It was the middle 1990’s and I was living in Shreveport, LA. At that time, I was a principal engineer of the Electrical products group at Poulan Weedeater; a major manufacturer of outdoor appliances. The entire experience was Hellish. Shreveport was the “pits”; a hot crime ridden city well past its prime. The company was a real Hell as well, and my group was led by a rather egotistical tyrant.

I was pretty unhappy there.

The entire experience was all pretty awful. What made it even worse was my mentally ill wife who was just (at that time) entering the worst part of her mental illness. It was pretty horrible living with a mentally ill sick person. She spent most of that time (in our shared lives) going in and out of mental hospitals, and bouts of trying to kill herself.

Today, with that horrible backdrop, I wish to relate my first and hopefully my only serious heart attack. It hit me at a young age. I was in my mid 30’s. My wife was in the hospital in a medical coma as the result of a serious overdose, and I was busy working on a very aggressive design project.

My manager (at that time) was pretty ridiculous and insisted on 12 hour days, and at the end of the day called a meeting where he locked the door and had us endure a “group meeting” that lasted for around two hours. Roll-call was taken during this meeting and if you missed the meeting, you would be penalized. Many lost their jobs as a result for losing too many attendance points. And it was a real concern. After all, I needed the medical plan to pay for my wife’s treatments.

I was in the workshop and busy making a prototype of a electric hedge-trimmer when I noticed that I had two minutes to make the meeting. So I turned off the lathe, took a swig of Pepsi, spun around and then suddenly I had this massive pain. It felt like a big giant grabbed hold of a wire attached to my heart and pulled.

I crumbled to the floor. I really did.

I am not being dramatic. I just fell to the ground clutching my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do anything, I just gasped for air. And then…

…the event ended.

Somehow, was able to breathe. The shock was still there, but the pain faded away.

I got on my knees, and made it to the door to the meeting, and found that the door was locked.

(Sigh)

The next day, right before I left work to go to the hospital to check on my ill wife, my manager took me in his office and berated me for missing the meeting. He warned me that if I missed the next one that I would just forget about working there any longer.

(Sigh)

Two weeks later. I went to my doctor complaining about a weakness and fatigue that I was experiencing. I also needed to get my anxiety and stress medicines renewed. The doctor took me in and conducted a basic checkup and when listening to my heart had to check, and then check again. And then yet again.

Then she went and ran a check on my heart. Yup, my heart was not sounding right. And that was how I discovered that I had a heart attack, and that my heart was damaged by the attack. I ended up with “extra heart-beats”, from the damage.

Later on, when my wife got out of the hospital and was on the mend, she noted the bills for the extra heart related check ups and procedures that I had to have. She asked me what was going on, and I told her that while she was in a coma, I had a heart attack due to the stress that I was under.

Then the next day, while I was at work, she must have felt guilty and tried to kill herself yet again. Sheech!

Why?

Because I cared for a bat-shit crazy wife? Because I cared and did my best at a terrible job? Because I put others in front of me because they were my responsibilities?

Yes. That is why.

Do Not Ever Be Like Me.

…

Today…

What was the absolute most disrespectful thing a customer ever said to you, and what did you do?

Several months after 9/11, I had a customer come in wearing a shirt that simply said, in big, bold letters, “MUSLIMS SUCK”. So I approached the *cough* gentleman *cough* and explained to him that he couldn’t wear that shirt at our establishment, he would have to wear his jacket over it, go in the bathroom and turn it inside out, or leave. He asked why he couldn’t wear it. I explained that it incited hatred on the basis of religion and we didn’t tolerate that at our establishment. Now, having thrown many people out of a casino I’ve been called many things in my career, but next came the most colorful: “So what are you, a f*cking Muslim-loving, c*nt-ass b*tch?” I replied, “Well, now you just get to go home.” He informed me he would sooner leave in handcuffs than walk out willingly. I assured him I could arrange that for him. And I did.

I had a married couple who were dealers and happened to be Muslim. He came up to me afterward and thanked me profusely; the T-shirt had, unbeknownst to me, made his wife cry. I was more than happy to assure them harassment of their beliefs at work would never be tolerated. They were both wonderful people and just as distraught as the rest of us over the events of 9/11. The other guy was just a jackass.

I highly recommend reading this article on the impact of 9/11 on Muslim communities

. It sheds light on the challenges faced by Muslims in the aftermath of the tragedy and highlights the importance of standing up against hatred and discrimination. The story shared in this article perfectly exemplifies the need for understanding and tolerance in our society.

Hey! Look what happened!

Netanyahu wants US involved in war – ex-Pentagon official

American ships near Israel could become another “Gulf of Tonkin,” Michael Maloof has said

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would like Washington directly involved in the conflict with Hamas because he hopes to expand the war to Lebanon and Iran, a former senior security policy analyst at the US Department of Defense, Michael Maloof, told RT on Wednesday.

On Monday, the US ordered

the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and five guided missile destroyers to the Eastern Mediterranean. According to Maloof, this “meets Netanyahu’s wildest dreams.”

“He wanted the US involved in this conflict,” the former Pentagon official told RT.

Netanyahu “wants to open up the war with Lebanon, by attacking Hezbollah” in pursuit of his ultimate objective, “to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities,” Maloof added. For that to happen, “he has to have a Gulf of Tonkin moment, if you will.”

Maloof recalled how US President Lyndon Johnson essentially started the Vietnam War by sending ships to the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964. An alleged North Vietnamese attack on two US destroyers was then used as a pretext for direct involvement.

The US has also pledged to help Israel with deliveries of weapons and ammunition, with the Pentagon insisting

it has enough to do so and continue supplying Ukraine. Maloof is skeptical of that assertion, however.

He also told RT it was “not surprising” that some of the weapons Washington had sent Kiev ended up in the hands of Hamas.

That accusation was first made

by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Ukraine’s military intelligence, the GUR, responded on Monday by accusing Russia of sending captured Western weapons to Hamas militants in a “false flag” operation designed to make Kiev look bad to its backers.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the weapons claim, but rejected the Ukrainian insinuations of Russian involvement in the Hamas attack as “complete nonsense.”

Baked Beans Supreme

Simply delicious! Baked Beans Supreme can double as either a side dish or a main dish.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1/2 pound ground beef (I use a little more)
• 1 large can pork and beans
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar, depending on taste
• 1 small onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Cut bacon slices into 1 1/2 inch pieces, then cook. Drain grease.
2. In the same skillet used to cook the bacon, brown ground beef, then drain well.
3. Add bacon and ground beef to beans.
4. Mix in remaining ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour or until brown.

Meanwhile in the USA…

The Debt Clock is now quoting verses from Revelation!!

World Hal Turner 09 October 2023

The US Debt Clock, set up in the 1980’s by a Billionaire named Durst, has – for the second time in history – quoted the Book of Revelation and placed religious symbols on the site.   The firstt time it did this was on October 3.     Why is this bastion of finance quoting End Times Revelation twice in six days?

On Sunday, 8 October 2023, at 9:04 PM EDT,  the Debt Clock appeared as shown in the full screen shot below.   Note the Biblical citation along the top man banner: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a Trumpet” (Click image below twice to fully enlarge)

That Scripture, featuring Revelation 1:10  deleted at precisely Midnight.

We can also see a document or piece of art behind the verbiage

Alpha and Omega

7 angels and 7 candles (7+7) ?

Jerusalem and Palestine Maps of Christianity  VERA HIEROSOLYMAE VETERIS IMAGO   (HERE)

Turns out, It’s a drawing of the map of Jerusalem from Ezekiel’s prophecies.

Revelation Ch 1 vs 1-20
7 lights/candles
7 angels

The “debt clock” has always been a professional thing. It was in New York and then, later, it went online.
It is run by a billionaire family . . .  the same family since the 1980’s.

What are they trying to tell us?   That this is the end of our monetary system?

After all, complete economic collapse is one of the seals in Revelation.

End of financial system?

FIRST TIME – OCTOBER 3

Back on October 3, of this year, the Debt Clock showed — for the very first time — another Biblical verse:

““And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and Overthrew the tablets of the moneychangers”

I have no idea what it all means, except maybe this billionaire family is trying to communicate something to us;  and it sounds apocalyptic!

The clock’s first incarnation was installed in 1989 on Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets, one block away from Times Square, in New York City by real estate developer Seymour Durst, who wanted to highlight the rising national debt.

At that time, the national debt was almost $3 trillion and 50% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Up until the week before his death in May 1995, Durst himself adjusted the tally via modem. After his death, his son Douglas became president of the Durst Organization, which owns and maintains the clock.

As of September 2009, Douglas Durst’s cousin Jonathan “Jody” Durst was taking over the day-to-day operations as president. In an interview with The New York Times, Jonathan said that maintenance of the clock is planned “for years to come.

I don’t know all about Scripture.  I’m not a Priest, or a Rabbi, or a Preacher, or a Reverend.   Heck, I’m just a Holiday Catholic – went to church on Christmas and Easter.  But at the ripe old age of 61, I absolutely believe there is one, Almighty God, whether he is called Jehovah / I am that I am / Yahweh.   I also absolutely believe he begot one son Y’Shua  / Jesus  who I am taught is the Christ / Messiah.

So being as I am Scripturally ignorant, and not any kind of Bible thumper or expert, I am not even remotely qualified to interpret this.   But I CAN tell you this looks  bad to me.  I take this as a harbinger of imminent doom.

As a medical professional, what is the strangest condition you have ever come across?

Practicing neurosurgery for years I saw many strange things, but one that comes to mind was a young man who had been in a car accident. I had been informed that my 8 o’clock surgery had been delayed because of an emergency. They wheeled the patient down the hall on a gurney. He was conscious and sitting up. Attached to his head was the rear view mirror from a car. The mirror had a small metal sphere on its end, part of the mechanism used to adjust the mirror’s position, and that was inserted into the right frontal bone of his skull. There was no bleeding and inspection at surgery showed it had not penetrated the skull into the brain. I still have mental images of this kid. He looked so silly with a rear view mirror sticking out of his forehead. And then there were the inappropriate thoughts … how could this happen? … was he trying to see what was behind him? There is always a bit of humor in medicine. We laugh or otherwise we cry.

My mom recently died and her landlord let family members go in and pack up her apartment after I told her not to let anyone in there. Can I sue her?

When a good friend, from the Marine Corps, was K.I.A., his eldest brother cracked open the deceased’s apartment, before the funeral had taken place. My friend’s widow, also deployed, hadn’t even been notified, yet. By the time she knew of the situation, their home had been ransacked by nearly twenty members of two families.

I called the brother, and offered him an out, which he blew off. Over the next ten days, I contacted each of the offending parties; only two responded, and not favorably. Then, acting on the widow’s behalf, I hired an attorney and filed police reports. I went to the D.A., who filed 98 separate charges against all of the perpetrators, including the management and owners of the complex.

After sixteen months of legal crap, nine of the family members(one was an attorney, another a university economics professor) were convicted of misdemeanors, spent between thirty and sixty days in jail, and paid both restitution and fines of $500.00–6,000.00. The eldest brother, an electrician and small-business owner, now a felon, spent eight months in jail; the widow sued him and won a $450,000.00 settlement. The apartment complex ended up terminating the managers; and, they paid the widow $2.9M.

Not one of these people had been a criminal, prior to the incident. They were simply ignorant, greedy assholes, who deserved everything they got.

What Do People Think of “Socialized” Medicine? – REACTION

What is the biggest lesson you learned that no one teaches?

• No matter how much you try, you’ll miss something in your life everytime.

• The more you care, the more you lose.

• If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it.

• If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

• If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same position.

• Don’t trust on your luck, it can be changed at anytime.

• No matter how slow you progress, but you’re still ahead of everyone who is not trying.

• The one who gives more has always been cheated whether it is love or trust.

• With time, only discipline and perseverance takes you forward.

• Sit alone, you’ll find all your answers.

Many and more Chinese on Quora claim, with Huawei introducing the new 5G phone with 7 nm chip made in China, that the three semiconductor makers, South Korea, Taiwan, USA, will be taken over by the Chinese China chip makers very soon. Do you agree?

That is not a given.

However, the global chip industry has been upended by US machinations and the inevitable Chinese response.

This is a matter of life and death for the Chinese economy, and not just its tech industry, because a small office in the Department of Commerce can hold the Chinese to ransom through liberal application of US IP control, under the guise of “national security”.

The entire global supply chain of advanced materials, design tools/software, manufacturing hardware, control systems and finished chips has already been disrupted by arbitrary American orders to stop doing business with Chinese entities. The Chinese have no choice but to treat all foreign entities as potential risks that can seriously disrupt the downstream economy, because even humble household appliances contain chips today.

This is an existential issue, and makes cost competitiveness irrelevant as a barrier to entry. The Chinese will create completely indigenous chip supply chains at various nodes to satisfy volume demand, down to the tools and materials. This will inevitably lead to a glut in global supply, and create new business models from the ashes of ex-China competition. Given the huge sunk cost for foundries, the bulk of subsidies being doled out aplenty by Joe’s administration to “derisk” will go up in smoke, because there is a finite market and limited application for the cutting edge.

That is, however, merely the best-case scenario.

What if the Chinese make headway in the premium, cutting edge segment? In other words, what if the mainland begin to make the world’s best chips in the next 5–10 years, using original hybrid solutions? Whether it is transistor geometry, material chemistry, logic layout, node shrink dividend, or some other breakthrough, I don’t put it beyond them. My friend in the industry certainly think it is possible, because she knows firsthand the quality and quantity of talent on the mainland side.

That is a scary proposition, China becoming both Mercedes and VW in the chip business.

Expect a hairy ride for the material and tool enablers in the coming years, because their customers will have to critically examine the assumptions baked into obsolete business models. Unfortunately, they will have to navigate an uncertain future, courtesy of Joe’s administration turning on the fog of war through economic coercion. The Chinese are playing among themselves, and this is a walled garden that western intelligence will find hard to penetrate, even if they employ Chinese diaspora.

The chip business will never be the same again.

South Korea Betray U.S and E.U: Invite China Xi Jinping!

What’s the most incredible coincidence that ever happened to you?

One day, my car was hit in a car accident. The police found that it was the other person’s fault and took him to jail for not having insurance. When I went to see what I should do next, I found out that someone bailed him out. Until now, things are okay and I thought that it’s going to be okay. 9 months in, the guy doesn’t answer any calls and claims that I’m the one who should be blamed for the accident. People at the station knew me because I come every few days (don’t blame me as fixing the car is estimated to be $4,000). Anyhow, they advised me to go and escalate to the head of that station and see what can he do. I went there and gave him the entire story. Once I was done, he called someone from his office and told him to help me close the case. I gave this guy everything and he made one call to the guy I’m looking for. I told him he doesn’t answer his phone. But surprisingly, the guy answered and I heard a lot of shouting and the guy on the other end of the line saying nothing at all. The call ended and immediately I got a call saying that my money will be ready tomorrow! I thanked the guy and asked him what caused him to change so dramatically. His answer was:

“I’m his father.”

Why do the Chinese not care about the lack of freedom?

Chinese wants real freedom. Americans want pretend freedom.

If you cannot go to some parts of the city it is not freedom. If you cannot walk the street at 3 am it is not freedom. If your kids get shot just for going to school, it is not freedom. If U.S. with 4% of world’s population has 25% of world’s prisoner that cannot be freedom.

If you can get necked to death in open daylight due to your skin colour. That cannot be freedom. If you cannot have health care for not buying insurance it is not freedom to stay alive. If you need to get into debts just for going to college, that is not freedom to learn.

If 0.8% decides that you have only 2 choice Trump the greatest liar on earth and Biden a senile ignorant, to choose for president. It is not a freedom to choose.

And if you have to choose only between Democrats and Republicans and they both do shit and nothing change. That is not freedom to choose.

Chinese people don’t want the U.S. type of freedom ever. It is not freedom, yes you can curse your leader but is that such a big deal. We prefer to give polite advice. Not scream obscenities. I think Chinese are smarter. We cannot be easily fooled.

China Warns of Coming WAR as US Diplomacy Fails AGAIN ft. Scott Ritter

After a series of meetings this summer, China-US relations remain at a low point as China sends a warning to the US over its latest escalations in the Pacific.

What “black technologies” have shocked the world at the Hangzhou Asian Games?

The Asian Games in Hangzhou, which kicked off on Sept. 25, are not only a showcase of athletic prowess, but also a dazzling display of technological wonders. China has spared no effort to impress the world with its cutting-edge innovations in various domains. Here are some of the most remarkable examples of what I call “black technologies” that have made the games a spectacle to behold:

– Digital torchbearers: This is the first time that the Asian Games have used holograms to create virtual torchbearers who can carry the flame across different locations and interact with real people and surroundings. The digital torchbearers include some of the most famous and influential figures in sports, entertainment, and history, such as Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, and Confucius.

– Electronic identity registration cards: These are smart devices that replace the traditional paper-based accreditation cards for all participants. They can perform multiple functions, such as verifying identity, controlling access, monitoring health, making payments, and providing information. They also support various authentication methods, such as NFC, QR code, and biometrics, making them convenient and secure.

– Digital spectator service platform: This is a comprehensive platform that offers a range of features and services for both online and offline audiences. For example, users can watch live streams, replays, highlights, and VR videos of the games; chat with athletes, coaches, and experts; join quizzes, games, and lucky draws; and access information about venues, transportation, tourism, and culture.

– Intelligent robots: These are robots that can assist in various scenarios and tasks. For example, there are robots for guest reception, patrolling, firefighting, and distribution; robots for public performances, such as dancing and drumming; robots for sports training, such as playing table tennis and badminton; and robots for media coverage, such as interviewing and reporting.

These “black technologies” reflect China’s leadership in digital transformation and innovation. They also add to the cultural significance and social value of the Hangzhou Asian Games. By blending technology and culture, the Hangzhou Asian Games have created a new paradigm of sports events that is more intelligent, interactive, and inclusive.

Huawei delivers China’s Declaration of Techno-Independence

The Chinese have a curious habit: they deliver a very strong and powerful message which non-Chinese just do not understand.

This was what happened at Huawei’s Sept. 25 event. Huawei unveiled some new phones and products

, and invited famous Chinese actor Andy Lau 刘德华 to make a presentation. At the same time, Huawei was skimpy about specs for all the technologies which Huawei has been showcasing since late August.

The western media wanted meat, and they didn’t get it!

There WAS meat, but as usual, they missed it. Because that is what the western media does.

One common phrase which has become popular for Huawei in China is 遥遥领先， which means “…way way ahead.” This means that the technology, for instance NearLink 星闪, is way way ahead of competing WiFi and Bluetooth technologies, while being compatible with both. Both the WiFi and Bluetooth standards committees are controlled by the west, and because Huawei was sanctioned by the US Commerce Department, Huawei had no choice except to launch NearLink itself in its own Huawei products.

Huawei’s message was clear and simple: western-controlled standards committees would NOT hamper the pace of Huawei’s innovation. It would just deliver the technologies in Huawei’s OWN products.

The US Commerce Department will not set the pace. Western standards committees will not set the pace. Apple will not set the pace.

Huawei will set the pace.

The high entertainment point was the song My Dream 我的梦 which featured a conductor, a 52-piece orchestra, and a chorus. I don’t remember the lyrics, but it delivered a clear message.

“We have a dream and we will take our own path, and no one else will set the terms.”

The message to the US was clear: “We are going to lead in technological development, not because we are better, but because we work the hardest. Our work makes us the best, and we welcome others to come work with us. But no other country or government is going to dictate the pace of our developments, we are the masters of our own destiny. And we are going to launch our products and technologies ALL OVER THE WORLD.”

Dear readers, that was the Declaration of Techno-Independence which China delivered through Huawei today.

Why was the typical middle class American family able to live comfortably with a single breadwinner 40 years ago and today both spouses work and are barely able to make ends meet?

I can tell you exactly how we did it fifty years ago. I graduated from high school in 1967. I needed to know my father’s income in order to apply for financial assistance to go to college. Our family of 8 lived in a 4 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath Victorian style home on a quiet, dead end street (street was unofficially named Gooseturd Alley) in a small town in upstate N.Y.

Dad’s income – about $17,000 per year as a sr. technician for N.Y. Bell. Let’s call it $1,400 per month for the sake of this discussion. Considering the size of the family and all, he probably took home at least $1,100 after taxes. Overtime was routine and may have added 15–25% to his base pay. Of course, the job came with medical insurance for the family. I should add that Dad had no post high school education.

He also worked part-time during racing season at the local harness racing track. No idea how much he was paid, but we suspect a night out with the boys was more important than the added income.

Mortgage – $58.00 (yes, we bought the house for $8,500 in 1965 – those were the days). Sold it for $20,000 in 1980.

Cable – $15 [actually, we didn’t have a television until the following year (that’s right, I lived through my teens with no TV), but if we had one, we would get no reception whatsoever due to our rural, mountainous location. The $15 cable bill allowed access to all the N.Y.C. stations.]

Car payments – $0.00 (Dad paid cash for all of our cars up to this time. Current family car is a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu station wagon which Dad bought, with quite a few miles, a year ago for somewhere around $1,500, give or take a couple hundred)

Car Insurance – Probably about $100 per year — certainly less than $200. I bought my first car around this time and minimum required insurance for an 18 year old driver was about $100 for the year for my $225 car. I doubt Dad had much better coverage than I did.

Utilities – This is just a WAG, but let’s say $200. We paid for gas, electricity, water & sewer, heating oil (probably our biggest utility expense), trash collection and phone (1/2 price due to Dad’s job). Not including the aforementioned cable bill.

Groceries – I’m guessing $600 per month to feed our family of eight.

This comes out to a bit less than $900 per month in expenses.

That leaves about $200 per month for gas, beer money, bowling league or whatever. Our family very seldom ate out. There were no fast food joints. May have visited a restaurant once every other month, but it was probably much less often than that. Also may not have included whole family, because we had jobs/school.

Three of the six children were over the age of 16 and we all had regular jobs. All but oldest brother, who was in college (parents did not contribute to our college back then. Dad said he might be able to help one or two of us, but how can he morally choose which ones?) lived at home but parents had stopped giving any of us money since about the age of twelve.

Dad gave Mom money for groceries and household expenses. Mom packed his lunch. He drove about 25 miles each way for work. Sometimes he would carpool with his co-workers. Gas was around $0.25 per gallon and car delivered 18–20 mpg. Two tankfuls per week would cost $8.00. Family went on a two to three week camping trip every summer (didn’t include those of us who had jobs) and we made at least three trips to N.Y.C. a few years ago for the 1964–65 World’s Fair. All in all, both parents were quite frugal.

Family was very involved in church, school, community events. Dad volunteered his time to help hang Christmas lights downtown, the boys always came along to help. There was a community youth center with a pool, tennis courts, ball field, picnic tables, swings, slides and an events center that had roller skating on weekends and could be used for dinners, dances and other celebrations. Children pretty much lived there during the summer, and also hung about for the rest of the year.

Obviously, after expenses, there wasn’t a whole lot of disposable income left over. Yet, our parents managed to give generously to all the children every Christmas, could afford a modicum of leisure activities and we always had a warm house to live in and plenty of food. I would say we lacked for nothing. There were actually no recognizably rich people within 15 miles of our village. The richest person in town was owner of the local lumberyard and could afford a ’63 Corvette Stingray split window coupe for himself, a ’64 Chrysler 300K (with a 4-speed) for his wife and an Austin Healey Sprite for his son (total cost, perhaps $10,000). They lived in half a duplex across the street from his business.

The teachers at our school seemed to be the ones with the nicest houses and newest cars. They were always better dressed and drove nicer cars than the students. They did a good job, too, as nobody graduated from high school without learning how to read, even if they were held back until they were 20. At least two-thirds of graduating students went on to college and half of them received their undergraduate degrees in 4–5 years.

By the way, I didn’t qualify for financial assistance for college. Dad’s income was too high. I had a regents scholarship that paid tuition and an educational loan to pay for the rest.

My Scariest Cat Rescue – Locked inside with no food for weeks.

My Scariest Cat Rescue – I was so scared of what I would find. I was called to a house, in which the owner had died weeks prior. His cats had been locked inside with no food or water. I took a deep breath before entering.

https://youtu.be/1igvdBvCIRs

What is the most badass thing your parent has ever done?

My mother was a very tiny woman at 5′ and 85 pounds soaking wet. While driving cross country late at night in 1967 we were run off the road by a group of crazy looking hippies in three different cars.

We were in the middle of nowhere with no one else in sight.

They surrounded our car and kept yelling for us to get out. it was just my mom and us kids. My mom got out of the car holding a 22 pistol in the folds of her skirt. She politely told the hippies they should leave in a strong loud voice.

They laughed and one threw a bottle at her, she didn’t even flinch!

Then she said, very nicely, “ Alright then. Who would like to die first? “

They thought that was hilarious.

Then without missing a beat she spun around and shot a guy who was sneaking up to the car!

She shot his ear right off, the spun back and shot the leaders hat off his head.

They all took off running for their cars.

My mom jumped back in our car and took off like a bat out of hell.

She shot out a tire on each of their cars and we sped away.

We were all sitting there with our chins on the floor. Then my little sister, who was just learning to count, said, “ You only got one bullet left!”.

We all started laughing, mom too but then she started crying and cried all the way to our grandparents house.

I never forgot how strong she was or what a good shot she was.

When people talk about bravery and heroes I always think of my mom.

What is the strangest case you’ve had as a lawyer?

I just read David Swanner’s answer about getting $24,000 for a claim that he would have settled for $10,000. I’ve been there, too.

My small office was broken into. To set the scene, I had a small unit in a small shopping plaza. There was a large glass window across the front, and a standard commercial steel door with two panes of glass, one above the other separated by a steel plate.

The bad guys smashed the lower plate – leaving shards around the edges – and climbed through this small opening. They stole two ridiculously large printers – took two people to carry them out, crawling through the shards – both of which were not being used because of the expense of consumables, long since replaced by a more efficient one. They took 6 diskless work-stations – old has-beens that that had been piled up in a cabinet, long since past their useable lifespan. They took a tape back-up – a machine that, again, hadn’t been used for a few years. And they took my computer and monitor.

All I wanted were my computer and monitor back, and I had replacement-value insurance. So the claim was about $4000. But the company balked. Tried to get me to settle for $1500. This was standard – they knew I needed the stuff to get back up and operating, so they played hardball. Mistake.

I borrowed a computer and monitor, and prepared a revised claim – for 7 computers, two printers, a monitor, and a tape drive, plus full cost of data recovery. $24,000 on a replacement value basis.

Again they balked.

So I served a claim – $24,000 for the equipment, plus $126,000 for bad-faith dealing. I pay for insurance, I need the equipment, nobody denied the break-in, yet they weren’t paying.

The insurers hired a top-flight law firm. Cost them thousands. The matter came up for its hearing.

And we settled at the courtroom door for $61,000.

Good pay for less than a day’s work.

Is our conception of earth being in a ‘goldilocks zone’ a fallacy? Is it possible that billions of other, far more advanced life forms flourish in zones we might consider inhospitable?

Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of exobiology, the study of life on planets other than earth!

It’s kind of restrained by the fact that we don’t know of any place in the rest of the universe that has any form of life, apart from our pitiful little light blue watery rock, but that hasn’t stopped people from trying.

Carl Sagan, working with a collaborator, came up with life forms that could perhaps exist on Jupiter, large “floaters” and fast “hunters” that ate them. This is one stage above “fictional”.

But we do know about chemistry! In fact, there are two entire fields of chemistry that focus on the chemistry of living things: “Organic chemistry” and “biochemistry”.

Diagram of the chemical reactions that make things “alive”.

Here’s the problem. It appears all this stuff needs liquid water to work. Here’s an example:

This is the incredibly simplified version of how plants turn carbon dioxide, water and light into sugar and oxygen. Just for the record, here’s how it works in practice.

Anyway, it won’t work with ice or water vapour.

Liquid water only exists in a very narrow range of temperatures and pressures.

And, yes, we call places where the temperatures are in that range of 0 to 100 Celsius the “Goldilocks” zone because its where liquid water could exist.

Now, there are lots of liquids that aren’t water that exist at other temperatures.

Like Mercury

Or propane

The problem is that these liquids are kind of limited in their abilities when it comes down to “breaking down” and “building up”. Mercury hates combining with other molecules. Propane (C3H8) breaks down rapidly in an oxygen environment but it’s hard to make (most of the earth’s propane is the result of, you guessed it, living things that broke down under heat and pressure).

One of the neat things about water is that other gases, like oxygen and carbon dioxide, can actually get dissolved in it. That’s handy if you’re a fish

And even better if you’re an aquatic plant

Now, we do know there are some really strange life forms on our own planet.

Thermal vents in the ocean are under massive pressure and because of that, water can exceed 100 Celsius near them. They still have a thriving ecosystem and modern hypotheses of the beginning of life on earth think that this is where life on our planet began, even though there’s no light (although thanks to the heat, there is lots of energy). However, these things still have DNA and use the same basic metabolic processes we do – they’re our cousins.

So, although we’re not entirely sure, we’re pretty sure that liquid water is necessary for life. When you start fiddling around with things like ammonia, methane and silicon, the chemistry starts to break down pretty quickly.

Starfleet gave up their search for Voyager 9 years ago.

This is fun.

A remarkable achievement from the mouth piece of Uncle Sam.

TOKYO—Huawei, China’s rival to Apple in smartphones and the world’s leading provider of telecoms infrastructure, is out to prove it isn’t just surviving Washington’s campaign to crush it, but is in the vanguard of Beijing’s drive for self-reliance in technology.

After the buzz around Huawei’s new high-speed smartphones, which appeared to show that China can swerve around U.S. efforts to block its access to cutting-edge technology, the company on Monday unveiled its latest tablets, smartwatches and earphones—supported by a homegrown challenger to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, global standards in wireless communication.

Initially dubbed “Greentooth,” a moniker ditched as too lighthearted, it was rebranded “NearLink,” a short-range wireless technology that the company says combines the best features of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi—and works with both. The protocol offers low-power, lightweight connectivity akin to Bluetooth, simultaneously catering to high-speed, large transmission, and high-quality connectivity needs akin to Wi-Fi. NearLink switches between modes based on the situation, Huawei says.

Set against the backdrop of increasing U.S. restrictions, Beijing has doubled down on efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in critical technologies. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited private firms including Huawei last month, urging them to pursue international excellence and gain a competitive edge in the market through technological and product improvements.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both wireless communication technologies, enabling transmission of photos, documents and other data between compatible devices. Developing wireless communications tech requires expertise in multiple disciplines, including signal processing, wireless communication protocols and software development.

Apple has spent several years and billions of dollars trying, so far without success, to make its own wireless chip. The latest iPhone still depends on Qualcomm for that component.

Huawei holds tens of thousands of patents covering essential technologies for data transmission in phones. To access high-speed networks, handset manufacturers must obtain licenses from or cross-license with companies such as Qualcomm and Huawei.

From June 2021 to May 2023, Huawei trailed only Qualcomm in the number of wireless communication network technology patents it published, holding more than 8,000 more than third-placed Ericson, according to a recent ranking from IPR Daily, a China-based media outlet focused on intellectual property. Ericsson was the inventor of Bluetooth, which is now overseen by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, or Bluetooth SIG, the standards organization that licenses the technology to manufacturers.

In Huawei’s case, it had its access to several major global technology associations restricted following U.S. sanctions. Without full access, the company’s devices, including phones, tablets and laptops, could face limitations in using vital features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Although it was later reinstated, it decided to develop its own technology, Huawei executive Wang Jun said in a 2021 interview with Chinese media.

Bluetooth SIG declined to comment on issues related to its members’ status. The Wi-Fi Alliance said at the time that it was complying with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s order by restricting Huawei’s involvement in certain activities, but it didn’t revoke its membership.

Huawei says NearLink uses less than half the power of Bluetooth, is six times faster, has 1/30th the latency or the time it takes for data to travel from one point to another, and supports 10 times the number of devices in a network.

NearLink technology was introduced in December 2021, with a focus on applications for cars. In August, Richard Yu, the head of Huawei’s consumer business, announced its integration into the ecosystem of their self-developed operating system for consumer devices. As he delivered that presentation, the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi icons typically seen on smartphones converged on the screen behind him into a green “NearLink” icon.

Yu said on Monday the technology found applications in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, industrial manufacturing and more, providing the interconnectivity for Huawei’s homegrown ecosystem. NearLink may prove vital as Huawei struggles to cope with the impact of sanctions that made it difficult to source the advanced chips needed to power its devices.

Yu didn’t introduce the latest high-speed handsets during Monday’s presentation, saying only that the company is working extra hours to meet demand.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at last week’s hearing of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee that while she was upset by the announcement of Huawei’s new smartphones, the U.S. couldn’t find evidence that the company is able to produce devices with advanced chips.

A report from Canadian semiconductor-information platform TechInsights said China’s biggest contract chip maker SMIC, made the core chip inside the device, but that it also contained memory components from South Korea’s SK Hynix.

China’s technological rise is intricately tied to its global ambitions, leveraging advancements to expand its geopolitical influence. One example is Beidou, a substitute for the U.S.’s satellite-based Global Positioning System. China has also set a domestic standard for a new way of designing chips, while global chip giants also formed a coalition to create them.

In September 2020, China formed an alliance for the country’s own short-range wireless technologies that now includes more than 300 companies and institutions—mostly domestic—including state-owned telecom carriers and makers of smart devices and cars such as Huawei, Oppo, and BYD.

Huawei remains the world’s largest seller of telecom equipment, according to market research firm Dell’Oro Group. It commands about a third of the global market, with sales about twice those of the second- and third-ranked suppliers, Nokia, and Ericsson, Dell’Oro Group says.

Airstrike on Al-Sousi Mosque in Gaza without warning

World Hal Turner 09 October 2023

At about 4:00 this morning here in the US eastern time zone, Israel conducted an Airstrike on Al-Sousi Mosque in Gaza without warning. Dozens of dead and dozens of wounded are on scene.

Said one long-time observer of situations between Israel and Palestinians “We are very quickly heading toward a Full-Scale War near the Gaza Strip and Southern Israel, this is Totally Out-of-Control.”

Refaat al Areer, a Gaza resident, tells Al Jazeera of what it was spending the night under constant sound of Israeli bombardment in the besieged enclave.

“We have run out of adjectives to describe the Israeli bombing of whole blocks, targeting Palestinian families as they slept, targeting mosques, businesses and residential areas.

“The night was unprecedented. We barely slept. The situation was terrifying.

“I think this is just going to be the beginning because the bombs have not stopped for 10 hours, not even for a minute.”

 Hal Turner Opinion

This hit on a Mosque is going to have effects that none of us can anticipate.  Emotions are going to run out of control over there.

Other countries in the region are already making known they intend to take military action.

I’m not certain where this thing is going to end up, but I can guess.

The entire world is in for a horrifying ride.

Get right with God.

Nikki Haley says she will stop China from killing Americans with fentanyl. Is the PRC doing this? If so, how?

She should do some basic research

China as on 9/5/2019 , placed an export halt on Fentanyl and all classes and listed it as CLASS A DRUG in China.

The Punishment for exporting a Class A Drug in China is D E A T H.

Today Mexico manufactures Fentanyl

The Precursor chemicals for Fentanyl come from China (60%) but also from India (21%), Vietnam (13%) and Bangladesh (6%)

And Fentanyl is crucial in managing cancer pain and post surgery pain

China sells precursor materials at the lowest rate and they are crucial for pain management

Does US ban the drug?

No

So HOW IS CHINA AT FAULT

That’s like blaming China because a car driver crashed his Tesla and killed a bystander

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Sorry but when there is a demand for a substance and a market for the substance, it is the people who are responsible for becoming addicts and it is the Governments responsibility to control the addiction

Where there are buyers, there will always be sellers

I don’t say that

Tony Blair did

He didn’t apologize for the Opium Wars and blamed the Chinese

So now technically one should blame the Americans

They consume 80% of the world’s drugs with 5% of the world’s market

That’s Capitalism 101

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So like the great Donald Trump Junior said on Nikki Haley

“SHE REALLY NEEDS TO GET LAID”

Jimmy Kimmel seemed offended but it was hilarious as hell

What was the best April Fool’s prank played on you/you played on someone else?

Having worked with my boss for a few years, we moved into new offices and he was gifted a tree for his office. I told him “do NOT touch the tree… I will take care of it so you don’t kill it.” The weekend before April Fools I went into the woods and got a few sticks the same size of the tree and some fallen leaves. Put the sticks into a jar (with rocks), took it into the office on 4/1, took the live tree out (put in closet out of view), and replaced it with the sticks and with leaves dropped on the floor. Then I went to my office. When he came in he was in a total panic… “I swear I did not touch that tree!!!” I let him suffer for over an hour blaming him for killing the tree before I brought the actual tree out. 30 years later he still talks about that event.

Why is China’s GDP always varying between 17.5 and 19.5, and never consistent?

Today the Chinese Economy generates around 126.93 Trillion Yuan a year

However you can’t compare this to other economies because they aren’t based in Yuan

So you decide to see how much the Chinese Economy is valued in US Dollars

This changes from system to system

…

First under present exchange rates,you get 7.30 Yuan to 1 USD

So in US Dollars we get 126.93/7.3 = $ 17.38 Trillion

Thus we can say Chinas Economy generates goods and services valued at $ 17.38 Trillion

However the exchange rate fluctuates too much , too rapidly and thus isn’t a fair indicator of Economic growth value

…

So organizations often use a specific period of time to establish a exchange rate that is fairer

For China, the China Central Bank uses the Average 3 year rate which means 2021–2022, 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 which works out to around 6.64 (6.17+6.45+7.30)

This the GDP of China is estimated to be = 126.93 /6.64 = $ 19.11 Trillion

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Another is a variance between the various GDP methods

China computes it’s GDP using the Production method which is how major exporters evaluate their GDP

However since most agencies are Western based, they use the Expenditure and Income methods

Via the Income method – Chinas estimated GDP is calculated at around 92.62% of it’s Production GDP , as reached by the IMF

This comes to $ 17.69 Trillion

This is called the Estimated Rate GDP Or Current Prices GDP

…

Those aren’t the only methods.

Via the Expenditure method – Chinas Expenditure is deemed to be around 7% higher than income and thus around $ 18.92 Trillion

…

Thus you can see four figures

However the 126.93 Trillion Yuan never varies because that’s the real actual economic valuation of China

The Dollar valuation is how the world values Chinas GDP

Its true for all countries

For China they have so many numbers because China uses the Production method to evaluate it’s GDP, a method that the West abandoned many years ago and deems ‘Socialist’

It will be same for Russia or Saudi Arabia or Iran

Because China has 1.4 Billion people and plenty of development, the expenditure and income method also work

If you take Iran, the Production GDP is drastically different from the Income and Expenditure GDP

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Let’s take India

Indias GDP is to be ₹272.74 Lakh Crore in April 2024

Thus the Direct Nominal GDP is 272.74/84.12 = $ 3.24 Trillion

Our RBI uses the 7 year Average base rate and arrives at 77.26 = 272.74/77.26= $ 3.53 Trillion

Since we don’t have a Production GDP

We have an expenditure based GDP which is accepted by the world and hence unlike China, there is no need to. Calculate it but accept the numbers India gives

Our Expenditure based GDP is thus EQUAL to the same $ 3.53 Trillion

However our Income is around 94.1% of our Expenditure

Thus Income based GDP is $ 3.53*0.941 = $ 3.32 Trillion

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Russia also computes it’s GDP by Production and it’s GDP is estimated to be 161.11 Trillion Rubles

This comes to 161.11/100.18 = $ 1.608 Trillion

The Base rate is 4 years or estimated to be around 81.74 and so the Base Rate GDP is 161.11/81.74 = $ 1.97 Trillion

Income based GDP is calculated by IMF as 94.77 or $ 1.87 Trillion

Expenditure based GDP is around $ 2 Trillion

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To avoid this confusion we use PPP

The lower they estimate your nominal GDP, the higher is your PPP GDP

For instance if Chinas Nominal GDP is $ 17.38 Trillion as per the Direct Nominal GDP then PPP GDP = 25.33 * (highest exchange rate /variance of exchange rates) = 25.33 * (7.30/5.67) = $ 32.61 Trillion

So on a relative footing, Chinas PPP GDP is already $ 33 Trillion and higher than US

However China dislikes this system and prefers the nominal system

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I prefer using $ 19.11 Trillion as its the fairest method in my opinion

Why America’s Plan to Contain China Will Fail

Thanks Trump and Biden for making China realized the dangers of not being self-sufficiency and self-dependency.

What is the nicest thing you have done that no one knows about?

One day I went on my usual 4 mile walk on a trail near my house. About 3/4 mile in, I see a keyring and wriststrap lying on the ground. It contains 2 keys. A car key and a house key. I knew somebody was about to have a very bad day.

So I thought about it for a while and walked back to the beginning of the trail where the parking lots are. It is a fairly large park.

i started looking for a car that I thought the key would unlock. I had a rough idea of the make and age by looking at the key. After the 4th car I tried, I found it. Now the dilemma was what do I do? I wasn’t going to leave the keys anywhere visable. That would be an open invitation to steal it.

So I walked to my car, got pen and paper and wrote a note saying the keys were in the glove box, and placed the note face down on the drivers seat. I left the car unlocked and went back for my walk.

When I finished I was walking back to my car and saw a young woman standing by the car holding the note in her hand while talking on her cell phone. She looked overjoyed. I watched her start her car and drive away.

That was my good deed of the day. I was rewarded with a 5.5 mile walk instead of 4. 🙂

Why I Won’t Move To The USA – American Expat Life

Living abroad for 14 years has given me a unique perspective on the country that I come from.

Even though I’ve been far removed from the goings on I’ve always kept up with what is happening there and have challenged myself on whether expat life is the right life for me, or would moving to the United States be a better choice.

I believe it’s important to take a look at the financial aspects of life abroad and in this episode, I’ll bring up some comparisons specifically in regard to the cost of living in Portugal compared to the US, and the resulting implications for work-life balance.

But as an American abroad, there are some elements I also can’t help but look at such as the American work ethic, credit scores, and opportunities for small business.

Yet while there are positives that are possible to look at, there are approaches to life I feel are more common to find among certain cultures.

One such problem that unfortunately, I find more among many Americans is how material pursuits can overshadow some of life’s most meaningful moments and details that can be missed.

In this expat living abroad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter hosted by me, Rafael Di Furia, will take a critical exploration of American dynamics from an expat’s perspective.

If most civil cases in Chinese court take 2 to 6 months, why do Chinese supporters claim victims of unfinished apartments don’t use the Chinese court to sue developers because court cases take too long? Does China have the rule of law?

I take it you haven’t been to a Chinese Arbitration?

I have

The parties meet, shake hands and there is an arbitrator who hears the two sides and decides on a course of action

The lawyers, the clients all shriek and scream at each other in loud voices and curse each other in mandarin

Then once they reach a settlement, they all relax like magic and go on their way

The Settlement is done in 7 Days and the Cheques are delivered in 14–21 days more

Crisp and Efficient and FAST

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Now in the US, Arbitration is court mandated

In China, almost 70% claims are settled by Arbitration

The most in the world by percentage

Even Divorces are settled by Mediation

Very few go to Civil Court

Chinese Civil Court is a tough place. You file a case, you better argue it meaning you need to spend a lot of time

You can’t adjourn the case like in India

Every hearing is crucial for both parties

You miss a hearing, that’s 5000 RMB fine and a second hearing missed is 72–144 hours jail

Plus Chinese law is very rigid and tough

If you ran over someone who was jumping the signal, you aren’t liable either criminally or damages wise

However Arbitration can help pay some damages if the Arbitrator is fair

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As for the unfinished houses, those victims have existing law to help them

They don’t need to go to Civil court Or to Arbitration

Chinese Law states that Housing, Food and Healthcare are places where contract violation is presumed CRIMINAL

It means if a Builder doesn’t deliver a flat, the law assumes he is a criminal and he has to justify that he is not a criminal

So most builders will offer discounts or land units in lieu of unfinished flats because otherwise they would be in loads of trouble

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Please READ CHINESE LAW

Most people have no idea how Chinese Law works and make random statements

Chinese Civil courts average 2 1/2 years for a case from filing to last appeal not 6 months

Arbitration takes 30 days and is binding

Now in India where an Average Civil Case from filing to last appeal averages 10 1/2 years, this may be lightning fast

Yet compared to UK (270 Days) or USA (353 Days), it’s pretty long

What is the biggest scam an auto mechanic ever tried on you?

I’m a huge fan of SAAB and had a number over the years they were in business. I had just purchased a newer one, and it drove perfectly the 100 miles home. The next morning, I went a few blocks and it stalled. I had it towed it to my local dealership, where a person who they said was a “SAAB Master Mechanic” inspected it and said it needed a fuel pump and a series of other items, totaling in the many thousands. The diagnostics alone cost me $400.

Disappointed, I had the car towed back home, and started looking at recalls for that specific model and year. One of them was for the gas tank baffles, which would get loose. Fifteen minutes later, I had the back seat up, unscrewed the gas pump and realized the baffle was indeed loose and had lodged under the fuel tank float, causing it to indicate it was half full, when it was really empty. I broke off the plastic baffle, filled the car up with gas, and drove back to the dealer, and asked for my diagnostic fee back, unsuccessfully, because they insisted the pump and other items still needed to be changed.

I put another 100,000 miles on that same pump and only performed routine maintenance on the vehicle until it met an unfortunate demise with a deer, who unfortunately met an untimely demise with my car.

Why I’m Selling Everything and Leaving America

Money can give you a comfortable life, but it cannot make you happy. I travelled to many different countries while in the military. While experiencing different cultures, I felt peace and enrichment . I met many people who didn’t have much financially but seemed happier than people I knew who were financially sound. Money drives people in the U.S. , whereas, it seemed family, culture, peace of mind and happiness was the driving force of a lot of other countries.

If Trump is so stupid, how did he turn millions to billions?

You know, the best con men leave you with the feeling that you haven’t been conned, and Donald Trump is no exception.

In fact, it appears that Trump’s “wealth” is entirely an illusion. He has control over a lot of stuff, but his financial disclosures, even to his banks, the government, and those required under federal election law, have never been transparent.

Let’s start with something he clearly has an ownership interest in, and generates income for him, Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York City.

Now you might think “Wow, that’s an incredible building. It must be worth a lot of money and generate a lot of income!” Well, not so fast. It’s commonly known that Trump Tower is a condominium tower. Individual units aren’t owned by what’s loosely called the “Trump Organization”, but by individual owners. That’s the way condos work. What the Trump Organization owns is the retail space at the bottom of the building, and that does generate a lot of rent. The Trump Organization also is the building’s manager and part of the maintenance fees the unit owners pay goes to his organization. This is not like, say, the Empire State Building, where all the rent and the income from the observation deck goes to the building’s owners.

So let’s take another example, this one closer to my home.

This is the Trump International Tower in Toronto. It’s a condo-hotel where you can either live in it or allow the management to rent out your unit for a share of its income. This is hardly the only such building in Toronto – one called the Shangri-La a few blocks away is doing very well. However, despite being named after him, Trump’s involvement was solely getting commissions on the sales of units and collecting a management fee from the building’s unit owners to run it. It is no longer bearing Trump’s name, his management agreement was terminated, and he’s being sued for misrepresenting the cash flow potential of the units. It was taken over by its main lender and is now known as the St. Regis. At no point did Trump put any money into the project (it was all other investors) and at no point did he ever have an equity interest in the property.

So what does the Trump organization own? Well, that’s nearly impossible to determine because it’s not clear what its ownership interest is in any of the properties that bear the Trump name. Yeah, Trump’s dad was rich, but like many property developers he borrowed money for property and construction costs, took out a mortgage on the completed property, then used the cash flow from the property to pay down the loan. Any profit would be realized after the property was sold and the mortgage was repaid.

But from the beginning when Trump did his first major project, the rehabilitation of the Commodore Hotel attached to Grand Central Station, he has always been short of cash when building projects. He was supposed to buy the rights to the land for $250,000, but couldn’t come up with the money, so the project proceeded totally financed by debt. It was a resounding success and gave him the opportunity to develop Trump Tower, but after that it gets really fuzzy.

One of the things that allows Trump to project the image of someone very rich is that he’s picked up a trick invented by his old friend Roy Cohn, one of the worst human beings ever to walk the earth. He claimed he didn’t make an income, but all his personal expenses, including his residence, were paid for by the companies he controlled and were deducted as business expenses against corporate tax. Officially, he wasn’t paid a salary, but everything he wanted was paid for by the companies he controlled.

Trump’s “immense wealth” appears to come from loading up his businesses with debt, making sure he finds enough cash flow to keep the payments covered, uses the rest of the cash flow for his personal purposes, then letting the business fail when he can’t keep up the payments.

He made the mistake once of trying this scheme with a publicly traded company. Naturally, with him at the helm he drove it into the ground. However, he had next to no shares in the company at the end, but had bled it dry. Because his hand picked board approved all the money paid to him, the lawsuit against him found no traction.

So he learned to rip off bondholders instead. People who bought bonds in Trump enterprises and soon found their investments worthless were, during the inevitable lawsuit, pointed to the small print in the prospectus saying how speculative the bonds were.

Lately, Trump’s modus operandi is to hook up with local businessmen and convince them that some project like the Trump International Toronto is a sure fire money maker. All they need to do is put up some investment, the rest will be borrowed, and when the units are sold they will make massive amounts of money in just a few years. That’s how the Toronto project got financed. In order to extend the scam, unsophisticated investors are told that if they buy units they will pay for themselves. In Toronto, buyers were shown projections showing them making huge amounts of money with what would seem to be modest occupancy rates. However, if you’re sophisticated, you would probably ask why the owners of the project wouldn’t just run it as a hotel themselves and keep all that money. Again, if it’s done right it will work (Shangri-La). If it isn’t the whole project collapses (a similar project called 1 King West in an old bank building similarly crashed and burned). As a result, while he was able to keep it going, Trump was bringing in big money from the building, but in the end both the investors and the unit owners lost everything they put into it and more.

But his true genius is realizing banks don’t really do proper due diligence. One of the questions you should ask is why no American bank will lend him money, and why his entire empire secures a loan with just one lender, the German investment bank Deutche Bank. They’ve been his bank for about 30 years and it’s in their best interest to convince people that Trump is rich. However, they’re totally dependent on Trump being able to make his monthly payments.

Now, if you were in a lot of debt, you would probably think about selling one of your properties,. but Trump does not sell properties even when, on their books, they don’t make any money (like some of his golf courses). One of the suspicious things about those is most of the losses are due to “consulting fees” he pays to undisclosed third parties. I will let you speculate why he might be paying huge amounts of money to unknown parties every year.

So, long story short, we have no idea of Donald Trump’s net worth, but he doesn’t act like a billionaire. We know Elon Musk’s net worth because his shareholdings in Tesla and SpaceX are on the public record, as are the loans he took out to buy Twitter. That’s the truth for most “billionaires”. Most billionaires have large holdings of public stock companies, Trump doesn’t. Most billionaires have a large bank account with a fair amount of cash. Neither Trump nor his companies seem to have this. It appears that the Trump organization is, like you or me, dependent on its next paycheck to make ends meet.

Why are people talking as if BRICS is opposed to the west, and are they right?

An American neighbour of mine liked to BBQ. He insisted on doing everything. He couldn’t BBQ, cook, and never made a drink that was enjoyable. Sauages/hot dogs, store bought burgers, and sundries was the menu.

I had to go to the BBQs because he was a sensitive chap.

One day a Japanese dude, Malaysian, and Congolese chap I hung around with in the library decided we should do BBQ. We had similar schedules and lived nearby so no issues.

Chicken hearts, kidneys, liver, fish with masala, it was exciting just thinking about it. Real good!

We went to my place. Prepped the food, made the drinks, and started BBQing.

My neighbour called his friend and neighbours. What I was doing was a mutiny.

Then he came to my place. He initially complained about the smoke, but it wasn’t anywhere near his home.

Then the noise. My friends are all nerds who call their mothers daily. Nobody made a sound. We were too busy enjoying doing our tasks.

Then it became about the principle. You see it’s fine to BBQ when you want, but it would be best if you checked with your neighbours first.

My BBQ was also ethnic, so it had different parameters of criteria for judgement and discernment. There were smells which were confusing.

Weeks later a relative of my neighbour told me how disappointed they were in me. They thought I was a friend to my neighbour.

If Anglo-America doesn’t control it they assume it’s an attempt to destroy them.

Israeli Defense Minister: “We have abolished all the rules of war. Our soldiers will not be held responsible for anything. There will be no military courts”

World Hal Turner 11 October 2023

Israel’s Minister of Defense Yaov Gallant, told troops massing for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip “We have abolished all the rules of war. Our soldiers will not be held responsible for anything. There will be no military courts.” Even Adolph Hitler didn’t go that far . . . .

Minister Gallant also told troops “I have released all the restraints, we have [regained] control of the area, and we are moving to a full offense. Hamas wanted a change in Gaza, it will change 180 degrees from what it thought. They will regret this moment, Gaza will never return to what it was.”

For anyone wondering whether or not Israel is planning an actual ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, Minister Gallant also answered that, telling Israeli troops “We started the offensive from the air.  Later, we will also come from the ground.” 

Confirming Gallant’s point,  Israel Minister of National Security says “Invasion of Gaza is now Imminent”  He said Israel has now no other option rather then to start the Ground action.

Social media postings show videos of the troops being briefed about the coming ground invasion:

What is taking place in Israel is not happening in a vacuum; other countries and entities are seeing what is going on, and they are making their positions about it very clear.

In next-door Lebanon, the group Hezbollah, with whom Israel went to war in 2005, has warned if Israel launches a ground invasion of Gaza, Hezbollah will enter the war to defend Palestinians.

The United States has sent several back-channel messages via intra-government methods to make certain Hezbollah knows the messages are real, directly warning if Hezbollah enters the war against Israel, the United States will enter against Hezbollah.

After those several direct warnings were delivered, Hezbollah publicly said today that not only will they enter the war, “Our naval fleet with cruise missiles and torpedoes is ready for war with Israel”  The Hezbollah “red line” is the entry of the Israeli army into Gaza for ground operation.  They even put out a video showing the weaponry they will use:

To drive home their point, Hezbollah then turned around and destroyed two Israeli army armored personnel carriers with Russian Kornet missiles on the Lebanese-Israeli border.  So Hezbollah seems to have made clear, They’re in on this fight no matter what the US or Israel say.

In nearby Iran, the message is similar.  The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) publicly stated this morning “IRGC is ready to go to war with Israel as part of any joint operation with Hezbollah” which was reported today by Russia’s Izvestia newspaper.

Shockingly and hugely troubling on many levels, were remarks made today by Turkish President Recypt Erdogan.   He told reporters “The world cannot tolerate the continuation of the humanitarian tragedy in the region.” he went on to say “Israel must not forget that if it acts like an organization (Gang) and not like a state, it will ultimately be treated like an organization (Gang).”

Shockingly this morning, Turkey’s deputy minister of education posted on Social media telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “You will die.”

The Arab media outlet Al-Mayadeen published a story this morning quoting a source with the Palestinian military chain of command which said “We have information supervision over all enemy (i.e. Israeli) movements, even those that take place inside its military sites. – If the enemy (i.e. Israel) launches a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, he will effectively sacrifice half of his army.”

Elsewhere, other countries and entities continue to chime-in on the conflict.  Today, the Pakistani Army Chief threatened Israel: “If Israel launches a ground attack on Gaza, Pakistan will provide ballistic missiles to the Palestinians.”

For its part, Israel seems to be showing it doesn’t care at all what anyone else is saying.  This morning, Israel apparently used White Phosphorus munitions against civilian targets in Gaza.

Multiple sources report that both journalists and residents in the Gaza port area experienced distress due to a bombing incident involving white phosphorus.

An Israeli airstrike this morning killed founding member of Hamas Abu Osama and 2 of his sons (they were also Hamas men).

And if there was any question at all about what Israel intends to do inside Gaza once a ground invasion begins, that was answered by Israeli Defense Force Spokesman Jonathan Conricus who vowed that they “would raze every building to the ground in revenge for Hamas.’

Lebanese media states that #Hamas informed Hezbollah and other allies that their missile array is intact and they are capable of lasting long enough. Hamas also confirmed they are ready for any ground invasion by the Zionist army.

With Gaza under total siege, this morning the Gaza power plant ran out of fuel and electricity is off for 2.3 million people in Gaza.  The fuel available in the hospital to operate the generators is sufficient for four days at most, and the hospital without electricity will turn into a mass grave.

There is also no running water in Gaza, after Israel shut the water mains yesterday.

Heavy rocket barrages from Gaza are targeting central Israel. Tel Aviv is under attack right now.

Hal Turner Analysis and SPECULATION

When we all see Israel go in on the ground into Gaza… I suspect we will shortly thereafter start to see horrible images of innocent civilian death and atrocities plastered across the news.

Once that starts happening, I suspect we will see basically every Muslim terrorist organization declare official war on Israel.

After that, I suspect we will see Israel become overrun from multiple fronts, and call on the United States for military help.

With the nitwits in the US federal government having no real clue about reality, I suspect we will see the USA start striking targets THROUGHOUT the Muslim world.

At that point (matter of days) I suspect we will see the Muslims declare war on the USA with terror attacks all throughout our country.

It seems very simple to me:  Boots on the ground in Gaza and the fuse is lit…”

NOTE: I worked very late last night, and slept-in late this morning.  I needed the rest.   Updates to follow, below, throughout the day.  Check back.

UPDATE 11:29 AM EDT —

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has issued an announcement:

The entire area around Gaza Division is now a closed military area. (Map below)

Entry into the area is strictly prohibited and constitutes a serious security risk.

IDF fighters are conducting combat in the area and entering it endangers lives and harms the activities of the forces.

UPDATE 11:35 AM EDT —

As reported to you last night on the Hal Turner Radio Show, the Pentagon confirms the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier Strike Group will be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean joining the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group.

In addition, as reported also during the radio show last night, the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier departed from Norfolk, VA yesterday, destination unknown,  as did the HMS Prince of Wales, a Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier of the British Navy, also destination unknown.

This is a tremendous amount of firepower all headed . . .  somewhere.

Lastly, NATO has deployed vessels from the Greek Navy into the eastern Mediterranean yesterday and announced that NATO Maritime Group Two is deploying to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

UPDATE 11:56 AM EDT —

A paratrooping operation was carried out by commandos from southern Lebanon into settlements in the occupied northern Palestine.  Troops are parachuting into Israel in the north.

Air alert sirens in *EVERY* Settlement in northern Israel near the Lebanon Border:

MORE:

— Lebanese Major General Abbas Ibrahim: The decision has been made to open all fronts if Israel dares to enter the Gaza Strip by force

— Al-Qassam Brigades rockets raining down on Ben Gurion Airport, all flights disrupted.

UPDATE 12:10 PM EDT —

Speaking from Qatar, the head of Hamas calls for a global Day of Rage on Friday, which will include terror attacks on Jews worldwide: “Funds are important but today we are asking for your blood and souls [to be sacrificed for Palestine].”

Absolutely Massive barrage of Missiles target Northern Israel; SOME SAY it seems Hezbollah have joined the war:

CONFIRMATION: More Paragliders!

Israeli channels are already confirming the landing of 10 to 20 paragliders from Lebanese territory. At the same time, there is artillery fire and kamikaze UAV strikes on Israeli positions in the north of the country.

***** BULLETIN *****

The American Embassy in Lebanon is being evacuated. American citizens are advised to leave the country as soon as possible.

— Galilee, South Golan, North Golan and the conflict line residents ordered into their safe spaces.

— Head of the Upper Galilee Council: “There is an incident, not a possible incident, an actual incident. Infiltration of aircraft from Lebanon into Israel, in a wide area. Paragliders with at least one person on them. All residents of the north should go into their homes.”

— Armed Hezbollah terrorists blow up the Lebanese border fence and enter Israel State from the north. At least 20 Paragliders were seen entering Northern Israel from Lebanon within the last few minutes.  IMAGE BELOW!

— Situation on the border of Lebanon and Israel is hearing up unconfirmed reports of firefights and possible incursions by hostile forces.

***** FLASH *****

12:20 PM EDT — Drone strike reported at or near Dimona Nuclear Plant 

More:

— Armed clashes in Metula, northern Israel.  VIDEO:

UPDATE 1:26 PM EDT —

 The UK Ministry of Defence has placed the UK Carrier Strike group (including Europe’s most advanced aircraft carrier: HMS Queen Elizabeth) on alert for potential deployment to the Mediterranean.

Unsure if it will be deployed to the region but the UK fleet is cutting short a training exercise with the Norwegian Army.

(HT Remark:  I was told the UK Carrier Strike Group is in Norway on maneuvers, and about to join the USS Gerald R. Ford ASAP.)

Worth Listening to . . . 

This one too . . .

UPDATE 1:41 PM EDT —

Hezbollah has informed the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL international peacekeepers to immediately evacuate all positions on the border with Israel.  The UNIFIL Deployment Map is below:

CLAIM – Unverified . . . .

VERFIED:

5:26 PM EDT — HYSTERIA SPREADING

In the interest of full disclosure, I provide the following clarifications:

Due to panic associated with the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

1. There were reports of the launch of 15 Hezbollah drones.
2. An air raid alert was announced on Israeli territory.
3. They came to the Dimona from Lebanon.
4. Reports of an explosion in Dimona appear.
5. There are reports of the evacuation of US citizens from Lebanon.

BUT . . .
6. It turns out that nothing flew to Dimona and there was some kind of showdown in the industrial zone.
7. It turns out that the drones did not fly anywhere from Lebanon.
8. It turns out the United States says it is not withdrawing the embassy or declaring an evacuation.  
9. It turns out Lebanese media say it was possibly birds.
10. It is also reported that Hezbollah may have Hacked Israeli detection systems.
11. The IDF says nothing arrived.

Nerves are on both sides thin and the situation is teetering on the brink of hysteria.

The IDF ruled out an air infiltration from Lebanon, false alerts in the Home Front Command: “a malfunction”

Alarms were activated in dozens of settlements in the north – causing panic. The IDF began scanning following a suspected infiltration of drones from Lebanon – but clarified that it was a “malfunction that is being investigated”: incorrect alerts in the Home Front Command application: “human error.”

Why I QUIT The RAT RACE & The “ American Dream “

“I’m a 54 year old Hispanic male. I got out of the rat race 15 years ago after I was laid off from a bank. I started a contract based IT services business that brings in $180,000 a year for 2-3 hours a day of work and I sold my singly family home for a multi family that earns me $5,000/month after all expenses. No more commuting, no more asking for vacation, none of it. I am happy.”

Creamy Red Beans and Rice with Caramelized Onions

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 cups hot cooked rice
• 1 (16 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onions; cook until onions are caramelized (about 12 minutes).
3. Add rice, beans, sour cream, cheese and black pepper. Stir until well blended and cheese is melted.

What is the most important thing in life?

1. Never get comfortable in anyone’s life, they can switch up on you at anytime, no matter the history of bond.
2. If you find someone smarter than you, work with them, don’t compete.
3. Don’t tell people more than they need to know, respect your privacy. Learn who to “know” and who to “no”.
4. You didn’t wake up today to be begging anyone for their time or attention. Go where you are celebrated.
5. Missing out on temporary fun to build permanent stability is not a loss. You’re the greatest project you will ever work on.
6. You don’t have to apologize for being ambitious, independent and strong minded. If it intimidates others, they can leave.
7. You will never be at this age again. Do what makes you happy !!!
8. You are your home. You are rare. Take care of yourself.
9. People are going to talk about you no matter what you do. So, you might as well do whatever brings you joy and live your best life.
10. Celebrate yourself !!! Nobody knows what it takes to be you.

Have you ever beaten a lawyer on a legal question (or if you are a lawyer, have you been beaten by a lay person on a legal question)?

Yes – 20+ years ago I was stationed at a small military base in Wisconsin and I lived in a crappy little house in a nearby town. It was in poor condition when I moved in, so I took pictures of everything. Landlord refused to fix anything (he even had an electrical outlet in the shower). A little less than a year later, I was offered housing on base and I mailed and hand delivered my landlord notice and gave him the required thirty days. He couldn’t be troubled to walk through the house with me on move out, so I again documented it with a lot of pictures. I left it in much better condition than when I found it.

Thirty-five days after move-out, I received a letter from him that not only was my security deposit forfeit based on damages and cleanliness, I also owed two extra months rent for breaking the lease early (it was the remaining time on my lease). I immediately questioned that, as I witnessed someone else moving in not two days after I moved out. He told me it didn’t matter and he would send me to a collection agent. I elected to take it to small claims court and present my case.

A month later, and after many threatening calls from his lawyer, my court date arrived. I had researched every aspect of landlord/tenant law and brought my evidence. While waiting for our turn, the lawyer again took the opportunity to threaten me, this time with the prospect of a counter suit. I refused to back down and when we got into the hearing, the landlord’s lawyer immediately asked for and was granted a continuance for two weeks. More threats came, but I held my ground. The next court date came, and I finally got a chance to present my evidence and defend myself. Ultimately, the judge ruled the landlord was in the wrong by trying to keep my deposit and that I was only liable for one extra day of rent, as the new tenant moved in two days after I moved out. Since the landlord waited 35 days to notify me of what I owed (Wisconsin required it be within 30 days at the time), the judge also ruled he owed me double damages. Rather than pay me in a lump sum, he requested the judge allow him to pay me back in six monthly installments. Unfortunately, the judge granted the request.

Of course, the slumlord was late in paying the first payment by about a week. The second payment was even later and arrived the same day I placed a lien on his properties for non-payment (he owned about 50 houses). A week later, he was trying to sell one and the lien stopped the sale. You guessed it, more threats from his lawyer. First it was they were going to sue me for depriving him of needed income. The lawyer provided a citation that appeared not to apply, so I held fast. Then a cop showed up at my home threatening me with possible arrest (again on a bogus charge). When I mentioned it to the admin assistant for my office, she let me know the cop was a cousin of the landlord, so I called the Chief of Police to find out why they had sent the cop to my house (they hadn’t, he was doing it for his cousin). Coincidentally, the lawyer called me that day and demanded I come to his office that afternoon to get a check for the entire amount and sign paperwork to remove the lien. I told him he could deliver it to me at my office and when the check cleared, I would gladly sign all the paperwork. His assistant showed up at my office an hour later with cash and I signed the paperwork.

I didn’t see him again until a year later. My admin assistant’s son had the same thing happen to him and she asked if I would help him. I agreed and even offered to go with him to small claims court. The same lawyer was there and the slumlord elected to settle, rather than deal with me again. It was extraordinarily satisfying.

On this day

On this day in 1860 thousands of British and French soldiers attacked China’s Gardens of Perfect Brightness (Old Summer Palace).

This was a brutal episode in Britain’s Opium Wars on China. Many of the treasures stolen from China remain in the British Museum today.

In October 1860 seventeen thousand British and French troops seized Beijing. They went on to unleash an orgy of violence to punish and humiliate China towards the end of the Second Opium War, launched by Britain and France to destroy its sovereignty.

The destruction of the ‘Old Summer Palace’ as it is known in the West marked the end of the Second Opium War started by Britain and France in 1856. A defeated China was forced to sign unequal treaties and accept the legalisation of the opium trade.

Between the 6 and 8 October 1860, the Gardens of Perfect Brightness were looted & torched by around 5,000 French and British troops. The Gardens covered over 860 acres and took two days to destroy. About 1.5 million treasures were stolen. 300 Chinese people died in the inferno.

Robert McGee, chaplain to British forces in China, remarked on the significance of the ‘Old Summer Palace’, stating the gardens were “arguably the greatest concentration of historic treasures in the world, dating and representing a full 5,000 years of an ancient civilisation.”

The Gardens consisted of a group of classical gardens, waterways and thousands of building, containing a vast collection of unique and priceless treasures and art. Many of the looted treasures were given to Queen Victoria and Napoleon III.

Today, treasures from the ‘Old Summer Palace’ are housed in hundreds of museums across 47 countries, including the British Museum in London.

Do you think they should be returned?

It’s finally happening

Meanwhile in Germany…