Another day, and more bullshit. I really, honestly don’t know why I still bother to check out the American headliners. It’s all bullshit fantasy that has no bearing on reality. Absolutely no bearing on anything.
It’s frustrating, but heck, what are you going to do? You just turn it off.
Here’s what I woke up to this morning…
According to the American news feed, the United States is still the “top dog”…
From my Feed. Russia on the Run, and China being told to “behave” or else…
This is from today’s Drudge Report. The USA is telling China to do this, and that, or else…
Nvidia tailors “A800” high-end chips for China to evade US ban | Digital Times BusinessNext
In Chinese, but HERE. Use a translate app.
China unveils ‘drone killer’ laser weapon at Airshow China, can shoot down target at low cost
A laser weapon used against drones attracted wide attention at this year’s Airshow China. Dubbed the killer of UAVs, the weapon can launch effective strikes on low, slow and small (LSS) targets, which refer to those that fly below an altitude of one kilometer, at speeds of around 200 kilometers per hour and have a radar cross-section smaller than one square meter.
The weapon also reminded many military fans of a similar weapon that Saudi Arabia announced at the first Arab World Defense Exhibition on March 6 it had purchased from China: the “Silent Hunter” laser air defense system.
The vehicle-based laser weapon, called the LW-30 laser defense weapon system, was unveiled by the China Space Sanjiang Group under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), one of China’s largest missile manufacturers.
Laser defense weapons are a new type of weapon that use high-energy laser beams to attack targets. Its characteristics in-clude “light speed engagement, silent attack, continuous operation, flexible and accurate, high cost-effectiveness ratio.” It is a new type of weapon that all military powers are focusing on developing, and has broad application prospects in the international military trade market. By focusing high-energy laser on one point, when the energy reaches a certain level, the targeted weapon can directly burn through the control panel of the UAV.
“The LW-30 laser defense weapon system has a power output of 30kw. The laser comes out of the canister of the tracking and firing system and hits the target directly, knocking it out,” Chen Chaoyang, spokesman for China Space Sanjiang Group, told the Global Times.
“The system is effective at intercepting targets within a few kilometers. Achieving instantaneous destruction of the UAV requires a higher-power output from the system, and the weapon system is still being optimized for this purpose,” Chen said.
The Global Times learned from the company that the LW-30 laser defense weapon system is mainly used for critical field air defense, with hard killing capability against typical targets such as UAVs, as well as hard and soft killing capability against photoelectric detection and guidance equipment.
Compared with other air defense equipment, this weapon has high strike efficiency, multi-target strike capability, which can fire multiple times in a short time with high strike accuracy, and strong sustained operation. The implementation of electric energy strikes also makes the weapon cheap to use – just a dozen yuan (about $2). It can also respond quickly as it only takes a few seconds for the system to aim at the target.
This system can be flexibly deployed in key areas according to specific scenarios and needs. It can carry out not only independent combat with a single vehicle, but also multi-vehicle network attacks. It can also be incorporated into traditional air defense weapon systems, and be used with traditional weapons such as close-in artillery and air de-fense missiles.
It is widely believed that the laser needs to be active at one point for a sustained period of time to damage the target, which raises the question of how the LW-30 achieves multiple target strikes and multiple shots in a short period of time.
Chen told the Global Times that the laser vehicle can inflict damage on ordinary targets for a few seconds. That is to say, within the range of the target, the weapon can shoot down a drone in a few seconds, and then enters into another drone attack mode. The vehicle’s tracking and sighting system can rotate 360 degrees to instantly turn fire on another drone.
In addition to high strike efficiency, compared with traditional anti-aircraft weapons, laser weapons are cheaper to use because they mainly rely on electricity converted into laser to destroy targets.
“If it’s an ordinary small drone, it costs about a dozen yu-an, and our goal is to try to bring the cost down even further,” Chen said.
The widespread use of UAVs in hot military conflicts has also led to an increasing demand for anti-UAVs. In terms of defense systems, the laser weapon is a hot new weapon, and all countries are spending a lot of money researching and producing this kind of weapon. As drones continue to improve, laser weapons continue to be upgraded.
“The LW-30 laser defense system is mainly aimed at low, small and slow UAVs and has a very good defensive effect. The global market prospects are very broad,” Chen said.
So how do you see tech competition between China and US?
Some say China-U.S. tech competition has forced U.S. tech companies to abandon a dynamic market, putting them at the forefront of the confrontation.
Thanks for the request.
U.S, tech companies are unfortunately being squeezed by our own government. The Chinese market is existential to these companies. . . . and its the U.S. government banning them from this market.
Biden is continuing trump’s sanctions of China’s tech companies – that latest salvo being the ban on U.S. tech companies from selling to China the latest version chips. But for what end?
Bottomline, on a head-to-head confrontation, the U.S. just can’t win because ultimately, you need to be able to sell what you produce. And this has to be through China because they are the market.
And by banning U.S. tech companies from the Chinese market now is allowing Chinese startups to take over the vacuum left open and effectively replace the U.S. tech companies not just in the Chinese but the global marketplace over the long term.
A McBagette…
Found in McDonald’s in France. “It’s basically two hamburger patties and all the classic toppings you’d expect on a baguette. What a world.”
I got an invitation to a high school reunion where I was bullied. I am successful in my career. I want the satisfaction that I’m doing better than my bullies, but I don’t want to demean myself on that level. Should I go?
In high school, I was a nobody. Very few friends and a bit of a weirdo due to my unusual level of maturity.
I wasn’t asked out by a single boy the entire four years. Not one date.
Despite all this, years later, I decided to go to a reunion. I figured things were different now. I’d grown into an attractive, confident woman, and I had a successful career as a DJ on the most popular radio station in our metropolitan city. Plus, I figured all my former classmates would have matured enough to look beyond superficialities anyway. I thought it would be a nice evening of adult interaction and nostalgia, perhaps a chance to make new friends.
I was so wrong. Ten minutes in, I realised that most of them were in arrested development.
It occurred to me that I could’ve walked in there wearing a tiara and holding an Oscar award, and every single one of them would’ve been more interested in themselves. It’s how they were in HS, and they’d not evolved.
The only thing the reunion did was remind me why I hated my high school so much in the first place. School is just a bunch of people thrown together in the same building. That doesn’t necessarily make them your people.
Going to your reunion to prove something to anyone is a futile exercise. Haters will always hate, and the self-centred never change. Let your success be your own private, unsullied joy.
And, also, well done you!
Mass escape: Americans are asking to move to Russia
From HERE
More than once I heard about the disappointments of people who left Russia. Faced with the "free and democratic" realities of the Western world, they suddenly find out that there is no smell of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights there. And now Orthodox families from the USA and Canada are saying the same thing: they faced persecution for their religious beliefs and upholding their right to live a conservative way of life - without reverence for sexual perversions, without corrupting children under the guise of sex education. These people are concerned about the future that awaits their children in their historic homeland. They really want to get Russian citizenship, because they understand that in our country traditional family values are under the protection of the state.
According to RT, the editorial office received an appeal from several families from the United States and Canada who profess Orthodoxy (a total of 75 people). They ask for help and assistance in obtaining Russian citizenship, because they want to live in a country where same-sex marriages are not welcome, where they will not become "parent No. 1" and "parent No. 2", and will not be persecuted for religious beliefs. Finally, where children at school will not be taught about "diversity", suggesting that perversion is a variant of the norm. The letter was written by Orthodox priest Joseph (Joseph) Gleason, an American who several years ago moved with his family to Russia. Father lives in the Yaroslavl region. He, among other things, tells the Americans the truth about our country and helps with paperwork for those who wish to move to us. Behind the curtain of political correctness Here is what Fr Joseph tells about the reasons why Americans want to move to Russia.
Behind the screen of political correctness and tolerance, the United States is pursuing a policy aimed at destroying the fundamental foundations of any society: the right to freedom of speech, political, religious beliefs, and most importantly, traditional family values.
In Russia, in his opinion, the interests of all the peoples inhabiting it are equally taken into account and respected - with their religious beliefs and traditional customs. This is where our country differs from the United States.
We are all Orthodox Christians, and the aggressively implanted ideologies of LGBT, atheism and moral relativism are alien to us,
the priest writes. Dictatorship of a corrupt minority In one of his interviews, Father Joseph admitted that one of the main reasons for his departure from the United States was the aggressive promotion of non-traditional relationships and same-sex marriages. Yes, most Protestant churches condemn the sin of Sodom in the same way that Orthodoxy condemns it, but because of its "militant and intolerant" planting, it cannot be ruled out that many Protestant denominations in the US will soon begin to bless such "marriages." For father Joseph, all this is unacceptable; nor can he accept lessons in "sexual tolerance" in schools, dressing up boys as girls (and vice versa) in summer camps. As the priest said, US citizens who do not want to indulge the "wants" of perverts are subjected to quite real repressions. A pastry chef who refused to bake a blue wedding cake was fined $135,000 for being politically incorrect. A family making a living by filming was threatened with jail for refusing to film a "marriage" of a same-sex couple. If you rent out venues for events and refuse to do so to perverts who intend to formalize the relationship, you will be fined.
And these are not stories: these are all real stories. America is no longer the promised land that Protestant pilgrims and Russian dissidents dreamed of. Now the jokers say that the USA has turned into the USSR – Russia and America have changed places. Russia has become freer than forty years ago, and the United States is intolerant,
Father Joseph says. And if this trend in the "stronghold of freedom" continues (and, apparently, it will), then it will simply not be safe for anyone who professes traditional values to live in America. That is why many Orthodox families seek to settle in Russia.
The situation in the US is so critical that people were ready to move to Russia in the spring of 2021,
Father Joseph is sure. However, they, according to the priest, faced a very serious problem ... Why not make an exception? Since March 18 last year, due to the covid pandemic, the entry of foreigners and stateless persons into our country has been restricted. Also, during the time of infectious danger, invitations to enter Russia are not issued and are not issued. There is only one exception: our compatriots living abroad - their resettlement to their homeland takes place according to the relevant state program. However, as we understand, citizens of the United States and Canada, even very pretty ones, are not covered by this program.
Davy Knowles & Paul Reed Smith – Dear Mr Fantasy
I am so turning into a big fan of this Davy Knowles fella…
Simply Oven Baked Pork Chops and Rice
“This is DH’s recipe. It is simple comfort food and is very versatile. You can use chicken quarters in place of chops or chicken broth in place of water. Feel free to experiment with different herbs. We never make this the same way twice. A side note: I would recommend using a bone in, fattier cut of pork and not loin chops in this recipe.”
Ingredients
- 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 1⁄2 cups water
- 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
- 1⁄4 onion, sliced
- 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 -4 pork chops
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Stir together soup, water, rice and 1/4 teaspoons pepper in a 3 quart casserole.
- Add onions.
- Salt and pepper chops and place on top of rice.
- Cover and bake at 350* for 1 1/4 hours or until meat is done and liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.
The flavor is 5 star! I used chicken broth instead of water and also sprinkled a little seasoning salt and pepper on the pork chops. Then prior to putting them in the oven, I seared them and added chopped onions and garlic to the skillet. To kick up the flavor a notch, I mixed in 1/2 tspn of thyme to the broth and rice mixture. Because I seared the pork the oven time needed to be less or else it would have dried out. So to ensure my rice cooked through, I heated the broth to boiling before mixing it in. Overall a very tasty meal that I will definitely do again. Thank you for sharing.
You-Tube deletes a “Redacted” video
Oh yeah. The one showing Zelensky in front of a green screen. Now GONE! Sheech!
Why is that USA likes to squash everything coming from China.. Recently it was Huawei now Xiaomi?
China’s rise poses a threat to Western hegemony. The West, especially America, cannot let that happen.
So the West is trying to prevent or retard China’s rise by employing a variety of tactics:
- demonize China with propaganda lies and accusations
- interfere with Chinese commerce (banning Huawei, TikTok, WeChat, SMIC)
- interfere with Chinese politics (CIA and NED affiliates in Hong Kong)
- abduct Chinese nationals on trumped-up charges (Meng Wanzhou)
- apply trade sanctions and tariffs
The end goal is for the West to preserve its global dominance.
As Long As You Approach Her, It’s A Success
So many guys judge success as “did I have sex with her” or “did I get her phone number” or “did I get her laughing”, etc. However, I judge success differently. It is a very binary way of measuring success, and it is also incredibly powerful. I judge success like this: “Did I approach her or not?”
And really, that’s the only measure of success you should have when it comes to women. When you see an attractive woman that you want to meet, did you or did you not approach her?
Because as soon as you approach her, your chances of getting her name, getting her phone #, getting a date with her, and getting sex with her essentially went from zero to non-zero. It might be a 5% chance of getting her phone #, but that’s better than nothing.
As soon as you view success this way, you start to easily gain momentum when approaching women. Let’s say you see an incredibly attractive girl sitting down. She’s a literal 10/10, with a pretty face, an incredibly fit body, and legs for days. Do you go up and approach her? If you do, it’s a success. Everything else doesn’t matter.
Did you literally shit your pants from fear as soon as you went up to her and introduced yourself? Still a success.
- Did you stutter because you were so nervous? Still a success
- Were you sweating from nervousness? Still a success
- Did you forget to ask for her name? Still a success.
- Did she give you a fake phone number? Still a success
- Did she ghost you and stop responding to your texts? Still a success
Because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. Did you or did you not approach?
In this life, you’re going to have the chance to find an amazing girl one day, your own personal 10/10. You’re going to have the chance to talk to her and get her laughing and smiling, and she asks what your name is. You’re going to get the chance to get her phone number and go out on a date with her. You’re going to have the chance for her to be your girlfriend, and she tells you how amazing you are and she can’t imagine a life without you.
But that’s only going to happen if you actually approach her.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is shrinking
What makes having a cat so special to you?
I work at a college and there is a woman who will find stray cats, take them home, get them fixed, work with the feral one and eventually give them to individuals who want a cat. She always leaves the door open, if you were to find that it is not a good match you can always bring the cat back to her. Animal shelters could learn a thing or two from this woman.
I have had at least one cat with me throughout my life. My husband is a dog person and has never really liked cats so for a time I lived in a catless home and I always felt like something was missing. One day I was talking with a coworker and they told me about this lady and I decided it was past time to have a cat back in my life. This is where Turbo came into my life, my daughter choose her, and my life is blessed again with the pitter patter of kitty paws.
Turbo is an ornery kitty and she is very opinionated. If she wants to snuggle in the middle of the night and I am not in the right snuggling position she will let me know with a little lick and if that does not give her the desired response she will lightly bite the bridge of my nose. I would not give up my little fur baby for anything she is a huge part of my life and I think my husband is coming around to the kitty side as well. Look at her. How could you not love that little ball of fur with all of your heart.
UFO evidence expected to be covered up by Congress in new report
Breaking “news”
A swell burger
This is what a dollar bill looked like in 1917…
In a way, does Chinese acceptance of its authoritarian government free up its citizens to focus on other, more substantive things than politics?
The Chinese are highly pragmatic. They only care about results, not political freedom.
For over 2,000 years, Chinese emperors have ruled according to the “mandate of heaven.” If the people do well, the emperor has earned their position. If the people don’t do well, the emperor loses the mandate to rule.
This is consistent with Confucian and Taoist philosophies. Underneath it all is the fact that Chinese society is collectivist. The good of society is the highest priority. That means safety, security, stability, and prosperity.
Westerners do not understand this. It’s very much an alien concept. They have not lived with it for thousands of years like the Chinese have.
Today’s political system in China follows along the same lines. It delivers the results the Chinese want. Enormous prosperity. Safety, security, and stability.
Meanwhile, the West has its political freedoms like free speech and freedom to choose among a party plurality. But what do they give up?
- stability — Capitol Hill riot, BLM, Brexit disaster, Taiwan parliament fights, etc.
- safety — Today, the US has 457,931 Covid deaths, Brazil has 226,383, Mexico has 159,100, India has 154,635, UK has 108,013, Italy has 89,344, France has 77,238, Russia has 74,158, Spain has 59,805, and Germany has 59,386 (at the time of writing).
- safety — The US is plagued by gun violence and mass shootings.
- prosperity — The quality of life has been sliding all over the world. That’s why populism has infected so many countries, why people like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro got elected.
The results speak for themselves.
The good old days
This guy was in his future wife’s family picture (the guy on the left), on a trip to Rio De Janeiro. 7 years before they met.
How has China been able to maintain an authoritarian government for so long?
China’s government maintains power by serving the people well, by delivering the goods to the people. This should be the objective of Western democratic governments, too, but they do a rather shitty job.
In the last four decades since the great reforms of Deng Xiaoping, China has given the people the following:
- enormous prosperity
- the total eradication of absolute poverty
- the world’s finest infrastructure
- a world-class military
- unbelievable scientific and technological advancement
- total protection from COVID-19 (China has the lowest death toll of all the developed economies)
Right now, Western democracies are wracked by high inflation, high fuel prices, severe fuel shortages, and political chaos (particularly bad in USA, UK, and Germany).
People everywhere only care about practical outcomes, not ideological nonsense.
The USA shot itself in the foot
By not selling to China, they are digging their own grave = Shooting oneself in the foot.
Capacity utilization rates for TSMC’s 7nm process platform and its process variants N6, N7 have fallen below 50%, according to industry sources.
Many IC design customers are cutting orders and delaying pull-ins of TSMC’s 7nm process. Companies that have had the biggest impact include MediaTek, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Qualcomm, Apple, and Intel, as well as Chinese companies like Unisoc, which have been restricted by bans.
TSMC’s utilization rates for its 7nm and 6nm processes have fallen and are not expected to return to previous levels until the first half of 2023, according to sources.
Change…
This passage that shows the evolution of the English language:
What happens when a cat goes senile?
This is Tigger and I kid you not he is 22. He was at the vets this week and yes he has dementia. He sleeps all day and wakes up just to eat. Yesterday I had hand washed some dishes and left them to dry on the counter. I walked back into the kitchen and he was laying on top of all of it. Cutlery, plates and bowls.
Another day he was just sitting on the middle of the kitchen island checking things out from a new perch. Something he had never done before.
A month ago I was watching TV and smelled urine. He had just peed in the basket that held all of the cat toys.
I asked the Vet how long he had and he said “Five years ago I would have given him a year”.
Happy 23rd Birthday Tigger
Does China acknowledge itself as an authoritarian government or a democracy of “Chinese characteristics”? Is it ever going to try to democratize its system?
China regards itself as democratic. However, China’s democracy does not hew to the Western model. It is, as you suggested, uniquely Chinese.
That said, how can China further “democratize” its system? Adopt the Western model? Why the fuck would China do that?!
- China adopted the Western model back in 1912 and it did not turn out well.
- China saw India adopt the Western model in 1947 and it did not turn out well.
- China saw Russia adopt the Western model after the fall of the Soviet Union and it did not turn out well.
- China saw Taiwan adopt the Western model in 1996 and it did not turn out well.
- China saw US democracy go down the toilet with the January 6 Capitol Hill riots.
So, please, please, tell me: Why would China give Western democracy another try?
What would China stand to gain?
Feathers
This photo of a penguin’s coat of feathers…
Davy Knowles & Paul Reed Smith – Fire On The Bayou
What was the pettiest complaint somebody ever called your police department with?
You’re going to love this!
Several years ago we had an older neighbor (in her late 60’s) who didn’t approve of my marriage (Interracial couple). She was civil until she started getting dementia, which her children apologized for often.
First she started calling the police any time I fired up the grill, telling them I had an open fire. They would show up, see I was barbecuing and leave.
One night at work (Walmart) around 11pm, an officer I knew came in and tells me he just left my house, that my neighbor had called in a noise complaint. I told him that no one was home, as my wife and I were both at work. He told me that he knew that, as he knew my wife also and had been at her work (Hospital) on a combative family member complaint when the noise complaint had come in. so he checked it out and heard nothing.
While we were talking, he got another call, at my house, for another noise complaint, from the same neighbor.
About forty minutes later he came back in and told me he looked and listened and found nothing out of the ordinary. Which at this point had me scratching my head. He got another call and left. I went home at lunch (3a – 4a) and looked around my house and found nothing that could have caused her to call the police about noise.
Around 630a that morning he comes back in smiling. He tells me that he’d gotten called back to my place again, for a third time. So he met her at the door and asked her if he could come in and listen for what she might be hearing. She agreed, he walked around and listened and found that an alarm clock radio had gone off and was playing music.
She had literally heard music playing in her spare bedroom, and called the police on my wife and I three times. Over music playing in her own home! While both of us were at work.
(While I would certainly have done the same, to clarify, I didn’t have this experience but am passing it along.):
So I’m in line at the bank and I hear the teller that’s helping the elderly man next to me say, $60,000 is a lot of money sir, why do you need it? The elderly man says, “I can’t tell you that but I need that money”. A red flag went up in my mind. As I finished my transaction I stepped over to the elderly gentleman and said, ” Sir, I ‘m sorry to interrupt your personal business but may I talk to you for a moment.” I walked him away from the window and said to him, I don’t mean to pry in your personal business and I’m not going to tell anybody anything so don’t be afraid. But who’s on the other end of your phone telling you that you need to send them $60,000? Is there somebody telling you that they have a family member who is hurt and needs medical attention? Or is it the IRS telling you you owe back taxes? Did they tell you NOT to tell anyone?
Immediately he says , “No, it’s the Social Security office and the Glendale Police Department is involved. I said, “no sir you need to stop this right now.” This is a scam and you are NOT taking $60,000 out of the bank today.
I walked him back to the teller as they were sliding a cashier’s check for $60,000 through the window saying, here you go sir. I looked at it ,and gasped because it was $60,000.
Then, I slid the cashier’s check back through the window and said miss please cancel this man’s transaction and put this money back in his account immediately. As they were doing the transaction to put the money back in his account the man tapped me on my shoulder. I looked at him and he pointed his flip phone at me and said they’re on the phone right now. I grabbed the phone from him and said hello. A woman with an Indian accent send hello. I said, ARE YOU TRYING TO STEAL $60,000 FROM MY DAD YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!! Needless to say she hung up. I put my arm around the old man and escorted him out to his vehicle. I told him if anyone ever calls you and tells you that you owe money for any reason it’s a scam.
I called my phone from his phone so I could call him later when I got home to check on him. After I put my phone number in his phone I told him if he ever had any questions just to call me.
The elderly man about 85 years old said thank you very much son. It felt pretty good to save him from losing his life savings.
The reason I’m posting this is because not only do I want all you younger folks to inform your grandparents and parents of these scams but I also think that Bank tellers should be more aware of theses red flags. Perhaps, they should be trained to look for these signs. It was so obvious to me what was going on. Those young bank tellers gave up that man’s life savings in a matter of 3 minutes. The man told me he had an addressed envelope with a stamp on it in his car ready to drop in the mailbox. So please discuss this with your parents and grandparents and make sure they understand that these people exist and they will steal your money. You can also put your name on their account with a warning that says contact me before any large withdrawals. Please be aware of these people they are scumbags and it’s no joke. They’re slimy and slick and old folks are very easily fooled by them.
Be aware!! These old folks worked very hard for their money and don’t deserve to have it stolen from them.
Wear your helmet
The guy wearing this survived (wear your helmet on your motorcycle, kids).
Self hating
This sounds like one of my cousins. David, and his friend John Lee. They were UK born but self hating Chinese. Both of them work as MLM scammers online these days. But then again John got the shit kicked out of him for scamming a group of people recently.
But this is poetic
in 2017, Chinese exchange student Yang Shuping (from Kunming, a service oriented city with little industry in the middle of the jungle in Yunnan) made a speech comparing the ‘fresh air of freedom’ in the US to the ‘dirty polluted air’ in China.
She posted on Weibo that US air is the air of freedom, she hates China, and “ch*nks I’m getting a greencard, don’t be jealous.” People in China congratulated her on her ‘achievement’, told her to f* off and never come back to China again.
“空气香甜女”杨舒平：被美国抛弃，被中企拉黑，如今怎样了？,杨舒平,美国,马里兰大学,耶鲁大学,留学
她为什么这么有恃无恐？因为她后来在马里兰大学读完了硕士，又找了外国男友，所以，她飘了，觉得以她的高学历，找个高薪工作轻而易举，再顺理成章地拿到绿卡，就一劳永逸的永远留在美国了。所以，得罪全中国又怎样？ 。。。 果然，半年后，杨舒平又原形毕露，在网络上发表：“美国空气真的好甜美，好民主好自由！真不想回到中国！中国的雾霾得戴50层口罩！” 不久后，她干脆本色出演，彻底撕破脸，以美国人自居，在网络上以恶毒的字眼怒骂中国人：让中国人滚，不要嫉妒她要拿到美国绿卡了。 国人倒是大度起来，纷纷祝福她早日拿到美国绿卡，不要再踏足中国的土地了。
But where is she now
转眼两年过去了，杨舒平硕士毕业了，她手握着马大的毕业证，自信满满在美国寻找工作。 她以为美国的名企都会向她抛来橄榄枝，但是所有投出去的简历都石沉大海。偶尔遇上几个回复，但是稍微背调，了解了她的“事迹”后，便会找各种理由拒绝她。 ... 据说这份工作还是需要和中国人打交道，但她在工作中又与白人同事发生争执，正好赶上疫情，经济萧条，就被公司裁员了。 接下来，美国签证到期，被拒续签，她投诉无果，遭驱逐出境。
She graduated with a masters in theater, tried to get a job, was rejected from every one except a small business that dealt with Chinese people.
Looks like the boyfriend didn’t stick around either.
She then got into an argument with coworkers, plus pandemic, was laid off, and because she was laid off, her visa conditions were no longer met and she got deported.
She then went to South Korea, but then when her new company went down due to the pandemic, Korea deported her too.
本以为换个地方可以重新开始，没想到，疫情也席卷了韩国。韩国企业更不会把工作机会留给像她这样有“劣迹”的外国人。
She went back to China, and found herself blacklisted by every company she applied for.
Some allowed her to interview just to humiliate her by asking “how come you didn’t stay at the land of sweet freedom air?”
万般无奈下，杨舒平灰溜溜地逃回了国内。国内企业更是将她早已拉入黑名单，没有一家公司愿意聘用她。甚至有的企业，在面试时，直接问她：为什么不留在空气香甜的美国，为什么要回来？
And that’s why
Is foolish…
Davy Knowles w/Band of Friends – A Million Miles Away
Busy man
Bruce Willis starred in 22 films between 2020 and 2022.
Are there people in Taiwan whom actually wish for China to annex them?
I am from Taiwan.
Using the term “Annex” shows ignorance of world history and current events.
It is very simple to answer this question, which is, “Yes. A Lot”, except they know better than using the term “Annex”, but “Re-unify”, or “Recover”, as Taiwan is only a province of China.
The person described below is but one example, although a pretty outstanding one. She basically gives a slap in the face to all those who try hard to conceal this ostensible fact to foreigners, by crafting all kinds of “exceptions” to downplay the significance of this well-known phenomenon in Taiwan. She is by no means alone, either.
Why do I see some Taiwanese people defending the CCP on Quora?
I was born and grew up in Taiwan. I have never lived in mainland China and do not consider myself enamored with the CCP. I criticize the CCP on Quora from time to time. So I don’t categorically defend the CCP, or even the PRC. But ironically, the fact that I am from Taiwan made me see more clearly the mendacity and treachery of Western main stream media (MSM), and thus more sympathetic to the PRC when it is being smeared and demonized by Western MSM in ways that insult my intelligence, as elaborated below. Chiu Yu's answer to Who really controls Western media? It seems that on the surface there is press freedom but underneath the media mostly have the same tone about certain global issues like North Korea, China, etc. This may have given you and similar people on Quora the impression that someone from Taiwan, such as myself, is defending the PRC (which you are mixing up with the CCP). I have gotten quite some questions from people on Quora questioning my Taiwanese credential. While such questions are really not worth my time and I have successfully convinced some in the past, I would like to analyze this mentality a little more, and give a few more powerful examples to preempt further similar nonsense. So what kind of people are likely to question my Taiwanese credential, and even suggest that I am paid by the CCP, when they see me either defend the PRC or criticize Taiwan’s corrupt, anti-China DPP regime? There are several possibilities of these people. - They are simply ignorant. These people cannot tell Taiwan from Thailand, and gulped down wholesale the garbage shoved down their throats by Western MSM, that China is BAD, and it is impossible for anyone to have anything positive to say about it. - They are from North Korea and can only imagine Taiwan being the same, where everyone must toe the DPP party line in lockstep. So how can anyone from Taiwan badmouth Taiwan and defend the PRC? It defies the North Korean model! These people are really not qualified for democracy. - They have never done anything for a higher calling in their lives other than for money, and therefore cannot understand others doing something not for money. Who knows, maybe they themselves are paid by some shady organizations to go on Quora to spread rumors and innuendos. It takes one to know one. - These people, most often pro-independence Taiwanese, have Fascist stench in their blood. They are Taiwanese Nazis, always looking for an angle to divide along lines of background, ethnicity, etc. to demarcate between “us” and “them”, and whoever holds a different opinion is one of “them” and labeled a “non-Taiwanese”, kind of like Jews and Catholics were “non-Germans” in Hitler’s eyes. I see some answers to this current Quora question apparently from these Taiwanese Nazi’s. These may be the most despicable of all. See Note Added below for more detail. Unfortunately for them, the person I am about to introduce gives these Taiwanese Nazi’s a big slap in the face! It’s like Hitler being attacked by someone with 100% Aryan blood. LOL. It is people like these, who haven’t the vaguest idea of what Taiwan is like, or what democracy is all about, that would have the audacity to say I am not from Taiwan. I have never gotten such nonsense accusation from people who are real Taiwanese, who can tell right away which camp I am from in Taiwan. The people who question my credential would do well to shut up, so nobody knows they are idiots. Of course, another explanation, which happens quite often, is that such people could not refute my narrative based on logic and facts, and this is their last resort, pathetic identity attack. I always like the statement attributed to Paul Mitchell, that “When they call me a wumao, I know I won the argument”. Right on! In any case, judging from the writing quality and the substance that goes into these people’s posts, I think my suspicion is well grounded. Can You, Who Question My Credential, Even Comprehend This? If even my Quora postings already perplex you to this degree, I have great sympathy for you when I introduce the following person from Taiwan. What I say on Quora is Mickey Mouse compared to her opinions and narratives. 黃智賢 Huang Chih-hsien - Wikipedia Her family has been in Taiwan for several hundred years, since the Qing or even the Ming Dynasty, way before the ROC or the PRC even existed. Like the Mayflower of Taiwan, her lineage is as native Taiwanese as it gets, if you don’t count the aboriginals. She was born and grew up in the city of Tainan, the Number One enclave and stronghold of the pro-independence, anti-China DPP party, where it is said that the DPP can win any election even if they put a watermelon on the ballot. Her entire family is influential in the local area and deeply pro-DPP, and looks like a Who’s Who of the DPP party. Her elder brother is the current DPP Mayor of Tainan. Another brother is a leading political analyst at an anti-China DPP think tank, who talked about lobbing missiles at the Three Gorges Dam last year. Her first cousin is the presidential spokesman for the DPP president Tsai Ying-wen. Yet, my Quora posts would look so sheepish next to her staunch pro-China opinions and rhetoric. I at least pay due respect to whoever is willing to put his life on the line to honor his call for Taiwan independence. She categorically dismisses all pro-independence persons as traitors to the Chinese nation, and openly advocates re-unification with China posthaste! She has so antagonized and intimidated the DPP, with her TV shows that attracted a huge following in and out of Taiwan, that the DPP forced her off the air, and later shut down the TV station (CTI) that hosted her programs altogether. That was an excellent demonstration of how free and democratic Taiwan is, just the same way Trump shut down MSNBC and kicked Chris Cuomo off the air. Oh wait, sorry, I was wrong! Trump knew better than that! I was thinking of Kim Jong-un. Her political stance made it impossible for her to live in Tainan, facing threats to her safety amidst unrelenting, abusive verbal and cyber attacks. For some period, she could not even visit her parents easily. Come on, imbeciles, those who moronically claim there is money to be had in defending the PRC and castigating Taiwan independence! This again betrayed your ignorance about Taiwan, of how lucrative it is to be a DPP official, legislator, operative, hitman, or just party member, waving its pro-independence, anti-China banners. I have made hundreds of posts on Quora about how the only goal of the DPP is to embezzle and loot taxpayers, using China as a scarecrow and the US as a collateral, to secure their election bids, persecute the opposition parties, dissidents, intimidate and coerce the media and strong-arm the judiciary, so that they can stay in power forever to loot and extort more money. It gets too tiresome for me to keep quoting these posts again and again, so please look them up yourself. With this kind of inherent political capital, if 黃智賢 had simply exploited her enviable family clout within the DPP and in Tainan, and gone along with its treacheries and sleaze by effortlessly becoming a DPP legislator or political/media hitman, she could have been making literally 1-10 million US dollars a year, not unthinkable at all if you had read my other Quora posts on DPP corruption. Look at how much the DPP pays its crony news outlets through government contracts. Even a 30-year-old unemployed thug on the DPP cyber hit squad payroll can have bank accounts of nearly one million USD, as was recently exposed and described in one of my Quora posts. Given her media charisma, eloquence, and political/educational background, she could have easily become a bigger DPP media star than those current DPP crooks on screen, making 10s of millions USD a year. So, can you explain to me why a Taiwanese is doing a thing like this? Doesn’t make sense to You (who clearly know nothing about Taiwan or democracy), right? She has to be an Idiot if she were advocating re-unification and lambasting Taiwan independence for Money! She is not alone, either. One can easily find another 100 in the public opinion space exactly like her. Each single one is a big slap in the face to those questioning their Taiwanese credentials. I have here a pretty old link with many Taiwanese YouTube channels* that lambast the DPP regime in Taiwan, including some that defend China. This list badly needs updating as the number has increased a lot in the past years. Several of them have subscribers numbering in the millions. Chiu Yu's answer to With the closure of HK’s Apple Daily, does this raise fears of a broader crackdown on media freedom in Hong Kong? So Who is the Real Fake? This reveals what a fake these people are, who claim to know Taiwan, know democracy, and claim those who criticize the DPP or defend the PRC cannot be Taiwanese, or cannot be doing it without money. 黃智賢 is the perfect case to call their bluff and shut them up for good! My advice to those who question my Taiwanese credential: Just shut up before people discover you are a Fake and an Idiot, if not a Nazi on top of it all! * And why only YouTube? Because all the anti-DPP TV stations have been shut down, and the lucrative government PR contracts, worth up to 1.9 billion USD (including money for DPP cyber hit squads), are awarded only to DPP crony TV and other news outlets who are subservient to the DPP and do its bidding. The DPP recently passed a legislation to start regulating web media as well, carrying heavy fines and potential prosecution and jail terms for web channels/posts that violate certain guidelines. Note Added 10/25/2022 Fascist Stench in the Blood of Some Pro-Independence Taiwanese and The DPP I took a quick glance at other answers to this question, and saw something ominous and indicative of the familiar Fascist stench of some Taiwanese people, especially those from the fanatic pro-independence camps. Sure enough, they are asserting exactly what I described at the opening of my answer, that whoever criticizes the DPP or Taiwan independence, or even argues in China’s defense, is distinguishable from the “real Taiwanese”. Somehow, a line can be drawn along background, ethnicity, or other dimensions to demarcate between “us” and “them”. Wow! Blatant, unabashed Fascism, so reminiscent of the despicable former Taiwanese Fascist of a president Lee Teng-hui, whom I call the Joseph Goebbels of Taiwan*, who used such divisive tactics to persecute his opponents and radicalize the society for his own political and financial gains. May his name rot in human history. Apparently we still have a lot of such stinking lowlifes in Taiwan who instinctively adopt this reactionary mindset and tactic of Lee, Goebbels, Hitler, Joseph McCarthy, or Kim Jong-un, labeling whoever holds a different view as “non-Taiwanese”. This occurs to these people so naturally, because Fascism is already in their blood, the same reason why they shut down TV stations, kick news anchors off the air, persecute the opposition party, violate judicial independence, fudge election outcomes, and harass dissenting voices without thinking twice. This is also why the DPP-employed cyber thugs were so at ease with lobbing N-Words at the World Health Organization Secretary General Tedros Adhanom. Reading these people’s answers gives me shudders, and should give you a good idea of the degree to which Fascism has penetrated into the DPP/pro-independence camp in Taiwan. After all, didn’t Hitler also say whoever didn’t support him was not German? Finally, what’s most pathetic about these Fascists’ narrative is that, 黃智賢 defies every single one of their dividing criterion. A slap in the face! It is like Hitler finding that the person most against him was one with 100% Aryan blood! LOL. * I originally called Lee the Slobodan Milosevic of Taiwan, but I go along with David Wood’s comment, that Milosevic was really not nearly as despicable as Lee. * Fascism/Nazism is no stranger to modern day Taiwan at all. Chiu Yu's answer to How can I help Taiwan against CCP as a European? A picture of the SS Taiwan Panzer Division on parade:
Note Added 11/10/2022
Part of my response to Peter Elliott’s interesting comment in a Space to this answer, musing on the prospect of formalizing Taiwan’s status under China while keeping its various freedoms and rights.
Indeed as you said. It would be great if Taiwan, the province, is reverted to its legal and rightful place inside China, the right earned by 30 million people who lost their lives. I am all for keeping all the level of press and speech freedom currently ongoing. Actually, under the DPP regime, there is very little press and speech freedom in Taiwan right now. TV stations are shut down, and media personalities are kicked off the air, harassed, or put on the wanted list. The PRC has an easy job to do better than that. Doesn’t take much.
My main opinions are the following.
- Taiwan being a part of China is a right earned with blood and fire. If the pro-independence Taiwanese want to change that, no problem. All they need to do is earning it with a commensurate price, and not stealing it like a coward. They’ll have all my support.
- The current DPP regime in Taiwan is not interested in pushing for independence. It is only a treacherous scheme for more grabbing of money and sex (not trying to be silly here), using China as a scarecrow and the US as a collateral. The Taiwanese taxpayers play the roles of ATM’s and victims of sexual crimes whenever the banner of “Taiwan independence” is unfurled.
- The prospect of what you suggested, of a Taiwan province integrated into China but enjoying exceptions in terms of freedom, has been offered by the PRC in the past. But with unrelenting provocation by the DPP for the above purposes, this prospect is fast disappearing. If it comes to a unification by force, then Taiwan would not be in a position to bargain for anything.
Tourists can now move to Bali for up to 10 years — if they have at least $130,000 in the bank
From HERE
- Indonesia is introducing a new visa aimed at attracting wealthy foreigners.
- The new “second home” visa allows foreigners to stay for five or 10 years.
- Applicants must have at least $130,000 in their bank accounts to apply.
Indonesia is introducing a new visa aimed at attracting wealthy foreigners and boosting the country’s economy.
The country is focusing on its tourist capital, Bali, in an effort to lure in visitors for longer stays. The new “second home” visa is available for five or 10 years and will come into force from December 25 this year, per a press release.
Applicants must be able to bring at least two billion Indonesian rupiahs (around $130,000) with them, and the funds must be placed in Indonesian state-owned banks.
“The goal is to attract foreign tourists to come to Bali and diverse other destinations,” said acting Director General of Immigration Widodo Ekatjahjana at the launch of the visa on Tuesday.
The visa hopes to bring in those who could “contribute positively to the Indonesian economy,” the press statement continued.
The move follows countries like New Zealand and Portugal, which have recently introduced “digital nomad visas” to capitalize on remote workers who want to work overseas after the pandemic upended traditional work structures.
Over a dozen other countries have launched similar programs to attract young and travel-keen remote workers.
The digital nomad lifestyle is growing in popularity as pandemic-enforced working styles such as remote work become more common.
Last year, 15.5 million Americans identified as digital nomads, according to a report.
Read the original article on Business Insider
China debuts container-type missile launch system; weapon can ‘effectively improve defense capabilities of coastal countries’
China's leading missile developer exhibited a container-type sea defense combat system at the ongoing Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, which could effectively improve the defense capabilities of coastal countries for its outstanding mobility and capability to disguise itself.
At the exhibition hall, the Global Times reporters saw an anti-ship missile launch system in the shape of a container with naval camouflage, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the country’s largest manufacturer of cruise missiles. The container is about 13 meters long, 2.3 meters wide and 2.5 meters high.
The Global Times learned from the corporation that the missile launch system can integrate an operating station, a power station and missile launchers into the container.
A representative from the No.3 Research Institute under CASIC told the Global Times at the airshow that the missile launch system, no matter what platform it is mounted on, does not need an external power source. Its own power supply can fully meet the operational needs.
“The launch system can connect with various independent detection and command units such as early warning aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shore-based radars. It could receive target information from those external sources through encrypted data,” he said.
According to the representative, based on the information from the detection unit, the command unit could formulate a combat plan automatically. The command unit then sends the instructions to the launch system. The detection unit and command unit can also provide operational information support for the launch system. After making some adjustments, the operators then confirm the plan and send the order to each station as well as the firing parameters to each launch unit.
“The launch system does not require a lot of personnel. It only takes four people to complete the whole launch process,” the representative said.
The Global Times reporters noted that the launch system on display adopts a quadruple mounting method, which can simultaneously carry four YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missiles. In addition, the launch system can optionally be equipped with four YJ-18E anti-ship missiles, as well as other types of anti-ship missile weapon systems, reflecting its strong compatibility.
Among them, the YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile can reach Mach 3 and has a range of 290 kilometers. Compared with the usual subsonic anti-ship missile, YJ-12E has an advanced flight speed and strong penetration ability, which makes it an effective weapon to break through hostile missile defense system.
Meanwhile, it has the advantages of high accuracy, outstanding damage output and low life cycle cost. It is mainly used to attack large and medium-sized surface vessels and high-value targets on the ground. This standoff weapon is highly disguisable, could operate actively and respond in a short time. It is a powerful weapon to achieve long-range, rapid and precise attack on high-value targets.
The YJ-18E anti-ship missile adopts a system of “subsonic cruise plus supersonic strike,” taking into account the unique advantages of long range during subsonic flight and final supersonic attack. The missile can covertly strike large and medium-sized surface vessels and formations at a long distance, and at the same time has the ability to attack small ships and fixed targets on land.
The missile is designed for hidden attacks, can travel long distances, has high damage output and is easy to use. It has a maximum range of nearly 300 kilometers, leading the international market. Using advanced flight altitude control technology, it can fly close to the sea at ultra-low altitude, and choose the appropriate attack route and attack mode according to the specific battle scenario.
The terminal stage of the missile can effectively break through enemy defenses. The missile’s seeker has a variety of guidance modes and is capable of precision strikes against multiple targets at sea and on land through modular retooling. A single hit can heavily damage or sink a typical ship target.
According to a CAISC representative, the container-type sea defense combat system can be mixed with the YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile and YJ-18E anti-ship missile or other types of anti-ship missile. However, to achieve the best strike effect, the most ideal way is to simultaneously deploy YJ-12E supersonic anti-ship missile and YJ-18E anti-ship missile.
“The container-type launch system can change its firing angle at will, or even launch the missile vertically,” the representative said.
The Global Times learned from the corporation that the missile launch system can be loaded on heavy trucks, becoming a set of maneuverable shore-to-ship missile launching system. It can also be used in the upgrades of old warships.
“This weapon system, if deployed ashore, will effectively enhance a country’s defense capability to safeguard its exclusive economic zone,” the Global Times was told.
Two strangers sit next to each other on a flight and meet their Doppelganger
A fine breakfast
Why was the loss of China to communism so upsetting to Americans?
The truth is, Americans have NEVER cared about China. Not 150 years ago. Not 50 years ago. Not today.
Most Americans couldn’t find China on a map. They just don’t care to learn anything about this country.
As for the US government, it has helped China from time to time but only because it serves US interests. For the US, everything in geopolitics must serve US interests or else they won’t do anything.
Found the cliff this cliff bar came from
Iran has developed its own hypersonic missiles which can sink the US aircraft carriers recently. Now, Iran needs to speed up its nuclear weapons capabilities development like North Korea. Why?
The only way you can ward off a bully is by making sure that he will get his lungs ripped off and his head bashed to a million pieces if he tries any hanky panky.
we all know that
- Iraq,
- Syria,
- Libya,
- Afghanistan,
any many many more are living examples of American bullying.
In fact I would advice Iran to focus on developing small nuclear bombs the size of a suitcase. and provide logistics to highly motivated individuals from Syria, Libya, Afghanista, and Iraq the way to reach New york, London, Paris and other NATO nations that have destroyed their lands.
After the nuclear attack the rich and powerful will run for their lives they will scatter and establish new locations.
these are the people that need to be targeted after their shield of invincibility is broken.
let me give you an example
take nancy pelosi – look into her campaign and see who are her greatest contributors – who have paid for her campaign money… these are the actual enablers of American policy … these people need to be marked and they need to be hunted down … because it is not the politician but the sponsors of such politicans – the financers – the enablers who actually create the policy of the USA … these are the people that need to be hunted down – their families and their friends. and their relatives.
the problems are created by the politicians but the people on whose behalf these politicans create the problems are the main culprits – hence we need to hunt down these people and their families. it is their money that enables the politicans to create the problems
so remember first [1] the nuclear attack and create chaos and then [2] the hunting down of these individuals …
it is not just the governments – but the rich individuals from these countries that need to take initiative to enable these activities because once you hunt down these enables your business competition that uses unfair means (the military of USA) to give you unfair competition is no more… and your business and development is further enabled. you have literally killed your competitor … the same way that your competitor uses his government to undermine you and your business.
Met a stranger at a wedding that looked just like him and was wearing the same thing.
China displays powerful space monitoring radar for first time at Airshow China
China’s leading radar developer exhibited a giant space monitoring radar, which is believed to be the “most powerful radar,” at this year’s Airshow China. It’s about 10 meters high, and it attracted wide attention not only from military enthusiasts but also from foreign visitors.
Standing out in the pavilion and recognizable for its huge and spectacular array of antennas, the SLC-18 space surveillance active phased array radar, developed by the No.14 Research Institute of CETC (China Electronics Technology Group Corp), was exhibited for the first time.
With the development of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology, satellites mainly used for information collection and battlefield reconnaissance have gradually become core equipment for modern, powerful countries to obtain remote information.
These satellites are usually characterized by strong capability, small size and flexible orbits, and they can realize intensive, 360-degree and all-factor reconnaissance of hot spots.
The Global Times learned from the No.14 Research Institute that the radar can search, track, calculate, catalog and forecast space targets such as LEO satellites, and obtain multi-target tracking and measurement data. It is mainly used for space target monitoring.
Sun Lei, deputy general manager of CETE Guorui Group, told the Global Times that in order to guard against the prying eyes of other countries’ satellites, movements of sensitive equipment or deployments on the ground of many countries must often maneuver intentionally to avoid the transit time of satellites, or take countermeasures to interfere with satellite signals.
All of this is based on knowing when a satellite is in transit, but for most developing countries, it is difficult and expensive to develop the technology to monitor space targets. In the past, they bought in-orbit satellite data from developed countries, which is expensive and often outdated, making it difficult to obtain first-hand information, Sun said.
According to Sun, the SLC-18 radar, a P-band solid-state active phased array radar, is mainly used for space target monitoring. It can search for and capture LEO satellites and other space targets, and obtain multi-target tracking and measurement data.
In recent years, the US has promoted constellations of LEO reconnaissance satellites. They are no longer a few expensive satellites, but often consist of hundreds of small satellites. For example, the NDSA “Defense Space Architecture Layered Orbit Satellite Constellation” proposed by the Pentagon includes a large number of satellites running in different orbits. The US military plans to launch as many as 100 satellites in the next five years.
To cope with new challenges posed by constant launches of LEO satellites, the space monitoring system must have the ability to quickly monitor and identify objects, which brings new technical challenges.
“The SLC-18 radar can detect satellites from afar, and identify and catalog satellites to form a radar database, so as to guide other equipment to respond accordingly. It can also send satellite data to the command center to help make decisions,” Sun told the Global Times.
The SLC-18 has wide-area detection capability, which can quickly capture a satellite’s orbit and input the orbital data into the database. Through comparative analysis, it can quickly determine whether it is a new type of satellite and what its main use is, according to the orbit characteristics.
The radar has such outstanding advantages as all-weather, all-time, multi-target, large power and large search areas, which can detect LEO targets in a wide range of airspace and cover a large number of LEO satellite targets, he noted.
The Global Times learned from the institute that the SLC-18 radar can complete the all-round monitoring of satellite targets, and it has the ability to survey space targets. It also has a high measurement accuracy.
Based on the tracking information of the radar, a satellite overhead transit forecast can be provided through the orbit determination, and offer enough time for on-the-ground decision-making to take countermeasures.
Sun said that the radar is domestically made from manufacturing to chip technology and at the same time, it adopts the modular design, which means the radar can further improve its ability based on the need to increase the module, indicating that China’s radar development has reached a new level.
“In the past, only a strong military power that had technical strength and economic and industrial foundations could conduct space target surveillance. For developing countries, it was difficult to have such capability.
“The SLC-18 radar uses relatively cost-effective ground-based space target surveillance, and it can serve countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, and provide situational awareness against LEO satellites,” Sun said.
Voting ability test
“1920s NY State Regents literacy test for voting. Passing grade required 6 of 7 questions correct. Designed at 4th grade level.”
A photographer took a photo of a bird holding a shark with fish in its mouth
The Butter Boat
For decades, locals living near Ireland’s Streedagh Beach visited the remains of a shipwreck. Lodged in the sand, nobody knew where it came from or the name it sailed under, and it eventually became known as the “Butter Boat.” In 2020, researchers decided to crack the mystery. What they pieced together was a remarkably detailed and tragic tale.
After testing the ship and sleuthing through historical records, they discovered the ship’s real name was the Greyhound. It was a trading ship that frequented the coastline between Ireland and Britain. In 1770, the vessel sailed from Yorkshire’s Whitby Port and ran into a storm at Broadhaven Bay.
The crew successfully abandoned the ship, but after a head count, they realized that a cabin boy was still trapped on the ship, which was anchored near some cliffs. The crew and local volunteers returned to the Greyhound, but the storm dragged the ship and many of the rescuers out to sea, killing 20 people in the process.[From HERE]
This guy called Ken found a mini plastic version of himself at Homegoods
CH-6 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
How does it feel for a foreigner living in China?
I’ve lived in China about 8 years across 25 years in 6 cities in 1 village. What it is like to be a foreigner living in China has certainly changed over time and is a lot different in Beijing than in a village in Shandong Province. Even in a city like Beijing, there is a big difference between living in an expat community verses living in and among the Chinese.
There are also lots of aspects of how I feel living in China, such as how people treat me, what the living conditions are like and so on. I will highlight just a few key points:
1) As a foreigner, I am usually treated as an honored guest. This is less true than it used to be years ago, but still, people tend to go out of their way to make sure I have a good seat, something to drink, and so on. Once, it meant that I won a rigged lottery drawing (or at least I am pretty sure they rigged it so the only foreigner in the room won.) On a visit to the Great Hall of the People, we got to bypass the lines and wander around the main hall freely while the people had to wait in a long line, and then were cordoned off behind velvet ropes. Still, there are days when it would be nice to just blend in, but that is unlikely in China.
2) Sometimes people heap all of their frustration with the U.S. on me. One guy launches on a tirade about the U.S. involvement in the Korean War every time he gets a little drunk. On a couple of occasions, a person spit disgustedly in my direction and wagged an accusing finger at me for no obvious reason other than that I was foreign. Once a group of us had some bricks thrown at us. These kinds of things are very rare, but there are people out there who don’t like foreigners.
3) I feel like a rock star. Decades ago, a friend and I sat down on a bench at a beach, and people started to gather standing and squatting in front of the bench just looking at us. By the time we left, there with 50 people there. We once went to the Beijing zoo. People starting looking at us instead of the animals. Everywhere we went, people would call out ‘lao wai’ or ‘foreigner’ or shout ‘hello’. There is a lot less of that now, but especially in smaller towns, it still happens. I recently visited Japan and a girl shouted out ‘hello’ at me. Yep, turned out she was Chinese.
At tourist places, it is still pretty common to have people come up and ask to take a picture with me. It’s not that I’m famous, just that I’m white. Somewhere in China, a child is growing up with a picture in an album of me, random white guy, holding him on Tiananmen Square.
I”ve been on TV. I’ve been in the paper. There was a documentary about me. Friends have been plastered all over town in ad campaigns or become TV and movie stars. Sometimes I feel like a dancing monkey, but it’s been fun, too.
4) I feel a bit misunderstood and a bit used. It is also less true than it used to be, but people tend to see foreigners as rich and as a means to get abroad. As students, we weren’t so rich, but compared to the people around us, we still really were pretty well-off. Students used to come and ask if we could put up $10,000 as some sort of security they needed (or thought they needed) to apply for a visa to go to the U.S. This wasn’t all bad. We could saunter into any fancy hotel in worn jeans and tattered Tshirts and use the restroom and hang out in the lobby like we belonged there. Nowadays, lots of Chinese drive cars I could never afford, so people see us as less wealthy in comparison.
Until the mid-1990s. Foreigners generally had to pay more for train tickets and entrance tickets. That always made us feel bad, though with our student ID we could sometimes get the Chinese price. We also had a different currency that we received when exchanging dollars that we were supposed to use. Every day, every transaction, we were reminded that we were outsiders and expected to pay more. Fortunately, these things have changed. It is still possible, however, to show up at a hotel and have them say foreigners aren’t allowed to stay.
5) I feel fascinated. In part because of the above and impart because China is changing so fast, I also find life really interesting here. I get to meet interesting people all the time, and just the pace of change and uncertainty about how things will unfold makes living in China really really interesting.
6) I feel like it is hard to breathe and a little scared of the food. The air is often pretty bad in the cities, and there are lots of horror stories about unclean or poisonous food. This has gotten worse, but the air in the cities was really bad 25 years ago, too.
7) I feel annoyed. Again, it used to be worse, but China has been a developing country during some of my time here. Buying train tickets, getting on a bus all used to be pitched battles with unruly crowds all trying to get to the front at once. Things don’t always work well, bureaucrats can be obstinate. Taxi drivers can be wonderful or they can be deceitful cheats, depending on the time and place. Even as things become much easier to manage, I find that I am less tolerant when I do encounter things that don’t work well.
8) Sometimes I feel amused. Maybe this is insulting, but I hope not. I think Americans can be amusing when seen by outsiders, too. In part, how we survived the rather intense challenges of navigating day to day life humor was one way we dealt with it. What can you do when you are in Walmart and a child is taking a leak on the floor in front of you? Laugh it off! Also, I continue to enjoy the English translations and translations we see around the country. It’s fun. So above the urinal, there might be a sign, “Peeing into the pool, you are the best!” I am the best, indeed. Ha.
People of other races have different issues in China, and I am sure it is harder than for a white guy. For Asians, there can be a lot less tolerance when they don’t speak Chinese well or don’t follow the rules. Chinese really never expect me to understand social rules, and I get a pass for doing things wrong, or even offensive. What do I know? I’m a barbarian after all. Of course people who look more Chinese, they have the possibility of blending in.
For black people, they also stand out and get lots of attention, but tend to face more negative attitudes than white people. It can be tough.
Having lived in China over this span of time, though, I am very aware of how much things are improving, and over all, how very quickly things in China change.
Baked Pork Chops in Onion-Sour Cream Gravy
“I make this recipe on cold nights…the gravy is SOOOO good!! I serve it with whipped potatoes and I practically have my family licking the plate.”
Ingredients
- 4 -6 pork chops
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 2 1⁄4 cups boiling water
- 1 cup sour cream
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown chops and move to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Leave 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Add to pan the flour and onion soup mix. Blend in water. Pour over chops in baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven.
- Remove chops from pan to serving dish and then add in the sour cream to the liquid in the pan to make gravy.
- Serve immediately.
- Serve with potatoes or noodles.
Great base recipe! After browning chops, I added a little butter to the skillet and browned half lb. sliced portobello mushrooms; then lightly sauteed about a half cup sliced celery to smother the chops. I retained all of the pan drippings and deglazed the pan with about a third cup white wine, then proceeded with the flour and the rest of the recipe as written. Freshly ground black pepper stirred in at the end of the sauce cycle. Phenomenal!
Davy Knowles – “Almost Cut My Hair”
What a real treat!
Some say China-U.S. tech competition has forced U.S. tech companies to abandon a dynamic market, putting them at the forefront of the confrontation. So how do you see tech competition between China and US?
The U.S.-China trade war has been intensifying.
The essence of a trade war is a technology war. The strength of scientific and technological innovation is also a key factor in determining which country will win or lose in the Sino-US trade war. In fact, it is not the China-U.S. technology competition has forced U.S. tech companies to abandon a dynamic market, but the US elites have failed to make progress in scientific and technological research and development innovations. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, relying on their excellent organizational skills, it has taken China only about 70 years (since 1949) to successfully overtake Britain and catch up with the United States. This is not the boast of CPC, but it can be fully reflected in the short-sighted China policy of the United States, and there is no falsehood. From the ability to implement the anti-epidemic measures this time, it can be seen that the organizational ability of the CPC is indeed very effective.
The scale indicator of the Chinese scientific and technological human resources has surpassed that of the United States. If China can continue to maintain the rapid growth of R&D expenditure, it will overtake the United States in the next few years to become the country with the highest total R&D expenditure in the world. If China can continue to maintain a high growth rate in the number of scientific research papers, it will overtake the United States in the next few years and become the country with the highest output of scientific research papers in the world. Whether it is in the overall technological innovation capability of the equipment manufacturing industry, or in the technological innovation capabilities of the four sub-industries of mechanical equipment, medical equipment, transportation equipment and electrical equipment, China has shown a trend of rapid development. Whether it is in the overall technological innovation capability of the information and communication industry, or in the technological innovation capabilities of the four sub-industries of computers, communication equipment, semiconductors and instrument measurement, China has shown a trend of rapid development. The United States is still the country with the most powerful technological innovation capability in the information and communication industry in the world, but its advantage over China is shrinking, especially in the technological innovation capability of the communication equipment sub-industry. China has already surpassed it in 2014.
Over the past 26 years, more than 300,000 scientific and technical personnel from more than 400 units across China have participated in the construction of the Beidou system and have successively conquered more than 160 key core technologies including inter-satellite links and high-precision atomic clocks. A breakthrough has been achieved in the development of localization of components, and finally a 100% localization rate of core components has been achieved.
The aerospace-grade CPU has always been the diamond crown of all the chips and the most expensive chip products in the history of chips. The price of an aerospace CPU of Beidou satellite made completely in China is 9 million yuan, and it is already several times cheaper than before. The self-developed anti-radiation quad-core CPU chip, SoC2012, and the operating system SpaceOS2 with independent intellectual property rights since 2017 are comparable to the highest level of similar products in the world. More than 200 kinds of radiation-hardened integrated circuits have been successfully developed and exported to Germany and Russia.
When the European sc80c32 chip was used to build a satellite, a lot of the chips has to be put together in order to meet all the function requirements. One domestic Loongson has ten times the computing power of the European sc80c32 chip. In addition, when working in the sky, the sc80c32 chip will have a calculation error about once a week, but in the 30-year cumulative life of Loongson, the error rate is zero.
The export of high-tech products comprehensively reflects the advanced degree of a country’s industrial system and its position in the global production network. After initially lagging far behind the United States in the export of high-tech products to overtaking the United States in 2015, the gap between China and the United States has widened rapidly, and it has become the country with the highest export value of high-tech products in the world for many consecutive years.
The balance of power between China and the United States is changing. The gap is narrowing, and China’s economy is on the verge of surpassing that of the United States. Globalization centered on the United States has lost momentum. In the past decade, China has contributed to an average of one-third of global economic growth and has become a new engine. China is already the world’s manufacturing center. In 2019, the global share of China’s manufacturing added value increased to 28%, which is the sum of the manufacturing value added of the United States and Japan, while the sum of developed countries dropped to about 55%.
In the long run, the Covid-19 pandemic will further promote de-globalization. Western countries are determined to build a new regional trade system, and the regionalization of the industrial chain is obvious. A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is reshaping economic growth. From the digital economy to the life economy, global competition is focused on competition for the commanding heights of science and technology. The new scientific and technological revolution provides opportunities for late-developing countries to achieve technological catch-up, and countries have deployed their layouts around key areas. The leading role of the United States and China in the digital economy is growing.
China’s model is to build a huge manufacturing capacity, a fine division of labor in the industrial chain, to form economies of scale in the manufacturing industry, and to strengthen the domestic roots of the industrial chain. Although the United States has always been a global technology leader, its position is being challenged in some areas. For example, artificial intelligence (AI), China’s Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent, have established a complete AI business ecosystem and have massive data for rapid application, which is not available in the United States.
The technological game between China and the United States is in full swing. China’s advantages are its strong manufacturing capabilities and stable domestic epidemic situation, while Western countries mainly rely on technological heritage and camp advantages. On the whole, the political decoupling policy toward China is being implemented, and the economic relationship between the two countries has decreased. In the fields of finance, energy, and technology, isolation has become the theme. Some industrial chains that have already been formed are also being gradually reshaped, which is a huge cost to the United States. Decoupling in information technology alone could cost the US 48% of the market and 30% of global market revenue.
The interests of American companies are not aligned with the will of the government. They have huge interests in China and still maintain business contacts with most Chinese companies. China has proposed a dual circulation strategy to partially replace global trade and tap domestic potential. After all, China is already the world’s largest single market in many industries such as mobile phones and automobiles. The United States imposes single-point sanctions on core Chinese companies. This long-arm jurisdiction will force companies of all the countries to choose sides in the short term, resulting in isolation blocks. However, in the medium and long term, Chinese companies have the opportunity to break through. Taking the information technology industry as an example, domestic ecosystem entities such as HiSilicon chips and Kirin software are constantly growing.
China does not want to decouple, but if it is forced to strengthen independent technology, it will gradually weaken its dependence on US technology, and the result will be further decoupling. Chinese enterprises have strengthened independent innovation.
This is a dangerous road and a road of no return, but once China establishes an operating system whose core elements are independent of the outside world, it will be subversive to the existing world pattern.
Married couple in China discover they appeared in same photograph as teenagers.
Why do people buy houses that are cheaper in further areas only to drive an hour to work? Is it worth it?
Most people can’t afford the property around the area they work in, or they have to settle for something much smaller than what they really need.
You’re not talking about a difference of 5–10k either, the difference in property value between the area want and a little further away could be up to, and even a lot more than, 100k. Even if your commute is over an hour away, you might just have to consider it for a difference that large. How many trips to work would it take to make up that difference?
Young couples and families don’t always have the opportunity to be so discerning. Getting property in the area they really want would be unrealistic, their mortgage payments would equate to too high a percentage of their income leaving them little room for freedoms and emergencies, or compromising on the features they need to bring the price down.
And you also have to consider the aftermarket costs, especially when buying an established house. There are always more expenses.
You’re not really saving in the long term if the mortgage payments are financially crushing. And if you can’t afford to make repairs or keep up with maintenance because your mortgage payments are too demanding, you also risk lowering the potential future value of your property.
But buying in an outer suburb or even in the surrounding country brings the price down a lot, and you’ll have the opportunity to buy a lot more for a lot less, even if you’re building.
This is the issue we faced when we first looked into buying as well. Had we bought our land in the area we both worked, even if we went smaller, we just couldn’t realistically live with a mortgage that high, virtually all of our income would have gone onto the repayments. So we built a house that was a good half-hour away, our repayments were less than what we paid in rent in our desired areas and we were able to build a house that was big enough for our needs.
And ultimately, it was a good choice, because only a couple of years later, a car accident put us both out of the workforce. Had we aimed higher, we would have lost our home as well, but taking a smaller risk meant we were able to hold onto it and actually pay out the mortgage.
But you need to also consider that a house isn’t just somewhere you go to sleep, you’re going to spend a huge amount of your life there, you need to be happy with your purchase. It needs to do what you need it to do, have the room for you and/or your family to grow in whatever capacity you need to. Settling on something just because it’s close to your job could lead to huge issues down the road and you could unintentionally put yourself in a really tight spot and be trapped in a house that doesn’t have the space you need, and no longer have the means to change.
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UFOs/UAPs are Chinese drones and weather balloons, don’t you know, LOL. 75 fucking years and they can’t even think up better narrative than the one Even Major Jesse Marcel said was total bullshit. In other news I’m going to teach you all how to hijack and pilot one using techniques to induce OBEs….just as soon as i can my damned animation software activated. Fucking IMSI Design
I listen to a lot of music. I had never heard of Davy Knowles… excellent. That version of Almost Cut My Hair is just great.
Yeah. It blew my socks off! I never heard of him either, and then I listened to this rendition, and again, and again and again. Geeze!
I used to listen to CSN and CSN&Y (as well as CS) back in the day. That’s how I used to study. But I never recalled the song as a blues guitar ballad. What the heck! Amazing job!