the Internet invented?
There were whispers of it in the Pentagon first—back in the 1960s—The military sought for a nuclear war survival communication system.
What they produced was much more than they had dreamed.
Started with ARPANET in 1969—They built it piece by piece—like a man laying bricks for a foundation he couldn’t yet see—The initial link went from UCLA to Stanford. Two computers—conversing over a phone line; But it marked the start of something massive.
The development of TCP/IP—the protocol destined to form the backbone of the internet, marked the actual breakthrough—Bob Kahn and Vint Cerf produced it in 1974. Consider it as if any computer—could converse in a universal language—Before that, different networks were like islands—cut off from one another—TCP/IP created connections between them.
NSFNET, a system linking supercomputer centers, first emerged in the 1980s—faster and more dependable than ARPANET—Schools began to plug in—then companies. Growing like a living entity—the network expanded first over the nation and then the planet.
The last piece arrived in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lew created the World-Wide-Web at CERN—He provided HTML, URLs, and HTTP—the tools that would make the internet from a playground for specialists into something everyone could use.
Early in the 1990s, the internet had moved from military and intellectual beginnings—It belonged to everyone now. Commercial suppliers began providing links to houses—The rest is history.
Valtrompia Bread
Yield: 2 Valtrompia loaves
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup very warm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 to 4 cups flour
Instructions
- In measuring cup, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand 5 minutes stirring occasionally until mixture is foamy.
- In large bowl, combine milk, butter, and salt. Add yeast mixture to bowl and stir to combine. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and stir. Stir in as much of remaining flour as necessary to form soft dough. Turn onto lightly floured board and knead for 7 minutes. Shape dough into smooth ball. Put into greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in warm, draft-free place to rise until double in bulk.
- Punch dough down. Divide dough in half, roll into log 3 to 4 inches shorter than the Valtrompia Bread Tube, and insert in tube.
- Cap and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 60 to 70 minutes.
- Remove from tube to cool.
Is there anything to stop a husband from cheating?
If your husband wants to cheat, then you can’t stop your husband from cheating. Your husband will find different ways to cheat. It all depends upon the core personality of your husband. If your husband is an emotionally unavailable, emotionally damaged man, or has high traits of narcissism, then he is more likely to cheat. Cheating is a choice and a conscious act. You can’t do anything here if your husband wants to cheat.
Only man can stop himself from cheating. If your husband is healthy and loves you, then no matter what happens, he is never going to cheat in any circumstances. If your husband loves you, cheating on you will never cross his mind. Cheaters will have 100s of reasons to cheat, and a loyal person only needs one reason to be faithful: that is love.
Is it reasonable for a wife to accept another man’s invitation for just her to go to his house for a swim at 1am, & for her to go wearing only a bikini & a totally translucent gown. Is it reasonable for a husband to get upset in such a situation? Tx!
Absolutely not, it is not unreasonable to get upset. Many things can happen riding solo at that hour. My man would NEVER let me out alone at that time of the night. Shoot he wouldn’t even let me check the mail across the street in the dark. She must not respect the fact that you care about her and a healthy future for her.
Is it reasonable for a wife to accept another man’s invitation for just her to go to his house for a swim at 1am, & for her to go wearing only a bikini & a totally translucent gown. Is it reasonable for a husband to get upset in such a situation? Tx!
Yes, be upset. It’s disrespectful and disregarding your marriage vows. The offer is with bad intentions. To do that any time of day and just her is an affair waiting to happen
Talk to your wife and ask how she would feel if a woman invited you only to go over by her at that time wearing only a Speedo??
Why Is Nobody Talking About This?
I heard a news report that tariffs on Chinese goods will not have the desired effect of bringing manufacturing back the US, although companies plan cutting back on production in China. Why won’t they return the US?
Do you want to hear the truth or do you want to hear lies.
The truth is, for the United States, if it does not want to give up its financial hegemony and the US dollar as the world currency, then financial capital absolutely does not want manufacturing to return to the United States.
Because this will reduce their voice in government decision-making, and even serve the manufacturing industry, instead of being able to quickly obtain massive amounts of funds by constantly speculating on some “high-tech” concept products in the stock market. It turned into a real-life Ponzi scheme.
After carefully looking at the U.S. dollar, U.S. bonds, and U.S. technology stocks, I
I realized that the current financial system of the United States is based on the credit endorsement of the United States as a sovereign country.
But it is obvious that as the U.S. debt approaches 37 trillion, the U.S. national credit system is about to go bankrupt.
For the United States, the reshoring of manufacturing promoted by Trump and Musk is like a self-rescue act of a terminally ill person.
But to realize this premise, the financial industry, service industry, etc. all need to serve the manufacturing industry.
Instead, I hype a high-tech concept, which is actually a laboratory product, and then I can obtain a large amount of financing in the stock market. Then a few years later, the company goes bankrupt and closes down. But the money has fallen into the hands of a few.
Isn’t this just pure money fraud?
Then, the United States needs to restart vocational education. Simply put, it means that a large number of Americans should give up their choices in law, finance, services, computers, and liberal arts, and devote themselves to science and engineering and technical training.
This process will take at least 10 years to cultivate a generation of qualified industrial workers and engineers.
Otherwise, it is just a dream to bring back the manufacturing industry.
Because the current illiteracy rate in the United States is too high, workers seriously lack high-end technical training.
In fact, I personally suggest that it is better for the United States to start major infrastructure construction again from now on, which can at least solve a large number of employment problems.
Why is Intel in a steep decline? Why did Intel decline and fall so much?
Short Answer: Intel’s main competition was AMD and for a while AMD wasn’t in the race so intel got distracted. After a while Intel decided to comeback with 2nm chip and it proved disaster because of many reasons, some of which are listed in the long answer.
Long Answer: Intel’s $50 billion investment to lead in 2nm chip production has turned into a tale of misaligned priorities. The company focused on building cutting-edge facilities for foundaries to compete with TSMC and Samsung before resolving its existing 7nm and 10nm chip struggles, resulting in a reduced credibility in the market.
Why did only Intel had a fall while not other competitors like AMD?
AMD focused on outsourcing its chip production to TSMC, allowing it to prioritize design while leveraging TSMC’s advanced manufacturing processes.
TSMC invested steadily in cutting-edge production facilities like 7nm and 5nm, delivering consistent results and attracting customers like Apple, AMD, and Nvidia.
These companies focused on their own expertise and existing products, unlike Intel and that is the only reason for their success.
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Men’s adventure magazines were the bastard child of the popular pulp magazines of the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, and many of the artists who worked for the pulps also put paint to canvas for this next evolution, most famous among them being Norm Saunders. Numerous publishers saw an easy buck in the men’s adventure magazines, but none more so than Martin Goodman’s Magazine Management, whose titles included Male, Stag, Action For Men, Battlefield, Complete Man, For Men Only, Man’s World, and many others.
Pretty cool. I will tell you that living inside of China, I use this feature extensively. But also when I travel to Thailand, Japan, Korea, or Saudi Arabia it most certainly comes in handy.
The default is on the lower left. It will scan the QR code. However, if you click on “Translate”, something else happens… [1] You are prompted to take a photo.
Now, all this is really cool, but that all isn’t the really great stuff. Let’s get to some of the really cool things…
Great cat, by the way. 
Some of these are just funny… 
I suppose there are many more… 
As I said. Some are really spot on… 
.
Of course.
![What High School taught me about Diversity. Here we look at idea of "diversity" from the point of view of what it was like in my High School years. For my High School was fully and intentionally diverse. And at that time, there were two techniques of grouping people. These techniques were by [1] merit, and [2] by random association. Or in other words; "diversity". Thus we can compare diversity against merit as the criteria used in a selection process.](https://metallicman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/1-23-1024x235.gif)
