.
Life in the cool shade of a tombstone
One of the things that stunned me about Massachusetts was the cemeteries. They were so nice. In fact, they resembled parks. With nice landscaping, ponds, pools, and nice stone structures replete with statues. It was unheard of in the rest of the country. But in Rhode Island, in Connecticut, and in New York the cemeteries were simply amazing.
I found out later that this was because back in the mid 1800's, about the time of the American Civil War, these were the places where people would go to have weekend picnics.
Back then, people did not have cars. They had horses and buggies. A 25 mile or 100 Km trip was an all day affair, and you just don't want to spend 20 hours in a horse and buggy.
But the cemeteries were close and you would just hop on your bicycle, horse, or carriage and go there for a cool spell under some shady trees.
Of course, one the automobile was invented and became common, this role pretty much disappeared. But if you look at the old photos, you can easily see people enjoying a picnic in the cemetery back then at that time.
Personally, I think that we tend to lose some of the great things that our great grandparents took for granted. Like high ceilings in homes with transoms above the doors, nice shady and deep front porches, and walk in pantries. Big shady trees. Wide streets, with wide sidewalks. No motorized (noise making) lawnmowers, instead opting for fields of clover. And, quaint family alcove porches.
And let's add... a nice shady picnic spot close to home.
Today...
What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?
When I was in elementary school, around third grade, my teacher used to yell at me a lot because my handwriting was terrible. She would get so frustrated at me as I was left-handed, but she wouldn’t let me write with my left hand.
It got to a point that if she saw a pencil in my left hand; she came over to my desk and hit me with her ruler. Sometimes I cried. It embarrassed me in front of my classmates, as I was the only kid who was left-handed.
I didn’t understand why I was being punished. I mean, my dad was left-handed, and so were my grandpa and a couple of uncles.
But then one day after walking home from school, my mom noticed my left hand and how red it was. She asked me why thinking I bumped it playing or something else. I told her my teacher hit me again with her ruler. I told my mom that she didn't like me using my left hand to write. She calmly went to the phone and called the school principal. She asked to meet him the next day.
So there I was with my parents, sitting in the principal’s office, along with my teacher. And boy oh boy, did my mom tear in to them. Mom sternly said, “Inflicting physical harm on a child because they are left-handed and forced to use their right hand for writing is totally unacceptable.” My dad sat there smoking his pipe and letting mom do all the yelling. I remember the conversation ended with the word “lawyer.”
The next day, I had a new teacher that was very supportive of my left-handedness. That new teacher was wonderful and kind. Mom and dad came to my new class several times that month and also liked her.
I always saw my dear mother as a calm and dignified person, never making trouble. It really took a lot to get her mad. And that day when I showed her my inflamed left hand, I saw change coming in the distance as my mom set it right. I was never hit again.
People No Longer Trust The AMERICAN GOVERNMENT ......
What is the most foolish thing you did as a kid?
When I was in 2nd Standard, I finished 2 hour long Math paper in 20 mins and received a slap for it from my father.
When I was in 2nd standard, It was the first time I received a printed question paper in the examination. My first exam subject was math and I was good in math. So after prayer, we went to our classes to write the exams and within 10 minutes, the teacher handed us the question paper and the answer copy. There were 5 parts in the question paper and each part consisted of 3 questions and on the top of the question paper, it was written in bold letters “Attempt only three.” I was on cloud nine after reading this line and didn’t bother to clarify this with the teacher. So I solved all the 3 questions of first part in 20 minutes and handed the answer copy to the teacher. Even the teacher was surprised and asked whether I finished the whole paper or not. I made the same statement again. “Yes, I am good in math.” While leaving the class, I was walking as slow as possible so that whole class can see that boy who just finished question paper in 20 minutes.
When I reached home in next 10 minutes, my father was getting ready for office. After seeing me returning so early, he asked what happened to your exam? I replied I finished the paper in 20 minutes. It was easy and short. My father asked me to show him the question paper. He asked me again which 3 parts I solved in the exam? With no clue what is going to happen within next few seconds, I said all the 3 questions of part A. You guys know what happened next.
Next day my father went to my School and convinced the teacher to conduct a separate exam for me. This time I finished the paper in 1 hour and 30 mins but still waited for the remaining 30 mins, so that I don’t receive a slap for it.
China's Canton Fair 2024 AMERICA Wants BANNED
Are Russian tanks really as bad as people say, or is it a Western-centric view on Tank warfare vs how the Russians see Tank Warfare? Is it corruption and lack of supplies that have hindered their tanks or just the tanks themselves?
Russian tanks are not as bad as they are portrayed in the west no. There is a prevalent idea that Russian tanks are easy to destroy, while western tanks are hard to destroy. This is not the case. What is true is that Russian style tanks when the ammo is detonated can explode catastrophically, which is far less likely in western tanks due to blowout panels. Some people choose to imagine this means that western crews are always okay when the tank is penetrated. This is also incorrect. But let’s talk a little about how the Russians and the west sees tank warfare.
Russian tanks are primary designed for breakthrough and exploitation, western tanks are primarily designed for anti-tank duty. Until very recently, western tanks were not equipped with HE-FRAG rounds at all, which is the primary ammunition for dealing with infantry. In contrast, Soviet tanks and now Russian tanks have always considered the HE-FRAG round to be the primary ordnance of the tank.
Russians see tank warfare as integral in providing fire-support for combined arms groups, and exploiting breakthroughs. In the current conflict, exploitation has not been possible, due to the NATO support Ukraine is getting in the form of electronic intelligence, surveillance and supply lines from factories which cannot be touched. If Russia will be able to use tanks in their intended role of exploitation again remains to be seen, but the reality of modern combat might make this impossible with the Soviet style tanks. However, this is no different for the western tanks all of which proved very easy to destroy with simple drones and old land mines.
If we actually go by the established narrative in the west, it doesn’t actually look that good. As you may remember, in the beginning of this war, when most of the Russian tanks were lost, we heard a lot about the super weapons of Javelins, N-LAWs and Bayraktars and other such weapons. These weapons are highly modern and extremely expensive. All of them created after the T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks were made. So essentially newer anti tank weapons from the west destroyed older Soviet tanks. This is to be expected surely?
Contrast this with the destroyed Abrams, Leopards and Challengers. Most of which were taken out by FPV drones or mines. The T-72 is indeed vulnerable to a javelin, the Leopard 2 was proven vulnerable to a toy drone with an RPG-7 warhead from the 1970s duct taped to it. Indeed most of them did not blow up catastrophically, but they are destroyed none the less.
Western tanks have a good reputation, because people are very impressed by first world militaries beating up under-equipped and exhausted third world countries without modern weapons. Ukraine is the first time these western tanks have actually encountered a professional military with modernish weapons, and they have completely failed to live up to their hype, instead performing no better than Ukraine’s T-64 tanks really.
I am of course not saying that Russian tanks are phenomenal, but they were designed to fight this kind of war, and losses were expected in their inception. This is less true for western tanks, which on the other hand has been lauded as nearly indestructible, and was claimed to be able to sweep aside Russian defenses when they encountered them. This turned out to be a pure fantasy, and the reality is that both western and eastern tanks are equally destroyed by drones, mines and missiles, and are otherwise fairly similar in capabilities.
Quick
Shorpy
Have you ever walked into your house and noticed a sound that you thought was suspicious? What happened?
Actually, was lying in bed sick once, a few years ago, and my son took my car to school, wife left for work, daughter drove off in her car. So, I’m alone in the house and no cars are in our driveway. I’m lying there quietly resting upstairs in my bedroom. No TV on. Just silence… suddenly I hear the sound of broken glass. Then I heard the back door opening downstairs, and the sound of glass crunching under someone's feet. our sensor went off. it was on silent and because it wasn't armed, it wasn't calling police. Our dog (a German shepherd) who was laying on the edge of my bed, jumps down and starts to slowly walk to the open bedroom door, slowly, the hair on the back of her neck was standing straight up. She started a low slow growl and inched forward until she got to the edge of the door and I could hear the stairs creaking. Our dog then got into hunting pose and raised her front foot and deepened her growl and I could now see her baring her teeth. I had never seen her like this. She almost looked like a wild animal. I reached over into my nightstand and pulled out my loaded Glock handgun. I pointed the gun at the opened door wondering if the dog would scare the intruder away or I would see her being shot. Suddenly our dog ran forward barking and loud snarling sound and I heard a scream and thumping as someone ran for their life from our dog who clearly has a hold of them. I hear the front door slam and ran to window to see a guy running through the front yard and off down the sidewalk. I called the police and described him. He was caught a few streets away with blood running down his arm and he had a hole torn in his pants.
our brave pooch just came back upstairs, wagging her tail and jumped back on the bed and acted like nothing happened. She had blood on her face, but after cleaning her I realized it wasn't her blood. LOL She got a few extra treats that week.
As a police officer, have you ever responded to a call and once you got there said to yourself, “Nope, not worth it” and just left?
Once. I pulled up behind a car stopped on the shoulder of the interstate. 5 Hispanic gang banger types standing around it. I ask if they need help. They spoke very little English but they spoke Spanish among themselves. I noticed they kept encircling me. I would step out of their circle and they would encircle me again. Then a guy in the back seat hiding under a blanket appears. Hackles on my neck are standing straight up by now. So… I get back to my squad car and drive away. I don’t know how it would have turned out had I stayed but I am pretty sure I would not be here to write this answer.
Edited to add the following. In rural areas there is no backup. I was the only squad car within 50 miles. Secondly while I thought these guys were acting weird they were not actually doing anything illegal, they were simply stopped along side the interstate and standing beside their car.
Aliens & Espionage: Crop Circles and the CIA Coverup
What's a thing elderly people regret in their lives?
My biggest regret was having children, I gave my life to my kids, they got everything, the best clothes, the best food, the finest schools and I stayed in a loveless marriage for 25 years to make sure they got a good education. They complained every day of my life, the clothes weren't expensive enough, the food wasn't good enough, they never went to class. All in all a total waste of my entire life, my oldest is 33 and my youngest is 31. It’s 9 years since I've seen or heard from them, they don't answer emails, I don't know where they are, I feel like, to them I was just an ATM
Orange Shrimp Quinoa Bowls
A Bowl Full of Flavor
The sauce is light and has a sweet yet spicy vibe. Everything rests over 1 cup of steamy quinoa – a filling base that also serves as an easy way to add some healthy grains to your diet.
Yield: 2 servings
(Culinary.net) If you're looking for a dinner or lunch combination that is wholesome, filling and, of course, easy, you're not alone. Meal prepping is a popular trend for many people (and families) who are working on healthy eating habits but are constantly on the go.
No matter if you're searching for a healthy family dinner, a quick lunch at home or an easy idea to meal prep for the week ahead, this Orange Shrimp Quinoa Bowl is perfect for seafood lovers who also enjoy a hint of spice. It's fresh, healthy and full of deliciously prepared shrimp and veggies, including mushrooms, peppers and cucumbers.
To make this quick and easy recipe, prepare the quinoa according to the package directions and set aside.
Next, combine orange juice, hot sauce, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, lime juice and miso in a medium bowl and whisk together.
Pour about one-fourth of the liquid into a separate bowl and set aside the smaller portion.
In the medium bowl, add shrimp to marinate for about 15 minutes.
Add butter to a hot skillet, along with the shrimp mixture. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes on each side then add mushrooms and cook until tender.
Now it's time to assemble your bowls. Start with quinoa then top with bell peppers, cucumbers, green onions, avocado and the perfectly pink shrimp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro for some extra texture. Drizzle bowls with the remaining sauce.
Find more wholesome and healthy recipes at Culinary.net.
Watch video to see how to make this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cucumber, sliced into half moons
- 5 green onions, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside.
- In medium bowl, whisk orange juice, hot sauce, honey, soy sauce, vegetable oil, lime juice and miso until combined. Pour one-quarter of liquid into separate bowl. Set aside.
- Add shrimp to remaining mixture and marinate 15 minutes.
- Heat large skillet over medium heat with butter. Add shrimp, salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes on each side until pink. Add mushrooms and cook until tender.
- In two serving bowls, divide quinoa, bell pepper, cucumber, onions, avocado and shrimp. Sprinkle sesame seeds and cilantro over both bowls.
- Drizzle with reserved dressing.
- If you feel yourself becoming attracted to your best friend’s spouse/SO, don’t think self-control will win. RUN to the nearest exit and don’t look back.
- It’s not worth it to move into a neighborhood where the residents enjoy a higher standard of living than you can afford. If you do that, you’ll always feel poor.
- A friendship is not worth it if the person makes you feel bad about yourself even if it’s only from time to time.
- If you think you can’t afford to invest money in an IRA early on, see what it’s like working beyond 65 because you failed to plan.
- It’s not worth buying the “house of your dreams” only to be “house poor”.
- Credit cards can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Decide early on what kind of relationship you want to have with them.
- It’s not worth it to tell your current best friend a long-held secret. Your friendship may die, but your secret will be passed on.
- If your friends do drugs, it’s time to find new friends.
- Dinner should be a family time with an exchange of the day’s events. It’s not worth it to turn it into a battleground by forcing your kids to eat something they don’t like. Not even a taste. As their taste buds mature, they’ll try everything you “forced” them to eat when they weren’t ready.
- Arguments are a “great” opportunity to drag out a laundry list of past grievances. Agree, early on, not to do that.
- Don’t get married until you can afford to live on your own. Moving in with the in-laws is a bad way to start life together.
- It’s not worth it to drop out of school because you hate it. Stick it out. You’ll be glad you did when you fill out a job application.
- It’s not worth it to curse “a blue streak” then hear those exact words coming out of your three-year-old’s mouth. It’s truly ugly to hear that.
- It’s not worth it to marry “just” because you love someone. You must be in agreement/compatible on the major areas of your lives.
- It’s not worth it to take a vacation visiting museums and strolling through historic districts when your children are very young. When toddlers are bored they cry. Wait until they’re older or grown to take that type of vacation.
- It’s not worth it to “beat your children into submission”. Instead, deprive them of an item they love or something they love to do. They’ll feel the “pain” and you’ll get your point across.
- Don’t ignore your spouse/SO when she/he is talking to you. You might miss something that will alter your relationship altogether. Worse yet, he/she might give up trying to communicate with you.
- My uncle worked at a job he hated for 41 years only giving lip service to looking for another one. Don’t waste half your life like my uncle did.
- Unless your parents are utterly despicable, listen to their advice. You don’t have to take it, but give them the courtesy of listening. In most cases, no one else in the world is more interested in you than they are.
- It’s not worth it to let your child play one parent against the other. Be in agreement in front of the kids then work out your disciplining differences behind closed doors.
What is your weirdest dorm room experience?
I set off the fire alarm for the entire campus.
It was mortifying. And weird.
I was starving and broke in college, and after I once walked 45 minutes to meet my brother so I could save on bus fare, and greeted him with a rumbling stomach, he was appalled. I was peeling potatoes for a caterer at $7 an hour every spare moment I had between classes, but it barely covered my textbooks, let alone transportation and food.
My mom kept sending him food packages and money, so he asked her if she could send some food to me next time instead.
She sent me a bag full of steaks, and I was very grateful. I had a tiny burner in my dorm and I used it to sear them, then cook in cheap wine.
Those steaks were delicious. It was the first time I’d had normal food all year.
My dorm counselor was sure I was an alcoholic because every time she walked into my dorm room, there was another half empty bottle of wine there.
One day, I was running low on wine and didn't have enough money to buy more. I decided to reuse the wine I had and cook a second steak in it the next day.
Big, big mistake.
I put it in my pan, and started writing a report while waiting for it to get ready. All of a sudden, I smelled something smoking. I ran to the burner - the wine was burning. I frantically turned the knob off and raced to open the window-
but it was too late.
The loudest fire alarm I ever heard went off.
Girls started racing out of their dorm rooms. Students were screaming, crying, “Fire!”
I didn't know what to do. There was one other girl in the dorm with me. We gave each other a significant look, she nodded to confirm she wouldn't tell everyone it was me who caused this wreckage, and I dumped the wrecked pan into an empty cabinet.
We went out into the crowded hallway and my dormmate started yelling into the cacophony “It’s a drill! It’s just a drill!”
Then we heard other alarms pealing. I finally got out of my dorm building and watched in horror as the alarms went off in the other dorm buildings, one by one. They were all interconnected.
Each building evacuated. One of my classmates was panicking because her pet goldfish named Denis was stuck in her dorm room, and she thought Denis was going to burn to death.
My friend was down the hill a few blocks away, and heard the fire alarms. In fact, most of the neighborhood heard the alarms. It took hours to still the pandemonium.
That was definitely my weirdest dorm room experience. And my most embarrassing one too.
This WRECKED Her! Oliver Anthony - 90 Some Chevy Reaction
"If you really want to scratch Washington's neoconservatives hard and get the scabs off the wounds—they hate Tehran more than they hate Beijing. Beijing is a big economic challenge, a big specter out there, and it threatens that tiny little island of 23 million democratic people called Taiwanese. That's sort of pro forma for China. With Iran, it's visceral hatred. John Bolton would like to go to Iran and dance on the Ayatollah's grave—that's how serious it is with some of these people. So, don't ever think that we hate China like we hate Tehran. That's just the reality of the situation. It's not every American, and it's not every member of the Biden Administration—or it wouldn't be every member of a Trump Administration—but it's enough people to make the policy demented. And that's what our policy towards Tehran is. That's why we—you know, 'Oh no, nobody talks to Tehran unless we give them permission to.' China's interest in the region is economic; it's Belt and Road Initiative development. It's, 'I got lots of money. I want to turn that money into more money. I want to do this; I want to do that. But I also have this interest in, and Washington has given me an unprecedented opening to show that we're better than Washington; that when you sign up with us, they may tell you that we're predatory. They may say we're going to steal your farms, we're going to do this; we're going to do that with your labor force—but we're better than Washington. And let us demonstrate—just give us an opportunity to show our diplomatic prowess, our economic prowess, our financial prowess, our agricultural prowess—whatever it might be. Give us a chance to demonstrate, and if you don't like this aspect of it, we'll back up a little, and you tell us what you want.' That's kind of China's approach now, and it's working. It's working as much as anything because of Washington's errors—mistakes, drastic mistakes—like this unbridled, unquestioned support for Israel. While Tony Blinken cries in his milk, and others do, and Biden sometimes cries in his milk over the horrors that are taking place. They haven't turned off a single bomb, a single bullet—they haven't turned off anything. So, China's got a wonderful opportunity here to show us up as the biggest hypocrites on the face of the Earth. And that's what they're about. Their diplomatic prowess is going to aim at showing the rest of the world what insane people live in Washington. And they've got a marvelous opportunity to do that with regard to Gaza, and to a lesser extent but growing every day with regard to Ukraine, because that is a lost situation too. And yet, we're hanging on to it. The greatest strategic failures in history have usually happened around countries, armies that don't realize, or don't want to realize, that they're being defeated. And so, what they do is they double down, or triple down. They reinforce strategic failure, and then the failure becomes catastrophic. In this case, the failure becomes NATO collapses, falls apart. Washington has no more hegemony over Europe. Europe stands up its own security identity in desperation, and it's a very fractured security identity because it isn't an alliance; it's France, it's Germany, it's Norway, it's Sweden, and they're all going off on their own separate ways. And that's not probably very good for Europe, but that's what we're headed for if we don't stop this insanity in Ukraine. And China's just watching and saying, 'Okay, we'll backfill there too. You want us to negotiate the peace treaty in Ukraine? We'll backfill there because look, we're telling you the 'rules-based order' that Washington keeps claiming is the way the world ought to run is a disaster. How can you not see that it's a disaster? Look at Gaza, look at Ukraine, look at Libya before, look at Afghanistan, look at Iraq—it's a disaster. We're taking over.'"
Excerpt from remarks by retired American colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, in an interview with Nima R. Alkhorshid, May 8, 2024.
Comics
It has been 9 years since the Chinese government announced the "Made in China 2025" plan, and there is only 1 year left. Did their plan fail after being isolated by the West?
China has become the largest ship builder in the world.
No need to mention China’s high speed rail network and its exports of rail technology to other countries, the US included.
Huawei and Lenovo are still the dominate players in the global telecom and consumer electronics markets.
China is the largest manufacturer of solar power equipment, and also the largest producer of alternate/renewable energy.
Chinese space station has just completed new crew change, and a new lunar probe is on its way to the far side of the Moon.
China has deployed numerous AI and robotics in many sectors.
As for Chinese EVs, this picture explains it all:
(source: gmw cn)
So not only the “China 2025” plan has not failed, it has achieved many milestones even earlier than planned.
CIA and Wall Street are taking over Argentina: President Milei sells off his country
A new Geo-political reality is forming globally.
What's the dumbest thing you've heard a defendant say in the courtroom?
Originally Answered: What's the dumbest thing you've heard the defendant say in the courtroom?
This was approx 10 years ago.
I rode a motorcycle to work and back quite often, and as it was a rather sporty bike, would often speed excessively, if no other cars were on the road in front of me.. as it happened, my work location was some 15 miles down a straight 4-lane interstate highway road…
One day while heading to lunch, I was on the long straight stretch, with nothing ahead for at least a mile.. FAR ahead was a single trailer truck… So a twist of the throttle, and pretty soon I was going ~80mph over the speed limit.. yeah.. fast.. well over 120mph. (and don’t bother berating me about speeding. I’ve never been in an accident, have raced on 3 continents on both bikes and cars, and while I know it’s a violation of the law, it’s really not much more dangerous than taking a shit, if you know what you’re doing and respect physics)….
Aaaaanyway…
At those speeds it only takes seconds for things to unfold, which is why boys and girls, you should NEVER speed on city streets and in areas where your sight-lines aren’t A VERY LONG WAYS (and obviously where people likely to pull out in front of you or cut you off).
So after only a few seconds I was catching up to the semi truck in the right lane..
But a lot happens in one’s mind in just a few seconds… and is even more sped up when one is moving at extremely high speeds.
Being a 40+yr old guy I was well aware of my speed, and being a bit safety conscious (yeah, seems like a paradox, but I take calculated risks), I began to roll off the throttle, so as to not pass him with a 100mph closing speed (high closing rates are a recipe for disaster).
About the time I was within 7 or 8 seconds of the truck (which is a long ways off at those speeds), I realized there was a car in the right lane, directly in front of the truck.
About 2 seconds later I recognized it was a state trooper…. yikes….
I buried the clutch, and grabbed all the front brake I could reasonably use - - eventually standing the bike on its front tire (at around 120mph!!)… and still came zipping right up beside the trooper…..
About the time I passed the truck and was almost even with the troopers’ rear bumper, I realize my goose was cooked… so I decided better to pass him speeding, than to pass him speeding, balanced on my front wheel, and at a greater risk for a wreck.
So I did what any sensible road-racing idiot does - I let off the brakes, let the rear wheel touch down, and looked down at the speedometer, so I’d know what speed I was going to be charged with…… 92mph.. in a 60 mph zone.. oh well.. 30-over is good enough for a trip directly to jail, I thought to myself..
Mr Trooper, apparently having his radar gun going bonkers, had already assumed I was going to blow by him and try to outrace him, so he had stomped the gas pedal and flipped on lights & sirens.
However, I had continued braking, and by the time I was passed his car, was barely going faster than he.. and I’d already kicked on my blinker and was signalling to get off the roadway.
I slowed & stopped safely, pulled well off the road and turned the bike off, assuming I’d be arrested on the spot.
The trooper hadn’t even had time to radio this in, so he was a few minutes delayed in getting out of his car and approaching me. As he approached, I pulled off my helmet, and his response was comical — he was obviously NOT expecting a 40ish yr old guy.
The Trooper (a rather obvious rookie, very young and unsure of his words) took his time, and seemed almost apologetic for stopping me (despite my near felony speeding act).
He wrote me a rather minimal ticket of <20mph over in a 60mph zone, and mentioned that he’d try to help me if I met him at court, since I was so cooperative and didn’t try to run him…
So, I thanked him deeply, said a quick prayer, and went on my day, much more slowly..
Fast forward to court…
Of course I went to court.. only idiots skip court.
So traffic court is in the county courthouse… I show up in a sports jacket and button up, making sure I’m IN the courtroom 30 minutes before the time… This is when officers often show up to ‘make deals’.. now my name is well down the alphabet, so if something is happenning alphabetically, i’m almost always at the end of the line.. and today is no exception…
I saw as the trooper could call folks up one at a time (pre-court time), discuss their ticket, attempt to make a deal, and most of them would accept a deal, take the ticket (usually cut down a bit), and go pay the fine…
Mr Trooper called a lady up..
Now this lady had been sitting near me, telling everyone around her how unfair this whole thing was, that she commuted daily to the city, how they tried to trap her, and how this was entirely unfair.
So when he called her, I knew it would be worth hearing…
Of course she laid into him….. how he was just trying to trap her.. How she was just going to work, and why 15 mph over the speed limit was what everybody else was doing, so why did she get a ticket…
And of course the crowning jewel argument: “I pay your salary- why are you doing this to me?”…
At this point, a few of us in the back of the room were snorting laughing.
The trooper being young and apparently inexperienced with harassment of this nature, attempted to respond with kind words and professional courtesy..
Eventually she wore him down, and he just closed his book, turned to her, and said, “fine - you can discuss it with the judge”.. (and knowing from my extended experience in this particular courthouse, this meant only that she was going to be fully charged with the entire ticket, would pay the entire fine, and then would be charged administrative fees equal to the fine - so in other words she’d pay 2x’s the original ticket fee)…..
She stomped off..
and I was next…
I approached the trooper while he was still taking notes, and said “wow-do they often treat you that way?” he said “not very often - but some people….”
I mused out loud - “it’s just ridiculous how disrespectful people can be.”
then he remembered me - “oh yeah you were the guy on the bike that stopped..”
yup.. that’s me..
He looked at my ticket, looked at me, and looked over his ticket notes again… after a rather pregnant pause, he said,
“Well, look, I know you were speeding, but I don’t know the exact speed.. How about we agree on a 9mph over posted speed, and you just go pay the fine? And no points..”
so there you have it.. I shoulda been in jail.
or at least arrested.
and fined tremendously.
and instead I walked with a $62 fine and no points on my license…
ironically I passed the bitchy lady in the hallway… but no I didn’t say anything to her… figured I’d have enough good luck for the week…
Is China the world's number one economic power already? Why or why not?
It’s 2024. China has been the world’s #1 economy by purchasing power parity for 10 years now.
PPP is a more meaningful measure for comparing national economies than nominal GDP.
China is the undisputed industrial/manufacturing superpower of the world. The USA doesn’t even come close.
China is the largest trading partner to over 120 countries.
Over 150 countries participate in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
More than 40 countries wish to join China-led BRICS, which already has 9 members representing nearly half of the world’s population and a third of the world’s GDP.
BRICS is leading the world to de-dollarize, undermining the supremacy of the US Dollar.
All of the above confer enormous economic influence on China.
The USA is considered #1 because of the US Dollar supremacy. But this power is declining year after year. Nevertheless, I personally regard China as the #1 economic power.
Elmer Yuen: We are on the Brink of WW3. Blinken's ultimatum to CCP - stop exports to Russia or else
How long will it take for the Chinese army to surpass the American army in terms of power, considering their recent investments in military resources?
China’s military is already more powerful than America’s. America is in denial about how much its military has deteriorated over the decades.
China has the world’s largest army.
China has the world’s largest navy, including superior destroyers like the Type 055 and Type 052D.
China has most impressive stealth fighters like the J-20 and J-35.
China has a vast rocket force, including superior hypersonic missiles.
China’s military tech is absolutely state-of-the-art.
Denial is not a river in Africa.
TikTok Ban and US Tripwire for War in Taiwan Strait
What rare fact do you know about an animal that would change a lot of people's perceptions of that animal?
This is a tough one for me. I can’t exactly think of any particular one, so I am going to write about a few animals, and the truths behind their popular misconceptions.
1- People understand that Ants are cooperative animals, but I don’t think they understand just what kind of beings these insects really are.
You can not think of Ants as individuals. That’s the first mistake people tend to make.
An Ant Colony is a single being, acting cohesively in perfect synchrony through a nervous system of pheromones. A being with its own digestive system, excretory system, and a million mouth parts sweeping the jungle floor for prey ranging from Goliath Spiders to small Mammals. They operate under one mind, an enormous being with the reach and impact of a million small components.
Ants are the only animals in the world with a 110% successful predation rate. I added an additional 10% because of their surprisingly successful ability to farm fungi (Leaf-Cutter ants in particular), thereby assuring that they have a constant supply of food available for the colony.
In short, don’t think of Ants as hundreds of separate little robots, because they’re not. Think of them as one giant, populous being with an expansive nervous system and an incredibly underrated intelligence. These guys give ‘hive mind’ a new meaning.
2- Granted, some people are aware of these animals’ carnivorous nature, but not everyone.
Everybody realizes Hippos are absolute demons, and that they will not hesitate to maul down anyone dumb enough to wander into their rivers. But their evil nature extends further than that. That image above is assuredly real, a Hippopotamus will tear open and devour a floating Zebra if given half the chance. In fact, live prey isn’t off the menu either. Calling a Hippo herbivorous is straight-up denial, and even ‘Omnivorous’ is stretching it a bit.
These animals don’t depend on lettuce as an appetizer. They will eat you. It might make them sick, but they will still eat you.
This next one is just for fun:
3- Meet Portia, the Jumping Spider that hunts other Spiders, twice its size.
Okay, arachnids that prey on other arachnids isn’t exactly a new phenomenon (even though I consider it to be impressive). But trust me when I say this, Portia is a revolutionary Spider.
Why, you ask?
She’s a genius … genus.
“Portia is a genus of jumping spider that feeds on other spiders. They are remarkable for their intelligent hunting behaviour, which suggests that they are capable of learning and problem solving, traits normally attributed to much larger animals.” (Wikipedia)
Portia is the first spider that has been observed forming advanced strategies to approach her prey. She plots a tactical path in her head, and executes it near perfectly. Jumping Spiders are active hunters, but this 8-Legged-Spy really takes it to a new level. Portia is incredibly intelligent for a spider, hence why she seems to be able to make a living on far larger prey than herself.
You can thank David Attenborough's “The Hunt” for that one.
Shorpy 2
I just love this picture of the small town on the river. It is so nice and rural.
August 1941. "The Connecticut River at Bellows Falls, Vermont, and on the far side of the river, North Walpole, New Hampshire." Car Heaven. Medium-format negative by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information.
Pattaya Thailand: A Day with a Young Thai Room Cleaner
I really like Thailand. But those sexpats make me feel icky. Never the less, this video really gives you a nice "feel" for Pattaya. Worth the time to watch.
My favorite part is around 16:30 where they are having tea and eggs. Oh, such fond memories!
What did General Dwight Eisenhower think of General Douglas MacArthur?
The underrated General Dwight D. Eisenhower— affectionately referred to as “Ike” by American people — was a great judge of character.
Before being designated as MacArthur’s primary staff officer, Eisenhower was renowned in the US Army as a supremely hard-working and capable officer who willingly went to extraordinary lengths to produce superb and meticulous staff works. Even the always-arrogant MacArthur would appreciate (initially willingly and then grudgingly as their relationship deteriorated) the enormous energy, work ethic, and ability of Eisenhower.
Eisenhower’s service under MacArthur began in the early 1930s. Thereafter, he would toil for MacArthur for nearly one decade first in Washington and then in Manila. That period would prove to be highly influential to his military career because during it he would learn a great deal about the challenge of navigating the murky world of politics and dealing with difficult personalities. All of those would subsequently serve him very well in his role as Supreme Commander of the Western Allies in Europe. Most importantly, he would learn what NOT to do and be from MacArthur.
His experience serving MacArthur gave him unique knowledge to make a balanced and accurate assessment of MacArthur’s character.
In short, Eisenhower regarded MacArthur as (in my own words): an arrogant, pompous fellow whose massive ego was unmatched; a great melodramatic actor; a stingy, dishonest, and lazy person.
Arrogance, Pompousness, and Ego
Shortly after assuming his role as MacArthur’s chief of staff, Eisenhower quickly perceived his boss’s massive ego and pompous behaviour that surpassed those of MacArthur’s own revered father Arthur MacArthur. His ego was likely engendered by his perceived brilliance by virtue of a number of his achievements impressive by American standards. He had an inviolate conviction of his own infallibility which Eisenhower pointedly encapsulated in his famous remark:
MacArthur could never see another sun, or even a moon, for that matter, in the heavens as long as he was the sun.
In MacArthur’s universe, there was room for only one star.
Indeed, MacArthur would display an unwavering conviction of his infallibility throughout the Pacific War. In spite of the many wartime military failures for which he bore heavy responsibility (most notable was his spectacularly incompetent defense of the Philippines), the man never once admitted responsibility for his failures. Instead, he habitually blamed his subordinates for any setback. He even once blamed President Roosevelt for the defeat in the Philippines.
MacArthur treated Eisenhower (and virtually anyone who was not a yes-man) with disdain. Eisenhower recalled that MacArthur’s typical manner of summoning him was by “raising his voice”. The meeting between the 2 men that followed was almost invariably a monologue where Eisenhower simply listened to MacArthur’s pontification in which he referred to himself in the third person — much to Eisenhower’s amusement.
As time progressed, Eisenhower would become increasingly appalled and frustrated by MacArthur’s massive ego, unwillingness to accept dissent and subordinates’ suggestions. Those behaviours would manifest themselves conspicuously during the period of time MacArthur, Eisenhower, and James Ord (one of Eisenhower’s best friends from West Point) served as chief military advisers for Manuel L. Quezon — the President of the Philippines.
In 1935, while en route by train to the West coast to embark on the ship bound for the Philippines, MacArthur received the news that Malin Craig
had been chosen to replace him as the Chief of Staff of the Army. Shortly after being informed of this development, MacArthur descended to:
an explosive denunciation of politics, bad manners, bad judgment, broken promises, arrogance, unconstitutionality, insensitivity, and the way the world had gone to hell.
Eisenhower and Ord just witnessed MacArthur’s ego injured by what he perceived to be intrigues against him.
Once in the Philippines, MacArthur was entrusted with the establishment of a Filipino national army. In this capacity, he was expected to oversee the training and equipping of that army. It was a lost cause to anyone with prudent foresight. The Philippines was dirt poor. There was neither money or resource to be mobilized for the production of modern weapons plus other equipment. The task MacArthur and his staffs faced was close to being unattainable. But they had no choice and had to make do with whatever resources at their disposal.
During their time in the Philippines, an event happened which illustrated MacArthur’s enormous ego was his demand to be appointed Field Marshall of the Filipino Army - one of the conditions MacArthur imposed on Quezon in exchange for his acceptance of the post of military adviser. He felt that the rank was essential to enhance his own prestige. Eisenhower regarded this demand with contempt and disgust. At the ceremony that confirmed MacArthur’s Field Marshalship, Eisenhower laughed, deriding that it was plainly
pompous and ridiculous for MacArthur to be the field marshal of a virtually non-existing army.
Contrary to what MacArthur’s supporters claimed, the idea was originated by MacArthur, as Quezon confided to Eisenhower in his visit to the US in 1942. It should also be noted that Eisenhower and Ord were offered the rank of Brigadier General by Quezon himself. But Eisenhower had the integrity to reject flatly the offer.
Even after 3 decades after that event, Eisenhower’s disdain for MacArthur’s self-appointed field-marshalship remained unabated. He thought that MacArthur was disloyal to the US Army:
You have been a 4-star general. This is a proud thing. There’s only been a few who had it. Why in the hell do you want a banana country giving you a field-marshalship?
Despite receiving splendid compensation from Quezon, MacArthur treated the Philippine President with contempt - referring to him derisively as “a conceited little monkey”. The two rarely spoke or met. When they did meet, MacArthur treated Quezon as his inferior, giving him demands instead of advice. This engendered a great deal of resentment in Quezon who found MacArthur’s arrogant behavior insufferable. His trust in MacArthur diminished over the years. Increasingly, the president placed his trust in Eisenhower, Ord and privately sought their advice instead of MacAthur’s.
The relationship between Eisenhower and MacArthur went downhill during their service in the Philippines. The frustration Eisenhower had to endure due to MacArthur’s egotistical behaviour was compounded by his growing awareness of the way business was conducted in the Philippines. The country’s political and military establishment was rife with inefficiency and corruption. Many Filipino officials expected customary bribes as prerequisites for carrying out any kind of project. This had the effect of hindering the attempts of the American advisers to establish a national Filipino army.
Eisenhower would come to clash with MacArthur with increasing regularity. Eisenhower would frequently challenge or try to convince MacArthur to change or abandon plans and objectives judged to be unattainable due to inadequate resources. MacArthur’s refusal was met by heated opposition instead of compliance. Often a compromise was reached only after a frustrated Eisenhower asked Mac to fire him. For all his arrogance, MacArthur did not lose sight of the fact he could not afford to lose one of the best staff officers in the army.
The year 1938 proved to be the lowest point in Eisenhower’s service in the Philippines. He just lost his best friend Ord in an aircraft accident. Ord’s replacement was Richard K. Sutherland — a character who was widely despised (One of MacArthur’s biographers refers to Sutherland as “an unpleasant son of a bitch”; and US Army General Walter Krueger remarked that Sutherland’s death was “a good thing for humanity”). Whereas Eisenhower had the audacity to challenge MacArthur, Sutherland would stroke his ego and become his principal sycophantic yes-man. Furthermore, Sutherland sought to get rid of Eisenhower — a blessing in disguise as Eisenhower had become weary of all the shouting matches and disputes with MacArthur.
Eisenhower eventually was recalled to the States. He had no regret. The experience irreversibly damaged the relationship between them:
Never again were we on the same warm and cordial terms
When Eisenhower became President, a jealous MacArthur mockingly said that Eisenhower was the “best clerk who ever served under me”. For his part, Eisenhower derided that MacArthur “is as big a baby as ever who still likes his bootlickers”.
A great melodramatic actor
In addition to his shameless and amusing references to himself in the 3rd person, MacArthur proved to be a highly talented melodramatic actor:
When it came to melodrama, complete with exhortations to duty and invocations to the Almighty, punctuated by exaggerated body language, MacArthur had no equal. Eisenhower was exposed to his full array of ploys and thought MacArthur would have been “a great actor.” MacArthur’s most polished performance was to parade back and forth in front of a large mirror across from his desk, dressed in a Japanese silk dressing gown, an ivory cigarette holder clamped in his mouth, admiring his profile while orating. MacArthur’s mastery of theatrics was world-class opera bouffe and the “best free show in town”. - Eisenhower: Portrait of the Hero
As an aside, MacArthur was a theatrical popinjay who loved flags, uniforms and all aspects of military regalia. Air Force General Lewis H. Brereton remarked that MacArthur was one of the best-dressed soldiers in the world.
Not bad huh!?
With his iconic corn-cob pipe and the Field-Marshal cap
Stingy, Lazy and Dishonest
Eisenhower’s experience with MacArthur was a painful reminder between the haves and the have-nots. When he started working for MacArthur in the 1930s, the Great Depression was overtaking the US and affecting millions of Americans. Unemployment was widespread. There was a marked sense of desperation and hopelessness prevailing in the country.
Eisenhower was poor. He worked in a small room no larger than a closet behind a slatted door adjacent to MacArthur’s larger office. His duty involved regular visits which he had to take the taxis or street cars. His monthly pay during the 1930s was dismal: $391 (roughly $5,711 in 2019 Inflation Calculator). His standard of living qualified as genteel poverty. His family could not afford much luxury.
By contrast, MacArthur enjoyed a very comfortable standards of living in the midst of the Depression. He had a big officer in Washington. He was given a fancy limousine and a chauffeur to drive around Capitol Hill; and he never once lent the vehicle to nor covered travel expenses for Eisenhower. Eisenhower never forgot this, as he would confide in a reporter shortly before his death:
No matter what happens later you never forget something like that.
When they were sent to the Philippines, the disparity in material wealth became even more conspicuous. Eisenhower was given an apartment in the Manila Hotel which was slightly better than his accommodation in the States. But it was unbearably hot during summer. By comparison, MacArthur lived in a sumptuous air-conditioned penthouse in Manila and was given a big office in the Presidential Palace.
Working for MacArthur entailed long hours and chronic stress. At one point, Eisenhower worked too hard that he fell ill from stress and had to check himself in a hospital, paying for all expenses out of his own pockets. Although Eisenhower kept working hard, he resented having to work long hours for a mediocre salary of $833.33 per month whereas MacArthur’s rank of Field Marshal entitled him to a princely monthly pay of $3,980 ($74,619.95 in 2019), and he earned that much money despite doing little work. He rarely came to his office before 11 AM and left early after having the regular late lunch with his son. Indeed, MacArthur’s life in the Philippines was characterised as:
more befitting a noble gentleman of leisure than a military adviser
Quezon was angry and upset not only by MacArthur’s arrogant and contemptuous attitude but also by his lack of commitment to the task of building a national army for the Philippines despite being handsomely rewarded by Quezon. (and let’s not forget that MacArthur later accepted an illegal payment of $500,000 from Quezon.).
Here is an interesting fact: Eisenhower’s staunch anti-Nazi stance attracted the attention of the Jewish community in Manila. Jewish representatives approached him in order to solicit his help to build sanctuaries for Jewish refugees escaping from Nazi-dominated Europe in exchange for the assurance that he would receive $60,000 per year ($1,046,804.17 in 2019) for a minimum of 5 years. Eisenhower declined the offer. This fact is a testament to Eisenhower’s integrity.
Lastly, Eisenhower was particularly upset by MacArthur’s dishonesty.
At one point MacArthur insisted on conducting a grand military parade in order to bolster Filipino public morale — an idea that he neither notified nor consulted with Quezon. Eisenhower and Ord contested hotly the proposal, arguing that it would squander a huge amount of the already limited funding that was available to them for the primary purpose of raising a Filipino national army. But MacArthur was insistent. His two reluctant staff officers had to proceed with planning for the event. When Quezon caught wind of the plan, he inquired Eisenhower as to why MacArthur never discussed the plan with him. When Quezon expressed his displeasure to MacArthur, he simply said he did not order his staff officers to do it. As a result, Eisenhower and Ord had to bear the blame for MacArthur’s lie.
In 1935, during his visit to the States, Quezon asked MacArthur if the Philippines could be defended solely by a Philippine Army, MacArthur lured Quezon into a false sense of security by saying “I know they can”. It was obviously a lie because Eisenhower noted later that
At no time has General MacArthur intended that the Filipinos could defend their country against a large-scale invasion by a major power.
Indeed, MacArthur had misled Quezon, as indicated by general Robert L. Eichelberger ’s note:
From late 1935 to 1938, we had heard many times the MacArthur’s expression “The Japanese would not invade the Philippines, but if they do, in case of war, we shall meet them at the beaches and destroy them. (seems like Mac was contradicting himself)
You Can’t Opt-Out of Society
This is a super important video! Holy Cow!
Jamaican Style Jerk Steak Bowl
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons Pickapeppa™ Sauce
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
Bowl
- 1 beef skirt steak (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup nonfat Greek-style yogurt
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Caribbean Jerk Seasoning Blend
- 6 cups packaged coleslaw mix
- 2 cups diced fresh mangoes
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Garnish
- Diced fresh mangoes
Instructions
Marinade
- Combine Marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak and marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours or as long as overnight.
Bowl
- Combine yogurt and jerk seasoning in large bowl. Add coleslaw mix, mangoes and quinoa; mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
- Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Pat steaks dry with paper towel.
- Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 7 to 12 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 8 to 12 minutes) for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness. Remove; keep warm.
- Divide cole slaw mixture among 4 bowls.
- Carve steak against the grain into thin slices. Season with salt, as desired. Place steak slices on top of coleslaw mixture.
Garnish
- Garnish with diced mango, as desired.
Nutrition
Per serving: 401 Calories; 14g Total Fat; 5g Saturated Fat; 7g Monounsaturated Fat; 79mg Cholesterol; 715mg Sodium; 47g Total carbohydrate; 29 g Protein; 4.2mg Iron; 4.7mg Niacin; 0.7mg Vitamin B6; 110.1mg Choline; 3.9mcg Vitamin B12; 6.1mg Zinc; 21.7mcg Selenium; 5.9g Fiber
The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)
Oh... here's a fun movie for a lazy Saturday.
In the wake of a mysterious gas attack that decimates much of the Earth's population, a small band of survivors finds themselves fighting for survival in an English village.
Led by an American jet test pilot, the group faces off against an ominous threat: figures in space suits that are not here to rescue but to kill with a mere touch. A
s they navigate through a landscape of desolation and danger, they discover that their adversaries are not human but robots, part of an alien invasion's vanguard.
In a desperate bid for survival, they arm themselves, uncovering a glimmer of hope in their struggle against the unknown.
This 1964 British science-fiction horror, directed by Terence Fisher, offers a chilling narrative of survival, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit amidst apocalyptic terror.