.
Scott Ritter talks about the PLA
An influencer sent me this link in regards to Scott Ritter talking shit about China.
"...and in this debate he really exposes himself-- check out how deluded he is about Chinese military capacity. It's staggering, and couldn't be just plain ignorance. Insulting to China's achievements too. As you've so often said, be very careful whence you source your news!"
Well, I'm not about going to dare risk raising my blood pressure over someone talking shit about something they know nothing about. So I politely declined to watch the video.
The influencer replied...
If believing that a 50 year old US missile submarine-- Ohio Class boomer-- can "sit in deep water a few miles from the Chinese coast and launch 40 [50 year old design, subsonic cruise] missiles" that will hit their target-- get this-- "without the sub being even detected" is the kind of statement that will up the bp?
So, I then asked this of ChatGPT4.0
Scott Ritter is now a famous person on the Internet, and he has been making many videos about Ukraine. His appraisal of Russia, and Ukraine seems to be solid and is correct. But now he is making statements about China's military. I was in the ONI, and I have spent most of my life studying and working with China and I find his statements about China very erroneous. In fact, they seem to reflect a mainstream American mind-set. Please tell me what his experience is with China and Chinese military. What has been his exposure to the PLA, and NPLA?
And ChatGPT4.0 replied...
Scott Ritter is a former United States Marine Corps intelligence officer and United Nations weapons inspector. He is best known for his role in the inspections in Iraq, where he gained prominence for his opposition to the Iraq War and his critiques of U.S. foreign policy. While Ritter has indeed made numerous public statements and videos about international military and geopolitical issues, his expertise is primarily rooted in Middle Eastern affairs, particularly Iraq. Ritter’s formal background and professional experience do not indicate significant direct exposure to China or the Chinese military (People's Liberation Army, PLA, and Navy PLA, NPLA). His primary areas of focus and expertise have been the Middle East, arms control, and intelligence analysis related to weapons of mass destruction.
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Military and Intelligence Career: Ritter served in the Marine Corps as an intelligence officer and later as a ballistic missile adviser to General Norman Schwarzkopf during the Gulf War. His work with the UN involved extensive inspections in Iraq during the 1990s.
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Public Commentary: Post-military, Ritter has become a public commentator on military and geopolitical issues, often providing analysis on conflicts and international relations. However, his comments and analyses are not always based on first-hand experience or specialized study of every region he discusses.
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Exposure to Chinese Military: There is no publicly available evidence to suggest that Ritter has had direct involvement with or extensive study of the PLA or NPLA. His perspectives on China's military capabilities and strategies seem to derive more from secondary sources and general geopolitical analysis rather than primary experience or specialized research in this area.
Given his background, it's reasonable to conclude that Ritter's views on China reflect a broader, perhaps less specialized understanding, shaped by general geopolitical discourse rather than deep, direct expertise on Chinese military affairs. Your observation that his statements seem to reflect a mainstream American mindset aligns with this context, as his primary experiences and insights are rooted in Western military and intelligence frameworks, with limited direct exposure to Chinese military practices or strategic doctrines.
Today...
Communists, why do you refuse to acknowledge that the wealthy have money because they are smart and save/invest while your comrades are poor because they are mentally ill and unintelligent?
I am Chinese, as is well known, China is a socialist country under the rule of CCP. So, I want to explain this issue with my own experience.
Intelligence is a natural advantage. Similar advantages also include "health". This means that someone is naturally healthy, has a stronger immune system, and is better able to resist virus attacks than others. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, naturally healthy individuals are able to evade the pursuit of the virus. When others become critically ill or even die, this naturally healthy person can ultimately avoid infection and survive. And those with poor physical fitness passed away after the first round of the pandemic in early 2020.
Some people may say, "There is no way to avoid it, this is life. Because people with strong innate immunity always live to the end. This is the screening of nature.". This statement is logically consistent with the questioner's statement that "some people are born smart, so they can find ways to make money and become wealthy, while others are born not smart, so their ability to make money is low and they eventually become poor.".
Yes, it looks right. Wisdom or foolishness, strength or weakness, are all gifts from nature. This gives everyone in the world a different destiny. This is natural selection, the law of nature. However, in socialist China, this is politically incorrect. Because fundamentally, the goal pursued by Marxism is "the comprehensive, free, and full development of human beings", rather than "your fate is determined by God.". During the pandemic, China cannot allow the laws of nature to determine human life. So, economic development, transportation, school education, and commercial activities are no longer important, but are replaced by blocking the rapid spread of the virus. Since 2020, there have been only three ways to achieve this goal: screening infected individuals through Covid-19 testing, establishing super hospitals to treat these individuals until they recover, implementing lockdown policies to stop all activities of those who have not yet been infected, and staying at home. Until everyone (1.4 billion people) completes nucleic acid testing, all infected individuals enter hospitals for treatment, and until they recover, another 1.4 billion people are able to resume their free activities. In this way, from 2020 to the first half of 2022, China will become an isolated island in the world, a healthy and virus free island. Chinese people can freely move on their land.
This policy, which appears to temporarily deprive people of their freedom, artificially breaks the "natural selection" and allows healthy and naturally weak individuals, as well as elderly people with chronic diseases, to all survive. At the same time, the largest scale of vaccination in human history has been implemented throughout China. In order to ensure that all high-risk groups are vaccinated, volunteers, community workers, CCP members, and civil servants conduct vaccination surveys almost door-to-door and encourage vaccination. Some rural areas even adopt the activity of giving cash for vaccination and 5 kilograms of eggs for vaccination.
By mid-2022, Covid-19 had already harvested several rounds of life worldwide. But at the same time, the virus itself is also changing. It presents two characteristics: low mortality rate and high infection rate. At this time, after 2.5 years of epidemic control in China, people began to realize that prevention was impossible. At this point, complaints from Chinese people arose. Considering that China has already completed vaccination for all its population and the virus is no longer so terrifying, almost overnight, China lifted all Covid-19 control measures. This incident occurred in mid December 2022.
My mother-in-law suffers from severe chronic kidney failure and heart failure. After the lifting of epidemic control measures, she was quickly infected. For three weeks, she struggled almost on the brink of death. In the end, due to vaccination, preparation of a large amount of symptomatic medication in advance, and paid home care provided by the hospital, she recovered in a few weeks. After three years of passivation, Covid-19 still caused serious harm to her, but she survived.
My father-in-law told her that if China had implemented the same relaxed epidemic policy as the United States in 2020 three years ago, then she would have been dead for three years. Obviously, in statistics, even if China does not implement strict epidemic policies, half of its population will not die. Young people like me have a high probability of surviving even in the first round of the pandemic. However, elderly or seriously ill patients are also more likely to die. The Chinese government has implemented seemingly incredible policies in order to ensure the survival of all people.
Even though many Western media outlets criticize this policy from various perspectives and firmly believe that the lockdown is only to maintain CCP's rule. But all Chinese people have personally experienced the panic of the first few months of 2020. They know why the city was locked down, understand and support the government. After all, we are all children of our parents. We are still the parents of our own children. We don't want our elderly parents to die from the pandemic, nor do we want our children to suffer from serious complications of infection. We all hope to live well. CCP helped us survive.
I think I have already answered your question. I come from China and my English is not very good. I have used a translator for some of my text. Thank you for reading.
Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Bake
Chicken thighs are nestled in a deliciously-seasoned mixture of sauerkraut, onions, apple, apricots and raisins.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 (2 pound) package Perdue® Fresh Chicken Thighs
- Salt and ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 (14 ounce) can sauerkraut, undrained
- 1 (14 ounce) can whole onions, drained
- 1 tart red apple, unpeeled, sliced or diced
- 6 to 8 dried whole apricots
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, or to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season thighs with salt and pepper.
- In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook thighs 6 to 8 minutes per side until browned.
- Meanwhile, in 9 x 13 inch shallow baking dish, mix sauerkraut well with onions, apple, apricots, raisins and brown sugar. Nestle thighs into sauerkraut mixture.
- Cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 180 degrees F.
What do you see here?
What is the lamest “benefit” you’ve been offered by an employer?
When I was in my teens, and needed a part time job while going to college. I don’t remember exactly what minimum wage was then, but i was just at that figure. After working diligently for 6 months, and my boss kept saying that if i did well, I could expect a raise after 6 months. When the 6 month time peroid had passed, at a company function, while having a casual conversation with my boss, I asked what i could expect for a raise. His answer was a nickel, meaning a nickel an hour, I started to laugh, as I thought he was joking, but he wasnt. He began to question my laughing responce, and when I discovered that he was serious, I laughed even harder, I couldn’t help it. The job was hard to do, not in the physical sense, but in the responsibility sense, and was very stressful as well. So a pay raise from .95 cents an hour to 1.00 per hour actually was very funny. My view of him after that, I could barely look at him without chuckeling, or grinning. I still cant believe that he thought that I should be overjoyed at his generosity, it still makes me laugh.
China's BRILLIANT Move | Silently Built World’s First Drone Carrier
In the restaurant industry, what are some of the most outrageous complaints you've heard customers make?
It was my first day of training at my very first job and a customer comes in very angry. I greet her and ask how I can help. The conversation goes as follows. (Me=M, Customer=C, my boss =K)
M- Hi, How are you?
C- I have a problem with my Dr.Pepper.
M-Yes ma'am. What seems to be the problem?
C-(in a very angry put out tone) My Dr.Pepper is carbonated.
M-(confused as all get out) I'm sorry ma'am but what's the problem? Is the Dr.Pepper not flavored enough. Maybe the syrup went out.
C- No it tastes good but its carbonated. It's not supposed to be carbonated.
M-(still no clue what the issue is) give me one moment ma'am.
I walk back to my manager who's working the line making food for everyone in the lobby
M-Hey K. This customer up front is mad that her Dr.Pepper is carbonated?
K-(very clearly not listening because we were in the middle of a rush) fill it up in the drive thru and have her see if that's better.
M-(not really sure but not wanting to argue with my boss) okay?
I go back up to the customer after filling up a cup from the drive thru drink fountain.
C-(tried the Dr.Pepper) no it's still carbonated. What game are y'all playing?!
I walk back to my boss and make her look at me and really listen to what I say.
M-K, this customer is mad because her DR.PEPPER is CARBONATED.
K-(Finally hears the complaint) Well what the F*** does she want us to do about it?!
M-(visibly laughing at this point) that's what I was trying to tell you.
K-(laughing as well) just give her something that's not carbonated like tea or pink lemonade.
M-(still laughing) okay (I walk back to the customer) ma'am, would you like to try some tea or pink lemonade or something else.
C-(still very mad and clueless about how dumb they were being) *scoffs* fine pink lemonade but y'all need to fix your Dr.Pepper or I'm never coming back
M-(thinking to myself sarcastically) and what a tragedy that would be.
Is the USA losing world hegemony and the world becoming multipolar actually a good thing? No one country dominating other countries but having a counter balance.
Yes, it’s a very good thing.
US world hegemony has resulted in endless wars, endless sanctions and endless coups over the last half century. It has caused enormous death and destruction. It has violated national sovereignty and frequently broken international law (defined by the UN).
The USA respects no country. It simply bullies and exploits.
China and Russia are building a new multipolar world order that will be more fair, more just, and more egalitarian. There will be no more self-serving imperialist wars such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam.
The Global South will finally see healthy economic development. The current world order did nothing to help Global South countries in Africa, Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
Militaristic EU - Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen
What is the rudest thing you have ever seen someone do?
I was at a grocery store checkout once, and I saw these three college kids having a field day with a poor clerk who was trying to bag up their groceries. The whole thing, apparently, started when he dropped a bottle of wine they were buying. He apologized, cleaned up the mess, and rushed back to get them another bottle.
While he was gone, they started talking about what a "complete idiot" he was. They proceeded to make fun of the way he looked, the way he was dressed, his weight, his glasses, you name it. When the poor guy got back, they didn't let up. They started insulting him right to his face, calling him a whole litany of terrible things until they had him on the verge of tears. The kid was only about 16; he was terribly overweight, and I could see how he was probably an easy target for any bully. I was bagging up my own stuff, but I was completely mesmerized by this entire exchange. Suddenly, the kid must have said something because one of the guys reached out and popped him across the face. It wasn't a punch or a hard slap, just some wussy little pop meant to humiliate him. To my amazement, the kid didn't walk away. He just stood there red faced with tears welling up in his eyes. The dude reached out and popped him again and, for some reason, this was the funniest thing that these guys had ever seen in their lives. They were laughing like there was no tomorrow.
I kept looking around for a manager, thinking someone needed to say something, but I finally realized that no one was going to. Then it hit me: Why couldn't I say something? I reached out and grabbed the kid, and pulled him out of the way. I stepped up to the guy, pulled a 20 dollar bill out of my wallet, and told him that I would give it to him if he would hit me like that. He stared at me for a second like I had lost my mind before asking what my problem was.
"You're my damn problem," I responded. "Hit me in the face like that; I dare you." Well, there were three of these guys, but they didn't look like they had ever been in a fight in their entire lives. I am a little over six feet tall, and I weigh around 225. I don't consider myself to be a tough guy but, needless to say, they didn't want any part of me. Instead, they simply started gathering their things and headed for the door. I pulled the kid out from behind me, and ordered them to apologize. They laughed at me, and hurried for the parking lot. Well, I was a lot angrier that day than I thought.
I followed them out of the store all the way to their car doing my best to start a fight. They got very quiet, and not one of them had anything to say. Instead, they just kept their heads down, and refused to make eye contact.
I let them leave, and then pulled the kid aside and told him to never let anyone push him around like that. In the future, he needed to, at least, walk away and find a manager. At this point, the kid just broke down in tears and sobbed on my shoulder. It turned out that his dad had died only a year earlier, and he and his mom were all alone in the world. At that point, I really wished I had put one of those bastards in the hospital. Instead, I gave the kid my card, and told him to call if there was ever anything I could do for him. I never saw or heard from him again.
The US Dollar Total Collapse Begins! Major Countries DROP The Dollar | Entire World Changes Forever!
What were the worst two minutes of your life?
“Rachel, come here please. Quickly.” I sensed an air of desperation flood our dirty apartment as my biological mother croaked out her plea. I ran.
“What?” She pulled me in, her head down towards her crossed legs, hunched over like Quasimodo.
“I love you-- so much. Do you hear me? I love you. I’m so sorry.” With each word, I felt sicker.
“Mom, what’s wrong? Why are you saying this?” My voice was somewhere between a sob and a scream.
She glanced towards the two empty orange bottles on the nightstand to her right. I swiped one. Codeine. Empty. Both were empty.
“What did you do?! Are you trying to kill yourself?!” I knew. I felt unreal, like the terror was bigger than my body.
“I’m sorry. You’re better off without me… You don’t even love me. You never tell me you love me.”
“I love you so much. No, no, oh God, no.” I rushed toward the landline.
“911, how can I help you?”
“My mom is trying to commit suicide.”
I was 13 when my biological mother attempted suicide. That was 6 years ago. While she is still alive, this remains to be the single most painful two minutes of my life.
6390Hz - DESTROYS Negativity In & Around You (⚠️ MAY FEEL AS THOUGH TIME STOPS)
Art various
What type of aircraft mishap has only ever happened once in the whole history of aviation?
In September of 1987 a co-pilot made an emergency landing in Portland, Maine. What had happened was the hatch of the aircraft had flown open and it appeared that the pilot was sucked out and lost.
The airplane was a Beechcraft 99, a commuter craft that was capable of carrying 15 passengers but on this flight there was only a little bit of freight.
During the flight the co-pilot said he could hear an air leak in the passenger cabin. The pilot then got up and walked back in the passenger area to investigate and was looking around the exit hatch when the airplane hit turbulence and the pilot fell against the door. When he fell against the door, it opened and he seemingly flew out.
The co-pilot radioed the nearest airport about his emergency and was directed where to make his landing. When he landed he was amazed to find out that the pilot did not fall to his death but was in fact hanging on for dear life on the hand rails on the hatch door. He was hanging upside down with his head below the bottom of the door steps while the airplane was flying 190 miles per hour.
When the airplane landed the pilot’s head was only a foot above the tarmac. It took the rescue crew five minutes to pry the pilot’s hands off the railings, survival instinct for you.
The pilot’s name was Henry Dempsey and the incident was dramatically re-enacted in the tv series Rescue 911.
The Chiefs SHUT DOWN Angry Feminists
Given how the Chinese never had a vote in their government ruled by Chinese Communist Party, should media when reporting make the distinction between China and the regime ruling China, when referring to 'China' in their reports?
This question shows that the person asking has zero knowledge of China’s government and election process. I suggest that the person asking this question do some research before asking more questions so that he does not embarrass himself by showing his lack of knowledge.
Let us look at the democratic process of the Chinese “parliament”, the National People’s Congress and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Members of the National People's Congress (NPC) are elected by the Provincial People's Assemblies from all the provinces and regions throughout China, including Hong Kong and Macau.
Members of the Provincial People's Assemblies in turn are elected by lower level assemblies, and so on through a series of tiers, to the Local People's Assemblies. The Local People's Assembly is very much like a village or small town assembly, members of which are directly elected by the people living there. The voters know personally who they are electing.
Unlike in Western democracy, what happens through this system is that the voters, for each level, are voting people whom they work with and know very well. For example, members of the local assembly would vote for the best among them, those who can work and produce results, to represent them at the next level.
Through this system, only the best gets chosen for the NPC, after several layers of the selection process.
This is different from Western democracy where members of the public elect candidates whom they don't know personally. The candidates are only known from TV appearances, news in the mass media and similar non-personal things.
The very best from among the NPC members are then elected into the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. This is the group that runs China - individuals who have been chosen through a highly competitive selection process and have proven their ability to govern at a lower level.
This is the reason why China's economy is growing at such a fast rate - only very capable leaders make it into the Standing Committee.
China Turns Tables on U.S, CANCEL U.S SANCTIONS on RUSSIA
Is Comac hiding its technological progress and misleading Biden by showing a long time horizon to avoid a trade war?
No.
Airliners is a special business, even within aviation.
Why?
They carry passengers in the tens to hundreds.
That is why there is extraordinary scrutiny on the entire system, down to the stewardess serving cup noodles on budget flights.
Yes, she has to obtain a type certification, just like the pilots, and it is specific to the airliner model. The same goes for the maintenance crew—everyone is trained, tested and certified, with the cycle repeated to maintain currency.
This extraordinary level of training and oversight is what makes flying far safer than driving.
Every physical part of an airliner is tested to death, especially the engines. Even the number of coats of paint is a controlled spec, not only because paint add weight to the airframe, but the thickness can alter the operation of moving parts, especially the control surfaces.
Comac has recently introduced its first narrowbody six-across C919. It is at the most painful stage currently, ironing out teething issues for the early jets, while ramping up production to fulfill the burgeoning order book.
It will have to document every spec, down to the training requirements for technicians and crew, and make the material broadly available to all customers and regulators. It will have to publish procedures for the safe operation and maintenance of the aircraft, and establish the technical limits of the airframe and moving parts.
All these take time, especially if one starts from a clean sheet, and the entire process is regulated by authorities, who will have to sign off on the type certification.
It is a rigorous process that takes lots of time.
Disney Casts Anya Taylor-Joy As Snow White? Anya Is Excited To Replace Rachel Zegler From The Movie!
Be the Rufus
"At 3am I got a phone call stating that my sister had been killed in a car accident due to some young dumb punk! I haven't slept and instantly got on the road. Of course we were speeding, trying to get back to Detroit. And we got pulled over in Ohio. I knew I was going to Jail due to a petty warrant. The police called Wayne county and they refused to come get me because of the distance. I explained to the officer that my sister had died and that I needed to get to my mother asap. I broke down crying and he saw the sincerity in my cry. He REACHES OVER AND BEGAN PRAYING OVER ME AND MY FAMILY. He offered to bring me 100 miles further to Detroit because they towed the vehicle. Everybody knows how much I dislike Cops but I am truly Greatful for this Guy. He gave me hope."
The Worst Economy I have ever seen
Why are Chinese people so brainwashed?
Gee, you’re the self-proclaimed “China expert”. You even studied “China” at Harvard (whatever that means) so you must know better than people who’ve actually visited, lived or done business there, right? So why are you asking all us brainwashed peeps?
I do find it odd that you proudly proclaim a connection to NED, whose job is to spread the gospel of democracy (coincidentally, mainly to countries that the United States doesn’t view as allies).
But well done, keep preaching it, brother.
However, the reason I raise this point is that it automatically makes the motives of your question (and any of your questions about China) suspect. Because what you’re essentially saying here is that anyone who doesn’t agree with the American view — YOUR view — that China is the fount of all evil in the world must be de facto brainwashed and a wumao.
Never mind that an actual visit to China and exposure to Mainland Chinese people would likely lead you to a different conclusion entirely.
So I’d answer your question this way: disagreeing with the American narrative on China doesn’t automatically equate to brainwashing. Neither does it equate to blind support of China or believing that the country is perfect.
But I do wonder something. If you really are with NED, how do you reconcile what you do to spread the gospel of democracy to the world with the fact that the United States itself has demonstrated time and time again that it’s willing to hold its nose and ally with authoritarian countries and odious dictators?
Have a lovely day.
Barbecue Beef Roast
Ingredients
- 1 (2 – 2 1/2 pound) beef chuck roast
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Place the roast in the slow cooker (slice in half if using a 4-quart slow cooker).
- Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the roast. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Remove the roast and shred with two forks (it just falls apart), place in a serving dish and ladle some of the juice over the top before serving.
How America RUINED the world's screws! (Robertson vs. Phillips)
War story
You're a 19 year old kid.
You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .
Its November 14, 1965 . LZ (landing zone) X-ray.
Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.
You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out.
Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.
You look up to see a Huey coming in. But.. It doesn't seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.
Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.
He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's
flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway.
And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board.
Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!
Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.
He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, died at the age of 81, in Boise, Idaho.
I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing,Medal of Honor Winner Captain Ed Freeman.
Now... YOU pass this along.
Honor this real hero.
What is the most bizarre way you've landed a job?
I was at a party (mid 1970s). Amidst all the chatter, I heard these two guys talking about a contract they’d just secured. Sponsored by a government lab to bring together scientists and engineers and government functionaries and get them to go over technical details of a power generation project. This was just their sweet spot, but they were concerned about running sessions to get these diverse groups to talk to each other, and coming up with a coherent final report.
I eavesdropped, then butted in. “I’ve done a good bit of that at my job at UCLA,” I said. I suggested ways to do this. They ended up inviting me into their project to handle the interactive part. The event went very well, and other labs wanted to bring us in.
But my two partners weren’t interested in this type of work—not technical enough for them. So they handed the whole thing over to me. I had a company with half a dozen employees and a government contract.
Started me down my road to entrepreneurship.
China's Latest Move Has Governments Freaking Out
Have you ever gone into a restaurant that looked unappealing from the outside but ended up having delicious food? If so, where and what did you order?
It has happened more than once.
One restaurant visit that I remember particularly was in Wuhan, China. It was in 2006. I was on my way to Ichang and Three Gorges (the big dam). I wasn’t in a hurry and stayed for four days in the city.
On the first evening I walked along the street where I stayed and looked for a place where to eat. Everything was in Chinese. There were no signs in English, so I couldn’t even memorize the name of the street where I stayed. I wouldn’t venture too far, not to get lost.
Anyway, I found a restaurant close to the shabby hotel where I stayed. I went inside and it looked quite unappealing. Simple forniture, tiled floor and very bright lights. The interior looked cheap and uninviting. At first I thought I wouldn’t eat there, I’d only have a beer. But, after a while I realized I wouldn’t find another place. Nobody spoke English and I wouldn’t know where to go. I had no choice and decided I’d have whatever they had to offer.
I drew a fish on a napkin - that would be my order. Somehow, I tried to explain with gestures that I’d also like some side dishes. When the food arrived I was in a shock. That would be enough for a family of four. Everything looked really nice, especially the fish. It was a whole fish, steamed and garnished with vegetables - it looked like a masterpiece. The whole dinner was a devine culinary experience. I didn’t manage to eat it all - I left some of the small dishes that accompanied the main dish. And the most suprising thing came at the end - the bill. I paid 35 yuan for the whole feast. It was equivalent of 6 US Dollars. One of the best meals of my life, that I still remember after 18 years.
What were some things kids did in the 70s that would horrify today’s parents?
80s kid but close enough:
A) My parents literally had NO IDEA where I was the vast majority of my childhood.
Every day from 1st grade on I was unsupervised from 3-6pm since my parents both worked. Weekends if I didn't have a sports game I was out in the world gone for hours at a time, no way for them to contact me, I didn't check in, road my bike into different towns and all over my town.
B) Made all my own plans. Starting around 3rd grade or so, any after school or weekend social activities I set up myself with friends. Called peoples houses, talked to parents, made plans, never asked for permission.
I was in charge of those decisions.
I was responsible for my safety.
Only reason I would call is if I wouldn't be home for dinner. Same rules seemed to apply to all my friends.
C) I was in charge of my transportation to and from school and after school activities before 6pm. Rain? Either I remembered an umbrella or I got wet. Snow? Same deal