Yes it is.

If you sit up and look around, you might notice some trends. However, the balkanization of social media has insulated you and isolated you all from the big picture. Things are going on. Lots of things.

Strange things.

Noteworthy things.

More than just a few, and all across the board. All types of things. All shit.

Lets take the time to look at a few of them…

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT THE F IS GOING ON HERE

What are some places in China that are off the beaten path and offer travelers an authentic experience?

All of China is authentic.

Unless you have a Chinese-speaking guide, I do not recommend that you go off the beaten path. China is so big and has so much diversity that you will be overwhelmed just on a first trip.

If you like it enough following your first trip, you can then think about what you would like to see in more detail and spend more time doing.

BTW, “authentic” is a patronizing term many westerners like to use. Suggest avoid using it.

This Town Did The Impossible

What happens if you totally transform a town? This suburb was dominated by modernist urbanism and was transformed by introducing traditional, mixed use urban fabric, beautiful architecture inspired by its local traditions, a lot of green and a more balanced housing supply. In this video you’ll hear everything about Le Plessis-Robinson, a town in the suburbs of Paris, and how it was completely transformed – and I’ll give 7 lessons of how this town did it.

What screams “I’m educated, but not very bright”?

This happened to my wife. She told me of the question soon after it happened.

In 2004 I married my wife who is an American. I am British, and following our marriage she moved to England to live with me.

My wife is a qualified science teacher and while in England she taught science in a local secondary school, that is about the equivalent of high school in the United Sates.

In 2006, we moved to her home state of California, and during the Summer break of that year my wife applied to several school districts for a science teacher post.

The usual form for a school teacher interview was the principal of the school, a department senior member of staff and maybe one or two other members of staff, possibly including a person from the school district.

At one interview, a rather large school district, one member of the interview panel was the school district supervisor. She had a doctorate in education.

In the interview my wife was asked about her experience in the classroom and as that portion of the interview came to her teaching experience came to teaching overseas, in England. The district superintendent, interupted with a question and state ment that floored my wife. Remember the questioner has a doctorate in education.

“So you recently taught in England. I am not familiar with the England school district. Where exactly is England in California?

Smart person to get a doctorate. Stupid to show no idea of History, Geography, or a hundred other basic subjects hopefully taught in schools.

My wife actually was offered the job, but another school district offered first, so she didn’t go to the interviwers district.

What animals do lions get along with?

Here’s a story about how three of the most dangerous animals on the planet became brothers. When a drug dealer in Atlanta got busted, police found a Lion, Tiger, and a Bear, huddled together in the corner of a damp, dirty basement belonging to the dealer.

The three young cubs were severely neglected and covered in Parasites. The Lion cub had a wound on its nose from rubbing up against the cage, and the Bear cub had a laceration from his harness, which had to be surgically removed.

The three animals where brought to a sanctuary. They were separated at first, but wouldn’t stop crying until they were reunited. From then on, Baloo the Black Bear, Leo the Lion and Shere Khan were inseparable and recovered together at the Noah’s Ark rescue centre in Georgia.

Baloo the Bear was the confident leader of the group. Shere Khan was the mischievous one, who’s favourite thing to do was play pranks on his brothers by sneaking up behind them before playfully attacking them, he was also the most affectionate, always seeking out the warmth of his brothers. Leo the Lion was described as the quiet introvert of the group and also the glue the kept everyone from killing each other.

Even though these animals would do everything to kill each other in the wild, they did everything together in life and at night slept together piled on top of each other. Even though Lion’s live in prides, tigers and bears are solitary animals, meaning this friendship broke every rule in nature.

The Keepers affectionally called them BLT, “Bear, Lion, Tiger. Bonded by trauma, the three lived as best friends for 15 years, when tragically in 2016 Leo the Lion passed away after doctors found several inoperable tumours on his liver. Since Leo was 15 doctors decided to put him out of his misery, but before they did, they left Baloo and Shere Khan to say their goodbyes.

To the keepers surprise the Bear and Tiger were seen comforting the sick Lion, almost as if they knew. After Leo passed the sanctuary honoured him with a Lion statue that the Baloo and Shere Khan would rub against and groom the same way they would do if he was alive.

Then is 2018 Shere Khan fell ill, and just like before Baloo comforted his sick brother in his finale days. Shere Khan was 17 when he died and Baloo was there to see him buried. Baloo is still alive and kicking and a picture of the Baloo was posted recently on their Facebook page.

Its sad, but thanks to the people that rescued them, they were given a second chance at life.

New Zealand Stunned the US and Refused to Join AUKUS!

Banana Cream Cheese Bread

This is my “go-to” banana bread recipe. It’s wonderfully moist, tender and flavorful.

Prep: 10 min | Cook: 1 hr 10 min | Yield: 1 regular loaf

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
2. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar and butter, blending well.
3. Blend in bananas, vanilla extract and eggs.
4. Combine dry and add to banana mixture, mixing just until moistened.
5. Fold in nuts.
6. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
7. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

MODERN WOMEN Are FURIOUS As Men Check Out ABROAD For ROMANCE

What the FUCK is going on in the West today? Damn!

A joke

An American, an Indian, and a Russian got in Hell and plead to the Devil that they don’t belong here. The Devil, bored, makes them an offer: “I will strike you 3 times with my whip, and if you survive, I’ll let you go. You can use anything you want as a shield”.

The American goes first. He builds a high-tech shield from depleted uranium and composites, and hides behind it. The Devil strikes once – the shield cracks; twice – the shield falls apart; thrice – the American is no more.

Next goes the Indian. He puts himself in some advanced Yoga position and goes into deep hibernation. The Devil strikes once – nothing; twice – the Indian shivers a bit; thrice – the Indian grunts, but lives. The Devil is amazed and tells him he’s free to go. The Indian asks “May I stay and watch? In all jokes the Russians somehow come out on top. I want to see how he will do it this time”. The Devil nods and turns to the Russian: “So, what will you use as a shield?”

The Russian: “The Indian, of course”.

What Makes Buildings Beautiful (And Why Beauty Does Matter)

The Revolution That Is Changing Architecture

What is the most ridiculous thing you have done for money?

Occupied Space

They didn’t call it that, of course. They called it “guarding the tour bus.”

Back when I worked security at a concert venue, they sometimes asked me to come in for the early shift. Most concerts began at 7pm. We usually reported at 3:30pm, just before the gates opened to concertgoers at 4pm.

But, usually, the tour bus drives straight from concert to concert, through the night, and arrives hours earlier than necessary. I sometimes “guarded the bus” during the day. It was pointless because the parking lot itself was guarded, most of the performers were “adult contemporary” or “nostalgia” acts that didn’t get obsessed fans, and the really big names had their own security with them anyway. Plus, half of the time the driver was the only person on the bus in the day. The performer was off doing a radio show or seeing friends or sleeping in a hotel.

For insurance reasons, the concert venue had to have one of their in-house security guards by the tour bus for as long as the tour bus was there. So I’d arrive at 9 or 10am, and sit by the bus. At least they let me read, but even that got boring after awhile. This was before smartphones, and they wouldn’t let me listen to music while I was there. So I just sat and contemplated nature. To be honest, it was boring back then, but it sounds relaxing to me now. Several hours just to sit in the shade next to a bus and not talk to anyone, and I get paid? Sign me up!

New Handmade Lagoon Tables Made From Resin And Cut Travertine Marble

Can’t wait to leave everything behind and go on your dream vacation? Before we offer you quick time travel tips let’s consider if maybe there is a way to bring that dream destination to your living room instead?

h/t: boredpanda, demilked, hypebeast

Designer Alexander Chapelin has created these stunning tables made out of marble, resin and wood. He’s combined the materials to emulate a topographical image of an imagined ocean. Multiple layers create a translucent effect with hues of dark blue, aquamarine and more.

Chapelin explains how it’s done: “The Lagoon model is a coffee table sculpted in a Travertine piece of marble. We sculpt a drop to show the slopes of the lagoon. We then add the resin step by step in order to recreate the volume of the ocean in the table.“

As the tables are hand-crafted, no two are the same: “I’ve always respected the difference between people, their personalities and characters and I believe this should reflect in the interior design of their own homes. Therefore, no two people own the same table of my creation,” says Alexandre.

IS THIS MIND CONTROL? MK ULTRA

The Train Cemetery in Russia

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was always prepared for the worst. In case of any disruptions to the electric grid, hundreds of old steam-engine trains were strategically parked on old tracks as a contingency plan. The central Perm region of Russia became home to a unique sight – a train cemetery filled with dozens of steam locomotives from the 20th century, dating as far back as 1936 and as recent as 1956.

Over the years, around 140 locomotives were stored there, but as technology advanced, steam engines were gradually replaced by electric power, rendering these reserve trains obsolete. As maintenance on the locomotives ceased, they fell into disrepair, succumbing to rust and overgrown vegetation.

But in recent times, some of the abandoned trains have found new life. Chinese owners have purchased and removed some of the trains, while others have been restored and transformed into exhibits at various museums and memorials. These locomotives, once a vital part of Russia’s transportation infrastructure during the Cold War, now serve as a testament to a bygone era.

The train cemetery in Russia is a reminder of the importance of preparedness and the ingenuity of human beings in times of crisis. It is a unique site that captures the imagination and offers a glimpse into a different time and place.

Star Trek Next Generation – Tactical Analysis Not Good

Focaccia (Italian Garlic-Cheese Bread)

The first time I ever tasted “Roman bread” was at Monti’s la Casa Vieja in Tempe, Arizona. I vowed to find a good recipe and tweak it to my liking, and this is the result.

Ingredients

• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 2/3 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• Fresh or dried rosemary leaves

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Let stand until bubbly. Stir in sugar, salt and olive oil. Add 2 cups flour and eat until elastic. Stir in 2/3 cup more flour. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Put into a greased bowl. Turn over to coat well. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
3. Heat 1/4 cup oil. Add garlic and cook until soft and yellow. Set aside.
4. Punch dough down and knead briefly. Roll with a rolling pin and stretch to fit a greased 15 x 10-inch jellyroll pan (with sides). Pierce dough with the end of a wooden spoon at 1-inch intervals. Drizzle garlic and oil all over. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and rosemary. Let rise, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Notes

Alternate Toppings

Rosemary: Just before baking, dimple the top of the dough and drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle on 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt and a sprinkling of fresh or dried rosemary leaves.

Provencale: After the dough is stretched into the pan, stir together 1 can plum tomatoes (drained and chopped) and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil. Spread the mixture over the dough. Cover with a towel and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.

Dimple the dough again and top with 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1 can sliced black olives, 4 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt.

every store is CLOSED on market st San Francisco

When whales take their final breath, where do they end up?

Naturally, at the bottom of the ocean.

When a whale dies, its carcass descends to the seabed, often deeper than 1,000 meters. Here, a phenomenon unfolds that perfectly illustrates the circularity of natural ecosystems. The whale becomes a feast for numerous diverse organisms, sustaining them for decades.

This phenomenon occurs when the whale settles in the deep layers of the bathyal zone (200 – 2,000 meters) or the abyssal zone (2,000 – 6,000 meters).

In shallower waters, scavengers quickly consume the carcass.

The “whale fall” was first observed in the 1970s, following the advancement of deep-sea exploration technologies. This event has been studied and observed in both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean floors, as well as in inland seas like the Baltic and the Mediterranean. When the carcass reaches the bottom, it creates a unique environment that establishes its own ecosystem capable of supporting distinctive fauna.

For decades, various organisms feast upon the carcass.

Among them are giant isopods, lobsters of the Galatea genus, polychaete worms, small shrimp, myssinoids, crabs, sea cucumbers, and certain types of sharks.

Charley

“Charley, a new retiree-greeter at Wal-Mart, just couldn’t seem to get to work on time. Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late. But he was a good worker, really tidy, clean-shaven, sharp-minded and a real credit to the company and obviously demonstrating their “Older Person Friendly” policies.

One day the boss called him into the office for a talk. “Charley, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic, you do a bang-up job when you finally get here; but your being

late so often is quite bothersome.”

“Yes, I know boss, and I am working on it.”

“Well good, you are a team player. That’s what I like to hear”.

“Yes sir, I understand your concern and I will try harder”.

Seeming puzzled, the manager went on to comment, “I know you’re retired from the Armed Forces. What did they say to you there if you showed up in the morning late so often?”

The old man looked down at the floor, then smiled. He chuckled quietly, then said with a grin, “They usually saluted and said,

Good morning, Admiral, can I get your coffee, sir”?

Can U.S. Cities Build Narrow European Streets?

What is the nicest thing you have done to a person?

I worked as a bank teller for several years. It was in a busy branch right in the main street of bustling Sydney, Australia.

Sadly a common problem was people coming in to cancel their bank-cards and credit cards because they had lost their wallet or had it stolen.

These people couldn’t be given new cards on the spot as they also had no ID as that was also in the lost wallet.

Most of them told me they didn’t even have enough cash on them for a bus-fare or taxi ride. I would then lend them an average of twenty dollars but sometimes more if they needed a taxi. All of my co-workers thought I was insane.

However over the years, EVERY SINGLE PERSON that I’d helped made a special trip to come and re-pay me.

I never regretted it in any way!

What do Chinese people think of the one-party state system?

That is like asking Americans what they think of the US system of government.

If it is the only system they have known all their lives, what is there to think about it?

Are they going to choose another system just because “it sounds good”?

Chinese are not that stupid.

Woman See Passport Bros At Colombia Airport & She Can’t Believe It

What ended the hippie era?

The short answer is that the hippies won.

It’s hard for people to remember just how constrained and conformist 1950s America was. All white collar men had to wear a suit and tie to work. Women’s clothing was demure and they were expected to be “ladylike.” It was both legal and the norm to exclude blacks and Jews from living in “white” neighborhoods. Segregation was the law of the land in many states.

​The Ray Conniff Singers

The hippies demanded an end to that. They brought about a new freedom in dress, hairstyles, music, and social and political thought. They got a reputation for being scruffy and long-haired, but that was only in comparison to what had gone before. In fact, they look a lot like people the same age now:

​​Kids near Woodstock, 1969

The hippie era achieved many of its aims, and young people began to have other concerns that needed to be met in a different way.

Here are a few critical dates:

• Date of the Civil Rights Act: July 2, 1964
• Free Speech Movement at University of California at Berkeley campus, which ended in students being given the right to political activity (yes, really!): 1964-65 academic year
• Year of the Fair Housing Act, prohibiting race discrimination in the sale or rental of a dwelling: 1968
• Founding of the Environmental Protection Agency: December 2, 1970
• Year of the Clean Air Act: 1963, major expansion 1970
• Ratification date of 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18: July 1, 1971
• Year of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (major expansion): 1972
• Title IX of the Education Amendments, ending sex discrimination in education: June 23, 1972
• Date of Roe v. Wade decision permitting abortion: January 22, 1973
• Date of the end of US draft: Jan. 27, 1973
• Capture of Saigon and effective end of the Vietnam War: April 1975

Hippies alone did not achieve these things. But they were the most numerous and vocal activists in favor of them, much inspired by Martin Luther King and Gandhi. 1965 to 1975 was the critical period, and as I said, they achieved most of their aims. If you can live with your partner without being married, or wear a T-shirt and jeans to work, thank the hippies.

Judging by the snide tone of many other answers to this question, a lot of Quora readers have only learned about the free love, drugs, and other social experiments the hippies tried. Most of these were abandoned as they got older because they weren’t really compatible with raising a family. But the hippie movement was first and foremost a political movement to free American (and European too) society from suffocating conformity and legally-enforced racism and sexism, and in that, it succeeded very well.

Honey-Garlic Yeast Rolls

Yield: 13 rolls

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 (1/4 ounce) envelope quick-rise yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 3/4 cup warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
• 2 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons butter, melted, divided
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add water and 2 tablespoons butter; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth.
2. Stir in cheese and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
3. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Divide into 13 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased 9-inch round baking pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
6. Bake rolls for 11 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Combine honey, garlic salt and remaining butter; brush over rolls. Remove from pan to wire rack.

What was the best revenge you’ve ever gotten?

The best revenge I’ve ever gotten?

This is easy (but hard to talk about). Back when I was married, I hadn’t earned my degree yet. I worked two or three jobs to pay the bills and put the woman who became my exwife through college. The week after I wrote the last tuition check, she called my boss multiple times throughout to week and cussed him. By that Friday, he’d had enough and let me go. I’d already left my second job to spend more time with the family because I didn’t need the extra money anymore. When I got home from work (I didn’t drive at the time), our pastor was there but the wife wasn’t. She was kicking me out.

I had no job, no money (she cleaned out the bank account and opened a different one) and no place to go. I was literally homeless. I was also angry and depressed.

Now for the revenge:

I busted my tail to get an apartment and saved up lots of money and started taking classes at the local community college. Then I went on to earn a BS in Mathematics. From there, I earned an MS in Computer Science. I’m now making 6 digits and I just bought a house.

Last I heard, my exwife had left her job as a teacher (I don’t know if it was voluntary or involuntary) and is living in a popup camper in her father’s backyard.

My revenge is being the best me that I can while she thought that she didn’t need me anymore.

The Balloon Goes Up – How Far Will The Nato Allies Go To Fight Their Losing War in The Ukraine — How Much More Will They Risk Losing of Their Post-1945 Territorial Gains?

By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears

When the Ukrainian and NATO forces have lost their war in eastern Ukraine by Christmas, what will happen to the rump of western Ukraine?

The Russian warning, issued last Friday at the Security Council by President Vladimir Putin, is that the Russian Army will defend western Ukraine, known as Galicia, from any attempt at intervention by Polish forces under either a NATO “peacekeeping” formula, or a bilateral defence arrangement between the Kiev regime and Warsaw to slip Galicia under NATO Article Five protection.

Putin’s warning was concrete, explicit, geographically limited. It applied to the current western borders of the Ukraine, the eastern border of Poland, and the Polish-Belarus border. “I would also like to remind you what Poland’s aggressive policy led to. It led to the national tragedy of 1939, when Poland’s Western allies threw it to the German wolf, the German military machine. Poland actually lost its independence and statehood, which were only restored thanks in a large measure to the Soviet Union. It was also thanks to the Soviet Union and thanks to Stalin’s position that Poland acquired substantial territory in the west, German territory. It is a fact that Poland’s western lands are a gift from Stalin. Have our Warsaw friends forgotten this? We will remind them.”

The Warsaw friends weren’t the only audience Putin intended. His warning is also addressed to the Berlin friends, the Baltic friends, the Paris, Brussels, and Budapest friends, and of course, the Washington friends. In December 2021, they were offered the terms of mutual security and non-aggression in Europe in treaties for the US and NATO tabled by the Russian Foreign Ministry. They were dismissed in diplomatic negotiations lasting less than a month .

By Christmas of this year, as Putin has just pointed out, the Ukrainian army and the NATO forces will have expended their capacities to continue the fight. “The whole world sees that the vaunted Western, supposedly invulnerable, military equipment is on fire”, he added. What can happen next is “an extremely dangerous game, and the authors of such plans should think about the consequences.”

This is a warning that if the Poles move east, the Germans will be motivated to move east as well, in order to recover the Prussian territories Germany lost in its defeat and capitulation at the end of World War II. Hungary too will be motivated to change its northeastern border in order to rescue the ethnic Hungarian population of Transcarpathia in southwest Ukraine.

In short, Putin was announcing that “Stalin’s gift”, as he called it, was the stability of the post-1945 territorial settlement. Now, in defeating NATO’s attempt to destroy the Russians east of Kiev, the Russians are warning afresh that if NATO attempts to change its defence lines west of Kiev, the Russian army will dictate an entirely new territorial settlement in which NATO will be an even bigger loser of military capacity and territorial extension than the non-aggression treaties of December 17, 2021, offered.

The 1990 promise of not one inch eastward for NATO is reversing by one thousand kilometres westward.

Chris Cook asks the questions. Listen to the discussion To visualise the geography in the discussion, here is a map of the post-World War II territorial settlement between Germany and Poland.

Here

is a newly published Russian analysis of how the Putin warning should be interpreted, both historically and strategically, between the Dnieper and the Oder-Niesse lines.

“The Revival of Russian identity and Polonization: Russia agrees to the partition of Ukraine” by Albert Akopyan -- source: https://eadaily.com/

Since October 2022, Gorilla Radio has been banned from broadcasting by Radio CFUV 101.9 FM in Victoria, British Columbia. The Gorilla Radio transcripts are published on the blog. For Chris Cook’s broadcast archive, click to open.

French monetary colonialism.

To get their independence, France forced 14 African countries into a treaty where they must put: 65% of their foreign currency reserves into the French Treasury & another 20% to “repay” France debts.

Niger uses the CFA franc. The central bank (BCEAO) that issues this colonial currency has been obliged until the end of 2019 to deposit half of its foreign exchange reserves with the French Treasury.

In 2019, according to Banque de France figures, Niger’s net foreign assets totaled €977.6 million (641.3 billion CFA francs). Half of this sum amounts to € 488.8 million. These € 488.8 M represent a transfer of resources from Niger to the French Treasury (mandatory deposit of at least 50% of official foreign exchange reserves). To recap, in 2019, Niger transferred at least €488.8 M to the French government, which “granted” it € 119.27 million in “aid” (including loans)!

Even more ignominious is the fact that France has assassinated 22 African Presidents since 1963. During the last 50 years, 67 coups happened in 26 countries of Africa. 16 of those countries are french ex-colonies, which means 61% of the coups happened in Francophone Africa.

Moreover, France has the prerogative to buy all the natural resources found in the land of its ex-colonies in Africa. Even while issuing government contracts, French companies have to be considered first. In Côte d’Ivoire, French companies are controlling major utilities – water, electricity, telephone, transport, ports and major banks. Similarly in commerce, construction, and agriculture.

The 16 ports being controlled by French Billionaire, Vincent Bollore.

The “Defence Agreements” along with the Colonial Pact signed by the African countries allows France to deploy troops and intervene military whenever they deem necessary. There are permanent French bases in former colonies of Africa.

Why We Should Revive Traditional Architecture & Urbanism

In this video, we explore the often-misunderstood concept of traditional architecture and urbanism, and its relevance in today’s fast-paced society. Discover how tradition is not just about mimicking the past because of nostalgic feelings, but rather an adaptive process that incorporates local conditions and innovations for a harmonious end result. Can we still build like we used to, before the era of modernism? To find the answer, we’ll delve into remarkable examples such as Cayalá, Poundbury, Brandevoort, Le Plessis Robinson, Heulebrug, and more. Join us on this architectural journey, and you might just find a renewed appreciation for tradition and its place in our modern world.

China is importing a large amount of natural gas from Russia and selling it to the EU at a higher price. How do you view China’s behavior?

They are buying at 4100 Yuan per BCF of Piped Gas and selling LNG at equivalent rate of 11830 Yuan per BCF of Piped Gas

Thats 200% Profit flat

India is doing the same with Petrol (Gasoline). Buying from Russia at 452 Yuan per Barrel and selling to EU at the equivalent of 725 Yuan per Barrel (In Euros)

The EU politicians have lost their head. In their stupidity to be politically correct, they are paying 2–4 times more for Energy

Why Shouldnt India and china enjoy the stupidity?

Why was Ronald McDonald removed from all McDonald’s commercials? Is it really because of the movie “IT” and people’s fear of clowns?

Ronald’s disappearance over the last 9 years largely appears to be a change in McDonald’s marketing.

In its early days, one of the points McDonald’s wanted to sell was that it was a family friendly place. The vast majority of franchise locations were stand-alone buildings with plentiful parking and not a “hang-out” for teenagers. It was a place you went with your family to buy a meal for everyone on a budget. Ronald and the rest of the McDonaldland characters were made to appeal to that demographic – make it a place that kids would ask their parents to take them to that would be special. Kids activities, up to and including playgrounds, were common.

But in 2014, McDonald’s was taking a look at shifting demographics and didn’t like what they saw. Parents increasingly saw McDonald’s as a bad place to take children due to the food quality. They were still selling a lot of burgers of course, but more and more, their customers were people like office workers who would come to their food court locations.

As such, McDonald’s figured its image had to “grow up”. Sure, you could bring the family if you wanted, but with an aging demographic it started to change its offerings to be more appealing to adults, particularly seniors (free coffee anyone?). Speaking of coffee, they made it way better and added more things that went with coffee, so McDonald’s wasn’t just for “meals” but for snacks as well. They started taking a look at what other restaurants offered and started offering competing products (like chicken sandwiches that weren’t pre-formed patties). They did abandon the fact they had to be “healthy” (that always was a loser for them) but although you can still get a happy meal, the majority of the menu is meant to appeal to adults.

And Ronald didn’t fit into that plan. McDonald’s ads now feature busy fathers picking up a large meal at the drive thru, or a couple coming in for a quick bite. They know that no-one will mistake McDonald’s for an “adults only” establishment, but they want to create a welcoming presence for adults to draw them away from other chains who are largely selling themselves the same way.

Jean Hilliard

In 1980, a woman named Jean Hilliard in rural north western Minnesota, was involved in a car accident which resulted in car failure in sub-zero temperatures. She walked to a friend’s house 2 miles away and collapsed 15 feet outside of the door. Temperatures dropped to −22 °F (−30 °C) and she was found “frozen stiff” at 7 a.m. after six hours in the cold. She was transported to Fosston Hospital where doctors said her skin was too hard to pierce with a hypodermic needle and her body temperature was too low to register on a thermometer. Her face was ashen and her eyes were solid with no response to light. Her pulse was slowed to approximately 12 beats per minute.

She was wrapped in an electric blanket.

The miraculous thing that happened was, 49 days after she was admitted, she was discharged from the hospital with no permanent damage to the brain or body besides frostbite.

Some people might be wondering how this was possible, but scientists explained this : There’s at least one possible scientific explanation.

In the article “Is Human Hibernation Possible,” published in 2008 by the Annual Review of Medicine , Dr. Cheng Chi Lee of the University of Texas’ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology notes that

“Some mammals can enter a severe hypothermic state during hibernation in which metabolic activity is extremely low, and yet full viability is restored when the animal arouses from such a state.”

In a search for therapeutic uses of induced-hypothermia, Dr. Lee found a “natural biomolecule,” 5′ AMP, that “allows rapid initiation of hypometabolism in mammals” and that

“may eventually result in clinical applications where hypothermia has been shown to have tremendous lifesaving potential, such as trauma, heart attacks, strokes, and many major surgeries.”

It is possible that Hilliard froze so quickly that her body skipped the phase where lasting tissue damage could be done and her body entered a hypometabolic state that allowed her basic life functions to continue until she was successfully thawed out.

What makes Japan different?

There was a Gorilla at a Japanese Zoo that was allegedly so attractive that he caused an increase in female visitors. His name was Shabani, but everyone agreed and they were quite passionate about the fact he looked liked the Gorilla version of George Clooney and it was enough for women to crowd his encloser.

Apparently women got so worked up that they freaked out the 400lb primate, to the point the Zoo had to put up signs telling people to stop. Some articles were written about him were they referred to him as Shabani the Metrosexual Gorilla.

I can’t confirmed this next part, but apparently some women got so excited that they threw their underwear into the enclosure.

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