Well… we are in 2023.
Of course there’s going to be doom-and-gloom predictions. It’s a very common enough thing to expect.
And you know, the regular narratives will continue. Bla. Bla. Bla.
Maybe some will come true. Maybe some will not. Who cares? What are you doing now? How about enjoying life, and having a great meal? Maybe with some friends, eh?
For about a week, I am going to add some you-tube videos of narcissist, psychopaths, and sociopaths who were arrested and interrogated after they had murdered and killed someone. The thing is no one ever interviews these people before they do something bad, and thus they run unchecked through society, eventually appearing normal, wealthy and powerful.
This week is going to be a slosh through some evil…
…in addition to our normal fare.
We start with a little bit of the old same-oh same-oh…
11 Ominous Predictions For 2023
There is a growing consensus that 2023 is going to be a miserable year for the U.S. economy and for the global economy as a whole. In fact, in all the years that I have been writing I have never seen so many big names on Wall Street be so incredibly pessimistic about the coming year.
Of course much of that pessimism is due to the fact that 2022 went so poorly. The cryptocurrency industry imploded, trillions of dollars in stock market wealth evaporated, inflation became a major problem all over the industrialized world, and a new housing crash suddenly erupted.
Considering all of the pain that we have experienced over the past 12 months, it is only natural for the experts to have a negative view of 2023. The following are 11 ominous warnings that they have issued for the year ahead…
#1 The IMF: “We expect one-third of the world economy to be in recession. Even countries that are not in recession, it would feel like recession for hundreds of millions of people”
#2 Bloomberg: “Economists say there is a 7-in-10 likelihood that the US economy will sink into a recession next year, slashing demand forecasts and trimming inflation projections in the wake of massive interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.”
#3 The World Bank: “As central banks across the world simultaneously hike interest rates in response to inflation, the world may be edging toward a global recession in 2023 and a string of financial crises in emerging market and developing economies that would do them lasting harm, according to a comprehensive new study by the World Bank.”
#4 Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan: “We’re going to have a shallow recession”
#5 Mohamed El-Erian: “Many ‘high-conviction’ U.S. recession calls are immediately coupled with the assertion that it’ll be ‘short and shallow.’ Reminds me of the behavioral trap ‘transitory inflation’ proponents fell into last year”
#6 Nouriel Roubini: “No, this is not going to be a short and shallow recession, it’s going to be deep and protracted”
#7 Larry Summers: “My sense is that it’s much harder than many people think to achieve a soft landing”
#8 Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon: “Economic growth is slowing,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said at the same conference. “When I talk to our clients, they sound extremely cautious.”
#9 Charles Schwab & Co.’s Liz Ann Sonders: “We have to take our medicine still, meaning a weaker economy and a weaker labor market. The question is, is it better to take our medicine sooner or later?”
#10 BlackRock: “Central bankers won’t ride to the rescue when growth slows in this new regime, contrary to what investors have come to expect. They are deliberately causing recessions by overtightening policy to try to rein in inflation”
#11 Michael Burry: “Inflation peaked. But it is not the last peak of this cycle. We are likely to see CPI lower, possibly negative in 2H 2023, and the US in recession by any definition. Fed will cut and government will stimulate. And we will have another inflation spike. It’s not hard.”
As you can see, there is a general consensus that things will be bad in 2023, but there is disagreement about just how deep the coming economic downturn will turn out to be.
If the worst of these forecasts turn out to be accurate, that will actually be incredibly good news.
Because the reality of what we will be facing in 2023 is likely to be significantly worse than any of these experts are currently projecting.
With each passing day, we continue to get even more numbers that indicate that big trouble is ahead.
For example, we just learned that luxury home sales absolutely cratered during the months of September, October and November…
Sales of luxury homes fell 38.1% year over year during the three months ending November 30, 2022, the biggest decline on record, according to a new report from Redfin, a technology-powered real estate brokerage. That outpaced the record 31.4% decline in sales of non-luxury homes. Redfin’s data goes back to 2012. The luxury market and the overall housing market lost momentum in 2022 due to many of the same factors: inflation, relatively high interest rates, a sagging stock market and recession fears. We haven’t seen anything like this since 2008.
And we all remember what the housing crash of 2008 ultimately did to the financial markets.
Normally, the beginning of a calendar year is a time for optimism. As we look forward to a completely clean slate, it can be easy to forget the difficulties of the previous 12 months.
But this year things seem completely different.
On some level, just about everyone can feel that very challenging times are ahead of us.
Decades of very foolish decisions are starting to catch up with us in a major way.
Our leaders tried very hard to keep the party going for as long as possible, and to a certain extent they were quite successful in doing so.
Our politicians in Washington kept borrowing and spending trillions upon trillions of dollars that we did not have, and that definitely delayed our day of reckoning.
And the Federal Reserve kept the financial markets artificially propped up for years by endlessly pumping giant mountains of fresh cash into the system.
But such foolish measures only made our long-term problems even worse, and now our leaders are losing control.
All of the “mega-bubbles” are starting to burst, and the system is beginning to fall apart all around us.
It is time to turn out the lights, because the party is over.
We all had a lot of fun while it lasted, but now the bill is due and an extraordinary amount of pain is ahead.
Beer and Lime Marinated Salmon
“Salmon needs to marinate overnight, so prepare the day before.”
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1⁄3 cup beer
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1⁄2 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb fresh salmon fillet
- 2 2 tablespoons green bell peppers or 2 tablespoons yellow bell peppers (or combination)
- 2 tablespoons lime zest (2-3 limes)
- fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- Combine lime juice, beer, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
- Mix well.
- Place salmon fillets in shallow glass dish and pour marinade over top.
- Turn pieces several times to coat; cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven, broiler or grill.
- Remove salmon from marinade; discard marinade.
- Broil, bake or grill for about 10 minutes (for 1″ thick fillets) or until fish flakes in center.
- Serve hot garnished with diced bell pepper, lime zest and pepper on top.
City of Gladiators Earthquake Shattered Fountain Flows After 2,000 Years
An ancient fountain that was destroyed in a 23 BC earthquake has been restored in Turkey’s “City of Gladiators.’ Now, the two millennia old water font is streaming drinkable water again, just as it did some 2,000-years ago.
Unearthing Turkey’s Ancient City Of Gladiators
The ancient city of Kibyra, or Cibyra Magna, is situated in the township of Gölhisar in the southwestern Burdur Province of Turkey. In ancient times it represented the capital city of an independent state known as Cibyratis, that lay just outside the north-western limits of the ancient province of Lycia, that thrived in Anatolia from 15-14th centuries BC, and as Lukka until 546 BC.
Strabo recorded Kibyra as having originally been settled by ‘Lydians,’ who were indigenous people in this region of Asia Minor. These people constructed over 100 stadiums and after the Roman general Lucius Licinius Murena defeated the ruler of Kibrya in 83 BC the city became part of the greater Roman province of Asia. Listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List , ancient Kibyra is known as the “City of Gladiators.” Now, archaeologists have announced that “a colossal fountain” has been restored and that it will “flow with fresh water for the first time in 2,000 years.”
The restored fountain will flow again after a break of 2,000 years. ( MAKU)
Piecing Together An Ancient Masterpiece
Dr. Sukru Ozudogru, an archaeologist at Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, recently told Anadolu Agency ( AA) that his team of archaeologists have spent the past four months collecting “150 original fragments from the ruins.” Now, they have successfully “pieced the architectural masterpiece back together.” The “round-planned fountain” measures 15.24 meters (50 ft) in diameter by 7.92 (26 ft) high and after being built it was used for more than 600 years.
A report in Daily Mail says the team of archaeologists have also restored the original water supply system from the spring, so that the fountain now flows with drinkable water “just the way it did 2,000 years ago.”
Dr. Ozudogru described the water from the restored fountain as “spouting from the mouths of lion and panther.” Not only do these two animals feature heavily in Roman mythology but they are two of the animals that gladiators fought in the arenas. Incidentally, it was after the discovery of the “10,400-person stadium” that hosted hundreds of gladiatorial fights that Kibyra became known as the “City of Gladiators.”
Rebuilding What Nature Attempted To Destroy
Blending both Roman and Byzantine architectural styles, during the 1000 years of the Roman empire the city became famous for its blood-thirsty gladiatorial contests. However, a 23 BC earthquake almost flattened Kiybra, and if it were not for diligent citizens in the aftermath rebuilding the giant fountain it would have been lost in time long ago.
The AA article said the restoration of the fountain and its two pools required “68 original architectural pieces and 24 imitation blocks produced from the original stone type.” Furthermore, it was observed that the original fountain featured one large circular pool and the second pool was added decades later. Dr. Ozudogru maintains that when the fountain was functional, some 2,000-years-ago, the two circular pools supplied potable water to four different parts of the city.
Sticking With The Original Plan
As far as aesthetics are concerned, fragmentary remains informed the researchers the original fountain was detailed with “elaborate statues of animals, huge columns and embossed friezes.” The archaeologists used two moldings taken from original sculptures that were both unearthed during recent excavations, and the originals are currently being exhibited in the Burdur Museum.
The researcher explained that in Roman times “Water was a mythological hero” that flowed into the two pools from the mouths of “lion and panther” statues. Relating these two animals to Roman mythology “ Heracles lay on a panther skin and Dionysus, the god of wine, wore a lion skin,” according to the professor. However, both of these animals were fought by gladiators in the 10,400-person stadium in Kibrya, which Akkurnaz explained “was a building designed for an assortment of blood-soaked spectacles, including gladiator fights and wild animal fights”.
Artists Combine Classical Paintings And Halloween Pop Culture
DesignCrowd was inspired as well to bring some scary and creative challenges for their designers. They decided on combining famous and classic paintings that we all know with Halloween pop culture, characters, and other fragments. The designers submitted some pretty spooky stuff and we bring you the best ones on this list!
DHS Issues New Alert: “Al Qaida Planning More 9-11 Style Attacks in USA”
.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an internal memo alert about an upcoming terrorist attack. According to intelligence, al Qaeda is actively recruiting new suicide bombers to use aircraft in attacks on the United States that are similar to what took place on September 11, 2001. They will allegedly use different strategies and tactics, according to the DHS memo.
Perhaps if the USA was not actively working with and funding Al Qaeda inside Syria, the group would not be in any position to organize attacks again in the USA. But our US federal government is now, and has been, using Al Qaeda inside Syria in its years-long effort to overthrow the Syrian government. So if Al Qaeda does, in fact, carry out another attack here inside the United States, we can thank our own federal government for making it possible.
Interestingly, Judicial Watch recently highlighted how Federal Air Marshals who should be in the air prepared to stop such terrorist attacks are now re-deployed trying to help process illegal aliens at Joe Biden’s open border:
“While the nation’s Federal Air Marshals (FAM) are busy on the Mexican border providing illegal immigrants with welfare checks, transportation, and other basic services, Al Qaeda is planning attacks in the U.S. involving planes, according to high-level Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources. Judicial Watch obtained from government sources a copy of the new intelligence alert, which was delivered on December 31, 2022, at 12:23:52 Greenwich Mean Time. The caption of the widely circulated warning reads: “Al-Qaeda says upcoming attacks on US, possibly involving planes, will use new techniques and tactics.”
The threat could not come at a worse time, as the Biden administration leaves aircraft at risk by sending 150-200 FAM monthly to the southern border to help deal with what it calls “a surge in irregular migration.” The deployments will continue indefinitely, according to multiple FAM sources, and the specially trained aviation security specialists are outraged. The agency works under the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which was created after 9/11 to prevent another terrorist attack. FAM is charged with protecting commercial passenger flights by deterring and countering the risk of terrorist activity. Nevertheless, in late October, the Biden administration began deploying the highly trained law enforcement officers to busy Border Patrol sectors to help with hospital watch, transportation, security and welfare checks at migrant facilities.
Days later the Air Marshal National Council, which represents thousands of FAM nationwide, accused TSA Administrator David Pekoske and FAM Director Tirrell Stevenson of violating federal law and overstepping their authority by assigning air marshals to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with the illegal immigration crisis.
In a formal complaint to the DHS Inspector General, the group also accused the Homeland Security leaders of fraud, waste, and abuse of authority. Sending air marshals to El Paso, Texas, San Diego, California, Laredo, Texas, McAllen, Texas, Tucson, Arizona and Yuma, Arizona to transport illegal immigrants and conduct welfare checks has no relation to TSA’s core mission of transportation security, the complaint states. “The statute does not give the Administrator any authority to deploy TSA or FAM employees to the southern border to perform non transportation security related matters,” the complaint to the DHS IG says. “Further, under section (g) the statute describes what the Administrators authority is if an emergency, as defined by the Secretary of Homeland Security, is declared.” The act makes clear that the legislative intent is to only allow TSA to exercise authority and deploy its assets for transportation security, the report to the DHS watchdog confirms.
8 Former Kids of the Foster System Share Their Experiences
1. I grew up in foster care from the age of 2-17. At 6 I became a permanent ward of the state. I honestly don’t remember how many foster homes I was in over the years, but more than 15.
The foster care system isn’t made to create well adjusted happy children. As soon as you are happy and/or comfortable in a place, they rip you out and put you in a new home.
Having most your belongings shoved into garbage bags when you were moved every few months made you feel like you were nothing. Sometimes they wouldn’t even wait for you to be at home to grab you and take you to a new home. Being pulled from class by your social worker and 2 cops is always such a healthy fun experience. Sure makes what few friends you might have been able to make want to stay contact.
I was considered a good foster kid, but because I wasn’t a baby, I wasn’t a desirable option and it was nearly impossible to find a permanent home. Which meant I had to stay in an over crowded underfunded group home, staffed by over worked and underpaid people who stopped caring long before I came along.
Group homes were the worst when it came to abuse of all kinds and neglect. After being in a particularly awful one at the age of 6, my social worker decided I had to be in an actual foster home or stay with a one on one care giver in a hotel.
The foster home after that was a fairly decent one, but my foster mom was more than alittle emotionally unstable.
When I left that one I was placed in home after home of people who seemed to think that I was a live in slave, a paycheck, or both. They felt proud of themselves for helping this poor little girl whose mother chose drugs and men over her kids.
On average I maybe saw my social worker, different ones throughout the years, 3 or 4 times a year. That includes when I was being moved from place to place.
When I was 17 I moved on my own and have been independent ever since. I had to be, at 18 they cut you loose, since you are legally an adult and no longer their problem.
I am now a semi successful 28 year old. I consider myself to be pretty well adjusted. When people find out I grew up in the system they are usually shocked and can’t believe that someone who seems so ‘normal’ was in foster care. My response is usually I am stubborn, I lived through my life and I wasn’t going to let myself be a victim.
2. My experience of foster care was pretty mixed. I had my fair share of crappy foster placements, most of which were spent on my own as my brother and I were separated.
My first placement was surreal. I arrived home from school aged 6 to find my mother had called SS and all my stuff was being packed in plastic trash bags. And off we went into the back of a car to live with some random family. I hated it. I wasn’t a difficult kid either bit they insisted on treating me like an outsider.
Most of the placements I went to ended up with me being moved on because they couldn’t understand how to deal with me. I just wanted to feel normal and liked by everyone but being in care resulted in me being bullied… Mainly because i went to a nice rural school where kids in care was uncommon.
Most of my carers have never taken the time to get to know me or make me feel a part of a family.. All except one, which I still contact regularly.
It blew my mind when I found out that the carers I’m still in touch with were never informed of my care/family history and just assumed it was a temporary placement in which I would go back to my family. In reality my history was pretty dark and deep and if they had actually known what happened to me as a kid they might have been able to help more.
I actually accessed my care records a few years ago and was stunned at all the events that had happened which I had forgotten about or I had been lied to cover up the truth.. I definitely wasn’t prepared for that.
3. Being painfully aware that the families I was staying with did not “take me in” for any reason other than money. Abuse and negligence was an everyday occurrence, and I had no idea that abuse wasn’t normal.
My (adoptive) dad has an anecdote from when I was around 5 and came to live with him for the first time. I opened the fridge, and with wide eyes, said in disbelief, “You have food in here?” So yeah, the whole foster care system is pretty flawed and fucked up. Happy I was able to get out.
4. Foster care was the best thing that could’ve happened to me as a kid. I was taken away from my drug using parents as an infant because they weren’t feeling my siblings and I. Had no one intervened, I wouldve likely died. I also showed some FTT.
I was never adopted out, but the volunteers who took care of my were some of the nicest people I’ll ever meet. They mightve favored me a but because I wasn’t really a lash-out problem child, just a quiet kid who needed some love. The volunteers, or workers, tried their best not to split me and my siblings up, which is why we were never adopted as it presented an all or nothing deal. But there was one caretaker, Paula who I was really close with. And I remember being about 3, and I had just thrown up everywhere. And I was crying, and she told me how she really wished she could adopt me. Happiest moment of little me’s existence.
We all were returned to my parents 6 years later. Meh. I wish I had been able to keep in touch with her. So, I guess I had a great experience with it.
5. The start of my story is somewhat standard. I was placed in foster care after turning in my parents for extensive abuse at 16. I was in three different foster homes in 1.5 years.
The first asked for me to be rehomed because they wanted a younger child since they brought in more money.
The second forced me into religious settings several nights a week, separated food for me versus their own kids, made me tell in detail about my therapy sessions (which were about extremely personal abuse), or they’d lock me in my room… I could go on and on.
The worst of this place, and the first, were their blatant discussion of my monetary contribution (or lack there of) in comparison to younger children. I felt like a pay check.
I managed through my third home, which was awkward but livable, until I turned 18 and they asked me to leave the week after, homeless for a few months until I could scrape together a place of my own.
Being that I lived in a small, rural county, I had come in contact with many of the local foster youth during my time in the system.
Where my story becomes unique, I believe, is the career I chose later on at 21. I started working for my local county sheriff department, primarily in the jail.
I will tell you, seeing all my fellow foster youth pass through the system again, only now as adults who were living a life of incarceration, was devastating to me. They all told me the same story.
Their feeling of worthlessness because of how they were treated, being aware of our monetary value, and overall feelings of abandonment from bad parents were all shared among us. And here I was, locking them up. It just wasn’t fair.
6. Former lifer here, I went in at 12 and aged out. No family to speak of so I’ve been on my own a long time.
Everything is out of your control and always your fault. You’re made to feel like you’re trash, and more than a few foster homes had a closet we were allowed to use that kept our stuff (towels, supplies that we had to pay for) separate from the rest of them.
I was used to my stuff getting stolen and no one cared, just got lectured on taking better care of it even when I had done everything I was supposed to do. I was in because I didn’t have anywhere to go, not because I was a juvy, but it didn’t matter, everyone is treated as BD regardless.
Teens are considered hard to place, so it pays more and we got packed in max sq footage, usually 2-4 beds (bunks) per room depending on their license.
I was very used to coming home after school and seeing my case workers car in the driveway. Time to move. New school again. New people again. New rules again. New perfect family again /s. I lost count how many times that happened. Never any warning because they worry kids will self destruct. So immediate disruption is safer … For the adults.
Lost in the cracks is a way of life. Sometimes I’d get 3 clothing vouchers in as many months and others it would be over a year between them.
I didn’t get vaccinated at all because they moved me faster than my records could keep up, and of course if I’m asked I learned fast how to name the boosters to make it sound like I’d gotten them.
Dental care was covered but follow up care required records, so that never happened and I have terrible teeth as a result. Shoes wore out and I only had one pair, which I wore. Didn’t cross my mind to have more than one pair even into adulthood – anything extra gets stolen fast.
There was no safety net when I became an adult. My foster home when I graduated didn’t keep kids past graduation, so instead of a graduation party I had to pack and go to another foster home (I graduated too young to emancipate) literally that day.
Then when I was old enough I had to move out from there the day court was over – they wouldn’t get paid past that so my family status expired with the check lol.
Since I had no family I had nowhere to go. Everyone tends to think you have similar support resources as they do, so it doesn’t cross anyone’s mind that you’re a dumb kid completely clueless.
I lucked out that I’m pretty quick with academics, so I did fine, but there was no continuity of care and I was flying blind after high school. I had no idea the resources available to me for college, and worked to put myself through paying cash to a state school.
7. In forster care since I was 9. It is and i cant stress this enough, Nothing like your family life.
Many of us were taken from our parents or outright ditched by them. Im the latter.
Some of us never and or never will meet our parents.
A lot of Foster families, ive been in some. Have no qualms about reminding you of the godly gift of the smallest, shittiest room in the building.
They are very quick to bring up the power to instantly evict you with just a single phone call with little to no justification for it.
Foster siblings, especially if they are teenaged and or used to being only children will constantly and not hesitate to take advantage of their parent’s favouritism over you.
But
Its not all hellish. I was eventually put into a very good placement. They went through hell to help me through the hell of my mind and emotions and help me balance out as a person.
They made sure i was aware of the pride they felt for me without me becoming conceited in anyway. They were so good to me they even allowed to stay and rent my room after i left the care system. There are good people as Foster parents. There just needs to be more.
Airline Employee Killed; Sucked into Jet Engine at Montgomery, AL Airport
A ground crew employee was killed in what is being described as an industrial accident at a central Alabama airport on Saturday; he got sucked into – and through – a running jet engine.
The Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) said an employee with American Airlines/Piedmont Airlines died in the accident at the airport around 3 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the employee was killed where American Airlines Flight 3408, an Embraer E175 twin-jet, was parked, according to Reuters. Data on FlightAware showed the flight was scheduled to depart from Gate 4 in Montgomery for Dallas-Forth Worth Saturday afternoon.
Reuters also reported two people briefed on the incident said the employee, who was a baggage handler, died in “an accident involving one of the airplane’s engines that was running.”
He got sucked into the running engine, ground-up, and spewed out in a spray of blood, torn tissue, and crushed bones.
MGM Executive Director Wade Davis said the airport is saddened by the tragic loss of a team member.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time,” Davis added.
The airport initially grounded all outbound and inbound flights, but resumed normal operations at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Passengers who experienced flight changes because of the accident were asked to check with their airline carrier for the latest updates.
Damascus Airport temporarily shut down by alleged Israeli airstrikes
Two Syrian soldiers were killed and two others wounded early on Monday morning in alleged Israeli airstrikes targeting Damascus International Airport, the SANA Syrian state news agency reported.
SANA added that material damage had been sustained in the strikes as well and that the main international airport in the capital was temporarily out of service as a result of the damage sustained.
The transport ministry said in an online statement that workers had removed debris from the strikes and that flights would resume by 9 a.m.
Prior to the Israeli air strike, NO ATTACKS against Israel had taken place. No threat of attack had been made. No one in Israel was injured or killed. No property in Israel was damaged, destroyed, or stolen.
Absolutely nothing took place, yet Israel launched an air strike against Syria.
Confessions of a Short Guy Dating a Tall Woman
How did you two meet?
Tinder actually! We first saw each other on there, and hung out over time before we started actually dating. I was extremely nervous when we first hung out because I knew about the height difference but it didn’t bother her at all
Did she know about your height before the first meet?
She did! She told me it wasnt a problem. As a tall girl she sort of opened her boundaries for shorty guys cause not all guys are as tall as her.
Was her dating history mostly short guys? Like was/is that her type?
It’s varied. She says I’m one of the shortest guys she’s dated though. She says all the tall guys were asshole because of their height, like that’s all they had to offer basically.
When you first started dating, was the height difference something you had to overcome or were you both comfortable with it immediately, that you were both aware she perhaps liked smaller guys and you preferred taller women?
For her it was no problem. For me it was admittedly something I had to get used to. Being so short, finding women that actually liked short guys is always difficult where I am at, so when I actually found one I halfway didn’t believe it. But I eventually got used to it of course!
Do people ever stare at you?
Every time we go somewhere we get interesting stares. And they’re different types of stare’s as well. Women stare at us differently than the guys do and you can tell, it’s quite funny actually. Especially when they see our daughter!
What kind of stares do you get?
So, for the girls, some of them are “awe”, but most of them are towards her, and to me give off a “why are you with a guy so short?” Kind of vibe.
As for guys staring, it’s “damn wonder how he pulled her”
Who’s on top when hugging ? I mean are you in her arms or the opposite?
Uhhh sort of… both? It depends on if we hug while standing or if she is sitting. Most of the time I’m wrapped up like a burrito in her arms and she and I both love it!
Does she like to wear chucks? Or even heels?
She occasionally wears platform shoes, she tries not to around me out of respect but I never care!
Are any sex positions difficult because of the height difference?
Uhhhhhh not that we’ve really struggled with? It’s pretty easy. She’s flexible.
Did she ever lift you up like a baby during an exciting moment?
She can’t lift me because of an accident she was in, I can lift her but she doesn’t like being lifted at all
How did you figure out you were right for each other?
Honestly, we just have never argued. The vibe and feelings between us are just impeccable. I love her tons.
And watching her become the mother she has become has just blown me away.
Do you predict your kid will grow up taller or shorter?
I pray she’s tall! I’d love for her to be as tall as her mother!
The Superb Fantasy & Sci-Fi Artworks by Michael Whelan
Connecticut-based illustrator Michael Whelan is one of the world’s most renowned fantasy artists. His pieces can be seen in hundreds of books and album covers, as well as in galleries and private collections around the world.
Whelan’s paintings are rich in symbolism and offer many layers of meaning to be explored, but his lifelong passion has been to live up to his favorite quote from G.K Chesterton: “The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.”
The Year When Everything Started To Fall Apart
It amazes me that so many people still cannot understand what is happening. 2022 was supposedly going to be a year when America entered a new golden age of prosperity, but that didn’t happen. Instead, it was a complete and utter disaster. Stock prices fell by the most that we have seen since 2008, the cryptocurrency industry came apart at the seams, inflation soared to absurd heights, and home sales just kept declining all throughout the year. Without a doubt, 2022 represented a major turning point. Americans have already collectively lost trillions of dollars, and many experts are telling us that 2023 will be even worse.
We warned over and over again that the party on Wall Street would eventually come to a very bitter end, but most people didn’t want to listen.
Well, the party has now ended, and the stock market losses that we have witnessed over the past 12 months have been absolutely staggering…
As of closing time on Friday evening, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by nearly 3,500 points since the start of the year, a 9.4 percent drop. The S&P 500 was also down by 957 points this year, with the tech-heavy index falling by almost 20 percent, capping off a brutal year for the tech industry. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq sunk by more than 5,600 points, a nearly 34 percent decline in 2022.
More than a third of the entire value of the Nasdaq is already gone.
Just think about that.
Of course some stocks were hit much harder than others.
Tesla is down about 70 percent from the peak, and Elon Musk “has become the first person ever to lose $200 billion from his net worth”…
Tesla CEO and Chief Twit Elon Musk has become the first person ever to lose $200 billion from his net worth, according to a Bloomberg report. Musk, 51, previously became the second person ever to amass a fortune of more than $200 billion in January 2021, after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Musk has now seen his wealth drop to $137 billion following a recent drop in Tesla shares. Musk saw his fortune peak in November 2021, hitting $340 billion, and held the title of the world’s richest person up until last month. Musk was ultimately toppled off the throne by Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury giant LVMH.
You have to give him credit for holding up so well under the circumstances.
200 billion dollars is an amount of money that is so large that it is almost unimaginable.
Facebook also got monkey-hammered over the course of 2022. At this point, Facebook stock has fallen over 64 percent from where it was last January…
On the last day of trading this year, Meta’s stock was down more than 64 percent compared to January, with prices sinking from over $338-per-share to now $120-per-share. The company has lost more than $600 billion in valuation as it spend billions to make its controversial leap to virtual reality with its Metaverse, with the efforts continuing to come up short.
Perhaps Facebook shouldn’t have put so much effort into banning and censoring millions of their best users.
What an incredibly stupid thing to do.
When I go on Facebook these days, it just feels so incredibly dead.
There are still a few diehard users hanging around, but overall it is just a pathetic hollow shell of a social media platform at this point.
Speaking of implosions, 2022 was an absolute disaster for the cryptocurrency industry. The following summary of what we witnessed over the past 12 months comes from Zero Hedge…
Among all the chaos and downfall of many crypto exchanges and leading venture capital firms, the biggest losers are crypto investors. If the burn of the bear market was not enough, millions of crypto investors who had their funds on FTX lost their life savings overnight. Terra was once a $40 billion ecosystem. Its native token, LUNA — now known as Terra Classic (LUNC) — was one of the top five biggest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. With millions of customers invested in the ecosystem, the collapse brought their investment to zero within hours. After the Terra collapse, crypto investors lost their funds on a series of centralized exchanges and staking platforms like Celsius, BlockFi and Hodlnaut. Crypto investors also lost significantly in the nonfungible token market, with the price of many popular collections down by 70%. Overall, crypto investors are among the biggest losers of the year.
The total value of all cryptocurrencies exceeded 3 trillion dollars at the peak of the market.
Now the total value of all cryptocurrencies has fallen to less than 1 trillion dollars.
Hopefully you got out before the crash happened.
2022 was also a year when we experienced really painful inflation.
Food prices, energy prices and vehicle prices all went completely nuts, and many compared what we were going through to the Jimmy Carter era of the 1970s.
But this shouldn’t have been a surprise to any of us. Starting in 2020, our leaders absolutely flooded the system with new cash and the size of the money supply absolutely exploded.
Increasing the size of the money supply so dramatically was inevitably going to cause prices to go haywire, and anyone that thought otherwise was just not being rational.
In a desperate attempt to fight the inflation monster that they helped to create, officials at the Federal Reserve aggressively raised interest rates throughout much of 2022.
As a result, we now find ourselves in the midst of another horrifying housing crash. Home values are now steadily receding all over the nation, and home sales have been falling month after month.
Home sales have already fallen by more than a third.
How much lower can they possibly go?
I don’t know, but we are being warned to brace ourselves for more hard times ahead.
In fact, even the IMF is publicly admitting that “the worst is yet to come”…
“The worst is yet to come, and for many people 2023 will feel like a recession,” the IMF said in October, noting the slowdown “will be broad-based” and may “reopen economic wounds that were only partially healed post-pandemic.”
If only they knew.
We aren’t just heading into a temporary economic downturn. Ultimately, the entire system is starting to fall apart all around us, and the years ahead are going to be incredibly challenging.
Our leaders have been making mistake after mistake for decades, and now we get to pay the price.
So buckle up and hold on tight, because 2023 is not going to be pleasant at all.
Ivan The Terrible And His Son, By Ilya Repin, 1885
Their relationship further deteriorated when on 15 November, the Tsar, after seeing his pregnant daughter-in-law wearing unconventionally light clothing, physically assaulted her. Hearing her screams, the Tsarevich rushed to his wife’s defense, angrily shouting, “You sent my first wife to a convent for no reason, you did the same with my second, and now you strike the third, causing the death of the son she holds in her womb.” Yelena subsequently suffered a miscarriage.
The Tsarevich confronted his father on the matter, only to have the topic changed to his insubordination regarding Pskov. The elder Ivan accused his son of inciting rebellion, which the younger Ivan denied, but vehemently stuck to the view that Pskov should be liberated.
Angered, Ivan’s father struck him on the head with his scepter. Boris Godunov, who was present at the scene, tried to intervene but received blows himself. The younger Ivan fell, barely conscious and with a bleeding wound on his temple. The elder Ivan immediately threw himself at his son, kissing his face and trying to stop the bleeding, whilst repeatedly crying, “May I be damned! I’ve killed my son! I’ve killed my son!”
The younger Ivan briefly regained consciousness and said “I die as a devoted son and most humble servant”. For the next few days, the elder Ivan prayed incessantly for a miracle, but to no avail, and the Tsarevich died on 19 November 1581.
Simply Oven Baked Pork Chops and Rice
“This is DH’s recipe. It is simple comfort food and is very versatile. You can use chicken quarters in place of chops or chicken broth in place of water. Feel free to experiment with different herbs. We never make this the same way twice. A side note: I would recommend using a bone in, fattier cut of pork and not loin chops in this recipe.”
Ingredients
- 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 1⁄2 cups water
- 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 1⁄4 onion, sliced
- 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 -4 pork chops
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Stir together soup, water, rice and 1/4 teaspoons pepper in a 3 quart casserole.
- Add onions.
- Salt and pepper chops and place on top of rice.
- Cover and bake at 350* for 1 1/4 hours or until meat is done and liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
12 Former Forever-Aloners Give Valuable Advice On How To Escape The Dark Abyss Of Loneliness
1. Keep putting yourself out there. You’re not gonna meet your future someone by sitting at home alone (unless it’s the food delivery person I guess). Even if you only have one friend (or none) who is available that day & can join you, still try to go to concerts, bars, bookstores, restaurants etc alone.
Also just because things don’t happen romantically with someone doesn’t mean cut them off. Sometimes people are meant to just be a fun friend/acquaintance and you can expand your social circle through them, and meet a romantic partner from that.
2. When you say you’re doomed to singlehood you make it sound likes it’s your destiny to be single when in reality it’s your choice. People aren’t going to just show up, you need to put yourself out there.
If you’re uncomfortable about the way you look do something. I know it’s hard and seems near impossible but it’s not. You have the capability within you to break your comfort zone, to go to the gym and to go out and meet people.
You won’t have a 100% success rate, but no one does. Social and physical skills take time and effort and you need to be willing to do it. External motivation is great but it’s a rare thing. You need to get the ball rolling, make that first step and the next and the next. Eventually it becomes second nature and then you’re on your way towards a happy and healthy lifestyle.
3. Work out, work out, work out, work out.
Get yourself out there, do painting classes or some shit where you can interact with and meet new people, get yourself a dating profile online.
Work on improving YOURSELF, if you are happy with yourself and take pride in your appearance, people will notice.
Your main target should never be “to be in a relationship” because desperation stinks and people don’t like that.
4. Get out of the house! People aren’t going to show up to your front door. The more social events/places you go to the better. I know people who complain about there not being anyone out there for them but they never give themselves the opportunity to meet new people!
5. I spent much of the last 5 years thinking I was done with dating, that I’d be single forever, that women my age weren’t interested in guys like me, etc. etc. etc. Make an excuse, I was probably telling it to myself.
I’ve tried online dating, I’ve tried getting “out there” and widening my social circles, doing new things. I’d had a few very brief trysts arise from my efforts, but real connections felt very scarce, which to me seemed preposterous. I live in a very progressive state, with TONS of smart, kind, witty, wild women who are involved, aware, and active. But for all my efforts to meet and hold the attention of one, I was only feeling more and more defeated over time.
The best thing you can do, I think, is to just do you. Find joy in your daily routine, in the aspects of your life that you choose. Be into you. Someone is going to notice. Confidence and comfort in your own skin is probably the most attractive quality one can project. Are you a little bit weird? Fucking go with it. Own it. Revel in it. Someone out there is gonna find your quirks adorable, even sexy. I’m 35 years old and I still have trouble believing myself to be an attractive individual. But I am also an incredibly harsh critic of myself, and I think many of us are, too. Just accept and love yourself, embrace and live the shit out of your life. Someone is going to want in.
6. I didn’t meet my wife until I was 30. My 20’s were quite lonely having had only one real girlfriend. Now that I’m married with 2 kids, my advice for anyone younger and trying to meet a partner in life, is that you need to be upfront about your feelings, and not be concerned about rejection. None of the rejection will matter when you get older. In the moment in can feel bad, but instead you should think, “oh well, they didn’t like me, I will go try another one”
7. Therapy helps. I’ve never had a social anxiety diagnosis but I used to be very shy and struggle with low self-esteem, so I did a few sessions of counselling and went on a group self-esteem course and they made a hell of a difference. I wasn’t happy with the way I looked either, so I tried a few types of exercise (running, kettlebell, yoga) and eventually discovered that I LOVE weightlifting. It’s made me look better and feel stronger and I’m much more confident because of it. All of that in combo has really boosted my self esteem and made me much more comfortable in my own skin, and that definitely comes across to potential dates. I’m still quiet, but I’m quietly confident and that’s pretty great.
So rather than worrying about whether you’re actively looking for a partner, I’d focus on changing the things about yourself that are dragging your self-esteem down – get help for your social anxiety, change your diet up and lose a few lbs, reconnect with friends and family so you don’t feel lonely. Once you’ve got a handle on all of that, THEN start putting yourself out there – get yourself on POF or OKC or Tinder and talk to people. Those services exist purely to make meeting someone easy for you so take advantage.
8. Try to do something that allows you to meet new people. And I don’t mean it in a romantic way like go on dates, but, you know hang out with people, get to know someone new. This way even if you don’t find someone to date, you can get to know someone and they will introduce you to someone else and so on.
I mean, I know it’s very easy to just sit at home and be like “Well, if it’s my fate, he/she will find me eventually”. Especially if you’re a girl (like me), it’s easy to think this way and not even try to put in any efforts. But it doesn’t work this way. Push yourself, be proactive, put yourself in situations where you might meet someone, even if they’re sometimes not so comfortable for you. Even statistically the more people you meet, the more are the chances that one of them will end up that special someone.
9. I was a shut-in ages 13-17 because of my family’s abuse and bullying in middle school. My therapist, family, family’s friends, etc. were all skeptical of my ability to live a “normal” life — I basically spent all day playing Runescape, procrastinating in online school, and roleplaying on weird niche websites. I had severe anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia, so any hallmarks of a “normal” life seemed totally out of the question. Especially romance and sex, because of the body dysmorphia.
Some stuff happened, and I ended up moving out at 18. Into my own apartment. Everyone thought this was completely insane, of course, but it worked.
I think the most important part was that I had to rely on myself, which involved, like, ordering at restaurants. Or buying vegetables at the farmer’s market (the closest market to my house). Or working on my laptop in a coffee shop because they had free internet and a good parfait. I don’t know — no one reacted to me like I was some crazy monster with a hideously wrong face. So I started talking to people, who mostly assumed I was a real person and not someone who until recently would go days at a time without bathing (alternatively: bathing 6 times a day), waking up only to play Skyrim, eating chips for every meal. I was mostly just so shocked each step of the way — shocked that people were reacting to me like I was normal — that I didn’t even really think about romance until it happened organically. And after that, I felt normal, because I had done lots of normal people things and I didn’t feel like I was pretending anymore. So, it was easier the next time.
It’s cliche, but I think the only reason any of this happened was because I put myself in a position where I had no option but to do a bunch of things that seemed terrifying and impossible before. And it’s easier to do things when you have to, and if everything is something that used to be completely impossible, there’s not that big a gulf between, like, buying a watermelon and talking to the person sitting next to you?
10. Stop trying too hard. It makes you seem needy. Instead, concentrate on getting your shit together and become a functional adult. That’s what serious women are looking for, or at least, the kind you want to build something durable. Looks come as a distant secondary concern. It should be the same for you, by the way.
11. FOCUS ON YOURSELF.
That’s the most appealing energy you can have. Doing you. Your goals, dreams, work, exercise.. everything for yourself. Once you radiate positivity and confidence the whole fucking world comes calling.
12. This is nothing revolutionary, but just putting yourself first, and grasping every opportunity that comes your way. One night when I was playing pool with a buddy, I missed an opportunity with a girl because I was too scared to do anything. The next night, someone asked if I wanted to go out for a few drinks, and I really wasn’t in the mood. I was still pissed off at myself from the night before, and was in full self-hate mode. But I decided I wasn’t going to miss out on any other opportunities and was just gonna do it.
So I went out, only thinking about having a good time; drinking beer, shooting pool, playing darts, all the good stuff. Then on the bus on the way home, some girl caught my eye. It was the same girl from the night before. It just seemed like a sign, and of course, I didn’t let that opportunity pass me by again. It’s only been 6 months, but we’re still going strong, and I feel lucky every day to be with her.
It still scares me that I very nearly didn’t go out that night. If I’d been mopey and miserable, I’d have missed out on the best thing that’s happened to me. So just get out there, try to do more things, and you will find someone when you least expect it. And when a friend asks if you want to do something, say yes. It could just be the best decision you ever make.
The Most TWISTED Case You’ve Ever Heard
This is “bipolar” mental illness.
https://youtu.be/oquwsT-JNjo
Number 5 of 12 Former Forever Aloners was the whole reason why I embarked on the ANTI project on RPC.
And, what do you know, I am the happiest I have ever been in my online career and have a reasonable amount of influence and sway over people.
Fantastic for you.
Help others. Be the Rufus. Be aware, but above the fray.