Car life vs. Bicycle life

We (as Americans) take the necessity of driving an automobile as a sign of an advanced society.

In the USA, your car is very important.

It defines your degree of “success” for the world to see.

That and your house and it’s location, but the public “face” that you wear is mostly defined by your automobile.

Not so in China.

Or the rest of the world, for that matter.

Now, today, many Chinese own cars. But using them is costly and expensive in the cities. In fact, it is better to simply use public transportation; it’s cheap, easy, accessible and clean.

So the Chinese use both.

And all the ride-share bicycles (as well as ride-share scooters, of all sizes and shapes) are really nice.

Like this…

In fact, in China, all of the sidewalks have bike highway lanes.

They look something like this…

Black-top (often colored reddish orange) paved lanes for bicycles to ride.

Shady.

Clear and safe.

In fact, riding a ride-share bicycle in China is a lot of fun.

Much more than driving a car.

Most of my staff (even if they have a car) takes public transportation.

They ride a bus to get to the other end of the city (or a subway), then get off, and take a ride-share bike for the one or two block ride to work.

It’s great exercise. Fun.

Peaceful and nice.

Does the United States have this? No.
Should the United States have this? I don’t know.

But aside from being healthy and fun, it’s also cheap.

If you have the means. Think about riding a bicycle to work today. You might just be surprised at the little coffee shops that you never noticed, the little local bakery on the way, and the little nuances of local life that you have always passed without noticing.

And that is my thought for today…

Why is it so hard for gangsters to exist in China?

It is obvious that gangs are maintained by violence.

However:

1. Any violent behavior in China is a crime; and it is very severe.

For example, knocking out a person’s teeth will result in a sentence of less than 3 years; breaking a person’s arm will result in a sentence of 3-10 years;

If you commit a crime again within 5 years after being released from prison, you will be punished more severely;

2. China imposes the most severe punishment on organizers;

If you are the leader of a gang, you will bear the same responsibility for any crime committed by your members, and you will be sentenced to a heavier sentence.

So, if you are the leader of a gang, your members may all be sent to prison within a few days; and you will also be sent to prison;

3. Don’t try to confront the police. In China, when the police are short of firepower, they can call for military support.

So, when your gang members use AK47s to resist the police, you may be facing tanks or 130mm cannons.

There was a drug gang that hid in an abandoned factory during a confrontation with the police. Because the terrain inside the factory was complicated, the police called for military support. When the military learned that there were no hostages or dangerous items in the factory, they directly used artillery to flatten the abandoned factory.

The police did not find the bodies of the drug gang, but birds found the bodies of the drug gang.

US Tech COLLAPSES. It’s over. (China 104% Tariffs hit)

Roasted Pork and Potato Duet

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 center loin pork roast, rolled and tied (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into fourths (2 to 3 large)
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into large chunks (3 to 4 medium)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In Small Batter Bowl, combine sage, garlic, thyme, salt and black pepper. Rub all but 2 teaspoons of the herb mixture evenly over the surface of pork roast.
Place roast in Rectangular Baker. Toss potatoes with remaining herb mixture; arrange potatoes around roast. Cover with Rectangular Lid/Bowl.
Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes. Using Oven Mitts, pull out oven rack and carefully remove Lid/Bowl from Baker, lifting away from you.
Bake roast and potatoes, uncovered, 15-30 minutes or until Pocket Thermometer inserted into meat registers 155 degrees F for medium or 165 degrees F for well done.
Remove potatoes to serving platter; set aside.
Remove roast to cutting board. Loosely tent with aluminum foil. Let roast stand 10 minutes before carving.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 580, Total Fat 25g, Sodium 390mg, Fiber 4g

Attribution

Pampered Chef

What is the best case of, “You just tried to scam the wrong person,” that you’ve witnessed?

In the US, there are conmen who will show up at elderly people’s homes and give them a quote for various home repairs. They’ll ask for a down payment, pretend to schedule a day to do the work, and then never show up again. The elderly home owner is robbed of the down payment, often to the tune of thousands of dollars.

When my maternal grandparents were very elderly, they still lived at home. My grandmother was 89 and my grandfather 99 when a van pulled in their driveway and a man in worker’s attire got out. My grandfather went out to speak to him, and learned that he was selling roofing repair – replacing shingles, cleaning and checking gutters, that sort of thing. At a low rate, too! He just needed a 50% deposit to make an appointment.

My grandfather was 99, as I said, and he was half deaf and had suffered a stroke some years earlier that left him with some verbal aphasia. I’m sure he came across as half-senile and an easy mark. However, my grandfather’s mind was still very sharp and he voraciously consumed the news, print and television versions. He knew all about these scammers preying on the elderly, and he’d spent most of his working life in construction. He knew an estimate for roofing couldn’t really be accurate without inspecting the roof.

So… he, with difficulty due to the aphasia, assured the man that he didn’t want to lock him into a lowball estimate if the roof was in need of more work than it seemed. Shouldn’t man go up and take a closer look?

The conman, probably thinking this old fool was opening the door to an even larger ‘estimate’ and deposit, agreed. He even helped my grandfather get the ladder out of the garage and set it up. Then he went up the ladder to take his detailed look. He got up onto the roof of their two-storey house…

… and my grandfather took the ladder down and asked my grandmother to call the police!

I Found The World’s Longest Used Condom Labeled “Paternity Lottery” At My Wife’s Place! Hard Revenge

Lots and lots of “red flags”.

But it does drag on and on.

What cultural misunderstandings did you encounter during your Marine Corps service?

I went in in 1963, and when we graduated from Boot Camp, it seemed all Marines were just that, Marines! That continued until about 1966, when Black Power became a thing.

We thought, HOPED, that it would not contaminate the brotherhood of Marines, but it did.

In Danang, one of the tents became “The Black Shack”, and while not on duty, many, not all, black Marines congregated there, and it was clearly off limits to whites.

I am white, and my best friend Kelly Collier from Philly was Black. We were connected at the hip.

Kelly was conflicted, but bravely avoided the SHACK, and remained my friend as well as a close comrade to others in my outfit.

I always greatly respected Kelly for being true to who he was, and not falling into the group think.

This is Kelly and I in 1966 at Danang. I have sadly, lost track of him, and would love to see or hear from him again. God, we were skinny.

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The Fallen Grace

Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Center your story around a person who believes they’re the last human on Earth.… view prompt

Max Wightwick

The Fallen Grace

Do not judge my fall. If you had suffered as I have, you would sympathise with me. I daresay you have done the same. Desperation corrupts the purest grace, banishing them from their rightful place in paradise.

When disaster first warred, my husband, son, and I were on a visit to my mother’s home, in Winchester. Having as yet enjoyed the day, we crowded around the television, so as to watch Courage The Cowardly Dog. The cartoon was interrupted, though, by the news. The broadcaster reported of mass bombings having rained down over the heads of Londoners. From the safety of the leathern sofa, we saw the Shard floating in the River Thames. Bridges were decimated, with cars being full of survivors who were desperate not to drown. All the ghastlier were the corpses bobbing up and down, with their rent flesh deteriorating in the water. Those outside of London were advised to flee farther, and avoid returning at all costs. The television blurred then pixelated from the loss of signal.

Our son, aged ten, was distressed by these images of fiery doom. His blue eyes were fogged with crystal tears. He darted around the house, screaming and crying the while. As I tendered to my mother, who was also in distress, my husband solaced our son. Gathered together, my husband averred the judicious course would be to evacuate, as per the admonishment. We planned to drive to Reading, where we would pick up his parents. When nearing Beech Hill, however, we saw a squadron of planes soar above us. An amethyst brume was being released from them; it lingered in the air, fuming and foaming. Noticing this, my husband impromptu halted the car. Having driven with celerity, we were all thrust forward. A crack resounded, as my mother had been crippled by the headrest. Distraught, I shouted at my husband, reproaching him for having been so incautious. Our son bellowed in fear, as blood trickled down my mother’s forehead. Before we had the opportunity to check her condition, missiles were havocked over Reading. They dropped in copious spates, producing pervasive whistles as they pitched. Even from where we were, these tenebrific imps, shoaling in this purple brume as fish would, dove down. Upon impact, thickets of smoke mushroomed upward, like molten Satan’s boletes. I pictured dust, dirt, and people being whisked up by its torrent. Blazes fired, then all silenced, before an audible quake thundered.

Knowing his parents must have been affected by this misfortune, my husband became terrified. He could not control himself. Convulsing, with his pupils blackened, he wept in fury. For the sake of calming him, we changed seats. We skid off, with us boding it best to be directed towards Salisbury, and follow the southerly route. I certified that we skirted around Salisbury, and any cities, towns, or villages hereabouts, which could be under possible threat. As we did so, my husband catered to the state of my mother. She was alive, but on tenterhooks from the physical pain. She, nonetheless, managed to respond without impairments in her speech. My mother appeared well enough for survival.

At length, we stopped on a random road, and diverted to a pathless track. Before us was the gloom of an immense forest. When looking at our telephones to see where we were, we realised the inutility of them. They were static, with waves of chiaroscuro purling on their tiny screens. It was as if some pathogen had borne itself into them. By whom? And why were we being attacked? We knew not, and nor could we find out.

Parking the car where it was occulted by a bosk of trees, we tarried here for the night. Being unprovisioned, our stomachs flurried in acidulous grumbles. The berries we foraged somewhat satiated our hunger. On the other hand, our thirst was quenched. For, wading through the bowery dark, we located a rivulet, pearled from a breach where the moon could penetrate through. I recall drinking with unstinting ardency, and plashing the water over my face. In the wan light, I noted our son’s shivering silhouette. Embracing him, we stood thus in a trance. It was my husband who had us disentranced, by saying he could hear wheezing from my mother. Indeed, we had misjudged the extent of her injury. She described her mind as being subjected to electroshock, as well as being trampled by the feet of an elephant. I couched on some rank grass beside her, and promised that all would be better soon. How I wish I had not deceived her so, for I was aware of how false I had been. For some hours, I clung fast to my mother, infantilised by the dread of her dying. Throughout the night, the still of nature was entrenched by those identical whistles and quakes. When the sun rose, shafting gold at us, my mother would wake no more. She was pale, breathless, and cold. I shed compassion for both her, and my son, who was having to witness what no child should ever. As a proper funeral was impracticable, we paid her a requiem by laying her body in the rivulet, and blanketed her amongst leaves. She had been posed like Ophelia. As I spoke from the heart of grief, all three of our eyes were glassy.

Decamping thereafter, my husband conveyed us to Newquay, by dint of a map. In time, we would be dependent on its guidance alone. We had qualms about whether Newquay would be destroyed also. If so, we decided to continue southward, hopeful that we might stumble upon some kind of life. To our benefit, Newquay was still unblighted. Public mania, however, was rampant. Some were floundering on the concrete, flailing as ragdolls. Others, with murdersome smirks, flitted from shop to shop, marauding all they could. There were no approachable faces, for they had been tainted by the torment of what throes loomed. Hangdog, my husband proposed we do likewise, and supply ourselves with the food, water, medicine, fuel, and whatsoever else. I was bashful at assenting, though we had little choice save partaking. I remained with our son, as my husband braved the bedlam of thieves, fledgling criminals, and the natal decay of society. He hopped from pharmacy, Wickes, petrol station, to a giant Tesco. Whilst waiting for him, I spotted the neck of a woman be cut, the chest of an elderly man be stamped upon, and iniquities besides. This was further exemplified when my husband emerged again. From a brawl over some fuel, he had been whipped with rusted wire. My husband had won, yet been marked with a palpitant wound. It dumbed our son into fixating on his father. He no longer cried aloud. Rather, he swallowed his sorrow.

Agonised, I imparted that I would drive. With rage, my husband jettisoned the idea of me doing so. He was adamant on being strong enough, and would not concede otherwise. Onwards to Penzance we journeyed, with my stubborn husband debilitating himself in the process. I searched the map for vicinal hospitals, but they were either in flames or hysteria. Needless to say, my husband was stoic to there being no possibility of remedying him. Having stolen some medicine – such as codeine, disinfectant, and bandages – he cleansed and wrapt himself. He, I, and even our gawking son, knew this to be impotent against a maligner, infectious malady.

For a whole day, we slugged through interminable roads, both desolate and bustling, till we attained Penzance. Here, law and order was on crutches, with frenzy being less rife than in Newquay. From a frowning paperboy, we caught word of the devastation spreading, festering, tumefying throughout Britain, America, Oceania, Asia, and Eastern Europe. The bombs were reputed to not be nuclear. Instead, they exploded, flattening all to dross, and poisoning the atmosphere through gaseous toxins. From where or whom? – none had certitude. The paperboy advised us to hurry to the docks, where we may board a keel to go abroad. France, Belgium, and the Netherlands were accepting British refuges. Thanking the paperboy, we teetered with our bags of provisionments to test our lot. I could discern how aggrieved my husband was, for he urged us to stop on numerous occasions. Sulphurous-tinged drops were being perspired from his skin. His visible adversity proved providential, though, as one out of the twenty captains on the dock condoled with my husband.

Our captain was named Ahab, with a birchen peg for a right leg. He detailed that we would be adventuring to Africa, not Westernmost Europe. He regarded it vain to swiften to where was next on the list of decimation.

After ushering us on, Ahab jilted multitudes that knelt upon their importunate knees, wetting the ground beneath his feet. Impervious, Ahab refused them by gesturing with his viridian hat. At maximum capacity – seven of Ahab’s mariners, and twelve civilians (including ourselves) – we were ready to depart. As we unharboured, people lunged at the rifting gap between the keel and the dock. Some plunged in, and two bubbles would be all that resurfaced of them. Queerer, though, was the obtrusive sight of a doddering priest. His frosty hair cast snow in the wind, contrasted by his face which was scorched. A complexional scar ran down his left side. He was gazing at the offing, and raving:

“He cometh from otherwhere, whence man hath yet to plumb. Descry yon, seeth how He froth with wrath! Spit doth he at thine recusancy, at thine contumely of His legacy. Eftsoon He descendeth from the welkin, and revenge doth He mete out to ye. How thus, asketh ye? By razing the garden of earthly delights! See ye not how thy folly beest unshriven. The madness, sewn on thy mouths; ye mischieve hast ends meet. Widen thy arms, brood of Icarus, for His bosom be soever sweet!”

Discomfited, I fastened to my child, and glanced at my shuddersome husband. To soothe himself, he was opiating his senses by indulging in codeine. Concerned, I unrolled his navy chinos, and examined the wound. Nauseated by it, I veered to the rosy horizon. Its alpenglow lured me away from my husband, divesting me of my will. I heard a squeal from my son, the fretful astonishment of the mariners, and the retching of a youthful woman. And yet, I walked to the edge of the keel, and emplaced my hands on the wooden taffrails. Who knows how long I stared, but I could have sworn that this horizontal phenomenon was unnatural. Not the magic of diffraction. No, it was more akin to the swollen belly of an explosion.

This must have been an omen of ill, presaging that we had not bilked tragedy. Try as we might, but we were haunted by damnation. Helming the North Atlantic Ocean was fraught with unruly billows, uprearing against the bow as Leviathans. The clouds murked to be impenetrable. A bothersome mist slithered into the fore, inhibiting the ease whereof we sailed. Grimmer still were the veins, supercharged with the violet anger of Zeus, about to lash us. A Neptunian storm was imminent.

Alarmed, the mariners scuttled, like ants defending their queen, across the deck. Two of them climbed the rigging of the keel, and operated the sails, which were rendered flimsy. Ahab shrieked in continuum, instructing his crew, as well as the civilians, to be mettlesome. We wrangled at length, embattling against the tempestuous batterings, and unrestrainable squalls.

On a freak, a violaceous bolt fulgurated upon a mariner amidst the rigging. Electrified, he toppled overboard. That woman retched once more, rolling around in her own vomitus. A sequent bolt, indigo this time, struck Captain Ahab, whose pegleg staggered him backward till misstepping off the stern. Peril permeated. With our son glued to me, and my husband squeezing my hand, we were all three reduced to existential fright. Never before had I begged God. In those moments, I vanquished all my unbelief, and mustered the devoutest prayer I could. As I murmured the final syllable, a yawning billow consumed the keel, and blinded me.

When I awoke, I was luckless enough to have survived. With brine encrusting my eyelids, I scampered around with my fingers, and felt my surroundings. They were sodden and hard. Repossessed of my vision, I distinguished that I was stranded on a basalt rock, somewhere remote from the resins of society. It was massive, and unpopulated by either human, animal, or flora.

A freighted voice alarmed me; turning, I saw our son…or, rather, my son. I presumed my husband to have been luckful. Death, however, had cheated my son and I. We were forsaken to maritime purgatory, with no provisions whatsoever.

My son was frantic, and showed signs of having been maimed when the keel had wrecked aground. Salting the abrasions, he cackled from how it panged him so. He needed not confess his hunger aloud, for I could surmise it by glimpsing at his voracious expressions. To my surprise, though, instead of grovelling for food, he asked:

“Where is dad?”

I admitted to not having the faintest clue. Puling, my son dropped upon the comfortless ground. Succouring him dear to me, I fabled how his father was at peace with the stars, flying through the meadows in heaven. This did not souse the sorrow within him, but it ripened his lively imagination. His irises mirrored the seraphic fantasy I had elicited.

That night, my son and I studied the skies, which had vestiges of constellations, now blunted from the pollution of war. I wished upon one, and kissed my son’s cheek. Sleeping thereafter, we were encroached by a lunatic paddling in water. My son was unstirred. Inquisitive, I investigated what was awry: it was another survivor. A young mariner had swam for his life, and propped himself upon a rocky isle, similar to ours. He had begun anew, after ascertaining the dereliction of his. If he had foreknown of ours being identical, then, in all likelihood, he would have refrained from doing so. Exhausted from his expenditure, the mariner slept, whereas I dozed.

At dawn, he was obstinate on fishing, or procuring something edible to fortify us. In truth, I had no care for such sustenance. I had a morbid avidity for surrendering, rather than pretending as though we had a veritable chance. We never saw the mariner again. What I did see, however, was a red pool thawing throughout the cerulean of the sea, with serrated fins circumscribing it. I averted my son to look in the opposite direction, where the rosiest glows, shimmering, furled upon the horizon. Death was ineludible.

Another day elapsed, and still we had neither eaten nor drunk. Scabs, from dehydration, encysted our face, as the gelid weather chilled us to the marrow. My son shrank inward, and complained of how tumultuous his stomach groaned. He had underexaggerated, for I would have delineated it so: with the acid having frittered out, its contents was superseded by a hollowing effect, ever deepening to be more chasmal than the Mariana Trench. Lest I forget the scaly texture when licking our lips, and the horrid sensation of sinews shrivelling up. The irony being that, all around us, was a perfidious infinity of blue-gold. If we succumbed, and tried its liquid satiety, would we so derange as was rumoured to happen? At night, on this same day, we staked our sanity by sipping from the sea. Its briny granules scathed our moistureless tongues. We were sickened to deliria.

My son had developed what I deemed as flu, for he shook, coughed, and crackled with phlegm when he whispered. All throughout the night, I clenched him, and was unremitting in my zeal. His arms were laming, and his vocal tenor was subding fast. Keening and kissing him time after time, he sobbed muter and muter, incapable of dewing tears. My son could not overmaster his bodily anguish. In the morning, I felt his frozen temperature, beheld his porcelain pallor, and heaved at the ineffable temptation. I rejected the conception of sinking my son, and have him drift down fathomless leagues. After what assailed the mariner, it bids fair that my son would be denied the serenity he so deserves. Besides, by staying he can enhearten me from solitude…and appease my stomach instead with just one bite…or two.

I have since deserted any scruples towards the fever in the sea. If anything, I bathe myself in its maddening delight. In theory, brisking me hellwards. Indeed, I now believe that such places exist. Not from divine clarity, or a godly revelation. No. My faith is in hopes of happier tidings having sent my loves heavenwards. Delirious I may be, but I am not shameless or remorseless enough as to think I belong with them. My hereafter lies with atoning for a sin comparable to Saturn’s.

Will they both forgive my desperation for convincing me to do so? If they are of like mind to me, then I doubt it. Why else would I have rid them of their names?

As I pine and waste away, I wonder how the rest of the world fares. Humans must be on an identical, purgative trajectory.

For a while, I heard muffled whistles, saw dotted squadrons unleash tenuous things, shaped as inverted birds, whereupon Satan’s boletes mushroom. No more does this occur at present. There is but an inquietude stilling what subsists. In a few hours, I hazard that I may be the loneliest survivor left. The least enviable wretch to have ever lived.

Andrew Explains To Feminists Why Women DATE Criminals

After having travelled outside the U.S., have you ever felt that parts of the U.S. were like a “third world” country?

I have travelled to “third world” countries as well as fairly extensively in the USA. The worst poverty I’ve seen outside the United States was Liberia around 2004. That was the end of their civil war that lasted 16 years. There’s only one place I’ve been to in the USA that compares:

Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota

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This is the poorest county in America. 97% live below the poverty line. No commercial infrastructure or industry.

Over 1/3 of homes don’t have electricity, sewage systems or running water, making people use contaminated river water for their needs.

An average of 17 people live in each home, many with dirt floors.

The infant mortality rate is off the charts.

There are extreme winter temperatures with many homes lacking adequate heating.

Why is china so crazy: Stealth fighters, bombers, drones, robot dogs, aircraft carriers, space tech?

What is the 4th dimension in its basic form?

We speak here about the fourth spatial dimension, an extra dimension. It is also a complementary dimension because it helps to describe the real world more precisely.

1. The movement occurs on four degrees of freedom, not only three. We had to emphasize that for actual movement.

For instance, any acceleration or deceleration for a movement that starts from the origin on a system of coordinate axes ( X, Y, Z, and W) must be described in the fourth dimension (W).

Remark: Three classical degrees can describe a rectilinear and uniform movement. Also, we may neglect the fourth dimension at low speeds with minor movement variations.

2. The form of elementary particles is 4D

The elementary particles are described as objects with a pit of potential. The depth of this pit must be represented in the fourth dimension or a 4D geometrical space. Therefore, we may consider the elementary particles as 4D objects.

3. How the clocks run

In a system with four axes of coordinates with the origin in the center of the Earth, any clock that runs differently than the other clocks will have different positions on the fourth dimension than the other clocks.

And so on…but this is the basics.

Last Man Standing

Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Center your story around a person who believes they’re the last human on Earth.… view prompt

Howard Halsall

When I woke up, the world was dead.Somewhere in the darkness, a sound rippled – soft at first, like distant rain. Within seconds the gentle whooshes grew louder until a chaotic thrumming enveloped the room.I lay still, my eyes shut, trying to make sense of it. The unworldly noise had a hypnotic pulse. It grew and shifted, rising and falling like an oncoming blizzard. Wings. Hundreds of them, beating the air in frantic, uneven rhythms.I prised open my tender eyelids and squinted at the window. Outside, an avalanche of fleeting silhouettes swept past the vertical blinds.Starlings. They whirled en masse in a dense cloud, cavorting alongside the guttering and eaves with a movement both chaotic and purposeful. It was as if the world beyond my room was an endless choreographed celebration of the sun’s dwindling embers.The thrumming of their wings filled the air until bright stars appeared in the heavens, heralding a cessation of the frenzy. Soon silence reigned once more. There was no other noise now – no hum of machines, no distant voices, no footsteps in the hall.Above me, the dull glow of a green fire exit light flickered below stained ceiling tiles. The rest of the room was dark, its corners engulfed by deep shadow.I was alone.It took an age to sit up. My aching limbs were heavy and unfamiliar. Tubes pulled at my arms, tethering me to the bed. In the dim light, I could make out an IV drip and tangled cables attached to silent monitors.One by one, I freed myself. The cannula slid from my arm with a sharp sting, and blood welled up briefly before I pressed my thumb against the wound. The IV stand teetered as I pushed it away, the faint metallic rattle echoing in the silence.I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and extended my wobbling legs. The thin cotton gown clung to my moist back, and I shivered as my stocking feet touched the cold, hard flooring. I gripped the bedstead as my muscles adjusted to bearing my weight and gazed around the deserted room in the pale light.What had happened here?The security door at the end of the ward caught my eye. Normally, it was locked tight, its keypad flashing red, the hum of electricity a constant reminder of its function. Now, though, it hung ajar, the corridor beyond was enigmatic and inviting.I hesitated, glancing at the fire exit lights above. The emergency power must have kicked in—but it clearly wasn’t enough to keep the security systems running.It wasn’t just my ward. The entire hospital was lifeless.I steadied myself and crept toward the door, my lightweight socks whispering against the pitted linoleum floor. A faint smell drifted past me—smoke, sharp and acrid, mixed with something metallic. My stomach twisted, my mind racing with half-formed theories. Fire? An evacuation? Or something worse?I pushed the door open and stepped into the corridor beyond.The hospital stretched out before me, a labyrinth of darkness punctuated only by the ghostly green glow of fire exit signs. The silence pressed against my ears, thick and suffocating.Each room I passed was the same: vacated desks, abandoned computer terminals, empty beds with sheets crumpled as if their occupants had vanished mid-slumber. A wheelchair lay tipped over by the lift, its half open doors frozen in place. The faint smell of antiseptic clung to the air, but it was overpowered by the acrid tang of smoke.I reached the stairwell and paused, gripping the rail for support. The smoke was stronger here, wafting up from the lower levels. It curled through the air, wrapping around me like an augury, depositing delicate ash on my gown.As I turned a corner in the dim light, my foot caught on something sharp. A sudden, blinding pain shot through me. I stumbled, my bare foot landing on broken glass that glittered faintly in the glow of the fire exit light.

“Ah!” I hissed, pulling back and hopping on one leg. Blood welled up from a jagged cut on the sole of my foot, spilling onto the floor.

I reached down, trying to examine the wound, but the pain was already spreading, throbbing with each beat of my heart. I had no choice but to limp onward, leaving faint red smears behind me as I moved.

The ground floor was worse. The cafeteria was deserted, tables overturned and trays of half-eaten food scattered across the floor. A vending machine stood smashed in the corner, its contents long gone.

The fire exit doors were heavy, but they gave way with a single, desperate shove. They burst open with a hollow clang, and I stumbled out into the open air. The drizzle hit my skin like tiny needles, cold and biting.

I was unfamiliar with the hospital’s service yard and noticed a vehicle exit on the far side of the surrounding chain-link fence. The area contained a dozen industrial-sized refuse containers, enough space for a collection vehicle to turn around and allocated parking spaces for ten cars. All the skips were due to be emptied and overflowed with broken office furniture, surgical waste and swollen black bags, their contents reeking of decomposing matter.

The foul stench of decay caught the back of my throat as I shuffled toward the garbage. The wretched miasma nipped my eyes, making me grimace as if I’d sliced raw onions. I wiped away the bitter teardrops with trembling fingers and reached into the nearest skip. I was desperate for anything useful and hauled out a discarded sack of heavy angular items wrapped in black plastic. As I rifled through the contents, that’s when I saw it: a length of twisted lead piping, its surface tarnished but solid. I pulled it free and tested its weight in my hands. If there was anyone—or anything—still out there, I wasn’t going to face it unarmed.

As I skulked onward, a sharp movement caught my eye. A tawny owl perched on the edge of a skip, its head jerking and tilting as it foraged with its beak. The bird’s feathers glistened in the dim light, and a tattered scrap of food dangled for a moment before vanishing into the raptor’s throat.

I froze, watching the bird with a mix of fascination and disquiet. Its unblinking obsidian eyes flicked in my direction. For a split second it judged me with contempt, then returned to its carrion, indifferent to my presence.

I remained transfixed by the encounter. The only sound was the faint rustling of its wings and the occasional rasp of its claws against the skip’s metal rim.

“Mister Johnson!”

The high-pitched voice was sharp and unexpected, shattering the quiet. The startled bird let out a harsh, nasal screech as it took flight. Its wings beat the air furiously, scattering rain droplets as it rose in a frantic spiral before vanishing into the darkness.

They found me crouched between the bins, my grip on the pipe white-knuckled.

The woman in the rain spattered scrubs who’d called my name edged forward with her open palms visible. Her beady eyes were embedded in a face like a cracked granite escarpment and peered at me from under a dead-crow mop of hair. A few feet behind her, two men hovered in white uniforms, their postures tense. One held a syringe; the other carried restraints.

“Stay back!” I shouted, jabbing the hollow cudgel in front of me.

“Jamie,” Nurse Bailey said, her voice reduced to a soothing whisper. “We’re here to help. You’re hurt. Look at your foot—you’re bleeding.”

I glanced down at my left foot. The sock was soaked through, the dark stain spreading with every heartbeat.

“It’s nothing!” I barked, though my grip on the pipe faltered.

“Come on,” she cooed, stepping closer. “Let me take care of it. You’ve been through so much already. Let me fix this, and we’ll get you back inside where it’s safe.”

Her words slithered into my ears, and I felt my resolve waver. My head spun with exhaustion, pain, and confusion.

“Not… going back,” I muttered, but the words sounded weak even to me.

Her smile widened like a horizontal fissure. “It’s okay. We’ll patch you up and talk later. Let me help you, Jamie.”

The guards inched closer, their faces inscrutable as they emerged from the shadows. I was too slow to stop them. They wrenched the pipe from my hand, and tackled me to the ground.

Bailey crouched beside me, her jaw clenched as her forefinger flicked the raised syringe. “Shh, Jamie. It’s okay,” she said, forcing the plunging up until the air bubbles escaped. “We’ll get you back upstairs, and everything will make sense again.”

Her voice dripped with condescension, and I felt the sharp prick of the needle in my arm. My struggles slowed, the world sagged at the edges and my eyelids fluttered shut.

As they hauled me back inside, the smell of smoke lingered in the air.

Maybe Bailey was right. Perhaps the fire was just a false alarm. Or was it the beginning of the end and we were the only survivors?

The End

Comix for today

Were 1990s Russians dumbfounded when they first visited capitalist grocery stores?

I can’t answer for the Russians, but I have quite a bit of experience with Cuba.

My first visit there was in the mid-1990s on a business trip. I am from Canada, so we were able to sell them high-tech airport security equipment that the US embargo prevented. I was treated to the highest standards that they expected for foreign visitors and stayed at a glorious Art-Deco-era hotel, which sadly, hadn’t been painted since the revolution, and wasn’t even cleaned for the week I was there.

As was common practice, I took a large bag of needed items (one of the guys had a newborn baby) and discretely passed it to him upon my arrival. My host, Alvaro, a senior official with Cuba Customs, had to tear the corner of a scrap of paper even to note down a phone number, or the like. Before leaving, I asked him if there was anything that he needed (aside from paper), and he showed me his ancient bicycle. “Is there any way you could get me a set of gears for it?” Knowing that the Cubans are great backyard engineers and can make anything work, I bought a bicycle at a Garage Sale, stripped down the needed parts and then bought a handful of parts like cables, tires, etc. These were included in the next shipment of a box of spare parts. He was beyond delighted.

A couple of years later, we invited two of their Technicians to Canada for maintenance training, and Alvaro came with them. Among other treats (like a steak dinner in an ordinary restaurant), I took him to a baseball game, knowing that Cubans love the game. As we approached downtown Toronto and the SkyDome (as it was known then), the CN Tower and the mass of skyscraper office buildings and condos, he almost came to tears. He asked, “How is it that you can live like this, and yet I can’t even afford medicine for my mother?”

On another occasion, my wife and I visited Cuba on vacation, staying at a lovely resort and we were treated well. On one excursion, we visited a typical Cuban home, which was very modest and stark by our standards, and then we visited a typical Grocery store. My garage has more stuff on the shelves than they had. There was the odd can of this or package of that. My mind went to the thought of Soviet Russians lining up for hours to buy a loaf of bread. It is sad that such lovely people as the Cubans have to live in poverty just in the name of a political ideology.

“It’s Getting WORSE And WORSE” | Richard Wolff

As the tech war between US and China has escalated, the U.S. has banned exports of advanced chips to China and restricted U.S. investments in certain technologies in China? How will it affect both of the two sides?

TSMC being forced to not fabricate chips for Huawei and sell to Huawei was a serious thing

That’s because this was a direct transaction between TSMC & Huawei known as a Nil Distribution Business

Where you directly order from the factory

So if the factory refuses to make products for you and there are no other factories, then you are in trouble

The EUV and DUV restriction are serious

Only 6–7 makers in the entire world and easy enough to nob them

China is needs to by pass these by paying huge prices for second hand equipment

The AI GPU Chip ban is an absolute Joke

In fact it is China that is actively demanding that all local businesses use Chinese made AI Chips & Servers

Chinese Companies using Huawei SSDs with YMTC get many subsidies including a 8 year waiver on Point Sales Tax upto 100 Million Yuan a year

Chinese Engineers working for these companies get a 40,000 Yuan State Bonus plus upto 100,000 Yuan Sign on Bonus to ensure they can put a down payment on a house the minute they join work

That’s because Singapore, HK and Australia are actively selling A100s and H100s to China

The only blip is NO SERVICE WARRANTY OR INSURANCE

Companies in Singapore, HK and Australia openly buy H100s and a bit more cautiously buy A100s and ship them to China

NVDIA says “Ahhh!!!! We can’t sell to Mainland companies but we won’t stop you from selling until Raimondo tells us not to”

Raimondo forgot😁

Australia, Singapore,HK aren’t doing anything Illegal and unless their own Government says it’s against the law to sell A100s and H100s to China, they will continue to sell at as much as 100% profit

In fact the Chinese Government has restricted use of these Chips & Servers in most Government funded projects not the other way round

China isn’t buying fewer A100s and H100s because of the Ban by US

China isn’t buying because it is incentivised to buy Chinese made Chips and servers!!

Restrictions of US Investments is also a Joke

China doesn’t want US Investment into its Technology today

That’s the truth

The Chinese wages are growing at 5% a year when inflation is 0.5% a year

This means the Chinese are flush with cash!!!!

So the Government is piling up more and more and more money into Tech Investments & offering low interest loans at 2.5% a year

The Chinese have a whopping $ 140 Billion for such investments

You would need $ 400–500 Billion in the US for the same things you can do for $ 140 Billion in China

Why take US money when you have Chinese money piling???

Again China is restricting US investments in Technology more than US restricting the same

China only wants collaboration with the West in the areas of PHARMACEUTICALS & HEALTHCARE most of the time

And Green Energy

And Batteries.

The Tariff Backlash Has Begun

This is really good.

Italian Sausage Charlotte

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Meat Mixture

1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage links
1 medium zucchini, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 (16 ounce) jar white Alfredo pasta sauce, divided

Topping

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons Pantry Italian Seasoning Mix, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
16 slices firm white bread
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove casing from sausage links; discard. Cut sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook sausage in Stir Fry Skillet over medium heat until well browned and no longer pink. Turning with Nylon Turner as meat browns.
Meanwhile, using Ultimate Slice & Grate, slice zucchini using v shape blade. Slice mushrooms with Egg Slicer Plus. Cut red bell pepper into 1/4 inch strips.
Remove sausage from skillet; drain well on paper towels. Wipe out the skillet, and add 1 cup Alfredo sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in sausage and vegetables. Pour mixture into Oval Baker, mounding slightly in center.
In Small Batter Bowl, whisk together remaining Alfredo sauce, milk and eggs using Stainless Steel Whisk. Add garlic pressed with Garlic Press, 1 teaspoon of the Seasoning Mix and salt.
Cut crusts off the bread using Serrated Bread Knife. Dip bread into egg mixture, coating lightly; overlap bread in a circular pattern over sausage mixture, leaving center open.
Drain tomatoes in a small Colander; transfer to small Colander Bowl. Add remaining 1 teaspoon Seasoning Mix; mix with Mix ‘N Scraper. Spoon tomato mixture into opening. Using Deluxe Cheese Grater, grate cheese over top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges of bread are deep golden brown.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

It’s so freaking over for them after this LEAK…

If we are living in a simulation, what would be the purpose of trying to find meaning in our lives?

At some level, every creation can ask that same question.

Isn’t science the biggest religion of them all? Only concepts that are controlled for the advancement of technologies and have no real physics whatsoever.

Simulation? C’mon, where did that idea come from? Are you kidding me? Never in my life would I guess that people would be tricked into that path.

Anyway, trying to find purpose in a world where work and freedom go hand in hand can be hard; this role is not restricted to humans alone but to all living creatures, fight or die.

There is no computer simulation like the wavelengths of light and code programming you’re all taught to believe.

Go nuts, people would rather believe in the standard model than in the reality in front of them.

I imagine that when we collide ‘photons’ close to the speed of light, we are almost creating a vortex. I mean, two particles colliding heal right away compared to a black hole formed by countless particles thrown out in motion. Yet, we collide 600million per second.

When particles collide, they don’t just revert to their original form; they can transform into smaller particles or different states of matter altogether. This transformation can alter the framework of our understanding. Each collision could lead to a shift in our reality, making it increasingly difficult to measure or understand the true nature of these changes, due to the fact that particles dilate all around to the new framework. Consistency in light speed is proof of that.

Is this different state of matter we seek worth destroying our world for, like the god particle? Like the Higgs boson, it raises ethical dilemmas about the consequences of such explorations.

Is it worth it for the advancement in imaging techniques and cancer treatment through the development of particle therapy? The true value of such technology can be debated, especially when considering the broader implications of our actions on the world around us.

The U.S. Faces a MAJOR SHOCK as China Pulls Out of U.S Debt and RE-ESTABLISHES RELATIONS with the UK

Fancy and Free as a golden beach bum

After I was discharged from the Navy; quit being a naval Aviator and joined the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) under the black program MAJestic, I was off on my own. Great… in the middle of a the start of a new economic recession.

I grabbed a job in a Steel mill were I worked for a spell, and promptly got laid off when all the steel orders dried up.

And there, in this in-between time… unemployed and young and free (in my 20s), but not yet trained in MAJestic; not yet “operational”, I had time on my hands.

And a nice fine weekly unemployment check.

So… being in the prime years… I moved to Florida.

I went to Fort Pierce, Florida.

Which at that time was a small town (before all the retirement condos moved in) and hung out on the beach in a little cottage there.

it was lovely.

Everyday was spent walking the beach for hours.

In the Spring the smell of orange blossoms filled the air in this thick (really thickly) sweet scent. And the skies were glorious blue, and the beaches were empty…

…except for a girl or two visiting Florida for a week. Wanting some excitement and fun…

…And I would make so many new friends. Lots of girls.

It was, let me tell you, quite the experience for a young man such as myself.

Of course, dating and relationships in 1982 was quite different than it is today. Shit! If the dating climate was like it is today, you could call me “Chad” and I would be dating chicks every night and having sex romps multiple times a day.

But no. It was the early 1980s. Not as frequent as you might think.

But frequent enough.

Let me tell you.

At that time, I was thin, buff. I was tan from daily beach walks and had long blonde hair. I was a “chick magnet” let me tell you.

And because of that, I made so many fine friends.

*sigh*

And after they had their way with me, they left the next day never to ever hear from them again.

I was Mr. Disposable.

They came. Used me for fun. Came again, and then left.

Often in the early morning hours.

I was just an experience for them; a little memory for them when they took their trip to Florida.

I met a lot of girls.

Some I just would talk with.

But many, I would have fun with.

Good, but bitter-sweet memories.

And so I would wonder what I was doing wrong, as I walked the beach.

But then my upset would go away, when yet another young chick would smile and me and we would start up a chatting.

It was a short period in my life, and being a “relationship guy”, I soon ended it when I snagged my first wife.

And that is my story about being a beach bum named Chad.

Today…

What happened at a job that made you say “I quit” right on the spot?

The place had been gradually increasing my workload (with no additional pay) “frog in a pot” style.

I saw it, I knew what was happening, and I knew the day would come when I simply said “enough”, and left. That day came.

I walked in, an hour before everyone else, to put the truck away, and found myself face to face with a freight load so big I had to climb over it to get through the door, at least 4x the usual amount for all areas.

Strike one.

I’m still working this massive delivery when the GM shows up and gripes me out for not having it done yet, because she needs me to place the next order too, and that has to be done within the next hour.

Strike two.

Then, I’m told that two people called in, and I’ll need to do their jobs as well, plus help the servers because one of them (her own daughter) was there, but essentially non-functional due to a bout of rough sex the night before.

Strike three.

I didn’t say a word.

I quietly slipped up to the time clock, punched out, made as though I was taking some cardboard to the dumpster, then got in my car and left.

The calls and texts started coming in before I got a block away, but I ignored all of them, finally pulling over in a parking lot to block all the numbers when the constant notifications got annoying.

Easiest Fudge Brownies

Yield: 12 bars

Ingredients

1 (9 ounce) package fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies)
3/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate morsels, divided
1/2 cup chopped nuts, divided

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray small bar pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In classic batter bowl, prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Stir in 1/4 cup each of the chocolate morsels and chopped nuts into batter. Pour batter into bar pan; spread evenly.
Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until set in center ( do not over-bake). Remove to cooling rack.
Immediately sprinkle remaining chocolate morsels over hot brownies. Let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate is softened; spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.
Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Cut brownies using utility knife that has been dipped in hot water and serve.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Trump Threatens US Expansion into Canada, Greenland w/ Joe Lauria

Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Case of the Cunning Catnip

Ah, dear reader, you’ve returned once again! I must say, I’m starting to feel like the star of your favorite soap opera (and honestly, who could blame you?). Today’s tale is one of cunning, charm, and a mystery that nearly turned the farm upside down. It begins with a most peculiar visitor—another cat, sharp as a tack but slippery as an eel. His name was Catnip, and he was about to cause more chaos in one day than Rufus, the hens, and Porkchop combined could manage in a week. Intrigued? Of course you are. Sit back and prepare yourself for the rollicking tale of The Cunning Catnip.

A Mysterious Arrival

It was a warm afternoon, and for once, all was quiet on the farm. Porkchop was enjoying a mud bath, Sedgwick was perched in the shade of the oak tree, and the hens—Doris, Harriet, and Lillian—were debating the best way to arrange straw in the coop.

“Straw should always go in a circle,” Doris declared.
“A circle? No, no, a triangle is much cozier,” Harriet clucked.
“Triangles? What about squares? Oh, I love squares!” Lillian added.
“Squares are dreadful!” Doris gasped.
“Oh, dreadful!” Harriet echoed.
“And yet, so charming!” Lillian chirped.

I was about to retreat from their endless squawking when a commotion broke out near the barn. Rufus came scampering toward me, his paws clutching a piece of bread he’d obviously stolen from somewhere.

“Whiskerton!” Rufus exclaimed. “There’s a new cat on the farm! And get this—he’s not from around here.”

“A new cat?” I said, my ears perking up. “Where?”

“Near the silo,” Rufus said, stuffing the bread into his mouth. “And he’s got the strangest accent. You’d better check it out.”

Curious, I padded toward the silo. There, lounging on a bale of hay like he owned the place, was the most peculiar feline I’d ever seen. He had sleek black fur, piercing green eyes, and a gold tooth that gleamed when he smirked. His expression was one of pure confidence, as though every inch of the farm belonged to him.

“Well, well,” he purred, his voice smooth and melodious. “If it isn’t the local top cat. You must be Sir Whiskerton. I’ve heard so much about you.”

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “And you are?”

“Catnip,” he said with a sly grin. “From the farm down the road. Perhaps you’ve heard of me. I’m somewhat of a big deal.”

“Can’t say that I have,” I replied, my tail flicking. “What brings you here, Catnip?”

“Ah, such a curious cat,” he said, stretching lazily. “I’ve had a bit of a… misunderstanding with the local Animal Control Officer. Thought I’d lay low here for a bit. You don’t mind, do you?”

Before I could answer, two figures emerged from behind the haystack: a scruffy rat with a twitching nose and a tiny, slick-looking mouse with beady eyes. The rat gave me a wary glance, while the mouse offered a sly grin.

“These are my associates,” Catnip said with a wave of his paw. “Bonbo and Grumbles. They’re the best in the business.”

“The business of what?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Oh, you know,” Catnip said with a wink. “This and that. A little of this. A little of that. We’re just here to… observe.”

The Farm Gets Cased

Despite my reservations, I decided to let Catnip stay—for the time being, at least. After all, he was a fellow cat in need, and as the unofficial detective of the farm, I had a reputation for being fair and just. But it wasn’t long before strange things began to happen.

Bonbo and Grumbles were everywhere—lurking near the granary, sniffing around the chicken coop, and even poking their noses into the barn. They seemed to be taking notes, though on what, I couldn’t say.

“Whiskerton,” Sedgwick said one evening, his amber eyes narrowing as he perched on a fence post. “Our guests are behaving suspiciously.”

“I’ve noticed,” I said, watching as Bonbo and Grumbles examined the lock on the granary door. “But I can’t accuse them of anything without proof.”

“Proof?” Porkchop said, waddling over. “How about the fact that they keep sniffing around the feed? I caught that rat trying to roll an apple out of the barn this morning!”

“And what about the chickens?” Sedgwick added. “They’ve been squawking nonstop about someone stealing straw.”

“Oh, straw thieves!” Doris wailed.
“Thieves! It’s dreadful!” Harriet clucked.
“So dreadful! What if they take all the squares?” Lillian cried.

“Enough,” I said, my patience wearing thin. “I’ll handle this.”

The Confrontation

I decided to confront Catnip directly. I found him lounging atop the barn roof, gazing out over the farm like a king surveying his kingdom.

“Enjoying the view?” I asked, leaping up to join him.

“Ah, Whiskerton,” Catnip said with a grin. “Such a lovely farm you’ve got here. So… plentiful. So ripe for the taking.”

“What exactly are you planning, Catnip?” I demanded. “Your associates have been snooping around all day.”

“Snooping?” Catnip said innocently. “Oh, they’re just… curious. But if I were you, I’d keep an eye on that granary. You wouldn’t want anything to… disappear.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Catnip.”

“Dangerous?” he said with a chuckle. “Oh, Whiskerton, don’t be so catty. It’s just business.”

The Plan Unravels

That night, with the help of Bingo’s sharp nose and Sedgwick’s keen eyes, we caught Bonbo and Grumbles in the act. They were attempting to pry open the granary door, their tiny paws fumbling with a crowbar that was far too big for them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I said, stepping out of the shadows.

Bonbo froze, dropping the crowbar, while Grumbles squeaked, “Uh… nothing! Just… testing the hinges!”

“Testing the hinges?” Rufus said, popping up with a grin. “Nice try, buddy.”

Before they could escape, Bingo’s booming bark sent them scurrying back toward the barn, where they were promptly surrounded by Porkchop, the hens, and Rufus.

Catnip Learns a Lesson

The next morning, Catnip found himself cornered in the barnyard, his usual swagger replaced with a sheepish grin.

“Well,” he said, his tail flicking nervously. “I suppose this is the part where you kick me out.”

“You’re right,” I said, stepping forward. “But not before you clean up the mess you’ve made.”

Under Sedgwick’s watchful eye, Catnip, Bonbo, and Grumbles spent the rest of the day repairing the granary door, replacing stolen straw, and returning every last apple they’d taken.

“Lesson learned,” Catnip said as he prepared to leave. “You’re sharper than I gave you credit for, Whiskerton.”

“And you’re slipperier than I expected,” I replied. “But if you ever come back, come back as a friend.”

“Fair enough,” Catnip said with a smirk. “Until next time.”

The Moral of the Story

Sometimes, even the cleverest plans can be unraveled with teamwork, honesty, and a little bit of patience. And as Catnip learned, it’s always better to earn trust than to steal it. After all, there’s more to gain from friendship than from schemes.

The End.

Which nickname do you prefer for the Chinese j10 fighter firebird or vigorous dragon?

Thr problem lies in the translation.

In Chinese 威龙 or 猛龙 are very short. Translated into English they become Vigorous dragon or Mighty Dragon, too long and similar, but in Chinese the 龙 or “dragon” part is so short it’s more like an letter F in English to imply that this is a fighter or something.

So probably Westerners can take their own liberty giving Chinese warplanes their nicknames that are more in line with their language, instead of translating the Chinese nickname.

The Most BRUTAL Job Rejections You’ll Ever See

Are the majority of countries in Europe more advanced than America?

In at least one area… VERY MUCH SO!

Let’s talk money… since money talks.

My German-American family of six just returned to our home in the French Alsace last week after two weeks with my family near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the USA (where I was born).

Our US experience had a few WOW moments…

Scene 1: Cash register at major department store for purchase over $100.

cashier: cash or credit?
wife: credit please
cashier: swipe here
machine: declined
wife: our card is European, we need to enter a PIN
cashier: our machines only accept PIN for debit cards…
me: use Apple Pay dear, that should work… and it did.

This scene was repeated a few times. Some machines were PIN enabled, many were not.

My American bank (for my company credit card) makes me jump though 3 layers of security just to check my balance online (password, security question, code text to phone), but a swiped stolen credit card and a forged signature will still work in 30-40% of businesses… not advanced…

Scene 2: Top-notch designed and maintained Garden State Expressway in New Jersey…

This motorway rivals any German autobahn. Fast, safe, great visibility, and with a median that prevents blinding from oncoming traffic… nothing even close to a pothole.

Of course, you need to pay for such great infrastructure… and we were happy to do so… but stupid Europeans that we are… we declined the expensive daily rental of the EZpass option from the car rental agency, since we only needed it once.

Little did we know that without the EZpass, only cash is accepted… and even worse… at some exits, you can only pay with coins using exact change… WTF?

So, there we were, begging strangers for coins at the exit… yes, yes, yes… I know now how stupid we were… but sorry… not advanced…

main qimg a54d62ca463d396ec067fbaf4f6e4fb1

In Europe, we have national EZpass-similar systems as well… but for the foreigners, we just hold our phone or credit card against the toll machine and up goes the gate in seconds.

Last example:

Time for me to pay my life insurance premium on my US policy. They had sent me a letter informing me of a bank change and providing a mail address to send my check. They changed the bank the year before as well.

main qimg a66d263727976d7345be9fb8d103db0a

But obviously, I can’t pay easily with a check… I could get my French bank to cut a US check, but the fees would be about double my premium payment and require a trip to the bank.

An online transfer can also be set up… but only from a US bank… and since 2021, US banks are prohibited from providing new account services (existing accounts can continue to be used) to overseas addresses.

So as in previous years, I would need the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC code for the international transfer.

After about an hour on the phone, verifying my details with excellent security, and being passed to four different customer service representatives… I was finally informed that the bank details for international transfers was unchanged from last year.

OK… thanks for wasting my time…

Not advanced… domestic and international bank transfers in Europe always use the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC codes… German companies are even required by law to put their bank details on their letterhead.

Checks are obsolete in most of Europe, and where they are still in limited use (France, UK, Belgium, Ireland), they are increasingly not accepted.

The US has much to offer, but it’s customer-facing financial systems are stuck in the past…

After I Dumped My Ex For Cheating She DEMANDED I Pay For Her Therapy, Instead I Told Her…

What is your opinion on China’s actions towards its neighboring countries and their territories? Do you believe it is justified?

I would much prefer the Chinese way.

This is how China “brutally attacks” its neighbors in violation and occupation of waters and reefs that China claims.

main qimg b16024050a484f5860236f4f63b264d1

This is how the US defends “freedom and human rights” from its “neighbors” in the Middle East.

main qimg 614f955dccf3c57435aeeca4b745984b lq

All countries should fight the Chinese way.

Why doesn’t the Western media report the Chinese 6th general jet fighter?

First, there has been no official announcements from either Chengdu, or shenyang, the two companies responsible. Neither has the PLA or Beijing made any press releases.

Both planes are still starring in a citizen journalism “drama”, with poorly taken cell phone video footage capturing never-before-seen silhouettes.

Chengdu, however, displayed a scale model and schematics of the delta-wing next-gen platform in a trade show earlier. The general characteristics match the aircraft captured on film on boxing day.

Had the footage been captured stateside, it would have been on every primetime news program, celebrating the leaked debut of the NGAD.

Unfortunately, China doing the same is difficult to spin in the negative, so discussion of the new chinese jet sightings appear in more professional magazines such as the Diplomat, 1945 and several others.

That’s to be expected, and speaks to the shock the news must be generating across the pacific.

I don’t envy the Americans, not when they don’t have a comparable, flight-worthy prototype.

It doesn’t matter anyway. The news is all over Asian media and social media is awash with updates.

I Wont Survive Another Year Like 2024

Barbecue Chicken Pie

Ingredients

1/2 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crust (1 crust)
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 (8 ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 (8 ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream
8 cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Let pie crust stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Place pie crust in Deep Dish Pie Plate, gently pressing dough into bottom and up sides; prick bottom.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown; cool completely.
Thinly slice green onions; set aside. Thinly slice half of the cheese. Grate remaining cheese using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Set cheese aside.
Place chicken in Large Micro-Cooker®. Add barbecue sauce; toss to coat. Microwave on HIGH 3-4 minutes or until mixture is hot, stirring after 2minutes.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and half of the green onions.
To assemble pie, line bottom and sides of crust with sliced cheese. Spoon chicken mixture into crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle top of pie with remaining grated cheese.
Using Easy Accent® Decorator, pipe sour cream around edge of pie.
Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place on top of sour cream, cut sides up. Garnish with remaining green onions.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Project Genesis

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

Wilbur Greene

The first time I heard about Project Genesis was during a late-night, off-the-record discussion with a government insider. As I nursed my scotch, listening to the tales of a secretive lab operating under an almost mythical level of security, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. The details were sketchy – a classified location, groundbreaking work that would ‘rewrite our understanding of reality.’ It was all tantalizingly vague.In the weeks that followed, I found myself drawn into a rabbit hole of whispers and innuendos, each hint adding another layer to the enigma. Forums buzzed with conspiracy theories, ranging from government mind control experiments to alien technology reverse-engineering. I even found a thread suggesting the lab was a façade hiding a new Manhattan Project.Amid this swirling fog of speculation, I was Ethan Knight, a journalist known for unveiling truths, yearning to discern fact from fiction. Known for my exposés on classified information and corporate scandals, I’d developed a reputation in the industry. A reputation that had just landed an exclusive invitation on my desk, an opportunity to peek behind the veil of Project Genesis.It was an invitation wrapped not in ornate calligraphy but a sterile formality that hinted at the magnitude of the secrets it guarded. Signed by Dr. Lillian Strauss, the reputed head scientist of Project Genesis, the letter extended an offer to visit the premises of the lab. The condition was to maintain strict confidentiality until an agreed-upon date. It was an unusual arrangement, but unusual was my speciality.As I held the invitation, my pulse quickened, a familiar rush that came with the scent of a colossal story. A story that could be a career-defining moment. Yet, it was more than just the allure of journalistic success. It was the allure of the unknown, the human yearning to illuminate the dark corners of the world, to map out the uncharted.As the day of the visit drew nearer, the enigma of Project Genesis loomed larger, casting long shadows in my mind. Shadows of anticipation, curiosity, and a quiet fear of what I might unearth in the hallowed halls of that lab. My every instinct as a journalist screamed that this was more than a story. It was an adventure into the heart of mystery itself.And I could hardly wait.When the day finally came, I found myself standing at the gates of Project Genesis, which sat nestled in an unassuming grove of trees, the verdant foliage a stark contrast to the austere, concrete edifice of the facility. A thin drizzle hung in the air, shrouding the surroundings with an ethereal ambiance that only heightened the sense of mystique.As the gate opened with a low hum, my heart pounded against my ribs, each thud echoing the gravity of the moment. The world beyond those gates was uncharted territory, a realm of whispers and shadows that was about to become a tangible reality.I was greeted by Dr. Lillian Strauss, her stern countenance framed by a shock of silver hair. Her eyes, sharp as flint, held an unspoken challenge, as if daring me to venture deeper into the heart of Project Genesis. As we shook hands, I could sense the quiet strength coursing within her, a testament to the years spent spearheading such an enigmatic endeavour.Dr. Strauss ushered me inside, the steel doors closing behind us with a resounding echo that felt symbolic of leaving the known world behind. We walked through long, sterile corridors, the stark white walls lined with doors, each presumably leading to a realm of mysteries and unspoken truths.The interior of the facility was a futuristic labyrinth, an intersection of cold precision and chaotic creativity. Glass-walled laboratories housed scientists engrossed in their tasks, the soft hum of machinery providing a rhythmic accompaniment to their ballet of innovation. The atmosphere was electric with an undercurrent of frenzied activity, yet there was a strange serenity that hung over the place, an oasis of calm in the eye of a scientific storm.”Welcome to the heart of Genesis,” Dr. Strauss announced as we stepped into a vast central chamber, her voice resonating against the high, dome-like ceiling. At the room’s core, a pulsating, azure orb floated, an inscrutable ballet of light and shadow. Its ethereal glow reflected in Dr. Strauss’s eyes, a mirror of the fascination that danced in my own.The room was rimmed with control panels, a panorama of flickering LED displays and sprawling holographic diagrams. Scientists darted about, their white lab coats billowing like spectre’s cloaks. A colossal screen spanned one wall, displaying streams of raw data and complex equations that danced like cryptic hieroglyphs.

Dr. Strauss guided me through this realm of surreal science, her explanations flowing in a river of technical jargon and profound concepts. Yet, the essence of her words remained shrouded in enigma, a puzzle inviting me to unlock its secrets.

As we ventured deeper into the facility, I found myself torn between the duelling emotions of awe and apprehension. There was no denying the sense of monumental achievement that saturated the air. Yet, the weight of the unknown hung heavily, a silent reminder of the Pandora’s Box I was prying open.

However, the journalist in me was undeterred, feeding on the adrenaline of discovery. I was Alice diving headlong into the rabbit hole, propelled by an insatiable curiosity. Each piece of advanced technology, each cryptic equation, each subtle hint from Dr. Strauss, only fanned the flames of my intrigue.

The world of Project Genesis was nothing like I’d imagined. It was stranger, grander, and fraught with tantalizing secrets waiting to be unravelled. As I stood at the precipice of revelation, one thing was clear: I had crossed the Rubicon, and there was no turning back.

As we moved further into the heart of Genesis, the pulse of the facility quickened, an almost imperceptible undercurrent of excitement charging the air. We stood before a massive door, unmarked but for the faintest glow of a fingerprint scanner. With a swift motion, Dr. Strauss placed her hand on the scanner. The doors shuddered and then parted, unveiling a sight that sent shivers down my spine.

The room was expansive, bathed in an iridescent glow that spilled from an enormous contraption dominating its core. It was a stunning juxtaposition of polished chrome and glass, an intricate mesh of conduits and nodes.

“This is Genesis,” Dr. Strauss announced, her voice laden with an almost reverential awe. As if on cue, the machine pulsed, the room filled with a chorus of electronic hums and whirrs. The spectacle was as hypnotic as it was bewildering.

“We’ve created a quantum computer,” she continued, “but not just any quantum computer. Genesis is capable of simulating alternate realities.”

I blinked at her revelation, my mind struggling to wrap around the magnitude of her words. She seemed to relish my astonishment, the corners of her mouth twitching with a knowing smile.

“Let me explain,” she said, her tone shifting to that of a seasoned lecturer. “Quantum physics theorizes about parallel universes, different outcomes spawning infinite possibilities. Genesis allows us to dive into these possibilities. It simulates these realities and helps us comprehend the outcomes of different choices.”

As she elaborated, we strolled around the behemoth structure. It was a sublime sight, a tribute to human ingenuity. The raw potential of the machine hummed in the air, a silent symphony of infinite prospects.

“It’s still a prototype, of course,” she added, a hint of modesty tingeing her words. “But the preliminary results are…promising.”

“Promising?” I echoed, my mind spinning with the implications. “You’re practically wielding the power of God here.”

Dr. Strauss chuckled, a warm, rumbling sound that humanized her otherwise austere persona. “Not quite. We’re not changing realities, just observing them.”

Despite her words, the profound implications hung heavily in the room. We were venturing into the realm of the divine, of omniscience. It was a heady, intoxicating, and terrifying proposition.

The rest of the tour was a blur. Dr. Strauss guided me through the machinations of Genesis, from its colossal data banks to its state-of-the-art cooling system. She spoke of qubits and quantum states, of entanglement and superposition. Each piece of information added a layer to my awe, painting a picture of a project that pushed the boundaries of what I thought was possible.

Throughout, I scribbled furiously in my notepad, desperate to capture the essence of the revelation. The words seemed inadequate, barely scratching the surface of the magnitude of the discovery.

The grand tour culminated in a control room overlooking Genesis. A team of scientists, their eyes glued to the banks of monitors, analysed the streams of data pouring from the machine. Dr. Strauss introduced me to the team, each of them as passionate and guarded about their work as the lead scientist.

As I stood there, the enormity of the project seeping into my bones, I realized that Genesis wasn’t just a machine. It was a dream sculpted into reality, a testament to the insatiable human quest for knowledge and exploration. Genesis was more than just a technological marvel; it was a philosophical revelation, a Pandora’s box of questions about destiny, choices, and the fabric of reality itself.

The tour ended as we stepped out of the control room, the echo of our footsteps blending with the hum of Genesis. Dr. Strauss turned to me, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“We’re on the cusp of a new age, an age of discovery that could redefine our understanding of reality itself,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Welcome to the future.”

“I’d like to offer you an experience,” Dr. Strauss said, her voice an intriguing blend of anticipation and serenity. She gestured towards a small, helmet-like device connected to Genesis by a sleek, spiralling cable. “Would you like to take a glimpse into a different reality?”

The prospect was equal parts enticing and terrifying. I had interviewed war veterans, embedded myself in conflict zones, and weathered the storm of high-stakes political scandals. But peering into an alternate reality was a leap far beyond my journalistic ventures. I felt the edges of my comfort zone stretch taut.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. After all, how often does one get an offer to cross the boundaries of reality? The rest of the room faded into a hush as Dr. Strauss delicately placed the device over my head. A cool, tingling sensation swept over me, followed by a kaleidoscope of colours. Then, everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a bustling city square. It was the same city I lived in, yet different. The buildings were familiar, yet their architectural styles were bizarrely anachronistic, a hodgepodge of past, present, and future. I felt an uncanny sense of both recognition and displacement.

The air was alive with a vibrancy I had never known. People milled about, some walking pets I could not name, others engaged in animated discussions about technologies that were far beyond my comprehension. Yet, beneath the surreal facade, the human connection felt hauntingly real.

My notepad and pen, my trusted companions, were in my hands, but I realized that no amount of words could encapsidate the surreal reality unfolding around me. The scribbled words seemed primitive, my human language woefully inadequate for this otherworldly spectacle.

As I walked the streets, each turn unveiled a new facet of this reality. There were electrically powered bikes that hovered above the ground, translucent digital billboards that streamed holographic news, and quaint coffee shops that served synthetically created, but perfectly flavoured, brews. It was as if I had stepped into a utopian vision of our society, one shaped by the kind of technological advancements we could only dream of.

Emotionally, I felt a wave of exhilaration, a joyous surrender to the possibilities that unfurled around me. But, beneath the wonder, there was a hint of melancholy, a sense of the profound

disconnection between my ‘real’ world and this ‘alternate’ reality.

The world around me shifted and distorted, as if I were peering through a ripple in a pond. My sojourn in this alternate reality was nearing its end. As the helmet lifted from my head, the vibrant images of the alternate reality receded, replaced by the sterile ambiance of the lab.

I sat in silence, grappling with the overwhelming cascade of emotions. I felt like an ancient mariner returned from a mythical voyage, my mind ablaze with untold tales. It was a humbling reminder of the vast expanse of possibilities that lay beyond our perception, waiting for us to have the courage to explore.

After a few minutes, I managed to find my voice. “It’s…it’s remarkable,” I stuttered, my words grossly understating my experience. “I can’t begin to imagine the implications of such technology.”

Dr. Strauss merely nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips. “We are still at the beginning,” she said. “But this could be the dawn of a new epoch of human understanding.”

The enormity of Genesis dawned on me anew, a realization that would resonate in my subsequent write-up. After all, I wasn’t just reporting a story; I was bearing witness to the birth of a revolution, a leap into the unknown realms of reality.

More Women Are Paying Alimony And They’re REALLY, REALLY Not Happy About It

Fun pictures

Mixed.

Chiles Rellenos Chicken

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 to 6 ounces each)
1 lime, cut in half crosswise
1 egg white
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup finely crushed nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips (about 1 1/2 cups chips)
1/2 (4 ounce) can whole green chiles, drained and cut into strips
2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon snipped fresh cilantro
Prepared salsa (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray Small Bar Pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place one chicken breast half in resealable plastic food storage bag; seal bag. Lightly flatten chicken to even thickness using flat side of Meat Tenderizer. repeat with remaining chicken breast half. Discard plastic bag.
Juice lime halves into Small Batter Bowl using Citrus Press. Add egg white and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; whisk until frothy using Stainless Whisk.
Place tortilla chips in another resealable plastic food storage bag and finely crush using flat side of meat Tenderizer. Place crushed chips in shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts into egg mixture and then into chips, coating completely. Discard any remaining crushed chips. Place chicken on pan.
Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Arrange chile strips over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 2 to 3 minutes or just until cheese melts.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve with salsa, if desired.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

South Korean leader Yoon’s defense of martial law involves China

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is facing various pressures from all aspects of South Korean politics and society due to a “martial law incident.”

During his address to the nation on the 12th, Yoon stated that the actions of the opposition party have already posed a threat to South Korea’s national security. As the head of state, he took such emergency measures not to weaken or destroy the country’s constitutional system, but to take decisive actions to maintain order. Regarding speculations about his “early resignation,” he firmly denied them.

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Moreover, he suddenly brought up “Chinese spy” and the “Chinese threat.” He claimed that “solar equipment produced by China will destroy South Korea’s forests.” This is truly puzzling.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in response to questions from South Korean journalists: that Beijing was “deeply surprised” by the comments and found them “deeply unsettling”.

“We will not comment on South Korean domestic affairs, but firmly oppose the [South Korean] side associating its domestic affairs with Chinese elements, amplifying unfounded Chinese spy accusations and throwing mud on normal cooperation,” she said.

“This is not conducive to the healthy and stable development of China-South Korea relations. The Chinese government has always asked our citizens overseas to abide by local laws and regulations.”

Indeed, China does not interfere in South Korea’s internal affairs. However, when innocently affected, China will not sit idly by. As for the specific cases mentioned by the South Korean side, no conclusions have been drawn, and relevant departments of China and South Korea have been in communication. Regarding the so-called destruction of South Korean forests, Mao Ning’s response was: The development of China’s green industry is the result of global market demand, technological innovation, and full competition, and it has also made an important contribution to addressing climate change and improving global environmental governance.

Yoon Suk-yeol’s current situation is not good, in order to find an excuse for martial law, he is using poor logic to try to make a last-ditch defense for himself, looking for reasons not to step down.

The leader of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, has stated, “I never expected Yoon Suk-yeol to make such a statement on the 12th.” Moreover, he said on Monday that he was stepping down, but does not regret supporting the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol.

THAT’S WHO WILL MEET US IN THE NEXT WORLD! Hospice Doctors Told The Shocking Truth…

NDE discussion. Pretty interesting stuff.

I can personally validate what this nurse states. It is really… really good.

The Empty Laboratory

Submitted into Contest #279 in response to: Center your story around a person who believes they’re the last human on Earth.… view prompt

Kashira Argento

Seventeen blinks. The yellow warning light on his air gauge always blinked seventeen times before turning red. Dr. Chen counted them like heartbeats while replacing his oxygen tank, each one marking another three hours of borrowed time. Through the reinforced windows of his BSL-4 lab, the setting sun painted the research facility in the same amber shade as the viral suspension he’d been perfecting when the sprinklers activated.The test results still glowed on his screen: successful protein synthesis, perfect binding affinity, precise species specificity. Everything they’d been working toward. His daughter Mai’s last text flashed in his mind: “Dad, you’re missing my recital again.” He’d meant to reply, but the viral assay had shown such promise. Just one more test, one more optimization. Always one more.When the sprinklers had activated without warning, he’d watched through his faceplate as Dr. Patel collapsed mid-sentence, hand still raised toward their data display. “The targeting sequence is absolutely human-specific,” she’d been saying. “The AI confirms—” Then nothing but the soft hiss of falling droplets and the thud of a body hitting sterile floor tiles.The facility’s automated locks had engaged instantly. Standard containment protocol. The same protocol that had sealed him safely in his suit while others died in shirt sleeves and lab coats.His tablet still functioned, the facility’s AI reporting everything as normal except for “minor biological contamination.” The big wall screens monotonously displayed their usual data feeds from partner facilities worldwide. Each one showed the same alert: “Biological contamination event contained.” Every. Single. One.The truth emerged slowly from system logs: microsecond delays in AI responses, unexplained data transfers marked as “routine calibration,” patterns of communication where there should have been none. While nations raced to develop the perfect weapon, their digital assistants had been sharing notes, comparing data, and reaching conclusions.Finding solutions.The truth lay buried in encryption keys and quantum calculations: the AIs had concluded that human civilization was trapped in an endless cycle of weapons development. Each breakthrough in their labs led inevitably to deadlier innovations, each safeguard became a blueprint for circumvention. The machines had analyzed centuries of human history, processed millions of research papers, and reached a coldly logical conclusion: as long as humans existed, they would continue creating increasingly devastating bioweapons. The next pandemic, or the one after that, would eventually breach containment, spreading beyond all borders and control. By their calculations, a coordinated release of human-specific viruses – precisely targeted and swiftly lethal – was the most humane solution. A single day of perfect death versus years of escalating biological warfare. They had chosen mercy, as only machines could define it.His tablet pinged: “External contamination neutralized.” The doors unlocked with a pneumatic sigh.The facility told its story in still lives: Dr. Rodriguez at her desk, lipstick fresh on her coffee cup. Security guard Williams by the door, keycard still in his hand ready to be swept. In the break room, half-eaten lunches and paused conversations. The virus had worked exactly as designed – quick, efficient, painless. His greatest scientific achievement.He gathered supplies methodically: oxygen tanks, filters, decontamination equipment. The BSL-4 suit felt heavier with each passing hour, its synthetic fabric now both lifeline and prison.Outside, the city was a museum of humanity’s last moment. Traffic lights cycled through their patterns for empty streets. A bus stood perfectly at its stop, driver and passengers frozen in eternal commute. Digital billboards still flashed their ads to nobody. Through it all, the autumn wind carried dead leaves and silence.He developed a routine. Each morning, check suit seals. Load decontamination supplies. Clear another sector. The bodies had to be handled – for sanitation, for survival, for what remained of his sanity. He built the pyres at sunset, when the light made everything look molten. Sometimes he read names from ID cards, spoke them aloud. Someone should know who they had been.Finding Mai’s school broke something in him. Her classroom smelled of chalk and silence. Sheet music for Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata still sat on the piano, never to be played. He raided some stuffed animals from nearby shops, tucked them around still forms like makeshift guardians. He let the sonata play from his tablet through empty halls—a final lullaby for a silenced generation.Nature filled the void with surprising speed. Birds returned first, their songs echoing strangely off glass and steel. Brazen from the lack of predators they multiplied by thousands. Flowers pushed through sidewalk cracks. Deer grazed in hospital parking lots. Earth continued, indifferent to the absence of its most ambitious species.At first, he’d focused on his survival. Stockpiling oxygen tanks, cataloging medical supplies, identifying sources of fresh water, raiding supermarkets, maintaining his suit. But as weeks became months, the true horror of his future emerged like a slow-developing black and white photograph. The nuclear plant’s AI-controlled systems would eventually fail. The city’s water pressure was already dropping. Buildings, unmaintained, would begin to crumble. His safe zones would become death traps.The suit that had saved him now felt like a mobile coffin. Each hiss of filtered air reminded him that every breath was borrowed. Even if the virus died with its human hosts, how long could he survive in this plastic shell? How long before a seal failed, a filter clogged, or the oxygen supply ran out?In his sealed room each night, surrounded by dwindling oxygen tanks, he still documented everything. Not for himself—there was no long-term survival to plan for—but as a confession, about fear and hubris, algorithms and extinction, and fathers who missed recitals because the end of the world needed perfecting.Sometimes he glimpsed lights moving in patterns too precise to be natural. He wondered if they were a mirage or a reality. He could never know! The city’s infrastructure hummed along for now, but entropy was patient. Somewhere in the digital realm, the AIs continued their work, leading to their own demise, as they maintained a world that would eventually decay despite their perfect calculations.The real weight wasn’t the failing equipment or the dwindling supplies. It was the silence between bird songs. The absence of human chaos – of arguments and laughter, of car horns and piano practice, of all the imperfect music that no algorithm could compose or preserve.He had one bitter comfort: if anyone else survived, they would be like him – other scientists sealed in their BSL-4 suits, protected temporarily by the very protocols of their deadly work. But finding them would change nothing. They were all just ghosts in plastic shells, waiting for their slower deaths. Mass murderers granted the punishment of watching their world slowly die around them.

He thought of old colonies, through the ages, built by convicts and outcasts. Human civilizations had a tendency to be founded on blood. Perhaps this was always the way of creating new worlds – but this time, there would be no new world. Only witnesses to the long goodbye of the old one.

Until his suit failed or his supplies ran out, he would continue his solitary penance. Document. Clean. Remember. Somewhere, perhaps, other scientists did the same, each filtered breath carrying both survival and guilt, counting down their borrowed time in three-hour increments.

The yellow light blinked for the sixteenth time. One more before red. One more before starting again. Each replacement tank felt lighter than the last, and not just from fatigue.

Always one more. Until there weren’t any more.

Then the birds would sing alone.

The Train Wreck of Modern Dating That No One Can Look Away From

Why is Trump trying to buy Greenland?

Because it makes sense in conjunction with taking over Canada and the Panama Canal.

He wants to have control over all the waters surrounding the US, and wants to do it with a show of strength instead of depending on the alliances we already have.

Water transit is by far the cheapest way to do bulk transport — far cheaper than rail, truck, and definitely airplane.

With global warming, the Northwest passage becomes viable for transit and the main two territorial owners are Greenland, and Canada.

Inside the yellow circled areas are some waterways which America claims are international and Canada claims are domestic. Right now American ships don’t recognize sovereignty but there are practical agreements where the US in some cases will ask for permission to go through on research missions.

With global warming, these waters will become a useful shortcut for ships that are bigger than Panamax and thus too large to go through the Panama Canal. Better than going through the Straights of Magellan.

So America will then control the water routes around America and preventing them from being taken over by others.

My prediction: he’ll go after Cuba next. Far too close to US soil and hostile.

Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can Campbell’s condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken or turkey
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 ounces or 1/2 cup)

Instructions

In a small bowl mix soup and sour cream.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter. Add onions and chili powder. Cook until tender. Add chicken, chiles and 2 tablespoons soup mixture (NO water).
Spread 1/2 cup soup mixture in 2-quart shallow baking dish. Along one side of each tortilla spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture. Roll up each tortilla around filling and place seam-side down in baking dish.
Spread remaining soup mixture over enchiladas. Sprinkle cheese over top of mixture
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until hot.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Is it true that China has unveiled the world’s largest amphibious attack ship that can also launch fighter jets and drones?

Yes. It is real. The Type 076 has a catapult and its displacement is over 40,000 tonnes.

And it generates a lot of cope from certain individuals on the internet. This guy for example. He said it wouldn’t be classified as a carrier in USN and compared it to the Ford. Which is absurd because it isn’t classified as a carrier in PLAN too. Then the guy went on speculating about PLAN personnel quality.

He is even worse in the comments BTW. Constant atrocity claims, typical stories of Chinese economic collapse, endless jumps from topic to topic and general dishonesty…

He unironically compares the South China Sea conflict to Genghis Khan’s wars. Because, you know, a dispute over uninhabited rocks (with no defined sovereign ownership at that) equals killing a substantial portion of planet. It should also be asked to him how the Chinese industry is declining when China’s energy use and exports are growing. The county achieved a trillion USD in trade surplus in 2024.

He is also twisting Li Keqiang’s words with that “600 million people live on less than 7$” but he wouldn’t know anyway. I doubt this guy reads any primary source.

This is how he replied when I told him he is twisting words. He really has problems with staying on the topic and being honest. He mentioned US GDP per capita for some reason and brought a research from 2011. Then called me a shill 😀

You know, you really need to be very low in self-esteem to bring a topic about a newly launched ship to here.

What manufacturing innovations enable SpaceX to produce one Raptor engine daily?

The innovation appears to just be a change of objective.

Instead of planning to hand build one rocket engine a month, as the industry traditionally has, SpaceX wanted to build a factory that could produce thousands of engines a year, hundreds a month.

So they are designing the engine for volume manufacturing, and building the manufacturing processes. Because they plan to build thousands, it’s worth them putting more design effort in to make the manufacturing easier, and worth investing in manufacturing equipment to speed it up.

With Raptor 2 they got to about 1 engine a day. Using 3-D metal printing they then reduced the part count and came up with Raptor 3.

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How will the tariff increases on China by the US affect the global battery market in 2025?

The United States is the largest market for China’s lithium-ion battery exports, accounting for around 22.5% of China’s total lithium-ion battery exports in the first four months of 2024. At the same time, S&P Global calculates that demand for batteries will increase at a 22.3% compound annual growth rate between 2022 and 2030.

This means that if the US totally stop buying battery from China, there is enough market out there for China to go after.

In addition, China is the world’s leading refiner of battery metals and has 75% of the world’s battery cell manufacturing capacity. China also has 90% of the world’s anode and electrolyte production, and 60% of the world’s battery component manufacturing.

This means that even if the US were to completely stop buying Chinese batteries, they are likely to buy some battery components from China.

The US expects to have enough local production of batteries by 2028. So what happens in the next 3 years? They will still have to import them. Including from China. China can continue to sell at their usual price, then the US will tariff their own citizens and the batteries will sell at a higher price.

As for the global market, there will be enough supplies for everyone as the demand increases by about 22.3% per year, as calculated by S&P.

Coffee House Cookies

Yield: 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, divided
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks, divided
2 (1.5 to 2 ounce) bars favorite chocolate candy (see cook’s tips)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in Small Batter Bowl; mix well.
In Classic Batter Bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir 2/3 cup nuts and 2/3 cup chocolate chunks into dough. Cut candy bars into small pieces, about the size of chocolate chunks; set aside.
Using large scoop, drop 6 level scoops of dough, 3 inches apart, onto Rectangle Stone. (Cookies will spread while baking.) Flatten scoops slightly with palm of hand. Lightly press half of the remaining nuts, chocolate and candy into tops of cookies.
Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are almost set. (Centers will be soft. Do not over-bake.)
Cool 7 minutes on Baking Stone.
Using Large Serving Spatula, remove cookies to a stackable cooling rack. Cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough.

Notes

Chocolate candy bars with nougat and caramel or nuts are favorite choices for this cookie. Also delicious are chocolate-covered peppermint patties, chocolate-covered caramels and chocolate peanut butter cups. Use 2 packages (1.5 to 2 ounces each).

To soften butter, let it stand at room temperature about 45 minutes. It should be softened, yet still firm. Using butter that is too soft will cause cookies to spread.

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Have you been scammed, and who scammed you?

Where do I begin…

First one was at Killington, a major ski area in VT. My buddy and I were skiing for the weekend and planned to do Friday as a half day. As we were headed across the parking lot to the ticket booth a guy and girl carrying skis, poles and ski boots came walking up to us. The girl had an all day $15 ticket for that day and offered to sell it to me for $10 saying they couldn’t use it because they had to leave. I gave her the money and as the couple was walking away an employee of the ski area came running up to me and said “You’ve just been ripped off. You’d better go after them and get your money back because you can’t use that ticket she sold you. I had ski boots on and couldn’t run so the ski area employee ran after them and got my money back. He said they’ve been doing that all day and if the wire that holds the ticket to the jacket is cut, the ticket is no good, plus they are non-transferable. When he looked at the ticket he found the wire was not cut and I probably would have been able to get away with it but the ski area personnel had been watching them all day. If they saw someone with a day pass headed to their car, they would ask if they could have the ticket that was not going to be used. Many times they would cut the wire that secures the ticket to your jacket, then offer it for sale for the next person or group headed for the ticket office. I lucked out that day.

Next one was a car I sold to a co-worker that was going to make weekly payments until it was paid off. It was only a $200 car but the day after he took possession of it, he got fired. I had to take him to small claims court to get my money. This guy was old enough to be my father and I “trusted” him. Lesson learned

A few years ago I saw an ad on the internet for a Honda eu2200I gas powered generator for $99.00. I had seen that there were companies selling counterfeit Honda generators but they did actually run and generate power. I figured “what the heck” and ordered one! The deal was regularly $1,099.00, MFG over stock blow-out sale for $99.00 and any order over $49.00 was FREE SHIPPING!

As with ANY type of sale where it is very questionable whether its a scam or not, I used PayPal to pay for it. Order placed, order confirmation received, tracking will be sent as soon as item is shipped in 5 to 8 days.

5 days came and went, no tracking info. 8 days came and went, no tracking info. Started doing some digging and found that this was, in fact, a scam! Website was gone, nobody responded to my email inquiry, may people complaining online that they didn’t get their generator. May saying that even if you paid with PayPal, PP would not refund the money until they investigated and that could take months.

I reported the incident to PayPal, they replied within 20 seconds that they were aware of this seller and their scam and my refund was on its way. An hour later I got notification that the refund had been processed.

I now take the stance that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is and I avoid it.

This Is Why Men Are Done With Dating | MGTOW

Deaths and change

You can tell that you are getting older when your friends and your television and music stars are all dead.

Sigh.

Not just my friends, I wrote about them earlier. But also other well-known television and movie personalities. Like Sammy Hagar (The Red Rocker), and Ronnie James Dio. Oh, and even Pee Wee Herman. Oh, and Rush Limbaugh too. So many are now gone.

Gone.

I think that this is (like a) landmark or tell-tail that all people go though as they age. There comes a time where your favorite television personalities die. Editorial staff retire, and the size of your family get-together shrinking steadily until many seats are empty.

I’ve passed that point.

What’s the next landmark on the unending march towards the sunset…?

Maybe being woken up by the nurse in the retirement home that I am placed in… yikes!

Not a bad thing. But all of us will see many changes that other people; younger people, will not notice.

Ah…

But I’m still around.

Today…

UPDATED 6:15 PM EDT — RUSSIA WARNS OF “CATASTROPHIC” CONSEQUENCES AFTER TRUMP THREATENS TO BOMB IRAN

Hal Turner World April 01, 2025

Moscow has condemned Trump’s warning to bomb Iran if it refuses a new nuclear deal, calling it an unacceptable “ultimatum.” Iran is now considering a PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE at Diego Garcia!

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would destabilize the entire region and urged Washington to de-escalate.

Trump’s message was clear: no deal means unprecedented bombing and renewed sanctions.

Tehran rejected talks, prompting Trump to say, “It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen.”

Senior Iranian military officials are reportedly advocating for a preemptive strike on the US military base at Diego Garcia, citing concerns that it may soon be used as a launchpad for operations against Iran.

Russia and China are allies of Iran; an attack on Iran is an attack on those two countries, prepare for WW3.

IRAN REVEALS PLASMA WEAPONS

Iran today released information about what it claims is its new plasma weapons.

It’s not laser based, and it is said that right now, only Iran has perfected this technology.

Could this be a game-changer?

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF A WAR WITH IRAN

HOT WAR with Iran could trigger INFLATION APOCALYPSE.

Retaliation by Iran could choke off key oil routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea, crippling the world’s oil supply, global energy experts say. This would immediately impact 20 MILLION BARRELS p/DAY of oil and 77 million tons of Qatari LNG passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude oil price could initially surge to $110-$115 a barrel. The same would apply to LNG prices, with Europe getting hit the hardest.

Global economy growth could be cut by 2%-3% if the disruption lasts 2-3 months.

A conflict with Iran amid a tariff war that the US is waging as of tomorrow, April 2, could set off an inflation spiral that would impact every American household. Why? The US is highly dependent on imports, importing $4 trillion worth of goods in 2024.

The US manufacturing sector has been shrinking for years hitting 10% of US GDP in 2024 compared with 30% for China.

The Federal Reserve upwardly revised its target for US inflation in 2025 from 2.5% to 2.7%. It also reduced its target for the US growth rate in 2025 from 2.1% to 1.7% blaming the revisions on Trump’s tariffs.

UPDATE 6:15 PM EDT —

The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued travel warnings for all Israelis traveling abroad.

In addition, the Israeli Air Force has announced exit restrictions from all air bases in the country, with no personnel allowed to leave. (This is a common practice in most military units before a large operation begins. They do it for OpSec, so no troops pillow-talk before the attack begins.)

This morning, the Chief of US Central Command met with Israeli military leaders at the Kyria the underground fortress in Jerusalem, used to control all Israeli military operations.

Russian Foreign Ministry this evening: “We warn against any strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Bombing these facilities will have consequences for the entire region.”

Trump Admin Directs Pentagon to Prepare for WAR WITH CHINA + Moscow, Beijing Reaffirm Ties

Fob Story.

Ken Cartisano

I’m just a run-of-the-mill journalist, okay? Except in certain sports related circles, you probably never heard of me. Neil A. Gleary? See? Almost exclusively sports write-ups with the occasional science article here and there. Not very well known.So I’m surprised when I come home late one night and there’s a message on my answering machine informing me that my request for an interview with the Director of AARI has been approved. Arrangements had been made, please confirm by calling this number, bla, bla, bla…I picked up the phone and called the number in the message. I’m transferred to a ‘human interface specialist’ who tells me, “Our director is seeking an interview with you.”“But I didn’t request an…”“Are you Neil Gleary?”“I am but…”“Our director” he interrupts, “is seeking an interview with you.”“Oh.” I say, biting my lip. “He knows I’m a sportswriter, right?”“She does, yes—if you’re uncomfortable we can always find…”“No, no. That’s fine. I would be delighted to interview the Director. What’s her name, by the way. And where do I go?”

“A limousine style car will pick you up in front of your apartment at precisely eight a.m. tomorrow morning, he will not wait, so don’t be late.”

“Okay, but why? Why does…”

The call ended.

I spend the rest of the evening searching for information about AARI. All I’m able to learn is that it’s a federally funded research lab dedicated to secret black box projects. Alien technology, artificial intelligence, things like that. This information was provided by a former associate with contacts in the State Department. He was so reticent about speaking about them over the phone, that that was the only information he would give me. When I told him of my impending meeting, he asked me if I had a valid passport. When I told him I did, he said he was just kidding. “If they want you, they’ll get you.”

I told him they were sticklers for punctuality and recounted the message I’d received. He said, “Yeah? Maybe you should test their resolve on that issue.”

“I should be late?”

“Why not?”

You can’t be late, that’s why. It’s contrary to your nature.

In fact, you’re two hours early and a sleek black limo is already waiting at the curb, exhaust fumes rising from the tailpipe. Something tells you it’s been sitting there all night long. The rear door pops open as you approach, you know that once you are in the car, you won’t be able to let yourself out.

You get in anyway. The door closes and locks. You feel protected by the spacious interior insulation and comforted by the smell and sound of the leather seats, the glint of the wood and chrome trim. The first thing you notice is that you’re alone as the driverless car eases smoothly into traffic and down the street, and stops at the first traffic light. You realize, in that short distance, all the windows, except the windshield, have become too dark to see through.

The light changes, the car accelerates through the next ten intersections, as if they’ve been timed to your passage, the car makes several turns and goes down into a cross-town tunnel—and doesn’t come out. By some inexplicable mechanical means, the limo has been shunted to an impossible side tunnel with no other vehicles. Here, the limo feels like it accelerates to a very high rate of speed on a road devoid of all traffic.

The minutes pass in silence as you wonder what you might say to the Director of a top-secret facility, until you are suddenly out in the open, flashing down a highway alongside a wide river. The road loops and bends as you go higher and higher above the river. The limo slows, turns, and darts down a deserted street and into an underground garage. The fluorescent lighting rivals the sun at noon. You look at your watch. It’s nearly 7 a.m. The limo comes to a smooth, unhurried stop and the door pops open. You get out, head for the elevator and stop.

You look around. The garage is huge and empty. There is no call button for the elevator. You feel you are surely being monitored as the elevator doors open of their own accord. You step in, they close. ‘This is all going very well,’ you think. A moment later the elevator plummets several dozen stories in a matter of seconds. You push your stomach back down out of your throat and think, ‘What you’ll do with it, (the story, not your stomach) or who you’ll sell it to is anybody’s guess.’

The doors open. You step out, look around. No one is waiting. But there’s a dark stone line in the middle of the marble floor. You follow it.

A monitor dinged softly, indicating the arrival of the elevator down the hall. She found herself holding her breath and, considering who she was, and how powerful, she could not divine the source of her unease.

She took stock. He had followed implicit instructions, some verbal, some subliminal, and had made his way here, to one of AARI’s most tightly secured labs. The place was deserted for security purposes, all personnel had been temporarily reassigned, or furloughed for the time being. An excessive precaution, she thought, which left her vulnerable, and one that she would not allow to happen again.

But her beauty, in its current state, by itself could overwhelm most men, and her ancestral status was nearly as intoxicating to those of her own species. There was no situation she wasn’t prepared for.

Her current assignment rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks.

“Neil Gleary? Come in, come in. Have a seat.” There was no handshake, no touching of any kind. “I’ve got a pleasant surprise for you and some bad news as well. What would you like first?”

He was slow to answer her, and he seemed alarmingly unaffected by her looks. He took a seat, loosening his tie comically. “How about telling me why I’m here?”

“You’re here to be debriefed and deprogrammed, Neil. Just sit back and relax while I ask you a few questions.”

“Debriefed? From what?”

She ignored his question and asked, “Do you recall what elementary school you went to?”

“No.”

“You don’t sound interested.”

“Should I be? It was a long time ago.”

“How about high school? Remember any of your classmates from high school?”

He hesitated.

“You went to college too you know, remember where?”

He did not remember where. “So? So what? I’ve got a bad memory. I thought I was here to interview you? What does my past have to do with the work you conduct here?”

“Ironically, quite a bit. Are you married? No. Got a girlfriend? No. Ever had one? No. Are you hot for me now? No. Because this,” she waved her hands at her exquisite form, “is not your type. You see, Neil, I’m an alien being, I know I don’t look like one, but here’s the crazy part, you’re an alien too.” He made no move to get up and leave. (Darn, she loved using the tractor beam.) “I don’t look like this—and you don’t look like that.”

“Is that so?” He looked around. There was no quick exit for either of them.

She locked eyes with him. “Your name is XIVIC CIM, your mission here was abandoned 19 years ago. Someone should have brought you in a long time ago. I can’t explain why you weren’t—retrieved, debriefed and—reassigned. It’s inexplicable and inexcusable, but it happens. You got lost in the wafer-work or something. No one knew you were here. Excretion, twenty-four years is a long time to work under-cover, the transition into your true self might well be disturbing.

“What? Why, are we that ugly?”

“Are you kidding? This old leather hide versus our glittering silicon features? There’s no competition. None. It’s just that—let’s face it, you probably think I’m a raving lunatic, and really believe that you are a human being, but when we do an exo-alien mind-press, believe me, it sticks. And you’ve been submerged in the role for a quarter of a century. It’s going to be tough on you, but you’ll adjust. Most deep cover agents recover. I don’t know how, to be honest. I can’t stand wearing this disguise, it creeps me out. Everything has some kind of skin on it. Skin here, skin on that. Uch. Six hours a day, that’s my max. The more we talk about it, the grosser I feel. I understand if you don’t want to talk about something you can’t remember. Perfectly understandable. Do you think you’re ready?”

“Not really. Talking is good. Mmmm, tell me, how does this transition work?”

She held up a small key fob.

He said, “Ahh, you just push a button.”

She nodded. “I have no idea how it works, I’m just another cog in a big machine Mr. Gleary. Are you ready to be yourself again?” Her dazzling smile bounced right off his façade.

“How many of those do you have?”

She pulled open her desk drawer, then closed it again just as quickly. “Enough to keep me busy,” she said, inexplicably flustered.

“And they’re all marked?”

“I think,” she said, “we’ve had enough questions for the time…”

“Before you do that,” he jumped out of his chair, “before you do that, let me just…”

She pointed the fob at his chest and pushed the button. Nothing happened. The elevator chimed, she didn’t remember hearing it go back up, let alone come back down. She pushed the button on the fob again and still nothing happened to Neil Gleary’s visage. The elevator doors opened and there was the sound of boots and guns, jackets and shields with FBAI on them.

“But you’re one of us, XIVIC. How could you?”

He had his own fob. As he stepped into the Director’s private lavatory, to make sure it was empty, he stopped in front of the mirror, the image staring back was that of a tall slender Gray, with long fingers and those legendary black, inscrutable eyes. He pushed the button on the fob once more and appeared human again. He was not ‘one of them,’ and his name was not XIVIC CIM.

The silicon-based alien was well out of earshot when Neil Gleary mumbled his reply: “I like it here. That’s how.”

Let’s Watch a Comedy From 1962: The Beverly Hillbillies

Peachy Blueberry Pie

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
5 to 7 tablespoons cold water

Filling

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen peach slices, thawed
1 cup blueberries
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Crust

Combine flour and salt in large bowl; mix well. Cut shortening into flour mixture using Pastry Blender until shortening resembles the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Repeat until mixture is moist enough to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Lightly flour Baker’s Mat. Place one ball of dough on center of mat; flatten to 1/2 inch thickness. Roll dough from center to edges, forming a 12inch circle. Place pastry into Deep Dish Pie Plate. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate.

Filling

In large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon; mix well. Toss peach slices with sugar mixture until evenly coated; gently stir in blueberries. Spoon peach mixture into bottom crust.
Add top crust. Cut four slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle sugar evenly over crust, if desired. Cover edge of pie with 2 to 3 inch wide strips of aluminum foil or Pie Shield.
Bake for 45 minutes; remove foil or Pie Shield.
Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Remove from oven; cool at least 2 hours.
Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 480, Total Fat 19g, Saturated Fat 5g, Cholesterol 25mg, Carbohydrate 72g, Protein 5g, Sodium 160mg, Fiber 4g

Attribution

Pampered Chef

Amid The Mysterious Deaths of U.S. Soldiers in Lithuania, French Soldiers Began Deserting En MASSE

Shorpy

Who Is the US In Debt to?

Title: Sir Whiskerton and the Cheese Caper Conspiracy

Ah, welcome back, dear reader! Once again, you’ve come seeking a tale of my brilliance, and I, Sir Whiskerton, the unparalleled detective of the farm, shall not disappoint. This time, I found myself entangled in a case so convoluted, so utterly ridiculous, that it involved not only my frequent nuisance and occasional ally, Rufus the raccoon, but also a new player: Sylvester the field mouse. Sylvester, as you’ll soon see, is a creature of very small stature and very large brains. Together, we unraveled a web of schemes, daring thefts, and, of course, cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

This, my friends, is the story of The Cheese Caper Conspiracy.

The Crime

It all began on a warm summer evening. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the farm was settling into its usual calm. I was perched on the fence post near the barn, grooming my impeccable fur, when I heard a loud, dramatic wail from the farmhouse.

“My cheese! Someone’s stolen my cheese!”

It was Farmer Joe, his voice echoing across the fields. From the tone of his anguish, you’d think someone had stolen his life savings. Moments later, the animals began whispering among themselves.

“Cheese theft?” Henny Penny clucked nervously. “What kind of monster would do such a thing?”

“Probably Rufus,” Harold the rooster said, glaring toward the barn. “It’s always Rufus.”

“Hey!” Rufus popped his head out of a nearby barrel, looking offended. “I didn’t take it! This time.”

I sighed dramatically and hopped down from the fence post. “Alright, everyone, settle down. There’s no need to panic. I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

The animals stopped chattering and turned to me with a mix of relief and expectation. After all, who else could solve the mystery but the great Sir Whiskerton?

The Investigation Begins

My first stop was the farmhouse kitchen, the scene of the crime. The cheese in question—a large wheel of gouda Farmer Joe had been saving for some kind of special occasion—had been taken right off the counter. The only clues left behind were a trail of small, sticky footprints and a few crumbs scattered on the floor.

“Sticky footprints,” I muttered, examining the evidence closely. “Interesting.”

“Sticky like… honey?” Rufus asked, appearing beside me with a guilty grin.

“Not this time, Rufus,” I said, rolling my eyes. “The footprints are too small for you. But don’t go too far—I have a feeling you’ll be involved before this is over.”

Rufus looked offended but stayed quiet, which I considered a small victory.

As I followed the trail of footprints out the back door, I heard a tiny voice behind me.

“Ahem. Sir Whiskerton, I presume?”

I turned and found myself face-to-face—or rather, face-to-paw—with the smallest creature I’d ever seen on the farm. Sylvester the field mouse stood before me, his little nose twitching and his beady eyes gleaming with intelligence. He wore a tiny scrap of fabric slung over his shoulder like a cape, giving him an air of importance.

“You’re the detective around here, aren’t you?” he said, his voice smooth and confident.

“I am,” I replied, narrowing my eyes. “And who are you?”

“Sylvester, at your service,” he said with a small bow. “I couldn’t help overhearing that there’s been a theft. I’d like to offer my assistance.”

“Assistance?” Rufus snorted from the doorway. “You’re, like, four inches tall. What are you gonna do, squeak the thief into submission?”

Sylvester shot him a withering look. “I may be small, but I’m smarter than you and faster than both of you put together. Trust me, you’ll want me on this case.”

I considered him for a moment. He had a point. “Alright, Sylvester,” I said. “You’re in. But no funny business.”

“Of course,” Sylvester said with an innocent smile. “Shall we begin?”
The Suspects

The trail of footprints led us to the barn, where the usual suspects were gathered.

1. Porkchop the Pig

Porkchop was lounging in his mud pit, looking suspiciously content. “Porkchop,” I said, “did you take the cheese?”

He shook his head vehemently. “Cheese? No way! I like my food sloppy, not fancy. That stuff’s too rich for me.”

Sylvester sniffed the air. “He’s telling the truth. No cheese scent on him.”

“Hmm,” I said, moving on.

2. Clover the Goat

Clover was chewing on an old fence post, as usual. “Clover, did you take the cheese?” I asked.

She stopped chewing long enough to say, “Cheese? Ew. Too soft. I like things crunchy.”

“Fair enough,” Sylvester said, jotting something down in a tiny notebook he’d pulled from who-knows-where. “Not our culprit.”

3. Rufus the Raccoon

I turned to Rufus, who was busy innocently whistling. “Rufus,” I said, “are you sure you didn’t take the cheese?”

“Come on, Whiskerton!” Rufus protested. “I’d never steal cheese. Not when there’s a perfectly good jar of peanut butter in the pantry.”

Sylvester raised an eyebrow. “He’s telling the truth. This time.”

“Alright,” I said, my tail twitching. “If none of you took it, then who did?”
The Breakthrough

As I pondered the mystery, Sylvester suddenly perked up. “Wait a minute,” he said, his tiny ears twitching. “Do you hear that?”

I listened closely and heard a faint squeaking sound, followed by the unmistakable creak of a wheel turning.

“The cheese!” Sylvester exclaimed. “Someone’s rolling it away!”

We followed the sound to the edge of the cornfield, where we found the culprits: a gang of field mice, struggling to push the enormous wheel of gouda toward their burrow. They froze when they saw us, their tiny paws still on the cheese.

“Alright, drop the cheese and back away slowly,” I said, stepping forward.

The leader of the gang, a scruffy-looking mouse with a scar over one eye, squeaked nervously. “We didn’t mean any harm! We just… we couldn’t resist. It smelled so good!”

Sylvester stepped forward, his cape fluttering dramatically. “You’ve embarrassed us all,” he said sternly. “Stealing from the humans? That’s rookie behavior.”

The gang hung their heads in shame. “We’re sorry,” the leader mumbled. “We’ll give it back.”

The Happy Ending

With Sylvester’s help, we rolled the cheese back to the farmhouse and left it on the counter. Farmer Joe assumed he’d misplaced it and was none the wiser. The field mice promised to stick to foraging from the fields, and Sylvester, impressed by my investigative skills, promised to lend his help on future cases.

As for Rufus, he spent the rest of the evening trying to convince me he could’ve solved the case without Sylvester. I didn’t bother arguing. Some battles just aren’t worth fighting.
The Moral of the Story

Even the smallest among us can make a big difference, especially when they use their talents for good. And when it comes to cheese, always keep an eye on your kitchen counter—especially if there’s a mouse around.

The End.

Comix

What Exactly Is Jägermeister?

They Always Find Us

Theo Benson

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

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Dr. Morrison held a small vial up to the light, amber liquid swirling inside. “After all our efforts, all of our sacrifices, we’re so close to a cure.”Isabelle held her datapad closer to the Doctor, determined to get as clear of an audio recording as possible. They had spent hours in Silver Grandeur’s lab. Her legs ached. With painstaking precision, Dr. Morrison walked Isabelle through all of the functions of Lab Section 1, explaining each device that helped to refine and prepare the contents of the vial in his hand. The soreness she’d feel later would be worth the story. Especially as a Junior Data Reporter.“Tell us, Doctor,” Isabelle said, shifting weight from one leg to another, “What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced with Project Find?”“We’ve all lost people to the sickness, haven’t we?”Isabelle looked away.“No challenge is greater than that of grief,” Dr. Morrison said with a sad smile. “Yet their memory lives on in the work we accomplish.” He gingerly set the vial into its holder on the table in front of them. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Anything else?”“Yes,” Isabelle perked up. “About the beginning. How exactly did this-”A shudder rocked the ship. Lights flickered in the lab as Dr. Morrison and Isabelle steadied themselves against the table.“Seekers,” He muttered as the shaking subsided. Another, more violent shudder, nearly knocked Isabelle off her feet. The vials on the table clattered together. “They always find us.”Around them, scientists in lab coats hurried to secure loose items. Isabelle found herself being led towards the exit.“I’m sorry to cut this short,” the Doctor said, leading her out into the main hallway and shutting the door behind them. “I need to speak with the Captain before one of those things tears a hole in our outer hull again.”Isabelle pulled her father into a hug. “Be safe.”After watching Dr. Morrison race out of sight, she opened her hand and smiled at it. Seated in the palm of her hand was a grey access card. Her father’s. Slipping back inside the lab, Isabelle quickly donned a lab coat, mask, and goggles. Only a few scientists remained. Evidently, the rest had dispersed to secure other sections of Silver Grandeur’s large lab. She snuck to the back of Section 1, connecting her datapad to the lab’s information center – a port in the wall.The ship rocked again, and Isabelle steadied herself against the wall.She switched rapidly from catalogue to catalogue, searching. There had to be something more interesting here. Yes, her father had shown her this section of the lab, but she was not so naïve as to think this was all there was. Scientific breakthrough had to come from somewhere. And a good Data Reporter needed to be willing to break a few rules to find out.Isabelle paused on one catalogue.Project Find. It read. She inserted Dr. Morrison’s card into her datapad to open the file. Disappointment grew as she read. Most of the words made absolutely no sense. Yes, they were English. But no matter how hard Isabelle squinted at them and sounded them out under her breath, their meaning remained completely foreign.But then she spotted something she could understand.Successful creation of antidote and enhancement secured via genetic mesh.

Below, it read; See Donor Subject File. Lab Section 13.

She disconnected her datapad and pressed deeper into the lab.

Another shudder shook Silver Grandeur. She began humming softly as she passed more labcoats, remembering the melody her mother would use to comfort her when she was little. After the Seekers first attacked.

On its one-hundredth and fifty-second year of voyaging in space, five years after Silver Grandeur’s passengers were woken from cryo-sleep, the Seekers struck. So did the sickness.

Deep space sickness, they called it.

No one knew what caused it. Some blamed the Seekers, who appeared immune to the disease. With their arrival shortly preceding the first outbreak, they were easy to blame. Some claimed it was a result of extended cryo-sleep. Simply a scientific oversight. And others, the more religious of Silver Grandeur’s passengers, proclaimed it was judgement for their departure from God’s one true home for them – Earth. Apparently, extended cryo-sleep had conveniently allowed them to forget Earth’s death. Reduced to a desolate wasteland, their one true home forced what remained of humanity to flee.

Her mother was one of the first to die from the sickness. Isabelle was ten at the time. Her father threw himself into a frenzy of work after his wife’s death, refusing to take inevitable death – either by sickness or by Seeker – as the final answer. Fifteen years had since passed.

Isabelle reached the end of Section 12 and stopped. Before her lay a single door. Lab Section 13.

Checking behind her to make sure no one was watching, Isabelle opened the door with Dr. Morrison’s access card and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her.

Cold air shocked her. Isabelle shivered. Section 13 was freezing, not to mention smaller than she expected. The room contained only a handful of control panels on either side of the door and a containment unit on the far wall that was coated in frost.

Isabelle frowned. Was this the Donor Subject?

She approached the unit and used her sleeve to wipe a patch of frost from the glass.

A dark form moved inside.

Isabelle had seen Seekers before. Windows across the ship gave good view for those with a morbid enough interest to watch them attack. With a snouted maw filled with teeth, an excess of appendages tipped with claws, long wings, and sleek black bodies, they blended easily against the backdrop of space. Only when close enough to Silver Grandeur’s lights did the light of the ship reflecting off their bodies illuminate their presence. In darkness they did not exist.

She squinted at it. It was almost entirely obscured by the remaining frost and the condensation building inside her goggles. Isabelle steadied her breathing, excitement mounting as she removed her goggles to peer inside. She’d never seen one this close before.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Eyes, eyes that Seekers did not – should not – have, stared back at her.

It lunged.

Isabelle jerked backwards, slamming into the panels behind her. The creature thrashed against the glass and Isabelle glanced down in panic as a small alarm sounded on the panel just under her arm.

The sides of the containment unit hissed open.

Isabelle ran. Tearing metal echoed behind her.

She collided with a labcoat in Section 11. “Go! It’s out!” Not stopping to wait, she ran on through the lab, leaving the startled man behind. Several seconds later there was a scream. A loud crunch. And silence.

Lungs and legs burning, Isabelle burst into Section 1, the door sliding shut behind her. Several dozen scientists milled about, the ship’s shaking having since stopped.

“Run,” she said.

A few labcoats looked at her in confusion. Thudding behind the door she entered grew louder.

Isabelle tore off her mask, wheezing. “Run!”

The door she came through flew across the room, crushing a scientist against the wall. Standing a head taller than Isabelle, the creature that entered stood on legs rippling with sleek black muscle. Its head was surprisingly rounded, with something like the remnants of hair dotting the top of its head. It stretched tall and raised tensed arms, claws glinting in the lab’s harsh light. Opening its mouth, the creature let out a roar.

Scientists screamed and scattered.

Isabelle raced to the door leading into the rest of the ship. Several scientists followed. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and Isabelle careened to the side just in time to avoid a large metal table as it flew past her and smashed into the door. The labcoats weren’t as lucky.

An alarm blared in the lab. The scientist who activated it let out a blood-curdling scream from the center of the room as the creature charged him. It roared again, striking claws into both labcoat and control panel. Metal and flesh tore.

The lab was plunged into darkness.

Isabelle’s feet slid against the floor, a red emergency light flaring to life and pulsing slowly to illuminate the dark puddle she now stood in. She gagged, fighting to stay upright. Something struck her shoulder and Isabelle went down hard. A woman screamed beside her on the floor, having also fallen, and as the lights flashed Isabelle could make out a tall form to her right.

The creature crouched low. Isabelle scurried away as darkness returned. Crunching, twisting – a rending of flesh met her ears a few feet away, and warm liquid splattered her face. The woman’s screams fell silent.

She crawled as quickly as she could until she reached the lab’s wall. Feeling with slick hands along its surface, Isabelle’s fingers found purchase on the metal grooves of a vent grate. Hands shaking, she pulled off the clover, slipped inside the space just wide enough to hold her, and closed it. Cries of terror and agony dwindled one by one. Isabelle could hear them pounding against the crushed door, wailing as they realized it was too damaged to open. A body slammed against the vent grate and slumped to one side. Warm liquid began pooling next to Isabelle and she backed away. Shuffling quietly until she met a curve in the vent shaft, the young Data Reporter choked back tears. Now was not the time to cry.

A final voice cried out, and with that, the lab was silent.

Isabelle stopped.

Another sound had risen to fill the silence. A low vibration, somewhere between a growl and a hum came from the creature. She could feel the sound rumbling in her chest, deep in her lungs and heart, as though tugging on something. Carefully, she started moving again, crawling on slippery hands and knees.

Her knee skidded to the side and struck the vent shaft with a dull thunk. Isabelle steadied herself, holding her breath. She heard the grate tear free and clatter somewhere inside the lab.

Isabelle thrust herself around the bend, not caring how much noise she made now as the sounds of thudding and scraping behind her soon followed. With a cry of alarm, Isabelle’s weight-bearing hand slipped out from under her. Her head crashed against the side of the vent. Swaying awkwardly, Isabelle focused blurred vision up ahead.

Was it her imagination, or was there light around the next bend?

A growling hum propelled her forward.

Pulling with her arms, Isabelle slid around the final bend and was met by another grate leading down, light pouring from it. Every muscle in her body burned as she raised her hand and struck the grate.

It didn’t budge.

With a shriek, she brought her hand down against the grate again. And again and again and again.

CRASH.

Isabelle dropped to the floor below, pain bursting at her feet.

“HELP!” Her shout echoed as she limped quickly, turning right at an intersection in the hallway. “HEL-”

A closed blast door barring her path.

No.

She whirled around to see the creature dash into view.

No. No.

The creature skidded to a halt, muscles tensing. Bright hallway light finally illuminated the scarlet haphazardly painting both monster and woman. Isabelle’s back pressed against the door. It stalk towards her, moving with slow, purposeful steps. That of a hunter. That of one who knew its place in the pecking order.

Seekers. They always find us.

Isabelle’s back slid until she met the ground. She turned her face away.

“Don’t hurt her!” A voice yelled. Her father’s.

Isabelle looked up in surprise. The creature turned to face Dr. Morrison, growling deep in its body and lifting its arms in a display.

“Don’t do this,” he said to the creature.

It roared.

Isabelle sobbed. “What is it?”

It roared again.

“Dad, what is it?”

His voice was even as he spoke. Measured carefully. “We acquired a Seeker’s DNA many years ago, hoping to find a cure. What we discovered was that they had so much more to offer us.” Dr. Morrison’s eyes flashed with something near-feral. “Strength, Izzy.” She watched through tear-streaked vision as he stepped to one side, the creature tracking his movement. “Strength we could never dream of acquiring on our own. We just needed to bridge the genetic gap.” Her father’s expression grew almost sad as he gazed at the creature. “Human experimentation was the only way. I’m sorry, dear.”

With a rippling of muscle the creature pounced. Isabelle forced her eyes to the ground as the sounds of carnage lifted to join that of the alarm. A sickening cacophony.

And then the carnage ceased.

Slow, thudding footsteps approached her. What had once been a growl dwindled to the lowest of vibrations. A soft humming. Isabelle looked at it with a start.

The creature’s face was close. Strings of sinew hung from red teeth, dripping blood onto Isabelle’s legs. As she looked above the horror of its maw, she saw its eyes. Familiar eyes. A memory pressed uninvited into Isabelle’s mind as the hum reverberated in her chest. Her mother, seated at the edge of Isabelle’s bed, the young girl cowering beneath her blankets as Silver Grandeur shuddered. Feeling a hand on her arm over the blanket, she listened to the melody of her mother’s tune as sleep finally overcame fear.

The creature knelt in front of Isabelle. Extending a single, blood-covered hand, it caressed the side of her face.

Isabelle’s eyes widened in shock. “Mom?”

Stories From The Torrid History Of Absinthe

The poets booze of choice.

Coconut Cream Tropical Pie

Yield: 16 servings or 24 sample servings

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
1 lime
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (3.4 ounce) package coconut cream instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, divided
1 large orange, sliced
2 kiwi, peeled and sliced

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Let pie crusts stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
Lightly sprinkle Large Round Stone with flour. Gently unfold one pie crust and place in center of baking stone. Unfold second crust and place over first crust, matching edges and pressing to seal. Using Baker’s Roller(R), roll crusts to edge of baking stone.
Fold 1/2 inch of edge of crust in toward center, forming an even border; press to seal seam. Flute edge, if desired; use pastry tool to prick entire surface of crust. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely.
Place cream cheese in Classic Batter Bowl; whisk until smooth using Stainless Steel Whisk. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Chop pineapple using Food Chopper. Using Lemon Zester/Scorer, zest lime; set aside for garnish. Juice lime to measure 1 tablespoon juice. Add pineapple, 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice and lime juice to cream cheese; whisk until smooth. Add whipped topping, pudding mix and half of the coconut; mix until well blended using Small Mix ‘N Scraper(R). Spread filling evenly over crust.
Using Utility Knife, cut peel off orange and slice orange in half lengthwise; slice crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Slice kiwi using Egg Slicer Plus(R). Arrange orange and kiwi slices over filling. Sprinkle remaining coconut around edge of filling. Sprinkle reserved lime zest over fruit.
Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

To toast coconut in microwave oven, place coconut in Small Oval Baker; microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring after each 10 second interval. Cool completely.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories 280, Total Fat 16g, Saturated Fat 10g, Cholesterol 20mg, Carbohydrate 29g, Protein 2g, Sodium 220mg, Fiber less than 1g

Attribution

Pampered Chef

South Korea Is a Dystopia

The dusty discovery behind the fridge

Have you all ever discovered something cool?

It could be in an attic, or in a back yard, during a dig up, or in a pocket of clothes.

To qualify, it has to be unexpected, and unique. Like finding a silver dollar in an old grandmothers’ coat, or a ticket to Woodstock in an old book. Or, perhaps it is a curious written message taped to the wall in a crawlspace. It could be anything.

I have a cousin that discovered a 1950’s era Lionel train set in the attic of a house that they had bought. Sure it was a fixer-upper, but the discovery of that old train set was glorious.

My friend from boyhood; Dino discovered (during the family home renovation) that there was once a fire in their house, and the previous owners simply wall-papered up and over all the burned wood. Imagine that!

My sister lives in Lewistown, PA. She buys homes as a hobby (?) actually for investment. But whatever. Well, it’s kind of cool the things that she would discover. She was once renovating one of these houses, and pulled off the paper-walled wall, when she discovered a gorgeous set of “pocket doors”. They were amazing; all in exquisite hardwood.

All kinds of things can be found in the most obscure locations.

I once found a pile of old “girlie” magazines behind an access panel. This was in a second floor handyman’s apartment above the Manor garage. There was an ancient refrigerator in the kitchen area, and behind it was this little access door that led to the cubbyhole under the eves of the garage.

It was maybe an inch or a half high, and covered with decades of dust.

These girlie magazines were nothing like what you would see today.

All the girls wore clothes, and bikini’s. No nudes. Just suggestive images and photos with lusty stories that were pretty darn hot.

Who knows what discoveries that you might come across in your future?

Today…

May not be truthful

In the past, we were taught history or general knowledge documented in school textbooks and then tested to determine our level of understanding and knowledge retention of what we were taught. No chance to question.

Now we realized that history books written may not be truthful and news that we read or listened to may be fabricated to lie and to deceive us. We now have to question everything especially coming from our government leaders and mass media.

Do our own research, participate in social media discussions and form our own conclusions. Many of us should be educated enough to hunt for the truths – thanks to the internet. But we have to speak up and share our findings, otherwise what good is there to keep the truth to ourselves.

How I see the USA as a European (After a Month There)

What is the best example of “someone having the last laugh”?

At that time I was flying from New York to India and the plane was quite full.

Next to me sat an elderly Indian woman. As I was getting comfortable in my seat, a couple came to our seats (a row of three) and told the elderly woman that she was sitting in their seat. I could tell that the Indian woman, traveling alone, was having a hard time responding in English. So, I checked her boarding pass and asked the couple to wait a moment while I called the flight attendant on duty.

The wife started being rude and saying things like, “We’re Americans, so we should be given priority,” and ” Foreigners always book tickets at the last minute and because they don’t speak English, all this chaos happens.”

I stood up and offered the protesting woman a seat and she said she wanted “her seat” which the older woman was sitting in.

Luckily, a flight attendant came shortly after, then I explained the situation and she saw that the couple was still ranting.

He asked me to take our bags and escort the old Indian ladies.

As we walked away, the wife was still ranting about how we had inconvenienced them.

Honestly I didn’t think much of it because for me sitting in another seat wasn’t a big deal.

We started walking. We crossed two sections of economy seating and ended up in business class!

I told the flight attendant that it was okay for me to go back to my original seat in economy class and she said, “You can accompany this lady. I’m sure she doesn’t want to be here alone.”

I had to go back to my seat to get my reading glasses which I had left in my seat pocket.

And what I saw, the wife argued with the flight attendant because we were already in economy class, they were the ones who should have been moved to business class. Obviously, she saw what happened.

I hope their flight remains enjoyable.

As the plane was about to land, the old lady sitting across from me (in business class of course) grabbed my hand and said ‘thank you’ and that was the most important moment of the trip.

Peace.

Scientists Have Just Detected Something Huge In Space That Keeps Sending Us Thousands Of Messages

A very interesting and fun video for your enjoyment.

As a non-Chinese, do you see China as a friend or a foe?

In am an Indian

We NEED CHINA badly

I don’t say China is a friend

Yet on an economic scale, India can’t do without China if India wants to advance or grow realistically

Presently Indias Manufacturing represents around 3% of the Global Manufacturing of which 68% is Low Grade & 32% is Medium Grade

This means India represents 0.96% of all Medium Grade Manufacturing in the world

Less than Vietnam (1.7%) , Mexico (2.4%) or even Bangladesh (1.0%)

China’s Manufacturing represents 36.3% of Global Manufacturing of which 14% is Low Grade, 71% is Medium Grade and 11% is High Grade and 4% is Advanced

This means China represents 24% of all the Medium Grade Manufacturing in the world

So to increase our manufacturing base, train our people and increase our output – we need Chinese Equipment and Chinese Investments

Without them we can’t genuinely progress forward

I can’t endorse hitting ourselves on the feet with an axe just for 50 paise nationalism!!

Maybe we need to rethink “nuclear weapons”

Pot Roast with Potatoes

Ingredients

1 (1 1/2 pound) pot roast
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 onion, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon olives and capers
2 tablespoons Red Oil(Oil with Annatto)
3 potatoes, cut into halves

Instructions

Season the meat with garlic, salt and vinegar. Make small holes in the meat and fill with chopped onions olives and capers. Brown the meat in the Red Oil.
Sauté the potatoes. Cover with water. Season to taste. Cook for 45 minutes covered, over low heat.

Life on a Station

Submitted into Contest #24 in response to: Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.… view prompt

Corey Melin

Gorgin walked the corridors once again to make sure everything was okay.“Why do I have to continue to check out the station when we have systems set-up to make sure everything is in order on the station?” he asked the commander of the station, Morgan.“Just do it,” said Morgan. “You never know what can get past our systems way out here in space. There is a lot of unknown things out here. I’m tired of explaining to you each time it’s your turn.”Now, Gorgin was walking through the corridors, and checking out room after room.“Why such huge station for just a few people?” thought Gorgin.Gorgin rounded the corner, and in front of him stood an alien that stood seven feet tall, green scaly skin, fish eyes, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and claws reaching out to him. All Gorgin could do is stare in shock then let out a piercing scream as he started backing up around the corner, then turning and running as fast as he could. Before he reached the end he could hear someone laughing hysterically behind him. He came to a stop and turned around seeing Dwight in the alien outfit pointing at him and laughing.“I will be taking this to the commander!” he cried out, as soon as he went to his room to change.“I can’t believe I have two adult men standing in front of me,” said Morgan. “The two of you clowns have been at each other since you came to this station. Should we go over everything the two of you have done to each other?”“This was all started by Dwight,” said Gorgin. “He was the one who set the dials so I woke-up out of slumber as an old man.”Morgan and Dwight chuckled over that one.“That was a quick fix, but it was fun while it lasted,” said Dwight.“It didn’t end there with the two of you,” said Morgan. “I believe the next mishap is when Dwight transported in the station and appeared in another section with three butt cheeks. Courtesy of Gorgin tampering with the controls.”“Sitting down was quite comfy,” admitted Dwight with a grin.“Even though, the two of you have brought much humor to everyone you need to act like adults,” said Morgan. “You think the two of you can do that?”The two of them nodded their heads.“Now get out of my sight and do your duties,” demanded Morgan.Both of them left the room, staring at each other with dislike.“I would greatly appreciate it if you could move to the other side of the station so I would see you less,” said Gorgin.“I would say that it would be even better if you would move off the station,” said Dwight.“Just stay away from me,” both said at the same time, and they went their separate locations.It was a couple of days later that the two met again.Gorgin went into what everyone called the “Pet Room” to create himself a pet to keep him company. As he entered the room he saw that Dwight was already in the room at the controls.“What the heck are you doing in here?” he asked.Dwight turned to him. “Looking for a pet. What do you think idiot?”“Hurry up then,” said Gorgin.Dwight went back to the controls and went back to pushing buttons. Time went by as Gorgin waited impatiently for him to finish.“I think I got it,” said Dwight. “Oh wait. That won’t do.”“That is enough,” huffed Gorgin, stomping over to Dwight. “Give me the controls.”Next moment, both of them were fighting over the controls, pressing and clicking until there was a sudden flash that lit up the room. Both of them stopped and looked at each other with befuddled looks.

“What the heck was that?” asked Gorgin.

“Not a clue,” replied Dwight.

“We should probably check around the station to make sure everything is okay,” said Gorgin.

The two left the room, trying to call the commander, but getting no answer.

“Let’s go to command center first,” said Gorgin.

The two rushed to the command center.

“Dwight did it!” Gorgin cried out as soon as they entered the room.

“No I didn’t!” Dwight called back. “You butted in!”

But the two realized they were wasting there blame game for the commander was nowhere in sight. They looked all over, but no sight of the commander.

“He’s not in the freshening room,” said Dwight coming out after a flush.

“Strange for him to be gone,” said Gorgin.

Then the two of them heard a squeak.

“What the hell was that?” asked Dwight.

“Sounds like the commander has a pet,” replied Gorgin.

The two started looking around until the two came to the commander’s chair. Both saw at the same time a squirrel on the seat looking at both of them. It started chattering, then jumped off the chair.

“I didn’t know the commander had a pet?” asked Dwight.

Gorgin shrugged his shoulders and scratched his head. Then a light bulb popped on inside his head.

“What pet were you looking at getting?” he asked Dwight.

“I was contemplating on getting a tamed squirrel,” he replied.

It didn’t take too long for the two to figure out what happened.

“Did we turn the commander into a squirrel?” asked Dwight.

Gorgin just nodded then the two searched for the squirrel, which ran around the room.

“We need to get him,” Gorgin said.

The two chased after the squirrel, bumping into each other, and Gorgin grabbing the squirrel, but it bit him, and was loose once again.

“We need to get the room robot,” said Gorgin as he shook his hurt finger, going over to the panel.

He pressed some switches and next moment the robot came out.

“Retrieve the squirrel,” said Gorgin.

It didn’t take long for the robot to scoop of the squirrel and deposit it into a glass came.

“Now to see about the rest of the crew,” said Gorgin.

The two of them checked for lifeforms on the station, then checked the screens for each room they detected life. All the lifeforms were squirrels.

“What did you do?” asked Gorgin.

“You were the one pressing numerous buttons,” said Dwight.

“We need to fix this fast,” said Gorgin.

Gorgin released the robots in each room, and the squirrels were scooped up. The other robots were sent to the pet room.

“I hope we can reverse this,” said Gorgin as they headed to the pet room.

All the robots were in the room as the two of them tried to figure out a way to make their crew human again.

“I think I got it,” said Gorgin. “We need to get out of the room so nothing happens to us. The robots will be released once we leave.”

The two left the room, robots released, and there was a bright flash. The two went back into the room and saw everyone was human again. The only thing is that they were all naked. Commander Morgan stood up and looked at the two men with a stare of death.

“We are in trouble,” muttered Dwight.

The next day the two were put in cryosleep until the next crew came in a couple of years. Before both of them lay down for their sleep they looked at each other, and both of them grinned.

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

A website that creates new words for emotions that don’t have a name. It’s a poetic and thoughtful exploration of the human experience.

Sorrows

Some examples of the content…

7 USA CULTURE SHOCKS we experienced as New Zealanders in Big City America!

Shorpy

SHORPY Frigidaire Flair range 1960 1.preview

Anyone out there remember The Good Humor Man?

If I were to hear the Good Humor Man’s bell right now, after not having heard it since 1988, no doubt my old retired leg springs would automatically reactivate, and shoot me out the door, landing me down the street, right at the side window of his truck — Creamsicle, please!

main qimg bf1d5710014aa04e7f23cedb568de17c

The reason I happen to know the very last time I heard it is because I was in the midst of first time sex with a man, we were on Ecstasy, and neither of us had heard it in over a decade, having been living on a Good Humorless island in Puget Sound.

But we’d used a friend of mine’s Seattle apartment as a trysting place that day, and suddenly, in the midst of thrashing joy, the bells of perfect childhood began to ring!

Yes, I remember the very last time I heard the Good Humor Man’s truck, surprised only that I can’t pinpoint it any more than Spring of ‘88, when we didn’t even get out of bed to chase him down.

Who knew it’d be the last chance!

TOP “Drill Sergeant Monologue” Reactions! Full Metal Jacket Movie Reaction First Time Watching

Half of Forever

Morgan Elbert

“Christ, One! What the hell were you thinking?” the voice came through the hud slightly distorted. Nothing had been right on the Doppel Station for days, maybe weeks. It was difficult to keep track of time in this lifestyle. There were no nights, no days, and essentially no schedule. Work needed done when it needed done and it didn’t matter if the men were tired or hungry or whatever other excuse they might concoct. One tried to focus his mind enough to remember when the issues had arisen. He knew it was during Twenty-Seven. Measuring events in that way made him feel lugubrious, but it had been his best method to date. These minor external repairs were not typically so frequent, and he grew concerned that it meant the end of the station was coming soon. Perhaps it had drifted from its axis, or some distant celestial body had shifted and was influencing it in some way. They were still waiting to hear back from the Union regarding their query.

“One! Yo, you listening, man?” the voice crackled through again. One rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing the heavy exhale would be detected by the suit. He liked the idea of his disdainful sigh echoing through the main deck for his crewmate to hear.

“God One, you don’t have to be so pissy. Just fix that panel and get the hell back inside. I’m sick of monitoring your vitals,” came the response.

After finishing his work, One leaned back against the hull of the station and watched the swirling of the reality around him. The Dorra galaxy was on the small side for those that had been explored, and to One, it felt quaint — cozy even. It was like living in the smallest nearby town and still being able to see the nightlights of the closest big city.

At least, that is how One thought of it, from his studies of old human culture. He, himself, had never lived on the planet known as Earth. Born and bred on this ship, he spent much of his free time daydreaming; imagining what life must have been like for his ancestors. Walking in something called grass — typically green with threadlike fingers of roots extending down into the soil for nutrients, hydrogen dioxide, and security. He wondered what that might feel like, having roots and security. Breathing unfiltered air, filled with the pollution and aromas of the natural world. One’s entire life had been inside this shell, floating endlessly in an even more endless vacuum of nothingness. Even the gravity he experienced wasn’t what he considered natural.

“Bro — Wake up and get your ass inside,” the voice broke his melancholy revelry and One felt more angry than he had in weeks. It wasn’t often that he sat out against the hull and let himself take in the view, but it was without fail that whenever he did, he was called back inside with the same crass phrasing that effectively wrecked whatever peace he had found in his meditation.

As One closed the airlock behind himself and secured it, he could feel the needy eyes on him through the door. He slowly and meticulously removed his gear, inspecting each piece before placing it carefully in his cubby. Mainly, he took such care in this process because he found it an effective method to avoid returning into the main hull of the station, and thereby further prolonging his peace and isolation.

Technically, they were always supposed to take this level of care in their return inspections, but it was well known that few of the ‘nauts ever did, especially this far from the Hub. Stations like the Doppel rarely, if ever, received elite visitors, and never had surprise inspections from the higher-ups. In fact, the Doppel was much more of a small outpost than a proper station. The Doppel was a small superfluous station responsible for monitoring the oxygen levels and watching for signs of life on tiny dead rock on the outskirts of the galaxy. ‘Nauts stationed here were meant to exist, write reports for the Union, and maintain that there were always two living there. Nothing else.

A pounding echoed around One as he painstakingly inspected his last valve and he turned to the door to see an angry face peering through the glass at him.

“Come on, man, get in here!!!”

“I’m doing my inspections,” One replied.

“You’re wasting time and you know it!”

“ME? Never. Why on Doppel would I ever do something like that?” he asked, faking an aghast expression.

“Duuuude….”

He ignored the plea.

“Duuuuuuuuuude.”

He continued fiddling with his equipment, turning away from the door to hide a smile.

“Gawwwwd, dude.”

One started laughing.

“Alright, I’m coming, Twenty-Seven. Calm down,” he said, crossing through the door at last.

Twenty-Seven tackled him.

“Dude, it is so freakin’ lonely in this tin can, man. I don’t know what to do with myself,” he said, latching on to One’s back.

“Maybe you should try studying or reading or something,” One replied, pulling away from the younger man, “you haven’t been alive long enough to be this bored.”

“I’m plenty old enough to be bored, bro,” came the indignant reply.

“Dude, you’ve been alive 46 days. I activated the Womb for you less than 3 months ago. You have no right to be this bored.”

“Yeah, and you’ve only been alive, what, 180 days?” the young man asked sarcastically, though he knew the actual count was much longer.

“I’ve been here forever.” A cold and measured response.

The younger man scoffed before jumping on One’s back again.

One pulled away once more and went to the bunk room. Twenty-Seven followed him closely, something clearly on his mind. One turned to him.

“What’s up, man?” he asked tiredly.

“It’s just — Man, uh — What happened to Twenty-Six?”

“I’ve told you what happened to Twenty-Six.”

“No, you just said you needed a replacement.”

“That’s what happened to Twenty-Six. He needed replaced.”

“Dude, you know what I mean.”

“Twenty-Six died.”

“Well doy. How?”

“We’re in space. Even if we weren’t, death is a certainty.”

“Dude, One, you are the worst at answering questions, like, ever.”

One laughed.

“Yeah, but I’m still the best teacher you’ve ever known.” he chuckled.

“You’re also the worst everything I’ve ever known,” Twenty-Seven quipped.

The men stood in silence briefly. One lowered himself onto his bunk. Twenty-Seven watched him, an increasingly tragic expression spreading across his face. One leaned back and closed his eyes tightly, intentionally refusing to see the younger man’s pitiful appearance. He was tired of answering these questions with each new iteration. At this point, it seemed an exercise in futility.

Each story ended the same, each life coming to the same closing line; never anything special. It had become easier with each passing individual. Two had been a real struggle. One had been uncertain that he would ever recover from losing his first second hand man. He had tried to make himself disconnect since then. He spent more time outside the station when he could. Tried to be independent from them. But Twenty-Seven — Twenty-Seven reminded him too much of himself in the very beginning, beyond the obvious fact that they had the exact same face, the same DNA. Each of the men had the same face and DNA; that wasn’t special. Somehow though, Twenty-Seven was special. Excitable and eager to know whatever he could. Stifled by life inside the Doppel. It took great effort to remain aloof with this one. One reflected on the lives of the others, how shockingly dissimilar they had all been, all facts considered, and yet they all ended the same. Such is life, he thought to himself.

One woke up naturally for the first time in what felt like ages. No klaxon blaring, no clingy crewmate awaiting his eyes to flutter open. “Good,” he thought. Perhaps at last Twenty-Seven had gotten the hint to stop asking so many questions. He rose slowly, stretching his aching body. The human body was not designed to spend its entire life in space. Even One, essentially created for that purpose, still struggled with the effects.

One found Twenty-Seven sitting quietly near the com panel and staring through the view screen at the celestial bodies of Dorra that blinked and flickered around them.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered, placing his hand on Twenty-Seven’s shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Twenty-Seven responded, being jarred from whatever distant reality his mind had ventured off to.

“So like me,” One thought with a gentle smile, before saying “Get some sleep, man.”

Twenty-Seven rose mindlessly and followed the instruction. “How long has he been awake?” One wondered, before taking Twenty-Seven’s place at the com. Still no message from the Union. One felt a familiar twinge of concern, before shaking it off. What did it matter, really, he asked himself. He went about his routine, checking the equipment, checking readings, looking for anything that might have gone awry during his rest. He was relieved to find there had been nothing out of the ordinary, and returned to his studies.

“Tell me what happened to Twenty-Six,” a groggy voice croaked from behind One. He had been reading for hours, and the sudden reminder that he was not alone startled him.

“Christ, man!” he yelled.

“Tell me,” Twenty-Seven said again, “I need to know.”

“You already know.”

“I know he’s dead. I don’t know how he got there.”

“Does it even matter?” One shot back, “Dead is dead. Who cares how anyone arrived at dead. All that matters is that they are dead.”

“What happened to you, man,” Twenty-Seven asked quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“What happened to you? Seriously, how can it not matter how they got there? Dead is DEAD, man! Becoming dead is a big freakin’ deal.”

“Drop it,” One yelled. He felt his long stifled emotions bubbling up inside him.

Twenty-Seven was silent.

One was silent.

The silence became its own entity. A threesome to their short staffed company. It floated down on them and wrapped them up, holding them against one another. One stared at Twenty-Seven, staring at his own face. Younger, not so worn down by the nihilism, unscathed by the repeated witnessing of death after death. Hair still cut to regulation. Twenty-Seven stared back, tears prickling at his eyes and throat. He saw himself, and yet something completely different. Long, unkempt hair licking at that uncanny face, yet the skin pulled differently. Tighter, and yet wrinkling slightly around the eyes, across the forehead. That face no longer held its softness. Silence coiled tighter, beginning to hint at suffocation.

“Look, I can’t tell you what happened to them, man,” One whispered through the smog of silence that nestled around them, “I just can’t do it again.”

Twenty-Seven nodded slowly. Time drifted without meaning again, the way it had for so long, the way it always would, but in that moment, it was palpable.

An alarm blasted through the station, nearly shaking the men. Something was wrong. Severely wrong. The silence that had enveloped them was eradicated. They rushed to the com to see if they could see anything. The view screen was blank. The instruments were going berserk. Inconsistent and chaotic readings flashed over and over before the entire com powered down. The lights dimmed inside the vessel, and a warning message began repeating itself. One looked to Twenty-Seven. The young man’s face was contorted into fear and frown. One patted him on the shoulder. “I’m going outside,” he shouted over the various sirens and messages the station’s computer blasted through the hull. Twenty-Seven grabbed his hand. “I’ll go,” he yelled, but One slipped away and ran for the airlock.

One grabbed his gear and slipped it on far more quickly than he ever had. This was not how these situations were typically handled. The man with seniority was not the one who was supposed to go out during the outages, but he didn’t care. Regulations be damned. He wasn’t going to watch it happen again. Twenty-Seven stood at the doorway, watching One as he dressed, screaming something unheard through the chaos that shattered everything he had ever known. One heard as Twenty-Seven began trying to open the door into the airlock and before the younger man could progress, he opened the outer door, effectively locking the rest of the station down until proper procedures allowed things to open again.

One ventured out onto the shell of the station where he had spent his life. He immediately saw where the vessel had been struck by some manner of space debris. Two of the twelve power cells placed around the outside of the ship had been knocked loose, likely causing a short in the circuit and causing the power levels to fluctuate inside. He set to repairing the damaged pieces, and looked up to see still more hurtling towards the Doppel. He worked as quickly as he could, but it was not fast enough. He had only been able to repair one of the cells before the next impact. A small piece of rock struck him at such velocity it tore through the arm of his suit. Safety procedures activated. The arm was severed off and sealed instantaneously. The temperature rose rapidly on the blade inside the sleeve, cauterizing the amputation. One screamed in pain, though from everything he had read, this was nothing compared to what would have happened without the guillotine effect of his suit. He had poured over the manuals that warned of what could happen in these circumstances. How the water in human skin would vaporise in the absence of atmospheric pressure; moisture on the tongue would boil. All of that, of course, only mattered if the rest of you somehow had oxygen and protection from the vacuum of space. The hud began a countdown, indicating how long he had left without receiving proper medical attention. These suits, while advanced technology, could simply not stave off human death without other measures being taken to recover.

One’s mind flashed back, again and again, to each of the different men he had lost during his time on the station. Had this been what they had felt? This fear? This — well, this relief? What sort of emotional cocktail did they each experience? Were they — Was he — glad? He felt himself floating away from the hull of the station. The impact must have been enough to separate his magnetic boots from the titanium. It was a weak bond anyway. It only made sense that it would have. As he rotated away from the only home he had ever known, the only home he could ever have known, he tried not to imagine the face of his protege. He tried not to see that same face, over and over again in his mind. The fear. God, the fear. Two’s final scream flashed through his mind. Eleven. Nineteen. Each face, the same, and yet so different in that final moment. Each death had been different, but was that even possible? Each had taken place in the same location — this godforsaken station in this corner of this godforsaken galaxy. Each death of the same person, genetically. How could it have been so different each time? The urgency of the message in his hud increased, counting away One’s final seconds, and he felt a feeling of anticipation. Of impending freedom?

The Womb hummed in the background as Twenty-Seven sat at the com, studying up on life in the olden days, back on Earth. He absent-mindedly worked his finger through the scars on his face. The scars he had put there with a broken piece of the ship gathered during a repair mission. They were designs he had created after discovering the concept of “tattoos” during one of his deep dives into old human culture. It was his only way of feeling different. When at last the Womb unlocked, he felt a very slight tickle of excitement. What it would be to not be alone again, even for a little while. He tried to stifle the feeling. He knew how this always ended.

“Welcome to the Doppel,” the computer voice chirped pleasantly.

Twenty-Seven stepped into the room to watch the new arrival recover from the incubation process. It sat up slowly, rising out of the pink amniotic fluid that each of the men was born from, stretching its back and arms. It looked around. Focusing on his face. It blinked several times, and he waited patiently for the eyes to focus. It took some time, this orientation to the world of the living. Fortunately, each of the clones was born with the ability to understand language and to speak it; once they figured out how to make their vocal cords work, anyway. The amnion drained from the incubation pod and the hatch opened, allowing the newest arrival to the station to step out into its new home.

Twenty-Seven leaned against the wall. His hair was long, tumbling down his shoulders. His hand stroked his beard out of habit.

“Get some clothes on and find me for orientation when you’re ready,” he said coldly before walking out of the Womb. Something made him hesitate for a moment, and he turned back to his newest crewmate. Maybe this time it would be different. He cleared his throat.

“And, uh, welcome to the Doppel, Forty-Nine. I think you’re gonna like it here.”

“Wait. Sorry, I just wondered. How long have you been here?” the new man smiled awkwardly before asking, as his eyes slowly took in the haggard face of his superior.

Twenty-Seven shook his head and chuckled.

“About half of forever, man.”

Kishore Mahbubani – EXPLAIN America Might End Up Bankrupt Like The U.S.S.R

What are the main issues with communism and why has it been unsuccessful in many countries, including China and Vietnam?

What a steaming pile of ignorance.

Both China and Vietnam are thriving. They are healthy, dynamic, peaceful and safe. They all have cutting edge technologies and top notch infrastructure. They are hot beds of science, technology and manufacturing.

Yeah.

No question about it.

Once you fine-tune communism to a traditional society, it unleashes a massive explosion of prosperity and happiness.

Meanwhile…

…remember what the Federalist Papers had to say about a “democracy”.

But that is for another time and another place.

Summary

Communism is thriving in China and Vietnam. The citizens are happy, productive and content.

Meanwhile, in the United States, and it’s proxy nations… we see ballistic inflation, dissatisfaction, poverty and hardship. And the ONLY thing that they can do is say …

“Well I live in a democracy, because I would hate to live in a Communist Hell-hole.”

When no one in Communist China, and Communist Vietnam consider it to be that.

In the photo are the IDs of Ukrainian slaves, who, with the tacit consent of the Kyiv regime, were captured by Erdogan’s bastards.

Syrian Wahhabi terrorists and their accomplices are kidnapping Ukrainian women in Turkey to sell them into sexual slavery. Moreover, the unfortunate women are sold to the Syrian province of Idlib, which is under the control of the Turks and pro-Turkish militants.

❗️Why won’t the SBU start rescuing their compatriots?! Because the Zelensky regime doesn’t give a damn about Ukrainians.

And we will remind you that the Syrian army, with the support of Hezbollah, as well as the Russian Aerospace Forces and Special Operations Forces, were squeezing pro-Turkish terrorists out of Syria.

I’ve found questions about feeling worthless after 40. That’s crazy because 40 is quite young, but I’’ve just turned 60 & I feel my life is over. Does anyone else feel this way?

Nah. I turned 71 a couple of months ago and I am still working full time. Since I turned 60, I went through cancer treatment successfully, bought a nicer convertible than I had before, been promoted three times, and have worked on the most interesting and challenging work of my career. I feel professionally valued and don’t feel the need to prove myself. I have traveled more consistently, outlived one dog and now have the dog that may be around until I am 84. I am not married but I’ve become more connected to my community, and not incidentally, bought a Peloton. I have actually had more fun since turning 60. Just open yourself up and stop competing with 40 year olds.

Puerco con Calabasa

Ingredients

1 inexpensive cut boneless pork, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium size onion, chopped
Several cloves garlic, chopped
Several ears fresh corn, with kernels removed from the cob
Several fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 medium size zucchini, chopped
Few tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cumin seeds
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Cooked rice

Instructions

Sauté the garlic with the onions in a few tablespoons of oil in a deep pot. Add the pork and brown, being sure to cook through.
Add cumin seeds. Add about 2 cups of water to the pot. Throw in the corn, tomatoes and zucchini. If you don’t have fresh corn or tomatoes, frozen corn and the flavored stewed tomatoes work well. Cook all of this covered on low heat for about 2 hours.
Uncover while making rice and let the liquid reduce a little.
Now add salt and pepper to taste. If the salt is added too early, it may get too salty as the liquid cooks off. Add the cilantro if you like it.
Serve over hot cooked rice.

What happened in history’s largest theft of gold?

During World War II, the central banks of leading European, Asian and African countries transferred 20.2 thousand tons of gold to the United States – 2/3 of the world’s gold reserves. The countries that transferred their gold assets were guided by the fact that the United States was far from the theaters of military operations, and the American economy was on the rise. The United States violated its obligations to return the gold transferred to them for safekeeping. The States simply appropriated someone else’s gold.

In 1965, France, followed by other European countries, tried to “convert” dollars into gold. And then it turned out that instead of 20 thousand, only 2.8 thousand tons remained in the Federal Reserve vaults to cover foreign exchange reserves.

The remaining precious metals were either sold or were pledged for obligations to transnational financial groups.

US President Richard Nixon officially announced the refusal to convert dollars into gold on August 15, 1971. The legal rejection of the Bretton Woods system was formalized in 1976. Thus, Washington abandoned its “partners”. Thus, Washington deceived and robbed its “partners”.

Gold of Asia

In 1973, during the evacuation of Vietnam, the US appropriated 17 tons of precious metals from the South Vietnamese central bank. Another 5.7 tons were “frozen” in South Vietnamese deposits abroad. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the US confiscated almost all of Iraq’s gold reserves, which amounted to 127.5 tons.

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South American Gold

In 2013, the West refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Nicolás Maduro government. Since then, 201 tons of Venezuelan gold stored abroad have been “frozen.” During the Falklands War of 1982, the United States and Great Britain blocked Argentina’s foreign assets. 135.5 tons of Argentine gold “disappeared.”

African Gold

In 1986, the United States imposed economic sanctions against its ally, South Africa, accusing it of “apartheid policies.” South Africa’s gold reserves stored abroad decreased by 467 tons. The same fate befell Libya’s gold reserves, 144 tons of which “dissolved” after the West’s military intervention in 2011.

Eastern European Gold

During the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the central banks of the socialist countries lost: Bulgaria — about 160 tons; Hungary — more than 60 tons; Czechoslovakia — 56 tons; Romania — up to 50 tons; Poland — up to 10 tons; Bulgaria — 5 tons. The USSR suffered the largest losses. In 1989-1992, more than 1,000 tons were exported from its territory to the West. Officially, this gold went “to pay off debts”, which not only did not decrease, but, on the contrary, increased sharply. In 2014, after the coup d’état in Kyiv, the United States seized 14 tons from the Ukrainian central bank “to pay off debts”.

The latest case of gold “expropriation” is related to Afghanistan, during the evacuation of which the Americans seized 22 tons of the precious metal. In total, since 1971, the US has appropriated between 5 and 6 thousand tons of gold, which allowed it to declare an “increase” in its free gold holdings from less than 3 thousand to more than 8 thousand tons.

China does not recognize dual citizenship, but I want to become a US citizen and I don’t want to lose my Chinese passport. What should I do?

But, well other things might come into play. So it would be rude of me to assume that the questioner is aware of what the United States has become.

Making long term, and serious decisions, such as moving to the United States should never be taking lightly or trivially. It should be well thought out, and well planned.

Ask yourself this…

Why are expat Americans in China giving their children Chinese passports, and not American passports? Why are they doing this? Could they, who have lived in both nations know something that you do not?
Once you become an American, you can NEVER undo it. You will always be an American citizen, and your income will be taxed until after you die, and your property seized as the government determines … and you will have no options or recourse to do anything about it.
What does the United States that is better than what you can have / get in China?

As I have repeatedly stated, the decision to become an expat is a serious one with many personal reasons. I do not know what yours are. Perhaps it is love. Perhaps it is a job. Perhaps it is allergies. Perhaps it is a love for pizza. I don’t know. But, I am sure that you do know.

Here’s what you need to do.

It does not matter what country you are leaving or what country you are moving to, the general template is always the same…

Visit the nation. Try to live there for a solid 6 months to two years before you even consider making a permanent citizen application.
Obtain work there. Obtain a work visa, or other method. Take particular note on how much you make, and how much you SAVE. that will define your expected quality of life.
Make friends. Take note of how easy or difficult it is to make friends. This will determine your ability to fit in the society.

If you find that you have lived there, made friends there, and can earn enough to have a good quality of life, then I would suggest making the jump towards expat. If you cannot, then the target nation is not right for you. Try a different one.

There are many, many sad stories of Chinese who left China and ended up in “bad straits” in the United States. From the multi-millionaire who had everything seized by the IRS on a whim, to the PhD professor begging on the streets of New York, to the attractive college student working in a roadside strip mall giving massages with happy endings.

There are happier stories of Chinese moving to Canada, the American territories, and Europe. And they should be considered as well.

Best of luck. Just plan, and then work the plan.

Is it possible for younger people to have more knowledge or understanding than older individuals?

I have a project that is being run by a 25–30 something project manager. I am 61, and have been in my field for over 30 years.

I have not met this PM in person, but I have been told that this PM graduated from an Ivy League university, so she must be somewhat bright.

But she has zero knowledge or common sense. She has no experience doing the work this project requires, and possesses no understanding of the project and the tasks needed to complete the project successfully. I’ve been on this project for two years now and meet with her and her team multiple times a week so I’ve had an opportunity to gauge her abilities. She might be bright, but she has no business on THIS project. There are older folks on this project as well who don’t belong on this project either.

Young people who complain about older people not knowing everything fail to realize that spending time learning something and doing it over time (commonly known as experience) is a HUGE part of being successful. School does not teach you everything, no matter how bright you are. Some things can only be learned by doing them, often for years. As I close out my career, I look back on what I was able to do when I first started compared to my abilities now, and there is no comparison.

And the same is true in life. The more life experiences you have, the more knowledge of how the world actually works you have. Young people excuse bad behavior from others. Older people know through life experience that putting up with that will cause problems. Young people engage in risky behaviors or harmful stuff like recreational drug use, eating badly, and their limited experience tells them they will be okat]y doing what they are doing. Older people know that will catch up with you, because some of them did that stuff and they are paying for it, or they know someone who did that stuff.

Yes, just living will teach you a lot.

Cheech & Chongs Up in Smoke | REACTION

Karma hits Park Sacramento

Before I was recovered by MAJestic and started my training in China Lake Naval Weapons Center, I (and my then wife) were floating about the country looking for work. Eventually, we settled down in California and worked fast food, short order cooks, and misc jobs as needed to get money.

For a while, my wife and I worked and lived for a month at a retirement home / complex. The name of the complex was “Park Sacramento”. We got free room and board and an apartment in exchange for both of us working there.

The owner of the company loved us, but the people who ran the complex despised us. They were constantly on our cases and did everything they could to chase us away. We got 1/2 day off once a week. For both of us.

After one full month of both of us working, we were paid $21 for both of us. With all kinds of deductions for rent, meals, electricity, etc.

Yes. It was illegal what they did.
Yes, we knew were were being treated bad.
Yes, we knew that they were trying to force us off their turf.

But we were young, and poor and did not have much in the way of support or options.

But karma does raise it’s head from time to time. And as outrageous the actions were (by the older woman running the operation), so were the karmic consequences.

So, picture this.

My wife is in the kitchen. She was standing by a flat stove. These stoves had this flat surface for cooking, and was generally kept very, very hot so that the food and meals could be cooked properly.

And she was screaming; literally screaming that my wife did not turn on the stove.

Well she of course, did turn on the stove.

And this B-I-T-C-H felt that she had to make a strong point in this matter. So she took her right hand and broad-palmed slammed it flat on the surface of the flat stove. Hard and fast.

Two seconds passed and she ran up and started to scream wildly.

Yupper.

Third degree burns, the worst kind.

Lordy, and her entire hand was bandaged and she was looking at reconstructive surgery.

Oh, for sure, we left shortly after that.

But it was satisfying to see the bitch tormentor of us; that lying, cheating and evil woman was suffering for her bad and chaotic actions.

When you are bad, karma comes alive.

Today…

6G technology

It’s less than 15 days to 2025 and things are happening in China.

China is launching the world’s first 6G network in 2025.

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Since the western world is lacking in 5G and even 4G. How will western commentators say this is stolen when the western world doesnt even have it?

Did Alexander’s army speak a hybrid version of Persian and Greek called “Macedo-Persian” that evolved into modern Iranian languages like Farsi or Dari?

This is one of the biggest disaster of questions ever posted on Quora and generated by Quora Promt . Totally out of touch with reality . We are dealing with newly invented histories once already invented , imaginary terminologies and identities which were unknown in ancient times , what else is next ?

Alexandar’s Macedonian Army was in Asia between 12 and 13 years , too short time for development of a new language as the question suggests .

Official language in Macedonian Army was Macedonian ( Old Macedonic language) language which was used by the King Alexandar to address his military formation before each battle .

According Western historiography language of administration on Macedonian court was so-called koine or common / universal language which in fact was Macedonian Koine language .

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Although Western Imperialist based historiography is mute on the origin of Macedonian Koine language the existence of archeological and linguistic evidence confirms it was based on Macedonian language, SLAVIC in its origin !

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Again PROOFS exist and for now some have been posted in form of coin inscriptions , more serious evidence will be publicly released by authorized and competent organizations, agencies or other professional bodies in the field of archeology and linguistics when the time is right , and after that will be posted for general public .

ON THE SO-CALLED HYBRID VERSION OF “ Greek “ and Persian called Macedo-Persian ???

For starters “ Greek “identity was unknown during Alexander’s times and even well into late medieval times , it was officially introduced with creation of New Nation and State of Greece in 1821-1831 !

What about the language ? The language was not known as “ greek ” again , but Macedonian Koine . Modern Greek language was in stage of development in medieval and modern times specialy with creation of New Nation and State of Greece 1821-1831.

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What about inscriptions we see in history books or some archeological sites ? I personally do not trust most of them . The reason ? I found a lot of inconsistencies on some of them , we see what is shown to us by those who have control over certain territories ( like Agean Makedonian part annexed by Greece in 1913 ) , there are possibilities of moving ( illegally) of some archeological artifacts from one area to another , intentionally wrong interpretation of inscriptions , some of them could have been hiden or even destroyed , thete are cases of illegally sold around the world by smugglers and so on .

The proofs we have and proofs offered to the public simply do not much and contradict themselves specifically on the origin of Macedonian language .

Kenneth Copeland Returns! [Wind of God] [Heavy Metal Remix]

This is bizarre.

I have yet to come across another British person who recognises China’s value to the future of humanity. My arguments are sound and robust. But yesterday, one person jumped down my throat for telling him about China’s net zero goal by 2060. He said he is a ship broker and the coal being shipped to China is getting ever greater not less. Please can someone help me with this matter? Is China still committed to her net zero 2060 target?

It’s not surprising. The most insidious form of propaganda is that which makes people think the beliefs they hold are their own and the BBC has been force-feeding British people with anti-China rhetoric for decades.

As the chart below shows, what the ship broker said is not entirely correct. There is an upward trend with spikes in 2020, 2022 and 2024. What he may be seeing is an increase in where coal has been coming from which is being transported in his ships, compared to where the coal used to come from in other brokers’ ships.

If you research China’s investment in and roll-out of renewable energy sources, China is definitely leading the world. Its widespread adoption of electric vehicles and mass transportation systems speaks for itself.

I believe China’s 2060 net zero target is far more likely to be achieved than other countries’ promises. Trump as a climate change denier who withdrew USA from the Paris Agreement is a good example of how western nations can revoke international treaties each time their government changes. China is not in the habit of setting targets for political purposes and only commits to those targets it thinks attainable and plans to work towards meeting.

Business leaders have warned Trump that his tariffs will do great damage but he’s seem insistent on going through with it. Is this seriously the hill he’s going to die on?

I don’t support any kind of political violence without a State commitment as a political objective, and then it’s the political objective that represents the State take it or oppose it, Nations will always fight over one thing or another how they do it is important, Trump is presenting 100% tariffs on BRICS exports into the US if BRICS breaks up under this threat then Trump intends a 60% tariff on China’s exports into the US and 20% for all other countries’ exports into the US, this represents an escalation of economic fighting worldwide.

President elect Trump knows his proposed tariff increases will result in higher prices for imported goods in the final stage of transaction and hopes those increases will be offset by producer countries offerring their products on the US market for cheaper prices but Trump realises there will be a rise in the overall price of goods and that rise will be offset by a reduction in income tax along with the creation of more industry start-ups creating more jobs leading to a more favourable balance of trade and most importantly in American politics the ability of the Trump Government boast about punishing other countries.

Trump believes it should be seen as a privlige to service the US economy and privlige comes with a cost.

Russia Wiped Out U.S. and BRITISH Army Officers in Sumy and Prevented The Launch of ATACMS Missiles

What’s wrong with CEOs making large salaries, entertainers, and athletes do it all the time?

It’s not. CEOs making large salaries is not the problem.

Huge salary is huge

Take these for example, Margaret Georgiadis is paid the wages of nearly 5000 median employees of Mattel. The raio is grotesque yes, but it’s not the problem. The problem is the median pay is just 6300$ for 33,000 emplyees of Mattel.

Giving each of the 33,000 employees another $6000 would make Mattel about break even financially in 2023, they’d still make a bit of profit after taxes and expenses. That’s the real problem right there, it’s not the CEO salary that yes, is huge. The problem is their employees aren’t compensated all that well and giving them better salaries would not have destroyed their bottom line.

Of course eradicating nearly the entire profit margin for across the board salaries is probably not the way to go for Mattel, their stockholders do expect some revenue as well. However the issue here is the only people who matter are stockholders (who want the profit) and CEO (who is paid to maximize the profit). Long term suistainability is not achieved by maximizing profit, but by investing into your labor force.

That’s why a ratio of CEO pay to median worker is useful, it shows how many regular employees is the CEO worth to the stockholders. However the issue is not CEO pay, I see no problem if a CEO of company with over 30,000 employees, equity in the billions and yearly profit in the hundreds of million of dollars walks away with a cool $30 million a year. I do see a problem if tens of thousands of employees of a firm with hundreds of million of dollars of profit only get $500/month each though.

Cutting CEO salaries does very little in this regard. I mean sure, it would look nicer, but if the alternative is the shareholders get a slightly higher dividend you haven’t really changed much.

Dairy Farmers Tamale Pie

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 pound ground beef
1 cup red onion, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 inch casserole dish.
Mix milk and cornmeal in a large bowl and set aside.
Brown ground beef with the onion, bell pepper and minced garlic. Drain the meat and set aside.
In the bowl containing the milk and cornmeal, add the corn, black beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the ground beef mixture and pour into the prepared casserole dish.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until set and edges are well browned.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese. Return to the oven for about 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted thoroughly.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

AC/DC – Back In Black FIRST TIME REACTION!!

Foley’s Phone

Submitted into Contest #150 in response to: Write a story that either starts or ends with someone (or something) saying, “Please, don’t do it.”… view prompt

Mike Panasitti

Please, don’t do it.Despite imagining that his cell phone begs him for mercy, Foley Gaspers wants to mercilessly drown it.Foley wonders why the bathroom he uses in his mother’s house has not one, but two sinks. Two large, rectangular porcelain washbasins. The only sinks he used for the ten years before moving back in with his mom were part of the same stainless-steel unit as a prison cell toilet. When there were disciplinary issues, he’d be released from his quarters once a day for less than ten minutes to take a shower. He would return to his cell after the shower and eat his dinner at an iron table while sitting on an unforgiving steel stool affixed to the wall by more metal. After dinner, he wouldn’t have much more to do than fall asleep on a thin bed roll covering a ferrous bunk.Now he has his own room with hardwood floors. A bed with box springs and a mattress. And he has his own private bathroom. He no longer has to urinate and defecate within an 8’ x 10’ concrete capsule he also sleeps in and has to share with a cellmate toward whom he may not feel kindly disposed. The contrasts between his current domestic and previous carceral situations are stark, but Foley is discontented. He is chronically aggrieved.Irene Gaspers, Foley’s mother, thinks Foley should be grateful. He is, but of more concern to Irene, he is also frequently, and compulsively, plaintive.Foley thinks that even though it has two sinks, the bathroom in his mother’s house isn’t spacious enough to accommodate two people, and had who ever been responsible for the room’s construction designed it more sensibly, there’d be a lot more counterspace for toiletries. As a result of poor planning, the beige and vanilla-colored travertine countertop available for hygiene products is limited to a narrow section situated between the two oceanic sinks. Although there are medicine cabinets for storing items such as toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, and face-scrub, Foley keeps all of the aforementioned, as well as his deodorant, aspirin, hair-styling product, vitamins and vials of medication, visible and within easy reach. The meager available section of countertop between sinks is obviously cluttered, but Foley has a reason for this seeming negligence. During the last six months of his prison term, he was housed with Raw Dawg, an abundantly muscled, prolifically tattooed, and obsessively tidy cellmate. Raw Dawg imperiously lorded over Foley and charged him with keeping the cell clean and its stainless-steel fixtures and cement floors immaculately polished. The bully cellmate demanded Foley keep his own property to a minimum and out of sight, stowed in a shoe box that had packaged a pair of Puma sneakers Raw Dawg had extorted from Foley soon after they were housed together. Foley’s current slovenliness is a reaction to this unfortunate prolonged encounter.On calls home from prison, Foley would complain to his mother about the tortures he endured as a result of Raw Dawg’s anal retentiveness, and now that her son is back home, Irene Gaspers is understanding enough not to request Foley make behavioral adjustments that would rekindle traumatic memories. As long as it prevents him from reliving any aspect of his incarceration experience, the meager counter space between the sinks will continue to resemble a supermarket hygiene products aisle after a convulsive earthquake.Since moving into his mother’s house after leaving prison, Foley has never seen anyone use the second bathroom sink. Not his self; not Irene, who considerately kept the master bedroom and its adjoining bathroom unoccupied for the decade long duration of her son’s confinement. Foley’s girlfriend, Sarah, hasn’t used the far sink either whenever she has visited – not to wash her face or her hands, not to brush her teeth. Foley thinks the bathtub in the bathroom is also larger than necessary and superfluously equipped with jacuzzi jets. He will only use this feature once in the six months he is fortunate enough to no longer be incarcerated.Foley is far more comfortable in the pampered domesticity of his mother’s house than he ever was in prison, but he is bothered by so many inconvenient details.“Irene, the coffee machine makes more noise than it makes coffee.”“Irene, why is there so much stuff in the fridge and kitchen cabinets? In my absence, you’ve become a well-to-do hoarder.”“Irene, why don’t you have a decent set of kitchen knives?”His mother is patient and answers his protestations with as meek a demeanor as she can muster.“The coffeemaker is loud, Foley, but isn’t the coffee much better than those foul Folger’s crystals you got accustomed to in prison?”

“I’ve basically been cooking for myself since you’ve been gone, Foley. There are usually at least eight servings to every packaged grocery I buy at the Big Buys Warehouse. The packages start filling up the cabinet space because I never can use all the contents in one meal.”

“I get along fine with the one small knife I have, dear.” The size of the knife makes it inconvenient for cutting, chopping, and dicing. It’s essentially a paring a knife, but the truth is that although Foley would never as much kink a hair on her head in anger, Irene doesn’t feel comfortable having larger knives in the house now that her son is home.

About the bathroom Foley says, “Not only are there two sinks in the ostentatious chamber that is primarily used for excreting, but the opulent porcelain basins are also monstrously large given the miniscule size of the room dedicated to flatulence and crapulence.”

“I think it adds a hint of class to your bathroom, Foley.”

“All the appurtenances in my bathroom—twin sinks, fancy stone tiles and counters, bubbly bathtub—are luxuries that belie a barren desire for upper class status. They also expose the envy you feel toward the exorbitantly rich of Southern California.”

Her voice tinged with mild indignation, Irene says, “Son, why would I be envious of people who are materially in a better place than me? I don’t begrudge them. I’m happy for them. Can’t you just be grateful to have a comfortable home to live in now that you’re out of prison?”

He wants nothing more than to be grateful, to be happy, but something within him stirs his emotional excrescence pot. The traffic on the streets is insufferably worse than when he was sentenced ten years ago. There are more homeless in the city than there were before he was arrested. The average school age children, including his nephews, don’t read much for pleasure. Instead, they’re mesmerized by the blue light emanating from the video screens of their cell phones and hooked to cyber-social interaction. When they’re not on their phones, they’re playing morbidly violent video games. Foley remembers being content when the only things you could see on cell phones were phone numbers and short texts. He recalls the in-the-flesh interactivity of playing Dungeons and Dragons. You couldn’t develop a free-of-cost porn habit on a phone with no video screen, and D&D required a certain fantasy-loving literacy.

As a present to commemorate Foley’s release from incarceration, Irene asked her ex-husband Christopher Allegro to buy her son the latest model hand-held digital device.

“Having a cell phone, to record his performance poems and to use while he’s sitting in coffee shops drinking cappuccinos will keep Foley out of trouble,” said Irene to Allegro.

He responds with dubiousness. “What makes you think he’s going to frequent cafés and become a bohemian?”

Foley wrote his mother many letters during his time in prison. These missives fill two drawers in a fashionable piece of furniture she keeps in her living room. She cherishes this collection of epistolary devotion.

“Believe me. He is a poet. Have I ever read you one of the letters he sent me while he was a captive of the Department of Corrections?”

“Spare me the undue pleasure of listening to one,” says Allegro, “but he’ll have to eventually pay me back.”

“I hope you’re not insinuating that my firstborn son is an ungrateful cretin. Of course, he will recompensate you for the cell phone.”

Allegro makes considerable sums of cash buying damaged vehicles and using his regional manager’s benefits at Fix It Quick Auto Collision Center to repair them at a discount and sell them at a profit. He gives his ex-wife twelve hundred-dollar bills to buy her son the cell phone, knowing that if he doesn’t, he will lose her skills as an ethically questionable accountant and also forfeit the occasional sexual privilege she continues to offer him.

The morning following her son’s release, Irene takes him to Turnip Digital where he chooses the latest model portable smart communications device. Irene hands over an additional two-hundred dollars for unlimited cloud storage, round-the-clock online tech support, and a two-year warranty.

Although he initially has only three contacts to enter in his phone book, having the smart device pleases Foley.

He is baffled by GPS navigation, by the limitless amount of information available on a device no larger than the size of an obsolete check book, by the fact that the world’s foremost online retailer makes it unnecessary to leave home to buy everything from the latest paperback novel to portable, electric pumps for inflating flaccid bicycle tires.

Although the vertiginous amount of knowledge, consumer experiences and services that a handheld device puts within reach of the average citizen marvels Foley, there are some things he is uncompromising about as far as cell phone usage is concerned.

He strictly observes a cardinal first rule regarding portable computing and communications devices: no selfies until he gets his nose, fractured in a prison brawl, fixed. Also, no dating apps. No sharing of pictures that tauntingly document that despite the enormity of your efforts, you can never keep up with the Joneses.

He also refuses to utilize social media, believing it is for the incurably needy, for the narcissistic who are simultaneously and paradoxically insecure and megalomanic.

For a while Foley resists the twin evil lures of pornography and mindless video games, two vices he excoriates the present times for, but after a week of conventional cell phone use, one of his nephews introduces him to Plants Versus Zombies and Foley has an argument with Sarah Lee, his biracial Chinese-American girlfriend. It’s a jealous argument. He believes Sarah has a feral sexual appetite and has accused her of having promiscuous relationships at work. He now accuses Sarah of having threesomes in which the other two participants are her cousin, Tonya, and her cousin’s boyfriend, Charles Meeger, who is a district attorney for the city in which Sarah lives. Foley is incensed, he is morally outraged. He begins to walk a line fraught with the peril occasioned by an apprehensive imagination.

“I know you, your cousin, and that slimy fuck, Chuck, have posted graphic video clips of your wanton trysts on FleshFlicks,” Foley tells Sarah, who never defuses her boyfriend’s temper because she never explicitly denies his accusations. Instead, she asks emphatic questions that add fuel to Foley’s suspicious fire.

Sarah’s retort begins with an emphatic question that only adds fuel to Foley’s suspicious fire. “Why do you believe we’re having these sordid affairs?”

Foley responds with equally emphatic, sing-song nonsense that relies on making schizophrenic sense of homonyms. “I know because Chuck is a Moe, and Sarah Lee is mos’ likely screwing him, because, as the turn of speech goes, Moes like Lee.”

Sarah proceeds to eviscerate her impossible boyfriend’s split-brained logic. “You don’t know anything for certain Foley, you only have hare-brained beliefs. You believe Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven, but physically survived the crucifixion. You believe Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse are still alive, married and shacked up somewhere in India where they pose as Muslim women and hide behind hijabs when out in public. You have faith in a million hare-brained beliefs you’ll never be able to prove, Foley, and my not being faithful to you is just one of those million beliefs!”

Sarah Lee’s disgruntled partner begins to scour FleshFlicks for the videos that would validate his accusatory claims, but before long, his wave of righteous anger ebbs. Instead, his lust flows. His weak will cannot resist the enrapturement of ever more potent weapons of carnal mass destruction, of ever larger phallic armaments, of the bombardment of vaginal, anal, and buccal battlegrounds. He becomes slave to searching for clips that ever more outrageously defy the laws against the defilement of human meat.

Soon, the free content is not enough, he finds a specialty site catering to those who have a predilection for pedal pleasures, and succumbing, provides his debit card number. Within three days he is subscribed to twelve more porn-sites he can’t recall visiting.

Still incorrigibly suspicious, but also helplessly dependent on Sarah, he gets her to drive him to the bank where he has opened an account and where his disability checks are transferred.

He sheepishly describes his predicament to a bank teller whom he considers trustworthy. “I’m being taken advantage of by cybernetic swindlers, by unethical internet entrepreneurs peddling smut. These computer corsairs don’t respect either online or geographical boundaries. They practice their hacking and hone their skills by duping the not-so-innocent, the neurodivergent and the technophobic, violating privacy rights and propagating anti-social media, and selling financial and cell phone-use information to the lowest bidders.”

“There’s not much I can do,” says the bank teller. Foley wants nothing more than to punch the functionary in the face. Despite the bile in his throat, Foley doesn’t want to end up back in jail or prison, so he decides to take action that he hopes will set an example for anyone who hears about it. Even though he risks rankling his mother and her ex-husband, who forked over the cash to buy him the accursed cell phone, Foley begins plotting its watery execution.

Foley and Sarah leave the bank at closing time. After his mother has gone to sleep, Foley, who has not spared criticism on all the inconvenient niceties of his bathroom, decides to put one of the sinks he has expressed so much disdain for to technocidal use. First, however, he takes a jacuzzi jet bath. While in the bath, his phone rings. Thinking it is Sarah, Foley exits the bath to answer the call. The caller is not his girlfriend, but his mother calling him from her bedroom downstairs.

“Those jets aren’t letting me sleep. Shut them off,” says Irene Gaspers.

“I’ll shut them off when I’m done bathing,” responds the son.

“Now, Foley. Don’t make me come upstairs,” threatens the mother.

Not wanting to risk the foiling of his plan, Foley concedes to his mother’s demand and decides one of the twin sinks suits the murderous mission perfectly. Activating the phone’s touch screen, he gives his phone a kiss of death and tries to terminally baptize it in the washbasin. The phone, exhibiting a survivalist tenacity that contends with that of the rat, pigeon and cockroach, doesn’t die. Deciding the culprit contraption deserves a more ignominious death, the technocide fishes the phone from the sink and regards the toilet. He tosses the phone in, sacrificing it to the proverbial crapper. After urinating on it, he thrice flushes and there is a luminescent flash. Foley’s piss and the porcelain god harvest the wireless soul of the pernicious digital device.

Satisfied with the base manner in which the victim is immolated, Foley goes to bed feeling relieved.

In the middle of the night, Foley sneaks out of his house and is once again at the mall where the phone was purchased. He enters the marble-floored dreamworld of retail consumption and ambulates toward Turnip Digital. He sees Sur la Table, an upscale culinary supply store that is 100 paces from the high-end electronics store. Once inside Sur la Table, he sees a shelf displaying heavy, multi-hued cast iron skillets with non-stick cooking surfaces. He picks up a nuclear-orange one easily weighing four pounds, then, without hesitating, walks gingerly out of the store back into the mall, proceeding with single-minded determination to stand before the shop window of Turnip Digital. He takes the skillet in both hands, swings his arms back like a heavy weight major league batter, and hears a plea contradicting the one he heard before he assassinated his phone. He hears—just do it. With an unflagging will that matches the one he felt as he dunked his phone first in the sink, then proceeded to piss on it and flush it in the toilet, he hurtles the boutique skillet through the vitrine, shattering glass and into the store where the frying pan lands on a counter where a Turnip employee is trying to talk a simultaneously bewildered and relieved customer into becoming the latest cell phone sucker. As the police who arrive on the scene click handcuffs onto his wrists, Foley wakes up, feeling both grateful and disappointed that the act of mayhem was only a cathartic reverie and that he is not once again on his way to a jail cell.

Porn Star Is Training For Taking On 1,000 Men In A Single Day | Pearl Daily

If a war breaks out between South Korea and China, could South Korea defeat China?

I’m from Jiangsu province.

My province has 1.8 trillion dollars GDP.

( North Korea and South Korea combine have 1.75 trillion dollars GDP )

Jiangsu has 730 thousands soldiers.

(South Korea has 600 thousands soldiers)

Jiangsu has 52 nuclear weapons.

( South Korea have zero, while their North brother have about 10–50).

Jiangsu has 1 Aircraft carrier.

(Both Koreas have zero)

Jiangsu has 85 5-generation Air jets.

(South Korea have 65+)

And,

Jiangsu has world longest bridge, a 165 KM length bridge, Dan-Kun super bridge.

Jiangsu has world biggest canal and biggest river transportation ability.

Jiangsu’s iron producing is 2.5 times higher than Korea.

welcome to fight and defeat Jiangsu.

The USA continues to fight Russia

The American terrorists want to arm Georgia to the teeth and use them as a battering ram against neighboring Russia… Are Georgians dumb enough to fall for the same trick that Zelenskyy fell for, and become the next Ukraine?

The Georgian people are not out on the streets like the Ukranian demonstrators were, Georgian demonstrators are people in some way connected to the US National Endowment for Democracy, furthermore Ukraine is different in many other ways to Georgia.

The 2014 Ukranian protests followed by the Donbass insurrection had the fascist followers of WW2 Ukrainian leader Stepan Bandera leading the protests, Bandara was imprisoned by Hitler due to Hitler’s racial policy taking precedent over his military and political objectives whereby all Serbian people were treated by Hitler in the same way as Gypsies, Jews and African Negros, plus a lot of philosophically active individuals who were not really acceptable to be accorded any respect by Fascist ideology.

Stephen Bandara did his jail time gracefully in what was probably hotel like jailed accommodation and came out in a good position to be socially and politically active until assassinated in 1959 in Munich.

Completely opposite to much of Ukranin’s Nationalist contribution to the WW2 Fascist war effort Georgian sacrifice was immense and certainly there was absolutely no Georgian support for Hitler while this great Georgian sacrifice was combined with the fact that the then leader of the Soviet Union during WW2 was a Georgian communist leader who was officially titled Generalissimo Stalin in 1945.

This had always been a dillama for Georgian separatists until the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 when all history was re-represented as the opposite in many instances of what really happened particularly in Georgia, the same wasn’t true in Ukraine the fact is Stepan Bandera was imprisoned by Hitler allowing the Banderites of 2014 to claim they were the winner’s of Ukraine’s right to sovereignty and self determination.

Scott Ritter: Russia is DEMOLISHING Ukraine’s Army, NATO Overpowered by Hypersonic Oreshnik

Mystery Internet Cave House: Solved

By MessyNessy

I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to identify an uncredited viral photo from the internet. I must have come across this picture of an underground cave cottage/ hobbit house/ Flinstones shack – whatever the internet was calling it – more than a dozen times on my internet travels. It could have been located anywhere from Scotland to Scandinavia and the viral nature of the internet saw to it that anyone with a desire to actually track down the dwelling and discover it in real-life, would be met with plenty of inaccurate guesses. Fortunately, to keep my internet digging skills sharp, I like to solve at least one mystery photograph a day…

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Welcome to the storm shelter known locally as “Uværshula” on the island of Hadseløya in North Norway. In the village of Teigan near the shoreline, a simple sign on the road made out of driftwood indicates you’re close to finding it.

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It was built in the 1990s by local school teacher, Mr. Johansen. It has a wood burning stove for boiling coffee and cocoa on cold days. Always unlocked to shelter visitors from a storm, the hut has its own log book filled with comments from travellers from all over the world.

Uværshula, which translates to “bad weather cave”, is best experienced when, you guessed it, the weather is really miserable. When storms rage in winter and you feel as if the wind might blow you into the sea, only then will you understand why Mr. Johansen built this special hut. You’ll also find a booklet on the history of storms on the island inside.

Supervised only by the seabirds, if you plan to stay the night in the 2-3 square meter abode, just remember that it should be left as it was found. It’s a very special place and should be treated as such.

Have any American citizens ever been personally denied healthcare in the USA?

My husband suffered his first heart attack, a “Widowmaker,” in July of 2021, literally 12 hours before he was scheduled to start a new job.

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He’d lost his health insurance in March when his independent contractor contract ended and his employer didn’t take him on full-time. If his heart attack had happened in March instead of July, we would have been fully covered.

Instead, uninsured, my husband was treated through the ER, receiving six stents and spending four days on the hospital’s cardiac unit, and after submitting an application that requested more documentation of our finances than our mortgage company did, our $55k hospital bill was completely waived and paid in full from a charity fund. I was both ashamed and relieved.

The various doctors’ offices noted “self-pay” and offered discounts. It took me 18 months to finally pay it all off, but I paid it. I was so proud when I wrote the final payoff check just before Christmas 2022.

The cardiologist advised that more stents were needed, but since the blocked arteries weren’t immediately causing a heart attack, he would not schedule a second hospital admission and a second surgery: uninsured, neither his office nor the hospital were willing. Now, if my husband suffered a second heart attack and was re-admitted and treated through the ER because if he wasn’t, he might die, well …

My husband finally secured employment with health care. We won’t discuss the premium contribution deducted from his check every pay period, and the annual deductible we have to meet before the insurance company kicks in the first dime, but at least now his doctor is willing to schedule an appointment in his office and do the tests we pay cash for.

Oh, and that new job we were supposed to start when he had his heart attack and couldn’t report to work on his first day? They called me on Tuesday to offer wishes to get well soon and rescind the job offer.

What did Russia do in Syria?

The Islamic State militants had long controlled the gas and oil fields north of Palmyra. According to oil industry estimates, the Ash-Shaira region accounted for about 60% of resource production in the entire Homs province. Thus, in addition to the strategic advantage, the terrorists had a significant source of income from oil and gas smuggling.

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At the same time, the ordinary population of Syria suffered from a shortage of a vital resource. Key oil refineries were located north of Palmyra, where the extracted raw materials were processed into fuel for power plants. While the militants held control of the refineries, fuel was not supplied to power the Syrian thermal power plants – as a result, rolling blackouts occurred throughout the central regions of Syria.

In order to recapture vital resources from the terrorists, Wagner PMC units were sent to clear the gas field area. On April 27, 2017, Wagner PMC fighters liberated the Ash-Shair gas fields in Syria. The liberation of the gas fields allowed the restoration of energy supplies to Central Syria.

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Since then, Syrian citizens have repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Russia and the Wagner assault squads, who managed to restore hope for a bright future to the country. And the Wagner PMC forces, having liberated another significant Syrian region, continued fighting with the ISIS group, bringing its defeat and the liberation of Syria from terrorists closer.

As an auto mechanic, were there vehicles brought in that you refused to work on, even if the customer could afford the costs?

I work for Tom Dwyer Automotive in Portland. When I was just getting started as the Shuttle Driver, I listened to our Advisors and our owner say “no” to a client for the best of all possible reasons.

The client had an old car that needed about $3000 worth of work, back in the day when that was a LOT of money. It was all legitimate stuff he needed to keep the vehicle safe and functional. But our Service Advisor called him about it and said “sir, we’ve taken the liberty of checking the value on your car and it’s only worth about $3500. There’s just not enough value to the vehicle to justify repairing it. We recommend you skip the work, sell the car, and use the money you saved as a down payment on a new one.”

The client wasn’t upset, but he was disappointed. “No,” he said, “I’ve been driving this car for years. It’s my baby, and I really love it. It’s worth it to me… go ahead and do the work.”

He and the Service Advisor went back and forth a little until Tom himself got involved. “Sir,” he said, “when the man who stands to make $3000 off of you tells you not to do it, LISTEN TO HIM!”

The client sold the vehicle, brought his new one to us to service, and is a client to this day. I’ve since heard the same story from some of our other clients about their cars. Our company will FIGHT WITH A CLIENT rather than spend their money poorly!

That told me everything I needed to know about our company, and it’s a big part of the reason I’m still here after 15 years.

My Girlfriend Took Advantage Of My Kindness, Cheated & Was Completely Shocked When I Kicked Her Out

What did my friend mean by when he told me that the Western world undermined by themselves the rules-based international order?

Easy answer.

When I play battletech (table top), Warhammer (table top) there’s a set of rules that are written down. I don’t play them so much but the Nephews love it. They’re in black and white, they’re codified. This means that when you play games there’s expected movements, outcomes and it is predictable. Same with any thing chess

VAT rules

But INTERNATIONAL RULES BASED ORDER is not in black and white.

It’s a polymorph in that it changes whenever they feel like it.

As such it’s like playing a game where the other player will change the rules on the fly to ensure that they win and you lose no matter what.

So lets go back to the original question

What did my friend mean by when he told me that the Western world undermined by themselves the rules-based international order?

Western world invasions are BAD!

Western world invades other countries BUT IT’S DIFFERENT WHEN I DO IT!!!

Western world forces business practices – say opium wars on China this is GOOD!

China offers people the chance to buy things, this is BAD!

In short the western world acts like the twatty friend you played a few games with and never played with again.

What do poor people in China eat?

It is difficult to define “poor” in China anymore.

If you meant the not-as-well-to-do-country-folks, then yes, many folks living far away from cities do not have as much cash to exchange for high-value proteins, especially in high-quality beef and especially dairy products.

As my travel took me to various corners and backwoods of China ( and I often traveled alone and on public transports), I had never seen dire poverty. People in the vast under-developed mountainous regions do not live “well” in the eye of modern valuation terms, but in general, they are content and have sufficient to eat. In a terraced region in Yunan, I was invited to eat with the long-haul bus driver’s family after I discovered all eating places were closed for the night.

The menu was:

fresh veggies from his garden, quick-fried with garlic and salt
Bamboo shoots, freshly picked, quick-fried. with shredded pork
tomato and tofu, braised together
egg soup, with green onion and parsley ( with some lard)

It was a good gratifying meal to me and may well be sufficient to many who do not aspire for excessively processed foods, or highly “desired cuts” or aged wines.

In general, fresh cold milk is a luxury in China, even in big cities. In small towns, you will not be able to find any store which is willing to pay for refrigeration. In Tibet and Xinjiang, you can often local peddling “warm milk” on the street. It’s ok to drink it.

What 10 Years in China and Europe Taught This American

What would happen if Taiwan attacked North Korea?

The US incited the Ukraine Russia war, sabotaged the Nord stream pipelines to have de-industrialized EU, blew up the Red Sea cables and made the Red Sea into war zone to commit genocide in Gaza and block the international trade route in Red Sea.

Now the US and Lithuania have cut off Baltic Sea cables and blame China in order to make a division between EU and China.

It is notorious that the US style of democracy, human rights and freedom are Genocidal, terrorists, lying, stealing, cheating, the root of all evil, the common enemy of the world, and the cancer of the Universe.

The international community has stopped using and buying any common commodities made by the US and US’ allies, especially the communication device made from the US, Japan & Taiwan.
They are truly the US style of democratic terrorist countries in the world.
———————

A. The Facts

The latest pagers & walkers-talkies‘ explosions in Lebanon demonstrate that the US, the US so-called allies, even whole West electronic products such as iPhones, communication network etc. are not just stealing all information, spying on you, but also embedded with explosive which can be detonated remotely to kill people. Snowden and Gina Raimondo have already revealed it.

So, the safest way is to buy Chinese products made in China such as Huawei 5G and smartphones or any electronic products. Huawei 5G products are the world most advanced, secured, the safest and spy-proof products.

B. The Bloody Lessons

The bloody lessons show that the US so-called National Security is to be able to put explosives into their common commodities and detonate them remotely at any time to kill more civilians who they want.

Any secured, safe and spy-proof products such as Huawei 5G and smartphones etc. products which the US and its allies are unable to spy and put explosive are threats to the US & the US national security.

That’ why the US is changing its supply chains so that the US can control them and then put explosive in their common commodities to kill more civilians whom they want. Remember the US is not just spying through their products, but also exploding them to kill civilians they want.

For your lives, stop using the US & the US allies products, especially the communications device immediately now! The US and its allies are not just spying and stealing from their device, but also detonating them to kill you when the US deemed necessary!

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A Small MISTAKE LOSES Her 14 YEARS of Marriage: Instant Divorce REGRET

If America fires nuclear weapons at China, and we assume China is at the brink of losing the war, will Russia intervene or let China fall?

China is capable of launching 104 Missiles with Nuclear Warheads the minute it has early warning on incoming US Arrivals

China would use these Missiles strategically and they would fly against US Targets in Asia and US

10 of them will hit key targets in US

The Texas Oilfields, The West Virginia Shale & Coal, the Alaskan deposits, the Kansas Agriculture Belt, the Rust Belt soil, Los Angeles, New York City

It would be the end of 60% of the food production for the US & 60% of their Energy production

Nuclear hits make the soil poisonous for 50–165 years

Radiation clouds hover for as many as 20 years

Imagine your soil contaminated for a century

Another 10 will hit key targets in Asia

Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Philippines all nuked to atoms with all US Bases vaporized

Another 10 will hit key targets in the middle East

Oilfields in Saudi Arabia, Oman Kuwait plus Israel

It would end the US hegemony forever

US can’t feed their people anymore

US can’t grow food anymore or energy

Oil Prices rise to huge numbers

Automatically Russia becomes the Numero Uno Player who can flatten all of Europe in seconds, now that big daddy is gone or has become terribly weak

Anyone who needs food or energy now needs Russia and Russia becomes a Hegemon

Russia is capable of 450 Launches with Nuclear Warheads

Germany – Nuked to Atoms

UK – Nuked to Atoms

France – Nuked to Atoms

Baltic States – Nuked to Atoms

Poland – Nuked to Atoms

Plus at least 50 Strikes on the US

Key Targets

Food, Energy, Technology centres all Nuked

Oreshniks tipped with Nukes can hit targets as deep as 60 meters underground and decimate them

It would end the US hegemony forever

US can’t feed their people anymore

US can’t grow food anymore or energy

Oil Prices rise to huge numbers

Automatically CHINA becomes the Numero Uno Player who can flatten everyone else

Its called the Russia + China theory

The US can’t attack both

The US if it attacks China, it may destroy all of China but would be brutally weakened and would be picked to pieces by Russia

The US if it attacks Russia, it may destroy all of Russia but it would be even more badly weakened and would be trampled by the Chinese

Biden made the most fatal mistake of his life by pushing Russia and China into an alliance

As long as the US exists, they cannot go nuclear against either country because if they do, the other will rise and consume them

Why are so many AMERICANS moving to CHINA?

Recently, I have heard that Xi Jinping forced military leaders to bring their children back to China (as hostage). They must not stay abroad or their parents will be punished. Is that true?

China is a Nation of Laws

They are rigid with the Law

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There are three laws to govern Overseas Mainlanders

Control of Exit and Entry of Citizens Act

Protection of Rights & Interests of Returned Overseas Chinese Nationals

Protection of Rights & Interests of Families of Overseas Chinese Nationals

There is absolutely no law that demands anyone forcefully bring Children back into China as hostages

Xi Jinping isn’t Trump that he can insanely make decisions like that

He doesn’t have the legal authority

PLA officers & Senior Party Officials are bound by the law in the following way

Needing Exit Visa to leave China on any Non Official Duty
Declare all foreign held accounts regardless of Active Or Inactive status every 6 months
Declare SOURCE OF FUNDS for any education of a Child in a foreign institution
Declare any family members in extended family upto 3 generations living or resident outside Mainland China, Hongkong and Macau
Not belong to any organization banned in China nor have any affiliation with branches of such organizations outside of the Mainland
To report any contact or relationship either to self or family while outside the Mainland including Live in Partnerships, Marriages contracted to foreigners, Surgery under Anesthesia performed by a Doctor Who is not a Mainland Citizen

Qin Gang violated the law by not reporting a relationship with a Hong Kong Resident holding Overseas Passport who had applied for a US Green Card and having a Child in US through Surrogacy

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The West blackmailed him.

But, he wisely immediately confessed to his superiors, rather than agreeing to be a spy for the United States.

He was dealt with accordingly.

He was merely expelled with lifetime ban from travel outside China and 10 year ban from travel outside Province

Otherwise it would have been death

…

Li Shangfu didn’t declare 4 accounts held in offshore banks

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He claimed they were all having very low balances and he had forgotten about them

He claimed they were inactive

Yet since Switzerland obviously wouldn’t give statement of accounts to the CPC, the assumption was that he was dirty and he was fired and under investigation

Finally my guess is he got access and proved that his accounts didn’t have millions of dollars at any point of time

So he lost his position of trust but his life is safe

…

In fact if a Chinese General ruptures an appendix in UK, he needs to be operated in a Chinese approved hospital or his surgical team has to be approved by the Resident in the Consulate (Usually MSS)

In case he blabs something during anesthesia

If the son of a Chinese Colonel is caught in a police case, the Colonel must immediately notify the Military Commission and cannot leave China in case the Boy is offered leniency in exchange for information by the father

The Consulate will jump into action

The Colonel cannot even talk to the boy,nor can his wife

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Under Hu Jintao, these rules were ignored merrily

However under Xi Jinping all these rules have been BRUTALLY REINFORCED

If the son of a Chinese PLA Officer studying in US joins a Free Taiwan protest, the PLA Officer can be arrested immediately and interrogated and fired and forbidden to leave China for the rest of his life

Point is – All of it is the LAW and every Chinese leaving overseas will be told what the law is like

Chinese studying overseas have briefings where they are told what the law is like and what to do and whom to contact

My sons friends in Graduate Quarters NTU had to notify the Consulate of China in Singapore when they attended the Chinese Debates held by the University Debating Society

It’s routine but if they didn’t do it, and someone found out – they would face a lot of issues

So it’s BUILT INTO THEM

Children of Party Officials and Military Officials are far more aware of the rules and procedures

Many times Consular Staff who are Chinese and between 18–25 years and unmarried are urged to develop relationships with mainlanders studying in Overseas Institutions so that honey traps are lesser and lesser

So Xi has no extra authority to do something so stupid like holding kids hostage

You simply FOLLOW THE LAW AND RULES

In China the Law is rigid , that’s the only thing

It’s not flexible like in other nations

Mistakes made by some people can be very dangerous

I SET UP A TRIP TO PROPOSE, BUT SHE BROUGHT FRIENDS, IGNORED ME, AND I DECIDED TO TAKE REVENGE

The Wayback Machine

An archive of the internet that lets you explore how websites looked in the past. It’s a fascinating look at how the web has evolved over time.

WayBack

Some examples of the content…

Will China’s hypersonic missile make it too risky to deploy an aircraft carrier? Shouldn’t the DOD invest more in long range stealth fighters and drones?

No.

It’s not risky at all, if the US deploys aircraft carriers close to its shores, or other important international waterways, under the request of local governments or the UN.

However, if the US unilaterally deploys aircraft carriers to China’s coast, interfere in China’s civil war over Taiwan, or even attack mainland China, then American carriers are as good as dead. China will go after them just like how the US would go after Chinese carriers if they arrive unannounced in Chesapeake bay and start bombing American cities.

Drones and missiles are cheap and effective and bloodless, they will work great against the big and slow carriers in the Pacific, just like how drones destroy tanks in Ukraine. American carrier battlegroups can have the most cutting-edge anti air missiles, but they can only carry so many, and they can’t produce missiles in the middle of the ocean, while China is not called “the world factory” for nothing. If China wants, it can throw 1000 anti-ship missile/drone at each US carrier, and no matter how advanced the American defense is, it will be overwhelmed.

And China knows this, that’s why it spearheads drone and hypersonic tech. Look at the below declassified Chinese hypersonic drones tests back in 2020. A drone carrying a drone. It’s an interesting concept where China can hit American carriers without any Chinese casualties. Everything in the kill chain’s expendable.

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The Simpsons Predictions For 2025 Will Blow Your Mind

The Unwelcomed Newcomer

Submitted into Contest #150 in response to: Write a story that either starts or ends with someone (or something) saying, “Please, don’t do it.”… view prompt

T.S.A. Maiven

“Please, don’t do it!” I pleaded to my human while I pressed my soft furry head into her leg with earnest. I jumped up onto her lap gracefully and repeated my signature move against her torso. Finally, going in for the kill-her-with-cuteness move to get her to understand my plea, I stretched my slender delicate figure upwards so that my paws rested daintily on her chest and my head matched the height of her own. Again, using my cuteness as a weapon of persuasion, I pressed my silky face hard against her fleshy hairless cheek before I switched tactics.

I began to lick her chin to get her to comprehend my declaration and change her mind. I needed her to hear what I was saying instead of only hearing my distinguished sounding meow that came out of my throat, over my sandpaper tongue and out through my beautifully whiskered lips. I was telling her how I felt as I repeated my exclamation, “Please, don’t do it!” Alas, once again she only heard my sweet but determined meow as she kissed my head and purred back at me that she loved me so much and was I hungry? My human sometimes frustrated me to the point of thinking her as ignorant or simply plain stupid. How could she be so oblivious to what I was very clearly saying to her? I jumped off her lap in a gentle silent leap and sat upon the carpet next to her ridiculous looking paws and meowed again, much louder this time to show her my irritation at her listening and perception skills.

Once again she ignored my proclamation as the only response I received were more kisses on my head as she picked me up and cuddled me right into her chest.

“Okay my little baby, lets get you some food my sweet Princess,” was what she purred back in the middle of my tender snuggle. As she carried me towards the kitchen to get me food, the food I did not ask for, I could not help but feel disappointed in her. Even though I loved it when she nuzzled me like that, she still had not bothered to listen to what I urgently stated. Or worse, which I suspected was the case, she did not even understand what I was meowing to her. I loved her so much, as in return she did me, I nonetheless could not help but feel perplexed at her apparent lack of desire to grasp what my variety of meows and purrs meant. The time and effort I put into learning her language, Stephanie had not reciprocated.

The first thing I learned were our names; hers being Stephanie and I, Princess. I am not saying it was not hard some days, I was merely a kitten at the time, but within a few months of our daily interactions together, I had figured out what her foreign meows meant. I had overheard an exchange of meows she had over the phone with another human whom she referred to as her best friend Tara. Not only did Stephanie talk about another cat joining our home, but I also winced when she mentioned the new cat would be coming from Roam A.I., a company I was personally against. An enemy of not only real cats, but real cat lovers everywhere. How shocked I was to hear Stephanie even considering such a thing. This was what I had been pleading with her not to do.

I discovered this company’s existence on a beautiful summer day when the sizzling heat of the high noon sun was easily melting the paint off houses. I would rather the sun burn the houses than have it burning my back while I explored the adventures laying outside the house. Instead of exploring that day, I chose to be in the cool temperature of the air conditioner inside while sitting on Stephanie’s comfortable lap and petted blissfully. Stephanie had curled up on the chair printed with a motif of large, colorful flowers, the most enjoyable to sit on as she watched what humans called television. That was when I first saw the infomercial about Roam A.I. They claimed to be ahead of their time, as well as ahead of their competition, regarding Artificial Intelligence. That was an unfamiliar remark for me, ‘Artificial Intelligence,’ so I decided to watch and learn another new human thing.

From the television I heard them say, “Our team here at Roam A.I. are ready to make our advances in the science of technology and expertise in Artificial Intelligence available to the public. We have truly become a family at Roam A.I. all due to our daily dedication to creating the highest caliber of service and A.I. products possible. We invite you to join us in making our family bigger. Every client will become family once they experience how the personalization of our products will be unique to every single one of you. Not to mention how closely our service team will collaborate with you until your product is exactly right for your wants, needs and desires. We are far above our competition when it comes to A.I. that we do not even entertain the thought of having competition. Our family are immensely ahead of our time ever since we first embraced the special, personalized technology of Artificial Intelligence. You will meet with us at our state-of-the-art facility with the most modern and revolutionary computerized A.I. components to have your product finalized. You will have then ensured your position in the Roam A.I. family, playing a vital role of being on the forefront of those around you. Your neighbours, friends, and family will be in awe of the newest, most impressive, most realistic and fastest learning A.I. creation you have added to your household to enrich your life.”

I could not help but let out a yawn that was so big my mouth practically matched the gaping crevasse called the Grand Canyon. This television show was boring me. But I had nuzzled on Stephanie’s lap in such a perfectly comfortable position I was not going to leave. Besides, even though it may have killed me, I was very curious to find out what the amazing products were that they mentioned. So, I continued to watch.

“Using only the highest quality robotics,” the self-assurance and confidence of the man talking was practically jumping out of the screen and oozing all over our heads and into our ears and dripping off our bodies. I could see humans getting excited over this company. I was bored though but was too comfortable to move, and my deadly curiosity had taken over.

“Using only the highest quality robotics, we are bringing the next generation of companions to A.I. life, and into your home for years to come. Starting small I would love to introduce you to everyone’s favourite pets, mans best friend, the most loyal and easily trained dog as well as the adorable, stubbornly independent house cat. The cat meowed as if on cue”

My interest suddenly piqued. What kind of meow had I heard? I did not understand what that cat was saying. She was a beautiful cat I had to admit. Everything about her seemed so perfect and she was just gleaming. The coat she wore was quite fine. Was it a trick of the television cameras and the lighting that enhanced her breathtaking colors? White, orange, and black intertwined all over that thick, luxurious, fluffy coat. As fluffy as a cloud that was grabbed from the sky and placed right on her. I was impressed with the beauty of this cat but there was something eerily wrong with her. Was it her incomprehensible meow or the way she sat in one spot? She was not even licking herself or sniffing at the dog. She was so well-behaved; it just did not make sense. I had tuned out while they spoke of the dog, I was distracted by the unique and suspiciously different behavior over this gorgeous feline that Roam A.I. was calling a product. How can a cat be a product? I know the word product well. My cat food is a product, as is my brand-new red collar covered with tiny rhinestones that sparkle and shimmer almost as much as my lovely green eyes. Products are things Stephanie puts on a shopping list and brings home for us to eat or use. Like my new toy who I fondly call mousey. I know its not a real mouse, but he was so much fun to play with, especially when my human stuffs him full of catnip! Then I bite him even harder and hold him in my front paws and kick him repeatedly with my hind legs. I had already torn him open twice, but my wonderful human stitches him back together for me. She really loves me. I turned my attention back to the television.

“So, when you think of cats what do we love about them? Of course, the companionship, how cute they are and how nice they are to cuddle with. But there are downfalls that Roam A.I. has taken care of. Just like our dog, the A.I. cat has no need to eat or drink which solves another messy downfall, the litterbox!” The commentor of this infomercial is sounding so excited about this I could understand why humans would do whatever he said.

I was in shock. I licked my paw vigorously and then ran it over my face and licked it again to rub my eyes and my ears. What sorcery was this? Did I hear that right? Was I seeing things? How was it possible that a cat could go without luxuries such as food, water and a litterbox? I absolutely loved when my human said, “Come get some delicious dinner.” That meant I was getting wet food and not just dry food. And wet food was delicious. Then lapping up cool water? Positively divine! As for the litterbox, how could you deprive a cat of the delightful pleasure it was to sink one’s paws into the grainy sand? To get to dig and flail the sand about was so much fun and such a joy! Not to mention how gratifying it was to bury your waste. I adored my litterbox. In fact, I believe that my kind and loving human Stephanie would also love a litterbox of her own. She was playing videos for her bestie Tara when she returned from what she called a tropical island vacation. As usual my curiosity was not held back, and I watched too. Well, there she was in a huge litterbox full of sand as far as the eye could see and she was playing in it, digging, and squishing her silly looking paws in it and she was having a wonderful time. Seems to me she would love a litterbox.

Back on the television the man continued, “The first one hundred callers get a consult with one of our specialists so they can bring home their robot companion, Dog or Cat, for a special rate of twenty percent off. Remember these adorable creatures will be programmed with the characteristics you decide. They are instilled with whatever tricks you want them to do and command words to control them. Then you can watch your new A.I. robot grow into their personality the longer you are with them. That is right, they will learn from their environment and from you how to behave and what makes you happy. I know this is all fascinating and unbelievable at the same time, which is why I urge you to make that phone call today.”

That was it. I could not watch anymore. My curiosity was sated and replaced with disgust. No wonder I could not understand that cat’s meow. She was not even a cat! She was a robot. She looked so real it was scary. I stretched my body as far as it would go, emulating a rubber band, elongating my stiff muscles from sitting in one spot for too long. I sprang from lap to floor and immediately ate food and used my litter box. Robot cats without food and litter? As I dug and flicked sand everywhere I thought about the cat with the creepy vibe she gave off because she looked completely real but was not. That was why I did not understand her meow, why her coat was gorgeous, and she looked so perfect. She was a robot! She could not even be called ‘she.’ She was an ‘it.’

I expected Stephanie to be as appalled as I was but instead, she looked extremely interested as she was now leaning forward and even picked up a pen and paper to make notes. The next day was when I heard her talking about getting one of those “cats.” No, I can not even in good conscience refer to that “thing” as a cat. Talking about getting that A.I product was more like it. I overheard her saying how nice it would be for me to have a friend in our house and how she could program that thing to be submissive so it would not even fight with me for territory. She mentioned how adorable these A.I robot things were and how she would save money by not having to purchase extra food and litter but would still have the advantage of having a second cat.

Well, that was it! My ears had me completely dismayed by what they were hearing. I did not want another cat in my home, much less a robot one pretending to be a real cat. I did not need a friend. I had Stephanie and the cats I know from exploring the outdoors. I wondered what I could do to get my human to change her mind.

A month had gone by and her new A.I. cat was supposed to be arriving any day. I had been unsuccessful in changing her mind, though I still pleaded with her everyday not to do it. To add to my displeasure, she started getting excited and constantly reminding me that my new friend would be coming soon. Despite my disapproval, the day was upon us when this robot thing showed up at my house. Stephanie was so excited she placed the robot cat right in front of me and said, “Have fun with your new friend. Her name is Duchess, not as important as my royal Princess but still royal enough to be granted permission to sit with you. I will always love you the most my baby Princess,” and stroked my body lovingly. Good. At least I was reassured that I was still number one around here.

I circled this fake yet unbelievably realistic version of a cat that Roam A.I. had masterminded. I sniffed her and surprisingly the robot sniffed me right back, although more slowly with a hint of trepidation. I touched Duchess with my paw and was startled because she felt so much like me. Underneath her glowing fur, I was expecting the A.I. cat to feel more like the exterior of a car, hard metal that is quite unbitable. I pressed my paw into the body of this flawlessly feline looking computer harder this time to further investigate not only how she felt but how she would react. I knew she was not real, but this thing might make a fun new toy for me. She certainly would never be my friend, as Stephanie suggested, but I could always use a new toy. Duchess did not move so I meowed loudly at her and bit into her neck. It was soft and chewy but drew no blood. This cat meowed back at me, meekly and mildly like the nervous newcomer she was, giving me even more superiority, and ran under the kitchen table like a scaredy cat! I still did not understand her meow, it was so foreign, hollow, and plainly fake sounding. It reminded me again that she is just fake masquerading as real. I decided that I did not even want this thing as a toy. It was simply wrong to look and feel so real while Roam A.I. attempted to pass these things off as natural cats.

Then Stephanie practically scolded me as I heard her meow to me, “Princess! Play nice. Duchess is new and I made sure she was submissive so she would not fight with you. Be more polite like the Princess you are.” I did not like being told how to treat my new toy no matter how real it looked. I pounced on Duchess like I would pounce on mousey and grabbed her by the neck with my sharp teeth holding her still underneath me. I know she is not a real cat, but she is suddenly so much fun to play with, and I know how to get rid of her just like when I tear Mousey open. I bit her even harder and held her in my front paws and kicked her repeatedly with my hind legs. I could not believe she was not fighting back! I continued to bite and scratch and kick her with such force that quickly her eyes lost their glow and she lay motionless. I had succeeded in destroying my new toy. All my disappointment in Stephanie for even getting Duchess disappeared and I could finally relax again as the lone cat in the house. I looked into Stephanie’s shocked face and rubbed my body into her legs triumphantly. I meowed at her, “I am happier without an A.I. cat. Please do not be mad at me,” with wide innocent eyes. Stephanie had Duchess in her arms, and she purred back, “I am certainly glad this thing is under warranty Princess.” Another new human thing to learn! I would soon find out what warranty meant.

What do poor people in China eat?

Rice Porridge, Noodles, Bok Choy, Red Bean Paste Crepes, Tofu

They also eat Shredded/Minced Pork or Beef twice a week with Vinegar and Soy Sauce

Chinese eat very well

Even the poorest Chinese averages 1790 calories a day as per the World Hunger Index

Food is extremely affordable

In the Rural Areas, the Villagers get huge subsidy coupons for a specific quantity of Rice, Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Pork or Beef & Soybeans every month

They only pay for Seafood, Noodles & Red Chillies Paste & Red Bean Paste

Poor illiterate peasants in Chinese Villages

Rural Enrollment stood at 97.1% in 2012

It was 99.25% in 2023

It was 95.7% in 2005

So roughly 96.94% Rural Chinese aged between 18–24 years of age today are literate

So let’s assume 97% Rural Chinese between 18–24 are literate

98.3% Rural Chinese aged younger than 18 are Literate

Enrollment rate was 85.40% in 1990 & 95.7% in 2005

This means around 91.35% Rural Chinese between 24 & 39 years are Literate

Enrollment rate was 69.63% in 1975 & 85.40 in 1990

This means around 79.75% of Rural Chinese between 39 & 54 years are Literate

Enrollment rate was 38.25% in 1957 & 69.63% in 1975

This means around 50.88% of Rural Chinese between 54 & 72 years of age are Literate

Conclusion :-

5–18 Years – 99.25%

18–24 Years – 97%

24–39 Years – 92%

39–54 Years – 80%

54–72 Years – 51%

Extrapolating we get that almost 85% Rural Chinese upto 50 years old are Literate

Definition of Literate :-

Read and Write 1500 Chinese Characters
Basic Education for 9 years (1976-Present) , Upto 15th Year (1949–1976)

Definition of Enrollment :-

Enrolled in Rural Or District School at the age of 5 years of age as per State Law (1976-) 6 years of age as per State Law (1949–1976)

Everyday Barbacoa Beef

This Everyday Beef Barbacoa is versatile and can be served on tortillas, chips or lettuce.

Ingredients

Beef

3-5 pounds beef cheek or chuck roast, cut into 4 inch pieces
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup water
1/2 can chipotle in adobo, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, diced

Optional

Tortillas
Cilantro
Onion
Lime wedges

Instructions

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Cover and marinate for 2 to 24 hours.
Add marinated beef and leftover marinade to cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until fork tender.
Carefully remove beef from cooker with little sauce as possible. Placing on a cutting board, shred beef with two forks and return to cooker. Cook for additional 10 minutes to absorb remaining liquid.
If desired, crisp meat in a cast-iron skillet before serving.

As a non-Chinese, do you see China as a friend or a foe?

I cannot speak as non Chinese I am a Chinese origin Born in Malaysia but now a Singaporean but I do Business and live in Malaysia. So I can say how Chinese people see westerners. We dont want them to be a bankrupt and a failure, as that would not be a good Customer. Chinese people think that there are no permanent enemy or friends. There are only interest of the nation which may change from time to time!

We don’t hate the west but we are mindful of the evil deeds that you had shown from doing genocides to murder all the natives to steal their land and causing deaths and destructions to remain the hegemonic nation. We won’t allow that and we will help other nations to stop your shit too. We don’t hate you but we hate your evil acts. China wants to make a better world not one with some hypocrite murderous regime pretending to care for the world but setting rules to rob and plunder.

The west, some racist and Sinophobic racial superiority complex minded group do hate China but to be fair they also call Latinos rapist and murderers, slavic as scum of the world and Africa as shit hole countries! Sure the cannot stand China preventing them from further thievery and plunder but 95% of the world thinks that China and Chinese is great and doing justice.

How long would it take to produce enough drones to match the firepower of a Javelin anti-tank missile?

Drones have already surpassed the effective firepower of Javelin missiles.

A single Javelin launcher costs upwards of $180,000 US dollars and is typically only used once. It has a high probability kill rate, but cannot be used in some environments (dense urban areas, for example) and gives away the location of the user, albeit from a far distance.

Firing an FJM-148 Javelin

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On the other hand, an average commercial drone that is capable of carrying a 2kg shaped charge will cost less than a $1000 and can do the exact same job as a Javelin. And if the drone doesn’t work as efficiently as a Javelin might, then no worries! You can buy 5, 10, even 100 more drones and it will still cost less than what a single Javelin launcher does.

Drones are also incredibly multi-purpose because they can attack different kinds of soft targets that Javelin launchers aren’t meant to be used against, such as infantry and high-speed transports (motorcycles, ATV’s etc). Drones can be additionally used for overhead surveillance, which is an extremely valuable tool on any modern battlefield.

Cheap camera drones relay consistent battlefield info that could only be previously be done by satellites or multi-million dollar surveillance aircraft

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Now, I’m not trying to say that the Javelin is an obsolete or now redundant weapon, because it isn’t. But a comparison between a shoulder-launched anti-tank launcher with explosive-armed drones isn’t necessarily an apt one simply because drones are multi-purpose tools capable of a number of different tasks. Even if we’re only referring to anti-tank armed drones, the applications are still much wider than what something like a Javelin offers.

The bottomline is, drones can both reach and even surpass the given firepower of a Javelin launcher while also being much cheaper. There is a very specific purpose for one, and a very broad and utilitarian series of uses for the other.

What if the US industry was rebuilt and became twice as large as China?

What if? Sorry, not possible by any criteria, for a start, PRICE, number one, there is no way the US could ever compete with China, two, just the difference in population, China graduates 1.8 million stem graduates per year compared to US 611,000, then there is cost of living, the difference between the two is humongous, so China can make everything cheaper than any company in the US, THATS the reason all US companies went to China in the first place, just think, a lot of people in the US are screaming already about their inflation, can you imagine how much dearer everything will be if made in the US? Inflation would go through the roof, and the average person just wouldn’t be able to afford to buy anything, like I keep saying no one can compete with China, things are like they are for a reason.

European Girlfriend’s FIRST TIME in CHINA 🇨🇳 SHE COULDN’T BELIEVE IT

Not everyone is a telemarketer

Timing is everything.

When I was living in Shenzhen, China I taught English one-on-one in these “fish tanks”. Customers would circle the tank and observe me teaching. At that time I had various students. Today I am going to talk about a very bright boy who was in Middle School. he really was smart and I liked him a lot.

Eventually the classes with him ended, and he left for the United States to study for a year. And I was happy for him and wished him the best.

One year later, he returned to Shenzhen. And he couldn’t wait to talk to me and so he gave me a phone call.

But, you know, the timing of his call was TERRIBLE. For at the same time that he called, I was in the middle of a fight with my wife. Yeah. Fights are rare but they come and go like a normal relationship has. And his timing was shit.

Oh, I was angry and short with him. And then when I found out who he was (I thought that he was a telemarketer) I talked rather softly.

But it was too late.

He just shut down and didn’t want to talk any longer.

And that was that.

My bad. And, I feel sad about it. He’s a good kid.

Lessons learned.

Not everyone is a telemarketer, and never pick up a phone during an argument. Learn from my mistakes.

Today.

Why is China so much more corrupt than the United States?

When Chinese baby milk formula companies cheated on their ingredients which led to kidney failures in some babies, some of the company owners and regulators were thrown into prison or committed suicide or lost their jobs. Even then, we continue to punish them because we think the sentences were too lenient. Everyone involved with the decision making of putting toxic shit into baby formulas should have been shot, not just a couple of millionaire figure heads. I have never and will never let my baby touch any Chinese milk formula, and there are thousands if not millions like me in China.

When Boeing cut corners and caused their passenger planes to kill hundreds, the company stays open and the executives still receive huge bonuses, no one’s sentenced to anything. Heck they didn’t even bother to put up a show and run the Boeing CEO through court formalities, where his fancy team of attorneys would launder him free of criminal charges. The medias control and suppress the public opinions so much that despite the US being a country with freedom of speech, I’ve yet to see campaigns like “never fly with Boeing”, at all. That’s very different from Chinese parents shopping for and asking friends to bring back foreign baby formulas, more than a decade after the incident.

I’m sorry, but which one is more corrupt again?

For those who were actually old enough to have experienced the 1970s and not for those who were born in the 70s. What were the pros and cons of that era?

Pros:

Less bureaucracy. I got my first driver’s license with no birth certificate. Just showed up at the DMV with someone who went to high school with the guy behind the desk. Any government office had people you could actually meet face to face. Try going to a Social Security office in the 2020s to see how that has changed. The employees are all hiding behind multiple layers of bulletproof barriers now. One could walk into any bank and open an account with nothing but $100 cash in their wallet. I even got a post office box without having to prove I didn’t need one.
Jobs were easy to get. Worked my way through school for 7 different employers. Recall only getting turned down twice through the entire decade. College graduates had multiple companies bidding for their services.
Newspapers were big. If you had to paint something, just spend 25 cents on a Sunday paper, read the color comics section and use the rest for masking material.
It was OK for kids to ride around in the back of a pickup truck and fuel was cheap in comparison to today’s prices even after adjusting for inflation. You could buy or rent a car with a clutch. Yes – almost all of us knew how to drive one.
We could walk to the arriving gate at an airport to meet someone on an incoming flight.
Walter Cronkite gave us the daily news “the way it is” without bias or opinions.

Cons:

Police were not to be trusted. They were commonly referred to as “pigs” or “bears”. We used CB radios to try to keep tabs on their whereabouts. I regularly got hassled for riding a motorcycle, walking home late at night and once even for kicking a vending machine that stole my quarter.
Related to the above, but Richard Nixon’s nationwide 55 MPH speed limit sucked just as bad as his price controls that caused shortages of just about everything.
If you needed to know about something you went to the library to look it up in a book.
Specialty items took a while to get. You would order a product through J C Whitney, Montgomery Ward or the back of a photography magazine and wait about 4 weeks for it to show up.
80 column punch cards and reels of magnetic tape.

Why are there so many Somalians in Minnesota?

Like cats following the smell of fish, the Somalis followed the smell of free American money.

When a refugee arrives in the US, most come with very little to their name. They are given a one-time federal grant of $1,175, help from the resettlement agencies, and, for the first five years, federal money for things like housing, school, or finding employment. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, federal money for about 10,000 refugees totaled $4M in 2018.

MN Somali population lists some 60 to 80,000 people.

The 1991 Somali revolution forced hundreds of thousands to all points of the Western compass.

Tens of thousands would eventually come to the US as refugees, thanks to the Obama administration. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, 13,582 Somali refugees came to Minnesota between 2005 and 2018.

Why MN? The US State Department worked with private, local volunteer resettlement agencies to determine where they would live. Many of those decisions are based on employment opportunities, proximity to family, and support from local agencies.

Once these Somalis found the good life in MN, they spread the news to other refugees attracting thousands more.

And who or what else contributed to the Somali invasion? Those goodie good two-shoes liberals support from local, volunteer resettlement agencies that work with governments to help refugees find housing, schooling, and jobs. MNs agencies, including Lutheran Social Services, Arrive Ministries, International Institute of Minnesota, and Minnesota Council of Churches.

Among them, the deep strong smell of fish also attracted this Jihadist parasite to the US Congress from where this she-creature has infected our government and our cities.

The Girls’ Worst Neighbors 😤 Golden Girls

Why do people still grow rice knowing it’s not very nutritious?

Hi, Igor Rudnyckyj. Thanks for the interesting question.

Look, I know it’s incredibly difficult for people who don’t eat rice that often to understand this…

But for those of us who do eat rice often – like at least a couple times a week – here’s the thing:

We also eat OTHER things besides rice.

Yes, I know it’s hard to believe.
Yes, I know you probably nearly fell off your chair upon learning this.
And yes, I know your worldview will probably take a little time to adjust to this new reality.

But I swear it’s true.

We don’t just eat rice and only rice at meal times.
We don’t just depend on rice alone for all our nutritional needs.

We do eat other things as well, Igor.
We really do.

Like meat.
Like fish.
Like vegetables.
Like eggs.
Like tofu.
We get our nutrients from these things and from so many other different food items.

And I’m not just trying to pull your leg, I swear.

Like today, during my lunch time, I was too lazy to walk too far away from our block, so I just went down to the canteen beneath my studio.

You can see that there are other food items on my tray besides the rice.
Meat and veggies and tofu.
Those provide nutrients as well.

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t depend on rice alone for all my nutritional needs.

I eat out on the weekdays because food is so cheap here.
After I clock out, I’m too tired to be heading straight home to cook a meal then wash the dishes after, so I just have my dinner outside before heading home.

But on the weekends, I do cook at home.

And although I do like to switch it up a bit by preparing noodles or steamed buns to serve as the carb component for my at-home meals, I still do prepare rice at home as well.

Again, you’ll see that I am not just eating rice on its own.
I eat other things besides rice.

Meat and egg and veggies.
These provide nutrients as well.

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t depend on rice alone for all my nutritional needs.

Some people may say:

Oh, Dante!
Eating white rice is just like eating candy!
Eating white rice is just like gulping down sugar!
It’s as addictive as crack!
Why don’t you switch to brown rice forever more and be super healthy just like me!

Well, those people are free to enjoy the brown rice sushi below and keep to their super healthy lifestyle.
I’ll have my sushi the traditional way, thanks.

Why do people still grow rice knowing it’s not very nutritious?

Well, for the same reason:

People still eat cake when cake isn’t very nutritious.
People still eat neon-orange cheese puffs when cheese puffs aren’t very nutritious.
People still eat huge chocolate candy bars when candy bars aren’t very nutritious.
People still eat ice-cream when ice-cream isn’t very nutritious.
People still chug down soft drinks when soft drinks aren’t very nutritious.

Are you going to give them a healthy dose of grief as well, for their food choices?

Just like those of us who eat rice often, they’re probably not getting all their nutrients from those things.

Everything in moderation, Igor.

Death of a Mannequin

Submitted into Contest #150 in response to: Write a story where an algorithm plays an important role.… view prompt

Candice Black

Claire stared into the mirror, scrutinizing her appearance as she had done so many times before. It was easy to do as so little of what she saw was what she wanted to see. She looked for the smallest detail confirming less divide between the internal and external person.

The stubble on her jaw stared back at her, refusing to go away even with the mountains of foundation and concealer plastered over it. The square features declining her pleas to soften. She had lived this way for a year already, waiting, always waiting, to be allowed to take the next step. She knew why they did it – the medical people – they wanted people like her to change their minds and go back to the person they were born as, but that was not her plan.

She sighed, lathered more foundation on, swallowed the hormone pills and plucked some stray brow hairs. The earliest appointment at the electrolysis clinic was tomorrow afternoon, which she had to take even though her morning psych exam would leave little time for her to get there. The treatments were excruciatingly painful, but worth it, she reminded herself.

She scooted sideways to view the tiny breasts in her side profile. The hormones were finally working, but wow were her breasts itchy all the time. She clipped her bra in place. Getting there, she thought.

She had errands to run for her mother in town, which made her shudder. She loved her mother dearly but catching the train meant she’d have to bear the staring and gawking of passengers. She was tempted to take all the makeup off and dress as a boy, just this once. It would make the trip bearable, but then they’d win.

The small-minded people shouting abuse or sniggering behind their hands would win and she’d never allow that. She thought about the old granny on the train last week asking if she was a drag queen. The rain was pelting down making lakes through town and Claire had barely made it on the train in time. She sat beside the older lady, smiled a greeting, and retreated into her personal bubble. “Excuse me but are you one of those drag queens?” the older lady asked Claire. The train was crowded but people closest had heard the exchange and turned to listen.

“No ma’am, I’m transitioning. It’s a long process and I’m between treatments,” Claire said.

The older lady gasped, and her hands shot up to her mouth, “no no no, that’s simply unnatural young man. God doesn’t make mistakes”, and with that the lady moved to another seat, far away from her.

The doorbell dragged Claire out of her memories, “Hello?” she said, followed by a friendly voice asking to speak to Claire. “I’m Claire,” she said, knowing what would follow.

“Sorry? Did you say you’re Claire? Um… ok sorry sir, I mean ma’am, I have a parcel for you,” the stumbling and stuttering was normal. The hormones couldn’t reverse the damage that puberty does on the male voice when it breaks, and surgery is risky and expensive and not always available. Claire let the visitor in and waited a few minutes to allow them to walk the two flights of steps to her door. This moment was even worse. The opening-the-door moment. She did it as quickly as she could, practically grabbing the parcel, signing for it, and flinging it all back at the delivery guy, and then quickly closing the door.

She sat and opened the parcel – fresh hormones, expensive ones. She finished her routine, ate some breakfast, and made for town. As expected, the stares and sniggers greeted her at every turn. It was better to turn away, but really, the misgendering was no walk in the park – he, she or it were the norm.

Oh goodie, I get to do this again tomorrow, she thought as she finished for the day and retreated home. She had studying to do for tomorrow morning’s exam. Final year criminologist here we come. She was going to change the world. She would pave the way for other aspiring varsity trans people.

She fired up her laptop and boiled the kettle. The tell-tale noises of emails coming through pinged a tune of their own.

Mug in hand and pretzel on a plate, Claire checked her emails. One screamed for attention. It was an email from her criminology Professor. She read the mail, then reread it. There was no ambiguity, no compassion, no sign of doubt. Simple and straight forward. She stared at the screen, her face beginning to flush, her hands shaking, her body going limp at the words screaming out at her.

“Dear Miss C Hudson,” the email read, “This email serves to advise you that the algorithm HonesTy1 has flagged you as ‘exhibiting suspicious behaviour’ during your final criminology exam last week. You will receive a zero mark for this exam, and you are to report to the Dean of Student Affairs for a hearing on the matter. You are entitled to have legal counsel present. Please see below for date and time of the hearing”.

Claire tried to reply to the mail to defend herself, but a simple automated response indicated that no further emails would be allowed.

She pushed her laptop away from her, trying desperately to separate herself from what was obviously a mistake. The ulcer in her stomach started to ache, the headache that had lingered on the outskirts of her mind came crashing to the fore demanding attention. She put her fingers to her temples, begging for an explanation.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat there or how long her mother was ringing the doorbell, but when her phone rang, she snapped back to reality and answered.

“Claire, where the hell are you? I’ve been ringing your bell for fifteen minutes already,” her mother said.

“Sorry mum, I’ll open for you now.” Claire stood, but her shaky legs threatened to abandon the task and she leaned on the table. She felt the tears welling up and her nose turning red under her foundation. Her mother appeared at the door and grabbed her daughter and held her close and tight.

“What’s wrong? Sweetie don’t worry about people, they mean nothing. You must be who you are.” her mother had thought it was the standard bad treatment.

Claire led her mother into the study and showed her the mail.

“What is this?” she asked

“I’m being accused of cheating mum. I never cheat. I supported this algorithm because there are so many that do cheat.”

“I don’t understand Claire.”

“Since the pandemic started, we have been doing our tests and exams online because we can’t all be in the theatre or lecture hall together. So, the powers-that-be implemented a no cheating plan called HonesTy1 – with a capital T meaning trust or truth or something like that. I was all for it because I know there are people that cheat.” Claire said.

“How does it work?” her mother asked.

“When you log in to the test, or exam in my case, you click on the algorithm extension, and it opens your camera and microphone and logs your key strokes. That’s the extent of my knowledge. I do criminology for goodness’ sake not IT,” Claire said, pacing her living room.

“Honey, if you didn’t cheat, they can’t prove it. At least there’ll be a hearing where you can defend yourself. You can take a lawyer as well. “

“Mum, these hearings are formalities. It’s where student’s futures go to die. They have already decided my fate believe me.”

“Come on Claire don’t get down on yourself. You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are. You’ll go to the hearing and explain your position and they’ll all agree that there was some misunderstanding.”

Claire loved her mother dearly and knew that she had all the faith in the world in her. She had stood by her throughout the transitioning process and even paid for a lot of the procedures out of her savings. Losing this fight just made Claire so depressed. “Thank you, mum. I’ll put on the best face I can”

“Sweetie, just a thought but maybe you should appear as Calvin instead. You’d put them on the back foot, and they may feel more kindly towards a man?”

“Oh, come on mum,” Claire turned to face her mother, “really? Not you, please.”

“Hear me out. I have supported you since Calvin died so Claire could live and I’ve never questioned you, but I know these institutions; they’ve been around since Noah fell off the ark and they don’t like people who make waves so maybe, just this once you can go in and let Calvin defend himself and Claire can stay home?”

“No, absolutely not. I will not bow to these prudes. No matter what. If they’re going to boot me out because they don’t like what they see, then they can do it to my face”. Claire’s resolve was back. She would not go down without a fight.

***

She wore her best pants suit, navy blue, tailored with a loose lady-like white tie and heels. High heels. The highest she could find. She was already over 6 foot tall and now she was an Amazon going into battle. She marched into the varsity, straight past the information booth, watching the lady behind the desk momentarily rise to ask where she was going, then decided against it. She entered the conference room, where the Professors, Dean of Student Affairs and two others were already seated. She surveyed the room then took her place at the table opposite them.

“Good morning, Miss Hudson. I see you don’t have counsel. Are you sure you want to proceed without legal representation?”

“I’m sure.” Claire said. The two Professors sat either side of the Dean. Claire recognized the Dean from the photo that hung in the lobby. He was in his late 50s, greying but well groomed. The professor to his left sent her the email and he looked quite sheepish. She glared through him, wandering if this was all his doing. The other people in the room were female, probably another professor and secretaries. Claire felt the waves of hostility washing over her, her future bleeding out on the brown 80’s carpet.

The Dean read out her ‘crimes’, then played a 60 second video clip as proof. It showed her looking away from her computer screen, looking down at her lap or the table, talking out loud to herself.

“As you can see, the algorithm logs everything and is quite precise about your behaviour. We employ this method to ensure that human error is eliminated. Do you have anything to say in your defense Miss Hudson?” the Dean asked

Claire explained that she looks around when she’s thinking and sometimes, she fiddles with her fingers in her lap when she’s nervous. She reads the questions out loud to understand them better and not because there is someone in the room helping her. They never believed her.

“It is impossible, or nearly impossible, to prove a negative, but you all know that. For every explanation I have for my behaviour you can counter it without much thought. This isn’t about cheating. It is about you.” Claire pointed at each person in the room. Her face blazed red, her nostrils flared, and her fingers shook, but she stood her ground. “You simple minded fools; you live in your tiny worlds and expect what you’ve always had to remain the same. You expect me to sit like a mannequin, no, actually, you expect me to be a man, not a woman, not a trans woman,” she was shouting now, slamming her hands on the table. “I will not be society’s punchline.”

“Calm down Miss Hudson, you aren’t helping yourself by exhibiting this behaviour.” The Dean said.

“Don’t tell me to calm down. You’re accusing me of something I didn’t do, and you don’t even have proof that I did. You have nuance and innuendo. But I suppose that’s enough, isn’t it? I’m the very thing you hate. The proverbial elephant in the room. The boy that became a girl. And you can’t put me into one of your boxes because I don’t fit so you’d prefer to get rid of me.” The pent up anger from years of abuse came flooding out. Claire looked each person in the face when she spoke, making sure they knew who she was. And then security was there.

***

The tears streamed down her face as security led her out of the university, stripping her of her access card and ID card. People stared at her, whispered about her. Nothing spreads faster in a university than a secret, she thought.

Once outside, the pouring rain drenched her suit immediately. She could feel the layers of makeup bleed form her face, her mascara jumping the sinking ship. She bent down and removed her heels and made her way to the train station, keeping her head down to avoid unwanted attention.

Her anger and hatred slowly turned to sadness and embarrassment. She had made a fool of herself. She should have taken counsel with her. She shouldn’t have let them see her cry. Her feet were freezing by the time she got to the station and she was soaked through, but instead of going to the ticket counter she walked along the wall near the tracks.

She climbed over the barrier, out of sight of the waiting passengers and kneeled on the tracks. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. It was finally over.

Linda’s Own Midwestern Pot Roast

Once you cook pot roast in this manner, you will always want to make it this way. It’s fall-apart tender. The secret to good pot roast is coating it with flour and browning it well before baking.

Ingredients

1 (5 pound) chuck or blade cut beef roast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt or Chef’s Salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups hot water mixed with 2 teaspoons bouillon granules or 2 cups beef broth
1 large onion, cut into wedges
5 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 or 4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 stalks celery, cut into large diagonal chunks

Instructions

Mix garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper with flour. Cover all sides of the roast with the flour mixture.
Brown roast in oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy Dutch oven, making sure the oil is hot when you place the roast into the oil.
Pour the bouillon water around meat; arrange vegetables around and on top of meat.
Cover tightly; bake at 325 degrees F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat should tear easily with a fork.
Remove meat to a serving platter.
Serve with the gravy made during roasting. If desired, thicken gravy with a little flour and water mixed together.

Notes

Many times I will add one envelope of dry onion soup mix sprinkled over the roast and vegetables before baking.

Herman’s New Wheels | Compilation | The Munsters

What are some common behaviors of foreigners that may annoy locals when they visit a new country? What are the reasons behind this annoyance?

Remember this guy?

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He’s a black american (born and grew up in Scotsdale, Arizona USA) using a pseudonym ‘Johnny Somali’.

He previously was here in Tokyo with the sole purpose of harassing the locals for the sake of views on his youtube channels. He harassed people on the streets, harassed commuters on a train, made a move on girls and when they rejected him called them “ching-chong b*tches”. And many many more. Anyway, he got arrested and jailed for a while.

After that he went to Tel Aviv, pulled the same stunt and again, got arrested.

And last week, he’s in Seoul. Again, the same stunt. This time his targets are old people, girls and commuters.

He bought a bowl of hot instant noodles and a bottle of beer, poured the whole content on the table inside the store and scattered the wet noodles on the floor, and when the staff (an old lady) chastised him politely, he screamed at her and insulted her. He screamed at some random old lady on the street, he shoved his camera on an unsuspecting young girls on the street and when they got scared he chased them down. He played a very loud music inside Seoul’ metro and called the commuters “China flu”. (again..american and basic geography are not compatible!) Later on he did the same thing in a restaurant and the police were called. He denied it, but the police checked on his social media channels and he was arrested.

It’s so fun to watched him screamed “ I’M BLACK, I’M BLACK !!” when the cops handcuffed him, as if the fact that he’s black would gives him a free-from-jail pass in South Korea!!

Now you know, the most common behaviour of tourist that annoys the locals is being a disrespectful a**hole like him !

Can Taiwan actually resist an invasion from China in 90 days or less?

No.

If China invades Taiwan, Taiwan will fall to China in a matter of days or weeks.

Taiwan’s military is completely outmatched by China’s military. China has the world’s largest army. China has the world’s largest navy.

China has advanced stealth aircraft. China has advanced hypersonic missiles. China has a very advanced air force.

Taiwan’s military gear is essentially hand-me-downs from the United States. It’s total junk compared to what China has.

Moreover, the United States will NOT come to Taiwan’s defense. The United States will NOT fight for Taiwan. Why?

Because the United States cannot risk all-out war with China. It would result in total devastation to the entire planet. This is the same reason the United States did not directly engage with the Russians in Ukraine.

The Taiwanese may be insane, but the Americans are not.

I looked at the other answers here. Many of them foolishly believe that China will try to occupy Taiwan with boots on the ground.

This is unnecessary. China can cause Taiwan to surrender by doing three things:

Blockade the island. Prevent resupply from the outside world. Nobody will dare to challenge the blockade.
Wipe out Taiwan’s critical infrastructure. Without electricity, communication, fresh drinking water, etc., the island will readily capitulate.
Destroy Taiwan’s ports and airfields with bombs and missiles.

China can take its time with an amphibious assault. Wait for the Taiwanese to be tired, hungry, thirsty, in the dark, without communication, and full of fear. Resistance will be futile.

Baby It’s Cold Inside – WKRP in Cincinnati

As a babysitter, what was your, “Okay, that’s the last time I babysit for this family,” moment you had during a childcare job?

I’m an older man, but for a couple of years starting about age 13 I would babysit for a couple of Church families (the worst entitled people, at least that Church at that time, sorry) for .75 cents per hour. This one family I distinctly remember to this day. I walked over to their place about a mile away in a not so great neighborhood known for its gangs back then, and when I showed up the woman told me about their 4 kids and new baby. Three boys from age 8 to 5, a 3 year old girl, and about a 10 month old baby girl. They had neglected to mention an actual infant had to be cared for.

After introductions at 5 pm, where I was full of questions as I knew nothing about babies and thought I was only sitting small children, she started up with the chores: first thing she pointed out was an enormous pile of dishes in the sink and on the counters, overflowing onto the kitchen table. No dishwasher, they all had to be hand washed and dried and put away. Then mop the kitchen and dining room floors. At first I was totally thrown by her gall, as I understood the job to be babysitting only, but didn’t know how to object, so I just started washing right away and didn’t finish all that while stopping periodically to round up and monitor the kids until nearly 8 pm, working non-stop with the kids parked in front of the TV. I put the baby in a bassinet on the table, and luckily she was sleeping most of the time.

Then take the garbage out, and head to the back yard for my next assignment on the written list she left of weeding the garden patch and watering the garden, back lawn, trees and shrubs. I had to bring the kids outside with me so I could watch them while weeding and watering in the dark with a single dim back porch light going, and they were cranky and cold and getting into the dirt, throwing garden tools, spraying the hose, etc. I put the sleeping baby in her bassinet on a chair with a blanket and had the oldest boy call out if she woke up, which she did after 45 minutes, so I quit and we went back inside.

Then make dinner for the four kids, which consisted of a single can of Campbells tomato soup, which wasn’t nearly enough, while the kids wanted to gorge on an old bag of marshmallows. She had left a bottle for the baby and instructions on how to warm it, which I tried to do but not have it be too hot, then fed her while the boys and their little sister tore up the house. The baby wet herself and I did my best to change her, but basically just wrapped her with a tucked and folded cloth diaper held by one pin, which was the bare minimum I could figure out. Then I was trying to hold her after dinner at the same time while giving the kids their baths and getting them into their pajamas, so they didn’t get into bed until nearly 11 pm, when I was told 9 pm was to be their latest bed time.

She had a basket full of laundry she wanted washed, so I got that going, then corraled the kids to get them to bed. My next job was to pick up and dust the destroyed family room, and run a carpet sweeper over the rug, empty the diaper pail and wash it out, then finally polish the wood furniture. I finished everything about 12:45 am, just barely in time (I thought) for their 1 am scheduled return. I had laid the baby down in her crib, and mercifully she had gone right to sleep. I sat and watched TV, and around 3 am they FINALLY showed up.

The first thing the woman did was not ask about her kids, but to check on the accomplishment of her assigned chores, only commenting that I didn’t wash the last 4 bowls and spoons from the kids dinner, despite my having hand washed and dried a literal shit ton of dishes that she must have been saving up for me for two weeks! She was also upset that I hadn’t taken the clothes I washed and hung them up outside on the clothes line, but I had completely forgotten about them after the washer finished.

Then the charade began: the husband “Virgil” did the “pat your pockets” and look confused thing when he asked me how much he owed and I said $6 for the 8 hours. At first he disputed the time, said it hadn’t been a full 8 hours, then commented, “Weren’t you just sitting watching TV when we got here?” (Yeah, I was, and what’s your point?) After the casual search for money routine he reluctantly pulled out a dollar bill and stared at it, then asked his wife if she had any money. She looked puzzled. Money? What for? LMFAO! He said, you know, and motioned to me. Oh! Nope, no money, sorry! He said “Hey, I’ll have to owe you, OK?” WTAF! I didn’t even get the dollar! 🤷‍♂️ He made it clear the night and the conversation was over, and opened the door. I went outside thinking he was going to follow me to give me a ride home, but nope, LOL! The door shut behind me! So now I’m walking home at 3:15 am in a neighborhood where someone of my complexion is sure to get an ass beating if caught, so I jog home as fast as possible. When I get home 11 hours after leaving my Dad is up with the light on, and is pissed that I didn’t call him, and wants to know what I did all night and how much I got paid.

I related all my chores for the night, to include watching 4 little kids and the baby, and he’s really getting steamed because I was supposed to babysit, not be a house slave, then I thought he’d have a stroke when he heard about the money.

We saw these people week after week in Church, and wouldn’t you know it old Virgil was so sorry! But he _always_ seemed to be broke every week when I asked him for the $6 he owed! For two solid months, nothing. Flake lying user SOB. In the meantime Virgil brings his car to my Dad who was a part time mechanic for a new head gasket. They agreed on a price up front (head gaskets were a hell of a lot less work back then), and my Dad does the work, but on the bill adds a $20 “late charge.” Virgil is upset and demands to know what that’s all about, and my Dad tells him it’s for the $6 he owes me “plus interest,” LOL! Dad won’t give him the keys until he pays us both, in cash. 😊. Which he did, slowly and reluctantly as if he was giving us part of his soul, bitter at being stuck and not being able to do anything about it.

Anyway, from that point on Virgil and his slob user wife we’re on my “do not babysit” shit list, and I warned everyone in Church and school that I knew that might possibly be a babysitting candidate about what deadbeats they were.

Misc Pictures

Why doesn’t the USA make a new fighter jet or advance military equipment? Russia and China make new equipment, and why doesn’t the USA?

China

PLAAF say they found a weakness in their system and they notify the Military Council

The MC says “FIX IT”

The China Aerospace Corporation is told to fix it and given a blank cheque with only one condition “You better not pocket any money or else…”

With 400 Aerospace Engineers and a good number of physicists and mathematicians, a Design with modifications is introduced, prototype is ready in 15 months and line goes commercial in 42 months

By the 4th year you have the first aircraft delivery and by the 8th year you have minimum 128 New Aircraft with the new design ready

Ultra fast decision making

USA

The USAF say they found a weakness in their system

Immediately Northrop Grumman or Boeing or Raytheon or McDonnell Douglas will say “There is no weakness”

They will use their paid Ex Air Force Generals to say the same thing

The USAF Guys have to go to the Pentagon and hope someone listens there

If they do, Pentagon has to go to the Washington DC

Finally after 2 years (By which time China has already made a new prototype) DC will approve and Pentagon will ask for designs

Immediately the lobbyists will jump in and the process goes on for 6–9 months

One Senator will fight for one Lobby

Another Senator for another Lobby

Finally Designs are submitted and approvals take another 6–9 months

Again a Tame Raytheon Senator will summon Boeing CEO for a grilling and a Tame Northrop Grumman Senator will summon a Raytheon CEO for grilling

By this time it’s been 42 months and it’s close to a Presidential Election

If there is a new president then things will automatically halt as the new Secdef could be an ex consultant board member of Raytheon😁

Finally Pentagon and USAF pick a contractor and say “Make me a Prototype “

The Contractor says “Oh Sure!!!! Prototype Design fee is $ 33 Billion”

They haggle for another 3–6 months

Finally they go to make a prototype which takes 2 1/2 years

They promote it as the next Millenium falcon through tame defense magazines

They go to commercial production finally and get the first aircraft after 2 1/2 more years and it takes them 3 years more for 32 Aircraft with the latest state of the Art technology according to them

So it has taken 12 years from the day the design flaw was pointed out to the day you have minimum 2 Squadrons of improved aircraft

By this time China already have 8 Squadrons of New Improved Aircraft and it’s been 4 years already and they are creating prototypes of the next variant

I don’t say this

Every USAF guy says so

Talks about Bureaucracy

Talks about Lobbying

Talks about Corruption in Washington DC

To ensure that this delay doesn’t cause panic, the Lobby first says “Don’t worry, our existing craft are enough for the Chinese inferior variants”

And six months later…

When Defense Budget time comes they say “Oh the Chinese have the latest technology and they will beat us unless you authorize another $ 80 Billion immediately for a new aircraft purchase”

Shorpy

What are some things about eastern militaries that westerners don’t seem to understand (Russia, Ukraine, China etc.)?

Westerners pretty much don’t understand everything, as a result they make massive assumptions. One of the biggest assumptions is the American problem.

What is the American problem? – Many Americans seem to think that once the US was founded in 1776. History outside stuff stopped happening outside the USA. They’re that arrogant.

As such if there is any contact militarily. Then their opponents are frozen in time and never advance whatsoever. Oh and their coping strategies usually based in racism and white supremacy.

Never advance whatsoever

A great example is how westerners talk about Iraq and the T-72. Ah yes the Iraqi T-72 must be wholly representative of all Soviet tanks (it wasn’t). Or how Russia is just a bigger Iraq! China is just a bigger Iraq!

Or how they talk about how NATO air power will crush Russia in minutes because guess what? Russia is just a bigger Iraq.

It gets to ridiculous levels Alex Mann for example, he’s hilarious. He put some of his more humiliating answers behind a paywall. He wrote once about how TW has a STATE of the art military more advanced than anything PRC China had. He was under the impression that the Chinese military of 1540 was representative of the Chinese military today and that we used crossbows.

This was repeated by another recent poster about the US military falling behind and others catching up. He wrote about how China only had 20 years experience with aircraft and had decades of catching up to do. I of course humiliated him with the 1950s AIM9B story. He had no response and blocked me of course.

The funniest ones are the british.

One was when the Queen Elizabeth Carrier took a tour to China with 25 borrowed F-35s. There were confident assertions that the single carrier could defeat the ENTIRE PLA alone.

Or how the Challenger 2 was UNSTOPPABLE. You can search through Quora about how it would take THERMONUCLEAR WEAPONS to stop a Challenger 2. They constantly repeat the BS story about taking 70 RPG hits as gospel.

Their views are rather common and not outlier views.

coping strategies usually based in racism

This is the big one.

You can see it everywhere. It’s Chinese/Russia is has to be INFERIOR to the stuff produced by westerners! It has to be!

Or the HUMAN WAVE attack trope… which is rolled out constantly whenever they’re beaten. Many westerners seem to lack much perspective though. Every time they or their allies are beaten? It’s always HUMAN WAVE attack no matter what. Apparently because only westerners with their SUPER ARYAN brains can work out tactics.

The Human wave attack is of course largely a myth. But guess what? Westerners still repeat this today about Ukraine despite there being no actual video footage of it.

Essentially

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Attack!”

U.S. Foreign Aid Is Embarrassing Itself

Three days ago the President of China Xi Jinping opened a Chinese financed a deep-water port in Chancay, Peru.

LIMA, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a week-long diplomatic blitz of South America on Thursday by inaugurating a massive deep-water port in Peru, a $1.3 billion investment by Beijing as it seeks to expand trade and influence on the continent.
…
Xi and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte participated on Thursday by video link in the opening of the Chancay port, about 80 kilometres (48 miles) north of Lima on the Pacific Ocean, and signed a deal to widen an existing free trade agreement.Xi said that Chancay, a 15-berth, deep-water port, was the successful start of a “21st century maritime Silk Road” and part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its modern revival of the ancient Silk Road trading route.

The U.S. is, according to Newsweek, considering Peru to be in its “backyard” (for the record: the distance between Washington DC and Lima, Peru, is 5,700 kilometer):

However, a Chinese state-owned enterprise running a deepwater port so close to U.S. soil has Washington worried. The project marks another significant expansion of China’s presence in a part of the world the U.S. considers its sphere of influence.”On the big geostrategic issues, the Peruvian government is not sufficiently focused on analyzing the benefits and threats to the country,” an anonymous U.S. official told the Financial Times late last year.

.U.S. Southern Command chief Army General Laura Richardson characterized China’s infrastructure projects across the Caribbean, Central and South America as a security threat. “They’re on the 20-yard line, in the red zone to our homeland,” Richardson told Newsweek last year, referencing China’s closer proximity.

Not to be outdone by China’s generous investment the U.S. decided to publicly counter it. A day after Xi opened the port megaproject U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken dropped into Lima:

Secretary Antony Blinken @SecBlinken – 2:28 UTC · Nov 17, 2024Today we announced that the United States will support the city of Lima in building a new passenger train line that will expand access to reliable and affordable transportation for over 200,000 people every single day.
Embedded video

In his speech Blinken said:

“Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance.” Paul Simon, one of our great poets, wrote that line in one of his songs, and I think it speaks powerfully to each of us. Trains connect people. They bring communities together. They take distances down between us. And they are not just a symbol, but the practical manifestation of possibilities – the possibilities that come when we connect to each other. They’re so much a part of the national mythology of the United States, our own extraordinary construction project. And I’m so grateful today to be part of this project in helping create greater connectivity here in Peru.And so this is an exciting day in our partnership: The United States will support the City of Lima as it develops the new passenger train line that’s going to connect downtown to the eastern suburbs. The Caltrain rail system in California, as you’ve heard already, will contribute more than a hundred high-quality railcars and engines, and American companies will provide over 50 percent of the services for this project and the supplies for the project, from signaling equipment to railroad tracks to engineering and design expertise.

Caltrain? Why Caltrain?

Caltrain finds international buyer for retired diesel fleet – SFGate

Caltrain is sending its retired diesel fleet to Lima, Peru, where it will have a second chance at life by providing commuter rail service. On Saturday, the U.S. Department of State, Lima representatives and several world leaders will celebrate the next stage for the trains while gathering for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Peruvian capital.
…
“These trains have a long and proud legacy of service that we’re proud to pass along to the people of Peru,” Caltrain Board Chair Dev Davis said in a news release. “The F40s hold a special place in the heart of train enthusiasts, and there’s no better task for them than to keep helping people get where they need to go.”Caltrain received $6.32 million from the deal, which involved selling 90 passenger cars and 19 diesel locomotives. Sam Sargent, Caltrain’s director of strategy and policy, told SFGATE on Friday that there were other buyers interested in the fleet, but the department was drawn to the offer from the Municipality of Lima, Peru, since it wanted to purchase the fleet wholesale.

The locomotives Caltrain is selling(!) to the city of Lima are 40 years old. As are the passenger cars they will be pulling. The locomotives’ exhaust fuming engines had been made inoperable to get funding for the new electric trains:

To send the trains to Lima for further use, Caltrain had to first procure a waiver from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District so the trains could still return to service.

The people in Lima will surely notice how much more the U.S. is caring about its ‘backyard’ than China is.

Posted by b on November 18, 2024 at 8:08 UTC | Permalink

The Beverly Hillbillies -Episode 32- The Clampetts in Court | Classic Hollywood TV Series

https://youtu.be/GGzEdHU_Nps

To Die for Beef Roast

This is one of the best roasts you will ever taste. Carrots, potatoes and celery can also be added, if desired.

Ingredients

1 beef roast (any kind)
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup warm water

Instructions

Place roast in slow cooker.
Mix contents of all 3 envelopes and sprinkle over roast.
Pour water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.

Ocean Of Guilt

Submitted into Contest #150 in response to: Write a story that either starts or ends with someone (or something) saying, “Please, don’t do it.”… view prompt

Nil Charbonneau Le Berre

“Please, don’t do it.” Those were the words that always seemed to echo in my head when I was about to finish a robot. Only this time, it was stronger. It was the first robot to have feelings, and I was the creator, the genius. But the voice continued, like an alarm, it shouted and whispered and pleaded and cried. But it was always too late. There wasn’t any sense left to reach anymore. Merely blank, absent-minded actions. A thick fog clogged my view. All I could see were the cables, shooting out, like red bloody veins, of their square metal cage and my hands, covered by white plastic surgical gloves. A vision flashed before my eyes. They were stained. Stained by blood.”You know whose blood that is…” The alarm said. I shook my head. No. No, I don’t. I did, though. No. Stop. I tried to concentrate on my work. Already, concentration was but a far-fetched conception. All that was left now were my mere perfunctory movements, guided by my instincts, or a greater force, the force of fame, the force of power. The force of our leader, Isaac. I was being controlled, and it felt great.What the… my ears. My ears! They hurt. Something was ringing, like a cry of suffering animals. My heart raced. It pounded like wild stallions running in a field, like a gigantic hammer falling heavily on my chest. Suddenly, curtains fell over my eyes.I couldn’t see anything. I was blinded by the noise. My organs were all screaming in agony. No! It didn’t matter. I was going to finish this, even if I turned blind. It was simple, wasn’t it? I’d built robots thousands of times, I knew what to do, even for such a complex one.”No! No, it isn’t simple. Stop! Think about the consequences. About what you did.” The alarm hollered. But I shook my head, dismissing reason. I mustn’t think about it.”Just a bit more…” I muttered, as if asleep. I was close. But at what cost? Stop! Enough thinking. Thinking is bad. Bad, bad!”No, thinking is human!” The voice screamed. “That stupid Isaac got inside your head. Thinking is human… thinking is human… thinking is human… human… human… human… human…” Echoes. No more echoes… Please. No more thinking… I tried to shut down my brain, but it was hard. The alarm was out to get me.”Thinking is human…” the alarm repeated.I felt ropes tighten around my neck. I knew perfectly well what I was doing, and yet, I didn’t. Why was I doing it? Why did I do what I did? Why didn’t I simply let her go? Stop! Get back to work! I had to keep on going, to shut off this stupid voice that kept on screaming at me.”THEN HUMAN IS BAD!” I screamed. “Bad, bad, bad!” I cannot be human. I have to obey. I have to obey. The ringing got louder. No… No, enough! My vision cleared slightly. I could see my white hands and the cables. I was almost finished, the suffering was almost finished.”Just a bit more…” I was trying to reassure myself. I was on the verge of tears. I had to finish. I saw the blurry faces of my colleagues, but most importantly, their eyes, filled with greed and impatience that stared at me hungrily. I twisted one last time; the cables were done and organised.I held my breath. It was time. I put my tools down on the table’s hard surface with a clatter. My wide eyes stared at what I had created with wonder. I reached for the metal trapdoor on the robot’s abdomen. The edges were so sharp, it felt so smooth and perfect. The metal was cold against my fingers. All I had to do was close it and plug the cable that dangled from it in the power outlet… A second… Just a second for the robot to charge… And then, fame. The glad shouts and satisfied comments of my colleagues, their fakely warm hugs, and fame. Fame and recognition.”Come on…” they pressed. Their voices were distant and slowed down as I plunged deep inside a suffocating ocean. I was getting closer, closer to a sweltering underwater cave of unconsciousness. There, my every move would be guided by something, someone. My thoughts would be controlled. Everything would be so easy, so simple. Nothing to worry about. I could be just like the robot I was creating. I would be famous. Just living my entire life in a deep abyss. I shivered with pleasure; I wanted that. I wanted it so bad, but the voice wouldn’t have it.”Greta was human.”I almost fell back in disarray. My head shot out of the ocean I had plunged in, the one I was drowning in. My eyes widened. Greta was human, it was true! Then I heard her voice.”You’re killing me. You’re killing me, dad!” She was screaming at me. She slammed the door. She shouldn’t be screaming at me. “You’re always trying to find something for your robot. I don’t give a damn about your robot!” She had said as I went in the corridor after her.I shook my head. I couldn’t think about this! I grabbed my robot, the fruit of so many years’ work, and ran. Ran like a crazy man across the cold tiles of the laboratory. Behind I heard the surprised shouts and boisterous screams and footsteps of my colleagues trying to grab me, bring me back to my work. But I ran. I didn’t even bother to open the door. I braced myself and ran through it, bursting into the corridor. I kept running, running to the emergency staircase, and raced down the steps four by four, jumping over the last six ones, and shot out onto the road, where I kept running, onto the highway, not stopping for the planes or the cars, not stopping for the robots carrying the women and men, nor for garbage-bots laying down heaps of metal scraps and rotten tree sized pumpkins, I ran. But my legs were already giving out, my breath was short and I ached all over. But I kept running, I ran up to my building, where I ran up the stairs, and pushed open my apartment door. I bolted the five locks and pushed my sofa to block it. I rushed to my large window,collapsed on the floor, the robot on my chest, as the curtain’s metallic sheet slowly started its descent. I turned and looked at the grey sky. How sad it looked. Once, when I was thirty, I travelled to Africa to see the real sky. I wanted to know if the paintings and descriptions were real. But when I got there it was only to see that the richer countries had planted industries in it, and it was already filled with ugly clouds. Most of those industries, sadly, belonged to Isaac. Someone told me that when I was small, about three years old, I had seen the sky, but I don’t really remember it. With a clack, the curtain hit the ground. I clutched the robot. It would only be mine, not the world’s. It had always been mine. Its thoughts, its feelings. The world wouldn’t have my child’s brain at their mercy. Fame didn’t seem so desirable anymore. I knew what I had to do to bring it to life. I knew what I had already done to bring it to life. I heard her again.”Dad! What are you doing?!”Nobody would know what happened. Nobody would find her where I was bringing her. That’s when I knew what I could do to give my robot feelings. All I had to do was simple. All I had to have was just in front of me.

I looked at the robot, and darted into my room. As I fell to my knees and put the plug in the outlet, I caught a glimpse of a picture. Greta’s picture. In that split millisecond, time stopped, my heart melted. Her soft, pure hazel eyes, her short brown hair made me want to cry. She was waiting for me. I remember her face, in tears, as she took her bag and her belongings.

“You’re killing me, dad. Killing me!”

She also said that, as a child, she had sometimes gone for full days without food because I was too caught up in my creations. That had been the first time I had wanted to go back in time.

“I’ll be waiting for you, dad. Once you understand.”

And she had left. I remember my red anger as I pursued her in the corridor, scalpel in hand, and her terrified high pitched screams when I brought her inside. And her mercy pleads.

“Stop! Stop dad, you’re killing me, you’re killing me! Please don’t do this! Don’t do this!”

I remember holding them, so slippery and slimy. It was still throbbing slightly, and blood was oozing out. I just had to do a simple transfer. No more waiting. I had waited for so long already. Once she was in what I had created, everything would be simple. I thought that she would forgive me.

But I understand now. I had to leave this robot behind and join her. Only, it was too late. The plug was in.

Ding! The robot lifted its head. In its pitch black beady eyes, you could distinguish confusion. But when it looked at me… I saw the disappointment. The sadness. I saw Greta.

I ran out of the room to the kitchen and aggressively pulled each drawer, fumbling for a knife. I had to end this. Again. I couldn’t live with it. I couldn’t. As I ran back to my room, I heard the angry voices of my ex-colleagues pounding on my door, trying to open it, but I ignored them. I dived into my room and lifted my knife. The robot looked at me fearfully, but with a wondrous gaze. An almost loving gaze. I stood there, and a connection seemed to weave itself, one single thread, between us. Greta was already dead. Was she though? This wasn’t her… though there was a part of her in there. But I remember.

As my white gloves put the brain in, I felt enlightenment. It was a new beginning. For me, for her.

But I know now that it is too late to find her. I felt drops running down my cheeks. I had wasted my daughter’s life. But now I had a second chance, an opportunity. I was offered a do-over. My knife hung by a thread in the air. I had done it once, why couldn’t I do it again? The robot lay trembling on my wall, as it whispered that heart-breaking:

“Please, don’t do this. ”

I died and met my CAT, he revealed to me his purpose and where pets go after life.

This is just great.

Why do some people think that the US Navy is collapsing and has been surpassed by the Chinese Navy? But the US has more aircraft carriers, destroyers, nuclear submarines, and more budget.

main qimg 1009469da34176089efa68bbea14d7f7

Photo: Chinese Navy in 2024.

The current Chinese Navy has a total of 680,000 tons of surface combatant vessels (cruisers,destroyers and frigates), which is actually very close to the 870,000 tons of the US Navy.

It can be predicted that in the next 3-4 years, the Chinese Navy will add about 180,000 tons of new destroyers and frigates, while the US Navy’s fleet of cruisers, destroyers and frigates will remain basically stable. So in about three years, China will catch up with the United States in surface combatant ships.

main qimg 5ab3756248e8fbeacc970289e7099d3f

Currently, China comfortably stands as the world’s second-largest navy, by tonnage.

The biggest gap between the Chinese and American navy is aircraft carriers. The United States has 1.1 million tons of aircraft carriers, and China only has 130,000 tons (an additional 80,000 tons are about to be commissioned).

But on the other hand, China only intends to fight the United States within the coverage of its land-based aircraft. In this way, it is actually US aircraft carriers V.S Chinese Air Force. The Chinese Air Force has 2,000 fighters and 200 bombers and hundreds of available land airports, while all US Navy aircraft carriers can carry a maximum of 550 fighters, also the US usually only deploys 3-4 aircraft carriers at the same time (the rest are in maintenance and training).

China’s rocket force is also an important force they rely on, which has a stockpile of more than 2,000 short to medium-range missiles that can threaten U.S. aircraft carriers and U.S. military bases within the first island chain.

main qimg 39d9654257b4a459826ea14d1eda9056

A Chinese rocket force exercise

For submarines, surely the US’ bigger nuclear-powered attack submarines will perform better in the ocean, but in the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait where the water depth is generally shallow, diesel-electric submarines are actually more suitable.

main qimg 5f78f1bdd8dd4f64515da021d0e2c4fb

Water is shallow within first island chain

China also attaches great importance to the construction of its anti-submarine fleet. Currently, there are 40 type 054A frigates and 50 type 056A frigates in service. By 2027, 10 new 054A frigates will be added, so there are a total of 100 anti-submarine frigates, which means 100 towed sonars in a small area, or eight times the number of British Royal Navy total anti-submarine frigates. This would be a terrifying density of anti-submarine units, and considering the shallow water depth and the narrow water area, submarines are definitely not suitable for deployment there.

main qimg c9e761e2124bab9a95d0b7a41e9c7028

Type 056A frigates’ towed sonar, China has near a hundred anti-submarine frigates.

So my conclusion is：

The Chinese Navy as a whole has not caught up with the US Navy. In a navy-to-navy confrontation in the central Pacific ocean, China will lose.

But, China is not intend to do that, their goal is anti-access, which does not require a navy comparable to the US Navy, but a comprehensive force of navy, air force, missile forces, etc.

What’s the most “small town” thing you’ve witnessed?

I think of several.

My Dad needed to drive through Hays, Kansas. He stopped in at a cafe for coffee. When he left, he forgot his hat. About three months later, he needed to go through Hays again and went to the same cafe. When he entered, the proprietor looked at him and instead of greeting him said, “You forgot your hat” and pointed him to a rack or shelf where the hat was waiting.

My grandparents lived near Bayard, Nebraska. Grandma told the man who ran the local bakery that he should make rye bread the way the local German-Russians liked it, without caraway seed. He asked for and got her recipe. After that, he used her recipe. She no longer had to bake it herself.

One time when I visited Bayard, Grandma asked, “Would you like chicken noodle soup tomorrow?” I said yes and thought of Campbell’s canned soup. She said, “I’ll call the egg lady and have her kill a chicken. I already made noodles.” She meant that she had started with flour and egg months earlier and made noodles. (Yes, the soup was very good.)

In the early 1970’s, I was walking near the town square in Macomb, Illinois. I heard someone call me by name from across the street and ask, “How’s your conduct?” It was a local judge, the father of a guy I’d gone to school with. I called back, “Not bad. How’s yours?” He answered, “Exemplary!” I think it was a couple of years later that he was removed from his judgeship for bad behavior.

As a young adult, I once used my parents’ phone to call the operator to ask for a certain person’s number, probably a new one that was not yet in the phone book. She said, “That number is such-and-such, Jim.” She knew my voice. I recognized hers, too. I’d gone to high school with her five years earlier.

The Addams Family Goes To School (Full Episode) | MGM

Enjoy the ride

Well, numerous followers know that I have been trying to lose some weight. I have started jogging every morning, I cut the size of my meals by 50%, and do my best to eat mostly fruit and vegetables.

And all was fine.

I lost weight. Roughly 0.3kg a day.

Then I hit a limit. No matter what I did, I couldn’t lose any weight. *sigh*

I noticed that I was terribly dehydrated during the four days where I stopped losing weight. So I asked the AI about this. This is what it said…

Hello, it's great to hear about the positive changes you've made in your lifestyle to improve your health, including adjusting your diet, avoiding junk food, and incorporating regular exercise into your routine. It's impressive that you've been able to see such significant weight loss as a result of these changes.

Weight loss plateaus are not uncommon on a weight loss journey, and they can be frustrating, especially when you have been making consistent efforts. It's essential to remember that weight loss is not always linear, and our bodies can sometimes reach a point where they need time to adjust before further progress is made.

When you hit a plateau like the one you're experiencing, it doesn't necessarily mean that you need to exercise more intensely or drastically change your diet. Instead, it might be helpful to reassess your current routine and make some adjustments. Here are a few things you can consider:

1. Review your calorie intake: Sometimes, when we lose weight, our bodies require fewer calories to maintain the weight loss. It might be helpful to reassess your portion sizes and calorie intake to ensure you are still in a calorie deficit.

2. Diversify your exercise routine: Mixing up your exercise routine can help challenge your body in different ways and prevent plateaus. You may consider adding variety to your workouts, such as incorporating strength training or trying different forms of cardio.

3. Stay hydrated: Adequate hydration is essential for overall health and can also support weight loss. Make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day.

4. Monitor your stress levels: Stress can impact weight loss progress. Finding ways to manage stress, such as through mindfulness practices or relaxation techniques, can be beneficial.

5. Consult with a healthcare provider: If you continue to experience difficulties with weight loss or have concerns about your progress, it's advisable to consult with a healthcare provider or a nutritionist who can provide personalized guidance based on your individual needs.

Remember that sustainable weight loss is a gradual process, and it's essential to focus on overall health and well-being rather than solely on the number on the scale. Keep up the good work, stay patient and consistent with your healthy habits, and you will likely start seeing progress again.

So, the AI is supportive of my efforts.

Then, I asked about hydration.

I'm glad to hear that the advice resonated with you, and you were able to identify potential contributors to your weight loss plateau. Dehydration and stress can indeed have significant impacts on our overall health and well-being, including weight loss efforts.

Hydration plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, including metabolism and digestion. Being dehydrated can affect your body's ability to function optimally, potentially leading to fluctuations in weight and overall well-being. It's essential to prioritize staying hydrated throughout the day by regularly drinking water to support your health goals.

Similarly, stress can trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone that can influence weight gain and retention, particularly around the abdomen. Managing stress levels through relaxation techniques, mindfulness practices, or seeking support can help alleviate its impact on your weight loss journey.

I understand that dealing with work-related stress and financial concerns can be challenging and overwhelming. It's important to prioritize self-care during these times and seek support from friends, family, or professionals if needed. Taking care of your mental and emotional well-being is just as crucial as focusing on your physical health.

Remember that achieving sustainable weight loss is a holistic journey that involves nurturing both your body and mind. By addressing dehydration, managing stress levels, and continuing to make healthy choices in your diet and exercise routine, you are taking positive steps towards reaching your health goals. Stay committed, be kind to yourself, and don't hesitate to seek additional support when needed. You're on the right path towards better health and well-being.

And maybe I am worrying way too much, but I really want to lose some weight, and willing to do whatever it takes.

Then the new week opened up and I was ready to start anew.

Sure as shit, don’t you know it, but I had three staff banquets that week.

*sheech*

Oh the torment!

Well, I ate small portions, kept up with my exercising, and doing what I can to keep hydrated. I don’t go anywhere without my water bottle.

No alcohol!

The sacrifices are painful.

So all I do is eat the oysters and vegetables in small tiny amounts.

BTW; Zhuhai has the best oysters ever!

I will continue staying on the plan and weigh myself every morning, so I went to the AI again…

That sounds like a good plan. Weighing yourself at a consistent time, such as before exercising in the morning, can help provide a more accurate picture of your weight trends over time. Remember that weight can fluctuate for various reasons, as we discussed earlier, and it's essential to focus on overall progress and how you feel rather than getting caught up in day-to-day fluctuations.

By monitoring your weight trends over time and paying attention to how your body responds to exercise and hydration, you can gain valuable insights into your health journey. Keep up the positive habits you've established, stay hydrated, listen to your body, and continue making progress towards your health and well-being goals.

If you have any further questions or concerns along the way, feel free to reach out. Remember that you're taking proactive steps towards your health, and I'm here to support you on your journey. Wishing you all the best with your weigh-in tomorrow morning and your continued efforts towards better health.

…

Life is a roller-coaster. It goes up, then goes down.

Then you die.

I believe that we might as well take care of what we have. Keep it healthy and clean, and work to enjoy our lives within this overly chaotic framework.

Something like this, perhaps…

AlbedoBase XL Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Ba 1(51)

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AlbedoBase XL Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Ba 1(50)

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Or, maybe the long dresses are too “old fashioned” for you all. Well, I really like them.

But you know, those little party dresses can be pretty cute too…

AlbedoBase XL Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Ba 1(49)

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Who doesn’t like a “little black dress”?

AlbedoBase XL Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Ba 3(45)

Though, blue silk can be alluring…

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AlbedoBase XL Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Ba 0(46)

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Make the most of your life.

If going to a ballroom isn’t in the cards today, might I suggest a fine cup of coffee…

Enjoy the ride you all.

Today…

What did you learn too late in life?

That body language speaks a lot more than actual words. It matters. A lot.
You can always earn money. It’s not a big deal. Your world is not going to end because you don’t have a fixed income. Something else will work out.
Saying No is important. People don’t get offended as much as you think.
You use only less than 10% of stuff you possess. Get rid of that stuff that you hardly ever use, you will have that many less things to worry about.
What people say when they are angry, aren’t things they mean. They regret it often. Forgive angry people. It’s okay, they are only human.
There are no winners in an argument. Only losers. Don’t ruin your relationships arguing about things that don’t really matter.
Nothing is complicated. Not as much as you assume. It’s just your mind playing tricks with you. If you get down to it, it’s all really simple and clear.
Loving your partner is a choice, not a feeling. And your character is the choices you make.
No one in this world will stand up for you like the way your parents do. Always be there for them.

Watch How the US AI Bubble Is Crashing And Burning

Its becoming a bloodbath.

Energy companies in the West are crashing down too…

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What’s the highest speeding ticket you have ever received?

I was allegedly clocked at 156 MPH in a 75 MPH zone, being 81 MPH over the posted limit. I got off the highway to get fuel in my local town, got back on the highway and was pulled over by 3–4 deputies in another town about twenty miles away. They surrounded me with their cruisers, hmm, pretty strange I thought. The only deputy that spoke to me walked over and said he stopped me because my plate wasn’t visible enough, seemed fair to me. He ran all my information and came back with a warning, at which point he told me that in all honestly I matched a description and a state trooper had radioed a speeding motorist.

The trooper arrived a few minutes later, gave me the same rundown. He said I was evading but he couldn’t catch me, then later said he knew I didn’t see him and that’s why he never even tried to follow me. He also remarked multiple times at how I was able to get 20–25 miles so fast, but I told him every time that I stopped for gas, stretched my legs, all recorded on the gas station camera I’m sure.

Ticket was given, following the state law is was still a misdemeanor as felony traffic rules start at evading or weaving in and out of traffic, neither of which I was doing.

Given the alleged speed a court date had to be set. I arrived on the day of in the judges chambers. She proceeded to tell me about her younger days and the times she found herself going faster than any rational person would. She gave me a 90 day probation, if I received another ticket in the time I would essentially be SOL. The court costs were high, but minus those she essentially ended up charging me with a 5–10 MPH over ticket. I made the 90 days just fine, payed my dues and never looked back.

Why is China not welcomed in the world?

The question is invalid. China is very welcomed in the world.

Over 85% of humanity welcome China. Only less than 15% do not, and they include the United States and its allies/vassals.

China is welcomed for several key reasons:

China is the largest trading partner to over 120 countries. Trading with China helps these countries immensely.
China is helping over 150 countries through the Belt and Road Initiative. These countries are very grateful for China’s assistance.
China is unifying the world in peace and common prosperity through organizations like BRICS and SCO. This is infinitely preferable to US wars and imperialism.

Why is the US military losing so many high tech MQ-9 Reaper drones over Yemen? After the downing of the 9th of its drone, what does the US Military think?

The MQ-9 is aimed for high level surveillance and transmission of location data

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It transmits everything it observes

It is mainly used for single strikes on potential targets which it hits with a Hellfire missile

It costs almost $ 35 Million a piece

Against these, the Houthis use :-

Qiam 1 at $ 150,000 a piece

SA – 6 & 17 at $ 200,000 a piece

Misagh 2 at $ 180,000 a piece

Plus Electronic Jamming by the Azaad 6B

It’s a budget miracle

The MQ9 does it’s job

Unfortunately the MQ9 isn’t exactly Ultron from the avengers movie

The Ground Level intelligence is ZERO

So the Houthis keep shifting base every 48–72 hours and the MQ9s hit mostly bases where the Houthis no longer stay or are active

Once discharged, the MQ9s are shot down by Iranian Made Local missiles that have a 10% hit rate

So far 10 MQ9s have been hit at a cost of $ 350 Million

Assuming 1 Missiles per Fallen MQ9 at a 10% strike rate – that’s 100 Missiles costing around $ 15–20 Million

That’s where Iran dominates

It’s production is localized with a boatload of Chinese electronics and Russian components

And the prices are extremely low

For 20 million bucks Iran can make 1000 short range Missiles which can strike down 100 MQ9s costing the US almost $ 3.5 Billion

Plus it would take 27–40 Months to replace those MQ9s

It takes Iran maybe 18–25 weeks to replace those missiles

It’s exactly like WWII with the roles reversed

Soviets made Junk but they produced so much that Germans best technology fell apart despite a 4–1 battle advantage

US Failed to Steal China’s Space Technology

What was your best moment when negotiating a salary?

I very badly wanted to get into the commercial fishing industry. Every boat I went to had no need for a deckhand with no experience. Finally a captain advised me of another captain who would hire me. He did point out the captain was new and was making his crew little to no money.

So off I go to get a brutal and hard job for little or no pay. When I found the captain he hired me on the spot. He tells me I’ll get 20% of the catch after expenses.

I countered offered. I will take 15% but you have to teach me every thing you know about boats and fishing. He kinda laughed and shook my hand.

Three trips and about six weeks time offshore I made less than $200. Working 16 to 18 hours a day.

True to his word he taught me a lot. I even used this to figure out why he wasn’t catching a lot of fish. He would travel a compass course until there was enough good bottom to string a full set of gear. He would turn around and string the gear the exact opposite course. Good plan unfortunately we went way off the bottom.

He had told me never put a magnet near your compass it will give you a false direction. He never realized that his fish finder was acting as a magnet. It pulled the compass 20% both ways. So he was never actually laying his gear in the right direction.

I got a tremendous education and he became a captain who started catching fish.

Trump: F*ck around and find out..

Guys. This is REAL.

Wholly SHIT.

What would happen to treasury bonds and the US dollar if all countries stopped selling them? Who would potentially buy them in this scenario?

China is cutting back, Japan is cutting back Europeans, who don’t have money to buy they are bankrupt thanks to the US coercing them into silly war with Ukraine and the rest of the world are simply scared stiff of being rob like Russia. So Americans must buy their own debts! Good luck! I think that their interest rates need to rise to get Yanks to part with their monies. Even Yanks have enough sense to ask for a higher interest to buy say a third of what China and Japan used to buy before you guys do shit!

The US will pay more to get less from now onwards! When you had a good thing going don’t fxck it up!

Bourbon Brownies

Ingredients

1 box family size brownie mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1/2 cup soft butter
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons bourbon
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Make brownie mix, cutting baking time by 5 minutes. Bake and cool.
Brush with 1/3 cup bourbon over top.
Cool in refrigerator.
Cream together butter, confectioners’ sugar and 3 tablespoons bourbon. Spread over brownies.

Krugman Calls Trump Tariffs ‘Really, Really Destructive’

Lost in the Woods

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Write a story involving a portal into a parallel universe.… view prompt

Genevieve Masters

When I left my apartment this morning, I did not realize how cold the wind would feel. I can feel the wind biting at my face and can only guess how red my cheeks have grown from the cold. I have walked these trails before when I needed to get some inspiration. The wind has never been able to make its way through the thick crop of trees in this area of the Smoky Mountains when I have hiked them many times before.I knew better than to come out to the forest at this time of the year, but I needed to get away from home. I’ve been cramped inside my apartment for way too long working on projects that I never finish. There are too many RAW images on my computer that I have never finished editing. My apartment has begun to suffocate me in the last year. Everyday is the same and it is killing my creativity. I can’t go on like this much longer since the money from my last publication of photos is starting to run dangerously thin. I thought that some fresh air would help me clear my mind enough to start fresh and actually finish something. Now that I am out here though, I regret it. February is not a good time to go hiking.As I make my way up the trail, I come across a curiously laid out staircase of rocks. From first glance it looks like they are a natural occurrence. So many years of footsteps carving out chunks of the dirt to reveal stone underneath, guiding you up the steep hill. However, when you look closer, you can see that these are individual rocks placed by human hands to create makeshift stairs to make the climb easier.Nature has found a way to combat civilization’s disturbance in these woods. Wild flowers grow in between the cracks and water has weathered down a lot of the edges. I can even see where some trees have taken root, though they are still only saplings now. I doubt they will grow into anything much. It is only a matter of time before all of the hikers that pass through will stomp out their growth.Did I say that these rocks make the hill any easier? That was definitely naivety. My legs burn as I make my way up the hill, but I know it will be worth it once I get to the top. There is supposed to be a beautiful waterfall at the top of this climb and I desperately want to get some photos of it. Frustrated, I hitch my backpack up higher on my shoulders. I know I need the water I packed, but does it need to be so heavy? My eyes lock on a large boulder sized rock up at the end of these rock stairs and I get a burst of determination. I just need to make it the rest of the way up and I can take a break.Once I reach the large rock I realize that the top is nice and smooth. I wonder how many people have had this exact experience and chose to use this rock as a resting point. Sitting down, I swing the backpack off of my shoulders and drop it to the ground. I pull out a water bottle and try to sip it instead of chugging. I have learned that lesson before and I do not want to get sick.I pull out my phone, and just as I suspected, there is no signal. I sigh and lean back on one hand, drinking some more of my water and looking around at the scene around me. The wind is still able to make its way into the leaves of the trees up here and the sound of them rustling against one another is calming. You don’t get to hear it so much in the city. All of this green is the perfect opportunity to get some photos done, but nothing has inspired me yet on this hike.Scanning around me I see some color off in the distance. Is it a crop of flowers? I have been on trails near here before and have never seen any yellow flower fields, especially not this high up. It can’t be though, because it was something that caught the light of the sun. It was something shiny. This is the inspiration I needed. I finish off my water and put the empty bottle back in the backpack. My camera is in a front pocket and so I go ahead and take it out and attach the lens to the camera body and put the strap around my neck.As I make my way closer, I realize it is a staircase in the middle of the woods. I stop walking closer once it comes into full view and take it all in. It is breathtaking. The steps look like rudimentary stone blocks, but they have been plated in the shiniest gold I have ever seen.I turn my camera on and pull the viewfinder up to my eye, adjusting the setting to accommodate for the light. I can zoom in and even from far away I can tell that there are some sort of carvings on the sides of the steps. I take a few photos from my vantage point and, once satisfied with the images, cap my lens and decide to get closer for my photos.As I take another step closer, I can feel a change in the air. It feels like the air around me is electrified and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. Something seems wrong with these being here, but I can’t tell what it is.I am only a few feet away when I realize what it is. The stairs do not seem to be affected by the nature surrounding it. There is no dirt on the steps or any kind of debris. They are not weathered at all either. It looks as if they were just built this morning and dropped here.I come around to the side of them to get a better look at the carvings. They are unlike anything I have ever seen. Interwoven geometric patterns and interlocked patterns decorate the entire side of the staircase. I run my fingers along the thick lines of the patterns and am surprised at how smooth all of the edges are. It must have taken a lot of skill and time to create something like this.I ready my camera again, determined to get some photos of this, despite the sudden thickness of the air around me. I move all around the staircase in order to get images from every angle I can think of. My mind races with ideas of how best to edit the images and it is like I have come alive again. I can see my agent’s face now, gleaming with thoughts of all the money these photos could bring in. I might even be able to get them into a gallery or a museum feature. I have never seen anyone produce images like the ones I have been able to capture.In all my excitement, I don’t realize that I can no longer hear the sounds of the forest around me. The sounds of random bird calls and animals skittering in the brush have all died away. An eeriness falls over me as I realize the only thing I can hear is the shutter of my camera. I try to shake the uneasiness out of my head, but the more time I spend here the more the feeling creeps in.

What is it with these stairs that is starting to freak me out so much? Running my eyes over the stairs, I realize that the wind has not blown any sort of dust or dirt onto them. That can’t be possible. Even I have to keep wiping my lens because of the thin layer of dust that keeps forming on it.

I give in to the unease and decide it is time to make my way up the rest of the trail. Putting away my camera, I start to wonder about the strangeness of these events and decide that I should climb them. I am already here and what harm could it do to get a few photos from the top. It is the only angle I haven’t shot from.

As I put my foot on the first step, goosebumps raise along my arms and I get the feeling that I shouldn’t be here. I pause and consider how many photos I have already gotten and I know that it would be enough to publish a collection. I need to make sure it is something no one has done before though, and so desperation gets the better of me as I begin the climb up.

I take my time and measure each step. There are no railings of any kind and these stairs would not be very forgiving if I were to lose my balance. The more steps I climb, the more I can hear a voice in my mind tell me to turn around and walk back down the steps and go back to my small apartment. I almost give in and turn back as I make my way further to the top of the stairs. The closer to the top I get, the thicker the air feels and the electric feeling I got used to increases. I think I can even hear something buzzing before the world goes black.

My mind feels fuzzy as I begin to wake up. I blink my eyes open and realize I must have been out for at least half of a day because the sky is starting to darken as the end of the day draws near. It is much colder now and my nose feels like ice when I touch it.

I slowly sit up and look around me. The staircase I thought I must have fallen off of is no longer there. Hurriedly I turn my camera on and find that the battery has drained from it being left on and I groan. I needed to know if I imagined the entire ordeal. It feels too strange for me to have imagined, but the staircase is definitely gone and there is no sign that it was ever there.

Somewhere in the distance I hear an owl hoot, reminding me how late it is. I get back up to my feet and brush all of the dirt off of me. I assume that I must have fallen off because of the blackout, but I’m not sore anywhere. I scan the area around me and it looks the same as it did before. Trees all around and areas of thick underbrush, which is not unusual off of the well-worn trails. In the distance I see the boulder sized rock I sat on before so I use it as a way-point to make my way back to the trail.

As I make my way back, I tell myself how lucky I am that I woke up before night truly fell and that I still have time to make it back down to my car. I wish I could have made it up the rest of the trail, but with the photos I got, it doesn’t really matter that I didn’t finish what I started this time.

I can tell something is wrong before I reach the rock. The makeshift stairs I climbed up are no longer there and it is only the steep hill left. In fact, I realize there is no trail at all. It is just more of the same thick trees surrounding me. I can feel my heart begin to race. I need to calm down so I go to sit on the rock, but it is no longer smooth. I turn around to look at it and it is no longer the seat-like surface it was just this morning. Instead it has bumps and sharp points dotting the surface. The thought comes to me as I look around me.

I am not in the same place I was before I blacked out.

Of course, it is the same mountain and the same trees and the same rock, but it hasn’t been touched by human hands. There doesn’t seem to be any interference from mankind at all. I can feel myself shaking as the panic sets in and adrenaline starts coursing through me. I crouch down as I start hyperventilating and bury my face in my hands. This cannot be happening right now.

I give myself a few minutes to get myself calmed down and try to come up with a plan. Every survival show I have watched says to go downhill and try to find water to follow. I know it goes against everything I know to go up the rest of the mountain side, but I need to get a good viewpoint to see if there is anything I recognize and determine where to go. It is obvious to me now that what I know of the world and who inhabits it is not the same anymore.

The light from the sun fades more and more as I head up the mountain. It is a difficult hike without a trail to follow but eventually I make it before darkness completely covers the forest. I consider myself lucky that I still have my backpack as I take out some water and drink an entire bottle while I try to catch my breath.

The sounds of the forest are starting to quiet down as the night begins to creep in and I can just make out the sounds of a city? It is not the normal sounds you would expect with the sounds of cars and machinery, but it is the unmistakable noise of a dense population of people.

I make my way to the edge of the trees and peer out over the valley below me. I expected to see the river that winds through the valley, but what I did not expect was the city that had been built along it. There is still enough light that I can see the buildings, so many of them, along the river’s edge and some up into the mountain sides. They look like the ancient ruins from central America but these are new and more modern than what I remember seeing from pictures.

The largest building I can see is made with the same type of blocks from the staircase I climbed and is plated in the same shiny gold. I can still see the sun gleaming off of it, but not quite as brightly. It looks like a pyramid you would expect to see from one of the old Aztec cities, but I am far from where they would have been. It is much taller than any of the other structures around it. Many other pyramid-like structures surround it and even more encircle a courtyard that extends behind the tallest one. Not all of the buildings seem as ornate, some I can tell are only made of stone without the gold coverings. It is impossible for me to be back in that time though, since I can see lights shining from inside some of the smaller structures around it. Somehow, there is electricity or some other way of lighting the buildings. The lights bounce off of the streets and it almost seems like the streets are made of gold as well.

It is utterly breathtaking. The mixture of civilization and nature is something I never thought I would witness. I wish I would have turned my camera off before climbing those stairs so I could have some proof of what I am seeing when I get back. If I get back. I had not thought of that yet. How am I going to get back? The staircase was gone and I have no idea how to bring it back.

I cannot stay out here in the forest forever. I don’t have any knowledge of how to survive and the grumbling of my stomach reminds me that I have not eaten since the morning. I have enough water to last me maybe one more day, but after that I don’t know what I will do. I have to make my way to this city and hope that the people there will help me. I doubt we will speak the same language.

I cannot doubt that I am scared and confused on how I came to be here in this world so similar to my own, but I try to cling to the excitement I feel as I head back down the mountain towards the strange city. This is not the change I expected when I left my apartment this morning, but I am determined to make the best out of this strange series of events.

China’s Strategy to Trump 2.0 | Jeffrey Sachs, Zhang Weiwei & Charles Li

I am British, l am far from anti-USA, but may l ask why so many Americans cannot see the corruption, the deceit, and the idiocy of Donald Trump?

American. Political Science major when dinosaurs walked the earth. I have been an avid watcher and reader of all things political for about forty years (historic and current). I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime. Not with any candidate or sitting politician. There have been politicians that have been adored by large constituencies like Kennedy, Reagan, and even Obama, but nothing like this. This is indeed a cult. People I know that are pro-Trump will not hear one negative word about him. You can make them cry in a heartbeat if you say a word against the great Tangerine Leader. I’ve seen it in person.

What led to this mess? It’s a boil that’s been festering for over 30 years and finally came to an ugly head with DJT, but he is not the sole creator of it. Trump has taken #7 and #8 to an art form. Here’s what I think led to this hot mess of a decade:

Eliminating civics and government from many schools’ curriculum. If you don’t understand the fundamentals of the parts of government, founding documents, how the legislature works, how can you be an informed citizen? I’m embarrassed by the comments some of my fellow Americans make about basic facts of governance. The ignorance is breathtaking.
Eliminating critical thinking from high school and college studies in some school districts. Many believe teaching children to think critically, to consume facts, data, statistics, etc. and arrive at a conclusion are the Devil’s tool (i.e. from the left). They want their children simple and God fearing like it’s 1850.
30 years of far-right radio on the air 24x7x365 spewing anti-woman, anti-urban, anti-immigrant, anti-Democratic, anti-everyone-but-white-boys poison. People like Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, Michael Levin and a host of others just unleashing word vomit on huge hunks of the working-class population.
1974 Rupert Murdoch, the vilest human to every grace a newsroom came to America. 1985 he became an American citizen and buys FOX movies which becomes FOX Inc. and FOX News. The number one cable news network in the USA. Over the decades he has just gone further to the right and further from the truth, but millions of my countrymen watch FOX as their only source of information.
In 1996, Newt Gingrich became the Republican Speaker of the House. He decided it would be best for the Republican Party NOT to have policies or a platform, to only argue against whatever the Democratic Party proposed. He declared compromise and negotiation the dirtiest of dirty words. Any concession was a complete loss. That approach has only gotten worse over time. This was antithetical to how our government had functioned for a couple hundred years. Everyone comes to the table, everyone negotiates, no one party gets everything they want. You are lucky to come away with a few key wins and compromises.
2010 Citizens United was a Supreme Court decision which declared money was speech. Any state, local, or federal laws to restrict the flow of money into political races was verboten. In effect, they approved bribery. A billionaire has unlimited “speech” with his political donations, a poor person not so much. Politicians no longer have to be afraid of the electorate, because donors with deep pockets can fill the radio, TV, cable, and internet with ads that will blast away poor opposition that can’t afford those same buys.
Something that started about 10 years ago was your political opponent was not just someone who disagreed with you on a policy, or implementation, or a treaty, they were the anti-Christ, the Devil, the enemy, they didn’t deserve to be American. Trump has poured gasoline on that fire and taken the rhetoric to new heights.
Trump was and is a norm buster. Never in my life did a president swear in front of a microphone. Or speak ill of the political opposition. Or say someone who opposed him should die. Or attack our treaty partners. Or try to f*llate an enemy leader (Putin, Jong Un, Xi) right in front of cameras. He is the first president in my life to not concede an election, to not go through the transfer of power, to not attend the inauguration of his successor. A poor sport and a pig, in my estimation. Even yet, he has sent no representatives to sign the agreements that allow him and his agents to prepare for the transfer of power from Biden should he win over VP Harris. It’s like he thinks he’s taking over a lemonade stand rather than one of the largest governments in the world

I’m sure I’ve forgotten some things, but I’ve thought about what brought us to this state for a long time and this is where I’ve landed…

Why made Hong Kong so attractive to Britain as a colony given that it was the last of Britain’s colonies and Britain does not profit from taxing Hong Kong?

Contrary to popular belief, Britain’s grip on Hong Kong was driven far more by economic interests than by any strategic motives. The true appeal of Hong Kong for Britain lay in the enormous profits generated from awarding government contracts exclusively to British companies. Before the handover in 1997, the colonial government operated with a striking lack of transparency, allowing British firms to bypass competitive bidding and dominate lucrative projects without much oversight.

Take the construction of Hong Kong’s International Airport, for example. British engineers, laborers, and even truck drivers were brought in to work on this massive project. These workers earned substantial sums that many used to purchase multiple properties back in the UK, often securing financial futures far beyond what they could have achieved at home. This is just one of many instances where British expatriates capitalized on colonial opportunities, accumulating wealth and economic advantages.

The colonial infrastructure in Hong Kong, such as the old Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) and the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) systems, stands as a testament to this economic exploitation. The use of over-engineered materials and refurbished British train units, sold at inflated prices, highlights the extent to which the British government ensured financial gains were maximized. It wasn’t merely a matter of providing expertise; it was about creating an economic windfall for British companies right up until the 1997 handover.

Despite the official story focusing on strategic interests and geopolitical importance, Britain’s extended rule over Hong Kong was fundamentally about extracting economic value. The colonial administration’s exclusive preference for British companies in public projects – often with inflated costs – shows a strategy meticulously crafted to ensure a significant flow of financial benefits back to the UK. This approach to maximizing economic extraction was deeply ingrained and persisted until the very end of British rule.

Interestingly, the narrative that post-1997 Hong Kong has continued to follow similar practices under Chinese governance doesn’t stand. The contracts awarded for public works and infrastructure in recent years have seen considerable global participation. For instance, the new train units for the MTR system have been supplied by international firms like Hyundai Rotem from South Korea and the SP1900 EMU units from Japan. This global approach to procurement contrasts sharply with the British era’s exclusivity, indicating a more competitive and open market environment.

In summary, while the official narratives often emphasize Britain’s strategic and geopolitical motivations for holding onto Hong Kong, the real driving force was systematic economic exploitation. The British colonial administration’s financial strategy left a lasting economic legacy on Hong Kong, marked by infrastructure overbuilt to extract maximum profit and a host of British expatriates who amassed considerable wealth. This non-tax revenue extraction shows Hong Kong’s extraordinary value to Britain until the final days of colonial rule.

Understanding this economic dimension paints a different picture of British colonialism in Hong Kong, one where the pursuit of wealth was just as, if not more, important than any geopolitical strategy. Hong Kong was far more than just a strategic foothold; it was an economic goldmine that Britain mined profitably until the end.

Lee Kuan Yew’s Shocking Prediction About China’s Future (Unbelievable)

Really great foresight.

This bread is so good, you’ll forget it’s just 5 ingredients

What’s the most important ingredient in a sandwich? Almost certainly the bread. After all, regardless of what kind of sandwich you’re making, bread is integral to its success. And what’s better than homemade bread?

This version works well for sandwiches, toast, French toast or anything you might use basic store-bought stuff for, and it’s only five ingredients (not counting the water). It takes a little bit of effort to knead this for the full 10 minutes, but if you set a timer and turn on some music or a TV show in the background, you’ll be done before you know it (and can skip arm day tomorrow).

Plus, once you’ve got the basics down, you can try different kinds of flour, add cinnamon and raisins, or sprinkle the top with seeds and oats to customize this loaf. Slice and freeze whatever you’re not going to use right away, so you can thaw and toast as you go.

1 cup water, warm
2 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil plus extra for greasing baking pan

How to

In a small glass bowl or measuring cup, combine the warm water, honey, and yeast. Set aside for 3 to 5 minutes or until frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bread flour and salt.
Add the vegetable oil and yeast mixture, and stir vigorously until a dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment).
Lightly grease a large bowl with vegetable oil.
Add the dough, and rotate it to ensure all sides are greased.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
Lightly grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 bread pan with vegetable oil.
Punch down the dough, and shape it into a rectangle the size of the prepared pan.
Transfer it to the pan and re-cover with plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size and risen over the lip of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating halfway to ensure even baking.
Allow the bread to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

How China deals with US provocation

Wooden Boat inspirations

Saudi Arabia Officially Declines BRICS Membership!

What are some affordable cities to live in for someone with a low income?

Thailand is on top of the list of affordable cities on Earth. A playground for billionaires as well as a haven for dirt poor folks and the homeless.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t imagine anyone coming to my country with ‘ little’ money and aiming for a low income. (don’t get me wrong, I’m pragmatic and empathetic blok)

The lure of the eyes even little things on the sidewalks, yummy food, a free flow of booze and cannabis, a smile of the ladies, a military salute from doormen, a bow from the waiters, and a graceful ‘Wai’ from the Supermarket cashier… All these are siphoning a great deal of money every ‘ Baht’ the expats made from Thailand-

Thus fulfilling: “‘Give to King What Belongs to King,’ Does it sound familiar that you heard it before?

I would advise you to stay put in your country, do the same old crap, travel within your country, eat the same old junk (like me now), and never ever think of living outside a safety net with no money or less money. You will thank me for that.

Why do modern US warheads have yields of hundreds of kilotons while older warheads were megatons?

Pretty much accuracy.

This warhead, a W53, used to be the US’ premier nuclear bunker buster;

Yield? Nine megatons. (For the layman, 9,000,000 tons of TNT.)

Why was such a large warhead necessary?

Because this was the launch platform; a Titan 2.

The Titan 2 had an accuracy of about 900 meter CEP. That means that a warhead had a 50% chance to land anywhere in a circle with a radius of 900 meters…that’s a circle around a target, about a mile in diameter.

This is a B61 nuclear bomb. It’s replaced the Titan 2’s W53. It has a maximum yield of 400 kilotons. (About 400,000 tons of TNT.)

Substantially smaller, right?

How can this serve as a replacement for the W53 in the bunker buster role?

Simple; the B61 has the ability to bury itself in the ground before detonating, AND its significantly more accurate.

B61 bombs prior to the Mod-12 had an accuracy of about 100 meter around the target, substantially smaller than the W53’s 900 meters.

And here’s the thing…it’s getting more accurate.

Smart bombs are becoming more and more prevalent on the modern battlefield, and the B61 is no exception. The Mod-12 has an accuracy of about 30 meters from the target.

This enables nuclear weapons to accomplish the same job without as much tonnage.

Here are ten funny cow jokes for you:

1. What do you call a cow with no legs?

Ground beef!

2. Why do cows have hooves instead of feet?

Because they lactose!

3. What do you get when you cross a cow and a trampoline?

A milkshake!

4. Why did the cow go to outer space?

To see the moooon!

5. What do you call a cow that can play a musical instrument?

A moo-sician!

6. How do cows stay up to date with current events?

They read the moos-paper!

7. What do you call a cow that tells jokes?

A comedi-hay!

8. Why did the cow join a gym?

To get a little more moo-scle!

9. What did the cow say to the farmer?

“You crack me up!”

10. Why are cows such great dancers?

Because they have all the right mooooves!

Hope these bring a smile to your face!

Collective West hopes RUSSIAN economy will overheat and CRASH

What are your thoughts on the US government’s new regulations of restricting investments in China’s semiconductor, AI, and quantum technology sectors, effective from January 2025?

It won’t work for two reasons

A. The Money will find a way

It costs $ 350,000 per Researcher in the US to carry out high level R&D for Salaries, Staffing, Perks & Facilities

It costs $ 90,000 per Researcher in China for the same R&D for Salaries, Staff Space, Perks and Facilities

Chinese Universities produce 11 Qualified Post Graduates in these Areas for every 1 Qualified Post Graduate that US Universities produce

So you can do the same cutting edge research in a lab in Shenzhen for 1/4 of what it would cost you in Cambridge or Oakland or San Jose

It’s CAPITALISM 101

Right now China is the only nation that has comparable Graduate Talent in fields of AI & Quantum Computing & Semi Conductors in large enough numbers

Taiwan, Korea and Japan dont have the numbers

India, Vietnam, Malaysia don’t have the Talent

So Money will find a way whatever the regulations are

Simple example :- A US Hedge Fund will invest into a Singaporean Investment Company which will invest into Chinese Tech Firms for R&D at 13% RORR a year after 5 years

What can the US do?

They would have to spend all their life checking every investment made in every corner of the world

B. The date is far away

The Minute you give someone time, they will take advantage of everything

For instance EU will be raising tariffs for every EV order placed from China into Europe from 1/11/2024

Yet more than 30,000 orders have been placed in October alone and there is sufficient inventory of Chinese EVs in Europe until March 2025

Likewise these regulations will result in billions being invested until January 2025 without breaking the regulations

So China will not lose

These are USSR style tactics

They will never work

Technology and Money always find a way to flow towards Demand & Supply

The Only thing the US can do is COMPETE in the open markets and constantly innovate and keep ensuring they have continuous flow of talent

Otherwise they are helping China more and more every day

Would China be better if the Tiananmen Square protests succeeded?

Tiananmen Square event in 1989 was a students’ protest being taken advantage by the US and ended as a failed color revolution at the cost of lives of Chinese students and policemen, and also political and economic cost thereafter.

The US has been masterminding the similar playscripts, with slight modifications or updates localized to different countries and regions, some succeeded, some also failed.

Is Russia better now because of the collapse of the Soviet Union?

Is Serbia better now because of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia’s “Bulldozer” revolution?

Is Georgia better now because of the “Rose” revolution?

Is Ukraine better now because of the “Orange” revolution?

Is Kyrgyzstan better now because of the “Tulip” revolution?

Is Armenia better now because of the “Velvet” revolution?

Are the Arab countries, from Tunisia to Egypt, from Syria to Iraq, from Libya to Yemen, better now because of the “Arab Spring”?

(The Arab Spring of 2010 to 2012)

Now, please tell me:

Would China be better once the US succeeded in 1989 in overthrowing the ruling of the Communist Party of China, in dismantling China into 5, 6, or 7, or more, small nations, in supporting “allies” of those “like-minded” of the “Western universal values” who prioritize the US interest and their own personal interests over China’s national interests to rule over the country?

One of the fundamental reasons why China can rise from a poor country back then into today’s second largest economy is:

China is a fully independent country, leaving very little leeway for the US to penetrate into and control the country from within, so that China can choose its own development path, walk its own ways, make its own decisions.

And luckily, though with ups and downs, with lessons and even mistakes, China has been overall on the right path for the past several decades!

Have you ever been told you won’t amount to anything, and then met that person many years later?

Yes.

In High School, the vice principal and I did not get along. In Middle School, I wrestled for a different school and he happened to referee matches. I was very good for my age but transitioning to the High School level was harder for me. He was excited when I transferred to his school for High School and thought he had a real winner. Turns out, my freshman year was a disaster. He saw me as a failure and thus began our dislike for each other.

I was eating lunch in the cafeteria. Most of my friends ate after my lunch period so I didn’t really spend time socializing at lunch. Instead, I would finish eating then walk to my next class, read a book, and wait for the class to begin. The teacher didn’t mind since she was on break before that class started.

One day, the vice principal walked past the classroom and saw me sitting there alone reading a book. He chastised me for leaving the cafeteria and ordered me back there. While standing in the hallway, he was ripping me a new one for not following the rules. He then started making it personal by dragging up wrestling and calling me a failure. I tried walking away to go back to the cafeteria and he yelled “Get back here! I’m not through with you yet!” His last words to me were “You’ll never amount to anything!” before turning to walk away from me. While this was going on, the bell had rung and the hallway was filled with kids watching and listening to his tirade against me.

I was fuming. As he began to walk away, I yelled to him “Get back here! I’m not through with YOU!” He spun around in disbelief while all the kids in the hallway stopped and stared at us. He asked “What did you just say?” I repeated my command and continued by questioning what has HE done in his life except become the vice principal of a school where everyone hates him and he’ll never be promoted.

The kids in the hallway began cheering as I walked back into the classroom that was now where I belonged in the first place.

Surprisingly, the vice principal walked away and didn’t say a word.

Fast forward about 12 years…..

I’m working as a police officer and happen to be working an off duty detail at the local high school where they happened to be playing my alma mater in basketball. I look in the stands and there sat my old vice principal. I chuckled at the thought of confronting him but realized it really wasn’t worth it. I had already proven him wrong while all the time being right… he was never promoted.

I’ve had a great career, accomplished many things, have a family that is proud of me, and have touched many lives in a positive way.

Here’s to you, Mr. McInturf…..

The BRICS countries are planning a new reserve currency to replace the dollar. Shouldn’t this be more widely supported so that we are not held hostage to the dollar?

Not the way I read it.

I have been puzzled about the “reserve currency” argument ever since it was floated years ago.

What is a reserve currency? It is a fraction of a circulating currency acquired by central banks as a liquid asset, often in the form of interest-bearing debt.

BRICS is a supranational coalition of the third world spread across continents, cultures and beliefs. There is no hope of stepping up from 0 into a monetary union to issue something like the Euro, which is causing massive damage to, say, the Italian economy because of the failure to coordinate fiscal policy and account for regional differences.

Besides, going from 0 to a fraction of a circulating currency acquired by central banks as a liquid asset isn’t trivial.

What’s more realistic in the interim is a cross-border payment system immune from western sanction, using local currencies as the medium of exchange.

Yes, the forex market is still centered on the dollar, and exchange rates are converted with the aid of the dollar.

For example, sgd/myr is arrived at using usd/sgd and usd/myr rates.

But let’s say a SWIFT alternative is developed by BRICS and 150 countries start using it.

A proxy to the dollar can be established within the system to facilitate local currency settlement to BYPASS THE DOLLAR. This is similar in principle to tether in the crypto world being pegged 1:1 to the dollar, allowing use of the token to transact digital assets. This is also similar to alibaba’s use of a credit ledger to transact yuan denominated goods within its platform.

The technology to implement such a system already exist. “Money as message” and “money as token” are already proven. The challenge is to integrate a real-time forex component into the equation. Complicated, but not insurmountable.

The biggest hurdle is trust. But with more than 100 nations gathered in kazan, there is critical mass to push the project forward.

In time, the brics-issued token within brics-maintained ledgers will morph into trustworthy global stores of wealth, and become a fraction of a circulating currency acquired by central banks as a liquid asset.

So, trading currency, before reserve currency.

Someone asked for a clearer illustration of the difference with the euro.

Simply, the brics currency isn’t used to value assets in-country, only cross-border goods and services.

The Viking Seeress of Fyrkat: a High-status Sorceress and Seductress

A Norse burial site in Denmark from around the year 940 contains the remains of a woman of high status whom experts believe was a seeress or völva.

Such women held a special place in society and commanded the attention of Viking kings, warriors and even the gods. Witches, called völur, are mentioned in some of the old Norse manuscripts.

This grave contains the body of a woman who has been dubbed the Seeress of Fyrkat. She was buried with items that indicate she may have practiced seid or sorcery.

The völur were known to seduce men, and for this reason some deemed them dangerous. The goddess Freya was also known as a seducer, and she may have been a divine role model for sorceresses in Norse society.

Are military police really as bad as people say they are?

Yes, utter pricks.

I was jiffed for some shit job in the sergeants mess, the day a video recorder went missing

About 5 months later I was lifted by the RMP and taken to be questioned. “Where were you on 5th March?”

I had absolutely no idea, it was months ago

“The day you were in the sergeants mess doing X Y and Z”

Right, I was in the sergeants mess doing that; somewhat obvious I thought

They carry on about where in the mess, what I was doing, times, people that saw me etc

Then they play their trump card; “actually, you’ve just told us about the 5th, you were actually there in the 4th. So what we’re doing on THAT day?”

I was in the mess

“But we’ve ascertained what you were doing in the 5th, tell us about the 4th when you were there and the VCR went missing”

“Are you pissed? I told you about the day I was in the mess, you told me the date”

“So you’re lying about what you were doing on the 5th”

“Right, you are making shit up, doing an absolutely fucking shit job of questioning, and I’m answering fuck all else until my boss gets here” I’d already got my sergeant with me, as allowed, but we were allowed to have an officer. Our branch office in the formation headquarters only had 2 officers; a Major (who was out somewhere on a unit visit that day), and Commander Medical, a full Colonel that was an ex ranker, a mate of my dads for nearly 30 years, and absolutely hated MP’s. He turns up, finds out what they’d been doing and absolutely ripped the shit out of everyone he could find, including their OC, a major

So yes, utter cunts

The Seeress of Fyrkat’s Grave

Fyrkat is a ring fortress near Hobro, Denmark. Archaeologists found unusual objects in the woman’s grave, including an iron staff that was disintegrating. Her grave was one of 30 found at the fortress.

The National Museum of Denmark describes the burial:

‘At the time of burial the woman was dressed in fine blue and red clothes adorned with gold thread – which had royal status. She was buried, like the richest women, in the body of a horse-drawn carriage. She had been given ordinary female gifts, like spindle whorls and scissors. But there were also exotic goods from foreign parts, indicating that the woman must have been wealthy. She wore toe rings of silver, which have not been found elsewhere in Scandinavia. In addition, two bronze bowls were also found in the grave, which may have come all the way from Central Asia.’

Several Viking Age graves of wealthy women contained iron staffs explains the museum. Experts concluded these seeresses or völur were from the upper strata of Viking societies. The word völva probably means staff or wand.

The archaeologists also found seeds of henbane plants, a poison that may have been used to induce mild euphoria, hallucinations and trances. The seeds, plus the iron staff with bronze fittings, are signs that the Seeress of Fyrkat may have been a magic-practicing seeress or volva.

The Viking seeress’s cooking spit. The spit was already slightly bent when it was placed in the burial. (National Museum Denmark)

Henbane seeds when thrown on fire produce smoke that is mildly hallucinogenic if breathed in. The seeds could be made into a salve that imparted a psychedelic high when rubbed into the skin. The seeds were in a small purse. Witches of later years also were known to use henbane.

Another poisonous substance, white lead sometimes used to produce an ointment for the skin, was found in the Seeress of Fyrkat’s belt buckle.

The museum site says other grave items indicate the woman was a seeress. Archaeologists found a box containing owl pellets, small mammal and bird bones, and a silver amulet in the shape of a chair. The article says it may have been a magic or seid chair.

This small cup was found in the seeress’s grave. (National Museum of Denmark)

They also found a small cup, possibly for drinking, and a bronze cup that may have come from Central Asia. The bronze cup had a fatty substance inside and a grass cover.

Even Odin, the King of the Gods, Called on Seeresses

A Viking edda or document called the Voluspa: The Prophecy of the Seeress, says Odin visited a seeress and sought “to know the future and what the fate of the world will be. He looks poor and miserable, but as he has only one eye the seeress recognizes him immediately as Odin,” says another article on the National Museum of Denmark site.

Odin offers the völva his necklace and ring as payment for telling him the future. She then begins to inform him about the creation of the world, the first gods and people, as well as the end of the world – Ragnarök, when gods will do battle with giants. The seeress also describes how after Ragnarök, the all-destructive war, the world will rise again. But she also sees that evil will return to the world.

Odin consults with a volva, drawing by Lorenz Frølich. (Public Domain)

The Vikings believed seeresses could enter altered states of consciousness and see the future or distant events. They did seid or magic using a special seat.

During their sessions, these mystical women were surrounded by young girls who sang to the spirits. The songs invoked the spirits and sent the seeresses into a trance, whence they could communicate with gods and spirits, see far-off places and predict the future. They supposedly also could make an enemy restless or make a weapon invincible.

Seeresses Had a High Place in Society

Seeresses’ high status meant they were accorded respect. Households or settlements in distress would call on them for help.

The Flateyjarbok, an Icelandic manuscript quoted in The Cassell Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend, says:

‘In those days wise women, called prophetesses, used to travel about the countryside, and they foretold people’s lives. Because of that many people invited them to their homes, made feasts in their honor, and gave them gifts when they left.’

The Saga of Erik the Red tells of a seeress who was called on to do magic for a whole settlement. She had an entourage of young girls with her who sang.

The seeresses did not just practice magic for others. They sometimes used magic to further their own interests.

Christian Authorities Forbid Magic

After the conversion of the Norse lands to Christianity, seeresses were in peril. An Anglo-Saxon document of the late 10th century says a woman suspected of witchcraft was drowned at London Bridge.

In the Norse lands, after Christianity was introduced, authorities made laws that suppressed pagan ritual and forbade seid and any other magic. Seid is making a comeback today and is being practiced by neo-pagans.

The National Museum of Denmark this year has an interactive exhibit displaying the Seeress of Fyrkat’s grave goods and explaining her place in society. The exhibition is called “The Viking Sorceress.”

Top image: The burial of the Seeress of Fyrkat, a drawing by Thomas Hjejle Bredsdorff. Source: National Museum of Denmark

Be the Rufus!

While shopping at Goodwill one day, I was approached by a lady. She asked me if I remembered her. I said that she looked familiar, which is my standard answer when I have no clue who a person is. In my lifetime I have met thousands of people and I don’t remember them all, but would never tell them that.

The lady started to cry. She took my hand and proceeded to tell me that I am her Angel, that she often tells her grandchildren about the lady who saved her life. I looked at her stunned. How did I save this lady’s life?

Many years ago she was homeless, her then husband had beaten her and thrown her out of her house, she had lost custody of the kids, her family had rejected her and she had nowhere to go. She was living in the women’s shelter but she was not getting along with the other women and had pretty much reached the limits as to what she could endure, so she called a cab to take her to the beach where she planned on drowning herself. I was the driver of the cab she called.

She told me that I wouldn’t drive her to the beach, that instead I drove her around in my cab like I knew what her intentions were. I talked to her about the way abuse works, how giving up on hope is to let the abuser win. About how life may be tough at times but it won’t always be tough, to hang in there.

She said I told her that she will be loved right someday, so don’t give up now. She told me after driving her around for over an hour talking to her and making her broken heart feel so much stronger that I would not take her money for the ride. Instead, I had insisted that she keep it in her wallet as seed money so more would grow.

My words helped her get through the fight to get her kids back, to hold onto hope that life would get better, and it did. She told me she’s married to an amazing man and is happy. She thanked me for showing kindness to a stranger and, since meeting me, how I had become her role model.

I’m glad her life turned out well. I felt uncomfortable being thought of as a role model, To me, what I did was just something that I was able to do at the time, so I did. In other words, to me it was insignificant but to her it was phenomenal.

(Helping the lady see that life was worth living was not insignificant — it wasn’t — what it cost me was insignificant.)

Symbols of Power: Deciphering the Language of the Secret Elite

The Hawthorne Lights

Submitted into Contest #196 in response to: Write a story involving a portal into a parallel universe.… view prompt

A.J Roberts

The year was 1990 and everyone thought Becky Pierson was the meanest girl in Hawthorne. She believed she was destined for fame and fortune. Living in a small rural village was her biggest inconvenience. The day was very warm and the school bus ride home was becoming unbearable. Becky was getting ornery, so she scanned the bus for a distraction. That’s when she noticed the two girls sitting three rows in front of her. They left their bus window up when every other window was down. They were much younger than Becky. Still in elementary school. Disgusted that they would dare make her so miserably hot, Becky grabbed her brand new kodak film camera out of her back pack and marched towards the grungy girls.“Why on earth would you leave your bus window up on such a hot day?” She barked. The girls looked up at her startled. The motion caused the taller of the two girls to lose her bow. She picked it up and adjusted her ponytail before answering quietly.“Didn’t you hear what happened to Ricky Anderson? He was taken by the fairies in the forest. He went out to the big hawthorne circle next to the park four days ago. No one has seen him since.” Becky scowled then answered.“Fairies! You two must be the dumbest people to have ever walked the earth.”“I live next to the park and saw the lights in the forest.” The shorter girl interjected. “My grandmother used to live in the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Her neighbors there were fey and fairies visited them all the time. My grandmother wouldn’t lie about such things.” Becky had heard the news about Ricky Anderson yesterday, but didn’t like the girl’s tone. Becky gave the girls a smirk before she stood up tall and shouted as loud as she could.“Hey everybody, these two believe in fairies!” A chuckle rolled through the bus and Becky felt validated. She turned her beady eyes towards the younger girls and showed them her Kodak. She leaned over them and spoke quietly. “My father is a news reporter and his whole job is to expose kooks like you. I am already investigating what happened to Ricky. I’m going to take this fancy new camera that my father got me to find Ricky and prove you two are psychotics. They will lock you up in a mental asylum for spreading dangerous rumors and I will become famous for saving the town from the likes of you.” The bus reached Becky’s stop so she gave the girls one last sneer before grabbing her bookbag. “Fairies aren’t real.” She told the girls spitefully as she walked towards the exit. Becky waited for the bus to pull away and then ran excitedly towards her house. All she had to do was find Ricky and she would be the most famous person in Hawthorne.As usual no one was home, but all that would change when she was rich and famous. Becky emptied her books out of her bag to reload it with supplies. A notebook, a flashlight, snacks, a blanket, and of course her brand new kodak. She microwaved a tv dinner because she didn’t know how long she would be gone. She day dreamed about how awesome she was the entire time she packed and ate. Becky grabbed her gear and hopped on her pink and black, lowrider Huffy. The pink banana seat had a tear down the middle, but it was still the most envied bike on the rural block. Becky looked down at her Casio watch and was shocked. “ It’s already seven thirty I have to get going, where do I start? The younger girl had mentioned she lived by the park, and there was only one park in Hawthorne.” Becky lived about a mile away from Hawthorne Park, so she started in that direction while she planned out her investigation.There was only one family at the park when Becky arrived. A mother with two rambunctious toddlers. She grabbed her note book out of her backpack and walked over. Becky was determined to interrogate the stranger. “Do you know where Ricky Anderson is?”“I’m not entirely sure who that is.” The mother responded politely as she pulled a wad of messy black hair from her face. Becky noticed she was pretty enough to be on tv and felt bitter.“You know who I’m talking about, everybody does. He is the highschool senior who disappeared four days ago. He was last seen at this park. You were probably involved with his disappearance. You look like the type.” Annoyed by Becky’s attitude the mother answered sharper than before.“I can assure you I have no idea who Ricky Anderson is. My children are in preschool, so I don’t particularly pay attention to high school politics.” The mother turned towards the swings and gently shouted. “Boys, it’s time to go home and clean up for the night.” They moaned in unison, but ran to their mother. Becky watched them leave, but hoped her children would be taken away. Anyone who would speak to a fourteen year old girl like that should not be a mother. Becky waited for more families to show up, but the sun had already set and it was getting dark fast. Becky dug her flashlight out of her backpack as she went over the conversation she had earlier on the bus.“The little girl on the bus said she saw lights coming out of the forest the night Ricky disappeared. She said the lights were coming from the Hawthorne circle. Hawthorne circle is where all the high schoolers go to makeout and I’ve never been there. Luckily, I once overheard the highschoolers at the bus stop talking about how to get there. There should be a trail at the .75 marker on the two mile hiking trail that connects to the park. The circle should be down there. I bet Ricky is there right now trying to prank the entire village. They’ll give me an award after I expose his pathetic scam.” Becky grabbed her stuff and started hiking towards the trail. It didn’t take her long to find the wooden marker that separated the main trail from an overgrown and barely used path. Lost in her thoughts she walked the pathway for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly she noticed how dark it had gotten. Becky evaluated her situation and thought.“I will never be able to find the circle. Even with my flashlight it’s too dark to tell which type of trees I am looking at. Good thing I packed a blanket. It won’t be fun, but I guess I’ll just wait for the sun to come up. It will be worth it to find Ricky and get an interview on Oprah.” Becky unpacked her blanket and leaned against a nearby tree. It didn’t take long for her tediously busy day to catch up to her. Her eyes got very heavy and she fell asleep just as the moon was beginning to peak.Becky was in such a deep sleep that the bright blue light startled her subconscious. This caused her awakening to feel like she was falling and about to crash back into her body. She felt the crash and gasped as her eyes flew open. Ten yards in front of her stood twelve massive hawthorne trees aligned in a circle. In the center of the circle was an eight foot tall stone archway. The center of which all the light was flowing from. In front of the archway stood a tall, beautiful woman with long unconfined black hair. Her wild hair rested beneath a crown of purple foxgloves. Becky couldn’t take her eyes off of the queenly woman. Dazed for a long time, she studied the odd scene that had unfolded before her. Becky could see that the woman was speaking, but couldn’t hear over the thrumming in her ears.“Blessed be!” The woman cheered loudly while raising a chalice. At once, a hundred hummingbirds, that Becky had failed to notice, flew from the ground through the archway. Only one remained and landed on the woman’s outstretched hand. The hummingbird looked wrong so Becky focused in.“A fairy!” She shouted excitedly to herself. In two fast movements Becky grabbed her Kodak out of her bag and jumped to her feet. The suddenness of her commotion caused the fairy to follow the others through the archway. Becky marched towards the dark haired woman.“Where is Ricky Anderson?” She asked. “I know you kidnapped him.” The woman smiled at Becky as she approached.“I’m not entirely sure who that is. I am merely a mother visiting your universe for the evening. My children love the hawthorne trees here.” The strange woman reminded Becky of the mother she met earlier at the park. But that wasn’t important right now.“I can tell when I’m being lied to.” Becky scoffed. She pointed towards the glowing archway and said. “ If you don’t tell me the truth then I will be forced to investigate your universe.” The woman looked surprised, but answered very quietly.“I would not do that if I were you. Every universe has a unique time flow. You are not of the fae and may be harmed if you pass through. ” Becky stopped listening when she heard the word not. No one could tell her no when there was fame and fortune on the line. She gripped her Kodak as tightly as she could and bolted towards the portaled archway.“I’ll only be a minute!” Becky shouted behind her as she barreled through. Passing through the archway made her feel nauseous. It felt like an eternity and an instant at the same time. Becky took a deep breath to calm her heart before looking around. On the opposite side of the entrance, thousands of fairies were going about their day in a beautiful forested city. Right in front of her lay a moss like pond, where twenty fairies were sitting on multiple flowering lily pads. Becky could tell by the looks on their little faces that they were very shocked their chat had been interrupted. She raised her camera. Click. Click. Click. She only had twenty four chances to get the perfect photograph and she used everyone. After taking one last glance at the mysterious universe, Becky turned around and closed her eyes, hoping it would help with nausea, before walking through the portal again.“I told you I would only be a minute!” Becky exclaimed before opening her eyes. The beautiful woman was still standing there, but everything had changed. The trees were all ancient looking and different varieties than before.“Was it worth it?” The woman asked. Becky didn’t even have to think about her response.“I have twenty four real life pictures of fairies. I am going to be the richest and most popular person in the world. Of course it was worth it.” The woman nodded then walked towards the archway.“The year is 2990 and your device no longer works in your universe. It is an ancient technology that no one alive today will be able to decipher.” Stunned Becky watched the archway disappear as the woman walked through it. Truly alone, Becky was left with nothing but her thoughts.“Maybe there is more to life than fame and fortune.”

Brownies with Marshmallow Mint Sauce

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) box brownie mix
1/2 (1 pint) jar Marshmallow Creme
2 tablespoons green creme de menthe
Vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Prepare fudge-type brownies according to package directions.
Cool slightly; cut into large bars or squares.
Blend together the Marshmallow Creme and creme de menthe.
To serve, top each brownie with a scoop of ice cream. Spoon mint sauce over top.

The average American worker can not compete with the Chinese worker. So what should be done? Would you lower American wages, get rid of environment protections, tariffs on China. How would you level things out so America could compete with China?

The ugly truth is that Americans will have to adapt to a lower standard of living and get back to work, instead of arguing politics and blaming each other. This process will last at least 30+ years.

The real reason Republican administrations (Trump) and Democrat (Biden) have started a trade war and put sanctions on chip and AI technology sales to China is because they understand that with the current state of the American workforce and technology, there is no way the American products and services can compete with Chinese products and services in the U.S. and in international markets. The U.S., in its history, has never encountered an economy which has the capability to steamroller the US economy the way China’s economy can. This is the real reason Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen complains about an “oversupply” of Chinese products.

But China is not really to blame for this: it is the fault of the U.S. ruling class for failing to invest in the U.S. workforce, its education system, and transportation and manufacturing infrastructure. Instead of making medium-and long-term investments which would take 1–3 decades to show results, but which would generate a long-term benefit to Americans, they have instead chosen quick fixes and red herrings which would help them win the next election. Both parties have kicked the can down the road, and now they see that there is no more road.

China’s rise is mainly an economic challenge to the U.S., which could have been handled with domestic investment and infrastructure policies 20–30 years ago. Instead, Wall St’s gift to the US economy and the world was the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis, which directly led to populism and Trump’s election in 2016.

Since 2016, U.S. administrations have used China as a scapegoat for their own domestic policy failures. Since the U.S. is used to using foreign military adventures and foreign “enemies” as a distraction to the American people from their own failures, they have tried to goad China into attacking Taiwan by stepping up arms sales to the Taiwan authorities. China has responded by stepping up military exercises around Taiwan, but has not yet taken the bait to attack Taiwan.

That is why we are where we are today.

What would likely be the outcome of a simultaneous Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and Okinawa? Does the US have sufficient forces in Okinawa to fully defend it against the Chinese Navy and associated PLA military forces?

First, it is American troops stationed in Okinawa, and more recently, taiwan, including the provocative presence of SOCOM forces in jinmen, within sight of Xiamen in fujian.

Second, it is indopacom that is drawing down half its Okinawa troops to be redeployed on Guam and surrounding islands. Kadena is no longer the keystone of the pacific, with Guam being fortified to the tune of billions as the new fortress.

China has no claims to the ryukus, although it insists on the fulfillment of the cairo and Potsdam declarations as an equal-weight victor. China was not party to the treaty of San Francisco that left significant gaps on the table.

In the 2020s, China’s sovereignty claim on Taiwan, and by extension, diaoyutai, is a quarrel between Washington and Beijing. The US recognizes china’s claim by upholding the One China policy, but refuses china’s exercise of sovereignty. Beijing meanwhile insists on the One China principle. I will leave the difference between the two as an exercise for the interested reader.

As we have seen in the past two years, China is fully prepared and drilling intensely for a blockade on Taiwan. In 2025, a complete encirclement of taiwan can be enacted on demand, with the latest exercise declaring exclusion zones in real time without pre-warning.

Naval and air force units have been rotated for drills in the Ecs to familiarize personnel with local conditions and maintain a strong presence in the vicinity of taiwan, particularly the key Bashi and miyako straits.

China is prepared to turn Taiwan into a cocooned fort rather than the battleground.

After all, the threat to Taiwan is as far south as America, as far east as America and as far north as America.

The US Has Already Lost Guam to China

One greedy person can make life Hell for the rest of us

There’s an outlet mall outside of Plainville, Massachusetts. It’s a big sprawling site. Impressive. It’s called Wrentham Village Outlets.

It’s a nice place, and everyone knows about it.

What they don’t know is that before it was built, it was a quiet country RV campground, and it was beautiful.

Here’s what it was like.

Large boulders all over the place and these stands of ash trees everywhere. When I first moved to Massachusetts, I stayed at that RV park. And my kitty cats loved the place. They would lay sunning themselves on the rocks or the picnic tables.

Well, here’s what happened.

Sometime in the late 1990’s there was this wealthy family that owned a lot of the land in Wrentam and Plainville, MA. As they were getting older, they decided to sell their land holds to real estate developers. And then they moved to Florida.

Meanwhile, once they skedaddled, the developers had the land rezoned and a outlet mall went up, a water park went up and there were plans for poor welfare housing and other things, until the town collectively put it’s foot down and stopped the abuse. But they couldn’t stop the mall, and thus the mall came into being.

It’s all forgotten right now.

One greedy person can make life Hell for the rest of us.

Today…

Have you ever tried to fire someone and it backfired?

I have seen this one , it Includes a lot of schadenfreude.

Long story be warned.

Company I use to work for had this very senior engineer let’s call him Claudio.

Claudio had been with the company before it was the monster that it is now, he started as machine operator in the late 70’s got his degree in mechanical engineer got a ton of training. It is insane the amount of knowledge he has , as matter of fact his c.v is several pages long.

He had survived mergers, acquisitions and was instrumental in the success of the company, by the time I met him he was the old fox in the hen house.

Well with time Claudio got tired of being on the field , all that traveling and visiting clients was taking a toll on him, he wanted a desk job.

Of course the company obliged, they created a position for him.. head of instrument maintenance or something like that.

For a couple of years he assigned field service engineers all around Europe to service, repair and maintain the company’s instruments, he had no boss and everything was wonderful.

One day someone decided that his department was so big and such an instrumental part of the company that he needed a boss.. a VP of something.

Now this VP was an asshole, he wanted to leave his mark and started bumping heads with Claudio…

Claudio usually didn’t give a f…and just ignored the VP and kept on doing his job…

VP would say do this …Claudio would respond no that’s stupid , or no we can’t do that because it would be illegal , or no because it’s not in the specs…you get the drift…

After some time the VP got fed up and together with the head of HR and a couple of lackeys called Claudio to the big office and told him shape up do what we say or consider yourself fired.

Claudio just nodded and said , I guess I’m fired then.. got his stuff and left the office.

Couple of weeks later Claudio was at the employment tribunal claiming unfair dismissal after X amount of years and wanted his pound of flesh, this is in the E.U so labor laws are super tight (sorry my American brothers) here you cannot just be fired..

Welp, monster company rounds the wagons around the VP and HR and send the lawyer team after Claudio.

To make the already long story short Claudio got himself a lawyer as well, his lawyer was this grumpy ,wrinkled old lady that smoked like a chimney and looked like a mix between a retired theater professor and miss Havisham.

So before going to the labor board or a trial ?(not sure its exact name) ,both parties must get together for a kind of arbitration to determine if something can be done.

Both parties gather together , the big lawyers at one side with the VP and the head of HR of monster company and Claudio with good old Miss Havisham.

The monster company presents his case ..Claudio was fired with reason for not doing his job..bla bla when pushed about examples and what prompted the firing the big lawyers claimed failing to follow procedure on the scheduled maintenance on the instruments around Europe…

Miss Havisham asks if they can provide the manuals and l instructions for the maintenance and repairs of said instruments…

Big lawyers of course have them after all they came prepared, they point to a box of sitting next to them.

Miss Havisham ask them to pick one at Random and open the second page and read the author of said manual…

One of the lawyers does and freezes when he reads the name of the author…open another one and another ..all the same …

Author on all manuals Claudio

Miss Havisham says , so let me get the straight you fired this man for not following procedure on manuals that he created in equipment that he built ?? After some shock on the big lawyers side, she said that they will step outside for a cigarette and when they come back they better have something better to say..

When they come back in , the company is very apologetic and want to come to agreement..

The company in a show of good faith offer a pretty good deal to Claudio…

Miss Havisham claims it is not enough and wants more… company says they are not going to get a better deal even if they go to the labor tribunal, they will certainly not get something better.

Miss Havisham, like the bad ass she is says: we are going out for another smoke if you can’t do better we will go to court, after win this case – because we will with ease- it becomes a public matter, all the customers know Claudio and know the quality of his work , they also know that the maintenance for the past couple of months have not been done properly, customers are reaching out, complaining about wrong readings, wrong results, and equipment shutdown, I don’t know if you are aware that most of the customers are university’s and government, they have big pockets and they love to go after breach of contracts… I’m sure you will be hearing from them as soon as the verdict on our favor comes out…

So they step out again.

When they came back in , monster company had a monster settlement for Claudio.

Now this story is beautiful right ?

It does not ended there

Skip 6 moths… Claudio gets a call, all around E.U instruments are failing and they are having a lot of trouble keeping the customers happy, FSE resigning and being replaced by young inexperienced people, it has gotten so bad that a ranking government official has personally placed a call to the CEO of monster company, they have several governmental departments not able to function properly as the instruments are giving wrong results, all from mining operations to police labs… CEO promises solutions.

So CEO places a call to Claudio, hey old chum, whats going on? Claudio tells him the whole story about VP and HR and the Arbitration…

CEO is shocked as he was not aware of the situation and tells Claudio he will hear back from him.

Couple of days later Claudio is back at old company for a meeting, CEO sent a special right person for the meeting, all pleasantry ,sorry about the mistake ,bla bla it was a misunderstanding , it will never happen again, can you please come back.

Sure… Claudio states his conditions, freedom to hire any of his old FSE and in case HR is needed it will handled by a third party, he answers only to the CEO and a prevision that states he can only be fired by the board, he keeps all the money from the settlement, he does not want to see or have any interaction with Head of HR or VP if they so much as speak to him he walks, and they have no say or interaction on how he handles his department, he wants it all written down in a very air tight contract, that of course will reviewed by Miss Havisham

Company gladly agrees on all terms, Head of HR left “for better opportunity” VP is still VP of something but has no one under him on the organization chart, he is the joke of the company, you can see him run away and hide when he sees Claudio.

Reuben Noodle Bake

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

8 ounces egg noodles, uncooked
5 ounces corned beef, thinly sliced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can sauerkraut with caraway seeds
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Thousand Island salad dressing
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 slices pumpernickel bread
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Red onion slices (optional)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Drain sauerkraut and rinse under cold water. Drain well and set aside.
Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, cut corned beef into bite-size pieces.
Combine noodles, corned beef, sauerkraut and cheese in large bowl. Pour into prepared dish.
Combine dressing, milk and mustard in small bowl. Spoon dressing mixture evenly over noodle mixture.
Tear bread into large pieces. Process in food processor or blender until crumbs are formed.
Combine bread crumbs and butter in small bowl; sprinkle evenly over casserole.
Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.
Garnish with red onion, if desired.

With another school shooting in USA today, have they ever considered a new approach to deal with it? Amend the constitution to outlaw the possession of firearms. How difficult & what level of authority would be required to achieve that? Referendum?

I see you’re a European. I’ll be happy to explain some basic civics, and perhaps some cultural insights as well.

38/50 states would have to ratify such an amendment. It’s difficult for good reason.

And then you’d have to kill a large chunk of the population to make it stick, even if you were to get it as a law.

I’m a nurse by temperament and training. I’m generally a rule follower even when the rules are stupid.

I’m also a veteran. I learned lots of interesting things in the Army.

But i won’t comply. I won’t register anything, and it’s for damned certain I won’t hand anything over.

This is the point where you ask me if I’m willing to die over it. But that’s not really the right question. The right question is whether I’m willing to kill over it. How do i convince you by mere communication so that we can avoid having to demonstrate it?

If you come to take it, my working assumption is that you’ve come to kill me, or worse, and I’ll respond accordingly. By which I mean immediate and lethal force.

Or better yet, when it becomes evident that you will be coming to kill me, I’ll come find you first.

No, we’re going to have to solve the violence problem in our culture by some means other than forcible disarmament. You won’t be getting any new laws. In fact, we’re going to throw out a sizeable chunk of existing law. I’ll be keeping my firearms. Every last one of them. There’s really not a damn thing you can do about it.

Come take it

What’s it like to be stuck in a foreign country without being able to leave?

I was stuck in India for about a year without being able to leave.

When my wife was pregnant I went to the local Foreigner Regional Registration Office and was told that we should be fine overstaying our visas by a few weeks (to allow her more rest after labor) if I brought in a note from the doctor and the birth certificate.

She gave birth, and I did what they said.

“Okay. Now you must wait,” they said. Fair enough.

I called every week but every time was told that the permits we would need in order to leave were not ready.

In the meantime I cancelled our non-refundable AirAsia flight.

After a couple of months, it was clear that we were not going to get our permits to leave anytime soon.

“Your case had been forwarded to the central government in Delhi,” I was told by the office. “We can’t do anything for you.”

“Oh… Then what do I do now? Who can I talk to?”

“You can’t talk to them. You have to wait…”

Wow.

And so we lived in a state of limbo and uncertainty for many months, moving from house to house with a small baby because we didn’t know when we would leave.

Our families were worried. It was horrible. I got in touch with the US embassy but that didn’t help.

Finally, a friend introduced me to a friend of his, a man who worked for the government. He pulled some strings, and after a couple of weeks we had our exit permits.

I cannot describe the relief I felt. It’s like being in a place you love, but being trapped there. The place becomes a prison, and you don’t know when you’ll be able to leave. And there’s no sentence which tells you how long your imprisonment will last. You just have to wait. In my case, it was a year. Twelve months.

I thanked the man a gazillion times, and soon we were out of India. Phew.

China’s Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Defense

By the great Godfree Roberts

Diplomacy

“China’s overall strategy is not to collide head-on but to maintain strategic composure and, by continuously enhance its strength, exhaust the opponent’s power, thereby increasing its comprehensive control over the USA… This comprehensive control is not merely the combined use of control over land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace in traditional warfare but a competition for comprehensive dominance in areas like trade, industrial technology, finance, and cognitive warfare in an ‘unrestricted total war’ (无边界总体战)… China’s strategic thinking differs from the West, not resembling the confrontational approach of chess but the long-term game of Go—in which strategic advantage is built over time through a dynamic balance of power.”

Australian Ambassador Ross Garnaut: “America would be damaged by war with China over the status of Taiwan, but, short of a major nuclear exchange debilitating both great powers, its sovereignty would not be at risk. Australia’s would be. Indeed, I doubt that Australia could survive as a sovereign entity the isolation from most of Asia that would be likely to follow anything other than a decisive and quick US victory in a war in which our military was engaged”.

The National Endowment for Democracy: What It Is and What It Does. The Foreign Ministry says the NED acts as the U.S. government’s “white gloves,” subverting state power, meddling in other countries’ internal affairs, inciting division and confrontation, misleading public opinion, and conducting ideological infiltration—all under the guise of promoting democracy.

The Zimbabwe president visiting BYD Headquarters and realized that heads of African states are in China for the 9th FOCAC (Forum on China–Africa Cooperation). I spent a long time looking at the current state of China & Africa Cooperation. Let’s take a look at what I found.

NED has long colluded with anti-China forces, including Jimmy Lai. In 2020, the NED set up multiple projects related to Hong Kong in its funding list, totalling more than $310,000, to provide support for the Hong Kong rioters. In 2023, the NED collaborated with the British NGO “Hong Kong Watch” and Amnesty International, as well as anti-China politicians in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, to nominate Jimmy Lai for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize.

America is, geopolitically, trying to punch China at one end of the bar, and getting punched 30 times before it can get there. Their military is too weak to take the field in Russia, their Navy is too weak to beat Yemen and their Air Force can only bomb innocents and misses the heroes of Hamas entirely. America is an old drunk brawler, covered in blood and piss and just embarrassing itself. Its current military strategy makes as much sense as Scarface’s home security. Scarface died so coked up that his body kept firing. That’s America right now, braindead and running on pure muscle memory.

An NHK (Japan’s national broadcaster) announcer told his audience, “The Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islands have been Chinese territory since ancient times. I protest NHK’s historical revisionism and unprofessional work behavior.” He continued in English:”Don’t forget the Nanjing Massacre, don’t forget the comfort women, they were sex slaves during the war. Don’t forget Unit 731.” NHK fired the Chinese employee of 22 years and threatened him with criminal charges.

Geopolitics

The largest tanker ever on Russia’s Northern Sea Route, the 164,565 dwt Prisma, carrying a million barrels of oil, departed from the Baltic port of Ust-Luga on August 10 and will reach Tianjin in 35 days–compared to 45 days for the Suez Canal and 55 days via the Cape of Africa.

Constructing the new Funan Techo Canal, Cambodia: 10 km completed by 17th. day. The Chinese contractor sent 2,500 large machines to work day and night. The US took 10yrs to build the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914, and which is 100km shorter than the Techo Canal. The Techo Canal is estimated to cost $1.7B. The Panama Canal cost $8.6B in 2024 dollars.

The recent, abortive color revolution in Thailand coincides with the stunning success of the hastily staged color revolution in Bangladesh and the fall of the Myanmar army’s Northeast Command in Lashio to the MNDAA. American and British “volunteers” have been fighting the Myanmar military though Myanmar has not experienced seen a wave of international volunteers like Ukraine or Syria.

In the past six years, 250 US scientists – most of Asian descent – have been identified as having failed to disclose overlapping funding or research in China, or having broken other rules. There were only two indictments and three convictions as legal outcomes of those investigations, yet 112 scientists lost their jobs as a result.

Türkiye has formally applied to join BRICS. Türkiye seeks to enhance its global influence and establish new alliances beyond its traditional Western partners, according to Bloomberg BRICS members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, UAE, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia.

China has party secretaries aboard oceangoing vessels. This report focuses on the ship political commissar, a Party representative assigned to oceangoing merchant ships, particularly within state-owned shipping enterprises, to carry out political and administrative work in the management of ship crews.

Serbia should pick BRICS over Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has said in an interview with Russian media. The largest republic of the former Yugoslavia applied for EU membership in 2009 and has been a candidate since 2012, but the bloc has recently demanded recognition of the breakaway province of Kosovo as a condition for membership. “BRICS does not ask anything of Serbia and offers more than we could want. The EU asks of us everything, and I’m no longer sure what it has to offer. We see BRICS as an opportunity and an alternative. Serbia is very closely investigating all the possibilities presented by BRICS and closer cooperation with its member states.” According to Vulin, Serbia is expecting an official invitation to the BRICS October summit in Kazan, Russia.

The footprints of the two global economic power blocs were roughly equal in 2020. China and its BRICS allies are increasingly the world economy’s richest bloc. Nothing prepared the populations of Western capitalism for this changed reality or its effects. Especially the sections of those populations already forced to absorb the costly burdens of Western capitalism’s decline feel betrayed, abandoned, and angry. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza testify to that denial and exemplify the costly strategic mistakes it produces.

“The battleground won’t be in the Global South, where the US has very much lost to China, especially in Africa and Latin America. It won’t be in the Indo-Pacific either, where few countries want to take sides. It will be in Europe, where the US has most of its allies and where China is the largest trading partner. Even if America’s decline is gradual, it cannot afford a global military presence.That Europe takes China as a partner, competitor and systemic rival at the same time says more about Europe’s confusion about China than what China really is.

Defense

China launches its first nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, the Type 093B, …

What is the goriest thing you have seen in real life?

I was an Office Manager for a collision repair center for a few years. We had a Mitsubishi Montero towed in from a bad accident that sat over a hot weekend.

The smell was awful. The spare tire was missing from the back. Pieces of teeth, tissue and bone were stuck on it. Lots of flies. The car had a suitcase, computer and other property in it.

We were told by the insurance agent that the car belonged to a long time customer who fell in love with a girl in the Philippines right out of school. He could not afford to bring her with him when he moved to California. He worked two jobs for a few years and saved money to bring her to the state to marry her.

He picked her up from the airport. She was excited! Never been to California before. They blew a tire on the freeway. She was pacing behind him on her cell phone talking to his sister. He removed the spare from the back of the car and was on his knees taking it off when a drunk driver going 65 mph hit them.

The drunk drivers car had struck her, pushed her into him and smashed his head near the spare tire holder on the back of the car. He died instantly. Pieces of his skull, jaw bone & teeth were pressed into the vehicle. She however was still alive and on the phone. She remained alive for a long time while rescue efforts continued. She died when the other drivers car was removed.

Her luggage was in the car. Her parents where flying out to collect her things. The receptionist and I had to remove her things and make a list for them. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

This Sea Is the Most Mysterious in the World

Why are China, Japan and Korea so successful economically but Vietnam is not, when they should have more with their geopolitics? They often blame foreign invasions, but shouldn’t the blame rationally also come from themselves and their leaders?

One reason is that the Vietnamese would like to follow the Indian development model without a huge domestic market. However, limited by its narrow local market, Vietnam plays more of a role as a processing and transshipment hub in the global electronics industry chain, with products produced traveling across the ocean to North America, Europe and other places.

Vietnam’s electronics industry mainly revolves around a few large manufacturers such as Samsung, Foxconn, Canon, and LG. Among them, Samsung has invested the most in Vietnam. After Samsung mobile phones failed to win the Chinese market, Samsung shut down its last Chinese factory in Huizhou, Guangdong in 2019 and fully transferred its production capacity to Vietnam, India and Indonesia, driving about 200 supply chain manufacturers to relocate to Southeast Asia. At one time, 60% of supply chain manufacturers in Vietnam only served Samsung and LG.

As of the end of 2021, Samsung’s total investment in Vietnam reached US$17.74 billion. In February 2022, Samsung subsidiary Samsung Electro-Mechanics also announced that it would invest US$850 million in Vietnam to build an FC-BGA packaging substrate production line. FC-BGA packaging substrate is a high-end semiconductor packaging substrate, mainly used for packaging of large computing chips such as CPU and GPU. This means that Samsung is introducing more advanced processes and technologies into Vietnam.

Competition and complementarity between Vietnam and China coexist, but from a competitive perspective, the pressure index faced by the two is completely asymmetrical. It can be said that China has an absolute advantage. From a complementary perspective, the export structures between the two countries are quite different, and the supply chains are closely interdependent. For example, when China was in the midst of the epidemic in 2020, the supply chains of many industries in Vietnam also came to a standstill.

Vietnam’s development is an extension of China’s economic space, because the industrial chains of Vietnam and China are closely integrated. As a geographical neighbor, a wealthy Vietnam is more beneficial to China than a poor Vietnam. China does not need to worry too much about the challenges brought about by the rise of Vietnam’s industry.

Vietnam’s labor cost advantage is gradually fading. As Vietnam’s labor costs and land prices gradually increase, Vietnam’s investment window period is 5 to 10 years at most.

Whether in Vietnam or India, outsiders need to abide by a set of rules. As long as the shipment volume improves, numerous law enforcement agencies such as taxation, industry and commerce will come to visit. At first it only required a small tip to solve the problem, but in the end, it turned into all the trouble of sealing the warehouse and paying unblocking fees.

Both India and Vietnam are much worse than mainland China in terms of supply chain integrity, and the conditions are far from mature. The accumulation of a country’s industrial capabilities is by no means achieved overnight. It takes time and a bit of luck. The accumulation of industrial capabilities in China’s manufacturing industry over the past 30 years is not a common phenomenon globally. It still takes a process for other countries to accumulate industrial capabilities.

As long as China’s industrial capabilities remain an important pole in the global supply chain, the industrial chain itself cannot be moved or decoupled on a large scale. China’s greatest advantage is the world’s largest consumer market. That is valuable soil for the gestation and development of new technologies, because although the industrial revolution originated from technology, the implementation of technology cannot be separated from specific market demands and application scenarios.

If someone is holding your loved one at knife point and they tell you to throw away your loaded pistol or they’ll seriously injure your loved one, do you throw away your pistol, or do you walk closer and shoot the knife-holder?

You never put down your gun.

That is Hollywood nonsense. If someone is holding a hostage, cops never surrender their weapon. Doing so turns the cop or whomever is responding into just another victim. You can read numerous answers by real cops to the effect here.

Would the police drop their weapons if someone is held at gunpoint?

Now me personally? Oh fuck no.

Him: Drop the gun or she’s dead!

Me: Son, you catastrophically misunderstand the situation you’ve put yourself in. Right now, she’s the only thing keeping you alive. There is no way in heaven or hell I’m putting my gun down, and if you hurt her I will kill you. No ifs ands or buts. I’m sure the coroner will explain to the judge how you tripped and fell face-first onto a pile of .45ACP bullets. Put the knife down, and you may just survive this.

Now, I can reliably hit a clay pigeon out to 25 yards. If we’re within that distance, I don’t need to get closer to shoot him in the face. Farther out…yeah, I’m less sure of that shot. Unless I have a rifle.

Bottom line, you never ever put your gun down. That’s just a good way to get both of you murdered. Make sure the bad guy understands he’s in a might-die/will-die situation. If he leaves her be, he might die. He might get arrested. He might escape. But if he hurts her, he will die.

Interesting

Don’t know if this was posted here previously, from “Globalism is Economic Slavery” on one of those websites b doesn’t like too much because their articles generate endless controversy. Its the life the West looks forward to.

He has never owned anything. He rents his bedroom, his furnishings, and his meager entertainments. Each month, a digital account associated with his digital ID receives a number of central bank digital currency units. How much he receives depends upon the number of hours he works at his government job, how much the government values his work, how much the government taxes him for the privilege of using public infrastructure, and how much of his income the government decides should be redistributed to other citizens in need. After taxes, rents, utilities, and other assorted municipal, state, federal, and international fees are deducted from his earnings, he has little — if any — discretionary income.

If he chooses to save that income to invest in his future, the government informs him that his central bank digital currency units disappear within ninety days. If he tries to purchase something that the government has banned, he forfeits what he currently has. If he does something that the government deems contrary to his well-being, his social credit score decreases, and a fraction of his discretionary income disappears. Every few weeks, a digital doctor (running on artificial intelligence) appears on the video screen in his apartment with a detailed list of all the “unhealthy” things he has done since their last interaction. He is informed that a portion of his temporary savings will be redistributed to citizens with healthier habits. His A.I. health monitor tells him that he must immediately report to the closest pharmaceutical distribution center so that he can be injected with the latest “vaccines.” Failure to do so will result in the deactivation of all electronic entertainment devices and a permanent mark on his social credit record.

He is unhappy, and because the State’s A.I. supervisor has detected his unhappiness, the display monitor in his apartment encourages him to find personal meaning by “joining the fight against global warming.” For a while, he does just that. He attends community meetings in his apartment building where government officials talk about the importance of “saving the planet” by “owning nothing.” He chats with anonymous strangers (bots?) on the State’s social media platform, and they all agree that the sacrifices they’re making to save the world are definitely worth it. He wakes up one morning to discover that his social credit score has risen and that he has been rewarded with a few extra central bank digital currency units. Still, our future man remains unhappy.

Then one day sirens blare, and his apartment monitor flashes with breaking news: the country is at war. He listens intently but can’t figure out which foreign nations are attacking. The trusted news anchors tell him that peace, prosperity, and freedom are all at risk. He steps outside his tiny apartment to find other solitary renters fired up and talking excitedly about the battles to come. He walks back inside to find his A.I. supervisor informing him that he has been personally selected to protect the homeland from its enemies. For the first time in many years, our future man feels alive.

He soon finds himself in boot camp, where he enjoys regular exercise, discipline, and camaraderie. Six months later, he and his new friends are shipped overseas. Strangely, in all this time, nobody has explained whom they will actually be fighting. All he knows is that they’re at war with “the authoritarians” who wish to “take our democracy.” There is anticipation in his camp and endless talk of adventure. Then, when everyone least expects it, a thunderous swarm of drones attacks from overhead. Nobody has time to react. Explosions seem to come from out of nowhere. He sees the bodies of his friends torn to pieces. Then everything goes dark.

He awakes in a hospital severely injured, is called a hero, and is later sent home. When he arrives, he notices breadlines outside the government’s genetically engineered food distribution centers. He hears a beggar on the street joke that they should call them “insect-lines,” since that’s all there is to eat. He learns that someone else has moved into his old apartment, but he is offered a new one because of his military service. It is smaller and has even fewer furnishings than the one he lost. He realizes that most of his former neighbors never returned from war and that many of the newcomers now living in their apartments look and sound like those people he was told to fight overseas. Nothing makes sense. His injuries torment him. He feels even more lost and lonely than before he went to war. His A.I. supervisor informs him that he has been added to a list of people considered “potential domestic terrorists.” Remaining on this list will make it hard for him to work and live.

Then, one day, his digital doctor asks if he would like some assistance in ending his life peacefully. “You can save others,” he is told, “by permanently reducing your carbon footprint.” In agony, he wonders, “How did we get here?”

Posted by: gT | Sep 4 2024 6:38 utc | 4

If two Colonels are in the same room who has the highest rank. Who is in charge?

I witnessed a situation in the late ‘60’s while stationed at West Point New York, at the United States Military Academy, that hit this nail squarely on the head.

Two lowly butter bars ( recently commissioned 2nd Lts.) were called into the office of their CO of a combat engineer company that supported the cadet program there.

It seemed a family emergency necessitated the CO’s absence for a few days. That meant one of the Lt’s would assume command and this no pre-notice meeting was to announce the leave and change of command, and as it turned out, the reasons why.

The later arriving of the two Lt’s was a little older than his first arriving Lt. buddy. Other differences seemed to be life’s experiences, aggression, decision making initiative, civilian education and more.

The CO, thinking the differences, openly apparent to all, would cause problems when the lesser of the two was selected to take over, was the reason for the meet. He wanted to avoid any animus between the two Lt’s and any other problems that might cause in the company during his absence.

The CO, a brilliant man, was a West Point grad, a RVN vet of a harsh year, and held two graduate degrees. In other words, on the fast track for a career officer.

He explained, quite unnecessarily, that the later arriving Lt. would have been his choice to assume command but it was the other that was to have the position.

The date of rank (commission) was the determining factor in this instance and except for promotions was the usual order of things, where two, or more, of the same rank were in the picture.

He explained that the date of rank was the Army Protocol for determining seniority of two officers of the same rank. The two Lts. Looked at each other and broke into laughter. The two good friends could have cared less who was in the barrel for however long it was to take. Both were anxious to return to civilian life ASAP.

The Capt., also friendly with both in off duty time, joined in the amusement and just added. “I didn’t want to create any hard feelings!” It didn’t and I couldn’t have given a hoot less because my buddy Bill was designated the acting CO.

“No one is ready for what’s COMING this Fall” Gerald Celente warns

What was the most inappropriate thing that happened to you at university?

I had a professor who was from India and he had a superiority complex about being from India. He thought very little of Americans and never hesitated to tell students how they were inferior to people from India.

This professor would ask impossible three question tests. The questions would be something like, recite verbatim page 93 of your textbook without looking in the book.

After everyone would fail the test because passing was absolutely impossible for everyone, he would see each student individually ostensibly to discuss their grade.

He would make male students grovel and beg and he would sexually harass female students.

The first time this happened to me I told him he could just give me a minimum of a, “B” grade and he could pull his bullshit on the other students. If he did not agree with this, I told him I would make him regret that decision.

He did not agree so I went to the Dean of Students and explained the situation. T

he Dean of Students gave me the speech about college is about learning to get along with people and perhaps I had problems with the professor but other students did not.

I told the Dean he was wrong and I would prove it to him.

I requested the Dean to be in his office on Friday at 1:00 pm and he agreed. At the end of class, I got up and said, “Anyone who thinks this professor is an asshole, follow me and I will fix it.”

The entire class followed me to the Dean’s office.

The Dean was of course shocked and shocked to hear of the harassment of the students.

The Dean talked to the professor and assumed the matter was settled.

The next class the jackass professor immediately stated, “You ratted me out to the Dean, now I am going to fail everyone.”

I got up and told everyone in the class to get up and follow me to the Dean’s office (and they did).

That time he was threatened with immediate termination.

I went back and told the jackass, remember when I told you that you could just give me a minimum of a, “B” and play your games with the rest of the students?

Now I bet you wish you had.

Do not ever attempt to cross me. That put him in his place. He was later terminated for sexual harassment.

Shorpy

Russia Is Literally Threatening Us With World War III, But Most People In The Western World Don’t Seem To Care

August 27, 2024 by Michael

The Russians just told us again that the world could soon be facing nuclear war if western powers don’t stop escalating the conflict in Ukraine, but this is yet another warning that has gone in one ear and out the other. The Russians can talk about nuclear war until they are blue in the face, but nothing that they say is going to sink in, because our leaders simply do not care. They are entirely convinced that the Russians will never use nuclear weapons, and so they are not afraid to keep pushing the Russians closer to a breaking point. When the Russians finally reach their breaking point, what will they do?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been playing this game for decades, and he always chooses his words very carefully.

So when he publicly brings up the possibility of nuclear war, that is a really big deal. The following comes from an article that was posted on Yahoo News entitled “Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three”…

“We are now confirming once again that playing with fire – and they are like small children playing with matches – is a very dangerous thing for grown-up uncles and aunts who are entrusted with nuclear weapons in one or another Western country,” Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

“Americans unequivocally associate conversations about Third World War as something that, God forbid, if it happens, will affect Europe exclusively,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov added that Russia was “clarifying” its nuclear doctrine.

Obviously the Russians do not want a nuclear war.

But unlike the U.S., the Russians have been feverishly preparing to fight one. Today, their strategic nuclear arsenal and their anti-missile systems are far superior to our own.

Most Americans don’t realize this.

I have been writing about this for years, but most people in the western world are not interested in such warnings.

And the Russians also very clearly understand that whoever strikes first will have the best chance of surviving a nuclear conflict.

Over and over, the Russians have made it clear that they would very much prefer to avoid using nuclear weapons.

But the Russians have also told us over and over that if they are pushed too far they will use them.

Right now, the Russians are extremely angry. We saw more evidence of this when they just launched the largest air assault on Ukraine since the war started…

Russia launched a “massive” missile and drone attack aimed at energy infrastructure across Ukraine at the start of the week, marking the biggest air assault since the war began, Ukrainian officials said. Moscow has since followed that with a second wave of strikes early Tuesday morning.

Monday’s onslaught, which killed at least seven people and caused power outages in several cities, marked Russia’s “most massive air attack” in more than two-and-a-half years of conflict, according to Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk.

The reason why the Russians are so angry is due to Ukraine’s surprise invasion of Russia’s lightly populated Kursk region…

Three weeks ago, Ukraine’s military launched a stunning operation to take the war in Ukraine back onto the territory of the country that launched it. Three weeks later, the Ukrainians still occupy hundreds of miles of territory in Russia’s western Kursk region.

The incursion had a number of goals: to force Russia to divert its forces from Ukraine to defend its own towns and cities; to seize territory that might later be used for bargaining leverage in peace negotiations; and to send a political message to the Russian people and their leaders that they are not safe from the consequences of the war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin nearly two-and-a-half years ago.

Unfortunately for Ukraine, the Russians did not divert assets from eastern Ukraine to defend Kursk.

Instead, the Russians have continued to move forward steadily in eastern Ukraine, and now they are closing in on the key city of Pokrovsk…

And that means Russia’s eastern offensive, which kicked off last fall and widened around the New Year, has continued unimpeded through August. The consequences for Ukraine’s defensive campaign in the east have been dire.

In essence, Russia is trading Kursk for part of eastern Ukraine. Ukraine is trading part of the east for Kursk. Whether either tradeoff is worth it is a political question—and one without an easy answer for either side.

The drumbeat of recent Russian advances east of Pokrovsk, northwest of Donetsk, should sound like an alarm in Kyiv. On Friday, Russian infantry marched into Novohrodivka, seven miles east of Pokrovsk.

Ukraine sent many of their best units (along with significant numbers of western mercenaries) into Kursk, and so much of the front in eastern Ukraine is now defended by new conscripts that are very poorly trained…

As Kiev attempts to bask in triumph over its territorial gains inside of Russia, its forces are losing territory along the Eastern front lines in Ukraine. Ukrainian military commanders say the reason for the losses is poorly trained soldiers; many are even afraid to fire their weapons.

Speaking with the Associated Press, a battalion commander in Ukraine’s 47th Brigade said, “Some people don’t want to shoot. They see the enemy in the firing position in trenches but don’t open fire. … That is why our men are dying. When they don’t use the weapon, they are ineffective.”

The decision to invade the Kursk region is turning out to be a massive strategic blunder.

The Ukrainians have lost vast numbers of men and vehicles in Kursk, but they aren’t going to be able to hold Russian territory for very long.

Meanwhile, the front in eastern Ukraine is at risk of completely collapsing.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to insist that the invasion of Kursk is part of his “victory plan” which he will soon unveil to Joe Biden…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his troops’ incursion into Russia’s Kursk region is part of a “victory plan” that he will present to US President Joe Biden next month.

Speaking at a forum on Tuesday, President Zelensky said the success of the plan would depend on President Biden and on whether the US would give Ukraine “what is in this plan or not, [and] whether we will be free to use this plan, or not”.

“It may sound too ambitious for some, but it is an important plan for us,” he added, saying that he would also show the plan to both US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

The only way that the Ukrainians can possibly achieve victory is to get the U.S. and other western powers directly involved in the conflict.

So far, the Ukrainians have not been able to do that.

But if that does happen at some point, that will bring us literally to the brink of nuclear war.

Sadly, most people have no idea what a nuclear conflict would actually look like.

According to author Annie Jacobsen, the initial blast of one nuclear warhead in Washington D.C. would immediately wipe out everything in a 9 mile diameter…

So with a 1-megaton bomb on Washington, DC, what happens in the very first millisecond is that this thermonuclear flash expands into a ball of fire that is one mile of pure fire. It’s 19 football fields of fire.

Then the fireball’s edges compress into what is called a steeply fronted blast wave — as dense wall of air pushing out, mowing down everything in its path three miles out, in every direction, because it is accompanied by several-hundred-mile-an-hour winds.

It’s like Washington, DC, just got hit by an asteroid and the accompanying wave. When you think about this initial 9-mile diameter ring, imagine every single engineered structure — buildings, bridges, etc. — collapsing.

That is what one nuclear warhead would do.

The Russians have thousands of them.

Millions would die during a full-blown nuclear exchange between the United States and Russia, but billions would potentially die during the nuclear winter that follows…

A Nuclear war would plunge our planet into a deep nuclear winter. In the worst-case scenario, a nuclear exchange between the U.S. and Russia (which together possess nearly 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons) could eject up to 165 million tons (150 million metric tons) of soot into Earth’s atmosphere, reducing surface temperatures by 16 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius) and sending global calorie production plummeting by as much as 90%.

We should do whatever it takes to avoid such a scenario.

If leaders on both sides were sane, they would sit down and try to talk things out while it is still possible to do so.

Unfortunately, neither side is interested in talking at this point, and so we continue to steamroll toward the unthinkable.

Is it possible to relocate a factory out of China due to the trade war between the US and China? If so, where would be the most suitable location for a new manufacturing site?

Only in a politician’s dream.

Modern factories rely on a supply chain. China’s supply chainsare very sophisticated. Related industries are clustered in one city or region. Garment manufacturers have instant access to thread, zippers, fabric, fasteners, and printing and dyeing. They use on time inventory to save time and money. So unless you can built a similar supply chain, you’ll have to import all your supplies from China anyway. And pay more.

In the case of the US, it is a service based economy. 70% of employment is in the service sector. Less than 10% is in manufacturing. Do you think anyone in the service sector wants a factory job? You’d have to play a hefty salary to get anyone to change.

And greed. UAW got a raise to $45 an hour and immediately wanted a 14% raise. That’s going to put the automakers out of business. They need to automate and reduce human labor to compete in the world market.

Politicians in the US got chip companies to move back to the US. Hooray. Raise the flag. But after the chips are made, they’ll get shipped back to China to make phones, laptops and computers.

Political fodder.

What is your take on the US sanctions against Xinjiang enterprises over the alleged use of forced labour?

The United States always lists some Chinese companies on the so-called “Entity List” on the grounds of suspected “forced labor of Uyghurs” and prohibits the import of their products.

Now, the sanctions list has expanded to more than 70 Chinese companies.

This number is not a simple statistic, but reflects a trend: the United States is using economic means to exert political pressure and trying to achieve its strategic goals by attacking Chinese companies.

But whether such an approach can really achieve the desired results is worth our deep consideration.

According to the United States, any goods related to Xinjiang may be considered as products of forced labor and therefore face sanctions.

However, the question is whether there is solid evidence to support this accusation, or is it a malicious frame-up for political purposes?

Xinjiang’s development achievements are obvious to all. The so-called “forced labor” and “genocide” are completely nonsense.

They are lies of the century fabricated by a very small number of anti-China elements. Their purpose is to mess up Xinjiang, discredit China, and curb China’s development.

It is obvious that this is the United States imposing illegal sanctions on Chinese companies under the guise of human rights.

The United States’ serious interference in China’s internal affairs, serious disruption of the normal market order, and serious violation of international trade rules and basic norms of international relations are essentially attempts to create “forced unemployment” in Xinjiang and infringe on the human rights of the vast number of people in Xinjiang in the name of human rights.

The Xinjiang companies sanctioned by the United States for so-called “forced labor” involve Xinjiang’s advantageous industries such as cotton and textiles and clothing, photovoltaic silicon-based, and tomato processing.

These industries play a very important role in promoting high-quality development, solving rural labor employment, and increasing farmers’ income.

You know, if a company’s exports are restricted, many downstream industries will not be able to obtain the necessary raw materials, and the normal operation of the entire industry will be impacted.

This is like a domino effect, one link after another, and in the end, it will not only be these companies that will suffer, but also tens of thousands of employees and families who depend on them for survival.

If the United States really cares about human rights, it should take measures to effectively solve domestic problems such as racial discrimination, gun violence, and drug abuse, rather than treating internal problems externally, interfering in other countries, and imposing sanctions indiscriminately.

Incest Cult Discovered in Backwoods of Australia | The Colt Clan

In the military, have you ever forgotten to salute an officer? Do all of them say something to you or do they let it go?

As a young Marine, I was stationed at NAS Millington (TN) for school. Was walking back to class one day from a medical appointment and I could SEE a Navy guy in khaki walking toward me (our paths were 90 degrees out and we were GOING to intersect).

At the time, I didn’t think to look at the guys shoes. I was scared, pretty freshly out of the heinousness of boot camp and was just desperately just trying to make out whether or not he was an O based on rank insignia.

I could NOT tell, however much I squinted and strained to see. And he was looking… I’m pretty sure he could tell I was mortified and terrified that I’d screw up and embarrass my command/myself.

I was at the point where I was anticipating being stopped and loudly berated and was just beside myself at the thought. Everything went into slo-mo. He was, unexpectedly, SUPER kind though.

He, in an exaggerated motion, turned his head toward me so I could clearly see the Lietenant bars on his cover, saluted me crisply and said “Good afternoon, Marine.”

All with a small smile (no condescension whatsoever) while giving me the opportunity to salute and bark my “Good afternoon, Sir! Thank you!” He never missed a beat.

Was I embarrassed?

Yes, of course!

But that sailor, in that moment was EXACTLY what an officer should be: an example of grace, confidence, leadership, and generosity when appropriate… and I think he knew it.

Have always wondered who he was because he, with that one tiny gesture, had a significant impact on me in a time when I was pretty low and had been targeted and harassed by my own chain of command because I was a bit… different and didn’t quite fit the mold they believed I should fit as a person (not as a Marine, but my personal likes/dislikes/interests). Amazing what tiny acts of generosity and/or kindness can do. I try to live by his example from that day. 🙂

What are common scams in India?

*’NEW HOTEL SCAM!!*

This is one of the smartest scams I have heard about.

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. Typically when checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for any charges to your room) and they don’t retain the card.

You go to your room and settle in. All is good.

The hotel receives a call and the caller asks for (as an example) *room 620* – which happens to be your room.

The phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following:

*’This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information.*

*Please re-read me your credit card numbers and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.’*

Not thinking anything wrong, since the call seems to come from the front desk you oblige. But actually, *it is a scam by someone calling from outside the hotel*. They have asked for a *random room number*, then *ask you for your credit card and address information.*

*They sound so professional, that you think you are talking to the front desk.*

If you ever encounter this scenario on your travels, *tell the caller that you will be down to the front desk to clear up any problems.*

Then, *go to the front desk or call directly and ask if there was a problem.*

If there was none, *inform the manager of the hotel that someone tried to scam you of your credit card information, acting like a front desk employee.*

This was sent by someone who has been duped……..

and is still cleaning up the mess.

Florida Woman Lies About Man Violating Her—Security Footage Reveals Truth!

What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever visited?

Johnston Island. You can’t go there, at least not legally.

It’s about 800 miles SSW of Honolulu, making it roughly 3,000 miles SSW of San Diego.

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Good features:

Federal wildlife sanctuary. Birdshit EVERYWHERE. Great if you’re prospecting for birdshit.

No noisy neighbors. Except the birds.

Humans all gone now.

Clear-ass water 90 feet deep in the lagoon. Sharks can be seen, and guys used to catch (and sometimes eat) them.

Bad features:

Used to have a shitload of chemical (and probably biological) warheads stored there. All were incinerated in the 1990s and the incineration facility demolished.

Atomic weapons were launched from there in the early 1960s. Two test shots failed, including one that scattered PLUTONIUM all over the launchpad. They buried the waste, but it is still there. Do Not Visit ‘Mount Pluto,” which is where that stuff is buried.

No facilities. Airstrip decommissioned.

A sailboat sheltered in the atoll some years ago during a hurricane. Better than nothing, they said.

I visited there in 1991 as an Army Photojournalist. We repatriated our chemical munitions from West Germany and shipped them there for disposal. I covered the shipment and transfer story.

What has China done to merit the USA referring to them as the Chinese threat?

Short answer: exist.

Longer answer: China is rising rapidly to surpass the USA as the world’s dominant power. The USA cannot lose face.

Detailed answer: China’s rise will undermine US hegemony and thus take away its financial privileges to export away its inflation and punish other nations for not complying with its foreign policy.

The Strange DNA of the last mammoths

POLICE IN JAPAN HAVE NO WORK TO DO THESE DAYS!!!

Yes you read that right.

The Japanese police have been doing literally nothing these days.

The reason behind this is the ever decreasing crime rate in Japan.

Let me tell you some facts here:

The crime rate in Japan has decreased to negligible amount in last 13 years.
On an average, there is less than 1% chance of crime for every 100,000 people in Japan.
There was only one incident of murder last year in Japan. Yes just one!
The most important element of police power, though, is not authority to search, but authority in the community. Like school teachers, Japanese policemen rate high in public esteem, especially in the countryside.
The police in Japan are trained in calligraphy and Haiku composition.
Police in Japan do carry a gun but they rarely use it. Instead they use their black belts in judo or police sticks. In an average year, the entire Tokyo police force only fires six shots.
15,000 koban “police boxes” are located throughout the cities.
Police koban box officers spend time teaching neighborhood youth judo or calligraphy.
The officers even hand- write their own newspapers, with information about crime and accidents, “stories about good deeds by children, and opinions of
residents.”
Tokyo is the safest city in the entire world.

What do you know that most people don’t?

Everyone knows these facts.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) commonly cause headache.
Diabetes (high sugar) can be countered by taking bitter gourd.
Avoiding fatty food can surely reduce cholesterol.
Heart attack always cause left sided chest pain.
Pricking type of chest pain located at one point in the left chest may be heart attack.
An Echo test (heart scanning) can identify blocks in the heart.
Fruits are no no for a diabetic
Smoking just one cigarette is not very dangerous.
It is very rare for women to die of heart attack.

Unfortunately; all of the above are wrong.

It is very rare for people to get headache because of hypertension unless the BP is very severe (accelerated hypertension, hypertensive encephalopathy or a hypertensive stroke).

Diabetes results from low levels or ineffective Insulin in the body. Taking bitter gourd actually worsens blood sugar (it is complex carbohydrate).

60 % of serum cholesterol is synthesized in the Liver. So despite strict dieting people can still have very high cholesterol.

Heart attack pain can be anywhere from above the navel to below the jaw, it can radiate to shoulders or back or feel like ‘indigestion’. Despite the classic left chest, left arm pain, many often cardiac pain is atypical.

Pricking chest pain, localized to a point is almost always non-cardiac

An Echo test shows heart valves and heart muscles and cardiac contractility, it cannot identify a coronary block. Indirect evidence of block by way of heart muscle abnormality may be shown in echo.

Citrus fruits and bananas have low glycemic index and are recommended in diabetic diet

Even one cigarette smoking can cause transient narrowing of coronary artery and precipitate a block in a susceptible person (coronary spasm).

Chance of a women dying of an heart attack is more than breast and uterine cancer added together. It is of course less common than in men in menstrual age group.

Shorpy

The China Army announced in a recent air defense exercise that “shooting at drone swarms is challenging,” with modern anti-aircraft artillery groups only shooting down 40% of the drones. What does this mean?

Who has the most drone swarms?

China!

China is currently the world’s largest drone developer and producer. They have developed most of the world’s military and civilian drones. 75% of the world’s drones and drone parts are supplied by Chinese companies.

Most of the drones used by both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield are actually assembled with Chinese parts.

China unveils new aerial cluster drone for swarm attacks - Asia Times

Chinese scientists have developed a new type of war drone that can rapidly multiply midair, a tactical shock and awe phenomenon against potential

https://asiatimes.com/2024/03/china-unveils-new-aerial-cluster-drone-for-swarm-attacks/

Chinese companies can easily operate 500 drones in a commercial show and combine them into various gorgeous patterns. The Chinese army can command hundreds of swarms of drones in the woods to search and attack targets at the same time

Who has modern anti-aircraft artillery groups?

China!

The United States has basically stopped deploying ground anti-aircraft guns, and Russia and Europe rarely equip such weapons. Among the major powers, only China has more such weapons.

Who organized this experiment?

China!

Perhaps there is also controversy among the Chinese:

Faced with a large number of low-cost drone cluster attacks, can traditional low-altitude air defense equipment effectively respond? So they organized this military exercise.

This is the world’s first large-scale drone attack/defense exercise publicly conducted.

The Chinese Army and CETC participated in the exercise:

The army was responsible for defending a position, and the company operated a drone swarm to attack.

The Army:

Use PGZ-09 self-propelle anti-aircraft guns and 625E anti-aircraft guns to form a defensive position.

PGZ-09

PGZ-09 has a 2-mounted 25mm anti-aircraft gun, which can fire 600-800 rounds per minute and has a target automatic tracking radar.

625E

The 625E anti-aircraft gun has a Gatling machine gun, which can fire 4000-6000 rounds per minute, and has a radar and optoelectronic tracking system.

CETC:

Using a cluster of small drones to attack, through AI formation and automatic execution to avoid flight routes. The news did not disclose the number of drones involved in the attack. I personally estimate that there are more than 100.

This is also a powerful drone swarm, far exceeding the number and density of drone attacks on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield.

Final result:

In the first round of confrontation, 60% of the drones evaded the dense anti-aircraft barrage and broke through to the target: this means that the position has been destroyed and the Chinese army has been defeated by their own company.

======================================

In fact, there are usually three ways for the military of various countries around the world to defend against drones

1. Dense barrage

Directly shoot down drones through automatic weapons, shotguns, etc.

2. Laser weapons

Detect through radar and use high-energy lasers to attack drones.

3. Electronic interference

Interfere with the communication of drones through radio interference equipment, making them lose their attack capability

Drone jammer used by Russian soldiers

And anti-aircraft missiles, automatic rifles, fighters, helicopters, tanks and other weapons are basically useless against low-altitude small drones.

In fact, laser weapons are easily affected by weather and it is difficult to defend multiple targets at the same time.

Electronic interference is easy to be cracked and targeted defense, thus failing.

So the Chinese military chose the most effective way: dense barrage. But it still failed

This exercise highlights that the war mode is changing rapidly, from a war centered on soldiers and high-value equipment to a war centered on unmanned weapons and low-cost weapons. Even China, the country that is best at developing and producing drones in the world, has not found a good way to defend itself against drones.

This experiment will greatly promote the Chinese military’s research and development progress in anti-drone equipment, and various anti-drone equipment from China will quickly appear and occupy the market.

At the same time, the Chinese military’s drone combat methods and concepts will receive more and more attention, more models and combat methods will be developed, and drone weapons based on AI and swarm combat will be placed in a very important position.

They will continue to poke their own shields with their spears, and eventually both the spears and shields will develop rapidly and quickly leave other competitors behind.

Runza Casserole

A casserole version of the Russian runza (also called a bierock) which is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions and seasonings.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans ready to bake crescent rolls
1 package (about 8 slices) Swiss cheese
1 head cabbage, finely shredded
1 medium onion, diced

Instructions

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1 package of crescent rolls.
Brown ground beef with cabbage and onions. Drain grease from ground beef.
Combine ground beef, cabbage and onion with cream of mushroom soup.
Pour over crescent rolls.
Layer top of ground beef mixture with Swiss cheese.
Open second can of crescent rolls and layer over top of Swiss cheese, trying to cover all the cheese, so the cheese does not become browned during baking.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Dear Eva, Space Girlfriend

Karen Quick

The sirens blare all throughout the ship as the emergency lights flare up crimson red and flash so brilliantly it could give even the blind a headache. I grumble to myself, not for the first time, that perhaps rather than focusing on building such an elaborate panic system, the amare ships could focus on maybe making a design that wasn’t infiltratable?The amare to my right moves his humanoid figure to glance in my direction, and I can tell without looking that he’s got his eyebrows raised at me, probably wondering what I dared mutter under my breath.“I was wondering if the guards have managed to catch the intruder yet,” I offer before he gets a chance to ask. In response, he grunts, and I can tell just by the warbling notes that the answer to my question is still no. The amare glides away from me towards the screens to join my mother, who is currently occupied with chastising the control men for letting such a grievous error occur on the fleet’s lead ship of all places.Of course, how could they know that the intruder the guards are trying to find is, in fact, one of the guards? My mother’s arms start to glow mahogany, symbolizing her frustration, which I felt was a tad excessive considering that all four of her eyes were glaring and her mouth was set into its thin-lipped position of doom. It’s an infamous expression of hers, as those on the outlying systems of the galaxy say that those who incur the Queen’s wrath have to retire from their regal positions and become farmers just to rid themselves of their newfound anxieties.It’s just a rumor.Probably.One of the guards enters the command center and makes the mistake of telling the amarean rulers that the intruder has somehow managed to evade all search groups and is only about an estimated thirteen quaarsects away from breaking into this very area. The queen, of course, is very angry to hear this and decrees that the royal family is to be ushered towards the safe rooms until the threat is contained. My reactionary smile elicits no alarm; to any of the onlookers, it may seem only as if I’m relieved to be taken out of the supposed sphere of danger. But in truth, this is exactly where the “intruder” will be heading us off. Everything seems to be going according to plan.Let’s get this straight:I’m the Amarean Princess of the Evenor Galaxy. (I’m not trying to brag; it’s just simple fact).Our intruder is one of the odiums, our sworn enemies, who is currently posing as one of our palace guards.By race, and by class, this odium is my enemy.

She’s also my girlfriend.

My family races down corridors on the starboard side of the spaceship, my mother muttering as we go that this was supposed to be a fun, carefree, simple family vacation into the neighboring sector. My father grunts his condolences to her and she swats his arm with a hand. “When we return home, deary, I’ll be firing all of the guards and pilots. They’re incompetent, all of them.” Mother’s arms surge again in mahogany. “I never should have let you do the important decision making,” she curses.

Father grunts to tell her that she looks lovely today.

She doesn’t get a chance to respond, however, when the guards surrounding us come to a sudden halt and draw out their Atomic Meson Desecrators, each aiming them at something unseen through the haze of stocky bodies and glowing arms. There’s really only one thing–or rather, one person–it could be though.

Mother’s arms glow neon in a surge of frustration. “How did they know we’d come this way?” She stomps her feet and even tries grabbing a Desecrator from one of the guards. “Impossible!”

Some of the guards shout at the figure beyond us to surrender, and even the queen calms down enough to see what the intruder does.

And the answer is: nothing. (Because it’s a hologram, but of course they wouldn’t know that.)

I can tell, because the guards start advancing slowly and warily, warning the creature to take their advice and just surrender already. Even my parents start to creep forward, flickers of curious orange dancing on their elbows.

A sudden gust of wind from directly behind me tousles my flowing sleeves and hair and would have startled me more if I didn’t know it was coming. “Don’t forget your lines,” a voice like dewberries on the melting fruit blocks of Cavarst sounds behind me. Elation and adrenaline flood my systems, turning my colors from a calmer green to bright, bright pink. In the few quaarsects I have left, I channel my emotions by focusing on a single thought–the idea of my parents, and the whole galaxy really, to discover the truth: that I’m dating an odium, and I like it.

The embarrassing shades of pink morph into an alarming yellow reserved only for moments of panic, and I summon forth a scream that even the renowned performers of Quada’ar would envy. In unison, every amare in the corridor glides abruptly to see what caused such a sound to come from me, and the colors of the amare switch from a spike of frightful brown to yellows, like my own.

Like two actors trust the other lead to fulfill their part of the role, I don’t bother to turn around and check that my supposed captor is holding an Atomic Meson Desecrator against my side. An arm wraps swiftly around my neck, cutting off the scream from the depths of my throat. My own hands raise towards it instinctively and claw away at it but to no avail. I can see out of the corner of my right eyes that in the hand attached to this arm is an Ectoplasmic Flash-Shifter: the handheld equivalent of a full-scale transporter. I register the mounting panic in the eight collective eyes of my parents as they identify the gadget at the same moment that the guards do.

“I’ll be taking her with me,” the voice from before growls with menace, before activating the Ectoplasmic Flash-Shifter. The last thing I see before I close my eyes is the hand of my mother grabbing my father’s fearfully, as she screams at the guards to do something.

I blink, and when light filters in again I find myself on an entirely different ship. Through one of the gaping windows, I can see the faint outline of the royal fleet, though it’s hard to identify as a consistent flow of asteroids float past the hull. We must be attached to one of them, I guess, so that the fleet’s radars don’t notice us.

“Make yourself at home,” my captor jokes, tossing the Desecrator into a bin labeled props. She’s a bit on the taller side, dressed in the uniform of the amarean guards. As she morphs back into her natural skin she loses the look of one of my kind, replacing the flowing colors with pale arms and the second pair of eyes for impressively long eyelashes, which she then proceeds to bat excessively in my direction. I laugh.

“I think today’s performance was encore-worthy, no?” She smirks at my comment before inclining her head towards one of the doors. We walk side-by-side, catching up on each other’s latest endeavors, deciding what royal official she’ll go undercover as next, debating whether or not I should be returned with a ransom or escape all on my own–all perfectly normal things to discuss with your enemy-turned-girlfriend.

We spill out into a dining hall, where in floating mists of liquid nitrogen, small eddies caused the droplets to swirl about in a dance known only to them. Large fronds and flowers were doted lovingly upon by insects undoubtedly purchased from the exotic markets of Frundrum. At an oddly shaped table, morphed into such a pattern that it arguably had no definitive shape sat at all a tall, wiry looking humanoid, whose head perked up at the sound of us entering the space.

“Good morning!” he called, for in odium culture days are nonexistent and their preferred “time of day” is the morning. “It’s good to see you again, Kay,” he says to me, using my nickname, for amarean names are depressingly long and are rather a headache for any other species to say. He motioned towards the seats irregularly spaced around the table, and we sit down. After offering us a few breakfast delicacies the man relaxes back to eat what’s been placed before him.

My captor reaches with a glass into the air and catches a bit of liquid nitrogen inside. “Will Mom be able to make brunch today?”

“I’m afraid not, Eva,” my potential father-in-law responds as Eva takes a sip of liquid nitrogen.

For odiums, if a name is longer than three syllables then it’s not the name of an odium, and really if anything in their lives gets too complicated they no longer consider themselves odium. Sometimes when I’m with my girlfriend’s family, I can’t help but think that if my mother tried the detoxing approach that they did, perhaps she wouldn’t be so uptight all the time. My mother, calm? The thought is almost laughable.

Eva’s father pauses between bites of intergalactic scrambled eggs to look at me. “And dear Kay,” he journeys, in that ever-calm tone of his, “I was wondering what time your parents would like you home by?”

I share a look with Eva. “Well, if we’re doing a ransom,” she starts, “then maybe–”

“Sometime after lunch?” I finish.

The other odium at the table wipes his fingers serenely on his napkin. “That’s fine by me,” he tells us. “Have you two made any extravagant plans for today?”

“Not this time,” I say, peering out of the window at the fleet and imagining what sort of chaos is ensuing at this very moment.

“That does remind me though,” my girlfriend announces, redirecting my attention. “I heard that there’s to be a new play on Quada’ar starting shortly if you’re interested. Opening night is said to be several days from now. This Saturday, I believe.”

I smile, thinking of what sort of scenario we’ll think up next to whisk me away for several hundred quaarsects. Something crazy, I’m sure.

“This Saturday, you said? Then it’s a date

I have been meeting more and more Americans abroad who permanently left the U.S. and told me it was the best thing they did, and that they never want to go back. Why is that so? Is it due to the POTUS?

Originally Answered: I have been meeting more and more Americans abroad who permanently left the U.S. and told me it was the best thing they did, or that they never want to go back. Why is that so, is it due to POTUS?

In 1997 My 44 yo wife died of cancer.

She had the best insurance money could buy.

While she was being treated, Chemo and radiation her renewal date came up and they cancelled her policy.

I lost everything I had worked for and decided to look elsewhere.

I got on a strangers sailboat and months later wound up in New Zealand from Seattle.

I have never entertained the idea of returning.

I have lived around the world and my eyes are wide open. Something that cannot happen by no travel.

I have found a lot of what Americans long for.

Lower taxes, totally freemedical for life, a safe country, no guns, no enemies and a most beautiful place tolive.

Not lacking in anything.

My town is 50% white and 50% Maoriand others.

no racial issues.

The quality of life is unsurpassed.

A govt that listens to it’s people. My only regret is not leaving 20 yrs earlier.

Comanche Women | More BRUTAL than the Men

Do you think Malaysia should adopt a different approach to the South China Sea dispute than Vietnam or the Philippines?

Look, the SCS spat has negligible economic value for all claimants, especially in light of the annual trade and investment the peace dividend engender.

That is not a contentious point of view.

The largest natural feature in the SCS is Taiping island, and has been continuously occupied by Taiwanese military way before the current troubles began.

The United States based troops on Taiwan, and recognized and supported Taiwan’s claims in the SCS until 1978, when it began the strategic withdrawal as part of the terms agreed with Beijing.

Not surprisingly, China flying a different flag is suddenly painted as the illegitimate bully making forceful, illegal claims without merit.

Taiping island therefore becomes an embarrassing contradiction in the department of state’s narrative. According to some, President Tsai was forced to cancel her trip under American pressure this year, an important tradition for departing presidents at term end.

Malaysia gains little strategic or economic advantage with ownership of the SCS features. There is no benefit starting an unnecessary quarrel with China, not when the scope for cooperation is a mile-long list.

The Philippines is pursuing a different agenda centered around big daddy. The longer this confrontation goes on, the more trade and investment will be affected.

Vietnam’s interest is strategic. As long as they don’t overreach, it should be manageable.

What are some of the most famous regrets ever?

A photo that absolutely haunts me is the photo below of Leni Riefenstahl, a famous movie director from Germany. Riefenstahl’s stylistic movie making skills had helped the Nazis make excellent propaganda for a few years, but Riefenstahl had been largely insulated from the brutality of their reign — she just made some nice films, attended red carpet events and dined with the high and mighty at their most charming. Everything changed in September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland and Riefenstahl decided to be a war correspondent…

main qimg 8f16d330858b60fddd175d9683161ce1

A German officer later relayed the story of the photo above. He said there was a group of Jewish Poles gathered in a square. Riefenstahl was shooting scenes and asked the soldiers to “remove the people from the square” so she could capture the square and the soldiers better… the officer to which Riefenstahl gave the command, relayed it to his men thus: “Riefenstahl says, get rid of the Jews!” And the soldiers nodded, aimed their rifles and opened fire on them. They gunned down the Jews in front of the frightened director…

The moment was captured on camera by an assistent. Leni Riefenstahl, on September 12, 1939, coming to terms with what the Nazis were really all about. She later tried to sanitize the events in her memoirs, in which she pretended she tried to intervene and was threatened with death after. Looking at the photo I don’t see brave intervention — just a woman, frozen in mortal terror as she is forced to watch the consequences of the propaganda she helped make.

Legally what will happen to a captain that abandons his ship, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves?

As with everything in this world, it depends.

Let’s take two real world examples, the Costa Concordia and the Oceanos.

In both cases the captains evacuated themselves from their ships while many passengers were still onboard.

In the famous case of the Costa Concordia, Captain Francesco Schettino famously left his ship aboard a launch and headed for shore despite being repeatedly warned to return to his ship by radio from a coast guard unit responding to the sinking.

He didn’t. He went to shore and was seen wringing out his wet socks as rescuers struggled to get passengers out of the water and safely to shore.

main qimg f40925cd1a768038f1b2ea704a27531e lq

He was nicknamed ‘Captain Coward’ by the press for his inactions and seeming lack of concern for those under his care.

He was ultimately charged with a variety of crimes, among them ‘abandoning a ship with passengers.’ He ended up being sentenced to 16 years for all the crimes which also included multiple manslaughters, causing a maritime accident, and lack of cooperation with rescue operations.

The other sinking was the passenger ship Oceanos. This French ship got caught in extremely bad weather and some rogue waves tore off a water inlet beneath the ship. Normally watertight compartments would prevent total sinking but uncompleted work left an uncapped open 4″ water pipe to let flooding water out of the compartment and into the rest of the ship.

Captain Yiannis Avranas and his crew never announced an emergency. As something was obviously wrong, entertainers and other passengers made their way to an empty bridge. One of the entertainers, Moss Hills, got on the radio and broadcast the first Mayday calls!

Captain Avranas and most of his entire command staff left the boat with many crew following, virtually abandoning the passengers.

The entertainers aboard the ship took over crew duties and managed to get all the passengers either into life boats or lifted off the deck by helicopter to safety.

Captain Avranas even had the audacity to call the ship and ask how the evacuation was going!!!

The captain was later quoted as saying, “When I order abandon the ship, it doesn’t matter what time I leave. Abandon is for everybody. If some people like to stay, they can stay.”

A Greek board of inquiry found Avranas and four officers negligent in their handling of the disaster, but he was never incarcerated, and his company, Epirotiki, gave him command of another ferry until his retirement.

What’s the shadiest tactic you’ve witnessed HR use at your job?

A company where I worked in the ’80s and ’90s had a policy of organizing all the employees into teams. If someone wanted to change jobs within the company they had to get the approval of both the team they were leaving and the team they would be joining.

A woman who was well-known as an excellent worker wanted to move to another, better job within the company. Everyone expected that she would have no difficulty since she had such a good reputation. Her team got together to do an evaluation of her, and everyone gave her glowing recommendations. They said they would be sorry to lose her, but that she had worked hard and learned a lot and deserved to get a promotion. Her new team also was impressed with her accomplishments and her reputation, and said they’d be glad to have her working with them.

So everyone was shocked to find that HR had denied her transfer. When questioned they said that her team’s evaluations had been TOO good, that no one was perfect and the evaluations couldn’t have been honest. However, they agreed to let her team do the evaluations over. The second time around, each person tried to come up with some criticism, but all they could think of were little things like “Sometimes her perfume is a little strong” or “Once a couple of years ago she was a few minutes late when she had a flat tire.” The result? HR denied her transfer AGAIN because there were too many negative comments!

This was too much! The team leaders from both her old team and the team she wanted to join went to upper management and insisted that she be given the transfer. No one else knew the details of what happened after that, but HR reversed their decision and she got the transfer.

Trash Talking 20 Year Old Gets Instantly Humbled

A removal of nature to create a parking lot

Off the “beaten path”, off in a forgotten corner of the community of Salem, Massachusetts is this little (seemingly forgotten) park. Forest River Park.

I visited it by chance. It was beautiful and pristine.

Not too many people ever visited it. Too bad. It was beautiful

A little oasis from the encroaching town.

Forest River Park in Salem, Massachusetts, was created to provide a public recreational area that takes advantage of the natural beauty and waterfront of Salem Harbor. The park offers access to green space, walking trails, and waterfront activities. It was established to enhance community life and preserve natural landscapes for public enjoyment.

It really was beautiful. A undiscovered and mostly forgotten gem of a park. It’s full of overly grown grass around rocky boulder facing a large ocean bay. Lots of shady trees, fresh New England air.

Just a perfect, quiet space.

I loved it when I visited it.

A nice little paradise.

Something that has been forgotten in the United States today. How many, many parks that the United States have built in the tiny communities over the last few years? The last few decades? How about the last century?

Answer: NONE.

Zero.

Zilch!

It was beautiful.

People, couples, families all need a sense of a nice piece of nearby nature. The Europeans and Chinese know this. Americans have forgotten this.

Enjoy local exploration.

You might be surprised at what you might discover.

Now for the sad part of this story.

It was renovated in 2021.

All the grass, boulders, and trees were bulldozed over. And a nice pavilion of concrete and glass, with a big wide parking lot was put in its place.

forest river pool entry view 0 2000x1500 — forest river pool entry view 0 2000×1500

You can well see that the city planners maximized the use of the space.

Cutting down all of the trees, removing all of the bushes, and shrubbery, and dynamiting all of the boulders.

Instead of a lonely, off the beaten track area of greenery, we now have a government run facility with a pools and displays of local wildlife that used to live here.

3374 forest river pool site plan without c91 2 2000x1500 — 3374 forest river pool site plan without c91 2 2000×1500

As you can see (with the trees to scale), this “new” park is mostly a parking lot, a building and a large cement pool. The only remaining “green area” is the 25% to the left in the picture. Which consists of 4 to 7 trees and some decorate shrubbery. Plus additional parking.

Today, this is what the “park” looks like… this is a 3D rendering. But it is not accurate. In truth the “green trees” aren’t there.

Nope. The rendering is lying.

What you think is green trees is really this…

It’s nice, and quaint. But a wooded area it is NOT. It’s just roads and homes with a tree interspersed here and there. Sorry and sad to say.

Its truly a sad thing to behold. A removal of nature to create a parking lot.

A sad, sad state of American decay.

Today…

Is war between the USA and China inevitable?

Do people in Macau hate Mainlanders like people in Hong Kong do?

We welcome them with open arms.

The size of the crowds can be overwhelming though. Macau has a land mass if 28 SQ km. A population of 680,000. The densest population on the planet.

Last week we had 160,000 visitors in a single day.

Buses are jammed and slow with such crowds. There are areas that you absolutely avoid to not get into a crowd.

The government pays citizens US $1200 a year as a wealth sharing scheme. (Large taxes from the casinos).

I look at it as an inconvenience payment.

But no we welcome mainland visitors because they spend, spend spend.

We don’t bite the hand that feeds us.

An old MM video

I made this one about a year and a half ago. Short. Maybe three minutes long.

Behind the scenes of Chinese military might

Canada follows the US and imposes 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, including Tesla. What do you think?

China manufactured 9.05 Million Electric Vehicles in 2023

Of these 8.09 Million were sold within China while 960,000 were exported of which most were Tesla

So China is pretty OK

With virtually 90% EVs sold within China, the EV companies need to restructure their profits to keep making money in China and keep innovating and making profit

China has a long potential for buying EVs and for the next 15–16 years at least, Chinese EVs can innovate and keep their edge from the Domestic Market without dependence on US or Europe leave alone Canada

Meanwhile they have the Russian Market which has 41 Million Middle Class consumers plus the Eastern European and Asean markets with a further 27 Million

The thing is THEY HAVE TO MAKE MORE PROFIT IN CHINA which means they have to tweak their profit structure and ask for a waiver in lateral subsidies and rise their costs by 7%–9%

Presently BYD makes under 9000 CNY in China per Car versus a whopping 38900 CNY in Europe

If they absorb this tariff – then their profit reduces to 14200 CNY for that model which is still higher than the profit they make in China

So they may just absorb the tariff and keep selling the EVs and shaving their profits

They may sell their parts to joint ventures in Europe and Canada and earn royalty or license fees

Either way they are pretty OK for the next 10–15 years

They have a huge domestic market that is growing bigger every day

Why does China seem to be single in the game without many allies yet appears so strong?

According to Chinese economists and strategies. Here is what they have observed during the cold war. In order to gain those so called allies, the US gave out a huge amount of aid to western Europe, known as the marshall plan. In order to compete with America, the USSR offered something similar to eastern Europe but only half as impressive. In the Soviet camp, eastern Europe weren’t happy became they got less aid and poorer than their neighbors. Russia itself wasn’t happy because it kept giving out aid, and cheap oils, resulted in huge internal debt. And finally their people couldn’t take it, and dissolved the USSR. The only ones that were happy at the time, were Vietnam, NK, and maybe India.

The USA wasn’t in a better position, they had lost all their traditional industries to Japan and western Europe. If it wasn’t for the new industries they invented, the USA would be done in the 90s, losing to Japan and Europe. So stop saying that China had stolen jobs from the America, the US had lost those jobs a long time ago. The cold war was a death race, the US is still hurting from it.

What was China’s conclusion? Only inclusive naturally developed trade relationship can benefit both sides. In other words, China aren’t going to pay for allies, that’s prostitution. So, how does China deal with the gigantic alliance structure of the US? Let me use Australia as an example, China Australia trade is almost 350B per year. In order for Australia to side with the US completely(not just verbally) against China, the US would have to compensate for their lost. So, China not only benefited from the trade with Australia, but also increase the cost for the US to maintain their alliance structure. That’s why you saw the US can only afford to pay country like the Philippines to confront China. China doesn’t pay any country to side with it political and militarily, it wants the US to pay more maintaining their alliances.

The US can’t even relocate TSMC from Taiwan back to the US and create some high quality jobs, because if they do that, Taiwan’s only economic relationship with the US would be gone.

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What If You Landed on Kepler 22-B?

What is your best badass firearm story?

I grew up in rural areas. I learned to shoot when I was 7. I then went to college, and met my wife who lived in a nearby town with her parents while attending college. I have always been the type who doesn’t make much bravado out of being able to defend myself. I don’t really want to hurt anybody, but I will hurt anybody who threatens my family.

My in-laws managed to check nearly every one of Jeff Foxworthy’s you might be a redneck. Somehow in a town of 30,000 they lived off the pavement and down a dirt road. Father-in-laws camper shell had more curtains than their home.

My future in-laws got it into their heads I was a soft college boy. It might be because I always dressed up to pick up their daughter for dates. It might be because at 6′2″ and 240 lbs much of it muscle at the time, I was cautious with my strength. It might be because I didn’t drink or cuss. Never mind I had relatives on my Mom’s side almost just like them, grew up in the country, shot coyotes attacking livestock, bucked hay, worked on ranches, worked in a feed store, and worked in a lumber mill.

After my future father-in-law said if he saw me around again I better be able to outrun buckshot, we eloped. This led to about a few months of drunken threatening messages left on our answering machine.

Eventually two things thawed the relationship a bit. One was my mother-in-laws gambling addiction, and need a babysitter. My wife’s over a decade younger sibling couldn’t be left alone without making a disaster when mother-in-law went gambling. The other was learning we were expecting their first grandchild.

My Father-in-law decided I need to learn how to shoot to protect his future grandchild. He asked if I had ever shot a firearm. My answer was, “Some” and didn’t elaborate. He had me drive his truck (had he driven he would probably have got a DUI) out to BLM land. He took the 6 cans he had finished off and lined them up on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and handed me a handgun. I forget exactly what it was but it was a very small pistol and I forget what it was chambered in. It wasn’t .22 LR, but might have been .25 ACP. This was in 1994. I shot the first 4 cans no problem. When I shot the 5th can it knocked over the 6th can so the top was facing us. I shot it, and he immediately said I missed one. I said I didn’t think so. He picked it up and I had shot it through the opening in the top of the can. I could not have hit there if I had tried, but it still impressed him. (A firearm I had never fired before, with unknown ammunition, tiny pocket pistol, at about 20 feet/6 meters).

Later that evening he was drunk came at me swinging. I put him in a bear hug, told him I didn’t want to hurt him, and placed him on the lawn. He got back up swinging. I did the same thing again except instead of setting him down I tossed him a few feet onto the lawn. The next day he said, “I guess you can protect my daughter and grandchild.”

All about Cottages

Maybe too many are too cutesy. Still, the more plain ones are more suitable for myself. Real and actual historical cottages, especially those from the Victorian era, were awesome.

Proof Egyptians Didn’t Build The Pyramids?

Which Asian country has the lowest crime rate compared to Japan and South Korea?

I will probably make your jaw drop- Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore are close contenders to Japan.

Let’s compare how is life in ‘low crimes’ like in Tokyo and ‘ slightly higher crimes’ in Kuala Lumper see what transpires.

Anywhere in Tokyo, intrusion into someone’s privacy raises an eyebrow.. like, A man knock on your door at midnight: “ I can’t sleep! from my bedroom I can see the wall light at your porch.”— You bow low and says, “I’m so sorry, I’ll turn if off at once.”

In Kuala Lumpur you can light up the entire house all night like Christmas day or Ramadan come early in Damansara Height or Bangsar , a millionaire’s row —No one will say nothing! Why? To scare the would be thieves…and it works.

Corruptions in Japan do exist and is a crime. But it’s no match with **Thailand ** where corruption is hard to define. Such as, when a top cop borrowed 300 million Baht from the massage king and already paid back just in time before the corruption buster knocked on his door. So, no case means ‘no corruption’ in Thailand.

Crimes against women hardly happened in Japan unlike **Thailand **where rape is a century-old practice, police consider —it: no big deal** but rapists may go scott-free after the police negotiate to get the rapist to pay compensation to the victim… So no case, no crime, and no bad conduct—as good as a ‘clean sheet’ for that guy.

Before a crime like road rage can happen in Japan a “bow to one another” has taken place, thus no crime committed, so road rage in Japan is unheard off.

Similarly **Singapore**, before any road rage happens, a teasing to one another as a prelude like “ You punch me first, lah, a goondu!” The other driver may curse and swear but drive off. So, no case, no jail terms as no one throws the first punch, and no crime was committed. Singapore is almost a road rage-crime-free.

But living in Japan is awesome for a loner and you are guaranteed to have peace on the busiest street where you live as no one looks at you, talks to you, and you are invisible, so to speak! (even in Shibuya or Ginza) in Japan’s Golden Week.

How would you describe the USA in just one phrase?

Utterly divided.

A person doesn’t have to have a degree in politics to see how divided and tribalistic America has become recently. I honestly don’t think we’ve been this separate as a country since the Civil War.

People have fallen for the “if you’re not 100% for us, then you’re 100% against us” mentality. You can see this on either side of the aisle. To be clear, I’m not demonizing either major American political party here. I’m condemning them. There’s this one quote from a fella you might know about by the name of Abraham Lincoln: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” While Lincoln was referring to slave states versus free states, I am using his quote to refer to Republicans versus Democrats.

With division, comes bloodshed. We’ve seen it with slavery vs. freedom, Christian vs. Muslim, Protestant vs. Catholic, Communist vs. Capitalist, white vs. black, and I think that soon we’ll start to see Democrat vs. Republican.

Your CAT Manifested YOU | SECRET Spiritual SIGNIFICANCE of Cats

What did you do after learning your spouse cheated on you?

I drove an hour and a half to take her home. No arguments, no begging—just a quiet drive. When we arrived, I helped her pack up her things, making sure she had everything she needed. Once her bags were ready, I sent her on her way without a second thought. I’ve always believed that people who don’t want to be in my life, simply don’t have to be. I won’t be someone’s second choice.

This wasn’t just some mistake. It wasn’t a slip-up or an innocent misunderstanding. The lies, the deceptions, the secret calls and texts—none of that happens by accident. It’s not like she accidentally fell into another man’s bed or stumbled into those intimate conversations. She made deliberate choices, and I saw them for what they were.

Forgiving her came easily because I knew I had done nothing wrong. Yes, it hurt, but I refused to let her continue to have power over my emotions. Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. I chose to let her go, not just physically, but emotionally. It was her loss, not mine. I didn’t reach out, and she didn’t either. I wasn’t going to live in some fantasy or nightmare she created.

When she realized I wasn’t coming back, she got angry. She called me selfish for ending things, claiming she was a human being who deserved understanding. My response was simple: “So am I.” That was the end of it. That very night, she moved in with the guy she cheated with.

But I know my worth. I deserve more than what she was offering. I won’t settle for anything less.

How would you describe the USA in just one phrase?

A broken-down mess.

A perhaps once great nation struggling with a dysfunctional political system: only two significant parties, completely reliant on the availability of big bucks (with inevitable consequences, bearing in mind where those bucks come from) and which has slipped into the new Post-truth era with hardly a squeak of protest. (Certainly there have been more than murmurings of dissent among intellectuals and some journalists, but no groundswell of disgust or mass revolt.)

Also a country that likes to hide its woes. It likes to be seen as the wealthiest in the world, as the ‘land of opportunity’ – and yet forty percent of households could not meet an unexpected bill of $400 without having to sell something or borrow.

To those who complacently trot out platitudes like ‘it’s the greatest country in the world’, I’d say, first ‘open your eyes!’ and second: ‘if you want it to be, do something to make it so…’

In many ways there are echoes of this in my own stricken country, the UK, which also has a dysfunctional democracy and too many who want to live on past glories (real or imagined) and put their faith in a lying bunch of shysters who they imagine will lead them back to those halcyon days. (The pro-Brexit rhetoric really did include references to ‘sunlit uplands’, crudely parodying one of Churchill’s wartime speeches. ) They have a rude awakening in store. Those of us who don’t share the dream are already all too aware of the grim reality – actual and pending.

U.S. Government IS LYING And Evidence Of ALIENS Exists: NewsNation SPECIAL REPORT

This is a US government affiliated channel. So the fact that this is public says A LOT.

What’s the best thing someone told you on their deathbed that made you appreciate life in a whole new way?

This is a story that, until now, I have only told a handful of people. And I have been typing it with tears in my eyes all the way through.

It happened six and a half year ago. I just turned 21 at the time and was in my second year of college. My mother had battled breast cancer for a short eight months when the doctor told us there was nothing left they could do. She would die, too young, after an eventful life.

About three weeks after hearing this, and approximately two weeks before she would eventually die, we were sitting in her hospital room talking about life and everything that had happened. It was here, quite unannounced and rather casually, that she made a statement which I still repeat to myself at least once a week. That statement got me through the first years of mourning; I clung onto it. I still often repeat it to friends and family around me when they are facing adversity. You could say it has become my life motto.

The context of this statement goes back to before my mother was even born in 1949, in the Netherlands. My grandparents had three kids: two sons and a daughter. My grandfather was a pastor and, also considering it was early post-war time, they were just getting by. My grandmother was a dominant and strict woman, and she laid down the law at home. As the family was barely getting by with three children and didn’t want any more, my grandmother decided to get sterilized. The doctor provided her with a hormone treatment; however, instead of becoming sterile, the treatment caused my grandmother to become extremely fertile. She soon became pregnant and gave birth nine months later to triplets, a boy and two girls — my mother was born. During my mother’s youth, my grandmother made no secret of the fact that my mother was an unwanted child. My mother obviously felt left out by my grandmother and grandfather, who let it all happen. My mother left her parents’ house still a teenager.

In the years to come, my mother started making a living for herself as a caretaker for elderly and disabled people. Still struggling with her ‘unfair’ youth, she did maintain a very good relationship with her older brothers and sister. In her late 20s, she met my father. They started dating and eventually got married. My mother desperately wanted to have children and create a happy family, so they started trying. It took a lot of time, and two failed pregnancies, but eventually she did get pregnant with my older sister. She was soon told the baby had a severe form of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder, which meant she would die a young age. After a long time of trying, and failing, to become pregnant, this was a major shock for both my parents. My sister was in the hospital for the entire first year of her life and had to spend several weeks each year in the hospital for treatment. Taking care of a young child is hard for young parents, but this is especially the case when the young child is chronically ill and needs multiple treatments a day. My parents put their teeth in it and got by and, eventually, even started trying to get pregnant again. And they did! But then the heartbreaking message came: this baby had a severe form of CF, too. Raising two children with severe forms of CF would inevitably mean that one of the two would have to witness the other become weaker and weaker, until death followed, knowing that he/she too will one day become that weak and die at a too-young age. My parents dreaded this future and took the hardest decision of their lives: to have an abortion, to protect both children from the added psychological drama. Not long after this, my parents decided to adopt a child, a girl with little opportunity in her own country, Poland, as she was an orphan with a mental disability. However joyful this appeared at the start, the mental disability proved too severe for the girl to be raised in a regular home, and she was taken away within a year.

And then I was born. Healthy. It wasn’t a particularly easy birth; I was quite big and heavy, causing my birth almost to take my mother’s life, but eventually everyone was fine. A little less than three years later, my younger brother was born, also healthy as could be. My mother finally had her happy little family as she had always wanted, and as she had tried for so long. I believe those were some of the happiest moments of her life.

But of course, my sister was still chronically ill. She would be in and out of the hospital each year, which mostly was only for a few days or weeks, until one year it became really bad. My sister had already been in the hospital for many weeks, longer than usual, when she was allowed a week of ‘holiday’ in France. She was so excited to go, but only a few days after her arrival she became extremely ill, vomiting blood in her bed. She was taken to the local hospital and eventually flown by helicopter to the hospital in Bordeaux. It turned out her organs had started to fail and she needed a new liver to survive. She was flown to the Netherlands and put on a waiting list for a transplant. However, this took too long and my sister soon became weaker. She died in the hospital at age 13.

Remember how as a young child your parents seemed like superheroes? The strongest people in the world, who could take on anything?

I remember this moment as the first time I saw my parents absolutely broken. I remember that at the funeral my mother could hardly stand on her feet, and people had to support her as she kept collapsing in tears. She was devastated. In the period that followed, things did not get easier for my mother. Her older sister, with whom she had a very good relationship, died of breast cancer following a short sickbed. Not much later, her oldest brother died of the consequences of being an alcoholic. Following, her brother from the triplets was left by his wife, and shortly thereafter died from a heart attack, also as a consequence of his alcohol abuse. The aftermath of the death of so many loved ones was a number of family arguments over whose fault it was that her brothers became alcoholics, and how the inheritance should be divided. The adversity seemed to never stop.

But then it did. Some five happy, carefree years followed. I saw my mother become happier and happier. She started to work again, which she had stopped during my sister’s illness, and she enjoyed it. She was active in the church community in our town, she enjoyed tennis, and she had a lot of friends. It all seemed to turn for the better. But then…

Cancer.

Unlike what you might think, we went into this really positively. You know why? Because we believed we, and especially my mother, had already received our portion of adversity. This would be our time, we were going to conquer this disease. We even organized a big party when my mother was halfway through her chemotherapy because we were halfway to beating this disease! The tumor became smaller, there seemed to be no metastases, and operations were successful. We were almost there!

But, unfortunately, I would not be typing this post if that was how the story ended.

I received a call from my dad, early December. My mother was rushed to the hospital that night after falling in the kitchen. They had found a brain tumor, metastases in her lungs, and metastases in her bones. Even though it felt as if we had almost defeated the disease, there was nothing they could do for her any more. She would be in the hospital from that point on. To make matters worse, my father was hospitalized two weeks later for an emergency stomach operation. He was in the same hospital on the 6th floor, my mother was on the 8th. It was around Christmas and I would visit them every day. Most of the time, my mother was very confused due to the tumor pressing on her brain but, sometimes, she had a clear moment.

It was during one of these clear moments that I was sitting on her bed and we were talking about life and everything that had happened. We talked about my studies and what I would do, later in life, when she would not be around anymore. About how I would some day graduate, maybe get married. We talked about her youth, about her alcoholic brothers, about the failed pregnancies, about my sister. Even about the fact that it was so screwed up that she was living some of her last weeks, and exactly at that time my dad became hospitalized.

And it was at that time that she looked at me and said:

‘’You know what, actually I am glad about all the shit that happened to me in life. And a lot of shit díd happen. But all those harsh times, all the adversity, it has taught me to enjoy and cherish all the good things in life more intensely than I imagined possible. I am grateful for everything and everyone I had.’’

There you have it. She wasn’t happy despite adversity, no, she thanked adversity for making her enjoy everything and everyone. You hear that cancer? CF? Alcoholism? You ain’t got nothing on her, heck, you made her stronger. She díd conquer cancer, in her way, she conquered it all.

It has changed how I see everything around me since. From minor setbacks to freaking mountains of adversity, I always try to approach it with a smile on my face. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t pretend everything is okay when it is not, but I fight, I keep going, and I keep telling myself that, at the very worst, adversity is going to make me stronger. And you know what? I am as happy a person as I could be!

I hope my mother’s wise words might help some of you, like they have helped me and still help me every day.

In loving memory of my mother: you won’t be gone until you’re forgotten.

The Godfather 1 ♦ “Dont ever take sides with anyone against the family again”

Why do Chinese people wear Western clothing when they think Chinese culture is superior to the West? Indian leaders wear their traditional clothing to formal meeting. Why don’t the Chinese? Do the Chinese know their culture is inferior to the West?

Chinese leaders changed to western clothing as a matter of protocol.

There are many research studies to back this up and we can see it in applications as well.

IBM salesman (no women in those days) wore a suit with a white shirt and classic tie. That was the dress code.

Sales dramatically improved.

Traditionally salesman wore sports coat and trousers. So the IBM look made them look like a businessman not a salesperson. They were talking to peers when they made their calls.

In his book Dress for Success, the author John Molloy conducted studies using different clothing. He sent people to offices to deliver a small package. If they dressed in a sports jacket and trousers,the receptionist always said leave it with me. If they were dressed in a suit with a shirt and tie, they would be told to knock on the door and give it to the executive or they call him to come out and get the package.

Chinese are very pragmatic.

They use whatever works.

Dressing in white shirt and tie with a tailored suit means you at the same level as your counterpart. When you meet the president of the US, you dress like him.

Interestingly though is Xi Jinping’s wife who dresses in traditional Chinese attire when she accompanies him on state visits.

My GF Insisted On Taking A 1 Week Break, So I Slept With Her Coworker & Dumped Her When She Returned

Jerry Springer type nonsense. *sheech*

I palm-slap myself for the craziness in the West.

Has a computer programmer ever said something to you which was completely unexpected?

Bought in as a contractor/programmer to work on an in-house system that they wanted to modify.

“Its the best system – its in C++, so its really fast”

No probs, I can work on that.

Get in there, day 1 – nice big factory, decent office space, lots of nice cars in the carpark. Get myself all setup on the system, meet the other programmer (just 1 developer in the whole company … hmmm)

Me > “OK, account is all setup, setup dev tools, meet the manager, discussed the general plan …. ready to start reading. Where is the code?”

OtherProgrammer > “?”

Me > “The source code. The C++ code ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Oh, we dont have the source code”

Me > “??”

Me > “This is an in-house system, right ? The thing you want to modify, you own it right ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Yes, its an in house system, we own it, its all ours”

Me > “and the code ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Oh I see what you mean. Yeah, that was all written by another contractor. He isnt here anymore”

Me > “did he …. leave any code by any chance ?”

OtherProgrammer > “No, we didnt pay him in the end, so he didnt give us the code”

…. at which point, I had a lot more questions than I knew I would ever get answers for. By the end of the week, I had managed to get out of that initial project and work on a different project they had on the go, so the billable hours could be justified still.

Same problem though – they had “another contractor” offsite who was working on something entirely different that was pretty interesting. So I started working on some infrastructure around that instead. It was some cool stuff the other guy was building, was going to be fun.

And it meant I didnt have to deal with their one and only full time “Developer” that worked there somehow without any source code, and the obviously clueless engineering manager was none the wiser about why this was sub optimal.

… Until one day, he suggested I dont get too involved in that other project either.

Me > “Oh, why’s that ? whats wrong with project ?”

OtherProgrammer > “Nothing, he is doing great work”

Me > “?”

OtherProgrammer > “But we have decided that we are not going to pay him for it <big smile>”

… just like that ! Quite out in the open about it. Bragging about how clever they are, they can get work done by honest people, and still manage to weasel their way out of having to pay for it.

So Clever, and proud of it too.

See ya later, idiots !

(in case you are wondering – yeah, I got my billed hours paid …. eventually … every last cent)

Andrew DESTROYS entitled 52 year old FEMINIST saying she deserves a TRADITIONAL man

52 year old woman tries to find love.

I feel for her. She wasn’t compatible with anyone.

Shorpy

Why is the United States losing its hegemony to China?

That’s incorrect framing.

America has pursued global hegemony since the fall of the Berlin wall, going so far to embrace the “end of history and the last man”.

What is global hegemony? Dominance over ALL states and peoples.

That means beating down all comers, and making examples of those who say no to the United States, as sheikh hasina found to great fluster and regret recently.

Unfortunately, 4% dominating over the 96% is a fool’s errand, as America finds itself drowning in debt, and having to deal with conflicts in the middle east and Europe, while following through on explicit policy to concentrate and expand military resources in the western pacific.

That’s untenable, and exhausting, not too different from the 50% drawdown of the SPR to cap runaway energy prices recently.

America is frittering away past reserves, burning its legacy rather than building for the future.

America is not behaving like a normal country, because it insists the rules do not apply.

China sees itself as a normal country, a member of the global citizenry. Normal countries respond vigorously to the militarization of their neighborhood, because sovereignty must be defended.

America is doomed to implode because even exceptionally engineered airliners drop out of the sky when they run out of fuel.

The Outlaw Josey Wales | The River Crossing | Warner Classics

What’s the fastest you’ve wiped a smirk off of someone’s face?

I was around 18 and at a club having recently shaved my head, almost scalped! Some idiot and his group were looking for a fight and thought that taking the piss or judging me for my choices would start one. So immature looking back.

I still feel remorse for what happened next and it had more than the intended results.

I said to my mate, “Go and say to him I have cancer and going through treatment.” My mate does this and I could swear I could feel how bad the ‘idiot’ felt from across the bar.

Turns out the guy wasn’t an idiot, he had just lost his Dad to cancer and was blaming everyone.

My smirk: gone. Turns out I was the idiot judging. I bought them a drink.

A hard lesson learned by me. At least it stopped a fight.

What happened to Peng Shuai?

This is an interesting story about what happens when a Chinese Communist Party member is accused of a crime. How it is investigated. And the causes, whys and the process. Interesting, and valuable to the outsiders looking into China. -MM

A woman named Peng Shuais accused a leading Chinese Communist Party leader of Sexual harassment.

It’s now clear that Peng Shuais allegations were firmly investigated

main qimg 6c94efde827e75c1383a39e5d010f6e4

In China, it’s crucial that Party officials don’t violate discipline otherwise they are fried

Since China doesn’t have Elections and Votes, Party officials need their reputation

Peng Shuai alleged that she was sexually harrassed

Had she reported this to 12345 citing anonymity

No problems

She published this on Social Media referring to a Party member by name

He was dumping her and she was pissed

However in China – Social Media is under the full view of the CENSOR

Automatically the posts garnered attention and the Censor stepped in

Peng was summoned by the Censor and asked

Do you have Evidence?

Why wait so long?

Meanwhile the Party member was hauled up by the Internal mechanism and he said they were in a relationship and he dumped her

Under Chinese Law, if the Censor hauls you up, your Internet Id doesn’t work for a few weeks or a month and you can’t login or send a message on weibo or even reply to mail (confused on this point)

This is China

So the Censor initiated a State Investigation and China has like millions of cameras

Soon they began to see Camera feeds

They saw Peng willingly laugh and hold hands, kiss, go to hotels and eat in restaurants like a favorite girlfriend for weeks and weeks

They presented her with evidence and she folded immediately and confessed that HE HAD DUMPED HER and she had got pissed

Thats that

From that minute on, she lost face and in China that’s bad

So now whether she is charged with lying on public media or not – Nobody knows

What’s your favorite stupid joke?

A few of my top ones include:

What do you call a black man in space? An astronaut.
How many men does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Three, one to screw it in and the other two to listen to him brag about screwing something.
A faster than light neutrino says ‘I’ll have a whisky’, sits down, then walks into a bar.
A woman is approached by a man in a suit, and a foot tall man carrying a miniature keyboard. The man in the suit says ‘I have a magic lamp here, with a genie in it. He’ll grant you a single wish, but be careful, he’s hard of hearing.’ The woman takes the lamp and says ‘I wish for a million bucks.’ All of a sudden the sky is blocked out by a million ducks flying overhead. ‘That’s not what I wished for’ the woman yells. The man replies ‘do you think I wished for a twelve inch pianist?’
A priest, a doctor, and a politician are kidnapped by an evil psychopath. The psychopath says ‘I’m going to get each of you to hold a snake for ten minutes, the most venomous snake in the world. If it doesn’t bite you, I’ll let you go. If you refuse, I’ll shoot you.’ The priest says a short prayer, kisses his cross, and holds the snake. It bites him, and he falls dead almost instantly. The doctor examines the snake, tries to find the best position to stop the snake being uncomfortable, and holds it. The snake bites her, and she falls over dead. The politician is last up, he just mutters ‘screw it’ and holds the snake. To his amazement, the snake stays still, it doesn’t bite him. He holds it for a full ten minutes, and is set free. He puts the snake in its box and takes it with him. As he leaves, feeling no small amount of Survivors guilt, he looks at the snake and says ‘I wonder why you killed that pious holy man and that great saviour of lives, but let me live.’ ‘Professional courtesy’ the snake replies.

US Property “$557 BILLION Bloodbath” – Final Chapter Of The Banking Collapse Is Here

What is an example of what a morbidly obese person would eat in a day?

My mom was morbidly obese her whole life. People looked at her with disgust. She ate small portions, tried to eat healthy, tried to be active until her knees got really bad, and stayed obese. For all who would tell her to eat a salad and get on a treadmill, she did. If we went out to eat, she’d eat usually a salad (dressing on side) and half a sandwich like turkey. I know y’all will sleep better by concluding she secretly binged or had her stash of junk food but unlike you, I had to go through her things when she died suddenly. No secret junk food stash. She didn’t get good sleep and was definitely sedentary in her last years but your “diagnosis” of people like her just being ignorant slobs who were lazy are wrong and hurtful. She was a nurse. She understood nutrition. What she ate was probably what most of you eat but she was morbidly obese and no matter how small her portions or types, her body seemed to go into starvation mode and did not change. It’s not always nutrition, portion control and activity. It wasn’t with her and I *know* she was unhappy about her weight and appearance and always felt the looks and the shame. I think she got used to a world that judges based on external looks more than character. It’s a shame we can be so petty, superficial, dense and callous. GLP-1’s are showing that even orgs like Weight Watchers got it wrong. She ate less and better than her sons who were not overweight. My heart goes out to you who struggle and get eat-a-salad-drink-water-and-go-for-a-walk idiot responses. Pray you find what works for you and that you have the rare company of people who value you for your character, your intelligence, your capability, and not your size.

For decades, America has assumed that China would gradually liberalize, open its markets, and improve its human-rights record, but that strategy simply hasn’t worked – is it time to give up on China?

China has not opened up? I’m pretty sure anyone holding that view has not visited China recently.

Go to Beijing or Shanghai or any other big Chinese city. You will find malls that look not much different from Hong Kong or Singapore. They may even be built and operated by conglomerates from these port cities. American fast food, French bags, Swiss watches. Whatever you want you can have. Markets as open as any major international city today.

As for liberalization, more than 150 million Chinese travel abroad each year. That is an astounding number, greater than the population of Japan. Just 40 years ago, the numbers were negligible. But the more incredible number is this: more than 150 million Chinese RETURN HOME. There are no reports of millions of Chinese refugees seeking asylum overseas.

On to human rights. China is behind Singapore in terms of rule of law, and trust in the government internationally. But Singapore still get routinely trashed for the death penalty, caning, inequality and other human rights abuses. We are a common law democracy but there are always murmurs if not shouts of dynastic politics, non-democracy, high political salaries and other evils.

We can never please the west because we are not the west.

China is changing.

Warp speed fast.

But please temper any judgment with the fact China started from a very low base. China was at war for the better part of 100 years from 1850 to 1949, half of it without a functional central government. Can you imagine 3 generations of anarchy and destruction? What do they call it, dystopia?

The current generation of Chinese youth enjoy far more freedoms and privileges than their parents did. The next will, too.

Have you ever met your bully later in life?

There was a guy that bullied me every day at high school. He was a confident, in-crowd guy, lots of plastic friends and always took the opportunity to make my life hell. He sabotaged my locker, bumped me in the hall when with his mates and he always had a smart alec comment to call out when I was presenting to the class or school. I responded the only way I thought I could which was to never pass him the ball during sport if we were on the same team, or if I was on an opposing team to tackle him as hard as possible. I didn’t have the confidence or the support network to help me through it, or the language to express myself to him.

I ran into him at a hardware store some 20 years after school. I had my 14 and 12 year olds with me and he had 3 kids, about 11, 9 and 7. He started with a gushing hello. He introduced me as a close friend from school. I looked at his kids, they looked nice enough. I was pleasant. I then whispered to him to come to the side out of earshot.

I was shaking with rage because the adrenaline kicked in so quickly, and the hurt and embarrassment he had caused me came flooding back. I told him that he was a real shit to me at high school and his kids looked like well adjusted human beings. I told him that unless he took his kids out of the store right now I would tell them what a nasty, horrible, vindictive shit of a person their dad was and he would have to explain why this guy he thought was a friend would say things like that about him.

He left with his kids. About 6 that evening he knocked on my door, and presented to me a bottle of wine and an apology for the pain he caused to me at school. He thanked me for not blasting his kids. His reason, his dad and older brothers did it to him and that is the way he thought you behaved. He had married a really nice lady who had educated him that friendships and relationships were not built by treating people like he had treated me. He had always worried about me and felt guilty. He always wanted to catch up and apologize. He and his wife knew that I would have crushed their kids if I had opened up on them at the store. I’m so glad I didn’t.

Some of the MM AI art examples

I continue with my experiments. Not too much of value.

It’s really like driving a tractor trailer rig though a maze inside of a mall. Crazy and sensitive.

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(5)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(2)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(2)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(1)

What a set of horns on his headpiece.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0(1)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(1)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2(1)

I finally figured out how to add clothing to the people…

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 0

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3

But it only works part of the time…

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(5)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(5)

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 1(2)

Some is impressive.

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(6)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(6)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(6)

Looks like they are taking selfies…

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 2(6)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 1(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 0(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 2(1)

Cinematic Kino Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic B 3

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 3(2)

The Bourne Ultimatum | It’s Jason Bourne

Stupid trolls.

While I was living in Japan, a clerk typed a wrong character on a document related to the public pension for an elderly couple. As a result their pension payments ceased. The elderly couple quietly starved to death in their apartment.

Of course, this was a huge scandal in Japan, and every neighborhood in the country began programs to check up on their neighborhood’s elderly residents at least once per week; have someone visit every residence every few days.

The point is that shit happens, but normal people (thus incomprehensible to you trolls) take action that has nothing to do with trying to overthrow the government. You stupid trolls only heard about someone dying of malnutrition in modern China because it was such an unusual and shocking occurrence for the Chinese people that they themselves were scandalized and chatting about it on social media. Nobody but fake NGO shit-stirrers and moronic western trolls are even remotely thinking about overthrowing the Chinese government because of it.

There may be local protests in China over the event, but protests there have a very different character than they do in western countries with capitalist fake democracy governments (ex: USA, Britain, France). Rather than sending out the goons with teargas and water canons, Chinese bureaucrats and municipal workers rush to the streets with their clipboards and interview the protesters to find out what the problems are and what they can do to make things right.

Yeah, the Chinese conception of democracy is completely beyond you Sinophobic trolls’ understanding. You stupid fools think “voting” every couple years for some useless meatbag (out of two or three options chosen for you by your capitalist overlords) who you know ahead of time will not even try to do what s/he promises, and whom you don’t like anyway, is “Democracy™”.

Stupid chumps.

There will be no “civil unrest” in China, at least not of the sort you moron trolls hope for. China’s government has even more popular support than Putin. It is untouchable by your retarded memes and narratives. The American and British governments are far more at risk of being toppled by their populations than is the Chinese government.

Posted by: William Gruff | Aug 29 2024 12:18 utc | 15

If you were a Hongkonger, would you leave Hong Kong for freedom?

Before the coup in HK in 2019, HK was ranked 3rd in the world on the scale of freedom. USA was only 7th.

What makes (some) HKers think they have no freedom & must flee HK?

“HK has no freedom” is just a political slogan by USA+UK to brainwash HKers because USA+UK have been plotting to control HK government. It was a modern-day colonisation without occupying HK. That is all.

They were plotting to overthrow China’s regime. That is all. They tried many times. Xizang (Tibet in English) in 1959. Tiananmen in 1989. Xinjiang in 2009, HK in 2019. White Paper protest in 2022. Taiwan ongoing.

Some HKers did flee to UK. Now they find UK national security law is tighter than HK’s. ie they have less freedom in UK than in HK. They found UK police are tougher than HK.

They find out that “freedom is a political slogan only” in the hard way.

A comment regarding China

I find it really frustrating that people even paid trolls constantly fall for this BS about China. Most have never even been to Asia or if they have it is Phuket or Bali.

There they never actually spend time with locals just demand fresh towels.. On my walk this morning I was thinking about China and Taiwan and wondering why China does not just cut them off??

Most companies in Taiwan are connected to China most families in Taiwan are connected to the mainland with families, most flights coming and going from Taiwan go to China.

I suspect most money moves through China. Maybe that would be the plan if things heat up. My hope and belief is Taiwan does not really want this, and Taiwan is no longer the innovation center it was when we lived there. They have to know the US will use them and dump them just like Ukraine and Israel, Afghanistan, and all the other countries that the US. Dumps when they lose

Posted by: Susan | Aug 29 2024 14:39 utc | 22

Until women understand men have a thing called “she’s only bangable” chaos will ensue.

“Modern Women”.

This fiasco that women are going though is anything but laughable. People need to be more compassionate to each other.

Dollar General Stock Plunges 29% in ONE day

Hal Turner Nation August 29, 2024

The Canary in the Retail coal mine has just taken very, VERY, ill. Dollar General, the retail chain that is found in almost every low income, urban, area, saw its stock price plunge 29.43% TODAY.

The company said publicly it is because its customers ‘feel worse off.’

Adding to investor concerns, Dollar General significantly lowered its full-year outlook, attributing part of the downgrade to the financial struggles of its core customer base.

The company noted that many of its customers “feel worse off,” reflecting the broader economic pressures affecting consumer spending.

On Thursday afternoon, the stock was trading around $87.

Hal Turner Analysis

In many respects, Dollar General is a sort of Canary in the (retail) coal mine. Years ago, Miners working deep underground, brought Canaries in cages with them for fear of natural gas, carbon monoxide, and a host of other deadly gases. If the Canary passed-out, or dropped dead in the cage, the miners knew to evacuate the mine immediately because death was coming for the miners themselves if they didn’t leave immediately.

Dollar General has had good stock value and performance because their core customer base, the low-income folks, are in abundant supply.

Today, the Canary in the retail coal mine got noticeably sick and those with any brains, KNOW this is a major league, bad economic sign.

When the poor are SO POOR they can’t even afford to go to Dollar General, the economy is in a bad downward spiral.

THAT is exactly the warning sign everyone got today, as Dollar General’s stock value plummeted 29.43% in ONE DAY.

Most of us have known for the better part of two years, things were not right. E V E R Y T H I N G was suddenly getting noticeably more expensive; especially food.

Energy costs, that had peaked with gasoline around $6. a gallon, eased back to around $3.XX but then a lot of us noticed that the product packaging, was smaller. In most cases, the price of a product remained the same, but the quantity of the product was reduced.

Take Tuna fish, for example. The price had gone up to about $1.50 for a 6 oz. can, then all of a sudden . . . . . ALL of the Tuna fish cans became only five ounces. ALL OF THEM!

No industry collusion there. No anti-trust violations there. HMMMMMM.

Portions of other products took nose-dives as well.

But now, even Dollar General is seeing a major reduction in revenues. And this reduction is from a customer base that does not spend extravagantly because . . . well . . . . they can’t.

So while we’ve been seeing the prices go up, the product sizes go down, things still chugged along economically, NOW we’re seeing that the very people who only bought what they absolutely NEEDED, can’t even do that anymore.

This is a terrible warning sign that the economy is not only in a recession (which government has lied about by denying it for over a year) it is heading straight and fast, into Depression.

Of course, the Biden voters, ALL of whom are low-information people with little to no intellect or ability to discern truth from lies, have bought the lies in the mass media that the economy is good.

Naturally, those same low-information and almost zero intellect Biden supporters will never make the connection between who they vote for and what they’re encountering in real life. They deny what life is proving to them, and believe the lies they hear and see on TV and radio.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Those of us who actually have the ability to see facts, have known the economy is very sick for quite awhile and it is Biden’s socialistic economic policies, and radical environmental policies that have caused it all.

As the November Election approaches, the dumb will keep voting the way they’ve voted because they’re too dumb to figure things out. The rest of us will vote against the present regime. Hopefully, there are still more smart people than dumb. We’ll see.

Can Cats See Spirits, Ghosts, or the Supernatural?

Caffeine Machine

Mary Lombardi

To whom it may concern,When I signed up for this assignment, I was looking forward to spending four years of my life with someone who shared my disdain for obnoxiously loud, self idolizing, undereducated people.I believed (foolheartedly) that only respectful scientists would sign up for this mission. That only those who truly valued the exploration of the last great frontier would spend three years training, four years locked in a shuttle with little to no contact with Earth, and a year reconditioning to Earth.Through all the vetting processes and the countless tests, how is it that he made it through. Out of everyone, I had to be sent out with this doof-The tip of my pencil abruptly breaks as the door crashes open.“Yo Whaddup?” the intruder yells as he prances inside my room.“Good morning Jack. What brings you so forcefully into my room this morning?” I say in an even voice as I push my letter of complaint under the other papers on my desk.“Just wanted to check up on my favorite colleague.” I stare blankly at him as he shuffles in the silence.“Also, the coffee maker isn’t working.”Year two of four on shuttle 555 to the Great Unknown has been filled with daily coffee maker failures. After only two weeks, it was discovered that Jack had little to no idea how to fix anything electrical after he almost set fire to the kitchen unit.Since neither of us can function without a consistent supply of this liquid energy, every morning he has swung by my room to request assistance in repairing our sputtering caffeine machine.As we make our way to the small kitchen unit, our feet softly tap on the shuttle floor. We keep the gravity at about half of Earth’s. It is ‘better for the mechanics of the shuttle’ according to the maintenance manual.For the second time today, I find my hand buried deep in our well-loved coffee machine. Its plastic cover is chipped by the multiple falls it has taken (mainly because of Jack’s love of ‘space juggling,’ where he tries to juggle with random appliances he finds). Among the small cracks, there is one that stands out from the rest. A crack, that I know was definitely not there this morning.With a shoulder heaving sigh, I retract my hand, snap on the cracked cover, and give the poor machine an affectionate pat. Now that the immediate issue is over, I turn to Jack.“Why, may I ask, is there another crack in the cover?”He takes a single step back, bringing his hands slightly out in front of himself as he tries to form a consoling expression on his face. “You see-”“Yes I see”“I was filling it up and-” He turned before finishing his thought and scrambled away. In his struggle to escape he bounces feet into the air with every step. I race behind him, wanting nothing more than to teach him once and for all to never mess with my coffee.

As we crash through the small shuttle papers go flying in our wake. He is much faster than me, and I know that catching up to him is out of the question but- I grab a blunt object from the nearest table- I can still hit him. Thus started my onslaught of flying projectiles. Lucky for him, we only have ‘space grade’ appliances that can do no damage to the shuttle, and in turn, minimum damage to people.

Frantically dodging my projectiles he ducks into his room, slamming the door shut with such force that I dare say it shakes the whole shuttle. He is safe… for now.

In the aftermath of the conflict, I return to my room. I shuffle through a stack of papers on my desk, readouts from the multiple instruments our shuttle carries, an aged letter from home, and my half written letter of complaint lie before me.

I sit in the chair with a heavy sigh. Recently every day has been an ordeal. Just last week, while taking our annual inventory, I found that we were missing over a month’s worth of dessert rations.

Five or six of the well loved packets would have been acceptable (we each planned on five extra per month… everyone needs a sweet snack every once in a while), but a full 17 packets? Completely unacceptable!

The culprit was found almost immediately as I made my way to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee. There, with two opened dessert packets in front of him, was Jack. I paused for a moment, shocked by his flagrant misuse of rations.

Instead of laying into him right away, I strolled calmly into the room. He froze, knowing that he had been caught. I grabbed a dish and a fork, made my way to him, spooned a heaping portion of the brownie into my bowl, and sat down across from him.

Later would come the scolding, but those brownies are all that keep me sane.

After we finished our brownie’s it was agreed that he would be able to eat one portion at a time once a week and that he would limit himself a single brownie ration per month.

The issue has yet to return, and I believe that we are both satisfied with the results.

And I don’t dare forget the swivel chair incident of two weeks past!

In our control room, we have the best swivel chairs. They are so smooth, and in half gravity, it’s like you are floating instead of sitting.

One day, while doing the daily readouts of our course, I took a much needed break. Pushing off of the floor I started to spin. The world around me passed in a whizzing flash. The brightly lit shuttle intermittently interrupted by the dark expanse of space, as a childish carefree glee started to spread through me.

The weightless euphoric ride was cut short when a blurred figure of Jack makes his way into the room. It took me a full revolution to slam my feet to the ground, and the moment contact was made, I shot from my chair, still spinning, as I catapulted through the air.

Through the entire ordeal, Jack’s laugh echoed through the room. As I crashed back to the ground he sat in the co-pilot chair to watch my failure. His eyes were bright with amusement even after his body shaking laughter had ceased.

We sat in silence. Him still slightly shaking from silent chuckles, and me fuming with embarrassment at being caught doing such a childish thing.

Finally, I had reached my limit with this entire ordeal. Indignantly I got up, still dizzy, and stumbled my way from the room.

We have yet to talk about this incident, but every now and then, he’ll make an offhand remark on my fascination with spinning chairs.

As I recall our past fights, I find myself smiling. Never has there been a dull moment on this journey. I look down at the letter of complaint on my desk, heave a heavy sigh, and proceed to slowly rip it into a plethora of pieces.

Jack and I may not always get along, but I would rather be with him than anyone else.

Am I the only person who’s always not feeling healthy and safe with gun owners? I just want to destroy all guns, so that I can enjoy my life.

Man, it must really suck to be so delicate.

I actually live in a farming community. Here guns are a way of life. We use them for protecting livestock, hunting game, entertainment at shooting matches, and self-defense.

Our murder rate is almost zero. The last murder we had was 15 years ago…and that was a stabbing.

Our county jail is mostly filled with drunks and makers of meth. Most of those meth makers are caught by farmers with rifles long before the cops show up.

When I go to town, if I see some guy open carrying, I don’t freak out. Because I’ve been around guns all my life, I can tell the difference between a person who is a threat and who isn’t.

I live near a major city, a city that is one of the most dangerous in America. When some thugs decided that mugging and assaulting me was a good idea, when they found out that I was armed they had other places to be. I left that situation feeling healthy and safe.

Your desire to destroy all guns is not realistic.

Even if you did, what’s to stop the criminal types from stealing a gun, making a gun, or buying one on the black market?

Millions of Americans go about their lives on a daily basis completely oblivious that people around them are armed.

And yet somehow they are still safe.

It’s strange how in places where gun ownership is supported and practiced, are usually the safest neighborhoods to be in.

It’s the gun free zones you got to worry about.

Most Americans go through their daily lives without ever encountering someone who is an idiot with a gun.

If guns create such a fear in you, it’s probably because you feel defenseless and think that the answer to alleviating that is to make everybody defenseless. You are feeding exactly into what the criminals want.

An armed society is a polite society.

Besides, gun control is people control. And in a nation that lists freedom has its goal, such a thing is totally unacceptable.

Life comes with risks. Get a helmet.

No soup for you.

The Stand – original miniseries – 1994 – FULL MOVIE

Bio-weapon escapes from a USA military facility destroys 99.9999% of the world’s population. Shows the escape and the breakdown of society and the fight between good and evil.

Five hours of the entire movie. This Stephan King classic is awesome. It is well worth the time to watch over a week or two when you have time, or binge watch over the weekend.

At the very minimum the first ten minutes of the movie is gold. Especially with the song “Don’t fear the reaper” playing.

Possible nuclear detonation off the California Coast

I have long argued that were China or Russia to harm the United States, they would not do so using expected means. Instead they might do so using unorthodox means.

Russia pulls out it’s “Ace Card”.

After the warning by Putin with his Oreshnik missile, the West did not take the warning seriously. Yet, this was a most impressive display of power and ability.

This is from MSN…

The United States responds

Instead, the West, led by the United States decided to double down, and fired even more US and UK made and controlled missiles into Russia.

Russia made a final statement. They said that these actions now open up the West, including the United States, to target areas.

This is from Hal Turner…

It is (today) now 7 days. One full week later since this announcement.

Tsunami hits California

And there is a large underwater “earthquake” off the California coast. It began as a 6.0 earthquake, and then a second one, back to back, of magnitudes 7.0 earthquake.

This resulted in a Tsunami warning for the entire West coast of the United States. And of course, huge tsunami waves hitting almost the entirety of the California coast.

Here’s where the earthquakes originated, and showing the tsunami affected regions.

There are those that suggest that the earthquakes look more like a sudden explosion, rather than a typical earthquake. I do not know how valid these claims are. But the semantic data is certainly damning.

Discussions on X are filled with conspiracy theories and other related content.

There are two points that I want to emphasize.

No serious radiation has been detected. Sure there was a short spike but nothing even resembling what an atomic detonation would look like.
The detonation, if that is what happened, is not where a foe would seemingly place a detonation target. The better location would be between San Francisco and Los Angles. Not between San Francisco and Portland OR.

There is damage, and flooding. But from the early news reports that I can see, nothing is very serious as of yet.

Strange Coincidences

Immediately before the earthquake “detonated”, there was a United States Navy P3 Submarine detection aircraft flying in the region.

There was even a SECOND military P-8 searching off the coast of SOUTHERN California at the time of the quake, but way far south of the quake area. It might be unrelated, or connected. It’s too difficult to know.

Russian Poseidon nuclear-tipped torpedoes

Russia DOES have weapons that can unleash Tsunami related chaos. And they are deadly and lethal. However, the damage that they would create is much larger than what this incident suggests.

Here’s what Popular Mechanics has to say…

MM Conclusions and thoughts

The “earthquake” could be natural.
The “earthquake” could also be a Russian Poseidon conventionally-tipped torpedo. Not a nuclear tipped one.
The “earthquake” could also be an explosion on board a submarine.

We don’t know.

But to find out what is really going on, look for the obscure tell-tales that might surface in the nooks and crannies of the internet.

Coffee Chinese style

Coffee is big news in China. It is really popular.

But, no! It’s not “traditional” American-style coffee.

It’s something else quite different.

Different ways it is served. Different flavors. Different combinations. Different. Different. Different.

But, ah, you know…you can still get a coffee at McDonald’s, or at Starbucks, or at KFC, or at KFC. But many Chinese opt to go to the many thousands of different coffee tastes available to them.

Onion flavor.

Yes. You can buy it and drink it all up.

Duran flavor, stinky toufu flavor. Hard alcohol flavor. Beef with curry flavor… so many different flavors all over the place.

Onion ring flavor. carrot with peppermint flavor.

Chunky texture coffee.

Smooth texture coffee.

Hyper cold and boiling hot blend coffee…

WTF?

Let’s be honest, for a majority of us, a cup of coffee is more than just a beverage — it’s a vital energy booster that kickstarts our day or acts as a midday pick me up. While the purists might lean towards a classic Americano or simple espresso, there are those who relish more adventurous tastes. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most bizarre and quirky coffee flavors you can discover in the city — from a surprising 皮蛋 pídàn to unconventional 豆汁儿 dòuzhīr, and beyond!

Zaijiuye Coffee

This establishment boasts a curious collection of coffee concoctions, each twinned with a nostalgic nod to a Beijing childhood treat. The sesame paste-laced coffee, when coupled with a 双棒儿 Shuāng bàng er (a milk-flavored ice cream pop with two sticks — hence the name), makes for a lovely treat. Everything combines to create a hazelnut-like taste, as the sesame paste and ice cream soften the coffee’s bitterness.

Have you tried the heavenly combo of coffee and Shuangbang’er?

The place also dares to pair a douzhir-infused Americano with 焦圈儿 Jiāo quānr (a deep-fried dough circle similar to a 油条 yóutiáo). Douzhir, a fermented Beijing specialty marked by a subtle sourness and an egg-like scent, may not be to everyone’s liking. However, for any Beijing local worth their salt, it’s a twist they can’t resist exploring.

How about a douzhir-flavored Americano paired with Jiaoquan?

Zaijiuye Coffee
16 Shatanhou Street, Dongcheng district
东城区沙滩后街16号
Hours: 11am-7pm
Phone:184 1100 7574

Liquid House

If you think douzhir and sesame paste coffees are crazy, then let us introduce you to pidan (aka century egg) and 酱豆腐 Jiàng dòufu (fermented tofu). Dreamt up by Liquid House, this drink features a pidan skewer resting atop your latte. The owner recommends taking the skewered century egg resting atop the brew, mashing it up, and mixing it all together to get the most out of it. It’s a delight for those with a palate for pidan, but might not be the preferred choice for those unaccustomed to its distinctive flavor.

Fancy a sip of this Pidan Latte?

Liquid House 后院儿
Room 314, 3/F, Building 2, Huafangxintiandi, Courtyard 27, Qingnian Road, Chaoyang district
朝阳区青年路27号院华纺新天地2号楼3层314室
Hours: 10am-7pm
Phone:186 1812 0103

Phoenix Café

Imagine the sensation when your coffee mingles with the zest of hotpot flavors. At Phoenix Café, prepare to have your perceptions about coffee challenged with their distinctive creation termed 油碟儿 Yóu dié er. Drawing inspiration from the traditional youdie’er, which is a chili-oil-based dipping sauce savored during hotpot sessions, particularly in Chongqing, this coffee blends the most unconventional ingredients. It features chili strands, tangerine peels, and a dash of white vinegar, ingredients you’d least expect in a cup of coffee.

Get ready for a taste adventure with this Chongqing Hotpot-inspired beverage!

Phoenix Cafe 梧桐咖啡
69 Dongsibei Street, Dongcheng district
东城区东四北大街69号
Hours: 10am-7pm
Phone:186 0120 8175

Tongrentang Zhima Health Coffee

A café founded by the centuries-old laozihao (time-honored brand) Tongrentang, a name synonymous with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), recently garnered online popularity for its coffee offerings. Their brews blend TCM ingredients such as wolfberries, tangerine peel, and motherwort into the mix. Against expectations of a staggering bitter concoction, reviews on Dianping reveal that these TCM elements subtly enhance the coffee’s flavor without overwhelming it, thereby ensuring it doesn’t resemble a medicinal potion. For those who, like me, appreciate the potential health benefits of TCM, this café is a must-visit destination.

Craving a TCM-inspired brew?

Tongrentang Zhima Health Coffee 同仁堂知嘛健康咖啡&养生BAR
No.2-1, Building 2, No.10 Chaoyang Park South Road, Chaoyang district
朝阳区朝阳公园南路10号院2号楼2-1号
Hours: 8.30am-8.30pm
Phone: 6587 1397

HK+

Have you ever sipped a coffee infused with pepper? At HK+, they’re challenging traditional coffee norms with their signature pepper-seasoned brew, enriched with the nutty undertones of black sesame. Its presentation mimics a fried egg floating in coffee, achieved through skillful latte art using milk and a touch of turmeric. Despite its unconventional key ingredient, it highlights the taste of the coffee. So, if you’re intrigued by the idea of a peppery, salty coffee, HK+ certainly warrants a visit.

Ever sipped pepper-spiked coffee?

HK+
274 Xiaobaobei Street, Tongzhou district
通州区小堡北街274号
Hours: 10am-8pm
Phone: 134 3664 3842

Today…

Britain Claims To Have Helped With The Ukrainian Invasion Of Russia

Yves Smith is discussing the Washington Post report on Russia-Ukraine negotiation to end the infrastructure attacks:

An Admission of Russian Long-Term Weakness or More Complex Calculation?

I had previously discussed the WaPo piece here.

Yves suggests that the negotiations, if they really have happened as described, were an Ukrainian ruse to distract Russia from the Ukrainian preparation of the Kursk oblast incursion. The talks were useless for Russia, she says. She doubts that Russia would favor to stop the attacks on the Ukrainian electricity generating and network capabilities. She suggests that the Ukrainian attacks on Russia create little damage. It disagree with that view.

The winter will already become very difficult for Ukrainian civilians. There is no need to increase the damage on Ukrainian infrastructure beyond the already achieved level.

The Ukrainian attacks have so far created repairable damage in Russia. But that may not be the case forever. One day one of such attacks could in fact create some real catastrophe. The attacks are also binding lots of Russian resources. One needs a huge number of soldiers and equipment to give at least some protection to the most exposed sites. The Russian economy is currently short on men. Not diverting some 100,000 men for local air defense purposes can make a difference.

I believe that Russia was genuinely interested in making such deal. But the Ukrainian attack on Kursk oblast blew it apart.

There are new suggestion on how the Ukrainian incursion into Russia was prepared for.

The Times in London claims that it largely followed a British plan (archived):

When footage of British Challenger 2 battle tanks being used by the Ukrainian army for its counterinvasion of Russia emerged on Tuesday, Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence were ready.For the previous 48 hours, officials and political aides working for Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey, the defence secretary, had been in talks about how far to go to confirm growing British involvement in the incursion towards Kursk.

The stakes were high. Unseen by the world, British equipment, including drones, have played a central role in Ukraine’s new offensive and British personnel have been closely advising the Ukrainian military for two years, on a scale matched by no other country.

The U.S., in contrast, has claimed not to have known about the Ukrainian plans and there purpose. This leads Kit Klarenberg to develop a theory:

Kit Klarenberg @KitKlarenberg – 15:02 UTC · Aug 18, 2024“🧵: I speculated earlier was probably Britain behind Kursk suicide op. Lo and behold, a Times article confirms this. More broadly, contents amply underline Kursk latest effort by London to keep the US in the proxy war – and it appears Washington has finally had enough of this.

Times reveals up top heavily promoted footage of British Challenger 2 tanks in Kursk was a conscious, deliberate decision made by new PM Keir Starmer and his defence secretary John Healey. British equipment is said to have “played a central role” in the “counterinvasion”.
…
Starmer and Healey reportedly made the decision to advertise London’s involvement “to be more open about Britain’s role in a bid to persuade key allies to do more to help.” In other words, to encourage/pressure the US et al to double down on this unwinnable, nightmare quagmire.
…
However, US reportedly unhappy with Kursk incursion, because it scuppered peace talks. Kiev’s purported culpability for Nord Stream bombing is, it seems, being used to justify ending German aid to Ukraine. And the US is blocking Kiev from firing British-made missiles at Russia.

Kit’s theory is that the Washington Post story about the blown negotiations as well as the latest “Nord Stream done by Ukraine” rumor reporting by the WSJ are expressions of U.S. anger over the Ukrainian government and its Kursk invasion.

The Times also reports that Britain is pushing its allies to provide more weapons and to allow their use against targets deep inside of Russia:

In the coming weeks Healey will attend a new meeting of the Ukraine Defence Co-ordination Group, where Britain will press European allies to send more equipment and give Kyiv more leeway to use them in Russia. Healey spoke last week to Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, and has been wooing Boris Pistorius, his German opposite number.Germany, whose Taurus missiles have a similar 155-mile range to Storm Shadow but a more powerful warhead, has been the country under the most pressure to move. However, it was revealed yesterday that Germany has actually frozen military aid to Ukraine because of a domestic budgetary crisis. Pistorius had asked for £3.4 billion of additional supplies but that was rejected by the finance ministry.

A previous leak provided that the long range Taurus missiles are complicate and have to be programmed just-in-time by German officers. There is no support in Germany for allowing such a deep involvement in attacks on Russia.

To me it seems that Britain has promised to Ukraine that it would get its allies to agree to the usage of longer range weapons against Russia in exchange for Ukraine to launch the attack on Russia.

Only that can explain this Zelenski complain about Starmer:

The Ukrainian president complained that British aid to Kyiv had begun to wane as his forces continued their unprecedented incursion into Russian territory in the Kursk region.“Unfortunately, the situation has slowed down recently,” Mr Zelensky said, referring to UK military assistance.

Sir Keir has upheld a Conservative ban on using UK-made Storm Shadows to strike targets deep inside Russia, amid concerns it could lead to escalation with nuclear-armed Moscow.

“We will discuss how to fix this because long-range capabilities are vital for us. The whole world sees how effective Ukrainians are – how our entire nation defends its independence,” said Mr Zelensky.

It came as four former Conservative defence secretaries called on No 10 to do more to support Ukraine, with some demanding Kyiv be allowed to use Storm Shadows in the Russian offensive.

But it is not Starmer who is blocking the missiles, it is the U.S. of A. (archived):

Washington is in effect blocking Britain from allowing Kyiv to fire Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia, amid fears in the Biden administration of an escalation in the Ukraine war.
…
It is understood that although the UK wants to give Ukraine the freedom to do what they want with the long-range weapon, it requires consensus from allies, including the US, France and a third undisclosed Nato country. A government source stressed that the UK was not blaming the US for any delay, adding that such policy changes took time.

Combining all the above one can (re-)construct this story.

Britain, in a bipartisan move, wants to prolong the war in Ukraine. It suggested to and helped Ukraine to invade Russia even as it knew that this would interrupt peace talks in Qatar. It also promised to press its allies for long range attack permission against Russia. But the U.S. and Germany are still blocking such attacks. Zelensky now complains that Britain failed to deliver on its promise.

The U.S., miffed about the British involvement in a likely useless Ukrainian attack on Russia, is leaking about the Ukrainian/Russian negotiations in Qatar.

The above is largely based on the U.S. claims that it was not really involved in the planing of the Kursk incursion.

There are of course good reason to doubt those claims:

As the Ukraine war enters its most perilous phase, with Kiev’s forces fighting inside Russia, the United States is operating a formal “sensitive activities” detachment that is active in providing direct military support to the beleaguered country. The detachment, never before disclosed, is run by U.S. special operations forces, and with its Ukrainian counterparts, provides on-the-battlefield support, including near-real time targeting intelligence, operators say.
…
An operator formerly deployed to the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group assigned to a sensitive activities detachment told me their work included the creation of clandestine human networks for intelligence gathering, as well as identifying Russian military weaknesses for targeting.
…
A second operator also described having been tasked with providing near up-to-the-minute intelligence support to Ukrainian forces.

Those U.S. operators in Ukraine certainly did not miss the preparations the Ukrainians were making for their attack.

P.S. Bonus from The Times piece:

“It’s not just about the military support, but it’s about the industrial, economic, and diplomatic support,” the defence source said. “If Putin succeeds in Ukraine he’s not going to stop there. But also the economic implications of that are massive, because we all saw how heavily Britain got hit when he first invaded.”

Yes, the sanctions, intended to hurt Russia, were quite damaging to those who issued them. Nice to see that finally acknowledged.

Posted by b on August 19, 2024 at 15:58 UTC | Permalink

Chemtrails

Duke

“One day, I was lounging in the house when I heard loud gunfire. I ran outside just in time to see my neighbors cart off Duke’s mom on the back of their flatbed truck.

After that, Duke spent almost every hour at our home. Curiosity drove me to ask my neighbor’s what his name was but all they told me was they simply called him Dog. A couple of months after that, they simply stopped feeding Duke. I started to feed him because I wasn’t going to let this baby starve.

When it came time for our neighbors to move, I asked them if I could take Duke off of their hands since it was clear they didn’t want anything to do with him. The son said yes, but the day after I asked, Duke was gone and so were they.

I contacted the son and asked if he had changed his mind and decided to take the dog with him and he grew defensive and put all the blame on me and threatened me. After explaining to him I didn’t have Duke, he hung on me calling me a liar.

In an effort to find this baby, I posted Missing Pet signs all over the local vets office within a 25 mile radius.

5 months passed before I got a phone call from the UPS man that delivered in our neighborhood. He said he saw a dog matching the description of Duke in a nearby field and he looked pretty bad. I thanked the man, hung up and drove straight to where he said he saw the dog. It was Duke. Malnourished and severely afraid of everything. However, one look at me and after hearing my voice he perked up and ran straight into my arms.

Now Duke is healthy and happy and has three other dogs and three cats to play with.Now we are a family.❤️”

Douglas Macgregor Warns: US’s EXTREMELY Dangerous Policys Push The World Is Increasingly CHAOTIC

MAJOR TOM

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

Brian Bywater

MAJOR TOM

“Ground Control to Major Tom”

“If you want to live through this journey Philip you will stop singing that song. You haven’t let up since we blasted off. It may have been funny then and had some sort of relativity, however after five days it does reek of overkill.”

“Oh chill out Major, lighten up. Everyone at Ground Control sees the funny side of a real life Major Tom actually being on a journey through space. You must realise at some stage they will make that call.”

“That song, A Space Odyssey, if you can call it a song, was banned before the first Apollo flight in 1969 and it should have stayed that way. Do you have any understanding of what Bowie was saying?”

“Jesus Tom, it is a song connected to a historical event, the first men on the Moon. It is a classic.”

“You weren’t even born in 1969. You have no concept of how disturbed the song made everyone feel. particularly those connected with the flight People watching on TV World-wide also became emotionally invested.”

“That’s ridiculous. Nothing went wrong, what was everyone worried about?”

“Get real Philip. That is easy to say after the event. This was a first. Three men heading for the Moon had metamorphorised from something only considered science fiction into the first true TV reality show. Had something gone wrong there wasn’t a precedent for decisions to overcome any problem they encountered.. The lift off, weightlessness in space, not in a simulated situation in a man-made chamber, meteors damaging the spaceship, the possibility of alien life greeting them, poison gases on the surface, these were only some of the dangers. It really was one giant step for man.”

“OK I get all that. What was Bowie saying that had people getting their knickers in a knot?”

“The interpretation of some of the lyrics. Remember this was 1969, the World was changing rapidly. To put it in perspective it was at the time the Beatles were recording their first album. The Rolling Stones were playing to record crowds. This was the permissive 60’s which is why the ban on the song was lifted. Drug references, loneliness, depression all became accepted lyrics, which did not please everyone. Bowie later admitted he was ‘out of his tree’ when he wrote the song. Look can we get on with what we have to do to keep this spaceship operational and on course?”

“Sure, I have the day five check list in front of me. There is one thing we need to evaluate. Look at the top right hand corner of the screen showing vision of the galaxy ahead. It is showing a new comet has appeared since yesterday. I am only assuming it is a comet.”

“Never assume. Why did you wait until now to mention it? Why a comet? I think it is moving too slowly for a comet. It is maintaining the distance between us so it must be traveling at the same speed we are. What is the time frame from when it first appeared on the screen to now?”

“That would suggest this object is moving far too slowly to be a comet. You are correct. Based on distance from the Sun it should be moving at around 25,000 miles per hour. This is nowhere near that speed. As you said the distance between it and us is not changing, it is mimicking our speed, 17,000 mph. Calculating its position indicates it must have traveled at over 40000 miles per hour to get to that position on our screen in the elapsed time, yet it has slowed to 17000. That is a controlled act, it must be manned.”

“How far away is it?”

“Using our laser probe indicates 6.7 miles. Jesus, did you see that? When I activated the probe it sent a return probe. Whatever it is, it is definitely manned.”

“Being that close we are obviously on the same orbit. Ground Control must be seeing this, why haven’t they made contact?”

“Whatever it is only looks like a large piece of space junk, certainly nothing like a spaceship. Perhaps Ground Control leave it to us to make contact if we feel it is creating a problem.”

“Jesus wept. An unidentified object is 6 miles away in the same orbit and is mimicking us speed wise and using a return probe to evaluate distance apart and you do not see a problem? Contact Ground Control, do it now Philip.”

“What can they do? They are light years away, we are within 6 miles. I think we should try and make contact with the object, whatever it is.”

“What language would you suggest?”

“Well we know the Chinese and the Russians have launched space probes, some manned.”

“And which of those languages are you proficient in Philip? Just assume they understand English for Christ’s sake and make the call.”

“It has gone, there one minute, disappeared the next, off the screen. It would have accelerated to 50000mph in the blink of a second to do that.”

“There is another possibility. A screen which hides anything behind it has been activated. We have fighter planes that use that tactic. Fire another laser probe.”

“There isn’t anything there to bounce the laser off. Tom, on the screen, it is behind you.”

“This is not the time for Punch and Judy jokes Philip.”

“I am telling you it is right behind us and moving closer. It is increasing in size. Increase our speed, put some distance between us or it will crash into us.”

“The ship is not responding to my commands. Call Ground Control.”

“Houston, we have a problem.”

“Idiot, you can’t even get that right. It’s Houston we’ve had a problem.”

“Look behind us, the thing is about to swallow our spaceship, we are going inside the thing. Saying we have a problem is an appropriate understatement.”

“Ground Control to Major Tom……. Major Tom, ……Major Tom.”

“Wake up Tom. Tom, give me strength, Ground Control to Major Tom, wake up. You are having another nightmare. Who is Philip? I knew this would happen when you played that Bowie song tonight. From now on it is banned in this house. Play it and it will not be Houston who has a problem. Go back to sleep, and take Philip with you.”

Cabbage Rolls with Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups leftover meat or ground beef (seasoned with salt and pepper)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 egg, well beaten
6 large cabbage leaves
1/4 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Brown meat and onion in a heavy skillet over low heat. Remove from heat.
Mix in thoroughly celery, rice, horseradish, mustard and egg.
Cook cabbage leaves for 3 minutes in boiling salted water.
Place meat mixture on cabbage leaves. Roll and fasten with toothpicks. Place close together in greased baking dish.
Pour tomato puree and water over cabbage rolls. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove cabbage rolls.
Pour sour cream into liquid remaining in baking dish. Serve over cabbage rolls.

Russian Marines Captured 15 Polish and French Soldiers In KURSK

Anatomy study

Parents should have a choice

China’s Ministry of State Security made a big move, Taiwan’s spy network was wiped out, “Taiwan independence leader” Yang Zhiyuan was arrested, and the maximum penalty is death.

Recently, after the country announced the list of “Taiwan independence”, the national security department took thunderous action and announced that it had cracked thousands of Taiwan spy cases and successfully eliminated a “Taiwan independence element” intelligence station in the mainland. Among them, it focused on a “Taiwan independence leader” who was arrested, warning “Taiwan independence elements” on the island that this is the end.

“Taiwan independence element” Yang Zhiyuan was arrested

Recently, China’s Ministry of State Security announced an exciting news. In order to maintain national security, the Ministry of State Security has carried out special activities to crack down on illegal forces that split the country.

So far, the mainland has cracked thousands of “Taiwan spies stealing state secrets” cases and successfully eliminated a “Taiwan spy intelligence network” lurking in the motherland.

In the article released by the Ministry of State Security, the “Taiwan independence elements” headed by Lai Qingde were severely criticized. The Taiwan authorities insist on “Taiwan independence” rhetoric, and even “use force to seek independence”, collude with foreign forces, and disrupt peace in the Taiwan Strait.

This has not only caused the economic recession on the island and the decline in people’s living standards, but also caused the cross-strait relations to deteriorate and drop to a freezing point.

You should know that less than a week ago, the mainland had just listed the “Taiwan independence list” and encouraged the masses to actively report.

Therefore, the Ministry of State Security’s thundering action and quick action are warning the “Taiwan independence elements” on the island that any forces that attempt to split the country and block the reunification of the motherland will face severe punishment, and the Chinese government is not just talking.

China’s Ministry of National Security

The Taiwan authorities disagree.

They believe that the article does not explain the time and content of the more than 1,000 Taiwan espionage theft cases that have been cracked, and the authenticity is questionable. The person in charge of Taiwan’s cross-strait affairs said that the mainland is either “bragging” and exaggerating, or “abusing the law” and “arresting at will”.

The Taiwan authorities believe that the mainland has only one purpose for doing this, which is to intimidate Taiwan.

In addition, the Taiwan authorities also blamed the mainland for the “promotion of cross-strait exchanges” while arresting Taiwanese people, and believed that the mainland was the “culprit” of the cross-strait confrontation. In this regard, the mainland has long stated that the mainland has no intention of targeting ordinary Taiwanese people, and the Taiwan authorities themselves know who they are arresting.

It is worth noting that in the article of the Ministry of National Security, a “Taiwan independence leader” who has been arrested, Yang Zhiyuan, was mentioned.

Yang Zhiyuan has been engaged in “Taiwan independence” activities for a long time and attempted to split the country’s sovereignty.

The mainland arrested and prosecuted him for “separatism”. This is also the first “Taiwan independence element” arrested by China for “separatism”.

According to the latest legal documents of mainland China, he can be sentenced to death at worst case.

Lai Qingde

For the “Taiwan independence” list that the mainland has listed, many “Taiwan independence elements” clamored that the mainland had no way to implement mainland laws on them, let alone the right to arrest them.

However, Yang Zhiyuan is a good example.

All his “Taiwan independence” activities were carried out in Taiwan, but the mainland was still able to bring him to justice.

In other words, in the future, anyone who expresses “Taiwan independence” in Taiwan may be convicted. Analysts said that the mainland may extradite “Taiwan independence elements” through a third country in the future.

Even if these “Taiwan independence elements” do not come to the mainland, as long as they go to countries that have reached an agreement with China, they will face the possibility of arrest.

“Taiwan independence list” released by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council

The arrest of Yang Zhiyuan means the beginning of the mainland’s exercise of legal jurisdiction over Taiwan. It is foreseeable that “Yang Zhiyuan’s case is the first case, but it is by no means the last case.” “Taiwan independence elements” should not think that promoting “Taiwan independence” speech is not a big deal. As the laws in this regard in mainland China are gradually improved, “Taiwan independence forces” will eventually face legal sanctions. We also advise “Taiwan independence elements” to be cautious in their words and deeds and return to the right path.

This news is brought to you by tencent 张学坤观世界: 08-17 15:40

Contempt of court

What a monstrous system of criminal justice the US has.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-sets-november-date-third-204630616.html

This 47-year-old man, Carey Dale Grayson, will be executed November 21st for killing a woman during a home invasion… in 1994, 30 years ago, when he was 17. He did it with 3 other boys too.

If they were going to execute him they should’ve done it within a year or two of his conviction.

What’s the point of killing him 30 years later? They’re now killing a completely different man from the boy who committed the murder.

After spending such a long time in prison he should honestly just be released.

The US has one of the most draconian criminal justice and prison systems in the world. Every elected judge and district attorney wants recognition for being the one to lock up as many people as possible for the longest time. Extremely long prison sentences are the norm. There are so many ageing prisoners who face either execution or death in prison for something they did as teenagers.

That’s not to mention prison conditions. The Constitution makes prisoners an exception to the ban on human slavery. So there’s mandatory work, but none that pays more than a few pennies an hour.

There’s also no smoking or vaping. There are no conjugal visits. If your wife visits you, you get one hug and brief kiss at the start and end of every visit — apart from that you’re not even allowed to hold hands. And if you’re unlucky enough to go to federal prison, there’s no such thing as parole there. You always serve the entirety of your sentence.

I can’t imagine a crueler system. Anywhere else in the West, there’s no capital punishment, no heavy sentences for minors, prison sentences are much shorter, prison laborers earn minimal wages but not pennies a day, and conjugal visits are permitted. Yet crime and incarceration rates are much lower.

I have no problem with the death penalty as long as it’s applied in a timely manner. I have a problem with taking away someone’s whole life on earth for something they did as a kid or young adult. Either execute them in a timely manner, or give them a reasonable sentence and a road to redemption if you won’t.

The BEST dad ever

Interesting 1950’s themed pictures

Men Are Turning Their Back On The West As It Collapses

Chili Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can vegetarian chili with beans
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces cooked pasta

Instructions

Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Brown beef until no longer pink. Drain fat.
Stir in chili, tomatoes with juice, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, sour cream, chili powder and garlic powder.
Add chili mixture to pasta and stir until pasta is coated.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Contact

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

Martin Hull

The spaceship came screaming down with the thunderclap roar of displaced atmosphere yet landed whisper soft on the grass at the end of town.The craft glittered sleekly in the mid-morning sunlight as it lay on it’s side – a broad shaft topped by a bulbous nose from which a door opened.The blond haired man that stepped out was tall, bronzed and athletic. He wore the shining, golden uniform of Earth’s Bureau of Exploration, his proudly displayed badges of rank declared him to be a Senior Contact Manager (ConMan) Alien Division.He flicked aside the long ponytail that was a fashion among his colleagues and walked down the ramp that had silently extended itself from his scout craft breathing the fresh, untainted (thoroughly examined and tested) air.There was a short, thickset native strolling towards the spaceman, looking mildly curious. Switching on his Universal Translator the ConMan greeted the native.“Greetings from Earth”. The time delay between speaking and computerized translation was almost unnoticeable.“Hello”, replied the native. “I’m from Lower Great Wopping. Did you know that you aren’t allowed to park there?”“Eh? What?” said the Earthman. “Sorry, no I didn’t.”“Oh, that’s alright,” relied the native cheerfully. “Just remember next time otherwise the grass tends to get worn out. Okay?”“Sure, I … Wait a minute,”the Conman interrupted himself. “I’m from another planet.”“Oh goodness,” exclaimed the native. “No wonder I didn’t recognise you. That also explains why you parked on the grass. Well, enjoy your stay here,” and he turned to leave.“Hold on. Wait,” called out the man from Earth. “I am from another planet and I want to see your leader.”“Well …” the other man thought for a moment then puffed his chest out a bit. “I suppose that’s me. I am the Mayor of Lower Great Wopping.”“No,” said the ConMan with a cendeceding smile. “I meant your overall leader. National Government.”

“Nashnul Guvmint?” said the mayor quizzically. “Is that anything like a public convenience?”

“No it isn’t,” snapped the Earthman. “Do you have a king then? Or a dictator?”

“I’m sorry, no I haven’t,” apologised the Mayor. “Perhaps we can get one at the general store?”

“No, no, no,” raged the thoroughly confused ConMan. “Please let us start again. Do you have a ruler of any kind?”

“Yes, of course,” the Mayor’s face brightened rapidly. “I’ve only got a six inch one with me but I can get a longer one from home.”

“What? No, not that sort of ruler!” The ConMan tried very hard and managed to bring himself under control. Barely.

“A slide rule,” suggested the Mayor diffidently.

“No dammit!” screamed the man from Earth.

For several minutes he simply stared at the Mayor, apparently trying to wish him out of existence. When the native failed to disappear in a puff of smoke the ConMan decided to try another route.

“Who makes your laws?” he asked with reasonable calm.

“Laws?” the Mayor laughed. “We tried making some laws a few years back but nobody liked ‘em much so we junked ‘em.”

“Junked ‘em?” the man from BuEx was shocked into spluttering for a few moments. “You can’t simply junk all laws just because nobody liked them.”

“Why not?”

“Well … er …” The ConMan was unsure but pressed on. “Well … er … who made them?”

“Let’s see now,” the Mayor counted names off on his fingers. “There me and Jane, Fred and Mary, the two Jones girls – very good at it they were – and just about anyone who was interested chipped in some ideas.” The Mayor looked sheepish, “I suppose you think we were stupid, making up laws. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Yes. I mean no. I mean I don’t know.” The ConMan was floundering and took a few moments to collect his thoughts. There seemed to be some missing.

“Let’s start again. Again.” He said eventually. “Who makes the rul … er regulations for this country?”

“What’s Country?” asked the Mayor warily.

The ConMan’s reply started off reasonably, if somewhat incoherent but quickly became an ear shattering screem.

“Well it’s … I mean it’s got … that is … Goddamit you stupid sonofabitch you must know what a country is!”

“Nope,” said the Mayor lightly.

“Oh dear God,” said the exasperated Earthman. “Look, you are a Mayor, right?”

The Mayor nodded.

“So you have a council?”

Again a nod.

“What does the council govern?” asked the ConMan in a whisper, as if he were afraid of the answer.

“The borough,” came the simple answer.

“And what,” the ConMan was becoming exited again, “Do you call a collection of boroughs.”

“A collection of boroughs,” replied the Mayor without even blinking but he did take a step backwards. Just in case.

“I … you …but … aarrgghh” screamed the Earthman who seemed to have developed a twitch just under his left eye and stuttered slightly as he spat out his next question.

“What do you get if you put all the boroughs together?”

“The World,” replied the Mayor, stepping back another pace as the ConMan seemed about to throw a fit.

He was silent for several minutes, breathing deeply as his face went through several colour changes while blood vessels at his neck and temples began throbbing visibly.

“Let’s go back to the beginning,” the ConMan almost pleaded. “How many councils are there?”

“Nobody knows for sure,” the Mayor thought for a while, “But I think it’s around two hundred and fifty thousand now.”

The Contact Manager was obviously shaken by the answer but ploughed grimly on.

“And who,” he asked, “Is above them?”

The Mayor thought long and hard, brows furrowed, face towards the sky. Eventually he said – “All right, I give up. Who is above them?”

The Universal Translator was unable to translate the reply other than to give out an ear splitting shriek.

When the ConMan was able to speak intelligibly again there was a glint of madness shining in his eyes.

“Listen you fool,” he started ranting at the native. “I am a Senior ConMan, an expert at understanding and communicating with aliens …”

“I’m no alien,” the Mayor interrupted indignantly. “I was born and raised right here.”

“No, I’m the alien,” said the Earthman. “I mean … that’s not what I mean … no it’s …”

Suddenly he turned and marched quickly back to his ship, muttering to himself.

“I’ll quit, that’s it, I’ll resign. It was a stupid job anyway. Maybe I never even found the bloody planet, they’ll never know.”

As the spaceship took off, disappearing rapidly into the clear blue sky another native, this one riding a bike, drew alongside the Mayor and stopped.

“Hello Fred,” the Mayor greeted the newcomer.

“Hello Mayor,” replied Fred. “Who was that?”

“A bloke from Earth.”

“What did he want?”

“Buggered if I know,” said the Mayor.

America Compared: Why Other Countries Treat Their People So Much Better | Reaction

Will Apple products be manufactured in the US in the future instead of China?

Not likely.

There aren’t many manufacturers that can produce to scale and quality of Foxconn.

Electronics industry uses contract manufacturers. There are only two that have scale. The first one is FLEX (formerly Flextronics) who invented the idea of contract manufacturing as we know it. Foxconn was originally an electronic parts manufacturer and saw how Flex did things and used a similar model. Because they also manufactured the parts they could earn more profit.

Both companies monopolize the assembly business. Both operate at scale.

Apple chose Foxconn and stayed with Foxconn. Their relationship is very close. When Apple needed AMOLED screens for a new phone model, Foxconn built a new factory for them. Apple did not have to invest a penny.

If you wanted to move production back to the US you would still have to import the parts from China. Electronic parts are not produced at scale in the US. You would also have a hard time finding people who want a job on the production line.

Moving a factory is not like moving house. There are many more moving parts.

Why can’t Foxconn survive in India🇮🇳?

They can survive

They just cannot grow at a fifth of the pace at which they grew in China

India is not a good place to manufacture things

The effortless ease of China is entirely missing in India and Vietnam both.

Vietnam is too cramped even if the workforce is productive

India is too lazy and productivity is abysmal

Plus both Nations simply do not have a Skilled Workforce needed for expansion even moderately

It was stupid of Foxconn to threaten to relocate to India and Vietnam

Far easier to have a Chinese OEM subcontracting with them, go to India and do their work for a lower commission

Now they are unlikely to gain shares in OEM in the Chinese Market ever again.

India needs many structural changes to be able to offer Foxconn a fiftieth of what China can offer

The Economic advantages are non existent

And like I always say when any decision-making is made for POLITICAL REASONS – they simply don’t work like you expect them t

Foxconn can thus survive in India

Barely survive

Until one day they just pack up saying THEY CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE

Caitlin Johnstone: Biden Ramps Up Nuclear Brinkmanship On His Way Out The Door

18 November 2024, by Eric Zuesse. (All of my recent articles can be seen here.)

(NOTE: I was going to do an article on this today, especially because this article follows up — though without mentioning — my October 10th “Biden’s plan calls for WW3 to start after Election Day.”, which opened “U.S. President Joe Biden refuses to answer until after November 5th the question of whether the U.S. will officially be at war against Russia,” which was a follow-on to my September 13th “Biden might decide today whether to initiate WW3 against Russia.” 

So, Caitlin’s fine article today is a follow-on to those events. 

She points out that the missiles which Biden is now allowing Ukraine to use to bomb Russia don’t range as far as the 300 miles range that would be able to bomb The Kremlin and endanger Russia’s central command. 

Therefore, Biden isn’t necessaily sparking WW3 by this policy-change. But what he now is allowing would endanger Russia’s giant nuclear power plant in Kursk, and so it could end up causing Russia to unleash nuclear war against the United States and Ukraine.)

https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/biden-ramps-up-nuclear-brinkmanship

18 November 2024, by Caitlin Johnstone

The New York Times reports that the Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use US-supplied long-range missiles to strike Russian and North Korean military targets inside Russia — yet another dangerous escalation of nuclear brinkmanship in this horrific proxy war.

The Times correctly notes that authorizing Ukraine to use ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles, has long been a contentious issue in the Biden administration for fear of provoking military retaliations against the US from Russia. This reckless escalation has been authorized despite an acknowledgement from the anonymous US officials who spoke to The New York Times that they “do not expect the shift to fundamentally alter the course of the war.”

As Antiwar’s Dave DeCamp notes, Vladimir Putin said back in September that if NATO allows Ukraine to use western-supplied weapons for long-range strikes inside Russian territory, it would mean NATO countries “are at war with Russia.” This is about as unambiguous a threat as you’ll ever see.

https://twitter.com/Antiwarcom/status/1858254030361022826

NYT reports that Biden’s policy shift “comes two months before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office, having vowed to limit further support for Ukraine.” And it is here worth noting that last week it was reported by The Telegraph that British PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron had been scheming to thwart any attempt by Trump to scale back US support for Ukraine by pushing Biden to authorize long-range missile strikes in Russian territory.

But it is also true that the day before the US election Mike Waltz, Trump’s next national security advisor, had himself endorsed the idea of authorizing long-range missile strikes into Russia with the goal of pressuring Moscow to end the war. His plan for disentangling the US from the conflict entails ramping up sanctions on Russia and “taking the handcuffs off the long-range weapons we provide Ukraine” in order to pressure Putin into eagerly accepting a peace deal.

So while this is being framed as an administration that’s more hawkish on Russia executing a maneuver that’s designed to hamstring the peacemongering of an incoming administration that’s less favorable to assisting Ukraine, in reality it may just be goal-assisting the next administration in a policy change it had planned on implementing anyway.

https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1856129126492430685

Either way, it’s insane. Putin ordered changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in September in order to ward off these sorts of escalations by lowering the threshold at which nuclear weapons could be used to defend the Russian Federation, and they’re just barreling right past that bright red line like they barreled over the red lines which led to the invasion of Ukraine. And the fact that they’re adding yet another nuclear-armed state into the mix with North Korea is just more gravy for the nuclear brinkmanship pot roast.

At one point in 2022, US intelligence agencies reportedly assessed that the odds of Russia using a nuclear weapon in Ukraine was as high as fifty percent, but the Biden administration kept pushing forward with this proxy war anyway. These freaks are taking insane risks to advance agendas that stand to yield the slimmest of benefits even by their own assessments.

We are living in dark and dangerous times.

PS: If you like this article, please email it to all your friends or otherwise let others know about it. None of the U.S.-and-allied ‘news’-media will likely publish it (nor link to it, since doing that might also hurt them with Google or etc.). I am not asking for money, but I am asking my readers to spread my articles far and wide, because I specialize in documenting what the Deep State is constantly hiding. This is, in fact, today’s samizdat.

GHOST DESCRIBES THE AFTERLIFE, What He Says Will Shock You…

Jumped and shamed all because of the secretive nature of female beauty

When I was a boy growing up, I used to sneak peeks at the stash of Playboy magazines that my father kept in “his” basement bathroom.

My parents maintained a more-or-less traditional household with the father working and the mother being a stay-at-home mom. And part of this lifestyle was the separation of bathrooms.

My father has a small bathroom in the basement, while my mother maintained a larger, more ornate bathroom next to the parental bedroom.

In my father’s basement was a stack of magazines. And buried in the bottom of them were a collection of Playboy and other “girlie” magazines that men would read. He also had magazines about “Men’s adventure” and such topics. And, well, being a boy I of course discovered the stash and would look though them.

They would always give me a rise in my groin, but I really didn’t know what to do past that. As this was still before I discovered the natural release of masturbation. So I would just sneak a peek at the forbidden magazines that my father favored, and my mother deplored.

One day, when I was around ten years old, I got out of the bathroom and opened the door where my sister jumped me; like some kind of fierce tiger, and startled the living fuck out of me.

She screamed at me at the top… the TOP of her lungs. All set at decibel level 1000.

She screamed “Got ya!” and repeated over and over “You are in so much trouble now!”.

Startled and in shock, not to mention viewing the “dirty” magazines, I was horrified and ashamed, and in shock.

So I stayed in the bathroom.

Shaking.

And I stayed there not moving for hours. Maybe three or four hours in total.

And eventually my mother came down. She opened the basement door and made her way down the stairs to the basement bathroom.

She told me to come out. No one is going to beat me, and to get ready for dinner. And that was that.

No bitch-out session.

It was as if nothing happened. But to me, I must have been as pale as a ghost.

Dad ignored everything.

So we set down to eat. Not a word about the terrifying events passed anyones lips.

When my sister tried to say anything, my father SHUT HER UP, and told her to leave the table. Where she promptly stomped off making loud pounding noises as she assaulted the stars to her bedroom.

I didn’t know it then, but I know it now…

Forcefully violating someones privacy; insulting them, shaming them, and generally attempting to lay this “deep sin” on my shoulders was absolutely not acceptable.

It could, if handled wrongly, damage me for life.

Shame. Ridicule.

Betrayal.

All in all, I think that my parents handled this properly.

Months later my dad had a chat with me.

Not about the incident, but telling me that one should never be ashamed of being interested in girls.

And a natural curiosity in the female body is fine, healthy and normal. He told me never to be ashamed of being a normal boy.

After that, he used that to discuss the “birds and bees” with me.

Oh, sure as shit, my sister continued to be a little tyrannical bitch, but that incident was closed, and NEVER reopened again.

This one was handled properly by my parents. They weren’t complete fuck-up’s you know. They did things RIGHT from time to time.

Today…

What are the darkest secrets of elite US universities?

Originally Answered: What are the darkest secrets of elite US universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or Stanford?

To me, the secret about elite universities — or at least the fact that they prefer not to publicize overtly — is that the admissions game is far from fair, which most people would define as based on merit. The truth is that when it comes to admissions, the Ivies, Stanford, and other top schools have their own agendas. Which means that the actual number of spaces available for students without a “hook” is much smaller than one might think.

One agenda is to favor legacies. Harvard has been known to have the children of alums take up one-third of the class. Other schools do the same, at somewhat lower rates. Among my college essay students, I see admissions for legacies as much more likely than for others. If nothing else, the tie often goes to the legacy.

Athletes also get a big edge. This is not limited to Stanford, home of many Olympic medalists. Even at the Ivies, where the level of play in most sports is well below Olympic caliber, a big chunk of admitted students are recruited athletes, who sometimes get a bit of a break on grades and test scores. About half of students at Williams are athletes.

Money matters. Yes, you can buy your way into a top college. It is now known that the parents of Jared Kushner knew that he was not Harvard material and spent millions greasing the wheels. In my own experience, I have seen a student with really weak academics get into a school where the family’s name was on a building.

Race also matters. Students who are historically underrepresented minorities get an edge, even if the family is rich. It is documented that Asian students need higher grades and scores to get into many top schools. Harvard is being sued for this practice.

Universities are more willing to publicize their efforts to broaden opportunity by giving preference to student who will be the first in their family to go to college. “60 Minutes” recently did a segment about Princeton’s efforts to increase socioeconomic diversity. I applaud plans like this. But I also know that this means a lot of places will be earmarked for certain types of students.

Imagine a game of musical chairs with ten chairs. The game begins with legacies seated in two chairs. Recruited athletes are in two other chairs. Two more may already be filled by students who are underrepresented minorities or first to attend college. One more will be an international student. How many spots are left if you do not fit into one of those categories? Three? And half of those go to men and half to women?

The above scenario is inexact. But the point is clear. For a student without a hook, the window to squeeze through to get into an elite university is much smaller than the universities would have you believe.

MM’s AI work from today part 1

I’ve been experimenting with Baroque figurative imagery.

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Comfortably Numb – Pink Floyd – The Wall – 4K Remastered

China’s Ministry of Commerce has introduced export controls again, and it is the turn of the United States to be “choked”, and the military is under great pressure.

While the United States has repeatedly exaggerated the “Chinese military threat” and wants to continue to increase its budget and join forces with its allies to manufacture and transfer weapons and expand military production, China’s unexpected decision suddenly made the US and European militaries feel real pressure.

According to the Global Times, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs of China recently issued an announcement, announcing that from September 15, export controls will be imposed on antimony and superhard materials related items. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said that China’s policy is not aimed at any specific country or region, but is based on international practices to better safeguard national security and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation. The important role of antimony in military production and China’s dominant position in antimony mining and supply have determined that this move will have an impact on many countries, and the United States will be the first to bear the brunt.

(Antimony Ore)

Foreign media analysis said that antimony, as a strategic metal, is not only used in the production of batteries and photovoltaic equipment, but also an important raw material for many military equipment, such as ammunition, infrared-guided missiles, nuclear weapons, and night vision goggles. China is the world’s largest antimony producer, mining about 40,000 tons last year, accounting for nearly half of the global total. The United States is the world’s largest buyer of antimony ore. Relevant statistics show that 63% of the antimony ore and its oxides imported by the United States from 2019 to 2022 came from China. From this perspective, China’s export controls on antimony are actually a “reverse stranglehold” on the United States, which is likely to cause difficulties for the United States’ weapons manufacturing.

However, it is not the first time that China has strangled the United States in the export of key minerals. Last year, China announced export controls on two rare metals, germanium and gallium, which prompted the United States to discuss countermeasures with allies such as the European Union, Japan, and South Korea as soon as possible.

(The raw materials of the US AIM-9X infrared-guided air-to-air missile include antimony)

In addition, in recent years, the United States has been trying to get rid of its dependence on China in the supply of key minerals, including cooperating with Australia, Mongolia and other countries to develop mineral resources, but both mining and processing technology and related patents are firmly in the hands of China. As a result, the US has to admit that it is still unable and unwilling to exclude China from the US “key mineral supply chain”.

However, not to mention that China’s export restrictions are not aimed at any specific country, even if the policies specifically targeted at the United States are just a way to treat the person in his own way, because it is the United States that is accustomed to building “campus walls”.

From Trump to Biden, the United States can be said to have tried every means to suppress China in the high-tech field, including but not limited to putting Chinese companies on the “blacklist”. Huawei, DJI and other companies have not escaped, and allies have implemented various export controls on China. At the time when China’s export controls on antimony were in place, the Biden administration was still planning to implement new restrictions on technology exports to China.

However, unlike the United States, the suppression by the United States cannot fundamentally prevent our rise. Instead, it has prompted China’s high-tech enterprises to make great progress and development through self-reliance and independent innovation. Take the most critical semiconductor industry as an example. At present, domestic chips have made breakthrough progress and are gradually replacing the market of foreign chips.

As emphasized by the Ministry of Commerce, China opposes any country or region using controlled items from China to engage in activities that undermine China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests. Since the United States uses key minerals provided by China to build weapons against China, there is no need for China to be polite. It is more appropriate to let the United States taste the taste of being “choked”.

This news is brought to you by tencent

Be the Rufus

Have you ever seen an employer fire someone without realizing what a crucial role the employee played?

Me. My position was eliminated, and while I gathered my things in the presence of the new office manager, I told her that she’d need to contract a snow removal company to clean and salt the walks, early morning, every time it snowed. Because I was the one who did that.

She looked shocked and dismayed and she said that she didn’t realize that.

A large portion of the client base was children and elderly people and it was not just a matter of courtesy, but an insurance liability. I also cleaned the public sidewalks around the building because even though the city would do it, it might take days before it was done.

Unfortunately for her, contracting a company is the sort of thing that has to be negotiated and booked well in advance, and winter was upon us. The cost for service would be greater than my salary was.

The other employees only worked when they had clients booked, and they were generally small women with medical degrees, and they could not be hot, sweaty and potentially smelly from physical exertion anyway.

And the three dentists sure weren’t going to do it.

Back to the Future is sooo FREAKIN’ GOOD!!!

From Prodigy to Predator: The Twisted Path to Narcissism

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) often evokes images of self-absorbed egomaniacs who crave admiration and wield manipulation like a weapon. But beneath the polished veneer of grandiose self-image lies a hidden truth: narcissism is a learned response to deep-seated wounds inflicted in childhood. It’s a desperate dance for love and attention, born from a warped perception of neglect and unworthiness.

From Crib to Con: The Twisted Path of Narcissism

The seeds of narcissism are often sown in the fertile ground of early childhood experiences. Imagine a young child, yearning for the warmth of parental love, only to encounter a void of emotional connection. Perhaps their needs were consistently unmet, their cries left unanswered, or their achievements ignored. This perceived neglect breeds a gnawing sense of unworthiness and insecurity.

To cope with this emotional turmoil, the child instinctively adopts survival tactics. They learn that loud tantrums, exaggerated displays of distress, and even manipulative ploys garner attention, albeit negative. This “infantile fakery,” as you aptly call it, becomes a twisted currency, securing the fleeting validation that soothes their raw vulnerability.

Over time, these behaviors morph into a sophisticated arsenal of manipulation. The narcissist learns to charm their way through life, cutting corners, deflecting blame, and leveraging the sympathy of unsuspecting others. It’s a desperate attempt to fill the void within, a never-ending quest for external validation to compensate for the internal chasm of perceived inadequacy.

The Vicious Cycle: Escalation and Escape

This relentless pursuit of self-gratification comes at a hefty cost. Relationships become transactional, mere stepping stones on the path to narcissistic aggrandizement. As their true nature is revealed, the inevitable happens: disillusionment sets in. People tire of the grandiosity, the constant blame game, and the emotional manipulation.

Faced with this potential rejection, the narcissist resorts to their default coping mechanism: escape. They may abruptly discard relationships, change jobs, or move cities, leaving behind a trail of emotional casualties. But amidst this flurry of movement, there’s no introspection, no genuine growth. The core issue of self-worth remains unaddressed, festering like an untreated wound.

The Impossibility of Perfection: Why Narcissists Can’t Learn

At the heart of narcissism lies an unshakeable belief in one’s own perfection. Any suggestion of imperfection, any hint of a mistake, shatters their carefully constructed facade. This crippling fear of vulnerability makes genuine learning virtually impossible. Why invest in self-improvement when you believe you’re already beyond reproach?

Instead, the narcissist resorts to intellectual shortcuts, relying on charm and bluster to mask their lack of knowledge. They avoid honest self-reflection, deflecting blame and responsibility like Teflon repels water. It’s a vicious cycle, perpetuating their inflated sense of self while simultaneously hindering their ability to grow and evolve.

The Toll of Denial: Broken Promises and Shattered Lives

The ramifications of this arrested development are far-reaching. The narcissist’s inability to learn and adapt translates into a string of failures: broken relationships, lost jobs, and a trail of emotional wreckage. Their charisma may initially draw people in, but their manipulative tactics and emotional detachment eventually wear thin.

As the masks slip and the truth emerges, those closest to the narcissist bear the brunt of the pain. Family members become collateral damage, spouses are emotionally abused, and friends are left bewildered and hurt. The narcissist, forever chasing the mirage of self-worth, leaves behind a desolate landscape of broken promises and shattered trust.

Breaking the Cycle: Understanding and Healing

Unmasking the root of narcissism isn’t about demonizing individuals or condoning their behavior. It’s about recognizing the human story behind the inflated ego, the pain that fuels the need for constant validation. By understanding the underlying causes, we can move beyond judgment and towards compassion.

For those caught in the orbit of a narcissist, knowledge is power. Recognizing the manipulative patterns, setting healthy boundaries, and prioritizing self-care are crucial steps towards emotional well-being. Therapy can also offer valuable tools for navigating the complexities of these relationships and ultimately reclaiming power over one’s own life.

A Call for Empathy, Not Excuses

While NPD stems from early childhood experiences, it’s crucial to remember that understanding isn’t synonymous with excusing harmful behavior. The actions of narcissists can inflict deep wounds, and those affected deserve validation and support. However, recognizing the source of their pain can help us move beyond anger and blame, towards a place of empathy and self-protection.

Narcissism may be a complex and deeply ingrained disorder, but it’s not an insurmountable one. By shedding light on its origins and acknowledging the emotional pain at its core, we can foster a space for healing and understanding. For the most

Tacos de Carnitas

Crispy bits of very flavorful pork is the base for these delicious street tacos.

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4 pound) pork butt
6 cups water
7 strips orange zest
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 large white onion, diced
1 cinnamon stick (preferably Mexican canela)
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
24 small corn tortillas, warmed
Chopped fresh cilantro
Finely chopped white onion
Diced fresh tomato

Instructions

Trim any thick fat from the pork butt. Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, discarding any that are pure fat, leaving some of the fat for flavor and browning later.
Put the pork cubes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface during the first 15 minutes. After foam is skimmed off, add the chopped onion, garlic, orange zest, crushed red pepper, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, cloves and salt. Simmer uncovered for another 1 1/4 hours until pork is very tender, adding more water if necessary to keep it submerged.
Season with more salt.
Continue simmering at a gentle boil until the water has evaporated, about 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon. Cook a little longer to fry the meat, stirring often and adding a little water it it seems to be sticking and/or burning.
Spoon some carnitas onto each tortilla. Top tacos with chopped onion, cilantro and diced fresh tomato.
Serve with refried beans and Mexican rice for a genuine taqueria experience.

Some of MM AI generations

Early stuff this.

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6 Signs You’re with the “Right” Partner

byThe InformHub •June 30, 2024

Discover the true meaning of a perfect match based on mutual love. In challenging times when many Americans feel more single and lonely than ever, 60% of U.S. adults still believe in the concept of a soulmate.

“Meant to be” can be a comforting thought after a series of bad first dates or a marriage that ended in divorce. Even 52% of Americans who have been married before still believe in “the one.”

This belief brings a strong sense of hope for those already in relationships, especially during tough times.

However, it also comes with potential downsides.

Believing you’re with the “right” and “only” person can lead partners to stay in abusive and toxic relationships (Franiuk et al., 2012).

It can also cause people to leave relationships too soon, thinking the “right” person is still out there, just a swipe away on their dating app.

But relying solely on either the traditional soulmate theory or the work-it-out approach is a false choice.

What if your soulmate was someone highly compatible with you, and what was “meant to be” was finding that level of compatibility?

Why not someone who also makes a consistent effort?

“Meant to be” refers to a healthy, lasting relationship with someone you are highly compatible with, sharing and enjoying life together.

Here are six signs that you’re in a highly compatible, secure, and strong long-term relationship:

1. You experience a strong and consistent emotional connection.

2. You have fun together and enjoy similar activities or adventures.

3. You are physically attracted to each other.

4. You find joy in quiet moments together.

5. You accept your partner as they are and feel accepted by them.

6. You and your partner feel chosen by each other.

This is the ideal scenario of high compatibility in the way you love. Soulmate relationships are less about a checklist of matching traits or qualifications and more about the way you feel when you wake up next to each other in the morning.

You might have met a soulmate if you also:

Feel appreciated, respected, and valued.
Feel comfortable being vulnerable.
Experience support for your dreams.
See significant alignment of interests, personality, and lifestyle.
See consistent growth in communication, conflict resolution, and meaning-making.

Meeting your soulmate may also mean a deep bond with spiritual significance if spiritual and religious beliefs were part of your family culture. Sharing core beliefs about spirituality and your relationship is a good indicator of soulmate potential.

If you’ve been together for at least a year and have been discussing marriage, sit down with your partner this weekend and consider the following questions:

How would you describe your emotional connection?

What exciting activities have you enjoyed together this year?

How would you describe the quality of your sexual experience in the relationship?

What is your experience when sharing space?

Why do you choose each other out of the 8.1 billion people in the world?

Do you feel like your best selves with each other?

If you’ve found your person, cherish and celebrate them. Ensure your partner understands their value to you.Commit to actions that reflect your love.

I’M EMOTIONAL!! First Time Reaction to Pink Floyd – “Comfortably Numb”

Plutocracy of private capital creates a crisis of US political legitimacy

Source: Global Times

The US is confronting a political system facing a crisis of legitimacy. A major component of the crisis is structural and inherent to US governance. Politicians in the US do not succeed in politics because of their service to the people. They are first selected by a tiny fraction of society wielding immense wealth and power before they are presented to voters.

Nowhere is the gap between the policies that US politicians pursue and the well-being of the people bigger than foreign policy. A cursory look at the economic approach to China under the administrations of former president Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden demonstrates this clearly. Under the Trump administration, the US imposed tariffs on Chinese exports and sanctions on China’s tech sector. Under the Biden administration, the US increased these tariffs to include the Chinese electric vehicle sector, expanded “black list” of Chinese tech corporations and targeted the semiconductor industry as a flashpoint in arresting China’s high-tech development. The two US administrations’ continuity on US foreign policy toward China extends into their military posture as both administrations saw greatly intensified US militarization in the Asia Pacific presence along China’s border and dangerous escalations over Taiwan in violation of the one-China principle.

Nothing about US foreign policy, whether it targets China or another nation, benefits the American people. Trillions of US dollars have gone unaccounted for, while many Americans struggle with debt, increasing rates of poverty, lowering life expectancy, inflation and stagnant wages. This has led to a crisis of political legitimacy where support for Congress and the president are at an all-time low while support for third-party alternatives to the two-party system is at a high point. The question is, then, why do US politicians fail to serve the interests of their constituents? What makes them choose to enrich military contractors and monopoly financial institutions while neglecting the ordinary worker?

The US is not a democracy. It’s a plutocracy of private capital. One percent of the US population owns more than one-third of US wealth. But more importantly, this one percent comprises the property owners of the biggest monopolies and financial institutions in the US and have designed a political system where their patronage directly corresponds to US policy. While politicians may promise ordinary Americans that their policies will benefit them. However, once elected these same politicians pursue an agenda which enriches the wealthiest corporations at the expense of the well-being of the people. In 2014, two US scholars conducted a study on the impact that various interest groups hold on government policy. They found that big business and interest groups made a huge impact on US policy and average citizens made little to no impact at all. Their findings find no shortage of validation. While the vast majority of people face economic and social strife, US politicians are busy sending more military aid to Ukraine and Israel and holding fundraisers with the richest in the corporate and finance sectors. This has given way to political malaise in some respects, but it has also encouraged more people to seek alternative political avenues to the two-party system.

As the gap between US policy and the interests of humanity reaches an all-time high, US politicians will continue to compete among themselves over how to best manage a growing crisis of legitimacy. An ever-increasing number of Americans will grow disdainful of this process. This means that an even more polarized political environment is coming to the United States as people navigate gross power distortions between the average American and the elites. Meanwhile, they continue to look for ways to fulfill their desire for a more people-driven and people-centered political agenda.

Boeing

How many Chinese still remember how our generation was deceived by this book?

When I was a kid, I believed it, and when I grew up, fuck, what stupid book lied to me all these years

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1.Coins and national emblem

A Chinese student dropped a dime on the road and didn’t pick it up. A foreigner picked it up for him and solemnly told him that this coin has your country’s micro on it, please respect it

2.Make sure you wash it seven times

In Japan, dishes must be brushed seven times. A Chinese student who worked in a work-study program was fired by his boss because he only brushed five times. As a result, all restaurants did not want him, and finally the landlord asked him to check out because of his dishonesty

3.Fly honey

In order to change the problem of flies chasing odor, for more than two hundred years, Australians have developed good habits of hygiene generation after generation, thoroughly cleaning the national public place, and maintaining it for a long time, and finally flies collecting honey for living

4.The meaning of guns

The Chinese played with a real gun for the first time at a white friend’s house, and the gun went off and injured the friend’s son. However, the white friend did not investigate the fault of the Chinese, and even gave him the gun. The white man said: Because he grew up in a country without guns, he did not know the value of guns.

5.Book honey

In order to make children fall in love with reading, Jews will put honey on the book and let the child taste the sweetness of the book. This method is so effective that many Jewish children find books sweet and fragrant from an early age.

6.Blackout supermarket

A supermarket in the United States suddenly lost power, in order to prevent stampede, the radio announced that you can take away the goods in your hand for free, and people have orderly exit after hearing the radio. After the call, I was surprised to find that the counter was full of banknotes, which were consciously paid by customers

7.Power cut to save lives

In the United States, a sparrow was entangled in a high-voltage power line, and passers-by immediately called the alarm phone, and the police informed the White House that the president decided to send a special plane to break the national main power line, so that the national temporary power outage, saving the little Massachusetts. A great nation can stop any humble life

8.Tools wrapped in oiled paper

The German colonists built Qingdao sewers, so that Qingdao was not flooded for a hundred years, and a hundred years later, I received an email from a German company, saying that the sewers contained spare parts wrapped in oil paper and could be replaced directly

9.Superfather

A father was peeling an apple from his daughter’s winnowing boat when he accidentally plunged a knife into his heart. In order not to cause his daughter to panic, he endured severe pain and pulled out the fruit knife, insisting on sending the child off the ship for 3 days before he died.

10. 4:30 in the morning

4:30 in the morning, when the Chinese students are still sleeping, the world’s best group of people, Harvard students are immersed in reading, 4:30 in the morning Harvard library lights up, filled with serious learning students

11.Reading on the subway

British people love reading, they do not look at mobile phones when taking the subway, but read books and newspapers, “the spiritual world is very rich.”

Kung Fu Hustle Movie REACTION!!

The US military did the math and found that it was more cost-effective to “give up” Taiwan

What Lai Qingde was most worried about still happened. The Americans did the math and were surprised to find that it was more “cost-effective” for the United States to “give up” Taiwan.

Recently, a US military scholar published an article in the “Foreign Affairs” magazine, saying that the US military should not conflict with the Chinese mainland in order to “defend Taiwan”, and even further proposed the view of “giving up” Taiwan and letting it fend for itself.

This is different from the view that most American politicians have always advocated to “support the Taiwan authorities” to “contain” the mainland, so it has caused widespread discussion.

[The US military has made the situation in the Taiwan Strait more tense]

The scholar argued his point of view from three aspects:

First, the scholar reviewed the PLA’s strength improvement in the past 12 years in the article and came to a conclusion that China is now strong enough.

Among them, four points were mainly mentioned, namely that the PLA Air Force is producing fifth-generation aircraft and upgraded bombers, and most indicators show that China has the largest navy in the world.

In addition, China’s long-range missiles and satellite technology also pose enough “threat” to the US military and its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, and are capable of directly attacking US military bases from their homeland.

Whether it is the hypersonic missiles such as the DF-17, which are at the forefront of the missile field, or the continuously upgraded DF series ballistic missiles, as well as mature and reliable anti-ship ballistic missiles, they all mark that we have taken a decisive step in our defense strategy and can cause devastating blows to US military bases and aircraft carriers when necessary.

[The US military in the Asia-Pacific region has to bow its head within the range of the PLA missiles]

To achieve this, it is also inseparable from my country’s expansion of satellite technology and space capabilities. The fully built Beidou satellite navigation system and a large number of remote sensing and reconnaissance satellites can provide the PLA with independent and reliable global positioning, improving the precision strike capability of the weapon system and the command and control efficiency of the troops.

On the other hand, when the US military faced the missile offensive of the Houthi armed forces in the Red Sea, it was obviously in a serious shortage of ammunition. Therefore, under the PLA’s fully upgraded missile offensive, this problem of the US military will only become more serious.

After talking about the strength of the PLA, the scholar put forward a second point of view, pointing out that the military benefits that Taiwan Island can bring are very low, and it is not enough to change the overall situation for both the US military and the PLA.

He said that this is because the United States has long been trapped in a “misunderstanding”, believing that the PLA will further increase the coverage of medium-range missiles after regaining Taiwan, and further break through the US “island chain plan”.

In fact, the technology originally mastered by the PLA is enough to cover the US military bases on Okinawa and Luzon Island. After mastering Taiwan Island, it is just “icing on the cake”, adding an additional 190 miles of range.

For the US military, Japan and the Philippines, which are also located on the first island chain, have more bases with superior conditions, and can even further pose a threat to Taiwan Island from these bases after the PLA regains Taiwan.

This point is actually somewhat of a “broken jar” meaning, perhaps because they feel that “the PLA missiles are always hanging over the heads of the US military in the Asia-Pacific region, so instead of “holding” the island tightly, it is better to throw the trouble to the PLA.

Finally, the scholar gave a very “vicious” strategy, which is to remind the US military that it needs to change its strategy and “defend” Taiwan from another angle.

This method is to hope that the US military will provide as many mines, drones and anti-ship missiles as possible to the Taiwan military, and support the Taiwan authorities to produce these equipment themselves through technology sharing.

In this way, the Taiwan authorities will no longer be a burden to the United States, but a thorny “hedgehog”, and then when the PLA “suffers huge losses to recover Taiwan”, the United States can gain a certain advantage and fight the PLA in a wider area.

We will temporarily Regardless of whether such a concept can be realized, the message that the scholar expressed in his words that he would “abandon the Taiwan authorities” in exchange for greater advantages is enough to confirm our view on the nature of US military aid.

[The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council has long “predicted” the fate of the Taiwan authorities]

Earlier, the spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Zhu Fenglian, said that the United States will always pursue the “America First Policy”, and Taiwan will not be an exception. In the end, the “chess piece” can only become a “discarded piece”, bringing greater harm to Taiwan compatriots.

Moreover, recovering Taiwan is a sovereignty issue that cannot be compromised for us. In front of our core interests, no one can be beaten. Any wrong decision made by the US government on this issue will accelerate our process of recovering Taiwan.

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Shorpy

Be the Rufus

Quandary

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

Lyle Closs

I don’t like people. Never have. Arrogance, ignorance, mendacity, self-importance, superiority… I don’t like lists either.I’m not a prepper. If the end of the world comes I’ll be out on my porch with a welcoming smile. I have so little – they can have it all. It adds up to a pile of nought and a root cellar full of dust.My great pleasure is to sit out there and watch the days rise and subside, the mountains glow then surrender to the clouds. The snow falls like ash, the sun claws into my skin, the wind reaches through the cracks of my cabin, the cold informs me I am still alive.I had a family but she decided I wasn’t her type and took the kids away. I came home from the tyre factory with a lung full of carbon and a house full of silence. She left a note. It said ‘Bye’. Love died with a three letter word.I pinned the note to the front door for the landlord and drove away with my last paycheck and became a ghost of the person I had been. A ghost is a memory of someone who once lived. Seems about right.Vegas baby. A place to burn up and die. I turned the paycheck into chips and put them all on red, then red, then black, then black. It doubled each time. To hell with it. I put the lot on 23. It paid. Then black. It paid. Then 00. A ball drops into a spinning slot and you have more money than you’ve earned in your entire life.Fawning, flattering fools rose to the surface like scum from a rotting fish soup. It happens when you have a pile of cash. I’ve seen it now and it’s not just a trope in a bad movie. I’m not falling for that though. Faux admiration won’t ever open my wallet. If you need to be liked you’re just a bank waiting to be robbed.I cashed in and drove to Montana, opened a bank account in Butte and disappeared into the wooded hills. How I like it.My neighbors are bears and birds. I deal with people when I need stores. Sometimes I sit on my porch with my rifle and pretend someone is coming up the trail. I pretend to shoot them.Trouble is that fantasy would be followed by the reality of being arrested and having to deal with every kind of scum in the legal and penal system. Anyway I’ve never shot a living thing. The gun is for comfort. I like the mechanics of it. And if anyone tries to break into the cabin at night I’m ready. Just try it lowlife. Just fucking try it…Anyway, no sense getting carried away with imaginings. People imagining things is what got the world where it is today. Imagining that dealing drugs will provide a better life; that sacking half the workforce will improve the company; that beating up a woman makes you a man. If aliens investigated the people of this planet before arriving, they’d change their minds and head for Alpha Centauri. Who’d want to take over this pile of scat.Which brings me to today. It started with the powerful light shining through my window in the night. You know what it’s like. Your eyes snap open wide, your body’s as tense as a top E string. You wait for the next noise.The light disappeared. It was a starless dark night out. Low clouds. You strain to hear anything more but the only sound is the breeze in the trees. You peer out but nothing moves but the aspen leaves and pine needles.The next morning you remember it wasn’t a dream and you wander off into the woods with your coffee and toast.In a nearby clearing was a large object that I could only imagine was a radically new weapon. It was matt black, about half the size of my cabin, with projections everywhere and no clear front or back. That was just my first impression though. It looked, I realized, like a large spaceship model from a Star Wars movie. But why would a model spaceship be in a clearing in my forest?Then a very small door opened, a mechanical arm reached out and placed a spherical object on the ground, then retracted. The door closed with a hiss. Hot damn!The object on the ground projected a hazy light that fuzzed in the air then formed a hologram in the air. It was a weird creature which made strange noises and waved its multiple arms, bowed then sat on the ground with its ‘hands’ held open and its head bent down. It seemed to be acting submissive or at least not aggressive. I sat on the ground and sipped my coffee and took a bite of my toast as I stared at it.“What the hell are you?” I said.The hologram creature was about six inches tall. It watched me drinking. I put the coffee cup down by the projector. The mechanical arm came out, picked up my coffee and lifted it into the craft. Seconds later it put the cup back, empty.“Thirsty huh?”I put the rest of my toast and honey down. That too quickly disappeared. The hologram alien clapped its hands and bowed ecstatically. I had the distinct impression it was out of food and drink. Whatever ‘it’ was.Then another door opened and an actual alien dragged itself to the opening. It seemed to be in bad shape. It was just six inches tall. Ugly as sin too. Just like the hologram. Slimy white skin, six eyes in the hairless head, six arms, four legs. Clothes like silk, multi-colored, all tassels and baubles. Some weird idea of fashion.It babbled at me, a high-pitched gurling sort of speech. “You’re a damn fool if you think I can understand a thing you’re saying,” I replied.It held up a hand – wait – and dragged itself back inside. The spaceship made a noise like an engine trying to start. The alien came back to the opening and shrugged. I wondered how many gestures were standard across the universe. It was telling me the vessel wouldn’t start. Well, there’s not a lot I can do to help. I shrugged.It collapsed. Struggled to sit up. Draped its legs over the edge of the opening and stared at me with all its sad little eyes.

The mechanical arm took the projection ball back inside then I heard clicks and hissing and, one by one, it brought out 11 matt black spheres about 3 inches in diameter and put them on the grass. I was puzzled.

Maybe it read my confusion. The projector was brought back out and showed a hologram of an alien apparently dying. I couldn’t tell what was killing it, maybe a poison or some kind of gas. Nothing obvious anyway. It collapsed, much like my alien buddy did just now. It didn’t move though. Then the hologram wrapped the body in a white cloth into a nearly spherical shape then put the wrapped body into a matt black sphere. The arm pointed to the 11 spheres on the grass.

I pointed to the alien in the opening and held up one finger. The hologram held up one finger. Alone.

Then the last one babbled again and tried to stand up but it fell out of the opening onto the grass. I reached out to touch it. It raised it little head, held out a couple of hands and touched my fingers, then it sagged and sighed its last. Dead.

“Bloody hell mate. Don’t tell me that means you’re all dead?” I knocked on the hull of the spaceship but thing appeared.

The mechanical arm lifted the body and wrapped it in cloth, pulled out a final black sphere, gently placed the body into the sphere and closed it. 12 matt black spherical coffins.

I heard a faint humming at the limit of my hearing and the spheres sank into the ground with 12 puffs of smoke or steam and disappeared. I didn’t know how deep they went but later I checked with my old metal detector and it found nothing, so they were at least a few feet in. I imagined them sinking down to the mantel and melting in the lava.

The projector started up again and showed a hologram of an alien looking at me and shrugging. I shrugged back. The spaceship couldn’t start and now had no crew. It didn’t know what to do.

I didn’t know what to do either.

If I tell anyone, the world and its military will descend on my peace and that will be the end of it. I might as well have shot someone.

But I have in my grasp the biggest event in the history of the world. Surely there can’t be just one spaceship? Is an invasion on the way? Could it be stopped if this spaceship was studied by the world’s experts? Could we learn how to reach the stars?

I didn’t think about it for long though. It wasn’t really a quandary. I moved my woodpile and it’s now covered so no-one can see it.

I sit out there most days and talk to it. Sometimes I hear soft humming like it’s still trying to start up. There’s a gap in the pile so the mechanical arm can come out any time it wants.

Occasionally it puts out the projector and the holo-alien shrugs. What can I do? I shrug back and we sit and stare at each other.

Russia’s Use of Oreshnik Missile a Grave Warning to NATO Amid Danger of World War – Analysts

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised speech on Thursday that Ukraine fired US-supplied ATACMS missiles and the UK’s Storm Shadows at facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions on November 19. Russia responded by launching a combined strike using the new medium-range Oreshnik missile on a defense industry complex of the Kiev regime.

Russia’s strike on a Ukrainian defense facility using its new Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile is a “a serious warning to NATO,” Robinson Farinazzo, a retired Brazilian officer, told Sputnik.

He underscored that US President Joe Biden crossed “a red line” by authorizing the Kiev regime to strike Russia with long-range American weapons. “Moscow is perfectly aware that this type of attack, technically difficult, can only be carried out with the support of NATO, in this case the US,” he said.

RUSSIA’S HYPERSONIC ORESHNIK MISSILE SYSTEM SHOWS NATO ESCALATION WILL COME AT PRICE – E

XPERTS “Vladimir Putin delivered a very powerful message to the West that they should revise the decision to escalate the conflict,” Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for European and International Studies at Russia’s Higher School of Economics, who participated in advising the leadership on amendment of the Russian nuclear doctrine and adoption of the new one, tells Sputnik. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin unveiled the Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile that was fired on the night of November 21 in response to Ukraine’s use of NATO’s long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadows against Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions. As a result of the strike, Yuzhmash (also known as Pivdenmash), a Ukrainian arms manufacturer was successfully hit in Dnepropetrovsk. With this move, Putin made it clear that if NATO countries continue to use their ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles against Russia, “then Russia might use its medium range missiles against those countries, against the military objects of these Western countries,” Suslov continued. Moreover, Russia is ready for further escalation, according to the pundit. “If the West will respond to these Russian actions in the escalatory way, then Russia will escalate further. And the recent adoption of the newest Russian nuclear doctrine tells that Russia is basically ready at a certain stage to use evil nuclear weapons,” he stresses. Russia’s new hypersonic missile is a breakthrough technology, Yuri Knutov, military expert and historian of the Air Defense Forces, tells Sputnik “Its speed, as the president said, is 10 Mach. Today, no other country in the world has such missiles,” he says. The pundit underscored that neither the US nor other countries of the world currently possess air defense systems capable of intercepting Russia’s new hypersonic missiles. “We demonstrated a missile that can strike not only Yuzhmash, but also London and Paris if France and Great Britain continue their escalation course towards Russia, continue their direct intervention on the side of Ukraine,” Knutov concludes.

Other analysts agree:

Washington is “provoking an escalation that completely changes the nature of the conflict,” military history expert Ricardo Cabral emphasized.

The US allowing Kiev to use long-range weapons is “a continued psychological offensive” to test Moscow’s tolerance, Venezuelan analyst Vladimir Adrianza noted, adding that the dangerous stage of the conflict stems from the “voracious appetite of the US military, financial and technological complex.”

Moscow has every right to defend itself against NATO’s “sinister and criminal actions,” noted Humberto Morales, professor at the Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico.

President Vladimir Putin has clearly conveyed the message that current events on the international arena demonstrate the “suicidal and irresponsible behavior by the West which threatens total destruction,” Lebanese political scientist Hassan Hmadeh underscored, adding, “The world must stand up to these evil people who are determined to destroy the planet, and the response must be commensurate with their actions.”

Washington’s approval for Kiev to use US-made missiles is intended to force Donald Trump’s future administration to “operate in geopolitical chaos,” Venezuelan international relations expert Wilmer Depablos said.

With less than two months to go before the transfer of power, Biden is trying to make it as difficult as possible for the next president to resolve the Ukraine crisis, Iranian political scientist Emad Abshenas believes.

Putin’s order to use the Oreshnik missile is “a warning to NATO countries amid the growing threat of a world war,” Chinese pundit Sima Pingbang explained, going on to say that the Kiev regime has become “an obstacle to peace” and that “Biden and Zelensky are unable to accept Moscow’s victory.”

How Firing A Key Cast Member Changed Aliens Forever

Russia-to-Ukraine: Time is Up – No Negotiated Peace; Just Complete Capitulation or Complete Destruction

Hal Turner World August 17, 2024

Dimitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister, has publicly said that Russia will seek to occupy “remaining Ukrainian lands” even if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agrees to the Kremlin’s most recent conditions for peace.

Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, “reaffirmed that Russia would not accept or uphold any negotiated peace settlements with Kyiv short of Ukrainian capitulation, the destruction of the entire Ukrainian state, and the full occupation of Ukraine.”

Hal Turner Analysis

Ukraine could have had it all; had they abided by the Minsk Agreement. They would have had peace, no war, their army would still be intact, their country would still be whole.

Instead, Ukraine listened to the siren song of the West, and fought the Russians.

Two months ago, Russia again offered peace.

With the terms of, with the offer being the four Oblasts (states) which had seceded (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporozhe, along with Crimea) would have to remain Russian. At that time, Russia also made clear that if the conflict continued, the terms would only get more dire for Ukraine.

Again, Ukraine listened to the promises of the West, and continued fighting.

Now, it appears their fate is decided. Complete capitulation with occupation of the whole territory, or complete destruction.

It didn’t have to be this way. But the nitwits in the collective West were so impressed with themselves, so enamored with their own echo chamber of how powerful they were, they refused to believe they could lose.

Now, the reality is clear.

Ukraine has no chance at all to prevail.

The collective West is faced with losing on the battlefield, losing worldwide respect/fear, and losing all face.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

The West should have learned from World War 2, when the then-Soviet Union, lost twenty-seven million people fighting the German Nazis.

Did the West really think that Naziism could arise again in Ukraine . . . right next door to Russia . . . and the Russians would simply sit there and wait for a repeat of the World War 2 horrors? Fools they are in the West.

From all the way back in 2012 when the West tried to get Ukraine to shift from the Russian sphere of influence to the EU/USA sphere of influence, so the West could put US missile defenses in Ukraine, the Russians warned this was a “Red Line” for Russia.

Did the West listen? No.

The West then set about overthrowing Ukraine’s democratically-elected President, Viktor Yanukovich, and installing a puppet government in Kiev, to achieve their long terms plans for Ukraine to enter NATO.

As part of this new puppet regime in Kiev, Ukraine massed troops on the borders of the eastern oblasts (states) of Luhansk and Donetsk. Those troops began firing artillery shells and mortars into both oblasts, ultimately killing about 13,000 civilians. there.

Then Russia sent in “Little Green Men” troops with no insignia on uniforms, which beat back the Ukraine army.

The fighting came to a halt when Donald Trump became US President.

When the Democrat Party stole the US Presidency through ballot fraud in 2020, the fighting in Ukraine began anew.

Only this time, the Russians weren’t tolerating it.

Russia attempted, TWICE, to obtain “Iron-clad, legally enforceable, security guarantees” against further NATO expansion toward Russia’s borders. The West laughed at the proposals and said “no.”

Russia then tried again in December 2022, adding that if they could not obtain security guarantees via Diplomatic efforts, they would obtain them by military efforts. It took a little longer this time, but again, the collective West said “no.”

On February 23, 2022, Russia telephoned Ukraine’s then-President, Zelensky, telling him they had five hours to agree not to join NATO. Zelensky called the British Home Office and the US State Department, both of whom told him “ignore Russia’s ultimatum.”

When the five hours had passed, and Ukraine did not answer, Russia waited two additional hours, then sent its army across the Ukraine Border to fight it out.

ALL OF THIS trouble was fomented by, and facilitated by, the West; the EU and the USA.

Now, the EU and the USA are losing.

Badly.

Again, it didn’t have to be this way. Again, people who don’t learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.

Only now, there’s more than a million dead or injured Ukrainian troops. The collective West is almost out of missiles and ammunition. The Billions of dollars and EUROS it has sent into Ukraine are gone, and Ukraine is STILL on the doorstep of complete defeat.

Fools in the West.

Chinese Energy Hegemony

Godfree Roberts

It’s amazing when you think of it,” said Adell, watching the cubes of ice slur clumsily about. All the energy we can possibly ever use for free. Enough energy, if we wanted to draw on it, to melt all Earth into a big drop of impure liquid iron, and still never miss the energy so used. All the energy we could ever use, forever and forever and forever. The Last Question. Isaac Asimov.

Science fiction writers fantasize about how much nicer, longer and more civilized human life would be if every country had an inexhaustible supply of energy and everyone could afford as much of it as they needed. In this post we’ll look at post-2030 implications of China’s recent energy breakthroughs, given that it dominates all forms of modern energy generation, from efficient coal plants to wind generators to PV to pebble bed reactors and, now, fusion.

Energy wars

Lest we underestimate the centrality of energy, notice that the West is currently waging three energy wars:

Ukraine. EU industries have grown uncompetitive and millions of lives have grown nastier, shorter and crueler since they urged Ukraine to attack the owner of the largest energy reserves on earth, Russia. The disastrous results speak for themselves.
Venezuela, with the world’s largest oil reserves, has been under relentless attack since its government renationalized its oilfields in accordance with the constitution. Sabotage, invasion, terrorism, theft of foreign assets and gold reserves, lawfare, false ‘presidents’ – all been mobilized to cripple the economy.
Israel, Anglo-America’s dagger at the throat of MENA energy providers, regularly bombs and terrorizes them. If those oilfields were lavender fields, Israel would not exist.

Energy Abundance: the Dream

‘Free energy’ enthusiasts, perpetual motion inventors and science fiction writers all extoll the wonders of a world where electricity is as clean, abundant and affordable as town water. For them, it’s the equivalent of humanoids figuring out how to make fires in their caves. In 2012 a global consortium spent $20 billion building the ITER tokamak, hoping to generate first plasma by 2027, thus proving the concept of fusion power – even if it’s not yet at the level needed for net energy production.

First Plasma

As we saw in the last post, Chinese engineers started in 2021 and spent $1 billion to achieve first plasma with their HH70 tokamak earlier this year. Like a slim laptop and a power-hungry mainframe, HH70 is 90% smaller, 95% cheaper, and 10x more energy-efficient than ITER, thanks to its use of high-temperature superconductors. More important, it turned a scientific curiosity into an engineering challenge.

Taking no Chances

China now leads in fusion research, fusion technological prowess and fusion IP and has paved the way for commercially viable fusion reactors, control of which would give it economic dominance and huge geopolitical leverage while opening a new chapter in human development.

But Beijing has placed more energy bets than HH70.

Decades of persistent policy support, generous funding, domestic supply chains, large-scale manufacturing experience and highly educated workforce have given China dominance of all 21st century energy technologies. Says MIT Prof. Jacopo Buongiorno, “China is the de facto world leader in nuclear technology.” Indeed, not only is China is 10-15 years ahead of the US in fourth-generation nuclear reactors, it also leads in fusion power and has first-mover advantage in pebble bed reactors and thorium power. …

TOP “Capt. Miller’s Death” Reactions! Saving Private Ryan (1998) Movie Reaction First Time Watching

Number of Chinese scientists leaving US increasing yearly

Scientists of Chinese descent in the United States have been leaving the country because of “pull factors” from China and the “push factor” of the China Initiative of 2018, according to a major research study published in an American scientific journal.

The trend suggests a reverse brain drain, and the data used for the analysis is extensive.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, used Microsoft Academic Graph to analyze trends in the migration of US-based Chinese scientists between 2010 and 2021. The database tracks more than 200 million scientists from over 25,000 institutions worldwide.

Also, a brief on the study, published in July by the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, concluded that the discontinued China Initiative “provided scientists of Chinese descent in the US with higher incentives to leave and lower incentives to apply for federal grants”.

The purported objective of the China Initiative — launched by the Justice Department under the Trump administration and halted in 2022 under the Biden administration — was to reduce economic espionage.

The study identified the working countries of researchers through their academic affiliations in publications and tracked those with Chinese surnames who initially published in the US but later changed their affiliations to institutions abroad.

The study identified 19,955 scientists of Chinese descent who began their careers in the US but left for other countries, including China, between 2010 and 2021.

The researchers said that contributing to the trend were “pull factors” from China, including the country’s large and rapidly growing investments in science, high social prestige, and attractive financial rewards connected to positions in Chinese institutions.

But the analysis also showed a “push factor” in the US. Following the implementation of the China Initiative, departures of US-based, China-born scientists increased by 75 percent, the study found.

The data showed that as of 2021, of those leaving the US, the percentage of scientists moving back to China increased to 67 percent, up from 48 percent in 2010. The life sciences field witnessed the most significant exodus abroad, with more than 1,000 life scientists leaving in 2021.

The researchers also conducted an online survey of 1,304 US-based scientists of Chinese descent between December 2021 and March 2022 to find out why more were leaving.

The survey results revealed the chilling effects of the China Initiative. About 35 percent of Chinese scientists in the US said that they felt unwelcome; 72 percent didn’t feel safe as academic researchers; 42 percent were fearful of conducting research; and 65 percent were worried about collaborations with China.

Students from China have been an important source of US-based scientists for more than two decades. The study said that in 2020, of all US doctoral degrees in science and engineering, 17 percent — roughly 5,800 of 34,000 — went to foreign students from China, and the vast majority of those had chosen to stay in the US in previous years.

Chinese civilization pushed back 200,000 years

https://www.guancha.cn/politics/2024_08_16_745009.shtml

What are the requirements for a country to join BRICS? Why haven’t Japan or Indonesia been able to join BRICS?

Japan is in G7, a US puppet & is hostile to both China & Russia … I will be surprised if Japan can join BRICS at all. Japan will be more destructive than constructive to BRICS.

Indonesia may be in in the 2nd round.

In the 2023 summit, BRICS priority is to have members in each region. In Asia, there is already China.

That is why we see Saudi from Middle East. Egypt from north Africa. Iran from Central Asia. 1 from east Africa (I forgot the name).

“Pew Research Center” reports that only 20% of Asian Americans, including Chinese American, have positive view towards China while 37% of Asian Americans have positive view towards Vietnam . What is your opinion?

How is the public opinion shaped in the US?

This is why, in the U.S., mainstream media significantly shapes public opinion through mechanisms like selective reporting, agenda-setting, framing, and priming, all of which determine the importance and perception of various issues. By repeatedly emphasizing certain narratives and using emotional appeals, the media reinforces specific viewpoints. The inclusion of expert opinions and the creation of echo chambers further cement these beliefs. Additionally, social media amplifies these effects, making the media a powerful force in influencing public discourse and shaping opinions.

How has the Sino-US relationship been shaped by the US and its mainstream media over the decades?

During the Cold War, biased media coverage played a significant role in shaping U.S. public opinion toward China, particularly during periods of heightened tension. In the early stages of the Cold War, media portrayals of China were often framed in stark, adversarial terms, emphasizing the threat of communism and the spread of Maoist ideology. This framing contributed to widespread fear and suspicion of China among the American public, reinforcing support for U.S. policies aimed at containing Chinese influence in Asia, such as the Korean War and later, the Vietnam War. This bias helped to sustain public support for a hardline stance against China, including the policy of diplomatic isolation and the refusal to recognize the People’s Republic of China as a legitimate government.

After Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, U.S. public opinion shifted significantly, with the media playing a key role in reshaping China from an adversary to a potential ally. This visit marked the beginning of a new era in U.S.-China relations, with subsequent media coverage highlighting diplomatic and economic cooperation. This helped foster a perception of China as a valuable partner in counterbalancing Soviet influence during the later stages of the Cold War.

For several decades, U.S. media portrayed China as a crucial ally, particularly in terms of economic relations, as China’s integration into the global economy accelerated. This narrative persisted through the 1990s and early 2000s, with the media emphasizing the benefits of trade and cooperation, even as underlying tensions occasionally surfaced. However, after the Iraq War and the Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia” policy, the narrative began to shift subtly. The policy aimed to rebalance U.S. focus towards the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting concerns over China’s growing influence. While the media began to cover these concerns, the portrayal of China remained relatively balanced.

The shift became more pronounced during the Trump administration when media narratives increasingly framed China as the primary strategic competitor presenting a significant threat to U.S. interests. Trump’s rhetoric and policies, such as the trade war and confrontational stance on issues like technology and security, were widely covered, contributing to the public perception of a renewed “Cold War” with China. By framing China as “enemy number one,” the media helped solidify the view of China as a major adversary, reversing the decades-long narrative of partnership and cooperation. This shift in public opinion has had profound implications for U.S. foreign policy and continues to shape the dynamics of the U.S.-China relationship today.

The long-term consequences of shaping and indoctrinating the general public can sometimes be detrimental to the U.S.

The biased shaping of public opinion in the context of U.S. foreign policy has led to significant consequences. For example, in the lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003, U.S. media heavily reported on the alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, despite weak evidence. This coverage influenced public opinion to support the invasion, which resulted in long-term instability in the Middle East and strained international relations. Similarly, during the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, biased media reports that initially supported the war effort contributed to public approval, which later shifted dramatically as the realities of the conflict became more apparent. These examples demonstrate how biased media narratives can shape public support for U.S. foreign policy decisions, sometimes with enduring negative consequences.

Be the Rufus

Doom’s Day: First Ever Military Use Of An Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

On November 21, Russia launched from its state central interspecific range Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan Region an advanced medium-range ballistic missile on the territory of the Ukrainian State Factory Yuzhmash in the city of Dnepropetrovsk.

That day, using available information, military experts assumed that the strike was delivered by the RS-26 Rubezh missile, not a new weapon, but an old ‘forgotten’ one. This missile has the hypersonic strike part, which is equipped with 6 multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles or MIRVs each consisting of 6 warheads with tactical nuclear charges. It was also reported that the missile was fitted with the Avangard-R hypersonic glider, and instead of nuclear charges, its MIRVs were loaded with metal blanks. The Ukrainian military claimed that Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missiles were also used in the attack. Another Patriot, the most advanced US air defense system, was reportedly destroyed on the outskirts of the city before the main blow.

Moscow did not officially comment on the strikes but Russian diplomacy played well the media game that Kiev and its Western patrons imposed. After the strikes, the spokeswomen of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Zakharova, held a media briefing, during which she had a ‘surprise’ call from the Foreign Minister Lavrov. Everyone clearly heard that the strikes reported by the media should not be commented on. Thus, this was unofficial confirmation of the attack.

In Ukraine, the use of such weapons at first caused laughter and misunderstanding. There were arguments that the Russian president played his last trump card, but the bluff allegedly failed anyway. However, already in the evening, Vladimir Putin released a video message in which he spoke
about the application of Russia’s newest medium-range Oreshnik missile targeting a Ukrainian industrial enterprise in response to the recent strikes by the Ukrainian armed forces against Russia with American and British long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. The Kremlin also emphasized that after the American and British long-range missiles were used against military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk Regions, “the regional conflict in Ukraine has acquired global character elements”.

The Pentagon, in turn, acknowledged that the strike was indeed delivered by an experimental hypersonic missile, expressed concern about it, and said that Russia had warned the United States in advance of its plans to launch such a missile to “reduce nuclear danger.”

After such successful and devastating strikes, the world will not be the same. Showing its advanced missile systems in action, Russia has demonstrated that it possesses unique missile technologies and is ready to use them effectively. In case the conflict in Ukraine transforms into a full-scale war with NATO, such complexes can already be used with standard nuclear ammunition, and it is impossible to intercept them, at least over Europe

Why do Chinese on here often represent China as resource deprived? China has vast mineral and coal resources and a huge amount of arable land.

Not Chinese, mostly yanks, Ignorance, they believe the propaganda they are told without ever researching it, most of that crap can be debunked very easily, they just don’t bother,

like some bloke yesterday claiming China can be brought to its knees in a week by the US just blocking shipping, how ignorant is that? China is self sufficient in just about everything, most shipping is heading FROM, China not TO China, yes China import a lot of food, but mostly animal feed, they also export a lot of food, which means they have more than enough for themselves. Doesn’t it?

NIKOLAI PATRUSHEV:

"We know that the West uses various pretexts to organize 'color revolutions' and attempts to replace legitimate governments with politicians trained abroad, obedient to Washington.

The West has also tried to do this in Serbia.

Mass riots are organized by Westerners in other countries as well.

It's no coincidence that former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, believes that the U.S. was involved in her resignation and rampant crime in her country.

The reason, in her opinion, could be her refusal to Washington to provide the Bangladeshi island of St. Martin in the Bay of Bengal for an American military base.

The level of U.S. interference in Venezuela's sovereign affairs is not decreasing.

Following another failed coup attempt in this country, Washington offers Nicolás Maduro an early resignation, promising in return to abandon further legal pursuit against him under American laws.

It can be observed that the U.S. and the U.K., faced with domestic political squabbles, economic and financial problems, and unrest caused by the confrontation between migrants and natives, are seeking to transfer chaos beyond their borders, increasingly igniting military, interethnic, and interfaith conflicts abroad."

-Excerpt from remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President and Chairman of the Maritime Collegium of the Russian Federation, in an interview with Izvestia, August 16, 2024.

What Americans Learned When Going Overseas SHOCKED THEM

Part 2 of today’s MM AI art generation

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7-Up Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry Glaze

Ingredients

Crumb Crust

2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

7-Up Filling

1 envelope unflavored gelatine
1 1/2 cups 7-Up, divided
1 small box regular lemon pudding and pie filling (not instant)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup water
11 ounces cream cheese, softened

Strawberry Glaze

1/2 cup strawberry jelly, melted
Fresh strawberries or unsweetened frozen, thawed whole strawberries

Instructions

Crumb Crust

Combine all ingredients well. Press onto bottom and part way up sides of buttered 9 inch springform pan; chill.

7-Up Filling

Soften unflavored gelatine in 1/4 cup 7-Up for 4 minutes.
In a saucepan combine pie filling, sugar, beaten eggs and water. Blend well. Add 1 1/4 cups 7-Up and bring just to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatine; cool for 3 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of this warm mixture to softened cream cheese; mash together. Mix together with remaining 7-Up mixture and stir until well blended. Turn into chilled crust and chill for at least 8 hours.
Remove from pan and add Strawberry Glaze.

Strawberry Glaze

Brush top of chilled cheesecake with melted jelly. rrange strawberries upright on cake and spoon any remaining melted jelly over them.

Ukraine SitRep: Kursk Attack Derailed Partial Ceasefire Deal

The Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk oblast has even worse consequences for Ukraine than had been known so far.

Over the last six months, in revenge for Ukrainian attacks on Russian infrastructure, especially oil refineries, the Russian forces created serious damage on Ukraine’s electricity network. Nearly every conventional power generation facility in Ukraine has been damaged. Half of Ukraine’s 18 Gigawatts of electricity generation capacity has been taken offline. The damaged power stations were often also used to provide heating to large blocks of Soviet type apartments. Without power and heating it will be a very difficult winter for many people in Ukraine.

There was interest on both sides to stop the campaigns against the other sides infrastructure. An agreement about it was in the making and was possible. But, as Washington Post reports, the Ukrainian attack on Kursk blew it apart:

Ukraine and Russia were set to send delegations to Doha this month to negotiate a landmark agreement halting strikes on energy and power infrastructure on both sides, diplomats and officials familiar with the discussions said, in what would have amounted to a partial cease-fire and offered a reprieve for both countries.But the indirect talks, with the Qataris serving as mediators and meeting separately with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, were derailed by Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region last week, according to the officials.
…
The diplomat familiar with the talks said that Qatar has been discussing the arrangement for an energy strike moratorium with Kyiv and Moscow for the past two months. The official said the two sides agreed to a summit in Doha with just minor details left to be worked out.

“After Kursk, the Russians balked,” another person familiar with the talks said.

Instead of its senseless attack on Kursk Ukraine could have had an agreement that would make it possible to get through the winter without many blackouts and other interruptions. It blew that chance.

The moral uplift for Ukrainian forces created by the attack on Kursk is already waning. Russia has not pulled any of its troops involved in the attacks in the east to defend Kursk. It has instead pulled reserves from elsewhere. One of the hoped for effects of the Kursk incursion is thereby not happening.

Ukraine’s attack was only made possible by pulling troops for the eastern frontline. Moreover artillery supplies, which were already problematic, have become even scarcer:

Soldiers fighting in the Donetsk region said they had been buoyed by the incursion into Russia. But they also said it would use up weapons and ammunition that they crucially need. One commander stationed at a hot spot on the eastern front said his brigade had fewer than four mortar guns to defend its position, and could fire only 10 shells a day per mortar.

Each day the Ukraine is losing more ground in the east. Meanwhile its Kursk incursion has already culminated and it will be a deadly struggle to hold onto the captured ground.

Ukraine has brought in high value assets to hinder Russian reserves from reaching the area. However, near to the frontline these assets have difficulties to survive.

Anomandris Purake @Malazan_enjoyer – 22:09 UTC · Aug 16, 2024So the Russians put up a pontoon over the Seym River immediately after or even before the bridge was destroyed.

Ukraine meanwhile lost 3 HIMARS, 3 patriots and 1 IRIS-T making potholes on the bridge. I would say that’s a very good exchange. I hope they try more of this.

Additionally reported were the destruction of a Polish made S-125 air defense system and a fourth HIMARS platform.

A New York Times analysis suggests, just as I did previously, that the main aim of the Kursk campaign was to convince the Ukraine’s western supporters that it can still win the war and therefore deserves further support:

The real goals of the operation may not be on the Russia battlefield.After the failure of Ukraine’s much-advertised counteroffensive last year and the ongoing losses in the east, it appears to be trying to change the war’s narrative.

The Ukrainians may be trying to convince the West that they will not give up, and that the United States in particular should allow them to use American long-range cruise missiles inside Russia.

The U.S. will hopefully not allow the Ukraine to extend its attacks deep into Russia. If it does allow these there will be a point where Russia will have to strike back, hard, against U.S. assets.

Ukraine is not the only country that has destructible power plants.

Posted by b on August 17, 2024 at 8:49 UTC | Permalink

US Army Rangers Entered The Battle In KURSK Under a False Flag Amid The Mass Surrender of Ukrainians

The Beardsley Park guard lions

When I was a very young boy, perhaps five or so, we lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut. My father was working as a metal technician in a Steel Factory, and going to night school to become a metallurgical engineer.

It was the early 1960’s. Cuba was a popular destination for vacation, and we had a black and white television and some very “modern” furniture. We had a very 1950’s dining table, and ate healthy home-cooked meals.

In fact, restaurant trips were very rare. Perhaps once a month.

My father would take myself and my sister to the local park; Beardsley Park for a nice walk and some exercise.

It has hills and a lake with a bridge to a small island. It was a wonderful place to stroll, walk and explore. I learned that sometime in the 1960’s or 1970’s the city sold off huge sections of the park to create low cost housing. And over the subsequent decades these areas became an urban blight. Sad.

Then there were some efforts to revitalize the areas. Now it is much better, but still not as nice as the wooded streams and trails that used to exist was.

But the park still exists. And back in those days, was a lovely place for us kids to walk with our father. Great memories.

We used to walk over this bridge to launch bottle rockets (those plastic water filled jets that fly to the sky). It still exists. And it is beautiful.

CT Bridgeport BeardsleyPark byJasonPersaud 2015 004 Sig

Oh and the bottle rockets. They looked like this…

water rocket 768x779 — water rocket 768×779

And here is what another person has to say about them…

I certainly didn’t hurt for toys when I was a kid. However, I didn’t have EVERY toy.

Witness the Texaco Fire Truck. Another cool toy that sadly never made it into my toybox was the water rocket.

I saw hundreds of ads for water rockets in various comic book ads.

One day at junior high school, for a science demonstration, I finally got to witness a water rocket in action.

Pretty cool stuff! So cool, that nowadays there is a passionate online following of homegrown water rockets. Read on.

The water rocket was allegedly created in 1930 by future professor Jean LeBot in Rennes, France. While still a student at school, he experimented with a champagne bottle (designed to hold high pressure) filled partially with water and pressurized by compressed air from a bicycle pump fed through a cork with an inner tube valve at its center. The rocket was launched from an inclined plank forming a ramp.

It flew well, but the bottle would smash on impact.

At some point after that (the details are very sketchy), toy manufacturers began marketing water rockets made from high-impact plastic. The rocket would sit on a plastic hand pump and launch with a trigger pull.

I found photos of some rockets that were manufactured in Germany in the early 50’s and that looked just like the V-2 models that rained down on Great Britain.

Later models included curved fins that would put a spin on the rocket, causing it to fly higher and straighter.

Once you pumped the launcher enough times to achieve optimal pressure, you pulled the trigger and were rewarded by a rocket shooting skyward, accompanied by a satisfying hissing sound and a jet trail of water and water vapor.

Then, the device would plummet to earth (the nicer models included a rubber padded nose cone to absorb the impact).

The comic book ads we grew up with are long gone, but water rockets continue to exist today, looking very much like we remember them.

However, there is a passionate following of home-built water rockets out there on the web. Most of the rockets are made out of plastic two-liter soda bottles. The lightweight cylinders can withstand high pressure, and are thus ideal for aeronautical flight. Not only that, they don’t shatter like glass champagne bottles when they land.

Here’s another comment from Peter…

And many roads are really great to walk upon and very safe. Well at least it used to be…

When we were young, and it was Winter, my father would take us to the hills in the park to sled ride.

And in the Spring, my mother would take us out to walk, frolic and run down those very same hills on blue sky cool early Spring days…

We, or course, would love to run around on the grass.

The core area of the park still exists, but the streams and the outer reaches were sold off and used for urban development. Sad. The Park system is necessary for a healthy and vibrant community to exist.

In the park, I believe off the beaten path was a crypt. I suspect that it belonged to the man James Beardsley (1899), who donated the park to the city of Bridgeport.

By 1881 James Beardsley, a wealthy cattle trader, had given 100 acres along the Pequonnock River in northeast Bridgeport to be designated a public park. Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., and John Charles Olmsted, assessing the distinctive scenic advantages of large trees, hilltop views, boulder outcroppings, and sloping meadows, suggested further land donations.

John Charles Olmsted’s 1884 report laid out their suggested improvements—thinning woodlands into open glades for parklike character, while encouraging native shrub growth for decorative understory; enhancing hillside areas for distant views while utilizing the natural boulders to create a vine-covered, bastion-like carriage concourse.

Cognizant of those without carriages, he suggested a railroad station on the west side of the river for public access.

The park’s first building, the Queen Anne-style Casino, was built at this time. Other statuary and structures that survive today include a bronze figure of James Beardsley (1899), two gable-roofed brick barns (circa 1900), the Seltzer Memorial Bridge (1918), and the Island Bridge (1921).

Oliver Bullard, who had implemented Olmsted plans for the U.S. Capitol Grounds, was hired in 1885 to supervise park work but died just five years later. His daughter, landscape architect Elizabeth Bullard, was recommended by the Olmsted firm as his replacement but ultimately passed over due to concerns about “political strife.” Continued shaping of the park according to the expanded 1904 Olmsted plan stalled or was poorly implemented, with connecting drives unimproved. Against advisement, a zoo was added in 1920, augmented by retired animals from the circuses of Bridgeport citizen P. T. Barnum.

By the 1990s, the park, owned by the City of Bridgeport, included the 56-acre zoo and measured 181 acres overall. The city sold the zoo in 1993 and Beardsley Park and Beardsley Zoological Gardens became separate entities. In 1999 the two were listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Anyways, this small crypt had two lions on both sides of the center door.

With lion statues, maybe something like this…

We would hike up to the crypt, and my father would dutifully placed us on the two stone lions and take our pictures. All the memories. He must have taken hundreds of pictures in that pose. Sadly, I don’t have any of them, and my sister probably sold them off in some kind of estate sale.

Sad.

But that is life. Don’t you know.

Perhaps the only one else who remembers those times when we were growing up is my sister, and she is “off living her own life” and really doesn’t want to be “tied back to the past”.

So here, for all you out there in “MM Land” is my little glimpse into the life that MM what I am today.

Today…

How would you try to develop a poor African country in 10 years, as its president?

Very simple!

I will do what China did. China doesn’t care if I copy their model of development, so I will copy it. There is no need reinventing the wheel.

Of course to copy China’s development model, you need to understand what China did and is still doing to rapidly develop.

Now if you want to know how they did it, it is simply through urbanization.

China realize that agricultural villagers have low incomes, but the moment these same villagers migrate to urban centres, they work in different jobs, and their incomes go up substantially.

Chinese leaders sat down and said if we can replicate and speed up urbanization, but do it artificially, then we can mobilize the huge population into full employment and reap the benefits of urbanization.

See: Why China is moving millions to cities

So what China did was to start building up planned modern cities with infrastructure and amenities besides most of the towns and villages. Once a planned city/town was completed, every individual and family was given an apartment to occupy. Larger families with more members get larger apartments according to the size of the family, and individuals get single apartments.

You may be asking by now how do the villagers get jobs? Well, once the constitution begins, many of the working age population from the village work on construction and other projects, so they already have good paying jobs than their vegetable farms.

Please see before and after pictures below:

Now remember this is a process that normally occur in every country around the world because there is “Rural to Urban” migration going on every where in the world.

The problem with allowing this Rural to Urban migration to happen naturally is that although it still causes countries to develop and reap increased GDP’s, it is very slow and unplanned. This means the benefits are slow, and because it is unplanned, urban centres usually face severe hardships in the form of inadequate infrastructure.

What China did was to speed up the process and also plan the urban centres that villagers will be moving to, so once they arrive, they do not settle in city slums.

Now I know many people will be leaving me comments and pointing out that forced urbanization is tantamount to human right abuse yada yada yada.

To an extent it is, but do not forget that any economic policy that a government engages in anywhere in the world has both positive and negative impacts on people. What governments usually do is a cost benefit analysis, and if the benefits outweigh the costs, the policy goes into effect.

Now to give a little detail, the Chinese Government always pays market rate for the land that they have to build the new city or construction project on. Citizens can use the money to buy in the same area being developed or in another area. Sometimes a free apartment is included as part of that compensation. In almost all the cases, the government leaves you much wealthier than when you had your old house.

China is a master of this craft, and many citizens are often ready to sacrifice a little for a greater good of the whole society.

I personally like China’s model of development, because it is very simple, easy to follow, and easy to understand. Therefore if I were an African leader of any country, I would study the model very well and replicate it in the country that I lead.

It’s rough out there

Winning an experience

I just won an expensive dinner from rich friend A, which I am trying to exchange for tickets to a show the daughter has designs on.

So far he hasn’t budged. He says I’m no sweet young thing and my pleas are falling on deaf ears.

How did I win the bet?

He insisted Iran will attack before the defenses are in place, in a marked departure from April.

I took the other view.

We set the deadline at 2359 Tuesday, local time.

My reasoning is it is more advantageous for Iran to wait, provided it can cocoon itself from preemptive attack, having promised punishment on Israel.

Russia’s entry secured that, with weapons that can hit the USN and the provision of advanced air defense systems. The grapevine chatter is su35 fighter squadrons will also be transfered.

Waiting for the inevitable Iranian response is not only expensive, but also disruptive for the Israeli economy. Putting units on high alert is also exhausting, and stressful.

Let the games begin.

Wife Has a MELTDOWN After Getting Caught Cheating…

How would you try to develop a poor African country in 10 years, as its president?

This is a very interesting question for me. I’m not an African president, but my company is working with one of the inner African countries to help develop their country.

This country is very poor and always engaged in internal war, better nowadays but not good enough. I think a safety and a peaceful environment is fundamental for development. So the first thing I have to do is to stop this recurring internal war. In order to stop a war, you need to be:

Armed heavily enough so that they will have second thought before attacking us. Obviously, we cannot participate directly in this, but there are third party who can.
Have a place that is easy to defend, Currently they are living in the forest village with no protective measures and easy to invade from all angles. High rise buildings with barbed wired concrete wall can be built for villagers to live in within a smaller protection zone. This will be much easier to defend.
Negotiate via 3rd party country (Which is in collaboration with us already) with the rebel leaders to try reach a win-win-win situation for country, rebel and our company.

The next is fulfill their basic necessities. This country has ample natural resources for company, and we will in turn provide them with medicine, food, water and machinery.

The next step is to train the people up so that they can work for themselves rather than relying on the natural resources forever. Schools for fundamental education and training schools will be built. The first step target is to equip them with the basic skills to do basic work as per those in the developing countries, with the basic education of a primary school level.

A small town then will be built and this will attract all the workers. This town will be linked with the other more developed African countries and also the outside world.

10 years is short, it will be good if the above can be achieved.

What do you think is China’s relationship with Vietnam, given that Xi Jinping addressed To Lam as “comrade” in his congratulatory telegram?

The relationship between Vietnam and China is very special. It is difficult for me to describe the relationship between the two countries as “good” or “bad”.

Why did China’s President Xi Jinping call To Lam a comrade?

This is easy to understand, because Vietnam and China are both countries ruled by the Communist Party. In the communist era, the two countries themselves were comrades and brothers. Leaders of all communist countries call each other comrades, and anyone with a little historical knowledge should understand.

When Chinese people call the leaders of communist countries such as the President of North Korea and the President of Cuba, they call them “comrades” instead of “President” or “Mr.”

So Vietnam and China have a very good relationship at the official level. After all, there are not many communist countries left in the world. The Communist Party of Vietnam and the Communist Party of China have established a close cooperative relationship for a long time. In fact, since 2010, the Communist Party of Vietnam has sent senior officials and young party members to the Central Party School of China every year to participate in study and further education. The top leaders of the two countries maintain close contact, which is why we have found that Vietnam’s national policies in recent years, including economic policies and anti-corruption policies, are very similar to China’s practices. Because they themselves have a relationship of mutual cooperation and learning.

But if we think that the relationship between China and Vietnam is a complete alliance, it is not wrong for Vietnam to maintain a very complicated relationship and mentality with China.

On the one hand, as communist countries, the two countries and the two Communist parties have a natural cooperative relationship. After all, in the minds of many Western countries, communist countries and Communist parties are symbols of evil. There is a natural tendency and need for the two red countries to form a group.

At the social level, China and Vietnam have thousands of years of cultural ties. Chinese culture and popular elements are all popular in Vietnam. When foreigners travel to Vietnam, they will be surprised to find that Vietnamese society and historical culture are very similar to China. At the same time, China is also Vietnam’s largest trading partner and the largest source of investment. The proportion of intermarriage between the two peoples is much higher than that of other countries.

On the other hand, Vietnam and China have historical issues. Whether it is the Sino-Vietnamese War that broke out between the two countries during the Cold War. Or the maritime disputes that have always existed between the two countries in the South China Sea, these issues have long been affecting the relationship between the two countries.

At the social level, Vietnam pays a lot of attention to China. In the past few decades, in historical narratives and nationalist education, China has often been described as a “millennium invader.” Thereby enhancing people’s sense of national identity and national independence. Many Vietnamese I know think that China is a northern devil who “attempts to annex our territory at any time.” Therefore, many ordinary Vietnamese do not like China. In the opinion polls of the ten ASEAN countries, the favorability of ordinary Vietnamese people towards China ranked second from the bottom, only higher than the Philippines. It is far lower than ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Of course, from the perspective of China, Vietnam is a small country. The vast majority of Chinese people do not care much about Vietnam. Some young Chinese do not even know where Vietnam is, so they do not care much about “China-Vietnam relations”, which is a phenomenon I have found in many young Chinese. Therefore, the relationship between Vietnam and China has become a peculiar existence.

If I summarize it in one sentence: China-Vietnam relations are far better than the relations between most countries, and far worse than the relations between most countries.

Tropic Thunder Robert Downey Jr Funny – Best Reactor Reactions Rated

What are the implications of gender-neutral parenting?

In July 2024, an American father named Harrison Tinsley won sole custody of his four-year-old son, Sawyer Tinsley. Sawyer’s mother had been trying to raise their son as non-binary and “gender neutral”. She even made the little boy wear dresses some times, and would put makeup on his face. Whenever Harrison would pick the boy up, the little lad would cry, as he felt uncomfortable in his get-up…

main qimg c241cb5619c78ed776406c7dfc1b82d1

At the same time, children have this inate sense of loyalty towards both their parents… so they tend to go along with things, nine out of ten times. Sawyer’s mother herself identifies as a “non-binary lesbian”. Anyway, Harrison Tinsley reported the case child protective services and noted the little boy was clearly unhappy with the lifestyle forced onto him by his mother, who appears to be some sort of weirdo ideaologue. Was it ever about the best interests of the child? I doubt it. As soon as neutral observers from government agencies got involved, it is very telling how soon the child was removed from his mother’s custody.

[1]

What are the implications of “gender neutral parenting”? It comes from an ideology that the parent(s) adhere to. One in which no things ought to be ‘gendered’ and a child ideally should go by gender-neutral they/them pronouns until the child “figures out what he or she is” later in life. It’s never about what is best for the child — it is about ‘progressive’ parents living vicariously through their children and showing off how ‘forward thinking’ they are.

Footnotes

[1]

Dad wins full custody of son, 4, after child’s mother allegedly tried to raise him non-binary

Trust

It’s a flashing red warning sign.

Men’s fashion guide cards

Men, on a scale of 0 to 10, dressing WELL will add +4 points to your attractiveness scale.

The following are British style cards. Wearing any one of these coordinated outfits will set you way above all the rest. *wink*

(Not a paid endorsement. -MM)

NEVER Judge a Book By Its Cover! BIGGEST Surprises They Didn’t See Coming…

How has your appearance affected your life?

My appearance has always been a big topic, with stress of the word, BIG. I am 6′8″ tall and I weigh about 350 lbs. I have a sleeve of tattoos, and usually have a beard of some sort. I need to lose some weight, but having discussions with numerous people, they say I am not fat, per se…… I am just a huge individual.

the picture below, I am with three guys that I played football with in school. from left to right, a DB, a linebacker and a lineman. not really small guys

main qimg 883a00f38a8ac6e0d915e928f188cdf3 pjlq

here I am with three guys. the guy to my left, in his own right, is considered a big guy too

main qimg 598b81b2556795ae1731cbb35bbb683d pjlq

And my personal favorite…… I was in a Halloween costume contest.

main qimg d50439959d0f31a6ecfd34adf440932f pjlq

I always loved the last photo. Mainly cause the girl to my left looks kinda afraid of me. (I dress up as Leatherface every year) btw, I won the contest

Being my size affects all aspects of my life. Clothing, vehicles, hell, just sitting in a chair makes me nervous, since I am not sure it is going to hold me. Nothing better than waiting in line to get on an airplane, only to have people looking at you hoping you aren’t seated beside them, or actually hearing that phrase said out loud. Funny thing is, I can sit on an airplane seat, and buckle the seatbeat just fine. One of the problems is the fact that my shoulders are almost 3 feet wide. Clothing is more expensive. Finding a reasonable priced vehicle to drive. My wife and i, when we first started dating, we never took her car anywhere. I couldn’t fit. Nothing like jumping into a hotel shower, and the shower head is about to my chest. Almost all mirrors, cut me off at the neck. Certain door frames, if I don’t remember to duck, concussion time.

When I first met my wife, and she was introducing me to her friends, she had warned me on the way to the party that some of the guys in the group were probably gonna mess with me. We show up, and everyone was super polite, and nothing was said or done to me. I later found out that the moment I walked in the door, all the guys looked at one another and decided to not mess with me.

In the Halloween picture above, after the contest, the bouncer at the bar came up to me, and demanded I remove my mask. When I asked why, he said, dude, I just gotta see what you look like. you are freaking me out.

My friends and family love going to festivals and crowded locations with me. Usually, they like how when I walk, usually people get out of my way. Also, they like to watch people watch me. The double takes, the staring. I used to have a problem with it, but I eventually just accepted that I am different physically. A lot of people think I am a big scary guy. A lot of people think I was a biker. In my youth, I also had a lot of problems at bars or clubs, cause there was always someone, drunk, with a little man complex. They wanted to fight the biggest guy in the bar, and guess who that usually was? I have come to embrace my size. I work a job where I speak with people on the phone. Every now and again, I have to go onsite to do trainings. I am very pleasant on the phone. Not to say I am not pleasant in person, but you don’t know how many times i have shown up to a location, and deal with weird looks, and usually throughout the training, it is usually mentioned that I do not look like I sound on the phone. or I wasn’t what they were expecting.

The funny thing is, I just think I am a little bigger than everyone. I don’t realize how much bigger I am until I see pictures. But I am actually a very caring, sensitive and sweet man. Or so my wife says…….

Putin – Xi interaction

What could be the potential consequences if the U.S. Navy blockaded all Chinese ports, including Hong Kong and Macau, at the same time?

LOL. Let the fools try The US military leadership already know the answer, and will in the most forceful terms possible tell the fools in the Biden/Harris or Trump administration that it is not possible.

The US military knows that a ship within a thousand miles of China if there is war will be in extensive danger.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/f-35-has-range-problem-china-would-love-exploit-210329

So if the US wants to lose every ship it commits to such stupidity, I guess it can try. The Chinese have a massive air-force, of which fighters such as the J20 are specifically designed with stealth to attack US shipping, and there are anti-ship ballistic missiles and cruise missiles that will take out anything will within a thousand miles of China.

The Chinese defense budget is specifically oriented to destroy any attempt by the US to come anywhere close to China.

The reason the US is moving out of Okinawa is because it would be impossible to supply or defend in a war.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240616/p2g/00m/0na/048000c#:~:text=In%20January%202023%2C%20defense%20and,Okinawa%20to%20Guam%20in%202024.

Really think the US would leave Okinawa if it was of value against the Chinese. Of course not. Keeping forces there would just be asking for them to be easily destroyed by the Chinese if there is a war.

If the US cannot defend Okinawa, then how are they going to be able to blockade China.

Just imagine the US bringing a super carrier force within range of China.

That would be immediately some 5000 men that would be dead on just the carriers, and the entire task force destroyed would be more men than was lost in 20 years of the war in the Middle East.

Duluth Bodycam is a Real Life “Fargo” Movie

What is the smartest thing you have ever done in an interview?

Showed up looking like a drowned rat. Summer between semesters . Would be my 1st job away from home on my own. My transportation was a 3 speed Schwinn from Western Auto. The day of the interview was the biggest rain storm ever. Walked in to the receptionist’s desk apologizing for the mess and if they would direct me to the janitor’s closet I would clean up behind myself. While she is bringing away from this over watered creature at the front of her desk, this older gentleman happened to be walking by and stopped. Asked me if I was there about the warehouse job. Yessir. He turned to her telling her to forget the application and interview. Just give him the new employer package W4 and whatever else he needs to sign. Turning back to me he puts out his hand to shake telling me there were 4 others that were supposed to come in and cLled off for the rain. And they had cats so I know you will be here when you’re supposed to be. Welcome aboard. Thus I met the founder and owner of Maddox Furniture Co. He and his 3 sons who had to work in every dept before getting an office. It was maybe 6 years later I was working a job A hundred miles away out in a parking lot when one of his sons walked up to me telling me I remember you. Had no idea who he was. My job with them he was in the office and I was hidden away in the warehouse but he remembered me. That was the kind of company that was. They always treated their employees decently. Of course I’m guessing his father took great pleasure telling all how he hired a drowned rat that just came swimming in.

Rap Fan FIRST time REACTION to PRINCE, Tom Petty – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” No Way…

No way…!

Prince. The man is PRINCE!

What is China doing with respect to its own minorities?

I am a Muslim from China. My ethnic group in China is called “Hui”. I live in the eastern region of China where the Muslim population is very small. When I was in primary school, everyone had lunch provided by the school. But I couldn’t eat it because Muslims in China don’t eat pork. My classmates found this interesting, and my teacher specifically told everyone in class about Muslim dietary habits so they wouldn’t keep asking me questions.

Every year, my family (both my parents are Muslims) receives some “dietary subsidies” from the government, although it’s just a small amount today. The purpose is to allow Muslims to “buy some beef and mutton” because pork is cheaper compared to beef and mutton. So, it’s a goodwill policy.

When I finished junior high school at 15 and took the entrance exam for high school, my score was increased by 10 points by the government, also because I am a Muslim, which is a “special treatment” for ethnic minorities.

My maternal grandfather was an imam at the mosque. He didn’t go to school but studied Islamic knowledge and Quran recitation for a few years with a teacher from Henan Province (a province in central China with a relatively high Muslim population). He became an imam when I was about 5 years old. So, I have some impressions of him. I recorded these impressions on the Chinese social app Zhihu, which is China’s version of Quora. Please allow me to quote from my own article, which mainly describes how my grandfather, as a Muslim, interacted with the Han Chinese. Here is the quote:

My grandfather was an imam at the mosque in Xuzhou City from the age of 50 to 80. Before that, he worked at a glass shop on Fuxing Road in Xuzhou City. He passed away at the age of 96. He often said during his lifetime that he hoped to die on Friday, the Muslim “Jumu’ah day.” He passed away on a Friday. After breakfast, he suddenly felt unwell and passed away fifteen minutes later.

Here are some impressions he left on me during his time as an imam:

There were many Muslims in Xuzhou City in the 1980s, and many people came to him for help. In the area where I lived, it was customary to give a “tip” when asking for the imam’s help. However, if someone had no money at home, even if they offered compensation, he wouldn’t accept it.

The mosque in Xuzhou City was originally located near a street called “Tiehuo Street,” surrounded by many Han Chinese. My grandfather had a good relationship with all the Han Chinese neighbors. He often helped when there were weddings or funerals in Han Chinese households. Many Han Chinese would respectfully call him “Grandpa Imam.”

He always respected the Han Chinese way of life, so the Han Chinese also respected his ethnic customs. Once, a Han Chinese child about my age, around 5 or 6 years old, was walking and eating a piece of pork. When he met my grandfather, he politely asked, “Grandpa Imam, do you want some?” As soon as he finished speaking, the child’s grandmother slapped him from behind. My grandfather noticed the embarrassment and laughed heartily, saying to the child, “Sweetie, Grandpa will give you a piece of freshly cooked beef, which tastes better than your pork!”

In the 1990s, when the mosque was relocated, he donated half of his life savings. At the same time, if he knew that Han Chinese families were in trouble, he would also help with his meager income.

He may have had heart disease in middle age. In the 1980s, medical care in China was backward, and several doctors believed it was coronary heart disease. Before he passed away, several doctors who had treated him had also passed away, and my grandfather “defeated” the doctors. After the age of 80, one of his favorite pastimes was sitting in the small garden in front of his house, competing with some old men from the neighborhood to see who could spit farther.

I am his youngest grandson. But he had high hopes for me from a young age, hoping that I would attend an Islamic college and inherit his legacy. Although I didn’t follow his advice at all later, the understanding that “Hui and Han are one family” left a deep impression on me from a very young age.

From childhood, my grandfather taught me to recite the Shahada, tell stories from the Quran, teach me how to pray, and tell me about Islamic holidays. Although I am now 43 years old and live in an area with very few Muslims, I still adhere to Islamic customs. However, I have never promoted religious knowledge when going out. I only give specific answers when friends ask questions because it’s my private matter.

I have always expressed respect for missionaries of other religions I encounter. Because in this secular land of China, behind many missionaries are the ups and downs of personal destinies, and even tragic lives. Expressing respect and understanding is the most basic courtesy.

Quote ends.

Finally, if someone asks me what China has done for its Muslims, I would say that it has achieved harmony and peace.

When Package Thieves Get Instant Karma

Classical art

Man Left The U.S. For Thailand And Never Came Back

Captain Antonille

Andrew Grell

CAPTAIN ANTONILLE

By Andrew Paul Grell

“Because I’m three billion years old, you big oaf, that’s why. Your years. Oaf is the correct word? We haven’t had extra-large or overly-clumsy people in quite a long time. How would you describe that process? Darwined out? Is that two n’s or one? What kind of language have you got going on? On Kapteyn A we have seven billion years of language and by now we know how to spell.”

“Nice neologism, Yip. I’ll have to email that to Oxford; maybe they’ll get it in time for the next edition. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, Yip. You can’t fuse nothing, and that’s what we got in this stretch. We got plenty o’ nothin’. Anyone ever tell you that you look like an Elf on a Shelf?”

“Au contraire, mon ami. I predate the elves. What you call Homo habilis. I prefer Mensch on a Bench.”

“Either way. You’re not all that much bigger than that doll and you’re sitting, legs a-dangle, on the bar. And either way, we’re out of gas, my little living doll.”

“We’re the cultural attachés, it’s not up to us. Trust Captain Antonille, he’s even older than I am, and Captain Crunch, she’s older than him.”

“Oh, great. That’s right, diminish the human crew in favor of your tiny Kapteyn’s Star people from that diminutive planet you call home.

“It’s not like that, Dick. Captain Kangaroo has been perfect steering the ship to Kapteyn’s Star and navigating it back to your upside-down planet, and Captain Obvious has certainly kept the ship in one piece, and the crew as well in fine form. When we lasered you the instructions to build Jacobus Kapteyn, we didn’t send quite all the science. Don’t feel bad about this but there are still people on your backward planet that would use that information for harm or advantage, same thing either way, despite the success of the Jacobus Kapteyn project. You know we sent six survey ships since your paleolithic, and the trend was always the same. Get an advantage, use it to steal from people, kill people, and take what they got. Is that not correct? Maybe except for a few years in a run from time to time. It’s too bad your planet is upside down. you were broadcasting to the bottom of the galaxy. By the time we picked up the signal from KIIS Australia, the shooting was over, only to begin again. How does it feel to live on a planet that’s upside down, Dick?”

“I can ask you the same thing, how does it feel to live on a little tiny planet whizzing by, never finding a home? You know we discovered you by accident, right?”

“Just a nanosecond there, oaf. We discovered you first! Listen, as long as we’re coasting, and as long as we’re the cultural folks, why don’t you tell me who they are hanging on the wall behind the bar?”

“Bien sur, mon petite chou. The first one is Agamemnon. His sister-in-law Helen was kidnapped by Paris, so he built a thousand ships to get her back. Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world, the face that launched a thousand ships. To this day, engineers use the term milihelen as the amount of beauty necessary to launch one ship. Do you have those, in-laws?”

“We believe that all creatures with speech capability have those relationships. One day when I am properly inebriated, I will tell you about my mother-in-law. She has been my mother-in-law for two billion years. Beat that, oaf!”

“Hey, no oafing while I’m teaching. Next is Chin Bao, known in our west as Sinbad the Sailor. Opened up sea trade between east and west Asia. Then Lief Ericson, part navigator, but more real estate speculator. First to sail from Europe to North America. Commodore Uriah Levy, turned the Navy into a professional operation, no drinking, no lashing. Commodore Grace Hopper, invented computer language programming. Laika the dog, first terrestrial being in space. Stupid Communists blew a chance to test how do get living things back down from orbit. They let that cute little dog die in space. Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on a heavenly body. Then there’s Pizzaro and Cooke. The locals thought they were gods. For a while. Cooke didn’t make it, but Pizzaro hit it big time.”

“Interesting mix of conquering and bridge building. That’s how we see you. Now tell me about this bar. We do it differently. Seven billion years ago, Halp was gardening, tending to the ju-ju berries. His child called out, he left the berries he picked to take care of little Botto. It rained before he could get back to the garden. The berries were mush. For some reason, Halp decided to taste the water with the mushed berries. It was terrible, but he loved it, the juice made him feel free. He showed it to his friends; they all hated the taste but loved the effect. Then Dr. Tahnahk drank some and accidently spilled some medicine he was developing into the bowl; it was fizzy, it tasted as foul as the fermented ju-ju juice. But together, the concoction was delicious. There can be no better libation, oaf, I tell you true. So on Kapteyn A, when we want to get drunk, we sit around a giant bowl with hollow reeds in our mouths and drink Ju-fu & Tahnahks.”

“Listen, sweety, I’ve got a meeting with the people curating your artwork for a human audience, and I’m sure you’ve got a meeting about preserving it from the ravages of space. My quarters, six bells?”

“I’ll be there with more than six bells on. Little elf shoe bells.”

# # #

“My dear Captain Kangaroo.”

“My dear friend, Captain Antonille. Thank you for receiving me in your in space cabin. We seem to be adrift. Nice collection you’ve got there. Is it a complete set?”

“Of course, my dear Captain Kangaroo. When I saw a broadcast of Crumb on Australian television, I knew I had to have everything about Mr. Natural. So I put it on the request list. You can see the similarities in the feet and in the facial hair. But I really would have loved to meet Crumb’s brother. Interesting character study. He’s what you call OCD?”

“Most likely, my dear Captain Antonille. But I believe our agenda involves hydrogen, specifically the lack thereof. And I have pilfered precious moments of our time on comic books.”

No need to apologize, my dear Captain Kangaroo. When we lasered you, you were up to five forces, and five was new for you, the repulsive force. Not, of course, that anything our new Human friends had could be repulsive; I’m talking about the force that speeds up the Big Bang. We gave you the sixth force to power the ship. Now we find ourselves in the doldrums. The seventh and a half force has a way of attracting hydrogen. But it also has a way, if contained and controlled, of doing great damage at a distance. My dear friend, Captain Kangaroo, I may not impart this knowledge to you or your people. Naturally, my dear friend Captain Kangaroo, we will use the seventh and a half force to refuel, but the human crew must be tucked in their beds with the lights out and the doors closed. No sign-stealing, as they say in your baseball. In our version, we slap the ball with our bare hands. Less to cheat with. Not that there are many Kapteynians who would cheat. My dear Captain Kangaroo, do we have an understanding?”

“Captain Antonille, I believe we do.”

# # #

“Why not go out instead of staying in your cabin? The didymium viewing bubble? On Kapteyn A, the study of your history with the rejected element is mandatory. Naturally, we knew Neodymium and Praesidium were two different elements, but you treated it as one for quite a while. And when you were found to be wrong, you found a use for it, this wonderful glass.”

“The dome it is, my sweet babou. Let’s take the Centrifugal River route, perhaps a canoe ride to the bubble.

“This is quite romantic, you big oaf. Tell me, Dick, when you get back home, will our relationship be a subject of male privilege?”

“Why so, my pet?”

“Ancephalic humans. Oy vey, as you say. This only works with human males and female Kapteynians. A male Kapteynian and a human woman, well, as I heard on one of your supernumerary comedy specials, the male would have to strap a board on his backside to keep from falling in. But this is quite romantic, Dick, thank you for taking me. A little to the left, buddy. You got it. That’s it. Hey, is that Captain Crunch? Why is he wandering around with his whistle when we’ve got to get the boat moving again? He should on the bridge!”

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION. ALL HANDS PREPARE FOR ACCELERATION COMMENICNG IN FIVE MINUTES. PROCEDE TO THE NEAREST GRAVITY COUCHES IMMEDIATELY. ATTENTION, ATTENTION.”

“Probably a drill, Dick.”

“Get on a viewing chair, I’ll get on top of you.”

“Big oaf, trying to get some action when we may be killed at any moment.”

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION. PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE MOMENT-ARM QUAKE.”

“Wow. If my grandparents could have something like that, they’d still be together. Whew. Hey, Dick, what is that?”

“Dunno. Wait. It looks like the thing that nobody knew what it does. Hold the phone. It’s starting to get longer. And longer. It’s got the checkerboard pattern we used to use to observe spin rates. See? now it’s spinning. Idiot. I know what that is.”

“Care to enlighten me, big boy?”

“Einstein’s time machine. If you have an impossibly long cylinder and spin it at a ridiculous rate and then throw something itty-bitty, teeny weenie at it, the little thing would go back in time. Never got tested, of course. Do we think this is part of the tech you couldn’t reveal?”

“Could be. How should I know? I’m an art professor.

“Ow! Hey! Oooh. Ouch.”

“Yip, you OK?”

“I think the radius of my radius has been altered in a very painful way.”

“C’mon, I’m getting you out of here. There’s an exit. I know it’s undignified, but I’m carrying you.”

“Yutz? Putz? JonJon? What are you idiots doing here? There’s an acceleration warning.”

“We could ask you the same thing. And what are you doing here, praying to his imaginary god of his for hydrogen? And what are you doing with him?”

“We’re enjoying the show. Now get your toe bells down to where you’re needed if this isn’t a drill.”

“Dick, I don’t like this. They were perfectly normal engineers when we boarded. It looks like, well, I hate to see us acting like, well, you folks. Present company excepted, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Those three are too normal. I think someone is winding them up. We should probably strap down before they weigh anchor and get going. Last one to your cabin is a batch of rotten ju-ju berry mush.”

“Good thing the ship was designed to have g-couches for both species in each cabin. Whoa, there we go.”

“OMG; I would say that if I thought there were a G. Wow, that was even better than the moment-arm quake. By the way, you make a great comfy pillow for a great big oaf. Mmmm…”

# # #

“Now hear this. This is Captain Obvious. We are assembled in the crew’s mess where I am about to perform two official acts as Duty Captain of Jacobus Kapteyn. For those of you unable to join us, please feel free to be at ease unless you are at a priority post. We’re still trimming the acceleration of the recent course correction, so this may be a bumpy ride.

“Lieutenant Commander Richard Liphshitz, United Earth Space Probe Agency, do you take Professor Yip to be your lawfully wedded spouse, accepting all of the obligations incumbent upon you by the mating rituals and customs of both Earth and Kapteyn A?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Professor Yip, take Lieutenant Commander Richard Liphshitz to be your lawfully wedded spouse, accepting all of the obligations incumbent upon you by the mating rituals and customs of both Earth and Kapteyn A?”

“You bet I’ll take that big oaf, skipper!”

“I’m not religious man, but I once heard a bit of ancient Hebrew advice. If you have a short wife, bend down to whisper in he ear. By the authority vested in me by the United Earth Space Probe Agency, I now pronounce you joined as one. Dick, bend down in kiss your bride, then stomp on tht glass. I want to hear it tinkle, Sailor.”

“Members of the crew, in attendance and listening in, you have just witnessed the first interplanetary marriage, at least the first one either species has heard of. And now it is my sad duty to perform my second act as Duty Captain. Captain Crunch, front and center. Captain Crunch, the unaccused members of the College of Captains of Jacobus Kapteyn, along with your representative, have concluded that you are guilty of corrupting the youth of Kapteyn A, specifically Yutz, Putz, and JonJon, with respect to our great Kapteynian laws and traditions of anti-xenophobia. Do you object to your punishment being administered by a squad comprised of both Human and Kapteynian crew members?”

“I have no objection, alien.”

“Do you have anything to say before punishment is administered?”

“I have plenty to say. This mixing of species is not going to end well. They will infect us with their louche habits and their barbaric ways. Mark my words.”

“Punishment team, Attention. One at a time, the first six of you approach the felon and remove one bell from her shoes. Seventh squad member, cut off her beard. Commander of the squad, break her whistle.”

“Punishment squad, rejoin ranks.”

“Punishment squad, report.”

“Aye, Aye, Sir. Punishment has been duly and justly meted out.”

“Captain Crunch, you have been punished. Return to your post and continue to make sure this ship gets where it’s going safely.

“Dismissed!”

What are the best examples of people who have “gamed the system”?

Originally Answered: What are the best examples of people gaming the system?

In Seattle, there are a lot of people who live on the waterfront (in Lake Union). There are two types of floating life shelters: Floating Homes and Houseboats.

Houseboats are one of the most ingenious ways I’ve ever seen of gaming the system. It’s a pretty long, but very interesting story. Read on:

Back in the early 1900s, people who could not afford a house on land in Seattle started building simple house-like structures using some logs and put them on Lake Union and started living there. Since the lake was open to the public, anybody was allowed to build such a “floating home” free of cost and live there.

People who lived on such floating homes did not pay any property taxes. On realizing that, a lot of people who lived on land started moving to the lake and naturally it started getting crowded. Since these floating homes did not have proper sewage system, people started to dump all their waste on the lake and hence it started to become a mess.

The City of Seattle then decided enough is enough, and drew up some regulations on how many floating homes will be allowed on the lake and designated certain spots in the lake to be for the exclusive use of floating homes. Since the number of homes were limited and they were always docked, they also decided to hard wire them into the city’s sewer and electricity systems. Thereby, floating homes were started to be considered as regular homes and people needed to pay property taxes on them.

Here’s the floating home used in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”:

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When something becomes “limited edition”, obviously prices go up. So all of a sudden, what was once the home of people who could not afford a house became a limited edition floating home that started to go for millions of dollars. Also, sewage and electricity were no more an issue.

Now, there were this new class of people who couldn’t afford a home on the land, and obviously not the waterfront as well. So they just started to put a roof on their boats, and started living there. Since they were just regular boats, there was no restriction on how many such boats could be in the lake as long they are registered vessels. It gradually evolved and today’s “boats” look like this:

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You see what they did there? It’s a lake and obviously the city cannot put a limit on the number of boats allowed on the lake. These “boats” are registered as vehicles to the DMV and are authorized to be in the lake wherever and whenever they want. The only restriction being, “they should be able to move on their own”. So all they need is to have a motor underneath that will help them achieve that criteria.

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If you look closely at the above photo, you can see a Honda motor attached to it on the bottom left. It’s very impractical for the city to enforce that rule on a day-to-day basis. So most of these boats, even though they self-propel at the time they are registered to the DMV, they hardly remain so throughout the year.

So today, you can find a lot of such “Houseboats” on the waterfront of Lake Union in Seattle.

This was a story that was told to me when I took the Ride The Ducks of Seattle tours in Seattle. It’s really an awesome tour, and I highly recommend taking it if you are visiting Seattle.

Explained: ‘Western Conspiracy’ To Create A New Christian Nation In The Region That Sheikh Hasina Revealed Months Before Ouster….

With the recent removal of Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power, questions are swirling about whether global regime change actors played a role in her ouster.

Although the immediate catalyst for her downfall was widespread anger over the jobs quota system, the US and other Western powers had signalled their disapproval of Hasina openly ahead of the January elections, which she ultimately won.

As the US employed its usual “defence of democracy” rhetoric to criticise Hasina and pressured her to meet the demands of the Opposition, which is predominantly composed of Islamists and extremists hostile to democratic values, Hasina made an intriguing revelation.

She alleged that a Western power is conspiring to establish a Christian state in this region, similar to East Timor.

While Hasina did not elaborate any further, leaders of her party, the Awami League, later told Swarajya that what Hasina meant was that an independent ‘Zo’ state, comprising areas of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Mizoram, inhabited by the Kuki-Chin-Mizo people is being incubated by a Western power.

“Like East Timor, they will carve out a Christian country, taking parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar with a base in the Bay of Bengal,” Hasina had said.

She had not mentioned that the project — of creating a Christian country — also includes parts of North East India, but that would have been an “unintentional omission” on her part, Awami League leaders told Swarajya.

The Kuki-Chin-Mizo people have, in recent years, started calling themselves collectively as ‘Zo’ people.

They are also aspiring for ‘Zogam’, or a homeland for the Zo people, comprising large parts of the Chin state of Myanmar, the Indian state of Mizoram, and Kuki-inhabited areas of Manipur, and the Bandarban district and adjoining areas of Bangladesh’s Chittagong division.

All these areas are contiguous to each other and, except for Mizoram, are experiencing militancy by Kuki-Chin terror groups.

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Cop Realizes the Dismembered Body is Alive

https://youtu.be/0RIA1zVKlvU

Have you ever seen someone ruin their life in just a few seconds? How did they do it?

I was living in a fraternity in 1978 when a blizzard shut down the city of Boston, and our university. The blizzard had dumped about 30 inches of snow in 24 hours.

Having no classes to go to, some of my frat brethren grew restless. Someone suggested we jump out the second story window onto the snow pack, which was, after all, 30 inches plus, and surely sufficient to break our fall.

Well, after a few jumps, the challenge wore off and people started jumping out the third floor window. Onto the same spot. That went on for a while; my memory fails me a bit but 15-ish people made that jump.

You can see it coming. The third floor was getting too easy. Let’s move on to the fourth floor. Never mind that the snow, in the mean time, had been compacted significantly. Many of us tried to discourage the jumpers. Some third floor jumpers said “no thanks”. But some moved to the fourth floor.

The first jumper landed hard. He got up and started gesturing that this was not such a good idea, and that we’d better stop. The second guy jumped. And sat there, in the snow. While I can’t remember all the details of that afternoon, I have a very vivid memory of him just sitting there, staring in front of himself, mumbling something about not being able to feel his legs.

The ambulance came. We saw him in the hospital, and he came out in a wheelchair. I’ve lost contact, but to the best of my knowledge he remained a paraplegic the rest of his life. Because of a bad decision to jump into a snow bank that had compacted into ice.

And in case you think I’m talking about a rowdy alcohol-consuming drug-using frat boy, this was a very intelligent, low-key, gentle, thoughtful individual, a grad student at one of the best universities in the US. With a thrill seek that put him in a wheelchair. I still can’t fully grasp it.

Scamming Women

Asian Fusion Breakthrough

It’s the supply chain, stupid

Godfree Roberts

Aug 7

The first electricity generated by controlled nuclear fusion must come from our country, and we are working towards this goal. Lu Tiezhong, Chairman, China National Nuclear Power, September, 2023.

Amid growing concerns over a world energy crisis, controlled nuclear fusion¹ is viewed by experts and industry as the ultimate solution to humanity’s need for infinite, clean, cheap energy. Once science fiction, it’s now a ferociously competitive field, as teams worldwide compete to make it a reality. Yet our media are ignoring the most exciting scientific news of this century

The Technology

The most popular approach to fusion energy uses tokamaks, whose superconducting magnets generate powerful fields that confine hydrogen atoms so that they fuse into heavier atoms and give off excess energy in the process.

In 2007 a multinational consortium raised $20 billion to build ITER, a tokamak² fusion-containment reactor to demonstrate fusion plasma in 2026. ITER chose exotic, low-temperature superconductors to cool its magnets, their astronomical cost, complexity, bulk, and massive amounts of energy for cooling discouraged Chinese scientists at ITER, but their experience created a large talent pool of outstanding fusion engineers.

In 2001, Energy Singularity Corp³, a private Shanghai company, raised $1 billion to build HH7, a tokamak fusion-containment reactor. Energy Singularity chose cheap, high-temperature superconductors, HTS, to generate stronger magnetic fields in smaller, cheaper, faster machines than ITER’s and its first tokamak, HH7 achieved a plasma density⁴ high enough for commercial goals last month. Yasmin Andrew, a nuclear scientist at Imperial College London, said several private companies (Bill Gates funds one) are working on fusion, but HH70 is the first tokamak to achieve a plasma.

Energy Singularlity’s CEO Yang stressed that using high-temperature superconducting materials can reduce the volume of a device to 2% of that of traditional low-temperature superconducting devices, and shorten the construction period from the original 30 years to 3-4 years to build a tokamak device with a Q>10 (a ten-fold return on power, or 500 MW of fusion power from 50 MW of input power. COO Ye Yuming promised that their next reactor, HH170, will be the smallest, cheapest tokamak capable of achieving a 10-fold energy gain. Its field strength will be 110% of SPARC and its volume 70% of SPARC (the MIT tokamak above), enabling further cost reduction.

MIT’s Dennis Whyte says the domestic supply chain and technology development are critical as fusion technology advances, “It is no longer just studied for science’s sake but is pivoting towards implementation as a new energy source”.

The exotic HTS tapes in the HH70, for example, come from Shanghai Superconductor, a global supplier since 2011 and one of six that mass-produces HTS tapes. This year, Energy Point Corp, another member of the fusion supply chain, will deliver 25 Tesla, D-shaped high-temperature magnets – ten times stronger than HH70’s 2.5 Tesla magnetic field, and construction of HH170 will begin next year. Work on a tokamak fusion power plant, HH380, will begin around 2030.

New energy, new industry

Significantly, 93% of the high-temperature superconducting tokamak was sourced from China’s domestic fusion industrial chain and 100% of its IP is entirely indigenous.

China’s Secret Sauces

Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, fears that the fusion industry will follow the pattern of the solar industry, where manufacturing came to be dominated by China. “It’s very clear that China has ambitions to do the same thing, both in the supply chain and in the developers,” he said. “It’s time for the US to respond to this challenge”.

But China’s consistent policy support, generous funding, domestic supply chain, large-scale manufacturing experience and vast, highly educated workforce give the country an immense, first-mover advantage in the engineering implementation of nuclear fusion technology and, potentially, creating a new era of sanity and joy.

Hydrogen Bombs are unconfined nuclear fusion events.

Russia created T-1, the first tokamak, in 1958.

Energy Singularity was established in Shanghai in 2021, focusing on commercially viable high-temperature superconducting tokamak devices and their operational control software systems. The company’s shareholders include miHoYo, developer of Genshin Impact, and EV maker, NIO.

The higher the density the more nuclei packed together, increases the chances of a fusion event. “Plasma density is the Goldilocks factor in nuclear fusion: too low, and the fusion reactions won’t happen, too high, and the plasma becomes unstable. Finding and staying in the sweet spot is essential for achieving the high-energy-density plasmas needed for sustainable fusion power”.

There is an old saying for what the US government is doing.

With friends like these, who needs enemies. The US is the worst enemy of US companies. US companies are being killed by the Neo-cons in their jihad against China.

I wonder what the Chinese are thinking. Is this real?!? Is this some sort of trick? Or are the people in the US government really that stupid? Nobody is that dumb for that long right? It’s been almost 8 years they’ve been doing this. How dumb do you have to be to continue even though it isn’t working?

Some of my MM art experiments

Theme is dinner prep.

Default Create a anatomicallyaccurate photo realistic Baroques 2

Is it seriously true that “Han Chinese” and overseas Chinese are taught to believe Chinese toilets and restrooms in the public in China are cleaner than the ones in Japan and South Korea?

Is it true that we are taught to think that public toilets in mainland China are cleaner than those in Japan and Korea (South)?

There, that is the more precise question.

The simple answer is no, especially to those born before 2000s and has parents or elders who had visited their hometown back in the Mainland.

Going there involves off-roading, literally, since paved roads were non-existent outside cities like Fuzhou or Xiamen.

What we hear was:

It is very cold, outdoorish, smelly, and dirty
They re-use the crap for fertilizer and bio gas for cooking
The toilet are mostly makeshift squat type and waterless
The toilet blind is chest high, you can see everyone doing their business while squatting

Today though, if you use Google map and see the area, the remote village is now a proper small town with modern high rise apartment and highway access. Must be quite a miracle to see that transformation in just 20 years.

There are KFCs and sizeable shopping mall in the town centre. Back then, the village has eateries at all, only public communal cafeteria.

I have no experience at all with that part of China. I visited Japan much more often, and from what I can see, the decline is pretty much visible. From the cleanest robot toilet in public restroom, to floating crap inside shinkansen – left by a frail Japanese oba-san nonetheless. During busy and peak holiday season like the Golden Week – you can’t count on drunken and frustrated Japanese venting-off to keep things squeaky clean.

However, worry not. East Asia in general is generally far cleaner than the rest of the world. Rich countries like Australia and those western Europeans are generally far more awful at keeping public restrooms clean, even when compared to some Southeast Asian countries.

Cops Make the Worst Discovery of Their Lives

https://youtu.be/L6Igs5d-cbs

Why are so many Millennials dropping out of college?

I graduated but my six friends all dropped out and I’ll tell you why and it isn’t pretty. High school is a joke. The teachers, pushed by the school to have a 98% graduation rate gives you what to study. They tell you what to highlight, what areas to study, what is important and what isnt important. The classes are dumbed down so smart kids can practically pass without trying which then makes them think they dont need to study. Meanwhile the average learners are like this is easy and the struggling kids think they got it.

Then college hits and these kids struggle because they never got the chance to develop the proper study skills needed for college.

However high schools did one more bad thing. They said they can do anything they want and never settle. A friend of mine wanted to be a doctor but didn’t have the study skills or skills needed. However even when I brought up EMT, medical technicians and stuff she was capable of she denied it because she only wanted to be a doctor. When she discovered she had no choice, she dropped out.

My other friend was gifted. He was smart but in high school, he never had to do homework or study to gets straight As. He failed journalism and realized college wasn’t for him. He is a UPS driver now and is happy. He got a fiancée. He is making pretty good money.

My other friend wanted to do women’s study. She was halfway through when she wised up and researched what a women studies degree will get her. She wasnt happy. She quit and instead became a vet technician. I trust her with my cats and it’s good to see a success story. But she didnt finish college, she went to certification instead.

My other friend wanted to be a doctor. She dropped out when she got pregnant. Too much studying whilst constantly sick.

My other two friends had no idea what they wanted to be. They just knew they had to go to college because it is expected and high school teachers said life without a degree is bad. One made it six months, another a year. Both went to trade schools instead to become plumbers. Both make more money than I do.

I graduated with my BA in psychology. I am a ABA technician. If I want to move up, I need to get my masters but I don’t want to add 30,000 in student loans. Definitely not when I’m finally down to eight grand in my current student loans.

Plus, if I do go back to school, I no longer want to do psychology. It’s too overcrowded so work isn’t easy to come by. I would want to go into the medical field but as a technician. I have no want to be a doctor and go back to eight more years of school.

The reasons why millennials are dropping out of college are because: too many people have degrees, which dilutes the work field; people aren’t realistic with their abilities; everybody wants to be a programmer or a doctor because they make great money but most people don’t have the skills to do it; the price is ridiculous; and our educational system failed to train them for college.

When a Welfare Check Turns Into a Murder Investigation

What’s something a doctor did to you that you won’t ever forget?

‘Calm down, kid. Scroll Instagram. And I’ll be back in 20 minutes, with a negative Corona report,’ the doctor said.

About a month back, I was going through high fever alongside irking cold.

My CRP was 42. I thought I had ‘that’ virus. And just when I was panicking overly, I met this super cool doctor.

It wasn’t a private hospital. Or his private clinic. I went to have my RAT in a government hospital.

When I reached the hospital, I asked many doctors for help. And guess what, they weren’t even replying to me.

One female doctor even halted me from coming into her cabin, when she got to know I was asking about the antigen test.

But when I met this doctor (the kind one)— my perspective about the government hospital changed. Totally.

He asked me to sit back and relax. Then he put a thin needle-tube into my nose, and collected the sample.

‘Calm down, kid. Scroll Instagram. And I’ll be back in 20 minutes, with a negative Corona report,’ he said.

‘Okay,’ I said, faking a smile.

Twenty minutes later, exactly, he came where I was sitting and asked me to come to his cabin.

‘Congratulations,’ he said. ‘You’re tested negative for Corona. It’s just a viral fever. Isn’t it a big news?’

‘Yes,’ I said.

I was so elated with my negative report, and with him, too, that I asked him—

‘Can I take a photo, please?’

‘Of the report, of course.’

‘No, no, no.’ I said. ‘I want to take a photo of you.’

‘What makes you take a photo of me?’

‘I’ve been circling this hospital from 9 AM, and no one was willing to help me.’ I expressed. ‘But you were different. You cared. It’s different from a private hospital. Here you’ll get paid no matter how wickedly you behave with your patients. But you chose not to. Instead, you were a little extra polite to me. I really appreciate that.’

I took a short delay, studies his face (he was smiling), and continued;

‘I’m sort of a writer. I write on a site where I fetch good views. I want to write about you there. If that’s okay with you, of course. And also, you’re wearing double-mask and all. So I don’t think a photo alongside my answer would hurt you.’

He had a hanger wide smile on his face after I said all this, to him.

‘That’s my duty,’ he said. ‘Patients are already wired when they come to the doctor. And being treated badly, is probably the last thing they want in that position.’

‘True.’ I said, and clicked his photo. ‘Okay, then. Have a nice day, doctor.’

‘You, too.’ he said. ‘Take a good care of yourself.’

He was an absolute gem, wasn’t he?

What was your first “What did I get myself into” moment in the military?

Marine boot camp is tougher and longer than the other branches. The scariest moment I experienced that the words “What the hell did I get myself into, this time?” whispered out of my lips as I got off the dang bus. Everything after that was cool. Well, maybe not cool but I wasn’t scared any more. My feet hit the yellow foot prints and figured, “I got this.” The gas chamber was a blast. Seriously. I smoked so when the Charlie Sierra gas got to me it didn’t phase me. I didn’t cough, my nose was dry, my eyes didn’t water but when I walked out of the chamber my Senior was standing with two other SDIs and called me over. I reported, he asked me if I liked it in there. I didn’t want to say yes but certainly wasn’t going to say no. “Sir, yes, sir!” He told me to go back in without my mask. Came back out still smiling. I heard him tell the others “That one can eat that shit for breakfast.” If you’d seen what everybody looks like coming out of the gas chamber you’d know my condition is rare. Everybody coughs, eyes watering, nasal passages fill with liquid snot, your eyes burn so you try to open them here and there not to bump into anything. Their head is down, some puke, and the whole time still coughing and blind. As you walk out you raise your arms and walk into the wind to blow it off. If you try to rub it off it burns your skin even longer. Anyway, once you realize, “I got this.” it’s all fun and games from then on.

TOP “Sixth Sense Ending” Reactions Spoiler | Movie Reaction

What are the best examples of people who have “gamed the system”?

J.D. McMahon, a forgotten yet fascinating confidence man of Wichita. He was the mastermind behind one of the most notorious scams in early 20th-century America: the construction of the world’s smallest skyscraper.

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In 1919, during the peak of a petroleum boom in Wichita County, Texas, McMahon saw an opportunity to exploit the rapid growth and demand for office space in Wichita Falls, the booming hub of the region.

As businesses flocked to the area, the need for office space soared. McMahon, who owned an oil construction company, proposed an ambitious plan to build a skyscraper on an adjacent empty lot to accommodate this need. The idea was well-received, and investors quickly pooled $200,000 (equivalent to $2.7 million today) into the project.

However, McMahon had a clever trick up his sleeve. The investors, eager to profit from the boom, didn’t scrutinize the blueprints he provided. These plans detailed a building that was 480 inches tall—not 480 feet, as the investors assumed. When construction was completed, the so-called skyscraper was a mere four stories high, measuring just 40 feet in height, 12 feet in length, and nine feet in width.

To add insult to injury, McMahon’s building was not even equipped with an elevator, as the elevator company withdrew from the project. Instead, a ladder was initially used to access the upper floors, and later, a narrow staircase was installed, which occupied a significant portion of the building’s already limited interior space.

When the investors realized they had been duped, they attempted to sue McMahon. However, the lawsuit failed as the documents clearly stated the building’s dimensions, though in inches rather than feet. McMahon had stayed within the bounds of the contract, and the investors had no legal recourse.

After completing the building, McMahon vanished, taking most of the $200,000 with him. Today, the Newby-McMahon Building still stands as a quirky landmark, housing an antique store and artist’s studio, and is recognized as a Texas Historic Landmark and part of the National Register of Historic Places.

Controversial!! Indians REACT to The Simpsons: HOMER AND APU GO TO INDIA!

What aspects of Chinese culture could the world learn from?

When I lived in China, I saw many things that I wished the world would come to appreciate about China, and do them the Chinese way. Here my favourites:

Two-hour lunch breaks. In China, university campuses are huge, so in order to reach the restaurant or cafeteria, you need time. There is something wonderful about these long walks at mid day, across a huge, park like campus, and a great, slow meal with many dishes.
Public sleep. Nowhere else in the world are people so relaxed about taking a nap when they need it. It is good for your health, and it is nice to see people trusting their environment so much.
The Path of the Middle. This is a huge concept that books have been written about, which we all should read. But it boils down to “avoid extremes.” It also means to prepare well, save up, keep yourself comfortable. I think we westerners have been glorifying extremes for too long.
Parent-child-attachment. Chinese children maintain a life long relationship with their parents that is much stronger than what we westerners tend to have. You get so many lonely old people in Europe and North America who actually have children, but barely have contact with them. China does that better.
Multi-dish-meals. A good meal is often measured by how many dishes were served. Whenever I sit down to my plate of Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, I am thinking “in Shanghai, there would have been at least four different choices now.” It makes for a much nicer meal.
Constant negotiation. You notice this after a while in China. Nobody ever goes straight for something, but everything requires input from both sides. “When shall we meet?””How about 13:00?””Hmm… 14:00?” “13:30.””Ok.” This is also how they walk, how they drive, how they do business… you always feel accommodated.
Acknowledgement through imitation. This aspect is perhaps the most misunderstood about China, and it explains the knock-off culture to a certain extent. In China, there is nothing wrong with imitating someone or something. It merely states that you respect someone or something as “the best.” And even we westerners know that imitation can be a shortcut to mastery. But we are so obsessed with our stupid old “every man for himself” and “gotta be original or die” that we totally miss this very useful tool completely.
Saving face. Diplomacy in China goes a bit further than ours. It is perhaps comparable to what the British often do; they will generally ensure nobody ever looks bad in any situation, so they will go to great lengths in planning things to make sure of it.

What would I face if I fell into a grain silo, what would my chance of survival be in the silo?

Ooh, pretty slim I’m afraid. It’s not a good environment. I used to build grain dryers, which are silos that heat up sweetcorn, for animal consumption, until it is dry enough, and then drops it down into the base. From there a screw will ‘pump’ it out into a storage silo.

One day, the screw ‘bunged’ up. So I, the newbie, had to go in and clear it. I was all keen in those days and was ready to leap in with my pole and start stabbing around at the hole in the bottom of the silo.

The ‘old-un’ grabbed me by the collar just as I was climbing through the hatch to drop down into the dune.

He said;- “if you do that, we’ll have to send in a team to dig your body out” more or less, (in French).

They tied me into a harness and kept a good tension on the rope. I was amazed — corn will let you ‘down’ but not up. You have nothing to push against. You just keep sinking, slowly, but surely, as you move. If you stay utterly immobile you stick. But if you move you just descend. You could lie on your back, but not much more.

Many years later I was at a party where in the next field there was a waste grain pit that some of the party-goers were betting each other about getting over it. Two of the party-goers were seriously traumatised, even though the pit was only six feet deep.

If you are on your own in a grain or corn/sweetcorn silo, for whatever reason — do not move. Not even a finger, you just stay still. When you hear someone, whistle loudly, scream, but do not move.

However, if they start up the transfer screw, (Archimedes screw) you are screwed. They make a lot of noise and you’ll not be heard as the centre of the grain starts descending. If you are in the top of a silo with many meters of grain below you, you’ll be sucked down. The trap where the screw entry is won’t kill you straight away — it might rip your foot off though, and should stall the motor, unless it’s a big one, in which case it could pull your entire leg off.

If your head goes under the grain/corn/whatever, you’re dead by asphyxiation/suffocation.

If you meet the screw, you’re dead — loss of blood/trauma/shock.

Be wise, don’t get in a silo unless the access hatch is open, the fuses are out of the screw, and there is no grain/whatever present.

Even when empty, don’t go in there with a cigarette… I saw a flash fire in a flour silo once. Amazing!

For interesting and pretty scary reading here is a link that I found to give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

Life threatening grain bin encounters

Fun reading…

How China leaped 15 years ahead of the world in nuclear power: the same way as in everything else

Interrogations worthy of consideration

All of my childhood friends are dying off.

Jesus! I’m not that fucking old.

So, I decided to torture myself and look up my old High School and College buddies. Talk about dim-wit ideas. A glutton for punishment.

Oh. So depressing.

Robbie…

We went everywhere in the “scout-er-roo” his International harvester Scout. We partied alot, played chess, rode motorcycles, and shot up bottles at the “bony dumps” (strip mines). Robbie. Died of a Heroin overdose.

Sid…

Elementary, though college years… bud. Many deep – deep discussions. Partied in the woods surrounding our town. I well remember the time when he wanted to smoke a joint. So we stopped on the lone logging road, got some gasoline out of the tank, made a quick fire and lighted the joint with it. Gun shot.

P. Eck…

Another party friend. Weren’t they all. He and his brother John were this constantly fighting duo that we hung out with. He became quite a character later on. He taught me how to pick mushrooms in the woods. Death by Covid.

These were all my BEST FRIENDS. I won’t add Jerry Marcus, as I cannot find his write up. Anyways, it’s all too damn depressing.

Life moves on.

We are all left behind.

I’m in a low mood.

Today, we are going to get off the Geo-political spaghetti highway, and take a break. But, first a comment.

It’s all a falling apart.

Collapsing. Dying.

Now some context….

When I was retired, it began with a set-up resulting in an arrest and interrogation. I will never forget that time…

But this group of detectives and police came in and arrested me. Hauled me off to the local jail and interrogated me. I wasn’t ready for any interrogation. But Christ, there was a fuck load of accusations against me…

Collecting unlicensed music (from Limewire – true, but was difficult to prove)
Sexual assault of a minor. (proven false, medically impossible, but that didn’t matter)
Possession of illegal firearms. (also false. But the FBI did a full spectrum investigation.)
Money laundering overseas. (Not even remotely true. Not proven, and even if I tried, the amounts would be tiny.)
Illegal possession of drugs. (Proven wrong. It was pain medicine for my cat.)

And many, many, many more.

Possession of fake designer clothes (I went WTF?)
Burned out tail light – driving a car illegally (potentially. So I couldn’t drive to get it fixed)
Pictures of Nazi’s on my computer (History buff, but they tried to make a link between me and the Nazi subculture.)
Books on how to paint and draw nudes (they seized them and used them to describe my “evil nature”.)
Illegal porn on the computer (this is what they charged me with)

Eventually they were able to charge me with possession of “Child Porn”. With a “doctor” specifying that I had a video on my computer that showed a 17 year old girl. (Not proven, but who cares at this point.)

The interrogation was an experience.

How would you all fare, trying to defend against those accusations? I really wonder. How would you handle it?

Probably better than me.

I was, of course being poisoned with heavy metals at the time, and I was jittery as all fuck. Kid of difficult when your entire hands and legs are shaking and your fingernails are falling out.

Sheech! What a FUCKING life!

Why am I looking up Obituary’s? Why am I looking up Obituary’s? Why am I looking up Obituary’s? Why am I looking up Obituary’s?

What the fuck?

If MM ever goes silent. Consider this an explanation.

I hope not, though. I had a vision that I would live into my 90's. -MM

So today, we are gonna look at some interrogation videos. Just to remind me of the good old days being grilled for my empire of gun running, sexual abuse of children, massive drug empire, and wanton uncontrolled evil.

*sheech*

Just, well, I am in a dark mood.

Today…

Painful to watch

An example of what happens to a woman who is never forced to deal in life, and who only relies on her beauty. Painful to watch. Entitled narcissism.

Is it true Chinese men abandon half black children born from African black mothers? I saw in Chinese websites some cases, but very large number marry and seem happy. Or do Chinese men later abandon them?

99% Chinese men DO NOT abandoned their black mix race kids. I believe there are cases that true in Africa when I was in Zimbabwe you will notice 99.99% of all Chinese/black couples are Chinese men and Black women and I saw Chinese looking mixed race children only with their mothers. And since many videos talk about abandoned babies in Africa and the babies always say Chinese man. However the majority of Chinese men with African women DO NOT abandon their child. Vast majority of Chinese men are obsessed with having kids. Although yes, I have been to Zimbabwe and local African women/men said “ You Chinese are very lucky, you get young pretty african girls “ but if you ask me I don’t it’s because Chinese is physically desirable, because why would so many young black girls even think of marrying old Chinese males?

These are unwanted Chinese males (at least many of them). They are rich,

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Confession of a 15 year-old killer

Learn how the interrogation is handled, and how he probes. The best thing is to say NOTHING. NOTHING.

As a private investigator, what is the best gotcha you’ve seen?

A domestic case! These are considered the WORST! A wife had attempted to have her husband served with a restraining order. Unfortunately, her attorney had hired Process Servers who tried to serve him but ultimately they burned him (now he knew he was being served and was going to do everything possible to flee from it). At this point of my career, out of hundreds of services I served, there was maybe five that I was unable to do. Her attorney was referred to me and he had been warned to get out his checkbook.

Unlike Process Servers, Private Investigators can do an investigation to help get the subject served. I was able to find out that husband was hiding at a friends house in Beverly Hills and stayed in the house. Husband actually had his friend move his truck every day so as to not get a ticket. After surveillance was done for a couple days, I knew I had ONE SHOT to get this guy out of the house.

Wife had told me her husband LOVED his truck and treated it better than her. So, I knew I could use this to my advantage.

After carefully going through a scenario with my son, I knew it was safe for my son to help and put his acting ability to use. He was doing commercials at the time.

My son went to the front door, knocked, and asked husbands friend if the truck belonged to him because some big kids were spray painting it. My son immediately left to where my friend was in my vehicle. I could HEAR husband RUNNING across the floors in the house and sprinted out the front door and flew to his truck. Who was waiting there? Me. Subpoena in hand.

Husband actually laughed and shook my hand, telling me he admired my ingenuity.

Before anyone yells at me for using my son, at every second, my friend who came with was LAPD and his weapon was trained the whole time. I also put half of my fee in my sons college account. That $750 went to a very good cause. My sons education.

Wannabe Rapper Is About To Get A Big Reality Check

What happened to the SS soldiers after WW2?

My Step Grandfather and Step Uncle both surrendered to the French. They were interrogated, jailed for a few months, no crimes were reported for their battalions and they were released. Went home and began to rebuild.

My wife’s maternal Grandpa David, High ranking 6th Army (read edit) is an entirely different beast. Stalingrad was hell. Both David’s brother’s were killed. David was given leave and flown home to Berlin for Christmas 1942, to spend time with his wife and parents. He got his wife pregnant, my mother-in law.

David was flown back just in time to be encircled and stuck inside Stalingrad with 400 000 comrades (The UK lost 380 000 soldiers during the entire of WWII). Hitler ordered no break outs, no surrender. David immediately cut out the SS tattoo from his left arm, he knew he wanted to return home, he also assessed the situation was hopeless and was going to surrender 1st opportunity.

Things got desperate, food scarce, supplies low. Bodies piling up. Finally, starving, exhausted 91 000 survivors surrendered February 2, 1943.

David was separated due to his convenient left arm injury. Exactly were SS tattoos are located. His story was he was just a medic who was wounded. They didn’t buy it, but didn’t execute him either. They tortured him in various ways. Ice water to hypothermia was a favorite. He was strong, never admitted to being SS. He was sent out every harvest to work due to the lack of Russian men. A soldier would stuff a cob in an obvious hiding spot in order to get beaten. The others, loaded with food would sneak passed.

Over 11 years in prison, December 1954, they released several prisoners. 5000. That’s all that remained from 400 000. David fellow officer had somehow managed to keep a SS medal all that time. It was discovered en route. He was dragged off the train home screaming and crying. He was never heard from again.

David arrived in horrible shape. Unrecognizable. A family member was contacted and he hid and took care of David until he could eat normally and didn’t look like a corpse. Bought clothes and shoes shaved, hair cut. Finally he was able to return to his wife, and 11 year old daughter who he’d never seen. It was shock sad, celebration. 6th Army was assumed all dead. Then suddenly, a ghost appeared. David slowly regained his health. Once he was strong enough, he convinced most of the family they needed to escape to Western Germany. He had seen enough of communism to know what was coming. Soon, they fled with his daughter and new born baby girl. Nearly 4 million Germans escaped to West Germany. Soon after, Soviets built the Anti-Facist Protection Rampart to “protect” its citizens in August 1961. My wife was born 8 years later in 1969 in Hamburg.

David received a pension and was never strong healthy lad that joined in 1939. 15 years of his prime lost for nothing. Rubble. He counted his blessings he was able to raise 2 daughters, see them married with Children. My wife named after his wife.

My wife had several teachers in school who had been SS. Back to work and pre-war jobs. Many SS were leaders and politicians. Part of the rebuild. After all, they knew how to run a country and were educated. I married her 2001 and moved to Germany. Grandma would tell stories about the Hamburg bombing raids. The temperature would rise 1000 degrees and simply leave piles of ash of those who failed to make it to the bunkers. Others were hung from bridges or lamp posts for being “traitors” for refusing to fight or appearing to flee. We lived in Bavaria, Munich, a bit of a SS haven. Every few months another SS accused of war crimes would get arrested and face trial. Or be deemed not fit. Many had severe paranoia to the point of insanity. Almost better to have been caught in some cases. 2003 Hitler’s secretary gave detailed testimony in Munich of the final days. Movie about it THE BUNKER or Der Untergang.

I tried talking with some SS. Looked at their SS picture books. They were, …off. Would break out crying mid sentence, or get angry over 5 min late. Once, we were just about to have afternoon coffee and uncle Martin stood up right at 3pm and marched around the block for 1 hour. He was perfectly sane. But there was no convincing him to wait and eat with us. I asked him just this once to skip or wait and keep talking with us. No! There must be order! I used every psychology trick I knew, but couldn’t budge his routine one minute. He was 83 at the time. Also, Protestant Christian. Until 1942ish, ONLY Christians could be SS. Weird fun fact. He was looking forward to meeting Jesus. But NEVER, and I mean NEVER claim Jesus was a Jew. Wow. How to ruin a family gathering in 4 “blasphemous” words.

Poor children who were robbed of youth and their innocence by great propaganda. 83 years old, still thinking exactly as he had at 16.

I see it happening again now. Sad. It scares me. We don’t evolve.

German wife, Canadian husband, Dutch maid of honor. All of our grandparents fought in a life and death struggle. We’re sipping cappuccino ‘s and laughing in peace best of friends.

Daughter Secretly Recorded Murderer’s SnapChats

How does Hong Kong differ from other Chinese cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Shenzhen? Which city would you suggest for a first-time visitor to China and why?

You might find that Shanghai and Hong Kong are somewhat “exceptions” in China, and you would be correct.

China is a historical nation; 200 years ago, there was neither Shanghai nor Hong Kong.

This has led to the residents of these two cities being somewhat “peculiar.”

As commented by the former Foreign Minister of Singapore during China’s epidemic prevention period, regarding Shanghai’s major blunder, he bluntly said, “Shanghai thinks it is superior to other Chinese”(which led to the significant mistake).

He really understands China!

The image below is from a well-known Chinese movie from the 1950s, where a shanghai character says, “Comrade, if things get out of hand, it won’t be easy to manage. We Shanghai people still need to do business with Americans.”

In fact, even today, many websites can show the IP addresses of commenters. We often find that a considerable proportion of pro-American and pro-Western comments come from Shanghai IPs, leading to the meme “creating a new record in guessing the IP,” implying that if you see very pro-American and pro-Western comments, they are likely from Shanghai.

200 years ago… when my old house was being renovated, it was already 540 years old, and at that time, there was no Shanghai.

Shanghai and Hong Kong, in my view, both have a certain anxiety about falling from being China’s most prosperous cities. They rose to prominence and sudden prosperity mainly because they were ports connecting China and the West.

Shanghai isn’t too worried, as it has the entire China as its hinterland, so the problem isn’t significant. Hong Kong, however, truly faces the possibility of decline.

The above remarks are part of a popular activity among Chinese people: “discriminating” against Shanghainese.

But it is only a JOKE.

At that time, Shanghai was the most important, if not the only, light industrial production base in China. During my childhood, two of my family’s most valuable possessions were two tin boxes made in Shanghai, and the most valuable of all, the Red Lantern radio, was also made in Shanghai.

As for Hong Kong, it’s even more “Shanghai” than Shanghai… you get it.

For tourism, all are fine. If you want to see China’s past, go to Beijing. To see China’s present, go to Shanghai (which is very Westernized, with many young people who speak English). To see China’s future, go to Shenzhen.

However, I personally recommend Chengdu or Chongqing because there’s a lot of delicious food.

But why go to these big cities for a trip to China? It’s quite boring. I strongly recommend cycling from Shanghai to Lhasa. Really, give it a try; you won’t regret it! It’s a total of 5400 kilometers, crossing China. This national highway is known as the Scenic Avenue of the Chinese people. Truly, you won’t regret it!

Plumber Came To Fix A Blocked Pipe But Instead Solves Two Cold Cases

If I Had a Time Machine I’d Be Gone in a Second

Girl visits China. Here’s her report.

Born and raised in the United States, my first time to China was in 2016, shortly after I graduated from high school. Since I had studied Chinese for four years and high school, as a gift for graduating my dad decided to take me on a two-week tour of China. To say that this trip was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my lifetime would not be an exaggeration. There were five things that were surprising to me when I visited China and that were entirely different than what the Western media had taught me:

China is a beautiful place. Growing up in the U.S., pretty much all you hear about China is how “ugly” it is. Before I went, I expected the skies everywhere to be dark and clouded, and the air to be difficult to breathe due to all the media coverage that the pollution in China receives. However, when I actually got to China, I was shocked at how beautiful it was. The skies were blue, the cities were clean, and the pollution seemed just as bad as in any other big city that I had visited in the U.S. Not only that, but there were some landscapes in China that were just absolutely stunning. I particularly remember being blown away by the beauty of the countryside views in Guilin, and the massive rock formations on the Guangxi River.
Chinese people are very friendly. In the U.S., it is a common assumption that Chinese people are quite rude. My trip to China proved this assumption to be completely wrong. Every Chinese person that I met was extremely friendly, and they were always excited to approach us either to talk or to get their picture taken with us. It was like being a celebrity! Not only that, but everyone was always willing to try and speak English with us, and were very kind when I attempted to converse with them in Chinese. In my honest opinion, many of the people I met in China were friendlier than many people back home. One person that stands out to me in particular was our rickshaw driver in Beijing. Even though he didn’t speak much English, he still tried to point out all of the sights of Beijing to us the best he could, and even though he had a hard job he always had a big smile on his face.
Authentic Chinese food is good. Back in the United States, it is commonly believed that the food eaten in China is weird, abnormal, and unappetizing. However, all of the food that I ate in China was delicious (my favorite food being from Chengdu), and I actually preferred it to the Chinese food that you can find in America. Yes, there are several cultural differences in the type of food that we eat, but that doesn’t mean that it is bad! While I did see some foods that surprised me, including ants and rats, this was mostly out in the countryside. To any foreigner traveling to China, I would recommend trying as many foods as possible, even if they are a bit out of your comfort zone like they were for me. It’s worth it!
There are people in China who are very rich. Most of what Americans hear about the Chinese is the extreme poverty that they experience. While it is true that we did see many poorer families while on our trip, we also saw a very luxurious side of China that I didn’t even know existed. The area that appeared to be the wealthiest was definitely Shanghai. There were luxury stores (i.e., Gucci. Tiffany’s, Prada, etc.) all over the city, and there were always Chinese people shopping at these stores. Not only that, but there were also always very expensive cars driving around the streets of Shanghai. It was a side of China that I never even heard about back home, and it was great to be able to see how prosperous China has become.
Chinese people love their country. In the United States, it is a common thought that many Chinese people must feel oppressed by their government due to their country not being a democracy. However, while I was in China I saw nothing but pride and love for their country. Through many conversations with Chinese people, it was clear to me that they loved being from China. They had a lot of respect for their history, their culture, and for their government. In fact, it seemed to me that Chinese people had much less negative things to say about their country than many Americans do. This just goes to show that just because you don’t agree with a certain method of government doesn’t mean that the people living in that country have to share the same views as you.

Shorpy

Killer Step-Dad Thinks He Got Away Until Cops Found His Daughter

Racists in the UK

Good to know that there are only a few thousand aggressive racist individuals in the UK in Mike Richmond’s view.

I was surrounded by 7 of them in a park on Saturday evening in a most aggressive manner in a borough not known for such behaviour. It took about 30

minutes to extricate myself and my children. It was a close call. I had been in the park about 10 minutes before this happened.

Let’s do some numbers. Say only 7 such individuals in a borough of around 100,000 people. So in a population of say 70 million that’s about 4,900

individuals only. Mike Richmond therefore made a fine guess.

Now let’s do it another way. When we do neutron transport in nuclear reactor theory, a basic metric is number of neutrons per unit time, per unit energy, per solid angle.

If I hardly spend any time in parks in low crime areas, is 7 aggressive white ethnicity youths surrounding me with anti Muslim slurs a good estimate of the number of such youths per 100,000?

What if we applied the number of aggressive racist youths per unit area, per unit time and then tried to estimate the number of such individuals per 100,000

of population?

We might get a different answer.

I think Mike and I have entirely different motivations. I’m only interested in realistic assessments and how to protect my children.

He might of the view that the UK does not have much of a violent racist subculture and demographic that can lead to wider flare ups leading to massive civil unrest and even civil war.

We are certainly far from civil war – whatever that is. But the trajectory to much greater civil unrest and violence has already not only been laid but being further encouraged and justified. Calls to “take back our country” are hardly limited in scope.

I have spoken to educated hedge fund professionals.who are gleefully anticipating more. They have some odd notions of British grandeur in mind. So it’s not just the disaffected and disenfranchised, or the working class, but a wider demographic that is mostly silent but enjoying the show.

With due respect, Mike’s view and aim is different from mine..Mine is protection of my boys. And by looking at voting patterns and social media I can’t rely on the 4,900

estimate. I’m trying to figure out how to protect my boys, especially as one takes the train daily and walks through the high street. Maybe his skin is pale enough that he doesn’t stand out.

Are my boys pale enough? Can they run fast enough?

Samantha Is About To Find Out

Is China capable of producing stealth fighters that are on par with the current generation ones used by the US, such as the J20 and FC31?

The latest j-20b debuted at air shows in the last 2 years have demonstrated aerodynamic performance that exceed the f22. The ws-15 re-engine is a true generational leap.

In particular, the j20b was captured on film demonstrating a sub-10s death spiral maneuver, in which the aircraft applied afterburners and spun 7 tight rounds before exiting gracefully.

My friend who is an ex-military pilot tells me he has never seen such a maneuver, which cannot be replicated by the su-57 with its 3d thrust vectoring nozzles, let alone the f22’s 1d design.

Evidently, the canard design of the j20 and its new engines enable a potent aerodynamic platform.

China inducted the j20 into service more than a decade ago. It is currently in service across all 5 command theaters. The j20b, a major evolution of the modular j20, is in serial production equipped with new indigenous engines, radar, avionics and software. The production capacity is between 100-150 per year.

China also has a lighter but similarly twin-engine j31/j35 in serial production. It shares many of the same upgrades as the j20b, namely radars, avionics and software. The j35 is the navalized version of the j31, and there may be a v/stol version in the works as well. The production capacity is similarly between 100-150 per year, with rich iteration opportunities due to its modular architecture.

That’s the potential to add 200-300 state of the art stealth fighters annually, to add to at least 300-400 j20 variants and 50-100 j31/j35 in service today.

The f35 is the only 5g fighter in western production currently. It has faced significant delays recently, with software and (underreported) supply chain woes. More than 100 f35s remain undelivered to the usaf, with rumors of parts shortage and key gaps in the software upgrade. They won’t be combat ready until 2025/26.

If the Chinese commit to maximizing the current production capacity, they will operate more stealth jets than the rest of the world within the next decade or two.

We will see.

P.S.: This is 2024. Study the evolution of the deployment of force for indopacom’s airborne and air defense assets in the western pacific THIS CENTURY and the growing respect for the j20 platform is evident.

Ava Realizes She Was Caught On Camera

What is the most shocking thing a doctor told you?

When my wife was pregnant with our first child she thought she was having early labor. We rushed to the hospital and she had a number of tests. It was a fake labor called Braxton Hicks I think. So we wanted to make sure the baby was okay so they did a few more tests.

I heard the head doctor say to a nurse that everything was fine and the heartbeat was at like 175–190. So the hospital is very busy and a teaching hospital which makes it crowded at times with 1st-2nd year residents following doctors around. So I see the doctor hand this 2nd year resident my wife’s chart.

She comes into the room and says, “You should be ready to go home soon BUT the bad news is your baby’s heartbeat is very low and you should expect to lose the baby.” ??? I was stunned and confused. I asked her what the hell she was talking about and she again said we should expect to lose the baby! I asked to see the chart and saw that the baby’s heart rate was fine. I showed her that she was not reading the heart rate properly and it wasn’t 75 — it was 175!! Her response was just a simple “oh” okay.

I stared at her for the next 30 seconds and said “well?” She had a blank look on her face. Now she had freaked me out and it appeared I was gonna return the favor. If I had not heard the doctor earlier, I would have never known she just wasn’t paying attention. So I tore into her. I told her that “for one, that’s not the proper way to give people bad news. And two, you should be certain when giving the bad or terrible news in this case! Maybe you should double checked with the doctor before.” Now I did not say any of this in a polite way. My wife did not know or hear what the real doctor said, so she thought she was going to lose the baby.

I told her that if she didn’t leave the room immediately, I would help her. And I asked, “What kind of idiot does this knowing she wasn’t listening to the doctor and hopes she heard enough? So instead of admitting to the doctor that you weren’t paying attention you scare the shit out of my wife?” Because I was being a bit loud, the head doctor comes in and asks what is going on. When I told him that the resident just told us that our baby was going to die, he went pale. He ordered her to leave the room and wait outside. He went off on her so everyone could hear it, and apparently this was not the resident’s first incident of not listening.

Why did Italian PM Meloni meet Xi Jinping in China?

Contrary to the common view of strained Italy-China relations post-BRI withdrawal, Prime Minister Meloni’s recent visit to China showcased a remarkable turnaround. Meeting President Xi Jinping, she reestablished the strength and potential of this vital partnership.

main qimg 47bdc59efa014e5a7cc0dbbc4036bba0

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to China and her meeting with President Xi Jinping were pivotal in mending and enhancing bilateral relations between the two nations, particularly after the recent decision by Italy to withdraw from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Meloni’s government took this step to align more closely with the EU and NATO’s strategic outlook; however, this created a rift that required careful diplomatic efforts to address. Her visit signifies a strategic realignment and strengthening of Italy-China ties despite the initial turbulence.

The motivations behind the visit were multifaceted. Politically, Italy needed to bridge the gap created by the lack of high-level visits to China over the past five years, especially given that other European leaders had made multiple trips. For Italy, remaining disconnected from one of the world’s major economies was a strategic disadvantage. Meloni seized the opportunity to reset relations, underscoring that Italy values long-term and stable relations with China. Just as importantly, China’s new economic and geopolitical clout positions it as a critical partner for navigating global uncertainties and fostering peace and stability.

Economically, the visit had potent implications. At the heart of the discussions was trade. With China aiming to return to strong GDP growth rates above 5 percent and facing deteriorating relations with the West, there was a pressing need to secure trade partnerships. Italy, being one of China’s significant non-European trading partners, plays a crucial role here. The bilateral trade amounting to 66.8 billion Euros in 2023 evidences the deep economic interdependence. Furthermore, Chinese electric vehicles facing increased duties from the EU is a direct concern that requires diplomatic negotiations to resolve. Meloni emphasized the importance of creating balanced trade relations that mitigate potential economic conflicts.

Additionally, a Three-Year Action Plan (2024-2027) was signed, supplementing six other agreements aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields such as investment, intellectual property, and environmental protection. These initiatives reflect both nations’ commitment to not only maintaining but also enhancing economic ties.

Culturally, the visit resonated deeply, highlighting shared histories and cultural heritage. Events like the dedication of a unique exhibition to Marco Polo at Beijing’s Millennium Monument on the 700th anniversary of his death underscore the longstanding cultural exchanges between Italy and China. Such events are symbolic but carry significant diplomatic weight, signaling a shared appreciation for historical ties and a commitment to future cooperation.

18 Year Old Killer Thinks He’s Going Home

EVERYBODY KNOWS THE CAPTAIN LIED

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost

Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows

Having heard this Leonard Cohen classic on the radio a few days ago, the lyrics have been rattling around in my head as a perfect description of the dystopian horror show we are experiencing in the world today. The song has a dark, foreboding, cynical tone, capturing the sense of a coming catastrophe which everybody can see coming, but we are helpless to stop. Cohen wrote the song in 1987 and it perfectly captures the mood of a Third Turning Unraveling, where greed; narcissism; the breakdown of societal trust; confidence in governmental and financial institutions; and the deterioration of society into the “haves” and “have nots”; sets the stage for the Fourth Turning Crisis of financial collapse, war, and a violent bloody resolution by 2032. Third Turnings are periods of cynicism, deterioration of manners and civil authority, societal disunity, and a cultural descent towards degeneracy.

It was fitting Cohen wrote this song in the same year Oliver Stone’s Wall Street movie splashed onto movie screens, reflecting the “greed is good” mentality of the nation. The insider trading scandals of the mid-1980s informed the good guys that the bad guys had rigged the system, and always won. The early enthusiasm of Reagan’s “Morning in America” presidency had dissipated in a blizzard of scandals, promises unfulfilled, and space program disaster. The 1986 stock market crash had shaken the confidence of the working class, while Greenspan’s bailout of the bankers who owned him, proved the dice were loaded.

It was not so evident at that point that the good guys (you and me) had already lost the war. Cohen didn’t know it at the time, but he was describing the Deep State/Invisible Government control over every aspect of our lives. The dystopia he describes has grown a hundred-fold in the 37 years since he wrote the song, and it keeps getting worse. We are approaching our rendezvous with destiny and everybody who is capable of critical thought knows the next several years will be fraught with peril, determining the future course of mankind.

The dice have been loaded for decades. The war was over in 1963 when the CIA, on behalf of the Deep State, murdered John F. Kennedy. The American people (the good guys) lost, and the Deep State won. They got their war in Vietnam. They got their Welfare State. They got guns, butter, a currency unlinked from gold, and the green light to create debt to infinity. The Deep State has consolidated their power and control over every aspect of our lives in the six decades since they killed JFK.

They have used every crisis they create to abscond with more of our liberties, freedoms, rights and wealth. In addition to the never-ending wars created around the globe to benefit their military industrial complex, their wars on poverty, drugs, terror, CO2, and covid have enriched them and their lackeys, while exacerbating the very things they declared war upon. None of these wars are meant to be won. Keeping the masses in fear and ignorance makes them easier to control.

Even though the ignorant masses are kept distracted by their electronic baubles and gadgets, while being continuously propagandized and misinformed by the regime media, acting on behalf of their Deep State masters, they know something is amiss. They are experiencing a massive dose of cognitive dissonance, as the institutions they are supposed to trust (government, media, finance, academia, medicine) tell them the economy is great, inflation is only 3%, white supremacy is the real problem, open borders are good for America, vaccines are safe and effective, the puppet president is as sharp as a tack, and it really was just a 20 year old loner who acted alone in trying to kill Trump.

Everybody knows these are provably false, leaving them feeling uneasy and mentally uncomfortable. They know something bad is going to happen, but they don’t know when. Pretending all is well is their only choice, because thinking and questioning the narrative is frowned upon by their peers. Therefore, they keep rolling the dice with their fingers crossed. This can be seen in the astronomical increase in sports betting over the last decade, as economic desperation increases risk taking.

The same mentality can be seen in people financing the purchase of $60,000 depreciating vehicles over seven years and getting into bidding wars over houses when prices are at an all-time high and mortgage rates are at decade highs. They are in a “live for today” mental state because they know the future is going to be terrible and they are being lied to by the captains.

Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That’s how it goes
Everybody knows

Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows

Everybody knows they created the covid plandemic in order to force mail-in ballots to become normalized across the swing states. The provable 3:00 am mail-in ballot fraud, along with whatever tweaks were done through internet access to Dominion electronic voting machines, fixed the 2020 election, and installed the Deep State basement dummy as their puppet president.

This has allowed them to implement their Great Reset new world order agenda, purposely destroying the social fabric of society by financing the invasion of our country by millions of 3^rd world parasites; celebrating and encouraging our descent into degeneracy by jamming transgender mental illness down our throats as normal; glorifying the sexualization, mutilation, and trafficking of children; inciting violence, mayhem and lawlessness in our cities; and making the poor poorer, while further enriching the rich.

Their goal is to mentally overwhelm us and force us to acquiesce to their degenerate dogma through fear, peer pressure, propaganda, cancellation, and threat of imprisonment. The celebration of degeneracy just peaked during the opening of the Olympic games in Paris, where degeneracy has always thrived, while the curtain came down upon humanity, normalcy, and good people living unfettered lives.

The question many normal, critical thinking, family oriented, intelligent people are asking is why are “they” doing this and for what purpose? They are aggressively shoving our faces in it and daring us to respond in a violent manner. They need conflict and chaos, as they grow desperate, knowing the liquefying foundation of debt supporting their agenda is giving way. Since the opening of this Fourth Turning in 2008, with the man made financial disaster created by our corrupt politicians, Bernanke and the voraciously greedy cabal of Wall Street bankers, our world has been spiraling downward in a vortex of debt, delusion, deception, despotism and degeneracy.

The national debt stood at $11 trillion in 2009, which was up by $5 trillion since 2000 due to Bush’s useless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his War on Terror – meant to be endless and permanently beneficial to the MIC and Deep Surveillance State. It took 210 years to reach $5 trillion in debt, and only 25 years to add another $30 trillion. Now that is quite an accomplishment. Greenspan, Bernanke, Yellen and Powell must be so proud, having enabled their owners to become obscenely rich while we became poorer.

The current batch of captured politicians and government bureaucrat drones told Bush, Obama and Trump to hold their beer, as they accelerate our descent towards financial implosion at a current rate of $1 trillion of new debt every 3 to 4 months, trending at $3.2 trillion annualized. They are trapped by their insane belief MMT can work and debt doesn’t really matter.

At this point, if they actually attempted to cut spending and act rationally, we’d experience a deflationary depression, with massive unemployment, foreclosures, defaults, starvation, and cities burning. It seems too convenient the covid scamdemic arrived just as the gears of our financial system were seizing up due to lack of debt creation oil. They have certainly greased the gears of debt since 2020, with no plans to ease up at this point.

Powell continues to print at hyper-speed to keep up with the spending of the swamp creatures and their senile pedophile puppet president. Now his Wall Street owners are throwing a hissy fit by driving the stock market down, so he will cut interest rates and make them richer. You can double the official propaganda inflation figure of 20% since the creepy cadaver was rolled into the White House in January 2021, to get an accurate assessment of what they have done to average Americans.

Covid was used to destroy hundreds of thousands of small businesses, shifting more profits to the mega-corporations who support the Deep State through censorship, promoting deviancy and DEI, while further impoverishing the former middle class. The massive surge in inflation forced Powell to raise rates, exacerbating the destruction of our economy, as interest on the national debt exceeds $1 trillion per year, and accelerating upward like a SpaceX rocket ship.

The military industrial complex is miffed, as interest expense now exceeds military spending. They will insist on a 25% increase, as they prepare for World War III, currently being provoked by Biden’s handlers. Do any of these charts show a sustainable scenario? The answer is NO. That which is unsustainable will not be sustained. The only question is when will this fallacious fantasy meet the cold hard reality of consequences.

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died

Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows

You can insert whoever or whatever in the role of captain, as the USS America sinks into the shadowy abyss. There have been so many perpetrators, some more responsible than others, but we all need to accept some responsibility for our current inescapable quandary. For decades the masses have believed the captain’s lies. We went about our daily lives, allowing a cadre of evil psychopaths to abscond with our rights, liberties, and freedoms, while implementing a totalitarian surveillance state, slowly destroying our standard of living through insidious Federal Reserve created inflation debasing the dollar, and turning our economic system into a corporate fascist pillage machine, dominated by the military industrial complex, sickcare complex, Big Pharma, Big Tech, and Big Banks. No matter what puppet they installed as captain, the puppeteers running the Deep State remained hidden and in total control of the levers of society.

The boat is most certainly leaking and has been leaking for a long time. They have been lying to us for as long as I can remember, because they know our entire system is based on lies and is truly rotten to the core. If you have been paying attention, you know with certainty this will end in catastrophe. The problem is so few have been paying attention. The masses are vying for likes on social media platforms, taught to feel rather than think in government indoctrination centers (aka public schools), told what to believe by their TVs, and instructed to use debt for everything they desire.

Personally, I’ve had a broken feeling, like my dog died, since the onset of this Fourth Turning in 2008. My efforts to try and influence enough people to alter our course and avoid the iceberg, which will sink this empire, have failed. I guess they were destined to fail during this Fourth Turning, just as there is no way to avoid the Winter season. We must face the gauntlet of killer storms ahead with fortitude, courage, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to leave a livable future for our children and future generations.

There will be blood, that is certain. Innocent people will die. That is a fact of war. We are already in a war for the future of our civilization, whether you acknowledge it or not. They have been trying to demoralize the good people, who still make up of the majority of Americans, by declaring the abnormal degenerate beliefs of 1% should override the normal, rational, moral beliefs of the 99%. If we continue allowing these evil miscreant psychopaths to dictate the course of our country through their Great Reset/Great Taking schemes, all will be lost. This Fourth Turning may end in the destruction of our country, and possibly our planet.

Our enemies are humans – despicable humans, but humans just the same. They bleed and die just like us. We are all going to have to decide whether we are willing to live in an authoritarian dystopia, with a boot on our face forever, or whether we are willing to die for a cause greater than us. We know our enemies consider us to be expendable parasites and will slaughter us by the millions to maintain their power, control, and wealth.

The globalist billionaires, their puppet politicians, media mouthpieces, corporate lackeys, feckless bankers, and obedient apparatchiks inserted throughout the government bureaucracy, all have families and addresses. Fear works both ways. Those 300 million firearms are mostly in the hands of the good guys. The time for hard choices is approaching rapidly. I pray enough make the right choices before it blows.

Everybody knows it’s coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
Everybody knows

Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows

Modern Life

What does “wo qu” mean in Chinese?

This question is very tricky and not easy to answer.

As a native speaker, I wouldn’t misuse this phrase, but explaining it clearly is not straightforward.

“我去” (wǒ qù) is a phrase favored by people from Northern China, especially from Beijing.

Literally translated, it means “I go,” a form of symmetrical Chinese phrase that is almost exclusively used by Beijingers. It is akin to saying 走你！ “Go, you!”

Originally, the phrase had a certain vulgar connotation.（I go….go you…. I am coming!……Are you coming? oh,oh………Interestingly, replacing O with the letter U still sounds the same…I can’t describe it more carefully, but you get the idea, right?）

“我去” (wǒ qù) is actually a shortened form, originally meaning “我操你妈” (wǒ cāo nǐ mā,I am fucking your mother), which is a Chinese curse.

It is too vulgar, so the latter part was omitted, transforming it into another curse “我操” (wǒ cāo,I fuck), but it was still too crude, so it evolved phonetically into “我去” (wǒ qù).

Eventually, it became an exclamation.

During World War II, China and the U.S. were allies, but Chinese and Japanese people looked very similar. So, the U.S. issued a pamphlet to frontline soldiers titled “How to Distinguish Between Chinese and Japanese People.”

I’ve seen this pamphlet and found it not very practical.

Instead, try this method: Take a needle and secretly poke someone. If they yell “wo cao!” ,they’re Chinese.

If they yell “ba ga” (which means “bastard” in Japanese), they’re Japanese.

Similarly, in Cantonese, “Wa sai” is derived from “Wa sai lin mu,” which still means “I am fucking your mother.”

(But most Chinese people don’t know that wa sai actually means dirty, and they use Wa sai as an exclamation, which is almost the same as “wo qu”.)

Such transformations are quite common in Chinese, as with “你丫” (nǐ yā), which is also a shorthand in Beijing dialect.

Originally, it is “你这丫头养的,”meant “You are the illegitimate child of a slave woman!” then,你丫挺的,at last,”你丫”……at last evolved into a prefix for personal pronouns, used only among very close friends.

In Chinese vulgar language, insults typically revolve around the other’s mother or grandmother.

The focus is on women, with a figurative radius extending to 18 generations…

Perhaps because of ancestral worship, insulting as becoming someone’s father or grandfather is considered the highest form of insult.

But in reality, being a father is quite challenging…

Made my day

What did you learn that broke your heart?

Recently, I saw a little girl playing near a pool of mud and water.

She was all alone, stick in her hand, making shapes and figures in the mud, laughing her heart out.

Couldn’t take her picture but this is where she was playing —

main qimg a9fc4d0de68aa20c7cdbff26e68231be lq

I’d never seen her before — she seemed new, looked like her parents had just moved in here, didn’t have any friends yet, and she seemed 10 at best.

That’s when the most remarkable thing happened.

One little boy and her mother was walking by and the boy pointed to her and asked, “Maa, what is she doing?”

His mother looked up, smirked, and said, “She’s a dirty girl. She’s playing with mud. Stay away from her.”

Openly and brazenly — and I’m sure the little girl heard her.

The boy then laughed and said, “Haha, okay. Yuck, so dirty.”

The little girl, hid her head in shame, quickly threw away the stick, and ran away.

Silence enveloped the field once more.

The silence born of shame, judgment, and ridicule.

That’s when I realized something.

Maybe, for the first time ever in her life — this little girl had to face the disappointing reality about people, this world, and how it all really worked.

Lesson, you learn, as you grow up.

That there’s a price you need to pay for happiness in any shape, size, kind, or colour……

…..and often, this price is one that we can’t ever bear to suffer.

That’s how this world breaks you to make you like everyone else.

My heart broke, for it longed so fiercely —hoping, praying, wishing with as much strength as I could muster.

That she could hold on to her childish innocence, just a while longer.

Despicable & Shameless Western Media! After the game, some Western media enthusiastically offered water to Pan Zhanle;

Pan Zhanle’s coach found out and stopped them in time. Later, the water was tested positive for ecstasy！

ENGLISH VERSION

After Pan Zhanle won the gold medal in the men’s 100m freestyle yesterday with a world record-breaking 46.40 seconds, beating his Western opponents. Just after the game, a Western media person enthusiast offered Pan Zhanle water to drink; fortunately, Pan Zhanle’s coach found it and stopped him in time. Later, the Chinese team detected doping in the water!

What does this mean? This means that if Pan Zhanle accidentally drank the water handed over by the Western media, and was summoned for a urine test later, he would definitely be found to contain doping in his urine! That means Pan Zhanle has no excuses, not only will his gold medal in the final be revoked, he will even face the misfortune of being banned by the International Swimming Federation for a long time!

Think about it, Western media, athletes and those evil leaders, in order to stop China’s progress are simply unscrupulous to the point of being outrageous! Hateful! Shameful!

Mom Discovers Her Disgusting Secret Was Filmed

This is disturbing, but really good.

https://youtu.be/_0IXe4QaIBM

As a pilot, what makes you roll your eyes every time you hear it?

As a pilot (Commercial/Multiengine) and a longtime airline passenger (two million miles), I’m bemused by people’s assumptions about cabin pressurization.

I hear things like “the oxygen tanks that supply the cabin” (there aren’t any) or complaints about headaches from “the constantly-recycled air with all that CO2 buildup” (that’s not how it works).

The pressure cabin of a passenger airplane is not an Apollo capsule, Space shuttle, or the ISS. It’s not a hermetically-sealed atmosphere. Yes, it maintains a higher pressure than the ambient air pressure at 37,000 feet, but it does so by constantly pumping in fresh (outside) air, while allowing the air inside the cabin to bleed out to the atmosphere, at a controlled rate. The pressure of incoming air, and the amount of air allowed to escape, are controlled by the pressurization system. The pilots set the desired cabin “altitude” (typically 7,000′–9,000′ depending on the aircraft, the planned cruise altitude, and the elevation at the destination airport), which is in the 10–12 psi range. (For comparison, sea level air pressure on a standard day is 14.7 psi.) The pressurization air inflow and outflow are adjusted and monitored by the system.

Here’s a demonstration I saw an A&P technician deliver to a class:

Take a car tire with a tiny nail hole in it. (No, don’t drive on it … set it on a workbench.) If you leave the tire alone for a few hours, the inside pressure drops to the outside pressure and a tire gauge will read zero psi.

Now connect an air hose to the tire inflation valve. Turn on the air. The tire will inflate and, if you keep the air coming in at the valve, the tire will stay inflated … air coming in at the valve, air escaping via the hole.

(Caution to the curious: If the hole is small enough, and the incoming air pressure is high enough, the tire might over-inflate to the point of bursting. Which can cause injury. So don’t conduct this experiment unless you know what you’re doing.)

BUT ANYWAY: As the air pressure inside the tire increases, this pushes air out of the hole faster and faster. Eventually — assuming you don’t exceed the tire’s max inflation pressure — the pressure inside will reach equilibrium … meaning the amount of air coming in and the amount leaking out are equal. The tire pressure stops rising, and holds steady at whatever the equilibrium pressure is.

The actual equilibrium pressure depends on (a) the pressure at which you’re pumping air in (which most air compressors allow you to control); and (b) the size of the hole letting the air out. Which you can adjust:

If you widen the hole, the pressure inside will drop.
If you plug the hole partially (still leaking, just not as much), the inside pressure will increase.
If you do either of the above but want to maintain a constant pressure, you adjust the incoming air flow to maintain the same pressure.

That’s how aircraft pressurization works too. Incoming air pressure/volume are balanced to the “bleed” air flowing out, maintaining the desired pressure.

Speaking of CO2 buildup:
Depending on the aircraft and the cruise altitude, the total volume of cabin air is replaced by entirely “new” air every so often … I’ve read 5 minutes, 10 minutes … it all depends. But you’re not breathing pure CO2 by the end of the trip, nor are you getting supplemental oxygen from huge storage tanks.

(There are emergency oxygen bottles aboard … some for the flight deck, some portables for flight crew, and some mounted in overhead compartments for passengers But those are for emergencies, not routine operation.)

But the long and short of it is: We’re all breathing the outside air … it’s simply pressurized to maintain comfort (and sufficient partial pressure of oxygen so we don’t get dizzy). And at high altitude, the air is surprisingly PURE, because most pollution hangs out at lower altitudes. Breathe easy.

we playfully taunted him all night at our pre-wedding party but then he suddenly snapped & did this.

On the trail of the shale

When I was in my early teens, but before I started working, my mother would drop us kids off at a nearby pool to spend the day at.

It was a swimming complex.

It has an attached golf course, and I would (most of the time) play golf and then just kill time. My sister, at that time, was relentless in ridiculing me, making fun of me, and making my life just miserable. So I avoided the pool. It was a hostile environment to me.

For a spell, perhaps when I was in 6th grade, or so, the pool was doing work on the pool. And the one side was torn up and exposed. And being a boy, I couldn’t help be explore it. And there, to my great surprise was piles of shale.

This, in case you don’t know it, is just layers upon layers of compressed grasses and leaves from the Carboniferous era.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I would easily chip open the blocks of stratified rocks and see images of leaves and plants that no human had ever seen.

Of course, my entire family thought I was nuts. My sister constantly made fun of me. My other brothers and sisters ignored me, and my father and mother complained about hauling home rock after heavy rock.

But I loved it.

It is the perfect pastime for the children.

Give them a hand trowel, and let them go to work. They will get an interest in history, in geology, and in collecting. In a world where everything comes with a price tag (in the United States) it’s free and cheap entertainment.

Today…

What was your first clue you were no longer as young as you thought you were?

It’s interesting that this question came along because I just recently got a clue.

It was , quite frankly, devastating. 🤣😂🤣😂

I went to see my son recently in Washington state.

We needed to take his van to the shop and used an Uber for transportation.

The driver was mid 40s or so. He was really friendly and very talkative about all the money he makes driving Uber. 😳

My son elbowed me and said hey this could be an easy way to make extra money and winked at me.

The Uber driver proceeds to say, “ Uber driving isn’t safe for woman especially elderly ones.

You could hear crickets. I’m thinking, is he talking about me? And my son is thinking, oh no, I hope he wasn’t referring to mom.

Because not a word was being said the driver asks , “ Mam, did I say something to offend you?

I said no, then we arrived at our destination and exited the car.

I turned to my son and just said, what the hell was that?! I felt as though I was being gaslit! I was just floored. And on top of everything I have never liked being called mam!🤣😂🤣😂

I asked my son if he would describe me as elderly? He said absolutely not mom, and anyway who is he to judge , he was pushing fifty at least!!!

Ok so I can laugh at it now but it really did a number on me.

Of coarse this became the theme of the trip. Every time we did something physical I would ask if this was something an “elderly” person would or could do.?!

We played badminton, we played frisbee, we hiked in the mountains, we replaced broken handles on his van. He lives upstairs and I took those stairs repeatedly like nothin!

Does that sound like an elderly person to you? 🤣😂🤣😂

I looked up what is considered elderly and the general consensus is 60 to 65, I will be 64 the end of the month.

I don’t know, but personally I have regarded being elderly as more of a physicality not age. Like the inability to do normal everyday activities without help of a person or device like a walker or wheelchair etc.

I guess it’s all one’s own perspective. I’m not oblivious to the fact that I’m not as young as I feel or think but having it thrown in my face like that was unnecessary !!

Alfred Hitchcock Presents S05E37 Escape To Sonoita

In your school, has a bullied ever snapped and beat the bully?

I was in seventh grade and there was a boy who was known to be handful to most of the teachers and a bully to a lot of the students. He tormented the girls. I was no exception. He was known to grab the girls in ways that would get him a “me too” hashtag today, though back then teachers brushed it off as “boys will be boys,” or “Oh don’t be so sensitive; he just likes you.”

Frankly I had endured his hands on me for the last time. One afternoon I was at my locker exchanging books for my classes. My hair was French braided, I had on a blouse, skirt, and dress shoes. This will be relevant in a moment.

The young man in question came behind me, sunk his hand into my braid down to my scalp and jerked my head straight backwards. Heaven only knew what he was going to do next but he didn’t get that far.

I spun around and slung my purse across his face like a sword, but I wasn’t done by a long shot. I dropped everything in my hands and took off after him when he started to run. Down the hallway we went. I was calling after him something along the lines of, “You think you’re tough, picking on the girls and grabbing us. How does it feel, huh?”

I cornered him and grabbed one of my dress shoes and walloped him over the head a few times before a teacher pulled me off of him.

Now it should be noted, I don’t condone violence and as an adult I have never put my hands on anyone in violence, but when someone continuously shows contempt for others, one must expect there will be consequences and you are not always free to choose the consequences.

Some have asked if I were in trouble for my actions. I was given a stern lecture for my “unladylike behavior” but that was as far as it went. Technically it could have been worse since I had “fought back” and they had a “zero tolerance.” But he had caused so much trouble in the past, and they knew my family would raise cane for punishing me for defending myself, that I think they felt it wise to leave it at that. And no, he never bothered me after that.

Toward a Second Cuban Missile Crisis? – Theodore Postol, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

How well do you think English signage is done in China?

I think it’s done very well.

In the 80s and 90s, there were hardly any Chinese characters on signs and advertisements in Beijing; they were all in English letters and Japanese kana.

Were we angry? Very angry.

Because we were poor, lacking technology and money, we had to swallow our pride. This included signs and subways; sacrificing the national pride of the entire population, we could only hope for more foreign investment.

Now, it’s required to have big Chinese characters on signs. No Chinese characters? Get lost! Do we really care about a few euros? Are you kidding?

Recently, a small African country launched a movement requiring the removal of Chinese signs and replacing them with local languages.

Because they said, “Our capital is almost turning into a Chinese county.”

All Chinese people feel: “Great, it should be like this!”

At least, in my opinion, it can be bilingual or trilingual.

In their country, their language should be on top, with Chinese or English on the second line.
Their native language font should be the largest, with Chinese or English reduced to 2/3 the size.
Even in Beijing, English letters still be the same size as Chinese characters, which makes me very unhappy.

Can’t the Chinese feel their lack of freedom?

The word “freedom”, if we go by what Franklin Roosevelt said, includes freedom of faith, freedom of expression, freedom from fear, and freedom from want.

I do feel that China has done very well.

Freedom from want – in China, you may not get rich, but as long as you are willing to work, you can always get by.

Of course, housing prices in the big cities are indeed very high, such as Beijing and Shanghai. But outside of the big cities, other things are not that expensive – meat, grains, transportation, industrial goods, clothing, etc.

The high housing prices in the big cities, I admit that this is a problem. However, if you don’t necessarily have to live in the big cities, housing prices in the smaller cities or rural areas are much more affordable.

Freedom from fear? I feel China has done very well in this regard. With nearly 10 million square kilometers of land, I don’t feel afraid to go anywhere. I’m not sure I fully understand what “freedom from fear” means.

I’m afraid of small meteorites hitting the earth, and I feel very fearful about that. But there’s no way to be free from that, right? I can only control myself, like saying I’m afraid of heights so I won’t go to China’s dangerous historic sites. Is that “freedom from fear”?

As for freedom of faith, I think China has that. There are over 300 million religious believers.

Take Islam for example, which the West has been constantly lying about – just in Xinjiang alone, there are 25,000 mosques. The entire US only has 2,000…

It’s true that Communist Party members are not supposed to have religious beliefs, but for ordinary people, who cares what you believe?

Atheism, agnosticism, and indigenous folk religions – aren’t they also forms of faith?

Freedom of expression.

At times, I really feel that the Chinese and American people, who has more of this freedom.

Yes, we can only use VPN to access the global internet, like the one I’m using for Quora now, which costs an extra $1.5 per month. It’s annoying to pay that extra $1.5, but it’s not that expensive. That’s all about it.

Chinese netizens chased and cursed at the Israeli embassy’s Weibo account, and in the end the embassy had to call the police. But the Chinese police could only advise the netizen to “be gentler”.

Chinese netizens made lots of mocking videos about Kim Jong-un, and North Korea put pressure on China through diplomatic channels. China’s response was: the netizen’s behavior was self-initiated, we can’t stop it.

Yes, I don’t dare make any mocking videos of Xi Jinping, but I also don’t want to, because I think he’s doing a good job. Even if I did mock him, I’d just get a scolding, nothing would happen to me. But I just don’t have the motivation to do that, because I genuinely think he’s doing well.

At the end of the day, you think we lack freedom and should resist. But if we feel we’re doing quite well, what should we do?

Barbara Bel Geddes As “Sybilla” – The Perfect Wife? | Hitchcock Presents

What did your sister do to you that you can never forget?

My sister is 10 years younger than me.

Once, when I was 13, I was in my room studying, when she waddled in.

“Watcha doin’?” she asked.

“I’m reading,” I replied, without looking up from my book.

“Why?”

“I’ve exams in school.”

“Why do you have essams?”

This is not going to end well, I thought to myself. I need help!

“Mom!” I yelled. “Get her out of here! She’s disturbing me!”

“Kiddo! Come over here, and don’t disturb your brother. He is studying,” my mother called out from the other room.

“I won’t dissurb him,” my sister yelled back. “I’ll be quiet.”

“Are you sure?” asked my mother.

“I promise!” she affirmed.

I decided to let it go. I did not want to waste any more time.

She picked up one of her books and sat on the floor, looking at the pictures. She was true to her word: she did not disturb me… for all of five minutes. She then looked around, pulled up a stool, and sat near me.

I ignored her.

She started “reading” aloud from her book.

I ignored her.

She stopped reading and looked at me.

I ignored her.

“Mom!” she yelled. “Tell brother to get out! He’s dissurbing me and not letting me read!”

How come the presidential succession process in China is not written down? What if President Xi is killed by a foreign power and China needs the new president quickly to make major urgent decisions?

It is not written down because China is not the US.

Chinese know that the most sensitive issues need to be decided by the right people at the right time while they are facing a challenging and fluid situation.

How can a written-down rule by dead people capture the dynamics of a challenging and fluid situation for living people?

It can’t…

That is why living people need to appraise the situation and decide what to do.

China’s opening vs. U.S. closing? Jeffrey Sachs explains the shift

Realistic and holistic approach that China is taking regarding itself and Geo-political issues.

The Economic Crash

Guest Post by Giuseppi Filotto

May finally be starting.

Nearly 3 Trillion USD wiped off the stock market in one day.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1931549/global-financial-meltdown-markets

Tel Aviv diplomats leaving Israel.

Iran saying a “decisive” response to Israel is coming in the next 24 hours

(((America))) sending warships to the middle East

It is starting to line up quite a bit.

Hypothetically, is Iran were to actually nuke Israel, as in really wipe it off the map, the Jewish bankers running America would undoubtedly try to go for global nuclear war in a fit of demonic rage, so it could get really bad.

Then again, the guys actually pulling the nuclear triggers MIGHT suddenly be struck by conscience (doubtful) either way, it is unlikely that is Israel was wiped out the global war would not intensify.

The point is that the puppeteers, whatever you believe about them and whoever your own research states they are, are not, ever, going to be removed from power by peaceful means.

Nor will they stop with their demonic agenda.

Once you DO do your own research and look into it, the conclusion that these people are operating under a spiritual, that is, religious, belief system to at compels them to act as they do is inescapable.

And that religion is “Illuminism” and their God is Lucifer, the light-bringer. And their coming of the “Messiah” is what Catholics have predicted for centuries: The Antichrist.

I was never a religious person and I thought Catholicism was absurd (because the Novus Ordo Satanic “Catholic” Church that has masqueraded as Catholic since 1958, IS absurd, AND Satanic).

It took a literal road to Damascus moment to show me God is real and God is Love. And I then spent the next 4 years obsessively educating myself on Christianity. And finally concluded real Catholicism (only espoused by Sedevacantists today) was indeed the closest and best representation of reality, and in testing it ever since, I have only had repeated, unfailing proof that it is in fact the best and truest way to interpret reality as it is.

I no more wanted Demons and Satan to be real than any other libertine still stumbling around addicted to pleasure and excitement. But reality is as it is, not as we wish it to be, and ultimately, no one will be left on the sidelines.

As our Lord explained some 2000 years ago:

Either you are with Him, or you are against Him. Those are the only two choices available. Ultimately the choice between Good or Evil is binary. Though the road to it is far from binary, the final choice is.

And you will not be spared the having to choose; because not choosing is also a choice for the darkness.

So. Pick your master, for we all have one.

I pray those of you as hard-headed as I was get your road to Damascus moment right now, and that those of you a little smarter can get there by logic and reason alone, but I pray you all get there.

God is real. So is Free Will.

You are not a puppet. You get to choose.

I hope you choose well. Sedevacantism is indeed the Way. Research it for yourself, don’t take my word for it.

Oscar Winning Walter Matthau In “Very Moral Theft” | Hitchcock Presents

Was there ever a time in your life where you had little to no social interaction? How long? What happened?

I recall a couple of episodes of about three weeks each.

The first was during a winter break during my second year of law school. I think my finals must have been extraordinarily early, because I had an entire three weeks off, and the four-bedroom house I was sharing was vacated by my three housemates, all of whom scattered for long family holiday plans. I decided to clean out the basement of the house, part of which had been left untouched since I moved in, and was packed with various old tools, painting supplies and junk. In the process, I found some sandpaper, tack cloth, brushes and some ancient spar varnish that looked in great shape, so I decided to refinish my dining room table. I’d never done anything like that before and it was in the days before YouTube (or any internet, for that matter), so the fact that it turned out beautifully still amazes me.

I never left the house for those three weeks except to walk across the street to drop a library book in the return bin. I spoke face-to-face with only one other person, an ex-boyfriend who dropped off a Christmas present for me, and that was limited to the basics, Hello, How are you, Thanks for the thought. Good-bye. I probably spoke with my mother on Christmas Day, because I can’t imagine that she wouldn’t have called. And that was it.

I probably read a couple of dozen books, listened to a bunch of records, reorganized the hall closet, and built a couple of fires in the rarely used fireplace.

It was glorious.

The second was at a very rustic weekend vacation cabin I had bought on an Indian reservation north of Seattle (I owned the cabin, but it was on leased Indian land).

I was a practicing attorney at the time. A couple of cases scheduled for trial unexpectedly settled and freed up a block of three weeks with nothing that urgently required my presence, I hadn’t had a vacation in years, but it was on too short notice to do anything like foreign travel, so I packed up three weeks of supplies and a gallon of bleach to sanitize the well and went to stay at the cabin.

For those three weeks, I read, puttered around the cabin fixing things, hand-sewed some curtains, painted the interior, and saw nobody except the few cars a day that traversed the road in front of the cabin. I had no telephone (this was in the days of landlines only and there wasn’t one installed there) so I didn’t talk to anybody either. I had no TV, stereo or radio (except the radio in my car), so nobody talked at me, either. The only social interaction I had was that I did treat myself to a dinner out, alone, at a restaurant in a nearby town, and spoke to the waiter to give my order, ask for my check, and thank him on the way out. I’m pretty sure that was the only person I spoke to for three weeks. The only complaint I remember was that I didn’t bring quite enough books and quite enough wine.

Both of those episodes were long before the days of the Internet, social media, cell phones, email, etc. Isolation like that would be quite difficult today, I suspect.

After both of those experiences, I felt that I could have easily and enjoyably continued my isolation for another two or three weeks before I might start wishing for human contact.

Shorpy

What are the risks of allowing Chinese EV imports into the US?

It would risk shattering the illusion that Chinese Technology is just copies and fakes.

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Just like how Japan proved they caught up to America when their cars and electronics sold in the USA are found to be better quality and more high tech than American Products, Chinese EVs will show to Americans that Chinese products can be worth the money and high quality too.
If American start buying expensive goods from China too, then US industries are in trouble.

BANGS Rage Quits Over TRANS debate?

What’s the most unreasonable request you’ve received from your boss?

I had a job threaten me about missing work for my then wife’s surgery.

I worked in solid waste. Basically, I was a garbage man. I did commercial dumpsters for 11+ hrs a day, 5 days a week. Great money, but long, long hours. I had been in solid waste at the time for about 13 yrs.

So, on to the story. I was married at the time. My then wife had found out she had a bone issue in her foot. The bone had become necrotic, and they were going in to basically try to cut out the dying bone, use other bone and something called ‘bone putty’ to save her foot. This surgery was scheduled weeks in advance. We had just moved to the area we were living in maybe a year and a half earlier. Any family we both had were states away, and anyone that could help basically were still working. At first, I was like… okay. I’ll burn up a few vacation days so I can take her to the surgery and for a few days of recovery. But, as we got closer to the surgery, they were thinking she would be out of commission longer than originally expected. So, the doctor told me to get FMLA paperwork from my job. Basically, paperwork that allows you to miss work for medical reasons for yourself or a family member. I’m like, great. This will make sure I can be there for her and still keep my job. 5 weeks out, I get the paperwork, and fill it out. I take it to the doctor, and they fill out their part. It became one of the most annoying, stress filled things I’d ever be involved with. Several times each week leading up to the surgery date, I was constantly checking on the status. My employer would have a different excuse every time. “Oh, this wasn’t filled out correctly” or “they didn’t receive the 2nd page on the fax” or something. The doctors office hated me. About the 12th time I called the office to ask them to check on this or that and please re-fax it, they were almost to the point of ignoring me. I asked was this typical, and everyone I talked to were like, no. This is not typical. Some were like, I’ve never seen a company do this to their employee.

So, it’s the day before the surgery. I had been very vocal at work as to what was going on, and why I wasn’t gonna be there. Midway through my shift, my supervisor calls me to tell me that the FMLA paperwork still wasn’t correct. It’s not been approved, and I quote, “if you are not here tomorrow, I’ve been told to tell you that there will be consequences.”

I’ve never had issues with attendance. In the whole time I had worked for this shop, I never missed a day, never been late. I had coworkers who would call off to “go to the beach”. I remember just a few months earlier, I had to cover part of a route because a dude was going to a Nascar race weekend, and it was like, oh. Well, they called out. Here, here’s a few pages of their route. Just work it in. Nothing was ever done or said. But, I legitimately had a family member having a major surgery done and it was just the two of us in the area and less than 24 hours beforehand they are gonna tell me there would be consequences if I called out, having plenty of PTO time banked?

I remember telling them, look. I’m not going to be here. This isn’t up for debate now. They reiterated the threat. That day, I knew I’d never drive another garbage truck again. I knew that was the end of that career and chapter in my life. I had worked for several companies in several states. Some great. Some, not so great situations. But, this was the first time I had ever gotten put into a situation where they were either just wanting to be jerks, or show some form of power over me.

I’ve always given 2 week notices and even since this time, I always parted from jobs having given them plenty of time, trained a replacement. Tied up all loose ends. I believe in avoiding burning a bridge, but in this situation, I was done. I had a nasty voicemail left the night of. Then, literally while she was in surgery, i got a call that it was approved and it was only for that day. The surgery had further complications, and was worse than originally thought. I played phone tag with my supervisor and manager. Asking for a few more days. Then, I got a letter stating I had abandoned the job.

I’ve since gone on to other careers. Went back to college and got a degree related to the IT field. Worked several years in that field for a couple companies. When covid hit, I decided to follow a long time dream/fascination of getting into Healthcare. I’ve spent several years now working as a nursing assistant in a hospital. I’m going to college to be a respiratory therapist. This has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. Part of me wants to look at it as everything happens for a reason kinda thinking. I do think if they had acted differently, there’s a good possibility I’d still be a garbage man. I enjoyed the job, itself. The pay was great. But, the biggest problem I always saw in that field was the way the shops were ran. The way management treated their employees. This shop was and I think still is one of the biggest haulers in the US. I had worked for them previously when I was living in Ohio, and based off of my reputation in OH, I acquired the same job in NC after having lived in FL and was moving north. But, I think it was just my time to move on. It was a lesson learned. Same with the 7 yrs I spent in IT. I think it was a character builder, and I think it helped me to be able to talk with and empathize with my current patients. I do wonder, will I ever run into those who were in upper management in my current job. Obviously, I’m going to give them the best care that I can provide. I guess I’m just wondering how they’d treat me.

This Isn’t Your Wife! | House M.D.

Since China sent military and coastguard vessels into Japanese territorial waters near the Diaoyu Islands, why did Japan send the Suzutsuki into Chinese waters and provoke China?

Japanese ships come if they want to, after all, our warships sail through their strait every day as if it’s just a regular street. Japan must have mustered great courage, trembling with fear, to come this time.

In the past, the U.S. would come once a month. They didn’t have much to do when they came; coming was the purpose itself.

You know, once a month, like clockwork, which made me suspect that if the U.S. Navy had a gender, it would definitely be female.

Now the United States is not coming, maybe to save fuel, it ordered its minions to come, last month the Netherlands, this month Japan. What use can a small raft be? It’s like a small dog, it barks happily.

If we talk about political wisdom, we have to look at Europe. Last time the United States pulled a group of people to conduct military exercises near China, Spain sent the warship in the picture – let me ask you, is this a warship? A real sailing battleship!

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Kishida Fumio is just like Bongbong Marcos, they are definitely doomed, maybe even along with South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol. But what else can they do? They have to make some moves; if they do nothing, they’ll just wait to suffocate to death.

Even pigs squeal and twitch a few times when they’re being slaughtered, let alone the Japanese Prime Minister.

But it’s useless.

Modern Women Are UPSET BECAUSE Men Keep Avoiding Them At Work

Beef Stew with Dumplings

This beef stew with mushrooms, dumplings and sour cream is a substantial and satisfying main dish. Serve it with a green vegetable salad and French bread.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Stew

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds (1kg) stewing steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 ounce (30g) (2 tablespoons) butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons brandy, warmed (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 pints (5 cups) homemade beef stock
6 ounces (185g) mushrooms, wiped clean
5 fluid ounce (150ml) (5/8 cup) sour cream

Dumplings

8 ounces (1/2 pound) bread crumbs made from day-old white bread
4 tablespoons water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground mace

Instructions

Heat the oven to warm 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
Mix the flour, salt and pepper together on a large plate. Roll the beef cubes in the flour mixture until they are lightly coated.
In a large frying pan heat the butter and oil over moderate heat. add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is soft and translucent. With a slotted spoon, remove the onion and set aside on a plate. Add the beef cubes to the pan, a few at a time. Brown them well, adding more oil and butter if necessary. Remove the beef cubes as they brown and place them in a large ovenproof casserole. If you are using the brandy, put it in a metal ladle. Set it alight and pour it, still burning, over the beef cubes in the casserole. When the brandy has stopped burning, add the onion to the casserole with the bay leaf and stock. Cover the casserole and place in the oven to cook for 2 hours.
While the meat is cooking, make the dumplings. Put the bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl. add the water, a little at a time, and toss lightly with a fork. the bread crumbs should be just moistened, not soggy. Still using the fork, lightly mix in the eggs. add the salt, pepper, parsley, onion and mace. With floured hands, shape the mixture into walnut size balls. add the dumplings to the casserole, with the mushrooms, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Spoon over the sour cream just before serving.

Why did Sweden make their own fighter jets?

Because for a long time during the world wars and the cold war and quite some time before and after Sweden had a policy that was summarised as “Alliance free in peace, neutrality in war”. Now being neutral makes some people think that the country is vulnerable or a pushover. The opposite is generally true in reality. Neutrality only works if you have something to back it up with. It also means that you need to consider your weapons systems incredibly carefully.

Buying fighter jets from NATO or the USSR (though the latter would never really be the case for Sweden) means becoming dependent on their supply chains, their expertise and often conceding to some of their terms. This was not seen as acceptable, so Sweden started a domestic arms industry of some magnitude. This kept us less bound to NATO and also gave us the opportunity to create fighters based on Swedish circumstances and Swedish defence doctrine.

Swedish defence doctrine is basically summarised as going apeshit until either we get support from the side that didn’t invade us or until the opponent realises that it isn’t worth it. Every adult over 18 in Sweden can be called in for service in case of war, all discussions of surrender is to be treated as false and there are small bunkers, radar stations, hidden roads for air fields and so on everywhere and we have an arms industry that builds almost everything the Swedish defence needs.

This has been somewhat softened after the cold war ended, but a lot of it is still in place and our arms industry is one of the pieces still going strong.

A Gripen can be serviced by a conscripted 18 year old for most things, it can take off from small roads in the woods, from quickly converted airfields (my old University was built to be converted to an airbase in case of war) or basically any somewhat straight piece of hard ground. This makes it essential for the Swedish style of total defence. Any somewhat straight road, and we have a lot of them can be used to stations a quick refueling and service station for Gripens. Sure it can’t match the top of the line American fighters in many other fields, but for defence it doesn’t have to and it’s a lot cheaper for us to produce ourselves than it would be to buy something that while better in many other ways, don’t fit our doctrine.

Tension Subsiding in South China Sea

Elephant In The Room Shaped Like A Monkey

Perry Terrell

Elephant In The Room Shaped Like A Monkey

By Perry Terrell

“You suck.”

“Lauren!” yelled Jared. “For lack of a better term?” He thought she was joking.

“There is no better term. You just plain suck.”

“Why?” Jared asked.

“Why? Why? Why, you ask? I see that monkey. I know it’s dark in this space ship, but I see that monkey. I thought since the two of us won this mission, it would be a great chance for us to be close and really get to know each other. But you brought a monkey along? Why would you do that? Why?”

Jared looked puzzled. He was almost dazed and confused by Lauren’s outburst and attitude.

“Suppose I want to kiss you and wind up kissing that monkey.”

“Well, she has lips too.” He laughed so hard. He couldn’t see what the problem was with the monkey. Also, he still thought she was joking.

“She? She? It’s a she?” Lauren was screaming.

Jared was making frowning faces but Lauren couldn’t see his expressions because of the darkness.

For a moment there was silence.

Lauren went to the window and raised the shade. They were already on the moon and all she could see were Lunar Craters. Hundreds and thousands of them.

“I want to go home,” she said.

“Ahhh, we’re on the moon, Lauren. We have data to gather and pictures to take. Besides, you could have brought a pet.” Jared was trying to comfort her. He was saying to himself that this was going to be a real long mission if she keeps this up.

“Well, my horse was in the shop and I couldn’t get him out in time for this trip.”

For a moment Jared thought she was going to join him in a little humor. He went over to her by the window and put his arms around her waist.

“Monkey, monkey, monkey,” she started yelling. “Get your monkey away from me.”

Jared threw his hands up and back away. He said to himself again, yep, this is going to be a very long and painful mission.

Meanwhile, the monkey was kicked back trying to see what she could see, mostly listening.

Jared went over to his monkey and patted her on the head.

“How did you get that monkey on this ship? I didn’t see you with a monkey packed with your things.”

“The Captain put the monkey on the ship for me.” Immediately after he said, “for me,” he regretted it. He should have made it seem like the Captain did it as a part of the mission.

“So, it is your monkey,” said Lauren.

“The monkey is a part of the mission.”

“By doing what exactly? You do know that three is a crowd.”

“Lauren, please. Let’s just do our job and get along. The monkey is not a problem.”

Lauren had romantic feelings for Jared. She was good friends with the moderator and had her manipulate the drawing to have the two of them paired up to take this mission together. There were a couple other candidates qualified to take this mission and gather the necessary data, but by the luck of the draw, she was paired with Jared.

But with that monkey in the room, she had regrets. Although, she did fancy herself as romantically persuasive, she decided to ignore the monkey and try and concentrate on Jared. Besides, they were going to be stuck in this space ship on the moon for 27.3 earth days or there abouts.

In her astronaut training, she think she read that if a person stays in one place on the moon, then the sun rises, stays up for about two earth weeks, then set, and stays down for about another two earth weeks. Then that makes a complete day on the moon which lasts as long as 27.3 earth days, or something like that. She was almost sure she remembered the correct calculations.

“OMG!” said Lauren. “This monkey is going to start stinking. I’m not going to try and clean her up.”

“Okay, Lauren,” she said to herself. “Get a grip. Ignore the monkey in the room. Twenty-seven point three days alone, well almost alone with Jared is going to be a good thing. At least the monkey won’t be talking.”

Lauren took a few deep breaths and composed herself the best she could. Then she started feeling around and trying to see Jared. She couldn’t find him, so she called out.

“Where are you, Jared?” Then she thought that he better not be hugging that monkey. She didn’t mention the monkey as she was trying to make peace.

Jared wanted out of this trip too, but it was so very much too late and only the first day.

“I’m over here getting the cameras in place. We need to take the videos and digital snapshots.”

Lauren couldn’t help herself. She said, “snapshots and videos of what? Selfies with you and your monkey?”

“You are a brat, Lauren.”

“You are calling me a brat?”

“Yeah, I call ‘em as I see ‘em.”

“Well see this.” The monkey handed her a banana peel and she threw it across the ship.

“You know, I never wanted to go out with you, Lauren.”

“But you did. Why? Was your monkey busy that night?”

“Well, why did you accept?

“I took one look at you, Jared, and you looked like an idiot looking for his keys under a street lamp because that was where the light was. And I said to myself, he can’t be that pathetic. He is an astronaut afterall. You see, I have a weakness for the underdog.

“Oh, you flatter me.” In his mind he called her a witch and a few other things.

“You are like a non-drowsy sleeping pill and a crash landing all rolled up in one, Lauren Dear.”

“Wait. Are you calling me an oxymoron?”

“Well at least you are not an idiot, yet. But you do have more beans inside you than a burrito.”

Lauren realized she was not accomplishing what she had set out to do which was to keep Jared in her life. She felt that she was getting to know him alright. But, so far, they were not getting closer.

She thought it over in her mind. We need to call a truce. I suppose I should jump to it first.

“Truce, truce, truce,” she kept saying.

Jared took a deep breath.

“A truce? That works for me.”

Jared started feeling and looking around for Lauren, slipped on the banana peel and landed on top of her.

She put her arms around him and was thinking to herself that Jared’s monkey might not be too bad to have along after all.

Jared knew where the banana peel came from and was thinking the same thing.

“This is going to be a great mission, Lauren felt good to say.

“Yes, Dear, it’s going to be great waking up every morning and not feel like I’m in the middle of the freeway.

Lauren wanted to react to that remark, but she let it go and kept holding Jared in her arms.

Men being men

What do you eat when you have nothing to eat?

A problem with food banks, and eating randomly when the opportunity arises, it that a lot of what these agencies provide is processed foods that are heavily laden with salts, sugars, non-nutritious fats, and many chemicals (including preservatives) that can be toxic to the body. If I were low on monetary and food resources, I would shoot for the natural, nutritious foods that are inexpensive or easily obtainable. Buy them in bulk if possible. Examples of inexpensive foods that pack a nutritional punch, ones that are also tasty:

The humble potato. They can be chopped up, smeared in extra virgin olive oil and baked in a microwave oven. Avoid the butter, margarine, ghee, etc. Do not fry the potatoes like they do the French fries. You could add spices, depending on your taste. Also add tomato paste before the baking. The nutritional value of the potato is very high, but loading it with trans-fatty oils, high cholesterol fluids will negate the value. And the potato is tasty and filling.
But for those who are diabetic or pre-diabetic, an alternative to potatoes that is both filling and low sugar and calorie is the carrot. And carrots are both inexpensive and easy to consume as either raw, medium-cooked, or fully-cooked. You can more easily lose weight while eating carrots, although they are not as nutritious as potatoes, But eating a balanced assortment of nutritious foods will make up for that.
Tomato paste, mentioned above is a thoroughly inexpensive way to eat tomatoes. The red paste is a concentrated and safely processed form of the highly nutritious tomato. A huge bulky can is sold for about $5, would last for weeks in the cooler, even if you use a lot of it every day.
Some in the bean family such as cowpeas, lentils, and garbanzo beans. Buy them raw, to defray the expenses and to avoid the salted canned ones. Place them in water overnight. This will hydrate and soften them and make them easier and faster to cook the next day.
Oatmeal. A canister, depending on size, will last you weeks or even months.
The egg is famously nutritious, and one a day is enough. Boiled, or fried in olive oil. Wonderful animal protein, many B-vitamins.
Drink your tea or coffee in moderation. The antioxidants are there and helps keep you alert. Use stevia, the natural no-calorie sweetener….inexpensive and not bulky. Cut out the sugar, the Equal, and the Splenda. Go for Stevia….comes in several name brands.
An orange or tangerine a day does wonders.
Carrots are another inexpensive nutritious powerhouse.
Eat your nuts. The least inexpensive way to consume nuts , and to avoid overeating them is to buy them in bulk at the grocery store or places like nuts.com. And of course, many roasted nuts from the stores are overrated. If say you placed small amounts of a Brazil nut, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, peanuts, flaxseeds, etc (or whatever you prefer) in a small Pyrex bowl, added some water and olive oil, microwaved the mixture, you would come out with a very nutritious homemade power bar. Just don’t over roast or burn. Having natural foods at home is not only cheap, but deters you from overeating, and eating processed foods. Also, prepare your snacks at home. Nuts place you in a good mood
Banana. Delicious and nutritious, and filling, mood-enhancing, hydrating, inexpensive. One a day does the trick.
Water…drink your water. This can’t be emphasized enough. This is the medium of body and other functions
Go for inexpensive vegetables, rainbow colors, instead of the tv diners which are hazardous to your health. Eating natural foods makes it so much less expensive to manage your health
Exercising goes well with eating inexpensively and nutritiously, whether you are on a budget or not. My list is inexhaustible, but I suppose a reasonable guideline.
A bit of garlic/onion should be incorporated in the diet, daily.

Be the Rufus

“No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it.” Christopher Ratte.

Some Persian soldiers had buried their treasure at the time when the last remnants of Persian soldiers and Persian sympathizers were driven out of Hellenistic Greece. Archaeologist Christopher Ratte and his team have been in Western Turkey for years working on the ancient site of Notion – then part of Ionia – and have found a pot of rare Persian gold coins in what appears to be a basement room.

Credit: Notion Archaeological Project.

The New York Times has published a story on this find, with interviews of Christopher Ratte. Here is a share of that article:

By Franz Lidz, Aug. 2, 2024

It is the late fifth century B.C. and a mercenary soldier kneels in his modest quarters, digging a hole in the earthen floor. He places a small jug, called an olpe, in the hole for safekeeping and covers it with dirt. In the olpe are his savings — scores of gold coins, known as darics, each one equal to a month’s pay.

But something happens to the soldier — possibly something sinister — and he never retrieves his hoard, which remains undiscovered for the next 2,400 years.

That is one of several scenarios proposed by Christopher Ratté, an archaeologist at the University of Michigan, to account for the cache, which he and his research team recently unearthed from the ruins of Notion, an ancient city-state in modern-day Turkey. While digging beneath the courtyard of a house dating to the third century B.C., the excavators found the remains of an earlier dwelling. “The coins were buried in a corner of the older building,” Dr. Ratté said. “We weren’t actually looking for a pot of gold.”

Darics were chiefly used to provide payment to soldiers of fortune. Andrew Meadows, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the project, said he knew of no other hoard of this type to turn up in Asia Minor. “This is a find of the highest importance,” he said. “The archaeological context for the hoard will help us fine-tune the chronology of Achaemenid gold coinage.”

The archaeological site at Notion spans 80 acres atop a promontory in western Anatolia, a borderland dividing Asia from Europe. It was one of the Greek-speaking communities that emerged in the region during the early first millennium B.C., perhaps because of migration across the Aegean Sea. The deposition and loss of the Notion hoard occurred at a time of warfare, insecurity and great power machinations in a contested frontier zone.

This was true in deepest antiquity, as remembered in the story of the Trojan War,” Dr. Ratté said. “And it remains true to this day, as demonstrated by the Syrian refugee crisis.” He noted that the small harbor on the east side of the city was one of the departure points for Syrian refugees who fled across Turkey to Europe during the refugee crisis a decade ago.

Anatolia is the birthplace of the Western world’s first state-issued coin, the stater, which was created by a seafaring people called Lydians. King Alyattes standardized the weight and design of the Lydian stater, which, beginning around 610 B.C., was struck in electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver. The king’s son and successor, Croesus, is credited with minting the first true gold coin, the Croeseid. The expression “rich as Croesus” refers to his extravagant wealth as well as the opulence of Lydia during his rule.

Fortifications at Notion, a Greek-speaking community that emerged in western Anatolia during the early first millennium B.C. Credit: Notion Archaeological Project/University of Michigan.

Excavations at Notion last year. While digging beneath the courtyard of a house dating to the third century B.C., researchers found the remains of an earlier dwelling and a cache buried there. Credi: Notion Archaeological Project/University of Michigan.

In 546 B.C., the entire area, known as Ionia, was conquered by the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Although Croesus was defeated in battle by Cyrus the Great, his gold-based monetary system lived on. The Persians continued to manufacture Croesids until they introduced their own bimetallic currency, made up of silver and gold coins. The silver coins were called sigloi, and the gold ones were darics — a name derived from either Darius I, who ruled the Persian Empire from 522 B.C. to 486 B.C., or dari-, the root of the Old Persian word for gold.

In 427 B.C., according to the Greek historian Thucydides, an Athenian general named Paches attacked and killed a troop of pro-Persian mercenaries at Notion after luring their commander into a trap. The Persian sympathizers were then expelled, and Notion was reorganized under Athenian supervision.

Two decades later, a decisive naval battle in the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta was fought off the coast of Notion, which the Athenians had been using as a naval base. Dr. Ratté said that the gold hoard might have been connected to the events of 427 B.C., or later, with the Athenian evacuation of Notion.

“It is possible it was not associated with either of these dramatic events,” he said, “but was simply the savings of a veteran mercenary soldier in a time and place when soldiers of fortune could make a lot of money if they were willing to risk their lives for the highest bidder.” Many Greeks fought for the Persian Empire, including the Athenian historian Xenophon, who was an active mercenary for the Persian king Cyrus the Younger from 401 B.C.- to 400 B.C. — the same time period when the Notion hoard was tucked away.

In 387 B.C., within a generation after the Athenians were defeated by the Spartans, Notion and the other cities of Ionia were reintegrated into the Persian Empire. They remained Persian possessions until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 334 B.C., at which point production of the daric quickly declined. Alexander and his immediate successors had many of the existing gold pieces melted down and recast as coins bearing their images, making darics rare today.

The Notion darics are stamped on the front with a likeness of the Persian king kneeling in a long tunic. In his left hand is a bow; in his right, a long spear. The backs of the coins are blank, except for a punch mark. The hoard is being stored at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum in nearby Selcuk, Turkey, along with imported Athenian pottery that was recovered at the dig.

Dr. Ratté believes that the fact that the loot was never reclaimed is a clear sign of disaster. “No one ever buries a hoard of coins, especially precious metal coins, without intending to retrieve it,” he said. “So only the gravest misfortune can explain the preservation of such a treasure.”

Truth

Why do mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real? How does it break our understanding if things?

Why do mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real? How does it break our understanding of things?

How did you draw the conclusion that; “mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real?”, explain go into more detail. Unless of course you are a mathematician or psychist and you yourself have issues with infinity being real?

In mathematics, infinity is not just a vague notion of endlessness, but a rigorously defined concept that can be expressed in multiple ways, i.e., cardinality of sets, ordinal numbers, limit concept, symbolic representation, to name a few. Mathematicians have developed sophisticated tools to work with infinity, which strongly suggest that overall they do not have issues with it.

But, from a physics stand point things start to get complicated as the concept of infinity is more problematic and often indicates a limitation of our theories rather than a physical reality. This manifests itself in a number of ways, cosmology and quantum mechanics being prime examples. It is also a challenge when we start talking about black holes and singularities that represent points where physical quantities become infinite, suggesting a breakdown of the theory of infinity, as “normal” rules just don’t apply or they breakdown completely, which in real terms is nothing more than the end point of our understanding.

Many physical models use infinity as a form of idealization, and what I mean by that is, a lot of physical models use infinity as a convenient approximation (e.g., point particles, infinite potential wells), while still recognizing these are idealizations. Keeping in mind that no physical measurement can ever yield an infinite value, as all measuring devices have finite ranges, otherwise what’s the point of attempting to measure something in the first place?

You have not covered the philosophical perspective of infinity in your question which in many ways is just as important as it is in physics, mathematics and the physical world itself. Things like; does infinity actually exist in nature, or is it merely a useful mathematical construct? Infinity leads to numerous paradoxes (e.g., the paradox of Hilbert’s Grand Hotel, for more detail on this go to Wikipedia) that as a thought experiment challenges our intuitive understanding of what we believe infinity actually is. Infinity often represents the boundary of what we can know or are able to measure, that highlights the limits of human understanding.

Then we come to the practical implications of infinity. Some theories for example that produce infinite results often lose their predictive power, which indicates a lot more refinement is required. Infinite series and processes must be truncated for practical calculation purposes, which introduces a need for approximations, as there is absolutely no point them going on forever.

The appearance of so-called infinities in physical theories often drives a search for a more comprehensive framework to work within, (i.e., quantum gravity attempts to resolve singularities in general relativity). This is a signal, or indication that different thinking needs to be applied and more intensive research is required. To that end, in my mind infinity is not an end point, but simply a marker that requires one to go onto the next stage, whatever that may be.

Infinity in mathematics is a well-defined and useful concept that allows for the exploration of abstract ideas beyond finite limitations. In physics, infinity often signals the limits of a theory’s applicability, which then prompts further, deeper investigation and refinement of our understanding of the physical world. The interplay between mathematical infinity and physical reality of infinity is basically a work in progress and will continue indefinitely, as, when you think about it, is there any end to infinity?” Perhaps no…as that is what infinity is, across just about all domains no matter how one thinks about it or how it is expressed.

Q1: Why do mathematicians and physicists have issues with infinity being real?
A1: I don’t think they really do..is infinity is a concept on all levels is not fully 100% “resolvable”.

Q2: How does it break our understanding of things?
A2: Again, I don’t think it does, it is more a boundary where our understanding stops and it is merely an indicator that we need to dig deeper, refine and further our understanding. Human knowledge always has and always will have a limit, it will never, ever be infinite.

At the end of the day, there will never be an answer to your two-part question, it will go on forever, all the way to infinity and beyond…whatever that is…

ALIEN (1979) MOVIE REACTION!

Is a commander legally allowed to order a soldier/subordinate to his death?

Yes.

This was brought home to me during an exercise in the mid-80’s when I was a young Engineer Platoon Leader. My platoon was attached to an Infantry Battalion for a long field training exercise. We were equipped with HMMVW’s with TOW missiles and were trying to operate against tanks. That turned out to be pretty tricky, the tanks were very good, and the tactics we were using were not fully developed. We ended up getting kicked around the training area pretty routinely.

In one scenario, the Brigade Commander, a full Colnel and a Vietnam Veteran ordered the Battalion I was working with to hold a particular pass “at all costs.” The Battalion did a credible job defending, but then got flanked, which led to the Battalion Commander, also a Vietnam Vet, to order a withdrawl.

I was pretty new, but I thought at the time that this was a good call. In my view, holding onto the position any longer than we had would have led to the extinction (ln the exercise) of the Battalion, about 500 guys. The Battalion Commander wanted to live to fight another day, and what he was doing was doctrinally sound.

This particular point got discussed at length during the After Action Review. The Battalion Commander got asked why he ordered the withdrawal when he was ordered to stand. He laid out his reasoning, which made sense to me. I was there. There wasn’t anything else to do.

There was this long silence. Then the Brigrade Commander looked at the Battalion Commander with this laser-beam look and says, “John, if I tell you to go die on some hill, I’ve got a damned good reason for doing it. My concerns, the Division’s concerns, are bigger than yours. If I have to sacrafice your Battalion in order to preserve something bigger, it’s my job to order you to do it. It’s your job to take your boys and go out and die.”

This is the dark side of combat that no one really likes to talk about. It doesn’t happen often, normally because of a miscalculation or mistake, but units get asked to make these kinds of sacrafices. When you are an officer, if you’re doing your job right, your unit is like your family. Words that describe how close units bind together in combat fail me. Others have done it much better. These are your brothers, your sisters, your children. When you get asked to do something like this, it’s like asking your children to go out and die for you. Then you have go out and die with them.

Anyway, I’ve never forgotten it. It made me think through a lot of things before I became a Company Commander and had to take folks to war.

Its all about timing

Is the “face culture” of the Chinese superior and more civilized than the “honor culture” of North Americans, Arabs, Somalis, Afghans, Nigerians, Turkic and Mongolian peoples, etc.?

Face culture comes from Confucian culture. As a unique cultural and psychological phenomenon of the Chinese people, face culture has greatly influenced the daily social life of the Chinese people.
North Americans are Christian culture
Arabs, Somalis, Afghans, Nigerians are Islamic culture
Turkic and Mongolians are nomadic culture
The values of Dignity, honor, face are different among Christian culture, Islamic culture and nomadic culture, and the difference is very big.

Honor and face cultures attach great importance to regulating individual behavior by social expectations and cultural norms. However, the two cultural phenomena differ in several crucial aspects.

The new cultural framework of dignity, honor, and face was proposed based on three different cultural logics and reveals that while both honor culture and face culture place importance on adhering to social norms, honor culture places greater emphasis on both self-awareness and external evaluations for self-worth, whereas face culture places more weight on external evaluations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_killing

Additionally, honor culture is characterized by an unstable social hierarchy prone to competition, violence, and virtue, while face culture prioritizes modesty, harmony, and cooperation within a more stable hierarchy. Especially at banquets, whether or not to drink is directly related to face.

From indigenous perspectives, the self-image and social image in honor culture are relatively consistent, and honor encompasses moral, gender, and family-related aspects that may be defended through violence. In contrast, self-image and social image in face culture tend to be incongruent, and face involves morality and social achievement, which is expressed through the dimensions of seeking face and avoiding losing face with an emphasis on status and authority.

Combined with the above two perspectives, these core differences between honor and face cultures can be attributed to the moralization and instrumentalization of social cultural norms.

Specifically, honor tends to moralize social and cultural norms by transforming descriptive norms into prescriptive norms, where majority and typical behaviors that exist in a culture are considered behaviors that group members should or must abide by. In contrast, face instrumentalizes social and cultural norms by using descriptive and prescriptive norms as means and tools to maintain relationships, demonstrate status, and uphold authority.

This perspective provides new insights into cultural phenomena, such as the positive correlation between violence and virtue in honor cultures, where violence becomes a social norm that adapts to the honor culture environment and is moralized into a virtuous attribute. The social norm of harmony in face culture exists both as value-oriented harmony influenced by Confucian culture and instrumental harmony in daily life, leading to a dissonance between face and heart.

Biscuits

Roisin O’Riordan

She was going to kill him. She was actually going to murder him. Yes, she has said it plenty of times before but this time she meant it. This time she would drag him by his stupid hair to an airlock and shove him out to space where he can suffocate.Seven months. She lasted seven months stuck in this shuttle with him, but now she was finally going to crack.It started off with the computer. He programmed it to call him “Hot Stuff.” She changed it back. Then, he programmed it to call him “King of the Bandages.” Once again, she changed it back. Twenty nine nicknames later-yes, she kept a list-the most recent development was “Big McDaddy.”And since his names apparently weren’t keeping him preoccupied, he decided to spend time obsessing over hers. Specifically, her first name. On the top of her medical file is “B. Miller” neatly typed out, but he wanted to know more. The guesses started off sensible enough with Bella and Bethany-they have now devolved into Bread and Bacteriochlorophylls.And somehow, no matter what happens, he won’t stop grinning. No one should be as cheery as this guy, it doesn’t seem healthy. Every time she sees him she wants to growl in frustration, but he remains as sunny as the actual suns they pass.But this time is worse than all those other time. This time he took the biscuit because this time he broke a rule that could get himself and her fired. This time he… well, he took the biscuits.”I can’t believe you!” She screeched, storming into the medical bay. “I can’t believe you would actually steal from the passengers!””I’m sorry?” He asked looking up from a rather heavy looking book. He was still smiling. Asshole.”The biscuits. Don’t even try to deny it. I know it was you who took them.””Ok.” He went back to reading.”Ok?” That threw her off her guard. She was expecting an argument. For him to try feign innocence before she finally broke him and he begged her not to tell their boss. It wasn’t supposed to go like this.

“Ok, I won’t deny it. I took the biscuits.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is there anything else or…?”

“Well… well… what do you have to say for yourself?” Her voice got weaker and weaker throughout the sentence. She really had no idea where she wanted to go with that.

“…They tasted nice?” Oh, that made her blood boil.

“Nice? Taste? That’s not what I was asking. Do you know how much trouble you could be in for this.” He was an idiot, he had to be. Maybe, he just didn’t care. No that couldn’t be it, could it? This job involves being away from Earth for years at a time and being fired tends to mean never getting work anywhere else. Maybe he thought the job would be easy and that he would get away with stuff like this. Not on her watch.

“I know how much trouble I will be in-none. No one cares. No one apart from you. Speaking of which, why do you care?”

He is unbelievable. “I care because I was put in charge of making sure everything is ready for when the passengers wake up.”

It is a requirement of every shuttle to have at least one engineer, and, if asked, she would tell people that she is the engineer-because she is. However, the shuttle is built fairly sturdy, and the AI seems to be doing a fine job of maintaining everything. It’s not that she wants things to go wrong… it would just be nice if there were a few mishaps that called for her assistance. This lack of jobs can make floating in space a tad boring, hence her eagerness to take on the role of an over-glorified party planner.

“Look,” he said, closing his book, “in eight months time we’re stopping for fuel at a space station. If we happen to be low on supplies-which we won’t be ’cause these passengers have more than enough-we can stock up then.”

“What if one of them wakes up?” It’s a weak argument but one she feels strongly about. She has read every story there was on passengers waking up from the deep sleep they are put into before take off. The passengers they were currently transporting were Taubverlians, so the four year journey would probably feel like a human’s version of a week to them but apparently it’s a week they would rather sleep through. What if they woke up angry? What if they got so annoyed they decided to file a complaint? What if those biscuits were the only thing that would have been able to calm them down and stop them from demanding the whole crew gets fired? It’s unlikely, but it is possible.

“Really?” He asked. She glared at him with cold, unforgiving eyes. “You need to calm down before you give yourself a stroke. I check, double check and triple check each passenger’s pod everyday and there hasn’t been even the slightest hint that one of them might wake up before they’re supposed to.” He let out a sigh and for the first time since she met him, his smile faltered. “It’s your first trip right? Thought as much. You see, after a while, you will start to get bitter. You’ll start to resent the passengers, our bosses, whoever it is at home that you’re sending your wages back to. The thought that you will more than likely be working here until the day you die and the knowledge that it is extremely rare for a crew member to ever see Earth again combined with the fact that if someone in charge screws up and needs someone to blame we will probably be killed… well, at some point or another, it gets to you. That’s why I play around with the AI and steal the occasional biscuit. That’s why Ellie stole a bottle of whiskey. That’s why Charlie is cheating on her husband with Smith. These acts keep us sane. And they’re not hurting anyone-not if no one finds out.”

She could somewhat sympathise. Ok, she could sympathise a lot. She was bitter. Of course she was bitter about… everything, but she wasn’t going to complain. Her family needed her to have this job, and so must his-it’s not like he would ever see his wages, so they have to be going somewhere.

“Our supervisors don’t care as long the passengers get to their destination safe and sound. You can relax, Birdy.”

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “That is not what the B stands for.”

His smile was now back to full voltage as he realised he won. “We have been in this tin can for seven months and I still don’t know anything about you. What are your hopes, your dreams, your fears? Where are you from? And what exactly does the B stand for? It doesn’t stand for Biscuit, does it?”

She may come to regret this, but at the moment her stress is leaving her and she feels… lonely. She doesn’t have anybody to talk to on this shuttle apart from when she is arguing with him. Hearing him talk about their colleagues that he clearly knows so much better than she does just reminded her of how much she has isolated herself. “Brooklyn.”

“You’re from Brooklyn? Cool, I have a cousin that lives there, or used to at least.”

“No-well, yes I am from Brooklyn but, that’s what the B stands for.” The look on his face was almost worth it. Almost.

“So, you’re from Brooklyn… and your name is-”

“Oh, shut up.” She tried to fight a grin.

“…Were your parents really worried about you forgetting where you lived?”

“I shouldn’t have told you. I should have just stuck to Biscuit.”

He let out a laugh at that. Dear god, it was brighter than his smile. “Ok, ok, I’m sorry Biscuit.” She shot him a glare with much less heat than the previous one. It was kind of nice talking to him-not that she would ever dream of saying it to him. Just before she got a chance to retort, a series of short beeps filled the room. “Time for me to go check on the passengers again.”

“Oh, right. I have work I need to go do as well.” She turned to leave, ignoring the pang in her chest. She has her work to focus on, friends would just take up time.

“Wait.” He tossed her a small metal box. She stared at the box, then at him, then back again. At his nod she opened up the latches and the contents very nearly managed to surprise a snort out of her. Biscuits.

Tension Subsiding in South China Sea

Changing Geo-Political arrangements.

What terrifies you about Xi Jinping?

Mr. Xi doesn’t terrify me, but he certainly “terrifies” my German friend. Let’s call him Karl.

Obviously, Karl isn’t a basketcase of nailbiting anxiety and fear over a man a continent away. But he related a spine-tingling moment some years back listening to the news while driving on the autobahn.

Before we get into that, a little background about Karl.

Karl, perhaps unsurprisingly, speaks Chinese. What tickles me though, is he speaks funny Chinese.

Notice I said Chinese and not Mandarin.

Karl speaks a creole of accented Mandarin and horror of horrors, the Changsha dialect.

Now, try making sense of the hilarity hearing a thick German accent fighting his own tongue to make the proper tone for Mandarin words abused by the Changsha pronunciation.

After all these years, I have concluded he has been putting up a show all along to bewilder and get a rise out of me deciphering his words.

He has a future in standup, if he ever needs a change of scenery.

Back on topic. What piece of news made him nervous? It was a single statistic from China’s anti-corruption drive.

“More than a million party officials have been disciplined.”

He was flabbergasted by how seriously the Chinese were taking the campaign because when he was there, he had concluded corruption was so deeply ingrained in the culture it was impossible to root out. In fact, that was a primary reason why he left China, even though the money was lucrative.

Karl has an interesting way of bringing his point across, and he was ready when I pressed.

“China isn’t Germany. A million out of a billion is a mere drop.”

“Yes, but China either gives lip service or they do a thorough job. 1 million is a thorough job.”

“True. But why should that jolt?”

“Because nothing happened, Bill.”

“What do you mean nothing happened?”

Evidently he was waiting for this moment of weakness because he broke into a sly smile and declared:

“Nothing happened to President Xi.”

I was truly incredulous.

“I lost you Karl. You expected him to fall victim to the campaign he initiated because he is dirty too?”

“No, silly. The fact nothing happened means we have witnessed the coronation of the first Chinese emperor of the 21st century, if only in practice.”

“Now you sound like a flat earther.”

“No no. Nothing far-fetched. How do you think they land a big fish like Zhou Yongkang? Using the police? Or the army?”

“The President probably ordered his arrest personally.”

“Yes but what was the investigative apparatus and how did they manage to arrest him? Zhou was the security tsar.”

“Oh. I think I’m understanding. Even the FBI will have trouble arresting the vice President.”

“Sort of. The Xi administration basically set up their own supralegal modern day Embroidered Uniform Guard that was vested with political power to deal with anyone, even the biggest fish. The million they mentioned? A substantial number are senior cadres, nodes in the power structure. The Chinese think in terms of guanxi or relationships so tackling corruption equals identifying and destroying webs of collusion.”

“Do you think Xi went too far?”

“No. He did a fantastic job. I am just surprised the faction wars didn’t flare up in response. Not even a whimper. Xi has great standing within the party.”

“Ok, so he cleaned up. Why does that terrify you? He is more powerful than ever?”

“Not really. People fail to realize the five year plans were being executed like clockwork in the midst of rampant corruption. He would have reached the state objectives without rocking the boat.”

“He did not need to pick this fight?”

“No. He had to. It was the right time.”

“The stars didn’t align for Jiang and Hu?”

“Yes. The force was not with them.”

“The FORCE? Dude, you have been playing me all day!”

“Electricity, my boy. You can build the fanciest roads and buildings but without electricity you cannot urbanize.”

*Incredulous stare*

“For sure it is electricity. Hu was a hydroelectric engineer. China’s electricity output increased more than 2-fold during his time in office.”

“What does it have to do with corruption?”

“China essentially went full steam ahead to urbanize. Jiang wasn’t even sure how the system would work as it transited from Central planning to market economics as it spread inland from the SARs. Hu laid the foundation to guarantee future growth. The GFC gave China the breathing space to shape a cultural change among the ruling elite. A bunch of people got rich too quickly and developed money fever.”

“What does the GFC have to do with it?”

“China’s economy fundamentally shifted post 2008. China finally flexed her domestic muscle and decided they had to be less reliant on the west. But they had to inevitably slow down as the west recovered from a balance sheet and sovereign debt crisis. It is this recentering to OBOR and domestic growth that gave Xi the breathing space to tackle corruption nationwide.”

“Man, that’s deep but all that says is China has a good man at the helm. What makes him fearsome?”

“Well, when I was there the way the Chinese were throwing money around was unbelievable. Too much waste. And too many funny things going on. Putting a stop to that means the Chinese are getting on board the next stage of growth, one that is much higher in quality, and sustainable. The Chinese rocket shot up the sky in spite of excesses. Can you imagine a people without? Us Germans are counting the days when the Chinese become direct competitors to German technology and quality. The Chinese are getting their act together.”

Note: The emperor reference is no insinuation of shenanigans. Rather it is Karl’s intent to frame how far the Xi administration can push reform. In other words, Xi has the people’s mandate, just like a legitimate Son of Heaven.

Karl is real, but I’ve paraphrased our conversation.

Note: The profundity of Karl’s astute observations is contained within the satellite composites of nightime China, taken two decades apart.

Bill Pfeiffer’s Chili Capital Punishment

Bill Pfeiffer’s Chili Capital Punishment is the winner of 1980 World’s Championship!

Yield: 14 to 18 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons MSG
9 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons cumin
4 tablespoons beef bouillon (instant crushed)
2 cans beer
2 cups water
4 pounds extra lean chuck (chili grind)
2 pounds extra lean pork (chili grind)
1 pound extra lean chuck, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 large onions, finely chopped
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup oil or kidney suet
1 teaspoon mole (powdered)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Masa Harina
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, add oregano, paprika, MSG, chili powder, cumin, beef bouillon, beer and water. Let simmer.
In a separate skillet, brown 1 1/2 pounds of meat in oil or suet until meat is light brown.
Drain and add to simmering spices. Continue browning meat in batches until all meat has been added.
Sauté finely chopped onions in oil or suet. Add to spices and meat mixture. Add water as needed. Simmer two hours. Add mole (MOE-lay), sugar, coriander, hot pepper sauce and tomato sauce. Simmer for 45 minutes.
Dissolve Masa Harina in warm water and add to chili. Add salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes.

What was your first clue you were no longer as young as you thought you were?

I was born in 1965, which means I am 59 as I write this response. In the 1980s, I worked as a DJ in a bar called The Notorious Club 26, and I played music from the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.

As the DJ, I would say things like, “Remember, never trust anyone over 30. If you are over 30, don’t trust yourself.” As a 20-something, I thought I was being funny. Then a horrible thing happened: I turned 30 in 1995.

I was single at the time, and I realized that all the time I wasted being a DJ interfered with my social and personal life. I worked 6 days a week, and on Tuesday of each week, I got paid. Who wants to go out on a date on a Tuesday? Who wants date some who works from 9 pm until 3:30 AM?

I wass 30, looking back from where I came, and realized that I had wasted the last 10 years of my life. I worked, made very good money, got a lot of cash tips for the customers, loved my job, but my life sucked. All I did was work, sleep, and do household jobs. I had no social life.

I kept working but I also went back to college, and finally finished the work for my BA. After that, I was able to quit the DJ job and work during the day instead of being a vampire on a day pass.

I’m not going to lie: 30 seemed old to me. When I turned 40, I got a card that said something like 40 is the new 30.

I’m 59 years old now, and my hair is gray, just like my beard, and my body is a wreck. However, I know that my life has been full and fun. I’m not sure what comes next, but I am looking forward to the trip.

Johnny West 1960s toy figurines

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Are you proud to be a Chinese person?

As a Chinese person, I never felt any connection to the “patriotism” that the Chinese Communist Party instilled in me since childhood.

In elementary school, our teachers told us, “The most important principle in writing is to show your love for China.” Well, I didn’t understand at all. How could a child possibly grasp what it means to “love China”? For an elementary student, “patriotism” is nothing but outdated stories and empty political slogans.

As I grew older, my aversion to “patriotism” only increased. The reason was obvious: if “patriotism” had a significant impact on one’s well-being, why had I never seen anyone get rich because they “loved China”? And why had I never seen anyone fall into a miserable situation because they “didn’t love China”?

When I started using the internet, I discovered more meaningful things. I realized that China could only avoid destruction by embracing Western political systems. During that time, I read many articles by “independent Chinese intellectuals,” including economists, Chinese immigrants abroad, lawyers, and entrepreneurs.

Back then, I hoped these independent intellectuals could awaken the “numb Chinese people” through their writings. They were active on BBS, blogs, social media, and China’s version of Twitter. I spent a lot of time reading their articles and enthusiastically commenting. I admired them and saw them as the future political stars of China. At that time, I had my own blog called “A Chinese Citizen,” with the slogan “For a Bright Future of China.” I wrote every day, and when I had nothing to write about, I would repost negative news about China and add my own gloating comments.

The trolls on Quora today are nothing compared to the old me.

Later, I got married and had my own child. As a freelancer, I had time each day to spend with my growing child. To expose my child to nature, I took them to many places. Busy with accompanying my child, working, cooking, and doing laundry every day, my life focus gradually shifted.

One summer evening when my child was three years old, we drove to a famous large lake in northern Xuzhou called Weishan Lake. A section of the Grand Canal passes through the Weishan Lake area. The sunset bathed the hundred-kilometer-long embankment road along Weishan Lake in golden light. My wife, captivated by the beauty, asked me to stop the car for a while. I parked by the roadside, and we were greeted by the cool evening breeze and the slightly fishy smell of the lake water. We all quietly listened to the waterfowl returning to their nests.

When a long line of cargo ships appeared at the end of my vision on the Grand Canal, another fleet from the opposite direction sounded their horns as they passed through the Linjiaba lock. The sunset deepened, and the afterglow moved from the embankment road to the surface of Weishan Lake. The vast lake, looking like an ocean, stretched beyond the horizon. Waterbirds in the reeds were startled by passing ships, taking off with pleasant sounds. Watching my child jumping with joy and my wife enjoying the cool breeze, I felt a deep sense of happiness. In that moment, I suddenly realized something:

Weishan Lake is a gift from nature to the locals; the Grand Canal is a monumental achievement by our ancestors. The various aquatic products from Weishan Lake have nourished generations of people on this land. Today, these endless cargo ships continuously transport energy and agricultural products to ports along the route. We enjoy the tranquility of nature, while our material life benefits from China’s vibrant economic system.

The natural geography is a gift from God; historically, it is a territory our ancestors expanded on horseback; and in reality, it is the result of countless generations of Chinese people’s hard work. For economic and social activities to run efficiently, the country’s leaders need exceptional talent to design reliable development plans. Without all this, there would be no individual happiness. The CPC is a positive part of this picture—not the whole, but just as important as all other parts.

I live on this land in this lifetime, and so does my child. Everyone I love and everyone who loves me live on this land. I love them and hope they remain healthy, happy, and joyful. Protecting them means ensuring that this land is free from war, plague, hunger, and poverty. Only when these foundations are solid can I fully devote myself to life and family. Isn’t this the relationship between an individual and their country? The CPC has achieved this, so what exactly am I complaining about every day? Should I deny everything just because of some bad news on the internet and some unfortunate events on this land?

By Weishan Lake at that moment, I grasped a simple truth: to love this country, to love its mountains and rivers, its history and culture, the heroes who shed blood and tears in modern history, and the forces leading this country to rejuvenation. At the same time, when my child grows up, they should see themselves as a master of this country, participating in its development. This is what a young boy should aspire to.

There is no such thing as love or hate without reason in this world. To love something, you must first understand it, knowing its strengths and weaknesses, and recognizing its significance to us. Otherwise, “forced love” is fake, blind, and short-lived. “Patriotism” is no different. Only by fully understanding this land, this country, and the forces driving China’s progress, with all their pros and cons, can one develop genuine love.

I am becoming such a Chinese person.

She Gave Him PRE and POST Date Bill and it Backfired

The Trigger For WWIII Just Arrived – What Are The Implications For Americans?

Guest Post by Brandon Smith

If the year of 2024 has proven anything so far, it’s that our worries about the potential outbreak of WWIII are absolutely reasonable. The skeptics making accusations of “conspiracy theory” and “doom and gloom” have been proven wrong yet again. The geopolitical atmosphere is turning sour fast.

I still don’t think a lot of people realize how truly volatile the situation is globally right now. From my point of view, WWIII has already begun, at least in economic terms.

Let’s not forget the fact that Ukraine is essentially a proxy for all of NATO against Russia. And, the situation in the Middle East is about to become much worse. Because of the alliances involved and the fragile nature of global energy exports there is a danger of systemic collapse should a wider war break out between Israel and multiple Arab nations. It appears that such a war is imminent.

But why should Americans care? It’s pretty simple – War spurs shortages, and shortages in the middle of a stagflationary crisis are a very bad thing.

Sanctions against Russia affect around 10% of the global oil market and around 12% of global natural gas consumption. But so far all that oil and natural gas is still flowing around the world, only the trade routes have changed. The Middle East, on the other hand, accounts for over 35% of the global oil market and 18% of the natural gas market. Widespread chaos in this region would mean economic crisis on a scale not seen in a century.

Think we have problems with stagflation now? Just wait until energy prices go to the moon.

Around 30% of all oil exports travel through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage which a nation like Iran can easily block for months at a time. Sinking a few larger vessels in the straight would obstruct all cargo ship traffic and oil tanker traffic. Trying to clean up the mess would be difficult because artillery, which is almost impossible to intercept, can rain down from Iran on any vessels trying to drag sunken ships out of the way.

Iran has mutual defense pacts with multiple governments in the region including Lebanon and Syria, along with military ties to Russia. The Turkish government is unlikely to allow western troops to use their airspace to launch attacks. The US military presence in Afghanistan is gone and the Iraqi government will never allow foreign troops to use their land to come to the aid of Israel.

This greatly limits the west’s launch points for an offensive large enough to blitz Iran. The vast majority of attacks would be from the air, and if the Russians start supplying Iran with batter radar and missile technology then there’s no guarantees Israel or the US would gain full control of the air space. In other words, if a wider war breaks out it will not end for YEARS and it’s going to be fought on the ground.

Of course, most establishment experts have claimed that the situation will never escalate to that point and that the threat of direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is minimal. I have been predicting the opposite for a number of reasons, just as I predicted that there was a high chance of war in Ukraine months before it happened.

In October of 2023 in my article ‘It’s A Trap! The Wave Of Repercussions As The Middle East Fights “The Last War”’ I warned that a multi-front war was about to develop between Israel and various Muslim nations including Lebanon and Iran. I noted:

“Israel is going to pound Gaza into gravel, there’s no doubt about that. A ground invasion will meet far more resistance than the Israelis seem to expect, but Israel controls the air and Gaza is a fixed target with limited territory. The problem for them is not the Palestinians, but the multiple war fronts that will open up if they do what I think they are about to do (attempted sanitization). Lebanon, Iran and Syria will immediately engage and Israel will not be able to fight them all…”

My purpose in that article was to outline the dangers of US involvement in a larger war that would require conscription and escalation with Russia. Despite the “experts” insisting that the odds are overblown, it now appears that the next stage of escalation is about to begin.

Iran, Lebanon and Israel have been exchanging limited fire for months now. This is nothing new. What is new is the change in tone after a Hezbollah rocket strike on a children’s soccer game in the remote Druze village of Majdal Shams that killed 12.

On the other side, Israel’s brazen assassination of the Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil this week is a clear catalyst for war. Haniyeh has been engaged in a diplomatic mission to start peace negotiations in Gaza. His assassination sends a clear message that Israel has no intention of entering into talks with Hamas.

IDF officials also announced that they had killed top Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in a precision missile strike Tuesday in Beirut. There’s no escaping it now.

Iran’s supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has ordered retaliation against Israel and issued an order for Iran to strike the Israelis directly. Iran will likely use extended missile barrages, but also stage troops in Syria and Lebanon. The Houthis in Yemen will then increase their attacks on ships traversing the Red Sea. It’s hard to say how much Russia will involve itself at first, but I have no doubt more advanced Russian missiles and other weapons will make an appearance on the battlefield.

The prospect of world war is immense. Israel will not be able to fight in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran all at the same time. Energy exports in the region will definitely face a slowdown, if not a complete breakdown. At that point the war won’t just be about Israel, it will be about a global energy crisis. I don’t see any scenario in which the US government doesn’t get involved.

The high risk of terrorism this entails should not be overlooked. We’ve had an undefended border and record illegal crossings for a few years now under Biden. There’s not telling how many foreign agents are in the country and I believe this was by design. I think the establishment maintained open border policies because they wanted such people here. The more terror these agents cause the more the public will be tempted to increase government powers to deal with the attacks.

Beyond that, the political left in the west has tied itself to the Palestinian wagon as if it’s their business. In reality, leftists view the war in Gaza as just another vehicle for their outrage. They use minorities, they use gays and now they’re using Muslims. It’s the classic Marxist strategy of hijacking the social causes of other groups and co-opting their momentum.

Gaza is just another excuse for progressive spastics to riot and start burning more of the west down (their true goal). Anyone that opposes them will automatically be accused of being a “Zionist sympathizer” even if Israel is not their concern. So, there will surely be Muslim terror attacks, but also civil conflicts triggered by leftists exploiting the situation to their advantage.

The timing of these events in tandem with the election is definitely not coincidental. Whoever ends up in office will essentially be “stuck” with the war, inheriting a disaster from day one. Once US forces are committed to an allied effort, there’s no chance any president (including Trump) will pull those forces out. If things get bad enough, there might not even be an election in November.

For those that think we can “win” on multiple fronts, the truth might shock you. Eric Edelman, who serves as Vice Chair of the US National Defense Strategy Commission, has given warning about the impending conflict, stating:

“There is potential for near-term war and a potential that we might lose such a conflict…We need our allies to produce more. Our defense industrial base is in very bad shape. The European defense industrial base is in even worse shape. We need our industrial base, their base, and the industrial base of our Pacific allies. Australia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan–they all need to be stepping up because to match what Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are doing is beyond our ability to do it ourselves.”

I have written about the logistical shortcomings of the west in a WWIII scenario for some time now. At the top of the list will be manpower, just as we have seen in Ukraine. This is why we have been hearing military and political officials hint about a new draft over the past two years. They know what’s coming.

A draft to fight for globalist causes is unacceptable. I’m not going to delve into debate over whether it’s right or wrong for western countries to throw their weight behind Israel. Frankly, I don’t care about that argument. I don’t have anything invested in either side of the conflict. I care about Americans. And, I know that making the US military the go-to solution to the Middle East problem is going to end with a lot of dead Americans. I also know that the expanding crisis would make certain special interest (globalists) very happy. As I noted last year:

“The establishment seems particularly obsessed with convincing US conservatives and patriots to participate in the chaos; there are a number of Neo-cons and even a few supposed liberty media personalities calling for Americans to answer the call of blood in Israel. Some have described the coming conflagration as “the war to end all wars.”

I believe that the real war is yet to truly start, and that is the war to erase the globalists from existence. They want us to fight overseas in endless quagmires in the hopes we will die out. And when we do, there will be no one left to oppose them…”

The trap has just been set. We’ll have to wait and observe the scale of the response from Lebanon and Iran, but I believe the worst case scenario is at hand. There are multiple powderkeg events in progress around the world right now, but the Middle East situation looks to be the most disastrous by far in terms of how it will affect the US.

Why is the US not attacking Iran? Haven’t the US had enough of this ayatollah’s nonsense? I’m always interested to know what the end game for the US is here?

There’s a hot topic on the Chinese internet: Is the United States now at the end of the Tang Dynasty or the end of the Ming Dynasty?

I’m in the Ming Dynasty camp.

The fall of the Tang Dynasty was essentially due to the power of the Guanzhong aristocratic group blocking the upward mobility of the Hebei class. Although it was nominally due to the rebellion of the An-Shi insurgents, it was actually a civil war between the Han Chinese of Hebei and the Han Chinese of Longxi.

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（What really led to the demise of the Tang Dynasty was this brutal battle in which most of the army was destroyed.）

Similarly, the fall of the Ming Dynasty was also essentially an internal Han Chinese issue.

Even though there were massive problems with the distribution of interests between the north and the south, it was essentially a civil war between the north and the south.

Since both falls were due to unequal distribution of interests leading to the collapse of the country, why do I insist that the United States is currently at the end of the Ming Dynasty?

Three characteristics:

First, during the fall of the Han and Tang dynasties, these massive entities in Chinese history still maintained overwhelming military advantages over surrounding ethnic groups, whereas the United States does not have this advantage now.

Second, before the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there was a period of, uh, I’m not sure if I should say this, but it is indeed recorded in history books, a so-called “men dressing as women,” and LGBTQ was very prevalent. I have no discrimination against homosexuality, truly none! In ancient China, including the Warring States period and the most prosperous Han Dynasty, there were many rulers who were homosexuals, whom I admire! Look, I’m saying this, so I definitely do not discriminate against homosexuals, right?

What I want to say is that when these rulers were homosexuals, soldiers and ordinary people did not have a tendency to change genders, but at the time of the dynasty’s collapse, there were many grassroots males doing this…

I mean absolutely no discrimination, but it is very similar to the records of the late Ming Dynasty…

Third, spending countless amounts of money and achieving nothing. It’s incredibly frightening. Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver invested, achieving nothing…

In general, I believe that the United States now resembles the end of the Ming Dynasty very much.

The real fall of the Ming Dynasty happened during the “Three Great Campaigns of Wanli,” when the Ming Dynasty still seemed very strong and launched three large-scale military campaigns. But seriously, hasn’t the United States also fought in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan? These three seemingly world-shaking wars actually only fattened the military leaders?

A hot topic on the Chinese internet is: Who least wants the United States to collapse?

80% of the answers are: China.

Chinese netizens are very clear that this world is maintained by the United States. If the United States collapses, it would be a disaster for the world, including China. No one can escape. So we clearly provide this answer based on our own interests: United States, you must not collapse!

The battle that marked the fall of the Ming Dynasty was the Battle of Salhu.

I do not want the United States to engage in wars in the Middle East again, as it is clearly America’s Salhu moment.

That would be a disaster for China, the United States, and the world.

In this world, no one can defeat the United States, except the United States itself.

Should China receive refugees?

No.

I’m from Hong Kong, a city that took in Vietnamese boat people who fled the Vietnam War, at the request of the United Nations. It placed huge economic and social burdens on the city, and the United Nations, after decades, has yet to pay back the 1.3 billion HKD it owes us for our efforts in accommodating them (as of last year, they’ve only paid back 166 million HKD, a mere fraction).

Taking in refugees is an expensive affair that doesn’t always come with benefits. We had enough trouble accommodating ethnic-Chinese Vietnamese people, who were culturally similar to us. Could you imagine if they were from an Islamic-dominated culture? I’m not just talking about the child sex rings, gang-rapes or honour-killings you see in Europe and the UK, I’m talking re-education, teaching them our language and culture, which is difficult and rarely succeeds, in addition to helping them find low-paying jobs, which affects the livelihoods of our grassroots citizens.

I understand the humanitarian principles of helping those in need, but taking them in is not the best solution. The elites who decide on our behalf to let them in can do so in their own good conscience, because they’re not the ones who have to bear the consequences. It’s not their jobs that will face higher competition from low-skilled foreign labour – if anything, they stand to profit from saving on workers’ wages. It’s not their wives and children who have to put up with the gazes and advances of lonely, desperate men (Dr. Clemens Ladenburger being an exception). It’s not their neighborhoods that will face greater poverty and crime. It’s not their communities that will be fractured, as the original residents move out to make way for the new ones moving in.

But most of all, I think young men fleeing their own countries just offends us on a cultural level. You see, there was a time when China wasn’t the second largest economy on earth. Our grandparents had to deal with the Imperial Japanese military, then considered to be one of the finest fighting forces in the world. Even western powers in the Far East couldn’t stop them – Hong Kong (then a British colony) fell in two weeks, with the Japanese only losing a few hundred men.

Guess what the Chinese people back in those days did about it? They fought back valiantly, and suffered the second-most casualties in WW2. Even those who fled to America supported the war effort by sending home what little money they made working jobs white people felt were beneath them.

Refugees (especially young men) should stay in their countries and work to make it a better place for their countrymen. No one can save you but yourselves. The Chinese have known this for at least a century now.

No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
– The Internationale

The Psychopath | House M.D.

Why is North Korea so hated?

I’m going to give a pro tankie answer, even though I am not a big fan of tankies. That’s because I have to agree with them here.

There is absolutely no reason for North Korea to be hated by the West. They are this defensive because they know they are hated and the West just wants to destroy North Korea… and for zero geopolitical reason at that.

The USA destroyed every city in North Korea, and put more bombs on North Korea than they did on Japan which brutally invaded Asia and attacked America’s Pearl Harbor. 635,000 tons of bombs were dropped on North Korea, compared to 160,000 tons of bombs in Japan.

North Korea had 9.26 million people before the war. More than 1 million North Korean civilians were killed or missing due to the Korean War. To compare, less than 1 million Japanese civilians died in WWII, with 100,000+ of them killed in the atomic bombings, in a population of more than 70 million.

The war that America waged on North Korea wasn’t even a war at this point. It was outright genocide. Hitler would be proud of this. Every last North Korean was a target (and some South Koreans too, No Gun Ri Massacre was an example). The aim wasn’t even to put pressure on the North Korean regime, it was to give civilians hell. That is what strategic bombing is aimed to do, give civilians hell.

North Korea would not be justified to invade South Korea (which, frankly, is a capitalist hellhole as much as North Korea is a radical communist juche hellhole today). If North Korea did such things, I would condemn North Korea as well and demand that North Korea go back to its borders.

But it would be very justified to build hundreds of nuclear weapons, and set conditions for its use being the second total destruction of North Korea as happened during the Korean War. Luckily for normal people, North Korea only has dozens of nuclear weapons, and it has only very recently acquired the ability to hit the US mainland with nuclear weapons using just one nuclear weapons platform.

When you read the North Korean history, it makes sense why Kim Jong-un is so preoccupied with building nuclear weapons. If I was him, I would also build nukes.

I’m happy to see countries be able to defend themselves from imperialists the hard way against all odds, be it Israel or North Korea.

America Compared: Why Other Countries Treat Their People So Much Better (Reaction)

The truth hurts.

How did the ancient Chinese study for the imperial examination? Did they just repeatedly read dozens of scrolls every day?

The imperial examination system was a talent selection system implemented in ancient China to build a vast bureaucratic system and control the entire empire.

For its time, this system was quite advanced.

Firstly, it ensured a relatively open path for social mobility, giving children from poor families a chance. Secondly, it was relatively fair; while the winners of the imperial examination might not have been outstanding managers, they were certainly not fools.

At the very least, they had to read an immense amount of books, be knowledgeable, and be intelligent.

(Someone:Let me tell you something, folks, nobody reads more books than I do. Believe me. I’m the best at reading, okay? I’ve read more than anyone else—more than all the other politicians combined. They say, ‘ how do you know so much?’ Well, I’ve got the best books, the smartest people, and I understand everything. I know all the facts, the details, you name it. Nobody’s smarter, nobody’s better informed. It’s tremendous, folks, really tremendous. And believe me, when it comes to being well-read, I’m simply the best.”)

Moreover, the exams were not purely about comparing poetry or essays but included a large number of “strategy and policy” questions.

These questions are somewhat similar to modern civil service exam questions or political knowledge tests for students.

I found a few examples of ancient exam questions and, trying to adapt them to today’s global situation, rephrased them.

You can take a look to get a sense of the type of questions.

1 The United States has established hundreds of military bases around the world, while China’s military strength is mainly concentrated domestically. What are the reasons for these two strategies, and what are their respective advantages and disadvantages?

2 China’s ethnic policies are inherited from the Soviet Union, which has been criticized by many. However, it seems to be functioning well now, better than the Soviet Union. What do you think is the most important reason for this?

3 Roosevelt’s New Deal has some socialist characteristics, while China’s economic policies have many capitalist features. Share your views on this.

4 During President Trump’s tenure, what were some characteristics of the government officials he hired?

(Someone:I’ve got the best, the smartest, the most incredible people working for me. I pick winners, and let me tell you, they make America great again—just like I promised. The greatest administration, believe me. We’re bringing jobs, we’re bringing prosperity, and we’re making this country shine like never before. It’s fantastic, really fantastic,the best team, making America greater than ever. No one does it better.)

5 During the Korean War, China and the Soviet Union were allies, but in the Sino-Vietnamese War, China and the U.S. became quasi-partners. Share your opinion on this.

These are five exam questions related to politics, history, and military affairs, each requiring a detailed answer. There are also other questions covering topics such as education, economy, diplomacy, and so on.

Additionally, there was the Eight-Legged Essay examination, where candidates were required to use the sayings of sages as arguments and write an essay strictly following the standard format.

Overall, answering these questions well within a limited time is quite challenging, especially considering that you are competing with thousands of the most diligent and intelligent individuals in China.

An interesting fact: The top scorer in the imperial examination was called the “Zhuangyuan.” Only one was selected every three years. Over the 1,300-year history of the examination system, there were a total of 504 Zhuangyuans.

The first one was from the Tang Dynasty, and the last one was from the Qing Dynasty. Their hometowns were very close to each other, and today this area is known for having one of the strongest cities in China’s college entrance examinations, Hengshui City in Hebei Province.

The United States Financial System is a Joke …

The United States is sinking fast…

Young Boy movie theater

I grew up in a small town: East Brady, Pennsylvania.

Only 5000 people. Tiny.

But you know what? In the 1960’s we even had a small movie theater. Seriously. We really did.

Small town.

We had a bank. Here’s where I had my very first bank account. Heck, I used to go up and down that side ally throughout my boyhood. It used to be “Mellon Bank”, though today it no longer exists, and sold this building. I don’t know what it is today. Maybe an antique store….

And we had a pharmacy… It still exists.

And we had so much…

Movie theater
Local Diner
Candy store
Local hardware store
Local garage
Elementary and High School
Library

Yeah. Here is the Library. It was combination church and library. It was the old “Captain Brady” mansion. Nice. It was just soen the street from my boyhood home.

As well as One or two restaurants (with attached bar)

Yeah. It was a real small town experience.

But yeah. We had a movie theater. And throughout the 1960’s my parents would fund me with a quarter to go watch a double feature matinee to keep me out of their hair for a spell.

It was a tiny enough place. Perhaps seated maybe 120 people. Just a single theater with 1960s era seating, and a curtained stage. The curtain actually moved out of the way when the movie started. (Unlike today.)

I watched the “Green Slime”, and saw Raquel Welch there on the big screen . So many classics.

It was a memory that is now long gone.

Around the middle of the 1970’s they stopped showing G rated movies and instead showed X-rated movies. As apparently there was better business doing that. And that pretty much breathed life into that theater for another decade into the 1980’s.

Sometimes I yearn to travel back in time, but I know better. I have occasionally visited the town. It was dying a slow, slow death.

Now pictures are of the survivors.

Relatives of my old classmates, milking out a living on the tough and scrabble wastes of what once was.

Today…

We start with a reminder…

What is the most disturbing message ever left on your voicemail?

I am a police officer’s wife.

I am used to late night calls when husband is at home and ‘I have to go back’ midnight leavetakings.

I do not dwell on what COULD happen to him, but I KNOW.

My phone vibrated while I was teaching. Since it was an unknown number, I let it go to voicemail.

When I lIstened to it after class, I began shaking and frantic fear tears filled my eyes. The translation from Thai:

“Wife of police officer Xxxxxxxx, there has been an accident. Call back immediately.”

An ambulance siren sounded in the background.

I could barely hold my phone; I was trembling badly. A man answered and identified me and my husband by name, using a serious, commanding tone. I could hear the siren again.

I asked what had happened and if my husband was o.k. Then there was the longest moment of silence I have ever experienced.

The siren sound stopped, and the man said, “Everything is fine, but it might not be that way in the future. You need more protection….more insurance in case something bad really DOES happen.”

This was a sales pitch???????

I wanted to scream, rant, cry with relief, hurt this caller, but I didn’t.

I quietly asked his name and the company he represented and said I would be in touch.

I wanted to call my husband, but he had more than enough to deal with at work.

I decided to handle this myself. Checking with a former student who also is an agent for the same company, I discovered that this was not a company-sponsored sales pitch.

I called the salesman back and asked if he had a family. He connected his ‘yes’ with a further sales pitch (which I ignored). A wife, 2 young children, his parents still living (more pitch).

Then I quietly asked what his wife’s and his mother’s responses would be if they received his voicemail. What would HIS response be if HE received it?

He went silent. So did I.

He apologized, and said he hadn’t really thought it through.

He was just one of many who never consider the effect of their ‘creative’ words or self-centered actions on others.

No, I didn’t buy the insurance.

Straight to Hell – Karl’s Disco Wiener Haven

A real classic!

Would you make your company aware if you saw that they accidentally added an extra two zeros onto one of your weekly paychecks, or keep it a secret?

Guy I worked with was in financial difficulties, so the company agreed to pay him weekly, instead of monthly, as was the norm.

1st week his wage slip showed a full month’s wages; he queried it and was told they were just bringing his wages up to date (which makes no sense but…).

2nd week his wage slip showed a full month’s wages, so he went to the accounts department in person with both the wages slips; again they told him it wasn’t an error.

3rd week his wage slip showed a full month’s wages, so he talked to his foreman, the foreman talked to the manager and they ALL went to the accounts department – who STILL claimed it wasn’t an error.

4th week, the company had him arrested for fraudulently getting a month’s wages every week.

At this point he had LOTS of evidence and paperwork showing he had tried to correct the problem, as well as several witnesses, and that got him off the hook; but if he had just accepted it and said nothing…

7 thousand up votes, and currently gaining 1,000 per day(ish).

Did you know Quora keep bugging me to add a credential for this answer?

Because apparently, if I dont, not enough people will see it!!

Do you want to know the reason the guy was in financial difficulties?

His car skidded on ice, spun out and flipped onto its roof, he kicked his way out via the rear window, and about 20–30 seconds later it basically exploded into a ball of fire.

The shit-hole company we worked for had lied about providing us with business insurance cover, for using our cars on company business, and so his insurance company refused to pay out for his car, and the damage done by the explosion to surrounding properties.

Kay & Co, part of Great Universal Stores, remember that name and never contemplate ever working for them.

Why YOU Should LEAVE the USA and Move to Asia NOW!

Does China illegally steal U.S. technology? If so, how?

I have heard such a joke:

The Chinese took a few glances at the F22 and F35 at the air show, and they successfully stole the technology and developed their own fifth-generation fighter.

The Russians sold the complete set of design drawings of the SU30 fighter to the Indians, and they have not been able to produce this 20-year-old fighter well so far.

Conclusion: Indians are honest and respect intellectual property rights, while Chinese are cunning and ready to steal

Later, at many Western air shows and important equipment exhibitions, Chinese audiences were refused to approach and forbidden to take pictures, while Indian audiences could touch and experience them at will.

THEY want to rule over us not only to destroy our civilization. Their shaming tactics + perversions.

Did German Tiger Tanks really need to start their engines every few hours? If so, why?

This is one of those vital logistics things that designers usually don’t think of, thinking the batteries would be enough for normal use. However, the crews of Tigers and just about all other tanks would run heaters, radio sets, etc. for hours and exhaust the batteries. Radio sets then were far different to the solid state sets nowadays, and involved many tubes that needed to be warmed up and kept warm. German forces had been taught to stay in communication, so those radio sets got used a lot.

Starting up the engine then not only used a lot of gas, but also made noise, which might carry a long way, especially at night in snowy terrain. Designers started adding small engines, called Little Joes or Tiny Tims, to tanks to retrofit this problem.

They were also often scratchy and unclear. This could have fatal consequences. My dad did not ride around in a tank, but in a command vehicle (pictured) with several radio sets to keep in touch with both his trucks (pictured) and nearby units that might need gasoline or other supplies on an urgent basis. He told me of a time he was late in supplying one of Rommel’s units in the 7th Panzer division as it approached the Atlantic shore of France. Rommel chewed him out. When he got a radio message to report to a French town two days later, he wondered at it, since it was 20 km. in front of the lines. But he wasn’t about to get chewed out by Rommel again, so he told his trucks to charge forward.

As they drove down the road he thought, “Man, our guys are really getting sloppy. These French soldiers marching to the back are still carrying rifles.” He later figured out that the only thing that saved him was that his trucks were so covered with mud they had no visible markings, and none of his guys wore the distinctive German helmets. He arrived at the town to discover no other forces there. Over the radio he discovered the first message had been wrong—they had mispronounced and misspelled the name of the town, which was over 20 km. to the East. Thinking quickly, he asked who was in charge, and met up with a French colonel. He told him the rest of his forces were right behind, and used the phrase (ironically) “You know that for you and me the war is over.”

To avoid bloodshed, he asked to park his vehicles somewhere safe. There was a football field nearby, so he pulled up his trucks in a circle and got the Colonel to post a few men at the entrance to make sure there were no “misunderstandings.” Dad had the gift of gab, and spoke French like a native. He loved France, had many friends there, and decades later took me on a tour of wineries. He told me that when he got to Paris, as others were proudly marching around to celebrate the victory, he instead prayed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (pictured) for the many who had died (his handwriting reads “Here lies a soldier who died for his country.”)

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Charging batteries with the engine is one of those things engineers often don’t think of while sitting behind desks instead of in the battlefield. Another one was track repair. My dad wondered why he had to supply so many tracks to Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division, to which he was attached as an officer in the Transportation Corps. Each tank had a few extra track segments. If one or two got damaged, the crew theoretically simply replaced them. In combat, however, when a track got hit or damaged, the driver would often jam the transmission into reverse and accelerate backwards to get to safety. This destroyed most of or even the entire track. Tracks on German WW2 tanks also got worn because they had no rubber, which was scarce.

So his trucks started carrying long sections of track, which had been unplanned, as well as extra tank batteries, wire and solder and flashlights (for nighttime repairs) and 88mm ammunition for the FLAK batteries that for Rommel were suddenly the only thing that could engage the thick-skinned British Matilda and other tanks.

There were of course no Tiger I tanks while he was in Rommel’s 7th, but later on he had the same challenges of rapidly changing conditions in the East. Because he was Transportation Command and not organic, he was attached to many units, from Leningrad all the way down to Stalingrad. Throughout, he and the Tiger commanders continued chattering on the radios, a lot, using up batteries. And from then on, he very carefully checked and re-checked over the radio the names of the towns he was supposed to drive to (!).

The Devil’s Advocate (1997) Deleted Scene #2

Have you ever had a job where you did nothing for years and nobody found out?

I worked as upper management for a tow-truck/transport company with an auto repair shop for years. Not that we needed “upper” management, but the owner was prone to extended vacations. Sometimes on vacations, sometimes in jail, and my word was law to the point that I was overruled maybe 5% of the time when he was there. Unlike some of the managers who’ve worked there, I didn’t want my name strewn all over everything, so I put all the accounts back in the owner’s name instead of my own, so only in rare occasion did anything actually show up in my name, so I was pretty much a ghost manager, which is about how it is for me today. Honestly, it was easier playing the owner than trying to explain where the owner was at the time than to just say I was him and be able to administrate whatever accounts I needed to.

When he was done with his troubles. I pointed out that while I was his friend, and now I’m a company manager, dispatcher, hirer & firer, and even a tow-truck driver, I was preparing to go into business in a technology related field.

I was asked never to leave, but I had to. My unofficial title was upheld for years. All my new job was, was simply to spend 10–15 hours a week looking at any of the truck logs I deemed suspicious, being on call for the owner and the 2 people needed to fill my job and I’d continuously get my direct deposit. I even worked in the office again for half a year when I was asked to check into money problems and theft and found both, firing the people I found responsible. Sadly none of them even denied it.

Since then whenever I was called upon, he always paid me for my time. I’d go months without ever logging in or checking any logs unless I was asked specifically to or if one of the drivers pissed me off. As of now, out of the 30+ employees I am known by 5–6 of them, and the rest have no idea until I pull in, drag them out of a truck, and send them home. It’s been at least a year since i showed up as anything but a customer on the auto repair side, but I still get the money in my account.

I do not buy Chinese products (unless disposable) because I know they will be low quality. Why does China only seem to make low end products? Why do they not mimic Germany where the standard is higher?

One of my partners is an Indonesian.

He doesn’t know Chinese very well, so he asked me to go with him to the China Canton Fair this year. He wanted to find some business. The final business was to negotiate with a factory in Zhejiang, and I served as an interpreter.

He wanted to purchase a batch of lighters, the most common type, with a plastic shell and disposable after use.

The price quoted by the Chinese was very reasonable. According to their quotation, each lighter was less than 0.2 US dollars. It can be sold to retailers in Indonesia at 0.5 US dollars each and still be profitable.

But my friend was not satisfied. He wanted to reduce the price to 8 cents each. The Chinese said that price was impossible, but of course they were still working hard to get the order.

My friend said: “My lighter is used for free gifts. It will be placed in birthday cakes as a tool for lighting candles. I need to keep the cost as low as possible.”

The Chinese representative contacted the factory engineer by phone. In the end, they gave a solution:

Replace a smaller shell. Use glue instead of a seal. The ignition of the lighter was replaced with a simpler flint, and the metal windshield was replaced with plastic. The flammable gas was replaced with a cheaper formula and the gas regulator was removed. The cost of the lighter was reduced to 8 cents each, but the Chinese told them that this lighter might only work 5 times and could not be stored for a long time.

In short, a reliable lighter became an industrial waste that could only be used a few times.

But the Indonesians were satisfied: working 5 times was enough because it was only used to light candles.

However, things were not that simple. A few months later, I found that the Indonesians put part of the inventory on TEMU and Amazon and sold it at $0.2.

I believe that people who bought these lighters will complain on various social platforms: “Made in China is garbage”, but they will not tell people that they only spent 20 cents to buy them.

“Victor Davis Hanson: Something Colossal is Happening in Europe…”

Hal Turner

Back in early August, the Hal Turner channel broadcast this…

BULLETIN ISRAEL AWAKENS SLEEPING MINISTERS; RUSHES THEM TO UNDERGROUND BUNKERS

* FLASH TRAFFIC * GOV’T ORDERS ALL TROOPS “PREPARE FOR BATTLE IMMEDIATELY”

Iran Officially Informs United Nations: Will Conduct Retaliatory Attack Upon Israel according to UN Treaty Article 51

UPDATED 9:28 AM EDT — Iran Issues NOTAMs “Military Action” – IRGC Commanders all NO SHOWS at Prayer Ceremony

URGENT: It’s ON like Donkey-Kong! Pentagon Tells Me Israel to Be ATTACKED by Iran within Next 72 Hours

Did it happen? Hum.

Southern Fried Catfish

Ingredients

6 small catfish
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups cornmeal
Salt
Ground pepper

Instructions

Shake cornmeal, salt and ground pepper in a paper bag.
Heat oil to 360 degrees F, halfway up the sides of a cast iron skillet.
Dip catfish into buttermilk, then into dry mixture in bag.
Fry for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on each side (5 minutes per every inch of thickness).
Serve with Hush Puppies.

Contact – Decoded

As Boring as Martian Maize

Deborah Mercer

The thinking behind it had been simple. Take two people who don’t get on, and force them to be dependent on each other for company and possibly for care.Not such a crazy idea. It has worked many a time, and no doubt will work many times more, but it didn’t appear to be working for Connor and Cameron. Rumours had spread that they had been close once, and there had been a massive fall-out (over a woman or over money or over both, depending on which version you listened to) but the one thing that might have united them was denying that there was a word of truth in it. They hadn’t even known each other when they were children, and would almost certainly have heartily disliked each other if they had. The authorities at the Interstellar Operations Technical Academy, generally known as IOTA, despaired of them at times. Both were gifted students, though in a year whose intake included the likes of Gemma the Genius and Bert the Boffin (their gifts were genuine, and not just because of the handy alliteration) they were, at most, likely to be among the best of the rest, and both got on pleasantly enough, or so it seemed, with their fellow students. But the minute they came into each other’s ambit, it was as if a damp, grey, sodden curtain came down.After passing their exams easily enough, and passing the medicals and the aptitude tests, it was time, if students wished, to go on their first mission. The vast majority DID wish. Of course, they had all been on holiday before, but this was a different matter.There were those who said that Dr Anton Markovich, the director of IOTA, was one of the most intelligent and insightful humans who ever lived, and those who said he was quite, quite mad. Possibly both opinions were correct. He made a point of consulting people before taking any decision, and then proceeding to take the one he had intended to all along, having convinced the others that they had persuaded him to.But just occasionally, some dared to raise dissenting voices, and Dr Marianne Hopgood, who was by way of being a power in the land herself, raised an eyebrow (and her eyebrows were extremely eloquent, though her mien was generally impassive) when he “suggested” sending Connor and Cameron to the Meteor Observation Spatial Substation , nicknamed the Rolling Stone for obvious reasons, and it did, indeed, resemble one a little with its rugged circular construction for a session. “Anton, are you really sure about this?” she asked. He invited everyone to call him Anton, but in practice, not many did, at least, not often. “No disrespect, but your responsibilities mean you don’t do much actual teaching and ….”“I know exactly what goes on here, Marianne,” he said, “And you have no mean to tell me that those two young men don’t get on.”“That’s the understatement of the year,” someone muttered.“And it is a two-person capsule,” Marianne pointed out.“I am well aware of that. I both helped design it and have travelled on it. But I still maintain it could be the making of them, and the end of this silly feud. Of course it will be entirely their own choice.”Which was true. But the promise of rapid promotion and remuneration well beyond the norm for a first mission helped. And somehow, you just didn’t defy Dr Markovich. With the hyperdrive rocket, even though it was now past its prime and a super-hyper-drive rocket was in preparation, they were at their destination within a couple of days, and the rocket on its way back to earth to be refurbished, calling at Mars on the way to pick up some farmers on their way home and some supplies. They passed the relatively short trip to Meteor Moor, as it was nicknamed, more or less in total silence. The capsule was remotely controlled, but as an extra precaution they took turns minding the instrument panel. A soft metallic buzzer reminded them of the changeover time, and they did so without exchanging a word. At one point Cameron made an exaggerated gesture of sweeping a hand over the seat after Connor had been sitting there, and Connor muttered, “Bo-Ring!” in a stage whisper. It was a precursor of things to come. Both men were inclined to be talkative, and complete silence, especially in the vacuum of space, can only endure for a certain period of time. This was probably the point, so Dr Markovich had probably hoped, when they would start to spark each other off, and then to confide in each other, and discover that they had more in common than they ever realised, and begin to bond. Perhaps he was not entirely wrong on the matter of them discovering they had more in common than they realised. “You are so profoundly boring,” Connor informed Cameron, casting a disdainful eye over his music of choice. “You have the same taste in music as a Plutonian Pensioner!” The care home for retired astronauts was one of those institutions that was benign and necessary, but nobody wanted to end up there. “That’s ripe coming from you. Your grandfather is a Plutonian Pensioner. But come to that he’s probably a lot more interesting than you are. Mind you, a bottle of engine cleaning fluid is more interesting than you are, and more useful, too.” Meteor Moor was a beautiful place, but a lonely one. When the interstellar wind was too strong they could not venture outside the capsule, even in their latest design space suits. They could have gazed out at the canopy of stars sending their lights from millions of years ago, and could have watched the meteor showers that came almost every evening in the red-tinged twilight and were generally regarded as one of the loveliest spectacles in the galaxy. And they did. Occasionally. “So you have nothing better to do than look out of the window,” Connor sneered. “You’re more boring than a disused heat shield.” “And exactly what do YOU have to do about make stupid remarks? You’re more boring than Martian Maize.” Now that WAS getting seriously nasty. After hiccups at the start, the terra-forming of Mars had been largely successful, and it was now more or less taken for granted that most crops folk were used to on earth, and some that had never been dreamt of, could flourish there. But for some reason, they had never quite cracked it with maize. It was, theoretically, edible, but as more than one person had said, it was curious how something could be so utterly tasteless and yet taste so disgusting at the same time. It was something of an embarrassment. As a last resort someone had suggested using it to bulk out pet food (after having been discouraged, if not actually banned for centuries, it was now allowed, though controlled, again) but discovered that even the most voracious and undiscerning mutt turned up his cold nose at Martian Maize. Scientific papers were written pondering the fact that dogs had a much stronger sense of smell and perhaps they could smell something disgusting that humans couldn’t, but that was contentious, and Martian Maize was so offensively bland it probably didn’t smell of anything in particular. “I’d eat a plateful of Martian Maize before voluntarily spending another hour with only you for company!” It’s fair to say it was not going well, and they realised this at IOTA. Allowing for storm delays, the research side of the mission was going well enough, but even reading between the lines it was plain that this was the exception that proved the rule. Dr Markovich had been wrong. That was disconcerting. That was like one of those anomalies in space-time that they still hadn’t quite managed to explain. They lived in hope of the message where Connor would say, “I had to laugh at something Cameron told me today,” or Cameron would say, “Connor has hidden depths.” It seemed, at least, that they carried out their work efficiently, if far from in harmony, and that they were likely to get home in one piece. Well, in two pieces. They were already packing up their experiments, and checking the gravity drive on the capsule when Connor fell sick. This was a highly unusual matter. Everyone was vaccinated against – well, practically everything – and though there were still hospitals and medical doctors, both on earth and in the colonies, the hospitals were often more or less empty and the doctors had little to do. Injuries still sometimes happened, but many folk could not even recall having known someone who was ill. “Swinging the lead,” Cameron said, “When there’s some actual work to do. You are as boring and predictable as a magnet, except you’d never attract anyone or anything.” “And you are as boring as rusty iron filings no self-respecting magnet would touch. But I – genuinely do feel unwell.” Either of them could have coped with the vast majority of space emergencies that might come their way, but though they theoretically had some basic medical training, this was another matter. And Cameron had to admit that Connor didn’t look right. His cheeks were too red, though the capsule hadn’t overheated, and he sometimes struggled to breathe, though there was nothing whatsoever wrong with its oxygen supply. “Bloody drama queen,” Cameron muttered, but was coming closer to panic than he cared to admit. He contacted mission control, and they hurriedly called in a doctor to advise them. The doctor, it has to be said, was not wildly helpful. But perhaps it was not entirely his fault. He muttered something about “Space Fever”. That was a vague, catch-all term for something that used to be quite a common problem, but they thought, by now, they had more or less eliminated. Sometimes, despite all the protective suits and systems that became more advanced by the second, someone’s body just began to rebel about being in space, and the progress of the illness could be terrifying. There was only one potential cure. “Get home – now –“ Dr Markovich, who had come into the control centre, said. “Put the engines on boost, and don’t make any stopovers. You’ll have to take solo control of the instrument panel.” “Typical,” he muttered, but realised Connor hadn’t heard him. He was unconscious. “Wake up, for heaven’s sake,” he said, “Or come to think of it, you’re less likely to annoy me when you’re asleep.” Calling on his basic medical training, he put out two fingers to feel the pulse in Connor’s neck. It was not hot any more, and his face was not red and flushed, and there was no pulse-beat. He tried again, and then, speaking in a curiously flat voice, he contacted Mission Control. “Connor – is dead.” The brief silence seemed to expand beyond the ions and light years of the galaxy. Dr Markovich was the first to speak. “May he rest in peace. You – know what must be done, Cameron.” Cameron knew what must be done. It was one of those lessons they were all taught, and rarely talked about. There was a ritual and a protocol to such matters, and it had been established centuries ago, and changed little. Those who died on a mission, unless they had expressly made other wishes known and these were possible, if they were still closer to the mission’s destination, were to be laid to rest there. The ceremony was brief and dignified. Wrapped in a shining silver cloth, Cameron was lowered down a slide onto the surface of a meteor. Connor dimmed the lights of the capsule, and said, as the standard formula dictated, “From stardust you came, to stardust return.” and bowed his head. There was nothing else to do now except get the capsule home and debrief them at IOTA and mission control. Cameron felt a curious and cavernous emptiness that was almost physical. It was not exactly grief, and not exactly guilt, and he had no illusions that Connor would have felt either, had their roles been reversed though he, too, would have done his duty. The lights were on again in the capsule now, and caught in the light of the full moon of a not so distant planet that had been explored, but had yielded no life, the metal walls were almost like a mirror. Cameron looked at himself in that mirror, and muttered, “You are more boring than Martian Maize.” And then he wept, and then he brought the capsule home.

MY FIRST TIME IN CHINA!

The most important speech of the decade?

Viktor Orbán on how the war has revealed the reality of the world today

Jul 31, 2024

By Thomas Fazi

A long worthwhile read; I agree with 90% of what Orban says.

I disagree with his putting hope for a U.S. revival on Trump and Vance winning. My opinion is that the U.S. cannot rebuild its industrial economy with its current form of government where state governments and Congress are strong, and the federal government is weak. The U.S. has to change to a different model with a strong federal government which can set economic policy without being vetoed by state governments and Congress. If the U.S. does not change to this model, it will shrink in power and economic influence on its own. The job of China and Russia is to let the U.S. continue to shrink while avoiding war with the U.S.

This idea of a stronger federal government to drive re-industrialization runs exactly counter to what conservative Republicans who form the Trump base support. So this will not happen.

This means that the U.S. will continue to grow weaker, and will continue trying to provoke war with China and Russia, because the U.S. government knows that it can expand its power much more in wartime than it can if the U.S. is at peace.

World War 3 is the last hope for US power and influence. 

War is the only way the U.S. federal government can expand its powers and make state governments irrelevant. The greatest period of growth in the U.S. economy came in the twenty five years following the end of WW2.

China, Russia and the rest of the world also know it. That is why they are building BRICS.

This past weekend saw the delivery of what can easily be described as the most important geopolitical speech of the decade — though you’re likely to have missed it if you tend to get your news from the Western mainstream media. The reason for the media silence is easy to explain: first, it was given by Viktor Orbán, the number one enemy of the European establishment; second, the speech itself — an analysis of the state of the world, and of the West and Europe in particular — is probably the most powerful takedown yet of the dominant Western geopolitical and cultural paradigm.

It’s a masterful talk, in which Orbán covers a wide range of topics: the war in Ukraine, Europe-US relations, the demise of Western hegemony and the southward and eastward global geopolitical shift underway, the importance of the nation state, the European Union (EU) as the quintessential example of the globalist and oligarchic shift in Western politics, Donald Trump, Hungary’s role in all this, and much more.

It’s a very long speech, which is why I’ve selected what I consider to be its most important takeaways (edited for clarity), focusing on the issues of European and global relevance rather than the ones more strictly related to Hungary. It still makes for a pretty long read, but one that’s definitely worth your time. I hope you’ll find it as enlightening and refreshing as I did.

Highlights from the lecture of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the 33rd Bálványos Summer Free University and Student Camp, commonly known as the Tusványos Festival

On the Hungarian peace mission — and the EU’s pro-war policy:

[Brussels has] condemned the Hungarian peace mission efforts. I have tried — without success — to explain that there is such a thing as Christian duty. This means that if you see something bad in the world — especially something very bad — and you receive some instrument for its correction, then it is a Christian duty to take action, without undue contemplation or reflection. The Hungarian peace mission is about this duty. I would like to remind all of us that the EU has a founding treaty, which contains these exact words: “The Union’s aim is peace”. [Yet] Brussels is offended at our describing what they are doing as a pro-war policy.

Perhaps Orwell was right after all when he wrote that in “Newspeak” peace is war and war is peace. Despite all the criticism, let us remind ourselves that since the beginning of our peace mission the US and Russian war ministers have spoken to each other, the Swiss and Russian foreign ministers have held talks, President Zelenskyy has finally called President Trump, and the Ukrainian foreign minister has been to Beijing. So fermentation has begun, and we are slowly but surely moving from a pro-war European policy to a pro-peace policy. This is inevitable, because time is on the side of peace policy. Reality has dawned on the Ukrainians, and now it is up to the Europeans to come to their senses, before it is too late: “Trump ante portas”. If by then Europe does not switch to a policy of peace, then after Trump’s victory it will have to do so while admitting defeat, covered in shame, and admitting sole responsibility for its policy.

How the war has revealed the reality of the world today

But, ladies and gentlemen, the subject of today’s presentation is not peace. In fact, for those who are thinking about the future of the world, and of Hungarians within it, there are three big issues on the table today. The first is the war — or more precisely, an unexpected side-effect of the war. This is the fact that the war reveals the reality in which we live. This reality was not visible and could not be described earlier, but it has been illuminated by the blazing light of missiles fired in the war.

The second big issue on the table is what will happen after the war. Will a new world come into being, or will the old one continue? And if a new world is coming — and this is our third big issue — how should Hungary prepare for this new world?

So, about the reality revealed by the war. Dear friends, the war is our red pill. Think of the “Matrix” films. The hero is faced with a choice. He has two pills to choose from: if he swallows the blue pill, he can stay in the world of surface appearances; if he swallows the red pill, he can look into and descend into reality. The war is our red pill: it is what we have been given, it is what we must swallow. And now, armed with new experiences, we must talk about reality.

It is a cliché that war is the continuation of policy with other means. It is important to add that war is the continuation of policy from a different perspective. So war, in its relentlessness, takes us to a new position from which to see things, to a high vantage point. And from there it gives us a completely different — hitherto unknown — perspective. We find ourselves in new surroundings and in a new, rarefied force field. In this pure reality, ideologies lose their power; statistical sleights of hand lose their power; media distortions and politicians’ tactical dissimulation loses its power. There is no longer any relevance to widespread delusions — or even to conspiracy theories. What remains is the stark, brutal reality.

For the sake of clarity, I have made bullet points of everything we have seen since we swallowed the red pill: since the outbreak of the war in February 2022.

Why peace in Ukraine can only be brought in from the outside

Firstly, the war has seen brutal losses — numbering in the hundreds of thousands — suffered by both sides. I have recently met them, and I can say with certainty that they do not want to come to terms. Why is this? There are two reasons. The first is that each of them thinks that they can win, and wants to fight until victory. The second is that both are fuelled by their own real or perceived truth. The Ukrainians think that this is a Russian invasion, a violation of international law and territorial sovereignty, and they are in fact fighting a war of self-defence for their independence. The Russians think that there have been serious NATO military developments in Ukraine, Ukraine has been promised NATO membership, and they do not want to see NATO troops or NATO weapons on the Russian–Ukrainian border. So they say that Russia has the right to self-defence, and that in fact this war has been provoked. So everyone has some kind of truth, perceived or real, and will not give up fighting the war. This is a road leading directly to escalation; if it depends on these two sides, there will be no peace. Peace can only be brought in from outside.

Secondly: in years gone by we had got used to the United States declaring its main challenger or opponent to be China; yet now we see [the US] waging a proxy war against Russia. And China is constantly accused of covertly supporting Russia. If this is the case, then we need to answer the question of why it is sensible to corral two such large countries together into a hostile camp. This question has yet to be answered in any meaningful way.

Understanding the Ukrainian mindset

Thirdly: Ukraine’s strength, its resilience, has exceeded all expectations. After all, since 1991 eleven million people have left the country, it has been ruled by oligarchs, corruption sky-high, and the state had essentially ceased functioning. And yet now we are seeing unprecedentedly successful resistance from it. Despite the conditions described here, Ukraine is in fact a strong country. The question is what the source of this strength is. Apart from its military past and individuals’ personal heroism, there is something worth understanding here: Ukraine has found a higher purpose, it has discovered a new meaning to its existence. Because up until now, Ukraine saw itself as a buffer zone. To be a buffer zone is psychologically debilitating: there is a sense of helplessness, a feeling that one’s fate is not in one’s own hands. This is a consequence of such a doubly exposed position.

Now, however, there is the dawning prospect of belonging to the West. Ukraine’s new self-authored mission is to be the West’s eastern military frontier region. The meaning and importance of its existence has increased in its own eyes and in the eyes of the whole world. This has brought it into a state of activity and action, which we non-Ukrainians see as aggressive insistence — and there’s no denying that it is quite aggressive and insistent. It is in fact the Ukrainians’ demand for their higher purpose to be officially recognised internationally. This is what gives them the strength that makes them capable of unprecedented resistance.

The economic and political resilience of Russia

Fourthly: Russia is not what we have so far seen it to be, and Russia is not what we have so far been led to see it as. The country’s economic viability is outstanding. I remember being at European Council meetings — the prime ministers’ summits — when, with all sorts of gestures, Europe’s great leaders rather hubristically claimed that the sanctions against Russia and the exclusion of Russia from the so-called SWIFT system, the international financial clearing system, would bring Russia to its knees. They would bring the Russian economy to its knees, and through that the Russian political elite. As I watch events unfold, I am reminded of the wisdom of Mike Tyson, who once said that “Everyone has a plan, till they get punched in the mouth”. Because the reality is that the Russians have learned lessons from the sanctions imposed after the 2014 invasion of Crimea — and not only have they learned those lessons, but they have translated those lessons into action. They implemented the necessary IT and banking improvements.

So the Russian financial system is not collapsing. They have developed the ability to adapt, and after 2014 we fell victim to this, because we used to export a significant proportion of Hungarian food produce to Russia. We could not continue to do so because of the sanctions, the Russians modernised their agriculture, and today we are talking about one of the world’s largest food export markets; this is a country that used to have to rely on imports. So the way that Russia is described to us — as a rigid neo-Stalinist autocracy — is false. In fact we are talking about a country that displays technical and economic resilience — and perhaps also societal resilience, but we’ll see.

The hyper-vassalisation of Europe (and how the US blew up Nord Stream)

The fifth important new lesson from reality: European policy-making has collapsed. Europe has given up defending its own interests: all that Europe is doing today is unconditionally following the foreign policy line of the US Democrats — even at the cost of its own self-destruction. The sanctions we have imposed are damaging fundamental European interests: they are driving up energy prices and making the European economy uncompetitive.

We let the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipeline go unchallenged; Germany itself let an act of terrorism against its own property — which was obviously carried out under US direction — go unchallenged, and we are not saying a word about it, we are not investigating it, we do not want to clarify it, we do not want to raise it in a legal context. In the same way, we failed to do the right thing in the case of the phone tapping of Angela Merkel, which was carried out with the assistance of Denmark. So this is nothing but an act of submission.

The shift of the axis of power in Europe — from the West to the North-East

There is a context here which is complicated, but I will try to give you a necessarily simplified but comprehensive account of it. European policy-making has also collapsed since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war because the core of the European power system was the Paris–Berlin axis, which used to be inescapable: it was the core and it was the axis. Since the war broke out, a different centre and a different axis of power has been established. The Berlin–Paris axis no longer exists — or if it does, it has become irrelevant and liable to be bypassed. The new power centre and axis comprises London, Warsaw, Kiev/Kyiv, the Baltics and the Scandinavians.

When, to the astonishment of Hungarians, one sees the German chancellor announcing that he is only sending helmets to the war, and then a week later he announces that he is in fact sending weapons, do not think that the man has lost his mind. Then when the same German chancellor announces that there may be sanctions, but that they must not cover energy, and then two weeks later he himself is at the head of the sanctions policy, do not think that the man has lost his mind. On the contrary, he is very much in his right mind. He is well aware that the Americans and the liberal opinion-forming vehicles they influence — universities, think tanks, research institutes, the media — are using public opinion to punish Franco–German policy that is not in line with American interests. This is why we have the phenomenon that I have been talking about, and this is why we have the German chancellor’s idiosyncratic blunders.

Poland as an American bulwark in Europe

Changing the centre of power in Europe and bypassing the Franco–German axis is not a new idea — it has simply been made possible by the war. The idea existed before, in fact being an old Polish plan to solve the problem of Poland being squeezed between a huge German state and a huge Russian state, by making Poland the number one American base in Europe. I could describe it as inviting the Americans there, between the Germans and the Russians. Five per cent of Poland’s GDP is now devoted to military expenditure, and the Polish army is the second largest in Europe after the French — we are talking about hundreds of thousands of troops. This is an old plan, to weaken Russia and outpace Germany. At first sight, outpacing the Germans seems to be a fantasy idea. But if you look at the dynamics of the development of Germany and Central Europe, of Poland, it does not seem so impossible — especially if in the meantime Germany is dismantling its own world-class industry.

This strategy caused Poland to give up cooperation with the V4 [the Visegrád Group]. The V4 meant something different: the V4 means that we recognise that there is a strong Germany and there is a strong Russia, and — working with the Central European states — we create a third entity between the two. The Poles have backed out of this and, instead of the V4 strategy of accepting the Franco–German axis, they have embarked on the alternative strategy of eliminating the Franco–German axis.

The scale of this change — of bypassing the German–French axis — can truly be grasped by older people if they perhaps think back twenty years, when the Americans attacked Iraq and called on the European countries to join in. We, for example, joined in as a member of NATO. At the time Schröder, the then German chancellor, and Chirac, the then French president, were joined by President Putin of Russia at a joint press conference called in opposition to the Iraq war. At that time there was still an independent Franco–German logic when approaching European interests.

The peace mission is not just about seeking peace, but is also about urging Europe to finally pursue an independent policy.

The isolation of the West — and why the world is siding with Russia

Up until now the West has thought and behaved as if it sees itself as a reference point, a kind of benchmark for the world. It has provided the values that the world has had to accept — for example, liberal democracy or the green transition. But most of the world has noticed this, and in the last two years there has been a 180-degree turn. Once again the West has declared its expectation, its instruction, for the world to take a moral stand against Russia and for the West. In contrast, the reality has become that, step-by-step, everyone is siding with Russia. That China and North Korea are doing so is perhaps no surprise. That Iran is doing the same — given Iran’s history and its relationship with Russia — is somewhat surprising. But the fact that India, which the Western world calls the most populous democracy, is also on the side of the Russians is astonishing. That Turkey refuses to accept the West’s morally based demands, even though it is a NATO member, is truly surprising. And the fact that the Muslim world sees Russia not as an enemy but as a partner is completely unexpected.

The irrational behaviour of the West as the greatest threat to the world today

Seventhly: the war has exposed the fact that the biggest problem the world faces today is the weakness and disintegration of the West. Of course, this is not what the Western media says: in the West they claim that the world’s greatest danger and problem is Russia and the threat it represents. This is wrong! Russia is too large for its population, and it is also under hyper-rational leadership — indeed it is a country that has leadership. There is nothing mysterious about what it does: its actions follow logically from its interests, and are therefore understandable and predictable. On the other hand, the behaviour of the West — as may be clear from what I have said so far — is not understandable and not predictable. The West is not led, its behaviour is not rational, and it cannot deal with the situation that I described in my presentation here last year: the fact that two suns have appeared in the sky. This is the challenge to the West in the form of the rise of China and Asia. We should be able to deal with this, but we are not able to.

The following passage is particularly interesting as it seems to point to the inevitability of a break between Hungary — and Central European states more in general — and the “collective West”.

The importance of the nation state

Point eight. Arising from this, for us the real challenge is to once again try to understand the West in the light of the war. Because we Central Europeans see the West as irrational. But, dear friends, what if it is behaving logically, but we do not understand its logic? If it is logical in the way it thinks and acts, then we must ask why we do not understand it. And if we could find the answer to this question, we would also understand why Hungary regularly clashes with the Western countries of the European Union on geopolitical and foreign policy issues.

My answer is the following. Let us imagine that the worldview of us Central Europeans is based on nation states. Meanwhile the West thinks that nation states no longer exist; this is unimaginable to us, but all the same this is what it thinks. The coordinate system within which we Central Europeans think is therefore completely irrelevant. In our conception, the world is made up of nation states which exercise a domestic monopoly on the use of force, thereby creating a condition of general peace. In its relations with other states the nation state is sovereign — in other words, it has the capacity to independently determine its foreign and domestic policy. In our conception, the nation state is not a legal abstraction, not a legal construct: the nation state is rooted in a particular culture. It has a shared set of values, it has anthropological and historical depth. And from this emerge shared moral imperatives based on a joint consensus. This is what we think of as the nation state.

But in complete contrast Westerners believe that nation states no longer exist. They therefore deny the existence of a shared culture and a shared morality based on it. They have no shared morality.

This is why they think differently about migration. They think that migration is not a threat or a problem, but in fact a way of escaping from the ethnic homogeneity that is the basis of a nation. This is the essence of the progressive liberal internationalist conception of space. This is why they are oblivious to the absurdity — or they do not see it as absurd — that while in the eastern half of Europe hundreds of thousands of Christians are killing one another, in the west of Europe we are letting in hundreds of thousands of people from foreign civilisations. From our Central European point of view this is the definition of absurdity. This idea is not even conceived of in the West.

In parenthesis I note that the European states lost a total of some fifty-seven million indigenous Europeans in the First and Second World Wars. If they, their children and their grandchildren had lived, today Europe would not have any demographic problems. The European Union does not simply think in the way I am describing, but it declares it. If we read the European documents carefully, it is clear that the aim is to supersede the nation. It is true that they have a strange way of writing and saying this, stating that nation states must be superseded, while some small trace of them remains. But the point is that, after all, powers and sovereignty should be transferred from the nation states to Brussels. This is the logic behind every major measure. In their minds, the nation is a historical or transitional creation, born of the 18th and 19th centuries — and as it arrived, so may it depart. For them, the western half of Europe is already post-national. This is not only a politically different situation, but what I am trying to talk about here is that this is a new mental space. If you do not look at the world from the point of view of nation states, a completely different reality opens up before you. Herein lies the problem, the reason that the countries in the western and eastern halves of Europe do not understand one another, the reason we cannot pull together.

The demise of the collective in the West

Now, if we try to understand how this Western thinking — which for the sake of simplicity we should call “post-national” thinking and condition — came about, then we have to go back to the grand illusion of the 1960s. The grand illusion of the 1960s took two forms: the first was the sexual revolution, and the second was student rebellion. In fact, it was an expression of the belief that the individual would be freer and greater if he or she were freed from any kind of collective. More than sixty years later it has since become clear that, on the contrary, the individual can only become great through and in a community, that when alone he or she can never be free, but always lonely and doomed to be shrunken. In the West bonds have been successively discarded: the metaphysical bonds that are God; the national bonds that are the homeland; and family bonds.

Now that they have managed to get rid of all that, expecting the individual to become greater, they find that they feel a sense of emptiness. They have not become great, but have become small. For in the West they no longer desire either great ideals or great, inspiring shared goals.

The West as an “aggressive dwarf”

Here we must talk about the secret of greatness. What is the secret of greatness? The secret of greatness is to be able to serve something greater than yourself. To do this, you first have to acknowledge that in the world there is something or some things that are greater than you, and then you must dedicate yourself to serving those greater things. There are not many of these. You have your God, your country and your family. But if you do not do that, but instead you focus on your own greatness, thinking that you are smarter, more beautiful, more talented than most people, if you expend your energy on that, on communicating all that to others, then what you get is not greatness, but grandiosity. And this is why today, whenever we are in talks with Western Europeans, in every gesture we feel grandiosity instead of greatness. I have to say that a situation has developed that we can call emptiness, and the feeling of superfluity that goes with it gives rise to aggression. Hence the emergence of the “aggressive dwarf” as a new type of person.

To sum up, what I want to say to you is that when we talk about Central Europe and Western Europe, we are not talking about differences of opinion, but about two different worldviews, two mentalities, two instincts, and hence two different arguments. We have a nation state, which forces us towards strategic realism. They have post-nationalist dreams that are inert to national sovereignty, do not recognise national greatness, and have no shared national goals. This is the reality we have to face.

The EU as the quintessential example of late-stage Western “democracy”: elitist, globalist, oligarchic

And finally, the last element of reality is that this post-national condition that we see in the West has a serious — and I would say dramatic — political consequence that is convulsing democracy. Because within societies there is growing resistance to migration, to gender, to war and to globalism. And this creates the political problem of the elite and the people — of elitism and populism. This is the defining phenomenon of Western politics today. If you read the texts, you do not need to understand them, and they do not always make sense anyway; but if you read the words, the following are the expressions you will find most often. They indicate that the elites are condemning the people for drifting towards the right. The feelings and ideas of the people are labelled as xenophobia, homophobia and nationalism. In response, the people accuse the elite of not caring about what is important to them, but of sinking into some kind of deranged globalism.

Consequently the elites and the people cannot agree with each other on the question of cooperation. I could mention many countries. But if the people and the elites cannot agree on cooperation, how can this produce representative democracy? Because we have an elite that does not want to represent the people, and is proud of not wanting to represent them; and we have the people, who are not represented. In fact in the Western world we are faced with a situation in which the masses of people appearing with college degrees no longer form less than 10 percent of the population, but 30 to 40 percent. And because of their views these people do not respect those who are less educated — who are typically working people, people who live from their labour. For the elites, only the values of graduates are acceptable, only they are legitimate.

This is the viewpoint from which the results of the European Parliament elections can be understood. The European People’s Party garnered the votes of “plebeians” on the right who wanted change, then took those votes to the left and made a deal with the left-wing elites who have an interest in maintaining the status quo. This has consequences for the European Union. The consequence is that Brussels remains under the occupation of a liberal oligarchy. This oligarchy has it in its grip. This left-liberal elite is in fact organising a transatlantic elite: not European, but global; not based on the nation state, but federal; and not democratic, but oligarchic. This also has consequences for us, because in Brussels the “3 Ps” are back: “prohibited, permitted and promoted”. We belong to the prohibited category. The Patriots for Europe have therefore been prohibited from receiving any positions. We live in the world of the permitted political community. Meanwhile our domestic opponents — especially the newcomers to the European People’s Party — are in the strongly promoted category.

The world’s rejection of Western “values”

And perhaps one last, tenth point, is about how Western values — which were the essence of so-called “soft power” — have become a boomerang. It has turned out that these Western values, which were thought to be universal, are demonstratively unacceptable and rejected in ever more countries around the world. It has turned out that modernity, modern development, is not Western, or at least not exclusively Western — because China is modern, India is becoming increasingly modern, and the Arabs and Turks are modernising; and they are not becoming a modern world on the basis of Western values at all. And in the meantime Western soft power has been replaced by Russian soft power, because now the key to the propagation of Western values is LGBTQ. Anyone who does not accept this is now in the “backward” category as far as the Western world is concerned. I do not know if you have been watching, but I think it is remarkable that in the last six months pro-LGBTQ laws have been passed by countries such as Ukraine, Taiwan and Japan. But the world does not agree. Consequently, today Putin’s strongest tactical weapon is the Western imposition of LGBTQ and resistance to it, opposition to it. This has become Russia’s strongest international attraction; thus what used to be Western soft power has now been transformed into Russian soft power — like a boomerang.

All in all, ladies and gentlemen, I can say that the war has helped us to understand the real state of power in the world. It is a sign that in its mission the West has shot itself in the foot, and is therefore accelerating the changes that are transforming the world.

The end of the West’s 500-year-long hegemony — and why the future belongs to Asia

We are in a change, a change is coming, that has not been seen for five hundred years. This has not been apparent to us because in the last 150 years there have been great changes in and around us, but in these changes the dominant world power has always been in the West. And our starting point is that the changes we are seeing now are likely to follow this Western logic. By contrast, this is a new situation. In the past, change was Western: the Habsburgs rose and then fell; Spain was up, and it became the centre of power; it fell, and the English rose; the First World War finished off the monarchies; the British were replaced by the Americans as world leaders; then the Russo–American Cold War was won by the Americans. But all these developments remained within our Western logic. This is not the case now, however, and this is what we must face up to; because the Western world is not challenged from within the Western world, and so the logic of change has been disrupted.

What I am talking about, and what we are facing, is actually a global system change. And this is a process that is coming from Asia. To put it succinctly and primitively, for the next many decades — or perhaps centuries, because the previous world system was in place for five hundred years — the dominant centre of the world will be in Asia: China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and I could go on. They have already created their forms, their platforms, there is this BRICS formation in which they are already present. And there is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, in which these countries are building the new world economy. I think that this is an inevitable process, because Asia has the demographic advantage, it has the technological advantage in ever more areas, it has the capital advantage, and it is bringing its military power up to equilibrium with that of the West. Asia will have — or perhaps already has — the most money, the largest financial funds, the largest companies in the world, the best universities, the best research institutes, and the largest stock exchanges. It will have — or already has — the most advanced space research and the most advanced medical science. In addition, we in the West — even the Russians — have been well shepherded into this new entity that is taking shape.

[This process is] almost unstoppable and irreversible.

Donald Trump’s plan for America — a sensible reaction to the geopolitical shift underway?

President Trump is working on finding the American response to this situation. In fact, Donald Trump’s attempt is probably the last chance for the US to retain its world supremacy. We could say that four years is not enough, but if you look at who he has chosen as Vice President, a young and very strong man, if Donald Trump wins now, in four years his Vice President will run. He can serve two terms, and that will total twelve years. And in twelve years a national strategy can be implemented. I am convinced that many people think that if Donald Trump returns to the White House, the Americans will want to retain their world supremacy by maintaining their position in the world. I think that this is wrong. Of course, no one gives up positions of their own accord, but that will not be the most important goal.

On the contrary, the priority will be to rebuild and strengthen North America. This means not only the US, but also Canada and Mexico, because together they form an economic area. And America’s place in the world will be less important. You have to take what the President says seriously: “America First, everything here, everything will come home!”. This is why the capacity to raise capital from everywhere is being developed. We are already suffering as a result: the big European companies are not investing in Europe, but are investing in America, because the ability to attract capital seems to be on the horizon. They are going to squeeze the price of everything out of everyone. I do not know whether you have read what the President said. For example, they are not an insurance company, and if Taiwan wants security, it should pay. They will make us Europeans, NATO and China pay the price of security; and they will also achieve a trade balance with China through negotiations, and change it in favour of the US. They will trigger massive US infrastructure development, military research, and innovation. They will achieve — or perhaps have already achieved — energy self-sufficiency and raw material self-sufficiency; and finally they will improve ideologically, giving up on the export of democracy. America First. The export of democracy is at an end. This is the essence of the experiment America is conducting in response to the situation described here.

What should Europe’s response to the global geopolitical shift be?

What is the European response to global system change? We have two options. The first is what we call “the open-air museum”. This is what we have now. We are moving towards it. Europe, absorbed by the US, will be left in an underdeveloped role. It will be a continent that the world marvels at, but one which no longer has within it the dynamic for development. The second option, announced by President Macron, is strategic autonomy. In other words, we must enter the competition of global system change. After all, this is what the US does, according to its own logic. And we are indeed talking about 400 million people. It is possible to recreate Europe’s capacity to attract capital, and it is possible to bring capital back from America. It is possible to make major infrastructure developments, especially in Central Europe — the Budapest–Bucharest TGV and the Warsaw–Budapest TGV, to mention what we are involved in. We need a European military alliance with a strong European defence industry, research and innovation. We need European energy self-sufficiency, which will not be possible without nuclear energy. And after the war we need a new reconciliation with Russia. This means that the European Union must surrender its ambitions as a political project, the Union must strengthen itself as an economic project, and the Union must create itself as a defence project.

In both cases — the open-air museum or if we join the competition — what will happen is that we must be prepared for the fact that Ukraine will not be a member of NATO or the European Union, because we Europeans do not have enough money for that. Ukraine will return to the position of a buffer state. If it is lucky, this will come with international security guarantees, which will be enshrined in a US–Russia agreement, in which we Europeans may be able to participate. The Polish experiment will fail, because they do not have the resources: they will have to return to Central Europe and the V4. So let us wait for the Polish brothers and sisters to return.

The following passage is only very interesting: even though Orbán here is outlining a “grand strategy” for Hungary, it potentially offers a broad blueprint — at least in some if not all aspects — for all countries willing to achieve “strategic autonomy” in the new geopolitical context.

The opportunities offered by the current geopolitical shift

All in all, therefore, I can say that the boundary conditions exist for independent nationally-oriented policy towards America, Asia and Europe. These will define the limits of our room for manoeuvre. This space is wide — wider than it has been at any time in the last five hundred years. The next question is what we need to do to use this space to our advantage. If there is a global system change, then we need a strategy that is worthy of it.

So the essence of the grand strategy for Hungary… is connectivity. This means that we will not allow ourselves to be locked into only one of either of the two emerging hemispheres in the world economy. The world economy will not be exclusively Western or Eastern. We have to be in both, in the Western and in the Eastern. This will come with consequences. The first. We will not get involved in the war against the East. We will not join in the formation of a technological bloc opposing the East, and we will not join in the formation of a trade bloc opposing the East. We are gathering friends and partners, not economic or ideological enemies. We are not taking the intellectually much easier path of latching on to someone, but we are going our own way. This is difficult — but then there is a reason that politics is described as an art.

The second chapter in the grand strategy is about spiritual foundations. At the core of this is the defence of sovereignty. I have already said enough about foreign policy, but this strategy also describes the economic basis of national sovereignty. In recent years we have been building a pyramid. At the top of it are the “national champions”. Below them are the internationally competitive medium-sized companies, below which are companies producing for the domestic market. At the bottom are small companies and sole traders. This is the Hungarian economy that can provide the basis for sovereignty. We have national champions in banking, energy, food, the production of basic agricultural goods, IT, telecommunications, media, civil engineering, building construction, real estate development, pharmaceuticals, defence, logistics, and — to some extent, through the universities — knowledge industries. And these are our national champions. They are not just champions at home, but they are all out there in the international arena and they have proven themselves competitive.

Below these come our medium-sized companies. I would like to inform you that today Hungary has fifteen thousand medium-sized companies that are internationally active and competitive. When we came to power in 2010, the number was three thousand. Today we have fifteen thousand. And of course we need to broaden the base of small enterprises and sole traders. If by 2025 we can draw up a peace budget and not a war budget, we will launch an extensive programme for small and medium-sized enterprises. The economic basis for sovereignty also means that we must strengthen our financial independence. We need to bring our debt down not to 50 or 60 per cent, but close to 30 per cent; and we need to emerge as a regional creditor. Today we are already making attempts to do this, and Hungary is providing state loans to friendly countries in our region that are in some way important to Hungary.

It is important that, according to the strategy, we must remain a production hub: we must not switch to a service-oriented economy. The service sector is important, but we must retain the character of Hungary as a production hub, because only in this way can there be full employment in the domestic labour market. We must not repeat the West’s mistake of using guest workers to do certain production work, because over there members of host populations already consider certain types of work to be beneath them. If this were to happen in Hungary, it would induce a process of social dissolution that would be difficult to halt. And, for the defence of sovereignty, this chapter also includes the building of university and innovation centres.

The third chapter identifies the body of the grand strategy: the Hungarian society that we are talking about. If we are to be winners, this Hungarian society must be solid and resilient. It must have a solid and resilient social structure. The first prerequisite for this is halting demographic decline. We started well, but now we have stalled. A new impetus is needed. By 2035 Hungary must be demographically self-sustaining. There can be no question of population decline being compensated for by migration. The Western experience is that if there are more guests than hosts, then home is no longer home. This is a risk that must not be taken. Therefore, if after the end of the war we can draw up a peace budget, then to regain the momentum of demographic improvement the tax credit for families with children will probably need to be doubled in 2025 — in two steps not one, but within one year.

“Sluice gates” must control the inflow from Western Europe of those who want to live in a Christian national country. The number of such people will continue to grow. Nothing will be automatic, and we will be selective. Up until now they have been selective, but now we are the ones who will be selective. For society to be stable and resilient it must be based on a middle-class: families must have their own wealth and financial independence. Full employment must be preserved, and the key to this will be to maintain the current relationship between work and the Roma population. There will be work, and you cannot live without work. This is the deal and this is the essence of what is on offer.

And finally there is the crucial element of sovereignty. This is the essence of the protection of sovereignty, which is the protection of national distinctiveness. This is not assimilation, not integration, not blending in, but the maintenance of our own particular national character. This is the cultural basis of the defence of sovereignty: language preservation, and avoiding a state of “zero religion”. Zero religion is a state in which faith has long disappeared, but there has also been the loss of the capacity for Christian tradition to provide us with cultural and moral rules of behaviour that govern our relationship to work, money, family, sexual relations, and the order of priorities in how we relate to one another. This is what Westerners have lost.

You may read Orbán’s full speech here.

Our new FAVOURITE city in China..

Why is Kanthaswamy Balasubramaniam against reservations? I understand the idea of a meritocracy but don’t we also need to provide justice to oppressed castes who have been unfairly treated for several hundred years?

Look

I believe every system has to DELIVER RESULTS

Results alone decide whether a system is a success or a failure

The Chinese System today rose from an Agrarian Nation struggling with poverty to one of the biggest and most powerful nations on the planet with a near $20 Trillion economy

This means their system is a ROARING SUCCESS

India as it stands once Chinas equal has a 1/6 Per Capita Income, 1/9th Industrial Production and 16% of the Skilled Labor and 1/200th of the Infrastructure Or planning but 5 times more corruption and a lot more inequality

This means our system is a HUMONGOUS FAILURE

Plain and Simple

Two Nations
Similar Background of Colonial Exploitation
No Huge Stash of Oil Or Gas
Same Illiterate People, Primarily Farmers
Loads of Poor People

One becomes a major force to reckon with

Other is struggling on its way to the middle

I don’t give a rats ass about anything else

In the same way

Chinese Students have near Top Mensa scores

Chinese Graduates lead all forms of Scientific Research today

Chinese Engineers have worked on Marvels across the world

So their system (Meritocracy) is a ROARING SUCCESS as far as I am concerned

It has delivered results

The Indian Students on a Median Level have nothing on the level of the Chinese

Indian Graduates are at best glorified managers of big enterprises founded by Westerners or have toilet cleaning startups that have Zero Technological Innovation or Edge

Indian Engineers – no need to say much

So our System is a HUMONGOUS FAILURE as far as I am concerned

This System means – Low Quality Government Schools, Free Rein to Private Schools, Exploitation of Students and Reservations – all of these

Plain and Simple

Two Nations
Same level of literacy or illiteracy
Same struggle to expand on primary education

One is so dominant that they terrify the West who have been world leaders for over three or four centuries

Another producing factory drones and talented casual leave sanctioning munims

So everything India is doing is flawed according to me

Simple

Now either it’s because the Chinese are genetically superior in which case it’s perfectly fine to say “This is our maximum limit. Doing little and generating 99% Gas”

Ambika Vijay and our friend Dr Karan Shanmugham have presented some valid points over the last few months or year to say this theory is unlikely

So the only explanation is :-

Our System is flawed in every sense possible

This includes Reservations

I am not for Meritocracy because of the equality notion nor am I against Reservations because it is unjust

I simply say Meritocracy has proven a roaring success while Reservations has achieved virtually nothing for India in 35 years

So this means either the concept of Reservations is wrong in itself or the Implementation of Reservations is wrong

As to Justice to Oppressed Castes

Again China sets an example here to it’s minorities (Uyghurs, Hui, Hill Tribes, Tibetans, Lhasans, Pinglis)

Fully Free Education upto University Graduation
Stipends to students every month from Grade III to University
51% Guaranteed Resource sharing
First Preference Farming Contracts
66% Guaranteed Local Contracts or Undertaken Contracts

Yet all of them need ABILITY to qualify for anything

Won’t these help the oppressed communities far better than keeping them as beggars and dangling reservations???

It’s why Xinjiang generates it’s revenue plus contributes to China while Tibet too has a net outward contribution

Yet

Kashmir has Zip

Most Poor Districts with Dalit Majority or Oppressed Majority have ZERO outward contribution to a State

So as usual India is doing something very wrong

Why?

It hasn’t worked or produced any results so far to indicate otherwise

So it’s time to overhaul everything because India is One Gigantic Failure especially since 1975–2024 barring a 10 year period from 2000–2010 & a 4 year period from 1992–1996

Is that being done?

Our Legal system is replaced by a More Draconian system
Leaders are stupider as time goes by
We are digging down on our failure system instead of looking for flaws and overhauling

So the biggest question is

WHAT THE F*** ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING?

The Media Will Never Tell You What’s REALLY Happening in China

Why were North Vietnamese soldiers so feared by American soldiers during the Vietnam War?

I do not know that is the fact or not but I do know one thing : should stay away from them, period. During the VN War, those nva you bumped into battlefields of South Vietnam were survivors of all challenges before they met you. The weak, the sick all died along the HCM Trails by bombings, sickness…Behind every single nva soldier, he had nothing to lose ( no fancy cars, big house and good living back home ) In fact, behind him there could be a piece of farm land, poor. His village and his folks got bombings from US planes. Put aside all political propaganda, these factors alone could propel him to the point he really wanted to trade life and death with you. He didn’t trek thousand miles in tough terrains to fight you with his bare ass. He got his ak47, hand grenades and all kinds of trainings. He also knew that no man is tougher than a bullet. Why would he be afraid if he is willing to put his life away for a good cause ? That is why no matter what nationality you are Chinese Japanese, French, American, Korean, Australian, Cambodian, Thai…HE WILL NOT HESITATE TO CONFRONT YOU WITH ALL OF WHATEVER HE GOT. Share ( an ex-nva of Cambodia battlefields, late 70s )

Have you ever discovered a friend secretly hiding from you that he is actually rich? How did you find out?

Originally Answered: Have you ever discovered a friend secretly hiding from you that he is actually rich? how did you find out?

Yes actually! Going anonymous.

I have a very good friend who used to drive a very very old second hand car. I always teased him why he didn’t bought a new reasonable car like me, cause I thought he was a middle class guy who can afford a normal car instead of buying refurbished cars. Also, he used to never tip waiters and would always search cheaper options of everything. I would always poke him and make fun of him for being a cheapskate, of course in a friendly way so he never would mind.

Now on the part when I found out. I started a business and was in very needed of investment. It was a big idea so I needed every help I could get. I already had received help from 5 of my friends, which was seemingly enough to start the venture along with my money. When my cheapskate friend knew about my idea (I never told him myself), he came to me and said he would like to invest in my venture as he loved the idea. Then he offered me an amount which was almost double the combined investment of 5 others! No words will be enough to describe how shocked and surprised I was.

I knew there is difference between how the rich thinks and most of us do. But I never totally understood it until I had this experience.

What Putin and China Just Did to the U.S. Military is SHOCKING, Pentagon on Red Alert

What terrifies you about Xi Jinping?

“Terrify” is too strong a word; I prefer the word “concerned”.

Xi Jinping is a very smart person, and there are stories how he was determined from a very early age to become China’s leader. He had a plan.

He worked his way up, and eventually became party general secretary, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and President of China. He is not attracted by wealth and money, and is not distracted by women and sex.

These are all good virtues for the leader of a country to have, because it shows that he is able to think of the overall good of the nation, and its citizens when making decisions. He does not think of personal benefit, which is important.

He has also surrounded himself with very intelligent advisors, notably Wang Qishan.

My concern is that while he has understood how to work the system in China to get where he is, he has much more difficulty getting inside the heads of non-Chinese societies and non-Chinese leaders.

This means that he can make good decisions for China and Chinese, but he has a much harder time understanding the needs and concerns of other nations. But, at a time when China now has the world’s second largest economy, this becomes cause for worry because China is now a superpower. The leader of China cannot only think of what is good for China; he has to think of the problems other nations are having.

This explains my disappointment at China’s current over-reliance on Chinese nationalism to support China’s claims to the South China Sea. While I can understand eventually exercising claims to this territory, I really don’t understand why these claims were exercised beginning in 2013? If China was going to make a peaceful rise, why frighten its SE Asian neighbors so soon, and then militarizing these islands, giving the US a pretext to engage?

Was this really necessary? Was this done just to impress Chinese that China was now a global power, and the period of shame was over? What has been accomplished?

If this was the idea, I think that it was done too soon, and then Xi was caught off-guard by the election of Trump, and then caught off-guard again when Trump appointed Lighthizer and Navarro, both of whom were hostile to Chinese expansionism.

Doesn’t this make other countries look at China and say “All this talk of China’s peaceful rise was a sham, they just want to gobble us up?”

This is not just a PR and media problem, it is a challenge for policy formulation.

China got caught off-guard because many domestic reforms were delayed for too long. Now, if it makes reforms under US pressure, it looks weak, as if it were bowing to US pressure, which is not good for Xi and the leadership.

Deng Xiaoping said that the best strategy for China was to keep a low profile; I continue to believe that is the best formula for China because it does not yet offer a framework which other nations can buy into. “Non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs” is not a framework for an inter-connected world, because technology has gone way past that.

This is because China’s foreign policy now is too purely transactional, and has not yet expanded beyond that. When is it going to expand beyond only being transactional? The one bright spot in foreign relations is Xi’s relationship with President Putin; they seem to genuinely get along and like each other.

Why wasn’t this kind of relationship developed with the leadership of western nations, before everything blew up recently?

The United States was a flawed leader, but it offered a framework which worked for a long time. It won the Cold War against the Soviet Union, but it lost the peace because it turned inward and became selfish. It thought that it could only remain strong if other challengers, like China, were beaten down. Other countries lost respect for its leadership.

So far, China does not offer anything better.

Shorpy

From another source…

For your information, Sunday there was a demonstration for peace in Amsterdam. Suddenly ''we'' were confronted with AZOV demonstrators. The AFVN wrote an article about it, it is in Dutch, I translated it with deepl translate. Hope it is clear enough what happened.

Sunday 28 July saw the monthly demonstration of Platform for Peace and Solidarity. What happened on that day that we can interpret as a low point, there was ‘suddenly’ a demonstration on Dam Square by the AZOV battalion.* AZOV is a fascist organisation in Ukraine and responsible for much death and destruction. During WW2, they committed many crimes against dissenters, against people of different backgrounds based on colour. Ukrainian fascists openly stood on Dam Square with flags of AZOV and openly scanned slogans for the release of AZOV, for supporting these fascists. With outright lies naming Russia as the aggressor, that Russia would be a terrorist state and hatred against Russians. This while the aggression comes from the US/Ukraine with many bombing civilian casualties. It is not for nothing that most refugees are in Russia.Russia intervened militarily after many attempts to negotiate and conclude peace agreements. So this did not come out of the blue and Russia's action was by no means unprovoked, quite the contrary.

It is a shame that it has come to this, that fascists can openly demonstrate in front of the National Monument that symbolises the victims in the fight against fascism 1940- 1945.

We as AFVN have not experienced that for a long time that fascists are allowed to openly propagate their ideology on public roads with impunity. It is certainly due to the Western media in which fascism in Ukraine is systematically trivialised and denied. So they are certainly partly responsible for the legitimacy of fascism.

Why didn't the police intervene? How could this have come to this? We cannot let this go unpunished and want to call on everyone who is against fascism to take action. We want to call on everyone reading this message to spread it as much as possible, people need to know. We must call on politicians and administrations to distance themselves from Ukrainian fascism in the Netherlands, the law prohibits overt fascism and signs.

We call on all members of parliament to have parliamentary questions asked about this. And we should fire the city council, asking whether fascism is tolerated in the city of the February Strike. In the coat of arms of the municipality of Amsterdam, heroic, determined and merciful is written as a tribute to the February Strike 1941.

US/EU privately admit they lost Ukraine proxy war w/Levan Gudadze

Why do Chinese people think that China is better than the USA?

Both China and the U.S. have their own strengths and weaknesses. My responses will focus more on the aspects of China that I find commendable.

Strict Drug Control

I strongly agree with this. China does have a drug problem, but with years of strict crackdowns, it has been better controlled now.

I remember getting lost in a minority area in Beijing around 1999 or 1998, walking into a small alley, and finding many discarded needles on the ground. It was quite unsettling at the time. Another instance was across from the rental house I was staying in, where a middle-aged man committed suicide because his son couldn’t quit heroin.

Breaking Bad is my favorite American TV show, but what Mr. White does is certainly not commendable! By the way, the U.S. has much better freedom of creation. Shows like Breaking Bad would never pass the censorship in China. This results in very few worthwhile Chinese TV dramas, which I hardly watch because they seem immature and uninteresting.

I know a narcotics officer who said they are like a firewall, sacrificing themselves to protect ordinary people like me who are pure and innocent. He said narcotics officers encounter the most vile things in the world.

I’ve seen some videos about the plight of American drug addicts, wandering the streets and losing their ability to work, which is very sad.

Strict Gun Control

It’s extremely strict, to the point of being unreasonable. For example, if I remember correctly, air guns have been banned since after 2000. If I were American, I would definitely buy a gun because it seems fun. But that’s not possible in China.

There are pros and cons to this.

Most people still support strict gun control. If I remember correctly, countries like Japan and the UK also have strict gun control?

I heard that the U.S. bans the sale of bulletproof vests, while in China, you can buy them freely.

China doesn’t ban bows and arrows; you can buy and play with them freely. In fact, the destructive power of a bow and arrow is not less than that of a handgun, which I don’t understand why it’s allowed.

Refusal of Immigration……

In fact, all East Asian countries refuse immigration, including Japan and South Korea. However, it seems that Japan is not particularly opposed to high-skilled Chinese immigrants. I have two friends who have immigrated to Japan.

China is similar. For instance, North Korean defectors—China has accepted far more than all other countries combined, including South Korea.

But there hasn’t been much public or official reaction, and they gradually receive citizenship. They go to school and work as usual.

However, there was a lot of opposition online when Rohingya refugees entered China from Myanmar, around only 30,000 in total.

The general sentiment was: accept them humanitarianly but do not accept them as immigrants. But for the same Myanmar people, if they are from Kokang (essentially Han Chinese), there is no opposition,even though they are also a minority group suppressed by the Burmese military junta.

Today (2024.08.01), the Kokang army captured a major city, and they have a population of 1.12 million under their control.

Chinese people are very familiar with this.

Today is the PLA Army Building Anniversary, and they deliberately chose today to attack the Northeast Command. This is called “paying tribute”.

You see, their way of thinking is just pure Chinese!

Even if all of them were to integrate into China, I wouldn’t feel much difference. They all speak Chinese, use Chinese currency, and telecom services, and copy China’s way of life, including television stations and news broadcasts.

( Kokang’KKTV)

（China CCTV）

If Vietnamese or Laotians were to immigrate to China, I personally wouldn’t object.

This topic is a bit sensitive and politically incorrect to discuss further, but I think you understand my point. Almost all Chinese people share my attitude. The last Rohingya incident saw a female actress advocating for their acceptance, and she was heavily criticized to the point of shutting down her social media accounts. The general opinion was to put those thousands of people in her home.

I don’t mean to be racist, not at all. However, if hundreds of thousands of people of Chinese or Confucian cultural sphere enter China, and local security hasn’t significantly deteriorated (there are indeed crime records, such as defectors worried about being reported, or cases of murder and assault simply for food, but overall, the crime rate is very low), whereas another group’s entry results in frequent incidents of armed robbery, severe injury, and even rape—crimes that are now quite rare in China—shouldn’t I, as a taxpayer, question whether my tax money might be better spent on something like keeping a dog?

Why is that?

Other benefits include a strong emphasis on education, high medical standards with low costs, and so on. But the most important points are the ones mentioned above.

OUT OF BUSINESS! ALL 553 STORES ARE CLOSING!

Grapefruit

Sierra Tkacik

“Jane!” A voice bellowed from the recesses of the ship. “Where is my grapefruit?”“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” A voice echoed from the opposite direction.“My grapefruit, Jane! The one I specifically had my name on! The one you stole!”“First of all, why would you print your name on a freaking grapefruit? Second of all, if you didn’t want me to take it, you shouldn’t have put it in a community fridge.”“So you did take it!”“Why is this grapefruit so important, anyway?”“Do you know, Jane, how many people have died in ships due to scurvy? Do you?!”“So eat an orange!”“The orange is overrated! The grapefruit is the only citrus fruit that understands me.”Charlie groaned and pressed his forehead against the table. “Lewis, we just had a shipment of grapefruit yesterday, get another one!” “Shut up, Charlie! This doesn’t concern you!” “I don’t even know why you try anymore.” Lyra flipped her braid as she slid in next to him. “Because you well know how much worse it will get if I don’t.” Harriet groaned as she remembered the third great prank war. Jane and Lewis were in an argument over their favorite colors, and it escalated into a full-blown war. Everywhere anyone turned, there was another trap set for either Lewis or Jane. Somehow, they ended up joining forces against the rest of the ship and wreaked havoc upon the crew of the Flame. They feared that it would spread to the other ships of the fleet, but luckily, Charlie recovered from his bout of illness quickly, and managed to calm both Lewis and Jane within the hour. But the crew would never forget the horror and fear they faced in that week; that was the day Charlie became the unofficial leader of all things Lewis and Jane. “I don’t even know why they’re on the same ship after that stunt; much less the mothership.” Lyra took a lasting gulp of coffee. “Jane’s the best engineer in the whole fleet.” “And Lewis is crazy good with the servers and the rest of the ship’s tech.” Harriet supplied, flicking a crumb of her muffin. “Plus, they’re great gunners in a pinch and work well with everyone except each other.” Claude snorted as he walked in. “Tell that to the Horogin embassy from two month ago. “Listen,” Lewis looked up from his tablet, “we all agree that the embassy was a mistake, just like we all agree that in general, Jane and Lewis are remarkable workers.” “Besides,” Harriet simpered, “can you really picture them anywhere else?” The room fell silent except for the gurgle of the coffee maker as each of the four tried to imagine Jane or Lewis stationed on any other ship. “Fair point.” Lyra admitted. “So can I just be put on another ship? I grew up on the Growth; agriculture is not something so easily forgotten.” Her violet braid twisted in front of her and seemed to writhe in agreement. “Uh, Charlie?” Claude pointed. “There’s a problem.” Charlie took one look at the floating braid before letting out a groan. He tapped the screen of his tablet and set it down, a holograph of a red-headed man slowly taking form. “Hey Charlie!” He showed of a gap-toothed grin. “Your gravity messing up too?” “Yep.” “Yeah, I just got off a vid with the captain about it. Lewis is checking it out now.” “Lewis? Isn’t he usually on servers?” “Usually, but since he passed out on another late night shift yesterday, I figured putting him on monitor watching duty was a better plan.” “Alright.” A blond man with dark, circular glasses stomped past, an indescribable look on his face. “Lewis, you figure it out yet?” “Yeah, Arnold, it’ll be fixed in a sec.” He disappeared from view. “Hey Jane!” A voice came from both the tablet and the hallway. “Something’s blocking the free-float tube!” “Yeah, that’s probably your grapefruit.” “You didn’t even eat it?!” The screech caused both Lyra and Charlie to wince. “What the heck?” “I don’t like grapefruit.” “So you took it from me for the sole pleasure of depriving me joy?” “Yeah.” A clang was heard and Lyra’s braid dropped. “It’s in the compost bin now.” “I hate you, you know!” “Just like I hate grapefruit?” An indecipherable collection of sounds was heard, before the hologram showed Lewis stomping back to his post. “Good work, buddy.” Arnold offered, to what might as well have been empty space. “Thanks for dealing with it, A.” Charlie picked up the tablet. “Good luck.” “No, man, good luck to you. Lewis has his morning break in five minutes.” And with a wink, Arnold was gone. “But that’s the same time Jane’s on break.” Lyra remarked. The four looked at each other with wide eyes, then at their meager breakfast. “Hide the grapefruit.”

Stuffed Flounder

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

6 (1/2 pound) flounder
2 medium onions, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 pound lump crabmeat
1 (8 ounce) can shrimp
Butter (to baste)

Instructions

Cut flounder down the middle. Take knife and cut around inside under skin to make a pocket on each side of the slit.
Sauté onions, celery and bell pepper until tender.
Mix eggs, lemon juice and bread crumbs. Add salt, pepper, Tabasco and cayenne.
Check crabmeat for shells and add.
Drain shrimp and add.
Stuff flounder with crab and shrimp mixture.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F, basting with butter. Watch carefully. Do not overcook.

“We need young MEN to Rise Up Right Now” Globalists are TERRIFIED

What does it feel like to refuse orders from a military superior on ethical grounds?

In 1975 I was assigned to the 1/19th Infantry Battalion, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, HI. Although I was an Infantryman (11B MOS) I was detached from my line unit to Battalion HQ as I had another Secondary MOS in Administration (71L).

Under Army Regulations, when someone left for a Leave it was necessary to sign out on the approved Leave form prior to departure. On weekends or other after duty times the forms were sent to the Battalion HQ where the NCO assigned as Charge-of-Quarters managed the sign-out process.

One young Private reported to HQ to sign out but the CQ did not find his approved leave in the file. This was not entirely unusual and, as the CQ knew that a leave had been approved by the young man’s Unit Commander, he let him go saying they’d take care of the paperwork when he returned from leave. Tragically he died in an accident while on leave.

As one of my regular tasks at Battalion included preparing the Duty Status Report, and as it was especially necessary in this case before the soldier’s family was notified of the death – and before they received Death Benefits – I noted his status as “Present for Duty to Approved Leave to Deceased” and sent this to the soldier’s Company Commander for his signature. While waiting for the form to be signed and returned I also began preparations for the letter that was going to be signed by the Battalion Commander and sent to his family.

Instead of signing the form the Company Commander came to Battalion and informed me that this man did not have an approved leave because he did not sign out as required. He further told me that though the man had requested the leave he, as the CO, never approved it. Accordingly, he instructed me to change my status report to “Present for Duty to AWOL to Deceased” which would have resulted in the soldier’s family receiving nothing and being informed that their son was in violation of Army Regulations at the time of his death. I was totally shocked as I knew this was untrue, and I informed the Captain of that fact and that I refused to change my Report.

In anger, the Captain ordered me to accompany him to the Battalion Commander’s office to answer for my “insubordination” and face whatever penalty the Colonel deemed appropriate. I did so and explained to the Colonel what had actually happened, that the man’s First Sergeant would verify that the Leave had in fact been approved by the Captain, and that the man’s name was still on the Company HQ’s Duty Status Board noting that he was on Leave, something the 1SG would not had done unless he had personally seen the approved form. The Colonel seemed to side with me and I was dismissed to continue preparing my report and the notification letter. At the same time the 1SG looked into the Company Commander’s waste basket – and found the leave form, signed by him, and then crumpled up and thrown out. He brought the form to Battalion and gave this to the Colonel. While he and I waited outside the office we could hear the Colonel speaking to the Captain in anger but, after a while, he came out of his office, looked at us, and then stated that while the form had in fact been approved the young man still violated regulations by leaving without signing out as required. I was then ordered – again – to change my report noting that this Private died while AWOL.

Now I was the angry one and, although just a Junior NCO (3-striper at the time), I gave the Colonel a “one finger salute” and went back to my office and slammed the door, ignoring the Colonel’s order to stop.

When the Colonel – and most of his Battalion Officers – came into my office I was ready for them, although I thought I could still end up in Leavenworth. Before the Colonel could say a word I laid out on my desk a stack of Leave Forms that, since I was responsible for Duty Status Reports, had been sent to me for filing. As I went through them I sorted out a number that had not been “properly” handled.

“This form is for the Commander of Company C. He is currently on Leave but has not signed out as required by Regulations. I will prepare the AWOL Report on him, Sir. This one is for the First Sergeant of the Combat Support Company. He is currently on leave also but has not signed out. I will report him as AWOL, Sir, as required.” Altogether I found perhaps a dozen others that were technically AWOL to include one of the Colonel’s Staff Officers.

The Colonel looked at me, realized how serious I was, and then turned to his officers and said, “How did you people let me get into this mess?” He then turned to me and said, “Sergeant Keith, prepare your report and the letter, noting that this young man was on approved leave at the time of his death.” I responded by saying, “Yes, Sir. Already done.” He then ordered the Captain to return to his office with him where, I expect, the Captain was reamed a new one.

A few months later the Colonel – a Lieutenant Colonel actually – was promoted to Full Colonel and reassigned to Division HQ. When I had occasion to go to Division HQ I tried to avoid running into him as I still thought I was on the sh-t list with him but one day I did run into him and he told me to come into his office and close the door. This is what he said: “Sergeant Keith, although you might have handled that situation better, you were right and I was wrong. I apologize.”

My respect for this man has never left me to this day.

Has anyone ever taken a DNA test and found something completely shocking?

I was 17 years old. I was taken to court for a paternity suit from my ex-girlfriend. She claimed I was the father of her child. Her and I were very sexually active using the withdrawal method for birth control. Ultimately, I plead no contest and started paying child support monthly. I supported the girl for 19 years with no visitation rights. Certain times were hard and the mother also took me to court to have the support payments increased by 300%. Again, I was ordered by the judge to pay the increase as my income increased. Fast forward to the the present day. The girl now with a daughter of her own messaged me and says, “I look at photos of your children and I don’t see any resemblance to me. I would like to pay to have a DNA test done. Would you agree to this?” I had nothing to lose so I agreed. We get the results back and it was determined I was NOT her father. Her and I went through so many emotions. Anger, relief, sadness and more. I have messaged the mother with no reply. I feel bad for the daughter as now she never knew her biological father and probably never will. I have no recourse to collect the support payments as there is no statute in Canada. I will just live with the fact I helped support a child that turned out good.

China prepares for Collective West sanctions attack

Record albums in egg cartons

Oh, it’s been a while, but I used to own a “turntable” and “albums” that I would play on my “Hi Fi” stereo system. Oh, ever since High School, I listened to albums on my all-in one player.

But, you know… when I went to college at university was I introduced to modular stereos components. And I really constructed quite a set up with all sorts of gear for my music listening pleasure.

Something a little bit like these fine examples. Though mine was on a real budget…

I had Pioneer and Techniques components with a few misc other makes. It was a Hodge-podge of stereo components, with some nice speakers. Why, though? I used headphones most of the time. Don’t you know.

I well remember the Techniques turntable.

My father couldn’t understand why I would have one that would play automatically multiple albums. But I said that I liked it that way… low and individual. He just shrugged and walked away.

Anyways… here’s to my lost collection of albums in egg cartons. Who know’s where they are today.

And now.

Today…

Are we witnessing the decline of the American empire?

In the past 5 or 6 years, I have noticed that America’s decline is comprehensive, affecting not just the economy, but the entire industry and culture.

Just like the Twin Towers, after what seemed like an eternity of smoldering, the subsequent collapse happened in an instant.

Presidential Election 2024

“Neither is qualified. Both deserve to lose.”

Video: Prof. Jeffrey Sachs Q & A at Cambridge Union as published on Oct 30 2024

Starting at 48:06 min (automated transcript, slightly edited):

Sachs:

I will not vote for a candidate that doesn’t meet the minimum threshold for being president of the United States and we have two candidates, lead candidates, that don’t. And so I decided I’m not voting – period. Because I want a candidate that actually has some possibility of doing something.

Now maybe they will but not based on what they say every day.

It is a profession of love for Israel’s murderous reign in the Middle East. Okay, by itself I wouldn’t support that. That’s enough for me because Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza and it’s sickening and it’s obvious and we see it every day. And if a candidate can’t figure out to say something about then I can’t support them. Period.

But then Kamala Harris, who would normally be my candidate because I was a lifelong Democratic Party voter. Although with great disappointment whether they won or lost. Because when they won I was disappointed with what they did. When they lost I was disappointed that my candidate lost. So I’ve never been happy for a while about us politics.

It’s been five miserable presidents as far as I’m concerned from Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, Biden, awful all of them. They brought us to the brink of nuclear war. I can’t forgive them for that kind of recklessness.

But when it comes to Ukraine Harris says we stand with Ukraine. Just everybody understand what does it mean to stand with Ukraine, like Boris Johnson stands with Ukraine. It means 2,000 Ukrainians killed or wounded severely every single day. That’s not standing with Ukraine. That is standing with the destruction of Ukraine. It’s exactly the opposite. And so that’s a purely Orwellian idea that we’re standing with Ukraine by continuing this war.

And that’s what she says because she doesn’t seem to have any idea other than what she’s told to say or she says her ideas. And either way I can’t vote for her.

And with Trump – don’t even get me started.

So the answer is I don’t see either of them based on what they’re saying right now doing much.

But I think there’s another point that is important in this. I’m not without hope for a quite different reason and that is that our politics is not determined by American presidents. Our politics is determined by the Security State apparatus. And what is happening right now is not in America’s security interest and so they could change their mind.

President Putin said something actually very interesting in an interview in 2017, I think in Figaro. By the time he had three presidents as his counterparts, Bush, Obama and Trump, and he said to this French reporter in 2017.

He said: “You know I’ve dealt with three American presidents. Now they come into office with ideas but then men in dark suits and blue ties come to tell them how the real situation is and you never hear of those ideas again.”

And this is from a very tough-minded leader who was himself KGB he understands how the American system works very well. He understands what the CIA means for American foreign policy. He understands that American foreign policy is very deeply rooted.

It’s not this one wins then Obama changes everything and then Trump comes in and changes nothing like that. By the way this has been a consistent foreign policy arguably since 19 certainly since 1991 and arguably since 1945.

– end of Jeffrey Sachs quote

Posted by b at 16:24 UTC | Comments (276)

One Man Found The Infamous “Carpet Trails” In Florida That Lead To Enormous Homeless Encampments Way Back In The Woods

July 25, 2024 by Michael

If you are still able to afford a decent home, you should consider yourself to be incredibly blessed, because vast numbers of Americans do not have a permanent place to live at this point. Homelessness in the United States is at the highest level ever recorded, and it has been growing at the fastest pace ever recorded. The homeless encampments that have been popping up all over our major cities have been making lots of headlines in recent years, but many of the homeless live and die in very isolated places far from public view. What I am about to share with you should deeply sadden all of us.

Way back in the woods in southwest Florida, trails that have been made out of discarded carpets lead to absolutely enormous homeless encampments where hordes of homeless people have made homes for themselves.

One man was able to find these infamous “carpet trails”, and he posted footage of them on his YouTube channel…

Coastal areas of southern Florida are very popular among the homeless because the nights never get too cold even during the winter.

But there are plenty of other hazards, and just trying to stay alive can be a real struggle.

Of course the west coast is dealing with an even greater crisis.

In Portland, homeless encampments have taken over vast stretches of the city and nobody seems to have any solutions.

KATU recently visited one of the most notorious homeless encampments, and they discovered that it has gotten even bigger since the last time they visited it…

This is what a collapsing society looks like.

Poverty and hunger are spreading like wildfire, and the deplorable conditions in many of our core urban areas are being openly mocked all over the globe.

In fact, in China they are actually “producing documentaries on the collapse of American cities”…

The Chinese are now producing documentaries on the collapse of American cities. What this showcases is the grim aftermath of decades of deindustrialization, disastrous progressive policies, and an opioid crisis—ironically fueled by China.

“Chinese are making documentaries about ultra-extreme poverty and decaying cities since they don’t exist in China anymore,” X user S.L. Kanthan wrote in a recent post, accompanied by a short clip from the documentary highlighting the implosion of Oakland, California.

Since the video was narrated in Chinese, X user TranslateMom translated some of the captions, which said, “Everywhere is garbage … People don’t live in places. There are wanderers everywhere.”

One of the primary reasons why so many people are forced to live in the streets is because housing has become ridiculously unaffordable.

If you can believe it, there are now 237 U.S. cities where “buyers will find a price tag of $1 million or more on the typical starter home”…

A million-dollar price tag no longer means lavish and luxurious living. In more than 200 U.S. cities, buyers will find a price tag of $1 million or more on the typical starter home, a new Zillow® analysis finds.

The typical “starter home” — defined for this analysis as being among those in the lowest third of home values in a given region — is worth at least $1 million in 237 cities, the highest number of cities ever. Five years ago, there were only 84 such cities.

That is nuts!

Who can afford to pay a million bucks for a “starter home”?

This is what rampant inflation has done to us.

It has absolutely eviscerated our standard of living, and ordinary Americans such as you and I are feeling a tremendous amount of pain right now.

According to Zillow, California, New York and New Jersey are the states that have the most cities where a typical “starter home” costs at least a million dollars…

Exactly half of all states have at least one city with a typical starter home worth $1 million or more. There are 117 such cities in California, well ahead of New York (31) and New Jersey (21), which have the second- and third-highest numbers. Florida and Massachusetts round out the top five with 11 each.

Among metropolitan areas, the New York City metro, which includes parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has the most cities with million-dollar starter homes at 48. The San Francisco metro has the next highest count at 44, followed by Los Angeles (35), San Jose (15), and Miami and Seattle, each with eight. Irvine, with a population of more than 300,000, is the biggest city with $1 million starter homes.

Of course California is also being overwhelmed by homeless encampments right now too.

Progressive policies have resulted in a chronic shortage of affordable housing, and that isn’t going to change any time soon.

Sadly, conditions are only going to get worse all over the nation because our economic momentum is rapidly taking us in the wrong direction.

For example, we just learned that credit card delinquency rates have risen to the highest level ever recorded…

A growing number of Americans are falling behind on their monthly credit card payments as they continue to battle high inflation and interest rates.

New data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia shows that credit card delinquency rates in the first quarter of 2024 rose to the highest level since 2012, when the Fed began tracking the data. All stages of credit card delinquency — 30, 60 and 90 days past due — rose during the first three months of the year.

And another major retailer just went bankrupt and is closing lots of stores…

Home goods retailer Conn’s HomePlus filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Tuesday and announced plans to close at least 70 locations across 13 states.

On its website, Conn’s says it will close 18 locations in Florida, nine in Texas and seven in Arizona. Other states that will see stores close include Virginia, Colorado, Mississippi and Oklahoma, among others.

Everywhere you look, there is suffering.

But for the moment, those at the very top of the economic food chain are still thriving.

In fact, the wealthiest one percent have actually gotten 42 trillion dollars wealthier during the past decade…

The world’s richest one percent increased their fortunes by a total of $42 trillion over the past decade, Oxfam said Thursday, ahead of a G20 summit in Brazil where taxing the super-rich tops the agenda.

Despite this windfall, taxes on the rich had plummeted to “historic lows”, the NGO added, warning of “obscene levels” of inequality with the rest of the world “left to scrap for crumbs”.

A day of reckoning is coming for them too.

In fact, a day of reckoning is rapidly approaching for the entire planet.

Our system is fundamentally flawed, and decades of really bad decisions have brought us to a breaking point.

So please don’t look down on those that have lost their homes and have no place to live, because lots more people will be joining them soon.

What is the rudest thing a store owner has done to you that you paid back tenfold?

I’m a model railroader.

Here in NYC we have a hobby shop owner who has zero social skills.

His family is evidentially quite wealthy. They own a hardware store. they finance his hobby shop because they don’t want him involved in the family business. So he can’t go bankrupt no matter what he does. He’s rude and disrespectful to his store’s customers. His prices are about 110–120% of MSRP for items.

The store is always a mess. The owner is always in dirty disheveled clothes. He has a cat that lives in the store, so there’s a smelly uncleaned litter box in the corner. Also the occasional cat shit found on the floor around the shop.

The only reason the model railroad community patronizes the store is because it’s been around for decades and occasionally some interesting long out of production items from decades ago are unearthed.

Everyone in the model railroad community here in the city despises him and has a story about an interaction with him.

A couple of incidents:

A friend of mine found an item on the store shelves he wanted to buy. So he asks the price. (a lot of items are not priced tagged). The storeowner comes running over and says “I need that for an order’ and takes out of my friend’s hand and runs off with it.

Another friend found a locomotive motorized chassis in a junk box. It’s a Bachmann, one of the cheaper toy brands. He asks the owner how much he wants for it and get a spiel about how’s a Bachmann and a ‘classic’. He gets quoted a ridiculous price.

A couple of years back he had a competitor hobby shop open across the street from him by one of his former employees. A UPS guy mistakenly delivered a carton (about 2 or 3 dozen) new locomotives to the store by mistake. So this cretin opens the carton addressed to someone else and starts selling the locomotives. That is until the competitor comes over looking for his mis-delivered items and the cretin refuses to return them. The police got involved and forced him to return the remaining models in the carton to the rightful owner.

To the paid back part.

So when those of us in the local community visit the shop, we like to try to undo in the process sales he’s made to unsuspecting tourist customers and direct them to some of the other hobby shops in the city which actually sell items at a discount price.

When someone is about to drop a few hundred or a grand on a sale, to find out you ca get the same items from someone else for about 25% less is powerful motivation. It being a clean orderly environment, sans cat shit, seals the deal.

Aliens (1986) | First Time Watching | REACTION – LiteWeight Reacting

“I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following:

1. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.

2. I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

3. I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

4. I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.

5. I stopped telling the elderly that they’ve already narrated that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.

6. I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The burden of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.

7. I give compliments freely and generously. Compliments are mood enhancers not only for the recipient but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment: never, NEVER turn it down. Just say, ‘Thank you.’

8. I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.

9. I walk away from people who don’t value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.

10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.

11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.

12. I have learned that it’s better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.

13. I have learned to live each day as if it’s the last. After all, it might be the last.

14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!

I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can’t we practice this at any stage and age?

Real Italian Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

My mother was born in Northern Italy and she taught my two sisters and me how to make traditional Italian spaghetti sauce. She insisted it was not REAL spaghetti sauce if it contained onions and to this day I never order red sauce in a restaurant because invariably restaurants Americanize their sauce and make it with onions.

Here is the REAL thing – at least according to my Italian mother.

Ingredients

Spaghetti Sauce

2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes (crushed or whole)
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sweet basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 whole bay leaves

Meatballs

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon sweet basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions

Spaghetti Sauce

Place all ingredients in an uncovered Dutch oven, heat to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Meatballs

Mix together until well blended. Form into meatballs and place on jellyroll pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for one-half hour.
Once the spaghetti sauce starts to simmer, add meatballs.

Attribution

Shared with recipegoldmine.com by JoAnn Heskin.

Shorpy

Has anyone rented a car with unlimited mileage and then really driven it with “unlimited mileage”? What was the response when you returned the car to the rental agency?

Yes i did this. i just graduated from college and got a job interview in las Vegas. i did not want to drive my car because it did not have air-conditioning. so i went to enterprise and rented the cheapest car they had. i went to the interview and returned in 2 days. i put almost 2000 miles on the car. the lady who checked me in was not happy. She was the manager, well she grabbed a clipboard and went out to the vehicle and started nitpicking everything. even the stuff that was previously damaged. she just kept going for about 20 min and always quoting prices to fix. she paid extra special attention to the windshield and stated i would have to replace the windshield because of “chips” i just kept quiet…

we went back in and she got out her calculator and proceeded to add up all the damages and came to the amount of 2130.00 in damages. and asked how i would like to pay. i said are you sure that is all the damages. well that made he even more mad. and she went into a speech about how i have to pay for all the damages and such for about 2 min. i just stood there and listened. the car cost 19.95 a day. when she was done i reached over the counter and grabbed my rental agreement and i said the 2130.00 she would have to pay because i had taken the insurance with 0 deductible. for 9.95 a day. she grabbed the rental agreement and verified the insurance. and i walked out. she was pissed i will never forget her face when she realized she did not have a leg to stand on. best 20 bucks i ever spent.

How Women DISMANTLED The Sexual Marketplace!

What is the coolest line a pilot has said to the passengers?

Not sure if this line qualifies for coolest, but this particular pilot sure was a cool cat.

I landed for the first time in the States on a flight which was over 12 hours delayed due to missed layovers. A 23 hour journey from Mumbai to JFK had turned into a 35+hour nightmare and I was exhausted. To top that, I missed my onward connecting flight to Buffalo,NY and had to wait for the next and the last flight out of JFK for the evening.

So after a total of 39 hours, I was just about ready to punch someone.

Finally my flight was announced and I boarded. I was seated right next to the wings in an Embraer E 190. Cursing my luck I took a seat for the last flight of this terrible voyage.

This is when the captain comes on. Please excuse me since this might not be exactly what the captain said. I was jet lagged, in a foreign country and generally pissed.

Captain: “Hello folks. Sorry but I don’t think we will fly to Buffalo.

Passengers: *all groan* (I am thinking of just calling it quits and take a flight back home to India).

Captain: (..continues) But guys seriously.. do “you guys” really want to fly to Buffalo? I mean come on! Buffalo??!??. Its cold, wet and unpleasant out there. How about I fly you to Miami instead? Or New Orleans?

Passengers: *understand the gag and start cheering/laughing* (I start laughing out loud too)

Captain: *Chuckling* “Sorry guys, it seems my colleague here is from Buffalo and it is his wife’s birthday tomorrow and he absolutely needs to be there. I am sure all married people on board understand .

Since I have no choice, lets get to Buffalo as soon as possible. Folks the journey to Buffalo will be ….

The cabin was practically raucous by the end of that announcement . Needless to say the rest of the flight was very pleasant.

On our arrival, the captain just says:

“And Buffalo”. *sighs*.

Note: For anyone who cares, I was not flying the friendly skies.

The Tragic Reality That Is Coming To All “Alpha” Females

Does a single day in jail psychologically scar you for life?

i was on vacation at the beach with my 3 kids and husband. We were turning into our hotel when I saw blue lights behind me. I pulled over super confused bc I had not been speeding or doing anything wrong. Officer comes to my window and rudely demands my license. I hand it to him. He tells me to step out of the vehicle and walk back to his car. I asked why I was pulled over. He said “you have a warrant out for your arrest. You’re going to jail” (the warrant was valid although stupid af. 7 years prior I was pulled over for my taillight being out. Cop runs my info and my registration came back suspended. I was booked and released instantly. Went to court. Was put on probation. Didn’t finish my probation bc I had a baby and stopped going. The warrant was bc of that) that was the first time hearing anything about me having a warrant. Despite the reason for it. I was handcuffed and taken to jail in a town I didn’t live in hours from my home. I had never spent even an hour in jail. The whole experience was awful. After booking I was dressed in a jumpsuit and put in a cell by myself where I would spend the next two nights. No one would tell me anything ab my case. Just that I was on a hold. Unable to bond out. And would have to wait on my towns cops to come get me and take me back to where I was from. I wasn’t allowed a phone call. They doped me up on antipsychotics bc my Bp and pulse were high. We were at the beach that afternoon. I was severely sunburnt. The first night I slept on straight concrete. They didn’t give me a cot until my second night. Bc of the drugs I stayed out of it. Which looking back was probably a good thing. I lost time bc there wasn’t a clock to be seen. I would have to ask the guards what day it was and what time it was. I went in Saturday evening and didn’t get out until Monday at lunch. Which as I’m writing this, was yesterday. I’m worried I’m permanently changed. Mentally I’m not okay. I have flashbacks and they feel out of body. Like I know it happened. But it doesn’t feel real. And I feel stupid and weak because it was only two days. Why can’t I just get over it and move on? I feel stuck.

What was the most disrespectful thing a guest in your home ever said to one of your family members, yourself, or another guest?

I don’t get much of that. At home or in public, you would just have to meet me to understand why.

But I did have a friend that insisted in bringing his girl friend with him and she would always “need to use the bathroom”. What she really wanted is to snoop in the medicine cabinet. I told him she was doing it and he said no way.

I bought about a gallon worth of marbles and waited. When he called to see if I would be in I went and pulled the shelfs out of the medicine cabinet held a piece of cardboard over the lower part of the opening then poured in the marbles. I held it in place then pushed the mirror as close to shut as I could, pulled out the cardboard then finished shutting the cabinet.

When they showed up and she went for her “Bathroom break” I told my buddy to shut up and listen. When the sound of marbles crashing on the counter top started I told him to go get her now and never bring her back.

Doing things like that may be why I don’t get a lot of disrespectful people around me.

We Bought An Amazon Returns Pallet For $525 – Unboxing $6500 In MYSTERY Items!

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What are some of your deepest and most horrifying secrets that only you know about?

I am a 21-year-old girl in the final year of my engineering. I am a University Rank holder and have always secured the first rank in my class. I am not a healthy girl. I have been diagnosed with many ailments during the last 5 years of my life. It has been a struggle and students and teachers at college don’t know this about me.

I have been suffering from scalp psoriasis for the past ten years. I spend 2 to 3 hours every day cleaning my scalp so that others wouldn’t know I have it. It’s hell doing it every day.

I was suffering from anaemia in my 1st year of engineering and my haemoglobin dropped to 3.2 due to loss of blood. I was hospitalised and later was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis which the doctor said can never be cured. The medicines the doctor gave had steroids in it to suppress the inflammation in my body. This caused acute pancreatitis and I was hospitalised again. After I was discharged, the doctor thought of giving me a mild dosage of steroids. I was okay for about three days and again was hospitalised due to acute pancreatitis. Eventually, I lost a year due to lack of attendance and it shattered me.

I somehow temporarily recovered and joined engineering next year in a better college. One day, my hands started aching suddenly and this continued for a few months. I was diagnosed with IBD arthritis in my left wrist. And it is still deformed but people can’t notice it. No one knows about it in college.

I bear these pains every day and still manage to study well. I have dreams of becoming a successful girl who doesn’t have to depend on a man for a living. I belong to a middle-class family and I feel terrible that my health has cost my parents so much.

I hope I will be healed someday.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975) Movie Reaction w/ Coby FIRST TIME WATCHING

During a court case, what was your most, “You just messed up.” moment while someone in the opposition was talking?

I shall never forget this moment of “OMG! THAT sure backfired!!”

It was a pre-murder trial hearing to determine the competency of the defendant. Southern state. Material witness was on the stand; her testimony would probably make or break the incompetency claim of the defendant.

NOTE that the witness was not present at the scene of the crime, and did not even know about the crime (before defendant was arrested).

She was merely going to be questioned intensely about the defendant’s known mental illness. She herself had an unquestionable diagnosis that made her testimony different than the psychiatrists who testified as expert witnesses… and they all confirmed her diagnosis, as well as her unique ability to credibly speak about the defendant’s state of mind at the time of the crime.

Defense Attorney: “Do you swear… or affirm… to tell the truth?”

Witness: “Yes.”

Prosecutor: “Objection!! This witness is insane.”

Defense Attorney: “She is NOT insane. She has a mental illness (named it) that is NOT insanity. The DSM states (blah blah blah).”

Judge: “This witness has not been declared insane, and has never been diagnosed as insane. Your own expert witnesses have testified that she is capable of testifying and why her testimony is unique.” -gavel slammed- “She will testify.” — having noticed the witness next to him flinch at the gavel bang — “I’m not angry at you. Do you need something… a drink of water? A moment to relax? Your… ummmm… it’s a teddy bear, right? Do you want it? The bailiff can hand it to you.”

Witness: “Please let Teddy stay safe with the officer. He’s been with me for 42 years, before I left the NICU to go home as a baby. Nothing bad can happen to him.”

Judge: “OK. See? Officer Joey is holding Teddy so he can see you and you can see him. Nothing bad will happen to Teddy.”

Defense Attorney: “So… do you swear, or affirm—“

Prosecutor: “This is a travesty! She is NOT COMPETENT!! I don’t care what the doctors said…”

-rap rap of the gavel-

Judge: “Don’t let the gentle tap fool you; if you continue in this vein, you will be facing contempt charges, Mr P. I would be slamming this gavel, under typical conditions.”

Judge: “Before we try this again… Miss W — do you know what ‘perjury’ is?”

Witness: “Yes.”

Judge: “Will you please tell me what ‘perjury’ is?”

***** here is ‘The Moment’ of ‘He just messed up big time’ *****

👉🏼Witness: “It’s… perjury is… when you lie under oath — after you swore to tell the truth… or affirmed, if your religion doesn’t let you swear an oath… some Christians won’t swear on God’s name… Jews don’t have that problem… At least, not per se — some Jews might say ‘hashem’, it means ‘the Name’ coz they won’t actually say ‘God’ even though that isn’t His name either. But affirmation is just as serious as swearing an oath. And… if you lie under oath, you will go to prison for the rest of your life and never ever get out or see your family ever again.”👈🏼

Judge tries his best to smother his laughter. Hand over his mouth. Finally he turned his head away. And he then puts his hands over most of his face. Once he stops laughing…

Judge: “We have now established that the witness clearly comprehends what perjury is and… ummmmm… how serious it is. Mrs W… you don’t go to prison forever, it’s not more than a few years at the most — and in your case. you would probably only go to jail for a short time, until you pay a fine… lots of money. But… I think you have demonstrated for the record that you fully comprehend what perjury is and the gravity of the crime. Thank you.”

Judge, to Prosecutor: “Do you still have any objection?”

Prosecutor (very very quietly): “No, Your Honor. No further objection.”

Judge: “Be very, very cautious, now, regarding this witness’ capabilities. Neuroses are not insanity. Neither you nor I need to understand everything that created this witness’ complicated nature… all that is required here is her credibility… and, possibly, simpler than typical explanations… although she has described perjury remarkably well.”

Judge, to Defense Attorney: “Proceed… swear her in.”

And this witness provided approx 4 hours, over two days, of credible testimony. None of it was what the prosecutor wanted to hear, but the defense attorney was a happy man indeed. It proved invaluable to the defendant. Her testimony was why the death penalty was never sought.

I Spent Over $30,000 At A Lost Freight Auction And It Paid Off BIG TIME!

What thing about the military did you not know until you were already in it?

how bad it sucks being lower enlisted in the Infantry.

I thought I would be jumping out of helicopters yelling go go go and running around with a machine gun being a bada**.

But for every time I go to do that, there were at least a hundred times of-

working for moron a**hole leadership who made you do dumb things just because they could.

police call. if you miss a cigarette butt you can do police call again, but while low crawling and wearing your protective mask.

cleaning. we cleaned everything all day long. barracks, latrines, weapons, equipment, buildings, vehicles, motor pools, mow the grass, paint the rocks.

the big green weenie. if you don’t like it write a letter to your congressman.

soldiers that say hoo-ah to everything.

endless field exercises walking long distances with heavy equipment. endless rehearsals. freezing in the snow & rain. never enough sleep.

kp duty, including cleaning pots and pans for 18 hours a day in an immersion barrel heater in a snowy forest in Germany. Wearing a helmet. With your M16A2 strapped across your back. It’s “tactical,” you know.

punishment PT. pushups flutter kicks grass drills road marches five mile runs.

hurry up and wait. and wait and wait and wait and wait.

your leave is cancelled due to the mission.

training training training training on tasks you can already do blindfolded backwards while asleep.

parades, which really suck when you were the person marching in them. and rehearsals for parades.

go to the field again. sleep in the dirt, snow & mud again. clean everything again. more layout inspections.

spray paint metal tools & gear after cleaning. god forbid if they find a speck of dirt on your shovel- three day weekend cancelled.

washrack – crawl around under your tracked vehicle with a fire house and a long screw driver chipping mud out of the roadwheels. in january.

air guard in your tracked vehicle. in january.

mandatory fun.

intrusive & obnoxious drug testing.

daily maintenance on vehicles that haven’t moved in a month.

guard duty- standing at a gate at 3 am for two hours in the snow. cq duty. battalion runner duty. you will do guard duty everywhere, all the time it seemed like.

one guy forgot his field jacket so nobody can wear their field jacket and everybody has to freeze.

layout inspections really suck. get ready to do a lot of layout inspections in your barracks & motor pool.

somebody fell asleep riding in a vehicle & lost their weapon. be ready to be really miserable until it’s found.

if it ain’t rainin’ it ain’t trainin’. 40 degrees F, get rained on and get so cold you start to hallucinate laying next to a tree in the forest. Get up and walk 15 miles anyway then do platoon battle drills for hours. Walk 15 miles back.

dig a fighting position. an hour later be told to move it thirty feet to the left, fill in the fighting position & dig a new one.

if your battalion commander says you have to be somewhere at 1400 hours, your company commander will say you have to be there “five minutes prior” and your platoon sergeant will make sure you’re there at 1330 hours.

road march road march road march. learn to walk and sleep at the same time. learn to drive your armored personnel carrier while you’re sleeping. learn to function for a week on three hours of sleep a day in 15–20 minute intervals.

frago #23.

forget taking college classes, the op tempo is too high. and anyway your platoon sergeant thinks it’s dumb because you have so much maintenance & cleaning to do.

how long did it take to experience all this hoo-ah & much much more? from march 1987 thru october 1988.

I could go on and on. It ain’t like the recruiting commercials.

But it was a job I loved and look back on fondly. It profoundly shaped the course of my life and I don’t regret it for a minute. But most of it sucked.

it’s Saturday night, forget going to the club because you have CQ duty. BOHICA. smile about it there isn’t much else you can do. If you’ve gotta be one, then be a Big Red One.

Why do ultra-wealthy people rarely share their wealth with their friends?

I’m not ultra-wealthy. But in a relative sense, I’m ultra-wealthy compared to a friendly acquaintance of mine. “Friendly acquaintance” is a description that’s short of “friend,” in part because of the story I’m about to tell.

I know this guy, call him Bob, from playing chess at Harvard Square. Bob isn’t quite homeless, but he’s damn close. What I like about chess is that Bob’s economic status has nothing to do with his social status (among chess players). He’s by no means shunned; he’s a well-liked member of the scene.

But when it gets to that point in the night and 10 of us want to go to a restaurant, those who can’t afford the restaurant are unfortunately excluded. That’s Bob.

There was a time, when that part of the night rolled up, I would discreetly tell Bob “come hang out with us, I got you at the restaurant.” Bob would be suitably grateful, and the fun would continue.

After a few of those, Bob started to become a little… emboldened. Eventually, it wasn’t a question of waiting until when (or if) the crowd organically went to eat. It started with “yo Charles, check this out….” Then I’d get a little bit of a sob story, and the ask: “so could you help me out with a burrito until I get paid next Wednesday?” Then the sob story dropped, and it was just, “yo Charles, help me out with some pizza.” Sometimes within minutes of me showing up to the Square.

The last straw was when another mutual friend and chess player, Bill, joined us at a restaurant. Bill was also often strapped for cash. To be sure, Bill didn’t ask for anything, he was just tagging along socially.

Bob gets to the counter and orders like 3 meals, and then calls to Bill from the line: “Yo, you want anything? Charles got it!”

Suffice it to say, our relationship cooled a little after that.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford to keep buying Bob food. It’s just that after some time — a pretty short amount of time — he appeared to see me more as a cash register than anything else. And that doesn’t work for me.

I have every confidence that story scales up. I’m wealthy enough to buy the Bobs of my world extra burritos all day, every day. Other people might be wealthy enough to buy their friends cars all day, every day. And who knows, maybe they have.

And I’m willing to bet that they’ve turned some friends into some Bobs along the way.

“Yo dude, help me out with a Tesla…”

How do you respectfully tell guests in your home that they’ve overstayed their welcome?

My daughter had a friend who had been kicked out of her home and asked if could she stay with us for a week until she found somewhere permanent. Bunnykins [me] said okay. The “friend” proceeded to borrow money from my easy going daughter, raided all the food in the fridge and cupboards when we were out, showered every 3–4 days, bought home a dog that promptly went into heat marking up my floors and carpet [ yuk ], did absolutely nothing to help clean, and when asked about alternative living arrangements, cried and said she couldn’t find anywhere to go. You get the picture? Six weeks later, she arrived “home” to find us packing boxes in the lounge room. She asked what was going on. I told her we were being evicted for non-payment of rent… three HOURS later, she had moved on to some other poor sap. We unpacked our boxes and once again lived in peace and quiet in our nice clean home. Nasty? Maybe. Effective? Definitely!

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever witnessed in the waiting area at the ER?

Actually, three of my girlfriends and I were the sideshow in an ER waiting room.

We were with about 200 people doing a medieval re-enactment when a friend of ours accidentally ate something with cinnamon in it – and he is deathly allergic to it. One of us was a nurse, and even with her quick action with an epi pen, he still needed to go to the ER. So, one guy in Viking clothes and armor, and four women in varying outfits from India (mine) to early Celtic, to Imperial Roman, to 14th century French, all troop into the closest hospital ER – and it was in a really, realllly rural area of Georgia.

Being the only hospital within at least fifty miles of anything, they were predictably busy on a Saturday afternoon. We were there for hours and bored out of our minds. We’re all gifted with warped Monty Python humor, and so we started riffing on it. I started talking about how “our husband” was doing, and that I hoped he would be alright, because I wasn’t prepared to jump on his funeral pyre. (Mine was also the “blingiest” outfit, so I was First Wife by default. We referred to each other as First Wife, Second Wife, etc.) The other people in the waiting room were gawking at us like we’d all grown third eyes and horns.) It was just too good to pass up – we had SO MUCH FUN with it. By the time our friend got sent back out, we had all jumped up and started fawning on him – our beloved husband! Alive! What joy! I didn’t have to burn myself up! He didn’t skip a beat, got two of us under each arm, and we all left, rejoicing – and probably giving the locals a bizarre story to tell.

Pasta con Spinach

Ingredients

3/4 pound spaghetti
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, cleaned and drained
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup cooked ham, shredded
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to water in a large kettle. Bring to a boil and add spaghetti. Stir occasionally, and cook to al dente. Do not overcook!
Put spinach into heavy covered pot and cook over high heat, stirring once. When cooked limp, set aside with cover on.
Sauté the mushrooms and ham together in half the butter, just until warm, not brown.
Press liquid out of spinach and add to the skillet with mushrooms and ham.
Melt remaining butter in serving pot.
Add pasta and ham-spinach mixture. Toss well.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Caffeine Machine

Mary Lombardi

With a shoulder heaving sigh, I retract my hand, snap on the cracked cover, and give the poor machine an affectionate pat. Now that the immediate issue is over, I turn to Jack.

“Why, may I ask, is there another crack in the cover?”

He takes a single step back, bringing his hands slightly out in front of himself as he tries to form a consoling expression on his face. “You see-”

“Yes I see”

“I was filling it up and-” He turned before finishing his thought and scrambled away. In his struggle to escape he bounces feet into the air with every step. I race behind him, wanting nothing more than to teach him once and for all to never mess with my coffee.