When I was in High School, I had many friends.

These friends formed “circles”, close groups, sport groups, nerd groups, drinking buddies, and so on and so forth.

One of the extended groups of friends were part of one of my constantly changing “drinking friend group”. And within that group was a fairly nice kid, a guy that we shared a brew and two at various keggers. I will call him “Marko” (not his real name.)

He lived on a farm; an isolated small home off the tail end of a dirt road.

He was ok. Really.

But his mother… Oh Lordy!

There was something really wrong with her. Not all together there, and man was she odd, and she really tended to behave strangely. Really strangely. Over the years, all of us, decided to avoid her, and actually all of us felt really sad for our friend Marko.

Now, with this as the background, I will now relate the last moment when I saw Marko’s mother…

…

It was 3am on a Wednesday in late Summer; say July or early August. We (myself and my buddy Robbie) were riding in his International Scout (a 1970s era vehicle) on the dirt gravel road though the cornfields in the hills of Western Pennsylvania. We were riding, drinking beer, and smoking… And the headlights on the truck illuminated the gravel in front of us.

As we went up a hill, the road turned to the left and as we turned that curve, we saw Marko’s mother. She was standing there, at the edge of the cornfield, at the side of the road. Wearing a old stained white nightgown, and standing there. Her expression looked like something out of a horror movie. I’ll tell you what.

…

We didn’t stop.

We kept on driving.

The corn blended into the dark background.

Then Robbie let out a sigh.

“Poor. Poor Marko” he said. And we turned up the 8-track player and listened to The Rolling Stones play “Gimmie Shelter”.

As we continued to drive though the dark night in the cornfields.

Poor, poor Marko.

Poor, poor Marko…

Gimme Shelter (Remastered 2019)

Well-experienced people sayings that you should never do these things

1. Never compare your sex life with porn videos. Because porn videos are totally fake.
2. Never be sad for losing someone. No one lasts for long period of time. Even, you are gonna lose your beauty, money and health with age.
3. Never underestimate failure.Only a failure gives you the proper perspective of success.
4. Never “Trust” easily on anyone. Because trust is the most expensive thing and so don’t trust blindly. Even, your friends get jealous when they see your progress.
5. Never share your password of social media accounts, email, Internet Banking, and ATM pin\CVV number with anyone. Never!
6. Never get involved in sexual activities till you are not serious in your relationship.
7. Never believe on that girl\boy who have lots of relationship in their past. They can easily manipulated you by crying their bad past.( Exception is everywhere)
8. Never try to hurt your parents. They have lots of expectations from you.
9. In any situation, Never think about ending your life. Even plants regrow leaves after one leaf shed.

Ouch!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9aJl-meI564?feature=share

Polish Salad with Pickled Eggs
(Salatka z Piklowanymi Jajkami)

Ingredients

Pickled Eggs

• 3 cups beet juice (cooking water from beets)
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole allspice
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 hardboiled eggs, peeled

Salad

• 1 bunch leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash of pepper

Instructions

Pickled Eggs

1. Heat beet juice, vinegar, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf to boiling; pour over eggs.
2. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.

Salad

1. Toss lettuce and onion. Divide among 6 salad plates.
2. Cut eggs into slices or fourths. Arrange 1 egg on top of each salad.
3. Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered container; drizzle over salads.

What is a weapon that was used in the Vietnam War that most people are not aware of?

The QSPR ‘Tunnel Weapon’. When US forces had to crawl into tunnels to chase the enemy it was a very intense experience. A GI often went down there with just a 1911 .45 and a flashlight, and once his buddies dropped him down there he was pretty much on his own. As you can imagine, firing a .45 in a space the size of a closet does your hearing no favors and also alerts other bad guys down there to your presence. The militay, in conjunction with AAC, came up with the ‘Tunnel Weapon’ a specially modified S&W .44 Magnum for the ‘tunnel rats’ to use.

It had a short barrel and a smooth bore like a shotgun. The gun used a special ‘captive piston’ ammunition that was almost perfectly silent. When fired, the propellant pushed a piston in the case forward, launching buckshot made from a special alloy. When the piston reached the end of the case, it was caught and did not leave the case. As a result, all the propellant gas was captured in the case … so no noise signature. The pellets, driven forward by the force of the piston, continued down the bore and out the muzzle. The result was a totally silent and flash-less weapon that could be used in a confined space like a tunnel. They never were distributed in any meaningful amount and only a few went into practical field trials. The guns almost never turn up but some of the special ammo shows up once in a while.

What is the biggest tip that you have ever received as an employee?

There are bucks and there are bucks.

Hot afternoon, sitting at my dinner place doing books and covering the phone. Don’t open for dinner until six…it’s three. Happy to be alone. The front door is unlocked because we are out in the country and it doesn’t need to be.

Girl in her twenties pushing her bike in the door, walks by the “closed…open for dinner at 6” sign, and, before I can say, “Sorry miss, we’re closed,” asks me for a coke. Ok, this is a custom walnut bar, 150 label wine list, crystal glassware, fresh flowers, dress code…you know, and she needs a coke in a paper cup with a straw.

I bite my tongue as she leans her bike against the wall next to the front door. “Uh, I don’t have a to go cup, but, have a seat…how’s your day going?” I poured her a coke on ice and she told me she had guessed wrong on her bike trip, trying to pedal up the mountain had wiped her out. She was a college kid and did not have the money to eat at this place, but I had her look over the menu and grab a brochure. I didn’t charge her the ridiculous price for the coke. And away she went.

Four years later, it had been a really busy shift, customers all over the place. I acknowledged one of our regulars as he left with a party of six and thanked him for his business. He replied, “You know we always love to come here, it’s been what? Four years now? Birthdays, holidays, homecomings, my daughter’s rehearsal dinner…” He gestured to a young woman. “Honey? Come over and say hi to the boss.” You have already guessed who the “young lady” was. She had bicycled home that day four years ago and told her family about our place. I can’t estimate what her family had spent there over those years helping keep us in business.

SIMPING on Chicks

Why do some people act less intelligent than they really are?

To survive alive.

Remember the communication range, huh? The thing is that the larger gap of intelligence between two people, the greater likelihood the reaction of the lesser endowed is outright hostile.

Acting stupid and dumbing down is a survival mechanism. To howl with the wolves (or rather bleating with the sheep). Humans are social animals and we all want to fit in. Therefore acting stupid is a way to a) pretend you fit in and b) not to evoke a hostile reaction among the lesser endowed.

The thing is that it is a) incredibly consuming and b) never foolproof. But I wouldn’t be alive today if I couldn’t act stupid when needed.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve “rescued” that somebody else threw away?

When I was a teenager, my mom took me on a trip to visit the tobacco plantation where her mother had grown up. The land had been in the family since the 1700s. It was really cool seeing antiques that had been in the family for generations. There was even an old muzzle-loader that had been used to fight in the Revolutionary War. It was so heavy that I had to rest my elbow on my hip. I couldn’t even lift it like you would an ordinary (modern) rifle.

While we were there, a cousin told us we could take whatever we wanted from stuff she’d stuck in an old shed that had been used originally for drying tobacco. My mom filled a large paper grocery sack with papers, documents, letters, and antique books.

Later, while driving home, I began going through the contents of the bag while my mom drove. There were letters from the early 1900s and throughout the 1800s, some sad; some hilarious. There were wills and other business documents. Kind of boring to me at the time. Two-thirds of the way down, there was a strange piece of “paper” folded into fourths. It was obviously very old and bulky.

I carefully unfolded it to discover . . . the original land grant from King George III bestowing on my ancestors 600 acres in the colony of North Carolina. It was a piece of parchment with such tiny, perfect calligraphy spelling out the description of the land, etc. It was a legal document. Just as astonishing was that it still had King George’s seal attached! The seal was round and about the size of a coaster you stick under a mug to protect wood. It was maybe an inch thick and very hard. That was the coolest thing I ever helped to “rescue.” 🙂

Don’t be too needy

Why is it considered polite to ask “how are you?” without actually caring about the response? Why don’t people just say “hi” instead?

Often people say hi, or hey, or they give a little wave or salute, or they nod or smile in passing. All these rituals of greeting communicate: I know you, you’re within my greeting circle.

But some people and some friendships require an actual conversation. If it’s a really good friend whom you haven’t seen in years, there’s a lot to catch up on. “It’s been so long, how ya doin’?” You talk about substantive things. “Betty’s been declared cancer-free for the past five years, but that was a bad scare.” “I wish I’d known what you were going through, while all I ever worried about was getting through tax season.” That’s a real conversation.

But there’s a space between, where the person once meant something to you. Or you moved in the same circles and you don’t remember them all that well. That’s when empty conversation tides you over till you get your bearings in the conversation. “Hi, how are you?” “What do you want to pretend is interesting, my sciatica, my year of unemployment, or Tina’s and my separation?” “Wow, that’s rough! So much time has gone by.” “I can see you’re struggling to remember —” “No, not at all —” “I introduced you to my roommate’s sister at that boating weekend on the lake and after that you two were so into each other that I don’t think you came up for air for six months.” “I can’t believe I forgot that connection. It’s like I’m your roommate-in-law.”

So those empty how-are-yous serve a purpose, to string the conversation along until you find your footing — or realize there’s no way to remake the old connection — or there never was a connection. Empty forms evolve because we NEED them, so don’t waste time disparaging those social forms. They can delay or avoid a lot of social awkwardness.

You will starve

Can a war between the U.S and China be kept conventional? Or will a war with China be the end of our existences via nuke?

The war between the United States and China began in 2008. At the time of this writing, it is 2024. So the war has been on-going for 16 years. During this period of time it has been characterized by the following realities…

• Not reported in the Western “news” media.
• Characterized by offensive actions by the United States (either direct or by proxy).
• Characterized by defensive actions by China.
• Characterized by unconventional warfare at every level.

This idea that “someday” a conventional war will manifest between China and the United States is a false narrative. This narrative was concocted in 2017 under the direction of both Mike Pompeo and John Bolton in the Trump Administration. Anyone who believes this narrative is foolish.

We know today, in 2024, that both the Pentagon and RAND have repeatedly announced though various channels that the United States is unable to win a conventional war against China. This is true whether it uses proxy nations or not.

Leaving only the nuclear weapon option.

China has long prepared for a first-strike nuclear attack by the United States. China fully expects the reality of this situation.

Thus, China has been manufacturing, preparing, and training to absolutely eviscerate the cities of the United States, and the participant proxy nations, that dare attack it.

…

Were a “HOT” shooting war to erupt between the United States and China… it will eventually turn nuclear.

What we know about this situation is frightening…

• The United States neocons believe that a war is inevitable with China, and that the United States will “win” it, because it is “exceptional”.
• The United States fields 3rd generation nuclear systems, and rely on advanced pin-point accuracy for “surgical” destructive objectives.
• The United States does not have any ABM defense against the Chinese and Russian current technology.

Meanwhile, in China…

• China has active fielded 6th through 8th generation nuclear systems, in great quantities, with modern cutting-edge delivery systems and avionics.
• China military doctrine is to saturate the target area broadly with multiple cascades of weapons. They believe that if a target in located in a city, that you destroy the entire region surrounding that city over, and over, and over until no life remains.
• China also has a massive ABM system purposely designed to intercept American and Western missiles and destroy them long before they arrive at their targets.

The Chinese policy is soundly defensive.

The American (neocon) policy is resoundingly offensive.

…

Were a HOT war to erupt between the two nations… the citizens will not be aware of it. As the “news” media will not report on it. Any war prep in the West will be reported as “aggression by China”.

And in a blink of an eye, the cities of the West will be erased one by one.

That’s sad

Have you, while repairing a computer, ever found anything that made your jaw drop?

True story from my days of working in industrial controls.

A co-worker + I visited a refrigerated warehouse to take a look at a controls PC that had stopped spitting out readings on a printer every so often as it should have. Based on the old principle of “if it doesn’t work. turn it on; if it still doesn’t work, plug it in,” I checked the printer’s connection the PC and, lo and behold, it had fallen off.

I plugged it in and told my co-worker “OK, we’re done.”

“We can’t just do that and leave,” he responded.

So, I decided to clean out the PC just on general principles. I should note that this was in the mid ’90s, and smoking was allowed in this office. Lots of smoking. Without especially good ventilation. Right next to the PC.

So, I took the PC to the loading dock and opened it, figuring I’d “breathe life into it” by simply blowing the dust out of it. But that wasn’t going to do the trick. Nor would the typical can of compressed air. A trowel would’ve done the trick, though.

Needless to say, I did clean out the PC using whatever tools I had handy. When I returned it to the office, I suggested that they either stop smoking around it – as if that was likely, improve ventilation, or at least get some smokeless ashtrays, or else they’d be paying a lot more for new control PCs.

Of course, my employer would gladly have sold said new PCs to this customer, since damage from smoking was not covered by the warranty.

Have you ever seen an employer fire someone without realizing what a crucial role the employee played?

Quite a few times, this played out in front of me and for different reasons.

I was the HR coordinator assigned to a branch of a company and had to be present during all disciplinary or fact-finding meetings between management and employees to make sure that management didn’t do anything stupid and bear witness to anything actionable said by the employee during those meetings.

In one case, I worked with a manager with no real gift for social grace. He was intimidated by conflicts and hated the fact that none of the “damn kids” working for him gave him the respect he felt he deserved from his position. When he held these investigatory meetings with employees over minor infractions like tardiness or excessive call-offs (minor infractions), he would escalate the situation by leading with the attitude of “why shouldn’t I just fire you?” which was all but stated in his long, rambling opening remarks.

One guy who was transferred over from another facility was a GIFT engineered by regional management to make up for the loss of two machine workers who walked off because of poor working conditions. Without them, we would have lost more than a week’s production based on their unique maintenance knowledge and ability. The employee sitting in the hot seat was brought in at a decent wage to compensate for asking him to commute an hour each way to work. Our manager did not take this into account when listing all FOUR late punches collected in the employee’s first month as he worked out the parking and other transportation issues related to his new job.

The problem was that the boss was intimidated by the young man’s ability to do the work of two people and fix problems that even HE couldn’t. I think the boss just wanted to assert power or compensate for this feeling of inadequacy, but the replacement employee was having none of it.

“I volunteered to help you out. I’m doing my best to get in and get to work. I stay a little late each day, too.”
“If you’re doing your best and can’t get to work on time, you’re not doing good enough.”

I saw from the employee’s expression that he knew the kind of poor manager he was dealing with. He stood up extended a hand and said, “Okay, then. Thank you for the opportunity. I’ll be heading back to the other store on Monday. Good luck.”

The boss was so stunned (as was I, but for different reasons) that he accepted the handshake and said nothing while the employee walked out of the room. Knowing what this would mean to the store’s production and morale but wanting to maintain some sense of managerial control, I waited until the door closed behind the guy before I called the boss the most polite kind of short-sighted imbecile that I could.

I intercepted the employee and apologized, asking him to reconsider. As I expected, he said he would take the matter up with the Regional Manager who set up the reassignment. When Monday came, I received the paperwork promoting the once temporary machine operator to Assistant Manager of Production at a decent salary and to schedule a disciplinary conference with the Branch Manager for being an incompetent jackass.

Caught

How can a US carrier group defend against thousands of “carrier killer” missiles at once?

Well, I just read a very typical ‘Merica answer on this. And I’ll have to tell youse guys, I got one Hell of a belly laugh. I mean it. It was deep and long…

The four points made were…

[1] It will not happen. The USN isn’t stupid and would stay out of the range of the Carrier Killer missiles.

I had to laugh at this. China has the ability to sink aircraft carriers ANYWHERE on the globe. If you all think that ONLY the DF-17 can sink a carrier group, then you are reading too many propaganda pieces.

[2] It could not happen. China doesn’t have enough of these Carrier Killer missiles to be a threat.

Again, this gave me such a howling laughter. As if some basement bozo knows how many missiles and non-missile weapons that China has. No one knows how many missiles that China fields, but I can positively tell you that China does things in mass.

[3] It cannot happen. China isn’t stupid to take on the United States. The USA is invincible, and China doesn’t know how to fight a “real” war.

Oh, my belly was laughing so hard on this canard. China has the oldest army in the world. China also has the oldest Navy in the world. The Chinese military was perfected during the Tang dynasty. Then bested Genghis Khan, and then was absorbed into it, resulting in the massive Yang dynasty armies. Aside from the fact that the Chinese beat the living snot out of the USA during the “Korean War”, China has been engaged fighting with the USA on all fronts since at least 2016

[4] Carrier Killer missiles are just hyperbole. They are just normal missiles with some undemonstrated abilities that the USN can easily thwart.

Ha ha ha ha. I mean talk about living under a rock. Jesus, this nonsense is so thick that you need waders to trudge though the muck.

…

China is a peaceful nation.

But, it is NOT stupid.

…

The United States has thrown EVERYTHING at China. And I do mean EVERYTHING.

From “color revolutions” inside of China, to “color revolutions” in all the nations surrounding China. From undersea excursions and conflicts, to near-space satellite warfare. From cyber warfare, to bio-warfare attacks. From managed famines to lawfare assaults. From efforts designed to collapse the Chiense banking industry to efforts to collapse the Chinese real estate industry.

It’s been full spectrum and absolute.

But not reported in the “news” of the West.

…

Instead we hear of submarines ramming undersea mountains, freak geomagnetic storms, the “apparent random” firings of Naval Commanders, and the Secretary of the Navy. We read (in the West) about Chinese “warmongering” a build up for a “Taiwanese invasion”.

All this interspersed about how Putin has brain cancer, and how Russia is running out of ammo. We read about how Xi Peng is going to be disposed and how the poor downtrodden people of China are going to rise up for “democracy” and Freedom”.

…

Info war is in full swing.

There is ZERO credibility in Western “news” media. Today it is so outrageous and comically fake and ridiculous that it is amazing that these tabloids are still able to have people that watch and read their content.

…

So… Yeah. It’s full spectrum. EVERYTHING.

Of course…

The clueless in the West would believe the fake narratives of Putin losing, China collapsing, and America remaining strong. They will believe that COVID was fake, or if it was something of concern, then it was “China’s fault” for one reason or the other. That’s the narrative, and that’s want the oligarchy expects Westerners to believe.

…

The United States is a feudal plutocracy.

While China is military-based meritocracy.

…

Oh, it’s just like the United States is throwing EVERYTHING at China, China is preparing with EVERYTHING as well.

And, let me tell you all…

They don’t read American / Western “news”.

They know what is REALLY going on.

…

So China is ready.

If you are a consumer of Western “news” you will be unaware of the following facts, but you do need to brace yourself for the realities.

• Were the USA, either directly or through proxy, attacks China… China will throw nuclear warheads at American cities and military installations.

Oh, sure. China has a “no first use policy” in regards to nuclear weapons.

But within the FORMAL WORDING of this (particular) policy is one sentence that you all should all pay attention to…

“…if attacked… China reserves the right … to use every means at its disposal … to attack the nation that attacks it.”

For some reason, the Western “news” media glosses over this sentence. Perhaps they cannot read Chinese, or simply just cut and paste their “news articles” directly out of Langley VA. What ever, the FORMAL STATEMENT regarding nuclear weapons use is very carefully worded, and ambiguous enough to give the most aggressive neocons pause to consider.

…

So, yeah. China is ready.

It was ready in 1950–53 when it defeated the United States in Korea, and is ready today as it dishes EVERYTHING thrown at it, right back to the United States to consume.

…

At this point in time…

The United States and China are like a married couple living together weeks prior to a divorce. The United States is cheating, bending words, manipulating systems… and thinking “They’ll never find out”.

While China, is playing it smart.

Already has contacted the divorce attorneys, arranged the legal papers and made all the necessary arrangements. Just waiting for the time of CHINA’s choosing to terminate the relationship.

…

So… that being said…

“How can the USN defend against China’s formidable anti-Naval missile forces”?

There ARE a number of things that the United States government can do.

1. Not fight China. Give up. Stop the war-mongering.
2. First strike against China using a barrage of nuclear ICBMs and SLBMs.

That’s it.

Nothing else is realistically possible.

By the way… this is the OFFICIAL view of the United States Pentagon as of late fall 2023.

Of course, it all depends on the temperament of the “leadership” in Washington DC. And since they are clueless morons that are evil psychopathic narcissists, I can’t help but believe that they will be as delusional with China as they are with Russia. And the end result will be disastrous for the Untied States.

And the world as well.

Nothing quite ruins your day as a cascade of nuclear weapons hitting you.

…

Quick summary

• China is READY to take on the United States, simultaneously with it’s proxy “allies”.
• China WILL use nuclear weapons.
• China is above-peer capable with the best equipment of the West.
• China is a military-based meritocracy.

…

Quick Note

• The disinformation about China permeates all levels.
• China is a military-based meritocracy, but the West portrays this reality as “conscription”. Which is disingenuous. It gives the Western reader a pre-conceived illusion of poorly trained, unmotivated troops. But the reality is something quite different.

Toilet paper throw

What are some of the most pretentious things you’ve heard people say?

I once worked in a Michelin star restaurant with over 3,000 bottles of wine. One night a couple was dining at my bar and they were ordering multiple courses. With each course they ordered, they would order a different glass of wine to pair with it. Pairing wine with food is an art, not a science. One person’s nirvana can be another person’s acid rain. Wine tends to bring out the snobbish in people, too; all the worst stereotypes about wine nerds are true.

There were two other bartenders working that night and they got their food and first wine pairing with one of the others. I was clearing their plates and setting them up for their next course when the guy indicated the Vouvray they had finished, and then asked me for an opinion on what they should have next with whatever-fucking-dish they had coming.

“I really like this sauvignon blanc,” I said earnestly, and held out the bottle for them to inspect.

The guy looked at me like I just farted on his face. “AFTER A VOUVRAY?” He said, horrified.

He shooed me away and got one of the other bartenders to help pick the next wine. I was now a social leper, apparently. My judgment could not be trusted any further than I could throw that bottle of wine. I was a rube, an unsophisticated novice who had no right to even be working in such an establishment. I might as well have suggested for him to drink his own piss. And he could have, for all I fucking cared.

The line became a running joke at the bar. Anytime I touched the sauvignon blanc bottle someone would gleefully ask, “They weren’t just drinking the Vouvray, I hope?” And we’d laugh our asses off. I have since asked multiple people why that might be a faux pas as a wine suggestion and no one has ever given me a legitimate answer.

The USA is nuts

What are the most terrifying photos of animal teeth and claws?

Cat claws aren’t really meant to kill (although they can and surely do). They are meant to grab and hold.

A kill typically consists of a sequence: grabbing the prey and getting it to the ground, suppressed, and then finishing the job.

And boy do they come equipped:

A lion claw to hand comparison:

Now it is a different story for most birds of prey.

A harpy eagle, and many eagles, can actually use their claws to kill their prey.

They pin their prey down and hold them, jerking their claws back and forth.

They also use their beaks to tear the animal apart, which, if it is lucky, happens quickly.

This is why you often see a predator eagle seeming to just stand and stomp on its prey. The prey moving around is actually what kills it in many of these instances.

It’s believed that the T-Rex shared this in common with predatory birds.

Their arms weren’t functional for hunting, so they would use one leg to lean in and hold the prey down on the ground, while their jaw did the rest of the work.

One of the closest living examples of what dinosaur claws looked like belongs to the Southern Cassowary, which lives in papua new guinea and looks like a deformed ostrich.

But when you see their claws, it’s immediately obvious who they are related to:

Fortunately, they are omnivores.

Nature is metal AF. Death by another animal never seems to be a fun way to go.

What is a ‘bug that became a feature’ in real life?

Airline executive: hey, if we squeeze the seats closer together, we can fit in one more row of seats, sell more tickets, and make more money!

Health and safety: but you can’t squeeze the exit row seats closer together — people have to be able to get through to the exit. So those seats would have to stay further apart while you squeeze the other ones closer together. It’ll look stupid.

Airline executive: that’s not a bug — that’s a feature! We’ll sell those seats at premium rates for people who want legroom just a little less than what they used to have, rather than a lot less!

---

Exit row seats used to be unattractive, due to the additional responsibility.

Now, they’re apparently fairly popular, due to the guaranteed minimum legroom. Which the airlines are not providing out of the kindness of their heart, but because an ‘exit row’ has to, you know, allow people to exit, so they’re legally mandated to keep them a certain width.

And some people apparently get annoyed when the stewardess asks them whether they are willing and able to assist in the unlikely event of an evacuation….

McDonalds is unaffordable

Have you ever seen a girl so pretty that you wonder if you’d ever see her again?

In high-school my friend and I were selling Christmas wreaths door to door.

We would take turns with the sale line.

This time it was his turn.

My friend was usually out going and very talkative.

We get to this door he goes up and knocks. This beautiful girl opens the door and kind of lifts her leg around the door cradling it and she bites her lip.

My friend was silent didn’t say a word he just stood there dumb founded.

I laughed, said sorry for my friend here…and then gave the whole sales pitch. She giggled and declined. Thr whole time my friend just stood there looking like a fool with his jaw just hanging open.

After she closed the door ot took him a moment to collect himself.

He commented about how beautiful she was. I said yeah, she was nice.

We go down another street and I realize that this side of the street was just the back side of the houses from the other…

I tell my buddy who was still somewhat dazed he gets this next house… (it was hers but from the other side)

She opened the door again same spill but this time I sold the Christmas wreath.

I don’t remember what happened after the second incident. I just remember it was hilarious.

I have so many different stories. We’ve even run across people answering the door in the buff. Usually not the good looking type though!

No Tuna?

What’s the most insane thing a human has survived?

Let’s talk about this guy.

That’s not a green screen in the back.

His name is Wim Hof. They call him The Iceman.

He can withstand extreme cold.

No, not single digit numbers without a shirt on.

Not a wind chill in New York in January.

So extreme that it would kill anybody else.

He has set a world record for the farthest swim under ice, going 188.6 feet under.

He has the fastest half marathon barefoot on snow and ice, running 2 hours and 16 minutes. (most can’t do this in regular climate!)

He has spent 1 hour and 53 minutes in full body contact with ice.

Normally, this should kill anybody between 15 and 45 minutes in.

He has climbed Mt. Everest to 25,000 feet in just shorts and boots.

So the big question remains.

How?

He employs something called “The Wim Hof” method.

He manipulates his mind and his breathing patterns to help his body create an ability to warm itself.

Sounds weird right?

He went under a study with researchers at Wayne State University.

He showed that when he didn’t employ his method of rapid breathing, “his skin temperature would fluctuate between about 33.5 degrees Celsius with the warm water and 31.5 degrees Celsius with the cold.”

However, when he did use his method, “his skin temperature stayed almost perfectly steady at just under 34 degrees Celsius.”

They found in the PET scan later that “the rapid breathing exercise worked by warming the capillaries in the lungs.”

This warming effect of the breathing exercise allows the blood to circulate more freely in the body.

Here he is explaining the exercise to someone else.

Additionally, and weirdly enough, “Hof didn’t demonstrate an increase of activity in the anterior insula, where higher-function thermoregulation is done. Instead, he had an unexpected spike in the periaqueductal gray matter, which is associated with control of sensory pain. Maybe it really is mind over matter after all.”

And he takes this insanity even a step farther.

Hof claimed (and was tested) to be able to control his immune system with his consciousness.

So the most insane thing a human has survived?

Well, Hof makes it seem like you can kind of survive anything.

Life is truly mind over matter.

If a girl rejects you, what is the best way to get her to regret her decision?

Remember Betsy from Taxi Driver?

It was played by Cybill Shepherd.

During the filming of the movie Robert De Niro had a huge crush on her.

He even asked her out on a date.

But she turned him down.

After that during the entire shooting De Niro did not speak to her except when he was in character.

Shooting over.

Movie released.

Taxi Driver did really good business at the box office and also received positive response from Critics.

But rejection from his crush did not stop De Niro. He did classic films like The Deer Hunter, One upon a time in America, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Casino, Heat , Goodfellas, Cape Fear, The Irishman etc.

He won an Oscar for the Best Actor for Raging Bull.

And now he is considered as One of the Best Actors of all time.

On the other hand Cybill Shepherd was forgotten with time.

The only character she played worth remembering was Betsy in Taxi Driver.

40 years later when she wrote an autobiography, She wrote that she regretted turning him down a lot. She wrote, it was the biggest mistake she made in her life.

Now what De Niro did after she turned him down is worth reading

Did he threaten her boyfriend? NO

Did he start doing drinking and drugs? NO

Did he try to get revenge from her anyhow? NO

What he did was – He kept working. He concentrated on his career. And now he is THE ROBERT DE NIRO. Who inspired hundreds of other actors from all over the world.

So if a girl rejects you, what is the best way to get her to regret her decision?

Respect her decision and focus on your career. Build an empire. Self destruction and revenge mindset (Easy Path) will not do anything. Forget about her. You’ll regret later if you choose the easy path.

Ignore Grammatical mistakes.

He’s lying

What is the most badass thing a historical figure has ever said?

One of the most badass thing ever uttered was: “We’ve been fighting in the West throughout the war and we have enough experience to assess our situation. We will not allow ourselves to be taken hostage! You will die like rats when we break out of here!” – Viktor Leonov.

This man is Viktor Leonov:

In 1945 after the fall of Berlin, Viktor Leonov, a grizzled old Russian naval commander who had inflicted crazy amount of death and misery on his Axis enemies was sent to fight the Japanese in the east.

Viktor was assigned to a naval parachute division and was dropped with over 145 men into what was supposed to be a lightly-defended airfield somewhere in the midst of china. Fun fact, it wasn’t lightly defended. Over 3000 Japanese soldiers were waiting for them and the second they landed they were rounded up.

Viktor and his officers were forced marched into the Japanese HQ where the Japanese garrison commander ordered their surrender. Viktor refused and told the Japanese to surrender.

The Japanese officers laughed and told them this is no place for jokes and that he should just sign the papers for the Soviet official surrender and get it over with. Viktor was not joking. He jumped out of his chair, slammed his fist on the table and yelled in a heavy, very deep and intimidating Russian accent:

“We’ve been fighting in the West throughout the war and we have enough experience to assess our situation. We will not allow ourselves to be taken hostage! You will die like rats when we break out of here!”

Right at the end of the sentence, one of his men pulled out a hidden grenade and threatened to blow up every single man in the room.

The Japanese surrendered.

Viktor and his troops walked back to the soviet base with his over 3,000 Japanese prisoners who only hours ago were telling the captured soviets to surrender.

After that, he went back to fighting and captured four Japanese ports along the Korean and Manchurian coastlines. During his daring operations against the Japanese, he lost a grand total of nine soldiers. Seven of them died parachuting into that airfield I just talked about. Viktor apparently only retired because there was no more room on his chest for any more medals.

Viktor died in 2003, his death was not even mentioned in the newspaper.

Strange NYC

What’s an act of kindness someone did for you that you still think about every now and then?

Back in the late summer of 2000 or 2001, I was looking for a job because a freelance customer had stiffed me on six weeks’ worth of invoices. I wasn’t thrilled about either of those things, but hey, at least I like my field. Anyway, my brother called me up out of the blue and we had a conversation that went something like this:

“Hey, you’ll never guess who I sat with on the plane today: John Prine!”

“Oh, cool. How’d he look? He wasn’t looking all that good last time I saw him.”

“He looked OK. He was coming into town for a show tomorrow night with Mary Chapin Carpenter and someone named Lyle Lovett.”

“OMG! Don’t ask any questions, just GO.”

“Oh, I’m going. But I was wondering if you want to go.”

“Uh… I’m broke and in Winnipeg. And I have to be at a job interview at 3:00 pm the next day. Is that even doable?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s totally doable, I have a zillion points. Let me see…” <keys tapping> “OK, I can get you on a flight that comes in about 4:30. I’ll pick you up, we’ll grab some dinner, take in the show, then I can drop you at the airport in the morning and you’ll be back in town by… about 1:30.”

“Uh… OK!”

Next day I take the bus to the airport, fly to Toronto, Scott picks me up in his minty 89(?) Porsche 911, zoom we’re downtown, bam we’re getting a falafel for supper, then we’re off to the venue. Prine was awesome as ever, Mary Chapin Carpenter was great, but Lyle Lovett and his Large Band absolutely killed it. I’ve seen a lot of damned good shows, and that one was right up there with the very best. Then it’s back to Scott’s place, up early, zoom back to the airport, fly back to Winnipeg, and I’m taking the bus to my interview and asking myself, “Did all that really just happen?”

It was an incredible pick-me-up at a time I could really use one, and by far and away one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. (He’ll probably read this, so I’m just going to say “Thanks again!”)

Oh yeah, and I got the job!

Fish Bowl

What is one thing your kid came home and told you one day that made you want to go to school the next day and go off on the principals and teachers?

After a 4 year stay in Japan, representing my husband’s company, we returned to the States and settled in California. We registered our children in school. After a few days our youngest daughter came home and reported that a man had come to the school and taken her out of class and they had gone for a walk. The man had shown her lots of pictures. I was horrified and asked what kind of pictures. She told me one was of a policeman with a bad guy.

next morning I was at the school and in the Principal’s office demanding to know if it was true and if so, why. I was told that I had made a mistake when filling out the enrollment form and had put down that my daughter was born in Japan. My reply was that as her mother I would certainly know where she was born and that was in a hospital in Tokyo. Then I learned that California law requires that any student that doesn’t understand English must have an interpreter.

I told the Principal that if she had spent two minutes in conversation with my blue eyed daughter, born of a British mother and American father she would have known my daughter was fluent in the English language.

Hungarian Pork and Sauerkraut
Sandwich (Peshene)

Ingredients

• 4 slices pork butt, as meaty as possible, sliced thin, pounded if necessary
• 1 large can (27 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed, squeezed dry
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
• 8 slices of the best rye bread

Instructions

1. Prepare the pork butt and add some seasoning to it. Gently brown the pork in the butter until done. Don’t over cook.
2. Set pork aside and add sauerkraut, onions, garlic and seasonings to the pan. Be generous with the paprika. Fry the kraut until browned.
3. Make up 4 sandwiches being generous with the sauerkraut mixture.

I sometimes add 1-2 peeled raw potatoes (diced small) to the frying kraut.

Why do most poor people remain poor?

Every time I visit my parents’ house, I would see someone drinking tea and talking to my mother. They’re usually female, ages 20 through 40. From their appearance, I can see that they are not doing well financially. I call them my mother’s “projects.” She has maybe 4–5 “projects” at a time.

They are visiting my mom to get help, discuss a problem, get some advice, and occasionally some of them would bring gifts to say thank you. I don’t know how it started, who these women were or how they met my mom. But their stories are depressingly similar. All of them were women who had kids, frequently didn’t have husbands, or were in abusive relationships. Let me tell you about one of them.

I’ll call her Zaya. Zaya is a young woman, around 27 years old. First time she met my mother, was when she was 20. She’s developmentally a little slow. Reads and writes with difficulty, and it takes her some time to understand difficult concepts. But she is a hard worker. Always does her tasks diligently. From what I know my mom helped her in some small things:

• One winter she bought her and her child winter clothes.
• Helped her daughter go to a good public school nearby. To do that my mom registered her to her house.

What is special about her? Nothing really. But she has encountered so many problems in her life that, I think, really shows how difficult it is to be poor:

• She was adopted and her family, except her mother, treated her like an unpaid maid.
• She became pregnant when she was 18. The father of the child disappeared, never to be seen.
• She worked as a cleaner in a small company and received a modest salary. My mom took her to a bank one day and helped her open a savings bank account. After several years, she saved an equivalent of 5–6 months salary.
• When her relatives learned about it, they pushed her to liquidate her account and contribute to her brother’s wedding.
• She met one guy, who was a driver and they decided to live together. They built a small house. She used her savings to buy appliances, furniture etc. Just before they officially registered, the guy died in a car accident. His family, moved in and kicked her and her kid out on the streets. I offered to help her write a report to the police and go with her to submit it. She didn’t want to go to all the trouble.
• She opened a new account and kept the bank book with my mother for safekeeping. Her family learned about it and forced her to pay for renovation at their house.
• Her mother, the only person who supported her, passed away. She told her on several occasions that if she passes away she wanted her daughter to live separately from their family.

The last time we heard from her, she was moving to a different city, since her oldest brother was moving there and opening a small barber shop. He promised he would pay her salary. After she moved there, she changed her cell number and stopped calling my mom. It has been more than a year since we heard from her.

Whenever I hear people say that the poor are lazy, or bad at managing money, I always think about her. Her life is like a boxing match with a pro boxer. She gets knocked down, she gets up to be knocked down again. The sheer amount of sh*t that she experienced in her life is really astounding. This is why many of the poor remain poor. Because life is unfair…

Neocon Debacle and Declining Empire | Richard D. Wolff