History is interesting.
When I lived in Indiana, we spent a lot of time exploring the countryside. Because of the flat… endless flat… it’s really difficult to find nice quiet spaces. Ah. But they do exist. Interspersed between the endless fields of corn and soybeans are these little oasis between the farm plots.
Yes. These little and often tiny plots might contain a cemetery (we visited many, many of these)…
… an old Indian mound (the “mound builders” built these large piles of dirt everywhere)…
….and the occasional pile of rubbish, trash and junk.
On one of our trips we discovered an old yard that hid (what was once) a beautiful skating rink.
It consisted of a nice rural pond, big enough for skating adventures, and events we found the cement foundations of bleachers and fire pits. Oh, man, it must have been really nice back in the day.
I’ll tell you what.
But today, or when we visited it in the late 1980’s, it was filled with old kitchen appliances, a abandoned car or two. Piles and piles of household garbage and refuse, and what looked to be the carcass of a pig that was taking months to decompose. Disgusting really.
I don’t know the whole story about what happened.
Probably, or most likely, the owner of the property passed away, and relatives bought the property and sold it off to Agri-business. And neighbors probably just started dumping their trash there. It’s the American way. Don’t you know.
Have you all explored your local neighborhoods and countrysides for your own local lore?
Here’s a tombstone in the middle of a highway…
If you haven’t you should. You might be surprised at the old dance halls on the third floor of that old main street building, or the old horse-smithery behind the old bank, or the massive military tank in the garage behind the wilting mansion down the road. History is interesting.
Just driving down the road will expose you to adventure…
And let’s not even get into the history of American Indians. Many stories and history there. Quite interesting when you get into it.
Ok. For today…
What’s the most badass thing your boss has ever done?
BEST boss I ever had was the director of a large government computer center. We serviced users from all over the US. Most of whom were great to work with. Nearly 30 years later some remain close personal friends.
One of those users was extremely abusive. He left some of the women who tried to help him in tears.
He started in on me once, but I told him that after 6.5 years active duty as an enlisted Marine and an equal time as a street cop in a town noted for barfights, the only thing that offended me was the poor way he was cussing me out, “I’m going to hang up now, and I don’t want you calling me back until you can do so without cussing me out, or until you can cuss me out properly. Besides, all my programs are running, how is yours doing?”
He was nice to me.
However, our boss was incensed at the treatment he gave us. (He thought my response was hilarious.)
There was a big conference coming up, and our boss was going to see him. One of two things was going to happen. An apology, or he was going to ask the guy to step outside and settle it on a different level and kick him off the system.
I worked mostly a permanent 8PM to 4AM shift on the police department, so I could handle myself pretty well, but I would NOT have wanted to get into a hook-n-jab with him. (I went to college part-time.)
The guy wisely groveled, called and apologized to one and all (except me!), and was a model user.
When they installed the computer–this was a monster supercomputer–they sent commemorative coffee cups along. This boss created a lot of detractors because he distributed the cups to us serfs instead of the upper level managers.
How good a boss was he? I almost turned down a new job with a 20% raise because I knew I’d never find a better boss. Later he ended up at another government computer. The one I moved to for that 20% raise! Then I almost turned down a 35% raise to stay and work with him at that second site. He told me that if I did not take that job, he was going to kick my ass. I’m pretty sure he meant it.
Men and women in the USA
What is an open secret in your profession that we regular folk don’t know or generally aren’t allowed to be told about?
A large number of lawyers engage in what, euphemistically, is called “value billing.” More bluntly, it’s called mail fraud. Here’s the idea:
You’re a lawyer, and a prospective client wants you to do something. Say, they want you to draft a contract for some purpose or another.
You talk to them about your expertise. You lay on the charm. You show them the fancy awards you won. They’re on board, and you formalize your attorney/client relationship with a document called an “engagement letter.” The engagement letter sets forth the important parameters of the relationship, most definitely including how fees are computed.
Most attorneys will have a line in there that says “unless otherwise specified on a case-by-case basis, I bill at such-and-such per hour for legal services.” The client is on board with that, and they sign off. Let’s say your rate is $500/hour, just to make nice round numbers.
Now you talk with the client about what they need this contract to involve. You talk to them for, say, an hour. You now have a perfect understanding of what they need. Lo and behold, you can crib from another contract you have lurking around in your files, and adapting this template to fit your client’s needs takes, say, 15 minutes.
A lawyer who engages in “value billing” might bill, say, 4 hours for producing the contract for the client, on top of the hour conversation. Their rationale is that they’re delivering $2000 in value to the client, so 4 hours is a fair price. Besides, the only reason they have this template is because they’re such a great and knowledgeable and fancy lawyer to begin with. So, in their mind, another lesser attorney might really need to take 4 hours.
Don’t be mistaken: some things are not wrong about what the attorney is doing. It’s not wrong to crib from old work. It’s not even wrong to charge $2000 for something that only took 15 minutes. What is wrong is to tell the client you’re billing them by the hour, then fabricate your hours.
This happens from time to time, and for various reasons. I’ve personally known some lawyers (… and, to be clear, they’re the exceptions…) who do this regularly. I’ve known some lawyers who only do this occasionally, and only under special circumstances. Hell, as a young attorney I’ve been given explicit directions to do so by my supervising partner.
(In that case, the client was a bit of a pain in the ass, and created a last-minute emergency that didn’t need to be created. I did a reasonably good job in a reasonably short amount of time. Upon reviewing my work, the partner said something along the lines of, “Good job. Bill an extra 5 hours on this and take the rest of the day off.” Being BigLaw, I definitely billed the extra 5 hours. I definitely did not take the rest of the day off.)
Most lawyers know what the phrase “value billing” means. If they don’t, I’m sure they know about the practice by some other name.
URGENT: RUSSIAN MISSILES ON THE MOVE – COUNTRY-WIDE
Hal Turner World December 13, 2024
URGENT: RUSSIAN MISSILES ON THE MOVE – COUNTRY-WIDE
Something is taking place inside Russia which signals a terrifying and dangerous escalation is taking place: Numerous Russian Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Transporter-Erector-Launcher (TEL) trucks have come out of storage and are traversing snow-covered back roads throughout the entire nation of Russia.
After the recent attack by Ukraine, against a military airfield in Taganrog, the Russians launched a very significant attack overnight last night, against numerous targets inside Ukraine.
But these movements of ICBM’s hint at something far bigger: a possible launch against NATO itself.
Russia has repeatedly warned that if western-supplied missiles were used to attack deep inside Russia, those missiles require western satellites to guide them to target. Ukraine does not have any satellites. So if “Ukraine” uses western-supplied missiles, and those missiles are actively guided-to-target by western satellites, then the west (collectively) becomes a “Combatant” — an active participant in the fight, against which Russia can strike back.
When they said “strike back” they made clear they felt entitled to strike western (i.e. NATO) bases inside NATO countries.
These explicit warnings came after Ukraine used western-supplied, long-range missiles back on November 19 to hit Russia.
After that strike by Ukraine, Russia unleashed a new hypersonic “Oreshnik” missile, with empty warheads, to hit a major military production site inside Ukraine. The video of that attack , using the Oreshnik with six multiple Independent re-entry vehicles (MIRV) warheads, rained down six (6) separate storms of fire and molten metal upon the military factory in Ukraine.
The terrifying fury of fire and molten metal sub-munitions coming out of the sky at over 6,000 miles-per-hour, sent shockwaves through Ukraine and the West.
Ukraine’s strikes against Russia then halted . . . until December 11, when Ukraine did it again: Hitting Taganrog, Russia with US-supplied ATACMS.
Last night, December 12, Russia struck Ukraine with at least 93 missiles and more than 200 drones. But AFTER that, all the missiles you see above, started coming out of their storage and into the field of Russia . . . ALL OVER their country.
It is now appearing that the Russians ____MAY____ strike bases in NATO countries.
No military exercises have been announced inside Russia which would account for these missile movements. They are ongoing as this story publishes at 10:41 AM EST on Friday the 13th of December, 2024.
Why do developing nations kind of trust China and Russia these days?
Whom would they trust? Their former colonial masters?
China and Russia have never invaded their territory. China and Russia have never sanctioned them. China and Russia have never interfered in their internal politics nor overthrown their government. The USA and its allies have.
China has been helping them economically through the Belt and Road Initiative. China and Russia have created the BRICS organization that is egalitarian and inclusive.
Newlywed Thought She Got Away With The World’s Biggest Sh*t Test…And Then Her Husband Showed…
What are your top 7 rules of life?
It might take the average 20-year-old lad 7 years to understand this, But I’ll try teach it to you in 3 minutes.
1. If you learn slowly, carefully & steadily, you will realize that you have the opportunity and capacity to do anything; don’t let another person discourage you. Try it out yourself and fail before admitting defeat even before the battle began.
2. Choose your spouse carefully. It’s the most important decision you will ever make, the wrong one will ruin your life.
3. You don’t need to spend $100K on a degree to build a career, learn from the internet. We are very fortunate to live in a world full of information these days. Also, remember that a degree doesn’t define your smartness. You can have a degree and still be foolish. I’ve met my fair share of these lot so believe me when I tell you this.
4. Stop blaming other people & start taking 100% responsibility for your actions. You alone are responsible for them.
5. Start investing early on. Investing helps you buy back time from your future self.
6. Regrets are a waste of time. Instead of dwelling on your regrets, make the most of available time.
7. 99% of your problems can be solved with money. Don’t listen to anyone who suggests otherwise.
Why does Malaysia fail to attract expats like Thailand?
It’s inconceivable why Thailand is “a hot place to be” for tourists from all corners of the globe— Why not Malaysia, the closest neighbor?
I admire beautiful Georgetown on Penang island as much as I value living in Bangkok the ugly city (to me) where I live, nevertheless, I stand by my principles not to brag about myself or to make Thailand look good at the expense of Malaysia and its people.
Let’s start with Bangkok and see why this mythical city in the 21st century has been popular since the 60s during the Vietnam War, although this messy and chaotic city has now been moved upmarket and some areas in Bangkok look more like New York City or London or Tokyo… To me, nothing has changed, and what you see today as compared to the Vietnam War era is —intact, baby.
Is Bangkok that attractive? Hell! No way, guys! This City where I live is weird but it must have done something right that half of the world’s population get addicted and bother to travel 8,000 miles to come and see things I hate to see.
Let’s rock! Everybody, let’s rock— here’s Bangkok where I live.
Never a dull moment the minute you enter this country regardless of the mode of your transport or where from?
By air, once you step out of the customs, chaos starts from the entry points where you get into this country— All hell breaks loose-/ you try to find your name from among hundreds of placards of names in English- you are surrounded by people who don’t speak you language. The unruly crowd is surprisingly orderly, with no shouting, no shoving, no rules, but plenty of sweat with head spinning over and again.
I heard an American lady telling her husband “ George, get the hell out of here!”
Anywhere you go, you either practice skills of bargaining cut-throat taxi fares, or make straight faces and ignore tattoo—faced Song Thaew or van drivers,
…. or damn Tuk-tuk drivers who follow you to ask you go to with them to the Floating market for 20 Baht fare or pirate van drivers and their sidekicks holding posters of sex shows keep repeating ‘no charge ‘ at the Nana area or around your hotel.
More tourists, more expats, should be more police to be seen — Nope? It’s ironic when there are no police around to bother you as bar operators as well as the touts shoo or boo them away… Seriously. Do you think the Boys in Brown have given up? You may wish that but they come with lightning raids as often as they get a tip-off.
While the expats concealed themselves, the tourists paraded to the Police Station as usual. Deported, pay the fine, or be thrown in jail
… and finally tailor touts who ask you to make suits with a free umbrella after a greeting “ Hello, hello” he did that to you every morning.( maybe evening as well)
“Hi, handsome, where you from?” A famous and classic greeting from ladyboys that passed on for the last 60 years since the Vietnam War era is still heard today.
Why does Malaysia fail to attract expats like Thailand?
Thailand spices up your life, not only Bangkok but the entire country gets you the feeling of chaos, madness, and free-for-all. Besides, you get what you need and more than what one could ask for.
Let me say to you guys, “For Pete’s sake, no one’s lookin’ now’s the chance to make a break—Everybody, let’s go and live in Bangkok and get yourself crazy, life is short.
Unchained
Where in the world should you go if you don’t want to be found?
If you are a high profile criminal or terrorist who is hiding from a bigger country’s Intelligence or police agency, there aren’t many places left for you to go. Sooner or later, they’ll find you.
Your financial status plays a significant role. If you have enough money, you can bribe the local authorities and have a relatively comfortable life in many countries.
A lot also depends on your ethnicity. If you are a white Caucasian, you’ll “stick out” in most Asian and African countries.
Let’s say you don’t have much money, no connections, you are a white male and there is an international arrest warrant out on your name for a serious crime (murder, drug trafficking, etc). Here are some suggestions for your travel destinations:
- Spain. There are still some Hippie communities from the 1970s out there. People there are living in extreme poverty, their kids don’t go to school, and life sucks, but on the positive side, the cops stay away from them and nobody gives a f**k who you are and where you come from.
- Alternative living communities worldwide. It doesn’t always have to be the jungle or the desert. There are autonomous groups in many Western countries that exist right in the middle of the biggest cities. In London, Paris or Berlin, there are streets where radical anarchists have illegally seized houses and live relatively unbothered by the police. These places can serve you as temporary shelters and you also might find people there who can give you advice on how to further proceed with your plans.
- France. You can disappear for a while as a seasonal worker, for example, in the vineyards. They don’t ask any questions. Thousands of young people and students are doing this every year, you are paid in cash and, of course, there is enough wine for everyone.
If you have some money:
- Turkey. A friend of mine lived off the grid in Izmir for many years. Just bribe the cops and nobody will bother you.
- Albania. Pretty much the same as in Turkey. The good thing is that there are many people that are versed in human trafficking. You can practically go from there to everywhere in the world illegally. It’s a big transport hub for illegals.
- Warzones and crisis regions. Where there’s fighting, the police is often far away. Besides that, people are busy with their own troubles and corruption is rampant. Short: a good place to hide. Countries like Ukraine, Iraq, Kurdistan, and even the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina can offer shelter for the rightfully persecuted. The downside is that you can’t go there without having some prior connections.
There are many more places, but as I said before, it all depends on how much money you have and your connections.
Richard Wolff: There is NO Way Back! How America MISSED Its LAST Chance To Maintain Global Supremacy
Who is the most corrupt and crooked scientist ever known?
Probably the most famous corrupt scientist is Andrew Wakefield.
Wakefield was (past tense emphasised) a gastroenterologist and biomedical researcher.
He gained international fame when, in 1998, he published a paper in The Lancet which established (or at least, claimed to establish) a link between the MMR vaccine, and a rise in bowel disease and autism (interestingly — only 12 children were in the study, and eight of them supposedly developed behavioural disorders. That’s an insanely small test group, and an absurdly high rate: if this data were true, over 20 million people would have been made autistic by MMR before 1998)
We identified associated gastrointestinal disease and developmental regression in a group of previously normal children, which was generally associated in time with possible environmental triggers
Yep — this guy is the origin of the modern anti-vaccination movement (“antivaxxers”).
Though the paper itself does not concretely blame MMR for the autism cases, Wakefield himself did several press conferences where he publicly claimed a causal link. This caused an uproar in the scientific community — and was labelled as “science by press conference”.
It was these press conferences (not the actual paper itself, though people used the paper as a post-hoc justification) that led to a huge resurgence of the anti-vaccination movement, and the outcry over vaccination of children.
Information then slowly began to leak out that all was not as it seemed to be with the paper, either.
Several of the families in the study were approached by a lawyer preparing a lawsuit against the firms making the MMR jab. Huh…that would seem to be a conflict of interest, right? That is pretty dodgy.
Then it was revealed that said lawyers had paid Wakefield more than £400,000
($700,000), which he had failed to disclose. This seriously raised questions about Wakefield’s motives: how can you expect a paper published by somebody funded by people suing the MMR vaccine makers to be impartial about the MMR vaccine?
In light of the conflict of interest this represented, The Lancet re-reviewed the paper, and found that it no longer satisfied them as a piece of genuine research — and they issued to following retraction:
We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between (the) vaccine and autism, as the data were insufficient. However the possibility of such a link was raised, and consequent events have had major implications for public health. In view of this, we consider now is the appropriate time that we should together formally retract the interpretation placed upon these findings in the paper, according to precedent.
Then, in 2004 it was revealed that, prior to publishing the 1998 paper, Wakefield had applied for a patent for a replacement for the MMR vaccine
a mere few months before he began the 1998 paper which supposedly showed that the vaccine was unsafe!
No way that could possibly have influenced his conclusions in the paper, right?
Oh — you think that’s it? No, this story just keeps on going!
After this, a former student came forward and said that Wakefield routinely ignored laboratory data.
All this while, independent studies were utterly failing to reproduce the original results
, and several of them called into question Wakefield’s research methods.
In 2007, the UK General Medical Council initiated proceedings against Wakefield on the charges of
:
- “Was being paid to conduct the study by solicitors representing parents who believed their children had been harmed by MMR”.
- Ordered investigations “without the requisite paediatric qualifications” including colonoscopies, colon biopsies and lumbar punctures (“spinal taps”) on his research subjects without the approval of his department’s ethics board and contrary to the children’s clinical interests, when these diagnostic tests were not indicated by the children’s symptoms or medical history.
- “Act[ed] ‘dishonestly and irresponsibly’ in failing to disclose … how patients were recruited for the study”.
- “Conduct[ed] the study on a basis not approved by the hospital’s ethics committee.”
- Purchased blood samples—for £5 each—from children present at his son’s birthday party, which Wakefield joked about in a later presentation.
- “[S]howed callous disregard for any distress or pain the children might suffer
The GMC ruled in favour of all charges — and Wakefield was struck from the register (the harshest thing the GMC is able to do).
During this trial Brian Deer (who had previously worked to uncover many of the inconsistencies in Wakefield’s work), discovered evidence that not only had there been poor lab practices, but that data had been willfully manipulated — and highlighted the difference between the hospital records of the 1998 data, and the data published in the paper, which appeared to show significant manipulation.
OH MY GOD THERE’S STILL MORE
THEN it was revealed that the father of one of the children in the 1998 study owned a patent that would profit from the MMR/autism scare
, and that Wakefield himself predicted that they could “make more than $43 million a year from diagnostic kits” ,
where “the initial market for the diagnostic will be litigation-driven testing of patients with AE [autistic enterocolitis, an unproven condition concocted by Wakefield]”.
In light of this, The Lancet then re-retracted the initial paper — rather than just the edited conclusion I quoted above, they said:
“The claims in the original paper that children were ‘consecutively referred’ and that investigations were ‘approved’ by the local ethics committee have been proven to be false.”
This was followed by a flurry of other retractions of Wakefield’s papers — many of which sought to establish a link between vaccination and illnesses.
Seems like a happy ending, no? He got his comeuppance — and the community has rejected his ideas after a rigorous peer review process. Exactly how science is meant to work, right?
Whilst the scientific community was busy giving Wakefield’s 1998 report a jolly good rogering — there was a human cost.
You see, the everyday population doesn’t really pay attention to the proceeds of the UKGMC — and nor do they study the retractions in medical journals. But when a man in a lab coat stands up and says “VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM!” — that, they pay attention to.
Since 1998, there has been a huge rise in the so called “antivaxxer” movement — who believe the claims of Wakefield
. Several famous people have come out in support of the movement, including Jenny McCarthy (I’m not even going to cite this), and Jim Carrey
, to name just two.
This scare has led to huge numbers of children to be going unvaccinated, which compromises herd immunity
, and has led to a staggering number of children to die from diseases they would have been safe from had they been vaccinated.
I can’t 100% vouch for the methods of this website (though they certainly have a lot of primary sources from the CDC
, which is promising), which has a running count of the number of preventable illnesses (in the US) and preventable deaths caused by non-vaccination.
The current total stands at 152,763 preventable illnesses, and 9028 deaths.
Let’s just repeat that.
9028 people have died (mostly children) because of the antivaccination movement.
That website also contains a helpful counter for the “number of autism diagnoses linked to vaccination”.
Guess what that number stands at?
0. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
Normally I would avoid making potentially libellous statements such as this — but given that I have extensive back-up sources, citations — and also the fact that this has been tested in court several times (Wakefield has never won a libel suit), I therefore feel pretty darned confident in asserting:
Andrew Wakefield is the most corrupt scientist in history. He can be held accountable for the deaths of nearly 10,000 human beings, because of his fraudulent and unethical research.
He did this out of a desire to make a profit — and in doing so he compromised everything a scientist, and indeed a human being, should stand for.
Sue me. I dare you.
What is the significance of elevating China’s bilateral relations with all African countries having diplomatic ties with China to the level of strategic relations?
What does China need?
- Potash
- Iron Ore
- Bauxite
- Uranium Ore
- Gold Mines
- Copper Ores
- Wheat
- Oilseeds & Edible Oil Stock
- Pork
- Beef
- Soybeans
- Corn
- Titanium Ore
What does Russia need?
- Intermediate Goods
- Drones
- Electronic Circuitry
- Semiconductor Chips between 650 nm to 45 nm
- Cars
- Infrastructure Equipment
- Construction Equipment
- Industrial Chemicals
- Refined Titanium
What do African nations need?
- Wheat
- Oilseeds
- Coal
- Schools
- Energy
- Transportation
- CREDIT at low interest rates
- Affordable Consumer Goods
You see that China, Russia and Africa all have things that the others want
They have a SELF CONTAINED DEMAND AND SUPPLY HABITAT
Whatever China needs, Africa and Russia have
Whatever Russia wants, China provides
Whatever Africa needs, Russia and China provide
The US or West have NO PLACE IN THIS HABITAT
They have stolen tons of resources from Africa and paid 3 cents on the Dollar
They have instead sold tons of semi automatic guns, claymore landmines, grenades, handguns and RDX to keep the regions unstable and poor and illiterate
Thats what STRATEGIC RELATIONS means
It means each Nation is strategically poised to help each other develop and grow
China builds a Power Project in Mali
They pay for it fully and in exchange ask for Uranium Ore to be sold to them for 30 cents on the Dollar
It’s TEN TIMES WHAT THE FRENCH WERE PAYING FOR THE SAME
So why not have strategic relations ?
Mystery Of The Betz Sphere Is Finally Solved And It’s Not Good
Steak Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 boneless cube steaks
- 1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
- 1 can mushrooms (optional)
- 1 medium onion, sliced
Instructions
- Brown the steaks in a frying pan, then place in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Pour the mushroom soup over them, add the can of mushrooms if you wish.
- Spread the sliced onions on top and season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
- Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Serve with noodles.
- Spoon the gravy over the noodles, if desired.
What countries will you never visit again?
Not a country, but a city:
I’ll never visit Berlin again.
When I was in college, I did a semester in London. Halfway through the term, my friends and I decided we’d take a Eurotrip to Amsterdam, Berlin, and Hamburg.
Amsterdam was a blast. I was asleep for most of Hamburg. (We stayed awake the entire night before.) But the most disappointing part of the trip was Berlin.
The city itself, the food, the history, was great. But what drove me away was the people. (Literally.) The Germans didn’t allow me into any of their clubs. (Except this one club that’s apparently super lame because it’s only for tourists.) I was there with three girls and another guy. We tried four places. The bouncers always let the girls in, but never me or my American male counterpart.
But here’s the kicker:
My biggest reason I wanted to go, pay for a flight, AirBnB, etc. was to go to the clubs. I was enrolled in music school at the time, and was really interested in electronic music. (Okay, I was obsessed.) And I knew Berlin was known for having some of the best electronic music in the world.
I was so excited, I did a bunch of research beforehand to learn how to behave so that the bouncers would approve of me. I wore all black. I stayed off my phone. I even remained silent.
But it wasn’t enough.
My passport gave me away. No one let me in anywhere, and I was really broken up about it. I had never really experienced rejection like that before. It’s a good thing my buddy was there.
He felt sorry for me, so we stayed up the whole night drinking beer and playing chess. He beat me every time, but I still had so much fun. The next day, we woke up around noon. The girls went to a museum, or memorial or something. My buddy and I spent the rest of the day at the Berlin Zoo until they closed.
I’m never going back 😉
What happened to your school bully?
One of my school bullies punched me in the back of the neck. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but in 2022 I filed for worker’s comp because my neck started really hurting me. Turns out I have:
- stenosis
- arthritis
- a partially-healed fractured disc
Since all of this was clearly old injuries and degenerative, I lost my worker’s comp claim. Over the years, in hindsight, I should have known something was wrong.
It was 2006 when I was punched, and I moved to Australia in 2016.
In 2010 and 2011, when I was in college, I was an Army ROTC cadet for two years before I got discharged for unrelated medical issues. I did notice that the back of my neck often hurt a lot when I wore a helmet…
Thanks to new regulations, cars started getting pokier head rests that either pushed your head forward, or forced you to set the seat back. New head rests always hurt my neck.
It wasn’t until I got a job at a warehouse though, as an order selector, moving thousands of pounds of alcohol a day that my neck really started playing up. I found I couldn’t turn my head, even driving was very dangerous. I am now on painkillers so strong that every 6 months or so they test my kidneys to make sure I’m not getting killed by them. They’re non-opioid painkillers. Basically Celebrex and a super strong version of Tylenol, both for extremely old people.
Back to my bully… I started thinking about it, and I realised there was a greater than 0% chance this guy, back in the USA, was a millionaire wangster rap star. Maybe I could sue him?
I looked him up, and was startled, though not surprised, to see an adult version of his face, in a news article, wearing a prison jumpsuit.
I am definitely not expecting a lump sum payout.
China & Russia JUST Hit U.S. Where It HURTS… & U.S. Didn’t Expect THIS!
What was the most bizarre court appearance you’ve heard of?
Not my case, but the case before ours (hearing). The year was 1987
NOTE: This was a Juvenile Court – Not an adult court
WARNING: THIS IS THE PAST ERA, NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT IN TODAY’S STANDARDS!
Case * Information *
A 11 year old moderately retarded (mentally challenge) is brought in with shackles
JUDGE: __________________ (!!!) _________________
PROSECUTION: (begins to speak)
JUDGE: SHUT UP! I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY THIS CHILD IS IN MY COURT ROOM?
PROSECUTION: Proceeds: Destroying mops and cutting mop-heads off
DEFENSE: YOUR HONOR! (talking very loudly) I WISH TO STATE THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM KNEW OF HIS FEARS WITH MOPS!
PROSECUTION: Objection!
JUDGE: ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!
(reads the case file and it seemed to anger him)
JUDGE: LITTLE GIRL, COME FORWARD TO ME, COME HERE… (summons her to come in front of him)
He notices shes struggling with the shackles, orders them removed.
PROSECUTION: OB….
JUDGE: SHUT THE HELL UP!
Bailiffs removes the shackles, escorts her to the Judge’s side and she immediately gives him a hug!
JUDGE: Ah! Very Nice! (hugs right back) Ahhh, let’s see here, your name is Myra (not real name)
LITTLE GIRL: ME! (points to herself proudly)
JUDGE: Do you know what a mop is?
LITTLE GIRL: (her eyes widen and becomes fearful)…
JUDGE: You do not like mops!
LITTLE GIRL: Bad! BAD BAD BAD BAD!
JUDGE: I want you to sit right there in the chair (Witness Stand).
::: she scurries into the chair and mimics the Judge ::::
JUDGE: (slightly amused but quickly turns into a scowl) WHAT IS HER MENTAL STATE?
DEFENSE: Her mental state is that of a Pre-Schooler / Kindergartner – below average for her age.
PROSECUTION: OBJECTION! HAS NO RELEVANCY TO THE CASE!
JUDGE: SHUT UP! DO NOT SPEAK UNTIL I INSTRUCT YOU MAY SPEAK! THAT’S BOTH OF YOU!
Judge then summons a bailiff up, and whispers something…. the Bailiff was somewhat “objecting to it” until the Judge tells him “go – get it”.
JUDGE: Where’s her Medical Records?
DEFENSE: I have the copy right here (holding a file)
JUDGE: (waves it to be brought over, reading through the case file every now and then you would hear him say) Hmmm, Hmmmm, Hmmmm. (and he’s making notes on his ledger)
Bailiff returns – Judge holds his hand up to “wait” – then he says
JUDGE: Myra, could you please stand over there between the two podiums?
LITTLE GIRL: (confused)
DEFENSE: (walks over and points)
She runs down and stands there facing the people. Making faces.
JUDGE: Myra? Would you turn around and face me please?
She’s giggling and laughing, then finally turns around.
(Then he summons a Female Bailiff, to turn her facing the wall to the left and not to permit her to look)
Then he waves his hand and the bailiff comes out with the mop and mop bucket, but alas, it was too late, she turned and saw it and immediately charged after it and attempted to destroy it; with the Judge holding his hand “WAIT!”
He made full observation and then said
JUDGE: MYRA?! MYRA?! What are you doing?
LITTLE GIRL: BAD! BAD BAD BAD BAD! (proceeding to try to kill the mop – even trying to pull the mop strings apart)
JUDGE: Very good Myra! You’ve killed our mop! Please come up here while my assistants removes the dead mop from my court room!
LITTLE GIRL: Keeps an eye on the mop being removed and one Bailiff played it very smart – like it was truly dead!
LITTLE GIRL: BAD BAD BAD! DEAD DEAD DEAD! ME DEAD THE BAD BAD!
JUDGE: C’mere. (instructing her to stand by him)
JUDGE TO DEFENSE: May I ask what her treating physicians have to state about a Mop?
DEFENSE: I believe the notes are somewhere in the near middle-end, may I?
Judge returns the Medical Records back to the Defense – and he’s flipping through the pages. Finding it… Hands the Judge the documentation
JUDGE: (Reads it to self then proceeds to read outloud): PATIENT HAD AN OUTBURST AND PROCEEDED TO ATTACK OUR JANITOR’S MOP WHICH HE WAS CLEANING A MESS OFF THE HALLWAY FLOOR. FURTHER DOCUMENTATIONS MADE BY THE ATTENDING NURSE FOUND THE PATIENT WAS VERY AGITATED BY THE PRESENCE OF A MOP.
DEFENSE: Your Honor, I found the other document. (Hands it to the bailiff and then it’s in the Judge’s hands)
JUDGE: (reads to self and then a slight chuckle then proceeds) THE PATIENT HAS ADVERSE REACTION TO ANY MOP. SEVERAL MOPS, MOUNTED AND UNMOUNTED WERE PRESENT TO THE PATIENT. SHE REACTED IN TERROR, ANGER, AND PROCEEDED IN DESTRUCTION OF MOPS. RECOMMENDATION: KEEP ALL MOPS OUT OF SIGHT OF THIS PATIENT. IT’S UNKNOWN WHY THE MOP IS A TRIGGER.
:::: returns the papers back to the Defense :::
PROSECUTION: YOUR HONOR! SHE HAD DESTROYED $120 IN SCHOOL PROPERTY.
JUDGE: NO SH!T SHERLOCK! IT IS QUITE EVIDENT THAT THIS RETARDED (as it was known back in the years passed) CHILD, SHALL NOT BE FOUND GUILTY. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN MEDICALLY POSTED THAT ALL MOPS AND SUCH THEREOF NOT TO BE IN THE SIGHT OF THE CHILD! RELEASE HER BACK TO HER PARENTS IMMEDIATELY AND THE SCHOOL SHE ATTENDS TO SHALL BE ALERTED WITH A WARNING – KEEP ALL MOPS OUT OF THE SIGHT OF THE CHILD. IF THERE ARE MOPS PRESENT, PLEASE REVERT THE CHILD AWAY FROM THESE OBJECTS. CASE CLOSED WITH PREJUDICE!
(pauses)
JUDGE: Myra?
LITTLE GIRL: Runs up to him and giggles.
JUDGE: You may go to your mommy and daddy! You can go back to school! You’ve saved my courtroom by the Mop Monster!
LITTLE GIRL: Beaming with smiles (runs up and hugs)
This has to be the most bizarre event ever in my lifetime! To the fact, a 11 year old retarded (mentally challenge) child with such a low IQ being arrested was totally uncalled for! The Special Education School (designed just for those type of special need children), angered me personally. I filed a formal complaint against the Special Education School System → in fact, so did a lot of other parents, counselors, program directors. It caused an outburst by the Public! (One of the Program Directors reported it to the Media which that itself was published!)
Cheating Wife Thought She Got Away With The Perfect Crime UNTIL Husband Texted EVERYONE!
Why doesn’t the West face up to China, but uses public opinion to smear China?
Because it’s no longer the past.
This was 1937.
This is 2024
If you want to have a fucking try? Then come and get us.
We’ll hit you back just as hard.
White power types will say they don’t work, so go on then put your money where your mouth is!
We’ll die but we’ll take you along with us and there will be no future for you either.
What would happen to a recruit in boot camp that acted like Forrest Gump or Gomer Pyle?
Dale Dye is a retired Marine officer who’s gotten rich as a technical advisor for military-themed movies. He founded Warriors, Inc. If you’re making a war movie, you get this guy to train your actors to behave like actual soldiers.
One of the movies he worked on was Forrest Gump. They asked him about Gump’s chances as a real soldier, and this is what he said: Forrest Gump is the ideal private because he does exactly what you tell him to.
Forrest Gump is also the ideal trainee. If a drill sergeant were to hand him, say, a footlocker layout Gump is going to set his locker up EXACTLY the way it says to. When the drill sergeant hands him a grenade he will throw it exactly the way they tell him to. He will march the way they tell him to. His uniform will be up to snuff. When we shined boots his boots would always be perfect. He will always remember to sweep, mop, wax and buff the floor. If he’s told to fall out for formation at 0630 he’ll be there. And he’d notice that the more precisely he did all these things the less the drills will yell at him.
What you DON’T want to do is put him in combat arms. He’d wind up getting his platoon killed. He’d be a hell of a Service and Supply soldier. If you tell Forrest Gump that you need an airdrop pallet built with 48 water cans, 50 cases of MREs and ten cases of ammo…that pallet is going to be built so pretty and squared away that the riggers only have to put a net and a parachute on it before they take it to the plane. They’ll never have to restack it. A more intelligent soldier, you might have to tell him the ammo and water go on first and the MREs on top of that so the weight of the heavier items don’t crush the MREs when the pallet lands; Gump is going to put the MREs on top because his sergeant told him to.
Neocons Want MBS Gone
Shorpy
The American Condition
If most Chinese trust their government, and most Americans don’t trust their own government, when China and the U.S. come into conflict, which side is more likely to win?
If there is a war between China & the US, it will not be in North America because China does not have the power projection.
It will be a war in Asia near China. It is a war that US can never win. Not enough assets to fight China, too many are quickly destroyed, no industrial capacity to sustain it, and in a logistic nightmare.
Public trust for the Chinese government helps, but really doesn’t come into play. Chinese nationalism will assert itself. Chinese are peaceful people, but they are not afraid of war and will not tolerate an invasion.
In the US, there will be an outpour of narratives to justify the war – evil China, blah, blah, blah, the spin doctors working overtime. US public will be inundated with stories of US victories, China’s fortifications in the SCS severely damaged, Taiwan on the march, allies in full support, NATO forces preparing to set sail, US carrier fleets on the way to defeat and conquer – China in flight, the government in disarray, the Politburo divided, and a real revolt is in the offing. US victory is imminent. China’s collapse is imminent.
These are approximate stories in the early days of the Ukraine War.
Then the spin doctors run out of stories. The facts on the ground are too ugly to tell. But news can only be suppressed and black-out for a time. How can you not report that an aircraft carrier has been hit and in danger of sinking? When the news start to go south, public anger will rise. Worse that they see no body bags and realize that the war is fought at sea and the bodies are in the bottom.
If the US public does not trust the government, the war will be short. The disarray and revolt that were suppose to befall China will take place in the US, and spread quickly. Then the real war starts – in the US.
China: A Leader in Hypersonics Military Technology
What are some facts that sound like ‘BS’, but are actually true?
An ingenious man was able to turn a red paper clip into a house.
In 2005, Kyle MacDonald had no job, but wanted to live in a house. With limited options for saving money, he concocted an unorthodox plan.
Beginning with a red paper clip on his desk in Montreal, he would attempt to trade the seemingly useless item for something better. He would keep trading up until he reached his goal.
For his first step, he posted the red paper clip in the ‘Barter’ section on Craigslist. From Kyle MacDonald’s book, sourced below:
one red paperclip
This might not surprise you, but below is a picture of a paperclip. It is red.
This red paperclip is currently sitting on my desk next to my computer. I want to trade this paperclip with you for something bigger or better, maybe a pen, a spoon, or perhaps a boot.
If you promise to make the trade I will come and visit you, wherever you are, to trade.
Hope to trade with you soon!
Kyle
PS – I’m going to make a continuous chain of ‘up trades’ until I get a house. Or an Island. Or a house on an island. You get the idea.
Through a dogged and brilliant series of 14 trades over the course of one year (and greatly helped by later news and publicity of his quest), Kyle was able to successfully transform the paperclip into a new home:
- Paper clip for Fish-shaped pen.
- Fish-shaped pen for a hand-sculpted doorknob.
- Doorknob for a Coleman camp stove (with fuel).
- Camp stove for a Honda generator.
- Generator for an “instant party”: an empty keg, a beer-filling IOU for, and a neon Budweiser sign.
- “Instant party” for a snowmobile.
- Snowmobile for a two-person trip to British Columbia.
- Trip for a cube van.
- Cube van for a recording contract with Metalworks.
- Recording contract for a year’s rent in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Year’s rent for one afternoon with Alice Cooper.
- Alice Cooper afternoon for a KISS motorized snow globe.
- KISS motorized snow globe to Corbin Bernsen (a large collector of snow globes) for a role in the film Donna on Demand.
- Movie role for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan.
Kyle wrote a book about his experience, and even earned a place in the Guiness Book of World Records for “Most Successful Internet Trade.”
Davy Knowles w/BAND OF FRIENDS – Tattoo’d Lady/Bad Penny/Shadowplay
What is the best breakup experience you’ve ever had?
I met this girl, Courtney, in 1999. She grew up and went to school in Buffalo, NY and I was going to school in California. We met in Michigan, at a summer program for math majors. (For foreign readers, the only thing you need to know about the geography is that all those places are very far from the others.)
It was what I call “indifference at first sight.” We met each other in the context of meeting all the eight or so student participants in the program. We got along fine, but there were definitely no romantic sparks flying. As a group, we all really got along great. Two months later, when the program was over, we all kept up with each other.
(This is more remarkable than it sounds, at least because back then there was no such thing as facebook. “Kept up with each other” meant we actually emailed or — shockingly — talked on the phone.)
About a year later, I sent an email to the group saying how I’d be going to Penn State for grad school. Courtney instantly replied, saying she would also be going to Penn State for a one-semester program. Small world! We arranged to have dinner shortly after we both arrived.
Now the romantic sparks flew. By the end of the semester, in December 2000, we were properly dating. But, alas, the semester ended and she went back to Buffalo. For foreign readers, Penn State and Buffalo are separated by about a 3–4 hour drive. However, I didn’t have a car, so for me the quickest way to visit was by an 8 hour meandering bus ride. We carried on, long distance. Despite my lack of car, my schedule was such that it was a lot easier for me to visit her than the other way around. So every other weekend (or so) I would be on that bus.
Long distance relationships aren’t that great. Maybe not in all cases, but for us, there was a pressure to really make the most out of each visit. We never really just hung around together lounging on the couch. We filled the whole weekend with stuff to do. It was fun, but it was also a little exhausting.
Too exhausting, in fact. By the time February rolled around, I was ready to call it quits. Not because Courtney had done anything wrong, and it’s not that I didn’t enjoy myself when I visited. It was just… exhausting. So one weekend in late February, I decided we’d have “the talk.”
But the timing is important. You can’t show up on Friday and start with the talk, otherwise the rest of the weekend is ruined. It has to be on Sunday, before my bus ride back. She had planned Sunday breakfast with her parents. Ugh, not ideal, but fine. So we get through that very awkward breakfast, and now she’s driving me to the bus station.
There’s that moment of silence when we have clearly transitioned from talking about whatever we were talking about, and I’m mentally firming myself up to start. Man, I hope I don’t make her too sad. Just as I’m about to begin, she says, “So… hey… listen… “
And then she breaks up with me!
She was thinking all the same things I was. We had a good laugh at that, had a nice hug, and she sent me on my way. We both resolved to still be friends.
The epilogue:
We continued talking on the phone after that — because that’s what friends do. In fact, she even went to visit me at Penn State. Because that’s what friends do.
At some point, we crossed into territory that definitely doesn’t involve what friends do. We were briefly in this awkward ill-defined relationship status, but by June, we were pretty much properly dating again. We resolved to fix the long distance problem. Different scenarios were discussed, and ultimately we ended up moving to Boston.
We got married in 2005.
Why do Chinese keep comparing China to the USA when China still hasn’t put a man on the moon, something the USA did 49 years ago?
Putting a man on the moon is not indicative of US superiority.
Today, the world has two superpowers: the USA and China. This is why they are frequently compared.
In most respects, China is ahead of the USA. China is the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity. China surpasses the USA in most technological fields. China has much greater diplomatic influence globally, thanks to the BRI and BRICS. China has a far more effective political system and with far greater support from the people. China has the world’s largest army and the world’s largest navy. China is a major nuclear power and can deliver warheads using hypersonic missiles.
China has 232X the shipbuilding capacity of the USA!!!
New Discovery Suggests Dinosaurs Coexisted with Early Humans
Have you ever met a very intelligent person who had no clue as to how smart they really are?
Yes, I have. I owned and operated a very successful employment agency for about 20 years. And during that time I met thousands of people in all walks of life and individuals who were at all levels of intelligence, from borderline moronic to high level genius (I also advertised in the Mensa local news magazine/letter for applicants).
I sometimes gave a version of the Wonderlic test, a 50 question, 12 minute, I.Q. test to applicants. Not to all applicants, just some.
This one individual came to my office fresh from college. He was dressed in a full three piece suit. Had never worked before, and was looking for an entry job in bookkeeping, although he had a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He didn’t come from my Mensa advertising. Since he didn’t have any work experience, I wanted to place him with one of the big 8 recognizable accounting firms. But I needed more information than just a college degree to get him the interview.
I gave him one of the six versions of the Wonderlic that I had. He finished the questions in 10 minutes instead of 12. When I scored it, I gulped. He got a 45 which in those days, 1980, was equivalent to an I.Q. of about 145.
The young man was shy, quiet, and nice. No intellectual arrogance about him. Even his vocabulary was average and not peppered with ten dollar words. I couldn’t believe this guy had a genius I.Q. I tested him with a 2nd. and 3rd. version of the test. The same, between 45 and 47, to give him as high as 148 or 150 I.Q. (At the time the ceiling for a score of 50 was around 153, which included scores of 48–50)
The individual was a genius! I made up a resume of his background, which was limited, but did put in his GPA, which was 4.0 in accounting courses, but “B” grades in practically everything else. Naturally, I was successful placing him in a job.
Today he may be retired because in 1980 he was 23 years old, but I’ll bet with his background, and I.Q., that he either ended up as a controller, CEO, or just remained as an auditor because he liked it and devoted his time to his family and not to advancing and sacrificing for a career. And I’ll also bet, since he was so self effacing, that he went through life not realizing he was so very intelligent (I did tell him what his Wonderlic scores were, but he didn’t believe me when I told him that he was extraordinarily intelligent.
What disqualifies you from being a flight attendant?
These are the things that can stop you from getting a cabin crew job:
- Age. Airlines have age requirements, to join the airline. The normal age requirements most airlines have are 18 years old to 21 years old. Don’t forget that you can be ‘’too old’’ to join as well. Sadly a lot of ME/Asian airlines are ageist. Most of the ME/Asian airlines prefer to hire candidates below the age of 30 years old. But thankfully EU/US/AUS/CA airlines are not ageist.
- Height. Airlines have height requirements. This is because of safety reasons. If you are for example 155cm, it will be difficult for you to find an airline that would hire you. During the recruitment process, there will be a height test, etc.
- Education. Most airlines want their candidates to at least have a completed high school diploma. If you don’t have a high school diploma, you won’t be able to get a job.
- Weight/health. If you are not fit to fly and don’t have a healthy BMI, you won’t get the job. Your weight has to be in proportion to your height. During the recruitment, the recruiters will judge you. I say ”judge” because the recruiters are brutal when it comes to the way you look. Also during the training, your health will be checked.
- Skin. As crazy as this sounds, a lot of airlines don’t hire people that for example have severe acne or skin issues. Issues that would be visible. Image is everything to these airlines. A lot of people forget that crew members act as some kind of ”PR” for the airlines. Crew members are ‘’brand ambassadors’’ for the airlines. That is why the airlines are super strict with the way their crew looks like.
- Criminal background. Before you get the job, there will be a background check. If you don’t pass it, you won’t get the job.
- Passport. For example, a Brazilian national can’t work for Airfrance in France if that person doesn’t have the legal right to live and work in France. You have to have a valid passport. Some airlines offer crew, work visas, doesn’t matter what nationality you have. For example, the airlines in the Middle East do that. Other than that you have to have the legal right to live and work in that country if you want to get a cabin crew job.
- Medical history. Some airlines are strict with candidates’ medical histories. For example, many airlines don’t hire people with depression. Doesn’t matter if they have it now or had it before. If someone had a specific illness, even if it is healed and cured now, the airlines won’t accept that. For example, if you have any kind of sleeping issues, previous or current. Even if it is sorted out and you no longer have sleeping issues, you won’t get the job. Before you get the job you have to fill out medical forms.
- Teeth. Yes, your teeth matter. To smile is one of your duties being a cabin crew. You have to have a nice smile. If you have issues with your teeth, for example, crooked teeth, you won’t get hired. Some airlines don’t even allow braces. Many airlines require dental x-rays before you join.
- Vision/hearing. You have to fill out a medical form before you join. If you have issues with those, you are out. Your vision and hearing will also be checked during the medical exams during training. If you don’t pass the vision and hearing tests, you will be terminated. So better to check before you get the job.
- Swimming. You have to know how to swim. If you don’t know how to swim, you won’t be able to get the job. There will be a ditching test during the training. You can’t have a fear of water etc.
- Scars/marks. If you have deep surgery scars or marks, and it would be visible when wearing the uniform, then you won’t be able to get a job. Some airlines are super strict with the way their crew members look like.
- Fear of flying. I know a girl who had a fear of flying, to what degree I don’t know. She went on with recruitment and got the job. The instructors found out during training. When they were having training in the simulators. She got fired.
- Headscarf/hijab. Many airlines don’t allow this. For example, the airline Saudia did allow headscarves with their previous uniform. Their previous uniform looked like this:
Their cabin crew were allowed to wear a headscarf/hijab. But this year, they changed their uniform to this:
Now, with their new uniform, I don’t know what they did about their headscarf rules.
- Tattoos. Most airlines are OK with candidates having tattoos, but as long as it is not visible when in uniform. If you for example have tattoos on your legs or arms, you won’t be able to get the job. I know many candidates who had visible tattoos but removed them to get the job.
- Beard. If you have a beard like this:
If you are not willing to shave it, you won’t get the job. Many airlines are super strict with beards. With some airlines, you are not even allowed to have a beard like that. You have to be clean-shaven at all times, during duty. Some airlines allow their male crew members to have a beard. For example, they allow this:
With some airlines even during recruitment, if you come with a beard for your interview, they will disqualify you.
- Hair color/hairstyle. For example, you are not allowed to have this hair color:
If you go like this for a cabin crew interview, you will not get the job. They have strict rules with hairstyles and hair colors. Even if you had your hair up in a neat bun like this:
That is still not allowed.
So many crazy and silly rules. Some rules are of course there for safety and security. Some rules I understand and I am happy that they have those rules. But for example the age rule. That is truly sad. A lot of airlines are ageist. Many things that can disqualify you during the recruitment process or in training. Even if you pass the entire recruitment process, you need to pass the training as well.
So many things to think of before you apply for the job.
Scott Ritter: Russia’s GLOVES ARE OFF as Putin Readies NATO’s Crushing Defeat, WWIII Next
How are snipers usually killed in combat?
The snipers that were killed during the Bosnian War died in very different ways:
One sniper in our platoon got shot in the head by an enemy rifle, most probably from another sniper.
An enemy sniper jumped from a high building when he discovered that we had located his position and were about to catch him alive.
Snipers were the most hated soldiers on the battlefield and when they were caught alive, they usually didn’t live very long.
We also lost a sniper when a tank shot at the house where he was positioned. A wall collapsed over him and he died immediately. It’s often overlooked that a tank makes the perfect anti-sniper weapon.
Most snipers, however, died through indirect fire from the artillery. The artillery is the number one killer on the battlefield and snipers are no exception. From all artillery weapons, the mortar is probably the most effective one against snipers.
In other conflicts, snipers also get killed by airstrikes and more and more often by anti-tank missiles. Like the tank, a modern anti-tank missile is extremely accurate over long distances and therefore, it is perfectly suited to combat a relatively small target, for example, a sniper.
MM and his AI experiments
I moved some of the visual narratives around, and changed the forum from making coffee to “holding a carved stone statue” and the location being a “bedroom”. Very interesting results.
Many imperfections, but very interesting and curious.
So it started out with a lot of kissing on the bed. No statue. But not too bad.
Some soft nudes.
And then everyone started kissing everyone else.
And then things got heated up.
And confusing…
All are aesthetically pleasing, but none appeals to me. I am not searching for nudes and a lot of bed action. But I have taken note that you have to be very careful on what is written, and things can be misinterpreted with the strangest slight elements of sentence structure variation.
And I have no idea where the statue went.
Wife Admitted To Cheating For 10 YEARS On Annual Girls Trips, So I Said “Two Can Play This Game!”
What is the most advanced home surgery or procedure you’ve done on yourself? And how did it go?
Years ago, when I was without dental insurance, I developed quite the abscess on one of my teeth. I could not afford the procedure and I did not want to create medical debt for myself. So, ever the stubborn woman that I am, I thought, “how hard can it be?”
I looked up videos on YouTube of dentists performing the procedure first. If you’re performing surgery without surgical training you need a reference point! Then I gathered and boiled my supplies in hot water.
I pulled back my lip and face as best as I could and used a needle to pierce the very swollen infected skin tissue. Purulent puss oozed and gushed from the hole. The pain was otherworldly and not a stretch. I thought I’d pass out from the initial wave of pain that washed over me. But I pushed on and continued to squeeze out as much as I could.
I repeated the process daily for the next few days. Eventually it healed and I was able to have it taken care of again when my insurance kicked in fresh in January. Look, I knew one way or the other it would be cut open and I would’ve loved to be numbed first but hey, you do what you have to when there’s no other option.:
SWEET JESUS!.. *First Time Hearing* Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends
Beyond our star
Submitted into Contest #247 in response to: Set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong.… view prompt
Katy Heald
“I swear.” I was under no illusions about the kinds of folks who I’d be given for the voyage. Those with too little to lose, too much to run from. Or those servicing a debt so great that it could propel them beyond the limits of our atmosphere. But a life is a life, and even though Eth is a much better person than I am I was happy to promise him this. “On my life, Eth.” Quite literally, actually, since there was no question of the ship leaving the planet without me.
He’d nodded, apparently satisfied, and golden exhileration flooded my body. To be replaced by a chilling sense of horror at his next words. “I’ll captain her, then.”
More than blood, then. Instead, a vow to which I’m tied by the soul bond between me and him. Oh, there’s no deep magic here, no arcane link that compels me to obey, nothing like that. Just the fact that this man is half of my whole, and my entire heart, and nothing in this universe matters if he is not at my side. I’d be a hell of a lot happier right now, though, if he wasn’t literally at my side, but instead safely ensconced in the royal chambers in Selmat.
Is this what he expected? Is this what his family anticipated when they appointed a royal engineer to their court? It was a fancy of his father’s, I’m sure, a conceit inspired by visitors from abroad who displayed their own scientists and mathematicians like a florist bedecking a ballroom. He’d requested a physicist and a cosmologist as well and the univeristy had been only too happy to offload me, the troublesome thorn in the administration’s side, to complete the trio.
Aretha and Silas didn’t last long, their tempraments far better suited to the dusty, theoretical towers of academia than the whims of a court which demands flair and novelty more than rigour and punctiliousness. But I was in my element. Every harebrained idea I’d ever had suddenly had an audience. Nothing I could say was too out-there, nothing too outlandish to delight my avid fans.
I wasn’t expecting anyone to take me seriously.
It had never happened before, after all. Oh, I knew my ideas would work, but I’d never persuaded anyone else. Or, at least, anyone who had the wherewithal to actually get them beyond the point of theory. Not until Ethan.
Ethan listened. Not in the delighted, vapid way of the rest of the court but with actual interest. He asked questions. Intelligent ones.
It was my engine design that fascinated him the most. His father quickly lost interest in the scheme once Ethan’s questions become more detailed and my explanations less about showmanship and more about satisfying the insatiable curiosity of the crown prince. And about proving myself, of course. But that was fine, because in the face of his father’s impatience Ethan began to ask for ‘personal briefings’ on my ideas. They became increasingly ‘personal’ as we got to know each other, and for a while the whole space exploration programme risked being derailed entirely as we discovered just how much exploration we could undertake within the four walls of the prince’s bedroom.
The scene in the engineering bay, when I get there, is a horror show. A pall of smoke hangs in the air, choking the handful of crew who know one end of an induction manifold from the other and have hurried in here in a forlorn attempt to help. There’s little they can – or dare – attempt without my instruction, but they’ll stand there and broadcast their resentment in neon blue streaks nonetheless.
My orders echo around the cavernous space, chillingly unimpeded by the engine’s usual hum. Suddenly six tentacles don’t feel like nearly enough as I press reset buttons and hammer overrides and make absolutely no difference to the silently accusing power gauges.
It’s the fuel. Of course it’s the fuel. I know it, even the underqualified grunts hovering at my back know it. But none of us have dared say it yet because to go in there and deal with it, to pass beyond the containment field, is only fractionally less of a death sentence than sitting around here waiting for the air to run out.
We’re out of time, and I’m out of delaying tactics, and I’ve known for a while – since the instant the explosion rippled through the ship and the alarms began to scream and the crew was painted lime green in terror – that it would come to this. Muttering ripples round the room but I can’t spare the attention, not right now. There are supplies in the emergency locker for this, and I snag the tub of gel that I’ve never found the opportunity – or perhaps never been sufficiently suicidal – to test and start to smear it across my body.
A commotion by the containment hatch catches my attention just in time, and my panicked screech stops the youngster’s tentacle just before he overrides the security lock. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
He freezes, glares, steps into the shadows to try and hide the shade of his scales which are now so dazzlingly viridescent that they almost glow. “I’m the most junior. Sir. You don’t have to order me.”
“Order you to what?!” Panic and confusion is making my voice shrill and a couple of the onlookers wince and cover their sensitive earholes.
The youth – Derran, I recall, belatedly – looks faintly uncertain. “To go beyond the door. You… you do realise it’s the fuel, don’t you? Sir?” The honorific is tacked on tentatively, like he’s increasingly unsure it’s merited. Not that I can really blame him at this point. “That the lines are clogged?”
“Of course I do, I designed the bloody thing.” I’ve finished slicking myself with goo now and I’m feeling unpleasantly tacky and more than a little nervous, and my temper is fraying. “What makes you think I’m sending you in there?”
His expression goes flat, confusion and scorn and faint hope swirling across his scales. “Because someone has to unclog them, and it’s a death sentence, and I’m the most junior.” He doesn’t even bother with the ‘sir’ this time.
I can’t help myself. I scan the room. Half of them are staring at the floor, the rest meeting my eyes with a degree of defiant condemnation and the words are out in a jumble of hurt before I can stop them. “That’s what you think of me? Seriously?”
I’m at the door before the first of them realises my intention, and the shock as the rest catch on is almost palpable. “Don’t follow me. If I can’t do this, no one can.” It’s not hubris, it’s the bare facts from the one who designed the engine, built it from scratch, nursed it through these first dozen light years and beyond the edge of the Relean system. “Give me 20 minutes then evacuate.”
It’s an order they might or might not obey. There’s an escape pod, of course, but who will find it out here? They can jump ship, but they’ll be drifting in the void for the rest of their natural lives unless we’ve woefully underestimated the population density of this section of the galaxy. That’s not my problem, not right now. Not with the containment door looming imposingly above me and the handle suddenly heavy under my hand with the weight of what’s riding on this.
It’s a tiny comfort, as I take a final breath and step into the airlock, that Derran’s scales are shining with relief and gratitude. (A little adoration and hero-worship wouldn’t go amiss too, I’m putting my life on the line here, but beggars can’t be choosers.)
If the engineering bay was a horror show, the containment pod is a hellscape. There are no alarms blaring in here, because there isn’t supposed to be anyone to hear them. But the heat and vapour and the smell assaults me and it’s all I can do to focus on what I need to do. The goop on my scales will protect them, and I grabbed a respirator as a bit of defence for my eyes and gills, but both will falter when confronted with the scale of this catastrophe.
As soon as it happened, as soon as we felt the ship rock and heard the alarms blare, I knew what must have happened. No one is ever meant to come in here, because I built backups for the backups and the only way they could all fail was through a series of events so unlikely that designing it out seemed a waste of time. (I’m reconsidering that assessment now, you will understand.) A blockage, an explosion, the failsafe systems taken out neatly in precise succession with split-second timing; I couldn’t have done it intentionally if I’d practised for a month.
In the vanishingly unlikely event we all get out of this alive there’s a hell of a repair job and plenty of redesigning to do, but now is not the time. We can send the cleaner bots in later, but for now it’s down to me and my tentacle-tips and the rising temperature is doing little to make them any more dextrous. The ringing noise in my head and the blurring of my vision tells me the muck is already seeping into my system, and choking clouds of fog are still blocking my view of the critical parts.
In the end I have to just go for it, forge forwards into the choking miasma and rely on my instincts to guide me to the right place. Like I said to Derran: if I can’t do this, no one can.
The next minutes are a blur. Afterwards, only fractured impressions remain. The shriek of pressurised steam escaping from another rupture. The heat of the metal under my tips as I wrench at the valves. The choking stench of leaking exhaust and singed scales.
The sound fades away. Finally I realise I’ve done all I can, and there’s a protesting gurgle that sends a flood of hope through me as the fuel reluctantly starts to flow again. I stumble back to the hatchway, yank it closed behind me, and collapse in a heap on the blissfully cool deck.
Ethan is there. Of course Ethan is there. He’s there because he’s the captain, and because he’s the closest thing we have to a medic on this forsaken tin can, but mainly because he’s my… because he’s mine. I can feel the fluttering of his limbs on my body, the respirator replaced with medical masks, something sharp breaching my scales below my frill. His tentacles are everywhere, his touches reassuring and tender and a shade too intimate for a public setting but it’s not like anyone’s going to begrudge him those in my last moments.
The ringing noise in my head fades and I realise that this must be the end. Oddly, I’m no longer scared. I’ve kept my promise, after all: our ragtag little band of explorers are safe. I’ve not failed Ethan. I’ve not failed my ship. I expect to see Ethan’s scales swirling with the deep black of grief but to my shock it’s the faint crimson of irritation that I see, not deep enough to truly be called anger, but hurtful nontheless as my… my Ethan’s reaction to my last seconds. (It has occured to me more than once that we really ought to get round to naming this thing that’s between us. I guess we’re out of time, now.)
Without the ringing noise I can hear snatches of words, and their unexpectedness tugs my brain closer to consciousness. Idiot. Stupid, bone-headed, self-sacrificing… And then it occurs to me that the scene is getting clearer rather than fuzzier, and the pain is starting to recede, and the realisation that I’m not actually on the verge of death hits me like a shockwave.
“Ethan?”
There’s relief marbled through the crimson as he locks some of his eyes with mine. “Tam. Of all the stupid—”
“I kept them safe. I promised you, Eth. I kept them safe.”
Ethan glares at me and then scoops me up in his tentacles with an ease that I usually find incredibly hot but for which I am just overwhelmingly grateful right now, and bears me off to bed and healing rest. As we approach the door I’m shocked to hear the approving sussuration of frills from the others in the room, and see the shades of gratutide and loyalty, if no little surprise, that adorn their bodies.
I don’t know what we’ll find out here, beyond the edges of our home system and out in the depths of the galaxy, but it looks like one thing has changed. Our little group of court sycophants and university spies and futureless outcasts has changed into something else today. I get the hopeful sense we’re doing this as a comrades, now; teammates. And Ethan is here, and he’s holding me close, and despite the utter carnage of this morning I can’t help but feel that a lot of good has come out of today.
I settle against his chest and let sleep wash over me as his insults fade into endearments. There’s time enough to rake over today’s debacle and make sure it never happens again; for now I can rest. I need my strength back – we’ve a universe to explore together, after all.
She Wanted Open Marriage I said OK and did this
Probably a fictional tale, but illustrates the situational fiasco.
Isn’t it cool how Putin has totally ridiculed the ICC by visiting Mongolia, and doesn’t this prove that he is the greatest exponent of democracy and freedom in the free world? We could really use Putin in the U.S., to deal with the Supreme Court!
Russia is militarily strong. Putin has tight, tight, very tight security from Russia while traveling abroad.
Mongolia’s police is not capable of arresting Putin. Neither is Mongolia’s army. That is reality.
ICC is NOT part of UN.
ICC works for members who have signed the Rome statute.
As of 2023, there are 123 members. USA, China, Russia, India, Israel & more are not members. But ICC still will help its member to sue a non-member.
The 2023 ruling against Putin in Ukraine war is not issued by UN or UN Security Council.
ICC consists of 18 judges who are elected by ICC members only; not UN.
Mongolia was within the circle of USSR before USSR collapsed.
Mongolia is between Russia & China. Though USA tries to put its hands in Mongolia, it makes sense that Mongolia joins the BRI project (pipeline) to link Russia, Mongolia & China together. To make money together.
Joining US politics only makes Mongolia poor & technological behind. Look around the world.
Try that on US supreme court? Not that lucky. Because US police or army can arrest you.
Stuffed Banana Peppers
Ingredients
Peppers
- 24 banana peppers, washed, seeded and sliced in half lengthwise
Meat Mixture
- 3 pounds ground meat
- 3 pounds bulk Italian sausage
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs or bread cubes
- 1 1/2 cups Romano cheese, + extra to sprinkle
- 1 small diced onion
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Seasoned salt, to taste
- Spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- Mix the ground meat, sausage, eggs, bread crumbs, cheese and onion.
- Season with garlic, black pepper and seasoned salt to taste. Mix well again.
- Fill banana peppers with meat mixture.
- Lay on a wax paper-covered tray and cover with plastic wrap, place in freezer until frozen firm; transfer to freezer bags until ready to use.
- Remove peppers from freezer and place evenly in a disposable aluminum casserole pan.
- Pour spaghetti sauce over peppers and bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour.
CIA and U.S. State Departments Anti-Russia Internet Troll Boiler Rooms – HACKED
For a long time, K Street firms in Washington, DC, operating “Internet Opinion Management” houses/boiler rooms, have been run by the State Department and the CIA. Today, two of those . . . anti-Russian operations . . . have been HACKED and their info, leaked.
Databases from the anti-Russian funds The U.S. Russia Foundation (USRF) and Free Russia Foundation (FRF) have now been leaked online. Among the leaked documents are the organizations’ payrolls, information about correspondences and their participants, and other data.
The CEO of the "U.S. Russia Foundation", Matthew Rojansky, is about as Deep State as it gets. He is a committed Obamunist. He TURNED DOWN a seat on Biden's National Security Council, likely because it would mean taking a HUGE Pay Cut. From Wiki: "He served as a director of the U.S.-Russia Foundation and founded the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Ukraine Program. From July 2013 to January 2022, Rojansky was the director of the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, which focuses on Russia and Ukraine issues."
As for the “Free Russia Foundation”, it appears to be an entirely State Department / CIA creation, run by a LONG-Time Deep State Minion, David Kramer.
Former employees of these organizations have already confirmed the authenticity of the documents. They noted that these documents were previously unpublished and likely leaked from cloud storage used for grant reports.
The documents reveal that the foundation’s employees were destabilizing the situation in Russia using a bot farm, for which a special guide was written as part of an anti-Russian campaign overseen by intelligence services.
It turned out that the employees of this “elf factory” posted calls for protests, criticized the authorities, and even pretended to be wives of mobilized men. The documents show that “elves” were essentially given ready-made messages where they only needed to insert, for example, the name of a city or square where demonstrations were planned. Bots were also encouraged to spread complaints about “local administration,” though exactly which administration was left for the employees to decide.
This is hardly surprising since they had to meet a daily quota of 100 “dumps” over an eight-hour workday.
Neither USRF nor FRF has provided substantial comments on this matter, though FRF mentioned they are “monitoring the illegal distribution of documents likely related to their activities.”
They link the leak to a recent hacker attack by the group Coldriver, which is associated with Russian intelligence services. However, the involvement of company insiders isn’t ruled out.
The revelations in these hacked documents proves the United States has been waging an information war against Russia for years; even before the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The clear intent of these operations was to sew social discord, create upheaval, and destabilize the Russian government at all levels: local, state, and national.
What is the behavior of tourists that you can’t stand to watch?
1.) Begpackers
(picture from MSN.com)
Begpacker, a.k.a. begging backpackers. Foreigners who think they can just sit down on the streets and ask for money from locals / other people, because they either overstayed their budget and cannot pay for longer accommodation, and think that the locals are kind enough to spare them a few bucks so they can continue to “travel the world”. The picture above enrages me because, what? “Help us travel around the world”? Why should we help you?
The picture is taken in Bali. I am from Indonesia (a country with a passport that only offers ~70 visa-free destinations) and let me tell you about the process of being able to travel to countries in the West (the tourist pictured above is most likely from one of those countries): It is tough. We have to prove that we have sufficient amount of money, that we have a stable income, that we have strong ties to our home country. We have to prove that we will not be a burden to the country we want to travel to. If not, our applications will be instantly rejected.
Meanwhile, these begpackers are abusing the lax travel rules and use it to their own advantage, burdening the locals and abusing their kindness and hospitality.
2.) Being disrespectful at historical monuments / sites
When I was studying in New York, I went down to the 9/11 Memorial site on September 11th to see what the situation looked like. I was born 2 years before 9/11 happened so while I didn’t personally witness it as I was too young to remember, I had family relatives living in NYC at that time that witnessed it in real time. I wanted to pay respects to the victims. I went down alone, and mostly kept my phone in my bag except for taking the picture above. Upon arriving, I saw a family of tourists huddled together, leaning back on the name plates (like in the picture above) and smiling widely while taking a selfie with a selfie stick. Around them were people standing in silence, clearly mourning, and some of them were in tears. The names on those metal plates are of real people, real victims.
How could someone be as ignorant and oblivious to what was happening around them that they’d take a picture for their personal amusement while hundreds of people around them are in mourning? And no, it wasn’t just that family of tourists that were doing it. There were many tourists at the memorial, on September 11th out of all dates, taking selfies, smiling and posing.
This can also apply to tourists who pose, smile, and take “cool” selfies at other sites like the Auschwitz concentration camp, or sacred sites like temples, etc. I wish some tourists could just read the room, and could tell if a certain action/activity could be deemed inappropriate.
3.) Blocking the way for others for the sake of a photo op.
Fyi, I am a tourist myself! I love seeing places I’ve never seen before, documenting things I find beautiful, and traveling to historical or cultural places. But please, know when it is appropriate to do some things you want to do, and when it is inappropriate to do so. Don’t cause congestion on a busy street, don’t be disrespectful at memorial sites, and please, don’t be a begpacker.
—
ETA: Some people disagree on my stance on begpackers. “If you don’t want to give your money, then don’t.” The thing is, the kind locals would. Southeast Asians are known for their kindness and hospitality, and probably just want to help. Another sad part is that you have literal local beggars on the streets begging for food/money because they are actually poor. Then you have a privileged first world tourist who think that travelling is a must for them, not a privilege. I think that’s outrageous. Travel according to your budget. Don’t become a burden to the locals.
As for annoying tourists and photo ops: the picture above is in The Bronx, between residential buildings. Could you imagine peacefully living in your apartment, then to find out the next day that it became a tourist attraction? Wouldn’t it be bothersome? “But people adjust! Live and let live!” Well, I know for sure I wouldn’t like it if I lived there.
People are entitled to have their own opinion, and so am I. Cheers 🙂
